january 2017: sephora play!

hi guys!!! i was too lazy to make this post yesterday, but whatever. here ya go: this month's sephora play! (theme: beauty, set, go) ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. clinique almost lipstick in black honey (??--mini, $17 for .07oz [$6ish? maybe 1/3 full size]) -- i haven't used one of these in forever. i bought one of these when they first came out many years ago and i really liked the color. and in the past year or two i ended up tossing it because...it was old, lol. i did buy a new one in that last year or two in a set with something...? i don't remember.. and i haven't opened it. i think that tube will get passed along because i have too many lippies and this is a great size for me. anyway about the product, i really like it. it's sheer but buildable to a darker mauve. problems with it -- it does catch on dry spots and bunch around the corners or edges of the lips. still very nice.
   repurchase? probably not
2. tarte cosmetics frxxxtion stick (.22oz--mini, ret. $22 for 1oz [$4.84]) -- when this first came out, it intrigued me. one side was interested in portable stick cleanser, the other was partially grossed out by it being rubbed over my acne prone face... lol, i'll try it out and report back! has a faint plasticy scent--or i'm just crazy =P
   repurchase? undecided
3. farmacy honey potion (.32oz--mini, ret. $56 for 4.1oz [$4.37]) -- warming, moisturizing face mask huh... interesting... in the jar it looks pretty thick and has a faint honey-floral scent. trying a tiny bit on my hand, how do you use this stuff?? supposedly you massage it on and rinse off after 10-15 minutes... my skin has absorbed it completely while i'm typing this... ~.~ really...? idk about this, but i'll have to report back.
   repurchase? probably not, we'll see..
4. ouai treatment masque (.5oz--mini, ret. $32 for 2.4oz [$6.67]) -- i'll have to report back on how this works out. smelling it, i'm really confused and on the fence. first whiff...smelled really good, then it smells kind of weird... i can't really describe it well.
   repurchase? probably not
5. amorepacific color control cushion compact in 104 & 106 (sample, ret. $60 for 1.05oz) -- these don't seem like they'd be my shades, so i'm going to pass them along. and i don't really have the patience for cushion foundations.
   repurchase? no
6. tory burch love relentlessly (sample, ret. $68 for 1oz) -- this is a really nice perfume. it's floral and slightly woodsy. (i'm saying it's nice and i don't like florals!!) but i don't think it's for me.
   repurchase? nah
7. 'coupon' for an extra 50 points on the next in-store purchase

approximate product value: ~$25

january 2017 ipsy bag!

