beautylish 2015 bold lucky bag

hi guys! just after christmas beautylish held their annual sale on their lucky bags, which were $75 for $150+ worth of products. this time, they had 3 different choices: natural, bold, and mua (makeup artist). i decided to be adventurous and got the bold bag. ~Lin-chan ^.~

rcma palette

pebble & smoky teal (swatched over milani eye primer);
afternoon delight patted over milani eye primer (left) & (right) swatched with included brush and clearly liquid glitter base

1. indie lee coq-10 toner (ret. $32) -- i'm game for trying out new toners. granted, this one is more expensive than clinique, but we shall try it!
• kinda weirded out by this. not the product, but the packaging and shipping. when i opened up the package, the box for this product was wet, but the bottle was completely sealed and dry. wut. really confused.
• update: i'm not totally sure about this..fragrance in mah skincare........
2. bliss lemon + sage body butter (ret. $29) -- i love lemon and herb type scents. i'm not certain about using such a scent on the whole body, but ok. i'll try it. 
3. lit cosmetics summer sparkle lit kit in afternoon delight (ret. $13) -- i've never tried the lit kits and i was kinda but not totally interested in them. i'm not huge into applying chunky glitter to my skin so i was halfway about this product. but i think that this glitter is milled small enough that it'll be ok. i definitely think that you should use the included glitter base--otherwise it won't stick to your skin! the brush that was included was pretty crappy and made application awkward.
• be careful opening up the glitter if you get one of these. the sifter doesn't have a sticker on it, and a lot of glitter is sitting on the sifter.
4. kevyn aucoin the eyeshadow duo in 214 (pebble/smoky teal) (ret. $42) -- this duo is so pretty in the pan. but swatching it, the teal was meh. the pebble is a nice all-over shade, but teal did not want to swatch nicely, i had to build it up.
5. rcma series favorites palette highlight/contour (ret. $30) -- i've been wanting to try an rcma concealer palette for a while now and now i can! this is really creamy and super blendable, but it seems like it needs powdering to set, otherwise it will move.
6. inglot colour play mascara in blue (ret. $13) -- i haven't tried anything inglot before (i've been wanting to try their shadows!), but i'm super excited that they sent me blue. >w< i generally use colored mascaras on the lower lashes.
7. wayne goss eye brush 17 (ret. $32) -- w00t. another wayne goss brush! super amazing awesome. it's a little bit bigger than i like using for an all over shadow brush, but we will make it work! (i prefer brushes similar to sigma's E55)

approximate product value: ~$191

nails inc gel effect polishes in old bond street & mayfair lane

hi guys! i've got a bunch of notd posts planned this year, with all of the redoux's..and january, though it's still early on, has become the month of nail polish... november/december were lippie months, and now this........... on another side note, i bought some daylight light bulbs because i loved how nice it made the room look at my in-law's--and it worked out well for photos. ~Lin-chan ^.~

anyway, T gave me these two polishes for christmas and i decided to try them out. ironically, i received a different shade from this line that i had ordered on the day that we exchanged gifts. it was funny! i'll have to update this post later with how well they hold up and all. also, my topcoat decided to bubble..so sorreh. >.>

polishes used: formula x the system & 2 coats each of old bond street (purply-blue) and mayfair lane (pale pink)

2014 fall empties & hit pans!

hi guys! itssss that time again!!! and can you believe it? i actually hit pan on something other than a pressed powder! eeeep! by my calculations, if it took me 1.5 years to hit pan on this blush, i have twenty bazillion lifetimes worth of blush to use up still.....lol. j/k. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

