Product Review- Benefit Bella Bamba Blush

Benefit Bella Bamaba Blush Review


From the Brand:
Amplify cheekbones and create the illusion of sculpted features with this 3D watermelon blush. Laced with shimmering gold undertones, bella bamba takes eye-popping pretty to the third dimension...you'll never use traditional blush again!

Retails for:  $28.00


Where to Buy:  Sephora.com and stores, Ulta.com and stores, Benefitcosmetics.com and Benefit counters at select department stores


My Thoughts:  Can you believe this is the very first blush I’ve ever used from Benefit?  It feels like I’ve tried every single other product they make except their blushes, and I only got this one because it was included in a set.  I’m very very glad that it was though, as I’m praying I find a few Sephora gift cards in my stocking this year so I can rush out and buy a few more colors!  This stuff is the bee’s knees I tell ya!

I think they nailed it with the color personally.  This is the perfect combination of a flushed pink and a warm coral all in one.  It’s richly pigmented with just a touch of shimmer, so a little goes a long way.  Seriously, I just tap my brush in once and apply.  That’s all you need.  It’s bright enough that I think it’d be gorgeous on even deeper skintones, but it’s soft enough that it’s not harsh at all on my fair skin.  I’ve worn this most of the month of November and so far in December, too.  If I’d done a favorites post for November like I’d planned (and yet again, life has gotten in the way of this blogging hobby of mine) this blush would totally have been first pick.

Benefit’s got the most adorable packaging, and their blushes are no different.  I love that it comes in such a cute box!  Very different from any other blushes on the market, and that alone sets it apart from its competitors.  I think the brush that comes with it is a complete waste, but that’s how I feel on every single brush that comes with blushes.  Maybe it’s to cut down on buying another brush, but in my opinion if you’re forking over the cash for a blush from Benefit, you’re probably going to have a wardrobe of makeup brushes, too. 

Final Verdict:  Replacing Nars Orgasm  as my new perfect peachy pink!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Benefit Eye Bright

Benefit Eye Bright Review


From the Brand:
This instant eye brightener is like a nap in a stick! Perfect for all skintones, this pink perk-me-up brightens your eyes and your spirits in a single stroke. Apply it to the inner & outer corners of each eye and blend for a wide-awake look. For best results, apply as the final step after you've applied other makeup.

Retails for:  $20.00


Where to Buy:  Sephora.com and Sephora stores, Ulta.com and Ulta stores, Benefitcosmetics.com


My Thoughts:  I have this in two versions.  One is in the pencil.  The other is pressed into a pan on the other half of a Boi-ing for a two-in-one concealing and brightening duo that makes my life so nice when space is a factor.  Since one I can use straight on the face and the other I have to use my finger or a brush, I’ve come to appreciate the versatility of the product in the application and it’s effects.

I love a beautiful matte baby pink eyeshadow base color when creating soft romantic bedroom eyes for my boudoir clients.  Problem is, for years I struggled with how to get that sheer wash of pink to stay put and show up without being too overpowering.  I’ve started layering some of the Benefit Eye Bright from the duo pan onto the eyelid and patting the pale pink shadow over the top to lock it in.  (My favorite to use?  The pale pink shade from the Lorac PRO Palette.)  This keeps the cream in place and adds a bit of depth to the pale color without washing the lids out.  I absolutely LOVE how this looks on my clients!  The eyeshadows blend quite beautifully over the top of it when used as a shadow base, and the light pink color brightens up the entire lid quickly and evenly.

If I just need to highlight under the eyes, in the inner corner, or along the brow bone, I can use the stick version to quickly add a literal line of ‘light’ to brighten the area up without needs to resort to shimmery products that can reflect flash or leave fall out where I don’t want it.  I just draw it on straight from the pencil and blend it out with a fingertip or pencil brush and set with a matte bone or pink color.  Voila!  Instant brightening!


Final Verdict:  Add ‘light’ where you want it without the shimmer.  Genius.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Benefit High Beam

Benefit High Beam Review

From the Brand:
Our satiny pink liquid highlighter accents cheek and brow bones for a dewy, radiant glow. Use as a spot highlighter over makeup or wear under complexion products for subtle luminescence. It's the "supermodel in a bottle!"

