Love It Or Leave It: Urban Decay Oz the Great & Powerful Glinda Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to de-clutter a bit  I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows 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 eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. Yes there's two a month now! I figured maybe I could get through more this way :D

Urban Decay Oz the Great & Powerful Glinda Eyeshadow Palette

You can see a tutorial I did with the palette here. These are the looks I created this month:

So as you can see I created a variety of soft. I will say that the quality of the shadows is fantastic. While I like the quality, I find the color palette itself to be muted and not unique to my collection - for that reason I will be passing this palette along.

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

Disclaimer:  This was a gift from a friend. 

Departures - August 2019

Ok folksickles. 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.Holika Holika Neon Beam Nails in 04 Momo Pink: This is such a pretty bright pinky coral nail polish and as much as I love the color I have to pass it along because it chipped off my nails terribly.

2.Chaos Makeup Frost Highlighter: My personal issue with this is that it's too dark of a highlight for my skin-tone; at least for my personal liking and I own silver eyeshadow which I gravitate more towards. Overall the quality is good and this stayed on all day but I will be passing it along.

3.Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense: Because I don't really have dark spots to speak of I will be passing this along.

4.bh Cosmetics Take Me Back to Brazil Rio Edition Palette Review: Frankly this is a hard one to part with and my wife having gotten it for me just makes it all the harder - I think the shades in here are fairly pigmented and easy to blend and I was able to create loads of beautiful looks with the palette. Ultimately I will be passing it on because I just know that I won't reach for it very often.

5. REN Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask: I feel like this mask is too heavy on my face.

6.Benefit Hoola Bronzer: I find that this is a nice, natural-looking bronzer but compared to the other ones I own it just doesn't stay put as well.

7. wet n wild Wild Shine Nail Color in Red Red: This is a really pretty red but it's a hint cooler-toned versus the other red I own and I'm totally fine with having just one red so I will be passing this along.

8. Bad Habit Retro Love Palette: Unfortunately when it comes to this palette I only like the shimmer tones, the mattes are ok but a bit chalky to work with and honestly I just don't see myself reaching for it that often.

9.Tarte Paaarty Amazonian Clay Blush: Although this is a pretty neutral blush and it stayed on me I just found the color kind of meh on me and will be passing it along.

10. Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail Polish in Ibiza: This is a gel-alternative polish - formula-wise I found this wore pretty decently for a week with minimal wear around the tips of the nails. That said this color is just not doing it for me.

Disclaimer: The only product that I did purchase myself of the ones above was the Holika Holika; the Chaos Beauty item was provided as a gift with purchase, the tarte was a Sephora birthday gift,  and the Skinceuticals was a sample -  the rest were provided by the brands for testing or given to me as holiday gifts. 

Arrivals - August 2019

Ok folksickles! Arrivals feature items I bought this month that are joining my collection; a haul if you will. Without further ado.

1. ColourPop Galore: This is a continuation of the haul that started last month - I mean technically I ordered everything in July but this happened to arrive in August
Boombayah Glitter
Ripple Super Shock Shadow
Orange You Glad? Palette

2. Incendio Beauty Butter Mellow and Divination Enchanted Pigments: I mean when I saw Donna was coming out with these two I just had to have them and I CANNOT WAIT to throw Divination on as a highlight.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above.

August 2019 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in the month of August  :) 

1. Celeb  Luxury Viral Shampoo and Conditioner in Extreme Teal:  Y'all probably don't know this but my hairdresser friend gave me teal highlights on pride weekend (end of June) - because ya girl didn't take any selfies for this blog - but she suggested I purchase these two to keep up the hair color and so that I didn't worry about not washing my hair. Especially this being the summertime and my scalp getting sweaty and my hair being thin AF it would be gross to not wash my hair often - I typically wash every other day. This has been really incredible in keeping the teal looking fresh - every time I used these (about once a week, sometimes I'll co-wash with the conditioner if I've gone swimming) my hair looks as though its been freshly dyed. While pricey these are absolutely worth it if your shade of unconventional hair color comes in the line. Now in terms of how these work as shampoo and conditioner - the shampoo is great at making my hair feel clean; the conditioner... I suppose because it's got the bond builder in it - leaves my hair somewhat grittier and more texture-y than I'd like... I like conditioner to leave my hair silky. Granted I don't mind because I do only use this once a week but I suppose if I needed to use it more frequently I could always mix some into another conditioner that I preferred the effects of. Both smell really fantastic.

