Wednesday, June 30, 2010

LEMMING FOR UD'S LOVECHILD


LEMMING LEMMING LEMMING LEMMING LEMMING LEMMING LEMMING LEMMING.

*foams*

*chews rug*


...



=( Have you ever wanted something soo much that the fact that it existed and was not yours was like a poisonous, bony claw wrapped around your bleeding heart?



No?
Well, me neither, but this comes pretty damn close.


I was walking around Macy's or Nordstrom's or something when I saw the Urban Decay counter... tried on 50 shades of lipstick and found this gem

LOOOOVECHILLLLDDDDD!!!! (I screamed that in textual ecstasy)



Still, even though they were having a promotion for Memorial Day weekend (buy 2 UD products and get a free giant XL sized UD Primer Potion!), I couldn't justify spending 22 dollars on a lipstick.

Even though it was perfect, and creamy, and slid on like a dream, and was hydrating and soft and light on my lips, and even the gay makeup counter guy was like OMG! that is totes your color, girl!


Oh, the emo sadness. Maybe I'll be able to justify it if I get a job. Or win the lottery. Or rob a bank. Or kill Bill Gates.

Um.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Charlotte Russe Nail Polish Fun =)

So a few weeks ago I was in Charlotte Russe skimming their sales racks. You know when you're waiting in line there are loads of small things put there to bait you into buying 'just one more thing' before you go?

Well they got me good. I fell prey to two pretty looking CR brand polishes (they were 2 for 3 bucks!).

They don't really have names so I'll be prosaic here and call them pink and brown:


Anyways, for no particular reason I decided to paint both of them on, a layer of the brown first and then a layer of the pink on top. It actually turned out quite nice!




In different light, the polish changes from dusty pink-rose to a more beige-brown color.

It was all great until I removed the polish and discovered that it had stained my nails orange. Not even yellow, but orange.

I could try to be fancy and say that the lesson was that cheap things are cheap for a reason, but how about for now let's just not buy any more polish from Charlotte Russe?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Giveaway: Avon Smooth Minerals Blush!

Hi all!

Sorry for not posting in a few days =) I get lazy. Anyways, to make it up to all (2)of you who read my blog, I'm gonna be doing my first giveaway!

The prize is:

Avon's Smooth Minerals Blush in Blushing Mauve!



This blush is super finely milled, 100 percent natural, and great for sensitive and normal skin. I see that this item has actually been discontinued on the Avon site so I guess it's a rare item =P. The quality of the Smooth Minerals line from Avon is much better than their usual fare, and this blush is no exception. The greatest part is that for those who are newbies to makeup application or are just normally heavy handed, this blush goes on very naturally and light, but can be layered for more pigmentation. I actually use this blush in another color, Radiance (review upcoming!). Anyways, it's a great higher end product from Avon and I recommend it for those new to mineral makeup.


The Contest:

It's pretty easy to enter.

Just post a comment below stating your favorite makeup or beauty trick, and your name and a legit email address for me to contact you by.

After about a week, I'll be using a random generator machine to pick one of you to win!

GOOD LUCK =)

Friday, June 25, 2010

Tokidoki Kabuki Brush

Let me introduce... the Tokidoki Kabuki Brush =)!


I've been using this brush everyday to put on powder, and I love it! It's super soft, has never shed a single hair, is big enough to efficiently cover the whole face in seconds, it's PURPLE, and it's SUPER cute.

It even matches my Tokidoki crossbody bag =D.

There's really nothing to not like about it! I really recommend it.

<3

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Fimo Fruits Nail Design =)

Hey all!

Here's a nail design I did on myself awhile back, although I wish I still had it now cause it's perfect for summer =).



I used Fimo canes and some nail art pearls for this (all available on Ebay!).

Hope you like it. I know I did, too bad I had even more fun picking the fruits off and making a mess of things just a few days after I'd painted this on =P.

Oh and here's what I did:

1. Base Coat (Sally Hansen Nail Hardener)
2. Painted a solid stripe of green polish on the tips of my fingers...you can be messy on this part cause you'll cover it up.
4. Went over whole fingernail with semi-transparent gold polish with glitter a few times so it looks like a gradient.
5. Before that layer dries, apply the (already cut) Fimo decorations and pearls and whatever else you'd like.
6. Go over with a topcoat.

Done =)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Laura Geller Tinted Moisturizer, Line n Define and Cream Eyeshadow



It's Tuesday, and I've got my mom's heated shiatsu massager pressed against my belly.

