Beau Garrett in TRON: LEGACY & New Maybelline Quads

I've been utterly terrible about updating, guys alsdnsg I'm so sorry. ): Real life has really taken over lately, as it tends to do once in awhile. I'll try to do better in the new year, but it might have to wait until the holidays are over! XD

That said, I have two topics to discuss today. The first being...

Beau Garrett's make up in Tron: Legacy.

I went to go see it with a couple of guy friends, so I couldn't really discuss it with them, but DUDE THE SIRENS. THE SIRENS LOOK REALLY COOL???

All told, it's actually a fairly easy look to replicate—sharply defined matte black shadow, a wealth of dramatic falsies, and light-colored contacts for the really committed—but doesn't this still look amazing?! Olivia Wilde's look wasn't half as interesting, sorry to say, but the Sirens have all kinds of fierce going on, even if they only have bit parts.

Jem has a bit more screen time, and she kind of owns it. Partly due to being completely white against a fairly dark background, and partly because Beau Garrett somehow always manages to look beautiful and creepily amused, like she knows a secret that could hurt you.

Anyway, yes. XD I just wanted to flail about that for a minute.

The second thing!

Revamped Maybelline quads! I have no idea if anyone else has posted about these yet (probably, given my record, LOL), but I saw this display at Target yesterday! It looks like Maybelline has revamped their formula once again, and I have to say, the colors in these sets look AMAZING. And I'll be honest, I like the new set up, even though I wish the highlight/base color weren't one of the big pans. They remind me of Asian palettes, and I think they look a little more interesting and chic.

Unfortunately, I'm trying to stick to a low-buy (except for limited edition products, which is completely counterproductive...), so I didn't grab any... But I figured there wasn't any reason I couldn't at least share some pictures! :) Crappy phone pictures, but you know... I tried???

Maybelline Expert Wear 2010 in Sapphire Smokes

Enjoy!!

MAC In The Groove & Dare To Wear

OMG, I fail at life... x.x

Back in August—August!—I won the fifth Painted Ladies 1st Anniversary giveaway, which consisted of MAC In the Groove mineralized shadows in Blue My Mind and Togetherness, as well as two Dare to Wear lipglasses in Dare to Dare and Ban This!

I seriously left them in their boxes until last week because that's what I tend to do with my MAC stuff, hahahaha. I hoard it away like high-end gals do limited edition compacts. I mean, why break out the MAC when I have, you know, my Maybelline quads that I'm not afraid of destroying? [total drugstore mindset]

But I did eventually make myself open it all up. XD Because what good is make up if you don't actually use it! So last week, I finally sat down and swatched everything:

Blue My Mind; Togetherness

The mineralized eyeshadows are surprisingly pigmented. The majority of mineralized products I own aren't, so that was definitely a pleasant discovery. My only semi-gripe is that, as with many baked products, the sections aren't all that even. As you can see, the medium blue from Blue My Mind isn't even wide enough for me to swipe a finger across, LOLOL. I ended up bringing some of the black with me! None of these colors are particularly special, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; these shades are great staple material for any make up junkie. The texture is lovely, as it is with most MAC products.

Dare to Dare; Ban This!

The Dare to Wear lipglasses are pretty thick. Temptalia says otherwise, and I might have to defer to her judgment since I don't own any other MAC lip glosses, but mine feel thick. On the other hand, I also prefer my glosses to be sheer and slick, so these are a step away from what I'm used to. The DtW lipglasses are very pigmented. For Ban This!, I only need to apply product to half of my lips. Rubbing them together will cover my entire mouth. Although, to be fair, I think my natural lip color probably augments the plumminess of Ban This!, since a lot of lip products tend to pull purple on me.

The shimmer is super fine and smooth. You can't feel it at all. They add a subtle holographic effect that's very appropriate for the holidays.

