{Favorites} February 2011

So here are February Favorites! I know, a little late but everything's been so hectic lately that this is the fastest I could get them out. Not as many as last month, but I've been using a lot of the same so I figured I'd skip the repeats.

1. Skincare

L to R: Nature's Gate C For Yourself Serum, Philosophy Grace Perfumed Body Lotion, The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue Lotion.

I've really been loving all three. I'm almost done with the Philosophy Grace lotion (you can't tell, but trust me on that) and I'm thinking about getting the full size. I put this on right after I get out of the shower, all over, and it makes me smell like I've spent the day at the beach! So pretty! I always get compliments when I wear this.

The C For Yourself serum is a bit heavier than I like a serum to be so I haven't been wearing it during the day but rather at night underneath my regular moisturizer. It's a re-texturizing serum and in the morning my skin feels really smooth like I've exfoliated.

The texture of The Body Shops Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue cream is unlike anything I've ever tried before. It's more solid than a regular lotion, but almost has the consistency of a balm, but softer. It smells amazing though and makes my feet feel so smooth and soft. I put this on before bed, a thick layer, and wear socks. I wake up in the morn with the most soft and supple feet.

L to R: Nature's Gate C For Yourself Serum, Philosophy Grace, and The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue.

2. Makeup

Clockwise: Dior 5 Color Eyeshadow in Earth Reflection, Nars Single Eyeshadow in Nepal, and L.A. Colors 12 Color E/S Palette in Traditional.

I've really been into neutrals this month. I never really go nuts with eyeshadow but I usually wear a mix of neutrals and a shade of purple or navy. This past month has really just ben neutrals. I've especially been loving pairing my Nars shadow in Nepal with any of the shades from the L.A. Colors 12 Color Palette in Traditional. If you remember, I got this palette for $1 (!!!), but it is really an awesome neutral palette. The Dior palette is great too, but it can bee a bit to shimmery for day so I've been using it at night with a liquid liner.

3. Hair Care:

Garnier Nutrient Spray and H2O Spa Hair Repair Seaweed Mask and Conditioner

I've been using the H2O Seaweed Mask and Conditioner as a hair conditioner. If I use it as a mask it is a bit too heavy for my thick hair. As you can see I'm almost done and I definitely will repurchase this one. It doesn't smell the best, kinda herbal-y, but my hair feels really healthy after I use it.

The Garnier Nutrient Spray is one of those products that has the dual layer (like Lancome's famous Bi-Facil makeup remover). You shake it up and then spray. I use this on damp towel dried hair before I blow dry. If I use it on dry hair I have to be careful not to spritz too much or my hair will be too oily. On dry hair one spray is enough to give me some shine. On damp hair I spray 3 times, rub it in, and then blow dry. My hair ends up looking very very healthy and shiny. You have to remember to shake it before using it otherwise the oil and water based ingredients won't work together.

4. Perfume

Marc Jacobs Splash in Gardenia

All this is is a body spray. It smells amazing. My favorite flower is the white gardenia. I love how they smell and look and everything lol! This spray is light and perfect for everyday use. I layer this over the Philosophy Grace lotion after I shower and then maybe another perfume like my Chance by Chanel. People always ask what I'm wearing when I wear this, especially when I layer it over Philosophy Grace. If you want an inexpensive dupe for this, Bodycology has a body spray in white gardenia. It's around $4 and it smells exactly the same only a little bit stronger. They actually have an entire line of lotions, sprays etc with the white gardenia scent. I've reviewed the lotion from the collection.

I've been using this for most of the month and I've barely made a dent in the MASSIVE bottle. You get an astounding 10 fl oz!!! I've only used a tiny bit over a cm, so this is going to last me forever.

That's it for February! I'll be posting a haul later today so stay tuned!

