tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69242893908793303402024-03-05T00:39:48.094-08:00whimsy and beautywhimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-24214973419816842272016-10-09T08:05:00.001-07:002017-10-25T23:44:23.625-07:00NYX Micro Brow Pencil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, it's certainly been a very long time since I've made any posts on this blog. I've been going through some big life changes and adjustments in goals. My beauty stash has also undergone a downsizing as I try to live my life by "need instead of want." However, some essentials will always stay put in my make up collection, such as the brow pencil below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpCqeTYm1TFv9Q3pit6xJED-QQ5HDAwZJd3bS8swTgxDKxwgSiXhvNmIOOj9d4IH3jm845Yu-bqspNUALkEYhvuJMjCdNJFMDRCjzRFk70pvnoTNti9zBsEsEINZpSNoR2NuMkCWeN5Ib/s1600/SDC17366.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpCqeTYm1TFv9Q3pit6xJED-QQ5HDAwZJd3bS8swTgxDKxwgSiXhvNmIOOj9d4IH3jm845Yu-bqspNUALkEYhvuJMjCdNJFMDRCjzRFk70pvnoTNti9zBsEsEINZpSNoR2NuMkCWeN5Ib/s640/SDC17366.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>My current routine these days includes strong brows. I've taken to having them look neat, but at the same time, as full as possible. Earlier in the year, I loved using my Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil in Chocolate. However, with how bold I prefer my brows to look and the fact that it's an everyday staple, I went through that product pretty quickly and I just couldn't justify going out and buying another even though I loved it.<br />
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The NYX Micro Brow Pencil was something I heard was comparable to the Brow Wiz and at practically half the price, I had to try it once I ran out of my Anastasia pencil. Surprisingly, NYX's Micro Pencil in Chocolate looks almost like a dupe for Anastasia's Brow Wiz is some lights. Can you tell much of difference from the swatches below?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSgMMeJSRtxZrfZAUic6JDIlMK903NzH4K0ckwA049pk0o5UQkZOBDPofhiEaG1tIAZSuf-VTcrVoz7DPVCUjFlLFdyRylwHuTJFceaIlWH4NDP9v2-Vwu7hmLfhMOlm_OotK2YC7ZRvt/s1600/SDC17360.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSgMMeJSRtxZrfZAUic6JDIlMK903NzH4K0ckwA049pk0o5UQkZOBDPofhiEaG1tIAZSuf-VTcrVoz7DPVCUjFlLFdyRylwHuTJFceaIlWH4NDP9v2-Vwu7hmLfhMOlm_OotK2YC7ZRvt/s400/SDC17360.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So far, I haven't seen any difference with the texture or wear time of the product as compared to Brow Wiz. The Micro Pencil is firm but easy to apply and the pigmentation is great. The color stays put for a full work day and then some but blends well enough with the spoolie. The spoolie is another feature that I appreciate. The thinner design and shorter bristles make blending and brushing the brow hairs a more precise effort.<br />
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The one of the con for the Micro Pencil is the design of the caps for either end of product for the crayon and the spoolie. Unlike the Brow Wiz, which have the caps being the same exact size, the Micro Pencil has a shorter cap for the spoolie. Twice now, I've crushed the crayon by trying to recap using the shorter cap. My habit is to have both ends uncapped for convenience and efficiency, but since both caps are black and are not that noticeably different in size, the mistake was very easily made. I now uncap each end as I go, but I do regret the waste of perfectly good product.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigLpScSxSNZXfIibHTNdM9dwZLVjeEjxMGSyh8IjBo2X_vU86NTEptJi9exYvErYvAcBj4TAJBt7jQ_7JFKzT4K5enoeSamrTOzLLXAYhtDvtzUfMJZIaDxAqxgpFFFoRitIY0HA316ev/s1600/SDC17368b.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigLpScSxSNZXfIibHTNdM9dwZLVjeEjxMGSyh8IjBo2X_vU86NTEptJi9exYvErYvAcBj4TAJBt7jQ_7JFKzT4K5enoeSamrTOzLLXAYhtDvtzUfMJZIaDxAqxgpFFFoRitIY0HA316ev/s320/SDC17368b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Overall, I highly recommend trying out the Micro Brow Pencil. The range has seven shades, which is a lot more than some other affordable brands out there. Additionally, if you have an Ulta near you, NYX has sales where you can buy one and get one 50% off, so it can be even more affordable if your timing is right. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-12998537285898075392015-09-09T20:20:00.000-07:002015-09-10T23:23:34.353-07:00Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So California is really having a drought summer. San Francisco has also been experiencing summer weather way earlier than usual. I grew up expecting hot weather in late September so I've just been melting in the heat. All this sun has been making me really aware of the need for sun protection and so I've been looking for a way to have it while I wear make up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBZIKFhIMDKPJrZkorsjMM0suNGY1G_hQjlaVoCouyws5gwlmeOrOYnvTwXPnG2VoH26kaiRHqGLZFwJbM5TJe9HDR9nvh2zCk0RFLqgQUG1xTYSyMxVvZnGJuD1zLD597a2NIF_AZkPH/s1600/SDC17347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBZIKFhIMDKPJrZkorsjMM0suNGY1G_hQjlaVoCouyws5gwlmeOrOYnvTwXPnG2VoH26kaiRHqGLZFwJbM5TJe9HDR9nvh2zCk0RFLqgQUG1xTYSyMxVvZnGJuD1zLD597a2NIF_AZkPH/s640/SDC17347.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've been hearing about setting sprays with SPF that allows for reapplication on top of make up, but I have been really wary since I have sensitive eyes and you can't avoid the area with a spray. So far, I haven't heard about any affordable options yet and I only know of Supergoop! and Coola. Of course the price tag kept me from giving both brands a go, until I saw a travel sized version of the Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist. For the convenience of the size I figured I could part with $12.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>There's a lot I want to say, so the most efficient way to go about it is to list the essentials.<br />
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<b>Key features:</b></div>
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<li>Broad spectrum SPF 50</li>
<li>Chemical blocker, so no flashback</li>
<li>Herbal scented on first sprays (then it smells like traditional sunscreen)</li>
<li>Must shake well before use</li>
<li>Suggested reapplication every 2 hours</li>
<li>Matte finish and controls oil</li>
<li>Noncomedogenic, non-irritating, allergen-free</li>
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<b>Pros</b><br />
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<li>The sun protection really works </li>
<li>No irritations or reactions on my part</li>
<li>Gave initial matte finish</li>
<li>I don't mind the herbal scent</li>
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<b>Cons</b></div>
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<li>Did not leave the skin feeling smooth but more tacky while looking matte</li>
<li>Does not feel weightless to the skin</li>
<li>Did not control oil in my T-zone</li>
<li>Made my eyelid primer ineffective, resulting in creased eye shadow as the day wore on</li>
<li>Product makes the hair tacky and oily looking if you don't cover your hair before use</li>
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I hope the list is helpful. I definitely enjoyed all the sun protection I got from this product and I think I prefer using it when I don't have make up on because I can also protect my eyelids without having irritation. I usually avoid my eyes because eventually my facial SPF moisturizer will irritate my eyes as I sweat and become more oily with time, but I have no such problem with Supergoop! and I appreciate being able to use SPF 50 without irritation.</div>
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Now for the cons. The biggest downer for me is the texture and the effect it has on my eye shadow. First of all, I prefer to have more velvety skin when I wear make up so I always set my foundation with powder. Most setting sprays I use don't disrupt the texture, however with Supergoop! I have a tacky feel to the skin that's bordering on greasy. I look matte in appearance though, however that only lasts for a few hours. Then I become quite shiny in the T-zone and blotting becomes a necessity before reapplying anymore of the setting mist. Eventually, I just ended up powdering on top of the setting mist to mitigate the tacky feeling, but that doesn't seem like the best solution.</div>
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As for the situation with the eye shadow, I could not understand at first, why my eye make up kept creasing when I had no trouble with my primer before. I had thought it was because it's been so much hotter than what I'm used to but then I tried using just my primer and skipping the setting spray all together (I used a moisturizing SPF under the make up) and what do you know, my eye shadow fared much better even in the heat. I haven't quite figured out what to do with this result yet, I don't usually powder my eyelids, but I wonder...</div>
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Lastly, when I use this setting mist, I have my spa headband handy to cover my hair. The mist, though very fine, leaves a residue on the hair that frames my face which makes my hair look greasy and unclean. Since this is a spray, you need to hold it 8-10 inches away from you face as per the directions and as a result it does get everywhere. The only way to deal with this for me was prevention.</div>
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You probably already guessed it, but I would most definitely <i>not</i> recommend this product if you're looking to use it to set your make up. I love the concept of sun protection that I can put over my make up and I like spray formats because they're faster but this one was not a winner. I do want to try Coola also because I'm wondering if the high SPF 50 is the problem in Supergoop! and since Coola is only SPF 30, I wonder if I would have more success? However, until there's a travel friendly version I won't be shelling out for it. </div>
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-51350988430711733722015-07-14T16:21:00.002-07:002015-07-26T12:23:33.505-07:00L'oreal Voluminous Butterfly Midnight<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I will admit, I'm a total mascara junkie. I can live without eyeliner but my makeup look will feel incomplete without mascara and curled lashes. So of course with a 40% off sale going on for NYX and L'oreal products, I was browsing the mascaras since I loved both the Miss Manga Eyes ones so much I wondered about the others that L'oreal was releasing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQJtAPKZ8xcxxD2rKtQ3qKhOL2n1ix0MIJccq3b0Qnz6a5S_kCKnZ9NiEuZ97ZLXWWOgQrZ6BpcMkAVWczV-BPeKPdo0vGio62vUayAJh0NmuCW7OUYJwJ54Z5JX0ju0QszxiJUKrCe5H/s1600/SDC17316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQJtAPKZ8xcxxD2rKtQ3qKhOL2n1ix0MIJccq3b0Qnz6a5S_kCKnZ9NiEuZ97ZLXWWOgQrZ6BpcMkAVWczV-BPeKPdo0vGio62vUayAJh0NmuCW7OUYJwJ54Z5JX0ju0QszxiJUKrCe5H/s640/SDC17316.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>I was a bit confused with selection of colors for the Butterfly line though as you have four colors: Black, Black Brown, Blackest Black, and Midnight Black. What? I just want the darkest shade available so I narrowed it down to either Blackest Black or Midnight Black of which I ended up with the latter. I really never understood this about mascara, from my understanding people either want the darkest black you can get or a shade with more brown in it. Plus, how do have something even blacker than Blackest Black anyway?<br />
