march 2015 favorites & regrets

doin' good so far, here's my march faves & regrets, it's a short one! ~Lin-chan ^.~

favorites:

colourpop lumiere

swatches: mufe I514, M548, D562; mug magic act, in the spotlight, grandstand, mesmerized (all swatched over nyx shadow base in skin tone)

1. colourpop cosmetics lippy stix in lumiere -- this is such a gorg color, i luff it. well, more like it's pretty close to my natural lip color..but it's only $5! next time i order, i'm going to get the lumiere lip liner.
2. mufe artist shadows in I514, D562, M548 -- this is such a great combo. i was looking around for swatches online and someone threw this trio together, and i was intrigued. and i really enjoy using these three together.
3. makeup geek shadows in magic act, in the spotlight, grandstand, mesmerized -- if you can't tell, these are all the neutrals from the foiled collection..and they're super pretteh.

random favorites:

1. our colorado trip (see post)
2. savory spiced shop spiced vanilla bean sugar -- if you have one of these around, try this stuff out. it's sooo yum.

mehs:

1. glamglow masks: i really don't fully understand the hype around these things. individual reviews of these items are in my empties post.

regrets:

1. fing'rs prints press on nails in on the dot -- i made a review post about these. basically these things do not live up to the one week claim. more like they last less than 48 hours.

notd: oldies but goodies!

hi guys! i got bored and stir crazy..haven't left the apartment since friday..... so i decided to finally paint my nails again. i was having trouble deciding and i haven't been super interested in doing any notd redoux's --- i will get back to that plan sometime soon, i promise. anyway, i picked out opi my private jet (3 coats) and a england st. george (2 coats).  also used: formula x for sephora the system. ~Lin-chan ^.~

daylight lamp

sun - outdoors

march 2015 empties

it's empties time! i finished off a lot of stuff this month! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. rimmel london stay matte powder in translucent
2. maybelline fit me matte+poreless foundation
3. japonesque brush cleansing balm
4. simple cleansing wipes x2
5. tone body wash in soothing
6. acure organics argan oil cleansing cloths -- as mentioned in my february favorites & regrets post, i did not like these at all. yes they removed makeup, yes they burned my eyes, yes they tore incredibly easily--just from trying to open them up after removing one from the package.
   repurchase? absolutely not
7. olay shea moisture body wash -- as mentioned in my february favorites & regrets post, i don't like the scent of this one that much (ahem, granny), but it feels nice.
   repurchase? not this scent
8. bite bb for lips mini in flush -- i got this in the sephora beauty closet set. this was such a cute itty bitty baby sample. the color was a sheer coral-red. it felt great, nice and balmy. sad to see it go, but it was a nice size to try it out.
   repurchase? maybe
9. equate compare to simple wipes -- as i mentioned in a prior favorites and regrets post, these were no bueno. they smelled weird and burned my eyes.
   repurchase? no
10. body shop cream scrub in peach -- this scrub, while it smelled nice, had the same issues as the blueberry one. i wanted to try this one because it's a cream scrub and that was a gelee or whatever. bottom line is that i want the abrasive feel, and between the two scrubs, i didn't have it.
    repurchase? no
11. neutrogena triple moisture hair mask -- this is a great mask. it's inexpensive and makes my hair feel great. it's a step above my beloved pantene beautiful lengths hair mask, but not quite at the same level as the macadamia natural oil hair masque..
    repurchase? maybe
12. tarte lights camera lashes mascara mini -- this a very good natural looking mascara. it's very separating and gives a little length. it's not volumizing.
    repurchase? nah
13. calvin klein (ck one) mascara -- this was my birthday gift from ulta last year, and this is a good mascara. i preferred the wand scrunched rather than straightened out to give more thickness. and if it got too clumpy or thick, i'd straighten the wand and it worked great at separating the clumps.
    repurchase? nah
14. be a bombshell cosmetics blush in sweet cheeks -- i got this in my april 2013 ipsy bag, and used it nearly everyday since. i think i liked it!
    repurchase? already did
15. kat von d tattoo liquid liner in trooper mini -- this is such a good liner. between the three brush tip pen liners i've tried (jesse's girl & lorac), this one has the best control and pigmentation. it also dries fast enough for me and my hooded eyes, i have to be more careful with the other two.
    repurchase? very likely
16. bbw shower gel mini in wild madagascar vanilla -- this one smelled really good. it was definitely different from warm vanilla sugar, but i haven't had it in a while so i can't pinpoint how exactly.
    repurchase? maybe
17. glamglow mask samples
1. supermud clearing treatment -- this was a pretty interesting mask. i liked how it didn't have very many seaweed or twig-like particles in it (unlike the black one) and that it was the perfect amount for one mask. this mask dries to a green-gray color and it feels very tight if you move a muscle. my face felt great after using it, but i'm not really sure about the hype...
   repurchase? nah
2. youthmud tinglexfoliate treatment -- this was a poorly designed sample. this tube lasted two masks, but it was irritating to dispense because the mass amounts of seaweed and twig-like particles, the opening would get clogged on the inside. >.> additionally, said particles did not like adhering to the face very well and made it somewhat difficult to spread the product. this one also dried to a green-gray, minus the particles which stayed darker in color. i don't feel like the exfoliating aspect of this treatment was all that great. basically you're supposed to massage it off with wet hands or a cloth, but if you did that, the whole mask came off. so instead, i lightly dampened my hands and was able to kind of exfoliate it. but not really because the only exfoliating particles in it were the leafy and twiggy pieces.
   repurchase? absolutely not
3. powermud dualcleanse treatment -- i really enjoyed using this mask. the stupid thing though, this is exactly the same color and texture as queen helene's mint julep face scrub. the only difference is that since this is a mask, you leave it on longer....... it emulsifies to an oil-like consistency if you dampen it, but if you get it too wet, it will wear off completely. anyway, i really liked using this stuff, but it's super expensive to replace.
   repurchase? maybe
4. brightmud eye treatment -- whoever came up with the "serving size" for these things must be on crack. one of these pods is enough for two uses for both of my eyes. aka, 2 pods = 4 uses; but it's intended for one pod per eye per day. on my first attempt at using this, i used up an entire pod, with half on each eyelid and under eye. a really big problem though is that i don't advise using this on both eyes at the same time (the directions aren't very thorough), like do one eye and wipe it off, then the other. because you're technically supposed to keep your eyes closed for 3 whole minutes. i'm too impatient for that, so i did both eyes at once and obviously, blinked many times while applying it. needless to say, i think i got some in my eye, unless that burn was my skin on fire from this new substance. this stuff also has leafy and twiggy particles in it for some reason. i don't really get the point of it.
   repurchase? absolutely not

