Finished Up / May

I will be doing these posts from now on simply to keep track of which products I used. By doing so I will know what worked, what I wouldn't buy again etc. If you always use the same brands/products then you have an idea of what you like or dislike. I use many different products and sometimes just don't remember what they did for me, so I decided to document! I also think this is a great way to be proud of yourself because you actually finished a product, or 4 in my case! Plus I love reading other bloggers' finished products posts :)

Ok, on to the empty containers...

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Cream Body Wash

First of all, I must say that if you love the lemon scent you have to try this! Its scent was the main reason I ever purchased this product. Lemon scent used to always remind me of kitchen/household cleaning products but since using this as my body wash, I am getting used to the idea lemony stuff can also be body products :) Will I repurchase this? Well, I think it's a great product. Smells amazing, leaves my skin super soft. It is soap-free. However the price is bit of an issue here. I just feel kind of uncomfortable paying $16 for a body wash. (I bought this particular container with a coupon, and as you can see I used it to the last squeeze :)) I also do use the Lemon body lotion from the same line, yummy is all I have to say!

Sonia Kashuk Remove Eye Make-up Remover

The best eye make-up remover I have used to date. Period. It's everything an eye make-up remover should be. It's oil-free, as in, it is oil-free unlike the many other drugstore eye make-up removers that claim to be oil-free but are oily as heck and leave a nasty oily residue. It's also not irritating at all. I just love it. Will I repurchase? I already did! ;)

Kiehl's Açai Damage-Protecting Toning Mist

I bought this toner a while back when I was looking for a new toner to try. I have always heard really good things about Kiehl's so I chose this. It's a toner. That's really all to it. Will I repurchase? I'm on the fence. It is $26 for 6.0 oz. container. Not too long ago, I have switched all my facial skincare products to Origins and I think my skin has benefited a lot from this decision. I will most likely purchase an Origins toner.

Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 Moisturizer

A Perfect World is a great moisturizer. It is paraben-free which I love. However I have found another great Origins moisturizers which I am even happier with so I will stick with that. :)

It was quite obvious that I wouldn't be finishing up any make-up products this month. I have a few eye-shadows, bronzers that I have hit pan on this month but they're nowhere close to being done with anytime soon. For next month, my goal is to use up MAC Fix+ so I can finally back-to-MAC it!

  Which products did you use up this month?

Dior Addict Lipstick - 465 - Singulière

I blame Twitter for all my recent make-up buys. I have been absolutely in love with this amazing and stunning Dior lipstick thanks to the lovely Tina at All The Vanity! If she hadn't recently tweeted about her favorite Dior Addict lipstick shades the other day, I would have probably not thought about checking out Dior for lipsticks anytime soon as MAC is my first resort for lipsticks for some reason.

Let me start off by saying that this was a really touch choice! Dior currently has 50+ shades in their Addict lipstick collection. Of the 50+ possible colors, I'd say 75% are shades that I would love to own and that I'd actually wear! I chose Singuliere because I love me some pink lipstick. I feel like I usually buy corals, nudes and not enough pinks. When I swatched Singuliere I knew I had to have it and I'm soooo happy with my choice!

Needless to say the packaging is to absolutely die for! I don't think I will have the courage to throw away the empty container after I'm done with it, hoarder much? Yes! The box is silver cardboard, the container itself is clear, holographic plastic that looks gorgeous when moved around. It's definitely not your regular lipstick container as you have to pull out the actual lipstick portion where as with say a MAC lipstick you would just need to twist off the cap. It feels so luxurious in hands, and it is hence the $28 price tag.

Singuliere is a bright bubblegum pink and it looks brighter in the container. It is a sheer lipstick but can definitely be built up to the desired intensity. For being a sheer lipstick, I think it has good pigmentation. Super creamy consistency makes application a breeze. There is absolutely not shimmer or glitter in this lipstick. I think a bit of a prep may be necessary if you have dry lips as the creamy formula may get stuck in dry spots on lips. Nothing a little lip scrub can't fix. Because it has 25% less wax than regular lipsticks, it results in spectacular high shine, plumped lips without the need of lip gloss. There is also no stickiness involved though there is shine, a lot of it. The shine doesn't last as long as the color itself, I would say about an hour or so. The color, considering you don't eat or drink, lasts a bit longer. 465 is a great everyday shade for girly pink lips!

