NSale Item Review | Keeping vs. Returning

I may have gone a bit overboard at the Nordstrom sale. To my defense, it’s been about a year since I’ve purchased normal sized human clothing. All of my purchases have been maternity and since that chapter is closing soon, I needed to stock up on some comfy mom wear. Obviously.

Nordstrom had some great sales. I don’t typically shop there because I prefer better bargain shopping at TJ Maxx and Target, but these prices were pretty similar to what you’d get at there and the quality is much better. I may be a convert – sorry, husband.

Nordstrom thankfully has free shipping and free returns, so I bought a whole bunch and will return what doesn’t work. Unfortunately (for my wallet), I pretty much love everything. Isn’t that h0w it always works? Oy.

What I’m Keeping

Caslon Long Sleeve Denim Shirt

I’ve been on the hunt for a high quality, fitted denim shirt that doesn’t pop the buttons out, and this is the one. It’s soft, fits great (yes, I can tell at 9 months pregnant), and doesn’t bow out at the buttons. I ordered a Medium and it runs true to size.

Free People “Shadow” Open Back Top

I didn’t think I would love this as much as I do. When I pulled it out of the box, I was underwhelmed. When I put it on, it’s gorgeous. Sleeves are long enough for my monkey arms (I ordered a size Medium), and the fabric is super nice. This will be fun for fall with leggings and booties for sure.

Treasure&Bond “Winsor” Booties in Sand Suede

Speaking of booties… These babies are amazing. Super comfortable and well made. I am obsessed and can’t wait to wear them. They run true to size for sure. Don’t order smaller.

Zella “Dharma” Hooded Jacket in Teal Aero Heather

This is way prettier in person. The fabric is stretchy and lightweight – perfect for early morning walks, or whatever else. I ordered a size Medium and it fits snugly and nicely.

Treasure&Bond Striped Pullover Sweater

This is my favorite item of the whole bunch. This sweater is so soft and high quality. I ordered a Medium and they run a bit large, as expected.

Zella Fresh Tech Tee

This is also super lightweight and has a mesh lining around the armpit area and mid-back. It’s thin, stretchy, and cute. I’m trying to keep it real – I don’t wear jeans and cute tops on the regular, so this will get a lot of use this fall.

Zella “Live In” Leggings

I ordered these in the leggings as well as the cropped version. I am so excited to fit in normal pants, but I have no idea if these will fit. I ordered a Large because Nordstrom’s site said they run small. Who knows, I’ll exchange if not but they are thick and amazing! No underwear (or bare bums if you’re into that) will show.

BP. Stripe Geo Scarf

I couldn’t resist. I love the length and shape of this scarf.

BP. Striped Long Sleeve Tee in Olive

This is cuter in person. It’s also way more of an olive color instead of tan. Super comfy, great with a scarf and leggings – duh.

What I’m Returning

BP. Open Front Cardigan in Dark Olive

I am on the fence about this one. It’s super soft and I don’t have any cardigans in this color… but the fit isn’t super flattering. Although it’s hard to tell since I’m 9 months pregnant, I guess. I’ll probably return it.

Lush Lace Up Back Top in Madder Brown

This runs small and doesn’t fit me right. It is too short it seems. Not totally convinced = sending back.

BP. Ripped Moto Leggings in Burgundy

First of all, these are purple, not burgundy. Don’t be fooled. They are thick and nice to the touch, but the “ripped” areas seem to dig into the leg and make weird lumps. I’d rather just have them be denim instead. They run pretty true to size – I ordered a large and could fit in them while pregnant.

Kut from the Kloth “Diana” Skinny Jean

These are not skinny, but more of a straight leg. The quality is good, but I don’t wear many outfits with straight legged jeans – I prefer the versatility of skinny jeans so I can shove them in boots or cuff them. They run true to size, and are stretchy which is nice! It’s really about preference.

Trouve Side Slit Sweater in Green Wood

I am also on the fence about this one. I can’t tell how it will fit post-pregnancy. It seems to run a bit small. I ordered a Medium and the sleeves are almost too short. I will likely return but this is a beautiful, soft sweater.

 

I also ordered a purse and wallet, but those aren’t shipping for awhile so I can’t report on those quite yet.

YEESH. I am fully stocked up. Did you find any gems at the sale? It’s still going if you’re wanting to snag some deals. Hurry hurry!

 

 

Younique Foundation Bundle Review

Sorry for the recent hiatus! I am currently 35.5 weeks pregnant with our first baby and I’ve been in nesting/cleaning mode as well as still working full time. Busy busy baby planning. I’ll share nursery photos soon. 😉

In other news, I just received my first Younique order. I’ve tried their fiber lash mascara kit before and it was OK, but there was an awesome special for an online party I was invited to, so I decided to check out some face products.

If you haven’t heard of Younique before, it’s basically like an online/social media brand like Lu La Roe, Stella & Dot, etc. It’s a “pyramid” type of sales structure, so you can only purchase through a party.

I worked with a really awesome sales consultant… well, as awesome as an online makeup party can allow her to be. She was very knowledgeable and helpful!

So, let’s get into the review.

Price

This particular set was a special for “only” $99.

