Recent Favorites

I know there are "monthly favorites" or "_____'s (insert month) hits and misses" but I decided I'd do a "recent favorites" post.  This is because I always have new favorites since I'm always trying new products/returning to previously loved products.  Having said that, I've used these products every day in the past 10 days. Like most other people, mine consist of both drugstore and higher end products. I've actually done reviews for some of the products, in which case I will link :)

1. Maybelline - The Falsies (flared) waterproof mascara

2. Revlon - Colorstay Blemish Concealer "Fair" [Click here for review]

3. Make Up For Ever HD Primer #1

4. Benefit High Beam  [Click here for review]

5. Urban Decay The Revolution Eyelash Curler  [Click here for review]

6. Lancome - Blush Subtil "Rose Doucer"

7. Cargo - blu_ray Pressed Powder #10

8. ELF - Eyebrow Kit "Medium"

Maybelline - The Falsies (flared) waterproof mascara

Bottle

Wand

I got this mascara for $5 I think. It was on sale and I thought "why not?". I'm glad I got it because I really am enjoying this! The wand is standard in length but "flared" out to give that falsies look for your lashes. Since it is waterproof, it does hold my curls quite well. I don't have trouble removing it and while it's not mind blowing, it does do a good job.  A down side is that it can clump but if you're careful, you will have gorgeous clump-free lashes! 

 Make Up For Ever HD Primer #1

Pump

Not blended

Semi-blended

Fully Blended

Make Up For Ever makes tons of face makeup products and I've only tried two but I'm pleased with both I've tried.  Back in December, my friend got me a $30 giftcard to Sephora and I spent it on this.  I suffer from some redness around my face, especially my nose area but in general, I am a very pink-toned person.  Not in a very flattering way either! So I use this as my primer.  Since it's green, it neutralizes the redness but there are several other colors, including a transparent shade (#0) which is also quite nice if you do not want any color in your primer.  I like it because it's hydrating and it does not have that silicone feel to it.  Not to mention the sanitary pump dispenser! 

As you can see in the last picture, even after it is fully blended, there is some green tinge in it.  The key is to use only the amount you need.  Too much product will leave that green tinge.  But if you are using a foundation on top, it shouldn't matter.  Lately I haven't been in the foundation mood but I'm using this primer, a concealer, and a pressed powder for my face.  It's working pretty well for me! It gives me that "makeup but no makeup" look lol.  In the future, I would love to try the blue shade! 

Lancome - Blush Subtil "Rose Doucer"

No flash

Flash

Swatches 

This blush is from my last Lancome haul and I've been loving it! The color is more like the color without flash.  I was looking for something peachy-pink and I think this fits the criteria well even though it's a bit more on the pink side.  So far, definitely worth the splurge.  I'm surprised by how long it lasts (although I do use a makeup setting spray, sometimes blush is gone by the afternoon) and the shimmer is not as noticeable on my face.  This could be a good or bad thing but I usually prefer only a little shimmer for my blushes.  Too much shimmer can make you look oily!  

Cargo - blu_ray Pressed Powder #10

Back a few weeks ago, I was at the Sephora inside JCPenney's and I saw the entire Cargo line on sale! From my knowledge, Sephora doesn't even carry Cargo so I was so confused as to why this brand was there and on sale! I snagged this HD pressed powder (for $17!) because I've seen so many people rave about this and they're absolutely right! It's feels lovely on my face, with just the right amount of coverage.  So thrilled because I got it for nearly half the price. It's probably going to last me forever too! 

 ELF - Eyebrow Kit "Medium"

I ADORE this brow kit! I got it from Target for $3 I think and I have it in the shade "medium" which matches me perfectly.  I don't know how many other shades they make though, I only saw this shade at my local Target.  Anyway, it comes with a small dual ended brush which I thought was cute! lol. It's actually not as flimsy as you'd think.  But more importantly, the left is a gel to set your brows in place and the right is a powder to fill your brows with.  It's working so well for me and it's only $3! The lasting power is also great.  I can see myself buying this over and over again! 

And lastly... 

My mother made these brooches (among other things) about 25 years ago and she gave them to me when I was really little.  These were my favorite pieces from the ones she had given me, even as a little girl! I had forgotten about these but I rediscovered them a few days ago and I fell in love with them all over again! The color is still the same, and I thought the details were so amazing.  I think I'm going to pass these on to my own children! 

