may 2015 empties

it's empties time!!  ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. simple cleansing wipes
2. clinique clarifying lotion 3
3. too faced primed & poreless
4. pantene beautiful lengths hair mask
5. maybelline fit me matte + poreless foundation in 125
6. burt's bees herbal blemish stick
7. clinique clinical clearing gel -- this isn't exactly an empty...like i squeezed this into my larger bottle... but as i said before, i really liked their old spot healing gel way more than this. i feel like this is not as effective.
   repurchase? nah
8. clinique lash power mascara -- this was a really nice mascara. it gave a slightly thicker, feathery kind of look. it didn't make my lashes crunchy and removed easily.
   repurchase? maybe
9. bath and body works body wash in violet lily -- again, bbw body washes are relatively more expensive. this scent is is a very nice, light floral, clean-water type of scent if that makes any sense. i really enjoyed it.
   repurchase? nah
10. sheamoisture superfruit shampoo -- this shampoo smelled great, but i felt like i had to use a lot more of it to get it to lather. my hair would always feel clean and wouldn't get greasy with this, so it gets the stamp of approval, but i don't think i'll buy more.
    repurchase? nah
11. clairol hair food thickening hair treatment -- this bottle lasted me about 2 months, using 15 sprays per day (as per the directions). it smells kinda weird if you smell it straight, but since it's going directly on your scalp, you're not going to notice the smell. and once it dries, it doesn't smell or transfer scent to my hands. i didn't really need a product like this, it just so happened to be what was in my winter target box, and i used it to use it.
    repurchase? no
12. koh gen do pure cotton -- as mentioned in my april favorites, these are only ok. i prefer sephora collection cotton rounds.
    repurchase? no
13. simple cleansing micellar water -- this works fairly well. i think i prefer the bioderma sensibio (red, i haven't opened the sebium one yet) over this product. it does remove makeup--but not that well, and overall, i feel like sensibio works better. for a more in-depth review, i agree--for the most part--with what emilynoel says in her review video
    repurchase? nah
14. neutrogena healthy skin boosters facial cleanser in white tea & vitamin e -- this was an ok face wash. i liked it more than their deep clean face wash. the scent was pleasant and not overwhelming.
    repurchase? no

[not pictured]

1. bliss fabulous foaming face wash
2. olay ultra moisture body wash
3. salmon furikake -- yes, i had to include this here. because it was in my april favorites post! =P (i also finished the bonito one! woot!)
   repurchase? YUSHHHH

may hauls, pt. 2

hi guys! it's a little late because of the memorial day holiday (with usps being closed..), but i've got part 2 for ya today. i wanted to get part 1 up while bubz's i'm a unicorn tank was on sale again but the rest hadn't arrived by that post. so here ya go. ~Lin-chan ^.~

sephora: formula x infinite ombre set--post with swatches to follow, freebie with code: fresh sugar lip balm mini

boundless berry, platinum prime, timeless teal, infinite indigo, limitless lemon

sephora: makeup forever artist shadows in S560, I648, ME302

S560, I648, ME302

urbandecay.com: they were having 2 for $20 eye liner pencils and my mini of underground is becoming a nubbin..so i bought another (i keep a no-longer-full size in my travel makeup bag) as well as smog, nail lacquer in chaos (swatch post to follow), and afterglow blush in rapture, freebies: b6 spray & naked gloss in naked

naked gloss, underground, smog, rapture

colourpop: colourpop x kathleenlights where the light is set, highlight in teasecake, and shadows in i ♥ this & birthday girl (freebie for colourpop's 1st birthay)

where the light is set (glow, cornelious, blaze, kathleenlights), teasecake, i ♥ this, birthday girl

eyeslipsface.com: matte lip color in tea rose, baked eye shadow trio in peach please, brushes: blending, contouring, and ultimate blending

peach please trio, tea rose

tea rose

may 2015 favorites & regrets

it's may favorites time~! yay! ~Lin-chan ^.~

favorites:

bite lavender thistle

mug starry eyed, barcelona beach; laura mercier rosegold; nyc deep brown, jet black

