bailey bee

beauty, home and lifestyle blog

June 2019 Home, Beauty + Fashion Lust List

June 2019 lust list of things I want to buy
A. Tai Gold Alphabet Necklace / B. Ripple Gold Hammered Champagne Bucket / C. Huda Beauty Neon Obsessions Palette in ‘Neon Green’ / D. Bungalow Cat Eye Sunglasses / E. Daphne Cami / F. Confetti Candles / G. Fringed Zora Journal in Taupe

I’m a shopaholic but I’m trying to be much better with my product consumption and my spending so whenever I see something that I want, I add it as a bookmark into my ‘want’ folder in my browser. Every so often I’ll rifle through that folder to see what has gone on sale and to see if I even want half of it anymore. It’s a really solid way to shop smarter without feeling like you’re missing out on cool and/or exciting things.

This month’s lust list involves some goodies that I have had my eye on over the past few weeks. From a cute summer cami to one of the hottest beauty releases so far this season, these are some of the first things I’d nab if I were to win a few hundred bucks on a scratcher this week! Haha

I definitely don’t “need” a champagne bucket but wouldn’t that be the greatest showstopper at the next event you host? Also, that fringed journal is just screaming to become my new wedding notebook. I’m waiting for it to go on sale and then it’ll be all mine!

As for that B necklace and the candles? My birthday is next month and I want to treat myself to the cute necklace before throwing those candles onto whatever flavored birthday cake I decide to make for myself.

Lastly, those tortoise sunnies. I am a SUCKER for creamy/beige tortoise and I have been patiently, so patiently waiting for these to be available on a 30% off or higher deal so I can grab ’em.

Normally this is where I’d ask y’all to let ME know what you’re lusting over but honestly, I can’t handle it. I want so much. Heaven help me! Instead, I’m curious how you guys make yourselves shop smarter. I can use all the help I can get. Have a great weekend!

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NABLA Cosmetics Secret Palette Review + Swatches

It has been a VERY long time since I have been excited about an eyeshadow palette release AND actually purchased upon debut. The Italian makeup brand NABLA is fairly well-received and once I saw the swatches for this palette I had myself creating a calendar reminder to buy it ASAP. The Secret palette is full of color and allows you to utilize different color stories for endless amounts of looks. This assortment of shades paired with the solid formulas NABLA is known for has made this palette a surefire winner in my book.

Just look at those shades! Each horizontal row complements itself well but I really like the funky combos that the vertical columns make, too.

Let’s get into the most important aspect of this palette— the formula and wearability of each shade.

All shades swatched well on the arm except for Hypersensual and Nablack. To be honest, I’m not sure why Hypersensual performed so lackluster-ly. It’s a seemingly easy shade to make. As for Nablack, I bet we all have better black eyeshadows that we’re loyal to anyway so it’s not a huge deal to me. It still performed just fine on the lashline to create a smokey vibe.

The standout shades in terms of formula were Giulietta, Fantasize and Ghibli. You barely have to even touch these shades to get them to provide pigment and all blend out effortlessly.

As for my sleeper pick, I Promise ended up being REALLY pretty on the lid. It wasn’t a strong swatcher but is a very dimensional shade that works well paired with a crease color blended out as well as on its own across the lid.

Just serving a warning– Rosemary is a stainer. I’m not really that surprised as that has been my experience with pigmented teal shades in the past and it’s not necessarily even a negative thing. But still a thing to mention.

Again, I have not been this excited over a palette release in freaking years. I’m so excited to dive deeper with these shades and get so much more use out of them! If you’re wary of purchasing from an international seller (if you’re from the US, of course) then fret not. NABLA is the real deal and they shipped this palette to me within a week! If you’re as into this as I was then there is absolutely no reason not to pick it up. Enjoy!

If you wanna see some other palettes I have reviewed, check ’em out here.

