Joyce and Makeup

Manicure: Lincoln Park After Dark + Essie Shine of the Times

2012-01-14T08:39:00.000-05:00

This is my first holographic flakie polish! I applied Essie Shine of the Times on top of my only OPI polish, Lincoln Park After Dark. The latter has a disappointing formula. These photos were taken the day after I did my nails. Already there's noticeable tip wear? Boo!

O.P.I. Lincoln Park After Dark, Essie Shine of the Times

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

2012-01-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette ($4.99, 8 x 0.0375 oz., Drugstore.com) is an 8-pan eyeshadow palette featuring 4 neutral shades and 4 green-tone shades. The palette is a cheap square plastic case with a clear lid to easily view the shades; there is no mirror.

Wet n Wild shades are unnamed, so I'll just describe each shade by its color--

Beige is a warm yellowed creamy beige with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture and great pigmentation. I think it's a bit too reflective as a brow bone highlight, so I like to pair it with a matte beige to tone down the frost.

Copper is a warm pinky copper with a metallic-frost finish. It is incredibly soft, smooth, and dense in texture with excellent pigmentation. It's a rather complex shade for a drugstore eyeshadow!

Brown is a warm medium bronze-brown with a satin finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. Paired with the copper, it makes for a fantastic natural smokey eye!

Burgundy is a warm blackened reddish burgundy brown with gold shimmer and a satin finish. It has a dry, hard, thin texture with low pigmentation. It comes across more black in application. Wet n Wild has similar shades like this in other palettes--all of which are particularly poor.

Pewter is a cool smoky golden pewter with a high frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. It's definitely my kind of eyeshadow shade!

Green is a light muted mossy green with a gold shift and soft frost finish. It's very soft, smooth, and dense with good pigmentation. Something about it lightens up the actual green base too much.

Dark Green is a blackened green with heavy brown influence and gold shimmer. It has a dry, hard, thin texture with good pigmentation, but mostly because of the black in it. I love it paired with the light green in the palette.

Burgundy-Teal is a duo-chrome shade with a burgundy base and teal flash. It has a hard, thin, smooth texture with good, build-able pigmentation. I love this paired with the pewter shade for a quick, complex look!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: Green to Teal to Blue Eyes and Peach Lips

2012-01-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

Eyes
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Wet n Wild I Dream of Greenie ColorIcon Eyeshadow Trio; Eyelid on inner lid
Kat Von D Angeles True Romance Eyeshadow Palette; Peggy on outer lid, Bukowski to define
Rock & Republic Carat eyeshadow to highlight
Physicians Formula Green Eyes Shimmer Strips CreamLiner on upper lash line
Urban Decay Flipside, El Dorado 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil on lower lash line
CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara
Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit dark browns to fill in brows
Lips
Revlon Sunset Peach ColorBurst Lipgloss
Face
Clinique Calming Ivory Redness Solutions Makeup sample
Tarte Tipsy Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush on cheeks

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick Review and Swatches

2012-01-11T06:08:00.000-05:00

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick ($39.00, 0.40 oz., Sephora) is a warm highlighter/blush featuring 5 strips of varying coral, pink, and gold shades. Shimmerbricks are typically packaged in square plastic compacts with an included mirror. I did a few looks using Nectar here, here, and here.

The strips can be used individually as eyeshadows, but you'll have to use it over a base or primer and layer for opaque payoff. It has a thinner, harder texture but is still quite smooth. A single pass of a brush is enough to highlight cheeks, but a few more layers is necessary to build up as a blush. I find this particular Shimmerbrick shade to be really modern, beautiful, and flattering.

I love that it comes with so much product, because I can't see myself finishing this anytime soon. They're about the same as Benefit's older boxed powders. It wears well on me over foundation and tends to wear off quicker on bare skin. The packaging holds fingerprints very easily, but it's not that big of a problem to me. Nectar is my favorite Shimmerbrick to date because I love pinky corals, and this one isn't as frosty.

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

My 2011 Makeup Favorites

2012-01-10T19:23:00.000-05:00

Since the beauty industry is booming, 2011 had a great run of amazing products! The items pictured here are my absolute favorites for the entire year--products I've reached for often and have bought back-ups of. Even though more and more awesome products are being released as the years come, I think most of these products will remain in my stash forever!

e.l.f. Black Studio Cream Eyeliner is my favorite black cream/gel eyeliner. It's creamy and pigmented with a solid, even consistency. It dries down to a matte finish with a slight sheen. It has a drier cream formula which I like, so I don't pick up and dab more product than I need.

Wet n Wild Nutty ColorIcon Single Eyeshadow is a beautiful grayed brown/taupe color that I especially love as a professional wash of color. It's also great when paired with a darker base or blended with a dark brown for a smokey look! It's sold out everywhere online, so check your local drugstore for it!

Wet n Wild Night Elf ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette is a limited edition holiday eyeshadow palette from 2010, but I've been using it a lot in 2011. I especially love the antique gold-pewter shade on the lid with the burgundy-teal duo-chrome on the outer lid and socket.

Urban Decay Show Pony (Preen) Eyeshadow Palette is a 6-pan eyeshadow palette with shades Snatch, Mildew, Flash, Painkiller, Smog, and Toasted. They are all some of my favorite Urban Decay shades, so it's quite handy having them all in one palette. I also snagged this from Sephora for $15 before it went out of stock.

CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara performs very well for me in terms of maintaining curl, giving length, and providing volume all in one tube. I reach for it when I need my lashes to be more dramatic!

Lancôme Black Coffee Le Crayon Khôl is an all-time favorite of mine for a really dark blackened brown eyeliner with solid pigmentation, smooth application, and great lasting powder both on my lash line and waterline.

Maybelline Very Black Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara is exceptionally wonderful and easy to use for everyday application and matched with softer looks. It maintains my curl and leaves my lashes looking very natural and soft.

Revlon Strawberry ColorBurst Lipgloss has been my go-to for a quick and easy bold lip. It's that perfect shade of pinky red to help make me feel confident and put together. I especially love the long-lasting, comfortable, well-pigmented formula and simple, chic packaging.

Revlon Peach ColorBurst Lipstick is the first and only true peach lipstick to work well on my yellow skin-tone. It's not at all whitened or too stark. It's my go-to for when I wear green/teal/gold eyes. I love it with a pinky gloss on top for added dimension. It's discontinued though, which breaks my heart!

Rimmel Airy Fairy Lasting Finish Lipstick is a slightly muted medium plummy pink with a soft golden sheen and shimmer. It's almost like a lighter Urban Decay Naked lipstick. I love it as an everyday lipstick, especially when topped with a peachy lipgloss. I think it's my most used lipstick all year!

Rock & Republic Muse Luxe Lip Gloss has been my go-to to soften bold lip colors, warm up cooler lip colors, or add shine to matte lip colors. I am so upset that it's discontinued as I absolutely adore the formula and packaging!

theBalm Mary-Lou Manier has been my favorite highlighter all year. I actually only have a few in my collection, but I prefer the golden quality and beautifully natural sheen this one provides. I find it particularly great for formal looks, but it still works well for everyday looks also!

Milani Rose D'Oro Baked Powder Blush is my second favorite blush for 2011. It's a beautiful rosy gold that pairs especially well with green looks. When I can't think of anything to match a look but want a shimmery blush, I'll immediately reach for this. It has incredible lasting powder too!

NYX Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder is my perfect contour shade. I love the matte finish and soft, smooth formula. It's not too warm as to lean orange or too cool as to lean straight brown. I wouldn't reach for it as a bronzer though--just a perfect contouring product!

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is quite possibly my #1 favorite product from all of 2011. I've been using it non-stop for every look ever since I bought it. It instantly brightens up my face and pulls any look together. If I ever run out, I will cry myself to sleep.

