ULTA Haul

While I have been to Sephora loads of times (probably too many according to my bank account :P ), I recently went to ULTA for the first time! I love that they carry NYX as I have been dying to try some of their products. Unfortunately the store I went to did not carry any NYX blushes :( Regardless, I was able to pick up a couple of fun goodies and thought I'd share those with you all!


1) NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in African Queen ($5.99)
I have wanted to try this shade since I first went on the NYX website, it is a gorgeous fuchsia pink...its loud, super pigmented, and I love it! Perfect for a night out :) At $5.99 a pop, how can you say no? Am looking forward to trying other shades in this line!! 

2) Tarte Ring It In Cheek Stain Set ($25)
What a perfect set for someone who is blush crazy like me!! This set comes with three creamy, easy-to-apply blush shades (Vivid - a vibrant rosy pink, Luster - a shimmery peach champagne, and Flawless - a soft, peachy pink) and a cute gold cocktail ring.

3) NYX Slim Eye Pencil in Velvet ($3.59)
For a little holiday glam, I picked up this gold/bronzy eyeliner. Glides on very smoothly :) 

4) EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush ($9.99)
Having recently picked up a face powder, thought it was high time to pick up a corresponding brush. In the summer, I bought the Eco Tools 5 piece brush set and the brushes are so soft and nice. Expecting the same for this brush too!


All in all, a nice first trip to ULTA! Loving all my selections <3! Reviews/swatches/pics to come soon!!!

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover Review

Have been using this product for the past month and I decided it was high time to let you all in on this gem :)


I'm a recent waterproof mascara convert...it's just so great (CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume)! I can wear it on humid, muggy, rainy days without a care...no flaking, no smudging!! I've even worn it in the shower...didn't move a bit! In the past, I shied away from waterproof formulas because I didn't want to deal with the nightly hassle of removing it. I turned to Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover when my trusted Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover just didn't cut it (I kept losing lashes while trying to get the mascara off, ick!) and I am one satisfied consumer :)


The packaging is very cute, the bottle has an aluminum (at least I think that's what it is) cap and holds 5 fl. oz. The product needs to be shaken before use because the formula separates. It has a light, pleasant, soapy scent. I use a cotton wool pad, apply a bit and put it on my eye. It melts off eye shadow and liner instantly, waterproof mascara requires a few swipes. Excessive rubbing or tugging at lashes to remove mascara is not necessary at all! Your skin will thank you for this :) It leaves behind an oily residue, but that's nothing a quick rinse with warm water won't take care of! This product is meant for all skin types, so the oily residue shouldn't be an issue for oily-skinned ladies. I have gotten the product in my eye (c'mon, it's me we're talking about) and I'm happy to report that it is very gentle and does not sting! 


My only gripe with this product is how small the packaging is! I wear some form of eye makeup pretty much everyday, so I wish that the bottle were available in a larger size at Target. Til then, I'll just need to stock up!


Highly recommend this product, it made me a waterproof mascara convert! 

July Favorites

Image taken from ClassroomClipart.com

Summer is speeding on by, just like always, but this year I am not so upset about it. The massive humidity and heat that has been plaguing the Northeast has been very on again/off again and I, for one, am looking forward to Fall!

Now that July has come to an end, I thought I'd share with you, dear readers, the beauty products/fashion trends/skin care items that I have been the most into this month <3

1) Turquoise jewelry -- I am woman obsessed when it comes to turquoise accessories! I love pairing turquoise bracelets, earrings, or rings with neutral outfits. The stones add the perfect pop of color and have the added bonus of complementing tan Indian skin tones!

2) T-strap sandals -- This style really makes my wide-ish feet appear longer and leaner and, in my opinion, add a little class to all of my summer ensembles. My favorite pairs are wedges...I'm not a big fan of heels, they just hurt too much :( Put me in a 1-2" wedge heel though, and thats a completely different story ;)

3) Bold pedicures -- As I mentioned earlier this month, I have really been into bright, bold polishes for my piggies. Makes 'em feel so ready for summer! I'm currently sporting Essie's Chubby Cheeks, a bright coral-y orange color that I am in love with!

