we've found the culprit!

so several weeks ago, i tried using a whole bunch of new things all at once. and by things, i mean skincare. and by that i mean three items: 1) clean and clear morning burst skin brightening, 2) pacifica bb cream, and 3) michael todd jojoba charcoal scrub. and then i broke out in hives. now, i take a generic version of zyrtec every single day, so we knew it wasn't food related and that it had to be topical.

now, i only used #1 for less than a week. mostly because it's hubz' and it was almost out, so why not help him use it up? but after i realized i was breaking out, i stopped using it. around the same time, i used #3 once, and i used #2 for a few days. and also stopped using these because i was breaking out.

after several days straight of benadryl tablets and cream, and letting my skin get back to normal for few weeks, i reattempted one of the aforementioned products on monday. that would be #2, the pacifica bb cream. that's the only thing i've done differently over the past three days, and a few hours ago we noticed that i started breaking out again. booooo.

just wanted to make a post about it, and fingers crossed that the michael todd didn't contribute to the breakout! i really liked it the one day that i tried it. ~Lin-chan ^.~


photos taken from my august 2013 ipsy bag impressions post.

mascara, bb cream (not blended in), brow pencil, scrub

notd: sally hansen mermaid's tale

hi guys! i've got another impulse-buy nail polish to show you! actually, i had $5 beauty rewards & $4 off $20 to use at cvs a couple weeks ago, so that's part of the reason i got it. then the coupon printer gave me $2 off $10 on nail polish, and sally hansen was spend $10, get $5 extra bucks. uhhh yes please! so i got mermaid's tale and another polish that will be mentioned in the september hauls post. i'm not sure how comparable this is to deborah lippmann's across the universe--since i don't have it--, but this polish is supposed to be a dupe or verrrry similar to it. and i think that ~$8 (plus all the discounts, etc. mentioned above) is a lot better than $19! i applied 3 coats (also used: cnd stickey base coat & vinylux topcoat). ~Lin-chan ^.~

revlon evening opulence lip butters: invite only & provacative

this needed it's own blog post, since i've got a whole story. i went over to cvs on thursday with some extra bucks (eb's) that were about to expire.

i'm wondering around in the beauty section and they've got the new display for the revlon evening opulence collection. sweet, right? there's only two, yes 2, lip butters on there, so i pick one up thinking they're the exact same lippy because the covers are the same color, and i'm like yesssss i wanted the blue one (invite only)!!! so i grab the one on the other side too, just to make sure they were the same and they weren't! so i've got the purple one (provocative) too!!! super score right? well, upon further inspection of the display, there were literally two lippy slots on it, one for each of these. so i'm super excited that i was able to get both, but i also think it's stupid that they only had one of each, period.

i go over to the register with my $3 eb's in hand, plus the other ones i've acquired (including one that they emailed me about doing a survey for $10 eb's! sah-weet!). and the lady there was super awesome, she scanned my card to print out coupons attached to my card and is like, "$5 off $15, you've got ~$14 with these lipsticks, wanna pick out something else?" so i grab a pack of gum, and we use the $5 off $15 coupon, $3 & $7 eb's, and i handed her $1 and some change. it was kinda amazing.

then the register prints out another $8 eb's, which i now realize was $4 eb's per revlon lip product. SUPER YES. i'm swimming in extra bucks now, it's kinda ridiculous.

overall first impressions: you really could go for one or the other, you don't really need both since they're so sheer. they both have the same pretty purple-ish sparkle and a negligible amount of tint to either of them.

