MAC Heroine - Swatch and Review

I was stupid for letting this one go. Initially, it came out as a limited edition shade and I kept saying to myself that I don't need it but after it sold out and seeing all the gorgeous swatches and how bold and beautiful it looked on others, I was so envious!
Fortunately MAC (or it is fate?) brought it back and decided to make it permanent and I snatched it up as soon as it became available again.

Package

• the standard MAC black lipstick tube
• .1 oz or 3 g

Product

• Heroine is a medium magenta purple with a matte finish. I was actually surprised at how much brighter it was on my lips because it looked dark in the tube.
• In spite of being a matte finish, it is creamy enough to apply without tugging and actually feels comfortable. It's not very hydrating but it's not drying either. It packs a punch in pigmentation and can deliver full and even coverage.
• I found that the color also stains. It wears strong for a straight 5 hours and then slowly fade but the staining power last for few more hours. 
• It has the signature vanilla scent that all MAC lipstick has.

Final Thoughts

If you love bold purple, if you love matte, if you want a long-lasting color, if you love MAC...You already know you need this shade unless you already own it. Luckily, it has been added to the permanent line so there's no need to fear that it would disappear anytime soon but don't wait too long if you wanna be a cool kid. It's on trend with the vibrant orchid color of the year.

Rating: 9/10. 

Price: $15.00

Availability: MAC Cosmetics

Milani Sugar High Nail Lacquer - Swatch

TGIF!! I spotted this new nail glitter from Milani at my local CVS a few weeks ago and I couldn't help myself but bring this baby home.

Sugar High has a clear base and lots of small multi-colored glitters that reminds me of mosaic. The base wasn't too thin or thick and picks up a generous amount of glitters within one swipe. I don't have much trouble spreading them across the nail but if you're picky about where the glitters go then I would suggest you use a dabbing method. I like how colorful they are without being too sparkly.

One coat of Sugar High over 2 coats of Essie Parka Perfect and top off with one coat of clear coat

Fyrinnae Haul and Swatches

I received my order back in December and the pictures have been sitting around all this time and yes I know it's time I stop procrastinating and share with you the swatches.

If you noticed on the picture above, I have also purchased 2 lip lustre samples but I will do a separate post for their review and swatches.

All the eyeshadow swatches were done over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy for best result. Each samples are $2.25.

Arcane Magic Dark Fantasy - shimmer dark yellow green

Arcane Magic Madame & Eve's - shimmer dark teal green

Arcane Magic Mystical Hedgehog - shimmery blueish purple with teal shimmers. This is absolutely gorgeous! Definitely recommend you try out this color.

Enchanting Otters - shimmery medium green with fine rainbow colored shimmers. The rainbow shimmers is gorgeous over the green.

Immortality - dark purpleish base with multi-colored shimmers. The multi-colored shimmers are much prettier and vibrant in person.

Lorem Ipsum - shimmery cool blue with pale gold shimmers. It's quite a unique and gorgeous combo.

Monarch Butterfly - dark brown with reddish brown shimmers. I would probably have liked it more if it was a bit lighter.

Shinigami - dark yet vibrant purple with rainbow colored shimmers. Gorgeous purple. I really love how they have the rainbow shimmers in it.

Snow Leopard - shimmery medium brown taupe with fine red shimmers. It has a very nice smooth texture to it. Very interesting color. It's too bad the picture doesn't do it justice.

Wicked - dark bluish black base with teal shimmers. This one is also stunning and much lovelier in person.

Frostbytes - shimmery metallic silver with pale gold shimmers. It looks very metallic and it's got sparkling shimmers on top. Quite lovely. It's definitely not your typical silver eyeshadow. I received this as a free sample.

I did one last round of swatches last night and I dozed off right after snapping a couple pictures. I'm so bad. My favorite are 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 10, and 11.

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick Pink Fever - Swatch and Review

I picked up this new Maybelline blush from Walgreens a few weeks ago and as much as I was tempted to grab another one or two. I managed to just walk out of the store with this one. Is it just me or what but every time I see a new product display. I always want to grab the shade that the model is wearing.

Packaging

• I like the fact that it comes on a stick packaging. I can just dab it on where I want it and then blend it without having to use my fingers to apply the blush. 
• .24 oz or 6.8 g. When I twisted it all the way up, I get about 3/4 inch of product. 

Product

• Pink Fever is a medium cool-toned pink with fine pearly shimmers and a satin finish. This shade may be more suitable for fair to medium complexion. 
• The first thing that I noticed when I swatched it was that it is very pigmented yet you can go from light to intense without any issue. Apparently, it contains shea butter and has a cream to powder texture. I love how creamy and smooth it feels on the skin. It's silky to the touch and glides and blends effortlessly. 
• You can use your finger to blend out the blush but I personally prefer using a brush for blending.
• It lasts about 5-6 hours before I start noticing it fading and it is unscented though it seems to have a very faint smell that I can easily go undetected. 

Final Thought

I love the texture of this blush. It's so pigmented yet blends out so easily and feels really soft and smooth. Typical cream blushes tend to be a little tacky but this one blends like a powder. It has a fairly decent staying power too though I wished it lasted a bit longer.

Rating: 9/10. 

Price: $8-9

Availablity: Walgreens, CVS

LA Splash Nail Polish Swatch - Golden Seahorse & Oceans Fairy

Hello there!

I thought I was going to work on some of my posts this past weekend but I ended up doing some errands and not getting much done. It is ridiculously cold here in the mid-west. O-M-G! It's got to be the coldest winter of my entire life. They say we're going to get windchill down to -40 Fahrenheit tonight. That's crazy! Unfortunately, I still have to drag my butt to work tomorrow and hopefully my car won't die on me.

