MAC Blush in Stunner (MAC Me Over Collection)

Usually I tend to go for brighter blushes, but something about MAC Stunner blush drew me in, I guess in part because of the fact that I usually get bright blushes...sometimes I just want to brighten up my face a bit without it being too obvious!

This color is actually nicely pigmented, but is a light color...don't be deceived by how it swatches (on my arm it looks much darker and more orange than it really is). It's a really awesome blush that is great for when you want a very natural look or if you want to go with a really bold eye or lip look. It's shimmery but not overly so, just enough to refract light in a flattering way and also give a little highlighting.

I am not sure how nice this would look on somebody significantly darker than I am since it's a light color, it might look a bit chalky. But I highly recommend this blush to my fellow pasty ghostly gals! I think every one of you need to get this blush before it's gone since it's LE.

Maybelline Haul (Walgreens 40% Off Sale)

Last week Walgreen's had a very generous sale on Maybelline products. Usually I opt out of BOGO 1/2 off because I feel it's not that great of a deal (BOGO Free is good, if I want even numbers of items), but when there is just x% off I tend to jump at the chance to partake in a good deal...it's got to be at least 40% though because less than that and it's gotta be something I really really wanted and not something I am trying out. Also I know how I am and I know I'll reach for my high end or mid range makeup items much more often than my drugstore items, so I don't want to pay too much for drugstore items.

In the case of these products they were things I heard were nice and just wanted to try out! I am very glad I did too, they are all very nice products for drugstore brands! I had heard the Maybelline EyeStudio collections were very similar to Japanese eyeshadows, especially the Color Explosion line (which happens to be my favorite). Now, I haven't gotten any Japanese eyeshadows myself because I am not really big on eyeshadow and so I couldn't justify the price...however at the price of these Maybelline shadows I didn't mind at all! I am glad I can experience the Japanese formula, even though it's not truly from Japan. 

My favorite products out of the bunch are the EyeStudio Color Explosion eyeshadow quints (more like quads when you take into consideration the pan at the top that is pure glitter), silky smooth, pigmented and long lasting (over primer, I never wear eyeshadow without it). It's a little hard to get your method of application into the "liner" pan (the darkest colors that is the thin V under the glitter), but it's not too bad. Other than that really no complaints...my favorite out of the 2 I got is Caffeine Rush because it's the most useful for me as I gravitate more towards neutrals on a daily basis, and generally when I wear brighter colors it's just on the outside corners of my eyes with a neutral on the whole lid. 

All the Color Explosion palettes are very shimmery, but not really over the top unless you use the glitter as a wash. They had very minimal fall out, which was impressive. There are only 5 sets out right now and I really hope they make more, in more muted colors, so I can get some more...even the pink which doesn't seem as bright as the others is too bright for me to use on it's own. 

My second favorite item is the blush I picked up from the new Fall 2011 collection, Ravishing Rouge, which is a gorgeous brick red with minimal shimmer. It's supposed to be a dupe of the red Chanel, which is pretty but I knew I wouldn't use this color much so at that price that would have been insane. At $4ish after the 40% discount it was the right price to have just to have, or if I feel like experimenting. It's VERY VERY pigmented, so it's pretty hard to apply, you really have to use the tiniest amount and even then you will probably have to cover a bit with a translucent powder to tame it.

Lastly I'd heard that the EyeStudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadows were also nice and similar to Japanese eyeshadows, I don't know if the one I got (Strut it Suede) is just subpar or what but I just didn't like it as much as the Color Explosion series. Also the glittery shades were just a bit too glittery for me...it was still leagues above most drugstore eyeshadows though, in my opinion. Very silky and soft, just like the name illustrates :). 

I guess out of all of these though my only MUST HAVE item is the Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush quint. The other items are all nice too though, and I can absolutely recommend them if they tickle your fancy!

Maybelline EyeStudio Color Explosion in Pink Punch (in dusky sunlight & direct LED light)

Maybelline EyeStudio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Strut it Suede (in direct LED light)

Maybelline EyeStudio Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush (in direct and indirect LED light)

Maybelline Blush in Ravishing Rouge (in 'normal' bulb light)

Etude House Follow Me Lip Tint in Passion Pink

I've been trying to get into Asian makeup lately just because it's so cute and fun and the quality is usually very nice! Mostly I've been getting blush and lipstick since I am not that into eyeshadow (yeah, yeah) and I feel like my collection is pretty much complete in that dept.

I wanted to get into Japanese makeup at first, however it can be rather expensive and for my budget it's sadly not worth the gamble, especially if I can't swatch it...and for the price of some of the Japanese lipsticks I could get more of my beloved Dior or Guerlain lipsticks!

