Vacation Break!!!

Tomorrow I'm going to California!  I've traveled to Europe and  Asia (I don't remember the experience because I was still a baby) before but I've never ventured to the west coast.  After graduation, I want to take a little vacation.  It's kind of like a little reward to myself after 5 years of architecture school.  And I'm going to see the JYJ concert!!!  I'm so excited.  I have been a fan for 5 years when the group (which now consists of 3 members) were a group of 5.  I still support them.  ALWAYS KEEP THE FAITH!

I'm going to the northern part, not the south where LA is located.  So no Disneyland or Hollywood for me.  Next time though =)  I'm very excited to visit San Francisco.  The city is on the top places to live if I ever want to move.  It's similar to NYC but from what I heard and see online, the atmosphere is more relaxed and friendly.

I love going on vacation because I like packing.  It's weird.  I like to research places to go, what to wear, the weather and attractions.  Maybe because I am now an unemployed college graduate with nothing better to do at home.  But I don't like travelling on airplanes.  I don't like to sit for 8 hours non-stop especially in the air!  I wish in the future, there is a faster way of traveling like a teleportation device.  Only in my dreams...

Happy Memorial Day.  Enjoy your weekend and take care =)

HUGE ELF HAUL!!!

My ELF package came yesterday.  I was so excited.  I completed the order on Wednesday afternoon and it was shipped later in the day.  I am so impatient waiting for packages to arrive so for this ELF order, I stalk the FedEx website to see where my package is.  So onto the goodies!!!

=)

The ones I love:

This color is GORGEOUS!!!  I used to have the midnight one (it's a dark blue) but it was too dark.  This would be so perfect for spring and summer.  This color was recently released.

I got the Day 2 Night quad because emilynoel83 raved about it.  I can see why.  I love all of the colors in this quad.  I received the Drama quad as a free gift (hurray for freebies).  I love all of the colors here.  These quads are pigmented and creamy.  LOVEEE!

The color is so pretty.  It is a pink sheer color with gold shimmers.  It looks very natural.  The only thing I don't like is the packaging.  It took me awhile to know how to open it and when I did, it felt a little flimsy.  

 I was so lucky because these new studio blushes came out just before I completed my order.  I love every single one of them.  I almost have a complete collection of the studio blushes.  Giddy Gold is a bronzey peach color with shimmer.  Twinkle Pink is a hot pink with glitter (hence the name "Twinkle Pink").

The cream eyeshadow in Eggplant is a bit deceiving.  I expected a purpley tone but it;s more of a muddy brown.  But I like the texture.

I like these colors.  I don't have a lot of matte eyeshadows so these are great.  My favorite is Muted Mauve.  it is a pale powdery pink color.  Baked Berry is like a muddy brown (color is similar to the Eggplant cream eyeshadow).

 I LOVE MY MINERAL EYESHADOWS!!!  Every shadow is so pigmented.  You only need a small dab.  And they look multi-dimensional.  In different lighting, the colors look different.  Outdoorsy is so deceiving.  It looks like a foresty green in the packaging.  But when swatched, it's a gorgeous dark green that looks black in some lighting.  My camera failed to capture the gorgeousness of Outdoorsy.  It is dark green with gold, olive and even bronze shimmers.  This is a complex shade to describe.  Smoldering is a silvery blue color and Flirty is a bright cool-toned purple.  It reminds me of WetnWild Kitten but much more pigmented. 

I like me some lip glosses!!!  I love these colors.  They smell so delicious.  But they are a little sticky.  

Borderline:

 Beauty Encyclopedia in Sparkle Eye Edition

 Includes: 12 eyeshadows, 2 cream eyeshadows, 1 eyeliner in Coffee, 1 dual sided sponge tip applicator

 swatches galore:

I like most of the eyeshadows especially the 4 colors on the second row and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th color on the third row.  I HATED the 1st one on the third row.  I couldn't get a decent swatch because it was hard (literally).  I had to use my fingernail to scratch the surface.  And when I did get some color, it was crumbly.  =(

Don't like:

Look what happened to my Cherry Tart lip stick!!!  I twisted the applicator for the color to come up but the top broke off.  I couldn't get a proper swatch from it.  I wrote a email to ELF and hopefully they;ll get back to me.  

