Tag Archives: lipstick

May7

Buying Stuff: Episode 25

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Dianna

I’m addicted to following manicured nail pictures on Instagram. But not just any manicure – I only want to look at perfect ones with square cut nails and tidy cuticles. They soothe my soul like nothing else. Or like a Xanax maybe. And because of this new found insanity, I have become inspired to paint my nails more often. Like I want to be one of those girls with perfect square cut nails and tidy cuticles. I want to soak my fingers in a bowl of warm olive oil too. I want someone to suck all the fat out of my thighs. That last one has nothing to do with a manicure, but if someone could get that arranged, that’d be great.

I bought stuff! Let’s look:

Picked up this Besame Brightening Violet Powder because of its adorable 50s-era packaging. It literally looks as if it walked right off the pages of an old Avon catalog. Precious! Back when I bought it, Sephora just started carrying the brand and this was the single solitary item it offered. Now they have two other versions of the powder. The idea behind the violet one is that it will brighten up sallow skin – and it may simply be psychological brain trickery for all I know – but I’d swear it does just that. The violet tone is translucent but lends a skosh of something special. It will never appear obviously powdered, but you’ll know it’s there. Everyone else will assume you had a face lift.

One look and you’ll know why I got this:

It’s the Sigma Lip Switch in the shade Flip Flop and it’s pretty much the raddest thing you’ve ever seen. Check out that magical iridescence! It gives me heart eyes immediately. But of course something this awesome can never live up to expectations because that is how my life works. Cuz once it’s applied to the lips, it pretty much disappears. It’s glossy, yes, but if you want that vibrant orange/gold/pinky shift, you will have to look elsewhere. You get it faintly at best.

I have seen some Instagram pics where people would wear black or navy lipstick and then apply these holo lipglosses and the iridescence shows up much better. But ask me how many times I’ve worn black lipstick. I could count on one hand the number of times. Actually if I had ZERO hands, I could still count the number of times. Basically what I’m saying is for now I wear this as a sheer lipgloss over my coral or orange lipsticks. It serves a purpose. Not a very special one, but there ya go.

Not one to be left off the bandwagon, I bought this along with 97.95764% of the rest of the world:

It’s the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (in the light/medium version), a product I didn’t really need much less know how to use but I bought anyway because if it’s a bestseller, I WANT IT. Same goes for pretty much anything else in life. Your Oscar-nominated movie is spoken entirely in French and with no subtitles? No problem! Your Pulitzer Prize-winning book is a 700-page diatribe set in war-torn Prussia in the 17th century and most likely to cause eye spasms and involuntary napping? GIMME. I just refuse to not be in the know. But also, I can obsess like it’s my damn job. I couldn’t have walked away from this highly talked about product even if I had my feet on backwards. You cannot deny this kind of magnetism. The struggle is REAL.

So now that I have it, I’ve been making myself use it. And I’m really trying, I swear. I contour, I bronze, I highlight and set my under eye. But I haven’t been that impressed. I mean, it’s not a bad palette, but I don’t feel the need to hoard it or protect it with my life (cuz I will cut you over a couple of my foundations, so I know it’s possible). The highlight (shimmery) shade is really pretty, but all the rest for me are take its or leave its. However, I OWN THE DANG THING, and that’s what’s most important anyway.

How about something pretty:

I die! It’s the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipstick in Coachella Coral and it is summer in a tube. It’s has a delicious, creamy formula, stunning color, and decent longevity. Even smells good. What’s not to love? Okay, maybe the $32 price tag. But it’s just so pretty. I was helpless, I admit. Plus, if you never use it and just pull it out of your purse when people walk by, then it’ll last forever. And really, isn’t that the point of designer makeup – to see and be seen? Obviously yes.

Another hyped up product by YouTube:

I was able to resist buying the Gerard Cosmetics BB Plus Illumination Cream until I watched this stupid/amazing makeup tutorial and decided I had to have it about 2.5 seconds later. Well, you know how it is. If I even think there’s one iota of a chance I can have flawless, beautiful skin just like in the video, then it could be dog poo in a jar but I’m all over it anyway. Please and thank you.

So about this stuff. It’s pure liquid gold. Seriously. You put it all over your face and holy moly, you shine like brand new money. Apply your foundation on top and then sit back to enjoy the view. It has such a stunning effect. Foundation looks more flawless. There is a radiance that is subtle but noticeable. No shimmer, just glow. Ugh, I love it. You can also use it alone if you want to dab some on your cheekbones or shoulders. Or you can do a drop mixed with your moisturizer or foundation for something lighter. Whichever way you go with it, you’re bound to love it.

Pointless Makeup Product #272:

It’s the YSL Tint in Oil, and if you just went Tint in Oil?! then we are best friends and you can continue reading this blog. It sounds really fascinating except that it’s not. It’s just a lip oil so we can all just go sit back down. There is nothing to see here.

But if you must know. I got mine in the shade Drive Me Copper. As you can see from the swatch, it’s not very coppery. Nor is it very any other color. It’s a tint – I get that – but you can literally swatch it next to the other colors in the line and wouldn’t be able to tell a difference between any of them. However, I can say a couple of good things about the product because I like to make an effort sometimes. It’s slick and shiny, so it would make a nice glossy topper for any lip color. It has a sticky factor of zero. And when worn alone it feels nice and comforting. But if you’re expecting something special in terms of a product with actual copper color (or any color), this one gets a big o raspberry.

And then there was this:

I hit pan on my teeny tiny Bare Minerals Touch-Up Veil setting powder, and it sent me into a panic. International Powder Crisis and whatnot. You know how it goes. So I immediately went in search of another setting powder that I could store in my purse and apply at work after I do my mid-afternoon blotting. The Bare Minerals one is matte, which is all well and good, but I wanted to try something different. A glow powder. And what better way to do it than with the Too Faced Candlelight Powder.

I’m not very good at glow powder. Either that or I expected more than I should. Cuz I didn’t get that “lit from within” candlelight glow I was thinking I’d get. Instead, I got glitter and sparkle. I’m too old for glitter and sparkle. I had read reviews prior to purchasing, and let’s just say SHUT UP with your soft-focus, your illuminates complexion, and your inspired by actual candlelight cuz none of those things happened and my heart is broken. It claims to be absolutely invisible, and while it is translucent, there is definite shimmer on your face. Okay, okay, it’s not out at the club shimmer, but still. I’m gonna keep playing around with it. Maybe it’ll grow on me. I mean, most people like this powder. They’re probably all 14-year-olds, but yes, most reviews are favorable.

Last product in the haul:

Sometimes I buy things for the sake of buying something. Take the It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Palette for instance. I hadn’t heard much about it. But I walked into Ulta without an agenda, had nothing in my shopping bag for five minutes too long, and I started to get anxiety. What if I didn’t find anything? I couldn’t leave Ulta emptyhanded. That’s blasphemy as far as I’m concerned. So picking this palette up was an act of desperation at the very least. However, I would find it useful especially when traveling since it’s basically three products in one.

My favorite is the blush. It’s a very pretty pink with a touch of coral and looks very flattering with my skintone. The powder is just okay. It pulls slightly pink on me so I don’t love it, although if it came down to packing an extra powder compact or saving space with this 3-in-1, I’d do the 3-in-1. That’s not lazy, that’s practical – and we all know how practical I can be. Finally, the bronzer. Looks very dark in the pan, but it does not apply that dark. It’s matte and has a bit of a reddish undertone – in my opinion; deciphering undertones is not my strong suit. However, it’s not my favorite bronzer. It’s not bad, mind you, but I never want to use this palette primarily because of the bronzer.

Well, that’s what I get for not doing my research before stepping foot inside an Ulta. It could’ve been worse though – I distinctly remember having an ice blue eyeshadow rollerball in my bag as well. I kindly put that back on the shelf. Anxiety is a REAL DISEASE – as you can clearly see.

Time for night night. Thanks for continually reading my blog. I love all my people. Internet hugs for everyone. Well, just the cute ones. Bye!

Jan28

Buying Stuff: Episode 24

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Dianna

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I feel like I haven’t done a Buying Stuff post in light years. But trust me when I say there’s been stuff being bought, like an embarrassing amount. I mean, if there’s a day that goes by without a UPS box sitting on my porch, someone needs to call the authorities cuz a crime has happened in my neighborhood.

So let’s get started. After wasting miles and miles of toilet paper, I finally decided to do this:

It’s the Vera Mona Color Switch Solo and you can wipe the eyeshadow off your brushes with it and simultaneously save the planet. It truly is a magical little tool. And handy too – sometimes I just don’t have the time to root around in my brush cup looking for something particular. I just take the brush I was already using, swipe the bristles around the mesh trap and voila! Clean brush to use again. It’s the lazy person’s (i.e., ME) best friend.

And because you’ll be saving billions of trees in the process, you can pat yourself on the back with a Sephora gift card. There, doesn’t that feel good?

Wanna see something pretty? Look below:

Can you stand it? Ugh. It’s the Chanel Camelia de Plumes highlighter and it’s too pretty to actually use. Like literally I’ve used it maybe 4 or 5 times then felt really guilty about it so I’ve put it away. It’s practically an art piece with all that leafy design on top (technical term, obviously). It is a limited edition and probably not even available anymore except on Amazon or eBay. But I wanted to show you anyway because it’s simply too lovely not to share. The color is a glorious mix of silver and gold, and if you don’t feel like a queen when holding/using/owning this, then you’re doing life wrong.

