June Ipsy Bag

Getting back into doing monthly updates for Ipsy. I've really enjoyed the past couple of bags!

Theme: On the Wild Side

Starlooks Lip Liner in Bare ($12) 2.4g FULL

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Golden ($6) 3.5g/0.12oz FULL

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil ($18) 1.4g FULL

J.cat Sparkling Cream Palette in Volta ($4.49) 3g/0.1oz FULL

J.cat EL505 Eyelashes with Glue ($3.99)

Total Value: $44.48

They recently started focusing more on delivering personalized bags. The other items this month were a gel liner from Cailyn Cosmetics and dry shampoo from Freeman Beauty. I think the gel liner looked pretty interesting but I wouldn't swap it for the Chella highlighter. Also, the type of NYX blush varied between bags (it was either cream, mosaic, or powder). Overall, lots of options this month so each bag is a little different.

Starlooks Lip Liner in Bare (Top)
NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Golden (Bottom)

Both products were really creamy. The lip liner was a brown pinky-plum. It's quite pigmented. The blush is a sheer peachy with fine gold shimmer. The two products seem to go together quite well.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil (Right)

When I first swatched it, it reminded me a lot of Tarte EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener. I compared to two. While they are in the same family, the Tarte liner is a little warmer and has a little more pink in it. I'm not sure if you can use the Chella pencil on the waterline but it would be pretty nifty if I can.

J.cat Sparkling Cream in Volta

This is probably the most impractical item I've ever received from Ipsy (this includes the Miss Beauty Nail Bling in last year's May Bag). For one, J.cat's website advises caution when applying to the eye area which means this isn't meant to be a glitter eyeshadow. Also, I don't know when I'll ever get a chance to use it. Plus, the texture is very slippery. Still, the glitters are actually really pretty.  

From left to right: chunky gold/multicolor glitter, fine teal & black glitter, fine olivey-gold & black glitter, fine black & silver/multicolor, and fine purply-grey & silver glitter.

J.cat EL505 Eyelashes and Lash Glue

These lashes look really pretty and feel soft & light. The lash glue has an interesting applicator (like a little spatula!) that I think will work quite well. It's also a dark glue which is a plus for covering up application mistakes. 

There you have it! This month's Ipsy bag. Since the products are full-size and are types of products I wanted to try, I really liked this one. I feel like Ipsy has been getting a hang of things and been on the ball lately. Even with an impractical product like the glitter palette, it's still fun and I got my money's worth in this bag. 

Also, I've actually been using some of the products from my Ipsy bags so lots of mini reviews coming!

Sephora's Pantone Color IQ

On Monday, I got a chance to try the Color IQ system at Sephora. Working together with Pantone, Sephora now has a incredible tool to aid in one of makeup's most frustrating chores: getting the correct color match for foundation. According to Sephora:

SEPHORA, the leading beauty specialty retailer, and Pantone LLC, the global color authority, unveil SEPHORA + PANTONE COLOR IQ, the most advanced foundation matching tool available in North American beauty retail.   Powered by Pantone and based off the color matching technology developed by X-Rite, the SEPHORA + PANTONE COLOR IQ system is the first and only beauty device to scan the surface of the skin and assign an official Pantone skintone number, to find your scientifically precise foundation shade amongst our 1,000 foundations, brands and formulas.

“SEPHORA + PANTONE COLOR IQ POWERED BY PANTONE is an incredible tool that delivers a real benefit to our clients,” says Margarita Arriagada, SVP of Merchandising at Sephora. “We see this as the first application of this patented Sephora exclusive technology, and are excited to expand its capabilities for other uses in the color world.”

The SEPHORA+ PANTONE COLOR IQ is a hand held tool based off the Pantone X-Rite Spectrocolorimeter used in the design world.  As the first of its kind in cosmetics retail, the device works by taking an image of your skin, analyzing and assigning you an official Pantone skintone number.  With that number, Sephora beauty experts referenceSEPHORA’s Universal SkintoneGuide(via iPad) which holds over 1,000 foundation skus to determine what products are a precise match for your skintone. 

“SEPHORA + PANTONE COLOR IQ eliminates many of the variables that can affect shade selection, including pigment challenges, skin texture and undertones which can often distort the clients match,” added SEPHORA PRO Gilbert Soliz. “As an artist, I know the right foundation is essential to a great makeup look so this is an amazing resource to have for my consultations.  It allows me to pull the best matches across all our brand offerings for my clients personalized consultation.”

