Products I've Finished - August

It's that time of the month! Time to talk about my completed products.


Aussie Sun-Touched Shine Shampoo - I really love this stuff, but I can no longer find it at my local Target. This shampoo is quite cleansing so I didn't use it all the time as it could get too drying, but it is one of my favorite shampoos. I'll definitely repurchase if I can find it again.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Facial Cleanser - Well that certainly is a mouthfull! A good cleanser, although I didn't notice a lot of redness reduction. But I think my skin is getting more sensitive, so I will need to hunt for a cleanser that works on acne, but isn't too harsh.

Softlips Vanilla Lip Protectant - I used to love these as a teen. I think these work in a middling sort of way. It is nice if your lips are in decent shape, but if you need some serious balm due to chapped lips, this won't help. Will I make it a point to repurchase, probably not. But I always need more lip balms, so if this is on offer I may grab a few. :)

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - I have a love hate relationship with cuticle treatments. My cuticles are always in bad shape and need constant tlc to stay manageable. This ... wasn't the worst cuticle cream I've tried, but it stayed thick on my cuticles and didn't seem to absorb well. Plus I hate pots for products. I always get project under my fingernails and that just seems wasteful. Not something I would repurchase.

Hmm ... not a lot of things I would repurchase this month. Oh well, I have plenty of products to work through. I am going to Austin Texas for a short visit, then I am moving out there late October. So I want to use up as many items as possible so I have less to move with!

What did you finish up this month?

WoW-ness Wednesday!

Tra-la-la! I've been leveling up my little pally, and enjoying the hell out of her. She is level 71 now. I am hitting a little bump in healing though. I find when you go from one expansion to a different one, there is a little bump in healing. I got a bit dejected after a few wipes, but that is how you learn. I've got into the swing of it and find healing so enjoyable.

I may be falling out of love with my main though, which is a tad sad, but it happens. I find the dps urge to top the meters annoying, so I'm on a break from the main until I figure out how to heal on her too. :)

WoW Wednesday!

Welcome to WoW Wednesdays! I figured this would be the most reasonable way to fold in my WoW ramblings into this blog. Overall, this will be a place for me to geek out about all things WoW. This week wasn't that exciting, but I did manage to get the Swift White Hawkstrider.

Hooray new mounts! I always love getting more mounts. :) That is all for now. Have a lovely Wednesday!

New Books

The first Sunday of the month at work is Nancy Drew Book Club day. Normally I work Sundays, but lately I haven't, so I was able to bake some chocolate chip cookies and go to the Book Club meeting. You would think working at a bookstore I would get tired of talking about books, but I just love them! So today I picked up a few new additions to my little library.

Nancy Drew #17 for next month and Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Just look at the cover for Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself! I always see this series at work and think to myself 'I have way too many books, I don't need more.' But ... yea, there is only so long I can hold out. This series was written in the 1940s, and is based off the authors childhood. At least that is what the back of the book says. It just looks too good to pass up.

When I first started this blog, I was hoping to make it a beauty blog, and separate my bookish ramblings in a different blog, but I've realized I'm just not interested in separating all my different types of ramblings. So this blog may be changing, beauty related posts will remain, but I'll be talking about books as well, and possibly World of Warcraft, as the game has eaten my life.

I hope this changes will come smoothly, and that you all will stay readers. Have a lovely day!

Finished Products of July

One idea I would like to bring to this little blog is the "finished products of the month" posts. These posts are a great way to see what products I actually use. I was inspired by LilLadyLife, but I know other bloggers have done this as well. Here is the teeny amount of products I used up in July.

Sephora Guava Passion Scrub - I really liked this scrub, not too harsh and lathered really well. I could definitely see myself repurchasing this, maybe in a different scent though.
Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Bath & Shower Gel - A really lovely shower gel. It reminds me of Philosophy shower gels in that it can be used as a bubble bath too. I love the Rosewater scent, but if over used it can be a bit cloying. I like it, but it is out of my price range at the moment. So I won't be buying it again any time soon.
Body Shop Olive Glossing Conditioner - I bought this when I visited my Dad ages ago, then lost it in my travel bag. Oops. Anyway, I thought this was a decent glossing conditioner. Nothing special though. It did smell amazingly like olives though...
Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - Love this stuff! This is my favorite lip balm. I will always repurchase Burt's Bees.

Appology & Changes

Hello Everyone, sorry for the long absence. I hope to get back into the swing of posting regularly. I do plan on some changes to ye old blog though, so the tone of this blog may change a bit. Hopefully I won't loose too many of you.

:)

Long time, no haul!