Zoya Rica Nail Polish is simply a bottle of awesomely shimmery pinky coral-y golden goodness! I rarely use a shade more than once in a year, but I think I've worn Rica 3+ times. It has a beautiful duo-chrome and the base color is definitely up my alley. The only polish I've absolutely LOVED this year!

Shiseido Eyelash Curler is the best eyelash curler I've ever used. It's been a staple in my stash for 3 years now, ever since I took my mom's! It curls my lashes very well with no pinching. It's my most valued item in my entire collection!

No foundations or finishing powders have become a favorite of mine. I've only tried 5 different foundations and 3 different finishing powders this year, but none have been love for me quite yet. The closest would be Make Up For Ever's Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation, but my drier winter skin hasn't been loving it quite so much, but I do really like it nonetheless!

What have been your favorite products for 2011?

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duo Review and Swatches

2012-01-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duos

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duos ($5.49 - $8.49, 0.08 oz., Drugstore) are coordinating eyeshadow duos packaged in round plastic purple compacts. Both of these shades have harder, thinner textures but rather smooth just the same.

Lively has a neutral-cool light brownish taupe with a soft satin finish on the left. The right side has a neutral shimmery darkened forest green with a frost finish. I like this duo for an effortless everyday eye with green accents.

Cheeky has a warm reddish cranberry pink with a frost finish on the left. The right side has a warm plummy purple with a frost finish. If I don't use this correctly, my eyes can appear a bit bruised! But separately, I absolutely love these shades.

I suppose for a drugstore product, L'Oreal HiP duos are nicely pigmented, but I wouldn't go as far as describing them to have "high intensity pigments." I have found L'Oreal HiP duos to have varying payoff and application success. The matte shades are rather chalky; metallic shades are pigmented and smooth; crystal shades are thinner and sheerer; and frost finish shades are about average. I would suggest only grabbing duos that you find you'll use often as these aren't of must-have quality.

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duos

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Manicure: 2011 New Year Nails

2012-01-08T16:46:00.000-05:00

This is what I wore for New Years Eve and a few days later. I went to no parties or get-togethers. I sat at home with my dog and watched Bones. LOL. Anyways...I'm not too crazy about this manicure. I think the two glitters should have been switched. Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters is SO disappointing. That is THREE coats of PoFG on the pink nails!

Sally Hansen Hot Magenta, Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters, Revlon Beach, NYX Spot Light

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

NYX Hot Pink, Sahara, Golden Dune, Sunset Ray Single Eyeshadow Review and Swatches

2012-01-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

NYX Sahara, Golden Dune, Sunset Ray, Hot Pink Single Eyeshadows
NYX Single Eyeshadows (~$5.00, 0.09 oz., Cherry Culture, NYX) are really affordable single eyeshadows in part of an extensive range of shades and finishes. They all come in a square black plastic compact with a clear lid and snap closure. This post includes Sahara, Golden Dune, Sunset Ray, and Hot Pink.

Sahara is a yellowy beige with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. I find it a bit too frosty as a brow highlight, but when toned down with a matte beige, Sahara serves as a beautiful highlight shade.

Golden Dune is a golden bronze with multi-chromatic shimmer and a metallic finish. It reminds me of a lighter Urban Decay Smog. It has a soft, dense, slightly crumbly texture with excellent pigmentation.

Sunset Ray is a neutral-cool carrot orange with a shimmer finish. It has a slightly dry, yet smooth and dense texture with good, build-able pigmentation. I found that it applies slightly unevenly. I prefer more yellowed oranges, so Sunset Ray doesn't see much love from me.

Hot Pink (matte) is a borderline neon deep pink with a mostly matte finish but detectable shimmers throughout. It has a dry, stiff texture with good, build-able pigmentation. The unfavorable formula leads to uneven application. It kind of reminds me of NARS Desire blush!

These are the only single NYX eyeshadows I own, but from these four I have to say that I like them. I find that I don't reach for them as often because I have yet to depot them into a custom palette. There are so many shades to choose from, so the collecting process can seem daunting (like MAC and MUFE shadows can be). I love how affordable they are for such a generous amount of product!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: Smokey Warm Cranberry Eyes

2012-01-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Eyes
Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo Eye Studio Eyeshadow on lid
Stila Damsel Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner smudged out on upper lash line
Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette; Black to define, Beige to highlight
NYX Sahara Single Eyeshadow to highlight
Urban Decay Naked Palette; Naked + Buck to contour
Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit dark browns to fill in brows
Lips
YSL Nude Beige Rouge Volupté Lipstick
Avon Tickled Pink Glazewear Shine Lip Gloss
Face
Maybelline Sandy Beige 220 Fit Me! Liquid Foundation
Maybelline Light/Medium Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector under eyes, on blemishes
Physicians Formula Natural Beige Healthy Wear Powder Foundation
theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer on cheeks, mixed with:
NYX Pinched Powder Blush on cheeks

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Display Notice: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Makeup

2012-01-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

My local CVS is just knocking it out of the park with all these awesome displays! I grabbed both the Natural and Rose Happy Booster blushes from last year. I definitely want all the products on this display!

Display Notice: Revlon PhotoReady Primers

2012-01-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

You know how you read one bad thing about a product and it's just engraved into your memory forever? I have a stigma with everything Revlon PhotoReady because somewhere I read that it was a huge glitter-bomb fiasco. It makes me hesitant to try any of these products! But they're packaged so nicely...and target specific needs...and I WANT THEM! Spotted this at CVS but saw a display at Walmart also!

Display Notice: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick Collection by Kate Moss

2012-01-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

Finally! They're here in my beloved America! I've been crying for months seeing these lipsticks on the blogosphere and unable to have them. I think 001 and 008 are on top of my list!

Display Notice: Wet n Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color

2012-01-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

I saw this display at the Dover Air Force Base AAEFES. To be *completely* honest, none of these shades really appeal to me. I'm not into demure nudes or muted pastels. I have enough reds, so the deep purple is the only shade that I may want. However, if the formula is fantastic, I may change my mind!

Revlon Carbonite Nail Enamel Review and Swatches

2012-01-06T19:19:00.000-05:00

Revlon Carbonite Nail Enamel ($2.00 - $4.99, 0.5 oz., Drugstores) is a smokey charcoal with silver, gold, and darker charcoal shimmer and a high metallic finish. It is a limited edition shade part of the Grit Grandeur collection. It reminds me of the look of furiously used pencil shavings.

The brush is well designed for the formula. It isn't too long or flimsy. It distributes the medium-thick formula very well for easy control and application. You could get away with two coats, but if you want super opacity, I'd apply three coats. Carbonite wore well for a few days before I saw tip wear (but no chipping).

I was super impressed by Carbonite's formula because I typically have terrible luck with Revlon polishes. This particular shade applied evenly and semi-opaque in one coat--unheard of for Revlon polishes! I love the smokiness, metallic finish, and multidimensional nuances. I wasn't able to locate any in my drugstores, but I did see one at Big Lots for $2.00!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: Golden Pomegranate Orchid Eyes

2012-01-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Eyes
Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo Eye Studio Eyeshadow on lid
Estée Lauder Deep Orchid Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme on outer lid
Urban Decay Naked Palette; Half Baked on inner corner, Naked + Buck to contour, Virgin to highlight
Physicians Formula Brown Eyes Shimmer Strips Gel CreamLiner to line upper lash line
aerie Color Plum Forever Liner on lower lash line
Wet n Wild Lust ColorIcon Palette; dark matte purple on lower lash line
CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara
Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit dark browns to fill in brows
Lips
Urban Decay Naked Lipstick
Face
Almay Sand Clear Complexion Makeup
Physicians Formula Natural Beige Healthy Wear Powder Foundation
Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick on cheeks

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Review and Swatches

2012-01-05T06:28:00.000-05:00

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush
Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush ($25.00, 0.20 oz., Sephora) is a muted natural medium plummy pink with a softened matte finish. Like all Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes, the product's packaging is a solid circular acrylic compact mimicking the shade of the blush with a mirror and snap closure.

