notd: broadway impress press-on manicure in night fever (updated)

hey guys! i got super duper lazy this time and got press on nails. i haven't used such a thing since i was in elementary school, but hopefully these'll last a lot better and longer than barbie-esque "toy" ones. i got this brand because i was watching someone on youtube talking about them and i wanted to try them out. i also bought another pack that i'll use and post about around christmas time. ~Lin-chan ^.~
edit: i was at walgreens and i saw a toe version of this. really?! toes do not have that much surface area...

initial impressions:

• i'm pretty sure the prep pad is just an alcohol pad....but i could be wrong.
• some of the nails have sharp edges, like maybe they were on a nail wheel, decorated, and clipped off? something like that. but after the 30 minute set time, you can file them down. (or maybe before you even apply them..?)
• there is also a tiny emery board on the little card insert. it's about a good size for the sharp edges on the nails.
• these nails do have a little weight to them, like to the point that i was very aware of them at first. but i did start getting used to them.
• the length was different and hard to get used to, since my actual nails are quite a bit shorter than these.
• at first i had difficulties when using the bathroom, mostly because i thought they were going to pop off. but they actually stayed really well.

failures/mehs:

• it's easy to get gunk between my natural nail and the fake, so i constantly had to use a nail brush whenever i did anything
• even the "right fit" isn't perfect, i suppose this is so that the set is universal for the different nail shapes, because if you look closely at my nails, you can see my natural nails along the edges (you can kinda see what i mean with my thumb in the above picture).

stress testing, all PASSED:

• showering
• eating lobster, including cleaning out head/gills area (mmmm. drago's.)
• cooking; making a casserole, making pie crust by hand
• unearthing kitchenware from the depths of my room at my mom's..aka the storage room..........
• washing hands multiple times

longevity: 

• [to be updated later.] 
• at the time of this post, marks 24 hours of wear-time. as of now, i have had no problems with any popping off or feeling loose, etc. 
• the package says that it lasts up to a week, so we shall see!

update:

so i applied these late tuesday night and on sunday, only one of them really popped off. then monday morning, they all slowly started to come off...so i just went ahead and took them off. i'm quite pleased that they lasted nearly a week on me. they did fade a little bit, like the black and glitter design slowly wore off (not so much the french) and they started showing signs of wear around the tips/edges. if you do just pull them off, they do take off a bit of the top layer of your nails, so be careful, but i'm not sure if you remove them "properly" if it will do the same or not.

update: notice for upcoming blog posts... (updated)

hi guys, so i wanted to give yall a status update for the blog because i have been trying to post at least once a week this year. but things are going to get pretty hectic in the upcoming weeks, and i'm not sure when things will work out exactly for me to post stuff. so here's the run-down.

• november hauls post will probably be late, delayed at most by one week, hopefully.
• 12/8-13: finals week, and yes i have a saturday afternoon final. ~.~
• 12/15-1/4 we will most likely be at the in-laws' the whole time, and i haven't played with the lighting in our new room yet. so i may or may not take any photos while there.
• long story short, sis-in-law moved back home and wanted her old room back, which is where we were staying, so now we're in bro-in-law's old room since he lives 4 hours away anyway. and teh paul's old room is father-in-law's room whenever bro-in-law is not in town because mother-in-law can't deal with the snoring.. musical bedrooms!
• december subscription boxes will be mailed to the in-laws', so hopefully i can get good photos up for the posts
• ipsy bag 
• popsugar must have
• target cyber monday beauty boxes
• 12/16 i'm getting my last two wisdom teeth out, so i'll probably not want to take photos of myself for a while.... aghhh! chubbeh cheeks and drugs!
• fall favorites & empties posts will be at most one week late. (early january)

as a life update, school's been ok. pretty much since mid-september, i've been over it for this semester. like peace out yo! pretty much my job offer sealed the deal, and my motivation to do well made a steep decline. now, i do still have some motivation because i'm super ridiculously close to an overall 3.0 GPA, which i've never had in college and i've been on the borderline for like 6 years now. so, as long as i get the following grades, i will have just barely over a 3.0. eeep! let's hope i get it and can maintain it with my two classes next semester!