Hello Ladies! Sorry for the massive away time. I really have no excuse. I figured what better way to get back into the blogging than by posting some of my recent hauls? I've got a bunch of them, so you have been warned.

This is part of an Ulta haul, all China Glaze nail polishes. I love that Ulta has a little clearance section of last seasons nail polishes. I always go a bit wild there, but $3 for China Glaze? How could I possibly say no? I picked up six polishes from the Vintage Vixen Fall 2010 collection.

& Here are the swatches.

I don't know why, but my camera decided to hate Bogie & Midnight Mission. Bogie is much more purple in real life, and Midnight Mission is much more blue. This are much more fall than spring and summer colors, although I always love purple toes, no matter the season.

I hope everyone is having a good spring! Take care & have a lovely day!

January Favorites

January was a bit of a low key month for me. This year didn't start off as well as I had hoped. On a personal note, I had to put down my 17 year old cat, and that has just left a sad spot in my heart. I know my pain will ease over time, but for now I am still in a sad state over loosing my cat. I loved her so much, and will miss her.

Let's move on to something more fun, monthly favorites.



MAC's Soirée nail polish - Love love love this nail polish! It is festive and fun. I find that it lasts better and behaves better than most MAC nail polishes. My pet peeve with this polish was how it seemed like no one on youtube could pronounce the name correctly. But that is just me.

OPI's Rumple's Wiggin nail polish - This is such a lovely lilac, and it puts me in the mood for Spring.

RareMinerals Active Triple Treatment Eye Cream - I don't know if this is a holy grail item for me, but I do love it. There is something so luxe about a good eye cream.

Ecotools foundation Brush - I don't use this for foundation, I use this to put on moisturizer. That's a little trick I learned from make up artists. This is another little way to make your daily routines seem a bit more decadent.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Medium - On low key days I really don't feel like wearing heavy makeup, or taking too long in the morning. Instead I reach for this and dust a little on and go.

Hope you all had a better month than I did, and here's to a better February!

Rite Aid Haul

I went a little wild at Rite Aid today. I have been feeling a little blue lately, and I am one of those people that enjoy shopping when blue. I'm really interested in trying the Happy Booster by Physicians Formula. You can get the Happy Booster as a bronzer, a blush or a translucent shade. I got the translucent, because I just don't wear blush or bronzer often. I'll let you all know how I like it.


These are the items I bought off of Temptalia's Editor's Choice Awards. Was anyone else tempted to go shopping after her round-up was posted?

Gwen Stefani

I love Gwen Stefani. I just adore her. It has something to do with how fabulous she is, and how she brings back all the good parts of me teen years. Going to see No Doubt in high school was one of the best experiences of my life. This love has rubbed off on my shopping decisions though. I own a bunch of Harajuku Lovers purses, and the perfumes. Something about Gwen just makes me want to get my wallet out. So of course when I saw this ad I thought "When can I go to the store to buy some lipstick!?" I haven't yet, but I am looking forward to the purchase, because let's face it Gwen + lipstick = a little slice of heaven.

Are there an celebrities that, when they back a product, you find that you simply have to try that product?

What's in my Makeup Bag?

Hello Ladies. I am so sorry for the long term absence. There really is no explanation other than normal end of school term & holiday issues. I really have loved having this blog, and enjoyed it when I kept it up, so one of my New Years Resolutions is to keep on blogging!

I've been trying to figure out a good way to start off the new year here, and have been planning on doing a new what's in my bag, but that will be a big post due to pictures. I keep so much stuff in my bag. It really is a catch all. So to instead I will reintroduce myself via the "What's in my makeup bag" tag.

My makeup bag is a little Harajuku Lovers one from a year or so ago. I carry
+ Harajuku Lovers perfume in Baby
+ Hello Flawless by Benefit in "Never Settle" Petal
+ Elizabeth Arden Good Morning Eye Treatment
+ MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Strobe Kiss
+ MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Strobe Rays
+ Burt's Bees Beeswax lipbalm
+ MAC lipstick in Ever Hip
+ MAC Tendertone
+ MAC Select Moisturecover in NW25

Mostly what I carry in my makeup bag is for when I need to be at work at 6am and I want something to make me presentable as the day goes. I just realized I have no eyemakeup in my bag. Weird.

Anyway, sorry to have stopped blogging for so long. I am so glad to be back though! Have a great day!

China Glaze Haul

Hello! Sorry for my month long absence, I got sick and just didn't feel like anything. Blogging, makeup, etc. But I am back a ready to go! I've got some hauls lined up. The first one is all China Glaze from beautyticket.com. Here is what I got.

The first set, left to right is
Mahoganie, Cream Puff, Latte, Rose Tea and Victorian.
And here are the swatches.

