Favorites From October - December 2013

I know I am very late with this post and most people are already long done with theirs but I just can't move forward until I finish mine as well.
I've been very spoiled in 2013 and I've found so many favorites throughout the year but the truth is I am starting to get really overwhelmed with the products that I can't finish and the products that I neglected due to my insatiable love and greed for beauty products. So I promised myself that for the new year, I will spend less money and more time playing with my current products.

If you missed any of my trimester favorites, please feel free to check the following links to see what I loved using last year:

• Favorites from January to March 2013
• Favorites from April to June 2013
• Favorites from July to September 2013

With no further ado, here are my favorites for the remaining of 2013...

Eye Makeup

1. Mehron INtense Pro Pressed Powder Pigments Earth Palette. One of the best matte palettes I've come across.
2. Mehron INtense Pro Pressed Powder Pigments Wind Palette.

3, 4, 5. Yves Rocher Metalglow Cream Eyeshadows, Bronze, Mercure, Cuivre Rose. creamy, buildable, smooth, and easy to blend.
6. Prestige Brow Perfection Brow Building System Medium-Deep. Affordable tinted brow gel.
7 & 8. Color Tattoo Nude Pink and Matte Brown. Too bad this was limited edition. These were some nice matte cream eyeshadows.

Urban Decay Black Market. Awesome set. The colors are dark and easy to wear.

Urban Decay Black Market Swatches

Prestige Total Intensity Against All Odds Liquid Ink Eyeliner All Nighter. Looking for a dark navy blue liquid liner that's bullet proof? Check this one out!

Lip Colors

1. Sephora + Pantone Universe Velvet Lipstick Earth Red. Creamy, smooth, hydrating, matte red. Such a fantastic color. I love it.
2. OCC Black Dahlia. Sultry, dark, and mysterious blackened red.
3. Bite Beauty Rhubarb. Incredible pigmentation and formula. It's a lovely mauve brown that's great for every day wear.
4. Maybelline Color Elixir, Intoxicating Spice. Simply gorgeous. I love this earth tone shade.
5. Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss Adorned. It's one of the most amazing pink gloss I have in my collection. So vibrant, stunning, and love that it is affordable.
6. Revlon Matte Balm Sultry. It's incredibly smooth, pigmented, light-weight, and semi-matte.

Face Products

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Face palette. The powders feel so soft and silky. It's finely milled and add a soft luminous glow to my face. Holy Grail face product for me. 

2. Tarte Off The Cuff Amazonian Clay Blush Palette. I love this palette. The colors are pigmented and easy to blend. They are also lovely for daily wear.

Fragrance

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora EDP. Soft, delicate, woodsy, floral, and fresh. 

Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP. Warm floral oriental scent with a slight powdery scent. The scent is casual and classy at the same time.

Skincare

1. L'Occitane One Minute Hand Scrub. This scrub is fantastic and effective for scrubbing away dry winter skin and leaving hands feeling soft and smooth.
2. Freeman Facial Polish Mask Charcoal & Black Sugar. Wonderful budget-friendly sugar scrub that exfoliate without drying out.
3. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. One of the best and effective spot treatment I've tried for the occasional pimple.
4. L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil. This oil feels and smell so good. It really helped lock in moisture and make my skin feel softer.
5. Jack Black Lip balms. I got to try the shea butter and black cherry pomegranate flavor and love them both.

6. L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. I am obsessed with the L'Occitane almond collection. This oil feels really nice and smells divine.

7. Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Gel Mask. I wished it wasn't so pricey for a one time use mask but it makes my skin feel so good afterward.

Nail Polishes

1 & 2. I Love Nail Polish Multichrome Nostalgia and Sweet Serenade. I love these multichromes. They are fantastic.

