Finished Up / August

Origins Never a Dull Moment Face Cleanser

Some of you may remember seeing this face wash on my blog as I have written a post about the Be Bright special edition box it was part of back in April. Unbelievably, this sample lasted me a little over 4 months! It is a gel face wash and just a tiny drop of it creates a froth like I've never seen before, little goes a very long way with it. I use it daily with my Clarisonic Mia and happy to report that it works great. I feel like it thoroughly cleans my face leaving it soft and smooth. I hardly ever see any trace of makeup when I am applying my toner right afterwards. It's also Paraben-free! I've already purchased the full size as you can see below - estimating for it to last me 2 years! :)

Bath and Body Works Coconut Body Wash

Coconut Pineapple was one of the few new scents Bath and Body Works released for summer this year. I enjoyed every single minute of using this amazing body wash and I'm kind of sad that I finished it (Call me crazy but while using it, I had other body washes in rotation so I don't finish it too fast). In my most recent Bath and Body Works trip, I have spotted the summer collection on sale for 50% off, I may go back and stock up.

Garnier Fructis Style Full Control Hair Spray - Strong

I don't think I've ever wanted to finish a product so bad as I did with this hairspray. It took forever to finish but it finally did! I love its scent and hate that it leaves my hair super sticky. It makes it feel hard to touch. Unfortunately its supposedly "strong" hold doesn't really hold curls or style for that long, I'd say about 4 hours at most. I will not be repurchasing.

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo

I picked up the Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner because I just couldn't pass up the buy one, get one free deal at Walgreens about a month ago. Well, sorry to say it's yet another product that doesn't work for me. Just like the Garnier hairspray I've talked about above, this shampoo smells divine but leaves my hair unbelievably dry and stripped off its natural oils. I also feel like after every wash my hair is tangled, thank goodness for conditioners. Nice to try you Organix but I won't be repurchasing.

MATRIX Biolage Ultra-Hydrating Balm

I've used the entire Biolage Hydratherapie line before I started blogging and that's when I began venturing out to trying other haircare products. It's always love all over again when I use any product from this collection. This balm, which I use as a conditioner, truly conditions my hair, leaves it tamed and soft. Matrix isn't a cheap brand but I always stock up when Ulta has the buy 3 get 2 free promotion because I know if everything else fails, I have something reliable to fall back on. Matrix makes some amazing haircare products that my hair loves!

LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Coconut

I'm officially done with my first Lavanila stick which was the Vanilla Coconut. Last time I was at Sephora sniffing all the scents, I believe there are 5, the only one I truly liked was Vanilla Coconut. In fact the other ones kind of made me gag. But this time I just loved the Vanilla Grapefruit so ended up getting it. I am really enjoying using this pricey ($18) but aluminum-free, healthy deodorant.

 I think I did ok this month, I was reeeeally hoping to finish that MAC Fix+ I'm trying to finish for the past year! Maybe next month?

Are there any products that you're desperately wanting to finish?

MAC Ravishing & Friends

As you may already know, I have a huge slight obsession with peaches, corals, peachy-corals...you get the point. I usually focus on two types of products when it comes to these gorgeous shades; blushes and lipsticks. So when I saw MAC had a lipstick called Ravishing, I decided it only makes sense to add it to my collection. According to my swatch search it was not supposed to look this similar to all the other lipsticks I own in this shade.

But it does. After seeing Ravishing in person, I immediately ran to my other lipsticks. Guess which 3 came to mind first!

L-R:

Ravishing - Cremesheen

Jazzed - Cremesheen

Ever Hip - Cremesheen

Gotta Dash - Sheen Supreme Lipstick

Verdict...

They are all somewhat similar once applied. In my opinion, Ravishing seems to be the most pigmented of them all even though Ravishing, Jazzed and Ever Hip are all in Cremesheen finish. Gotta Dash pulls a bit more towards orange than the other three.Gotta Dash is also a different type of lipstick as it's from MAC's Sheen Supreme line. I feel like with Sheen Supremes, lips need a bit of prepping due to their texture. They seem to cause the product to settle in cracks on lips. I do love Ravishing and I will keep it. Jazzed and Ever Hip being Limited Edition products makes me feel a littler better about Ravishing.

What do you think? Is there a lipstick shade that you just can't resist?

