FOTD, Pregnancy Update, + Love Packages

NOTE:  Only 11 more days to join my EYE LOVE YOU Giveaway! And a big HELLO & THANK YOU to my newest readers/ subscribers/ blogger friends! Don't be shy and say hi! For some odd reason my Followers list won't update, so it doesn't show me who has subscribed more recently. :( I won't be able to check out your pages if I can't see. And I also want to say thanks to everyone who let me know their thoughts and opinions on my last entry! You girls have helped me A LOT with my final decision and I shall share with you what it is very soon! :D YAY! *starts seal clapping*

NEO DALI Brown Circle Lens Review

Price: $25 per pair

Diameter: 14.2 mm

Water Content: 45%

Disposable: 1 year (yearly)

Approved By:

Haircut + FOTD + Festival of Trees

I've already announced it on Instagram & Twitter.. Yes, I finally chopped off the beauty that was once my long hair.. A whole 6-7 inches.. All gone.. I was pretty sad & depressed about it at first, but it has grown on me! I'm actually really loving it now. I cried the first night.. Yes, I cried. I haven't cut my hair this short in about 7 years, so it was kind of an emotional moment. I know it sounds stupid, but it felt like a big part of me of gone! Haha, I know there's bigger issues out there like starving people or if Casey Anthony is really innocent or not, but this was my crisis for about a few hours. Let me be! LOL.

Why did I all of a sudden do it? Well, actually, I had scheduled an appointment with the only guy person I'll ever let touch my hair, but was thinking I could save the extra $50 for Christmas shopping instead. I had mixed feelings about whether I should cut it this short. About 50% of my friends were telling me NO and I'll regret it. The other 50% were telling me take a chance, it's only hair and will grow back.

Sigma Buffer Brush + My "NAKED" FOTD!

Once again, of you follow me on twitter, you probably already know that I had won 2nd place in Diane's (mykissenmakeup) most recent "Thank You Giveaway"! I was pretty excited to receive and try my first Sigma buffer brush. It was sent to me directly by the company themselves. I was expecting to get a small, tiny little package box because the brush itself is so small, but the box was medium sized and packaged very nicely even with bubble wrap! It brush itself came inside a plastic wrap and then also inside a cute red pouch.  I'm so surprised of how pretty it considered 1.) It was given for free and 2.) It was only a small little kabuki brush.

You can tell from the getco this company is all about quality and excellent presentation to it's customers and potentials. I was also very impressed with how fast their shipping and delivery was! LOVE! ❤

Ulta: NYX Cosmetics Haul/ Review *Part I*

Side Note: Before I start, I wanted to say thank you again to all those who have been joining my giveaway! :) There's still plenty of time to join! I'm actually quite shocked people are still joining everyday considering I haven't had the chance to spread the word around. So, THANK YOU to those have been posting on your sidebars and blog posts! I really, really appreciate it! I have, however, noticed some cheaters. BECAUSE of that, I won't be recording everyone's entries UNTIL THE END of the giveaway. I know most people don't do this until the end in the first place, but I was trying to keep track of everyone's entries at the end of each day so it doesn't get to crazy for me. But since I've noticed some cheaters already, I guess I will have to wait until the end to make sure everyone is keeping their giveaway entries honest. Thanks, guys!!! I can't wait to see who wins! :) I'm quite excited to pack it up nice and pretty and send the goodies to it's lovely new home. <3

Now, the long overdue NYX post.. FINALLY, right?! I know I USED to update like crazy, but lately I've been overwhelmed with a few personal things and haven't had much time to update. It's been a while since I did a REAL makeup-related post, so here it is! :D These are all my honest opinions and I think I've been using these products long enough to have a good, strong opinion on them at this point. These are still all my own opinions on how these products work for me. Anyone else's experiences or opinions could be very different.

So, everyone has a favorite eye primer or base. My favorite is the ever so popular, Urban Decay Primer Potion. But I like finding things that work just as well as the higher end products, with lower end prices. I think I've found it in NYX eye shadow bases!!! :D SCORE for me! If you haven't tried these, you definitely must. I think sometimes it works even TOO well.

There are two different kinds I decided to try (and love both!). I like the jars better than wand applicators, but the HD was pricier and I wanted to see just how different it was to the regular skin tone base.