3. Orly Purple Poodle. Gorgeous color, great formula. I love Orly polishes.
4. Forever 21 Sand Lacquer Burnished Gold. One of the more unique texture color I've seen. The formula was also really nice as well as the price.
5. Anise Nail Polish Be Wordly. Medium dark purple with lots of fine scattered holo glitters.
6. Essie Lots of Lux. I love the mix of blue, gold, and teal shimmers in this lovely vibrant cobalt blue textured glitters.
7. L'Oreal Hidden Gems. Another unique textured glitter polish combo. I think it's my favorite from the collection.

Finger Paints Kaleidoscope Collection Swatches - Their New Flaky Glitters of 2014

Hello lovelies,

Hope you're enjoying your weekend so far. It felt like such a long week for me. I've been super busy at work and overwhelmed with all the errors I come across and have to fix. We've been told at Friday's meeting that some people will have their work hours changed and that we are now no longer allowed to take breaks. During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the clinic had to write off an insane amount of uncollected patient balance and denied claims. The numbers were quite a shocking revelation and now everyone will have to feel the pressure and work harder. I have a feeling some people are going to quit.

So after feeling defeated at the end of the day, I stopped by Sally Beauty Supply last night for some retail therapy. I really needed something to cheer me up. Lucky for me, I came across the Finger Paints new flakies collection, fully stocked! I pretty much picked up all the shades. There are 5. Check it out!

Abstract Attraction -blue and purple flakies

Abstract Attraction, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Colorful Dream - green, gold/orange, purple, and just little bit of blue flakies

Colorful Dream, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Psychedelic Hue - green, teal, and a little bit of gold flakies

Psychedelic Hue, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Symmetrical Symphony - gold/orange, and bluish purple flakies

Symmetrical Symphony, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Vivid Reflection - pinkish purple, and gold flakies

Vivid Reflection, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

I found that the formula is pretty much the same across the board. Not too thick or too thin. The brush picks up a decent amount of flakies on the first coat; therefore, one or two coat will suffice. These flakies are really nice. They have a pretty opalescent and transparent color. They lay flat on the nails, spread out easily, and have a fair drying time.
I noticed that this collection isn't as vibrant as the previous collection and they have a slightly cloudy appearance but a layer of clear top coat will bring out the colors a little more. I managed to pick up all the shades in the previous flakies collection and you can view and compare the swatches HERE and HERE.

If you missed out on the last collection or want to add more flakies to your collection, I think they are still worth checking out. They are now available at Sally Beauty Supply so make sure you grab them before they're gone. They are $4.49 each with the Sally Beauty card.

Orly Galaxy FX Nail Polish Swatch - Star Trooper and Intergalactic Space

Hello pretties,

I'm a bit tired but wanted to share this post with you before I go lie down. I got these two new polishes from Sally Beauty supply about a week or two ago. I was debating really hard because the collection looked quite interesting and pretty glittery but I had to remind myself that I need to stay on budget so with all the self control that I could gather, I only managed to pick just two polishes out of the collection. So far, I've been doing good.

Star trooper has a very sheer dark brown base with lots of gold shimmers, small matte white glitters, and medium silver glitters. It's quite unique and pretty cool-looking, which is what I like. The formula is very thick and tend to goop in some area so spreading it evenly wasn't easy. I also needed 3 coats to get opacity. I would suggest a few drops of thinner with this one. I added a clear top coat over the swatches as well.

Intergalactic Space has a sheer dark purple base with fine blue shimmers, small bronze and pink glitters, and large round white matte glitters. I could not get any of the large white glitters at all. They all sunk into the bottom of the bottle and not matter how much I try to fish them out, I have not been successful at all.
This one is also quite stunning in person. It's also very thick and difficult to spread evenly; however, I only needed two coats for opacity. I am also wearing a clear top coat over the swatches.

I'm pretty happy with the way these two polishes look but the formula could've been better. Not really a deal breaker since I can thin it down.

30 Random Facts About Me

Hello there,

I was tagged a couple weeks ago by Kar Yi to do this random fact tag. I know I don't often do tags like these and it took me a little longer to put together these facts, which I thought long and hard over, lol, because it wasn't easy coming up with 30 without putting you to sleep but I suppose it's good to throw something out there about myself that isn't beauty related so you can get to know me on a personal level as well.


