december empties & makeup graveyard

hi guys! it's december empties time! and i did a closet clean-out (as mentioned here), so we've got a few makeup items that i've decided to toss. ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. tony moly red wine sheet mask
2. anastasia beverly hills brow wiz in dark brown
3. simple cleansing wipes
4. rimmel london scandalEyes kohl kajal liner in black
5. kiss gel fantasy nails in faux real
6. rimmel stay matte powder in translucent
7. sonia kashuk eye makeup remover
8. tree hut passion fruit & guava sugar scrub -- i really enjoyed this scent. the only issue i had was that it was not the same consistency as their other scrubs i've tried, this one seemed more melted...? does that make sense. it was kind of liquidy.
   repurchase? maybe
9. tree hut sugar scrub in pomegranate acai -- i really enjoyed the scent of this one. this one also had a little bit of a consistency issue, but not quite to the extent that the passion fruit & guava one had.
   repurchase? maybe
10. bbw endless weekend body wash -- this was a really nice scent--fruity and something else.... i picked this up with a coupon last month and i enjoyed using it!
    repurchase? maybe
11. hada labo ultimate anti-aging facial mask -- this mask was ok. again, i'm not really into the sheet mask thing to really know or feel what is "right", but this one was good. toward the end of the 15-20 minutes, my face felt irritated (burning sensation), but i do think that it helped with the moisturization aspect.
    repurchase? no
12. schick hydro silk razor handle -- ever since i got this razor like 3 years ago? i've been hooked. i'm super sad that it somehow over time cracked and broke..and that the only choice was a purple one when i went to get a new one........but it's lived a pretty decent lifespan, so it's ok.
    repurchase? yes
13. bio republic aloe rescue sheet mask -- this one was weird. like it felt nice but i broke out pretty badly a day or two later, and my skin has been relatively contained lately. also, i don't like the scent of this one. my aloe vera does not smell like this. this is floraly bleh-ness.
    repurchase? no
14. soap and glory the scrub of your life -- this was a nice, gentle scrub, but i felt like i had to use more because of that, so it didn't last quite as long as i would have liked. love the original pink scent ..or whatever it's called... but this isn't the scrub for me.
    repurchase? no
15. tone radiant glow body wash -- this one was nice while it lasted and the scent was pretty good. the only issue i had with this too, was consistency. it's a lot runnier than the other variations of this brand that i've tried.
    repurchase? nah
16. marc anthony coconut oil and shea butter deep conditioning treatment -- this was kinda meh. i didn't feel like it was that great as a deep conditioner and the scent was alright.
    repurchase? nah

[not pictured]

1. jergens bb body cream for light skintones
2. aveeno positively smooth shave gel
3. simple smoothing facial scrub -- i'm not sure if it's the rice (the granules), but this has a really weird scent. it's tolerable, but super strange. otherwise, it felt like a nice scrub.
   repurchase? no

makeup graveyard -- these are just getting old and smell weird.

1. wet n wild coverall foundation in fair-light -- this was a pretty decent foundation for what it's worth. the only issue is color matching is kind of difficult.
   repurchase? nah
2. covergirl trublend foundation in 425 -- never got around to actually using this.
   repurchase? nah
3. covergirl outlast stay fabulous 3-in-1 foundation in 825 -- for a good while, this was my favorite foundation. my alternative to stila's one step (before the current formula). but since i've found the maybelline stay matte, i tried, didn't like it, and haven't gone back.
   repurchase? nah
4. hard candy sheer envy skin perfecting primer -- this was a fairly decent primer, but i think i held onto it for too long and the consistency is weird.
   repurchase? nah
5. [not pictured] glamrx palette -- i got this a few years ago now, and hardly used it. nowadays, i only keep it around for the teeny empty palette in the bottom--for storing bobby pins. i think eventually, i'll get some teeny tiny z palettes (mini's) and actually toss this guy.

notw/review: kiss gel fantasy in faux real

hi guys! so this was what i did to my nails for christmas.... and in short, these were freaking awesome and i highly recommend them. i put them on last wednesday evening and peeled them off today (btw, i don't recommend doing that...), and they probably could have lasted me another two days before beginning to pop off. but i haven't figured out what i'm doing to them for new year's and i wanted to give my nails a break. anyway, hope you enjoy the review! ~Lin-chan ^.~

as mentioned many a time before, i am ridiculously hard on my nails. and christmas was a pretty good test for these. i was wrapping presents, opening presents and postal packages, gave back scratches, opened canned drinks....and they stayed freaking put. i did try to be careful when i opened the canned drink..because that was today, lol. but otherwise, these held up amazingly.

sizing: this was kind of nice and annoying at the same time. there were numbers on the undersides of each nail that corresponded with the adhesive strips that were in the package, which was nice. the only problem is that there's only 2 of each size in the package. so apparently it sucks to be you if you have 3 of the same sized finger nails. 

