Weekly Favorites #3

1. Revlon 'Snow Peach' Lipstick
I bought this lipstick a few weeks ago and I have been using so much since I got it. It was part of the Revlon display for the vintage lip colors that were brought back. This was the only shade that really called out to me. It is a beautiful coral peach that is perfect for spring. I absolutely love it! It has been in my purse the whole week!

2. Micheal Kors Slim Runway Rose Gold Watch
Last week, I splurged on this Micheal Kors watch. I have been wanting a MK watch for a long time, but they are quite pricey. I settled for this rose gold beauty! You can't see it very well, but it is a really simple design. I have been wearing it every day this week!

3. ELF HD Undereye Setting Powder
I love my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer, but sometimes I feel like I need a really good setting powder for it. I found this Undereye Setting Powder at Target and I immediately knew it was something I had to try. So far, I really like it! It gives the skin a really matte and soft finish. It doesn't really cover dark circles, but it helps to set concealer or to just slightly brighten up the eye area.

4. MAC 'Riri Woo' Lip Liner
I hate putting a limited edition item on here, but I have honestly been using this a lot this week too. I tend to use it with red lipstick, but I have also used it under Revlon's 'Snow Peach' to add a bit of a red undertone to the lipstick. This is such a great lip liner and a beautiful color!

5. RBL 'Kellie Gonzo' Nail Polish
Another limited edititon product I hate to mention, but this polish here has been on my toe nails this week. It matches the 'Snow Peach' lipstick too, and adds a bright pop of coral. It is perfect for spring. And regardless of it being spring, I love coral polishes/lipsticks!

6. NYC 'Sunny' Bronzer
I am starting to bust out this bronzer really often now that the weather is becoming warmer. This is a great bronzer. It is inexpensive, it does not pull orange, and it applies beautifully. I thought it would be too dark on my light skin tone, but it really is not. A great product for the money!

Thank you for reading!

     

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Review: E.L.F. Disney Villains Nail Polish Set 2013

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For those of you who have not heard the news, Walgreens is going to be getting a bunch of different collections based on four beloved Disney villains: Maleficent, Ursula, the Evil Queen, and Cruela De Vil. In 2012, ELF released three Villain palettes, and the trend continues this year. Except there is now four palettes, one nail polish set, four makeup bags, four sets of Ardell lashes, and four sets of Scunci hair ties. One of the first items I was able to find is the Nail Polish Set by ELF which is $9.99. This set has 12 polishes, three polishes for each of the four villains. To see swatches and hear my thoughts about this keep reading~

                                                                             Swatches                                                                      

*I used two coats of polish with a top coat for each polish.

Maleficent

-Bubble Gum Pink: creamy bubble gum pink.

-Mod Mauve: deep brown-toned mauve.

-Gina Girl: sheer grape purple base with purple, orange, green and red glitter.

.

Top 10: 2012 Makeup Favorites

Greetings from the Dark Side!
And a happy 2013 to all ^_^

I am sure you have all seem plenty of these types of posts in the past week. But I think it is great to look back and think about which products have stood out to me. This really shows which products I have been 1) using a lot and 2) which products I have really loved.  I have loved a lot of new products this past year, but there are the products that have really stood out to me.

October Hits and Misses

Hello Dark Siders!

It's that time again: Hits and Misses time! I have a lot of things to share, so I  will try to quickly go over the products I've loved this month and the ones that I didn't really like all that much. I have some oldies and some newer products to share, so stick around and find out about products that might interest you :)

                                                                                  HITS                                                                    

FOTD: Maleficent Night Villain Look

Greetings from the Dark Side~

I want to share with you the Night Look from the ELF Disney Maleficent Palette. I followed the directions from the palette but it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to. I think I would have used the colors a bit differently on my own. I will probably re-do this look without using the instructions from the palette.

Haul: ELF Disney Villains Palettes

I said I was going to try not to haul anymore makeup...but this is an exception!!! I am a huge Disney fan, especially a huge fan of Sleeping Beauty/Maleficent. When I heard about the ELF Villains collection, I knew I HAD to get my hands on them. I kept seeing them on blogs, but I had no luck finding these at all. I only have one Walgreens close to me, and I kept stalking it to see if these palettes would magically appear. Sadly, they were not appearing in the store. After many days of trying to find these, I gave up. But I knew if I missed out on these, I would regret it. I am a beauty blogger after all!

I decided to give it a last go and call the second nearest Walgreens to me, which happens to be in the Sacramento area (Natomas specifically). If you live around that area, you might want to check the Walgreens in Del Paso Road. Anyways, I called them up and to my surprise, they did have them in-store. I asked them if they could hold one of each for me and did! I was so ecstatic!

Here is the best part (well, at least for you!): not only did I pick up three of these for me, but I also picked up three extra to giveaway! Woohoo! So expect to see a giveaway on these pretty soon ;) Anyways, here is a super quick show of the palettes. I will be swatching them and doing eye looks tomorrow.

