January Boxycharm Review

In one word: Underwhelming.

I’m actually, for the first time in 2 years, highly disappointed. Here’s why.

tarte Limited Edition Rainforest of the Sea Highlighting Palette Vol 3

It’s all shimmers-except for one less than stellar matte:

I didn’t bother swatching them all because 1) they’re all super similar and 2) a shimmer is a shimmer.

I received a tarte palette very similar to this a little over a year ago, and I didn’t like that one either. tarte in general isn’t really my jam-I love the shape tape and the Park Ave Princess Contour palette but never met a tarte eyeshadow I liked. This retails for 36$.

•••••

BrioGeo Dont Despair, Repair! Leave In Hair Mask

Since I literally got the exact same product from Boxy in October and even still have some left, there’s not much to say about this. It’s nice but I didn’t need more. 16$.

•••••

Tatcha Dewy Skin Face Mask

This is good-Tatcha is a great brand and these masks aren’t cheap. 12$ for one-so they better be good. So the total value is 24$.

•••••

Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eye Pencil

It’s a brown eyeliner. There’s not a whole ton to say-it’s somewhat pigmented but hard to tell how it’s going to work in the waterline. Can I always use a decent eyeliner? Sure. Is this one? Who knows. Retails for 10$.

Finally, Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Havana Nights

At least Ofra lippies are a tried and true good formula. I’d have liked to try Bite Beauty, but it was not to be. I do like the scent (vanilla/cupcake-y) the doe foot applicator-

and the shade:

So this isn’t a total disaster. The Ofra retails for 20$.

The total value of this month’s box is 106$, still great for a 21$ box. It wasn’t their best month-the last time they sent me duplicate items, they sent me a 6th item which was a Jonteblu pencil-horrible. Hopefully that’s not my 6th item again.

Better luck next month, right? 🤷🏼‍♀️

To subscribe to Boxycharm for 21$ a month-

https://www.boxycharm.com/refer/Allis-ITTBAOGB

Or at checkout, use code:

Allis-ITTBAOGB

Talk soon Lovelies

Allie

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Profusion Palettes-Sale Haul

All of a sudden, Profusion Cosmetics is like, everywhere. Super affordable, great quality-win, win. I didn’t realize that I’ve owned a Profusion contour palette for like, 6 months-not sure what THAT says about me. 😂

I have the Peach Mixed Metals palette, which is really nice, so knowing that the brand isn’t shit imagine my glee when I stopped into Walgreens on Friday and saw Profusion 9 pan palettes for 2.50$. Two Fifty!! They also had a 35 pan for 10$, which of course came home with me as well. It’s the Profusion Ultra Cool palette:

I only swatched a few-the greens and blues really appealed to me:

For the 9 pan palettes they had Basic, Bold, and Metals. Here’s Basic:

Bold:

Metals:

I went a little bananas-I bought 9 palettes. 😬 But 2.50$!! I sent some to friends and my daughter, I literally couldn’t stop myself. 2.50$.

So I basically got all 4 of the above palettes for less the original cost of the Ultra Cool which was 20$ before the sale. I love a bargain, y’all.

I ordered the CYO Lifeproof foundation I’ve been hearing a ton about as well, it’ll be in today. It’s 7$ at Walgreens (it was 5.99$ when I ordered it online) and if it’s any good I’ll let you guys know.

I’d check your local Walgreens for these palettes if you’re interested. I found them in the Christmas clearance aisle.

Talk soon Lovelies!

Allie

Some New YouTube Channels For 2019

Happy New Year!

My new years resolution is to find some smaller YouTube channels that I can show some love to. I’m not sure about you all, but the mega-influencers (for the most part) have been boring me. They’re predictable, not super trustworthy when opinions are bought and paid for, and I just feel like many of them forgot where they came from.

I’ve found a few that I really enjoy, and my New Years Gift to y’all is to hopefully share some new, great YouTube finds. They aren’t about the drama, they aren’t too big for their britches-just a bunch of fun, down to earth women who love makeup.

First:

MesiJesiBeauty

Jesi has about 180k subscribers-she’s cute. Super personable, likable.

