Review: December 2014 Splendies Subscription Box

Happy 2015 beautiful readers! Since I was back with my parents over the holidays, I didn't get the chance to look at my December Splendies until a few days ago.  For those of you who didn't get a chance to check out my November Splendies Post, Splendies is a monthly underwear subscription package.  For $12 USD a month, they will send you 3 pairs of undies  to your mailbox.  If you subscribe now, they will give you $4 USD off your first box using the code SPLENDIES, which will come out to $8 USD for your first box. There is also a plus size subscription called Volupties, which gives you the same cute variety of undies for $17USD a month.

www.splendies.com

I really love the variety that Splendies have given me the last few months, especially considering that because there is such a large range of colors and styles that there are so many different types of combinations each month. I thought this month was a really good mix of cute and sexy, plus who doesn't love some holiday undies?

Swatches and Review: Beautifully Disney Frozen Collection Palette and Lipsticks

Happy Winter! Sorry about the long absence, school ate me up but I'm back and BETTER THAN EVER-- or I'm just back to write you some of posts on makeup. Anyway, I'm so excited to tell you about this collection today.  Beautifully Disney is a cosmetics line created by Disney specifically for the Disney Parks, meaning that you can only buy these products at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California or Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida or in limited supplies on the Disney website while supplies last.

I'm one of the fortunate people to be able to have an annual pass to Disneyland after wanting one for years (Yay for being an adult!). I've walked by the Beautifully Disney display with only some curiosity and no motivation to buy the products because while the packaging and themes are cute (Disney Classic Villains, Sleeping Beauty) the products themselves don't appeal to me much.  There are a lot of lip glosses and nail polish, and the palettes were nothing that I wanted to drop $40 for. BUT LO AND BEHOLD Disney got smart and created a FROZEN Beautifully Disney Collection.  I SCREAMED. I love Frozen (surprise surprise) and have been DYING to see if Sephora or Disney would get to making a line inspired by Frozen.

Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

I picked up the Palette and the mini lipsticks about... maybe a week after the announcement came out.  I wasn't too interested in the nail polish or the perfume rollers Glitter rollers (In Elegant Ice and Sparkling-- thanks for the information Lizzette!).  This a very PICTURE HEAVY post so proceed with that in mind! If you don't care for the individual analysis, please feel free to skip to the bottom for my final impressions. On to the swatches :)

Swatches and Review: Starlooks Ultra Gem Pencils in Ultra Violet

Hello beautiful readers! I hope your Thanksgivings have been full of love, a ton of food, and a lack of Black Friday injuries.  Today I'll be talking about the Starlooks Ultra Gem Pencils in Ultra Violet, which I got in my October Boxycharm.  If you haven't heard of Boxycharm, it's a monthly subscription box for $21 a month that brings you 4-5 FULL SIZED beauty products to your doorstep. You can check it out by visiting their website and my referral link is here if you would like to subscribe.

Starlooks Ultra Gem Pencils in Ultra Violet

According the the Starlooks website, this pencil was also featured in the November Ipsy subscription, but I did not receive it in my Ipsy bag. Here's the description provided by Boxycharm:

Created with a magnificent sparkle finish, each unique pencil will add a gorgeous, micro-glitter pop to your eyes! Our How To: Each Ultra Gem Pencil is so versatile, soft, and creamy that they can be easily used as liners as well as eye shadow bases! $14.00/ 20oz.

I don't tend to use too much pencil eyeliner, and don't venture out from the few brands of pencils I already own, so I was very excited to see if this one will be my next favorite. Head after the jump for swatches and a wear test of the pencil!

Review: November 2014 Splendies Subscription Box

Happy almost Thanksgiving readers! I recently discovered Splendies, an underwear subscription packages.  Splendies will send 3 pairs of undies to your mailbox every month for $12.00 including shopping, and right now they're having a promotion, which gives you your first box for $8.00 with the code SPLENDIES.  There is also a "no thongs" option for an extra $2.00.

www.Splendies.com

Splendies come in S, M, L sizes and you have the freedom to change your size whenever you need, but keep in mind that in order for the size change to apply to the CURRENT month you must change it by the 8th of each month.  For our beautiful plus sized readers there is a Volupties subscription, which brings you the same variety of brands and cute undies in plus sizes for $17.00 a month.  I've had the subscription since October, but didn't get a chance to post them so we're gonna start in November. Pictures after the break!

Review and Swatches: Morphe 35U- Multi-Color Shimmer Palette

--Hello lovely readers! I wont be rambling on for you today because we have the beautiful Dreena from Accidentally Chic Geek (seriously go, she's hilarious) guest blogging about the Morphe (pronounced More-fee) 35U Multi-Color Shimmer Palette, which is-- spoilers-- an AWESOME product for an even more amazing price. My comments below will be in parenthesis and in italics. Without further delay, here's Dreena! --

It's Fall! And I absolutely love Fall. I don't really have a favorite season, but if I did.... It would be Fall. Lily mentioned that Fall in California isn't really Fall-y, but in Virginia Fall is AWESOME. (I'll stop saying Fall now.) (Say Fall one more time I dare you)

Moving along, I have something super excited to share with you! I have swatched one of Morphe's eyeshadow palettes! Maybe I didn't do a thorough job of searching, but from what I could tell there aren't many reviews on Morphe eyeshadow. (And there should be more because wait until you see this).

