September Favorites!

I feel like I'm a bit late on this post, but the last week has been pretty busy for me, so you'll have to excuse the late-ness of this post. September has been a pretty good month for beauty, so let's jump right in!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick -- Black Cherry & Milani Color Statement Lipstick -- Sangria. So this is actually a color combination that my friend Jas introduced me to, and I am obsessed. Together, these two lipsticks make the perfect deep oxblood color. I keep looking for a color like this, and it seems that I can only find the perfect shade when I mix these two together! I always apply Sangria first, then Black Cherry on top, to ensure maximum opacity. And of course I had to include pictures from Tumblr of when I first tried this combo on.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Nail Lacquer -- Black Dahlia. Obviously, I've been loving the oxblood colors this month. But this color is absolutely incredible. If you are looking for an almost-black red nail color, this is the perfect color! The formula is incredibly creamy and fast-drying, and it has a pretty decent staying power. Keep in mind that most nail colors don't last on me because I work with my hands so much, so if you don't spend every day sewing for 4+ hours, then this will probably last even longer on your nails!

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara & Maybelline The Mega Plush Waterproof Mascara. This is another combination I've been wearing nonstop this month, and when I try to go for each of these mascaras alone, I notice a definite difference. I always apply The Mega Plush first, then The Rocket second. What I love about this combination is that The Mega Plush really separates my lashes, and acts almost like a primer for the super volumizing effects of The Rocket!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette -- Triple Fudge. So being brilliant as I am, I forgot this palette at home back in California before moving out here to North Carolina. Go figure. Andrew sent a big care package to me, and he sent me my beloved palette in the box! Of course, I've raved about this palette for almost a solid year now, but I didn't realize how much I missed the shade Triple Fudge until I was left without it for almost two months. This is my go-to brow shade, and my brows are definitely loving having it back!

Mossimo Harmony Combat Boots. I featured these boots in the Fall Lookbook I posted not too long ago, and the reason is because I wear these boots almost every day. They are so easy to wear, and they don't do that weird sock slipping thing that a lot of boots I own tend to do. When I first saw these boots in Target back in August, I fell in love with them completely. I love the strappy studded detailing, and they're super easy to slip on because they zip right up!

What have you been loving this month?

- D.

REVIEW - Maybelline The Mattes Lipsticks

Recently, Maybelline released their new fall lipstick collection, which is their Color Sensational The Mattes collection! This is Maybelline's first launch of a matte lipstick, which is super exciting for me, since I absolutely adore Maybelline's Vivids.

I'm usually pretty hesitant about matte lipsticks, because I really dislike the uncomfortable, heavy, drying feeling that you often find with them. I love the Wet n Wild Megalast lipsticks, for instance, but they are so uncomfortable and they really drag on the lips. You pretty much have to wear a gloss on top to keep your lips from cracking. I often feel the same way about the matte MAC lipsticks as well. That being said, lets move on to the lipsticks I am reviewing today!

The colors I purchased are "Divine Wine" and "Mesmerizing Magenta." I felt that these two colors were right up my alley, especially "Divine Wine," since I've been loving deep wine lips lately!

There are ten shades in this collection (so far), ranging from subtle nudes to bright pinks to deep berries. The packaging is exactly the same as the classic Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks, except that the caps are a matte, frosted glass finish. They are all the same color, which means you either have to open up the tube or flip it over in order to figure out which one is which. It's not really a problem, but it's something worth noting. I usually store these lipsticks upside down, which the square packing is great for! 

It is absolutely unbelievable just how smoothly these lipsticks apply. As you may be able to tell from the swatches, they aren't what I would consider a true matte, like MAC's matte lipsticks, for example. However, I much prefer this formula! While these lipsticks aren't a true matte when you look at them with a critical eye, they are just creamy enough to make application a breeze, but matte enough to give the appearance of a classic matte lip!

As for pigmentation, the swatches above were done in one quick swipe. That alone should tell you a lot! They are incredibly creamy for a matte lipstick, which makes them very comfortable on the lips. One of my biggest complaints with matte lipsticks is that they often dry out my lips too much, making my lips look chapped and just not so appealing. With these lipsticks, I don't have that problem at all!

Final Thoughts? This collection has a fantastic range of shades, and I believe that it is permanent so I wouldn't be surprised if they add more. The finish is just matte enough, without being drying, and is just creamy enough to make application easy and comfortable. For a drugstore lipstick, I am incredibly impressed! 

I definitely plan to be purchasing more of these lipsticks, and I'm even planning to send a few over to Sarah, who unfortunately can't get them yet. As far as I know, this collection is only available in the US so far, but if you can get your hands on them, they are definitely worth picking up!