Anyway, what products do you guys use everyday?! Or are you like me? Hopping around from product to product? :p 

Beauty Haul

Hi guys! I've been so busy this past week... it was pretty hectic for me! I hope everyone is well :) I now have a blog sale going on, do check it out!

I spent the day with my mom today and I did some damage :( I didn't plan on spending money at all and I spent nearly.. $120! I couldn't resist it. No excuses. My mom wanted to pick something up from the mall and I tagged along to eye shop at Sephora. It ended up being a lot more than that lol. And then we went to the department store so my mom could exchange something. I passed by the Lancome counter and the SA stopped me to tell me about their promotion. If you spend $39 at Lancome, they give you a free 7-piece gift.  The SA was so good at her job, I wanted to buy everything! I wasn't so excited about the promotion but I fell in love with all of their blushes. I couldn't leave without buying one :(

So here is my small beauty haul!

Sephora:

Tokidoki Rollerball Perfume: Siberia ($7)

Tokidoki Rollerball Perfume: Adieu ($7)

Hello Kitty Rollerball Perfume ($7)

Ole  Henriksen: The Naked Truth ($22.50)

Lancome:

Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover ($27)

Blush Subtil: Rose Douceur (it's a peachy-pink) ($30) 

Ahh I couldn't resist the perfumes! They smell so good (fruity lol) and they were on sale! Look at how cute they are! I can always count on Tokidoki and Hello Kitty to have the cutest packaging... I'm probably giving away one of the Tokidoki perfumes. Maybe a small giveaway in the near future! 

Despite the mixed reviews, I always wanted to try some Ole Henriksen products and this kit includes both the truth serum collagen booster and the truth creme advanced hydration moisturizer.  But I am a bit disappointed with the amount of product I get... especially for $22.50! These better be good.. please be good :( 

More interestingly.. my Lancome freebies! 

2 cosmetic pouches

1 High Resolution Refill-3X SPF 15 moisturizer

1 Absolute Premium BX-cream SPF 15 moisturizer

1 Genifique Serum 

1 Blush Subtil in Shimmer Pool Pink

1 Color Design Lipstick

2 Hypnose Mascara

2 Cils Booster XL Mascara Base

These are more than 7 pieces and the SA was very generous with me. I think it's because I said I'd come back and I really did, haha. She told me not to stand her up and I didn't! I also came back with my mom who was wondering where I was and I told her about the promotion. She knew I was hesitating so she told me to purchase everything. The SA gave a few extra things so my mom and I can share them.  I gave my mom the serum, both moisturizers, the lipstick, and the pouch. I kept the mascaras and the blush because she doesn't use them.  I feel like I paid too much for the eye makeup remover but I really do love it so I'm in for a treat. And, well, I will always love blushes so I don't feel that I wasted any money on the blush. I can't wait to review some of these items! I'm very excited to try the blush in Shimmer Pool Pink, I think it's from the same line I bought the full sized blush from. 

Do any of these items tickle your fancy? :) 

My Beauty Addiction: Blush

I never had and probably will never have a lipstick addiction.
I never had and probably will never have a lip gloss addiction.
I never had and probably will never have a mascara addiction.
But I love my blushes and I will never give up my love for them LOL.

As the title of this post says, I am addicted to blushes. There, I said it!

Blushes are the only type makeup I will buy with less hesitation because of price. As long as the product is great, I probably won't mind the price tag.
I love blushes because they can give you that pop of color on your face when foundation and/or concealer washes out some of the color on your face.  It also adds more dimension to your face! What is there not to love?

Of course it's rather easy to "over do" blush, looking like a clown in the end. But with some practice and lots of blending, you can add a very nice touch to your overall makeup using blush!

Without further ado, my blush collection!

-NYX Rouge Cream Blush (cb02 Natural)
-NYX Rouge Cream Blush (cb05 Glow)
-Stila Custom Color Blush (Sheer Pink)
-Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Amused)
-Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush (10 Pink Frosting)

-Benefit (Coralista)
-Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit (Candy Leopard)
-Illamasqua Cream Blush (Promise)
-Benefit (Bella Bamba)
-Benefit (Dandelion)
-ELF (Candid Coral)
-theBalm (Hot Mama)
-HK Memoirs of a Kitty (Shade 1 / Shade 2)
-L'Oreal Magic Smooth Souffle (824 Cherubic Candide)

I use one of these brushes to apply my blush.  From top to bottom: MAC 116, random brush I purchased from the IMATS, random angle blusher brush I got from TJMaxx.  This also happens to be in price order.  The MAC was probably around 20+ dollars, the brush I got from the IMATS this spring cost me $7 and the bottom brush from TJMaxx cost me $3 (originally $20 so it was a bargain!).  I absolutely LOVE the angle blusher and I use it more than I use the MAC brush. I wish I had purchased this first, I would not have bought the MAC brush. BUT the MAC brush is excellent for powder highlighters.  Both are very soft but I mean, $3 vs $20 is a big deal for me. Love them both.

