Beauty Review: Too Faced Just Peachy Velvet Mattes

In the past, I reviewed the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette, which I loved. I know there were mixed reviews on that palette, but it goes without saying: aside from the smell (which does fade after a while), I absolutely love mine. I have hit pan on 3-4 shades! Since I got it in February, I use it every single day. 

So when the Just Peachy Velvet Mattes palette came out, as an almost counterpart to the Sweet Peach palette, I was immediately intrigued. I love peachy shades and my one, minor gripe about the Sweet Peach palette is that it’s a little shimmer heavy (which I don’t exactly mind). Having a whole matte palette is a bit unnerving to me; I was a teenager during the height of shimmer eyeshadow and I only recently learned that matte eyeshadows were a thing. (That’s a bit embarrassing to admit!) 

However, I’m not someone to rushes to buy a palette the minute it gets released. I like to see reviews first. Some of the first reviews I watched on YouTube were not promising; they felt the palette was kind of a let down and not super wearable. However, one of my favorite YouTubers (Jackie Aina) loves the palette. It seemed like an even split and ultimately it came down to people who don’t like the TooFaced eyeshadow formula and those who do (as well as those who like a peachy eye look and those who don’t).

I know some people don’t like the TooFaced formula for eyeshadows; they find it patchy or too dry. But personally, I like my eyeshadows more on the dry, powdery side, as opposed to a buttery or very smooth consistency. (This is actually why I won’t buy Anastasia Beverly Hills palettes or Natasha Denona palettes; their eyeshadows are too soft for me to work with.) 

On my birthday, I decided to take the plunge: I had a 20% off coupon for Sephora (shout out to the Sephora employee who sent me her friends & family discount!) and I was ready. My husband found the palette for me and we bought it. I felt so giddy and so excited to get it home and play. Let’s walk through my thoughts. 

The Pros

The colors in this palette are absolutely gorgeous. I have found them all to be perfectly pigmented and highly blendable. Occasionally, I do find that some colors (like the more mid-tone orange-browns in the second column) can blend out to roughly the same color—however, I don’t exactly mind that because the rest of the palette is so versatile. 

Eyes: Just Peachy Velvet Mattes palette in the shades Peaches and Cream, Fresh Picked, and Just Peachy. Lips: Maybelline Matte Lip Paints in Tongue Tied. Cheeks: Tarte Paaarty Blush

I especially love the color Peach Sangria (the dark, raspberry color), as well as Peach Punch (a bright peach shade) and Peaches and Cream (a darker, creamy pink). Peach Tea is a gorgeous transition shade—one that I use nearly every single day. The last column consists of darker colors that are great for a smoky eye; Peach Tart, especially, is a very dark chocolate brown that I’ve been searching for! 

My favorite look is to use Peaches and Cream across the lid, then Peach Tea in the crease, followed by a little Peach Cobbler or Peach Sangria on the outer corner for a little depth. 

I personally find all of these colors so perfect for warm Autumn and Winter looks; with gold or bronze accents, they are so versatile. 

The Cons

I have noticed that these shadows do have issues with fading throughout the day—but I’m talking after a 8-9 hour day! With a bit of a reapply through the day, it’s not bad. The color I notice this most with is Peach Sangria; it is one of my favorites, but when I wore it over my entire lid once, I noticed that it creased and faded throughout the day (something I don’t usually have an issue with). 

As I mentioned, some of the transition shades do blend out to roughly the same color, but if you keep your tones separated, it’s not too bad. (I do have a bad habit of using too many shades to blend!) 

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely, yes! This is one of my favorite palettes. If you have the Sweet Peach palette already, don’t worry about feeling like you’ve got two of the same; they are incredibly different and yet, very complimentary to each other! 

My Skincare Essentials for the Fall-Winter Transition

Fall is here! That means the weather has changed and if you are like me, your skin is freaking out a little bit. I get very dry during seasonal changes; once the weather sort of steadies into the “usual,” my skin will calm down. But right now, I’m dealing with dry patches, redness, and allergy flare ups. Nice!