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Moving on from my ranting, the Butterfly mascara comes with an asymmetrical rubber wand. As you can see from the pictures part of the triangular bit of the wand is hollowed out and not solid. One side also has shorter bristles to really place the product at the bottom of the lashes while the other side has longer ones that are meant for combing through and creating that fanned out effect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFzWTpcR6s0r_aKjuBmYVuhgdELCBa0eeZA-R1OFexq47iUL-o2R8mF50IPnGKFGsQ-fIXcEAMUgR5MOSe2GNAEf7aUh74CGUwQCvYWg18ZPhwNjcJ53x_3FqkT1_xOMAGwb2fM_voCxs/s1600/SDC17306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFzWTpcR6s0r_aKjuBmYVuhgdELCBa0eeZA-R1OFexq47iUL-o2R8mF50IPnGKFGsQ-fIXcEAMUgR5MOSe2GNAEf7aUh74CGUwQCvYWg18ZPhwNjcJ53x_3FqkT1_xOMAGwb2fM_voCxs/s640/SDC17306.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I find that the formula and the brush work quite well together. The formula is creamy, so by no means dry, but it also isn't the wettest formula I've worked with. The packaging also claims that the formula is infused with 1.2 mm fibers that help create the length and volume for the lashes. The structure of the wand works great for my right eye. The long bristles and the triangular shape really combs through the outer lashes. I have a harder time trying to flip my wrist around to do the same for the left eye though. However, the creamy formula doesn't clump and flake so fussing around with my left eye isn't as frustrating as I feared it would be.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxlcW5e8ZCItACvj3J23qb1sXlydH1ldi7zpFo0biyRc-sDmFwSM6I2pQ_6mXs9Zp38JiHdUbxhMnFM9PMXcH84fT0PVBwBu9PhO0AxFVgFC-LUuEaatVDhtid39NO40jOy3ZubacGzL2/s1600/SDC15531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxlcW5e8ZCItACvj3J23qb1sXlydH1ldi7zpFo0biyRc-sDmFwSM6I2pQ_6mXs9Zp38JiHdUbxhMnFM9PMXcH84fT0PVBwBu9PhO0AxFVgFC-LUuEaatVDhtid39NO40jOy3ZubacGzL2/s320/SDC15531.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before mascara and curled lashes.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO0_ZBOK6ZbE0pS9l0acjbw1fGfclHCf_xEiV96qguq7DZQk0bsnjzG1lXjra-DpK5aqdzrr9LfwYvziQWn0iK5fPbG8DUA6czCl9SSShhQsVyieq2-mku3JEfvVPGxSxBXihvcPspj3F/s1600/SDC17336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO0_ZBOK6ZbE0pS9l0acjbw1fGfclHCf_xEiV96qguq7DZQk0bsnjzG1lXjra-DpK5aqdzrr9LfwYvziQWn0iK5fPbG8DUA6czCl9SSShhQsVyieq2-mku3JEfvVPGxSxBXihvcPspj3F/s320/SDC17336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 2 coats of mascara.</td></tr>
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So looking at my photos, does it look like 6 times the volume to you? There are no claims on length, but I'd say that the difference is pretty apparent. I've gained quite a bit of length and volume with the Butterfly mascara.<br />
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I don't know if I'd say that this mascara performed any better than some of the ones I reviewed in the past or the ones that I'm currently using. I certainly like the look I get with it, but I've got some mascaras that perform on par with the Voluminous Butterfly. What I do like to do with this mascara is put two coats on and then finish off with one coat of the Miss Manga Rock mascara for that extra volume boost. As much as I love the effect of Miss Manga Rock, it is somewhat of a fussy mascara, especially when I want multiple coats.<br />
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Besides the final effect for the lashes, Voluminous Butterfly also claims to be smudge-free in addition to no clump-free and flake-free. I experienced very minimal smudging with this mascara. Almost barely there, but it's definitely not as good as my Miss Manga Rock in this category. And as mentioned before, the formula does not clump or flake, which is fantastic.<br />
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Overall, I'd say Voluminous Butterfly is quite reliable and I was able to get it for under $4 with the offer. What this mascara has done is make me want to try more L'oreal mascaras in general since I've had good experiences with 3 of them so far. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-65407184251938527522015-07-03T13:25:00.001-07:002015-07-03T22:23:31.581-07:00NYX Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So many liners it's getting harder to see the differences! Today I have another one that might just bump the NYX Slide-On and Rimmel Scandal Eyes pencils out of the running for me. At least for the black and brown shades. I was super tempted to just pick up both shades, but limited myself to brown because I don't have a brown liner anymore and hadn't replaced it yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPRlCjWQmca6OWZeL8PnWfiq99rNolgnW8vGqL7wk-hhE5I-otzcg8e1YHkJ3YAOC1nsoRRepGdQv6OVdpZkl5pnKY0xj-i9hN179aGtxURTaooHvb9v3cvxnkOOi17C-kSgqj7Zcd1U-/s1600/SDC17301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPRlCjWQmca6OWZeL8PnWfiq99rNolgnW8vGqL7wk-hhE5I-otzcg8e1YHkJ3YAOC1nsoRRepGdQv6OVdpZkl5pnKY0xj-i9hN179aGtxURTaooHvb9v3cvxnkOOi17C-kSgqj7Zcd1U-/s640/SDC17301.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Here we have the NYX Tres Jolie gel pencil liner in brown. This is a twist up pencil that is supposed to have gel liner in pencil format instead of in little pots where you have to use a brush. At the bottom of pencil, you can pull out a sharpener that just sharpens the crayon part of the pencil. The design is appealing because of it's convenience of minimal sharpening and readiness for a grab and apply type of person like me. I can't tell you how often I break the crayon part of the product while trying to sharpen the whole pencil.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3kpatUlhVrupMimsiTTiLZ3xmVimkOZHoMZT9WrYhg-3x3EaF0Uq2z-rima6sZj9WgZuK8QlrTghJ38AjM0gJIZv2hGOQYiTkT43g6TSIvP4AOq9IuUa3lRvAKgWEJhAfxS9_jYiYQNw/s1600/SDC17302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3kpatUlhVrupMimsiTTiLZ3xmVimkOZHoMZT9WrYhg-3x3EaF0Uq2z-rima6sZj9WgZuK8QlrTghJ38AjM0gJIZv2hGOQYiTkT43g6TSIvP4AOq9IuUa3lRvAKgWEJhAfxS9_jYiYQNw/s320/SDC17302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sharpener is quite dainty and I'd be careful about loosing it because it's such a small component, but it's super important for getting that pointed tip of the crayon. It's very easy to use since it fits perfectly on top of the opening where the crayon comes out. However, there is so much room for user error. The crayon is quite soft and I've actually tilted this sharpener by accident and completely broke the tip of the crayon. Oops. So if you're accident prone like me, I'd suggest sharpening when both your hands are stabilized. Plus, if you're looking for a fine point like you do with a regular pencil and sharpener, you won't get it with this sharpener. The best you can get is slightly more pointed than what you had when the crayon was brand new.<br />
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Technical stuff covered, lets go over the performance of the actual liner. I am so impressed with this liner. It is absolutely smudge proof and waterproof. It wore so well on me, that I had to just had to put it through it's paces with a swatch on the back on my hand. I basically let the swatch set, then rubbed like a maniac and ran it under water of which I proceeded to continue with rubbing under the water. I experienced only slight fading but that liner stayed and would not budge. I really doubt you'd be so rough with your eyes but I wanted to see how much staying power it had.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHkseDvQ_smSGqdkR489fYD5lp_oP4rFOykAxFAnlX7VjDSwa2dawjdXOc19tC3rbWdN8WVY_NCK7q5xTwqjEP2b-LluEanhEYtN7R_dLEkSvIuOqkUPud6sC3Ycu_8b_K_IBS2Y9Zvr6/s1600/SDC17326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHkseDvQ_smSGqdkR489fYD5lp_oP4rFOykAxFAnlX7VjDSwa2dawjdXOc19tC3rbWdN8WVY_NCK7q5xTwqjEP2b-LluEanhEYtN7R_dLEkSvIuOqkUPud6sC3Ycu_8b_K_IBS2Y9Zvr6/s320/SDC17326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The liner is matte and goes on smoothly. The brown is really rich in color and dark enough for me that I'm having second thoughts on purchasing the black shade since I do have a few black liners that I should use up first. I will warn that this stuff sets quickly, so if you want to fiddle around with your liner with a brush or cotton bud, I'd be quick about it and do one eye at a time. I learned the hard way and ended up with a heavier liner look than intended because it was faster to just draw on more than to take away and reapply.<br />
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Since this is a waterproof liner, you have to wonder how much of a hassle removing it will be. At least for the brown shade, I had minimal issues. Wipes or my Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser removed it all easily with no residue left behind.<br />
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On an interesting note, the side of the box has examples of liner looks for inspiration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41CcLhqXYwIv1YHVgIUbGSEQg7GjqqKj92LScO6ApQKwUYbyxoS6Xie81PH38BkOivw2SrNUMExTYNmS9D08grKtpDN8WKIcGQGEIQn3i6fYH63JcSlgQRcQx8NWV-3V0tUe2Go8vBdvE/s1600/SDC17304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41CcLhqXYwIv1YHVgIUbGSEQg7GjqqKj92LScO6ApQKwUYbyxoS6Xie81PH38BkOivw2SrNUMExTYNmS9D08grKtpDN8WKIcGQGEIQn3i6fYH63JcSlgQRcQx8NWV-3V0tUe2Go8vBdvE/s640/SDC17304.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The examples are pretty and run on the more experimental but having used this liner for a few days, I'd have to say that you'd need an angled brush or something to get those nice sharp wings.<br />
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I highly recommend this liner if you're looking for some no nonsense basic eyeliner that lasts through a lot of situations. I think it's smart to have the basic shades of black and brown sold because I think those shades sell most easily. I bought mine at Ulta and it is a bit pricey at $11.99, but Ulta puts NYX on sale pretty often and I got mine for 40% off. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-59633258264313282422015-06-30T23:17:00.000-07:002015-07-01T10:23:59.466-07:00What's in My Las Vegas Makeup Bag - Carry On Friendly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm the type of person that packs pretty lightly on trips and whenever possible, I limit myself to only carry on luggage. In fact, for my recent trip to Las Vegas, I honestly think that my duffle bag (which counted as the carry on) was smaller than my tote bag (my personal item).<br />