Discovering - TheBalm

I have heard of TheBalm many times before, thanks to all the blog posts I have seen featuring their gorgeous products. I just didn't know which part of the brand I should tackle first. So I made a small list of few products and forgot about them once I stepped a foot in Sephora. It's just really difficult to follow a list and is very easy to lose track in that store! :D

While shopping at TjMaxx the other day, I decided to check out the bath/body/beauty area....and what do I see? A huge shelf of TheBalm goods! Score!

First Impressions of the brand...

 - TheBalm has great sense of humor, product/shade names clearly show that!
- Cute and fun packaging
- All products (at least the ones I have shown in this post) are compacts, in other words come with mirrors
- Even more importantly majority of TheBalm products are formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances/Dyes, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs and Triclosan

I didn't include any swatches in this as this post is just a haul/first impressions post. I think it'd be more appropriate to include swatches with reviews which I will do for each as I try them.
 
Bahama Mama

Bronzer

Frat Boy
Peach/Apricot Blush

Shady Lady Vol. 3
9 Shimmery Eye Shadows/Eyeliners

Meet Matt(e)
9 Matt Shades

Betty-Lou Manizer
All-in-one Gold Highlighting/Bronzing Powder, Eyeshadow

If you have been wanting to try TheBalm (at more affordable prices) definitely check out your local T.J.Maxx or Marshalls stores. I know these stores can be totally unpredictable but in my opinion it's worth a try! I got all of these products for at least half off their retail prices if not more.

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend! ♥

Have you tried any of these products?

Spark-tacular

Who goes to Sephora to buy a particular product and walks out with that product plus something totally unplanned? Me! I had absolutely no intentions of buying nail polish while at Sephora. The main reason I went to Sephora was because I ran out of my favorite Lavanila deodorant and needed to buy a new one. Sephora needs to stop placing all those gorgeous nail polishes right next to the checkout area. Standing in the line, I my eyes met the glorious nail polish rack. So I walked out with the first nail polish that caught my eye...Spark-tacular.

Sephora by O.P.I Spark-tacular AKA Party in a bottle!

I've been on a glittery nail polish kick lately. It all started with...I don't even remember! But they have a special place in my heart. I was previously contemplating getting Deborah Lippman's Happy Birthday but $18 a pop discouraged the heck out of me, I mean it is glitter after all. While the two aren't dupes, as Happy Birthday has much chunkier glitters, Spark-tacular will suffice. Spark-tacular has some bigger glitter pieces but majority of it is small glitter pieces. I think it has every color one can think of.

I really wanted a white base for this top coat, so I made a pit stop at Sally Beauty Supply and grabbed China Glaze White on White. Without a doubt, they complete each other.

On the left photo, I have only one coat of Spark-tacular and on the right I have two (with the exception of index finger). I love them both! I was in the mood for very glittery nails so that's why I went for the second coat.

P.S. Kudos to Sephora for having nail polish testers. That makes the life of a nail polish addict much easier!

Do you like glittery nails? What are your favorite glitter polishes?

Products I'm Loving Now

Today I wanted share with you some products I just can't keep my hands off of these days. They all do deserve their own respective posts and may get them at one point in future. If you're wondering "but what about your recently rediscovered products?" Yes I am trying to use them as much as I can but the products below interfere big time. Ahh I just love makeup and nail polish...and every little thing that has to do with them :)

Milani Luminoso

One of the many peach toned blushes I own. Milani has done a fantastic job with their baked blush collection. This is only my second Milani blush, first one being Rose D'oro which I equally love. Luminoso creates such a soft look for the day time. I absolutely love pairing it with Dior Amber Diamond, I feel like the two make the ultimate day time cheek combo.

 MAC Paint Pot - Indianwood

Indianwood is one of the newest pieces in my collection. I wasn't ever really into paint pots until recently, now all of a sudden I want them all. Besides the fact that Indianwood is a stunning antiqued gold color, approximately a minute after application it doesn't move, thus making it perfect for hot summer days. I've been wearing it on its own a lot lately.

