Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum

Hey everyone!!

Can you guys believe that it's already almost the new year?

What's everyone doing this year?

I'll be staying home because I live in a total tourist trap city.

When I first moved here a few years ago and New Years eve came I was fucking stoked to go out but it all quickly changed into the worst New Years eve ever.

They block off freeway exits and main streets starting around 5pm which makes getting anywhere super difficult (including work and home) but at this time you're still pumped so walking 10 blocks (the closest the taxi can get you) doesn't seem that bad, but once it's 3-4am and you're shitfaced and tired, SURPRISE you're gonna need some good luck getting home, after walking another what feels like 100 miles to an unclosed off area for a taxi or uber (ha forget it), tashousands of others have also migrated to these areas in a drunken panic too. Hotels book months in advance for NYE here and obviously go way up in price so that's not an option and if you do happen to find one it'll cost you an arm, a leg, and your future first born son (lol).

We queued for a taxi and it was a 5 hour minimum wait, after maybe 3-4 hours of mindlessly loitering around a hotel luckily a friend whom had just gotten off work came and picked us up around 7am.

Obviously the in between time was fun but in my opinion not worth the huge hassle that the night turned into.

Needless to say I will never go out on New Year's eve here again.

Today is a skincare post because my skin hates me.

When it gets cold the lower half of my face gets very dry and I get dry patches which causes discoloration marks on my face because my skin is sensitive to marking.

This happens every year and I knew it was coming *cries *.

In a previous post (Night time Skincare Routine) I spoke about a spot lightening serum I was using and since I was preparing for my skin to turn on me, I had the brilliant idea to switch my lightening serum.

My logic was that if I switched to something stronger before my dry patches that I could prevent the dark spots from ever happening *eye roll*.

So today we're talking about the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum ($60).

I have heard a lot praise regarding this serum and actually this whole brand to be honest.

When I read that this serum shows significant improvements in only one week, that's pretty much what convinced me that I needed this serum.

I used the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum for 6 weeks.

(left side of my face & breakouts from this product)
FYI: I know you can't see the smaller white bumps but you can see the larger red breakouts on my skin and this is also a week after I stopped using it, it was much worse.

I went into this very optimistic, maybe too optimistic I was literally expecting rainbow rays to shoot out of my freaking face based around the crazy good reviews pretty much everywhere.

After about a week maybe a week and a half of daily use, I noticed small bumps everywhere that I applied this (lower half of face).

I do not have sensitive skin, my skin is only sensitive in the sense that it marks and scars easily and the only time I get a break out is around my period.

At first I blamed it on P.M.S. but as the days and weeks passed the bumps never went away and actually got progressively worse.

I told myself maybe my skin just had to get used to this super strong serum and that I should just stick with it a little longer and see.

By the sixth week when I had enough and called it quits I had far surpassed the small bumps and now looked as though I had a bad acne breakout, the worst part is that it didn't even lighten any of the spots on my face and now I have new marks from the reaction to this product as well. My skin is also drier than ever before.
(right side of my face & breakouts from this product)
FYI: I know you can't see the smaller white bumps but you can see the larger red breakouts on my skin and this is also a week after I stopped using it, it was much worse.

I could looked past the breakouts if it really was just my skin “getting used to it” and would have went away after a week or so.

I even could have looked past the intense drying effects had the serum actually done what it was supposed to do.

(chin & breakouts from this product)
In this picture you can see my pigmentation marks on my chin that aren't very dark yet this product still didn't work on them.
FYI: I know you can't see the smaller white bumps but you can see the larger red breakouts on my skin and this is also a week after I stopped using it, it was much worse.

I know that we all have different skin types and reactions to products and normally I would say, “Hey, although this made ME break out, it really does work and you might like it".

Fuck all that with this Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum, because not only did this make me break out, this did not lighten any of the spots on my face at all not even a little bit and they weren't even as bad as they used to be because my previous serum lightened them significantly.

I'm now in the process of nurturing my skin back to normal, I went back to my regular lightening serum about a week ago and my skin breakouts are about 50% healed.
The pictures above are current taken today at 50% healed.

Would I recommend this? No.

The Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum broke me out really bad but more importantly it also didn't lighten any of the pigmentation spots and marks on my face and they're not even very dark, plus I gave it a whopping 6 weeks which is more than enough time to see some kind of improvement.

I would instead recommend you try the

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Treatment ($12.99)

Have you used the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum?
Let me know your results in the comments below or on my social media.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html


Products Mentioned (clickable):

Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Treatment

Blogmas Day 23 - Random Chit Chat

Happy Blogmas Day 23!!