class	current	grades i need/want
fin 3718	c	c
mkt 3401	b	b (a is preferable, but less likely) a
cmst 2064	a? b?	a b is more likely
isds 4125	b	b? a?
isds 4160	a? b?	a

~Lin-chan ^.~

impressions: urban decay naked on the run

hi guys!!! so guess what came in yesterday! just like when the naked 2 basics palette was released, this palette was delivered the day after i ordered it! wow. or maybe not..lol. it shipped from mississippi to louisiana, and that's just next door. anyway, i'm super excited that i got my hands on one of these because the shadows are super prettyful. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

i'll have to do eye photos some other time when i have more time to play with the palette and seeing the different shadow combos, etc.

eyeshadows swatched over milani eye primer

• dive: it's a slightly chunky glitter shadow, which is ok. it's reminiscent of buzz with the formula of dust (both in the naked3 palette).
• fix: this is probably going to be another go-to lid color since this, when applied gently, is pretty close to my lid color.
• resist: this was actually a poor choice for a crease color--for my eye look today; it's gorgeous, but the shimmer blends away to nothing if you use it in the crease.
• dare: i feel kinda like this is a lighter version of faint from the original naked basics palette..but idk... i'm not huge into the darker colors, but i'll try figuring out how to use it eventually.
• stun: this is so pretteh i can't wait to try it. super gorgeous coppery brown >w< !
• 5050: this is so pretteh. it has a pinkish-peachish tone with the pearl-ish shimmer
• 24/7 liner in stag: despite it's appearance, this pencil contains shimmer. while it's a pretty dark brown, it's an ok color, but it could very well have been black...

• sesso: this gloss doesn't really look like much on me, but i think it's a good choice for this palette (as far as the wide range of skintones).
• bronzer: the bronzer's orangey on me, but with a light hand, it's not too bad...
• blush: this is really freakin hot pink for my liking. i had a lot of trouble working with it because it's so pigmented. i barely dabbed my brush in and it was like bam!

sesso gloss

on me:

• estee lauder double wear light in intensity 2.0
• almay clear complexion concealer in light
• rimmel scandalEyes liner in black (upper & lower waterlines)
• naked on the run
• 5050 as brow & cheek highlight
• dive in the inner corners
• fix all over the lid
• resist in the crease
• stag as lower liner
• blush, bronzer, gloss, mascara
• benefit they're real push up liner
• anastasia brow wiz in dark brown
• skindinavia oil-control setting spray

