St. Patrick's Day NOTD & EOTD

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY EVERYONE! 

Hope you all have fun today/tonight! Please be safe and don't drink & drive! 

Just wanted to make a quick post showing you all my St. Patrick's nails! :) 

St. Patrick's NOTD using Revlon Emerald City and Nicole by OPI The Next CEO

Revlon Emerald City

 

Revlon Emerald City

Nicole by OPI The Next CEO

 

Nicole by OPI The Next CEO

St. Patrick's EOTD

EOTD Products: 

-ELF Primer 

-MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study 

-all eyeshadows (gold, medium green, dark green, beige) from a Sephora palette

-L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

-Maybelline Colossal mascara 

-L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Green

Collective Haul & First Impressions (with swatches)

I decided to do another haul post since I've picked up quite a few new items over the past few weeks. Most are items that my mom purchased for me at the NEX (Navy Exchange) here on the Navy Base in Guam. She knows I love makeup so she usually grabs a few random items for me every time she shops. Isn't she sweet?! I got the Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask and the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss a store here called SM. The Dream Bouncy Blush is from K-Mart (Fun random fact: supposedly the K-Mart here in Guam is the largest one in the world!). Now on to my first impressions! 

Collective Haul from NEX, K-Mart, & SM (all in Guam)

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in 170 Coral Reef: I had been lusting over this beautiful bright coral lipgloss that definitely leans towards the orange side of the coral color range. I finally purchased it and just as I expected, I loved it at first swatch! :) Then I fell deeper in love the first time I wore it which was actually just yesterday. The consistency of this lipgloss is so perfect because it's not too slippery but not too sticky and it lasts for quite a long time on your lips!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in 170 Coral Reef

Swatch of Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in 170 Coral Reef

NYC City Duet 2-in-1 in 430 The Rock A Fellas: This lipstick is so unique and fun because as you can see in the photo below, it contains two colors! One side is a bright cherry pink and the other side is a lighter peachy pink. Each side is creamy and opaque. This lipstick is super cool because you can use each color alone or wear both colors mixed together. That's like a 3-in-1 lipstick which I think is awesome! :) I'm so surprised that I haven't seen more blogs and/or Youtube videos talking about these!

NYC City Duet 2-in-1 in 430 The Rock A Fellas

Swatches of NYC City Duet 2-in-1 in 430 The Rock A Fellas

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Candy Coral: These blushes received tons of hype when they first came out because of their unique squishy consistency. Although they quickly received less than satisfactory reviews, I wanted to try one out for myself. I've been on a coral kick lately so I decided to try out Candy Coral. I admit, the consistency is very intriguing! When you press down on the blush it squishes just like Play-doh! However, as you can see in the swatch below the pigmentation isn't spectacular at all. The first time I wore it I applied it with a stippling brush thinking it would apply heavily like most cream blushes. Wrong! I ended up having to build up the color quite a bit to get it to show up. It gives a nice, natural glow to the cheeks but personally I've found that I like to use it as a base layered with a coral-colored powder blush on top.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in 30 Candy Coral

Swatch of Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in 30 Candy Coral

Wet n Wild Color Icon Shimmer Singles in Trashed and Stagedive: Trashed is a black with lots of tiny silver glitters and Stagedive is a royal blue with lots of tiny silver glitters. Both eyeshadows are very pigmented but Trashed is a bit more pigmented than Stagedive. Both are a nice consistency and aren't overly powdery. Both came with a mini Color Icon Eyeliner in Black which is a pretty good eyeliner. I tested out the eyeliner a couple days ago and it applied smoothly (although it's not the smoothest I've ever used) and is opaque. I'm excited to experiment with these eyeshadows but I can tell that there is going to be a lot of glitter fall-out based on how they swatched on my hand. 

Shimmer Single in Trashed, mini Color Icon Eyeliners in Black, and Shimmer Single in Stagedive

Swatches (no primer) of Trashed (top), Stagedive (middle), & Eyeliner in Black (bottom)

Almay Intense i-Color Smoky-i Kit for Browns: This eyeshadow trio contains a metallic bronze, a shimmery taupy-purple, and a champagne with tiny specks of golden shimmer. This color combination is supposed to enhance brown eyes. I must say, these are surprisingly more pigmented than I expected. I wouldn't say they are the most pigmented shadows ever but they definitely aren't too sheer. I haven't worn the bronze or taupe on my eyes yet, but I wore the champagne color yesterday and it was subtle yet pretty and showed up better on my eyelids than it did in the swatch on my forearm below. I think all three colors are gorgeous; not a bad little trio!

