31 October 2011

Haul: MAC Glitter and Ice

Happy Halloween everyone! (or what's left of it.)

I did absolutely nothing for Halloween this year except work. I guess I did something the previous week and have a few pictures of that so that'll be the next post ;P

Today I spent all morning in the campus library while waiting for my *friend* to be done with class since I went to school with him lol. I FINALLY purchased my textbook and downloaded all the files we were suppose to have. Looked at the online homework and realized it's not due until another week or so, so I decided to read blogs! I swear when I don't have time to read, that's when everyone blogs! I didn't get through reading them in the two hours and I don't even follow that many people! (btw, any blog recommendations? I've been out of the loop and wanna start following more people!)
hehe, my panda backpack ;) childish I know, but I like to have cute looking bags lol. It's more toned down than the hello kitty I was going to get ^_^ && gotta blog through my mac!

***

I didn't haul much from MAC this year from their holiday collection. AND I didn't haul anything from Sephora's f&f sale. SUPER SHOCKER?! Yes, but that's because I'm broke too. Plus all my skincare has been stocked up already so there's really no point :/ I did get the VIB sale in the mail for the next two weeks though so maybe it'll give me another chance to get at least something I'm interested in.

*DUN DUN DUN...* All I got were three paint pots. I had some interest in a few other things but it didn't quite make the cut for me.
I didn't realize until I got home that they came in special packaging... and yet I wondered why it was more than usual for three paint pots -___-" It's also because I preordered it and everything was bagged up and ready when I got there (:
They come with white lids rather than black, but other than that and the box it's basically the same packaging. The OCD in me is dying .____. they don't match any of my other paint pots, and I have a ton!!! D:<
Top to bottom: Let's Skate! | Morning Frost | For Effect
I really thought I was going to dislike Let's Skate! but I purchased anyway because I just have a love for paint pots. It turns out that in the sun it's GORGEOUSSSS and by far my favorite out of the bunch. I haven't tried it on yet but I'm sure it'll look great :)

Let's Skate! is a icy pink with a golden shimmer. It sounds crazy but I have no other way to describe it... and let's just say I'm really bad with color descriptions too LOL..

Morning Frost is a shimmery, almost metallic taupe color. I'm sure there are many dupes but I just had to have it anyway :P

For Effect is a gunmetal/black with silver glitter. This color is awesome and it's pretty pigmented in one swipe! :) A great base for those smoky looks.

So library blogging has horrible lighting. Especially sitting next to the cloudy window lol. BUT here are swatches anyway in the same order as above.
When we got into the car to head home I snapped a photo of it in the sunlight! I wish I could've captured how BEAUTIFUL all the shades really were but iPhone 3GS photography sucks.
Overall, I was not impressed with this collection! I'm heading back to the counter tomorrow though and maybe I'll get to spend more time with a few more items and it could change my mind... lol :)

***

I have a flat iron review coming up soon, but most likely my next post will be more of what's happening in my life post. I really need to vent but I don't wanna be childish and blast it online like SOME PEOPLE do.

Goodnight all, and hope you had a great Halloween!

<3

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

17 October 2011

Review: Stila In The Light Palette

`Howdyyyy!

I've been on a real neutral palette kick. Starting since the NAKED palette came out. I don't understand why I keep purchasing them but I tell myself it's a different neutral shade and I convince myself each time... *le sigh*

This time around I stopped by Sephora and of course with their stupid lighting the shades were just screaming at me to swatch. The first visit the palette was sold out. The second time still sold out. FINALLY my third try I got my hands on it. I knew this dumb palette wasn't worth the $39 price tag because of the cheap ass material it's made from but when I swatched I fell in love.. PLUS it was such a pain in the ass for me to get a hold of which made me want it more!

Here's the palette and all it's cheapness. It doesn't even have a weight to it. My iPhone is WAYYYYY heavier!




Top Row: bare | kitten | bliss | sunset | sandstone
Bottom Row: champagne
| gilded gold | luster | night sky | ebony
Stile smudge stick waterproof eye liner in damsel



The palette does come with a full size smudge stick in a never before seen shade, damsel. It's a rich dark brown. My lighting didn't capture the brown-ness of the shade too well since once again it's night time!



The shades the palette comes with are all labeled on the back. It's somewhat convenient. Just don't understand why they don't just put it under the shade or something.



So below is a photo of how cheap the packaging it. Everything is held together by a foam piece with nice paper covering to give the illusion of having relatively "nice" packaging. I mean, for $39 I would at least expect the f*cking eyeshadow to stay in place!



I mean it was essentially my fault for sunset to be misplaced like that but it was ONLY a 4 feet drop. I wanted it to move back into place so bad, that's why there's fingernail marks to the left of the eyeshadow. Nothing worked so I just gave up before I caused permanent damage to the eyeshadow. I suppose the foam helped with cushioning the fall but it wouldn't have broke since it wasn't very high and the flooring isn't hard.

Here are some swatches. They're taken without flash and under tungsten lamp lighting so they aren't the best but accurate enough. All swatches are applied with a MAC 239 brush on bare skin, meaning no eyeshadow primer. They're in the same order as listed on the second picture.


