BELIVE & ACHIEVE

Wise words from a student in my class which were passed from her mother "If you believe in it, then you can achieve it!" "BELIEVE & ACHIEVE"

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much... I broke my promise of at least blogging 1-2 times a week..... :( !!!  I will post again shortly! brb! hehe :)

My first ever BLOG SALE! MAC TO THE BEACH

Helloooo! I know I've been MIA once again... I really need to update this.. When I do, I'll have multiple posts so just hang in there!  Anyways, to the good stuff!  I'm going to have my first blog sale!!  These are from MAC TO THE BEACH collection and are SOLD OUT online and at most counters/stores if not all!!

I have MAC MARINE LIFE, MAC THRILLS lipstick, MAC HIPNESS blush! All BRAND NEW AND IN BOX!!!  (Sorry, but I'm not selling internationally at this time).  

***If you are interested in any of these items, please subscribe to my blog and leave a comment on this post stating what you are interested in.  I will contact you further on price and payment through paypal.  I have swapped many times on makeupalley.com so if you want to know my username to check my positive tokens I will pass that along to you. :)  Just let me know!!

My upcoming first z-palette!

I'm soo excited... I just placed an order for my first z-palette! My first palette that can fit makeup pans of different sizes and from different brands!  After a couple days of contemplating between the z-palette and UNI palette, I went with the z-palette simply because it is larger and can fit more blushes.  The UNI palette can only fit 3 MAC blushes with extra space for 5 MAC eyeshadows.  The z-palette can fit up to 8 MAC blushes from what I heard, after hearing this I was sold as I have more than 3 blushes I would depot and place in a palette of choice.

What ignited my curiosity to invest in one of these palettes?  I received MAC Cantaloupe blush in pan form and needed a place to store it!  Also, I could depot my other blushes and few eyeshadows to place in this palette (but this wasn't major, I wouldn't have mind keeping it in their original containers).  

I'll update more on my palette once it arrives and with lovely pictures of what I stored inside! 

*stay tuned!

Favorite Spring and Summer Nail Polish!

coming soon....

What's your favorite nail polish to wear on sunny days???

MAC Brave New Bronze

PS. Just wanted to say that I found a way to LOVE this!!! I pair it with my L'Oreal Colour Juice Caramel lipgloss and it's nude perfection!!! :)  Gives me a nude with slight peach undertone nude which is wearable even without heavy eyeshadow! (picture coming soon, sorry for delay)

I know this lipstick is limited edition and you can't find it at any MAC Counters, but try your Cosmetic Company Store or try to swap for it on makeupalley.com (this is where I got my hands on one!). 

MAC Pret-a-Papier: My Loves & Review

ok so my last 2 posts are about this collection, but now I will try to do a better review on some of the products I purchased.

B L U S H

Garb- This has replaced my NYC Sunny bronzer.  It has great lasting power, about 6-8 hours or more. Love to use this for contouring my cheeks.  It's natural and doesn't' make for any harsh lines.  Can be used alone, but I like to pair it with a blush. Also, I used this on my mom who is very pale and it looked great! I highly recommend this if you don't already have a favorite contouring product.  (I don't think this would work on you if you are much darker than me, as I have to pack on the color a bit for it to show up on me.)  If I could afford a backup I would get one, but I think this one will make it to the CCO because it's not getting much love.

Instant Chic- This is a nice muted coral to add to my collection.  This is not bright on the cheeks and gives a nice flush of color.  It's a nice blush to have if you don't have many pinks/corals in your collection, otherwise I'd probably skip this.  I wouldn't get a backup because I'm more into peach blushes.  

*Both blushes can be built up in color and not look cakey.  They look natural.  Downsides: not very pigmented and need dense brush to pick up the color better.

L I P S T I C K S

Dressmaker Dressmaker- (lustre) LOVE THIS! My favorite spring/summer lipstick!  It's a great peachy pink color.  Reminds me of Missy slimshine (which is more orange).  Love to use this with L'Oreal Colour Juice berry Burst lipgloss!  I want a backup... If you already have and love MAC Shy Girl, I'd pass on this.  But, since Shy Girl didn't work for me, I love Dressmaker!!