I think Dior chose the perfect name for these lipsticks....Addict! I am totally an addict after my first lipstick from this line. I cannot wait to get more colors, next one being Diorissime - divine!

What do you think of Dior Addict Lipsticks?

How Much Is Your Face Worth?

I have just seen this tag on some beauty blogs and thought it was a great way to have the much-needed reality check! Needless to say, as make-up addicts, we spend a ridicilous amount of money on beauty products. I realize some of it is actual necessity, for instance, if you use a mascara daily you will need a new tube within couple months tops. But majority of the rest is really for "collection" purposes. I know exactly how it goes, there is just something gorgeous about beautifully arranged, color coordinated blushes and eye shadows and of course we cannot forget lipsticks...! Just the thought of my make-up collection and all those stunning shades make me want to go splurge right now!

Though I know approximately how much each of my daily products retail for, I have never actually sat down and calculated. Here is the moment of truth...

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation $6.50
  I'm currently using Fit Me as it's warmer and thankfully my skin has been amazing lately that I don't even need a full coverage foundation. I save some $ in the foundation department, yay!

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural $27
  I do like to set my foundation regardless of its coverage, MAC MSFN does a great job for me!

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer $28
 I go back and forth between Chocolate Soleil and Hoola so I actually use them both and will hopefully hit pan on Hoola soon! They are both $28 and I just cannot set a foot out the door without bronzer on.

Dior Amber Diamond $44
 So maybe I didn't really need a $44 Dior highlighter but it's sooo gorgeous! I do use it everyday, a little more for night makeup, I still think it was a good investment :)

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush $28
 Bella Bamba is one of the blushes I'm using the most at the moment, actually I've used it everyday the past week. I do rotate between Bella Bamba, MAC, NARS, Illamasqua blushes. Price-wise MAC blushes would be the cheapest but I've been using them the least.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer $16.50
 Though I don't totally always need it, from time to time I still like to dab a little concealer on acne scars etc.

Urban Decay Primer Potion $19
 Needless to say, it's a must-have. I don't know many make-up people who can live without some kind of an eye-shadow base. 

Covergirl Lashblast Mascara $8
 I'm also saving a couple bucks in the mascara department. I'm very happy with Lashblast, don't really need to spend $20+ on a mascara for the same results.

Shu Uemura Painting Liner $25
 $25 is a bit too pricey for a gel liner but I'm very happy with its lasting power and I'd totally repurchase it.

MAC Lipstick $14.50
  I don't use a MAC lipstick everyday but majority of the time they are what I reach for.
For the quality you get, $14.50 isn't that bad in my opinion. Even some drugstore lipsticks these days can cost $10+!

MAC Eyeshadows x 3 $33
  I do use MAC eyeshadows almost everyday, 3 to be exact. 1. an all over color 2. crease color 3. blending color. I save a few dollars by buying them in pans, they have amazing quality and I don't really feel bad paying $11 for each.

Total = $249.50 *GASP*

Perhaps, it's the perfect time to start P10P? :)

Do you know how much YOUR face is worth? :)

Birchbox / May

Few weeks ago, due to the overwhelming hype, I decided to jump on the Birchbox bandwagon and signed myself up! I think the whole idea of these boxes is just too exciting! Who doesn't want to get random samples of cosmetics goods every month at a reasonable cost of $10? I totally do! Until my box was on its way to me, I was super excited. Receiving my box took me a while, the long wait was actually pretty ridicilous. I mean it is shipped out from New Jersey and I live in Chicago, I just don't understand how it can take more than 7 business days? I got over that pretty quickly after watching a couple of May Birchbox videos on YouTube and was totally stoked that there's a full size Stila eye shadow! Naturally I thought this makes up for the shipping fiasco, which would had I actually received a Stila eye shadow...

Packaging...The pink box you see on the left is how the package was actually shipped out for the month of May. It's ok, it's just a box but I like that it's pink! The box that holds the contents is neatly packaged, with a ribbon, tissue paper and all. I think they're a nice touch and they hold everything together.

The box contains a contents card that describes each product and has the full-size product prices.

