lorac

Lorac :: Glow To Go

The other day, at Ulta, I intended on picking up my usual Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer but ended up stumbling across the Limited Edition Value Set by Lorac: Glow To Go.

Included in this set are:

TANtalize Me Limited Edition Baked Bronzer
TANtalizer Lips With Benefits Lip Gloss in Rico (A Bronze Pink)
Travel-Size TANtalizer Body Bronzing Luminizer
3 Eye Shadows in Tahitian Sand (Light Gold Shimmer), Barbados Bronze (Bronze Shimmer), and Costa Rican Coffee (Dark Brown Matte)

I was concerned the Body Bronzing Luminizer and Baked Bronzer would appear too ruddy on my fair skin but with limited and gentle application, these leave me with a beautiful golden shimmery glow. I love it. Perfect for the summer. It also gave me a chance to beef-up my eye shadow collection with 3 quality colors. I love a good value set and this is one I highly recommend. Well beyond worth the $36 I paid for it.

Thanks for reading!

Love always, GK

You can also find me on Twitter (@xGingerKate), Tumblr (gingerkate.tumblr.com) and Instagram (@GingerKate)

Sweet Summer Sweat

On a recent trip to Ulta, my goal was to pick up some products I could sweat in. Call me vain, call me insecure, call me whatever, I HATE not being able to wear makeup when working out. I don’t need the whole sha-bang, but I hate going completely barefaced for sweat sessions. Yes, I know how absolutely ridiculous this sounds but the reason why I was in search of sweat resistant makeup is really the same reason why I dropped a few hundred on a new workout wardrobe.

I’m new to working out. I’ve always been a bit chubbier than I should be and recently the weight has seemed to just fall off on it’s own. I’m really quite the super duper late bloomer and kind of grew into myself now that I’ve reached my mid-twenties. Over the last couple of years, I been receiving more and more attention for my appearance. I don’t hate this, but it some how worked itself backwards and now I worry about when I don’t look as good as a could. I place more time into my appearance now that I am prouder of it. Back in the day, I wouldve been happy to be overlooked; now, I’m happy to stand out. So why can’t I go to the gym makeup-less? I’m getting there.

Being new to working out, I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know “all the moves”. It’s really no surprise that like anyone else treading unfamiliar waters, I’m uneasy and thus, self conscious. I may not be in control of whether or not I know what I’m doing yet but I can control whether or not I look good. I went on a Marshall’s/TJMaxx work-out apparel shopping spree and picked myself up a new wardrobe to sweat in (and I look pretty adorable in the workout gear btw). The only problem left to solve would be my makeup dilemma.

I have a very low-set brow. I look like I’m scowling about 90% of the time. My eyes, tucked below this shelf of a brow, are quite small. Tiny. My daily makeup allows me to open up my eyes; looking brighter and friendlier. But I can’t be rocking a smokey eye and liquid lined look at the gym! That’s just ridiculous. Even if its all waterproof, simply having the full-faced makeup look is silly. What can I get away with at the gym? A-ha! Here it is, my gym makeup:

I go with a light brown, very neutral shade of a waterproof eye pencil. I picked up this dual sided duo of pencils by Urban Decay. No mascara. Just a soft liner.

On my face, I don’t require a lot of coverage but to even out my tone, I use this BB tinted treatment by Tarte (one of my favorite brands) or an even lighter coverage tinted moisturizer. Both are oil-free and SPF 30. Both are very sheer. The BB can be built upon so it’s perfect for your gym bag as you can apply a couple of coats after your workout if youve got other places to be and errands to run.

While at Ulta purchasing my gym supplies, they were having a sale on Loreal products, so I picked up these two 24hr infallible eye shadows: #997 Eternal Sunshine and #335 Golden Emerald.

I also picked up the Lorac TANtalizer Glow to Go Value Set. Check back tomorrow to find out more about that!!

I know many of you who read this will think its very shallow and silly of me to not feel secure enough to spend time around others without any makeup on. I recognize this too about myself. It makes me feel better and if I feel better about it (working out that is), I will continue to do it and I owe it to myself to follow a workout schedule. I owe it to myself to feel better about my appearance and take more pride in it. If slapping on a little eye pencil and tinted moisturizer makes me feel comfortable enough to go for it, I don’t see what so wrong with that.

