Petals

I hope you all had a beautiful Easter! As for me, I didn't do much but clean the house since I'm not too religious. Even cleaning, I felt relaxed and happy. It was mostly rainy but I stayed home and enjoyed coziness from all four sides of my very own place :)

Of course, I kept up with all of my blogger friends :) Everyone was all dressy and pretty on Easter. I hope next year I can do something creative like that :)

Gosh, how do you guys take such good pictures? Do you all have photographers?! =P I wish I could capture what I'm wearing without looking ridiculous with all the mirror shots. I guess my problem is that I need better lighting. Investing in a new light is next :)

So here is my FOTD for today :)

Products Used:

Revlon Photo Ready in Nude

Lancome Effacernes concealer

Smashbox Pressed Powder/Bronze Lights Duo in Fair/Light

Loreal Hip eyeshadow in Sassy (208)

Loreal Collagen Mascara in Black

Benefit Highbrow 

This is what I wore today for work. I really like the dress. Dress is by Another Thyme. Picked it up @ Ross awhile ago for $10! It's a very flowy material and I just absolutely adore the floral print on it :) The dress is a little loose but I couldn't find it in a smaller size. I guess it's still good on your "fat" days o_o 

In my next post, I'll take the pics in better lighting and more accessories. I had a hairband on but I left it in the bathroom at the time. 

What are your favorite prints? Florals? Leopard? Stripes? :) 

Mini ELF haul & new apartment

Hi all! :) Thanks for all the warm new apartment wishes!

I am so glad to be almost done making the place homey =D Here is what it looked like before!

Isn't that crazy? It was a nightmare!!! I have never worked so hard! =P

I was going to put a picture of my little vanity area BUT the thing was knocked down by my aggressive bed handling skills :( I knocked it down completely before I had a chance to take a picture of it. Aye. So now I have all my makeup in a small 2-drawer chest. LOL!

Anyway, today I went to Ross to get a new caddy and bath mats and guess what I found?

Yup, ELF sets. I read from one my blogger friends about how she liked the eyelash curler from ELF so I wanted to try it out. I have a Shu Umera one that I mainly use but I remember it being kind of pricey at the time. It was in the $20 range, I think? I got these ELF sets for $4.99 and $5.99. Retail price for all the items I have inside :) I also got a pair of falsies which is a plus =D I screwed up my last pair so bad that I had nightmares! Another added bonus was that I didn't have to pay for shipping.

 Here are the swatches:

The eye shadows are crazy pigmented. I couldn't believe it. They are very high quality. I'd compared to Loreal HIP shadows easily simply for the pigmentation. I'm not too sure about the other ELF shadows since this set was specifically for a smokey look. Let me know what you guys think if you have good or bad experiences with other color! I'd love to know. I didn't swatch the quad palette because I think they are the same colors as the ones in the pot. Most of the things I have inside are doubles but in different packaging!

I tried to create a smokey eye look using the set. The mascara was ehh. It was expected. Very dry formula and was kind of crusty. But the curler was fab! The grip of the curler was great because they have a place for your pinky to set while you are curling your lashes. I look forward to using it again! Also, the eyeshadow brush that came with the set is GREAT. I have the same brush from Sephora and it's the same quality. The brush is dense so the shadow application can get a little dark but if you blend out the hard edges, you get a softer look. The smudge brush was not that great. It's like an eraser! The tip was hard and eraser-like. My other smudge brushes are a little bit softer and it makes a big difference. But since the shadows were so great, the smudge brush is forgiven :)  The eyeliner was also very nice. It was a bit TOO soft because once I lined my eyes, the pencil was ready to be sharpened. The pencil creates a smudgy line no matter the pressure. If you want that straight line effect, skip this. I still liked it because it was creamy and the color was nice. I've tried eye pencils that were HARD and rough and did not expel enough color. I hate that. I haven't run into any eye pencils like that anymore. Even the CG ones are amazing. The gap really has closed between drugstore makeup and department store ones. I used to love buying department store makeup because of that bad experience with pencil liners but it was too pricey to keep splurging when you're just a student! I slowly tried going back to drugstore brands and they have truly improved x100! Plus, I read an article somewhere that big department store makeup brands buy from manufacturers that sell the same makeup to drugstore brands. I think Lancome belongs to Johnson & Johnson and they also own Loreal or or Revlon. Something like that! Interesting huh? =P


Anyway, here is the smokey look I tried to create. At first I wanted to do a Kristen Stewart Runaways look but I found that it was too bold for me! I also didn't like the hardness of it. I usually like soft smokes... it's more reflective of my personality because I'm quite mellow =p

Interesting?


I had a lot of fun trying to create a look I've never really done before. Definitely room for improvement! I really want to try my hand in matte shadows. I have a bunch of them from my Tarte set but I always feel that I wear it wrong because it looks really ugly on me! There's a whole technique that is beyond me, but I think if I just do it, i might find something I like. Clown and all. =P

I hope you guys are having a great Saturday night! Back to home improvement. Talk to you guys soon! :)

Up and Running!

I am back in the blogger world!!

I am finally done w/moving! Unpacking is a pain but it must be done. My new place is much roomier and nicer that I feel it was worth the move. For the past week, I've just been working and following up on people's blogs and moving some more. I still have a ton of things to do but I'm confident to say that I'm over 70% complete. All I need now is a dresser, a shoe rack, and maybe a large wooden mirror :) I created my own vanity area. It's really stupid looking but it makes me happy that I now have a place to do my makeup :) I'll be sure to take a pic of it!