Review: L.A. Colors 12 Eyeshadow Palette in Chic

This is another L.A. Colors review for the same 12 Eyeshadow Palette, but this time in the shade Chic, a palette of purples. I have to say that I was really disappointed with this one. Yes, it was only $1, but based on my experience with the Traditional palette (reviewed here) I was expecting more :(

The shadows:


Some closeups:



I was really excited by some of the shades in the palette, especially the third one in (from the left) on the bottom row as well as the last in the bottom row. I've got a lot of really dark purples, but not too many mid-toned shades. These LOOKED good, but unfortunately, as you'll see below didn't swatch well at all.

Some swatches:

**excuse my creepy veins, haha**
Like with the Traditional palette they were swatched on my bare hand, no primers/bases. They barely show up at all, so unless you need a palette of, for the most part, highlighters, skip this one.

I also tried applying some of the darker shades over Urban Decay Primer Potion, but even then they applied just a teensy bit better:

**again, excuse the creepy veins**
Overall, a big disappointment for me. I mean for a dollar you really can't go wrong, but still I wouldn't recommend this one. I still like how the palette includes a variety of different finishes and textures and how soft and silky the shadows are, but there's really only one or two shades that I would be able to use with decent pigmentation. Anyway, there is also a blue version of these palettes which I may check out in the future. You can try this one and see if you can get better results (perhaps apply wet?), but I really think it's a waste of money, even a dollar, unless you're looking for a palette of highlight colors.

Info:

Price: $1

Ingredients: (Not listed on packaging and I haven't been able to find them online. If I find them, I'll post them.)

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Another Quick EOTD Using L.A. Colors 12 E/S Palette in Traditional

Just another quick EOTD using my L.A. Colors 12 E/S palette in Traditional, which was super cheap at $1(!!!). just to show how versatile it is, I went opposite of the last one. Last time I showed a bronzy day look, very warm toned. This time it's a smokier look that is cool toned, with lots of liner!

I've really been getting more use out of my Lancome Art Liner in Smoky. It's super easy to apply and isn't a pain to remove like other liquid liners. Not that it doesn't last, but it doesn't feel like I'm taking sand paper to my eyes when using a cloth to remove this one. I'll do a review on these liners one of these days. I've got quite a few of these.

Anyway, products used:
L.A. Colors 12 E/S Palette in Traditional
Lancome Art Liner in Smoky
CoverGirl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara in Black

Quick EOTD: Bronzy Look Using L.A. Color's $1 12 Eyeshadow Palette in Traditional

Just a quick EOTD. Ignore the smudged mascara (I was in a hurry :/ ) and my gross brows. I've since gotten them waxed and trimmed. The shadows in this palette are really good. I did this look without a primer in only two or three minutes. It's very quick an easy when you have all the colors you could possibly need/want right in front of you. You don't even have to think, haha! Again, I highly recommend!



Products Used:
L.A. Colors 12 E/S Palette in Traditional
Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume Mascara in Soft Black

From the pictures I bet you can tell what I think of the Define-A-Lash-Volume Mascara, which I tested a few times. What volume!? I have like ZERO lashes in the first pic! :(

Review: L. A. Colors 12 Eyeshadow Palette in Traditional (Only $1!!!)

This is the first review of the bunch of products I showed in the haul post. It's for, obviously, the L.A. Colors 12 Eyeshadow Palette in Traditional, basically 12 browns and highlights. I also got a similar one in purple, but I'll review that one later. I've gotta say that while I love experimenting with different colors, I always come back to my neutrals. They're the colors I go through the most often and reach for just about on a daily basis. And this palette is a must have for anyone who doesn't have that much time in the morning and needs a good selection of neutrals for work. It is sooo convenient to have all the colors that I need in one palette, one very light and compact palette that easily fits into my purse. For the $1 I paid for it, it's a steal!

Here's the inside:

As you can see, there are 9 shades of brown, ranging from very light to very dark, and then three highlight shades (a white, a peach, and a pale gold).

Closeup pictures:



I've been using this palette for the past week just about every day.

