I've been lazy...

I've been a little lazy re: this blog the past week. But I'm back. The boyfriend and I are watching the Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary on Netflix, so I figured why not post while I listen. It's his favorite musical and I've only ever seen the movie (which, honestly, compared to this show, the movie was just bad).

Hand model: Nikki

My friends and I made a mall trip last Friday. A lot of time was spent in Ulta and Sephora. Above, we were swatching basically every red lipstick Sephora carried, attempting to find one that Nikki liked. Failed. But I'm sure we'll find one soon.

From Sephora, Ulta, and Walmart

From Sephora, I picked up Urban Decay's travel liner set. It comes with three of their 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils. One each of Perversion, Smoke, and Sabbath.

Sabbath (far left) is a navy blue. Smoke is grey. Perversion is pure black. I've wanted to try their liners for a while now. I tend to have trouble with pencil liners since they tend to be too hard and drag my eyelids. These are insanely creamy. I'm not too excited about Sabbath since my green eyes don't tend to look good with blue liners, but I'll definitely try this out a bit.

At Ulta, I picked up a few NYX items.

NYX Butter Lipstick in Sweet Tart, which is a lovely pink. NYX Butter Lipstick in Mary Janes, an almost pure red. I feel like there's a tint of pink in it when I tend to look at it. And a NYX Hi Definition Photo Concealer Wand in Green.

For those that don't know, green concealer is used to neutralize redness. I don't tend to have much redness in my face, but get the occasional breakout. A little bit of green concealer underneath my foundation and bye bye red spot. This is probably my favorite green concealer I've used. It's very smooth and blends out extremely easily.

As far as the lipsticks, I already had one of NYX's Butter Lipsticks and loved it. They're much more moisturizing than any lipstick I've owned, but I do find myself re-applying more often.

First group of items picked up at Walmart are a few of Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadows.

From left to right: Pomegranate Pink, a shimmery pink. Painted Purple, not really shimmery but a very bright purple. I'm not entirely sure the name of the last one. Pretty sure it's Pure Gold.

Next was Revlon's Age Defying CC Cream in Light.

 
I've mostly been using either my Covergirl Tru Blend foundation or my Maybelline BB cream, but I wanted a little more coverage than the BB cream and a little less heaviness than the foundation. So here came the CC cream. Perfect. I've been wearing this basically every day for the last week. Very light on the face, but enough coverage that with a little concealer, my under eye circles are gone.

Next purchase was Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub. My cousin's girlfriend, who now works with me, also works at Lush, so she picked this up for me the other day.

I seriously want to just eat this out of the jar. Which, while it won't kill you, would give you a stomach ache. It's sugar. I know I could just make this on my own, it's all ingredients you can grab at the supermarket, but I'm lazy. This tastes great and works just as well.

And my last, but not least, purchase was actually made before everything else. But it's my favorite!

Olay Fresh Effects Everything Off! makeup removal wet cloths. I had to pick up some makeup remover wipes prior to last weekend since I didn't have any at the boyfriend's house. Only grabbed these because they were on sale at CVS. I've used Burt's Bees and elf's makeup remover wipes and was afraid that I'd never find a wipe that didn't kill my eyes no matter how "gentle" the package said they were.

These? These are my holy grail right now. My face and eyes feel perfectly fine after using these. Nothing stings, my eyes don't water, and they are so soft.

I love them. That's all.

So yeah, I picked up a handful of things over the last week or so. My no buy ended, NYX went on sale. I'm still going to keep myself on a low-buy at the very least.

Shannon out.

Review - Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat (*BONUS* NOTW)

Butter London in Smog. Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat.

I have never used a matte top coat or had one used on me before. Meanwhile, I've been doing my nails or getting them done since I was a child. Granted, I didn't really know what "matte" meant until around a year ago when I fully started getting into makeup and nail polish.

So, when I made my Ulta order a few weeks ago and needed another $5 to throw me into Free Shipping (magic words) territory, I figured "Hey, why not?".