That means I need to really up my skincare (and my water intake, boo). I wanted to share my tried-and-true favorite products right now. I’ll be writing a more detailed post about my skincare and acne, but for now, here’s what I’m using to keep my skin snatched. 

1. Cliganic 100% Pure & Natural Jojoba Oil 

At the end of the day, my routine starts with jojoba oil. I put about 10 drops into the palm of my hand and rub all over my face to take off my make up; it takes off water proof mascara and eyeshadow like a dream! You don’t even have to rub hard. I also add 3-4 drops to my moisturizer during the day and at night. 

2. Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean 4-in-1 Deep Cleansing Milk 

Once I put on my jojoba oil to remove my make up, I follow with this cleanser. On its own, I find this cleanser deeply underwhelming; I found that on its own, it doesn’t take off make up very well. However, when used while double cleansing, it’s the perfect way to get rid of make up residue. And it’s gentle enough that it doesn’t make any allergy flares, rosacea, acne, or dry patches worse, which is definitely a win. 

3. Context Vitamin C All Day Eye Cream

I love this eye cream. I love it! During the fall, I get super dry under my eyes. Super dry! It’s strange because I’m so oily otherwise. I use this immediately after I rinse and dry my face, then let it dry. I use it under my eye and on my eyelid (I’m not sure if that’s ok, but I do it and I’m still alive). I have noticed that it significantly lightened my melasma after only two weeks or so, which is awesome. It has also really helped my dry patches under my eyes; if I apply it before my make up, I don’t get that crust foundation look. Nice. (As a note, I tried using this on my other melasma spot (above my lip) and it made me break out really bad around my mouth. So clearly, it’s only formulated for eye skin. Wild!) 

4. Dolled Up Collagen Night Cream

This collagen cream is so moisturizing! I do add a few drops of jojoba to it every night; I simply scoop a little into my palm, add jojoba, mix a little bit, then work into my face, neck, and chest. (Always remember your neck!) I got it for $5 at TJ Maxx; it’s a brand that they almost always have. It is absolutely lovely, very mild, and it has really helped my skin stay moisturized. 

5. Shea Moisture African Water Mint & Ginger Shea Butter Vegan Lip Balm 

My dry skin often extends to my lips. I keep two tubes of this in my house: one in my kitchen window to apply throughout my day and one at my desk to apply when I’m working in the evening. I love the light smell; I love the formula; I love that it is vegan and cruelty free. 

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!) 

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. 

3 Beauty Products for Halloween

Can I just say something about Blogtober? I am exhausted. I brought this on myself though. I’ve massively neglected my Instagram in favor of writing so many blog posts. The page in my bullet journal dedicated to my writing goal is dominated by writing blog posts in advance every single day… and I haven’t even started thinking about NaNoWriMo. (Gosh, am I going to take on NaNoWriMo after this!?) 

But I’ve also been loving Blogtober—having the chance to write all these posts that I’ve always wanted to write… like putting together my favorite outfits, finding new beauty products, sharing the best tutorials I’ve pinned on Pinterest… it’s been a lot of fun! 

I decided to take it easy on myself with this post. I love Halloween make up; it’s my favorite time of the year because, duh, Autumn, but also, Halloween and spooky-themed everything is so much fun. Here’s a round up of some of the cutest, most fun, and most spooky beauty products. 

1. Pumpkin Bath-o-Lantern Bath Bomb

Before every busy Halloween, we all need a little self-care. This pumpkin-shaped bath bomb is scented with “exotic pimento, sweet vanilla and cozy, warming cinnamon,” and promises to turn your bath water a pretty, pumpkin orange. What could be better? 

 

 

 

 

 

2. imPRESS Matte Halloween Nails with Glitter Accents

Press on nails are not something I ever thought I would recommend… or wear. But I really love imPRESS nails—I went through a phase of wearing them every week a few years ago (post-baby it’s much more difficult to rock a long nail) and they always last 7+ days. Seriously. 7+ days! These ones feature a gray-and-white matte color scheme with a spooky church yard and several glitter accent nails. Perfect for a subdued Halloween look. 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Make Up Revolution Vampire Night Lip Kid

This is such a fun lip kit! It features 1 matte liquid lipstick and a matching liner so you can contour your lips (or just prevent feathering—hello aging!) in the color Vampire Night, a rich, bloody burgundy color. Perfect for a vampire costume or just for fun. 

