May Glossybox Beauty Subscription Review

June 7, 2017 by Virginia 2 Comments

Well, it’s been another crazy week! I have spent all week fixing up the upstairs unit in our Multifamily home so we can rent it out as soon as possible! I’ve been painting and cleaning and skim coating walls…who knew, skim coating walls is awesome! (I know…I’m crazy…but it’s just so satisfying to see the mud get so smooth!) All the days are running together to the point where I had no idea what day it was today! I wanted to get this post up for you guys because I’ve been sitting on it for a few weeks and need to get it up before I get my next beauty subscription delivery!

Delivery, you say? Yes! A month or so ago Glossybox reached out to me about trying out one of their monthly beauty subscriptions. I have been thinking about a beauty subscription box for a long time because I love watching beauty youtubers open their subscription boxes and talk about all the products! It’s a great way to sample items without having to pay for a full size! I want to share what I got in my Glossybox beauty subscription and what I thought about them, in case you’re interested in trying Glossybox for yourself! This box was sent to me free, but the opinions are all my own! Each month I will do a round-up of products from my Glossybox!

*This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you click and/or make a purchase through these links, I may make a small commission. For more information, see my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting the retailers that make this blog possible!

Products in my May Glossybox Beauty Subscription

Rodial Lip Liner in Nude – Full size $22.00

This lip liner is supposed to be long-lasting and waterproof. I agree that it is long-lasting. I’m not a fan though because it was pretty dry and hard to actually apply.

Spa To You Deep Pore Cleansing Facial Brush and Massager – Full size $9.00

This brush is supposed to have silky soft bristles to deeply cleanse and massage the skin to improve mirocirculation (whatever that is). The reviews on this are great but I am not a fan! It hurt!! The bristles felt soft on my hand but not my face and though I tried to use it multiple times with different cleansers, it just killed my face. I would not recommend.

Tree Hut Exfoliating Mud Mask: Full size $15.00

This mask claims to clean out pores and contain minerals that help promote clear skin. I’m not sure if it really has helped promote clear skin but it smells wonderful and feels great as it is drying. I didn’t see a huge difference in my skin afterwards but I rarely do when I use masks. This is a good size for $15 and I would definitely recommend!

Skinn by Dimitri James Bronze Goddess: Full size $28.00

This is a great Blush and Eyeshadow set for travel! The set includes a blush and 5 different eye shadows (4 shimmer, 1 mattte). I love it. I definitely need a primer under the eye shadows so they don’t transfer but the colors are beautiful and it really does give a bronzed glow!

Vitry Nail Repair Care: Full size $20.00

To be honest…I haven’t tried this nail treatment yet! It’s so tiny for $20…but it is supposed to strengthen my nails so I will definitely try it out after I finish all this remodeling! All the scrubbing and chemicals are making my nails brittle!

Get Your Own Glossybox Beauty Subscription

Prices for Glossybox range from $17.50 per box up to $21 per box, depending on the length of your subscription. It”s such a great deal because all these products were FULL size! This box was worth $94 and the subscription is only $21! Even if you take only the products I loved (Bronze Goddess and Tree Hut Mask), that’s still $43 worth of products for half the price! Super deal! Plus, how fun is it to try new things?!

I can’t wait to get my next box and will make sure to share my reviews!

Thanks so much for visiting! Have you tried a beauty subscription? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below!

-Virginia

Linking up with: Style Elixir | More Pieces of Me | Sincerely Jenna Marie | I do deClaire | Pumps & Pushups

Makeup Empties and New Favorites

May 15, 2017 by Virginia 12 Comments

In my last post about makeup I shared how to make your makeup last all day and I talked a little about some of my favorite products. Today I’m sharing something a little different. For me, makeup has helped me express my creativity and build my confidence. When I first started getting into makeup I watched a WHOLE LOT of youtube videos. I still watch a lot of makeup youtube videos and I love when beauty youtubers share their “Makeup Empties,” ie: what they’ve used up. I love being able to see the patterns between youtubers because if more than one youtuber has used up an entire tube of concealer (when they have 10 other types of that same product that they could use), then it must have been good!