Now wanna see something ugly? Look below:

I know, right? It’s the Marc Jacobs nail polish in Lux (a chartreuse yellow), and it’s so verging on hideous that it’s practically cool. You know how male models can walk down the runway with a fanny pack on, and all of sudden you need a fanny pack like nobody’s business? Well, it’s that kind of cool. Except sadly my fanny pack would be less Chanel embossed leather and more Target-nylon-from-the-camping-aisle. But still.

Anyway, this color caught my eye because of it’s rare ugliness. Y’all know I don’t like nail polish. I barely buy it and wearing it from one week to the next is a crapshoot. So the lone fact that I bought nail polish and in THIS color speaks a thousand words. I absolutely loved it. It’s the most unique thing in my (albeit small) nail polish collection, and I don’t regret buying it for a second.

Then I bought this darling thing:

Is this too much beauty in one post for you? Everyone doing okay – heart rates behaving normally? Cuz this Tom Ford blush in Love Lust about gives me palpitations. If you’ve heard from other (more knowledgeable) people that Tom Ford blushes are beautiful and worth it – believe them. Highly pigmented, natural looking and luminous. It’s what cherub cheeks are made of. And if I have an extra $57 laying around, I’m buying me another one. However, how often does an extra $57 lay around at my house? Not very. I write a beauty blog. I’m not sure what else you expect.

The below happened because Nordstrom couldn’t just SHUT UP about their damn mascara coupon:

It was a Buy 2 Get 1 Free coupon, and I literally could not NOT take advantage. Who doesn’t want something for free? (Crazy people.) And if I don’t cash in on it, what does that say about me as a person other than being really, really bad at math? Cuz free is free, even if you have to spend $60 to get it.

First one is the Trish McEvoy Lash Curling mascara. I wanted to give this one a try since I didn’t own any Trish McEvoy products, and even though you might assume I own all the products of all time everywhere, sadly that isn’t the case. I mean, I am currently on my journey to own all the things but it’s going to take a lifetime at the very least. That’s okay though. Why be obsessed if you can’t do it proper?

But back to the mascara. This is one of those tubing mascaras, the kind that forms little tubes around your eyelashes. I’ll be honest when I say what is the point of tubing technology? Does it make things more voluminous? Or make your eyelashes touch your eyebrows? Well, not for me it doesn’t. It was just an okay find for me. It does remove very easily, so the fact I don’t lose eyelashes in the process is enough motivation to make me use this product.

The Dolce & Gabbana Secret Eyes mascara fared better. It is a lengthening version and it does alright. I mean, don’t go expecting falsie-status or anything, but I don’t think you’ll hate it. However, mascara is such a personal thing – one works for one doesn’t work for another. Although if you tell me you don’t enjoy the YSL Babydoll mascara or the Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes one, then obviously you are WRONG. But other than those two, I get it.

So this one gives decent length, separates and fans out lashes, but to get volume you’re gonna have to swipe on about 3 coats. Luckily this didn’t cause a clumping fiasco otherwise I’d have to trade my morning Starbucks run with pushing a stick pin between my lashes and manually, tediously separating them. Risking the safety of my eyeball isn’t always the best idea at 6:30 in the morning. But then again, nothing sounds particularly awesome at 6:30 in the morning. Aside from that, don’t make me choose between eyelashes and Starbucks. What is the point of the Constitution if I can’t have both? I ask you: WHAT. IS. THE. POINT.

My favorite of the three is the Burberry Curve Lash. It takes the least amount of effort to make an impact. The brush is small and does a pretty good job of volumizing. Length is about standard, but I’ve come to the conclusion that fat lashes are better than tall ones anyway. I wouldn’t say it curls them any better than other mascaras, but what do I want in a $30 mascara – a fecking miracle? (Yes.)

Last thing I bought are the Gerard Cosmetics Jaclyn Hill lip thingies:

If you don’t know who Jaclyn Hill is, it’s clear you don’t spend enough time on YouTube watching makeup tutorials, which in that case I can only assume your life is much more exciting than mine. I mean, I’ve been reading the same 200-page book for roughly 3 months now because I keep using all my free time on YouTube. I should really have more responsibilities in life. If it wasn’t for the fact I have a full time job, I’d probably be winning in the Couch Pajamas Olympics event (but failing at the Cheetos-slash-Little Debbie Cake Resistance Program).

Well anyway – Jaclyn Hill. She is a very popular makeup artist on YouTube and she has teamed up with Gerard Cosmetics to develop her own colors of lip gloss and lipstick. I already own one of her lip glosses (called Rose Hill, a beautiful rosy pink) so this lip gloss in Buttercream and these lipsticks in 1995 (brown) and Buttercup (pink) complete the collection. I absolutely love these products. The lip glosses are very pigmented, which I prefer in a lip gloss. Super shiny, not terribly sticky (or not annoyingly sticky). If I had to pick my least favorite, though, it would be the 1995 lipstick. It’s very much a Kylie Jenner-esque shade and I don’t always think it looks good on me. But it looks good on loads of other people. Which happens to me a lot with lipstick. Skin tone can be such a bitch sometime.

Welp, that’s it for today. I have two box reviews to finish out the month and if my math is correct, I should be able to fit them in with one day to spare. If I can be a proper blogger and focus my attentions, that is. I get very distracted by lounging.

Bye!

Nov19

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Dianna

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Current status: still freezing. But thanks for checking. I’ll just be over here wearing socks with my heels, sitting on a heating pad, holding my hand around my nose to keep it warm. Or, looking like an idiot, as it is commonly known.

Gratefully, the weather is supposed to get warmer in the next few days, so perhaps my pouting and whining will calm down a bit. Until the next polar vortex that makes it way through, that is. Me and Winter? We ARE. NOT. friends.

In brighter news, I bought stuff:

A little mini Inglot haul! I picked up a lip paint in shade 59 (in the purple family), a gel eyeliner in shade 82 (also in the purple family; kind of a dark periwinkle), and a pigment in shade 56 (a teal). I have decided that I love Inglot so much. The gel eyeliners are the creamiest and best I’ve ever used. They don’t set for 60 seconds, which works fantastically for me because I am never satisfied with my line on the first swipe. In fact, I need a good 20 minutes – but I’ll accept 60 seconds. I challenge you to buy one of these and then disagree with me. It’s impossible I tell you; they’re amazing. And if you think otherwise, well then you are WRONG. There’s no other way to put it.

I adore the pigments. I reviewed them in my Vegas haul if you’ll recall (and if you don’t, click here), and I still feel very much the same. They are stunning, vibrant, and beautiful. I now own four, and that’s a far cry from the zero amount I’ve owned in the past (i.e., my entire life) (i.e., forty years if you’re counting).

I’ve only purchased this one lip paint, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a lipstick or a lip gloss. It’s a very pretty color, but it sheers out somewhat on the lips which makes me think it’s a gloss. But it’s not really sticky. It’s creamy, but not thick. Either way, though, I like it and I might end up buying some more.

More fun with purple. See below:

This is the Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quad in Glamour Muse. I am so happy that Charlotte Tilbury is now being sold in the U.S. I don’t even know why, as I hadn’t even heard of her until someone on YouTube mentioned her one time. I’m gonna say it’s most likely cuz I wasn’t able to purchase her products that made me want to buy her products. Don’t tell me I can’t have something. That creates a panic in me so fierce that I could probably bend steel rods with sheer OCD force or something. Which I suppose is pretty genius marketing on their part. And also how I ended up with this quad.

Okay, I’m torn about it. At first glance, it’s super pretty. The sparkle is just right. But I bought this because I wanted something PURPLE not just purple. And the vibrant looking shade does not transfer that well onto your eyeball. How unfortunate, for me and for all of the world. Now, if you like a more subtle purple, by all means buy this quad with confidence. Do not be afraid. It will probably most likely be the perfect purple for you.

On a happier note, the longer I wore it (and the more often I stared at myself), the more I actually started to enjoy the eye look. So it turned out alright in the end. It just wasn’t what I was expecting in the beginning, that’s all.

And then! I bought this:

I love having a Color IQ number with Sephora because it tells me when new foundations come out that will match my skin tone. If you haven’t gotten your Color IQ done, I’m pretty sure you’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident, cuz anyone who’s everyone who loves makeup is (or should be) doing this. If you like taking out guesswork, making shopping easy, buying foundation from the comfort of your home without fear and while wearing pajamas, that is.

So here is the Dior Diorskin Star foundation in 32 Rosy Beige. For me, this is a really nice product. It’s pretty lightweight, probably about a medium coverage. Has a nice finish – not matte but not luminous – somewhere in between. It claims to be brightening, which I didn’t really catch, but that might have more to do with my horrid complexion to start with. That’s the problem with a lot of supposedly nice foundations. You can’t put them on top of skin like mine and expect fabulous – it just doesn’t happen very often. So, yeah, I wasn’t wowed or anything. It didn’t knock my socks off. It didn’t make me feel supermodelly (like the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection or Givenchy Photo’Perfexion does). So this foundation will be in my second tier – a high quality, better than average, no IT factor foundation.

I bought a brush:

A Wayne Goss #7 lip brush to be exact. I bought this to go with the Inglot lip paint, as I didn’t feel like going all hillbilly fingers into the pot. We use brushes like refined ladies in here, people. Or else.

What can I really say about a lip brush other than it applies lip stuff? Not much. But I will say the edges are very thin, so if you’re really good at using a lip brush I’d think this one would do a pretty good job for you. Other uses of this brush include gel or powder eyeliner application. I tried the gel version, and you know what? I really suck at gel eyeliner. But others who don’t suck might find this brush a dream. It has somewhat stiff bristles so they don’t go flopping all over the place and allows for some nice precision.