Are you planning on purchasing any of this collection?

- D. 

Sephora + Ulta Haul

Recently, I've bought a couple of things from Sephora and Ulta. Of course, being a broke college student, I should know better. Buuuut...obviously makeup is my weakness. And if we're being honest, I'm pretty excited about the free stuff I got as well, so I'm including that in this haul as well!

First, let's start with a couple of things I got from Ulta.

As I was scouting the drugstore aisle, I spotted this bright teal gel liner from NYX. My first thought was, "That would make my eye color pop so well!" And then I saw the name of it, which just so happened to be Danielle. Of course, I automatically assumed it was meant to be, and picked it up. It is absolutely gorgeous and wears beautifully as well.

I think I spent all spring and summer looking for the perfect muted melony coral color. I found a few, but they all just came off too orange, and most other came off way too pink. Essie's "Haute as Hello" is the perfect in between! Despite how much I've been wanting it to be fall, I have been wearing this polish as a last hurrah for the summer. Mostly since I have been looking for this exact shade all summer long!

I had heard such amazing things about the Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather collection, so I had to try it! I decided to pick up a neutral color that could be used as an all-over cream base, I picked up the color "Creamy Beige," which dries down to a satin, kind of brown, kind of taupe color, and is perfect for all over the lid!

Sephora was having an amazing sale, where select items were up to 50% off! I was in desperate need of a new body scrub, so I picked up the Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff. This scrub is normally $25, but I got it for a total steal at $15!  It isn't the classic pink scent, but very similar, with just a hint of musk.

This is probably my favorite item in this haul! Sephora was selling limited edition OCC duos, with a full sized lip tar and full sized nail polish! I picked up the set in "Black Dahlia," for only $15! This is seriously the best deal ever, considering the full size of the lip tars are normally $18, and the full size of the nail polish is normally $10! Unfortunately you can no longer purchase this set.

Of course, I also have to talk about free stuff. They had a promo code for a deluxe sample size of the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, so of course I grabbed that. I'll probably save it for when the weather gets cold and dry, since my skin hasn't been particularly dry as of late. With my Beauty Insider points, I also grabbed a sample size of the Benefit The Porefessional, which everyone raves about but I have yet to try. 

That's it for this haul! Sorry I've been so AWOL lately, life has been so hectic! I do have a few posts planned, so keep an eye out for those!

- D. 

Karlie Kloss' MET Gala Look + Birthday Outfit of the Night!

Yesterday just so happened to be my 21st birthday, so me, my boyfriend, and a couple of my friends went out for dinner and drinks. I decided it was the perfect time to do the Karlie Kloss MET Gala look that Sarah (Diary of a Beauty Padawan) has been requesting! I based the look mostly off of these two photos from Instagram:

Her look is definitely 60s-mod inspired with a modern pinup twist. After doing a little bit of hunting, I found that her lip color is Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in "Moody Margot," which honestly would be a horrific color on me since I don't have Karlie's beautiful golden undertones, so I opted for MAC's Shy Girl instead! For the eyes, I used my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, but the Urban Decay Naked2 would be a perfect palette for this look!

For my skin, I have been testing and loving the Bare Minerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation. I used 2 drops on each section of my face (my cheeks, chin, and forehead, with one drop on the nose), to give me a sheer-to-medium coverage. Karlie had absolutely flawless skin at the MET Gala, but since I was planning on going out, I wanted some of my own skin to show through. Then I let the foundation sit, while moving on to my brows. For Karlie's brows, she had a very natural yet defined look. I went in with the "Triple Fudge" shade from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and filled in my brows the way I normally do. Then, I brushed through with the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel to keep all the hairs in place.

From here, I moved onto the eyes. First I went in with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer all over the lid and up to the brow to even out my lids. I then took "White Chocolate" and used it to set the concealer as well as create the cream colored base that Karlie has in her look. From here, I took a mix of "Triple Fudge" and Inglot 358 Matte on an angled brush and precisely ran it through the crease, flicking upward to create a cut crease that would be easy to blend. I used a clean pencil brush and blended up the line, making sure to keep it crisp along the bottom. After blending it, I continued to build the colors into the crease. I avoided blending into the outer corner of my lid, because her crease color is concentrated specifically in the crease. After the color was built up to an intensity that I was happy with, I went back in with "White Chocolate" on a flat shader brush and cleaned up on the lid, making sure it was crisp, as well as along the brow bone.