I514, D562, I544, D552, ME302

1. bite beauty limited lab release lipstick for may (lavender thistle) -- i was extremely surprised when i swatched this beaut. i wasn't totally sure when i bought it, if it'd look like death on me or not, but i went ahead anyway and i was thoroughly surprised. i think it really works with it's slight sheerness, plus my mauvy pigmented lips. it's really pretty.
2. laura mercier caviar shadow stick in rosegold -- this is a nice and creamy pencil. i love it! it's similar in texture to the loreal infallible shadow sticks
3. belif true cream aqua bomb moisturizer -- i love the texture of this moisturizer. it's a gel but it feels like water when you spread it out. and it has a really nice citrus scent. i've been religiously using clinique's ddm gel for the past 7+ years, and i've been using this sample like crazy!
4. nyc brow & eyeliner pencils in jet black & deep brown -- i bought these because i heard that they were pretty good brow pencils on the cheap (packs of 2 for $2 -- per color). i haven't tried these as liners, and i'm not sure that i will because they're a little too waxy for my taste. for brows, i love using both of these. the waxiness is perfect and it stays put all day. i recommend using a light hand and have a spoolie on hand.
5. makeup geek 
1. barcelona beach eyeshadow -- i really like this as my matte crease shade. i almost don't know how i survived without this one! it's kind of similar to shades in the naked2 basics palette
2. starry eyed (foiled) eyeshadow -- this is such a pretty color! i love using it on top of other colors to give them a foiled effect since the color (not exactly pigmentation..) isn't super strong for this one, and it looks great when it catches the light.
3. soft dome brush -- i really enjoy using this brush! it's the perfect size as a crease/blending brush and it's very soft and not irritating
6. mufe
1. nude artist palette (particularly the middle column I514, D562, I544) -- i think i like these 3 shades a lot because two of them were in a previous favorites post, and I544 is very similar or in the same family as I548.
2. D552 -- this shadow is like perpetually sold out, so if it's available, you should definitely jump on it! soooo pretty.
3. ME302 -- i like layering D552 on top to soften it up. the pretty blue does blend away to show the brown undertones, but if you pack it on, the blue duochrome is super pretty!

random favorites:

1. zenana outfitters knit open cardigan, with three quarter sleeves and pockets -- i bought this at tj maxx...i think..? or it was marshalls...? ours are right next to each other and they're like the same store............... anyway, this sweater is so comfy and cute with shorts!
2. bubzbeauty teespring shirt for charity -- who couldn't resist this adorableness? it's a penguin with an ice cream cone "unicorn horn". so kyoot. and it was for a good cause too, she donated the proceeds to two charities. the only thing i dislike is that it's kinda long, but i still luff it.
3. kate spade iphone 6 case (from apple.com) -- i really love this pattern. the only knock on it is that it is painted onto a black-based case, so i dropped it and a small chunk of white has disappeared on the corner near the camera (as shown in photo). thankfully this pattern is kind of random, so most people wouldn't know otherwise!
4. online manga: relife -- this is still ongoing as they translate and upload this one..but it's so funny and has an interesting concept. relife is a program where neets can essentially take a pill to look younger and have a second chance by going to high school again and potentially getting better job opportunities when they complete the relife program.

product updates:

left: koh gen do, right: shiseido

1. shiseido facial cotton -- these are a lot better than the koh gen do ones. they're slightly smaller in both size and thickness, but they're at the same level as the sephora cotton rounds. i will probably continue buying drugstore cotton rounds for eye makeup remover, and use either this facial cotton or the sephora cotton rounds for micellar water and toner.

regrets/disappointments:

skone navy, almay purple amethyst, bm stroke of light, it cc cream in medium

1. houston flooding -- we were going to visit our friends this weekend but then the flooding...so we ended up cancelling out trip. i think my relatives canceled their vacation too because their houses got over 12in of water from the flooding. bleh!
2. bare minerals stroke of light -- i've had this sample for who knows how long...but i tried it out as an inner corner highlight...and it was pretty lame. it might work for darker skintones, but definitely not mine.
3. it cosmetics cc+ cream in medium -- this was disappointing because of the color ipsy sent me. my profile has light, so why they would send me medium is beyond me. i was interested in trying it out too.
4. almay intense i-color liquid liner in purple amethyst -- sadface at how pretty this is and the fact that it burned my eyes to all hell while i was applying it. nope.
5. skone cosmetics pretty eyes automatic eyeliner in navy -- can we talk about how this looks navy in the tube and not navy on my skin? either way the color is pretty, but the formula isn't that great. it applies nicely, but it's too creamy and smears like crazy. it definitely needs to be set if you try using this product.