How is everyone's holiday prep so far?

We finished all our shopping two weeks ago so for once we're not a part of the last minute chaos.

Even more important everything is wrapped (cue fireworks) A+ in holiday adulting lol.

It's so crazy out there I've even been dreading going to the grocery store but at the same time I'm super excited because *surprise * I really love food and I enjoy cooking from scratch.

It's been a super busy month so even though I'm running behind on pretty much life in general, I'm making tamales the day after Christmas.

I know, I know I'm a horrible mexican wife to not have tamales before Christmas (*laughs *) but in my defense ever since I moved out of state away from my family I do all the work by myself, although my husband does try to help (let's just say his specialty dish is scrambled eggs).

As long as I get them in before the year ends then it still counts, right?

I'm gonna have to drag myself to the super packed grocery store tomorrow *ugh *.

Dude have you guys tried the Candied Pecan candle ($22.50 but no one pays this price) from Bath & Body Works? I got it in my Candle Haul on Cyber Monday.

It smells so freaking amazing, I usually stay away from the sweets and sugary type of scents but for some reason this one just caught my eye and I love it. It's not heavy at all on the overpowering sugary side, instead it's very nutty and buttery with hints of vanilla and caramel (or is it toffee?).

I tried to look it up but it's not online anymore. This scent fills my entire house, I have the candle downstairs on a shelf and I'm upstairs writing this in my room and I can smell it all the way up here.

My husband said when he comes home he can smell it as soon as he opens the garage.

Sorry this post was pretty much about nothing but I figured this was better than no post.

I have a skincare post planned for tomorrow though.

I'm off to make a grocery list and browse the new arrivals at Ulta & Sephora.

You still fighting the holiday crowds? Swearing off Christmas forever?
Let me know in the comments below or let's chat on my social media.
https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html

Blogmas 19 - December BoxyCharm Unboxing

Happy Blogmas Day 18!!

Yay!! My BoxyCharm came yesterday!!

I've been getting BoxyCharm for a few months now and I freaking love it.

I chose this beauty subscription box because I love the fact that everything you receive will be full sized. I'd rather pay $21/month for full sized products than $10 for dumb ass samples but obviously that's just my opinion because a lot of people tend to love those other subscriptions too (hahaha).

I actually really like BoxyCharm unboxings because everyone doesn't always get the same things and it's just fun to see what else people got the same month.

I know not all people feel that way because one day I decided to scroll through the BoxyCharm hash tag on Instagram and holy shit! People take these boxes so seriously. I read comments from so many people who were legit getting pissed because they didn't get something that someone else got, threatening to cancel, and just talking mad shit to and about BoxyCharm.

Seriously I was thinking to myself, if you want that Makeup Geek blush that fucking bad then go order it, it's only like $10. I mean isn't the whole point of these boxes to get a random box sent to you every month? You go into it knowing that you don't get you pick your items and it's the surprise aspect that makes it so exciting and fun.

People are a trip.

Anyway on to the unboxing.

1) Blinc Black Lash Primer ($26)

I found this brand is available on Sephora.

I loved the packaging on this mascara, instead of a box it came in a black tin canister type tube with a screw top lid. It was so cute I didn't want to throw it away.

The wand brush looked a little odd featuring a flat paddle shape with super short hard rubber bristles on the top and bottom of paddle.

While taking the pictures for this blog I also noticed the flat sides of the paddle brush seemed to carry quite a bit of product on it when you take it out of the tube which seems like it could be messy or distribute too much product but that's just a guess at this point.

2) IBY Lip Pencil ($14)

I got this in the shade Classic Red and is has a slightly blue under tone.

It's a simple black wooden pencil with white text and a color indicator on the end.

The formula was the perfect combo of creamy and stiff.

The swatch applied easily and smooth without pulling skin yet the tip held it's shape without breaking or smashing down.

3) Ofra Metallic Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick ($19)

I received the shade Napa Valley.

I was so excited when I saw this in my box because I've been wanting to try the Ofra Liquid Lipstick formula for quite a while now but I guess I just kinda forget about it until I see something about it.

Even though I'm a nude whore I actually really love this color. It's a very deep dark metallic purple.

When I swatched this it was fully opaque and not at all patchy with only one light swipe, I was blown away by the pigmentation for such a dark color especially a metallic where some formulas can be streaky and we all know purples can also be streaky or less opaque.