october

• perfect formula pink gel coat -- this is actually, sadly, my first bottle of the stuff...from like 5? years ago..? haha. i loved this stuff to death after trying out the regular gel coat polish. in early october, when i was interviewing with ibm, i thought it'd be a great polish to use. in certain lights, your nails have a pink glow to them, but in others, it looks almost like you've got a french manicure..except it's the natural whites of your nails. anyway, i'm retiring this bottle because it's become goopy and i don't know how using polish thinner will affect it. and i'd rather use a fresh bottle.
  repurchase? of course!! 
• covergirl 3-in-1 foundation in 825 -- i love this stuff. years ago when i first started getting into sephora and makeup, etc. i fell in love with too faced's one step foundation, then they discontinued it for a new version, but i switched to this because it was much cheaper, and i'm going to stick with it because it's amazing!
  repurchase? yes but not for now, i have backups already
• bbw shower gel in secret wonderland
• dr. bronner's pure castile soap in peppermint
• japonesque brush cleanser -- this was an ok brush cleanser. effectiveness-wise: it's kinda in the middle of the sephora daily and the mufe instant cleansers. i still want to try parian spirit and cinema secrets.
  repurchase? nah
• skyn iceland mini glacial cleansing cloths -- i got this in an ipsy bag. these are ok. i don't like the scent and they were overly saturated and foamy...eh.
  repurchase? no
• soap and glory glad hair day (shampoo) -- this stuff is super thick, like to the point where it didn't want to spread out easily..like a solid glob...... it smelled nice but it was only ok.
  repurchase? no
• soap and glory clean on me (body wash) -- i love this stuff. the scent is super awesome and >w<  the only major downfall is that it's pretty expensive. it's $16 for 16.2oz.
  repurchase? maybe, cost is the main factor
• milani eye tech extreme eyeliner -- this was an unexpected favorite. the stiffness of the felt tip annoyed me when i first got it. but after i got used to it, it was the best thing ever. i'm not sure why the 180, but i loved it!
  repurchase? yes, but not for now
• simple cleansing wipes x2 (i keep a separate pack at the in-laws', so i technically didn't use up 2 packs this month....)
• alterna caviar cc cream -- i got this in an ipsy bag. this stuff smells so freaking amazing. it is a bit expensive though, so i'm not sure if i'll buy more...
  repurchase? maybe

[not pictured]

• tree hut almond & honey sugar scrub
• tone body wash in soothing (oatmeal & shea butter)
• benefit they're real push-up liner sample -- i got about 3 uses out of this but it was awful. like the product inside is good but the design of the sample was terrible. the full size only has a flexible tip and a twist-up to dispense the product. the sample, is almost fully a silicone tube. the tip design is the same, but the center area is a squeeze tube to dispense the product. because the center was also a silicone tube, it made the whole thing more difficult to apply because the whole thing flexed. >.> there's a definite learning curve with this product; you have to be careful about how much you dispense and it's probably best to start from the outer corner and work your way inward.
  repurchase? idk. even using the full size is a bit difficult to work with.
• just the basics moisturizing shave cream in berry (from cvs) -- this is an alright shaving cream, pretty ordinary...
  repurchase? meh
• pantene shampoo in smooth -- i love pantene, for as long as i remember (middle school?) i've been using their products... and i usually get them in liters from sam's.
  repurcahse? of course

november

• theBalm sexy mama powder
• clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel
• tree hut almond & honey sugar scrub
• nourish organics moisturizing cream face cleanser -- i got this in an ipsy bag. this is an ok face wash. i don't think i'm going to repurchase because i'd have to order this and it's not worth it.
  repurchase? no
• eos lip balm in raspberry pomegranate -- while i like eos lip balms, this one gave me no problems and the scent was ok, not my favorite.
  repurchase? probably not -- buy/try all the lip balms!!
• ulta moisture and shine shampoo -- call me crazy, but this smells like bananas at first..then it transitions to a chemically smell.......yeah.. anyway, though this shampoo has moisture in the name, i didn't have any oily/greasy looking situations when i used it. so that's good! otherwise, it was an ok shampoo.
  repurchase? no
• simple cleansing wipes
• epice purifying exfoliant -- i got this in an ipsy bag. i really liked how abrasive this stuff was. it's similar in texture to dr. brandt microdermabrasion or laura mercier flawless skin face polish.
  repurchase? maybe, if it's on sale or ipsy coupons..
• aussie aussome volume shampoo & conditioner -- winn dixie occasionally has this hygiene deal where you buy two items and you get four others for free..well the shampoo was a freebie and i decided to buy the matching conditioner. i really liked using these but i feel like i ran through these bottles too fast. consistency-wise, these are both thinner than pantene--which may be why i used a lot more, faster..? the tops are almost impossible to open when your hands are wet, so i just left mine open the whole time.
  repurchase? nah
• caress endless kiss body wash
• clinique acne solutions spot healing gel (discontinued)

november (cont.)

