FOTD Featuring Make Up Forever #92

I've been very busy and tired with work lately that it's been hard for me to find the time or energy to do a makeup look. Since I've just acquired MUFE #92 on my recent Sephora haul, the weekends that I don't work are my only chance to play with makeup. I came up with this bright pink/purple look with dramatic lips.
It looks fine in pictures but in person, these colors are so out there, lol. Anyways, I know it's more of a runway look.
One thing that really annoyed me was that the eyeshadow stained my skin and after I removed it, the area around my eyes were pink and I looked sick! :-O

Product Used

Face

• Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Bronzer (contour)
• MAC MSF Perfect Topping (highlight)
• MAC Power Blush Amazon Princess (blush)

Eyes

• Light Camo Quad (white) as a base
• Coastal Scents Hot Pot CM08 from the Creative Me #1 Palette all over lid
• Make Up Forever #92 on outter corner and crease
• NYX Velvet Rope Palette (the sparkling light pink color) as highlight
• ELF eyebrow Kit
• Urban Decay 24/7 Zero as tight lining
• Stila Sparkle Waterproof Eyeliner Royal on upper lash line
• L'oreal HIP violet volt on waterline and lower lash line
• NYX false lashes 115

Lips

• MAC Violetta lipstick

Blogger Awards

I was given a few blog awards already but didn't post it. Sooo sorry but I'm going to make up for it. So far I only remembered being given 3 awards so if one of you gave me one and I forgot to post it here, please refresh my terrible memory.
I'm thankful and flattered that those lovely ladies had me in mind. Please also check them out or follow them (if you haven't yet) because they have awesome blogs.

 Given by AngelicBetrayal

 Given by OhMyJemimahXD

Given by Pixie Polish for bloggers with less than 300 followers

To be honest, I get caught up with a lot of things...Keeping up with my personal life or more like my professional life, keeping up with my own blogs and Luuux blogs as well as those who follows me, keeping up with my hauls, etc...Well, you get the idea. I'm not trying to make excuses but I wanted you all to know that I ready do appreciate all those who have stopped by my page, taken the time to look or read what I posted, and left their mark. I want to apologize if it seems like I have neglected you.

I want to also take this moment to acknowledge some wonderful bloggers who also deserve recognition and pass on the rewards to them because they really do deserve it :). If you follow other bloggers and would like to also pass along these awards to them, please feel free to do so as well.

• Yuki - Liebster Blog Award. She takes amazing pictures! I freaken love her EOTD.
• Lindsay - Kreative Blogger Award. I love her nail designs. Always super cute and creative! She also has a very nice nail polish collection and I often run to the store looking for some of the ones she posts.
• Huda - Liebster Blog Award. She just started with Blogspot but I've been following her on Luuux and she write great beauty posts and reviews. Also she has the sweetest personality.
• Little Lucy - Liebster Blog Award. She features some very interesting beauty products. Always give me new ideas.
• Xongie - Kreative Blogger Award. She is amazingly creative with sewing and arts & crafts. I seriously drool over the cute things she creates.
• Lauren - Liebster Blog Award. I follow her on Luuux, where she posts most of her stuff. Very sweet personality and write wonderful and detailed reviews. She also features great beauty products.
• AngelicBetrayal - Liebster Blog Award. She's a wonderful gal and blogger. She's quite active with her blog so there is always something new to keep my interest.
• Lillian Low - Versatile Blogger Award. Wow this chica features products I've never even heard of. It's good to find out about great Indie products that many are not aware of. Watch out for her lipstick swatches, she has them in every color to tickle your fancy.
• OhMyJemimahXD - Liebster Blog Award. You will fall in love with her blog at first sight. Seriously, cause I did. She definitely deserves more followers.
• Sugarbumpkin - Liebstar Blog Award. I really want to beat myself in the head for not following her sooner. You'll also fall in love with her page the moment you see it.