Retails for:  $26.00


Where to Buy:  Sephora and Sephora.com, Ulta stores and Ulta.com, Benefitcosmetics.com


My Thoughts:  There are several different shades of the Benefit luminizing liquids, but the most common one I see people using is the Benefit High Beam.  I got this little bottle in a set from Benefit earlier this fall, The Pretty Committee, although you can find this included in a ton of their sets since it's such a popular product.  This particular shade is a light pink glow that looks really pretty on almost all skin tones.  For darker tones, I'd recommend using the Sun Beam, a soft golden glow instead.

Personally, I'm not much of a fan of using liquid highlighters.  I love to set my foundation with a powder, and I find that a liquid highlighter over the top of a powder can make the powder cake up around the edges of the highlighter and mess up the overall look of my makeup.  Some formulas can also breakdown the foundation that I'm wearing instead of sitting on top, again messing up the look of my makeup and calling attention to the area in a negative way.

This isn't the case with the Benefit High Beam.  It does illuminate without messing up the liquid foundation underneath.  I'd still definitely avoid it on top of a powder, but it works amazing worked into the skin prior to a powder foundation to give a "glowing from within" type of effect.

My favorite way to wear this is on my cupid's bow, that little dip over my top lip, to call attention to my lips and make them look fuller.  It's an instant pout pucker upper.  It also goes well under my eyes to brighten them up in photos, since the slight shimmery glow from it reflects light.  Just be sure to go easy on it or else you'll look super weird in person.

The formula is very thin with a natural level of light reflection.  It's not a thick shimmery product by any means, which means that it's always going to look believable and understated rather than over done.  And a little goes a long way, so even a small bottle like this will last you for a long time!

Final Verdict:  Overall, a fabulous liquid highlighting product that gives a natural looking glow to the skin and has a lot of versatility.

Have you used this product before?  Share your thoughts and your way of incorporating it into your makeup look for other readers to enjoy!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Battle of the Benefit Concealers

Battle Benefit Concealers

In corner #1 we have... Benefit Fake Up Concealer, weighing in at $24:  Cover-up goes incognito! This hydrating crease-control concealer - with Vitamin E & apple seed extract - hides dark circles & diffuses fine lines for a silky smooth, ultra-natural look. Available in three shades, it’s proven to keep skin hydrated for 6 hours!* *Instrumental test

In corner #2 stands... Benefit Boi-ing Concealer, weighing in at $26: Signs of stress & fatigue are a thing of the past with this concentrated cream formula! Available in three shades with brightening melon undertones to suit every skintone.

And in corner #3 is the formidable... Benefit Erase Paste Concealer, weighing in at $20: Signs of stress & fatigue are a thing of the past with this concentrated cream formula! Available in three shades with brightening melon undertones to suit every skintone. 

I won't go into too much details about each individual concealer here, since I've done in depth reviews on each of them already.  {You can read those concealer reviews by clicking on the formula name above.}  However, I will say this:  Each concealer formula by the amazing Benefit Cosmetics has its own set of strengths and its own set of weaknesses.  The trick to finding the perfect formula for you is determining what you need it to cover and what your needs are from a concealer in general.  It's a good idea to have a few different concealer formulas in your makeup wardrobe to suit your needs most effectively.  Just like our skin changes throughout the year necessitating a switch up in our skin care routine, our areas needing coverage also require us to switch out our concealers to most effectively cover our less than perfect areas.

As a general rule of thumb, you want to use a concealer that is creamier and more hydrating on areas that are dry, like the under eye area or rough dry spots caused by environmental assault or dehydration.  If your skin is more oily in the area you want to cover, like a zit or your t-zone, stick to a formula that is drier.  If you have dark circles with a bluish tint, go for something with an orange tint to it to help you neutralize those dark circles.  

That being said, each formula of concealer by Benefit has it's key defining element that makes it better suited to a particular area of the face needing coverage.  Otherwise, they'd all just be the same.  The Fake Up Concealer is super hydrating, due to its pigmented core surrounded by a stick of pure moisture.  This is the least pigmented in my opinion, and I'd recommend it for those who need hydration under there eyes and minimal coverage.  It's not a great idea to use it in the t-zone where you'd be oily or over a breakout.  The Erase Paste has an orangey undertone to it, so it's perfect for concealing dark circles under the eyes, but it's also very thick and sticky and works best under a liquid or cream foundation.  Steer clear of it if you're using a powder foundation or just a tinted moisturizer.  The orange can be too apparent without some creamy formula pigmentation over the top to blend it seamlessly into the surrounding skin.  The Boi-ing concealer can do under the eyes if you make sure they are well prepped with a great undereye cream.  It's dry consistency can cause it to settle into fine lines without enough hydration to plump up the area first.  Boi-ing works best on breakouts.

