Beauty Review: Bratoxinsta from BRZLNSKIN*

Several months ago, the brand BRZLNSKIN reached out to me about doing a review of one of their products. The more I learned about BRZLNSKIN, the more excited I became about reviewing their products. Here’s what they say is their mission:

“We see balance as a way for nature, science, and humans to coexist in a modern world and all of our products reflect that ideology.

To create balance within the human body, especially as it relates to the body’s largest organ, the skin, we’ve created the secret to beautiful skin and its a combination of science and nature.”

That’s something I can absolutely get behind! Most of their products are dedicated to anti-aging, something that, having just turned 30, I’m just starting to get interested in. I’m somewhat lucky as I don’t really have any visible signs of aging yet; I don’t have crows feet, significant under eye issues, or anything like that. A lot of that is just pure luck and wearing SPF most of my life! However, I’m all about prevention for the future.

BRZLNSKIN sent me their Bratoxinsta product to try out. This product promises to “smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in 60 seconds or less.” It is specifically meant for the under eye area, but can be used anywhere really. It doesn’t just instant de puff and smooth out, however; it does have ingredients to help improve the appearance of your skin overtime.

You don’t need very much product to get the benefit either. Just a dab! I could instantly feel it begin to tighten as I patted it onto my skin. At first, it’s a little scary because I’m not used to that part of my face feeling so tight! But when I looked in the mirror, I thought, “wow, I look great!” A few weeks of use and I’ve been absolutely loving it;

I don’t have many fine lines (I’ve just started to notice a tiny bit of creasing under my right eye), but my undereyes are often puffy, thanks to a lack of sleep. I started using this in the morning, after I had washed my face and moisturized. It has made a huge difference in how my concealer looks during the day and I generally just look a little less tired.

I really love Bratoxinsta! I also love that a tube lasts so long! At $59.99, it’s more of an investment than something I would usually buy; but you use so little to get a great effect, I feel like it’s absolutely worth it. As well, the dispenser and component of the product are high quality and designed to help keep the product itself fresh. It’s easy to store and it’s not messy like some pump containers are!

I can’t recommend Bratoxinsta enough, especially if you struggle with undereye wrinkles, fine lines, or puffiness. You can read all about it and try it yourself here.

Disclaimer: as always, an asterisk (*) in the title of this blog post indicates that this post is sponsored. I received this product in exchange for an honest review. Posts like these help me keep the lights on here at Writing Between Pauses. However, all views remain my own. For more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Beauty Review: AHA! Peel so Good Skin Renewal Gel

Back in August, I posted my review of the Holika Holika Pig-Nose gel, which basically acts as an exfoliating gel. My review was positively glowing: I use the Holika Holika gel at least every 7-10 to help with my textured skin and it has made a huge difference in the past few months. For a $2.99 tube I bought on impulse at TJ Maxx… it’s really, really good.

But the more I use it, the more I get nervous. I haven’t found it in TJ Maxx or Marshall’s since I bought it, which means I need something that works just as well for when this tube is over. (Note: when I originally wrote this post a few days ago, I hadn’t found another tube of it anywhere. However, just this past weekend, I found it at TJ Maxx! So keep your eyes peeled.)

I purchased the AHA! Peel So Good Skin Renewal Gel (from the Korean brand, Faith in Face) about three months ago with the intention of comparing it to the Holika Holika. Even though it is also a Korean brand, I decided to test it first because: I see a tube of it nearly every time I visit Marshall’s or TJ Maxx; it comes in a much larger amount than the Holika Holika tube; and at $4.99, it’s still an absolute bargain.

Here’s what the AHA! Peel So Good gel promises:

“A soft cellulose scrub containing AHA complex. Feel good by renewing your skin into clear and radiant skin.”

The gel is almost the exact same texture and appearance as the Holika Holika gel and it has the same, somewhat strong smell. (It is somewhat chemical-y, as I noted in my previous review, but it doesn’t bother me that much!)

The good news is that this exfoliating gel works almost exactly the same as Holika Holika: after 5 minutes of a thin layer on my face, I scrub off all the dead skin and residue from the previous week. My skin is so soft afterwards and my texture definitely looks better.

Even better news? This gel has made huge headway on my acne scars, especially on my chin. My scarring from cystic acne is one of my biggest insecurities and I hadn’t noticed a huge improvement with using Holika Holika. But once I started testing this product out every other week, I noticed a huge improvement. So you’re struggling with scarring on your face or new, I cannot recommend this product enough.

