Project No Buy Update: Week 12

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 11 of my No-Buy!

 

Week 12 (March 25- March 31) has been fulfilling. Because I went over my budget last week (and thus had to double what I went over as a punishment!), I tried my hardest not to buy anything. And indeed I did not. It was great because I was able to focus on other products and finally review products that I wanted to review for sometime. Maybe I should be buying even less stuff!

If you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up 

-Week 2 Round Up 

-Week 3 Round Up 

-Week 4 Round Up 
-Week 5 Round Up
-Week 6 Roundup
-Week 7 Round Up
-Week 8 Round Up 
-Week 9 Round Up 
-Week 10 Round Up 
-Week 11 Round Up

Gift Haul! And A Favor Haul

Greetings my lovelies!

Gift Haul

Last week, I got a parcel from a friend of mine in South California, Sophi. I was excited because this was a parcel I had been expecting for a while. A little after the Sephora Cinderella collection was released, I was super bummed out because I could not get my hands on the highly sought after compact mirror that was a part of the collection. So, I asked my friend in So Cal if she would be the loveliest person on earth and get me one of the mirrors from her local Sephora because they still had a few mirrors in stock. She agreed and told me she would send it to me. However, she is pregnant and she was having a really bad time with her pregnancy at that time so she never got around to sending me the mirror. So when weeks later I finally got her package, I was surprised to see that she had sent me loads of other things! I was really taken aback and very grateful that she took and spent the time to get me things I did not ask her to get me. So I just wanted to share what she sent me! 

1. Cinderella Mirror

So this is the only thing I was expecting. It feels so great to finally have this thing! It haunted me for weeks! Honestly, they should have made more of these. I hate to say it, but this mirror is freaking beautiful. I am so immensely grateful to my friend. I would not have been able to get this if it was not for her. Thanks Sophi!!!

Review: Flower Cosmetics 'Smoke and Mirrors' Eyeshadow Quad

Greetings!

I return with another Flower Cosmetics quad review. My experience with the 'Blue Lagoons' quad was terrible. Will this quad turn out to be better? Spoiler: it is all in the name of the quad.

*Product mentioned was purchased by me.

Diablo III Series: Witch Doctor

Greetings from the Dark Side~

Today, I will continue my Diablo III series with the Witch Doctor class inspired look. The Witch Doctors " are spiritual warriors who summon dead souls and crawling creatures to do their bidding" (us.battle.net). I like the Witch Doctor because it was the closest thing to the Necromancer from Diablo II, which I played a lot. 

The Witch Doctor artwork is awesome. The witch doctor wears gold/copper with a touch of purple. The eerie green of his magic is really eye catching as well. I based my look on these colors.

 *Oh and I don't have colored hair anymore! I had to dye in back because I have a job interview :(

Review: Flower Cosmetics 'Blue Lagoons' Eyeshadow Quad

Greetings my beauties!

It has been a while since I first purchased the Flower Cosmetics quads, but I have finally made up my mind on how I feel about this one in 'Blue Lagoons'. Spoiler: it doesn't end well.

*Disclosure: This was purchased by me.

First Impression: Sephora+Pantone Universe Color of the Year Collection - Emerald

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I bought this Sephora+Pantone Universe set last week because this year's color is emerald. I have brown eyes and I have noticed that greens (particularly emeralds) look amazing with brown eyes. I was really interested in the mascara but it was sold out separately. I decided to buy the set in order to get the mascara and the Lid Stain, the Color Block, and the Glitter Dust. I was not that excited by the eyeshadow Block or the pencil, but I decided to give them a try anyways. Here is my First Impression of this set~

A Song of Ice and Fire Series: House Arryn

"As High As Honor".

House Arryn resides in the Vale and their ruling seat is in the castle called the Eerie. Their motto is "As high as honor" and their house sigil is "a white moon-and-falcon on a sky-blue field" (A Game of Thrones).

Project No Buy Update: Week 11

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 11 of my No-Buy!

 

Week 11 (March 18- March 24) has been a tempting week and challenging week. As you will see in my updates!