2. Adventure Time: It's been a while since I've brought up a show and I've gone back to watching Adventure Time - I'm currently in the middle of season 5 and it just feels so nostalgic but I'm also excited to get further along because, in truth, I never made it past the Islands miniseries   lol jk I did I got to the part with the Rainicorn past stuff (I'm trying to be vague here) but I really don't remember watching past that.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything myself. 

August 2019 Empties

All my garbage of the month! :D

Sheet Masks Galore:

A'Pieu Milk One Pack in Coffee Milk x2: Quite possibly my favorite of the milk sheet mask collection because it smells like milky coffee and does a beautiful job hydrating my skin while also giving me a nice radiance.

A'Pieu Real Big Yogurt One-Bottle Plain: To be honest I feel like I was expecting a lot because I liked the other masks I tried in the yogurt line so much but this one was just ok and wasn't as hydrating as the rest.

A'Pieu Real Big Yogurt One-Bottle Apple: This was nicely apple-scented and left my skin feeling soft and smooth.
A'Pieu Real Big Yogurt One-Bottle Blueberry: This also left my skin feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated while having a yummy blueberry Yakult scent.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack: I felt like I used to LOVE this mask so I decided to pick it up again to see how I felt and it was just kind of meh for me now. It definitely gave my skin a nice radiance and had my skin feeling soft and smooth but I just feel like it's not hydrating enough. I prefer more of a jelly/hyaluronic acid type serum feel or a milky serum versus more watery serums and this is definitely on the watery end.
The Face Shop Avocado Face Mask: This is a really hydrating sheet mask that left my skin smooth and silky. 

Innisfree my real squeeze mask in ginseng: Honestly I wasn't expecting to like this mask as ginseng masks I've used in the past had an unwelcoming scent but this came in a set I ordered and made my skin feel very soft and supple afterwards without having any particularly discernible fragrance. I really enjoyed it.
Etude House Cherry Blossom Mask: I really loved this mask - it has a lovely light cherry blossom scent and left my skin feeling very smooth and buttery soft.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in coconut: I found this to be a very hydrating mask with a light coconut scent.
The Face Shop Real Nature Olive Face Mask: Do we all remember a time when I'd buy olive and avocado masks because I just couldn't decide what I preferred? Well we're back on that and frankly I love both.

The Face Shop Real Nature Pomegranate Face Mask : A nice, yummy smelling, smoothing face mask.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in Shea butter: An extremely hydrating mask that left my skin feeling soft and hydrated.

innisfree my real squeeze mask in rose: Not only does this mask smell yummy but it left my skin feeling soft and buttery smooth. I absolutely adore it.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in pomegranate: This is a yummy smelling mask that left my skin smooth and hydrated.

2. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Charcoal Black Sugar: As you all know I simply adore these body scrubs because they're super scrubby and leave my skin feeling soft, smooth, and ready to be shaved. That said while the scrubby feel of this was the same as any other, it has this weird black licorice scent that I'm really not a fan of. I did use it all up but I wouldn't get this scent again. 

3. Laura Mercier Body & Bath Crème Body Wash in Ambre Vanille: Ugh this stuff smells so wonderful. I will say that the Ambre Vanille line, in my humble opinion, is more of a winter scent just because it's heady and intense but also very cozy. This body wash smells fantastic and leaves my skin feeling soft. That said it its scent doesn't really linger on the skin unless you layer it with other products in the same scent line.