Almay Intense i-Color Smoky-i Kit for Browns

Swatches (no primer) of Almay Intense i-Color Smoky-i Kit for Browns

L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Green: This short, chubby little eyeliner is so cute! I like that it comes with its own sharpener since not everyone owns a large pencil sharpener. It's a very dark forest green that almost appears black. I haven't worn it on my eyes yet so I'm not sure how it wears. It applied somewhat smoothly on my hand but I've definitely used smoother eyeliners. I like that when you tilt it and swipe it on its side, it applies a thicker line. I think I'll have fun experimenting with this little guy!

L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Green (sharpener included)

L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Green

Swatches of L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Green

NYC Individual Eyes 938 Union Square Created for Brown Eyes: This palette struck me as unique because it contains an illuminator (aka highlighter) and an eyeshadow primer, both of which aren't very common to find in drugstores. The illuminator is a shimmery white cream that seems like it would look too white if used on the cheekbones but I think it would work well as a brow highlight. It may even work well as an eyeshadow base but I'll have to test it out. The primer is a creamy nude color that almost seems like a super sheer concealer. It would be nice to know that a drugstore brand has a decent primer, but we'll see how it works out. The actual eyeshadows are decently pigmented (not the best but not the worst). There is a deep plum purple with slight silver shimmer, a metallic bronze, a matte light brown, and a light beige with a pearly sheen.

NYC Individual Eyes 938 Union Square

Swatches (no primer) of NYC Individual Eyes 938 Union Square

Wet n Wild Color Icon 248 Lust Palette: I heard the 6-pan Wet n Wild palettes were getting discontinued so I had to snatch this one up. Plus, it's full of MAC dupes which is always fun. It contains three matte shades on the left: a pale pink (dupe for MAC Yogurt), a purple plum (dupe for MAC Fig.1), and a super dark purple that almost appears dark gray or black (dupe for MAC Shadowy Lady). On the right side there are three shimmery shades: an off white with tiny silver specks (dupe for MAC Vanilla), a dark metallic blue (dupe for MAC Knight Divine), and a black with purple shimmer (dupe for MAC Beauty Marked). All the shades are gorgeous and have amazing pigmentation. If you see one in your drugstores I recommend that you grab one before they're gone forever.

Wet n Wild 248 Lust Palette

Swatches (no primer) of Wet n Wild 248 Lust Palette

Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask: I've used this cleanser about three times since I purchased it and I absolutely love the cooling effect it has on my skin! It contains menthol so it feels cool and refreshing. It's creamy and has a nice lather which I wasn't expecting. I'm not trying to exaggerate but it feels quite luxurious! The active ingredient is Benzoyl Peroxide which is why I purchased it because Benzoyl Peroxide seems to work very well to keep my occasional acne at bay. I also purchased it as a blackhead treatment so I hope it turns out to be successful. Blackheads can be such a pain! I haven't tried it out as a mask yet but I like that it's a 2-in-1 product because in my opinion that makes it a better value.  

Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask 4.2 Fl. Oz.

Blob of Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask

I hope you all found this information to be helpful! 

Have you tried out any of these products? Do you love them or hate them? Let me know!

Also, leave a comment if you want to see a more in-depth review of any of these products. 

Take care loves! :)

xoxo, 

Bekah

Tag: 40 Beauty Questions About Me

This may be an old Tag but I wanted to do it anyway. I tag anyone who reads this to do it! :)

How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice.

What skin type do you have?
Combination/oily.
 
What is your current facial wash?
AcneFree Oil-Free Acne Cleanser & St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I swear by both of these! They work wonders!

Do you exfoliate?
Yes.

What brand do you use?
St. Ives Apricot Scrub.

What moisturizer do you use?

Clean & Clear Finishes Mattifying Moisturizer or Boots No7 Rebalancing Day Fluid.