Look at this beauty:

This is the Marc Jacobs Sky-Liner Highliner gel eye crayons kit. Let me preface this by saying this kit is a limited edition. However, the eyeliners themselves are not, so even if it’s 17 months into the future and you are reading this blog, this review should still apply. Unless Marc Jacobs goes out of business, so in that case, kindly carry on.

I love these eyeliners. They are very creamy and easy to apply. The shimmer is beautiful. They last for a very long time on the upper eyelid or below the lower eyelashes. On my waterline, though, they did not last as long. Kind of went patchy in the afternoon. But I have very wet eyeballs so that’s probably the reason. I’ve yet to find an eyeliner with hardcore staying power – the Sumita Beauty one comes the closest, but I’m still on my mission. Regardless, though, these are some pretty, good quality liners and you should go ahead and throw them in your basket.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy the travel size of this item:

It’s the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, and if you try it once you will fall madly in love, then wrestle with your conscience regarding the $105 full-size price. Or you can ignore yourself like I usually do. It’s your risk to take. But I swear, I have no idea what this stuff is made of – okay I do; it’s made of thermal mud from the Hungarian Moors – but it’s truly magical. Has an odd little smell verging on licorice, but I’m most likely conjuring licorice due to its black color. Anyway, I use a very small amount and apply it all over my face. The texture is soothing, soft, velvety smooth. Wiping it off is even better cuz then you are left with the skin of a baby’s bottom. At this point, you’re under its spell and your shopping hand starts to get itchy. Also, it removes makeup very well, but that’s beside the point now isn’t it?

I have since bought an Omorovicza travel kit that includes another jar of this balm. I’m hoping by the time I’m done with both jars, my fascination will have been satisfied and I will no longer feel the pull of buying the full size. Because honestly, I don’t WANT to pay that much for a cleanser. Although, I suppose I will if I won’t leave myself alone about it. I can be soooo super annoying sometimes.

If you like colorful eyeshadows, you should buy this:

Ack! I die. This Urban Decay Vice 3 palette is just lovely. That gorgeous green on the top row is what caught my eye initially. And the golds and purples. There are hearts in my eyes right now. I had no issues with pigmentation or blendability. Fallout was pretty minimal if at all. And it comes in a cutesy little iPad case to help make your shopping decision even easier.

So many stunning looks can come out of this palette. My favorite (other than the green of course) is using Lucky – which is the color of a new penny – all over the lid, then adding Alchemy – a bold raspberry – in the outer v. Of course, I’m sure some makeup artist could do it even better, but I was pretty proud of my invention. Pretty sure Urban Decay is about to call me. Or Vogue.

Behold, look what else:

Is your mouth hanging open? Mine is. It’s the new Gucci makeup, specifically the eyeshadow duo in Fume. It’s shockingly beautiful, very luxurious, fancy schmancy, and ooh la la. Practically too pretty to even use, what with all those little Gs stamped into the shadow. However, I did use it – just once so far – and lemme just say that sometimes I question my own makeup skills. How could something this lovely not turn out even more lovely once applied? There was more pigmentation in the pan than on the eye. What did I do wrong? I suppose I could’ve wet my brush first to see if that made it better, but putting something wet into something dry gives me anxiety, like there’s a never-turning-back event about to happen, and it stops me from doing it. That’s most likely the #1 reason I hate washing my hair. Which has nothing to do with this eyeshadow, but still.

I’ll keep playing with it. I’m determined to not give up. I’ll do it for my people (that’s you), so you will continue reading (and loving) this blog.

We’re at the end. You’ve made it. Now wasn’t that fun? Be sure to come back again and again cuz I write updates all the time. You won’t want to miss out on anything. Trust me.

Oct31

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Dianna

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Who makes the decision to repave the street in front of my house on Halloween? And then tells us we have to park our cars elsewhere until it dries? How am I supposed to get home? There’s only one way in and one way out of my neighborhood, so it looks like I be walking through fields, barefoot and in 10 feet of snow. Blah.

But most importantly, how is FedEx supposed to deliver my four Sephora orders today? I mean, you know that’s the part that’s really killing me right?

Anyway, my long awaited Las Vegas haul has arrived. Thanks for your patience while I went on vacation for three weekends in a row. But just look at what you’ve waited for:

This is the NARS Audacious lipstick in the shade Dominique, and it almost didn’t happen. I was watching a YouTube video several weeks prior to Vegas, and one of my gurus was going on and on about how fabulous this particular shade of lipstick is. It’s a muted purple – or a purple mixed with a skosh of grey – or it’s just very pretty. Any of those three. And so I went to buy it but nobody had it. Apparently, it’s an exclusive shade for Barney’s New York (aside from NARS) and it was sold out in both places online. Aack! This created a panic in me like nobody’s business. I mean, I don’t live in a big city. The fanciest store we have is a Macy’s, and not even a two-story one. How am I ever going to get my hands on this lipstick then?

You go to Vegas.

Wandering through the Forum Shops inside Caesar’s Palace, and I almost missed it. Gawking off to my right while passing the NARS store on the left. Thankfully I turned my head just in time. It’s so funny going into a store where the salesladies start gearing up for their spiel, and I’m holding my hand up like shuushhhhhh. I already know what I’m looking for; I’m a woman on a mission.

Turns out, they had three tubes left. And then the heavens opened up and angels began to sing. It truly was a miracle moment. I might as well have stumbled upon the last Golden Ticket, or maybe the cup that Jesus drank out of, for how exciting and miraculous this was.

If you like creamy, pigmented lipstick then you will love these. There are a ton of colors that are widely available on lots of sites, Sephora included. I just can’t guarantee you’ll find Dominique. Which is unfortunate because it’s the most beautiful. You’re welcome for the rave review anyway.

You know how when you’re in Vegas, money doesn’t feel like actual money? As in, your $100 blackjack money is traded for a stack of chips, which might as well be Monopoly chips considering how quickly and recklessly they are lost. Well, that’s what happened when I did this:

It’s Cle de Peau. I ain’t even going to tell you what these two things cost because it is the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard. But VACATION. What other excuse do I have?

I walked into the Barney’s at the Palazzo just to “see” which my husband should know is international sign language for an Impending Shopping Event. Cuz nobody goes to just “see.” They go to shop on accident. It sounds less purposeful that way, and whatever ensues afterward is “not my fault.”

Browsed for literally half a second when I bagged this shimmery eyeshadow quad in #308. Oh, lawd, the purples! Had to have it, even though the eyeshadow and compact are sold separately. Honestly, that’s a horrible thing to do to someone isn’t it? Thinking they’re getting a whole complete thing, but turns out the very important holder portion is missing. Do I buy soda at a restaurant and they bring it to me without the holder? How about a hot dog – you expect the bun too, right? Of course you do, cuz this is America and you have a right to get a bun with your hot dog.

I rest my case.

Anyway, I bought both the eyeshadow and compact.

And then the saleslady has the audacity to suggest their award-winning concealer. As she is applying it on my undereye, she is telling me how it’s the Concealer to the Stars (i.e., Kim Kardashian) and OMG, it looks so amazing! Well, you can’t do either of those things PLUS win beauty awards and not expect me to buy it. I mean, I am no superhuman.

For those curious, I picked the shade Beige which looks pretty good. The formula is like a cream-to-powder and works best if you have moisturized first. It covers dark circles nicely but not completely – so don’t be expecting no miracle despite the fact it costs a fortune. Unless you have the undereye of a 14-year-old that is.

Had to pop into Sephora because I know the Vegas one will sell wayyyyy more brands than the one in my hometown. That’s the only thing I was interested in – products that are’t readily available to me. So here’s what I got:

Okay, the Marc Jacobs O!Mega mascara was a freebie and I do have access to this at home. But I traded in 100 Sephora points cuz I was curious. This turned out to be one of the best makeup decisions I’ve ever made. I absolutely LOVE this mascara. It fans out my lashes, fattens them up and lengthens them so beautifully. This may be my favorite, although it’s hard to top my Charlotte Tilbury.

I know mascara is very personal because what works for one may not work for another. We all have different eyelashes. Mine are sparse, thin and itty bitty. And what the O!Mega does for me is nothing short of awesome. It has size-increasing ingredients in it, and I highly highly highly recommend.

Next thing I picked up is the Dior Capture Totale makeup base (primer). Again, I have access to Dior where I live. I suppose you could say I got a little sidetracked inside Sephora. Var var easy to do as I’m sure you know. Time isn’t even a real thing once you step inside. I don’t even know why I got this because certainly I didn’t need yet another foundation primer? (If you considered that an actual question, you might’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident.)

This primer has a lot of skincare in it, with anti-aging ingredients and UV protection. It’s pinkish white tint actually brightens my face up a bit when I use it, which I kind of like. I don’t have much more of an opinion at this point because I’ve only used it a handful of times. It doesn’t spread really well over dry skin – I had to pat it on instead of smooth it on – so if you don’t have combo skin at the minimum, ask Sephora for a sample first before spending real money on it. Of course, I bought it practically sight unseen cuz in Vegas there is no such thing as real money.

Finally I get around to the brands I don’t have easy access to. Picked up the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill eyeshadow quad in #3 Pantelleria. I didn’t even know Sephora carried Giorgio Armani. I was actually able to get color matched to the Luminous Silk foundation, where I found the shade I own (5.5) is not the shade I should be wearing (5.25), and even though the one I own works just fine, the fact that it’s not my shade makes me want to spend another $60 to buy the right one. OCD is a real problem, as you can clearly see. Also, run-on sentences.

