The Polka-dotted Apple

I've moved!

2012-01-12T19:01:00.003-05:00

Not so glorious return to blogging? Eh.

Well, anyway, I've had so many hiatuses on this blog that I just thought I should start anew. I'd been itching to return to blogging for a couple months now -- I truly missed it!

I have a new blog called The Polka-dotted Jellyfish. The name, I guess, is somewhat of a continuation of The Polka-dotted Apple here, but of course with my favorite animal attached! Unfortunately, I do not have a polka-dotted jellyfish plush doll...though I indeed one day will make one (hopefully).

Click the image to go to my new blog!

I'm going to be posting regularly and the posts will be relatively short most of the time (hopefully). It will be more of a blog about my life (food, my art, a sprinkling of fashion, and a dab of makeup here and there) rather than just a beauty blog.

I hope you will join me there, so please, if you would like, follow me on The Polka-dotted Jellyfish.

Hugs and kisses,

Maggie

PS. This blog, The Polka-dotted Apple will still be lurking in the file cabinets of the internet as a collection of memories for myself (esp. the EOTD's I'm super fond of), so feel free to browse my old (somewhat embarrassing) posts, if you must!

Cape Cod!

2011-08-20T21:20:00.005-04:00

My family and I went on vacation on Cape Cod this past week! It was so much fun despite being the only Asian people everywhere we went LOL. We went biking on Martha's Vineyard the last day and I hadn't ridden a bike in so long. I felt so free. This is sign for me to buy a bike soon. It would be a good way to stay in shape too!

Anyway, I made a little "artsy" video of our little trip. A different side of me, no? Feel free to watch if you'd like! There's a bit of food porn embedded in it too. ;)

Polka dots? Of course! (OOTD)

2011-07-26T08:00:00.005-04:00

My first OOTD...should have polka dots, right? I mean, this is The Polka-dotted Apple. Well anyway, I was having fun with this red polka-dotted shirt I thrifted. It's wide enough that I can wear it as a crop top! It's also the shirt I used as the pattern in the background of my header.

I live near an elementary school. Since school is out and its playground is empty, I decided to use it as a OOTD-shooting ground LOL. I had fun all the while making sure no one would walk by and stare at my awkwardness. I really don't know how to take pictures of my full body, so no full pictures of me today. If you have any tips, do tell!

Ah yes, the infamous duckface just for kicks.

Sorry for flashing you -- I wanted to show the croppy-ness, belt and shorts at the same time!

Close up of the necklace?

Thuglyf3. Blogger picture-uploading quality is sh*t.

My sneakers and weird-looking legs!

Black Wayfarers - $5, NYC Chinatown

Key Necklace - $3.80, Forever21

Red Polka-dotted Crop Top - $0.99, Thrifted

Navy Blue Striped Shorts - $19.50, Ann Taylor LOFT

Cognac studded belt - $2, Talbots Outlet

Aztec Print Plimsoll Sneaker - $10, Urban Outfitters

I hope my first Outfit of the Day wasn't too all over the place. Stay tuned for more! :D

Battle of the Strawberry Lip Balms

2011-07-23T20:33:00.006-04:00

In one corner: Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm ($7).

In the other corner: The Body Shop Born Lippy Strawberry Lip Balm ($5).

Are we ready to rumble? I think yes.

Price: the Rosebud lip balm is slightly pricier at $7, but it does offer more product -- more than double the amount, to be exact. The Rosebud lip balm has 0.8oz/22g, whereas the Born Lippy has 0.31oz/9g at $5. For two dollars more, you can get twice as much product. On this point, Rosebud wins.

Packaging: Both are lip balms in a pot, so you most likely will have to use your fingers. The Rosebud definitely wins for cuteness and ease of access. However, its ease of access may also be its downfall. You just need to gently take the cap off to use the lip balm. Because of this, the lip balm could possibly become uncapped while jostling around in your bag. The Born Lippy's cap actually has a twist to it, which makes it more secure. Though the Rosebud is oh-so cute in its little tin, the Born Lippy takes the advantage in making sure your lip balm doesn't get wrecked/mushed.

Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm

Scent: Both of the lip balms, of course, are strawberry-scented, but their scents are quite different. The Rosebud one has a lighter, more cotton candy-like scent while the Born Lippy offers a stronger, more exaggerated strawberry scent. The Born Lippy is definitely a bit overwhelming at times. Both have no actual flavor if you happen to lick your lips. I definitely prefer Rosebud for the scent.

The Body Shop Born Lippy Strawberry Lip Balm

Texture & Quality: The Rosebud lip balm is quite thin and lightweight which makes it possible to use as a moisturizer/salve on random dry spots. The Born Lippy is much thicker and it also feels heavier on the lips (it's kind of like a jam/jelly, haha). Therefore, the Born Lippy is only meant for the lips. They both give my lips the same amount of moisture, but the Born Lippy lingers longer. This is probably due to its thicker/heavier texture. It also gives a slight tint of color on the lips; Rosebud is basically clear, though. I'd say it's a draw on this point: Rosebud is multi-purpose and lightweight, but the Born Lippy lasts longer.

Swatches: Rosebud (left), Born Lippy (right).

Overall: Who wins? The Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm, hands down. Even though I haven't used the heck out of either of these (I've been trying to use up my stick lip balms first), I have used them enough to know my preference. For $7, you get 0.8oz/22g of a lightweight, pleasantly-scented, multi-purpose balm in a super cute tin.

Also, I don't believe you've actually seen my full face with me wearing red lips, have you? Well, as I said in my previous LOTD post, I was playing around with my neglected lip products. Forgive my bare face other than the lips, haha.

I'm wearing the Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in Plum Pout here. Sorry for the crappy webcam quality. I just wanted to snap a quick picture of it. Red lips don't look half bad on me, I hope?

EDIT: Almost forgot! Notice the new layout/header? It's back to minimalism for me. Some things never change, huh? I hope you like it!

Two fun lip looks for summer!

2011-07-18T19:18:00.001-04:00

It's the middle of summer right now and it is hot hot hot! Besides the horrible heat, summer also brings bright colors -- whether it be clothes or makeup.

Today, I was playing with my (very) neglected lip products. I thought it'd be fun to do some bright lip looks. They both only require to lip products each, so it's not like you're layering too too many lip products onto your lips. One is a peachy coral and the other is a super pretty watermelon-like color!

Summer Lip Look #1: A peachy coral using Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick in Crush and Revlon's Superlustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef. Even after a year or so, Coral Reef is still one of my favorite lipglosses. The color is just gorgeous and the quality of the gloss is superb for the drugstore.

Coral Reef and Crush -- both seem like such summery names, actually!

Swatch on the lips w/ flash. It's actually more coral in person.

Swatches on hand w/o flash.

Summer Lip Look #2: Such a pretty watermelon color! I used Revlon's Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry and Revlon's Superlustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon. 'Twas basically a Revlon party today. I really liked this combination. The color was just super pretty and the cherry on top was the sparkle. This gloss is definitely one of my favorites too.

Strawberry and Pink in the Afternoon.

Swatch on the lips w/ flash.

Swatches on the hand w/o flash -- see the watermelon-ness of it?!

Rolling in an EOTD!

2011-07-12T22:54:00.001-04:00

...I know, cheesy title. But hey, I was trying to be clever(ish)! :D

In lieu of another NYC post, here is a look I did using the Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette I showed a little over a week ago. I must admit, I'm quite rusty on eyeshadow application. I haven't really worn complex eyeshadow looks in quite a while, so breaking out the brushes and my blending "skills" again was kind of weird and refreshing at the same time. Anyway, I only used the shadows in the palette -- which go together very well, actually!

The scary shade, of course, is Woodstock (hot pink). I used it in the crease (hopefully you can tell?) and on the bottom as a pop of color/liner. Onto the pictures!

An overall soft look!

I also used Whiskey as the liner.

A fail diagram of the shadow/liner placement. Forgive me for this horrid picture.

The lipgloss from the palette: pretty sheer but still a tint of pink.

Haven't seen this face in a while here, huh? I got quite tan the past few months. Sorry for the messy hair by the way, haha.

One without flash! I look really awkward here LOL. I was trying to be in front of the window but stuff and the curtains were in the way so...BAM AWKWARD PICTURE YAY.

What I used:

-Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner in Birthday Suit

-Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette (all four shades, liner, and gloss)

-Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara in Very Black

A Weekend in NYC: Food

2011-07-10T12:00:00.002-04:00

Continuing with the NYC posts (I know, I'm slow) is the food post! Who goes to New York City and doesn't venture in all its amazing restaurants?! Well, my family mainly hit up Chinatown for some Chinese food not offered in Boston's Chinatown. Next time, however, I'm definitely making a list of non-Chinatown restaurants to go to. BAM! comes the (pictures!

In a previous NYC trip, I had passed by a very conspicuous pink truck while speeding by in a taxi. My jaw dropped at just the glimpse of it. I had thought, Was...was...was that a FROYO TRUCK!? Well, this time around we were walking toward Chinatown and the same truck just so happened to be standing there.

The froyo truck in all its pink glory.

Success! I quickly snapped a picture. However, since we were hurrying toward Chinatown for dinner, I didn't get to buy a cup of froyo. Now that I have a picture, though, I will definitely track it down next time I go!

Day 1: We drove to NYC and got there at around 11:30. We decided to have lunch at a place called Congee Village! We sure do love our congee. I ordered Chicken Feet in Thai Sauce and a Abalone & Chicken Congee. Both were delicioso! We then proceeded to check into our hotel and walk around/do some tourist-y stuff. After that, we went to a restaurant called Lobster House for dinner.

My yummy chicken feet!

Piping hot, smooth congee with lots of abalone and chicken! More abalone than chicken, hehe.

The cool fountain under the stairs at Congee Village. I really liked how the restaurant actually looked like a village house.

My abalone and sharkfin soup at Lobster House...soooo good!

I don't remember what this was called, Sword Clams? but it was really good!

Of course, lobster! Definitely not as big as the ones in Boston, though.

Abalone and mushrooms! I loved the sauce for this.

A surprisingly really moist and flavorful chicken! I really liked this one.

Day 2: We went to the MET on this day and we ate lunch there. The overpriced, mediocre food there. Le Sigh. I didn't take pictures of my lunch. I did take pictures of the fantastic seafood we ate for dinner. I forget the restaurant name, but there was a wedding dinner there at the same time we were eating. The bride looked gorgeous! (Not to be a creep.)

Garlic and Ginger Canadian Crab. This was one GIGANTIC crab!

Chicken and shrimp stuffed peppers. I basically ate all of these; stuffed peppers are my favorite!

Lamb Chops in some yummy gravy.

Again with the sword clams? I really don't know the English name for these LOL.

Lightly batter-fried garlic frog legs...these were really good too!

Day 3: The last day, we packed up and checked out of our hotel. We went to this really well-known restaurant called Shanghai Cuisine (I think?). It's known for the soup dumplings and other Shanghai dishes. I personally don't really like soup dumplings so I opted for a noodle soup...which was really really good (surprisingly).

Posters on the wall of old Shanghainese actresses -- they were beautiful o_o.

Some fish/seafood soup that was mighty tasty?

The soup dumplings (xiao long bao)! My family ordered two of these.

My yummy Eight Treasures Soup w/ Pork...mmm, I want another one.

So of course this post made me super hungry (as it is nearing lunch time). I shall make some food then! I know I'm churning out these NYC posts really slow, but I'm trying. Before I post my NYC haul post, the Urban Decay Rollergirl EOTD will be next. I must say, I'm quite rusty on applying eyeshadow, so don't expect too much! Hahaha.

A Weekend in NYC: Touristy Stuff

2011-07-06T22:24:00.006-04:00

My family and I went to New York City for Fourth of July Weekend. We stayed at the New York Helmsley Hotel. It was so fancy and gorgeous. Our room was a reasonable price too! The hotel is near the UN, so if you ever go to this hotel, you should definitely visit the UN visitor center! Now, onto some picture SPAM. You have been warned.

The front desk. Lovely flower arrangements!

The cool chandelier in the lobby.

The beautiful mirror in our hotel room.

Hi there! The ceiling was reflective, so I thought that was pretty cool and snapped a picture.

Day 1: We checked into our hotel and then headed out to the UN and then Times Square! I saw lots of captivating photos and read so many amazing stories at the UN visitor center. There were also so many cool/interesting sculptures! After the UN, we went to Times Square. There were SO MANY people! We went into the Hershey's at Times Square and M&M's World. I bought so much candy and so many souvenirs. I *do* love buying gifts for my friends, though.

The UN. The flags weren't up, boo!

A quote I liked in the visitor center.

A cool poster near the UN gift shop!

Times Square!

Hershey's Times Square! Bought lots of candy here. :)

Cute Independence Day display!

Chocolate machine?

Statues of Liberty at M&M's World?

Pillows! I reeeaaaaaally wanted to buy one of these, but I got the round one instead because it was a little cheaper LOL. The frugal Asian in me! (Haul post to come)

The inside of M&M's World.

The Elvis statue. Caught someone else trying to do the pose too, haha.

Day 2: We went to the MET since it was rainy outside. Why not spend the day at a museum on a rainy day? I love museums. I definitely need to go to the Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art next time. At the MET, I waited for 1.5 hours in line for the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit. (I made my brother wait with me too, LOL.) It was totally worth the wait. Everything was so amazing, beautiful, and breath-taking. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures inside the exhibit, but memories should last forever, right?

Still so many people on such a rainy day.

