Thursday, July 31, 2014

Review on Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara

Who isn't already drawn to a mascara called Great Lash? I definitely was! I had already tired the normal great lash mascara and really wasn't too impressed, but I heard a lot about this on YouTube so I decided to give it a try. Honestly the first time I used this mascara I didn't like it at all. The brush is pear-shaped so it's very strange at first. It takes a couple of uses to get the hang of it. The formula however is great. It gives your lashes great length and also gives them some volume. This is a great mascara if you don't have a lot of time to do a full look. The length and fullness it creates compensates for not having perfectly blended eyeshadow or winged liner


Without Mascara 


With Mascara




Tuesday, July 29, 2014

New York City Haul

So I recently took an amazing trip to New York City, and I did not want to come back home! lol It was so much fun and I learned a lot, it was so awesome! Now no one can go to the fashion capital of the US and not go shopping. Because of a tight schedule and too many things to see I did not get to do all the shopping I wanted too, but that just means I'll have to go back!!

The first stop on our trip was the Metropolitian Museum of Art. The place is seriously huge!! I always figured it would be pretty big but I totally underestimated the actual size! I got lost so many times!!! I spent the majority of my time there between the Anna Wintour Costume Center and the Egytian Art Wing. Both were incredible!!! I stopped by the gift shop before leaving and picked up two design books. I usually don't by books as souvenirs but I had never seen anything like these before and they looked very helpful. 


The first actual store I went too was Sephora, because you can't have a love of makeup and not find a Sephora wherever you are. (and trust me it wasn't all that difficult, I think I saw 6 the whole time I was there). I went to the one right on 5th avenue and it was so huge and pretty and I was in heaven. 


I may or may not have this picture the current background on my phone.....
Anyway!! Of course I had to buy something, so I decided on the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. I had been wanting it since it first came out but never got around to actually buying. I just got back a few days ago so I haven't had time to swatch or test any of the things I bought but I'm definitely looking forward to it! 


Another added bonus this palette smells like chocolate!!! The shadows are even made with cocoa powder.

The next stop on my trip was the brand new birchbox store in SoHo. The store has only been open for about two weeks. It's so pretty and adorable!! Honestly if I could have lived in that store I would have in a heartbeat!! The people that worked there were so nice and helpful and it was an overall great experience. At the store they carry full-size products and they also have a section where you can make your own birchbox.
I of course had to make my own birchbox!


There were five different categories (Body&Nails, Skincare, Fragrance, Hair, and Makeup) and you picked one sample from each category.

Body&Nails: Color Club; Peace, Love, Polish Pink Nail Lacquer

Skincare: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit

Fragrance: Tocca Floral Perfume

Hair: Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle Spray

Makeup: Cynthia Rowley Black Eyeliner

I also bought a Smashbox 'Try It Kit' of their best selling products.
It includes a sample size of.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Photo Finish Lid Primer
Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx
Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black
Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume


After that I just ran into H&M for a few minutes before I headed back to the hotel. I did manage to find a gorgeous scarf, that was only $6!!! 


The next day I got up super early to visit St. Patrick's Cathedral, and afterwards I had about an hour to check out a few more stores before heading home, so I walked along 5th avenue. And..... Much to my delight I found a MAC store!!!! I saw te sign and practically ran across the street, I was so excited. The store was full of energy, everywhere I looked people where getting their makeup done and trying new products. It was so awesome!! Now of course I had to get something! Around the end of May/early June MAC came out with an amazing collection based on the disney movie Maleficent. I figured they wouldn't have anything from it in the store but I asked the sales clerk just in case by some miracle they did. She was super helpful and went in the back to check and she came back with the lipgloss from the collection!!!!! I was so excited!!!! It's a beautiful rich, red shade and it smells amazing! 


The last stop on my amazing trip was FAO Schwarz. I only had about half an hour there, but honestly I could have spent three days there!!! I saw the crayola department and they had a section where you could make your own box of crayons!!! 


Overall, my trip was amazing and I'm very happy with everything I bought. I can't wait to go back!!!!! 

