{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!

{Favorites} June 2012!

Hey there! It's time for June Favorites! I know, I know a few days late, but better late than never. This month has been a pretty fuss free month. I've been focusing a lot on skin care because I had a pretty big breakout in the beginning of June and kinda freaked out haha. I don't really have a big problem with acne, so a breakout that big caught me off guard, hence all the skin care stuff in this post. Let me know if you want reviews of anything shown!

Banana Boat Protective Tanning Oil SPF 15: Before you say it, yes I do know that tanning is bad for you. That being said, I just got really tired of using self tanners nearly every other day. I don't tan often, and until the past couple of years I've been obsessive with the sunscreeen, but on me a real tan just looks so much better so I decided to go for it this summer. This stuff is great. It comes in varying SPF levels (5, 8, 15 and 25 I believe). The highest my Target had was the SPF 15 one, so that's what I went with. I'm very fair and this stuff works to give me a nice golden tan without that irritated red look to begin with. For me, this tanning oil worked fairly gradually, but if you're darker you may want to go with one of the lower SPF's for a quicker tan. And this stuff smells really really good, like sweet bananas!


L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self Tanning Lotion in Medium Natural Tan: This is the self tanner I've been using for the past few months. It gives a pretty natural color. On me the tan is a little more yellow than a real tan, which looks more of a cool brown on me, but I don't really mind. It works quickly, doesn't smell too bad, and for the most part fades naturally. The only thing I don't like about this is that it has shimmer in it, so I don't use it daily. I like to use it during the day so that I don't mess up my sheets, which means if I'm going out I won't use it or I'll look like a disco ball. Like any other self tanner, you really have to be careful with application or you will get patchiness/streaking, but except for on my fingers I haven't had too much difficulty getting it to look even. Overall, it's a pretty good drugstore self tanner.


Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunscreen in SPF 70: I use this stuff on my face, neck and decollete area daily. This is my second bottle of this stuff and I love it. It's a thin consistency that goes on very easy, blends out well and layers easily under makeup. It does smell like sunscreen, but I don't mind, as long as it keeps me from burning. I think when I run out of it next time I'll try the Pure & Free Liquid one from Neutrogena to see how it's different from the reqular Ultra Sheer Liquid. {Full Review Here!}

The Face Shop Oil Specialist Fresh Cleansing Oil with Cherry Blossom: I got this last summer when was on vaca in NYC. I bought a cleansing oil (I think it was either $12 or $15) and I kinda forgot about it while I focused on finishing other cleansers. I rediscovered it when I broke out and really needed to deep clean, and now I'm in love. I've been using it morning and night and my skin feels soooo good! It took me a little while to really get the method down, but now that I know how to use it properly I'm hooked.

Murad Clarifying Toner: This is another product I started using again when I broke out. It is a witch hazel toner meant to really clean pores and kill any germs on the skin. I like it because while it acts like an astringent, it doesn't burn my skin or dry it out too much. The only place I'm careful with this stuff is my chin because I tend to get dry patches there. Other than that it works well. As nice as it is, for $22 I think I can mix up some of my own witch hazel toner and save some money, so I don't think I'll be repurchasing it in the future. I think I'll get a big jug of pure witch hazel (it's super cheap) and see how that works for me. Just fyi for all you people with sensitive skin: although this stuff is alcohol free, witch hazel can burn just as much if you have super dry or sensitive skin. It doesn't really irritate me (except for the chin), but I wouldn't risk it if you have sensitive skin.

Proactive Repairing Treatment: I don't use Proactive, but a friend of mine does. She says that she can never get through a full bottle of the Repairing Treatment before she gets another shipment, so she gave me the new one that came in the mail while she was still not even half way through her current bottle. This stuff is a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide acne treatment lotion. I use it as a spot treatment and I've had this stuff for months because you really just need the smallest amount. It works well. Is it worth what Proactive charges for it? Not really because it works about as well as any other acne treatment I've used. I can't really do a full review because it's meant to be used in combination with the rest of the Proactive line. I've been mainly using this on pimples and to clear up any stray pimples that pop up on my shoulders here and there from using self tanners and tanning oils. I heard that Walmart makes cheaper versions of this stuff that you can buy separately, so I may try that after I run out.