notd: formula x revved up

hi guys! as promised: i've got the super metallic prettyfulness that is revved up! i used two coats, but i really could have just used one. and i used the system. based on my cleanup process, i think this is a super-fine rose-golden glitter polish in a clear base. but because there's so much of the sparkle..it appears solid. ~Lin-chan ^.~

notd: deborah lippmann good girl gone bad

so i've further postponed the failed notd! and i've got my first deborah lippmann polish that i got in the sephora favorites glitz & glam set. it's really pretty! i think i should have done a third coat instead of using just two, but it's still ok. it's a dark berry-maroon base with purple shimmer/glitter particles. ~Lin-chan ^.~

may 2015 ipsy bag

hi guys! i got the may IPSY BAG* today!! yuuushhhh! (theme: jetsetter)  ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. briogeo rosarco milk reparative leave-in conditioning spray (1oz--mini, ret. $20 for 5.1oz [$3.92]) -- i love trying out leave-in conditioners and this great! the scent is different from the deep conditioner mask i got sometime last year, but still smells really nice. it has a more watery consistency relative to it's a 10--that stuff doesn't budge when you move the bottle around, this moves around similar to handsoap but is thinner...if that even makes any sense what so ever...... anyway, i'm excited to try this.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
2. it cosmetics your skin but better cc+ cream with spf 50+ in medium (4ml--mini, ret. $38 for 32ml [$4.75]) -- medium is actually too dark for me..or at least i'm fairly certain it is. i'll probably pass this off to a friend, but i'll try it first.
• likelihood to repurchase: undecided
3. skone cosmetics pretty eyes automatic eyeliner in navy (5.28g--full size, ret. $15) -- looking at the pencil, it looks navy..but then you go to swatch it...and that's closer to a medium blue..not navy. it's very creamy and soft, so i'm not sure how i feel about its longevity.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
4. klorane smoothing and relaxing patches (.04oz--2 sets, ret. $21 for 7 sets [$6]) -- i think most people only got one sachel of these..? anyway, i'll have to put them to the test and let you know in an empties post.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
5. urban decay mini 24/7 lip pencil in ozone & gloss samples in failbait & bittersweet (.8g --mini, ret. $20 for 1.2g [$13.34]) -- i'm really interested in trying this liner. i'm always looking for a good transparent lip liner and i haven't tried any of ud's lip liners yet. i'm probably going to pass off the bittersweet (purple) gloss sample to a friend, and i'll have to let you know how i like the failbait (pink) one
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
6. breakups to makeup ipsy bag -- i love it. the one i bought last month has a friend now! >w<
7. points redemption: indie lee brightening cleanser (.05oz--mini, ret. $32 for 4oz [$4]) -- i'm always looking for a new cleanser, and out of what was available this seemed interesting enough. it smells like a super sweet 90's clear rollerball lip gloss. you guys know what i'm talking about. we'll have to see how this works..
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
8. card with company info/discount codes
1. briogeohair.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 6/30/15)
2. itcosmetics.com: 20% off purchase + free standard shipping, code: ipsy20 (exp. 6/30/15)
3. skonecosmetics.com: 10% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 6/30/15)
4. klorane.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsypatches20 (exp. 6/30/15)
5. breakupstomakeup.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 6/30/15)
6. thebalm.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 5/31/15)
7. nymbrands.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 6/30/15)
8. chella.com: 25% off chella eyebrow color pencils, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 6/30/15)
9. cotzskincare.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy25 (exp. 6/30/15)
10. bellapierre.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsymay2015 (exp. 6/30/15)
11. theorganicpharmacy.com: 10% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 6/30/15)
12. amieskincare.com: 25% off purchase + free standard shipping, code: ipsy25 (exp. 6/30/15)
13. ulta.com: 25% off eylure lashes, code: lash25 (exp. 6/30/15)
14. cailyncosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 6/30/15)
15. balancedguru.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy25 (exp. 6/30/15)
16. peterlamas.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 6/15/15)
17. sttropeztan.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsy25 (exp. 6/30/15)
18. luxiebeauty.com: 30% off luxie products, code: ipsy30 (exp. 6/30/15)
19. barerepublicnaturals.com: free shipping, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 6/30/15)
20. alternahaircare.com: 20% off caviar cc cream 2.5oz, code: ipsy20 (exp. 6/30/15)
21. clearstart.com: 20% off clear start purchase & free shipping at $40, code: ipsy20 (exp. 6/30/15)
22. us.nuxe.com: 20% off $50, code: summer2015 (exp. 6/30/15)
23. jessesgirlcosmetics.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsymay2015 (exp. 6/30/15)
24. pixibeauty.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsymay15 (exp. 6/30/15)
25. glamglowmud.com: 30% off & free 15g thirstymud, code: ipsygg30 (exp. 6/15/15)

approximate product value: ~$47

liner in navy, cc cream in medium

*Affiliate Link.

