Make Up Theory

100 Things: 26-30

2011-07-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

What!? I've only gotten to 30? Shame on me!!

Well, I've been feeling down lately so I figure doing 100 Things will remind me of more happy times. Haha... hope it works! Here goes:

26) The Beach

27) Bargain Shopping

28) Watermellon

29) Waterfall

30) Murder Mystery

Some Summer Favorites

2011-07-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing this post everywhere and I just wanted to let you all know a couple of products that I constantly reach for this summer!

1) Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer in medium: I don't like using foundation anyways and this concealer is just so nice and smooth. Best part is that it's moisturizing and a bonus- SPF 25 baby!!

2) Revlon's Super Lustrous Lip gloss in Life's A Peach: First, just wanna mention the SPF... second, just want to point out the awesome moisturizing ability! Third, just wanted to tell you about the shine quality, staying power, and really pretty color!!!

3) Wet N' Wild's Spotlight Peach: I don't know if this is discontinued or not but I LOVE this color! I makes me look healthy but in a "I've been in the sun all day" kinda blush! Which is just perfect for summer I think!! I've had this blush since 2009 and it is still not going away!!! And I swear, I use it everyday for summer for past two years! It's crazy.

4) Bath and Body Work's scent for the summer: Bali Mango Fragrance Mist. OMG- even though I already have a ton of body spray that I need to use up... I just couldn't pass this up. It smells so nice, sweet and just like a the perfect SUMMER. YES, it smells like "the perfect summer". Haha!!

5) Eye brightening colors - I put these shades all over my lids with some black eyeliner and I just find that it is such a good look for summer. Very shimmery, very pretty but classy and simple at the same time. Those are my three favorite shades to do that look with.

Ulta's Rose Dusk is definitely the coolest of them all because it has a like a rosy undertone.

CoverGirl's Mink is so pretty because it is the most reflective.

NYX's Champagne is my oldest, most used, and most loved! It's got this gorgeous golden shine.

What are some of your favorites???

♥ It was my birthday on Wednesday! It was very nice. My parents... got me a new purse :) AND a mascara... that I'm kinda excited and yet very scared about!!! LOL!! You'll see.

♥ As a birthday celebration, I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last night.

Let me just say... I CRIED. I cried 20 minutes into the movie and the tears pretty much just kept coming. I stopped crying in the last 30 mins but it was just... a great ending!

Why people make such a big deal? - honestly, I think we all fell in love with the characters. I met Harry Potter when I was 11 and I just grew in love with his world, his friends, his enemies, his quest - his magical world. It's different than Twilight because it is not just about two people. Harry Potter is about entire world; designed with wild imagination and careful creation, beyond anything I've seen in my generation! And each book contain these epic adventures that eventually tie together into a beautiful conclusion. I think I cried, even though I know what will happen, because I feel like my magical adventure is coming to an end as well. Most of all, I feet for these characters - The Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Snape, Neville, Malfoy... all of them!

And for those of you who aren't really fans of the book or of the movies, just go see it - it's got fantastic filming... and Snape scenes are just amazing!

Although, I don't really give a crap about Ginny... haha

Possibly The Best Haul EVER!

2011-07-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't hauled like this in forever but I just went crazy this weekend!!! Most of it was on sale and I got pretty sweet deals too... so let's just get started! YES, I'm very excited about what I got.

First off, I have been meaning to get a new pair of sun glasses for weeks now! My favorite pair of sun glasses broke a few months ago and I've been wearing this other pair that just doesn't look that great. I have been searching high and low for a new pair that looked like my old ones but, truth be told, that last pair was just too perfect to replace. But I think I found something pretty close!

At the same place I found these sun glasses, I also picked up a new wallet. I first saw this wallet and thought it looked really good... but it was $12.50 and I just thought I could find better ones for less. But today I just gave in to temptation... and turned out that wallet was on sale! YES - on sale for $5!!! WHAT? Hahaha I was so happy!!! To quote JLo- "I'm lucky like a four leaf clover"... haha

Charlotte Russe

What do you think?

On Saturday, I went to Ulta because I received the coupon for $3.50 off $10 purchase. I saw that the Ulta brand was having a sale and wanted to check it out.

NOW... you guys... I really really recommend you going to Ulta and check out some of those products!!! Especially the Automatic Eye Pencil and single shadows!!! I was swatching the eye shadows for like 30 mins because I couldn't decide what to get! They had many options and I would've gotten so many but I had to control myself... haha

I also got a new mascara - L'Oreal's Voluminous Naturale in Blackest Black --> possibly of the my favorite mascara EVER!

Liner- $1 in charcoal; Single Shadows- $2 each; Top: Rose Dusk, Bottom: Eggplant

By the way, that liner is FANTASTIC! Way better than Revlon's Colorstay because it is long lasting but goes on very creamy! I think I might go back to grab a few more since it is only $1!!! And for those of you who LOVE eye shadows, please go check out there single shadows collection. The greatest thing about Ulta brand make up is that you get to try it out and swatch the colors before you buy.

Anyways, I am so happy about my purchases overall!!

What have you guys been hauling?? Please share!!

♥ My Bday is next week!!!!! UGH I don't like getting older... But I did get a cute dress to wear to it! HAUL HAUL HAUL - that's all I did this weekend - I swear.

♥ I got complimented on my eye make up today - woot woot

♥ New dislike: Product placement (OBVIOUS ones) in music videos... who here agrees w/ me?

♥ I got me new sun glasses & wallet ---- the only thing I need now is a new purse... anyone know a good place for a cheap (less than $30) bag???

Miss USA Inspired

2011-07-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried any smokey eye looks lately but after watching Miss USA a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired to do something like that!

FYI- I don't really watch Miss USA - I just happened to came across it and... strangely wanted to watch the entire ending b/c of their make up! Haha... they had on the prettiest eye looks and I was enchanted by that!!! WEIRD huh! But anyways, I did the best I could... so... ENJOY!

I didn't use that many products. I just have CG's Mink all over the lids to give that sparkly look. Then I put the bronzy shade from Natural Smokes quad into the crease. And finally deepened the outer V w/ the darkest brown shade in that quad. Lined my eyes w/ Physician's Formula's gel liner (which I will do a review soon!) on the top and bottom lash lines!

I wanted to add the sparkle onto my cheeks so I used Physician's Formula highlighter! Overall, it is a pretty dramatic look and I think it turned out pretty good. I might've changed the outer V a little bit... but I think it is very nice for a smokey look to go out and dance the night away!

♥ So what's new w/ you all???
♥ I've been away for too long :P but I do have something to show you! It will SHOCK you!

I saw... the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge!!! YUP - Prince William and Kate Middleton when they visited Canada for Canada Day!

Besides that I've been working and just enjoying my summer... reading and watching movies and hanging out with friends! You know, the usual!

♥ I've also been HAULING!!! WOO HOO :) I will be doing a post on it soon... see you all then

Make Up Challenge - Work Diary

2011-06-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have noticed lately that my make up collection is quite large and I feel like I need to challenge myself to use it up more! So last week, I decided to use different eyeshadow combinations everyday. I decided to take pictures and show you guys what I came up with!

I usually just put one color on my lids and then that's pretty much it, but this time I wanted to actually do lid and crease shades.

Just remember that these are pretty natural and subtle. I don't want to wear too much when I go to work!! Okay, so ENJOY~

Lid & Highlight: Covergirl single in Mink
Crease: MAC's Sketch

Lid & Highlight: WnW's Mojave Mauve
Crease: ELF's bronzer side

Lid: NYX's Champagne
Crease: MAC's Trax; blend out with Revlon's Coffee Bean - 2nd shade
Highlight: Revlon's Coffee Bean - lightest shade

Lid: Lancome's Golden Bikini
Crease: Maybelline's Natural Smokes - bronzy shade
Highlight: Maybelline's Natural Smokes - lightest shade

I didn't have one for Friday because my sister took my camera. I do remember using a WnW trio in Silent Treatment and then my Maybelline Chai Latte. But yeah, what did you guys think? Don't I look tired??? Haha these pics were all taken at 7:45 AM so yes, I am pretty tired.

Also, don't I look really tan??? Jeez, I have the grosses tan lines. But this is why I pretty much stop using bronzers.

For the rest of my face:
Concealer: Revlon's Age Defying Moisturizing
Blush: Wet N Wild: Spotlight Peach
Eyeliner: Physician's Formula Gel Creamliner in black
Mascara: Maybelline's Falsies Mascara
Lips: varies with each day! I might do a lipstick challenge soon - look out for that!

So I went rock climbing yesterday and realized: 1) I hate climbing stuff 2) I am kinda scared of heights 3) I am WEAK! 4) I strangely would go back... hahaha

But yeah yesterday was fun... my sister and I made these oreo chocolate truffles for Father's Day:

However, when I tried to melt the chocolate... it FAILED!!! So bad!!!! And I was shocked how I failed to melt chocolate... I'm not gonna go into details but let's just say that it was... WEIRD!!!! Haha... they ended up tasting pretty good anyways though.

100 Things: 26-30

2011-06-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

26) Inside jokes

27) Desserts

28) Retail Therapy

29) Vacation

30) Happy Hour

♥ ♥ ♥

So lately, I've been wanting to experiment with nail colors. I wanted to combine a couple of colors to make like a splatter type design but it FAILED miserably!!! Haha. I hope you guys enjoyed more of my favorite things.

I gotta say, I'm not a big fan of Applebee's food but their drinks are delicious!! Go for Happy Hour - 1/2 off all drinks. I went twice - once I got the frozen strawberry margarita. Another time I got their White Peach Sangria - DELISH!!

Products All Empty

2011-06-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Being a completely BROKE college student is kinda good for my make up collection. For the first time ever, I'm using up products - milking it to the last drop - getting my money's worth. Here are some mini reviews for you and this is also a post to show off too haha!! I am very proud to have finished these make up items.

1) BBW's CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint: AMAZING product!!!!! I seriously DEVOURED this product because it was soooo moisturizing. Some people say that it is a bit sticky which is true. It is also really not tinted. It's pretty clear. But I love this product so much... it just feels sooo good on the lips and makes my breath smell great! YES I will repurchase!!

2) CoverGirl's Amazemint Lip Gloss in Slaphappy: this is very similar to the first one I mentioned except it is a wand applicator. This one is good because it is more pigmented but doesn't last as long on my lips as the BBW one. I really like the minty feel. I don't like the packaging though- it is kind of ugly. That's why I don't reapply that much. Still - I used up this lip gloss like nothing else! In terms of repurchase - Maybe. I would but last time I went to check out the color selection, all I saw was shimmery and frosty colors. I didn't really see a color that I like.

1) L'Oreal's Bare Natural Mascara: this is a fantastic mascara!!!! Love the way it makes my lashes look - although it is really natural looking, I like that it makes my lashes stand out more and just define my eyes a bit more. This and Maybelline's Full and Soft are really good mascara for that everyday, natural lashes. I think this might've given my lashes a bit volume than Full and Soft though. Yes, I would repurchase.

2) Rimmel's Mineral Bronzer in Sunlight: I love this bronzer - especially in the winter time. Now that it is summer, it makes me look a bit more tan than I want but in the winter, it gives me a really natural tan. Honestly though, look how much I've used that product up - I obviously love it. In terms of repurchase... I don't think I would because I already have a Milani and a NYC bronzer waiting for me. But I recommend this bronzer completely to you guys.

1) Urban Decay 24-7 Glide-On Pencil in Rockstar: Wow this pencil is so awesome because it can simply glide on my lids with no tugging but it pretty stays there ALL day with minimal fading. It is FANTASTIC! The only thing that I don't like about it is that I have to sharpen it and I waste a lot of product doing that. It is also really easy to loose the sharp tip that you get after sharpening. I got this from a swap but I don't know if I would pay $18 for a pencil. I might though if I don't find a drugstore alternative.

2) ELF's $1 Eyeshadow Primer: This is an essential make up item for me. I use this EVERYDAY! I wrote a couple of things about this primer on another post. Yes, I would repurchase for sure!!!

3) CoverGirl's Perfect Point Plus in Grey Khaki: I like this eye pencil because it is creamy and easy to glide on. It smudges like crazy though and fades really fast. However, when I go over it with eye shadow, it lasts all day for me! So in a sense, it works well as a liner base for my eye shadows. Very weird, but I like doing it a lot! I'd rather do that than purchase the Revlon Colorstay pencils because those liners are so dry and hard to use. In terms of repurchase - maybe. I do believe there are cheaper and creamier eye liners out there. If I'm just using this as a shadow base, might as well just go with a cheaper alternative.

4) ELF's Eye Brightening Shadow Quad in Butternut: My first eye shadow palette EVER! I just wanted to show you the damage that I have done with the highlighter shade. I don't know if I will ever finish the rest of that palette but I definitely use that shade A LOT! It is probably my favorite highlight shade - it's like a off-white yellowish kinda color. Really pretty sheen for the brow bone!! LOVE IT. Yes, if I could just repurchase that shade only, I would get it for sure.

So I hope this helps and maybe inspire you to use up your products instead of purchasing more items!!!

Please comment and tell me what make up item you have used up recently and would you repurchase?

They're Fake, Can't You Tell?

2011-06-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Ah! It's hard to get back to writing when you haven't done it in forever. I really had a hard time figuring out what to write but I really wanted to talk about this product since I have been using this for awhile and has formed a strong opinion on this.

What I'm talking about is the Maybelline's The Falsies Mascara.

The brush is a bit different. It has a curve and it is recommended to use with the "spoon side up". I like the brush - it isn't too big but not too small. The bristles work well to cover each eye lash but also help separating the lashes so that it isn't clumpy.

So far, no complaints here. Application is pretty simple and easy - just like any other mascaras that I've used so far. So let me show you the results!

Before:

After (1.5 coats):

Before:

After:

As you guys can see, I don't think after 1.5 coats, the mascara has given the "Falsies" effect! I think it adds a bit of volume and a bit of length making my lashes stand out more but not to the point of drama! I like using this because it gives my lashes a nice everyday look... which isn't really what people are looking for when they want to go buy a mascara that is called "The Falsies". I do like the way my lashes look but it is somewhat a disappointment in terms of getting crazy big lashes. I suppose I could put on more coats but I feel like that would make my lashes clump together and be very unnatural looking.

Overall, this mascara makes my lashes look better... but it doesn't add enough volume or length to make it look like false lashes at all.

The BIGGEST problem I have with this mascara is: FLAKING!!!! and raccoon eye issues!

UGH! I have the biggest problem with this mascara flaking and smudging on my bottom lash line! Without fail, every time I come home from school or checking my make up in the mirror, I would see a bit of darkness around the outer edge of my lower lash line. I can't imagine anything else causing this but my mascara... this really annoys me. I don't think I have ever experienced a bigger smudging issue with any other mascaras!!!

I even tried putting mattifying powder on that part of my lower lash line to try to prevent this issue. It works SOMETIMES and not others...

Overall, I don't think I would repurchase! I like the way that it adds volume and length and my lashes were separated. I think it holds my curls well. However, I believe there are better mascaras out there that would not do this to me and would still give my lashes a great look. I use to LOVE LOVE LOVE the Max Factor 2000 Calorie but we all know Max Factor is a bye bye in the US.

If you know a better volumizing mascara - please let me know!!

My Life For The Last 2 Months

2011-05-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been updating my blog at all for the last two months. What's worse is that I haven't been ON any make up sites, blog sites or anything like that at all for the last two months!

What happened?

Haha - life happened I guess.

Mostly school happened - school happened HARD! I didn't do very well as I would've hoped this semester. My GPA dropped a bit but I'm hoping to learn from my mistakes this year and do better next year. I think I was just really burned out and didn't have the mentally to keep focus and retain information like I usually do. It is tough to study for exams when you haven't really been mentally there!!!

But at least this year has been pretty exciting b/c I made some great new friends ships and I have been doing a lot more things I haven't done before. Such as WINE TASTING!!!

Wilcox, Arizona - Wine Country

It was so much fun to take a mini-road trip but besides that, I realize I'm not a big fan of wine so much.

We also got a couple of birthdays and graduations to celebrate so that took a lot out of my time planning and everything.

That was a birthday dinner at a really awesome Chinese restaurant

Afterward, we karaoke!!!

I'm also extremely BROKE!! I got an internship that will give me some sorta spending money this summer - but I've decided to save most of it for future trips and travels (Las Vegas and New Orleans). This is why I haven't bought any new make up in MONTHS! This is good though because it will allow me to use up what I have and be more creative with it.

All in all, I've just been experiencing different adventures and had to neglect others. Still, I want to return to blogging because I really miss you all and miss playing around with and talking about make up!

I have only recently gotten back to playing around with make up and offering to do make up on anyone that asks!!!! My sister... mostly :( haha!!!

So I hope you guys will come back to read some more of what's coming up next.

Spring Time Make Up!

2011-03-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

I adore Spring because that's when the weather warms up but not too much that it is burning not! It just feels great to be outside - it makes me happy!!

But I'm also switching up my make up as well... here are some things I am loving for SPRING!

1) SHIMMER SHIMMER SHIMMER!!

Milani's Glimmer Stripes

I love to add shimmer to my face because it adds a glowing affect! Kinda a healthy glow!! Brightens up my face.

2) PURPLE EYE SHADOW!!

I still love using my neutrals but I love adding a touch more color in my make up for Spring. These two colors are pretty much dupes of each other. They are so pretty and shimmery and they aren't BOLD. They are both on the neutral side which is great for school or work.

3) BRIGHT LIPS!!

Revlon's Colorburst

Wet N Wild's Megalast

When I go w/ a neutral eye (which I do a lot of times), I like to pair that with some bright lipsticks! Above are some of my favorite colors because they are so bright. I love the Revlon Colorburst one just because I feel like I can sport that one anywhere! The WnW ones are a bit bright for everyday! I like to blot them and make them into lip stains instead.

4) BRIGHT NAILS!!

NYC's Mod Mauuve

When I'm not wearing anything colorful on my face - I'll always have my nails to finish off the look!

* * * * *

What are some of your favorite Spring products?

I hope you guys are enjoying Spring as much as I am!!!

Thanks for READING!!

CoverGirl FOTDs!

2011-03-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

So, in the last post, I mentioned I got my CoverGirl NatureLuxe Liquid Silk Foundation sample from Walmart a few months back. It consists of 2 packets of foundation, one in 320 Aspen and the other in 340 Maple.

This kinda sucks because I feel like CG just sends out two shades they think would be popular but it's not gonna fit everyone's skin tone. I think Maple fit me way better and Aspen is a lot lighter.

Here are some pictures of before/after application of Aspen.

before

after

before

after

Please ignore the fact that the foundation is a bit too light for me - esp. on my forehead. Still, it worked out a bit - don't you think?

So what amazes me is the coverage! Yes, look at all my "flaws" in the before pics and then look how the foundation pretty much just blends everything together and make my face seem more "flawless"! That is what I love most about it. All the redness and other discoloration isn't as noticeable as before!

Blending and application is so easy and the foundation is really nice and light across my skin.

The only things I don't like is that it does make my dry spots a lot worse. So make sure if you have dry spots, you moisturizing them well!

Also, it makes me look like I'm wearing a mask even though I did blend it a lot! So... I don't know. I like the coverage but I hate what my face looks like with just foundation on. To fix this problem, I did my entire face of make up, which leads to the FOTDs full of only CG products:

LIDS: CG's quad in Tropical Fusion's orange color
CREASE: CG's single in Swiss Chocolate
UPPER LINER: CG's single in Brown Smolder
LOWER LINER: CG's quad in Tropical Fusion's green color

CHEEKS: CG's blush in Pretty Peach

And I just want to show you guys my other FOTD w/ the other foundation color in Maple. I think Maple fits my skin tone better but it still a little bit light on my face. Even with this one, I still felt like I was wearing a mask. Plus, it was at night time and my camera had flash so it made this foundation look way lighter due to the SPF that is in this product.

LID: CG's single in Tapestry Taupe
CREASE: CG's single in Swiss Chocolate
OUTER V: CG's single in Brown Smolder
LINER: CG's Perfect Point Plus in Grey Khaki and single in Brown Smolder on top

CHEEKS: CG's cheeker's blush in Pretty Peach

LIPS: CG's Amazemint in Slap Happy

That's pretty much it. I really like the way the foundation make my skin look pretty flawless w/ very little hassle. Still, I wish it didn't make my face look so mask like - even though it could be fixed with more make up (like bronzer and blush). I also don't find it to be the most comfortable foundation to wear since I could feel it sitting on my face. I think this would work best with all skin type - but dry skin should moisturize!

What do you guys think?

SORRY I've been so busy lately! Life is just gotten a hold of me... but I'm on Spring Break ;) Yay... I'll have more time to write and such.

PS. I just hauled something yesterday - the Maybelline Falsies Mascara! Can't wait to try it out... so far... it's okay. Clumps a bit... not enough volume. We'll see how I enjoy it.

100 Things: 21-25 + Ramblings

2011-02-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't done one of these in awhile... so I figure I need to keep up!! Here goes!

21) MAGIC

22) Music

23) Perfume

24) Conversation

25) Hawaii

♥ ♥ ♥

In other news, I got my CoverGirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation sample I ordered from Walmart a week ago and it came in two different sample packages. Each package contains enough (and a bit more for me) to do the entire face. Unfortunately, I didn't get to choose the shade but it worked out okay for me... I think. Here's a pic of what it looked like on. My skin look pretty good on camera - gotta say. I think I'm gonna try out the 2nd one soon and then decide if I want to buy the real thing or not.

Wearing 340 Maple w/ flash

The only thing I noticed is that it isn't as light weight as I thought it would be. I still felt it sitting on my skin. It blends easily and it looks pretty flawless. It did exaggerate my dry patches though (mostly around my nose). The cool thing is that I think this is definitely a light-medium coverage and more medium for me, even though other reviews had said light coverage for them. Overall, quite interesting... I'm gonna have to give this one more try.

If I was to buy a brand new (as in new 2011) foundation right now, it'll have to be the Maybelline Fit Me or this CoverGirl one.

I'm still waiting for my free sample of the Maybelline Fit Me...!

♥ ♥ ♥

One more thing that is beauty related is that I'm on a search for a new skin routine. My cleanser, day and night moisturizers are all running low! I need to repurchase all three!!

Also, I need a new mascara and lip balms as well...

So if you guys have any suggestion for a good drugstore cleanser/moisturizers, please let me know!

I have normal-dry skin! Not acne prone and could be sensitive.

Why Must You Take Them Away From ME?

