Pale Products and More

I bought a lot of makeup this year let's be honest. I figured I might as well talk about my favorites to try and convince myself that it wasn't all a waste! Most products I have reviews on, and if I do they will be linked.

I only have one product when it comes to foundations and that would be the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Foundation. This gives such a beautiful skin like finish and has a shade I can wear without mixing. Its the one face product I find myself reaching for much more consistently than any others, and I even bought a second bottle, which I don't think I've ever done! I have a full review on it here if you're interested.

In the category of concealers I have two products to mention; the Kat Von D Lock It Creme Concealer (review here) and the Nyx HD Concealer in Alabaster (review here). The Kat Von D one provides serious brightening and coverage, while the Nyx one gives a more natural look. I repurchased each of these and plan on doing so when I run out again!

I'm lumping face products together in one category, and I've got a few products to talk about; the Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color Matte in Bareback/Bondi Bae, the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed, and the Rms Beauty Living Luminzer.
I have reviews coming on the Nudestix products, but they are great! Bare Back is a perfect contour shade for my skin tone, and Bondi Bae a really nice bronzer. They blend out great and last really well.
I have two of the Hourglass Strobe Lighting Powders, reviews here and another coming soon. They are my go to highlighters that I know will look beautiful no matter what. I really want to purchase the other shade that will work on my skin tone, Brilliant.
The Tarte Amazon Clay Blush in Exposed (review here) is the blush I wear pretty much every single day. I don't have to worry about matching it to my eyeshadow and lip product, I can just put it on hassle free and know it'll look good. Its my ride or die blush.
I just recently got the Rms Beauty Living Luminzer, so a review will be coming, but I love this shit. Its the perfect glossy/balmy highlighter I've been looking for that looks great and doesn't fuck with my base products.

As far as primers/setting sprays two products really stood out to me this year; the Too Faced Hangover 3 in 1 Replenishing Primer and Setting Spray and the Smashbox Primer Water. Both of these improve the application of foundations when used as primers, making them look more skin like. I don't use the Primer Water as setting spray, but the Too Faced one really settles powder into my skin and gives a very natural finish to my face when it may look a bit powdery or heavy. I can always count on these two products to help my base look great.

When it comes to eye products there's really only one stand out product I can think of; the Nudestix Magnetic Matte Eye in Taupe. I got this as a free gift when I bought some of their lip products (which I promptly returned bc they were shit), and boy am I glad I did. I use it when I just need something on my eyes but am too lazy to really blend an eye look. I just plop it on, blend quickly and done. I really want to purchase other colors but they're a bit pricey so we shall see. (forgot to include this in the picture, don't drag me).

It was a good year for lip products; my faves are the Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, the Tarte Quench Lip Rescue, the Butter London Sheer Wisdom Lip Oil, and the Lorac Alter Ego Glosses.
I have a review on the Fenty Gloss coming soon, but man I love this stuff. I wasn't gonna get it originally but I think Samantha Ravndahl on youtube convinced me. I was weary of the glitter but you can't even see it on the lips, it just looks juicy and beautiful.
The Tarte Quench Lip Rescues are my every day lip product when I don't want to think about my lips, but still want to look amazing. I have a review coming; they are everything I want in a lip product and more. I wish there were more shades!
Butter London really came through with these Sheer Wisdom Lip Oils (review here). They are exactly what I want in a sheer lip product and rival the Tarte Lip Rescues for my all time favorite lip product!
The Lorac Alter Ego Glosses are my favorite lip gloss formula I've found. I have a review coming soon, but they apply beautiful, and wear even better.

I've got one product to talk about in the personal hygiene category and that would be the Lush Aramaco Deodorant (review here). This year was a long journey to finding a non-aluminum deodorant that worked for me (no I'm not avoiding aluminum because I'm afraid of cancer or whatever, it just fucks up my armpits). This product was a godsend after many failed attempts, and many armpit rashes.

And my final category, skincare, has a few contenders; the Corsx Oil Free Moisturizing Lotion, Corsx BHA Blackhead Liquid, and the It's Skin Grean Tea Calming Cleansing Oil (somewhat old review here).
When I started using the Cosrx Oil Free Moisturizing Lotion it was like the missing puzzle piece in my routine. It provides the perfect amount of light moisture after my more liquidy products, and preps my skin for the more heavy duty ones.
I've been using the Corsx BHA Blackhead Liquid since before 2017, but I really started continued use this year. This product really makes a difference in the quality of my skin, texture wise. Even if I skip it for one night, I can physically feel a difference putting on products that night, as well as in the morning applying makeup.
I've also used the It's Skin Calming Cleansing Oil since before 2017, but this is the only cleansing oil I've wanted to use the entire year, whereas before I was still trying out others. This just gets all my makeup off, doesn't leave any residue, and doesn't strip my skin at all. Added bonus it smells nice! I think I'm on my third or fourth bottle of this stuff.

