Weekend Haul - CCO, Bare Escentuals, Ulta, and ELF

I spent most of the day today fixing my computers, which was really no fun since I ran into a few technical difficulties. I installed my new anti-virus and was able to get rid of some viruses. I haven't eaten all day and I'm starving. I just popped some sausages in the oven and now waiting for them to cook.

Anyhoo, let's get on with what I got this weekend. Most of products, if not all, were totally unecessary but I just had a strong urge to buy, lol.

 After seeing that my sister was able to get a set from the MAC Holiday collection at the CCO, I just needed to go check out what they had because there was a set that I didn't get hoping it will end up at the CCO. Lucky for me, that's exactly what I found.
The set I bought is called "Dazzle the Lads" and cost $25.25.
The set includes:

• A bag
• Lipstick - Baron's Rose
• Lip pencil - Draw me close
• Dazzleglass - Moth to Flame

After Marissa Nicole had sent me a MAC Greasepaint stick, I was curious to try more. I wanted to try some paint pots but they didn't have any. I figured this should work just as good. I'm actually really liking that it's in a pen form and that it is also retractable.

I picked up:

• Greasepaint Stick - Dirty. $12.25
• Greasepaint Stick - Below Ground. $12.25
• Shadestick - Penny. $11.75

I stopped by the Bare Escentual outlets and got this lipgloss set. They have a lot of nice lipglosses that I liked but I chose this one cause it's got very pretty colors. $19.50.

On my way back home from the Outlets, I stopped by Ulta to redeem my rewards gift and also check out if there is anything I like.
I ended up getting:

• Zoya - Jules from their spring collection. It's a gorgeous taupe color with sparkling gold shimmers. I have nothing like it and felt I needed to have it. $7.00
• Essence Fairytale - Fairy Berry nail polish. This is a limited edition color from Essence. $1.99
• NYX eyebrow shaper to keep my brow in place. $8.79
• NYX megashine lipgloss Cosmo. $2.74 (half off)
• It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product. Free gift, retails for $18.00.

 As if I haven't hauled enough already, lol...I got more stuff from ELF at a Target that was next to Ulta.

• Studio Eyeshadow C brush
• Studio Contour brush
• Everyday Brights, 32 eyeshadows
• Rustic Brown Eyes set, mineral eyeshadows
• Green Fields Eyes set, minera eyeshadows
• Natural Lash Kit
• Brush shampoo

That's it for this weekend haul. I plan on giving away some items from my haul. Stay tuned and once I have it sorted out, I will post the giveaway info.
I hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend.

Miss B Rainbow Nail Polish Swatches

Not long ago, I received these nail polishes as a gift from Teena, a fellow Luuuxer and friend.
I am not familiar with this brand and I have no clue where they can be purchased but I always love trying out new brands and products.

What I notice about these polishes:

• they don't have a name or number
• they have a very strong scent, similar to Seche Vite top coat
• they are quite pigmented

The first nail polish here comes in a very cute packaging. Someone said the packaging is similar to that of Juicy Couture. The color is cute and gurly, like a baby pink but formula is very frosty (or some might call it pearly) and reflects a lot of light.

The second nail polish is a mauve pink, which I think is very pretty. I actually like the color of this one better than the first one. The formula has very fine shimmers.

Let me know what you think of them if you've tried this brand of polish before.

FOTD With Quo Downtown Brown

Not long ago, HD has sent me an eyeshadow palette from Quo, which is a brand only available in Canada. If you haven't seen my previous post and would like to see swatches of this quad, click HERE.
I really love the quality of these eyeshadows. They go on so smoothly, blend easily, and feel buttery.
I chose to do a makeup look using this palette because I was gonna go out shopping and just wanted to wear something neutral. Other than that, I also wanted to post it here so you guys can see how it looks on my face.

Here are the products that I used today...

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion and Quo Downtown Brown eyeshadow quad (eyelids)
• Stila Smudge pot Black (upper eyeliner)
• Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil Mildew (lower lash line)
• GOGO mascara
• Make Up Forever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector (eyebrows)

Cheeks

• MAC MSF Perfect Topping (highlight)
• MAC Mineralize Blush Gentle (cheeks)
• Sally Hansen Luminous Pressed Powder Deep (contour)

Lips

• Josie Maran Soledad

Designer Perfect Brushes (Amazing Find and Steal)

