Ipsy GlamBag May 2017 Unbox & First Impressions

May 22, 2017 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello!

My May Ipsy Glam Bag finally arrived. This month’s bag has a summer theme.

Let’s see what I got this month! (Descriptions in italics taken from the Ipsy website)

Up first is a Charcoal Wash Off Mask from Global Beauty Care

Ipsy GlamBag May 2017

Another mud mask? Groundbreaking. But seriously, this one’s special! It’s made from charcoal, which digs deep to gently remove icky dirt and grime without drying out your skin.
If you want to skip makeup, this mask is great for prepping your complexion to bare it all. Think: all the glowy goodness of a facial in just 15 minutes!

I love facial masks, so I was pretty happy to get this one. I have yet to try it out, so a review is still to come. According to the packaging, this product is not tested on animals.

Up next, is a five shade Island Life mini palette from Pacifica.

Tarte Tartelette (Matte Palette)

Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Matte Palette

August 5, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello!

First things first, did you listen to last night’s MyLipAddiction.com Beauty Podcast? If not, please do go listen! Yesterday’s post has all the details.

If you remember, last month I posted my Sephora wishlist and I was deciding between the Anastasia Beverly Hills Renaissance Palette or the Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Palette. Well, I went to Sephora and swatched them both, and realized that I have a lot of similar shimmer / metallic shades in my collection already, but own very few matte shades. I decided to purchase the Tartelette (Amazonian clay matte palette).

First off, the palette packaging is a glossy metal, with a click type closure. The inside cover is all mirror, which is great for travelling. When I’m home, I prefer to use a larger mirror.

The Tartelette is made up of twelve matte shades in three groupings. They are quite pigmented and easy to apply, easy to blend. You can achieve anything from a soft, neutral look, to a bold smokey eye with this palette. It comes with a card with instructions for two different eye looks.

Now onto the swatches – all shades are swatched over the I ❤ Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base from Essence (since that is what I’m currently using as my eye primer).

I think that out of the three groupings, my current favourite is the middle one with shades caregiver, natural beauty, best friend, and bombshell.

I’m super happy with the Tartelette palette. Do you have this one? What is your current fave?

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ❤

Disclosure: I purchased this!

Project Focus 10 – Week 10 Review & Update

Project Focus 10 Collab - Urban Decay Naked 3

March 28, 2016October 8, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello!

Week 10? I cannot believe that it has been 10 weeks already!

Today I’m reviewing the final product in the Project Focus 10 Collab with my lovely fellow bloggers: Ingrid from Curly Spring Blossom, Stashy from Stash Matters, and Joy from Styled with Joy.

So what is Project Focus 10?

10 different products that have been forgotten or neglected, or that we just want to use up, that have not been reviewed on our blogs before (but are still on the market). Over the course of 10 weeks we will make an effort to try to use them, and review one of the products weekly (every Monday), and update on our progress on each of the 10 products over the 10 week period.

I’m reviewing the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. As you probably know, I have a LOT of single shadows, and only a few palettes, so this was a good excuse to give this neglected palette some love.

Here’s what it says on the website:

Experiment with 12 NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN (and insanely beautiful) rose-hued neutrals—from pale, shimmery pink to deep black matte with rosy red micro-glitter. It’s finally here: the long-awaited follow-up Naked and Naked2 (two of the industry’s all-time bestselling palettes)! And this time around, we’re giving you a dozen NEW ways to get Naked. (Yes, we loaded this palette with 12 NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN shades.)

Choose from every finish imaginable: ultra-smooth mattes, gorgeous pearls and glimmering metallics. From the palest, shimmery pink to deep, warm black, these neutrals will make you want to get Naked all over again. Every shade features our Pigment Infusion System™, the proprietary blend of ingredients that gives each shade its velvety texture, rich color, serious staying power and blendability.

My experience:

This is a gorgeous palette with both shimmer and matte shades. The more glittery shades (dust, buzz and trick) are prone to fallout, but using primer helps reduce fallout. The other shades are easier to work with and have great blendability. My favourites are shade, limit, nooner, liar, factory, mugshot, darkside and blackheart. This is a perfect palette for year round use and it is great for a wide range of looks from subtle to dramatic. The brush is better than a lot of ones that come with palettes, but I do prefer to use my other brushes (especially my Wayne Goss ones).

Update on the remaining nine products:

Makeup:

Hard Candy Primer – reviewed week 1, will never use again after my bad reaction!

Essence Lash Mania Mascara (Waterproof) – did not use, reviewed week 4.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer – did not use again this week, reviewed week 6.

Makeup Tools:

Wayne Goss Brush 01 – reviewed week 2, used daily, LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! It is getting softer with use.