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So with all the things I wanted to pack, I definitely didn't want my makeup items to take up a bunch of space when I had other essentials that I wanted to take with me. Plus, since I was doing the whole carry on only route, I was also limited to the 3 oz. liquids in a quart sized zip closing bag. I dislike waiting for my luggage at the carousel, but I'm not so sure my logic is sound considering the limitations I encounter with only bringing carry on luggage.<br />
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In the photograph above, are all the products I took with me for my makeup routine, while in Vegas.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>1. Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil<br />
2. Olay Complete 30 SPF<br />
3. TopCare Facial Cleansing Cloths (generic brand from Lucky grocery)<br />
4. Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer<br />
5. Benefit Erase Paste<br />
6. NYX HD Eye Shadow Base<br />
7. NYX "Stay Matte But Not Flat" Powder Foundation<br />
8. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil<br />
9. Rimmel Scandal Eyes Liners in Nude and Black<br />
10. Urban Decay Naked palette<br />
11. e.l.f. Blush Palette in Light<br />
12. L'oreal Miss Manga Rock mascara<br />
13. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Tulip<br />
14. Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched<br />
15. Lancome Le Crayon Poudre in Sable<br />
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My skin routine for the couple days I stayed in Vegas was basically the face oil and Olay for SPF. The cleansing cloths were used to remove my makeup and because they come dry and folded neatly, traveling with them was super convenient. I just had to pack a few in a small sandwich bag and it fit nicely in my makeup bag.<br />
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As for my makeup, I opted for powders when I could to avoid more liquids and gave myself options with the palettes. I definitely wanted lip products with SPF so I was super happy with my Fresh tinted lip balm, but it did melt a bit with all the heat. The Baby Lips held up pretty well though. My Miss Manga Rock mascara does very little smudging on me even though it's not waterproof, so I took it along and also for the fact that I really love dramatic lashes anyways. The one item I was really glad I took with me was my Rimmel eye pencil in Nude. Whenever I travel, I notice my eyes get a little red and tired. The nude pencil really helped in brightening up my eyes.<br />
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Las Vegas has very dry desert heat and coming from a much more mild and humid climate, my skin didn't get oily so much as it began to dry out. I guess all the indoor air conditioning didn't help my skin either. This may be different for everyone, but I didn't really worry about my makeup sliding off my face. Plus, if you're going to experience the strip, most of your time will be spent indoors anyways. Most of the hotels are connected to each other or are short walks outside before you end up indoors again. The temperature reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit while I was there so I happily stayed inside wandering around the casinos and shops until evening came.<br />
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I guess the bottom line is that Las Vegas stays active for so much of the day that rather than be bogged down my a full makeup routine, I'd rather be out and enjoying the sights, eats, and activities as soon as I can. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-81982634590200290162015-06-28T11:18:00.002-07:002015-06-28T11:18:32.033-07:00e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been really loving blush palettes lately. I just think they're so convenient. I love being able to travel with multiple blushes at once without having singles just floating around in my makeup bag. Granted, I don't own an excessive number of blush palettes, since I did have to be realistic about how much blush I actually need (which in truth, I have more than I should already).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmODcRSZZG2y0ZKS31j-RprhwHFD31jqeLUkZnTvlwCfi_DBPw2OskA3MZApt7ppFfICkoJwys5PSd-ZiFfB3ouZzjqhMkLe_ThVYDGuAEfzPdNKOYM1heONMm6sG81E986yzsWog7eH6v/s1600/SDC17236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmODcRSZZG2y0ZKS31j-RprhwHFD31jqeLUkZnTvlwCfi_DBPw2OskA3MZApt7ppFfICkoJwys5PSd-ZiFfB3ouZzjqhMkLe_ThVYDGuAEfzPdNKOYM1heONMm6sG81E986yzsWog7eH6v/s640/SDC17236.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Recently, I went on a trip to Las Vegas and e.l.f.'s Studio Blush Palette came with me on the trip. This little palette has been really impressing me with it's quality and I only spent $6 on it at Target. Since, I'm on the fair side, I went with the Light palette.<br />
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With this palette, it comes with 2 shades of pink (a medium tone and a red leaning tone), a terracotta shade, and a coral blush with gold sparkle. The pigmentation is awesome and a tap is usually all I need with my brush to have enough color. The texture is velvety and soft enough to really let your brush pick up the product. I will admit that I have made the mistake of applying too much blush though because I underestimated the pigmentation. The wear time has been great with these blushes too. I get through most of the day with them.<br />
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My favorite shades to use are the two pinks on the left side, but I have attempted to use all of them. The terracotta shade on the top right corner is a bit orange for me to be using as a contour or bronzer so I've only used it as a blush and it's been a great summery color to use. The coral shade also wasn't as much of a glitter bomb as I had feared but since it's on the redder side, I also exercise a lot of moderation with that one.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5n2zGfJJL5Nxz9NdmbchhaCnja3p1KHUBwrKHjh6sCEhfNyaxPfSojcfP2Z9UgbHbAL9veJJJKE4AUB_zh3qwbjd9ysyMaTyXG_HzO0-yFOce6l9457BKIZ-gwFWXku8nvo-N7ao1nml/s1600/SDC17292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5n2zGfJJL5Nxz9NdmbchhaCnja3p1KHUBwrKHjh6sCEhfNyaxPfSojcfP2Z9UgbHbAL9veJJJKE4AUB_zh3qwbjd9ysyMaTyXG_HzO0-yFOce6l9457BKIZ-gwFWXku8nvo-N7ao1nml/s400/SDC17292.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swatches go clockwise from the palette's placement.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the more interesting features of this palette is the fact that the blushes actually pop out of the palette itself. The plastic casing around them stays, but I suppose you can still stick a magnet on the bottom if you would like to put them in a custom palette also. The design of the palette leaves the bottom of the blushes exposed so you could basically switch between the original palette and your own magnetic one without much fuss.<br />
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I definitely think I got a value with this palette. The price is really affordable and the shades included are versatile enough to complement multiple looks. There aren't many blush palettes available on the market at drugstore prices so I am super pleased with this one.<br />
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I've been considering a post about my beauty essentials when traveling to Vegas, So be on the lookout for that. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-20241041675830913352015-06-11T10:15:00.001-07:002015-06-11T17:31:33.333-07:00Nail of the Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Really, I should just be calling this Nail of the Week, considering I usually wear my polish for a week before changing it out.<br />
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So...more flowers!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I've had this obsession with making branches lately and that basically meant more flowers! I was envisioning more tiny flowers on the branches, but the dotting tool I used created bigger dots than anticipated. I might experiment with my tools more to achieve the tiny flowers I wanted. The look though still turned out pretty so I don't feel disappointed. <br />
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I again used the Avon Nail Art Enamel in Black Drama for the branches. This time I wanted a mint green background for all the nails and I used Orly's Jealous Much? to accomplish that. Then for the silver dots, I used Wet n' Wild Fergie in Going Platinum. The white flowers were made using L'oreal I Will! I added cavier beads that came in a rainbow mix from Essence. That was quite the test of patience to pick out only the light green ones.<br />
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I think for my next attempt at nail art, I'm going to move away from just random flowers and think about a theme. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-73293160731279432952015-06-06T10:52:00.001-07:002015-06-06T10:52:54.534-07:00EcoTools: Correcting Concealer Brush<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To be honest, I don't own any decent concealing brushes at all, I have a few flat ones, but for the purpose of blending, they were not the right brush for the job. I had also resorted to using my fluffy blending brush for shadows, but then I was down an eye brush.<br />
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So when I saw this one for $4.99 at Ulta, I figured I'd give it a try to see how it worked. The price was right and I like using synthetic brushes for concealer and foundation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn0XnKuUl_v8I1lFwuPGCgJIJE08X5SxOemJCCOJgI6vKtTRIHzIAjtMhoqUgWI7Dj1xfxrpIsNlCj0AIYfP5EUaTxDjZ5Wcq50j8byH4-SHKR_1A4viNNVHcfZNUfNfhWTP-5DzbJtr_/s1600/SDC17278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn0XnKuUl_v8I1lFwuPGCgJIJE08X5SxOemJCCOJgI6vKtTRIHzIAjtMhoqUgWI7Dj1xfxrpIsNlCj0AIYfP5EUaTxDjZ5Wcq50j8byH4-SHKR_1A4viNNVHcfZNUfNfhWTP-5DzbJtr_/s640/SDC17278.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>So life stress has been freaking out my skin these past few months and when I do wear make up, I do need to do some serious concealing. I may not need to conceal a lot of my face, but the areas I do need to conceal requires heavier coverage. My main areas are the chin, the temples areas, and nose. I conceal mostly hyper pigmentation but sometimes I do need to soften the blow of cystic acne.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-cT6i0pguaAa4M5mIzFQqkxevkeQEVcB0VAaIjnoDq4f3xPgolDHUdhQyMwgwWGVdK_7vQTZFK_MiGGEigkxrDclqqxTby11usk0l1SEOqMWK0m19WJUWGexee5e_DzCLhlR3nPC13W1/s1600/SDC17281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-cT6i0pguaAa4M5mIzFQqkxevkeQEVcB0VAaIjnoDq4f3xPgolDHUdhQyMwgwWGVdK_7vQTZFK_MiGGEigkxrDclqqxTby11usk0l1SEOqMWK0m19WJUWGexee5e_DzCLhlR3nPC13W1/s400/SDC17281.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This brush is designed with a round ferrule and the bristles form a dome shape that is tapered. The amount of bristles toward the tip of the brush are considerably less dense than the bottom. Let's also take a moment to give some attention to the art on the ferrule itself. I love turquoise type of shades and the leaves and hexagons are lovely details.<br />
