Tarte Waterproof Amazonian Clay Shadow/Liner

I purchased these liner trios a couple weeks ago from Sephora. This set is limited edition and cost $39.00.

Packaging

• The typical jar container for gel/cream liners
• The color of the cap correspond with the color of the liner. It has a pretty design. Not quite sure what is it.
• Each jar is 1.8g or 0.06 oz, which is pretty small if you ask me. The size if the jar is misleading, considering how little you get.
• A dual-ended brush is included. One side to apply the eyeliner and the other to apply as eyeshadow. I don't particularly find it really good or bad but pretty decent.

Colors

• Black is a pretty dark matte black. It actually looks a lot darker than the swatch. This shade is available on its own for $22.00
• Deep sage is a shimmery deepened cool-toned green. I believe this shade is exclusive to this set.
• Bronze is well, a shimmery bronze that looks slightly metallic. This shade can be purchased on its own.

Product

• Product claims to be multi-purpose as a liner and eyeshadow. Although I personally, wouldn't use these as eyeshadows unless I wanted to create a very dark smoky eye look.
• Product claims to be waterproof. This is certainly a long-wearing eye product and did not budge when I rubbed on the swatches and after I spraying water on them. 
• These liners will last you all day until you take them off. I did find that the black liner would smudge a little bit after a few hours of wear. The problem can be fix if I set it with a black eyeshadow after I am done applying it.
• These shadow/liners are not very creamy but not too dry either, although personally I would have preferred them to be just a tad bit creamier. Regardless, I didn't find them difficult to apply either.
• They are very pigmented, which is nice.

Conclusion

I would have loved them to be just a notch creamier. I'm actually quite disappointed at the amount of product they give you for what you pay. Overall, the liners work very well and I love the fact that they have a great staying power. My rating 8.5/10.

Swatches of My NYX Lipglosses (Picture heavy)

Here are swatches and brief overview of the NYX lipglosses that I own.

Quick takes:

• NYX lipglosses are available at Ulta, Cherryculture.com, Ebay, nyxcosmetics.com, and select stores.
• The average cost falls somewhere between $2-$4 depending on where you purchase them
• There is a large range of colors and textures to choose from
• They are non-sticky and comfortable to wear.
• They come with a doe-foot applicator
• They last on average 2 hours
• They are sheer to semi-opaque, depending on the shade.

 24 Karet is a gorgeous orange gold gloss with shimmers. It has a pretty strong citrucy syrupy scent. This is a great summer shade and would complement warm skin tone in particular. It is a bit sheer and I find it difficult to get an even application.

 Purple Rain is a sheer shimmery bluish purple. Most people will not go for this type of shade. Again this shade is difficult to get an even application. I think it would work best layered on top of a lipstick. This gloss smells like cherry syrup.

 Dolly Pink is a bright pink gloss. I love this type of shade. I think it suits me. It is almost opaque when you use it at its fullest potential. Of course, you could always blot your lips for less for a less intense color. This is a creme finish, there is no shimmers. Smells like cherry syrup.

 Cosmo is a sparkling shimmery pink with a copperish undertone. The shimmers in this gloss can pass for fine glitters. This gloss is very sparkly and shiny. Some may not like it. It smells like cherry syrup.

 Beige Pearl is a sheer shimmery nude gloss. This gloss is so sheer and nude that it doesn't offer much color but mostly shine. I mostly layer it with a lipstick, especially when I want to tone down the color of the lipstick. Smells like cherry syrup.

 Sparkling pink is from the Diamond Sparkle lipgloss line. The packaging reminds of the Revlon Superlustrous lipgloss. This is a pretty posy pink color that is semi-opaque. I really don't get the name of these glosses. They are definitely not sparkly in my book. There is only fine shimmers.

 Sparkling Orange is another one I bought from the Diamond Sparkle line. I find that these glosses do not have a fruity or syrupy scent like the other glosses. In fact, I don't really detect a particular scent. Sparkling Orange is semi opaque and has some red undertone. It's a pretty wearable orange gloss IMO and would complements all skintone.

