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Friday, July 5, 2013

Essie Nail Polish Spam - Wrapped In Rubies, Dive Bar, Over The Edge, Mochacino




Happy Friday!

Ughh! I had to work today, while a lot of people were still off. I have some Essie swatches for you. I have owned these polishes for quite some time now and finally got around to making swatches....





Wrapped in Rubies is a shimmery/metallic red with a bronzy/gold shimmer in it. Formula wasn't too thick or too thin and applies rather smoothly. The brush strokes are noticeable but if you apply carefully, they won't look too bad. Opaque in two coats.








Dive Bar is a dark blue base with a hint of teal shimmers. It's a little sheer, streaky, and patchy at first but with three coats, the color and application looks pretty even. I love how it's dark yet not black and has a lovely teal shimmer.








Over The Edge is a dark charcoal grey with silver, teal, and pink shimmers. This is also on the sheer side and applied streaky. It needed 3 coats for opacity and even color distribution.







Mochacino is a cool toned brownish taupe with silver shimmers running through it. There's also a very subtle pink and teal shimmers in it but not noticeable on the nail. It's what I call a chic classy neutral polish. The formula is on the thin side but applies nicely and looks opaque in 3 coats.





Thursday, July 4, 2013

Circle Lens Haul From Pinky Paradise & First Impressions




About little while ago I placed an order with *Pinky Paradise and I was pretty excited when my package arrived yesterday. I am certainly overdue for new contacts. The ones I've been wearing were getting old but surprisingly still holding well. This would be my 3rd order with Pinky Paradise and though their prices might be a bit higher than some other places, they have been a pretty reliable source for me and they have a huge selection and contact lens inventory. I wear a pretty strong prescription cause I'm almost blind and they offer a lot of lenses for up to -10. I'm almost there...ughhh. Just can't afford laser surgery yet. Shipping from Maylasia to me in the U.S. took approximately 2 weeks for standard shipping, which isn't too bad. They charged me $9.00 for shipping, pretty high if you ask me. So price-wise, they're not the cheapest but I don't know of any other reliable suppliers.

Before I made my purchase, I spent hours on the site and googling for pictures and I found it hard to find clear and true to life images. A lot of them were either blurry, too photoshoped, too small...well you get the idea. They have pictures of models wearing their contacts, it helps but I have no doubts that the photos have been retouched thus hard to see how they truly look. I'm sure if you've tried searching, you know what I mean. With that in mind, I'm trying my best to deliver better images so that it can also help others who have the same dilemma as I did.





I ordered 3 different shades. I wanted more than that but my total was going to be pretty high so I figure I'll made another purchase at a later date. Each lens come in its own glass vial. My package arrived in a padded envelop but the glass vials were securely wrapped in a thick foam blanket as you see on the first picture above. So they arrived in perfect condition.




As always, they include a cute animal contact lens case with each pair of contacts. I always wash and disinfect them with alcohol before use.





Some of you may already know this but for those who don't, here's a little tip on how to open the vials.

1. Find the notch on the cap. This is where you will start to pull the cap.
2. Pull it up and slightly back and twist counter-clock wise. The metal piece should come off fairly easily that way. If by some chance things don't work out, never attempt to use your fingers to remove the metal seal. It's very sharp and you can potentially cut yourself. Instead, I would suggest you use pliers.
3. Once you pop the metal seal, you can remove the rubber top and get your lens out of the vial.
4. Place your lens in a contact lens case and fill it with your regular contact lens solution.
5. Let it soak for an hour or two before use.





G&G GBT Violet, 14.0 mm diameter, $19.90.
The color is not too bright but not too subtle either. You can definitely see it. They don't look very natural if you stare at them within a few inches away, then again most colored contacts hardly look natural up close anyways, but from a normal arm-length distance, they do blend in well with my natural eye color (dark brown). So I'd say, these are appropriate for daily wear.









Geo Bella Grey, 14.2 mm, $19.90.
This is the most natural-looking from the pack. These were darker than I anticipated. On the model, they appeared a little lighter. The enlargement effect is just right and color is very subtle. If you want noticeable color, skip this lens. I always think it's nice to have at least one or two pairs that looks natural.








Venus Eye Aqua, 14 mm, $25.90.
Now these lenses pack a punch in terms of color. Aqua is a very vibrant teal. I don't see many contacts lens that come in this color. The design is pixelated so when looking up close, you can see they look unnatural. However, within an arm-length distance, they don't look too bad actually. I do like them. They really give my eyes a bright pop of color, have a nice glossy shine, and make my eyes look a bit anime in a cool kind of way. I can't wait to pair these lens with a smoky sultry look.






I have relatively small eyes so I prefer a subtle enlargement effect and the smallest you can get is 14.0 mm. The bigger the enlargement the more unnatural and alien-like your eyes will look. I also find that the smaller ones are more comfortable and less drying. If you've never worn colored contacts before, it will take a bit for your eyes to adjust and get used to them. I remember the first time I tried colored contacts, I had occasional vision blur. They were actually non circle lens. The Freshlook contacts to be exact. I've been wearing contacts for as long as I can remember and I'm fortunate that I don't typically suffer from dry eyes so I'm usually able to wear them for a long time without irritation.