If you were to purchase these items separately:

• Primer: $39
• Foundation: $39
• Concealer: $29
• Foundation brush: $32

Total: $139

So, you’re getting a good deal if you look at it based on the pricing breakdown – basically, one product is “free”.

These are pretty standard prices for higher end makeup brands like you’d see at Sephora.

Delivery

I got a notification three days after ordering that the products shipped, however it took a good two weeks to actually receive the product from USPS. Not sure why it took so long, but probably not Younique’s fault. Everything was shipped from Utah.

Packaging

The products arrived packed really well in in a black Younique box with bubble wrap and tissue paper, as well as a packing sheet.

The products themselves have really good packaging, in my opinion.

• Primer: Plastic squeeze tube with a nice lid, which I like. You don’t have to contaminate the product by sticking your fingers in it or waste product by having a pump.
• Foundation: Frosted glass bottle with dropper. I like this, too. It’s sanitary and feels high-end.
• Concealer: Not much to say here… it’s a squeeze tube of concealer.
• Brush: Plastic handle, lightweight, and not sure of the quality on this quite yet. I would not pay full price for it, honestly. I’ll get into that in my product review below.

Product

I want to first preface this by saying I have OILY-COMBINATION skin. So, my review is going to reflect that.

I’ve tried the whole kit two days in a row now. Once being staying indoors, barely going outside into the humidity. The second time I wore the products for about 15 hours (yikes), drove to and from work in the heat and rain.

Glorious Face & Eye Primer

This stuff is not an oily person’s friend. The first time I tried this, I used it alone with the foundation (i.e., no mattifying primer with it) and I was a grease ball right away. The second time I used it, I paired with Makeup Forever’s mattifying primer in my T-zone and that seemed to help.

The consistency is slippery and feels a bit greasy on your face. You have to use this extremely sparingly. If you have dry or mature skin, you’d probably like this stuff.

This primer also claims to be an eye primer. LOL at that. No way. It is backordered, though, and I know a lot of people love it.

Overall, I could do without this. This is a dud for me.

Touch Mineral Liquid Foundation

This product claims to be full coverage. They offer 13 shades with a good shade chart on their website. I ordered the shade Velour.

You get a whopping 0.68 fl oz. (can you sense my sarcasm?). Most foundations come with 1 fl oz., but I digress.

I’ve watched several video reviews on this foundation and people seem to get good coverage with only 4-5 drops on the entire face. For me, nope. I need way more than that to achieve a medium-full coverage.

The consistency of this stuff is a mix between a runny/liquid formula and a cream formula. I actually really like it. The scent is pleasant – sort of floral.

Application

Application is easy and it melts right into the skin once it begins to set. It’s supposed to set to a powdery matte finish, but not on me (maybe due to the primer?) – I need to set it with a powder for sure. Which is normal for me, really.

I’ve also tried this with a beauty sponge and it went on really well. The brush can look a bit streaky if you use too much product, and the damp sponge was not streaky at all. It’s all up to you and what you prefer, really.

When I first applied it, I actually did not like it. The color seemed a bit off and it looked like it was just sitting on my face. I expected a powder finish and for the foundation to be undetectable. However, after I set it with a powder and finished my makeup, it seemed to get better as time went on. By the very end of the day, I expected it to be sliding all over my face, but it didn’t! It stayed put and my powder products (blush, bronzer, highlight) all looked good still! I only had some missing product on my chin, which is normal for me since I rest my chin on my hand all the time.

I’m going to continue using this as the days go on, but I think it’s a nice light-medium, buildable coverage foundation that would be suitable for many different skin types.

This is a win for me!

Touch Mineral Skin Perfecting Concealer

This is going to last you forever. Seriously. You need the TINIEST amount of product to cover your blemishes and brighten your under eyes. This stuff is no joke.

I use a damp beauty sponge (Real Techniques sponge) and it works great. I ordered the lightest shade, Scarlett (hello, pasty white chick). It brightens for sure and it melts right into your skin. It’s unlike any concealer I own – which is a lot.

The coverage is like MAC Prolong Wear, but is much less dry. In fact, you need to set this concealer for sure because it’s so creamy.

I used it on some blemishes as well – set those areas, too.

This is also a win for me.

Liquid Foundation Brush

This thing is a shedding machine. Yes, the bristles are super soft and nice, but wow does it shed! I also have better quality handles on other brushes, such as my Sigma and Real Techniques brushes.

The center of the brush has a hollow divet thing. Not sure why, really, because you put the foundation on the raised edges. I’ve had no issues blending the foundation and I do like the smaller size of it.

If it wasn’t included in the kit, I wouldn’t pay $32 for this. I just think there are so many better options for foundation brushes on the market for half the price.

Pass.

Return Policy

Younique offers a “Love It Guarantee”. You can return for a full refund within 14 days, 80% cash refund within 15-30 days, and store credit within 31-90 days.

Pretty good policy, so you can feel confident trying this out for a week or so before making up your mind.

Since I only really like the foundation and concealer, I could return the other two items and get money back… but I am lazy so I probably won’t.

Here’s a photo of me wearing all products. As you can see, my freckles and some scarring peek through, but the products on top lay on top well. 🙂 I’ve had it on for a few hours here and I am still matte! 

 

Here’s a video review and demo of the foundation kit:

If you’ve tried Younique, let me know what you think of their products!