Did a bit of shopping! (And shocker: not for makeup, haha!)

First off, I picked up a new wallet. Technically, it's a wristlet from Vera Bradley, but I think it can double as a wallet as long as I pick up one of those little plastic things to hold my cards. I'm not typically a fan of blue or patterns, but this beautiful corn flower blue called to me from across the store haha! It was $25 from Vera Bradley.













I also picked up a couple pairs of flats. This first pair is from Roxy. It just thought they were really cute. I tend to like things that are simple in design. I'm not usually a fan of patters (I like things to be monochromatic) but stripes appeal to me.




I also picked up a pair of flats from Forever 21. I have a similar pair in navy that I really liked so when I saw them in green I had to get them!


I love just about anything that has golden accents like buckles or zippers on them.


I also bought some clothes, but I haven't had time to really photograph everything. If I get the chance I'll post.

Giveaway Winner!!!

Congrats to Laura, who is the winner of the three MAC Alice+Olivia pigments!!! Thanks to everyone else who entered!

I have to say that I am a bit disappointed that so few of my many readers chose to take advantage of this giveaway. I thought that such a great prize would generate much excitement, but I guess I was wrong. To have only FIVE people enter to win a giveaway which cost me $62.01 to fund is very disappointing. I will still be doing the second giveaway, also from the Alice+Olivia collection, later on and I hope that more people will take part. But thank you to all who did participate and congrats Laura!!!

Review: 2 Lotions I'm Lovin Right Now For Very Different Reasons

I'm very picky about lotions and creams that I use. I absolutely hate ones that leave my skin feeling greasy or smell strange. However, every now and then I come across some great moisturizers that I've just got to share. This will be a mini review for two of them (with more to come), the bodycology White Gardenia Body Creme and Lubriderm's Advanced Therapy Moisture Lotion for Extra Dry Skin. Both come in the smaller, purse friendly packages which is why I grouped them together.




White gardenia's are my favorite flowers. They are beautiful and they smell sooooo good. In fact, if I ever get married, I'm planning on having these at my wedding, haha!

Here's a look at the textures:

**excuse my creepy veins**

The Lubriderm's on top and bodycology on the bottom. As you can see the Lubriderm is a lot thinner, more like a lotion, whereas the bodycology is definately a creme, with a much thicker texture. I find that of the two the Lubriderm is more moisturizing and surprisingly less greasy as well. I think that when I think of super moisturizing (in terms of body cremes) I expect them to be super greasy, kinda like petrolium jelly or a dry oil. But Lubriderm is great. I can use it on my hands and not worry about leaving everything I touch feeling oily and gross as it's very fast absorbing. I actually use this before using any sunless tanner as it absorbs very very quickly and leaves my skin feeling super smooth. Of the two, it is definitely the better moisturizer. It also smells very fresh, which is nice. And you get 3.3 oz, which may seem small, but a little goes a long way (or you can buy the larger size).

The bodycology creme is an ok moisturizer, but as it is heavier and therefore greasier I don't really use it as a body lotion because feeling oily annoys me. Instead I have been using it on my pulse points, layering it usually under my Marc Jacobs Splash in Gardenia, which I will review later. It is very heavily scented so when I apply it under a perfume it intensifies the perfume and makes it last longer. I've purchased gift sets before that come with a scented lotion but I've never had a use for the lotion as the perfumes would usually be strong enough on their own. However, the Marc Jacobs Splashes are more like body sprays so layering them over a cream not only intensifies the scent but also makes it last longer (kind of like applying a perfume over some petrolium jelly). In general though, if you are looking for a super moisturizing lotion or don't like scented creams I would avoid this one. I do like how bodycology is like The Body Shop or Bath and Body Works as they have several different products in the same scent. If you like the scent of white gardeina but need something a bit more moisturizing then try the bodycology body butter. I've been using them for years and I love them.

Info:

Price:
Lubriderm: $2.99 (for 3.3 oz)
Bodycology: $1.99 (for 2.7 oz)

Ingredients:
Lubriderm:Water, Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceteareth 20, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Citrate, Methylparaben, Titanium Dioxide, BHT, Sodium Pyruvate, Retinyl Palmitate, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Ethylparaben, Tocopherol
Bodycology: Water, Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Glyceryl Stearate, Fragrance (Parfum) (Parfum), Dimethicone, Acetylated Lanolin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Cocoa), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Shea Butter), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methypropional, Eugenol, Hexylcinnamal, Linalool, Glyceryl Caprylate, Methylisothiazolinone, May Contain: Red 4 (CI 14700, Aka504), Yellow 5 (CI 19140, Ki4), Yellow 6 (CI 15985, Ki5), Blue 1 (CI 42090) (CI 42090, Ao1), Red 33 (CI 17200, Aka227), Ext Violet 2 (CI 60730, Murasaki401), Green 3 (CI 42053, Midori3)

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.

Giveaway! Mac Alice + Olivia Pigments

**I've amended the rules for this giveaway as well as extended it. Please check them out!**

As mentioned, I stopped by MAC recently and while I picked up a couple of goodies for myself, I also picked up a few things for my awesome readers!!! I will be doing not one, but TWO giveaways!!! This first giveaway is for the three pigments in the Alice + Olivia collection. From left to right they are If It Sparkles..., Partylicious, and Later.