Empties #4

Hello everyone~

I am super late with this post, but better late than never! I just wanted to show you all the products I used up during the month of August, as well as writing some short mini reviews =3

Top 5: Pink Blushes

Don't you hate it when beautiful blushes are limited edition? I do! Especially because my favorite blushes are MAC ones. But today I want to share with you all my top 5 favorite non-limited edition pink blushes.

1. MAC 'Pink Swoon' Blush ($20)

Collective Haul: MAC, YSL, Shimmer Twins, Too Faced, and More

Hey guys! I haven't done a haul in a while. I got caught up in swatches and eye looks! Here is some of the things I bought in the last two months. I won't really have swatches (except for the MAC stuff because it is LE) but be sure that I will have separate reviews/swatches.

1. MAC 'Heroine' lipstick (MAC Reel Sexy collection)
Because I totally need another purple lipstick! But no, I love this shade. This is what I wanted 'Up the Amp' to be. It is a grape-purple! So pretty ♥

FOTD: One Lonely Shadow

I know so many people who find it tedious to apply more than one eyeshadow. Sometimes other women I know ask me how many colors I had to use to create an eye look. Sometimes it is only two, but sometimes it can be up to five or six different colors. So, for all of you who don't like using so many colors and prefer to stay with one or two eyeshadows, I came up with this simple look that only required one eyeshadow.

Some Tips: If you want to be a "one eyeshadow" type of girl, then I recommend that you:

-look for an eyeshadow that has dimension. This can include duo or multi chrome eyeshadows or eyeshadows with shimmer. This will make the color more visually interesting and therefore makes a one-color look much more appealing.
-Try to vary the intensity of the eyeshadow. What I mean is to add a sheer wash on color on the lid, and then make it more intense on the crease or outer V to give the illusion that you used two different colors. You will see what I mean when I show you pictures of my look.

Day to NightTutorial: Dark Greed

Hello Dear Reader!

As promised here is an eye look using the Wet n Wild 'Greed' Palette. I will have a second look in a couple of days, but for the time being, I hope you will like this look. I will also show you how to transform the look into a sultry night time look with one simple step. ;)

Day Time Look

 (you can always make it a little less dark and skip out on the lashes to make it more day appropriate)

Night Time Look

My Highlighter Stash

Hello~ ♥

I love seeing how people use their highlighters and what different highlighters they use. Everyone has their own preferences and methods to applying highlighters. I have both liquid and powder highlighters, but I tend to use them differently. Here are the highlighters I have, and what I use each different one for.

Liquid Highlighters

For the most part, I like to use liquid highlighters in my foundation. I will add a drop or two of a liquid highlighter into my foundation to make it more luminous. If I forget to do that, then I might get a drop of a liquid highlighter and dab it on my cheeks with my fingers.

MAC Pink Rebel and Sun Rush Lustre Drops

These MAC Lustre Drops work best for me when I add them into my foundation. I don't really like using them over my foundation because I feel that they look too obvious on my skin tone.

December Favorites

Hello~ :)
The year is already over but I still want to show you my December favorites. I only have a few products but none the less, here they are.

1.Estee Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelee
I have already mentioned this before, but I seriously have to mention it again. I love this. I have used it every single day since I purchased it. It is not available anymore, but there is a dupe (Laura Mercier Face Illuminator). It is the most perfect highlight, a radiant rose gold color. After my BB cream, this is my must-have product and something I wear on an everyday basis. I have nothing bad to say about it.

2. Illamasqua 'Moral' Blush
I have used this blush 3/4 of the month. It is the perfect blush! It is bright, yet you an sheer it out for a beautiful magenta glow. It lasts all day on my cheeks and makes me look youthful. It does have a metallic-like finish, so if you have really oily skin you might want to stay away.

3. ELF Eye Contour Brush
A $3 crease/pencil brush. It is super soft, yet great for blended or applying colors on the outer V. It is great quality for the very inexpensive price! I love this brush, and I am considering buying a couple more.

4. Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss 'Bordeaux'
A gorgeous sparkling raspberry shade! Perfect for the winter time. The gloss is not sticky and it has a great color pay off. I am mean, seriously, look at the color! It is beautiful! <33333333333

5. OPI 'The One That Got Away'
I dislike Katy Perry, but I love this color. Looks great with the Revlon lipgloss xD
It it just a great sparkly raspberry shade. I have worn it a lot this month because it matches the  lipgloss~


Swatches

Illamasqua Moral Blush      /             EL Powder Gelee     /      Revlon Bordeaux lipgloss

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?

Makeup Ban + Project 20 Pan + Mini Reviews

Hello lovelies~
I hope you guys are doing great! I finally settled in today, and I actually have time to do a few things I have been meaning to do for a while. One of those things is to update you all on my makeup ban and my P20P.

