Beauty Review: My October ipsy Bag

I had a surprisingly positive response to my ipsy review last month--including an email saying they would never subscribe to ipsy themselves, but they loved reading reviews. Who knew this was a subset of blogging?! 

I decided to keep this as a regular feature--at least as long as I continue with ipsy! 

This month's bag is the Spellbound bag: it's maroon-red with a lace print detail that is very pretty and a little bat as the zipper pull. Appropriately spooky for the month without being little kid-like or over-the-top. I had kind of hoped the products would also be spooky or October-related, or at least Autumnal, but my hopes were dashed. However, I still enjoyed this month's bag; I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars, easily. 

Just like last month, I'll review everything piece-by-piece. 

1. Luna lip crayon in Elara

This was probably the biggest dud of the bag; I love lip crayons, so I was very excited, but... this color is more Pepto Bismol pink than anything else. It would be pretty on other skintones, but on me, it looks a little too 1980s baby pink. Yikes. I love the formula itself, however; just not something I would personally wear. However, if you're curious, it retails from $18 and is available here. 

2. Context Skin Vitamin C All Day Eye Cream

Listen, I love me some skincare. I was very excited about this eye cream. I've written before about how I have hyperpigmentation under my right eye. This eye cream is genuinely perfect for me; it's light wearing, so it doesn't gunk up under my make up, and it doesn't smell weird (a trait of vitamin C creams). I haven't  used it long enough to see about results, but I'll update as necessary! It retails for $35 and is available from Bloomingdale's. 

3. Hey Honey Trick & Treat Concealer

I really wanted to like this concealer, because the formula is really nice (lightweight, but with great coverage) and doesn't seem too drying (like many concealers). However... it only comes in one shade. ONE SHADE. That shade is too dark for me and definitely too light for over 50% of the population. It's so wild to me to see brands produce something like this, that can be worn by maybe 10-15% of the population. Also, they call the single shade "natural" as if the color it is is the only "natural" skin color. It's a no. If you're interested, it retails for $36 and is available at Ulta.

4. BLAQ Mask

The first time I did this mask, I didn't know what I was in for. I smeared it on my face and was like, "this looks like one of those super painful peel off masks that people do." GUESS WHAT, Y'ALL? It is. The downside of receiving sample sizes is that... they don't have instructions or a lot of information. However painful this was when I peeled it off (it was... pretty painful), it was worth it: It honestly felt like I had a new face afterwards. 10/10, would do again. This mask retails for $29 and is available here.  

5. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder

I use so much powder every day that I'm always excited to get more. However, my powder showed up absolutely destroyed; the minute I opened it, it exploded EVERYWHERE. They've sent me a new one, but I managed to rescue enough to use it. And I really like it. It's a fairly standard finishing powder; I need to use it longer to see if i love it. Since my routine includes mattifying setting powder under my foundation, I like to finish with something a little softer just to keep my skin from getting too dry. It retails for $29 and is available at Sephora. 

Final Thoughts

As I said, this bag did have some duds: the lip crayon and the concealer are two things I wish I didn't have! However, the powder, the mask, and the eye cream really made up for it. And for $10, I would repurchase all of those things again. If you'd like to sign up for Ipsy, you can use my referral link here. (As a note, I do receive points for every sign up!) 

4 Easy Halloween Costumes

I have to confess to something: I love Halloween, but I rarely dress up. Post-college means that on Halloween, I’m usually working. If I do dress up, it’s using things from closet. I’ve dressed as Amelia Earhart (leather jacket + scarf), a burglar (striped shirt and a mask made of a torn up pillowcase), and Rosie the Riveter. 

I wanted to share 4 easy Halloween costumes for the working girl or the busy mom. These are pieces you probably have in your closet or can grab last minute (without feeling like you’re buying something you’ll never wear again). 

1. Coraline

Coraline Halloween by deepwinter featuring blue jeans

Coraline is one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite protagonists of all time. She’s so spunky and unique. All you really need for this costume is jeans (or striped leggings) and a yellow raincoat (or a yellow dress, if you want to avoid wearing a coat all day). You can wear a blue wig or use temporary spray dye to turn your hair blue, add two barrettes, and voila! You’re Coraline! 