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Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Juicy Satin Lipstick in ‘Sun Snatched’

Fenty Beauty 'Sun Snatched' Poutsicle lipstick

Fenty Beauty has released another seasonal collection! I am tempted to buy almost every new release from Fenty– eSPeCiALLY the seasonal collections. They are usually even more whimsical and bright than their regular line of products (which are already tons of fun!) This Getting Hotter release was no different.

Y’all know I am a sucker for an orange lip and Fenty Beauty always seems to do them right. Once I saw these Poutsicle lipsticks announced, I knew I was gonna need this shade: Sun Snatched. The formula and finish of these Poutsicle lipsticks are satin as opposed to the line’s main lippie, the Mattemoiselles, which are very matte. This makes for comfortable wear with an approachable sheen– the perfect combo for summer.

“Sun Drenched” is a red-leaning orange that wears evenly and for a good handful of hours. If you’re drinking or eating while wearing these lipsticks, be warned they won’t last as long but that’s to be expected with any non-matte lip product.

before/after on-lip swatch of Fenty Beauty 'Sun Snatched' Poutsicle lipstick

I like this shade because although it definitely leans red, it is still most definitely an orange. I love, LOVE orange lips and this rounds out my collection very nicely. When Fenty released the second grouping of their Mattemoiselle lipsticks, I compared two of them alongside another favorite orange lippie of mine. If you want to read that post, click here. Those two Fenty shades were ‘Pumpkin Rose’ and ‘Saw-C’. I swatched them below to compare to ‘Sun Snatched’.

Fenty Beauty Orange Lipsticks in 'Sun Snatched', 'Pumpkin Rose' and 'Saw-C'

Almost every time Fenty drops a seasonal collection I try to tell myself to hold back and almost every time I have regretted not picking up the items that initially caught my eye. Unlike other brands that fake you out with limited edition releases, Fenty don’t play. These products won’t return once they have left. If you have your eyes on any of the super poppy Poutsicle Juicy Satin lipsticks, I recommend grabbing ’em now. The formula is ideal for warmer weather and I’m sure you won’t regret it!

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My Dermaplaning Experience

A couple of weeks ago I experienced getting dermaplaned for the first time with my sister. Our mom previously had it done and liked it so much that she got us gift cards so we could go ourselves! I wanted to share my experience and show a couple before and after shots I got while I was there.

Firstly, let’s get into what dermaplaning is. If you did not know, dermaplaning is essentially shaving your face with a very high quality, medical-grade scalpel to remove vellus hairs(read: peach fuzz) and built-up dead skin. This procedure is supposed to benefit you in two ways: it heightens the ability for your skin to absorb skincare products better and also allows makeup to apply smoother across the face. I was intrigued but unlikely to ever pay to have it done professionally. I’ve used those eyebrow shaver sticks in the past to shave my upper lip and almost every single time I’ve used them, I’ve broken out. I was certain that if I got my entire face dermaplaned that I would break out EVERYWHERE. That was not entirely true.. read on.

The session started with a quick cleanse of my skin with a bit of alcohol. After that, the esthetician began shaving away in the direction of my hair growth; first starting at my cheeks and then moving to my forehead and nose/upper lip region. I felt and heard little to no sensation while I was getting everything done. I had expected some sort of scratching noise but found nothing audible really occurred. The process was fairly relaxing, actually!

After everything had been ‘planed, there was a round of witch hazel swept across my face. This was to further cleanse my now wide-open facial pores. My worries about breaking out were eased a bit because witch hazel is a strong astringent that is known for clearing and preventing breakouts. After the witch hazel was applied, a cooling rod was drawn over my entire face to close the pores. Process complete!

I had a handful of pimples pop up in the week following my dermaplaning procedure but they weren’t anything I couldn’t handle nor were they very painful. I assume they were a byproduct of the procedure and my skins way of removing toxins that were now closer to the surface of my face. The weirdest thing that happened was that over the following week, I noticed that my face was always clammy. Regardless of how many times I washed my face, it felt sticky (I guess) because there were no longer hairs left to make it soft to the touch. I didn’t love that.