hi all! it's january IPSY BAG* (theme: metropolis) time! woot-woot!  ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. manna kadar paradise blush (.105oz--mini, ret. $19 for .18oz [$11.08]) -- omg this lil thing has the worst packaging ever. or it could be greatest?? because it's so difficult to open..... anyway, once you can actually get into it, it's a really pretty nars orgasm-esque shade. swatched, it looks a lot pinker and orgasm more peach, but still pretty!
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not due to my large stash
2. pur-lisse blue lotus seed 5-in-1 mud mask + exfoliant (15ml--mini, ret. $52 for 70ml [$11.14]) -- i'm interested in trying this out. sadly, last year i never got around to using the matching sheet masks from this brand, but i will try to sometime soon! and if i can tolerate this mask long enough for empties, i'll let you know how it goes by then. if not you'll have to wait til next year's ipsy roundup.
• likelihood to repurchase: undecided
3. theBalm bahama mama (0.57g--full size, ret. $20 for 7.08g [$1.61]) -- i never bought the full size of this product kind of in fear that it was super dark and warm toned. as far as using this itty bitty sample as bronzer, lol, probably not. but i am interested in seeing how well it works as a crease color on me.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
4. naked cosmetics mica pigment in desert sunset #02 (1.5g--full size, ret. $14.99) -- ugh this is soooo freakin pretty. just like the last one, i'm planning to press some of this into a pan so i can use it on the go since i'm not huge on loose pigments.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not, but other shades
5. ciate gelology topcoat (13.5ml--full size, ret. $17) -- i'll have to give this guy a go and see. i was interested in buying it in the past, since sephora has the minis 3 for $20, but nah. so now i can try it out! try all the topcoats!
• likelihood to repurchase: undecided
6. (points freebie) luxie beauty rose gold blending brush 227 (full size, ret. $12) -- i can't wait to start using this! the shape reminds me of a sigma E25, which i love!
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe!
7. blue and silver ipsy bag -- i'm super excited about this bag! it's so pretty and my favorite color combo!
8. card with company info/discount codes (some codes are case sensitive)
1. mannakadarcosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 2/28/17)
2. purlisse.com: 30% off purchase, code: mudipsy30 (exp. 2/28/17)
3. theBalm.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 1/31/17)
4. nakedcosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 2/28/17)
5. ciatelondon.com: 30% off purchase, code: IPSY30 (exp. 2/28/17)
6. slmissglam.com: 30% off purchase, code: slipster (exp. 2/28/17)
7. myrealchemistry.com: 20% off purchase, code: realipsy (exp. 2/28/17)
8. notefragrances.com: 30% off purchase, code: IPSY30 (exp. 2/28/17)
9. mintpear.com: 30% off purchase, must subscribe to mintpear, code: ipsy30 (exp. 1/31/17)
10. crownbrush.com: 30% off purchase, code: crownipsy30 (exp. 2/28/17)
11. skinmaskrx.com: 20% off any sally's box purchase, code: ipsy2017 (exp. 2/28/17)
12. briogeohair.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 1/31/17)
13. trustfundbeauty.com: 35% off purchase, code: IPSYGLAM35 (exp. 2/28/17)
14. starcrushedminerals.com: 25% off purchase, code: IPSY25 (exp. 2/28/17)
15. prettywomannyc.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 2/28/17)
16. minus417.com: 20% off purchase, code: IPSY20MINUS417 (exp. 2/28/17)
17. nvivepro.com: $2 off purchase of 6oz nvive natural healing cream and free shipping, code: ipsynvive (exp. 2/28/17)
18. ulta.com: 20% off pacifica purchase, code: Pacifica2017 (exp. 2/28/17)
19. temptu.com: 20% off purchase excludes sale items, code: ipsyjan (exp. 1/31/17)
20. funlacquer.com: 5% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 2/28/17)
21. clarisea.com: 30% off purchase, code: IPSY30 (exp. 2/28/17)
22. clinique.com: 15% off your first order, code: IPSY30 (exp. 1/31/17)
23. h2oplus.com: 25% off purchase + free sample of waterbright illuminating day serum, code: IPSY25 (exp. 2/28/17)

approximate product value: ~$51

nars orgasm, manna kadar paradise, naked cosmetics desert sunset #2, theBalm bahama mama

*Affiliate Link.

2016 reflections, 2017 goals and plans

hi guys! i've finally got the time to sit down, think, and pen my thoughts here. a lot has happened in the past year, so let's start with teh paul since there's relatively less to talk about.
teh paul's grant ended in may and for the past 4 years, he couldn't have an outside job per the grant's requirements. anyway, he started working as an intern at his current job. the president of the company is an instructor at school and has been trying to get him to work for him for like 7 years now... then with hard work and overwhelming votes of confidence they switched him to full time over the summer, and he began getting benefits etc. the fall semester came and went, and he and i had some final discussions regarding his PhD. trying to weigh out the pros and cons, versus the new full time position... it was a lot to think about, but in the end the conclusion was that it would be too much more time (minimum 2 years) before he'd get it finished if he kept at the current pace. not to mention the program he began writing to create simulations for his thesis is buggy, nowhere near complete, and hard to muddle through. so based on all of these things and some additional requirements by his major professor, it makes more sense for him to quit. additionally, his salary level would not change by much even if he did finish the PhD.

for me, it's been a roller coaster. i'm just shy of the 1 and half year mark and still trying to keep up. the end of 2015 was pretty crazy, i was on an internal project that quickly died, then literally thrown into training for a newer (more exciting) technology and started on the project just shy of a year ago, with no practical experience. it has been great! ^___^ anyway, 2016 for this project was crazy and i'm surviving my project. i felt awful the first couple months on this project. new to the technology, only ok at programming (at least by my standards... and yes i'm aware that i'm selling myself short here.), and my friends were being kicked off the project seemingly left and right. (literally there are only 3 devs in our office for this project now, and i'm one of them.) but i somehow have managed. there are a few things that i know i can attribute to how i've managed to hang in here.
first is previous experience -- working in groups, lots of them--between jobs and my extensive schooling. second is my two degrees, having both of them is actually pretty useful in hindsight even though i often discounted my first while working on my second. having both psychology and (loosely) business technology degrees has helped me quite a bit on this project. these give me a different perspective that a lot of my team members don't have. being able to see the whole picture, ask pertinent and very often overlooked questions, and understanding what the business or customer actually wants. i often feel like i have a more open view or understanding to how people (customers of the client) could potentially break the site because of oversights, or features or placements of objects that make a more logical sense from their perspective. and a third reason that is to a wayyyyy lesser extent and i'm probably a terrible person for thinking this --but i'll say it anyway-- is that i help diversify the team. i'll leave this one at that. =P
one last note regarding the roller coaster project, a huge takeaway that i have from this project is communication. if you've been reading any of my work- and planner-related posts in the past year, you've seen the many frustrations that i've had over the course of this project. and i'm fairly certain i've mentioned it on here before, every sunday at my great grandparents' house, pawpaw would always say 'the most important things in life are mutual communication and mutual respect'. as much as you don't really want to admit something like this growing up, he's right, the old-old soldier knew what he was talking about. anyway enough about actual goings on of the project.. last year was pretty exciting. i saw two promotions and raises. one of them significantly larger than the other, but the client thinks we're doing a good job and wanted it to happen. and i'm really grateful to them for that, as well as this roller coaster experience that i have both learned from and can use to better myself in the future.

