• Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte in 107
• Revlon Lip Butters in Fig Jam and Berry Smoothie
• Maybelline Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice
• Nyx Butter Lipstick in Licorice and Hunk
• Nyx Butter Lipgloss in Strawberry Parfait and Eclair
• Nyx Matte Lipstick in Eurotrash
• Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
• Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer in Topaz
• Jordana Easyliner in Sedona Red and Cabernet

The other essentials in my makeup bag are eye products. I always keep at least one mascara, kohl eyeliner, and liquid eyeliner.  These, along with some lipstick, can take a basic makeup look into something a little more fancy or suitable for night activities.
Eye products in my makeup bag before cleaning it out:

• Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Smoky Eyes mascara
• Loreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions mascara
• Loreal Superslim felt tip liquid eyeliner (I have no idea how 2 of the same product ended up in my bag but I guess that's how much I like this one!)
• Noir Cosmetics long wear eyeliner in Forever Noir

I always carry a compact mirror, bobby pins and a little pill bottle that holds Tylenol, Midol, and Aleve just in case I need them. I had Neospirin because of a cut I was taking care of and earrings that I didn't feel like wearing anymore. All of this to say that my makeup bag got a little out of control so keep reading to find out what I decided to keep and what I decided to put away in my regular makeup collection at home.


First things first, I wanted to switch up my makeup bag. I was using a random Ipsy bag that was very plain and simple and changed to this really cute "Sparkle" makeup bag that came with a Bath and Body works tote bag set that I got from my sweet mother-in-law for Christmas.


I kept some of the same products in my bag and got rid of a lot of non-everyday products. I kept the Revlon balm stain because it is a neutral color that is long lasting and the lip butter in Fig Jam because it is a darker neutral. But I may swap it out for the Red Velvet lip butter because it's a nice, light wash of red. I added a mini Laura Mercier translucent powder and small powder brush from Bare Minerals. I also added a sample of Viva La Juicy Gold Couture perfume because it seems like a good thing to have on hand and I have been trying to get rid of all of my samples that are laying around.


Leave a comment below telling me some of your makeup bag essentials. And please tell me that I'm not the only one who's makeup bag gets ridiculously overflowed and how you make some cutthroat decisions on what to keep. XO

Every Sunday, my husband and I go to church on my mom's side of town and then we spend the day with her and my sisters afterwards. These days are good ones for me to try out new recipes so I don't get stuck eating leftovers for a week. My favorite type of food is anything breakfast related and I can seriously eat eggs at every meal. This afternoon, I made a biscuit breakfast casserole, or as my husband likes to call it "bottoms up" breakfast casserole since the dough isn't on the bottom like most recipes call for.

I was recently given the opportunity to review Instanatural's Vitamin C Serum and Moisturizer and they have become my new go-to products. It came at a perfect time because I just ran out of my Glo Therapeutics Oil-Free Moisturizer (all-time favorite) and I have been in the market for some new products to use. Vitamin C has many benefits for the skin and it has the ability to brighten skin tone, reduce redness and scars, and stimulate collagen boosting skin cells.

Instanatural is a cruelty free brand that uses natural and organic products and is made in the USA. All of their products are free of any harmful alcohol, sulfates, and parabens. Both products that I will be reviewing are vegetarian. They offer a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee which is such a nice option because although this product works for me it may not work for you. They also offer free standard shipping on orders over $25.

Advanced Formula Vitamin C Serum:

-Description directly from Instanatural

InstaNatural’s Vitamin C Serum is an enriched formula packed with ingredients that hydrate and nourish skin to fight against the signs of aging. Our new formula now includes even more nutrients to help diminish the appearance of spots and discoloration, such as rosehip oil, argan oil, plant stem cells, algae extract and sea buckthorn oil. The vigorous combination of these ingredients form a super serum blend that delivers ultimate antioxidant care for your skin.

 Key Ingredients:

• 20% Vitamin C 
• Hyaluronic Acid 
• Ferulic Acid 
• Sea Buckthorn Oil
• Argan Oil 
• Rosehip Oil 
• Plant Stem Cells 
• Pomegranate

My thoughts on the Vitamin C Serum:

First of all, this product has a strong citrus scent. It does not bother me and I don't notice it while it's on my face. It is actually refreshing in the morning and kind of reminds of Clean & Clear Morning Burst cleanser which I used to use when I was in high school. If you are sensitive to fragrance then you should avoid this product.