Even though the gloss itself isn't thin, the texture isn't heavy at all. It's slightly sticky, but nowhere near as bad as BBW's Liplicious line. If you don't talk too much or eat, the lasting power is pretty awesome. I once wore Dare to Dare to bed (bad, I know >.<) and woke up with it not just present but still going strong. I had to wipe it off with cleanser in the morning.

This collection is no longer in stores, but it should start popping up at CCOs in a couple of months! I'm a total MAC newbie, so I can't say if these are or aren't worth the investment, but I can say that both products are solid in terms of quality. If you were really lemming any of these, and you're willing to pay the lower CCO price, then I'd say go ahead and get them! For me, the trios will last forever, and the lipglasses are more special occasion than everyday, so I don't see myself replacing them any time soon. And since it's MAC, it'd be hard to get them for any cheaper, unless you go to eBay or a blogsale or something.

Santa, Baby

I was wandering through CVS, and what did I see? The Wet n Wild Santa Baby palettes from the Holiday '09 collection.

At first I thought they were more new palettes, but G at Nouveau Cheap let me know that they were actually from last year. Unfortunately, these aren't new versions. I guess my CVS just brought them out of storage or something, because this one is definitely a year old. How do I know?

Before you get too excited about that coupon, take a look at the expiration date...

March, 2010. XD;;; Yes, I know, I was so excited for awhile, too.

On the upside, if you were really looking forward to these palettes last year, definitely check out your local drugstores now! The display at my CVS was full, so I'm thinking the shipments might have gotten in late, and the store just didn't put them out at all. Some places might actually still have them in stock, so keep an eye out! :D

In any case, since I'd already taken pictures by the time I realized, I figured I'd share them, anyway.

The case itself. I think it's quite pretty, although I wish they'd done something fancier to integrate the logo, LOL. I do like how the design is reminiscent of both snowflakes and reindeer, though. Cute, right?

The palette itself contains four pans of trios, a blush, a bronzer, a lip gloss, and mascara. Applicator-wise, there are two spongetips and one brush. As is customary with WnW palettes, they also included a huge mirror.

Whatever else you say about old style WnW packaging, you can't really beat them for convenience. I think the mirrors are definitely what I miss the most with the new ColorIcon sets.

I picked up the Nice palette, which is presumably the warm one. In general, I prefer cooler colors, but I took a glance at Naughty, and the trios either consisted of colors I already owned or ones that I would never use, so I decided not to get it.

Since these are pre-revamp, the shadow formula is pretty consistent with the old WnW eyeshadows. I haven't actually tried any of the new ColorIcon ones yet, so I can't really compare them, but these are very nice and smooth. The only thing I dislike is that, as you can see, there's quite a bit of crumbliness. The cream highlight on the bottom right is particularly soft, and not in the way I usually like. In addition, the green on the top left and the brown at the bottom left are incredibly sheer. What you're looking at is a solid five or six layers of the colors. I didn't expect that, since I've never had issues with WnW in either color before, so it was pretty disappointing.

Unlike the shadows, both the blush and bronzer are richly pigmented. The blush is a peach-pink with gold shimmer that looks like it could fit right between NARS Orgasm and Deep Throat. Titillation, maybe? XD

The lipgloss is a peachy pink shimmer. It looks pretty at first glance, but on the lips, there's so much shimmer that it takes on that silvery cast. It also smells a little funky, but I'm sure sitting around for a year didn't do the scent any favors.

Overall, I'd say that this is pretty par for the course for WnW pre-2010. There are some really nice neutrals in it, but nothing super spectacular. They retail for $6.99 (any stores that still have them haven't clearanced them out yet, so I'm guessing they're not likely to do it before Christmas is actually over), which is pretty good for 12 eyeshadows, a blush, and a bronzer. I'm not even going to include the gloss and mascara, because I honestly don't know if they're still safe for use. I wouldn't call it a must-have, but it's a nice-to-have, if you can find it.

More couponing adventures!

All right, so there were some crazy drugstore sales... last week? Right after I freaked out over my student loans and went on a low-buy, LOL. Thank goodness I didn't make it a no-buy, hahaha, I knew I would've failed, so I didn't even try.

