SHOPPING THERAPY: Spring 2014 Drugstore Makeup Haul

As I explained in my previous post, I have completed a series of retail therapy sessions due to work-related stress. Although these therapy sessions result in a depletion of my funds, I have to admit that I have fun shopping and it does help in relieving some of my stress…at least, that's what I tell myself…and that's my story and I'm going to stick with it. So, as part of my retail therapy, I ended up purchasing a few makeup items from the drugstore in addition to my purchases from Sephora. Here's a rundown of what I purchased over the course of this past Spring.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

1.  CoverGirl Lash Exact Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

I am totally in love with the CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion mascara, but the applicator is a bit too chunky to use on my tiny, measly bottom lashes. Thus, I usually go without applying mascara on my bottom lashes. However, I am always on the hunt for a mascara that would be great to create some volume and length to my nonexistent bottom lashes.

What instantly attracted me to this product was its skinny, long applicator that I thought would be better at grabbing my nonexistent bottom lashes rather than the short, chubby applicator of my Lash Blast Fusion mascara. The website states, "no clumps on the brush means no clumps on the lashes for a defined and long lash look". This product is also waterproof, which is a must, especially for my lower lash line.

So far, so good. I've been using this product off-and-on for about a month. The formula is waterproof, but comes off easily when I remove my makeup at the end of the day. I find that the applicator is great for my bottom lashes too. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

2.  L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black

Like I previously stated, the CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara is my favorite mascara, but that doesn't mean that I am not willing to try other mascaras available on the market. After all, cosmetic companies are constantly coming out with the latest and greatest.

I saw a number of positive reviews of this product on YouTube and decided to give it try. I have to admit that I haven't had much luck with L'Oreal mascara products. I tried the L'Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes mascara and didn't like it. See, my previous beauty review. Thus, I was a bit skeptical about this mascara.

I should have trusted my initial skepticism because while I like the butterfly applicator brush, the formula is a nightmare to remove from your lashes. I still use this mascara from time to time, but I have learned my lesson and will only apply a light single coat to my lashes. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

3.  Physician's Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush in Rose

I don't know why I keep buying blushes. I'm getting a little better at exercising some restraint these days. I bought this product on a whim one night as I was perusing the makeup aisle of Longs. I am a fan of Physician's Formula products even though the you need to pay a little more.

I thought that the packaging of this product was super cute with the bow. The website states that the multi-colored palette of blushing shades brightens and enhances skin tone while adding a touch of naturally radiant color. This compact includes a small mirror and applicator brush on the bottom.

I haven't tried this product out yet. I have so many other blushes in my makeup drawer that I reach for those out of habit and routine. Speaking of makeup drawers, I have a new setup for my makeup, which I hope to post an entry soon (hopefully sooner rather than later)! I'll try to post a full review on this product later when I have a chance to try it out.

SOURCE: Walgreens.com

4.  Wet n Wild Fergie Shimmer Palette in Rose Champagne Glow

I am a big fan of Wet n Wild products. Honestly, you are getting the most bang for your buck when purchasing Wet n Wild products because the quality is really good. I have a variety of the Wet n Wild ColorIcon products and love them!

I discovered the Fergie Center Stage line while watching YouTube beauty videos. I was intrigued by this new line, but decided to hold off because I knew that I already had way more than enough blushes. However, I then discovered that the Rose Champagne Glow was more of a highlighter than a blush. I was instantly sold because I wanted a couple more highlighter shades to add to my makeup collection. I always use NARS in Albatross, but sometimes I was in the mood for a more pinkish glow.

I like this product thus far and have been using it on-and-off for about three months now. It is not too sparkly and does give you a nice healthy glow. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

SOURCE: Drugstore.com

5.  Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

This is actually my most recent discovery, so I am not sure if this counts as a Spring or Summer purchase, but I'll just sneak it in under the Spring haul since who knows when I will be able to get around to posting a Summer haul entry. I am a huge fan of the Revlon Color Burst Lip Butters and own seven shades thus far. However, I wanted a lipstick with more staying power than the Lip Butter lipsticks, but that apply just as smooth as the Lip Butter lipsticks.

The website claims that this product provides instant moisture and all-day color with a soft suede finish. I bought two colors in Fashionista and Socialite and then went back and bought two more in Couture and Iconic.

I like the smooth application of this lipstick and it truly provides all-day color. It doesn't rub off when you drink or eat, which I find fabulous. The one problem that I have with these lipsticks so far is that they can be a bit drying, but not to the point where your lips chap. I'll try to post a full review on this product later.