So far, I think these 3 pairs are very comfortable and I can't even feel them when I have them on. Honestly, they are much more comfortable than the Freshlook contacts I used to wear. I know there is a lot of taboo in the media in regards to circle lens and how they can be harmful, and blah blah blah...but I've worn them for years and nothing happened to me so I think that's just bunch of American BS. No offense to anyone but my point is that not everything you hear on the media is true.

There you have it, my initial impression of them. I don't know if my opinion will change but if you want me to do an updated review, let me know.

What do you think of circle lens? Love them or hate them? Scared of them? Which one do you like?
Where do you purchase your contacts?


*This post contains affiliated link.

Maybelline Color Show Holographic Lavender Lustre




I spotted a few new nail polishes from Maybelline and they look awfully similar to a previous release that they had a few months ago.  I liked the color of Lavender Lustre so I scooped it up. As you can see it's a silvery grey polish with a purple tone to it and metallic finish. It definitely does not look holographic to me but  more like duochromes.

Ok so I know you are not supposed to shake your nail polishes because it creates bubbles but I can't help but still do it anyways. Don't do it especially with this polish. I was getting bubbles everywhere and it wasn't pretty. I wasn't a fan of the formula. First, the brush strokes are pretty noticeable so make sure you do one stroke from top to bottom and don't do anything in between. Secondly, the formula didn't spread out nicely or evenly and what's weird is that it was also getting thicker and goopier patches in some areas. You can get a fairly good color payoff in two coats but might need three for good measure. You may also need a few drops of thinner to take care of the goop.

Final thought...adding a bit of thinner helps make the polish flow more evenly. I'm not completely crazy about the shade but somewhat like it and wished it look a bit more purple.

Have you spotted these new Maybelline Holographic colors? Did you pick up any?







Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Calvin Klein Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow Reef (Limited Edition) - Swatch and Review




Hi everyone,

Checking in to deliver a review for you and wishing you all a happy 4th of July. Hope you have fun and stay safe.

Packaging
  • Bright and cute plastic squeeze tube with a shimmery/metallic finish. 
  • .17 oz or 5 ml

Product
  • Reef is a shimmery bright chartreuse cream color. I believe this is limited edition for summer but it doesn't specify that on Ulta's website. I think that's what it said when I was looking at the display in store. 
  • It's fairly pigmented but you can wear it sheer if  you want due to the light consistency of the formula. Believe it or not, I sported this color to work the other day and when sheered and paired with a neutral brown, it adds just a little pop of brightness without looking overwhelming. 
  • You can layer for more color intensity but the less the better. If you use too much, it will look flaky as it dries. 
  • I like to apply with my fingers better. It's much easier to handle and give you enough time to blend before it sets. It does set within a few seconds though. 
  • I'm pretty happy with the wear. It did not crease or fade on me for up to 8 hours without a primer. 

Final Thought

This is a bright and fun color that I find perfect for summer. I like that you can wear it sheer or layer it for more intensity and really appreciate that it didn't crease without a primer and wears pretty much for the whole day.

Rating: 8.5/10

Price: $18.00
Availability: Ulta






Sinful Colors All About You Swatch




This glitter polish has been on the back burner for a while now and I think it's time I make a post about it. I picked it up on a whim at Wal-Mart a while back.

All About You is bright yellow gold glitter with orange glitters and a clear base. I was able to get a fairly good color pay off in 3 coats. It applied a bit patchy at first but as you build up the layers, it takes care of that. The formula is more on the thinner consistency. This polish is also great for layering over other shades. It's very sparkly, flashy, and blingy.

Sinful Colors retails for $1.99 and can be found at Walgreens and Wal-Mart.





Monday, July 1, 2013

2013 Second Trimester Favorites (April, May, June)




It's that time again for me to go over my favorites for the past 3 months. I have a hard time doing them monthly so I do them every 3 months and I find that more manageable. Plus it gives me more time to use the product and to write up a review. If you are interested in seeing more swatches and reviews of product mentioned, I've hyperlinked them for you.



Eyeshadow Favorites



1. The Balm Jovi Rockstar Palette has got to be my favorite eye and face palette. Lovely colors, texture, and great quality palette.
2. theBalm Meet Matte Nude Palette. Awesome nude and matte colors with amazing quality.
3. Sephora + Pantone Light Storm Liquid Shadow Smoky Grape. If you love duochrome colors, this is a lovely lavender/teal duochrome cream shadow.
4. Maybelline Color Tattoo Seashore Frosts. My favorite shade out of the limited edition release for summer.
5. NYX Matte Eyeshadow Lake Algae. This is the perfect matte emerald eyeshadow. Very pigmented with a buttery soft texture.
6. Illamasqua Cream Eyeshadow Intrude. Though this is a cream eyeshadow, I've been using it a lot for filling in my brows and it works perfectly. As a cream shadow, it does tend to crease easily but works great on my brows and the color is a good match.