A marble bust of Marcus Aurelius.

A fountain in the middle of the Roman/Greek exhibit. There were coins from all over the world!

One of Renoir's most famous paintings: Two Young Girls at the Piano.

That concludes most of the tourist-y pictures I took during my weekend trip to NYC. It was so much fun! I have to say, despite the rude people, dirty streets, hectic/busy sidewalks, and crazy driving, I've really fallen in love with this city. It has so much character. I love NYC!

Haul Post and Food Post to come soon!

I'm no Rollergirl, but I'd definitely roll w/ this palette!

2011-06-30T15:05:00.003-04:00

As mentioned before, one of the only things I bought over my hiatus was an Urban Decay palette. The limited edition Rollergirl palette ($32), to be exact.

What had drawn me to the palette was its beautiful packaging (as expected of Urban Decay), the wearable shades, and the Whiskey 24/7 glide-on pencil. Something I also found interesting was the fact that they paired a mini lip gloss with the palette rather than the usual UDPP.

Boo-hiss! A broken mirror!

Now for a little story time! For some obscure reason, this palette happened to be on the floor of my room, and I just so happened to step on said palette. I heard a crack! and hastily lifted my foot to see that this palette was right below it. I opened the palette and WHA-BAM, a broken mirror greeted me. I was relieved that the shadows and liner were fine, but the mirror just shattered the palette's perfection...literally.

Anyway, onto some swatches and a little blurb about the palette.

L-R: Woodstock, Verve, Suspect, Darkhorse, Whiskey, Crush

I really like the selection of colors in this palette. I feel that I am able to use all of the shades in the palette, even Woodstock (hot pink). One way I'd use Woodstock would be to use it as eyeliner as shown in this EOTD I did a while ago. The eyeshadows are all buttery-smooth and the Whiskey eyeliner is just as amazing as everyone raved it to be. Why hasn't Urban Decay made it a permanent shade already?

Overall, I think that this palette is a great buy and I will definitely be using it a lot. (An EOTD is coming your way soon!)

Revamped, Reintroduced, and Ready to Go!

2011-06-29T23:26:00.003-04:00

Hi there! Long time no see?

Well this time, I'm back and better than ever...for good (hopefully)! If you forgot who I was, I'd like to re-introduce myself. My name is Maggie and I am currently a high school student somewhere in the northeastern part of the United States. I'm obsessed with beauty, fashion, and cute things. The current header image is ick, so it's only temporary -- I need to take my apple plush outside some time for a better header image/photo-op!

Here's a very recent picture (taken yesterday, actually) of me at the beach in my romper and stunnahs!

This time around, I will not only be posting about beauty/cosmetic items, but I will also be posting more about my life and outfit posts as well! My first passion/obsession was actually fashion before I got into beauty. I hope all goes swimmingly!

I must say, though, that in the time of my hiatus from blogging, I didn't buy much at all. I bought an Urban Decay palette and that was basically it. On the other hand, I've been spending the same amount of money on food trips...sigh. The cycle never really ends, huh?

Handwriting Tag!

2011-03-09T22:56:00.002-05:00

I was tagged by Makeup Morsels to do this handwriting tag! It was actually quite fun. I love to write in pen. I usually write with pencil because I make mistakes quite often. I'm really really OCD with my notes, if it doesn't look good/right to me, I *have* to rewrite it. Moving along...

The tag was to write out:

1. What’s your name/your blogger name?
2. What’s your blog’s name/URL?
3. Write “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
4. Favorite quote?
5. Your Favorite song?
6. Your favorite band/singers?
7. Anything else you want to say?
8. Tag three to five other people.

So here is my (crappy) handwriting! It's nothing much: very average(blah)-looking. I wish I had pretty, feather-y handwriting like all you gals out there!

You might want to enlarge the image. ^-^;

Pretty self-explanatory?

So there you have it, I tag:

Lulu, Connie, Mandy, and others who have not done this tag yet!

Oh, and have you guys gone to Starbucks these past two days? They have a new logo/"look"! I'm not really digging it. I like the previous one way better than this one; it was simple yet unmistakable. Sure the mermaid is basically universally-known by now, but this new look is just...missing something. It's a bit too "modern" for me.

What do you think?

Drugstore goodies scare the cold away!

2011-03-06T16:02:00.003-05:00

Hi. Hello. Here I am...again. My apologies, yet again.

The weather today was very very pleasant! It was 60 degrees and the skies were clear, though still with chilly winds. It was such a lovely day (it had been 19 degrees on Friday). I went out to run some errands for my mom (ie, go to CVS, buy the Chinese newspaper, etc). Of course, I had to buy a few things for myself (I haven't been in the CVS beauty section in a while).

L-R: Nivea A Kiss of Milk & Honey lip balm, Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry

I had been itching to get the Milk & Honey lip balm from Nivea since I first saw it a couple months ago. I finally got it today because all the Nivea lip balms are $1 off at CVS this week. I got this for $2.49! :)

There's also a sale on Revlon lip/eye stuff this week: you pay $7.49 for an item and get $4 extra bucks back. First, I went to the coupon machine to scan my card and it spit out a $3 off a Revlon item coupon! On top of that I had $1 Extra buck from my Green Bag Tag so I basically got the lipgloss for free!

Swatch of Revlon Colorburst in Strawberry, no flash & indirect sunlight.

The color I got was Strawberry. It stood out the most out of all the colors and I fell in love with the glitter/sparkle running through the lipgloss. I didn't have a color like this in my collection either, so I had to choose this!

Revlon Colorburst in Strawberry on the lips, flash.

It looks gorgeous on the lips! It is much more red in real life than in the picture above. It has a faint Vanilla Ice Cream scent which is actually really pleasant. It is not at all offensive (to my nose, at least). Full review to come!

I also picked up some hair essentials since it was buy one, get one for 99-cents. I wanted to get bobby pins (I always lose them) but there were no more black ones. Instead, I got these clips which are even better than bobby pins. I'm in the process of growing out my bangs so I usually use 4 bobby pins (yikes!) a day to keep them away from my face.

L-R: Scunci Hair Ties, Scunci Hair Clips.

Also, I had been surviving on one single hair tie for the past 4 months, not knowing when it would snap. Alas! Huzzah! I finally broke down and got a pack of them. Though said single hair tie did not snap, I will be sending it off to retirement. It has lived a long, arduous life. ;D

Here's roughly (usually much neater, I did it really messily and quickly to show you guys) how I've been wearing my bangs/hair lately. It's not actually a braid, I just twist it and add strands of hair in a French braid-like fashion. Very quick and simple, yet very pretty! I used to use bobby pins to keep it up but they'd always end up falling. The packaging on the clips said, "All Day Hold" so I shall be using these from now on!

A Lunar New Year EOTD!

2011-02-03T17:25:00.001-05:00

This is my first EOTD in...a loooooooong time. I'm a little rusty with the shadows/blending so I apologize in advance. ^-^;;

Whenever I think of Lunar New Year, I think of red and gold. Just telling you beforehand, the shimmers in this look are 4x as shimmery as the picture shows (which is not very shimmery at all). DARN CAMERA! Also! Please excuse my un-groomed eyebrows, I haven't had much time to take care of them. Anyway, here is what I put together...

I call this the sleepy-eye pose!

I didn't really have any red eyeshadows so I used the reddish-copper color from the Stila Charmed Eye Palette. I used a gold for the outer half of my lid. I then added an orange-yellow shade and a matte light brown to blend the harsh edges. After all shadows were applied, I added a little bit of white shimmer in the middle of my lid as a finishing touch (it really doesn't show up in the pictures *sad face*) and blended it outward a little.

Eye closed.

I used this gaw-juss gold eyeliner on the bottom waterline. You can see it peeking through here. Can you guess what it is? (Why yes! It is L'Oreal HiP's Gold Charge!) The shimmers are a little bit easier to see in this picture...somewhat. I swear to you, it looked sooooooo much prettier in real life (not to toot my own horn)!

Korres Cherry Lip Gloss in Fuschia

I used a sheer red lip gloss for the lips. I didn't want to go overboard with the lips; I wanted the eyes to be the focal point of the whole look!

Haven't seen this face in a while, huh?! Please excuse that one random strand of hair.

Eyes:

-L'Oreal Hip Color Rich Cream Crayon in Unmistakable

-Benefit Creaseless Cream in Birthday Suit

-Stila Charmed Eye Palette - the reddish-copper shade

-MAC Eyeshadows in Evening Aura and Soft Brown

-L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow Duo in Gilded

-Naturale Beauty Mineral Eyeshadow in Elegant

-Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Vintage Lace

-L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliners in Black Shock and Gold Charge

-Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara in Black

Cheeks:

-MAC Blush in Springsheen

Lips:

-Korres Cherry Lip Gloss in Fuschia

Happy Lunar New Year to all of you who celebrate it!

January 2011 Favorites

2011-02-02T11:37:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it's already a month into the new year? I surely can't! Coming up this month is my birthday (yes, I'm a February baby). I can't believe I'm turning another year older. It's crazy! I kind of don't want to grow up so fast though. But anyway, back on topic, here are my favorites for the month of January:

1.) SNOW! Excuse the crappy cellphone picture; I took this a few weeks ago and thought it looked super pretty. The ~~mounds~~ mountains of snow are much higher now. I live in the Northeast so I get quite some snow every winter. My weeks have gone by so fast because of all the snow days I've gotten. I haven't had a full week of school since before Christmas break. It's crazy and I'm still not sick of the snow yet! I love snow; it's so beautiful.

2. Hot Chocolate: Hot Chocolate is a MUST during the winter time. Nothing beats snuggling up in blanket to a nice big cup of steaming hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. I bought this Hot Cocoa mix in particular because I had a coupon for it. Eight packs of hot cocoa mix for $1.39 -- that means 8 cups of hot chocolate for $0.17 each! I love saving money, haha. It is muy delicioso!

3. MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch: I use this for an all-over wash of color. It brightens up the eyes so much. It applies super smooth and has a slight pinky-peach tint. I love this because it's a lazy throw-on type of color/eyeshadow; you don't need to think much about it.

4. Kokuyo Une Onde Coloree Mechanical Pencil: I've mentioned this before but I love stationary, Japanese stationary in particular. This pencil is just awesome. First, it's my favorite color: yellow. Second, the frosted parts together with the see-through parts just makes it look so nice and dare I say it, geek chic. Third, it has a twist-up eraser so it stops me from using the eraser down to a nub and thus prohibiting me from putting lead in. Don't you hate it when that happens?

5. Nivea A Kiss of Flavor Cherry Tinted Lip Care: I raved about it before but I'll say it again. It gives the prettiest red tint and a nice glossy shine. It adds a bit of moisture but not as much as their Kiss of Smoothness (love!). I can't wait to try their Kiss of Milk & Honey after I finished this and Smoothness.

Sorry for my boring favorites but this month has been kind of boring for me: midyears, snow, etc. Don't fret! Next post is my first EOTD in a while -- a Lunar New Year look! :)

My Favorite Pink Lippies ♥

2011-01-27T19:45:00.005-05:00

I've always adored pink lips (perhaps every girl has); they're so pretty and girly. Now that I've ventured into the world of makeup, I've discovered hot pink lips, baby pink lips, the list goes on. Of the pinks I own, I have three favorite pink lippies. Yes, just three. Two of which are from the Revlon Superlustrous line. They all have no shimmers either (I like my pinks creamy-looking). Here they are in their wonderful pink glory:

L-R: Pink Pop, Showroom, Pink in the Afternoon.

1.) Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop
2.) Tarina Tarantino Conditioning Lip Sheen in Showroom
3.) Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon
Swatches on the arm:

L-R: Pink Pop, Showroom, Pink in the Afternoon.

Swatches on the lips and a little babble about each:

Pink Pop on the lips, no flash - indirect sunlight.

The Revlon Superlustrous line is definitely my favorite line of drugstore lipglosses. They are pigmented and apply very smoothly. Pink Pop, in particular, is my second favorite color (after Coral Reef) from the line. It is a very bright, almost neon pink. It gives so much shine (see lip swatch) and pigment -- I love it.

Showroom on the lips, no flash - indirect sunlight.

Tarina Tarantino's makeup line was released last year around February/March. It was kind of an impulse buy as I was swayed by the cute packaging. I've grown to heart it. Since Showroom is a lip sheen, it is on the sheer side. However, it is probably the most pigmented tinted lip conditioner I've tried so far. It is a baby pink and gives the lips a glossy shine -- almost like a gloss stick.

Pink in the Afternoon on the lips, no flash-indirect sunlight.

Pink in the Afternoon is a more unique pink than the others. It is a mid-tone pink that seems to have a slight rosy tinge. It looks pretty bright on the lips (much brighter than the swatch shows) and applies oh-so creamy and smooth. I love wearing this because it is a way of wearing a bright lip color without going too bold. It changes things up.

Next favorite lippies post shall be...nudes! :D

BADgal Lash isn't bad at all

2011-01-24T21:55:00.002-05:00

Today I will be mini-reviewing two mini products (they're so cute!). They are samples of Benefit's BADgal Lash and BADgal Plum mascaras. I had wanted to try the BADgal mascaras for a long time but something always stopped me from buying one. I guess, now I know why. I got these samples free as my 100-point perk at Sephora in December when I was buying Christmas gifts. (YAY FREE STUFF!)

Ahh yes, cue that one obscure "artsy" photo.

Top: BADgal Lash, Bottom: BADgal Plum.

