July 2026 Departures

Ok folks. Departure blogs will contain items that aren't empties but that are going to be given away for one reason or another. I'm working hard to curate my makeup collection and want it to include only the products that I think truly work well, that I reach for often and do what they're supposed to do.

1. Quo Mauve Over Eyeshadow Quad: This palette is alright with the exception of the matte plum shade, which was a pain to get to blend. Given that I own similar shades in other palettes that I'm more likely to grab for, I'll be passing this along. 

 

2. Quo True Hues Eyeshadow Palette: As with the above palette, the darker shades in this one were a pain to get to blend nicely. The light colors are pretty but in general, I have similar shades in my current collection and will be passing the palette along.

 

Disclaimer: I received the Quo palettes as gifts. All opinions are my own. 

July 2026 Arrivals

 Ok folks! I'm back to replenishing on things that I'm running out of and buying mostly just necessities.

1.  Maybelline New York Lifter Full Coverage Serum Concealer: I essentially just ran out of two of my concealers so it was time to get something new. I wanted to try a new concealer so I decided to pick this one up.

 

2. wet n wild photofocus Loose Setting Powder in Soft Pink: I purchased a second one of these powders since I essentially ran out of mine. Unfortunately, I feel like something must have changed because this one is very obviously pink on my face rather than being translucent with a pink tint. It also oxidizes a bit orange-y. 

3. Gifted items: My friend sent me a sweet little care package with some skincare and makeup goodies. These included:

Pyunkang Yul Calming Mask Pack

Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Hydrating Water Gel Mask

dasique Water Blur Tint in Berry Ade 

4. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish in Sunbrella: I really wanted a buttery, summery yellow and this looked like a good contender. It's pastel enough to be soft but is still a fun bright yellow. 

 

5. Mini OPI Nail Polish Haul: I believe I mentioned in my last few posts regarding nail polish that my personal collection of regular polish had dwindled and I didn't pay much attention because my friend gave me a bunch of gels for my birthday. But given that my nails just don't cooperate with gels wherein they get physically damaged and lift up off the nail bed during removal, and require a very prolonged removal process, I have come back to regular polish. With that long explanation over, I'm slowly rebuilding my collection. I spotted these in Marshall's and they all looked very pretty so I decided to just get them all:

Sage Simulation

Less is Norse

Yoga-ta Get this Blue! 

 

6. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence x2: I used up nearly all of my serum and since it's an absolute holy grail for me for hydrated, plump, smooth skin I went ahead and replenished on it. The two pack on Amazon is a good deal and lasts me nearly an entire year so I go ahead and get it there.

Disclaimer: I purchased all the items listed above, with the exception of the gifts, myself. All opinions are my own. 

July 2026 Favorites

Hey folks,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in July :) 

1. ORLY Kiss The Bride Nail Lacquer: This nail polish repeatedly makes it into my favorites because I love it so much. It's such a lovely, clean, sort of blank canvas look for the nails. I love that the extremely pastel milky pinks look nice on me. I just really like how this looks.

2. ORLY Beautifully Bizarre Nail Polish: This polish has a very similar effect to the one I mentioned above with the exception if it having a teal pearl in it, which we all know is an aspect I love. It has that same effect of looking fresh and clean on the nails while also having a little bit of a fun surprise element. 

 

3. ORLY Nail Lacquer in Happy Camper:  I think anyone who's been following this blog for any length of time or can tell just from the blog aesthetic itself that I am an absolute sucker for a mint creme polish. I was so sad when I ran out of my essie mint candy apple nail lacquer and was glad when I saw this at Marshall's. I absolutely had to have it and I adore it!

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer:  I paid for everything mentioned above. All opinions are my own. 

Concealer Review: Maybelline New York Lifter Full Coverage Serum Concealer

Maybelline New York Lifter Full Coverage Serum Concealer in 05

 

 

  

Availability: This retails anywhere from $9.50 - $14  and can be purchased at most drugstores that carry Maybelline products as well as at amazon.com and maybelline.com.

Would I buy this again?: Probably not.

What is it supposed to do?

Quoted from maybelline.com:

Meet your new secret weapon against dark circles: Lifter Serum Concealer from Maybelline New York, made with 78% skincaring formula.
This high-performance, creamy concealer is infused with a brightening serum formula to deliver hydrating, full coverage that seamlessly blends into the skin. It effortlessly conceals dark circles, imperfections, and blemishes, leaving you with a naturally radiant complexion and a lifted look.
Clinically tested to brighten the look of under eyes instantly and over time, powered by a 2% peptide blend and caffeine.
Pair it with other products in the Lifter family, for a naturally lifted look:
Lifter Plump & Glow Foundation for a brightened, plumped skin look.
Lifter Stix to sculpt your look. 

 Full coverage: Covers dark circles, blemishes, and other imperfections.

Brightening and hydrating power: made with a 78% skin caring formula with 2% peptide blend and caffeine. Up to 24hr hydration

 Seamless blend: The formula blends into your skin for a non-cakey, undetectable finish.

 Lightweight feel: so light and skin-like, you’ll forget you’re wearing it.

 Natural finish: Leaves you with a naturally radiant look.