HD High Definition Eye Shadow Base

• Has a wand applicator.
• Creamy liquid texture.
• Amazing for bright color eye shadows! Makes colors really POP!
• Eye shadow lasts ALL day and night. The 24-hours later, the color was STILL just as vibrant. It won't even smudge in the slightest when I try to rub it off really hard.
• Great for if you know you're going to be sweating or partying hard!
• I would definitely say this is well up there with the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Skin Tone Eye Shadow Base (ESB03)

• Comes in a little jar (my personal preference).
• Thick creamy texture.
• Matches my skin tone, so it works great as a concealer with awesome coverage!
• This base is my favorite for an everyday neutral makeup.
• This eye shadow doesn't last as long as the HD base, but the colors are still much more intense than no base at all and it will last throughout the whole day.

So next, I picked out this neutral shimmery trio eye shadow palette (TS15). The first two colors look so different in the palette, but look VERY similar in the palette (which I did NOT like at all).

• Soft, satin texture. Goes on very smoothly.
• Colors won't stand out or last without a primer or base.

• Love that the "True Taupe" is more of a matte color with just the slightest, almost unnoticeable shimmer.

(An everyday natural eye look I created using these eye shadows.)

I've been on the longest journey trying to find the perfect eyebrow pencil/ shadow! My absolute favorite was the Philosophy retractable (can't remember the exact name!) one, but that was discontinued..

OMG! Don't you hate it when your all-time favorite whatever gets discontinued?! I'm thinking.. WHY?!!! It's a great product and people love! Why in the world would you end it's glory?!

Anyways, back to what I was saying.. I guess the Anastasia "Perfect Brow Pencil" works pretty well too.. But the thing is, I don't want to spend $22 on something just for your brows! I know I probably spent so much more in buying all these different things to compare, but I NEED to find a more affordable go-to eyebrow pencil. I like using both pencil AND shadow typically, but I used only used each of these one at a time to show you how they looked on me. (I still think the Anastasia gives a much more natural look than these NYX eyebrow products.) Don't be disgusted with my thin no-brows!!! LOL, I made the mistake of going tweezer happy when I was younger and the hairs never fully came back.. *sad bear*..

• Eyebrow Cake Powder - I like that it doesn't look as sharp. It looks slightly more natural and I can go as thick as I want. The powder grabs onto the little bits of hair that I do have quite nicely, but it looks funny on the areas lacking hair..
• Push-Up Bra for Eyebrows - I love the highlighter end of the stick, it really does make your brow bones much more prominent and it's awesome as a base too! The pencil gives it more of a defined brow look, but I don't like it's texture. It can glide on a bit cakey/ chunky.. Definitely have to make sure to sweep it with a brow brush a couple time to smooth it out.

• Love how versatile these jumbo eye pencils can be! Can be used as a thick liner, base, or highlighter.
• Once again, lasts longer with a base underneath.
• I don't like how they smudge easily.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush

• Creamy and bright enough to be used on the lips too!
• Don't like how easily it stains your cheeks before you get to rub it around. I'd use a brush, slightly tap some color onto it, and with your brush, tap your cheek areas before rubbing it around with your fingers.
• Don't like how overwhelming this color can get! It doesn't spread that easily..

NYX Round Case Lipsticks

• Love how moisturizing these lipsticks feel!
• Colors are bright and very pigmented.
• Lighter colors NEVER look good on dry lips.. LOL, the cracks on your lips will be very disgustingly noticeable! (I definitely had to Carmax it up before I applied the Narcissus & S. Milk!)

NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil (724 Chaos)

• Just as pigmented and moisturizing as the lipsticks!!! Not drying at ALL like most lip pencils.
• Because it's in pencil form, it's easier to shape and define your lips.
• Works amazing as a lip stain! Apply and blot with a tissue for a more matte finish.
• This specific color is my favorite!! Now, THAT'S what I call a Barbie pink shade! I've had so many people ask me what color and brand it is. Well, here it is! :D

A final look! (DAMN! My forehead looks BIGGG!)

Using these NYX products!

Haha, I know you can't really tell much of a difference.