2011-02-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

WHY WHY WHY???

As you guys all know, I'm definitely a NOOB when it comes to make up so I have never had to deal with a situation like this before... but...

The drugstore is taking some of my most beloved products away and I'm like: "WHAT? WHY?? WWWHHHYYY???"

So before I get to that, I just want to do a post of other discontinued products that I dearly loved but was taken away from me before I could say goodbye.

1) Jane Blushing Cheeks Blushes

- My favorite of the three is the middle one which is Blushing Petal. I absolutely love the texture and pigmentation and I think it is so hard to find a matte, natural, everyday pink like this one in the drugstore. It blends easily and it just gives me the best look. As far as the other two, I love them both too and they are both oh so pigmented!! I like the packaging... okay so I pretty love them alright! So when Jane stopped showing up at my Walgreens, that was when I realized my favorite drugstore is gone!

2) Milani's Singles

- Okay Milani, when people are comparing your shadows to MAC, you probably shouldn't stop selling them at drugstores! I know you can still get these on Cherryculture.com but I don't like to online shop (due to shipping)... so that's that. I only have Java Bean and I really like it - so pigmented, easy to blend, gorgeous color. Serioulsy... bad move. Right now, I look at their other singles and I think... okay, that is way too glittery... why would I buy that?

3) L'Oreal's Juice Sticks

- Okay, the name "Juice Stick" isn't the best name... I'll leave you all to your imagination. BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE mine in Chai Love You. It's probably one of my favorite item - it's like a hybrid of a lipstick and lipgloss. I absolutely LOVE it and I have a feeling it will be all gone soon. Pigmented, great smell, and moisturizing... And I hear that Personali-Tea is also a great one as well. What the heck! I also really like the packaging. The silver reflective part allows me to use it as a mirror to reapply my lip color.

Now... here are the two items that I'm most sad about.... and the reasons why I decided to make this post.

4) Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipsticks

- First of all, I wouldn't say that this lipstick comes in any amazing packaging - but I like that it's red - very signature looking. My favorite part about this little lovely thing is that, even it doesn't say so, this is what I would consider a TINTED LIP BALM to be. This lipstick has two active ingredients: one for chapped lips and the other for sunscreen on the lips. That is exactly what I want in ANY lip product: protection and moisture. The best part about it is that it is soooo pigmented - way more than any tinted lip balm can ever deliver. It has a cute watermelon scent and it comes in various color selections and finishes. I'm so shocked that Maybelline would discontinued such a great product like this one... Now I have two and that is why I didn't pick up anymore when they were on sale but if I'd known that these were gone completely, I'd stock up on them all (sometimes products go on sale but the don't get discontinued... well, with this one I should've known... I was in denial).

5) Maybelline's Dream Mousse Concealer

- This concealer is probably my current favorite concealer! The texture is just fantastic! What the HECK Maybelline?!? Probably the easiest to apply and strong pigmentation. I've written, read, and watched raved reviews for this item... I just feel sad for those that didn't get a chance to use this... that's all.

What discontinued items do you wish to come back? Let me know!

Sorry I've been away for a bit - I am trying to come back and reconnect with you all. The last two weeks have been hell and exams after exams. Wasn't the best day yesterday but I went out w/ my friends and we all had a blast - I feel a bit more relaxed now.

Thanks for reading!

Day & Nite Looks

2011-02-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

So a couple of posts ago, I wanted to get rid of this item:

** Milani Glimmer Stripes in Honey Glimmer

I didn't end up giving it away so I decided to pull this out and use it myself. I came up with two looks: one for day time and one for going out! For both looks, I used a darker matte shade from my Maybelline quads. So here goes:

DAY LOOK

Lid: 4th shade down
Crease: Maybelline Chai Latte's darkest shade

NIGHT LOOK

Lids: 5th shade down
Crease: Maybelline Natural Smokes' darkest shade

Eyeliner: Jordana's Pen Liquid Liner for upper lash line, Physician's Formula gel liner in black for the bottom lash line (didn't BUDGE!)
Lips: Wet N Wild in Rosebud (I dunno why it looks so lavender)

So I found a new recipe for a long lasting night-out. I use that pen liner on my upper lash line and PF's gel liner on the bottom. Let me tell you, my lower lash line liner ALWAYS budged and I used Revlon's Colorstay pencils and topping it off with shadow too. But then I thought... gel liner never budges - especially PF ones (and Wet N Wild too) - and VOILA! Lasts all night of dancing! So if you guys are struggling with smudging lower liner... there's an idea!

And of course, I used the Milani highlighter portion for my cheekbones and brow bone highlight.

I'm quite enjoying it so far! What do you guys think?

I love items that can be used for different things - face and eyes.

In The Spirit of Valentine

2011-02-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

What are your top 5 favorite CHICK FLICK films???

1) Bridget Jones' Diary

Favorite lines:
Jude: Just as you are? Not thinner? Not cleverer? Not with slightly bigger breasts or slightly smaller nose?
Bridget: No.
Shazzer: Well, f*** me.
Tom: This is someone you hate right?
Bridget: Yes, yes, I hate him.

2) The Holiday

Favorite lines:
Arthur Abbott: Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men's pajama department. The man says to the salesman, "I just need bottoms," and the woman says, "I just need a top." They look at each other and that's the 'meet cute.'

------

Arthur Abbott: He let you go. This is not a hard one to figure out. Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.

Iris: You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained anything to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.

3) She's The Man

Favorite lines:
Toby: I need your advice man. I got lady troubles.
Viola: I'm here for you bro. I got a lifetime of knowledge.

------

Duke: Ok, w-why do you have tampons in your boot?
Viola: Um, I get really bad nose bleeds?
Andrew: So you stick 'em up your nose?
Viola: Yeah! What, you've, you've never done that?
[Boys shake head]
Viola: Oh my! Beckhem does it all the time.
Duke: Serious?
Viola: Yes. Look, let me show you how to do it. Take that off and whatever that is, and, and you stick it right in. It absorbs right up!
Duke: That's disgusting!
Andrew: Oh my god! You're room-mates a freak!

4) The Proposal

Favorite lines:
Andrew Paxton: We'll tell my family about our engagement when I want and how I want. Now, ask me nicely.
Margaret Tate: Ask you nicely what?
Andrew Paxton: Ask me nicely to marry you... Margaret.
Margaret Tate: What does that mean?
Andrew Paxton: You heard me. On your knee.
Margaret Tate: [she kneels] Fine. Does this work for you?
Andrew Paxton: Oh, I like this. Yeah.
Margaret Tate: Here you go. Will you marry me?
Andrew Paxton: No. Say it like you mean it.
Margaret Tate: Andrew.
Andrew Paxton: Yes, Margaret.
Margaret Tate: Sweet Andrew.
Andrew Paxton: I'm listening.
Margaret Tate: Would you please, with cherries on top, marry me?
Andrew Paxton: Ok. I don't appreciate the sarcasm, but I'll do it. See you at the airport tomorrow.

5) He's Just Not That Into You

Favorite Lines:
Mary: He MySpaced me.
Nathan: Ouch!
Mary: Oh.
Joshua: Oh girl I don't know about that... My trampy little sister says MySpace is the new booty call.

------

Gigi: Hey sorry to bug you again! Uh quick question.
Alex: What's going on?
Gigi: Ok I'm making out with this guy, PG stuff. but he mentions he's going out of town so he's gonna be out of touch.
Alex: Run.
Gigi: But maybe he is going out of town.
Alex: To where? New Guinea? Where's he gonna be that he's gonna be out of touch?
Gigi: Opens bathroom door - Where are you going out of town to again?
Gigi: Pittsburgh
Alex: Run.
Gigi: So what now I'm just supposed to turn from every guy who doesn't like me?
Alex: Uh. Yeah!
Gigi: There's not gonna be anybody left.

Let me know some of yours - and your favorite part!

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-02-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

I was given the Versatile Blogger Award from Yummy411 and Morenita!! Yay :) Thanks guys! Please visit their blogs because they are both very informative and fill with BEAUTILIOUS stuff.

The rules for these awards are:

*Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
*Tell us 7 things about yourself.

*Award 15 recently discovered new bloggers.

*Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received the award(s).

---- Seven Things:
1) I love fortune cookie fortunes - sometimes you get bad ones but when you get good ones, it's pretty awesome - makes my day. The last one I got said something like:

"A pleasant surprise will happen soon--" in bed... ha ha jk jk!

2) I can't play sports but I want to be a better tennis player. I try to go every week!

3) I used to be able to write HTML codes pretty well - I knew what .cgi and .shtml and .php was. Yup I have always had a website from when I was 13 to now. Now, I'm more chill with it - I just use blogspot - but back in the day... oh man... I was quite a master at web design!

4) I don't know what my favorite movie is but my favorite chick flick is probably "The Holiday" followed by "She's The Man" ha ha

5) I LOVE anything potato - fries, hash brown, tater tots, mash potatoes... YUM!

6) I was born in Vietnam and moved to America when I was 8 - although people always comment on my lack of accent. That's good I guess.

7) I really wish I could read more often!! I miss books - weird huh.

---- I want to award this to everyone who has a blogspot! It takes a lot to write/update a blog so I think you guys all deserve it. Of course, I'll try to narrow it down to a few websites that I have always enjoyed reading:

Angelic Betrayal
In Her Makeup Bag
Maquilagem Masstige
Everyday Makeup
Ahleessa 4 Realz
Amynaree
Confessions of a Beauty Guru
Mocha Mish Mash
Pretty Much Makeup
Shop N Chomp

Okay - I'm suppose to do 15... but I don't have time to find more!! Enjoy the award :) You guys are awesome.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY (early)

So what do you guys think of these "anti-Valentine's" people? I remember when I was in Middle School, during Valentines day - a few of my teachers would wear "Anti-Valentine's Day" T-shirts. I am sure they all have husbands but I think they believe, as some others do, that Valentine's Day is a corporate Holiday and a day that makes all singletons feel bad! In some ways I agree - being single and all - can't really celebrate it like how it's meant to be celebrated. Still, I think the act and emotions of being in love is worth a day of celebration! I've had my share of heartbreaks and disappointment, the pangs of love you might say, and yet I still support this holiday wholeheartedly!

So I say to all you couples: I'm jealous of you guys but I wish you guys the greatest happiness - and enjoy your day :)

And to your singles out there: No need to sulk - spend the day with people you love or do something that you love. Just know that your day will come - keep your heart and mind open :)

"A course of true love never did run smooth" - William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

"If music be the food of love, play on" - William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Me? I have an exam on Tuesday at 1PM so I'll be studying on Monday! Sad you say? Well - that's life I guess ;-p But don't worry - I had a mini celebration w/ mah girls already!!

Have a great day, thanks for reading this non beauty related post

My Favorite Drugstore Brand

2011-02-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

The answer people often give to the question, "What is your favorite make up brand?", is: "Oh, I love all sorts of brand. I don't like this just one!".

This is so true - I look at my make up collection and think - I love all different brands! Each brand carry a different item that I love so it is impossible to choose. But I thought I'd think about this a little harder... and here's the extended version of my answer:

Brand I go to for face products: Maybelline

Maybelline's Dream Mousse Concealer
and
Maybelline's Mineral Power Concealer

I absolutely love both concealers! I love the Mousse one more just because it is so easy to apply!!!!!! Makes my make up routine a million times faster.

Brand I go to for Blush: Jane
Brand I go to for Bronzer: Rimmel

Rimmel's Mineral Bronzer in Sun Light (L)
Jane Blushing Cheeks in Blushing Petal (R)

Blush and bronzers are a must for me because I'm kinda pale and with the combo of both, I look like a I have healthy complexion! I look awake and ready to take on the world!! Jane blushes are so soft and, this one in particular, is so pretty and natural on me! The Rimmel Bronzer is my favorite bronzer and I love just dusting it all over my face. I feel like it brings life to my face... weird huh!

Brand I go to for High Lighter: Physician's Formula

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Vegas Strips

Love the pigmentation and texture of this! Very beautiful shimmer that isn't over stated. I use this both on my eyes and my cheeks to high light! I usually hate shimmery products but I love doing this during the month of spring because it gives me that fresh glow!

Brand I go to for Lip stuff: Revlon

Revlon's Colorburst lipstick in Soft Rose
and

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Glosses

I really love the way Revlon lippies look and they feel great on the lips too. I find that Revlon has a lot more selections when it comes to types of lipstick, finishes, colors... etc. Their lip glosses are the only ones I really enjoy wearing also.

Brand I go to for Mascara: Maybelline

The first mascara I ever tried was Maybelline's Great Lash and at the time, I was so a n00b that I bought it in Brown! Boo! The 2nd I tried was the Full n' Soft and that was a great everyday, natural mascara! Even though I haven't tried any others, I feel like this brand has the most to offer me w/ all their new mascaras coming out. Some that I'm dying to try are: Lash Stiletto Voluptous, The Falsies, and Define A Lash.

Brand I go to for Brushes: ELF

ELF's $1 Professional Eye Shadow Brushes

I own two of these along with the $1 crease brush. These three are my essential weapons for eye make up! Besides that, I also own a few studio brushes and I really like them all! They are so cheap that you can have great tools but you can also save the money for more products to play with.

Brand I go to for Single Eye Shadow: CoverGirl

CoverGirl's Single in Tapestry Taupe

I am starting to fall in love with these shades! They come with so much products and various types of colors! Now, I do love the NYX singles but I feel like I don't reach for those as often as I reach for CoverGirl... not sure why! I also have Brown Smolder and Swiss Chocolate - both fantastic shades with great pigmentation and easy to wear.

Brand I go to for Palette Eye Shadow: Wet N' Wild

Wet N' Wild's Mega Eyes Trio in Mojave Mauves

This is my go to palette - eye shadows are soft, pigmented and freaking fantastic! I have two other palettes: Sugar Plum Fairies and Silent Treatment. Here are two recent FOTD's I did with these WnW eye shadow palettes:

1/29/11 w/ Mojave Mauves
1/25/11 w/ Sugar Plum Fairies

Brand I go to for Lip Balms: Burt's Bees

I am quite sure I've used up about 4 tubes and that's only because I wanted to use up my other lip balms too. I've used so many different lip balms but always go back to this one! LOVE IT - will repurchase when I run out of my other lip balms!

100 Things: 16-20 + NOTD!

2011-02-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

16)Friendship

Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. - Jane Austen

17) Smiles

18) Dancing

19) Disney Princesses

20) Memories

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

Milani's Brown-a-licious

I decided that I don't like the Milani brush at all - it is so hard to apply cleanly. However, this color is pretty awesome and I love it :) It is not as bright as your typical reds but elegant enough to look kind of dressed up... know what I mean?

Overall, I like it because it isn't streaky and it isn't dry. A bit runny but I prefer that over dry any day! It last a good amount of days and the shine is fantastic! I don't like the brush UGH! But I totally recommend this nail polish for anyone looking for a nice drugstore pick-me-up :)

Have a great day!!

Drugstore Look-a-Likes

2011-02-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

When I look at some of the products I have purchased/swapped over the years, I have to say that, when it comes to eye shadows, I'm in love with 2 types of colors: bronze and taupe!! What I love love about these shades is that I can just swipe the color on my lid, liner, mascara, and I'M DONE!!!! No fussing about outer corner or crease shades or blending.

So I decided to pull out my collection and swatch them to see how similar the colors are. Have I been wasting my money on the same exact shades?!?! Or are there slight differences to them that I can detect.

Bronze:

1) ELF's Butternut quad
2) Revlon's Coffee Bean quad
3) Cover Girl's single in Swiss Chocolate

My favorite to wear is the Revlon one because it is so soft and easy to apply! I feel like I always get compliments when I wear this. I recently got CG Swiss Chocolate from a swap and already really enjoy it! It is also really soft and pigmented! I love it. Now, the ELF one is not as soft but still just as pigmented and it is one of my oldest shadows. All three are extremely easy to blend and looks great in the crease as well as all over the lid!

Taupe:

1) Maybelline single in Beach Blush
2) Cover Girl's single in Tapestry Taupe
3) Wet n Wild trio in Silent Treatment
4) L'Oreal's HiP in Sassy
5) Wet n Wild trio in Mojave Mauves

Let's see, I would say that the best texture and pigmentation would be the Wet N' Wild shadows and the L'Oreal HiP. The cool thing about L'Oreal's shadow is that it is a good dupe for MAC's Satin Taupe. However, I find it a bit dark for everyday wear. Sometimes, it is easy for me to go smokey with this if I'm not careful. However, the WnW ones are amazing! I swear, Mojave Mauves is one of my favorite trios ever and that taupe shadow is probably most worn. Of course, CG's shadow is quite popular and it is a really cool taupe because it is more silvery taupe. Very cool! I don't like the texture that much - it can cause a lot of fallout as well. WnW's Silent Treatment is also a silvery taupe. Finally, the Maybelline single is really cool - texture isn't as good as I would've hoped - but I still love the color and it really brings out the brown of my eyes. Very interesting indeed! These are really fun to have - taupes are a lot prettier than regular brown, IMO. These are extremely easy to wear! One swipe on the lids and I'm done w/ my eye shadow look.

So, what do you guys think? What color do you guys tend to buy?

I also just realize I have a lot of matte dark brown shades too... but I guess I can save that for another time. ALso - the swatches show how dry my skin was... GROSS!

♥ ♥ ♥

I went to see No Strings Attached with a friend yesterday...

and I thought it was cute -- but really cheesy!!! Ha ha but I think it's kinda good timing for this movie since Valentines day is right around the corner. It's good for couples and singles to go and watch :)

I think Natalie Portman is freaking awesome and she is a great actress. However, I hope she does more amazing films.

BTW - Natalie Portman and Alicia Keys are two women I really want to be like. Their make up and clothing styles aside, they are both extremely talented and really smart and just fantastic at what they do! They live life under pressure and fame but doesn't succumb to all that crap. Very admirable indeed.

100 Things: 11-15 + FOTD!

2011-02-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, another one! Sorry guys but since I've just had one of the most annoying exam ever, I just want to write something that will cheer me up a little bit.

11) Coldplay

12) Books

13) Red Pandas!

14) Nature

15) Hope

♥ ♥ ♥

So I went out with a couple of friends a few weeks ago and just wanted to do a nice normal look - not neutral - so I reached for my Revlon's Nude Element. The palette is great for a more glamorous look but definitely not over the top!

Revlon's Palette in Nude Element
Revlon's Illuminance Creme Shadow in Pink Petal
NYX single in Champagne
ELF's quad in Butternut
Jordana's Fabuliner Liquid Liner upper lash line
Physician's Formula Gel liner lower lash line (this stuff last and last!)

Maybelline's Colorsensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up

Loving This Time of Year

2011-01-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Why?

Because CVS and Walgreens - even Ulta and a bit of Target and Walmart - are having huge sales to clear out stuff for their new merchandise! You know what that means? Beauty CLEARANCE SALE!

As far as I know - this is still going on - and so I want to quickly review a product that I got a week ago and urge you guys to take advantage of this awesome deal.

What I'm talking about is:

Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer

My shade is Medium -- and check out the 75% Off!!

So I'm not gonna go into major details but I always think that a picture can say a thousand words so - here are some pics of this baby doing its thing.

before

after

So?? What do you think?

The texture, I would describe this, as more liquid than cream. I was SURPRISED to see how pigmented this is considering it is a liquid concealer. It comes on SOOO light and it feels light but it covers so well!!! And a little bit goes a long way! I just squeeze out a tiny bit (like less than pea size... like a droplet) and I was able to use that for my eyes and other redness/spots on my face!

Easy to blend and the shade works quite well for me.

The most amazing thing about this is that it is hydrating and it doesn't get cakey! It doesn't settle into lines because of how moisturizing it is! This is the aspect that I love the most!

I guess the only bad thing is I don't think it has strong lasting power. I would say 4-5 hours would be the max!

I remember almost purchasing this for it's full price $10 but I got it for $2.50... sooooo.....

Yeah, don't walk - run to your closest CVS and fingers crossed that it is still on sale.

100 Things: 6-10 + FOTD!

2011-01-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

To continue from my previous post.

6) Sleep

7) Spring

8) BOBA!!!

9) Relaxation

10) Letters

♥ ♥ ♥

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to sport this cute natural eye. It's very maroon toned... very pretty! I love it! I used my Wet N' Wild palette in Mojave Mauves. On my lips, I'm wearing WnW's megalast lipstick in Rose Bud.

I wore that look when I went to catch up w/ a friend at lunch. Man, now i really want to go back... it was so delicious!! And now that I've mentioned Boba as a drink - I want it sooo much now!!

ENJOY!!

100 Things: 0-5

2011-01-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

I was reading Gaby's post about making a list of 100 things she liked and I thought it was a brilliant idea!!!

So here goes, 100 Things from Ndoodles. Oh and just like her... I'm taking amazing pictures from http://weheartit.com. Hope that is okay.

1) Jane Austen

2) Day Dream

3) Gifts

4) Rain

5) Imagination

I want you guys all to do this... it's really fun and the photographs on weheartit are amazing!!!

ENJOY! The next 95 things... coming up soon!

Purple Haze

2011-01-25T22:51:00.000-08:00

I think I've figured out a pattern... around Spring time, I tend to get OBSESSED over purple shades and purple looks! Instead of trying to break this pattern, I thought... hmmm why not show you guys some of the looks that I've done lately.

Feb 14, 2010
Feb 1, 2010
And lots more...

Favorite Purple Eye Shadows

So here some new FOTD for 2011!! And this time, I used shadows from my new purple-filled palette:

I used the Revlon Creme shadow all over my lids. Then I placed the violet color (2nd left) all over my lids and then I used the bottom left in the outer area/crease. Then, I placed put the darkest shade in the outer corner and blend it out to the crease. Finally, I placed the 2nd right overlapping the darkest shade to have a nice gradient. And then I used a highlight either from that palette or my ELF palette - don't remember.

But... TAH DAH!!!

And the shadows turn out really nice and pigmented. Man, that darkest shade: OMG - I lightly touched it and it packed so much pigment! Didn't not expect that at all!

Well anyways, thanks for reading!

Looking for Liquid Liner?

2011-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

I think I might have found a really fantastic one that you guys might be interested in b/c it is so easy to use and it is CHEAP!

I'm talking about: Jordana's Incolor Fabuliner in black!!

