Unboxed: November Boxycharm!

Hello loves! It's that time again where I show you what I got in my Boxycharm! Boxycharm is a monthly beauty subscription box that costs $21/month. November's theme is Sparkle and Shine. Sounds excellent, right? As always, all products are full size! Let's take a look!

First up is a MicaBeauty Eye Primer. This tiny 0.3 oz pot costs $44.95, holy moly that's expensive! Fortunately, a little definitely goes a long way so hopefully this lasts a long time. This is creamy and very much like a concealer. It feels nice and not too heavy, uncomfortable, or sticky. It does have that costume makeup smell to it, though.

A pressed blush from OFRA Cosmetics in the shade Paradise Pink is next. This shade is, not surprisingly, a shimmery deep pink. This is really intimidating in the pan but is quite easy to sheer out and leaves you with a lovely flushed look like you have been out in cold windy air. This blush is enormous at 0.28 oz and costs $24.95. Love it!

Third is an Eyelicity Glitter Liner from Tarina Tarantino in the shade Black Diamond. Tarina's packaging is, as usual, stunning. That is as far as my admiration for this product goes, unfortunately. This is a black eyeliner packed with rainbow holographic glitter. I find the eyeliner itself to be streaky and not very pigmented. This could be the fault of the brush, though, which is so fat and bulky that it's impossible to get a nice fine line. The description on the card says the glitter in here is micro glitter, but it's actually huge. You would have a bad time if this fell in your eye. Thankfully, once this dries it is almost impossible to budge. I maybe might use this to layer over regular eyeliner but otherwise I am super unimpressed with this. It almost seems juvenile. A 0.17 oz tube of this is $16.

Next on my list is a gold Color.Bug from Kevin.Murphy. This is like hair chalk; you're supposed to put a styling product on your hair and then drag the colour pad over it to make it stick. This is okay, I guess, except my hair is pretty much exactly the same colour as the gold, so I don't see anything at all when I apply it aside from maybe some glitter. This costs a ridiculous $25 for 0.17 oz. I would never pay that much for something like this!

Last in the box is a bellápierre Shimmer Powder in Sensation. There is a sifter in the pot to stop the product from getting everywhere. This is a white shimmery loose powder. It looks like pearlescent sparkling snow and is very pretty! I love it! It's beautiful opaque as a shadow or sheered out as a brow bone highlighter or a glittery top coat, if you will. :) This pretty little thing will cost you $14.99.

I had really high hopes for this box. The Sparkle and Shine theme seemed so cool for the lead up to the holidays and had so much potential, but I have to say this isn't my favourite box. Everything in the box suited the theme for sure, but there are at least two products that I can't ever see myself using. Don't get me wrong, I still love Boxycharm! Not everything in every box is going to be a winner and I'm still incredibly impressed with the product size and value packed in this little box, it's just that I have loved my past boxes more. :)

My two favourite things in the box are the OFRA blush and the Mica primer for sure! What would you be happiest to receive in your box?

If you'd like a Boxycharm subscription of your very own, you can subscribe here!

xo

New Brand: Honeybee Gardens

Hello loves! I tried another new brand! I had decent luck trying out Prestige Cosmetics, and I'm kind of obsessed now with finding some gems hidden away in lesser known brands! I came across Honeybee Gardens, which is an all natural company. I'd never really dabbled in all natural makeup (at least not on purpose, anyway), so I thought I'd give this a go! I picked up four products to try: a lipstick, an eyeliner, a mascara, and an eyeshadow palette.

Let's talk about the brand itself. Honeybee Gardens prides itself in using all natural ingredients that you can actually pronounce and recyclable packaging. They don't test on animals, are PETA certified, and have lots and lots of other awesome environmentally friendly credentials to their name. For all that good stuff, their packaging is very cute and their items are reasonably priced! Now onto the products themselves!

