September Favorites

Hey Everyone!


Here they are, my September Faves! Enjoy! 

Almay One Coat Nourishing Triple Effect Mascara

I had used this mascara in the past, a few years ago, and re-purchased again recently. I've been trying out some other drugstore brands, including a variety of rubber bristles. I decided to go back to my favorite trusty drugstore mascara because it simply does what it says. It works best in both volumizing and lengthening. And it's nourishing (apparently) so that's always good - not that I can really tell a difference in regards to that. And the brush itself is a bit different. The magic's in the brush for sure. One side of the brush is for volume while the other is for separating and lengthening. And it's not very clumpy at all, like the Maybelline Oscillating mascara I find to be a bit too clumpy.

Benefit's Box Blush in CORALista

This was a relatively recent purchase, about a month or so ago, and I have been using almost all month. I had wanted this for a while and finally indulged myself. I use a couple different brushes  to apply this blush (including the one that it came with) depending on how much pigmentation I want. I appreciate that this blush is not glittery like some other boxed blushes can be, but it's rather a fine shimmer, providing a sheen to the cheeks. It's a very pretty and unique color.  And it smells great! Oddly enough.

Bed Head TIGI Blush in Glowing

I've had this blush kicking around for a while - I must have purchased it around spring 09. It's a medium brown matte shade. Iit is a blush, not like a bronzer. It simply adds some life and color to my face, especially if I'm just doing quick makeup or I want to be minimal. It simulates a natural glow without the pinks and the shimmer.

Borghese Nail Laquer in Bambina Pink

What I love most about this polish is that it dries so quickly! I've used up about half the bottle now. I'll have to purchase a back-up soon. The color is a sheer pink and it's very natural looking which is great for everyday, it will go with whatever I'm wearing and whatnot. I also use this when I give myself a French manicure.

MAC's Paint Pot in Constructivist

I just recently got this. And I'm loving it! I think it's a great base for brown e/s looks or I have worn it just by itself too.

Cuticle Clippers

Is this weird that this is in my faves? Hah, whatever! I have been all about my nails lately. And I mean just taking care of them, grooming them, trying to make them look effortlessly gorgeous. I find that I have naturally disgusting nails if I don't manage them. Therefore, I do file them often to keep the desired length and shape. I use a nail & cuticle oil (by Sally Hansen) and massage that in.  Then, I push back my cuticles and snip 'em off! It looks so much cleaner this way! I'm actually addicting to cutting off my cuticles.

♥M

Nude Lippies! MAC Close to Real, Gosh Darling, MAC Hue

The Nudes:

MAC Close To Real - Light, neutral peach pink (Lustre)

GOSH Darling - Darling (velvet touch)

MAC's Hue - Soft pale pink (Glaze)

In regards to these three nude shades, here are my favorites (in order): Hue, Darling, Close to Real.

Here's my take:

I understand GOSH cosmetics is not readily available, especially in the states. Luckily for me, I can snag one at any time! And therefore I do not feel the need to purchase back-ups of this limited edition Close to Real because it is very similar to Darling. BUT, if you live in the states or somewhere where GOSH is not so available, stock up on this limited edition lipstick with MAC! Especially if you're a fan of the nude colored lips.

Close to Real is a lustre finish and the only other MAC lustre lipstick I own is Made With Love which came out in the Color Craft collection. And I love that shade, it's a nice bright coral pink, gorgeous for summer. It feels perfect and it looks great on the lips. Unfortunately, I cannot entirely say the same for this lustre, Close To Real. It's a great shade and all, being a nice nude color. However, I'm a bit dissatisfied with the formula! When I first received it, I put it on right away, and thought it was disgusting as it showed all my lip imperfections. I kept using it, hoping that it would look any better. Do not use this if your lips are at all chapped or dry! It does help a bit if I exfoliate and condition my lips (I'll make a separate Quick Tip post as to how I do this).

However, I do like the formulation of Darling much better. It's creamier and just as pigmented. FYI, it even contains an SPF 6! And it's simply cheaper than MAC's lipstick (in my area anyway).

