my last first day of class

hi guys!! so yesterday was my last first day of the semester of college. ever. yessssss. unless i go to grad school for some bizarre reason. anyway, here's my semesterly post on what i thought about my classes. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

• managing sources of competitive advantage (management)
• i picked the right section, omg.
• so most people taking this class with other instructors (mine infrequently teaches this class) have to form groups and do a semester paper and case study and blah blah blah presentations blehhhhh yuck.
• whereas, my instructor basically lets us do individual work. two exams and in-class discussion (with day-by-day informal groups). that's it. that's your grade for the semester. omg i was so excited.
• problems with this instructor though, his voice slightly more enthusiastic than monotone..so he's pretty freaking boring sounding. and his sense of humor is kinda there, but since he's monotone-ish so you can't tell if he's joking or not sometimes....... yeah..
• business communication (cmst)
• i feel like this class will be super useful for real life. the only downside is that there's only ever two sections, taught by the same lady. and with that, this class is basically only available to final-semester seniors or people with priority scheduling.
• this class includes important topics like how to interview, conducting effective business meetings, business proposals, and sales pitches -- among other things. useful stuff right? useful stuff for business students, right?
• other downsides to the class are her ridiculously expensive "textbook". aka $90 to access a website that she designed and posted 10 "chapters" to.. like, really..? and the amount of uhmkays she makes. she's like the south park school principle guy, as far as frequency and she sounds not quite but similar to him when she says it. bleh.

january 2015 ipsy bag

hi guys! i finally got my january IPSY BAG* today! the postman didn't bother dropping it off yesterday for some reason.......... (theme: thinking of you) ~Lin-chan ^.~

anyway, onto my impressions.

1. bellapierre shimmer powder in celebration (2.35g--full size, ret. $14.99) -- omg this is such a gorgeous gold. i'm not totally into loose eyeshadows--mostly because i'm impatient.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
2. elizabeth mott all over shadow brush (full size, ret. $9.99) -- this is a really nice brush, nice and soft. though i'm not sure about it being pink...
• likelihood to repurchase: nah, because i'd have to order it.
3. la fresh be good. good day. day moisturizer (.05oz--mini, ret. $40 for 1.7oz [$1.17]) -- this smells really weird. it's kinda like sunscreen but not really...i think it's the cucumber or something that makes it smell like this.. i'm undecided if i want to actually use this on my face though. the scent really bothers me.
• likelihood to repurchase: no
4. pacifica natural mineral coconut eye shadow in ethereal (.08oz, ret. $???) -- i'm surprised. this is actually a good product. the duo that i got a while back was awful. the pigmentation was garbage and it was just terrible. but this. this is really nice. i like the shade and the formulation, it's not chalky or anything. now, it's not as amazing as a high-end shadow either, but it is much better than i was expecting.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
5. probelle nail polish in into the blue (.5oz--full size, ret. $6) -- i really like the color of this polish, but it's not super unique and the formula seems ok. i'll have to actually wear it and try it out sometime..
• likelihood to repurchase: nah
6. blue and white ipsy bag -- i love how one side is blue and the other is white, and how there's the orange zipper and interior for contrast!
7. card with company info/discount codes
1. bellapierre.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy2014 (exp. 2/1/15)
2. elizabethmott.com: 50% off purchase, code: ipsybrush (exp. 2/28/15)
3. lafreshgroup.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsyjan15 (exp. 2/28/15)
4. pacificabeauty.com: 20% off purchase, code: newbeauty (exp. 2/28/15)
5. pro-belle.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/28/15)
6. astridanaturals.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy15 (exp. 2/28/15)
7. coastalscents.com: 20% off purchase, code: liner25off (exp. 3/5/15)
8. heyhoney.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 3/31/15)
9. hikaricosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: hikari30 (exp. 2/28/15)
10. jcatbeauty.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsyjcat (exp. 2/28/15)
11. jouercosmetics.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipster25 (exp. 2/28/15)
12. juicebeauty.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy2015 (exp. 2/28/15)
13. lashfood.com: 25% off purchase of 1 phyto-medic eyelash enhancer, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/28/15)
14. malinandgoetz.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy15 (exp. 2/28/15)
15. mannakadarcosmetics.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/28/15)
16. nourishorganic.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsyeye30 (exp. 2/28/15)
17. realtechniques.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy15 (exp. 2/28/15)
18. teadorabeauty.com: 35% off purchase, code: ipsy35 (exp. 2/28/15)
19. velvet59.com: 50% off any velvet rose lipgloss, code: 50offvelvet (exp. 2/28/15)

approximate product value: ~$32.16 + pacifica shadow

etherial & celebration (swatched over milani eye primer); into the blue

*Affiliate Link.

