{Haul} Dollar Store, MAC, Sephora & Target

Hey there everyone! I've got a haul for you today! Rare, I know, because I've been so focused on finishing up a lot of my makeup lately that I haven't bought anything in a long while. Let me know if you want reviews on any of the stuff below! Enjoy!

1. Dollar Tree
I was at the mall and the dollar store (don't remember the exact name of it -- sorry) carried the full line of Jordana cosmetics. I wanted to pick up a few shadows because I've heard some pretty good things online. That and I was planning on buying a MAC 15 pan palette and figured I could fill some of the empty spaces with a few good basic colors

Clockwise: White Lie, Pink of Me, Bronzeville, Total Blackout, Ms. Brown

Clockwise: White Lie, Pink of Me, Bronzeville, Total Blackout, Ms. Brown

I wanted to try out Bronzeville because I heard that it is a dupe for MAC's Amber Lights, which I've actually finished in the past. Bronzeville is very very close. The texture and finish is a bit off, but on the eye it looks identical. I wanted to try Pink of Me because it looked similar to MAC's Yogurt, but they're not really all that close. Yogurt is matte while Pink of Me has an opalescent sheen to it.

Overall, these shadows are very nice, especially White Lie, Bronzeville, and Ms. Brown. They are a little more powdery than most shadows, so you need to be careful when applying them, but for the most part they are nice. The only shade I didn't like was Total Blackout. I hit pan on my Laura Mercier Deep Night eyeshadow (see here) and I wanted to try out another black. I hate this one by Jordana. I read online that people compared this to a matte black from MAC, that it's supposedly that good, but I don't agree at all. It's very powdery, I'm used to a more firmly pressed Laura Mercier black. It made a mess when I went to apply it. And it's not very black. Compared to my all time favorite black, LM Deep Night, this one looks almost grey and washed out.  Other than this shadow, though, the other ones are great.

2. MAC

MAC Pro Colour Palette, Eyeshadows in All that Glitters (L) and Twinks (R)

I didn't get much from MAC. I finally picked up their 15 pan palette, which I'm in love with. Between all my MAC shadows, the Jordana ones I picked up, and the Lancome ones I've depotted, I've got more than enough colors to fill up 15 slots. I want to get another one already and I've only had this one for a couple of weeks!

MAC Eyeshadows in All That Glitters (L) and Twinks (R)

I also got the eyeshadows in All That Glitters and Twinks. For me these past few weeks, these have become my go to day colors. I love how warm and pretty they look on my lids and how they bring out my blue eyes. They make my eyes glow!

Now that I've bought a few shades in pans, I've gotta say that I will never again buy a potted shadow from MAC. Depotting them is just such a pain and hassle. And putting them in a palette just saves so much space. I live in a dorm for most of the year, so anything that saves me some room is great in my book. Let me know if you guys wanna see what I filled my 15 pan palette with. Most of the shades are everyday shades.


3. Sephora
So I went into Sephora a few times, not really intending to buy anything, just wanting to see what they had and they had this whole section of clearanced stuff out. Now, if you shop at Sephora, you know they rarely have sale stuff out in the store. Usually it's only listed online, and that annoys me because I'll want to buy something but I refuse to pay more shipping than the item is work. Anyway, all the stuff I picked up is Sephora Brand, but they did have a few other brands there. All but one of the items I bought was on sale for just $5!

Clockwise: Sephora White Blasted, Glamour, Star, Anti-Shine Primer

I got the Sephora by OPI White Blasted nail polish, their version of the OPI crackle polishes. It's ok. Application is a bit tricky because on some finishes (like matte nail polishes) it won't crackle, which is annoying. I got two lipsticks. I've never tried Sephroa Brand lipstick before, and I've been craving lip stuff recently. The first is Lip Attitude in Glamour, the second is the Lip Attitude in Star. They also had the Anti-Shine Primer, which I'm going to use after I finish my Rimmel one and what little is left of my Laura Mercier primer.