So my solution? Get more Korean makeup! Etude House makes very affordable makeup that even marked up 50% on eBay is still very reasonable (I think this lipstick was maybe $5 retail, I paid about $10). Maybe in the future I will try ordering a bunch at once on gmarket, but right now this is good since I only want to get a couple things now and then!

Anyhow, on to the actual product review!

This is the Etude House Follow Me Lip Tint in Passion Pink, apparently this line is promoted by a Korean girl group...I don't know anything about that but I just thought it deserved mentioning if you like Korean music! This lip tint (I hesitate to really call it a lipstick, or even a balm) has a really pretty minty sort of blue color as a bullet, but when you put it on your skin it turns into the prettiest fuchsia! It basically does the same thing as Dior Addict Glow, but Follow Me has the added benefit of the blue to fuchsia contrast for fun, the pink is brighter, and is a lighter formula, not to mention less than half the price. Depending on how many swipes you do you can either have a subtle pink glow, or a pop of bright fuchsia! Also it has a really nice glossy look which lasts a decent amount of time considering the slip and consistency of the product. One thing I really really really love about this product though is that it STAINS your lips really well and lasts awesomely through eating, sleeping, brushing your teeth...whatever! Seriously, I put this on last night around 8pm or so, and this morning my lips were still pink!

As for the packaging, it's not the heaviest but it's simple and cute and does it's job! The bullet fits perfectly in the tube, no rattling. I heard people say it is cheap and boring but I think it's cute enough, and you can't really complain about something feeling cheap when it's from a budget brand!

This may actually end up being one of the very very few (so far, none) items that I will get a backup for just because it's so wonderful and handy for when you want a pop of color that brightens your face and requires no fuss!

Guerlain Rouge Automatique 167 Guet Apens

167 Guet Apens is the most recent Guerlain Rouge Automatique I've gotten and also the darkest. However it's a very nice reddish berry pink on my lips, even though the bullet looks pretty dark. Also the bullet appears to have some very fine shimmer, which you don't really see translated well to the lips, but I don't mind since I don't like overly sparkly/shimmery lips right now anyway.

While it's probably better suited for fall I feel like this color is still bright enough for me to pull off while it's still summer and pretty much year round. I love this color because it's so very versatile and it's not as bright as some of them can be (such as Shalimar for instance, at least if you do more than one layer).

I really think that overall Guerlain Rouge Automatique are the best lipstick for me due to the wonderful luxe creamy feel of the formula, the lasting power, the perfect midground of opacity and sheerness and of course the design of the tube although I often get some lipstick on it while applying due to the shape, I still love the nifty one-hand application with it and the neat little gimmick of the slider. I also really like the touch of it saying "Guerlain" on the plastic holding the bullet in place rather than laser etched into the bullet itself since it won't get smudged or used up.

The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Blusher OR202

Ok, I am trying to chip away at my drafts little by little...and soon I will do the top 5 summer products I just have to think which are my favorite since I love so many!! So anyway, right now I am going to try and pump out as many of these small posts as I can!

Allons-y everybody :).

After having a nice dinner at the Korean food court I wanted to browse The Face Shop...some things in there are a bit pricey, but the Lovely Me:Ex line is pretty decent, lip gloss is $5 and the blush is $11. I am not sure if there is anything else in the collection, or how much it is though. OR202 is a very nice tangerine blush that I am not sure why I can pull off. I am in love with peach/tangerine blushes right now, even though I am very cool toned and I can't wear anything near an orange on my lips (except for MAYBE the very special melon or coral).

I really like the packaging for this line with the girls on each item. There are a few different girls too. Very cute. I also like how for the blushes the little window is different sizes for different colors, just makes it more interesting.

The powder is very finely milled although if you take too much it can be a little chalky, but it's really good for the price. However the size and shape of the powder is a bit small, but I kind of find it a good thing since when I swipe my brush on the powder it comes off as a strip which helps it apply in just the right spot!

I love this stuff, next time I go to have Korean food I will definitely pick up another color.

Help! I'm Backlogged!!

Help! I am severely backlogged! As you can see I have 19 drafts that I haven't even touched, please let me know which one/s you'd like to see first since I am completely overwhelmed!

(Click picture to enlarge)

Thanks!!

NOTD: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Purple Pizzazz

Really pretty blue-purple jelly with pink microglitter, this is a pretty dark nail polish for me, but it is still pretty cheerful with the pink shimmer and the fact that it's a jelly. I love how blue-leaning it is too~.