I had this post sitting as a draft for quite a while now and it's about time I share it with you.

I I found these polishes at Bed Bath and Beyond a month or two ago and they were roughly around $5.00, which I find kind of pricey for a drugstore product with just 10 ml of product and an ok formula.

Golden Seahorse is a pale cool tone green with a pearly finish and small gold glitters. The formula is slightly thick but not goopy; however, the brush picks up a lot of product so you would need a good wipe or two so you don't end up with too much on product your nails. 2 coats for opaque and even coverage.

Oceans Fairy is a dark jelly teal green with small green and gold glitters. This one was thick and goopy and I had the same issue with the brush picking up too much product. The pigmentation is good but you'll need two coats for even and opaque coverage. A few drops of thinner might be good for this polish as well.

Stila Color Outside The Lines Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner Set - Swatch and Review

I'm definitely playing catching up on my blog this weekend. Don't want to get too comfortable not doing them. 

We are back to experiencing frigid temperatures and for some odd reason I just had this urge to want to take pictures of the snow. There is something lonesome, melancholic, and beautiful about Winter snowscapes. Kind of reflects on my current mood. Perhaps that's why I felt like taking pictures of it. I've been dropping my kids off to school because it's just too cold for them to be outside waiting on the bus. Heck, I am freezing my ass in the car when I'm warming it up in the morning and I'm not even exposed to the windchill while I'm in it.

Ok, let's move on to this review. For the record, I receive this cool eyeliner set as a Christmas gift. 

Packaging

• They come with a handy dandy aluminum case with I think a frosty finish. It has that artist appeal to it.
• There's 5 different color retractable eyeliners. 
• Sadly nowhere on the packaging it tells me how much product is in there.
• Initially, the first thing I did when opening up the package is try to twist up the product. I found that the twist up mechanism is odd or not really working properly. Even after twisting the pencil for like 6/7 times, the product only slightly budged. Once, you get it to move, you don't have to do that many twists. The second problem I found is that you cannot retract the product back into the tube. So you better make sure that you don't twist up more than you need. 

Product

• Stingray - matte jet black. It's available for purchase individually without the set. 
• Lionfish - warm dark brown with bronze shimmers. It's available for purchase individually without the set. 
• Aubergine - shimmery dark eggplant purple
• Navy - navy blue with a slight sheen to it
• Emerald - bright emerald green with subtle silver shimmers
• The first thing I did was of course swatch them and I was very pleased that they felt creamy and pigmented. They also glide nicely on the eyes without pulling or dragging, which is awesome. 
• You can create medium to thick line with these pencils. They don't include a sharpener but if you have one from another retractable pencil, you can create thinner lines if you are able to sharpen them.
• They only take a few seconds to set so giving you a bit of time to smudge them if you like.
• They are described as being waterproof. I didn't find them completely waterproof but more like water resistant. 
• I have moderately oily lids, when used with a primer underneath, they lasted all day with minimal fading and just a smidgen transferring on the bottom lash line. They still performed well without a primer though I would say there's like 20% more transferring and fading after 5 hours of wear. 

Final Thought

There's no denying that I love the colors, pigmentation, and tug-free smooth sailing formula. Personally, I do need to use eye primer in order to make them last better and longer on my eyelids and minimize transferring. If you have drier skin, you may be able to get away without primer. 

Rating: 8/10

Price: $34.00. Great price for the set. One eyeliner typically goes for $20.00.

Availability: Beauty.com, Ulta

Jordana Lipstick Pom-Tini - Swatch and Review

Happy Saturday lovelies,

It's been a week since I posted something. I was slacking off busy and also wanted to take a break. We're going back to having frigid temperatures again and I've been dropping off my kids to school for the past few days because it's just too cold to be out there waiting for the bus. For some reason I just have the sudden urge to go take pictures of the snow. I thought to myself, you know you should really take more pictures. I'm pretty sure once I step outside, I'll change my mind really quick, lol.
Since I wasn't working on my blog, I got to sleep a little more and felt a bit more rested.

Today, I have for you review of this Jordana lipstick that I got on sale at K-Mart a couple weeks ago. I think it ended up being $1.00 and some change.


Packaging

• Clear see-through round plastic tube. 
• .12 oz or 3.4 g

Product

• Pom-tini is a raspberry red with subtle gold shimmers and frosty finish. The frost here is a bit much for me. I wished it was less frosty. 
• The lipstick glided smoothly and applied evenly without tugging. The pigmentation is good and give full coverage. The color leaves staining behind. 
• The formula wasn't moisturizing and my lips felt dry after 2 hours of wear. I'd recommend wearing a good lip balm underneath to make it more comfortable. 
• The color last 4 hours on me before it starts fading and the stain will remain for a few more hours, though it ends up looking blotchy as it fades. 
• It has a strong artificial, sort of fruity scent to it, that is similar to the Milani Color Statement lipsticks. I'm not really a fan of it.

Final Thought

As far as color and finish, it may be subject to personal taste. I liked the fact that it was pigmented and wasn't tugging during application. Formula was slightly on the dry then again, you should be ok if you prep your lips and wear a lip balm beforehand.
I didn't love the scent but on top of that there was an odd after taste on this particular lipstick and I don't think I will be keeping it. This is like the 3rd time, I purchased a lipstick on sale at K-Mart and they ended up smelling or tasting weird like they've been sitting on that shelf like forever, probably the main reason why they were on sale. My advice is don't get this from K-Mart but if you take your chances either save your receipt or realize that you could to lose a buck or two on it.

Rating: 7/10

Price: roughly around $2.00
Availability: K-Mart, Cherry Culture


Thoughts? What's the best cheap lipstick you tried?

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.