And the winner is...   It all depends on what you're looking to cover, but I honestly recommend having Boi-ing for your breakouts and either Erase Paste or Fake Up for your undereyes, depending on how much coverage  you need and whether you top it with a liquid or powder foundation.  If you have to pick only one, the Boi-ing will give you the most bang for your buck, because you can still use it under the eyes layered over a good undereye cream.  But seriously, just invest in two for the most effective coverage, and they'll both last you twice as long!

Product Review- Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Benefit They're Real! Mascara Review

 

Benefit They're Real! Mascara Review

From the Brand:    They're real! lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts and separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won’t smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!

What else you need to know:
94% saw dramatic length and volume*
90% saw base-to-tip curl*
94% saw visible lift*
100% saw long-wearing results*
*Results observed in a consumer panel survey

Retails for:   $23.00

Where to Buy:    BenefitCosmetics.com, Sephora Stores, Sephora.com, Ulta Stores, Ulta.com

My Thoughts:   I was so skeptical when I first got this mascara.  So so skeptical.  Everywhere I turned, people were going on and on about how amazing it was.  It was a rubber wand, and let's be honest if you've been reading my mascara reviews for any length of time you know 9 times out of 10, I hate those suckers.  I poke myself in the eye left and right, and I just don't ever feel they give the kind of volume you can achieve with traditional bristle brushes.  (Read about my one exception so far here.)

That changed when I tried Benefit They're Real! for the first time.  Within the first two strokes I knew this stuff was something special.  I'll admit, I did and still do from time to time poke myself in the eye with it's sharp little bristles, and man it hurts like a mother, but it's worth it for the look of these lashes!  I got a sample in some Benefit kit or as a freebie maybe some time long ago but never tried it out until this summer.  When I saw that Ulta had a full size/trial size combo pack for the regular price, I jumped all over that like white on rice.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Amazing mascaras are 50% formula and 50% mascara wand.  Benefit They're Real! knocks it out of the park on both accounts.  Let me introduce you to the beauty that is this mascara wand...

It has these wicked sharp spikes that totally separate each individual lash, like a built in lash comb, but then at the very end of the mascara wand there's another set of spikes in the shape of a small ball which allows you to pinpoint the shorter inner and outer lashes.  The spacing on these makes them so effective.  The rows are just slightly off from one another, so as you rotate the wand through each stroke you are getting an even coating over both sides of the lash while separating and defining them.

The formula is a nice rich black that lives up to its claims of not drying out or smudging and is long wearing even in humidity.  I wore it for most of the summer with no issues.  My lashes took on a nice feathery volumized look that also looked completely natural.  They weren't a thick plush look, but they looked individually thicker and longer than they were on their own.  It makes them appear as if you have these gorgeous lashes naturally and you've just swiped on a tad bit of mascara to darken them up.  Of course it's impossible to get my lashes to hold their curl, but there was a bit more lift to them with this mascara.  It think that it's because I don't have to load so much product on to build up the volume that it doesn't weight the lashes down.  Either way, if this stuff could give my eyelashes a truly curled look, I'd probably run out tomorrow and buy 100 tubes in the off chance they lose their minds and discontinue this formula.  I highly doubt it, as everywhere I look this mascara gets absolute rave reviews.

Final Verdict:  Halleluiah.  I'm a believer. 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review

 

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review

 

From the Brand:    Sexy, dramatic, pure unadulterated black mascara for full, voluminous lashes. Famously big brush coats lashes with our thick black formula. It's as BAD as you want to be!

Retails for:   $19.00

Where to Buy:   BenefitCosmetics.com, Sephora Stores, Sephora.com, Ulta Stores, Ulta.com

My Thoughts:   This is one of those mascaras that thinks the bigger wand head will give you bigger lashes, and I'm just not a believer.  I really like the mascara formula, but I find the large mascara wand head too large to manipulate without making a mess on my eyelids.  I like smaller mascara wand heads with densely packed bristles that are varying lengths to really reach every single lash and coat them evenly.

That being said, I can get a create mascara application from this with a disposable mascara wand in the shape I prefer.  Great mascaras are 50% amazing wand heads and 50% amazing formula.  You can easily transform a so-so mascara into an amazing one by swapping out one of the two features that just isn't "doing it" for you.  For me, I can use s disposable mascara wand with this mascara and get gorgeous lashes.