Packaging: These little babies are essentially clones of the normal-sized BADgals. The lettering and packaging are the same except for the normal-sized being longer/with more product. Each of these are 0.14oz, which is the same amount you get when you buy the A Little Bit BADgal Mascara. (Basically, I got these two mascaras for free but if I had paid for them, it would have been roughly $18.) Overall, I love the packaging of these, especially the Plum one, because it gives off a bit of a retro-vibe.

The cute little box and the ingredients (enlarge to view).

L: BADgal Lash, R: BADgal Plum

Product: The wand is pretty much the classic bristle-type comb except jumbo sized. Yeah, it is quite large. This may be a little harder to maneuver for people with smaller eyes but it distributed the product rather evenly when I used it. The wands are the same for both mascaras. The mascara formula is neither too dry nor too wet; it is the perfect combination of both.

Like the majority of Asian girls out there, I suffer from pin-straight-lashes syndrome. I have a pretty decent length, but the problem is that they point straight down. BADgal Lash seems to provide a solution to this horrible ailment (harharhar).

Top: Natural lashes, Bottom: Curled + 2 Coats of BADgal Lash.

The BADgal Lash seemed to hold my curl very well and added very nice length and thickness to my lashes. It adds a natural-looking curl and length so it is ideal for everyday wear. However, if you are looking for drama, I don't think this is the best mascara for you. Rating: B+/A-

Top: Natural lashes, Bottom: Curled + 2 coats of BADgal Plum

The BADgal Plum, on the other hand, didn't quite cling to my curl but it did add some decent length. From far away, I could tell that my lashes weren't really black and up close I could tell that they were actually purple. Even though purple is supposed to compliment brown eyes, I didn't really see my eye color being brighter or intensified because of it. Rating: B-/B

After applying two coats of each mascara and letting them dry, I didn't sense any crunchiness. They both did not smudge over the course of the day and had the teeniest bit of flaking (just a smidgen). They are both pretty easy to remove (I use Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum) and require 1-3 cotton pads. I like these mascaras but I wouldn't say they would be the best I've tried nor HG-material (for me, at least). Overall, I really like BADgal Lash and I would prefer the BADgal Lash over the BADgal Plum.

Back with a BLAST of the Taupes!

2011-01-21T14:39:00.004-05:00

Spotlight on: taupes!

I'm baaaaaaaack~ Again, I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long without an explanation. I was just really stressed and needed a break from the internet. Sure, I'd update my twitter periodically but I definitely was not as active these past few months. I have to say, I actually really miss writing on this blog. Something always kept nagging at me from the back of my mind to try and pull this blog back together.

Let's get back to the topic of taupes. Taupes are a hybrid of brown and (dark) gray. There are so many beautiful taupes out there and all of them are relatively unique to each other. On my own personal experience, I've come to the conclusion that no two taupes are exactly the same. They may be similar but there's always a slight difference (too gray, too brown, undertones, etc). Matte taupes seem to be the rarest breed of all; of the few taupes I own, all are shimmery.

(Makeupmorsels, this is for you! ;D)

First up is this mineral eye shadow in Confident. Confident is a gorgeous taupe with a metallic finish; it almost gives off the look of liquid metal. Though I don't wear it that often (as it is quite flashy), it is one of the favorite taupes I own. I bought this in a set a few years ago but since it wasn't from a really big name, it seemed to have gone away. However, elf has a set of the same name...with the same shades, same brushes, and same eyeliner. Peculiar, isn't it? Be sure to enlarge the above image to see its beautiful swatch!

My second taupe is the 6th shade in this unknown-brand Japanese eyeshadow palette I got about a year ago. I believe the palette name is 04? It's essentially the basic taupe: neither too gray nor too brown, just right in the middle. It's not the most pigmented eyeshadow (took 3 layers to get that swatch), but I still really like it. It applies relatively smooth and evenly using a sponge-tip applicator. Brush? Not so much.

Next up is MAC's Satin Taupe. Ah yes, the cult favorite of all taupes. This is among the last few beauty products I bought before going on that long hiatus (indeed I did not buy any beauty products over that period). Satin Taupe has a frost finish and a plum-y undertone. I can see why everyone loves this -- it's so versatile. You can wear it dark and smoky for going out or light and natural in the crease for everyday wear. It suits all eye colors and all skin tones. It's just awesome. If I were asked to recommend one taupe, I would tell him/her to get Satin Taupe.

Now there's ck Calvin Klein's Sensuous Taupe. It is a more brown-y taupe. When swatched, it may look a bit flat at first glance, but when it hits the light, it really shines through (as seen from the swatch). I would classify this as having a satin finish. Unfortunately, Calvin Klein's cosmetics line has been discontinued so I don't know where you would be able to get your hands on this.

Next are the last two shades in the Revlon Colorstay 'Sandstorm' Quad. Taupe fanatics often by this quad because of the last two shades. The third shade is a taupe with a purple undertone while the last shade is a dark taupe. They are very smooth and pigmented. Both seem to have a frosty finish.
Last but certainly not least is L'Oreal HiP's Cream Crayon in Meticulous. In the picture, the stick may just look brown but in reality it is a splendid light taupe. The color is actually a tad darker than the swatch in person. After Confident and Satin Taupe, this is my favorite taupe. Meticulous is definitely a breath of fresh air from all the dark taupes I have. Like the rest of the HiP line, this is incredibly pigmented and applies super smooth. I picked this up in last year's CVS Clearance sale so I'm not sure if it's available anymore.

Now, let's go for a group photo!

L-R: Confident, 04, Satin Taupe, Sensuous Taupe, Sandstorm, Meticulous

As the Terminator would say,

2011-01-08T22:33:00.004-05:00

"I'll be back."

I haven't posted on here in so long that it feels a little awkward typing this. (I'm even questioning myself whether or not I should post this.) I just wanted to pop in to say that I'm still alive! I'm just a little busy. I actually miss blogging (escaping into the internet world, leaving behind my worries, and just talking about something that I love), but I will be blogging again...soon. I hope I haven't disappointed too many people here by taking this little hiatus without saying anything. School has just consumed my life and I don't have much time to do other things.

But anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a (belated) Happy New Year and to tell you that my posts will be coming soon. (I just don't know exactly when yet.)

Does Sugarbomb satisfy your sweet tooth?

2010-10-11T13:31:00.001-04:00

What? Benefit's Box Blush in Sugarbomb

Where? Sephora, sephora.com, Ulta, benefitcosmetics.com, Benefit counters at Macy's and other department stores, etc.

How Much? $28

Other Reviews: Temptalia, Makeup and Beauty Blog, Musings of a Muse, etc.

Sugarbomb was the newest addition to Benefit's box blushes/bronzers collection. It came out around December 2009. Almost a year now! I bought this around February. I hadn't publish this review until now, so I'm sorry if talking about this blush is a bit irrelevant now.

[Caution: I went a little snap-happy.]

Ahhh, the beauty that is a Benefit box blush.

Ingredients: See picture below, click to enlarge!

The uncovering of the box blush reveals a nice little brush.

Chocolate!!
A look at the brush. Not the softest in the world, nor the best, but it gets the job done.
Alas, the blush...amongst other things.

Pros:
Gorgeous packaging and generous amount of product!
Velvety smooth texture -- blends easily
Looks great when used with all colors swirled together
Perfect for fairer-medium skintones
Gives the prettiest slight flush of color; very subtle shimmer.
Included brush isn't bad at all.
No dust/fall-out
Didn't make me break out (I've heard these Benefit box blushes have made people break out)
Cons:
May be too sheer for darker skintones
Relatively expensive--$28
Each triangle on its own is quite sheer...especially the peach one!

Time for your close-up, Sugarbomb!
Swatches with flash.

It was unbelievably hard to capture the color without flash. I had to tweak this on my computer to get it to look like the actual swatches. Though my skin looks way dark here, the swatches are accurate! The very left is all swirled together and the one next to that is the dark pink/rose, then the light pink, the plum/mauve, and then the peach all the way on the right.

Overall: 4 out of 5

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Product: 4 out of 5

Repurchase? Probably not, because it'll take me FOREVER to finish this and I'd like to try out some of their other box blushes like Coralista.

September 2010 Favorites ♥

2010-10-09T14:01:00.000-04:00

Sorry about my later-than-usual September favorites. This week has been a really busy week for me: Latin declamation, midterms, etc. Anywho, my makeup has been very blah lately. My everyday face has been: black liquid liner, sometimes some liner on the bottom, mascara, lip balm, and when I feel like it, a lip color. So I guess my "favorites" this month would follow suit; it's basically what I've been using constantly during the month of September.

1. LORAC Front of The Line Liquid Liner in Black: This has been in my favorites once or twice already, so y'all know how much I love it. So far it still hasn't dried up on me (well, not a lot). When it finally runs dry, I think I'm going to get the PRO version. [Read my rave review here.]

2. Covergirl Outlast Lipstain in Sassy Mauve: This is a quick, easy-to-use lip marker. Some people hate them, some love them. I am one of the people who love them. Sassy Mauve is a really natural MLBB color for my lips (which are pretty pigmented). It lasts all day and doesn't dry out my lips. I'm thinking about getting Everbloom Kiss after hearing so much and reading Rae's review on it. Quick tip! If you want to prolong the life of these lip markers, I'd suggest storing them vertically with the tip facing down. [Read my review on Sassy Mauve here.]

3. Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef: Coral Reef came out in the summer and was very highly regarded. I searched high and low for it during the summer but no dice. However, I finally bought it this past month. I was so glad to learn that the this was going to be a permanent color. It's the perfect coral color, it's not too orange nor too pink. Like all of the Superlustrous Lipglosses, the texture of this is superb. I would definitely recommend these for people who want to start out with makeup. [Read my review of the Superlustrous lipglosses here.]

4. Sephora Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Pink: This was in a clearance section at my Sephora and it was marked down to around $5. I had heard that these were a pretty good dupe of Urban Decay's 24/7 pencils so I decided to get one of them. These definitely are great dupes of UD 24/7; it applies smooth and very pigmented. I bought Flashy Pink because I thought it would be nice for brightening the eyes and highlighting your cupid's bow.

Since this post was so short and picture-less, I thought I'd include some swatches.

L-R: Coral Reef, Sassy Mauve, Flashy Pink, Black

I'm going to write up some posts now since I have a long weekend! I'll keep you posted. ;)

BBLL 10.9.10

2010-10-09T13:21:00.002-04:00

Here is this week's Beauty Blog Link Love (BBLL)! Stay tuned for my September favorites!

My Lips But Better writes about the MAC Venomous Villains launch party and shares her thoughts about the products.

Check out the duo-chromed awesomnicity (yes that is a word!) that Aijuswhanakno found through Persephone Minerals.

Tammerly at Pink Diva's Beauty Spot gives you the 'gloss' on the 2010 Sydney International Beauty Expo.

Amy Antoinette experiments with Kim Kardashian curls.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets to pretend she is a real makeup artist with the TEMPTU AIRbrush system!

Kim Porter reviews Dr. Miracle’s Follicle Healer Hydrating Oil, a great product for dry, damaged hair.

With blogger events and launch parties, it's Illamasqua overload at Hellcandy make-up! Check out the photos from the launch party here.

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Mascara and Yinnie's lashes become BFFs over at Looking Glass Beauty.

Daily Polish professes her love for all things Catrice with the turquoise lacquer, "I Sea You!"

Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More gives you a sneak peek at the new Sleek MakeUp Bad Girl & Good Girl Palettes, due to be released on October 27th!

Eyelining uses some NYX pigments to demonstrate how bad packaging can ruin a perfectly good product.

Vex in the City shows you how to step up your nail game on the cheap, with the new Instant Nail Effects from Barry M.

Emma swatches the best Orgasm dupe yet for only £3.99 at BirdsDecorateBranches!

Melissa reviews Smell Bent's limited edition Halloween Killer Smellies over at LovelyAndroid.

You need an idea for Halloween? Vesna at Beauty addict blog has one: turn yourself into a Dark Fairy for this year's Halloween!

Love NARS makeup but not the price tag? Lipglossiping signals the "dupe alert" siren when she shows off a serious but affordable dupe for NARS Albatross!

The Pink Sith is less than impressed with the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette, despite it having a few great taupe shadows.

Jellyminx jumps on the naked band wagon and shares a look created using the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

Jolie Laide girl gets to work showing you the best of the Elf Mineral Shadows.

Louise spends a day chatting with Daniel Sandler and getting a whole new look!

The Lip Print discovers a products with a Happy Philosophy; you can share the love too!

theNotice finds a fab product to banish under-eye bags, and it's under $5!

L at Beautifully Addicted To gives a run down on Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanse.

***

Jeweled Thumb is celebrating reaching her 400th post with a giveaway! Enter to win Stila, ELF, BE, Milani Bare To Wear and more!

Enter Phyrra's Beauty for the Earth The Wizard of Oz-Some Giveaway for a collection worth $60!

"Revlon's Soft Nude," she whispers.

2010-09-28T23:15:00.007-04:00

She had been asked, "What a gorgeous nude lip you have on! What is it?"

Okay, cheesy/stupid "story" aside, this is a short rave review of Revlon's Colorburst Lipstick in Soft Nude. The Colorburst lipstick range is fairly new to the Revlon line; I believe it was released this past year.

Pretty picture, eh? I *almost* put it as my desktop wallpaper...

