Mani: [Stellare Notte]

Brand: Borghese

Name: Stellare Notte

Price: ~ $8.00

Color:  A dark teal green that purple, pink, green & blue shimmer.

Coats: Two


Topcoat: Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat

With Flash: you can see the teal/green color

 Without Flash: you can see the redy/purple color

This was a really difficult polish to photograph, but in the bottle you can see some of the shimmers.

xxx Mayumi

Shopping Bag [6]: E.L.F. Studio Line

A few weeks ago, there was a coupon code for 50% off all "Studio" items on eyeslipsface.com so I made an order for a few things I'd had my eye on for a while.

My Entire Purchase

Kabuki Face Brush: Original Price - $3.00

Compared with a MAC Kabuki (left). E.L.F. Kabuki (right). 

The MAC Kabuki is definitely more dense than the E.L.F. one, but the synthetic bristles of the E.L.F. one is softer than the natural bristles of the MAC. I will mention though, I've had my MAC Kabuki for almost 5 years & it's been washed countless times. Also, I would've liked the handle on the E.L.F. to be a little bit longer.

Stipple Brush: Original Price - $3.00

Compared to the MAC 187 (left). E.L.F. Stipple Brush (right).

Again, the bristles of the 187 is much denser, but the bristles of the E.L.F one. is softer.

Angled Contour Brush for eyes: Original Price - $3.00

At this time, I don't have anything to say about this brush since I haven't used it yet. 

"Studio" Eyelash Curler (left).  "Studio" Mini Eyelash Curler (right).

Comparison between the two.

I was disappointed that the Mini is flat. I tried it out once on outer corner lashes & it was extremely difficult to use :(

 Compared with the original E.L.F. Eyelash Curler (left). "Studio" Eyelash Curler (right). 

The overall size is pretty much the same, but the "Studio" Curler is slightly more rounded than the original. The "Studio" curler doesn't have the same spring effect that the original has.

 "Studio" blush in Gotta Glow: Original Price - $3.00

A white powder with gold shimmers. I think this is a great alternative to MAC Vanilla pigment for a cheek highlight as it gives a nice sheen without being overly shimmery or glittery.

"Studio" Cream Liner in Midnight: Original Price - $3.00

I was hoping this would be a noticeable navy blue on my eyes like it looks in the pot, but on the skin it looks more like a charcoal gray/blue. The product itself is very creamy & easy to use. It's not bad, just not what I thought it would be color-wise.

xxx Mayumi

Shopping Bag [5]: LUSH Post-Holiday Sale

{Originally Posted on January 14, 2011}

For this year's post-holiday sale at LUSH, it's buy one, get one on all soaps, the Christmas bath bombs, & Christmas gift boxes which runs til products run out. Originally, I was gonna get 2 Honey Farm gift boxes because I thought that ALL gift boxes were BOGO. But sadly, that wasn't the case so this time around, I left with the 6 items pictured above (plus 2 samples which I didn't photograph).

First up is probably going to be my favorite out of the 6 things purchased. The consistency is more liquidy compared to alot of the other shower gels, and the smell is really intense when you sniff this stuff straight from the bottle. It's really heavy on cinnamon & the scent of cinnamon isn't my favorite. Because of that, I almost didn't get this, but the sales girl that was helping me out assured me that the scent is much softer on your skin. And sure enough, in the shower the scent mellows out & I love it. This is an amazing shower gel to use in the colder months. I'm not sure how I'll feel about using it in the summer but we'll see when that time rolls around.

Glögg shower gel - 8.4 fl oz - $16.95.

Description on the LUSH USA website: "Glögg is a LUSH interpretation of a Swedish spin on festive mulled wine. While it may be tempting to take a swig of our festive shower gel, we recommend you save the warming effects of the organic red wine, brandy and spice oils for the benefit of your body. Winter can put a chill into your bones and leave you with toe-sicles; heat things up, get the circulation going and get into a lather with this instead. Glögg and Cinders are the duo for you if you find the cold of winter difficult to deal with and want to stoke the embers."

Next is the infamous Snow Fairy shower gel. I like this scent but I don't love it. It has a bubblegummy smell to it & while I like candy scents, I get bored with bubblegum scents easily. (I much prefer the smell of Godmother soap to this). I still have a little less than half a bottle left of one I bought last year, so I might try to return this & switch it out for another bottle of Glögg if my LUSH still has them in stock.