• sonia kashuk eye makeup remover
• simple moisturizing face wash -- the texture of this face wash was not something i liked. it was super thick, thicker than some body washes and i didn't feel like it was all that great.
  repurchase? no
• figs & rouge rose berry hand cream -- i got this in an ipsy bag. pretty nice but i don't use hand cream much (and i have a stockpile..) and i'm not interested in repurchasing
  repurchase? no, i'd have to order it
• buxom show some skin foundation in dim the light -- i really liked how lightweight this foundation is. it's more of a tinted moisturizer/bb cream in coverage (light-medium). and with the spf, it's perfect for summertime.
  repurchase? yes, but not for now
• beautyblender blender cleanser solid -- this stuff was only ok. and it was only ok for my beauty blender. it was better with brushes but not by that much. realistically speaking, this worked well with brushes that contained powder products. brushes with cream product build-up were difficult to fully clean with this.
  repurchase? no
• ysl shocking extensions mascara -- this was a pretty good mascara, held a curl pretty well and i enjoyed using it. is it worth the price tag? no, there are drugstore mascaras that get the job done just as well
  repurchase? no
• ecru new york acacia protien bb cream (hair) -- i got this in my ipsy bag, and it was ok. the consistency was really thin and there wasn't really much of a scent to it. but it wasn't super exciting.
  repurchase? no

[not pictured]

• bbw twilight woods body wash
• aveeno positively smooth shave gel
• bliss fabulous foaming face scrub -- i really enjoy this scrub. it's very gentle and refreshing!
  repurchase? yes

december -- we spent most of the month at the in-laws', so i ended up tossing a lot of items..

• sephora collection citrus brush cleanser -- this was in my recent favorites post. it's super awesome, effective, and the citrus oils make it smell nice!
  repurchase? yes!
• simple cleansing wipes x2
• tree hut shower gel in almond & honey (x2) -- this is so good. it smells just like the scrub and the consistency is really nice, just like the coconut lime one i showed in my last empties post.
  repurchase? yes
• loreal voluminous miss manga mascara -- i really love the effect this mascara gives. it's a piece-y anime-esque looking lashes and it does give a little length. and it's manhuwa mascara. what more do otaku need to ask for?!
  repurchase? yes
• london brush company unscented goats milk brush shampoo -- this stuff is the best. it's better, if not equal, to dr. bronner's in cleansing power. granted, this stuff is expensive and i was kinda using it sparingly...it's amazing.
  repurchase? yes
• i hit pan!
• be a bombshell cosmetics blush in sweet cheeks -- i got this in my very first ipsy bag (april 2013) and i've been using it nearly every day since then. i actually started to see pan about the time i posted about my original beauty box (mid-october), you can kinda see the silver peeping through by the top rounded part of the b..but i decided to include this blush in the december photo since i've been putting three months in each empties post anyway.
  repurchase? already have!
• loreal one sweep eyeshadow in natural for brown eyes -- this is my fast and easy, everyday routine eye look. i know some people don't really like it because of the application, but i just use the applicator to apply it and i also use it to blend it a bit. so it's not really "one sweep" anymore, but whatever. it's fast and easy.
  repurchase? of course

[not pictured]

• jack black lip balm in natural mint -- this was a surprising lip balm. slightly ointment-y but with a similar feel to a solid lip balm. loved this stuff.
  repurchase? yes!
• candles by victoria soap shot in rosemary mint -- this is more of a kitchen-y scent. it's really good but we don't really use bar soap in the kitchen...
  repurchase? not this scent
• simple refreshing facial wash -- i didn't have any issues with this face wash, but it wasn't all that refreshing.... so yeah. i do feel like it worked and didn't irritate my skin blah blah blah, but i'm not into it.
  repurchase? nah
• herbal essences naked dry shampoo -- this is great! it goes on colorless for me, which is freaking awesome, and it has a nice fresh clean scent to it that lasts me all day.
  repurchase? yes but not for now
• suave professionals almond + shea butter shampoo and conditioner -- this smells really good and my hair feels really clean afterward. but i'm not sure if i'll repurchase because i'm so used to using pantene....
  repurchase? maybe
• tree hut coconut lime sugar scrub
• tree hut island mango sugar scrub
• freeman dead sea minerals anti-stress facial mask -- this mask is pretty good. i'm not super sure on the anti-stress part. but anyway... it did burn my eyes a bit, even when i didn't put it that close to them...
  repurchase? nah
• soapbox argan shampoo -- i got this in a target box. this shampoo, while nice, worked well but i didn't find it all that special or anything. i guess it's good for those all natural people. it's kinda lame though that you can't buy a full size of the shampoo by itself, you have to get a subscription bundle thingy..
  repurchase? nah
• burt's bees facial wipes -- i got these in a target box. these wipes were only ok at removing makeup. they're good for picking up oils and dirt though. the white tea scent is weird-interesting and a little strong.
  repurchase? no
• aussie aussome volume shampoo
• trader joe's tea tree tingle conditioner
• ogx renewing moroccan argan oil shampoo and conditioner minis -- these were ok. like they worked just fine, but the scent was weird, like licorice or anise or something...
  repurchase? nah
• neutrogena deep clean gentle scrub -- this was an ok scrub. it was very gentle, and i prefer more abrasive ones. i mean, it does clean your face ok, but i want something with more instant gratification--if that makes sense. teh paul thought it was meh too.
  repurchase? no

