MASSIVE $255 MAKEUP HAUL!!!!

Oh dear lord, what have I done!!! Yes, you read right, my dumb butt just bought $255 worth of makeup. WHAT!!! But to save face, I swear it wasn't ALL my fault. The evil lady at ULTA, distracted me with her caked on makeup and spiderlashes and fooled me into buying stuff I didn't even need:)

I went in originally to buy some higher end products for my lovely mother. It's her birthday in a few days, and gosh darnit, the woman deserves some pretty products as well. However, I got selfish. Whoops. If you've been to ULTA then you know that they sell higher end products on one side and drugstore products on the other. So jee, hmmm where do you think I ended up? Yup!

I practically skipped to checkout line thinking I had done fairly well, but when the handsome man behind the counter said " That will be $255" I literally passed out. Seriously, my evil sister who I only see every other month and had egged me on to buying half the stuff, literally had to grab my hand, cause I was seeing stars before my eyes.

Sighhh......so what does one get with that much money? Not much.

Ladies, ladies, ladies. Luckily ULTA has a really good return policy, because there is no way I could live with myself if I spent 1/3 of my rent money on MAKEUP! I mean I love cosmetics, but I love a roof above my head more :) And, yes some of you may be thinking, why didn't I just return some products then? Well, soorrry,I got I selfish again. I thought it would make for some reviews, so be prepared :)

Benefit Hello Now, Oxygen WOW Foundation

No. Nope, don't want to look like a confused Oompa Loompa. Nope, sorry not me, and I'm so darned sad that's exactly how I feel in this foundation....Sometimes....Confused? Me too.

So here's this fancy foundation that I originally bought for my mom, because the cakeface lady said its good for mature skin. She even applied it on my sister in the store and it looked great, but when I got it home and tried it, it was another story. Apparently if I'm not standing under fluorescent lights 24/7, then I can't rock this foundation.

Packaging: The foundation comes in plastic, pump style bottle. Unlike most foundations which come in glass  bottles, the plastic Benefit bottle felt so cheap and flimsy. Inside the box is a sample of the POREfessional Pore minimizing cream, I will have a review up for that shortly.

Pricing: $34 USD

Product:

Pros

• Very light. Feels almost non-existent on the skin and feels undetectable to the touch
• Looks great in pictures and at a distance
• Easy to remove
• SPF 25!
• Oil Free

Cons

• Very runny, gets all over if you pump too much

• OXIDIZES! Within minutes I noticed a color change and the foundation started turning orange
• Not consistent Applies like a liquid, turns chalky/powdery then wears like a liquid foundation
• Settles into pores and fine lines
• Cracks around dry patches/zits
• Looks cakey
• 9 colors to choose from

Overall: I am sooooo confused. I had read some raving reviews about this product. Ladies claimed that this was the best thing out there and they had found their holy grail product. I thought none of this.  While the application is flawless and the feel is heavenly because it seriously  feels  like you have nothing on, I didn't like the way it  looked on  my skin. I wore this while bridal shopping with my cousin for her wedding, and throughout the day she kept commenting on the changing  appearance of my face.

One minute I was shining, the next I looked matte/flat  and then I looked powdery. Then mid-morning it startled settling into my pores and I had a whole another problem on my hands. As  I write this review, I feel so jipped by the sales woman, because her selling point was that its great for  mature skin because its light and moisturing.....yeah, not happening. I tried this foundation on my mom who has near perfect skin, and the poor lady looked like a mature version of Snooki with ten pounds of makeup on with huge crows feet.

I would recommend skipping this foundation for sure. However if you MUST try  it, I would recommend this for people with flawless skin and no wrinkles looking for light to medium coverage. I would not recommend this to individuals with dry skin because it will crust around the dry patches, and for oily skinned individuals, it will sink into their pores een with a primer.

:)

E.L.F Eyelid Primer

I put some eyeshadow on, eyeshadow comes off. So, I put more eyeshadow on, even more comes off. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!....My darn oily eyelids is what is going on :)

I just recently got into makeup, and one of the first products I bought was cheap eyeshadow, because I thought that would make the biggest difference in my attempted dramatic change. But instead of these epically awesome eyeshodow colors sparkling on my eyes, hence captivating all the boys attention, I managed to create clumpy, chalky  messes all over my eyelids.

What  I figured out eventually was my  greaseball butt needed to use some eyelid primer to help my eyeshadows stick and last all day. Therefore, I began my journey on finding the perfect  eyelid primer.