It's only available at the 5 Times Square location in NYC and the Powell Street location in San Francisco. Sephora has plans to roll out the system to other locations. Enough recap, onto my experience!

July MyGlam Bag

Theme: Beach Beauty

Nail Polish in Reverso from Circus by Andre's Choice (13.2ml/4.5 fl.oz.) Full Size

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion for Normal to Oily Skin Types (30 ml/1.0 fl.oz.)

Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain in Tango (2.5 g/0.09 oz.)

NuMe HydroPunch Hydrating Conditioner (20 ml/0.67 oz.)

Yes to Cucumbers On-the-Go Facial Towelettes (Pack of 10)

+ Discount codes for Numestyle.com

Instead of the lip stain, some people may get Buxom's Big and Healthy Lip polish. And instead of the Kiehl's moisturizer, some may get Juice Beauty's Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer. 

Judging from the card that came with the bag, the bag will include 1 of 3 possible nail polish colors (Spectacle, Somersault, or Reverso). The card and the official website for the polishes have slightly different looking pictures of Spectacle. On the card, it seems like a bright, neon fushcia. On the website, it looks like an orange. Somersault is a neon yellow. Reverso, whcih came in my bag, is a clean pure white. I tested it out a little and it's pigmented. However, it suffers from a common problem of white nail polishes, it applies a little chalky. I'm not crazy about white nails (I just think it looks like white-out) but this will be great as a base for neon polishes to give them that extra punch. Perfect for summer!

The moment I swatched the lip stain I loved it. It's very pigmented and applies smoothly without bleeding out into fine lines. Tango is a really pretty watermelon pink. Great color for summer!

Overall, I loved this month's bag and I liked last month's as well. Hope MyGlam can keep this up!

What was in your fun-mail this month?

Also, here's a shot of the nails I'm wearing right now. I'm a messy DIY manicurist. Orly's Pixie Dust layered with Revlon's Whimsical.

Mint & Gold Nails

I am loving my mint and gold manicure right now. I don't know why but this color combo just shouts, "Summer!" to me. I have on Revlon's Minted and Milani's Ms. Milani. Really love the colors but the application leaves a lot to be desired. The gold is metallic and shows brush strokes. The mint green applies really streaky and has a big leveling problem. I need three coats to get an even coverage and definitely need a couple of coats of top coat to make it smooth.

What nails are you rocking at the moment?

Target Summer Beauty Bag + June MyGlam Bag

Opened my mailbox today expecting only the June MyGlam bag but found an extra surprise. Here's what I got in both packages.

Target Summer Beauty Bag

The Target Summer Beauty Bag came in a really pretty, plush fabric makeup bag. Inside the contents were:

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock in SPF 70 (1.0 fl. oz./29 ml)

Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo & Conditioner (1.0 fl. oz./29 ml each)

Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub (1.0 fl. oz./28 g)

Sample of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo & Conditioner (0.34 fl. oz./10 ml each)

Coupon book for beauty brands/products

I'm really pleasantly surprised at what was included. After all, the bag was free. I love the Neutrogena sunblock and the bag itself is AWESOME. 

June MyGlam Bag

Last month's bag was a bit of a dud for me. I think this month's bag was a lot better. Also, they switched it up with the bag. Yes, it's still cheap but look at this glittery gold bag! If that isn't fun and fabulous, I don't know what is.

Philosophy Take a Deep Breath Energizing Oxygen Gel Cream Moisturizer (12 ml/0.4 fl. oz.)

NYX Round Lipstick in Saturn

Living Proof frizz Nourishing Styling Cream (60 ml/2 fl. oz.)

Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen in 30 (12 ml)

Free shipping code for philosophy.com

Living Proof kit special offer 

I wasn't all too excited about the lipstick shade because it looked way too brown/red. But when I swatched it, it reminded me of a deeper/redder version of Nars Orgasm or Milani Luminous or the hundred other variations of the popular peachy-pink with gold shimmer color.

The Marbella eyeliner looked promising. However, if you can make it out in the photo above, it bled into the fine lines on my hand. Also, the eyeliner says, "Don't use with lenses." The pigmentation is decent. It took 3 swipes to get that color in the swatch. It's very liquidy, which might explain the bleeding, and decently smudge-proof.

If you're a Myglam subscriber and/or you signed up for the Target Beauty Bag, I hope you enjoyed your spoils!

