Monday, December 31, 2012

Reviews and Swatches  for Drugstore Lipsticks
I have a decent size collection of drugstore lipsticks, I didn't review/swatch all of them because of laziness issues hehe.
I'm gonna apologize in advance for my messy hair haha. It was a challenge taking photos of myself using my Nikon, I need to get a camera with a front camera feature!
I look super angry in all the photos -___- just trying to keep a straight face haha.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in 900 Red Alert 
Overall: mediocre
I'm not a big fan of this line of lipsticks, true that pigmentation is good but it tends to emphasize dry skin on my lips and has poor staying power, not to mention an awkward scent.
Color: This lipstick is a coral red, it's pretty pigmented.
Staying Power: 2.5/5
Finish: It has a cremesheen or satin finish.

     
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle
Overall: pretty good
All of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter's are very moisturizing and feel nice on the lips, but most of them are not very pigmented.  Gotta say they live up to hype, I love them!
Color: This lipstick is a sheer brownish pink.
Staying power: 4/5
Finish: This finish is a shiny glaze.

 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick pearl 430 Softsilver Rose
Overall: dislike
The label of this lipstick said "pearl" but I failed to see it before I bought it.  I abhor pearl lipsticks for some reason...I just don't find them to be flattering.
Color: This lipstick is a bright pink and has a medium pigmentation
Staying Power: 3/5
Finish: It has a pearly finish, I'm not a big fan.




Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters 095 Creme Brulee
Overall: like
This lipstick is really great when you're wearing dramatic eye makeup.  It helps tone down lips and attract more attention to the eyes.  One of the biggest mistakes in makeup is wearing dramatic eye makeup with dramatic lip makeup.  It's better to put more emphasize on one or the other.
Color: This lipstick is a sheer beige and a perfect nude!
Staying Power: 4/5
Finish: The finish is a shiny glaze.



Maybelline Sensational Lipstick 235 Warm Me Up
Overall: really like
I love the smell and texture of all the Maybelline Sensational Lipsticks.  They're all extremely creamy and moisturizing.
Color:  This lipstick is a mauvy pink with some brown.  It has a medium color payoff, you can layer it to make the color stand out more; it looks more purple and light on the lips
Staying Power: 4/5
Finish: The finish is a shiny glaze.


                                      




Rimmel London moisture Renew Lipstick 740 Autumn Breeze
Overall: dislike
I'm not a big fan of lipsticks with shimmer and sparkles, which this lipstick unfortunately has.
Color: This lipstick is a darker pink brown.
Staying Power: 3/5
Finish: It has a Satin finish.



Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 050 Berry Smoothie
Overall: like
Color: This lipstick is a brighter berry pink sheer, when applied on the lips it looks lighter than the stick and appears to be more of a nudy pink.
Staying Power: 4/5
Finish: It has a shiny glaze finish.



Revlon Color Stay Ultimate Suede 035 Backstage
Overall: LOVE.
This is my favorite lipstick.  I suggest using a lip scrub and moisturizing lips before using it though.  I usually don't have a problem with dry lips so this lipstick works well on me, but for people who do have a problem with dryness, please consider that this lipstick turns from a buttery consistency to an almost matte finish.  I love the finish on it, it becomes almost a lip stain, which contributes to the amazing lasting power this lipstick has.
Color: This lipstick is a dark red wine color, it has a medium color pay off, and is semi-sheer. Dark red, wine, medium color pay off, semi-sheer.  I love that the color is more build-able on this lipstick.
Staying Power: 5/5
Finish: After applying the finish closely resembles the finish of the Revlon Lip Butters, but after it dries it leans on more of a matte satin finish that is slightly sticky, (not sticky enough to bother me! I still love it!)


Here are some more photos of the lipstick because I love it so much.



A photo of swatches of all the lipsticks.

Lipsticks in order from top to bottom.

1. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 095 Creme Brulee
2. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle
3. Maybelline Sensational Lipstick 235 Warm Me Up
4. Revlon Colorburst Lip Buter 050 Berry Smoothie
5. Rimmel London Moisture Renew 740 Auburn Breeze
6. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 430 Pearl Softsilver Rose
7. Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede 035 Backstage
8. Rimmel London Moisture Renew 900 Red Alert

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Best and Worst of Eye Makeup Removers
(plus a dupe for the best)
Photo taken from Sephora.com
Lancôme Bi-FACIL-Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover BEST
This is my favorite eye makeup remover, it's definitely worth the $27 it costs. The packaging of this makeup remover is superb, the hole at the top is small enough to perfectly regulate the amount of product that comes out, but big enough so that you can stick a Q-tip in it. After shaking the bottle, I take a tiny bit on a cotton pad, lightly sweep it across my eye, and all makeup is removed.  This makeup remover is gentle, and good for people with sensitive eyes or who wear contact lenses.  My eyes are super sensitive, and most eye makeup removers make my eyes burn, but this feels amazing.  It leaves no oily residue behind, and the gentlest sweeps remove all makeup.  No scrubbing required here!  I'll also mention it smells amazing.