What I discovered however, was that primers work almost the same, and while I do own higher end primers, I can't afford to use them eveyday, so I found this E.L.F eyelid  primer, which in my opinion is a great substitute :)

Packaging: The primer comes in a typical tube type of style. with a doe foot applicator. The color comes off very beige-ish and the consistency is comparable to that of a liquid foundation.

Product: After applying the primer, I usually wait about 20 seconds to let it dry just a bit, and then I apply my shadow however I wish. For a typical 8 hour work/school day, this primer fairs pretty well. I have some creasing and color lose by the end of the day, but you  have to remember I have greasy eyelids. On the other hand, my sister also uses this product and has normal/dry eyelids and this primer helps her eyeshadow stay on all day perfectly fine.

Overall: If you are looking for a cheap eyelid primer, that has no gimic and does the job, then this is the product to try. It stays on for a long time and even with the eventual creasing at the end of day, its well-worth the $1-$3 USD!

:) :) :) 1/2

Massive E.L.F Lip Product Review!!!!

When I first started experimenting with makeup, E.L.F is the first place I went, and ladies let me tell you, this company was NOOOOO WAAAY  and as nice as  it is today. They had like 10 products, all just low quality and gross.

I tried to be the shiz nits and wear their pressed powder to school one day, and instead of the "oooooooo's" and "aaahhhhh" that I wanted, I got "ewwwwwwwww's" and " "Are you ok, you look really sick." (Later realized the powder had formed ghostly patches and made me look like I was peeling)

However, in the past few years, they have really listened to their customers and have created some really nice products :) Here is my mass review of lip products that I have tried.

Lip Primer/Plumper

For some this is their go-to product, for others this is trash. For me personally, I  noticed  nothing too different. Yes, it helped prime lips, but it came off in a waxy consistency, and I saw no plumping.

Lip stain:

These are part of the E.L.F  '12 spring line. Typical lip stain design, you color you  lips and you are done. I felt these stains had a nice color pay off but they were very drying . Not a lot of color selection.

Hypershine Gloss:

To me these are very similar to the  Stilla Lipglazes. For $1 USD these are great. They come in a variety of  colors, supper glossy and the color payoff is just enough. Yes, they don't last as long as you would like, but come on, what gloss stays on for that long anyways? Most definitely give these a try.

Plumping Lipglaze:

Don't fall for the name, there is nothing plumping about these lipglazes. They are dual sided, one for the color, one for the glaze. I found the colors to be cute  but gloopy and the glaze nothing more then a shiny gloss.  There is a pepperminty taste to the product and the methanol does help give the illusion of slightly plumper lips for like 10 minutes.

Mineral Gloss:

Part of ELF's mineral line, these  glosses are great. They come in a nice range of colors, and they go very smoothly. The lasting power is like that of any gloss, but I think they are well worth the price. My only complaint is that some have shimmer in them so when you apply them you can sometimes feel the particles on your lips. These are a staple in my purse.

Lip Shines:

Once again, some girls love them, others hate them. I'm divided between the two. I think the color selection is great, very moisturizing and easy to travel with. However, I find them to be thick and a bit messy. I recommend these more for girls in high school or college who need something cheap that gives quick color. Nothing special.

Essential Lipstick:

Love these! For just $1 USD each, these lipsticks are awesome. A little difficult to work with when first applying, these lipsticks not only have great color payoff, by lasting power as well. For me at the end of the day, they leave a really nice stain like effect. Plus with the huge color selection, there is something for everyone :)

Mineral Lipstick:

My favorite E.L.F lip product :). These lipsticks are smooth, moisturizing and long lasting-ish. Rosy Raisin is my go to lipstick and I absolutely love it!. The color payoff is great and once again with the huge color selection, there is something for everyone.

ELF Studio Line Blushes with Swatches

Okie dokie, so the last couple of nights, I have been up till almost 1am reading beauty blogs. Why? I don't know, I'm just weird like that, but because of my sudden fascination with reading blogs, I have gotten a good feel about what products people are blogging about. One surprisingly controversial product I have  read about are the E.L.F Studio Line Blushes. While some girls swear by them, others loathe them. So here's my review, hope it helps y'all out :) (Yup, a Cali girl just said y'all)

Okay so I own three of the Studio Line blushes:

Tickled Pink: A gorgeous baby pink, that can be built up to a true cotton candy color (this is my current favorite)

Candid Coral: A beautiful coral/peachy color. It is VERY similar to NARS Orgasm. It has small shimmer particles making it a really nice highlight on darker toned women. I usually layer this over other colors for a nice glow.