^______^ Well, that's the end of this post! I have many more to come, hopefully I can make some time to post those up soon. I went a little crazy on CherryCulture.com (Spend $40 and it's free shipping!! US residents only though..) and will show you my newest NYX goodies as soon as those arrive! Thanks everyone for making me motivated to come on here! You girls absolutely make my days. XOXO <3

Hawaii (Scarf) Inspired Makeup

So, you see that top I'm wearing? Well, it's not REALLY a top, it's this really cute summery scarf that was given by grandma. It's a really BIG scarf, almost the size of a sarong, and I saw something about wearing your scarfs as your tops to the beach over your swimsuit and decided to try it out. :0) I think it came out kinda nice, definitely will be taking this to the beach with me. Well, the colors of the scarf inspired me to try out a few blends of eyeshadow colors that might flow well with it. I think the mission was successful! The whole look looks kinda Hawaii-ey. Yeah, I know most islanders prefer that au natural look, so my face might look clownish compared to theirs, but hey- Whatever! It's makeup and we're girls. We're allowed to have fun with it. Some of us NEED makeup to look semi-decent. Not trying to sound like a b*tch, but it's just the way things are, sadly.

FACE:

- Moisturizer: Lancome Renergie Microlift R.A.R.E

- Skin Fusion Brightening minerals (Medium)

- e.l.f Blush (Pink Passion)

•  Love this blush! It's such a nice, light shade of pink. But like I have said in a previous post, I really have to dig into the blush to get the pigment I want on my cheeks.

EYES:

- NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder (ecp02-Dark Brown/Brown)

• Honestly, I've always felt powder brow kits work 10x's better then pencils. The pencils sometimes leave an unattractive goop where a few of your eyebrow hairs cluttered. I like this brown powder, the color looks natural on me, it comes with a lighter & darker shade. It also came with a cute tiny little angle brush & the best part is the little circle of wax it comes with! You can easily control your out of place hairs, now! PLUS-- It's super affordable.

- NYX High Definition Eye Shadow Base

• I can honestly say this is one of the BEST eye shadow primers I've ever used! In my opinion, it even beats Urban Decay Primer Potion. It keeps my shadow lasting ALLLL day and even when I rub, it stay in place quite well! I'm just not a fan of the whole wand packaging. I'd much rather prefer a tiny jar, at least that way a good amount of it won't be going to waste.

- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (608-Cottage Cheese)

•  I love all the colors these eye pencils come in, unfortunately, I don't like that it fades and rubs off easily. :/ Well, the shimmer ones too, maybe I should try the matte colors.

- L'Oreal HiP Bright Shadow Duo (538-Flamboyant: Gold)

- L'Oreal HiP Bright Shadow Duo (224-Showy: Both)

• I adore the HiP line for L'Oreal! The colors are so vibrant and pigmented! But I feel that ALL the matte colors of these eyeshadow duos don't come out as nice. They come out better when blended with other colors, but not alone.

- Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner (01-Deepest Black)

•  The best pencil eyeliner I have ever owned! It glides on sooo smoothly over your lid and lasts ALLL day! And it's even smudge-proof! I don't know if they make this in waterproof, but I hope they do. It will be my #1 of all time!  (My eyes water all the time for no reason, so it's hard to find a good eyeliner that my tears won't wash out.)

- Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Liner

• It's okay. It washes out easily and I would like it better if they brush was shorter. It's harder to control very thin lines when the brush is too long.

- Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous waterproof (Black)

• I don't know if I would say the Stiletto mascaras are my favorite, but they are definitely on my top 10. Lasts all day, barely flakes, does create a lot of length, and a satisfactory amount of volume.

- Shu Uemura Mini Eyelash Curler

• I love this little thing! I can curl EVERY hair with precision, even the lashes in the corners where it's hard to get with a regular sized curler.

- Two pairs of eyelashes (glued on top of the other)

• For EXTRAAA volume!!

- Duo Eyelash Glue (Waterproof)

• I like that because there's quite a bit of glue on, it creates a stronger hold on your lids. (I was saying earlier my eyes water easily, so it even eventually loosens waterproof eyelash glue, but not when you double up! :0)

LIPS:

- NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil (724-Chaos) 

• This lip pencil really surprised me! It glided so smoothly across my lips, with lots of moisture and glossy finish! It didn't give a dried out feeling/look at all! For more of a matte finish, I would apply it and kiss a tissue/ paper towel. Repeat for more pigment.

HAIR:

- Messy Big Bun Up-Do

• This look wouldn't be complete without the right hairstyle! I could have gone for flowing bohemian waves, but I decided with the messy big bun. I want to SHOW the colors of my face, not hide it! This bun that looks great with ANY look and very easy to do. And it's for all hair types really, you create the volume for the bun yourself.

Okay, that's the end of this idea! :0) Hope anyone who sees this enjoyed it! Bye!! <3

Quick update, but more to come!