I don't know about you but liquid liners have always been a struggle for me. And I wouldn't really care to learn because I love using regular eyeliners and even shadows for eyeliners... but every since I paid a bit more attention to celebrity make up, I totally love the way Taylor Swift (not a big fan of hers but I do like her make up) and Katy Perry pull of the winged liquid liner looks:

** Youtube.com

** Google.com

I wanted that nice smooth black/dramatic liner so much! Since I am a beginner at this, I want to get the technique down before I try something more expensive so I used products from WnW and Jane.
I tried using gel liners (Jane and WnW) because those apply easier but I find them to be kind of drying sometimes and doesn't give that smooth look you'd get with liquid liner.
I've also tried using a WnW liner but hated the application process of having to dip back into the ink.

So I decided to venture out and look into pen liners!! Yes, who came up w/ such a smart idea! Well I was at Walgreens purchasing some needed things and I decided to pick this up. The website shows that there are two colors: black and brown. I wanted black! I picked this up for $1.99 at my local Walgreens.

As you can see, the tip is very pointy so you can make precise and thin lines if you want. But it can be thicker if you use more of the side instead of just the tip.

I love that it goes on black! Yes, I don't have to go over and over and over with the pen and I still get a nice black line. The tip allows me to have a nice control for the wing (still something I need to practice on though...) and the application process was so painless! It's like using a regular eyeliner!! So happy :)

Here's the weird thing: it can be kinda smudgy... like I would put it on the back of my hand, rub, and it will come off. But since I don't rub my eyes like I would rub the back of my hand, this liner stays on all day for me! So I don't think it's one of those crazy magical liners that stay on forever - but it does have fantastic lasting power. It dries quickly as well so you don't have to wait long for open your eyes!

Last but not least - I love love that it is soooo easy to take off! Thank GOODNESS!! I don't have to spend hours trying to rub this liner off me!

To summarize: I love it for it's easy application method, lasting power, and fast clean up at the end of the day.

I seriously recommend anyone who also struggle w/ liquid liners. Here are some pictures of my amateur liquid liner use... I will work on it.

What do you guys think? Have you tried this before??

Now I'm kind of interested in this tiny brand, Jordana... I hear their lip glosses are really good too.

♥ NBC comedy nights are awesome - I really like 30Rock, The Office... but new shows like Outsourced and Perfect Couples are quickly becoming my favorites
♥ Procrastination... ugh homework! You suck.
♥ Hey - tennis is not gonna go play itself!
♥ Neither will the piano...
♥ Craving strawberry shortcake gelato that I had at the mall one time... oh it was so good!
♥ Want to go eat dim sum... I've been hearing too much about it.
♥ Can't wait for warmer weather to come... it's hard for me to type right now since my fingers are FROZEN!
♥ I'm not a lip gloss girl but I have been wearing my Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Life's A Peach a lot lately!

Thanks for reading! I got more reviews to come :) PS. Don't miss out on the CVS sales! Great great deals.

I Apologize In Advance

2011-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I have to do this but I'm always excited about "dupes"... and UNFORTUNATELY... this product is a limited edition product. However, I saw this quad at Walgreens last week still so who knows... maybe there are still some laying around.

I'm talking about Wet N' Wild's palette in Sugar Plum Fairy - the Holiday limited edition. But I'm also talking about a certain dupe... and this one is kinda awesome so to those girls who own the palette... you can be sure that you have dupe of MAC's Trax in your hands.

L, MAC || R, WnW

The last pic is kind of blurry but it is to show the golden glittery shimmer that makes this color very awesome and unique. Let me just say that MAC's Trax might look a little bit darker and more cooled tone but that just might be because I layered it too much. I put a few layers on Trax while the WnW shadow is only 2 swipes... so if I'd built WnW shadow more, it might even be the same.

As you can see, it is not a perfect dupe but the WnW shadow still has that gorgeous golden shimmer and the color goes on so beautifully! You can actually make this look very natural just because both colors can come off neutral but then you can dress it up more to make it look very dramatic. Trax has a bit more cool undertone... I still say - pretty darn close match!!

My first dupe! I'm excited... I'm just sad that you guys might have a hard time finding it... sorry! I just recently got this palette as a swap so I couldn't have done this sooner if even if I wanted to.

♥ Hmm finally know what I want - too bad it is impossible to get!
♥ Swatching eye shadow is kinda messy - not gonna lie!
♥ Yay weekend is almost here! I can taste it.
♥ I wish I had time to read actual book. It's been too long. And I was too lazy to do Xmas break.
♥ I know summer is not coming for another 4-5 months but... I've already figured out what I want to do + back up plans and everything - I cannot wait!
♥ The weather here has been fantastic! I know in some parts of the country, it is snowing and storming, here, it has been in the 70's F* and I've been sitting outside and everything!

Bring It On - Lippies Version

2011-01-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

Okay... this is my 2nd time writing this GRRR!!! Blogspot...

Okay so this is another product battle and this time it is between Revlon's Colorburst lipstick vs. Maybelline's Colorsensational lipstick.

In my opinion, these are some of the most hyped drugstore lippies and I can see why!

1) First of all - look at the packaging!!!! Man these packaging can rival the high end ones! So cute. However, I think I like the Revlon one a lot more just because of the quilted pattern... I mean... CUTE!

2) When you open it up, there is no gross smell - none on the Revlon and a slight caramel scent on the Maybelline one. Now, other reviewers have mentioned that the Maybelline one can smell disgusting so be aware of that. No nasty taste either - hooray.

3) PIGMENTATION is amazing!! What you see in the tube is what you'll see on your lips. Let me tell you, I have pigmented lips myself but these colors overcame that. HOORAH I say!

4) I also love that both lines have really fantastic color choices.
However - Maybelline has way more color selection and they categorize their lipstick colors into "Pink", "Neutrals", "Plums"... etc which is really nice. I think Maybelline also has more finishes.

I still love the Revlon selection but I believe they all have cream finishes. Now this will probably fit me more since I love cream finishes. I also think that the colors here are more bold - so less "everyday" colors to choose from. This line has a really intense nude shade - Soft Nude.

5) Lasting power are pretty good compared to all my other drugstore lipsticks. I think they can last 3-4 hours on me so that's pretty amazing! I actually think the Revlon one is better... not sure about that though.

6) It sits comfortable on the lips - not slick or runny - they both feel really light on my lips.

Revlon's Colorburst Soft Rose: this color is between pink and red - a pretty berry color. A face brightener but it isn't as bold as red. I love wearing this because brings color and light into my face... also it makes me look more dressed up than I am. Really like this color! If you are looking for something bright for Spring - this might be a color that you should look into!

Maybelline's Colorsensational in Warm Me Up: this is a "my lips but better" but w/ a hint of pink which is so nice. I love that this color is warm because those shades look better on me. I am always looking for good neutrals and this is it! I think you should definitely look into this color - so easy to wear and it looks good too!

The flash makes the pink show through a lot but it's very neutral!

Of course they both have flaws. For me, the biggest one is moisturizing ability.

Yes, both of these lippies are not moisturizing but they aren't commercialized as that. However, I think the Maybelline one is more drying and accentuate my dry lips. I'd recommend you use a lip balm when you use these lipsticks but more so for the Maybelline one. I also think Revlon one is creamier and easier to apply.

So overall, I like the to try more of these lipsticks but mostly the Revlon one. I just love the way it looks and the way it goes on and mostly for the staying power. As for Maybelline, I love the color choice and pigmentation as well as lasting power. Too bad it is kind of drying. Either way, both of these lipsticks are great and definitely worth a try.

What do color would you recommend me trying next from these lines OR recommendation for a better drugstore lipstick!?

♥ 3 day weekend!!!
♥ I had lunch w/ an old friend today - I love catching up with old friends.
♥ Finishing up House season 4 and 5! Good show... I love 13 and Kutner... Okay, I love the entire new team.
♥ GOLDEN GLOBES!! Go Christian Bale and Natalie Portman.
♥ Watching the Golden Globes makes me want to watch: The Social Network, The Fighter, How To Train Your Dragon, True Grit, Black Swan
♥ I went to a basketball game and then played tennis all on Saturday - what's w/ that! So much sport in one day!
♥ Looked at some old pictures - like past years and found some hilarious pictures of me, my friends, and family - really fun, you should do it once in awhile

Winter Casual

2011-01-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm tonight is OFFICIALLY my last night of Winter Vacation.

I know, some of you would think: Jeez - you're still on your Winter Break? Yes, it is true.

Because of the shooting on Saturday in my hometown, President Obama made a visit to our campus today. I went to hear him talk and it was a moving experience. I def. teared up a couple of times.

Ugh... it's just so sad!!

Anyways, I just wanted to show you guys a few picture of a look I did awhile back. This is what I call: Winter Casual.

* Eyes:
- lids: MAC Trax
- crease: MAC Sketch (a little bit)
- lips: Rimmel Moisture Extreme in Dusty Rose

♥ Went and got Wnw Silent Treatment for $1.50! W00t.
♥ Went hiking with my friends yesterday - DANG - what a work out - DANG - how out of shape am I??
♥ Felt pretty horrible/nauseous the other night... that was bad.
♥ School starts tomorrow... sad sad! Can't wait for Spring Break!
♥ Great - looking for a job AGAIN! Hate doing that b/c it is just so hard to find anything these days. Please comment for suggestion and advice. I'm looking for pretty much any place.
♥ Trying to make this blog into more than just a make up blog... I'm still a complete no0b about it (does anyone still use n00b anymore?)

Learn how to win a gift card from Apothica by entering Gaby's Giveaway

Bring In 2011 With A Haul

2011-01-10T22:52:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to show you guys a few things I picked up here and there - kinda a personal mini celebration to the new year... type thing...

Okay, ha ha so I don't exactly have a reason for this haul except for my pure JOY and necessary but whatever. I started this haul mid December to early January. Here goes:

1) Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up:
- Finally! Finally I got one!! I will have to do a Product Battle with this and the Revlon Colorburst lippies. So far - I LOVE the color but hate that it is kinda drying.

2) Wet n' Wild's Coloricon brow and eyeliner in Taupe:
- LOVE this stuff!! This is my 2nd pencil. They've gone and redone this pencil but the color is the same. I noticed that this one is a bit more pigmented than the other one so I don't need as much. And I find that it stays on longer than the old one. Way to go on the reformulation WnW!

3) Jordana Incolor Fabuliner in Black:
- It's one of those liquid pens. I have been wanting to try out liquid eyeliners but I just did not enjoy my last experience w/ liquid eyeliners so I figured I'd go pen form. See how this one plays out. So far - LOVING IT!! REVIEW SOON :)

4) Maybelline's Oil Free Eye Make Up Remover:
- Not my favorite but since I got it for free - I'm not gonna complain. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone else really - well, unless you got it for free, like me.

5) Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion:
- So I have major sensitive yet dry skin and this is like the perfect lotion for me. I think this is pretty much my Holy Grail. I've tried a bunch of other lotions but this is probably the best.

6) Victoria Secret's Fragrance Mist in Peony Freesia:
- This is overall my favorite purchase. I have been reaching for this all the time! It's like a body spray but it lasts longer and it is $2.50 at VS... don't know if their semi-annual sale is still going on.

I am definitely not done. Wet N' Wild is 50% off... how am I suppose to resist that?

Have you guys hauled anything AMAZING lately?

So I just wanted to let you guys know - for those of you who follow up with what is going on in the world...

The recent shooting that killed 6 people, including a 9-year-old girl, and wounded many others, including a Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, happened in my hometown. She is still in critical condition. The gunman walked up to her during one of her meet-and-greet events and shot her point-blank. The bullet went through and through... luckily she survived and is now responsive.

It definitely came as a shock to us as a community. I can't believe something like this happened. I just can't believe it hit that close to home. I live 30-40 mins away from the place but I have friends who live 5 minutes from that place. I have met the Congresswoman, watched her debate, and voted for her.

My heart goes to the family who have lost loved ones - especially the little girl who still had so much life to live.

In time of crisis, we must learn to support each other. No more hate - we can't afford to shed anymore innocent blood.

I Just Performed an Exorcism on My Make Up + Swap Anyone?

2011-01-07T11:59:00.002-08:00

I started buying and, I guess... "collecting", make up for about 2 years now. Today, I decided that I need to PURGE this "collection" so that I don't have a drawer with random stuff I don't use anymore.

This is a MAJOR PURGE - I haven't gotten rid of so many things like this EVER! So here is what I had to say goodbye to:

* WnW'd Ultimate Touch Powder - have this for way too long but never use it b/c the color is ORANGE-based. No thanks WnW... even though I did get this for 0.79 cents :)

* Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner - Yes, all three!! They all dried out on me. I got to the point where I would drag the pencil really hard on the back of my hand and it wouldn't even work. WTF?? Looking for drugstore, creamy and good eyeliner - if anyone can recommend me any... that'll be GREAT!

* Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush eyeshadow - it came to be broken, I fixed it with alcohol but it recently broke apart again. I figured since it is so close to my Milani's Java Bean, I can afford to throw it away since I'm never gonna use Java Bean up.

* Too Faced Shadow Insurance - I like UDPP better. Plus this is starting to separate and that just gross me out.

* Elizabeth Arden palette - my dad got this for my mom when I was... 13? 8 years-ish... YUP - BYE BYE.

* Elizabeth Arden lip glosses in the pot - too old too old! Though they were quite pretty.

* Lancome's lipstick in Pink in Limo - I didn't like this color at all. It applies with difficult and just doesn't compare to my other Lancome lippies. It had to go a long time ago.

* Revlon's Creme Blush - it was too drying - hard to apply and didn't last long on my face. I NEVER EVER reach for it.

* Revlon's Colorstay Mousse Foundation - I like the coverage and the light feel but it was a weird color and I've had it for so long that the oil is starting to separate from the product. Quite nasty if you ask me.

Others not pictured

* ELF's blush in Innocent - one of those old $1... hate it. Really powdery and doesn't show up on my face at all.

* ELF's shimmering facial whip - again - product is separating and it is gross.

* NYC eyelash curler - one of my oldest! And it sucked. Ha ha!

* Elizabeth Arden eyeliner

* Trash and other packaging still lying around

******

Move on to something more interesting: SWAP!!!

So I have products that I rarely touch but still usable. So I figured instead of throwing those away, I would like to swap them with some of you or maybe just send them to you for free - as like a weird giveaway... not really... type thing.

Of course I'd rather swap for these but if it's not possible then I don't really mind just giving you guys stuff.

Comment with your email if you are interested, you can judge how much is used by the pictures:

** Old packaging of WnW's blush and bronzer.
Tahitian Bronzer
Pearlescent Pink Blush

** Milani Glimmer Stripes in Honey Glimmer

** Revlon's Illuminance Cream Shadows in Coastal Blues

** Jane's Blushing Plum ** Far RIGHT - a favorite of mine but I just have way too many other blushes to give this any attention!

** Maybelline Colorsensational Lipglosses in Sweet Tooth
** NYX's Mega Shine lip gloss in Frosteed Beige
** Revlon's Super Lustrous lip gloss in Pink Whisper
** Revlon Lustrous Lipstick in Wink for Pink

RULES:

- if you don't want to swap - choose at least two items so I'm wasting too much money on postage

- if you want to swap: here are some things I'm interested in & I want pictures as well;
Please send me stuff that is still usable and not way past expiration date. All of these products are just not my style, my color but I still find them usable.

** Covergirl's eyeshadows --> preferably neutral shades
** Eyeliners --> want them to be creamy to apply
** Eyeshadows --> mostly from Wet N' Wild or NYX's singles
** Surprise me!!! Ha ha... I honestly don't really know.

******

So yes, I totally recommend you guys to purge your collection as well. I feel very content after this massive clean.

I hope this is one step to making 2011 a FRESH START!!!!

2010 Favorites

2011-01-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

I don't meant to jump on the bandwagon but I absolutely love reading these posts so hopefully this will be fun for you guys too.

1) Best Products for $1

ELF's $1 Eyeshadow primer: Yes, this stuff is amazing - not as good as UDPP but perfect for everyday!

Wet n' Wild's Coloricon brow & eye liner in Taupe: This is a product I used almost everyday for 7 months straight. Love this stuff - just ran out so I had to buy a new one. My brows look so great and it costs 0.99 cents. Seriously, if you guys are looking for a cheap brow pencil - try it out - not gonna cost you an arm or a leg. It might even be your HG!

2) Best Eye Shadow Products

The first two - Maybelline's quad in Chai Latte and Revlon's quad in Coffee Bean - are two of my favorites "office/school" friendly palettes. These are my everyday palette and I tend reach for these A LOT! Right now, I like the Revlon one over the Maybelline one but in 2010 - I used them both equally. I recommend you guys checking these quads out - especially if you are on a drugstore budget and want a good everyday look.

Wet N Wild's trio in Mojave Mauves has been good to me but I only realized how much I loved it when I would use it CONSTANTLY during my trips. I would make a few palettes with me but one that I reach for every time I actually do my make up is this trio. Why? Because the colors are shimmery and they give nice washes on the face. They are also EXTREMELY pigmented and are so easy to work with and apply. I frickin love it! This is discontinued but I went to Walgreens the other day and saw new 2011 trios that are released... and OH MAN!!! They look so awesome!!! WnW makes some really great shadows - don't doubt the brand b/c of their price/packaging.

ELF's Butternut quad was my first eyeshadow and probably one of the best purchases a beginner would ever need. Besides the peachy shade, the quad is GREAT! Especially for $1... really good. I still use this all the time and the bronzy shade is awesome for summer.

3) Favorite Product Line

The Maybelline's Dream Mousse line is one of my favorites. I LOVE LOVE the texture and they are also very good products. I wrote most of my thoughts in that post but his might be the first line that I really enjoyed every single product I own! I still want to try the foundation... although I've heard mixed reviews.

4) Favorite Lip Products

Wet N Wild's Megalast lippies (I like WnW... they have a good year!!) has the best color payoff ever. So bright and bold! Really gorgeous - I love how these colors really brighten up the face. This isn't as creamy or moisturizing as I'd like but they are long lasting and great purchases for $2.99 each.

Revlon's Colorburst lipstick is FANTASTIC!!!! When I first got it, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would but after using it for awhile - I fell in love!! Ha ha... yes, this is awesome for Spring time!

5) Favorite Rediscovered Products

CoverGirl's Cheekers blush in Perfect Peach - one of my oldest blushes EVER! And for some reason, I have been using this product for most of Fall and still now. I don't know why - it gives me a really nice, natural flush! And it stays on quite well when in conjunction with creme blushes.

Coastal Scents's Italian Angled Blush Brush was also rediscovered especially since the CG Cheeker is a bit strangely packaged. But I find I get better control applying my blush this way.

6) Least Used Products

I don't want to say NYX products because I think the quality is good but I have pretty much swapped for most of my NYX stuff. I don't own any jumbo pencils anymore - not because they are crap but because I just don't use them. Also I have gotten rid of my Round Lipsticks in Thalia and Circe and the Diamond lipgloss. The picture above is the megashine lipgloss in Frosteed Beige. I kinda hate this product because it started to leak and made a mess... the only ones I still like are the single shadows. Those are still awesome. However, I still want to try their mosaic and creme blushes.

---------------------------

This is all I have for now. One of my favorite things from 2010 is the lack of purchases I made and the fact that I wore make up almost everyday!!! Yes, to use up these items instead of buying more. Very awesome. I will have to do another post on products I've finished!

What about you guys? What are some of your 2010 favorites?

2011 IS HERE!!

2011-01-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Hooray - we have made it!!!!!!!

2010:
- You've treated me so well with all the new people I've met
- You've reunited me and my extended family - I felt like my heart grew twice it's size since hanging out with my cousins - they just make me feel so happy :) So glad to get to hang out with them for two weeks
- You've given me tons of opportunities (of course you've taken some away... but those were not biggies!)
- You've opened my eyes to so many new experiences and friendships

2011:
- I don't ask very much from you
- Please just give me and my family health and happiness
- Please let me go visit my cousins in Canada!!!
- Please don't make school too hard
- Please allow me to experience more new things and meet more new people
- Please let me be more involved with my community and school

* * *

So I always have New Year resolutions but this year I just feel like my I need to just work on myself:

- Hold on to those strong friendships and make lots of new great ones
- Stop being such a procrastinator
- Be fearless and find courage - try new things

* * *

I think I might've had one of the best Winter Break ever! I'm sure there were some good ones but this is probably the best in YEARS.

My cousins came to visit and, you have to know, I was SOOOOO nervous!! I haven't seen one of them in 2 years and we didn't even talk that much when we last met. The other ones, I haven't met in 16-17 years! Yeah, INSANE right. So I was SOO scared... but I guess the family gene helped us become compatible because we got a long so well...

Too well... because now I'm really really sad that they are gone. Yes, I feel "homesick" in a way. You know - when you say bye to your family - you get that sadness... well that's how I feel!

* * *

How was your vacation??? Please let me know.

PS. Time to go do some post Xmas shopping - crazy sales I tell you~

Christmas Look #1: Snow Angel on the Ground

2010-12-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

I was INSPIRED to do a look that is pretty glamorous for some sort of parties... I don't know - I wouldn't wear this for Xmas but for New Years - totally works!

So I used the ELF cream liner in Ivory all over the first half of my lids and then placed the white shadow all over my lids. Then I put the taupey shadow, also from the quad, on the crease. Then I placed MAC's Sketch in the outer corner to deepen the color. That's pretty much it! Very easy and simple but it looks really cool and dramatic if you use false lashes. By the way, on my lips, I'm wearing Rimmel's Birthday Suit - which is an OLDIE and I've totally reconnected with this after doing this look. And if you want to dress up for the party - of course highlighters are a must to give yourself the glowy look that makes your face vibrant!

* ~ * ~

ALSO... just in case I forget to write:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I hope your day is filled with joy and everything that you could want. Eat lots of food and get food coma because of it :)

** image from Google.com

My Hair + My FOTD

2010-12-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

So I think it was Kalmo that mentioned how my hair is getting a lot longer now -- and she is COMPLETELY RIGHT!

My hair is getting really long but for once, I don't really care much for cutting it!

Weird huh? It's usually around this time of year that I'm begging my mother to let me cut my hair. Why do I still ask for permission? Because you know how Asian mothers can nag you about stuff (and this might just go for all mothers - not just Asian ones).

She'll start out nice:
"Oh but you're hair is so pretty - don't cut it"

Then she'll turn mean:
"You'd look ugly with short hair"
"You're face shape would not look good with short hair..."

But this year, I think I'll wait til after Christmas to cut it. I don't know why, I just really enjoying the long hair.

My favorite shampoo/conditioner combo right now (and I've been using this for a year... maybe longer):

Now I just want to master the curling iron to make my hair look like:

Oh, one could only wish!!