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing great.

I am so tempted to order something at Soft Surroundings. I've read about Paul & Joe products from another blogger. It's a brand from Japan that's hard to get in the US but if you have the patience to wait, they will get it in stock. I'm not sure how much the shipping costs though. I saw many other overseas brands (France, Japan, etc) and they look great!

http://www.softsurroundingsoutlet.com/P/Paul_Joe_Protective_Fluid_Foundation/

I love the packaging =D Really cute.

Will be updating with pics in the next post.

Have a great night! =)

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation

Moving things back and fourth to the new apartment all day today! Crazyness. I even took a quick nap in the afternoon because I was so exhausted. Tomorrow is another day of moving, and we're that much closer to being done. I'm going to be sad when I don't have internet for the next few days during the transition of the move. The cable and internet guys are coming on the 31st I believe to hook everything up. I'll be moved in no later than Monday or Tuesday =D

Anyway, went to CVS today because I haven't been there in AGES. The last time I went there it was still called Long's Drugs or something =P Gosh, time flies! I've been hearing about these Essence of  Beauty brushes and it got me thinking to find it without having to order online. I bought the purse powder brush for my mineral makeup since I don't really have a brush suited for it. I've also been reading reviews about the Revlon Photo Ready foundation and saw that it was buy 1 get 1 free for all Revlon foundations and powders so I picked up two colors, Nude (004) and Natural Beige (005).

I haven't used the brush yet, but I just know that I will love it. It's not overly soft where it can't pick up enough product and it's not overly dense where it'll pick up too much. I feel it's the right size for my face and for at home use. I wouldn't really carry this in my purse. That's kinda crazy =P It also came with a random eyeliner brush, which I will find some use for eventually. It was only $9.99. Good price huh? =)

I came home right away and prepped my face for the Revlon foundation. Used one pump in Nude (004).

....and wow. I must say that liquid foundations have changed dramatically since the last time I bought them. It was hard for me to find the right shade but this Photo Ready foundation was SO amazing. It's such a lightweight formula that your face will thank you for it. It goes on amazingly smooth and has virtually no smell. I usually stay away from liquid foundations because they go on quite heavy and the idea of having an oily face after a whole day does not turn me on. But I was impressed by this foundation! I didn't even have to wear a setting powder over it because the foundation dried quickly and my skin looked all glowy. Even my Dior and Smashbox foundations don't match the superb quality of this one. Craziness!

I just LOVE this foundation!! It excites me that I found a color that matches me SO perfectly! I haven't tried the Natural Beige (005) yet! It's one shade darker than Nude and I think it'll be good for the summer when my skin gets darker. I'm so excited! I used to be so skeptical about Revlon products... I don't even remember why anymore =P

Here is the makeup I wore today =)

Prescriptives Colorscope Eyeshadow palette (I used the bronzy color on the bottom)

CoverGirl Volume Exact Mascara in black

Smashbox Brow tech palette

MAC Prep + Prime Primer (not pictured! missed that one!)

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm (my go to balm. I stock it up like there's no tomorrow!)

Still trying to get my hands on a BB cream!! It's all the rage now, right? I was watching a review from Jen about the Lioele BB cream on her latest post. I tried to go on prettyandcute.com but it doesn't seem like they are selling it anymore =/ But I guess I shouldn't complain now since I found a possible HG product! =)

I want to make it my goal sometime in my next post to do a Kristen Stewart Runaways look. Heavy black eye makeup and pale skin. It'll be extremely bold... for me at least since I typically lean on the natural look. Well, I'll try! I'm excited! =D

Lastly, I want to know what are your favorite foundations and why? =) 

Goodnight everyone! =D Will be moving all day tomorrow but I will catch up on all your blogs before the end of the day. Take care!

Maybelline Pulse Perfection Review

This mascara came out shortly after Lancome Oscillation vibrating mascara hit the market. I wore it a couple times and I'm not sure that I'm convinced about its greatness and how it compares to Oscillation. This mascara promises intense color, no clumping and extreme volume. When I first tried it on, I was like ehh. It's really made for people who have naturally long lashes because I find that it did not give me the volume I desired or the length that I expected to be in this formula. The color also wasn't very intense either. It was merely a natural black. It's good for the office or just a regular day out. I'd skip this mascara for an evening out. It's not nearly as flattering as thicker formulas. My lashes are pretty short and sparse so it's this one was ehh...  not amazing. Just regular The vibrating wand was interesting. It felt more like a cell phone vibrating lightly. The vibration also didn't feel necessary because it didn't look any different if I were to put it on myself. I'd rather just apply it myself than with the weird vibrating feeling! The only thing I liked was the flexible applicator. It wraps easily around the lashes and is bendable.

Here is what it looked like with flash and natural light.

What do you guys think of vibrating mascaras? Was it trend that you followed or passed?

Anyway, here's the top I wore to work today!

I wasn't able to take a pic of my Michael Kors pants sadly! =/ My top is from Charlotte Russe!

Products used:

Smashbox Quad highlighter on cheeks

    Cargo lip gloss tin South Beach

Neutrogena Eyeshadow Duo in Iced Coffee

The packing has been crazy still! Sadly. I still have to work each day... and pack after work. I guess I'm lucky I get off @ 5pm everyday. Could be worse, but the idea of moving still sucks =( I hate packing! GAH!

I hope you all are doing great! :) Thank you to all my sweet followers =) Reading your guys' blog is an addiction for me! =P