Do you have freckles?

No.
 
Do you use an eye cream?
Yes, Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Eye Cream. 

Do you or did you have acne prone skin? 

I had more acne in high school than I do now, but it was never a major problem. I now hardly ever get acne except for during "that time of the month." lol  

Did you ever have to use Pro-Activ?

Yes, I tried it out in high school. I liked it a lot but got tired of ordering it.

What foundation do you use?
Bare Minerals Matte Foundation.

How about concealer?
I try new concealers all the time; lately I like the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment, MAC Studio Finish Concealer, & CoverGirl Simply Ageless concealer.

Do you know your undertone color?
I have warm undertones.

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I think they're pretty and can really enhance a girl's eyes. 

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, but I confess that I don't always abide by this "rule." Oops! 

What brand of mascara do you use?
I am a mascara addict so that's a tough question to answer because I am always buying new ones! Lately I like CoverGirl Lashblast Fusion & Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express.

Sephora or M.A.C?

Tough one! But I think I will go with Sephora since they have many brands to choose from!

Do you have a M.A.C Pro-card?

No. 

What makeup tools do you use in make up application?

Brushes & eyelash curler. 

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, I'll either use Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, or just plain concealer.

For the face?
I hardly ever use a primer, it's too humid where I live to be piling on products. 

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Any champagne color will do but I really love my Stila eyeshadow in Starlight.

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Both.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I personally do not own any. They seem too messy so I'll stick with pressed eyeshadows. 

Do you use mineral makeup?
Yes, Bare Minerals. 

What is your favorite lipstick?
Probably Rimmel Moisture Renew in Coral Shimmer. I'm also loving the Revlon lipstick I just bought in Just Enough Buff. 

How about lipgloss?
Right now I am really loving my Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop! 

What is your favorite blush to use?
I am really enjoying my Milani Baked Blush in Corallina. 

Do you buy your makeup on eBay?
Nope I never have. It seems risky because a lot of fake makeup is sold on eBay. 

Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes, I love it!
 
Do you go to CCO's? (Cosmetic Company Outlets)
Never have. Maybe someday but there aren't any where I'm currently living. 

Did you ever consider taking make up classes?
Watching YouTube is like taking free makeup classes! But I guess I would, sounds like fun.

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
No, but I've had a lot of practice.

Name a makeup crime that you hate?

Super nude or light pink lips that make you look washed out & dead! 

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I mainly stick to neutrals but color is fun every now & then!

Which celebrity always has great make up?
Katy Perry, Rihanna, & Jennifer Lopez.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
Concealer.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes. 

Do you think you look good even without any make up on?
Yes, but I'd prefer to wear makeup anyway.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

Urban Decay, NARS, & Smashbox. 

What do you think of Makeup?
I love it; it's fun & creative! 

Favorite Makeup Products of 2011

Hello loves! 

It has been far too long since I last updated & my New Year's resolution for 2012 is to update consistently! I figured I would start off this year by telling you all about the amazing makeup products I fell in love with during 2011. I've already begun collecting new products for 2012 but I didn't want these to go unmentioned! So let's get to it! 

Lip Products: 

• Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm: I have probably owned 10+ tubes of this lip balm. This is my all time favorite lip product, hands down! I am in love with the minty fresh feeling it gives my lips & I never ever get chapped lips because of this stuff. It's also 100% natural AND it's not tested on animals!
• Rimmel Moisture Renew in Coral Shimmer with SPF 18: I really loved coral shades this year. This lipstick is a sheer coral-pink with the tiniest specks of gold shimmer. So beautiful and very wearable!
• C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint No. 1643 Coral Mint: This lip gloss was my go-to when i wanted extra shiny lips. It has 2% peppermint oil so it's minty fresh like the Burt's Bees which I love! I usually layered it over my Rimmel Coral Shimmer lipstick. It's not too sticky and the woman at Bath & Body Works told me that since it's 100% natural, you can even put a dot of it on your tongue to freshen your breath! However I don't think I've ever actually done this... I prefer gum. :) 
• Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm in Petal Glow with SPF 20: This was an impulse buy that I ended up really liking! It's very moisturizing and has a sheer rose-colored tint to it and makes your lips a bit shiny. I keep this in my purse at all times! It has a fruity smell that I don't love, but it won't stop me from using it.
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Glossy Rose: If you want a high quality lip gloss without spending lots of money, this is the one to try! This particular one is a rose color with the tiniest shimmer specks. It has good pigmentation, feels great on the lips, and isn't sticky which most drugstore lipglosses are. It comes in so many pretty shades! I highly recommend this!