Finally, I just wanted to show you guys my FOTD for that day:

Lid: CoverGirl's Tapestry Taupe on lid
L'Oreal's HiP duo in Sassy - the taupe color on the crease

Cheeks: CoverGirl's Cheeker in Pretty Peach

Lips: Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Life's A Peach

------------------

You know what I haven't done in FOREVER????

Is a REVIEW!

Yes, I will get to that as soon as I can... just need to think of something to review!

The Five Days of Christmas

2010-12-21T00:24:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas,
my true love give to me,
A lovely Coach crossbody bag

On the 2nd day of Christmas,
my true love give to me,
A pair of diamond earrings

Tiffany & Co

On the 3rd day of Christmas,
my true love give to me,
A few of those MAC eye shadows

On the 4th day of Christmas,
my true love give to me,
An infamous blush called Nar's Orgasm

On the 5th day of Christmas,
my true love give to me,
A Chanel Coco Mademoiselle bottle

And that's all I got for now! Christmas Christmas! So excited for it. In the spirit of Christmas/Holiday, I decided to paint my nails the appropriate color: RED.

Essie's Tomboy No More

What is something you want for Christmas this year - VOTE in my poll or COMMENT below!

Honestly - I want all of those things!!

My Everday Day Look

2010-12-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

I just realized I haven't written anything since Dec 2! WHAT? So I looked through some old pics and decided to show you guys some of my every day look. Yes, I managed to wear eye shadows almost everyday and was very proud of myself for that. Here is some examples - however, this is when I have a little more time so I was able to use more than one or two colors. They are all neutrals!!

I will just gonna try to remember what I have... it might not be right or everything.

Lips: Rimmel's Moisture Renew in Dusty Rose
Eyes: center lid - cream shade in ELF's Butternut; outer corner: Revlon's Coffee Bean 3rd shade down

lips: CoverGirl's Slaphappy lip gloss
Lid: Lancome's Golden Bikini and MAC's Sketch on the outer corner

I don't remember... but I'm sure I was wearing CoverGirl's Slaphappy on my lips

** There is a good chance that I was wearing my Milani's bronzer in Sunset City.

So - 9 days til Christmas!

I'm so excited!!! I still have to go and do some shopping but since I don't have school anymore - I will certainly go during the day so there will be no one there. Ha! Or I should just make my own presents since I'm so broke and all!!

Can't wait to celebrate w/ my family and can't wait for the New Year to come in.

What you about guys? Excited for the Winter Holidays?

Golden Snow

2010-12-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

That is the title of my look :) Yes! Um I tried to copy Katy Perry's look in her music video: Firework. But it just didn't work out too well - however, I still really enjoyed the look so I decided to show you guys what I came up with:

I made the mistake of putting the gray on top of the blue... it should've been the other way around! Oh well - I still enjoyed this look and will probably try it out for the Holidays b/c it has that gold in it!

What I did was I placed some sort of cream shadow underneath. Then I used the ELF's Butternut quad lightest cream shade all over the lid as a base. Then I placed Lancome's Golden Bikini all over the lid and then I placed the blue (CoverGirl's Tropical Quad) on the outer corner. And I deepened it with the gray from the Revlon quad.

Have you guys seen the music video? Did you enjoy it?

Better Late Than Never

2010-11-29T21:01:00.001-08:00

I was gonna do this during my Thanksgiving break but I was either too full or too lazy to do it! But here goes:

These are the make up items that I'm most thankful for! I either reach for this everyday or they enhance my features well or they just prevent my make up from melting off.

Eyes stuff!

My tiny Wet n Wild brow pencil in Taupe helps define my brows and works well on everyone - like my mom!

Mascaras are a MUST for me! I have come across some really good ones and the L'Oreal Bare Natural is a really good one for everyday looks.

Eyelash curlers are also a MUST! I will never apply mascara without curling my lashes first. I have a Revlon one but I'm hoping to upgrade to a better one soon.

Blush/Bronzers

Bronzers are fantastic to warm up my complexion. In the picture, I have the Milani Sunset Duos in Sunset City but I have a Rimmel Natural Bronzer one that I enjoy too in Sun Light.

Blush is amazing! It helps me look alive since I am pale - as in I have no natural flush - the ones in the pictures are the two that I have been using quite a bit: Jane's Blushing Plum and CoverGirl's Pretty Peach.

Eye lid primers

I cannot cannot and I must repeat cannot wear eyeshadows without it creasing on me. Now that I have eye shadow primers - oh man, those babies will stay on all day!!! I cannot believe I didn't own any before. I think both the $1 ELF or the $18 UDPP will at least enhance the staying power so everyone shouldn't have an excuse of not owning any primers.

Moisturizing lip products

I am not exactly the biggest lip product person but if the product is moisturizing - it'll be the first to go in my entire make up collection. The Burt's Bees lip balm in the pic is GONE. The CoverGirl's Amazemint Lipgloss in Slap Happy has about 30% left. Also, honorable mention but not in the pic, my C.O. Bigelow mentha lip tint.

Imperfection Fixers

My skin has been driving me insane - some days it will be good and then BAM! it gets bad! I mean, what the heck! So in those emergency moments, I desperately reach for my Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer in Beige to cover my acne scars or redness around my nose or dark circles... It's nice to have a concealer because it looks more natural than covering my entire face with foundation. However, lately I've found that the Revlon Colorstay Active Light Make up in Natural Beige is really good with evening out my complexion without being too cakey. It also doesn't exemplify my pores or dry patches as much as a lot of other foundations - which is just fantastic!

Nice Finishing Touch

For some reason, when I put on fragrance of some sort, I always feel like that is the last step of the day and it is the step that sends me off to school. It's very much like a finishing touch that really make a difference. Smelling nice is important in a subtle way. I love Bath and Body Works fragrances - my scent right now is Twilight Woods. I frickin love it!

So, what are some products you are thankful for?

A Different Kind of Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

2010-11-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

So I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I with some friends this morning/afternoon and had a great time! However I do wish that they were a bit more knowledgeable about the 7th book or the series in general just so I can have a long discussion about the movie and the series and everything POTTER in general! So I guess that is one reason I'm doing this review - I really need to just let all my thoughts and emotions out there!

YES, I'm a hardcore fan! And I've read all the books - some more than once - and my favorite is definitely the 6th... however, I reread the 7th one this summer... and WOW WOW - it was AMAZING! I couldn't put it down - it was suspenseful, intense, and emotional. This book ties everything together and just overall, just a perfect ending to my beloved series.

So yes - I expect a lot from this movie!! Ha ha! However, I know that the last 6th movies have not, in any way, compare to the books, so I didn't think the 7th would be any different. I find that sometimes, extremely dramatic scenes in the movie are not at all how I imagined them and so I don't get the same emotions watching the movie as I did reading the book.

So let's just get to the point shall we:

For the people who are being dragged to see this movie: I'm talking about the people who don't really have an interest in Harry Potter or people who don't really keep up with the series, books or movies.

I think you will be kinda lost. I suggest you ask whoever is taking you to define some terms for you, e.g. horcrux. I also suggest learning a little about Tom Riddle's past and what happened in the cave. Most importantly, ask about what Snape did in the last movie.

These are all important key concepts that you will need to know before entering the realm of HP and the Deathly Hallows. I still think it is an enjoyable movie for you who don't really pay much attention to this story because it does have action/comedy/romance and most of all - MAGIC!

** The most important thing to know is that this movie is a setup for the second part! I will tell you now that the story will not be completely finished now - wait til July 2011!!

----------------------------------

For those of you who have not read the book but enjoy the Harry Potter franchise: Again, you will very much enjoy this movie! You get to see our heroes become more mature. You will see the beginning of how story come to a close and you will get to be more amazed by the fight scenes, special effects, and even the cinematography. This movie has some amazing sceneries and fantastic costumes.

Since you already love the characters, you will certainly love them more and more! Like I said before, there will be some scenes where you are HOlDING YOUR BREATHS!

Man, some scenes are just creepy and then some scenes are very cute. As the characters develop, you also get to see their relationships grow! If you already like the other movies, the stories, and the characters - you will be in for a treat!

----------------------------------

For those of you who are major fans, like me, this is where I get in depth: SPOILER ALERT!! But if you've already read the books... you should already know what will happen anyways...

And I guess that's where I was mostly disappointed with: I already knew what was gonna happen! I just don't get the same excitement as I would if I didn't know what was coming.

However, my connections to the characters are still very strong and the things that the characters do really moved me - Dobby, Hermione & her parents, Hermione & Ron, Ron & Harry & the forrest scene!

I was talking with some friends and we did pick at the very little details - why? Because overall the movie was great at depicting the book. It didn't stray very far from the plot and sometimes I felt like I was rereading the book all over again.

Best Harry Potter movie by far! I can see the actors are more mature and their relationships are more developed. I was very impressed, especially with Emma Watson! I gotta say, she used to annoy me so much as Hermione but she definitely grew into her character.

So as you can see - I totally recommend it!! I can go on and on and on - but overall, I really want you guys to go and see it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.

Golden Leaves and Fall Weather

2010-11-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it has been Fall for awhile... no? But it only had started to feel like Fall here in the lovely Southwest! It's been nice - 40s F in the morning and then 70s F throughout the day. Yeah, very nice!

But in the spirit of Fall, here are some items that I think of as "Fall items". They just represent the season very well and they are items that I tend to reach for these days.

Revlon quad in Coffee Bean

You can't really see the colors really well here but that 3rd shade down - it's like this rusty-coppery color! It reminds me so much of the colors of Fall - earth tone that is warm and sultry. I wear that all over my lids and use the rest of the color to help out with the blending and such. I also line my eyes w/ the dark brown. That color is definitely the star shade of that quad - easy to blend, pigmented, really pretty - and I get compliments when I wear it... love love love!!

Maybelline quad in Natural Smokes

Speaking of earth tones - this quad has all of that loveliness for you! It's got a nice taupey shade and then got a nice warm rustic color again! This is such a lovely quad to use for everyday and then for a more glamorous look for going out or something. Very very pretty!

PS. I've done better reviews on these quads - feel free to check them out!

Other things that I like using for this weather are:

L'Oreal Juice Stick in Chai Love You // Lancome's Lipstick in Ecran Square // Victoria's Secret's Very Sexy lipstick in Sweet Nothing

Very nice neutrals - they don't wash me out; they give me color but they are also not BRIGHT IN YO FACE - you know what I mean. I like wearing them to give me more warmth to the face but very natural as well. These are definitely "my lips but better".

Milani's Brown-alicious // Essie's Tomboy No More // Zoya's KI // Revlon's Midnight Affair

Again with the warmer and darker, vampy, colors! I mostly wear the dark colors on my toes but that Revlon one is GORGEOUS in the light. It looks dark but you can tell it is navy... however, those sparkles within it are just amazing!!! Very distracting - for me. I couldn't stop looking at it. The first two are your typical warm and, again, sultry, earthy colors!

So what are some of your favorites????

Let me know! I might stop by and pick some up.

SPEAKING OF BUYING THINGS: 75% off on some L'Oreal products at CVS! Click here for more info from Nouveau Cheap!

Have a great day!! Off to study for my BIOCHEM exam! Wish me luck... I need it!!!

Smokey Halloween

2010-11-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

HOW was everybody's Halloween??? Mine was pretty uneventful but I did get to dress up for a conference I went to on Friday. It was a rock n roll theme so I went as a punk rocker type person. I painted my nails dark, got a fake tattoo on my neck, sprayed pink color in my hair, wore this extremely sequined top and jeggings. If only I had black boots - that would've been awesome.

And of course, I went with the SMOKEY EYE!!!! Now I used my ELF's drama quad but it is lost b/c we took it to the guys' room to change and of course they probably lost it somewhere. MAN! I'm sad. But here are pictures of me playing with the make up the night before. The only thing I didn't wear was the fake piercings... ha ha.

I also skipped out on wearing nude lips and stuff... we were in a hurry. But yeah, what did you guys do for Halloween?

Did you dress up at all??

Favorite Purple Shadows

2010-10-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Fall is here... and the best color for fall, I think, are purple toned shadows!!

Whether they are in taupe form, crease color form (dark colors), or pretty lid color form - purples are just really fun to have in my make up drawer. I tend to reach for them when I am getting bored with my browns and neutrals. I also think they make an eye look more feminine - just because they are PURPLE!

Now, sadly, I don't have any bright color purples :( But I do have a bunch of favorites that love to use and switch around.

1) WnW Trio in Mojave Mauves (I forgot to take a pic!) - lovely burgundy color!!! It's actually sheer enough to look really nice in the crease - and VERY blendable!! Really great shadow - one of my favorites.

2-3) Smashbox Trio in Photoshoot - Really soft and pigmented shadows! The only problem with them is that they don't last too long on my lids... but they make AWESOME fall shades! I really like #3 - really good crease shade! It's also a matte shade which makes me love it that much more!

4) MAC's Sketch - must I say more? So many people love this shadow and it's because it looks so pretty in the crease! It's a nice color to have to just give your look something special. Browns move over, there's an awesome color in crease town!

5) Lancome's Guest List - I really like it in the crease - very very pretty! I also have a problem of this not lasting too long on my lids but pigmentation and blendibility is really great. Another shade that makes the eye look more unique.

6 & 8) L'Oreal's Sculpted - #6 is a darker shade - people compare this to MAC's Beauty Marked. It's really pretty because it has these glitter in it. The only thing that I wish is that it would be a bit softer and easier to blend. #8 is more pink than purple but also a nice girly color to have around.

7) Revlon Quad in Nude Element - this is a taupey color - something that I would totally wear all over the lids. However, this color is so pretty in the crease too. It gives a nice, soft, natural contour.

-----------------

That's pretty much what I have for you guys! Sorry I've been MIA (I finally know what that means BTW! SAD huh!) - I blame it on school :D

But like I said before, I haven't really bought much make up b/c of a major tight budget! But my mom actually bought me a mascara the other day - L'Oreal's Bare Natural! Very cool!! Thanks MOM!!

Thanks for reading!!!

Autumn Is Awesome

2010-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting in my room with a sweater on right now - that's pretty awesome. I can actually walk my dog in the middle of the day now... double awesome!

But anyways, I did this look a few months ago - just kinda playing around with the colors that I have and thought this would be an AWESOME look for fall!

Now, normally for school, I don't do something like this. For school, one color on the lid is good enough. But I think this could be a great going out look or a date or something - YA KNOW!

Lids: WnW Trio in Mojave Mauves - lightest shade
Crease: Smashbox's Trio in Photoshoot - the shimmery color
Outer Corner: MAC's sketch
Liner: WnW black gel liner
Mascara: Max Factor 2000 Calories

Lips: Victoria's Secret Very Sexy lipstick in Sweet Nothing

I don't know if you can notice but at the time, I had the worse acne problem. New pimples would just pop up every day - on my forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. I'm so relieved that it's all gone now and luckily without any scarring. I think the problem might've started with my new skin care routines. I'm still using that routine but I think it's because my skin is used to it now.

WEIRD huh!

-------------------------------

I also just wanna talk about the poll that I had put up for the last 2 weeks:
What accessories do you think make your man seem extra hot?
58% say it's the facial hair!!
25% say it's the nice hair
16% say it's the nice scent/cologne

Good to know huh! So any boys reading... take a note of this. I totally agree with this poll too - I think those are my top three.

No one thought a tie or glasses make guys cute. I guess it depends on your taste... some guys look a lot smarter w/ glasses!!

-------------------------------

That's all I'm gonna bother you guys with... for now! Stay tune for more girly polls!

Girl Confessions Tag

2010-10-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

I just want to apologize for not posting lately. I don't really have any beauty related things to talk about at the moment. Can you guys believe it - I didn't spend ANY money on cosmetics this month. I thought about buying some WnW stuff while they were 50% off at Walgreens but when I got there, I just didn't feel like buying anything.

I think it's because I don't have any money to spare anyways. And whatever money I have, I like to take it and hang out with my friends - and they aren't really the shopping for make-up types.

Anyways, usually when I have nothing beauty-related to post about, I like to post a tag. This one is gonna be a long one but feel free to do it too! And let me know about it as well so I read your answers too. This is called the "Girl Confessions Tag" that I got from Beauty Broadcast by emilynoel83. Such an awesome beauty guru!

Okay, without further ado:

1. What color is you hair?: Black - dark brown (because of natural highlights)

2. Drama?: NO DRAMA! I hate drama - although sometimes when I get bored I do wish that there was so good drama around.

3. Are you a girly girl?: Yes and no - I didn't get into make up til I was in college and my clothes are far from being "fashionable". However, I do hate bugs and I adore all things that are tiny and cute. And I'm not very good at sports!

4. Who was the last person you hugged?: My friend Tina.

5. Small or large purses?: Not too big - like medium size. But I like to travel light so I just stick with the wristlet if I go out.

6. Are you short?: 5 feet tall... ha ha... yeah people comment on that ALL THE TIME.

7. Do you like somebody: Ha ha - yes, I'm crushing on someone.

8. What would you do if someone smacked your butt?: I'd be like "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?".

9. Do you care if your socks are dirty?: I prefer clean but if I'm desperate, I don't mind putting on disgusting socks. **FUNNY FACT: I'm wearing two different socks today... yeah... I don't think anyone noticed though.

10. Do you dress up on Halloween?: Yes

11. Are you double jointed?: Nope.

12. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?: Probably a tent that I would make out of chairs and blankets when I was younger... but that's pretty much it.

13. Has anyone touched/smacked your butt in the past 24 hours?: No - don't remember so probably not :D

15. Do you call anybody by their last name?: Not really.

16. How many guys will read this just because it says “Girl Confessions”?: Probably not.

“X” Marks the Spot:

[X] I do wear make up
[X] I have cried at a movie theater.
[X] I can put mascara on without opening my mouth.
[X] I get jealous (a trait that I try to get rid of - HATE BEING JEALOUS - it is so stupid)
[X] I think Johnny Depp is sexy.
[X] I love to laugh.
[ ] I like death metal.
[ ] I like rap.
[ ] I like country
[X] I carry a purse.
[X] I’d be lost without my computer (well, technology - like my iTouch or my phone).
[ ] I own a Spice Girls CD.
[ ] I own a Britney Spears CD.
[ ] I own a boy band CD.
[ ] I get bored watching football.
[X] I’ve never been called a spoiled brat.
[X] Guys are confusing (not confusing, just stupid HA HA!).
[ ] I’ve been called a bad influence (ONCE! but that was dumb and not worth mentioning).
[ ] I have/had a piercing other than my ears.

17. What color is your bra that your wearing?: Bright pink

18. Do you prefer light or dark haired guys?: Either - although I've always been more attracted to lighter hair - like 60/40.

19. Are you currently frustrated with a boy?: Ha ha yeah ;D When am I not?

20. Do you have a best friend(s)?: Yes - these are the people I tell my thoughts to. I don't usually talk about my feelings or my thoughts.

21. Have you ever had your heart broken?: Yes.

22. What size shoe do you wear?: size 5... and sometimes not even.

23. Do you like your life?: My life is very blessed and I need to keep telling myself to never take what I have for granted. With all my frustrations and things not going right, I have never suffered in ways that a lot of people around the world has suffered.

24. Has one of your friends ever stolen a boyfriend from you?: No... not exactly but it wasn't a big drama-fest or anything.

25. Have you ever jumped in the pool with your clothes on?: When I was younger.

26. Do you have more friends that are girls or boys?: More girls - definitely!

27. Do you wear extensions? No.

28. Have you ever slapped a boy in the face? : Maybe? For a play or something... can't remember.

29. What are your biggest fears?: Losing friends and family.

30. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep?: No.

31. Have you ever not been able to get someone off of your mind?: yes

32. Do you believe in the saying “once a cheater, always a cheater”?: It really depends on the person... but I'm sure that is true 80% of the time.

33. Have you ever had a good feeling about something?: Definitely :D

34. Do you ever wish you were famous?: Yes - I want to be a lead singer in a band... or a famous movie star.

35. Are you currently missing someone? All the time.

***This guy or that guy?***

Punk/Goth or Gangster?: If I had to choose one: punk/goth. But I don't think I'd go for either.

Preppy or Cowboy?: Preppy.

Face or Body?: Face over body - however, I'll take both if possible :D

Sweet or Sexy?: Sweet. You usually gush over how "sweet" he is not the other way around.

Armani or Abercrombie?: I don't need brand names - I just need him to look presentable.

City-slicker or Rural Guy?: WAH? City-slicker? Um... I don't know about this one.

Blue, Green, Grey, or Brown eyes?: Any color is nice - but I like light colors - so light brown eyes are pretty too. Although I've never met a grey-eyed person.

Contacts or Glasses?: Depends. Some people look really nice/smart with glasses.

***Your pick...***

36. Eyeliner or Mascara?: Mascara

37. Louis Vuitton or Dooney & Bourke?: Louis Vuitton.

38. Heels or flats?: Either - preferably comfortable heels :D

39. Skirts or pants?: Depends on the occasion. I hate wearing skirts to school.

40. Socks or leggings?: Either... I prefer jeggings though.

41. Sweatshirts or jackets?: Jackets

42. Flip Flops or sneakers?: Flip flops

43. Straight or curly hair?: I don't like completely straight and completely curly. A nice soft combo is nice.

44. Hoop or dangling earrings?: I don't own any hoop earrings. But I think both looks nice - depending on the outfit, of course.

45. White or black?: White shirts. Black dresses.

46. Victoria’s Secret or Bath and Body Works?: Bath & Body Works

47. Smoothies or lattes?: Lattes

48. Diet or regular sodas?: Regular

49. Orange juice or Apple juice?: Orange

50. Pearls or diamonds?: Diamonds

51. Vintage or boho?: Vintage.

52. Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen?: In my opinion, one is prettier than the other - and I think that is Ashley. But also, I don't really care.

53. Lindsay or Hilary?: Hilary CLINTON!!!

54. Ipod or cell phone?: iPod - or iPhone baby.

55. Friends or family?: GOT TO HAVE BOTH!!!

56. Lip gloss or lip stick?: Lipsticks!

57. Manicure or pedicure?: Pedicures are way more important because I think my feet look weird without painted nails.

58. Tiffany’s or Chanel?: Chanel

59. Love or peace?: You gotta have love; "Love is our resistance" - Muse

60. Sunglasses or purses?: Depends - sunglasses... well, if I have my purse than I can put my sunglasses in it.

***In a guy…***

Funny or Serious?: Funny. I tend to really like people who can make me laugh.

