Collective (Drugstore) Haul & Swatches - Things I've Hauled While I Was Away

So while I was away, I did buy makeup here and there. I was intrigued by the LA Splash liquid lipsticks so I picked up a few shades. There was many other shades that appealed to me but decided to just pick these colors to see how I liked them. I love and hate these, lol. Will tell you more on my review.

Collective Haul and Swatches (Pic Heavy)

WHHHHEWIE! I'm sowie for being away but while I was away from me blog I was also busy shopping. It's been crazy in my world and needed some serious retail therapy. So here's what I've collected from the past few days.

These new NYX Prismatic eyeshadows are now available at Ulta for $6 a pot. So far, my first impression is wow, these are so pigmented and swatch beautifully! They feel so creamy! Need...to...get...more! It's currently on BOGO sale at Ulta right now.

Wet n Wild Fergie Longwear Eye Pencil Ex-Stacey - Swatch and Review

Hello lovelies,

I have a few reviews I really need to work but these past few days I've been dragging my feet and feeling lazy. On the bright side, I've been getting more sleep lately. I'm starting to get into the habit of going to bed early. I'm even shocked that I'm able to get in bed by 10 pm or sometimes earlier though I still have to wake up a once or twice in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. At least, falling back asleep doesn't seem as difficult anymore. Part of this may also be due to daylight saving and because I've had to wake up earlier than my normal time because I've been sending my son to school before heading to work. In the end it worked out for the better. I'm not as sleepy or tired at work and I've been getting there early. My attendance definitely improved in the past few months.

Anyhow...let's move on this review.

Packaging

• Traditional pencil that requires sharpening. Even though the packaging isn't fancy, it's definitely a huge improvement from their old eyeliner pencils. I like that the bottom and cap is color coded. 
• .04 oz or 1.2 g

Product

• Ex-Stacey is a medium shimmery fuchsia. It looks beautiful on the hand swatch but on the eyes, it looks more dull for some reason.  
• What I like about the formula is that it is fairly creamy and soft, doesn't pull or tug. The pigmentation is good though you may need a second pass for more color pay off. 
• As far as lasting power, I think overall I'm pretty content. I get 6 hours of wear without transferring or smearing. Afterward it starts to fade. 

Final Thought

This new pencil liner from Wet N Wild is no doubt a big improvement from their older eyeliner line, which was practically unusable for me. The formula is soft, creamy, decently pigmented, and last about 6 hours without transferring and smearing. I wish the color looked a bit more vibrant on the eyes otherwise, it's a pretty decent and affordable drugstore eyeliner.

Rating: 8/10

Price: $3-$4
Availability: Walgreens

Wet N Wild The Style Award Goes To Collection...Eyeshadow Palettes Review and Swatches - Walking On The Red Carpet and Flirting At The After Party

A few days ago I was shopping at Walgreens and I spotted this new limited edition collection from Wet N Wild. I was debating long and hard on whether I should get these palettes or not so eventually I went ahead and grabbed them both.

Packaging

• 8 pan eyeshadow palette. I really like the size of these palettes and I like that clear cover that allows me to see the colors inside. They have a decent amount of products and they are easy to travel with. The packaging is a bit cheap and can potentially break if you drop it.
• .3 oz or 8.5 g

Walking On The Red Carpet

1. dark cool toned brown, semi matte with subtle shimmers. Texture is dry but pigmentation is average.
2. light shimmery brown taupe. The texture is smooth but the pigmentation is lacking and sheer.
3. very light pale khaki with soft shimmers.The texture is smooth but the pigmentation is lacking and sheer. This color doesn't have much contrast at all on my skin tone. It just blends right in.
4. a matte and very pale pink that looks more white than pink on the skin. Soft texture and average pigmentation. A bit powdery. 
5. medium shimmery yellow tone brown with sparkling gold shimmers. It's a bit powdery and dry but it has good pigmentation. Probably the only shade that I find worth paying for in this palette and I don't think I have a dupe for it either.
6. Shimmery warm gold. The texture is smooth but pigmentation is sheer. 
7. Shimmery and flaky, brighter, and yellower gold. Lots of fall out with this color. It's really a pain to apply without getting it everywhere. It's a bummer because I actually like the sparkling effect it has on the eyes. Pigmentation is alright, could be better if it wasn't so flaky. 
8. Pale white with soft shimmers. It's very sheer.

Overall, I'm rather disappointed with this palette because most of these shades suffer from lack of pigmentation. Even a primer doesn't do much at helpin them stand out. My only consolation is that I love shade #5. It's quite a stunner. They last about 6 hours before I notice signs of fading. 