[not pictured]

1. biore deep pore charcoal cleanser -- teh paul and i were both using this and it's ok. he didn't think it was super great because he'd be oily again within a few hours of using it. i didn't really notice anything wrong, but i usually put mattifying makeup on afterward each time.
   repurchase? nah
2. mystic divine nourishing oil treatment -- my hairstylist lady gave this to me for my birthday a long while back and i've been using it at the in-laws, and i've finally finished it. i really like this oil and the scent is so nice!
   repurchase? already have

march hauls

 

it's the end of the month, and that means it's march hauls time! woohoo! as mentioned in my birthday post, i bought a few other things with the money and gift cards i received. i gots a lotta goodies and pretties! ~Lin-chan ^.~

body shop: they were having a crazy ridiculous deal, buy three get three free, free shipping, and a free hand cream when you spend $50. uhh, hello. yes. i got a few olive scented products and some tea tree oil products.

z palette: used my birthday coupon on 2 xl palettes

bath and body works: travel shower gel in wild madagascar vanilla (freebie with a coupon!)
beautylish: bioderma micellar water duo, parian spirit set

sam's club: 3pk simple cleansing wipes
sally's: acetone, mystic divine nourishing oil treatment
ulta: essence silky touch blush in adorable, body shop shower gels in peach and grapefruit, ulta birthday eyeshadow palette in indie

indie palette (swatched over elf essential eye primer), adorable

nyx cosmetics: prismatic eyeshadows in bedroom eyes, golden peach, liquid gold; powder blushes in mocha and rose garden, high voltage lipstick in tiara, and wicked lippy in power. somehow their lip pencil in earth tone ended up in my box (freebie?)..but it looks really brown for me, so i'll probably pass it off.

golden peach, liquid gold, bedroom eyes (all swatched dry); rose garden, mocha

power -- totally would have rocked this in middle or high school

tiara -- this shade photographs really nicely, but in real life it's a lot pinker on me, closer to my arm swatch

sephora: bite beauty march 2015 limited lab release lipstick (chilly pepper), sephora collection solid brush cleaner, mufe artist shadows in ME612, S556, I628 (three of the four in the 50 shades give into me set, the fourth is I514--which i already bought), koh gen do pure cotton (to try it out), redeemed points for marc jacobs beauty highliner gel eye crayon in blacquer

ME612, S556, I628 (swatched dry); blacquer

bite march lipstick - chilly pepper: full color, this is sooo me, lemme tell ya.. i think i prefer it sheered out.

makeup geek: soft dome brush, pointed crease brush, shadow pans in: pretentious, barcelona beach, beaches and cream

beaches and cream, barcelona beach, pretentious (all swatched dry)

bbb: (press on nails) broadway impress in shimmer, fing'rs prints in on the dot

1. i've been reluctant to try the fing'rs ones because when you buy them, they only have the small nails on top, which makes it seem like it's for kids. but the larger nails (thumbs, etc) are on a sheet below. also, since this set has the little heart charms, it comes with additional adhesive strips for them. these nails have the adhesive already applied to them, without a backing, and you just press them on and go. see my impressions/review here.
2. unfortunately, i bought this set of broadway impress nails like two days before i heard about the recent controversy -- stealing blogger nail art designs without consent and selling them in press-on form. fortunately, a nude glitter is not owned by anyone... 