It's easily one of my favorite blushes of all time! I find myself reaching for it all the time lately because it goes with any look, any occasion, any purpose. It wears well on me (about 6-8 hours), but not as well as some other blushes I've tried which is strange because it's touted as having 12-hour wear.

Exposed is unbelievably beautiful and flattering for any skin-tone, any time of the year. It's one of those unexpected mind-blowing blush shades like MAC Blushbaby or Korres Natural. Even though it's pricey at $25.00, it is one of those higher end products that I completely recommend as a must-have!

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: My Christmas 2011 Makeup

2012-01-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lackluster pictures! I didn't have time to capture quality shots so I did what I could with my iPhone's camera. A classic holiday look: neutral eyes and red lips! METALLIC red lips!

Eyes
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked Palette; Sin on lid, Buck to contour, Virgin to highlight
e.l.f. Black Studio Cream Eyeliner on upper lash line
Urban Decay Whiskey 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil on lower lash line
CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara
Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit medium and dark browns to fill in brows
Lips
NYX Plush Red Slim Lip Pencil
Kat Von D Adora Foiled Love Lipstick
Face
MUFE No. 40 Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation
CoverGirl Translucent Honey TRUblend Pressed Powder
Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush on cheeks
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer to highlight

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Review and Swatches

2012-01-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3
theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 ($39.50, 9 x 0.067 oz., theBalm) is a 9-pan eyeshadow palette with beautiful multi-chromatic shades. The palette is a thin, study, hard cardboard square with a magnetic closure and full-sized mirror.

Lusty Lee is a cool steel silver with a metallic-frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, slightly thin texture with great pigmentation.

Envious Erin is a warm pale yellow-white with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation.

Racy Kacy is a warm red-copper with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation.

Safe Bet Annette is a cool pale light pink with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, but thin texture with great pigmentation.

Runaround Rebecca is a cool pale, muted light green with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with good pigmentation.

Come-Hither Heather is a cool medium grayed purple with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation.

Open to Offers Olwen is a warm medium teal-blue with a frosty shimmer finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation.

All the Way Annie is a neutral medium purple with a shimmer finish. It has a slightly dry and stiff texture with low but build-able pigmentation. Nothing breaks my heart like a weak purple!

Guilty Gwen is a neutral black with fine silver glitter. It has an unbelievably dry, stiff texture with low pigmentation that is unable to be built up. I like to use it wet over top of black eyeliner for a nice dose of glitter, but I noticed a dried over spot in the shadow after quite some time.

Overall, this is definitely my least favorite palette. The only shades that make me like this palette at all are Envious Erin, Come-Hither Heather, and Open to Offers Olwen. Guilty Gwen must have had factor issues because I just can't believe theBalm would intentionally release such a poor-performing shade. I honestly can't recommend this palette unless you're an avid theBalm collector and can find it for a super reduced price at TJ Maxx like I did.

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Urban Decay Naked Palette Review and Swatches

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-05:00

Urban Decay Naked Palette
Urban Decay Naked Palette {$48.00, 12 x 0.05 oz., Urban Decay) is a 12-pan eyeshadow palette featuring 8 neutral-tone and 4 smokey full-sized shades. The palette is a slim, rectangular, sturdy cardboard palette with a brown velour cover. A full-sized mirror and dual-ended eyeliner or eyeshadow brush are included.

Virgin is a warm light pinky beige with a soft frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. I find it slightly too reflective as a brow highlight.

Sin is a warm pinky champagne with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation. I experienced a bit of fallout with this shade.

Naked is a neutral-cool light soft brown with a matte finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense cream-like texture with great pigmentation.

Sidecar is a cool light-medium grayed brown with micro-glitter a frost finish. It has a soft, slightly gritty and dense texture with excellent pigmentation. I experienced a considerable amount of fallout with this shade.

Buck is a warm medium soft brown with a matte finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense, cream-like texture with great pigmentation.

Half Baked is a neutral-warm bronze-gold with a frosty metallic finish. It has a soft, smooth texture with excellent pigmentation. It's one of my all-time favorite shades!

Smog is a darkened bronze with a golden bronze sheen. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation. Long-time fans know that smog has appeared in nearly every Urban Decay palette!

Darkhorse is a cool darkened smokey jewel-tone brown with a shimmer finish. It has a drier but dense formula with great pigmentation.

Toasted is a smokey grayed mauve with a metallic finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation.

Hustle is a cool smokey plum-brown with a satin finish. It has a soft, slightly crumbly, dense texture with good pigmentation.

Creep is a cool soft black with a shimmer finish. It has a soft, smooth, but thin texture and good pigmentation.

Gunmetal is a cool dark charcoal silver with a metallic finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture and excellent pigmentation.

In terms of shade selection, texture, pigmentation, packaging, and value, Urban Decay hit all the marks. You can create everyday effortless looks, complicated dramatic looks, alluring smokey looks…everything with this little guy!

I can just imagine everyone in the planning process thinking, "just another run-of-the-mill palette" not for a minute foreseeing this to be an international phenomenon! Whoever came up with the idea for this was definitely promoted!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog

Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked

Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Manicure: 2011 Christmas Nails

2012-01-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

I'm so upset with myself for not taking better photos of this manicure! I wore this for my husband's family Christmas party :) My niece loved it! Our family had Christmas early this year, so I still have time for more Christmas manicures! Below is a photo of my second Christmas nails that is quite uneventful, but nonetheless Christmas inspired! What are your Christmas manicures this year?

China Glaze Party Heart, China Glaze Jolly Holly, China Glaze Phat Santa

I wore this in-between Christmas with my husband's family and Christmas with his relatives and my family!

Revlon Carbonite, China Glaze Party Hearty

I wore this this for Christmas day and a bit after!

Wet n Wild Rockin' Rubies, Zoya Sooki

I wore this for Christmas with my friend and her family! Although Revlon Emerald City is a matte suede finish, I made it shiny with Seche Vite!

Revlon Emerald City, China Glaze Jingle Bells

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Display Notice: Almay Intense i-Color, Clear Complexion Makeup

2011-12-27T00:41:00.001-05:00

Nothing about the eyeshadow trios call out to me, but the shadow sticks definitely do! If they're ever on sale, I may grab one or two :)

I've never been interested in Almay, but I think I may want to indulge in this Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer because it seems like a cheaper alternative for Stila's One Step Correct Primer.

Display Notice: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow

2011-12-27T00:35:00.003-05:00

Another great drugstore makeup display at CVS! These look so amazing. I was bad and opened one for a quick swatch. I very lightly swiped the pot, and my preliminary findings are that the formula is very smooth and pigmented. I think all of them have either shimmer or metallic finishes. I want them all!

Display Notice: Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam, Dream Bouncy Blush

2011-12-27T00:34:00.000-05:00

My CVS has been late on the clearance sale but really stepping it up with the new product displays. Does anyone else think that drugstore makeup brands have secret meetings together and collude product prices and designs?? Revlon is also coming with an airbrush pump foundation. I wonder who will have a better formula!

These look like they have a baked powder formula, but it's supposed to be bouncy?? I have to pick one up and let you know what the formula is really like.

Display Notice: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Makeup

2011-12-27T00:30:00.000-05:00

RAGE!! GRR!! I was so upset when I saw this display at CVS and all the Nude palettes were gone!! That's pretty much all I *really* wanted! Ah, such is life. Hopefully I'll be able to grab it somewhere else!

