Sephora and Walgreens Haul

It's been a while since I purchased something from Sephora. I've noticed that this year, I didn't buy as much high-end product as I did last year. I usually wait for a good sale to stock up on things I need and grab things that I want.

I just wanted to see in person what are the newbies at Sephora and add them to my wishlist so that I can grab them during the VIB sale, that is if they are still having one this year.

• I got sucked into this new nail polish from Sephora + Pantone Universe. This shade is called Parachute Purple and is supposedly a dupe for Rescue Beauty Lounge Scrangie. Let's hope it looks at least half as gorgeous on the nails as it does in the bottle. $9.00.
• My daughter picked up this Murad acne treatment concealer, $21.00. I've noticed that around the summer time, her skin started going out of control with pimples so I hope this helps. 
• I redeemed a 100 point perks for this sample of Dior BB cream. Let's see how this works out.

From Walgreens

• Freeman Facial Clay Mask Avocado & Oatmeal. Avocado is great for cleansing and moisturizing the skin. Oatmeal helps absorb and remove surface dirt as well as provide gentle exfoliation.
• Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub. I was curious about this new cleanser for a while. The sale was a great incentive to try.
• Bioinfusion Hydrating conditioner. A while ago, I tried a conditioner from this brand that I picked up because it was on clearance for dirt cheap. I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it but I think that conditioner is discontinued and this one may have taken its place so I am hoping that it works as good as the one I tried before.

At last, I was not able to find this LE Color Tattoo in store but I was fortunate enough that my sister found and picked up one for me. This is Mossy Green. It appears to be a dark shimmery olive green color.

So that's pretty much it for now. I guess I better start saving until the Sephora VIB sale because there are quite a few items under my radar.



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Shoe Hauling

Hello beautifuls,

I felt like it's been long time since I bought more shoes. Not that I need to but being the shoe addict that I am, it feels a bit unnatural to not to haul any for a while.

I made a quick trip to DSW today after I got done shopping at the mall. When I spotted the Levity Julissa Wedges, I instantly knew that if they fit well, I was going to bring them home. The sole have a nice cushion and the heel doesn't feel too high so they are very comfortable. I got them from the clearance rack for $34.97. The original retail price was $99.00. These wedges are well-made and has a quality and sophisticated look and feel to it. I'm so happy that they are not open-toe, which means that I will be able to wear these to work.

Levity Julissa Wedge Pump - Burnt Orange/Brown (Google Affiliate Ad)

The second pair, I got for myself are these wine red patented leather loafers from Kelly&Katie (Wine KK Mabel). They are also very comfortable because they have a nice cushioned sole and the material of the shoe is flexible. They are a little wide in the middle. The true color is more like the first picture. On the second picture, the flash made them look lighter than they really are. I typically do not wear loafers but I was digging this pair. The color and style is right up my alley and since I mostly own heels, I try get some flat shoes for days I want to give my feet some rest. The price is pretty reasonable. I paid $34.95.


Kelly & Katie Mabel Moc - Burgundy (Google Affiliate Ad)

The third pair was for my daughter. Her style is more conservative and minimalist so she picked these Rocket Dog greyish taupe ankle boots with a strap that goes around the ankle. These boots have a bit of a western style to it. I'm actually really surprised she wanted them but they do look nice. They were on clearance for $34.96, originally $60.00.


Rocket Dog Sayla Western Bootie - Taupe (Google Affiliate Ad)

That's it for my haul and thanks for stopping by.

Note: the links provided are Google affiliated links, which will take you straight to DSW and where you can purchase them. Prices may vary from online store to physical store.

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Swatch - Urban Decay Lip Junkie Naked

This is the mini lipgloss that comes with the Naked 2 palette. It is also available on its own and the full size product retails for $19.00. 

The packaging is cute and comes as a squeezable tube. I like the cut out detail on the cap, which makes the packaging a little bit fancier.

Naked is a very sheer nude pink gloss with fine pink and silver shimmers. It's hard for me to notice any color change. It just gives a nice shine and slightly enhances the natural color of my lips.

The formula feels a bit thick and cushiony, similar to MAC's lipglasses. It smells minty and I also get a tingly cool sensation once I put it on.

Personally, I would prefer a gloss that delivers a little more color so this shade was a little too boring for me. I also prefer a doe-foot applicator because it gives a more precise application. Otherwise, this isn't a bad gloss at all. The thicker texture helps make this gloss last a little longer.

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Swatch - Urban Decay Lipstick Confession

Hello there,

Not long ago, I snagged this lipstick from UD's Friends and Family sale for $3.00, which was unbelievable because they originally retail for $22.00.