and that brings us to today. 2017, a new year! i think i'll first start of with the blog situation. as some of you may have read my original post or can blatantly see across your entire screen..... i opted into google adsense, which doesn't really draw that much revenue since lol who and how many people actually come here? and that brings me to some new changes. not too long ago, i finally added the blog link to my instagram to get more exposure, considering i am paying for this domain. maybe eventually i'll get it more out to the family instead of this 'closet' business, but this is my first step at a pace i am comfortable with. secondly, i will try to continue to post at the current rate and pace that i had since last year. considering that my work project is exhausting, and i don't always want to be on the computer more than the 9 hours a day that i am already investing in my project. as for life goals or plans for this year, as i have gently beaten over the head in this post, we are making more money now, like two legit incomes. and with that, we are anticipating having saved a comfortable house down-payment by the summertime. for the past couple months or so, we've been casually looking online at houses in the area (especially so after the flooding to know where to not go! lol), seeing what we do and don't like about houses, and making feeble attempts to locate houses in actual good school districts. lol, this is louisiana. haha. but we will see what happens over the course of the next several months. i will keep you all updated.

anyway, i hope you all have a great 2017! ~Lin-chan ^.~



by the way sidenote because this is an update post and there's not really any other logical place to mention it....... i know i keep saying this like in real life and to a few of my friends. i swear, i will eventually get our end of october cruise pictures up. i think most of my issue is getting the video edited so i know what photos i'm including into it and not repeating in the photo album. and by the way, several weeks ago i did spend a good 4-5 hours editing a 15 minute video, which encompassed days 1-2.5 ... but my tablet wasn't having it to export it, multiple times -- like it'd spend a long time compiling, but then video players tell me it is corrupt. ~.~ but i'll make another attempt to recreate the first video (on my phone this time!) over the weekend because i should have time to do so.

beautylish 2017 lucky bag

hi guys! guess what finally came in today?! w00t! ~Lin-chan ^.~

viseart bijou royal, kissing tiny flowers

kissing tiny flowers

1. viseart bijou royal eyeshadow palette (ret. $80) -- omg guys. this palette alone basically paid for the entire box. and it's beautiful. relative to the two i already have this one is so much better. the color selection and pigmentation are great. this is definitely a better supplementary palette than the paris nudes and sultry muse palettes.
2. bioderma sensibio mini (ret. $6.95) -- yay for another mini bioderma!!
3. oribe wave and shine spray (ret. $22) -- i'm not huge into the beach waves sprays, but i'll give this a try. it has a very nice smell, but after a bit it smells a bit chemically. i'll give this a go, but i don't foresee myself buying another of these. i mean $22 for 2oz?!
4. rcma no color powder (ret. $12) -- i have been wanting to try this for a while, but never actually went out of my way to buy some. so i can't wait to give it a try! there are mixed reviews about how well it works after pressing this into a pan, but considering how much is in this jar and how (relatively) cheap this product is, whatever. i'm willing to try it pressed.
5. smith & cult the tainted lip stained in kissing tiny flowers (ret. $24) -- this is a really nice color. the texture is very mousse-y and almost dries all the way down. not sure about the staining effect yet, since i haven't let it sit long enough, but i'm interested. also, this has a very strong chocolate scent.
6. (chikuhodo?) powder brush -- this brush has no brand name or tags, aside from the word 'powder' on it. ...ok? it is really soft, but i think these are synthetic. to some degree they feel a slightly more coarse than my wayne goss blue squirrel brushes, but i don't think they're real hair. i could be totally wrong though. i can't wait to give this brush a go. and i love the shimmery red handle!