Display Notice: Revlon ColorStay 16-Hour Eyeshadow, Longwear Nail Enamel

2011-12-27T00:20:00.001-05:00

I saw this display at my CVS, and was so excited! I wanted to pick up 2 or 4 or 7 of these quads, but wanted to wait for a sale ;) I tried to capture close-ups of the eyeshadows because the eyeliners looked a bit blasé. Check out the other photos!

I'm typically disappointed with Revlon polishes, but there will be the occasional gem. I wonder if the ColorStay formula won't be as watery, splotchy, or bubbly xP

Lemmings List 002

2011-12-23T03:24:00.001-05:00

MAC Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre
$26.00 for 0.31 oz. I still cannot believe I passed on Spring Colour Forecast's blush ombres. Ripe Peach, if you are ever repromoted, you WILL be mine!! Can you believe that I don't own a single plum or purple-toned blush? I HAVE to have this!

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals The Playlist READY™ Eyeshadow 8.0
$40.00 for 0.28 oz. I don't know what it is about this palette! I'm typically not a fan of Bare Escentuals like anything, but this palette includes all my favorite kind of shades (greens, jewel-tones). What's scaring me away is the $40.00 price tag for a palette I may not give sufficient attention and use!

Shiseido Translucent Loose Powder
$35.00 for 0.63 oz. I'm in need of a love-worthy setting powder. Everything I have now, I barely even like! Shiseido usually impresses me, so hopefully this setting powder will also if I ever have the chance to try it out!

Gilly Hicks Pink Sunset Eyeshadow Palette
$18.00 for 0.21 oz. I love trying out different brands, especially if the quality and packaging are appealing. Since I fell in love with makeup, pink eyeshadows have gone from my favorite to a shade I rarely use. Even still, this particular palette appeals to me the most out of the three available by Gilly Hicks!

Revlon Lip Butters
$6.49 - $7.99 for 0.09 oz. Who wouldn't want to try these?! Cutely packaged tinted lip balms in a whopping 20 shades at a drugstore price? Call me super duper cheap, but I'm waiting to purchase 4 or 6 or 12 of these guys during a 40% sale. Buy 1 Get 1 50% off isn't good enough for me ;)

Did I snag anything from my last lemming list?

Lemmings List 001.

Nothing! Not a single one! And I STILL want all those items!

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 1 Review and Swatches

2011-12-23T00:38:00.001-05:00

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 1

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 1 ($39.50, 9 x 0.067, theBalm) is a 9-pan eyeshadow palette with beautiful multi-chromatic shades. The palette is a thin, study, hard cardboard square with a magnetic closure and full-sized mirror. I did a look using this palette here.

Caught in the Act Courtney is a cool medium-dark brown with multi-chromatic shimmer and superfine micro glitter. It has a smooth but thin and dry texture with low, build-able pigmentation. It can also be found in theBalm's Shady Lady Vol. 2.

Shameless Shana is a warm medium orangey copper brown with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, and dense texture with great pigmentation.

Luscious Lani is a warm light pinky beige with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture and great pigmentation.

Jealous Jordana is a neutral darkened forest green with green shimmer and a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. I love using this as a liner!

Risqué Renee is a cool grayed medium-dark blue with a soft shimmer sheen. It has an almost matte finish, actually. It has a soft, smooth, yet thin texture with medium, build-able pigmentation. I found that it applied slightly unevenly.

Curvy Cami is a warm medium red-based purple with multi-chromatic shimmer finish. It has a slightly dry and crumbly texture with medium, build-able pigmentation. I found that it applied a bit unevenly.

Jet-Setting Jennifer is a warm muted yellow gold with a slight pale copper flash. It has a metallic finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation. It's easily my favorite shade!

All About Alex is a cool medium olive-gold with a slight metallic finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation. It's one of the most unique shades I've come across.

Easy Wheezie is a cool medium purple-toned gunmetal silver with a metallic finish. It has a soft, smooth, thin texture with great pigmentation.

I absolutely LOVE theBalm products, especially when I can snag them for 40%-60% off at TJ Maxx, which is where I found this guy for $12.00! If you can't find them at your TJ Maxx for such a crazy discounted price, you can still purchase them on theBalm's website for full price.

The value here is outrageous: full-sized shadows are $16.00 for 0.12 oz ($133.33/oz.) whereas this palette has half-sized shadows at $65.83/oz. Vol.1 is definitely my favorite one because it includes most of the permanent shades that I wanted to try all in one palette. If only Mischievous Marissa was in this one!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: Smokey Blue and Purple Eyes

2011-12-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

Eyes
Tarte Violet SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner on lid as a base
Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette; Blue on inner lid, Purple on outer lid, Black to define, White to highlight
Physicians Formula Brown Eyes Shimmer Strips Gel CreamLiner to line upper lash line
Estée Lauder Black Plum Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil to outer lower lash line
Urban Decay Flipside Glide-On Eye Pencil on inner lower lash line
e.l.f. Pearl/Glow Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick on inner corner
CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara on upper lashes
aerie Noir Vast Lash mascara on lower lashes
Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit medium and dark browns to fill in brows

Lips

NARS Papua Lipliner Pencil

YSL Nude Beige Rouge Volupté Lipstick

Poppy

Face
Maybelline Sandy Beige 220 Fit Me! Liquid Foundation
CoverGirl Translucent Honey TRUblend Pressed Powder
Maybelline Light 4-5 Dream Mousse Concealer Cream
Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick on cheeks
Revlon Brighten ColorStay Mineral Finishing Powder to highlight
NYC Sunny Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder to contour

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

2011-12-22T22:28:00.000-05:00

Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette
Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette ($4.99, 8 x 0.0375, Walgreens) is a limited edition 8-pan eyeshadow palette with 4 neutral-tone and 4 multi-chromatic shadows--all with matte finishes. The palette is a cheap square plastic case with a clear lid to easily view the shades; there is no mirror. This particular palette is a Walgreens-exclusive palette and can be found in a large display attached to an aisle (along with the 6-pan baked palettes).

Wet n Wild shades are unnamed, so I'll just describe each shade by its color--

White is a neutral run-of-the-mill matte white. It has a soft, smooth, and thin texture with medium, build-able pigmentation. Something about this shade gives it a dull appearance.

Green is a muted cool medium green with a matte finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with good pigmentation.

Blue is a neutral slightly warm medium blue with a matte finish and slight sheen. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation.

Purple is a neutral-cool purple with superfine silver glitter and overall matte finish. It has a dry, stiff texture with medium pigmentation which makes it difficult to build up or blend.

Beige is a neutral-warm pale beige with a matte finish. It has a soft, smooth, thin texture with medium, build-able pigmentation.

Nude is a very warm, very matte light orangey-brown. It has a soft, smooth, and dense texture with great pigmentation. I find shades like this to be quite unflattering on me.

Brown is a warm red based dark brown with a matte finish. It has a soft, smooth, thin texture with medium pigmentation.

Black is a neutral run-of-the-mill black with a matte finish. It has a dry, stiff, thin texture and medium, build-able pigmentation.

I think this palette is a nice matte palette to have in your stash. I don't find the shades flattering or useful enough to warrant daily casual use. They all just seem like individual shades to use for different purposes and looks. Although I'm not crazy about the palette alone, I think it's a must-have for any makeup addict to own!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Display Notice: Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Mousse Makeup, Sculpting Blush Palette

2011-12-22T19:35:00.000-05:00

I saw this display at the AAFES (small "department" store) at the Dover Air Force Base (where my husband works). Their prices are usually 10%-40% cheaper than other drugstores. I'm pretty excited to try the products out whenever I get my hands on them. Additional photos are below!

Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Mousse Makeup

Revlon PhotoReady Sclupting Blush Palettes

Kat Von D Angeles True Romance Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

2011-12-22T18:31:00.000-05:00

Kat Von D Angeles True Romance Eyeshadow Palette
Kat Von D Angeles True Romance Eyeshadow Palette ($15.00, 8 x 0.05 oz., Sephora) is an 8-pan eyeshadow palette with 4 neutral-tone and 4 blue-tone shades. The palette, which is a hard white plastic, includes 2 really small and useless synthetic applicators and a full-sized mirror. For some reason, the palette is being phased out of circulation, but hopefully Sephora will restock online. Some may still be found in stores.

Venus is a beautiful orangey-red copper with a metallic finish. It has great pigmentation, applies beautiful, and blends very well. The formula is very soft, smooth, and dense.

Leather is a warm medium-dark brown with a matte finish and subtle sheen. I found that upon initial application, the shadow applied slightly uneven. It has good, build-able pigmentation. The formula is soft, very smooth, and almost cream-like. Leather is also found in Kat Von D's Beethoven and Ludwig palettes.

Specimen is a cool grayed medium brown with a frosty shimmer finish. It has great pigmentation with a soft, smooth, and dense texture. There are many shades like this, but Specimen seemed surprisingly unique!

Rehab is a slightly warm peach champagne with a metallic finish. It has great pigmentation with a soft, smooth, and dense texture. Excellent for just a quick wash for a casual eye or paired with black winged liner and red lips.

Peggy is a warm green-heavy teal with a gorgeous gold duo-chrome and multi-chromatic shimmer. It has good, build-able pigmentation with a soft, smooth, somewhat thin texture. Peggy was also included in the discontinued Memento Mori palette.

Bukowski is a warm slightly smoky teal with a soft metallic finish. It has great pigmentation with a soft, smooth, dense texture.

Bellbottom is a cool, muted medium cornflower blue with a beautiful soft aqua sheen and multi-chromatic shimmer. With a description like that, you have to know it's quite a unique shade! It has great pigmentation with a soft, smooth, somewhat thin texture.

Morphine is an opalescent white with a blue sheen and multi-chromatic shimmer cream shadow. It has a drier feel for a cream shadow than I prefer. I also have read reports of complete drying out of Kat Von D shadows over time. The white base sheers out a lot when blended. It has medium, build-able pigmentation.

I generally really like Kat Von D eyeshadow palettes. The texture of the powder shadows in Angeles is really nice and lovely to work with. Besides the run-of-the-mill shades (Venus, Leather, Rehab), the other ones seem quite nice and unique. I really, really like this specific palette very much. At it's marked down price at $15.00 from $34.00, grab this while you can!

Venus, Leather, Specimen, Rehab, Peggy, Bukowski, Morphine

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner Collection Review and Swatches

2011-12-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner Collection
Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner Collection ($39.00, 6 x 0.056 oz., Sephora) is a set of six full-sized jumbo pencil-type shadow pencil/eyeliners with attached smudgers. A sharpener for the liners is included. SmolderEYES liners retail for $25.00 each. This limited edition set comes in at a value of $150.00; $446.43/oz. individually and $116.07/oz. as a set).

Golden Beige is a warm frosty peach champagne with fine silver glitter. When blended, the base color sheers out a lot, leaving the silver glitter looking extremely stark against the skin. If the glitter was just shimmer or even just the base color alone, I'd love this.

Moss is just that--a warm mossy green with a soft frost finish. As a lover of all green eye makeup, this is my favorite of the bunch.

Violet is an extremely beautiful true purple (slightly warm, mostly neutral) with gorgeous small fuchsia glitter. It was impossible to accurately capture the complexity of this shade!

Espresso is a neutral medium-dark brown with a small dose of superfine shimmer throughout. The base color has a satin finish. I find that most brands carry warm brown liners, so this was a welcome addition.

Smoke is a dark charcoal gray with a soft frost finish. Something strange about this particular shade is that it splotches streaks of black and lighter gray, even after a few uses. It can be easily fixed, but still something to note.

Silver Black is a neutral black with silver glitter. As a liner, I love it. But when it comes to black bases, I prefer them to be glitter-free.

They are all equally creamy, smooth, and glide on wonderfully. From a single pass these liners produce opaque color--very richly pigmented. I found that once applied, the smudger works well to sheer out color where the bulk of the product is; I did not find that it was particularly helpful in blending out the edges. Maybe that would be different if the product wasn't so fast to dry--you have to work quickly!

Tarte is not kidding about describing these as waterproof. Even with my (oil-free) makeup remover, I had to scrub and scrub and scrub for the product to be completely removed. These will be especially handy for long-wearing days! I didn't experience any creasing even though the product has a very creamy consistency with a fair amount of slip.Remember, these are limited edition so pick these up at the following retailers while you still can: Sephora, Tarte, and QVC.

Golden Beige, Moss, Violet, Espresso, Smoke, Silver Black

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Display Notice: Rimmel Glam'Eyes HD Shadows

2011-12-21T10:59:00.001-05:00

These look so pretty!! I saw this display at Walgreens. Looks like retail at Wags is $5.99 each. The wonky angle is due to the display being in a cart employees use around the store. Let me tell you...surreptitiously taking pictures in stores is hard as it is, but throw in a difficult angle and it becomes 100x more difficult!! Check out closer photos!

Royal Cab (blues), Black Cab (grays), English Oak (neutrals), Purple Reign (purples), True Union Jack

Heart of Gold, Green Park, English Rose

Hidden Drugstore Purchase & Christmas Decorations

2011-12-21T10:33:00.001-05:00

Revlon Carbonite, Revlon Matte Suede Emerald City, Maybelline Moisture Extreme Nude Blush, Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer
Like many beauty bloggers, I love a good deal! I have a Big Lots right down the street from me, so my husband and I meandered our way over for some cheap Christmas decorations. Of course I found my way to the beauty aisle! I was elated to find some of the most coveted discontinued/limited edition drugstore products. I find myself with the need to go back and find more!

I took some photos of my Christmas decorations. Please share yours!

Lighted garland along the banister with bows! Stockings above the TV :)

Really pretty candle holder display with faux pine cones, berries, and evergreen leaves.

Nativity centerpiece! A candle can go in the center. I'm on a hunt to collect all kinds of nativity scenes!!

Candy jars! Drinking glass with a Yankee Candle lid filled with Christmas M&Ms! Yankee Candle large candle jar filled with Christmas Kisses & Bell-shaped chocolates.

Lighted and bowed window!

Christmas tree! LED white lights, color lights, candy candies, red bows, red and gold ornaments! This is my husband's and my first real Christmas tree and have yet to accumulate personal or specialized ornaments :(

Star-lighted and bowed real wreath!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: Warm Antique Gold and Green Eyes

2011-12-07T00:27:00.001-05:00

Eyes
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 1 Eyeshadow Palette; Jet-Setting Jennifer on inner lid, All About Alex on outer lid, Shameless Shana to contour, Jealous Jordana to define, Caught in the Act Courtney on lower lash line
Rock & Republic Veil and Carat eyeshadows to highlight
Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil on lower lash line
Maybelline Very Black Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara on upper lashes
Lips
Revlon Super Lustrous Softshell Pink Pearl Lipstick
Revlon ColorBurst Sunset Peach Lipgloss
Face
MUFE No. 40 Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation
Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil (completely sheer) Loose Powder
Tarte Blissful Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush on cheeks
NYC Sunny Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder to contour
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer to highlight

My husband is every bit a silly goober as I am :)

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

My Current MAC Collection

2011-11-30T23:41:00.000-05:00

Awwe, look at my tiny little MAC collection. All 9 items. How adorable. LOL! As much as I really like MAC products, I just can't bring myself to consistently build my stash just yet. Because I feel that way, most of what I have is my must-haves from limited edition collections.