Snow Fairy shower gel - 8.4 fl oz - $16.95.

Description on the LUSH USA website: "...The sweet bubblegum and cotton candy scent of this shower gel has made it a clear winner with our customers ever since we first released it...."

The next two items are So White (left) & Cinders (right) bath bombs. I had tried out a couple So White bath bombs last year & liked the fresh scent & frothy effect it gave my bathwater. I was tempted to grab more than one, but I still had about 10 other LUSH bath bombs in my collection to use so I thought one was enough at this time. Last year, I passed on the Cinders bath bomb because I'm not the biggest fan of warm & spicy scents. But I decided to try one out this year since I thought it could be a good match with the Glögg shower gel.

So White bath bomb - 3.1 oz - $3.95

Description on the LUSH USA website: "...There's bergamot and orange blossom to help create that fresh, sweet scent, and soothing rose absolute to care for dry skin."

Cinders bath bomb - 3.1 oz - $3.95

Description on the LUSH UK website:Warming cinnamon, refreshing sweet orange and almond essential oils will make your day every time you have a bath. Use with Glögg shower gel for a warming bath-time cocktail that will feel like the cold is far, far away.

This is also another cult favorite & is also one of my favorite scents from LUSH. But since it's a little pricey at regular price, I had never purchased it for myself! They were all sold out when I checked out the sale last year, so you best bet I asked for a piece right away this time when I saw that the store still had some chunks left.

Honey I Washed The Kids soap - 3.5 oz - $7.95

Description on the LUSH USA website: "The irresistible toffee and honey. Once you've unwrapped this mouth-watering toffee scented soap, you'll immediately want to wash yourself all over with it...."

I like the unisex scent of Karma, but I think it's a little too strong to use on myself. This piece is actually for my boyfriend who was with me on my shopping trip. He's used this soap before & really liked it (& i really liked the scent on him as well), so I decided to get a piece for him again. Ladies, if you like this scent, I think that this is a great soap to get for the men in your life :)

Karma soap - 3.5 oz - $7.95

Description on the LUSH USA website: "Spicy patchouli is complemented with refreshing lemongrass, orange oil and pine to create a clean and lovely smell that lasts on the skin for ages after you've washed."

***Not pictured are 2 samples of Angels on Bare Skin & Aqua Marina cleansers that I got after I specifically asked for them at checkout. I have alot of skincare stuff already, and since these cleansers aren't the cheapest things ever, I usually ask for some samples anytime I'm in my LUSH. The sales associates are really nice and helpful, so don't be afraid to ask for samples the next time you're at a LUSH store :)

xxx Mayumi

Mani: [Emerald Fitzgerald]

 With Flash

Without Flash

Brand: China Glaze

Name: "Emerald Fitzgerald"

Amount: 14 mL / 0.5 fl. oz. bottle

Price: ~$6.50

Description: from the Vintage Vixen collection. A deep shimmery emerald green/teal color.

# of Coats: 2

Topcoat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

xxx Mayumi

Shopping Bag [4]: Drugstore-Discount Stores

{Originally Posted on October 14, 2010}

A few things I picked up last week at Walgreens, the $1.50 store, & a local drugstore.

Wet n Wild Color Icon™ Eyeshadow Single in 255B "Penny"

This is a shimmery bronze with gold flecks (not chunky glitter) and an orange undertone. I think it's a great Summer or Fall color.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Blendable Powder Blush & Highlighter in 008 "Spring Flower"

Since Fall is here, I wanted to try out a more plum-colored blush. My first thought was NARS "Sin", but I wanted to make sure I could pull off the look before I purchased a more expensive product. I saw this at my local drugstore & it happened to be 25% off so I picked it up! The left side is a matte pink, the center color is a shimmery neutral taupe with a hint of purple, & the right side color is a matte light plum color. Mixing all 3 colors (which is how I use it) gives a nice midtone pinky-plum shade with just a hint of sheen.

Wet n Wild Color Icon™ Eyeshadow Palette in 249 "Vanity"
Out of the 4 palettes, this was the only one I was interested in (although "Greed" is starting to look better everytime I see it lol). These are nice warm colors: 3 matte shades & 3 shimmery ones. I think I prefer the shimmery shades better but the darkest matte one is really nice. All colors can be worn year-round, but again, I think the shimmery ones are especially nice for Summer & Fall because of the warm golden look.