november 2014 ipsy bag

hi guys! it's IPSY BAG* time!! (theme: girl meets glitter) i actually got the bag on thursday, but hadn't had a chance to take photos, since i use sunlight and i haven't been home while the sun's out.... boooo. anyway, without further delay! here's the post. ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. be a bombshell cosmetics eye base in submissive (.09oz--full size, ret. $14) -- this is such a pretty color. in the pot, it's very reminiscent of maybelline's color tattoo in bad to the bronze, but the texture is much thinner and it's not as pigmented.
• likelihood to repurchase: no, because i'd have to order, and maybelline color tattoos are more easily obtainable.
2. elizabeth mott you're so fine liquid liner in glitterati (.1oz--full size, ret. $17.99) -- my biggest complaint is that the bristles are too thick and don't come to a nice point like most bristle brushes in liquid eyeliners. it applies on a little patchy, but idk...
• likelihood to repurchase: no
3. jcat beauty wonder lip paint in red potion (.33oz--full size, ret. $4.99) -- this color is definitely out of my comfort zone, but i still like it. it's a lot different applied than in the tube. i don't have any occ lip tars to compare, but like the lip tars, you only need the tiniest amount and you need a lip brush. i believe lip tars are sticky, this is more like a thicker liquid stain and slightly balmy.
• update: this doesn't actually stain the lips and when i was eating/drinking it wore off into a kinda weird ombre..like the edges of my lips still had some, but the insides were worn off.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
4. marc anthony oil of morocco argan oil volume shine hair spray (1.5oz--mini, ret. $8.29 for 9 oz [$1.63]) -- i'm not huge into using hairsprays..so i'll hang onto this but idk when i'll get around to using it... has a light chemically, hairspray-y scent.
• likelihood to repurchase: no, i don't really use hair spray...
5. temptu s/b highlighter in pink pearl (.1oz--mini, ret. $27.50 for 1oz [$2.75]) -- this is absolutely gorgeous. i'm pretty sad that i don't have an airbrush machine to use this in, but i'm sure it won't be a problem to mix in with foundations/bb creams.
• likelihood to repurchase: undecided, mostly because it's expensive...
6. silver glittery ipsy bag by forever 21 -- this is such a cute and awesome bag. it's actually not literally covered in loose glitter; it actually has plastic coating on it if it is just glitter underneath...? anyway, i luff it.
7. card with company info/discount codes
1. elizabethmott.com: 50% off entire purchase, code: ipsyfine (exp. 1/10/15)
2. jcatbeauty.com: 25% off any purchase, code: 25jcat (exp. 12/31/14)
3. temptu.com: 25% off any purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 12/31/14)
4. searxbeauty.com: free shipping after $50, code: searxipsy (exp. 12/31/14)
5. ulta.com: $5 off $30 ck one color cosmetics purchase, code: 202882 (exp. 12/31/14)
6. clarisea.com: 25% off any purchase, code: glow (exp. 12/31/14)
7. demeterfragrance.com: 20% off any purchase, code; ipsy (exp. 12/31/14)
8. elizabetharden.com: 15% off + untold sample with any $50 purchase + free shipping, code: ipsy (exp. 12/31/14)
9. glamglowmud.com: 30% off any purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 12/31/14?)
10. itcosmetics.com: 20% off $25+, code: ipsy (exp. 12/31/14)
11. hottopic.com: 25% off la colors, code: ipsy (exp. 11/30/14)
12. rougeunderground.com: $10 off $50, code: ruipsy (exp. 2/10/15)
13. starlooks.com: 20% off order, code: ipsy (exp. 12/31/14)
14. tarte.com: 20% off, code: ipsynov (11/11/14 - 12/10/14)

approximate product value: ~$41.36

right: elizabeth mott vs. wet n wild

submissive, glitterati, pink pearl, red potion

red potion

*Affiliate Link.

haul: sephora vib sale

2023 Lindsay here, updating this post to trigger a re-"review" because of some unclear content violation on a post that is ~8.5 years old! 

• as far as i can tell, all of the photos included appear to be broken from the viewer side because the links are sooooo old! but, i am able to view the photos in edit mode. in hopes that the photos are the issue, i've deleted two photos below which i still don't feel are problematic, but whatever. the first of the photos deleted contained a screenshot of several sephora orders/purchases i had made in a week's timeframe, all with order numbers or store numbers blacked out. the second photo is of a bracelet with a coupon code (for the brand who made it) which has a clear expiration date for said code, which again was from 8+ years ago and surely is no longer valid.
• if this post was flagged because of an age thing, as there are photos of my face on nearly every post i've made here... i'm in my 30s now. when this was post was made, i was working on my second college degree and as noted in the original post--was preparing to start my career. i have clearly been of age since before this blog on blogger was even started (which by the way was circa 2013, with back-dated migrated posts from a prior blog/host), and not only that-- google should know i am of age as they are my host. 💸
• small grammar or punctuation edits, and adding one word here or there for "more context" 🙄 has been added in a small handful places, but i don't feel that those were an issue either.

this post, prior to my edits, literally included a small blurb about my day, photos of products i had purchased, product swatches, and photos of my face, with captioning of what those specific items purchased/used were. if these changes are not good enough--apparently me, my two college degrees, and 8 year career in corporate america (in the eCommerce development consulting area no less!) are failing. 🤷 in the event that this post is accessible again with no restrictions by the standards that be, that means my 'appeal' has been won, though i'm still irritated there was an issue to begin with.

to anyone in the current times, i do plan to come back to this blog at some point (i'm still paying for the domain!), but i'm not in the right headspace for it. 😵 more on that whenever it is that i am in the right headspace to talk about things! later. ~Lindsay

hi guys! i decided to do a separate haul post for things i got from the vib sale! some of the photos are disorganized because i went to the store multiple times and made online orders. ~Lin-chan ^.~

[deleted photo 1]

...i wasn't joking. (one of those on the 7th was T, with my gift coupon.)