Rating: 7/10

Price: 5.29

Availability: Walgreens

swatches were done without primer. I had to do at least 3 swipes to get them to show decently

#6 on the inner corner, #3 at center of the lid, #5 at the outer V, #2 on the crease, #8 on brow bone

#7 on the lid, #5 on outer V and crease, # 8 on brow bone

#6 on eyelid, #2 on the crease, #1 on the outer V, and #4 on brow bone

Flirting At The After Party

1. medium shimmery greyish purple. It's such a gorgeous purple but the pigmentation is just average and I have trouble getting it to show up when using a brush. It looks better when I apply and pat it on with my finger.
2. medium blueish lavender with a matte finish. It's soft but a bit dry and powdery and the pigmentation is alright though it doesn't really work when blended out on the crease.
3. medium grey with purple undertone. It has a matte finish with subtle very tiny sparkling silver shimmers. It feels soft but again dry and powdery and looks muddy when blended out.
4. pale white with subtle shimmers and pink undertone. Texture is a bit dry and pigmentation is sheer.
5. medium shimmery greyish purple. Very similar to color#1. It's just slightly darker and less shimmery. It's soft and powdery. Looks muddy when blended and I also prefer to use my finger to apply and pat on the color on for a better color pay off.
6. light purple with pink undertone and very subtle sheen. Almost appear matte. It's a lovely color that suffers from lack of pigmentation.
7. pinkish purple with a matte finish. I love the color but the pigmentation leaves something to be desired. It has a soft texture but again it's powdery and fades when blended. 
8. sheer and shimmery iridescent light pink. That's a cool color but it's sheer and only at certain angle where the light hits that you can see the color. 

Overall, I love the colors though some of them look a bit similar to another. Pigmentation is lacking and they just don't work when blended because they are already sheer to begin with. They last about 6 hours with a primer. Also I prefer to use my finger rather than a brush when applying some of them on my lids. So yes, I'm also disappointed with this palette. 

Rating: 6/10

Price: 5.29

Availability: Walgreens

I really wanted to love these palettes and I was really hoping that they would be better but and lately I have not seen any new Wet N Wild eyeshadows that impressed me. Do you feel the same or is it just me? Are there any newer Wet N Wild palette/eyeshadows that you've been loving?

Swiped at least 3 times without a primer

#1 on the lid (I had to use my finger), #3 on the crease, #4 on the brow bone

#6 on the lid, #7 on the crease, #5 on the outer V, and #8 on the brow bone

#5 on the lid, #7 on the crease

Wet N Wild Vicious Highshine Lip Stain Throwing Shade A310 - First Impression Review and Swatches

I was at Walgreens on Saturday, killing some time and picking up some snacks before taking my daughter to the school talent show, which she also performed in. I managed to pick a few beauty items along the way too.

Among those few items, I got this Wet N Wild lipgloss. I wasn't in the mood to do a full review and I'll tell you why in a second.

First, when I opened the plastic seal, I realized that it broke at the neck so evidently, I knew I was gonna have to take it back. While I have it, I figure let's just swatch it and test it to see if I like it enough to replace it.

I picked up the shade Throwing Shade, which is a medium fuchsia with no shimmers or glitters. When I swatched it on my arm, I was quite excited because the color was gorgeous. It had a nice pigmentation. It wasn't fully opaque but a little more than halfway there. I noticed that it did stain but just a little. Then I smelled it and eww I did not like. I think I can tolerate most cosmetic fragrance but this one was a no go for me. It's hard to describe. It smells a bit like hairspray/hair gel.
Then when I put it on my lips that's when all my excitement went out the door. The color was patchy and the formula was thick. Now, I don't mind thick glosses. I have my share but this one is something else and does not feel right. It was gooey and sticky. Just very uncomfortable. When I press my lips together, I can feel and see the goo pulling apart as I open my lips. That was it for me.

I could not stand the way it feels on my lips. It's just gross. I took it off immediately after I got the picture. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I am officially turned off by this new Wet N Wild lipgloss line. It was somewhere around $3.00. Pretty affordable if you dare to give it a try. I don't know if the formula is the same with the other shades but I am not tempted to try the rest.

Have you tried it? Do you like this more than I do?

Anyways, I wanted to end this post on a good note by sharing a picture of the glorious sunset I was fortunate to witness last Saturday. This picture was taken outside of my daughter's high school with my phone camera.