Beauty Review: The Luxe Vox Box*

*Disclaimer: As always, the asterisk (*) in the post title denotes a sponsored post or a post where I received product for free. All opinions remain my own. For more information about my disclosure policy, please see here. 

I love getting Vox Boxes from Influenster. I get so excited every single time. Needless to say, when I found out I was getting the Luxe Vox Box, I was beyond excited. I really love this style of Vox Box too because I love getting a variety of products instead of just one. Who doesn’t love trying a bunch of goodies instead of just one? 

For the sake of saving time, I’m going to do mini reviews of each product. Here’s everything I received—and what I thought! 

Dr. Brandt No More Baggage Depuffing Eye Gel

This is one of those products that I was excited to try, but isn’t something I would normally buy on my own. Even though I struggle with fatigue (especially at certain points in my cycle), I don’t necessarily get puffy undereyes or even dark circles. (Ok, that sounds like a humblebrag—but trust me when I say I have other skin issues!) The first time I used this, I didn’t notice a huge difference. 

The second time, however, I used it under make up and I felt like it made a huge difference. I usually color correct under my eyes (just to brighten my skin a little bit) and then use foundation as normal. I used this instead of my usual color correcting and I felt like it made my undereyes look smoother and brighter. I really enjoyed using it, but for $42 for a tube, it’s not something I would repurchase. But if you have undereyes that you struggle with, it’s definitely a great product! 

Amika Un.Done Texture Spray

I received two Amika products and I was most excited about this one, the texture spray. My hair tends to be quite flat and dull, especially on the days when I watch it. This is an aerosol spray, not unlike a dry shampoo, that is supposed provide “instead volume and perfect-imperfect texture.” It “utilizes an invisible, salt-free formulation to deliver effortless, tousled beachy hair.” 

Did I like it? No. Like dry shampoo, it gave my hair a texture that I would describe as straw-like and almost waxy. I love the feeling of smooth, soft hair. If a product can keep my naturally very soft, smooth hair feeling that way, but also give it volume, I love it—but that seems like asking for a lot. I used this two days in a row and both days, the volume it provided barely lasted two hours… but the waxy, gross feeling in my hair did last. Hard pass. 

Amika Nourishing Mask

I love a good hair mask—even though “hair mask” is a nice way of saying “deep conditioner.” I don’t use conditioner daily, because again, my hair texture is pretty lank and flat naturally and my hair is pretty healthy at the moment. It’s not something I really need to worry about. However, my hair does have a lot of breakage because I wear it in tight ponytails and buns a lot, so I was hoping this mask would help with that. 

I have been using this in the shower twice a week and I really love using it. I almost feel like it gives my hair a little bit more body than usual and definitely makes it feel very soft and look very shiny. This mask promises to "restore hair to its natural vibrancy and health from the inside out," which is quite a hefty promise; but it also says it "hydrates for long-lasting softness, shine, elasticity, and manageability." That last one is definitely true. At $28 for 250mL, it's not a terrible price for something you use at most 1-2 times a week! (The mini size which I've linked is only $10--great for sampling!) 

GrandeLips Hydrating Lip Plumper

This is the item I was dreading reviewing. Firstly, a lip plumper is not something I would ever, ever purchase or want to use. But I couldn't very well just not use it and fluff a review. I felt between a rock and a hard place. So I put aside my reservations and I put it on one morning early last week. 

Cue my rapidly scrubbing my lips and nearly screaming. Within seconds to applying, my lips were burning. Not just feeling warm or fuzzy. But burning. I had light chemical burn all around my mouth for several days. Don't buy this product. Don't use this product. I wish I had trusted my gut!