I'm glad I'm a girl because it's socially acceptable for me to feed my makeup addiction but sometimes .....


Anyways, today I'm gonna finish up the reviews for the Laura Geller items I received in a Sephora clearance sale awhile back.


First on my list is Laura Geller's Barely There Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 in Fair



Here's a swatch:



You can see here in this pic that although Fair is the lightest color available for this product, it's still a tad too dark for me (then again I really haven't been able to find any products pale enough for my pasty skin so it's not surprising).

However, since tinted moisturizers tend to have very low coverage and this one is pretty translucent, it blends pretty well.

(pic of the swatch above blended in)

I haven't got many bad things to say about this tinted moisturizer. It goes on very sheer but you can layer for more coverage, and with just one layer I get a nice dewy complexion. It's perfect for summertime because it's incredibly light on your skin and won't melt off like heavy powder or liquid foundations AND it has SPF!! I've been using this on an everyday basis, although it doesn't cover the blemishes on my cheeks and the bridge of my nose, I usually cover those by wearing my black-framed glasses =P.

You probably wouldn't want to use this product by itself if you want it to cover up major blemishes and etc, since, even for a tinted moisturizer, it's on the sheer/lower coverage side. However, I can definitely say that wearing a layer of this over your usual foundation will give you the much-needed SPF for summer time and also a nice dewy glow.

Other specs: It blends well and easily, is also a light summertime moisturizer for the face, and for the clearance price of what I think was around 5-10 bucks, is really worth the money.


Laura Geller Line n Define in Ipanema Brown and Plum Wine.

Line n Define is a pretty cool product from Laura Geller. It's a double-ended pencil-shaped product with a colored mascara on one side and a liquid liner of the same shade on the other. The colored mascara is supposed to bring out the shade of the liquid liner even more and make your eyes pop.




Sadly, as is the case with many discontinued/clearance Sephora products, these were a little past the expiry date (yes makeup DOES expire). As you can see in the photo, the mascara side of both Line n Defines was pretty much dried up and grody =(. I returned these to Sephora awhile ago because of that, but I almost didn't because the liner side of the products worked fine and were quite nice.

Here's swatches of the liner side of these products on the right (the left is swatches of the cream shadow that I'll review right after this).

Laura Geller Eye Stay Cream Shadow swatch in Pink and Aubergine on the left
Laura Geller Line n Define in Ipanema Brown and Plum Wine on the right


It sucked that the mascara side of the product was pretty much useless but the liquid liner in both plum and brown was very nice. I especially loved the dark bronze-y color of Ipanema Brown. The colors were very pigmented and didn't crease, although the consistency was a bit watery (perhaps because the product is expired?).

Here's a pic of me wearing both colors:




Anyways, a pretty great product if not for the dried-up mascara (although I'm not sure if it's worth the 20 bucks Laura has it up for at her site).


Finally, the last Geller product I have: Laura Geller Eye Stay Cream Shadow duo in Pink and Aubergine.


The color's a bit off in this photo, as the Aubergine color is definitely more dark purple than brown.

As you can see from the swatch above, this product is very creamy and extremely pigmented. It didn't fade or crease when I wore it (although it's hard for me to get creasing since I have a mono-lid =9), even without eye primer. The pink is a bit more metallic than I expected, but is still very beautiful and more pigmented that most lighter color eye shadows.

All in all, this product was definitely worth the buy.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Laura Geller Wonder Wand

Well. This product is a face highlighter, for under the brows, under your lower lashline, in the inner corners of your eyes and etc. from Laura Geller. Now while I love her other products, ( like her tinted moisturizer and cream eye shadows (reviews coming soon!)), this one... well... just fell flat.

Lets put it this way:

There was a wand, and definitely wondering.. but only at what Laura was thinking when she made this product.


Photo with swatch:

First of all, the packaging. The outside is okay, nothing special. However, the inside design is SUPER weird. The first time I opened this product, I didn't realize that twisting would turn the foam applicator inside into a Twizzler strip. Now I have to be super careful when I open this product because I remember reading a review of a poor girl who ordered this product 3 times because everytime she tried to open it, the applicator would break.

So yes, major design flaw.

Onto the product....

Swatch:


It's basically a matte ivory shade with little to medium pigmentation. There's a tiny bit of shimmer but it's not really noticeable, and that pretty much is fails this product as a highlighter. All highlighters carry shimmer or some kind of light-attracting formula to, well, highlight. You get the point.

Also, staying power is very bleh on this. It's a super fine powder and I feel like I had to put a lot just to get it to work/show up but it comes off easily too so boo...