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I have found that this brush works really well in blending out the product without taking away too much. The problem I had before with using my finger to pat concealer into place is that I'd end up lifting away too much product and you can still see the discoloration. This brush is wispy enough and small enough to deal with small areas and leave blemishes covered. I kid you not, my concealing game totally went up a few levels with the addition of this brush to my routine.<br />
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One of the key things to remember with this brush is that it is wispy for a reason. Lightly blending around the edges and over the focus area will give better results than being overly zealous in effort. Being heavy handed can absolutely blend away the product, and that's not what we want. Also, I have only used liquid concealer with this brush, although the packaging says you can use powder, I don't own any powder concealer so I wasn't able to test that out.<br />
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Overall, for the price, I think I made a great investment. I love this brush and now I want to check out the other brushes in this line. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-11167544368834780822015-06-01T15:39:00.001-07:002015-06-01T16:44:46.897-07:00Nail of the Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, more of a nail of the week. Summer is soon to be here and I have some review posts planned for the near future. This year has been kicking me in the rump so to speak. At least I'm still standing, but there's been a lot going on for me terms of career transition and just dealing with the fact that Life happens despite my careful plans.<br />
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So here's a little post on what my nails look like this week.<br />
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I wanted a bit of nail art to kick off the short break I have and Pinterest is like an endless portal of inspiration. My attempt didn't turn out quite like the picture I was referencing, but it's still pretty cute.<br />
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I used OPI Chapel of Love and L'oreal The Palace Life for the pinks. My white shade is I Will! from L'oreal and I topped my middle finger with OPI Make Light of the Situation. The branches were done with Avon Nail Art Enamel in Black Drama.<br />
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This was super easy since all I did was make dots on the branches with a dotting tool and then used the fine point tool to swirl the pinks together. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-49602058110359665452015-03-22T18:34:00.003-07:002015-03-22T18:34:59.497-07:003 Concept Eyes Nail Polish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ever since my last attempt at trying Korean nail polish (<a href="http://whimsyandbeauty.blogspot.com/2012/04/lioele-nail-color-6-peach-pink-28.html" target="_blank">Lioele</a>), I've made a point to stick to brands I know when making any new purchases. It had been a while since I had visited <a href="http://www.mysune.com/" target="_blank">Sune</a> and they often switch up brands that they carry so I thought I'd give the store a browse. A bright red glitter polish caught my eye for just $5 but then I spotted the 3 for $12 deal and I just had to pick up 2 more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10ej5ObGl5igO1a_1IPrQKoSyVRDX3EuR8r4qp-wSoRoeelIsMRMzdWPZ9PFzZ-jvspBzx2fJGYU-bbOQEmtTdDCkaRyLU_OHuuOkrn-K0HcaqRS7ovanTrY8qLS0sJgE77EPathyphenhyphenDGN7/s1600/SDC17260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10ej5ObGl5igO1a_1IPrQKoSyVRDX3EuR8r4qp-wSoRoeelIsMRMzdWPZ9PFzZ-jvspBzx2fJGYU-bbOQEmtTdDCkaRyLU_OHuuOkrn-K0HcaqRS7ovanTrY8qLS0sJgE77EPathyphenhyphenDGN7/s1600/SDC17260.JPG" height="408" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: PE01, SD05, and SD06</td></tr>
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<br /><a name='more'></a>Besides nail polish, 3 Concept Eyes is a cosmetic brand that also offers blushes and lip products claiming that they are pigmented and long lasting. I didn't pay much attention to what was carried at the store but I will say that the 3 Concept Eyes overall packaging stood out from the other brands because there was so much black used and the design was simple, right down to their logo.<br />
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Anyways, back to the polishes I left the store with. My two glitter polishes, identified by just letters and numbers are SD05 (red glitter) and SD06 (magenta glitter in a black base). I didn't like the gunmetal looking one so I had to pick a solid color polish and I had settled on PE01 (peach with silver shimmer).<br />
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SD05 and SD06 are supposed to be sand texture polishes, but let me tell you, they are both straight up glitter polishes and you get that rough texture that your standard glitter polishes give you. Once you've used the likes of Zoya's PixieDust, sand textured polishes standards bar is set really high.<br />
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SD05, is absolutely gorgeous and went on like a dream and the finish was pretty smooth for a glitter. I went ahead and put a top coat on for pictures just in case I dinged it by accident. I only needed two coats to have full coverage. The bright cherry red makes me think of Christmas and though I really want to wear it, I'm torn because all I can think about when I see it are winter holidays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITfHjNAowgGC7cfZA0s02LaZjAY2Oq3Q5Jb_iChTE6NM8jVLkIujwlGqaRjFF1cbI8HfX-RdxGmARgxYiV37EuPDuDOUIXKfQCJerzkd__SLDWwBOi0FfL_0RTynyrsmknFy1NnSpZLCk/s1600/SDC17247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITfHjNAowgGC7cfZA0s02LaZjAY2Oq3Q5Jb_iChTE6NM8jVLkIujwlGqaRjFF1cbI8HfX-RdxGmARgxYiV37EuPDuDOUIXKfQCJerzkd__SLDWwBOi0FfL_0RTynyrsmknFy1NnSpZLCk/s1600/SDC17247.JPG" height="640" width="578" /></a></div>
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SD06 is a black jelly base with lots of magenta glitter. There seemed to be some sand texture thrown in there when I applied my first coat, but after the second and third coat for opacity, this glitter polish actually turned out so smooth, I didn't even need a top coat to even it out. I think if I actually wear it as a full manicure, I'd put a top coat just to speed up drying and out of habit, but if you're look for a sand effect in this one, it does even more poorly than the red one.<br />
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Despite not being as sandy in texture as it's supposed to be, I really liked both and am definitely glad I have them.<br />
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PE01 is a peachy color that reminds me of Essence's Modern Romance and Orly's Prelude to a Kiss in shade, not finish. Essence's Modern Romance has pink shimmer though that can catch the light once in a while. The reason I had gone with PE01 was the fact that it had silver shimmer and I had hoped it would act like Essence's Modern Romance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpq1_GYqOk4IWnpvJsVKW8aToGRIr7mfCWKwzwtEgot5vSUGli8DwItkdGK6T2LHVqLixHcTZMPcZJ_9dtt2uS2EnzVHj5_8lr2XaH-FyVVDFS_TyN6nKdR_GyI452QbthkLphWNs7mHm/s1600/SDC17264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpq1_GYqOk4IWnpvJsVKW8aToGRIr7mfCWKwzwtEgot5vSUGli8DwItkdGK6T2LHVqLixHcTZMPcZJ_9dtt2uS2EnzVHj5_8lr2XaH-FyVVDFS_TyN6nKdR_GyI452QbthkLphWNs7mHm/s1600/SDC17264.JPG" height="640" width="620" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, the shimmer that can be seen in the bottle is too subtle to see on the nail once applied. The shimmer just disappears and I can't find it under any light. It also applies a bit unevenly and I had some streaking occur. The big plus for me is the fact that I have no bubbling with PE01 at all, whereas Orly's Prelude to a Kiss bubbles like crazy no matter what I try.<br />
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I think I might relegate this one to being used only for my toes though. The solid shades in 3 Concept Eyes' collection smell quite strongly and hark back to the days I painted my nails in the 90's. I kid you not, I actually stood in the store and quickly sniffed at a few of the shades that were solid creme finishes or close enough to it. After Lioele, I just was not taking home polish that smelled like that again. Although they did not smell as strongly as the Lioele ones I had once bought, they do smell stronger than the other polishes I have in my current collection. Just something to keep in mind.<br />
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So my final verdict? I give a big thumbs up for the sand texture shades by 3 Concept Eyes. I probably should have just gotten the gunmetal one instead of the peach shade. If you don't mind how your polish smells too much, the solid shades are pretty affordable when you buy them 3 for $12. Unless they come out with more glitter shades, I probably won't be purchasing anymore polishes from 3 Concept Eyes. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-38927290176807379532015-03-13T10:36:00.003-07:002015-03-13T10:36:41.347-07:00Fresh: Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm not the most conscientious person about skincare. But this was one purchase that was well worth the money.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr1fEepwuvzFSX7WJV7DftVRG8j6bbfNpOoAUpP6kg9AoIueQwhovc87blKnfNBKegi30k_gRCxXcrAoVxoufkmzPDgEYVOGLeqUyKURZnqn3iRlUhdJCdzlaox58VstHbrRGU_v1s6a7/s1600/SDC17242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr1fEepwuvzFSX7WJV7DftVRG8j6bbfNpOoAUpP6kg9AoIueQwhovc87blKnfNBKegi30k_gRCxXcrAoVxoufkmzPDgEYVOGLeqUyKURZnqn3iRlUhdJCdzlaox58VstHbrRGU_v1s6a7/s1600/SDC17242.JPG" height="514" width="640" /></a></div>
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These past couple of months have been rough for my skin. Between dealing with breakouts from stress and hormones, I also had dry skin during the healing process. I found that the usual moisturizers did not absorb well and I continues to have dry and flaking skin. Looking for alternative ways to return the elasticity and moisture to my skin, I recalled the period of time I used a sample size of the Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil. That sample size lasted months and I was incredibly surprised at how well my oily to combo skin took to the daily use.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAs77VUv42NKpUiylTHgbWQWBZh224MWbsC9d56dXjf46J5ftxI47KXH3iEKmDdeoV7jgm1y4k4aiE80-G9_D5_WAAjC7sY_QCJeep48l-rCfjLkYPVbM0RZ0xeVmeyPOesf_Q99h2o9D/s1600/SDC17244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAs77VUv42NKpUiylTHgbWQWBZh224MWbsC9d56dXjf46J5ftxI47KXH3iEKmDdeoV7jgm1y4k4aiE80-G9_D5_WAAjC7sY_QCJeep48l-rCfjLkYPVbM0RZ0xeVmeyPOesf_Q99h2o9D/s1600/SDC17244.JPG" height="640" width="296" /></a></div>
A combination of different seed oils and other oils in addition to the seaberry, this product basically claims to nourish your skin with antioxidants. Along with the oils, this product also includes two forms of vitamin E, a form of vitamin C, and a small group of citrus oriented fragrance compounds.<br />
