NOTD: Nude Shimmer

This is actually my "Nail of the Week", as I've been wearing it since Tuesday (Well the shimmer came Friday, but you get the idea).
It is a combination of Wet 'n' Wild Private Viewing and Pure Ice Nasty Girl; I love it!

I picked up Private Viewing (left) after Maquilagem Masstige gave it such a good review.  It looked like my perfect "mannequin hand" shade, so I decided I had to have it.  Wouldn't you know, it matches my skin almost perfectly!  Normally I hate nude polishes but this one was a pleasant surprise.  Anyway, Maquilagem Masstige was right about the lasting power- I'm going on 6 days of wear, and no chips, just slight tip wear.  You can see in these pictures how great it still looks.

I added the Pure Ice in Nasty Girl on Friday.  Nasty Girl is a light, super sheer pink shimmer.  It gives off hardly any color, mainly just shimmer, which I love.  It's a great topper to my favorite nail polishes.  I had the idea on Friday to add it to my manicure of Private Viewing.

The result-

It makes the nude polish more exciting for me.  (PS: see how even after 6 days there are no chips?  And I'm not super cautious when it comes to maintaining my manicures, either.)

Anyway, both of these cost $1.99- Pure Ice is sold at Walmart only (I think?).

Thanks for reading!

EOTD: Teal and Gold

Hey everyone!  Happy almost Memorial Day.  I have to work all day tomorrow so it doesn't really feel like a holiday weekend to me, but that's ok!  It's finally feeling like summer here in the midwest, and I'm so excited to finally be bringing out more fun colors.  My "colors of the summer" are definitely going to be blues and turquoises, which is strange for me.  I've always, always been a true purple eyeshadow fan. I'm glad to finally be breaking out of my normal routine, though!

Anyway, this is a look I did a few days ago.  It started my current obsession: lining my lower waterline!  I did this when I first started using makeup, and then I stopped maybe 2-3 years ago because I thought I couldn't pull it off/it made my eyes look funny.  Well, the last week or so I've just fallen in love with it all over again.  :)

What I Used:

-Almay Bright Eyes eye base (all over lid, browbone, and underneath eye)

-MAC Dazzlelight eyeshadow (all over lid and browbone)

-NYC Waterproof eyeliner in Teal (upper lashline)

-Clinique Quickliner for eyes in Roast Coffee (lower waterline)

-ELF Eyeliner/Eyeshadow stick in Pearl/Glow (I used the Glow part- the eyeshadow- to highlight just under my eyebrows, the inner corners of my eyes, and underneath my lower lash line)

-Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in Black

I love the pop of teal.  I used to think teal didn't look good with my eye color, but I think this deepened shade brings out more of the blue in them.

Oh, and before I go, I have a question.  :)  

What is your "color" for the summer?

Tag! Would You Rather?

The sweet Lovely Moon tagged me for this game of "Would You Rather".  :)  Normally I'm not one to actually fill these out, but I'm currently blanking on post ideas and I love reading these on other blogs.  Thanks for bearing with me while I'm in-between posts!

The Rules:

1) Copy this picture and put it into your own post

2) Answer all the questions

3) Tag as many people as you like

4) Tell them that you've tagged them

5) See what they answered!

Be extremely beautiful or extremely intelligent?

Extremely intelligent

Go without brushing your teeth for a year or go without washing your hair for a year?

Washing my hair- I can go a night without brushing my teeth, but much more than that and they just feel too yucky.  Although my hair would feel pretty darn gross too without being washed for several days!

Be Rich or Famous?

Rich.  I would hate the publicity that celebrities get.  I used to think it looked great, but now not so much.

Have an amazing shoe collection or an amazing makeup collection?

Makeup.  I love shoes, don't get me wrong, but I don't obsess over them quite as much as I do makeup.

Be able to sing or be able to dance?

Dance, I think.  My sister is the singer in my family, so I'll let her shine.