I think the only people who might like this are those who wear or need conservative/nude/workplace makeup... shimmer and glitter don't really fit for those. But the product still barely shows.. maybe it's my super pale skin.

Either way, I would say to stay clear of this product. It's pretty useless, and I'm returning it to Sephora tomorrow.

-Amy

PS. Right now I'm using Benefit's High Beam which is pretty nice, although not optimal in my opinion.. the consistency is strangely watery and it's a bit too metallic and looks kind of strange with softer looks/ nude makeup. I've been eyeing Nars Multiples in Luxor and Copacabana to take over as my primary highlighter... we'll see.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Buxom A Wink and a Kiss Lipstick and Mascara Set

Ah, I just love shopping Sephora online. Their website has so much more than any single store and there are usually so many onsale/clearance/discontinued items on there for grabs! The best part is Sephora's amazing return policy. I'm not worried about purchasing from them online because you can return anything you buy from them, used or not used, for pretty much any reason!

Of course, another great reason to love sephora.com is because with each online order you get the opportunity to use a promo code! I got this Buxom set for free through a promo code with my order!!! FREEEEEEE!!!!!!! *foams*

Ahem.

Anyways, so now you know when I start complaining about the products I'm an ungrateful b*tch =P.


Anyways, Item Numero Uno is Buxom's Big Healthy Lip Stick. It's basically a large twistable/retractable lip pencil. I feel that all lipstick products should follow this packaging, since the more defined/smaller tip allows for more precision during application, and also you never have to sharpen it! I hate sharpening makeup products, cause if you don't put them in the freezer for awhile before, they almost always break on me.



The color is a deep, rich red/burgundy. It has a bit of shimmer as you can see from the swatch above. The pigmentation is great and the product comes off smoothly and easily onto my lips/skin (as you can see by my awesome smiley). The product texture is akin to something between a creme lipstick and thick lip balm. However, it feels and sits very comfortable on lips, and doesn't have any thick/goopey/silicon-ey texture. It didn't feel drying at all and it was more like a protective layer on my lips than anything else. The staying power for this product isn't bad either, although not amazing considering its rich formula.

What else about it, hmm... There's also a pleasant minty tingling feeling that I assume is some kind of plumping effect. It tastes a bit like mint too though, and sometimes my tongue feels a bit tingly if I manage to swallow some (oops). Nothing terrible though.


All in all, I really like everything about this product and I'd totally buy more.. if only such a rich dark color looked nice on my pale face. But it doesn't.

sadface.


Um, anyways, there was also a mascara included in the set (Buxom Lash Mascara). It looked pretty promising but unfortunately the sample sized tube was a tad dried out so I had to rub it a lot just to get some product off (as you can probably see for yourself in the swatch above.) Here's a shot of its brush:




Too bad this mascara was dried up =( I couldn't try it out.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Kevyn Aucoin The Rouge Hommage lippie in Guilty


Hm... Kevyn Aucoin. I wasn't really familiar with his products but I nabbed a few on sale from Sephora awhile back and I have to say that they are of pretty high quality. I especially love the sexy yet minimalist look this brand goes for with their packaging! (<----packaging whore =DDD)

Anyways, the Rouge Hommage, a line of lippies (probably lip sheer) is no different, at least in terms of packaging. It's sleek and cool, just like me (barf). Um, anyways, something I really liked was that it has a magnet on the bottom half of the lippie (the edges of the bottom half and the cap are perfectly smooth where they meet), and every time I put the cap back on the magnet kind of sucks it back on with a satisfying click. The magnet seems pretty strong too, so I wouldn't worry about the cap coming off in my purse.

Now onto the product.

I really, really wanted to like Rouge Hommage. I've tried his other products and loved them. I totally dig the design of the lippie and the packaging, probably more than any other lip product I've used.

Too bad there's absolutely NO pigmentation. Now, I classified this line as a line of lip sheers, but man are they sheer. Now here's two attempts I made at taking a pic of the lippie next to a swatch:



Yeah.... You gotta squint kind of hard to see the swatch. Rouge Hommage didn't show up on my lips whatsoever, so I won't even bother posting a pic of me wearing it =(. It's definitely sheer and shimmery... but there's no real color, so what's the point? Might as well spend 2 bucks on some Avon/drugstore gloss and get probably a better shimmery effect.

Also, I didn't feel that it was particularily hydrating, as claimed by its description, although it wasn't drying either.