I think one last piece of this Award Recognition is to state 7 or 10 facts about myself. I don't normally talk too much about myself here on a personal level because I'm not sure if it would be relevant to anyone. I will try to make this interesting so you can also get to know me better :)

1. I was born in Thailand and raised in France. I came to the States at age 14. So with that said I speak 3 languages: Hmong, English, and French.
2. How others described me: honest, nice, funny, talented, artistic, strong-minded, independent, smart, and down-to-earth.
3. My biggest life challenges were:
• dealing with the death of my father (when I was just 9) and everything else that came after that was just growing pains.
• Moving to a new country. Wow, I had to relearn everything from language barriers to cultural barriers. It took me at least a year until I adjusted to my new environment. I felt like I was always behind.
• Getting through a rough marriage and divorce and life after that. Divorce can pretty much be compared to a slow and painful death. It's like getting buried alive. If you can imagine how it's like to dig yourself out of a grave, perhaps you can relate a little to how that feels. In the end, I am thankful we managed to make our separate ways. I certainly couldn't imagine living the rest of my life in such misery.
4.  I don't have many friends. First off being a single mother doesn't allow me a lot of time or opportunity for social interaction with others. Secondly, "real" friends are hard to find. I take the time to know someone until I can determine what kind of friends they will be.
5. My biggest fear is physical pain. I have been blessed to be healthy and rarely ever get sick. I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself if something ever happens to me and I am unable to function normally.
6. What makes me happy: good food, shoes, chocolate, makeup, shopping, traveling, being appreciated, being able to help, knowing someone thought of or care about me...
7. What annoys me: slow computer or websites, people who act smarter than they really are, selfish-people, junk mails, people who complains but have no solution to the problem or issue, people who can't drive (they need to get out of my way, lol), people who don't practice what they preach, abuse in any shape or form...
8. Things I wanna do before I die--sky diving, go on a cruise, meet my soul mate (if there is such a thing), see my grand-childrens, own a pair of Christian Louboutin.
9. My biggest regret--taking so long to find myself.
10. The best advices given to me:
• people will treat you the way you allow them to (by Chao)
• Treat everyone with kindness, even if they do not matter to you. People may not remember your kindness but they will remember the pain you caused them (by my mother)
• Patience is a virtue but it doesn't always solve the issue (by someone I met online)

Thank you all for reading if you have come down to the end of this post.

Handbag Organizer With Multi-Purpose Usage

This post is way overdue, like many of them anyways. I usually take pictures of the new stuff that I buy as soon as I get home from shopping. Some of them I post right away but a lot of them are just there for future posts. I purchased this organizer a month ago from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $12.99, which is reasonable IMO.

Here is what it features:

• Strong velcro to hold up to 14 handbags. 7 in the front and 7 in the back.
• You can hook it in your closet or over a door.
• You can also use this to store other things like scarves, caps, and belts!

Final thoughts

• The organizer is too long and touches the floor; therefore, I can't hang it in the closet because the bottom purses end up on the floor as well. It is better to hang it on the door but hang way too many things on my door already, lol, I'm glad it hasn't fallen apart already.
• I wished the spaces between the velcros weren't that wide apart. It was not necessary I think. I only like to use one side of it. It's easier for me to find my stuff.
• I like the fact that it's multi-purpose.
• Overall, this organizer does come in handy for me at least. The cons are minor and I would recommend this if you need organize your bags and other things.

How do you organize your handbags? What else do you think you could hang on this organizer? Please share.

Revlon Black with Envy

I heard that Revlon supposedly came up with a dupe for the Chanel Black Pearl polish, which I don't have. I think this shade is limited edition so if you like it, hurry and get it before it's gone. After swatching Black with Envy and comparing it with pictures of Black Pearl, I come to determine that the resemblance is close but not spot on.
First off, the application of Black with Envy was smooth. I got an even and good coverage on the second coat. The formula is not too thick or thin and dried fairly quick, which was nice. The color does remind me of a black pearl, silvery black. It's slightly shimmery and has a tiny bit of green shimmers. The green shimmers on Black Pearl is more pronounced and I would have liked it more if Black with Envy did too. I also noticed that Black Pearl was slightly lighter in color.

Since I don't have a picture of Chanel Black Pearl, please refer to the pictures taken by Temptalia by checking out this link if you are curious to see the difference and similarities with Black Envy http://www.temptalia.com/chanel-black-pearl-nail-lacquer-review-photos-swatches

What do you think of this polish? Would you consider it a dupe of Black Pearl?

Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat - Distressed Denim

So I went out to look for the new Revlon Black with Envy nail polish after hearing that it is a dupe for the Chanel Black Pearl. Surprisingly, I didn't expect to come across these Sally Hansen Crackle polishes. I didn't even know they were going to come out with these kind of polish.
I bought this polish from Walgreens and there was only a few polishes left on the display rack. Apparently, there are several other colors, some of which I already have from OPI and China Glaze. Distress denim is a pretty royal blue crackle. I got this one because I don't have this color. I just found out that there is a shimmery gold one, I'm gonna have to get my hand on one. It's actually quite expensive for a drugstore polish, $7.49.
I don't know if these are limited edition or not so if you are interested, definitely look out for it.

On the swatches, I used a shimmery silver base color, Celeb City by Sally Hansen. I top it with Distressed Denim, and added Seche Vite top coat to add shine. It crackled fairly well.

Have you seen these in store yet? Do you plan on getting any?

Sephora Haul - NARS, Make Up Forever, and Stila Plus Bonus Swatches

Last week, I placed an order on Sephora's website for the notorious Make Up Forever eyeshadow #92 and Aqua Liners. However, when I received my package, they gave me the wrong color on one of the Aqua Liners. Bummed, I called my local Sephora store to see if they have it in stock and the Sale Associate told me they did and can put it on hold for me. When I got there, they couldn't find it. I was very surprised the fuchsia color sold out first. They offered to call and place an order for me and give me free shipping, but the customer service was really no help when I told him I had a 10% off promo. He said he could only use one promotion code. At that point, I bounced and said "wait, it's not my fault the order got screwed and I had to go through this!" Anyways, he really didn't give me much of a choice. The cashier was like feeling really bad for me so she gave me extra samples. So yeah, Sephora's (phone) customer service really sucks.

From Sephora's store, I saw that this new palette is out and available, I decided to get it since everyone else has them but me. This trio contains NARS best-selling blush, highlighter, and bronzer all in one compact. From left to right, we have Orgasm, Albatross, and Laguna. These shades are available separately but will cost you an arm and a leg to buy them individually, which is why I wanted to get the trio instead. There is plenty of product to last me a long time. If you've been dying to try these product, this is an easier way to get them all in this one compact, which is pretty large actually if you look at it. Price $55.00.

Here's a heavier swatch of the blush/bronzer trio. I'm not really gonna go into the details since I'm pretty sure most of you already heard enough raves about these products. I mainly bought it because I'm a blogger and have been wanting to compare them to what I currently own.

I took a few pictures of the gold Aqua Liner since I was going to exchange it. As you can see, it's a shimmery sheer gold liner. These Aqua Liner are amazing! They will not budge or smudge no matter what you do. Great for the summer when you want your eyeliner to last through the heat and sweats.

As of now, I have the Aqua Liner (4) and (13). The fuchsia is on it's way and I should be getting it next week. Why fuchsia, you may wonder. I like to go for colors that are unique whenever possible. This is one of them. I don't know of any eyeliner this color out there. These liners are $23.00 each.

While I was at Sephora, I swatched more Aqua Liner colors into my hand. I got this genious idea to take a picture of it when I get home so I can share it with you all,  :D

 

Make Up Forever #92. Finally, I caved in and got it. I normally don't spend that much on a single eyeshadow, unless I think it's worth it. I soooo need to do a makeup look with it. Price: $19.00.

The Stila Sparkle Waterproof liquid eyeliner pretty much works like the MUFE Aqua Liners. I picked the shade Royal because it differ from any liquid eyeliner color I've seen. The rest of the colors look very similar if not exactly like some of the shade I found in MUFE Aqualiners. I will do a post comparing the two. This cost $22.00.

Again, I swatched these Stila Sparkle liners at the store and took a picture of the swatch when I got home. They are very pretty but the Aqua Liner have a larger color selection.

Yay for free samples! I hope I don't forget to use them.

That's it for my haul. I hope you found it helpful or interesting.

Having Your Work Stolen For Personal Gain

So I found out that this person--sandy tings--used my picture without my authorization. I left her a comment to remove the picture but obviously she couldn't care less.