~Lin-chan ^.~

comparison review: em michelle phan, misty mauve lipstick vs. pan

*this is more of a first impressions-comparison rather than a full-out comparison review. but here ya go.

so get this, em michelle phan has a scary-fast turn around time. i ordered this lipstick on sunday night and it was on my doorstep this afternoon. the bank draft payment hasn't even finished processing yet. wut. O_O

either in my impressions post or fotd post, i mentioned how i loved the color of misty mauve from my day dreaming sampler but i wasn't totally sold on the formula. it was balmy and emollient enough to spread it on, but that was about it. the color lasted a decent amount of time too, but i like balminess to my lip products. i like knowing and feeling that it's still there, without having to look in the mirror. additionally, i generally prefer lip products that are in stick form vs. pots or pans. thus, i ordered the lipstick form.

my general impressions of this lipstick are that:

• the balminess lasts quite a while after application
• the color lasts pretty long (comparable to most lipsticks)
• it's slightly glossier and more opaque than the pan-form
• the packaging: it's slightly heavy and probably made of aluminium; it feels nice, sturdy, and secure

overall, i quite like this lipstick...price aside. i feel that, for the amount of lipstick, it's a bit steep at $16.50+tax. but it's ok in a way, because i know it'll last me a while because on days that i apply it, it'll last a while, and the fact that i have a bunch of other lippies open at the moment that hopefully i won't reach for this everyday and need a new one very soon. >.<

~Lindsay-chan ^.~
this product and other em michelle phan products can be purchased at emcosmetics.com.

 
pan, lipstick; photos are unfiltered, taken at 2:18PM & 5:33PM respectively on different days

 
sorry that i've got inconsistent lighting throughout these photos, i was losing sunlight fast as i was taking them.
[i'll try to update the photos in this post when i have time and more consistent lighting]
the dispensed tube (L) and flash swatch (R) are the most true-to-color photos.

 

left: pan, right: lipstick (photos taken about 10 minutes apart, for this post)

notd: maybelline blue marks the spot

hi guys! i went shopping today! one of the two bbb's near me now has a beauty department...except they haven't finished stocking the shelves there yet.... this particular store closed after getting hurricane-damaged last year and so they took the opportunity to remodel and add a beauty department i guess. they've recently reopened, and the cosmetics selection is a lot smaller than the store by my mom's. but everything else (nails, hair, body) is about the same amount of stuff. so i'm kinda excited. anyway so here's something that i got there today: maybelline colorshow polka dots nail polish in blue marks the spot, 3 coats. (also used: cnd stickey base coat & american international diamond dry air dry topocat) ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

fotd: ft. em michelle phan day dreaming sampler

hi guys! yesterday i posted about my first impressions of the day dreaming sampler from em michelle phan's day life palette. today i figured i'd try it out and have a fotd for ya. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

 

i wish i would have noticed my hairline a bit better...i didn't blend my foundation up there too well. >.> and my liquid liner was giving me problems and i was getting aggravated with making them both even, so i quit. but i'm not going to have my eyes perpetually closed for people to really notice anyway.

list of products used:

• eyes
• too faced shadow insurance, original
• eyeshadow: em michelle phan silver lining (lids), fantasy (inner half), storm kiss (crease)
• application impressions: not too bad, i like how nicely they all blended together. used individually, i'm not so sure how often i'd reach for them. they're pretty pigmented alone, but they do fade a bit over time even with primer.
• chella ivory lace brow highlighter
• anastasia beverly hills clear brow gel
• waterline: laura gellar i-care waterproof eyeliner in bone
• lower lash line: urban decay 24/7 eyeliner in rockstar
• upper liquid liner: eyeko skinny eyeliner in black
• loreal telescopic shocking extensions mascara in blackest black
• brushes: urban decay naked2 blender-side, sephora eyeshadow brush & brow and lash comb
• face
• too faced primed and poreless (original/nude) (not pictured)
• covergirl 3-in-1 foundation in buff beige
• revlon colorstay concealer in light
• theBalm sexy mama
• benefit cosmetics: hervana blush, hoola bronzer
• nars satellite of love highlighting/blush
• urban decay deslick setting spray (not pictured)
• brushes: real techniques expert face brush, buffing brush, & contour brush, and elf kabuki brush, random blush brush
• lips
• eos lip balm in vanilla (lightly applied before makeup application) (not pictured)
• em michelle phan: misty mauve
• application impressions: it takes a few swipes of the finger and a few dips to get complete coverage, but overall not too bad. i love this color. i like that it's a my lips but slightly pinker shade. not too emollient but ok. but i think if this had a different formula, i'd love it more. (i'm too lazy to use and clean a lip brush)
• i'm thinking about getting the misty mauve lipstick when i get a chance.