The packaging is sleek and simple with a black cap and silver text on a clear tube with a standard doe foot applicator.

4) Butter London Nail Lacquer ($15)

I received the shade Ruby Murray.

This brand is available at Ulta.

This shade is a beautiful vampy burgundy and appears to be a shiny cream finish.

I've never tried any Butter London products so once again I was excited to see a brand I've actually been curious about. I've heard good things about the formula and I actually do my own nails so this was perfect.

5) Pure Cosmetics Buff CollectionEyeshadow Palette ($50)

The packaging on this palette appears cheap and opens rather weird.

Although the outside appears to be tin (?) the inside is plastic and the lid top has these 2 prongs that insert into the bottom and make it difficult to open and tends to pull the bottom plastic out of the tin tray.

I couldn't find any kind of shade name for this palette but it is clearly a dupe for the Naked 3.

This palette is based around mostly cool toned pinks, mauves, and taupes, there's also a good range of deeper browns to add definition and since they're all shimmer shades they'd be beautiful all over the lid as well. The shimmer shades are creamy and were super soft when I did my swatches, which could lead to fallout and although they were beautiful in the pan there wasn't much pigmentation when swatched especially on the lighter shades. 

There's only 3 matte shades in this palette but seem to be sufficient enough to complete a look, the matte were also lacking pigmentation and were a bit powdery. I took a brush to the swatches after I took my blog photos and when I did that most of the color comes off when blending and the shimmers didn't hold their opacity either, even when patted. I did not foil these during my testing but I'd recommend it based on the horrible results dry otherwise these won't last long on your eyes. It came with a double ended duo fiber brush which seems to be the best thing about this palette. Hard to believe that this could really retail for $50.

So that's everything that I personally received in the December BoxyCharm.

I loved almost everything I received but I am kinda skeptical about that palette.

I haven't tried any of the products yet but I'll update when I do.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below or on my social media.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html

Products Mentioned (clickable):

Blinc Black Lash Primer

IBY Lip Pencil

Ofra Metallic Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

Butter London Nail Lacquer

Pure Cosmetics Buff Collection Eyeshadow Palette

Blogmas Day 17 - Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette

Happy Blogmas Day 17!!

It finally feels like fall here in the desert (even though it's winter), the leaves are barely starting to fall and I absolutely love the warm colors of the leaves and the hidden dog poops they hide (lol).
My fingers are frozen while I type this, no matter how high my thermostat is set my hands and feet are always frozen. I'm still drinking iced coffee though because I can't stop (*cries *), I just love iced more than hot. I don't give a fuck if it's snowing I want it iced.

So today we're talking about the other palette in the new permanent Tarte Tarteist Pro Line.

The Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette ($45).

Unlike The Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette ($53)

(review & swatches here)

I had absolutely no doubts about purchasing this palette.

I knew from the get go that I was going to buy this and couldn't wait to get my chubby little fingers on it (*plot twist: my fingers aren't actually chubby even a little bit, it just sounded better lol).

I seen a couple negative reviews about this palette before I bought it saying that it was too subtle.

Now I'm all about a blinding highlight but I feel like with the highlight obsession going on those are pretty easy to find now a days in every form possible.

Yes, I definitely have them and I freaking love them but sometimes especially on more “natural” makeup days (no joke “natural” days still take a good hour minimum *cries *) I like a more toned down highlight, not always but sometimes.

The packaging is matte black with gold detailing which seems to be the standard for this expanding line

This palette packaging is a thick coated magnetized cardboard whereas the Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette is made of plastic which clicks closed.

This palette also opens differently as it has a split lid and each split lid flap has a small mirror on the inside.

Is it cool and innovative? Yes but I personally don't really like the split opening lid.

The mirrors are too small to be of any actual use, they're more like a decoration.

The flaps never stay open while I'm using it, unless I'm holding it.

These things aren't annoying enough to make me not like the actual palette though, just a personal preference.

The highlighters inside are gorgeous and I love the shade selection.

It's a good selection of the basic highlight colors which makes this a great and affordable palette for someone who might just be starting out their highlight collection and also for those who'd prefer a more sheer but buildable formula.

Shades included:

Lit (Champagne)

Strobe (Pearl)

Stunner (Opalescent)

Fire (Bronze)

Sculpt (Powder Contour)

Shade (Cream Contour

I was actually very shocked that I even saw reviews saying this was too subtle because while yes it does apply more sheer initially, it can also be built up beautifully which in my opinion makes it quite versatile.

