Laura Kat Klein: Recent Beauty Buys: Love or Leave it

I've said this in several posts before (like this one or this one) but I am a but of a beauty junkie. I love trying new products, adjusting my routine, and adding new items to my arsenal. I thought it'd be fun to share some of my recent buys with you today and let you know my thoughts on each of them so far!

1. Boscia Tsubaki Deep Hydrating Sleeping Mask - I bought this about a week ago from the Sephora in Union Square. I was looking for an overnight moisturizing mask as I've been finding that my skin has been drier than usual. I have tried other Boscia products in the past (love this cleanser) so I was intriqued by their new overnight mask. It is formulated with Tsubaki oil and smells great. I use a about a quarter sized amount each night after washing and toning my face. I apply it with my fingers by rubbing small circles around my face. It smells nice and I don't find it feeling too thick. When I wake up my skin is not feeling nearly as dry and I am noticing an improvement overall. Definite love. I now even want to try the oil cleanser from the same line.

2. Too Face Better Than False Lashes Extreme - This was kind of an impulse buy for me. I was looking at the mascaras at Sephora because I am running low on the mascara I'm currently using (YSL Babydoll) and I wanted to find something new to try. I didn't even realize how expensive this was when I threw it in my shopping basket. After I purchased it I decided to give it a try and see if it was worth the $35 price tag. So first impression, this took forever to put on, you have to do a coat of mascara, a coat of the fibers, and then another coat of mascara. I usually put on a few coats of mascara, but this felt excessive. Additionally, I felt that my eye lashes didn't even look that much thicker or longer than just using a few coats of good mascara. Throughout the day while wearing this I found little black fibers on my cheeks and I was so ready to get this off at the end of the day. Overall, leave it.

3. Color Pop Eyeshadow in 'So Quiche' - So I actually got this eyeshadow as a birthday present from my good friend and fellow beauty junkie Amy (she picked it mostly based on the name because we both love 'Ja'mie'). This stuff is awesome. I put it on with a brush for a more opaque look or with my finger tips for a more sheer effect. It's really interesting because its not powdery, more like a spongey feel on the compact. I also love the color, it's so cute for a night on the town. I love the glitter, and that there's zero fallout when applying this. Definite love.

4. Gwen Stefani x Urban Decay Palette - I got this palette back in December and I've been using it a lot since. First off, the packaging is absolutely gorgeous. It includes 15 shades of UD eyeshadow plus a large mirror. This palette is sturdy and well made. I love the colors included and I am happy with the pigmentation, with the exception of the "Harajuku" shade which I find is a little lighter than I'd like when applied. I do find that some of the shades are very similar, but they very between mattes and satin finishes and I've used them to create a variety of everyday or going-out looks. If you're looking for a pretty, everyday palette with some fun accent colors then I recommend.

5. Glam Glow Wet Lip and Fizzy Lip treatments - I purchased these over the holidays as part of a gift set which included both treatments, now they are only for sale separately. I was looking for an intensive treatment for my lips for the winter as I feel they are always so dry. I also was intrigued by the "fizzy lip" exfoliating treatment to keep my lips lipstick ready all winter. So first the good: I do like the wet lip treatment. I feel it does a nice job moisturizing my lips and it smells good. I don't think I'd pay $24 just for this treatment, so while I do think it works it's a little over priced. Now, the bad: I think the fizzy lip treatment is a leave it. It does not fizz and while it exfoliates my lips, I feel a sugar scrub works just as well. If I bought this separately I would return it. Overall: leave it.

6. Living Proof Instant Protection - I also bought this about a week about and I've used it a few times. I was looking for a heat protection spray which wouldn't make my fair feel greasy and smelled nice. I have used this a couple of times and I like the smell and the product does not leave a lot of residue behind. I'm not sure if it's providing protection for my hair, I will let you know in a couple more weeks if I'm noticing less damage. But for now I am liking this!

7. Sigma Make Me Brush Set (on sale!) - I had been wanting to get some new brushes to replace a couple of old ones I had and I wanted to add a couple new brushes to my collection. I decided to get a little birthday present to myself when I saw this set by Sigma was on sale. I have heard really great things about Sigma brushes from some of my favorite YouTubers, and discussed with my aforementioned beauty junkie friend Amy. I received these last week and have used most of them by now. The brushes haven't shed much and I'm really loving the eye brushes. The face brushes are also nice, but I have a couple nice face brushes already that I also find myself reaching for, like this beauty my brother got my for Christmas. Overall: love it, great deal if you're in the market for a new set of brushes. Also Sigma sells individual brushes if you are looking for one or two specific ones to add to your collection.

And there you have it, I will check back in periodically with more beauty reviews, if you have any product suggestions, please let me know! I'm always looking for a new favorite!