FOTD: Sample Edition

Hey guys! Normally I limit my beauty blogging to product reviews, but today I have something a little different to show you! I’ve been hanging around my house over break playing with makeup that I haven’t gotten to properly test out yet, and I decided to show you guys what I came up with. This is my face of the day, created using only sample sized products! All of these products were sent to me in Ipsy bags, but many of them can be sampled online or from stores like Sephora as well. This look was a fun challenge to create! I didn’t allow myself to use anything besides the products you see here 🙂

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The Face: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Pur-Lisse BB Cream, Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer.

I’ve already previously reviewed all 3 of these products (here, here, and here respectively) if you’d like to read a little more! I primed my T-zone with the Smashbox primer, then used the BB cream to even out my skin tone. Then I dusted the bronzer on the sides of my nose, at my temples, and a little to contour my cheekbones 🙂

The Eyes: NYX Eyeshadow Palette, Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, Crown Brush Crease Brush, Absolute New York Nano Eyeliner.

The mascara, brush, and eyeliner all were in my November Ipsy Bag as well! I really love this brush, it’s so soft and fluffy and does a great job! I used the middle shade on my lid and the left shade on my browbone, then blended with the brush. I used the liner on my waterline and finished the eyes off with a swipe of the Smashbox mascara.

The Lips: Mongongo Lip Conditioner, Ofra Lip Liner, Hikari Lip Stain.

This lip stain is my new favorite lip product! It’s such a gorgeous berry shade, I can’t wait to wear it to a holiday party soon! I lined my lips with the pencil and went over them with the stain to finish it off.

I had a lot of fun playing around with these samples to create this look! It’s pretty simple, with a bronze eye and berry lip, with some bronzer dusted here and there. Ignore my messy hair please!

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What do you think? Ever tried to use your samples like this? Are there any products you’re just dying to sample? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

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All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Mustard x Navy or Splurge, Spend, or Save: Bronzers

10 Beauty Gifts Under $10

Hey guys! I was looking around at wishlists that other bloggers had posted, and I noticed that lots of other bloggers had posted awesome beauty gift ideas, but lots of them were wayyy above my price range (I’m a poor college student!). So I thought I would put together my own beauty gift idea list, with options for a tight budget! Hope this helps you think of those last second gifts or stocking stuffers! (or treat yourself 🙂 ) All of these affordable picks are on my own wishlist too!

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1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

On sale now for just $10, this cult favorite eyeshadow primer would be perfect for any beauty junkie! (I grabbed myself one!)

2. Milani Foil Eyeshadow Palette

This gorgeously packaged eyeshadow quartet comes in 4 different color combinations! Milani says it’s not a shadow but more of a shine. While I’m not sure what that means, I do know that you can get it for just $9.99 and that I want them all!

3. ELF Lip Exfoliator

I just received this from a friend as a gift, and it is seriously amazing! Its lipstick shape makes it so easy to use, and it’s just $3!

4. Maybelline Face Studio Master Glaze Blush

This product is something I normally wouldn’t look at due to its somewhat odd packaging for a blush, but if you’re looking for a portable blush under $10 this is for you! At just $9.99, it looks like a chapstick, but does come in quite a few colors!

5. Eos Lip Balm in Lemon Drop

Lip balm is something we all need, and this flavor comes with SPF 15, which I love! Plus, it’s only $3.29, and they work amazingly well in addition to lasting forever.

6. Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme

I’m totally obsessed with Milani, if you’re reading this blog for the first time haha! I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these matte lip cremes…they’re just $8.99 and come in 8 colors, just begging to be swatched!

7. Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin’ Curves Mascara

I love the fun packaging, and Rimmel is one of my favorite drugstore brands. Try this mascara at Target for $5.49 (and let me know how it is if you do!)

8. Physician’s Formula All-In-1 Cheek and Lip Stain

This product actually won an award, and it’s definitely on my list of things to try (to be fair, that list is about a mile long!) Grab it for just $6.95, and it’s hypoallergenic, gluten free, and paraben free!

9. Revlon Brow Fantasy Pencil and Gel

This brow fixer ($8.99) has double the products in one! Definitely something that would help me out, it could even work as an eyeliner in a pinch. I’m on the lookout for new brow products, any suggestions?

10. Swissco Complete Precision Blending Kit

Last but not least, something to help you put it all on! This kit contains a beauty blender and a cute brush, and it’s just $9.99.

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What do you think? Have you tried any of these products, or are they on your list? Any brow recommendations? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

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All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post. All photos used in this post belong to the companies or websites they are from, I do not own them.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Ramblings and Retro Vibes or Ofra Eyeliner Review

What’s In My August Ipsy Bag?

Hello lovelies! The August Ipsy bag arrived at my door today, and I’m so excited to share what I received with you! It came in an adorable black and white houndstooth bag with a pink zip, and the best part? The bag is waterproof!

I received five samples in this bag, and once again Ipsy gave me things I never knew I wanted so much! First up: a face wash and a face mask!

I received the Ultra Mild Face Wash by LATHER. This is a product designed specifically for sensitive skin, and I can’t wait to try it out! My skin is very dry and can be very sensitive, so I think this will work well for me! I also got an Amino Herbal Hydration Mask. This contains hyaluronic acid, which is supposed to do wonders for evening out your skin tone. I’m excited to have a spa day and treat myself with this!

