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.

April Hits and Misses 2012

It's that time again! Time for my favorites and not so favorites for the month of April. This month has been crazy in trying new eyeshadows, so I wasn't very consistent with wearing the same eyeshadows more than once. But there are plenty of other products I've loving~

HITS

FACE

-Illamasqua Cream Pigment in 'Hollow' 
This is a fabulous contour shade for those with light/pale skin. It is not harsh or obvious. If anything, it looks quite natural. You can build up the intensity from a very natural contour to a super defined hollow cheek. I have neglected this for a little while, and I finally started using it again. It is really amazing for my skin tone.
-MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in 'Whisper of Gilt'
This is a lighter version of my Estee Lauder Modern Mercury highlighter, and it actually suits my skin better. I still love my EL one, but this has been my go-to highlighter since I purchased it.It is just a lovely golden shade.

LIPS

-Jack Black Lip Balm
Best. Lip Balm. Ever. Seriously.
I especially love the mint flavored one~ It feels tingly on my lips. Not much more to say other than that this is currently my HG lip balm!
-Revlon Lip Gloss in 'Crystal Lilac'
I love this range of Revlon glosses. They are really pigmented, creamy, and long-wearing. This particular shade is a lovely pinky-lilac with purple shimmers that is subtle enough to wear with dramatic eyes. It is also a quick and no-fail lip color that I can throw on as I head out the door.

EYES

-Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
I don't know what I would do without this stuff. This is my third tube! If you have never used it, you should give it a chance. It is amazing for sparkly or shimmery eyeshadows! I know some people don't like it, and that is because you have to know how to use it. Don't use it with mattes, and always wait for it to dry a little before you apply eyeshadows over it. Best stuff ever! Fyrinnae, you are seriously awesome ♥
-Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil Liner in 'Perversion'
I'm I done raving about this? Apparently not. Seriously black liner! Long-wearing and doesn't smudge or make me look like Gaara from the anime Naruto (although I wouldn't mind, he is one of my favorite characters). And just in case you don't know this is what he looks like:

 Swathches~

 Nails!

-Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily
I've only had this for about a week or so, and I am so in love with this! I was going to have a proper review, but unfortunately it is already sold out. Actually it sold out the day I received it...so, yeah. I don't want to have a review for something that is not available anymore...
I feel horrible posting it now, like some cruel person poking you with a stick. But it is my favorite polish for this entire month. It is the only aqua that doesn't look ugly on my nails!

Favorite Look of the Month

 I don't have a post for this, but I can make a post for it if you guys want. I love this though. It is a Boba Fett inspired look using VDC and Lime Crime.

MISSES

-Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment

I love the scrub from this line, so I thought that the treatment would be good too. I was oh so naive. This didn't work. It couldn't work even it it's life depended on it. It was not hydrating at all either. I felt that it actually dried my skin a bit. So basically, to sum up, it sucked. 

-Revlon Lip Butter in 'Cremesicle'

This is the orange version of 'Gumdrop', which I love! I thought a light orange would be so pretty for spring. Noooo. This is not orange, it is much too pale and nude. It makes me look like I have pale fish lip (oh yeah, sounds so attractive). The formula is good, it's just the color! I would say that maybe this would work for people with very pigmented lips, since the paleness might neutralize some of the pigmentation on the lips. My lips are already very pale though, and I guess this only adds to that. I really detest this color, I can't even express the loathing I have for it in words.

-Rescue Beauty Lounge IKB:2012

This is the other color that, alongside Aqua Lily, is currently sold out. I love the striking jelly blue! It is a really beautiful color. But, the formula is very hard to work with. The polish itself it not super thick, but it tends to goop up when you apply it. I don't even have swatches of it because it looked so gross. I would say you either have to be amazing at applying nail polishes to make this look good, or just get used to the formula until you get the application just right. I definitely need practice.

Have you used any of the products mentioned above? If so, what do you think of them? What are your favorites for April?

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

Haul + First Impression: Sephora F&F Sale

Another haul? Yes, another haul!
I should really be ashamed of myself! I made a second order from Sephora on the last day of the Friends & Family Sale. It was so tempting, and I was too weak to resist. Here is what I purchased~

1. Illamasqua Cream Pigment in 'Hollow' ($24)
I have been wanting to try more of these cream pigments from Illamasqua. Sephora doesn't carry all the shades though, and this was the one that I wanted to try the most from the ones that Sephora carries. I wanted it so I could use it for contouring. It is a really great contouring shade for fair skinned girls like myself. This is a very cool-toned brown, so it has no orange in it. I have tried it once, and I really liked it. I advice using a light hand, since this is very pigmented. If you don't want to dish out the money for this, you could try NYX  Taupe Blush, which is essentially the same as this, but it is a powder instead of a cream.

2. Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Poke ($14)
This has been on top of my list for nail polishes to buy ever since I saw it on Temptalia. Christine had a great review for this polish, and I was awestruck by the beautiful color. I thought it was the right time to buy it now, since it was 20% off. I haven't used this yet, but I will have a separate swatch and review once I used it at least twice.

3. Nails Inc. The Donmar Collection Set ($20)
These are first nails inc polishes :D I could't resist the beautiful flaky overglaze polish <3 The other color included is a really dark, vampy plum color. They both seem nice. Again, I will do a separate swatch and review post for this as soon as I can.
There was two other sets, one of which I really wanted as well. But I will save that for some other time.

4. Jack Black Balm Squad Lip Quad ($25, LE)

I recently finished my first tube of Jack Black balm, and I loved it! This pack comes with 4 tubes for $25 (each retails for $7.50). You save $5 on the set, as opposed to buying them separately. Plus the 20% off was an added bonus. It is getting cold, and my lips tend to get really dry during winter. I love having a balm in my desk, in my bag, in my backpack, and pretty much everywhere. Having 4 balms is just convenient for me, and I won't have to buy any more for a while.

And the best for last...

5.NARS Danmari Palette ($65, LE)

I am sure you have all seen this already! It is honestly such a great deal! I don't own any NARS blushes, but I have wanted Sin, Orgasm and Desire for a long time. The other three colors are great too. The only color that I am wary of it the Casino bronzer. I think it might look weird on me, but I have to experiment with it to see if I can make it work on my skin.  All the other colors are fabulous! The packing is sleek and beautiful. If I purchased Sin, Orgasm, and Desire separately, it would be $27 for each, adding up to $81. The palette is $65. Yes, the palette does not contain full size blushes, but they are about 2/3 of the full size. It is honestly a way better deal. If you already own some of the colors in the palette, then it is up to you to decided whether this palette is worth getting. I wish they had not included Casino and Super Orgasm. I would have loved to see Mata Hari, Taj Majal, or Exhibit A in the palette. But oh well.

 These were so pigmented when I applied them on my cheeks, but they didn't want to show up well on my arm when I swatched them...

First picture is the top row from left to right, and the second picture is the bottom row from left to right.


I hope you guys enjoyed! If you have any questions regarding these products, please do leave a comment or send me an email ^_^