From here, I moved onto the liner, which was the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in "Blackest Black." I won't go into detail about how I did my liner since I already did a post on that here. I used my MAC Studio Finish Concealer on a very small detail brush to create a crisper finish under the wing. Then, going in with an angled liner brush, I lined my lower lashline with "Triple Fudge," doing a soft wing on the outer corner that mimicked the strong liner on my upper lashline. I then lined my waterline with Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in "Nude" to brighten up the eyes. 

For my upper lashes, I skipped mascara altogether, and used the Ardell Natural Lash 110 to create the full and flared out lashes that Karlie has in her look. On my bottom lashes, I used a single coat of Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara. Then, after the falsies dried, I curled them to blend them with my natural lashes! The great thing about these lashes from Ardell is that they have an invisible band, which makes them so easy to blend into your liner without having to take a million steps to hide the band. They also look super real and make you look like you have the longest natural lashes!

Back to skin, I took my Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi Concealer and applied this under my eyes, to the tops of my cheekbones, and down my nose, and blended it out with my finger. Then I took my Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer and contoured under my cheekbones and along my jawline. I topped it with my Inglot 358 Matte to give me an even more defined look. For blush, I used the NYX Rouge Cream Blush in "Natural," which is probably my new favorite cream blush! Of course, I then set all my cream products with my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher, and very lightly blended "Champagne Truffle" on the tops of my cheekbones to really make them pop. To finish off the entire look, I used MAC's Shy Girl, which is the perfect nude lip color for my skintone. 

For my outfit, I actually used a basic black dance leotard from Bloch, which I have found serves me just as well as a fashion piece as it does a dance outfit! Leotards are pretty much everywhere nowadays, so you don't have to find a specialized one for your wardrobe, but it's just what I had in my closet. My skirt was a piece I picked up in Chicago at a little boutique called Akira, and unfortunately, they no longer sell it on their website. However, I found an almost identical skirt at Forever21, except it is all black as opposed to black and tan. For my shoes, I had some basic leather flats with a subtle pointed toe that I got ages ago from a little shoe store in our local mall, and my chunky chain necklace is from H&M. 

I promise I fixed the edge of that false lash before going anywhere ;) And of course, I couldn't talk about my 21st birthday without showing you a picture from last night at the restaurant with my first legal drink!

- d. 

Swatch Fest + First Impressions!

So if any of you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know I've been sick in bed for about a week now. I picked up some horrific cold or flu or something and it just won't go away. And it has led me to online shopping, which is dangerous for a shopaholic like me. What's even more dangerous is telling me that it'll be good for me to get out of the house when I have a $4 off $20 coupon PLUS $5 in ExtraCare bucks at CVS.

...oops? So, as requested, here's a haul of what I bought (not all of it, because like I said, online shopping is dangerous), as well as swatches and my first impressions. All of these swatches were done with no primer underneath.

So these first products were labeled as new products. They were also on the display for new items. And I had never heard of it or seen it anywhere, so I figured, hey, it must be new! Nope. Apparently, these eyeshadow palettes from Wet n Wild that I picked up are actually from the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. These were released with the "In The Spotlight" collection, and because they were limited edition, I can't link you to any where that you can find them. Let's start with the major disappointment called "Lights, Camera, Attraction."

Looks gorgeous, right? I was hoping that cobalt blue would make this palette worth the $4.99, but sadly, it was a total flop. There's just not much to say about these. The only shadows with any real pigmentation were the mattes, but they're extremely chalky. Honestly, not only was this palette horrible unpigmented, it just came off extremely...80s glam. I was hoping for a smokier, richer kind of look.

No wonder I never heard about these palettes...I even tried it with primer, and with my NYX Jumbo Pencil in "Milk", and no luck at all. But then I moved on to "No Neutral Ground."

I bought this palette with hopes that it would definitely play up my brown/hazel/amber/"I don't actually know what color my eyes are" eyes. The lower right hand matte color is actually a deep forest blue-green and isn't showing up true to color, but the rest are.

THIS is more of what I was expecting. The mattes are still a little bit chalky, but they don't just brush away like the others. Still not quite the quality I'd expect from Wet n Wild, but hey, for $4.99, I'll take it. The purple shade almost reminds me of a less-pigmented version of "Candied Violet" from the Chocolate Bar palette.

Now I have found the new love of my life: the Milani Baked Blushes. I picked up two different colors, one in "Luminoso," and the other in "Bella Rosa." "Luminoso" is an absolutely gorgeous shimmery coral color. The best part about it is that it isn't glittery at all. It's very smooth and blends nicely. And "Bella Rosa," while a bit out of my comfort zone, is going to be fantastic for the summer. I recently read that the matte baked blushes, "Bella Rosa" and "Delizioso Pink," are new releases. If that's the case, Milani has seriously hit a home run with the matte baked blushes, because after swatching "Bella Rosa," I'm dying to go get the other!