But back to the eye quad. It is truly beautiful. I wanted to pick colors that wasn’t my normal purple or green, and I just love the teal. Very smooth application, easy to blend. I’m really happy I bought this. It’s one of the best luxury eye quads I’ve ever purchased.

Then I saw the Givenchy Photo’Perfexion Fluid Foundation and quickly decided the 39 foundations I own is not enough. At this point it had nothing to do with the foundation itself, but more the fact that I needed to own all the things. Got color matched to the shade Perfect Cinnamon, which surprised me for some reason. The word “cinnamon” does not evoke a light to medium skin tone in my mind, but it worked. Took it back to my hotel room and did a quick trial run. And was promptly amazed. The finish on this is extraordinary. Claims to do what digital retouching would do, and I would say that’s pretty close to accurate. Remember how splotchy and hideous my naked skin is? So yeah, you might wanna buy this. Out of 39 foundations, it’s in my top 3.

After all this shopping, I dragged my poor husband into one last place: the Inglot store. And here’s what happened:

In my defense, they had a couch there so he could sit and Facebook or play Fantasy Football or whatever it is that boys do. I decided to try out a couple of their pure pigment eyeshadows because I was mesmerized by seeing them in person. Swatched a few on my hand and was blown away by the intense color. I picked a purple/gold glitter and a burgundy. Both stunning. I’ve used these in real life situations since Vegas, and I’m in deep passionate love. I like to apply them as liner under my lower lashes, and you don’t know the true definition of “pop of color” until you’ve used an Inglot pigment. Plus, they’re like $14. Practically free!

The whole point of my Inglot visit, however, was to see their freedom system eyeshadows up close and personal. There’s no way I could create my customized eyeshadow palette by looking at thumbnail pictures online. It would be overwhelming at the very least. So, I chose the 10-pan palette and got to work. I did the responsible thing and selected a matte crease color and browbone color because every palette requires one. Then decided to create two quads – a orange/brown one and a purple/green one. The quality is very nice. I thought each shade was nicely pigmented and blended well. And the fact they are only $7 each – well, who’s gonna say no to that? (Crazy people.)

Remember how I turned 40 at the end of August and that we’ve been celebrating that fact for at least 2 months? Well, I made sure to remind my husband (lest he forget) that the whole point of Vegas was to go out with a bang. I mean, how many times do you turn 40 in your life? Two, three times, tops?

Well we were passing all these fancy stores – Gucci, Dior, Prada – and I kept jokingly asking what he was buying me. And I don’t know if he was just tired of hearing me or if he’d planned it all along, but oh my God, LOOK:

Happy 40th birthday to ME. Now if I can manage not to sit on these or leave them in a restaurant bathroom or something, that’s yet to be seen. I’ve never had a mishap with my $16 pair, but you know how you can totally hold your breath for 17 seconds until someone actually asks you to hold your breath for 17 seconds and then it’s nigh on impossible? I’m a little concerned about that.

Well, thanks guys for hanging out with me and for making it to the very end of this post. You rock, and if it weren’t for you, I’d be talking to myself and that’s A) weird and B) sad.

See you tomorrow!

Oct13

Buying Stuff: Episode 20

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Dianna

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I absolutely cannot wait to share my Las Vegas haul with you guys. The products I bought are what dreams are made of. Well, my dreams, that is. However, because I’ve been meaning to post some other products for several weeks now, I suppose I’ll do it first. So, presenting, THAT OTHER HAUL THAT ISN’T AS EXCITING. (But still awesome.)

I do love me some eyeshadow. I want to own every palette that’s ever been made. I’m addicted, I’m fully aware, but you should see it all. They are like my little eyeshadow children, and I love each and every one of them. These right here are no exception.

I would never guess I would love an $11 drugstore eyeshadow palette. But this Maybelline The Nudes one is awesome. Every color is wearable, blendable, colorful. It is, quite literally, one of my favorite palette purchases. Isn’t that strange that something so inexpensive – it was even on sale for $7 when I picked it up – could turn out to be more precious than my $50 palettes. Just goes to show you, luxury makeup doesn’t mean squat. Although you can forget I said that as soon as my Vegas haul is posted. Cuz money doesn’t seem like actual money when you’re in Vegas. I don’t make the rules, guys. It is what it is.

Aside from that, I recommend you pick up this palette. The concept is pretty cool because it’s strategically placed in pre-designed quads, trios and duos. So if you count in fours (two top, two bottom) that is considered your quad; if you count in threes (all top, then bottom), those are your trios; then count in twos (all top, then bottom), those are your duos. They make it super easy to put looks together. Of course, I rebel and mix all over the place, but that is what professionals do. I am a professional, just so we’re clear.

Another batch of really nice drugstore eyeshadows are the new Milani Bella Eyes. Even looking at them is pretty exciting – they look like little cookies that someone stuck their thumb in. Or maybe that’s just how I see them. In any case, I bought some neutral colors (shown above) because that’s all my local Walgreens carried. However, we got a brand new CVS, and you’d swear it was a Bloomingdale’s or something the way I was carrying on. I made a special trip clear across town to see what kind of makeup they carried. And wouldn’t you know it – the best Milani display I’ve ever seen. Hoards of different things in all the colors. So I picked up a couple more shadows because I really do like the texture. They call them gel powders, and I’m not even gonna pretend to know what that means, but the result is lovely. They blend into each other so naturally. If you haven’t given these a try, I recommend you grab a few.

And then I bought this thing:

It’s a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick highlighter in Beige. In case you’re wondering: YouTube made me do it.

Well, you know how it is. Someone goes on and on and on about something, you start to feel like you’re missing out on the secret to life. I caved and bought one to see for myself. And yes, it does have a very lovely sheen. It’s not over the top sparkly by any means. Sometimes when I use it, I almost feel like I didn’t put on enough, that’s how subtle it looks on me. It comes in several colors, like a bronze, a pink and something else (besides the beige), so perhaps if I had gotten a different one, it would show up more pronounced. Or more likely than not, I just don’t know how to apply highlighter properly. Because when I swipe my finger through it, the color is just stunning. On my cheeks, however – just barely. It’s not my most favorite highlighter I’ve ever used, lemme just say that. Until I figure out how to use it the right way, that is.

Here’s my very first MAC lipstick purchase:

I think I picked a pretty good one for scrolling through a bunch of thumbnail color swatches on the Internet. I chose the MAC frost lipstick in the color Fluid, and it’s a plum brown. Perfect for fall. And the frost finish of it reminds of my first lipstick purchase in 7th grade. I don’t know if that’s a compliment to the lipstick or not, but I like it regardless.

Aside from all that, Ebates had like an 8% cash back or something at Macy’s, and that’s the only reason I bought this lipstick. I make absolutely no sense, I’m quite aware.

Last part of the haul came about from a Birchbox email that enticed me with a 25% off coupon. They know what they’re doing. Oh yes they do.

Sometimes when you’re forced to shop, it can takes days to figure out what you want to buy. There was no way I was letting a good coupon go to waste. I mean, there are starving people in China, for chrissakes.

So after about 3 days, and realizing that I clearly need more responsibilities in life, I finally decided on the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 palette and brushes kit. Oh man! This was such a big surprise to me. Normally I don’t go for palettes that have almost all similar eyeshadow colors (in this case, pink), but I took a chance on this one and I absolutely love it. Every look I’ve done with it has been so pretty. Shadows are blendable and pigmented. Well worth wasting 3 days if you ask me.

As for the brushes, these are pretty decent quality. I got a large shadow brush, a crease brush and some kind of angled blender brush. I can’t think of a feasible use for that last one, but I did like the other two. The crease brush deposits a nice amount of color in the outer v, then blends it out real good. I’ll continue to use them. However, probably not that angled one.

And while I was getting 25% off, might as well buy something else to make it even more worth my while. Decided to go with the Origins GinZing moisturizer, a product I was really curious about. This is an energizing moisturizer, meant to be applied in the morning when you’re halfway asleep, brushing your teeth with your eyes closed. It has caffeine in it to wake up your skin, and it has a nice, refreshing citrus scent. It is very light, and leaves my skin feeling very soft. Not sure if it really peps me up or not, but I can brainwash myself into thinking so.

That’s it for today. October boxes are rolling in so I’ll have those coming up this week. Plus of course the most fabulous haul of all time. Stay tuned, y’all. You won’t wanna miss it.

Sep29

Birthday Haul: Part 3

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Dianna

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I would tell you my 40th birthday celebration is over, seeing that it was about 30 days ago and all, but it’s not. Nope, I can stretch a birthday out for dayyyyyys, so it’s Vegas all next week to commemorate this milestone like a proper lady. May or may not involve male dancers.

Just kidding. But it will definitely involve shopping. And my husband’s credit card. Weeeee!

See below for the last bit of damage with said credit card:

I love all of that. That = happiness to me. Did I need all of it? Is the sky blue? Don’t ask stupid questions. Let’s begin!

Cashed in 100 Sephora points for the tiny Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick in the shade Rose Dressing. Even despite it’s miniature stature, it comes housed in a black box to make you feel like a fancy lady. I’ll be honest when I say I didn’t even care what color the lipstick was; I just needed that box. You know, so I could apply lipstick in public like a damn professional.