Contents

Obviously for $10, I can't and shouldn't expect the moon and stars but I thought it was kind of unfair for some of us to not get the Stila eye shadow most other people got. Shouldn't we all get at least similar products? Of the products I received, I really like the Pomegranate soap as I love pomegranate scented anything. Jouer luminizing moisture tint samples are also something I may enjoy. They have included two different shades; Pearl and Golden. I am also looking forward to the Ahava mud mask simply because I love masks. The rest...meh. The Jouer lip gloss in Glisten has way too much glitter for my liking. I would never pay $20 for a glitter-overload lip gloss. Kerastase shampoo is a little too small for my long and thick hair to be able to tell whether it will actually work. I will more than likely use it up in a single shower session. It is also $35 which is way too much for me for a shampoo. There is also a blank card which I will eventually use but I would have liked to get more of a beauty-related product instead.

Not gonna lie, I am kinda bummed about the May Birchbox. I will wait to get the June edition to make my final decision whether to keep my subscription or let it go.

Those of you that are subscribed, what do you think about your May Birchbox? If you're not subscribed, are you planning to?

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush - Tipsy

I had been having the hardest time deciding on a color from Tarte's not so new Amazonian clay blush line. Obviously Tipsy is right up my alley, I am known to have an obsession with this color family. However, I did want to branch out and get a shade which I normally don't. I mean how many peachy blushes does one need? Basically it came down to Tipsy and Blushing Bride, a beautiful plum. I gave in and chose the peach once again! Tipsy seemed to be a bit more versatile and appropriate for summer! I can always go back and get Blushing Bride for fall! :D

Tipsy is a stunning matte peachy-coral and is packed with pigmentation. I have swatched all the colors in this collection at Sephora and they are all equally pigmented. Just like with any pigmented blush I think it applies the best with a stippling brush that way there is just the right amount of color with the right intensity. In other words, it's a "a-little-goes-a-long-way" kind of product. Now, Tarte claims these Amazonian clay blushes last 12 hours. Does it live up to the claim? YES! I can't lie, even some of my most loved blushes do not last all day, I love them mostly only because of their pretty colors. This blush on the other hand lasts all day therefore doesn't require touch-ups. I don't know about you but my make-up bag is full as it is, there is just no room for another blush compact AND a brush.

Here's a look at the packaging; It comes neatly packaged in a plastic box.
  The compact is fun and girly. I like that the compact's color and blush color are coordinated. It's not a bulky compact and comes with a mirror so it makes a good take-along product.

Other things to note:

This product is cruelty-free.

It is formulated without; mineral oil, parabens, petrolatum, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate and synthetic fragrance.

L- Blended R- Heavily Swatched

Illamasqua Lover (L) Tarte Tipsy (R)

Tarte's Amazonian clay blushes retail for $25/5.6oz. They used to be Sephora-exclusive up until a week or so ago however these days they are conveniently available on Tarte's website and Ulta as well. I purchased mine on their website using the code LUCKYBREAKS1 (30% off) to save a couple of bucks :)

Verdict?

I love Tipsy. It's totally my kind of blush but I'd be lying if I said I am not occasionally daydreaming about Blushing Bride. I may slowly collect all the colors in this collection, they are so charming and pretty to look at! I think they are seriously of amazing quality, formulated without many of the harsh chemicals and the lasting power is just unbeatable!

What do you think about Tarte's Amazonian clay blushes?

Braziliant and Co.

I visited Walgreens just this past weekend and though I wasn't planning to purchase nail polish I couldn't resist any of these colors! I don't blog about every single nail polish I purchase, but rather those that stand out to me. Since I didn't already own any shades similar to these three, they needed to be on the spotlight! While at the store excitedly tweeting about these beauties Danielle at Bloomin' Beauty was such a sweetheart to twitpic her swatches of Revlon's Blue Lagoon, made it so much easier to decide :) I think Blue Lagoon is exactly what was missing from my Spring Nail Polish Picks post! Revlon's Modern Grace came out of nowhere, I'm just a sucker for purple and its hundreds of shades of it!