Biore Skin Brightening Night Serum: I love this stuff. It gives me the perfect amount of moisture in the mornings and really brightens up my skin. I did an indepth review not too long ago which I will link--feel free to check it out! {Full Review Here!}

Nars Lip Gloss in Gina: Gina is on the left side of the gloss duo (the other side is Boogie Nights). It's a matte, sheer nude. I've been loving anything that is orangy/coral and this is a perfect shade for my skin tone. Not too orange, not to pink, not too opaque. It's super glossy and just gives my lips a really nice finished look. I've been pairing this a lot with like a smokey eye look lately and it's perfect, never too nude/concealer like.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Sunrise Nude: I don't think you can get this shade anymore, but I'm sure that Revlon has something similar in their current line. This one is a super pale, sheer peach with a lot of pretty silver shimmer. I love this gloss because although you can't really see the peachy color it does even out my lips a little.Of all my glosses, the Super Lustrous ones have the best drugstore formula I've come across. They are thick, but not sticky, last a very long time, and have a great color selection. They are also feel moisturizing on the lips, which I love. You can't go wrong with any shade in this range. {Full Review Here!}

Calvin Klein Delicious Light Glistening Lip Gloss in Radar: I don't know where you can get Calvin Klein makeup anymore--they brought it back to Sephora, then discontinued it again. I know that Marshall's and TJMaxx had sets of CK stuff last year, but I haven't seen any in a long time. If you can find these glosses definately get at least one to try because they are great. Very shiny, fragrance free, a little on the thicker side, but not too bad. This shade is so pretty and brings out my blue eyes. I've finished close to 1/2 of this color, which says a lot for me. {Full Review Here!}

Lip Fusion Micro Collagen Lip Plump in Fresh: This is my first Lip Fusion plumper, and I've been loving it. The shade is a sheer, slightly shimmery orange that looks great with a tan. The formula is thin, and it doesn't tingle as bad as some of the other plumpers I've tried. It makes my lips look really full and juicy, a look I've been loving lately. Overall, I'm looking forward to trying out more shades from this line!

L-->R: Lip Fusion Fresh, CK Radar, Revlon Sunrise Nude, Nars Gina. 

Of these shades, I think Radar and Sunrise Nude have been worn most. I've really got a lot of these orangy lip colors and really am trying to not forget about them in my stash, which is so easy when you've got as many glosses like I do. 




















Top row: Stila Starlight, Cloud, Grace, and Lemon.
Bottom Row: MAC MSF in Petticoat (some chipped of and I pressed it), Stila Barefoot Contessa, Mystic, and Sajama.  

Stila Eyeshadows: When it comes to shadow, I've been keeping it pretty simple. I've rediscovered Mystic and Sajama in my collection and stuck them in the 8 pan palette to keep them close. I've been mainly using those two along with Starlight and Grace. Grace looks really nice layered over top Mystic. It's a strange combo, but it looks really pretty--not too blue but not exactly brown either. Almost like one of those duochrome shadows from MAC--it looks different depending on the lighting.

L-->R: Stila Starlight, Grace, Mystic and Sajama. 

Of these shades, Sajama is a matte formula and Stila's matte shades can be difficult to work with. I really had to dig in the pan to get this swatch. I like to use it along my upper lash line, over a dark liner or by itself wet. It gives this hazy smokly lash look that's very easy to do.