Made to Order- This gives off a color that is "My Lip But Better" for me.  It's a sheer version of MAC Viva Glam Cyndi.  I like this for natural days so it's nice to have, but nothing to really rave about.  Also, the lasting power on this is much shorter than my other lustre lipsticks.

* Both these lipsticks pair beautifully with the blushes from this collection :)

Chromagraphic pencil-  I'm interested in this and want to try the NC15 one.  I keep hearing that people are loving it for their waterline.  I tried the NC30 pencil and it was too yellow.  I didn't even bother trying the other pencil.  

What are your thoughts on this collection??

LOVE MAC Pret-a-Papier!

Don't misjudge MAC Pret-a-Papier til you TRY it on YOUR FACE!! Seriously, the swatches don't do it any justice! 

hmmm yes I LOVE everything I purchased! I can't RAVE enough about it!! Not too brag, but I just think many people are judging it too quickly and not giving it a shot!  It might not make a BOLD statement, but it's lovely :) .  The blushes have lasted for at least 8 hours because it's still on since I tried it on at the counter! If I could afford backups, I would def get garb because I love to contour and I think it's an appropriate daytime contour that's not like "WHAABAAM, that girl gots contour!" haha  I think I am slightly seeing a muted peach/orange tinge to it at times... I guess that's the GOLDEN SUNTAN color, MAC refers to it as.  Well, this will probably hit my local CCO, since it's not popular yet.., so I can get it discounted when it does. :P  I hope I don't tan too much during the summer, or Garb might not work well on me :/.. But, whatevs! I got plenty of bronzers coming my way that'll be for contour! haha Can you tell I love contouring??? :D

MAC Pret-a-Papier: My First Impressions

Let me first say, I been waiting for this collection for maybe 2 months?? I planned on getting Instant Chic blush, Garb blush, Dressmaker lipstick, and Made to Order lipstick and that's exactly what I bought! Here are my thoughts:

I just went this morning to MAC and bought Instant Chic & Garb blushes and Dressmaker & Made to Order l/s. I tried all of these on at the counter as well as the chromagraphic pencil in NC30? on my waterline. I'm not a fan on the pencil, it was too yellow for me and didn't last on my waterline, plus it looked weird that I used that color to line my waterline, I didn't even bother to try the other pencil, o well. The pencil does apply easily and smoothly, pretty creamy!

Now for the blushes! LOVE! If you are into the NATURAL look. Both these blushes were hard to get a good swatch of and seemed not very pigmented, but before I said forget it, I tried it on with MAC brush 116 which picks up the color better than my finger! Garb works as a great natural contour. I'm medium skin (prolly NC40 on lighter side) with yellow undertones. Took me a bit to get Garb to show up but it's very natural and light so it's nothing obvious. Shows up as a light tan color, no orange tone on me or peach.

INSTANT CHIC swatched powdery/cakey and ehh not pleasing when swatched. But, I didn't want to give up on it, so with same brush I brushed it on my cheeks! It's a nice muted coral pink, doesn't look anything like the swatch on my hand (swatch was lighter). Was not powdery at all on my cheeks.

First picture is me with both blushes on and second picture is with Dressmaker lipstick.

I got 2 l/s: Dressmaker and Made to Order. Both l/s are creamy and pigmented enough to cover my berry pigmented lips. Dressmaker, I guess has a slight orange undertone, but I like to think it's more peach :) , almost similar to Missy slimshine (which has more orange undertone). Made to Order is like MLBB, it brightens my lips.

Also, I tried Fold & Tuck lipglass, which is very pigmented and looked great on the Sales Associate but I wasn't a fan. I'm not a fan of the way MAC lipglasses look on me in general because they really show that they settle into the lines of my lips. But, this is a great color for spring/summer if you like lipglasses!

Coral Crepe paintpot is nice if you are going to use it. I tried it on my lids, but wasn't blown away simply because I rarely wear e/s anyway. I think those with darker skintones won't like the blushes as I don't think they will show up as well.. Garb barely showed on me and I had to pack it on a bit. Hope this helps you all! Let me know if you are convinced! haha :P

and REMEMBER... this collection is more NATURAL! I didn't bother with the eyeshadows because I rarely use them in general and per Temptalia's site, they weren't anything amazing.