Moving on to Maybelline, I picked up a Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in "Inked in Pink," which I had been hoping to pick up for a while now. Every time I went in to purchase it, though, it was sold out! Go figure. I love pale pink champagne colors as an all over wash of color, and I feel like this cream shadow is going to be getting a lot of use.

(Although for the life of me I couldn't get a good swatch photo of it...)

I also debated on whether or not to re-purchase my beloved Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Mascara. It has been needing to be replaced for a while now, and I wasn't sure if I should just re-purchase it, or try something new. Well, I ended up deciding to try something new. I finally gave in and purchased Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara. I've been resisting this mascara for quite some time now, although I'm not sure why, and I finally just decided to follow the hype! I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but who knows, maybe I'll be a convert.

These are two new products from Rimmel that I've been pretty excited about. I was on a mad hunt for the the Rimmel BB Cream Matte in "Light." Already, I can tell you one major downfall with this product -- there are only two shades: "Light" and "Medium." From what I've read, the UK also has "Very Light," but I mean, can we get some color range here? But any kind of BB cream or tinted moisturizer that claims to be matte has me curious. I also recently picked up the Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in "Peach Flush," and really ended up liking it. So I decided to pick up another one in "Pop of Pink." 

Clearly that swatch is unblended, but I think this will look absolutely gorgeous under the "Bella Rosa" blush I mentioned above, and will also look amazing alone. These cream blushes are great for a subtle, natural looking blush! 

The last few things I picked up aren't all that exciting, but I thought I'd tell you about them anyways. I've been in need of a new Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm and I finally found the "Shea Butter & Vitamin E" variety! This one always seems to be sold out when I'm looking at them, and this was the last one left. This stuff is my holy grail, my stuck-on-a-deserted-island product. Because, if they find me dead on a deserted island, at least they'll find me with hydrated lips. I also picked up the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in "Hazel," which is a great affordable alternative to the more expensive brow pencils, as well as a basic but essential NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk."

I promise I'll be back to my regular blogging as soon as I'm feeling 100% again. I feel like I've been totally slacking in terms of content in the past month or so. I have quite a few things planned, though, so keep an eye out for new posts coming soon!

- d. 

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir

Time for a quick review!

I recently saw this advertisement for the Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir, while watching Once Upon a Time with +Andrew, and when we saw the commercial, we could not stop laughing. Cosmetic commercials will always be hilarious to me. Regardless, I was intrigued. They described it as a "creamy lip lacquer." Personally, I love lip lacquers. I love the longevity of them, in comparison to lipsticks or glosses, and I love the pigmentation in them. So this commercial instantly made me curious to try them!

This is the model from the Maybelline website in the color "Signature Scarlet." The website reads, "Fall under the spell of the elixir effect...Hyper-saturated color, ultra cushiony feel...The new hypnotic lip sensation." 

A few days after seeing the commercial, I ran out to my local Walmart and purchased two of them -- one in "Signature Scarlet" and one in "Mauve Mystique."

There are 20 shades in the collection, ranging from nudes, to purples, to bright reds, and even a couple of orange and coral shades. I purchased "Signature Scarlet" because I'm always on the lookout for a good red, and the color in the picture was amazing. 

Today, I wore it out for the first time!

I must say, the opacity of this is phenomenal. I was absolutely shocked. It was so smooth, vibrant, and non-sticky. Sticky lipglosses are the #1 reason I don't typically wear lipgloss. I have noticed that this product doesn't swatch very well, but for some reason, it glides so beautifully on the lips. This red is a glossy, cool-toned red, and the mauve color is defined by "my lips but better." The colors do stain, so they are somewhat longwearing. In terms of full-on vibrancy, though, they last about 2 hours (if you aren't eating or drinking) before they being to fade. This is coming from someone who has an anxious habit of lip biting. 

Something I really loved about this product, though, is that when I took it off, my lips actually felt smoother. The commercial claims that it has an "addictive cushiony feel of a balm." I totally agree with that. After putting it on for the first time, I just kept rubbing my lips together and wanted to put on more and more product because it felt so nice and smooth when applied. 

Now for the negatives. This is a messy product. If you plan to wear this, bring a mirror with you to check for feathering and smears, because it will do both of those things. I am curious to see if using a lip pencil will help the feathering, but you do need to keep an eye on it if you are wearing it. 

All-in-all, I'd say this is a great product. It feels so nice when applied, and creates a beautiful, pigment-rich lip look. 

- d.