In good holiday spirit, here is my favorite card of the year:
Have a good one!
Monthly Archives: December 2014
Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Foundation
If you frequent beauty blogs (especially a specifically talented vlogger who swears by this stuff), you have no doubt come across this Maybelline foundation as a recurring drugstore mention. I know I did, hence, as always, I put the hype to the test–over the course of an entire semester.
Even going to the store to pick up a stick, I already had trouble choosing a shade to match my light/medium skin. The color selection is extremely limited (-1, there were maybe 6 or so in store), which for me already takes away from 50% of the foundation’s use: i.e. evening skin tone. However, in the name of blogging, I picked out 190 Nude and carried on.
The foundation itself is typically sized with a unique container as shown above. If you’re weirded out by the fact that nothing on there actually reads “foundation,” you’re probably onto something. I would have had no idea without blogger tips, especially since there is a concealer that comes in an identical but smaller package.
Anyway, I actually like the applicator tip for its ease of use (+1). The twist mechanism is interesting, but it was not difficult to use and I did not feel that it was eating up the foundation. In fact, I would say that even the very last layer that I just finished using the other day got out when I twisted down enough. I usually chose to swirl bits of the liquid directly onto my face using the applicator and then even it out as I wished with my buffing brush. Overall, a no-mess application (+1).
Now for performance. Here is where the review begins to slope downward. Even from the first use, I knew the foundation was way too liquidy and sheer (-1) to be anywhere near Holy Grail status for me. I usually had to spread a thin, runny layer all over my face, wait for it to dry, dab another light layer over the spots I really wanted covered, wait some more, and then cake on finishing powder to make sure I stayed matte and put. Even then, coverage was medium at best (-1) and I was shiny within hours (-1). Now, I by no means have dry skin, so I’m not speaking to those of you who do, but I’m also no oil well. My skin is mostly normal with some oilier areas, but this foundation makes it look like shine central without powder. Yet again, in the name of beauty and completeness, I endured three months with this thing.
Also, to return to the color problem: yes, the color did end up looking a bit dark and too beige on me, but this was easier to fix by blending it into my neck area and using concealer and highlighting powder in conjunction with it. Still, it’s not a great color.
All in all, I do not really recommend this foundation unless you have extremely dry skin, want light coverage, and one of the shades luckily happens to match you well. My final rating is -1 for limited color choice, +1 for ease of use, +1 for cleanliness, -1 for texture, -1 for coverage, and –1 for shine for a grand total of -2. Ouch–but hey, we have to be picky when it comes to what we put on our face every day.
Merry Christmas Eve!
New: Black Loeffler Randall Jules Wedges! (and me)
As a petite girl, I do not exactly go crazy over flats, but trekking the California slopes in 5-inch heels is not always a feasible option. Hence, low wedges (and platforms!) are my new-found obsession. And my goodness, have I been going nuts over this pair for months. I introduce to you: the Loeffler Randall Jules Nubuck Wedges.
These shoes have a solid 3.5″ heel to lengthen your pins, 0.5″ (though I’d say even slightly higher) platform to keep you comfortable, luxe imported nubuck leather exterior, and a sexy little ankle strap complete with a glossy clasp in my favorite color. Sounds perfect, you say? Well, the $325 price tag agrees.
I was in love with these at first sight as both wedges and d’Orsays are a short girl’s best friends, but as a student, $300 for every pair of shoe is not exactly in my budget. Obviously, Loeffler Randall is a higher end brand, so I decided the quality would probably be worth lurking the net until I found some kind of sale–it’s Christmas time, after all!
Well, I lurked for weeks. And months. These babies are sold out in my popular size 7 in all major retailers like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to try them on before buying. So I read every review I could, and found this fashion blogger who wears them a lot:
On her, I think, they look even lower, so I got even more excited–could these finally be my new “flats”? The one thing I was worried about, though, was the narrowness–you can see here that it is definitely narrowly cut, and a couple reviewers mentioned this too. I don’t have particularly narrow feet, but I wanted them so much I was willing to risk it.
Anyway, as luck would have it, one day I actually found them at a secondhand luxury store in a size 7. I mean, this stuff doesn’t ever happen to me. I thought it must be meant to be. But then I also realized that these shoes were worn, and well, while I’m all for thrift clothing, shoes–closed shoes especially–is pushing it for my germaphobe triggers. Plus, I still didn’t even know if it would fit!