You can find her at MesiJesiBeauty on the Tube.

****

Next up is JuicyJas:

Jas has almost 500k subs, so she’s a little bigger, but she’s super down to earth, and always reminds you to grab a snack. She’s JuicyJas on the tube-check her out. She’s good.

****

Another one I’ve been enjoying is Shae from ThatGirlShaeXO.

At about 350k subs, she’s known for her live swatching of shadows and lipsticks-and she’s dedicated AF because she will swatch entire collections, and that can be A LOT.

****

Next up, Amanda from Makeup Just For Fun-

She’s a big Colourpop fan, so you’ll see a lot of the brand, but she does others as well. She’s at 25k subs-and you can find her at Makeup.Just.For.Fun on YouTube.

****

Now we have Jen from Beauty Riot X:

I love Jen because she’s no nonsense, no BS. She tells it like she sees it, and speaks like you would with your girlfriends about makeup. She’s at 2500K subs, which is a crime that she’s that underrated. Refreshing. Check her out. Beauty Riot X.

****

Last but never least, Nichole Fischer.

Nichole focuses mostly on Boxycharm reviews with the occasional Ipsy thrown in. I like her because she goes a little more in depth with the products-she’s cute. She’s obviously Nichole Fischer on YouTube.

I love these channels because they’re all such a refreshing change from the huge channels with millions and millions of subs-they work hard, and haven’t lost their passion for what they do. They’re all super enjoyable to watch, never have a drop of drama, and are all so relatable.

Let me know what you think!

Talk soon, Lovelies

Allie

Best And Worst Makeup Of 2018…The Worst

I hate to say “worst” because that sounds so harsh, but it is what it is. Some of these were real disappointments, and some I expected not a whole lot from so wasn’t surprised.

First on my naughty list is Huda Beauty Ruby Obsessions palette.

Disappointing. It blends like shit, it’s nowhere near as pigmented as you’d expect it to be, and 2 of the shadows got this weird, hard texture to them after I used them a few times. Like, I feel like I have to scrape a layer off now. It’s a 27$ palette-come on, Huda. Maybe the other colors aren’t so bad, but I’m not willing to spend 27$ to find out. I’ve got Blood Sugar, which is miles better. Huda Obsessions

This one isn’t on the list for the reasons you might think. Laura Lee had a no-good, horrible, very bad year as we know (brought on herself) and the shitty products Laura Lee Los Angeles released didnt help. Like the Laura Lee Los Angeles Party Animal palette.

The first problem with this is it’s complete unwearability. There’s no transition or crease shade, just BAM colors, and it’s not something you can get a complete look from. Never mind the kind of look you CAN get. The main downfall is the quality-they’re dry, powdery, patchy, and just BAD. At one point I’d considered buying her Nudie Patootie palette, and I was really looking forward to seeing the quality of her shadows. I had high hopes, to be honest. I’m glad I didn’t buy NP because these are HORRIBLE. Apparently she calls them “pressed pigments”-whatever. Retails for 19$. Laura Lee Party Animal palette

This next one is another Boxycharm product-the pür x Boxycharm palette:

Ugh. First-fallout city. I don’t mind some fallout, that doesn’t make or break a palette for me generally. But this one is BAD. The top row of shades are all so similar, what’s the point? The bright blue and hot pink don’t make sense, it doesn’t blend for shit, it’s just not good at all. pür and Boxy had given us Soirée Diaries a while back and that one was amazing-but this is a big pile of nope. Dry, powdery, patchy nope. They want 36$ for this disaster too. Nope. pür x Boxycharm eyeshadow palette

Leaving the palettes behind, I give you Jonteblu-Boxycharm loves sticking them in boxes to fill up space or whatever the excuse may be- and these wooden eye and lip pencils aren’t only cheap, but painful. They lack pigment so badly that you’ll hurt your eyes or lips trying to get payoff. Literally hurt yourself. Waxy garbage. They charge 5$ each but I wouldn’t pay .50¢.

I don’t even know why I still have these-I’ve thrown the others away. Maybe they have other products that are useable, I have no idea, and not going to bother checking. Jonteblu eyeliner

This one is unfortunate as well, and the issue is more packaging than the actual product-but if the packaging literally interferes with the product, what can you do?

