8 Questions from Nicole

Nicole from NV Beauty has tagged me to answer her 8 questions! This was such a fun tag and I love doing this because it allows me to understand more about you guys. Below are my 8 questions and I hope whoever reads this post will do this tag. If not, please answer at least one or two in the comment section!

1. What is your favorite brand of makeup and why?
Thinking back, if I were to choose only one brand of make up to use - I'd probably go with NYX because they have a great selection of just everything. But I think a close match would be Revlon. I love their lipsticks, lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadows... Overall though, I love all types of brand!


2. What is the most you've ever paid for one single item of makeup or other beauty related product?
My answer would be totally LAME but I think $15 for Revlon Colorstay Mousse foundation.

3. Hot rollers or curling iron?
Okay, I'm completely incompetent when it comes to curling my hair... and I haven't tried hot rollers yet... but I feel like rollers might be easier for me to work with.

4. How long does it take you to get ready in the mornings?
I try to keep it short but usually 10-20 mins.



5. Do you have a "beauty budget" each month?
I try to keep it under $20... I've been good except for July :(

6. What skincare line can't you live without?
I don't really have a skincare line... ah I feel like my answers are pretty boring! I really like the Neutrogena stuff. I feel like I can always go back to it. Clean and Clear is pretty good too. Although I've recently been obsessed with Olay's Daily Facial Wipes... THOSE ARE AMAZING --> read the side bar for more.

7.Who is your all time beauty icon?
I really like Jennifer Aniston. Being a HUGE Friends fan, of course I'm Team Jennifer! I can't believe my mother thought I was on the other team. I love that she doesn't look like she tries too hard but she always come off so sexy! I've just always love her style!


8.Do you wear makeup and fix your hair even when you aren't going out?
I think having a "bad hair day" is the WORST so I always make sure it looks fine! Also, on an everyday basis - I wear brow pencil and blush. Those are my must haves to going out of the house. If I'm being a bum all day - then it isn't important.

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My questions:

1) If you could star in a film, what kinda film would it be - Action, Romantic comedy... etc?

2) What is your everyday make up routine?

3) How do you relax after a week of hard work?

4) If you had a panda as a pet, what would you name it?

5) What do you think about jegging and even leggings?

6) Would you spend money on nice pair of sunglasses or a nice purse or shoes?

7) What is your biggest pet peeve?

8) What is one compliment that you get the most from other people?

and extra #9: Have you seen Inception and did you like it?

I personally LOVE the movie - I thought it was suspenseful, has a good plot, good cast (although Ellen Page - JUNO... can't get that out of my head), and beautiful music.

Combination of all that transformed into a beautiful masterpiece!

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Also - I am taking a mini vacation this weekend. I'm off to San Diego!!! I will be sure to post so many pictures that your minds will explode!! Ha ha hopefully not.

See ya all next week.

First Time With Matte Lippies

I mentioned a few days ago that I had recently purchased the new Wet n' Wild Mega Last Lip Color and they have matte finishes.

So why did I bother buying more lipsticks when I have a massive amount still waiting to be used up?? It's because of Rose McGowan. YES - I blame it all on her!!!! If you don't know who she is, she is best known for her role in Charmed, a show where she plays Paige - half witch, half "white lighter" who helps her sister defeat evil by using the Power of Three. Oh come on! Don't tell me you've never heard of this show!!

BTW - just for all the fans out there, I went to Paramount Studios and GUESS WHAT??? I got to tour the set and the house. How awesome is that?

Back to business, Paige (the character) has the best make up and wardrobe on that show and the thing that stood out to me the most - you guessed it - HER LIP COLORS!




images taken from google.com, forever-charmed.com

It is so hard to find good quality Charmed pictures! But the point is, Paige/Rose McGowan always seem to be sporting the bright lips - there was one episode where she was wearing bright fuschia! And they colors like those that I'm always scared to wear but I do love the bright lip colors! I think it just makes the entire look FUN! So although I am not gonna run out to get that awesome looking red color that she has on in the 2nd pic, but I will try to branch out of my comfort zone and find bight and fun colors.

Thus, I went out the Target to find me some nice and cheap bright colors. The colors I have now are very much neutrals... and I wanna branch out! It is summer - I wanna have some fun.

And then, I ran into these little babies. I have heard so much and have seen quite a bit of swatches of these lippies. One thing I noticed is that Paige's lips are never too shimmery - they are very much solid colors so that's why I wanted to try these lipsticks out.



the lighter swatch is me, trying to blend out the color


I know what you are thinking - man, those colors look really similar... I know - that's what I thought too when I saw them in the tube but I just couldn't put either of them down! However, on the lips, it is definitely another story.



Wine Room

Rose-bud

Wine Room is definitely a lot more red and Rose-bud is more pink. However, Wine Room is not exactly red - it is more like a berry shade ready to bloom into red but not quite there yet.

Application is not too hard. Putting it on my skin, it is a bit streaky and didn't go on as smoothly as I would've liked. However, on the lips, I usually moisturize before putting lipsticks on so my lips where already soft and that really helped the application.

Unlike other lipsticks from other brands, these lippies don't have a tip that fits your lips exactly. That's a minor issue that is easily fixed. I don't have any problems with it so I'm not gonna go into details - I'm sorry I didn't get a pic of the tubes... GRR!

Pigmentation is amazing!!! I just do one swipe and I get the color that I want. The color on your lips (or should I say my lips) is the color you see in the tube! You can blend out the color to decrease the intensity of the color or you can build up the color to have a bolder color. Since my lips are already pigmented, this lipstick works perfectly!

Lasting power is definitely better than a lot of my other lipsticks. I put Wine Room on my lips with lip balm underneath and after five hours, I wiped my lips with a napkin and I can still see some color remaining. Cool huh! However, it's not like the color remained as bold as when I first applied it. I would say by the 2nd or 3rd hour, 50% of the color is gone. Still, that's a lot better than my other lippies. Being long lasting, it doesn't apply as smoothly and it is not as moisturizing as the other lipsticks. I really suggest wearing a lip balm underneath or lip gloss over the color. Using a lip brush or your fingers to apply the color could help to get an easier application.



I tried to wipe the swatches away - didn't work as well as I thought


Being MATTE doesn't really affect how it wears on my lips. Yes, it is more drying but it doesn't settle into lines or anything. It doesn't do the nasty thing where all the color in the middle of my lips disappear first so I get a ring of color. GROSS. And you know what, it doesn't look cakey - I also think that this isn't completely matte either. It has a slight shiny finish... but very subtle.

Packaging is pretty good. Much cuter than the old WnW lipstick tubes. And it reminds me of the Revlon Colorstay lipsticks. However, why does WnW like to make part of the lipstick stick out like that? I always have to be so careful when I remove the cap because I don't want to mess up the lipstick at all.

So if you guys are ready to experiment with some nice and brighter colors - I suggest starting with these Wet n' Wild lipsticks. Being $2.99 a pop, you won't waste much money and you'll be able to see if the color works or not. I really enjoy these lippies and I think you guys will too!! Really, next time you are at a Walgreens or Target or something, please try these out!

That's all for now!!! BYE BYE BYE.

Got Not Much To Say Except Thank You!

So, it's been forever since I've done a NOTD! I have finally purchased a new nail color and applied it yesterday. This is the new Wet n' Wild polish - Megalast Nail Color, I think, in Undercover! So this is it - it is like a dark berry color. It is also a creme finish which I really like and it costs $1.97 at Target for me. Price might vary - who knows!



No Flash

Flash

I would say that the actual color is somewhere between the two - more towards the flash side. I think this is such a pretty color and can definitely rival the more expensive brands. I also looked on the website and OH MAN, do they have a lot of shades! Being so inexpensive - I'm thinking - HECK YEAH!!

I can't exactly give a full review but application wasn't the best. The formula started out awesome - not too wet but not too goopey. Unfortunately, it got pretty goopey and streaky by the end of the application. GRR!! Thank goodness it dries to be a lot more even than I had applied it so that's a plus. I like that the brush is pretty big but a bit denser than necessary. Overall, I think I just need to get used to the nail polish because I really really like the color. I think it will be a longer wearing nail polish too... we'll see though. Once I purchased more than one color, I might do some sort of overall review!

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So I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of you guys who have followed this tiny tiny blog! I feel so happy to have an audience - I mean, I started this blog 1 1/2 year ago to write my thoughts down about beauty and all things that are girly - and I'm just so happy to have people reading and commenting and even following. I felt so comfortable in this lovely cyber community...

Sometimes I have my friends to pour out my thoughts to but when I can't really come to them for some reason, I always have you guys to cheer me up. It is very sweet and I adore you all.

That means so much to me!!

So on this occasion, I'd like to write about:
5 Make Up Ideas That I Would Tell Myself 1 1/2 Year Ago:

1) Eye lining is very important!!! I finally understand that not only does it make the lashes seem more luscious but it creates the shape of the eyes. A bold liner will make an eye look seem so different than a skinnier line. Of course, I'm still trying to look for the liner that works for my eye shape - no matter what - lining your eyes is very important.

2) Primer/priming is a necessary step for long lasting make up. UDPP has really changed the way I wear eye shadow and my base coat for my manicure is crucial for a long wear. I also realize that using something creamy and then topping it with a powder will create strong lasting power - eye liners with powder shadow; cream shadow w/ powder shadow; cream blush with powder blush... ect

3) Blush is great but bronzer is awesome! I don't know about you but my family always says that I'm a pale person - I don't have a lot of color in my face... which is sad. I think bronzer warms up my face and give me some "life" back. Combining it with blush creates literally a healthy glow.

4) Stay away from frosty lip products - When I first started out, I very much gravitated towards the colors that are really frosty. I think I just misjudged how the color will look because I always seem to swap it away or throw it away. Now I stick strictly to cremes and even mattes. Too much shimmer on the lips is just not my thing.

5) Shouldn't have wasted your money on MAD Minerals - ha ha so this is where I run out of ideas. I have nothing against this site or brand - I just never ever use any of the products I purchased. They do have really pretty mineral/pigment colors, I just didn't pick out the best and I never reach for them.

And also

Things I Need To Keep Learning

1) Keep practicing blending and eye color combination

2) Learn to control yourself and not buy everything just because they are on sale! Darn you drugstore!! You know me too well...

3) Find a better way to remove eye make up - what I'm doing now is not the best! I'm using the Clean and Clear Eye Make Up Remover and it takes FOREVER and a day to remove all my make up. It also dries out my eyes.

4) Find a better way to clean and dry your brushes!!

5) Find a faster way to put make up on in the morning!

So what about you guys? Anything you'd like to tell your past selves about make up?




Thanks so much guys!! Look out for a 100 Followers Giveaway :D :D :D!!

It Was Suppose To Be Simple

So Catherine from Strawberry Mochi suggested me to do a green smokey eye for my birthday dinner. I didn't do that then but I decided to try it out a couple of days ago. Here is what I came up with.








I used ELF single in Sage all over the lid but that wasn't green enough - it was very olive. So then I took the green from the Covergirl quad and placed a bit of that in the center of the lid. Then I took Milani's Java Bean on the crease and outer V. Unfortunately it wasn't dark enough so then I took Covergirl's Brown Smolder and darken it. Then I blended everything out with mark's Bambi and then highlighted my brow bone using NYX's Champagne. A bit more complicated than I thought!! Finally - gave myself some light glowy cheeks with Milani's Luminous and berry lips with Wet n Wild's Wine Room.

On another note, I've been trying out the ELF primer... so far... well I won't spoil it but I've only been using it twice so no accurate judgment yet. Plus, I'm planning to compare it to UDPP and naked lid. It'll be a while but no worries, I'm very excited to do it.

Also, if I reach 100 followers, I'm thinking I might have a giveaway :) I hope it will be good - but again, I will probably have lower end prizes... sorry!

Summer Musts and Dusts

You know me - I'm always sporting the really casual and simple make up but I strangely find myself more attached to certain products in the summer than other seasons.

I'll just dive into what I'm talking about without a long intro!



