Walgreens Haul - More Revlon Balm Stains, L'Oreal, Color Tattoo, and Burt's Bees

I've not done much since I got up. I managed to do some online shopping, which by the way I should let you all know that Betsey Johnson is currently having a friends and family sale offering 25% off  your purchase along with free shipping. So with that said, you can pretty much guess what I did, haha.

Other than that, I'm happy to announce that I've managed to have the Pinterest share button to work on my blog. You can now pin any of my pictures to your heart's desire. Just move the mouse over any of my pictures and you'll see it. For someone who is not very savvy with technology and HTML codes, I was afraid I'd mess up but it was easier than I thought. Special thanks to the post I saw on BBHQ which helped me with this process. You can check it out HERE if you want more info on how to add the Pinterest share button.

Secondly, I added and updated my Google + profile and have it linked to my blogs. Or so I think that's what I did. Still new to this thing so if I sound like I don't know what I'm doing, that's because I don't.

I was at Walgreens a couple days ago and was in the mood to shop so this is what came home with me...

L'Oreal was on sale for BOGO 50% off so I picked up two new products to try: Color Lift Blush in Pink Lift Rose and True Match Crayon Concealer in Fair/Light. The concealer was my first choice but I couldn't figure what else to get and I know I didn't need anymore blushes but out of everything else that was available, this was the next best choice for me.

I saw that the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains were BOGO 50% so I grabbed two more shades to add to my stash, Rendez-vous (left) and Romantic (right).

I was digging through a pile of clearance items and there was quite a few Burt's Bees lip glosses. I got it on sale for $4.49. There was more but limited myself to just this one. I picked the shade Sweet Sunset.

Yep I got another Maybelline Color Tattoo. They just recently appeared in the Walgreens around here and I didn't think I needed or wanted anymore of these new limited edition colors for the summer but in spite of that I thought one more wouldn't hurt, lol. I got the shade Blue Paradise. It's reminiscent of Cool Crush but actually looks different when swatched. More details and swatches to follow after this post.

I guess that's it for today. I'm starving now. I still didn't eat lunch yet. Perhaps I'll go watch a movie later. I'm debating between Mud and Star Trek Into Darkness. Anyone saw them?

Ulta Extreme Wear Gel Liners - Review and Swatches + FOTD

Yayyyy Friday!! Don't know how I'm going to spend the weekend but I'm just glad it's a weekend.

Well well, this is a long overdue review because I purchased these babies a few months ago. If you shop at Ulta, you know that they always have pretty good sales and deals on their makeup line. These gel liners are normally priced at $10 a pot but with the sale, you'd usually only end up paying half of that.

Packaging

• Glass pot
• .11 oz or 3 g

• Perfection is a shimmery dark brown with subtle gold and copper shimmers
• Smoke is a medium shimmery grey with pink and teal shimmers

Product

• Highly pigmented
• Texture is very creamy and smooth and easy to apply
• Doesn't last very long when used as an eyeliner. I noticed a significant amount of fading and smudging after just a couple hours of wear. 
• I tried using it as a cream eyeshadow and since it's very creamy, it was easy to apply. Without a primer, I noticed creasing within a couple hours as well. 
• I tried them as a base over a primer and with an eyeshadow over them and I was finally able to make them last up to 8 hours without creasing or fading.

Final Thought

These gel liners worked best as a base but with the help of a good primer and eyeshadow to set. The pigmentation is actually very good and the texture very creamy but it doesn't perform well on its own or as a liner because it creases, smudges, and fades within a couple hours.

Rating: 7/10

Price: $10.00
Available at Ulta


Now for the FOTD...

Face

• Wet N Wild Princess bronzer
• Milani Baked blush Luminoso 

Eyes

• UDPP
• Ulta Extreme Wear Gel Liner Perfection as base
• theBalm Balm Jovi palette: Blink 1982 on inner corners of eyes, Alice Copper on lids, Iron Maid-in on crease and brow bone
• MAC PearlGlide Intense Eye Liner Undercurrent on upper lash line
• Milani Shadow Eyez Green Safari on waterline
• Stila Stay All Day Waterproof eyeliner Turquoise on lower lash line
• ELF Single Eyeshadow Pebble on brows

Lips

• Fresh Sugar Rose tinted lip treatment

NYX Sale Haul

A couple weeks ago, Cherry Culture had a NYX sale and all of the NYX products were at 40% off, which is a BIG DEAL and perfect time to snag some NYX goodies.