The Pretty Vulgar Ink Gel Eyeliner. The pot it’s in is deep-you can’t see how far you need to dip your brush, you can’t tell how much product you’re getting on your brush..it just doesn’t work. The liner itself isn’t bad-it’s pigmented and works just fine-it’s just not worth the hassle the packaging gives you. I mean, the jar is pretty-just not functional. It’ll run you 24$ if you’re so inclined..Pretty Vulgar Ink Gel

Last on the list is another Boxycharm item-I feel like the implication is that Boxy sends a lot of shit, they really don’t-I’ve enjoyed way more products from them than I didn’t. I’m just less likely to spend $ on something I’m on the fence about, but Boxy sends 5 items a month I didn’t pick. Anyway, back to the bad. The Bang Beauty Chocolate Gel Eyeliner.

This looks like poop when you swatch it, which is a bad start. It’s SO dry, that it barely moves in the pot. It’s literally solid. Supposedly you can add water to it and it works well on your brows but I’m just not that into it. It’s going in the trash. Just so bad. And 22$. No. Bang Beauty Chocolate Gel Liner

That’s pretty much it! The Good was great, the bad was BAD, and there was a ton in between. It was a pretty good year for makeup, and I’m looking forward to 2019.

Happy New Year, guys-I wish you all love, light, health, and happiness.

Allie

Best and Worst Makeup Of 2018: The Best

I know I’ve been MIA-not really, I mean, I’m here, I’m just not here. I’ll do better, I swear. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday-it was a great one here.

I’m going to list my best and not so best makeup of 2018-I’m not going to bother with categories because it’s not that deep 😉. This post will be the best, tomorrow? You’ll see my worst. Here we go:

Best Eyeshadow Palettes

First, I have to say the Colourpop Good Sport palette.

This, in my opinion, is one of Colourpop’s best releases so far. The formula is insanely good, the shimmers are blinding (that green? WHAT?) and there are a million looks you can get out of this. I was initially drawn to that green shimmer, but when i tried the mattes and other shades i was blown away. If you get ANY Colourpop palette? Let it be Good Sport. It’s usually 16$, but on sale for 12.80$. Worth every penny. Colourpop Good Sport

Next up is Jeffree Star Cosmetics Blood Sugar palette:

Probably one of the best palettes of all time. Not only is the packaging sick, the formula of these shadows is literally amazing. At 54$ it’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for and it is DOPE. Jeffree Star killed it with this-the reds and purples are so intensely vibrant and the versatility is just…it’s good. I hear a rumor that he’s releasing a Blood Sugar 2 in March and I promise I’ll be all over that. It’s also almost always sold out-but if you can? Do. Jeffree Star Blood Sugar

This little lady came home just a month or so ago, I’d be wanting her for weeks, and finally caved. Dose of Colors x Desi x Katy Friendcation palette.

The mattes in this palette are some of the best I’ve ever used in my life. The shimmers are just stunning-I would recommend a glitter glue, however, because they’ll lose their shim after a little while-but if you use glitter glue, you’re good. You can do smokey eye looks like no one’s business with this, some BAM glam, or every day. I don’t know if this is Dose’s usual formula, but the quality is sickening. She’s not cheap at 55$, but if you buy her at Ulta, you can use coupons or points which is what I did-I think I paid 30$. Dose Of Colors Friendcation palette

Last but never least is a Boxycharm item-the Alamar Cosmetics Reina del Caribe Vol 1 palette. This first release from makeup artist/Boxycharm Employee Gaby Trujillo was an impressive effort-with blinding shimmers, pigmented highly blendable mattes, and high versatility-

I absolutely love this palette-Alamar just released Vol 2, which is gorgeous, and about to be mine as well. This palette is a more affordable 28$, but could have easily sold for 40$. Check it out- Alamar Cosmetics

One foundation that I really enjoyed this year was Colourpop No Filter Foundation. It gave buildable, lasting Medium to Full coverage, didn’t feel super “masky”, and just really worked out for me along with the No Filter Setting Powder. The setting powder mattified and set without drying, baked like a dream, and didn’t amplify fine lines around my eyes.

