Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in 110 Ivory Review and Swatches

Thanks to a sale and coupon combo, I was recently able to snag the new Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme foundation for a mere $5.39. Since my normal liquid Colorstay is almost out, I of course took the opportunity to pick it up. So what's the verdict?

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Crème Makeup in Ivory 110, sitting atop a pile of papers I had to grade because I was too lazy to clean off my desk before taking pictures...

Birthday Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! In honor of my 23rd birthday, here is a little (seriously, emphasis on the "little") giveaway for y'all. The gifts are nail polish jewelry, made by yours truly! The pendant is a 1 inch circle with Zoya Reece topped with the Essence Black Crackle and INM Northern Lights, and the earrings are 10 mm circle studs with Reece and Northern Lights.

ETA: Everything shown above is exactly as it will be arriving to you :-) I decided to add Northern Lights on top of Reece on the earrings to jazz them up some, so hopefully everyone who's entered already is okay with that...The giveaway is open to US residents only (sorry, my beloved Canadians!) and will be open for a week. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 23rd birthday. Yippee! I am one of those people who gets entirely too excited about their birthday, something that adults should have supposedly outgrown, so this is pretty much one of the 3 best days of the year (the other two being the last day of school, and Thanksgiving [because who doesn't love unbelievable amounts of food?!]). I'm having a dessert-and-cocktails party in our backyard tonight, which should be oodles of fun and deliciousness. I haven't yet decided what perfume I'll be wearing, but my birthday mani is going strong:

That's two coats of Illamasqua Baptiste (which I bought with the Sephora gift card Z gave me for my birthday, and which I will be reviewing in full sometime soon!) with one coat of Zoya Carly, color blocking provided by paper hole protectors from Office Max. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out! And phooey to anyone who says you can't wear dark purples in summer––it's my birthday, I'll do what I want!

And, because I think the world needs to see it, the boy's birthday present to me: http://findingfrabbits.posterous.com/
ISN'T IT ADORABLE?!?!?! AAAAAH. I'm still just flailing around with glee :)

To celebrate, there will be a nail polish jewelry giveaway, but I don't have time to get it set up right now––must go put rocks in the pond out back! I hope you all have a lovely Sunday, and I wish you could all be here to share cake with me! Thank you for being wonderful readers :) 

Skincare Saturday: First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser

It's been ages since I've done an SS post! It's not that I haven't been using skincare stuff (including 2 as-yet unreviewed on the blog products), it's just that I'm trying to build a fully informed opinion before I share anything. My skin is very persnickety, and it takes awhile before I feel I can say something is making a difference, though I tend to cut out anything I think may be making me break out without fully testing it. This did not have that particular problem, shockingly, but...

First Aid Beauty Cleanser, image via Sephora

Fragrance Friday

I've been sick most of this week, so I haven't been writing many notes for this post. As such, it will be brief. Huzzah!


Friday, July 20
Evening: Wore Guerlain Jicky (Oriental Woody: lemon, bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, jasmine, basil, orris root, tonka bean, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, leather, spices, rosewood, vanilla) to the top hat and moustache party, because what's classier than a scent that started as a men's cologne in the 1880s? Sample running low, OH NOES. Buy another or full bottle?? Decisions, decisions.

Saturday, July 21
Morning: No recollection of anything I did that day, but I wore Carthusia Fiori di Capri (Chypre Floral: bergamot, orange blossom, gardenia, tuberose, cyclamen, white flowers, rose, orange, ylang-ylang, iris, honey, nutmeg, cloves, carnation, strawberry, plum, violet leaf, hyacinth, incense, musk, oakmoss, patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, labdanum, amber) down the shirt and transferred Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Fleur des Comores (Floral: black currant, green notes, passionfruit, ylang-ylang, vanilla, jasmine, orange flower, musk, amber, vetiver), which is very fruity. Too sweet to start off, but I like how it smells after a couple of hours.