The serum is creamy orange in color and has a thicker consistency than the typical facial serum, but this is probably because of its aloe base. Despite its thicker consistency, it absorbs almost immediately into skin and my face feels tighter after it dries. It is not greasy at all and after it dries I don't even feel it on my skin. This is perfect for my normal to combination skin but it may not work well for dryer skin. I use the serum after toning my face with Seabreeze sensitive skin astringent and then use moisturizer after the serum sets.

After consistently using the Vitamin C serum twice a day for several weeks, I have definitely noticed a difference in my complexion. It has helped to even out my skin tone and shrink my pores. My skin just seems brighter in general. I have not had any breakouts while using this. I would recommend using a moisturizer after the serum because it isn't very hydrating on its own.

This product is available on Instanatural's website for $16.97.

Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer:

-Description directly from Instanatural

InstaNatural’s Vitamin C Moisturizer contains a proprietary blend of supercharged antioxidants and other powerful ingredients that help you achieve youthful-looking skin. Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant agent that fights free radicals in the environment to help protect your skin from the damaging effects of sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation. Constant exposure to such harmful elements can contribute to signs of aging such as wrinkles, age spots, discoloration and dryness. Applying our moisturizer will deliver a potent 20% dose of Vitamin C to your skin, along with other nourishing ingredients – such as Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, and Plant Stem Cells – that work together to repair existing, damaged skin and restore a healthier, even skin tone. Our moisturizing cream is a great way to enhance antioxidant protection to brighten and nurture skin for a healthy, glowing appearance.

Key Ingredients:

• 20% Vitamin C
• 5% Niacinamide
• 5% Hyaluronic Acid
• Plant Stem Cells
• Peptide Complex

My thoughts on the Vitamin C Moisturizer:
 
This product is super moisturizing and a little goes a long way. I use about a quarter pump for my face and neck. It can be a little on the greasy side but I think it's perfect for a winter, when skin can get super dry and dehydrated. It doesn't have a noticeable scent and kind of cancels out the strong citrus scent of the serum.

This product takes a while to dry on my face. I am always in a rush in the morning so I never wait for it to dry before applying my makeup. I'm not sure if that's why I get shiny faster than usual with this product but it isn't anything that powder can't fix. This is a great moisturizer to use at night time because it seems to really set in and I wake up with nice, glowy (but not greasy) skin.

This product is safe to use around the eyes and allover the body. I've never been into eye creams (I will probably regret that in 10 years) and I'm too lazy to add an extra product into my skin routine so it's nice that this is like a 2(or 3)-in-1 product. I haven't used it all over my body because I honestly don't want to waste the product but I do apply any excess all over my hands.

This product is available on Instanatural's website for $19.97.

Overall:
I have had really good results on my skin when using the moisturizer along with the serum. Obviously, everyone has different skin and what works on me may not work for you. Based on the results that I've seen in just a few weeks, I will continue using this until it's empty and will definitely think about purchasing some more.

*These items were sent to me for free thanks to a partnership with Brandbacker but, as always, I  provide my 100% honest opinion and would never recommend a product that I don't like.

I have the best husband in the world! Why's that, you ask? Well, for starters he is patient, kind, funny, smart, handsome, and a good listener. Whenever I watch beauty Youtube videos or browse Instagram photos he always seems to remember little remarks I make about certain products and then surprises me with them later on. For Christmas this year, one of my gifts from him was a Best of Sigma Brush Set from Sigma Beauty! He noticed that my favorite beauty gurus are always using these brushes and knew they would be good quality and I would like them. He truly is so good to me! I could go on and on about him but you probably want to know some more details about these brushes so keep reading for an in-depth review.


This brush set can be purchased online at Sigma Beauty for $97 (free shipping on purchases over $50). It includes 7 of their current best-selling face and eye shadow brushes: F80 flat kabuki, P88 precision flat angled, F64 soft blend concealer, E57 firm shader, E38 diffused crease, E34 domed utility, E21 smudge. If you purchase these brushes as a set, you save $25.