Lip Color Favorites



1. Rimmel Moisture Renew Vintage Pink. Love the color. Mauvy purple-ish. I've had it for a while but lately been using it a lot and rediscovering my love for it.
2. NYX Matte lipstick Bloody Mary. NYX matte lippies are some of the best I've tried. This color is so bright and fun.
3. Revlon Super Lustrous Violet Frenzy. Been reaching a lot for this color. It's so easy to wear and I simply love this kind of color.
4. Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain Rendez-vous. This is a very bright orange coral color that I find perfect for summer.
5. Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer Galaxy. Another lovely mauve lippie to add to my collection.
6. L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Lip Lacquer Lilac Ever After. Doesn't look lilac on me at all but I actually love the formula and the color is great for daytime wear.
7. L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Lip Lacquer Stubborn Plum. Well that's more of a cool tone light pink.




Eye Pencils and Eyeliners Favorites



1. Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow Stick Blackmail. These Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow sticks are pretty damn awesome, crease-proof, fade-proof, and smudge-proof.
2. Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow Stick Blamed Blue. This shade is so pretty! It got my jaw dropping when I first swatched it.
3. Milani Shadow Eyez Royal Purple. Another awesome drugstore favorite that works just as good as the UD 24/7 shadow pencils for half the price. Royal Purple is such a nice purple. I love it.
4. Milani Shadow Eyez Green Safari. Perfect emerald green.
5. Milani Shadow Eyez Espresso Line. A great alternative to black.
6. Milani Shadow Eyez Cafe au Lait. A must have for neutral lovers.
7. Milani Shadow Eyez Almond Cream. Great for highlighting brows and brightening the waterline.
8. Sephora + Pantone Glitter Strobe Eyeliner Set. These are just freaking amazing. They add a bright and beautiful pop of color on the eyes. Unfortunately, it's no longer available.




Favorite Lotion



Aveeno Skin Relief 24 Hr Moisturizing lotion. So I admit that I'm lazy when it comes to applying lotion but since I've been wearing dresses and skirts a lot, I had to take care of my ashy legs, lol. I love love this lotion. It absorbs quickly, doesn't feel heavy, and really does a good job at moisturizing. I've definitely noticed that my skin has become softer with use.



Face Product Favorites




1. Lancome Visionnaire Serum. Pricey but feels rich and silky soft.
2. Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee Poppy Paradise. A must have for summer. This blush last so long and looks natural!
3. L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer. I love the convenient pencil packaging. The product also works great for spot concealing.
4. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer. The best full coverage concealer with a budget friendly price tag.


Nail Polishes

Nail polishes are my biggest beauty indulgence. I buy them more often than I can paint my nails. Here's are my recent favorites.




1. Pure Ice Oh Baby. One of my favorite for layering. Makes everything looks better.
2.  Born Pretty Store Tribal Snowflake Nail Art Polish Glitter Shimmer Colorful #5. I love the mix of glitters, rosegold and white.
3. Piggy Polish Never Hide. So green and so blingy!
4. theBalm Hot Ticket Call Me Iridescent. This color is soft and beautiful and it's duochromey!





5. Finger Paint Peacock Portrait. I love teal so getting teal glitters is like adding icing on a cake.
6. Finger Paints Itsy Bitsy Spider. Beautiful purple blue duochrome polish.
7. Layla Soft Touch Effect #10. All I gotta say is the color and finish of this polish is jaw dropping gorgeous!
8. Layla Ceramic Effect CE32. This is cool-looking light and cool toned metallic gold.





9. Orly Sparkling Garbage. When I first laid eyes on it, it was love at first sight and I knew I must make it mine. They need to make more colors like it. This is holo sparkling goodness. 
10. OPI Honey Ryder. Light cool toned liquid sand finish. I love how it sparkles.
11. China Glaze Budding Romance. This polish has a lovely jelly formula and quite unique color as well. 
12. L'Oreal Miss Pixie. A jelly lover must have for a stunning jelly sandwich. 


Wheeewww. I'm done. Found any of your favorites here?


Rimmel Cocktail Colour Baby Bellini



Hello there,

I just got back from Red Lobster and I feel like I'm going to go into a food coma. I'm so stuffed! My son just turned 18 today...Wow, hard to believe he's already there.

I purchased this new Rimmel Cocktail colour couple days ago when I was browsing at Walgreens. I can't remember how much I paid but I know it was less than $3.00. The packaging  is very cute and tiny, 0.27 oz so about half the size of the typical nail polish. After debating for a few minutes whether I should get it or not, I decided to go for it.

Baby Bellini is a dark purple with lots of magenta shimmers. I struggled with the formula because it was thick and it liked to pull and glob as you layer it, which was very frustrating to apply. You can get opacity in two coats but it's hard to get the color to spread smoothly and evenly. It promises to dry in 60 seconds and I did notice that it dried fairly quick though I didn't take note of  how long exactly. It definitely could use a few drops of thinner. Otherwise, I love the color. I think it's gorgeous.

Tried any of the new Cocktail Colours?





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