vibrancy on a brush

2013 Empties Part 3 - Bath & Body Works

2013-05-13T14:33:00.003-05:00

Welcome back to the 2013 empties series! This one's all Bath & Body Works products. It is excluding the candles as once I've burned through one I almost immediately repurpose the jar, so I don't recall which scents I've used up this year.

Aromatherapy shower gel in Lemon Zest - loved this scent! Sad it was discontinued, but I'm hoping it'll be back for semi-annual sale! Coconut Vanilla body lotion & Vanilla Bean Noel body lotion - good scents! I do prefer the classic Exotic Coconut to the Coconut Vanilla, but this one's pretty good. Vanilla Bean Noel is my favorite vanilla scent. I dislike the Warm Vanilla Sugar. This one seems less overpowering & mixes better with other scented products.

Aruba Coconut and Forever Red Triple Moisture Body Creams. I love that formula of moisturizer, especially in the winter when my skin's drier. I also like the Golden Sugar Scrub, which I also had in Forever Red. I love the tube packaging until the last bit, when it becomes extremely difficult to get the final uses out. The rest of the time, though, I find them much nicer than the ones that come in jars.

Finally - the PocketBacs. Nothing really to say about them, I just felt like including them. I mostly only use them at work (more for the customers' benefit than my own), but over the past few years I've accumulated a ton of them from always getting them on a 5 for $5 deal, so I'm happy to finally be cutting that stash down!

This will be the last empties update for awhile, until I've accumulated enough to do another post. Hope you've enjoyed this little series! Let me know if there were any products throughout that you have any questions about.

*Edit* This was meant to be posted the Thursday following the previous empties post...but apparently even after a few years of blogging I still sometimes just save posts instead of publishing them. Sigh.

2013 Empties Part 2 - Makeup, Fragrance, Nails

2013-04-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

2013 empties part two! This time - hand & nail care, makeup, and perfume samples!

Nothing special about these hand creams - not bad, but I won't get them again. The Orly cuticle creme was really nice but I have a ton of cuticle products so I probably won't NEED to repurchase it. Orly Bonder base coat - I didn't hate it but I have quite a few basecoats I'm using up so I don't think I'll get it again. The Sally Hansen Insta Dri Whirlwind White I have already started a second bottle of! I know the nail products don't look empty, but the brushes don't reach the bottom so that's all I'm getting!

I enjoyed the Rimmel primer - although it took me AGES to use it up! There are others I want to try (and some samples to use up) but I'd consider getting it again in the future if I don't find something better. The Kat Von D eyeliner was such a pretty color but I've had it awhile and it was kind of dried up and getting difficult to get anything out of the bottle and onto my eye. The Revlon brow pencil is too short to fit inside of sharpeners anymore! I feel like much of the product ends up wasted and I didn't love the color so I won't get it again. The Mark. eyeshadow brush was AWESOME but the hairs have come loose inside of the ferrule and aren't staying the same length anymore.

I already have a full bottle of Couture Couture and I love it. I also really enjoy both the Marc Jacobs scents! I believe Oh, Lola! is one I can get from one of the Sephora fragrance samplers, and unless I end up loving one of the others, I'm pretty sure that's what I'll get the full size of! Miss Pucci was fine, I enjoyed the sample, but I don't see getting a full bottle.

2013 Empties Part 1 - Skin & Hair Care

2013-04-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

In my recent cleaning efforts, I figured I could easily clear some clutter by photographing my empties and getting rid of them! I had accumulated more than I had realized, so I'm splitting them up instead of piling them all in one post.

I'd consider purchasing full sizes of both moisturizers if there were a good deal on them. Neither were too heavy or greasy feeling for me. Since they are kind of pricey, I probably won't buy them unless there is a deal or sale of some kind. I have nothing bad to say about the cleanser but I like others better so I probably won't buy it again. I do like that it was not irritating to my eyes at all.

While I loved them when I first got them, I definitely won't get the shampoo & conditioner again. They made my hair feel awesome the first few times and then by the end I just didn't like it at all. My hair just works so much better when I stick with sulfate free shampoos. Of course I have already purchased more of the Batiste!

