Friday Faves + Fails

I’m starting another little series around here (in addition to the bi-monthly #CleanBeautyProject): Friday Faves + Fails. I try out a lot of new products and don’t always have the time to share every single one, so I figured this would be a good way to get my initial impressions out into the world (and also to give you guys the opportunity to request a more thorough review on something you’re interested in). This likely won’t be every single Friday, but at least every couple of weeks when I have new things I want to tell you all about.

Without further ado, let’s get into the first ever Friday Faves + Fails here on Olive & Ivy!

Faves:

Aether Beauty Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette ($58)

The Aether Beauty eyeshadow palettes have been all the rage in the clean beauty world lately, and for good reason. I was sent the Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone palette to test out and it’s gorgeous. These shadows are super silky and blend beautifully. I’ve been reaching for this a ton lately, including in my last two #CleanBeautyProject looks (Winter Berry and Natural Bridal). I tend to the stick to the left side of the palette (I’m all about those rosy, warm shades!) but I look forward to playing with the cooler tones on the right ASAP.

Seriously Good Freezer Meals + Vegan on a Budget (under $20)

Maybe I’m old school, but I so much prefer a physical cookbook over reading a recipe on my phone. Anyone else? I have quite the collection going (all of which I use pretty often) and these two are welcome additions to my growing stack!

Seriously Good Freezer Meals has some seriously good information. It’s not just a whole bunch of recipes, but also guides you step by step through the process of successfully batch shopping + cooking a ton of freezer meals at one time. The only thing stopping me from making a bajillion of these all at once is my lack of freezer space!

I haven’t used Vegan on a Budget as much as I have Seriously Good Freezer Meals since I only just got it a few weeks ago, but so far so good! I’m definitely not vegan, but we do eat a fair amount of meatless meals and I’m always looking for new ideas. My favorite part about this cookbook is that it’s not full of a bunch of hard to find and expensive ingredients. I’m excited to dive into this more!

Kari Gran Lip Whip ($24)

The Kari Gran Lip Whips are SO pretty. This is the shade Radiant, a beautiful soft pink. They are the perfect lip product to throw in your bag and pop on when you want a sheer hint of color or a blast of hydration. There’s not a whole lot to write about these other than how pretty they are and how I want to own every single shade, haha.

Sproos Collagen Supplements

I am a big fan of collagen supplements. They’re the only supplement that I take consistently, and I’ve been using Sproos for about three months. They’re easily the best collagen brand I’ve ever tried. Their flavors actually taste good, the unflavored one isn’t gag-worthy like most collagen brands and they mix into drinks better than other brands.

I love that they’re Canadian-owned and am very impressed by the quality control behind their products. They also donate a portion of Marine Collagen tub and carton sales to The Ocean Cleanup!

Antonym Cosmetics Sunkisses Baked Bronzer & Highlighter Duo ($59)

Anytime Antonym releases a new product, I’m all over it. You guys know I’m OBSESSED with their Organic Baked Foundation and Organic Baked Blushes (full review of both here), so when I saw that they came out with a bronzer + highlighter duo, I jumped on it! Just as expected, this baked duo is just as velvety smooth and finely milled as the rest of their powder products.

The highlighter has a hint of shimmer to it but is also very natural looking at the same time (my favorite) and the bronzer is a rich, warm brown. I would definitely stick to using this bronzer specifically for bronzing vs. contouring because of the shade, and while it’s a bit warm on me now I think it’ll be perfect come summer. Most of Antonym’s products are available at Sephora, but this duo is limited edition and only available on Antonym’s site.

Fashion World

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared affordable fashion content on here, but it’s something I want to get back into because it’s something I’ve always loved. This winter, I was sent a few pieces from Fashion World (a UK-based online store that carries both regular and plus sizes) and I’m really impressed with the quality.

This berry faux leather biker jacket is super comfy and looks and feels a lot more expensive than it was (unfortunately now sold out, but there are other similar jackets on their site). I get compliments on this gorgeous Joanna Hope pleated tank every time I wear it and these ankle boots come in a bunch of different sizes and widths (which is great, because shoes that are too narrow never fit me comfortably).

Fidelity Denim Gwen High Rise Jeans

These jeans are some of the most comfortable I’ve ever owned. The rise of the Gwen style jeans is PERFECT for my body and these seriously fit me like a glove! They come in a ton of different washes, but I really love this light wash.

MOTD Cosmetics Brushes

MOTD Cosmetics has been one of my absolute favorite brush brands since I won their Essentials set on Instagram a couple years ago. Their brushes are beautiful, super soft, high quality and vegan. My brushes are almost exclusively MOTD at this point and I’m totally okay with it!

They came out with a ton of new brushes recently and obviously I needed to add them to my collection, haha. MOTD kindly sent me a handful of the new brushes to try out and of course, they are great. The exact same quality and performance I know and love! I definitely recommend trying out MOTD if you’re in the market for a new brush set (that don’t shed or totally fall apart in a few months).

Fails:

I don’t have an actual photo of this (probably should’ve taken one for demonstration purposes, haha) and it’s not a product I’d actually use anyways, BUT I want to tell you guys a fail story from yesterday, haha.

I went to a spring preview event for a bunch of different beauty brands yesterday, and one of the brands there was Stila. Now, don’t get me wrong- back in my conventional beauty days, there were a ton of products I loved from Stila… but have you ever tried their Heaven’s Hue Highlighters? It’s been a long time since I have so I can’t remember if they’re all like this, but they have a new palette of these highlighters for spring and they’re SO. GLITTERY.

I can handle a bit of shimmer, but these are straight up glitter. The makeup artist at the event insisted on applying a gold shade all over my face and I had to get on public transit to get home, haha. I went to the bathroom to do damage control before I left and seriously had to wipe off my whole face and I STILL had glitter everywhere. It was 11:45am and I was out in public looking like a disco ball. I had to double cleanse my face last night to get as much off as I could and it actually hurt my skin because there was so much glitter… and on top of that, I woke up still covered in glitter, haha. I’m sorry Stila, but this one is a big no from me.

What are your most recent faves + fails?