Soft Nude was one of the most sought-after shades, partially due to Hollyannaeree's review video, in my opinion. She said that it was the most flattering/best nude she had tried. I have to agree, this is totally wearable by itself. It's creamy, moisturizing, and fragrance-free. This particular shade has no shimmer or frost, but it has an excellent shine. It's like the better, younger sister of Revlon's Matte lipstick in Nude Attitude. However, comparing the two, this is a pinkier nude while Nude Attitude is more of a peachy nude.

The packaging of this lipstick range seems to be a bit more grand than most drugstore lipsticks. The actual lipstick tip is very reminiscent of those from Lancome. The 'Revlon' engraved on the lipstick is a sure sign that they're stepping up their game and becoming more 'luxe'. The quilted pattern on the tube is cute to many, but I find it a little tacky. (I initially thought they were like fishnets...LOL.)

Left: Without flash, natural lighting. Right: With flash, natural lighting.

Soft Nude on the lips -- can you see that shine? :D

I highly recommend this nude lipstick for those of you with fair to medium skin. It's nude, but it's not nude to the point where you look like death. I would definitely repurchase this -- that is if I ever finish it.

(Psssst! I already repurchased another Colorburst lipstick: Soft Rose! :D)

Two hauls in one! (Picture Heavy)

2010-09-25T21:21:00.009-04:00

If you follow me on twitter, you would know that I had a big haul post coming up. I twitpic'd the boxes and the loot on Friday. I had a couple of Macy's gift cards so I bought some MAC goodies and I also bought a Visa gift card just to get my precious Benefit Maggie palette. I had asked the SA's in the Sephora store and they said they were out of stock so they gave me a free shipping code to buy it online! I ordered these on Tuesday and they had coincidentally arrived together yesterday. So without further ado, my two hauls from Macy's and Sephora. :)

Caution: PICTURE HEAVY!

Here they are in their sleek little boxes. :3

This was a pretty long post so I inserted a jump here. Click to see what I got!

L-R: MAC eyeshadows in Satin Taupe, Soft Brown, Naked Lunch

Sorry if you find the .gif annoying! I found it quite funny because they're opening and closing like little clams. Eyeshadow clams. LOL. So yeah, I got the basics -- the neutrals. I had been lusting Naked Lunch and Soft Brown for a while so I finally got them! And of course I had to throw Satin Taupe into the mix, I mean everyone needs and has Satin Taupe. I can't wait to try them. Expect a few EOTD's soon! ;)

All of the eyeshadows individually...in a .gif animation.Swatches without flash, from L-R: Naked Lunch, Soft Brown, Satin Taupe.

Swatches with flash, L-R: Naked Lunch, Soft Brown, Satin Taupe.

MAC Sheertone Blush in Springsheen

My first MAC blush! And such a pretty one too! I was debating between this and Pinch O' Peach, but I opted for this instead. I am so glad. I will probably get Pinch O' Peach sometime in the future, but this will (definitely) do for now. It has the prettiest golden sheen! My camera couldn't quite capture it but it is SO pretty! I swear. Someone who knows MAC needs to teach me all of their finishes...stat!

Yeah, a tilt ain't workin' here.

Swatch of Springsheen. Please enlarge to see the pretty golden-ness!

Now a little Sephora haul. I finally got my hands on the Limited Edition Benefit Sunday Funday 'Maggie' palette I had talked about in a previous post. It looks even more amazing in person! :D

I just fell in love with all the patterns and textures on the cover.

The big ol' mirror and the little booklet that is included.

Love this pattern! Whoever designed this palette is awesome! :D

And now, the beautiful palette -- opened.

The face & lip products.

Included are the Hoola bronzing powder, Benetint lip & cheek stain, and Shimmering Rose lip shine. The gloss is SO pretty! It has such a pretty golden sheen (okay, seeing a theme here? I love golden sheens). I really wanted to try the Benetint anyway so now I have a mini version to put to the test! I'll probably use it more as a lip stain than a cheek stain. We shall see.

The eye products.

There are four eyeshadows (labeled above) and a mini Toasty eyeliner. The eyeshadows are so smooth and pigmented! All of the shades were pretty neutral so that justified my purchase even more! The liner is creamy and stays put (it's still on my hand as I type this!). It also comes with two eyeshadow/liner applicators which are pretty soft and fluffy. I think they would work well.

Swatches of everything in the palette!

The Hoola bronzer barely shows up on my hand, but then again my hand is pretty tan from the summer. Hope it works well on the face!

Swatches, L-R: Shimmering Bronze, Pink Satin, Light Champagne, Pretty in Plum eyeshadows. At top: Toasty liner

Swatches, clockwise from top: Shimmering Rose lip shine, Hoola bronzing powder, Benetint lip/cheek stain.

Samples!

I am super happy about my purchase. They were definitely a great pick-me-up after a long week of school. From now until Holiday shopping season, no more spending on makeup for me! Have you made any (awesome) makeup purchase lately?

A little Red Lip fun!

2010-09-22T21:57:00.006-04:00

I was feeling rather adventurous and happy today so I decided to play with some of my lip products. Since I don't usually go for deep lip colors, I thought a red lip would be fun. It started out as a nice and loud, deep red color...

but then with a little bit of gloss, it transformed into...
...a very very SPARKLY and GLITTERY red lip. It was just gorgeous. The glitters didn't really show up in the pictures I took, but believe me, they were there. It looked like I had sprinkled glitter all over my lips. It was *so* pretty.

I tried to take a picture that emphasized the glitter. It's not the best quality but you can definitely see all of that sparkle! Oh, and sorry about the in-your-face braces. ^^;

This would definitely be a great party lip.

What I used:

-Covergirl Outlast Lipstain in Plum Pout (most definitely not plum, it's totally red!)

-Bath & Body Works Liplicious Tasty Lip Jewels in Strawberry Bling (tons and tons of GORGEOUS chunky glitter)

This lip of the day (LOTD) reminded me of those Christmas tree ornaments where the glitter would get all over your hands when you touched them.

ALL HAIL THE FLOATING CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT. (I did not take this photo.)

Unboxing: Kat Von D's True Romance Ludwig Palette

2010-09-20T19:00:00.004-04:00

I finally bought the very-much-raved Kat Von D True Romance Palette in...Ludwig (yes, the neutral one)! It was $10 off the regular price of the older palettes, both in-store and online. That made it $24 for 8 eyeshadows, which means that it was $3 for each eyeshadow. The sale is still going on right now so if you want to get your hands on this, go go go! :)

Here is my unboxing of the palette...

The box it comes in.

Open it up!

While I do find the paper-wrapping a nice touch, it is not very eco-friendly.

The palette. The exterior seems to be the same material as NARS packaging.

The eyeshadows!

I hope I'm doing this right. The shadows from left to right are: Lucifer (matte black), Orbi (shimmery olive), Dimebag (light shimmery green), Tequila (pearlescent off-white), Clay (glittery beige), Downtown (light metallic copper), Baroque (rich shimmery brown), and Leather (deep matte brown). And it is all housed in a very pretty and fairly sturdy encasing (I *adore* the rose detail!).

A close-up of the eyeshadows. Love the big ol' mirror!

An even closer close-up! I tried to align the swatches to be the same order as the palette.

So far the palette is great overall. Even though this IS Sephora brand makeup in disguise, it is far better than that horrid Mauve Yet! quad I got for Christmas last year. My favorite shades in this palette are Orbi, Downtown, and Baroque. The worst one had to be Clay. It was chalky and not very pigmented. But all of the other shades were smooth and pigmented. The brushes that come with it are horribly small, I cannot imagine how long it would take to put on a shadow over the lid with these! (However, they would be great for spot-concealing, inner tearduct-highlighting, eyelining, etc.)

I can't wait to use this on the eyes and perhaps I'll post an EOTD or two!

BBLL 9.11.10

2010-09-11T19:55:00.001-04:00

Rae ignites a bit of a lipstick craze with photos and swatches of her (current) favourite drugstore thrill -- Revlon Mauvy Night!

Eyelining rounds up all of the Sleek iDivine palettes, both limited edition!

Neutrals is her middle name! Maggie shares her favorite neutral eyeshadow palettes over at The Polka-Dotted Apple.

Jen from A Beauty Junkie in London has a sneak peak at the new range of make-up from Accessorize.

Phyrra shows you a cool tutorial on how to do a Candy Gothic Lolita Look.

Take a little look at the *NEW* Max Factor MakeUp Brushes! Sophie likes them a lot!

Jellyminx shows you how to create a subtle gold and plum look.

Musicalhouses has swatched the new NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks so you don't even have to check them out in person! Woohoo!

Glitter Geek is going on a self-imposed Chanel ban, and it's all because of this beautiful blush.

The Lip Print puckers up to Etsy and goes a little crazy for Flourish Lip Balms.

Jeweled Thumb takes a walk down memory lane and runs through the best and worst of the ULTA makeup line.

Check out Pink Diva Beauty & support Tammerly while she fundraises for Liptember and pledges to try 30 lip products in 30 days!

The Smashbox Masquerade eye shadow palette for Fall is both both and beautiful. See pictures and swatches and learn how to get the look at Prime Beauty.

Emma discovers her new favourite lipsticks for only £2 a piece at Birds Decorate Branches!

Makeup Zombie is absolutely crazy over her most recent High Voltage Haul!

Hot Beauty Health shares 7 fun and easy braided hairstyles!

Beautywoome.com thinks the term 'real women' has been hijacked!

***

Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More is celebrating her first Blogiversary with a giveaway. Enter for a chance to win MAC Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi lipglasses!

IHeartCosmetics is holding a giveaway to win £46 worth of Purity Organic Skincare.

My Favorite Everyday Eye Palettes

2010-09-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

With August over, summer has come to an end and it's time for me to bring my lazy ass back to school. This calls for...neutral makeup! I'm not the type of girl who would wear full-blown makeup to school (nor do I have the guts to do so, props to those who do!). I'm more of a mascara-eyeliner-(sometimes a shadow)-chapstick/lipstain kind of girl. And so I stick to the beiges, the browns, the peaches, etc. for the eyes. Here are a few of my favorite neutral eyeshadow palettes (along with swatches from each!). Two are from the drugstore and two are from higher end brands.

1. Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Coffee Bean

This is basically my ideal to-go palette. The shadows last long, there's a variety of colors, and it's all packaged in a small and sturdy palette. It comes with a matte beige, a matte pale taupe, a shimmery brown, and a matte espresso color. Included are two (surprisingly awesome!) sponge-tip applicators: one, the standard, flat applicator for packing on color, and the other, pointed and slim for defining. The only downfall is that it doesn't have a mirror. (Read my full review here.)

Swatches of Coffee Bean.

2. L'Oreal HiP Concentrated Shadow Duo in Foxy

This is a nice, compact eyeshadow duo from L'Oreal's HiP (High Intensity Pigments) line. I mentioned before that it was similar to Too Faced's Sexpresso & Peach Fuzz duo and I still think it is. The lighter side is a nice peachy pink and the other side is a matte brown. The peachy side is smooth and applies nicely, however the brown applies a bit patchy and the eyeshadow itself feels a little hard. I just love the peachy-pink color for an all-over lid wash. The round packaging is very small and probably fits into anything.

Swatches of Foxy.

3. Lancome Ombre Absolue Radiant Smoothing Eyeshadow Duo in Amber Imperiale

Not to toot my horn, but I adore this picture...just because the mirror reflects the eyeshadow. (I love it when they do that.) But anyway, this is an awesome duo -- the eyeshadows are so smooth and apply like a dream. It comes with a matte peach (very close to the color of my skin) and a rich pearly brown. I love that it has a gigantic mirror and also the little Lancome rose details on the eyeshadows. I bought this eyeshadow duo at Marshall's so I'm not sure if they make this color anymore. I checked the Lancome website and they do have this duo, but in other colors (though the main product photo IS this color!?). I'd say the closest one would be Ivory Opulence.

Swatches of Amber Imperiale.

4. Clinique Lip & Eye Palette

This is a great all-in-one palette. I got it as part of a free GWP set. It has three different lip colors: a loud, reddish coral, a MLBB nude, and a sheer glittery pink. Also included is a duo eyeshadow in Twice the Spice. I love the plum-y brown shade in the eyeshadow duo; it is very smooth and pigmented. The peachy shade, on the other hand, is chalky and not pigmented. What I like about this palette is that it's small (2.5" x 2.5", to be exact) and that it has a giant mirror and a variety of products. Definitely a great on-the-go palette for on-the-go girls!

Swatches of Clinique's Lip & Eye Palette. Same order as above.

So those are my go-to neutral eyeshadow palettes, care to share or suggest some of yours? I'd love to check them out. :)

August 2010 Favorites!

2010-08-31T22:14:00.001-04:00

I haven't been wearing makeup a lot, but here are my favorites for the month of August. They're mostly old favorites, but good favorites.

[Sorry about the lighting, it was late at night so I just used my desk lamp.]

1. Dove Ultimate Go Fresh Cool Essentials Deodorant: I just got this deodorant this month and I've been loving it so far. I love this Cucumber & Green Tea scent; it's so light and fresh! This may be a little TMI, but I sweat a bit...heavily, and this holds it in really well. This also doesn't transfer onto clothes! :)

2. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy EDP Roll-On: I think this has been in my favorites before but I just can't stop loving this scent! It's a light, sweet scent--perfect for summer. But I wear it year-round anyway. The roll-on is very small and really convenient to carry on the go.

3. Nivea A Kiss of Moisture Hydrating Lip Care SPF 4: I've only been relying on lip balm this past month because well, who really wears that much makeup in the summer? On top of that, my skin's been pretty nice lately so all I need is some mascara and lip balm for the lips. It moisturizes well and is uber-smooth. I also love/hate the fact that it looks like a glue stick.