AQUIS Hair Towel

Ok, that last mini review was a bummer, right? Chemical burns are no good. But I love this hair towel. It is made from "Aquitex," a hair drying technology that is "ultra light." It is supposed to rapidly dry hair to "damp stage" without heat. I personally do not use heat on my hair, so this was something I was very excited about. With the change in seasons, my scalp has been very dry and itchy, so I've been having to wash everyday to avoid flakes and nourish my scalp with soothing ingredients. (If you're wondering, I've been using YesTo Coconut Tea Tree Shampoo.) 

I love the shape and thinness of this towel; it makes tying up my hair after my shower to do my make up very easy. It does seem to dry my hair very quickly, which is also very nice. However, at $30-45 for a single towel, it's quite expensive. I have some not-as-fancy hair towels from Target that were $5 a piece at the most that do almost the exact same thing. But if you have a lot of hair and want to cut how much heat you use on your hair, it would definitely be a good splurge. 

Beauty Review: Erno Lazlo Firm & Lift Masks*

Disclaimer: As always, the asterisk* on the end of this post title denotes a sponsored post. I received the Erno Lazlo Instant Firmer Firm & Lift masks via Influenster for review. To learn more about my disclosure policy, please see here. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Originally, I had been planning to do another Inspiration Sunday today--but when I received these masks in the mail during the last week of September, I knew I had to free up some space in my blog calendar for October! That's the hardest part of doing Blogtober--planning everything in advance makes it easier, but opportunities like this throw things for a loop! 

When I found out I was going to receive these Erno Lazlo two-step masks from Influenster, I was beyond excited. I love face masks. (I wrote about my favorite ones here.) However, when I received my box and saw I had received the masks designed to firm and lift, I’ll be honest: I was a little disappointed. I don’t know all the other varieties of Erno Lazlo two-step masks, but I do think others would be more suited to my skin type. However, I was still very excited to try these, because, honestly, who doesn’t want a little bit of lifting in their skin? (Don’t answer that if you’re, like, 18.) 

Here’s what these masks promise to do: 

“A mix-to-activate firming and hydrating modeling mask that softens fine lines and wrinkles, quenches thirsty skin, soothes, cools and instantly plumps skin’s surface. Made with mineral-rich sea water and spiraling maxima — a high powered age extract. Restore firmness and bounce from the inside out.”

Also: “Our new mix-to-active, two step powder masks deliver instant gratification with the potent powers of key ingredients and botanicals.” 

Interestingly, this is what the description on Sephora says (it’s interesting that it’s totally different from the packaging on the box): 

“Harnessing age-old secrets of Korean spas this dual-phase formula you mix to activate and peel to reveal gives you firmer, more youthful-looking skin. Powerful actives cool while working to restore the look of elasticity and tone for spa-worthy results. Use it before a big night out, after a long day, or whenever tired skin craves it most.”

Woo! That’s a lot to promise. And frankly, the promise of restoring from the inside out—am I eating this or what? Human skin is not that porous, realistically, so that’s an odd statement. 

Let’s get to the masks though. 

As has been said, these are two-step masks. In the box, there were 4 masks: 8 packets total. One packet is powder and one packet is liquid; it also comes with a stirrer stick. First things first, you’re going to need a bowl when using these masks which is definitely different from my usual face mask! 

The powder mix, when I dumped it out, was faintly blue. Alright, easy enough. I opened the liquid packet and went to pour it in—and realized it’s not really liquid exactly, but closer to a very thick gel. I had to work pretty hard to squeeze it all out. Once I started stirring, I had to work hard to incorporate the gel into the powder (and I got a little excited at one point and got powder everywhere. Oops); but once it get mixed together, it formed this very cool, almost mousse-like texture. 

Using the stirrer stick to smear it one my face, I really struggle. It was slightly gooey and clumpy and I felt like it wasn’t covering some spots. I switched to my hands and that worked much better, but I still got a lot in my hair and eyebrows on accident. Once I was done, I realized I still had about half the mask in my bowl. So that’s a big thing: if you want to do this mask, unless you have a pretty big face, have a friend with you so you aren’t wasting mask! 

