Sweet Stocking Stuffers for under 6

This year, my mother and sister's stockings were full of trios of peppermint Chapstick, C.O. Bigelow's rose salve, the new mini Vaselines, and Essence's volumizing eyelash powder.

Great Gift Ideas

For your mother:
Tocca Fragrance Set ($24, select Sephoras)
The set includes half-ounce bottles of Colette and Cleopatra, two of Tocca's most loved perfumes. 

For your sister:
Ulta Perfect Wink Eye Collection
(on sale for $19, regularly $30, select Ultas) The set includes a great variety of cosmetics, she's sure to fall in love with a few. Includes Lorac liquid liner, Urban Decay eyeliner in LSD, and mascaras by Calvin Klein, Benefit, Napoleon, and Pur Minerals.

For your best friend:
Urban Decay's Black Market eyeliner set (on sale for $24, regularly $36, select Ultas) is a great gift because it contains a variety of neutral eyeliners, along with a few bolder ones. 

For your coworker: Stila's lip gloss trio ($12, select Sephoras) contains three fun shades of lip gloss. It's an inexpensive but still thoughtful gift that will have your coworker thinking of you every time she reapplies. 

For your secretary: Baume Du Sourire's Smile Lip Balm ($13, select Sephoras) is a small but still thoughtful gift for pretty much any friendly acquaintance (female acquaintances, obv). I keep a few wrapped up in my purse this time of year, just in case. 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

I decided to pick up Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette, since I have only ever heard good things about their previous two naked palettes. It cost 50 bucks, which seemed really excessive to me. I mean, it comes with a brush but so? What makes these palettes so great?
After trying this product, I am officially a supporter of the "naked" line. The shadows went on so smoothly, and really brightened up my eyes. The palette had a variety of shades (12), which all blended well together. The mirror in the case was really high-quality, as was the dual-ended brush. I will probably end up buying the other two naked palettes. If you're willing to part with the fifty dollars, then you will most likely fall in love with this product.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter, Invite Only

I don't usually do reviews for individual shades of lipstick, but Revlon's "Invite Only" lip butter was quite unique. The lipstick is a shimmery mint green, and had silver packaging, different fro. the rest of their Colorburst Lip Butters. Unlike the rest of the lip butters, this shade was a letdown. While the rest of Revlon's lipsticks are moderately pigmented, this one didn't show up at all. What am I supposed to use it for? I guess I could put it over a lipstick as a topcoat, but that's no fun. Damn! And I was so excited.

Revlon/Gucci Westman Evening Opulence Eye Palette

I was super-stoked to see the new Revlon/Gucci Westman collaboration, since the spring collection was so great. I picked up the new eye palette in "Muse," which included purple and teal shades. This is the third primer+shadow palette I own from Revlon, I am pretty much addicted to these. Anyways, the shades worked really well together; one could create a great purple eye look, as well as a teal version. The shadows are fairly pigmented, and stay on for about six hours before they crease. While there is nothing terribly unique about this palette, I still love it!

NYX Wonder Pencil

Though the name Wonder Pencil made me skeptical, I decided to try out NYX's new multitasking product. It turned out to be great! The pencil comes in three shades, sort of like BB cream does. I got the lightest shade, and tried it out for three purposes. I applied it to my waterline, my skin imperfections, and my lips, as a nude liner. It worked well for all three! While I still prefer a stark-white liner for my waterline, this nude shade really did brighten up my eyes! The product hid my skin imperfections (zits, scars, etc) really well. However, my favorite thing to do with this product is to use it as a nude lip liner. It disappears into my skin, but acts as a fabulous lip liner. The product also is great for a lip base: just rub it all over your lips before applying lipstick. It really extended the wear of my lipstick! My only gripe is that it only comes in three shades. While the lightest shade is an exact match for MY skin, I doubt very many women could find their match.

