Sephora VIB Haul

Actually, I missed the 20% off sale because I was out of town that weekend. That was before I read that you could still use the code after! Gah. I was irked but I still bought stuff nonetheless... and justifiable because it was my birthday ^___^ I was out of town that weekend gorging on oysters and comfort food. It was more of a food getaway than anything else. Oh and I did some old fashion thrifting and found a gorgeous leather satchel at Buffalo Exchange. 

So here were my buys from Sephora - en route to my apartment tomorrow!

Sephora Favorites: In the Glow - blushes, bronzers and illuminators... need I say more? I wanted to try the Nars and Tarte blushes!



Tarte Carried Away Collector's Kit - I collect these holiday kits from Tarte every year and this one seems to be the the best one they've released to date! The reason is that it's made for traveling is splendid enough. Everything can be pieced together or separated however you like...that's win-win! Plus, their eye shadows are great quality! And I'm just a tad in love with the travel brush roll... it's purple and gold! Very pretty.




Sephora "It Kit" in Classic - This was one of their promos that i wanted if you spent $25.00. YAY! I'm excited to try the Nars pencil!


I finally accumulated 500 points in with my beauty insider (BI) card... so this was gift i chose. I originally wanted the Nars set but it disappeared when I refreshed my account! In hindsight, I'm glad I chose this because all I wanted in the Nars set was the lip pencil which comes in the It Kit above! LOL



Oh and I also got the birthday gift from Sephora which are deluxe samples of their two most popular treatment and lip tint ^_^


Anyone doing some VIB shopping? What'd you get!?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eyeliner Wars: Dollywink vs. K Palette vs. Maybelline

It is pretty much a very standard staple in every woman's makeup arsenal: eyeliners! Liquid, gel, powder... eyeliner is very essential to creating a multitude of looks, whether it be an everyday look or the theatrical.

I've dabbled into liquid eyeliners in the past with a sub par experience. That was many many years ago. I would get raccoon eyes from smudging my eyes a little or my lines would look fine in the morning but I came back to a complete mess a few hours later. It seems makeup companies have heard our complaints and worked really hard to create better formulas - smudgeproof, waterproof, quick drying, you name it. Recently, I started getting back into liquid eyeliners for the sake of convenience and ease. And because there are so many in the market that I want to try, particularly the Japanese ones.

Top to Bottom - Dolly wink Liquid Eyeliner, Maybelline Masterprecise, K Palette 1 Day Tattoo

Dolly Wink, Maybelline, K Palette

Dolly Wink - When I first saw this eyeliner at the Japanese market, I was like...omg I'm loving the polka dot design! It's cute and girly. The felt tip is really easy to control and the ink dries incredibly fast. It is not waterproof but can hold up to watery eyes. I like how you can shake the pen to distribute the ink. Retails for around $10-15 online.

Pros          
+ Sets really quickly - no smudges :)                  
+ Felt tip applicator
+ Deep black color
+ Long lasting
+ Not waterproof but holds up to watery eyes

Cons         
- Not easy to find in the States
- Flat looking color if you prefer a shiny black color

Maybelline Masterprecise  - This looks to be the American version of the Japanese pen-style eyeliners. I bought this one on a whim before Vegas to see how it'll hold up in a different environment and climate. Design wise, it looks pretty similar to the Dolly Wink - slim design, felt tip. And that is where the similiarities end - It has a glossy black sheen when applied. Some people like it matte, some like it shiny. I don't have a preference really but it does require a longer dry time, and you know with hooded eyes it's not the most ideal. The formula is not waterproof and comes off quickly with warm water. Retails for about $6-8 in stores and online.

Pros         
+ Felt tip applicator
+ Has a glossy sheen color (if you like that)
+ Easy to remove

Cons           
- Smudges quickly
- Longer dry time
- Tip was too long; a little slippery

K Palette 1 Day Tattoo - Of the two, this one has to be my favorite! Like Dolly Wink, the formula is really good - long lasting, not smudgy and has a good controllable tip. Unlike the previous two, this one is waterproof and lasts a long time. I had a hard time taking it off even with makeup remover. I didn't particularly care for the super waterproof formula because I normally don't wear waterproof anything. I liked this one because the color was exactly in between Dolly Wink and Maybelline - not super shiny but not too flat. You can shake the pen to distribute ink. Retails for $13-15 online.

Pros           
+ Felt tip applicator
+ Dries quickly
+ Perfect black eyeliner - not too sheeny, not flat
+ Lasts all day

Cons            
- Very hard to take off
- Hard to find in the States

With warm water only -  Dolly Wink, Maybelline, K Palette

I love the versatility of all three eyeliners. They all have something unique about them that's worth owning but I liked the Japanese versions over the Maybelline simply because the formulas translated better for my skin type and eye shape. Both the Dolly Wink and K Palette are very similar so if you own one but not the other, there isn't a big difference in either one to own both unless you want a super waterproof one like the K Palette. 

Readers: What's your favorite eyeliner? :)

Review: Specs from Firmoo.com

Hello everyone!