I hope you found this post helpful. Which is your favorite NYX gloss? Please share.

Thanks for reading.

Beauty Haul - Sephora, Ulta, ELF, and Nail Supplies/Polishes

Hello lovelies,

It's been a while and I'm not used to being MIA this long but I've been very consumed with work. It's been nuts, nuts, nuts!! And the tormenting is long from being over. So with that said, I will not be posting as often as I normally would until I can start breathing again.
I needed to post something otherwise, I'm totally going to lose track of things I've been doing and forget.

If you haven't guessed it already since my last haul, I bought more stuff, lol. Last week, I returned to Sephora to take advantage of my 15% off coupon. I came home with...

• Sephora Waterproof eye makeup remover--free by using my 100 point perks. This actually works very well. I may purchase the full-size bottle once I'm done with my Lancome Bi-Facils. The full-size bottle, which is 4.2 oz costs $9.50
• Sephora Long-Lasting eyeliner - violet glitter, $10.00. My first impression is I really liked the felt-tip applicator. The formula seems alright. The color is gorgeous. I will do a review and let you know what I think after more testing.
• Sephora Long-Lasting eyeliner - glitter kaki, $10.00.
• Sephora Khol Waterproof - keep blue, $9.00. Easy to apply, smooth, doesn't tug skin, and has great staying power.
• Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Protective Emulsion SPF 15, 2.5 oz, $54.50. Initially, I had a smaller bottle that I bought with a kit. I love the light-weight feeling of this moisturizer. It absorbs quickly. Great for normal every day wear. This is more suitable for normal/combination skin. It doesn't seem to do much as far as reducing hyper-pigmentation, which you should take in consideration if that is what you plan to use it for. Other than that it does a good job at keeping me moisturized without feeling heavy or oily. This is such a huge bottle and the price might be intimidating but it should last me till the end of the year. My 1 oz bottle last me 3 months. A little goes a long way!
• Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40, 0.5 oz, $14.00. I picked this one up because it has a higher SPF and I plan on using it on days I'll be spending longer time outside. It feels pretty light considering the higher amount of SPF, which often tends to feel heavy and greasy on most high SPF moisturizers. This one is much more comfortable to wear, IMO.

I decided to stop by Ulta last week to use my coupon.

I found these Real Techniques brushes on sale for BOGO 50% off so I jumped on the opportunity. I think these brushes are really good! Definitely check them out when you get a chance. I've used them a few times and I'm very happy with them. They are very soft, sturdy, and no shedding. Plus the price is very reasonable. I will do a more in-depth review.
I bought the 4 piece brush set, which comes with a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush, and contour brush. It's sold for $15.99. I also repurchased another stippling brush as part of the BOGO, which retails for $9.99 (regular price). This stippling brush is amazing! One of the best I've tried. I highly recommend this brush.

 Also from Ulta, they were selling nail polishes for buy 2 get 1 free. Finally picked up my first Essie nail polishes ever, lol! From left to right: mint candy apple, sew psyched, borrowed & blue. One thing that really annoys me about Essie nail polishes is the small round brush. These retail for $8.00 each. You can also get these at Wal-Mart, CVS, and Walgreens.

 I stopped by Big Lots to pick up some cookies for my daughter and when I checked out the beauty isle, look what I found. These ELF palettes that I've been seeing at Target. My local Big Lots had a pretty good ELF selection, I'm going back to get more mineral pigments soon. These were slightly cheaper at Big Lots. No seriously, I did not need these but for $4.50 each, I couldn't convince myself otherwise, lol.


Alright, the rest of the stuff below were purchased from a nail supply store in Chicago. I'm so freaken excited that I found this store. I just wish it was closer. Need I say, products are significantly cheaper? China Glaze were $2.50 a bottle, Essie were $3.00, OPI $4.50, Orly $3.00. I felt like dancing.
OMG, hardest part was deciding which ones to get.
Anyhoo, if you live in Chicago area or plan on visiting and would like to check out this nail supply store, here is the address. It's open to the public. You do not need a license to shop there. And it's in Vietnamese town. They have a pretty good selection. They also carry some of the new nail polish collections as well.