approximate product value: ~$145+

december favorites

hi guys! another late post! anyway, here are my december favorites and confusing products! ~Lin-chan ^.~

mad max brown, be my highlight

favorites:

1. it's skin cookie & body ice cream in original -- this is kind of an expensive lotion...but it's sooo good. the texture is so awesome and the scent is so yummm. something weird about it is that it has 'cookie' bits inside that look kind of weird and streaky.. but once you blend it in there's no weird dark streaks.
2. loreal purify & mattify pure-clay mask -- this mask has been great with helping my skin. i haven't had many skin issues since i've started using this mask once a week, and i've already purchased my second jar!
3. essence pure nude highlighter in be my highlight -- this is soo freakin inexpensive and so pretty and lit-within looking. i can't even. it's been what i've been using pretty much every day for the past month or two now.
4. kat von d tattoo liner in mad max brown -- when i first opened this to try, i was pretty underwhelmed. it's a ridiculously dark, nearly black brown. but after using it for a while, there's sometimes days that i really enjoy using brown for a 'softer' look than just black. and i've really been enjoying using it. i'm definitely considering buying a full size once this guy dies.
5. essence lash princess false lash effect mascara -- i so totally thought i already mentioned liking this mascara, but apparently i haven't. this guy is almost on its last leg, and i'm finally actually talking about it. i received this as a gift with purchase from ulta a while back and opened it up a few months ago. such a good mascara on the cheap. it has all of the benefits i love (length, volume, curl) without me trying. can't wait to go through my stash to buy a new one!
6. it bye bye under eye eye cream -- so sephora was giving out like a two week sample of this stuff as a code with an online order. there were like 14 little packets inside of a card or whatever. after opening the first one, i realized how much product was inside and decided to squeeze out all of the packets into a jar. literally this 'two week supply' feels like an entire jar to me. i mean, i've been using this for maybe a month now, and it feel like i've only used maybe 1.5 packets worth. look at how much is still in this jar! anyway, i really feel like this product is keeping my under eye area hydrated, and i use it on the sides of my nose since i tend to be pretty dry there, and it's been great with this super fickle louisiana weather!

undecided/confused:

1. nest holiday candle -- after burning this guy for a while, i'm pretty meh about it. like it's teeny tiny (2oz) for $16 regularly, and the scent fills up a small 10x10ish room, but doesn't really spread much further. the scent itself is amazing but i wish it were stronger for the price you pay for it.
2. sigma sigmagic brush shampoo -- this product is very weird. when i first started using it, i discounted it because it was not working for me. kabuki brushes with foundation looked terrible and i ended up supplementing other cleaners when attempting to use this product. when i got the brush mat for my sink, i tried using this again with it and it was amazing. what. so apparently this stuff only works well if it has a physical device to agitate the brushes. i also used this on a clean face sponge that was used dry with powder, and it ended up cleaning out liquid foundation that was dried into it from before the last time i cleaned it. whaaaat? ew.

year in review: ipsy glambags 2016

 

hi guys! here's my year in review of my ipsy bags*! going through to make this post, i've realized that i forgot about a ton of the products i've received this year. if they're things that can be used up, i'll try to mention them in future empties posts, if i can tolerate keeping them long enough... anyway, enjoy!  ~Lin-chan ^.~

january

1. theBalm mr. write (now) in jac b. bronze -- this actually became an instant favorite. doesn't smudge, i loved the color and the lasting power, and i'd definitely recommend this!
2. hikari cosmetics cream metallic pigment shadow in mink -- i wasn't a fan with my intital testing, so i passed it along.
• product was given away
3. skone cosmetics smudger brush -- i kept forgetting about this brush. i'm not huge into smudging unless i'm trying to set my lower liner with a similar color..which i'm usually too lazy to do on the daily, thus i haven't really used this guy.
4. ofra cosmetics universal eyebrow pencil -- after trying this on many occasions, i could never figure this product out. it was very waxy which was great, but the way it applied and looked on the skin was awful for me. it was as if you were using a porous crayon on a sheet of paper..and there were like random splotchy parts... yeah. no.
• product was given away
5. lasting smiles lip balm in peppermint creme -- this is an ok lip balm. haven't fully decided, but i think it makes me chappy.