You can find them here for 12$ (foundation) and 9$ (setting powder) Colourpop No Filter Complexion

My last best is the Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb in How Many Carats highlighter/all over shimmery goodness.

First of all-the packaging is GORG. It’s luxurious, expensive feeling, heavy. The actual product isn’t blinding highlighter, more of a topper for highlight to add that extra jujj, inner corner highlight, or wear it alone for a subtle but rich shimmer-no chunky glitter at all. It’s just beautiful-

It’s another not-cheap product at 38$, but it will last you. You’re not going to go thru it quick fast. Buy it here: Fenty Diamond Veil

Tomorrow I’ll let you know what my worst of the year was. Betcha can’t wait 😉

Talk soon, Lovelies

Allie

One Last Laura Lee Antic for 2018

Laura Lee just can’t stop being a tool, and 2018 wouldn’t end properly if she didn’t provide us with one more gaffe.

There’s a YouTuber named Joey Graceffa-he does vlogs and gaming content, and has a ton of subscribers. He had a Christmas party for a bunch of his YouTube friends-Gabbie Hana, Trisha Paytas, Kandee Johnson were there, as well as Laura Lee and Manny MUA.

They had a “white elephant” gift thing-where everyone bringsca gift and draws numbers, and when your number comes up you can “steal” a gift that someone got. There was a Balenciaga sweatshirt, some kind of backpack-and Trisha Paytas-

Brought the hot gift of the night that everyone wanted-an IPad Pro. As luck would have it, our fair Laura Lee drew the last number and claimed the iPad Pro for her very own.

Cool, right?

Then 6 hours later, on Instagram:

Laura is giving away an…gasp…iPad Pro. No mention of winning it-which like, might not be necessary if she wasn’t on video winning it in front of a whole roomful of people. I suspect this was a hastily thrown together giveaway once she realized she didn’t have to spend her coin on her own. I’m sure times are tough after losing all those subs and contracts. 🙄

And there you go. Laura Lee is just not winning.

Talk soon, Lovelies

Allie

December BoxyLuxe

Oh wow, there’s a lot in this BoxyLuxe. It’s almost overwhelming, but I think I can do it.

Ok-first I’ll start with the random items.

Glam AF Wristlet-I can’t have too many wristlets. Or can I? And inside the wristlet?

Surprise!

Portable Cell Phone Charger. See? Random, right? I’ll definitely use the charger. It works on both Android and iphone, and this duo retails for 22$.

The Luxie Rose Gold Complete Face Brush Set:

I love getting brushes-so I’m thrilled. There are 8 in here-a spoolie, a 221 Flat Definer Brush, 532 Round Top Blender, 522 Tapered Highlighting Brush, 160 Lip Brush, 680 Pro Precision Face Brush, 229 Tapeted Blending Brush, and 213 Eye Shader Brush. Believe it or not, out of all these I only have the 522 already. I’m definitely going to use the 532 for foundation.

Luxie makes fantastic brushes, so I’m super happy to be getting 8. This set retails for 65$. Issa win.

Here we have the Spongelle Body Wash Infused Buffer:

I’ve never heard of these? I’m guessing you use it in the shower as a sponge with built in body wash, duh-it’s VERY fragrant, like the scent is STRONG. Very flowery. Not sure about it.

The star sponge is sort of hard, I’m sure it triples in size and gets all sudsy and smelly. I’ll let you know after I use it-this retails for 20$. **Update** I used it. It’s was a little rough (hence the exfoliating factor) but on arms and legs it was fine. It got sudsy but not TOO much-you could control that by how wet you got it. I like it-my skin felt refreshed after my shower. It’s a keeper.

Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream:

This is one of the highly anticipated items in the box-Elemis is a high end pricey brand and this cream is no exception. Retails for 89$. It’s a day cream, you apply it every morning, so the instructions say. It’s supposed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, moisturize, and visibly improve fine lines. It’s got Gingko biloba, rose, and mimosa in it, as well as “a potent cocktail of seaweeds”.

