E.L.F. Haul Part 1: Eyes

Hiyas everyone!  I just returned from Rhode Island and was it a lovely, welcomed break.  Really glad I got to see and visit my little sister!  Thing is though, whenever we get together, somehow we always do damage shopping and since there's no tax on clothing in Rhode Island...we definitely enjoyed our time at the mall and nearby consignment shops (will have a future post on the trip itself ^_^).  We also ate a lot...

However, before I left on my trip, I had received some E.L.F. items I purchased, but since I like to take pics in natural light, I did not get a chance to put up a post before I left.  Now that I'm back, I have a lot of pics to share.  I did have to split the haul into three parts though since I did purchase a large number of items.

First part of the haul (as you can see in the title) is Eyes!

E.L.F. Custom Eyes Shadows (L to R): Sage, Golden Glow, Moondust & Dusk

I had been eyeing the Custom Compact and eye shadows for a while, but did not bring myself to actually purchase the compact until this haul.  The compact itself is very inexpensive.  I purchased it for only $1.00. Can you believe it?!  The shadows were also $1.00 each, so the entire palette came out to be $5.00.

It was really easy to pop the shadows into the palette once they were out of the original packaging and it doesn't seem as if you need to try hard to get them back out (if necessary).  The palette also comes with a nice mirror.  I'm not sure if the compact is made of the sturdiest material, but for $1.00, I'm definitely not expecting this to last forever.

 Of course, I had to include swatches of the colors I picked.  I chose all these colors based on how wearable they were.  The swatches were also all one swipe and I did not try to blend them out.

E.L.F. Custom Eyes Shadow Swatches (L to R): Dusk, Sage, Moondust & Golden Glow

Pros

-affordable

-creamy texture/easy to blend

-good color payoff

-can be incorporated into everyday makeup

Cons

-wish there was a little more variety in colors

-would like some matte colors as well

Next items...

 I also purchased two Brightening Eye Color mini palettes in my haul in Drama and Silver Lining.  However, I did pick up Butternut at Target a couple weeks ago and Nymph Dreams in an earlier haul, so I decided to include them all in the picture ^^.  The mini palettes were again, $1.00 each.

E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color mini palettes (L to R; Top to Bottom):
Butternut, Drama, Silver Lining & Nymph Dreams

Again, all the swatches below were made with one swipe!

Favorites

Butternut & Drama

Pros

-affordable

-wide variety of colors

-smooth application

-good color payoff

Cons

-packaging is not be the sturdiest

-some colors can be a bit chalky

And there's more...

 I also wanted to try some of E.L.F.'s Studio Cream Eye Shadows, so I picked up Bronzed, Natural Glow & Dawn.  The cream shadows were a little more expensive since they came from the studio line, but still very affordable $3.00.

E.L.F. Studio Line Cream Eye Shadows (L to R): Bronzed, Dawn & Natural Glow

I really like the formula for these shadows because they are creamy and easy to blend.  The texture almost feels like mousse ^__^.  My lids get pretty oily though, so primer really helps to keep the shadows in place.  The packaging is also nice and sturdy, but is a little bulky in size and swatches below are again, one swipe.

E.L.F. Studio Line Cream Eye Shadow Swatches (L to R): Bronzed, Dawn & Natural Glow

Lastly...

I wanted to try the Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara since I heard good reviews of the product on makeupalley.com.  I picked the product up in the color Crystal (as of right now, it only comes in Crystal and it was $1.00) and I also wanted to show you the two Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks I bought a while back. I picked up the Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks in Black/Smoke and Brown/Basic for $3.00 each.

E.L.F. Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks (L to R): Smoke/Black & Basic/Brown

For the eyeliner/shadow duo sticks, I can definitely say the formula for the liners applies very smooth.  However, for the shadow end of the product, I felt I had to rub back and forth a little to get the product to show some color.  The smoke shadow color also came out flaky when I was swatching the product and after a couple weeks, the eye shadow sticks fell out of the product O.o.   

Overall, I think the Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Sticks would be the only items I would not repurchase and I was pretty happy with the rest of the items that I picked up.

I probably won't do another E.L.F. haul soon, but in case I do, do you all have any recommendations on eye products you have tried ^^?

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

Share the Love: One Lovely Blog Award

Hi everyone!  I am currently in Rhode Island visiting my little sister on vacation, but I could not wait until I got back home before putting up this post.  YK from ALL THINGS YK HEARTS...surprised me with a blog award a couple days ago!  Yay! So Happy!!! This really meant a lot to me since the main reason I put up this blog was so that I could display clearer swatches for people who are on the fence on makeup purchases.  Money is not always easy to come by and of course we want to get the most out of what we have ^^ and I know for me, I like to take a look at a bunch of pics before I make my makeup purchases.  Again, thank you thank you thank you YK for the award and definitely go check out her blog!  She has a lot of pretty nail tutorials and the pics are always quality!