Thank you so much for reading! I owe you guys a “What have I been up to for the last 6 months” post. A LOT has happened. Some really amazing things and some really shitty things. The last half of a year have flown by and dragged on in exuberant elation and nagging pain. My circle of friends, job and state of being have all changed and for the better. I find myself in a beautiful and content place in my life and I haven’t lost hope for a brighter tomorrow. One day soon, this limbo I’ve been balancing in for nearly two years will settle and I will settle safely where I am destined to.

Thanks, as always, for reading!

Love, GK

Sephora :: In The Glow

By now, you all know just how much I love my Sephora sets. The Sephora In The Glow set is another one I picked up not too long ago and have yet to share with you. For only $45 this set is, as usual, an absolute steal! Here’s what Sephora.com has to say about the In The Glow set:

What it is: Shimmer, gleam and glow with nine of Sephora’s bestselling complexion enhancers including a selection of blushes, bronzers and luminizers.

What it does: This coveted nine-piece set contains three blushes, three bronzers, and three luminizers. Choose from an array of different finishes from creams to powders to liquids to create the perfect glow!

This set, as stated above, included 9 amazing goodies to help your face look its best and give you that glow. I’ll have reviews for each of the products featured in future posts, but for now, I’d like to just share with you all that this set includes.

1.) Benefit – High Beam

2.) Too Faced – Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder

3.) Tarte – Natural Cheek Stain – Flush

4.) Stila – Convertible Color – Peony

5.) Tarte – Amazonian Clay 12 hour Blush – Spendor

6.) Lorac – Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder – Spotlight

7.) bareMinerals – All Over Face Color – Pure Radiance

8.) Laura Mercier – Shimmer Bloc – Golden Mosaic

9.) Nars – Bronzing Powder – Laguna

That’s everything for this Sephora set! The sets that Sephora puts together are a great way to expand your makeup collection. I’m the type of makeup user who enjoys having as many options at my disposal as possible. I can’t do with just one shade of blush, or bronzer, or anything really. That’s why I keep going back for the Sephora sets!

When I bought the In The Glow set, I also picked up a few other goodies. Here’s a picture of the entire haul:

I’ll be posting about the Sephora Lasting Impression Deluxe Sample Kit (that I picked up for free) and the Too Faced Beauty Editor Darlings Set in this haul tomorrow and Wednesday, so check back!

Thanks for reading! Love, GK

Sephora :: Glitz and Glam Set

SEPHORA GLITZ & GLAM PARTY SAMPLER

Ahhh… Look at all those sparkly goods. Don’t you just love the holidays (and GLITTER!)? And for $45, this set is a STEAL!! A steal, I tell you!! I’m certainly happy that I ordered it when I did because it is no longer available on Sephora.com. Usually they will still feature items and just say “out of stock”, this is no longer on the website anywhere.

Sephora fans know that the Sephora team can put together quite the set. I’ve purchased a couple of their sets (sampler or not) in the past and I am never disappointed. I spotted the Glitz and Glam sampler and purchased it immediately. It is packed full of fabulous finds to rock it this holiday season.

I made this purchase before Halloween and I’ve had plenty of time to play with the goods; I am in love with everything in this set. (There’s so much! and so much SPARKLE!) If you read my post from back when I ordered this originally, you know that I had to send back my entire set and have it replaced because the Lorac product was cracked open during delivery. It was well worth it though because that Lorac product just might be my absolute favorite product in this sampler. (I’ll get to the Lorac specifics soon enough)

Everything came inside a delightful gold makeup bag. It’s a metallic, “distressed” bag and it’s the perfect size for your daily picks. That’s exactly what I do; Whatever combo of products I’m using for the day, I pack into this bag and carry with me. But what is more important are the goodies inside; here goes!

Stila – Duo Shimmer Powder :: KITTEN :: As an eye shadow, this is a little too sheer for my tastes but as a highlighter and overall face powder, I love it!

Laura Mercier – Baked Eye Color Wet/Dry :: BLACK KARAT :: I love Laura Mercier products and this wet/dry shadow is amazing. This shadow takes your smokey eye and turns it into the perfect holiday smokey eye. glistening from the dark are gold sparkles; just enough for a glitzy pop of sparkle.

bareMinerals – Eyecolor :: GOOD FORTUNE :: This shimmery powder isn’t restricted to use on only your eye lids. It’s perfect for giving your cheek bones a nice shimmer too!

Sephora by OPI – Nail Color :: Looks Like Rain, Dear :: Crummy picture, I know, but this polish packs a powerful punch of holiday cheer. (And I think the name is kind of adorable.) Great color to bring you into the New Year!