GOSH Cosmetics Spotted in NYC Duane Reade

I was browsing my local Duane Reade on Nostrand Ave. and Ave. U in Brooklyn when I stumbled upon this magnificent display. GOSH is a UK Danish cosmetics company that has become quite a phenomenon in the online beauty community. Duane Reade is exclusively a NYC drugstore and many of their larger, Manhattan stores have huge beauty sections. They have some harder to find brands such as Becca and Pop Beauty as well.

The display was well stocked and had testers! How amazing is that to have testers in the drugstore. I didn't pick anything up though. Prices averaged between $10 and $20. It is definitely on the pricier end of the drugstore cosmetics. I swatched the famous GOSH Darling lipstick (creamy with a sheen and a pale milky, biege color with lots of pink) and it was priced at $14. The eyeshadow palettes in the middle of the right side were around $13 if I recall correctly.

I can't vouch for stock in other Duane Reades but if my small neighborhood Duane Reade has it, chances are it's in a bigger and more centrally located one. Happy hunting!

Sephora Haul

I recently went on a Sephora haul with birthday money and a $100 gift certificate from my

boyfriend. Ah, the giddy happiness you get from tearing into the packaging and swatching new products. Here's a quick look on my haul and my first impressions.

  Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic

Stila Love at First Blush Set

NARS Sin/Casino Duo

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed

Tarte EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener

The Benefit kit contains a instructional booklet and travel sizes of Erase Paste, That Gal brightening face primer, Boi-ing concealer in Light/Medium shades, Lemon Aid, Eye Bright as well as concealer brushes. I am super excited to try out all these products.

The Love at First Blush set come with a blush with shimmery lilac, matte pink, and shimmery dark pink along with two lip glazes (Bubble Gum and Pinkle Twinkle). It was hard getting decent swatches (the swatches are on the right of my hand, the bottom color is at the top). The colors are pretty and the design is adorable. I have a feeling the blush with show up better on my cheeks. The glosses are pigmented and a little sticky. Bubble Gum is on the top left and Pinkle Twinkle is the bottom left. Pinkle Twinkle comes off a little more berry than it is in the tube and Bubble Gum is a creamy lilac. 

Lip Glaze Swatches (Left Top to Bottom): Bubble Gum, Pinkle Twinkle
Swatches of blush  (Right, Bottom Dark Pink at Top)

I suppose the lighting in my living room isn't bright enough because I had swatched the blush in Sephora and found the pigmentation decent under the bright fluorescent lights of the store. It's a nude with quite a bit of pink in it. The inner rim brightener looks a little chalky but it's creamy, pale nude that can be softened by blending. 

I've been lusting after a NARS duo for awhile and I'm so happy with the one I got. I didn't want to get the popular Orgasm/Laguna duo because I use Milani's Luminous blush and I just didn't want to spend all that money on something so similar to what I already had. The blush is a berry and Casino is suppose to be a dark brown. I would guess I'm around an NW25-30 right now so I'll see if the color works for me. 

 

Lastly, these are the samples I got with my order. I probably wouldn't have to purchase any high-end skincare after all the samples I gathered =)

Quick Tip: Instantly Exfoliated Lips

For the past week, my lips have been oddly chapped despite daily usage of lip balms. No matter how much of it I slapped on, my lips were constantly chapped and peeling.

Here's a quick tip to instantly slough off that dead skin with little effort/waiting on your part. Liberally apply some lip balm. Use your finger to really massage it in and then apply another layer. You want to feel your lips plump up/soften as well as have an extra layer on. Hop into a hot shower and go through the normal routine. At the end, take a cotton round, q-tip, or washcloth to slowly exfoliate your lips. After your shower, remember to some lip balm on to really seal in the softness and moisture!

What I'm Loving Right Now

Here's what I've been loving for the past couple of months.

Tarte Smooth Operator in Agent 06 + Neutrogena Healthy Skin in Fresh Beige 70

You know what is just as awesome as buying a shiny new makeup purchase? Going through your stash and rediscovering something you've forgotten about. I seemed to have a knack for color-matching for foundation at the extremes of my color spectrum. The Tarte is 1-2 shades to light and the Healthy Skin is 1-2 shades too dark. Obviously, mixing the two gives me a near perfect match. The thing I love though is the finish. Each on their own have a lovely finish. The Tarte has a natural/satin finish. The Healthy Skin has a very luminous, dewy finish. The two mixed together has a very skin-like finish. I have no idea how that happened but I'm definitely loving it.