Although I was feeling like a brat at refusing a miracle find, I decided to stay on the lurk. And last week, my friends, it finally paid off. I ordered the last size 7 pair of Jules wedges from Amazon on sale on Friday after finishing my last final and feeling like a champ.
Well, they came in today, and without further ado:
I got excited and tried them on right under my baggy old winter sweater in my room, so I apologize in advance for the outfit and the background.
As you can see, I have no sizing problems, length or width wise. They are extremely comfortable as expected, and although I am used to much higher heels, I think the super-low arch on these should work for just about anyone. They look and feel as expensive as they are. The toe is more pointy than what the pictures online showed, but I am fine with it–if anything, it makes them look even classier. I honestly cannot think of a single negative comment right now.
Anyway, there you have it. If you are in search of a comfy, versatile wedge to feel put together without killing your feet, this is the one. Happy holidays!
Winter Nails!
As a beauty lover, my earliest obsession was probably nail polish. Starting as a toddler stealing mommy’s top coat to now owning my own mini-salon in my bathroom (which I definitely recommend for both budget and time savings!), I have always seen nails as being a significant detail that can express personality as well as complete a look.
Unfortunately, I also inherited my grandma’s teeny hands with the shortest fingers possible. What that means is small nail beds and little work space for a nail artist. Did this stop me from experimenting with everything anyway? No way! Did it affect my eventual preferences and maybe my slight love affair with acrylics? Indeed.
By now, I know what works for me and what definitely does not. For winter, one of my favorite designs is a baby French with spakly variations–classic, yet fun and holiday-spirited. Here are some that I love:
This time, I was undecided as to what design I wanted, so I just went to the salon and got some simple French acrylics to hide my winter-ridden nail beds:
Now, I was a little dissatisfied with the thick white tips (I like them thin!) so I filed off some length after this picture. Then, I decided I wanted to go full-on iridescent glitter with a protective top coat, so I sprinkled on some Nail Art glitter over a gel base, applied two Gelish top coats, and UV-set those sparkly babes right at home in my bathroom salon (maybe a total cost of $1 and about 15 min). The result?
As you can see, much healthier color and definitely winter-spirited–goes well with all your holiday parties as well!
Stay tuned for more holiday posts soon!
Spotlight: My Tricolor Celine Mini Luggage Tote
As promised, here is finally my post on my beloved, beautiful Celine tote: the Celine Yellow Pony Calfskin Mini Luggage Bag from Fall 2013. I purchased it on sale this past summer by a truly magical turn of fortune and have never looked back since.
The above picture is from the collection page, but I feel like it does not do the bag justice–the sides look almost black and the front is so yellow-tinted. So here is my own picture:
As you can see, the front is almost white (more cream than yellow, certainly) and the grey sides definitely stand out from the black frame. It is a soft but sturdy pony calfskin leather overall, including the inside, which makes it super easy to keep clean. The tote is also extremely roomy, so my only possible complaint would be that it can get quite heavy if loaded–but as will every other structured silhouette of this size. Overall, I’m IN LOVE with this bag…as I am an avid fan of black-and-white, it goes almost ridiculously well with every outfit I wear.
Anyway, once I brave more and more OOTD posts, I am sure that you will be seeing this gem very frequently. I don’t have a huge bag collection as of yet, but Celine is at the top of the list without doubt. It will take a lot to overcome my addiction to this one.
Please PM me for any specific questions about price, location, where and how I got it on sale, etc.
Review: Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner
I just received this beauty in the mail after ordering on their Black Friday sale (still on, plus free shipping–link below!) in my search for the perfect purple liner. Shipping takes so long when you’re this excited!
I ordered the color Retrograde, a dark, shimmery indigo shade. It came in a colorful little box (pictured above). The weird thing is that it opens on what I thought would be the “cap” side–i.e. the smaller one without writing–and apparently this is the liquid-containing side, which did make me feel a bit cheated compared to the nice long size of the pen (-1). But what can you do, it’s Urban Decay.
Anyway, onto the performance. You will notice right away that the tip is extremely thin–much thinner than Lancome’s Artliner or really any liner I use. I’m not sure about whether or not I like this yet, but at least you know that it will be easy to draw a fine line (+1). You can also see that it is a satisfyingly dark, sparkly color that is, in my opinion, finally a neutral purple (+1).
I first messed around with it a little bit by drawing on my hand. The pattern above is entirely on one go of a tiny amount of liquid, which is why it slightly fades off on the right, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the thinness of the lines. And let me tell you–I have minuscule child hands. This thing is fineee.
Now, I didn’t have any eyeshadow, mascara, primer, powder, concealer, or really anything on, so please excuse my shiny discolored skin. I did want to give as accurate a picture as possible, and I think you can reasonably perceive the darkness and shimmer. Keep in mind that I applied Retrograde over Artliner in Noir, hence it is probably looking even darker than it really is. However, it is easily as richly pigmented by itself (+1) and easy to apply (+1). One thing I did notice is the slightly long dry time (over a minute, -1), but it could be my bias due to the lightning-fast Artliner or just that I applied over another layer of liner. I also love that the purple sheen brings out the green in my hazel eyes and the blonde in my hair.
Finally, I used my magic Bi-Facil eye makeup remover to wipe it off, and although this is “waterproof” (which has never been a positive feature in my experience), it thankfully wiped off just as clean as any other liner or mascara (+1). Now, I can’t confirm whether it’s the skill of the liner or the awesomeness of the remover (likely the latter), but you can be assured that the combo will work.
Now for the exciting part! This liner does sell for $19 on UrbanDecay.com (and likewise in retailers like Sephora), but it is currently on sale for $10 (as is every other one of the 11 colors)! You can find the retailer page here, and if you order now, you will be mailed a coupon up to $5000!
So the final score? Size deception (-1) + finesse (+1) + color (+1) + pigmentation (+1) + application (+1) + dry time (-1) + easy clean (+1) + special price (+1) = a whopping +4. I will definitely be ordering a few more colors with my new 20% coupon, so look for an update soon!
Want: Dream. Celine.
So I saw this jawdropper today:
Black, brown, and cream? UGH.
I love my Celine so so much (this is essentially the warm version of it), but man is the combo perfection. I swear I drool over every damn bag this woman designs…I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Probably make a post on my own Celine soon to feel better.
Review: Smashbox Primer vs. Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel (Dupe?)
You read correctly–bloggers have been going crazy about this Monistat gel (for which I still do not completely understand the intended purpose) as a dupe for the popular Smashbox Photofinish Primer, so I put the hype to the test.
Let me start by noting that I do not use Smashbox primer, nor have I ever bought it. I have tried it multiple times in trial sizes, and it’s ok, but it did not do enough for me to justify either the cost or the effort of putting it on. With this hype, though, I figured $6 was worth a retry. (Also, I have combination skin with zero need for extra moisture, hence your dry skin experience may be different.)
When you first squeeze out a pump, you will get excited. Wow, this thing really looks like Smashbox. You will analyze the clear blob, maybe take a careful sniff. Hey, it also smells like it. Then, with a deep breath, you will finally pat it on. Success–it feels like it too!
You will then continue with your makeup routine, maybe some concealer, some foundation, some powder. You will tell yourself that it basically looks as Smashbox would, and, feeling like the smart shopper you are, go ahead and go for the well-deserved self-pat on the back. You just saved $30!
Yet, deep down, you’ll know something is off. Maybe it’s the slightly cloudier way it dries. The sheen it leaves before you go for the powder. Or just the fact that you are putting the #1 name in vaginal creams on your face. Whichever it is, you’ll begin to see a little runniness as hours pass, and by the end of the day, you will be questioning whether you had ever put on primer that morning at all. Was it all a dream?
Half-serious stories aside, this gel was somewhat less great than Smashbox on the performance side (more runny, less durable -1), and also broke me out a bit (-2!). It didn’t do much in the way of smoothing anything either, but then again, neither does Photofinish. To me, the only possible worth is that my undereye concealer did stay on somewhat longer with this under it, so we’ll go ahead and donate +1.
An okay dupe if you love Smashbox and will forgo a few performance points, but not for me.
Update: ghd Classic 1″ Flat Iron (it’s gone)
It went back today. Why?
1) $185. I think expecting perfection is justified at that price tag.
2) No heat settings. Getting really annoying that my old straightener had 100 of them and I can’t even do hair maybe that is 5% wet with this one.
3) It’s not that special. Does it straighten faster than my oldie? Yes, by a couple swipes. Does it straighten faster than nice new irons for less than half the price? Doubtful. And does it do anything impressive besides heat up lightning-fast? Well…not really.
4) Oh, and did I say $185?
Went from 3 stars to 2, and for that, went back home. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great iron and cheers if cost isn’t an issue to you, but to me it is definitely not worth the extra dollars–I prefer to think of it as $185 off a new bag instead.
Happy Hump Day!
Vogue, M.D. 