 

















Funky Fingers Nail Polish in Kingston:This last item is one I've been obsessed with for the past six months or so. It's a nail polish from a relatively unknown brand called Funky Fingers, and the shade is Kingston. I found this gem for $2.50 at a Five Below store and have been wearing it pretty much non stop since. It's a pretty neon orange that looks amazing in the sunlight. It's so bright and fun that I always wear it poolside or to the beach. The formula isn't the best and it starts to chip after about three days of wear, but honestly, I couldn't care less because the color is absolutely stunning. Also on the plus side, it dries to a matte finish (I use a topcoat over) and matte shades tend to dry really quickly. I've been on the hunt for a back up of this color because I'm more than half way through with it, but I haven't been able to find anything yet :(

That's it for my June Favorites! Tried any of these products? Loved them? Hated them? Want a review of one of the products featured? Let me know in comments!

{Haul} Cosmetic Market (NYC)

Hi everyone! I'm been on vaca in NYC these past few days and I did a bit of shopping. One of the places I stopped by was the Cosmetic Market. Prior to leaving, I'd scouted a few places that I wanted to check out, places that I can't at home. One of these places was this Cosmetic Market. If you are unfamiliar, it's like a discount makeup and skincare store. They had a mix of products from the drugstore to the high end, ranging from discontinued items to samples (those little GWP ones) to overstock inventory. I was really surprised by the selection they had. I saw Shiseido, StriVectin, and Borghese skincare for well under half price. They had almost the entire line of Borghese there, with most of it under $10. Makeup wise they had more drugstore than high end, but still a lot of high end. I saw a lot of the discontinued Calvin Klein line, straight from Sephora. Prices ranged from $8.99 for single shadows to around $13.99 for foundation, both liquid and pan cake. They had a lot of Lip Fusion plumpers for $10, when they are usually almost $40. All in all, I was very happy with what I found, even a few mac products.

That being said, I do feel I need to warn you about some of the cons with this place as well. For one, given that a lot of these products are discontinued, checking expiration dates is a must!! Even if not expired, I would be very careful buying things like hair removal creams and anti-wrinkle products because you simply cannot know if they are still good unless you call the company with the lot number on the box. Also, they do have perfumes, but again I would be careful. They range from around $30 to $50, but the fact that some of them are unboxed made me nervous. Also, they do have testers for most of the products, but I wouldn't put hem anywhere near your face. They are gross. Finally, if you see something you like, get it in bulk now because you're probably not gonna see it there again as their stock varies.

My greatest complaint however, is not with the products, but how they sell them. They must have a huge theft problem because everything is taped up ridiculously and tagged with those security stickers. Example: I bought a fusion lipgloss and both ends of the box were taped shut and there was a security sticker on the outside of the box. I opened the box, and there was a second security sticker around the gloss itself, connecting the applicator wand to the tube. Now, I'm happy that I have a guarantee no one has used or swatched that product (a big concern I have with TJ Maxx and Marshalls), but that sucker took me a good half hour to rub off. I mean, that thing would not come off. It seemed a bit over the top to me. Not that big of a deal for me because I saved a lot of money, but it may really tick off a lot of people.

Before I show you what I got, let me give you the numbers. Not counting tax I payed around $69. The retail value of what I got is around $275, meaning I saved around $206!!!

If you are interested, here is the address of the place in NYC:



The first thing I got was a bunch of these large cotton pads for makeup/nail polish removal. I got these for $1.49 each, when in Target a similar product would cost me around $4, so I stocked up and got 4.


They are very soft, very thick and heavy duty. One side is smooth and one side has these ridges on it. I used one last night, took off all my face makeup and still had room left over on the pad.


I was probably most excited to see Stila products there!!! They had three different foundations, two powder types, and most of their lip glosses, plumpers, liners, stains etc. Also saw some of their eye kohl liners and some of there shadow liner smudger trios. They also had just about all of their single pan shadows ranging from $2.99 to $3.99! I got 3 of these powders because they are my favorite!!!


The Sheer Pressed Powder from Stila is just so smooth and fine it gives me a very natural flawless look. Mattifies very well, and almost never looks cakey. I was so happy I found it because I haven't purchased it in a while because it's just gotten too expensive.