And I do not regret it.

It feels out of place (who knows why) to wear a bright, glossy, pink nail polish into an office setting. Will I be looked down on for it? Probably not. (In fact, my office tends to love my nails when I do them in whatever color.) But I'm hoping to interview at other places soon and who knows what their attitudes will be.

When I put this polish on, I loved it. Out of place feelings aside, a bright, peppy pink is a perfect cheerer upper.

The above pictures (left: no flash, right: flash) show the polish without the matte top coat on.

When I put the top coat on, I loved it even more. This is my perfect Office!Pink.

Above pictures (left: no flash, right: flash) are using the top coat. You'll probably have the click the pictures open to really see the difference. <grumble>I need a new camera.</grumble>

I'm pretty much in love with this. Five stars if it lasts at least two days. My coworker suggested I do a french manicure-ish look with the matte as the full nail and then glossy on the tips (inspired by a pin on Pinterest). I'll most likely be trying that look out the next time I want to do some mattifying.

I bought (no joke, first wrote that as "bout" - evidence of the week I'm having) mine at Ulta, but there's always Amazon, Target, and various drugstores. Looks like it's around the same price at $5.50-$5.99.

<singsong> Worth it </singsong>

Cleaning My Makeup Brushes (on a budget)

The reasons to clean your brushes are pretty clear. From the health aspect: dirty brushes are breeding ground for bacteria. Ew. To the aesthetic: brushes are just prettier and softer when they're clean.
But there are a million ways to clean them.

You could buy a cleanser specifically marketed for cleaning them. elf has a brush shampoo for $3. I've also heard that the blendercleanser, $19.95 at Sephora, works incredibly well, but it's more marketed towards the beautyblender.

Or, you could be cheap like me.

There's a million mixtures that people use. This is just what I happen to do at the moment. It's cheap, easy, and was one of the first ways I saw a year ago when I went Googling "how to clean makeup brushes".

So here is what I got up to a little while ago when I felt like I need a little more productiveness in my day.

What you'll need:

Dirty brushes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Antibacterial soap

A sink (and some entertainment via an iPad placed far enough away from the water)

A towel

A plate

The antibacterial soap cleans the brush, but the extra virgin olive oil conditions the bristles. I don't know anyone who wants scratchy brushes all over their face.

Start off by taking the antibacterial soap and filling the plate about halfway. The soap will expand more on the plate because that's what liquids do. Just take the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fill the other side of the plate until you've got a mixture that looks something like this:

The darker yellow is the soap.

Once you have that set, you're ready to dip you're brushes on in!

Dip the brush right into the middle where the two meet and swirl your brush a bit. 

This is where I have no pictures because I needed both hands. 

Turn your water on, but make sure the water is warm. Not too hot, not too cold.

Once you have the mixture on your brush, swirl the brush on your hand to really get it into the bristles. At this point, you'll see color coming off of your brush.

As you're swirling the brush, put your hand and the brush underneath the water to begin rinsing. Make sure you're only getting the bristles portion of the brush wet. There are three parts to a makeup brush - the hair/bristles, ferrule, and handle. The ferrule is what connects the bristles to the handle. You don't want water to get beneath that as it can make your brushes come apart.

Swirl the brush on your hand while underneath the water for a few seconds and then rinse the rest of the mixture out.

Once you're brush is rinsed, you need to set it aside to dry. The brushes should be dried while facing down. This is so that the water doesn't run back into the brush and the ferrule. Some people hang their brushes upside down, but I just use a towel and roll one end so that the brushes are on an angle. Like so:

Before you set the brush down to dry, gently shape the brush so that no stray bristles are out of place. Again, some people use brush guards. Again, I'm on a budget (and lazy).

What feels like an hour later, your brushes will look something like this:

 

And if you're anything like me and don't use rubber gloves when washing brushes (or dishes), your fingers might look something like this:

Now you're done and I'm off to find some lotion.