Josie Maran – GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara :: BLACK :: I like Josie Maran products and this mascara is no exception. It’s great to have on hand but it’s really no more special than any other black, volumizing mascara.

Nars – 1oz Body Glow :: This stuff is amazing! I don’t know what I’ve been doing my whole life without it. I like to rub some of this amazing body glow on my upper chest, collar bones and shoulders for a beautiful party shimmer. Makes me feel like a Bond girl every time I wear it! *One of my favorite products in the set!*

Lorac – 3D Liquid Lustre :: GOLD :: This product and the Nars Body Glow are my two favorite products in the set. This one is perfect for brightening up your face for party-mode. When I combine this Liquid Lustre with any of my eye shadows, it completely transforms the color and look! I will definitely buy a bottle of this baby again in the future! (This is the products that broke during shipping when I originally received my Glitz and Glam sampler set. I’m so glad I had it replaced!)

Bare Escentuals – Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss :: TRAIL BLAZER :: I love the marvelous moxie lip glosses from bare escentuals. I was so happy that this set came with a full size tube. The color is the perfect nude with a hint of rosie pink. High gloss shine. A win in my book!

Stila – Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner :: STARFISH :: I’m a big fan of Stila’s smidge stick liners. I almost bought one of these when I was cashing in my Birchbox points before cancelling my subscription with them and I’m glad I didn’t because I got one in this marvelous sampler pack!

There you have it! The Sephora Favorites Glitz and Glam Party Sampler! I hope Sephora restocks this one for the future; it’s definitely a fantastic buy! 9 completely amazing, to-die-for products for $45… you can’t go wrong.

Thanks for reading! Love, GK

COMING SOON:

Sephora Favorites In The Glow Set

Sephora Lasting Impression ItKit

Too Faced Beauty Editor Darlings Set

Smashbox Complexion Kit

Smashbox Freebie Kit from Ulta

NYX BOGO 50% sale at Ulta Haul

Soured Sephora

fair warning :: iPhone post = crummy pics

It arrived! Right on time! My order from Sephora that is. The other day, I posted about this order that includes the Sephora Glitz and Glam Party Sampler, two Urban Decay Eyeshadows and several freebies.

Ill have a full breakdown and review of all the products in an upcoming post but I wanted to give you guys a preview of the loot.

There it is! If you noticed there’s an item missing, you’re incredibly observant and a girl who knows her Sephora packs! Ill get to the missing item in just a bit. Here’s what youre seeing pictured above:

– 0.09 oz Stila Duo Shimmer Powder in Kitten
– 0.018 oz Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color – Wet/Dry in Black Karat
– 0.02 oz bareMinerals Eyecolor in Good Fortune
– 0.125 oz SEPHORA by OPI Nail Colour in Looks Like Rain Dear
– 0.11 oz Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara in Black
– 1 oz Nars Body Glow
– 0.15 oz Bare Escentuals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Trail Blazer
– 0.01 oz Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Starfish
-Metallic zipper clutch

The Urban Decay Eyeshadows: Purple Haze and Haight. (Only $6 each on Sephora.com right now!!)

My freebies: Perfumes by Taylor Swift and Betsey Johnson, Philosophy 3 piece sample set and leave-in conditioner from Ouidad.

And now, the case of the missing party pack product. A great tragedy has occured:

My Lorac 3D Liquid Lustre Gold was broken! When Sephora packaged my iteams they wrapped the 3 glass bottles in a bubble-wrap pocket… the same bubble-wrap pocket. Obviously, what happened was the 3 glass bottles knocked together during shipping… duh. The whole point of bubble-wrapping glass items is to prevent them from knocking together. Ugh.

Although I’m disappointed that I can’t bust into my liquid lustre this week for Halloween, I’m happy with the way Sephora chose to handle this. When I called cutomer service about my broken product, they informed me that they would have to ship a whole new sample pack; they cant ship just the one product. I understand why. What sucks (for me) is that I have to ship them back my entire Glitz and Glam Party Sampler Pack as well. This, I also understand. The girl I spoke with talked to her supervisor and they were cool enough to process the reship today and I should receive my new and (hopefully) undamaged pack in 3 days. They will ship me my new one even before they receive my return which I thought was super awesome of them. I explained that I wont be able to ship mine out until Monday and they told me that would not be a problem either. Thanks for being awesome, Sephora even though I’m sad that I can’t play with my goodies yet.

Thanks for reading! Like I said, I’ll have a full review, report and breakdown of all the products once I have the chance to use them all. Love, GK

Ginger Kate

a chic-geek, american ginger on a mission to create