I'll admit that $27 is a bit pricey for a makeup remover.  When I'm short on cash I buy the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover for around $5 from Target.  It's a good dupe for the Lancôme eye makeup remover as it possesses many of the same qualities.  It also does not irritate my eyes or leave behind an oily residue.  It's great at removing waterproof makeup without scrubbing too.


Photo taken from esteelauder.com

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover WORST
Gentle? This product is so "gentle" that it doesn't remove anything.  Honestly, to get anything off with this makeup remover you're going to have to scrub, might as well bring out the kitchen sponges.  This product doesn't remove, but rather smudges. It's not worth $18, in fact I wouldn't even take this if it were free.  And in addition I found that this irritated my eyes, not sure if that has to do with the scrubbing I had to do to get anything off.  I just find this product so hopeless, I felt like I was using water to remove makeup.  A friend gave this to me for free, but if I had bought this I would of returned it right away.  I'm a fan of Estee Lauder but this makeup remover simply sucks.




Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 Review
Photo taken from Sephora.com

Overall: 3.4/5
This primer was mediocre and not worth the $52 is cost for 1oz.  I was on the search for a good primer that wouldn't make me break out or irritate my sensitive skin. When I read that this was mineral-based, water-resistant, minimizes shine, and SPF 15 I developed some pretty high hopes.  I didn't mind the high price, in my mind if it works then it's worth it. However this poor performance primer was not worth the high price and I returned it.  It did nothing for helping my makeup last, barely minimized my pores, and hardly controlled my face oils.

Packaging:5/5
I'll admit the packaging is excellent.  The primer comes in a matte bottle with a very hygienic pump.  I love the design of the bottle,  I feel like it has a very professional, clean, fresh appearance. 

Color:4/5
It might be intimidating when the product comes out white, however if you warm it between your fingers before applying it'll become more translucent.  Unfortunately I feel that doing so wastes a lot of product on my fingers, and sometimes the primer still leaves a very slight white sheen on my face.  

Staying Power:2/5
A primer has one big job, to help foundation last.  However, I found my foundation did  not last any longer with this primer.  I could tell zero difference in staying power between my foundation with primer and without primer.  Although that was sorely disappointing  the primer did slightly make my large pores appear smaller.

Finish/Texture:3/5
This primer has a matte finish, however it doesn't last long.  I have very oily skin and was hoping this primer would help me control shine, but even with a setting powder I was oily within half an hour.  It did make my face smoother and softer though.

Do I Recommend This Product?
This primer might be more effective on people with dry/combination skin but I do not feel it works well for people with oily skin.

Can Be Purchased At:
Sephora ships fast, and they have an excellent return policy.

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder


Overall: 2.4/5
I had high hopes for this powder, extremely high hopes.  I thought this was the solution to all my problems, a goodbye to my oily skin problems.  Boy oh boy was I wrong. Besides poor lasting power, and making me look white as a ghost, this powder smells terrible to me.  When I'm applying it I have to hold my breath, if I don't , the powder enters my nose and throat.  It smells terrible, makes my throat itch, and tastes ghastly. (No I don't purposely taste it, but when I accidentally inhale it I taste something.)

Packaging: 2/5
Although the packaging looks decent from outside, once you open it, it becomes a hopeless mess.  The powder spills everywhere and it's almost impossible to get the perfect amount on a brush, even when using the lid.  Perhaps this is a problem with most loose powders, but I found that the packaging on this loose powder particularly emphasized the issue of poor moderation of product.

Color: 3/5
Even though this product claims to be "colorless" it leaves a slight white sheen.  I think this could be a problem for people with darker skin tones.  This powder made me look paler than the rest of my skin.  Prepare to have the same skin tone as a piece of paper in photos.  

Staying Power: 2/5
So many reviews on the Sephora website claimed that it kept their oil in check all day, but I was shiny within half an hour.  To put it frankly, the staying power sucks.

Finish/Texture: 3/5
This powder leaves the skin soft and matte, however it is short lived as oily skin takes over in a mere half hour.

Do I Recommend This Product?
I regret buying this product, and don't recommend it.  Even for people with dry/combination skin, I imagine the terrible smell and white sheen would be irritating.

Can Be Purchased At:
Sephora ships fast and has an excellent return policy.
Review of Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation
Picture taken from Sephora.com


Overall: 4.8/5
I purchased this foundation for $44 off Sephora's website.  Gotta say, this is my HG foundation.  I cannot live without it.  I have super sensitive skin that breaks out over the smallest things, but my skin has never looked better with this foundation.  I love that it's oil free so it doesn't cause breakouts, transfer free so it doesn't rub off on my clothes, and SPF 15 without making me look white in flash photography.  I find that this foundation better suits people with oily skin because it does wonders for shine control, however on someone with dry/combination skin I would suggest layering this over a light daytime moisturizer.