I also included MAC's Hue lipstick in the photo, just to give you a better idea of the shades and its ranges. I think a few other ladies compared this to Myth, which I don't currently own myself. Hue is definitely more pink than the other two fleshy tones.

My verdict? Personally, I am going to stick with GOSH Darling as oppose to MAC Close to Real. And I am also going to continue loving and using Hue most the time.

[L-R, both photos] Close to Real, Darling, Hue

♥M

A MAC Cosmetics Haul

Okay, I think this will be it for purchases with MAC for a while.

Mmm... Yeah right!

But I have to try! This haul is a decent size, I do like everything I got, I have some different shades to play around with, and so it's a good fix for now.

I forgot to take pictures of my pigment and paint pot jars - I only took pictures of the swatches - so I just pulled some general pictures from the website.

First we have the only lip product in this haul (the rest are for eyes). I'm really a nude kind of girl. So I picked this shade as it's a very nude color. The website describes it as a light neutral peach pink. And it's indeed a very light shade. It almost looks a bit white-ish on the lips. But it's not white, it's just a very, very light peachy pink. The swatch doesn't really do it justice, and because it's so light, it wouldn't show up well on my hand, you can see some sheen.

Next, we have a pigment from the Make-up Art Cosmetics Fall '09 as Seen by Marilyn Minter collection. This my first full size pigment. I have purchased some sample pigments online. I find the jars so big, containing a lot of product, that they would seriously last you a lifetime. But I thought it was a beautiful all-year round color. MAC describes it as a dirty gold bronze with gold pearl and it's exactly that. (Scroll below for swatches).

Photo Source: MAC Cosmetics

I also got another paint pot in the shade Constructivist. I love this color. MAC describes it as a metallic dark brown with subtle red pearl. (Scroll below for swatches).

Photo Source: MAC Cosmetics

Swatches of both the paint pot (left) and the pigment (right).

And finally, 9 eye shadows. These are everyday colors. I don't mind investing in a high-end eye shadow that I know I'll use all the time. Colors such as a bright oranges I may not use often and therefore, I'd opt for an inexpensive dupe in that case. I was able to fill up this palette, but I only purchased 9 of the ones shown below, not all 15. I took shots of swatches on the eye shadows I just received.

However, in case you're wondering what's what in the palette above, I will list the names for you. Starting from the top of each row and going down: Espresso, Mulch, Bronze. Naked Lunch, Hush, Rice Paper, Carbon, Nehru, Plumage, Vex, Humid, Sumptuos Olive, Goregous Gold, Shroom, and Electra.

Here are some swatches of the shadows I bought this time around:

First Row

Espresso - Muted golden brown (Matte) 

Mulch - Intense golden reddish brown flecked with golden bronze shimmer (Velvet)

Bronze -  Golden brown with golden bronze shimmer (Frost)

Second Row

Naked Lunch - Minimal pink with shimmer (frost)

Hush - Soft peach duochrome* with pink opalescent shimmer (Frost)

Rice Paper - Soft peachy gold with shimmer (Frost)

Third Row

Humid - Intense vivid green with shimmer (Frost)

Goregous Gold - Low-light yellow gold (Veluxe Pearl)

Carbon - Intense black (Matte)

And that's all for now, ladies & gents! Hopefully I'll get around to doing some reviews.

Until next time,

♥M

Who Doesn't Love Free Stuff?

Hello All!

Check out this nail kit with several beautiful polishes that you can win from SwatchCraze :

You will need either a blog or a twitter account to re-post her contest info and a link back to her blog. Yes, exactly what I'm doing here. I would love to own these, wouldn't you?

This is open to everyone as she will be shipping internationally! Whoo hoo!

Click here to be directed to the actual contest post if you'd like to take part.

♥M

Quick Tip: De-puffing those AM under eye bags

I'm going to share with you a quick trick that I use just about every morning.