The formula of the Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara is nice and richly pigmented and thick enough to coat and add volume without clumping up.  It doesn't smudge throughout the day, and it doesn't make my lashes feel dry and brittle either.  It's fairly easy to remove with some eye makeup remover at the end of the day or my preferred method- coconut oil. 

Final Verdict:  Since I'm not a fan at all of the mascara wand, whenever I get one of these as a trial or in a kit (like the tube in the photo) I toss it into my professional kit to use on set where a waterproof mascara isn't required.  I prefer to use disposable wands with this mascara anyway, which makes it perfect for use on clients.  If you're a fan of the large wand heads, you'll love this mascara!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Benefit Fake Up Concealer

 

From the Brand: Cover-up goes incognito! This hydrating crease-control concealer - with Vitamin E & apple seed extract - hides dark circles & diffuses fine lines for a silky smooth, ultra-natural look. Available in three shades, it’s proven to keep skin hydrated for 6 hours!* *Instrumental test

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Results too good to conceal!

• 100% said fakeup hydrates skin*
• 100% said fakeup feels comfortable on skin*
• 100% said the texture feels silky*
• 94% said the effect is long-lasting*
• 94% said fakeup doesn’t run*
• 97% said the formula is lightweight*
• 91% said fakeup conceals dark circles*
• 91% saw a natural appearance*
• 97% said the packaging makes it easy to use*

*Results observed in a consumer panel survey.

Retails for: $24

Where to Buy: Ulta stores and online, Sephora stores and online, Benefitcosmetics.com 

My Thoughts: This is a really great concealer if you have a dry under eye area.   It takes a while to get used to using it though, and it has a bit of a greasy feeling at first.  It's definitely only for use on yourself, and not to be used between people, as it's meant to be applied directly on the face from the tube like a lipstick.  Scraping it off and applying with a brush doesn't give the same effect.  It gives light coverage of circles, so if you have really dark circles, I recommend using the Benefit Boi-ing or Benefit Erase Paste instead.  If you have a breakout, don't use this concealer.  It won't cover enough and the emollients in it will make it slide right off after a while.  The Boi-ing is a much better option.

 

Final Verdict:  A great concealer for light undereye coverage for those with dry undereyes.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Product Review- Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

 

 

From the Brand: This award-winning concealer camouflages dark circles, minor imperfections and discoloration without creasing or fading. Even better…the industrial-strength formula is now available in FIVE shades, with a full range from light to deep. Now all gals can be imperfection-free. WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:  Favorite shades 01 and 02 stay the same, with a new 03 shade and extended range to include 04, 05.

 

Retails for: $20

Where to Buy:  www.benefitcosmetics.com; Sephora and sephora.com, Ulta and ulta.com

 

My Thoughts: If you've read my review of the Benefit Erase Paste, you know that I'm a HUGE fan of the Benefit concealers.  I've been using Boi-ing for years now, and it's never let me down.  There's a reason they include the whole "industrial strength" part on the packaging- this stuff works!  I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of it for the under eye area.  The consistency of this concealer is on the drier side, which doesn't always sit well on the typically-dry undereye area of most women.  However, that drier consistency makes it perfect for sticking to a breakout.  Pimples don't have the same surface texture of the rest of the skin around it, making creamy concealers a poor choice for coverage with staying power.  Even notice how the creamy concealers just seem to slide off the pimple and settle around the edges of it?  Instead, use a bullet tip eyeshadow brush to dot a dry concealer onto the breakout, and you'll get much better staying power that sticks only to the breakout!

 

I was getting ready to say that my only negative feedback was the limited shade range (Benefit does seem to cater to the pale people of the world), but I just saw on the website that they have expanded the range with three new shades!  Wa-hoo!  I'll most definitely be picking some up for my makeup kit once I've surpassed my No-Buy Challenge deadline in August.

Final Verdict:  Would I buy this?  Um, did you read that last sentence?  Oh yeah, I already own it for myself, and I'll be buying more to use on clients soon! Come on, August!  Momma needs some more makeup!

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Product Review- Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Benefit Erase Paste Concealer, Shades 01 Fair and 02 Medium

 

 

From the Brand:  Benefit Erase Paste Brightening Camouflage For Eyes and Faces- Signs of stress & fatigue are a thing of the past with this concentrated cream formula! Available in three shades with brightening melon undertones to suit every skintone. 