Now for the middle brush I got from the IMATS, it's a small stipple brush I only use for applying my cream blushes.  I actually like that it's not too dense as this avoids picking up too much product.  I gently swirl the blush around my cheeks and I love how soft the brush is! I have no idea which brand it was from other than the fact that I got it from IMATS here in NYC. 

Without Flash

With flash

My three Benefit blushes! My favorite, or most used I should say, would be Dandelion and Coralista.  Bella Bamba is more of a brighter pink with many glitter particles. Usually, it's too overwhelming to wear on a normal day. Dandelion is very subtle and can be used as a highlighter.  Coralista falls in the middle of these two! I would love to purchase Hervana in the future! These are $28 each if I remember correctly.

 Without Flash

 With Flash

These are my other powder blushes.  In pan, ELF Candid Coral and theBalm Hot Mama look somewhat alike.  It isn't so when swatched and the quality of theBalm is better.  I think Candid Coral was one of my first blush purchases and I liked it very much in the beginning.  I wonder how Hot Mama compares to NARS Orgasm? I think it's a couple of shades lighter but still pretty comparable. I'm not sure at all though, as I do not own NARS blushes yet. 

The HK Memoirs of a Kitty was my first Hello Kitty for Sephora purchase. I own one more palette and I think these are pretty good for the price ($36).  You get 4 eye shadows and 2 generously sized blushes in a REALLY cute package. I already did a review on this so if you want, check it out here.

I purchased the Too Faced palette a while back and I think the packaging is really cute! I do like the highlighter (right) but I'm on the fence about the bronzer (left) because it's a bit too sparkly.  I really think bronzers should be matte! The blush is in the middle and it's a nice baby pink with some darker pink and peach mixed in as well.  The only problem I have with this is that it's very powdery. And it's not as pigmented as I'd like it to be.

I suppose the most interesting from these would be the Stila Custom Color Blush, which is pH based.  Basically the idea is to adjust to your skin tone this way it's like a "one color for all skin colors" kind of thing.  I can tell you that you have to use a light hand if you do not want to look like a toy but with a lighter hand, it does seem to show up a little different on my skin vs my friend's skin, who is darker than myself.  This is $20.

The Tarte Amazonian Clay is probably a cult favorite, EVERYONE loves these. My friend got this for me for Christmas and it's amazing. It's matte so it looks even more natural.  But the color I have it in is a bit bright, depending on how I use it, it calls for a lotttt of blending.  Still a wonderful blush nonetheless.  I recommend this to people who are first trying out, I guess, "higher end" blushes.

Without Flash

With Flash

These are my cream/not powder blushes.  I generally like cream blushes more, even though lasting powder for these babies may not be as long as powder blushes.  The reason I like it is because my skin is rather dry and I feel that cream blushes add some "dew" to my face.  I don't like looking overly matte because that does not look natural at all so these are my go-to blushes.

The Illamasqua one is in the shade "Promise" which may be limited edition, I'm not sure.  But it's such a gorgeous color. THIS IS MY FAVORITE BLUSH EVER. Out of all my blushes, this must be my favorite.  I love the consistency, the packaging, and the color! It does not feel sticky or wet and dries very nicely on my cheeks. The only downside is the $24 price tag for something I feel I would use up quicker than a typical powder blush. Even then, I would repurchase. Over and over.

The L'Oreal magic smooth souffle is also great, a little goes a long way for these. It's definitely under $10 at drugstores. I feared it might be too dark but by using a little and blending out, it looks very, very, very, nice.  Maybe if I bought this first, I might have not bought the Illamasqua.. but I really love my Illamasqua blush so I don't know. Another good thing about this blush is that it lasts a really long time. I love that about this blush. 

I like the NYX cream blushes as well but not nearly as much as I like the Illamasqua blush.  It is significantly cheaper, I bought it for around $6 at the IMATS.  The packaging is okay too! It's definitely a pass.  But I have a problem with the consistency of these blushes. They're very.. sticky and almost gooey feeling to me. I like "natural" more than "glow" as glow is too dark for me but to me, these almost feel like lip glosses... on my cheek. And they take a while to dry down on my cheeks.  Still, very pigmented and I absolutely love the look after it finishes drying lol. 

