HAUL: My First COLOURPOP Order

So I recently decided to order some Colourpop items on a whim. I have been wanting to try their products pretty much since I discovered them but just have not had the need to. I finally decided to start getting into makeup again so I indulged. I was happy to see that they were offering a $5 off coupon for new customers as I was bummed that I skipped on the black friday sales. I was also pleased to see that there was free shipping on all orders over $30. I picked up the 'Nice' holiday set ($15), the 'It's Vintage' Ultra Matte To Go lip set ($18), and 'Bae' eyeshadow ($5) in order to meet the free shipping requirement. My order ended up being $36 including taxes. 

One thing I have to mention about ordering from their website is the wait time. You won't get fast shipping turnaround like you would with a corporation so you need to learn to be patient. I am the opposite so I was fuming every day I did not get a shipping confirmation, dramatic I know haha. But I was happy to get the email 4 days later and since I live close to their warehouse, I received it 2 days after that. So that made up for the wait. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised with the brand overall but I am having a bit of difficulty taking a liking to the eyeshadows and the highlighter. I have read that application is best with fingers but my small lids don't work with that method. I will be doing a review and will have individual posts on all of the products I purchased. Stay tuned for that!

xoxo,
Jessica


DISCLOSURE: The product featured in this post was purchased by me.

TALK: Acne Chronicles Entry 1

My name is Jessica and I am a 24 year old college graduate who still suffers with acne on a daily basis. 2 words to sum up the experience that I have been plagued with for 8+ years, IT SUCKS. I remember being 15 years old and having perfect skin, the kind people had to constantly comment on because it was in such good condition. Then I started to get into makeup more. Prior to this I just heavily relied on a Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation and some drugstore eyeshadow people. It all started to go downhill from there. I started heavily buying and using MAC Cosmetics believing that it was the best of the best. All in all it ended up contributing to my currently destroyed skin. Age 16 hit and my skin was atrocious. My cheeks and forehead were covered in painful and embarrassing lesions. Not just lightly clogged pores but big bumps that unfortunately most of the time were poppable. After overloading my face with any products I could afford (and squeezing), I was left with damaged and scarred skin. The acne settled but my skin was forever changed to look like the aftermath of a meteor shower (in theory). I took care of my skin from the beginning. Always cleaned and toned, and never went to bed with makeup, but it did not save me. I now know that it all had to do with hormones and not just with makeup.

Today I find myself still suffering with new breakouts on a daily basis. I went a while able to be acne-free when using all natural products but once my skin settled, it was back. My hormones have been out of whack for years and unfortunately I don't see that changing anytime soon. They contribute to my stress and anxiety, which triggers all of the breakouts. I still take care of my skin but when the acne is a result of your malfunctioning brain, dealing with it becomes 10x more difficult. As exhausted as I am from dealing with my issues, I still continue to fight them daily for my own mental health. Most days I am too ashamed to leave the house because of how bad it looks but I try to fight on in order to eradicate the fear of being judged because of my skin. I think I have done a decent job at shocking my skin back to normalcy from time to time by switching up my routine. I have been on a routine for about 6 months so I think it is time to pack up and get the ball rolling. Any suggestions for favorite acne products?

My current skincare routine is:
Cleanser: Derma E Purifying Gel Cleanser and Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Toner: Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Toner (High School Vibes)
Moisturizer: Pond's Crema S Nurturing Moisturizer
Spot Treatment: Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10
Mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep
Scrub: Purifying Daily Detox Scrub and Queen Helene Mint Julep Natural Scrub

xoxo,
Jessica

FIRST IMPRESSION: Tarte Tarteist Paint Palette Collector's Set

I don't have a lot to say about this set but I will say this, I am glad it is no longer available and that nobody else has to waste their money on it. I paid $59 for it on Sephora's website and returned it the next day after I received it. I didn't even think the eyeshadows deserved to be photographed, that's how bad they were. So unfortunately I don't have swatch pictures for this set but I do have some pretty product shots to share. Because I didn't have a chance to play with it for long, these are my first impressions.

Eyeshadows: The ones with the most pigment were the shimmers but overall they all lacked the kind of color payoff I look for, which is decent at least. Most were sheer and just glitter/shimmer and they seemed to disappear the more I patted them.
Blush: Light pigmentation.
Highlighter: Very shimmery and sheer.
Bronzers: Very shimmery but not enough pigment to compensate for it.
Eyeliner: Not 100% waterproof but it didn't budge with the usual rub test. Very black and worth trying.
Mascara: Did not allow my thin straight lashes to hold any curl and flaked on me.
Lip Paint: Very pretty and nice pigmentation.

Overall this is something you could definitely live without so please don't even go looking to pay an insane amount of cheddar on eBay for it.

Click Read More to check out the rest of the shots!

TALK: Bonjour! I'm Back!

Hello, hello, HELLO! If you are wondering what the heck this blog is doing in your feed (if you still follow blogs) fear not it is just I! A beauty blogger who has gone by mane names over the years but the content has remained the same, honest and entertaining. I like to tell stories with my words and try to relate to every person out there reading my posts. I had a major love for blogging when I started this and I have recently discovered how much I missed it. I went off to college, lived a little, died a little, and now I am back and ready to get back into the swing of things. I recently purchased a DSLR so I am super excited to put it to good use by providing some HQ shots for the blog.


I started this blog in October of 2008 and I really wish I had been able to stick with it, I feel like I would be in a completely different place in life if I had. But best not to regret the past and instead make new decisions to better the future. I look forward to getting some good to review and photograph for you. If Instagram has proved anything it's that we like looking at pretty pictures, no matter what they are of. The IG world has blown up and it is full of beauty influencers who use their position to sell you everything, the marketing of it all is genius. But at this point I am not looking to sell you anything, I just want to entertain. Whether you are reading every word I type or you just like to look at pictures, I appreciate you for taking the time to look at my work. I will always remain grateful. I hope to have content up on the blog in the next coming weeks and definitely over the next few months. I will be posting lengthy reviews on here and short summaries on my Instagram if you wanna go ahead and follow me.

xoxo,

Jessica