The fragrance is light, and texturally it’s not greasy, it’s light, and pleasant. I hope it’s not TOO bomb because having to pay 89$ for another would sting. **Update** not greasy on the skin at all-absorbs nicely. Love it.

Wander Beauty Dusk to Dawn Blush & Highlight Palette

I was hoping to get the setting powder, but oh well. This is cute-I have a ton of blush and highlighter, however, so meh. With 2 blushes and one highlighter, this retails for 26$. That’s a lot for what you get.

Wander Beauty is everywhere now, and they’re not bad. The palette is cute, but nothing we haven’t seen before and probably nothing I’d buy on my own.

I’m super excited over this, because we’ve never received anything like this in a Boxy.

The PYT Mini Hair Straightener is super cute, purse sized, and packs a punch. I tried it the day it came and it heats up fast, and gets HOT. It came with a somewhat flimsy case, but whatever. Its small size makes it awesome for travel-I guess you could even bring it with you just going out for the night. That would be a little weird, but it’s doable. This is an 75$ hair tool, y’all. Quite decent too.

Also, the tarte Glitter Lip Paint

This is REALLY pretty. It’s obviously a gloss, and has a ton of little multi colored micro glitters.

Photos don’t really do it justice-you can use it alone or as a topper-retails for 20$. It’s comfortable-you don’t feel the glitter at all on your lips, and it’s not super sticky. Nice gloss product-I’ll definitely use it.

This next one isn’t very thrilling to me-I have to check the reviews on it, maybe it’s good-Grande Cosmetics GrandeMascara. It says it’s infused with a blend of peptides, panthenols and natural waxes. It’s water-resistant as well.

The component is a brushed metal, and texturally I’m not a fan. I don’t like the feel of it AT ALL.

I’ll give it a go-I have a difficult time finding a good mascara, as I’ve said before my lashes are sparse, puny, and I feel like resistant to looking good. This mascara retails for 25$, I feel like that’s a lot for mascara. We shall see.

Last, but absolutely not least, is the Violet Voss Holy Grail palette.

Oh Em Gee. This palette is GORGEOUS. I can’t wait to dig in to it-the shades are stunning.

I feel like it’s super wearable and versatile-you’ll get a ton of different looks out of her. I’m not swatching the whole thing because 20 pans, but here are a few:

The mattes were beautifully pigmented and creamy, the shimmers are stunning-it seems like an absolutely fantastic palette. This may be my favorite out of the box. The Violet Voss HG palette retails for 45$. A little pricey, but you get 20 gorgeous, wearable pans.

That does it for the December BoxyLuxe, guys. Overall I’m pretty happy, 49.99$ for a 387$ value? Damn.

Talk soon, Lovelies

Allie

December Ipsy Glam Bag Plus

After a loooong wait and many emails, my Glam Bag Plus sub finally started! It technically started in November, but I didn’t get the Nov bag until Dec 3, and I was over it by then. It was a good Bag, I was just done. So-lets start with December, shall we?

I gotta say, I’m impressed. I know they’re trying to compete with Boxycharm, I just get a different vibe, I suppose.

First things first. F.A.R.A.H. Good Face Brush Trio:

Super cool packaging-I’ve never heard of this brand, but the brushes are really nice. You get a Large Powder Brush, a Stippler, and Large Angled Contour Brush. They had super neat plastic covers on them which I really dig.

They’re vegan and retail for 40$.

The next product is Lancôme Le Monochromatique in Eclat:

Its a cream to powder that can be used on eyes, cheeks or lips-

It’s super pretty, super creamy, she’s fragrance-free, and has Vitamin E. I wouldn’t use it on my lips though. Eyes and cheeks? Absolutely. This retails for 25$.

And we have the Estée Lauder Pure Color Love Lipstick in Flash Chill.

The packaging is amazeballs, really.

The shade is a coral, there’s tiny flecks of micro glitter as well.

It’s not super opaque, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but I actually do. It’s really pretty-I approve. This retails for 22.50$. That’s a lot for lipstick, I feel like. I never quite figured out where Estee Lauder stood-high end drugstore? What’s it considered?

This next one blows my mind.

