Daiso Haul

Daiso Beauty Haul

Daiso is basically a Japanese dollar store, and it is amazing. I'm lucky enough to have one relatively close to me, so I go every once in a while. Everything is $1.50 USD unless otherwise marked, so it is a bit more expensive than, say, Dollar Tree, but I think the quality and selection is better. You can find pretty much anything there, as well as fun little things you probably don't need, which is one of my favorite things. I mostly went in for the beauty products, although I did end up finding some very cute stationery, some of which I will show at the end of this haul.

This item was actually $3.00, but I think it's well worth the price if it ends up being good quality - it's a pack of 26 make-your-own sheet masks! The idea is you soak them in your own concoction of things like green tea or jojoba oil that are good for your skin and then wear it like any other sheet mask, except you can customize it to fit your skin's needs.

I needed some bottles to keep shampoo and conditioner in, so I got two of these. The sides say "tie a ribbon in my hair" and I thought that was absolutely fantastic so I decided on these ones over the plain clear plastic bottles they had.

There was a pretty good selection of facial wipes, and I ended up going for these ones. You get 35 for $1.50 so they may end up breaking me out but if they do then I'll just use them to remove swatches from my hands.

I've been wanting a mini perfume bottle so that I can travel with some perfume or keep some in my bag so this seemed perfect. It's also cute so I can keep it on display when I'm not using it.

I can always use a few little jars to keep some eye cream or something in so I picked these up. I also have a soft spot for small, colorful things.

I actually got this same pack of sharpeners last time I went to Daiso but I'm in need of some more so I got more. They wore really well for both normal pencils and makeup pencils, so I like that they come in a pack of two because that way you can have one for each thing.

I've been into fake nails lately so I got a pack of 80. These are the kind you paint yourself. I like fake nails because my real nails are pretty weak and they peel easily so I can't grow them out easily.

Fun fact - there were little blue scissors identical to these in every way except color, but they were specifically labelled as "nose hair scissors". I got these to trim lashes.

I'm always up to try a new face mask and this one seemed interesting so I bought it. I've never tried or really even heard of royal jelly in beauty products before, so why not give it a go?

You can never have too many lashes, so I picked up a couple pairs. This was the only style that looked like it wouldn't be so long they would hit my glasses constantly so I just got these but they had tons of different kinds.

I've been meaning to get more pore strips, and 4 for $1.50 isn't a bad price, especially for charcoal ones. I might do a review on these at some point.

Washi tape is some huge thing in the crafting community, I think, and it looked nice so I got some. I can find a good use for some decorative tape.

This was far too cute to pass up. The sticker that says "apple" really got me for some reason, but the entire thing is just so freaking adorable and it was calling my name.

They had so many cool cough drop flavors! I got peach, raspberry, blueberry, and orange. They only come with 10 in a pack but I couldn't pass up those flavors.

E.l.f. Haul

e.l.f. Moving Sale Haul

The brand e.l.f. is fantastic because everything is inexpensive and the majority of it is pretty good or at least decent quality. When I got an email about their moving sale, I got super excited, because the sale meant that tons of their products were marked down to $1.00 USD because they were moving to a new warehouse. I decided I had to take advantage of the sale and made an order. One of the things I ordered (a nail polish) didn't come but they sent me an email warning me and refunded me. Another thing was missing from my order, but I also received an item I hadn't ordered so I think that was meant to replace the item that wasn't sent. Usually this would bug me but this particular time it didn't because what I wasn't sent was a pack of their lotion wipes and what I was sent instead was a 10-eyeshadow palette that I've really been wanting to try out, and after swatching it I really like it. I also found a code online and when I entered it on the website, I got a free 83-piece Essential Makeup Collection, which you can currently buy on their website for $20.00.

This is the front of the free 83-piece Essential Makeup Collection. I will probably be doing a full review and possibly swatches of this so I didn't include pictures of the inside. I swatched some of the eyeshadows, blushes, and bronzers and they're all really pigmented. The lip colors are pretty sheer, but still workable. It even comes with some little brushes, which are actually quite soft.

There were only four colors of the Lip Stains that I could see at the time I ordered, so I got all of them because I liked them all, they were only a dollar each, and I wanted to do a lip swatch post. Apparently the colored part dried down to a matte finish, and then you can top it with the gloss if you want to.