The low-buy business was interesting all on its own, though. I told G over at Nouveau Cheap that I would have to do a lot of wrangling, and she reminded me that if I played my cards and coupons right, I could get a lot of stuff for free. Which was true!

The rules I set for myself were:
- only two things at a time
- no more than $3 total including tax for one item, $6 for two

Did I cheat? ...A little, hahahaha. You'll see what I mean.

So here's my haul:

And here's what I spent on it, without tax:

NYC Blushable Creme Sticks in South St. Seashell and Big Apple Blush
- BOGOF sale at Rite Aid
- BOGOF coupon from All You magazine

Sale/Regular Retail: $3.99/$7.98
Damage: $0

Yes. That's right. As Gianna discovered a long while ago—and also, according to Rite Aid's official coupon policy—if you use a BOGOF coupon during a BOGOF sale, you get BOTH ITEMS FOR FREE. But you do still have to pay tax. So I would say that it's a pretty awesome deal!

G is also the one who turned me on to All You magazine, which is sold at Wal-Mart and is basically full of coupons for EVERYTHING. Now, even if you don't have a Wal-Mart, that's okay! If you go to the official website, you can sign up for two trial issues, totally free! If you really get your money's worth, you could also get a monthly subscription. It's definitely super helpful, especially when you stack them with manufacturer coupons and ongoing sale events. If you don't want to bother with a subscription, you should still head to the website, because they have a bunch of really awesome web coupons, as well.


Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Haute
Revlon Matte Lipstick in Really Red
Revlon Nail Enamel in Raven Red and Silver Screen
- 40% off sale at Walgreens
- $1 off 1 Revlon Nail Enamel from AllYou.com
- $2 off 2 Revlon Nail Enamels from Revlon@Facebook
- $2 off 1 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick from Revlon@Facebook
- Spend $10 on Revlon, get $3 Register Rewards from Walgreens

Sale/Regular Retail: $15.56/$25.96
Damage: $7.56

So this is definitely the one I cheated on, hahahaha. What happened was, I spent all week debating whether or not to get Revlon Really Red. On one hand, it was the item I was seriously lemming. On the other, it was the only one I didn't have a coupon for, and even with the sale, it was out of my budget. After serious consideration, I decided to forego it this time and get it when I got coupons later. [working on self-restraint]

Well, for some reason, I thought the nail polishes would be cheaper than they actually were, so originally, I thought I'd be getting them free with the coupons. In which case... Sure, it's three items, I rationalized, but why not? Well, I ended up getting only one of them free, which... sucked more, but at the same time, it should technically still count as just one item, right...? x.x Especially since one of the coupons wouldn't have worked without two bottles...?

...Yeah, okay, that wasn't the best logic, BUT. The upside of my complete lack of self-control was that I'd totally forgotten about the Register Rewards, which I conveniently qualified for after getting all three things! And then, you know, I stared at this pretty new coupon in my hand and trotted back to grab Revlon Matte Red, which was really my goal all along, anyway! :DDDD

Happy times! Except for where I fail at adhering to my own rules, but you know... It KIND OF worked, right????? :D???


Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Purple Gala and Mystic Lilac
- BOGOF sale at Rite Aid

Sale/Regular Retail: $2.99/$5.98
Damage: $2.99

These are the most impulsive and self-indulgent, LOLOLOL. I wasn't planning on getting them at all. In fact, I'd walked past this display several times and kind of shrugged because none of the colors really called out to me... But my Rite Aid happened to be right across the street from Walgreens, so of course I had to pop by. And upon closer inspection, Purple Gala looked really pretty. Like. REALLY pretty. And then, since it was BOGOF, why not just grab another one, right? x.x And so I ended up with Mystic Lilac, as well. XD;;


Do I fail at life? Yes. Yes, I do, hahaha, but at least I'm a failure who saved a lot!

Total Sale/Regular Retail: $22.54/$39.92 (+tax)
Total Damage: $10.55 (+tax)

Not bad for eight items, right?