4. The Body Shop Born Lippy Strawberry Lip Balm: As I said above, I've only been wearing lip balm the past month and I've been rotating between this and the Nivea one. This provides a sheer tint of color to the lips in addition to hydration. I actually prefer this over the Rosebud Strawberry lip balm. This has a better strawberry scent and a better texture. This also moisturizes better than the Rosebud one.

So yup, that's it for my August favorites! I know mine were boring, but do tell what yours were this month! :)

Recreation: Estee Lauder's Blue Dahlia Look (EOTD)

2010-08-29T15:57:00.008-04:00

I'm so sorry about that impromptu hiatus I went on. There was no excuse for me not blogging. I was just being a lazy-bum and trying to enjoy my summer. ^^; I will definitely be going back to regular blogging. I know I say that every time, but I mean it this time! I want to be proud of my blog; it needs to be a well-oiled machine...of blogging. LOL. But anyway, onto the post...

As I was flipping through my August issue of Allure, I fell in love with the promo image for Estee Lauder's fall 2010 Blue Dahlia collection. I loved the dramatic smokey blue eyes and that the model had a fuller brow (or it looks like she has a full brow). So here is my take on the look as well as my dupes for the shades in the Blue Dahlia palette.

Please excuse that weird ermm...pout.

And now, here is the actual promo image I fell in love with...along with my imitation of her pose. Now I don't have a looong neck (nor am I a model) like her so this was the best I could do...

Isn't she just gorgeous?
Pathetic.

I semi-smiled with my lips together because I didn't want my braces to ruin the picture.

Side-by-side comparison. (Excuse the painted-on flower on my head.)

Now this is me goofing off after many (failed) attempts to do the model's pose.

The palette has a turquoise, mink, black, white, and a deep navy. I've heard great things about the palette and that the shades are very pigmented!

Now: my dupes. They are mainly coming from my very cheap Claire's blue eyeshadow palette, which I had gotten when I was just a n00b at makeup. Sorry about that! But it's just the black, white, and the turquoise that are coming from the Claire's palette. I also used a L'Oreal HiP duo and a Revlon quad. I have circled and added an asterisk to the shades I used. (Hopefully you can see it!) You can click the image to enlarge.

Claire's blue eyeshadow palette, L'Oreal HiP duo in Rascal, Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Sandstorm

They might not look much like dupes in that picture, but swatches tell all! Here are swatches of the actual palette and swatches of my dupes. The picture of the swatches of the actual palette were not taken by me.

Swatches of the actual palette (on the left). Credits to Karlasugar.

Swatches of my dupes. I'd say that they're pretty darn close!

Same order as above.

So here's the product breakdown for my take on the look:

Eyes:
-UDPP
-Claire's Blue Eyeshadow palette - the turquoise, black, and white
-L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow duo in Rascal - the navy side
-Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Sandstorm - the taupe (last shade on the bottom)
-Sephora Triple Effect Mascara in Ultra Black

Lips:
-Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude
-L'Oreal Color Juice Lipgloss in Melon Punch

Sorry for the picture spam.

BBLL 8.28.10

2010-08-28T15:18:00.001-04:00

Rae reviews a gorgeously packaged mascara that smells like blueberries (no, we're not kidding!) over at theNotice.

Tammerly from Pink Diva's Beauty Spot was GHD's guest at Little Joe Woman fashion luncheon which was also sponsored by Lancome.

IHeartCosmetics reviews the famous Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish .

The Pink Sith tries to put as many non sequitur references that she can into her review of Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush. See if she has finally gone too far.

Madame B Fatale swatches some Australian Mineral Shadows by Kylies Professional.

Jellyminx creates an affordable autumn inspired eye look perfect for the dreary weather the UK has had recently!!

Urban Decay announce The Black Palette and Lipglossiping has the photos! This one's for the rock chick inside each of us!

Cindy from Prime Beauty is finally leading the semi-"charmed" life she thinks she deserves by wearing the newest Three Custom Color Specialist lipstick. Find out how you can get yours as a GWP!

What's in the vanity drawers at The Gloss Menagerie? Come have a look at Alyson's makeup organization.

Beautywoome takes you through the no-chip manicure paces.

It wasn't easy, but Glitter Geek actually listed her top 10 products for Summer 2010. See any of your own favourites?

Jeweled Thumb reviews a face paint by Models Own as a blush and discovers it works!

Want to learn how to self-apply individual false eyelashes at home? Mz. More of The Glamorous Gleam has a video tutorial!

Hot Beauty Health shares how to get short, curly hairstyles like celebs!

The Lip Print makes a change and crosses over to the light side .

Retrodiva explores eight autumn beauty trends sure to be popular this year.

Want Chanel Paradoxal but don't like it's price? Musicalhouses shows you Paradoxal's (much) cheaper little sister!

BBLL 8.14.10

2010-08-14T21:31:00.002-04:00

Here is this week's Beauty Blog Link Love (BBLL)!

Phyrra shows you Meow's Friday the 13th Collection, just in time for Friday the 13th!

Louise wonders about the Thierry Mugler wisdom of Womanity.

Lismarie from Beauty Crazed opens up Pandora's Box - Pandora's Makeup Box that is!

Take a look at swatches of Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipglosses and see what Sophie thinks of them.

The fish pedicure has come to London via Aqua Sheko and Beautywoome tries it out.

Lipglossiping has the scoop on the NARS Christmas Bento Box Lip Set that EVERYONE will want, but that at £95, few will be able to justify!

Krasey Beauty swatches her entire collection of Make Up For Ever eyeshadows, for all the world to see!

Retrodiva discovers a mascara that's almost identical to her beloved Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper. a solution to her oily skin, she just can't get enough of it!

Want soft skin, smooth legs and shiny hair? Cindy at Prime Beauty has your solution--find out what ten must-have beauty products are in her shower.

Broke your nail and don't know what to do? Musicalhouses will show you how to fix your nail with a DIY nail wrap!

Rachel's been finding possible Liz Earle alternatives.. is Soap and Glory's Hot Cloth Cleanser "the one"?

Jeweled Thumb reviews a miniature blush from a brand that doesn't seem to get quite enough love (PS she loves it!)

Are you looking for some everyday nude lip products? Check out Spiced Beauty's top 3!

Jolie Laide Girl falls in love forever and its with the creamy Make Up Forever Aqua Creams.

***
Finally, over to theNotice for Rae's Silicone Giveaway, which includes a lustrous hair lotion, a Canada-exclusive powder, and a bit of Urban Decay!

A big ol' Swatch-fest: eyeliners!

2010-08-06T00:32:00.002-04:00

So on twitter, I tweeted that I was going to sharpen all my eyeliner/eye pencil-type shadows. Well, I did and as I sharpened away, I started to swatch all of them on my hand. I arranged them in rows and by color; greens, blues, purples/pinks, browns, and blacks. Yeah, I got a tiny bit carried away. But anyway, that gave me something to blog about, right? (Right!)

Oh, and I've done a little "swatch-fest" before a couple of months ago with lip glosses. Yes, this is what I do when I'm bored: I swatch gazillions of things on my hand. Of course my lip gloss collection has grown a bit since then, but you can still check it out if you want! Perhaps these swatch posts could help you in deciding whether to buy something or not? (I hope so!) Now let's get started. :)

All of the swatches, with flash.

First up: greens!

L-R: Sephora Eyes Pencil in 510, L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Eyeliner Pencil in Green

As you can see, I don't have many greens. I really like the Sephora pencil though, it's very pigmented and has the prettiest metallic finish. It's also very creamy. The L'Oreal eyeliner is another story. It's not smooth, it drags, it's not very pigmented, and I just don't reach for it very often. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it, but I remember that it was 75% off and I was thinking that I didn't have a green eyeliner.

Second row: blues!

L-R: Avon Big Color Eye Pencil in Bluesmoke, Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Le Bleu de Jim, Avon Jillian Dempsey Professional Kohl Eyeliner in Navy, Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 in Marine

I absolutely love blue eyeliners/pencils. It adds a bright pop of color on the lower lashline without being too out there (for me, at least). My favorite is the Styli-Style eyeliner, it's such a pretty color and it also applies very smooth and creamy. Another awesome thing is that it DOES NOT budge! I also like the Avon kohl pencil; it applies smoothly and is a great alternate color to my everyday black eyeliner. The Avon eye pencil in Bluesmoke is also very nice as a base for smokey looks or also by itself as a smudgy/smokey, messy look. The Lancome pencil is my least-used, but I do love (looking at) it because it's so bright, it's almost fluorescent!

Third row: Purples & pinks!

L-R: L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Violet Volt, L'Oreal HiP Color Rich Cream Crayon in Unmistakable, Avon Big Color Eye Pencil in Floraluscious

Oh my goodness, my beloved Violet Volt, how I love thee! It's so smooth, pigmented, and long-lasting. The L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome is my favorite line of eyeliners from the drugstore. I'm sure you've all heard about the rave with these pencils. They're seriously amazing! I use Violet Volt a lot on the bottom lashline to add a pop of color. Purple really does compliment my brown eyes. The L'Oreal HiP cream crayon is great, it applies smoothly and is quite pigmented. The only problem is the color...I don't find myself using red a lot, but it's nice! The Avon eye pencil is one of my most used eyeshadow pencils. It's a champagne-y baby pink, great for all over the lid. It really brightens up the eyes. It applies really creamy!

Fourth row: browns (and a gold)!

L-R: L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Gold Charge, L'Oreal HiP Color Rich Cream Crayon in Meticulous, Ulta Contour Eyeliner in Deep Brown, Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 in Brown, Avon Jillian Dempsey Professional Kohl Eye Liner in Dark Brown.

My favorites in this bunch are the L'Oreal HiP Gold Charge and the Avon Jillian Dempsey Kohl. They both apply very smooth and creamy; no tug or pull. Gold Charge just brightens up my eyes so much. The Avon Kohl is great for my everyday neutral eyeliner. I also really like the L'Oreal HiP Cream Crayon because it's like a light taupe. I really like it. The others are just regular ol' brown eyeliners--nothing to write home about.

Lastly: blacks!

L-R: Ulta Contour Eyeliner in Black, Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Jet Black, L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Black Shock, Random one from a makeup set, Styli-Style Liquid Liner 24 in Matte Black, LORAC Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner in Black, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero.

I use black eyeliner the most. My favorites are the Rimmel Soft Kohl, L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome, and the LORAC Front of the Line. I've had the Rimmel the longest out of all of them, and right not it's just a little nub. The L'Oreal HiP is basically HG status. It applies so smooth and does not budge/smudge. The LORAC one is my favorite liquid eyeliner; it's so dark and doesn't budge.

I hope you guys don't mind my mumbling. Just enjoy the swatches, I guess! :)

July 2010 Favorites

2010-07-31T17:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the impromptu hiatus, I was just...to be honest, LAZY. I'm so sorry! I know I should be more consistent and committed to blogging. And I was going so well too; my posts were getting somewhat regular. But anyway, enough jibber-jabber regarding my horrible blogging schedule, onto my July 2010 favorites!

(It's actually been about a year since I first posted a 'monthly favorites' post. Hurrah!)

1. Revlon Colorstay Quad in Coffee Bean: Sort of a rediscovery--it's a perfect everyday eyeshadow palette. I love the fact that there's a mix between matte and shimmery shades, unlike many drugstore palettes on the market. It's ideal for travel and the sponge applicators are actually quite good. (Read my full review here.)

2. Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow in Nice Melons: This gives the most gorgeous glow to the eyes! I use it all over the lids and it just brightens up the eye so much. Even though this was nearly $20, I still think it's worth it. (See swatches here.)

3. Revlon Beyond Natural Defining Eye Pencil in Brown: Words cannot express how much I lurve this product! You just apply to the eye, blend, add a little mascara, et voila: perfect sultry eyes! I've tried to capture it with my camera, but it just doesn't show up. I'll try again later. However! I think this product might be discontinued. :(

4. MAC Lipstick in Marquise'd: This is relatively sheer, as it is a Lustre finish, but it's a light pink with the prettiest golden sheen. It applies very smooth and is pretty moisturizing. It is a great color for everyday. The majority of my favorite products this month are everyday-use products, so they're kind of boring. Sorry! (See swatches here.)

5. Covergirl Outlast Lipstain in Sassy Mauve: This is a marker-type lip stain, so it is very easy to apply. It lasts a long time on my lips and doesn't dry them out. Again, this is a perfect everyday-wear color (for me, at least). I've been storing it tip-down so that it won't dry out too fast. (See my mini review and swatches here.)

6. Ocean Spray Craisins (Original flavor): Some people find them sour, some find them bitter, but these are perfectly sweet for me! I personally don't like raisins, but craisins, on the other hand, is a whole different story! It's naturally sweet and a healthy snack (it's fat-free and gluten-free!). They're the natural, healthy alternative to fruit snacks (i.e. fruity gummy candy?). I thought that I should include something different in my monthly favorites for this month. And yes, that is a giant-sized bag of craisins...my parents are Asian; they buy stuff in bulk from BJ's Wholesale Club (since there aren't any Costco's near where I live). High five if you like craisins too! :D

So that's it for my (very boring) monthly favorites! I hope I'll get back to regular posting next month. What were your favorites this month?

BBLL 7.31.10

2010-07-31T12:20:00.000-04:00

Here is this week's Beauty Blog Link Love (BBLL)!

