Haul: Kicks + Rite Aid + Ulta

I don't know what happened in the last week but I somehow managed to go to Lady Foot Locker (though this was planned), Rite Aid and Ulta and bought goodies! Some I needed and some I maybe kinda sorta impulse bought? >_<

Nike

I done did it you guys! I bought my first pair of Nikes! That probably has no grounds for excitement for anyone. At the age of 30, I finally got my own pair!

I am not a sneaker person. They make me feel like a boy so I hate wearing them especially if they are black. I need my sneakers to be something girly looking like pink or purple.

I never thought to buy Nikes because they are expensive and everyone has them. Part of me did not want to give in. I did not want to spend so much money to buy a name brand shoe. I'm not a name brand type of gal.

The more I became a Zumba princess (LOL), the more interested I became in sneakers and the higher my urge became in wanting Nikes. They come in such fun, bright GIRLY colors!

I FINALLY CAVED!!! And I feel no shame ;)

Nike Women's Free Flyknit TR 5.0 Training Shoe

The Pros:
- Color
- Lightweight : great for Zumba
- Flexible
- Purple! :P

The Cons:
- The shoelaces are practically ribbon. I need to replace them

- This black insert is kind of like partial sock. It sometimes gets in the way of putting on my shoe. It is very flexible so it's easy to step on when putting on the shoe.

Now, the makeup!

Wet 'N Wild Kohl Eye Liners

Top : 605A Don't Leaf Me!

Bottom : 610A Of Quartz

The green is a beautiful olive green / military green with shine. It applies evenly as you can see.

The purple was ehh. It was chunky. I even swatched it again hoping the first swatch was just warming up.

I swatched each of them again, but this time I wanted to just do a line. Again, the green swatched smoothly and perfectly. The purple was still chunky. Sucks.

Don't Leaf Me! on bottom line. It does not look green on the eyes which is a letdown. 

Of Quartz did show purple 

Both liners did not make it throughout the day even WITH primer. No traces of them at the end of my work day. It was like I didn't even put on liner. The green swatched beautifully but the color payoff wasn't the same on my eyes. Sad.

Essence Lip Liner + Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor

Top : Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

Bottom : Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve

Top : Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

Bottom : Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve

The essence lipliner is beauuuuuutiful. I was trying to find a matching color and the closest I could find in my time-crunch hunt at Ulta was the Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve. It's actually a little darker in person and to my dismay, it has a shimmery, shiny finish. For now, I can just dab with a tissue to reduce shine.

Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve

Ahhhh so beautiful!!! If only it came in lipstick form. The pencil gets used up pretty quickly needing a constant sharpening. I know this color is in demand when I grab the very last one. Luck was on my side that day! :D

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve

I was really hoping this lipstick was matte but it definitely isn't! It has a super sheen finish to it, almost shimmery but not quite frosty. I tried to convince myself that it would be okay, that all I had to do was dab it with a tissue to remove the top layer of shimmer...I eventually returned it.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in On The Mauve after dabbing

Lipstick over the liner + dabbing

Redkin Shampoo

Redkind Color Extend Shampoo + Condition

This was recommended by a friend. I had told her that my hair just kept fading to orange whenever I went lighter. My hair would fade to orange in 3-4 weeks. That is way quicker than it should. I can't really say if it works or not. I last got my hair done in late August and it has faded, but this time NOT orange as I got my hair dyed an ash brown. I like the lighter color it has faded to now so hopefully the shampoo will keep the color at what it is....is that what would happen??

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

This was part of the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals. Original $24, sale $10. This is also the purchase (besides the shoes) that I was most excited about. I never buy purchase non-drugstore mascara when the drugstore has some really great ones.

The only downside to this mascara is THAT I LOVE IT. Not a good idea to fall in love with expensive things :(

<3

Revlon Precision Clear Lash Adhesive

At some point in time, +AprilAthena7 of Youtube's AprilAthena7 had mentioned this as her favorite lash clue and I had to get my hands on it. I use the ever so popular Duo glue but dang, that glue smells so bad, it feels wrong putting something that funky smelling on my eyes. Can't wait to try them!

Ardell Natural 109

I really did not need another pair of lashes, but they were there and they called out to me >_< I have tried Ardell Natural lashes before and loved them. I am not sure if 109 is the only set of natural lashes, but all I know is that the ones I tried were "Natural." Soooo....I just had too.

