Hourglass Illume Creme-To-Powder Bronzer Duo in Bronze Light

As you can probably tell, I am a bronzer addict. I am also a sucker for shiny, clever packaging, and I had thought about this Hourglass cream bronzer compact on and off for the last year. In August, I decided to finally pick it up! I've always been a fan of the brand's sleek, swivel top packaging. It is just fun! Plus the mirror is always a decent size, and I just like the look overall. It would be cool if it was metal, but that's ok.

I originally picked this up because I love bronzer/highlight duos and thought the highlight shade in the duo would make for a nice cream eyeshadow for everyday. This is definitely true, but it does not last too long on my lids - max 4 hrs or so - and that Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Beige worked better for my eyes. (And now that I'm thinking, I also have a Nars Multiple Duo along the same lines... so clearly I just like the idea of an all in one cheek product... Hmm...)

Pretty colors, right? I like wearing the bronze shade blended out as a warm, almost coral-y blush, but most often I will put it under my cheekbones for a bit of contour. While it looks slightly orange in the sun with my photo, I don't think this shade is at all like the scary orange bronzers. In the sun, the highlight shade looks almost gold, which must be what gives my skin a nice glow when I wear it!

This duo hasn't managed to last to the 10 hour mark for me, which is a bit sad, but oh well. I know I don't apply much, and it has made it safely to  4-6 hours for sure. (Sorry, somehow I haven't managed to check the wear at any other times somehow!) I think if I were to set it with powder, it could last longer, but I haven't tried that yet.

All in all, I love the packaging and think the color is gorgeous on. I love the creamy texture, but then again, I fall in love with all cream cheek products! What do you think, is it worth it even with this wear time? (Or am I just expecting too much?) Have you tried this or other products from Hourglass?  :)

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows in Rich Mahogany and Barely Beige

It took me quite a while to find these Maybelline Color Tattoo shades when they first came out a little while back. I must have checked multiple Targets, a handful of CVS stores, a Walgreens and Walmart, before I finally realized I was in California where there were Rite Aids! I'm not sure why I spent so much time looking for them, especially since the formula of the first few shades I tried didn't really impress me. Either way, I really enjoy these, and it was worth the effort to find them!

I think these are such neutral, everyday shades, and their creamy texture is very easy to use. I love cream products in general, but I hate that harder, not as slippy texture of some cream products. You know, those ones that require a lot of warming up with your fingers before they even feel creamy? Anyway, I'm happy with the texture of these and like it better than some higher end cream shadows I've played with! :)

With the other Color Tattoos I own, I found that the wear time was not very good. I'm not sure if it was something with my lids earlier this year or what, but the other ones I tried tended to last only 4-6 hours before fading, creasing, or both! I've worn these for 8-9 hours with little to no fading, and I imagine they would last even longer had I not removed them in that time frame!

As there are a ton of reviews on this product, I won't go on about them. I just have to say that I love them and you should grab them while you still can! Have you tried these or any other Maybelline Color Tattoos? How did they work for you? 

Empties!

I am super excited to be showing you guys my very first set of empties! Sadly, none of it is makeup, but I've now realized I have quite a stash of almost finished shower products too! Eek! Really, I think I am just a product hoarder. o_O And oh, I should admit that I've only managed to finish all of these products with the boyfriend's help. Many things were finished over the course of my summer in California, but a number of things were nearly empty from this past winter/spring. I can't account for all the skincare/shower stuff I used in the early months of this year, but it is definitely a proper record of everything that i've finished since May! It is so depressing how long it takes me to finish these things.

C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Pomegranate Cream Body Wash - I always enjoyed all the lemon scented things from C.O. Bigelow, but for some reason this scent never caught on. I am quite picky about scents and many scents can make me nauseous in the morning... Anyway this had a nice creamy texture that was great for springtime. I won't be repurchasing this scent but might consider another one if this winter dries out my skin!