Some swatches:



I know that the top row looks like it isn't very pigmented, but they really are. They are just the lighter shades and the midtoned shades. Keep in mind that I usually wear them over my UDPP, but here they are swatched on my bare hand. The consistency of these shadows is great. They are very silky soft. A bit on the powdery side, but not too bad. I didn't have much of an issue with fallout when I did my makeup in the morning. They go on smooth and blend very well. With other discount palettes the shadows tend to go on bright and then turn muddy/wash out when you start to blend, but not with these. They stay fairly vibrant through the blending. As far as wear, you will need a primer. Because they are more powdery than more expensive eyeshadows they will crease faster so be sure to wear something that they can stick to. As far as shade selection is concerned, I like the range. You get a variety of finishes and colors. You get some shades that have some very fine shimmer and others with some glitter, which is nice, I think, because I like glitter. There are also a couple of shades that look like they have shimmer in them but really apply almost matte, which is helpful for an understated look. I only wish that there was a black as that would come in handy so that I could use it as a liner with a damp brush. Overall, at the cost of $1 (!!!) your really can't go wrong with this palette.

Info:

Price: $1 (I got mine at Family Dollar, but I'm sure that you can find it at other retailers.)

Ingredients: (Not listed on packaging and I haven't been able to find them online. If I find them, I'll post them.)

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Collective Haul!

I haven't really been shopping all that much in the past 4 to 5 months, mainly because I wanted to finish many of the products that I've already got. But this past month or so, I've been buying a lot, so I thought I'd share with you!

First things first: Skincare!

L to R: Cosmedicine Medi-Morphosis Self Adjusting Exfoliator, Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Spray, Non-Coated Aspirin (not really skincare, I know, but I figured since I'm going to try making an aspirin mask it counted), Clarins Eye Revive Beauty Flash, and DDF Ultra-Lite Peel.

Face makeup:

L to R: Almay Nearly Naked Loose Powder in Light/Med 200 and Shiseido Accentuating Color Stick in S6, Champagne Flush.

Eyeshadow!!!

Clockwise starting with: Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow in Lawless Lavender, L.A. Colors 12 Eeshadow Palette in Chic, L. A. Colors 12 Eyeshadow Palette in Traditional, Korres Single Eyeshadow in Silver, and Sophia Milano Eyeshadow Compact (no shade/palette name listed).

Mascara:

Top to bottom: Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume in Soft Black and Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash in Black. I got the Define-A-Lash mascara at the Christmas Tree Shops store at the mall. They had a whole bunch of Maybelline stuff clearenced. It was only $1.99! I'm not really a big fan of the spiky plastic brushes that have become so popular lately, but I figured that at this price I couldn't help but give this one a try.

Lips:

L to R: Clavin Klein Plumping Lipgloss in Georgia, CK Lipgloss in Parfait, CK Lipgloss in Radar (all three came in a set for $10 at Marshalls!!!), Philosophy Lip Shine in Blackberry Bubbly, Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Nude Blush, and Nivea Kiss of Shimmer Lip Balm.

Nails:

L to R: Wet n'Wild nail polish in Black Creme, Sinful Colors nail polish in Mint Apple, and Wet n'Wild nail polish in Caribbean Frost.


L to R: Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Alabaster, Peachful Breeze, Made You Blush, Pink Twist, Arabian Night, and Addicted to Red. I've already showed you Pink Twist and Arabian Night, but the pics last time were horrible cell phone pics so I figured I'd include theme here. They had them 2 for $1 at the Dollar Tree!!!


OPI Nail Polish in Royal Rajah Ruby, Black Cherry Chutney, A Good Man-Darin is Hard to Find, Midnight in Moscow (the one with the sticker), Do You Lilac It, and Baguette Me Not. Sorry for the weird pic. I could barely get them still long enough to take the picture. They kept rolling :( The order is L to R in kinda two rows, the second beginning with the polish with the sticker on it.

NOT PICTURED CAUSE I JUST PICKED THEM UP AN HOUR AGO:
Pangea Organics Ecocentric Lipcare Pyyrenees Lavender Lip Balm with Cardamon
L. A. Colors Moisturizing Glossy Lips Sheer Lip Color in Sweet Melon
Cover Girl LiquilineBlast Eyeliner in Violet Voltage

So that's it. I'll start posting reviews on these items soon!

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.