To be honest, I don't think I give any of these products the attention they deserve. Ah, such is life of the beauty addict. We buy and buy and buy but never use! Anyways, take a look at the photos!

MAC Strange Potion, MAC Evolution Revolution, MAC Sonoran Rain

MAC Hibiscus, MAC Ever Hip

MAC Hocus Pocus, MAC Jealousy Wakes

MAC Photorealism Quad

MAC Refined Golden Bronzing Powder

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Zoya Jules Review and Swatches

2011-11-30T13:22:00.001-05:00

Zoya Jules
Zoya Jules ($8.00, 0.5 fl. oz., Zoya) is a complex grayed antique gold with silver and gold shimmer. It has a soft metallic finish. Part of the Spring 2011 Intimate collection, I found that the smokiness of the shade was more appropriate for colder months, which is why I love wearing it in the fall. Jules is among my all-time favorite polishes.

The brush is medium length with soft bristles. It's the kind of brush that seems to hold polish in-between bristles instead of just the flat sides. The design of the brush along with the medium-thin, flowing formula makes Jules one of my absolute favorite polishes to apply. It perfectly covers the nail in 3 coats without any streaking. If you're prone to messy applications (like myself!), you'll love the fact that Jules applies perfectly with no fuss.

Zoya polishes are among my favorites because they just wear so well on me--about an entire week with no chipping and minor fading at the tips. I feel like Zoya's polishes have consistently excellent formulas, from their shimmer to creme to glitter shades (matte is another topic!)

At this point in time, I think $8 is too much for a single bottle of polish, so I usually only purchase Zoya polishes when there is a buy one get one free or 50% off promo.

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

MUFE Wild and Chic Sephora Inside JC Penny Exclusive Palette Swatches

2011-11-25T23:03:00.001-05:00

I went to my first Sephora Inside JC Penny today! It's such a small selection! I did however find the exclusive Make Up For Ever Wild and Chic palette! These photos were taken inside the store with my iPhone.

There's actually supposed to be a matte beige shade right on my wrist, but it was barely showing up. I applied these with the sample sponge-tip applicators Sephora provides. Even though I've never tried MUFE products, I just *have* to believe that this palette isn't quite in line with their regular formula and philosophy.

The shades seemed soft enough, but the pigmentation was just severely lacking, even after several swipes. I think you'll be better off with other palettes or just individual pans! Have you had better luck? Maybe I'm just the odd one out!

Bath and Body Works 2011 V.I.P. Bag Contents, Photos

2011-11-25T02:48:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Black Friday! Happy Just-Another-Thursday-and-Friday!!!!

I was one of those crazies who actually went and ventured out into the dangerous world of Black Friday midnight shopping. Lines were crazy! My husband, sister, and I just left a couple places because we weren't going to bother with the lines!

I have to say though, I was absolutely IMPRESSED by Bath and Body Works's customer service! There were employees who were designated to specific tasks such as waiting line maintenance and retrieving forgotten items. How wonderful! AND all the employees seemed like they had a full rest and were SO pleasant! I'm down in South Carolina visiting family so maybe it's just the southern hospitality, but I was seriously just SO impressed with the excellent customer service!

The V.I.P. bag actually included what was shown in the promo photos. I apologize for the iPhone quality pictures. I don't have my camera with me, and I didn't want to wait until I came home to share the goodies with you! Take a look.

2011 V.I.P. Bag

Mistletoe Kiss PocketBac Anti-bacterial Hand Gel

Inside look of bag

Beauty Bags

Be Enchanted Shimmer Mist, Be Enchanted Body Lotion, Be Enchanted Shower Gel, Mistletoe Kiss Anti-bacterial Hand Soap, pink loofa, Aromatherapy Sleep Night Time Tea Body Lotion, All I Want Is a Cranberry Kiss Liplicious Lip Gloss, lotion pump

$10 for a 3-Wick Candle coupon (limit 5)

Did you grab one? What else did you pick up at Bath and Body Works? Any other good Black Friday goodies? Hope everyone is having a wonderful and blessed weekend!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Look: Everyday Pretty Coral/Peach Makeup

2011-11-17T18:28:00.001-05:00

Eyes
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Forever21 love & beauty Travel Makeup Palette; white gold on inner lid, peach on lid, gray brown to define
Rock & Republic Veil eyeshadow to highlight
ULTA Plum Kohl Eye Liner Pencil on lower lash line
Lancôme Black Coffe Le Crayon Khôl on upper waterline
Maybelline Very Black Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara on upper lashes
Lips
Rimmel Airy Fairy Lasting Finish Lipstick
e.l.f. Dragon Fruit Studio Glossy Gloss
Face
MUFE No. 40 Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation mixed with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Garnier Nutritioniste Sheer Tint Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller on undereyes

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmer Brick

e.l.f. Studio Glossy Gloss in Dragon Fruit, Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy, (these lippies are actually lighter and cooler-toned in real life), Lancôme Le Crayon Khôl in Black Coffee, ULTA Kohl Eye Pencil in Plum, Rock & Republic Eyeshadow in Veil, Forever21 love & beauty Travel Makeup Palette

Forever21 love & beauty Travel Makeup Palette: purple, gray brown, peach, white gold

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Drugstore Coupon Savings: Walgreens, CVS

2011-11-13T23:23:00.001-05:00

Walgreens Make This Season Stunning Coupon Booklet

I've seen this coupon booklet at a couple different Walgreens locations--one had it by the circular area and the other had it near the limited edition beauty displays. Walgreens has a tendency to place coupon booklets wherever they feel like, so take a good look around the store before you call it quits!

To maximize savings, I would wait for these brands to go on sale, use the coupon, and maybe find another manufacturer coupon (from displays, in Sunday papers, online). Remember, if you're in the military or a military spouse, you receive 15% off everyday!

Size comparison between holiday and monthly booklets

CVS P&G Beauty Look Sensational This Season Coupon Pamphlet

I found this little bugger lurking around a table by the beauty department. If you don't see it displayed, ask an employee if the store is hiding it somewhere!

Recent Purchases: Sephora, MAC, Drugstore

2011-11-13T23:12:00.001-05:00

I haven't made beauty related purchases in so long it feels like! But the past two weeks, I've been picking up a few things here and there, and I thought I'd share it all with you! First up, drugstore.

Suave Dry Shampoo, Suave Dry Shampoo, Suave Touchable Finish Hairspray, Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, Wet n Wild Color Icon Nail Color in Rockin' Rubies and Cost Is No Issue
The only reason I bought 2 dry shampoos is because Suave was on sale 3 for $5 at CVS, and I figured I'd grab two of what I need. I would have picked up three, but there were only 2 left! I've never used the Touchable Finish Hairspray before (well, I never use hairspray as it is), but I'm hoping it works out well!

I used to use Aveeno's Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub when I stayed with my family a couple summers ago, and I really liked it. My Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub recently ran out, so I thought I'd go back to old faithful! You should have seen my jubilation when I saw the Wet n Wild Ice Baby collection display at a local CVS. Since they weren't on sale, I only grabbed two, but they all looked so pretty and promising!

I also bought a pack of tampons, but whatever ;)

MAC Brush Cleanser
While at the mall with a good friend this past weekend, we stopped by MAC to lurk around and be annoyed by sales associates. I've been putting off purchasing a Brush Cleanser for MONTHS now, and finally took the splurge…all $13 of it. LOL! I can be so cheap sometimes. I've always shampooed my brushes, but since it's so time consuming I've been slacking. Hopefully this pink puppy will force me to be more diligent!