So after my somewhat long shpeal, the award...

Of course, as indicated in the title, I can't help, but share the ♥!

The rules are:

01. Thank the person that gave you the awards, and link back to them.

02. Post seven things about yourself.

03. Pass the love to 15 bloggers.

04. Let them know they receive an award.

Here are the seven things about me:

01. I appreciate quality makeup, but I do not use makeup on a daily basis.

02. My favorite animals are dragons! (who says I have to follow the norm)

03. I am going back to school this fall for my Master in Healthcare Administration degree.  It took a while for me to reach this decision since it is a lot of money to invest >.<, but I think it will be definitely worth it because it is a field I am passionate about!

04. I easily get addicted to computer games/console games. (League of Legends, Call of Duty, you name it, there's a possibility I have tried it...)

05. I am definitely a morning person.  At nighttime, I have dozed off with the laptop on my belly...and woken up with it still there in the morning.  Crazy, I know, but when my body wants sleep, it will make it happen.

06. I love food.  My mom has compared me to a garbage can because I like to eat and will give most things a try.  An exception would be bugs, no bugs for me plz.

07. Lastly, I am very protective of my friends♥family♥boyfriend (includes extended family, which is very big!)

Finally, I would like to pass on the award to the following lovely blogs (in no particular order):

A Haute Passion

a lace dream

frmheadtotoe

Joy

Lotus Palace

Polish and Pearls

Skin Deco
 Fashion Solace

STYLE.SUZI

The RAEviewer

ThatsHeart

Panda Agenda

AprilAthena7's Beauty Blog

Cream&Sugar

Deuce Beauties

Lotz of ♥

Shades of Summer: Essie & Forever21 Nail Polishes

Hello hello!  Just getting ready to visit my little sister tomorrow in the East Coast!  She promised we'd go thrifting (tehe thrift store shopping). So excited! Very ready to just relax for a couple days since this week has been kinda tough, but before I go, just wanted to share with you some of the nail polish colors I'm been lovin' this summer.

 Essie nail lacquer in Sand Tropez (2 coats)

First polish I used this summer was Sand Tropez by Essie.  I don't usually go for sandy beige colors, but I found this on sale at my local CVS for 50% off and thought it was time to give other colors a chance.  Although it is not crazy bright like most summery colors, for those who prefer neutral colors, I think this would be great and it only took me two coats for this to be opaque!  As usual, I topped it off with Seche Vite top coat, which you can usually find at most Ulta's or at Sally Beauty Supply.

Essie nail lacquer in Tart Deco (2 coats)

Second color I went for this summer was Tart Deco by Essie.  I think this is such a pretty bright, bold, coral orange shade.  Definitely a color that pops in the summertime (makes me think of orange flavored popsicles).  For some reason, the formula for this color was a little more difficult to apply, but still after two coats, this color came out very pretty and of course, I topped it with Seche Vite.

Love & Beauty nail polish in Peach (2 coats)

Last, but not least, I have been wearing Love & Beauty polish in Peach a lot.  I found mine at Forever21 a while back when shopping with my little sister.  I never actually wore it until this summer and found this was a very pretty peach shade!  I would say pretty close to salmon pink, but definitely with more orangey tones and  affordable ($2.80), which is always a plus.  The formula was surprisingly smooth and yes, another 2 coats of Seche Vite!

Have there been colors you all have been loving this summer?  Any shade recommendations would be awesome ^^!

Note: Product was purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

Mini Summer Haul: MAC, New York & Company & Sally Beauty Supply

Happy Friday Everyone!  I was lucky enough to have a day off of work yesterday.  It was so nice & sunny outside, I decided to pay a visit to the outdoor outlet mall close to home.  While I was there, I visited a CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet store) and New York & Company.  I could not help myself and picked up a couple items that I wanted to share.  I also went with a friend to Sally Beauty Supply earlier in the week and wanted to share what I found there as well!

 From L to R:  Papaya Punch, Electric Pineapple, For Audrey & Secret Peri-Wink-Le

When I went to Sally's, the main polishes I wanted to pick up were For Audrey and Secret Peri-Wink-Le.  However, when I passed by several sale items, I found Papaya Punch and Electric Pineapple going for $1.99!  Unfortunately, I am A) attracted to bright colors B) a sucker for items on sale/deals/bargains, so I went ahead and added both to my purchases.  I'm not sure how I'm going to wear these yet, but I will definitely put up pictures of the colors when I do!