1) Essie's Nail Polish in Risky Business: This is like a bright red color with a bit of coral in it. On the nails - it looks like a tomato color but not as red because, like I said, there is a hint of coral. HOWEVER, I absolutely LOVED it when I wore it all last week. It just screams - summer time!! Fun time!! It was so awesome. BTW - I received this as a contest winner from Cambo Soup... so Kalmo, if you are reading... THANKS!

2) UDPP: Now, I'll probably need this for all seasons but I feel like ESPECIALLY summer because my lids get so oily! I love this stuff - it keeps my shadow stay intact all day. I wear eye shadows to work so I need it to stay put and not crease or anything nasty like that.

3) Maybelline Chai Latte quad and ELF Butternut quad: both of these are fantastic neutral colors! It's because it has the option for me to go bronze and copper... I don't know - I tend to not use taupes and purple/cool toned shadows as much during the Summer. But wait til Fall gets here... it will be taupe central!


4) Revlon Color Burst lipstick in Soft Rose: this brightens my face and not only that it is long lasting. Like the nail color I mentioned above - this has a bright color that sings a long to the Grease song: "Summer lovin' happened so fast"...


Those are definitely the ones I reach for the most right now.

But these are the ones that are sitting my drawers... hoping for some love! But that won't come until the colder weather gets here... sorry babies!



1) Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer: This is way too light for me during the summer. If I wanted to use it, I had to mix with with my foundation that is too dark for me... kinda a hassle when you don't have time.

2) Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light: Fantastic bronzer! Too bad I'm already tan so I don't really need that anymore... ha ha... oh well. Look how much this bronzer was loved... and will be loved again once the sun stops shining so frickin hard!

3) CoverGirl's Cheekers Blush in Deep Rose: Now this blush is PURE PIGMENT! Ha ha maybe not but it is so pigmented. It gives me the look of "I was playing in the snow all day" kinda look... now it is summer... so I don't really need to look like I've been playing in snow. But no worries, I will use the heck out of it once December hits again.

4) Maybelline's Moisture Extreme in Rum Raisin: I know I wrote about this lipstick before but I can't find the post... pretty much I love this lipstick... again for the winter time. I don't know. It gives me a deeper reddish shade and I think I prefer something that lights up my face more. This is a weird choice for me.

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So, do you guys separate your products like this too or do you use everything all the time - no matter the season. Let me know!

Also, please vote in my poll - I really want to know what you guys have been gravitation towards when you go shopping for make up.

Lately, I've been going lipstick crazy! I think after the WnW lipsticks though, I am done for a while :) Usually when I go shopping and nothing catches my eyes, I tend to look at the blush and bronzer section more. Don't know why... because Lord knows I have way too many!

Thanks for reading!

Stay Cool For Summer

Let me ask you something: do you have a pair of jeans that you never ever wear?

I have one that has been taking up space in my closet for the longest time! I bought it because at the time I thought it looked good... BUT they are really flared! HUGE flares as a matter of fact - ha ha - and I didn't want to be the only kid in school dressing for the 70's so I just never wore it.

Now, ever since I was little, my mother told me: NEVER CUT YOUR CLOTHES - never ruin them - poke holes in them... blah blah blah - you guys know what I'm talking about.

But it is summer time and I'm HOT! And I want new shorts. So I debated with myself for awhile and FINALLY decided that I will make these pair of jeans into a pair of shorts! So I went for it - finally! I've contemplated this for a really long time but just didn't have the GUTS to cut my jeans. I don't know what got me to do it but I am really glad I did.






What I did was I put on my jeans, marked how short I wanted them to be. Then I cut it with an extra four inches (or something like that) so I can have enough fabric to roll the jeans up.
Iron it down and TAH DAH!! It is just that easy and simple. I wore it all today and I am so happy to have it! SO EASY!

So if you are in the same dilemma as me - I suggest you close your eyes and use those scissors!

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I have to apologize for not writing as much as I would want. I get into a writing mode but I have absolutely nothing to write about! WEIRD huh... but no worries, I went to target today and picked out some new writing topics.




