I've Been Shopping Lately...Again

I've been naughty again and went to shoplately.com for more goodies. I'm super duper excited.

• Modern Triangular Statement Necklace, $16.00. The minute I saw the triangular blue stone with the gold, I was sold. I love everything about it. It's so unique and edgy.

• Royal Hamsa Hand Pendant Necklace, $8.50. This is a pretty cute necklace. The hamsa hand is a symbol of protection in case you might not know. So perhaps this can be my new lucky charm. The necklace is pretty long and the pendant a fairly decent size.

• Frosted Fossil Necklace, $16.00. I've seen Liliana post a necklace similar, if not the same, a while ago and I was never able to get my hands on it so when I saw it at Shoplately, I knew I had to get it. I'm glad that this isn't a bright gold but a lighter and more muted gold. Some of the pieces have a more textured look to it. This definitely reminds me of a fossil but in a cool necklace form. This is another unique piece that I'm pretty excited about.

• Charm Me Hamsa Hand Bracelet, $8.00. Aren't those little Hamsa charms cute or what? I couldn't help myself but get the bracelet as well.

• Braided Arrow Bracelet Blue, $8.00.  I absolutely love the arrow. It is gorgeous. Otherwise, I feel like this piece is overpriced for what it is. I still love it though.

So as of today, I've decided that I will allow myself a budget of $150.00 per month on fashion and beauty combined. This means that I'm gonna be a little bit more selective on the things that I decide to purchase. Hopefully, establishing this limit will give me a little more control over my spending. Wish me luck. 

What do you think of my new collection?

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Tarte Ring It In Mini Cheek Stain Set - Review and Swatches

I purchased this set a few weeks ago from Tartecosmetics.com during their friends and family sale. This set was not included in the sale because it is was and still is currently on sale for $15.00. Which I think is a pretty good deal.

Packaging

• The tubes are about 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. They have a shiny metallic gold base and a black cap. Underneath the cap is also a clear cover to prevent the product from drying out. The small clear plastic cover is a bit tricky to remove and you could accidentally drop it while trying you pop it out and color residue on the cap could get on your clothes or fingers. 
• The product isn't perfectly molded or filled in the tube. There is a bit of gap around the rim. I am not sure if it is how it was handled during manufacture or if that is a result of the product drying out or melting. The product didn't feel dry when I used it.  
• Overall, I really like the packaging. It's small and has a quality look and feel to it.
• I had a hard time finding the name of the shade on the packaging. The print are small and the case very shinny and reflective, making it pretty hard to read.
• In this picture, I have twisted the product all the way up to see how much I'm getting. There is 4.8 g or .17 oz in each tube. It may not seem like much at all but I think you could actually get a lot of uses out of these because you really don't need much per usage. 
• The set include a stretchy gold tone ring. I think the ring is cute but not really my style. 

Colors

• From left to right: Luster, Flawless, and Vivid.
• Luster, a shimmery bronze. I wasn't sure if this would work as a blush but to my surprise it actually does. Once on the cheeks, it adds a very natural and subtle color to my face.
• Flawless, a shimmery peachy pink. 
• Vivid, a shimmery blue based pink.

Formula

• Tarte claims that these cheek stains contains natural fruit extract and are formulated without paraben. For a complete list of ingredient, please follow this link http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-mini-cheek-stain-and-ring-set
• The shimmers in these are very subtle but the finish is a bit dewy. I probably wouldn't recommend these if you have oily skin. I find that they look very natural and each of these shades looked great on my skin tone. I have light skin with neutral undertone, NC25 in MAC, if that is any help. 
• These shades are a bit sheer as you can see but they still add color and I find them pretty easy to work with. I'm not too sure of how these would work for darker complexion but these will work for most skin tone, in my opinion. 
• They do have a bit of tackiness to them. How I apply them is dab a little on my cheeks and I use my Crown C404 small duo fiber brush to blend. I don't use my fingers for blending because it makes the color look patchy and uneven.
•  These blushes really do not stain though. So the name of the product can be misleading.
• As far as the wear time, I think these do a pretty good job. They last up to 6 hours, after that they do fade a little but not by much because I can still see a bit of color left after 9 hours though much more subtle.
• They have a very strong fruity/citrusy scent. I'm ok with it but some people might not be fond of it.

