Tarte Lipsaver Treatment Primer

I have a confession to make - I'm a sucker for free deluxe-sized samples when I order something. Sometimes my motivation for buying an item that I haven't purchased yet is to get the bag of deluxe-sized goodies that whichever website is offering if I buy right then and there. Yes, I am THAT sucker customer. The only upside to this is that I get to try products for free without having to commit to buying a full-size version. Booya.

One such item I received a few months ago was a product from a Tarte purchase. I was offered a deluxe-size lip primer and I caved because, to be honest, I've never tried one before. I prime my eyes, I prime my face, so why not prime my lips? My lip products always wear off after a few hours, no matter how long-wearing they promise to be, so this product intrigued me. Also. I trust Tarte - it's the slightly more expensive cruelty-free best friend that has never let me down before.

Tarte Lipsaver Treatment Primer: $19 $13

 This product has a very thick, silky consistency, very similar to pore-blurring primers for the face. It's an off-white, almost clear color and it comes with a very handy-dandy applicator that allows for a fast and easy application. There's no weird smell, and the packaging is oh-so-damn adorable.Once on the lips it dries down in about 5-10 seconds so you don't have to wait too long to apply your desired lippie for the day.

 

Now on to the good stuff: let me first start off by stating the positives about this item:

1.) Not very expensive and a little goes a LONG way - this will last you many, many, MANY moons.

2.) This product actually works. Whatever lip product you put on top of this primer will last ALL. DAY. LONG. It will stay until you use a makeup remover at the end of the night. 

3.) It looks fabulous all day long.

With all the positives though, there comes one MAJOR problem that I did not expect. In every other review on the Tarte website, everyone stated that it was hydrating and very comfortable. For me, that was not the case. This lip primer made my lips feel like the Sahara desert. It did not matter how much lip balm, oil, or hydrating lip product I put on my pucker before using this, my lips would feel like the mummy when it's first awoken by Brendan Fraiser. 

I would pat on a hydrating lip balm on top of whatever lip product I was using that day after it had dried down, and within 30 minutes I was right back to square one. It was so bad one day when I decided to wear a matte liquid lipstick that I had to use my emergency stash of makeup remover wipes to take it off and apply lip balm obsessively for about 20 minutes before my lips felt somewhat alive again.

I can honestly say this product works. Whatever you put on top of it is locked in and loaded for all day wear. You WILL look fabulous, but I had to remove this lip primer from my routine for the shear fact that I don't want to be uncomfortable all day every day just to have a fabulous pout. 

 

Update: Tarte and I quickly got over this little spat and still hang out every day.

September Petit Vour Unboxing

Due to some Linda Blair-via-Exorcist-type illness afflicting my laptop's camera, my unboxings will have to be done via text for the time being. Yaaaaay reading!

This month's Petit Vour box has definitely been one of the better ones that I've received due to one particular item. I'm very excited to go over each item that I received in my box since I've been using them for almost a week now, and I hope this inspires you to start looking at more cruelty-free and vegan beauty items.

September Petit Vour Box

"What a Gem"

MEOW MEOW TWEET Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream: $14

I got the Lavender scented version, which is one of my favorite scents. This is THE item that made this box so special and exciting for me. About 6 months ago I spontaneously developed an allergy to any deodorant that is heavy on salt and/or contains baking soda. I mean literally, overnight, this allergy developed. It has been a struggle. I have a box with 6, yes 6 different deodorants that I plan on doing a review video on that have failed over the last 6 months. I've been using this deodorant for almost a week now. No irritation. Smells amazing. Lasts all day. Super moisturizing. INSANELY CUTE GRAPHICS AND NAME. Yep, we have a winner. Worth. Every. Penny. DEFINITELY repurchasing.

OSEA Ocean Cleanser: $16 (Full-size $44)

This is the one item that I haven't tried yet from this month's box, but it smells like lemon-y organic ocean-y heaven. Like the ocean and a lemon had a baby. I'm tempted to make a cheesy joke but I'm holding back (barely). This $16 size is 1oz, which is really good. That's actually not that expensive considering this could easily last for 2 months. Very good value. this item and the deodorant alone made this month's box worth it.