Braziliant is one of six colors in Essie's new summer 2011 collection. I can definitely see this color on maaaaany hands (and even toes, why not!) this summer! For me it is definitely that nail polish I see another girl wear and when I ask her what it is she doesn't know the name or brand of it. Then I hopelessly search for that color and epically fail finding it. Actually just today I asked someone about her bright orange nail polish and she gave me the exact answer "oh I have no idea". lol

Braziliant is a hot orange with pink shimmer which is only visible in the bottle, if you look carefully in the lower right photo above you can sort of see it. It is an opaque polish as only one coat completely covers the nail, aka no white tips. Jessica over at Getting Cheeky has warned me that it stains nails and skin so a base coat is a must. I didn't take the chance as I didn't want to suffer from orange-stained skin/nails so I applied a base coat. I didn't photograph this but after applying the first coat of on top of the base coat, little bubbles on my nails began forming. After the second coat they were camouflaged. I thought that was bizarre since I've never seen anything like that before! Apparently Braziliant doesn't like my Sally Hansen base coat too much!

In summary, it's safe to say I'm already obsessed with this color! Even if the weather has been a bit of a mess here in Chicago (let's just say 50 degrees is a good day!) a glimpse of this bright color on my nails helps me be patient for the warm weather and puts a smile on my face :)

Did you get any colors from Essie's summer 2011 collection or any new nail polishes recently?

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil

During a makeup chat on Twitter, the lovely Holly at ellamarie84.blogspot.com has mentioned that Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil is her favorite bronzer ever! I have not even heard of this product until she told me about it and I thought eh it's probably just another bronzer. That was until I saw her next tweet saying it smells just like chocolate! I don't know about you but chocolate is definitely one of my many weaknesses in this life! So I knew this chocolate bronzer was eventually going to be mine!

Just like all Too Faced products, this bronzer also comes in cute packaging. The light pink box and the Hershey kiss-looking chocolate picture right on top are just adorable! The bronzer weighs .35oz/10g and retails for $28.

Yes, it's true. This bronzer really does contain cocoa and smells just like a good ol' bar of chocolate! I give it a whiff every now and then yummm...

The texture of the bronzer is velvety smooth. This is a matte bronzer and I'd describe the color as a light chocolate brown. It doesn't look muddy or orange on skin at all. I like its rich yet natural finish on my face. I've been using bronzers for just contouring these days and I think Chocolate Soleil does a fantastic job contouring as it's matte. If your nose is sensitive to smells don't worry because the chocolate scent isn't overwhelming and once applied the scent goes away.

Not like you can tell, but I am wearing my Chocolate Soleil bronzer in above photo :D

L- Chocolate Soleil R- Benefit Hoola

I thought I'd do a comparison of Chocolate Soleil to the famous Benefit Hoola as I know a lot of people own it. When I first opened Chocolate Soleil, I immediately thought wow this looks a lot like Hoola! As you can see from my swatches they are quite similar. Hoola looks just a tad more lighter and has an orange tint to it. Chocolate Soleil is a bit more pigmented. Hoola also retails for $28 but weighs .40oz/11.0g and comes in a cardboard box while Chocolate Soleil is in a compact with a mirror.

This sort of turned into a Chocolate Soleil vs. Hoola post so I'll finish it off by announcing the winner.

*drum roll*

Chocolate Soleil!!! Why? Because for $28 I get an actual compact of a beautiful, matte bronzer that leaves my face looking like it was naturally tanned. Its darker tone makes a difference on my face and helps me look more tanned than Hoola. I can actually take it along with me and use its mirror for touch ups during the day. It does seem to last longer than Hoola throughout the day. Lastly it smells like chocolate and I love that. It's like having a chocolate without all the calories! :D Hoola isn't a bad bronzer by any means but it shows up lighter on my complexion when compared to how Chocolate Soleil wears. It doesn't have as long of a staying power as Chocolate Soleil. I don't like the box packaging, I cannot take it with me because it is bulky and it doesn't have a mirror.

Have you tried Chocolate Soleil? What is your favorite powder bronzer?

Pink Blush Picks!

While going through my previously published posts, I noticed that I have never done a favorite pink blushes post. Shocker I know. If you've been following my blog for a while, then you'd know that I have a slight obsession with peach, coral, orange blushes. Nonetheless, I still love my pink blushes so I decided put  a post together sharing my favorites with you.

In my experience, I have found that pink blushes pair beautifully with any shade of purple eye make-up which I absolutely adore. Purple is one color that suits any eye color, if you haven't tried it then you should. It doesn't have to be bright purple, can be lilac, lavender, etc. I think pink blushes also work well with dark, grey, black smoky looks with light pink lips.