Makeup Look With Wet N Wild Spoiled Army Brat Eyeshadow Palette

TGIF, home late again. Had a long chat with boss lady about work and my review. Which went well. The year just flew by and with so many things happening I told my boss I can't remember what the heck I did. She said she saw a lot of growth in my leadership skills this past year by showing that I took full responsibility for my co-worker's learning and training of their job. She also said that my team is the most pleasant and hard working in our department and that is also a reflection of good leadership. I told her I'm very proud and couldn't have asked for a better team. They really are awesome.

Anyhoo back to my makeup business now...Here I come with another makeup look but I didn't apply the eyeshadows according to the labeling because the thought of it just didn't appeal to me so I decided to break the rules.

For this look, I applied the brow bone color on the lid, the crease on the outer V, and the lid color on the brow bone. I felt like I needed another color for contrast so I improvised with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Junkie on my lower lash line.

I found the eyeshadows a bit on the powdery. The eyelid color was definitely on the sheer. The browbone was sheer and the crease color had fairly good pigmentation. Like the previous palette, I feel like the pigmentation and quality was just alright and not as good as some of the previous Wet N Wild palettes. In the end, I still loved the outcome of this makeup look.

I'm so tired and I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Two Makeup Looks With Wet N Wild Soldiers In Charms Palette

I haven't given as much attention to my blog as I would like and I admit I've been sort of slacking and posting really late if I post at all. Secondly, work seems to be draining me more lately...new management, new workflow, new office. We just had a co-worker that worked at the clinic for 13 years who just lost her job because of the new workflow reconstruction. My boss is going to be on medical leave for 8 to 12 weeks. I am already feeling the pain and dread of the months to come. I guess I'll have to find some ways to keep my spirit up.

I wanted to share two makeup looks that I did with the new Wet N Wild and tell you what I think of the palette.

Look #1

I used the eyeshadows in the order they are labeled. I'm not too crazy about the shimmery light green on the brow bone but it's not as bad as it looks. Personally, just not how I would wear this look. Sometimes, I wonder if there have been any thoughts put into how the colors are coordinated together and if Wet N Wild even tried the looks before they sell the palette.

Look #2

This look is a little softer. I applied the shimmery light green on the lids, the matte medium green on the crease, and the dark shimmery green on the outer V. On the brow bone, I had to improvise another color not from the palette. 

The eyelid color is soft but a bit powdery and the pigmentation is ok. I did have to pack it on in order to show.
The crease color has good pigmentation but I find blending it a bit harder. I'm usually not in favor of shimmery eyeshadows on the crease but because it's pretty dark, it kinda worked.
The browbone color is on the sheer but it's soft.

Overall, I would use the colors together but not necessarily in the way it is labeled. Quality and pigmentation of the palette is pretty average, which was a bit of a bummer. It seems like the quality of the new Wet N Wild palettes are just not as they used to be. What do you think?

Wet N Wild Atten Hut!

I scooped up this new Wet N Wild textured polish from Walgreens ($3.99) because it was one of the two that had shimmers.

Atten Hut! is a shimmery dark olive green with gold shimmers. It's a pretty lovely polish and definitely appropriate for fall. Pigmentation was great. I was able to get full coverage in two coats. The first coat was a bit uneven but the second coat helps even out the application.
I didn't like the brush though. It was big, round, and the bristles were kind of uneven. I ended up with some polish on my cuticles because of that. Dry time was really quick.

What do you think of this polish and did you grab any colors from this collection?

Wet N Wild Eyeshadow Preview Swatches - Soldiers In Charms & Spoiled Army Brat

I stopped by another Walgreens yesterday. Didn't find what I was looking for but I walked out of there with these two new Wet N Wild eyeshadow palettes from their new collection. There are a few more other colors but I wasn't really interested in them. I am not sure if these are limited edition. It doesn't say so on the packaging and I don't know how soon I can get the review up so I figure I might as well post some swatches and give you my first impression.

Soldiers In Charms

• Browbone - a shimmery chartreuse kind of shade. The texture is nice and soft but the pigmentation was on the sheer. 
• Crease - dark shimmery olive green with sparkling gold shimmers. Texture not too soft or stiff. Pigmenation was really good. 
• Eyelid - matte medium army green with grey undertone. Texture was soft but pigmentation was just average.

Spoiled Army Brat

• Browbone - soft dusty and shimmery rose with a satin finish. Texture was soft and pigmentation was average.
• Crease - muted berry red with a matte finish. Texture fairly soft, slightly powdery, and pigmentation was fairly good. 
• Eyelid - a soft shimmery light pinkish peach. Texture was very soft, a bit powdery, and pigmentation was average. 