Romantic or Daredevil?: Romantic

Cute or Hot?: Cute and sweet.

Dark Eyes or Light Eyes?: I think I said light before, yeah?

Long Hair or Short Hair?: Short

Curly Hair or Straight Hair?: Straight - but if he keeps it short it's not like the curl's gonna be that big a deal.

Good Dancer or Good Singer?: HE MUST KNOW BOTH! Ha ha that's a lie because I'm not good at either.

Basketball Player or Football Player?: Football - basketball players are too tall.

Jock or Rebel?: Jock because rebel brings in too much drama.

Smoker or Non-smoker?: non smoker

Druggie or Clean?: DRUGGIE!!! Ha ha NOT.

Has a Motorcycle or Has a Sports Car?: Sports Car.

Beard/Mustache or Clean-shaven?: A little 5 o'clock shadow is hot! (just look at my poll on the right)

Younger or Older?: My age or older.

Player or Loyal?: I want my man to be a big druggie and a player too - doesn't that sound just fantastic? Loyalty is OVERRATED!

Okay, so now that is over - I hope you guys enjoyed this post and learn more about my girly side!

I tag everyone of you - DO IT! You'll have so much fun!

Current Obessions

2010-09-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is gonna a pretty simple post about my latest obsessions - products that I continuously use even though I have a drawer full of products wanting some love too!

From LEFT to RIGHT:

1) Wet n Wild Trio in Mojave Mauves - you know what guys? I don't even think they sell this anymore - which is a big BUMMER because this is my GO TO TRIO! UGH! This will probably last me forever but I want you guys to be able to enjoy it too. Seriously, Wet n Wild doesn't get enough credit for making some of the best eye shadows in the drugstore. Yeah, it beats Maybelline and Revlon in texture and pigmentation! I'd recommend people to run to the store NOW because I'm pretty sure there is a sale/deal going on with their products this week.

2) Revlon Colorstay Mineral Blush - Rose Petal - One of my first blushes EVER - my mom bought it for me from Fry's. Yeah, how weird. I didn't like this blush at first because I thought the pigmentation was a bit weird. I now use it w/ my ELF's powder brush and I love the glow it gives me. I used it constantly for a few weeks now. LOVE IT!

3) Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Lipstick - Sweet Nothing - Okay, this is definitely my GO TO nude pink color. This reminds me a bit of NYX's Thalia or even Rimmel's Airy Fairy. Unlike those two, this lipstick doesn't have that weird lavender undertone and looks very nice and natural on my lips. I absolutely adore it. I wish it was a bit more moisturizing but I pretty much love the color - definitely hard to find and one of a kind.

4) Milani's Sunset Duos in Sunset City - This is my bronzer right now. It is not completely matte so it gives off a bit of a glow but nothing too dramatic! Nothing like weird and glittery at all. I love using bronzers, in general, because it warms up my face and really helps the entire look. This is my current favorite since it is darker and works better with my tanner skin now.

5) Max Factor 2000 Calorie - This is such a cool mascara because it gives me natural and dramatic lashes. For everyday use, I put on a light coat of this and it does such a great job of separating my lashes and adding good volume and length to it. When I want drama, I put on my Shiseido primer first and then this mascara - WOW! Are those my lashes? Wow they are FAT - like they just ate 2000 calorie worth of food! Like they had an entire Big Mac and a pizza! With extra cheese and pepperoni! Okay, I'm just going on about stupid things now. But seriously, very upset that this is no longer sold in America. This is my 2nd tube and I love love love it.

6) Bath and Body Works's Eau De Toilette in Twilight Woods - fantastic smell - no PHENOMENAL smell. It smells so sweet and so lovely and so nice and peaceful. Yeah, I'm in love with this smell and I'm sure many are too. This is definitely a popular scent amongst the BBW community. I use this everyday because I like to smell sweet and beautiful!

That's pretty much what I've been reaching for these past weeks. How about you? Do you guys get into the mood when you just use the same things over and over again or do you try to switch it up everyday. For me, having to do my make up quickly, I always prefer to just stick with what works! However, I do tend to switch up my shadows though - since I have so frickin many! Ha ha.

Product Battle: $1 vs. $18

2010-09-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

I think eye primers are truly important and I think I would pay $18 to have a great shadow primer that helps with minimal creasing and fading throughout the day. I think that creasing is the worst when it comes to wearing eye shadow. It's like a nasty little line that draws all the attention to your eyes and scream: "Look at me... I'm GROSS!".

This is actually one of the reasons why I didn't wear shadows until I finally bought the UDPP. Then I got the TFSI to compare. But a month or two ago, I went to Target and found ANOTHER primer for $1! And I thought to myself - I need need need to do a comparison! I mean, $18 for a great primer that keeps your look fresh is pretty awesome. But if a $1 product can do the same thing... WELL... I might as well save that $17 and go buy myself a nice dinner or something!

Well, without further ado:

Yes, you've guessed it - I'm talking about UDPP vs. ELF $1 primer!

So, I bought the EFL primer on July 20th and it is now September 25! So I have been testing this out for 2 months now. This primer was definitely put to the test since I live in 100* F weather all summer and even til now it is still in the late 90s* F.

What I have been doing is wearing the ELF primer on the right eye and the UDPP on the other. When I'm lazy, I just wear the ELF primer. And at one point, I even switched - wearing the ELF primer on the left eye while UDPP is on my right. Note that I wearing eye shadows about 3-4 times a week on average.

Yeah, I really wanted to be thorough! So these are pretty much my opinions - I'm being totally honest. I'm just stating what I noticed while using these products and it is really up to you guys to make the decision whether to buy the high-end primer to stick to a cheaper alternative.

Packaging: Well, obviously the UDPP one is cooler and more intricate while the ELF one is pretty simple. I mean, that is one thing you should expect from ELF is that their packaging is not amazing! But that doesn't mean that the quality is horrible. In ELF's case, you shouldn't judge the "book by its cover!". Both are wand applicators and both are pretty much the same. I think the ELF one is fluffier - doesn't bother me and shouldn't really bother anyone, really.
The good thing about the ELF's packaging is that you can see all the products that you have. With the UDPP's packaging, you have to deal with the whole depotting thing... which doesn't sound too appealing. Plus, if you have to depot - the ELF one is obviously the easier to do.

Quantity: ELF: 0.17 fl oz for $1; UDPP: 0.34 fl oz for $18 --> 0.01 fl oz for $1 (please let me know if my math is wrong!).

Quality: So this is the part you guys actually want to read right? Yeah, well I have to lay out a background, don't I?

Texture: I think that UDPP's texture is better. It is creamier and therefore easier to blend out. The ELF one is a bit runnier so when I apply too much (and since it is so cheap, I don't mind applying a bit more than UDPP), it gets a bit messy to blend into my skin. Which brings me to the next point is UDPP blends into my skin way easier - not to say that the ELF doesn't. It just takes a bit more blending to get it to set. Still, it's not really something I'd complain about. I just wish that all the primers in the world has UDPP's texture - nice and creamy. If you guys recall, I feel that TFSI's texture is runnier as well.
Here's the important thing to note: ELF primer isn't invisible when it dries like the UDPP. I think it leaves a light beigy cast on the skin. Sometimes if I'm not careful and I apply too much, the blending is a bit messy and I can see the cast that the primer makes. It's kinda hard to explain but just know that it doesn't dry to a clear finish.

Creasing: This is when the ELF one really impressed me. Every time I wear ELF on one lid and UDPP on the other, the creasing is pretty much the same on both lids. Never was there an incident when one product showed creasing while the other didn't. So either I get creasing on both eyes or no creasing at all - which is really nice!

Fading: Now, when it comes to fading, the ELF primer couldn't really beat UDPP. However, I would say that ELF effectiveness is 85% of UDPP's when it comes to fading. That's not bad, especially when you just want to wear an easy color all over the lids for everyday look.

Color Improvement: Hmm... well, I think picture speaks louder than words.

Covergirl's quad in Tropical Fusion; the green color
As you can see, UDPP does a much better job of making a color more bright and vibrant. ELF primer helps a little bit but nothing compare! It is definitely better than having NO primer at all though.
Again, this is fine for me since I don't want such strong colors on my lids for school. But if I go out and I want a more dramatic look - I'd go to UDPP to get a more vibrant color.

My opinion: I think that for $1, ELF is a fantastic and a must in any make up collection! WHY? Because for an everyday look, this is perfect. It will help with creasing and fading and will keep your eye look nice and neutral. Only when I go out, do I want to use UDPP to make sure my shadows don't crease and remain bold throughout the night. I think that if the ELF primer can help the colors to be more vibrant, Urban Decay would be out of business. Then again, some people are bothered by the packaging. Yeah, the ELF one looks cheaper but I think the quality is fantastic!

I think I will keep repurchasing it because I think it is great for everyday looks. And I sometimes use a cream shadow base underneath and it really helps promote the color of my shadow.

I still love my UDPP and will continue to use it - but I will save it for the more special occasions!

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! I think it is a bit long but eh... just wanted to be detailed.

Alicia Keys = LOVE!

2010-09-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so last week (or a last last week... can't remember) I asked:

Which of these female artists do you like to be for one day?
Lady Gaga - 5 votes (41%)
Alicia Keys and Gwen Stefani - 2 votes (26%) (each)
Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Beyonce - 1 vote (8%)

In my opinion, all of these females are fantastic. Right now, their careers are bright hot and it seems like nothing is stopping them. I think they all portray female sexuality in good and positive manners. I guess we can all debate about that, but honestly, these females show strong characteristics and aren't afraid to show off what they've got.

Anyways, my favorite person is definitely Alicia Keys though. She has such a soulful voice and so musically talented on the piano. her songs are always really deep, meaningful, and relate-able (is that a real word?). She is well respected in what she does and she doesn't come with tabloids or drama either. I also love her style and also - the fact that she is smarty (got into college at like 16 or 17!) is pretty awesome. If i can be anyone mentioned above, I think Alicia Keys has got it all.

So, I was watching her latest video and I decided to do a look inspired by her:

On my lips:

NYX's Round lipstick in Apollo

I used CG's Tapestry Taupe all over the lids because I wanted a taupe that is really shimmery and reflective. I deepened my crease a bit with CG's Brown Smolder but not too much because her eyes are quite understated here. I lined my waterline (which I never do0 and then do a dark upper lash liner with ELF's drama quad. There is a really shimmering white shade in the Smashbox trio that I used for highlight and inner corner and then I just added a bit more color to the look using the more purple Smashbox trio.

** AngelicBB asked if I liked the CG shadows - I have to say that I do. I think the only thing that people complain most about is the texture. It is true that CG shadows might not be the softest or has the best texture but I think the pigmentation of the ones I have are great. I love Tapestry Taupe for those days when I just want a nice lid color - and that's all. And because it is so light reflecting, it really brightens up my eyes and my make up in general. Brown Smolder is definitely pigmented! The texture is a lot better than Tapestry Taupe and it is a matte shade. This is a fantastic color to have if you don't have something like this already. A nice, matte, easy to blend shade like this is so easy to work with and very versatile. I think these are great products to have and try out - especially if you are just starting out with eye shadows and make up. I really want to try out Mink and Forever Fig (I think is the name). They are both neutrals... but I love love my neutrals! I think since I only have 2 CG singles that I can't make a full review... but I think this is pretty accurate of how I feel.

Overall I enjoy the look. I think it is soft and feminine enough for like a date night or something... but the red lips definitely bring the sultry back in!!

Thanks for reading and commenting! I love seeing new commenters - makes my day. And ask me any questions and requests... I will definitely try to get back to you.

Eyeshadow Collection - The Motherload

2010-09-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

So about a year and a half ago, when I just got into make up, I only had a few shadows here and there. My love for eye shadows really increased when I finally purchased an eye primer - UDPP. The problem with me and eye shadows have always been the creasing so UDPP really helped my shadows stay all day and stop looking horrible.

But the biggest problem with me and shadows is still blending and working with the colors. That is still something I must keep practicing! However, you can't practice much if you don't have a lot of eye shadows to play with. This is pretty much my collection... I have quite a lot. I wouldn't say as much as some of you out there, but definitely more than my friends combine!! Luckily, I'm a cheapie and so these are all fairly inexpensive items.

Without further ado:

Notice how there is almost two of everything???

I think I will start with the left top corner...
ROW 1:
- I have 2 sample MAC pigments: Vanilla and another brown color... never knew the name.
- Victoria's Secret baked shadow in Expresso Lane
- Wet n Wild's Trio in Mojave Mauves
- Two Smashbox shadows: Photo shoot and Test Shoot
- Maybelline single in Beach Blush

ROW 2:
- Lancome quad that my mom gave me.
- 2 Cover Girl singles in Tapestry Taupe and Brown Smolder
- 1 Cover Girl quad in Tropical Fusion (my first palette EVER)
- Milani's single in Java Bean - if only I could find more of them in the store!
- MAC's single in Sketch.

ROW 3:
- Jane's single in Midnight
- 2 Maybelline quads in Neutral Smokes and Chai Latte
- 2 ELF quads in Drama and Butternut
- 2 Revlon quads in Nude Element and Coffee Bean

ROW 4:
- 4 NYX singles in Taupe, Champagne, Root Beer, and Iced Mocha (lots of drinks here... except for Taupe though)
- 2 L'Oreal HiP duos in Sculpted and Sassy

Then, I have the cream shadows and eye primers and what-nots!

From L-R
- MAC's paint pot in Rubenesque
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- ELF's Mineral Eye Primer and the $1 one
- 2 Revlon's Illuminance Cream Shadows in Pink Petals and Coastal Blues
- HiP's Cream Shadow Paint in Nervy

But if I had to recommend a few, I would definitely narrow down to these four:

1) Chai Latte is so easy to use. The texture is nice and smooth and you can wear this for an everyday look or a really nice glamorous look (because of that pretty metallic coppery shade). I'd say pick this up if you have been debating about it. It's totally worth it!

2) Coffee Bean is a perfect quad if you work in an office and you have to wear the most natural look ever. The colors are pretty and pigmented. You have a lot of good options with this quad. I definitely struggle between which one I like more - Chai Latte or Coffee Bean... but I think I'm going with Chai Latte... for now. Funny because I'm drinking more Chai Lattes lately than coffee too.

3) Wet and Wild Mojave Mauve is like my vacation trio. I take this with me on my vacation and I will NEVER EVER be disappointed with it. I always bring several eye shadows but this always work on me... it is so pigmented - easy to blend. And it isn't your typical boring neutrals. This has a gorgeous taupe, a nice maroon, and most of all, that lovely lightest shade... it's like a creamy lilac. I don't know, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I recommend this to everyone and their mothers.

4) Butternut from ELF is something I recommend to people who are just starting out. At $1, this quad will help you learn what your style is and you can practice and practice with it until you get better. I don't like the idea of going out and getting something expensive if you don't even know what you are doing. Besides that, I enjoy the colors! That dark brown and the lightest shade are my favorites. Together they can make some nice smokey eyes!

As for colors, I really enjoy these two quads. The CG's Tropic Fusion was my first shadow palette ever... which isn't a good thing for beginners... ha ha. But I love using the colors (mostly the blue and green) to line my eyes. It makes the look more interesting. And the HiP's duo in Sculpted has the prettiest pink color and pretty purple. It can change the typical look into something more fun and girly!

I hope you enjoy this post. Please let me know what your favorite/recommendation is! I am always up for trying something new.

Simple... Is Good Right?

2010-09-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

So this is pretty much my everyday look - very little on the eyes. Decent liner and mascara showing and, of course, a nice colored cheeks w/ a cute lip color.

Some of you will probably think this look is boring - and it is. But it is so awesome for school. I'm averaging 10 mins for my make up in the morning - which is so nice!

This is the time when I had the worst skin EVER! And honestly I still have pretty bad skin now too... I don't really know what I'm doing wrong but oh well. But in this pic, I had gotten a zit right in the middle of my NOSE! Yeah, the highest plane of my face, fate decided to stick a gross old cystic zit right in the middle!

On my lips, I have one of my favorites: WnW's Megalast lipstick in Rosebud!

A Mini Review:

ELF Zit Zapper
Ingredients: ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Salicylic Acid 1%

OTHER INGREDIENTS: Water, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Distillate, Alcohol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cinnamomum Camphora (Camphor) Bark Oil

Sorry for the picture, I couldn't get a good one or find a better one so... whatever!!!

Like I mentioned above, I have pretty terrible skin now and I'm not sure what it causing it but I did purchase this little thing, hoping that it would help me out.

Now, this is not an overnight miracle work... but I find that if I use this on those annoying, painful, gross, cystic acne, it actually works really well! I think it takes the 'Zapper' three days to fully get rid of it and that is awesome. I don't know about you guys but my cystic acne tends to stay put for a week... even more. Thus, having it gone and done with in three days (usually three days!), I am happy!! Like that zit on my nose, it disappeared in 3 days... no trace or anything!

Applicator is like a roller... which is good so that you don't have to deal with messy liquid but sometimes the roller gets stuck!

Now, as for the tinier ones... I don't know why but it doesn't really help with that. Maybe somebody can explain to me...

But anyways, this thing works for me. I wish it was a miracle worker and just make it all go away. Alas, this item, being only $1, is good enough for now.

OH BTW - it smells a little weird. I think it's because of the camphor in this thing. I know b/c we synthesized camphor in lab and the smell was horrible. Don't worry, it's not gonna suffocate you or make you gag or whatever. You will just notice it for a bit and then it goes away.

My Lip Colors

2010-08-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

So, I did a poll a while back and the results are:

Since lipstick and lip glosses are tied with eyeshadow, I decided to show you guys my collection of both things. In this post, it will be lip items!!

I love my lips stuff. In my opinion, wearing lipsticks just really polish up any look. Especially since I have pigmented lips already (and not like a pretty color), lipstick really helps either brighten up my face or just make me look more sophisticated. I have written about part of my lip color collection before, but it has definitely grown this summer. Yeah, I have been a bit on the lippies craze all summer.

Anyways, I am not gonna show ALL of my lips stuff just because some aren't really that interesting. But I've split them into different categories!

1) LIP THERAPY:

- Burt's Bees is my GO TO lip balm. I'm obsessed with these and will forever repurchase like a crazy person.

- CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint is my favorite lip gloss ever. It is extremely moisturizing and it makes my lips glossy so I look a bit more polish than I do if I just wore my lip balm.

2) FIRST LIPPIES EVER

- Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Rosy Glow is one of my all time favorite lipstick. It is a warm toned pink and doesn't make me look dead. Instead, it looks so pretty on and it is extremely moisturizing, smells like watermelon, and has SPF 15.

- Rimmel's Lasting Finish (the old packaging) in Birthday Suit is the first lipstick I ever bought for myself. At the time, I didn't really know what I was doing but I think I chose a great color. It is a lovely nude that doesn't wash me out.

3) COLORFUL and BRIGHT

- Wet n Wild Megalast lipstick in Wine Room is such a pretty color between pink and red. You can wear this during the day time but it can really finish up the look for night time too. Very multipurpose.

- Wet n Wild Megalast in Rosebud is such a pretty pink! It is a straight up "HEY, I'm pink!" but it doesn't look weird on the lips. You know how some pink color just looks too cool toned or it doesn't really work with some skin tones...? But this one really does. It is being loud but not overwhelming (I hope that makes sense). A color like this would look so nice on tan skin as well!

- Revlon Colorburst in Soft Rose is such a great color, again, for everyday and yet can be made into a bolder color for going out. CUTE packaging and fantastic pigmentation with a nice semi-glossy finish.

4) NEUTRAL and MY LIPS BUT BETTER

- L'Oreal Juice Stick in Chai Love You is like my all time favorite product from L'oreal!!! Okay, where to begin. I love the pigmentation - makes my lips look better but very very natural. I love love love the smell and the moisturizing ability. It is like a gloss in stick form and it just feels perfect on my lips. WHY OH WHY does it have to be discontinued!!

- Lancome's Lipstick in Ecran Square is one my first lipsticks ever. My mom bought it but of course I used it... and now it is mine because she doesn't really wear it anymore. Lovely neutral shade that lasts all day with SPF 15. Smells great (I love Lancome lipstick smells) and feels really nice on the lips. $25 is a bit much though.

- Victoria's Secret's Very Sexy lipstick in Sweet Nothing as the cutest name - by far (oh, well besides Chai Love You)... ha ha. I think this is a lovely neutral with a touch of pink. Great for everyday and even for smokey eyes too!

5) LET'S LOOK A BIT MORE SOPHISTICATED NOW

- Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Rum Raisin is very between a neutral and a more reddish color. It is very wearable but also very nice for special occasions.

- Rimmel Moisture Renew in Dusty Rose is very similar to the one I mentioned above but I can see it has a bit more mauve in it. It is very pretty and easy to pull off!

- Lancome's lipstick in Mars is my absolute favorite when it comes to more red lips because of all the golden undertone in this. So gorgeous I could cry. I love wearing this and have gotten compliments too!

- NYX's Round Lipstick in Apollo is a decent dupe of the Lancome one but it is definitely more red. I really like this lipstick but I have read negative reviews about it too... I guess it depends.

6) LIPSTICKS I RARELY WEAR

- Revlon Lustrous Lipstick in Wink for Pink is a cute light barbie color but the pigmentation is horrible and so on my pigmented lips - sometimes it looks good, and sometimes it doesn't.

- Wet n Wild's lipstick (I am not even gonna bother with the numbers) is really frosty - too frosty for me. When I first put it on, my mother was like "It looked like you just drank a thing of chicken fat or something"... and that is something you never want to hear. I noticed that it is very moisturizing and if I blend it out, it isn't as frosty and it has a cute pink tint. However, being so cheap, it has that plastic taste to it and the packaging is just falling apart.

- Lancome's lipstick in Pink in Limo is a bright hot pink, which I don't mind. But it is kinda frosty too and the color just looks very weird on my lips. Not a big fan of that.

7) LIP GLOSSES!! Some of my favs.

- Revlon Lustrous Lipgloss in Life's a Peach and Wink for Pink are two of my favorite lip glosses EVER. I don't like to wear lip glosses but I do really like these. They feel great on the lips, pigmented enough to look nice and I just really love the packaging.

- Maybelline Colorsenstational lip glosses in Strawberry Glaze and Sweet Tooth are very pigmented and feel very nice on the lips. The only thing I don't like is the smell... it reminds me of bubblegum but after a while, it reminds me of the dentist's office.