I also did find that using these highlights without a setting spray and/or foiling had very little wear time, so if you're not really into doing one of those extra steps that could become a problem.

I rarely if ever touch up my highlight but I always use setting spray so I don't mind it at all.

I did notice that a couple of the highlight shades had a more shimmery effect but it in no way is glitter so don't let that scare you.

It's more of a micro shimmer almost making it give off duo chromatic feel that reflects so fucking beautifully in the light.

At first sight I was sure I would be unable to use the shade Fire (Bronze) as a highlight and honestly I'm so pale that I probably rarely will but of course I had to still try it out and see if I could make it work as a cheekbone highlight.

Surprisingly because this formula is more on the sheer and buildable side, the Fire (Bronze) shade when sheered out didn't even look terrible on me but could more realistically be used a shimmery bronzer if you're into that shimmery bronzer type of thing.

If you're on the pale or lighter side don't let the Fire (Bronze) shade or any bronzy shade in any highlight palette be the reason you don't buy an otherwise perfect palette for your skin tone, most palettes will have a bronzy shade because it works for a broader range of skin tones.

The shades that can't be used as a cheekbone highlight for you can be used in other ways such as eyeshadow or to highlight inner corners as well as lipstick topper and as previously mentioned bronzer.

That actually goes for any skin tone if you have a deeper complexion and think you can't use the Strobe (Pearlescent) shade or similarly more white highlights, pop that shit on your eyes, highlight your brow bone, and inner corners.
(Colors from left to Right: Lit, Strobe, Fire, Stunner)

I love the contour shades in here so much, I love even more that they included a cream contour because you don't have to buy an entire cream contour palette with colors you might not want just to try cream contouring. The shades included are very flattering for most skin tones, the cream contour Shade is a very flattering cool tone and that makes for a more natural contour.

The powder is similarly a more natural contour and is on the neutral side being cool toned with a hint of warmth. You can see that they were going for the more natural and softer vibes with this palette.

Which like I mentioned earlier was the reason I wanted this palette.

Both of the contour shades blended out quick and easy and didn't interfere with any other makeup applications.

I honestly don't see the contour shades in this palette working for med/deep to deep skin tones though.

I don't understand why brands always release face palettes in only one variation.

If they would have launched this in two variations such as light/med to med/deep that would have made this an even more amazing palette, especially for this being a “Pro” palette you'd think they'd cater to all skin tones. We can only hope they'll add that in the future.
(Colors from left to right: Shade (cream), Sculpt (powder))

Basically I fucking love this palette.

I get exactly what I wanted out of it, it gives me a beautiful and more natural look but can also be built up to be a little more intense and I'd recommend this for anyone looking for exactly that.

If you're looking for an intense highlight then this is not the palette for you, although it can be built up to me more intense it won't be a blinding highlight.

Also don't forget that I think 2 of the shades have some micro shimmer, whether you love or hate that just an FYI.

Tell me your thoughts on this palette below in the comments or on my social media.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html


Products Mentioned (clickable):

Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette

Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

Blogmas Day 16 - Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

Happy Blogmas Day 16!!

So I know I missed a few Blogmas posts (not on purpose though), this past week was just crazy and I had so many things to do.

No joke every December something huge always goes wrong or breaks in our home.

Last year a fucking pipe burst in our front yard and we had to have it dug up and fixed, not to mention the huge water bill that it caused.

This year it was our water heater that busted. So you can imagine how fun that was.

I'm happy to say I'm back!! I was so sad I didn't get to blog but I was still trying out new makeup and beauty products.

Today I'm talking about the new Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette ($53).

When I saw it I wanted it so bad. I had to take a step back and tell myself to chill the fuck out.

I didn't want to impulse buy because there's just so many new things being released and of course I want it all (hahaha) but seriously I don't like to buy things if I know I won't use it.

I decided I would look into it some more and if I still wanted it next month then I'd buy it.

There were obviously a ton of mixed reviews about this palette as with any palette.

The complaints about this palette were typically about the actual formula, the fallout, some said that it was patchy. I already knew about their unique clay formula which you either love or hate but since I have and love the Tartlette 2 in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette ($45) and I don't own any other Tarte eyeshadow palettes I decided it was a go.

So when December finally came I decided I still really wanted it and ordered it along with the Tarte Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette ($45) which we'll talk about tomorrow.

I have to say that I absolutely love this palette even more than I thought I would.

After I ordered it I was kinda having a mini freak out, like wtf did I do.