I was so EXCITED to see the ELF $1 primer at Target!!! It is MADNESS!! I will do reviews FOR SURE FOR SURE.

And I have been wanting to get my hands on these new Wet N' Wild matte lipsticks for a really long time! I got two (WHICH IS A BIT EXCESSIVE but they were only $2.99 each so I couldn't resist). I got one in Rose-bud which was the one I couldn't put down and then I saw Wine Room which was the one that I've been wanting since all the swatches gone up for these lipsticks.

Finally, I have been wanting a new nail polish color for the longest time. Again, being so cheap - I was like - MUST HAVE IT! I got the WnW Megalast nail color in Underground. Very pretty mauve - there is also another purple/lilac color too. Can't wait to get that later.




That is the lipstick color in Rose-bud. It is a very true PINK but warm pink so it is so wearable for me! LOVE it so far.



Also, this was my FOTD on my BDAY dinner. I had so much fun w/ my friends and I really enjoyed my make up here. And I gotta say, thanks to UDPP - my make up lasted through dinner and fun fun dancing. So, let's hope ELF can deliver the same thing... I will certainly let you know.

Thanks so much for reading!! Be sure to stay tuned for swatches and reviews of all the products mentioned.

A Birthday Look

So, this is what I wore last night - BDAY night.








So I wanted to just simply go with some sorta smokey eye but I think this turned out pretty decent! I quite happy with it. The colors blend so easily and I didn't have much issues with it at all.

So I used the champagne color from my Revlon quad on the lids and blended the purple/taupe color on the crease. Then I used the magenta color from WnW trio and put that in the outer V. However, I darkened it up more by using the dark charcoal color on the Revlon quad.

For the lips - I just put on the Revlon Soft Rose and then blotted the color for a longer wearing look. I actually added the gloss but it looks so pretty without it.

Tonight, I'm going out w/ my friends (my girls :D) - we're gonna have fun and go crazy!!

Yay. I'm gonna go try on another look... ah don't know what to wear :)

Oh and keep giving suggestions on the high end product I should get. I might just do it :p

Blogger, How Have You Been?

Hello everyone! I am back with more goodness - and I'm kinda excited to do this PRODUCTS BATTLE!!!

This time, it is between three brands and this time it is about CREME BLUSHES!!!



Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush // Revlon Cream Blush // NYC Blushable Creme Stick

The Colors:

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal - neutral pink with a bit of shimmer to it
Revlon Cream Blush in Berry Flirtatious - berry pink; matte finish
NYC Creme Stick in Big Apple Blush - neutral pink with a hint of coral; dewy finish

Pigmentation:

I would say that the Revlon has the most pigmentation - but that just might be because it has the brightest color which shows up better on my face.

NYC one is pretty sheer but the color is very buildable so you can easily achieve the color you desire.

Maybelline mousse blush is sheer too - unfortunately it has little glitter particles so the more you build this color up, more shimmer will follow.

NOTE: putting a powder blush over these creme blushes can make the powder blush look more vibrant and last longer.

Texture:

Maybelline's mousse blush is well known for the awesome texture! So it feels like mousse and blends like a dream - it is so light and creamy, it feels like this is meant to be eaten.

NYC creme stick is the second best - blends easily at first but if you are building the color, you might have to do more work. Thus - you might ruin the make up that is underneath.

This is where the Revlon one has trouble. It is so hard to blend with this... ugh... I'm still trying to figure out best way to apply it.

Lasting Power:

I think that the Revlon had the longest lasting power because it is so hard to budge off the skin - same reason why it is hard to blend.

NYC one is again in the middle. It can last up to 3-4 hours for me - which is pretty good!

Alas, Maybelline mousse blush seem to last a very short time on my face.

NOTE: By putting a powder blush over the top, I tend to get a really nice staying power for my blushes... so I rarely wear creme blushes on they own.

OVERALL: I would totally recommend the new NYC blush creme stick!!! This stuff is great and they have a dewy finish but not exactly shimmery like my Maybelline one. I think the color choices are really nice and since it is the cheapest one out of all three, I'm planning to get a few more. By the way, you get 8 grams per stick! DANG that's a lot.