Lucky for me, the lipstick isn’t a horrendous pink. It’s not fuchsia or magenta or anything loud like that. It’s nice. The formula is very creamy, kind of matte but reflects a bit of light. I’d buy a full-size. Not because the full-size comes in a leather tube. But probably.

And of course I can’t sit around listening to every beauty guru on YouTube sing the praises of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, and then somehow not go buy it. I bought mine in the same NW20 shade that is my foundation as I felt that makes the most sense. The coverage on it is really, really good. I’d say a healthy medium at the least. I don’t have massive dark circles, but I don’t have the undereye of a 14-year-old either (sadly). This concealer brightens me up and makes me look awake and fresh. A little goes a long way, however, so don’t overdo it. Unless you like cakey. Cakey, not cake, cuz that’s two different things and cakey is bad while cake is fantastic. And now I would like a piece of cake, so what was I saying?

Oh yes. I am happy I got this concealer.

Picked up a tube of the Lust for Lacquer lipgloss by Marc Jacobs. I chose the shade Shooting Stars because it seemed like a neutral but not a nude, which tends to wash me out. Also it is a full coverage gloss instead of a sheer, which is what I prefer. What is the point of sheer gloss I ask you? Anyone? Anyone? No, no one knows the point. Unless you are a 10 year old playing in your mommy’s makeup, no one knows the point.

But, back to the issue. I really like this lipgloss. It’s very shiny and the color is beautiful. The only issue is when the gloss starts to wear off, it leaves behind pieces of glitter on your lips. It’s not the worst thing could happen, but just wanted you to be aware. It doesn’t go away gracefully.

Another lipgloss found its way into my basket – this time in the form of the Hourglass Extreme Sheen in the color Siren. I didn’t even know if I wanted another lipgloss, but this vibrant red orange caught my eye. I swatched it and knew immediately I had to have it. It’s the color of fire, or a maple tree in the fall, or the sun as it nears the edge of the Earth. I’m not kidding you; it’s gorgeous. It goes on super metallic, but it does simmer down pretty quickly. It’s creamy, opaque and long lasting. I highly, highly recommend – this color or any color for that matter. It’s officially one of my favorites.

After talking myself out of purchasing an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, I managed talk myself in again. The price isn’t that desirable ($35), and despite your impression of me, I can stall a little bit when it comes to price. But since it was my birthday and since someone else was paying for it, I went ahead and picked one up. There are six colors, and I decided on Mood Exposure, which is a soft plum. Now, you may have heard about these blushes and the magical powers with which they have been infused; however, I didn’t notice anything spectacular happening upon my face that I couldn’t have achieved with my NARS Orgasm blush. But if you are the type that is influenced by fancy words such as Photoluminescent, then by all means. I do admit I like fancy words too.

Having said all that, though, I do like the blush. The color is pretty and it does impart a bit of a sheen, which is most likely the magic I was talking about. It lasts for a long time on my cheeks, and even looks better as the day goes on. I like the premise of these blushes, how they are mixed with the Hourglass ambient powders to create something unique. I see how you can get sucked in by something like that. Out of 681 Sephora reviews, 481 are 5 star. So see? I clearly have no idea what’s fabulous. I need another one to be sure.

Picked up the new Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser because it’s an orange gel that looked fun to play with. That’s not a typo. (I am a child.) It starts out as a gel that melts into an oil as you massage it into your face. Then you add water to it and it turns milky. So of course after all that I had to throw it in the basket. I was about an inch away from finishing up a cleansing milk and absolutely couldn’t wait to be done with it. But then the cleansing milk kept replicating itself cuz it took about 2 more weeks to empty it. Urgh. Finally though – I started using the melting cleanser and lemme just say the idea of it is better than the reality. The gel part is fun if you’re big into texture like I am. It does melt nicely onto the skin, but once it turns to oil it loses that thick consistency and then I’m just over it. The milky bit is a non-event. However, most importantly, it breaks up the makeup like a champ so I suppose it you buy products based solely on whether they work or not, you’ll like this one. I, on the other hand, just like things that look pretty.

Treated myself to a bit of luxury as well. Passed the Chanel counter on the way out the door when the Les 4 Ombres quadra eyeshadows stopped me in my tracks. The one in the display was the Tissé Gabrielle, and it was absolutely stunning. Shades of grey and mauve. They look very sparkly in the pan, but when applied to the eyes they shimmer but not in an overly glittery way. Like I could wear it to work and not feel flashy. But that’s coming from the girl who wore a record in her hair in 7th grade, so you can’t always measure wearability by me.

I dunno, guys. I just really loved this quad. Out of all my luxury quads, it’s my favorite. Maybe because it goes well with my brown eyes. Maybe because the name Chanel makes me feel like a princess. Maybe because it’s the latest one I bought and therefore the most new and exciting. Whatever the case, I am happy I picked this up. They blended well, and the term ombre really suits the shadows as they are all (with the exception of the white gold) variations of taupe/grey.

The Chanel lady also tossed in a set of freebies in the form of a serum, foaming face wash, and eye cream. I’ve used them all but the serum, even though I’m most excited about the serum. It’s next, though, as soon as my current serum is empty. I’ve got about an inch left in the bottle, but we all know how long an inch can last. What I have tried – and still currently using – is the face wash, or face mousse as Chanel likes to call it, is wonderful. It’s a pearly white, moussey consistency (aptly) that smooths over the face nicely. The smell is pure luxury, like perfume but a clean, fresh version. But the best part is wiping it away. It comes off so perfectly and completely and leaves behind soft, moisturized skin. Like, I’ve never had a cleanser do this. I want to buy a full-size, but it’s $45 and I’m not sure cleansers should cost this much. I dunno, but I’m really really thinking about it.

The eye cream is okay. The tiny sample tube has lasted me a month so far because you need so little of it. I think there would be great value in your money here if you have a thing about eye creams. Unfortunately, I don’t, but of course I can never love anything that makes economical sense. So I am going to enjoy this while it lasts as I know I won’t repurchase. It is a pretty thin eye cream, but I prefer thicker. Although it does sink in super fast, and that’s important to me. However, I don’t have a love affair with eye cream, so I’m just gonna move on with my life now.

Here’s what I got with the gift card my sister gave me:

It’s the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection foundation and IT. IS. LOVELY. First of all, the packaging. Looked not-so appealing on the website, but in person – Ack! This speaks luxury at top volume. The bottle is super heavy glass and feels so substantial in your hand. The cap is black plastic, however, the top of the cap is inlaid with a gold Guerlain logo that’s so so so pretty. I chose this foundation because for one I didn’t have to pay full price ($61) due to the gift card, and two, there is a color match for me based on the Color IQ scan Sephora did for me last fall. I am in the shade 13 Rose Naturel, and it fits me perfectly. The finish is matte, and the coverage is almost full (on me). I love everything about this foundation. Everything. My face looked the most flawless it’s ever looked, and that’s saying something as I don’t ever look flawless. I prefer this foundation over every single one I own, even the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, and that hurts me a little to say that. In fact, if something happened to this foundation due to theft, damage or natural disaster, I wouldn’t blink an eye to repurchase immediately. So now you know the depths of my love. It’s a pretty big deal.

Last bit of the birthday haul has arrived. It’s the free mascara Ulta gives you:

Yes, the quality of my photos surprise even me.

So if you’ve ever been curious about the CK One mascara, let me ease your mind. This is an average one. I’ve had worse and I’ve had better. Which is pretty much the definition of average. (Shhhhh, I know.) The wand on this one twists up and down to give you two styles of lashes: up for length and down for volume. I admit it did make a difference when I applied both wand versions. But how annoying is it to do all that? (Very.) Just give me a wand that does both, please and thank you. The result, like I said, was average. It didn’t make me wanna stare at myself in the mirror very long, let’s just put it that way. On the bright side, it’s free. The day I start complaining about free stuff is probably the day the Universe stops giving me free stuff, so we don’t wanna put all that negative energy out there no do we? No, we do not.

Okay, friends. You’ve made it through all three parts of my Birthday Haul (assuming you’ve read part one and two). Give yourself a little pat; you deserve it. I’m gonna go read a book, eat some Cheez-Its and zone out. Var var busy, as you can see.

Sep14

Birthday Haul: Part 1

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Dianna

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Remember last month when it was my birthday? How I turned 40 and had to console myself with makeup? Yes, it was touch and go there for awhile. Luckily, I pulled through. Here’s why:

Pretttttttay! I’m not even kidding when I say you need this Tarte Rainforest After Dark palette, especially cuz it’s limited edition and could disappear for all eternity at any time. I’m not being dramatic. It could be happening right now as we speak for all I know.

This palette covers all your face needs. We have six beautiful purple and gold eyeshadows, a lovely champagne highlighter, their Park Avenue Princess bronzer, and a gorgeous dusty rose blush. I love everything about this palette. I will be packing it for my trip to Vegas next month since it’s a 4-in-1 and that’ll save me room in my suitcase. Cuz I have no plans to visit the Inglot store while on vacation and buy hoards and hoards of eyeshadow. That’s pretty specific, but yeah, no plans whatsoever …

The day of my actual birthday my husband and I were going out of town. Quick stop for him to get a haircut gave me about 15 minutes to run across the street to Sephora. Look how much I can accomplish in 15 minutes:

Well the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette wasn’t from Sephora but we stopped on the way out of town for that too. I had a dream about this palette and knew immediately I had to get it RIGHT NOW. I mean, when you start dreaming of specific eyeshadow palettes, that’s like the voice of God talking or something.