Another weird sensation I experienced post-procedure were the super heightened feelings on my skin. I was suddenly hyper-aware of whenever I was touching my face or if a stray hair brushed against the skin. It wasn’t a positive nor a negative– just a strange sensation that I had noticed. *insert shrugging emoji here*

As for the claim of a smoother makeup application, I absolutely can speak to that. Both liquid and powder products applied in a noticeably different manner. It took some time to be able to differentiate between the product ACTUALLY applying in a different way and my face just being extra aware of my makeup brushes touching my face. The most notable feeling was with my bronzer on the sides of my face– this is an area that I never focused hair removal on in the past and was seemingly the most obvious difference for me in terms of the weird “feeling” sensation. Below you will see my cheek/bronzer region before and after I got dermaplaned:

dermaplaning before and after

With the pros and cons considered, I’m fairly confident enough to say that I likely won’t get dermaplaned again. It was definitely a cool thing to have done but I didn’t love having breakouts afterward. I know that even happens after something like a facial but that and the clamminess were too much for me. It was fun, though, and I’m glad I finally got to test out and learn about dermaplaning. I suggest trying it at least once to see how you like it!

If you have been dermaplaned before, let me know what happened! I’m curious if the clamminess was just something I dealt with– my sister said she didn’t have the same issue. I find it interesting that we all have such different reactions to the same things in life and I’m curious to hear. Hit up the comments below ↓↓↓

To read up on some of my skincare posts, click here!

Light Bronzer Faceoff: Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer vs. Fenty Sun Stalk’r vs. Benefit Hoola

Fenty just released a new line of Sun Stalk’r bronzers and I was keen to get my hands on the lightest shade, Inda Sun. I wanted to compare it to two other popular “light” bronzers on the market– the Physician’s Formula Butter bronzer in ‘Light’ and Benefit’s Hoola bronzer in ‘Lite’

Keep on reading to see how it compared and to see some swatches.

three light bronzers: physican's formula butter bronzer in 'light'. fenty beauty sun stalk'r bronzer in 'inda sun' and benefit hoola bronzer in 'lite'

Upon first look, you can see that Hoola Lite is significantly lighter than these other two. I almost never wear it for that reason. It’s too light for me and that is saying something because I am on the fairer end of the spectrum (NW15, Fenty 110/120). That being said, I really commend Benefit for releasing a product that works for the fairest of fair complexions.

on-arm swatches of three light bronzers: physican's formula butter bronzer in 'light'. fenty beauty sun stalk'r bronzer in 'inda sun' and benefit hoola bronzer in 'lite'

I didn’t have any expectations going into this comparison so I don’t feel anything in particular when I notice that ‘Inda Sun’ is the darkest of the three. In addition to being the darkest, it is also the reddest. I like this because both Hoola Lite and the Butter bronzer both seem to disappear into my skin. They do a proper job of adding warmth to the face but I like my bronzer to add a bit of depth as well so I see myself reaching for Inda Sun over the others quite often.

The formulas are important to consider as well. As per its name, the Butter bronzer is smoother than the others and almost feels a bit wet. Both Inda Sun and Hoola Lite are your traditional powder products with Inda Sun being a finer powder than Hoola. The finer the powder for a bronzer, the smoother the transition on the face. I have found all three apply really nicely with little to no patchiness.

I am really excited to continue using this Sun Stalk’r bronzer. The formula and shade are perfect for my intended uses. Each of these bronzers have nice formulas and apply well. Their main differences are the shades and depth of color.

I’ve done some other “faceoffs” in the mascara, eyeliner and eyebrow gel departments. Check ’em out!

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My 2019 Sephora VIB Sale Picks

I rarely do these kinds of round-ups simply because I am never ahead of the curve enough to get your attention before or as the sales begin. This time, however, I am! I wanted to share my favorite products from Sephora as their VIB sale kicks off today for VIB level members as well as Beauty Insiders. Read below for a short blurb about each product shown above.