L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Out Butterfly

I had been waiting for L'Oreal's new mascara since, well... Their last new mascara. And I must say, Butterfly is their best mascara yet! The packaging is sleek, with a graphic linear design on it. And while the mascara was very pigmented and neither too wet nor too dry... Let's focus on the wand. The wand wings out on one side, which makes it really easy to create a dramatic cat-(or butterfly?)eye effect. I got plenty of volume and not a single clump from this product. I will definitely buy it again!

NYX Gel Liner and Smudger

I got NYX's gel liner and smudger in black, hoping to find a dupe of Stila's Smudge Pot. It turns out, I found something much better! While the Stila product didn't stay on very well throughout the day, the NYX liner did quite well. In fact, it stayed on just as well as my L'Oreal liner does. The NYX product was very highly pigmented, and went on very smoothly. It looked good smudged, and held it's position on my lid, even after I smeared it. If you're looking for a good one-product smoky look, this is definitely a good product to try, and I will definitely buy this liner again.

NYX Studio Photogenic Finishing Powder

Hey guys! It turns out that for the last two weeks, instead of uploading my blog entries, I was hitting the delete button. Cool. I haven't abandoned you! Anyways, I got NYX's Studio Photogenic Finishing Powder at Ulta a little while ago on sale. I only bought it because it was on sale; I didn't think I would like it as much as I do. However, I love it! I swept it on with a fluffy brush, and the powder instantly mattified my skin, and blurred my pores. It definitely made me look better in pictures, because the flash didn't bounce off my oily skin. Anyways, I would definitely recco.end this product!

Fall Lip Trends

This fall, anything goes. Except for creme finishes and pink. Plum is having a big moment right now, as is orange. Red is making it's usual cool-weather comeback. Matte and super-glossy finishes are in style.
Pictured: Ulta Extreme Wear lipstain, L'Oreal Le Gloss, and Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick.

Is it worth it? Nars The Multiple

I decided to pick up Nars' the Multiple, since ita such a huge deal in the makeup world. But since it's so expensive, I had to wonder: is it work $39? The answer is maybe. While Copacabana is a great highlighter and it stays on very well, there was nothing spectacular about it. As much as I loved the shimmery cream color, I couldn't justify spending that much money on it again. A slightly less expensive product that is similar to this is Benefit's "Watts Up". However, all good highlighters are expensive.

Vaseline Lip Therapy, Cocoa Butter

Sorry its been so long since my last post! Had to put all my time and energy towards car repairs. But I digress. Most of the reason I bought Vaseline's Lip Therapy was the packaging. The little tub is just so cute! And the product is pretty good, too. Despite the fact that I had to use my finger to put it on, I enjoyed my experience with the product. Immediately after putting it on, my lips felt moisturized and smooth. The after-effect was good (smooth lips), but there are many better products on the market, such as balms by Nanak and Bliss. However, you can't beat the price! I will definitely buy the product again.

Baume Du Sourire Smile Lip Balm, Honey

I gave this variety of Baume du Sourire's lip balm a separate review from the orange version. Not only are they completely different scents, the products are of two separate consistencies, in totally different packages. But I digress. I love Baume du Sourire's Smile lip balm in honey, for everything except the price tag. 13 bucks? Only worth it because I love the product. Aside from the fact that I have to put the balm on with my finger due to the packaging, this product seriously rocks. It smells warmly of honey, and goes onto lips smoothly. The balm left my lips feeling supple and moisturized. It even taste good, and the little box it comes in is adorable! I think I'm gonna have to track down more Baume du Sourire products! Has anyone else tried them?

Essence Volumizing Lash Powder

I have officially found a miracle lash product. My lashes are pretty average, and they look good once I put mascara on, but this stuff? Damn. What you do is, you put on a coat of mascara, then put this stuff on, with the included spoolie. Then, you put on more mascara. You're only told to do it once, but I did it three times. Literally, I had people asking me, all day, where I got my fake lashes. The best part? It costs $3.50. I will definitely repurchase this product.