MAC Lipstick - Lady Danger

I did it. I am wearing a red lipstick. Further more, I wore a lipstick OUT. It's epic. I honestly gave up on the idea of being able to comfortably wear a red lipstick out a while ago. My sister who is my red (and really bright colored anything) lipstick idol rocked her reds, magentas and every other color in between and I just admired her all this time. I was always secretly envious of her ability to easily wear these lipsticks and hopelessly tried many different colors for a long time to find the one that makes me feel good. Then I met Lady Danger. It sat in my lipstick drawer for almost 2 months until I whipped it out a week ago. It's love, no question about that. Wearing Lady Danger makes me feel good :)

Milani Jewel FX - Gold & Essie Trophy Wife

I've seen Milani Jewel FX Gold in many blogs and looked for it every time I was at a drugstore (which is sadly pretty frequent) and was never able to find it. Now I know why. This thing is gorgeous! If you love chunky gold glitter, then you need this in your life. Trophy Wife is a shimmery teal which looks pretty on toes - love! I think it will definitely be one of my top 5 go-to nail polishes for fall!

Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35

F35 was a much needed addition for my makeup brush collection as I never had a proper highlighter brush, it was about time. I have seen Tanya from pixi2woo use it in one of her recent videos and loved the effect it created, I was sold. It really does make a big difference in highlighter application because of it's pointy tip. That way you get highlighter only in the area you want and not around it.

What are you guys loving these days?

Favorite NYX Lipsticks

While going through my stash the other day, I have realized that I have never done a post on my favorite NYX round lipsticks. So today's post is all about them!

Pros:

Selection - I assume they have close to 70 shades, if not more

Texture - They are very creamy and moisturizing
Finish - Glossy, therefore no need for lipgloss

Affordability -  $3.99 at Ulta, can be found on sale for cheaper prices online
Availability - Easily accessible at Ulta (online and in stores) Cherryculture and NYX website

Cons:

Some shades aren't very long-lasting

Majority of them have an almost plastic kind of scent

Circe - Brown based nude (dupe for Viva Glam Gaga 2)

Orange Soda - Pale orange nude

Pumpkin Pie - Pale peachy nude

L-R: Circe, Orange Soda, Pumpkin Pie

T-B: Tea Rose, Indian Pink, Harmonica, Narcissus

Tea Rose - Dusty mauve-y pink

Indian Pink - Coral with gold shimmer

Harmonica - Frosty baby pink

Narcissus - Cool barbie pink

Tea Rose, Indian Pink, Harmonica, Narcissus

Top: Pumpkin Pie, Tea Rose

Middle: Narcissus, Circe

Bottom: Indian Pink, Harmonica, Orange Soda

What are your favorite NYX lipsticks/products?

Birchbox / August

It's Birchbox time!!! 

But wait...I am not even happy about it. Because this month's samples were a little disappointing. I actually cheated and watched Yuliya's August Birchbox video yesterday and felt kind of "blah" about it. Funny because I didn't even receive the same samples as her (at least she and many others received an eyeliner!). So now I am double disappointed.

Besides the Smashbox photo finish primer (which I have used before) I have not heard of any of the other brands. Looking forward to seeing what Ouidad climate control gel will do for my hair. I could see The Cool Fix becoming a staple in my life if it works. It's a gel lotion for razor bump/burn and ingrown hair treatment. We shall see. June Jacobs Papaya Masque sounds and smells yummy but I can never see myself shelling out $62 for a masque, ever. With that much money, I could just go get a relaxing facial in stead.

Oh and we have this...

 Honestly, when I saw this piece of elastic in the box first thing that came to my mind was "oh I guess whoever packed my box forgot an extra ribbon in there". Then I read the contents card.I just don't see what's so special about this elastic. It's an elastic. It was the "extra" this month. I would have seriously rather had another KIND bar instead. Anyway, I try everything at least once. So I tied my hair, and I also wore it on my wrist because according to the card it's supposed to look equally good on your hair and wrist. Hmm not so sure about that.

At this point, I am having a love/hate relationship with Birchbox. And it's not me, it's you Birchbox.

Any other disappointed subscribers out there? Is there anyone excited about their box this month?

Stash Shopping

Every once in a while, I like to visit my little makeup collection and dig out products that have been collecting dust. I should do it more often but when you keep adding to your collection, it becomes nearly impossible. Especially when all your love is focused on the new products, nobody honestly wants to use old products just for the sake of using. 

I think I've been behaving in terms buying. I do add new products little by little but I don't buy for the sake of buying. So I visited my stash and dug out some items that I should show a little love to!

MAC Paint Pot in Vintage Selection

The gorgeous Vintage Selection was one of the 4 limited edition paint pots in Cham Pale collection. I initially wanted to completely pass up this collection based on online swatches. When I swatched Vintage Selection in store, I fell in love. It's such a shame that I ignored it this long. It's really easily wearable during the day as a base or even alone. You can take it from day to night by adding a darker crease color. I love it, so glad we're back together :)

MAC Fluidline in Siahi

I missed out on Siahi once as it sold out super fast when they released it in the Mickey Contractor collection. But then it was back in stock and I just had to have it. Since then, I think I've used it 3 times, maybe. Its blueish teal color is just stunning. Looks great both on upper lash line or water line for a pop of color.