=( so disappointing. Maybe I'll head into Sephora and try another shade other than Guilty, but I don't really have high hopes for this one. Hit and a miss, Kevyn!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Smashbox Quench Moisture Rich Lip Gloss

Okay, so awhile ago there was a pretty sweet deal on Sephora's website: 5 bucks for a Smashbox lip gloss! I totally jumped on it and now I regret not buying backups since last time I checked, they were sold out =(.


As you can see, it's got a very simple plastic tube applicator. It's also very, very pigmented, which is pretty nice since it's a very solid watermelon pink. Hm.. what else is great about it? Well for 5 bucks, it's got pretty intense color and hydration and I find it extra convenient when I'm in a hurry since this product is rather like a moisturizing lip balm and pigmented gloss all in one.



The only con I can think of is the fact that since this product is rather thick and a bit sticky, staying power isn't too amazing. It comes off rather quickly (like, within an hour if I eat/talk a lot/ etc) but still, leaves my lips feeling a bit more moisturized.

All in all, I would buy this again for 5 bucks =).

Friday, June 11, 2010

Blue Polka Dot Tips

Hey all,

Here's a nail deco I did awhile ago =).


It's basically a light blue french tip with white polka dots on top of a sheer pink base. I used silver glitter polish to cover up the cruddy line between tip and base.

Hope you like it!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Avon Smooth Minerals Lip Tint


Hey everyone!

Sorry for not posting in awhile, been experiencing some.. drama (bleeeeehhhhhh).

Anyways, I recently "splurged" on some Avon products (come on ... they were 2 bucks apiece for the gloss), and I thought I'd start by reviewing the lip tint from Avon's Smooth Minerals line in the color "Smooth Shimmer", a sheer, frosty pale pink.




So actually, this product wasn't too bad. Now Avon isn't really a higher-end brand name in cosmetics although it's been around for quite awhile, so I'm pretty much looking at their products as drugstore brand products. For a drugstore product, this lip tint isn't too bad, although I'm not sure if it's worth its 6 dollar price tag (I got it on sale though =D).

Since I got the sheerest, lightest color they offer, I can't say too much about this product's pigmentation. Still, I received more pigmentation than expected, so not bad =).

Texture-wise it's pretty much like a thick lip balm. One good thing is that it doesn't dry my lips like most drugstore products, although it's not particularly hydrating (Avon's website claims it has vitamin E and Shea butter).

Hm....... "Smooth Shimmer". Yep. This lip product has tons of very, very fine glitter in it. I like it since anything shiny attracts me, but there's a rather large problem because the shimmer migrates to other parts of my face quite fast. Actually, theres so much feathering with the shimmer that I don't know if even lip liner will help.. it gets pretty ridiculous. Definitely watch out for that... apply it carefully and maybe try a clear/reverse lip liner =(.

So.. all in all. It's okay. Pretty good color payoff, non-drying formula. However, not really good b/c it's more like a tinted lip balm with crazy glitter fallout and feathering....also, it tastes like every drugstore lip product.

Bitter, chemical-y, and just kinda....nasty.

=|




Thursday, June 3, 2010

Amazing Deal! Smashbox Muse palette =)



GUYS =DDDDD!!!!

I found this super amazing deal on Ebay! I couldn't believe it (until it arrived in the mail today, lol) but somebody is selling Smashbox's Muse 10 shadow palette for 10 freaking bucks! If I did my math right =P that comes to about 1 dollar per shadow... a steal!

Heres the link for you to grab it for yourself:





The description said that the product was marred and damaged, but mine is in perfect condition =) (although not each one she has might be perfect.. but it seems like there might only superficial damage so it's up to you!)




Anyways, this is a good-sized palette with pretty much full-sized shadows (as opposed to the teensy weensy ones that CERTAIN OTHER brands like to use in their palettes. I imagine they're thinking, hey you get more colors in this palette even if they ARE microscopic. Those skanks.)

I'm also loving the black and white minimalist Jackson Pollock-y look of the palette.. the giant mirror on the inside of the cover is great too =). The palette comes with a shadow brush too, as you can see in the pics.




I haven't used the brush yet, and though it doesn't seem too amazing, I did buy this palette for the shadows =O. Also it seems kinda deformed, probably cause it's been stuck in a plastic sleeve for awhile. I'm sure it'll go back to its original shape if it's left alone.




And here are the swatches. The duos have already been paired up but I'm certain some great looks can be achieved by mixing and matching nonsimilar colors =). They're all frosty shadows with fine shimmer and the darker colors are all highly pigmented while their lighter counterparts are more suitable for an opaque wash over the eyelid.


