NOTD: essie tart deco

this is my current nail polish, essie's tart deco. it looks a bit different on my nails than the bottle (in the bottle it is a nice pinky salmon color...on my hands it turns slightly from pinky to orangey) which is always irritating, however i think my topcoat may be the culprit to this color change. next time i paint my nails with this polish i will make sure that is the reason....

what are you wearing on your nails now?

collective haul..a jumble of things

i've been a good girl as promised and i havent spent TOO much since the last time i did a haul. with that being said i DO have a few items i'd like to share that i've purchased over last month in a half or so. enjoy :)

i got a couple things from mac; one thing from a collection and one from the permanent line. i didn't get much from the in the groove collection at mac since i only wanted two things: jazzed lipstick and stereo rose MSF. at the time the collection came out i was on vacation so i wasnt able to get stereo rose in time. however i did get the jazzed lipstick:

mac lipstick in jazzed

jazzed is a light orange based coral. i would say the color is flattering for most skin tones. the finish is creamsheen.

on my lips:


i also got the cream color base in hush

i would describe hush as a pinky nude shimmer. it is very flattering. i use it as a highlight for my cheekbones and nose. i find it has the properties of being a "skin perfecter" since everytime i use it, my skin looks luminous and healthy.

swatches:

it does have high frost to the formula...


but when blended out it just comes off as a pretty sheen.

estee lauder pure color gloss in impulsive coral

this gloss was actually given to me by my friend hieu. he works for estee lauder and absolutely adores the brand. i only own a few products by estee lauder, but mostly because hieu has given them to me haha. but i very much love this product. it is super comfortable on the lips, the color is sheer yet noticeable, and the smell is nice. after using this gloss it makes me want to check out more colors in this line since they just came out with an improved formula.

revlon super lustrous gloss from left to right: coral reef and pink pop

these glosses are great. they are very pigmented for drugstore gloss, have a creamy appearance in color, last a decent amount of time, and feel comfortable on the lips. they arent drying and have no offensive odor. pink pop is a bubblegum pink and coral reef is a orange based coral. i really like both colors and have used both.

swatches from left to right: EL impulsive coral, revlon pink pop, revlon coral reef

the estee lauder gloss is a shimmer formula but on the lips it is very subtle. both the revlon glosses have a cream finish. you can see that the impulsive coral gloss has more pink tones to it compared to coral reef.

here is impulsive coral on my lips by itself:


HIP professional chrome color liner in silver and gold

i bought these for about $2 each, they were on sale. i figured i would use them as highlights in the inner corner, or even under the lower lashline. i have only used the gold and it is actually a really great product. it applies super smoothly and pigmented. the formula is creamy.

swatches

the gold liner is a yellow based gold. the silver is more of a white silver.

i also picked up a few nail polishes that were on sale at my local store. here is what i got:

OPI hot n spicy

i have worn this polish once and it disappointed me just a little bit. this is also a coral color (i think ive been over indulging myself with corals) with strong orange tones. on my fingernails it comes off as just orange which isnt what i wanted. however i think this color would be flattering on my toes so i am not completely disappointed.

essie lilacism and tart deco

of the two i have only worn tart deco (it is what i am wearing at the moment). the formula was a bit thick but workable. the color is nice...i wish it were a bit more pink rather than creamsicle orange but it still flatters my hands. i would describe tart deco as a light salmon color and lilacism as a pure lilac color with no pink tones and more blue tones.

out the door topcoat

i got this topcoat at sally's and i plan on comparing its performance to seche vite. that will be an upcoming post for sure.

that is all of my haul. if you have any questions about anything, dont hesitate to ask :)

review: revlon matte lipstick

EDIT: I DID AN UPDATED POST ON MY COLLECTION HERE.

the revlon matte lipstick line contains ten shades all together, of which i only own 4 of the lighter shades: nude attitude, pink pout, mauve it over, and really red. the lipsticks are pigmented enough with an obviously matte finish. since these are matte finishes, they are drying to the lips. however, they apply smoothly and feel comfortable on the lips. it doesnt have an offensive odor. i sometimes leave the matte finish and other times i add gloss over the color, especially with nude attitude. of the colors i own my favorites are pink pout and nude attitude. i would repurchase these because they perform satisfactory to me.

SWATCHES

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: really red, nude attitude, pink pout, mauve it over

REALLY RED

really red is a cherry red color. this was actually the first of the mattes i bought on a whim a long time ago because i was looking for the perfect red lipstick (still searching). i dont like this color on me as it is not dark enough for my taste. i plan to use it up as a cream blush.
**UPDATE: I recently did a post with a Really Red and changed my thoughts about it. Check it out HERE.

NUDE ATTITUDE

nude attitude is a yellow based nude. i frequently use nude attitude to blank out my lips to make another color stand out on my lips. this is probably the most worn color for me out of the four since it is so versatile. i dont prefer wearing this alone though, it is too yellow for my liking.

PINK POUT

pink pout is a bright cool pink. although i say bright, it isnt so bright where it isnt wearable. i really enjoy this lipstick. i actually lost my first one i had a bit ago and repurchased it because i liked the color that much.

MAUVE IT OVER

mauve it over is exactly as the name says, a mauvy color with brown tones to it. this color is almost the exact same color as my lips...just a smidge darker i would say.

what do you think of the matte line? do you prefer glossy or matte?

002 items i'm lusting after

hello hello. im sorry for the lack of posts...i haven't really gotten anything significant lately for a post. im trying to be a good little girl and not spend so much money. i do have a few misc purchases i've made in the last month...which i will post up next. i was going to do a small post on how i wear vegas volt, but i will include that in my next post.

meanwhile...this "items im lusting after at the moment" thing seems to be a trend with me, so this will be a common post i'll do randomly at times. so onward with the second edition...

benefit crease less cream eyeshadow in 'birthday suit'

(img courtesy of benefitcosmetics.com)
i swatched this at sephora many times...put it in my bag many times...and took it out many times. sigh. usually when i am that wishy-washy with a product i usually end up going back and buying it eventually. i really love this color. to me it looked like a nude metallic color. great for lazy days when i just want to swipe a color all over my lid and brush some mascara on and go.

mac paint pot in groundwork

(img courtesy of amazon.com)
hmm i wonder if you sense a pattern here? i've really been on the cream shadow craze just because application is short, sweet and easy. i love the paint pots...i own two of them and am very satisfied with their performance. i also love it because i can skip the step of applying primer because the PP does the same job. i've been wanting this toned down subtle greyed brown color for a while. again...i always swatch it when i visit mac...but somehow always end up with other things when i check out...

nars blush in exhibit a

(img courtesy of amazon.com)
since nars' desire is one of my favorite blushes i own, i really want to dabble in this blush. thanks to desire...i will never be afraid of those scary looking colors in the pan again!

peter thomas roth max correction pads

(img courtesy of peterthomasroth.com)
i am still in the process of trying to refine and make my pores smaller. these are supposed to show dramatic results when it comes to cleaning up your pores and making blackheads disappear. yes please! but the price of these are hefty...$36 for 60 pads.

dr. hauschka clarifying toner

this is also supposed to refine the appearance of large pores. i have only heard good things about dr. hauschka and i really want to try out the brand.

that is the majority of what i have been really eyeing. what have you been lusting over? do any of you have these products already? i'd really like to hear thoughts on dr. hauschka and PTR since i have never tried either of the brands.