notd: formula x marine

hi guys! today's my first day of class! school actually started yesterday but i have tuesday/thursday classes this semester. i ditched my usual purple and gold mani today and went for a prettyful sparkly blue. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

marine is actually one of those textured sand "pixie" polishes. and it applies fairly opaque on the nails but i applied a second coat because there were a few patches. because of the nature of this formula, it dries really fast which is awesome. i applied topcoat afterward because it seemed kinda dull and not as sparkly as the bottle..

polishes used: formula x the system (3 coats of topcoat) and 2 coats marine

no topcoat; 2 coats topcoat

year in review: ipsy glambags 2014

 

hi guys! here's my year in review of my ipsy bags*! ~Lin-chan ^.~

january

1. mica beauty tinted lip balm in natural -- this lip balm was very meh and i didn't want to keep it. while a pretty color, it was not emollient whatsoever.
• product was given away
2. yaby liquid foundation in buff -- looks like a perfect color match for me, gives sheer to medium coverage. i'll definitely use this up but i think it's easier to buy foundations locally than reordering this one.
• product was finished
3. epice purifying exfoliant -- i really like this scrub. i'm really sad that it costs so much. >.<
• product was finished
4. proactiv+ mark fading pads -- these were ok, i feel like that continuous use would actually be more beneficial. they have a bit of a chemically scent to them.
• product was finished
5. briogeo don't despair, repair -- this was an ok conditioner; it felt more like a regular conditioner than a "repair"-ing conditioner. my hair didn't really feel all that different when i used it.
• product was finished

february

1. pop beauty plump pout lip gloss in fuschia freesia -- this shade's bright for me, but this gloss is fairly comfortable and not sticky whatsoever. it does need a somewhat frequent reapplication.
• product was given away
2. zoya nail polish in dot -- this polish is ok. i didn't particularly like the formula and how sheer and patchy this particular shade was
3. eyetini cordial cream shadow & base in violette -- despite how gorgeous this product is--when applied, the packaging is really cheap and it smells really weird, kinda plastic-y. i guess at the very least, it's going on your eyes, so you shouldn't be able to smell it after application. this shade kind of reminds me of clinique's cream shadow in rock violet.
• product was given away
4. skyn iceland fresh start mask with ice age mud -- this is a really interesting mask. there are two packettes: the blue clay mask and an activator gel. the blue clay mask looks and smells like toothpaste. seriously. texturally, it has small granules in it that you can feel while applying the mask. the gel looks and feels like a clear hair gel, and you apply this over the mask, massaging it in. it emulsifies, but not by a whole lot. and then you wash it off after 10 minutes. and i thought i was an ok mask, but it was too much work and the price isn't something i'm interested in.
• product was finished
5. jcat beauty eyelashes in EL13 -- i'm not huge into lashes..more like the couple times i attempted wearing any, i wasn't digging it and it felt weird. so these are getting passed off.
• product was given away

march

1. bare minerals marvelous moxie lipstick in get ready -- this is a really pretty color but it's not something i'd wear because of how pigmented my lips are and it's not within my comfort zone
• product was given away
2. be a bombshell shadow quad in bora bora -- i really like this quad! it's so pretty! and you can get very wearable looks or fun ones just from these four shades.
3. nicole by opi roughles polish in on what grounds? -- this polish was ok. it was kinda weird. like it looked like blue sandpaper. and it chipped like two days later. so it was a meh for me.
4. pacifica body butter in indian coconut nectar -- i didn't actually try this before giving it away; but i could smell it even with the seal on.. didn't want to take any chances and get a migraine from lotion. >.>
• product was given away