There are a ton of products on the market to help with de-puffing those under eye bags that you would normally get in the morning, after waking up. I believe Garnier has an anti-puff eye roller with caffeine in it and Benefit has something called Ooh La La, which targets the same problem. I have tried the sample size of Benefit's Ooh La La in my Realness of Concealness kit and my verdict? Save your coin on these lotions and potions.

Instead, try these tricks, which are free! These things can be found right now in your kitchen!

First, ice cubes! So easy and cheap! What I do in the morning is take one from the tray and just rub my [clean] hands around it to take of the frost. Important: you want to rub the ice cube in your hands for a few seconds to get that frost off, otherwise it will stick to your eye area! Ouch! I think we've all learned from the best, ie Dumb and Dumber anyone? Then just rub it under your eyes and over your lids, and voila! After my eye area, I like to just rub the cube all over my face for a refreshing wake-me-up.

Second option: try putting spoons in the freezer, take them out when the silverware has gotten a chance to chill, and place the everted side onto the eye area. You can either put it over the entire area or just over the under eye bags. Again, you'll want to warm them up just for just 10 seconds, with your hands, to get that frost off before making contact with the skin around the eyes. I usually just put the spoons in the freezer when I wake up, have my shower, have breakfast, do whatever you do before your hair and make up, and then take the spoons out. You could keep spoons in the freezer at all times if you'd prefer.

And that, my friends, is all for now! Until next time...

♥M

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette

I was experimenting with Costal Scents' 88 Warm Palette and MAC's fluidline gel liner in fast track, which I think I need more practice with. This is what I came up with:

I still have to experiment some more with the colors in this palette, I love it! You can do so many looks with this palette, from a natural, everyday look to something more dramatic. Perhaps I'll try something else and post it as well. In the photos above I used some plumy browns, dark browns, a gold color on the lids, and a lighter white color for highlighting, then I used a matte light taupe to tone the darker shades down just a bit.

So that's going to be it for now! I hope you're having a good day, the week is almost over! :) 

♥M

Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze

Rest in peace Patrick. Swayze had died yesterday, September 14th 2009, at the age of 57, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. My thoughts and condolences go out to his wife, family, and friends.

He was one of my very first celebrity crushes because I was only about 7 or 8 years old when I first watched Dirty Dancing. My (now deceased, RIP) Nanny was babysitting me one afternoon and we were watching television together. Well, she had fallen asleep in the lazy-boy chair while I continued to watch TV on the floor. I watched the whole thing of Dirty Dancing. I probably shouldn't have been watching that at my age, lol. But since then, Dirty Dancing has remained my #1 favorite movie. And mostly because of Patrick Swayze being so sexy dancing in that film! I always wished that would happen to me one day. I would be Baby, my family would go to a boring summer camp, and then get my fling on with a very sexy, masculine dancer, and fall in looove.

Anyway, that would be my most prominent memory about Patrick Swayze. He will most definitely be missed.

For more information on his career, click here .

♥M

Skin Care Regimen

This would be my skin care regimen! And all the exact products that I like to use, which might be quite a bit of stuff in some opinions and others may actually use more stuff than I do. Regardless, below are some products I like to use on either a daily basis or only use on occasion. And they're (mostly!) all drugstore finds!

Just an important note: I would say my skin type is rather normal but it can get dry. This is why I looove moisturizers and must have it at all times. Fortunately, I do not break out often at all. I can get a blemish once in a while, but I do what I can to prevent that.

So here's what I use, if you have any questions or comments, let me know and I'll reply asap. Enjoy!

Makeup Removers

MAC Wipes

Swipes away makeup, smudges, dirt and grime, pronto! Oversized, luxurious, super-saturated with special M·A·C cleanser infused with protective vitamin E. Hydrates and nourishes highly efficiently. Extremely refreshing. Totally addictive. Slickly packed, re-sealable, ready to go!

These bad boys not only do the trick to remove my face makeup, but they are also so refreshing, moisturizing, and smell wonderful! Once I'm finished with my 100 sheets packet I may try something similar but less expensive, like the Kirkland wipes from Costco. The only thing that MAC wipes can't do is take off mascara (which I think everyone who uses MAC is already aware of this). But this is a-okay. That is why we use this next product !