My first reaction to the mask on my face was that it felt really good. One of the ingredients in the mask is peppermint oil (it’s in both packets) so if you are sensitive to peppermint oil (and many people are), definitely be careful. However, it felt good to me, very zippy and made me feel quite awake. 

After about 10 minutes, it started to get a little itchy; that was it drying down to form the mask. I managed to keep it on another 5 minutes, but by then it was falling off. When I read the instructions and saw that the last step was to peel it off, I couldn’t imagine the clumpy, mousse-y stuff on my face peeling. But alas, after 15 minutes, the mask had dried down to roughly the texture of Silly Putty that had been rolled very thin. It came off in one solid piece. I used my toner than put on my moisturizer. 

Did I notice a big difference in my skin right away? I can’t honestly say. I did feel very moisturized and refreshed after the end of the day. My skin felt very, very smooth. Mostly, it just felt hydrating. 

My Final Verdict: Did I enjoy these masks? Absolutely. I love masking. Did I see any benefits to my skin? Not really. But they didn’t make me break out and they didn’t aggravate my skin either, so that’s a win. 

At Sephora, these masks cost $80 for a box of 4. That’s $20 per mask! For that price, it’s just not worth it and I would never recommend them for that reason. Plain and simple, they’re just too expensive for the lack of real changes I saw to my skin. Are they super fun though? Absolutely! So if you’re looking to splurge, or want to get a fun gift for a bridal shower, they’d be very, very fun. 

What's In My Make Up Bag this October?

I'll be perfectly honest when I say that my make up routine doesn't necessarily deviate from season to season. That being said, I have been trying to incorporate some new items for the Fall--and trying to leave my bright, peachy-coral eyeshadows for Summer. (This is truly a sacrifice because I love my Too Faced Sweet Peach palette.) 

Want to see what's in my make up bag? Here are my daily favorites right now. 

My face products are pretty much my usual. After applying my SPF mixed with a few drops of jojoba oil, I put e.l.f. HD setting powder all over my face with my e.l.f. Face Brush (it's the fluffy one). I then apply Wet'n'Wild Photofocus Foundation with my e.l.f. Kabuki Brush, then buff out with a beauty sponge. 

Recently, I've stopped contouring (just because I want a softer face for Fall!). However, I've definitely upped my blush game. I've been mixing Wet'n'Wild ColorIcon blush in Mellow Wine with my Pixie by Petra in Peach Honey blush/illuminator that I got in my ipsy bag. It mixes really well with Mellow Wine, which is quite dark, and provides a nice highlight. 

Once I've done my blush, I apply a layer of Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm to help condition my lips while I do my eye make up. 

For my eye make up, I use my favorite Urban Decay Primer Potion as my primer. (I also use it as a lip primer sometimes!) Lately, I've been loving this little Clinique eye shadow quad that I got for free several years ago; it's called the All About Shadow Quad and includes the colors Olive in my Martini, At Dusk, Peach Pop, and French Vanilla. French Vanilla is the perfect color for setting my eye primer and At Dusk is such a gorgeous, rich gold. I will often use Buck from the Naked I palette in my crease and then just cover my lid with At Dusk--it's that pretty!

My favorite eye brushes to use are my Urban Decay two-sided blending brush and my rose gold Luxe 207 brush from my ipsy bag. I was really suspicious of the Luxe brush at first, but it works really well for blending out the edges of my eyeshadow once I'm done getting everything in place. 

I finish every eye look with my favorite mascara at the moment: Ulta Beauty Maximum Lashes. Super affordable and volumizing--my two mascara requirements! 

Lately, I've been using my Ulta Beaty Color Enhancing Lip Primer religiously. I love that it isn't too dry, so if I'm using a drying liquid lip, it doesn't make me feel like the Sahara is one my face. My favorite lip colors right now are: Too Faced Melted Metal in Violet (I actually got this for $3.99 at Marshall's!), Ulta Beauty Matte Lip Crayon in Soiree, and NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken.

What beauty products are you adding to your bag for Fall? I've got my eyes on the Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes palette!