Makeup Storage, Lack Thereof

Lately I have been watching YouTube videos and reading blog posts displaying how individuals are storing their makeup collection. And I have been taking some notes.

As of right now, I am so unorganized with all my stuff. I could never do a post about how I organize my makeup or storage because it's just a big 'ol mess. I've been living with my boyfriend for about a year now. And just the other day I brought some more things over, like my bed. But my makeup vanity/table is still at my mom's place. I've pretty much dominated the bathroom.

Soon enough my bf and I will be re-organzing everything, bringing out stuff together, and his house is a bit unfinished so we'll be painting and decorating as well.

So the past year or so I have been doing my makeup in the bathroom, which there i sufficent lightening. But everything - makeup, face cleansers, moisturizers, hair products, etc - are messily scattered all over the counter, in the drawers, the medicine cabinet, and underneath the sink. Which really is not good because sometimes I forget about my coastal scent palettes under the sink or my bare Escentuals bronzer behind the medicine cabinet.

Truthfully, it's not just my makeup that needs to be organized, I have a lot that needs to be organized and cleaned up in my life. Including my clothes, shoes, perfumes, jewlery (I have a pretty nice jewlery box my mom gave me a few Christmases ago, but the inside should be sorted... and organized! If I didn't say that word enough already).

So in the meantime, I've been getting some ideas from these lovely ladies!

YouTube

Lisa

MakeupByTiffanyD

Deanne5253

LovePeaceandLipgloss

Lollipop26

Blogs

The Gloss Goss

Sweetcheeks

My dirty blue makeup bag with things I use most often

A travel roll stuff with a bit of makeup...

...Which usually hangs on the back of the bathroom door

I should probably get rid of some expired mascaras

A Hollister shopping bag in my closet...

...With some more makeup

Underneath the bathroom sink is another bag of makeup, CS palettes, & a bare Escentuals kit

Later on, once we've "renovated" the bedroom and it looks pretty, I shall do a makeup storage/collection post (not much of a collection). I'll try to take before and after photos, too.

Thanks for reading & have a wonderful day! Muah!

♥M

Mac Haul: Warm & Cozy

I indulged myself in a few new makeup goodies, specifically from MAC Cosmetics. Everything I got - which is not a lot - is mostly from the Warm & Cozy collection, one thing from Love Lace, and nothing from the All Ages, All Races, All Sexes. And as for MAC in Lillyland, I'm really liking a lot of stuff in that collection like the lipgelees and the cremeblend blushes. If you're getting anything, let me know what and if you have already, how it is?

I got three eyeshadows in the limited edition colors of Warm and Cozy: Chamomile, Modelette, and Mulled Cider. I didn't get Embark because I have other dark brown shades that are similar. I did use all three shadows yesterday to put together a very basic, everyday neutral look that I wore to work. I've been wearing these shades for a good week now, and I'm really loving them! I especially like Modelette, a warm mid-tone caramel, as I don't own anything like it.

L-R: Chamomile, Modelette, Mulled Cider

Dreadful swatches

Then I got the Mineralized Skinfinish in the color By Candlelight. It creates a really nice glowy, highlight effect on the cheekbones. It's a shimmery pink with gold veining. I love the color combo, especially because I don't have anything like it. That's just because I only own Cheeky Bronze when it comes to MSFs. I usually stay away from anything with gold in it, I'm not sure why. I think it has to do with my taste in jewlery; I don't like yellow gold, but I like white gold, therefore, silvery colors. I guess. But I am totally happy with this and what it does for my fair-medium skin! It just produces a really nice warm glow. And I will not shy away from goldy colors from now on.

MSF in By Candlelight

Attempt to Swatch this MSF

The last thing from the Warm & Cozy collection I got the nail laquer in Blissed Out. I wore it a couple times (I'll take pictures when I have it on again and post it). It's a really light peachy-nude shade. And it's a cream, so it applies quite nicely, no streaks, and a decent opaqueness after two coats. It's like "my nails, but better". It's simply natural and makes for a very polished look. It is a bit sheer so I would want to use two coats for sure. And it dries amazingly fast! My nails were completely dry within 5-10 minutes after my second coat. The one thing I hate, is waiting for my nail polish to dry.