I am sick

Small, quick post. I am sick. Not sick of anything, just sick. Congested and just feeling all around crappy. And have been since Thursday night. Took Friday off, slept most of the day away. Got my hair cut Saturday, then slept the rest of the day away.

I am awake today. But I wish I wasn't. I'm congested, cranky, and achy. When I am sick, I get whiny. Be happy you are not with me in person, I could whine you're ear off.

Since I just did my nails on Thursday, I won't be doing a Nails of the Week today. I still have on Nicole by OPI's "On What Grounds?". Day 3 and still no chips. That's something to me. Granted, I haven't been doing much of anything, so I haven't really put it to the "typing test" as I call it (it being my job).

Picture is from Thursday's ipsy post.

I've gotten used to the texture of the nail polish. It's different. Plus, after a day or two, the rough texture gets a bit smoother as it rubs against things. My nails are definitely not as rough as they were on Thursday. When these come out officially, I'll probably end up getting the other colors.

In other news, I'm currently re-reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. I got the third book in the series for Christmas, so I need to re-read the first two. Margaret Atwood is my favorite author and if you haven't read any of her books, you need to get on that, starting with Handmaid's Tale. Seriously. Nope, stop reading this, go get one of her books.

March 2014 Ipsy Unwrapping! "Destination Beauty"

From the tag: "The print of this exclusive ipsy makeup bag is a selection from artist Klari Reis' geography-based series, "Street Anatomy," and showcases San Francisco, CA (Reis' hometown and ipsy headquarters). To view more from Klari, please visit her website at www.klariart.com."

What is Ipsy?
Ipsy is a beauty subscription service. For $10 per month, subscribers receive a makeup bag filled with 4-5 beauty items each month. Some sample sizes, some full sizes. The item's values always add up to more than $10 so that you always get you're money's worth. You can subscribe on a month to month basis for $10 each month or subscribe for a full year for $110 (meaning one month for free).

If you want to check out Ipsy and sign up, just click HERE. (That is my referral link.)

With that said, here's what I got in my March Ipsy bag!

 

Nicole by OPI Roughles in On What Grounds?. Be a Bombshell eyeshadow quad in Bora Bora. bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Get Ready. Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer.

These bags are always a hit or miss with a lot of people, but I'm on my second month and I've loved everything. I like trying new things and even if I don't like it - the bag was $10.

To prove that I got my money's worth and more, here's a run down of each item plus the exclusive deals that ipsy subscribers get this month.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready" .05oz.  The full sized version is worth $18 at .12oz, which makes this sample size worth around $7.50. 

Deal: Free Lash Domination 10-in-1 Volumizing Mascara sample and free shipping on any purchase.

I've been wearing this lipstick for a little over an hour now and I think I love it. The color works on me, it's not overly drying, and I love companies that send decent sample sizes(!).


Nicole by OPI Roughles in "On What Grounds?" .5 fl oz. This is full sized and worth $8.

No deal.

I feel like I'm wearing the beach on my fingernails. Can't decide if I love it or not. The color is amazing, but the texture of it is going to take some getting used to. I run my fingers through my hair a lot, so I'm a little worried about it catching. But we'll see.


Be a Bombshell eyeshadow quad in Bora Bora. This full sized quad is worth $18.

Deal: 40% off any purchase and a free fuchsia lip crayon.

When I first found out I was getting this in my bag, I texted my friend, "Dude, the quad alone is almost double the bag!" So, there's that. I'm excited to try this baby out. The shadows are smooth and pigmented, not much more I could ask for.

Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer 12mL. A full sized bottle is 30mL and $22, so this should be worth about $9.

Deal: 25% off any purchase

When I first put a dot of primer on my skin, I thought "Oh no, another tinted product too dark for me," but it blended into my skin perfectly. Will be using this one tomorrow to see how it works out.

My bag altogether is worth $42.50 not including the makeup bag itself!