Lynamy Beauty Supply

4925 N Broadway St Ste. F

Chicago, IL 60640

(773) 275-1110

I was compelled to buy this body polisher because it's the first I've seen on the market with a brush head made for use on the body. As you can tell from the picture it's pretty large. Not only it comes with a large brush but they added a small facial brush, facial buffer, and pumice stone. I haven't tried it yet because I need to buy batteries. This tool uses 4 AA batteries and claims to be waterproof. One of the best part of this body polisher is the price. When the clerk told me it was $10.85, I was like yea sold! LOL.
Wowzers! I just checked the website and this kit is sold for $60.00!!! Here is a link if you are interested http://sunlabsonline.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=391 I am just worried about how I'm going to get the replacement heads when mines get worn down. I'm probably better off driving to the store and get a new one.
It's also being sold on Beauty Choice for $49.95. http://www.beautychoice.com/products/Sun_Body_Polisher_and_Self_Tan_Remover-12342-258.html

 This 5 pc dotting tool is double ended and comes with a variety of size. I'm super duper excited. This is great for hand-free design. I bought it for $6.00. I would have paid a hefty price at Sally Beauty Supply for a set like that. I bought some stackable jars for $1.75.

China Glaze nail polishes. From left to right: Chiaroscuro, Sour Apple, Mahoganie, Luna, Senorita Bonita, Awakening.

 Guess what? Found 3 crackle nail polishes (on the right) but these are brands I've never heard of. I tried them out at the store and on my first impression, these actually cracks a lot nicer than the China Glaze Crackle I purchased not long ago. They were only $3.00 each! On the left, I have Essie Pink Lemonade.

I also ended up buying a nail polish rack but I will do a separate post once I mount it on the wall.

I have another haul but falls withing a different category.

Hope you found something interesting or helpful from my haul. Let me know if you have any questions.

Sephora Haul AND My New Clipless Curler!! :D

I'm so excited for all the goodies I got today. I received a VIB coupons for 15% off and I was able to use it today so I splurged a little bit. Well maybe a lot, lol. I normally do not buy this much at Sephora unless, I have a coupon or there is a special sale. So, here's what I got...

1. Urban Decay Primer Potion Eden, $19.00.  This is the new and improved packaging. Since it is in a squeeze tube, less product is wasted. I already have the original clear primer in the old packaging so I figure I might as well get a different one. Eden has a creamy light beige concealer-like consistency. It says on the package that you get 10% more product.
2. Fairy Drops mascara in deep glossy black, $24.00. So I asked the sales associate to help and recommend me a good fiber mascara. Since I have tiny asian lashes I wanted to try those fiber mascaras to see if they can be of any help. They told me this is currently the most popular mascara in Japan and that it works really good. I'm so freaken excited to try it, lol.
3. Dior Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum, $28.00. Two of my co-workers swear that this product is amazing and works very well. It's a lash primer/growth serum. I thought that was very interesting and decided to try it.
4. Benefit Porefessional face primer, $28.00. I heard a lot of rave about this product and when I tested it out at the store, it looks very promising.
5. Boscia Enlivening Aminio-AG Eye Treatment, $38.00. This is a repurchase. I meant to do a review on the first one I got way back in November or December of last year, lol...but never got around to it. Ah but anyways, I love this eye cream. The texture and feel of it is so silky smooth and different from most eye creams I've tried. It has a white gel-like consistency. I love it!!! Highly recommend. What it claims to do: diminish puffiness and dark circles and reduce appearance of fine lines. It's made of 100% natural ingredient. It probably works best for preventing and reducing fine lines around the eyes. I am not sure if it will "treat" current wrinkles. It does a good job at reducing puffiness, for me at least. As far as dark circles, IDK, I don't have it bad so I am not sure how well it does for reducing the dark circles.
6. Tarte Jewels of the Amazon, $39.00. These are waterproof Amazonian Clay shadow/liner. There is 3 different colors: black, green, and brown. The black one looks matte but the other two have shimmers in them.The set also comes with a cute double-ended liner and shadow applicator. Can't wait to test it out.

