Quick snap of things I’ve been trying out or can’t wait to. Some of these were purchased by me, some were gifted, * means gifted but obvi doesn’t impact my feelings about the actual product because duh integrity.  Illamasqua Foundation ($44) - I purchased this months ago during the sale but I haven’t used it yet and I’m still feeling weird about using Illamasqua products since their terrible handling of their Christmas promotions (just google it, I know we’ll be asked, and I’m not going to talk about it anymore). Illamasqua has amazing, high quality products especially their lipsticks and foundation for super pale people who want intense coverage.  Arrojo Styling Whip* ($18) - I get my hair cut at ARROJO (pics of my hair here) and love both their dry shampoo and their Styling Whip. I never used styling products on my hair when it was long but I think it’s so important now because my hair is super malleable and if I don’t control it at such a short length it can look weird. This is super light and easy to use — a little bit through damp hair to shape it the way you want, and you can air dry. Most mousses and gels etc I’ve tried have been too tacky or gooey but this isn’t. Mario Badescu Caviar Night Cream ($20) - I buy all my MB products during the Hautelook sales but they didn’t have the toner I liked so I picked this and the lotion instead. This is quite thick! I think the Ren one I like to use but ran out of is more like a super creamy lotion, but this is definitely more whipped. I’m still testing it out, I’ll let you know how I like it in a little bit.  Balenciaga L’Essence ($135) - I’ve totally talked to death about this. Yeah yeah perfect perfume I love it etc.  Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer ($39) - Rebought this because I’ve already hit pan on my first one after only a few months! It’s been steadfast in favorites posts since I purchased it. China Glaze Polish & L’Oreal’s Paparazzi Pleaser ($5.99)* - Haven’t used these yet since I’m currently obsessed with Color Club Glitters.  Shoprite Oil Free Makeup Remover ($7.99) - I remove all my makeup using DHC Cleansing Oil now usually but if I have a lot of eye makeup on, I use some variation of the Nuetrogena remover. Target, Shoprite, etc… pretty much all the same formula. I like it best out of all the ones I’ve tried which have often been too oily or weirdly harsh. Illamasqua Poised Illuminator ($20) - I am fond of using illuminators and contour and no blush, so I bought this one also during the sale because I was curious. Still haven’t touched it though. Illamasqua Indulge ($22) - Illamasqua’s lip products have never failed me and make up a good chunk of my collection. Pigmented, super glossy or super matte depending on the producted, but never crappy. Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion ($15) - I like using this post cleansing and it really makes a difference for my dry skin — helps it glow, looks brighter etc. High-res

Quick snap of things I’ve been trying out or can’t wait to. Some of these were purchased by me, some were gifted, * means gifted but obvi doesn’t impact my feelings about the actual product because duh integrity. 

