Friday, July 11, 2014

Korean and English Cosmetics Haul~!

Hey Guys~!

A few months ago I ordered some different cosmetics from Korean and English companies that I've wanted to try. Since there's no where to buy any of these products where I live, I got them online from different websites. If there's anything I show in this haul that you want a review on, let me know in the comments below. So let's start~~!

In one of my favorites posts I think I mentioned that I ran out of my Skin79 Super+ B.B. Cream. I loved it, but I wanted to try something different. So I got another one which I've heard a lot about which is the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly B.B Cream. I got mine in the shade #1 which is the lightest one.


From Etude House, I got a couple products. The first one is this nail polish from their Ice Cream Nails Collection. This one is in the color, Greatfruit, which is a coral orange color which I thought would be perfect for summer.


The next two things I got from Etude House are the same product, but in different shades. They are the limited edition Fresh Cherry Tints for its 5th Anniversary. The colors are PP501 Cherry Lavender, and OR202 Cherry Coral. I thought it would be fun to try some bright colors for the summer, so I got these to try.


The last Korean brand I ordered from is TonyMoly. They have one specific product that I've wanted to try forever. A lot of bloggers have reviewed it, and that made me want to try it even more. It is the TonyMoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars. I got two, one in #05 Juicy Peach, and #06 Juicy Orange. Honestly I got them cause I thought the packaging was adorable and I can't wait to try them.


The only English company I ordered from was Sleek. I've always wanted to try Sleek since a lot of the bloggers and YouTubers I follow rave about their products. I decided to go with two blushes, a single and a palette. The single blush I got is in the shade #926 Rose Gold. It's a warm toned rose color with gold shimmer, which is great for the summer.


The Sleek blush palette I got was one of the Blush by 3 Palettes. Mine is in the color #367 Lace. It comes with three blushes, a warm coral orange, a shimmery dusty pink, and a bright red coral. The colors really appealed to me and they looked unlike many other blushes I own, since I have a lot of natural ones.

So that was everything in my Korean and English Cosmetics Haul. Like I said before, if you want a review on any of the products shown, let me know in the comments. I know I plan to review the Holika Holika B.B. Cream and the Sleek Blushes, so look out for those reviews coming soon. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you in my next post.

xo

Alyss
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Monday, July 7, 2014

Sephora 2014 Beauty Insiders Birthday Gift Review~!

Hey Guys~!

My birthday was a few months ago and certain stores give out little gifts to members on their birthdays. So when I went to Sephora, I received their 2014 gift containing Make Up Forever products. I've never tried anything from that company, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to sample some things and review them for all of you. So let's start~~!


The packaging is the same as any other Sephora gift, a little box. On the front it shows you the two products in the box, a mascara and a lipstick. When you read the back, it has the exact names and shades for them. I don't personally like it, it's kind of plain in my opinion.


I'll first talk about the mascara. It's the Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara. This sample comes with 0.13 fl oz. The shape of the wand reminds me of the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara, {click here} to read the review for it. Both have a cone shaped bristle wand. But what I don't like about this mascara, is the size of the wand. It's really big and it's hard to get all my lashes evenly. 


Here's a close up picture of me wearing this mascara. Compared to my natural lashes, it gave me a lot of length and definition, but not a ton of volume.


The second product is a lipstick and it's the Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Lipstick in the color Natural N9. The sample comes with 0.05 fl oz. The color sort of reminds me of the Revlon Lip Butter in the shade Peach Parfait, but this has more pigmentation. I like the color, but it does seem a little too dark for this time of year.


Here's a swatch of the lipstick. . .


And lastly I have a picture of me both wearing the lipstick and the mascara. 


Packaging: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Mascara
  Formulation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
  Lengthening: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 Volumization: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Lipstick
 Formulation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 Color: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
 Pigmentation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Overall: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I think this gift is okay. I know that they can't give out all the expensive products, and I like the concept of these little gifts cause I enjoy trying products. But also I'd like a slight choice in the gift since I'd rather get a different lipstick color that I'd wear on a daily basis, since this one is a little dark in my opinion for the summer.

So that was my review on the Sephora 2014 Beauty Insider Birthday Gift. If you enjoyed this or have any questions, let me know in the comments below. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss
 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Fourth of July Nail Art Tutorial~!

Hey Guys~!

Today I have a nail art tutorial for you all. With the 4th of July almost here, I thought I'd show you guys how to create some festive red, white, and blue nails.


It may look complicated with the stripes, but I'll show you how to easily make them on both hands. And they almost have a nautical look, making them great for all of summer. So let's start~~!

You'll Need . . .
Base Coat
Red Nail Polish
White Nail Polish
Blue Nail Polish 
Glitter Top Coat
Clear Top Coat
Tape
Toothpicks / Nail Dotting Tool

First apply a base coat to protect your natural nails. Once it's dry, apply 2 - 3 coats of a red polish on your  thumb, pointer, and pinky nail. For the other two nails, paint them white. Make sure you apply enough coats so all the colors are super opaque and vivid. 


For the middle finger nail, apply a glittery top coat over it. You don't want to see much of the white polish left. 