L-->R: Lip Attitude in Glamour and Star

I'm loving Glamour at the moment. It's a light, glossy pink color that looks really nice with my tan right now. It smells a little weird, but I can tolerate it. Star on the other hand I actually returned, it was that bad. It smelled soooo bad! I put it on and instant headache. It's a shame because the color is really pretty. Kind of a lipstick version of Nars Belize gloss, only with more gold glitter. Super pretty! Too bad it smells and tastes like burning plastic.

L-->R: Sephroa Balm in Coral Twist, Hot Hues Neon Balm in Funky Fuchsia

These last two items I got on another trip to Sephora. The first is the new Sephora Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist. I got this because I thought it was on sale for $5 on the sale rack, so I couldn't swatch it or anything. I found out later when I got home and looked at my receipt that it was actually $12 and when I swatched it I was even more disappointed because it applies pretty much clear. I'm going to keep it anyway because I like how it feels on my lips and it doesn't have a weird taste or smell. Would I buy it again? Nope.

Sephora Balm in Coral Twist, Hot Hues Neon Balm in Funky Fuchsia

The other item I got was one of the limited edition balms. Its called the Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Funky Fuchsia. It's soo pretty! It's got this jelly clear look to it. I know Clarins made some a while back and so did Maybelline, but I just wasn't willing to spend the money on them, given that I knew they were probably going to apply clear. I was so surprised when this balm applied very very pigmented on my lips. It made them look almost stained! I the formula of the Be You Lip Balm better, but the pigmentation of the Neon Lip Balm is stunning. It is a more waxy balm though. I'll review both.

4. Target
I'm in love with Target. I swear, you can get anything and everything there, it's amazing.

Almay Eye Makeup Removing Liquid, Banana Boat SPF 15 Tanning Oil

I didn't get much this time. I ran out of my all time favorite makeup remover, the Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Removing Liquid (full review and test pictures here!) and picked up a replacement. I've gone through three bottles of this stuff, and this is my fourth, which says a lot. I tend to always try different things, but I've gone back to this stuff time and time again, which says a lot.

I also picked up the Banana Boat Protective Tanning Oil with SPF 15. I know, I know tanning is bad, but I just can't stand the fake stuff anymore. I've been using the L'Oreal Sublime stuff and I'm starting to really hate it cuz it's such a pain and it fades really weird, all patchy and gross. I finally got to the beach this past Thursday, and this oil worked like a charm! It smells delicious, like bananas, gave me a light golden brown tan after one use without any redness or irritation anywhere. And my skin felt so soft after too! I'll do a full review, but so far I'm absolutely loving it!

So that's my haul! I'll be putting up reviews later this coming week! If there's anything you specifically want a review on or swatches let me know in comments!

{Empties} June 2011 (+ Bonus Hit Pans!)

Hi guys! Sorry it took so long to get this post out. I underestimated how many mini reviews I would have to write lol! I've decided to do empties on a monthly basis from now on. Enjoy! Click on any links for more information and more in depth reviews!



Sally Hansen Teflon Tough Top Coat
A good top coat, very shiny, and makes my nails not chip for I would say almost a week. Not as great as Seche Vite, but for the price, a good option. What I really like about it is that it dries very very quickly, within two minutes.

Aquafina Intensive Under Eye Cream
This is a very good eye cream if you're looking for a very thick, rich under eye cream. It moisturizes very very well. That being said, this is the stupidest packaging I've ever had to deal with. The cream is very thick, so it does not sink to the bottom of the container, which means the pump can't pump it up. I would use a little spatula to scoop out as much as I could into a sample container and use it that way. Good cream, but packaging makes use very annoying.

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer
I like this concealer for its coverage, but as far as treating acne, I didn't notice any difference in my skin after continued use, and I really did only use this on pimples. The formula is a bit thicker than other concealers, so if you're used to think, liquid concealers this one may not be for you. It does blend out very well though.

Essie Mini Nail Polishes in Turning Heads Reds (Bottom) and Fearless (Top)
I loved these colors so much, especially for my toes. Fearless was the color that really got me interested in bright shades for nails. I;m not keen on the mini bottles though. I got through about 2/3 of these and then the rest kinda dried out, including the applicator. I've got the same problem with the OPI minis. They're nice if you wanna try out some nice shades, but if you buy them in 4's I would say save your money and buy two full size shades instead.