The rules:
1. Open to U.S. residents only. Sorry to any international readers :(
2. To enter, simply leave a comment to this post saying ENTER ME.
3. You MUST leave an e-mail for me to contact you through.
4. All entries must be submitted by August 10th.
5. For an extra chance to win, become a follower!

Pretty simply, no?

DO NOT FORGET YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS. Or I won't be able to contact you if you win, and I'd have to choose a different winner, and that would be sad :(

The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator (this one).

GOOD LUCK!!!

Disclaimer: The products featured in this giveaway were purchased by me. I am not affiliated with MAC, any other cosmetic company, or PR firm.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!

I'm Back!

I know, I didn't even tell you I was leaving, but I was on vaca. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be posting some reviews and surprise surprise, another haul! I stopped by MAC before leaving and picked up a couple of things and I'll show you soon! I'm really excited because I don't usually shop at MAC. Anyway, my summer's going great and I hope yours is too!

Review: Calvin Klein Lip Gloss Trio

this is going to be a review for a trio of Calvin Klein lip glosses (two regular and a plumper) that I got in a set at Marshalls for only $10 (woohoo!!!). The shades that came in the one I purchased are, from top to bottom, Radar, Parfait, and Georgia. Georgia is the lip plumper, supposedly, and if you look carefully, it's tube is slightly larger than the other two glosses.


The packaging of these glosses is absolutely beautiful. I think I even mentioned in my other review of a CK plumper (here) that the lettering on the top of the cap reminds me a bit of the Chanel logo on the glossimers. Very simple, yet sophisticated.

Again, the shades I purchased:

(L to R) Georgia is a sheer peach with golden shimmer. Parfait is a matte sheer pink. Radar is a nude with silver, gold, and pink shimmer in it. Of the three, Radar is my fave, and you'll see why in just a bit!

The applicators:

Top to bottom: Georgia (the plumper), Parfait, and Radar.
You'll notice that the lip plumper has a brush applicator while the regular glosses have a standard doe foot. I like the doe foot applicators better. I feel that the brush applicators that come with glosses tend to deposit too much product and leave my lips feeling gooey and gross. This one is no different. I really have to be careful when I apply Georgia because I can very easily put on too much and feel really gross. I think that the brush applicator is also why you notice some "plumping." I don't actually think that Georgia plumps my lips, but they have the illusion of being larger because of the copious amount of product on them.

Some lip swatches:

Parfait. Parfait is nice in that it's a bit cool toned so t gives you a very fresh look and perks up the skin tone. It also evens out my natural lip color. My lips tend to be slightly darker on the outer edges than on the inside (especially on the upper lip), but this gloss evens them out nicely.


Radar. My absolute fave <3!


Georgia. Georgia is actually a bit more orange in person. It's ok except for that you need to be careful about not over applying.

I like these glosses. While the formulas are nothing special, the shades are absolutely stunning especially Radar. I've been wearing it practically non stop for weeks! I should warn however, that they can be a bit on the thick side and slightly tacky (although nowhere near as bad as MAC lip glasses, for comparison), so I'd advise wearing them over a balm. What's also good is that these are fragrance free so they won't annoy people who don't like scented glosses. These glosses give amazing shine! They have a very high lacquer finish, so even if you're wearing a light shade you can go easy on the eye makeup and still look made up. The only other complaint I have is that Georgia, the plumper, isn't actually a plumper. The gloss will give the illusion of larger lips like any gloss, but from the ingredients list as well as my experience with not one but tow different shades it doesn't actually (chemically) plump your lips. It's a great gloss, though! At $10 these are a steal. I only regret that I didn't get a few more shades, haha!

Info:

Price: $10 (for three at Marshall's-will probably cost more separately.)

Ingredients:

Plumping: Polybutene, Caprylic, Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Silica Silylate, Menthol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Capsicum Frutescens Resin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen (May Contain) Mica, Ci 15850,Red 6, Red 6 Lake, Red 7, Red 7 Lake, Ci 15985, Yellow 6 Lake, Ci 19140, Yellow 5 Lake, Ci 42090, Blue 1 Lake, Ci 45410, Red 27 Lake, Red 28 Lake, Ci 73360, Red 30 Lake, Ci 75470, Carmine, Ci 77491, 77492, 77499, Iron Oxides, Ci 77891, Titanium Dioxide

Regular: (not listed on packaging and I haven't been able to find them online. I'll post if I do.)

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.

Have you ever had anyone follow/track you in a store to make sure that you didn't steal anything?

I stopped by Sephora yesterday and was shocked to find myself followed the entire time I was in the store. Now, I've been going to the same Sephora for years and recognize (by name!!!) almost everyone in the store, so for me to be followed is just insulting as I've been spending tons of money there for years. While I was browsing a woman was following me. I know the word following makes me sound paranoid, but every time I turned around she was a few meters behind me, watching me. My eyes made contact with hers several time as well and she would quickly look down. Later on she asked me about a couple of teal Urban Decay eyeshadows I'd picked up, compared, and put back. She was like, "You put them back? You didn't like them?" The entire time she's looking down at my clothing to see if maybe I pocketed one of them. Ugh, so blatantly insulting. I know that I probably shouldn't feel insulted as she's just doing her job, but she treated me as if I'd already stolen something, and made me feel so uncomfortable. I almost felt pressured into buying something just to prove that I don't steal. Has this ever happened to you?

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.