Today I’m going to share my humble little “Makeup Empties” post and then share a few of my new favorites. All of these products were chosen based on online reviews or recommendations from my favorite beauty youtubers: Emily Eddington, Jaclyn Hill, and Kathleen Lights. I hope that you find these helpful and that they inspire you to try something new!

*This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you click and/or make a purchase through these links, I may make a small commission. Thank you for supporting the retailers that make this blog possible.

Makeup Empties

Urban Decay ‘All Nighter’ Liquid Foundation in 3.25 – You can see my review of this product here. It has great coverage but in the end, I did not repurchase. If you want a very full-coverage foundation, this is one you should try. I would get someone in the store to help you pick your color. Keep in mind that it oxidizes, so after a minute or so of being on your skin it will turn a darker color.

Find a variety of the colors available here

CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara – This stuff is amazing. The wand is a little different from traditional wands but it really does separate my lashes and make them nice and full. There are definitely other mascaras out there that I want to try (like this one) but at under $10, I always have one of these on hand!

Urban Decay ‘Naked Skin’ Weightless Concealer in Light – This was the much-loved predecessor to my new favorite, the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. The Naked Weightless Concealer is still a GREAT concealer and comes in a lot of different shades. It had great coverage, didn’t crease on me and lasted a long time. However, the Tarte Shape tape is simply so pigmented and covers my dark undereye area without a corrector.

Maybelline Master Precise Skinny Eyeliner (not pictured because I threw it away)- I absolutely loved this and did repurchase. The tip is SO skinny that it is very precise. I have hooded lids so thick eyeliner makes my eyes look heavier. This eyeliner stays put on my waterline. It also makes for a very precise, thin application on the outer corner of my upper lids.

NYX Lipliner in 816 Fushia – This is the first lipliner that I’ve used up. It was such a perfect color under my pinky-berry lipsticks. I could not find it to repurchase in store so I bought one of the NYX Retractable Lip Liners in Hot Pink to replace it. I love the texture of the new lipliner but the color selection doesn’t have a perfect match for my Fushia.

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer Mist (not pictured) – Emily, one of my favorite youtubers, loves this stuff for setting her makeup. It did make my makeup last, but it always left a somewhat sticky feel to my face. When I ran out, I did not repurchase.

New Favorite Makeup Purchases

Now, for some new favorites and wow…now that I look at them, they’re ALL from the same brand. I guess that’s saying something! Milani is on fire!

(Make this Gold and White Striped Vase)

Milani Make It Last Setting Spray – I’m OBSESSED! No, seriously. You need this, especially if you need to keep your coverage long-wearing. Right as I was getting the last sputters out of my Hard Candy Primer Mist, Kathleen Lights talked about this in her video here. It smells wonderful, has a very fine, even spray and seriously sets my makeup. If I were to recommend only one product from this post, it’s this one! I got mine at my local CVS. Get it now (1 / 2)!

Milani Tea Rose Powder Blush – I needed a good pinky blush for Spring so I watched youtube videos and did research online. A number of people recommended these Rose Blushes, and I took a leap of faith and picked the color Tea Rose. I love it. It’s the perfect light pink for my skin tone and stays beautiful all day! (also here)

Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme in Pretty – This really lives up to its name. I’m a huge fan of Milani Lip Cremes. They are so long-lasting, unless you’re eating something greasy. This one has a different texture and doesn’t last quite as long, but it’s a beautiful light, nude-pink for spring.

In other news, I just got my first Glossybox in the mail today!!! EEEK! I can’t wait to share my favorites with you soon! Maybe I will even attempt an Instastories…don’t want to get too carried away here, ha!

Ok, those are my makeup empties and new makeup favorites! What have you used up that you would or would not purchase again! Let me know in the comments below!

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read!

– Virginia

Make Your Makeup Last ALL DAY

April 3, 2017 by Virginia 12 Comments

If there’s one thing that I have been researching and studying for years, it’s how to make makeup last all day! I’m sorry, but most teachers don’t have the time to go to the bathroom during the day, let alone spend time touching up makeup! I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a beauty post. Income just hasn’t allowed it. However, I have FINALLY found the right combination to make my makeup last all day and I thought others might want to know!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on links may result in a commission for More to Mrs. E. Thank you for supporting the retailers that continue to make this blog possible!