Well guys... we made it!!! WOW, that was a lot of stuff... just wait til we go into my eyeshadow stuff.... wow.... I do have a lot!!!

Thanks for reading & have a great - no - a fantastic - day!

What's In My Purse? Well...

2010-08-26T16:55:00.001-07:00

So last week I had to switch from purse to backpack and I got a chance to clean out my purse for the first time in MONTHS! All summer long, I've been carrying around this bag and let me tell you that I end up putting a lot more things in here than I thought!

This is my PURSE :) I found it at TJ Maxx one day for $10 and I was like "SWEET!". This bag is seriously falling apart due to my excessive abuse. I take this thing with me everywhere this summer and even on vacations too. Pretty much when I'm not using my backpack, this is my go to bag. Poor thing... I think I'm gonna need to replace it soon though. I am starting to see holes form in the corners. Very sad.

As you can see, this thing is pretty roomy. It isn't too big or too small. I feel like it can carry so much but I can still manage to find stuff... know what I mean?

So let's see - boring stuff first. My badge for Pharm school, reading glasses (I paid $10 for it too... not very fancy), sun glasses (I got them at ROSS for $6... they are HUGE but I managed to pull them off... somehow), wallet (you guessed it - got it at ROSS for cheap price; it is starting to fall apart on me so I'm planning to purchase a new one soon! Besides Driver's License and such, it is filled with a lot and a lot of receipts!), hair clip (that I don't use), and Ulta coupon (that I haven't used yet...)

Getting a little more interesting is my Altoid mints (I got the mini version because I thought it was so cute!), Bath and Body Works' mini body lotion Twilight Woods (love love love this scent!), B&B Hand Sanitizer in Midnight Pomegranate (a good scent as a hand sanitizer but not my favorite as far as body spray or eau de toilet), PENS!, and one PENCIL.

All of these lippies... yeah, I don't know how I convinced myself that I need to lug all this with me... but I do. Click here to read about it!

That's pretty much what is in my purse. Sometimes I have a book in there, a light jacket, water bottle... but overall, this is what I have with me at all times!

What about you guys? What is the essential thing you have in your purse?

Thanks for reading, have a good day.

Sketchy!

2010-08-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

So the only MAC eyeshadow I own is "Sketch". I do enjoy it but I wish it had a better texture - I wish it was softer. But I do really enjoy the pigmentation and the color is so easy to work with. I think it looks great all over the lid and also amazing as a crease color. I find that it is more interesting than a dark brown and looks great with colors that have purple/pink or peachy undertones. Anyways, I decided to just go with a smokey eye.

I don't remember most of the products I used but here's what I can remember.

Eyes: MAC Sketch - all over lid
Liner: WnW gel liner in Black
Mascara: Max Factor 2000 Calorie

Lips: Rimmel Birthday Suit and ELF lipgloss in Candlelight

Cheeks: WnW Pearlescent Pink (very pretty and pigmented!)

This is a short post but whenever I don't have time to do stuff, I just write a FOTD. But not to worry - I'm planning to do a few short reviews on the ELF primer and Zit Zapper. I'm quite excited to do these reviews!! I'll take some quick pics and, since I will have my tiny laptop with me at school, I can do them there during my breaks.

Well thanks for reading this boring little post. Have a great day.

A Mousse Mousse Here, and a Mousse Mousse There

2010-08-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a mousse, there's a mousse

Everywhere's a mousse mousse...

What I'm referring to is the Maybelline Dream Mousse line! I don't tend to buy makeup from the same line but looking through my makeup drawer, I found three of these Maybelline Dream Mousse stuff.

I have the Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal, Bronzer in Sun Glow, and Concealer in Beige.

The first thing that I love love love about these products is the texture!! DUH right! I love the mousse feel - so soft on your skin and I think it just blends so easily - especially the blush. As you guys can see, the blush and bronzer have been well loved - definitely a dip.

- I first got the blush last summer and I have really enjoyed it. I don't like that it has shimmer in it nor do I like that the staying power is not so great but I love using it as a light tint on my cheeks. It is such a natural glow. People might not think that I'm wearing blush - the only thing that would give it away is the shimmer! I also love using this as a base for my blush. Really fun to blend out because, again, the texture makes it feel like AIR!!

- Second, I swapped the bronzer in April (a bit before summer started) and I really enjoy it. It gave me like a golden glow so it worked so great as a highlighter! I think you girls that are trying to achieve that bronzy glow - beachy look. This is such a great highlighter for you. Again, best staying power is when a powder is used to set but not necessary. This is very shimmery and sheer though so it is not something you apply all over your cheek or your face.

- Third, I just wanted a concealer to match my skin tone and I decided to pick this up. I wanted a creamy texture for my face, unlike my other Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer which is more of a liquid and it is too light for my face. Let me tell you, this baby has been used to death this past few weeks. I don't know what happened but I have been breaking out like crazy and I had so many pimples and nastiness to conceal. I think it has a decent staying power when set with a powder and I use Maybelline's Dream Matte powder.

I have not tried the foundation or the new Maybelline Smooth Mousse - let me know if you have and if you like it or not!

Hopefully this helps you guys decide what to get at the drugstore. The only other line that I tend to reach for a lot is the Revlon Colorstay line.

So what about you guys??? Is there a line that you guys really reach for at the drugstore... or anywhere really???

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Also, I just wanted to let you guys know about another giveaway!!! PoorCollegeStudent has a beauty blog called Maquilagem Masstige and I really enjoy reading her blog. She has fantastic skin care and haul posts!! Please check out her giveaway - the prizes are very exciting.

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Besides all that madness - how is everyone? I really wanted to update but got really busy this entire weekend!!! It is insane... I had time on Friday I guess but man, I was just a busy bee...

Also, school is starting for me. I'm doing a full week of Pharmacy school orientation right now and Monday will be the first day of school. I am apologizing in advanced right now that I probably won't update as often as I did in July. I tend to not update that often (not as often as I want) anyways, but still, SORRY!!!

K, have a great day.

2nd Order From ELF

2010-08-11T23:43:00.000-07:00

Fact: I bought $15 worth of ELF stuff two years ago - their products are definitely some of the earliest make up I've ever gotten!

Fact: They had a promo of free shopping from purchases $10 and over... and I couldn't resist!! There were a few things I really wanted to have.

So it finally arrived after a week of shipping. So excited!!!!

First of all, I have been wanting these two brushes for the longest time!!! But that darn Powder Brush is always always sold out. So when I saw that it was in stock, I was like "baby - come to mama". And I have also been wanting to get this angled brush for gel liners and such. When I opened them up, they had the strong chemical smell so I washed them with baby shampoo. Now, they both smell like lavender!! Pretty huh. So far, very soft, very nice, very sturdy, very professional looking. I am a satisfied mama indeed!

I also got the Zit Zapper (which I am using right now! Put it straight to work) and so far... I don't know the result yet... ha ha. I'll let you know. It does have a smell but that's because it has camphor in it and that can smell pretty strongly. But it really doesn't bother me. It has 1% salicylic acid which is the active ingredient and it also has tea tree oil and other good stuff in there. Hopefully this will work - I mean for $1!! Wouldn't that be great?

I also grabbed the Mineral Eyeshadow Primer - I know I know - I already have the $1 one and the UDPP but I have been wanting this for a long long time and it was always out of stock too!! This was my only chance I thought.

And finally the Shimmering Facial Whip was a gift for recommending 3 people. I got it in citrus. I also have one in lilac petal and I might just do some sorta overall review... if I ever do! I feel like I always plan to review stuff but then I just don't know what to say... SIGH SIGH!

This was a gift for me because of the promo and I got the Cream Liner in Ivory. First off, it's not a cream white - it is shimmery... so that will be kinda cool for highlighting and as a shadow base too. It doesn't feel gel like - sorta cream like... I guess, I don't know. The texture wasn't what I expected... it isn't like my WnW one. Hard to explain - maybe once I play around with it more I'll know what to say.

I was hoping they gave me one in black/brown or something so I can use my angled brush but oh well! Can't expect too much since it is free.

But yeah, that's pretty much it. I didn't go too crazy. I bought $10 worth and nothing more, nothing less! I'm so excited for the brushes that I got and definitely the primer.

I don't know why I always write late at night because I probably don't even make sense! But...

Have a great night :) Sleep tight and thanks for reading.

How You Say... FOTD?

2010-08-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

So the other day I looked at my Chai Latte quad and thought to myself - I want to do a gold sorta smokey eye --> more dramatic. Now, Chai Latte is known for a more "everyday" look but it can be so much more useful than that. Too bad the camera couldn't really pick up the gold but oh well!

Check out my other 'dramatic' using this quad.

In the first picture, I just had gloss over my pigmented lips and the entire FOTD just didn't look right. So, I decided to follow the idea of nude lips + dramatic eyes. I think it looked WAY better!!!

PS. The Beauty GaGa by Lady Mitchelli is having a giveaway for her 24th Bday. The prizes are awesome as well as her blog - so go support her everybody!

Done And Over With

2010-08-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

These are the products that are pretty much used up this summer. I just get so happy when I finish a product so I just wanted to finish these awesome "conquests" with you!!

1) Equate non-acetone nail polish remover: Will not repurchase.
It took me FOREVER to clean my nails with this. RIDICULOUS and it smells weird and I'm pretty sure it made my nails really dry. Just horrible quality. Don't get this!!

2) Merlot Night Cream: Might repurchase.
I bought 2 travel size and they both lasted me 2 months. I don't know how I feel about it yet... I might buy another travel sample just to make sure because the biggest size this large. But I did write a review on it if you are interested!

3) Bath and Body Works Body Cream in Japanese Cherry Blossom: Repurchased.
I really like this scent and it actually took me a couple of years to finish. I really want the eau de toilette in this scent but I did get the body lotion in this scent during their semi-annual sale.

4) Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes: Will not repurchase.
Took me forever to take off my eye makeup especially mascara (even non-waterproof) and gel liners and such. Eventually it all dried up on me so it was worthless anyways. I was hoping this took off all my makeup not just my eye make up but it was too oily to use all over my face. Overall, I've found something better --> keep reading.

5) Olay Daily Facials Cleaning Cloths: Repurchased.
So I think I might have found my HOLY GRAIL cleanser product. This is my cleanser and makeup remover put together. Best part is that it takes off mascara and gel liners really well - way better than the Neutrogena one. Also, it simply lathers up by getting wet so it's not gonna dry out on me. I just love using this because it makes my skin softer and it has made my skin care routine so much quicker. The fact that they are cloths allow me to scrub my face better than just using my fingers or "micro particles". I just really enjoy this product and I really think that my skin has been acting way better than it has been doing for a few weeks. The only sad thing is that there are only 25 cloths in a box and it costs $6 a box... that can get pretty expensive BOO!

6) CoverGirl Professional Super Thick Lash: Might Repurchase.
I like this mascara - it is a nice mascara between dramatic and natural. This volumizes and somewhat lengthens but not so much that would give you a false lash affect. I think this is a nice basic mascara but, since there are so many other mascaras out there, I think I'm gonna try out more mascaras. Who knows, maybe I will buy this again if I can't find a better mascara that gives me a good look without being too dramatic.

7) Maybelline's Full and Soft: Will repurchase.
This is one of my favorite mascaras. THIS IS PERFECT for an everyday look - imagine waking up in the morning, looking exhausted and this mascara will help your curled lashes look more defined and lengthened. It will really help open up your eyes and help you look more awake. AGAIN I really need to try out more mascaras before I go back to this one.

These are pretty much done...

8) Bath and Body Works lotion in PS. I Love You: Might Repurchase
I like this scent but it is a bit strong for me. As a body spray it might be good so it's not so strong. This actually reminds me of a better Dior's perfume that my mom has.

9) Clean and Clear Eye Makeup Remover: Will Not Repurchase.
I don't like that it takes FOREVER to remove mascara - I mean seriously!! It took my Olay's cleansing cloth like half the time and it rarely leave a trace under my eyes unlike this makeup remover.

WOW - this post took WAY longer than I expect. Gotta go and sleep now!!!!!

SORRY FOR NOT POSTING FOR ALMOST A WEEK. Writer's block... again.

Vacation Is Over, Summer Soon To Follow

2010-08-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but that is kinda depressing title... ha ha... SORRY! I don't think I've ever dreaded the start of a school year so much as this year. I don't know why. I think it is because I'm starting Pharmacy school - I'm scared... more NERVOUS and ANXIOUS than scared.

But you know what - there are so many things that I was nervous and scared about at first and I took a deep breath and did it anyway and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sometimes, it was even worth while to take that leap of faith. Let me tell you something - courage and luck are two things that I wish I had more of...

Anyways, I went to San Diego this weekend. It was a 6-7 hour drive so that was pretty uncomfortable. But overall, it was a great trip!! We spent an entire day at Sea World and then a bit at the beach.

PICTURE TIME!

You will laugh at me because I made my sister ride the Elmo Flying Fish ride... ha ha... I'm still very very young at heart.

After one of the rides that I went on; I got soaked the most out of the 6 people with me!

Love those shorts that I was wearing! They are new... from Aeropostale

Aren't these sea lions the cutest things EVER?

Chilling at the beach!

As far as make up goes, I didn't get much time to put on make up the first day. We drove there, checked into the hotel and then pretty much went to Sea World right away and I was way tired to do much. Let's just say I looked like a hot mess! Literally because it got pretty hot and sunny!

+ Wet n Wild Trio in Mojave Mauves is one of my favorite drugstore "palettes" right now. One day I wore the taupe color all over my lids and then the other day I wore the lighter of the three. They are so pigmented - so easy to work with. The colors compliment my skin tone and the rest of my facial coloring. I pretty much in love with this trio.

+ Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Taupe is so pretty because it is a light brown with a bit of shimmer. It looks so natural and it is a gorgeous color.

+ Max Factor 2000 Calorie is a really nice mascara and I brought it because I'm wearing a pretty neutral eye so the lashes should stand out a bit... that was my thought process :)

+ WnW Spotlight Peach and Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal are my go to blush combo! It is kinda insane that I wrote about this combo a year ago and to this day, I still use this as my summer blush color. I really like it because the mousse blush is pretty shimmery but it lays down a good foundation. The WnW blush isn't as pigmented as I would like so with the base, it is so easy to apply. Also, the two combine reduce the shimmer of the mousse blush but it still creates a soft glow. Very pretty!

+ ELF Primer $1 is the primer I used... I decided to pick this one over UDPP just so I can try it out more. It's pretty cool... I still need to play with it more though.

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By the way, I just ordered some stuff at ELF because of their free shipping deal. Guess what? They also put in a cream liner as a gift... it was pretty cool.

I got some stuff that I've been wanting forever!!
- the powder brush
- ELF mineral primer (YES, another one to try out!!)
- Zit Zapper (Oooh...)
- Studio Liner Brush

Sad thing is, it was shipped today... but it will be delivered August 11... YEAH...

Oh BTW I got the zit zapper from ELF because my skin has been acting HORRIBLY for the last week!!! I think it might be the new cleanser I got... or maybe the weather. It is just acting up and it is driving INSANE!! Thank goodness for the product called "CONCEALER" ha ha

Anyways, thanks so much for reading! I hope you guys have a great night, great week!!! Please comment - I love to hear from you!

8 Questions from Nicole

2010-07-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-07-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Mindless Rambling

2010-06-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in a while!! Sorry about that... I just ran out of things to blog about... ha ha. I was doing so well too - popping out like 3 posts a week. I've just been preoccupied with other thoughts besides make up and beauty stuff...

So when I have nothing to blog about, I usually do tags. Here is the 25 Questions Tag stolen from (an awesome blogger) Glam Morena!:

1. Do you apply your foundation with a brush, sponge, or fingers?
Lately, just fingers.

2. Do you apply your eyeshadow from light to dark? or dark to light?
Depends on the look - an everyday look: light to dark. A smokey look: dark to light.

3. Do you prime your eyes?
YES! It's a must.

4. Concealer first, or after foundation?
After. Often during the school year, I don't even wear foundation.

5. Go for manicures, or manicure yourself?
Manicure myself.

6. Exfoliate lips, face or both?
I exfoliated my face yesterday using St. Ives Apricot scrub - but I use that like once every two months... and I don't exfoliate my lips.

7. On average, how long does it take you to do your makeup?
I try to keep it to 20-25 mins if I'm doing the whole face for going out. But usually just 10 mins - moisturizing, filling in brows, lining eyes, curling lashes, mascara, blush and lip stuff.

8. Do you wear makeup everyday and everywhere?
If I leave the house, I always put on moisturizer w/ SPF, fill in my brows, and put blush on. This takes like 5 mins.

9. What release are you most excited about? (Makeup)
Eh... I don't really pay much attention to this sorts... but check out this awesome post about new drugstore products.

10. What's your weakness? Shoes, purses, clothes, jewelry, eyeshadow, lipstick or other?
Everything above... but lately I am more into shoes and clothes!

11. Do you whiten your teeth?
I used to w/ Crest White Strips... but I haven't used it in a really long time.

12. Wax eyebrows, or pluck?
NEITHER... ha ha yeah, that's why I have kinda bushy brows... but I just hate hate hate doing it.

13. What do you use to contour?
I don't really contour but ELF bronzer/blush duo has great contour color in the bronzer.

14. False lashes, or natural?
Natural... but I want to try out false lashes soon.

15. Favorite makeup brand?
Revlon, Maybelline, and ELF

16. Liquid eyeliner, pencil or gel?
Pencil - easiest way to apply for me.

17. Lipstick, lipgloss or chapstick?
Lipstick for sure. I'm so clumsy w/ lip gloss.

18. Pigments, pressed or cream eyeshadow?
I like pressed the most but I do enjoy cream shadows as well - serve as bases.

19. If you had to wear only one thing, excluding foundation; what would it be?
BLUSH!

20. Favourite color?
Blue

21. Favorite color combination?
I have no clue... I think right combo of yellow and blue looks great! Also pink and teal/cyan blue

22. Natural? or Dramatic? (Eye Makeup)
I'm always for natural.

23. Do you care more for quality or name brand?
I definitely care more about the quality but also the affordability.

24. Do you enjoy using face masks? If so which ones
I have only used the Queen Helene mint mask and it is okay... kinda drying though so watch out.

25. What is your current addiction? (example: lipsticks, eyeshadows, earrings..)
I'm obsessed w/ lip products right now!

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Also, I just wanted to thank all of you guys for taking your time to vote in my poll!

I like that none of you are interested in horror films like Splice! Ha ha... me neither. I went to see Knight and Day the other day - not too bad... wish it was a bit funnier but it was cute! And enjoyable. I kinda want to see Toy Story 3 - and as for Eclipse - I probably won't go to see it since I haven't even seen New Moon yet. But if I find people to come with me, I might. I am more a Harry Potter girl.

Speaking of which, I am re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Such a good book!! I'm so into it. I can probably sit and read this book forever - I just can't put it down. It's been 4 years since I've read it and so I don't remember a lot so it is almost like reading a brand new book for me.

Speaking of which:

ONE WORD: GOOSEBUMPS!

Well guys, stay tune for more from me. I am planning to write a few new reviews!! Please vote on the new poll and...

Sedona Lace your Face with NV Beauty

2010-06-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

NV Beauty is hosting this awesome contest... and I was so inspired (also kinda had a lot of free time) so I decided to enter.

These are the pictures that I based both my looks in:

One thing you should know: I live in Arizona... the dessert does have some amazing sunsets and gorgeous skies! I have never been to Sedona (my parents have though) but I have been to Grand Canyon - gorgeous :D

First look is more of a smokey eye:

** I brightened the first one up a bit so the colors can show up better - different computers have different brightness. My laptop, for example, doesn't show the color as well as the computer I'm on right now. UGH!

So, with this eye, I focused on the dark bluish purple that is on the sky. Then I added accents of gold (which is another focus) and then the pink in my most inner corner. Then I just deepened the outer corner to emphasize on the shadows of the mountains. And the deep brown eyeliner is winged out more than usual to show the earthy colors of the mountain. It might be hard to see but there is green in the bottom lash line which represents the life on those mountains... I used my PF's highlighter to highlight my brow bone. I want it to look as magical as possible!

For the face, I tried a bit of a gradient affect - which didn't show up too well! But I contoured my cheeks w/ ELF's bronzer, then went above that w/ the CG's cheekers, and then finally topped everything off w/ Physician's Formula highlighter.

I love that lip combo!!!

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Second look is more wearable... although it is a bit on the glamorous side. Again, the first pic was brightened a bit so that other computers can be seen too:

Similar to the one above, it has pink in the inner corner (I actually used my blush to do this) and then lighter gold next to it. The the crease, I used the bright orange from the CG palette and then the outer V is deepened by MAC's sketch. Above that is a light halo of purple in my Maybelline trio and then I lined my eyes w/ the green. This look is suppose to resemble the sunsets. All the warmth and shimmer mix together to turn into a Sedona sunset! For my cheeks, I used the WnW bronzer because I didn't want pink on them... I have enough on my eyes!

I know, this post is really annoying b/c the pictures are not side by side. I will have to figure this out on later posts! For now, I'm a bit tired!

** Thanks Nicole for hosting this contest!! It is really awesome and the prizes are amazing. The Sedona brush set looks awesome (she did a review on them and they are really similar to Sigma brushes but WAY CHEAPER!!)! So if you guys are interested, you should do it. Bring on some creativity and... ya know, it helps if you have free time too.

Rimmel Moisture Renew

2010-06-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Rimmel lipsticks, in general, has gotten a lot of rave from many bloggers and youtubers. As I read the various reviews on Makeup Alley and such, my curiosity is sparked and I was determined to purchase one of my own and write my own review. As luck would have it, these babies were 50% at Walgreens a few weeks ago and I jumped immediately to the opportunity.

I picked up: Dusty Rose.

Now don't be fool - the actual lipstick is a lot darker than this picture. How I would describe this lipstick is a neutral but has a bit of a mauve and rosy pink undertone (more mauve though). I would say that this is one of those things people call: MY LIPS BUT BETTER (MLBB) color. So, I would say that it is darker than some of you - especially people with fair skin.

Flash // No Flash

See how my lips look a bit darker w/ no flash? The actual color comes off more creamy than glossy. Even though I would probably use this for everyday, I think it is more suitable for special events/nights and would look great with minimal make up.

So does the title "MOISTURE RENEW" hold up to it's name? YES, I think this lipstick is really moisturizing. It glides on easily and I think it is very creamy. As far as pigmentation goes, I can imagine some other colors being sheer but buildable. I chose a darker color so I didn't see any flaw in pigmentation. But I definitely love that it has SPF 18 and is moisturizing. Staying power on the other hand is not the best - it is actually just normal. I think it would last 1-2 hours on my lips if i don't eat and drink.