I highly recommend each on their own because I find that they both improved the appearance of my bare skin a little.

Wet n' Wild Silent Treatment Trio

Loving this trio! It's neutral eyes with a bit of smokiness in it. The lid color is something I'll call a lilac/taupe that is very pretty and a little frosty. The highlight color is pinkish-peach and actually shows up as opposed to most drugstore highlights. The crease color is a cocoa brown with goldish glitter that doesn't show up on the eye. The crease color isn't as pigmented as it looks but it works for me since I can make a soft outer corner.

Wet n' Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Anyone who claims you can't get good makeup in the drugstore needs to try out this eyeliner. The brush tip is very thin and precise, so it does make it a butt to fill in thicker lines. Still, I love it and will keep repurchasing this. The color is dark and pigmented. The huge plus? This thing last and is water-resistant without it being marketed as such. I have rubbed my eyes in the shower and it only started to run.

Nuance Wild Lime Exfoliating Gel

Before I commandeered my boyfriend's unused Clarisonic Mia, I used this to exfoliate my face and loved it. It left my skin just as soft and supple as the Mia. My moisturizer seemed to absorb better and my skin had a nice glow to it. While it doesn't feel as abrasive as the Mia, it tingles quite a lot so this might not be for sensitive skin.

Rite Aid Renewal Brushes!

I stumbled across these first in Sept. when I was in Boston and was extremely surprised by them. At that point, drugstore makeup brushes were mainly CVS' Essence of Beauty brushes or Ecotools. These Rite Aid ones looked considerably fancier with its duo-fibers. I snatched three up a little bit later. I got the Powder Brush, Angled Blush Brush, and the Duo-Fiber Blending brush.

They each came in a box which had an informative blurb on the back. There was a face diagram that showed where/how to use these brushes. I think these would be an excellent introduction for people just getting into makeup.

The brushes themselves were initially disappointing. I found the actual brush head quite small, even when compared the CVS travel brushes. However, the brushes overall had a good sturdy weight to them. They also looked much better than the CVS ones. The brushes were full and soft. The bristles were synthetic so they can be used with powder, liquid, and cream products. The handle is matte black and rubberized, which provides a good grip.

After using them a few times, I've come to really like them. The powder brush is full and does a great job of dusting a fine layer of setting powder. While the angled brush is small (just a little wider than two fingers), it fits perfectly into the hollows of my cheeks. It blends well and is very precise, which is great for contouring.

I haven't gotten much use out of the the stippling brush. I did use it to stipple on foundation once and it did a pretty good job. It also didn't take that long considering its size compared to the Sephora stippling brush. I guess it would be very comparable to MAC 188's size.

Overall, these are excellent brushes and worth the price ($8 each, I believe). Quality wise, these are leagues better than the CVS ones and are comparable to Ecotools. They are more affordable than say MAC, Sephora, or Sigma and you aren't losing much in terms of quality or performance. Rite Aid also has a travel kit and eye brushes. I probably will be picking those up some time in the future.

Free Goodies from Sephora

I used my $15 gift card from Sephora to get the Givenchy Ange ou Demon perfume. Sephora has a promo to get a free makeup bag filled with 12 beauty samples. You can read more about the promo here. I basically got the samples listed on the promo page. The makeup bag contains a mix of makeup, skincare, and fragrance samples.

0.05 fl. oz Michael Kors Gold Eau de Parfum

0.05 fl. oz. pureDKNY Verbena Scent

0.041 fl. oz. Clean Ultimate Scent

0.04 fl. oz. Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum

1 ml Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

2 ml DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge Rescue & Protect Eye Balm

Ole Henriksen Three Little Wonders (3 - 0.05 fl. oz. samples)

8 ml The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

3 ml Kate Somerville ExfoliKate

1 fl. oz. Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel

0.03 fl. oz. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer

0.05 g Benefit Hoola

I chose the Hello Kitty makeup bag. It' really cute with a little pink charm on the zipper.

I'm really happy with the samples, even though there aren't that many makeup samples. I'm super excited to try all the skincare samples. They seem really generous and probably will last awhile.

It's still going on. You can use the promo code (FROMSEPHORA) on orders over $25. After you enter the promo code, you can choose which bag you want after you proceed to the next step. You'll also get to review the entire order before you confirm your purchase. When I used it this weekend, the Kat Von D bag wasn't available anymore. Unfortunately, I think they ran out of supplies so the promo is no longer available.