So, that's it for Spring 2014. I admit that my retail therapy sessions were quite successful and stimulating. I also hope that these blog posts will help me get back into the swing of things and blog more often. I've been really terrible. We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

SHOPPING THERAPY: Eye Shadow Haul

NYX 'Butt Naked' Palette
SOURCE:  Nordstrom.com

I told myself that I would abstain. I didn't need anymore eye shadows. I had more than enough in my makeup drawer. In fact, my drawers were filled with eye shadows that I didn't even TRY yet! I thought I was being pretty good. I've remained on the wagon for a while now, but I've also been busy with work, so that was a beneficial distraction for me. In fact, I walked into Sephora at least three or four times WITHOUT buying any makeup products for myself. So, just when I was ready to pat myself on the back for a job well done, I fall off the wagon and become the owner of some more pretty eye shadows! ARGH! Maybe I'm am too easily suckered into the pretty colors or susceptible to clever makeup ads in the stores.Whatever the case may be, just stick a bulls eye on me and label me "target consumer" across my forehead.

Last night I was browsing around Nordstrom Rack; not looking for anything in particular. My boyfriend wanted to pick up a gift card for a birthday present and some socks for work. While he waited in the checkout line, I decided to browse the makeup area, which is located near the checkout stands. I casually looked through the nail polishes (did you know that Nordstrom Rack has Butter polishes?) and Urban Decay stuff, but nothing caught my fancy. I looked through the NYX collection as well. Just as I was about to conclude that I didn't see anything, I found the the NYX 'Butt Naked' Palette! I couldn't believe my eyes! I always wanted to try this palette, but always talked myself out of buying it off of Haute Look or the NYX website. I watched the beauty gurus rave about this palette, but as the owner of the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes, I kept reminding myself that I didn't need another nude palette. Plus, I already own a whole bunch of NYX ten color 'Runway' palettes as well as a whole bunch of single shadows and trio sets. But, how could I resist? There it was right in front of me. No shipping and handling to worry about. No waiting for it in the mail. It was right there in pristine condition. So, I did what any sane makeup loving gal would do, I bought it, and just in a nick of time too because I found my boyfriend had already made his way up to a cashier. Score! No waiting in a long checkout line either. Seriously, it was meant to be, right?

L'Oreal Colour Riche Shadow Quad in Rose for Romance
SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

My next eyeshadow purchase...well...I have no excuse for that one. I was at the drugstore the other day and discovered that L'Oreal cosmetic products were all 30% off. I'm a sucker for sales and L'Oreal is one of my favorite (if not top) drugstore brands. L'Oreal has revamped its Colour Riche Shadow Quads recently. In fact, I've noticed that L'Oreal seems to be phasing out the HIP line of products. I don't see as many HIP Shadow Duos anymore. I bought two quads--Rose for Romance and Sultry Seductress.  I haven't tried either quad yet, but intend to do a Beauty Review for each as well as the NYX 'Butt Naked' Palette, so stay tuned!

BEAUTY REVIEW: L'Oreal Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

I admit it.  I am a puny eyelash sufferer.  No matter how many layers of volume boosting mascara I apply, I am still a victim of puny eyelashes.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not ashamed.  I take my less than stellar eyelashes in stride.  And, after trying the L'Oreal Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum, I will continue to take my eyelash shortcomings in stride.

My local drugstore was having a sale on all L'Oreal cosmetic products several months ago, so I thought that would be a perfect opportunity for me to try out the lash boosting serum that several YouTube beauty gurus were raving about.  Again, I wanted to see if the product really lived up to all of its hype.  Sadly, this product did not.

The description for the lash serum states on the L'Oreal website that it contains "Centella Asiatica extract and Arginine to reinforce, condition, and protect each lash."  To tell you the truth, I have no clue what Centella Asiatica extract or Arginine are, but I'll give it a whirl!

I applied the lash serum daily to my bare lashes at night by using the soft serum applicator that was gently curved in the shape of the average eye.  I placed emphasis on "average" because my small Asian eyes do not normally fit the size of the average eye, but I tried my best not to poke my eyeball!  The lash serum can be used twice a day, underneath mascara and on bare lashes at night.  Perhaps my failure in applying the lash serum under my mascara contributed to the downfall of this product because I didn't see much results, especially after four weeks, like the website claims.  My eyelashes essentially looked the same as they did when I first started to use this product...puny.

However, I do have some positive things to say about this product.  First, the product conditioned my lashes.  I found that my lashes became softer thereby preventing them from breaking or falling out.  Second, the serum did not leave a residue or dark markings.  I read that one of the side effects of using some of these rapid growth lash treatments is darkening around the eye line.  The clear serum applies and dries clear without a sticky residue.  Lastly, the serum does not burn when applied.