September 2013 ipsy bag!

  

hi guys! guess what i've got!? my September IPSY BAG*! (theme: classic beauty). ~Lin-chan ^.~
my quibble: my first few glam bags shipped out early in the month and were in my mailbox by the 10th. now, i'm not even getting the trackers until the 10th and the package arrives as late as the 17th! >.>

ranking the past six months, from today's standpoint:

1. april
2. september
3. august
4. june
5. may
6. july

here's the impressions:

1. nyx eyeshadow in pure gold (2.4g--full size, ret. $4.50) -- this is a really pretty gold eyeshadow. i haven't actually tried any of their shadows before and i really like how buttery soft and pigmented this one is.
• likelihood to repurchase: yes, different colors though
2. elizabeth mott it's so big volumizing mascara in black (4 ml--mini, ret. $19.99 for 10ml [$7.99]) -- oh look, another mascara. yay. >.> more to add to my already large collection of unopened ones..... i'll have to try it out, but i doubt it's amazing enough to order. there's a lot of really good drugstore mascaras (or high end) that are easier to obtain.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
• update: it's more like a lengthening mascara than volumizing, for me. it's ok. you know how, when you pull the mascara wand out of the tube, there's usually some excess on the tip, well for this mascara, it's really stringy and takes a few tries to get it all back in there.. >.>
3. cailyn cosmetics tinted lip balm in big apple (3g--full size, ret. $19) -- i was excited to see this because when i received the eyeliner last time, i saw that they also sold balms and i was intrigued. i'm not to keen on this color, and it's not as emollient as i would like it to be....it's dry! it is a nice stain to have and definitely use the lip brush for more precision with this color! i'm probably going to give this away since it's such a bold color. i do think that this is the perfect red that won't transfer to or stain your teeth!
• likelihood to repurchase: no
• update: passed it off to mom, she likes it and it looks a lot better on her since her skin's darker than mine
4. starlooks kohl eye pencil in obsidian (2.4g--full size, ret. $12) -- i have so many eyeliners already that i'm between using, at this rate, i doubt i'll finish any of them. it's a little bit harsh at first contact but once it warms up a bit it glides smoothly.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
5. freeman beauty facial paper masks in rose (brightening), and 2x starfruit (purifying) (3 masks--full sizes, ret. $1.99 each [$5.97]) -- i've never used paper face masks before, so this is kinda exciting. i'm not sure what happened exactly that i got two of the star fruit ones, everyone who got them is supposed to get one of each (blue agave (hydrating) is the other one), but oh well. the star fruit is for oily, acne-prone skin so it's all good if i like the first one. i won't get much use out of the rose one, because, as i've said many times before, i don't like the scent of rose oil.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
• update: passing off the rose one to mom
• update2: as i've said above, i've never used a sheet mask before, and this was an interesting experience. the mask itself is made of a one-size-fits-none. the eye holes are perfect circles, not ovals. so, on my face, the opening was good enough for all but 1/3 of each eye. the mask itself didn't really want to stay in place well whenever i moved any muscles in it--which i guess would be typical for something of this sort. after removing the mask and while pressing the remaining serum in, my face had a sticky feeling for about 10 minutes. after my face finished absorbing the serum it felt pretty good, but i don't think i'll try this again (and possibly other sheet masks) because the mask felt and looked pretty weird while i was wearing it. and i don't feel that i'm getting that much of a benefit by using it. and partially obscured vision.....meh.
6. em michelle phan sample card of out to lunch from the career life palette -- i'm excited about this, considering how just yesterday i was mentioning that they should do this..
7. blue ipsy bag -- >w< i'm so excited about this bag because it has an asian/oriental feel to it and it's in my favorite color!!! 
• update: this is my new purse makeup bag
8. card with company info/discount codes
1. nyxcosmetics.com: 30% off eyeshadow bases & hd eyeshadow bases, code: IPSYPRIME (exp. 10/15/13)
2. elizabethmott.com/shop/ipsy/: 50% off any purchase, code: IPSYBIG (exp. 10/30/13)
3. cailyncosmetics.com: 30% off any purchase, code: IPSY30 (exp. 10/15/13)
4. starlooks.com: 20% off $35+ purchase, code: IPSY (exp. 10/15/13)
5. freemanbeauty.com/IPSYFEELINGBEAUTIFUL: 44% off feeling beautiful sweet 16 sachet set + free gift, code: IPSYFB (exp. 11/30/13)
6. butterlondon.com: 30% off any purchase, code: IPSYbl (exp: 10/31/13)
7. chella.com: 20% off any order, code: Chella (exp. 10/16/13)
8. jcatbeauty.com: 25% off any purchase, code: fabipsy (exp. 10/15/13)
9. jessesgirlcosmetics.com: 20% off any purchase, code: IPSYSEPT2013 (exp. 10/15/13)
10. drugstore.com: buy 1 john frieda full repair item, get one 50% off, code: IPSY (exp. 10/15/13)
11. popbeauty.co.uk: 20% off any purchase, code: POPpout (exp. 10/15/13)
12. skyniceland.com: 20% off any purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 10/15/13)
13. vmakeup.com/ipsy: 20% off any purchase OR receive a free foundation duo, codes: IPSY13 OR VJFREE (exp. 10/15/13)