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Just using this oil in the mornings had my skin feeling softer and more supple. Honestly, my skin was at a point where it was rather stiff from the dryness and in desperation, I shelled out the $50 for this facial oil with fantastic results.<br />
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I still have hyper pigmentation from my blemishes, but I truly believe using this oil helped those areas heal. Unfortunately, healing was an issue for me as my dry areas weren't elastic enough and I would just aggravate the healing blemish by simply moving my face. That stopped within one or two days of using the oil.<br />
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I prefer to pat a conservative drop and a half of oil all over my face. I usually rub the oil between my hands first and then pat. Since I do use this in the morning, I wait about 5 minutes for the oil to absorb before applying any other product on my face.<br />
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My experience was very positive, but I can't say that this will be the case for everyone. For example, I have tried argan oil also and I didn't gain as many results as I did with Fresh's Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil. The great news is that it is possible to buy travel sizes or get samples of facial oils you might be interested in, at least in Sephora. So I definitely say don't hesitate moisturizing with facial oils if you have oily skin, it's just the matter of finding the right one. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-78435712393951935112015-02-22T11:33:00.003-08:002015-02-23T22:23:58.705-08:00Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel: Refreshingly Clean Cleansing Cloths<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, not the most glamorous type of product to be reviewing, but such as essential one for many of us that use makeup.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz8Z9O9gHUgkpxc2gtQ4fJFfYgdTqJCIcmDk3qLGYqBbkeqm_gdoWOoKNovdbjgh_yEgXKNhTxNfsBMK5edivw6QL0RojWo74Eh-JPwHZh95DXNpgcvdc5wuauIp35SN-BIhuSO_GFXVs/s1600/SDC17225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz8Z9O9gHUgkpxc2gtQ4fJFfYgdTqJCIcmDk3qLGYqBbkeqm_gdoWOoKNovdbjgh_yEgXKNhTxNfsBMK5edivw6QL0RojWo74Eh-JPwHZh95DXNpgcvdc5wuauIp35SN-BIhuSO_GFXVs/s1600/SDC17225.JPG" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
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A while back, I was lauding the wonderful uses of the Dickinson's witch hazel toner and now I'm back with a new product they've released. There have been some other random products the brand has put out, but those products didn't really fit in with my lifestyle, so I gave them a pass. But as I was wandering around my local Walgreens the other day, I found a new display with this little gem and I picked it up with the justification that I was low on my Olay Fresh Effects wipes.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I am one of those unlucky people with very sensitive skin when it comes to my relationship with cleansing cloth types of products. I've so far, tried 4 different brands before the Dickinson's one and my impressions ranged from, "it burns!" to "I can tolerate this." If you're wondering which ones I've tried, here's the short list:<br />
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The Body Shop - Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes (burned and smelled too strongly)<br />
Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes (burned)<br />
Ole Henriksen - Nurture Me Cleansing Cloths (burned around the eyes but smelled lovely)<br />
Olay - Fresh Effects S'wipe Out Cloths (no burning but eyes were irritated)<br />
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I really didn't bother with reviewing any of those since they just didn't work out for me. But I swore that when I found something affordable and it didn't irritate or burn my eyes, I would have to let others know about it. The Dickinson's brand impressed me so much that I would just have to say this is my Holy Grail cleansing cloth and I don't think I'll be experimenting with any others from now on.<br />
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Let's begin with effectiveness. I've removed a full face of makeup and most of my mascara and eyeliner with no problems. I like to start with my eyes first when the cloth is right out of the package and still fairly moist before moving on to the rest of my face. I don't use waterproof makeup, but my mom uses the Physician's Formula eyeliner pen that I remember being advertised as either water-resistant or waterproof. She had no problems getting all of it off with the cloth.<br />
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I also felt no stinging or burning sensation anywhere around my face and especially my eyes. Usually after I use a wipe, I have to rinse my face with water to remove the solution off to reduce irritation. But I didn't feel the need to at all with the Dickinson's cleansing cloths. I just felt clean and refreshed. Moreover, the scent is only that of witch hazel and I personally don't mind this scent at all.<br />
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Now, the best part about these cleansing cloths (well, besides the fact that my eyes were comfortable), is that the ingredient list was super short. I really did not expect that at all!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-ZRbb-nvIF90lM1Gt8XS_GNZ1Ov1RpcQpR0AznNYYKAhlKQw6PoH24xGkz2WENSSyAO4X_8W2xkvBDEcFBdna4jHdZHge135_SOPPEHXTeEWC6XLLxnRHpZGs-dKPc6TDcJfVQT4SF8T/s1600/SDC17224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-ZRbb-nvIF90lM1Gt8XS_GNZ1Ov1RpcQpR0AznNYYKAhlKQw6PoH24xGkz2WENSSyAO4X_8W2xkvBDEcFBdna4jHdZHge135_SOPPEHXTeEWC6XLLxnRHpZGs-dKPc6TDcJfVQT4SF8T/s1600/SDC17224.JPG" height="318" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's basically 5 ingredients in these cleansing cloths, which makes me question how it removed my makeup so well. The witch hazel and alcohol were standard in the toner so that was no surprise. I love aloe and that was another positive point to see that on the ingredient list. As for benzethonium chloride and Sodium Benzoate, one is an antimicrobial and the other is a preservative that is more commonly used in food. I'm not quite sure if it's the combination of it all or what, but nearly all of my makeup was removed with this product and I recognize the all the ingredients, so I decided not to think too hard on the "how."<br />
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If you happen to see these cleansing cloths around, I recommend giving it a try. They're under $10 and I think they're brilliant. And I just realized by looking at my photo above that this company doesn't test on animals! An even bigger plus for the brand. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-83017218772491416772015-02-22T09:49:00.001-08:002015-02-22T09:49:38.592-08:00Dior Rouge Baume - Diorette<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, hello there! It's been quite a while. Truthfully, the last couple of months have been kicking my butt on the job front. I don't think I've directly been involved or dealt with work drama before so it's been rough. It's enough that I'm also working on contingency plans just in case. Let's just say my emotional state has been all over the place and focusing on my personal hobbies has been a struggle.<br />
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Anyways, in December, I decided to splurge and gift myself with a Dior lip product.<br />
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The Rouge Baume line is advertised as a "nourishing lip balm" that adds shine and color. After perusing all the shades, I decided that Diorette had just enough brightness while being still wearable, at least for me. What initially drew me to this particular line was the packaging. I was in the mood for a lipstick that looked classic and luxurious. Although most of the parts are plastic, the design does not make you think gimmick or drugstore (not that I don't love my drugstore lipsticks). The CD on the lid is also a nice touch. An understated but definitely elegant appearance without looking dated. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhgw1jq8fsiSYwLzaUnF9ecidaZUwCxyVDEUeeBd8cUpxJqyBFGcSAxDjRvwfZ7y1b-fjyJaAVkVBWFD7wxDa_o58fMchPP-PxeZxAaopX6Tfn9XTtlokb9Bwkolr4vyXspNbNv2_NCtA/s1600/SDC17215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhgw1jq8fsiSYwLzaUnF9ecidaZUwCxyVDEUeeBd8cUpxJqyBFGcSAxDjRvwfZ7y1b-fjyJaAVkVBWFD7wxDa_o58fMchPP-PxeZxAaopX6Tfn9XTtlokb9Bwkolr4vyXspNbNv2_NCtA/s1600/SDC17215.JPG" height="400" width="330" /></a></div>
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I also loved that the Christian Dior initials were on the bullet itself, although this is a temporary aesthetic that basically disappeared after I swatched it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB2I2ynJQ1bj-8qCtHlvE7MSBdaMHPlDj-ptvUU0IkUgxHWVwYCU9VSfQ7WgG_R75WSA6eDhTWqeUh_o-KUove8bc8ilUlbfgSXKrm-dVjoDLg4IUaezdur2aVmkT_dom_0k3iFYPsmAv/s1600/SDC17218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB2I2ynJQ1bj-8qCtHlvE7MSBdaMHPlDj-ptvUU0IkUgxHWVwYCU9VSfQ7WgG_R75WSA6eDhTWqeUh_o-KUove8bc8ilUlbfgSXKrm-dVjoDLg4IUaezdur2aVmkT_dom_0k3iFYPsmAv/s1600/SDC17218.JPG" height="400" width="331" /></a></div>
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Diorette is a fuchsia pink that has it's punch of color amped up. For a balm type of lipstick, it is quite vivid for some people. I tend to lean more towards these kinds of pinks anyways, so I actually stayed in my safe zone when I purchased Diorette. Swatched, this shade looks as though it wants to be in the coral family, but on my lips, the brightness of the fuchsia came through more. It's absolutely more on the red side of fuchsia and not purple, which probably explains why the swatch reminds me of a coral color. </div>
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Application was easy as pie. I think the shape of the bullet and creamy texture made for a no brainer type of lip product. I thought the balm side of this product definitely kept my lips feeling supple and looking pretty. Now if you want the fine lines on your lips to disappear with this product, that's not going to happen. The texture reminds me of my most comfortable lip balms to wear but the amount of moisture is no where near that of the Fresh tinted balms. However, I do deal with hair sticking to my lips on occasion with Fresh while I don't have that issue with my Rouge Baume. </div>
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Overall, I think the Rouge Baume is a solid product. The shade range is wide, spanning from sheer to more vibrant and opaque. When you get down to it though, you are paying $35 for what is essentially a "tinted lip balm." As a purchase, I think the Rouge Baume will stay in the splurge or gifting category for me. The packaging is beautiful and the Dior brand just speaks of luxury and elegance, so I think the occasional expense doesn't hurt, but I most certainly cannot justify a full collection of the Rouge Baumes for myself. </div>
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-63312534647889329692014-10-13T12:50:00.002-07:002017-10-25T23:59:26.366-07:00Benefit: Cheeky Sweet Spot <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello there, it seems holiday sets are hitting the stores before Halloween is even over. I have recently been all about blush with my makeup routine. I've been loving the look that consists of really simple eyes and lips, but some bolder blush application. Consequently, this routine has me eyeing a lot of blushes and I particularly like the idea of having blush sets or palettes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwzQXxIbvnebCoV5VLOwVEb8HnSOHemvNUT336tky73J_sEwt4cjLxvsfciVMK_eA7XSrsPKpk0NykfCfbucBKZZ1cpMz0eBdSmP-Be1TLKUgMddZUs4p26LnKBciHos9MUXW3evzN9jw/s1600/SDC17195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwzQXxIbvnebCoV5VLOwVEb8HnSOHemvNUT336tky73J_sEwt4cjLxvsfciVMK_eA7XSrsPKpk0NykfCfbucBKZZ1cpMz0eBdSmP-Be1TLKUgMddZUs4p26LnKBciHos9MUXW3evzN9jw/s640/SDC17195.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
My other weakness is packaging that is themed with really cute or kitschy designs. So when I missed out on the limited edition Tarte blush set that included four individual blush colors at Ulta, was completely vulnerable when I walked by this set.<br />
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This set includes five shades of the popular boxed blushes that Benefit usually has in their line up. Except for Bella Bamba. That one's now discontinued, so if you were able to get your hands on it before they stopped selling it, lucky you! In addition to the blushes, you also have the Hoola bronzer and Watt's Up highlighter that comes in a nifty container that can be popped out and it has lid to prevent drying. Oh, and you get a cute little brush that is soft and dense enough to probably work in a pinch.<br />
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The packaging itself is a sturdy tin with a lid that closes securely. Look closely enough, you can totally tell that the theme is geared for Christmas, what with the green and red color theme and the minimal use of holly art. The inside is a foam piece that holds all the products, The foam is fitted really well to prevent it from just falling out of the tin but I am pretty sure that there is no additional glue to worry about if you decide to just empty out the tin.<br />
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Most of the powders in this set are 0.17 oz. Dandelion is only 0.14 oz and Sugarbomb is for some reason 0.21 oz. The full sized boxed powders weigh in at 0.28 oz,. The Watt's Up highlighter is only 0.05 oz. and that's the one item you might feel Benefit skimped on the most.<br />
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Overall, I only paid $36 for this set and with the boxed blushes being $28 per box, I think the deal can't be beat and you do get a decent amount of product.<br />
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Now the popularity of the Benefit boxed blushes has been going strong for years. So I don't think I need to really expound on how wonderful they are. I will say that Sugarbomb doesn't feel as lovely and soft as the other ones, but it's still good. Also, the color seemed to be less pigmented compared to the other ones, even when compared to Dandelion which is a rather subtle pink. I have no swatch of Watt's Up as it matches my skin tone quite well and that just confused my camera, but I'm liking it. So considering I've only hit pan on my e.l.f. Candid Coral blush after a really long time, I highly doubt I'd be running out of any of these blushes anytime soon. This was an affordable investment and I really should not be buying any more blush in the future because really, I've got more blush than the average person now. </div>
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-75581542775293230952014-10-13T10:25:00.002-07:002017-10-25T23:49:46.041-07:00Deborah Lippmann: Across the Universe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a very long time! Real life has taken over and I've been horrible at balancing my hobbies. My one year contract with my teaching position has turned into a fully contracted position and my temporary one year counted as one of the two probationary years. So I've been working at adjusting to this career transition. Let's just say that I've never valued my down time as much as I do now.<br />
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However, today I'm going to share some photos of a polish I had been meaning to post about for months. Deborah Lippman - Across the Universe was one of the three polishes given to me as a gift during last year's holiday season.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX2InrLrSMXGzy3cWcvyGahVeLDHSkC2JNtdc5f5FLirvL7r13xkAq3gIWz5sTAmZ2UkiiLZD7nOXeOOAOTFU0o1GE4TIeBrOfzYmO3JQELwc1Jc2FvY_5VsB7O-F2w_uvPZroVZ7Ez-X/s1600/SDC17004.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX2InrLrSMXGzy3cWcvyGahVeLDHSkC2JNtdc5f5FLirvL7r13xkAq3gIWz5sTAmZ2UkiiLZD7nOXeOOAOTFU0o1GE4TIeBrOfzYmO3JQELwc1Jc2FvY_5VsB7O-F2w_uvPZroVZ7Ez-X/s640/SDC17004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have on three coats in the photo. The glitter is suspended in a blackened jelly base, so I needed that many coats to really have good coverage from the base. The glitter itself, behaved rather well and spread evenly enough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokdA1ton6j4YvoD6ZeAdH4b01LuWkkZQILdrddxnHs803sBDHcpYuWq-p64tXL6JZM6RvArgCRgZByMyRDTaqZ81NPKJVl4TXCKaL6LWTHO9vJ9Fsg_bM9cxEvaBAUyxhuAazXhwVHisK/s1600/SDC17010.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokdA1ton6j4YvoD6ZeAdH4b01LuWkkZQILdrddxnHs803sBDHcpYuWq-p64tXL6JZM6RvArgCRgZByMyRDTaqZ81NPKJVl4TXCKaL6LWTHO9vJ9Fsg_bM9cxEvaBAUyxhuAazXhwVHisK/s640/SDC17010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In hindsight, I probably would've used a black or some equivalent base before using this polish. The density of glitter is great without three coats but to have the jelly base hide my visible nail line, I used more coats of glitter than I usually would.<br />
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Overall, this polish has a wonderful depth to it and it has the perk of being named after one of my favorite songs by Hayley Westenra (at least I assume it is...)<br />
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On a separate note, I have noticed that my beauty collection consists of more make up than I can possibly wear. So I've been really attempting not to buy more. Let's just say that my progress has basically been a case of I haven't given in as often for additional beauty products. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-31668455171261633412014-03-30T19:15:00.001-07:002017-10-25T23:57:54.073-07:00NYX Love in Paris: Let Them Eat Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, it's been a few weeks. I have had a hard time keeping up with this blog while going to school and working a full time job. Whenever there is free time available, lets just say I have been really appreciating that free time as personal time.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Today, I bring you the NYX Love in Paris, Let Them Eat Cake palette. I suppose the interest in this one I've been seeing around the net is influenced by the oh so hyped release of the Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette. I, myself, fell into that category and decided to give this one a try, but to be honest, I couldn't help myself and went ahead and bought the Naked 3.<br />
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Let's start with the packaging. The design is rather compact and sturdy, being a plastic case and the clasp is shaped as a cute bow. In addition, it is nice and flat with makes it easy to travel with. It also comes with one double ended sponge tip applicator.<br />
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The shades in this palette consists mostly of tones of pink and are accented by various degrees of brown. I figure the brown shades are for the crease. Most of the shades are decently pigmented except for one. It's that matte muted pink one in very top right corner in the photo above.<br />
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So I have two angles I took the photos from, bare with me please. The colors are, however, swatched in the same order as it appears in the palette.<br />
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Beginning with the most left column from the top, we have a slightly matte maroon toned brown that is verging on the sheer side. It's still pigmented enough though to work with but you'd run less risk of going wrong using this shade for a smokey look. Right below in the center, you have a cream shade that flashes pink. I could not photograph that flash of pink no matter how much I contorted my hand under different lights. Unfortunately, this shade matched my skin pretty well and just sort of blends right in. This shade is lovely in texture, being soft and velvety and the color appeared quite pigmented on my fingertips which are pinker. Last you have a medium satin brown that is just as nice as the center shade.<br />
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Moving on to the middle column, we have a more mauve toned pink with golden shimmer. Right below it, we have a more peachy pink that is somewhat pearly or satiny. Both of these shades are soft and velvety as well. The pigmentation on both are decent and can be built. The last pink in this column is a cool, slightly shimmery pink. The texture on this one is harder and the pigmentation is not something I'd really compliment on, but it can be built up.<br />
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Finally, the last column continues with more pinks and a rich brown. Starting at the top, there is a muted cool toned pink shade that is matte. This one is probably the worst shadow out of all of the shadows in this palette. It's very hard in texture and has poor color payoff. If you must use that shade, I'd suggest using the last one in this column because that one is very similar but is nice and soft with better pigmentation. As for the brown in the middle, it is wonderfully dark and pigmented with some golden shimmer.<br />
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My overall opinion about this palette is positive. The shades I do like are well pigmented and I've created some nice looks with this palette. It's versatile as well because of the first column on the left, so you can choose to go more subtle. If you like smokey looks, this palette does have shades that are easily blendable and you'll have a smokey eye look in no time. If you're on the search for a rosy eye shadow palette for an affordable price, I'd definitely recommend this one.<br />
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-28967822939239093292014-02-09T22:43:00.002-08:002017-10-26T00:01:05.911-07:00Deborah Lippmann: Boom Boom Pow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this is a bit late for the Christmas holiday, but this polish and this combination actually works out very well for Lunar New Year too, which was on January 31st! With Valentine's Day headed our way, I figured this would work too.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For these photos, I have Boom Boom Pow layered over Color Club's Berry and Bright. I absolutely love Boom Boom Pow. It's packed with large and small gold hex glitter, which is all suspended in a base that is full of golden fleck glitter. The tone of gold leans more towards the cooler side to my eye. It's nowhere near brassy, I think.<br />
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The application is wonderful, although some of the larger hex glitters will move around with the brush strokes. I had to fiddle a bit with that, but overall, I'd say there isn't a lot of fuss.<br />
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This one gets a definite thumbs up from me, although the price definitely lets you know that you're paying for luxury. I no longer have the little box it came in, but it did claim to have actual 24K gold dust in it. I suppose that justifies the extravagant price? Just a tad? Luckily for me, this one was also a gift, so I have no chance of experiencing buyer's remorse. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-83747067382480789242014-01-04T15:04:00.003-08:002017-10-26T00:07:49.104-07:00Nail Pattern Boldness: Glitter-A-Peel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love glitter nail polish, but I absolutely hate removing it, especially the chunkier kinds. So, I finally caved and bought <a href="http://www.nailpatternboldness.com/collections/base-and-top-coats/products/glitter-a-peel" target="_blank">Nail Pattern's Boldness' Glitter-A-Peel</a> and have been testing it out for the last two months.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So, lets get the technical stuff clear. Glitter-A-Peel is not a glue base nor is it 3-free. It is cruelty free though. In addition, it does contain Toluene and smells a lot like the nail polishes I encountered when I was younger before the "Free" appeal was a big deal. One bottle will set you back just $8 plus shipping fees and it will arrive in your mail box nicely padded in a plastic media envelope.<br />
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So far, I've used Glitter-A-Peel on about 10 different glitter mani's, I've stopped counting at manicure 4. The greatest pros for this product are that it dries incredibly quick and really does peel away easily. Following the directions from NPB's website, I've always applied 2 coats on bare nails before applying the base color and glitter on top, except for one instance where I used only one coat of Glitter-A-Peel and that didn't go well. I definitely recommend following the directions and use the 2 coats. For removal, I also used an orange stick, as instructed by the NPB website as well. I find that using the beveled side of an orange stick worked the best for me.<br />
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As for the cons, there is only one, but it's a considerable one: I haven't been able to keep a mani past 2 days. So far, Glitter-A-Peel is a one day manicure for me. The only times I was able to stretch it to a second day was while wearing ButterLONDON's Scuppered and Deborah Lippmann's Glitter and Be Gay (Wet n' Wild's Going Platinum as a base color).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXoVn3hoUZgPFlU3526GsRfmbiHC98VY-V42aHWIdVSHCNE9HuyNpUGdD0ifgAFlv5leI7Wo8WYW0EgKzB0YQ3g7b6LMZnyQ10p3QqlOAfwGPySeqzAh2lm5PzsW8Kq2raUMH749nI39v/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXoVn3hoUZgPFlU3526GsRfmbiHC98VY-V42aHWIdVSHCNE9HuyNpUGdD0ifgAFlv5leI7Wo8WYW0EgKzB0YQ3g7b6LMZnyQ10p3QqlOAfwGPySeqzAh2lm5PzsW8Kq2raUMH749nI39v/s640/IMG_0923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One day of wear. </td></tr>
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What I've noticed is that my manicure becomes rather brittle after a day and begins to lift off the nail, a process that is unnoticeable until I snag it on the most mundane of things and chunks of polish come off. I've actually had a whole piece fall off one nail while showering. Even chunky glitter doesn't seem to stop this from happening, like Essie's A Cut Above. Thus far, I haven't seen any other exceptions besides the ones I mentioned in the previous paragraph.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3w-AMymzrNkxlJsGFRpqieh5IHQx_fjG5rMuFTZ35jIeb4rhLMIK6RRD7r0ZhJw5CLpB1haM-z1dsqAKg2xepTG94HRZKW_hzWVxpdmzGRyrQ5gYxY6jYnAB_ulFkRn9ia2-gGeHe6Xao/s1600/IMG_0975_zps0f36ab08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3w-AMymzrNkxlJsGFRpqieh5IHQx_fjG5rMuFTZ35jIeb4rhLMIK6RRD7r0ZhJw5CLpB1haM-z1dsqAKg2xepTG94HRZKW_hzWVxpdmzGRyrQ5gYxY6jYnAB_ulFkRn9ia2-gGeHe6Xao/s640/IMG_0975_zps0f36ab08.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scuppered day two</td></tr>
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<br />If you're out to have glitzy glitter packed nails for a night, I think Glitter-A-Peel is the best thing ever. I absolutely loved bypassing the nightmare of glitter mani removals. However, if you're looking for at least 4-5 days with a glitter mani, then this might not be the best option. I am satisfied enough by this product for now because I am finally able to wear glitter mani's but I definitely wouldn't mind another product that does the same thing as Glitter-A-Peel but gives me longer wear time. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-55230511627733055022013-12-22T21:12:00.001-08:002017-10-26T00:10:50.778-07:00Deborah Lippmann: Glitter and Be Gay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It seems this holiday was one for nail polish as gifts, glitter nail polish to be exact. Admittedly, I did request for specific Deborah Lippmann shades but it wasn't my idea to begin with and the other polish was an unexpected surprise. So in the end, I ended up with 3 Deborah Lippmann glitters and one ButterLONDON glitter and a reputation for having decked out nails apparently.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYkcyVzRGV3CrbT_KNOe_TSw_-jjWduN9AeKjYVxu6Ar790EpAYfyfxEpGz_cc7gY7Z1EaIg3In9MUTLdpeAklVR0jF7yoS9McBlAzn03nkt9WcqoCFT72-ZMJx0PVdwX7lo_dyJN-JZh/s1600/SDC16997.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYkcyVzRGV3CrbT_KNOe_TSw_-jjWduN9AeKjYVxu6Ar790EpAYfyfxEpGz_cc7gY7Z1EaIg3In9MUTLdpeAklVR0jF7yoS9McBlAzn03nkt9WcqoCFT72-ZMJx0PVdwX7lo_dyJN-JZh/s640/SDC16997.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>The first polish I had to try was Glitter and Be Gay just because it was so sparkly and chunky. I've heard that Deborah Lippmann glitters are great and I wanted at least one that was no where near the side of subtle. Glitter and Be Gay is a mixture of large and small holographic silver hex, yellow golden hex, and periwinkle/bluish lavendar hex glitters. For the photos, I applied one coat of Going Platinum from the Wet n' Wild Fergie collection and two coats of the glitter. Also, under all that I have two coats of Nail Pattern Boldness' Glitter-A-Peel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiQb4JHDDypKTtRfheB6qan6Hmj-kPJGRcVFzC8Ns_nl5qDO-Vgf4eBsN8cDy_puaYoEFMAqCPXY20fEuBg-EJq3scRpHj6sBvUPHN9zTO6sFPWsC-Ofsvzzh44wtPoVrUGrXo-5rnss-/s1600/SDC16996.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiQb4JHDDypKTtRfheB6qan6Hmj-kPJGRcVFzC8Ns_nl5qDO-Vgf4eBsN8cDy_puaYoEFMAqCPXY20fEuBg-EJq3scRpHj6sBvUPHN9zTO6sFPWsC-Ofsvzzh44wtPoVrUGrXo-5rnss-/s640/SDC16996.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Honestly, the texture wasn't what I had imagined it to be. Maybe it was the sheer amount of glitter packed into one bottle versus the amount of clear base, but this was very thick and a clumpy. It took a bit of work to spread out the glitter for an even distribution of glitter or else I would've had a small mountain of glitter localized on a section of my nail. I did go ahead and added a few drops of thinner to the bottle, but it helped only just a tad. After the two coats, I basically dabbed glitter onto areas that need just a bit more glitter and sealed it all in with two coats of top coat.<br />
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Besides the thickness, I really like Glitter and Be Gay. It catches the light beautifully and is very festive. Although I have Essie's Stroke of Brilliance and A Cut Above, they shine instead of sparkle. Glitter and Be Gay does both and if you're looking for glitter nail polish that might just outshine your sparkly jewelry, this would be a safe bet. The price is definitely indulgent though at $19 per bottle. I believe that the ones I received as gifts will be the only ones I'll own unless I'm gifted again. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-64260561948069146492013-11-09T13:06:00.001-08:002017-10-26T00:11:42.866-07:00Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: Confetti Punch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a few weeks since I picked up this little bottle of glitter fun. I really liked the contrasting colors in it and couldn't resist especially since the Xtreme Wear line is rather affordable.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Confetti Punch is a combination of small green and silver hex glitter, larger blue hex glitter, and raspberry micro glitter. All this gorgeousness is suspended in an almost magenta toned transparent base. These shades altogether make for a really eye catching manicure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5pTUwHLVSVpINmVCtuExzMN9DBpD3Va8fNbLlsexKBYGCRWNPWPhY-T-UVGAEtOqktuJP0pCNJA0gQgdwYJBUKLevXRWKXAOh-qEwCLErrVTwdcVgaA5WazaR7l4wAUoJ8alS-C8TLY6/s1600/SDC16986.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5pTUwHLVSVpINmVCtuExzMN9DBpD3Va8fNbLlsexKBYGCRWNPWPhY-T-UVGAEtOqktuJP0pCNJA0gQgdwYJBUKLevXRWKXAOh-qEwCLErrVTwdcVgaA5WazaR7l4wAUoJ8alS-C8TLY6/s400/SDC16986.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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For my manicure, I decided to use Orly's Artificial Sweetener as the base shade and then I applied two coats of Confetti Punch. The larger hex glitter takes just a bit of coaxing to apply to my liking but overall I had no trouble with getting the glitter to come out of the bottle. This formula did take some time to dry though, so a quick dry top coat is recommended.<br />
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Unfortunately, this one is limited edition and I really wished I had browsed the rest of the available shades when I had the chance. Now it's too late since I can't seem to find the collection Confetti Punch belonged to in stores anymore. <br />
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-16764533860784217312013-10-12T20:18:00.003-07:002017-10-26T00:14:29.467-07:00Sephora Pantone Universe Full Spectra Eye Shadow Palette: Daybreak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been eyeing this particular palette ever since it was released, but I couldn't justify spending money on another eye shadow palette I didn't need that was full priced. So as I was browsing for a new concealer to use for an upcoming wedding, I found this palette in the sale bins. I hesitated for just a bit before I grabbed it. I was still able to find it on sale at the Sephora website today for $19.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The design of this palette is simple and has nice clean lines. The use of the magnetic lid is definitely reminiscent of Inglot. The block shape of the pans are also very modern, although I'm not quite sure what was behind the logic in the different sized pans. I'm not so sure I would be using the top portions anymore than the bottom half, so I would have preferred the pans to be equal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxM1IrKxqzRC5Qsmah3zUrmEc7s0UtKqjXML1msYwgAJlwSb6Jh13T-j4kDJspsZteOPmEiLWwCv4m8u6Q6LS2pKNQJpnxWr12Kb0ACO0CCS8HMOc-dWHcS3ETOwKWLAF0d-Ykyjb9JZM-/s1600/SDC16946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxM1IrKxqzRC5Qsmah3zUrmEc7s0UtKqjXML1msYwgAJlwSb6Jh13T-j4kDJspsZteOPmEiLWwCv4m8u6Q6LS2pKNQJpnxWr12Kb0ACO0CCS8HMOc-dWHcS3ETOwKWLAF0d-Ykyjb9JZM-/s640/SDC16946.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right, top row first: Navajo, Dew, Jet Stream, Fairest Jade, Shrimp, Atmosphere, Cloud Pink, Peach Melba. </td></tr>