In the showdown between AHA! Peel So Good and Holika Holika, who wins? I think it depends on what you’re looking for! Holika Holika is a size of tube that suggests it is just for your nose (even though I use it all over my face), so if you struggle with clogged pores on your nose, that would definitely be a winner. But if you’re like me and struggle with textured skin and scarring, I highly recommend the Peel So Good gel! I like both pretty equally, but I know which one will last longer and that’s a better deal to me!

One Year of Ipsy: Is Ipsy Worth It?

I’ve had Ipsy for over a year now. This blog post has been 13 months in the making; I signed up for Ipsy with the intention of writing a blog post like this one. I know, I know, that sounds absolutely weird, right? But sometimes content ideas are what they are and this felt like an important one. There are lots of individual Ipsy blog posts out there that base value on one or two bags. But I’ve never seen a blog post that goes through the average value per bag and more. That’s what I set out to do with this blog post!

Ipsy has been a wild ride. There have been some excellent months and some not-so-great months. I’ve learned a lot along the way. I don’t want to take up too much space with this introduction—I mean, what more is there for me to say about Ipsy? Let’s jump into the important bits: is Ipsy worth it?

What is the Value of Ipsy?

If you’ve read my Ipsy reviews for a while, you know that I have a standard way of calculating the value of each item. This was something I started doing after 2 or 3 bags—so unfortunately, my first few blog posts didn’t include this information. I had to go back and accurately calculate values, so some valuations have changed! (If you want to read all my past Ipsy reviews, click here.)

A big part of this blog post is going to be focused on the actual value of the bags over a year—or 14 months, in this case.

The bag with the lowest value was my October 2018 bag at $44.75. In that blog post, I actually said I was pretty sure it was the absolute lowest value of a bag and my somewhat educated guess was right. Now, a $44.75 bag for $10 is still pretty good. However…

My bag with the highest value was my July 2018 bag at $93. Now, that’s a good value for $10! I will be honest though, I barely even remember my July 2018 bag, but I was pretty sure I loved everything in it.

Let’s talk averages.

I received 14 bags from the time I first signed up for Ipsy and in total, all 14 of those bags contained items that have a value of $911.65. I calculated this number 3 different times, then had Danny calculate it twice. Yes, over $900. That’s insane. I pay $10 a month for an Ipsy bag, so for $140, I have received over $911.65 worth of make up, skincare, and brushes. That’s… impressive. That really is wild.

The average value per bag is roughly $65.12, when you calculate it out. That’s pretty decent for, again, a $10-per-month subscription service.

In total, 14 bags with 5 items each (sometimes, I received 2 masks, but I still consider that 1 item) equals 70 items total. That feels like a lot! If you calculate the average value per item, it comes to $13.02. That’s pretty decent.

If you’re like me, you like trying new things all the time and that’s really the beauty of Ipsy. So, in terms of monetary value, yeah, it’s a great deal. If you’re looking for the cheapest bag with the highest reward, I think you can’t do much worse than Ipsy.

Can You Pick Favorites?

Remembering 14 bags, with 5 items each time, can leave me struggling to remember when I received what. For example, I received two very similar highlights in a row (February and March, I think), but I get them mixed up all the time. However, I was able to identify a few favorite and least favorite bags and items.

My favorite bag so far has been April 2018: this bag is actually my favorite actual make up bag, plus contains some of my favorite items ever. When identifying my favorite item, I picked the Steve Laurant blush I received in this bag. I wear this blush at least 3 times a week. It is just a perfect blush. This bag also had a spectacular mask, a good lip color, and a decent body scrub. The eyeshadow from this bag makes my eyes itch, but that’s not really anyone’s fault.

In terms of least favorites, my least favorite bag has been my most recent bag, October 2018. Sorry, October 2018, you were just a bummer of a bag.

If I had to pick a least favorite item, I actually wouldn’t be able to; I would say, the multitude of similar eyeshadows and highlighters I’ve received have been my least favorite items overall. I don’t wear highlighter anymore (your girl has texture, ok!) and most of the eyeshadows are formulas that fall incredibly flat… or they send me a taupe which I already own 20 times or a purple which has no pigment. It’s always a toss up.

This is one of the downsides of Ipsy. We’ll tackle it next.

What Are the Downsides of Ipsy?