This is 111Skin Vitamin C Brightening Booster. You mixit in with your moisturizer and it claims to hydrate, diminish dark spots, and prevent age spots. It better cook dinner and do laundry as well because it retails for 180$. Yes-One Hundred Eighty Dollars. 🤯

It’s got a strong scent, almost medicinal I’d say.

I’m definitely giving it a try. 180$. Sheesh.

Last but never least, Smith & Cult Book of Eyes Palette in Mannequin Moves:

I’ve never heard of this brand but the packaging is STUNNING.

It’s heavy and feels super luxurious. That’s not a dent-it’s supposed to be there and look melted, I think?

Its got a great mirror, and yes, you do spy a sponge applicator. Ohhhkay.

The shadows are nice-creamy, pigmented-the pans are tiny though-

This little quad retails for 44$.

The grand total of this Glam Bag Plus IS……a whopping 311.50$!!! That’s actually insanely impressive. 25$, y’all.

I like that I got brands that I never would have tried, and it’s really great stuff. I don’t know, Boxycharm-you’ve got yourself some formidable competition…..

Talk soon, Lovelies

Allie

December BoxyLuxe: Coming Soon, Y’all

She just got here today-there’s A LOT to her, so it’ll take me a minute to post my haul and thoughts.

I’ve just been busy with the holidays etc, you know how it is 😉

Talk soon, Lovelies

Allie

Colourpop x Bretman Rock Wet Palette and Some Controversy…

So first-how was everyone’s Thanksgiving? It was a nice quiet one here, had 3 of my 5 kids plus other misc in-laws-it was a good, peaceful day.

However, the day before Thanksgiving my mailbox was graced with this beauty’s presence:

The Colourpop x Bretman Rock Wet palette. I obviously saw the announcement and launch, didn’t really pay much attention as I know zero about Bretman Rock, but then…

This is gorgeous and that’s just the outside.

I have absolutely nothing like this in my collection, no blues to speak of.

The photos don’t do them justice, to be honest. Swatches in the usual-bottom of my arm up:

Finished?, I’m Chillen, LOL I’m Crying, and Skinny Legend.

Finished is a matte white with a blue tinge to it. It’s interesting, I’ve not seen anything like it. It’s hard to tell from photos but there’s a definite blue hue to it. I’m Chillen and Skinny Legend are mattes as well-Skinny Legend didnt swatch as well as I would have liked, but it is a pretty neutral. LOL I’m Crying is a satin/shimmer I’d say-it’s gorge.

Mood, Fishy, Thickems, and Ewa Beach.

Mood, Fishy, and Thickems are obviously shimmers, not chunky at all, and Fishy is the most unique shade I’ve seen in a minute. It almost looks like oil-you know, the blues and greens you see in motor oil? It’s so different and pretty.

Here’s a video do you can see the effect a little better. Cool, right?

Thickems is one of the softest, most buttery shimmers I’ve ever tried. Pigmented AF too.

I know this collection has caused some controversy-if you’re not familiar, I’ll briefly give you the low-down.

Colourpop released some body glitter along with lipsticks, another palette, and a few more items with this collection. A smaller company called Lemonhead LA accused Colourpop of “stealing” the body glitter from them. I checked this company out briefly and it looks like that’s pretty much all they sell, body glitter, but for a much higher price. In my opinion it’s BS. A LOT of companies sell body glitter-Lemonhead LA did not patent, trademark, or invent body glitter. The owner of the company even sunk so low as to release customer info-Bretman and a Colourpop exec had months ago ordered some product from them, and that’s the owners “proof” that they “stole”.

There are a million reasons why they purchased from the company. Maybe they wanted to compare formulas to make sure there were differences. Maybe they wanted to compare performance. Maybe they just wanted some goddamn overpriced glitter. It’s not a vast conspiracy as much as lemonhead lady wants to make it so. I also don’t see her attacking and dragging other companies that make body glitter-and there are several. I think she wanted attention and free PR.

So now that you’re up to date, when I use this (probably tomorrow) I’ll post a pic.

Thoughts on the palette? On the glitter drama?

Talk soon Lovelies-

Allie