Blushing Rose: This is really nice berry colored blush. I use mostly around the holidays, but it's still a great buildable color. This one has small gold flecks which look really nice when they catch the light, yes even on oily skin :) Don't worry they are so small, you won't look like a disco ball.

Packaging: The blushes come in a rectangular black case. In my opinion the packaging is a knock off of the NARS, packaging, but then again, most of E.L.F's packaging is a knock off of a higher brand. Becareful when handling these blushes they break very easily. As you can see from my pictures, I've done some damage :)

Product: Here's where the trouble begins. While some girls complain that the blushes are to rough and chalky, others rave that they are so pigmented and soft. In my opinion, it depends on the color. While some colors are chalky and others are soft, I feel they are all very wearable and workable. For example, on of favorite blushes is Tickled Pink. It's a light baby pink, gorgeous color, but it is very chalky. I have to swipe with my brush a few times to get some color, but the color that I do get is really really nice.

Price: $3 USD

Overall: It's a luck of the draw. I personally love theses blushes because they are so cheap, blendable and versatile. Yes, some of the blushes are chalky and maybe a little difficult to work with, overall, E.L.F offers a beautiful range of colors, that you really can't hate on. So, in my opinion, I would say give these blushes a try, all you gotta loose is $3, and when you compare it to some of the $25 USD that the blushes are dupes are for, these are a real steal. Plus, they are surprising very long lasting. For a girl, whose face looks greasy within and hour, these blushes last me all day without fail :)

:) :) :) :)

PS: Sorry for the low quality pictures, bad lighting + cheap camera = bad pictures

BAM Bitches! Spring is here! (Current polish obsession)

Excuse the profanity in the title, but for the first time in my life I'm purposely following a "fashion trend," therefore I felt it necessary to go over the top.

So if you follow fashion blogs or read magazines, then you have probably read all of them tootin' and hollerin' about how pastels are in for the spring. The thing that gets me though is that, aren't pastels ALWAYS the "thing" for spring. Whatever.

Anywhosizzles, back to my post. So this week I'm feeling very spring-y so I wanted to wear a fun color that reflected that. Hence my lavenderish nails :)

I love purple so of course it would only  be fitting that my first post about  nail polish be purple.

Color: The color that I am wearing is called "Fun in the Sun" by L.A Colors. It's a gorgeous pastel purple with a semi-matte finish.

Lasting Power: Okay here is the bummer. I put this nail polish on and it chipped within a day. While this could be because I didn't wear a top coat or base coat, I have found LA Colors to be a very cheap company. BUT, I am okay with that because I hate wearing the same nail polish for more than a week....don't ask me why...it's just a "thing" that I have.

Higher End: If you are a nail polish snob and refuse to wear anything worth $1.50 from the drugstore, O.P.I has a great dupe called "A Grape Fit."

Overall: Obsessesed with this color, can't get enough of it! By the way, fellow bloggers and readers, this is probably the simplest you will ever see my nails. As I stated in my confessions blog, I love the bling, but being weary of scaring off my readers, I toned it down for you, but as you can see, I couldn't resist a little accent glitter  :)

Confessions of a Nail Polish Junkie

Sigh. I've hit an all time low. I went to Walgreen's to get a replacement foundation, and ended up with 5 new nail polishes! You might be saying what's the big deal, its only 5, well if you knew I already had 92 (not including the 15 I gave my sister) you might have a different answer.

So this obsession started with a navy blue polish from N.Y.C for $0.99. I thought I was the shiz nitz rocking blue nails! Shoot I flashed my hands whenever I could. Eventually, I got tired of the blues and thought, hmmm let me try this color then that color and oh that looks nice then.....argghh shake my head in shame.

But ladies it doesn't just stop there. GLITTER! GLITTER is my downfall. If it sparkles and I can paint it on my nails, then trust when I say I got it. Shoot, my  glitter obsession got so bad last summer that I binged on eBay and bought a 24 pack of glitter dust from China just so I can just dunk my nails in them.

Yup...I'm obsessed.

This week I will be sharing with you guys some of my favorite brands, colors and designs :) I hope you all enjoy.