If you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up 

-Week 2 Round Up 

-Week 3 Round Up 

-Week 4 Round Up 
-Week 5 Round Up
-Week 6 Roundup
-Week 7 Round Up
-Week 8 Round Up 
-Week 9 Round Up 
-Week 10 Round Up

Review: Pumpkin & Poppy 'Incognito' Cream Blush

Greetings from the Dark Side ^_^

I want to share with you this Breakfast At Tiffany's inspired orange blush from Pumpkin & Poppy in the shade 'Incognito'.  

*FTC Disclosure: This was purchased by me.

Tutorial: Pink Anarchy

Greetings from the Dark Side~

Here is just a random look I made last night to try out the Fyrinnae 'MeerKat' eyeshadow. The purple eyeshadow 'MeerKat' ended up looking really pink in this look because of the red eyeshadow. A big thanks to Emily and Nagia who suggested names for this look on Facebook :)

Blog Love: Wonderland Beauty

Greetings my lovey readers~!

As you might expect, I am not only a writer of beauty posts but also a reader of them. I love to read other blogs and to see what other bloggers say about products I am interested in trying. I feel like I have not shown enough of my love for all the wonderful blogs that I love to read and for the amazing people who write those blogs. Every week, I want to share with you a blog that I love and look up to. There are so many fantastic blogs out there, and I encourage you all to look into new blogs and see what treasures you find!

The blog I want to share with you all today is Wonderland Beauty, written by the lovely Aly.

Wonderland Beauty has so many helpful reviews and inspiring posts. There are plenty of makeup/beauty posts to go around, but there is also other types of posts that have been really though-provoking for me. I love this mix of beauty and life posts, I think it shows how much more there is to beauty than just physical appearances. When I read a makeup review on her blog then follow it up with a post about an experience or something emotional, it made me appreciate her makeup reviews even more because I felt like I knew the person behind the blog more through those personal posts. Aly is super sweet and friendly, and she has been so supportive of me and of many other bloggers. So, if you are up for reading informative and honest beauty posts written by a quirky, friendly, and inspirational blogger definitely check out Wonderland Beauty!

Fyrinnae Haul: 50's Retro Collection, and other

Greetings from the Dar Side!

A Fyrinnae haul?! Yes! It has been a,most a year since my last Fyrinnae haul but I was recently tempted to make an order with the released of the 50's Retro Collection~ I bought a couple of items and I wanted to share some Fyrinnae sparkly goodness. If you have never tried Fyrinnae eyshadows, you are seriously missing out! Fyrinnae was the first indie brand I ever tried, and I feel in love at first swatch ♥ 

Sassy Tips Polish Custom Nail Polish

Greetings from the Dark Side~

I was contacted by Kat, the owner of a new indie brand called Sassy Tips Polish. She is starting up her business and asked me if I would wanted to order a custom polish that I could share with all of you. It sounded really fun, so I agreed. There are a couple of polish colors that I would love to see come into existence, one being a blue base with red glitter/shimmer. This color is the one that Kat made for me, and I am so very pleased with the result! 

First Impression: Hard Candy C.C. Correction Cream

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Not my image. Found on Google Images.

I have been an avid user of BB creams for the past 2-3 years, and I was really by these new CC creams. A CC (Color Correct) Cream is supposed to be like a BB cream but with color correcting properties.  I was happy to see that Hard Candy came out with their own CC cream for an amazing $8. This gave me a great opportunity to try out one of these CC creams without paying to much money. I've only had this since last week, so here is my First Impression ^_^

FTC Disclosure: This product was purchased by me. 

I am only wearing the Hard Candy CC Cream in 'Fair' and Pumpkin & Poppy's Incognito blush. Excuse my bangs >_<"

First Impression

I was not expecting much from the Hard Candy CC Cream, I thought it would be like a very sheer BB cream, much like the US BB creams. But to my surprise, I actually love this! I have a lot of redness from acne scars that I want to cover, but I hate caking up my face on a daily basis. I want something that will help to reduce redness and cover my acne scars, yet that will look natural. I also have a hard time to find a product that does not dry my skin or make me oily. And with this I feel like my prayers have been answered! 