Final Thought
I think some people might like these and some people might not depending on their preference, skin type, and color. I personally like them and that says a lot for someone who is not a big fan of creme blushes. I really like the fact that I don't have to dip my fingers in it to apply and that I can just directly dab it on my cheeks. They blend very well, especially with a brush and they last pretty much all day.
My rating: 9/10.

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OOTD Floral Dress

I'm having one of those WTH moment that is really bothering me. At first, I really wanted to believe that perhaps the problem is just a lack of common sense but now my gut feeling is telling me it is more a lack of ethics. I dread having to deal with an ethical behavior. I much rather deal with someone who is mentally challenged than someone who couldn't care less. I'm just appalled at the thought of it.

Anyways, let's move on to the purpose of this post. I actually haven't worn this outfit yet but was playing dress up so this is the look that I came up with. Pretty simple...Ok, perhaps too simple but that's what's great about wearing a dress. You don't have to find a matching bottom, ahah.
I purchased the dress from Rue 21, fairly recently. It is strapless and made out of a lace type of fabric with floral prints. It is also lined with another navy blue fabric underneath. It also has 3 ruffled layers. The ruffles are not too obvious so I don't know if you can even tell but I like it much better that way. Too much ruffles would add too much volume to my body, which is already voluminous enough as it is.
I find the floral and lace combination pretty girly and feminine. The dress actually looks casual which I like cause I'll get more use out of it. I can't find the same dress on their website but this one is pretty similar and just as pretty http://www.rue21.com/?sc_itemid={D5E2CDAD-1BB8-47F9-B779-D85CF16B876F}&color=BLACK

To cover my bare shoulders, I paired it with a white cardigan. Ahh what can I say a cardigan is a must have piece in my wardrobe. I think that cardigans give you a more polished look, which is great for the office. Cardigans also give you a leaner figure. Perfect for someone like me who could use a little help in that department.

I am also wearing a brown belt which came with the dress and I finished the look with my versatile go with anything MIA white wedge sandals.

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Missha Crystal Nail Polish HGR01 Swatches + Dupe

 

I recently hauled this polish from Missha's big summer sale, which just ended not long ago. This is the Missha Crystal Nail Polish in the shade HGR01, which is a teal, blue, greenish gold, multi-chrome. 

The packaging is absolutely adorable. It has this really cute heart shape from cap to bottle. 

The brush and the wand is a bit wide. It makes application easy and you could pretty much apply polish to an entire nail in just one stroke. 

I'm not too fond of the wide wand because it picks up a lot of product and I have to swipe it around the rim so that I don't end up with a bloop of nail polish on my nails. 

The problem I have with this packaging is that the rim is just slightly larger than the wand so you want to be extra careful when taking the brush in and out of the tube or else you'll be making a big mess at the neck of the bottle.

And here comes the swatches...It's beautiful and very duochromatic and shiny as you can see.  The formula is very easy to work with and looks opaque in 3 coats, which is what I have on the swatches.

 

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If you've been following my blog, you may have noticed that this shade is deja vu. 

To my surprise, HGR01 looked awefuly similar to China Glaze Unpredictable, which I had picked up just a few days before I received my Missha order.

Bellow is the side by side swatch comparison and they are pretty much dead on dupes as far as color goes.
There is a very slight variation in the formula between the two but they are similar enough that you don't need both.

The differences

• HGR01 has a more shimmered / pixelated look when you take a good look at both
• Unpredictable appears slightly smoother and more mirrored. 
• HGR01 is slightly more pigmented and applies more evenly. With Unpredictable you'd have to be more careful about the brush stroke.
• I prefer the brush on Unpredictable because it is easier to control the amount of product it picks up. The brush and wand on HGR01 picks up way too much product and can get messy.
• HGR01 contains 7.5 ml of product and cost $6.99, whereas Unpredictable contains 14 ml (twice as much) for about the same price. You definitely get more bangs for your bucks with Unpredictable. 

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Making Your Makeup Last

Hello beautifuls,

This was my FOTD when I went to the Wisconsin state fair a couple weeks ago. It was actually a really nice day to be out. It was warm but not hot. I got there late in the afternoon and I spent about 5 hours at the fair so I wanted to make sure that my makeup lasted me that long. This is the before and after picture so you can see how the product performed. I can certainly see that there is a slight difference between the two but overall, I think the makeup held up pretty good.