Here's a list of what else was available:

• NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow Trio Deal: 25% off NYX Butter Lip Balm
• Pacifica Body Butter Deal: 20% off any purchase
• bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss Deal:(same as above bareMinerals deal)
• Chella Indigo Blue Eyeliner Deal:25% off any purchase
• Klorane Smoothing and Releasing Patches Deal:15% off any Klorane purchase
• Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream Deal: Free gift with any purchase
• Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Lotion Deal:Buy the 2-3 week Tan Lotion, get 3 free gifts ($99 value) and free shipping

Over all, I'm extremely happy with what Ipsy chose to send me.

Again, if you want to check out Ipsy's site and sign up, just click HERE.

Ulta Haul!

I ordered this stuff a little over a week ago, got one box last week, and finally got the second box!

 

 This entire group was $55.05 which includes samples and two free bonus bags.

Ahava Mineral Body Lotion, Purifying Mud Mask, and All in One Toning Cleanser

 Free bonus bag number one! (Oddly enough, all my free stuff came in the first box I got.) I have never heard of Ahava before this, but thought "hey, it's free, why not?". The cleanser I'll get some use out of, but I'm giving away the lotion and the mud mask. I tried out the mud mask yesterday and it smelled like my cat's litter box. No joke. I'm pretty sensitive to smells, so it might be just me. But that's going to friends.

Benefit's Fake Up in Medium. Lorac's POREfection Mattifying Face Primer. Anastasia's clear brow gel. Butter London Polish in Snog. Pur Minerals Big Blink Extreme Mascara.

Free bonus bag number 2! I was so beyond excited for this. I love love love trying new things, especially for free!

 

Benefit's Fake Up in Medium.

This is *so* going to a friend. I am not "medium" in any sense of the word. I am pale, fair, white, ghost... whatever other word you can think of.

 

Butter London polish in Snog.

Love the name! This is the pinkest polish I now own. (This was originally going to be next Sunday's "Nails of the Week" polish, but I'm expecting my Ipsy bag any day now and want to use the one I'm getting in there.)

Ulta Shampoos and Conditions - Smooth & Protect and Volume & Strength.

 I'm trying to get more into haircare and it seems like the first stop is getting rid of sulfates. Now, I have no idea what that does for hair really. But I figured, let's try it!

 

Ulta cotton swabs, Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original, Capelli New York headbands, Red Carpet Manicure's Purify, NYX Butter Lipstick in Hunk, and Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat.

Miscellaneous! Guys, the cotton swabs I have right now are so freaking flimsy it's insane, that's the entire reason I ordered these. How in the world can I clean up my lipstick if the swab is bending every which way?!

 

NYX Butter Lipstick in Hunk

I'm in love. This formula is amazing. I have a major dryness issue when it comes to lipsticks. I constantly apply lip balms and lick my lips (a habit I'm trying to stop), but my lips feel dry all the time. This lipstick felt like butter (haha, it's in the name). They feel moisturizing like a balm, but have the pigmentation of a lipstick. I need more. THIS is why my no buy is until NYX goes on sale.

Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat

This surprised even me, but this is my favorite thing of bunch right now and all I did was test it on the Butter London polish I just got above. I knew matte polishes existed, but when I saw the top coat, I had to have it. At first, it looked like it did nothing, but then as it dried, the polish lost it's shine entirely. I love the look just because it's something different, every polish and top coat I have is shiny.

But my friend, Nikki (over at Defined by Nikki), explained it better after I sent her a picture of my nails: "That is awesome as a night time look I think. I love bright colors but at an evening dinner, it just doesn't mesh well. When you dumb the shine down I think it's more suitable!"

Benefit's Laugh With Me Lee Lee car perfume hanger, Matrix shampoo and conditioner, Yes to Carrots body butter

Free samples! I'm excited to try these. The car perfume hanger will probably end up in someone else's car at some point (again, sensitive to smells) but I'm willing to try it out.

 

Well, my loves, that's all for today. You can now picture me typing this out, laptop on my lap, and surrounded by all the products you see here, along with the Ulta box and all the plastic that everything (seriously, they wrapped pretty much everything separately!) was wrapped in.

:)