Of course, it'd probably be better if I just hadn't spent some of that money at all... But on the other hand, I will never need nail polish until the next sale comes along ever again, and I am up two lipsticks with really great formulas!

Now I just need to keep myself from hauling for the rest of the year...

Guess what just came in the mail?!

Yes! My Glam Camp bag from Rite Aid!

LOL, not quite my style, but cuter than I thought it'd be! It's made out of that material that's reminiscent of bandages but is surprisingly sturdy nevertheless. The print is, as you can see, super girly. Which makes sense, since this was, apparently, a promotion done in conjunction with Seventeen magazine. I had no idea. XD 

Most importantly, this is what came in it! A Schick ST2 razor, a Carefree liner sample, a pair of Fantasia IC hair samples, and a full-sized Jane Be Pure Mineral Eye Lighter Shadow in Emerald Forest! From the set up, it doesn't look like everyone will be getting the same, though... But it's a pretty awesome package! :D

What did you all get?

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Dual-Ended Eyeliner

I spotted this display for Wet 'n' Wild's High Voltage dual-ended eyeliner collection at CVS awhile ago. I'd already heard about it from G, so I was on the look out. It was pretty hit-or-miss, though, because one of CVS's had it, but the other didn't; I don't think I've seen it anywhere else yet, either, so I have no idea if it's upcoming or if I simply missed the first wave entirely. x.x

As an admitted eyeliner fiend, I waffled over getting one for a long time. On one hand, do I really need another eyeliner, but on the other, shiny (literally!) new product!!

Obviously, I gave in. XD;;; The constant $3 off $15 coupons CVS keeps churning out for me didn't help curb temptation any, and neither did the LE tag. I'm almost positive they'll make it into the permanent collection at some point, since they're a completely new product, so it would really surprise me if these didn't make a comeback somehow. But just in case, I figured I'd pick one up, anyway. They retail for $3.99 a piece, which isn't bad but is kind of high for WnW.

Since I'd been looking for an electric purple liner that's similar to Urban Decay's Ransom, I chose DA BOMB! As you can see from the picture above, the exclamation point is part of the actual name, LOL.

On its own, the pencil liner was okay but not much to write home about. The texture is nice and smooth, but with every drugstore line coming out with UD 24/7 dupes these days, I feel like that's almost to be expected. Unfortunately, the color wasn't as bright or metallic as I'd hoped it would be... On my eyes, at least, it came across more as plummy than a straight-up purple. Despite the coolness of the color, it's dark enough to be subtle, so used with a light hand, it could easily be office-appropriate. It is very pretty and is great for tight lining if you have dark lashes: The effect isn't as harsh as black or grey and also helps bring out the color of your eyes as well as accentuating them.

The lasting power left something to be desired, though. By the end of an eight-hour shift, it was smudged under my eyes. I do have oily lids, though, and I didn't use a primer. Given the usual WnW formula—texture-wise, it feels just like their normal liners—I'd say that a primer should sort things out pretty well, so it's not a complete no-go.

Now, the real charm point of this product is, of course, the liquid glitter liner. This is both where it gets awesome and falls apart.

The glitter liner is really pretty. It has blue, purple, and silver microglitter with a mild holographic effect. Alone, it can look a little sparse, but on top of the pencil, it's absolutely stunning. The brush is fine and reminiscent of WnW's liquid liner brushes—thin and precise. Easy to apply, very lovely to look at.

But it takes for-freaking-ever to dry.

Maybe I'm just impatient, but when I'm doing my make up, I like to just finish it up and go. I don't want to sit around for five minutes waiting for my liner to dry, no matter how much I feel like a party animal. And frankly, it's liner? Up close, it looks awesome, but from a distance beyond invasion-of-personal-space, I'm not sure the effect is dramatic enough to be worth the effort. As I said, the base-color is fairly safe, so for me, it's not immediately stand out. Furthermore, if you blink too early, you end up with glitter all over your lid, which may or may not be a good thing.