HG Product!

Nuance Salma Hayek Cucumber & Rosewater Dual Phase Makeup Remover

4.3 oz/$7.99 @ CVS

I've tried a few drugstore and high end makeup removers. My favorite by far was Clinique's Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (4.2 oz/$18) but it was so expensive for a product I burn through so quickly.

When Nuance debuted in CVS, I picked up this makeup remover and the exfoliating gel (only used it once so far). I was BLEW away. Several drops on one cotton round was able to melt away my waterproof mascara and eyeliner. I used a second round just to be sure and the swipe came off relatively clean. It performed exactly like Clinique's and Lancome's (which I also tried). Amazing.

And the best thing is that it's about 1/2 the price of Clinique's and 1/3 the price of Lancome's for the same amount of product.

It has a subtle rose and baby powder scent. Since it's dual phase, it does leave a greasy feeling but it wipes away easily. I will definitely repurchase and see no reason to go for the high end makeup remover anymore.

LUSH Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask

From LUSH: A superhero face mask to combat spots, cleanse dirt, calm and soothe all troubled skins. Antiseptic fresh garlic and tea tree essential oil, reinforced with deeply cleansing kaolin and fresh grapes, are aided by softening honey and free range eggs. Apply to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave for five to ten minutes, then rinse away. Keep chilled. If you live outside of the UK, you might prefer to pop to your local Lush shop to pick up your fresh mask to make sure it lasts as long as possible.

Ingredients: Kaolin, Fresh Green Grapes (Vitis vinifera), Fresh Free Range Eggs, Honey, Cornstarch (Zea mays), Glycerine, Fresh Garlic (Allium sativum), Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), *Limonene, Perfume

After trying a new foundation, a few angry red spots broke out on my face. I stopped by LUSH to try a more natural cleanser since I was getting major dry patches and irritation from the benzyl peroxide face wash I had. The customer service at the LUSH store nearby is amazing. They always are so informed and knowledgeable about the products. More importantly, they don't mind demonstrating the products (the sales girl I saw that day cleansed my face with Herbalism and then applied some color supplement) or giving you a hefty size for samples. After collecting some samples, I decided to grab the Cosmetic Warrior face mask to calm my skin. It was like 6-7 dollars I think.

I've done the mask like four times and I really like it. A lot of people complain about the smell, though while unpleasant isn't unbearable. There's a very medicinal smell mixed with the pungentness of garlic. The smell is well worth the results. I have dry, flaky patches on my cheeks and an oily t-zone that gets much worse when I wear makeup or in hot weather. After using the mask for about a week and a half, I noticed that my cheeks are much less dry and my t-zone doesn't get as oily. Plus, the breakouts from before are gone. I produce a lot of sebum at the sides of my nose and that has been reduced too. It has delivered great results in such a short period of time!

While it's great that the mask is made from all natural ingredients, it also has a very short shelf life. It lasts only about 2-3 weeks, depending on the batch, and there's enough for 3-5 masks (depending on how much you use). I have a lot left even though I try to be liberal with my application. So you're going to be doing a lot of pampering in a short period of time. I wish it could last a little longer. For the price, I can't complain though it would be a little expensive to use this routinely.

I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants something to calm and balance their skin. In the US, it's only available in-store but I know that UK customers can order it online.

Name Change and More Time

Hi All,

This blog is spotty and bare but I have hope that I will post more now that I feel like I have more time!

Also, I changed the name of the blog mainly because I felt it didn't really fit me in any way (I don't care for rouge lips). Clever Jade is just a literal translation of my Chinese name and is a little more personal.

What I'm Loving Right Now

It's been awhile but there's been some products that I've been really loving and really impressed with.

TRESemme Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner

I'm using Garnier's Sleek and Shine shampoo but ran out of the conditioner awhile ago. I wanted to try a more natural conditioner and picked up this bottle. I love it! I can't say much for volume but it makes my hair so slick and weightless. My hair gets really shiny/glossy too. My hair was feeling really frizzy and fine from using Garnier but using the TRESemme conditioner definitely added some body back to my hair. I love how smooth my hair has been feeling. I've gotten so many compliments on my hair. It smells good too. A light fruity floral.