To make the stripes, cut pieces of tape that are about the same size and width. Wait for your ring finger nail to be dry and then place down the tape and stick it down onto the nail. Then apply a thick coat of your blue nail polish. While the polish is still wet, pull of the tape and you'll have stripes like these. 


Next is the heart. Using either a dotting tool or a toothpick, make two red dots that are slightly connected. Then take a toothpick and gently pull the ends of the dots together to make a heart like this one. 


Lastly apply a clear top coat to seal in your design and add a beautiful shine. And now you're finished~~!


I hope you guys enjoyed this Fourth of July themed nail art. If you have any questions or suggestions for future nail art tutorial, let me know in the comments. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss


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P.S. Misa from {Misaraisu} is having a Kawaii Box giveaway. I personally really want to win, so good luck to everyone else who enters. 

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

June Favorites 2014~!

Hey Guys~!

June just ended, so now it's time for when I show you my favorites from the past month. Last month was pretty busy for me, I had exams and many other things going on. For this favorites post, I have a lot of new makeup items and anime to talk about along with some fashion pieces too. As usual, I'll be starting with makeup products, so let's start~~!


★·.·´¯`·.·★  Makeup ★·.·´¯`·.·★
Pürminerals Mineral Makeup {Porcelain}: This month I've been wearing very minimal makeup. This powder foundation is great for that cause it has build-able coverage and a natural finish. I also like it cause it has SPF 15, which is important to have in the summer.
Almay Wake Up Eye Concealer: I'm always looking for new concealers, and this one is pretty good. It has a yellow tone, so it covers up my dark circles with ease and it feels really light on my skin. But because of the yellow tone, I have to wear either foundation or B.B. Cream over it.
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara: I've really enjoyed this mascara. It creates big dolly lashes which is great if you like bold lashes for everyday or for cosplay makeup. I recently found that they made a waterproof formula so I'm going to try to get that soon.
Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals {Barely Branded}: I know I've mentioned this in a lot of favorites, but it really is great. It's a champagne colored cream eyeshadow which is great as an all over eye look. I used it in my first makeup tutorial, {click here} to watch it.
Maybelline Define-A-Brow Pencil {Medium Brown}: With wearing minimal makeup, I felt like doing my brows was a good idea. So I started filling them lightly in with this brow pencil. It matches them perfectly and looks natural too.
Revlon Lip Butter {Strawberry Shortcake}: I've gotten back into using these and this color is the one I reached for the most. It's a light pink and looks really simple and cute on. Not matter what makeup I wore, this looked nice and completed the look.


★·.·´¯`·.·★  Nail Polish ★·.·´¯`·.·★
Wet and Wild {I Need a Refresh Mint}: I really like both the color and the formulation of this polish. It's a teal color, which is really pretty looking on any complexion. Also it lasts a pretty long time without chipping a ton.
Revlon Color Stay {Porcelain}: This polish is a really natural cream colored one. It's great for when I don't want to wear a bold color, or for a french manicure. The formula is really long lasting too, so it doesn't chip a lot either.


★·.·´¯`·.·★  Fashion and Accessories ★·.·´¯`·.·★
Forever21 High Waisted Shorts: I've always wanted my own pair of high waisted shorts. So I recently got these at Forever21. They're slightly distressed, so they're very casual. I've worn them a ton and now I'm looking for a non-distressed pair that I can wear for more formal outfits.
Betsy Johnson Handbag: I am a huge fan of Betsy Johnson. But I don't own much except for this bag. It's super cute with this pattern that has great colors for summer. I love wearing this when I'm wearing a very plain outfit cause this adds a pop of color to it.
Pink and Black Compact Mirror: In my makeup tutorial I used this mirror and I've been carry it around in my bag recently. It's a pale pink with black polka dots and a black bow. It has a large mirror and a little pocket inside. I'm sorry I have no idea where to get this, so I'm sorry if you want to get one of these for yourself.


★·.·´¯`·.·★  Anime ★·.·´¯`·.·★
 
Golden Time: I just finished this anime and I loved it. The plot sounds generic, but the relationships between the characters are very well done. The last four episodes put me in an emotional roller coaster, but the ending was perfect. If you like romantic comedies with some drama, this one is perfect for you. 
Is This a Zombie? Doesn't the title just make you want to watch it? Yes, I'm starting to get into the zombie craze. I just started the Walking Dead, but before that I checked out this anime. At first I was expecting this to be gory and horror, but I was surprised by the set up. It's a comedic take on a zombie story and I'm going to start the second season soon.


★·.·´¯`·.·★  Movie ★·.·´¯`·.·★
 
Maleficent: My friend and I just saw this a few days ago, and I was really impressed with this movie. The trailer looked nice, but I was worried it wouldn't be good. The movie was visually beautiful to watch and unlike the Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty, this one allowed you to see a different side to the story.

Those were my favorites from this past month. In the comments, tell me what some of your favorite products or anime were from June. I'd like to hear about them. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss



Saturday, June 28, 2014

Maybelline Baby Lips Two Pack Review~!