I liked the Clinique makeup remover but probably wouldn't buy it as I think there are cheaper options that do the job well too. The Simple makeup remover burned my eyes quite badly so I used it for removing swatches from my hands and arms. Definitely won't buy again! I have nothing bad to say about the lip balms but I didn't LOVE them either so I doubt I'll get them again. The Softlips did smell delicious though!

The next installment of 2013 empties will be posted a week from today!

Julep Maven - Classic with a Twist April 2013

2013-04-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

I wasn't really expecting to continue getting the Julep Maven boxes right away - but the first month after my intro box was all BRIGHTS! I could not resist.

I stuck with the Classic with a Twist box, but added on Lena from the Boho Glam box since I thought it was so pretty. I also added some of the 'Swatch Me' stickers for the tops of bottles.

The Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum and the rock candy were included in the Classic with a Twist box.

I LOVE these colors. They were all much prettier and more unique in person than I was expecting from the online pictures.

The polishes that came in the box came with the Swatch Me stickers already on! Not sure if they all come like that, or if it's because I ordered the stickers. I did notice that the ones already on these bottles were a different texture than the ones that came on the sheets - they had a shinier finish, whereas the ones on the sheets felt more like regular paper.

And here are all the Julep polishes I've received so far! With added Swatch Me stickers & on their nail wheel.

Julep Maven - Classic with a Twist Intro Box (March 2013)

2013-04-16T11:27:00.002-05:00

Last month I finally gave in and signed up for the Julep Maven program. I found a code to get my first box for a penny and decided it was time to take the plunge! I took the quiz on their site and it determined the "Classic with a Twist" style to fit me best.

I was really happy with it! I wasn't expecting to like Meryl as I don't normally go for greys, but it didn't look too bad against my skintone and I think I'll get some good use out of it as a base for chunkier glitters!

Feeling inspired, I actually painted an entire nail wheel half with Meryl and half with Wet n Wild Black Creme and then topped them with glitters and layering polishes. I liked the grey as a base even more than I thought!

Recent Ulta Haul!

2013-04-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since I had a 20% off coupon as well as double points throughout March, I decided to pick up some things I'd been thinking about for awhile at Ulta.

For more photos of the products, as well as my thoughts so far, keep reading!

I have a sample of the Too Faced Lip Insurance I got in a little kit and I LOVE it. Even though there's still a bit left in the sample, I figured I may as well get the full size while I have a coupon AND double points, right?

I've been wanting a colored liquid liner lately as well, and I always hear such good things about Urban Decay liners, so I thought they'd be a good one to try. I love the color I got, but I'm not sure I love the formula. If I rub my eye or anything, the liner kind of flakes off - it doesn't smudge or run or fade at all, but it's just gone! I'm not sure I'm a fan of that - it doesn't seem to hold onto the skin like a gel or pencil does.

I've also been wondering about the Too Faced La Creme lipsticks - and fell in love with this shade when I saw it! It feels really nice and creamy on the lips and applies really easily. I love how sturdy and luxurious the tube feels, too - plus the lid attaches really securely, so I don't worry at all about it opening in my bag or drying out. I usually go for more matte lipsticks as they last much longer, but I love the color and feel of this one enough that I don't hate having to reapply. I think I'll look for a similar shade in a more matte formula though - this shade is just perfect for my skin tone & is one I think I could wear with any eye look.

If you know of any similar shades in different formulas, let me know!

My New Brush Washer!

2013-03-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

While I was browsing Michael's recently, I found this brush washer in the art supplies and thought it would probably work for makeup brushes as well. It was around $5, so I picked it up, even though I'm sure this would be very simple to recreate.

I put a few drops of Dr Bronners soap in the jar along with a bit of a brush shampoo I don't care for and am trying to finish. Then I ran warm water until just the top of the wire mesh was sticking out above the water level. After that I basically just swirled each of my dirty brushes around on the mesh, which worked to gently splay out the hairs to get the cleanser throughout the brush. I was washing about 3/4 of my brushes this time, and even including dense synthetic foundation brushes, eye brushes with bright colored cream products in them, and lip brushes, I think it took around fifteen minutes.

