Face of the Day

Today marks the first day I decided to join in on the No Repeats November challenge! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, visit Lauren's video here or my previous blog post here!)

Today's products were: 

ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronzed
Wet n Wild Vanity palette
NYX Concealer in a Jar
Physicians Formula brown eyeliner from the Blue Eyes trio
Physicians Formula Happy Booster blush - Natural
Jordana Best Lash Volumizing Mascara
Revlon Colorburst Lipstick  in Fuchsia
Bulgari Omnia Coral perfume

My thoughts on today's products:
I really need to use the Vanity palette more! It's so pretty. As is the ELF cream eyeshadow! It applies so easily. I think the blush is a bit more shimmery than I usually like, but I don't hate it. I think it seems more summery maybe? I've never been very good at determining when to use certain blushes. The mascara is okay - it doesn't do anything great for me, but I also don't have anything against it. I just never find myself reaching for it.

 I also like this perfume! Probably not enough to buy one - I don't LOVE it - but certainly enough to keep using this sample eventually. I love the color of this lipstick and really need to use it more. The concealer, on the other hand, I think I'll get rid of. I used to love it! It's quite old though and seems to have dried out a bit. It no longer goes on easily, and ends up not looking good. The coverage isn't impressive and now that it's drier it doesn't leave a nice finish.

No Repeat November!

Although cutting back on makeup & beauty product spending is something I want to do, I've so far not been that successful at setting up limitations to do so. I liked the idea of "Project Use-it" that some people in a Facebook group I participate in are doing, where they rotate which products they're using on a weekly basis in order to stop ignoring many products in their collections. I tried this, but would always either get bored before the week was up and start using other products, or I wouldn't be very good at choosing often ignored products from my stash. 

Then I saw this video from one of my favorite beauty vloggers out there - Lauren at RedheadPhD - where she described the challenge she's doing called "No Repeats November." As soon as I saw the video, I knew that's what I needed to be doing! Basically, she's rotating through all of her makeup products once before going back and using things again. I thought this would be a great way to rediscover some products and make myself use some things I've been ignoring, like the many perfume samples I've collected over time! 

So although it's almost halfway through the month, today I'm starting "No Repeats November" - and I plan to keep going as long as I can! There are a few things I won't be rotating through, at least initially. I'm trying to use up my Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro primer, Revlon Colorstay foundation, Prestige Brow Perfection pencil, and Milani Minerals Compact Makeup. Until those specific products are used up, I won't be rotating in any other foundations, primers, powders, or brow pencils. 

I also only have one clear brow gel (The Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara) and one setting spray (Urban Decay's All-Nighter) so those are also products I won't rotate with anything else.

I've included photos of the products I'm using daily below. I plan to post either on here or on my Facebook page every day's set of products, but I'm not going to include these products. Once they're used up and I'm using something else, then I'll include it! I'm excited to do this challenge. Hopefully it'll help me find old favorites and finally get rid of some products I just don't enjoy. If you find yourself ignoring much of your collection, feel free to join in!! And of course, feel free to tweak the "rules" to suit you (for example, if you're good at rotating your eyeshadows but always wear the same five lip products, maybe just use a different lipstick every day, or something). 

Wet n Wild Sparkle 'Til Morning Palette

Part of the most recent limited edition products from Wet n Wild, the Sparkle Til Morning 8-pan eyeshadow palette is one that some people are trying hard to find in their area. I found mine this week at CVS. I already have the matte palette from its previous release, and the other palette just didn't interest me that much based on the swatches I'd seen on blogs. Although the shades in this palette are also not particularly unique, they're all very nice and certainly ones I'll use!

Swatches are done on my arm with sponge-tip applicators over the NYX white eyeshadow base. The top photos are with flash, the bottom without.

What do you think of this palette? Is it one you'll search for or pass on?

Look out soon for a post comparing these shadows to others from previous Wet n Wild palettes!

Sonia Kashuk Eye On Dazzling Color Palette

This palette is one of my favorite things I've gotten recently. The colors are gorgeous and really pigmented! They are kind of soft, though, which means if you don't tap off the brush, you'll get fallout on your face. It also makes the shadows get used quicker! I haven't had it that long, but you can see dents in many of the shadows. The color selection is amazing and the shadows are easy to work with. The only thing I think it's missing are blues! Usually I like palettes to have some matte shades, but it doesn't bother me in this one! 

As always, my swatches are done on my arm using sponge-tip applicators over a layer of NYX white eyeshadow base.

For larger photos of each row of shadows and swatches, keep reading!