To be honest, I have never heard of this brand of brushes before but I managed to stumble on some of them yesterday after I made a trip to the post office to send a gift to a special someone.
Before you look at the rest of my pictures. What do you think of these brushes at first glance? Do they look very well-made? Do they look expensive? They look expensive or at least well-made to me, judging from the varnished wood handle and gold accent ferrule.
So, I looked them up online to see how much they usually sell for and I'd say it's about mid-range in price.
Here is the link I found them at and where you can buy them: http://www0.shopping.com/Designer-Perfect-Timeless-Powder-Brush/products

I didn't purchase these online. There was a Big Lots next to the post office so I decided to go in there to quickly check out the beauty section. What I noticed at Big Lots is that they always put something new on the beauty isle. Which is cool because I like looking at the new stuff that they get.
These brushes quickly grabbed my attention because they look so well-made but being unfamiliar with the brand I kinda hesitated. I couldn't feel them because they were securely packaged. Then I thought oh what the heck, I really got not much to lose if they turn out to be horrible. Beside they have that high-end look to them. I couldn't pass up so I bought them.

When I arrived home, I quickly opened them and started touching and feeling the quality of them. Mind you I just bought these so this is just my initial impression. I usually start by testing their softness. They are definitely soft, so I was happy. Secondly, test the bristles if they have some resistance or if they are flimsy. I would say, they are medium in resistance but definitely not flimsy. Next, I pull the bristles, not too hard but I apply a bit of pressure to see if they shed and nope no hair came out.
They definitely passed my initial testing. I will have to use them for a little while before I can give you a full review of them if you are interested. If not, I'll just leave it at that.

At last but not least, I saved the price factor for last because I definitely got more bangs for my bucks IMO. They costed me $1.00 each! Amazing, isn't it? Makes me so excited when I buy something nice for cheap. Each Big Lots carry different things so yours might have them or might not but if you like these, it doesn't hurt to check it out, especially for the price it's being sold. Definitely beats ELF brushes!
If you can't find them at your Big Lots, check the link I provided above or search them online.

Do you own any brushes from this brand? Would you like me to do a full review?
As always, feel free to message me or comment if you have any questions.

Josie Maran Fresh-Faced & Romantic Kit Review

If you followed my posts, you know that I bought this set a couple weeks ago. I'm so sorry, I didn't get a chance to do a review sooner. I prefer to test the products for at least a few days before I do a full review. But with working full time Monday-Friday with some occasional weekends and OT, I'm pretty beat by the time I get home. Anyways, let's get on with the review.

A little about this product line. Their signature main ingredient is organic argan oil, which is a great source of antioxidants, Vitamin E, and essential fatty acids. Argan oil helps nourish, moisturize, and protect the skin and hair. They claim that their products are organic, natural, paraben-free, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, toxin-free, recyclable, and pure.

What's in the box?

• Lipgloss - Soledad
• Argan Illuminizer
• Argan Color Stick - Rosey
• Blush/bronzer duo
• GOGO mascara
• Argan oil hair serum
• 100% pure argan oil

Packaging

• Every item is individually wrapped with white tissue paper.
• Nothing fancy but sturdy and practical.

Products

• This set costs $52 and contains products with a value of $119. I personally think that was a good value set, that's why I have been dying to get it.
• This set is no longer available for purchase on Sephora's website and you may or may not find it in stores. In spite of that, you can still get them individually, which will cost you more.

• Lipgloss - Soledad is a muted coral lipgloss with a cream finish. It leans more on the sheer side but still give out some color. This is the kind of color that would look nice on most skintone. It comes with a small tapered brush applicator, which does a pretty good job at keeping its shape.The formula is not sticky and moisturizing. I get about 2 hours of wear. It has a sweet scent that reminds of toffee candies. Overall, I like this gloss.

• Argan Illuminizer. This bottle contains .5 oz or 15 ml. The product is dispensed through a pump which I find is easy to control. This is shimmery but the shimmers are very fine and once you blend it out, it just looks like you have this pretty dewy glow.

• Argan Color Stick - Rosey. I don't know why but I just can't bring myself to love stick or cream blushes. They just feel so sticky when I apply them. There is quite a bit of product in here so you won't go through it quick. It has a faint shimmer and is pretty decently pigmented and blends easily. I'm not a great fan of the scent. It has a citrusy smell that reminds me of instect repellent.

• Blush/bronzer duo. The blush is super pretty. It has that gold sheen that just makes you look flushed and glowy. I also like that it's quite long-wearing. The bronzer, I'm not too crazy about. First, it has a slight orange undertone. There is some shimmers but they look very subtle. It is so pigmented that you'd want to be careful and use a light hand. Otherwise, it can be easy to overdo.