Here is the link to her post
http://www.luuux.com/health-beauty/rimmel-moisture-renew-vintage-pink-0

I reported the post and I've also emailed Luuux that the picture was mine, was taken from my blog, that I've already posted it in the beauty universe.
It is still there! When are they going to do something about it? Isn't copyright important to Luuux? This picture is clearly mine, watermarked, and obviously my body part is on it. How much proof do they want?
I'm upset that this person didn't have the courtesy to ask. I'm upset that this person obtained personal gain through my work. Not cool!
I spend a lot of time, taking pictures, swatching, removing makeup, editing my pictures, and write my blog. That is a lot of work and I'm sure those who also take pride in their work, can vouch for that.
To see someone use my work without even asking and getting compensated for it makes me angry. It's unfair, disrespectful, and hurtful.

Here is the original content from my blog
http://xxxbeautyredefinedxxx.blogspot.com/2010/12/rimmel-moisture-renew-...

It's just upsetting seeing these people ruin it for me and the rest of us who put time and effort to write original and legitimate contents!

***Update--After reaching a moderator and telling him about the situation, the post was deleted :)***

This post is also shared on Luuux.

OPI Swatches - Rally Pretty Pink and Red Shatter

I was out and about at the mall this past weekend, looking for a dress for my daughter's 8th grade graduation. I stumbled upon this OPI set at the Boston Store and decided to get it since I wasn't sure what are the odds of me running into them again. I didn't know if they were going to sell out fast or not.

 This set cost me about $18.00. Expensive, I know but I really wanted it, lol. Perhaps you can get it for cheaper somewhere else. I remember when black shatter came out, it was sold out before I even got a chance to see it. I didn't want that to happen again so I bought it.

 Rally Pretty Pink is a mauve purple with lots of gold sparkles. The gold shimmers are fine but extremely shinny and sparkly and give off that glittery effect. They are so intense (much more than pictured) that they literally glow on your nails. The application leans on the sheer side even with two coats.

 Without flash

 With Flash

Red Shatter appears to be a true red.

 It dries matte, which is a nice contrast again Rally Pretty Pink. However, I feel like it looks dull like that. I'm glad to see that it shatters very nicely though.

I added Seche Vite top coat and it instantly added gloss and shine to the entire nail look. It also deepended the color of Red Shatter.

This is also my nails of the week. Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know where you got your Red Shatter if you purchased one.

Super Cute Heels...First Shoe Haul for Spring ;)

Yes, I shoe hauled again! That is no surprise for those who know me.
I stopped by DSW this past weekend and my oh my! There was quite a few pairs of shoes I wanted to bring home. I had my eyes on 5 pairs but had to cut down to 3...So sad :'(. Now I can't get over the other two I let go. I might as well run back there and buy them before they are gone.
By the way, all these were on the clearance rack. You may or may not find them at your local DSW. I've included direct links if you want to purchase them online, although they will cost you more than in-store.

Anyways...Here is what I bought.

1st pair
Audrey Brooke
Estrella, Tearose Luster
I paid $29.96. They are selling for $49.95 online.
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/audrey+brooke+estella+pump?prodId=209776&product...

2nd pair
Miss America
Zena, Champagne
I paid $34.96. They are selling for $49.95 online.
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/miss+america+zena+pump?prodId=215810&productRef=...

3rd pair
Caparros
Harriet, Silver Satin
I paid $38.46. They are selling for $54.95
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/caparros+harriet+pump?prodId=206931&productRef=S...

I am super duper excited about my purchases. Shoes make me happy, :D. Let me know if you have any questions.
Which one of these pairs do you like?

If you like my post, please, rate, comment, or follow.
Thanks so much for stopping by :D

PS: shoes are mine, feet are my daugther's, lol

Hauling again...Few things from Sephora

I actually bought these products last weekend but I didn't get a chance to make a post. I felt great coming home with my new stuff and then the guilty feeling comes afterward.
I went to Sephora to return the Dior lash primer that I bought not long ago. I felt like it wasn't really working for me and that I don't find myself reaching for it so I might as well get something that will be more useful for me. A co-worker also gave me a Sephora gift card, so I was also looking forward to use it. I must've spend at least an hour inside Sephora going back and forth with what I'm going to get, focusing primarily on what I actually need.