N.Y.C In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in Park Avenue

It's a lilac-y nail polish with a little gray/taupe in it. It's a sophisticated color that also is still interesting. I don't think it'll look inappropriate for work because it's subdued enough the office. It's really sheer so it takes about 3-4 coats before it's opaque enough for my liking.

AcneFree Clear Skin Treatment

I've only been using it for about 3 days so there's still a long way to go before I can make a full review on the system. But, in the 3 days I've used it, a lot of my tiny, under the skin bumps have disappeared and the large, dark blemishes have shrunk. I'm so excited to continue using this system until my skin is completely clear. I've been struggling with breakouts for awhile now. It does make my skin super sensitive to the sun so I have to remember to use sunscreen.

Finally! Orly Cosmic Swatches.

Something I had my eye on was Orly's Cosmic FX Fall 2010 collection. The promo pictures looked insane. The polishes looked like brillant, holographic, duochrome gems. I tend to like my polishes to have a lot of depth and flash (hence why my all time favorite polishes are Essie's Steel-ing the Scene and Duri's Divas Only). Alllacquered posted her swatches!

I knew I wouldn't be coveting a lot of the colors but I was definitely interested. Seeing the photos, I'm a little disappointed because there's only one color I'm getting. Space Cadet definitely caught my eye but the others don't look as multi-dimensional as they do in the promo pictures. Also, the brighter ones are just a little too much for me.

Nails are the only place I do crazy colors with. The rest of my life is pretty monochromatic and boring.

$1 Body Shop Eyeshadows!

So The Body Shop been having a sale and some of their makeup items were on clearance. I was browsing with some friends and saw some eyeshadows on sale. I checked their price tag and both were $1 each (normal price is $12)! I was a little surprised because both were wearable colors and on the warm, neutral side. I snatched both up. They had ever-so-descriptive labels of 02 and 09. Some research told me that 02 is probably Golden Khaki and 09 is Fawn Parfait (but don't quote me on the names). On the official website, 02 and 09 have been removed from the list.

02 (Left) and 09 (Right)

02 is a olive/mossy green with gold shimmer and 09 is a light brown with some pink in it. Both have a bit of a sheen and okay pigmentation. It's a little chalky, though only when you really layer the shadow on. The shadows are really soft and blendable. Great shadows made even better by the price!

I'm pretty tan right now so the skin swatches don't show much. 02 reminds me a little of Urban Decay's Stash 24/7 eyeliner. 09 is a bit nude on my lids but the pink does show up well. I think it would look nice with a dark brown in the crease.

I've only used 02 for an eye look. I blended a little of Wet N' Wild's Idol Eyes Creme Eyeshadow in Graphite (black with a bit of silver shimmer) into the outer corners and into the crease. I blended 02 over top to get a simple smokey look.

Depotting the shadows was super easy (thought a bit foolish on my part since I don't have a palette. Now they're just rattling around in their pans). Just remove the labels (there's quite a bit) in the back until you get to the plastic. There's a hole on the bottom. Just poke through it to push the shadow pan out of the plastic. You'll need a little force since the glue is pretty sticky.

I believe The Body Shop is still having a big sale in their stores and some of the makeup is on clearance. See if there are any more $1 eyeshadows up for grabs.

Don't Believe the Hype!

This tag went around and is still pretty popular on YouTube. I really like the idea so I thought I would do my own (written) version of it.

1) Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero

I have a travel size of it and was so very excited to try it. In the makeup world, so many people have mentioned this is a great, stay-put, creamy, and ultra black liner. My friend actually had the full size version and warned me that it runs. I was convinced it was awesome and bought the Velvet Rope set.

It definitely runs. And it doesn't run in a way that people can tell your black liner is running. On me, it fades as it runs so it turns grey on my undereyes, making it look like I have dark bags. On my lash line, it never really sets so after awhile, I get a grey line on my crease from the eyeliner transferring.

I love the other 24/7 liners I have: Stash, Bourbon, and Yeyo. All stay put, even on my waterline and even after a nap of tossing and turning, and have great color payoff. Zero, the most basic liner, is just a dud.

2) Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy eyeshadow

It's lauded as the cult classic/best seller and it's "snuck" into almost every palette UD comes out with. It's a pretty pink champagne, nudish color with silver glitter.

It's chunky, craft glitter. You can count individual flecks of glitter and the fallout is so bad. The fallout is especially irritating since I wear contacts. It's such a pretty color but it's basically like makeup little girls play with since the glitter is gigantic.