Currently Coveting: Shiseido Lacquer Rouge

Usually, Currently Covetings are things I find pretty but don't actually intend to buy. Not so for today's feature!

Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Nymph, $25 for 0.20 oz, available from Sephora and department stores

Shiseido recently (like, last week?) released a new line of liquid lipsticks, and let me tell you, Nymph ("rich fleshy rose") will be mine. I was planning on buying a YSL Glossy Stain as a birthday present to myself, but couldn't decide on a shade. Turns out it was because the universe wanted me to wait for this MLBB-perfection, $7 cheaper, non-gummy-textured longwearing lipstick! You can look forward to a full review once I've acquired it (sometime after my birthday/paycheck).

Have any of you tried the Lacquer Rouges? 

Lips and Tips

The lovely Larie inspired me to try matching my nail polish to my lipstick, so here's the combo I came up with!

There is no way to get nails and lips together in a photo without it looking ridiculous.

I wanted to wear the gorgeous Wet N Wild Waves of Enchantment (which according to the internet is very similar to Zoya Rica, which unlike WoE is not limited edition), and it then occurred to me that I could probably construct a lip that was similar! I first applied Guerlain Chamade, then topped it with Revlon Sweet Tart and blended them together. I finished off with a layer of Clarins Coral Pink, which gave my lips a similar golden sheen as my nails.

Trust me, I tried. (Out of focus to show the lip shimmers)

The lips were definitely less blingy than the polish, but the color scheme ended up being very similar! They're more alike in the sun than the shade, though, as the polish tends to be very orange-gold in the shade and loses the pinkness. All told, I quite liked it! And I wore it with Bella Bamba on my cheeks, which is a blush that seems to be closely related as well. Oh, coral-pink-gold, you are so summery.

Ahaha, stock photo of girl holding hand up and laughing at nothing? I don't even know.

Have you ever matched your lips and nails? What's your favorite combination?

Quick(ish) Reviews of Two (~)Discontinued Products and a FOTD

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Fragrance Friday

Saturday, July 14
Afternoon (because I slept in, ha): Hot. Still waiting on my Aedes order, so I just opted for Eau Sauvage (Citrus Aromatic: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit, jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber). Again. Boring to read about, but not to smell! Went to the mall with the boy to do some eyeshadow swatching and managed to fit in some perfume sniffing to boot. Made him smell Dior Poison (Floral: rosewood, anise, coriander, wild berries, plum, opoponax, tuberose, orange flower, jasmine, carnation, honey, rose, incense, cinnamon, amber, cedar, sandalwood, musk, vetiver, heliotrope, vanilla); he commented that it was aptly named, I agreed. Sprayed Dior Dune (Oriental Floral: bergamot, mandarin, palisander, aldehydes, peony, broom, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, lichen, vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, musk) down my dress, but it was a huge spray and it evidently does not smell as appealing in higher doses. Had a bit of a synthetic edge to it. I liked it better than the boy did, but I still wasn't crazy about it. Ah well. Also sprayed Guerlain Mandarine-Basilic (Citrus Aromatic: clementine, orange blossom, ivy, green tea, bitter orange, peony, chamomile, mandarin orange, basil, sandalwood, amber) on my arm in Sephora after having read that it's one of Liz's favorite summer scents. I can see why! It smells like mandarin and basil, unsurprisingly, and is very refreshing and crisp. Not as aromatic (=herbalicious) as Eau Sauvage, and sweeter and less complex, but a very pretty, light, fresh-not-"fresh" summer scent.
Night: Debated between Hermès Terre d'Hermès (Woody Spicy: lemon, orange, pelargonium, pepper, benzoin, vetiver, cedar, patchouli), just to see if it sits better with me now that I have more sniffing experience, and By Kilian Incense Oud (Oriental: geranium, cardamom, pink pepper, rose, patchouli, virginia cedar, papyrus, methyl pamplemousse, musk, labdanum, sandalwood, oakmoss, incense). Ended up opting for the latter. Incense and oud, y'all. It's nice enough, but I don't find it terribly compelling. Impressive sillage and longevity, though!

