Category: Not26AnymoreBeauty YouTube

Rituals Ritual of Advent Calendar Review

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I love advent calendars!

For the last four years, I have done an advent calendar every December. My husband started it by buying me the bareminerals advent calendar from Ulta a few years ago. I loved it so much that after that I tried the Sleek makeup calendar and then last year I opened the LookFantastic calendar every day on my instagram story. When Tryazon offered the chance to try the Rituals advent calendar aka Ritual of Advent I was so excited! If you’d like to see my unboxing video, check out the YouTube video in the middle of the page.

Ritual of advent

Ritual of Advent 2019

Advent is essentially the time leading up to Christmas day. It is observed in many religious traditions but has become a secular celebration of the holiday season as well. I have found in my search for advent calendars that they are much more popular in Europe than they are in the United States, although they are becoming more popular. After doing several makeup only advent calendars I have found that it’s just too much makeup so I definitely prefer a mixture of skincare items. Rituals is already a favorite brand of mine, in part because of the opportunities I have had to try them via Tryazon! Check out my Ritual of the Sakura video and my review of the Ritual of the Dao calming treat.

Please note that the video on the rest of this view contains FULL SPOILERS for the calendar!!!

2019 Ritual of Advent details

The Rituals 2019 Ritual of Advent calendar retails for $74.50 and is available at Lord & Taylor or the official Rituals website. Many of the individual items are available other places that carry Rituals products like Ulta and Macy’s but if you want the calendar you’ll need to get it at one of those two places.

The first thing I noticed about this calendar is that it is really a great deal. I paid $123 for the LookFantastic calendar last year (including shipping from the UK). Comparable calendars from L’Occitane and Kiehl’s start at $99 and the Elemis calendar is $250!

If you watched my YouTube video you saw that the box is shaped like a Christmas tree with fold-out parts that come off, I thought I had ripped it but luckily they do pop in and out easily. Presentation-wise I think this would make wonderful gift if you can stand to give it away once you see it!

Spoilers ahead!!!

Ritual of Advent 2019

Ritual of the Advent 2019 Review

Items included:

  • Mini Candle Private Collection Oriental Vetiver
  • Mini Candle Private Collection Sacred Saffron
  • Mini Candle Private Collection Savage Garden
  • Mini Candle Private Collection Precious Amber
  • The Ritual of Karma Soap Bar
  • The Discovery Collection Bath & Shower gel
  • Amsterdam Collection Body Mist
  • Amsterdam Collection Hand Wash
  • The Ritual of Namaste Hydrating Ampoule
  • The Ritual of Namaste Purifying Charcoal Wonder Mask
  • The Ritual of Namaste Velvety Smooth Cleansing Foam
  • The Ritual of Namaste Pure Face Oil
  • The Ritual of Sakura Shower Scrub
  • The Ritual of Samurai Foaming Shower Gel Sport
  • The Ritual of Hammam Black Soap
  • The Ritual of Ayurveda Foaming Shower Gel
  • The Ritual of Ayurveda Dry Oil VATA
  • The Ritual of Samurai Shower Gel
  • The Ritual of Dao Night Balm
  • The Ritual of Happy Buddha Body Cream
  • Exfoliating glove
  • Nail file
  • Miracle travel wipes

I absolutely love how every day has something for you to read. They truly incorporate the ritual part of the brand into every part of this calendar! I love the variety of scents, some were new to me and some were favorites like the Ritual of the Dao and the Ritual of the Happy Buddha.

I only have two criticisms. The first is that while they do include several foaming shower gels they did not include my favorite product, the shower oil. I thought it was very odd when I tried it but I absolutely love it for my dry skin which gets even more dry in the winter! Second was the nail file. Everything else in the calendar felt very on-brand for Rituals but the nail file felt thrown in because they ran out of items/ideas. I would much rather have had another scent in the small soap or even another pack of travel wipes.

All in all I give it 4.5/5 stars! Highly recommend. None of the links in this article are affiliate links, they are just for your convenience. Also I highly recommend joining Tryazon if you would like your own items to try!

Ritual of Advent 2019

Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Foundation Review

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I tried the new Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Foundation and took it on a pretty extreme wear test – in the 95+ degree fahrenheit Mississippi August heat! If you haven’t experienced mid to late August in the deep south, you can’t truly understand it. It’s hot, it’s humid, you sweat, it’s just misery. I don’t know why the Mississippi Book Festival is outdoors and in August but I’ve since talked to some of the organizers about maybe moving it indoors or changing the time of the year.

Please note that while I did receive a free retail sample of the foundation (which you can too, see below) I did not receive a review sample or any compensation for this review.

jane Iredale beyond matte liquid foundation

Jane Iredale Beyond Matte (TM) foundation  retails for $50 and comes in 18 shades, which is not a huge shade range but 6 of those shades are “deep” or “deeper.” If you have a Soft Surrounding nearby you can get a sample in their beauty section! If not they do have a shade finder quiz that you can take on their website.

Jane Iredale Beyond Matte foundation review

Iredale describes the foundation as: A clean, weightless, multitasking 3-in-1 foundation with buildable, stay-put coverage and a natural-looking semi-matte finish. Formulated with skin-nourishing, plant-based ingredients. 100% vegan and always cruelty-free.

