{Favorites} July 2012!

Hey there! Today's post is a belated favorites post. I know, I know, late as usual but I've been really busy packing to go back to uni and working and I haven't had much free time--just now finally got around to posting. Sorry! Anyhow, since my skin care/tanning stuff hasn't changed from last month's favorites post (click here to see June Favorites!) this post is mostly makeup, and a lot of the stuff is newer (to me at least!).

Top-->Bottom: RoC Retinol Coreexion Eye Cream, Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum + Eyeliner in Black, MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in Unflappable.
 

Top-->Bottom: MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in Unflappable, Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum + Eyeliner in Black, RoC Retinol Coreexion Eye Cream.

RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream: I've been loving using this at night. I was a bit iffy about the metal tube at first, but honestly it is so much more sanitary and less wasteful than regular tubes. This cream leaves my eyes feeling so moisturized, but it sinks in very quickly. A lot of the other night creams I've tried like that tend to have a heavier texture. No such problem with this one! I'll be doing a full review as soon as I get the chance.

Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum + Eyeliner: I've been wearing this almost every day. It looks, feels, and applies like a more expensive liner, but for a lot less. I got this on sale for only $4. This one is in the shade Black, but apparently there is also a Very Black shade as well. I think the display was just out. I haven't yet noticed thicker or longer lashes, but either way this is a superb liner. I'm especially loving the fine tip. It' s a real brush tip, not a felt tip like some of the other pen liners. The felt ones tend to fray after a while, while this one has kept its shape for almost a month now. Full review will be coming!

MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in Unflappable: This may seem like a very dark, fall shade, but I've been loving it this summer. It's a deep purply blue shade that has just enough of the purple and blue tones that they show up on skin, but not enough to make it look like you're wearing a lot of color, which is perfect. I've been applying the Physicians formula liner and then smudging this over top to get a nice sexy smudgy almost slept in look. I also love how easily this shade can be sheered out. I sometimes put this in the crease with a tan shade all over the lid. Very easy and very pretty. I've had this in my purse with an old Revlon shadow (Sparkle Eyeshadow in Chestnut--matte tan shade). It's all I've used for several weeks.

L-->R: Carmex Original Lip Balm, Sephora Collection Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist, Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 in Peach, Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Lipstick in Glamour.

Top-->Bottom: Carmex Original Lip Balm, Sephora Collection Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist, Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 in Peach, Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Lipstick in Glamour.

Carmex Original Lip Balm: I've heard people rave about this stuff everywhere so when I was in CVS a little while back checking out, I saw a whole display of them by the register and decided to give it a try. This is one of the most moisturizing lip balms I've ever used. I'm also using the lip version of the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream--that stuff works well but smells bad. This stuff has kind of a menthol type smell--not the best, but not the worst either. I meant to buy the cherry version, but I only saw the original in pot form (I didn't want the tube). I've been using this before bed and my lips feel great. It feels cooling when you first apply and really does sooth lips. What I love the most is the longevity (still on my lips in the morning!!) as well as the texture--this is what a balm should feel like. It's the perfect in between--not too waxy, not too oily. Just smooth, creamy, balmy. Definitely seeing my self purchasing another pot of this when I'm done, especially at the price.

Sephora Collection Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist: At first I was disappointed by the lack of pigmentation in this balm (the swatch you see above is like 20 swipes back and forth), but the balm itself isn't bad. Certainly not Carmex good, but it works well for layering under lipsticks and glosses. It has a thin texture and glides on very smoothly, leaving a sheen on the lips. The color doesn't really show up much at all, just slightly deepens my lips (just barely). It does smell good, kinda fruity, and it doesn't really have a taste. Would I ever spend $12 on this again? Hell no. But I have been reaching for it a lot lately to wear under the Revlon Lip Tint in Peach.

Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 in Peach: I've been really annoyed at Revlon. I feel like every time they come out with a great product, three months later it's nowhere to be found. I bought this balm last summer (I think? Not sure). A couple months later went back to get some more shades cuz I was really loving Peach and what do you know: they were nowhere to be found!! So frustrating! This is what a tinted lip balm should be (Sephora: take note!). The shade is sheer, but buildable, the texture is hard in the stick, but applies very shiny/moisturizing, gives a sheen to the lips, no smell/taste, lasts two to three hours. I love this one and sadly am almost out of it. I've used it almost every single day, mainly because I've been loving the combination of anything peach/orangy/coraly with navy blue. It looks very fresh and modern, never too heavy. I hope they bring these back sometime because I would literally buy every single shade!!

Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Lipstick in Glamour: This is another recent addition to my lipstick collection. A couple months back I woke up one morning and just had to buy more lipstick. I own a lot of glosses, but I've never been into wearing lipstick on a daily basis--mainly because to me it makes my face look overdone. No such problem with this lipstick. It applies like a very sheer pink, a few shades lighter than my natural lip tone, but it still looks really nice with my tan right now. I love how like the other three lip products in my faves this month--it's got a very shiny finish, so it's very effortless for me to just put it on and not have to do any gloss or anything over top. I don't think I'll be purchasing more of these because this one smells bad--doesn't taste too bad, but man the small is just overpowering.