The only thing I kinda don't like about this palette is that while it does have a pretty strong magnet keeping it closed, I would be iffy about traveling with it unless I put a rubber band around it. Also, the shadows aren't as pigmented as I'd hoped (I had to layer a few times in the swatches) but they seem very buildable and with 10 shadows, the combinations are endless =).

All in all, for 10 bucks this is a must-have!

-Amy

Oh and in case you wanted to know, the Muse Palette retailed for 48 bucks (OUCH) when it came out, although it seems like the Smashbox site is having a sale for it right now for $24, which you can also get if you are worried about imperfections in the palette or if you're giving this as a gift for a friend.


Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Smashbox Oil Cleanser and Stila Loose Powder


Heya =)

So I'm back with (yet) another review from the BeautyTicket.com haul. This time I've got the info on a giant bottle of Smashbox Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover and Stila Loose Powder in Fair.




Smashbox Cleansing Oil:

11.5 ounces doesn't sound like a lot, but that thing is huger than most things standing on my bathroom table! It pretty much dwarfs the Loose Powder, and Stila wasn't being skimpy with their product either. Anyways, it was a great surprise to get so much product from a popular and higher-end brand like Smashbox cause usually we end up paying for quality over quantity (eg products that make you go, "Couldn't they have made it just a LITTLE bigger?" ..you know what I mean). It also smells pretty nice, a cucumber-y cleanser smell.
However, although I love the minimalist feel of the bottle, the pump REALLY needs some work. Pushing it down basically lets loose a jet stream of oily...well, oil onto whatever happens to be in the way. Like my clothes. Or the carpet. You see where I'm going. Basically, in order to get the oil actually into my hand safely, I have to cup my hand right around the pump like some sort of shield and push down .. carefully. Kind of annoying, but I could get used to it (not).

The thing that I can't get used to, however, is such a subpar product from Smashbox. (Um, that's probably why it's discontinued and I had to buy it cheap from a discount beauty site...*cough*). Anyways... I guess Smashbox has learned from their failure and pulled this from production but still... they still DID produce it. And I did buy it. *tears*

Basically, Smashbox Cleansing Oil retailed for 42 bucks... and I've seen it as high as 60+. And it doesn't do nearly as good a job of removing my makeup as my 7 dollar Ponds Cold Cream, or any makeup removing towelette I've bought from a drugstore.

Here's the down-low:
-Even though it's a good size, it's still a ridiculous price for a makeup remover (thank god I had that promo coupon for BeautyTicket.. even 19.99 isn't worth it for this thing)
-It removes light summer makeup, but leaves a greasy residue on my face that's hard to wash off with even other makeup removers/facewash.
-No matter how hard I rubbed or how much I put on my face, it still wouldn't remove all my makeup on a normal day.
-It also doesn't even come CLOSE to removing my waterproof mascara so 0 points there.
-That stupid frickin pump. I hate it. I want to bash it against a wall.
Pretty much all I can think is that it looks cool on my table and smells nice and I could use it if I run out of Pond's and don't have time to hit the drugstore....

All in all... Amy gives this a big fat F for Effing Failure =(


Stila Loose Powder in Fair:

After the disaster of Smashbox Oil my standards were pretty low. Just kidding =) I will always be this picky. Forever. MWAHAHAH.

Um.

So anyways, to be quick about this review, my reaction to this product was pretty much a "meh". It's alright, but not amazing. It has some nice points and some bad points and they kind of balance out.

When I first opened it though, I was pretty scared because apparently Fair in Stila-language means "finely milled flour." Basically I was brushing white powder on my face (on top of the white powder already around my nose... hehe JK =P). Good thing is that it blends pretty well and I didn't look like Sadako or Samara or whoever from The Ring.

I didn't feel anything amazing from using the powder to set my tinted moisturizer. It just set my makeup. Didn't do anything amazing, didn't make me skinnier or give me bigger boo....uh, I think I've wandered a bit off track. (AKA : This product is a tad...boring >.<)

The bad: Packaging sucks. Again. I don't know how to explain this, but it just feels.. cheap... when you pick it up or touch it. Like it's some half-assed sample you got instead of a full-sized product. It barely weighs anything, so that probably contributes. Also I think the bottle is made of foil or something... OOOh and the freaking top! I hate it =(. It's hard to open and I have to wrestle with it everytime to turn the top open... so I ended up breaking it =P.

So.. it's an OKAY product. Nothing exciting. Grab it if you find it discounted. I think I got mine around 10 bucks. If I see for cheaper, I'll def. grab another one but otherwise....