PS. Temptalia's site has wonderful swatches and more information! Here's links (click on text):

-pics of products

-blush swatches (when I swatched Garb it looked different from Temptalia..)

-lipstick swatches

- eyeshadow swatches

- lipglasses

- chromagraphic pencils & paintpots

- how she used Coral Crepe paintpot

- her overall review of must-haves

New Found Love

Hii!

I'm soo sleeeeppy!! I'm going to have to do this blog entry tom.. sorry :/  But, to let you in on my new found love...........it is........... MAC Siss lipstick!!  I received it in a swap on makeupalley and to my surprise I'm loving it. It's a great nude for me.  *I'll go into further details and post pictures tomorrow!  

Stay tuned

I'M BAACK...Now... onto business.. 

Note: Click on pictures for larger view

L-R: MAC Jubilee & MAC Siss

Top-Bottom: MAC Jubilee & MAC Siss

I took a picture of both these lipsticks because on my lips they are very similar in color.  This is probably because some of my natural lip color is shown through MAC Siss at times.  From the swatches, MAC Jubilee has a sheen/slight glossy texture whereas Siss has none.  Jubilee is a lustre and Siss is a satin.  Siss can be drying so I moisturize my lips beforehand and I always top this lipstick with a gloss (I'm loving it with L'Oreal Colour Juice Berry Burst).  I wouldn't wear Siss by itself because it's not very attractive that way and it does somewhat look like concealer on my lips.  Once gloss is applied the magic happens! See for yourself!

Siss alone

Siss with gloss :)

I think Siss will be my HG nude lip from MAC!! It's a great nude color because it doesn't completely wash me out or make my face look...dare I say it.. PLAIN!  This lipstick works great with a bronzed look.. I paired it with NYC Sunny bronzer for contour and MAC Cheeky Bronze on cheeks.  Of course it will look great with many other looks like a dark smokey eye or whatever you want a nude lip for!  I think Siss would look great on light medium to dark tan skin! For reference, I'm a medium tan in Bare Essentials and about MAC NC40 (I don't use MAC foundation but last time I went in to try one on that's what they told me). I have naturally berry rose lips with some pink. 

Lastly, the only negative I see with Siss is that I can't quickly apply it on the go or without a mirror.  I apply the lipstick then add gloss with a lip brush, so in my opinion it's a bit high maintenance.  It does settle into my fine lines on my lip :( .  So, when I smile you see lines with the color.... BUT!! I still love it :)  Just gota wear it CONFIDENTLY!  For me, all light colored lipsticks are obvious when they settle into my lines when I smile.. If I have time I would add a nude lipliner to mute out my entire lip color then add the lipstick, this way my fine lines shouldn't be as obvious... IF you don't want to deal with all these extras to get this color on your lips, then get MAC Jubilee! MAC Jubilee is a great on the go lipstick and no need for a mirror!

Siss + gloss + SMILE!

I want to share one other thing which is from my most recent makeupalley swap! I finally got my hands on MAC Brave New Bronze (BNB) lipstick!!! The lipstick everyone raves about for a nude lip!  I love the packaging as does everyone else.  BUT, I'm not sure if this lipstick deserves all the hype it has received...... On me it's definitely not a nude lip!  Not like Siss... It's more of a pink on me. I don't really see any brown undertones.. maybe slight peach color but barely!  Take a look.. 

MAC Brave New Bronze swatch

MAC BNB alone

MAC BNB + L'Oreal Colour Juice Berry Burst

Just showing you the lipstick and my lip combo from above together. :)

Lip combo + NYC Sunny for contour + MAC Warm Soul on cheeks

I will keep MAC Brave New Bronze in my collection though :) .  I'm not too in love with it right now, but I can see it being used this Spring and Summer!  It is the best pink lipstick on me that I have compared to my other pink lipsticks.  It's not too flashy and gives you some color.  If I bought this when the collection came out, I don't think I would have purchased a backup. But, still it's a pretty lipstick!