Be stranded on a Desert Island or in the Desert?

The desert- the thought of an island seems TOO isolated.

Have a Computer or a TV?

Computer

Wear spots or stripes for the rest of your life?

Stripes (I hope they're navy blue and white; I love nautical stuff!)

Drink out of a Teacup or a Mug?

Teacup, although I never drink out of either. :)

Receive a bunch of Flowers or a box of chocolates?

Flowers.  I love my chocolate but flowers are just so gorgeous.  And thoughtful.

Have a hug or a Kiss from someone you love?

Hug. 

Wear Converse or Stilettos?

I never wear either, but stilettos?  I don't know, I think high heels make me feel so feminine!

Meet Johnny Depp or Robert Pattinson?

Johnny Depp

Be a Fairy or a Mermaid?

Fairy!

A Coffee or a Cup of Tea?

Tea

Pink nails or Blue nails?

Blue- hopefully it's sky blue!  I'm in love with that nail shade ATM, although I've yet to buy one.

Live somewhere sunny or somwhere cold?

Sunny.  I miss the California sun.

Have an amazing house or an amazing car?

Amazing house.

Be kind or funny?

Kind.  Being funny can only get you so far.

Eat Sweets or Cake?

Sweets.  I have a ginormous sweet tooth.

Hold a Tarantula or a Snake?

Snake.

Wear a neclace or a ring?

Necklace.

Laugh or Smile?

Laugh.

Be hated or be a hater?

Be hated.  Although hate is such a strong word.

Wear Pearls or Beads?

Beads.

If you had to choose, lose your sight or your hearing?

Hearing.

Have lots of money or lots of friends?

Lots of friends.  

Love or be loved?

I don't know; I think you need one to have the other.

I tag:

everyone who wants to participate :)

Review: NYC Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil

For some reason I just discovered these pencils- I'm probably way behind, but I had honestly never seen them until yesterday!  The only places I know of that carry NYC in my area are Target and Walmart.  When I came across them at my Walmart, I got really excited.  :)  Urban Decay 24/7-looking eyeliners for $3.99 with a $1.00-off coupon?  Yes, please.

I got mine in Teal, which is exactly that- a darkened blue-green with just a small amount of sheen.  No shimmer.

See how smooth they look?  They perform just as smoothly, too.  The packaging looks cheaper than Urban Decay's 24/7 pencils, but that's to be expected at $3.99.  I'm not one to get hung up on that though.

I was really impressed by the staying power these had on my hand.  The left swatch is normal; the right is after letting it sit for 10 seconds and lightly rubbing my finger back and forth against it.  How did it last on my lids?

Without a base, I noticed some teal in my crease after about 1 1/2- 2 hours (Keep in mind I have pretty deep-set eyes and not particularly oily lids).  However, with a base- I tested this all day today- I found no creasing whatsoever.  The eyeliner stayed put on my upper lash line and looked just as vibrant this evening as it did this morning.  Nice!  I did only test it on my upper lash line, though- I rarely wear much eyeliner on my lower, so I'm not sure how well these would work in the waterline, either.

I did just do some reading up on MUA's reviews of this, which you can find here:

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=77212/Waterproof_Eyeliner_Pencil_-_all/New_York_Color/Eyeliner

Most of the comments were good, and a lot of people thought it really worked well on their waterlines.  

For $3.99, I think these are a really affordable, good quality eyeliner for anyone who likes Urban Decay's 24/7, L'Oreal HiP, or Milani Liquif'eye.  They are super-smooth to apply, and they hold up to 8+ hours of wear- as long as you use a base.

Another plus:  If you can find them, they also come in a decent variety of colors for a drugstore eyeliner: Black, Dark Brown, Mink, Smoky Plum, Moody Blue, Sky High, and Teal.

Oh and one more thing- you can do like I did, and use the $1.00 off any NYC product from Allyou.com (That I posted about here).  That brings the price down to only $2.99!  You can't use more than one of these at once, but I'm sure you can print out multiple and use them at different times.  