We'll start with the Truly Natural Mascara, which I got it in the colour Black Magic. The packaging is a sleek plastic tube made to look like brushed metal with a big long window on it so you can see inside. The brush is your pretty standard width fibre brush; nothing particularly special about it. There is a little bit of scent to this product. It's not unpleasant or overpowering, but it is different than what I'm used to (probably because there's no chemicals in it). A tube of this stuff costs $11.99!

The formula itself is really nice. I'll be honest, though. If you're looking for a mascara that is going to give you insanely lengthened and volumized lashes, you won't find it here. The look you get from this mascara is a very natural one and that's what I love about it. I have extremely blonde eyelashes to the point where you can't really see them, and sometimes all I want to do for makeup is define them a little. Every other mascara I use is almost too much for this and my eyes end up looking weird and unnatural. One coat of this is perfect for a nice defined look. You can definitely build it up to be a little more bold, but it's not going to give you doll eyes.

The JobaColors Eyeliner shade I chose was Belgian Chocolate. It is, as you'd guess, a matte chocolate brown. I like the colour but I find the formula a little hard to work with. It's not super creamy which leads it to not be as opaque as I'd like in one swipe and to pull on my eye as I apply it. Heating it up a little might make it apply better, but I haven't tried that yet. I don't hate it, though! It smudges nicely and I know I'll get use out of it! This costs a very reasonable $8.99!

Next up is the Cosmopolitan Eyeshadow Palette. There are four eyeshadows in here. One is matte, one is very subtly shimmery, and two are shimmery. The packaging is cardboard with a cute businesswoman silhouetted against a cityscape. There is a magnetic closure so the cardboard lid stays shut, which I like. Included as well is a bamboo dual ended brush/sponge applicator. The only thing I miss in this is a mirror of some sort, but I understand that they want their packaging to be completely recyclable and that might be why they didn't include one. Not a problem.

L-R: Kashmir, Satin Sheets, PS Pink, Angelic

The first shade in the palette is a matte chocolate brown called Kashmir. It is nice and soft, nicely pigmented, and blends very well.

Next is Satin Sheets, which is a very shimmery golden champagne colour. This is incredibly pigmented and very well behaved for blending! It has a very interesting texture; it almost feels a little wet or sticky when I swatch it, but I consider this a plus as I find fallout from this minimal!

Third up is PS Pink, which is a cool toned medium pink with the tiniest hints of silver micro glitter. Again, it's nice and soft, nicely pigmented and blendable. The glitter in it is subtle enough that I think it would make a fabulous blush as well!

Last up is Angelic, a very shimmery cool pink. It's so cool toned that it's almost lavender! This is very similar to Satin Sheets. It's extremely pigmented and also quite blendable. Again, it has that interesting sticky/wet texture to it. It's really hard to describe, you'd have to feel it. It's super super pretty though!

Overall, I really like this palette! At $29.99 for a quad, I think the price is a just a tiny little bit steep. However, the shadows are really pretty shades and a nice quality so that makes it much easier to swallow!

The last thing I tried out from Honeybee Gardens was the Truly Natural Lipstick in their signature shade Queen Bee. The packaging, once again, has that brushed metal look to it. The cap has a little window to see inside on the side of it and the adorable company logo on the top!

Queen is a beautiful cool toned red with a matte finish. It is very nicely pigmented and doesn't bleed at all! I do find that on my naked lips this drags and takes a little effort to apply nicely. If I slick on a layer of lip balm underneath, though, there's no problem! Any extra required effort is so worth it though. This lipstick wears just beautifully! Once you apply it, it stays put until you decide you don't want it anymore. And, even after you wipe it off, it leaves a wonderful deep pink stain behind. At $12.99, this lipstick is a steal and I would gladly even pay double this price for it!

I'll just say it... this is my new holy grail red lipstick. Hands down.