 

Retails For:  $26 

Where to Buy: http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/erase-paste

 

My Thoughts:  This stuff is seriously amazing.  It's one of my favorite concealers of all time, and it's also one of the first things I ever bought from Benefit.  In fact, it might just be the very first thing if I think about it.  The best part is that it has the peach undertones to it, which neutralize the bluish dark circles under my eyes.  It's got a thick almost sticky kind of consistency, but it's not uncomfortable to wear.  Benefit has the market cornered I think when it comes to concealers.  They have three different formulas that target different concerns, but this is by far the best for under eye circles.  The only negative thing I'd have to say would be that it does need to come in some darker colors.  Even the "dark" isn't really dark enough for really dark skin tones.  It might be good enough as a neutralizer, but would need to be layered under a flesh toned concealer or foundation for those consumers.

 

Final Verdict: Is Benefit Erase Paste a good buy?  Absolutely!  If you have dark undereye circles, this is a great concealer for you!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Product Reivew- Benefit Flawless Face Routine

When I know I need to look good and it has to last all day, I reach right for my Benefit flawless face routine.  The Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation, Hello Flawless Custom Cover-Up, and their newest concealer Fakeup.  I love how the foundation glides over my skin and gives me buildable coverage.  The silicone base also means it will last all day.  This was the first product in this little trio of makeup magic that I tried, and I was instantly hooked. I first talked about it in my March Favorites post and video, and although I've spent the better part of a month trying a myriad of other foundation brands, this one still stands near the top of my list.

Swatches of the foundation, powder, and concealer. They look a tad orangey and dark on the back of my hand, but they look much better and more natural on my actual face.  My hand is a lot paler than my face most of the time.

Then when I went on my first Ulta Makeup Haul, I bought the matching powder.  I love that they have shades that automatically coordinate.  It makes buying products that work together so much easier.  Formulas that are meant to work perfectly together and have the same shade name= goof-proof buying!  My only negative comments would be to ditch the little brush that comes in the compact.  I think it's a little useless.  A big fluffy powder brush is going to give you a much better light dusting than the flat one.  I really like the sponge for pressing some powder under the eyes to set the concealer or around my nose for extra oil absorption.

I also bought the Fake Up concealer back in March, and although at first I wasn't a huge fan I learned to love how hydrating it is under my eyes.  Still not the biggest fan for it in other areas of my face, so I use a drier concealer still to cover blemishes.  (Blemishes and scar tissue have a different texture to their surface, and a really emollient concealer can slip right off.  Drier concealers are better for covering these.)  I've also used their Boi-ing Concealer and Erase Paste, and they really rock, too.  I use them from time to time under my eyes, but the Fake Up's moisturizing properties seem to be the best choice for my personal needs.

Not to sound like I'm typing up a huge ad for the Benefit products, but these really are some of my favorite "basic face" products I've come across.  Tomorrow I'll be filming my first flawless foundation routine video to post on Thursday, and these are the products I'll be featuring.

From the brand:

Foundation-
Hello...it's flawless time! Our new oil-free brightening liquid foundation builds from light to medium coverage for a natural complexion you can believe in. It's you...just more luminous & healthy looking.

Find your flawless match with the hello flawless oxygen wow shade guide in Beauty School.

 WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• broad-spectrum SPF 25 PA+++ protection**
• oil-free formula
• natural finish
• hydrating benefits
• light-diffusing properties
•  available in 9 shades

Powder-

Why we love it!

Say "hello" to flawless NEW packaging! Now in an improved magnetic-close compact, this famous powder cover-up glides on naturally sheer and layers beautifully for customized coverage. Perfect for any skin type, the silky formula comes with a newly designed brush AND a sponge for any degree of coverage you desire.

 Concealer-

Why we love it!

Cover-up goes incognito! This hydrating crease-control concealer - with Vitamin E & apple seed extract - hides dark circles & diffuses fine lines for a silky smooth, ultra-natural look. Available in three shades, it’s proven to keep skin hydrated for 6 hours!* *Instrumental test
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Results too good to conceal!

• 100% said fakeup hydrates skin*
• 100% said fakeup feels comfortable on skin*
• 100% said the texture feels silky*
• 94% said the effect is long-lasting*
• 94% said fakeup doesn’t run*
• 97% said the formula is lightweight*
• 91% said fakeup conceals dark circles*
• 91% saw a natural appearance*
• 97% said the packaging makes it easy to use*

*Results observed in a consumer panel survey. See fakeup in action NOW!

What do you think of Benefit's products?  Have you tried any of these items?  Do you love them as much as I do?