1. I spent new years eve making Pho, drinking wine and champagne, and watching a movie with my family. That's usually how I prefer to spend my new year's eve. Nice and quiet with family.

2. The last movie I saw was on new year's day. I took my kids to the theaters to see The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug. Loved the special effects with the dragon. Great story line and lots of adventure.

3. Every day, I start my day with a cup of coffee with cream and sugar to keep me going. Caffeine helps keep me alert and awake.

photo credit: Linh H. Nguyen via photopin cc

4. Some days, I only sleep 3 hours before going to work.

5. I work as a team lead in a medical office.

6. What I love about my job is that it always keeps me busy and engaged with others. There's always more problem than I can solve. I'm always learning something new.

7. What I dislike about my job is there's too much work, not enough time.

8. There are certain things that I forget very easily and certain things that stick in my head very well. I guess it depends on how critical the information is.

9. I'm a quick learner and I take good notes.

10. I hardly watch TV.

11. I love roller coasters, the faster and higher the better. The best ride I had so far is the front row seat of the Millennium Force at Cedar Point. You gotta be at the front seat in order to get the best thrill.



12. If I had the money, I'd definitely consider plastic surgery. Actually, I have, I just didn't have the money, lol.

13. I prefer taking showers. That could change if I had a Jacuzzi.

14. My favorite childhood game was Chinese jump rope. I was very good at it and had so much fun playing it at school with my friends before class starts and during recess. Oh and my second favorite thing to do when I was a kid was climbing trees. There were Mulberry trees in the neighborhood and I used to always climb them to pick and eat the berries. They taste so good!

photo credit: debcll via photopin cc

15. I'm quiet and mellow. I may come across as boring but I'd be more than happy to go skydiving, bungee jumping, para-sailing, go to the moon, eat snakes, lol...yeah that kind of stuff...

16. I don't like confrontation but I will assert myself if I feel that it is necessary. I usually wait until I'm calmer before I talk to someone .

17. I started to cook for my siblings/family at the age of 10, I think. I just remember I was very young.

18. Hair styling is not my forte. I really suck at it, that's why my hair got no swag. Surprisingly, I cut my sons' hair all the time and do a decent job at it.

19. I've never got my nails done at a nail salon before.

20. I've never smoked.

21. I'm messy.

22. I love rice. I mean I have to eat it like almost every day. I crave badly for it if I skip rice for a couple days.

photo credit: visualpanic via photopin cc

23. I need at least an hour to get ready.

24. I don't like planning so most of the things I do are either habitual or spontaneous.

25. Things that make me happy: a kind word, knowing someone cares about me, yummy food, and sales.

26. I'd prefer receiving a thoughtful gift than a gift card or money.

27. I believe everyone deserves a second chance if they redeem themselves.

28. I'd rather be alone than being in an unhappy unfulfilled relationship.

29. I kissed a stranger on my 34th birthday at the spur of the moment. It felt like the best thing ever at the time, lol. He was cute and a good kisser too!

30. I carry a half dollar bill everywhere I go because someone special has the other half. I have a grain of hope that we might run into each other someday...perhaps when we're very old, or perhaps in another lifetime.

Kudos if you read the whole thing and I didn't bore you to death and thank you for the time :)
I tag anyone who'd like to do this tag. If you already have, let me know and I'd be glad to read yours.

Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil Frizz Defy Hair Elixir Review

I picked up this new hair product at CVS a couple weeks ago and I was very curious to try it. I like to use oil, serums, or conditioning treatment after I wash my hair because it helps making my hair feel softer and more manageable. 