Georgie Beauty False Lashes No. 2 L’Avant Gardiste and Black Lash Adhesive – reviewed week 9, I’m still not ready to try again haha!

Haircare and Bodycare:

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Shampoo – FINISHED and Reviewed week 7!

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Conditioner – FINISHED and Reviewed week 8!

Living Proof Prime Style Extender – reviewed week 3, FINISHED week 6!

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – reviewed week 5, used daily, FINISHED!

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ❤

Please do check out my fellow collaborators posts:

Ingrid from Curly Spring Blossom

Stashy from Stash Matters

Joy from Styled with Joy.

Disclosure: I purchased all of these things!

Next week we will be posting our final conclusions on our Project Focus 10 Collab.

So stay tuned!

Project Focus 10 Collab – Week 9 Review & Update

March 21, 2016October 8, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello!

Project Focus 10 Collab

Can you believe that it is week 9 already for the Project Focus 10 Collab with my lovely fellow bloggers: Ingrid from Curly Spring Blossom, Stashy from Stash Matters, and Joy from Styled with Joy.

What is Project Focus 10?

10 different products that have been forgotten or neglected, or that we just want to use up, that have not been reviewed on our blogs before (but are still on the market). Over the course of 10 weeks we will make an effort to try to use them, and review one of the products weekly (every Monday), and update on our progress on each of the 10 products over the 10 week period.

This week I’m reviewing the Georgie Beauty False Lashes Style No. 2 L’Avant Gardiste.

Georgie Beauty False Lashes No. 2

Here’s what it says on the website:

Fullness plus Flare.

Our best-selling style easily goes from day to night. It’s fuller on the ends creating a subtle yet seductive cat-eyed shape.

The Georgie faux lash collection features classic styles to wear from morning latte to midnight soirée. Georgie lashes are handmade, weightlessly voluminous, easy to apply, and can be worn multiple times.

As well, I’m reviewing the Georgie Black Faux Lash Adhesive.

Here’s what it says about the lash glue:

The first adhesive that is dermatologist tested, PETA and vegan certified
Does not contain formaldehyde or phthalates

My experience: I have very minimal experience with false lashes. I think I’ve attempted applying them maybe two or three times EVER. But it is something that I would love to be able to learn to do well. I purchased these lashes almost a year ago from the Kind Beauty Collective, and have been looking at them longingly ever since. I have always put off using them, because honestly, I am a little intimidated by my lack of skills at applying false lashes.

Georgie Beauty Faux lashes No. 2

These lashes are so beautiful and lush. And the glue did not irritate my super sensitive eyes. But, I must tell you that I really am HORRIBLE at applying false lashes. I even tried again this morning in the hopes of getting them applied well enough to try to take a photo. The product is amazing, but I need loads more practise. I’m going to buy some cheapo lashes to practise with before trying these again, because they are too gorgeous to go to waste. I plan on mastering false lash application this year!

Georgie Beauty Faux lashes No. 2

This morning I dropped one of the lashes while trying to apply them, and it took me more than FIVE MINUTES to find it because I was wearing all black and it was stuck to my sleeve. The struggle is real. Hahaha!

Update on the remaining nine products:

Project Focus 10 Collab

Makeup:

Hard Candy Primer – reviewed week 1, will never use again after my bad reaction!

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette – used 3x this week, to be reviewed in week 10.

Essence Lash Mania Mascara (Waterproof) – did not use, reviewed week 4, will never use again.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer – did not use this week, reviewed week 6, will start using it in the late spring, and summer once I get a bit less pale!

Makeup Tools:

Wayne Goss Brush 01 – reviewed week 2, used daily, LOVE IT! It is getting softer with use.

Haircare and Bodycare:

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Shampoo – FINISHED and Reviewed week 7!

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Conditioner – FINISHED and Reviewed week 8!

Living Proof Prime Style Extender – reviewed week three, FINISHED in week 6!

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – reviewed week 5, used daily, so close to finishing!

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! <span class="wp-smiley wp-emoji wp-emoji-heart" title="<span class="wp-smiley wp-emoji wp-emoji-heart" title="<span class="wp-smiley wp-emoji wp-emoji-heart" title="<3

Don’t forget to check out my fellow collaborators’ posts:

Ingrid from Curly Spring Blossom

Stashy from Stash Matters

Joy from Styled with Joy.

Disclosure: I purchased all of these things!

Project Focus 10 Collab – Week 6 Review & Update

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess

February 29, 2016October 7, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello! Can you believe that it is already been SIX weeks since starting Project Focus 10?