The formula is runny, and it feels like it is very sheer but it actually covers up very well. It feels silky smooth on the skin and it blends amazingly. My biggest surprise was finding out that this looks like a second skin. It is moisturizing and it does not get oily on my skin at all. It makes my face look and feel matte for hours. I love my Lioele Super Gold Snail BB cream, but that one usually does get a bit oily after several hours. This one does not at all (of course my skin is only slightly oily). Of course, it you have stubborn imperfections definitely use a bit of concealer. 

The closest thing I have to compare with this is the Armani Maestro Fluid Makeup. They apply very similarly (liqudiy product that looks super natural on the skin and covers decently and that keep looking better throughout the day). I am so glad that I picked this up because it has been my go-to everyday face product for the past week. And if you are curious, I apply this with my fingers in like 30 seconds and it looks flawless. No streaking and no patchiness!

I definitely recommend this to people who want a very natural-looking, low maintenance product. I will keep using it so I can have a more in-depth review :)

*Warning: I have heard that the color "Light" is really orange. I use "Fair" and that one looks perfect on my skin. If you are as light as me, a bit lighter or just a touch darker, I would recommend "Fair" over "Light".

Confessions of a Beauty Blogger

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Instead of doing a review or eye look today, I thought I would a tag that I have been wanting to do for a while now. I have not posted a tag in AGES, so why not? I am really tired from studying for my final exams as well so it is a nice change to write a more casual post.

The tag I want to do is the Confessions of a Beauty Blogger tag, which I saw on Wonderland Beauty. Aly's post was so lovely and I learned so much more about her from the post. It is such a great way for readers to learn more about the blogs they read! As I was thinking about the questions, it also made me nostalgic and I came to realize that I've been writing this blog for some time now 

(2 years+)! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

Project No Buy Update: Week 10

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 10 of my No-Buy!

Week 10 (March 11- March 17)  has been a tough week, but not because of my No-Buy. Week 10 was also week 10 of my winter quarter in Uni and it was the last week of the term before finals. I had all my term papers to write and finals to study for. I did splurge this week, as you will see in the post!

If you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up 

-Week 2 Round Up 

-Week 3 Round Up 

-Week 4 Round Up 
-Week 5 Round Up
-Week 6 Roundup
-Week 7 Round Up
-Week 8 Round Up 
-Week 9 Round Up

A Song of Ice and Fire Series: House Tyrell

Greetings from the Dark Side~

"Growing Strong."

In anticipation for Season 3 of Game of Thrones, I decided that it was appropriate to do a House Tyrell inspired look. House Tyrell will be important in the upcoming season, so it makes sense!

Castle and seat of rule: Highgarden. 

Motto: "Growing Strong"

House Sigil: "a golden rose on a green field".

As is evident from their motto, their castle name (Highgarden), and their sigil, their image is that of flora. Plants, much like some of the Tyrells, are beautiful and dainty, but they are actually very grounded and strong. This especially reminds me of Margaery Tyrell, who is beautiful and kind, but is also very ambitious and clever. Because of this, I wanted to make a look with the sigil colors (green and gold) that was both girly, yet fierce. 

Swatches + First Impression: Sephora Jasmine Collection Storylook Vol. 2

Greetings from the Dark Side! :)

Review: Sephora Jasmine Collection 'Magic Carpet Ride' Quad

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Are there any Aladdin fans out there? I know that I am a HUGE fan of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, so I was super psyched by the Sephora Jasmine collection! I purchased a few things and I just had to show you all a review ASAP!

FOTD: Magic Carpet Ride (Ft. Sephora Jasmine Collection)

Greetings my dear dark siders :)

Today I am playing around with my new goodies from the Sephora Jasmine collection! I am excited to come up with looks using these new eyeshadows. Today, I used the 'Magic Carpet Ride' eyeshadow quad. I will have a full review for that soon. In the mean time, you can see for yourselves how this quad applies on the eyes. 

Sephora Haul: Disney Jasmine Collection

Greetings from the Dark Side of Beauty!