february

1. smashbox photo finish primer oil -- the concept of this product weirds me out, so i gave it away.
• product was given away
2. luxie beauty flat definer brush 221 -- this probably would be great for liner, since it's super stiff and thin..but i'm too lazy to use gel liners lately, so i haven't gotten around to using this brush either.
3. naked cosmetics mica pigment in sierra nevada -- i ended up pressing some of this into an empty eyeshadow pan, since i'm not as big into loose pigments, but it's pretty and i've been enjoying using it.
4. vintage by jessica liebeskind sparkling lip gloss in pink sequin -- this is such a gorgeous and mesmerizing gloss! if you're considering it, it's totally worth every penny. 
5. mor emporium classics hand & body lotion in candied vanilla -- this was such a super sweet smelling lotion and i loved it! the formula was very nice and i'm interested in getting more, but not necessarily right away.
• product was finished
6. burts bees facial cleansing oil -- redeemed points to give this to a friend
• product was given away

march

1. marc anthony nourishing argan oil of morocco 3 day smooth perfect blow dry cream -- i ended up deciding i didn't need additional hair products and gave this away before trying it out.
• product was given away
2. NoTS 28 remedy balancing toner -- i ended up not using this and decided to give it away.
• product was given away
3. pixi beauty beauty blush duo in rose gold -- ipsy ended up responding pretty quickly after i emailed them about the broken blush duo and sent a replacement. i ended up mixing up my original one and pressing it back into the pan. which was perfectly fine with me, because i don't know how they expected people to fit a brush into half of this pan to get each color. anyway, mixed together, it's a very pretty pink highlight.
• replacement product was given away
4. nyx cosmetics lip suede in pink lust -- oh ye~ah! this color!
• product was given away
5. manna kadar 3 in 1 blush highlighter eyeshadow in fantasy -- this is such a pretty  highlighter, i'm so happy with it!
6. befine exfoliating cleanser -- this is a pretty nice cleanser. it's nice and gritty from the brown sugar but it lathers up a little as you work it in. only issue i have with it is that it's sugar and i'd have to keep this out of the shower to keep it from melting.

april

1. buxom wildly whipped lightweight liquid lipstick in centerfold -- this formula was a bit weird, but i liked the color. at some point, i need to try this again and make a decision on it.
2. nudestix lip + cheek pencil in mystic -- this made it into my lippy drawer and hasn't come out. i probably should take it out and try using it sometime!
3. l.a.b.² - live and breathe beauty just blending in brush -- this brush was a bit too fluffy and flexible for my taste. i'd prefer if it were more stiff and didn't bend and splay so easily while i would blend eyeshadows.
• product was given away
4. ren evercalm global protection day cream -- i'm not huge on the scent, never ended up using it, and gave it away.
• product was given away
5. pur-lisse blue lotus + white tea sheet mask & blue lotus + seaweed sheet mask -- i didn't actually use either of these! these made it into my sheet mask drawer and i forgot about them! >.< i'll have to use them and update you all in an empties post.

may

1. smashbox x-rated mascara -- while i did like how this mascara looked, i didn't like that it was very difficult to remove.
• product was given away
2. pacifica natural mineral coconut eyeshadow trio in natural beauty (skinny dip, crush, lovely) -- i didn't really use this shadow much, even though it is quite pretty. at some point i should probably make a decision with it...
3. hikari cosmetics shimmer bronzer in radiate -- despite how pretty this is, i decided i'd pass it along. it's a bit too much for my skintone mixed together and i have enough similar colors that i probably won't be reaching for this as an eyeshadow.
• product was given away
4. <eva nyc hungry hair oil treatment -- this product lasted me quite a while because it was so potent. but on that note, i'm not interested in repurchasing because of the consistency and i like the products i already have.
• product was finished
5. the organic pharmacy antioxidant lip balm -- i was not a fan of this formula. it's too thin and doesn't linger very long.
• product was given away

june

1. urban decay eyeshadow in fireball -- i haven't really used this shadow much, but it's super pretty! i'm not sure how much i like this type of shade on my skin.
2. formula x nail polish in wingwoman -- i love formula x polishes. they're great and they don't chip as quickly on me as most other brands. i think i've mentioned it on here before, but i'm not a huge fan of cream polishes since they tend to have visible streaks, and i'm not into coraly reds either.
• product was given away
3. seraphine botanicals happy hibiscus blush -- this blush was really hard to work with, i'm not sure if it was the size or the actual formula of the product, but i didn't like it.
• product was given away
4. royal & langnickel moda crease/smudge brush -- i never really got around to using this brush. because of its design, i'm more inclined to use the crease brush since i'm not much of a smudger.
5. delectable by cake beauty everything balm -- this stuff was weird and i didn't really know what to do with it really. so i passed it along.
• product was given away
6. benjabelle brush cleansing balm -- i'm still in the process of using this up, but it's a pretty good brush cleaner. i've been primarily using it for my smaller brushes with powder (not cream) in them and they've been coming out nice and clean.