So, all in all, I am very impressed with Honeybee Gardens and am absolutely interested in trying out more products! Their intentions and morals are lovely, their products are lovely, and their prices are reasonable! What more could you ask for in a brand?

xo

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Nova

Hey loves! Let's talk about a great lip gloss from Rimmel: The Show Off Lip Lacquer in Nova! As far as I can tell, "Show Off" is the counterpart to the UK's "Apocalips," which is a collection I'd heard a lot about but never got around to trying. I was happy to find a few shades on clearance! I only picked up one, and now I'm sad I didn't get more! The shade I got is a cool toned medium pink called Nova and it's amazing!

The Show Off collection comes in 5.5 ml tubes. The packaging is sleek and there is a geometric shape reminiscent of a crystal on the end of the lid. I think it's a nice touch and sets the packaging apart from other brands! The applicator is a doe foot that has a little reservoir in the middle, allowing you to apply more product with just one swipe!

As nice as the packaging is, it's the formula that counts. This does not disappoint! It's extremely pigmented; you only need one pass to get it entirely opaque! Along with this, it's not at all thick or sticky. It doesn't go on patchy and is quite comfortable to wear. I hate when lip glosses are so sticky that you can feel them  It has a satin finish - not too glossy and not too matte! It also smells vaguely of citrus or fruit, which I quite like.

As with most glosses, this won't last forever. I found that although the finish faded after an hour or so, the colour itself did linger for a while after. I did find this ever so slightly slightly drying, though my lips do get dry fairly easily. I might try it with a lip balm underneath next time.

Honestly, these are amazing and I am super tempted to go buy every single shade. My only regret is that I hadn't tried these sooner! You can find them at pretty much any drugstore at a relatively inexpensive price: Ulta, Target, you name it.

Have you tried the Show Off collection?

xo

Unboxed: Target Beauty Box!

Hey loves! A little treat showed up at my door and I thought I'd let you have a peek inside! For those who don't know, Target has a beauty box! It's not a subscription box, just one you buy à la carte. It costs $7 for a $28 value and shipping is free! In it you get five items whose sizes range from sample to full. The box is white and comes with a sleeve around it featuring the Target logo made drawn with different types of makeup. I love this; it's so cute! Let's have a look inside!

Ta-da! There's some great stuff in here! There are a couple full size products and a couple travel size! There's even a convenient card with item descriptions! Let's go in order, shall we?

First we have a travel size of L'Oréal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hairspray. I am not much of a hair person, but this stuff claims to add shine and brush right out. That sounds good to me! I hate how it smells, though. It smells like a powdery perfume my grandmother would wear.

Second is a travel size of Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo. I haven't tried this yet but it smells absolutely amazing. I like the hook though; who wants to wash their hair right after they get an expensive blowout? I'll definitely end up using this when I feel too lazy to wash my hair!

Next is a sampler of a Target exclusive: Laneige BB Cushion. This is a new thing in the beauty world. Instead of having your bb cream in a bottle, it comes soaked in a sponge. You press a puff into the cushion to collect some product and you're good to go. I'm not sure how much I buy into this, but I do enjoy that this has SPF 50 and that there are a few different shades to try and mix! A full size of this is $34 though, so this new trend is not an inexpensive one.

Next is a full size NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk. Everybody knows it; everybody loves it. It's super pigmented and creamy! It makes a great eyeshadow base, eyeshadow, or eyeliner! These are $4.50 and worth every penny. I love NYX so much and am quite happy to have received this in my box!

Rounding off the box is a full size tube of L'Oréal Color Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick (whew!) in Blushing Harmony. A tube of this costs $9.99, so I'm happy to have it! Since this browned out pink is such a highly sought after colour right now, I'm definitely going to write a more detailed post about it!

That's my Target beauty box! I have a beauty box addiction, I know. I definitely think this one is worth the price! These are sold out on Target's site right now, but as soon as they bring out a new one you can bet I'll let you all know! Follow me on Twitter @AllanahKate and you'll never miss an update! :)

What are your favourite beauty boxes?

xo

Away Oui Go with tarte!