4. Dove Go Fresh Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena Scent Body Wash: As I've said many times I tend to get these at BJs because you get 3 big bottles which last about a month each (my mom and I share) and work great as a substitute for shaving cream. This leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated. My only beef with it is that I feel it doesn't hydrate as well as many of the others in the same line but its scent is fantastic - floral, fruity, and sweet.

5. Youth to the People Maqui + Acai Prickly Pear Goji Superberry Hydrate and Glow Oil: Ugh I am so sad that this oil has been all used up. It gave me a beautiful radiance and really smoothed out the texture and tone of my skin as well.

6. dermalogica calm water gel: As its name implies, this has a watery gel texture yet it leaves my skin feeling very hydrated. I love this texture for a product because while my skin is dry, it refuses to absorb heavy products so gel creams are just absolutely phenomenal for me.

7. Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops: These felt really hydrating, as a hyaluronic acid (which it contains) serum might, but I can't really say if they helped with being "anti-pollution" - that kind of situation would take years to show a difference in terms of anti-aging/prevention of signs of aging. This also contains probiotics which help with redness and soothe the skin.

8. Bath & Body Works Wildflower Meadow Scented Candle: I'm so sad for this to be gone - it's got a nice, soft, fresh clean yet floral scent which is reminiscent of the first hints of spring.

9. Eyemazing Produced by Jun Komori Lashes in 101: These are a cute fluttery, wispy style lash but they're very natural-looking and not as intense as I personally like.

10. fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream: This is a really nice lightweight yet hydrating nightly face cream. I was actually pleasantly surprised that this smells like a tropical fruit salad - kind of papaya-mango - I was expecting it to smell like cucumbers the way the day cream does.

11. fresh Lotus Youth Persevere Face Cream: This one does have a cucumber-y scent. Texture-wise I'd say it's more lightweight versus the night cream but I hesitate to describe either as "heavy." It left my skin feeling soft and smooth.

12. Walgreens Ultra Moisturizing Hydrocortisone Cream with Vitamins A, D, and E: I developed this gross rash on my armpits from a deodorant I had tried that then developed into a heat rash as the temperatures increased in my neck of the woods and this really helped in keeping both the rash and the itchiness under control.

13. GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment: While I found this to be a nice tingly mud mask that didn't dry out my skin I also felt that, while it drew oil out of my skin that it didn't necessarily shrink my pores or keep me from breaking out.

14. Everyday Minerals Jojoba Base in Rosy Fair: This is a really nice mineral foundation that I personally used as more of a setting powder for my liquid foundation. I like that this is lightweight and adds a little extra coverage while making my skin look soft and smooth. It doesn't emphasize texture or dry my skin out.

15. Eau Thermale Avene Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum: I know in the past that I didn't love this serum because I felt that it wasn't hydrating enough but I used it in combination with the Indie Lee Daily Vitamin Infusion and I really liked that a lot. I found that it boosted my skin's hydration and radiance without being heavy.

16. Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes: Now in my reviews I usually will tell you that I like to use these folks to wipe down surfaces and to wipe my makeup compacts and palettes with because they're nontoxic. Well today I bring you an unconventional review for this blog when it comes to these. Fun fact - we're currently out of toilet tissue at work so we are using regular face tissues instead - my manager brings in these wipes - I guess to make the process of wiping easier. Except that OMFG THIS EFFING BURNED - if you have a sensitive tush DO NOT try to use these for cleansing purposes. The pain was momentarily crippling - please do not make the same mistake I did and if you are using these on a baby and the  baby gets fussy or cries let me tell you it's because this is probably BURNING the poor baby's behind and you should probably use the remainder to wipe surfaces like I do versus wiping the baby.

