Swatches & Review: Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Drama Pomade Crayons

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Hi, friends! I have another beauty review for you today. I'm always looking for ways to up my brow game and get #browsonfleek, so when Maybelline came out with these Eyestudio Brow Drama Pomade Crayons, I was curious to see how they worked. I received these for free to test out, and after playing with them for the past few weeks, I think it's about time I talked about them! 

My Favorite Things: March 2016

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Hi, friends! Happy April! It's been awhile since I did a Favorites post (not since my 2015 Makeup Favorites, I believe), so I thought it was about time to touch base with you all. I've been trying out some new products and rediscovering some old ones, and I'm so excited to finally share them with you!

Trash Talk: Spring Cleaning Edition 2016

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Hi, friends! It's spring cleaning time again! This post was inspired by my propensity for finding old or forgotten products in the back of my makeup drawer. As I explained in last year's spring cleaning post, this is kind of like a glorified Empties post. Only instead of getting rid of products when they're empty, I take a look in my collection and determine what I need to trash from there. Beauty bloggers and makeup enthusiasts tend to be Goop Hoarders (because makeup is essentially colorful goop), so today I'm sharing my tips on how to separate the good stuff from what needs to go. 

Trash Talk: Bath & Body Empties (Jan 2016)

Hi, friends! It's crazy that we're so close to the end of January. 2016 is really flying by! I was originally planning on doing another Favorites post to mark the end of 2015, to serve as a catch-all for hair, nail, and body products, but then I decided against it. I'm not very picky with those other things, so rather than repeat the few products you guys already know I love, I figured I would write up some mini reviews to the products I used up recently.

It's called Trash Talk, because we're gonna talk about all of our beauty trash (this is a friendly zone, we don't talk trash about each other here)! We're just talking about bath and body products today, since I'm trying to cut down my post lengths. I feel like they're always so long! What do you think? Do you prefer short, concise posts, or long ones with more information? Or a mix of both?

But enough about that. Let's get to the good stuff!

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2015: Makeup

Hi, friends! Can you believe the first month of 2016 is almost over? It's insane how time flies! Today I wanted to talk more about my favorite products from 2015. With skincare products, I'm a snob super picky when it comes to formulas and ingredients, so when I find something I like, it can be a little hard for me to detach and try something new. With makeup, however, I'm a lot more lenient and tend to try more products at a time. Plus, I hesitate having too many jars and tubes of skincare products open at a time, just because beneficial ingredients don't last forever, but with makeup I kind of throw caution to the wind. I don't think I have to tell you have many lipsticks alone I have open right now (or you can see for yourself in my ongoing Lipstick Collection series).

So, without further ado, let's talk about my favorite makeup discoveries and most used cosmetics of 2015!

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2015: Skincare

Hi, friends! I hope you're all having a nice 2016 so far. I'm excited to finally be starting my Beauty Buff Favorites of 2015 series. Most of these are ones I've recommended over and over again on this blog. But the products I like don't get a free ride into a Beauty Buff Favorite slot; I'm always testing and re-testing to see if they still hold up.

The winners are essentially the products I'd be content with using without changing it up. Obviously, being a beauty buff means I'm always trying new stuff (plus this blog would get very boring very fast), but I'd be okay if these were the only products I had to work with.

Quick photo note: it's been cloudy for days and we're not going to see the sun until at least Thursday, so today we're photographing by a window! Plus, the Penni household is in shambles due to the fact that we're finally starting to put our Christmas decorations away.

Without further ado, here are my favorite products I used in 2015!

Trash Talk: December 2015 Empties

Hi, friends! It's a beautiful day here in New York, strangely warm and sunny for December. What's it like where you live? Today we're going to be doing some trash talk, because it's been a really long time since I've done an Empties post (five months, actually). I use up products faster than I can talk about them, especially since a lot of these are samples I get from subscription boxes (mostly Birchbox). I'm actually quite backlogged! In fact, I'm still talking about products I used up at school (I graduated in May, to put things in perspective). The included photos were taken in less-than-stellar conditions without the help of my fancy new DSLR camera, but we'll make do! But enough about that--let's talk trash (about products, not people)! 