Of course, this isn't a problem limited to just WnW. Most glitter liners take awhile. And I will say that once dry, WnW's glitter doesn't move unless you really go at it, and even then, it'd take tremendous effort, which is really important. But honestly, the pay-off effect just isn't that noticeable. Compared to my Too Faced Feelin' Smurfy, which is seriously holographic, the WnW doesn't even really show up. It might be a nice addition if you had a flashy liner to begin with, but the given pair, while pretty, is so faint, you might as well just wear pencil alone.

Bottom line is... This is a decent product. There's nothing terrible about it. But there's also nothing great about it, either. If you don't usually wear glitter-liner, this is not a must have. At a lower price, I'd say to just try them out, but for $3.99, I'd much rather grab the $0.99 regular pencils instead. The formula, as far as I can tell, is identical. I'm not sure if the pencils are dupes of the permanent colors or not, but there are only four, and I can't imagine that they're too different.

ULTA is my hero

In terms of where I buy my make up, I seesaw a bit depending on what I'm into at the moment... For awhile, ULTA was my favorite, and then it was Sephora. Now I'm all over drugstore stuff and coupons, so it's been CVS and Rite Aid.

BUT. I went by ULTA today to take advantage of their 20% off coupon, and what do I see?

TESTERS.

FOR EVERYTHING.

Not just the high-end brand, guys, we're talking every single shade from every drugstore product they carry. I can tell you now that I've never wished for my camera more. It was. AMAZING.

What this means is that if you're looking for foundation, you no longer have to guess at which shade you are -- you can find out for yourself, just as sure as you could at MAC or Sephora or anywhere else. If you want a lipstick? No problem: See the color for yourself first. I was actually going through a bunch of Revlon's reds today, and I ended up not getting any, because they were all kind of pink. But I'd never have known that without swatching first! Wondering if that eyeshadow quad is pigmented or not? See for yourself!

Unfortunately, I was on a tight deadline, so I didn't manage to swatch and test everything. ): NEXT TIME, THOUGH. DEFINITELY.

I'm not sure if this is a national change or not, but next time, please drop by your local ULTA and check it out! This is such an awesome change!

Look Gorgeous, Love Green

If you've never tried EcoTools products and want to try them, or if you already love their amazing brushes, they're holding an incredible campaign right now.

Through Look Gorgeous, Love Green, you can send in old items you don't use like makeup brushes, body washes and scrubs, body lotions and butters, hand creams, body mists, and bath sponges. In return, EcoTools will send you coupons worth up to $7.99—only two per person, per household—so that you can replace them with new EcoTools products.

EcoTools is famous for producing environmentally friendly bath and beauty items. I have the retractable kabuki and a set of face brushes, and I use them constantly. The quality is great, the synthetic bristles are amazingly soft and dense. On top of that, they're cruelty free and made of recycled material.

I haven't tried the rest of their products yet, but one day, I really hope to! I've yet to be disappointed by them, and I'm hoping to round out my collection as soon as my coupons get here. :)

The campaign runs until the end of September. Get your swaps in when you can!

Cheap and Cute: Wholesale-Dress.Net Giveaway!

Hey, guys! This is the special post I was talking about! :D A site I've shopped at before is holding a contest, and this is my entry. It's part review and part shopping guide. There's a giveaway attached, so please take a look!


Way back in March, a friend of mine IMed me this link. "Look at this site!" she said. "Let's buy something!"

I clicked, and whooooooa. The prices! The variety! Immediately, I was entranced.

Wholesale-Dress.net is a wholesale clothing dealership based in Hangzhou, China, but the cool thing? They sell individual pieces as well at rock bottom prices. The styles they feature are constantly changing and are either self-designed or based on Japanese and Korean fashion magazines.

Basically, if you've ever been to Asia and seen tiny clothing stalls at night markets or whatever, this is probably one of the places they get their stock.