Nail Laquer in Blissed Out

And finally, I got a lipglass from the Love Lace collection, Icescape. It's a sheer pale pink pearl. If you don't enjoy the pearlized or frosty  shades on your lips, you may not like this.

Lipglass in Icescape

Oh yes, and I also got a MSF Natural in Medium Plus. I should have just went with the shade Medium (which I had and used it all up). That's always an error on my end, is that I often think I have just a bit of a darker skin tone than I actually do. Admittedly I am pale and wish I were just a bit darker. But the Medium Plus will be fine for spring and summer.

MSF Natural L-R: Medium, Medium Plus

C'est tout for now! I shall be back with a couple of reviews from L'Occitane and, of course, Lush.  And maybe a few other posts including some tags, perfume and nail polish collections.

♥M

My Favorites of Oh Nine

These are a few things that I loved and used throughout the past year. You might notice that I'm particular to just a few brands. However, I have been branching out lately in trying new things, new brands. Below I simply linked all of the items to websites when you can either purchase (depending on your region) or find out more information. I didn't really feel like putting up a picture for each thing, hehe, sorry!

Eyeliners

MAC's fluidline in blacktrack

I've finally gave this a shot a few months ago. I tried it a couple times and hated it right away. But after a bit more practice I fell in love. It's amazing formula that, once you've become familiar with it, is so easy to work with. And it's easy to wing out and be creative. I've used it before applying fake lashes and the gel formula hides any gaps I might have missed when applying the falsies.

Eye Shadows & Primers

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion

This stuff is holy grail for eye shadow bases! Highly recommended. The only thing I hate about this is it's stupid packaging. If you didn't already know, a ton of product gets left over in the in the base and the belly of the tube. But I haven't tried it yet with the new curved-tip wand, so maybe it's better.

MAC Eyeshadow refill pans 

I really enjoy a lot of MAC's eyeshadow colors and its different formulas such as Satin Taupe, Bronze, Sumptious Olive, Hush, Naked Lunch, Nehru, and many others!

MAC Paint Pots

These are great on their own and most of them work great as bases. Some days I just use painterly instead of my UDPP.  Some of my favorites are Painterly, Bare Study, and Constructivist.

Mascaras

GOSH Show Me Volume

I haven't actually used it in a couple months because I'm always looking to try new things. But I discovered it in '09 and I remembered I quite liked it, lol. It's also my sister's favorite.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto

I love this mascara for length! It really does lengthen very well. And the formula goes on super nicely. I know there are split reviews on this one, some hate, some love it. I happen to lahve it!

Concealers

GOSH Touch Up Concealer

I have this one in #2. It only comes in #1 or #2. It does a great job for covering up under eye circles. I find it is pretty comparable to Maybelline's Mineral Power concealer (which might be more available to some people and less expensive). I discovered it in mid of '09 and haven't gone back to the Power Mineral. This concealer also does not cake! Whoo hoo!

Cover FX Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer

I have been using and liking this for covering up scars and other dark areas on my face, like around my mouth and nose. It has a built in primer, "water-resistant", opaque formula, and a tiny bit for a long way. I would not use this under my eyes! I have and it just wasn't pretty at the end of the day.

Blush & Highlight & Bronze

TIGI Bed Head Player Blush in Glowing

I bought this blush from a store exclusive to licensed estheticians. You can probably find it at salons and other shops that sell Bed Head. I especially like this shade during the winter when I'm pale because it shows up well, just like a natural, healthy flush. If I'm tanned it will just blend right into my skin and not show up. I enjoy it because it's not your typical pinky or mauve color; it's a tan, somewhat peachy, brown shade (not a bronzer!)

Red Earth Cheeky Flirt Soft Velvet Blush in Cherry Blossom

Well, I got this baby in a clearout sale. I don't know what I was thinking. Now I love it and I'll be sad when I've used it all up. I can't even find where to buy it online. I better start looking for a dupe I guess.

Benefit's High Beam

Lovely highlighter for the cheek bones. And this product is very versatile so you can't go wrong with it! You can mix it with your foundation for a dewy look, mix a tiny bit with concealer for a brightening effect, and use it to highlight the brow bone. I put it on over moisturizer/primer, but underneath foundation (sometimes I'll still put it overtop of foundation before setting). It leaves a nice shimmery sheen without being sparkly or glittery so it's wearable everyday. It'll make you look young and fresh! No lie.