• GOGO mascara. I'm not sure if the wand is the same size if you were to buy a full size mascara. The brush is big and has a lot of bristles. The formula is not too dry or wet. It didn't do much for my lashes. Gave them a bit of length and volume and that's about it. I'm not the best when it comes to mascara reviews since I don't really bother with them but I can tell you that I definitely had better than this one. So this is something you can skip IMO.

• Argan oil hair serum and 100% pure argan oil. Both comes with a dropper, which I like. The hair serum was so small that I didn't get much use out of it. It did soften and condition my hair but I would rather recommend you get the one from Sally Beauty Supply because it comes in a pretty large bottle and works just as well and the price is much nicer. The pure argan oil felt soothing and moisturizing on the skin. It's not something I would rub all over my body but just certain areas of my skin that need special attention.

Conclusion

Overall this is a pretty good set and I like most of the products that comes with it and most of them are a pretty good size. My least favorites would be the bronzer and the stick blush. They didn't impress me but that's just my opinion. I don't think they are bad though, just didn't meet my expectation. My favorite would be the pressed powder blush. It's just freaken gorgeous! The rest of the product, I like but probably wouldn't repurchase. I love trying out these kits, especially if I have a huntch that I'm going to like at least most of the products. My rating for this set would be 8/10.

What do you think of this cosmetic line? Have you tried any of their products?

I'm Getting Sunburned Makeup Look and Swatches

Hopefully, you are not tired of seeing my makeup looks I created with my Wet N Wild eyeshadow palettes. I'm definitely enjoying these eyeshadows a lot since they have such great pigmentation for an affordable price. I did this look a few days ago. Can you believe it took me 3 failed attempts until I got it to look reasonable? lol. Anyhoo, I'll talk more about this palette down below.

Eyes

• I did this look according to how it is labeled. I started with the lid color and browbone and carefully applied the crease color, starting on the outer V and moving up and inward into the crease.
• I blend, blend, blend as much as possible to soften the harsh edges.
• I used Hourglass Calligraphy liquid eyeliner to line my upper lash line.
• With a small brush, I applied the crease color and lid color on my lower lash line.
• I applied Milani Liquif'Eye Gold on my waterline.
• I filled my brows with ELF eyebrow kit.
• I applied false lashes on both top and bottom.

Cheeks

• I contoured with Physician's Formula Bamboo Silk Bronzer.
• I used Physician's Formula Happy Booster blush in Rose.

Lips

• NYX Diamond Sparkle lipgloss in Pink Sparkle.

I actually don't really dig the shimmers from the pink browbone. It's very frosty and I don't like the way it looks on here. I would have rather used a matte pink instead. I think it would have turned out a lot better.

About this palette...The colors are very pigmented. I swatched them without a primer.
There is some fall out with the gold lid color. The browbone apply and blend nicely. However, the crease color is very dark, pigmented, and hard to blend. I had the similar problem when I used the crease color from the Silent Treatment palette.

Questions, comments, requests? Feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer or help. Thanks for reading ^^

More Goodies from Yesterday...Thanks Teena Z

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for being MIA for the last couple days. Being the mini boss is a lot of work, LOL, and I'm still trying to adjust to the daylight saving change.

Last night, I came home to this packaging inside my mail box and when I saw who it came from, I smiled and couldn't wait to open it.

If you haven't guessed it already, it came from the lovely Teena Z, who I met on Luuux. She's a very nice, sweet, talented, and generous person....not to mention also beautiful inside and out. 

I can go on and on about how awesome this girl is but let's move on to the goodies she sent me.

She wrapped everything nicely and added an extra layer of bubble wrap. Everything arrived in perfect condition.

Two nail polishes from MissB Rainbow. I'm not familiar with this brand so there's not much I can say about it at this point but I'm excited to try new products. One of them come with a very cute packaging. I think I've seen her do a post about these.

 Motives lipstick. I'm very happy that she sent me this after hearing her rave about the quality of Motives products. This is such a pretty red color. I can't wait to pair it with a makeup look.

Super cute erasers. She told me to give them to my kids but after seeing how freaken adorable they are, I was very reluctant to do so, lol.

They literally look like candy. Had she not said they were erasers, I would have chewed them since they look so delicious. These has got to be some of the cutest erasers I've ever seen, hehe, no joke. They are so cute, I don't wanna use them to erase anything but rather just keep them as decoration.

Thanks for reading and thank you very much Teena! So sweet of you. I really appreciate that you wanted to send me these even though you didn't need to. I'm excited to try my new goodies.