That said, the quality is a little hit or miss. For stuff that's so cheap, though, I think this should be expected. It's clothing, after all, and nicer fabrics are much more expensive. However, if you like trendy things and are a fan of fast fashion, Wholesale is an excellent alternative to teen-oriented stores like Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe.

The thing I really love about Wholesale is that they offer a table of information of the products, including concrete measurements. If you know your bust, waist, hip, and shoulder measurements, picking items out should be a breeze. If you don't like manmade fabrics? That's all labeled, too. There's also a handy comment feature through which you can ask the staff about the product, such as how much stretch the fabric has, and also read reviews from fellow shoppers. If you need more info, Wholesale operates several chat options in addition to an email service. Replies are very quick, but sometimes, the English can be a little garbled, hahaha. But they do their best, and it's really nice that they provide the service!

Another thing I like is that Wholesale offers clear pictures of the items. However, even though the models are all photographed in the actual clothing, it's difficult to judge the size from just the fashion shots. Just because something hangs off of the tiny model doesn't mean it'll look quite the same on you, LOL... [learned this the hard way]

Also, as a general caveat, Wholesale sizes are geared towards Asian standards. What this means is that the items with separate sizes tend towards the smaller end. If you wear an M in America, you might end up being an L or even XL on Wholesale. This is another reason why it's really important to know your measurements (in cm)! Especially since you're ordering online from somewhere far away, you want to be as safe as possible. From personal experience, I'd say that the most important numbers to keep in mind are shoulder, bust, and waist. A lot of the items are made from chiffon, which doesn't hold up very well if they're not wide enough across the shoulder, and I'm sure you all know what it feels like to wear something that's too tight across the bust or waist. Try to leave about two centimeters of room for yourself, just in case.

The killer for shopping on the site is, of course, the expensive shipping. There are no shipping discounts for spending a lot. However, once in awhile, the site does offer free shipping codes to specific countries, so keep an eye out for those. If you don't want to wait or if you think something's going to go out of stock fast (and believe me, it happens; there's a shirt I've been wanting that sells out in a day), I suggest taking a careful look at the shipping chart posted on the site. You'll notice that shipping is calculated by weight; therefore, the best way to maximize your money is to buy enough to come in right at or just under the next highest 500 g or 1000 g mark. Usually, this means that you can get a good number of items in. If you divvy up the shipping, the prices are still pretty cheap, with $5-6 items usually averaging around $8 total.

Since we discovered Wholesale, my friend and I have made three separate purchases. The cheapest shipping options for Americans are UPS and Fedex, and on that end, everything went pretty well. However, we've encountered issues while waiting for the company itself to gather stock and send the packages out. Just because all of your items are in stock, don't expect it to ship out immediately. So, you know, if you're going to go on vacation soon or move or something, don't try to jam an order in, because it could easily take much longer than you expect.

But if you're not going anywhere, and you want to try something for cheap, Wholesale is definitely worth checking out! :)


And now for the giveaway~

A Flounce Collar Lace Dress! Click on pictures to enlarge.

Item no. F10043005

This is free size, meaning that it's one-size fits all. Of course, this doesn't necessarily work out... XD I'd say that the dress is equivalent to an American S/M or 2/4/6, possibly an 8. Except that it's kind of short, so it might make a better shirt instead. :)

RULES:

1. This giveaway will end on September 12th, 2010.

2. Open only to readers from the U.S. and Canada.

3. In order to enter, leave your email and a comment below! Only one comment will be valid.

For an additional entry, make a post about this giveaway, and leave me the link!

4. The winner will be chosen randomly. I will email you about it, so it's very important that you leave me contact info! If I don't hear back within 2 days, a new winner will be chosen.

You don't need to follow me or anything, but of course you are welcome to do so! :)

Good luck, everyone, and thanks for participating!

Questionable

Laneige N877 Silver Grey; Laneige G767 Gold Khaki;
MAC Greensmoke; Stila Makalu; Stila Champara

I wasn't kidding when I said I've been hauling like a maniac, hahahaha... x.x;; I got to drop by my local CCO recently, and then I came across a Laneige BOGOF sale, and. Well.

...Yeah.

Anyway, if you're looking at this picture and thinking, "Gee, that MAC on the left and that Laneige on the right look really similar," you're not entirely wrong:

MAC Greensmoke; Laneige G767 Gold Khaki

(Sorry about the color discrepancy between the two pics, hahaha, it was hard for my camera to capture. The swatch pic below is much more accurate in terms of what these look like in real life.)

In fact, that's exactly what I thought when I first saw the Laneige. I'd been lemming Greensmoke really hard since I swatched it in May, so when I found three boxes buried behind the flashy LE stuff at the CCO, I didn't hesitate.

...Well, okay, I did for like a second, but come on.

A week later, I was browsing through my local Super H Mart when I pass by the Amore Pacific nook, and what do you know... They actually have point make up on sale! Usually, I don't like Laneige shadows, since a lot of them are a ton of glitter and not much else, but G767 caught my eye immediately. When I went to take a swipe, it was deep and dark and gloriously pigmented.

Of course, since it was awesome, I couldn't help myself (BOGOF Laneige?!?!). So I grabbed pretty gunmetal N877 as my freebie and walked out thinking sadly about my brand new MAC Greensmoke sitting at home, which had apparently cost me twice as much.

Fortunately, I didn't need to worry, because after I tried them on my eyes today? I can say for sure that they are nothing alike.

MAC Greensmoke; Laneige G767 Gold Khaki; Laneige N877 Silver Grey

It's kind of weird because even if you look at the swatches here, which were done by hand, they're not identical, but they are similar. G767 has a much more metallic finish and therefore looks more golden green. Greensmoke, on the other hand, is more subtle and looks kind of brown in comparison. Either way, G767 looks more pigmented here.

Oddly, that isn't the case when I used a brush today. Greensmoke as a shadow is harder, but it built up very easily into the dirty olive color we're so familiar with. G767, on the other hand, is incredibly buttery. It was surprisingly sheer, which is probably due precisely to the soft consistency of the shadow and the metallic finish. If anything, I'd say after today that G767 might be closer to the famous Lancome Erika F. than Greensmoke.

They are definitely in the same color family, though, and look pretty awesome paired together. :)

Either way, I'm glad and amused that my active attempt to buy dupes ended up with a really nice tag-teaming duo instead.

Moving on!

Stila Champara; Stila Makalu

Here are the Stila swatches. I got these from a very generous swap on MUA. I haven't actually worn them yet, but they're both neutral shades, so I'm not too worried. Champara is a nutty nude that pulls a little orange on me, and Makalu is a matte black.

You are my Seoul, Seoul

This is a bit late, but please check out Elli Duvolle's I Have Seoul giveaway! It's pretty awesome!

Coupons are the best

Made a Rite Aid haul today!! It's really bad... I've been hauling like a maniac this week. ): I think it's because I'm stuck in the house with nothing better to do, so I end up going stircrazy and buying things. x.x Terrible.

Since I've been planning this Rite Aid haul for weeks, though, I figured I'd just go ahead and indulge... Especially since I already had all my coupons printed and cut out and everything.

Speaking of which, if you've never tried Rite Aid Video Values, you are definitely missing out. They have amazing deals every month, and the coupons last forever (by which I mean two months). And the best part? You can STACK THEM.

I never even knew that was possible before Recessionista started posting about it. I'm so glad she did, because buying a bunch of stuff and not paying retail? Is a pretty amazing feeling.

So anyway, the following is a record of my first foray into the thrilling world of mass coupon usage.