Have you ever tried epilating? Well, now Rae has -- and she just loves her new Emjoi Emagine!

Vote NOW on what Makeup Series you'd like to see next on Betty Girl Makeup. Poll closes Friday, August 6th @ 11:59pm.

Jellyminx shows a summery golden pink look and features a surprise guest!

Kim Porter swatches products from the MAC In The Groove Collection to show you what it looks like on NC50 skin.

Krasey Beauty has exclusive swatches of the new Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Collection.

Rachel's been trying out new mineral makeup from Lily Lolo over at Queen of Turquoise.

Hot Beauty Health shares a list of the top 10 virtual hairstyle and makeover sites to try out a new look!

Musicalhouses makes Illamasqua's Beg blush wearable in her latest FOTD.

Find out everything about Summer 2010 makeup trends in the Makeup4All on-line beauty magazine.

Joeybunny over at the PinkSith blog tells us what worked and what didn't during her testing of Raw Minerals Makeup and Brushes. Did you know she's a Team Jacob and not a Team Cullen?

Jolie Laide Girl gets all hot and bothered playing with the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

Check out what makes Guerlain's Meteorites Perles primer so special on Beauty Addict.

Fed up of struggling to access your new makeup? Yeah... Lipglossiping is, too!

Christelle from Beauty Crazed learns that multiple X's are not always inappropriate... sometimes they mean mascara!

I Heart Cosmetics has become totally obsessed with the Clarisonic.

***

Retrodiva is giving away the brand new Sampar's Good Weekend Kit, a new travel-friendly kit for urban skin survival.

Win an Infiniti by Conair You Curl curling iron from Audrey Dao.

There's still time to enter the Summer Smooth Skin Giveaway at The Gloss Menagerie!

Got troublesome skin? Enter Hellcandy's skincare giveaway for the chance to win some B-Liv products!

Do you want a new traincase? CSN stores is giving one Spiced Beauty reader a $40 gift card!

A fun, summery, peachy LOTD

2010-07-20T23:08:00.003-04:00

I haven't done a lip of the day (LOTD) post in a while, have I?

Well, here I am with this fun, summery, peachy lip look done using the Rimmel Crush lipstick I got a little while ago!

With Flash.

It's so shiny and glittery! It's just a fun, semi-bright lip look--perfect for summer! I like that it's a bright, fun color without being too flashy.

What I used:

L-R: Rimmel l/s in Crush, B&BW Tasty Lip Jewel in Strawberry Bling, Lancome Juicy Tube Jelly in Kiwi Slive

Crush is a tad on the orange side by itself, so I paired a gloss with it. I used Bath & Body Works's Tasty Lip Jewel in Strawberry Bling, which is a nude color with chunky glitter. I topped it all off with a Lancome Juicy Tube Jelly in Kiwi Slice (a clear gloss) to smooth out the color and glitter.

I know...what a lazy post from me today. I'm writing up a few things right now, so don't worry, more to come! :)

BBLL 7/17/10

2010-07-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

Here is this week's Beauty Blog Link Love. Enjoy!

***

Have you tried Ellis Faas yet? Rae's reviewing a few of these super-luxe, super-chic products, starting with Ellis' Milky Lips line!

Armani Blushing Fabric Second Skin Blushers have caught Louise's eye.

No bruises here! Check out Maggie's soft pink & purple face of the day over at The Polka-Dotted Apple.

When do Lego's and cosmetics have something in common? When Jouer comes to town, that's when. Watch Jeweled Thumb act 5 and play with a recent haul!

Butter LONDON has some fabulous new nail shades for Autumn 2010 - come check them out on Lipglossiping!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets up close and personal with the Burberry Beauty line!

Hell Candy attends the Edward Bess UK launch and is blown away by the beauty of everything (the make up AND the man!)

Jolie Laide Girl gets silky soft with Kiehls Lightweight Body Lotion.

Sarah from IHeartCosmetics shows you how to get rid of spots,simply and easily.

Dry skinned and on a budget? Eyelining thinks Boots may have a bargain solution!

Looking for a perfect red nail polish for summer? Take a look at Illamasqua's Alarm at Makeup4All.

Lipgloss86 conquers all fears and grabs for the epilator in a bid for fuzz free legs.

The Lip Print discovers the sweetest nail shades for spring and has a chat with Orly's Creative Director about what's hot for nails!

There’s a new mascara in town! Check out Tsahi’s review on Revlon’s new Luscious Grow Mascara.

Madame B Fatale talks about a product that supports a great cause!

***

Be sure to enter Phyrra's Summer Giveaway! Two winners, great prizes, open worldwide!

It's Pink Diva Beauty's birthday and you receive the presents! Have you entered?

Ever wanted to try LA's Prtty Peaushun? Now you can - Beautywoome is giving it away this month!

Reviva Labs wants to protect and prettify you with their Summer Skincare Giveaway on Prime Beauty.

The Pink Sith is celebrating her second Blog Anniversary with a Purple and Silver giveaway!

My first dabble in lipstains...(A Small Haul)

2010-07-15T19:11:00.003-04:00

I picked up two Covergirl Outlast Lipstains on Monday at CVS. It was a 'BOGO free' deal, so of course I had to get them. (Plus I had two coupons, so I got these together for only $7! They're regularly $9 each.) I had already been planning on getting these. I got two colors, Plum Pout & Sassy Mauve. Plum Pout is a more "out-there" color whereas Sassy Mauve is a more natural, MLBB color. They aren't drying at all and they last a pretty long time. My favorite of the two is Sassy Mauve!

Top: Plum Pout, Bottom: Sassy Mauve

Top: Plum Pout, Bottom: Sassy Mauve.

They are the marker-type lip stains and are very easy to use. It felt a little weird at first (it felt like I was drawing on my lips with a marker), but the lip stain flows through really easily. They are both quite pigmented. They have a slight shine, but it wears off after an hour or so, and only the color is left. Cue the swatches!

L-R: Sassy Mauve, Plum Pout

I've never told you guys this before, but my ideal makeup look is: berry-stained lips, flawless skin, minimal blush, natural eyeliner, and lots of mascara (I want lashes that stand out). I think I might show you the look in a post soon, now that I have these lip stains. I was hoping for Plum Pout to give me those berry-stained lips, however...

Plum Pout

...it's a bit RED! Don't get me wrong, I love red lips, but I wasn't exactly looking for a red lip stain. BUT! (Yes, they're always must be a 'but'.) If I blot it...

Plum Pout, blotted.

...PERFECT berry-stained lips! It looks lovely blotted. :D Though if I blotted it every time I used this, it would be quite wasteful, wouldn't it? Hmmm, I think I might just use it once in a while when I feel "bold". (Haha, get it? See how I bolded the "bold"? Okay, nevermind.)

Sassy Mauve

There's a bit more color to Sassy Mauve than shown here. It's actually more of what I was looking for than Plum Pout. It's like a light berry-staining. I really like it. I think this might turn into my everyday lip color!

Have you tried lip stains before? How do you like them and which ones would you recommend? I have an eye on those Tarte ones...

My Humble MAC Collection July '10

2010-07-13T18:53:00.001-04:00

Here is my MAC collection as of July 2010 with a brief breakdown of each product and my thoughts on them! :)

Yes, I know it's quite small. But I like it this way. That way I know every single item like the back of my hand. By the way, I'm going in the order that I got the products. (Or at least the order that I *think* I got the products)

1. Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pink Fish: I was ecstatic when I first got this for my birthday! It was one of the most sought-after items in the MAC Hello Kitty collection. Pink Fish is a pretty, milky pink color but applies quite sheer; it adds just a tint of color to the lips. It's very moisturizing and has SPF 15! And of course I just lurve the Hello Kitty head on the lid.

2. Nail Polish in Something About Pink: Also from the MAC Hello Kitty collection, this was another popular item in the collection. I, unfortunately, am not much of a nail polish person, so I guess I haven't really appreciated this too much. I swatched it on my thumb once and after that, it's been collecting dust. It's a cream finish, so there's no shimmer or glitter. I might get rid of this if I ever do a blog sale.

3. Eyeshadow in Evening Aura: This eyeshadow came out in the Neo Sci-Fi(?) Collection from a couple years back, which explains the bright orange packaging. This is a Veluxe Pearl finish (a favorite of many) and it's a very smooth texture and pretty pigmented. I absolutely adore the neon orange packaging--I'm really attracted to bright colors. The eyeshadow looks kind of orange in the pan but it applies a bit more yellow and peachy, rather than straight-out orange.

4. Lipstick in Marquise'd: This is one of my favorite lipsticks at the moment. This was limited edition and came out during the Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Collection from last year. I found mine at the CCO a few weeks ago. Marquise'd is a neutral, light pink with the prettiest golden sheen/iridescence. It's a little bit on the sheer side since it's a lustre finish, but it's very glossy. It's a very neutral color--perfect for everyday wear! I hope they repromote this!

5. Pigment in Cocomotion: This is a gorgeous pigment; it's a medium brown, bronzey color. It applies like buttah! It's richly pigmented and adheres to the lid very well. There is some fallout (of course) but not a lot. I had heard Fafinettex3 talk about it a while ago and plus I thought "Cocomotion" was such a cute name, so I got it. I don't believe this is a permanent shade, but I hear it's a PRO color. And yay that it's in the old jar! :D

Swatches! :)

L-R: Cocomotion pigment, Evening Aura eyeshadow, Pink Fish TLC, Marquise'd lipstick.

Swatch on paper of Something About Pink nail lacquer. Haha, boy doesn't that look artsy?

I am in no way bragging, but since I had recently acquired a few products, I thought I should share my little "collection" thus far. Plus, I might look back on this in the future and compare the size if it ever grows! I've had my eye on their Naked Lunch and Soft Brown eyeshadows for a long time now. I have a couple Macy's gift cards to spend, so...are there any MAC products you love and would suggest?

EOTD: Electric Blue Bottom Liner

2010-07-11T15:55:00.005-04:00

I was ecstatic to (finally) see a new tutorial from hollyannaeree in my YT subscription box yesterday morning. It's a gorgeous dramatic eyeliner look (see pictures on her blog here) where the blue on the bottom extends to the wing on the upper lashline as well. She used a MAC eyeshadow in Parrot on the bottom lashline but I used the Painkiller eyeshadow in my Urban Decay Show Pony palette. It's a really close dupe! I put Lancome's Le Crayon Kohl Pencil in Le Bleu De Jim, a florescent (almost neon) blue, as a base for extra intensity. It looked so bright and even wet/foiled. I loved it. You *must* enlarge the pictures to see the amazingness! :D

I used a slightly darker lid color than her. Can you see that gorgeous bright blue?

This definitely would've looked better with falsies, but I digress. I have none. *Sadface*

No flash. Haha you can see my hands (and camera) very clearly in my pupil!

It gives the prettiest pop of color. And it's such a dramatic wing!

No flash.

You guys know that I *always* have to include a silly picture. Always. ;P

Eyes:

-Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit

-The Body Shop Eye Trio in Sundown Glow (the white and brown)

-L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Black

-Lancome Le Crayon Kohl Pencil in Le Bleu de Jim

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Painkiller

-Sephora Triple Threat Mascara in Ultra Black

Lips:

-MAC lipstick in Marquise'd

Haircut!

2010-07-09T16:50:00.003-04:00

I finally got a haircut today. I'm back to short hair again! Or would this be considered mid-length? ANYWAY. It's very piece-y and choppy. And the lady did my bangs really nice this time. I'd picture this haircut to be really great with hats and beanies. I really like it. So of course I had to whore myself out via webcam.

Y'know, I just *had* to. Enjoy the goofy pictures! (Or not.)

Somewhat normal? Boy, don't I look pretentious?

Normal(-ish)!
Y'know how I do. (That was supposed to be me cross-eyed.)

Yup yup, peace out biatches! xoxo LOLOLjk.

Just a short post today. I also went to see Despicable Me before my haircut! It was very cute and quite funny at the same time. Gru, though scary-looking, is a very lovable character. And Agnes was adorable! "IT'S SO FLUFFYYYY!" Definitely a good watch. See you latahz! :)

Soft Pink & Purple EOTD

2010-07-05T14:06:00.001-04:00

I am posting quite consistently lately, huh? Let's hope I keep it up! This is a really lame-o EOTD. I was aiming for a pink/purple smokey eye and I ended up with the opposite. It's actually much softer than shown in the pictures. I also added a silver to the bottom lashline as sort of something to open up/brighten the eyes. And of course I had to use my very treasured Violet Volt eyeliner. Anywho, pictures!

With flash.

Without flash.

I really need to get a haircut. No more bangs! D:

Without flash. Sorry about the weird sun/light spots.

Eyes:

-Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit

-L'Oreal HiP Shadow Duo in Rascal (the pink side)

-ck Calvin Klein Tempting Eyeshadow in Lavender Haze

-Maybelline Expertwear Eyeshadow in Amethyst

-Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Aubergine & Vintage Lace

-Forever 21 love & beauty Eyeshadow in Silver

-L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Violet Volt

-Sephora Triple Shock Mascara in Ultra Black

Lips:

-Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon

-Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop

LORAC is at the Front of the Line (Review)

2010-07-03T20:51:00.004-04:00

What? LORAC's Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner in Black

Where? loraccosmetics.com, only the PRO version is on the Sephora website/in Sephora stores.

How much? Originally $20, but it's slashed to $10 on the LORAC website.