Beauty Rush Glossy Shinestick

Ohhhhh Victoria's Secret how you did me wrong!!!! You suckered me in with your yummy  smells and frilly undies and blinded me into buying a lip thingy I didn't even waaaaaannnt.

Alright I'm a typical chick. I like all sorts of pretty frilly things and when I saw these colorful glossy lip shine thingy's I was all over them. Not only did they come in an assortment of colors but FLAVORS as well. Pina colada, cherry, berry, strawberry, yum yum yum!

But that's where the fun stops (READ IN EPIC DOOM VOICE)

Packaging: Typical lipstick style wind up design with clear cap. Very slim and compact making them easy to travel with.

Product: The texture is almost that of a thin lip balm. It slides on fairly easily,  but some of the shinesticks have glitter which makes the texture a little rough when applying. 

Payoff: The colors are fairly pigmented. They give a tinted balm affect which is really nice because it looks very  natural.

Overall: Don't do it ladies, don't get suckered in by the heavenly feminine store. This product SUCKS! For the first few days I fooled myself into thinking that these shinesticks were awesome and that I looked like Miranda Kerr in the ads. Yeah, FAIL! The product exaggerated the lines and cracks in my lips and after a period of time they dried up my once hydrated lips. They had weak lasting power and overall were just blah. However, I still love the smells and they don't taste half bad.

If you own these and have found a way to make them work for you, please share! I'd hate to waste the four that I bought.

:)

Wet N Wild Color Icon Palettes...Discontinued????

Ladies.....ladies.......ladies. My heart is a little broken today. Not only did I wake up to rainy, gloomy morning, but yes its true, Wet N' Wild is discontinuing their color icon palettes!......Maybe.

Alright,  so if you live under a rock or possibly in a remote jungle in Asia, you probably have not heard of the Wet N" Wild color Icon Palettes. However, for the remainder of the world, these palettes have been accessible for the past two years. Once deemed the worst drugstore line, Wet N' wild not only reinvented their image but their products as well and invented one my "holy grail" products.

Product: Over the past few years, there have been about six different palettes that have been released to the public. While some of them were specifically for holiday promotions, the Vanity (pictured above), Lust (purple hues), Pride (combination of blues and greens) have always been available year round. Included in each palette are six shadows, ranging from matte, frost and shimmer. The shadows themselves are SOOOOOO  pigmented and soft making them very blendable and wearable. Mix and match as you choose from any palette because  the colors complement each other so well

Packaging: There is no gimic. Simple plastic casing with six shadows and two applicator brushes, which compared to other brands, are not half bad if you use a light hand with them.

Pricing: $3-$6 USD depending on location and availability.

Overall: Seriously if you do not own at least one of the color icon palettes, go and get one! The product is phenomenal and the product is unbeatable! Plus if you are a fan of MAC cosmetics, the palettes have some great dupes for neutral colors! 

As far as Wet N' Wild discontinuing their most successful line  EVER......eeehhhh, not sure. But just as a precaution, you can bet I'm going to be stocking up on backups :)

:) :) :) :) :)

Minnie Mouse Inspired Nails

Okay, so I must confess I'm a huge Disney whore. I love all things Disney, so here's my Minnie Mouse inspired nails.Hope you enjoy :)

1) Paint a diagonal black strip

2) Fill in remainder of nail with  red polish

3) Add a silver glitter strip to cover the seam

4) Add the polka dots :)

5) All done :)

Drugstore Liquid Liners Comparison

I looooove me some liner! Not only does it  help my hooded eyes pop, but it gives an overall more put together look. Now I would be  lying if I said I'm  not curious about higher end liners, but why spend so much when drugstore liquid liners do the exact same thing :)

Below is a comparison of three very popular drugstore liquid liners : Loreal Linear Intense, Maybelline Stiletto, and N.Y.C Liner

Brushes: While both the Loreal Linear Intense and the Stiletto have felt tips,  the NYC liner has a really thin brush

Color Payoff:

Comparison: For overall intenseness of color, the Maybelline Stiletto is the BEST! Not only is it the darkest of the three, it also has the longest staying power. I found  that with the Linear Intense (which is also the most advertised and over hyped on YouTube), I had to go over the line multiple times and even then it wasn't very black and it had a tendency to turn grey and flake on my oily  lids. The NYC liner was great in color, but the flimsy brush and liquidy formula made it more difficult to work with.