Sunday, July 6, 2014

10 Products under $10

I know everyone who loves makeup as much as I do is willing to pay a fortune for that perfect palette or the concealer that hides every flaw, and honestly paying $5 for a great product is easier said than done. However, I have been lucky enough (through my many, many trips to the drugstore) to stumble upon 10 products under $10 that are truly life-changing.

The first is the Wet'n'Wild Comfort Zone eyeshadow palette. This palette is mentioned in practically every "10 under 10" or "drugstore gems" video on Youtube and I can totally see why. This palette is AMAZING!! First of all its super affordable, its only $5!!! That's less than $1 per shadow!! The shadows are crazy pigmented and blend effortlessly. They all have great color payoff. The left side is more neutral with brown tones. The left side is more ambitious with green tones. I personally use the right more just because I like something different. This palette is especially helpful for people who are just starting to experiment with makeup. The shadows tell you exactly where to apply them. Also on the back is a guide to creating many different looks. 


    The following product is Avon Glimmersticks Cosmic Eye Liner in Purple Haze. For anyone who has green eyes like me purple is your go-to color for any look day or night. It complements your eyes and really makes them pop. This is my absolute favorite eye liner. I've already used at a whole one and have like 4 backups!! It's usually around $7, but Avon always has sales so you can usually get it for around 2 or 3. It goes on very smooth. It's also very versatile you can draw a thin line on your upper lashes or make a bold and dramatic wing, or blend it out to a smoky eye. It's very long-lasting I've put it on in the morning at 6 and when I get home at 8 it hasn't budged. It's a deep enough purple to be combined with many other colors, while still having an edge with its subtle sparkle.   


 The next product is Revlon Lash Potion Mascara. It's part of Revlon's Grow Luscious line of Mascaras. You can get it at  most drugstores for around $8. As you can tell from the bottle this mascara as spent a good amount of its lifetime being tossed into purses, makeup bags, and backpacks. It has been totally used up and currently resides in the "need to replace" pile. I bought this the day it came out. I had been anticipating it's release from the colorful and (apparently) convincing ads. I had high exceptions for this product and when I first used it they were not only met but exceeded. This mascara makes your lashes look amazing! It adds so much volume and body its crazy! The formula is heavier than most so it can clump easily, however your lashes will look so full and voluminous you won't even notice!


Now we have Loreal Paris Telescopic Extensions Mascara. This is my only water-proof mascara and I love it!! If you purchase this mascara (which you totally should!) I would definitely recommend buying the waterproof version. It's available at drugstores for around $9-10. It's a little more pricey than most drugstore mascaras but it's worth the mini splurge. This mascara is so lengthening. It makes your lashes look so long! I have had three people ask me if I'm wearing fake lashes when all I have on is this. It evenly coats every lash and doesn't clump. Plus the water-proof version will not smudge all day. I've wore this all day outside in the summer and it literally didn't look any different than when I first applied it. If you're looking for a great everyday mascara this is definitely the right choice.  


 Now we have the ever-present lip balm. Specifically EOS Sweet Mint. It's generally around $3 at drugstores, target, ulta, etc. I love all the EOS sphere lip balms. I currently own around 7. Honestly it was hard to choose just one, but I went with the Sweet Mint. This smells delicious and creates a soothing cooling sensation. If you have chapped or dry lips this is a great relief. It's very moisturizing and as a bonus its all organic so no crazy chemicals!

This is the Baby Lips in Cherry Me. It's around $4 in most stores. Baby lips hardly ever go on sale and you can never use Maybelline coupons on them so you're always going to pay $4 but even fro drugstore that's not too bad. Anyway! I'm a huge fan of baby lips, I own almost all of their permanent shades and this one is definitely my favorite. I totally over-looked this color. I'm not a huge fan of cherry-flavored products so I didn't ever consider buying this, but I was at Rite-Aid and I wanted a new baby lips and this was the only one I didn't have out of the few there so I picked it up and I'm so happy I did! First of all it is cherry but it's not like Boom Cherry!! It has a subtle sugary cherry scent. Also this is the most pigmented tinted balm I've ever seen. My lips gets super dry so finding something that's moisturizing and has a good color payoff is near impossible. This has become my go-to lip product. It's super moisturizing and feels so awesome on your lips. It's a gorgeous pinkish-red shade. And it's so buildable! You can put on one coat to get just a hint of color or you can apply multiple to where it looks like a lipstick. It has a fairly decent staying power, longer than most lip glosses but not as much as a stain. I would definitely recommend purchasing this product you will fall in love!! 