UPDATE! Blog makeover!

Hi!!

Wow, so it's been a few weeks since I blogged... Sorry! I been busy studying and had to avoid clouding my memory with MAKEUP MAKEUP MAKEUP... But I'm BAACK!! 

As you can see, I'm trying a new background... What do you think?? or should I revert back to the white background?? I tried to find something fun and colorful but I couldn't find anything.  I googled free blog backgrounds and finally came to this.  To see more blog backgrounds from this creator, click the text on the left corner "I love my blog makeover!".

Besides that, I am going to try to blog more often.  I accumulated more makeup so I have more to talk about! Also, I'll try to take clearer pictures, but usually I just find it faster to use my cell phone camera.  I forgot to mention in my previous blogs that you can click on the pictures, which will open it in a separate window and you'll see the picture clearer.  When I post pictures on my blog they may seem unclear because I uploaded them to be somewhat transparent on my page so the colors are not as vivid.  So, please click on the pictures for a better view. :)

My last update is that I have been swapping on makeupalley and so far I'm having all great experiences!! Swapping is trading makeup or other goodies with other members on makeupalley.  I'm loving it and getting kind of addicted.... It's a great way to find limited edition makeup and try to swap for it!  I'm really excited to receive some swap items in the mail this coming week because they are limited edition makeup that came out last year!! I missed out on them because I wasn't into makeup then... But, now I been actively finding who has the makeup I missed out on that I really want to try on makeupalley!  Members post makeup and other goodies that they have up for swap and members also have a wishlist of items they would want. Some are wishlist only whereas others don't mind looking at the swap items you have to see if there's anything that interests them to swap for the item you want!  I'm enjoying it and I even made my first makeupalley friend!!! :)  She is soo sweet and awesome!! 

Ok, well this is it for tonight.  I will post again tomorrow, "My new found loves"!  Stay tuned!

MAC Spirit lipstick dupe?

Wet n Wild creme lipliner in Chestnut

The following pictures are taken in a dimly lit room and the second with sunlight. 

I also applied L'Oreal colour juice lipgloss in Caramel on top.

Revlon ColorStay Lipliner Blush and L'Oreal Colour Juice Lipgloss Watermelon Crush

Above: Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Blush

I use this lipliner to line and fill in my lip when I want to rock pink lips.  It helps keep any lipstick or lipgloss that's in the same family group of colors to stay on longer.  I highly recommend giving this a try!  It's definitely my HG for pink lips! It's long lasting and doesn't fade easily when eating/drinking.  To score a great deal on this product, try to get it on sale at drugstores, like Rite Aid, for buy one get one free!  If not, this may cost ~$5-8 depending on where you buy it from.

My current favorite combo of Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Blush is with L'Oreal Colour Juice lipgloss in Watermelon Crush.  This combo gives me rosey pink lips. Below are pictures of this combo in two different lighting.

Possible Dupe? MAC Springshine Blush Ombre and NYC Bronzer

Left: MAC Springshine Blush Ombre

Right: NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Matte Bronzer 720A Sunny

Today, I found that NYC bronzer in Sunny is similar to MAC Springshine blush 

ombre, shown above. It might not be be obvious from comparing the pictures 

above, but when applied to my skin they almost give the same effect. NYC 

gives a more dull effect compared to MAC's, but not dull in a negative way.  

MAC's gives more POP to my face because I apply the lighter half to the apples 

of my cheek. MAC's is more versatile. However, NYC is still comparable and a 

good dupe for me. Read below for more information.

The DIFFERENCES:

+ MAC:

- has shimmer in the pan, but is barely noticeable on my skin

- can produce 3 different colors/effects: brown (bottom half), light orange/peach 

(top half), mixed together for peach/brown

- pigmented! one swipe is enough for a light/natural application

- limited edition and pricey: ~$27?