july

1. elizabeth mott show me your cheeks blush in peach pink -- i ended up giving this away because the payoff wasn't that good. like it looked really pretty and nars orgasm-esque in the pan, but it may as well have been a highlighter. no pink showed up for me.
• product was given away
2. trust fund beauty nail polish in no filter -- applying this, i was super impressed with how it was one coat and go, and it quickly self-leveled. this shade however looks like death on my skintone. so this is going to get passed along.
• product was given away
3. theBalm meet matt(e)trimony eyeshadow in matt kumar -- i haven't really used this too much, but the one or two times i did, i enjoyed this shade in the outer corner.
4. befine night cream -- the scent of this is super weird. like i can definitely tell that it's a rice type scent, but millet...i'm not totally sure.. granted, when i had birds, i never sniffed their food, lol! the cream itself is relatively light and feels nice, but i'm not sure why this is considered a night cream, but whatever.
• product was given away
5. model launcher cosmetics felt tip eyeliner in emerald isle -- i'm not sure that this would be opaque enough for my liking, but it seems like it might be a good liner.
• product was given away
6. kiesque liquid palisade -- i was very impressed by this product, and i'm definitely interested in purchasing similar products in the future.

august

1. ciaté london paint pot in dangerous affair -- this was a really pretty color. i don't remember what wear time i got with it, but maybe 3 days?
2. it cosmetics no tug waterproof  gel eyeliner -- omg this liner guys. i really like this liner and bought full sizes!
• product was finished
3. peter lamas supreme radiance complexion booster -- i gave this away because it weirded me out too much.
• product was given away
4. winky lux diamond complexion powder in light -- i still have this and have used it a couple times to help with eyeshadow blending. this thing is too freakin small to actually attempt using it for my whole face.
5. this works in transit camera close-up -- this wasn't my cup of tea. the scent was off putting and i'm not too sure about its claims. so i gave it away.
• product was given away

september

1. it cosmetics superhero mascara in super black -- i really liked how this mascara made my lashes look thicker, longer, and falsie-ish? super good, totally recommend, and plan to repurchase at some point.
• product was finished
2. buff her house of exfoliation vanilla almond crumbles -- haven't had a chance to get around to using this either.. need to remember where i even put it...... but it is basically like a powder cleanser that you apply to a wet face.
3. nuxe moisturizing mask creme fraiche de beaute -- i was not having it for this scent.
• product was given away
4. coastal scents elite bamboo collection medium shadow brush -- i forgot i even received this brush! i'll have to give it a go.
5. tre'StiQue mini highlight stick in maldives luminescent -- this is a really pretty highlight color. i have yet to actually use it on my face though.

october

1. makeup forever ultra hd invisible cover foundation in Y225 -- i actually already had a sample of this shade which is ok, but a little light for me. if i decide to get this foundation, i'll probably go up a shade or two.
• product was given away for a friend to try
2. kokie cosmetics nail polish in heavenly -- this color is death. so i passed it along.
• product was given away
3. pure brazilian leave in miracle -- i wasn't a fan of this product. the scent was weird and i didn't feel like it did anything for me.
• product was given away
4. essence cosmetics superfine eyeliner pen waterproof  -- i was not a fan of this liner. its waterproofness sucked, it flaked on me and irritated my eyes. no thanks.
• product was given away
5. teeez cosmetics eve's ready to wear lipstick in romantic red -- this is such a pretty red and has super fun packaging. only problem is that i don't typically wear reds.... and this one leans a bit more orange when i prefer blue-based ones.

november

1. ofra cosmetics brightening banana powder -- i haven't gotten around to using this yet. i wish these ofra products came in containers instead of the refill pans, because i don't always grab the z palette that i keep this guy in.
2. benefit cosmetics the porefessional -- saving this product for travel! i love this primer, but not so much the price of it!
3. elizabeth mott color is bae in moxie mauve -- was not into this product, and its lasting power was weird.
• product was given away
4. formula x polish in huntress -- i'm really sad that i haven't gotten a chance to try this polish out. it's a bit difficult for me to use this shade because it's not really business appropriate.. or maybe borderline... i'm not sure and need to swatch test it.
5. delectable by cake beauty sweet mint & cream hand cream -- this is a nice hand cream. i just suck at using hand creams. but i'll keep trying!