Baume du Sourire Smile Lip Balm, Orange Blossom

I have officially found my new favorite lip product. I got a few Baume du Sourire lip products, but the one I'm focusing on in this entry is the Smile Lip Balm in "Orange Blossom". At 13 bucks, I felt that it was pretty pricey, but I fell in love with it. The packaging was very elegant, I loved the French vibe, and the practicality of the tube. I usually don't like scented products, but the citrusy scent was amazing. It soaked in after a little while, and left my lips feeling soft and conditioned. I can't wait to try more Baume du Sourire products!

Lorac vs Maybelline: Curved Brushes

I noticed distinct similarities between Lorac's 3D Multiplex Lashes and Maybelline's Colossal Cat Eyes, so I decided to compare them for you. While the Lorac mascara is much more expensive, it boasts a larger brush, and thus more volume. The Maybelline holds the curled-lash effect just as well as the Lorac mascara does. The length given by the products is about equal; the Maybelline might give slightly better length. I feel that the Cat Eyes made it easier to wing out the corners, due to the smaller brush. I would say that the mascaras are about equal, if price isn't an issue for you.

Maybelline Great Lash Big Mascara

I haven't tried any of Maybelline's Great Lash products, so I figured I'd give at least one of them a try. I bought Great Lash Big, wo seeing if it would give me as much volume as say, the Falsies. It did not. However, I liked it anyways. The brush was big, but not awkwardly so, and the definition the product gave me was quite surprising. I got a good amount of volume as well. The mascara held it's effect throughout the day, and did not flake or smear. I would have named it Great Lash Defined, though; it would be a more accurate name. I might end up buying this product again.

Hard Candy Flat to Fab Mascara

I decided to pick up Hard Candy's Flat to Fab mascara, wondering if it truly gave as much volume as it claimed to. I certainly got my hopes up; the brush was massive! It was literally the biggest mascara brush I have ever seen. However, the results weren't fabulous. While the product gave me good definition, the mascara certainly didn't give as much volume as I had anticipated. I didn't hate it, though; it held the curl throughout the day, which most mascaras don't. I will probably use this mascara until I run out; however I will not buy it again.

History of Mascara

Mascara has been around far before the ages of Great Lash and DiorShow. In fact, it was first used in the year 4000 B.C. in Egypt. The Egyptian women often used Kohl on their eyelashes, lids, and eyebrows. Honey and water were often added to keep the kohl in place. The usage of kohl as a cosmetic item spread to Babylonia, Greece, and Rome.
Long after the Egyptians (I'm talking the Victorian Era), women manufactured their own mascara at home. Said product was usually composed of lampblack or ash and mixed with elderberry juice. The mascara was then heated and applied to the lashes.
A more modern form of mascara was not available until the time of Eugene Rimmel (circa 1850). Rimmel made his mascara using petroleum jelly and coal dust, which was a fairly new product at the time. The product caught on quickly, and was widely used.
In 1913, T.L. Williams (founder of Maybelline cosmetics), created a type of mascara for his sister, Maybel. He called it Lash-Brow-Ine, as it could be used on both lashes and eyebrows. The product was very messy, but nonetheless popular. In 1917, he launched his very own mail-order service. A better form of mascara was soon developed to replace Lash-Brow-Ine. Said product included a brush and a cake of mascara. It was applied by wetting the brush and rubbing it over the cake, then sweeping onto lashes and brows. This mascara was also quite messy.
Years later, in 1957, American cosmetic giant Helena Rubenstein came out with a new type of mascara. It was a cream that could be squeezed onto an applicator, and applied to lashes. This method was not quite as messy as the previous ones, however it could still be a catastrophe.
The grooved mascara wand was created in the 1960s, and made it easier to apply mascara, and it more effectively coated lashes. This method is the most common one today.