That's all for my haul. 

When I think about it, it wasn't too bad :D I don't think I went too crazy as the majority of my purchases are drugstore....right? Right?? LOL


Xoxoxox

Review: Rimmel Provocalips

I know there are tons of blog posts and video reviews about the new Rimmel Provocalips 16Hr Kissproof Lip Color. 

Everyone's experience is different. And everyone's lips are different. Some lipsticks do better on some and not so good on others. That's why I enjoy doing these reviews despite the countless reviews out there.

THE COLORS:

Make Your Move, I'll Call You, Little Mynx, Heartbreaker, Play With Fire, Kiss Fatal

Make Your Move, I'll Call You, Little Mynx, Heartbreaker, Play With Fire, Kiss Fatal

My faves are Make Your Move and Play With Fire. I wore Kiss Fatal once and I did like it too, but I don't remember how much I liked it. I do remember it not being as purple as I had hoped, definitely not like the packaging color. I also see myself wearing I'll Call You throughout spring.

Little Mynx was way too bright for my taste. Heartbreaker reminded me of a more mature red. I gave both away.

THE PROCESS:

It is a two step application process:

1. Apply color

2. Apply clear coat

MY LIPS LOWDOWN

Before I talk about the wear power, I just want to give you the lowdown on my lips. My lips are weird and annoying. They cannot take lip products for a long time. Take the NYX Matte Lip Creams for example. Within 30 minutes, the lipstick is peeling in my inner lips. Then there are others who can wear this for hours and eat and nothing come off. "Long wear" has never worked for my lips. You know how people say their lashes can't hold a curl? Well, my lips can't hold lipstick.

WEAR TEST: Make Your Move

9am - Pretty glossy, pretty fresh

1:20pm - The glossiness has disappeared (which I prefer), but you can see peeling on the top of my bottom lip

1:20pm touch-up - I only touched up where lipstick had worn off

5pm - It looked worse in person. I ended up dragging the color off the bottom lip and applying a similar lipstick color

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wear time: It does last longer than normal lipsticks (and definitely longer than the coveted NYX Matte Lip Cream). 

The pros: It is long wearing, so long wearing that you need makeup remover to remove the lipstick. I definitely need it to remove the pigment on my upper lip.

The cons: Because you do need makeup remover, it makes touchups challenging. It gets pretty cakey and chunky after reapplying. However, the longer the lipstick is on, the more apt I am able to wipe it off but with great pressure. I try to wipe off (usually my bottom lip) the lipstick and start over. Because Make Your Move is a "your lips but better" color, I can get by with the fading color as it is less noticeable. If I were to wear a more vibrant color like I'll Call You, the signs of wear would be more prominent because there would be chunks of color missing. You would be able to see it even on my top lip with a more vibrant color. I do not wear this lipstick if I am not able to take my time touching up just because it does get cakey. For an event that's a few hours, it would be perfect.

Drying?: Yes and no. If I apply a lip balm beneath the lip color, I will be fine. I do not know if this is just me, but the more vibrant the color, the more drying it felt. Applying lip balm on top helps for a few hours. I do recommend lip balm before application.

Mess-free: I love that I can kiss my nephew and my boyfriend and not see remnants of lipstick on them. I do see pieces of color on my straw or food (like bread, for example), but definitely not as much as it would have been with normal lipstick. 

Would I repurchase? I would say yes. I do want to try other similar lipsticks, but I am a fan of the Rimmel Provocalips. It's not perfect, but it will do for now. This is definitely the longest wearing lipstick I have ever worn. 

Have you tried these bad boys?

If so, what do you think?

<3<3<3

Winter 2014/2015 Favorites

I don't know if it has anything to do with global warming, but Los Angeles has not had a proper winter in the last few years. I am so very sad that I didn't get to maximize the use of boots, scarves and light peacoats this past winter.

We've had some chilly nights and maybe two weeks tops of real cold, wintery days. However, we did experience a good week of rain - so good that it knocked my power out the day before my 8:30am job interview. Other than that and the occasional sporadic rain, winter in LA was winter in LA.

Here are my favorites:

FACE

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer

This with the NYX setting spray (featured in my Fall Favorites 2014) is a match made in heaven!! It definitely keeps me as matte as possible during the warmer, sweat-worthy LA weather. After using this primer with the NYX setting spray, I found makeup to last longer! My bronzer and blush are still prominent on my cheeks by the end of the day.