NYX is one of my favorite non high-end makeup brand. I was tempted to say drugstore but drugstores don't actually sell them. At least not yet and I'm wondering what are they waiting for?

I don't know if you do the same thing I do but I grab a bunch of stuff I like and then put them in my cart until the dollar amounts gets to the point where I know I need to stop. I take them out, put them back in, take them out again. Try to figure out what it is I need most or want most until I get tired of going back and forth and make my purchase. The process can take up to an hour or more, lol. In the end, I'm like "just take my money!!!"

I thought about ordering $40 worth of product and get the free shipping but when I did so, there was so much stuff I didn't need! Anyhow, I think I did well. I managed to keep the grand total less than $30.00 with the cost of shipping included.

I added two more NYX Matte lipsticks to my collection. Honestly, I think the NYX Mattes are some of the best affordable on the market. They are everything that I want in a matte lipstick: creamy, non-drying, opaque, and pigmented.

I find these round lipsticks a hit or miss depending on the shade. I'm hoping this one works out. Orpheus is definitely not your typical lip color.

Lake Algae would have been perfect for my Emerald Green swatch post but this one came in a little tardy to the party. I will have to do a review and swatch on a different post.

NYX Wonder Pencil is a cool looking nude pencil. I picked the lightest shade and I think it will work well for brightening the waterline.

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Cucumber. I couldn't resist the color. It's a bright yellow green lime kind of shade.

Makeup remover is something I always need to stock on and try to grab them on sale whenever I can.

The Cherry Culture lip balm was free if you spend $20 or more so I picked the raspberry flavor.

Did you take advantage of the sale? What's your favorite NYX product?

Lost and Found - Betsey Johnson Jewelry

Two months ago, I purchased these two pairs of earrings on Hautelook. When tracking the package, it indicated that it was delivered 3 weeks after I had placed my order so I asked my kids to pick it up at the apartment office. The problem I ran into was that the office told me they don't have it so contacted Hautelook about my missing package. Needless to say the process was annoying and fact that the post man claimed it was "delivered" kinda make me look like the bad guy here but I had to do what I had to do. After 3 or 4 weeks of trying to track down that package, it was still somewhere in Lalaland so Hautelook agreed to credit my purchase (minus the shipping cost).

I've moved on, broke my ankle, stayed home for 6 weeks, and back to work.

I placed an order with Cherry Culture a couple weeks ago during their NYX sale, which by the way will be my next post if you didn't guess that already. My Cherry Culture order arrived yesterday, along with my Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox so I asked my son to pick them up at the apartment office.

To my surprise, there was a third box waiting for me as well. Basically, two months after the lost package ordeal, someone must have found my package and I didn't even know it was waiting for me. If I was not expecting other packages, God knows how long it would have been sitting in the office.

Anyways, it was a nice surprise and I'm glad it found a way to me somehow.

This is the Medallion Drop earrings. I remembered it looked way better on the picture when I placed my order.

This is the peacock pattern drop earrings. 

Some of Betsey Johnson's jewelries look a bit juvenile for my age but most of them look very nice, has unique designs, and are good quality. You can find them at department stores like Macy's and Nordstrom. I've also spotted some at TJ Maxx. You can definitely find her jewelries on Ebay and Amazon as well.
Or you could just check out her website http://www.betseyjohnson.com/

Here's some of my favorite picks that are currently available on her website.

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

Source: betseyjohnson.com via BeautyRedefined on Pinterest

I must make this camera pendant necklace mine! Super cute and great gift idea for a friend or sister who loves photography :). Looking at these makes me wanna buy them!

What do you think of Betsey Johnson's jewelry designs? Do you like her style?

Sneak Peak At The Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox

Hello everyone,

I was fortunate enough to be selected to receive the Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox. I was actually a bit surprised but can't complain.

This card briefly explained what I received and since I'm too tired to type, I snapped a picture of it.

After I got done with the pictures, the first thing I went after was of course the TastyKake. Had to share it with my daughter because she wanted some. I joked to her and said that if she gets a piece of it, she will need to write a review about it, lol.