If you love earth tones, you will love this palette. They are gorgeous. I don’t know how I overlooked this before on my million other trips to Walgreens. So pretty. The only issue some may have is the shadows are all shimmery. No mattes. That doesn’t bode well for my old lady eyes, but I created a look with it that didn’t turn out bad at all. In fact, it looked quite stunning. It blended seamlessly, which is rather important. I highly recommend if you’re asking. For $5, I’m not even sure there’s a question.

But back to what I managed to toss in my Sephora basket in the span of 15 minutes. Make Up For Ever had a new display of these Artist Shadows and I was immediately drawn to it. There was this gorgeous orange right on top, and I couldn’t drag myself away. It looked almost like foil it was so shimmery and intense. I daydreamed a bit about what kind of eye look I could create with it, then picked up the box to toss it in my basket. And noticed –

It’s a blush. My most perfect tangerine eyeshadow is actually a blush. Heart = broken.

Well, drat. I still wanted it though and the clock was ticking. Who says you can’t use blush on your eyelids? My YouTube beauty gurus do it all the time. And I am nothing if not a beauty guru.

Ended up creating a 3-pan palette with the orange (ME734), a black purple (ME930) and a copper red (ME728). I wore all three shadows on my lids during our weekend getaway, proudly displaying my circus eyes while sipping a latte in a cafe on Sunday morning. My husband thought it was a little much for a coffee date, but what does he know? (Nothing.) Checked in the mirror to see what he was referring to and quickly declared his eyes as broken. I looked fab, end of story.

The other thing I picked up was the Too Faced Melted Lipstick in the shade Melted Fig. This is a beautifully saturated purple color. But it’s wearable too. Because it’s purple but not purple.

These lipsticks go on very smooth. They’re pigmented beyond comparison. A little glossy at first, but that fades away to an almost matte finish. Can feel a little dry on the lips after awhile, but the color does last and last and last. I don’t think I’ll buy any more of the colors, but I’m happy with what I got.

The last bit for today is this thing right here:

Stila has came out with four new Eyes Are The Window palettes. I went back and forth for awhile trying to decide which one I wanted. Finally settled on the Mind one which has all matte shadows. Not sure of my reasoning other than in the picture, the vibrant earthy colors spoke to me the loudest.

In person, these are some pretty shadows. They just look so perfect in the pan. But when applied, I felt like the blendability was slightly lacking. I could create a look with them yes, but was never fully satisfied with the final result unless I’d properly blended for 15 years. It literally takes that long. Or felt that way at least.

And so now I have a bad attitude about it and probably won’t pick it up very often. But the packaging is adorbs so if you can salvage anything, by all means spend $50 so you can display this beauty in the wicker basket on the back of your toilet. I mean, that’s what I’m doing with mine.

This is just part 1 of the birthday haul. There is much much more to come. You should probably go ahead and get excited. It’s coming people. And also, I am the boss of you.

Toodles!

Aug14

Buying Stuff: Episode 19

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Dianna

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Well I’m about ready for the weekend, aren’t you? I know if I didn’t work I couldn’t afford to buy stuff, so I should appreciate my Monday through Friday. But you guys … I just really love pajamas. What can I say?

Lookie, I bought stuff:

I fell in love with the mint green color of the Smashbox Always Sharp 3D liner. It’s just so springy, summery, warm weathery. I couldn’t walk away from this liner even if I wanted to. Plus, it sharpens itself every time you remove the cap. Genius! I have since bought the black liner as well, and while the color isn’t ultra black – I mean it is but it isn’t, kind of blurry black – okay, that’s not a color and makes no sense – but I’m not disappointed cuz it cuts down my eyeliner time by at least 10 minutes per eye. That’s not a typo. Me and eyeliner: we are not best friends.

Then I bought this Make Up For Ever Lab Shine lipgloss in the shade M10 Morello Cherry. I’ll just be honest – I did not really need this. I saw the color and was temporarily blinded by its brilliance. So I buy it and spend the next several hours in the throes of Buyer’s Remorse cuz I don’t know how to walk away from shiny things. I could’ve taken it back but that requires effort of which I have none to give. However, it is a really lovely color, it sparkles prettily, and I will use it probably more this fall when I wear darker clothing. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

One thing I did need – okay, want – is the Bite Beauty lipstick in the shade Cava. I was looking for a nude, but everything I’ve ever tried makes my lips disappear right into my face. So I spent about half an hour in Sephora trying on several shades and finally settled on Cava, which is a lilac beige. Just saying the word lilac beige is enough to make you wanna go out and buy it, amiright? Sounds so pretty. And while I wasn’t 100% sure in the store, now that I brought it home and have been wearing it, you might say I’m a wee bit in love. Plus the Bite formula is unbeatable. Serious, if you haven’t tried on a Bite lipstick yet, you may wanna consult your physician cuz there may be something wrong with your brain.

Got my hands on a tiny, free sample of the new Benefit They’re Real Push-Up liner. After all the hype swirling about this product, I had to try it out for myself. All its fancy claims of making it easier to apply liner and whatnot. Tempting me with miracles and such.

I followed the directions by only clicking twice so the product that is dispensed isn’t too much. Okay, so far so good. I applied it to my lash line just like normal and it seemed to do alright. I had to keep clicking up product to finish the entire eye, but it did work and it was easier. I think the trick is to not keep clicking because once the tip is gooped up, it does not apply well. Unless you are into a patchy mess, then by all means click away. However, a week or so later I went to use it again and it did not apply well. It skipped all over my lid and portions of it dried and crumbled right off. So I don’t know now. We might break up. I’m don’t think I’m feeling it anymore. Maybe one more date, and if there’s any misbehaving going on, I’m gonna have to see other people.

Here’s yet another successful shopping trip:

I decided I was going to make my morning routine even longer and start washing my face with a cleansing cloth every day. My mentality has always been I wash my face at night, why would it be dirty the next morning? I’m sure there’s some science in that statement somewhere, but who’s to know.

But my OCD gets to me every time, and I start obsessing over the fact there may be bacteria growing on my face while I sleep, so this is how the story of the Ole Henriksen pore refining cleansing cloths was born.

These cloths are great. They have a rough, exfoliating side and a smooth side and the scent is a cooling eucalyptus. If you aren’t awake when you’re using these, you will be shortly. They feel very nice on the face, fresh, cool, tingly. I like them a lot. Only problem is the price – $15 for 30. Soooo … not sure if I’ll repurchase. I would like to but if it comes down to expensive wipes or expensive makeup, makeup wins every time.

Cashed in 100 Sephora points and got a little sample of the Make Up For Ever HD foundation primer. I’ve been using this for a few days and it has a very light texture that absorbs very fast into the skin. I love it for that fact alone. But it is just a lotion, not a silky velvety finish that some may prefer. And don’t even ask me if it makes your makeup last longer cuz I have no idea.

I am nothing if not professional.

The other day I went into Sephora where they were celebrating Benefit Day and I got to spin the prize wheel. It was definitely exciting on that day. A prize wheel?! Oooohkay! Well I landed on the middle between a free sample or a free winged liner application. And because my husband was with me I chose the free sample cuz it was “quicker” and we had “errands to run”. Hmmmphf.

Well turns out, I wanted the free sample anyway. Because I already owned the push up liner, I grabbed the Stay Flawless foundation primer. It comes in stick form, and the Sephora lady said to not overdo it and to trust the product is doing its job. I immediately got scared, cuz what if I do overdo it? What happens to my face? Will there be a falling off scenario impending?

Please tell me others have used this successfully. I applied it on my face, but it’s very dry so I wasn’t even sure I had it on at all. The instructions say to immediately apply foundation and blend the two together right on your face. I did all that. Nothing bad happened, but nothing at all happened either. So, did I err too far on the side of caution and not apply enough? I dunno. I’m gonna have to fiddle with it I guess.

Bought two of the best eyeliners I’ve ever used. If you like black black black and super duper creamy deliciousness, then go ahead and put these L’oreal Silkissime liners in your basket. Go on. I’ll wait.

These simply glliiiiiide across your eyeball. No skipping. No tugging. They hold up pretty well in the waterline too. They don’t remain solid there, but perform better than the majority of my eyeliners do. In fact, I only have one other one (Sumita brand) that works as good. If there’s one drawback, I’d say it gets nubby awfully fast. Probably due to its creaminess. I’m not even gonna pretend that’s a big deal though, cuz honestly I love these liners.

Next product – well, you can just blame YouTube. Someone was washing their makeup brushes with the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap and said it worked great. Luckily this is one of the cheaper products I’ve been influenced to buy. Got the lavender scent, and man is it smelly. I mean, like lavender, but very strong lavender. It does get the brushes squeaky clean; however, on my more denser brushes I had to rinse them three separate times in order to get all the soap out. So perhaps I need to tweak my method a little bit since it literally took 48 hours for my Sigma F86 brush to fully dry cuz I had to keep rinsing it over and over. Who got time for that? Nobody.

While shopping for the Dr. Bronner’s soap, there was a little Pacifica lip butter display provoking me with its jewel toned packaging, and well, as established earlier in this post, I can’t walk away from pretty packaging. Picked out the darkest shade they had, a deep burgundy called Blissed Out. Don’t be frightened though – it goes on very sheer. The smell is heavenly, the texture is very creamy and moisturizing, and the color has a nice subtlety to it for those days when you don’t want lipstick but still want color. I liked it a lot. Probably one of my better lip butter decisions.

Last item is a complete random afterthought. I went into Bath & Body Works to pick up one hand sanitizer and I walked out with 5 of them, plus two candles, a bath pouf, and this coconut smelling Cooling Gel Lotion. Did I need this? Is the sky blue? Don’t ask stupid questions.