2. Wednesday Addams  

DIY Halloween Costume: Wednesday Addams by alexandrazeres featuring black pumps

This is one of those costumes that’s so easy to throw together, it’s almost criminal. Just french braid your hair, put on a black dress (bonus if it has a Peter Pan collar), put on black tights or black knee high socks, and some Mary Jane shoes. Lipstick, dark eye make up, and a lock of blush is totally optional, but brings the look home. 

3. Eleven

DIY Halloween Costume by danielle-487 featuring Chanel

I debated including this one because dressing up like a little kid seems a little odd—but I’d totally dress up as Coraline or Eleven, so maybe I am just a weirdo. Like Wednesday, all you need is a pink, frilly dress, a kind of bad wig, and a box of Eggos. Bonus points if you wear sneakers and dirty, 1980s tube socks.  

4. Harry Potter

DIY Halloween by fashionbygm featuring peep toe sandals

Everyone has a Hogwarts tie somewhere in their closet, right? Just me? Ok, well, thankfully they’re easy to find (check Spencer’s or Hot Topic in the mall). Then, all you need is a white button up, black pants or a black skirt, black shoes, and some round glasses (which you can find for cheap at the dollar store… really). If you have time, fashion a stick into a wand. Boom! You’re a wizard, Harry! 

Sunday Inspiration: October 22

Wow, another Inspiration Sunday! I skipped two Sundays in Blogtober in order to post some sponsored reviews, so I've done less of these than I expected to. However, I have a lot of things I want to share this week. So let's jump right in! 

Imagine how different the world would be if we just believed women.

— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) October 10, 2017

"now that I have a daughter I have learned finally that women are people, please clap"

— Jessica Luther (@scATX) October 10, 2017

Unfortunately, over the last month, a lot of stories about sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood (and honestly, most professions) has been coming out. I'm a big believer in putting money where my mouth is: if I say I abhor animal abuse, I have to stop using products that test on animals; if I say I abhor child abuse, I cannot watch Woody Allen movies; and if I say I will not support the abuse of women, I cannot watch movies made by people (or starring people) who abuse women, like Roman Polanski and Johnny Depp. I encourage everyone to think before they pay money to watch movies: are these people you want to support? If not, don't give them your hard earned cash. 

I'm not talking about World Mental Health Day, really. Mostly because I don't want to. And that's the key. We don't have to talk about our mental health issues, but we need to be able to feel that we can if we want to.

— misery magnet (@ElenaBjxrn) October 10, 2017

World Mental Health Day was earlier in October--and it's always a day that I really struggle with. I am relatively open about my mental health. I suffer from severe anxiety, sometimes so bad that I manifest physical symptoms like dry mouth and eye twitch. Specifically, in the last few months, I've been having panic attacks nearly daily. However, there are some things I just don't want to share; and seeing the above tweet reminded me that... I don't have to share. I am under no obligation to make myself a figure for mental health just because I happen to struggle with my mental health. Talking about it is a privilege that I happen to have, because I've never been made to feel like I was inadequate for it (although certainly some people don't know how to deal with how high strung I am); what I want for World Mental Health is that everyone feels like they can talk about mental health, but they don't have to. 

#612 Purrfect by mayblooms featuring Miya

For my last item, let's talk about how cute this outfit is. Does anyone remember when everyone had those black flats that looked like cats around 2012? Those were the hip fashion blogging shoe. Oh and the over-the-knee tights that looked like cats too! I am not a fan of cats, but I inexplicably love clothes with cats on them; it's so kitschy and funny to me! I'm on the hunt for a pair of cat shoes now. 

Things I Love: October 21

I have written this post three times, thanks to my fabulous internet. For real though, it's getting obnoxious to write the same thing over and over again! However, I can't believe I'm on the downhill slide of Blogtober; this month has gone by surprisingly fast, but I've been loving getting in the groove of writing one or two blog posts a day! It's definitely going to help once NaNoWriMo is here. 