I was afraid it was going to be too similar to the Tartelette 2 In Bloom Palette I already owned and started thinking maybe I fucked up and got a little too excited by the hype, did I really need another high end eye shadow palette I wondered.

Holy shit though!! When it finally came (doesn't ULTA shipping take forever?) it was so fucking gorgeous and I was instantly inspired and anxious to play with it.

I was also relieved that it was not at all similar to my Tartlette 2 In Bloom Palette.

I've been using it every single day that I wear makeup for the past week and can't believe I even doubted needing this.

The packaging on the Tarte Tarteist Pro line takes on a more sleek appearance with a black matte case and gold detailing. As you can probably guess, I fucking love it!

It also has a big ass palette sized mirror on the inside.

This palette consists of 16 matte shades and 4 duo chrome luster shades.

The colors are absolutely gorgeous, they're very neutral colors that you can use everyday

(I know I say that a lot but I guess those are just the type of palettes that I tend to buy)

and also take it full glam with all the deeper shades perfect for a smoky eye.

I personally love the lusters (I know many were disappointed).

I did my investigating before I purchased this so I went in knowing these were not metallic, I'm not really sure why people thought that I mean they're called lusters.

They really are gorgeous duo chrome shades and they make the most beautiful halo eye or all over the lid. They really are stunning any way that you choose to use them.

I used my luster shades foiled. I did check before to see if they were wet & dry formula but couldn't find it anywhere. I figured since they were a Pro formula that they should be fine and did it anyway and I didn't fuck up my palette so that's good news. I personally prefer the luster shades foiled.

The matte shades are also fucking bomb.

I live for bomb matte shadows and that's where the quality and formula are always gonna tell you how it really is.

Tarte has an amazonian clay formula which differs from “regular” shadow formulas.

They're creamy, soft, and gives off an almost slightly damp feeling in texture.

They're very very pigmented so it's best to build in light layers because if you pick up too much product the clay formula tends to clump up a little and this will cause patchiness which is one of the common complaints I see with Tarte palettes.

If you do happen to get a little shadow crazy and get yourself in a hot patchiness mess, first off don't freak out. Take a clean fluffy (not dense or thickly packed) blending brush and lightly blend it over the patchiness, the clean brush will pick up any extra product while you're blending and it'll be like it never happened. Keep in mind it's just the moist clay formula that will clump up if over applied and not an actually patchy product.

I do get fallout with this palette but that tends to be unavoidable with most soft and creamy shadow formulas and since this is an amazonian clay formula the softness is kicked up a notch.

Fallout in general doesn't bother me at all.

If you do your eyes first or at least put a layer of bake under your eyes and atop cheek bones to wipe away fallout without messing up your face you'll be fine.

The pigmentation is so rich and true to color.

The shade selection in this palette can literally be used for any look and will last all day.

If you're a fan of Tarte's amazonian clay shadow formulas then this really is a must have.

Best thing is, it's a permanent addition to the Tarte family so there's no need to rush.

You can wait until after the holidays when you've bounced back from your over spending ways (hahaha).

Let me know what you think about this palette and Tarte's clay formula below in the comments or on social media.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html


Products Mentioned (clickable):

Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight & Contour Palette

Tarte Tartelette 2 In Bloom Amazonian Clay Palette

Blogmas Day 10 - Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Lipcolor

Happy Blogmas Day 10!!

I finally started wrapping presents today, well more like they were piling up in the garage and I kinda had no choice (hahaha), but hey at least I did it.

Until I got sucked into a lifetime movie and figured I had done enough wrapping for the day.

These lifetime movies are so addicting!

Lifetime knows what the fuck they're doing, they're sneaky sneaky with the way they end the movies too! They push the credits to a tiny inch on the bottom of the screen and go directly into another movie with no commercial or pause.

I'm like wait *confused look *, “Is this the same movie?”

You know I'll be talking shit the first 10 minutes about how stupid the movie looks, how could this girl be this dumb, can't she see he's a creepy fuck, but by that time they've already got me hooked (sets house alarm). They got me!! *cries *

(me wearing the liquid lipcolor below)

So anyways back to Blogmas (forgot wtf I was talking about for a minute lol).

Today I wanna talk about the Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Lipcolor ($8.99).

I actually received mine free to try (*Influenster) and honestly I was kinda shocked.

I was shocked because this product has been on the market for years, even years before the whole matte liquid lipstick craze begun.

I know this because I used to buy this Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Lipcolor and also the Covergirl Outlast All Day Lipcolor.

They were slanging this back when there weren't really any other long wear liquid lipsticks available at Target and drugstores or in general actually.