Overall: I've been using the Maybelline Stiletto Liner for years, and even when I experiment with other brands and styles, I always find myself going back. Most definitely worth a try :)

Side Note: the images are recycled from my once YouTube channel

An oldie, but a goodie : Tresseme Heat Tamer

So, today I woke up and decided I wanted to look "fancy" (say it in a snobby French accent). So off I went on a mission to straighten my hair. Having avoided my straighter for the past two months, it wasn't a total surprise that I burnt my arm, scalded my ear and almost fried my eyelashes....Yup.

Half way through my mission, I smelled burning hair and I thought "Damn! I  forget the heat protector thingy!" Hence my reason for writing this blog today.

For those of that don't already know, some sort of heat protection is essential when working with hot  tools on the hair. Not only does it help your hair from totally frying and becoming a burnt mess, but it also makes the tool work more effectively because the tool can glide more smoothly.

The product I choose to use is the Tresseme heat Tamer Protective Spray.

Packaging: The product comes in a spray bottle form. This not only makes it easier to use but also more efficient  since the nozzle allows for a huge burst of spray that covers a greater  area. As a bonus there is small latch that you can push which prevents the spray bottle from spraying itself (excellent for when traveling)

Product: Typical heat tamer spray, but it smells awesome! Comparing it to other heat protectant sprays the reason I love this one is because it doesn't leave residue or heavy feeling. All I do is section my hair into four parts, spray once on each section and comb through  to distribute the product. Not only does it leave my hair feeling soft, but I've noticed less split ends when I continuously use heat on my hair over long periods of time.

Pricing: Usually around $5 USD

Overall: By now, most people either have this product or at least heard of it, hence my title. It's simple, easy, and gets the job done. The only complaint I have ever heard is that it leaves the hair feeling greasy, but that's only when too much product is used. Therefore ladies, don't get over zealous with the pretty smell, spray spray, done!

:) :) :) :) :)

Ugly Zit...BE GONE I SAY!!!

So like most people, I have battled ugly blemishes (i.e zits, pimples, acne etc..) my whole life. Even now, in my mid-20's I'm still prone to the occasional breakout that has me running to the mirror every twenty minutes to check if the monster has grown bigger :) However, through the years, after much money spent and hundreds of products tested, I think I have finally found the best PREVENTATIVE medicine I can buy from the drugstore that works for me.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a health  professional. This review is solely based on MY experience. Everyone is different, so what works for me, may not work for you, therefore if you have a serious skin condition, it is best you consult a physician/dermatologist, who can advise you on the proper procedures  and medicines to take that will work the most effectively for u :)

As teenager had these big  ole' honking pimples all over my forehead. As I got older, these little suckers started to travel down my face! I mean really! Its bad enough that I was a chubby teenager, then add to that these meandering pimples and yup, the perfect cocktail for low self-esteem. Don't worry I'm good now, but these pimples really motivated me to explore  products that would help me zap them away.

Proactiv, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, Burt's Bees, Noxzema, Acne Free, Biore, Oxy, I mean if it can be bought at a drugstore store or mall, then I've tried it. While some helped ease the problem, most just irritated my face and exasperated the problem. However, eventually, I learned  better, fixed my diet, came up with a face routine that worked for me, and finally "conquered" my battle with the pimple :)

Now in my mid-20's, my biggest battle is with the darn zits! Alright, alright I will be the first to admit that I don't always wash off my makeup before I go to sleep. Oh hush, you know you have your lazy days as well :) Sadly though, the next day is when I pay, when I see the evil creatures sprouting on my chin. So my cure....Persa Gel! 

This product is awesome! With 10% Benzoyl Peroxide concentration, this product  not only helps reduse the redness, but makes my zits vanish quickly without  leaving any discoloration behind. So if I feel a zit/pimple/cystic acne attack coming on, I just dab this sucker on, and BOOYAH! gone!

I used to think I was deformed because the salicylic products never seemed to work for me. While they worked miracles for my friends, all they ever did for me was give me dry skin, which is pretty epic considering the oiliness  of  my skin!

Why does Persa-Gel work? Because it kills the bacteria!!! It gets down to the root of the problem rather then just getting rid of the zit cosmetically. So while it may take two days for the zit  to die forever, thats excatly what its going to do, DIE FOREVER! The product gets deep down kills the germs and PREVENTS  new zits from popin up in that place again for a while.

So  if your  tired of bumpy zits and salicylic products just aren't working, give this a try :) It's cheap, effective and well-worth the hype.