My Recent ELF Order- Haulage To Expect!

My next package from ELF will be a bigger one, mainly due to the 10 free mineral eyeshadows I got with my $20 purchase.  I'm very excited!  I've only ordered once online from them, but I had a great experience- they got everything right and I received it the very same day FedEx said I would.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to a few things in particular that I'm getting, so I decided I'd just fill you all in as well.  :)  This list is in order of what I'm most excited for.

Mineral eyeshadows in: Earthy, Elegant, Sweet, Socialite, Wild, Confident, Natural, Caffeinated, Royal, and Trendy.

Studio Cream Eyeliner in Midnight

Studio Eye Transformer

Nail polish in Dark Navy, Innocent, Mint Cream, Smokey Brown, and Moonlight.

Studio Powder Brush

Studio Concealer Brush (I wanted the small angled brush but they've been out of stock forever >:(! )

All Over Cover Stick in Light Beige 

Natural Radiance Blush in Shy

Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige (I have this already and love it, so long as I use it with powder.  I've used up over half of mine and will need more soon!)

Expect some major posts to come when I get my package!  I'm excited to try these out- especially the cream eyeliner and eye transformer.  The latter looks interesting/weird to me.

Sweet Blogger Award!

I've never been nominated for a blog award- or thought I would be, for that matter.  So imagine my surprise when I found that the lovely Maquilagem Masstige had awarded me the Sweet Blogger award!  Thank you so much girl!  I'm honored.  :)  I can honestly say that makeup and blogging have become such wonderful hobbies for me, and it's amazing to be in a community so inviting.

The Rules:

* Give this award to 10 sweet bloggers.
* Make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you.
* Put the award on your blog.
* Let your nominated 10 know you've awarded them by leaving a comment.

I nominate these ten deserving bloggers for this award:

-Lisa and Beth at Drugstore Divas

-Recessionista at Nouveau Cheap

-Jeweled Thumb at Jeweled Thumb

-Fern at Fern Laura

-Luna at Lovely Moon

-Heather at Eyeconic Makeup

-Jolie Laide Girl at Jolie Laide Girl

-Natalie at Miss Natty's Beauty Diary

-Stacy at Organized Beauty

-Caitlin at Chrysanthemum

:)

EOTD: Green/Blue and Question/Rant

So, today I was at work helping a couple younger high school girls with the makeup (I work in the beauty side of Victoria's Secret).  A co-worker of mine was also lending a hand, although she rarely works in beauty (And hates it, I should add).  She was giving her two cents to this girl, who wanted to try some colors "out of the box", like turquoise, purple, etc.  She just didn't know how to do it.
There I was all excited to help her!  I kept showing her these different ways to apply the eyeshadow so it wouldn't be too "daunting" for her, since she was used to neutrals.  And my co-worker sits there saying how the color wouldn't go with her eye color.
I was like... WHAT?  Why limit yourself to only wearing the colors that "go" with your eye color?  I have green eyes, for example, and I love to wear green shades of eyeshadow.  The right green brings them out.  She wouldn't have any of this- she'd only wear purple eyeshadow with green eyes, or neutrals.
I used to always buy eyeshadow based on my eye color.  Now, though, I try not to hesitate with different colors.  The only thing I really go by is how warm or cool the shade is- my skin tone is on the cool side, so I lean towards cooler colors.

That brings me to my question: Do you consider your eye color when buying eyeshadow?  Or do you go with whatever catches your attention?

(I should add that I still go crazy for those eyeshadows/palettes that are partial to your eye color, though.  I fall for almost anything that promises to "brighten" your eyes!)