Other reviews: only x lindah and I couldn't find any others. :\

And without further ado,

onto my review!

LORAC Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner in Black

According to LORAC, this liquid eyeliner is waterproof, smudge/budge-proof, and long lasting. I have to say that all of those claims are quite true. I was given this product as a prize from a giveaway I had won. She said it was her favorite liquid eyeliner, and I have to agree; it has become *MY* favorite liquid eyeliner as well! It doesn't budge (it stays on all day!), it creates a smooth, glossy line, and it's super easy to use. It's a felt-tip pen kind of liquid eyeliner, which is notorious for drying up really quickly, but so far it has held up quite well and is still as dark as ever!

Ingredients (taken from LORAC website):

I see parabens! :(

A close-up of the tip.

The tip is quite fine, but not the finest I've come across. It provides great precision and great ease-of-use. I have to say felt-tips are my favorite type of liquid eyeliners. The packaging of this product is typical, but the glossy black makes it look oh-so-sleek. The only downfall of this product is that it's hard to find and the hefty price tag of $20! However, the LORAC website has it on sale (and has been for a while now) for $10. They might be discontinuing it? $10 is still a little steep for a liquid eyeliner (for only 0.02 fl. oz./0.8mL of product!), but the quality really makes up for it!

Pros:

Does NOT budge at all! Stays on all day with no smudging.
Very pigmented and applies super smooth; a nice glossy black.
Felt-tip pen provides precision and ease-of-use.
Sleek packaging.
Can draw bold and thin lines.
Doesn't irritate my eyes.
Easily removed with makeup remover (I use the Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum)

Cons:

Might dry out faster for different people depending on the way they store it.
$20 price tag (but it's half-priced on the LORAC website!)
Seems to be only available on the LORAC website at the moment.

Now for some swatches!

With flash. Left: thick, right: thin.

Without flash. Left: thick, right: thin.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Product: 5 out of 5

Repurchase? Definitely! (If I can get a hold of it.) I might venture out to other liquid liners though. I hear the PRO version is even better.

Thoughts and Comments: This is perfect for winged eyeliner. Purrrr-fect! Go get this!

BBLL 7.3.10

2010-07-03T09:43:00.003-04:00

Here is this week's Beauty Blog Link Love (BBLL)!

Rae has a sneek peek (with swatches and reviews!) of The Body Shop's fall collection over at theNotice.

Phyrra compares ten eye shadow primers. Find out which ones are her favorites!

The Pink Sith performs a public service by warning you about the new Sephora: Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer.

Jellyminx creates a pictorial showing the look she wore in her first "live" Youtube video.

Hot Beauty Health shares a simple trick for soft and beautiful feet in 4 easy steps!

LilBiuty shares her first colorful look using only Sugarpill makeup!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed wonders if there are any sweeter words then "Limited Edition Dior"!

Kim Porter shares advice given directly from celebrity MUA Sam Fine on how to become a makeup artist.

Retrodiva has discovered a great new hair treatment by Brazilian Blowout that she is anxious to try. Best part? No hair downtime!

See what Madame B Fatale thinks about Clarins Everlasting Foundation.

No need to struggle with frizz. Lipgloss86 has the perfect product to sort you out.

Glitter Geek has MAC alice + olivia on her mind with this turquoise and purple look. So. much. fun!

Pretty, pink, and sparkly? Yes, please! The Lip Print discovers a new favourite gloss

The Gloss Menagerie urges you to say NO to uni-taskers with Cover FX primers!

Jenn rocks blue eyeshadow which will make brown eyes pop over at Spiced Beauty.

***

Want to look 'red carpet ready' without spending a fortune? Learn how in Babushka's Beauty Secrets, because Prime Beauty is giving away a copy!

Mz. More of The Glamorous Gleam is celebrating her move to Wordpress. Enter her Housewarming Giveaway to win some goodies from MAC!

June 2010 Favorites + MAC Haul!

2010-07-01T23:54:00.003-04:00

Wow, I can't believe half the year is over already! My school year is *finally* over too, so I shall try to be a diligent blogger for 2 months (no promises when school starts again, though). But anyway, here are my June 2010 Favorites.

1. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 85+: I usually go with the SPF 45 one, but my mom bought this crazy high SPF 85 one, so I guess I'll never be sunburnt! Haha, this sunscreen is great in any SPF. It's not sticky, it doesn't clog pores, it's waterproof, sweatproof, and oil-free. This is the sunscreen I always go back to.

2. Rimmel Mono Blush in Plum: I think I've fallen in love with berry/darker-toned blushes. It gives the perfect flush of color. (I really don't know how to explain it.) The powder is pigmented and smooth. Love it!

3. Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon: This is the perfect pink lipstick! I've been using it constantly since I bought it this month. It applies super smooth to a creamy, somewhat matte finish.

4. LORAC Front of the Line Eyeliner in Black + L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Black Shock: I've been using these two together all month! I use the LORAC liner to make the top liner/wing and then I use Black Shock on the bottom outer lashline. I also sometimes line my waterline/tightline with Black Shock (read my rave about Black Shock here). They stay put like nobody's business!

5. Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop: This is from their LE summer collection, so it won't be available forever (although I wish it was)! This is crazy pigmented and super shiny/glossy. I am *still* looking for the Coral Reef one from the same collection. Let's hope I find it before the summer ends! I reeeeeeeaaaaally want it.

So that concludes my June 2010 Favorites! Segway. Segway. Segway.

On Tuesday, my parents and I went outlet shopping. Of course I *had* to go to the CCO, I mean I go to this outlet mall like, once every year? (You can see my first haul there here, LOL throwback!) The CCO had lots of brands including Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estee Lauder, etc. But of course I went straight to the MAC stuff. There was a smaller selection of eyeshadow singles this time around. They had LOTS of palettes, which I probably should have gotten, but I settled for 2 things: a lipstick and a pigment. (If you follow me on twitter, I'm sure you've heard me gushing over them.)

I got a MAC lipstick in Marquise'd. It's a lustre finish and I believe it came out in the Blonde, Brunette, Redhead collection from last year? I heard this was really pretty and that it was the perfect everyday lip color, so I got it (of course). It's slightly sheer, but it's a light pink with a gorgeous gold sheen.

My first MAC lipstick! Marquise'd.

And then I also got a MAC pigment in Cocomotion. I heard fafinettex3 (Aubrey) talk about this a lot a while ago and it had gotten stuck in my head. So I basically thought I had struck gold when I spotted this in the CCO! It's a beautiful bronze/brown. I'm not sure if this is a permanent color? I'm definitely never going to finish this so be sure to look out for sample jars of this if I hold giveaways again!

My first MAC pigment! Cocomotion.

And now, swatches!

With flash.

Without flash. Direct Sunlight.

A lip swatch of Marquise'd. You MUST enlarge this picture to see the gorgeous gold sheen! (Oh, and please excuse the dry lips, I had just woken up an hour prior to snapping the picture...meaning I was still a little groggy.)

What I'm Using Right Now...10 months later!

2010-06-25T23:33:00.000-04:00

So I did a post on this tag almost a year ago.

I was just looking through my archive, and I thought why not do a post on it again? And with pictures too! Why not do one every year? Isn't it (sort of) a good idea? It's like a yearly check-up to see if you've changed a lot beauty-wise.

Some things are not shown because they are either wet (in my shower), not used, or could not be located. ;) Let us start the show!

HAIR

-Shampoo: Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo
-Conditioner: Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Conditioner
-Styling products: Still none, I still don't really style my hair.

BODY
-Shower Gel: Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash
-Body moisturizer: Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter (smells delish!)
-Deodorant: Secret Clinical Strength Advanced Solid Deodorant
-Fake Tan: Nah.

SKIN
-Cleanser: Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Daily Cleanser
-Exfoliator: St. Ives Apricot Scrub Normal to Oily Skin

MAKEUP
-Primer: None.
-Foundation brush: Hands! (I use a TM)
-Concealer: None.
-Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent
-Blusher: Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Plum
-Bronzer: None
-Highlighter: Tokidoki Luminosa Powder in Kabuki (sometimes)
-Eyeshadow base: UDPP or Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Recess
-Eyeshadows: Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow in Nice Melons or Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Peach Sorbet
-Eyeliner: LORAC Front of the Line Liquid Liner in Black and L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Black Shock
-Curler: Shu Uemura Lash Curler
-Mascara: Sephora Triple Threat Mascara in Ultra Black
-Lipstick: Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Sugar Plum Ice or Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon
-Lipgloss: Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop

NAILS
-Nail Colour: Not much of a nail person.

I encourage you all to try to do this...maybe once a year or so! I surely will. :)

BBLL 6/18/10

2010-06-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

Here is this week's Beauty Blog Link Love (BBLL)! :)

Over at theNotice, Rae talks about a new Burt's Bees lip balm... and how it reminds her of an old Lip Smacker!

Maggie shares this Foxy dupe of Too Faced's Sexpresso and Peachfuzz duo over at The Polka-Dotted Apple.

Kim Porter talks about a miracle moisturizer that's also a makeup primer, remover, and more!

Vesna from Beauty addict blog discovered one of her blushes is fake, so read this post to find out how to spot a fake Benefit Coralista!

Head over to Beautifully Glossy to discover a lip balm that GlossQueen thinks is an essential.

Glitter Geek is obsessed with everything sparkly, and she puts a glistening spin on the summer smoky eye.

Need some wedding makeup ideas? Check out Audrey Dao's wedding looks!

Pop over to melovemakeup for swatches and thoughts on the New Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks!

Get the only 10 tips you'll ever need for a fool-proof fake tan on beautywoome.com.

Champagne, French macarons and make up...Hellcandy spends an indulgent afternoon with Terry De Gunzburg, founder of By Terry.

Vex in the City takes a look at Mai Couture's Blush Papier - blush with a difference!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed discovers the joy that is cream blushes!

Eyelining Obsession thinks you shouldn't have to spend a fortune on great eye brushes.

You can wear nudes too! Spiced Beauty shows off MAC Lovin' it Lipstick with lip swatches.

Jen from A Beauty Junkie in London has been feeling all posh whilst checking out Estee Lauder's new Pure Colour Shadow.

Retrodiva splurges a bit with Chanel's Coco Rouge and Red Shine Glossamer. Find out if she thinks it's worth it!

***
Want to win a $100 gift voucher for all your skincare needs. Head over to Yinnie's blog to check out the details!

OMG. There's a palette named after me!

2010-06-18T19:33:00.003-04:00

*EDIT: So apparently this will be in Sephora stores in the upcoming months. YAY!!*

Well, not really. But it does have my name on it!

It's the new Benefit Sunday Funday - The Maggie Collection palette for eyes, lips, and cheeks. The palette is priced at $38 and is a Sephora Beauty Insider Exclusive Online Only (*sobs*) product.

I LOVE the artwork on the packaging.

It comes with a Hoola bronzer, a benetint, a Shimmering Rose lip shine, a Toasty Liner eyeliner, and four eyeshadows all mini-sized and perfect for travel! All of these colors are totally up my alley; I swear they probably had me in mind when putting the palette together! ;D I am devastated that this is online-only. I SO wish that I could shop online, I would totally buy it right this moment.

Love the checkered pattern and the giant mirror.

The lessons/looks look really pretty and natural!

The set also comes with lessons regarding cheeks, lips, and eyes. I like how they drew the brows too. It's seriously perfect for travel AND perfect for me! Man, if only I could shop online. Le sigh. And not to mention Karen's photographs are making me lust for it even MOAR. Gargh. If only, if only.

But anyway, it's the weekend (at last)! I only have two more finals and two more projects to go and I'm done for this year. YAY! Oh, and what are you all doing for your daddies for Father's Day? ;)

'Cause it's Pink in the Afternoon (Haul)

2010-06-16T22:01:00.002-04:00

"And your eyes are the size of the moon..."

Shoutout to all the Panic(!) at the Disco fans out there! :)

But anyway, I hauled. Just a small haul. Really. Two Revlon Superlustrous lippies. Both relatively new shades.

The lip gloss is from the limited edition summer collection and the lipstick, I believe, is a new permanent shade. The lip gloss is called Pink Pop. I really wanted to get the coral shade from the summer collection, but they didn't have it so I settled for the SUPERBRIGHT pink instead. It's like...neon!

The lipstick is called Pink in the Afternoon, whose shade name is AWESOME. It reminds me of the P!ATD song, Nine in the Afternoon. (Hence title and the quote at the beginning of this post.) ~~I might have bought it just for the name.~~ I had seen it on someone's blog and it looked so pretty! It's a creamy, semi-matte, PERFECT pink. It applies like a dream--I love it. I just had to get it; it was the only one left too! I had been deterred from the Revlon Superlustrous lipsticks because of the Frost finish lipsticks (waaaay too frosty!), but this Creme finish one has redeemed them for me. I am definitely going to stay away from the Frost ones. Definitely.

Enough yapping, pictures!

Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon and Lipgloss in Pink Pop

I love buying new lipsticks; they're so shiny and new and PERFECT. I hate it when I ruin it. Oh, and the gloss is much much brighter in person than in the picture. I LOVE Revlon Superlustrous packaging, they always have an almost luxurious feel, even for drugstore.

Swatches!

Pink in the Afternoon and Pink Pop, flash.

The lipstick is quite a heavy swatch so it isn't really this dark normally. The lip gloss reads a bit purple-y on camera (especially with flash) because of its blue undertones. It definitely is not this purple! It's actually quite pink, magenta at most!
Pink in the Afternoon and Pink Pop, no flash.
These are kind of a better representation of the colors!

