Sephora Samples

Along with the early bday gift sent from Sephora by Fresh, I also got some luxury skincare product samples.  I had a chance to try them all yesterday.  Here is what I received as well as my first impressions:

Amande Firming & Smoothing Milk Concentrate by L'Occitane.  Otherwise known as body lotion.  I just LOVE how the more expensive a product is, the longer, more highfalutin, and convoluted the name is! :D :D :D  Description from manufacturer: "This super-smooth body cream is rich in almond oil and almond milk to nourish the skin and leave it soft as satin."  I applied this cream all over after my morning shower.  My opinion?  Moisturizing?  Check.  Smells good?  Check.  Smooths and softens skin?  Check, check.  It does everything a good lotion is supposed to do.  Bonus points for a having a sweet, creamy scent.  I actually might purchase a full-sized jar...at $44 USD for 7 oz. of product, it's priced a little steep, but a girl should treat herself every once in awhile, right?

Next up:

LA BASE Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer by Lancome.  The product itself is a clear gel that you apply to your face prior to applying foundation.  It's lightweight, smooth, and finishes matte.  It's purpose is to smooth out pores, fine lines, and other little irregularities on the skin to provide a super-silky surface for flawless foundation.  Yes, it does work!  I carefully pat my BB cream on after application and my face looked like live Photoshop.  However a bottle will set you back $42 USD and reviewers have complained that it only lasts a month.  ELF offers a comparable product, Studio Mineral Face Primer, for only $6 USD.  If you want to save some money, I'd say that's the way to go.

And, lastly:

Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer by Smashbox.  Manufacturer's description: "This breakthrough, ultrahydrating formula primes the undereye area while reducing the look of fine lines, puffiness, wrinkles, age spots, and dark circles."  Meh.  This product didn't really do anything for me, although it may be because I'm not really afflicted with any of the problems that it's supposed to correct.  If anything, I guess I would describe it as an under-eye brightener.  For $29 USD?  I think I'm going to pass.

That's the scoop for the day!  Happy Saturday everyone! :)

Hugs,
Cat

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

I just got the neatest little gift set from Sephora today!  A mini lip treatment duo from Fresh:

I received two adorable little lip balms, one original clear and the other in a sheer, rosy tint.  They're both buttery smooth, are lemony-sweet scented, have sun protection, and keep my lips super-soft!  Love 'em! :D

Back To School Blues

Lol, well, not really.  It's good to start a fresh new school quarter.  I'm looking forward to the hustle and bustle and creative challenges that my latest courses will bring.  Better to be busy than to be idle, I think.  More time spent productively than getting into trouble. *wink wink*

Anyways, highlights of my day include:

Drinking my morning tea from my cute new bear cup with a bear-faced lid!  Soooooo adorable, hehe.

Watching the late-summer sunlight filter through the changing leaves on campus. *sigh*  It'll be sad to see the warm weather go...

Just wanted to share my first day with you guys!  Happy Wednesday all!

Hugs,
Cat

FOTD: Yellow & Blue

Hey all, just playing around with my new UD stuff as well as some old stuff.  Here's today's face!

I realized, for as long as I've had my Coastal Scents Original 88 palette, I've never actually touched the bright yellow that's included in it.  So I thought I'd pair it with UD's Minx:

Drat my stupid bathroom lighting!  It looks so much more vibrant in person.  Wish you guys could see it! :(

So it's Coastal Scents yellow and  UD Minx on the eyes with black eyeliner and my fav Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara.  I have ELF Studio Blush in Tickled Pink on my cheeks and UD's Pocket Rocket gloss in Dustin on my lips.  Lol, "Dustin on my lips..." sounds so wrong! (my new lip glosses crack my hubby up!)

Last day of my summer vacay!  School starts tomorrow...waaaaaaaaaaah!  Oh well, brings me THAT much closer to getting my degree. :)  Happy Tuesday!

Hugs,
Cat

Latest UD Haul, Swatches, and Review

Okie dokie!  I got a chance to try out my new UD stash yesterday I've got pictures and reviews!  Here's my latest UD face:

So, let's talk eyeshadow, specifically Minx:

Minx looks slightly intimidating pressed in its little container, but the color applies as a shimmery pale blue with the slightest hint of green, packed with sparkly silver glitter.  I know that we all LOVE a good dose of heavy pigmentation, but in this case, I found the more subtle look to be very feminine and romantic.  Reminds me of Cinderella.  There a bit of fallout from the glitter, but I feel that a small amount of sparkle on my cheeks makes me a little more glamorous...like a fairy princess! :D  Loved it so much that I wore it two days in a row!  Since Minx is so gorgeous, I simply chose to do a monochromatic color wash on the top and bottom lids accentuated with black liner as not to upstage it with any additional hues.