Okay done. That's it for my 2017 favorite products! This year I found some really good shit! I'm looking forward to what 2018 has in store :-)

A little while ago Butter London products were half off I believe? I had been interested in their Lip Serum Oils so I picked a couple up (spoiler: I want the rest of the shades!!!)

The Butter London Sheer Wisdom Lush Lip Oils retail for $22 for /08 fl oz and are supposed to  be a "sheer wash of color" that will "revitalize, firm, and condition your lips". Lately I am soooo into glosses/stains/sheer products so this description is such a yes for me. They've also got all kinds of oils and extracts and good shit. To compare to other "lip oils"; Too Faced Sweet Peach Lip Oil goes for $19 for .14 fl oz, and Lancome Juicy Shaker Lip Oils are $22 for .3, so it seems like these Butter London ones are little on the pricey side for the amount you get.

I personally love the packaging, which has a little window that shows you how much product is left, as well as a twisty bottom that you click (and lock!) to dispense product.

The color Dusty mauve is excatly that but more pink, and Royal Blood is a wine shade, although on me it pulls slightly more red toned than purple.

Dusty Mauve on top Royal Blood on bottom

Application is easy and the product goes on soooo smooth. I'd say pigmentation is a little more than sheer, but definitly not saturated or opaque by any means. It gives the perfect amount of color and looks so plump on the lips. They fade beautifully as well, not patchy at all. Instead they just sort of wear off the lips leaving a very slight tint not settling into any lines or anything like that.

Dusty Mauve

Royal Blood

Dusty Mauve has slighter more even application which is typical of the lighter sheer products. Ignore the bump near my bottom lip I literally got a bug bite there some time between finishing my makeup and taking these pictures like honestly...

Dusty Mauve

Royal Blood

I picked up the Butter London Plush Lush Lip Gloss during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty sale (haul here). This isn't a product I had ever heard of before, but for $10 I figured I might as well try it.

It retails for $20 and gives you .2 fl oz. The whole thing about the Plush Rush line, is that it is a plumping product. It is said to have a "brilliant shine and cushiony feel".

The shade First Date is a pearly baby pink that's semi-sheer. I can't speak for the opaqueness of any other shade as I've never tried them, but this one gives a light wash of color without looking clown-like as some baby pinks can. Its a good everyday lip gloss shade.

When you apply this product, it goes on evenly and thick. It does not burn like some plumping products, and also doesn't tingle; instead it feels very cooling. This lasts for maximum an hour. It can feel pretty sticky. If anything, I might notice a slight plumping effect, but nothing dramatic.

 Lasting power is impressive as well; the super glossy finish fades in a couple hours, but the shine remains for 6ish. At this point it can still feel a tad sticky but not in a bad way.



Overall this gets a 9/10 from me. I'm really happy with this purchase, I wish it were slightly less sticky, but that's not a big issue for me. I may even purchase more shades in the future.

This is the first year since I got really into makeup that I participated in the 21 Days of Ulta Beauty. I didn't purchase everything, or even half of the deals offered, but I got a handful of items. I was surprised that almost all the items I was interested in were discounted the full 50% off! I'm probably going to regret compiling all my purchases and seeing how much I really spent...

I forgot to include the Mario Badescu spray in this pic!

March 19: The Too Faced Love Flush Blushes were on sale for $13, regularly $26. After getting the mini version of this, I knew I wanted more so naturally I had to get one. I go the shade Baby Love. I love it just as much as I do the other shade!


March 25: One of this day's deals was the Tart Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara
for $10, usually $21. I'm not one to ever splurge on mid/high end mascaras, but at a drugstore price I figured I would go for it. (review to come in my Mascara Collection post).

March 28: Tarte Maneater Liner was the deal I got this day. It was going for $10, so half of its original $20. Again, I would never ever spend $20 on a liner, but at $10 I figured why not. (review to come).

March 31: This day I got the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water for $16 instead of $32. Primers are another thing I refuse to splurge on, but I have always been curious about this cult favorite. (review to come).

April 1: I couldn't resist snagging the $7 Maria Badescu Facial Spray for $5.25, not a huge discount but its pretty cheap to begin with so. I got the Aloe, Herb, and Rosewater (pink) version.


April 2: I have a sample of the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara and love it but refuse to buy a full size, so when I saw the $22 product for $11 on this day, I had to get it. (review coming in my Mascara Collection post).

April 5: I've been loving lip glosses lately so I had to pick up the $20 Butter London Plush Rush Lip Gloss for $10. I got the shade First Kiss, which is a pearly light sheer pink. (review to come).

April 7: I was really anticipating this day! Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes ($28) were $14! I picked up Exposed. (review to come).


Okay so I did some serious damage, but got some serious deals. Overall without the deals this haul would have costed a whopping $144, but I got it all for $89.25. That means I saved $54.75! Aaaaaaaand the no buy begins.