Hey Guys~!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you would know I absolutely love the Maybelline Baby Lips. I had seven of them, but now I have nine. Yes, I bought more of them. . .don't judge me -.-" Anyways I was at a dollar store and I saw this two pack of Baby Lips. I decided to get it and since I've never owned either of these, I thought I'd review them for you. So let's start~~!


I love the packaging for the Baby Lips. It's super cute and the color schemes really suited the product.

The two colors that came in this pack were Quenched and Pink Punch. There were other duo packs at the store, but I had all the other colors except for these two.

Here are swatches of both of them. . .


Quenched is a clear lip balm and when applied gives the lips and nice shine.


Pink Punch adds a nice light bright pink tint to the lips. Both of these have really nice fruity smells too, which I really liked.

On the Maybelline website this product claims to renew lips so they become moisturized, less dry, and more supple. Because these have the same formulation as all the other Baby Lips, I can say that they definitely do all those things, if you apply it throughout the day. And what's great about them having a sheer tint is that you can apply them without a mirror and still get great results, unlike a lip stick or gloss.


I got this duo pack for $3, which is basically a steal. One Baby Lips costs around $4 so I basically got two for about a fourth of the price of one.

Packaging: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Pigmentation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Formulation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Moisturization: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Price: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Overall: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I still love these Baby Lips. They're great for the summer cause they add a nice wash of color without being too much for the hot weather. Also they are a great way to keep your lips moisturized and to have color without carrying a lip balm and a lip stick.

So that was my review on the Maybelline Baby Lips Duo Pack. If you want to read my other review for the Baby Lips, {click here} to check it out. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss
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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals {Barely Branded and Inked in Pink} Review~!

Hey Guys~!

I've been a huge fan of the Maybelline Color Tattoos recently. I enjoy using them as an eyeshadow base or for a single shadow look. Today I'll be reviewing the Color Tattoos I own from the metals collection, Barely Branded and Inked in Pink. So let's start~~!


The packaging for these is similar to other cream eyeshadows. It's a pot with a screw on lid. When buying it from a store, there's a plastic seal on it, which I like cause I don't want something I'll put on/near my eye to have been touched by someone else.


A quick tip for these cream shadows and other cream products is to store them lid faced down. By keeping them upside down, you prevent them from drying out quickly.

In the metals line, there are five shades all with metallic finishes. There's a gold, silver, deep royal blue, champagne, and pink. I have the champagne and pink ones. They're called Barely Branded and Inked in Pink. Out of the line, they're the only ones I'd personally use, which kind of upset me. I wish there was a rose gold shade or other more neutral metallic shades.

Here are swatches of both of them. . .


When I wear these, often I use Barley Branded by itself on the lid and in my inner corner to help brighten. And for Inked in Pink, I use it as a base for eyeshadow looks I create with the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette.

Formula wise, these are great. They're super creamy once you warm them up with your fingers before applying. The staying power is great too, even if I don't have a primer underneath or set it with a powder shadow.


At the drugstore, these cost around $7 - $8 which I personally think it a lot. Yes they do work great, but with this line there's such a small color selection. If I wanted to try one of the other shades, I'd have to spend that amount on something I can assume I probably won't use. So that's why I think it's a little overpriced.

Packaging: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Color Selection: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Pigmentation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Formulation: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Texture: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Staying Power: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Price: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Overall: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I really do enjoy these, however there a few problems, with the color selection and the pricing. But those don't have to do with the product, so that's why I gave it such a high rating. I know other cream shadow bases exist, but this is the best one I'd tried, and it's not as expensive as the others.

I hope you guys enjoyed this review on the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals. If you want to see a review on anything in particular, leave me a comment and I'll see if I can. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss
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Saturday, June 21, 2014

Rose Gold Makeup Tutorial~!

Hey Guys~!

Sorry for not posting in a while. I just had my final exams for school this past week and I was studying like crazy.  But guess who made their first video makeup tutorial~?! For my birthday my parents got me a filming camera, so this past weekend I made my first makeup tutorial~! Summer break is coming up, and since I won't be in school, I'll have a ton of free time. That means I'll hopefully be able to make beauty videos for my YouTube channel, {click here} to watch it on YouTube.


For this tutorial I thought I'd show you how to create a look I've been wearing a lot recently. I have worn it for multiple blog posts and it's really pretty if you like rose gold. If you want to see how I created this look, check out the video~!


*★*☆*★*☆* Here's a list of the products and shades I've used *★*☆*★*☆*

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer - {review}
Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in Fair Sand
Almay Wake Up Concealer in Light
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny
Pürminerals 4-in-1 Mineral Makeup in Porcelain
Elf Studio Blush in Candid Coral
Elf Eyeshadow Primer in Sheer
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - {review}
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush - {review}
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin
Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in Taupe and Nude - {review}
Stila Smudge Stick Liner in Half moon
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara - {review}
Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara
Maybelline Baby Lips in Coral Crush - {review}

I hope you guys like my first video tutorial. If you have any ideas for future makeup looks I can do, leave your suggestion either as a comment here or on the YouTube video. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you at my next post.

xo

Alyss
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