- how I apply? 1. Swirl brush to mix colors and use as a contour (sometimes I'll 

just swipe the dark portion for contouring if I want a darker effect) 2. Apply 

the lighter portion onto the apples of my cheeks and sweep towards my ear

+ NYC:

- no shimmer, it's matte

- only produces one color: light muted peach tan (a little bit darker than the top 

half of MAC's and a little lighter compared to when I mix MAC's together)

- not very pigmented :( takes me at least 3 swipes/application to get the effect I 

want

- price: cheap cheap cheap! only ~$3

- how I apply: Applied like blush; contour hollows of my cheeks and apply on my 

cheeks and sweep towards ear (to make your pops cheek, apply a light blush

on top of the apples of your cheek

* Unfortunately, I can't show you a swatch of NYC's because it's not pigmented 

enough for me to swatch with my finger, despite multiple tries. But, it does apply 

fine with a brush onto my skin.

Makeup swatches

I want to apologize for the lack of swatches I have posted on my blog.  I will try to make more time to post swatches.  However, I recommend checking out swatches from Temptalia.  I always go there to check out swatches.  Temptalia swatches are clear and pretty accurate.  I also go to that blog to check out upcoming MAC collections if you're interested.  PS.  I'm not affiliated with Temptalia in any way, but I find it very useful and wanted to share, especially since my swatches are on the slow side.

YAYY! Got a new subscriber!! :)

Awww.. I'm so excited!! I have a new subscriber :) .  All this time I wondered if anyone was reading my blog, even though people could be reading it and not becoming a subscriber for their own personal reasons.  It took me a couple months to attempt to make an account so I could add blogs I liked, then I realized as long as I had a gmail account I could add them!  I usually just added them to my bookmarks.  

Anyways, just yayy! This motivates me more to stay on top of my blog!  I wondered how search engines worked when my blog would appear, if it would be among the first page or couple pages down.  Either way,  I hope in the future more people will stumble upon my blog and find the information useful!

Thank you for subscribing!!! 

MAC Springshine Blush Ombre

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BLUSH!! DEFINITELY HG!!

This has been described as brown which in the pan and when swiped with a finger does look brown.  It seemed very unattractive to me and didn't catch my eye at all.  I pre-judged this and put it under my "not to get list" from MAC's new spring collection.  I went to MAC to pick up Ripe Peach blush ombre but they were sold out, in every MAC counter near me and all Nordstroms.  I was sad but determined to not leave empty handed!  I looked at Springshine and swiped it with my finger- "ehhh brown, kind of like a bronzer".  I asked the makeup artist if Springshine would look good on me and she said it would. She said she was wearing it and she liked it a lot.  I had her try it on me, she applied it mostly as a contour, and it seemed ok.  She told me to swirl my brush around the whole compact to grab the light and dark colors.  I ended up buying it.

After wearing this every day since I bought it a few days ago, I love it!  It is very pigmented and one swipe delivers a good amount onto my skin for a natural look.  Also, it blends easily.  I swipe my brush in one circular motion around the pan to grab both colors then I apply this as a contour.  Then, I swipe the lighter color once and apply it over my cheeks like blush.  The finished color I get is a light orange/peach on my cheeks and a light peach-brown where I contoured.  Just beautiful!  If you over looked this blush, I highly suggest checking it out!! This is a great blush and I can see this working for any skin tone!!! This is definitely HG material and if I could buy a back up I would!  (PS. none of the other MAC blushes seemed to work for me whenever the makeup artist applied them, they always oxidized on my skin; or either irritated my skin because they didn't apply true to color, rather it made my skin red or orange.  The only other MAC blush I have is Warm Soul, which works for me.)

Mascara Mascara Mascara

Looking for great eyelashes?? Well, the search continues for many of us, but here are my thoughts on the mascara I have used.

Cover Girl Lash Blast-  I have about 3-5 bottles laying around in my makeup drawer even though I stopped using it! haha.  Each bottle has been used but I haven't thrown them away.  Anyway,  I used this for a long time.  It lengthens, gives some volume, and is BLACK.  2 coats of this and curled lashes makes me not need to apply fake lashes! :)  FYI: Once it dried, my lashes were stiff (not a bad thing for me). My friends commented on my lashes every time I wore this. I got this after purchasing Dior's famous mascara (diorshow?).  I think Cover Girl's is very comparable and similar to Dior's.  I used my Dior only 2 times and didn't like the smell it had when applying- very strong ink like smell.  I recommend trying this.