The texture of this lotion is ultra light, cool, and creamy. The smell is not hardcore coconut, but a blend of citrus and coconut that is very refreshing. It’s nice to put on right before bed because you don’t get that heavy lotion feeling and the scent is not overpowering by any means. I know summer is (sadly) just about over, but I’m alright using this all year round. It’s good stuff.

I finally got off the Birchbox waitlist for this thing:

This Zoya nail polish remover purchase makes no sense for the girl who hates nail polish. I know. I am my own oxymoron. But haven’t you ever wanted to own something just cuz it seemed like it might be fun to play with? Like a barcode scanner or a shrink wrapper? Or in this case, a pump-top dispenser. You flip open the lid, take your cotton ball and press it up and down over the top of it and that’s it. You can do it one-handed even. How’s that for barely making an effort? Also, it doesn’t smell as bad as other removers AND it’s the best at tackling glitter polish. Plus, it’s award-winning. If you’re not convinced yet, you can’t read this blog.

Just kidding. But you’re wrong, that’s all I’m saying.

Then I got this other thing from Birchbox cuz I had credits and wanted to apply it towards something fancy:

It’s the Skin & Co Truffle Therapy serum. I bought this off of one person’s recommendation so hoping it’s wonderful. I love serums and want to try them all, and for whatever reason this one appealed to me. The truffle in here is mushroom not chocolate (just an FYI), but it doesn’t stink like that other mushroom cream I used last month (see previous Empties post). The scent is reminiscent of coconut, but I know it’s not coconut. The texture is also lotiony but very very light and absorbs almost immediately. This is a very good thing cuz I feel the benefits of this serum would best be appreciated in the a.m. than p.m. (antioxidants, etc), and I have about zero minutes to waste in the morning. The only issue so far is the $75 price tag. If I didn’t have Birchbox credits, I doubt I would’ve bought this.

Last bits below:

Gotta love the Beauty To Go bin at Sephora. They recently added a travel size of the Dr. Brandt Pores No More primer, and lawd knows how much I needed it. My pores are huge you guys. It was practically a medical necessity.

This stuff feels amazing going on. Powdery and silky soft. If you are a texture person, you need to go ahead and put it in your basket. It will bring you joy. But most importantly, does is mask your pores? Wellllll … if your pores are pinpricks, then probably. The echo-y caverns that I have, however, get blurred out but by no means disappear. It helps though, so at this point in my pore erasing journey, I’ll accept.

If you’re in the market for a new matte lip cream but don’t know what to buy, here’s where you need to start paying attention. The Sephora Luster Mattes are AH. MA. ZING. Ohmygod, I’m not even joking. They are luscious, creamy, pigmented and beautiful. They are matte, yes, but not a harsh, dry looking matte like you may have experienced before. And as you wear them, they stay pretty creamy for awhile before they start to dry, and even at that dry point, the color still looks pretty good. I bought the color Fig which is a very pretty mauve and I’m in complete and utter love. I want more of these, and I’m not even gonna feel guilty about it. Plus it’s my month long birthday celebration. Have I mentioned that? Wellll, it is.

Last item is the Benefit High Brow brow lifting pencil. Bought this on a whim cuz that’s how I buy most of the stuff I get from Sephora. But it seemed like it might be useful. The pencil is a pearly white color, and you draw it all along your brow (underneath) and blend in. This will highlight that area and make your eyes appear more vibrant, alert and lifted. Well what’s not to love there? I’ve used this several times and I think it gives a really pretty cleaned up look. I’ve incorporated it into my morning routine because the 17 other steps I’ve got going on isn’t quite long enough.

This was the longest haul post that ever lived. I’m so sorry to make you read all this, because certainly you’re still reading? Good night, friends. More tomorrow!

Jul11

Buying Stuff: Episode 18

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Dianna

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Today is my husband’s birthday, and to celebrate, I bought myself some stuff. Because I have to go take him to see that dang Planet of the Apes show, and I tried to convince him it’s cool to go the the theater by yourself but he wouldn’t agree, so now I am forced to watch a boy movie for 11 hours straight. Give or take 9 hours or so.

In other words, all things below immediately and undeniably JUSTIFIED.

First up:

I was running out of cleansing milk – you know, what they call an emergency – so I thought I’d try something new. Picked up the Le Couvent des Minimes version. I haven’t used it yet because per usual, I think I’m about out of a product so I rush around to get my replacment ready, when suddenly my almost empty tube replicates itself and I get another two weeks of use out of it. I did smell it, and it’s a very delicate rose scent. I squeezed a little onto my fingers to discover the consistency is quite loose. Not sure how I feel about that, as I like a thicker cleansing milk, but we’ll see. I’m almost certain I have only 1 or 2 days left of my current product, as long as the planets are aligning properly as they should.

Then I got the Lorac Pro 2 eyeshadow palette. I already have the first one, and it’s amazing and beautiful, so naturally I had to grab the little sister. This time around, the shades are quite colorful versus the more neutral shadows of #1. And as expected, this palette is perfect. Using the same concept from before, there is a row of mattes and a row of shimmers. The shadows are pigmented, buttery, smooth, glorious. I am so happy I bought it. If you have just $42 and you’re wondering what to do with it, stop thinking and put this in your basket. No, I’m serious. Do it right now.

Fine, here’s a close up first:

I have been using Light Brown or Nectar in my crease, which are both great. And the shades Rose, Chrome and Jade are beautiful lid colors. Love Cocoa, Plum and Navy in the outer V. Honestly, you won’t regret getting this palette unless you hate perfection. I mean people are weird, sometimes. But if you are a normal human and do as I tell you, you’ll be sitting home on Saturday night playing with your makeup while all your cool (stupid) friends are out having “fun.” Such fools.

Perhaps one of the funnest (most fun?) lipglosses I’ve ever owned is Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie in the shade Hypnotist. It looks like the future, like something Judy Jetson would wear. That’s not even a joke. Look:

How pretty is that? Who doesn’t want an iridescent lipgloss? (Crazy people.) However, I will say that this lipgloss doesn’t do a whole lot on it’s own. It’s mostly clear with shine. It fares slightly better on top of lipstick. Gave my nude lipstick a bit of extra dimension although nothing crazy. In fact, it’s more of a novelty than anything else. I don’t mind it. It’s pretty to look at, smells like mint chocolate, and feels good on the lips. I will most likely repurchase cuz I enjoy spending money on pretty things that don’t work. You probably should too.

I know. I’m ridiculous. But my lipgloss is holographic so try arguing with that. (You can’t.)

Picked up this batch too:

I’ve never used any of the Body Shop body butters before, and Ulta had them on sale for 40% off. And naturally I can’t walk away from a good coupon, so I put the coconut one in my basket. This smells so good, like summer and the beach. Can’t wait to start using it, but as usual I’m constantly trying to finish up other products first. Hopefully I’ll get to it by the end of the month.

I’ve been feeling a little oily this summer so for the first time in my life I’m buying products to fix it. I have a few sheets of some Tatcha Japanese blotting linens left, and I really love them. Figured I’d try something different, especially cuz the Tatcha ones are kind of pricey. Decided on these little NYX matte ones. And guess what? Do not like. Of course I wouldn’t since they’re practically free compared to the other ones.

First of all, the packaging is awkward. It’s not easy to remove the papers. I have to unfold the whole packet and then put it all back together. It takes too much energy. If the choice is to remain oily or break a sweat fiddling with the dang packet thing, I suppose oily isn’t such a bad deal after all.

And second of all, I’m comparing them to the lovely texture of the Tatcha papers, and there’s just no comparison. Granted, the NYX ones are cheap, and Tatcha has made me spoiled.

Long story short, I bought some Boscia papers so I’m gonna try those instead.

I also picked up another NYX Butter Gloss. I own like 7 or 8 of these. That’s probably not a lot compared to some, but I carry them all in my purse so they take up a lot of space. However, I didn’t have a brown so what is there left to do but buy a brown? Got the color Praline and it’s so pretty on top of my nude lipstick.

Then of course at the check out counter they had these sample tubes of Peter Thomas Roth peeling gel. It says right there on the package that your dead skin will roll right off your face. I challenge anyone not to want to buy 15 tubes of this stuff. Seriously, dead skin. Rolling. Right off your face. I can’t even.

I used this the other night, and it really is quite amazing. After washing, apply this gel to your face in circular motions. Quickly, little balls of product and dead skin starts to ball up and fall into the sink. Then afterwards you literally feel as if you replaced your old face for a new one. It’s fantastic. I have a suspicion I’m about two seconds away from buying a full size.

Have you ever wanted a purple lipstick so bad that you ended up buying a purple lipstick? I did, and it was the Make Up For Ever one in #15. Now, the color is gorgeous. It’s true purple. There is a lovely pearl finish. However, the drawback is the formula. It’s so incredibly dry it practically drags across your lips. I have to do extra extra swipes just to cover all the surface area evenly. It was cumbersome and effortful. I had a lot of thinking to do.

Decided to go with it anyway cuz did I mention how bad I wanted a purple lipstick? Sometimes I do things against all practicality. However, it turned out alright in the end. Here is me wearing purple lips topped with the iridescent Hypnotist gloss mentioned earlier:

Ooooh, purty! Totally worth it. I don’t even care about the formula anymore. I will spend the rest of my life applying this lipstick if the end result looks like this every time.