From top to bottom, left to right…

I rarely wear foundation but when I do, it is the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation. I wear 120 but really am more likely a match for 110. This is a matte, semi-sheer coverage foundation that dries down quickly and stays put throughout the day. This works wonders for my combination skin and I love that my freckles can still shine through when I’m wearing this.

In the same vein of Fenty, my favorite eyeliner currently is the Fenty Beauty Flyliner. It is a deep, dark black that doesn’t flake off and the pointed tip of the applicator actually stays pointy (unlike my old favorite, the Stila Stay All Day liquid liner). Even with a bit of age, it continues to be super saturated and applies beautifully.

One of my favorite lipstick formulas at Sephora are the NARS Velvet Matte lipstick pencils. They are opaque, super comfortable on the lips and are very easy to control the placement of with the pencil-like applicator.

The YSL Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening pen is a very bougie option, I understand, but it is incredible. This pen provides the right amount of coverage while not making the application area look cakey at ALL. I use this under the eyes to cover darkness, around the nose to cover redness and on blemishes as well. I feel really fancy when I click the bottom of the pen to dispense the product. It’s worth the splurge for that alone.. heh. But really, you have 15% off, why not?!

I have begun using the Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel for things other than my eyebrows. This stuff is liquid concrete for your brows and lately I have been utilizing it as a hardcore gel for my baby hairs whenever I wear a power pony. It slicks them back and they do. not. move. Love this stuff 4ever.

If you aren’t a gloss person, you’ll enjoy the Bite Beauty French Press lip glosses because they are the perfect formula for us “non-glossers”. The formula is really slick and plush so you won’t feel like your hair is getting stuck all over your lips. The French Press range has a great nude for every skin tone, too. It’s hard to go wrong with a nude gloss.

Next up is my tried and true Tarte Amazonian Clay highlighter in ‘Exposed’. This is the ideal powder highlight because it contains no base pigment and gives a perfectly natural, glossy glow. I use this every single time that I do my makeup and somehow I haven’t hit pan. Talk about a good value!

The mascara that unseated my favorite of MANY years (the Maybelline Colossal) is the Hourglass Caution mascara. This stuff is a rich, dark black and separates the lashes while simultaneously lengthening. It doesn’t flake off during the day but comes off easily with remover at night.

Lastly, we have a new favorite of mine in the Velour Lashes Effortless lashes in ‘Would I Lie?’. I love me some falsies but I don’t love when they are too long or super thick. Velour’s ‘Effortless’ line is what my dreams were made of and this style in ‘Would I Lie?’ is the wispy star of said dreams. They look so natural and have a very comfortable band that blends into your natural lash line easily but are not too finicky to apply.

I hope I persuaded you to try out at least one of my favorite products! There’s no other time than the present with your 15% off coupon code (HEYVIB) to try out some new makeup!

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Wedding Wednesday: Bridesmaid “Proposals” feat. Julie Mollo

Whew, you’d think we would be much closer to our actual wedding date with the amount of content I’m pushing out but nope– still got a year and a half left! I’m just so motivated to get the “big things” out of the way so we can 1. slowly pay those things off and 2. not stress about a lot of these things all at once as we get closer in.

Seeing as we have our venue, our photographer, my dress and even our save-the-dates, I figured it was time to make it official with my girlies.

bridesmaids proposal packages with gifts laid out

I wanted to send my bridesmaids something small to ask them to be in the wedding and make them feel included– while not asking too much of them. My goal with our wedding day is to be as chill as possible. I don’t want my friends spending a ton of money or having to take a bunch of time off of work on my behalf. They’re a part of the day and it’s gonna be chill and “cheap” but FUN! As much as weddings have gotten out of hand, I like the trend of “proposing” to your girls because although my intent is to keep things lowkey, they will still have some responsibilities and it should be a no-brainer for me to get them some little gifts to kick planning with them off.