MAC MSF in Cheeky Bronze

This MSF came out in MAC's Color Crafted collection, I believe. It's a really nice highlight color in the summertime, when I have a tan.

Physician's Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Face Powder
I liked this bronzer. I didn't try a whole of bronzers, this one did what I wanted so I stuck with it. I have to use something in the summer and into the fall because I wash my face often so it's much paler than the rest of my body, I want it to match. It's also probably due to some SPFs in foundations and moisturizers I use.

Lipstick & Lipgloss

MAC Lipstick in Hue
JLO nude lip? Check! This is my go-to lip shade. It's not to pink, not to beige, a perfect nude pour moi!

MAC Lipglass

I love the formula with these lipglasses and I know some would beg to differ as it's fairly sticky. But it's all a preference in the end. A few of my all time favorite shades would be Underage, C-Thru, and Viva Glam VI.

GOSH On Stage Cool Lip Jam in 106

If you don't like sticky lipglosses, steer clear from this one! I personally don't mind the stickiness, I find they last longer anyway. This is a very glossy, vinyl-like, finish. The colors look really cool in the tube, especially color 106, my fave.

♥M

Update! Happy 2010!

MIA much? My sincere apologies! December has been a rather busy month for me, what with the holiday festivities and a new job that I'm trying to do well at.

So, I hope that your holiday - whatever it is that you celebrate - was magical! My Christmas was great! It's becoming a tradition now, since my sister and her husband bought their house a few years ago, that they'll host a Christmas Eve party. And we invite everyone, friends and family. We had finger foods,  drinks (mmm, tequila sunrise), played games, and good times all around. It's probably my favorite thing about the holiday, our Christmas Eve party.

My sister went to bed at around 2am and was up at 5am, ready to open gifts! I guess some things never change, lol. She's 6 years older than me but I think she's very much a kiddie at heart around Christmas time. Luckily, this year, she let us sleep in until 7am (she called me, my mom, and step dad, then we all drove over to her place, that's where my family and I open our gifts, is at my sister's; we all live away from each other in the same city). Needless to say, after the gifts were opened, we looked and played a little with what we got, and after we had brunch, I went home and took a long nap. Then, my mom made a delicious turkey dinner for the family, some friends, their spouses and kids. There were 14 people in total.

I'll share a little bit of what I received in gifts, starting with my Crock Pot! I had mentioned this in my wishlist post earlier. Yippie! And I also got a few games to add to my collection! Including the Wow version of Cranium, Scrabble, and What's Your Like? I got a book that was also on my blog wishlist, Half Broke Horses. And I got a really nice surprise gift from my mom: a Wii! I was not expecting that at all. I love it! My sister and I exchange stockings, so I also got a bunch of really neat, cute, useful, and pretty things! Perhaps I will feature a few of those goodies in some upcoming posts!

I'm not sure if I'm going to do a month end favorites. I might. I should. If I do it'll be posted later on today or tomorrow.

I also hope you all had a fun and safe New Years Eve! Whether you went out with friends, to a house party, or perhaps stayed in like your good 'ol homebody self, Happy New Year! I went to a friends after work - but get this! I got off work at 12 midnight!! Wtf, I don't know. Whatever. It was still a fun night. We played I've Never... A drinking board game.

So if 2009 was fantastic for you or maybe a rather regretful year, I just hope 2010 will be so much better! I want to make this year a productive one for myself, I've got to get things done in my life! I'm almost 22 years young, and it just seems like time is flyin' by.

I've gotta jet for now! In the new year we can expect more regular posting. Yay!

Happy New Year!

♥M

LUSH Holiday Bath Bomb Review: Cinders

The scent of spice, orange, and cinnamon is really nice, especially as it lingers on afterwards. This is the sole reason as to why I bought and enjoyed Cinders. This bath bomb is equal to the warmth of a crackling fire on a dull and dreary evening. I took my bath using Cinders during the late afternoon while strong winds ran gustily against my window at 63/km an hour outside. I was thankful to be inside and in a hot, comforting bath!