I saved my No-Buy makeup reward money for the last two weeks in order to get some goodies from the Sephora Disney Jasmine collection! Growing up, Aladin was one of my favorite Disney movies (along with The Little Mermaid) so I knew I would be buying some things from this collection! Everything is super cute! :D

*Swatches will come in separate posts tomorrow! Also sorry about the crazy lighting. I was trying out new lighting but I haven't figured it out yet >_<"

Image from http://www.beautezine.com

Project No Buy Update: Week 9

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 9 of my No-Buy!

Week 9 (March 4- March 10)  has been really easy. I have been so busy reading and working on my term papers that I have had no time to even go to the drugstore to look at makeup! Hehe.

If you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up 

-Week 2 Round Up 

-Week 3 Round Up 

-Week 4 Round Up 
-Week 5 Round Up
-Week 6 Roundup
-Week 7 Round Up
-Week 8 Round Up

FOTD: Sweet Nectar (Ft. Glamour Doll Eyes)

Greetings my lovely readers!

I wanted to share with you a simple and sweet spring inspired look using sheer and iridescent colors. I love using sheer colors that have beautiful shimmers and pairing them with a bolder lip color. You can have so much fun mixing and matching you looks! Definitely play around with different color combinations :)

Review: Flower Cosmetics Skincognito Stick Foundation

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Flower Cosmetics is one the new drugstore hits of 2013. The extensive range carries three different types of foundation: liquid, powder, and stick. The stick foundation, called the Skincognito Stick Foundation, "glides on smoothly and blends easily for an instant uniform finish. Translucent second skin coverage allows skin's natural tone to show through" (Walmart website).

Review: Maybelline 'Striking Blue' EyeStudio Quad

Greetings from the Dark Side~! 

It is no secret that I love drugstore makeup. I particularly love limited edition and seasonal collections from the drugstore. Spring 2013 has been quite exciting, and I was especially thrilled with the Maybelline Color Goes Electric Collection. The collection included four limited edition EyeStudio quads, but I only picked up one: Striking Blue.

Tutorial: Señorita Coral

Greetings, mis señoritas guapas!

Today I wanted to share a fun, colorful, dramatic, and yet super easy look using some new Maybelline goodies from the Spring 2013 fashion week collection. I don't know what it is about this look that makes me feel like a "señorita" (young lady). It just feels coquettish and flirty (maybe it's the lashes? Or the flowers?)

The eye look is neutral bronze on the lids with a pop of blue on the lower lash line. For some reason, I love this eye look with a coral lip and cheek. It just kin of pops! And it makes the look a little more spring and summer oriented! Enjoy!

NOTD: Revlon Colorstay 'Vintage Rose'

 Greetings from the Dark Side~

Here is the Revlon ColorStay nail polish in the shade 'Vintage Rose'. 'Vintage Rose' is a neutral brow-toned rose color which I really like for work or formal occasions.  This is supposed to be a long wear nail polish, and I can attest that it does last for at least a week without chipping. This shade goes on opaque in two coats, but one coat looks fantastic on its own.

I am really impressed with the super smooth cream formula and with the opacity of this polish. I don't know if the rest of the line is the same, but this polish has left me wanting to try other of the ColorStay polishes.

I definitely recommend Vintage Rose, it is just such a classy color!

Empties #5

Greetings from the Dark Side~

It is not often that I finish my makeup products, but when I do I want to do mini reviews for each product that I have finished up~! Below are the products that I emptied

 last week!

Project No Buy Update: Week 8

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 8 of my No-Buy!

Week 8 (February 25 - March 3)  has been a seriously busy week! I have been way too busy with other things to worry about my No-Buy. I think this helped to keep me from spending over my weekly budget!

If you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up 

-Week 2 Round Up 

-Week 3 Round Up 

-Week 4 Round Up 
-Week 5 Round Up
-Week 6 Roundup
-Week 7 Round Up

Weekly Haul:Lime Crime, Maybelline

Greetings lovelies~

Here are these week's purchases!

1. Lime Crime Lipstick in 'Geradium' ($15.99)
A new LC lippie! Hooray! I adore LC lipsticks and I kind of collect them. This one is gorgeous for spring/summer. I used it in one of my recent looks, which you can see HERE.