april

1. urban decay 24/7 glide-on pencil in black velvet -- this pencil is actually better than i expected. it stayed put for the most part throughout work-days and it was very richly pigmented and it stayed that way for hours.
2. dr. brandt mircrodermabrasion skin exfoliant -- this feels soooo nice. i love harsh exfoliants but sadface that this is sooooo freaking expensive!
3. elizabeth mott pop goes the shadow in champagne -- this shadow is only decently pigmented. it does take a bit to actually get it going onto the eye. definitely use a primer with this one. i loved pairing this shadow with the crease shade of wet n wild's walking on eggshells trio.
4. sexy hair root pump volumizing spray -- i decided to give this away; i don't really use volumizing products anyway. it smelled like hairspray and was kinda sticky-icky.
• product was given away
5. mary kay jelly lip gloss in teddy bare -- this gloss looks so weird on me. i really didn't like it. it wasn't bad in texture and it wasn't terribly sticky but the color was awful.
• product was given away

may

1. eva nyc therapy session hair mask -- this was a pretty good hair mask. the scent was nice and my hair felt really good afterward. i think the price is a little high for this, but if you can catch it on sale at ulta it'd probably be the best time to buy it.
• product was finished
2. pacifica mineral eyeshadow duo #2 in moonbeam & unicorn -- this shadow duo was only ok. it wasn't very pigmented and it was very patchy.
• product was given away
3. calvin klein endless euporea -- i'd much rather pick out perfume on my own than receive them. this was pretty nice, but not for me.
• product was given away
4. avène thermal spring water -- i really never used this. it's literally water in a can... i know it's far away, but i think i'll give it to my mom for her to use at jazz fest or something.
• product was given away
5. jersey shore sun sans tan anti-aging sunscreen -- it says "pure white" on the tube. and i didn't think that it meant, it will literally stay white and not blend into your skin. i'm relatively fair/light and i felt like it made me pale, i was sooo sooo many shades lighter than normal with this on my face.
• product was given away

june

1. be a bombshell lash out mascara in black -- i really didn't like the wand on this thing. it's similar to maybelline great lash. the formula was only ok too. and it smelled weird/old when i first opened it.....
• product was given away
2. marc anthony dream waves beach spray -- this product works fairly well in wet hair. i usually spray it on after towel-drying and scrunch up my hair every so often while it air dries. i likes it. used on dry hair, it didn't really do all that much.
3. nicka k new york shimmer eyeliner in blue -- this is a  really pretty eyeliner but between the unintentional bend in the silicone tip in combination with the formula, it just irritated my eyes. i couldn't use it. sadface.
• product was given away
4. nyx butter gloss in apple strudel -- i really liked this color on me. i don't really know what else to say about it aside from it's what you'd expect if you've tried any of their other butter glosses.
5. laneige bb cushion sampler packette -- this wasn't my favorite. the price point is extremely high to repurchase, and while the concept behind it is neat, the application sucks. and it only comes in three shades, which light was ok but not perfect on me.

july

1. bare minerals 5-in-1 bb advanced performance cream eyeshadow in divine wine -- this was pretty interesting. it comes out matte and dries shimmery. yes, counter intuitive, i know. it held up pretty well like a primer, but this shade was really dark for me if i used it alone. it's more of a crease color for me..
2. be-fine daily moisturizer with spf 15 -- the scent was way off putting for me, i hate the scent of sunscreen...coppertone kids..?....no thanks.
• product was given away
3. hang ten dark tanning oil -- as previously stated, i'm not into tanning period... but i still have it, i haven't done anything with this yet..
4. pixi tinted brilliance balm in unique pink -- this is actually really nice. i've been iffy about their products but i really like this one. it has a minty scent and feels very emollient and nice. this is supposed to be one of those pH custom color shades and compared to others i've tried this one is is more muted, versus a stark pink; it looks like a sheer peachy shade on me. 
5. wHet nail polish in facetious -- i actually really like this color. it didn't last super long on me though which was a bummer..maybe 2 days.....

august

1. urban decay perversion mascara -- see my review here. 
• product was given away for a friend to try; purchased full size
2. nicka k absolute lip balm in grape -- this lip balm is only ok. it doesn't last long, it's very thin and has lots of slip. glitter particles kinda transfer, but not really.
• product was given away
3. dr. brandt pores no more primer -- while an effective primer, i'm not keen on the medicinal-ish type scent it has..and definitely not the cost. way too expensive.
• product was finished
4. coastal scents forever blush duo in fresh & elegant -- i wound up buying the full size of elegant while it was on sale for $4 because i liked the sample so much; in addition to a few others >.<
• purchased full size of elegant and a few others
5. lord & berry silk kajal kohl eye pencil in black -- while it's a decent liner, i feel like rimmel scandalEyes in black is still better. it's blacker, darker, and stays put in the waterline much better than this pencil.
• product was given away

september

1. pacifica natural waterproof eye pencil in gunmetal/fringe
2. nourish organic moisturizing cream face cleanser -- i heard people didn't like how this smelled..except, i don't smell anything from the tube. it's an ok cleanser.
• product was finished
3. alterna hair care caviar cc cream -- this smells sooo freaking good. the only issue is that alterna products are generally expensive..boooo.
• product was finished
4. crown brush infinity shadow/crease brush (x2) -- i definitely wasn't a huge fan of the pointed "crease" side. like it definitely was super stiff like a pencil brush. the shadow side was nice but not my favorite tool for application.
5. hikari cosmetics lipstick in cabernet -- this is such a pretty color. it's a fairly dry lipstick that skips a little when applying. not very emollient.
6. extra: nyx bronze smokey look kit -- i didn't really devote any time to playing around with this set, but from my swatches it was hit or miss. if you're interested, get it on sale, not at full price.

october

1. ecru new york acacia protein bb cream for hair -- this has a non-descript scent and it's a fairly runny product, not cream-y at all. this product was all right, like i didn't really notice much of a difference while using it.
• product was finished
2. figs & rouge hand cream in rose berry -- while i really liked this hand cream, i'm not sure that i'd repurchase this because i would have to order it... 
• product was finished
3. jesse's girl mineralized baked shadow powder in kiwi shine -- i'm not a huge mineral eyeshadow fan, mostly because payoff always varies and i'm not one for wetting my brush and dabbing it in there. it's a pretty color though, but i didn't think i'd use it.
• product was given away
4. skyn iceland mini glacial cleansing cloths -- these are ok. i don't like the scent and they were overly saturated and foamy...eh.
• product was finished
5. starlooks lipgloss in guilty pleasure -- even though this is a pretty shade, i wasn't all for this product. i'm not a sticky gloss fan.
• product was given away

november

1. be a bombshell cosmetics eye base in submissive -- i didn't really get to try this out on my lids. it's similar in concept to a paint pot or color tattoo cream shadow. this one's very pretty and has a nice consistency.
2. elizabeth mott you're so fine liquid liner in glitterati -- i didn't even try the product. the brush tip is thicker/fatter and splayed more than i'd like.
• product was given away
3. jcat beauty wonder lip paint in red potion -- i didn't have much time to play with this product. it swatched beautifully and it looked great...until i started snacking and it came off all weird. it didn't really stain my lips or anything, it just kinda sat on them and faded into a weird ombre from me eating.
4. marc anthony oil of morocco argan oil volume shine hair spray -- i haven't used this yet, since i don't really use hairspray that much
5. temptu s/b highlighter in pink pearl -- i didn't get to play with this much....whenever i get around to it, i'll try mixing it in with my foundation and see how it looks.

december

1. tarte lights camera lashes mascara -- while i do like this mascara, it doesn't do that much for my lashes. it's a very natural separating mascara, but that's about it. i like my volume and length.
2. nyx butter lip balm in parfait  -- the color was just too pink for my taste. i do like my other butter lip balm in brownie though.
• product was given away
3. nourish organic renewing eye cream -- while i think this eye cream smells a bit strange, it is very hydrating in the under-eye area. will i buy this again? probably not because i still love tarte's maracuja eye cream.
4. cailyn cosmetics just mineral eye polish in orchid -- i actually really like this as an inner corner brightener and it pretty much goes with any eye look i do.
5. bumble and bumble repair blow dry -- i didn't try this out, i just passed it off to my mom. it had a chemically salon type scent to it
•  product was given away

* Affiliate link.

notd: nails inc. gel effects in kensington high street

hi guys! i've got another notd from nails inc. for ya. this is another polish from their gel effects line.
the shades in my last post held up ok. but they started chipping after about a day and a half (particularly mayfair lane)...so that was kinda lame. anyway, here ya go! ~Lin-chan ^.~

used: formula x the system & 2 coats kensington high street