Lush describes it as: "The warming, sweet cinnamon and orange fragrance was inspired by a comforting yuletide drink in Sweden and is utterly irresistible on a chilly evening. Cinders is the color of a glowing ember and crackles like wood on the fire (just like the fire that Cinderella slept beside in the fairytale)."

I had used Cinders at two different times and had slightly varying experiences in regards to the pop rocks. The bomb with the most pop rocks showing (see picture below) did not give off a crackling sound that I could hear. However, the one with the least did. But I wasn't in the tub for the first one, only the second. Maybe that would make a difference. I thought it was the water dripping when I heard it. But nope. It was the pop rocks! So if you'd like to enjoy that, I would recommend to actually be in the tub to listen (and not be taking pictures). It also fizzes quite a bit.

(these pictures were taken with a flash so the color of the water appears a little bit brighter than IRL)

Unfortunately, it leaves some residue. I'm not quite sure what that stuff is; it was like floaty and soft. I thought it may have been undissolved rocks, but it wasn't hard. I'm not sure! I wasn't too worried about it though.

There are a few downfalls I should mention. One, it made my skin feel sticky. It may have just been me, all in my head. Maybe I was paranoid about bathing in candy. I'm not sure. Let me know if you've had a similar experience. Two, it left a yellow ring around the tub while bathing. It wasn't the most appealing thing but it's easy to wipe down afterwards. And three, I had on a sheer pink nail polish. Towards the end of my bath I noticed that my nails were developing a yellow tinge to them. I probably wouldn't use this if you've just got an expensive manicure, just in case.

The water was a transparent amber color. There are no bubbles, as it's a bath ballistic. The best thing about this is it's scent! Which is exactly why I got it. If you're after a Christmass-y, winter theme bath, then definitely check this out. I hadn't noticed any significant benefits to my skin afterwards (just the stickiness). Although Cinders does contain sodium bicarbonate which, I believe, is to promote circulation and skin softening.

Now, no two things are alike. Not with these babies anyway. One I ordered online and  the other came from a store. They are slightly different colors with a difference in its texturized look, and varying in the amounts of pop rocks.

I purchased these two only and probably will not re-purcahse again. It is a nice treat for the a cold winter day and I loved the scent. But it's not something I would not use often. I'd rather use bath bombs containing moisturizing agents and whatnot than nothing at all.

♥M

My Christmas Wishlist

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you 42 beauties that are following my blog! You guys are the bestest! I started writing on Blogger only a few months ago and I never thought people would really care to read what I wrote. I still get excited every time I see that number go up. I don't know; it's just a nice feeling. Yay! Perhaps I shall have a little giveaway type thing in the near future. Let me know if you'd be up for that. But honestly, who wouldn't be up for a chance to get some free stuffies!? Hello!

Now on to other pressing matters.

There have been a few 'Christmas Wishlist' blog posts going around. And I personally enjoy reading them. I like to see what the girlies are yearning for this season.

So, I have a few things I would love to own as well, someday (soon). They're not all beauty related, as you'll notice. And I absolutely do not expect to get any of these things for Christmas by any means. This is merely just for fun.

First up, a pink typewriter! How cute, right!? I want to own a type-writer because I love old, vintage things. And this one has got a modern flare to it. Very girly. I could write thank you notes or poems to my friends and family on it. Not that I write poems now, but I could start.

Cranium! I've never played this game before, but I heard it's fun. I love board games! And I want to start a little collection of games. Last year I received Monopoly: The World Edition from my mom. But it's hard to find people to play with because it can be a pretty long game.

I love this scent, it's one of my favorites. But I've never actually owned a bottle of Givenchy's Hot Couture. Whenever I go to the store I spray some on and then ask for samples.

I randomly picked this up to have a whiff and was pleasantly surprised. A lot of fragrances (in my opinon) have a chemical smell to them and I don't like that. However, this one smells delicious in the bottle, even before it's on the skin. It's Parisienne by Yves St Laurent. I'm sure there are scent descriptions online some where if you'd like.