I borrowed a letterboard from my sister and spelled out the following messages…

"will you be my bridesmaids?" written out on a letterboard
"will you be my maid of honor?" written out on a letterboard
"will you be my matron of honor?" written out on a letterboard

and then took polaroid/Fujifilm Instax photos of the letterboards. These photos are going inside of the cards that are in the “proposal” package aka inside of a personalized clutch made by Julie Mollo. Keep reading to see!

bridesmaids proposal polaroids laid out with knot ring

Also in the packages are some paint swatches showing the color scheme for the wedding with matching handcrafted lollipops and some knot rings— as a play on “tying the knot”. (ring pillow can be found here)

handcrafted lollipops in matching colors to our wedding theme
"tying the knot" ring on a ring pillow
bridesmaids proposal package with gifts laid out

The absolute STAR of these packages are the personalized name clutches by Julie Mollo. I had seen her designs before from a friend on Instagram but once I saw that she made bridal party clutches, I was SOLD. These are such cute gifts and will make the perfect little photo op on the big day, too! Julie made one for me as well so I could be in on the fun.

personalized navy and gold name clutches by Julie Mollo

Her clutches are made of vinyl, which makes them super flexible (literally) to suit any need (traveling or going out) or outfit (dressed down or up). Julie’s fashion designs have been donned by some BIG names like Katy Perry and have been featured in various other print and media outlets.

To order some personalized bridal party clutches for your group, click here. You choose the names, colors, any extra fun shapes or icons for the backside and if you’d prefer, you can add a wrist strap too. Julie is so accomodating and I love love love that we got these bags. They were the ideal thing to make a “wow” statement in these packages while also being completely practical! I cannot recommend enough.

Want to see what else we’ve planned for our big day?

Head over to my Wedding Wednesday tag to read all or use this navigation to pop to a certain subject:

VENUE | PHOTO | DRESS | SAVE THE DATES 1

My Experience with the Billie Razor

my experience with the billie razor - pictured hanging out in my shower

Have you heard the hype around Billie? I did. Heard it loud and clear!

I decided to try out this razor in an attempt to “fight the man” (and subsequently, the “pink tax“), to save some coin and overall just switch things up. I’ve been using the Schick Hydro Silk since college and genuinely haven’t had any difficulties with it other than the fact that refills are a bit expensive– usually between $12 and $15 for four. With that being said, the razors on my Schick last a LONG time and I haven’t felt the pinch when buying refills as much since graduating from college and maintaining bi-weekly paychecks. tl;dr I can afford them easier than I could before.

I mention all of this information on my Schick so early on because I really didn’t enjoy my experience with the Billie razor. I don’t think the lowered cost of their product will help sway my thoughts enough to keep me on board as a customer.

To start, I whole-heartedly appreciate the concept behind Billie. The concept of the “pink tax” and simply, the generally higher costs women incur just by being women is real. I believe it is both societal and institutional and it is important to have businesses that are working towards progress. As time goes on, however, I believe a product must be able to speak for itself. My main issue with the Billie razor is that I get a slight razor burn after using it. Additionally, I can get away with using my old razor without using shaving cream but even with shaving cream, Billie still gives me issues.

I’m so glad so many other people enjoy this product and that Billie exists, although I’m disappointed it didn’t work out for me. Here’s to breaking the “pink tax” in other avenues of our lives such as hair care and cuts, clothing and DRY CLEANING as well as so much more.

If you’re interested in trying Billie out for yourself (which I recommend because I seem to be in the minority with my experience), they offer a $9 welcome kit that includes the razor plus a backup cartridge, a handle in the color of your choosing plus the magnetic holder for your shower. Plus, they will include some samples of their shaving cream and lotion. If you enjoy Billie and want to keep using their products, they’ll deliver four cartridges at a time interval of your choosing.

Have you tried the Billie razor? I’d love to know if it has worked for you! Let me know in the comments below.