Oh well.  I guess I will just keep applying mascara and eyeliner.  It's totally fine with me.

BEAUTY REVIEW: L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Sunset Red

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

Since it is the holiday season, I've been using red lipsticks to be festive.  One of my favorite red lipsticks used to be from Clinique until the company discontinued that shade for another shade of red that didn't quire compare to my favorite.

I was using Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Crimson, which is a gorgeous deep red, but for some reason, I am not a fan of the scent of the Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks and eventually placed this lipstick to the side.  It's a shame because I liked how the Revlon ColorBurst lipstick line moisturized my lips.  My favorite line of lipsticks is L'Oreal Colour Riche lipstick; regardless that some people think that only old ladies use this line.

I am in love with the L'Oreal Colour Riche lipstick in Sunset Red.  It is a subdued shade of red that is not bright like a fire engine and not too deep that it looks bloody.  Instead this shade of red is really pretty with a hint of a gold undertone that lightly catches the light in the sun; hence, its color name.  Like all the other shades in the Colour Riche line, this lipstick is creamy and keeps your lips supple, soft, and smooth.  This particular shade lasts me throughout the morning (even through sips of coffee and breakfast) with only a minimal touch up after lunch.

Thumbs up for this lipstick shade.  It is my new holiday favorite!

BEAUTY REVIEW: L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes Mascara in Blackest Black

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

Mascara is a makeup product that I wear daily, but don't really get that much bang for my buck.  I have really skimpy eyelashes.  They are short and sparse and really don't show up even with a ton of mascara on.  However, it is far better for me to wear mascara than without, so there I am every morning in front of the mirror; carefully applying mascara.  Honestly, I just don't have time in the morning to apply false eyelashes either.

I am always looking for a good mascara that will provide me volume and length.  However, the most important feature for me in a mascara is that it has to be waterproof and smudge proof.  I have gone through far too many tubes of mascara claiming to be both, but by lunch time, my raccoon eyes set in, which can be difficult to wipe away.

I was excited to hear about the new L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes Mascara, which claims to have a lash sculpting fiber formula that adheres to lashes for a volumized, sculpted lash effect.  Lashes are supposed to appear fuller, longer, sculpted, and curled.  Furthermore, and of most particular interest to me, the product claims to be clump-free, flake-free, and smudge-free.  I was intrigued and decided to see how this mascara would perform on my wimpy lashes.

Unfortunately, I give this product a thumbs down for several reasons:

1. The wand is too long.  With a long applicator wand, I feel like I have less control of the mascara brush and application.
2. The applicator brush is too long.  I have small eyes on top of the fact that I have wimpy eyelashes, which makes applying mascara a little trickier for me, especially when reaching my corner lashes.  I  poked my eye more than a couple of times when I used this product.
3. The triangular shape of the mascara tube is hard to grip.  I am used to a round tube and the angles of this mascara tube do not comfortably fit in my hand or between my fingers.
4. You really need to build this product onto your lashes.  The formula has a drier consistency, which I prefer over a wet formula, but needs building with several applications to achieve a thick and full lash look.
5. The formula is not clump-free.  While building up my mascara, I noticed that my lashes were starting to clump together.  I had to stop before all I had was only a couple of spider leg lashes on each eye.
6. The formula is not smudge-free.  While I admit that I tend to have teary eyes, I noticed that by lunch, I was developing raccoon rings around the outer corners of my eyes.
7. The formula takes a little more elbow grease to remove.  I use the Physicians Formula Cleansing Lotion to remove my makeup.  I love this product because it takes off all of my makeup, including my waterproof mascara with little rubbing.  I needed to do a little more rubbing to remove this mascara from my lashes.  I noticed clumps on my lashes even after I washed my face, which I had to carefully remove by hand without pulling out my lashes.

I usually end up loving products that are raved about by YouTube makeup gurus, but this time I have to pass on this product.  Back to my favorite mascara--CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion!

BEAUTY REVIEW: L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liner in Carbon Black

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

Here's another quick beauty review as I am just exhausted tonight and ready for bed.  I admit that one of my must-have makeup products is eyeliner.  I have rather small Asian eyes, so without eyeliner, my eyes look tiny.  On the same token, I have to be careful that I don't use too much eyeliner, so that my eyes appear even smaller.

Another problem I have with my eyes is smudging.  Whether it is eyeliner, mascara, or eye shadow, if it's not waterproof or fortified with a primer, the product will smudge and I end up looking like a raccoon by lunch time.  Thus, finding a really good eyeliner that stays put on my eyes is difficult for me.