I swatched the NARS Multiple in Luxor while I was at their counter during my recent travels and I liked it so much! I should have gotten it while it was right in front of me. But it was $47. And I'm not an impulse buyer. But now I can't just go back and pick it up. I'd have to order it online. I also swatched a few other multiple highlighters, including Copacabana, but Luxor was my fave.

This is also a pricier item, considering it is a mascara. I was talking to one of the sales woman in the Bay and she had very  beautiful brown eyes with lashes nicely coated in a deep blue mascara. Her brown eyes popped. So I commented on that and she went to go get me the YSL Faux CIls in color #6, a blackened navy blue. But they didn't have any in stock. Bummer. I really wanted it.

A crock pot so I can finally cook meals! I like simple. No muss no fuss. I currently do not cook aside from a couple fried eyes (wow, edit! eyes? I meant eggs) or a grilled sausage. I'm learning.

I love books. Just as much as I love makeup. I know, who would have thought, right!? I really enjoyed Jeannette Walls' first memoir The Glass Castle. It was hard to get into at the beginning, but hold on, it does get much better. It's an amazing story. So I'd really like to read her 2nd book, Half Broke Horses, a real-life novel about her grandmother.

That's it for now! Well, I also need a pair of boots for the snow... I really need to stop because, unfortunately, this list could be longer if I wanted. But I've got to jet to my hair appointment! I'm just getting a trim, nothing major. Maybe I'll do a hair post sometime.

I hope you're all enjoying the festivities of whichever holiday you celebrate, if you celebrate any. Thanks again for reading! And if you have a list up, let me know, I'd love to check it out! Have a wonderful day!

♥M

A Tragical Incident You Can Avoid (Graphic content!)

I'm so upset. Why me?

This is about a mishap with my Creme Cup lipstick. This has happened before with one of my other Mac lipsticks (the beloved Hue). And of course, other things like dropping one of my favorite blushes and it's all broken into pieces. Grr. It happens to the best of us, right?

Creme Cup is one of my favorite colors. I just don't wear it as often now because it's difficult to apply (you'll see). It's a muted baby pink color, by the way. Natural looking; not "in-your-face" baby pink lips. I wore it on Halloween night.

Two pieces of advice I can give so that you can avoid this from happening to you:

1) Do Not store your prized lipstick in your bra while out at the clubs. I don't know about you, but I find it such a pain if I bring a clutch out with me. It makes dancing a little awkward if I have to hold onto a purse. Anyway, my lipstick was warm from the heat I was generating while it was stashed in my bra. And whenI applied it, it smooshed and bent.

2) Do Not twist the lipstick all the way up to put it on. Especially if you're in the sort of state in which you're unable to judge how much strength to utilize as you apply the lipstick. If you know what I mean.

Next time I think I'll just stick to lipgloss if I go out. Not as fragile.

The pictures below are quite frightening, so be warned! This incident happened on a night out with the girls (possibly a tad bit inebriated). I also swatched the color for you.

It's such a mess. But itsn't it a pretty color!? It completely broke at the base but I tried to salvage it as best as possible. There's still a lot left, too, as it happened shortly after I bought it. Oh well, you live you learn!

♥M

LUSH Holiday Bath Bomb Review: So White

I personally don't think this is one of lush's finest.

It smelled of a delicious green apple scent in the store. But in the tub? Not so much. The fresh scent did not deliver very well when completely dissolved in the water. It was quite faint; it didn't lingered very long, unless my nose just got use to its subtle fragrance. That was just a little disappointing but it wasn't what totally made this one a downer.

So White bath bomb has a bit of bubble bar built in. As the bath bomb sizzles in the water it also creates a few tiny bubbles. So it does make for a sight-fully pleasing  drop-of-the-ball. But that's it. After a few minutes of being in the tub, all this dissolves and completely fades away into nothing. So White is also the smaller sized bath bombs that Lush makes. But I'm sure size has nothing to do with the results, it's more so the formulation, I think.

Anyway, it's as if I never even added anything into the tub. A regular 'ol bath. The water ended up clear with no bubbles and the scent was weak. It was not exceptional in any way. In fact, quite boring. If you want to see what I mean, help yourself to it. But I wouldn't recommend it.

Lush has a lot of other nice Holiday choices to choose from. I really can't wait to use Cinders because I love its scent.

♥M