So there you have it! My July favorites! I'll try to do the August ones on time lol! Thanks for reading!

{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!

{Review} MAC Fix+ (Original)

MAC Fix+

Fix+ by MAC is one of those products I've been wanting to try out for a while, but was never sure of it's place in my makeup collection. Or in my skin care routine. According to MAC, Fix+ is, and I quote, "An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!" Which basically tells me absolutely NOTHING. So, prior to purchasing this product, I went online and did some googling to see how other beauty bloggers use this product. What I found was that a lot of people were making their own versions to suit their own skin types for pennies. So I tried it, liked it, and decided to just go with that for a while. Then MAC released these cute little mini's, designed to pass through the TSA checks with no problems and I found that I couldn't resist anymore. Given that the mini version only cost me $10, I decided to give it a try.

MAC Fix+

So how do I use the real Fix+? I use it several ways. One, I use it to "set" my makeup. I put set in quotes because this is not really a makeup setting spray, per se. Actually, I would say that instead of making your makeup last longer, this stuff will cause it to wear off quicker. I don't use foundation often, but when I do, I set it with powder. What I like Fix+ for is to make my makeup disappear. I powder my face and then I spray a few spritzes of this all over my face, wait for it to dry, and presto, my makeup disappears. You can no longer see my powder at all, which I love. Two, I use it to refresh, somewhat. I add the somewhat because it's not gonna magically rejuvenate your makeup. Not by a long shot. What I do is I spray this on around 3-4 pm, after I've been wearing my makeup for 7-8 hours. I do some blotting, powder again, lightly spritz again and wait for it to dry. My face looks clean and fresh, better than if I'd just blotted and powdered. Three, I sometimes use it as a toner. I spray it on my face, and before it dries I apply a serum or moisturizer. These are just a few ways to use it, and I'm sure there are many more out there.

Here are a few tips for using this product. One: don't spray too close to your face or you will end up very sticky and greasy looking even. Glycerine, one of the main ingredients, is an emollient that sits on the skin, sort of like petrolatum, locking moisture in. Too much and it will make you look greasy. Two: if you are using this to dampen your brush before applying an eyeshadow, again, don't spray too much or your shadows will end up creasing faster. Three: if you're spraying it on your face, spray about 6-8 inches away, and in a quick circular motion. That way you waste less product. I wish the spray was a finer mist. I find that this sprays in a circle, so a lot of it misses the center of my face. My DDF toner spray was so fine that two spritzes and I could get my entire face covered. I find myself using 5-6 sprays each time I use this product. 

MAC Fix+ Locked

One of my favorite things about this product is it's ability to lock and unlock. MAC really outdid themselves with the packaging. I absolutely hate sprays with caps in my purse. The caps almost always fall off, the head of the spray bottle leaks inside my purse, I end up with a big mess and a product I hate. No such problem with this product. There is no cap! I love that! I just twist the lid, toss it in my purse, and no worries! I've never had an issue with any leaking with this this product, which I really really appreciate.

MAC Fix+ Unlocked

MAC Fix+

What it comes down to with this product, in my humble opinion, is a simple question: do you need it?? My answer is no. Why? Well for one, there are a lot of products out there that do a similar task for a lot less. They aren't marketed the same way (usually just sold as spray toners), but they really do the same thing as Fix+. And that is not really much. Fix+ is handy, I'll admit, but nothing in it's formula distinguishes it from other spray toners. In fact, compared to those, Fix+ comes up short. For one, when it dries, it has a tendency to feel sticky/tacky to the touch. I found this out when I when to pat it into my skin one hot hot day. I rubbed to excess into my hands, which, when the liquid dried, felt sticky, like I spilled a bit of juice or something. In addition, this product doesn't really treat my skin. I had no difference in softness, color, hydration, or texture when using this product, where as other toners definitely made my skin softer. If you have very dry skin, I can see you liking this product a bit more. It really does nothing special.  The way I was using this product, I could have easily just sprayed some water and gotten the same result, making spending $10 on 1 oz of product seem a bit much. In my opinion, you don't need this at all. I do however see myself reusing the spray bottle, which I find very convenient. I just don't see myself ever repurchasing this product again.

What do you think about MAC Fix+? Tried it? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know in comments!

Info:

Price: $10 (for 1 oz, $20 for 3.4 oz)

Ingredients: Water, glycerin, butylene glycol, cucumber fruit extract, chamomilla, camellia leaf extract, tocophryl acetate, caffeine, panthenol, hydrogenated castor oil, fragrance.

Review: MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

This review is for something that I'm absolutely in love with! The Groundwork Paint Pot from MAC. This is a permanent product that was repromoted with the Pret-a-Papier collection a while back. I had bought Coral Crepe because it was limited edition, but kept kicking myself cause this color is one I would get more wear out of, as it is a neutral. I ended up going back a few months ago and finally getting it. I did go back and forth between Groundwork and Constructivist, but ended up picking Groundwork because for me it's the more versatile choice. And I love it!

MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

Groundwork is described on MAC's website as a "mid-tone neutral taupe" that has a satin finish. That's pretty much it. I know a lot of people prefer Painterly for their neutral base, but think that this color does a bit better job if you're going to be working with browns, unless of course you are very very pale. I'm NC15-20, and this color works well for me. On me it shows up slightly darker than my skin tone, but on someone who is deeper than 30 in MAC, this may look a lot more natural than Painterly or Ochre, which may look too ashy or yellow.

MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

It looks a bit dark in the pot, but it really does go on a lot lighter. And if you open the full size pic you can see quite a bit of very fine shimmer as well, but it doesn't translate when you actually use it, which you can see on the swatch below. It looks matte, but not dry like Painterly sometimes makes the skin around my eyes look. It just catches the light a bit, which I really like.

A swatch:

MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

I love this color. Not because it's a new unique shade, but rather because it is very functional. I can use this with just about any look and it simplifies my daily makeup. When I do a neutral eye all I have to do is use this color, a deeper shade along the lash line and in the crease, some mascara and I'm done. Very quick, simple, and easy, and I don't have to worry all day about my eye makeup going anywhere. This stuff doesn't budge.

As a primer, this shadow works very well. I use it under club makeup going out and by the end of the night, my eyeshadows looks neat and fresh. I have very oily eyelids, so eyeshadow sans primer doesn't work for me, even just day to day. This stuff grips and shadow and keeps it there till you take it off with a makeup remover. That being said, when applying you have to work quick. I do one eye at a time because if I wait to blend the shadow will have already set and then getting the edges to soften is next to impossible. Also, sometimes blending shadows over primers like UDPP can be difficult, but I found no such problem with this shadow. Anything I apply over does not look patchy at all.

My only complaint with the actual product is drying. I've never used a cream shadow that didn't start drying in the pot from first use, but it's still disappointing. I've been using it for several months and I can sense a slight change in the formula. It's not as creamy as it first was, and it's starting to separate from the glass. Not a big deal now, but I think a year from now I might not feel the same. In addition, the price when up a full dollar. These used to be $16.50, they are now $17.50. It's still cheaper than cream shadows from Estee Lauder or Shiseido, but now that drugstore brands are finally starting to sell decent cream shadows (Maybelline has their Tattoo shadows--so exited to try them!!) I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep buying them from high end brands. Other than that the shade is great, very versatile and lasting, and I highly recommend, especially if you have deeper skin and find Painterly too light for a base!

Info:

Price: $17.50

Ingredients: Isodocecane, dimethicone, polyethylene, hydrogenated polyisobutene, quaternium-90 bentonite, dimethicone silylate, octyldodecanol, silica, trihydroxystearin, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, lecithin, carnauba wax, propylene carbonate, triethoxycaprylylsilane. May contain: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, bismuth oxychloride, blue 1 lake, carmine, chromium hydroxide green, chromium oxide greens ferric ferroxyanide, manganese violet, ultramarines, yellow 5 lake

Mini {Haul} MAC!

I didn't get much, just three things! I got an eyeshadow in Greensmoke, which looks amazing with my blue eyes, the mini Fix + and Groundwork Paint Pot. Reviews coming soon!

{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!

{Color Comparison} A Possible Dupe For MAC's Date Night Dazzleglass!?

So I bought MAC's Date Night Dazzleglass as a replacement for my Chanel Glossimer in Imaginaire a few weeks back and little did I know that I already had something that was very similar in my collection!

MAC's Date Night Dazzleglass in Date Night is a sheer plum with blue and golden glitter in it. It cost me $19.50 for 1.92 g of product.

The dupe that I found in my collection is a Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem gloss in the shade Embellished. I bought this at my local Dollar Tree for well, a dollar, and I got 3.1 g of product.

Although the shades are slightly different, the glitter is almost exactly the same and on the lips they look nearly identical.

Can you see how similar the glitter is? Date Night has more, but honestly, they are very very close.

They also have similar applicators. I'm not a big fan of lip glosses that come with brushes because they tend to apply too much gloss and leave me feeling goopy and sticky. Not the case with these two because the bristles are slightly shorter, so they don't dispense quite as much gloss.

And the swatches:

(L to R) MAC Dazzleglass in Date Night and Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished.

Date Night looks a swatches a bit darker than Embellished and definitely has more glitter. While they swatch differently on the hand, they look almost identical on the lips. The only difference on the lips is that the glitter in Embellished is a bit more wearable.


(L to R) MAC Dazzleglass in Date Night and Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished.


(L to R) MAC Dazzleglass in Date Night and Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished.

And lip swatches:

MAC Dazzleglass in Date Night

Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished

Can you see how similar they look on the lips? Nearly identical. And they both have about the same amount of shine. Sally Hansen's gloss is just a teeny bit less thick, but then again, MAC's not exactly known for non sticky gloss. And they last about the same amount of time as well ! Given that I found Embellished at the Dollar Tree for a buck, it is definitely the better value here! I highly recommend, if you like Date Night, that you check your local Dollar Tree to see if you can still get this one!

{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!