Rimmel's Eye Magnifier - I used this when I was first starting with makeup and I loved it! It definitely made my eyes look bigger!  It defined and lengthened my lashes.  I stopped using this after awhile because I wanted to try other mascara.  I think this is great for daily use as it's not too dramatic.

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara - Some lengthening and defining.  This definitely gives a natural lift/curl to your lashes when applied before curling your lashes.  I loved using this every day as it gave a nice natural look.  

Rimmel Extra Super Lash -  I found this mascara to be very similar to Rimmel Sexy Curves such that it lifted my lashes. This was more lengthening and made my lashes look fuller.  I used this without curling my lashes for a natural look.  It opened my eyes since it lifted my lashes.  Only negative thing I have to say is I felt the mascara didn't last at least 3 months.  It seemed to dry out and smudge after 1-2 months.  I definitely recommend trying this, especially since it's pretty cheap!  I think at Target it was $2.50 .  

L'Oreal Voluminous in carbon black - Very lengthening and thickening mascara!  However, it can get clumpy at times, so have a lash comp handy to brush out the clumps.  I prefer to use this when I really want my lashes to stand out as it's more dramatic.  I received comments that my lashes look like I'm wearing fake eyelashes.  This is very black and delivers a lot of product to your lashes.  Right now, this is my HG!  Give it a try!

Max Factor 2000 Calorie - At first, I hated this mascara.  It didn't seem to live up to its claims.  However,  this is my go to mascara when I choose to wear mascara in the day!  It barely gives my lashes volume or length, but it does a great job at defining my lashes.  I have to say that I hate the packaging.  It's a fat tube with a smooth surface which makes it very uncomfortable to hold the mascara wand and can be slippery.  I dropped the wand twice on my carpet already! :(  Besides all the negative sides to it, the best part is that I don't have to worry about it smudging!  I can wear this for over 8 hours and be guaranteed no smudges!  Therefore, I don't have to worry about checking a mirror every time or wiping underneath my eyes.  Out of all the mascara I have reviewed here, this lasted the longest on my lashes without smudging!  This alone won my heart over for it to be HG!  Unfortunately, it is now discontinued :( .  

These are all the mascaras I have tried.  I purchased these with my own money and am not affiliated with the companies or being paid to endorse these.

Besides these mascaras, I have a some on my list to try that many ladies have been raving about.  These include: 

- Maybelline Full & Soft

- Maybelline XXL <>

- Rimmel (the one in the pink bottle)

- L'Oreal (tubing mascara, the one with a primer)

I don't think I will ever buy again a high end mascara because I found that these drugstore mascaras do a great job!  They are more affordable and deliver very comparable results to high end mascara.  

L'Oreal colour juice lipgloss vs MAC lipglass

I find that L'oreal colour juice lipgloss is very comparable to MAC lipglass.  If you don't want to shell out $14 + tax for MAC lipglass, then save your money and buy L'Oreal's lipgloss!  Regular price of L'Oreal lipgloss is around $7-8, but if you get them on sale they can be as low as $1.75!!  I bought mines from CVS and they were 75% off!  

Both these lipglosses deliver SHINE!  They give you a wet, pouty lip look.  Also, they both smell good! MAC's smells like vanilla and L'oreal's is fruity.  Also, they both seem to have the same texture on the lips, sticky.  I find sticky to be a good thing because I feel they last longer this way.  

Lastly,  both these lipglosses can have shimmer and glitter flecks in them.  When the lipgloss wears off your lip may have some glitter on it.  Is this bad or good?  Can be annoying, but it just means you have to reapply the gloss so the glitter is less noticeable! haha :P  Once the gloss is on, the glitter is barely noticeable.  It's definitely not a glitter bombshell!  