EDIT: Elf sent me a new Cherry tart lip stick.  This one is not damaged and I am loving it so far.  The color is red and is buildable.  It has a bit of a minty smell to it which I love.  For the damaged lipstick, I deposited it into a sample jar.  I don't want to waste a good product no matter how inexpensive it is.

Mascara Review- Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

I just bought this mascara recently.  I have barely there bottom lashes so I want something that would make it look like I have some.  It costs $10 in Sephora.  The mascara is really small and portable (0.07 oz).  The mascara bottle is so cute.  It has a pretty black floral motif on the silver bottle.

(from Sephora):

What it is:

A mascara with a brush specifically designed for coating the bottom lashes.

What it does:

This mascara's brush was engineered to grasp even the tiniest of bottom lashes; its expert formula resists pesky smears.

The brush is pretty cool.  One side has longer bristles and the other side has shorter ones.  I got used to the brush.  I use the shorter bristle side first to coat my bottom lashes then use the other side to separate them.  I find the formula to be a little too wet and you will get clumpy lashes if you keep on building it up.  

Before applying mascara and curling lashes.  Try to find my barely visible lashes. =P

 After mascara and curling lashes.  The mascara coats the lashes nicely.  I have to try not to give it more than two coats or else my lashes stick together.  I was trying to use it on my top lashes that we curled but the mascara was too small or the formula was too wet so it weighed down the curl.  I was hoping I could also use the mascara for the outer edge of my top lashes.  

This is the third coat.  See how my lashes stick together?  Yuck =(

Overall, this mascara is good for bottom lashes only.  The wet formula makes the lashes weigh down so it's good for the bottom lashes and BAD for the top lashes.  I like the wand.  It coats and separates each lashes nicely.  

EDIT: I returned the mascara.  I'm not a big fan of Clinique to begin with (ex: eye shadows, lip glosses) so I guessed I was thrown off with the gimmick thing.  Or maybe because there is no help for my super short lower lashes.  And the hunt continues...

Haul+Shopping Trip

I went shopping yesterday and I took advantage of the Ojon event at Sephora.  You trade in an empty bottle of shampoo or conditioner (any brand) and you get two FULL-SIZE bottles of Ojon Restorative Shampoo and Ojon Restorative Conditioner.  woohoo.  I also bought the Clinique bottom lash mascara.  I want to see if it works on my barely there lower lashes (review and pics to follow).

I also went to Bath and Body Works.  I am in the 'I LUV BBW' Club so in a Thursday of every month, you go to a BBW and you get free gifts.  This time I received a mini scented candle and a PocketBac.  I also had a coupon for a free signature item when you purchase $10 or more.  I went to Forever 21 and just purchased a pair of bracelets for graduation.  I love the clothes and accessories at F21 but it just seems a bit too trendy for me.  I feel that once the season is over, you'll find most of these items on the sale rack.  And the clothes are getting pricier.

I also went to H&M and got two jersey dresses (no pics).  I find that H&M is also trendy but it carries more classic pieces than F21.  I like H&M for the clothes and I like F21 for the accessories.

I also went to Hollister to return a dress.  I went to the one on Soho, the gray building on the corner of the street.  I hated it!!!!!!  Inside was so dark!  How can one be able to walk and see?  And inside is a maze!  I actually had to ask someone where the cashier is.  It turns out it's on the 2nd floor.  -_-"  And the stairs are a hazard.  Since it's so dark you can't see where each landing is and the stripes on the steps only made it worse.  And the music is so loud.  I couldn't hear the cashier when she was asking for my information.  And talking about the sales associates, they are rude.  They practically shoved the mailing list at me to fill it out.  The place is very unprofessional but I think it's aimed towards teens.  I'm not a teenager anymore so maybe that's why I have this kind of rant against that place.

I also got new glasses =)  My old one was from 3 years ago and it is broken.  My insurance covered the glasses and frames but I chose to get anti-glare ones so it costs $40 (I had a discount so the original price was $55).  I paid just $40 for my glasses so hurray for connections.