How to Clean Makeup Brushes

One important skill for makeup enthusiasts to have is brush cleaning. Ideally, one should clean their brushes once a week. Here's what you need:

Before; dirty

Brush Shampoo (I use E.L.F.)
Dirty Brushes
Warm Water
Washcloth
     Steps:
Wet brush
Dab small amount (pea-sized drop) into palm
Sprinkle water onto shampoo
Rub brush into mixture, alternately running under tap
Repeat for each brush until they are all clean.
Once brush is clean, arrange the bristles so it will dry into it's proper shape; let dry.

After; clean

Ulta Extreme Wear Cream Eye Shadow

I bought Ulta's Extreme Wear cream eye shadow a little while back at Ulta, after being impressed with a few of their other products; it turned out to be worth the eight bucks. I bought the shadow in "Misbehavin'," a sexy shade of grayish brown. The applicator was a lot like a lip gloss wand, and very easy to work with. The shadow was highly pigmented and blendable; it dried quickly as well. I liked the semi-metallic finish, but the best part was that it stayed on, without a single crease, all day! The only downside is how little you get for your money. I will definitely buy this product again, though.

Ulta Plush Volume Mascara

I got Ulta's Plush Volume mascara in a free gift set at Ulta, and decided to try it out. It was a good thing the product was free, it was pretty mediocre. The brush was big enough for my taste, but the mascara itself was so wet and gave me almost no definition, and so many clumps. Even though the volume was good, I was dissatisfied.

Ulta Eye Crayon

I bought Ulta's Eye Crayon in "Devils Food" a little while ago at Ulta, because I wanted the free gift. I didn't really have my hopes up, but the product turned out to be amazing! It went on creamy and highly pigmented, and blended easily with the built-in smudger. The dark brown looked amazing on my lids, and worked well as a liner, too! I will definitely buy more eye crayons, this is one of my go-to products.

L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation

I was really interested in the idea of a "liquid powder". Apparently it goes on fluidly, and quickly turns into a powder-like, dry substance. While this is true if L'Oreal's Magic Nude foundation, that was the only goof thing about it, other than the functional glass bottle it came in. The product offered almost no coverage, and managed to settle into every line and flaw in my skin, effectively making me look even worse. I will definitely not buy this product again.

Smudgy, Sexy Eyes

I thought I would share my favorite way to get sultry, crease-proof eyes, and that is: use gel eye liner as shadow. Just prime your eyelids and smudge on your liner of choice with your finger. It's buildable, smear-proof, and very sexy. Some good options are E.L.F.'s, L'Oreal's, and Ulta's gel liners.

Perfect Smokey Eye

Here are the steps I take in order to get my ideal Smokey eye, and the products you need.
Products:
Eye primer
Black eyeliner (not liquid)
White or pale silver eye shadow
Gray eye shadow
Black eye shadow
Volumizing mascara
Steps:
Prime eyelid liberally
Apply gray eye shadow on entire lid except above the tear duct.
Put black eye shadow on outer 3/4 of lid, below crease. One outer 1/4 of lid, black may go slightly over crease.
Apply black eyeliner on outer 3/4 of upper lashline, and across lower lashline. Blend into shadow.
Place white or pale silver above tear duct.
Apply volumizing mascara liberally.
Here are the shadows I used, they're on my Physicians Formula palette. Any similar shades will also work.

Ulta Baked Eye Shadow

I got Ulta's Baked eye shadow in "Skyline," a duo with a silvery shadow and a black one. The silver shadow showed up really dark, and I loved the gunmetal shade. I put the black on as well, and got a pretty good two-tone Smokey eye. The shadow was pretty well pigmented, and didn't crease at all throughout the day. I will definitely buy more baked shadows from Ulta.

Pupa ExtremeEyes Mascara

I was able to get my hands on Pupa's ExtremeEyes mascara, which I was very excited to try. Could Italians know something about mascara that we don't? The answer is maybe. The product gave me great volume in just a few swipes, but I was really impressed with the definition I got. Literally every lash was lengthened and defined, with nary a clump. The mascara didn't feel stiff at all, and didn't flake. Sweet! Unfortunately, the product was a pain to get, as it is sold exclusively in Italy and online.