Things start to duplicate. It’s a real bummer to get the same color of eyeshadow four times. Or a highlighter that you don’t wear. Or masks that you can’t use. Lots of people complain about this aspect of Ipsy. But, it is plain impossible for any subscription service to stock eyeshadows in unique colors that everyone will like. Think about it: it’s not cost effective to haver 4-5 different eyeshadow colors for each Ipsy subscriber, so they settle on extremely common shades, like purple or taupe. It’s just the way of the world.

But it does get exhausting! To me, that has been a major downside and I end up regifting eyeshadows and highlighters to people who can genuinely use them.

Another downside really is the bags. In concept, a make up bag is a useful item. But most of these make up bags aren’t big enough to hold more than the 5 items that come in it! In fact, some of the masks I’ve received haven’t even fit in the bag itself. I can use them in my purse for a few items, or for traveling on day trips, but otherwise, they aren’t useless. I’ve gathered up most of these bags from over the past year and I’m donating them to my local women’s shelter to provide for women there.

So, Is Ipsy Worth It?

Like I said, monetarily, if you’re someone who likes trying lots of new products, absolutely Ipsy is worth it. $10 a month will get you a decent variety of things to try. And it’s important to remember that you can always tell them not to include things! I’ve officially removed highlighters and eyeshadows from my Ipsy preferences, so I won’t be receiving them anymore.

Some people suspect that Ipsy bags get worse over time, but I think this is actually a bias. Ipsy is really fun and exciting at first, but as humans, I think we naturally get jaded and the excitement gets old. “Oh, another highlighter? Yawn!” It’s not as fresh. That’s why I think it’s important to take a break if you find yourself getting bored. I’ll be receiving my November and December Ipsy bags, then pausing for a while, at least 6 months, before restarting. This will give me time to use up some things I’ve been hanging on to, clean out anything expired from my collection, and restart fresh.

I feel like I’ve received a decent variety of items—I’ve been able to try brands I would never buy on my own, like Huda Beauty, as well as gotten some items I really genuinely love.

If you’re looking to try Ipsy, know that it takes a little tweaking to get your preferences just right. But it can be really fun! If you want to sign up, use my link here.

Monthly Empties: October 2018

I always feel like I need to give my series of my monthly empties a clever name—but I can’t really think of anything particularly catchy. Plus, isn’t it just better sometimes to call a spade a spade? Here’s everything I used this month—no song and dance, just the basics.

October felt like a very long month. While I had fun doing Blogtober, it took a lot out of me and I felt very burnt out by the last day. In fact, I never wrote the post for Halloween; I figured I’d done 30 days, what was missing one? I was tired.

I’m even more tired now. I hate Daylight Savings anyway, but this past weekend, we fell back—usually, that’s an easier one to manage, but this past week has been pretty awful. Forrest has woken up every day around 3 or 4am, I’ve had stressful days at work, and I feel like I’ve fallen behind just about every single task in my life. (I have at least 5 loads of laundry I need to do.) But, I did also buy a couch over the weekend (which is big for us!) and I’ve been able to kind of turn my week around thankfully in a few small ways.

That’s just a very long-winded way to say: November has been a month so far, I’m excited for Forrest to start sleeping well again, and I really needed to put my Christmas stuff up this week so at least I had one good thing.

Now, here are my empties for this month:

1. The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash

This is one of my favorite cleansers; I got this big bottle at Marshall’s for $9 (it’s normally around $17, I think). I also reviewed the matching mask here. This bottle lasted about 6 months, which is really good!

2. L’Oreal Pure-Clay Cleanser (sample)

I was surprised by how much I loved this cleanser. I actually bought a full size bottle this past weekend to replace this little sample. It’s absolutely a dream face wash: very cleansing, but not too drying; no overpowering scent. I highly recommend.

3. SOO AE Donkey Milk Overnight Masks

If you read my Ipsy review, you know that I liked these masks, but was disappointed that they are cheap, $1 masks you can get at Wal-Mart. I did like them, but they aren’t anything to write home about, really.

4. Sephora Green Tea Overnight Mask

I finally finished up this overnight face mask and goodness, I really loved it! I need to get to Sephora and buy some replacements. One mask lasted me about 9 nights, which is really good for $4.

5. Tarte Shape Tape

Tarte Shape Tape is one of those very divisive things in the beauty world: some people love it and some people hate it. I feel somewhere in the middle; it is a solid ok. Nothing to write home about, but it does in a pinch. I finally finished up the tube I bought in February or March, and I probably won’t repurchase.

6. Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer

This is another hyped up product that I feel very “meh” on. It’s not a horrible concealer, it’s not the best, it’s just… a concealer. I feel like all of MR’s colors are grey-tinted (or green-tinted) and they don’t look very flattering on my skin, at least. I used this tube very fast as well—maybe 2 months worth of use?

Beauty Review: Sephora Overnight Gel Masks

I have always been a little bit suspicious of sleep or overnight masks. I sleep primarily with my hands touching my face, or blankets touching my face, or on my stomach, so the idea of a mask scared me. Because I knew it would get all over my pillow, hands, and blankets throughout the night and really, I thought, what’s the benefit of that?

However, the slew of overnight masks I’ve tried recently have been ones that essentially dry down—like a heavy moisturizer or a gel. This has made me totally change my mind on overnight masks. So much so that I actually have worn one every single night for… two or three weeks. And my skin has absolutely thanked me for it!

On my birthday, I “treated myself” to two Sephora Collection sleeping masks. I picked the green tea (mattifying & anti-blemish) and pearl (brightening & perfecting) varieties. They are only $4 a piece and even though they are quite small, I have found that each mask technically has 4-5, perhaps 6 uses. So one mask can reasonably last a week if you wear it every night, longer if you skip nights.

I used the green tea mask first and I’m so glad I did. This mask left my skin feel super soft, hydrated, and poreless the next day; some blemishes I had had pop up were gone and the clogged pores I get on my jawline were gone. It felt amazing! At first, I thought perhaps it was just a fluke; but every time I use this mask overnight, my skin looks better and better.

I used the pearl mask after about a week straight of using the green tea mask and, while it did make my skin feel very soft and smooth, it did make me break out a little bit. It is always hard to tell what exactly makes me break out: it could be stress, hormonal, or something I’ve tried. It’s just so hard to know! However, I used it a second night and, again, woke up with several new whiteheads, something I rarely get, on my chin and forehead.

So the pearl mask isn’t for me—but the green tea mask? I’m going back to Sephora to buy a few more of it. It’s absolutely worth the $4!

The Sweet Smell of Christmas: TooFaced Christmas Treats Liquid Lipstick Collection

I am not much of an impulse shopper these days. I usually plan all of my purchases to a degree that drives Danny a bit crazy (“do we really need a 15 minute discussion about our Costco trip?” he asks, every two weeks). However, as I mentioned in my Inspiration Sunday post, I kind of decided spur of the moment to treat myself to the Too Faced Gingerbread Palette and then, shockingly, this lipstick set in Ulta.

This is the Sweet Smell of Christmas: Christmas Treats Liquified Lipstick Set, a set of four Melted Matte lipsticks.

I would never, ever buy 4 lipsticks at once. That just feels like too many. But then I did, because I felt like it and it was there and $25 seemed like a good deal. So, let’s walk through the basics of this lipstick set.

Here’s what the set has to say for itself:

“Melt your heart out with this stocking-sized collection of Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks in yummy Christmas scents: Pumpkin Spice, Sugar Cookie, Cinnamon Bear and Hot Buttered Rum. Too Faced’s innovative formula glides over lips like a gloss but dries to an ultra-matte opaque finish.”

They promise these benefits:

• Each shade has a unique Christmas scent

• Infused with Volulip for a no-sting plumping and smoothing effect

• Features avocado oil, vitamin E, and hyaluronic filling spheres to moisturize and smooth lips

• Lightweight, long-wearing formula wears comfortably

That all sounds lovely, doesn’t it? I’ll be honest, I’ve never really used Too Faced Melt Mattes before. I’ve heard good things, but a full size is about $25 per lipstick—a bit too steep for me! However, this set is a $48 value and sells for $25. These lipsticks are deluxe sample size at 0.1 fl oz. The standard size Melted Matte is 0.23 fluid ounces (or 7 ml). That’s still quite a lot of product and for $25 for four, I really couldn’t pass it up!

From left to right: Pumpkin Pie; Sugar Cookie; Cinnamon Bear; Hot Buttered Rum.