Hey loves! Let's talk about a gift set for the holidays! The Away Oui Go Palette and Collector's Set is an Ulta exclusive from tarte and it costs $48 (a $410 value). For your money you get a deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, three deluxe maracuja lip glosses, sixteen full size Amazonian Clay eyeshadows, four full size Amazonian Clay blushes, and a cute little blue quilted compact. Whew! Definitely a good value for tarte!

As usual, let's talk about the packaging! The whole thing comes in a purple and gold damask box. The palette itself is cardboard but has pretty colours and patterns. There is a magnetic closure on the palette and it opens up to reveal the compact, lip glosses, and mascara on top and the eyeshadows and blushes on the bottom. The eye shadows are grouped into four with one blush to make up four separate palettes which you can remove and put in the compact!

Let's start with the top half!

The compact is a beautiful Tiffany blue and the flap is made of a vinyl faux leather. It's adorned with pearls and a gold tarte logo! The rest is made of cardboard. The compact has a magnetic closure. Inside is a mirror and a magnetic spot in which to put your palette of choice!

Let's talk about the mascara! It's a 0.13 fl oz deluxe sample of tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara. I really enjoy the fibre brush on this mascara and find it to be very separating. The formula itself is nice. I don't find it to be super fantastical or anything, but it's definitely a pleasure to use!

L-R: Paris, Cannes, Nice

The three maracuja (an oil meant to be hydrating, anti-aging, and brightening) lip glosses are 0.06 fl oz each. The colours are Paris, a raspberry; Cannes, a light pink with a golden shimmer; and Nice, a nude mauve. I really enjoy the colour selection here and think that all three of these colours are universally flattering. All three glosses have a very stiff and not nice brush applicator but do have lovely chocolate mint scent. They are nicely but not super intensely pigmented and they definitely give my lips that minty cooling sensation. Unfortunately, these are incredibly sticky. I feel them every second they are on and they actively try to keep my lips together when I open my mouth. You just get that gloppy mess in the corners of your lips and they're just so uncomfortable. Because of this, I can't ever see myself wearing these, which is a shame because I do really love the colours and delicious scent.

Time for the bottom half! Let's start from the top left and go clockwise! I'm not going to talk about each shade or palette individually because you and I would be here all night! Instead I'll show you them all and their swatches up close and then we'll talk about them in general.

L-R: Private Chateau, Café for Crème Brulée, Tea for Two, Marvel at the Mona Lisa, Irresistible

L-R: Macarons for You, Champagne & Chocolat, Kisses Under the Arc, Art in Montmarte, Envisioned

L-R: Snow Angels in the Parc, Navigating the Metro, Midnight Stroll, Liaison at the Louvre, Intrigue

L-R: Champs Élysées Shopping, Stargazing on the Seine, Eiffel Tower Engagement, Secret Soiree, Limitless

As you can see, all of the eyeshadows are very neutral. I love a neutral eye and rarely wear anything else, so I don't mind this at all. There's a nice variety of matte and shimmery shades and a nice variety of warm and cool tones. They're all pretty soft! They build nicely, blend nicely, and generally just behave very well. The blushes are much the same. There are a nice variety of shades that are perfect for the fall and the holidays. Again, there is a mixture between matte and shimmery. Lots to choose from!

I think if I had to pick a favourite palette, I'd pick the third one. I definitely think it's the most versatile. You can make several looks with those shades, the blush is such a beautiful pink, and that matte black shadow could definitely double as an eyeliner!

All in all, I think this is a great holiday gift idea, either for yourself or someone else! The only real cons for me are that I don't enjoy the lip glosses and that I find the actual packaging fairly bulky. Normally this wouldn't be a problem and I'd just store it away, but I'm not exactly sure what to do with the leftover palettes that I don't have in my compact. They don't have a cover so I can't just throw them in a drawer. But neither of those things turn me off enough that I regret purchasing this.

What are some holiday sets you guys are loving?

xo