PS: price listed are regular prices.

I redeemed my 100 point perks for a REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask and I also picked up my free birthday gift, a Philosophy shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath.

I received my Fahrenheit 4 in 1 ceramic clipless curling Iron today! My boy-friend ordered it for me from BeautyChoice.com  last Sunday and I already got it today. So I'd say shipping was super fast! After seeing how some girls create beautiful curls with clipless irons, I've been researching for the perfect one for me. My biggest problem with curls is taking forever to curl my hair and making them last. These tourmaline ceramic heads will ensure that my curls stay curls. The fact that it's clipless will probably make curling easier and faster, I think. What made me get this is because it's supposed to make the curls last longer, it comes with 4 different size barrels to achieve different curls so it's more versatile. It's currently on sale now with $20.00 off so you'll pay $79.95 and you get free shipping within the US. Not bad at all if you ask me. You'll have to use the coupon code CURL888 in order to get the discount. Here is a direct link to the product: http://www.beautychoice.com/products/Fahrenheit_Professional_4_in_1_Ceramic_Clipless_Curling_Iron_Set-40426-0.html

I will do a review once I've had the chance to use it.

Hope you enjoyed my haul! I'm super duper excited with everything I got today. I feel like I might have been missing out on some products...I might return to Sephora since my coupon is reusable for the rest of the week. Anything you would like to recommend? Please let me know.

Day and Evening Makeup Looks with Lorac Eyeshadows

I did these two makeup looks over the weekend and should've had them up already but work is kicking my ass again and I'm pretty beat at the end of the day. I was hoping to post these last night but I ended up going to bed super early, which is unusual but the extra sleep helped give me a little boost of energy today.

Anyhoo, if you've seen my previous post, you know that I was given a Lorac eyeshadow palette by Huda. I've already done swatches of it too.

Daytime Look

I try not to do anything too dramatic for a daytime look but this ended up to be more colorful than I anticipated so I tried to keep the look soft and girly. I should've taken the pictures with flash cause it normally captures the colors better but I forgot since it was daytime, lol.



Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Lorac eyeshadows from the Time to Shine palette. Silver with blue undertone all over lids. Pink eyeshadow on the crease. A little bit of black on the outer V. Light shimmery beige on brow bone.
• Physicians Formula Gel Creamliner, pinkish purple from the Hazel eye set (lower lash line)
• Stila Smudge pot Black (upper lash line)
• Lorac Multiplex 3D mascara
• Clinique bottom lash mascara
• ELF eyebrow Kit

Face

• Physicians Formula Cashmerewear bronzer
• Josie Maran Illuminizer
• Elf Candid Coral blush

Lips

• NYX Black Label lipstick-Poem

Evening Look

Wow, is it just me or can you tell how different and much more mature I look with dramatic makeup? I think the green contacts complements the colors of this look. I am madly in love with the green PF eyeliner.

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Lorac eyeshadows from the Time to Shine palette. I used the plum color all over my lids. I applied the green on the crease and outer V. I used the beige eyeshadow to highlight brow bone.
• Hourglass Calligraphy liquid eyeliner (upper lash line)
• Physicians Formula Gel Creamliner Green from the Green Eyes set (lower lash line)
• Prestige Total Intensity Fearless Teal (waterline)
• False eyelashes, top and bottom

Face

• Mac Dirty Plum blush
• Josie Maran Bronzer

Lips

• Wet N Wild Perfect Pair Lipwand 123

Thanks for checking out my post and hope you enjoyed.

Last weekend Haul -- PF, ELF, Lorac, Bath & Body Works, Nail Polishes, and a Purse

Since I worked my butt off for the past couple weeks and got paid last Friday. I thought I was going to blow my money and splurge but I think I actually did pretty good. Spent less than I anticipated. I guess I can blame it on the Sephora coupon I got in the mail because April 14-21, VIB can save 15% off their purchase. So with that said, you can expect a Sephora haul post by this weekend.