This set includes the following 4 shades: Pumpkin Spice, a spiced rose brown; Sugar Cookie, a sugared nude; Cinnamon Bear, a matte cinnamon red; and Hot Buttered Rum, a warm caramel brown. They are all gorgeous and scented like the dessert they’re named after. My favorite scent is Sugar Cookie and while I initially bought the set almost entire because I loved the Pumpkin Pie shade, my favorite shade has quickly become Cinnamon Bear. I’m not a huge fan of the smell of red hot cinnamon, but this color is absolutely gorgeous.

Having worn all four shades by now (including Cinnamon Bear to an event on Saturday where I ate and drank a lot), I can say that these are some of the most comfortable, long-wearing lipsticks I’ve ever worn. And I wear a lot of matte lipsticks!

The only shade I’m not 100% sold on is Sugar Cookie; I suspect it might just be a little light for me, but I’m going to be brave and wear it again and see what happens. It’s just a different shade than what I’m used it! I really like Hot Buttered Rum as well; it looks quite brown in the bottle, but it’s so pretty and caramel-y on. It’s one of those shades that I think looks a bit different on each person.

This little set would be a great gift for the holidays—it’s relatively affordable for $25. You get a lot of product for $25! If you’re looking to fill out your lipstick collection, these are also 4 absolutely lovely shades. I think Cinnamon Bear would be an pretty close dupe of (or replacement for) Kat Von D’s Nahz Fur Atoo.

Beauty Review: L'Oreal Pure-Clay Mask & Cleanser

As I mentioned in my Inspiration Sunday post this week, I bought one of the L’Oreal Pure-Clay Face Masks at TJ Maxx this weekend. Usually, these are around $10-12, depending on your drugstore; that’s a little steep for me, especially in a non-cruelty free mask. However, for $3.99, I’ll try it!

The one I chose in TJ Maxx came with a small sample of the Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Cleanser. I was really excited to try both of these, the mask and the cleanser, so I can know if they are worth the relatively hefty price tag at my local Wal-Mart. I’m always down for a new mask, as you all know, and $13 is slightly better than the $17 of my favorite Body Shop mask.

The Pure-Clay mask I picked up is the Clear & Comfort mask; it is, as you can tell, bright, bright blue. Here’s what it promises:

“3 Pure Clays and Seaweed. Clears & Comforts Stressed, Uncomfortable Skin. Visibly reduces imperfections. Indulgent. Transformative. Perfectly Clean. L’Oréal Paris created a new super-charged Pure-Clay face mask with seaweed to clear and comfort skin in just 10 minutes. Our indulgent and powerful formula with pure clays and seaweed provides a luxurious experience while helping comfort stressed skin. This creamy, indulgent formula gently yet effectively cleanses to leave skin clean and clear. Clear and Comfort Clay Face Mask addresses your skin’s imperfections to reveal purified and healthier looking skin.”

The one thing that throws me really is the blue, blue color. It is very blue. It does wash off completely though, even though I was a little worry about staining my face blue. It is a really smooth texture, not sticky. It doesn’t remind me of other clay masks; there is something almost whipped about it (as opposed to muddy and heavy). It is very light, but, like I said, very bright blue. It feels lovely on and dries down really well. It doesn’t leave my skin feeling super tight.

Afterwards, my skin felt absolutely lovely and in the last few days. I did notice a distinct reduction in small blemishes and clogged pores along my jawline. The blemishes I had on my chin were looking much smaller the next day. I did really like it. I’m still a little bit hesitant about the $13 pricetag, but I do really want to try the other varieties (especially the yellow one and the white one) because I do really, really like this mask.

Now, let’s talk about the Pure-Clay Cleanser. I was truly planning to hate this cleanser. I am a tried-and-true devotee to the Body Shop’s Tea Tree Facial Wash. However, I really loved this cleanser. Like a lot. So much that I plan to buy a full size version of it! Let’s look at what it promises:

“Detoxes & Brightens Dull, Tired Skin. Removes everyday impurities.

L’Oréal Paris Skin Experts created our 1st range of clay-to-mousse daily cleansers that leave skin looking perfectly clear. Each cleanser is powered by 3 different clays in their pure form and enhanced with a nature-sourced ingredient.”

This cleanser starts out as a clay-like mousse and then foams up to a pretty average cleanser. However, it removes makeup like nobodies business and left my skin feeling so soft! The cleanser is only $6.99 for a full size, which is absolutely worth it. I love that it has charcoal and clay in it to help with my oily skin.

If you’ve been wanting to try these Instagram-hyped masks, I think they are worth it if you’ve got $13 to splash around. And if you’re in the market for a new cleanser, then definitely try the Pure-Clay Cleanser. It’s amazing.