december

1. royal and langnickel moda angle shader brush -- i keep forgetting about this lil brush. or i haven't been home to remember that i even have it... anyway, i'm sure this'll be pretty good for blending the crease, or applying lid color.
2. marc anthony deep hydrating treatment -- still in the process of using this product. it's nice, but i'm probably not going to repurchase since there's other products i like better.
3. nyx prismatic eyeshadow in bedroom eyes -- i'm passing this guy along, seeing as though i bought this shade just after they came out! 
• product was given away
4. tarte tartiest glossy lip paint in wcw -- this is a pretty nice size for me to test out this formula. i'm not huge into glosses lately mostly because of the texture and feel. but this one isn't too bad. i need to use it a bit more to see if i want to keep it though.
5. aurora intensively precise eyeliner blackberry -- i need to actually remember to try this liner out. like i tried it before showering one time to test the color and irritation level out, and i thought it was pretty good. but that was for only like an hour. so i need to remember to test this over the course of a couple days.

erin condren hourly life planner - my december

hi guys! i'm a bit late on this post! haven't been feeling it, been busy with the holidays, and got a cold in the process. suckssss. anyway, i'll try to finish up my end of month and end of year posts over the next week or so. ~Lin-chan ^.~

monthly calendar spread

week 1: buy all of the things! and we had go live for our project, went to a ridiculous christmas party...which basically had the same budget as a wedding, considering how much they put into it. we were lucky enough to win one of the raffles for a gift card, which we'll hopefully use later on this year. annnd another of my work friends moved on. i'm really sad but given the reasons for his move, i'm happy for him and think it is for the best. and he's still working locally, so that's cool.

week 2: on wednesday, my manager took everyone under him out to dinner at a nearby restaurant (the one our group went to for hitting one year). it was really nice and the food was super good. and the office sponsored a bowling party at a local place, but i didn't end up going because it's like on the other side of town from me, and i was kind of whatever about it. annnd friday has two annoyed stickers (the glare-y one is blobby throwing papers up) because...communication issues. stories need to clearly define what needs to be done when, so that people don't start working on things for pages that don't yet exist. just saying. ^____^

week 3: so i'm not sure how it worked out so well, but this week was super awesome. with rearranging my vacation days from thanksgiving week,  i made one of the days monday. tuesday was the Q4 promotions-people breakfast, which was more legit than the last one. the week before this, the client emailed us to take a half day and expense our lunch to them for wednesday. soo freakin awesome! and i took a work from home on friday. such a short and amazing work week!

week 4

week 5: soo many things we did! dental appointment, pelicans game, birthday party, family pictures, and new years parties. O_O

notes page

what i got for christmas!!

hi guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! here are a few things i got for christmas! hope you all had a great holiday week and are reluctantly ready to go back to school or work tomorrow! ~Lin-chan ^.~

(left) pandora ring cluster charm (retired), murano glass disney jasmine, anna, ariel, midnight effervescence, sterling silver stopper beads
 -- my family ended up getting me two of the jasmine charm, so when i went to exchange one of them, they were having a spend $100, get a free item up to $75. so i was able to return the extra charm for store credit, and then purchase 3 new charms. sweet!
(right) tokidoki 2017 calendar, tombow fudenosuke calligraphy pens, pokemon moon, yeti-esque mug with my initials and metal straw..?, oven mitt with spoons and tabasco--such a cute and simple idea!
my grandmother still fills my stocking, which is funny because my uncle was telling his 8 year old daughter she was too old for grandma to keep doing that....lol, anyway, she usually puts snacks, candy and random things in there. this year, we got steripods, a cupcake divider thingy (split colored dough..?), and a brain teaser puzzle which took us about 5 minutes to break it apart, and like 5 hours to figure out how to put it back together. yeah... she did give us the solution, but you can only get so far with those...