approximate product value: ~$50

 
 
swatches: big apple, obsidian, pure gold (swatched over original too faced shadow insurance); big apple applied to my lips

*Affiliate Link.

first impressions: em michelle phan day dreaming sampler

hi guys! my sampler of the em michelle phan life palette has arrived!

last weekend, they were offering six different samplers of parts of their life palettes for $10+tax and free shipping for september. the samplers include 3 full sized eyeshadows and a full sized lip color, plus a $10 credit toward a life palette ($75).  i chose the day dreaming sampler, from the day life palette, which includes misty mauve (lip), and silver lining, fantasy, and storm kiss eyeshadows. the sampler came wrapped in pink tissue paper, packaged in an extremely thick black bubble mailer, with a thank you note. impressions continued after the photos (click to jump). (click here to see a look i made with this set.)

 

silver lining, fantasy, and storm kiss (swatched over milani eye primer (L) and dry (R)), misty mauve

so, my impressions!!

1. packaging: for a sampler set, this is really impressive. i do feel that the $10 price point is about right (maybe slightly high) for the amount of products you get in here, 4 full sizes of a lip color and eyeshadows. i like how it's packaged. it's a bi-fold cover and inner bottom part, where the pans are, is it's own clear plastic covered case, so you don't damage the products. 
2. products: i like the color selection and color payoff of these shadows. they're probably best with a primer but i swatched them both over primer and dry so you can see the difference. this lip color is very buildable or it can be sheered out. i like it a lot.
3. depotting: if you were to get just the sampler, or if they ever sell single pans, they are magnetic and have the names written onto the backs of them. the pans in the sampler are glued to the plastic, but you can wedge a sewing pin in there to loosen and remove them. i put mine back into the card for now.
4. overall: i really like this concept. the packaging is very well thought-out, the products are pretty good, and the price point is doable.
5. downer: i have yet to receive any indication of the $10 toward a full-sized life palette. i added one to my cart for kicks and it only took off for this month's free shipping. so it's not through my emcosmetics account. maybe it's a code? i dunno. aside from the packing slip, there wasn't anything else in the package......

impressions/quibbles about the life palettes and em michelle phan, in general:

• while i know that they've spent a lot of time developing this product and it is probably as low as they can reasonably sell the line for, i still think that the brand as a whole is a bit expensive
• i feel like they should have done the life palette a bit differently.
• i love that they did the samplers, it's a great introductory to their brand and their most hyped product
• again, i don't totally like the price point of $75 for a palette (plus free travel palette)
• i like how the life palettes are adjustable, to where you can move the pans in and out of the travel life palette
• i don't like how there are 6 different life palettes, each with 4 exclusive sets
• i think they should have included a custom palette as well; so at the $75 price point, you can pick which of the four different sets you want to put into your life palette. between some of the life palette options, i only like one or two sets in each one, but i don't want to pay for multiple whole palettes just to have a particular 1/4 of the palette
• i think they should include small samples of their other products when you make an order
• free ups shipping after $75 is kinda a lot. for this month, it is free on all orders, but otherwise it's $7+ just for shipping
• michelle phan just announced that they're planning to open a flagship store
• hopefully the brand will become more mainstream and easier to obtain than ordering online

em michelle phan products can be purchased at emcosmetics.com.
~Lin-chan ^.~

review: couture gel nails kit & notd: after midnight, super model, & vip list

hi guys! a few months ago, i received a couture gel nail polish kit as a giveaway prize. the kit comes with three polishes of your choice, a base coat and top coat, a nail prep kit with cuticle pusher, toe separators, emory board, and a buffer, uv lamp (with bulbs), and an instructional dvd & booklet.

 

after midnight

initial thoughts: ok, so i was lazy and didn't watch the instructional dvd; but i did read the instruction sheet. lol. anyway; it says to use the included buffer block on your nails, apply basecoat and cure for 2 minutes. apply first coat of colored polish, cure 2 minutes, apply a second coat and cure if desired. then apply the topcoat and cure 2 minutes. apply additional topcoat and cure if desired. apply rubbing alcohol (91% is better) to cotton balls and wipe nails to remove the stickiness. done! (be sure to remove any polish from the skin before curing nails.)

so my first run through, i was lazy and didn't use the included buffer. instead, i swiped on some orly primetime to prep my nails. i then went through the process mentioned above, using 2 coats of polish and 2 coats of topcoat. i did sectione off my hands: four fingers, both thumbs, and the other four fingers; and painted each section individually. also, before curing my nails, i would take elf's pro angled liner brush in some acetone and cleaned up the edges. it took me about 2 hours for the whole process, but it was my first time doing it, so i don't think it was too bad. i did them on a sunday afternoon and by end of the day monday, i lost my first 3 nails. by tuesday, i lost another two. and by wednesday evening, i just felt like peeling off the remainder because they were all lifting up around the edges. so. a 2-week manicure lasted me 3 days. i did like how they peeled off, all in once piece, and my nails were basically clean*.

*because peeling polish off removes a layer of your nails and weakens them, i gave my nails a few weeks' break before using this kit a second time.

2 coats of vip list (pink) & 3-4 coats of super model (purple)

round 2: this time, i did actually use the included buffer. i haven't totally figured out how to not get this polish to pool on the edges...or to put it on "thinly". my sort-of fix for pooling is taking cuticle nippers along the edges after i'm done, but that's definitely not something "good" to do for its longevity.

additionally, this purple (super model) is ok. it took 3-4 coats each to get to the opacity i liked. which, is forever: 2 minutes to cure x 6 coats of polish (base, ~3x color, 2x top) + cleanup = ~30 mins. i initially was going to do all but my ring fingers in super model, but yeah. no. so that's why my thumbs are pink (vip list), which is gorgeous by the way.

this second time wasn't too bad. i painted them on a thursday evening, and i wasn't seeing tip-wear until about sunday night (mostly because my actual nails were breaking or flaking underneath). they also didn't lift up around the edges. around the one week mark, there was some lift-age and i peeled two off that were coming up really bad. there weren't really chips in the polish, but if it would peel and crack into a smallish piece, i'd pull it off..so it kind of looks like it was chipping...but not. and by the 8-day mark, i decided to peel off the rest of them because they were starting to lift off.