ALMAY Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads

Soothing liquid remover in a convenient pad form, infused with a botanical blend of aloe, cucumber and green tea to nourish lashes and delicate skin. These moisturizing pads sweep away all traces of any kind of makeup in one easy step without irritation. Great for waterproof mascara!

It simply does what it promises: it removes eye makeup. And it does not break me out. What more could you ask for from an eye make up remover!? I use the moisturizing formal, but they also have an oil-free version.  Then, I wash it all off with a cleanser.

Facial Cleansers

Olay Deep Cleansing Face Wash with Witch Hazel

Olay Deep Cleansing Face Wash for combination/oily skin with witch hazel deep cleans your skin to thoroughly remove dirt, oil and makeup. The creamy lather rinses clean without overdrying your skin.

I use this one at night after I've taken off my makeup. I have already re-purchased this one several times. You only need a dime-size amount to achieve for a nice, rich lather. It really works at clearing away any left over traces of makeup, especially mascara. I was using this face wash to remove all my makeup before I was using the wipes.

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Wash (Oil-free)

Experience the ultimate deep clean! This cream cleanser removes dirt, oil and makeup while working deep down to your pores. And it´s gentle enough to use every day. Its oil-free formula won´t clog your pores -and it leaves a cool tingle after each wash. Your skin is left feeling refreshed and tingly clean.

I use this wash 2-3 mornings a week (and other mornings I use the daily scrub just below). I do not have oily skin but sometimes I like to use an anti-acne wash to kill any bacteria and unclog pores that could resulted in zits. Luckily, I do not have acne-prone skins, but I do get the occasional zit. That's usually from a change in eating habits or too much pop (my only soda weakness is root bear).

Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It 

A simple solution for large pores and clogging!

Helps minimize the look of large pores.

Special fruit-acid formula.

Pore purifying clay mask built in! Just leave a thin layer on skin for 3 minutes and rinse.

Apply a pea-sized dollop of Scrub Your Nose In It to a damp T-zone. Massage gently in circular motion, then rinse well and follow with a moisturizer.

I'll use this one most mornings. It has a very fine, sand-like scrub which is good for every day usage. The smell is a fresh minty scent. I also like using this in mornings to deep clean, draw out impurities, and unclog pores. I will also take advantage of the mask and let it set for 3-5 minutes.

Facial Moisturizers

Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid

MOISTURIZES:
Penetrates quickly and gently to soothe dryness, a major symptom of sensitive skin. Gives both instant and sustained moisturization leaving dry skin less sensitive.

CONDITIONS GENTLY:
Exceptionally mild - fragrance and color-free - to help prevent irritation. Leaves skin softer, smoother and more supple.

RESTORES:
Works like the essential fluids abundant in young skin to help restore skin to its natural beauty while helping to strengthen the skin's moisture protective barrier.

• 100% Fragrance and Color-Free
• Light, Non-Greasy Formula
• Dermatologist Tested
• Non-Comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• Aloe
• Chamomile

I think they changed the name not too long ago. I believe it was just called "Classic Moisturizer" or something along those lines. But I like the new name a lot better, "Beauty Fluid". I'm not sure why I got the sensitive one as oppose to the original. I've repurchased the sensitive moisturizer a couple times, but once I'm finished the bottle I have now, I'll try the original.

Garnier Fresh 24 hr Hydrating Day Cream

Perfect for normal to combination skin, Garnier Fresh 24 hr Hydrating Day Cream was created by experts and is enriched with pure fruit waters, essential minerals and oligo-elements. Thanks to the unique Flash Distillation process, the pure fruit waters have retained the health-giving properties of their active ingredients. 100% pure and natural, the cream stimulates cell growth and keeps your skin supple and radiant for 24 hours.

I usually use my Olay moisturizer more often than this one. When I first got it, I wasn't too sure of it. It somewhat reminds me of Clinique's moisture surge. But it is moisturizing and kind of leaves a fresh glow. Sometimes I feel like I absolutely have to powder on afterward, otherwise this under foundation is great. It's good for summer as it's a lighter formula and hydrating throughout the day.