Top Row


Bottom Row


Top: made a box and filled it in
Bottom: one single swipe of the eyeliner

All shadows look a lot more pigmented when applied on a base, but I didn't think about it whilst swatching until after I was halfway through. Be weary of over-blending with these shadows otherwise they'll turn up looking muddy.

The palette does include a "look book" of step to step instructions on how to recreate 4 looks.





I personally am not too big of a fan of the looks that are included but they aren't bad, just very basic.

I should've returned this palette while I had the chance, and the receipt. Now that I look back on it, it just isn't worth the $39 I spent on it. If the packaging were a little more sturdy and didn't feel so cheap then I wouldn't be complaining because it does include a full size smudge stick. I don't understand how this product has 4.6 out of 5 stars on sephora.com. One of the only good things about this palette is that it does include a variety of finishes from matte to shimmery to glittery to a satin type of finish.

I wouldn't recommend this to y'all but shade-wise it isn't a bad palette, just the packaging isn't there.

Has anyone tried this and was disappointed?!


I have more reviews to come! ;) with probably a FOTD and quite possibly an OOTD.. eek! :)

<3

15 October 2011

Review: MAC Plush Lash Mascara

Hello all!

So I've been trying out MAC Plush Lash mascara for almost a month now and I'm loving it! :)



I feel like it doesn't take too much work to get it to the way I like it so that's a plus and it saves time! This mascara doesn't flake on me either, especially since I've had it sitting in my drawer for about a year before ever cracking it open. The formula is moist, but not overly wet to where it takes foreverrrr and a day to dry.



This mascara only comes in the shade plushblack and it retails for $15USD so it's not totally expensive but I know it's not the usual $7-$8 drugstore price tag, but its definitely not the $25 department store price tag either.



The brush is chunky and short, compared to other volumizing mascaras which usually comes as a chunky long brush. I haven't poked myself in the eye with it yet so I'm satisfied with that :)

Of course, I dislike reviews of products that aren't tested on what it's meant to be used on so here are photos on my lashes. My bare naked lashes are sad excuses so there's no point of even putting a picture of that up :P


I'm kinda making a squinty eye right there in case your wondering lol. I also blurred out the browns of my eyes because I didn't like that you can see the reflection of the background in them XD



I quite like them. My outer lashes are kinda sparse and curve inwards (probably because of the way I sleep since I'm a side sleeper and my face is smashed into the pillow lol) but this mascara handles them pretty well! ^_^

Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts on it 'cause I'd like to know :)

Will I repurchase? Definitely will be picking up a tube when I'm done with this one and the other million mascaras I'm trying out :D

Speaking of purchasing, NORDSTROM is having a buy 2, get 1 mascara event. Catch is it has to be from one brand to apply so you could buy Lancome and MAC or another brand and end up with 6 mascaras total. This event will be happening on the last weekend of October or the first weekend of November. I didn't pay close enough attention but if you're interested I could get more details for y'all!

Have a good day loves!

<3

11 October 2011

Haul: MAC Hue Lipstick & Lip Swatches

Hello dolls :)

I swung by MAC on Sunday after work to check out the new holiday collection. I'm totally LOVING the white packaging, but the silver glitter ruined it for me -__- lol. I purchased all the paint pots and I'm debating on a brush set or two just because of the random new brushes in there :X

While I was there I brought some of the empty pots to BACK2MAC for a new lipstick :) I ended up getting Hue. I'm trying to steer away from all the limited edition shades now and gear towards permanent stuff :D

MAC Hue Lipstick

The only thing that bugs me about getting a BACK2MAC is I don't get a box!! The way I store my makeup I like to have the box label on top so I don't have to flip it over and look UNDER the lipstick lol. My photo is a little more towards the brown side so sorry about that! This is why I don't like blogging at night but if I didn't then I wouldn't be able to blog at all. Sighh!


MAC Hue Lipstick on Lips

Okay, but this picture makes me mad because everything turned out a little more pink than it should be! UGHH.. lol, but Hue is a sheer nude pink :) I like the lipstick, but I think I'm gonna invest in a more pinky-nude lipliner because when I wear nudes you can never tell where my lipline starts or ends since it's not very prominent which sometimes I like the look.

***

From my one of my previous posts, [HAUL: Posh Paradise & Styledriven], I purchased the pro longwear lipliner in Nice 'n' Spicy. I finally tried it out on my lips and I love it! Since it's longwearing, it does have that dry, tight feeling to it.

Nice 'n' Spicy Pro Longwear Lip Pencil on Lips

So above is a swatch of it applied all over my lips. It's really matte and does get to the point where it feels uncomfortably dry if you aren't going to put anything on top.


Nice 'n' Spicy Pro Longwear Lip Pencil & MAC The Faerie Glen Lipstick on Lips

I applied MAC The Faerie Glen (released with Tartan Tale, I think) on top and I like the result of this lipstick more with the lipliner! With nude shades like I mentioned earlier, my lipline sorta disappears and with a straight up nude I feel like it looks like concealer lips. I like how it looks more defined but not overly defined :) Now I can start wearing more nude shades again ^_~!

Do you prefer lipstick with lipliner?

***

I have a mascara review coming up soon ;) I fell in love... lol, it's been a while since I've found a mascara I like and actually stuck with! Stay tuned for that, and it's not massively expensive like some dior ones I've had in the past!

<3