The only thing that I don't really care much for is the packaging. I don't like the purple and the lipstick container seems a bit flimsy. Now, I have had 2 other Rimmel lipsticks before - both in much older containers; one in Birthday Suit and one in Latino.

This picture shows Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Birthday Suit
I have to say that compared to the older lipstick, smell and taste are pretty much the same. I am okay with the smell but I hate the taste. Overall, not much of a change from the old lipstick except for the fact that it is a lot more moisturizing and has a bit more color selection.

So I guess what I am trying to say is that yes, I think I would reommend this lipstick. I think I might try other shades myself. I think I was mostly disappointed with my choice since I was hoping to buy a new summer shade. Also, I noticed that I already have similar looking lipsticks...

Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Rum Raisin // Rimmel Moisture Renew Dusty Rose

L'Oreal Color Juice Stick Chai Love You // Rimmel Moisture Renew Dusty Rose

Chai Love You // Dusty Rose // Rum Raisin

I guess it is pretty easy to see that Dusty Rose is the darkest one. Well, at least I hear that Sunset is a good dupe for a MAC lipstick so I that might the next shade I try.

Let me know which shade you like best from this line! I would love to hear your opinion.

WORLD CUP Make Up!

2010-06-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know how but I've recently got really really into soccer - especially the WORLD CUP!!

** Did anyone see Argentina vs. Greece?? Lionel Messi #10 - AMAZING!!!!!! He is... ugh... just... there are no words to describe him!

ARGENTINA all the way BABY!

** But anyways, America is playing against Algeria tomorrow and WE HAVE TO WIN OR ELSE WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE ON!
I gotta say that I'm so proud of our guys right now. They are fighters and I just love it!! We are definitely the underdog - because we are not a soccer nation at all. But the fact that we managed to tie with England and almost defeat Slovenia is saying something. I love the fact that we were down 2-0 and then fought til the end. Should've won that game... but whatever, America still rocks! Still has chance!

So back to make up. I was so inspired by all the insane fans who painted their faces... so... I gotta do what a make up lover does...

PAINT HER FACE TOO!!

**** PICTURE HEAVY ****

I didn't have face paint so I used eye shadows... and BLUSH! American flag is pretty easy to draw... except the first time I made it backwards. Ha ha!

I LOVE using that Physician's Formula highlighter! I used it over the flag to give it a glow and as brow bone color. This is such a great product! Very pigmented... and gives a golden glow!

The blush is CG's cheekers. Extremely pigmented! If I didn't have this, I'd use lipstick or something.

Matte white is from the ELF quad. LOVE this color - extremely pigmented.

The cream shadows from Revlon was for me to lay down the base for the colors first so that the colors will stick to my face better! I also used a white eye liner from Prestige that I didn't take a picture of to outline the flag.

I had so much fun creating this look! Hopefully I'll get to wear it again when the day comes to root for the them in the finals... key word is HOPE :D

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In other news, I am trying to understand and relate to you guys better. Please vote and check out the poll at the top right of the page! Please vote!! These questions will be random and won't always be make up related. It's just a fun little questionaire I have for you all.

The last one went like this:

- I guess most of you didn't care too much for Lady Gaga's music video or even care to watch it!! Ha ha! Good to know.

Let Me Break It Down For You:

2010-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Items I recommend buying that are UNDER $3!!

These are great items for people who are starting out with make up and need to just get started... Why spend a fortune if you don't really know what you are doing yet?

** Names are not exactly correct... I just don't have the items w/ me but you guys got the picture right?

+ WnW Trio - Mojave Mauves (might not be sold anymore...). I use that trio a lot! A LOT for everyday look. Trust me, no matter what you do w/ it, you'll always get a nice natural-everyday look. Pigmented, easy to blend... very beginner friendly.

+ ELF $1 Eye brushes - amazing qualities. AMAZING for beginners.

+ WnW Eye Kohl Pencil - okay, I use this EVERYDAY to do my brows... and it works wonders! SO CHEAP - $0.99 CHEAP! Can't get any better than this.

+ ELF $1 Eyeshadow quad - These can produce great pigmentation and allow you to practice with colors and smokey eyes!

+ NYC nail polish - well, these are hit or miss. The one I have is in Mod Mauve and I really like it! Stays on a long time and hasn't gotten goopy on me yet!

+ Burts Bees - LIP BALM! Always a MUST MUST and this is my all time favorite. I've tried so many but I always always go back.

+ B&BW's hand sanitizer - You need a clean hand to apply make up and just in general - always good to have hand sanitizer in your purse. I love these b/c they smell great and usually they are 5 for $5 @ the store.

Items under $5!!

These are the items for you guys who want to find some nice cheap thrills!

+ Milani single shadows - you can buy these @ cherryculture. AMAZING qualities and are known to be MAC-dupes.

+ CoverGirl single shadows - some are misses and some are HITS! People really like Tapestry Taupe, Brown Smolder, Mink, Shimmering Sands trio... it goes on and on

+ CoverGirl Cheekers - I enjoy these blushes! Some have insane pigmentation! But either way, these babies have strong lasting power and comes in so many different colors.

+ Jane Blushes - I have 2 - Blushing Petal and Blushing Plum. Both are great and simple and have perfect pigmentation! Blushing Petal is the color that is natural and easy to wear. Everyone needs a color like this.

+ Sally Hansen Double Duty Base Coat and Top Coat - this thing makes my nail polish stay on twice as long. It is amazing - seriously, go check this out. You would not be disappointed.

+ CoverGirl Professional Mascara - doesn't flake - gives nice volume and length. Very natural and yet it can build on itself to give you nice volumized lashes. A lot cheaper than Lash Blast but the applicator is not awkward to use!

+ B&BW's mini lotion - great to have in your purse! Smells nice! Moisturizing... a must have for emergencies!

Items for UNDER $10

For those of you who are just looking for more fun with make up. If you want to experiment with drugstores, here are some things that is worth your while!

+ Maybelline Quad in Chai Latte - Either you like it or you don't. At first, I was skeptical. I mean, what is it about this quad that I'm suppose to like? But, I really enjoy it! Great for everyday b/c the shadows are just so neutral and natural!

+ Revlon Quad in Coffee Bean - If you don't like Chai Latte, let me tell you that this is very similar... again, perfect for everyday look. Useful shades - pigmented and easy to blend!

+ Maybelline's Mineral Power Concealer - so light weight but covers so easily and flawlessly. Great for redness - under the eyes, around the nose, and other marks.

+ L'Oreal HiP Shadows - Sassy is in the picture but they have way more colors and selections. So pigmented and with so much variety of colors. Definitely a must-try for those beauty lovers. Also MAC-dupes worthy!

+ Mabelline's Moisture Extreme Lipstick - People love the ColorSensational but I still love these ones the most! SPF 15 is great. Smells great and pigmentation is lovely. I really enjoy these - especially for the moisturizing effect.

+ Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick - Colors are very unique and has a very good staying power. It feels so light on the lips and the packaging is to die for!

+ Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss - Okay, so it should come to no surprise that these lip glosses are amazing. I think these might be the best lip glosses that I have! Some are more sheer than others but overall, texture, smell, packaging, and color selections are superior!

+ Rimmel Natural Bronzer - Man, I cannot stop raving about this item. It's been in my make up drawer since the beginning and I find myself using it so much! Lovely matte bronzer for fair to medium skin tone.

+ Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - speaking of matte - this thing will keep your face oil-less and IS NOT CAKEY! I use this all the time as a setting powder. Works great for me even though I don't have oily skin. This is probably holy-grail materials to those who have to deal with oily skin during the day. Too bad you can't use this on oil-spill. I'm sure it would work ;p J/K.

+ Revlon Colorstay Eye Liner - stays on all day without smudging. It is just a really reliable item to have! Wish it was more smooth and creamy... but we all get used to things. It's all good.

Items for OVER $10

You guys know I don't like to spend too much on make up, but there are some things I really enjoy using; A splurge once in a while - not so bad. Buy yourself some gifts - award yourself for being awesome!!

+ UDPP - I use to not like to wear eyeshadows. Not because I didn't know how to apply (that you can learn and practice...) but because it always look horrendous at the end of the day. It has changed now... my shadows stay looking nice all day and I never EVER have to worry about it! It's so reliable and such a great investment! $18

+ Ecotools 5pc Brush Set - BEST THING I'VE BOUGHT at the drugstore... NO JOKE! I have a use for every single item (except for the brush holder... b/c I lost that...) but AHHH!! SO SOFT! So useful!!! Make up beginners, you guys should look into this FIRST before you look at other brushes... because these will be the best drugstore brushes you'll find. $12

+ Lancome Lipsticks - The only "high-end" lipsticks that I've ever tried and these are really expensive... BUT I adore the packaging, love the pigmentation and texture and moisturize. Has SPF and it smells amazing! ha ha - it is definitely one of my favorite lipsticks. $25

+ Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips - Really fun to use as highlights and even eye shadows! If you are looking to have some summer glow or beachy bronze look - check these out! Very pigmented... it will not disappoint $12

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That's all I have... Sorry this post is extremely long! I was gonna make it into three parts but then I was like... nah - what's the point of that! Just give it all!

Thanks for reading!!

Summer Look - 2nd Attempt

2010-06-15T15:00:00.001-07:00

2nd attempt actually looks a lot like 1st attempt. But what can I say? Besides I used different product and also my camera likes to wash out the colors on my lids.

Anyone who has a Cannon PowerShot SD790IS knows that this camera is great for just vacation pictures but when it comes to colors and dark environments and such - NOT SO GREAT.

Anyways, this is what I came up w/...

Trust me when I say the colors are so washed out! I mean... UGH!

I also have been playing around with the Milani Glimmer Stripes - so I get that nice glow on my cheeks:

Hard to see... but it's there. Very nice and pretty. I have decided that it is almost impossible to compare highlighters... especially the Milani and the Physician's Formula ones. But I will do my best on my next post to talk about them.

Besides that, I love bronzy eyes, darker liner, peachy blushes, and cute golden-pink shimmer on the lips. I think those combination are great together.

This was a quick post! Well, I am off to take a nap or something... watch more World Cup and later, maybe even tennis!! All of this unless I have to go to work.

BTW - Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret are having their semi-annual sales!!! What are you guys planning to get?

Me - I think I will try to invest in some new bras. I definitely need it!

See ya all later!

I Am On a ROLL

2010-06-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I am writing AGAIN! WHY? Well, let me tell you: I have pretty much nothing to do right now... ha ha... Pretty much all weekend (except for Saturday) I didn't really have any plans.

But I did exercise! Swimming on Friday and then tennis on Sunday... by the way, let me tell you that I am NO ATHLETE!! Why? Well last night I was playing tennis with my sister and the ball came and I hit it back but I didn't realize how close I was to the net so I didn't stop in time... yeah, so I was running towards the the net and I decided to just stop myself by kneeling down and so my face hit the net and I scraped my knees. I haven't fell down in forever or scraped myself like that in years... I kinda enjoyed it :D

We are going again tonight! ha ha! Watching the French Open really inspired me to play tennis and be active. I wish I can serve like those guys can... Andy Roddick - 135 mph serves on average... WTF?

Also, I have been reading my old posts and stuff... just skimming through to see what people like and don't like, what people respond to and whatever, and I realized that some of the things I say don't make any sense. I'm totally sorry about that... my mind is usually all over the place and this is why I hate English and writing essays...

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So, okay so this is the main point of the post:

SUMMER MUST-HAVE FOR CLOTHES:
- This is probably gonna be boring b/c I'm not exactly fashionable - I don't go out and get the stuff that is "in" for the season or whatever. I like to comfortable. Able to move around and run around and not have to worry if anything awkward is showing.

So, let me just get to the list:
1) T-SHIRTS
2) BERMUDA SHORTS

- I love T-shirts that are more a solid color and is has a lower cut than your regular graphic Ts. That way, I can still look more feminine and pairing shirts like that up with a nice skinny jeans would just make a great casual going-out outfit. Very versatile - great finds!

- I love bermuda shorts b/c like I said, I don't have to worry how short they are and if they are inappropriate or whatever. They are so easy to wear... just great for summer.

3) TANK TOPS and CAMIS

- Great for layering! Cami underneath and tank over... YAY - we have a great summer out fit. No worries if the tank isn't tight enough or shows too much. Whatever! As long as you are nice and cool and able to brace the summer heat, you're good to go.

4) LITTLE BLACK DRESS

- In my case it is more of a little navy dress - and this dress has taken me to all sorts of levels: formal outings, casual dinners, school... yeah I wear this EVERYWHERE! And it just works depending on what I wear it with - shoes, other accessories.

5) SANDALS

- LOVE THESE! I need more cute sandals that are not the plastic foam ones that are horribly made (from Target or Old Navy)... NEED THESE for summer... can't live without them.

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So what about you guys? What are your summer must have clothes??

BTW - I just changed my layout and added a poll... please vote!

Thanks for reading!!

I actually have stuff to do the next 3 days... but I will try to regularly update. FUN STUFF!

I Admit It:

2010-06-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am a beauty addict! Ha ha - well, maybe not addict but I do love make up. How did I realize this? Well, I realized this when I looked at my purse and noticed that...

I have way too many lip products.

No really - do I really need that many items with me?

CO Bigelow lip gloss which I used to use all the time for moisturizing my lips.

Now I use my Burts Bees lip balm b/c I just wanted a lip balm without the shiny effects.

Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip balm - I mentioned this was one of my favorite colors for summer. Well, it isn't really moisturizing and it is kinda sheer. Nice to have for just any everyday use.

Revlon Lustrous Lip gloss in Life's a Peach - Another summer color favorite. Love this - although I hate applying lip gloss. I don't know about you but I hate having to pull out the wand and finding where your lips are. I'm just so clumsy at doing that without a mirror!

Finally, my Lancome Lipstick in Mars - one of my favorite reds and I just adore this lipstick. I usually switch out my lipsticks though. I had this for a week and now I've moved on to my Maybelline lipstick in Rosy Glow.

Next thing you know, I'll be pulling out all sorts of make up my my purse. Ah!

So what about you guys? What is in your purse that definitely qualifies you as an make up lover?

So, has anyone been watching the World Cup? I know soccer is not the most popular sport in America but honestly - if you are a girl, this is like a little ray of sunshine on cloudy days...

Okay, that was a bad analogy - what I'm talking about is THE MEN!!!

Here's some that I've come to enjoy watching:
- From GERMANY:

Lukas Podolski

- From UNITED STATES:

Carlos Bocanegra

- There are tons more but those are the only ones that I know right now! If this hasn't persuaded you to watch, I don't know what will.

Moisturizer, Anyone?

2010-06-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

So I ran out of my Ponds Cold Cream moisturizer and I decided that I need to try something new.

So I decided that I should do reviews on the 2 moisturizers that I have tried out and tell you which one I rather preferred.

Let me just say that for a long time, I just used one moisturizer for morning and night but I hear that SPF isn't good for night time so I decided to search for something that would allow me to wake up and my skin feeling refreshed and renewed!

Ponds Dry Skin Cream
I'm sure you guys all have seen this somewhere in the drugstore. I first picked this up during the cold months of winter (January) and needed something to calm my dry skin. After looking at MUA reviews and looking at the prices, I thought it would be best to start out with this. This cost me around $5 and lasted me for more than a year!

This definitely is hydrating! OH YES, I love that during the winter, this was the thing that allow me to have nice and smooth skin. Mind you, I still had to use a morning moisturizer but it really helped. Also, after washing my face at night, my face would get that dry feeling too so this really helped with that. Also, a little goes a long way. I never need to use a lot and yet it works great anyways. HOWEVER, using this moisturizer during the summer was a BIG MISTAKE! Right now, I don't have an oily T-zone like I did last summer... and I think it might be because I stopped using Ponds. This moisturizer added shine to my face and I thought to myself - can't use this during the summer! But I kept using it because I just wanted it to be done. So I would say that it leaves an oily residue when I used it in the summer.

I mean, I think this is a really good moisturizer to start out with. I also used this to get rid of my eye makeup and it works really well. Plus, using this around the eyes isn't so bad because of the extra moisture. This has mineral oil, which can clog pores and make faces oily. I didn't notice my pores being clogged or anything and I didn't break out from this but I did notice the oiliness - for sure. So I only recommend this to you - and it would work pretty well too - if you have insanely dry skin and need some inexpensive relief. If you have oily skin... I would stay far far away.

Merlot's Night Cream

So this next one I got because I saw a few youtube vids about it and thought - WHY NOT? I like the idea that they have a sample size available for purchase and so I picked that one up. Now I don't really see this being sold anywhere else besides CVS so that might a problem.

Okay, so I do have quite a bit to say about this. First off, it is made from natural grape seed which is great because that has antioxidants and it has avocado oil in this which I think is great for hydration and has Vit E (please correct me if I'm wrong). So by looking at that, it seems pretty great so far.

Texture is interesting... it isn't creamy like the Ponds. It is between a cream and a gel... so that's kinda cool. Fairly easy to smooth across the face and doesn't leave an oily residue. It soaks into the skin quickly and you feel kinda a cool sensation once applied.

BIG DOWNFALL is that once it soaks into the skin, my skin sorta feels dry again. So what I'm saying is that I feel like I didn't even put any moisturizer on my skin once it is all absorbed. STRANGE huh? Also, I feel like I need to use WAY more to get a decent hydrated feel - very different from PONDS. That is the downfall of this product - if you use a sufficient amount, you will get a good amount of moisture in your skin. But that amount my mean a lot of product which means you will go through this pretty fast. This sample size is 0.5 fl oz and it lasted me 2.5 months (plus my sister was using it too) so that is kinda a bummer.

BUT I think this is a great moisturizer for the summer when it is hot and you don't want anything to add shine to your face! One thing that the product claims is that it promotes better skin tone - and I think I can see a bit of a difference! And that is really neat. Besides the usual monthly break outs, I think I have really enjoyed my skin tone and the clarity of my skin. I don't know if I can give this moisturizer all the credits but for a while, this product was the only thing that changed in my skin care routine.

Perhaps since the formula is so light and easy to absorbed, my skin can breathe better and pores are not being clogged and such. Because of this, I feel like I will repurchase this (even get the bigger size which is $14). I'd recommend this to anyone really - but if you're skin is always dry, it might take more product for you to feel satisfied. But if you have oily skin, this will work so well for you since it won't add to your oily skin at all.

I hope this wasn't too wordy or anything for you guys.

Do let me know if you have tried any of these products before...

Or better yet, let me know which moisturizer I should get for the upcoming cold season!

"rock that body, come on, come on"

2010-06-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to talk about my favorite summer products right now.

Just so you know - it is HOT here. We reached 105 degrees today (I think) and it was torture!!!! I would walk outside and sweat would just be pouring down my face. My back is wet and even my butt - not a pretty sight!

But these are the things that I think really help me cope!

** Cetaphil moisturizer: I mostly use this b/c it has SPF 15 UVA/UVB. Now, that is kinda a low SPF but I do spend most of my time indoors - I WILL NOT GO OUT THAT DOOR... that is a death wish! But if I go swimming or something, you betcha I will grab my mom's Shiseido sunscreen SPF 55. I just like this b/c it leaves my face feeling so smooth and fresh and having SPF protection everyday is just good sense.

** Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal - I know I know I say I don't like the shimmer but I love love love the fact that it feels so light on my face! It gives me such a nice subtle glow against my tan skin and I just love using it.

** WnW Illuminating Powder in Spotlight Peach - I have stopped using bronzers completely. I feel like I'm way too tan now to use it but I feel like because it has the brown strip and the rosey strip that it makes a nice blush color for me - it is like a bronzer and a blush put together! I really like it. I can imagine people not liking this blush for the texture and pigmentation (not soft in texture which can lead to a lack in pigmentation) but I put this over the mousse blush and it stays on for a while and it calms the shimmer that is in the mousse blush. This is pretty much the cheeks I've been rocking for a week now.

** UDPP - CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THIS for Summer, Spring, Winter, and Fall - I mean, I tried using eye shadow w/out this once and that was a horrible disaster! This is an amazing primer and I just can't wear anything on my lids without using this. This is especially great during the summer b/c of oily lids! Man, I love this stuff and def. would spend $17 for it.

** Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Rosy Glow - The picture doesn't show Rosy Glow b/c I have it in my bag and it is downstairs... BUT I love the pretty pink color that it gives me. It makes my face look fresh and glowy! I just adore it. Plus, this is great for summer b/c it is moisturizing, it has SPF 15 *so important*, and it has pigmentation! And nothing screams SUMMER more than the scent of watermelon - yes, this smells like watermelon. Isn't that just adorable?

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So, now, I want to know what your summer must haves are!!! I know mine are kinda boring but I honestly haven't changed much in terms of using make up. I just am obsessed w/ my blush combo. I also haven't worn much foundation or concealer. And lips - either neutral pinks or bronzy colors. As far as eyeshadow - nothing has changed! I might actually be lazier to put eyeshadows on!! Ha ha.

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Also, I went to see Sex and the City 2 - and I really enjoyed it. It was long - 2.5 hours long! - but I thoroughly loved every moments. I couldn't help but notice how awesome Carrie's eyes looked during her *dinner* scene... NO SPOILERS HERE BUT YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW WHICH DINNER SCENE I'M TALKING ABOUT. Oh and her dress was fabulous too!! Gotta say, all that glamor and style, makes me jealous. But in the end, the movie shows that it is just love and the relationships that you have that are really important. I love the friendships that the girls have and I think it is just wonderful.

I looked up the rating on IMDB and gotta say - it is LOW! I think that is probably because most people who rate on IMDB are guys - this is a pure GIRLY movie!! If you don't have estrogen in you, then you probably wouldn't like it. Ha ha.

Oh, to end this post, I will show you some pics of my vacation. I had a great time. I was on a cruise and it was pretty fun! I karaoke w/ a friend and learned to disco dance! However, after 4 days, I was glad to be off the boat.

* This was in Mexico

* This was in the Catalina Islands. It was really really cute and small and adorable and the hotels there are so cute and small and adorable.

K, guys, thanks for reading!!! Please do let me know your fav. summer products! Have a great night.

The Hole in My Wallet

2010-05-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you - but retail therapy - doesn't really work on me... ha ha... but sometimes, it does. I don't know, I always get the sense of GUILT when I'm not making money and yet I am spending it. But no matter, I don't know if you guys remember but I am going on a cruise soon and I gotta look fashionable, right??? Ha ha - I gotta look good, just in case David Beckham is on board - eh?

