NOTD + Long Reviews + New Planner! + Picture Heavy

Finally Thursday! No class tomorrow! Yayayayayay! Nothing is more exciting than that~ But I have a lot of studying to do over the weekend, but so far for spanish we've had 5 exams and I got a 100 on all of them!! But on the essays I keep getting 90s so my average is a 96.67% :( I don't understand why they count for as much as exams though...

Today I couldn't go past Dunkin Donuts because of the scorching heat -_- I ended up getting an iced tea for $.99 and it was pretty refreshing :) My bus came rather quickly and I don't have work today. Overall, a wonderful day so far!

I did my nails this sparkly pink color but it's more purple in the pictures aha :|
It kind of reminds me of those sally hanson nail strips thingy except mine aren't as good. But I can't imagine forking out $9 for something I can only use once!! And I wish I could grow out my nails but I'm so... anti-bacteria LOL. I secretly worry about bacteria that might be collecting under my nails even if I wash my hands often. I am SUCH a loser I promise I'll try to be less loser-ish from now on.





But it'll be a pain to take off later T_T

And since the fall semester is starting soon... I got myself a new planner!



It was pretty darn expensive but my friend knew the store (Banzai) owner so we got 30% off. I think I paid around $10 for this which I guess isn't thatttt bad since it's the binder type thing.




Pretty cute huh? I love the outside of it as well as the cute papers on the inside. I get so sad every time I write in it though, I feel like I'm tainting the cuteness of it all heheh~

PRODUCT REVIEWS:
So in my last post, I shared a small cosmetics haul and I received two requests :) Today I will be reviewing:



-Benefit's High Beam
-Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

I will start off by saying that both products are SO EXPENSIVE!!!
But you don't need a lot of either product so I guess it's "okay" but... I can't get over the price. I know I'm going to repurchase both but ... I still need more time to get over the PRICE!

Benefit's High Beam ($23 at Sephora):


^I was surprised to see that the Smashbox Primer has more product in it...

I know there are TONS of reviews on this but yes, it is a highlighter. I use it on my brow bones and on my cheeks sometimes but it shows up less on my cheeks. In other words, it's a very subtle highlighter. It shows up more in the light (which my camera, unfortunately could not pick up) and it has a little bit of shimmer but overall it's very pearly, which is what I love about it. It blends quickly although I like to warm it up a little bit between my fingers before applying because I feel EVERYTHING goes on more smoother like that (except for primers -- I don't do it with primers for some reason lol).

However, there are a few things I don't like about it..

_The price ($23 for 0.45oz......)
_The applicator, as many have said as well. It's impossible to use every bit of it but I for one, will!! I'm going to cut a straw in half (the long way) and scoop it out until I use every bit of it LOL. Ugh, I just hate wasting stuff...


-The packaging in itself is awkward as well. Why... is it a nail polish packaging thing?? I'd love it if I can squeeze it out instead, maybe if people keep complaining about it, Benefit will change it? :P Wishful thinking~



That's about it!
Product itself: 4.5/5
Packaging: 3.5/5
Applicator: 3/5
Price: 1/5
Repurchase: Yes (4/5)



^Simply dotted



^Slightly rubbed



^What's left after application



^Swatch

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($16 at Sephora):
Okay, this one is VERY expensive as well. I can't tell which is worse, the high beam or this primer... lol. This isn't the full-sized one, I really didn't have the heart to fork out $36 for something I may not like so I got the small one for now.





I will first begin with my skin type/facts.

-Kind of pale (NC15/20)
-Redness around nose area.
-Dry-normal but I get acne sometimes :( but no blackheads.
-Small-ish pores.
-Quite sensitive to the sun.
-I don't tan but I burn very easily.
-I use BB cream and concealer. BB cream is a MUST for me, esp. in the summer because I am sensitive to the sun. SPF is very important.

With that said, I don't really need a primer in the winter because my foundation/BB doesn't really fade. I don't wear much to start off with but in the summer, especially in humidity, my face sometimes does look like it's melting even though my skin is somewhat dry in some areas. That really is not attractive at all. I'm going to wear it in the winter though, I just feel like it sets everything in place well because it has a matte finish.

On the other hand, my mom has oily skin and we share this primer. I noticed that this extends the life of my make up about 4-5 hours (and I never have to blot when I use this) and my mom doesn't have to blot for an extra 3 hours. My mom used to always be stressed out about how her make up does not last but after using this, she only has to blot once the entire day, only around the nose area.

So if you can't tell already, we love this product!! After we finish this we will buy the full size one, even though the price tag is hefty.



^look how small it is!



^ This is how it looks when it's squeezed out. I don't know how I feel about this but.. the feeling of it is very... silicone-y. Super soft, but silicone-y. My mom likes that feeling but I'm still on the fence about it.



^ This is my bare naked nose after I woke up. As you can see, there is a little bit of shine.



^ After using it on my nose, pores show less right?? As you can see it's matte, but I think it accentuates my dryness a little. Not sure if it's because I took too long today to moisturize after washing my face, but yeah. But it doesn't show once I apply the rest of my make up so that's okay.

Product itself: 4.8/5
Packaging: 5/5
Applicator: 5/5
Price: 1/5
Repurchase: Yes (5/5)


PHEW. Was this too long?!? I just wanted to be very thorough about it.
So, how was everyone's day today?!