I've totally run out of my NYX translucent powder, so I decided it was time to pick up another one. I liked the NYX one and would have repurchased it but as a blogger it's always good to be trying out new products so that I can review them.

Swatching this, it seems pretty sheer, and I imagine it would be even more sheer with a brush, but I got it for a dollar so I'm not too mad. I'm sure I'll find a use for it or pass it along to someone who can if it doesn't work out as a bronzer for me.

I got this thinking it was a few shades lighter than it actually is, so I'm not sure it'll actually end up working as a highlight on my skin. My skin is very light so I don't tend to go for bronzey highlights since I don't think they'd suit me. I'll play around with this and see if I can make it work somehow but if not then I'll pass it along to a friend with darker skin.

Due to my obsession with it, apparently I have to order lip balm everytime I order makeup. This isn't even all of them. I can at least justify these ones by saying they have SPF and the sun's coming out more lately so I need the sun protection, but really that's a weak excuse because I already have plenty of lip balm with SPF in it.

I didn't own any glitter liners and I felt like it was time I got some. I'm not expecting them to be super pigmented, I just want glitter, because glitter is just about my favorite thing.

I'm pretty sure I ordered a different color of this blush, but I can still work with this, and I don't own any colors like this so it'll be fun to experiment with.

I got the Conditioning Lip Balm in the shade Peaceful Pink because it seemed like the most wearable shade and I wanted to try it out. You seem to get a ton of product and it has conditioning in the title which makes me feel like it would be super moisturizing, and that's very exciting to me because oh my god lip balm.

Then I got another lip balm, this one in the shade Pink Princess. I already had this in the shades Grapefruit (despite my ongoing conflict with grapefruits) and Nude, and I like them so I wanted to try out another color. I originally got my first one wanted to compare it to the Nivea lip butters, which it turns out they're nothing like, but they're still pretty good.

I got a Shimmering Facial Whip in Pink Lemonade because I've been super into highlighting lately and this seemed like a cool concept. I found that you need the absolute tiniest amount, so this should last me forever.

Like I said, I've been super into highlighting lately, so I got an All Over Color Stick in Spotlight. It gives more of a subtle sheen than an intense glow like the Facial Whip, but I can still see myself using it.

I got a nail polish in Jazzy Berry because I don't have many colors like this and I think I'll wear it a lot come fall. I'll probably also wear it a lot in the spring and summer because i don't pay too much attention to seasonal colors but I'll especially like it in the fall.

I got two Flawless Eyeshadow quads, one in Sea Escape and one in Party Purple. These were the only two on sale at the time I ordered but I do know that they sell more colors. I like e.l.f. shadows most of the time even though they're not super long wearing because they tend to be quite pigmented and blendable.

People have said some great things about this glitter primer, so I decided to finally pick it up. I don't have any glitter, but i do have some pressed pigments that give me a lot of fallout that I hope this will help with.

Let me tell you, you don't even need a full pump of this HD Blush for both cheeks. I pumped an entire pump onto the back of my hand and it pretty much covered the entire back of my hand without looking sheer. So be careful with this because it's super pigmented.

I have pretty good skin, but when the occasional stubborn pimple pops up, I always wish I had something like this, so I got one. It was on sale for a dollar and I've wanted it but it's usually sold out so this time I figured, why not?

I needed this brush because I don't actually have a brush to apply bronzer with and when I got the bronzer I figured it was a good time to pick up a brush as well. I have many e.l.f. brushes and they do tend to fall apart faster than other brushes (usually after 3-5 months of regular washing and use) but I still think they're worth the money.

This is the palette I received instead of the lotion wipes, and I must say that after swatching it I like it quite a lot. I think it's meant to be like the Urban Decay Naked 3, which I don't own, but I do have the Iconic 3 from Makeup Revolution which is supposed to be a dupe. Most of the colors are quite pigmented and all of them are really buttery and soft.

Fancy Fridays Week One

Fancy Fridays Week One: Smokey Eye

I had the idea to start an ongoing weekly series of posts where I do an eye tutorial for a more fancy or formal look, so I'm going to try it out and see how it goes! Smokey eyes seem really fancy to me, and they're not all too difficult to accomplish once you get the hang of it, so I decided I would start with that. Since prom season is fast approaching, I'll probably do a couple of prom looks as well. For today's look, I chose to use the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette.