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Shampoo - As I mentioned before, I love this scent. Don't recall the shampoo doing anything special, so I won't be repurchasing even if it does smell so good! :)

Suave Rosemary & Mint Shampoo - I bought this because it was SUPER cheap, like probably $2, and it smelled good. It has a fresh mint scent, but it isn't too strong and the rosemary adds a nice element to it. For $2, it was a reasonable shampoo - cleaned well and left my hair shiny and nice. But I can have a tough time with volume, (ie my hair can often be flat!) and this didn't do anything for that, so I ended up looking for shampoo that would give me volume!

Softsoap Scentations Lemonade Berry Splash Body Wash - My boyfriend and I were OBSESSED with this limited edition spring scent. I think we made it through 2 bottles by early summer. I love these inexpensive shower gels, and they make great bubbles for a bath too. We also finished a bottle of the Sweet Honeysuckle & Orange Peel, which is not pictured. (Have you noticed all I want in a shower gel is a fresh citrusy scent? LOL!)

Organix Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo - This shampoo smells good (spot a trend here?) and offered a nice shine. It also made my hair feel clean, and wasn't icky if I managed to leave some in my hair (something I tend to do often, yes I fail as a girl!) Most importantly, my hair now has some body, even as it is growing out all the nice layers I used to have! I just started using the macadamia oil one, and am liking that just as much!

Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Shower Gel (travel size) - Sometime last year, I discovered that these shower gels made for amazing bubble bath. Like HUGE 1+ foot bubbles to the point where I think my bath is overflowing! My boyfriend picked out this scent, and we enjoyed it. We also finished a travel size of the Carried Away Shower Gel, which is not pictured and has been a favorite of mine this past year. I don't think I need any shower gel for months, (actually, NOT ALLOWED!!) but I would definitely pick out one of these for bubble baths in the future!

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Scrub - I've been using this since I was a teen, and I don't know why my skin doesn't seem to have the best texture unless I'm using this! Well, I've been faring well with my Ole Henriksen cleansers lately, but really, I want to buy another tube of this ASAP. Unless my skin really changes, I think this will be a favorite for a long time!

Ole Henriksen Sugar Glow Face Scrub (x2) - I thought this was my favorite scrub, but seriously, in comparison to the Walnut Scrub, this has much larger particles and could be harsh for some! I am obsessed with the African Red Tea scent that is in this scrub and a few other products in the line, and this did really brighten my skin when I first started using it a while back. I'm having too much fun trying out other exfoliators so I won't be repurchasing this one again.

I also managed to finish a small size Aspen Bay Capri Blue Volcano Candle, which is my absolute favorite candle ever and I'm amazed at how well it burns. I bought the larger jar, and it is just as amazing. I plan to buy that candle FOREVER! We somehow also managed to get the bottom of a pack of Yes to Cucumbersface wipes to dry out, but I also enjoyed a few packs of those over the last year or so. I won't be repurchasing this again, as I've fallen in love with Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water and will just save my pennies for the bottle and wipes every time.

I have some other things that could be finished up with some focused use, so hopefully I'll have another empties post for you before the end of the year! Maybe next year, I can aim to finish makeup too, lol. Anyway, what are your thoughts on these products or empties in general?? Any advice on using things up? :)

This Week, 9/30

I seriously can't believe how quickly time is flying by! Like, seriously, OCTOBER!?!! Also, have you seen this new DIOR 500-pt perk from Sephora?? I just got the email today, but can't decide if I want to get this one or keep holding out! I spent the last week getting acclimated to work again now that I'm home, and boy have I been tired this week! Bummer, cause I would have loved to have chatted with you guys about beauty and played with my new goodies! :)

I also managed a small blog photo session, so I think I'll have a few posts soon, but I (accidentally) fell into a White Collar & Ryder Cup marathon...

Anyway! Expect some posts soon! I also hope to figure out a new video setup and show you my bronzer collection and the Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case in action. :)

Don't forget to check out the blog sale as well - I don't want to see all these lovely things just sitting there!

Hope you all had a great week! I'd love to hear what you've been up to! :)