Next up, Pocket Rocket glosses:

Dustin

Max

Rashad

You all know that I love a fun, bright lip!  But for a smoldering, sexy look, I love pairing smokey eyes with a high nude lip, which is why I chose to go with these more subdued gloss shades this time around.

All shades are translucent/sheer.  Dustin is a brownish nude with glitter particles.  It's the deepest of the three shades and shows up more dominantly than the other two on my lips.  Max is more of a true nude with the barest hint of shimmer.  I felt like I was applying a glossy concealer to my lips when I tried it on, but really, I love it so much.  I think it would look amazing with a super-smokey eye!  Rashad is a creamy, neutral, medium pink that is just so flirty and girly.  I love them all and can totally see myself going through a pale-lip phase for the next several weeks!

And finally, De Slick:

It's a super-fine oil-control mist that has a light, but not unpleasant, fragrance and literally feels like nothing on your face!  Spray it on before makeup application to control oil at the pore level, and then after makeup to set and seal.  I was most excited about this product because my oily complexion requires several powder touch ups throughout the day to hide my shiny spots.  Here are comparison photos of me in fresh makeup and then 12 hours later with the help of De Slick:

It's a little hard to tell because the "before" image was taken in the morning with a combination of natural and artificial light.  The "after" image was taken late at night with only artificial light, so the colors are slightly off.  Also, it looks like after 12 hours of wear, my eyeliner has run a little and my gloss (Rashad) has all but worn off! Lol.  But anyways, back to De Slick.  Though wouldn't say that it's a miracle oil control product, I am going to admit that, so far, it's the best oil control product I've tried.  I had to blot once, with tissue, to get rid of the shinies.  But, to be fair, it was after an intense cardio session and Bar Method workout.  I've only gotten a chance to try it for 2 days, however, so  I'll see about updating with my final consensus.

Well, that's that for now!  Hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend.  I think it's the last of warm weekends for a very long time here in sunny California!  Goodnight!

Hugs,
Cat

Simple Shadow Stick Eyes

This is for my middle sister.  She's, like, the loveliest girl in the world.  However, unlike makeup-crazy me, she's so lazy about beauty that she barely likes brushing her hair, much less take the time to apply cosmetics to her face.  Well, we talked the other day about coming up with a super-simple makeup routine that she could stick with regularly.  I think I figured out the perfect look for her:

These just might be the easiest eyes I've come up with.  I used Urban Decay's Glide On Shadow Pencils in Rehab and Sin.  Rehab for the upper eyelid, and then Sin to highlight the brow arch and accentuate the lower lash line.  Add a dramatic black wing to the top lash line and she's done!  (I gave her my spare Marbella Eyeliner Pen, which I used here to draw my winged eyeliner)

Time to complete look: less than 10 minutes.

That's probably the hardest part.  She already has an Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil of her own to refine her brow shape and a variety of BB creams to choose from as foundation.  I did suggest UD's Afterglow Glide On Cheek Tint in Quickie as blush, and then any tinted balm or gloss to finish off the lips.

For all you lazy daisies out there, I don't think it gets any simpler.  This look requires no brushes and is virtually mess-free.  It's a really convenient way to look polished while letting your natural beauty shine through.  A girl can walk out the door with this face for work or school, and then transition into a date or evening look by adding false lashes and a cute hairstyle.  All of these products fit inside a small makeup bag, which you can easily keep in your purse/backpack/messenger bag.  Also good for travel if you don't have a lot of room to spare for beauty supplies. :)

Steph, I hope you're reading this. *wink wink*

Hugs,
Cat

More Urban Decay

I've been a bad girl.  I just can't resist Urban Decay's clearance sales...top quality makeup at dirt-cheap prices?  How could I say no?  Here's my latest:

Pocket Rocket lip glosses in Dustin (nude with iridescent sparkle), Max (nude pink...but looks more salmon), and Rashad (creamy, medium pink)

Eyeshadow in Minx. (blue with green shift and silver glitter)

XL bottle of De Slick oil control mist.  A part of my ongoing search for the perfect oil control agent.  Still haven't found it yet, so hopefully this is the one! (crossing fingers)

Unfortunately, my makeup is already done for the day, but I'm so excited to put this haul on my face tomorrow!  Will update with swatches. :D  TGIF!

Hugs,
Cat