ADORN Mineral & Organic Hydrating Cream Foundation: $4 (Full-size $65)

Nope, nope and nope. Now granted, it's very challenging when sending a foundation in a subscription box to the wide range of skin colors. I was sent the shade "Light-Medium". The shade wasn't particularly the big problem, although it was a small one. To me this foundation felt like it had peachy undertones. My skin has yellow undertones. When that happens it makes the person appear kind of off, and that's what this color did to me. However, I could've looked past the color if this foundation had actually done what it was supposed to - like blend for instance. I used two different sponges, a brush and my fingers. All 4 days resulted in the same problem, even when using different tools.

This foundation is a b*tch to blend. It took FOREVERRRRR, and it still was streaky. This foundation also claims to be full-coverage. LIES. It was light-to-medium coverage. Now granted, once it was blended, it didn't go anywhere for the entire day. It didn't budge, fade, nothing. It stayed, but it was too much of a pain. 

I'll pass.

ODACITE Serum Concentrate: $3 (Full-size $32-$42)

I received a little sample of this company's blemish serum. It was OK. There was nothing particularly special about it. I already used Burt's Bees Blemish Stick and that's only $8, compared to the full size of this which is $32. They did the same thing which I put them head-to-head, so I'll just stick with my Burt's Bees.

Cleaning Broken Blush From Carpet

Last week I was getting ready for work when the worst imaginable thing happened: my blush z palette fell on my white carpet...opened. 

When it hit the floor, one of my hot pink powder blushes seemed to take all of the impact and shattered, causing every ounce of that blush to come out of it's container and scatter across my white carpet. Naturally, a mini heart attack occured at that moment, but I was able to clean it up within 5 minutes without a single trace of that hot pink left anywhere on the carpet.  

If this happens to you (hopefully it never does), then just follow these easy steps and you'll be good to go for any powder product:

What you will need:

 Bowl/bucket

Laundry Detergent

Wash cloth

Paper Towel

Vacuum 

Water

Step 1: DO NOT PANIC! It will be okay, your carpet is not ruined.

Step 2: If there are any children or animals within close range and are active, immediately remove them from the area so they don't walk/play in the area and drive the stain deeper into the carpet.

Step 3: Get your vaccuum and use the tube to suck up as much loose debris as possible.

Step 4: If there is any actual stain left on the carpet, get a bowl/bucket with 1 cup warm water and add 5-6 drops of laundry detergent and mix until frothy. 

Step 5: Saturate the stained area with mixture and let sit for a minute before taking wash cloth or paper towel and blotting in an upwards motion. Continue to do this until stain is removed/no more comes up.

Step 6: If there is any stain left, take hydrogen peroxide, soak a clean portion of the cloth and let it sit on the stain for an hour +. If there is no more of the stain left, take a piece of the paper towel or dry part of the wash cloth and and blot firmly to remove any excess moisture.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 30 "Inner Demons Recreation"

Day 30 "Inner Demons Recreation" - Calvin Klein

(Original Image)

Calvin Klein One Color Pure Color Lipstick: $16.00

I saw this movie a little while ago and I fell head over heels in love with the main character's makeup. I've never done a black smokey eye on myself before, and I really don't use black eyeshadow often to begin with. This was definitely stepping outside of my comfort zone, but I wanted to really push myself for the last look of my challenge. I hope you lovelies enjoyed my challenge!

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 29 "Israeli Cut Crease"

Day 29 "Israeli Cut Crease" - Too Faced

 

Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lipstick: $22.00

This is the most dramatic eyeshadow look I think I have ever done. It actually wasn't as involved of a process as I thought it would be, surprisingly. I decided to call it an "Israeli" cut crease since the Arabic cut creases I've seen use silver/white or pink on the eyelid while I used gold. Not that I'm trying to create a new look, I just thought it would be fun to use gold and whenever I think of Israel I think of the golden sand and beautiful shimmering building topped with gold in Jerusalem where we visited.