Maybelline Cool Effect Shadow Liner in On The Rocks
I loved this color. It's a deep, warm brown with a bit of shimmer to it. I also loved how long it lasted. Without a primer all over the lid it lasted until I took it off with absolutely no creasing at all. I was very surprised at this level of long wear from a drugstore brand. My issue with it is that the product dries out very very quickly. I bought it and used it for two weeks daily, went to sharpen and had the entire stick fall out of the tube.


See? Nothing in there. I've never even sharpened it once! I was so disappointed because I bought this brand new at full price from Walgreens. It's not like I picked it up from Big Lots or something, this was a brand new one. I think I may try out the NYX Jumbo pencils and see how they match up.

Petites Nail Polish in Sapphire
I wore this so much in spring! I love the shade, it's a super super shimmery blue jean kinda color. Very pretty and super affordable at only $2. I think one of the Dior Fall 2011 shades looks very similar to this one too!



Jordana Clear Mascara
I like how affordable this brow gel is for me. It keeps my brows in place all day without flaking or looking white. What I hate about it is after just three weeks it starts getting really really dirty.


Gross, right? I use go through about one a month because even though there is enough left for almost 2 weeks of use, i just feel gross using it. At a dollar a month though, it doesn't really hurt much.

Revlon Creme Gloss in Strike A Rose
I loved this gloss. It's the first gloss I've finished in ages. It's a bit thicker than a traditional gloss, but it's marketed as more of a liquid lip color. I did a full review, so if this seems like your type of product, check it out!

Almay Intense i Color Volumizing Mascara
I forget which eye color this was for, but it's the purply maroon color. It is a very nice day mascara. i hated it when I first got it because it was a bit too wet and would clump, but like with many other mascaras, when it dries out a little it worked perfectly, giving very nice and feathery lashes. I kinda wish I had bought the black though. The maroon was just a little lighter than I like my lashes.

Smashbox High Definition Concealer
This is an awesome all purpose type of concealer. I swear, there is nothing it can't do. It's thin but very pigmented texture makes it ideal for covering anything from pimples to dark circles and I've even mixed it with a bit of moisturizer to create a tinted moisturizer on the go. It blends effortlessly and never looks obvious. A bit pricey, but a very good buy.

Essie Mini Top Coat
I love Essie polishes, and when it comes to finish, they beat OPI in the shine department, which makes this top coat a solid buy. It's not as great at keeping nails from chipping as Seche Vite, but it is easily just as shiny. Again, however, the mini polishes dry out way way way too quickly.



H20+ Body Oasis Intensive Hydrating Gel
I've already done a full review of this product, and unlike many other H2O+ products, this one was a disappointment. It just left this sticky film on the skin that made me feel very uncomfortable on top of the fact that it wasn't very hydrating to begin with. If you're interested, read the full review for my complete thoughts.

The Body Shop Jolly Orange Shower Gel
As a shower gel this product performed, but the scent for me was kinda just meh. After using their Satsuma Body Butter for a few months, the scent of this spicy orange just isn't that good. I love how fresh Satsuma smells and compared to it Jolly Orange is a bit cloying. It did get me feeling very clean, though, and it's great for shaving too!



Noxema The Original Deep Cleansing Cream
I love this! Enough said. Read here and here for why lol!


Totally gone! I've already picked up another one, too!

Nivea Natural Beauty Daily Peeling
I really liked this cleanser. It's a nice lathering cleanser, but it's also a very gentle but effective exfoliate. This cleanser succeeded in joining cleansing and exfoliating where others have completely failed (see next review lol). The abrasives in this cleanser are very very fine, but densely packed in the cleanser where as other cleansers of this type have small particles that are more spread apart and therefore less effective. The only criticism I can give this product is that there is little that is natural about it. Don't be fooled by the "Natural Beauty" title. If you look at the ingredients list it is packed to the brim with very unnatural ingredients. Just because it contains one or two natural ingredients doesn't make this a better choice than other cleansers. It is very effective and that's why I do recommend this product highly. It got my skin feeling very smooth and very clean in one go.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Gentle Scrub
As a face wash this is a good cleanser, but to me it's not really a true scrub. The particles are these little round beads that are just too sparse to do much good as a scrub. They are suspended in a cream cleanser, which is an ideal choice for many sensitive skins. If you are looking for something that lathers really well, this isn't it. It is lightly scented and really relaxing to use. I didn't really notice any difference in redness, though.