Packaging: 5/5
I love the packaging of this product.  It comes in a matte rectangular shaped bottle.  The product comes out through a pump, making it very hygienic.  The cap always stays on, and the pump dispenses the perfect amount to lightly cover the entire face.  The only downside is that the bottle is quite heavy, but I don't really care.

Color: 5/5
My skin is medium toned with yellow undertones, 330 Bisque N suits me perfectly.  This foundation comes in a huge range of colors, and it blends super well. I can honestly say I've never had a foundation blend in with my natural skin tone so well. The way that the names of the different shades work is that there's a name, followed by a letter.  If the letter is C, then the shade is meant for people with more pinkish undertones, if the letter is W, then the shade is for people with warmer more bronzy tones, and if the letter is W the shade is for people who are more neutral.

Staying Power: 4/5
Although this foundation claims to stay put for 24 hours, I find it fading very slightly at the end of the day if I don't use a primer.  However I have extremely oily skin, and compared to every foundation I have ever tried, this has had the best staying power.  At the end of the day, my blemishes and uneven skin tone are still concealed pretty well.

Coverage: 5/5
The coverage on this is absolutely superb.  I'd say this is a medium coverage foundation, however the coverage is certainly buildable.  I reach for my concealer a lot less when I'm wearing this foundation.  I'm impressed with how thorough the coverage is because it manages to still blend in and look natural.  It does a good job of covering acne scars, uneven skin tone, and even bags under the eyes.

Finish: 5/5
This foundation has a beautiful matte finish, making it very good for people with oily skin.  However, with matte foundations I've tried in the past, I always end up looking cakey, or shiny within a few hours.  The matte finish on this product is very natural, and it does wonders for oil control.  I'd also like to mention that it feels extremely light and comfortable on the face.

Do I Recommend This Product?
I highly recommend purchasing this foundation, it is completely worth every penny it cost.

Can Be Purchased At:
Sephora ships fast and has an excellent return policy.
http://www.sephora.com/teint-idole-ultra-24h-P308201?skuId=1399377

The foundation on me.
Taken in my bathroom, apologies for bad quality haha taken my iPhone 4S.



Saturday, December 29, 2012


Black&Creme



Taken in Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Dress: Brandy Melville


Nothing special about this dress, it's just a basic I keep in my closet to show off nicer cardigans and outerwear.  The quality is mediocre, it attracts lint pretty well.  

Cardigan: MinkPink
Bought this off Karmaloop.com but I can't find it anymore.  Karmaloop always has bomb deals though, I caught the 40% off entire purchase+free shipping sale and bought a ton of clothes.  I really advocate signing up for their emails because their sales are fab; with that being said, don't buy anything if you're not getting a deal on it.

This cardigan was $93 (without the discount) and I feel borderline ripped off.  I thought the quality would be really good because of the price, but even though it feels nice to the touch it sheds like no other.  I'll probably need to stop buy Costco and buy the family size pack of lint rollers.  At the same time this has become my favorite cardigan because it's super soft and looks really good...agh. So would I purchase this again? Gotta say yes.  The color is kind of a creme color, it's not quite white.

Thigh High Socks: American Apparel


I love these socks.  You don't have to wear them thigh high, they look good at any length above the knee. They're super warm.

Boots: Unknown
I bought these in a random store along Irvine Spectrum, honestly don't remember the name.  The quality isn't that great, within a day the laces were unravelling.  However I like the unique touch the plaid at the top gives.  


Nike Free Run +3

Taken in the gym.
The purple ones belong to me :)

I own the Nike Free Run +3 Shield in Anthracite/Anthracite-Reflective Silver-Pure Platinum.

http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-677989/pgid-677991

I also own the Nike Free Run +3 in Magenta/Sail/Reflect Silver

http://www.footlocker.com/product/model:175880/sku:10643500/

These are without a doubt the best running/exercise shoes I've ever bought. They're around $100 but long lasting and worth it.  

Everyone who owns these says that they're true to size, but for me they were extremely small.  I'm usually a size 7 in women shoes, but in the Nike Free Run 3+ I'm always a size 8, found this to be interesting.  So ya, I suggest you actually try them on in store. 




How I packed for Vegas ^__^

Taken in my room.

My favorite Chanel purse and Hello Kitty suitcase.

Can't find the exact same suitcase on Sanrio's site, but there are a lot that are very similar.  Don't remember the price for it, but the quality is so fantastic.  I feel so girly when I lug this around haha.

The Chanel bag was a frightening $3500, but it's gorgeous and definitely one of those bags that's gonna last me forever.  Being Chanel, you can expect that I'm pretty impressed with the quality.

Black&Burgundy



Taken in Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Top: American Apparel


This is a little more on the scandalous side but I wear a bandeau under. It's simple but interesting at the same time...can't live without this. 

Bandeau:Forever 21

Skirt: American Apparel


I love the color of this skirt, and that it makes my waist look smaller.

Thigh High Knee Socks: American Apparel


Boots: Unknown

I'd say everything is true to size.  I honestly love the quality of American Apparel clothing, it's a bit on the pricey side but I think it's worth it.  The thigh high socks keep you warmer than you think.