I did repeat this lip color but it felt like the only one that would truly pair well with this eyeshadow look since it's SO dramatic.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 28 "Purple Rain"

Day 28 "Purple Rain" - Lime Crime

 

(Inspiraton photo)

Lime Crime Velvetine "Rave": $20.00

 This was another inspiration photo that was sent to me that I thought would be really fun to attempt. The pink lip color I have isn't the baby pink like in the photo, and I don't have a bright purple eyeshadow like in the picture, but I decided to attempt it with the limited range of purples that I have. I actually have 2 different kinds of glitter on top of the purple eyeshadow, it just didn't pick up the glitter on my lid, only under my lid. This was actually the easiest look I've done so far. Maybe I'm getting faster?

30 Days of Lip + Looks: Day 27 "Red Lady"

Day 26 "Red Red Wine" - J Cats

J Cats Big Lip Pencil : $3.99

So I decided to attempt the strobing trend along with my bright red lip for work. I feel like my makeup held up really nicely, I'm a little shiny despite re-applying powder after getting home, but my skin looks nice which is always my main focus. I actually really love this lip pencil because it's so hydrating and pigmented that I actually wear it by itself as like a lipstick. It lasted all night through eating and drinking with just one little touch-up. I need to wear this more often because this is one of the best red lip products, EVER.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 26 "It takes a village"

Day 26 "It takes a village" - BWC/100% Pure/Burts Bees/Alba/Coconut Oil/Derma-e/Bio-Oil/Lush/Olive Oil/Boscia/Pur-lisse/Balance Me

I've done posts before showing the metric ton of samples I've amassed throughout the year from Sephora, random stores, Ipsy, friends, coworkers, etc. However, I've never shown what I actually use on a regular basis for my skin. The most challenging look for me ever is having completely 100% clear skin on a consistent basis, which is why I felt very motivated for one of my "looks" to show you what products I use on my skin before my cake face. I have a lot of acne as I'm sure you can see in the photos. My acne is hormonal/food-related, it is NOT caused by makeup, trust me. I get acne whether or not I wear makeup.

Due to my divorce and my imbalanced sleep schedule and on-off healthy eating, I'm on-off breaking out more than I ever have been before in my life. I can honestly say thought without a doubt that these products actually make my skin happy. Some people can eat pasta carbonara right before bed time and wake up fresh and dewy-faced without a pimple. I unfortunately eat anything sugar or dairy-related and I get instant acne/inflammation. I seem to keep accidentally eating foods that I think are dairy and sugar-free! These products help tremendously or I'd be complete pizza face right now. The little clear container with a yellow liquid is olive oil for my eyebrows, and the coconut oil is for eyemakeup removal/oil pulling. 

It definitely takes a village, as each product I use at specific times and on specific days in my routine. I'm regimented and treat my face well. I'm hoping adding more meditation to my routine will help with my inflammation as well.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 26 "Purple/Bronze/Nude"

Day 26 "Purple/Bronze/Nude" - Urban Decay 

 

(Inspiration photo)

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick "Naked": $22.00

I was sent an inspiration photo tonight that was so pretty I couldn't pass it up. I love dramatic brown/bronzey looks, so this was really fun for me to re-create. The lipstick is more of a pinky-nude than a true nude like in the photo. Despite my photo's appearance that my makeup is much softer than the inspiration photo, it is actually just as dark and intense - the lighting washed it out tonight a little bit sadly.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 23 "Natural Glow"

Day 23 "Natural Glow" - Paula Dorf

Paula Dorf Sheer Color Lip Tint SPF 15 "Tender": $22.00

 