top: day 7, bottom: day 8

2 coats after midnight & vip list

round 3: idk. it still pooled on the edges of most of my nails. on one thumb (pictured above), it pooled only on one side and the other looks nice and flush with the nail. ~.~ this time, i used 2 coats of polish and 2 coats of topcoat on each nail, after the basecoat. i'm not sure what happened this time. relative to last time, the first one lifted up and was promptly peeled off on day 3. then a bunch of them began lifting up by day 4, and i peeled them off too. my ring fingers lasted until about day 6, and my remaining thumb lasted to about day 8.

day 4, day 8

overall thoughts: i have no freaking clue. i think that if i got this whole "no pooling on the edges" thing figured out, it would last a bit longer and for a consistent length of time..... this set is a meh because of the amount of time invested for each manicure session relative to how long on average each mani lasted.

i did not attempt this process on my toes. i barely have enough patience to finish both my hands, much less trying it on my toes and being super clumsy.

this kit retails for $129 on couturegelnailpolish.com.

~Lin-chan ^.~

fotd: school edition

hi guys! i wanted to show you what i've been doing for school recently. enjoy! ~Lin-chan ^.~

top: bronzed taupe; bottom: walking on eggshells trio

photo 1: after skincare routine, with face primer all over face and lip balm
photo 2: [revlon colorstay] concealer
photo 3: after blending concealer and applying powder and blush
photo 4: finished! order of application: eye primer, posie tint, nude liner, stray dog liner, eyeshadow [bronzed taupe], de slick spray, liquid liner, mascara, 2nd coat of posie tint if needed)

list of products used:

• eyes
• milani eyeshadow primer
• eyeshadow (one or the other)
• loreal infallible eyeshadow in bronzed taupe: apply all over the lid up to about the crease, then blend away.
• wet n wild walking on eggshells trio: applied in locations as directed; i dab a bit of the crease shade onto the tip my blending brush then blend it into my outer V and crease.
• waterline: rimmel london scandalEyes waterproof khol eyeliner in nude
• lower lash line: urban decay 24/7 eyeliner in stray dog (discontinued, but mushroom is pretty close; see swatches at end of post)
• upper liquid liner: revlon colorstay liquid eye pen in blackest black
• i don't typically wing it out on school/work days because i'm usually in a rush! >.<
• i usually stamp and drag the pen along my lash line, like holding the pen nearly parallel with my face so the length of the pen tip can drag across my eye.
• be careful not to get it wet after it dries, it will remoisten and transfer to your lids before you realize it!
• loreal telescopic shocking extensions mascara in blackest black
• i generally apply a thin coat to the top side of my lashes, then apply a thick coat in a wiggling motion while turning the wand, dip and go to the next eye. repeat. dip, apply a second thin coat to the first eye, then the second. occasionally: use the remainder on the wand for lower lashes. i don't always apply mascara to my lower lashes.
• brushes: sigma E25 & E55, MUA E3, spoolie (if needed)
• face
• too faced primed and poreless (original/nude)
• revlon colorstay OR photoready concealer in light
• to set concealer: apply powder in a stippling motion, swiping your brush will move the concealer around.
• i usually use the sigma P86 (or F86) to blend in the concealer, or you can use your fingers.
• sephora mineral loose powder foundation in light (discontinued, i got it a few years ago and finally opened it)
• be a bombshell blush in sweet cheeks
• tip: if you apply too much blush, blend it away with your powder brush!
• urban decay deslick setting spray
• brushes: sigma P86 [or F86 (not pictured)], real techniques powder brush, MUA F6
• lips
• eos lip balm in vanilla (apply before makeup application)
• benefit posie tint (1-2 coats)
• after it stains/develops, if you missed anywhere, apply a second coat.
• it generally lasts 3-4 hours or so, but i don't always have time to reapply it. also, i apply a clear lip balm over the course of the day just to keep my lips moisturized.
• optional: invisible lip liner to keep it from bleeding -- i don't have one and again, i'm usually in a rush in the mornings.

posie tint, colorstay concealer, photoready concealer, sweet cheeks blush, eye primer, walking on eggshells trio,
bronzed taupe, nude pencil, stray dog pencil, mushroom pencil, colorstay eye pen