  1. Illamasqua Foundation ($44) - I purchased this months ago during the sale but I haven’t used it yet and I’m still feeling weird about using Illamasqua products since their terrible handling of their Christmas promotions (just google it, I know we’ll be asked, and I’m not going to talk about it anymore). Illamasqua has amazing, high quality products especially their lipsticks and foundation for super pale people who want intense coverage. 
  2. Arrojo Styling Whip* ($18) - I get my hair cut at ARROJO (pics of my hair here) and love both their dry shampoo and their Styling Whip. I never used styling products on my hair when it was long but I think it’s so important now because my hair is super malleable and if I don’t control it at such a short length it can look weird. This is super light and easy to use — a little bit through damp hair to shape it the way you want, and you can air dry. Most mousses and gels etc I’ve tried have been too tacky or gooey but this isn’t.
  3. Mario Badescu Caviar Night Cream ($20) - I buy all my MB products during the Hautelook sales but they didn’t have the toner I liked so I picked this and the lotion instead. This is quite thick! I think the Ren one I like to use but ran out of is more like a super creamy lotion, but this is definitely more whipped. I’m still testing it out, I’ll let you know how I like it in a little bit. 
  4. Balenciaga L’Essence ($135) - I’ve totally talked to death about this. Yeah yeah perfect perfume I love it etc. 
  5. Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer ($39) - Rebought this because I’ve already hit pan on my first one after only a few months! It’s been steadfast in favorites posts since I purchased it.
  6. China Glaze Polish & L’Oreal’s Paparazzi Pleaser ($5.99)* - Haven’t used these yet since I’m currently obsessed with Color Club Glitters. 
  7. Shoprite Oil Free Makeup Remover ($7.99) - I remove all my makeup using DHC Cleansing Oil now usually but if I have a lot of eye makeup on, I use some variation of the Nuetrogena remover. Target, Shoprite, etc… pretty much all the same formula. I like it best out of all the ones I’ve tried which have often been too oily or weirdly harsh.
  8. Illamasqua Poised Illuminator ($20) - I am fond of using illuminators and contour and no blush, so I bought this one also during the sale because I was curious. Still haven’t touched it though.
  9. Illamasqua Indulge ($22) - Illamasqua’s lip products have never failed me and make up a good chunk of my collection. Pigmented, super glossy or super matte depending on the producted, but never crappy.
  10. Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion ($15) - I like using this post cleansing and it really makes a difference for my dry skin — helps it glow, looks brighter etc.
I have been pretty good with resisting all of the new drugstore collections that have been coming out recently, but I finished some products and cleaned out my collection a tad (tossing old products and giving some away). My skin has not been doing too hot as of late as well, so I’m returning to some old favorites and simplifying it again. The products I bought include: My Beauty Diary All-in-One Set (Pink) 15pcs + 1 Eye Mask | link: I splurged a bit and bought this because my skin has been acting up as I said, and these masks have always helped my skin return to normal. I absolutely love these and so does Arabelle. There are different masks for everything! Naruko Perfecting Elixir | link: I used this a ton over a year ago after seeing how much fuzkittie liked Naruko products (;_;7 fuzkittie) and it completely changed my skin. I am in need of a skin savior right now so I purchased it again and I’m questioning why I ever stopped - this is the perfect night moisturizer for my skin right now. It consists of mostly rosehip oil (plus other good ingredients), which provide deep hydration for the skin. love love love it! Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 104: This is a medium pink toned lipstick that turns into a pink-toned beige nude on my lips. Same great formula and lasts for four hours on the lips. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Penthouse Sweet (A036) | link: Mentioned in this post that I would probably get a couple more lipsticks from both this collection and the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, and well. It’s bright pink! Couldn’t resist.. Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup SPF 20 in Caramel (260) | link: Decided to jump on the hype train and see what this was all about after finishing my Estee Lauder foundation. Tried it for the first time and my first impressions are: it really feels like nothing on the skin, medium coverage at most if applied carefully and why is there no pump?! Will this be the drugstore foundation I feel comfortable recommending - only time will tell. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment in Medium/Deep | link: I’m on the lookout for a new concealer since the Bobbi Brown one that I’ve been using is not working for my skin anymore. This is technically for dark spots (hence the name) but I’ll try it as an under-eye concealer and see how I like it. Also going to pick up the new L’oreal stick concealer eventually. (Update: This product is okay, both as an under-eye concealer and spot concealer. I can’t comment on the treatment part of the concealer since I haven’t been using it for long enough for that to have an affect yet. As a concealer, it’s either good or bad - merely okay and it’s not something to rush out for in the slightest.) And that’s it! As usual, drop an ask if you want additional pictures or mini-reviews. <3! High-res

I have been pretty good with resisting all of the new drugstore collections that have been coming out recently, but I finished some products and cleaned out my collection a tad (tossing old products and giving some away). My skin has not been doing too hot as of late as well, so I’m returning to some old favorites and simplifying it again. The products I bought include:

  1. My Beauty Diary All-in-One Set (Pink) 15pcs + 1 Eye Mask | link: I splurged a bit and bought this because my skin has been acting up as I said, and these masks have always helped my skin return to normal. I absolutely love these and so does Arabelle. There are different masks for everything!
  2. Naruko Perfecting Elixir | link: I used this a ton over a year ago after seeing how much fuzkittie liked Naruko products (;_;7 fuzkittie) and it completely changed my skin. I am in need of a skin savior right now so I purchased it again and I’m questioning why I ever stopped - this is the perfect night moisturizer for my skin right now. It consists of mostly rosehip oil (plus other good ingredients), which provide deep hydration for the skin. love love love it!
  3. Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 104: This is a medium pink toned lipstick that turns into a pink-toned beige nude on my lips. Same great formula and lasts for four hours on the lips.
  4. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Penthouse Sweet (A036) | link: Mentioned in this post that I would probably get a couple more lipsticks from both this collection and the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, and well. It’s bright pink! Couldn’t resist..
  5. Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup SPF 20 in Caramel (260) | link: Decided to jump on the hype train and see what this was all about after finishing my Estee Lauder foundation. Tried it for the first time and my first impressions are: it really feels like nothing on the skin, medium coverage at most if applied carefully and why is there no pump?! Will this be the drugstore foundation I feel comfortable recommending - only time will tell.
  6. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment in Medium/Deep | link: I’m on the lookout for a new concealer since the Bobbi Brown one that I’ve been using is not working for my skin anymore. This is technically for dark spots (hence the name) but I’ll try it as an under-eye concealer and see how I like it. Also going to pick up the new L’oreal stick concealer eventually. (Update: This product is okay, both as an under-eye concealer and spot concealer. I can’t comment on the treatment part of the concealer since I haven’t been using it for long enough for that to have an affect yet. As a concealer, it’s either good or bad - merely okay and it’s not something to rush out for in the slightest.)

And that’s it! As usual, drop an ask if you want additional pictures or mini-reviews. <3!

My Sugarpill haul! If the new palettes were out yet I would have purchased them (Mai has nice coverage of the to-be-released Sugarpill products I’m talking about). Got to finally meet the sweet Jasmine from Beautylish in person and she was absolutely adorable, too. 

Purchased: Heart Breaker, Bulletproof, Asylum, Junebug. 

Here are some tentative swatches of the INGLOT purchases I made at IMATS. I wasn’t really expecting to haul anything because I didn’t think they’d have the Pacific Blue collection, but I was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately they gave me the wrong eyeshadow purchase (>:|) and that is the straw that breaks my back because I’m so goddamn tired of their stupid numbering system. If their shadows had actual names, they wouldn’t have given me the wrong shade. BLARRGGGG. 

You’ll obviously see me wearing these lip products in future FOTD’s so keep an eye out. Sorry I can’t provide face swatches at this time. (These photos are under flash, btw.) 

A closer look at the Naked Cosmetics pigments I hauled at IMATS LA (combined with my previous IMATS NYC Naked purchase). I am very fond of these stacks for photoshoots — the shimmer trio is wonderful for highlighting on a variety of skin tones  so I naturally wanted more. Naked always has a great deal at IMATS — a stack for $30, 2 for $50, 3 for $75, 4 for $100 with 1 free. I split the 5 with my cousin and aunt. 

 IMATS Haul. I already took photos and initial swatches of some of this stuff, but I’m exhausted from the flight so I’m gonna crash. (Keep in mind the DHC Oil and eyeliner aren’t from IMATS, just from that day.) I didn’t end up taking photos of the booths or whatever because I was way too neurotic about getting what was on my list and finding my friends (and trying not to burst into tears when I met Marlena from Makeup Geek) to take photos. 

After my tour of Urban Decay they sent me off with a generous little bag of goodies! I am still behind on swatches and reviews &#8212; I left my Naked Basics in New York but I will swatch my cousin&#8217;s &#8212; but will get around to it this weekend, at least some of this stuff.  High-res

After my tour of Urban Decay they sent me off with a generous little bag of goodies! I am still behind on swatches and reviews — I left my Naked Basics in New York but I will swatch my cousin’s — but will get around to it this weekend, at least some of this stuff. 