Sephora Colorful Mono Pearl No. 09

I bought this beautiful pearly peach shade last year while aimlessly wandering around at Sephora one day and kind of forgot about it after a few uses. It looks gorgeous with a tan, especially when used wet! I will be incorporating it to my day looks more, it makes a great everyday color!

Revlon Coral Reef, Sally Hansen Princess, Wet n Wild 903C

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef 

Coral Reef is a coral that is definitely season appropriate. I can only laugh at myself for bringing it out in the last month of summer. Lip glosses just aren't really my go-to products during summer and this proves it!

Sally Hansen 12 Hr. Lip Treatment in Princess

Princess is my favorite nude lip gloss from the drugstore. It is shimmery but nothing of gritty nature, think more micro. Has a nice vanilla-like scent and I love that it doesn't leave my lips sticky like most other lip glosses do, I just cannot stand sticky lip glosses.

Wet n Wild Lipstick in 903C

Another summery lipstick I completely forgot I even owned! It's a matte salmon/light coral. Though matte, I don't find it to be drying on lips as I do with many of the other matte lipsticks. It also lasts a good while on my lips, yay for not having to reapply - at least that often!

Revlon Coral Reef, Sally Hansen Princess, Wet n Wild 903C

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse

While checking out my foundations drawer, I came across this Maybelline foundation I have picked up last year. (See my review here) I can't even believe it was more than a year ago! As you can tell from my photo below, I haven't used it much since then. Honestly I was kind of shocked/surprised to see that it cracked big time. But it managed to keep its consistency and did not dry at all. It's still quite creamy as the first day I bought it and still wears the same. I will try to use this up within the next couple of months as I don't think it will make it into the next year.

How often do you shop your stash? Any rediscoveries?

July Favorites

Happy August everyone! I'm a bit late with my July favorites post as I've caught this annoying cold, in the middle of summer. But I do feel a bit better today, so here I am with my favorites post :)

This month I reconnected with a few old favorites. I did a little shopping in my stash and glad that I rediscovered some great products I haven't shown any love to in a long time.

Most used blushes award goes to NARS Taj Mahal and Benefit Coralista. I haven't really used neither one for a good couple of months! I seem to associate Taj Mahal with Thanksgiving or fall in general because of its pumpkin-like color but it actually makes a perfect summer blush.

Two products I have rediscovered; Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Kenya and MAC Paint Pot in Vintage Selection. What on earth was I thinking when I stopped using these two products? I haven't used Kenya in years, not even kidding. I love everything about this pencil; it does something magical to my brown eyes, they look so sparkly whenever I wear it! I love that it comes with a smudger, I wear it smudged on both upper and lower lash-line for an effortless look. This pencil surprisingly does not even budge a bit. Vintage Selection was totally forgotten about since I picked it up earlier this year. I love wearing it as a base under the "Eyelid" color from Wet n Wild's Walking on Eggshells trio or even alone in those too-lazy-to-do-my-make-up kind of days.

My now melting Shy Girl lipstick and Rimmel's Pink Chic were really the only two lipsticks that got love from me last month. July wasn't such a lipstick kind of month. I have something against wearing lipstick in hot and humid weather, I guess.

L-R China Glaze Pink Voltage, OPI Glitzerland, OPI Sparkle-icious

For the most part, I have done some kind of a combination of these nail polishes in July. I cannot get enough of them, they're all gorgeous!

....and here are some miscellaneous products. I have picked up this heaven-sent Ulta bronzer mitt at the end of June and I can never be without it again. No more faux-tanned palms! Vaseline Cocoa Butter gel body oil is amazing if you want a little glow on your legs while sporting leg-baring outfits. A little goes a very long way with this oil. It also lasts forever; I have worn it while going out on a few occasions and it seemed to last all night! This little Redken shine spray was actually a sample from the July Birchbox. I didn't really think I would end up enjoying it so much but I do. I spray it all over my hair after styling with curling/flat iron. It gives an incredibly healthy shine to my hair without looking greasy. It also seems to keep my hair frizz-free!

Hope everyone's having a great week! ♥