Deal Alert: Benefit Mini Sets

I was browsing Sephora the other day, as one does when one is procrastinating on article reading, and came across three new sets from Benefit that are just adorable. I was going to post them under Currently Coveting, but I don't actually want them for myself, as I've tried pretty much everything from Benefit that I would be interested in trying. However, I thought it prudent to do a little PSA for any of you who do want to try out the brand and who don't stalk the Sephora website!

Tan About Town, $12 ($37 value)

0.06 oz Some Kind-A Gorgeous in Medium

0.14 oz BadGal Lash

0.1 oz Hoola bronzer (reviewed here)

Coral My World!, $12 ($22 value)

0.13 oz Sun Beam

0.1 oz Coralista

Full Glam Ahead!, $12 (30 value)

0.09 oz Stay Don't Stray eyeshadow primer

0.13 oz High Beam

0.14 oz BadGal Lash

Totes adorbs, right? Any cute steals and deals you've spotted recently?

Some random musings (because that's what this blog has devolved into, I guess?)

Revlon is 40% off at Rite Aid this week and my ColorStay is almost out, so I took the opportunity (and this $2 off coupon, and the $1 +UP that came with the purchase of two $0.99 NYC polishes [also 40% off]) to pick up the new ColorStay Whipped cream foundation to try out. Ended up costing me a mere $5.39! If you've been wanting to give it a try but were scared off by the price tag, as I was, now's your chance!

Fragrance Friday

Happy Friday! Ok, let's see how brief I can keep this, eh?


Saturday, July 7
Was super hot. Decided to go to reservoir with the boy and his roommates; wore Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude (Oriental Floral: bergamot, mandarin orange, pepper, pink pepper, jasmine, lily of the valley, coconut water, honey, musk, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, heliotrope, woods) topped with Hermès Eau des Merveilles (Oriental Woody: lemon, orange, pepper, pink pepper, violet, amber, vetiver, cedar, oakmoss, fir), very small spritzes of each. Smelled pleasantly salty/summery. Sprayed on Eau Sauvage (Citrus Aromatic: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit, jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber) post-shower, because when it's hot out I tend to shower twice a day (this means twice as much perfume! Also twice as much foundation, mascara, blush...). Delish, as always.

30 Days: Day 12

What are your favorite "your [blank] but better" products?

All products mentioned below, minus my normal glasses

I pretty much tend to shoot for "my face but better" when it comes to makeup, so many of my products relate to that! For my face but better, I apply CoverFX ClearPrepFX primer and then put a blend of Revlon ColorStay Ivory 110 and MAC Matchmaster 1 on top. When I need extra coverage, I use Meow concealer in Sleek Siamese, because it matches my skin so well!

Zoya Beach and Surf Picks: Wednesday, Carly, and Kimber Review and Swatches

Last month when Zoya had their 3 Beach and Surf polishes for $15 promotion, I went through the painful process of narrowing down my picks to just three, and ended up getting Wednesday, Carly, and Kimber. I can happily report that I was not disappointed by any of them!