This brings me to my EOTD... featuring WnW Pride palette (The green/blue one)

What I Used:

-Almay Bright Eyes eye base

-Covergirl Eye Enhancers 1-kit shadow in Bedazzled Biscotti all over lid

-the two middle colors (matte green and shimmery turquoise) in WnW Pride palette in crease

-the shimmery white color in WnW Pride palette for highlight

-Covergirl Eyelights eyeliner in Vivid Ruby along upper lash line and outer lower lash line

-Rimmel Max Volume Flash mascara in Black 

I mean, who says you can't wear the same color eyeshadow as your eye color?  This obviously isn't green like my eyes, but it's in a similar color family.  I think as long as you get the right shade, or use other colors along with it, you can make any eyeshadow work.

Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear your opinions about eyeshadow!  :)

I have a makeup obsession.

You guys, I've spent way too much on makeup since I got paid on Friday!  I just placed an order for ELF for $26.95 after shipping, which isn't actually too bad considering everything I got, but still.  Spending needs to stop after this!
Since I already confirmed the order and there's no turning back (Chuckle, sigh), here's what I got.  I'll leave  specifics out for now, though, until I get it in the mail.  That way I'll have a small surprise for you!

-10 mineral eyeshadows (Free when you spend over $20- isn't this an AWESOME deal?  I've read these are good, too)
-2 Studio line brushes
-5 nail polishes
-2 Professional line face products
-2 Studio line eye products
-1 Professional line blush
=22 products

Coupons: Rimmel and NYC

Just a heads up to any Rimmel and NYC cosmetics fans, in case you haven't seen this-
Go to Allyou.com (The website of All You magazine), and on their coupon page, you'll find one for $2.00 off any Rimmel item, and one for $1.00 off any NYC item priced at $1.72 or higher.
These are manufacturer's coupons, so they'll work at any major retailer (I used the Rimmel one at Target today!).  Just print them out and you're good to go!

Skin Care Products I'm Using

It took me awhile to get into the habit of taking care of my skin (And I'll be honest, I'm still not completely diligent about removing my makeup before bed).  But as soon as I found products that gave me results, it wasn't so hard.  I've never had problems with acne, as a side note- I get the occasional pimple here and there, but my parents fortunately gave me good skin genes.  My skin is neither dry nor oily- somewhere in the middle, I suppose- but it's fairly sensitive.
Anyway, I thought I'd do a post on the products I've been using regularly this month.  I always find it interesting to see what girls use on their skin, even though I know what works for me might not work for you, and vice versa.  I have three different cleansers/scrubs I rotate between (Aveeno Skin Brightening daily scrub, Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming scrub, Cetaphil, and Proactiv), and I also don't stick to just one moisturizer (I switch off between the one I'm posting about here, and Neutrogena Moisture oil-free for sensitive skin).

First is something I'm new to using, but have grown up hearing my mom rant and rave about- Pond's Cold Cream.  I like this for a few reasons:

-It allows you to loosen up face makeup before cleansing

-It's easy to remove eye makeup (I use a cotton ball), and it's gentle on eyes

-It lasts a lot longer for me than normal liquid eye makeup remover, so my value is better (And it's a little cheaper for me)

The lotion consistency is weird to get used to at first, especially if you're like me and have always used liquid makeup removers, but I like it now!

Next is Proactiv Renewing Cleanser.

I actually didn't purchase any of the Proactiv products I have- my sister tried it a while back, didn't like how the benzoyl peroxide worked for her, and never used it again.  I guess she ordered a few of everything, because both this cleanser and the toner were unopened, sitting in the back of my bathroom cabinet.

Anyway, I like what it's doing for me so far.  Although I don't have acne, I had some small blemishes that have cleared up some since I started using this a couple weeks ago.  I was surprised by this, because typically I don't like benzoyl peroxide acne products.  

Proactic Revitalizing Toner

This I've used longer than the cleaser, and let me say, I swear by toners.  I've always loved the results I see from them.  I saturate a cotton ball with this, and run it across my face after washing.  

Lastly is Target brand's Up & Up Moisturizing Lotion Radiant Skin w/ SPF 15- comparable to Aveeno Positively Radiant daily moisturizer SPF 30.  