POST X-MAS HAUL POST! I&#8217;m seperating it from my actual Christmas &#8216;Haul&#8217; because well, these aren&#8217;t gifts and I bought them with my own money.  Lush is having it&#8217;s annual sale right now and I always take advantage of it (see last year&#8217;s haul) and this year was no exception. Here&#8217;s what I purchased:  Avobath - I wouldn&#8217;t have purchased this but I saw the super beautiful dark green water that happens because of it and I had to have it. It&#8217;s not the usual scent personality I go for but the color is so good and I was getting a bit bored of my usual Lush bathbomb+melt combo anyway. Very fragrant! It&#8217;s a bummer it&#8217;s not the kind of bomb you can chop up and use multiple times though, it wouldn&#8217;t be as fun that way.  Father Christmas - BOGO on the seasonal bath bombs so I picked this one up. Brandy and vanilla with pink insides apparently? Kind of describes me actually. (Just kidding) (This is a work appropriate, dry blog devoid of alcoholism)  So White - Not usually the scent I go for but I felt like experimenting.  Demon in the Dark - Got a half pound of this because BOGO. I only like 3 soaps from Lush and this is one of them. My dad likes to steal it though it&#8217;s always suspiciously low in supply at my house&#8230;.  Ice Blue Soap - Also 1/2&#160;lb because BOGO. If you can&#8217;t tell I like super fresh, woodsy and uplifting kinds of smells, none of that rosey, floral, or fruity business is to exist in my vicinity.  I also stopped by at Sephora to exchange a BB Cream that wasn&#8217;t working for me (this Dr. Jart+ one) for another one (another Dr. Jart+ one, the one I always use). There is nothing wrong with the one I exchanged, it just didn&#8217;t suit my skin type and the color was too yellow for me to look good. It is good if you have warm undertones and oily skin and redness, but none of that stuff applies to me. I also picked up Dr. Jart+&#8217;s Water Fuse Sleeping Mask after a talk with one of my beauty friends about it, and my skin has been hideously dry and pimply lately and this will hopefully alleviate at least some of the problems. Will keep you updated! Let me know what product you use for YOUR super dry patchy skin, I&#8217;m curious. I have CeraVe, Eucerin, Argan Oil, and now this&#8230; hopefully some combination of these things helps me out.  High-res

POST X-MAS HAUL POST! I’m seperating it from my actual Christmas ‘Haul’ because well, these aren’t gifts and I bought them with my own money. 

Lush is having it’s annual sale right now and I always take advantage of it (see last year’s haul) and this year was no exception. Here’s what I purchased: 

  1. Avobath - I wouldn’t have purchased this but I saw the super beautiful dark green water that happens because of it and I had to have it. It’s not the usual scent personality I go for but the color is so good and I was getting a bit bored of my usual Lush bathbomb+melt combo anyway. Very fragrant! It’s a bummer it’s not the kind of bomb you can chop up and use multiple times though, it wouldn’t be as fun that way. 
  2. Father Christmas - BOGO on the seasonal bath bombs so I picked this one up. Brandy and vanilla with pink insides apparently? Kind of describes me actually. (Just kidding) (This is a work appropriate, dry blog devoid of alcoholism) 
  3. So White - Not usually the scent I go for but I felt like experimenting. 
  4. Demon in the Dark - Got a half pound of this because BOGO. I only like 3 soaps from Lush and this is one of them. My dad likes to steal it though it’s always suspiciously low in supply at my house…. 
  5. Ice Blue Soap - Also 1/2 lb because BOGO. If you can’t tell I like super fresh, woodsy and uplifting kinds of smells, none of that rosey, floral, or fruity business is to exist in my vicinity. 

I also stopped by at Sephora to exchange a BB Cream that wasn’t working for me (this Dr. Jart+ one) for another one (another Dr. Jart+ one, the one I always use). There is nothing wrong with the one I exchanged, it just didn’t suit my skin type and the color was too yellow for me to look good. It is good if you have warm undertones and oily skin and redness, but none of that stuff applies to me. I also picked up Dr. Jart+’s Water Fuse Sleeping Mask after a talk with one of my beauty friends about it, and my skin has been hideously dry and pimply lately and this will hopefully alleviate at least some of the problems. Will keep you updated! Let me know what product you use for YOUR super dry patchy skin, I’m curious. I have CeraVe, Eucerin, Argan Oil, and now this… hopefully some combination of these things helps me out.