I guess Maybelline must be doing a relaunch or maybe just adding new colors and taking advantage of the current liquid lipstick obsession.

Which is fine by me because this liquid lipcolor is actually better than I remembered it being.

When I first got my package I actually didn't know there was going to be any makeup in it at all.

I squealed with delight when I saw this but I will say that I was a little intimidated by the color I received, the shade is called Keep Up The Flame, in the tube it looked like a scary bright ass red, yet the name had me envisioning a red orange color which was equally scary.

So as we all know by now, reds are not my first choice in lip color especially this bright of a red and I feel most comfortable in nudes and neutrals.

The packaging it comes in is a dual ended tube.

On one end you have a slanted doe foot applicator and the actual lipcolor, while on the other end you have a clear twist up style top coat.

The first time I put this on, I wore a nice everyday neutral look (to match the red) and I had actually planned to try it out for a little bit then take it off and put my own lipstick on.

I can not even begin to tell you how shocked I was at how much I was digging this lipcolor shade. When it dried down it was not the scary bright ass red I was so afraid of and it also has no traces of orange either so the name is kind of unfitting. It kinda came off to me as a slightly brick red color and I never could have guessed how much I was gonna love it. I wore about 3-4 times that week.

Besides the shade I really like the formula and from what I remember this is not the same formula from years past. I remember it being so drying that it got crumbly if applied even a smidge too thick.

This formula here is very pigmented so you only need one light layer, wasn't patchy at all, and dried down completely matte pretty damn quickly.

It wasn't drying at all in my opinion but I love liquid lipstick and I like some liquid lipsticks that other people think are too drying, it also didn't crumble like I remembered.

Once I had it on I didn't even feel like I was wearing any lipstick at all and it lasted all day.

I am a night owl so it did not budge until I took it off around 4am.

I will say the one thing I did not like was the clear top coat it came with. I mean it's not bad it's just not for me. I personally prefer the matte look or sometimes apply a lip balm but this one is super shiny and slippery almost like a gloss.

(swatch below WITH gloss)

I could see why others might like it because I'd imagine it takes away any uncomfortable dryness that so many dislike, don't get me wrong I do add glosses over my lip color sometimes but to me this one just felt more greasy than gloss and I kept checking to see if I had lipstick on my face (I didn't lol but that's how greasy it felt).

(swatch below WITHOUT gloss)

Overall I like the lip color portion and it's drugstore so it's easily accessible and rather inexpensive.

I would recommend this for someone who likes to wear the glossy top coat.
If you prefer a matte look or just don't like a greasy top coat I'd say pass on this.
Even though it's inexpensive, this product comes with half the amount of lip color because the other half consists of the clear top coat.
So for someone who won't use the top coat you're pretty much paying for half a tube of lip color and a clear stick of solidified grease which is not worth $8.99.
Now if they sold the lip color separately then I would most definitely buy it.

Back when I did purchase this item, there weren't other options available but now with so many other alternatives out there, I don't see the need in buying this when I won't use the clear portion.

*Quick Info*

If you don't know what Influenster is, they basically send out various products to people whom match their needs in exchange for honest reviews on websites and I do mean honest, even bad reviews will show you fulfilled your promise and keep you in the game.

I'd absolutely recommend it if you like to try new stuff but be warned if you don't fulfill your end of the deal they won't send you anymore stuff.

Let me know your thoughts below in the comments or on my social media pages.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html


Products Mentioned (clickable):

Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Lipcolor

Covergirl Outlast All Day Lipcolor

Blogmas Day 9 - Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Pen

Happy Blogmas Day 9!!

So I still hadn't found a new daytime eye cream and my Olay was barely hanging in there with a couple uses left, when I got lucky as fuck! 

My November BoxyCharm had come with an eye cream pen!

I'm so glad it came because nothing I was looking at interested me and I was about to buy something that I honestly didn't even really want just because I needed something quick.

So today we're talking about the Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Pen ($20).

Like I've mentioned before I always read the entire box like a crazy woman (even if it's a repurchase).

So when I read this one I was super pumped to start using it.

This eye pen claims to help with lines, puffiness, dark circles, daily stresses, sleep deprivation, and dehydration that affect the eye area, and all while moisturizing and soothing your delicate eye skin.

Seriously? Holy crap!

This was surely the work of the eye cream gods, it was everything I ever wanted in an eye cream and during a time of eye cream desperation.

I mean come on, what else could it have been?