This is the first time I've used this moisturizer, actually.  I'm a long-time fan of the Aveeno, but I was trying to save money when I purchased this, so I got the Target brand.  Anyway, they aren't exact dupes or anything.  This one is pretty thick, even though it has a lower SPF than Aveeno's.  I like it now that I've gotten used to the thick consistency.  It does have a slight smell, but it goes away after you apply it to your face and let it dry in.

These products are listed in the order I use them in, by the way.  I'm not sure if it's "right" to use the cold cream first, but I like the idea of it loosening my makeup before I wash my face.  

What are some of your favorite skin cleansers/moisturizers?  Is it hard for you to find quality products that deliver top results?

EOTD: Peach/Gray and WnW Palette Swatches

How's your Saturday going?  Mine's been quiet so far, but in a couple hours I have to go to work.  I'm excited to be picking up extra hours recently; I need to save up as much money as possible for college.
Anyway, although it's cloudy today, I promised I would swatch the two Wet 'n' Wild palettes I purchased yesterday.  These aren't used over any primer at all, just my bare arm.

First is Pride-

(Above, no flash)

(Flash)

The colors in Pride are nicely pigmented.  I'm really excited to play around with this one!

Next up is Greed-

(Above, no flash)

(Flash)

The top left color- the bone-looking one- is pretty much the same shade as my skin, so it blends in.  The top right shimmery gray color is practically non-existent without a primer.  Disappointment!  I was really excited for this color.  I used this in my EOTD below, and it took repeated swipes to get a little bit of color.  I did layer it over the peach, though, so maybe on it's own it would be a little more pigmented.

Onto my EOTD-

Like I said, the sun is hiding today, so I apologize in advance- the peach in this look is slightly more noticeable in person than it shows in my pictures.  

The eyeshadows are all from the WnW Greed palette

What I used:

-Almay Bright Eyes eye base

-The matte peach color from WnW's Greed palette all over lid

-The shimmery peach color from Greed in crease and up to brow bone

-The shimmery gray from Greed in the outer crease

-Mary Kay eyeliner in Amethyst along upper lash line

-Rimmel Max Volume Flash mascara

I've been doing smokey eyes the last few days, so I wanted to keep it more neutral this time.  I think I like it, though!  Thanks for reading.

Wet 'n' Wild, Icing, and Mary Kay

Today I ended up getting more makeup/beauty items than I had intended!  

(Note: I will add swatches tomorrow, as I am doing this late at night with poor lighting.  Thanks for bearing with me!)

I love going to The Icing (I work at the mall, so I swing by after my shifts), because every few weeks they have something new added to the clearance makeup tower.  I usually find some interesting nail polish or eye shadow for under $5, which is what happened today!  I got two nail polishes- a matte emerald green and a frosty champagne.

Lady Lucky

Champagne Bubbles

(This one is pretty streaky- in person it's not so bad that I won't wear it, but up close it's noticeable)

When I got home, I was welcomed with my order from Mary Kay!  I went to a party over a month ago, and the seller was unbelievably slow getting my product in the mail.  All I purchased was an eyeliner, so I guess I can understand why she didn't feel it was a priority, but still.  I had to call her multiple times to make sure she didn't forget about me.  She ended up throwing in a free eyeshadow to make up for the complications.  I purchased the eyeliner in Amethyst; a deep purple.  I really fell in love with it when I tried it on at the party.

As much as I looked forward to receiving this, I can't help but be a bit let down.  It's a mere .01oz of product.  Compare that to Urban Decay's 24/7 liners, which are .04oz.  It's TINY.  :/  This was $10.

(Note: I'm just using Urban Decay's liners as a comparison for the size, not the type of eyeliners)

This was the eye shadow my representative gave me; it looks to be a sample.  It's called Precious Pink, and is .05oz.  It reminds me of the size of those eyeshadows that come in mini makeup sets- like ELF's, for example.