Packaging

• I love the bright orange tear-drop shape of the bottle. I think that's what first attracted me to the product.
• It comes with a pump for easy dispensing. 
• 5 oz or 150 ml

Product

• So at first I thought it was going to be an oil treatment because it says Marvelous Oil but when I got a feel for the product, it feels more like a serum. It's light, very silky and slippery at first, and absorbs quickly. 
• It contains amla and jojoba oil and suppose to smooth and tame frizzy hair.
• According to the label, you can use this hair serum 5 different ways. 
• You can use it as a pre-shampoo treatment. Apply to wet or dry hair before shampooing. 
• You can use it as a conditioner booster. Add a couple drops with your hair conditioner. 
• You can use it as a blow-dry accelerator. Apply it to damp hair before blow drying. 
• You can use it as a Ends Finisher, meaning applying to the ends of your hair to smooth split ends and prevent flyaways. 
• You can use it as an overnight leave-in treatment.
• Some of these different ways of use overlap if you think about it. What I normally do is apply two pumps to damp hair, particularly at the ends. And then one pump, lightly around the crown of my head. Comb through and then blow dry using a low heat setting. I don't have much hair so my hair dries fairly quickly but I do feel that this helps dry my hair just a bit quicker. 
• Once dry, my hair feels soft and manageable. It gives it a bit of shine without looking oily and because of its lightweight feel, it doesn't weight down my hair which is really nice because some serum tend to make my hair flat but this one doesn't. My hair feels airy and light when I use this serum. I have slightly frizzy hair and this product helps smooth them out but if you want pin straight hair, you'd still need to use a straightener. 
• It has a subtle fruity scent. Kinda smells like melons. 

Final Thought

Overall, I really like this. I love the silky feeling of the serum. It delivers soft, smooth hair, with a bit of shine and doesn't weight it down. It has a nice fruity scent that isn't overwhelming.

Rating: 10/10

Price: $5.99
Availability: CVS

Milani Color Statement Up Town Mauve - Swatch and Review

Hello lovelies,

We had some freezing rain last night on my way home from work. I had to be extra careful because it was slippery as hell and what bothers me is that some people still drive too fast for this kind of weather. I really didn't want to be around them. I managed to get home without incident but our apartment parking lot is on a hill so as I was coming down the hill, I really had to brace myself because black ice and gravity was just pulling my car downhill and it was sliding and swerving from side to side. I freaked out that I was going to either hit a neighbors car or slide straight into that wall of snow at the bottom of the hill. I thought to myself, ughh what a stupid idea hoping they salted the lot already. I was very lucky my car stopped just a few inches from the snow wall. I went back around and parked on the more leveled parking lot by the apartment office but that meant that I had to walk a little far and had to brave the deadly slippery hill on foot! It wasn't easy and being on foot just made me realize how slippery it was. Imagine me trying to walk on wet ice on a hill. Eh what choice do I have? It's the only way home. I took really slow and small careful steps. A neighbor was coming up the same direction and she was so sweet, she said "let me help you, I got boots on we'll be fine. I don't want you to fall out here" so she grabbed my arm and we slowly walked to the entrance of the building. I was wearing flats and they had no traction so I was certain my chances of falling were really high. So lucky to have wonderful neighbor like that. 

It's time now to get this review going for yah. Frankly, I could hardly wait to share it with you but I had to find the time to type it up because my week had been wack and stressful. 

Packaging

• Metallic gold case, which I love and hate because it's a magnet for fingerprints. I like that the base shows the actual color of the lipstick.
• .14 oz or 3.97 g

Product

• Up Town Mauve is a bright medium fuchsia/rapsberry color with a cream finish. Not a color I would call mauve but that's ok because it's super gorgeous I think. 
• The formula feels thick and it was very pigmented and creamy.
• It was a little bit moisturizing, I'd say, but it does start to feel drier as the color wears down.
• The color lasted like 5 hours before starting to fade. I left a bit of stain as it faded. 
• The lipstick is heavily scented. Smells a sweet and fruity. I didn't find it offensive but just too strong for my nose. 

Final Thought 

I really enjoyed the color of this lipstick and aside from the strong fragrance, the creamy, pigmented, and somewhat moisturizing properties of the lipstick is quite nice. If you love the color, you should just get it. 

Rating: 9/10

Price: $5-$6

Availability: CVS