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Massive Makeup Haul- Target, Ulta, Sephora, and MAC

This past weekend I went on a massive makeup shopping spree to Ulta, Sephora, MAC, and Target, and I got a ton of products to review for upcoming articles here on the blog.  I want to put together some awesome Top 10 lists on categories like foundations, mascaras, lip products and more, so I knew I needed to have a comprehensive knowledge of the many options out there available.

I'm not going to go into reviews of all of the products that I purchased, as this would be the never-ending blog post if I were to do that.  As it stands, I had to film four different haul videos to get everything up on my YouTube channel!  I'm uploading the first one as I type this, and of course it's super late in the evening because we lost internet for about 3 hours earlier right when I was getting ready to post today's blog.  I probably should have typed this up this morning before starting filming, but I was enjoying my day to sleep in while hubby-wonderful took the boys to school.  (He's seriously just the BEST.)

But here's a rough breakdown of what I got at each place accompanied by photos!  Yay photos!  Make sure you leave me lots of comments below on what products you want to see featured here on the blog or in a video, and of course your recommendations for products I should try before putting together my Top 10 lists at the end of the month.  And of course, when it's done uploading you should check out my first video on my items from Target!  (I'll update this post with links to the other videos as I upload them over the next two days, too.)

Target:
Sally Hansen Lustre Shine- Lava
Sally Hansen Lustre Shine- Copperhead
Wet-n-Wild Fast Dry- Gray's Anatomy
Wet-n-Wild Wild Shine- Caribbean Frost
NYC Precious Peacock
NYC Highline Green
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails- Mint Sorbet
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails- Crushed
Sally Hansen Insta-Dry- Quick Sand
Sally Hansen Crackle- Wave Break (over Mint Sorbet)
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength- Aisle Be There (also swatched over Essie Cascade Cool)
NYX Full Coverage Concealer in Porcelain
NYX Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in Velvet Rope
NYX Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in Glitter Dreams
NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe  in Glam Golden
Milani Lipstick in Dulce Caramelo
Milani Lipstick in Nude Creme
Milani Baked Blush in Coralina
L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealers in W1-2-3 Fair/Light and N6-7-8 Medium/Deep
e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set
e.l.f. Studio Lip Balm SPF 15  in Pink
e.l.f. Studio Volume Plumping Mascara
e.l.f. Studio Lip Definer & Shaper
Maybelline  Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tenacious Teal

Sephora:

FREEBIES- 500 Point Perk set from Benefit and birthday gift along with a Living Proof hair mask sample
Eyeliner Trio by Eyeko
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue Eye Shadow Primer
Tweezerman Lash Curler
Sephora Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Sephora Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Blue
Too Faced Loves Sephora Set
Charlotte Ronson On-The-Glow Kit

MAC:

I only purchased four things from MAC, but compared with everything else I got I didn't need much!

Products:
MAC Prolongwear Foundation in NC25
MAC Fix+
MAC Pigment in Tan
MAC Select Moisture Cover in NC20

Ulta:

Products:
L'Oreal Infallible Makeup SPF 18 Foundation in 602 Soft Ivory
Revlon Photo Ready Makeup SPF 20 Foundation in 002 Vanilla
Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Normal/Dry Skin SPF 15 Foundation in 180 Sand Beige
L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother
L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Concealer in W1-2-3
Revlon Photo Ready Concealer in 001 Fair
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Endless Sea and Endless Pearl
Ulta Super Blender Sponge
Nivea Lip Butter Caramel Cream Kiss and Lip Butter Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss
Nivea Natural Volume Lip Care
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner in Black
Essence Super Fine Eyeliner Pen in Black
Maybelline
Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown
L'Oreal Color Caress Wet Shine Stain in Pink Rebellion
Maybelline Color Sensational Color Whisper Lipcolor in Cherry on Top
Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Hot Pink Rose and Crystal Water
Revlon Color Stay Overtime Length Waterproof Mascara
Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara
L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara
Maybelline Full & Soft Thick & Healthy Waterproof Mascara
Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara
Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara

As you can see by recurring brand names, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and Covergirl had buy one get one half off on a lot of their items, or else that'd be way more money I'd have spent.  Thankfully, I plan when I shop to take advantage of their awesome sales and use my accumulated points for dollars off my total!

Phew!  That was a lot to type up!  Now I'm off to bed before doing a wedding in the afternoon.  Hopefully I've learned my lesson and will type up tomorrow's blog when I get up instead of trying to hope the internet doesn't fail in the evening when I get back from DC.

Don't forget to leave me some feedback on what products you want to see featured and products you think I need to try before I make my Top 10 Lists!