MUFE Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation in No. 40, YSL Rouge Volupté Lipstick in Nude Beige, Sephora Collection Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Ultra Green, Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Liner Collection, Jack Black Balm Squad Lip Balm Quad, Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Angeles, NARS Danmari All About Cheeks Palette

I haven't used anything but Jack Black lip balms. It's only been a week, but I must say they are AMAZING. I don't need to constantly reapply. It healed my lips. HEALED. MUFE Mat Velvet Foundation is my first high end liquid foundation, so I hope it was worth the splurge. I already have a YSL Rouge Volupté lipstick in Extreme Coral and love it, so I thought I'd pick up another one--but this time something more wearable!

This NARS blush palette is my first experience with NARS blushes, so I hope they live up to the hype. A Kat Von D eyeshadow palette for $12 after reduced pricing and a coupon code? I was sold. I'm a sucker for extreme value, which is why I couldn't pass up Tarte's SmolderEYES liner collection. It comes with SIX shades for less than the price of TWO!

I am very much excited to try out all these products. I'll try to post reviews and swatches once I've thoroughly tested them! What did you order from Sephora's Friends & Family sale? Any recent MAC or drugstore purchases? I want to know!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

YouTube's Effect on Product Packaging

2011-11-06T23:33:00.001-05:00

I remember when YouTube was a place for pirated TV episodes and funny clips of cats being the divas that they are. Of course, this was before Google bought out the video platform and slapped ads everywhere. I also remember when Blogger was mostly personal blogs about teen angst and the daily lives of career-battered adults.

How far we have come, the beauty community, on these two media outlets. From blogs to vlogs, I couldn't help but notice a somewhat calculated shift in beauty product design. Have brands watched videos and read blogs so closely they now subliminally manufacture products to cater to specific wants and needs?

Noticeable Names

Chanel Recourbe Cils de Chanel Precision Eyelash Curler
Most eyelash curlers either have the brand name engraved on the arc or nowhere at all. Chanel has decided to starkly print CHANEL in white on a black curler, making the name obviously noticeable in blog photos and YouTube videos.

Shu Uemura, Shiseido

Displaying Designs

NARS Danmari All About Cheeks Palette
From watching many makeup storage and organization videos, I've found that a lot of people store their large, flat palettes (MAC, Make Up For Ever, BH Cosmetics) in letter/folder organizers that are often placed in reachable areas. NARS has designed their new Danmari All About Cheeks palette similar to other large, flat palettes making them more easily accessible thus perhaps rendering more frequent use.

Other brands that have released blush palettes have opted for a more eye-appealing or somewhat "bulky" design.

Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Palette, Benefit POWda WOWza

Convenient Carry-Alongs
To be honest, I haven't been keeping up to date with fragrance trends and news until recently. I have noticed however that many brands are coming out with rollerballs. Thinking long and hard about this observation, I cannot recall ever seeing fragrances in rollerball form from years ago; this seems to be a modern innovation to me.

Sephora Favorites Rollerball Collection for Her
How did we carry around fragrances with us for quick reapplication or travel purposes before rollerballs (and now atomizers) came along? It seems that we no longer have an excuse to be without our favorite fragrances--the perfumers have trapped us! *giggle*

Perhaps I'm just acting like an over-enthused English teacher who picks apart every sentence for deeper meanings and examples of symbolism. I've just always been the kind of person who notices random or possibly unintentional patterns. I mean, why are all social networking sites blue? Has anyone else noticed these product design patterns or is it just me? Let me know what you think!

Soft Neutral Eyes & Bright Coral Lips

2011-11-05T22:50:00.001-04:00

Eyes
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Smashbox Iconic Eyes Palette; light peach on lid, brown to contour, pale pink to highlight
Rock & Republic Veil eyeshadow to highlight
Urban Decay Zero eyeliner on upper lash line
Urban Decay Bourbon eyeliner on lower lash line
CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara on upper lashes
Stila Anya Eyeshadow Trio; dark brown to fill brows
Lips
MAC Hibiscus (cremesheen) lipstick
e.l.f. Crystal Cranberry Glitter Gloss
Face
Revlon Golden Beige ColorStay Oily/Combination Skin Makeup mixed with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Maybelline 220 Natural Beige Fit Me! Pressed Powder
Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush on cheeks
NYC Sunny Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder to contour
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer to highlight

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald Review and Swatches

2011-11-04T19:11:00.001-04:00

China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald

China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald ($3.00 - $8.00, 0.5 fl. oz., 8ty8 Beauty) is a darkened teal with superfine teal and silver shimmer. Part of the Vintage Vixen collection, this polish seems very appropriate for the colder months which seem to be approaching us rapidly! It's one of those "I can't stop looking at my nails" shades.

The brush is long, straight, and a bit flimsy. When pressed against the nail, the tips spread out easy to coat slim nail beds in one stroke. With 2 coats, I could detect a barely visible nail line, so I applied 3 coats for full opacity. The consistency is really lovely--thin but not runny, allowing for even coverage. Sometimes I find that darker shades will pool at the ends but this shade is full and "together" on the entire nail.

China Glaze polishes are a bit moody with me--they'll either wear extremely well for a week without chipping when using a proper base and topcoat, but other times they'll chip after a couple days (For Audrey). Luckily, Emerald Fitzgerald wears very well.

I purchased mine from 8ty8 Beauty for $2.88 last year.

Note: the polish is actually less blue and more green in real life. My camera can't capture its true beauty!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Target Sample Bag & Small e.l.f. Order

2011-10-27T23:01:00.003-04:00

I wish I could update more often! I want to put some reviews and at least product photos and swatches first, but I can't get my camera to take pictures correctly. I've been messing around with my camera (my husband misplaced the manual) for days now, and I still can't seem to take accurate photos. *sigh* I'm working on it!For now, some iPhone quality photos:

e.l.f. Coffee Studio Cream Eyeliner, e.l.f. Dusk Cream Eyeshadow, e.l.f. Nicely Nude Mineral Lipstick, e.l.f. Wild Mineral Lipgloss, e.l.f. Sorority Girl Mineral Lipgloss, e.l.f. Crystal Cranberry Studio Glitter Gloss, e.l.f. Dragon Fruit Studio Glossy Gloss, e.l.f. Essential Zit Zapper, e.l.f. All-Over Eyeshadow Brush Mineral Brush, e.l.f. Angled Eyeliner Brush Studio Brush
I haven't really used any of these yet. The only thing I have used is the e.l.f. Mineral Lipgloss in Wild. It's a reddish coral with a gold shimmer sheen. I wish It had a thicker base; the mineral oil base makes it super thin and slick. The pigmentation is okay--more of a topping gloss, really.

Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo & Conditioner (0.34 fl. oz.), John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo & Conditioner (0.28 fl. oz.), TRESemmé Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner (0.33 fl. oz.), Beautiful Bucks coupons, L'Oreal Youth Code Day/Night Cream (0.01 fl. oz.), Burt's Beez Radiance SPF 15 Day Lotion (0.10 fl. oz.), Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes (5 ea).
I haven't tried any of these yet, and I don't think I will. I've used the Pond's towelettes before and thought they were too wet and underperforming. I've never been into using sample packets, so I'll probably give these to a friend. I just wanted the makeup bag!

contents by Allegro makeup bag; on my nails is Wet n Wild Black Magic
This bag is quite disappointing! It actually looks dirty. The beige areas look dirty and unflattering. It looks like it's supposed to be a clean white! And it's not roomy at ALL. Very slim. I can barely fit my Rock & Republic Exhibition Pressed Powder (Satin), Nuance Cheek Trio (Apricot), Revlon ColorStay Quad (Copper Spice), Urban Decay eyeliner duo (Zero, Whiskey), Revlon ColorBurst lip gloss (Peony), and Benefit mini cream eyeshadow (R.S.V.P.). I guess that may be a lot of product to carry around xP

My husband and puppy dog, Gogi!