Because the mesh is above the bottom of the jar, the pigments can fall to the bottom and not inhibit the cleaning process for the brushes after. As a result of that, I never got to a point where I needed to change the water in order to keep getting effective results.

I am so happy I got this! Now that my brush washing process is so quick and efficient - I hated how it used to take at least an hour, use up a ton of soap & water, and leave me with dry, prune-like hands - I think I'm going to be much, much better at keeping up with my brush laundry.

February Manicures!

2013-03-14T14:34:00.001-05:00

Apologies for the delay in this post! Evidently instead of publishing it, I just saved it as a draft...twelve days ago. At any rate, if you'd like to see the manicures I did throughout February, keep reading!

Butter London Trout Pout

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Uptempo Plum
Essie Shine of the Times

OPI You're Such A BudaPest!
OPI Polka.com

Sinful Colors HD Nails
ELF Royal Purple
OPI Goldeneye

Revlon Top Speed Electric
China Glaze Cracked Concrete

China Glaze White on White
China Glaze Lemon Fizz
Sinful Colors Soul Mate
Sally Hansen Insta Dri Blue-Away

Zoya Mia
Butter London Rosie Lee

OPI You Only Live Twice
Essie Stroke of Brilliance

Milani White on the Spot
China Glaze Roguish Red
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue

OPI Euro Centrale Comparison - Gold

2013-02-22T10:00:00.000-06:00

This week I'm going to compare the polishes from the OPI Euro Centrale mini set to the other polishes in my collection.

The final comparison from the set is for the gold polish - OY-Another Polish Joke! I don't really like gold on my skin, so the only other gold polish I have is Goldeneye from the Bondettes mini set from the Skyfall collection. They're definitely not dupes. Goldeneye has much bigger flecks of gold and therefore has more nail that shows through the first coat or two. It's also darker.

L-R: OPI - OY-Another Polish Joke!, OPI - Goldeneye

OPI Euro Centrale Comparison - Lavender

2013-02-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

This week I'm going to compare the polishes from the OPI Euro Centrale mini set to the other polishes in my collection.

Today I'm comparing You're Such a BudaPest! I was expecting this polish to be a match for something in my collection as well, but it's unique too! It's a bluer shade than Sally Hansen's Lacey Lilac, although they're about the same level of pastel. You're Such a BudaPest! is sort of like a pastel version of Zoya's Caitlin.

L-R: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Lacey Lilac, OPI - You're Such A BudaPest!, Zoya - Caitlin

OPI Euro Centrale Comparison - Blue

2013-02-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

This week I'm going to compare the polishes from the OPI Euro Centrale mini set to the other polishes in my collection.

Today's comparison is with the blue from the set - Can't Find My Czechbook. I was not expecting to love this polish as much as I do! I also wasn't expecting it to be so different from my other polishes. I thought I had a decent amount of blue polishes but it seems they're all either much more teal, more purple, or just darker than this particular shade. Hopefully I don't end up wishing I had a big bottle of this one! Although surely I can find a similar shade if I ever use up the mini bottle.

L-R: China Glaze - For Audrey, OPI - Can't Find My Czechbook, Sally Hansen Insta Dri - Blue-Away

OPI Euro Centrale Comparison - Pink

2013-02-19T10:55:00.000-06:00

This week I'm going to compare the polishes from the OPI Euro Centrale mini set to the other polishes in my collection.

First up: the pink! The slightly coral-leaning pink of Suzi's Hungary AGAIN! is not particularly unique to my collection as I find that type of shade to be particularly flattering against my skin tone. While none of these polishes are exactly the same, the OPI, Revlon, and Urban Outfitters colors are similar enough that you certainly would not need more than one of them in your collection. The China Glaze is more of a true pink than the others, although it is certainly not too far off.