Project Focus 10 is a Collab that I am doing with three lovely fellow bloggers: Ingrid from Curly Spring Blossom, Stashy from Stash Matters, and Joy from Styled with Joy. Here’s the lowdown on PF10:

10 different products that have been forgotten or neglected, or that we just want to use up, that have not been reviewed on our blogs before (but are still on the market). Over the course of 10 weeks we will make an effort to try to use them, and review one of the products weekly (every Monday), and update on our progress on each of the 10 products over the 10 week period.

Today I’m reviewing Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Bronzer in their iconic shade Park Avenue Princess. Here’s what it says on the Sephora website about this bronzer:

What it is:
An ultralight, mineral-based bronzing powder.

What it does:
Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer is an oil-free bronzer that fuses earthly minerals with naturally-derived ingredients for a natural-looking finish. It contains Skinvigorating™ ingredients like vitamins A and E, which act as antioxidants to fight free radical damage, and it’s infused with mineral pigments that are known for their soothing and softening properties.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

My experience: This is the first and only bronzer that I’ve ever owned as most of them are too dark for my skintone (for reference, I use Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc).

Because I’m quite pale in the winter time, I have to be careful in applying, otherwise it is too much (as you can see in the swatch on my arm, and my face is a lot paler than my arm). The colour is definitely buildable and long lasting on my skin. I think that it is a bit too warm for me this time of year, but I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it in the spring / summer.

Update on the remaining PF10 products:

Make-Up:

Hard Candy Primer – reviewed week 1, will never use again after my bad reaction.

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette – used 2x, loving the matte shades this week!

Essence Lash Mania Mascara (Waterproof) – did not use, reviewed week 4

Make-Up Tools:

Georgie Beauty False Lashes and Adhesive – Once again I did not use my false lashes, I need to do a patch test with the adhesive before trying them out. Maybe I’ll do that this afternoon.

Wayne Goss Brush 01 – reviewed week 2, used daily

Haircare and Bodycare:

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Shampoo – used 2x,

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Conditioner – used 2x,

Living Proof Prime Style Extender – reviewed week three, used 2x, finished!

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – reviewed week 5, used daily, often several times a day!

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ❤

Don’t forget to check out my fellow collaborators’ posts:

Ingrid from Curly Spring Blossom

Stashy from Stash Matters

Joy from Styled with Joy.

Disclosure: I purchased all of these things!

Project Focus 10 Collab – Week 4 Review & Update

February 15, 2016October 7, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello!

I’m back with week 4 of my Project Focus 10 Collab with Ingrid from Curly Sping Blossom, Stashy from Stash Matters, and Joy from Styled with Joy. Here’s the lowdown on PF10:

10 different products that have been forgotten or neglected, or that we just want to use up, that have not been reviewed on our blogs before (but are still on the market). Over the course of 10 weeks we will make an effort to try to use them, and review one of the products weekly (every Monday), and update on our progress on each of the 10 products over the 10 week period.

Today I’m reviewing the Lash Mania (Waterproof) Mascara from Essence Cosmetics.

Here’s what it says on the European website, since it seems to have disappeared from the Canadian one:

lashes with star appeal! the innovative elastomer brush with a star-shaped arrangement of blades accurately grips your lashes to give them a push-up effect. the result: lashes with extreme volume and a dramatic false-lash look. secret tip: the LASH mania reloaded mascara offers perfect separation and can therefore also be used as a mascara topper. for all mascara maniacs.

My experience: I have long stick straight lashes, so I always curl my lashes before applying mascara. At first my lashes look super long and have a nice curl, but I wouldn’t say that the mascara added any volume, or gave me a dramatic false lash look. Within an hour of applying, my lashes began to droop. This mascara does not hold a curl for me. I really wanted to like this mascara, since I LOVE their Get Big Lashes (Waterproof) Mascara. I’ve tried using it as a topper over GBL, but it just weighs my lashes down and causes them to droop.

Update on the remaining products:

Makeup:

Hard Candy Primer – reviewed week 1, will never use again after my bad reaction.

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette – used 1x

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer – did not use

Makeup Tools:

Georgie Beauty False Lashes and Adhesive – did not use

Wayne Goss Brush 01 – reviewed week 2, used 2x

Haircare & Bodycare:

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Shampoo – used 2x

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Conditioner – used 2x

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – used daily, sometimes 2-3x per day

Living Proof Prime Style Extender – reviewed week three, used 1x, nearly finished the tube!

Overall: I was sick last week, so I only wore makeup twice when I had to leave the house, and the rest of the time I was recovering from the plague, so I didn’t make a lot of progress on using up the makeup products. But I’ve been very good at using the Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream since my hands have been so dry.

