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!

Haul!

Hey hey hey! I'm sorry I've sort of been MIA. My classes are definitely more difficult than last semester and I am still trying to enjoy all of this. I still have to go to the doctors, the PO to mail stuff out, and the tailors! - 24 hours a day is never enough for me during the semester :(

But today I decided to set some time aside to blog. Today's post will be a relatively small haul with some first look thoughts. I guess it's a mix of what I received for Christmas from some of my friends/what I bought. Enjoy!



^So I ran out of conditioner and I was at Duane Reade to buy a new conditioner. Before I used Herbal Essences but I didn't really like it. It smelled really good but I didn't feel it did anything for my hair. I was debating between this and an Aveeno conditioner but I decided to go for this one. I think it's better than Herbal Essences but I'm still on the hunt for a really good conditioner. I was sort of disappointed in this but that's because I had high expectations. I mean, THIS is what they claim in front of the bottle:



^Yes, it is moisturizing but I don't know about the "ultra" part and the "luxurious" part. My hair was pretty soft after using it but my hair was always on the softer side lol. Would I rebuy? Maybe. If I can't find something else. For the price (I think it was $8.99) I think it does a pretty good job.



^My friend V got me this super generous Lancome skincare set! It comes with a mousse radiance foaming cleanser (full sized), tonique radiance toner (full sized), and a bonus bi-facial eye-makeup remover (sample sized). It also came with a big makeup bag. It's my first time using Lancome products (I still feel like it's meant for old people lol) but I was very excited when I got this. I haven't used the cleanser yet so I can't really say anything about it but the toner is pretty nice! It has a slight scent to it but nothing that bothers me too much. I find it rather pleasing, actually. But what I didn't really like was the bi-facial makeup remover. It smells like artificial roses. I hate that smell! It was unexpected because I use Clinique's eye-makeup remover which basically has no scent to it. But I will use it nonetheless because it is a great eye-makeup remover.



^The makeup bag is HUGE! it fits all the items with lots of room left over. I'm very pleased with it in general. I really am enjoying this and I can't wait to use the cleanser! If it's anything like the toner, I'm sure I'll like it. But I'm even more touched that my friend V went out to get this for me as she knows I'm interested in these kind of things. She also got the same set for herself and she said it works for her so I'm double happy, haha.



^Starting from the far left: Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush (in the shade 'amused'), Stila Custom Color Blush (self-adjusting shade!), Harajuku Lovers Fragrance (Jingle G), and Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation (in the shade Translucent Medium).

The two blushes are from my friend R. We're both makeup freaks so we got each other makeup this year. I thought it was sweet of her to get me blushes because I'm sort of blush-crazy! Haha. Both blushes are AWESOME and so pigmented, I have to be careful. Expect a review on both blushes soon!

The Harajuku Lovers perfume I got for myself because it was on sale when I popped into Sephora a few weeks back. It was $11 so I thought why not. It doesn't smell as fruity as I'd like it to smell but that's cool because the scent is long wearing. Plus the ridiculously cute packaging!

The Physicians Formula Powder Foundation I also got for myself because it was on sale at Duane Reade last time. I think I got it for a little less than $5 and expect a review for this too because I just think it's so AWESOME! Ahhh! I was worried I got a shade too dark (I originally planned on getting translucent light) but I think it sort of adjusts to your skin as it is a translucent powder. So very glad I got this!

Did you haul anything lately??

Tarte for True Blood & Memoirs of a Kitty

I will post the answers to my previous post! :)

1. bacon cheeseburger
2. chicken cordon bleu or just a chicken sandwich lawl
3. spicy boneless wings
4. onion rings and french fries
5. chicken teriyaki and nathan's mini hotdog(?) thingies with french fries
6. oreo truffle balls
7. fried rice with chicken pops!
8. spinach artichoke dip w/ tortillas and wings.

hehe that was kinda fun, no? :P I know some of the pictures had bad lighting and stuff, my apologies~ but all three of you did so well rofl. But nobody guessed the oreo truffle ball correctly loool probably because I didn't show the inside.

If you answered my previous post, please leave me your e-mail address! Since three people answered, I have three polishes and other stuff ready to be packed. But my cousin *hinted* she wants one of the shades so you must let me know by Wednesday (I will most likely ship out Thursday).

On with my recent purchases~




Poor lighting =( But I bought a bunch of cheap (but not so bad quality) nail polishes. I really like the "shamrock" from Forever21 (Second picture, second polish) but it smells really bad :X and it lingers! boooo. And the Sally Hanson Extreme Wear reminded me of Teenage Dream but it's less pink than it. Glitters are pretty similar though.




I can't resist bows! They're too cute. And I was expecting more out of the second necklace but... it's wooden lol. I bet I could make that in one sitting given the appropriate equipment.




I buy chunky necklaces because my clothes are rather plain. A plain grey shirt + the black necklace = not so plain anymore.



HEHEHE aren't the socks adorable?? Well.. to be honest I don't need anymore socks but I thought these were soo cute I couldn't resist! Who can resist chubby little bunnies?!

Last but not least, my Tarte for True Blood & Memoirs of a Kitty palettes! I actually forgot to upload this from a few weeks ago x_x and pretty poor pictures because my camera sucks but I am grateful I at least have a working camera LOL.

They say that the Tarte palette is a "must" for every True Blood fan but I'm just a fan of gorgeous packaging and quality eye shadow to be honest. The Tarte palette was $52 and the Memoirs of a Kitty palette was $35.






So basically, there are 17 eye shadows. Some are matte, some are shimmery. You get generous sizes of their emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner in black, lights, camera, lashes! mascara in black, and lifted natural eye primer. If you are debating between the UD naked and this palette, I suggest you go for this one because this palette can be used for neutral looks as well as... "vampy" looks lol! But in all honesty, I can see this palette working wonders for many.



It also comes with a tutorial leaflet kind of thing! I tried the "Vamp Glam" and my mom told me I looked scary so I guess I partially succeeded? But I get the feeling that while I will be incorporating some of the things here, I won't always do it word for word. Like I mean, I also tried "Luminous Fairy" and it appeared too light for my pale skin.



The emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner was most peculiar.. it wasn't quite gel... or cream. Very interesting formula I think.



Very dark though, right? I'm looking forward to wearing this more often! I hope it doesn't smudge :(


Say Hello - Memoirs of a Kitty Palette

What can I say? I'm a sucker for cute packaging :( and cute boxes, I am never throwing that box away! I like to store receipts and/or coupons in them lol :) I was upset because I went the the Sephora in the city and they only had the "Happy Fun" palette which have the eye shadows and lip glosses on the bottom. I'm a heavy lip balm/lip stain user so the lip glosses would have little purpose for me! I really wanted to try blushes and this was just a good price for 4 eye shadows, and 2 blushes. Plus I like the eye shadow colors in Memoirs of a Kitty much more.

So basically yeah, I came home and purchased online.



nice neutrals going on~ I actually didn't get to use this yet but, I'm getting to it!



Ahhhh the blushes! Surprisingly, I like the color to the left more :X I use both though, I apply the right and a little bit of the left on top of it so it isn't as pink. I mean, I want to look blushing -- not like I was standing out in the cold for an hour!

Heh, so that's about it. I had no money to buy a bagel after church today :'(
sad but true story.