L-R: Urban Outfitters - Cocktail, Revlon Top Speed - Guava, OPI - Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!, China Glaze - Sugar High

OPI Euro Centrale Mini Set

2013-02-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist the mini set from OPI's newest collection! I seem to have tackled this collection much the same way as I did Skyfall - by intending to just get the glitter, and then leaving with the mini set as well. What can I say? These colors really appealed to me! Although, I do wish this set had one of the darker blue or purple shades rather than the gold, but I'll get past it.

For more photos, swatches, and my thoughts - keep reading!

The mini set for this collection includes the colors (L-R in the box) Can't Find My Czechbook, Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!, You're Such a BudaPest, and OY-Another Polish Joke.

The blue (Can't Find My Czechbook) was a surprise favorite! It's one I'd consider a big bottle of - although with the number of polishes in my collection, it's not like I'll likely use up the mini.

I also really like the purple (You're Such a BudaPest), although that shade was the thinnest and streakiest of the set. It ended up evening out fine, but took a bit more effort than the others.

This type of slightly coral-y pink (Suzi's Hungary AGAIN) is one of my favorite shades to wear, and while I was initially very excited for it, it's just a bit too similar to others in my collection. That being said, if you DON'T have a ton of these shades, this one does have a lovely formula.

I'm not a fan of gold on my skin in general, and OY-Another Polish Joke is no exception to that, although the polish itself is awesome. It applies really nicely and gets opaque quicker than I expected from looking at the bottle. Maybe I'll incorporate into manicures as an accent color.

Ulta Haul!

2013-02-07T19:53:00.000-06:00

I made two trips to Ulta recently - the first one to use my 20% off coupon, the second to get the things I actually needed and forgot about. With the coupon, I picked up two Butter London polishes and the Nicole by OPI Drying Drops. I've had my eye on Trout Pout for quite awhile, but kept telling myself I had enough coral-y polishes. I'm so glad I finally got it, though! It isn't identical to any of the other similar colors in my collection, and the formula is fantastic. Although I researched swatches of many of their polishes and asked friends for recommendations from the brand, the other polish I got - Scouse - wasn't one I'd looked up at all in advance, it just really caught my eye! I've been curious about drying drops for awhile as well. I'm not sure yet if they're making a massive difference in dry time or not.

The other - slightly more necessary - products are a new face cleanser, dry shampoo, and a glycolic AHA cream. These are all new-to-me products. I've used the Neutrogena Naturals Makeup Removing cleanser before, but this is the other one. The dry shampoo is from the brand Samy, a brand which I've never tried before. Finally, the AHA cream - I'd heard about these a few times, but didn't know much about them. I assumed they'd be pricey for some reason, but when Lauren of RedheadPhD mentioned this one in a recent video, I figured for that price I may as well give it a go!

January Manicures

2013-02-03T15:21:00.000-06:00

Another new month means another month's worth of manicures to share with you! I really enjoyed all of them this month - and I was especially into glitters! I also tried Ciate polishes for the first time, and expanded both my Butter London and OPI collections a bit - two brands I've fairly recently come to appreciate.

If you'd like to see, larger photos and names of the polishes I used will be under the cut!

Butter London Scouse

Butter London Fairy Cake over Zoya Caitlin

OPI Did it on 'Em

Ciate Love Letter over Sephora by OPI What Aura Gonna Wear and Paisley Attention to Me

Sephora by OPI What Aura Gonna Wear and Paisley Attention to Me

Ciate Heirloom over OPI Stawberry Margarita

OPI Stawberry Margarita

Ciate Antique Brooch over Illamasqua Noble

OPI The Living Daylights over OPI On Stranger Tides

Butter London - Rosie Lee

Zoya - Daul

China Glaze - Skyscraper

OPI On Stranger Tides

January Face of the Day - Final Roundup

2013-01-31T14:28:00.003-06:00

Apparently it's the last day of January, so here's the last set of my Face of the Day photos from the month! As with the past few, each day is also pictured individually, usually with a product list, on my Facebook page.

I like the way I've been doing these. I intend to continue posting my makeup looks weekly-ish (or whenever I get 5-7 days worth!) on here, and more frequently - including product information! - over on Facebook. If there's anything you'd like to see otherwise, let me know!