I also really enjoy the Maybelline mousse blush because of the texture! I just wish it shows up better and that it doesn't have as much glitter in it. I also like it more if it lasted longer on my face. But that's okay.

And finally - I think I probably won't buy another Revlon creme blush just because I hate blending it. It takes quite a bit of energy... does anyone else have this problem too??

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So... my birthday is tomorrow... and my parents got me a netbook!!! Yay - it would be perfect for school. I'm so excited. It's white and adorable.




So, I'm turning 21... yay right? Well I am planning to hang out with my friends and go out but I don't feel like being 21 will be any different! Although I am a year older... yuck... I hate being older.

But now I need some advice: what should I get for myself? A bunch of drugstore items (I've been wanting to try out the new WnW palettes and matte lipsticks) or one really nice high end item?

And by high end item - which one do you guys recommend???

PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Last Minute June Shopping

So, even though my job situation isn't the best that it could be... I still bought some stuff - I guess to make myself feel better :p!

Anyways, the first two purchases are things that I couldn't pass up. You know - when you're really looking for something and FINALLY you found it and you're like - "AHH!! It must be fate!"

Well, that's how I felt w/ these shoes. I saw them at ROSS - yeah, Ross! Weird huh... I was looking for a pair of sandals that would give me a bit of height but I can wear to casual and non casual events.




I've worn it a few times already but absolutely love it! Although I wore it to work the other day - standing around for 5 hours - wasn't the most comfortable thing ever. But yeah, I really like this. I was sooo happy to have found it. I have been looking for something like this for weeks. I was ready to pay a lot more than I did - $12.99.

The next purchase was something that I wasn't looking for, but being a hardcore COLDPLAY fan, I HAD TO - HAD TO get this:





After seeing Knight and Day with my friend and sister, we all went into this store - dELIA (or something) and the girl was like - "oh, we have a bunch of sales, make sure you check them out". So I was just looking around and all of a sudden I see this blue shirt... and it had Chris Martin's face on it and it was just a moment of pure happiness when I saw that it was a Coldplay shirt - and it was on sale for $4.99. I squealed with delight for the first time that summer :D Ha ha probably not but it was something like that. Considering when I went to their concert and their band shirts were $30 and wasn't even that cute - I got an adorable band shirt for $5 and I love it! BTW - Viva la Vida has to be one of my favorite albums ever!

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So then, on to the make up stuff. CHECK THIS OUT - when money is tight - swap is the next best thing.

So I wanted to swap for Maybelline's new lip stuffies; and someone on Makeupalley was kind enough to agree to swap.

I got Maybelline Colorsensational Lipglosses in Strawberry Glaze and Sweet Tooth (both adorable names!).





** I gotta say, I really enjoy these! I think the texture is just great - very moisturizing and it isn't sticky at all! Even so, I think the lasting power is really great and the pigmentation is fantastic! I would say that these are both more opaque than the Revlon Lustrous Lip glosses. The only problem is that they are not very glossy - eventually the glossiness wears off and I get like a stain my lips. Which is completely cool with me but other people might not like that. Besides that I think these are really great lip glosses! I think there are a lot of colors to choose from. The only annoying thing is that the packaging is horrible - so plain and simple. The applicator is OK...

Finally, the swapper was extra nice and noticed that I've been wanting Revlon's quad in Nude Elements so she graciously added that in our swap without me knowing. It was such a nice gesture... I was so excited.





** The most pigmented colors were the white at the top and the charcoal at the bottom. However, the two mid shades are so pretty and something that I can use on an everyday basis - champagne and taupe shades are great for all over lid colors! The pigmentation is best when a base is used... besides that I see no other issues. I would say that this quad is one of those quads that would allow a day look to go into a night look - no problem. That dark shade in the bottom can make a great smokey eye! I don't know about lasting power since I always use UDPP and so the shadows stayed on all day. I will try to get a more in-depth review once I understand this quad better.

I was playing with the quad and came up with this:





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Thanks for reading everyone. I know I have not been updating as much as I should but there are things that I have to take care of.

I will be back soon though!

Happy Fourth of July!!!