Tarte Cheek Stain in True Love

I've been calling July my bad skin month...it's been really patchy and break-out-y. So I thought maybe on days when my skin is being particularly peculiar that I would use a cheek stain, however I really suck at using the normal sort of cheek stain (think Benetint and such)... I just can't get it to blend quickly or evenly and I don't like the idea that my fingers will be stained all day as well.

I used this 3 days in a row last week which is quite a feat for me since I am so flaky! I just can't stick to one thing, I always have like 5 things I want to use! But it was just so nice and worry free and gave me the best natural glow. I had to force myself to go back to my other (powder) blushes just because I have to use them haha.

The Tarte cheek stains are gel and thus more of a cheek balm...the whole thing in general reminds me of a balm since it's in a stick. You can probably use it on your lips, but I haven't and I am probably not going to...it's a really large stick so it'd be quite awkward to use. However for the cheeks I like that it's pretty fat since you shouldn't really rub this stuff in, more like pat it around and blend the edges (unless you want a super duper sheer look). It's slightly sticky to begin with but after a little while it dries down and is only the slightest bit tacky, but not enough that you can really tell, you really have to be feeling for it. I get a great, lasting wear to this stain...once it's on you it's on you really good however it does come off rather easily with water and such so it's probably best to just not wear it if you are planning on going to the beach or the pool or somewhere else wet!

True Love is a watermelon pink that looks vibrant in the tube, but due to the stain's sheer nature looks very very natural when worn. It's perfect for my skin tone and maybe somebody a bit darker than I, but if you have a really deep skin tone it probably won't show up much. I love how buildable it is because you can use it with any lip/eye combo you want! If you want bright eyes or lips, tone down the stain...if you want bright cheeks put a few layers on and don't rub it in too much!

The swatch on top is heavy on the left and then heavy but blended on the right.

What's In My Purse(s)?

Here are some awful pictures of my stuff that I took at 1am! I just wanted to post something like this, and didn't feel like taking the time to get good pictures since it's not like you guys need color accuracy or anything here! Hope it doesn't look too bad though~.

Anywho, on to my stuff!

Here is everything minus the things in my makeup bag:

Here are the things I keep in the front flap of my purse (Tokidoki brush/mirror, Tocca lipgloss, Burt's Bees tinted lip balm, Smith's Rosebud salve and Nivea smoothing lip balm):

Here is all the medicine stuff etc. I keep in the zipper pocket inside my purse (inhaler, allergy medication, DayQuil, $OPI hand sanitizer spray, eye drops, key to my mom's house and checkbook):

These are the things in the main compartment of my bag...all the small items go in the 2 open pockets (Clinique makeup bag, Coach wallet, tissues, car/house/work keys, lipstick, MAC P&P lips, 2x Clinique Chubby Sticks, chewing gum, compact mirror and compact comb):

Contents of my small makeup bag (Clinique blush/eyeshadow compact, Clinique double ended lipgloss/stick, Essence concealer stick, Tarte tinted lip balm, Palladio tinted lip balm, NailTek nail file, Sephora portable eyelash/brow groomer, pen, Burt's Bees cuticle cream and Tweezerman mini slanted tweezer):

Bonus - My weekend bag contents (Coach mini wallet, Clinique Chunky Cherry Chubby Stick, Nivea smoothing lip balm, Smith's Rosebud salve, lipstick, keys, chewing gum, inhaler, compact mirror and compact comb).

There you have it! What do you guys find essential to keep in your bag?

Only the things in my "weekend bag" are my essentials, in my normal purse I keep a lot of things for "just in case" while I am at work.

My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks - Black Pearl & Bulgarian White Rose

My current skin obsession is these My Beauty Diary sheet masks (from Taiwan). Basically they are some sort of fiber mask (not just paper, they are pretty thick and tough) soaked with serum that have eye, nose and mouth holes that you put over your face and let sit for 30 minutes. They have tons of serum in them so you can use the discarded mask to rub extra on your face/neck/decollete or wherever before you toss it.

I am totally in love with these things and the price point is very decent as well. At my local Asian (but mostly Chinese) grocery store these run $12.99 and you get 10 masks. The box instructs you to use the mask 2-3 times a week, I do it 3 times. If you follow their directions you should be able to get a month's use from one box plus some overlap to buy a new one. However I have bought 2 so I can alternate, and if you want them to do different things you may want to use different ones each time.

I am mostly looking for whitening which is why I chose these 2 as I heard they were the best for that, and from my experience it is true. The very first time I used Black Pearl it lightened some discoloration at the corners of my mouth. It's not completely gone (yet) but that's why I'm keeping up with the masks since I am hoping over time they can help completely or at least prevent further discoloration!

Black Pearl:

Bulgarian White Rose: