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Tuesday greetings y'all!! Hope you're all having a fine day. Wish I could say the same... :/ It's nothing bad really, I've just spent a majority of my day at Urgent Care. I had to take my cousin, she wasn't feeling too well and her parents are busy and had asked me to take her. I don't mind really, just wished I wasn't so ill prepared. Haha. I literally rushed out of the house in 3 minutes, not enough time to grab everything I needed. I would've probably forgot my head if it weren't attached to my body. :D
I was able to apply a few things to make myself look more awake. Because giiirl, I looked like the walking dead this morning. I would have definitely scared the living daylights out of someone. Haha.
Not even sure if this even qualifies as makeup but nonetheless, on the face today!
FACE Olay CompleteAll Day Moisturizer With Sunscreen SPF 15 for Combination/Oily Skin (not pictured) AveneThermal Spring Water (not pictured)
BROWS BH CosmeticsAutomatic Eyebrow Pencil in Black
EYES EssenceEyeliner Pen in Extra Longlasting ELF StudioEyeliner & Shadow Stick in Pearl & Glow CovergirlLash Blast Fusion Mascara
LIPS the BalmStainiac in Beauty Queen NiveaLip Butter in Raspberry Rose Kiss
Besides moisturizer, there is absolutely nothing on my face today, not even concealer. Dun dun! No, my skin isn't at its best right now but I've learned to embrace my skin and appearance anyway it is in. Yes, normally I would use concealer to conceal certain pimples or discoloration but today was a serious emergency. That giant red pimple on my forehead? Not a problem.
I did however, invest some time on my brows. Since everything was going to be bare, I might as well make my brows full to attract the eyes away from certain areas. My brows are naturally thick so there was not much to do but fill in. I do, however, have even brows; my left brow is the problematic one. UGH! It takes forever to even it out with the right one.
On my eyes, also nothing much at all. I thinly lined my eyes with a liquid liner and carefully extended that out from my outer corner to make my eyes look bigger. Nothing too thick or bold because this is supposed to pass off as being natural. I also applied a pearly shadow on 2/3 of my lower lash line to give it the doe eye effect, further making it bigger. Then I curled my lashed and mascara; almost didn't have time for this step.
I applied a couple coats of Stainiac and then applied the Lip Butter on top. In two steps, I then have color to my lips and moisture that will last me forever.
Thank you for dropping by and thanks for reading. Y'all enjoy the rest of your day now. Please come back soon! :)
Hello Tuesday my lovelies!! Hope you're all having a fantastical day. I am oddly in a superb mood... The weather probably has something to do with it. :P Such a lovely day in the neighborhood. I hope it rains! I need some rain on my life. Haha.
So a couple weeks ago, I placed an order on drugstore.com because I had some coupon that was fast expiring and the Chapstick I needed were only available on drugstore, soooooooo... ya know. Shipping normally is $6-ish but they had a spend $35, free shipping deal. It wouldn't be right if I bought a $4 lip balm and paid $6 for shipping. No.. Never!
Ever so conveniently, I came across the new EOS lip balm that I have not seen in stores yet. So I basically stocked up on lip balms. It's Winter, I'll be needing these anyways. Haha... delusional excuses.
But yeah, here are the things I picked up from drugstore, all of which are mostly lip balms. Hope y'all enjoy! :)
LIPS Nivea A Kiss Of Milk & Honey Soothing Lip Care ChapstickMoisturizer with SPF 12 in Green Apple ChapstickMoisturizer in Apple Caramel EOS Visibly Soft Lip Balm Sphere in Vanilla Mint EOS Visibly Soft Lip Balm Sphere in Coconut Milk EOSLimited Edition Collection Inspired by Rachel Roy in Barbados Heat Wildberry
Lip balms, lip balms and more lip balms. Who's complaining? Sure ain't me! I love lip balms, I looooove the feeling of smooth, healthy lips. I tend to go crazy during the Winter months though. The cold weather and lack of moisture just sucks the life out of my skin. I will always have some sort of lip balm on me and all day, errrrday applying them.
The Green Apple Chapsticks are a personal favorite amongst the brother and I, we use it for bed time. Apply it before bed and it will stay on for 8+ hours. The scent is just heavenly! I have a weakness for anything Green Apple.
Speaking of apple, look at this snazzy thing, apple on one end, caramel on the other. Can anyone say genius? Apple on the top lip and caramel on the bottom is how I wear mine. Simply delicious. ;)
I'd prefer Chapstick and EOS over Nivea any ol' day but I use Nivea as a fill in if that makes sense. I throw it in my bag for on the go a lot. I also use Nivea as a lip balm treatment while I apply my makeup. I already own the Kiss of Smoothness and Kiss of Green Tea and Olive Oil I think so I wanted to try this one. Not my most favorite I must say, I prefer the Kiss of Smoothness.
Annnd of course, more EOS lip balms. They are so inconveniently bulky and a pain to store but I love them to pieces! EOS has got to be the best lip balm I have EVER tried, hands down, drug store and high end. I know some people don't see the hype in it but I am crazy about them. I have all the scents. LOL. Their formula is amazing.
I have not seen these two new scents in store yet so might as well pick them up while they're still around. I already love the Mint scent, now Vanillas Mint? Uh, yes please! Coconut Milk I'm not too crazy about but that just might be me, I'm not too fond of the coconut scent. And the last one, limited edition, ugh... Smells so yummy! It's a bit too strong compared to other EOS scents so it might be a turn off for the normal EOS users.
EYES NYX The Adorable Shadow Palette
Another eyeshadow palette?! I have waaaay too many eyeshadows, I shouldn't buy anymore said no makeup enthusiasts ever. LOL. I've actually had my eyes on this palette for quite some time but never actually felt like I needed it. It's basically a nude palette, similar to the many nude palettes that I already own. Oh the struggle..
I finally went for it this time because I needed to reach $35 and I had coupons so.. I know, I know. Horrible reasoning but it worked. Haha.
Besides the packaging being super cute, I also adore NYX's eyeshadows. It is truly one of the best drug store eyeshadows ever. I've actually used this once already and I was not disappointed. Pigmented, no fallouts, applied so creamily, easy to blend. I cannot get enough of it. I think there were two other palettes, Natural and Smoky, that I may just have to pick up now. Ohhhh boy.
TOOLS EcoToolsSix Piece Essential Eye Set
One can never have enough brushes, especially if they are EcoTools. They are incredibly soft and easy to handle; I don't think I've ever came across an EcoTools brush that I did not like. This set in particular is travel sized which is sooooo handy when packing. You just wanna bring everything but you can't bring everything. Welllp, super glad I came across these babies and for a discount too. I believe I snatched these for about $5.
Speaking of traveling, it also comes with its own travel pouch-case thingy. I might not use it for these brushes but it is a nice pouch that I can definitely use for other purposes.
I hope y'all enjoyed my little haul. It's nothing exciting but I know there are those of you who are interested in seeing my purchases and basically get an idea of what works for me. Please enjoy the rest of your day.
Thank you for visiting and thanks for reading. Please come back soon. :D
Well hello, hello, hello there everybody! It's that time of month again to share with ya'll my monthly favorites, beauty and non-beauties. Have you checked out my March and February favorites?
This BB Cream is a a perrrrrrrrfect case of "you should use new products more than once before deciding", "don't judge a product from their looks" and why iPsy is a great investment. I received this product in my February iPsy bag, not the full size of course but a deluxe sample.
To be honest, I initially didn't think much of this BB Cream when I found it in my bag. I actually didn't even like it because it seemed too dark for my skin tone even though it was in Light. My skin was still fairly light back in February so the shade seemed too dark and yellow for me. As the months went on and the temp kept rising, my skin darkened a bit. The shade started matching me a little bit better. Eventually, without even realizing it, I used this on a daily basis. My sample is almost out and what to do??? So I placed an order...for Light and shade lighter, also the lightest shade they offer, in Fair. If anything, I can use the shades on their own, Fair for the Winter months, Light for the Summer months and mix 'em for the transitioning months.
I love this BB Cream so much it was included in my Spring Face Routine post. IPKN NY stands for Independent Professional Knowledgeable New Yorker; it is a Korean brand, pursuing the New York sophisticated style, very Americanized. And when I say Americanized, I do not mean it in a bad way, in any way. It's just that Koreans' and Americans' make up are way, waaaaaay different from each other. While the Koreans' go for the natural dewy skin, radiant skin, popsicle stained lips while Americans love to contour, full coverage foundation, mattifying and full lips. So it is very interesting to see a Korean brand targeting the American market like IPKN NY. Although this is a BB Cream, it's nothing like the BB Creams I've used from Korean brands like Skin79, Lioele, Missha, Holika Holika or Etude House. For starters, most brands don't have shades selections, they come in one or two shades. Some brands are slowly releasing four or five shades now since their consumers are increasing worldwide. IPKN NY has four shades to choose from, Fair, Light, Light/Medium and Medium. As for the texture, IPKN NY is runny and liquidy yet thick, differing from other BB Creams which has a thicker texture. Depending on the type of BB Cream, it varies from light to medium to full coverage unlike this Moist & Firm BB Cream is a full coverage. It has such a full coverage that it can be worn alone without the aid of a concealer. This BB Cream has not broke me out, but then again, I don't have sensitive skin so that rarely ever happens. When I do wear a new product and it does break me out, I will not use that product ever again. I've used this since February, when the temperature was in the high-4os to low-60s up until now, when the temp is at 100+ degrees. It did not dry my skin out in the cooler months and controls my oily situation fairly well as of now. Like I said, I've worn this with and without concealer, on days if I didn't get a good night's rest, I'd use concealer for my dark circles or if I grew a pimple, I'll use a concealer, but on good days, this BB Cream alone is able to do the job. I have worn it with and without a setting powder, it works just as great either way; however, I like setting with a powder no matter what.
Exactly like the name suggest, whenever I wear this BB Cream, I feel like my skin becomes firmer, as if I was 16 all over again. As for moist, yes, it keeps my face hydrated throughout the duration of the wear and even afterward, my skin still retains the moisture from morning.
This mascara was the second mascara I've used since getting back into make up again, but it's the first mascara I've ever fell in love with. Of course, I have since moved on to love many other mascaras, but this mascara still holds a special place in my heart.... I just kindaforget about it every once in a while, but every Summer though, or when the temperature rises, I am reminded of how much I love this mascara. Seriously, this mascara, waterproof, does not smudge, budge or lose effectiveness even in the scorching Arizona weather. I'll be sweating bullets and my lashes are still curled and smudge-free. Just don't go swimming with it though... I made that mistake years ago and it was NOT pretty. :|
Even though I purchased this lip balm later in the month, it was quick to become my favorite lip product. This will continue to be my night time lip balm if or until I find a better lip balm. Now, if we're talking about overall favorite lip balm, it'll definitely go to EOS over and over again, every single month, so to have variety, EOS will not be named in any of the Monthly Faves, maybe at the end of the year. But yeah, this Kiss of Smoothness is very moisturizing yet lightweight and keeps my lips hydrated throughout the night. In the morning, when I brush my teeth, it'll automatically wash off, leaving my lips baby-bottom soft. I also apply this while I'm doing my make up and rub it off and put on EOS as a base for my lip colors.
I started using this back in high school and it's stuck around since then. It is seriously affordable, like less than a dollar at Walmart, but it does the job. No matter what shampoo I use it with, I always get the same results, conditioned, healthy, silky hair. I don't know how many bottles of this I went through already. I can probably build a fort with it.
I usually use this when I use a 2-in-1 shampoo. If I'm using a shampoo that has a corresponding conditioner with it, it's useless to use this also. So what I do is after shampooing and rinsing my clean hair, I would lather this all over my hair then tie it up and move on to bathe my body or shave. Ya know, the norms. After I rinse my body, I'll then rinse my hair as well. I'll let the conditioner run down my body. Just that, both my hair and skin are conditioned.
My Uncle has an outdoor shower so we can rinse after gettin' out of the pool. Immediately after getting out of the pool, I would lather my hair in this conditioner, tie it up and let it sit for about five minutes before rinsing. By doing this, I saved my hair from chlorine and sun damage last Summer. Yay for quick and easy hair care!
Yes, of all the fancy shamnacy lo-ti-on out there, this plain ol' Aveeno lotion made it to my favorite list. Surprising? Maybe, maybe not. Vaseline Cocoa Butter lotion and jelly are still my holy grails, but for the sake of variety, I chose my other favored lo-ti-ion. While I used Vaseline Cocoa Butter for night time, I use Aveeno for the day time, whenever I'm at home. I don't usually wear lotion in the day time, but when I absolutely needed to, my go to is this Aveeno. I can't say it's scentless, there is a scent, I just cannot pin point what. It's not an artificial scent, like perfumes masking for chemicals, I think it just smells like oats and soy, their natural ingredients. I especially like this for the fact that it dries SUPER quick! It literally takes like zero seconds for it to fully absorb into my skin and leaves no grease whatsoever behind.
I guess Spring and orchid goes hand in hand. Here is another scent that includes these gorgeous flowers with light, floral scent mixed with Pink Amber; this is my least favorite out of the three, but I still like it very much. It's just a bit too strong to what I'm used to. Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom on the other hand, is my absolutely favorite this month. I love anything apple scented and anything "blossom" smells great. It's very light with a hint of sweetness to it. London Tulips & Raspberry Tea is the in-between one. I like it, I just can't really pin point exactly why I'm not too crazy about it as the Apple Blossom. I think it's a little TOO sweet for my taste. Does that make sense? That I can smell sweetness? But yeah, that's probably what it is.
Last month, I talked about the possibilities of repurchasing Caribbean Escape... It was tempting but I didn't repurchase it and bought a couple of new scents. Of the bunch, my favorites for this month are Aloha Orchid (again with the orchid) and Honolulu Sun. I usually dislike anything coconut scent, yeah I know, I'm weird, but I like this soap. There's a very faint coconut smell to it that I enjoy. I'm not entirely sure what the stand out scent for this one is, but I assume it's orchids. This soap has a sweet floral scent that isn't headache inducing strong.
My favorite food this month is so unhealthy...but it's so yummy. I can't help it! Two ice cream favorites this month, both from Blue Bell. The first is no surprise because Mint Chocolate Chip is my all time favorite flavor, Blue Bell just makes it THAT much better. The second flavor kinda surprised me a bit because I don't really enjoy peanut butter as a flavor. Butter Crunch is "vanilla flavored ice cream with chunks of crunchy chocolate peanut butter candy", it tastes even yummier than it sounds. It tastes almost identical to my favorite Dairy Queen Butterfinger Blizzards. I'm still drooling just thinking about it. Buuut it'll be another while until I get to taste those deliciousness in my mouth again. Since Blue Bell has many, many flavors, I'm trying to go through all of it, I might find a new favorite. It takes me a while to finish a tub though because I only indulge in this deliciousness once a week on Wednesdays when I'm enjoying my Criminal Minds.
Speaking of Criminal Minds, the second of the two part season finale airs tonight on CBS at 8 Arizona time. Ahhhhhh, the previews from last week has me super worried. :( Reid. Morgan. Nooooooooo.... :'(
My favorite food is unhealthy but my favorite drink sure is. The internet calls it a Detox Drink or Flat Tummy Water because it detoxes the body. The drink is a concoction of lemon (or lime), cucumber and mint leaves, ginger and orange are optional, brewed in water. Just throw all the sliced ingredients into a bottle, add water and let it sit overnight. It's so easy yet it's so yummy and effective. I'm not entirely sure if it really helps with flat tummies, because I've been exercising diligently and eating healthier, but I know for a fact it does effectively detoxes my body.
Another novel I started years ago and never finished, Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino; I believe it was translated, whether by the author herself or a translator. This novel is set in Japan and the narrator is an unknown, unnamed woman, she is the sister and old school friend of the two murdered prostitutes. If you're into the foreign, thriller, mystery genres, you might like this novel. This isn't the best novel I've ever read, surely isn't my favorite but it is a great relaxing read that kept me occupied.
I first watched The Swan Princess maybe when it first came out in '94 and I have yet to see it again until recently. I was not aware that it also came out with a second, third and fourth movie and a fifth impending. I totally forgot how much I loved this when I was a little girl. And honestly, you're never too old for cartoons, no one is. I really enjoyed watching this again and I was able to watch all of the parts thanks to Netflix. The first one is still the best out of the four in my opinion, the second one wasn't too bad either. Starting from the third, it kinda declined, but still.
I love me some Eric Nam, but don't let his baby face fool you; he is currently 25, turning 26 this year. :O I'm not complaining though, with all the idols popping up left and right, they just keep getting younger and younger...:'( So I appreciateOppas like him.
His new song "Ooh Ooh" has been on repeat for the majority of the month. It's so dang catchy, he looks so happy and his dance is so freaken cute! What more can a fangirl ask for? Oh wait, he collaborated with Infinite's Hoya....yes, it just got THAT much better.
Aside from Eric Nam, I also enjoyed A Pink's new title track, "Mr. Chu". These girls never never fails at what they do. "Mr. Chu" is as catchy as "No No No" was. Their MV, live performances, dance, outfits and make up just screams Spring! They're just so beautiful, cute and sexy without even having to try. Pink Pandas hwaiting!
I am guilty again this month for favoriting two newly released songs. Gahhh, it is so hard to go through 3000+ songs when albums, mini albums and singles are released on the daily adding to the load. Just my luck that EXO released their mini album recently. Wheesung and G.NA finally made their comebacks, Hyosung made her solo debut, Infinite, GOT7 and Phantom are making their comeback and VIXX is rumored to make a comeback soon. 2PM and Beast will come back soon as well. New rookie group BTL is about to debut.... Woe is me. OTL
Alrighty, that concludesApril Faves, I do apologize that it's a bit overdue; it was suppose to be up last week but things happened and everything got pushed down, but please look forward to May Faves in a couple of weeks, I'll try to be on time for that. Thank you for visiting and thanks a bunches for reading! :)
Hellooooo everyone! Once again another Hump Day, almost there folks. Alllllmost theeeere. In the mean time, let's join me for yet another haul post, well mini-haul. These were actually bought last week, but I didn't get around to organize them until today. It's just a few things I picked up while I was at Ulta and Walgreens. They're all mostly lip products and a few nails. Here, I'll just show you...
LIPS NiveaA Kiss of Smoothness NYXButter Lipstick in Hubba Bubba (BLS07) NYXButter Gloss in Cupcake NYX Butter Lip Balm in
- Macaron (BLB04)
- Biscotti (BLB06) Wet N WildMegaslicks Balm Stain in
- Lady and the Vamp
- Red-dy or Not
- Rico Mauve
- Pinky Promise
- Nudist Colony
My night lip balm ran out so I picked up this Nivea to give it a try. I always apply a lightweight lip balm before heading off to bed to keep my lips hydrated and lock in the moisture. Seriously, do this and your lips will be silky smooth, baby skin soft in the morning. I've been using this since last week and I must say, feels pretty comfortable on my lips, no weird scent, feels light, not tacky or sticky. It's perfect, I like it.
Most of the Wet N Wild products at my Walgreens were on sale, 50% to 75% off. These Balm Stains were like a dollar each, so why not right? I bought one shade a while ago in A Stiff Pink, a bright bubble gum pink. It's not the most hydrating balm stain I own, but it's definitely not the most drying. DO wear a clear LIP BALM underneath though. The only thing I have to complain about this stain is that after it sets on my lips, maybe, 15 minutes after applying, the color totally changes. When first applied, the shade on the lips looks identical to that from the pencil, however, after 15 minutes, it turned to a whole 'nother shade, like a dark, rosy pink. It's not just once either, it happened to me every time I wear it. So I'm not sure if it's just the lighter shade or not, so I'll give these darker shades a wear to see what will happen. Besides that, there's really nothing else that bothers me. The scent, unlike the Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine Lip Stain, is very faint to the point where I can't even smell it. That is a relief.
Because I own so many Balm Stains, I will eventually do an updated recommendation post. So if you're into Balm Stains, please be on the lookout.
Now for NYX, love NYX. I picked up the last two shades from the Butter Lip Balm, now I own all of the shades. These Lip Balms are amazing, the color is so pigmented, so comfortable on the lips, long-wearing, moisturizing, low maintenance. These are my on the go Lip Balms. It gives me color, does exactly what a lip balm is supposed to do and does not need a mirror to apply.
Bright pink Butter Gloss, ah, yes please. I have been into the bright pink lips lately, this shade in Cupcake will be perfect to top it off. I love how this gloss feels on my lips, and you all know how much I dislike lip glosses. These Butter Gloss does not bother me because it's not like a normal glosses, it's more of a high shine lipstick. That, I can deal with.
Just another pretty pink shade of Butter Lipstick. Love, love, loooooove these Butter Lipstick. Even though I do love these lipsticks, I really do think I'm being biased. To be quite honest, there's nothing especially special about these lipsticks. They're hydrating, long wearing but still moisturizing, pigmented, comfortable on the lips...many other brands have lipsticks with the same qualities. I am just a huge NYX fan and think the shade selection is superb so I pick them up.
NAILS EssenceEffect Nails 3D Pearls in Candy Buffet EssenceNail Art Express Dry Drops
I loved the Nail Art Dry Drops so much I decided to stock up and buy another bottle. The Essence section at my Ulta hardly ever gets stocked up and Essence might discontinue this product (like they always do), so stocking up on a beloved Essence product is totally necessary. If you don't remember, I first gave this a go when I did my Easter nails a couple of weeks ago and I immediately fell in love. From the moment you drop the liquid onto the nails, one or two seconds later, it becomes dry. This thing is AMAZING! I urge you to give it a try, it's very affordable, only $2.99 at my local Ulta.
There's only so much one can do with their nails (at home at least), so I find ways to jazz it up to not be boring. I was into the whole Ciate Caviar crazed back when they first came out; I only bought one kit though, the price was a definite turn off. Can you guess how excited I was when I came across these beads? These were either $2.99 or $3.99, waaaaaaay cheaper than Ciate is what the price is. But ya know, you get what you pay for, I don't expect this to be on the same level as Ciate, but hoping it's at least worth the price.
The Walgreens' Beauty Expert stuck this into my bag after ringing me up. Samples are always nice, I shall give these a try to see how they are, even though I already have the Damage Eraser Butter. I bought it a while ago but I have not started using it yet. I'm actually waiting for the Summer, when my hair gets super dried and damaged from the chlorine and sun.
I'm actually more interested in the Hydra Recharge, it claims to keep hair hydrated, weightlessly silky for two whole days. Hmmm.
Thank you for your visit and as always, thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it and come back soon. :)
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Woman Crush Wednesday, Korean Actress
Song Ji Hyo (Miss Mong, Mong Ji, Bad Ji Hyo, Ace) - 32 Years Old; Actress, Model, Entertainer
Hardcore Monday Couple Shipper here...I mean, how can you not?!?
I just can't with this couple...urgggh, so cute together!