My Favorite Things: September 2015

It's been a few months since I did a monthly favorites post, so we have a lot to catch up on! In order to make this post not a mile long, I really had to ween down the best of the best. These are the products that I used all summer and will continue to love into the fall. If it's here, it means I enjoyed using it so much that I'd personally recommend all of my friends to get it, too.  

Trash Talk: August 2015 Empties

Hello, friends! It's time for another Empties post! Can you believe I haven't done an actual Empties post since February (not counting the Spring Cleaning Edition)? I've decided to title this series Trash Talk, because I'm feeling particularly witty today. Everyone does a little trash talking now and then--don't deny it!

In these posts, I'll give you my full disclosure on what I thought about these products, since I had plenty of time to test them out.

These products were emptied because of three reasons:

1. I liked them so much that I used them to the last drop.
2. I didn't like them, really, but didn't want to waste anything
3. They were expired and/or smelled funny so they had to go.

We have some catching up to do, so featured today are products I used up (and that were photographed) back at school on my old point-and-shoot camera. But we'll get through it, I promise.

But enough about that. Let's get to the good stuff!

My Favorite Things: May 2015

Lots of things have happened this month for me. I graduated from college, moved to another state, started a new job, and discovered some new beauty products (which one of these is not like the others?). Below are the products I discovered, rediscovered, undiscovered (??) in the month of May. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to tell me which products you liked best in a comment down below!

Target Beauty Box: Spring 2015 Review

Hello, friends! I feel like I've been absent for so long, even though I'm still posting on the usual Sunday. This week has been a blur of finals, essays, and last hurrahs (Can I get a "hell yeah!" from my fellow college grads?) Next week is Senior Week, so I probably won't be on social media too much then, either. But I'll try to check in when I can to see how you guys are doing!

Let's get to the real reason why we're here: today I want to share with you my first-ever Target Beauty Box! This isn't the first one Target has put out, but it's the first one I've been excited enough to purchase, and I'm so glad I did! 

Target Beauty Box? What's that?

Years ago, Target used to give out free beauty bags filled with samples to advertise their products (I was all about that life). Recently, over the past couple of seasons, they've taken to charging $5 for them. I originally thought, "Why would I pay money for something that used to be free?" but after having gotten this box, I can see that Target has totally amped up their game. Unlike Birchbox and other beauty subscriptions, these boxes are purchased individually and are released every season. If you're interested in getting one of their beauty boxes, you can check their page here. These boxes sell out like wildfire, so keep an eye out on the Interwebs for the next release date!

My Favorite Things: April 2015

Hi, friends! Can you believe April is over already? I know I'll be graduating in a little over two weeks, which is absolute insanity. How are you guys holding up? Congratulations to all of my fellow college beauty buffs on their upcoming graduation! Let's celebrate with some makeup, shall we? Today, I'm talking about my favorite things from April!

DIY Tinted Moisturizer

I don't know what it is (or maybe I do: it's finals), but I've been too lazy to wear any kind of foundation product this month. It just seemed like so much effort to put it on and use a brush to blend it out. I don't have time for that! Instead, what I've been doing is I have been combining a little bit of a foundation that are too dark for my skin tone (or just fuller coverage that I prefer) with my daily moisturizer. It's also been a great way to use up products that were too dark for me before! Right now I'm mixing OLAY Complete All Day Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($8 for 4oz) and SUPERGOOP! CC Cream SPF 35 in Light to Medium ($32 for 1.6oz). I really like the result. The best part? I get sheer coverage but don't have to blend it in with a brush or set it with powder. It's almost so easy and fast that I can't not do it. 

Review: Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes

Hi, friends! Today I'm here to talk to you about the new Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes. You might have seen the facial cleanser or other Naturals products at the drugstore, but Neutrogena has recently expanded their line to include these wipes, so I wanted to check them out. Full disclosure: I received these for free from Influenster to test these out, but that doesn't really impact my opinion of them at all. Click here if you would like to see my disclaimer/policy information about products that are sent for review.