 Clinically tested to improve bare skin’s radiance after 2 weeks of daily use.

Does this come in any other shades than the one pictured above?

This comes in 18 shades.

What's the coverage/consistency like?

This has a medium to full, build-able coverage with a creamy consistency.

Does this have any beneficial ingredients in it?

Glycerin: Has humectant properties, attracts moisture to the skin. 

Caffeine:  Helps constrict blood vessels which helps reduce the appearance of under-eye darkness. 

Lactic Acid: Have exfoliating and brightening properties.

Hyaluronic Acid: Helps boost skin's hydration by promoting water retention.

Vitamin E: Has antioxidant properties, helps preserve the product. 

 

Is this scented?

This has a very faint, clean skincare scent that, frankly, I only notice if I'm smelling the applicator directly. 

What has my experience with the product been like?

I'm unsure who is naming these serum concealers as such because personally I associate the word serum with a slightly thick, liquid product and not something that is a heavy whipped cream consistency with full coverage. Now, I do like a fuller coverage but I'd prefer it in a lighter weight, more hydrating formula. This product is alright, it does the job, it stays put on my skin. But I just wish it were thinner and lighter-looking - meaning perhaps it starts off with more medium coverage and can be built up, or at least is in a thinner formula that isn't as likely to become cakey. I also wish it were a bit more hydrating, as I find it dries down a touch too matte for my personal preference. It is a natural matte so it doesn't make my skin dry, but I wish it were more luminous. I also don't love the doe foot applicator on here, it's rounded so I find it difficult to dot it into more precise, hard-to-reach areas like the inner corner of the eyes or around the nose.

What do I use to apply the product? 

I apply this with  a no-name big fluffy face brush and my ring finger.

I feel like this review is as thorough as it gets but please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: peripera 10 Be Lovely Wholly Deep Jewel Pot ,peripera 7 Be Trendy Wholly Deep Jewel Pot, Quo Mauve Over Eyeshadow Quad, and Quo True Hues Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folks. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eye shadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eye shadow junkie. In order to de-clutter a bit  I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eye shadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eye shadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P).

peripera 10 Be Lovely Wholly Deep Jewel Pot, peripera 7 Be Trendy Wholly Deep Jewel Pot , Quo Mauve Over Eyeshadow Quad, and Quo True Hues Eyeshadow Palette

You can find looks I did with the palettes here and here. Here are the looks I did using these eyeshadows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

So as you can see I created a bunch of colorful and somewhat neutral looks using these eyeshadows. I have been using the Spin the Wheel app and playing "Palette Roulette" as inspired by xsparkage and it's been so much fun and takes the guesswork out of figuring out which colors to use every day. I just roll 5 shades and work with them for the most part - sometimes I'll add a blending shade or highlight as necessary. I'm definitely holding on to the beautiful glittery pigments - I love the metallic, foiled finish they provide and how technically they can be used on their own or to boost a look when applied over existing eyeshadow. Beautiful! That being said, I will be passing the Quo palettes along. I just know I have similar shades in other palettes and I find that the Quo shadow quality isn't the greatest - they go on patchy, chalky, and I have to fight with them to get them to blend. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer:  I purchased everything you see myself with the exception of the Quo palettes, which were a gift.

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: Pur Minerals Beauty in Numbers Palette,peripera 10 Be Lovely Wholly Deep Jewel Pot , and peripera 7 Be Trendy Wholly Deep Jewel Pot

Hello folks. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eye shadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eye shadow junkie. In order to de-clutter a bit  I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eye shadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eye shadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P).

Pur Minerals Beauty in Numbers Palette, peripera 10 Be Lovely Wholly Deep Jewel Pot, and peripera 7 Be Trendy Wholly Deep Jewel Pot 

Here are the looks I did using the palette:

 The following looks have all been done with the palette alone and are my takes on the provided tutorials:

 Blue eyes:

 

 

 

 

 

  

Brown eyes:

 

 

 

 

 

Green eyes:

 

Hazel eyes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as you can see I created a bunch of colorful and neutral looks using this palette. I have been using the Decide Now! app and playing "Palette Roulette" as inspired by xsparkage and it's been so much fun and takes the guesswork out of figuring out which colors to use every day. I just roll 5 shades and work with them for the most part - sometimes I'll add a blending shade or highlight as necessary. I have neglected this palette for years, sadly... The majority of the colors in here have a satin finish but they're all beautifully pigmented and blend into one another like a dream. It's a wonderful neutral palette with pops of subtle color like the navy, old gold, soft pink, and muted grey-green. I have really enjoyed busting this out this month and playing with it, I'm definitely holding on to it along with the beautiful glittery pigments - I love the metallic, foiled finish they provide and how technically they can be used on their own or to boost a look when applied over existing eye shadow. Beautiful!

2026 update: This time around I followed the tutorial leaflet that came with the palette except for looks that had fewer than 5 shades I'd randomly roll, now using the Spin The Wheel app because Decide Now! is defunct, for however many extra shades I needed to reach the 5. I absolutely love this palette, all the eye shadows blend like an absolute dream as I said before, the quality is fantastic and I will be holding onto it. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer:  I purchased everything you see myself.