The packaging is bulky but gorgeous with swirl designs and a little dagger at the base of the lipstick tube. Looks snazzy, doesn't it? Aside from the beautiful packaging, I could not for the life of me open up the lipstick. It got to the point I was breaking a sweat trying to open it. I was afraid that I might end up breaking the dagger so I googled up if there was a magical way of getting this lipstick tube to open.
Well there isn't! Boooo!! lol. You just practically have to force this thing out and I would highly suggest a plier because that's what I had to use.

Lucky for me, I didn't break or bend the dagger but, dammit, I've never had to use this much force just to open a lipstick. Once you get it to open a few times, it gets easier. But yeah, that was quite the shock and inconvenience for me to have to go through that.

Aside from the not so practical packaging, Confession is a dark plumy shade. The formula is semi-sheer, pigmented, and quite slippery. The slippery feel was kind of a turn off for me. The color was settling into my lip lines. The application was a little blotchy but the color is gorgeous, in my opinion. It looks almost black in the tube but more wearable on the lips.

It has a strong but pleasant sweet perfumy scent. Hard to describe.

Overall, I'd recommend that you exfoliate your lips before applying this lipstick because it will emphasize any dryness and imperfection. Secondly, if you don't want to go all out with it, you can blot the lipstick and you'll end up with a nice and wearable plummy stain.
Now, I believe these lipsticks are being discontinued because all there is left available is the shade Oil Slick.
I hope UD come out with better lipsticks. This one was kind of a love and hate, lol.

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Color Club Snakeskin

Hi lovelies,

This is one of those polishes that I've had for sometime and failed to swatch it for you. I think Snakeskin is a really nice shade for fall. It's got that dark gunmetal metallic finish. What also makes this polish special, is that it has some gold shimmers in it, which actually really complement the base color and give it that extra oomph.
The formula feel a bit thick. You could potentially get away with one coat but I like it much better with two coats cause it looks more smooth and even. It also dries faster than the average polish. I find that metallic finishes tend to dry faster anyways.

What are your favorite nail polishes for fall?

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My Face Brushes - Contour brushes (Part 3)

Here are my contour brushes. They are all shaped differently but still give out similar result. If you missed my previous posts about my powder and foundation and blush brushes, feel free to check them out too.

• Sigma Angled Top Kabuki F84, $16. This one is multi task, IMO. You could use it for applying or buffing foundations, blushes, and bronzers. It's very soft and dense and will pick up a lot of product. If you are using this for application, keep that in mind and use a light hand especially if you are using a powdery/pigmented product. The quality is very good and never shed.

• Sigma Round Top Kabuki F82, $16.00. I'm very impressed and pleased with Sigma's HD brushes. They are made of great quality and are so soft. I particularly prefer to use this one to buff the bronzer on the hollows of my cheeks.

• Real Techniques Buffing Brush.  This is not as dense as the Sigma brushes but still a pretty good brush that does the job. You could use this for applying foundation as well. Never once shedded on me.

• Sonia Kaskuk Flat Top Sculpting brush, $12.99. If you want that very structured contour, this would be the perfect brush. It's flat but very soft and dense. Never had any problems with shedding.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of these brushes. If you take good care of them. They will last you many years. I've had all these for over a year and they still retained their shape and still look and feel as good as new.

Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any questions.


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FOTN - Easy Smoky Grey

I went out last night with a friend and since I didn't have much time to do my makeup and I wasn't in the mood to do anything fantastic, I just went with one of my favorite look, a simple smoky grey look because they are quick and easy to do. What I love about this look is that it is quite versatile and wearable for either day or night. Of course you could always use a lighter application for daytime for a softer and more subtle look. I made it slightly deeper since I was going out for the evening.

Product Used

Face

•  Sally Hansen Luminous Matte Pressed Powder - Deep
• Illamasqua Powder Blusher Nymph
• Philosophy The Color Of Grace Shimmering Face Powder

Eyes

•  Urban Decay Primer Potion original
• From the NYX Nude on Nude palette: light silver on inner corner of eyes, Dark brown on crease, and light beige on brow bone. 
• From the UD Naked palette: Gunmetal on outer corner of eyes and Creep on outer V. 
• Physicians Formula Eyebooster Ultra Black liner on top lash line
• Milani Liquif'Eye Silver and NYX Slide On pencil Gunmetal on lower lash line
• ELF natural lashes
• L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow Continuous Cocoa for brows

Lips

•  NYX Matte Tea Rose

So if you are in a rush and don't have much time to figure out what you're going to wear as far as makeup goes or if you just like to keep it simple. I think this makeup look fits the bill because it's quick, easy, and versatile.What's your favorite day or evening look?

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