Makeup Ban
It has been about a month since I started my ban, and it has been going very well. If I said I had not purchased anything, I would be lying. I mentioned before that I bought two Revlon lipglosses, but I purchased them with a gift card so I didn't count them. Other than that, I haven't purchased anything makeup up related! I am so proud of myself, honestly. I will be continuing this makeup ban. But I think I will give myself a little break and purchase one thing for myself for Christmas.
I also mentioned that I might set up a goal for myself every week, and if I complete it, I would put $5 in a "makeup-buying fund." I did that, but I haven't been doing super good. I managed to complete two of my goals, which were to drink more water and to not get on elevators. So far I have $10 in my makeup fund. Very sad. I am thinking that I will update my makeup ban every month. I am very motivated to keep this going. I feel very good about actually using my makeup, and I hope this will motivate some of you to do the same~


Project 20 Pan - Completed!
Yes, I have completed my P20P! I am very happy~ Here is what I finished up and also a mini review on each product.

Skin Care

Review + EOTD: ELF Eyelid Primer and UDPP Comparison

Hii ♥

It feels like it has been a while since I did a EOTD or a product review! I have been testing out ELF's $1 eyelid primer for about a month now, and I think it is time to do a review/comparison! ELF products have been a hit or miss for me, so I decided to try the eye primer. Its only $1, and if it works well, I can say bye-bye to my Urban Decay primer.

Price and Availability
ELF: $1! amazingly cheap. I purchased mine at Target, but you can find ELF on eyeslipsface.com.You get .17 fl ounces.
UDPP: The professional size is $29, the regular is $19 you can find them at Sephora or the Urban Decay website.  The regular $19 tubes of PP contain .37 fl ounces.

Texture and Formula
ELF: This has a very watery formula, so it is super easy to blend into the eyelid. It also means that you need less product to cover the entire lid area since its spreads so easily. It has a very satin-like texture, so its smooth and not thick or cakey at all. I really love how easily I can apply it! This applies clear, but is a little moist afterwards. I like the moistness of it because I feel that my eyeshadow really sticks to the eyelid.

UDPP: This has a thicker texture than the ELF primer. You get a tiny amount on your finger and apply it on the eyelid. Because it is thicker, it is harder to spread it on the eyelid. But it still applies pretty easily and it also has a smooth texture. Although, not as smooth as the ELF primer. This dries clear and dry. I feel that the eyeshadow does not adhere as well to this primer.

Creasing? 
I applied my primer and eyeshadow at 9 a.m. And took these pictures at 7 p.m.

I already knew that my UDPP prevents creasing on my eye, but how did the ELF primer hold up?Well amazingly, it prevented creasing! And it did just as well as my UDPP! I think the UDPP is a tiny bit better at preventing creasing, but not much.

Verdict
Because of the huuuuge gap in the price, I am going to say the ELF Eyelid Primer is a definite winner. I can save a good amount of money by switching over to ELF. What about you guys? You should join the Dark Side and try out this primer!

Swatches 

Left to Right: ELF/ UDPP

blended out a little

Blended out completely

EOTD

Eye with UDPP

UDPP

Eye with ELF eyelid primer

ELF

What do you guys think?Would you give this a try?

Review: ELF 'Pink Passion' Blush

Recently, I have been so obsessed with this ELF blush that I purchased at Target. I bought it on a whim because it looked pretty, and I am so in love with it.I have been wearing this so often, and I am so glad I purchased it &heart;

Price and Availability:

This was $3 at Target, but you can also purchase the blushes on the ELF website.

 Packaging:
If you have seen ELF products, then you will know that they look a bit similar to NARS packaging. They come a in a sleek black compact with a small "window" so you can see what color the blush is. The packaging is a little cheap, but then again, ELF is a cheap, affordable brand.

 Product Review:
As for the blush itself, I really love the color. It is a bright pink that is super wearable. It is not super dark or too light. The only problem I have with ELF blushes is that when you use the blush, the blush in the pan starts to get a weird texture. The blush becomes a bit rough and bumpy. You can see in the picture below what I mean. See how one spot looks very weird? It looks bumpy. Although that does not change the way the blush works or looks on the skin, I hate that it looks like that. It is so unappealing and gross.

Can you see the weird texture?

 Swatch:

 The blush glides on smooth. As you can see, the color is very pigmented, but not overtly pigmented.

Product Comparison:
When I first bought this, I thought it was a dupe for MAC 'Pink Swoon' [which I love]. But when I swatched them together, I realized that they were pretty different. 'Pink Swoon' is much lighter. I think that "Pink Passion' is just a brighter version of 'Pink Swoon.'

 PROS:
~Really cheap
~Good quality
~Amazing color
~Good for light AND darker skin
~Easy to find if you have a Target nearby

CONS:
~The blush gets a weird texture after a couple uses
~Might be not easily accessible if you don't have a Target, then you have to buy online

P.S.
If you have not entered my Giveaway, please do!
http://yamismakeup.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-first-giveaway-drugstore-favorites.html