And for some pan porn:

Hopefully some of these will show up on next months empties!

{Haul} Collective: Target, MAC, Sephora, etc.

Hi! Another collective post, this time most of the things I bought during the month of May. And before I begin, I apologize for the poor quality of some of the pictures. I took these pics over the course of a month and sometimes I was in a big hurry:( I will be sure to post clearer pics of the products I review.

1.MAC

MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe and Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara

A couple of things caught my eye at MAC this past month. I've been eyeing Satin Taupe for a while now but never could justify buying it, especially as I've got about a million shades that are exactly like it, but I finally caved and bought it. And I was a bit intrigued by the two in one mascara. I know that Rimmel has one too, but I wanted to try the mac one and see how it compares. I'll be doing a full review soon!

2. Sephora

(L to R) Nars Laguna Body Illuminator (sample), Sephora Professional Mineral Makeup #45 Brush, Sephora by OPI nail polish in Traffic Stopper Copper.

So I finally caved and bought a couple of things I was eyeing at Sephora for a while now. A few months ago I got a large bamboo brush from Eco Tools, but it was a bit big for me and I finally found a smaller brush with the same type and density of bristles from Sephora. I've been loving it for buffing in foundation or cream bronzer. And the bronzer I got because I've been looking for something more natural looking than a powder bronzer. I got a sample of the body version to use on my face because I think the version made for face use is a little too sheer for my liking. I will have a full review soon!

3. The Body Shop

(L to R) TBS Cucumber Cleansing Milk and Cucumber Freshening Water.

The Body Shop had these on sale, two for $10 on all of the originals so I thought I'd try these. They both smell amazing, like the freshest cucumber smell I've ever smelled lol! I'll be doing a full review on these later on as well!

4. Target, Walgreens and the Dollar Tree

(L to R) ELF Complexion Perfection Powder, Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Orchid Frost, CoverGirl Nature Luxe Foundation in Flax, Revlon Nail Polish in Copper Penny, and Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Pink.

Of these I was most excited to try the ELF Powder. I actually wanted to try their HD powder because I've heard bloggers comparing it to MUFE's HD powder that costs $40, but I guess Target doesn't carry it. The Nature Luxe foundation from CoverGirl I'm kinda kicking myself about. It cost me $14. FOURTEEN DOLLARS!!! For a CoverGirl Product that is really expensive. When I saw that number ring up I was shocked. I was expecting somewhere in the range of $8-$10, but not $14. I was soooo temped to leave it you have no idea. Oh, and the thing I liked the most from this bunch was the Sinful Colors Polish. I've had it on my toes for the last week and every time I go out in the sun my feet look soooo nice!

(L to R) Almay Moisturzing Eye Makuep Remover, L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black and waterproof, CoverGirl Nature Luxe Foundation in Flax (don't know why I photographed it twice haha!).

If you read my last post you know I finished my Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Makup Remover, and I decided to go back to my trusty Almay remover. I like it. It does the job. It's cheap. Not much more I can say about it. Full review here! And I accidentally bought the waterproof version of Voluminous. I gave it to my mom and bought a regular one.

ELF Shine Eraser Oil Blotting Sheets

A couple of months ago I finished my favorite blotting sheets from Boscia (lavender scented too!) and just never restocked. I saw these at target and decided to try them. I'll do a review, but for the most part they're kinda average. Not great but not the worst I've tried. They're kinda tiny though.

Plus White 5 Minute Speed Whitening System

I've heard a lot about this whitening system on YouTube from many other gurus and I decided to give it a try. It's only $10 though, so while I was happy it's cheap, I felt a bit hesitant using something so much cheaper than other whiteners that run about $40 and up. I'll do a full review in a bit, but for the most part I have to say I do like it!