I put down the shade Combust as my transition so that all of the other colors would blend better. This is probably my all-time favorite transition shade for my skintone.

Next I used the shade Password in my crease to add some depth.

After that I added the shade Whiskey to my crease, this time a bit more concentrated to add even more depth.

To start off the lid shades, I put the shade Thirteen on the inner third of my lid. It's okay if it gets on the middle third of the lid because we'll be covering that up with a darker shade in just a moment.

For the middle third of the lid I used the shade Dagger. Make sure to blend it into Thirteen well.

I used the shade Black Market on the outer third of the lid, making sure to blend it really well and build it up slowly as it's easy to go overboard with black.

I added the shade High to my inner corner and browbone as a highlight because I wanted some sparkle, but this is totally optional and you could also go with a matte shade.

As a finishing touch, I put the shade Smolder on my lower lashline and blended it out a bit for a smokier look.

Many people say not to pair a smokey eye with a bold lip because they distract from each other, but I just absolutely love the look of a smokey eye with a red lip, so I did it anyways. When it comes to makeup, there really are no rules, so do whatever you want! I used MAC Russian Red.

Rimmel Clean Finish First Impression

Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation First Impression

When I was in WalMart and saw that not only was this foundation about $4.00, but it also seemed like it would actually match me, I was super excited. I knew there would be a chance it would look bad or it would break me out, but for four bucks, it was worth a shot...

...except for the fact that I can't even wear it on my face. The swatch on the left is after about five minutes of being on my hand and the right swatch was put there right before I took this picture. So as you can see, it oxidizes almost immediately, and it oxidizes badly. I've had foundations that oxidize before, but it's usually only by one shade and it takes a few hours. I don't know if all of the shades do this, but I did look at some reviews on Influenster and many people say they've had the same issue. I was excited to try this foundation and at least give it a fair shot but once it oxidizes it's far too dark for me to wear out of the house, or else I end up looking like an oompa-loompa. I find that it also smells a bit like paint, which kind of turns me off of it. So overall my first impression is that I don't really like this, although maybe I would if it didn't oxidize. Has anybody else tried this? Did you have the same issue?

How To Get Great Lips

How I Keep My Lips In Great Condition

I've always struggled to keep my lips in good condition, especially throughout the winter months. They get cracked and chapped really easily, so my lipstick would end up looking really bad, and this annoyed me. A lot. So I tried out tons of different things, and I've finally found something that works to keep my lips in perfect condition for long days of drying lipstick.

The trick? A good lip scrub and a super thick, highly moisturizing lip butter. I love the Nivea lip butters because they lock the moisture in really well while hydrating my lips at the same time. Not only does it work wonders, it smells great too! I'm nearly finished with this tin but I have another scent ready to go for when this one is done. It's very important to keep your lips moisturized, but that means that there will be some dead skin on the surface as well. I find I need to exfoliate my lips once a day, but you may only need to exfoliate your lips every two or three days. I really like the Beauty Treats lip scrub, which is only a dollar from ShopMissA, but another great exfoliant is just plain sugar mixed with coconut oil. It works just as well and you can make as much as you need. I start by mixing one part coconut oil and one part sugar and then add sugar until it's the consistency I want, and sometimes I'll add flavor oils so it tastes nice. If you're out and about during the day and aren't wearing lipstick and don't want to be wearing a thick lip butter, I find that Chapstick is a great go-to for on the go moisture. I also like BabyLips, but some people find that those aren't moisturizing enough for them.

So basically, all you need to do to keep your lips soft and hydrated is a good lip butter and a lip scrub. I hope this was helpful!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation Review

Revlon ColorStay Foundation For Normal/Dry Skin Review

I somewhat recently got the Revlon ColorStay foundation for normal/dry skin and I really wanted to give it a review because I've been wearing it a lot. I'm in the shade 110 Ivory, and I wanted to mention that it is the perfect shade match for me! Although that won't effect my review because something that matches me perfectly won't match everybody perfectly, I do absolutely love how well it matches me. The majority of drugstore foundations I've tried are at least a bit too dark for me because I'm quite pale, but this matches me like a dream. The shade range of this foundation isn't bad, although the shade range for the combination/oily version of this foundation does seem to be better. There are certainly foundations that come with a better shade range for darker skin, but there are definitely worse as well. 