Outfit of the Day - Favorites from January

2013-01-27T16:04:00.000-06:00

I've been missing putting together Outfit of the Day posts the past few months, so I've decided to bring them back to the blog! Instead of photographing my outfit every day, I'll only be doing it if I especially like it, or if I'm trying something new, or if it feels different enough from others I've posted.

I think people's style choices can really reflect a lot about their personality, which is why I love following blogs that at least occasionally include personal style posts. Hopefully you guys enjoy that type of thing as well! Let me know if you'd like any additional information at all.

P.S. I want to have a title for my personal style/fashion posts other than just "outfit of the day" so if any of you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them & add them to my list of choices!

Photos are under the cut!

Organization & Display: Jumbo Eye Pencils

2013-01-24T18:50:00.000-06:00

Trying to strike the perfect balance between functionality and aesthetic in my makeup storage is a never-ending project for me. However, this little project I took on this week seemed to be another step in the right direction! I had picked up the glass at Bath & Body Works during their semi-annual sale. Although it's meant to hold their mini candles, I don't actually have any of those - I just thought it was attractive! I decided it would make a nice addition to my makeup storage.

Since it's taller than the container I previously had my jumbo eye pencils in, it was harder to see the colored tip of each one. I thought turning them upside down would help - except all of the NYX pencils are completely white, unlike the other brands I have, which show the color of the pencil on the bottom.

Instead of giving up, I put my nail polish collection to use - matching each pencil to a polish & painting the bottom section! I taped off the bottom section so they'd have a crisp line and did as many coats as needed to get to the right opacity. For three of the colors I mixed polishes together to achieve exactly the right shade and texture, but the rest I had polishes that were close enough.

I am thrilled with the way they look! It's much easier to see each pencil's shade, and I think having the colors displayed more obviously will make me more likely to reach for them - lately, my jumbo pencils have been somewhat ignored!

If you have any questions about the process, the colors I used, or anything else - just ask!

Face of the Day - Week 3 Roundup

2013-01-20T18:53:00.001-06:00

Somehow, another week has already gone by since the last Face of the Day weekly roundup post! As always, head over to my Facebook page to see the FOTD album - and I've tried to be better about listing products for each photo this time! Eventually I'll remember every time, I swear.

bareMinerals - The Cocktail Hour palette

2013-01-16T12:09:00.000-06:00

After seeing swatches and reading the review of this palette over on Temptalia a little while ago, I decided to look it up on bareMinerals' website - where it was on sale for $17.15! On top of that, there was free shipping, so I figured I couldn't resist! Although I'm not a huge fan of how much fingerprints and other smudges show on the outside, in general I really love the palette! The shadows are awesome quality, the colors in the palette are diverse enough that I think I could travel with it on its own, the mirror and brush in the palette are great, and it's so compact. While I don't think I'd pay the $40 full price for one of these palettes, on sale it was a great deal. The fact that this is one of just two palettes I decided to keep as is instead of depotting the shadows is definitely a sign as to how much I like the whole package!

For larger photos of the shadows, as well as swatches, keep reading!

Top photo: No flash.
Bottom photo: With flash.

Face of the Day - Week 2 Roundup

2013-01-15T12:02:00.002-06:00

Apologies for the slight delay - but here's the roundup of last week's face of the day photos! I've tried to be better at keeping track of and noting which products I used this week. I listed that type of information as the caption for each day's photo in my Face of the Day album over on my Facebook page!

If you want to know more specifics, feel free to ask (either as a comment on the Facebook photo or on this post) and I'll try to remember for you.

January FOTD - Week 1

2013-01-06T12:31:00.003-06:00

While posting my "face of the day" look daily was a bit much for me, I never want it to like it did last month, where I basically waited for the entire month to be done before I posted the looks over on Facebook. For this month, I'm trying a compromise - where I post weekly instead! So here's the roundup of my looks from the first week of January. The full-size photos will still be posted over on my Facebook page.

While I think I'll stick to this frequency for this month to fully test it, let me know if you prefer a different method!

December Empties

2013-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

For my thoughts on the products I finished during December, keep reading!