Last haul is this one:

Another emergency – I was running out of eye makeup remover. So I thought I’d give this Mario Badescu one a try. It’s a gel, not a liquid, so it’s kind of weird. Also you have to really enjoy smearing black mascara all over your eye socket cuz that’s how you remove it with this stuff. But I will say it works really really well. And when you get it in your eye, it only stings for like 5 seconds. Success!

Then as a gift with purchase, I got this teeny sample of the Mario Badescu glycolic face wash. I had every intention of using it, but you know how I have like 7 or 8 tubes of cleansers in line already? One more might send me into an anxious fit. My daughter has it now. I have to bribe her for two-armed hugs you know.

Replacing my dried up pot of Maybelline gel eyeliner, I got the Napoleon Perdis China Doll one. I used it and it’s very creamy and easy to apply. I like it. Plus it was on sale at Ulta for $15. If I didn’t buy it at that point, I’d be accused of a mental imbalance, for sure.

Got a beautiful matte balm stain from Revlon called Sultry. One of my YouTube beauties raved about it so naturally it went on my wish list. And then about two seconds later I went ahead and bought the dang thing. This color is one of the prettiest I own, and I literally own a billion. Give or take. And this matte formula was not drying on my lips at any point, which was a nice surprise.

And finally, I bought a nail polish. No,
you did not misunderstand what I just said. I thought this Revlon color in Chameleon was so unique, I knew I had to have it. I love how the gold turned to green in different angles. I had never seen another color like it.

Well, sadly, it wasn’t quite as pretty on the nail. Mostly it was an antique gold/bronze and the green wasn’t that evident. A bit of a bummer really. I mean, I freaking bought nail polish; the least it could do was be amazing. Hmmmphf.

Well that’s it. You’re free to go about your weekend as you please. Bye!

Jul3

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dianna

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You ever have those times where you think you are doing so good at shopping, not spending too much, then on the way out the store you see something you most desperately need and end up ruining all your good work? Except you technically didn’t ruin anything because now you have something amazing, therefore you go home feeling like you quite literally saved the world from a stock market crash. Well here is one of those times:

It’s a cute little mask set from Peter Thomas Roth and I am in love. Even if you don’t like masks, you could buy this cuz it has pretty colors, and who doesn’t love that? (Crazy people.) I’ve been wanting to try the two gel masks for awhile, so finding this kit made me var var happy. I didn’t know the pumpkin one existed, so that was a bonus. Although I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin smells. The last pumpkin thing I had was a mask from Michael Todd, and it had the consistency and appearance of baby food. Not necessarily a bad thing if you love pumpkin; however, I do not. But this Peter Thomas Roth thing is an exfoliator and the opposite of baby food, so I think it will be fine.

And remember how I saved the world from a stock market crash. So everything mentioned in this post, including the pumpkin scrub, is immediately justified.

Below is a small Sephora haul:

I love it when I run out of something cheap like body wash or makeup remover. I have a legitimate shopping excuse at that point, and anything else that happens to find their way into my little basket is just a hazard of the emergency. I mean, what can you do without body wash? You can’t take a bath, that’s for sure. So probably “emergency” is too mild a term to describe this situation, but “catastrophic misadventure” is much too long to type.

So I picked up a Philosophy body wash (that triples as a shampoo and bubble bath) in the scent Melon Daiquiri. It smells like summer in a bottle, and I really like it. They have tons of scents to choose from, and I spent an obnoxiously long time sniffing each and every one of them. I almost bought all of them at one point, but finally decided on the melon. But the Animal Cracker and Coconut scents are probably my next buy.

Wanted to try one of the Too Faced La Creme lipsticks because YouTube haunts me about 95% of my day. Lots of my gurus talk about how they like the formula of these lipsticks, and I am easily persuaded, so there ya go. I swatched a few of them in the store, decided on Pink Chocolate, and proceeded to walk around with it in my hand for about 45 minutes. Right before checkout, I had an attack of conscious and realized I didn’t need to buy another lipstick. I put it back, then stood in line at the register behind a lady taking an extraordinary amount of time signing up for the rewards program. Or just long enough for me to ignore my rudely interrupting conscious and grab the lipstick off the shelf again and put it in my basket.

Well. People need to be quicker in dealing with their transactions, that’s all I’m saying. Hardly my fault.

Also got suckered into buying the Sephora #55 airbrush foundation brush because I am helpless and need a psychiatric evaluation. Honestly, how many foundation brushes do I need? In my defense, none of them say the word “airbrush” in the title, and I don’t know about you, but that word sucks me in almost 97.90567% of the time. As evident by the fact I bought the dang thing.

I primarily wanted it because back in May when Sephora opened, the sales girl applied the Kat Von D foundation on me using this brush. The finish was spectacular, which prompted me to buy the foundation. Since that day I have not been able to duplicate the finish. In fact, I almost hate the Kat Von D foundation because it is so thick and dry that applying it is about zero fun.

So now that I have this brush, one of the first things I did was apply the Kat Von D. I read the directions of how to use the brush, and it says to dip it in the product, swirl it on the back of your hand, then apply to your face. I did all that, and I still didn’t get the finish I was looking for. Drat. Perhaps I am not the makeup artist I pretend to be? Perhaps my brush is broken? Whatever the case, I have yet to achieve the look of airbrush, but I’m still working on it.

And then for no reason whatsoever, I needed to buy the Becca Beach Tint Shimmering Souffle. For one, it’s a new product and there was a lot of excitement circling the Becca aisle because of it. And two, the texture of this is pure fun. It’s like the bubble wrap of makeup – you can’t stop touching it. Whoever decided to call it a souffle gets an award, because that’s the perfect name. It’s cushiony, airy, light. Here’s a better close up, complete with finger indention. Not a big one cuz I didn’t want to ruin it right off the bat:

This is the color Guava/Moonstone. It’s a cream blush – but the easiest application of a cream blush I’ve ever used. It’s no fail. If you get circus cheeks from applying this, then you need to sit down, as messing this up would be nigh on impossible. The color payoff is very sheer and subtle, which could be a good thing if that’s what you’re looking for. Beachy and glowy is what it is and var var beautiful. Now, this is the only color I’ve used. The others may be completely different. You may get circus cheeks out of them for all I know. But the Guava/Moonstone is golden and sunkissed – probably works best as a highlighter since the coral in it does not pop like you might expect. I also have medium light skin, so depending on how dark or light you are, this may or may not be your dream blush.

How’s that for a review? Maybe, maybe not, could be, could not be, yes, no … You might just need to swatch them for yourselves cuz I ain’t getting sued for misleading information. All I’m saying is I like it. Mostly because it’s squishy in its jar. I dare you not to want to stick your fingers all in this stuff. If you are somehow able to refrain yourself, you might need to take that show on the road, because that amount of willpower is downright inspirational.

Next up is this horrible picture below.

I can’t even pretend there’s not cat hair all over this blanket. I’m sorry. What can I say? They lay about as if they own the place. And I guess that’s somewhat correct since my girl cat poops wherever she feels like and we still let her live with us.

The only thing in the picture I bought was the Bobbi Brown blush – the rest I got for free. Perks of being VIB Rouge, y’all! Which did not cost me a small fortune to begin with or anything (you know, in case the husband is reading this). But back to that Bobbi Brown blush. I got the color Sand Pink, and it’s a really nice medium shade that looks good with my skintone. I’d say it’s pretty pigmented, but right now I’m distracted by how much cat hair is on that blanket and I can’t think of anything else. I need to page-down real quick or something.

So all that Fresh lip care stuff was a little sample set. It includes the lip polish, two lip balm treatments, and a sugar shine gloss. I am really enjoying these products. Aside from the weird brown sugar smell, that is. I don’t prefer it. But I believe the scrub is the best one I’ve ever used. It keep my lips exfoliated the longest. Which is quite a feat because I have the flakiest lip skin in all the land. I don’t even understand why. It couldn’t be because I sleep with a fan blowing in my face for 8 hours or anything.

The lip balms are nice as well. The Rose one has a slight pink tint, but it’s not super evident, so don’t expect a whole lot. I do like the way they feel on the lips; very moisturizing. The shine gloss is just a top coat. I probably won’t use this as much, but it’s not a bad product. I just don’t wear a lot of clear glosses.

Then I cashed in a couple hundred rewards points and got the next two things. First one is the Aqua Eyes eyeliner by Make Up Forever. I didn’t realize when I got it that it was a brown pencil, but I’m kind of happy it was. I have a lot of black liners, but very few brown ones. I was mostly interested in it cuz I needed a really good liner that stays put in my waterline. And even though this one is waterproof, my eyes somehow, miraculously, couldn’t give a shit. So this isn’t the one, needless to say. Still searching. Story of my life.

Last product is the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer. I know I’m the last person aside from nomads and cavewomen to own this bronzer. Better late than never. I can’t own all the things all at the same time ya know? Anyway, I thought this bronzer would be too dark for me cuz it kind of appears that way in the pan. But it’s PERFECT. Goes on lovely, blends fantastically, and smells like chocolate. Plus it’s matte so old people like me can wear it with confidence. Yayuuuuuus. In short, it’s my favorite bronzer now.

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of this post. Your reward? Another post tomorrow.

You’re welcome.

Snacks On Rotation

surprisingly, not a food blog

Tag Archives: lipstick

Buying Stuff: Episode 25

Buying Stuff: Episode 24

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

Buying Stuff: Episode 20

Birthday Haul: Part 3

Birthday Haul: Part 1

Buying Stuff: Episode 19

Buying Stuff: Episode 18

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

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