I highly recommend trying these L'Oreal colour juice lipglosses!! I use the one in Caramel & Berry Burst with all my lipsticks!  Some of their glosses barely tint your lips, which makes them great because then you can wear it with all your lipsticks!  All you need is one tube and your set!  And with a low price, you won't have to worry about overusing your lipgloss!  I know with my MAC lipglass I try to save it for special occasions because I feel it runs out quick! 

Favorite liner/lipstick/gloss combinations

Recently,  I got addicted to lipstick and wanted to find my perfect nude lip, but it didn't stop there.  Also, I wanted to find a MAC lipstick that I loved or could call HG!  After hours and hours of seeing what other youtube gurus used, blogs, and makeupalley,  I found that it was best to try out the lipsticks yourself!  Trying them on your own lips may give a different effect compared to someone else's lips because everyone has a different lip pigmentation.  Therefore, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! This way you can avoid any fails.  Unfortunately, drugstore products you have to buy first, I suggest purchasing at drugstores that have a beauty guarantee; this way you can return the item(s), so keep your receipts!  Stores with beauty guarantee include Rite Aid, Walgreens? ( not sure), and CVS.  You can double check this guarantee and any details on it from their website.  Anyways, let's get to my lippies! :)

These are in no particular order, I like them equally the same.  Will post pics later, but if you really want to see them, comment and I'll post asap.

HG lipliner: Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Natural (I wouldn't use this to define my lips, rather I use it to mute the color of my lips by filling them in with this liner.  It also helps lipstick stay on longer.  I can see this lipliner used underneath any lipstick color because it mainly mutes the color of your lip and I don't see it changing the color of your lipstick.)

Most used lipglosses at the moment: L'oreal Colour Juice lip gloss in Caramel, MAC love nectar lipglass 

For Nude lips

•  Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Natural, L'Oreal Fairest Nude lipstick, NYX Mega Shine lip gloss in Frosted Beige = very Pale nude (good for medium - dark skin tone) 
•  Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Natural, L'Oreal Fairest Nude lipstick, BonneBell liplites in Cappuccino = muted pale pink with slight brown/gray undertone
• Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Natural, MAC Hug Me lipstick, L'Oreal Colour Juice  lip gloss in  Bubble Gum = basically color of Hug Me lipstick, muted pink with slight brown undertone
• Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Natural, NYX Thalia lipstick, NYX Mega Shine lip gloss in Sweet heart = pale pink
• Kohl's FLIRT Honey Bun lipstick, FLIRT super shiny lipgloss in Nectar Fizz = sheer, glossy lip; great for summer or when the sun's out; not really nude color

For Pink lips

• Revlon ColorStay lipliner in Blush, NYX Tea Rose, NYX Mega Shine lip gloss in Beige
  

For Red lips

•  use any red liner (I don't have one at the moment), MAC Viva Glam VI lipstick, MAC Viva Glam VI lipgloss = red lipstick
  
• Rimmel 1000 kisses lipliner in Cherry, NYX Black Cherry lipstick = dark red lipstick, looks like a black cherry almost

Other lippies I like

• MAC Underplay (amplified) = peach/light tan with yellow undertones; gives a somewhat "golden yellow lip"
• MAC Jubilee (lustre) = muted beige-peach
  
• MAC love nectar lustreglass = gives a wet, pouty lip look and can give a tint of warm (dark) peach
• MAC Touch, NYX Mega Shine lip gloss in Natural = muted brown
  
• MAC Lovin' it lipstick = makes your face pop and look a bit "made up", brown/red in color; if you are tired of red lips then this is a good alternative
• L'oreal Colour Juice lip gloss in Berry Burst = used to add a tint of pink, has minimal glitter (read below)
• L'oreal Colour Juice lip gloss in Caramel = used to add a tint of tan/brown, has minimal glitter in it but not barely noticeable once applied to lips, however once it dries on your lips there will be glitter flecks on them- but this is the case also with MAC lipglasses
  

What I store my makeup in

Initially, I used this fold out organizer from 'the Container Store'.  I would recommend this for beginners because it has brush holders and 2 zipper pouches which you can store your makeup in.  I no longer store my everyday makeup in this organizer, but I do use this whenever I travel.  