Here's what my palette looks like:

Morphe 35U- Multi-Color Shimmer Palette

This is the 35U - Multi-Color Shimmer Palette. You can order their shadows separately if you want to but I really liked the looks of this one. I'm super into shimmers. It also says on their site that the colors in their palettes aren't exactly the same as the ones that you can order individually (There's basically your incentive to get the palette if you were on the fence).  Click behind the jump to see these shadows in action!

Beauty Tips for Fall Weather - Drugstore Edition

It's sweater weather! With November coming in, San Diego finally feels like Fall-- Starbucks red cups everywhere, the smell of cinnamon, Christmas merchandise overflowing Targets... With the change of season comes a change in leaves and in makeup routine.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who's skin/sinuses/entire face changes when it get's to be cold out.  The cold brings in dry skin, chapped lips, all that fun stuff... but that doesn't mean you have to give up wearing your foundation, or your favorite matte lipstick!

What I wish fall looked like

What Fall actually looks like 

Not that I'm complaining about the beautiful weather here in Socal, just sometimes I'd like to snuggle up with a good hot cocoa and look at the leaves fall, ya know? On to the good stuff (read: makeup) after the cut!

The Seven Deadly Sins... Of Makeup

Hello lovely readers! I was recently tagged by fellow blogger Shelby from Life with Shelby to do the seven deadly sins of makeup.  I haven't done anything like this on this (really young) blog, but I really REALLY love stuff like this. Challenges, themes, you name it, I love it.  So here are my makeup themed "sins".

Greed: What’s your most expensive beauty item? 

You know what, I tend not to splurge on one item, especially since I run a blog called Budget beauty stash... But I think my most expensive item per current market price is the Too Faced Chocolate Bar, which comes in at a rounded $50.  However... HSN had (and still has one floating around) a "$20 off $40 purchase"  for first time buyers, and some sort of % off, AND I use Mr. Rebate (here my referral link if you are interested) so the grand total came out to be a few bucks around $30 AND it included a FULL SIZE Too Faced Eye Shadow Insurance Primer.  If you follow Nouveau Cheap she'll often post a reminder when the Chocolate Bar is back in stock for the deal! Anyway I'm rambling now.

I mean it SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE COME ON
Image courtesy of Sephora.com

Wrath: What item do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Liquid foundation.  I tried it once in like 8th grade, and hated it. It took me... almost SIX years to get back into trying to wear liquid foundation and decided to splurge on Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation. Paired with a Beauty Blender it made my skin look FLAWLESS.  Now you're asking "well that sounds like a love love relationship", and let me tell you, it is definitely still not.  I'm definitely into sheer coverage (so my freckles can shine through!) and Naked Skin does an amazing job at that, but I'm just SO LAZY OH MY GOSH (...oops. Sloth...) thinking about spending an extra 5-7 mins on my complexion just makes me go eeehhhhhhhhhhhhhh... so there's your love/hate.  If you're interested in how I apply my foundation you can go here. 

So much to cover, so little time

Gluttony: What brand takes up most of your collection? 
I recently just discussed this with a friend and it's definitely NYX. NYX HD powder, NYX eyeliner, NYX blotting paper, NYX lip liner, NYX lipsticks (DEFINITELY NYX LIPSTICKS), NYX eyeshadow, I can go on for hours. You would think NYX sponsors me if you didn't know any better looking at my collection. I half debated saying Urban Decay since I have a good number of 24/7 Glide On Eyeliners and a couple of palettes that I got on sale, but NYX is always the first thing I reach for, and also the first display I go to in Ulta... So basically:

NYX Shut up and take my money

Sloth: What product do you neglect the most due to laziness? 

Oh man, I definitely called it up at Wrath... definitely foundation. Literally it doesn't matter what kind of foundation-- Powder, liquid, even BB creams-- I'm just SO LAZY GAH AN EXTRA 5 MINUTES?? The BB makes it easier and more fun but...ehhhhhhhh... that's basically my response to anything that requires too much effort. Look, I'm embracing sloth and not even gonna try to find a picture for this section.

Pride: What product gives you the most confidence? 
I don't know if I can pick one specific one, but definitely lipsticks. Bold red, dark purple, blue, orange, you name it and I'll wear it.  I think bold lips is the best way to feel confident, because you have to be confident to wear it, and wearing it makes you confident, it's a win win!  Collections like NYX Wicked Lippies and Macaron Lippies are so fun to play with, and I feel like people look with interest and curiosity when it's worn out.

What is a blog post without a selfie
Wearing NYX Matte Lip cream in Transylvania 

Lust: Which item is top of your beauty wishlist? 
That's a good question... my answer is a lot of stuff.  But I guess if I had to pick JUST ONE... I think right now it would be Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's Lip Tar in Technopagan. I've never own a lip tar but that seems like it would a really really ridiculously great place to start.

LOOK AT IT'S GLORIOUS PURPLE-Y GOODNESS
Swatch courtesy of temptalia.com

Envy: Which makeup product/look is great on others but not on you? 

You know what, I just can NOT get smokey eyes to look good on me. I think it might be because I have little eyes or the shape of them doesn't work, or actually it might just be because I suck at blending... but it looks so great on everyone else (I'm looking at you Dreena).  But in all honesty I think anyone can rock whatever look they want. Wear it with confidence, it's your face! 

This is my friend Dreena and her beautiful face and beautiful eyes

Thanks for listening to me ramble on, and thanks for tagging me Shelby!  I'm going to tag the beautiful ladies at Pretty Girl Science (or Pretty GHOUL Science for the month of October) to complete this challenge!

xoxo- Lily