Don’t forget to check out my fellow collaborators’ posts!

Curly Spring Blossom

Stash Matters

Styled with Joy

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ❤

Disclosure: I purchased all of these things!

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Swatching and Review

February 10, 2016October 7, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello hello! I am finally getting to swatching and reviewing of the Zoeva Cocoa Blend palette that I won from the lovely Reify’s Sweet Treat Giveaway. You should check out her blog and give her a follow if you don’t already!

This is my very first palette from Zoeva, so I was super thrilled to get this in the mail since I’ve been drooling over the palettes and brushes for awhile now!

First off, look at the packaging – STUNNING!

Here’s what it says on the Zoeva website:

Our ZOEVA Cocoa Blend Palette results out of a world of sweet sins. Inspired by warm truffle colors, delicate nougat shades and shimmery marzipan tones for a seductive glamour makeup.

Formula: No parabens // No mineral oils // No fragrances // No phthalates // Superior pigmentation // Easy to blend // With vitamin E // Made in Italy

This palette has ten different shadows in various finishes (matte, satin, metallic, duochrome, pearl and matte with glitter.

Let’s take a look at each one, starting with the top row – swatched without primer:

Bitter Start – matte cream

Sweeter End – metallic, light taupe with peachy golden shift

Warm Notes -metallic, cranberry with rose gold shift

Subtle Blend – metallic, light bronze toned brown

Beans are White – matte, dark brown almost black (like espresso)

Pure Ganache – metallic, gold

Substitute for Love – matte / satin, warm caramel toned brown

Freshly Toasted – matte reddish brown

Infusion – matte with glitter, dark brown with golden glitter

Delicate Acidity – metallic / duochrome, purple based taupe

My experience: This warm toned palette has a great balance between matte and shimmery / metallic shades. All are highly pigmented and gorgeous. I found all of the shades to be buttery and smooth in application except for Beans are White, which was a little grabby, and Infusion, which was drier and was prone to fallout due to the glitter. Very wearable for both subtle and dramatic looks.

Also, they are cruelty-free, and free from parabens / mineral oils / fragrance / phthlates. So yeah, I might be a little bit in love and cannot wait to try more from Zoeva.

A little bit about Zoeva, taken from the website:

ZOEVA is a German brand, founded in 2008 by Zoe Boikou. The brand name ZOEVA is composed of ZOE, the Greek word for „life“ and EVA, the very first woman. From a basic range of only 10 makeup brushes, ZOEVA now offers a professional portfolio of over 50 makeup tools and 100 colors for a full face makeup routine. Our products are designed to make a real difference in the way women experience their beauty rituals.

ZOEVA is dedicated to the self-confidence and unique beauty of all women. Every ZOEVA product is made with love and designed with conviction and passion for makeup. Our ultimate goal is to offer luxurious, high quality products. Helping every woman to discover her individual beauty is our highest ambition. ZOEVA means celebrating yourself and being aware of your individual beauty.

Women in need have a special place in our hearts. We feel responsible for women suffering from domestic abuse or have lost their hair due to chemotherapy. It is our highest ambition to strengthen their self-esteem and to give them more self-confidence and awareness of their own individual beauty. In women we trust. From the bottom of our hearts.

If the exchange rates weren’t so high right now, I would seriously BUY ALL THE THINGS! I think that this is a company worth supporting.

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ❤

Disclosure: In case you missed it at the beginning, I won this palette in a personal blog giveaway.

Project Focus 10 – Week 3 Review (Living Proof Prime Styler Extender) & Update

February 8, 2016October 7, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello hello! In case you missed it, I’m doing the Project Focus 10 Collab with Ingrid fromCurly Sping Blossom, Stashy from Stash Matters, and Joy from Styled with Joy. Here’s the lowdown on the Project Focus 10 Collab:

10 different products that have been forgotten or neglected, or that we just want to use up, that have not been reviewed on our blogs before (but are still on the market). Over the course of 10 weeks we will make an effort to try to use them, and review one of the products weekly (every Monday), and update on our progress on each of the 10 products over the 10 week period.

Today we have the week three update on the Project Focus 10 Collab and review of Living Proof’s Prime Style Extender. Here’s what it says on the Living Proof website about the Prime Style Extender:

A first-of-its-kind hair primer that extends your style 2x longer. Formulated with our advanced priming system and powered by our patented Healthy Hair Molecule (OFPMA) to create an exquisitely thin, weightless shield which:

repels dirt and oil to keep hair cleaner, longer

creates an optimal base for all styles

so perfecting it can be used alone yet so weightless it can be layered under other styling products

For all hair types. Sulfate-free, silicone-free and oil-free. Safe for color and chemically treated hair.