Is This the Perfect Autumn Palette? | TooFaced Gingerbread Spice Palette

When the Gingerbread Spice palette was announced, I told myself I wasn’t going to buy it. I didn’t need it! I never buy holiday palettes! It probably wouldn’t be that good! I swore and swore to Danny that I wouldn’t get it. But then, I swatched it in Sephora a week ago and… I loved it. I loved it from the moment I saw the promo images, but I especially loved it when I swatched Gumdrop and Hot Toddy.

There was no way around it: I was getting this palette.

I’m a one-palette-a-year kind of girl. I don’t buy eyeshadow palettes super regularly, usually just as my favorites expire or as trends change. I might by some small single eyeshadows once and a while, but not super regularly. I’m not a makeup collector and I don’t want to be.

However, this is the first time I really spur of the moment decided to buy something. I had a 20% off prestige coupon for Ulta, as I mentioned in my Inspiration Sunday post, so I knew it was the ideal time to buy it.

Now, TooFaced has the reputation of making gorgeous palettes that can fall flat. A lot of people don’t love their eyeshadow formula. I own the Sweet Peach palette, as well as the Peach Velvet Mattes palette. I love both, but they are an eyeshadow formula that I like working with and that works for me.

So with that in mind (that makeup is a preference and what works for one person might not be what works for another), let’s jump into a review!

First things first, yes I did accidentally stab Gingerbread Latte with my fingernail right off the bat!

How’s the matte formula?

The matte formula is almost exactly like the Peach Velvet Mattes palette. It is an easy-to-blend, slightly dry formula. This is the formula i prefer (as opposed to the very pigmented, almost buttery formula of something like Anastasia Beverly Hills) because you can easily build color. My favorite matte shades at Lookie At My Cookie, Gingerbread, and Gingerbread Latte; these are the 3 I can see myself using over and over throughout the fall and the holidays!

How are the shimmers?

There are almost two different styles of shimmer or glitter in this palette. Spiked Eggnog and Frostbite Me are more shimmery, whereas all the others are more thick with glitter. (Does that make sense?) Both Spiked Eggnog and Frostbite Me are lovely and very, very easy to use.

For me, the hit of this palette was Hot Toddy and then Bake It Till You Make It; both swatch beautifully, but on brushes, are difficult to apply. However, I found a spritz of setting spray or a just slightly moist brush made a huge difference. They also apply great using your fingers. For some people, that can be a major turnoff because they like to use brushes for everything. It’s not to me, as I find it easier to adapt my method depending on formula to get the best look! And almost everyone applying makeup has fingers.

How Wearable Are These Shadows?

This is the question I ask before I buy any new makeup: how wearable is this for every single day? If I’m buying a makeup palette, I want it to be something I use more than once a year.

Some of the shades are definitely less for everyday wear; the shimmers are so bold, they can be a bit overwhelming, but used sparingly, I think they can work. Most of the matte shades are perfect for everyday eye looks. The only shades I think are really more for special occasions, at least for me, are Gumdrop and Frostbite Me. Frostbite Me is so icy and shimmery, it is more for a standout look. And Gumdrop is gorgeous and so bright, but it’s not an everyday shadow for me. However, that’s only 2 out of 18 shadows.

What About the Scent?

One of my biggest critiques about both of TooFaced’s peach palettes (and honestly, most of TooFaced’s stuff) is the scent. The peach scent of the first Sweet Peach palette was extremely strong; the Velvet Mattes palette is better, but still quite strong. The Gingerbread Spice Palette is supposed to be scented, but I have trouble really… smelling it? It smells faintly sweet if I get really close, but it is not overwhelming like the peach scent is and I honestly can’t smell it unless I shove my nose in it. For me, that is a major improvement!

Is This Palette Worth It?

The cost of this palette is $49 at both Ulta and Sephora. I love this palette; I’ve used it every single day since I bought it. I’m on record saying I’m done with warm-toned shadows, but here I am, with warm-toned shadows again. But these are warm tones that work for me because they are brown-based (as opposed to orange- or pink-based).

However, is $49 really worth it? I think if you’re in the market for a palette like this for Autumn and Winter, absolutely, it’s worth it. It has a lot of product and you get a variety of shimmers and mattes. If you have that 20% Ulta coupon, it’s an even better deal.

Do you have the Gingerbread Spice palette? What do you think of it?