Before I go into the details about the product that I used, I just wanted to mention that I went with a natural fresh faced look because I think it is more appropriate for a daytime casual look. I also think it's best to keep your makeup minimal if you are going to be out on a warm/hot day.

Here are my picks for ensuring that my face stays on throughout the day.

• Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40. If you are going to be exposed to the sun for an extended period of time, your best bet is to wear a high SPF face moisturizer in order to prevent sun damage and premature aging. High SPF lotions have a tendency to look and feel very greasy or heavy. I like this one. It is a bit thick but it absorbs really quick and the shine is minimum. It does a very good job at preventing me from getting sun burn and minimizing the chances of hyperpigmentation which I tend to have when exposed to the sun.
• Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer. A face primer supposedly makes your makeup last longer. I can't say that I notice a difference but since I have it, I figure I might as well use it. I don't have large pores and I have normal / combination skin. I can get slightly oily on the forehead and nose but not that bad. And it maybe because of my skin type, I don't notice a difference that primers do for me.
• Chanel Perfection Lumiere 30 Beige. Although I went with a full coverage foundation, I only used very little of it because I wanted it to even out my skintone, still look natural, and last me all day. Of course, with this foundation, you could always build it up to a fuller coverage so it's pretty versatile. The finish is matte and the best part is the lasting power that is pretty damn good.
• Tarte Park Ave Princess bronzer. I wouldn't say that this product falls in the long-wearing category but it sure adds a bit of that sun-kissed glow to my face, which I really like.
• Femme Couture Get Rosie Cheek Stain. I have yet to do a review on this product but in the meantime, I can tell you that I quite like it. It's actually a cheek and lip stain duo but for this look, I am only wearing the cheek stain. The stain only slightly faded on my second picture but you can see that it's still there.
• Urban Decay Primer Potion Sin. For eyes that look more awake, I used this primer all over my lids. It's a shimmery champagne color that makes my eyes look brighter. I skipped the eyeshadow. This gave me a very subtle color already. UDPP are among my favorite eye primers. They never fail or crease on me.
• Milani Shadow Eyez Champagne Toast. This is a drugstore gem. Glides like butter, very pigmented, and last up to 12 hours without creasing and smudging. I applied this to my lower lash line.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid eyeliner Perversion. This has become my new favorite eyeliner. This liner will stay on and won't budge until you take it off. I only used it on my upper lash line, creating a thin winged liner.
• Make Up Forever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector. One thing I love about this makeup line is that when they say waterproof, they really mean it. This eyebrow corrector can be a bit tricky to apply because it is soooo pigmented. You only need a very and I seriously mean VERY tiny dot in order to fill both brows. That's how pigmented it is. This is the best long-wearing brow product I've tried so if you can work with the tricky application, you'll be very satisfied with how long this will last.
• MAC Prolongwear Lip Pencil Staunchly Stylish. One of the best long-wearing lip pencil I've tried. Though lip pencils are usually not on my day-to-day routine, I occasionally reach for them if I want more definition on my lips.
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in the shade Precious. I'm pretty sure you heard the buzz but in case you haven't these new Revlon stains are one of the best and favorite amongst bloggers and beauty enthusiasts. On the second picture, you can definitely see that it has lost its glossiness but the stain still remains and looks very natural on me. 
• Make Up Forever Mist + Fix. This was the last thing that went to my face to finish up the look. Don't expect your makeup to look intact after using this but it certainly helps prolong the wear of my makeup. My biggest pet peeve about this product is the packaging. The spray diffuses way too much product. It almost feels like splashing water on your face, lol, which really annoys me. It would have been so much better if the mist was finer. Otherwise, I think the product itself works.

So there you have it, my picks for long-wearing makeup. Which ones are yours?
If you've tried any of these, how did they work out for you? I'm curious to hear.


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Floral Sandals + Outfit of the Day

Hi beautifuls,

I haven't been in the mood to blog lately. Been feeling a bit stressed and sick so I kinda lost my blogging mojo. I'm trying to keep up, otherwise, I might go MIA even more.