I still use it but I swirl it on my brush and then tap/shake the brush to get the heavy glitter to fall out (which is a bit wasteful).

3) Benefit Benetint

It's so watery and dries so quickly, that even though it's a nice rosy color, you end up with blotchy patches and it's a mother to try to blend it out. It was THE cheek/lip stain but it's so difficult to work with. On the cheeks, it accentuates fine lines and pores. Not pretty.

4) MAC's Lollipop Loving lipstick

Don't get me wrong, I love love love this lipstick. Who would've thought green shimmer was so pretty on the lips? But, in terms of wearability, I'm a little disappointed. The green shimmer is very fine on the lips and since it's a glaze, it's not the most stay put formula. What happens if I eat, drink, touch my lips? Green shimmer every where! When I first had the lipstick, I didn't realize how easy it was to transfer the shimmer so I gave my boyfriend a few pecks on the cheeks and lips. Lucky for him that day I went a little light on the application but in the sun, I saw green shimmer like everywhere.

Funny enough, once the green shimmer separates from the color, it is ridic hard to get rid of.

5) Clinique Dramtically Different Moisturizing Lotion

I got it in a sample size and did not like it. It's fragrance free but I hated the plasticky smell. It wasn't particularly moisturizing or anything special. It left a weird feeling/film to my skin. It just wasn't for me.

Caffeine and Oil Control?

I'm a big fan of coffee, especially Starbucks (probably because of accessibility). If you were walking from one end of my campus to another, you'll find 5 Starbucks (four of them accept points from my university). All in all, you won't have a hard time finding a cup of coffee.

Besides from coffee, Starbucks also has something else great to offer. It's more beauty related and a lot more useful than an overload of caffeine. It's the napkins! I found out about the trick from Makeupalley.com and it really works. It has to be the special, brown, recycled napkins with Starbucks on it. Some of the campus branches don't have the "official" Starbucks napkins so their oil absorbing capabilities aren't all that great. I just blotted my face and the Starbucks napkins work/look like an actual oil blotting sheet. Best thing? They're absolutely free.

I get pretty oily during the day, especially if I have makeup on. Instead of shelling out money for a dinky little packet of Clean & Clear sheets, I just grab a wad of napkins whenever I'm at Starbucks and cut them to size to keep in my bag.

Fun little beauty tips like that make my day. Hope it makes you a little happy too! =)

Quick Browse Through My Mascara History

Despite my blog title, the one beauty item I truly ever need is mascara. Being Asian, my lashes, though long and good in number, are barely visible. Mascara is something that brightens up my face and open up my eyes. I've tried quite a few so I'll give a quick review of each.

Current and HG Mascara: Max Factor Lash Perfection Volume Couture Waterpoof

Official Description: Selected as the Official Mascara of Milan Fashion Week, this superb formula delivers high definition and volume without clumping. Our innovative iFX brush coats every lash, giving you beautiful results.

My Take:

• Pros:

1. Buildable without clumps
2. Formulation is gel-like and wet
3. Does deliver volume/length
4. Holds a curl super well

• Cons:

1. Separation isn't as much as I want. To get a feathery effect, a lot of wiggling and a lash comb is needed
2. Waterpoof means waterproof. It quite difficult to remove but I guess this is a pro and a con
3. One of the more expensive drugstore mascaras (all Max Factor mascaras run $8-$11)
4. It's getting discontinued!

This is the only mascara I've ever repurchased and would gladly continue to do so. What I really love is that it can be build up to be rather natural to dramatic dark, volumious (which is my everyday preference).

Another Max Factor Gem: 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper Waterproof

Official Description: Introducing our new pro tool for the most voluptuous lashes ever. It’s not a mascara, it’s a lash plumper! Our patented fat-wrap formula and extreme brush uniquely wrap and plump every single lash, from root to tip.

My Take:

• Pros:

1. Great volume, separation, curl, and length
2. Same great forumlation as Volume Couture

• Cons:

1. The priciest drugstore mascara I've purchased. It runs $11.
2. It flaked a little.

I think this mascara is interchangable with Volume Couture with me. So I guess both are HG-status. I might even say the Lash Plumper performs slightly better. The brush has finer and more bristles than Volume Couture so I get better results. However, with the higher price tag, an almost identical product to Cover Girl's Lash blast, and the clumsier wand, I would opt for Volume Couture instead. 