Pink in the Afternoon on the lips, flash.

I know it looks kind of dry here, but it isn't! My lips were just really dry before I started to put this on and snap pictures. They were kind of rushed, quick swatches too.

Pink Pop on lips, flash.

Can you see that FABULOUS shine!? It's SO shiny! And on top of that, it's quite pigmented! LOVE Superlustrous lipglosses, always have and always will. I still need to hunt down that coral one before it disappears.

Sorry for not updating! My finals have started (3 down, 3 to go!), but after that, I am FREE!!!!!

Taggizzled! 9 Poses!

2010-06-10T21:53:00.007-04:00

So I'm usually horrible with tags but the lovely Jian tagged me to do a 9-pose photo tag, and it looked too funny to not partake in! All you have to do is take a picture of each of these 9 expressions/poses:

1. Awesome dude
2. Bored
3. Someone farted
4. Fobby Cute
5. Emo
6. Kiss your phone (o_O?)
7. Over the shoulder
8. The eyebrow raise (and lemme tell you, I can do an awesome eyebrow raise!)
9. Smartass

and then put them all together, or like me, in a collage! :D

WARNING: NO MAKEUP ON. BE SCARED, BE VERY VERY SCARED...
Just click to enlarge!

BLAHH! Blogger made it all blurry. Just click the picture to see clearer image!

It was rather fun, actually! It took many many takes to get one pose. Yes, I do realize I just basically went wild with the tag. My favorite has to be the "someone farted" pose and the "emo" pose. Haha, the "emo" one took several takes; I was hugging my knees at first, then I thought about wearing a black hoodie over my head, but I ended up just covering myself with my Hello Kitty blanket. LOL. The "kiss your phone" pose was a bit random...I didn't actually kiss my phone because cell phone = GERMSSS!

Now, the "smartass" one...well, that was taken in December, I think? Which explains the bangs and different hair. (Man, I miss my bangs...I really do need a haircut soon.) I couldn't find my "nerd" frames today, so I suddenly remembered that I had taken a picture of myself that could totally fit into the "smartass" pose. DON'T ASK WHY I WAS TAKING PICTURES OF MYSELF WITH A TEXTBOOK IN DECEMBER. I was bored...late night studying...procrastination...yup.

And LOL @ my eyebrow raise. It was so hard to take with my camera! I looked crazy.

Anyway, I tag:

-Rainy Days and Lattes

-Mandy

-and anyone else who finds this fun-tastic! :D

Hope you're all having a good week. My finals start next week, wish me luck!

Summer Mermaid-esque EOTD

2010-06-07T18:38:00.005-04:00

I am on a roll here, huh? :D!!!

I hadn't done a blue look in a while, so I thought I might do one. I actually did this yesterday, on Sunday. I really like how it turned out. It looked all mermaid-esque IRL. I really like the color combo. Please forgive me for my untamed brows, haven't tended to them in a little while; please look past that! Lol. Not a lot of eye shots because they were all washed out and BLAH. But in the full-face shots, you can see the colors. It was so hard to capture this on camera!

Let the pictures commence!

Oh yes, it's the gold liner again. I am OBSESSED with it!

I look kind of lazy-eyed here. I'm not. I hadn't taken a picture of myself in a long time. Let alone with flash.

Do you see the mermaid-iness?

No flash! A smile with *some* teeth peeking through for once, heh? Yes, I have chipmunk-cheeks. ;D

I'm pondering and pondering...on how to look cute. LOL.

Eyes:

-Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow Quad in Moonlit Jewels (the blue shade)

-Stila Charmed Palette (the bronze, teal, and deep purple shades)

-L'Oreal HiP Duo in Rascal (the deep navy shade)

-Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Vintage Lace

-LORAC Front of the Line Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black

-L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Chrome Gold

-Sephora Triple Threat Mascara in Ultra Black

Lips:

-Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Sugar Plum Ice

-Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude

How was your Monday? Mine went by really quickly! Which I like! :D

May 2010 Favorites + BBLL (6/5/10)

2010-06-05T17:28:00.005-04:00

I know, I know. I'm later than I usually am with my monthly favorites post. No excuses, I totally forgot about it. But anyway. Let's move on from my horrible blogging to my monthly favorites! Oh, and don't forget to check out this week's Beauty Blog Link Love (BBLL) at the end of this post!

1. The Body Shop Eyeshadow Blender Blush: This brush is so soft! It seriously helps blend out harsh lines really well. It doesn't shed. It takes very little effort with this brush to make your eyeshadow look softer around the edges. I love it!

2. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Roll-On Eau De Parfum: I love this scent. It's so sweet and summery! I'll be sad when I run out of this, as you can see the bottle is quite small, but mark my words, I will get the full size one someday. LOL.

3. L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome Eyeliner in Chrome Gold: You've heard me rave about these before, so it's no surprise this is in my favorites (again?). I love this one especially because I put it on my lower lashline and it brightens up my eyes and my whole face. It's awesome!

4. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit: This has appeared here in my favorites (here and here) before, but I kind of stopped using this because I wanted a neutral, no-shimmer eye base. However, I've recently "re-discovered" it and how gorgeous it is! L-O-V-E.

5. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Clear Shimmer: Boy, that's a mouthful. But I bought this recently, and I've been using it a lot. I just love how shiny and watery/glossy it looks. It's so pretty! And I got it for only $1. :D

6. Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow in Nice Melons: Haha, just LOVE the name. This is from Benefit's Spring 2010 Collection, so I'm not sure if it's available anymore. I've been using this on top of Birthday Suit, and it's gorgeous! I love the sheen. I catch myself moving my head back and forth just to look at the sheen, LOL. The packaging is just fantastic and the eyeshadow itself is soft-to-the-touch. I don't regret buying this AT ALL. (click here for swatches)

Hope you enjoyed my (late) monthly favorites. Why don't you tell me some of your current favorites? I'd love to hear it. :) Anywhoots, here is this week's BBLL:

Over at theNotice, Rae has been ~~bitten~~ stung by the Misikko bug -- and she is not pleased!

Betty Girl Makeup is back, and continuing on with her series on contouring!

Vex in the City shares her delight at discovering the wonders of Mehron's new Celebré HD-Pro foundation.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out the multitude of choices in lash enhancers.

Louise pens a love letter to a BLUE eyeshadow, and is now trying to deal with her embarrassment.

Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam tells you all about her experience with the Zoya Nail Polish Exchange, and shows off her new goodies!

Does your significant other complain about "too girly" shower gel scents? Want a happy medium? Look no further and discover what shower gelHellcandy and her bf are raving about!

Jeweled Thumb shares how she spot cleans her brushes, and reviews 6 cleansers to help you find the best one for you!

Hot Beauty Health shares the top beach beauty buys for summer 2010!

Krasey Beauty meets Dany Sanz, the artist, legend, and creator of Make Up For Ever.

Spiced Beauty shows you that you can look fab in red lipstick... even if it just costs a dollar!

There's a new natural cosmetics line on the block! Lipglossiping casts her eye over Bourjois' little sister, Une.

Jolie Laide Girl is glowing with Make Up Forever's HD Blushes.

Learn how to get 'Perfect Skin' with the help of makeup artist Jon Hennessy at Makeup by Kim Porter.

Phyrra shows you the newest collection from Aromaleigh, Victoria’s Revenge. If you like steampunk, you’ll love this collection!

***
Find out what Audrey Dao is giving away for June's Reader of the Month Giveaway!

Cindy from Prime Beauty is a Stila IT girl and you can be too, with her awesome Stila giveaway!

Possible Too Faced dupe?

2010-06-02T22:20:00.008-04:00

Well, not exactly, but pretty close. (In my opinion, at least.)

I was just browsing through my makeup stash and found this: L'Oreal HiP's Eyeshadow Duo in Foxy. I thought, it looks awfully similar to that Too Faced duo Karen posted about. I then ~~went~~ swooshed to my laptop and looked at her post again. It was the Too Faced Natural Eye Shadow Duo in Sexpresso & Peach Fuzz.

L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow Duo in FOXXYYYYYY (Just can't help myself!)

Her swatches of the duo actually show much different colors than the ones in my Foxy duo (can't help but crack up when I read over this). The dark brown shade in that one was much more darker than this one. The light "peach" shade in the S & PF duo was more of a matte with glitter while the light peachy shade in this Foxy duo is more of a pearl finish. However, one thing's for sure, it serves the same purpose as the Too Faced duo: it's perfect for everyday neutral eyes.

Swatches of the L'Oreal HiP duo.

While this is not exactly a dead-on dupe for the Too Faced duo, it's a great alternative if you're looking for a similar look or similar colors. And at half the price (and BOGO sales!), why the heck not?

I am a bit peeved by the lame-o packaging of this duo though.

Just a bit.

PS. Sorry about my non-posting again! A bit swamped with school stuff. AND OMG I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT MY MONTHLY FAVORITES. Crap. I will do that this weekend!

Let's Rejoice! It's a Mini CVS Haul

2010-05-22T16:36:00.001-04:00

Yeah, I know. I finally updated.

It's been like....2 weeks? (insert disappointed face)

SO SORRY! I'm such a horrible blogger.

There is a clearance sale at CVS right now where certain products are either 75% or 50% off. It's a great way to try out some new products, right? Not to mention I had a few coupons so I just had to get something...and I ended up getting three things. And guess what my total was (before taxes)?

$3.40!!! :D

L-R: Rimmel Lipstick in Crush, Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Clear Shimmer, Revlon Beyond Natural Defining Eye Pencil in Brown
Revlon Beyond Natural Defining Eye Pencil in Brown

I went to three CVS's for this. When I saw Nouveau Cheap's post on what she saw that was on sale, I knew I wanted the Revlon Eye Pencil. This was the only thing I got that I didn't also use a coupon for. (Is it just me or does Revlon never give out coupons?) But it was such a steal at $2.09 and the CVS I went to (that still had these) only had two in stock! This and a black one. I opted for this once because it had the prettiest little sheen/shimmer/metallic/I DON'T EVEN KNOW. It is so smooth and pigmented! The only downside is that it's kind or (really) small. I'm a sucker for anything shadestick-like. I also wanted to get another L'Oreal HiP Cream Crayon but all the colors were gone. I think I might go back on Monday since I have a coupon and it's going to expire soon.

L-R: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Clear Shimmer, Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Crush

I had wanted Crush for the longest time. It looked like such a fun, summery color. It's a peach/coral with a slight frost. And I finally got it...for $0.32! It was $1.32 with 75% off and with a $1 off coupon, I got it for $0.32 before taxes. Yeee!

I was surprised to see the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty lip products on sale. The lippies were all 75% off. There were only a few left so I was torn on which one to get. But I settled for the Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Clear Shimmer. Clear Shimmer was the most left in stock (probably because it's green-looking). The shimmers just sucked me in; they're SO pretty! I'm sure it will be great for layering. I got it for $0.99! It was $1.99 with 75% off, but I had a $1 off so I got it for $0.99 before taxes. I got a normally $8 gloss for $1.

Something about drugstore makeup makes me really happy. Sure, high end makeup is glamorous (and $$$), but when I discover something that's really good and I know I got it for so little money, it makes me so happy. Well, doesn't saving money make everyone happy?!

But enough blabbering (kudos if you've read through all that), onto the swatches!

On my hand, with flash. L-R: Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Crush, Revlon Beyond Natural Defining Eye Pencil in Brown, Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Clear Shimmer

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Crush, with flash.

Sorry about the lipstick line, a bit rusty on the ol' lip swatch wagon. It looks like it's really dry, but it's actually quite shiny! It's probably the frost.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Clear Shimmer, with flash.

OMG, this gives the prettiest shine and shimmer! It looks so watery and OMGILOVEIT. Besides smelling a bit like grape juice, it's awesome!

And together now! With flash.

The two lippies I got layered on top of each other. I know, what a half-assed swatch. Sorry. But it looks much prettier in real life!

Together, without flash, indirect sunlight

You see? You see? So shiny!! Sorry about my little sporadic posts. I'm *trying* to be more consistent with my posts (FAIL).

BBLL 5/22/10

2010-05-22T15:41:00.001-04:00

Here is this week's BBLL!

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Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam is taking you To The Beach with a sneak peek at the latest collection from MAC.

Who knew that baby shampoo could be dangerous? Betty Girl Makeup tells you how it could be hazardous to your skin!

Sarah from I Heart Cosmetics is ready and prepared for some sun with her too favourite facial sunscreens.

Curious as to which products Louise from MakeupLoveer is using right now? Find out here!

Swatch-o-rama! The Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks are finally landing on UK shores... Lipglossiping has them sussed and swatched!

Beautywoome.com unearths the the best dry shampoos on the market.

Jen at beautyjunkielondon gets a sneak preview of the new Autumn/Winter range from Boots No7.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out drugstore concealers.

The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip & Cheek Creme in Tuberose.

Phyrra tells you all about her Holy Grail eyeshadow product, Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy.

Sophie shows off and reviews the Sleek Kajals, with swatches.

Madame B Fatale interviews the Boss of Gloss winner, Cathy Mason.

Louise has a chat with celebrity hairdresser Andrew Collinge and reveals photos of her 80's hair shame.

The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip & Cheek Creme in Tuberose!

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Flying of on your holidays? Enter Lipgloss86's giveaway to win some Lee Stafford haircare.

Ever wanted to check out Annabelle Cosmetics? theNotice is hosting a giveaway of their new Mineral line, and you get an extra entry just for being... not Canadian?!