My little eye cream pen seemed to sparkle with promise while I scurried back to my cave

(walk in closet/beauty closet) to introduce her to the family.

(lol thinking back maybe I was just in desperate need of an eye cream and clearly sleep).

I'm not one to believe all of a brands claims but I figured that with so many of them, some had to be true.

When I first used it it took about 500 twists to get any product out which wouldn't normally matter, except in this case when you held it up to the light it shows how much product is left inside and let's just say the bottom was most definitely being pushed up but there just wasn't much product inside to begin with.

When it finally did come out (and every time after) it's hard to control how much comes out.

The pen tip although a rubberish material is way too stiff and hard to be used on such a delicate area.

The product itself was very thick and held it's wormy shape when squeezed out, so it definitely benefited from the warmth of using my ring finger.

I kinda had to use a lot, and since there wasn't a lot to begin with that fucking blows.

Once warmed up it applied nicely and had a slightly cooling sensation but a lot less than I expected.

It felt nice and slightly hydrating and also absorbed rather quickly.

I used this for around three weeks before it ran out.

Plus I only used this once a day as my daytime eye cream.

Maybe if it was magic in a bottle like they claimed then these things would not have stood out to me as much as they did.

While using this daily I would check out my eye situation to see if there were any noticeable changes, depuffing, anything really. I even took before pictures to see if after waiting 30 minutes there were any awesome things happening that maybe I had overlooked.

Absolutely none besides minimal hydration.

After three weeks of daily use, I can officially say this did not do shit for me.

So now I'm back on the hunt for a new eye cream.
Since we all have different skin types and needs, I can't say this won't work for you but I will say that I don't think it's worth the price for how much use you get out of it.

Help out a troll in need! 

Drop your favorite eye creams in the comments below or on my social media.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html


Products Mentioned (clickable):

Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Pen

Blogmas Day 8 - Melt Cosmetics Mini Haul

Happy Blogmas Day 8!!

My sleeping schedule is so messed up, it's like I just can't fall asleep at night no matter how exhausted I am.

I've been going to bed around 7am just getting in a few hours, then roaming around like a zombie the whole day. I've always been a night owl but this is a new extreme level, that has me looking like a cave troll with these dark circles. Gotta love the holidays (hahaha okay maybe this has nothing to do with the holidays but it was worth a try).

Does anyone else always have to force themselves to throw away makeup packaging, or is that just me?

While I was thinking about what the hell I was going to post today for Blogmas, (more like zoning out while drinking coffee) my doorbell rang and my question was answered for me.

So today we are doing a Melt Cosmetics Mini Haul.

This is my first purchase ever with Melt Cosmetics, I had been eyeing their Rust Stack ($58) but it's always sold out.

I decided to purchase it as soon as they announced it was restocked after Black Friday and they were honoring the Black Friday price. It's currently sold out online again BTW.

I snagged it for ($40) and couldn't be happier.

I also picked up the Prime Rose Matte Lipstick Collection ($65).

I couldn't believe the price for the whole Prime Rose Collection, it's an amazing deal given you get 5 full size lipsticks which usually sell for $19 each.

Plus I'm a nude whore and I wear these kinds of colors daily so I couldn't pass it up.

Ordering online was quick and easy through their website and (score!) they accepted PayPal so I didn't even have to get out of the blankies (not even kidding).

From ordering to receiving, my order took exactly a week and no problems whatsoever.

The packaging on everything including the box it shipped in were just too fucking gorg, so I hope you guys enjoy the crap ton of pictures.

(colors from left to right: Classic, Antique, Rubbish, Rust, Rott)

I'm super happy with my purchase and I will be sure to let you guys know how these turn out after I play with them a bit.

Shop Melt Cosmetics: www.meltcosmetics.com

Let me know your Melt Cosmetics favorites below in the comments or on social media.

https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html

Blogmas Day 7 - MEMEBOX Review

Happy Blogmas Day 7!!

Damn you Blogmas (shakes fist in air)!!

Just kidding but seriously this Blogmas gets kinda hard when you add in your your normal daily routines and don't have pre-written material.

Today I wanted to share with you a website (also an app) that I heard about from a friend and decided to give it a whirl.

It's called MEMEBOX and as I mentioned I learned about them from a friend whom happens to be obsessed with Korean beauty products.

This company is a distributor of Korean beauty products and makeup including brands not otherwise sold in the U.S. such as Pony Effect.

If you've ever ordered Korean beauty products before, then you know that they can take forever to get here because they're shipped internationally.