PÚR Night Cream

Enriched with certified organic extracts to leave your skin soft and smooth.

I get this from my local drug store, which Canadian drugstore, Shopper's Drug Mart. I was trying to find more information on PÚR products around the internet - and nothing. There's nothing on this brand, I don't know  what's up with that. But anyway, I really enjoy this one, it's rich and leaves my skin very smooth, supple, and hydrated in the morning. I use this every night.

Toner

Bontanics Skin Brightening Toner

Even after cleansing skin can look a little dull. This gentle toner sweeps away every last trace of cleanser and brightens your complexion while also working to refine pores and minimise excess oil.

• Equisetum refines and tones
• Dermatologically tested

I don't use this often at all, maybe a couple times a month. It was on sale and I didn't own a toner, so I got it. Whenever I just feel like I need that extra cleanliness, I'll whip this out with a cotton pad, and swipe it over my face.

Scrubs/Exfoliators

St. Ives Apricot scrub

Brighten Up. Your face comes first, and when it looks great, you do too. St. Ives Fresh Skin products - formulated from ingredients you know, like apricots, minerals and olives - give you the power to uncover your best you - naturally revealing fresh, glowing skin.

Invigorating Apricot Scrub

Exfoliates to reveal smooth, radiant skin

From America's #1 Scrub brand*, this award-winning Apricot Scrub deep cleans, instantly leaving skin smooth and glowing.

Oil Free

Non-Irritating

Dermatologist Tested

100% Natural Exfoliants

100% Natural Extracts

Formulated without Parabens and Phthalates

Made without animal ingredients

Not tested on animals

I really like the grain in this scrub. It's just a medium-grain, not too thin, like those for everyday use, and not too chunky like body scrubs. Juuuust right! Some may find it a bit abrasive, but it works great to slough away dead skin for me. I use this 1-2 times a week for for a fresh, revitalizing glow. I would also like to try St. Ives' Moisturizing Olive Scrub as well.

Masks

Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask

Skin can become congested, but some cleansing masks dry out the face.

This rich clay mask exhibits a negative electrical charge to attract deep rooted impurities from the skin without over drying.

• Burdock purifies and clarifies
• Clay draws out impurities
• Dermatologically tested
• 
  

Burdock contains both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties which can work to purify and clear the skin. One extract delivering a multitude of benefits.

I usually use this once a week or every two weeks. I really like this mask. I've tried some others from St. Ives, not a big fan. But this one, really deep cleans, I love it.

Botanics Quenching Face Mask

This luxurious mask provides an immediate moisture boost so that after a single use your complexion is left radiant and smooth.

• Rice Bran Protein conditions and restores
• Honey adds rich moisture
• Dermatologically tested
• 
  

Rice Bran Protein: Countries like Korea and Japan have long used rice for beauty and skincare preparations, crushing the husk and grain to use in cosmetics and bathing. This extract contains proteins which work to bind in moisture.

I use this more often than the one mentioned about. At least once a week, if not more. You can either leave it on your face for a minimum of 15-20 minutes or leave it on for the entire night. Sometimes I'll dab it on a few dry spots and leave it overnight. It doesn't really dry to a hard, crackly mask like others do. This one, is a creamy, milky texture and dried to a smooth paste. It's hard to explain. If you leave it on longer, it will dry up more, but not hard.

Eye Treatment

Benefit's EyeCon

why we love it:

Our brightening eye cream fades dark circles and smoothes fine lines. Eyes look refreshed and wide-awake!

what else you need to know:

This amazing eye cream, with extracts of sweet almond, apple fruit and japonica leaf works wonders on tired eyes!