Hope your weekend was relaxing as it was joyful. I'm starting to do holiday shopping for my friends and family and the lines at stores are starting to get hectic. The usual flow is people is multiplying by the weeks o_o Nonetheless, it is still fun to browse around and be amongst happy shoppers before the onset of crazy last minute shoppers come into play.

A few weeks ago, I received a pair of prescription glasses from Firmoo.com, an online optical retailer to review. They offer practical and fashion forward frames for affordable prices. Unlike going to the optometrist, you can browse the frames without being under the dreaded lights of a busy office and being surrounded by pushy sales people.

The pair of glasses they sent me came really fast. They sent me a tracking #, and communication was great from the start.

The selection of frames is pretty nice, and they have different collections to look at, from geeky  specs to more practical ones seen here, to prescription sunglasses.

The awesome thing about Firmoo is that they offer free glasses to first time customers (check it out here). All you have to do is pay for shipping, which is $6.95. I think it's quite a good deal because if you don't like what you ordered, you're entitled to a full refund. You really have nothing to lose.

Very very sorry for the bad photo quality. I didn't have my camera... o_o

I picked a classic wayfarer frame with a leopard print. I love it! The frames are lightweight and have a nice feel to it. There is quality to be said - the lenses were pretty accurate. I have two different prescriptions for the left and right eye and when I wore the glasses, it felt balanced and I didn't get a headache from wearing them, so definite props for that!

All in all, I was very happy with the service that Firmoo offered and the selection of frames. There's a good chance you can spot a dupe of something you really like or simply to get a backup pair or even order a pair for fashion blogging purposes. The prices range from $8.00-$58.00 depending on style and selection so affordability is definitely there.

I think I will be ordering a few more styles to play around with. Specs are the ultimate accessory, isn't it? :) For new customers, you can get a free pair of glasses here.

Hey readers, have you ordered from Firmoo? Do you think it compares to Coastal in terms of service and/or quality? Or, is there a optical retailer you absolutely just love? Please share! :)

Happy Halloween! + FOTD!

Hi lovelies! Hope you're all having a spectacular evening full of sweets and treats.

I just kind of wanted to check in and see how you all are doing. I had a lovely friend who helped me create a new template and layout for my boring ol' blog. I must say she did an awesome job. I finally added Disqus so I can reply to comments and things. Interaction! YAY!

One of my favorite bloggers, Laura from The Blog of worldly Delights has an Etsy store that i super duperly adore! I ordered a box of assorted bows and I've been really bowed out! LOL I think it's super girly and adds a whimsical little touch to any mood. I threw on a dark berry lipstick and sported a cat eye and went to work. Festive enough, I hope.

Today, I realize, is not only Halloween but the start of the holiday season. I'm both excited and not. I'm not looking forward to crowded traveling and full parking lots but I do, and seriously love, extended shopping hours and sweet deals. This year has gone by so fast and I'm quickly learning that the older you get, the faster the year passes. When I was a kid, the days were endless and all I kept wanting to do was to bask in delightful old books and drink lemonade. Now as an adult, I still want the same things but gosh does the time fly. And here's to another holiday season. Counting down the days until Thanksgiving.

Stay safe and don't be too crazy. Going to have a cozy night in to catch up on blogs and vlogs.
Those of you whose cities have been affected by Sandy, stay warm and safe! Happy Halloween!

A simple FOTD with Dali Chocolate Brown lenses

I'll go into a more in-depth review about circle lenses in another post but so far the experiences have been okay. I've been an avid contact lens wearer for nearly 8 or so years and I also wear glasses (duh) as well. I have very slight astigmatism so I don't really need specialty lenses (toric) as of now. I normally wear Bioinfinity soft lenses and I like them very much - nothing compares, truly.

And to add variety and interest to my arsenal, I ordered some natural looking circle lens to try out. I ordered the Dali Chocolate Brown lenses to try first since they were natural looking and the only 'color' aspect of it is is around limbal ring - clear inside.

Without Lenses

With the Dali  Sweet Chocolate Lenses

My experience so far with circle lenses is that they are quite comfortable to wear, but not for extended amounts of time. I don't have sensitive eyes or anything like that but I felt that my eyes were drier after 4 hours of wear time. They kind of feel tight and stick really hard to your iris o_o Other than not wearing it long, these circle lenses were comfortable to wear, and i couldn't "feel" it when i was going about my day.

Look-wise, I love the rounded shape. It's very feminine and girly to say the least! I do like the warm mysterious dark brown color a lot though! The enlargement is 14.2mm, whereas my normal daily contacts are 14.0mm, but it looks like a world of a difference though. In reality, it is not noticeable at all.

Overall, I do like these lenses and I would likely try more varieties. Possibly more dramatic ones? I've never really experimented with colored contacts before but now it seems I've learnt so much from bloggers and reviewers that I am curious to try different ones, in varying degrees of drama. And while circle lenses won't likely replace my regular contacts, they are certainly fun to wear and create looks with. 

And my readers, have you or do you wear circle lenses regularly for certain looks/for fun?

Disclaimer: Circle lenses were purchased by yours truly! :)