• F80 Flat Kabuki: This has a dense and flat head which makes it perfect for buffing out liquid foundation and cream products. I've used this brush with my Maybelline Fit Me stick foundation and my Revlon Nearly Naked liquid foundation and it did a good job. (Please excuse the dirty brush. I didn't feel like cleaning it just to take its picture.)

• P88 Precision Flat Angled: This has a small, dense, and flat angled head and is made for precise contouring. This product would be good to use for concealing or contouring especially around the eyes and nose. I haven't used this one yet because I'm not a fan of contouring my nose but I will try it out for my undereye concealer.

• F64 Soft Blend Concealer: This has a large, soft brush head with longer but dense hairs. This brush is best used for evening out and blending concealer in large areas. The way this brush is shaped reminds me of a finger and I feel like it gives me the same effect that I get when blending out my undereye concealer with my fingers.

• E57 Firm Shader: This has a small, dense flat brush head and it is perfect for packing on eyeshadow in a controlled area. I love how small this brush is because my eyeshadows go exactly where I want. Most brushes are too big for my eyelids but this one is able to give me precise, intense application.

• E38 Diffused Crease: This round domed soft brush head is perfect for diffusing and softening colors in the crease. My brush may have gotten a tiny bit flattened on its way to me because it appears to have a slight wedge shape that looks different than what is pictured on the Sigma website but I actually prefer it because it really gets into the crease for me. 

• E34 Domed Utility: This domed brush head is perfect for intense color application in the crease or to add depth to the outer crease. I've even used it to smudge out a jumbo eyeliner and liked the results.

• E21 Smudge: This has a small round and dense brush head and does exactly what it says- smudge color on upper and lower lash lines. This brush is short and gives a precise smudge application. I love using it to smudge brown eyeliner for days that I want to skip a total eyeshadow application.

Overall, I think this is a great brush set if you are in the market for one. There is a good mix of eye brushes but I wish it included some kind of cheek or powder brush to round out the face brushes. But I will definitely get good use out of each of these brushes and I'm excited to have them in my collection.

Cluttered Counter is mainly a beauty blog, but I knew that I would occasionally like to post non-beauty related things such as lifestyle, food, travel, etc. I kept this in mind when choosing my blog name because I didn't want to feel like I was stuck in one specific category. So I hope you don't mind that I will be mixing things up by talking about my latest food/drink obsession: matcha green tea powder.

Anybody who knows me also knows that I am a coffee FIEND. One of my biggest guilty pleasures, besides buying makeup and clothes, is to swing by a local coffee shop or Starbucks during my free time. There have been moments when I (unsuccessfully) tried to ween myself off of coffee and it was during these times that I became obsessed with Starbucks' iced green tea latte (I'm not a huge fan of hot beverages). For the longest time I had no idea how this drink was made so once I figured out that it was just milk, sweetener, and matcha green tea powder, I realized how much money I was wasting on a simple drink that I can make at home.

While researching a green tea latte recipe, I found out that matcha has all sorts of health benefits. The matcha green tea powder from Kiss Me Organics is 100% USDA organic. Matcha is different from your regular cup of green tea because it is a powder version made from ground up green tea leaves that are grown in the shade to create a darker leaf to make it higher in amino acids. Matcha powder produces great health benefits because you are consuming the entire green tea leaf which dramatically increases the nutritional value. Benefits include:

• 137x more of the antioxidant EGCG than brewed green tea. EGCG has been proven effective in the fight against many forms of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses
• All day energy and focus: although it has less caffeine than coffee, matcha provides a clean energy boost with no caffeine crash
• Calorie burning booster: increases metabolism with unique thermogenic properties that nearly quadruple fat burning
•  Relaxation and mental well-being: matcha contains a much higher amount of L-theanine than regular tea. L-theanine helps to relieve stress by creating a relaxing effect without drowsiness and it may also contain immunologic qualities.

Matcha Green Tea Latte Recipe:

•  1 tsp matcha powder
• 1 and 1/2 cup of soy milk (or whatever milk you prefer)
• 1/4 cup hot water (or just enough to dissolve the matcha)
• Raw sugar or sweetener (use the amount that suits your taste!)