17. Indie Lee Daily Vitamin Infusion: Frankly I can't tell if I like this or if it's making me break out. I actually liked the texture of it when I would mix it in with serum and I felt that, because of the squalane, this made my skin feel soft and buttery. Unfortunately I have been breaking out regularly since I've been using it. :/ I think I'd rather get pure squalane.

18. fresh Vitamin Nectar Glow Juice Antioxidant Face Serum: This has the most delicious scent and texture - I really loved the sample and would like to get more.

19. Natura Bisse C+C Vitamin Cream x2: I remember trying a sample of this last year and really loving it so when we received samples I figured I'd take some more. It's kind of thicker than I remembered it being and while I like the cream and its scent I feel like it's pricey.

20. Natura Bisse Diamond Cocoon Sheer Cream: While this is formulated as a daily moisturizer I'm not a giant fan of this having a tint - overall it was too thick for my liking but I found the tint VERY sheer - surprisingly although looking dark it works on my skin-tone - and I liked the glow and evening of the skin-tone I got with it. Overall I just prefer something more lightweight and un-tinted as my daily moisturizer.

21. Tree Hut Firming Sugar Scrub in Italian Mocha: I don't think this bears repeating - you folks know by now that I love this and will probably always keep buying it. Smells delicious, scrubs real good, not pricey.

22. Kiss Lash Couture Faux Mink Collection in Gaia: These are a beautiful big fluttery lash but unfortunately I wasn't a giant fan of having to fight with the lash band to get these to stick onto my eyes.

23. Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Creme Lipstick in Rouge Ultime: This is an absolutely beautiful blue-toned cherry red. Very classic looking.

24. Rahua Hydration Conditioner: This left my hair feeling very soft and silky which I appreciated because it's gone through a lot in being colored blue.

25. Rahua Hydration Shampoo: This is a really nice, deeply hydrating shampoo that left my hair feeling silky but not weighed down. It (and the matching conditioner) smell delicious which is ironic given that I personally think everything else in the line smells super funky in a bad way.

26. Neogen Joan Night Vita Cream: This is a nice, lightweight gel-cream that left my skin feeling hydrated and has a subtle lavender fragrance.

27. Oribe Moisture & Control Deep Treatment Mask: This mask is fantastic in that it leaves my hair feeling very soft, hydrated, and silky without weighing it down. Being color treated and bleached, my hair can take all the help it can get in the hydration department.

28. Laura Mercier Body & Bath Ambre Vanille Souffle Body Cream: As always, I'm sad to see this go because it smells absolutely delicious and has a scent that gets on my clothes and lasts - I mean this in a good way because I love it a lot.

29. Neogen Joan Day Vita Cream: This is a nice, lightweight moisturizer.

30. Natura Bisse Essential Shock Intense Complex: This is allegedly a firming serum - I found that it hydrated really nice but because I only had a sample packet and I don't really need firming I didn't see much of a difference.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Youth to the People, dermalogica, fresh, Eau Thermal Avene, Natura Bisse, Rahua, Neogen, and Oribe products. 

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: Urban Decay Urban Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to de-clutter a bit  I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows 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 eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. Yes there's two a month now! I figured maybe I could get through more this way :D

Urban Decay Urban Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

These are the looks I created this month:

This round also features Peace and Zodiac shadows in addition to the palette

So as you can see I created a bunch of fun colorful looks. My 2021 update is that I am passing this palette along. As you can obviously tell, I've gotten some good use out of this palette and created lots of looks I genuinely love. However, I think I no longer love it because there's a lack of texture, they're all metallic and therefore make it difficult to create depth and it just isn't doing it for me anymore. Other than when I test it, I don't really reach for this palette or think to reach for it. I think the colors are beautiful but I just don't see myself missing this palette if I were to give it away. In addition, although the eyeshadows go on nicely when used wet, they tend to crease horribly as the day wears on so I wouldn't recommend doing that. Alas it is time for me and this palette to part ways.

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

Disclaimer:  I purchased this myself.