december hauls

 

hi guys! sorry for the delay on this haul post, i had to include a shot of some awesome software i gots today. =P so without further ado, let's get this show post on the road! ~Lin-chan ^.~

M536, I524, I550, D652, ME728, ME230, D926, ME930

sephora $20 off: mufe artist palette, sephora citrus brush cleanser, freebie sample bag

top: champagne, nude, mocha; (palette swatched dry)

cvs: almay intense i-color liner in purple amethyst, physicians formula shimmer strips custom eye enhancing shadow & liner, and gel cream shadow & liner trio

enduring rose, taupe, copper ink, violet ink

bbb: loreal infallible eyeshadow sticks in forever taupe and enduring rose, covergirl ink it liners in copper ink and violet ink
cvs: broadway impress press-on nails in space cadet

rose quartz, garnet

roze quartz

garnet -- this is a lot more purple than i was thinking it was... it's still super pretty though.
beware: this one's a teeth-magnet!

target: revlon hd lip lacquers in hd rose quartz & hd garnet

beautylish.com: wayne goss holiday brush (black & white) -- i couldn't resist... i've really wanted his brushes, and i love both the black and the white bristles that i couldn't choose......... it was nice that beautylish was doing a free shipping promotion and $10 off $50 for new users... ^^; one word about these, to quote wayne goss himself: gorgeous! these are so amazing and soft and i need the rest of the line.

nude eyes (champagne, pewter, black), warm nude eyes (copper, bronze, black)

cvs: physicians formula shimmer strips kohl kajal eyeliner trios in nude eyes and warm nude eyes

• these are actually only ok... they don't actually last in the waterline, and if i use them on my lid, it transfers because i have hooded asian eyes.. >.>

lolita (arm swatch photo taken while wet) -- i blend in with the comforter!!

sephora: nails inc gel effect polish in kensington high street (notd to come later), kat von d everlasting liquid lipstick in lolita. freebie tarte bb primer in light

rose gold, taupe smoke; lipstick stain, gloss stain

lipstick stain

gloss stain

ulta.com 20% off + points: becca shimmering skin perfector pressed in rose gold, mini mally beauty perfect prep poreless primer, it cosmetics the it factor duo (je ne sais quoi gloss stain & lipstick stain), loreal infallible smokissime powder eyeliner in taupe smoke

• cvs: maybelline fit me matte + poreless foundation in nude beige & powder in translucent, loreal infallible pro matte foundation in nautral buff & powder in nude beige, nyc instant matte bb creme in light
• dermstore.com: london brush co goats milk brush shampoo in lemon zest
• target: sims 4 premium edition

2015 blog goals

hi guys! i wanted to make a few blog goals for this year. lets hope that i can keep up with them! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. continue making at least one post per week
• we will see how well this works out once i start working this summer.....
2. notd redoux's (upcoming tag)
• i was randomly going through all my old notd posts...and there's soooo many with bad photos.......(nearly 40 of them!!)...... so the plan is that i will gradually recreate these notd posts, so long as i still have the polishes.
3. update blog layout
• i know that i don't really have much of a following, but at the same time the design has always bothered me. so the plan is to update the css/html sometime in the next few months.