These are my first impression of the palettes based on the swatches only and my opinion is subject to change once I put them to the test. They're pretty inexpensive and I think overall the color payoff is decent to good so I think they might be worth a try if you are interested.

Have you spotted these new eyeshadows yet? Will you pick any up?

Small Drugstore Haul

What the heck is up with the weather lately? We've been hit by a heat wave and I've been sweating my butt off getting ready and going in and out of the car. I'm a person who sweat very easily and profusely when it's hot. I'm so annoyed. It's messing with my hair, makeup, and I don't like the smell of sweat. It makes me very self-conscious.

I've been on the hunt for the new Milani Coming Up Roses blushes but I had no luck so far. So while I was stalking the stores for it, I managed to pick up a few items.

I haven't used my OLAY facial brush in a while and wanted to go back to using it since my skin has been acting up lately. I needed a new replacement brush head so I went ahead and got a box. I didn't realize the box contains two ($10.49 at CVS), which is cool.

The first three, I purchased from CVS and the last one at Walgreens.

I saw a new display of Maybelline Limited Edition products for Fall 2013 but the only thing that stood out for me was this crazy purple gloss in the shade Purple Royale ($7.29). I did a quick swatch for you so you get an idea of the color and pigmentation. Wow I am totally digging it! It's semi-sheer, definitely more wearable than you'd think.

Next, I went back to scoop Nicole by OPI Gumdrops My Cherry Amour ($7.99). I knew I should have gotten it with the others and I cannot ignore any longer that I need it.

While I was at Walgreens, I saw a new display of Wet n Wild Tough Girl nail polishes. They are textured nail polishes by the way. After glancing at the collection, I only grabbed Atten Hut! ($3.99) which is a murky army green with gold shimmers.

So that's it for my little haul. Have you spotted any new collections?

Wet N Wild Three's A Party & Ardell Color Impact Demi Wispies Blue - Haul, Swatches, Eye Looks

A couple days ago, I stopped by Walgreens to see if anything new popped up. I found a display of the new and limited edition Wet N Wild Pop Art Craze collection, which features bright and colorful eyeshadow trios. Yes, I wanted to pick a few but certainly didn't need them. In the end, I settled with just Three's A Party.  I mainly picked it up for the red eyeshadow, lol. As you know, red eyeshadows is not the typical color you'd find sold in most places, which justifies my need to have it. I paid $3.29, I thought it was kind of an odd number but that's what's on my receipt.

The browbone color is white with an almost matte finish. It's quite soft and fairly pigmented.
The crease color is a true red, almost matte with some subtle shimmers. It has a fairly good pigmentation but isn't as soft as the browbone color and felt a little drier.
The eyelid color is a matte black. Not the blackest black shadow I've had but it's nearly there in terms of pigmentation. It also had a soft texture.
I found all three shade to be a little powdery. I had a bit of hard time blending the black shadow but that could also be because of the Urban Decay primer that I used.

For this eye look, I didn't want the crease color on the crease so instead I applied the red all over my lids and did a smoked cut crease with the black eyeshadow. I decided to have a little fun with the eyebrow so I first applied the black eyeshadow and then went over it with the red. Next step, I lined my lash line and waterline with a black eyeliner and smudge a bit of that black eyeshadow on the lower lash line.
I finished the look by applying the white eyeshadow on the browbone and adding some false lashes.
I ended up really liking this look. It's very bold, edgy, and Gothic. Probably not everyone's cut of tea but the main idea here was to show you how all this trio looks like together. Get this trio if you plan on being a vampire for Halloween.

Next thing I scooped up from Walgreens was the Ardell Color Impact eyeslashes. They had 4 different colors but for some reason the blue stood out for me more. They are $5.99 a pair.

Not all of the lashes are blue. There's a mix of black and blue, which gives you a little bit of color without looking over the top. Here's a how they look on my eyes. I don't like that the band is white and it looks pretty obvious on my eyes. You'll need to apply a liner over it in order to cover it up. Secondly, these lashes look a bit unnatural on me. Scratch that, they actually look a little crazy on my eyes. Not the color, just the way they flip out.

On my eyes, I'm wearing a shimmery gold beige eyeshadow on the lid and a dark greyish blue on the crease and outer V. A dark blue eyeliner on the upper and lower lash line. I added a bright shimmery blue liner on the bottom for just a little pop of color.

On this picture, I trimmed a bit off of the inner corner lashes and I like it much better that way. Looks more flattering now. This eye look has a bit of color yet it's subtle and very daytime friendly.

What do you think? Would  you try color lashes? Did you or will you pick up anything from the new Wet N Wild Pop Art Craze collection?