4) The smudged eyeliner look -- I love this look for night! I like to apply eyeliner, mostly to the outer half of my eye, and smudge, with either the pencil's built-in smudger or a Q-tip, inwards to give it a smoky look. I've been using teal, purple, and shades of brown.

5) Maybelline Dream Mouse concealer -- I cannot rave about this product enough! It really pulled through for me when my skin just was not in a cooperating mood!! Best part, it stood up to the high levels of humidity and heat, what more can I ask for? Click here for a full review.

6) Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash -- This oldie-but-goodie that is usually collecting dust in my medicine cabinet (knock-on-wood), got a lot of use this month and helped to clear up my blemish outbreak! 

7) Nivea Lip Care A Kiss of Flavor, Cherry Tinted Lip Care -- I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm a lazy girl! I will jump at any opportunity to get the benefits of two products in one, and this product does just that. It has all the moisturizing/conditioning properties of a lip balm (c'mon, its by Nivea after all!) while leaving you with a pretty reddish pout, reminiscent of one too many cherry popsicles.

8) L'Oreal Colour Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss in Peaches-n-Creme -- This is the perfect nude shade I've been searching for...the subtle peach gloss really goes great with my pigmented lips and brown skin :) The gloss smells nice, glides on smoothly, isn't sticky and lasts for a good amount of time. I may reapply once or twice over the course of a day...but it's a lip gloss and that's not a big deal for me at all! 

9) Side bangs -- About mid-July I got my hair cut...I went from mid-back length to just below my shoulders (not too crazy) and got my longer bangs (about chin length) cut a couple of inches to give me a fun fringe of side bangs! I rocked this look last summer and am loving it again this year. Though it may take me a couple more minutes to style my hair in the morning now, it's completely worth it...side bangs are a fun look that suit many face shapes :)

Let me know what your July favorites have been!!

"Cool" Makeup Tip!

Sorry, sometimes I can be a little punny :D


In my fave eyeliners post, I mentioned my sad, over-sharpened, very soft, still-blunt eyeliner pencil that I had to stop using because it wouldn't sharpen properly without the tip breaking off. After seeing a tip online, I decided give sharpening one more go and stuck the pencil in the freezer for about an hour. Now, the tip I read about mentioned using the fridge, but I was feeling impatient :P Once I took it out, I let it sit for a few minutes and then slowly, gingerly began to sharpen it with my NYC sharpener and Voila!! I, once again, have a fully functional, albeit tiny, black eyeliner pencil :)
                                                                                                                    
Give this tip a try and let me in on one of yours!

Eyeliners: My Faves

Before I started wearing lipsticks or mascara, I was wearing kajal or eye kohl. I discovered it in while poking around in my mother's bangle drawer and begged her to let me wear it to school. Soon enough, I was an expert at applying kajal to my waterline and was convinced that kajal plus lip gloss was all the makeup I ever needed. How naive was I??? 

Lately, I have moved away from the standard kajal look in favor of eyeliners and have been experimenting with different colors! 

- Jillian Dempsey for Avon: Professional Kohl Eye Liner in Black: This is a great soft, black pencil that comes with a built-in smudger on the end. When new, the pencil was amazing for making thin or thick lines and the smudger helped to soften the look for a more natural feel. Unfortunately, when I tried sharpening the pencil, the tip kept breaking and now it's much shorter and still blunt :( Recently read that putting the pencil in the fridge before sharpening will help, will try that!

- Prestige Soft Blend Kohl Eyeliner in Lagoon: This is a beautiful dark turquoise that adds a fun pop of color to my otherwise nude/natural look. The pencil is very smooth and has a nice built-in smudger as well. I like to apply this to my lower lash line with a little mascara.

- Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Dark Brown and Powerful Purple (see pic): These pencil liners have such a  smooth creamy consistency, its just wonderful! I used to think I was terrible at lining my eyes, but now I realize, I used to buy bad eye pencils. This pencil does not tug at all! I like to use Dark Brown for daily wear and Powerful Purple on those occasions when I want to accentuate my brown eyes.