My Fallback when Max Factor Goes Bye-Bye: Cover Girl's Lash Blast Waterproof

Official Description: Get a blast of bold, volumized lashes - rain or shine! LashBlast's patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max-out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big lash look. In original, non-waterproof, too!

My Take:

I won't get too in depth because I think Lash Blast performs exactly the same as 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper. However, I think the mouth of the tube is not small enough to effectively swipe excess off the comb because I remember that the first few weeks I used it, I hated it. It clumped and didn't separate as well as I wanted it to. But, I resolved to finish the tube and after a few more tries, I got it to work for me. A great mascara though, like many have said, quite difficult to remove. *I also tried the Lash Blast Luxe with the plantinum reflects. You can't really see them. I'm quite gullible to such pretty sounding gimmicks.

Fool-Me-Once, Shame on You Maybelline: (Not So) Great Lash Mascara

Official Description: The mascara that conditions as it thickens. 
Lash-doubling formula glides on smooth to build great-looking lashes 
Lash building brush makes it easy to get a full lash look without clumps or globs

My Take:

I got this because of the numerous adverts proclaiming it as "America's #1 Mascara." It was one of my earliest ventures into cosmetics. This was the first mascara I ever had so details are a little fuzzy. All I remember is that it sucked. The mascaras mentioned above all have a wet formulation so the lashes are nice and soft. However, with Great Lash, the formulation was dry leading to hard, crinkly lashes. I cringe thinking back on how I use to walk around with spider lashes. I have to admit though it did give some volume and separation wasn't horrible. Reviews are mixed so some people have made this work for them but this was by far the worst mascara I've ever used.

Worth A Second Look: Maybelline Lash Discovery

Official Description: Exclusive lash-catching mini-brush allows you to get hard-to-reach lashes - from corner to corner, root to tip and the bottom, too. Lengthens and defines lashes. 
No clumps or globs.

My Take:

• Pros:

1. Tiny brush can get into corners of the eyes
2. Clean application to lower lash line
3. Very natural look with nice separation and decent length

• Cons

1. Little volume
2. Did not hold a curl well
3. Was a little dry

I don't really have complaints about this mascara. It just simply wasn't for me. I want volume when it comes to mascara and this was more for a clean, natural look. It reall got every little lash but since my lower lashes hardly exist, I couldn't really benefit from it. Still, I would recommend this despite it's lack fo results for me because I can see it working quite nicely for someone with fuller lower lash line or someone who doesn't want a dramatic everyday lash.

Fool-Me-Twice Shame on Me: Maybelline Define-a-Lash

Official Description: This zero clump mascara creates voluptuous volume with clean definition. Patented shaped-to-the-lash brush.

My Take:

• Pros

1. Decent volume
2. Nice packaging

• Cons

1. Uneven application
2. Barely any length
3. Clumping and poor separation

I think I'm done with Maybelline mascaras. I haven't been wowed at all. On the contrary, I've mostly negative results. I tried this because Define-A-Lash was taking the makeup world by storm. Their adverts were increasing and a friend who had the regular Define-a-Lash had good results. Since I am a volume-lash junkie, I picked up the Volume version. The formula like most Maybelline mascaras is slightly on the dry side but this was definitely a more managable texture. However, it clumped like crazy and my lashes kept sticking together (mostly because the brush applied unevenly). Length wasn't there so I thought my lashes looked rather stubby.

The Most Confusing Mascara: Clinique High Definition Lashes Brush Then Comb Mascara

Official Description: Allure Editor's Choice Award, 2006. Now brush, comb. Create. Brush-side coats with dramatic, long-wearing colour. Comb-side separates to perfection. Transforms each and every lash with extreme length and definition.

My Take:

I'll be very brief on this because I didn't get to use it enough to go very in-depth. I got a sample of this and used it a few times before it got lost in my makeup bag. It is a very unique brush head. The brush side works well and I liked the separation and length I got. It gave a bit of volume. The formula is decent. However, once I turned the wand and "combed" my lashes, the separation disappeared and I got a lot of clumps. Taking a look at it, the comb side is coated with product but it's just globs of mascara sitting in the crevices. After a few tries of wavering between like/disliking of the product, I resolved to use my Lash Blast instead. I'm not against trying it again but I think it'll take some getting use to a new way of application.

This post is dedicated to my friend Jenn who checks my blog and gets put off by the lack of posts. Apparently, I am a blog tease. Hope this was helpful!