Anyways, the point of this post to to show you what I got last week.

I purchased more ELF eyeshadows from Target. I bought the Blooming Eyeshadow Collection, which comes with 4 duo eyeshadows and a brush/pencil. I also decided to try more mineral eyeshadows and got the Sea Blue set. Each of these sets are sold for $4.99.

I bought the Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Bronzer from CVS. I used the $5.00 coupon. The PF blushes and bronzers were on sale for $6.00 off so with the coupon, I literally paid $3.00 for it.

I stopped by this nail supply store next to an asian market. My sister told me about it so I decided to check it out. The selection was ok and the prices could have been better but it is still cheaper than paying retail. They were selling China Glaze for $4.00 and OPI for $6.00. From left to right I have Eyes Like Sapphires, Sea Spray, and Simmer & Shimmer.
If you live in Milwaukee area and would like to check out this nail supplier, here's the address info:

Central Nail Supply

5455 S 27th St
Milwaukee, WI 53221
414-282-5555

 If you know any other nail supplier in Milwaukee, feel free to let me know too! I hate paying retails, lol.

I didn't purchase this Lorac eyeshadow palette. This is actually a giveway that I won and was sent to me by Huda Kaake. So thank you so much Huda. I was stoked when I unwrapped my package. This palette is called "time to shine" and according to the packaging, is being sold at Ulta for $28.00.

The palette comes inside a clutch-like packaging with a wide mirror and 10 eyeshadows. They are all shimmery, except for the black one. I don't really like the rough glittery texture of the cover. I experienced a bit of glitter fall out but nothing extreme.

There was also a mini-size Multiplex 3D mascara included with this eyeshadow palette. I tried it the other day and was pretty happy with the result. The formula is a little wet but it allows me to build up volume and length without clumping.

Here are the swatches. The top row is definitely more subtle and day-time appropriate. The bottom row has more dramatic colors for an evening look. The eyeshadows are soft to the touch and blend easily. As you can see on the picture, the pigmentation isn't the greatest but with a good eyeshadow primer, they are doable.

Huda also sent me 2 hand lotions from Bath and Body Works and a small travel-size hand sanitizer...It's so small and cute and I love shoes! One lotion is not pictured because I lost the original photo of my giveway prize and I gave it to my daughter. But yeah, she sent me some awesome goodies.

I was browsing through DSW hoping to find a cute pair of shoes. Surprisingly, I didn't find any that I liked enough to buy. I managed to spot this lovely purse. Made by Etienne Aigner and genuine leather. The original price was $132.00. It was marked on sale for $55.00 and with my $5.00 birthday coupon, I got this baby for only $50.00. I like how classic and casual this looks. It's large enough to hold all the things I need. It also comes with a detachable shoulder strap.

That's all for now...I will be posting a couple makeup looks I did with the Lorac palette. So stay tuned, if you are interested in it. Thanks for reading :)

Physicians Formula Gel Creamliners

A couple weeks ago, I received a gift package from Holly Ann and she sent me these PF creamliners for green eyes. I was stoked because I have been wanting and lusting for these creamliners for a long time but never got around to it. The main reason I didn't buy them was that I thought they were kinda expensive for a drugtore product. They retail for about $11.00.
Anyways, after I tried the Creamliners for green eyes, I was hooked and ran to CVS to get more. The great thing about CVS is they make buying makeup so much more fun since you can save a lot of money shopping there by using your ExtraCare coupons and other additional coupons you may have.

Packaging

• .21 oz or 6 g each
• Stackable and detachable
• 3 different creamliner colors
• Eyeliner brush included, although I wouldn't personally use it to line my eyes because I think it's too thick.