♥

Benefit Bella Bamba

MAC Bite of an Apple

Sleek Pixie Pink

MAC Dollymix

NARS Deep Throat

With Flash L-R: Benefit Bella Bamba, MAC Bite of an Apple, Sleek Pixie Pink, MAC Dollymix, NARS Deep Throat

Benefit Bella Bamba

It's the newest pink blush in my collection. When Bella Bamba first came out several months ago, I hesitated buying it because I honestly didn't think anything of it. Then I gave in and I'm glad I did. It succeeded to be one of my top pink blushes. It is a watermelon-pink with quite a bit of shimmer. While using Bella Bamba, I try to keep eyes a bit more subtle due to the shimmer content so I don't look like a disco ball.

MAC Bite of an Apple

Bite of an Apple was a limited edition blush which was part of the Venomous Villians collection that came out in 2010. It's a bright coral-y pink and has a matte finish. Bite of an Apple will last forever as all you need to do in order to get a perfect color on cheeks is to really lightly touch your brush in pan. I think using a stippling brush works really well with Bite of an Apple because it picks up only bit of a product. Too dense of a brush will result in an overly done blush. It goes on opaque and is buildable. If applied lightly it can definitely be an everyday blush.

Sleek Pixie Pink

Pixie Pink is a bright bubblegum pink and is super pigmented. It is also quite opaque and has a matte finish.  It looks beautiful when I pair it with MAC's Nocturnelle, Digit, Shale - all shades of purple. I think it also compliments dark blue/green looks.

MAC Dollymix

MAC describes Dollymix as "pure candy pink". It's in Sheertone Shimmer finish. I think its description sounds like it'd not be an everyday kind of blush but I think it totally is due to its sheerness. I wear it during the day quite a bit. I think it's also essential for days you're in a hurry but want a pop of color.

NARS Deep Throat

I added Deep Throat to my list because even though NARS describes this blush as "peach with shimmer" once applied, it looks pink on me :) Even in pan, I see a light pink blush maybe with a hint of peach in it. It has a generous amount of shimmer but I don't think it's anything overwhelming. Deep Throat is a very versatile color that goes with pretty much any look. Like Dollymix, it's one of my go-to blushes when I'm in a hurry but don't want to leave the house without some color.

Natural Light

 What are your favorite pink blushes? Which pink blush should I get next?

Ever Hip

 Ever Hip is finally in my possession! I was kind of sad that I chose Blooming Lovely (I don't know what I was thinking at the time I picked it up since it'd never work with my complexion) over Ever Hip at the Liberty of London preview last year. I will pin the blame on the cocktails that were served at the launch.

Then I got the good news!

When I found out Ever Hip was being re-promoted with one of MAC's new collections Fashion Flower, I was stoked! Thanks to the lovely Danielle at Bloomin' Beauty for giving us a heads up on Twitter that it's available. Otherwise, I would have totally missed it again! Wish MAC would just make it easy for everyone and add it to the permanent line! :) FYI: Recent MAC collections aren't really doing much for me (and based on what I read on my friends' blogs I am not alone in this!) I didn't even bother with other products in this collection.

Thanks to Google I have seen Ever Hip and its swatches million times before, but in person it's even more stunning.

With Flash

Ever Hip is a gorgeous "bright creamy coral" as described by MAC. Besides having my name written all over it, Ever Hip screams spring/summer. I am guessing I will be half way done with it before summer ends. :D It's in Cremesheen finish which is my favorite finish when it comes to MAC lipsticks. I love lipsticks in this finish because A. they're creamy therefore they go on super smooth B. they don't cause feathering or make you wish you scrubbed your lips beforehand C. they leave lips looking glossy. So no need for lip glosses! D. they seem to last longer on my lips than other lipstick finishes. Do I need any more reasons to love it?

I ♥ Ever Hip! :)

MAC Jazzed, MAC Ever Hip, MAC Vegas Volt

Here is a comparison of all my MAC lipsticks that I have in this color family. Jazzed and Ever Hip are definitely sisters, Jazzed has more orange and Ever Hip has a bit more pink in it. Vegas Volt is darker than both, can even be considered a shade of red when seen swatched next to these two.

What do you think of Ever Hip? Have you purchased anything from the Fashion Flower collection?