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<br />I found that the texture to be soft and buttery, very easy to use. The only one I found to be a bit chalky would be Jet Stream, the third top shade from the left. This shade was also one of the two only matte eye shadows of this palette. The other matte shade is Peach Melba, the last bottom pan on the right.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghx2Nvd6MLvLJzk1OyTNmIeA7aBBQzzsTndhoZ3GGqJd4tbbmWoqqu8HeYsOSa79g6Xp-p3Q_64QutRAWnAxr3x9xCHuL7VkMjgrKkAshOCaj_GKmKB4xuk_EdyELMb1VyuP_AQKBZfzgL/s1600/SDC16951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghx2Nvd6MLvLJzk1OyTNmIeA7aBBQzzsTndhoZ3GGqJd4tbbmWoqqu8HeYsOSa79g6Xp-p3Q_64QutRAWnAxr3x9xCHuL7VkMjgrKkAshOCaj_GKmKB4xuk_EdyELMb1VyuP_AQKBZfzgL/s640/SDC16951.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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These shadows are pain to photograph to be honest. Four of them are duo-chrome in nature so my camera just decided to ignore that characteristic. Navajo and Dew are very similar when swatched and flash an almost lime green when the light hits just right. I found that Fairest Jade looked very mint green and tilted a bit would show a hint of teal, although photographed it looks white. Last, Atmosphere seems to be the sheer cousin of either' M.A.C.'s Club, or Too Faced's Label Whore.<br />
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The shades I love most have to be Shrimp and Peach Melba. I really like the coral tone of Shrimp and found the color easier to work with than I had first thought. As for Peach Melba, the quality of this matte peachy pink is so smooth, it will definitely be my go-to shade for warming up that crease to brow transition area. </div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-57971376761181202572013-09-02T11:14:00.002-07:002017-10-26T00:15:18.948-07:00NYX Glam Shadow Stick: Rose Gold<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently, I discovered that the Target I go to for household essentials also sold NYX. When did that happen? Granted, the selection was in a rather sorry state, I still couldn't help but pick up this shadow stick when it's name was Rose Gold. I was just in some kind of spending mood that night...Oops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBCszTQ4dJZkns_M_1DWDpMbCEbPq4L14wq5SQTwsrhWIw8V9yeR1yk18ZV4zk7C6IncR1p5o8pcuzQPEoZGyAOOIRg0n3CDDk6z3A4DzUgtg1ClWTvuPiGCFu0dHfKfi9ffHdcnE-wYW/s1600/SDC16911.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBCszTQ4dJZkns_M_1DWDpMbCEbPq4L14wq5SQTwsrhWIw8V9yeR1yk18ZV4zk7C6IncR1p5o8pcuzQPEoZGyAOOIRg0n3CDDk6z3A4DzUgtg1ClWTvuPiGCFu0dHfKfi9ffHdcnE-wYW/s640/SDC16911.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let's start with what was good about this shadow stick. The packaging is super convenient and user friendly since it twists up and the clear cap lets you see the shade. I also thought the size of the crayon was perfect for my lids and made for an easy quick application process. In addition, I experienced no tugging whatsoever because it went on smoothly and blended easily.<br />
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The color is also quite similar to rose gold, at least for a make up product. It's sort of a pinkish peachy shade with lots of shimmer. Very pretty and a great shade to wear by itself.<br />
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Now, the biggest downfall of this shadow stick, was the fact that it creased. I hadn't worn it for an hour before I found those dreaded crease lines on my lids. I did use my NYX eyelid primer underneath, but did not use any powder eyeshadow on top. Considering the fact that I don't actually own any rose gold sort of shade in powder form, anything I set this shadow stick with will dull or alter the gorgeous color, the whole point of purchasing this in the first place.<br />
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I suppose I could use Rose Gold as a base, but I didn't buy this shadow stick for that purpose. I wanted the color in all its glory. Plus, all the shimmer in this stick makes me think it's not really meant to be a base anyways.<br />
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I guess it's a good thing I'm only out around $5. I should've resisted the urge to buy! Excuse me, while I pity myself.</div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-3984730086756070172013-08-25T11:11:00.001-07:002017-10-26T00:16:06.141-07:00OPI: Haven't the Foggiest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the release of the OPI San Francisco collection, I really couldn't help but purchase at least one of the shades available. My brother was with me while I was in the selection process and we narrowed it down to Haven't the Foggiest. My brother and I do love our fog since we basically feel like melting once the temperatures start hitting the 70s <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;">°</span>F.<br />
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Haven't the Foggiest stands right next to the fence in nearly being gun metal, but at the same time definitely not. Although silver in color, it is not as bright as the usual slivers available out there. I have seen this shade described as a shimmer, but I can't agree and would prefer to call it a foil. You can't see the foil texture in my photo because this shade is seriously light reflective and I was dealing with the ever changing sky of San Francisco for lighting.<br />
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The formula went on so smoothly, this was one of the fastest manicure sessions I had. I will admit that there are some faint signs of brushstrokes but once I had my topcoat over it, those strokes became unnoticeable. This polish was also only a two coater although I would say one coat is possible because the color is so dense. Overall, I'm really pleased with this polish.<br />
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On a side note, I have started a new job that is keeping me very busy with nearly 9 hour work days and it requires taking work home to do as well on most days. I also plan to go back to school for basically 9 months (I just mailed my application last week). My free time to update on this blog will be cut down greatly but I don't plan to stop. I did want the reason for the lack of updating to be known though. Thanks!</div>
whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-39205333707348615252013-08-01T13:38:00.000-07:002017-10-26T00:17:42.594-07:00Color Club: Over the Moon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here I am with another Color Club holo polish. This one is also from the Halo Hues 2013 collection and just as awesome as Miss Bliss.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Over the Moon is a light blue holographic shade. The overall holo effect is also strong enough to withstand top coat. While the top coat is wet, much of the effect will be dulled, but once everything is set and dry, the holographic nature of the polish is back again and beautiful.<br />
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The formula for Over the Moon is also very smooth and easy to apply. Two coats basically gives you an opaque coverage, however I went with my usual three coats, mainly because I can't help but ding my lovely work and had to fix it. Which leads me to how well this one dries. The drying time is about the same as Miss Bliss, not the fastest of the bunch in my collection, and I'm too much of a busy body so my Sally Hansen Insta-Dri was a must to prevent any further damage. </div>
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Again, I wish I could afford more of the Color Club holos, but I am very happy with I do own. These retail for $10 each and the company is cruelty free, last I heard. If you're unsure about holographic nail polishes, I am positive that Color Club's version will give you a great experience. </div>
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924289390879330340.post-35994264876591953352013-07-15T19:20:00.000-07:002017-10-26T00:18:50.619-07:00Color Club: Miss Bliss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've had this holographic gem for a couple of months now, but never got around to actually trying it until now. I blame <a href="http://cuti-clue-les.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cuti-CLUE-les</a> since her recent post of her own Color Club holographic nail polish prompted me to finally pull out mine for my current manicure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZoh0iyGKL31WMIunUsqiX3o5_JMqZTUe1rt53cOyH8inYM9XboASwYIB8D5DGD6UQ9jcsbW2FxlykpKiJu58FKJj_owHZ93ddVINpVd20PZQ1qJm8i5AgLgNtJgDwIU7CqTOTlJvIPV5/s1600/SDC16852.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZoh0iyGKL31WMIunUsqiX3o5_JMqZTUe1rt53cOyH8inYM9XboASwYIB8D5DGD6UQ9jcsbW2FxlykpKiJu58FKJj_owHZ93ddVINpVd20PZQ1qJm8i5AgLgNtJgDwIU7CqTOTlJvIPV5/s640/SDC16852.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Miss Bliss is a pink holographic shade and is part of the Halo Hues 2013 collection. It is just amazing. The holographic effect is strong for this one in most kinds of lighting, although the effect did not show up well when I tried photographing in natural light. In person it was very obvious.</div>
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Two coats was enough to create an opaque and smooth appearance. The formula is just right, being not too thick or thin, making application a bliss. I did find that drying time was a bit longer than the usual polishes I have in rotation. So I used my Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat to speed up the drying process a bit because I was putting dings into my manicure while waiting for it dry. Using a top coat did temporarily mute the holographic effect, but I found that it returned after the polish was completely set and dry. </div>
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I'm really liking the Color Club holographic polishes (I've also tried Beyond earlier this year) and I wish I had picked up more but they do retail for $10 each. Even with a discount, I was paying $7 each and at the time 3 bottles in my basket was my limit since I also had a bunch of other nail polishes in there too that I had to have. I definitely recommend trying out at least one of the holo shades, you'll be impressed. </div>
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whimsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12923422140837899520noreply@blogger.com3