  • Three-in-one primer, concealer, foundation.
  • Semi-matte, photo-ready finish.
  • Available in 18 self-adjusting shades.
  • Lightweight and long-wearing.
  • Medium-to-full, buildable coverage.
  • Reduces the appearance of shine and creates the look of smooth, even skin.
  • Minimizes the appearance of pores.
  • Suitable for all skin types.
  • Free from phthalates, parabens, GMO, artificial dyes, synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrance, talc, nanoparticles and heavy metals.
  • Certified clean and safe: clinically tested, dermatologist tested, allergy tested, sensitization tested, noncomedogenic.
  • 100% color match guarantee.
  • Skin-loving Ingredients
  • PoreTect™ An eco-friendly ingredient made from Linseed and Celery Seed Extracts, PoreTect brings firmness, tone and density to the skin, reinforcing the structures that hold pores tight.
  • Peptides minimize the appearance of shine and promote a smooth, semi-matte, photo-ready finish.
  • Xilogel® A proprietary blend of Tamarind Seed and plant-based Hyaluronic Acid, Xilogel enhances the ability to improve skin elasticity, smooth and moisturize the skin.

Big claims! Especially the “100% color match guarantee” and that it is self-adjusting.

I made a mistake

In my video, I did mess up and use a primer which you DO NOT need with this foundation because it is a three in one primer concealer foundation. I do not think I will ever NOT use a concealer because of my dark circles but if you watch the video you will see that I think it is actually the Coola sunscreen that reacted badly to the tarte Pore & Prime balm, not the foundation.

Helpful to know

My skin is aging of course as I am 38. I tend toward dry and consider my skin normal-dry. My struggles are fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes, natural very dark circles, some forehead wrinkles, and visible pores. I did not find the foundation drying but I was told to set it all over with powder which I don’t usually do so it did feel like I was wearing a lot of makeup on my face, although I don’t feel like it looked like a lot of makeup.

Overall thoughts

I like the foundation, I think it held up very well in spite of the extreme heat that I put it through! I did not feel like it minimized the appearance of my pores but you can see for yourself in my updates throughout the day in my video. I do not think that it is worth $50 but I do not think any foundation is worth $50! If you can afford it, I do not think you will be disappointed. Jane Iredale is not a flashy social media brand, they are geared more toward aging skin and everyday wearable looks but they are very high quality. They do have offers on their website that you can use to save some money but like I said in my video it’s almost a bad idea when I get samples from my friend Lucy who works at Soft Surroundings because all of the makeup and skincare samples she gives me are great quality and it makes me want to buy them. Don’t try it if you don’t think you will want to pay $50 for it because you will probably like it.

Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation Review

Hard Candy Cosmetics Lipstick Review – Velvet Mousse, Metallic Mousse, and Wetever

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Part two of my Hard Candy Cosmetics brand review – the lipsticks! I try Velvet Mousse, Metallic Mousse, and Wetever. I also try the “It takes two” Lip Primer Duo.
I check to see how long these liquid lippies last compared to other brands and whether or not the primer helps them last longer! These are only $6 each but which, if any of them, are worth that? Are the metallics as good or better as the Milani Amore Metallics? Find out!

Hard Candy Cosmetics Eye shadow, Nail polish, and liquid Pigment review

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I had so much to say about Hard Candy Cosmetics that I had to make TWO videos! Hard Candy Life, I love their social media, they even shared one of my instagram photos (thanks y’all!) I always wanted Hard Candy nail polish when I was a teenager, but I was never able to get any because my parents wouldn’t let me order any, so this was fulfilling a childhood dream of mine. Now the products are carried exclusively by Walmart, I don’t typically shop at Walmart but I made a special trip to get these products. I was very impressed with some products and hated others, so check out my review to see what I think!

I accidentally spent $75 at Ulta Haul

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I went to buy ShapeTape and accidentally spent $75 at Ulta so I decided to share my haul with y’all. Do you ever walk into Ulta or Sephora and walk out with WAY more than you meant to?! The funniest part is that I put stuff back so Lord knows how much I would have spent if I had bought everything that I had in my hand at one point.
Check out my video – I talk about what I didn’t buy and share my haul including Skinfood gel masks, Tarte eyeshadow, generally act silly and sing Lady Gaga because I didn’t edit out my goofiness like I normally do.

Maybelline FitMe Foundation Liquid and Stick Review

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I just had to try the Maybelline FitMe Foundation – people claim it is as good as Makeup Forever HD and other much more expensive foundations, but IS it? After three separate people said how much they love it, I ran out to Ulta and got the FitMe Dewy + Smooth, Matte + Poreless, and the Shine Free + Balance Stick so I could share my thoughts with you. I also got the Fit Me Set + Smooth Powder. I tried the Fit Me Foundation with a brush, a beauty blender, and my fingers and I share my thoughts on what works best for me and tips on how to best use it.
I made TWO versions of this review video, one of my full foundation routine which has my thoughts on Tarte ShapeTape concealer in a mini review, and one that is just the FitMe foundation without my whole foundation routine. I also share my favorite product for color correcting dark under-eye circles in the full foundation video. My natural under eye circles are horrible!
This is my FULL video with the foundation routine

This video is JUST the FitMe review

Drugstore Products Reaction, Review, and Tutorial

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I picked up a ton of drugstore products at Target to find out if these brands are worth all the good buzz that they get. Elf Cosmetics are vegan and cruelty free and they are pretty hyped but I wondered, is it true? I also tried out some Wet n Wild Ombre Blush, Milani Amore Metallic Lip Creme, and Black Radiance Brilliant Effects Lip Gloss.

Spoiler – some of the products I hated and some of the products I loved so much I went back and bought more! Bonus tutorial on a smokey eye look with the Elf Clay Palette in Smoked to Perfection.

Ulta Beauty Haul Plus My First Giveaway

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My first haul video and my first giveaway! I’m showing off everything I bought at Ulta Beauty, plus Ulta.com, and a few Target items.

My very first giveaway is taking place over on Instagram. Visit my Insta to get all the details on how you can win a Carli Bybel bh Cosmetics palette plus Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and an it! Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil. I hope to offer bigger and better giveaways in the future too, so make sure that you subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated!