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!

High End Meets Drugstore?

Did anyone else know that Hard Candy would be selling at Wal-Mart now? o.O 'Cause I didn't...

Apparently, Laura Geller is also pulling out of Sephora and setting up shop in Walgreen's across the country.

Interesting pattern, yeah?

But either way, am seriously lemming some of those duos and blushes. I'll have to wait until next year, though... None of the stores around here have anything stocked yet, and none of the colors are LE, so I can wait. XD The only downside is that I really want to try the primer... 'Cause if it's awesome, then I can just return Prime Time. But I guess if I have to wait until next year, anyway, I might as well use BE in the meantime? :/ Decisions, decisions...

~*~Sparkles~*~

Felt uber girly today. XD

Base: Revlon in Coconut Crush
Topcoat: CG Boundless Color in Ruby Dust