I got six things:
- Wet 'n' Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner in 886 Black
- Wet 'n' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit in 963 Ash Brown
- Wet 'n' Wild Mega Liner in 863 Turquoise
- Wet 'n' Wild coloricon in 254B Lagoon
- Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Medium 0-1 Sand
- Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in 025 Pink Please

And here are the coupons I used
- $5 off $20 purchase from Rite Aid Video Values (RAVV)
- $1 off $10 cosmetics purchase from RAVV
- $3 off $10 WnW purchase from RAVV
- $1 off any Maybelline Color Sensational lip product from RAVV
- $2 off any Maybelline foundation from the Maybelline Salsa Sun display

In addition to that, there's a BOGO50% sale on all Maybelline products this week.

The retail price of my purchase? $28 (before tax).

What did I spend? $12.40 (also before tax).

Yeeeah, that number definitely looked a lot prettier on the screen than $28!

I'm going to return WnW Lagoon, though, since I mistakenly thought that WnW was BOGO50%... They hadn't removed the sticker from last week yet, haha, and I wanted to make sure I hit $10. I'd keep it if it weren't a bright blue. I really don't need more blues. x.x

Part of me kind of wants to keep it, though, just to try out the new coloricon line. I would've gone for Kitten, actually, except I just got Goddess from the old WnW singles collection last week. They look very similar, (purple base, gold shimmer) so I can't justify it. I'm trying to cut back on buying new things by telling myself to only get colors I don't already have... which is pretty much every cool color by now. XD;;; At least that part of the plan is working, haha.

Anyway, I may have a special-ish post coming up. :) Please be on the look out!

Nexcare and Cettua

Cettua Trouble Clear Patch; Nexcare 3M Acne Dressing

So a lot of people have already raved about the Nexcare acne patch dressings before. They looked interesting, so I got them in September of last year to try them out, and I've stocked up since then. Mostly because this shit works. @.@

Essentially, you stick the patch over your blemishes, leave them on for a couple of hours, and it sucks the crap out. I know that the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask supposedly does this, too, but in all honesty, I've never, ever seen the results with QH that I do with Nexcare. Like, literally, there is a chunk of gunk stuck inside the patch—it doesn't get all over your skin at all!—and your pimple is FLAT. This last part is ultimately what makes me a believer. I've also noticed that when I use the patch, I don't break out in that same area again for quite awhile.

So yes. I may actually worship at the alter of Nexcare for the existence of these (sadly) Asia-only patches.

However, at $4-5 a box, these can get pretty pricey, unless you're one of those lucky people who never really need them, anyway. Furthermore, they're almost always out of stock on Sasa (proof of their awesome), so even though you CAN get them, it's a difficult endeavor.

Enter the Cettua Trouble Clear Patch. At $3.20 for 48 patches, these are a much cheaper alternative. Intead of being round, these are oval, and they're much thinner. Unlike Nexcare, which has a rubbery texture and is pretty matte, the Cettuas are just a little bit shiny but stick well to the skin. They're great if you want to keep wearing them during the day, since they're less noticeable.

However, the thinness is also what makes the Cettuas much less effective for me... They don't have the power that the Nexcare patches do; at the most, these just made my skin look irritated without actually being able to get rid of anything. I could just be allergic to something in it (the tea tree oil, maybe?), but that doesn't change the fact that I very rarely got visible results, even after wearing them for several hours.

So in the end, I'd say that Cettua is like one of those lady revolvers, and Nexcare is the big gun. Unless you've got baby blemishes that don't even really need to be covered up, Nexcare is the one that'll get the job done.

Project 10... bottle...?

Hello, hello~~ It's been awhile, hahahaha. I'm fully aware that no one reads this blog, anyway, but that just means I should give it some love! :P

Anyway, after some recent travels to China, I somehow ended up with a complete new set of skincare... x.x This is really bad, since between school and home, I've been collecting like a bazillion things, not to mention that huge birthday haul I made last year.

So! Since I definitely won't be finishing many make up products any time soon, I think I'm just going to do a Project 10 Pan (Bottle) with skincare, since it's something I do in fact use everyday and have entirely way too much of! XD I'll include foundation products in there, too, since I also have a million of those. x.x

Since I currently have some time to burn, I'll try to write up some reviews, too! Make up for that year of complete silence, hahaha.

Here goes!