ulta: simple skincare cleansing wipes 2 pack, ulta illuminating powder in pink diamond, eyeshadow in sandstone, cotton rounds, freebie ulta bag-o goodies, and dr. teal's foaming bath in eucalyptus spearmint

• i was actually trying to buy a hairdryer and i threw in all this stuff to get to $50 and free shipping...but that was a fail and it was out of stock. at the very least, they charged me just for these items and still gave me free shipping. but sadface that their site doesn't always reflect unavailable products.

sandstone (swatched dry), pink diamond

mac cosmetics: bao bao wan jewels veluxe pearlfusion shadow palette

[swatched over elf essential eye primer]

ulta: lorac pro to go palette & freebie mini porefection face primer, philosophy microdelivery exfoliating wash, freeman beauty sweet tea and lemon peel away clay mask, nyx hd blushes in intuition and hamptons
cvs: almay clear complexion concealer (unpackaged), loreal infallible eye crayon in always aqua

always aqua, hamptons, intuition

pro to go: pearl, chai, mink, shell, cafe, black

pro to go: coral, pink, bronze

notd: urban decay zodiac

hi! i finally got a chance to paint the nails. today we're featuring an oldie but goodie. we went to nordstrom rack last weekend when we were in colorado and i picked this up for $2.90! ish reallah pretteh. ~Lin-chan ^.~
also used: cnd stickey base coat, prolinc diamond dry top coat, 2 coats zodiac

march 2015 ipsy bag

hi guys! it's march IPSY BAG* time!! (theme: floral fantasy) it only took usps for. freaking. ever. to deliver this. for some reason they thought that louisiana and north carolina were the same place. uhh. no. anyway, it's ok because i got it in the mail today and there won't be a further delay in my making this post....and no i didn't really mean to rhyme there, it just came out like that... >.< ... ~Lin-chan ^.~

anyway! here's my impressions:

1. nyx butter lipstick in hunk (.16oz--full size, ret. $6) -- relative to pops, which i already have and enjoy, this one definitely shows any dry patches i may have (as shown in photo; this is probably because pops is pretty close to my natural lip color, and this isn't). otherwise, this is a really nice color. it's kinda sad that it was melty and stuff when we got it from the mailbox....like buttuh!
• likelihood to repurchase: nah
2. pur-lisse pur-delicate gentle soymilk cleanser & makeup remover (1oz--mini, ret. $36 for 5.6oz [$6.43]) -- for a facial wash of sorts, this smells like a light sunscreen scent to me. idk. i'll try it out and report back, but i'm not sure about this one.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
3. boo-boo cover-up concealer in medium (.13oz--mini, ret. $20 for .34oz [$7.65]) -- i'm going to have to pass this off to T, this is way too dark and slightly orange for me. coverage and consistency wise, this seems pretty full-cover and a happy gelly-medium between thick and liquid.
• likelihood to repurchase: nah
4. dr. brand pores no more anti-aging mattifying lotion (.26oz--mini, ret. $60 for 1.7oz [$9.18]) -- not too happy about this one, considering i'm not a huge fan of their regular one...and i said so on my profile. so wtf. ...anyway, the scent is very strange, it's like an aromatherapy scent. it goes on very wet feeling and then dries down to a kind of but not really matte. i don't really see a difference on my hand.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
5. vintage by jessica liebeskind illuminating face highlighter (.07oz--mini, ret. $26 for ??oz) -- this is so pretteh. omg. the texture is reminiscent of lorac shadows, nice and buttery. and i think i'd prefer this as an inner corner highlight than a face highlight because it's slightly too pink for me, but i'll try and make it work.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
6. floral ipsy bag -- ish really pretteh and water-color-y and blue! the backside is a slightly darker, solid blue.
7. card with company info/discount codes
1. nyxcosmetics.com: 25% off butter lipsticks, code: nyxbutter (exp. 4/30/15)
2. purlisse.com: 30% off purchase + free samples, code: ipsymarch30 (exp. 4/30/15)
3. vintagecosmetics.com: 20% off blush & brighten face palette, code: loveipsy (exp. 4/30/15)
4. coolwayhair.com: 35% off purchase + free knotty girl brush, code: ipsy15 (exp. 4/30/15)
5. sexyhair.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 4/30/15) OR text ipsy to 33233 "for an even better code"
6. crownbrush.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipcrown30 (exp. 4/30/15)
7. equitance-us.com: 20% off full size brightening serum & spot corrector, code: ipsy (exp. 5/31/15)
8. pixibeauty.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsymar15 (exp. 4/30/15)
9. chella.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 4/30/15)
10. lashem.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 4/30/15)
11. milanicosmetics.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 4/30/15)
12. gilchristsoames.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy25gs (exp. 5/31/15)
13. leeanni.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy15 (exp. 4/30/15)
14. acureorganics.com: 20% off purchase + free shipping, code: ipsyapril20 (exp. 4/30/15)
15. evelyniona.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 4/30/15)
16. marskcosmetics.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 4/30/15)

approximate product value: ~$29.26 + hightligher

hunk -- sorreh, i'm sick and i'm still lookin and feelin like hell.

concealer, hunk, crystal pink

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