Face Products: 

• Bare Minerals Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Fairly Light: I first tried the Original formula of this foundation and didn't love the "dewy" effect it gave my face. Once I tried the Matte version, I was hooked! This is my second container and I prefer it to liquid foundation since I always live in hot climates. It can have light all the way to full coverage depending on how you apply it, and leaves your complexion looking flawless.
• Bare Minerals SPF 20 Eye Brightener Well-Rested: I've only had this product for a few months but I already love it! It's a yellow-ish finely milled mineral powder I apply it under my eyes on top of whatever concealer I'm using to set it and add extra brightness to my eyes.
• Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller: I never have very high expectations for under eye products but I buy them anyway hoping to come across a miracle. Although I won't say it reaches miracle status, I am impressed by this product. You roll it on and it's a liquid consistency with a very sheer tint that surprisingly does provide a bit of coverage. But what I really love is that it actually seems to help de-puff my under eyes! Not drastically, but more than anything else ever has. It's perfect to apply on days when you don't want to wear much makeup but still want some coverage. I also use it as the first step of my concealer routine under my eyes. (I have very dark circles so I have to layer on different products! lol)
• Revlon PhotoReady Concealer in Light with SPF20: I needed a new stick concealer so I decided to try this one out. I absolutely love how it applies! It's much smoother than most stick concealers and blends out very easily. It's creamy enough to apply under your eyes and is perfect to use on blemishes or redness on your face. 
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in Light: Again, in hopes of finding a miracle I grabbed this product when I saw the words "dark circles treatment." It contains Goji Berry and Haloxyl which supposedly help decrease dark circles. I honestly can't say I have seen any improvement, but I love this concealer regardless! It's very creamy and super easy to apply under your eyes. However the spongy ball applicator on top is a little annoying because it tends to get over saturated with product. I'd prefer different packaging but oh well! 
• Nars blush in Orgasm: I saw this blush in a magazine and it explained how this shade suits almost every skin tone out there. I decided to try it out and now it is my favorite blush of all time! It is a beautiful peachy-coral-pink with tiny golden shimmer specks. It applies sheer on the cheeks but can be slightly built up.
• Covergirl Cheekers blush in Classic Pink: Once I hit pan on my Nars Orgasm I got sad and wanted to conserve it (lol) so I started reaching for this. And before I knew it, I couldn't stop using it! I literally used this every single day until it got to the state it is in now (which is almost completely non-existent). I will definitely be repurchasing this because it is the perfect pink for every day and looks like the natural pink flush your cheeks would get if you were blushing or were outside on a hot day.
• Nars The Multiple in Orgasm: Since I was so in love with my Orgasm blush, I ended up buying the Orgasm Multiple as well. It's a roll-up stick that can be used on your eyelids, cheeks, and lips. It's creamy and smooth and beautiful! I love it on my cheeks and it's nice on my lips too but I like to top it off with a lipgloss to add more shine or else it looks a bit flat. I've never used it on my eyes though because I'm not a big fan of pink eyeshadow.

Eye Products: 

• Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express in Classic Black: I am a mascara addict and am always on the hunt for the perfect mascara. This is my second tube of Colossal which says a lot considering I hardly ever repurchase a mascara. This mascara is great at separating and volumizing your lashes. It leaves somewhat of a shiny finish on your lashes (which I like) and is super black compared to some other "black" mascaras. Even a certain MAC mascara I own isn't as dark black as this mascara.
• Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black: This eyeliner has a pointed felt-tip and is really easy to apply since it's almost like using a very thin marker. I like the idea that there is supposedly eyelash serum mixed into the formula, however I can't say that I've noticed a difference in the length or thickness my eyelashes. But I still like it as an eyeliner! 
• Revlon Grow Luscious Lashliner in Onyx: This is one of the smoothest eyeliners I have ever used. It glides on like butter and is super dark black. I love using it on my waterline when I want the darkest line I can possibly get. It's also really easy to smudge out for a smoky effect.
• Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black: When it comes to amazing staying power, this will always be the eyeliner I rely on. I have tried so many other eyeliners only to end up with a smudgy mess after a few hours. This one lasts all day! Even in a hot, humid climate! 
• Stila Eye Shadow in Starlight: This is the perfect neutral eyeshadow. It's a beautiful champagne color that applies so smoothly on your eyelid. It can be worn alone, used with a crease color, and could even be used as a highlight. When I don't want to think about what makeup to wear, this eyeshadow never fails me. 
• MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study: This is a newer addition to my collection (I've only had it for about 2 months). But I love it so much that I had to include it in my favorites. It's a creamy champagne colored eye shadow that can be used alone or as a primer/base under powder eye shadows. It's such a pretty color and makes your powder eye shadows last all day and keeps them from creasing. 
• Wet n' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit in Ash Brown: This kit comes with a tiny set of tweezers, a tiny angled brow brush, two matte shades of brown powder (one light and one dark), and a clear setting wax. It also has a slide out mirror on the bottom of the compact. I only use the lighter brown powder because it matches my eyebrows perfectly and gives a very natural look when you use light-handed, short strokes to apply it.
• Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow Brush: This handy little brush is amazing! It's the perfect size to apply eyeshadow to your lids and has extremely soft bristles that never shed. 
• e.l.f. Professional Blending Eye Brush: What an awesome brush for only $1! Most e.l.f. brushes are great quality but I picked this as one of my favorites because I find myself grabbing for it all the time. It's great for applying a crease color and to blend. 

Nail Products: 

• OPI Nail Lacquer in Black Shatter: This was definitely the "it" nail polish of 2011 and was so hard to get my hands on when it first came out! Every salon I went to was sold out and I wanted it so bad that I ended up ordering a bottle online! It applies over any nail polish and creates a "shattered" effect. I now own it in other colors but the black is definitely my favorite! 
• OPI Nail Lacquer in Teenage Dream: This shade came out in the Katy Perry Collection. It has tiny specks of pink shimmer along with bigger specks of silver glitter. It's beautiful worn alone or applied over another color.

Perfume: 

• Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue: This scent is so hard to describe but smells amazing! It is a light, citrus yet sweet scent that smells absolutely refreshing! I've gone through 2 bottles already and will definitely repurchase a 3rd.
• Escada Island Kiss: This perfume has a sweet scent that smells like candy mixed with fruit and flowers!

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite makeup products of the year! I will probably do in-depth reviews of some of these products later in the year. Let me know if there are any products you are particularly curious about! And feel free to share with me what your favorite makeup products of 2011 were! :) 


PS: I apologize in advance for the low quality of the photos! These were taken on my cell phone but I'll be using a real camera from here on out. :)

Fall 2011 Nail Polish Trends

     Summer has already come to an end and I must say it flew by. After a bit traveling and a spur of the moment move from California to Guam, life is finally settling down for me. After quite a long hiatus, I am back and here to stay. And what better way to transition into the Fall than to introduce you all to the trendiest Fall nail polish colors of 2011? 

Army Green: This shade of green is a great color to try this Fall. I prefer the creamy shades but metallic and iridescent shades can be found as well.

Copper: This orange rust color is perfect for Fall. It reminds me of the color of falling leaves. 

Teal: I am in love with this jewel-toned teal. No Fall outfit could possibly be bland with a pop of this beautiful shade. 

Mauve: Rather than the lavenders that we saw last season, Fall will be all about mauve when it comes to purple.

Burgundy: This deep wine shade will take any outfit's sophistication level up a notch. I prefer this iridescent shade to avoid looking dated.

Dark Brown: Dark brown is an alternative to black if you like wearing dark nail polish shades this time of year. 

  

Slate: Gray has been around for the past few seasons and isn't going anywhere just yet. This Fall try out this darker version of the color.

Sapphire Blue: This deep ocean blue is another alternative to black if you like dark colored polishes in the Fall.