At this time in my life, I think this is the best eye cream for myself right now. I was using RoC Retin-Ox Multi-Correxion Eyes eye cream but I found it was a bit strong. I do have a few fine, fine lines around the eye area, at 21, but nothing too crazy. However,  I do want to take good care of my eye area now and possibly in the future, I may have to resort to a stronger formula. So, this eye cream is certainly hydrating, which is important to prevent wrinkles. I'll apply my facial moisturizer first, avoiding the eye area, then apply the eye cream. I do find it is brightening, but I can't really say if it truly has lightened my dark circles. I would like to think so, but honestly I can't tell.

And that's pretty much it! I have a few other products that I might use instead or switch it up on any given day, but the above is my general go-to for skin care.

♥M

20 Questions

A 20 Questions tag.

1. What can you not leave the house without?

Wallet

2. Favorite brand of make up?

MAC

3. What is your favorite kind of flower?

Calla lilies

4. What is your favorite clothing store?

Charlotte Russe, RW & Co., American Eagle

5. What is your favorite perfume?

Givenchy Hot Couture

6. Heels or flats?

Heels

7. Do you make good grades?

I'm not currently in school, but when I was I did

8. Favorite colors?

Black & pink

9. Do you drink energy drinks?

Yes, once in a while. Red bull sugar free or Full Throttle Punched

10. Do you drink juice?

Yes, my favorite are juice boxes

11. Do you like swimming?

Yes

12. Do you eat fries with a fork?

Never

13. Favorite moisturizer?

Baby lotion or my super ultra moisturizing Avon moisturizer 

14. Do you want to get married later in life?

Perhaps

15. Do you get mad easily?

Depending on my mood and the situation, I can flip that switch very easily, like I need anger management easily. But not often, so don't worry :)

16. Are you into Ghost Hunting?

Absolutely not

17. Have any phobias?

The usual, spiders. And the cheese grater. 

18. Do you bite your nails?

Nope

19. Have you had a near death experience?

Not that I can recall

20. Do you drink coffee?

Yes, I love coffee. Usually just one a day, if that.

Now I tag YOU!

♥M

Weekend Haul

I made a few purchases over the weekend, a few things I've already tested around the house and some - like the OPI nail polishes - I cannot wait to try out!

First, they had a sale on John Frieda hair products and so I picked up three things. I usually air dry my hair, using a few products to enhance the natural wave. Sometimes I'll take the diffuser to it, on a low setting, to give it that extra body. From John Frieda's Frizz-Ease line we have the Take Charge Curl Boosting Mouse and the Dream Curls Curl Perfector. As well as something new from John Friend, the Root Awakening Detangling Spray. I tried all three of these yesterday, just air dried, and it definitely gave me a different wave, more defined. I'm going to continue using these and make sure I really like them.

So word on the street is that berry or bold colored lips will be prominent this fall. I love my pinks and nude colored lipsticks but I wanted to venture out and try something different. I love how the red, berry, and plum shades look on some of the ladies. It's defintely making a statement. I tried Smashbox's doubletake lip color in currant from their Reign collection. It has a lip liner on one end and a creamy lip color on the other end. I absolutely love it! The color is a sexy, vampy, deep red, a burgundy shade. Amazing. It makes for a good classy look. It definitely makes me look more grown up, too! I took some pictures while I had this on my lips, but the lighting and my camera just does not do it justice. I'll get a decent picture, however, and do a more in-depth review later on.

I also got four eye shadows MAC. L-R Shroom, Vex, Plumage, and Sumptuous Olive.

with flash

without flash

I also got Benefit's silk finish lipstick in jing-a-ling.

Also from Benefit, something that I've been wanting to get for a while, is their boxed blushes in CORALista. I don't particularly enjoy blushes with chunky sparkles and this does not appear to have that, thankfully. While swatching a few of Benefit's blushes in the store, the others I found had more of a sparkle to them. Not a fan. CORALista has a nice sheen, very fine glitter, leaving a fresh glow.

And finally some nail polishes! I'm a bit of a nail polish junkie lately, you could say. L-R MAC's cool reserve, OPI's Pink Flamenco, Manicurists of Seville, and Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow. I will more than likely be doing a more in-depth review on any of these colors later on.

That's it, That's all! Until next time,

♥M