After falling in love with the Boscia Eye Treatment, I was very eager to try more of their product. I was in need of a night cream so I bought the Restorative Night Moisture Cream. One thing I don't like about the packaging is that it's quite bulky for a 1 oz product. However, it's packaged differently than most facial creams. You basically pump the product out of there, which is very neat and I really like that. I hate digging my finger in a jar and getting the cream stuck between in my fingernails. That's one of my pet peeves.

Here is what this product claims to do...quoting from the packaging "a rich hydrating cream that delivers high levels of intense moisture overnight while it helps diminish the appearance of uneven skin tone, dullness, and fine lines". I've used this ever since last weekend and so far, I've been loving it. The cream feels rich but absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy feeling behind. I love how my skin feels after using it. The texture of it is soooo silky smooth. I also like the fact that it is scent-free. So no funky or overpowering scent to worry about. This cream retails for $48.00.

The last time I tried to get this Benefit cream shadow, it was sold out. Fortunately, this time I was able to grab very the last one on the shelf. Benefit cream shadows are among the best on the market. They do not crease or budge and are long-wearing. Those qualities are difficult to find in cream shadows.
It's quite pigmented, applies smoothly, and easy to blend. Retail price is $19.00.

Tidal Rave is a shade exclusive to Sephora. It's a muted teal with gold shimmers. It's so pretty and I can see why it flies off the shelf fast.

Following Teena Z's post, I had to get my hands on this palette. I have been saving my points for something worth getting and finally this was it! First off, this is not something you can buy off the shelf. It's a palette exclusive to Sephora and only for Beauty Insiders who have 500+ points.
They've combined two eyeshadows from each of Too Faced palettes (Natural Eye, Smoky Eye, Naked Eye, and Romantic Eye) and put them in here. Secondly, I love the packaging of this so much better because it's not as bulky as the original palettes. They have also included a mini sample size Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

The eyeshadows are very pigmented, especially the shimmery ones. The range of these colors make them wearable for either day or night.

• Heaven is a matte nude color, which almost didn't show up on the picture because it blends so well with my skin
• Push-Up is a shimmery bronze
• Silver Spoon is a metallic silver with blue undertones
• Smolder is a matte black
• Satin Sheets is a shimmery rose gold. This shade is slightly sheer
• Like a Virgin is a medium brown with grey undertone
• Honey Moon is a muted shimmery gold with a green undertone
• Ever After is shimmery brown with a bit of red undertone to it

Hope you enjoyed my little splurge.

OPI Swatches - Pirates of the Caribbean, Silver Shatter, Simmer & Shimmer

Hello Lovelies,

Here are swatches of the newest OPI polishes that I added to my collection. I went to Ulta last week-end, trying to find a reason to use my coupons, lol. I ended up spending more than I intended to. At least the coupons helped, and I saved $15.00.

 
The Pirates of the Caribbean collection recently arrived in store. Obviously, as you can tell, these polishes were inspired by upcoming movie, which is to be released on May 20th. Since I have a pretty large nail polish collection. I decided it would be best just to get the mini set.

• Skulls & Glossbones -- light grey, cream finish
• Planks a Lot -- purple that leans more on blue with grey undertone, cream finish
• Sparrow Me the Drama -- cool-toned pink, cream finish
• Stranger Tides -- light khaki green, cream finish

The overall application of these polishes were decent. The formula isn't too sheer or thick. There wasn't much streaking either. You'll need 2 to 3 coats for an opaque, even application.

OPI is coming out with more Shatter colors. I picked up Silver Shatter because I didn't have one. They also had a white Shatter but I didn't buy since I already have one from the China Glaze Crackle collection.
After playing with it a few times. I find that Silver Shatter doesn't crack as nicely as I would like it to.

Simmer and Shimmer was part of the Burlesque Collection. For some reason, I didn't get this one when the collection came out but I found it at a nail supply store and decided to get it. This polish is packed with sparkling blue, pink, and gold glitters. I applied 3 coats on the swatches.