Flat Top Kabuki by Beauty Junkees

I heard about this from Youtube's saaammage. She mentioned it in one of her videos and offered a discount code via Amazon. The brush ended up being $6 pre-tax, pre-shipping fees. I am so happy with this brush. It works just as well as Sigma's $18 flat top kabuki and 1/3 of the price. I've experienced no shedding in the last 3 months that I have had it. It blends smoothly, is dense and very soft at the same time. 

LIPS

Wet N Wild's Sugar Plum Fairy and NYX's Aria were both in my Fall 2014 favorites as well, but I could not help rocking it all Winter long too. I am going to miss these colors during Spring as I tend to gravitate towards my pinks.

Rimmel London Provocalips in Make Your Move

For those that like/love this lipstick, consider this to be the "Your Lips But Better" lip color and I must agree. It is long lasting which makes me gravitate towards this product. This product is not completely perfect and I'll talk more about that in an upcoming review.

Rimmel London Provocalips in Play With Fire

This is not my most favorite shade of red, but I love that it's red lipstick that will not get all over the place. I've heard great things about Sephora's Cream Lip Stain in 01/Always Red and can't wait to eventually try it.

NAILS

Zoya - Juno

I got this on clearance at ULTA for $4.50. What a steal! I love it and wore this soooo many times February and March. It's a beautiful purple with flecks of shimmer. Gorgeous :)

SHOES

Rampage Jaycer Booties

I got these online on Macys.com during the Black Friday sale last November. I have always wanted to own combat boots but thought they weren't for me. My new life goals are to just do what I want, dress how I want, without thinking too much about what people are to used to seeing me wear or what they would think. I got these bad boys on sale for $19.99. I can't remember the original price (I think it was $50. It is currently on Overstock for $54.99. I initially got brown in a size 7.5. They were way too big. I went to the store to exchange them and ended up getting a 7 in taupe. I love it! I wish it was chillier so I can still wear them. It is now flip flop weather in Los Angeles. 

PLACE 

Planet Fitness

I have been getting my workout on! I used to think this gym was a joke because it was $10/month. Boy was I wrong! It is legit! AND IT'S SO PURPLE INSIDE! It's amazing. I still have my 24 Hours Fitness membership which is set to expire in May. I am just totally digging this gym. The equipment is female friendly and amateur friendly. The staff are so nice and they are always (ALWAYS!) cleaning. It never smells. It's never dirty. I am so happy PF moved into town.

PERSON

Ben

We celebrated our three years in February. He's my best friend, my prince, and my boo boo bear. LOL. Just being in his company makes me happy. He also got his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in March. Way to go! He gave me a little shout out in his speech that made me melt into a pile of mush <3

I am really excited to see what Spring has in store for me :)

What were your go to products this past winter?

What do you look forward to in Spring?

<3<3<3

Fall 2014 Favorites

This past Fall have been the season for me to fall more in love with makeup. I tried a few products that have got me head over heels over this season's makeup trends, both old and new!

Maybelline Vollum'Express: The Rocket Mascara

I know, I know. This mascara is old news, but it is new news to me! For the past how many years, I've been loyal to Maybelline's Volum'Express: Falsies. This year, I started branching out and trying new mascaras. I decided to give this a try this Fall and I am so happy that I did. I mean, look at my lashes! :) I own false lashes to make my lashes look that way :) Next up on my "To Try" list is Maybelline's Lash Sensational Mascara. Has anyone tried it?

NYX Matte Setting Spray

I LOVE THIS!!!!! I am currently using my second bottle. I actually think this works even better than the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray. That's a big claim especially since I love the UD spray. The NYX setting spray just really made my makeup last all day. If my blush and bronzer are still on by the end of the day, that's how I know the setting spray has worked. The UD is longlasting, but by the time I get home from work, my blush and bronzer have lightened to little to nothing. With NYX, I look nearly the same as I had left the house :)

Best way to use it: Put your moisturizer on, set, primer, set, setting spray, set, apply makeup.

I have heard the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Makeup Spray was a great drugstore setting spray.  I do want to try it but it's more costly. 