Of course, I used up another can of Batiste dry shampoo. I don't think I can ever rave about this stuff enough.

To be honest, I probably used no more than half of the Pantene spray gel, but I did use the last of it! My hair naturally has some waviness, but it tends to do better with some assistance - however, because it's so fine, there are many products which only weigh it down and make it worse. This doesn't do that, and it doesn't leave my hair feeling super crunchy either.

I am still working on using up the many samples I'd acquired. One I used this month was the Simple moisturizer. With only one use, it is difficult to really judge it. I didn't notice any negative results, but at the same time it didn't really impress me either.

This is the second bottle of the Neutrogena cleanser I've used up. I have liked using it as part of my evening makeup removal and cleansing process. I'm currently looking into trying cleansing oils, but if I don't like them, this is definitely something I'd go back to.

I also loved the Simple gel cleanser. Although I'm trying to use up some others now, once they're gone I'll probably buy a full size of this cleanser.

The Simple wipes were okay...certainly nothing bad, but nothing that would make me buy them again either.

I've had this little bottle of Coconut Passion lotion from Victoria's Secret for a long time and finally finished it. I love coconut scented products and this is no exception - it is one of my favorites, actually! I have so many lotions, though, that I doubt I'll need to get this one for quite some time.

More samples - several primers and a few samples of the Garnier moisturizer I already love. I hadn't bought another jar since the last I used up and have been working on other samples instead, but I'd been missing it so I used up these samples as well.

The Pixi and L'Oreal Magic Lumi primers were both somewhat shimmery, and while I didn't notice it through my foundation, that's not really something I want out of a primer. I did like the texture of the L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Primer, but I don't think it did anything as far as helping with oiliness/lasting power.

I don't care for the Softlips lip balms much, and I wasn't much of a fan of the cherry flavor either. Another lip balm I am not sorry to see go.

I did enjoy the Maybelline Define-A-Brow - the fine tip made it really easy to use and I liked the color, and that it has the little brush on the end, but I feel like the product got used up extremely quickly. That's the only reason I'm not sure I'll repurchase it. I had to twist it up multiple times during a regular application.

Christmas Haul 2012

2013-01-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

I got some fun new beauty items for Christmas this year! Two Sephora by OPI nail polishes in fabulous colors and some of the Sephora makeup brushes! I can't wait to use these polishes in a manicure - they're very similar to the colors on my bedroom walls, so I think I'll try to combine them somehow. The brushes are so nice as well. The powder brush is absolutely enormous but so soft and fun to use. The angled liner brush is fantastic, and I always need more of them. I haven't used the stippling brush yet, but it feels really nice! If anyone has any usage tips for that one, I'd love to hear them.

Did you get anything beauty related for gifts this year?

December Manicures

2012-12-31T12:02:00.000-06:00

I can't believe how quickly December went - but it's already time for another monthly manicure wrap-up!

Working two retail jobs over the Christmas season was extremely busy, so my nails stayed the same for longer than usual, and there were a few that I neglected to photograph. The week prior to Christmas, I also did silver nails and then added on little red and green Christmas lights on a string on each nail - it was super fun and easy! I just used a dotting tool for the red and green lights and a black striping polish for the cord that connected them. I'm sad I didn't get photos of it, but I could post photos of the trial run I did on my nail wheel if anyone would like to see! For Christmas day, I just red and green on alternating nails.

Now that shopping has calmed down a bit, I should have more time to make January's manicures more interesting! Especially since I've added some polishes to my collection over the past month that haven't gotten a chance to get used yet!

For larger photos of each manicure and the polishes used, keep reading!

OPI - German-icure by OPI

OPI - German-icure by OPI, Essie - Shine of the Times

China Glaze - Escaping Reality, China Glaze - It's A Trap-eze!

Revlon - Posh, China Glaze - Mistletoe Kisses

China Glaze - Ruby Deer, Milani - Green Sketch, L.A. Colors Art Deco Striping Polish - Silver Glitter

Butter London - The Black Knight

Butter London - Fairy Cake over Zoya - Minka