Cost: ~$20 (However, I saw they sell similar products like this at Walmart and Target with a lower price tag!)

As my makeup collection increased,  the above organizer did not hold everything I needed.  I started to use random boxes as shown below to hold my makeup.  The left box is from Hickory Farms when my family received a gift such that this box contained crackers and a sausage.  The box to the right is the shipping box I received when I ordered a product from MAC.  (Please note I kept more makeup products in these boxes than show, but I already transferred my makeup to my next storage organizer.  For this picture, I just placed a few makeup products in the boxes for show.)

My new makeup storage organizer is as shown.  These 2 cases came together and were from Estee Lauder.  I found these in my mom's closet. :)   I think she must have received it as a free gift when she made a purchase.  I put 2 small containers inside to hold certain makeup products and separate them.  The smaller case has brush holder loops that are great to hold some of your brushes!  It also has space to add other makeup in this smaller case. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! :)

The two greatest compliments I received today:

1. "It looks like I'm watching you in HD!"

(this could be due to the primer I was wearing OR a highlight I used on my cheekbones OR the bronzer?! I think it's the primer...)

2.  "Your lashes look fake from here" 

(such an amazing mascara that makes your lashes have a BOLD statement! = LOVE; i don't like to fuss with false eyelashes, simply because I suck at putting them on and when I mess up it ruins my eyeshadow, also I don't want to practice.. )

***Just wanted to share this. I'm not trying to be full of myself!!  Just thought, I really must be using good face/makeup products to get such wonderful compliments!! These should be HG products then!  Comment to know what I used!

more DISCOVERIES coming soon...

- MAC lipglasses vs L'Oreal Colour Juice Lipglosses

- my favorite pale nude lip combination

- my favorite dark red lip

- Lippie F A I L S

- most used blush

- blush fails

- favorite makeup brushes

***Don't forget to tune in every week for these upcoming discoveries!!! You'll want to try them yourself!! If you can't wait to hear about these awesome discoveries, then leave a comment and I'll try to post them sooner! :) 

Transforming the color of a Lipstick!

Did you know.....

 you can achieve different lip color looks with ONE lipstick?? 

Well, that's the beauty of LIPLINERS!!!  

It's amazing how lipliners can transform the color of the way your lipstick looks in the tube!

I made this awesome discovery when I tried on 3 different lipliners with my current favorite lipstick, MAC Jubilee!!  My lipstick mainly took on the color of the lipliner and, in addition, added a nice texture and look.  :)  Also,  in this process, I discovered a dupe for MAC Spirit (satin) lipstick! (stay tuned to find out...)

So, today I had the urge to buy some lipliners!  I bought 3 creme lipliner pencils from Wet n Wild: Brandy Wine-#666, Chestnut-#711, and Willow -#712.  These were only $0.99 each!!

I tried each of these lipliners underneath either MAC Jubilee or MAC Hug Me.

I applied the lipliners all over my lips, not just to outline.  

*I'll post more pictures later this week. 

Brandy Wine (#666) - shimmery medium bronze (This looks great paired with MAC Hug Me.  It makes the lipstick darker and gives a warm brown/bronze look)

This is with 

Picture below:  

WnW Brandy Wine lipliner + Mac Hug Me l/s + L'Oreal Colour Juice l/g in Caramel

Chestnut (#711) - medium matte brown with slight orange/red undertone; similar to an indian brown (This color is the darkest of the 3. This to me is a dupe for MAC Spirit lipstick! But, a hint lighter maybe.) 

Willow (#712) - neutral matte light brown with peach undertone (Great to use for a neutral/nude lip)

All three of these are beautiful!!  I'm already in love with them.  They apply so easily without tugging!  They don't feel drying, but I did moisturize beforehand.  You get a good amount of product; the pencil is 7-8 inches long (that's what she said)!  I bought these at Walgreens and they carried maybe 3-4 more lipliners.  I would definitely recommend trying these, especially since they are sooo cheap!!  Also, they look like they can be dupes to MAC lipliners, especially the WnW Chestnut (but I don't know the names of MAC's nor do I own any, but I saw they have a popular brown/nude one they tend to use on people).