it was pretty hilarious when we went to the vib rouge soiree party thingy. teh paul wanted to go to the grocery and i was like, uhh, i'm going to the mall. you can come with me but i'm going to the mall regardless. so we go there and sign in and all, and he's like man, i didn't realize that this 20% off thing was such a big deal. we both get our name tags, vib rouge lindsay & future vib rouge paul. LOL. in the whole time we wandered around the store, he never asked what rouge meant. he already knew that i got vib each year. but i was surprised. or maybe he's figured it out. i'm not sure. hahaha. or maybe he's not making a fuss because we will be fine financially once i start my job this summer..? anyway, he didn't complain that he wanted to leave or anything, and same with ulta, he liked all the philosophy christmas scents. it was very unusual, but it was nice that he wasn't trying to get me out of the stores..this time. hahaha.

[deleted photo 2]

freebies: tote bag (btw, i have 5 of these now.........) & shashi bracelet (above), bag of samples (shown below)

sephora collection natural citrus brush cleaner, vip pass eyeshadow palette (see comparison to event entry palette, which was from last year)

tarte makin waves summer essentials kit: park ave princess bronzer, amazonian clay blush in exposed, lipsurgence in exposed, lights camera splashes mascara, airbrush finish bamboo foundation brush, bag

exposed lipsurgence and blush; park ave princess bronzer

lipsurgence in exposed

nars virtual domination cheek palette

top: miss liberty & deep throat; bottom: sex fantasy & final cut; right: laguna

• 500 points: urban decay urban obsessions set
• to anyone else who redeems for this set, the primer potion sample is in a flap on the box
• bite beauty lipstick duo in fig/date

zero; skimp, bust, guilt, oil slick -- swatched over ud original primer potion

all my bite lipsticks, for comparison: fig, date, pepper, lychee, musk, vib for sephora

fig

date

• sephora collection multitasker mini complexion brush 45.5 (i actually bought 2 because i really liked the first one...)
• estee lauder double wear light foundation in intensity 2.0

sephora vip pass palette vs. event entry palette

hi guys! i'm sure there's people out there who are/were curious like i was about a new, inexpensive sephora collection palette, vip pass, for $10. there are also people who bought the event entry palette last year for $10 (or $5 on clearance), like me. so i decided to buy the vip pass palette, even though it looked very similar to the event entry palette.. and well, as you can see for yourself, it's essentially the same palette. so if you missed out last year: yay you have another chance to get one! if you got the event entry palette, i'd just pass on this one. i'm probably going to give this to a friend since i don't need both of these, and the quality's pretty good, so i don't really want to return it. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

both palettes swatched dry, without primer

first impressions: ulta nude eyeshadow palette

hi guys! so nouveaucheap recently mentioned that ulta has a new eyeshadow palette, and it's been quite troublesome to purchase.... i attempted to buy it last saturday when it was at the advertised $3.99 price and it wasn't ringing up correctly, so i just didn't buy it. then today, i was trying to do the buy two get two free deal, and it was still not pulling up correctly on the register... thankfully the manager was nice and believed me when i showed her the ad on my phone. but it is pretty annoying that their system's not up to date on their sales........ (ps. this sale works online with no problems, i just didn't want to wait for shipping.)

anyway. no one really has swatches of this palette online yet, so i decided to go ahead. i did not use primer for these swatches.

overall thoughts: some shades are patchy or light, and others are very buttery soft/smooth and it's easy to pick up too much product --> fall out.... overall, the shades are very pretty and i can't wait to start using it! i definitely recommend waiting for it to be on sale or use coupons, because $12 is ok, but a little high for what you get. ~Lin-chan ^.~

swatched dry


swatched over ud original primer potion. sorry about the 9th swatch, i caught a lil bit of the 8th one in there.......

notd: nicole by opi pretty in plum (selena gomez)

hi guys! today we've got a selena gomez collection polish from nicole by opi in pretty in plum. i bought this polish waayyyy back and realized that i never ever swatched it on the nails... so here's the photo. this is probably still available online, definitely not in stores. ~Lin-chan ^.~

1 coat cnd stickey basecoat, 2 coats pretty in plum, 2 coats prolinc diamond dry topcoat.