I prefer lining my eyes with a felt tip liner because I feel like I have more control rather than with a liner brush.  Furthermore, my liner tends to smudge even more with a pencil liner and I don't have to keep sharpening the pencil.  I was really hard pressed to find a good felt tip liner when Maybelline discontinued the felt tip liner I used to use in "Slate."  That was the only grey drugstore felt tip liquid eyeliner I could find at the time.

I was almost ready to panic until I found the L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liner in Carbon Black.  My Maybelline liner at home was down to its last few applications.  I was getting desperate, so I bought it at full price and crossed my fingers that it would work out for me.

It did!  I honestly admit that this is my Holy Grail eyeliner.  It doesn't smudge (even my favorite discontinued Maybelline felt tip liner smudged a little) and it goes on smooth and pigmented.  The felt tip applicator enables me to create thick dramatic cat eyes or think lines to enhance my lashes.  It is long lasting and I rarely have to touch up my eyeliner during the day.  Seriously, this is it.  I am done searching for felt tip liquid eyeliners now that I have this Lineur Intense liner!

SHOPPING THERAPY: L'Oreal Cosmetics

This week, Long's Drugs is having a 25% off sale on selected varieties of L'Oreal cosmetic products.  I have a few L'Oreal products that I use on a nearly daily basis, so back-ups are always necessary.  There are also a few products that I wanted to try or products in a different color.  The sale is a perfect opportunity (and excuse) to try out these products.

I went to Long's during my lunch hour and braved the masses.  Everyone else in the entire town seemed to be present and accounted for in the store!  I tucked my head down and charged my way through the store very carefully and methodically.  I needed a few other miscellaneous items (i.e., paper towels, contact lens solution, Tylenol, etc.), which required me to cover most of the store to mark off all items from my shopping list.

I saved the cosmetic aisle for last since (A) the L'Oreal display is located right next to the entrance with heavy traffic, and (B) I needed a little additional time to select what I wanted.  Here's what I ended up getting:

• L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush in Baby Blossom:  I have blushes from this line in Innocent Flush and Precious Peach.  On sale for $7.99.
• L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Blushing Berry:  This is one of the lipsticks I frequently use daily and is a back-up since I am presently running low in this color.  On sale for $6.69.
• L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Make Me Blush:  This is one of the lipsticks I frequently use daily and is a back-up since I am presently running low in this color.  On sale for $6.69.
• L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Sunset Red:  Trying this color out since I am looking for a good crimson lip color for night.  On sale for $6.69.
• L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Tender Pink:  A really pretty nude color that I wanted to give a whirl.  On sale for $6.69.
• L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Eyeliner in Carbon Black:  My favorite and must-have eyeliner!  I have a number of back-ups, but I still keep these in stock just in case!  On sale for $6.39.

I am planning on doing separate reviews on all of these products in the future.

Goody hair accessories are also 50% off at Long's this week, so I picked up the Goody Spin Pin.  I saw a couple of YouTube makeup gurus raving about these pins and I thought I would give them a try since I am constantly putting up my hair up and away from my face at work.  I'll do a separate review to tell you all what I think.

After all of that, I am broke, but happy that I have a bunch of products to play with!  Shopping therapy is so much fun!

BEAUTY REVIEW: L'Oreal De-Crease Eyeshadow Base

I am a newbie when it comes to eyeshadow bases or primers.  In fact, I didn't even know that there was such a thing or that you should apply for longer lasting eyeshadow wear and performance until I started watching YouTube makeup guru videos.  All these years, I just lived with my eyeshadow fading after a long day at work and shrugged my shoulders when seeing a crease along my eyelid.  Oh silly me!  The gurus predominately use the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (or UDPP as they all affectionately refer to it by) in their videos, but I wasn't so thrilled about the price tag attached to the product.  Thus, I was happy to find out that L'Oreal came out with their own version and I wanted to give it a try.

The L'Oreal De-Crease Eyeshadow Base comes in a small bottle with a wand applicator.  Unlike UDPP, it only comes in one color.  The product is pretty thick and a little chalky, but being a complete newbie in using primers, I didn't have anything to compare it against.  The product is supposed to prevent creasing and fading for 8 hours.  I found that by using the product, my eyeshadow did last a little longer, but not by that much.  By the end of the work day, my eyeshadow still faded and creased.  Furthermore, because the consistency of the product is so thick, I didn't feel like I ended up with much usable product of the total 0.2 fluid ounces in the bottle.  Most of the product stuck to the side of the bottle and it was nearly impossible to get to the sides of the bottle using the wand applicator.

After using this product daily for two straight weeks, I stopped using it and decided to buy the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.  I am sold on the Urban Decay product and chucked the L'Oreal De-Crease product in the rubbish can.  The L'Oreal product is way cheaper than the Urban Decay product, but such a disappointment in the end.