 From L to R: Humid & Rosy Outlook

When I visited the mall and CCO on my day off, I found a decent selection of pretty eye shadows by MAC that were overstock from various collections.  Although I felt the urge to bring the whole shelf of shadows they had on sale home with me, the angel side of me won out and I ended up picking up just two shadows.  I purchased Humid and Rosy Outlook because to me, they seemed the most wearable out of the bunch.

Lastly, I picked up this flowy blouse from New York & Company.  At the location I visited, they were having a sale for 50% off some of their items.  I was hesitant to try this on at first because on the tag it was sized XS (I am definitely not size XS normally), but I think their sizes run a bit large and this ended up working out really well.  I thought the embroidery was really pretty and I think this will look cute paired with a belt and tights/leggings/shorts.  The material is also very light, so this can definitely be worn in the summer still (which I am very excited about).

Comment below if you have any questions about the haul and let me know if you have suggestions/ideas on how to use bright, matte China Glaze polishes.

Hope you all have a lovely start to your weekend!

XOXO

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

Yummilicious Sweets!!! Georgetown Cupcake/DC Cupcakes

Hiyas everyone!  I wanted to change it up a little from the makeup posts I've done so far and present a little treat.  Just this past spring, I took my first vacation to the east coast.  Along the way, my boyfriend and I visited our good friend in Washington D.C. and he treated us to some delicious cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake (yes, trip was a while back, but I couldn't keep these cakes to myself!!).  I would say if you have a sweet tooth and you're in the D.C. area, this place is definitely worth the visit!  Not only were the cupcakes tasty, but the frosting flavors were unique and on top of that, the decoration for the cakes were simple, but very cute!

 

 

Here's a breakdown of the flavors we picked

Cupcakes with the ♥s -  Red Velvet

Cupcakes with the clovers - Irish Creme (seasonal)

Cupcake w/oreo & green frosting - Mint Cookies & Creme

Cupcake w/chocolate sprinkles - Chocolate³

Chocolate cupcake w/chocolate ganache - Chocolate Ganache

Vanilla cupcake w/chocolate frosting - Vanilla & Chocolate

  

We ended up splitting a dozen, so four per person.  These were the ones I received.  I think I have to say the Red Velvet is currently my favorite, but I would definitely like to try some of the other flavors in the future!

If you've tried Georgetown Cupcakes before, let me know what flavors you would recommend.  Are there any unique bakeries or fooding places that you have visited?

Note: Products were purchased by my friend with his own money and the opinions are 100% my own.

NYX: Single Eyeshadow Review & Swatches

Hi everyone!  Now, I know I showed you swatches of the Limited Edition True Blood Palette by Tarte a little while back, but not everyone is always interested in purchasing a whole palette of shadows.  For those of you that are interested in getting some single eyeshadows for everyday use, I just wanted to show you some swatches of the NYX single eyeshadows I had.  Although the shadows by NYX are inexpensive and affordable (can be purchased at both cherryculture.com for $3.75 each or Ulta for $4.99), I would not categorize them as being bad quality.  I feel that the color payoff of NYX shadows are generally pretty good and the shadows apply smoothly.  NYX also has a crazy selection of shadow colors, so that it fits most people's shadow needs ^^.  With that being said, here are the shadows that I have and the swatches for them.  Enjoy!

*Wild Fire's texture was a little chalky feeling (not sure if it was the glitters in it or if it was just the shadow that I purchased)

*Dallas doesn't show up too well on camera since it blends in with my skin tone, but it is a matte muted pink color

Overall Review

Pros

- large color selection

-good color payoff

-smooth texture when applied (for most shadows)

-inexpensive

Cons

-simple packaging

-inconsistency in some shadow textures



Favorite Shadow Colors

Herb. Eggplant. Flamingo

I'd love to hear from everyone!  Have you all tried any single eyeshadows from NYX and do you have any favorites?!  If you have swatches/pics of the shadow colors that you have on your blogs etc., let me know as well!  I'd love to take a look at them ^.^

Note: Products were purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.

China Glaze Nail Polish: Sex on the Beach

 

China Glaze Nail Polish in Sex on the Beach

Product was $6.99 at Ulta  

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!  Just wanted to share this pretty nail polish I found a while back at Ulta.  I would describe Sex on the Beach as a sunkissed shimmery pink (not great at describing shades of polish, but the pic is true to color).  I only applied one coat of polish on my nails.  With two coats, I'm sure the polish would be near opaque.  I really liked the easy application of the polish and did not experience any streaking since the color is somewhat shimmery.  The polish also lasted a while before it started chipping, so it definitely had staying power.  I would definitely repurchase another polish by China Glaze in the future ^^!

Note: Product was purchased with my own money and the reviews are 100% my own.