I used to have to order one of my toners as soon as I'd be around a third left because it could take 4-6 weeks to get to me.
Luckily Ulta started selling it online recently so I don't have worry about that one anymore.

Anyways back to MEMEBOX (lol).

MEMEBOX is a K beauty distributor located in the U.S., so they significantly cut down those shipping times and costs, as well as giving you access to products not otherwise sold in the states.

My first order was a Halloween sheet mask box ($25) purchased of course in early October,

it came with 13 sheet masks ($42 value), I also ordered the Elizavecca Milkypiggy Hell Pore Clean Up Mask.
(read that review here: https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/2016/12/blogmas-day-2-elizavecca-milkypiggy.html )

When my anxiously awaited package arrived, I was down right giddy.

I mean come on you know how we get with new products.

The box it came it was super cute, had their logo onit (duh), and the entire inside was pink with matching pink paper shreds filler. I personally love small details like this it's so much more pleasing than just receiving a brown box and bubble wrap (even though I die for popping bubble wrap lol).

So here I am excited with my order, excited with the packaging, then it hits me as I'm digging through pink filler shreds, my masks are not in here it's only my Elizavecca Milkypiggy Hell Pore Clean Up Mask. I was too busy making it rain pink paper shreds to notice that most of my order was missing. It was only after my excitement wore off I realized (duh) a 13 piece sheet mask collection would have never fit it this box.

I grabbed my invoice to see if it was shipping separately trying not to panic but just as I had feared it said the whole order was delivered in this box.

Next step was obviously to contact them, I noticed on the invoice that the only way to contact them was through text message, so I got online expecting to find a phone number, an email, any other options to speak with someone but there weren't any.

As any over dramatic person would do I immediately thought this was a bad sign,

started lecturing myself in my head, why did I order from this company I've never heard of, now they have my money, and I can't contact them. I mean I was seriously thinking I had been duped.

I calmed myself down and texted a polite message which included my order number, simply asking if the rest of my order was being shipped separately because it was not included in this shipment.

Within maybe 10 minutes I got an auto reply that stated they would respond within 24 hours and that they were only open M-F.

Of course this was a Friday night and they were already closed.

All weekend I tried not to think about it but in all realness couldn't stop thinking about it.

When Monday finally came I received that long awaited text message I'd been waiting for.

They apologized for any delay, said that they looked into my order and had already shipped me a new Halloween Box earlier in the day, they also gave me a tracking number.

They also sent an email to the address associated with the order number I gave them.

I was in serious awe, they completely took care of this issue without so much as one question asked and they did it in a rather quick time frame.

I was expecting a shady company trying to avoid customer contact with their text only policy and I also expected to be drilled with questions about my order.

I can say that I was completely impressed with how quick and professionally they handled this situation.

*Quick Story*
I've had bad experiences with missing items before where the company (Forever 21 *eye roll*) literally made me feel like it was my fault and had me questioning myself and whether I had hid it in my butthole to score another free one.
Btw they never replaced the item or refunded my money (which was supposed to be a gift) and pretty much told me to just order another one because getting it resolved could take 8 weeks or more and even then would only be refunded if they deemed it truly was not shipped. Umm seriously? Do you guys not take inventory? (talk about shitty customer service).

When I told my friend (the one who referred me to this company) about my amazing customer service experience, she said, “yeah, I know MEMEBOX has great customer service”.

She told me about a time she placed an order and a few days later they emailed her that they were unexpectedly out of stock and couldn't fulfill her order, they informed her that they had already refunded her money and also deposited $10 worth of points into her MEMEBOX account for the inconvenience.

She also told me on a different occasion they emailed her because there was going to be a delay on an item she ordered, so they deposited $10 worth of points into her account and apologized for the delay.

With so many indie brands and e-commerce companies out there these days and new ones popping up constantly due to the popularity of online shopping, it can be hard to know which ones are legit.

There's so many scammers out there ready to steal your money and information or send you crappy and even counterfeit products in the name of profit.

Online shopping can be a scary place especially when you're dealing with high end or imported products.

MEMEBOX has definitely proved themselves to be an outstanding company, and they seem to genuinely care about their customers.
I would absolutely recommend MEMEBOX to anyone who enjoys K beauty products.

Shop MEMEBOX online www.memebox.com
or dowload their app (which is how I shop).

You can also use the following link to sign up and get 20% off your first order.
http://share.memebox.com/x/YE8ZLF

Share your thoughts or experiences with MEMEBOX below or on my social media.
https://alletseaesthetic.blogspot.com/p/contact.html