Left to right: Carly, Kimber, Wednesday

Fun (Not at all Inebriated) Tip

Hey, y'allllllllll! I may or may not be completely sober writing this. Open to interpretation! I also may or may not be listening to the lecture for my class tomorrow on Eco-Heroes. And the Nobel Peace Prize. WHOO. But anyways. I had a point in writing this (it was a good point, too). (Also, the lecturer just asked if anyone knew who Alfred Nobel was, and then waited approximately 1.5 seconds before answering. NOT ENOUGH TIME, Y'ALL.) But fun tip! (Did you know that the Nobel Peace Prize was intended to be awarded regardless of nationality? And that "ecology" can be subsumed under "peace" in the Nobel Prize categories? Now you do!) (Also, apparently "Maathai" is pronounced [ma'dai]. Who knew?) ANYWAYS. If you're wanting to order from an online site, with the exception of big multi-brand sites like Sephora, Ulta, Drugstore, etc., you should put things into your cart, create an account, and then not check out. Wait! For a couple of days! And many companies will send you a discount code. Tarte sends one for 20%, Pacifica for 10%, and Surrender to Chance for 5%. (And, loosely related, a lot of sites send out discount codes to email subscribers [Makeup Artist's Choice comes to mind in particular], so it's well worth signing up for emails. If you don't want lots of spam, just create an email account devoted to such things! And don't sign up for Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, or Neiman Marcus emails, because they send out every. effing. day. Very irritating.)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to learn more about Maathai and Al Gore. Are there any other online retailers that you've encountered that give discounts to patient customers? Or any fun facts you know about other eco-heroes? (Yeah, I know, super random. Who the hell knows how they come up with these topics.)

NYX Blush in Taupe Review and Swatches

I wrote awhile back about how I was wanting to enter the world of contouring, and Makeup Morsels suggested NYX Taupe as a good choice for pale complected folk like myself. As a bonus, it was a mere $6.25 on eBay, including shipping, so even if it hadn't worked out, it wouldn't have been too much of a problem. Fortunately, it works great!

NYX Taupe

June Favorites, Acquisitions, and Empties

Well, this is a few days late, but considering how frighteningly busy I've been, I'm just glad I got it done before, say, August. More posts to come!


I'm going to try to keep my comments under 140 characters, so it doesn't end up being so horribly long. Minus the product names, of course. Items marked with a * were used until empty, and those marked with ** were thrown out due to inadequate performance.

Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer:
Epielle Cucumber Cleansing Cloths: Not very moist, bit of film left behind. Try normal kind next time instead. Two cloths remove bulk of my makeup, though I always wash after.
Sally Hansen Nail Prisms: Backup of Mandarin Garnet, great new-to-me Golden Tourmaline. Saving the rest to give away.
Biotin: $2.50 for 60! Though only 1000 mg, not 5000. Not sure if it's made a difference yet, but I'll update in a month.
Essence Nail Art Cracking Top Coat Black: Bought to use in nail polish jewelry. Works like a charm!

Sunday Non-Summary

Remember back when I said I would have more time for blogging after school got out? That may have been a lie. I'm teaching English at the university this summer (Oral Skills level 5), which is every day, though fortunately only for 50 minutes (110 on Friday). Unfortunately, I have absolutely no experience with teaching English, so I get to spend lots of time prepping. Classes start Monday, though we have the 4th off (whee!), and I'll undoubtedly ramble on about my students and class on here. I've also been spending a lot of my free time with the boy, which really cuts into my blogging time! Not that I mind it, of course, but I do feel a bit bad for neglecting y'all. I have a new camera (simple point-and-shoot, Canon ELPH 100 HS), but it's been blechy and rainy here so I haven't really had the chance to have lots of fun with it yet. But I will! It's about half the size of my old camera (a Canon Powershot from 5 years ago), which means I can actually carry it around in my purse without feeling like I'm lugging a brick with me, so hopefully I'll get better about taking pictures of pretty things (food, flowers, cute shoes, weird bugs, etc.).

Instead of doing a normal Sunday Summary post (which I do realize I haven't done in months and I am so sorry and I promise I will get better about it!), I'm just going to chatter about random things.

1) Objects of Desire
Chanel's released their fall and Bombay Express collections, and hot damn, there are some gorgeous pieces.

Troublant (left) and Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in some random shade (right), via Chanel

I'm really tempted by the Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Troublant, reviewed on Pink Sith here. I'm such a sucker for plummy MLBB shades. $28.50 isn't that bad, right? Right? It's going on my serious wishlist. Maybe I'll buy it for my birthday...