I know I haven't updated in a while, just been super busy! But I've been thinking a lot about summer posts and looks! ANDDD- I've been online window shopping like crazy. It's hard to just look and NOT buy. But I like it, it gives me an idea of what I want that I can probably find for a bargain somewhere else. I'm not the type of girl to spend $100's on luxury items. I get what I need and find what I want for cheaper elsewhere. There are some things out there that you really SHOULD spend the extra dough on, like skin care. I guess I'm not really the one that could say much on that. I guess you could say I've been blessed with the fact that I've never had a pimple/ or acne issues before. But I do have extremely dry skin! So really, I only need to get moisturizers with tons of good hydrating ingredients in there, and thank goodness I can find any of those at a local drugstore.

Anyways, this isn't going to be a long post or anything. Just a quick update. I took these pictures a few days ago when I got bored and decided to wear some color to work. Of course, I did NOT wear the falsies all day though. Just for a few shots and bye-bye they went. This was my first time trying them out since I got them at Daiso. Anyways, I have many more ideas I'd love to share with the blogging community! Stay tuned! <3

Mini E.L.F Haul x Pinky Look

I cannot get enough of Tarjay(Target)! It's my absolute favorite go-to store for just about everything.The only thing I cannot seem to find in ANY store (so I'm guessing they aren't sold here in the states???) is Maybelline's LONG EXTREME Lash Stilletto mascara. Saw a post about it on Xiaxue's blogspot and it worked wonders!! -_- Foreigners are always getting the best stuff! Grrr.. Anyways, this post isn't about that, so I'll shut up my whining for another time. Like I said, visitied Tarjay and of course I must ALWAYS stop by the cosmetics section, at least to take a peek if they have any new goodies. I've seen the ELF corner a few times, but my method of thinking was if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Everything was basically from $1.00 to $3.00 at most!! I've read reviews on how well these products work and come on, for a dollar, why not at least try 'em out, right? They had everything from eye shadows, to moisturizers, and even brushes! The brushes are what really drew me in. Makeup brushes are just way too expensive nowadays! I don't need fancy shmancy brushes, just ones that work! And I am proud to say I've found my new go-to makeup brushes for only $3 compared to the usual $10- $25 brushes everywhere else. 

For this look, I used:

• Punk Funk palette - ($1.00) Surprisingly, for a one dollar palette, these shadows come out very vibrant and actually stays on (as long as you have some type of primer/base underneath). The pink in this palette can come out pretty bright and a little goes a long way! The blue&purple is perfect to give yourself a smokey-eye effect. I like color in my "smokey-eye", black shadow are for those days when I feelin' kinda emo/goth. :0) Hehehe..
• Pink Passion blush -($3.00) I LOVE THIS BLUSH!!! I will admit, not exactly the best quality. I really have to dig my brush in there a few times to get my cheeks to the shade of pink that I want. But even so, I love how subtle yet noticeable it is. I've been looking for a really light pink blush and I'm happy that I didn't have to spend $25 on one at the department stores. ^_^ *Pats self on pat*
• Birthday Suit lip stain - ($1.00) I'm not one to worry too much on my lip wear. I've bought pricey lip glosses before (years ago!!!) , but never will I again (well, maybe, if it's worth it). I was never into lipstick at all and the only lipstains that actually worked for me were too bloody red for me. I'm SO HAPPY I came upon this baby! It's a baby/Barbie pink lip STAIN and it actually works!!! The more you apply, the lighter my lips get (I have naturally really rosy lips, so it's hard to achieve a lighter look). In these pictures, I decided not to use the gloss side, I like the matte look. :)
• ELF Eye Brightening blackliner -  ($1.00) This comes out darker than most of the pencil eyeliners I've used, but doesn't glide as smoothly on my lid. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 stars.
• Maybelline Ultimate Length Lash Stiletto mascara -  ($6.97) I had to settle for this since it has been impossible to find the LONG EXTREME! ): It still works great though! I'm hoping this IS the same product with a different name. But I love how voluminous and long my lashes are after just a few coats! Why pay high department/ designer prices when you can go to your local drugstore and pick up something that works even better for under $10!
• Maybelline Stiletto Liquid liner - ($5.99 Buy one, get one) Medium sized brush tip, just wish they had this in waterproof. :T

• Falsiesfrom Daiso - ($1.50 pair) Works PERFECT for asian eyes, great prices, & tons of different styles to choose from. :0) I love me this little Japanese dollar store. (Located at The Commons in Federal Way, WA)