I'm sure by now everyone has read/seen/bought the Dream Bouncy blushes by Maybelline and despite most people not enjoying this, I pop this into my makeup bag during school days and apply this when I feel it's necessary (even if I did apply this specific blush in the morning).  It's not that bad, rather subtle in color but looks natural without many glitter particles. I love the consistency too! But I don't think I'll repurchase as isn't really great on it's own. 

Time for you guys to confess: What is your beauty addiction? Do any of these blushes interest you? Let me know!

Recent (somewhat) Buys!

So I guess it is obvious that I did not post anything since the last time I posted. A lot has happened over the span of half a year and basically, I've decided to accept the things I cannot change. That's when everything seemed to get easier.

And THEN I really missed blogging so I decided that I'm really back for good this time. Pretty bad timing though, I start classes next Monday. Ahh already into my 3rd year of college... time really flies by!

Today's post will be about my somewhat recent buys (both beauty and non-beauty related), so I hope you guys enjoy!

I actually own another dog now (a chihuahua) and he has a knack for nibbling on my earphones and he always manages to tear them apart. I gave up on buying good earphones because they never seem to last and I got these for $10 (orig. $20) at tjmaxx.  There were several designs but I liked the polka dot ones best. I bought a back up of these as well, but in stripes instead. The ones without volume control/microphone are only $6, get them if you come across these! They're pretty good quality.

I needed a new crossbody bag. But I'm poor right now LOL (actually not funny...) so I got this from Forever21 for $18 after taxes. It's a bit darker in real life, like a legitimate 'tan' color. Obviously not the BEST quality, as you can see there is some poor stitch work in the center but overall, I do like it very much.

I like it even more because it has two compartments inside. I keep my wallet towards the back and my keys/cards/etc in the front. My wallet is pretty bulky and I like that it fits comfortably without making the bag look too bulky.

My friend "R" got this for me on my birthday. It's an "Eyeko" mascara, I was eyeing this for a while but my local Sephora's did not carry this so I was pretty hesitant on getting it. I haven't really tested it out for sure yet but my first impressions of it were good. I like this packaging, I feel like I'm going to waste less product.. because I can technically squeeze the sides of it so I can get more product out when I'm running low... does this make sense??

It comes with this little chip for you to hold under your lashes so your mascara won't ruin your eye makeup. Neat! Reminds me of a guitar pick.

Interesting wand, no? I believe this retails for $19 but I may be wrong.

The same friend also got me Benefit's Coralist blush. It's basically my go-to blush when I'm busy in the mornings. I like it because I don't really have to blend out as much (because the color is pretty light/subtle) but it still gives me that 'glow'.

Color of it with flash! The flash shows the color best. It's a really nice pink. And is it just me or do some of the Benefit blushes smell good?...

My three favorite foundations: Dr. Jart BB cream, Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation, Clinique Even Better Foundation. Let me know if you guys want reviews!

My new favorite pressed powder. It's only a dollar and ELF items are almost always a hit or miss so I was skeptical but I hit pan on the first one and I bought a back up.  My skin is not the most sensitive and I think this serves my skin pretty well. It has very little salacylic acid in it (0.5 I believe) but it does help with my skin when it's having a bad day (or week.. lol). It's not a life saver but it does help a bit. Oh, the coverage is pretty good as well! Beware though, this product has talc in it which does seem to bother many people. And a lot of people broke out because of this. But it's worth a try for a dollar I think, if your skin is not the most sensitive.



My new favorite concealer! Revlon's PhotoReady.  The top one is my backup because I'm almost done with my first tube of this. The glitter particles seem to bother some people but I don't see anything when it's on my skin. Love the consistency and coverage. If I am wearing this, I am not wearing any foundation. It's almost always either this, or my foundation but never both.

My Lioele princess mirror! It's a small hand-held mirror but it's so cute, isn't it?

Ok. So I got these little boxes (3 x 2 in) and they're called "Really Useful Boxes". They're cute and stackable but not useful at all. What am I going to do?!

YAY! Sharpie highlighters for only $1/pack!!! This is crazy for me because I love Sharpie highlighters but they're NEVER a dollar for 2. Ahhh this was so exciting LOL. Everyone else must feel the same way because I grabbed the 2 from the 3 remaining in that big box.

Ah, feels good to be back. Do you guys want reviews on anything? Or do you have any input on the products? Let me know!