(L to R) Cotton Rounds, Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, Elf Eye Primer, NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Powder in Translucent.

I didn't finish my old Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, but I'm pretty sure my sister stole it when I was home for the weekend. And I ran out of my Sephora Professionals Eye Primer so I decided to try the Elf Primer before possibly buying UDPP again.

So that's it for now! More to come later!

{Empties} Almay, Chanel, Revlon, Prescriptives & Psssst

L to R: Psssst Dry Shampoo, Revlon Blush in Naturally Nude, Chanel Glossimer in Imaginaire, Prescriptives Camouflage Concealer in Light B/R.

I finished so many products in the past few months! Really super excited! I've really been trying to use more of the same products consistently.

1. Psssst Dry Shampoo- I liked this product, it was actually in my January favorites post, but I don't know if I got a defective bottle or something, but I literally got only five or six uses out of it. Keep in mind that I don't use it all over my head, I just do my bangs and the back of my head for a bit of volume. I picked it up the other day and was shocked to discover it was completely empty.

Top to bottom: Revlon Blush in Naturally Nude, Chanel Glossimer in Imaginaire, Prescriptives Camouflage Concealer in Light B/R.

2. Chanel Glossimer in Imaginaire-I'm actually kind of sad I finished this one. It is probably my all time favorite gloss ever. I've come across similar shades like the Sally Hansen gloss I showed you a while ago, but nothing else gives me the effect this one does.

I can kinda get some if I really work at it, but I can't really get the huge glob of it at the bottom or the top :( Any tips for that?

The formula is unlike any other that I've tried. It's like a gel, not the thin liquid formula of other glosses, but at the same time it's not really sticky.

A swatch:

Look at this shade!!! It's a warm plum but can you see those silvery flecks? The glitter is fine, but the gloss itself doesn't have a frosty shimmer. If you can recommend other glosses like this one, feel free in the comments!

3. Revlon Blush in Naturally Nude-This was one of those products that I really liked when I bought it, but kinda stopped using for no particular reason. It is very light, but since I'm very fair that worked fine for me. It gave me just a bit of color. It's very very slightly frosty which would give my cheeks a glow. I think it's a much lighter version of Nars Decour.

A swatch:

I don't know how well you can see, but the finish is a bit glowy. It shows up better on my face because my face is a bit lighter than the back of my hand.

4. Prescriptives Camouflage Concealer in Light B/R-I liked this concealer a lot because the coverage is very opaque. Just a teeny tiny bit goes a very long way and it's not a drying formula either. There's still a bit in the tube but it's starting to get these little weird hard spots in it, so it's done.

5. Almay Moisturizing Makeup Remover-I just finally finished this stuff. I've had it for almost a year, which is a loooooong time for a makeup remover. I did a full review on this product and put it to the test on several eyeliners if you wanna check out that review. I really recommend this one to anyone trying to find a good makeup remover. I don't think I'll repurchase just because I like to try different products.

{Put To The Test} Almay Moisturizing Makeup Remover

by far my favorite eye makeup remover has been the Almay Moisturizing Liquid Eye Makeup Remover. It gets everything, the long lasting eyeliners, waterproof mascara, etc. You name it, this remover will get it. So I wanted to do a little test on how well it would remove two popular eyeliners:


The first is a Make Up For Ever Aqua eyes eyeliner which, if you've ever used these liners, you know doesn't budge. The second is my Mac Fluidline in Macroviolet.


to apply, I just soak the tip of a cotton bud in the liquid and gently rub.


Then I wiped the oily liquid off with a cotton pad. I usually use a makeup wipe to do that, but for the purpose of this post I used a plain cotton pad. As you can see it gets it off very well! And with minimal rubbing as well. I never have to scrub at my eyes like I would have to with a makeup wipe.

To remove the rest of the makeup I used a Mac makeup removing wipe. The result wasn't as good:


I definitely think it's worth checking out. If you use a cotton bud, one per eye, the bottle should last you forever. It's a great value at $5.99. And if you have sensitive eyes, there's an oil free version as well! This works as well as my Bi-Facil from Lancome, but at a fraction of the cost! I've been using this for years and I highly recommend!