It comes with a puff, but I throw it out and uses a brush.


I got three of these at $6.99 each, much less than what I've paid at the drugstore for Revlon powders and definitely less than the $28 retail.


I got two cans of Stila One Step makeup. I had gotten a sample at Sephora when it first came out and really loved it. It gives me a very good medium coverage, but looks so natural you can't really tell I'm wearing makeup. It feels very light, almost like a mousse texture, but also has a silicone feel which, given I have oily skin, I actually really like. This foundation I'm pretty sure has been discontinued in the past year I think.


I got it for $5.99, but it's worth $44!! I was so happy because at the drugstore I rarely pay less than $10 for foundation.


I also got the Stila Plumping Lip Glaze in Cherry Mint. It's a thick lip plumper that is very very shiny and cool feeling on the lips. They had the entire line. I already own one (can't remember the name) and love it!


I got it for $5.99, while they usually sell for around $24.


The thing I was next most excited about was the Lip Fusion gloss I got. I got the shade Fresh (which was actually on sale at Sephora a few months ago). They had around 15 different shades to choose from, several of them from a limited edition collection. I've been wanting to try these cause I've heard good things about them, but I just could not justify spending so much on one gloss.


These plumpers retail for $38 each, and I got mine for $10!!!


Finally picked up a few drugstore items. Savings on these weren't as high, but still under retail. I was most exited about the Ponds makeup remover. Got it for $4.99, retail is $8.99. The Biore Cooling Eye Gel was $5.99. I got it cause I'm almost done with my current eye cream. Finally, got a pair of Revlon Platinum Tweezers for $2.99, when they are around $8-$10 at the drugstore.

The entire haul:


Phew that was a long one. Anyway, I've got two more hauls coming, so stay tuned!

{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!

{EOTD} Navy Clubbing Eyeshadow!

I feel like it's been ages since I've posted an EOTD, so here is one! A few friends and I went out last night and this is what my makeup looked like! I went for a navy smoky eye. I did add liner along the waterline later, but I don't have pics of that :( But yea, I went for dramatic, dark, and sexy! And I used my Sephora ColorPlay 5 in 1 Palette!

Products Used:

ELF Eyeshadow Primer (review coming soon)

Sephora ColorPlay 5-in-1 Palette

L'Oreal HIP Kohl in Navy

Revlon Grow Luscious Lashes Mascara in Black

{Samples} Target Beauty Is My Bag Sampler

I don't know if you guys had the chance to take part in Targets promotion, but I really hope you did. My sister actually filled out the form for me to get this sampler so I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in the mail! Basically, it's a cute makeup bag from Sonia Kashuk filled with a bunch of samples and even a full sized lip balm from Neutrogena!

The clutch is really cute too! I'm not really into prints, but I do like it! I think you can actually buy this one at Target if you want. It's a bit smaller than I like than I like for a makeup bag, but I've still been using it a lot.

It came packed with lots of little goodies!!!

The inside is also patterned with the Sonia Kashuk logo, which is cute.

What came in mine:

L to R: Coupon booklet, Revlon Colorburst Gloss sample in Hot Pink, Frederik Fekkai Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner sample, full size Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm, Pantene Shampoo sample, Nivea Hydration Express sample.

So yeah, quite a lot of little goodies! I was most surprised by the Nivea Hydration Express lotion. It's very light but very moisturizing so I might pick it up when I finish my current lotions, which are Philosophy's Grace and H2O + Intensive Moisturizing Gel.

I was also surprised that they gave out a full size lip balm, especially since it's form a new range. I really like it too! It has a fresh minty feel to it!

Lots of good coupons too! Some highlights:

I bought their new dry shampoo with this! Love it!

They also had CoverGirl, hair color, hair care samples and more. I'm definitely gonna use them!!! I think everyone got the same stuff, but if you got something different in your sampler lemme know in comments! More reviews coming soon, as well as March favorites and a haul!