As a brief shout out, I have to mention Sian at Rebel Angel for her recent Reading, Watching, Listening, Doing post. I love reading what other's are up to (hello, I'm permanently nosy) and I love getting recommendations from my fellow bloggers. 

Without further ado, here's what I'm loving this week. 

1. Dirty John

Guys. I'm so sorry. But I'm starting with another podcast recommendation. I listen to a lot of podcasts, ok? I love podcasts! This one was really interesting. It's about a guy named John Meehan who is known as, you guessed it, Dirty John. Long story short, he's a conman. The podcast is gripping, start to finish, and the last episode literally shocked me so much, I had to pause it to collect myself. You can listen to the podcast on your fave podcasting app, but you can also read the entire thing on the LA Times website, here. 

2. My birthday

For the last few years, I've fallen into the habit of seeing my birthday as a non-day. I found (ok, I still find) it really obnoxious when people made a big hubbub about their birthdays, especially after the age of about 24. As someone who is constantly working, my birthday was usually just another workday or, if it fell on a weekend, a chance to get more things done. I hate taking breaks, after all. But this year, I really tried to let myself enjoy it, especially since it fell on one of my husband's rare days off! We went shopping, we got lunch, we had the kind of day together that we used to have. It was really lovely. 

3. This article from the Atlantic 

Do you ever read something that renews a tiny sliver of your faith in humanity? The last two weeks have been rough; I've been trying to keep up with all the Harvey Weinstein news, while also seeing nearly every single person I know post a #MeToo status. It is stressful and heartbreaking. When I was feeling overwhelmed, a story came along just when I needed it: this story of catfishing from the Atlantic. Now I love the MTV show, Catfish; I can watch it on repeat for actual hours. But this article really changed the game. Summary: girl meets boy, girl falls in love, girl discovers boy is not who he said he was, girl tracks down boy who was in the actual photos, girl falls in love with that model. It's... the absolute best. Read it and feel good. 

It's My Birthday!

I'll be honest, I'm never sure what to write for birthday posts! As I've gotten older, my birthday means less and less to me. It's just another day; I still have responsibilities and I can't just stop everything to celebrate.

I also hate receiving gifts these days. I like the idea of it, sure, but I am always very aware of how much stuff I have (too much, actually) and how I should be purging what I have instead of just acquiring more. 

So on my 29th birthday, what do I have to say? 

The last year has been a big one. I've dealt with a lot of serious anxiety; instead of getting better, I've found my anxiety getting worse--but my awareness of it, and how it has changed my health, has increased. How's that for mixed blessings? I've also had a lot of fun: going to Disneyland, taking Forrest on road trips, watching him learn so much in the span of a year... it hasn't been all bad, certainly. 

I think we all tend to take birthdays very seriously and in the current social and political climate, it's hard to find joy in little things. So I've decided today (and today only, because my resolve is terrible), I'm turning off social media and spending the day doing the little things I love. Watching Sesame Street with Forrest. Making us our favorite lunch (mac and cheese with chicken & broccoli). Going to the park. The little things that I so often find myself taking advantage of. 

Here's to another year! Thanks for reading my blog, as always. 

3 Outfits Perfect for the Pumpkin Patch

I love going to the pumpkin patch every year. There is a small window of time in Oregon where the leaves are changing and the patches are open--before the rain starts and turns all the pumpkin patches to absolute rivers of mud. Some people don't mind going when it's muddy--but I do! 

However, I made the unfortunate choice when we went the weekend before last of wearing a white sweater. With a toddler. Oops. even though it wasn't muddy, Forrest did end up an absolute mess! And so did I at the end. 

So I put together 3 perfect pumpkin patch outfits that are easy to clean, not white, and great for leisurely finding the perfect pumpkin OR chasing a pumpkin-obsessed toddler around. 

1. Casual Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch 1 by wiredphosphenes featuring orange home accessories

No other responsibilities? Wanting to keep it as comfy as possible? This is the outfit for you. Your favorite skinny jeans, some comfortable brown booties, and a cute graphic t-shirt under a pretty cardigan. (I also love this cardigan from Maurices for this outfit.)  