Wet n Wild Idol Eyes™ Cream Shadow in 130 "Pixie" 

I don't know what the cause is, but lately my waterline has been alot more red than usual. Not so much my eyes, but the waterline. I know, it's odd. I was thinking of getting a white liner to use on the waterline for daytime for a quick fix, but I know white is a bit harsh. So it was perfect that I saw this! It's a shimmery champagne color that's not too opaque with a nice creamy texture.

Wet n Wild Mega Last® Lip Color in 903C "Just Peachy" 

This looks like a pink color with a peach undertone in the tube, but on the lips, it goes on as a straight opaque peach on my lips.

Wet n Wild Mega Last® Lip Color in 918D Cherry Bomb

I find that I can't pull of the classic red lip, so I thought I'd try a darker red out. It looks like a vampy dark red in the tube, but when applied onto my lips it's more of an opaque berry red.

Here is a picture of all the swatches.

I know they're kinda hard to see, but ext time I'll be sure to take separate pictures!

 

     

These are 2 face scrubbers that I got from the Asian $1.50 store (Daiso).

 xxx Mayumi

Mani: [Snow Me White]

Brand: Sinful Colors Professional

Name: "Snow Me White" #001/101

Amount: 15 mL / 0.5 fl. oz. bottle

Price: $1.99 at Walgreens. $2.50 on Sinful Colors website

Color Description: A basic white with an opaque creamy finish.

# of Coats: 2

Topcoat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

My Opinion: I know most people use white polishes as a base color for more sheer polishes, but I like to wear the white all by itself! This polish went on smoothly & dried pretty quickly when I used the Seche Vite on top.

Ingredients: Ethyl & Butyl Acetate, Dimethicone Citric Acid, Nitrocellulose, Isopropyl Alcohol, Benzophenone-1, Neopentyl Glycol, Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Triphenyl Phosphate, Stearalkonium, Trimethyl Pentanyl, Hectorite/ Bentoniteadipic Acid, Dilsobutyrate. (+/-): Mica, Silica, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Yellow 5, Bismuth Oxychloride, D&C Red6, 7, 34, Ferric Ammonium/ Ferrocyanide, Polyethylene Terephthalate.

xxx Mayumi

Review [2]: Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Oil-Free Makeup

{Originally posted on October 6, 2010}

 What: Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Oil-Free Makeup
Color: 60 Natural Beige
Amount: 1 fl. oz. (30 ml)
Price: I've seen it range $9.99-$13.99 depending on the store


Description from Neutrogena Website:

"Neutrogena SkinClearing® oil-free makeup is the first and only liquid foundation formulated with MicroClear® technology to not only treat blemishes, but to also help prevent emerging breakouts. MicroClear® technology boosts the power of salicylic acid by breaking through oil and unclogging pores for fast acne relief.
Its shine-free, natural coverage lets skin breathe and won't clog pores.

*Natural look, breathable feel
*MicroClear® technology treats and helps prevent breakouts
*Controls shine and won't clog pores
*12 shades"


My experience:

1). Quick easy application with fingers=great for when you're in a rush
2). Light to borderline-medium coverage
3). Dries COMPLETELY matte
4). Doesn't treat acne I already have, but I do feel that it somewhat helps prevent more acne
     (I see only about 1/2 the amount of new acne popping up vs. other liquid foundations)
5). This formula exaggerates any dry areas you may have. To help alleviate this problem,
     I applied a heavier moisturizer to any dry patches first before applying the foundation.


Recommended for:

This foundation is best for people with oily, acne-prone, or oily-combination skin who want a light-feeling & light coverage foundation to cover up some discoloration or problem areas.

here is some of the foundation unblended

 here is the same patch of skin where the foundation was blended

xxx Mayumi

Mani: [Rose Bowl]

Brand: American Apparel
Color: Rose Bowl

# of Coats: 2
Topcoat: Seche Vite Dry Fast

Price: $6 each. $15 for 3. $32 for 7 (on the website only).
Amount: 0.5 oz (15ml) bottle

My Description: A midtone pink with a yellow-beige undertone that has an opaque cream finish. The last picture does not depict the polish's true color. I took it to show the quality of the polish after 1 day of wear.

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocelliulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Isopropyl Alcohol, Camphor, Benzophenone-1.

Random Sidenote: Every time I look at my nails, I always think "this would be such a pretty lipstick color!" lol

xxx Mayumi

*Fifth picture taken from the american apparel website