hurl: tarte x grav3yardgirl swamp queen palette

hi guys! this swamp family member was finally able to get her phalanges on the swamp queen palette today!!! it was so close yet so far on saturday...and then yesterday was a holiday.............. i've been watching bunny's videos for maybe a year or two now, and get most of the references to the shade names, except for a few...but i'm not watching her hour-long video talking about the palette...who has time for that, especially since i ordered the palette before that video even went up.. click photos to view larger! ~Lin-chan ^.~
anyway! omg this palette. it is beautiful. fan of grav3yardgirl or not, you should definitely check it out. the pigmentation is freaking phenomenal and will work with fair to medium skintones (maybe darker, but i'm not sure by how much..). these shadows are super gorgeous, most containing some kind of sparkle, and a few satins. the bronzer, i'm a bit on the fence about because of the sparkle, but the rest of the palette makes up for it. the included brush seems like it will be a pretty good, stiff flat shader brush.

believe in yourself, love yourself, embrace your individuality

cheeks

1. sweet tea -- this is a more orangey-brown bronzer shade, with gold shimmer. it does kind of look like iced tea, not gonna lie, "sippy sippy...ahhhh!". but i'm not sure how this will go on me because it's so orange, but i can try using it other ways.
2. does this thing really work? -- this blush reminds me of nars orgasm. now, orgasm is a lot pinker than this, where this is more rosy-mauve, and it also has some golden shimmer to it.
3. gator wings -- this is super pretty! it's reminiscent of becca moonstone, but more yellow-gold, and appears to have multi-colored shimmer to it. 

sweet tea, does this thing really work?, gator wings

eyes

1. #sfs -- well, since i'm on the dupe train... manna kadar's shadow/highlight in fantasy that i got in my ipsy bag is very similar to this. this is a really pretty peachy-pink golden shimmery shadow.
2. natural peaches -- this is one of the satins, and it's a really nice orangy-peach transition shade. i'm not sure with my skintone if i can pull it off full-color, but i can see this working really well sheered out.
3. dogman -- i'm not sure if i 100% feel like this would be dogman's 'color' but i guess, relative to the others..maybe? anyway, this is a really interesting shade. it's a satin finish rusty color with multi-colored shimmer. i'm not sure how much use i'd get out of this shade but if i do, it'll probably be something i blend a lot and will probably lose the glitteriness.
4. big baby -- can you even see this one on my skin?? i had to swatch this one a few times to get it to show up. it is basically my skin color, maybe leaning slightly orange. this is the other satin/matte shade in this palette. which will work really well as a brow highlight.
5. sassy bun -- "so sassy, sassy saaaassy!" omg you guys. this is one of the prettiest metallic coppery golds ever. cannot waiiiiit to use it!
6. sippy sippy -- this is another that i'm not so sure i'd envision as the name...but whatever. this is a very dark chocolate brown, satin finish with multi-colored shimmer. like i said with dogman, if i ever end up using it, the pretty shimmeriness will get lost in the blending probably.
7. haunting -- omg you guys, can i get a larger one of these as a single?? this is such a pretty lilacy-nudey-pink with tons of multi-colored shimmer. this one does seem fairly appropriately named, i mean, it's a ghoulish color!
8. uncommon -- also, can i get this as a hyooj single??? this is probably my absolute favorite shade in this palette. contrary to the fact that i'm not as interested in the uncommon objects hauls--those are kinda weird..but ughhhh! i know why i love this shade so much. it's another take on urban decay's liar (naked 3), and slightly less so, inglot 402. this is such a pretty mauvey taupe shade with tons of sparkle and shine. looooove it.
9. mancat -- this is a very nice deep purple with a satin finish. i don't see myself using it much, maybe in the outer corner or lower lash line, but i'm not sure.

#sfs, natural peaches, dogman, big baby, sassy bun, sippy sippy, haunting, uncommon, mancat (swatched over lorac eye primer)

2014 spring empties

its spring empties time!!! ~Lin-chan ^.~

april

• simple liquid eye makeup remover -- this is my second bottle, i believe. i really enjoy this remover as it doesn't burn my eyes. it does take a little bit to get everything off, but i'd rather that than irritation.
  repurchase? yes -- already have!
• simple cleansing facial wipes
• body shop blueberry body scrub -- this was a good scrub while it lasted (about 5 uses), but it's not what i'm looking for in a body scrub because it's too gentle. i typically like more abrasive scrubs, but it was worth a try. it has a gel-like consistency with raspberry seeds (and maybe a few other things..?) as the scrubbing agent.
  repurchase? no
• folicure shampoo -- i bought these over a year ago to help with growing my hair out. and if i repurchase any, it'll probably be for the same reason: if i chop my hair again. i still have another liter left to use, but i think i'll use it in my routine as my "clarifying" shampoo until it's gone.
  repurchase? not for now
• psssssst dry shampoo -- i have a few other dry shampoos open to use for now, but i did enjoy this one. i liked how fresh the scent was and it blended in pretty well (it's white).
  repurchase? maybe, but not for now
• maybelline baby skin primer -- while i like this type of primer, i'm probably going to pass on repurchasing this because i like the too faced primed and poreless (original) primer more...even though this primer is probably more cost effective..but whatever.........
  repurchase? no

april (continued.)

• mystic divine hair mask -- while i really like their treatment oil, this mask is ok. for the price, i'd rather buy the ion hair mask or a pantene one
  repurchase? no
• naturebox pop sugar must have mix -- this came in my april must have box and i must have finished this thing within 20 minutes. it was teh nomz.
  repurchase? if i could, i would, but this mix is exclusive. major sadface!
• clinique clarifying lotion 3 -- i know that using alcohol-based toners isn't great for your skin, but this one has been working well for me for a long time.
  repurchase? yes
• sephora mineral loose powder foundation in light -- they don't actually make this anymore. i bought it a few years ago because it was on clearance and i needed a few more dollars to get free shipping. somewhat recently, i finally decided to open it and use it and now it's gone!
  repurchase? no
• benefit 15-hour primer stick mini -- while i felt like this was an effective primer, i hated the application. like i love how it glides so nice and smoothly across my face from the tube, but obviously you can't fully cover your face this way, you need to blend it in. this is where the fun ends. i hated blending this primer in with my hands. basically i felt like i was tugging my skin, similar to a slightly moistened version of you rubbing dry skin together. it almost hurt. it was awful. now, blending it in with a synthetic brush was no problem; it went smoothly because it wasn't skin-on-skin contact.
  repurchase? no
• [not pictured] cvs deep cleansing shampoo -- i bought this to use as my clarifying shampoo while i was growing my hair out, but i probably won't get another until i use up this last liter of folicure
  repurchase? not for now
• [not pictured] biore blemish fighting ice cleanser -- this cleanser feels "icy" whenever i used it with my clarisonic, otherwise not so much. I really did enjoy this cleanser and had no problems with it
  repurchase? not for now
• [not pictured] beauty secrets pure acetone -- i like getting acetone from sally's because they sell them in various sizes for reasonable prices
  repurchase? of course

may

• the body shop satsuma body wash -- omg this scent is so strong. i like the scent but it made our whole apartment smell of it whenever i used it. (our apt is about 600sqft or so)
  repurchase? probably not, maybe for other scents
• caress body wash in endless kiss (vanilla & sandalwood) -- this is a great, affordable body wash line. this scent is just right for me, not terribly strong and lightly woodsy.
  repurchase? yes, but not just yet
• beauty blender blender cleanser liquid -- i'm sooo freaking excited that i finished this guy up. i bought it because it's blender cleanser for your beauty blender [sponge]. but no. it did not work all that well. this stuff worked pretty well with my brushes, but the sponge, hahahaha, i use dr. bronner's. it worked better on brushes with powder and not cream in them.
  repurchase? no for the liquid, yes for the solid
• cvs baby shampoo -- the original intent with this was for cleaning my makeup brushes and the beauty blender. now, it was ok at cleaning both but not super great when liquid or cream products were concerned. after i started using dr. bronner's i stopped using it. so i finally decided that i'd use up the remainder of the bottle on my hair to get rid of it.
  repurchase? not anytime soon
• eos vanilla lip balm -- i really enjoyed this lip balm, the only problem is that i haven't seen it in stores. i bought this one off amazon
  repurchase? no
• biore acne clearing scrub -- i didn't particularly like this scrub because it has a thick gel-like consistency and it was kinda annoying to wash off if you apply too much.... >.> thankfully, i didn't have any problems or irritation with this product
  repurchase? no
• bbw mini lemon mint leaf candle -- this is my version of a clean scent. i love the subtleness of both the lemon and the mint, it's a great kitchen-clean type smell.
  repurchase? yes

may (cont.)

• tarte maracuja c-brighter eye cream mini -- i'd been eyeing this eye cream for ages and when i was able to get my hands on the $10 duo with the oil, i had to have it. i really enjoyed this eye cream. it was great at getting rid of my dryness and helped minimize the appearance of fine-line creases in my makeup. this little pot lasted me about 2 months. the duo might still be available in sephora stores in the impulse section, but it's no longer available online.
  repurchase? yes! already have
• simple oil-balancing cleansing wipes -- i finally figured out why this scent is familiar. beauty blender cleanser. exactly.
• bbw warm vanilla sugar shower gel mini -- while i really like bbw shower gels, drugstore ones (like tone and caress) are so much cheaper.
  repurchase? probably not
• yaby foundation in buff -- got this in my january ipsy bag. while i liked the color-match, look and feel of this foundation, i'm probably not going to repurchase this because i'd have to order it. i feel like there are more easily accessible and equivalent foundations at the drugstore as it is.
  repurchase? nah
• clinique acne solutions spot healing gel -- this is discontinued but this was my favorite for clearing up my acne. i'm a picker and this definitely helped expedite the healing on any spots that i would agitate. >.> they made a "clinical" version to replace this one, and i've got to say so far so good with it.
  repurchase? i wish, but i've got the new stuff. [while we were on vacation, my aunt gave me her bottle since she can't use it with her dermatologist's prescription, so i've got more! yay!]
• jergens bb body cream for light skintones -- i really enjoyed this. i liked the way it was lightly fragranced, the texture was just right for me, and it felt really long lasting and moisturizing. the tint was slight, but if you put clothes on before it dries, it will transfer.
  repurchase? yes
• [not pictured] popsugar must have snacks by naturebox -- these were the yums! sadface that they're gone!

may/june

• dr. bronner's pure castile soap in peppermint -- this is teh bombz at cleaning makeup brushes. cream or powder, it washes out like a charm. (can be found at target, bbb, whole foods)
  repurchase? yes and their solid bars are great too
• covergirl clump crusher mascara -- i opened this up in october i think? and it started drying up; it's probably about that time.. this mascara was ok. it doesn't clump if you layer it a bunch but it didn't do anything amazing for me.
  repurchase? not for now, but maybe
• armani eyes to kill mascara mini -- samples seem to last me for freaking ever. they're supposedly a two weeks supply, but i can get like a month or two's consistent use out of them...
  repurchase? the full size is $30! maybe if i'm up for a nordstrom mascara sale. i've heard that the almay get up and grow & loreal voluminous full definition (gold tube) mascaras are dupes, and i don't totally remember if they were quite the same as this--i tried them both a few years ago.. but between those two, i prefer almay's formula
• tree hut shea sugar scrub in almond & honey -- omg this scent is so good. for some reason i'm all about the almond oil scent. idk why. >.<
  repurchase? yes
• sonia kashuk eye makeup remover -- this is amazing at getting off your waterproof eye makeup, of the other removers i've tried none have been as effective as this stuff. i don't totally like the packaging, or i just got a bad bottle, because whenever i'd shake it to mix it, it would leak around the cap. otherwise, great stuff!
  repurchase? yes
• sephora daily makeup brush cleaner -- this stuff takes a few tries to get your brushes back to white again, sadly. but it is inexpensive and it works.
  repurchase? maybe
• makeup forever instant brush cleanser -- this stuff is amazing, but it's in the most craptastic spray bottle known to man. and that's pretty bad when a sprayer cannot spray. otherwise, this stuff works great. it doesn't really have a scent, but the fumes are kind of strong so don't use too much all at once or you might start choking.. >.>
  repurchase? probably
• essense nail art dry drops -- these are super inexpensive nail polish drying drops that are fairly effective.
  repurchase? yes!
• simple cleansing facial wipes
• clinique ddm gel

june

• lypsyl lip balm -- a hollieeatslipstick suggestion, and i loved it!
  repurchase? yes! but not just yet, i've got a few others to use up first. TT_TT
• batiste dry shampoo mini -- while i liked this dry shampoo, it did come off white if i applied too much. i gave away the bottle of hint of dark brown because i didn't like the weird dark residue it left under my nails. i liked the pssst & herbal essences ones more.
  repurchase? probably not
• aussie 3-minute miracle moist deep conditioner -- this is a really good, inexpensive deep conditioner--like $3? has a coconut-y, beachy type smell to it.
  repurchase? yes but not for now, i have a bunch of others to use first
• eva nyc therapy session hair mask -- this was better than expected. i do feel that cheaper hair masks are just as effective though. a tub of this is $15 at ulta (or less if you can get a deal on it), and pantene or ion deep conditioners are in the under $10 range.
  repurchase? maybe
• urban decay b6 spray -- i brought this little guy with me while i was on vacation and it worked out great. being on the ship is similar to being on an airplane as far as the skin dryness. and i have combo skin, i don't know dry skin. and i had it. in conjunction with using my ddm gel more than twice a day, this helped my skin get back to its normal.
  repurchase? maybe
• up&up makeup remover cloths -- my mom used to buy these when i was in high school. and i never ever thought that they were effective, but i bought this travel pack to bring with me on our vacation. then i decided that i should probably pack more than 17 wipes (including a different travel pack) and i brought a full size pack of simple wipes with me. so i've pretty much been using this for swatches. it gets most of them off, but some things will not remove with these wipes whatsoever. if you were to try these, they're better for light makeup, no waterproof, long-lasting, or heavy stuff.
  repurchase? no
• simple cleansing wipes
• [not pictured] lorac porefection face primer sample -- this primer was pretty good, it's silicon-y like i like my primers and it's actually a better value for the money than the too faced primer...i might be converting once i finish up my primed & poreless stash!
  repurchase? probably, but not yet.
• [not pictured] bbw paris amour & twilight woods body wash minis, dark kiss body wash
• [not pictured] too faced primed & poreless [original] face primer -- you guys know i love this stuff!
• [not pictured] aveeno positively smooth shave gel -- i actually really like this. i do feel like it lives up to the "shave less often" claim and my legs felt smooth even after several days of growth after using this stuff.
  repurchase? already have!
• [not pictured] gilette satin care with a touch of olay sensitive shave gel mini -- i brought this with me on the cruise to try it out and it was ok. it's on the same level as skintimate i think.
  repurchase? no

end of june hauls

hi guys this is the remainder of june's haul. i caught a couple sales and picked up a few replacement items. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

bella rosa rose blush (2 swipes, blended), bella blue nail polish

• amazon.com (seller: etailz): redeemed my capital one points for an amazon gift card, so i got a sigma E35 for $4!
• cvs: essence of beauty brushes are on clearance, and emilynoel recently talked about their crease brush set, so i picked it up for $3! and got myself another lypsyl lip balm >.< (not pictured)
• walmart: our neighborhood walmart just got an elf carousel display and i've never seen their eye makeup remover wipes before, so may as well try them out! and i picked up another wet n wild fergie bb cream in light (not pictured)
• milani.com 30% off sale: bella blue nail polish, rose powder blush in bella rosa
• ulta.com: tree hut body wash in coconut lime, salt scrub in fig & olive, japonesque makeup cleanser (supposedly it's parian spirit?) & solid brush cleanser (gwp)

• skindinavia.com: they had a code for 20% off, free 20mL setting spray, and free shipping; so i got an 8oz oil control [oil-free] setting spray for $32, considering the urban decay de slick is $30+ for 4oz. and skindinavia is the same manufacturer or something like that....
• urban decay: freebie sample of the new perversion mascara!! i'll review it later! (review post)

yesterday's cvs haul! & impressions

another mini haul for you guys. this time, i was waiting on a prescription to be filled.... ~Lin-chan ^.~

 

blue beats (3rd from the left; swatched over hally hansen gunmetal--leftmost swatch), deep in violet (4th)

• covergirl 

1. bombshell volume mascara -- i really liked this on first try. the only complaint is that the 1-wand is so chubby. i'm not sure if i'd repurchase this (since i love a few others more) but this is a great one to try out.
2. trublend foundation in 425 -- this is the old packaging, so it's on clearance for 50% off, and as i said in my last post, the 410 i just got a little light on me or white cast-y...whatever... and i'm 825 in the 3-in-1 so it's supposedly the same shade.

• maybelline colorshow nail polishes in deep in violet & blue beats (better swatches/notd's to come later)
• lypsyl lip balm -- a ytmmbi (HollieEatsLipstick) ...because i horde lip balm..lol. more like i try all the things... and i actually really liked this lip balm, first try!
• wet n wild blue had me at hello 8-pan shadow palette -- also 50% off, they're discontinuing this one..boo. i actually had my eye on this palette for a while but it's blue and i'm not super adventurous with wearing non-neutral colors. buuuut. i'm still trying to figure out what i'm doing for J's wedding makeup look..so i decided to get this because my dress is a sky blue-ish color.

left side, right side -- swatched dry

december hauls

 

hi guys! december hauls post time! part 1? i'll have an xmas gifts post again after xmas happens. hopefully i won't buy anything else for myself until next month. hahah. ~Lin-chan ^.~

• cvs: revlon lippy in elusive
• bbb: loreal nail polish in hidden gems (notd post)
• beauty bridge*: thebalm cabana boy & frat boy blushes, 3oz philosophy purity made simple
• a while back, rue la la* sent me a $20 credit and just when it was about to expire, beauty bridge was having a "groupon" on there for $30 for a $50 off code. so i only paid $10 for the code and ~$8 for shipping.
• luvocracy: thebalm down boy blush
• luvocracy gave me a $10 credit when i signed up, plus during cyber week, they were having free shipping and no taxes, so score $11 for this blush!
• sephora vib $20 off $50: urban decay revolution lipstick in fiend, bite beauty luminous creme lipstick in pepper, and soap and glory flake away body polish mini

mini-spree after taking back-to-back finals: (walmart, ulta)

• ponds cold cream cleanser -- ytmmbi, a few people online have mentioned it and i was curious.
• 2x elf studio powder brushes, because i really liked my other one and for $3, yes.
• urban decay 24/7 liquid liner in smog -- to use with my naked3 palette
• nyx -- was bogo free at ulta
• jumbo eye pencil in sparkle nude -- it looks like a pretty rosegold-ish color
• hd setting powder -- it's a dupe for mufe's, so why not try it?
• sally hanson nail polish in rasin the bar & pure ice nail polish in spitfire -- i bought some more clear plastic ornaments, planning on using these in them!
• 7 ulta points: 1oz macadamia natural oil (4pts) & loreal one sweep eyeshadow (3pts) in natural for brown eyes -- both are my favorites!

 
left: smog, sparkle nude, elusive, fiend, pepper
right: i'm wearing pepper & naked3 shadows (fotd post)



cabanaboy, downboy, fratboy

whiskey & zero (1), pistol & perversion (2), venus & crave (B), darkside & blackheart (3)

today's haul:

• bbw: cranberry pear bellini & leaves candles--on sale for $8!, forever red vanilla rum perfume mini
• ulta: eco tools airbrush concealer brush (also called deluxe concealer brush); urban decay naked2, basics, & 3 pencils
• i didn't get the naked1 pencil because i already have zero & whiskey. and i was iffy about the 2 pencil, i have two full sized perversion pencils waiting for me to open already, but pistol is my favorite shade from the 2... so yeah.... and i had a 20% off coupon, which helped!
• lush: wiccy magic muscles. so i broke my no-buy. i did pretty good: a year without buying lush. i actually went in to buy a couple things as gifts, and i decided to get a replacement since teh paul's been needing back rubs a lot lately. he's been trying to build muscle and i think he's been straining himself a bit.

*Affiliate Links

october hauls

i found some new great stuff this month! got a great deal on the em michelle phan day life palette ($29 out of pocket!!), lorac pro palette with an eyeliner for $39, and did you guys know that the brush guard sells through walmart?? well, the variety pack at least, if you want more of any particular size, it's best to get them through amazon. ~Lin-chan ^.~

 

• pokemon x
• mua brushes (E3, E5, F6) -- i wasn't kidding when i told you guys that i looooove their E3 & F6 brushes, so i had to get a few more while they were having free international shipping after £15 (~$24).
• em michelle phan day life palette -- see my haul post for more details about how i paid only $29 for it! (right now there's a 20% off coupon code: treat20, exp. 10/31/13 midnight pst)

 

• ulta: opi pink of hearts 2013 duo (notd post), real techniques brow and lash comb, covergirl glosstini in blue hawaiian
• cvs: i had some extrabucks burning a hole in my pocket, surprise surprise, so i got wet n wild/fergie's eyeshadow primer to try out and essence of beauty's precision blender sponge (a ytmmbi - phyrranyx)

 
 

ulta: lorac rockin red hot pro set ($39!!), real techniques stippling brush

• can we take a moment and just stare in awe at the second row shadows. oh my god! i love it.
• (swatches are over ud original primer potion; didn't want to open the new lorac one since i've got a ton of primers open already)
• after trying this eyeliner for the first time, omg this might be the new holy grail. i accidentally blinked before giving it time to set (like most other liners) and it didn't smudge or transfer. i like the applicator on this one more than the eyeko one, it glides on more smoothly. but the very tippy top of the tip is super-duper thin and i accidentally got some tiny marks on the outer corners of my eyes when using my semiparallel-stamp-and-drag method.

 
swatches: blush, honey love, ingenue, sultry, berry smoothie, lorac eyeliner

cvs: revlon balm stains in sultry and ingenue, nyc grand central station
walgreens: vaseline lip therapy in rosy lips, wet n wild shine clear polish, jordana honey love balm stain
walmart: the brush guard variety pack (because i don't have enough of these already? lol. i needed a couple more of the medium ones...all those real techniques brushes!), rimmel london match perfection blush in light, revlon berry smoothie lip butter

July - September Favorites

 

UGH! it's october already. what happened??!!!??? anyway, here's what i've been loving over the summer. ~Lin-chan ^.~

europe -- so most of you guys don't know, teh paul went to europe with his friend in june--part vacation, part nerdy-academic-people conference. while on his venture, he picked up some huge gummy bears, champagne truffles, and lindt chocolates for me, as well as this super cute salt and pepper shaker set. anyway back to the favorite. of these that he brought back, my favorite was the joghurt erdbeer-rhabarber (yogurt strawberry-rhubarb) bar from lindt. its soooo good. the only problem is that it's not readily available here yet and, as you can see, definitely way expensive to order right now (he paid €1.95 (~$2-3). TT_TT i luff it. as soon as it is reasonably priced (and hopefully nearby) i will buy all the lindt!!

 

new york city/chinatown? -- i'm not really sure where this is from, but this is beef jerky that my grandfather buys every time they go to new york. from what i understand, it's super expensive too (upwards of $20+/lb???). but it's soooo goooood. mmmmmm. it's super thinly cut and is freshly made, without preservatives. (package shown is ½ lb)

• covergirl ink it eyeliners -- i've been using black, charcoal, and cocoa the most lately. occasionally, i'll play with the crazier ones (silver, gold, aqua). i just love how long these stay put, i have no fading issues with them, they don't rub off easily once they're set. just awesome. i don't generally use dark eyeliners in my waterline--so i can't say anything about their staying power there.
• milani color statement lipstick in nude creme -- i love this lipstick. i'm more of a nude to brown lippy wearer but this is great! there's no shimmer and it's the perfect my lips but better shade, leaning a little pink. the color lasts quite a while after the balminess wears off as well (if you don't eat or drink), so it's nice to not have to reapply as often as other lipsticks.
• benefit cosmetics posie tint -- this is such a pretty pink stain. i've been primarily using it on my lips, i'm not adventurous enough to try it on my cheeks yet.
• wet n wild walking on eggshells trio -- this is a great trio to get. super natural looking, and it's only $3! you can't beat that. i've been using it a lot and i just love it. several people have told me that they really liked it when i've worn it. the brush that i've been loving lately to blend the crease shadow with is the MUA E3 brush.
• loreal infallible eyeshadow in bronzed taupe: a youtube made me buy it! emilynoel83/beauty broadcast mentioned it and after buying it and trying it, i'm in love.
• urban decay 24/7 eye liner in stray dog [not pictured below] -- this is such a pretty metallic taupe, it goes well with neutral and natural eye looks. loooove it. it's been discontinued, but mushroom is very close.
• see walking on eggshells, bronzed taupe, stray dog, and posietint on me here (swatches of stray dog and mushroom are on there as well).

 
silver, charcoal, aqua, cocoa, gold, black, nude creme, posie tint
walking on eggshells trio, bronzed taupe (swatched over milani eye primer)

• elf daily moisture stick -- a "youtube made me buy it" emilynoel83 recommended it. i don't know what's been going on lately, but my undereye area has been super dry and no matter what concealer i use, it's cakey looking. this, in conjunction with using eye moisturizers, has been helping reduce the cakiness. it can be used both under and over makeup without disrupting what you've already applied. apply it from the stick to your finger, rather than directly to your face. at $6, it's so worth a try.
• simple skincare 
• cleansing facial wipes -- i initially got my first pack to try, to see what the hype was all about. and omg i love them (worth the hype, guys!). i don't wear contacts, nor do i feel like my eyes are particularly sensitive, but these wipes don't irritate my eyes or my skin when i use them. i'm so sad that they're a lot more expensive than my equate wipes! they're about $5 for 25 wipes vs. equate at $7 for 120 wipes. buuuut they're soooo awesome... sadface!!!
• soothing eye balm -- it's a very light moisturizer, similar consistency to clinique's ddm gel. i've been using it morning and night and it's been helping with my recent dryness.
• eye makeup remover (liquid): this has been doing a pretty good job getting off my eye makeup (including waterproof mascara) without irritating my eyes. now, if i over-saturate the cotton ball, yes it kind of stings..but just use it in moderation! lol.
• the eye makeup remover wipes are only ok. you have to flip the package over each time you pull one out to extend their moisture retention (i do this with other wipes as well).
• lady gaga fame perfume -- to be honest, i went to sephora with a couple of friends and, while there, decided to give this a whiff. it's actually quite nice, i really enjoyed it. the scent, though it doesn't have vanilla in it, smells kind of like it to me. so i got a rollerball so that teh hubz could smell it as well as the fact that i haven't been huge into wearing perfume lately with my migraines, but anyway.... the most intriguing thing about this perfume is that the liquid is black. sooo interesting! i really like this scent. (also got the cute deluxe sample size for 100 sephora points at a later time.)