- Jordana QuickLiner Eyes in Black: This is a twist-up style liner which I bought at the Dollar Store. God Bless America, a country where you are never too far from a Dollar Store! This eyeliner is simply wonderful, glides on smooth and was $1. Will definitely be trying more colors in this line!

- Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black: Finally, a liquid liner that doesn't require an artist's touch to apply! The felt tip applicator is amazing and the formula is fast drying. Now, all I need to do is perfect the cat-eye and I'll be good to go!

I've heard that turquoises and purples go well with brown eyes and darker skin tones, what other colors/brands would you recommend? Let me know!

40 Beauty Questions

Happy July Readers!! Summer is zipping by so quickly...sigh!


Found this fun tag today on From Me With Love's blog. Thought I'd give it a stab, here goes:

SKINCARE
1) How many times do you wash your face daily? I rinse my face about twice daily, but when it comes to washing with a cleanser, probably only 2-3 times a week.
2) What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) Combo. I tend to get oily around my t-zone, more so in the summer (ugh!)
3) What is your current facial wash? Original Noxema, love the smell of eucalyptus! I've been using this since I was a kid!
4) Do you exfoliate? Yep, about once weekly
5) What brand do you use? Face: Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, Body: CVS Mild Exfoliating Body Wash & Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub, Lips: Michelle Phan's Lip Scrub
6) What moisturizer do you use? Face: Oil Of Olay Complete, Body: Aveeno Daily Moisturizer
7) Do you have freckles? Nope
8) Do you use eye cream? Yes, ROC...looking for a new one though
9) Do you or did you have acne prone skin? not really...I have a blemish once in a way though
10) Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? no

MAKE-UP
11) What foundation do you use? None right now...too lazy for that :P
12) How about concealer? Just started using Maybelline Dream Mousse (Beige Medium), liking it a lot! Also like Maybelline Coverstick (Deep Beige)
13) Do you know your undertone color? yep, warm-yellow, thanks to the nice lady at Sephora
14) What do you think of fake eyelashes? fun, but not something I'd use very often
15) Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months? yes, bummer! I never finish by then!
16) What brand of mascara do you use? CG Lash Exact, love it!! 
17) Sephora or MAC? Never been to MAC counter yet...so Sephora by default (though I do love it!)
18) Do you have a MAC Pro-card? nope
19) What makeup tools do you use in make up application? Mostly my fingers, qtip, Essence of Beauty Comb/Eyebrow & Eye Liner, smudgers on the backs of eyeliners :P
20) Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? no, not big on shadows yet
21) For the face? no
22) What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? Maybelline Chai Latte quad, so pretty :)
23) Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? Prefer pencil, loving Prestige Total Intensity Liner in Bold Brown and Powerful Purple & Soft Blend Kohl Liner in Lagoon.
24) How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? ouch, never!
25) What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? I like the way they look, prefer neutrals myself
26) Do you use mineral makeup? no..have a mineral eye pencil...don't care for it, very dry!
27) What is your favorite lipstick? Revlon ColorBurst in Soft Rose/Super Lustrous in Rum Raisin, love them both!!
28) How about lipgloss? Burt's Bee's Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss in Zesty Red
29) What is your favorite blush to use? don't use any at the moment
30) Do you buy your makeup on ebay? nope, mostly drugstore
31) Do you like drugstore makeup? yes! affordable and easily accessible, what's not to like?
32) Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) not yet
33) Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? yes! but where?? I love the YT school of beauty for now :)
34) Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? of course, sometimes...but I'm getting better :)
35) Name a makeup crime that you hate? Dark lip liner and light lips...ew!
36) Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones? I like more natural makeup on myself
37) Which celebrity always has great make up? Blake Lively, Angelina Jolie, Aishwariya Rai, Rani Mukherjee
38) If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use? Lip balm or gloss
40) Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? Yep, when I'm in a rush or feeling lazy, I often do!
41) Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? Sometimes...depends on how much sleep I got!
42) In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? Don't know too many lines as yet, but I'd say Maybelline for now, had the best success with a variety of their products
43) What do you think of Makeup?? It's fun and addicting! :)


Hmm..that was a little over 40 :P Now, I tag anyone who would like to do these fun questions! You can post them on your blog or in the comments if you don't have one!