Lastly, I went to Kmart tonight, because I had to grab a couple more of those Wet 'n' Wild palettes while they were BOGOfree!  Of all the products here, I am most excited about these.  

I got Greed and Pride:

Greed

Pride

And that's it!  All I spent today was just over $10- both of The Icing polishes came to $4.77 after tax ($2.25 each), and with the BOGOfree I only paid for one of the WnW palettes ($5.29 after tax, approximately).  The Mary Kay eyeliner I paid for awhile back.  I just love how easy it is to satisfy a makeup "craving", as I call it, on so little money. 

Is there anything in particular here you'd like to see reviewed?  Just let me know.  

Happy weekend, everyone!

This Makes Me Happy...

Today, I discovered a less expensive version of one of my favorite (high-end) fragrances, Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture.  It is Victoria's Secret's Supermodel fragrance!
Now, this one isn't new to me.  I've been a long time fan of Victoria's Secret perfumes, and I tried Supermodel what seems like ages ago.  But it wasn't until today that I realized how much it reminds me of Viva La Juicy.  This is so awesome, guys!  I just can't rationalize spending $65+ on a perfume, let alone over $50, and since Viva La Juicy is $85 for 3.4oz, it's just completely out of my budget.  I do know that there are retailers that sell it for less- I think Gordman's has a decent price- but usually the size is much smaller too.
Supermodel is $39 for 1oz and $49 for 2.5oz.  It's not exactly the same fragrance, obviously, but I spritzed my wrists with each one today and they were quite similar (At least enough to save some money).
I'm going to wait until VS's semi-annual sale this summer to see if it maybe goes on sale, but if it doesn't, I still think I'll be eager to try it out.

What is your favorite fragrance?  Have you ever found near-dupes for it?

(PS- Expect a haul post either tonight or tomorrow morning!  I have some new goodies.  I need to stop spending money now, goodness!)

(Photos from http://www.victoriassecret.com and http://www.sephora.com)

ELF Lip Colors

I think my love for ELF products is pretty obvious at this point.  I use at least one of their products every day, because even a lot of my brushes are ELF.  For me, as long as a cheap product works just as good as a more expensive one, I'll buy it.  And I don't even require it to work fabulously.  Take ELF's lip glosses/liquid lipsticks that I'm showing in this post, for example.  No, they are not the best quality, and there isn't a huge amount of product in the container, but they do well enough for my purposes.
Let me explain:  I don't really love having something on my lips all the time.  I've tried long-wear lipsticks, and I end up removing them after an hour or so.  These ELF lip products don't last a terribly long time (I've never taken careful note of exactly how long, but I don't notice it any longer than 1-1/2 hours).  Personally, I love this.  And for $1, as all of these are, you really can't expect much more.
Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with everything I've tried.  The colors aren't terribly pigmented at all, but it's enough to tell a slight difference.   In this post, I'll be showing one Super Glossy Lip Shine Spf 15, one Plumping Lip Glaze, one Luscious Liquid Lipstick, and three Hypershine Glosses.

First up is a Super Glossy Lip Shine in Goddess:

(All are from the $1.00 Professional line, by the way!)

Next are the Hypershine Glosses

Fairy:

Vixen (This is more vivid in person- I couldn't get the lighting right, sorry!):

Blossom:

Plumping Lip Glaze in Pink Lemonade:

Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips:

As you can see, they are all pretty sheer and light; however, Vixen is definitely more vibrant in person compared to the rest of them.  Blossom and Baby Lips are very similar in color, the only difference being one is a lip gloss and the other a "lip stick".  I love the colors of them- I seem to be drawn to soft, rose-y pinks, though.  :)

I'd definitely encourage you to try out the Hypershine Lip Glosses if you haven't already!  I think they are my favorite.  And, if you like an almost metallic shine, I would recommend the Super Glossy Lip Shines.