To promote these wipes (and save the planet, I guess), Neutrogena has partnered with the Nature Conservancy for their Wipe for Water Challenge (aka #WipeForWater). The goal behind this movement is to get people to conserve water by washing their faces with these wipes instead, since they are advertised as not needing to be rinsed off. It's quite smart of them, I think. If you go to their page and pledge to face your face with these wipes for at least three days, it'll donate $1 to the Nature Conservancy. I'll be honest with you by saying that I had good intentions to participate in this challenge, but I failed on day one (more on that later). 

I think it's a little funny, since you're producing more waste in the environment by using and throwing away these wipes, as opposed to using a liquid cleanser, but who am I to judge? Though I kind of laughed. It's a little bit funny. Being environmentally-conscious is hard!  

My Favorite Things: March 2015

Hello, friends! And Happy Easter! March has come to end, so you know what that means--a monthly favorites post! Honestly, I love reading these kinds of posts. I get so many new products to add to my To-Try List (as if it's not long enough)! But enough rambling--let's get to the good stuff~

CAUDALIE Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet ($39 for 1oz)

CAUDALIE Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

I'm so excited about this moisturizer! As someone with combination skin, I know the struggles of trying to find a product that works for however many skin types you're trying to treat on one face. But this one does it all! It's a light, mousse-like consistency that delivers enough moisture to my dry cheeks without making my forehead look or feel greasy. I'm so happy I've started using this, because I think you guys with combination skin will really enjoy this. The only cons are that it's $39 for one ounce and I'm using it up way too fast. If I didn't have Birchbox points saved up, I don't think I'd be able to afford this, to be honest.

Products I've Used Up: Spring Cleaning Edition, 2015

Hi, friends! My laptop charger came in the mail yesterday, so I was finally able to finish this post. We're doing things a little bit differently for this month's Empties post, Unlike other Empties posts, where I give you mini reviews on products that I've completely used up, these are the products that really should have been thrown out a long time ago. In other words, it's a special spring cleaning edition! Products that are expired, unusable, or sucked from the start--they're all here in the Products I've "Used Up" Spring Cleaning Edition!

My Favorite Things: February 2015

Hi, friends! Wow, I haven't done one of these since October! My 2014 Favorites kind of replaced My Favorite Things for the past few months, but now they're back and I can't wait to share my most-loved products with you! There's a surprising amount of makeup, and almost NO skincare (*gasp*). These are the products that I would be most likely to recommend to a friend, because we're all friends here. Without further ado, here are my favorite products for the month of February! 

Products I've Used Up: February 2015

Hi, friends! While I was looking back on my blog, I realized I haven't done an Empties post since August! Crazy, right? In the College Beauty Buff Reader Survey back in December, you guys said that Empties posts were your favorite thing, so let's do one today! Right here, right now! 

Since I've had these products on my Products I've Used Up list for awhile, I figured we'd separate it into Makeup and Hair this month, and Skincare / Body Care next month! But enough about that, let's just get into it. 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Eyes)

Hi friends! Today is the final installment of my 2014 favorites: best eye makeup! I hope you enjoy seeing the best things I've discovered this year. Feel free to check out last year's, too! 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Lips)

Hi, friends! Today we're continuing the walk down memory lane with my favorite lip products of the year. This includes everything from lip balm to lip treatment to lipstick. So, let's get into it! If you'd like to see last year's favorites, click here! 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Face)

Hi, friends! I hope the new year is being good to you so far! I don't know if you saw Friday's post in which I talked about my favorite skincare products of 2014, but today I'm going to start the three-post series on my favorite makeup of the year! Why three posts? Because there is so much makeup in my life that I like to put on my face, that if I included it all in one post neither of us would be able to handle it. So, we're going to start with face makeup today--from foundation to bronzer to blush, it's all here. Let's make today a blast from the past!