2. For Running More Errands

Pumpkin Patch 2 by wiredphosphenes featuring slim fit jeans

If you're going more places than just the pumpkin patch, this is a perfect outfit. Lunch? A winery? Shopping? Playdate? This is the perfect mix of comfortable and fashionable, without being fussy. Knee-high brown boots and a cute, slightly oversized sweater to keep you warm, topped with a scarf and some cute accessories (I love this apple bracelet!). 

3. Family Photos

Pumpkin Patch 3 by wiredphosphenes featuring a creamy lipstick

You're taking this opportunity at the pumpkin patch to get some cute photos. (Genius.) This dress from the GAP is so cute; I love the little bell sleeves and the relaxed fit is perfect for Fall. Add some tights, classic black riding boots, and a scarf to keep things optimally cozy! 

3 Easy Autumn Make Up Routines

I love make up, but I tend to wear the same looks every day. Either a brown-toned or rusty-pink toned eye look, the same blush every day, and really similar lipstick every day. (I'll cop to admitting way too many lipsticks, but really only wearing 4-5 colors.) 

For that reason, I've been looking for new looks to try. I wanted to share some lovely bloggers and YouTubers in this post and avoid the "big beauty gurus" (you know who I'm talking about). I think you'll love these three looks--I can't wait to emulate them with my make up collection! 

1. Grungy/Matte Autumn Look from Rachel Leary 

GRUNGY/MATTE AUTUMN MAKE UP LOOK! Another Fall make up look! This time I wanted it to be all matte & focus more on deep red tones - my fav! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been so ill & still not feeling 100% myself, forgive me! Hope you enjoy!

Personally, I've been on the hunt for the perfect oxblood lipstick for ages; I think I finally found one recently. Paired with a cranberry eye look, it's lovely for a late Autumn glam look (like on Thanksgiving)! 

2. Everyday Autumn Makeup Look from Emily at Under the Scottish Rain 

I love this lovely, bright look from Emily at Under the Scottish Rain. An understated eye look with a bright lip is so lovely, especially when the weather outside is getting cold and rainy (or snowy!) Check out Emily's post here. 

3. Fall Make Up Tutorial from Chezza Bee

This make up tutorial from Chezza Bee is so lovely and such a traditional, pretty Autumn look. A copper-y eye with a mauve-y nude lip? So in right now and really, really pretty. 

My Four Favorite Autumn Teas

I go through phases with tea. Sometimes, it's all I want to drink. But usually in the summertime, I stop drinking tea. Once the rain starts around mid-October though, I start to replace my afternoon coffee with an afternoon tea. 

And gosh, tea is refreshing after a break! I usually end up buying a bunch of tea to last me the entire Fall and Winter. I have my favorites, definitely, and these are the ones I make sure to get every single year. 

1. Pumpkin Spice Black Tea from the Republic of Tea

I love black tea; it's my favorite type (probably because of the caffeine content). This Pumpkin Spice Black Tea from the Republic of Tea is my absolute favorite Fall-themed tea. I'm normally not big on pumpkin spiced things, because they can be quite strong... however, I love the blend on this one. It has finely ground black tea, plus ginger, cinnamon, sweet blackberry leaves, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice alongside natural pumpkin flavor. So it's a nice blend of sweet and spicy. 

2. Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Black Tea from Celestial Seasonings

This tea is very similar to my top pick, but being from a drugstore brand, it's more affordable and more readily available for when I run out. It definitely doesn't have the same depth as the Republic of Tea variety, but still has the same spicy-sweetness to it. My husband prefers this tea too! 

3. Spiced Chai Tea from Bigelow 

This is my classic favorite Chai tea: straightforward and simple, a classic Chai mix. I usually drink this the most (sometimes I'll buy the Stash brand instead if it's on sale), with a packet of Truvia and a tablespoon of almond milk. It's so good on a cold afternoon!

4. Hot Cinnamon Sunset from Harney & Sons 

This is my new favorite; I bought it on a whim at Target mainly because the tin it comes in is very cute. But once I tried it, I knew it was meant to be! This is a simple black tea with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel; it has a nice citrusy taste to cut the cinnamon a little bit. It's a bit more Christmas-y than the other teas on this list, but very, very cozy.