NYX - 2.3 fl oz at $7.99 - $8.99

L'Oreal - 3.4 fl oz at $13.99 - $16.99

Urban Decay - 4 fl oz at $30.00

Urban Decay - 1 fl oz at $14

Even though L'Oreal has more product in it, it's still pricier per fl oz.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

(Picture from Target website)

There are mixed reviews about this nail polish, but aren't there always? You cannot buy the polish without the top coat. TRUST. For me, the polish wore off just like any other polish would within a few days. The top coat works magic for me. It made my polish last for a week. Together, it does look and feel like you have gel nails on. It's shiny and sturdy. I love it! It's $9.99 each so definitely wait for drugstore promos such as BOGO 50% off. I am currently (and anxiously) awaiting the next BOGO sale from Ulta. Hurry, Ulta, hurry!!

NYX Matte Lipstick in Aria

Vampy is definitely back this Fall. I've never felt bold enough to wear a more vampy lip, but 2014 was my year to unleash the styles I wanted to be no matter how timid I felt. I always stayed safe with natural styles because it was expected of me, but heck! This year, I learned to just be me. Aria is definitely a gorgeous color, both in photos and in person.  It has fuchsia/magenta tones embedded in it so it makes it easier to transition to a vampy look if that's not what you're used to. The color is just so beautiful! I wish I could wear this every single day :)

Wet N Wild Megalast Lip Color in Sugar Plum Fairy

Another vampy look! I know this is similar to NYX's Aria, but this color is darker and less pink. The more you layer, the more plum the color becomes. So beautiful!! 

I cannot wait to see what I fall in love with this Winter :)

What were your Fall faves?

<3<3<3

Crazy for Lippies Part 2: Wet N Wild

As mentioned, here is part 2 of my Crazy for Lippies installment. If you're interested, check out Part 1 in which I talk about my most recent NYX purchases. 

This post is about my [kind of recent] Wet N Wild haul. At $1.99/lipstick, how am I not supposed to get as many as I can??

I picked up 5 colors: Don't Blink Pink, Smokin Hot Pink, Stoplight Red, Cherry Picking, Sugar Plum Fairy.

Here are the arm swatches:

I included arm swatches in two different lighting.  

Here are the lip swatches. Just a little disclaimer, I tried to take pictures in different lighting to see how the color would fare. That is why I am lighter in some shots and darker in others. Enjoy :)

Don't Blink Pink

Verdict: Looks great in pictures, but in person, it's just way too bright for me. I'm not sure how I feel about this color quite yet. Maybe I'll feel more confident rocking it when I have a bit color in my complexion Spring/Summer. It was just too Nicki Minaj for me. But unlike Nicki, it was just not working 

Smokin' Hot Pink

Verdict: I do like this color too. Less vibrant than Don't Blink Pink, but still pretty vibrant. It's darker than Don't Blink Pink which makes it less overwhelming. A beautiful, fun color for Spring/Summer

Stoplight Red

Verdict: Before this purchase, I only owned one red lipstick by NYX. It was a red lip pencil (name, can't remember sorry!). I saw swatches of this color on other makeup lovers and dang, it looked so pretty on them! I don't know why there's so much shine on my lips? Maybe it was the light? Maybe I should have blotted it first? I'm not a glossy, shiny lip person. Love it on others, not so much on me. Lastly, I'm not a fan of bright red lipstick on myself. This color is way too bright. I love dark, deep wine reds or brick reds

Cherry Picking

Verdict: I thought it was going to be more purple-y because the sticker on the lipstick looks a little purple/plum to me or am I colorblind? The color is still nice. It's like a pinky red. I do look forward to rocking this later on as the weather warms up

Sugar Plum Fairy

Verdict: Definitely my favorite of all my Wet n Wild purchases. I've been totally digging the vampier purple lip. I love this one! Makes me feel pretty badass ;) I have been rocking this and NYX's Aria all Fall and Winter. And heck, if I still have some by the time Spring and Summer roll around, I'm sure I'll be wearing it then too.

I love lipstick! :)

One of my best friends enabled me by gifting me the Tarte Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set. I've tried on all except the lip glosses. I love all the darker colors. Not so much the nude. I'll try to do a lip swatch post for these as well.

(Tarte photos taken from Sephora website)

I am excited to play around with these! :D

If I didn't say it already, HAPPY NEW YEAR. I know totally random placement, but I think I hadn't greeted you yet.

May 2015 come out with more beautiful colors and may I find more control in purchasing them!! haha, maybe?

<3<3<3