I'm such a shoe slave, can you tell? I think about them and stalk them 24/7. I'm always looking for the next pair to add to my collection. I'm currently fantasizing over this one pair I saw on Forever21.com and I don't think I can hold back much longer. Ughhhh!

Anyways, this post is about these beautiful floral sandal that I purchased from Hautelook a couple weeks ago. They were on sale for roughly $20.00. I thought that was a pretty good price and I'm also loving the simple casual style to it. I bought a size 8, which is usually what I wear. These shoes run slightly loose and I like that because it makes them very comfortable to wear.

Brand: Liliana, Style: Blaine-2, Color: black. I tried googling this pair to see if it is available anywhere out there and the only place I found was this http://www.redshoelover.com/lilianaheelspage2.html.  FYI, I am not associated or affiliated with this website and I have never ordered from them.

I paired these sandals with a bright yellow blouse, white cami, and navy blue pants.  I'm slightly heavy on the chest area and button up blouses can sometimes look stretched in that area so if I can't find a tape to shut it close, I have to wear an undershirt. I wore this outfit to work the other day and I loved the overall look.

Do you have a pair of floral sandals? If so where did you get yours from?

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OOTD - Orange Dress + Color Block Sandals

Happy Monday everyone!

Well at least what's left of it. This was my actual outfit of the day for work. Started off with a bit of wardrobe malfunction this morning. I tried these new gel insoles that I bought from the dollar store and they were squeaking with every step that I made so while I was driving to work, I decided to pull them out of my shoes and managed to rip one off in half.
Secondly, I was in a rush (like usual) so I just grabbed whatever underwear I could find, haha. I just happen to pick one of the most uncomfortable pair of hip hugger that I can't remember the last time I wore it. It kept giving me wedgies through out the day.

• Orange dress. It is the only orange dress that I have in my closet. Well orange isn't really something I typically wear but this dress was hand me down from my sister. I did a little alteration to it. It had something sewn on the waistline but I removed it cause I didn't like it. The dress is pretty simple and the material is pretty cheap but the color give it a bit of life.
• After I got that thing out of the way, I was able to pair the dress with this Michael Kors belt, which looks way cooler on it.
• Because the open area around the chest is pretty low, I wore a simple burgundy cardigan for cover up.
• The dress doesn't have any sleeve and I normally don't really like going sleeveless to work so I added a long and lean brownish red cardigan. I think it added a more professional look to the dress so I liked that.
• These buckle bow color block sandals were from Dots and the whole reason why I decided to wear orange today, lol. I bought these heels like a couple months ago and they've been sitting on my rack unworn until today. I felt like I was neglecting them. They are pretty high but the platform helped. As far as comfort level, I would say medium. They are not the most comfortable heels I own but they are not horrible either. They fit a little loose on me, which is great because I hate wearing tight shoes. They look super cute though. I got lots of compliments. This is the type of shoe that will not go unnoticed. I swear everyone that I walked passed by literally stared at them, lol. Mind you that I don't wear these for that reason. I'm a slave for them. I don't mind wearing a boring outfit but my shoes has to be dope! Yeah I'm weird like that, LOL. Anyways, if you dig them and don't have a Dots near you (I'm not even sure if you will be able to find them anymore) the good news is I found where you can buy them...Ebay! And the price is pretty reasonable. Here's the link for you http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vivid-Suede-Bow-Buckle-Sky-High-Covered-Platform-Chunky-Heel-Ankle-Strap-Sandal-/300700389322?_trksid=p4340.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D1310098073371913767%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D3%26. I've never bought from this seller but their rating is pretty high so I think you should be safe ordering from them but don't take my word for it. I've seen the same style being sold at Charlotte Russe but in different colors. This is my favorite color from the selection I've seen.

Lastly, you may wonder what the heck are all these eggs for? Well my sister went down to Oklahoma this past weekend to visit my mom and families and brought back two stacks of eggs for me (and some chicken nuggets)...That's like 50 eggs! My mom lives on a farm and they raise chickens and that's were all these eggs are coming from. I told my kids that we gonna have to be on a egg diet so that these won't go to waste.

How many ways can you cook an egg? IDK, I mostly do scrambled eggs and hard boiled eggs. Got any egg recipe you wanna share with me?

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