may hauls, pt. 1

hi guys! i wanted to throw this post up here for anyone who is interested in buying the top i bought last month--while she has it available again! bubzbeauty designed a kyoot women's tank top for charity, and she's donating half of the proceeds to compassion international and half to global giving for nepal. the link to purchase yours is below! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. baublebar: juniper ear jackets (abalone/silver), crystal abalone bib; gold pyramid studs--i guess these were a peace offering for shipping out my earrings late? both of these pieces were on pre-order and had estimated ship dates--which was a few days before they actually shipped the earrings.
2. teespring: i'm a unicorn tank via bubzbeauty (limited edition for charity--link)

sephora: bite limited lab release lipstick for may (lavender thistle), 100 points each: mufe plexi gloss in 202 & bobbi brown high shimmer lip gloss in bare shimmer -- i was going to do lip swatches of the glosses..but they didn't look like much, so i decided against it.

lavender thistle, 202, bare shimmer

bite may lipstick -- i was afraid this would look like death on me. thankfully it doesn't and i actually really like it!

sephora: sephora favorites sets in bronze bares all and glitz & glam party essentials, formula x polish in revved up, sample with code: estee lauder nutritious vitality8 radiant moisture cream. (nail swatches to come later)

bronze bares all set -- too faced chocolate soleil bronzer, nars gloss in supervixen, becca shimmering skin perfector pressed in opal, sephora contour eye pencil in
14 cocoa, tarte the sculptor in park ave princess, urban decay shadow duo in half baked & twice baked (swatched dry), bite high pigment pencil in madeira

nars supervixen

bite madeira

glitz & glam party essentials set -- stila magnificient metals eye shadow in dusty rose, laura mercier caviar stick eye colour in rosegold,
benefit watts up highlighter, lancome artliner in noir, smashbox be legendary lipstick in infrared

smashbox infrared -- it's my hermione granger smirk face!

i gra-je-ated!

hey guys!! so today was graduation! hopefully my last one, but the future has possibilities... no i'm not foreshadowing anything! i've got no plans for now. anyway, i've got a super-combo blog post here for ya. we've got my end of semester grades wrap-up, graduation, and fotd, ootd--my very first!, & notd! annnnnnnnnnnnnnd a couple of updates. i got my start date! i'll be starting june 15th, so i have the next month off to relax! w00t. and then sadface that no one at our apartment complex in a large 2 bedroom is moving out. so we are going to stay where we are until we can get one, which may be as early as august. we'll have to see. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

guess who maintained their 3.0! i did!!! woohoooooo!

teh paul and i have a collection now!

ootd

1. dress: teeze me sleeveless sheath dress in navy (macy's, similar) -- it has pockets!!!!! it also came with a crappy belt and i removed the belt loops.
2. earrings: baublebar juniper ear jackets in abalone/antique silver (link)
3. necklace: baublebar crystal abalone bib (link)
4. shoes: comfort plus by predictions karmen pump in pewter (payless)

hair -- nume curl jam clipless curling iron with 25mm barrel
fotd

1. too faced primed and poreless primer
2. estee lauder double wear light in intensity 2.0
3. maybelline fit me concealer in 10 light
4. rimmel london stay matte powder in translucent
5. too faced chocolate soleil bronzer
6. colourpop blush in birthday suit
7. colourpop highlight in wisp
8. wet n wild fergie take on the day eye primer
9. loreal infallible eyeshadow crayon in rose gold (lid)
10. makeup geek shadows in shimma shimma (brow highlight), starry eyed (inner corner/lid), grand stand (outer lid area), barcelona beach (crease)
11. anastasia beverly hills brow wiz in dark brown
12. rimmel london scandalEyes eyeliner in black
13. urban decay 24/7 liner in underground
14. urban decay ink for eyes liquid liner
15. clinique lash power mascara / covergirl super sizer mascara
16. skindinavia oil control setting spray
17. colourpop lip pencil and lippie stix in lumiere

center: grandma's phone takes awful photos...but this was the best one from before my curls fell.

notd -- broadway impress press-on nails in shimmer

so instead of using that pretty stars one that i bought a ways back....i bought this prettyful glittery set instead. anyway. here ya go. as mentioned before, despite the semi-recent issues with nail art people and intellectual property rights, there's a bit of controversy over this brand--i still really think this is the best brand i've tried. in a recent video by baileyb, she mentioned using the nail glue that comes in the kiss gel fantasy press-ons to make these last longer.. well they didn't have any short sets where i went, so i bought another of their nail glues to try in conjunction with the adhesive already on the broadway impress nails.

update: i still peeled them off around my usual time, the 6ish day mark because they were starting to come loose. so this glue didn't do anything special in addition to the normal adhesive on these.