Well, anyways, these are the few things I've hauled for my trip:

- Make up-wise, I got the Revlon Active Light Makeup, Olay Daily Facials - cleanser cloth (it says that it is a make up remover, exfoliator, cleanser, and toner all in one). I might do a review on that later. And a mask - though I don't know when I'll be able to use that. It just looks fun :)

The next few pics are clothes pictures that my sister took of me :) Ha ha... it was kinda a pain cause we did it outside and it was HOT!

* This skirt I got from this new store at the mall called Love Culture - or something. The store is HUGE and reminds me a lot of Forever 21. Watch out F21... you've got competition. I got this skirt for $9.90. Yeah, I was like - I gotta have it!!
* YES, I'm a tiny tiny person... I was asked if I was allowed to travel by myself at an airport 3 months ago... and I'm almost frickin 21 years old!

* I got this from TJMaxx and I was looking for a cardigan for night time. I might be wearing a dress or something and I get cold easily. I really like this one, kinda slouchy and just kinda casual. I don't know how to describe it. I got this for $12.99.

My sister actually got these - luckily we are both the same size... so we can "borrow" each other's things... MUHAHA.

* I don't remember how much these are (because I didn't buy them) but my sister informed me that Aero shirt was only $10.

Finally, I got SHOES!

* I lost my favorite favorite pair in Hawaii so now I'm on the search for my next favorite. I have TINY TINY TINY feet so it's extremely difficult for me to find shoes. Anyone know any good place for me to purchase shoes for tiny feet, please let me know. I'm size 5 but sometimes that is even too big... yeah, WTF?? I'm so cursed!

Anyways, I'm gonna be off soon! I hate that my dog has to stay home.. but there's nothing else we can do. Hopefully he won't be too lonely. We have someone coming over to take care of him and the plants but still... he's my baby. I hate leaving him.

Okay, well, take care!! I will see you all in a week... maybe! I might want to stay on the boat forever. Ha ha.

This is very relevant to me right now:

Brown, Smoked, Well Done

2010-05-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so in April and early May, I did not purchase any new make up...

I definitely broke this trend today :D I'll post more about that later....

However, I managed to swap for a new things. This is something that I have wanting for awhile but I just couldn't bare to buy it - I cheap!

Point is, that I finally got my hands on it and I have been playing around with it. I now feel it is time to do a review!

Maybelline Expert Wear Quads - Natural Smokes

What do I think?

Well, first of all, I really like the lid color - that taupey shade. WOW that shade is really pretty. It's like a silvery taupe - it is very similar to CoverGirl's Tapestry Taupe. HOWEVER, it has the worst pigmentation and texture that the quad has to offer. But you know what - it is expected. I spent (or would've spent) $6 on this entire quad so if one shade is kinda a dud, I kinda expected it. The color is really pretty though and I would definitely suggest using the sponge applicator if your brush is not giving enough color.

The two darker shades are definitely better in texture and pigmentation. Easy to blend! Very deep dark colors! VERY SMOKEY COLORS FOR SURE! If you're gonna do a smokey eye, this quad is not going to fail you. I love that the darkest color will show up more as a matte shade than shimmery. It gives the quad a nice dynamic.

And the highlight color is definitely awesome. I love that it is matte and it is pretty pigmented too. It didn't disappoint :) Overall, I gotta say - easy to blend, easy to smoke, and colors are awesome.

I totally recommend this quad to anyone who loves neutrals as much as me. The nice thing about this quad is that you can go pretty natural with it too. Out of all the smokes, I think you can use this for the office/school and then come night time, smokey that look out for the social hours! I don't know, I just find a lot of uses for this quad.

This is one look that I did: even when I'm trying to do a smokey eye, I tend to get more natural with it. I obviously didn't bring the colors up high enough to be extremely dramatic but you guys can definitely do that.

Well, well, well, I am done for now! But hopefully this post will show you that if you are wondering about this quad - I would say GET IT! Or swap for it! You'll find a use for it - promise!

I also have to say that I am really enjoying summer. The weather is awesome. I'm getting ready to go on a cruise to MEXICO and...

I FOUND OUT THAT I GOT HIRED!!

I was suppose to go into training today but that is canceled... because the lady was sick. GRRR... so I'm really hoping that they reschedule tomorrow or Friday because I have to leave Sunday!! GRRR.... so many complications.

Don't you ever wish you can control life more. Don't you wish you can know exactly what will happen and how it will happen? I guess that'll just be boring then, wouldn't it. I always have to tell myself everything will work out in the end... BUT I am extremely impatient and kinda a control freak. Well, I just have to hope and hope and hope :)

Everything will work out in the end - no worries.

Thanks for reading everyone!!

BYE :D

"let's have some fun, this beat is sick!"

2010-05-25T00:07:00.000-07:00

Hello out there, fellow beauty lovers! I'm sitting at my desk... which is kinda messy - which is annoying because I cleaned my room the weekend after finals week. Now it is all messy again! Let me tell you that it definitely is a lot better than what it was before! DISASTER!

I just wanted to do a quick tag game - because it is late and I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow :D I wish I could write a real thing but oh well - just have to wait for later.

So, this tag is from Cambo Soup and it is just me answering all of her questions:

1. What is your favorite movie?
--> This is a hard one because I love all sorts of movies; Avatar for now.

2. What is your favorite book?
--> Again, difficult! But I think if I were to read something over and over again - probably Harry Potter! But I also really like PS. I Love You (yes, it's a book and I think I like the book way more than the movie)

3. What was your worst beauty buy?
--> Jane's tinted moisturizer. That thing smelled and tasted horrible!! And then it actually has an orangy color... WTF?? It doesn't blend well and it leaves clumps on my face. What is wrong with this product??

4. Do you think you're high-maintenance?
--> I gotta say that I haven't been really high-maintenance at all. I've definitely gotten girlier during the last year and a half. It's all this make up and beauty stuff that has brought the girliness out of me.

5. Can you dance well?
--> HECK NO! I need someone to teach me!

6. Do you like Louis Vuitton?
--> I don't think I can pull those bags off since my clothes are pretty plain and simple. PLUS I can't afford it (I can't afford anything these days :p)

7. Do you wear sunscreen everyday?
--> My moisturizer has SPF 15 UVA and UVB but I sometimes use my mom's Shiseido SPF 55 if necessary.

8. What are your favorite websites besides blogger?
--> youtube; facebook (yes, I broke my streak, I went back on... FACEBOOK is EVIL! Once you go on, you can never leave it permanently)

9. Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, or neither?
--> I like Aninston's look and overall appearance and life; but I like Jolie's travels and her good deeds in the world. However, I can't handle the big family. However, I would also say neither b/c I haven't really seen a really amazing movie from either one. Thus, I will move on and add - Scarlett Johanson :D

10. What is your dream job?
--> When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher. Then I wanted to be a detective like Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes. Now, I am on the path of a pharmacist which might sound boring to a lot of you. I hope that I can use this job to take me around the world and bring relief to places that need it. I think for a while - before I settle down - I will have to do some major traveling.

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Goodness - look at all that blabbing!!! K, so I guess now it is your turn to answer me; I will list 10 questions. I hope you guys at least answer one of them!!

1. What is the song you listened to the most?
2. What is one quirky thing that you do that makes you YOU?
3. Facial hair? YES or NO?
4. Favorite superhero (male, female, James Bond...)
5. Favorite quote.
6. What important lesson did you learn in the past year?
7. What cravings do you get most often?
8. Would you like to be rich and famous (actor, singer) or just rich (CEO of a company)?
9. Which super power would you choose: ability to fly or to read minds?
10. Are you left handed or right handed?

Please let me know your answer!! Would love to get to know you guys more! EVERYONE is tagged!

Thanks, have a great night/early morning.

finding a summer look

2010-05-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's summer here in the hot desert sun and I have been playing around with some looks to get an ideal summer look!

Here's what I have come up w/ so far:

Could you tell that I got my hair cut... I don't know if I like it but I usually don't like my hair cut. It takes me a few weeks to get used to it. The layers are kinda weird...

I was going for the tanner but natural look.

I think what sets off the look is my lip color - and I think this is a really awesome lip color:

It is the Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm in Golden Pink that the youtube guru - emilynoel83 - has raved about for the longest time. It is a hard color to take a picture of because it reflects light but it is definitely a bronzy-neutral pink kinda color. It goes on pretty sheer but it gives you that bronzy look which is great for any summer. One thing about this product is that I don't find it that moisturizing - not as moisturizing as my Burts Bees or CO Bigelow's lip glosses. So I suggest putting a balm first. Also, when I first opened it, it had a really strong smell and the taste isn't so great either. Interestingly enough, I've had it for 2 months now and I don't notice it anymore. Perhaps I've gotten used to it or it had gone away. No matter, the issue is resolved and alas I can fully enjoy this product.

Besides this, I keep my eyeshadow light and bronzers are a must! I would put some highlighters on too but the blush I had on that day was already kinda shimmery.

Now I am off to look for more comfortable things for the summer to wear. All I know is that I cannot handle jeans anymore. IT IS TOO HOT!!!

Also, my family and I are going on a cruise - from LA to Mexico!!! - and so new dresses are a must!!! Ha ha - yeah, I'm planning to live in bermuda shorts, tanks tops, and dresses all summer long. Doesn't sound bad - does it?

Oh, and update on job: nothing yet... :( ** BIG OLD SAD FACE ** Has anyone ever seen the movie "The Graduate" with Dustin Hoffman (so sexy when he was young!! I still love that man though") ?? I feel like that's what I'm doing right now - just lying around the house not doing much. Maybe I'll have an affair w/ someone... ha ha - yeah, no, I'm not doing that.

Have you seen "Post Grad" w/ Alexis Bledel?? Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel too... It was a horrible movie that I was forced to watch on the plane to Hawaii. Ha ha - good times!!

AND FINALLY - I am trying to stay away from facebook for at least a week! You know, when you get bored, you go on facebook and then suddenly you find yourself stalking some people (oh come on people, I know I'm not the only one that do this!) and it just isn't healthy! Ha ha... so, I am hoping to stay away from facebook for awhile. Maybe when summer gets a little busier *FINGERS CROSSED!!* I won't have to force myself to stay away. With that said, I went on last night... ugh... but I will start today! Stay away from facebook for a bit. I honestly hope people won't try to contact me there... well you know what, there is always the phone.

Thanks for reading! I promise to update way more - cuz that is one of my summer goals.

But now let me know something:
What is your summer look??? Let me know - share you secret!

"i'm feeling rough, i'm feeling raw..."

2010-05-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Currently listening to: Time to Pretend by MGMT; I'm not a big indie fan but there are some really good stuff out there. My sister is currently obsessed w/ this band and has been listening to it non-stop!

Anyways, it is finally SUMMER TIME!!!!!! Thanks to all of you guys w/ your good lucks! I did pretty well this semester - considering the lack of motivation this semester, I did surprisingly well :D Very happy with my results and now I need a good, long, relaxing summer to just regain my focus for the next four years!!

I would say this semester has been interesting, exciting, stressful both in school and outside of school, lots of emotional turmoil on my part... but I'm done with that, for now :D I always get so sentimental by the end of the semester just because I know I'll miss everybody I've met this year. There's always facebook I guess :D

I just want to write a little something because... well I haven't written at all in a really long time. I've certainly neglected this blog ever since I got back from Spring Break. I honestly lost so much motivation in school as well as blogging and make up. But like I said - we get our ups and downs and now I'm back up ready to start the summer right.

Here's a little FOTD I did for a dinner I went to w/ my study group (we spent so much time together this semester... it was ridiculous!)

I kinda like the new picture location! I like day light much better than the lighting in my room!

SUMMER GOALS:
+ Get a job (ha ha ha.... yeah....)
+ WORK OUT MORE! (need that exercise)
+ READ MORE BOOKS (I'm working on Wuthering Heights right now.... kinda difficult)
+ BLOG (yeah baby!)
+ CELEBRATE MY 21st BDAY! (July 13)
+ Working in lab - volunteering at hospital (Keeping busy!)
+ Hang out w/ friends as much as I can (before I completely lose my social life to Pharm school)
+ Buy a netbook!
+ Go on Vegas trip w/ friends (ha ha... hopefully!)
+ Buy more summer clothes and clothes in general :D

So, with that said, I'm off to the mall to get a job. I hate working at the mall, to be honest, but I need the money!! I mentioned in my last post that I am suffering from poor college student (and let me tell you that grad school tuition is not fun!) so working as much as I can is important and necessary - especially if I am planning on buying that computer or the trip or BOTH!

I am optimistic in getting all of these goals down!! Gotta get my motivation back!

Thanks for reading - and stay tuned for lots more this summer.

don't wanna kiss, don't wanna touch

2010-05-06T00:13:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't written in FOREVER!! Um, this is because... well, let's just say that I'm really experiencing a college life now - especially the POOR college life part! Ha ha.

I went to target today and the only thing I got (beauty-wise) - which I'm soooo happy that I'm reunited w/ this product - is the Burt's Bees lip balm!!! So glad I got this. Love this stuff to death.

But that doesn't mean that I have been completely neglecting make up. No, I wear make up everyday (bronzer, blush and eyebrow stuff) and I wear eye make up 3 times a week (just because I have the time!). I'm just really satisfied with what I have and I guess I don't feel the urge to venture out and get new things.

** Although I did see ELF at Target! That was really exciting! I was gonna grab the complexion brush but then realize that I can't afford it (yes, can't afford the 3 dollar brush!! UGH!!). Also they didn't have any eye primer stuff there. SAD!

HOWEVER, I did manage to swap! Yeah baby - swap is the best thing ever! I got rid of some stuff I don't use and in return, I got stuff that I have been interested in.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer in Sun Glow, Maybelline Smokey Eye Quad in Natural Smokes, Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Vegas Strips

Gotta say that I've found uses for everything. I have to say that I really like the mousse but again - it has shimmer and it doesn't last very long. However, you do get a very nice bronzy glow!! The Natural Smokes quad - lid color is not as pigmented as I would've liked but it is still a really pretty color! I wore this last night. I used it on my sister for her **FIRST DANCE**. Very nice. I'd recommend this quad but wish it was a bit better. And finally, I really enjoy the shimmer strips. It's a fun product to have to get that nice glow! I really like it. I don't like glitter but this is more of a fine shimmer and I just really enjoy it! VERY PIGMENTED! You don't need a lot at all.

So, those are my thoughts right now. I've had this for a few weeks and have been just testing everything out. I think more in depth reviews are coming soon.

I just want to add to my older post: EYE PRIMERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT! I decided to not wear normal eye primer one day (I used the ELF Shimmer Facial Whip as a base b/c I heard it really worked for some people) and my shadows creased sooo much! It was disgusting. I also forgot to put on primer a few days ago and that faded too. So boys and girls - learn your lesson: eye primers make HUGE difference!! I think I will spend the $17 for them.

Sorry, random FOTD b/c I probably won't write for a while! Finals are coming!

It's Your Turn, Maybelline!

2010-04-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I have written 2 similar posts like this explaining my 3 favorites, 3 unsures, and 3 dislikes from a brand. This time, it is Maybelline's turn: DUN DUN DUN! *dramatic music*

3 FAVORITES

1) Full N' Soft Mascara - Okay, this is a fantastic mascara for everyday-natural look. Your lashes look fatter and longer but to a very organic extent. Which means that you will have really pretty defined lashes but people won't look at you and say - AH HAH - MASCARA! People will look into your eyes and think: Darn, she is just naturally GORGEOUS :D - and that is the compliment we all want. RIGHT ladies? But think - this is AMAZING as a mascara primer too! I used it today just to separate and lengthen my lashes. Then I go over it w/ my CG mascara and WOW really really pretty. REALLY REALLY FAT and LONG lashes. Just good stuff. But honestly, using this on it's own is already perfect.

2) Eyeshadow Quad in Chai Latte - I know everybody says how much they love it... but do they? Or are they saying that because youtube gurus are saying it. Well, I personally enjoy this quad a lot! It's because when you are going for the natural look - yeah, this is gonna be great. Matte shadows are always awesome and these have great qualities too... but you can also go dramatic w/ it... ya know. I rarely use the gold though but once I did line my bottom lashline w/ it and it looked so cool. Anyways, if you are at the store and you're looking at Maybelline shadows... and you don't know which one you want - try Chai Latte - I think you'll be happy w/ it. Now, you won't be ECSTATIC; you won't be jumping up and down screaming "YES, I've finally got my hands on this heavenly object" - no, this is a pretty boring quad - I admit. But you'll use it :)

3) Dream Matte Powder - A great setting powder and really just a nice mattifying powder for oily skin out there. I have an oily T-zone in the summer and this really really helps w/ the shine. Although I did notice it got cakey on me during the winter time when I have dry skin... so do be aware of that. But I totally recommend this to people who can't stand their oily skin. Really good setting powder too.

3 UNSURES

1) Mineral Blush in True Peach - This is actually a really really pretty blush... and it is matte and it looks gorgeously beautiful and natural. This is my mom's HG blush - she will not use anything else!! I just don't like it for the mess and the fact that I find it hard to apply sometimes because it is really pigmented. Sometimes I accidently get too much... THING IS - this is a really pretty shade... so ignore me - this is my problem - you guys go and try this out.

2) Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Rum Raisin - Another pretty shade... but a darker shade. More dark like reddish color so be aware of that. I got this because I wanted a color I didn't have before. This is really great. I just don't like that it has a bit of glitter in it and once the lipstick goes away, the glitter remains. It also travels and ends up around my mouth too. But that is pretty much it. I enjoy wearing this during the winter time. Has SPF 15 - GREAT stuff! I guess, again, my problem. I'm sure some of you would LOVE this lipstick.

3) Eyeshadow Single in Beach Blush - One of my favorite shadows EVER! I feel like it brings out my eyes. The only thing I don't like is the pigmentation. It isn't as pigmented as I would've liked. Texture is not amazing either... but I will continue to use this. Again, I'm sure there are people out there who would love this stuff!

3 DISLIKES

1) Eyeshadow Trio in Berriful - The color in the pan is pretty... but.... GLITTER! equals FALL OUTS and I don't like that. The darker purple makes my eyes look like they are swollen... it is not my kinda color I guess. The mid one isn't so bad but the pigmentation is horrible. Overall, this trio has been sitting in my drawer for a long time now and I just haven't used it at all...

2) Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal - I think that's the name. I could be wrong. Okay, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the texture but I HATE HATE HATE the golden glitter in this. It is just way tooo glittery and I don't like that. I love the color - I think it gives me a nice and natural flush but the gold flecks just annoy me. I only like to use glittery/light reflecting particles as high lights and not blush... so this blush disappointed me in that way. I do pull it out to use it sometimes - when I'm going out at night :) I might try another mousse blush just because I love the texture and finish. Although I don't think it lasts very long on the face...

3) Express Finish in Eternal Blossom - Okay, I am pretty sure I made that name up... ha ha but the color is pretty accurate. I hate it because it takes 3 coats to get a decent color. And the color is very pretty - I have it on my toes right now. But without a base/top coat - this thing lasts 1 day. ONE DAY! What? Also, I don't like to have to wait for my nail polishes to dry and w/ 3 coats - I'm sure it takes at least 1 hour to dry. I don't have that kinda time. I could the the Seche Vite top coat but I don't feel like my polish stay on as long w/ that top coat than the one I'm using right now - Sally Hansen's.

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As you can see - a lot of these products are not exactly clear cut. I love most of them but they have their annoying qualities. It was actually kinda hard for me to choose... but there it is.

I hope you guys find this useful!!

Thanks for reading :D

Not So Great Review

2010-04-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

Even though I am pretty tan myself, at one point, I thought about trying out a sunless tanner. The story is that I had skin issues on my legs - it was pretty bad - so I had to use different topical creams to help heal my legs. As a result, my legs don't really have an even skin tone... and I wanted to kinda even it out. Plus, I didn't wear a lot of shorts/skirts/dress because well... my skin was healing. I didn't want the entire world to see them. Pretty sure this was a genetic thing (my mom said she had it when she was younger too) and triggered by major stress in my Junior year of high school.

So, let me just get to this product:

Jergens Natural Glow - Medium

It is a gradual tanner and it says that it will give you a tan within one week! Yes, so you would apply this as much as you want and the frequency of your application is proportional to the rate of your tan. WOW - that was a lot of science talk there... got that out of my system. So for me, I wanted quick results (ha ha, I can really impatient sometimes), I would apply this after the shower and before school. I would say this did give me a tan after a week of doing so and it wasn't a bad tan either.

I've seen tans that are ORANGE and thankfully this wasn't that bad. However, on my skin, I do detect a tint of orange... which I don't really appreciate. But it wasn't so noticeable for other people - it was only just me since I do observe my legs a lot during that time.

I mean, I think as far as a tanner go - this is pretty decent. I would definitely recommend this to you...

NOW - I stopped using it when I decided that I can't really even out my skin tone with this and thus, YES you guessed it, the gradual fading began! It's not that bad but it is kinda gross... sometimes. I do notice part of my legs would have PATCHES of the tanner fading. So it'll be my leg and then some parts will be lighter just because the tanner is being rubbed off....

So... BE CAREFUL with this!!! Although - disclaimer - this was my first time using a sunless tanner so I might've made some beginners mistake or something.

I use this now just as a moisturizer. I do detect a bit of shimmer (nothing crazy... but there are particles in here) in this so it is kinda nice to put this on if I do decide to show off my legs. I don't use this everyday but I have sorta been using it again and perhaps that might be why my legs are sorta tan. So I think I recommend using it really gradually - not twice a day like me... and you'll have a really nice and natural look.

** Oh and my legs have gotten a lot better. It still has scars and discoloration but after my ordeal, I don't really care. As long as they are healthy I am happy. And I have gained back my confidence in showing my legs in public again. I mean, I went to Hawaii for goodness sakes! I had to wear a bathing suit.

Now, here is the really really really weird thing about this lotion. THE SMELL - okay here's the story:

So I'd put this on every night before I go to bed for a few weeks during couple of summers ago. One night, I was too lazy to put it on and I got in bed and I thought... what am I missing??? Oh the lotion! I actually think the smell is really nice and comforting... a great smell before bed. WEIRD huh....

So yeah, I don't know if this was a good review or not. I would really recommend you to try this out if you are curious - not too bad $7-9. You do get results and I don't think they're horrible results either.

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Do you have any summer must-haves that you recommend for me??