application: there's adhesive strips in the package (which i did not use), as well as a clear-pink form of super glue. and i mean like literal super glue that if it sticks to your skin, it ain't comin off til tomorrow with some scrubbing. with that said, you need to work rather quickly when applying these. the directions say to apply glue to both the fake nail and your natural nail. then put the nail on and hold it in place for 5 seconds. now, i probably put too much glue...and it oozed out onto my skin, along the cuticle and underside of my natural nail. if you're quick, you can used the included cuticle stick and wipe away the excess onto a piece of paper. so that's what i did. you definitely should do one nail at a time because it's super glue..it dries really fast, and do your thumbs last, to make life easier.

note: the amount of glue you apply apparently does matter. friday morning, one of the nails popped off. just to test it, i just glued it back on, and didn't remove the glue from my nail or the fake. and it stayed just as well as the rest after that. that being said, it was the hardest one to remove today, lol.

removal: now, i'm not really for soaking my nails or the foil method. i have no patience for all that. and i like to pick at things..so lo and behold i peeled them all off. i started with the ones that were separating from my nails the most to those that were the least. then it eventually got to the point that i wedged a pair of tweezers in between and pried it off. again, i seriously do not advise doing this...i just like picking at things...because it's not good for your nails and it will peel off a layer or two of your natural nail. afterward, i used some acetone to remove any remaining traces of glue, and applied two coats of opi original nail envy.

overall, i was really impressed by these nails. hehe see what i did there... kiss makes the impress press on nails i like.. anyway, these felt a lot stronger and lasted a bit longer than those did and i'm definitely considering repurchasing. 

december hauls

hi guys! so we got all of the black friday month items in the mail now! w00t! ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

let's start with the sale stuffs!
muse beauty pro -- viseart palettes: paris nudes, sultry muse; esum brushes G9, G27, G29

paris nudes

sultry muse

sephora: ciate precious metal eyeshadow in ocean drive; cyber monday mystery bag

ocean drive (swatched over included primer)

benefit loli tint

milani: bella eyeshadows in dolci, bella rouge, bella cappucino, supreme kohl kajal eyeliner, liquid eye liquid-like liner pencil in black

dolci, bella cappuchino, bella rouge (swatched over primer), kohl liner, liquid-like liner

onto everything else i got this month!
sephora: bite limited lab release lipstick for december (sugar plum), mix and mingle lipstick in latte/cortado, fresh sugar shine lip treatment in rosѐ, lashfood conditioning drama mascara

sugar plum, cortado, latte, rosѐ

sugar plum

latte

cortado

rosѐ

colourpop: creme gel liner in swerve (black), super shock shadow in puppy love, and ultra matte lip set in foxy. unfortunately, the lip set they sent me has two of the shade i least wanted (creeper) and none of one of the ones i really really wanted (tulle). so i am patiently awaiting their email response to fix this.
update: they're sending me a replacement mini of tulle. i will swatch these at a later time in a separate post and link it here.

lush: intergalactic bath bomb
baublebar: rose gold linear ear crawlers
amazon: lorac porefection primer, covergirl nail polish in perfect penny
target: simple micellar wipes, kiss gel fantasy nails in faux real

what i got for christmas

hi guys! i hope you all had a great holiday! and now onto the highlights of what i gots! ~Lin-chan ^.~

on point, day trip, impress me

tartlette in bloom palette, row by row (swatched dry)

1. treat jumbo lip balm in marshmallow cream
2. tarte tartelette 2 in bloom palette
3. love of color shadow stick rise & shine trio (on point, day trip, impress me)
4. bs-mall brush set -- i wanted these to try out, in comparison to sigma brushes. i mean, 3500 4+star reviews..these have to be amazing.
5. lamora flat top kabuki brush -- i wanted to try this out for the same reason as the brush set. this has a 4.8 star review from 1500 people. and considering i've already gone through a beauty junkees brush in like 4 months...and slowly losing hairs in my first sigma P80...i need inexpensive alternatives with high reviews to try.
6. american eagle set with aeo vintage perfume, pink gloss, and pink/black/silver glitter nail polish
7. sparkly white socks
8. soap with a crown on it
9. french soap?? liquid marseille soap in lime blossom

1. baublebar princess gem y-chain in howlite/silver and abalone; silver mini bar studs
2. pandora-esque bracelet with voodoo doll charm
3. graduation ornament
4. usb power outlets
5. ebags packing cubes
6. very merry christmas y'all tea towel
7. hangers (there's a ton more, only pulled out these two..)
8. collapsible bag with hearts on it