liquid, powder

lamora beauty brush set, melodysusie makeup brush cleaning mat, treat jumbo lip balm in marshmallow cream, ecotools brush shampoo, ovonni brush tree (holds 26), ysl black opium perfume, trader joe's tea tree oil soap, becca glow on the go set in moonstone, pokeball bath bomb (there was a teeny murkrow inside!), pacifica deluxe travel kit
-- mini reviews!
- the ovonni brush tree. it's good but not the same as a benjabelle. the legs do not lock to the top part, so you have to be careful when moving the brush tree around. there are a ton of small holes in it, but the biggest ones are barely big enough for my sigma/lamora kabuki brushes. which sucks. anyway, moral of the story: for my needs, benjabelle's is better and i should just order their replacement legs or a larger one (i've dropped it twice and hot glued the pieces of the legs back together....)
- the melodysusie brush mat (no longer available on amazon??) is interesting. first off, it doesn't fit the sink i intended it for..which sucks. it's a smaller sink, so it's too big and i ended up getting the whole brush handle wet when trying to wash it. so i switched to a different sink. i'm not sure if the same would be true for the sigma spa mat, but every spot that has a suction cup underneath was annoying to use, like because of the lumpiness.., or the mat shifted or detached from the sink.. >.> it wasn't super awful once i got used to it, but i'm not a huge fan for these reasons. on another note, it did work well at helping me get the gunk out of my brushes.

hp pavilion 22cwa 21.5in monitor, black + decker toaster oven & pivot hand vac, jcp home blanket, covington anne booties (sears)
-- i bought these booties with some christmas money, but i'm on the fence about keeping the black ones... haven't figured out an outfit they work with. the grey ones are great though! i mean, the quality of the internal construction is kinda low..but if i'm wearing them, people aren't going to know, nor do the imperfections cause any discomfort. so i think they were worth the $15 i paid for them.

dorel living faux marble lift top storage coffee table (by the way, this is the couch we bought last year, mentioned it but didn't photograph it. those two pillows on the side came with it along with the two on the couch, but they aren't really our thing..)

december hauls & planner stickers

hi guys! this is a lil late, but here's the bit i pre-wrote... hope you all had a great holiday week!

it's been a busy december! as i mentioned several weeks ago, go live part one for my work project happened, and there's a lot of stuff going on with supporting that, then my usual tasks have been super awesome and clearly defined. LOL. not. but that's how life works, clients know what they don't want, but not always what they want. and they think about all scenarios for new features they want, HAHAHA. no, they actually haven't. but you know what, it's finally the holidays, and i took vacation time. yay! actually, so the point of this intro, seeing as though i went way off topic..., i didn't buy that much this month, partly because it was christmas, and going places is annoying. ~Lin-chan ^.~

popsugar must have (~$140 value)
odeme catchall & ring dish, baublebar snowfall pendant, mane message bobby pins, winky lux lip pill in bunny, sisters' gourmet baker's dozen chocolate chip cookie mix, dessange color protecting top coat serum

covergirl fuchsia forever, winky luxe bunny, elf natural glow face palette

winky luxe lipstick in bunny

target december beauty box (~$18 value)
covergirl outlast lip color in fuchsia forever, goody ouchless hair band & headband, tresemme expert beauty-full volume shampoo & conditioner, modella purse bag, almay eye makeup remover pads, nivea soft moisturizing cream, derma e firming dmae moisturizer, la roche-posay anthelios 50 mineral sunscreen

covergirl fuchsia forever

sephora $25 off $50: tarte tarteist pro to go eyeshadow palette, nest holiday candle mini, sephora collection citrus brush cleaner

drive, stylin, hype, crisp, boss, dominate

bubzbeauty pencils of promise 2016 shirt -- i was really excited when this shirt came in, but i didn't hand wash it and, it in the wash, and a lot of the black ink faded. i'm contemplating getting fabric markers to try to make the patchier areas less noticeable...we'll see how that goes..

i mentioned this in my november planner post, but i received a commendation at work, which included points to an internal store thingy. this store had soooo much stuff to choose from, to the point where i wondered if i would be judged if i wanted to order particular things. it was pretty boundless the types of items one could have redeemed for. i ended up spending most, but not all of my points on a pandora night sky charm (center), and i'll save the rest of my points for later in case i earn more (unfortunately you can't pay money for the balance on items that cost more points than what you have).

target dollar spot stickers and washi tape, kiss gel fantasy nails in faux real, elf daily brush cleaner & wipes (not pictured), and natural glow face palette, more washi tape, burt's bees vanilla bean lip balm and cuticle cream

planner stickers haul (here's the link to my etsy list of purchased planner stuff)
TheCoffeeMonsterzCO: face earth stickers are like the best idea ever, and i love the guy in the meeting sticker that is face-desking.

-- coupon code: THANKYOU15 for 15% off $25

OnceMoreWithLove: lets just summarize...i got a lot of the things between the anniversary, black friday/weekend sales. and i managed to get one of the oops bags!