Product

• So they claim these products to last 24 hours. That's a bit unrealistic if you ask me. Who wants to wear her makeup 24 hours? Most of us don't. In spite of that ridiculous claim, I do think that these creamliners are long-wearing and will last you throughout the day until you take them off.
• It applies and glides very smoothly
• Great pigmentation
• Hardly any smudging. Perhaps a tiny bit bit towards the end of the day, after 8 hours of wear.
• Each set is customized to enhance your eye colors.

Colors

• For green eyes, there's a grassy geen liner with a faint shimmer, which is think is absolutely gorgeous. You also get a bluish purple and a black with green shimmers. I like the fact that the black eyeliners that comes with these sets are not just plain black but they have a little hint of shimmers in them, which makes them look even better.
• For Hazel eyes, you get a taupy brown with a slight sheen to it, a pinkish purple with grey undertone, and a black with pink shimmers.

Conclusion

These are my new favorite eyeliner products. I've been reaching out for them often since I've got them. They feel creamy and glide so nicely when applied. I am so tempted to go back and get more. In case you didn't know, they have more sets of these trios in different colors available. The only things that I didn't like was the brush it came with and I really wish, there wasn't a black creamliner in every set. If I buy another set, I'm going to end up with more black eyeliners than I really need. I love the fact that you get 3 different colors that are long-wearing. My rating 8.5/10. I would have given these a 9 if they didn't claim this to be 24 hour wear.

BTW, Holly Ann provided me the link to this print out coupons for $5.00 off any Physicians Formula product. I'm putting it here so you can also enjoy the savings. This coupon is good till 6-15-11.

http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/eyebooster-coupon-3-1.pdf

Enjoy your savings :)...let me know what you thought of these liners if you tried them.

Some of My Storage Solutions

I just realized how long I've been absent from my blog and the Internet in general. I've been putting a lot of hours at work to meet the deadlines and felt pretty burned out at the end of the days. Tomorrow is payday and I'm excited. Hopefully, I won't be too tired to do some shopping after work.
I enjoy getting ideas from other people's storage solutions. It's always fun and interesting to see how people orgazine. I'm in dire need of a vanity. Until then, all my stuff are scattered around my room. I'm not the most organized person out there but I can most of the time find my stuff in my organized mess. I thought I'll share some of the new things I've been using. Some of the places I love to shop for my storage solutions are Wal-Mart, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls.

I found this 3-tier basket organizer at TJ Maxx. It was sitting in the Kitchen isle. It looked like something I could use. It's made of metal and is quite sturdy. I've been storing my false eyelashes and MAC pigments in them. I bought it for $7.99

I found this 3-tier small shelf at Wal-Mart in the bathroom isle. I can't remember exactly how much I paid but it was no more than $10. I use it to store miscellaneous stuff at this moment.

This lipstick organizer tray was given to me by my sister. She got it at the Container Store for $6.99. It stores 24 lipsticks. I could use another one or two of these. Too bad we don't have a Container Store near us. It could possibly be one of my favorite place to shop too if I could.

Another thing my sister got me from the Container Store is this Scarf organizer. It's sold for $5.99 and you can store 28 scarves. Pretty neat IMO.

I can't remember if I got this from Marshalls or TJ Maxx but I've seen it being sold in both stores for around $10.00. I use it to store my eyeliners and mascaras. I like storing my eyeliners and lip products vertically. I think it's easier to to find what you're looking for this way. It's divided in 4 sections. It's quite sturdy and it can spin.

I got this fancy cardboard box from Marshalls for $12.99. I comes with two soaps but once you take them out, you could use this box to store things. I currently just store some keepsakes and memories. It also plays music, "swan lake" by Tchaikovsky.

I actually receive this as a birthday gift from a co-worker. It's a small photo album but I found a better use for it. It's a very practical way to store my coupons and I keep it in my purse. I like the fact that it says "shopaholic" on the cover, lol. This was totally made to keep my coupons. I used to always misplace them, lose them, forget them, etc...Now that I can keep all my coupons in this book. I'm making better use of them and saving money. Don't leave the house without your coupons!

I hope you found some of these storage ideas helfpul :)