Anyways so here's what I thought about the TastyKake Peanut Butter. Packaging wise, I would have liked it better if it came with a paper lining. It would make handling it much easier and prevent my fingers from melting the outer chocolate fudge layer. Secondly, the chocolate fudge layer crumbles quite a bit so you'll need to be careful when eating it so that it doesn't get on your clothes.
The cake is spongy and moist. The chocolate fudge melts instantly in your mouth and on your fingers. The middle layer of peanut butter is also nice and soft. And I absolutely love the taste of this cake! It's got rich and bold chocolate and peanut flavors. The sweetness is just right for me. This is perfect for that moment where you need a sweet yummy chocolaty snack. I've taken pictures of the nutrition facts, not that it really matters to me because as long as it makes my taste buds happy I'm all good but I'm sure those who are more conscientious about their diets would want to know. One word of advice though, you must keep this cake in a cool place or it will melt and be careful how you carry this snack. For example, don't just toss it in your purse or school bag. It will turn into a pancake and I don't even want to imagine how you're going to try to eat it afterward. Like I said earlier, taste-wise this cake is delicious! I wished they included coupons because I would buy them.

Here's the rest of the stuff...I will review them once I get a chance to test them out.

Anything here you tried?

Orly Sparkling Garbage Swatch

Yesterday, I received a pleasant surprise in the mail. Today, I received another surprise...I'll go into the details tomorrow.

Anyhow, I also realized that today my blog just went over 1 million views after 2 1/2 years of blogging. It feels like a HUGE accomplishment and I am elated that so many people visit my blog on a daily basis. This puts me in a celebrating mood. I should go shop till I drop. Fortunately, with my bad ankle I'd probably drop in 30 minutes or less, LOL. I'd have to plan carefully.

                                                  Source: blog.wickerparadise.com via Wicker Paradise on Pinterest

My old paint was starting to chip and my index nail probably only grew half a millimeter since it broke. I wasn't planning on posting swatches yet but the chipping was annoying so I had to repaint my nails and I couldn't help myself but slap on some Sparkling Garbage. What an odd name! This glitter polish is nowhere near garbage.

I was checking out new polishes at Sally Beauty a few days ago and my eyes immediately locked on this polish. Flipping gorgeous? Ain't it? The base is a very sheer light sage green. Initially, I thought it was going to be too sheer to be used alone but much to my surprise, I was able to get opacity within 3 coats. I guess because this thing is packed with tiny holographic glitters. One thing I noticed about this polish is that depending on the lighting, the color seems to change a bit too.

The formula is on the thicker side and I found that it was best doing thin layers at a time. It would goop and pool on the sides if you use too much. I've also added a top coat and I'm happy to report that with the top coat on, the surface feels ultra smooth and shiny. I'm so glad the glitters didn't eat the top coat. There's no rough or gritty texture at all.

The best part is the effect of the scattered holographic glitters. They look 3D! I don't know how else to explain it. It has a lot of depth and the glitters look like they're just floating on top of my nails. They sparkle like crazy under bright light yet they look subtle under natural light. I swear I can't take my eyes off my nails and I smile every time I stare at them.

I love the stunning holographic and 3D effect and I really hope they make them in more colors. All I gotta say is my pictures can't do this polish enough justice. You really need to see it in person to really appreciate its true beauty.

Lancome Tonique Radiance Toner Review

Why today still feels like a Monday? I can honestly say that a toner is a product I could probably do without. I got this toner as part of my Lancome gift with purchase. It's always exciting to get freebies with a purchase, especially if they are such generous size. It also gives you an opportunity to try other products from the brand.


Packaging

• Clear blue plastic bottle
• I have the GWP trial so this is 4.2 oz. A full size bottle is 6.8 oz

Product

• It smells fresh with a bit of floral scent to it. The problem I have is that the scent of alcohol and fragrance is really strong. Yes, it does contain alcohol. Whenever I apply this on my face, it makes my head spin. So if you have a sensitive nose, you probably won't like the strong alcohol scent.
• Aside from the scent, I didn't find it drying on my normal combination skin. 
• It does a good job a cleansing my skin, minimizing pores, and absorbing oil. 

Final Thought

Works for my skin type (normal/oily) and my skin feels more refined and clean when I use it. The problem I have with it is the strong alcohol scent, which I find too much for me to enjoy. Skip this toner if you are sensitive to strong scents, if you have sensitive skin or dry skin.

Rating: 8/10

Price: $25.00 for 6.8 oz
Available at Lancome

Do you use a toner? Which one is your favorite?