This was my first time using this lip product, and even though it's a lip tint I thought it would be a bit more pigmented then it actually is. It's still really pretty though, plus it has SPF 15 which is awesome, but I wish it had a bit more of that orange tint that it has in the tube. I also went a little crazy with a highlighter I discovered in my makeup collection a few days ago. I've had this highlighter for over a year and never realized what it was until 2 days ago...and I kind of bathed in it today. I really love that natural, glowy look. Yaaaaaaaas.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 22 "No Makeup Makeup"

Day 22 "No Makeup Makeup" - NARS

NARS Lipgloss "Orgasm": $26.00

When I do my normal full-face routine for work, I layer certain products to hide all of my acne and scarring. My "work professional" routine in the last 2 years has transitioned from "5-minute natural" to "15-minute cake-baking" with the amount of product I have to use to cover discoloration, acne, etc. It's a lot for every day, and today I decided to experiment and try to revamp my "5-minute natural" routine so that I feel comfortable enough wearing it to work. This is the result, and as you can see some of my acne and light scarring is still showing through, but I look pretty even as far as my coloring is concerned which is a major plus. No eyeshadow, just super basic with blush, a touch of contour, some pretty gloss, light mascara and natural highlighting.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 21 "Good Intent Makeup Recreation"

Day 21 "Good Intent Makeup Recreation" - Calvin Klein/Bare Minerals

(Inspiration)

 

Calvin Klein One Color Pure Color Lipstick "LipLock": $16.00

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss "Dare Devil": $18.00

If any of you lovelies out there have heard of the amazing and talented artist Kimbra, then kudos to you, and if you haven't, she was the other half to the world-famous song "Somebody that I used to know". Yep, that women in the video is Kimbra. I've been obsessed with her for a few years now, and one of my favorite videos from her is "Good Intent". In the video her lover has essentially done her wrong and she's trying to decide whether or not to forgive him. Throughout the video she has her angel personality and her devil personality singing to her trying to sway her to each one's side. It's an amazing song and video, and her makeup/wardrobe in it is flawless. Her makeup is full glam in the video, so I decided to attempt to re-create the look from her "neutral" look, which is actually her. There is a "red" look which is the devil on her shoulder, and then there's the "white" look which is the angel on her shoulder, but the look her herself is wearing is black and very dark, smokey and stunning.

(I don't own vibrant magenta colors like what was used for her, I own softer to dark pinks/purples, but nothing vibrant like what's on her lids, so I used different colors for my recreation. I didn't go as dark with my eyebrows because they're so big when I go too dark it doesn't look right)

The New Foundation/100% Pure Review

Since my beloved Buxom foundation is close to being empty, I decided to take the initiative a few weeks ago and purchase a brand new foundation ahead of time. I decided to try one from the company called 100% Pure: their products are vegan, cruelty-free and 100% organic. 

The problem was that I was torn between 2 shades since I can only order their products online. They have "Creme", which is a light shade with warm undertones, or "White Peach", which is more my color, but with pink undertones. My skin has yellow undertones, which means that if I put pink on top of my yellow, it will make my skin look ashy. I ordered the "Creme" shade, hoping for the best. It came in today and I tore into it immediately for my makeup routine.

(100% Pure Foundation)

(Buxom Foundation)

Left: Buxom/Right: 100% Pure

As you can see, there's a big color difference between the two foundations, however, with my photos and makeup application, I couldn't see much of a difference once on my skin. 

Fruit Pigmented Healthy Skin Foundation: $42.00

While it felt comfortable on the skin, it didn't dry down matte on me - it still seemed a little shiny after my initial application. It's without a doubt a full-coverage foundation. Using a lesser amount than I do my Buxom covered more than I've seen a foundation do. It lasted through a long day and night an it was still 100% on when I got home. The Buxom foundation is $34 for 1.5 oz while the 100% pure is $42 for 1oz. The price for the amount is different, but after taking off my makeup tonight my skin actually looked a little healthier. Also, in the bottle the foundation smells like cinnamon toast, which to me is a plus.

Verdict: I like it, but I'm going to order another vegan, cruelty-free organic foundation from another company for a future face-off out of curiosity.