Next up: This Hikari lipgloss in a berry/wine color with a matching shade of OFRA Cosmetics lipliner! I absolutely love wearing maroon, berry, and purple lip shades, so I’m super excited to test these out. The lipgloss dries to a lovely satin finish. Sadly though, its scent is rather medicinal, but once it dries that goes away.

I also got this Doucce Ultra Precision Eyeliner in Black. It’s similar to a kohl pencil- it goes on very smoothly and smudges in just the right way! I can’t wait to show you guys a makeup look featuring a smoky eye with this pencil.

I’m very happy with the variety of products I received from Ipsy this month! Any one who would like to sign up for Ipsy can do so here.

What do you think? Do you use Ipsy? Are you signed up for any other subscription services? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

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If you liked this post, you may also like What’s in My May Ipsy Bag or 3 Lipsticks for $3

April Favorites

Another month has almost gone by, and I’d like to share with you a few of the lovely things I’ve been enjoying! Read on for my favorite products, accessories, and other fun things from this month! You can check out last month’s favorites here.

Favorite Hair Product:

I just started using this OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner in the beginning of April, and I’ve already been seeing amazing results in my hair! I chose this shampoo based on the great reviews I’d heard about it, and it paid off. I have hair that can get very dry, and these two products do wonders for it! They make my hair smooth, shiny, bouncy, and hydrated without leaving it feeling greasy or heavy. They’re amazing for someone with dry hair like me!Favorite Accessory:

I’ve been loving this Olivia+Joy clutch that I received as a birthday gift! It’s amazingly versatile for both day and night. I love the soft leather of it and the gold hardware, it’s very well made with tons of pockets inside for checkbooks, coupons, and more! It even comes with a detachable pouch inside that can be used as a wallet for credit cards and IDs if you like! Similar here.Favorite DIY:

My friend made me this lovely mug featuring my home state of Vermont! She has a matching one with the state of New York, where I live now, on it. If you put them next to each other, the dotted lines match up 🙂 I think it’s such a cute idea for a DIY for friends or family living in different states! I’ll make sure to put up a DIY on how to do this yourself soon! It’s quite easy. Favorite Face Product:

A couple weeks ago, my trusty ELF blusher finally ran out, and I was forced to look for an alternative. So I picked up this Wet N Wild blush in Pearlescent Pink. It’s really a bit too shimmery for my taste, but it does the job for now! It adds a lovely swipe of color to my cheekbones in the morning. I use it sparingly though, because it is rather pigmented and has a bit of shimmer. It’s a great blush for the price of only $2.19 though! Favorite Lip Product:

A friend sent me these adorable kitty lip glosses the other day, and they’re so cute I just had to include them! The cats’ heads unscrew, revealing a pot of lip gloss. The vanilla scent is lovely, and they add a sheer, slightly tinted shine to your lips. They’re a perfect everyday gloss, and so cute! 🙂
What do you think? What are some things you’ve been loving this month? Any fun DIYs? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Love Kiki

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All opinions are my own; this post is not sponsored by any of the above products.

Shades of Orchid-My April Lip Picks

This spring, I’ve been loving purpley-pink lip colors. Mauve, plum, periwinkle, magenta, mulberry-they’re so lovely and such great colors to spruce up that perfect spring outfit 🙂 Today I want to share with you my four favorite lip products in these colors.

From left to right: Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Uptown Mauve, Wet N Wild lipstick in Just Garnet, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fuschia Fusion, and Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color Gloss in Dashing Orchid.

    1. Dashing Orchid First up is the Maybelline gloss! I put on these lip products for this post in order of what was easiest to remove haha. This is a fairly thick gloss that’s extremely pigmented and shiny. It goes on really easily and also smells divine! This is the most purple in color of the four products-I would describe it as a deep lavender. It lasts fairly well for being a gloss and stays on for about 2-3 hours if you don’t eat or drink. This is a great choice if you don’t like taking the time out to apply a lipstick, but still like having color on your lips. They come in a whole range of colors too!     2. Fuschia Fusion Next up-Fuschia Fusion by Revlon! This is a creamy lipstick that goes on as a bright magenta color. It’s really a true fuschia, and goes on as quite pink for me. It has great staying power, lasting about 5 hours without reapplying. I got it as a gift, and it’s brighter than something I would normally wear on a day-to-day basis, but it’s great for a night out or to change things up once in a while!

3. Uptown Mauve
The Milani lipstick is one that I’ve been enjoying for a while now. This is my go-to, everyday lipstick when I’m running out the door late for an 8 am class. It’s subtle enough to wear everyday, but pigmented enough to really add to your look. I love this lipstick so much! It also has that signature watermelon scent that comes with Milani products, which I think is so yummy. When I wear it, I only reapply it after eating or drinking and it lasts all day!     4. Just Garnet

I talked about this Wet N Wild lipstick in my March Favorites post-check it out here for a more in depth description! I’ll just say again how fun this color is for spring! It’s highly pigmented and goes on very smoothly. I sometimes experience some tugging when putting on the Milani, but I never get that with this one! I encourage you to check out Wet N Wild’s lipstick in your local drugstore if you haven’t already

What do you think of these lip colors? Which one is your favorite? Do you like these purpley-pink colors for spring? Let me know in the comments!

Love Kiki

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