Revlon ColorStay 12 hour eye shadow quad

I bought Revlon's ColorStay 12 hour shadow quad in "Neutral Khakis," hoping to find a good longwear shadow. It turns out that I did! The shadow went on smoothly and was moderately pigmented. The product blended easily, and I achieved a sort of green-brown smokey look. The shadow stayed put all day, despite the humidity, and didn't crease! This is certainly a product worth buying.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Gloss

I actually didn't know that L'Oreal had more than one kind of lip gloss, until I saw their Colour Riche lip gloss at Walmart (all I thought they had was the "Le Gloss"). Anyways, I got it in "Rich Red", for about six dollars. On its own, it didn't give me much color, but that's typical for glosses. However, it looked stunning atop my favorite red lipstick. It didn't feel too heavy, nor did it smear very much, or get tacky. It stayed on pretty well, and didn't dry out my lips. Due to the limited shades, "Rich Red" is the only shade I'll ever own of this. I do plan on replacing it when I run out.

Maybelline Eye Studio Shadow Duos

I picked up Maybelline's Eye Studio shadow duos in "Khaki Craze," a khaki (obviously) and green combination. I ended up liking the product, but not enough to buy it again. The shadows were moderately pigmented, and had a satin finish. They didn't crease too badly, and the colors really brought out my eyes. However, there was nothing special about them. Unless I saw a shade I really wanted, I wouldn't buy any more.

Pupa Folk Waves Eye Shadow

I had never heard of Pupa Milano before, and was quite interested in it when I came across a small display of it. I bought their Folk Waves eye shadow in 01 which ended up being copper. I paid about 8 dollars for the shadow, which is kind of a lot in my book. This being the case, I got my hopes up. Luckily, I was not disappointed. I liked the packaging that the shadow came in; it felt solid in my hand, and I could clearly see the eye shadow through the window in the top. The product felt silky on my lids, and glided on without looking patchy. It was only moderately pigmented, however it was buildable, and I achieved a rather strong copper look on my lids. The best part of the shadow is that I didn't get a single crease all day. If I cam find any more Pupa Milano products, I will certainly check them out.

Two Quick Ways to Make Lipstick Stay On

I've never been a fan of the lip liner trick (filling in lips with liner before applying lipstick) for a number of reasons. Not only is it time-consuming, but it would also mean buying numerous liners to match my various shades of lipstick.
I devised a couple of ways to keep my lipstick looking fresh all day. What I do is, when applying my foundation, I apply it to my lips, as well. It acts as a base to which the lipstick can adhere to. After applying all of my makeup, I mist my entire face with my makeup setting spray. This way, there is something above,and below the lipstick to keep it in place.

L'Oreal Metallique Foil Eye Color Crayon

I happened upon L'Oreal's Metallique FoilEye Color Crayon in a shop the other day, and decided to try it out. I got it in gold, and I have very mixed feelings about it. While the size (tiny) is both cute and portable, it doesn't pack much of a punch. I hoped that the shadow was highly pigmented and maybe even reflective, however it was lightly pigmented, but buildable. After putting it on for a while, a got a nice gold color. What I really liked was that I didn't need to use my fingers, or any brushes or applicators. I don't know if I would buy it again.

Vacation Makeup Bag

I was packing for my vacation this afternoon, and I thought I would share the contents of my bag.
I brought my Physicians Formula eye shadow palettes in "Nude" and "Smoky," my Rimmel Glam'Eyes liquid liner, E.L.F.'s translucent powder as well as their eyelid primer, a lipstick for night (Sonia Kashuk lipstick in "Violetta,") as well as a day option (L'Oreal Colour Riche in "Fiery Veil,") a lip and cheek stain (Revlon baby stick), a pot of rose salve, my go-to mascara (L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess,) and my three most-used brushes.
Try not to bring anything too valuable, or anything that would be hard to replace.