On the Revlon website, this foundation is said to last up to 24 hours. I've tested this for as long as 10 hours at a time and it lasted super well - it looked almost the same as it did when I first put it on without any touch-ups at all! I truly put this to the test the other day when I wore it for ten hours including about 45 minutes of moderately fast walking, and my face didn't look oily or greasy at all. I haven't worn this through any heavy exercise, but I don't tend to wear makeup if I plan to do any heavy exercise anyways. It did wear off a tiny bit on my cheeks and forehead, but all of my foundations do that to me, and this one didn't do it nearly as badly as any of my others do. I always set my foundation with powder, but when I put this foundation to the test the other day I didn't wear any primer or setting spray. The coverage is very buildable without looking cakey, and you can get pretty full coverage with just three or four pumps. So does this foundation truly last 24 hours? I have no idea, and I don't plan on testing that. But on my skin, it lasts at least 10 hours without primer or setting spray, and I usually use primer and setting spray on a daily basis, so I expect that under normal circumstances this foundation could last at least 12+ hours on me, and that's the longest amount of time I usually need it to last.

Here's the shade 110 Ivory swatched on the inside of my arm. It looks pretty yellow here, but once it's blended out on my face with a brush, it matches me perfectly. It's actually not very yellow at all once you blend it out. Overall, I absolutely love this foundation. It gives medium to full buildable coverage, which is what I prefer, and it lasts a super long time. I've found that it applies beautifully with both a damp sponge and a brush, so you can use whichever you prefer. I prefer a brush because I find it gives slightly fuller coverage. It costs $9.48 USD on WalMart's website, which I think is a pretty good price for such a quality product. It has an SPF of 20, so it's great for everyday wear if you don't want to wear sunscreen underneath your makeup or your moisturizer doesn't have SPF. Because I get sunburned very easily, I'm always happy to have a foundation with SPF in it. I highly recommend this for those of you with normal to slightly dry skin like me!

First Impression

Lancome Absolu Voyage First Impression

My aunt recently went to Paris, and she was very nice and got me my birthday presents from there because she knows I love Paris. One of those things was the Lancome Absolu Voyage Complete Expert Makeup Palette,which I immediately loved and wanted to do a first impression on. I can't find it on the Lancome website, so I'm guessing it's either not available on the U.S. site or is in-stores only, but you can get it off of other websites like Ebay.

This is the back of the box. I forgot to get a picture of the front of the box, which is silver and says Lancome Paris at the top. The sides of the box are entirely in French, and what little French I know doesn't include makeup terms, so I don't know what it says.

The palette itself looks like this. It comes in a velvety pouch which makes me feel extra fancy. I know a lot of people don't see the point in that but it makes me feel all fancy and stuff so I like it.

This is the palette when open. It comes with a mascara, two concealers, three lipsticks/glosses, a blush, six eyeshadows, a face powder, a lipliner, an eyeliner, an eye brush, a face brush, and a lip brush, as well as a little puff on top of the powder. The concealers and powder look as if they'll actually match me, which is great because most concealers and powders are too dark for me. The blush is a very wearable shade for me, and the eyeshadows are all lovely colors.

Here are the concealers, powder, and blush swatched. The powder will definitely match me, and the concealers will probably work if I use a small amount rather than a lot like I did for the swatches. The blush has just enough pigment - it will show up on me, but it won't be too much.

This is the eyeliner and all of the eyeshadows swatched. The white doesn't really show up on my skin, but I imagine it would be somewhat easier to see on a darker skintone. All of the shadows are super buttery and blended really well when I tested them out on my eyes. Most of them have shimmer, but I don't mind that.

These are the lipliner and lipsticks/glosses swatched. The last gloss, which is the light pink sparkley one, is definitely more of a gloss than a lipstick, but the other two could be either depending on how much you layer them. When I layered the middle lipstick/gloss over the lipliner I really liked the way it turned out.

Overall, I really like this set and I'm glad I have it. It would be a great on-the-go palette to keep in your bag for touch-ups or for travel purposes because it has pretty much everything you need unless you really want a foundation. The eyeshadows could double as brow powder and you would have everything you need. I tried out the mascara as well and I really liked how it made my lashes look, although I haven't worn it for long enough to have a true opinion on it yet.