This is the covergirl wetslicks lipgloss in iced berry. It is my favorite lipgloss and has been my favorite for over a year. It's around $6 at most stores. It's a great product. It's a light sparkly-plum shade. It can be worn on its own or on top of a lipstick or balm. I usually wear it over the baby lips grape vine to really bring out that purple tones. This is really easy to apply, feels great on, very moisturizing, and has a decent staying power. It's an overall great product. 


This is the only nail product on the list and it's the Revlon Parfumerie Polish Collection in Wild Violets. It's around $6 in most drugstores. I bought this polish right after the collection came out. The thought of scented nail polish was so interesting I had to try it! Purple is my favorite color so I easily decided on wild violets. It's a very deep almost black purple. It goes on very smoothly and is very opaque. I generally do two coats, but if you're in a rush you could totally get away with one. With this polish you really don't want to apply a top coat because it can cover up the scent, however I would recommend a base coat. The fact that this is scented really sets it apart from most polishes on the market. When you are applying the polish, it will have the usual annoying nail polish scent. But as it dries that goes away and a strong, violet scent is left behind. The scent lasts for about 24 hours, after that it fades pretty quickly. The scent is very strong so if you don't like a particular scent don't buy the polish just for the color, try to find something similar that's not scented. But if you want to try something new and love fragrances (like I do!) this is definitely something to try. 


The following product is garnier fructis marvelous deep nourishing oil. It's generally around $6. I picked this up on a whim the last time I was at target. I had heard people talking about hair oils and how they helped tame frizz and was healthy for hair so I decided to try it. This is a great product. It is very versatile, you can use it as a shampoo primer, overnight leave-in treatment, heat protectant, ends finisher, and frizz tamer. It works great for everything. It makes your hair feel silky and shiny. Plus it smells amazing!!! It's a great product, definitely worth buying. 


The last product on this list is the garnier fructis volume extend instant bodifier dry shampoo. It's generally around $6 at most stores. I heard about this on youtube and decided to try it out. I was looking for a good dry shampoo and I was already a huge fan of the brand. This is an amazing hair product. I spray it on my roots and then flip my hair over and spray the underside also. It makes your hair look like you just washed it. It feels silky and looks shiny without being greasy. It doesn't weigh your hair down, it does the exact opposite! Also if all this wasn't enough it smells amazing!!! It's fruity and refreshing! I would totally recommend this product. 


Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Current Nails

Hello world!!! So today I finally repainted my nails (they were a pink glitter mess before) and I used a darker 'winter' polish but I thought it would be nice to do something different from the usual neons and pastels of summer.
 
I started with Avon nail experts smooth beginnings base coat. Then OPI liquid sand in Alcatraz....Rocks. Because the OPI Polish has a textured finish (it resembles sand hence the collection name "liquid sand") I didn't use a top coat. The polish has a fairly decent staying power and doesn't chip too frequently. Personally I love the indigo/purple color and find it a versatile polish that can match many different colors and patterns. 

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Intro Post

Hey!! What up world? I'm a small-town girl with big city dreams of making it to Parsons. My style is crazy, unexpected and wild much like my mulit-colored hair. I live for pushing the limits of fashion and beauty, for breaking the rules and doing it my way. As Alexander McQueen said "You must know the rules to break them". It's my dream to be the next generation Chanel, Versace, Prada, Dior. I fantasize about my creations one day gracing the pages of Vogue. This blog will be a snapshot of my journey, I hope you stick around for the ride.