Ojon Restorative shampoo and conditioner- free

BBW Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Blushing Mimosa- $2.50 (orig. $5)

BBW Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Berry Parfait- $2.50 (orig. $5)

BBW Triple Moisture Shower Cream in Secret Wonderland- free

BBW Scent Portable Fragrance Refills in Lilac Blossom- $5

BBW Scent Portable Fragrance Refills in Sweet Pea- $5

BBW Scented Candle in Island Colada- free

BBW PocketBac in Carribean Escape- free

F21 pearl and gold bracelets/bangles- $4.80

Clinique bottom lash mascara- $10

Physician's Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Gel Cream/Liner in Brown Eyes (swatches and review)

I recently bought the Physician's Formula  Custom Eye Enhancing Gel Cream/Liner in Brown Eyes.  It comes in three stackable pots of liners- brown, purple, and black, and a brush. 

brown

purple

black

(L to R): black, purple, brown

(The lighting makes the brown one look black but it's a dark brown)

I like it a lot.  Simple as that.  =)

Little tidbits:
- It is water resistant (the black didn't last that long as compared to the brown and purple)
- creamy.  There was no tugging on my lids.
- cute packaging and portable.  I can stack them up or unstack them and put one in my makeup bag.
- the brush that comes with it is soft but it's too big and wide to be used as an eyeliner.
- My favorite is purple =)  I have too many black liners and the brown is a bit too dark for my liking.

Mascara Review- WetnWild Mega Wink

My first mascara review.
First up is the WetnWild Mega Wink mascara in Very Black.
Price: $2.99 (I got it for free during a sale)
Thoughts: The thing that caught my eye was the brush.  I don't have a curved brush in my stash and I also need help in the curling department.  I used it and the formula is a bit too wet for my liking.  It doesn't do anything to my lashes.  =(

I have sparse pin straight lashes so I need volume and curl.  I tried this mascara out today on my lashes that were curled.  After using this mascara, my lases UNCURLED!!!  This was actually my second WetnWild mascara that I tried.  Th first one was the MegaProtein one and that one was also a total fail..  I absolutely love WetnWild for their e/s, nail polishes, eye liners, and blush...but they should retire in the mascara department.

I didn't take pictures of my lashes because it was that bad.

Final Verdict:  This mascara is going straight in the trash.  I was also disappointed in the brush.  It looked like it would curl, but it was useless..

The brush is deceiving.  It looks more promising than it actually is.

The stopper.

The brush after I dipped it into the tube.  You can see how wet the formula is.

NOTD- Color Blocking

My first Nail Of The Day post!  Sorry that the application is a bit messy.  I just took a quick picture right after it dried.  I used WetnWild MegaLast nail colors in Club Havana and Through The Grapevine.  I love these nail polishes.  They are smooth and not thin (ahem, ELF).  I did a color block mani.  I like it and it's different and bold).  I love the color combination.

Beauty, Shoes and Food Haul

Today is Sunday...which means yesterday was Saturdayyy and tomorrow will be Mondayy.  LOL.  It means that today is the start of drugstore sales.  I always check the circulars for good deals.  I only went to Rite Aid today because ALL WetnWild items are BOGO FREE!!!! woohooo!! 

L'Oreal 360 Clean Anti-Breakout Cleanser- $4.99

WetnWild MegaLast nail colors in Red Tape, Club Havana, Through The Grapevine, 2% Milk- $3.98 total (check the upcoming post for a NOTD)

Walking On Eggshells e/s trio- $2.99

WetnWild MegaWink mascara- FREE

This purchase was from last week.  I had a $5 off any Physician's Formula product.  

Custom Eye Enhancing Gel Cream/Liner in Brown Eyes (whew,such a long name)- $5.99

(swatches to come)

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I FINALLY GOT NUDE PUMPS!!!! I've been looking everywhere for the perfect pair!  Some are too tall, some have heels that are like toothpicks, and etc.  But these pairs are perfect.  I got two because I couldn't decide and these were on sale at Macy's.

Etienne Aigner Day Shoes in Toronne- $49.99--> $32

Anne Klein Wystere pumps in Natural- $69.99--> $57

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Mini pastry tarts from Venieros (in the East Village)

Mandarin Orange, Kiwi, Raspberry, Strawberry= YUM!!!