Apply to clean, damp hair from root to tip, and style as usual.

My experience: I don’t wash my hair every day, normally I wash my hair every third day. I used it each time I washed my hair, combed it through. I let my hair air dry one day, and the other day I used my hair dryer to see if it made a difference. It didn’t make my hair greasy or weighed down which I liked. I think that this primer is meant to be used with heat, but since I try to avoid using heat on my hair as much as possible, I didn’t notice a huge difference in my hair. I think that this would work well for someone who is trying to move from washing their hair every day to every other day, and not so much for someone who already skips a day (or two) between washes. It did help to control frizz somewhat, but I have plenty of other products that already do that. I’ll continue using it each week just to use it up, but I probably won’t purchase a full size.

Update on my usage of the 10 products – Make-up:

Focus10 Makke-up2

Hard Candy Primer – reviewed week 1, will never use again after my bad reaction.

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette – used three times

Essence Lash Mania Mascara – used one time

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer – used one time

Make-Up Tools:

Project Focus 10 Collab

Georgie Beauty False Lashes and Adhesive – did not use

Wayne Goss Brush 01 – used daily, reviewed week 2

Haircare and Bodycare:

Project Focus 10 Collab

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Shampoo – used twice

Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Conditioner – used twice

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – used daily

All in all, I think that I am making pretty good progress on some of the products that I am using a couple times a week, or daily for some products. Again, I wasn’t brave enough to try out my false lashes, but I promise to at least try before the 10 weeks are up!

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ❤

Don’t forget to check out my fellow collaborators’ posts:

Curly Spring Blossom

Stash Matters

Styled with Joy

I’ll be back on Monday, February 15th with an update on the PF10. Regular posts are on Wednesday and Friday as per usual.

Disclosure: I purchased all of these things.

Project Focus 10 Collab – Week 2 – Wayne Goss Foundation Brush

February 1, 2016October 7, 2016 | jodi - a brash attitude

Hello, hello! In case you missed it, I’m doing the Project Focus 10 collab with Ingrid from Curly Sping Blossom, Stashy from Stash Matters, and Joy from Styled with Joy. Here’s the lowdown on the Project Focus 10 collab:

10 different products that have been forgotten or neglected, or that we just want to use up, that have not been reviewed on our blogs before (but are still on the market). Over the course of 10 weeks we will make an effort to try to use them, and review one of the products weekly (every Monday), and update on our progress on each of the 10 products over the 10 week period.

I’m back to review one of the items from the Project 10 Focus Collab, and update you on my progress on the remaining items. Today I’m reviewing the Wayne Goss Brush 01.

Wayne Goss Brush 01

Here’s what is says on the Beautylish website (the only place I believe that you can buy the Wayne Goss brushes):

Brush 01 is perfect for foundation, it’s about 5mm longer than a typical stippling brush to allow for gentle blending that won’t pull the skin.

These brushes are so beautiful with their glossy black hornbeam handles and brass ferules. Each brush is handcrafted in Japan.

Wayne Goss Brush 01

My experience: I know that this is a foundation brush, but I haven’t been using it to apply foundation because when I do, I end up with a streaky application. Instead, I’ve been using it for blending and buffing out concealer daily – especially since I’ve had to use a LOT more concealer than usual thanks to my unfortunate reaction to the Hard Candy Primer last week. It works amazing for undereye concealer as well! The bristles are firm yet soft, and densely packed. I haven’t had any bristle loss when washing it. All in all a gorgeous luxury brush.

Update on the remaining products:

Project Focus 10 Collab

Make-up:

1. Hard Candy Primer – reviewed last week, will never use again after my bad reaction.

2. Urban Decay Naked 3 palette – used two times

3. Essence Lash Mania Mascara – used one time

4. Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer – used once

Make-Up Tools:

5. Georgie Beauty False Lashes and Adhesive – did not use

Haircare and Bodycare:

6. Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Shampoo – used twice

7. Not Your Mother’s Way to Grow Conditioner – used twice

8. Living Proof Prime Style Extender – used twice

9. Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – used daily

Overall, I think that I made mostly good progress this week and managed to use everything except for the false lashes and the reaction inducing primer. I’ll be back with the new review and update on my progress with the Project Focus 10 Collab on Monday, February 8th (not counting my regular posts on Wednesday and Friday). Don’t forget to check out my fellow collaborators’ posts:

Curly Spring Blossom

Stash Matters

Styled with Joy

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! <span class="wp-smiley wp-emoji wp-emoji-heart" title="<3

Disclosure: I purchased all of these things. My review is based on my experience of using the product.