1. jacket and polos from my work's logo store
2. black sweater dress with white sleeves and bejeweled shoulders
1. not pictured: i also got another sweater dress in navy, but it needs to be exchanged for a different size.
3. navy circle skirt
4. starcraft 2: legacy of the void
5. slidebelts black leather ratchet belt with silver square buckle
6. fleece-lined leggings
7. popcorn bistro popcorn

s'well stainless steel bottle in sparkling champagne -- this is such a pretty bottle! and it's small and cute! my friend said these bottles are trendy among yoga people (in her class?) nowadays

december 2015 popsugar must have box

 

hi guys! i got another email for $15 off december's popsugar must have box*. after checking out what was included this time. and i decided to go ahead and "gift" myself another non-reoccurring subscription box for $25. >w< ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. swing design nova blue mist jewelry box ($36) -- i'm excited about this box, considering i have a jewelry box set that is already this color! and it's a nice-sized box to keep everything in. i don't totally like the lack of dividers, but i can keep this one at home and travel with my other box.
• swingdesign.com
2. luvaj rose gold ombre bracelet ($65) -- this is a pretty chunky bracelet! but, even though it looks kind of huge on me, i still like it and it's actually not a terrible size for most people.
• luvaj.com
3. lunares nima oberoi geo stopper ($24) -- this is a really nice stopper. only issue is that i'm not totally sure what i'm going to do with it. we've got so many and we're not really into the fancier looking ones (any that don't snap on and off).
• lunareshome.com
4. my cup of cake classic belgian chocolate ($6) -- teh paul is intrigued, so i'll have to get back to you on what he thinks.
1. update: teh paul said it was only ok. and from what i could tell, it made a huge mess of the mug he made it in. thankfully he put something under it in the microwave, or that would have been fun to clean...... so is it worth it? probably not, but it's a cute gift idea.
• asprinkleandadash.com -- coupon: 25% off, code: fun (exp. 2/29/16)
5. stowaway cosmetics creme lipstick trio (cranberry, raspberry, muted plum) ($30) -- these aren't too bad. the only issue is that while swatching, they kept getting onto my teeth.. otherwise, the formula and colors are very nice.
• stowawaycosmetics.com/popsugar -- coupon: 3 additional lipsticks free with purchase of your first stowaway kit (exp. 2/15/16)
6. meri meri silver stars on white glitter tape ($4) -- i've never had or used washi tape before, so this is kind of cool to try!
• shopmerimeri.com
7. tinyprints 24 gift tag stickers & $20 promo coupon ($9+$20) -- these stickers are really cute! the only problem is that i wish i got them sooner to use sooner (for christmas). but oh well. i can always use them later!
• tinyprints.com

approximate product value: ~$165+

muted plum, raspberry, cranberry

muted plum

raspberry

cranberry

*Affiliate Link.

winter 2015 walmart beauty box

hi guys! i got the winter walmart beauty box a few days ago and hadn't had the chance to post about it yet! if you'd like to subscribe, you can sign up here.
~Lin-chan ^.~

1. goody slide proof soft touch silicone elastics (8 bands, ret. $???) -- these are very interesting. there's little spikey thingies sticking out of one side of the band....
   repurchase? probably not
2. pantene extra strong hold hairspray #4 (1oz--mini, ret. $5.47 for 17oz [$0.32]) -- this actually has kind of a fruity scent to it, not really so much your typical hair spray scent. i'm interested.
    repurchase? maybe
3. pure silk raspberry mist shaving cream (2.25oz--mini, ret. $6.97 for 8oz [$1.96]) -- i've never tried this kind before, so that'll be interesting. i'll have to get back to you on the scent and all, i'd like to save this for traveling and not use it yet.
   repurchase? maybe
4. neutrogena healthy skin boosters facial cleanser (.5oz--mini, ret. $7.47 for 9oz [$0.60]) -- this is oddly familiar...so much so that WE GOT THIS ALREADY. if i recall though, i think this product was only ok.
   repurchase? maybe 
5. dial 7 day moisturizing lotion (.5oz--mini, ret. $3.50 for 21oz [$0.08]) -- this is a ridiculously thin lotion, but it smells pretty good, nice and fruity
   repurchase? nah
6. ken paves you are beautiful volumizing shampoo and conditioner (sample, ret. $12.98 for 8.5oz (shampoo) & $14.98 for 8.5oz (conditioner)) -- this says it's for fine hair, but i'll give it a try anyway.
   repurchase? probably not
7. nspa exotically creamy coconut rich body butter (1.7oz--mini, ret. $5.48 for 6.76oz [$1.38]) -- this has a pretty natural coconut scent (not artificial). it feels really nice..and creamy......?
   repurchase? maybe
8. centrum vitamints (2 tablets--sample, ret. $11.69 for 120 count) -- i've actually tried these already, we got them from a sam's club freeosk thingy. they're pretty good but also extremely weird. it's minty but texturally feels like you're chewing baking soda tablets. very strange.
   repurchase? nah
9. olay regenerist luminous tone perfecting cream moisturizer (sample, ret. $22.74 for 1.7oz) -- i'll have to get back to you on this one
   repurchase? probably not
10. coupons for jennifer aniston fragrance, centrum, olay
11. useless advertisement for covergirl x starwars products

approximate product value: ~$4.34+