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

Lemmings List 001

2011-09-20T17:47:00.001-04:00

From MAC to Revlon to Chanel, I have a massive lemming list of hundreds of products I want! But looking at the big picture, these products stand out to me the most.

Wonderstruck Eau de Parfum by Taylor Swift

$49.50 for 1.7 oz · I am a huge fan of anything Taylor Swift! She's beautiful, graceful, talented, and humble. But I'll be honest: when she first debuted, I tried really hard to hate her! But it's been proven impossible to me. When Taylor does something, she does it right. The packaging of the bottle and fragrance notes are totally wowing me. I must have this!

MAC Rebel Lipstick

$14.50 for 0.10 oz · MAC is such a gateway brand! You buy one product and you just want to try them all. There are many MAC products I want from eyeshadows to brushes, but Rebel lipstick really stands out to me right now. I've always been shy about darker lip shades, but I think I'm finally ready to try a plum/berry for the upcoming autumn season!

Zoya Remove+

$25.00 for 32 oz · Does it really count as a lemming if you actually NEED it? I'm running out very quickly, and don't have any to replace! After using Zoya's Remove+ nail polish remover, you'll never go back to drugstore pure acetone removers, no matter the price.

Urban Decay Electric 24/7 Travel-Size Eye Pencil Set

$32.00 for 0.15 oz · I don't know how Urban Decay does it. They always seem to come out with I MUST HAVE EVERYTHING collections. Although I want the 15th Anniversary palette (and everything else on their site), this eyeliner set really stands out to me. The colors are so alluring from the darkest of blacks to the brights of pinks to the multidimensional of shades. Definitely on top of the list.

MAC Angel Flame Eyeshadow Quad; Image courtesy of Temptalia

$38.00 for 0.20 oz · Even before I fell in love with lipsticks and blushes, eyeshadow palettes always had my heart--and they always will! I can see myself regularly using these shades, and Christine from Temptalia already reviewed this as a solid palette! Angel Flame will look quite nice next to my Photorealism quad.

What items are on your lemmings list?

Current Makeup Stash and Organization

2011-09-20T16:52:00.001-04:00

Since I'm just starting out with Blogger, I thought it'd be appropriate to share with you my current makeup stash and organization! This is nowhere near my dream collection or set-up, but it'll do!

Overview shot of collection

Everything is placed on one of my bedroom window sills. I love how deep they are! The sill is a bit high to sit in a chair and apply makeup, so I just stand. When applying makeup, I prefer natural daylight so this set-up is quite perfect in that aspect.

The left side has a medium Sterlite 3-drawer set (Target) that holds most of my individual eye makeup. Placed on top is a lamp (from a set at Lowe's) and my skincare basket (Target). The middle is a desk organizer (Target; similar to jewelry separators) that is quite lovely for holding palettes and compacts. Beside it are three glass drinking cups (from a set at Walmart) that holds my brushes and pencil-form products. The right side has a small Sterlite 3-drawer set (Target) that holds my lip products. Placed on top are my bigger palettes and fragrances.

First drawer of medium Sterlite set

This drawer is a bit random. It contains my tiny Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners, tweezers, eyelash curler, concealers, mascaras, gel/cream eyeliners, and backups of products.

Second drawer of medium Sterlite set

This drawer contains most of my random face powders and eyeshadow singles/duos: Estee Lauder Double Wear Cream Shadows, bare Minerals foundation set, NYX shadows, e.l.f. Studio single shadows, L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duos, Wet n Wild eyeshadow singles, MAC Jealousy Wakes! and MAC Hocus Pocus (among others).

Third drawer of medium Sterlite set

All my Rock & Republic eyeshadow singles! Backup of Rock & Republic pressed powder and a Forever 21 Love & Beauty palette.

Desk organizer

The left side has most of my prestige brand and some drugstore palettes: Urban Decay, theBalm, Rue21, tokidoki, aerie, Wet n Wild, Josie Maran, and Nuance. I have my Rock & Republic eyeshadow single in Veil placed out as a go-to matte ivory brow bone highlight shade.

The middle contains most of the same with face powders included: Stila, e.l.f., and Wet n Wild palettes. My MAC Photorealism quad that I snagged from a CCO is in there too! Face powders include theBalm Hot Mama blush, theBalm Mary- and Betty-Loumanizers, MAC Refined Golden bronzing powder, NYC Sunny bronzing powder, and Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick. My jumbo Urban Decay Primer Potion fits snuggly with my face powders as well!

The right starts off with my liquid face products: aerie liquid foundation, CoverGirl NatureLuxe, Revlon ColorStay, Maybelline Fit Me, and Kiehl's tinted moisturizer. The rest is mainly my powder blushes: Physician's Formula Happy Booster, Milani baked blushes, Tarte Amazonian Clay, e.l.f. Studio, NYX, Urban Decay, and Hard Candy. I randomly also have my Bobbi Brown Pewter eyeshadow single and a Revlon Illuminance Cream Eyeshadow quad in Skinlights placed here.

Brush and pencil cups

The farthest back cup contains my face brushes, then my eye brushes, and then my pencil-form products. Pencils include Urban Decay 24/7, aerie eyeliners, Estee Lauder Double Wear eye pencils, Smashbox liquid pen liner, and NYX Jumbo Pencils. I also keep my eyebrow shapers, a pair of scissors, and a knife here.

Right side

Here I have the only two fragrances I own: Viva La Juicy and Britney Spears Curious. I also have my Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream and an EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet (which I definitely don't recommend!) Below these are my Urban Decay NYC palette and Tarte for True Blood palette (fantastic product).

First drawer of small Sterlite set

I arranged this top drawer by my most used lipsticks. On the bottom are my aerie Quenchstick shades I don't reach for often, a Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick (the smell is so awful!), NYX Black Label lipsticks, a CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipstick, and a couple Josie Maran Argan Oil lipsticks. On top I have my Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks (the moon drops formula in green tubes smell awful!), a Nuance lipstick, a couple MAC lipsticks, a YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick, a Shiseido lipstick, a Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick, and my favorite aerie Quenchsticks.

Second drawer of small Sterlite set

I arranged this middle drawer with my Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks and glosses, Revlon Super Lustrous glosses, MAC lipglasses, and a couple random lipsticks. These random ones include my Urban Decay Naked lipstick, depotted lipsticks, and a couple Wet n Wild Mega Last lipsticks.

Third drawer of small Sterlite set

I arranged this last drawer by my least used lipglosses and favorite topping glosses. On the bottom are my Stila lip glazes, LORAC Multiplex glosses, and Artistry glosses. On top are my favorites: Philosophy lip shines, Hard Candy Glossoholics, aerie glosses, and Rock & Republic Muse gloss.

That's about it for everything! Share with me your collection. How has it changed? Does it change often? Do you have your dream set-up? How do you organize your products?

The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me or otherwise gifted from family and friends.

We All Start Somewhere

2011-09-19T15:54:00.001-04:00

Oh my! Where do I even start?!

Makeup has always been my first love. Before music, cooking, and graphic design entered my life, makeup was my obsession. It wasn't until a couple years ago that I fell back in love with makeup. After stumbling across beauty super blog Temptalia, I was hooked! I came across many other blogs--some of which are still my favorites today: Frm Head to Toe, Musings of a Muse, and I Am Xteeener.

Something about the beauty blogging community settles better with me than the YouTube beauty community. Even still, in the two years that I've hunted down makeup blogs like a hawk, I was never able to create and maintain a steady beauty blog! Before I open my official beauty blog, I want to get into the Blogger community. Some of the best blogs I've come across are a branch off Blogger! (Beauty by Clara, Nouveau Cheap, and Blushing Noir).

I am very much looking forward to meeting many new, different, and wonderful people who are just as obsessed with makeup as I am! We all start friendships somewhere!