Background:

I have struggled with skin issues since my teenage years. How embarrassing is it to teach teenagers with perfect skin while you still struggle with acne as an adult?! I looked for full-coverage foundations that could cover up blemishes and wouldn’t rub off over the course of the day. Thankfully, my skin has had fewer issues since moving to Rhode Island. (I’m not sure why that is but I’m glad of it!) However, I still use a full-coverage foundation because I have a lot of texture issues and scarring.

There are a few full-coverage foundations that are considered to be the best by most beauty bloggers and youtubers (my favorite beauty youtubers are Jaclyn Hill and Makeup Geek…though I could actually do a whole post on beauty youtubers if you’re interested). These foundations are the Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation. I used the Double Wear foundation for YEARS because so many bloggers swore by it to make your makeup last all day but I switched when the All Nighter Foundation came out. So many people were raving about it that I had to give it a try!

My assessment of the Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation:

Pros:

SUPER full-coverage
Very smoothing appearance – I got lots of compliments
A little goes a LONG way – One bottle lasted four months, longer than my Double Wear. I apply it with this foundation brush to ensure full coverage.

Cons:

The foundation oxidizes (ie: it darkens as it’s exposed to the air) so finding your correct color is a little difficult. (see youtuber Kathleen Lights talk about that here)
For me, it rubbed off on key areas (on my nose and chin) even when set with a powder. (Embarrassing!)
I felt like this foundation sat too much on top of my skin rather than appearing to blend into it. This is probably because I applied it with a brush and not a beauty blender. The beauty blender soaked up too much of the product.

When I finished my bottle of the Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation I decided to shop around for a new full-coverage foundation rather than going back to the Estee Lauder foundation. I was hesitant to return because I remembered that when I started using the Urban Decay foundation I was so impressed by how much MORE coverage it gave than the Estee Lauder.

When I visited Ulta, however, they couldn’t give me a better recommendation for a full-coverage foundation and I am now so glad! I went back to the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and it has renewed my love! Though it’s not as thick in one application, when applied with a beauty sponge it can be layered and it blends so beautifully into the skin that it feels more natural. (For more on using a beauty sponge, see this post!)

How I make my makeup last all day:

1. Clean your face! I wash my face with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser to remove any bacteria and dirt from the skin so that my pores don’t get as easily clogged during the day.
2. Moisturize and Prime your face – this gives your skin something to soak up the foundation so it lasts all day!

When I first started getting into makeup I learned that it’s best to moisturize about 30 minutes BEFORE you apply your makeup. I usually wash my face and put this moisturizer on, then get dressed/make lunch/etc, and return to put the primer on and start my makeup application.
Apply the Emani Perfect 10 Primer Serum. This step is CRUCIAL! I did not love this primer when I used it with the Urban Decay Foundation, but paired with the Estee Lauder foundation, it’s a miracle worker! It just makes the foundation STICK! (You can also get it here – it’s super hard to find right now!)

3. Apply the Estee Lauder foundation (described above) with a beauty blender (Original Beauty Blender / Real Techniques / NYX ) to everything except the eye area. (See here for how to use the beauty blender.)
4. Apply concealer (LOVE this one) to the under-eye area, around the nose, and dotted on the chin, up the nose and on the forehead. This brightens the whole area. See image below.

5. Set the places you applied concealer with a powder (another youtube sensation, this powder is amazing).

I then apply the rest of my makeup and it SERIOUSLY lasts ALL DAY… way better than the Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation. I think the real key to making this makeup last all day is to use the Estee Lauder foundation WITH the Emani primer.

Please keep in mind, everyone’s skin is different and this process may not work for you! But we’re all here to help each other out and if I find something that finally works for me after years of searching, by golly, I’m going to share it!

Now, I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know in the comments what your key is to makeup that lasts all day!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Virginia