Mahoganie looks the most odd in the bottle, it looks like pure glitter. But it works out as a nice brown/purple with lots of glitter. Cream Puff seems less pink in real life, but it does still have that light pink base. Latte is a neat nude color, a nice addition to my coloection since I don't own any nude nail polishes. Rose tea is a deep mauvey pink, and Victorian is a middle range pink.

Next up is Cords, Free Love, Crusin', Skate Night & Thunderbird.
Here are the swatches:

Cords is a great silver. Free Love is a deep orange, while Crusin' is a light orange. Skate Night is a wine-y red, and Thunderbird is a more pure deep red. Out of all of these, Thunderbird is the one my mother is trying to steal from me.

I like beautyticket.com. They sell discounted beauty items at reasonable prices. They do ship internationally, but it gets expensive, and I don't know how reasonable it would be to get discounted beauty items with the shipping charge, but that would be up to you. I really do like beautyticket.com though. They ship quickly, and you can get some nice products there.

Disclaimer: All items were purchased by me. I am not being paid in anyway by any companies mentioned in this post. I like them all on my own.

Quick FOTD & EOTD

I decided to do a quick face of the day before I am off to school. Sorry the pictures are so shoody, I still can't figure out good lighting for face pictures. >.<
Since I'm only going to school, I've just got MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (in Light Medium) on my face, and Revlon's Super Lustrous in Coral Reef on my lips.


I actually decided to play with my eyeshadows today, so I have an Eye of the Day as well.


I've got on L'oral De-Crease, MAC's Melon pigment all over the lid, MAC's De-Vil in the crease, and MAC's Carbon in the corner along with Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Zero and Covergirl Lashblast mascara. A simple look, but I like it! Even just Melon and De-Vil look fabulous together.

Mini Haul

Hello again! I'm back with a mini haul. I went shopping today with my mom before I have to go to work today. We went to Ulta, Ross and Target, where I picked up some goodies. I bought a Burt's Bees Acne Solutions and some Burt's Bees lip balm. At Target I picked up Rimmel's Fix & Perfect primer and Physicans Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation. I'm hoping I love the Healthy Wear, because I am one of those people that burn then tan, and that is just no fun at all.

I picked up the Stila It Girl palette at Ulta, and managed to get a great deal on it! The palette itself is only $9.99, and Ulta currently have a $5 off coupon if you spend $10 (you can find it here) so I got it for only $5. Woohoo!

The colors are (left to right)
lame, chloe and kitten

Look at that shine! I definitely think this is a must have. And if you use the coupon, it's only $5, how can you say no to that?

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mousse - a review

I have been using Revlon Colorstay for combo/oily skin, and I really like it, so I decided to branch out and try the Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mousse.

I really don't like it. I feel like I need to use a lot of product in order to get the desired effect. Plus I fell like this makes me look too matte, which can make the skin just look dry and in some cases flaky. Even early in the day it seemed to make my skin look dry and flaky. I don't know if maybe it is the application, but I have tried everything, brush, fingers, sponges, and I always seem to waste more product than I use on my face. Plus I have to say I feel like this transfers a lot easier than the regular Colorstay liquid foundation. I am just not a fan of this product. I am sure there are people who like this, but it isn't for me. It is simply too matte and too much of a hassle to work with. If you want to try a Colorstay foundation, I say stick with the liquid foundation.

For reference, this is what I looked like after application this morning.



This is what I looked like after about 9 hours of wear

I will admit, this does seem to last throughout the day, but the liquid Colorstay beats the Mineral Mousse in that department hands down. You may like this foundation if you love a really matte look, because the Mineral Mousse delivers in that department, but stay away if you don't like that look.

Disclaimer - This product was bought by me, and all opinions are my own.

September Favorites

Well, it is a new month and that means it is time for last months favorites! Yay!


1. Pucker Tendertone by MAC I know these are a cult favorite online, but I just hate dipping my finger in a container to get lip balm/gloss when I am on the go. Thus, I mostly use this at home. It gives a glossy finish, but is so moisturizing. Plus it smells delicious.

2. Michael Kors Rollerball I just love rollerball perfumes, they are so easy to use and great for the purse. The scent is a sweet floral,.

3. Jitterbug by China Glaze I love this nail polish! It is a steely silver, and looks wonderful. Perfect for fall and winter!

4. Strange Potion lipglass by MAC When I first got this, I wasn't that bowled over by it, but now that I have been wearing it, I just love it!

5. Watermelon lipglaze by Stila I really love the design of this product, the little brush helps with precise application, so I can put it on easily without a mirror and not worry that I look odd. While I do love the product, I have a hard time seeing buying more, because the price is a little too steep for me ($22 US).

6. Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Blusher Brush This is such a fabulous brush. Soft and dense. It is $15 at Target, and worth every penny.

What have been your September favorites? Anything I should get my hands on? I definitely need more brushes, so any good brush recommendations would be appreciated! Thank you!

Venomous Villains - Maleficent

Okay! I figured I had to get the Maleficent part of the Venomous Villains collection up, as it is now all on the MAC website. I really like the Maleficent collection, although the lip colors seem a little less wearable, but I'll get to that later.

Here are all my goodies closed.

All my goodies open.

Swatched (left to right)
Briar Rose Beauty Powder, Dark Deed lipstick (amplified), Violetta lipstick (amplified),
Wrong Spell lipglass, Revenge Is Sweet lipglass.

Swatched (same as above)
in natural light.

Briar Rose is kind of a purpley pink.
Probably my favorite Beauty Powder of the collection,
even more than Oh So Fair.

Dark Deed & Violetta.
I think both these lipsticks require a light hand.
Dark Deed can look ... well too dark, while Violetta is
obviously purple when done heavy. But applied with
a light hand they both look amazing on. Try them out.
Violetta is a perm item at PRO stores, so if you have
second thoughts, you can wait and think on it.

Revenge is Sweet and Wrong Spell.
I am sure Wrong Spell would look lovely on someone
with darker skin. On me it just looks weird.
Revenge is Sweet is a nice purpley pink shade.
Good for everyday wear.

Bad Fairy, Formidable! and Mean & Green nail lacquers.

Bad Fairy, Formidable! and Mean & Green
nail lacquers swatched. I could not do this on my fingers.
I did such a bad job, and needed to redo my nails for work.
So sorry, nail polish on paper it is! These are really odd.
I love love love Bad Fairy, and think it is the jem
of the nail polishes. They are certainly fun!

I liked the Maleficent collection. I just wish the MAC nail polishes were better quality, but I will love these colors anyway! My favorite items from the Maleficent collection are:
♥ Briar Rose Beauty Powder, Such a lovely color! Really, the beauty powders in this whole collection are stunning.
♥ Violetta lipstick. It can look scary, but play around with it (dab it on, don't smear, and you'll be good). It will look wonderful on.
♥ Bad Fairy nail lacquer. Such a fun nail polish to play around with. It will be great for fall!

As for Dr. Facilier, I only got the lip gelee. Then I regretted it and pre-ordered the Magically Cool Liquid Powders. So ... my one act of restraint didn't go well. Oh well, I'm still looking forward to picking them up on the 30th.

What are you thinking of getting from this collection? Gonna go wild, or try to stay sane?

Venomous Villains - Cruella De Vil

Hello Everyone! Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I meant to do Maleficent after the Evil Queen, but I painted my nails and like it so next I don't want to take it off to do swatches of the Maleficent nail colors. Oh well, I'll get around to it, don't you worry. Anyway! Off to the Cruella De-Vil goodies!

All the goodies (closed)

All the goodies (open)

Swatches (left to right)
Her Own Devices (beauty powder), Sweet Joy (eyeshadow - frost), De-Vil (eyeshadow - veluxe pearl), Carbon (eyeshadow - matte), Innocence, Beware! (lipstick - cremesheen), Heartless (lipstick - amplified), Devilishly Stylish (lipglass), Wicked Ways (lipglass)

Swatches (outside, same order as above)

Her Own Devices Beauty Powder.
Surprisingly wearable. A must
have for Cruella fans.

Sweet Joy (frost), De-Vil (veluxe pearl), & Carbon (matte).
Sweet Joy & De-Vil have amazing color pay off.
Carbon is a perm. item, so you don't need to get this,
unless you love the packaging, like I do.

Innocence, Beware! (cremesheen) & Heartless (amplified).
Innocence, Beware! is a lovely pinky nude, while Heartless is a true red.

Devilishly Stylish & Wicked Ways.
A nice nude gloss, and a nice bright red gloss.

I was actually surprised by how much I loved the Cruella collection. The colors are all wearable. As Cruella isn't my favorite villain, I was expecting to like the mini-collection that much. Well color me surprised, I really liked just about everything from the Cruella collection. I didn't get the blush, because it just looked too dark, but I may give it another look when the collection comes out on Tuesday.

The items I like the most from the Cruella De-Vil collection are:
♥ Her Own Devices Beauty Powder, this will sell well with Cruella fans, but is a lovely color anyway.
♥ De-Vil eyeshadow, such a wonderful red!
♥ Wicked Ways lipglass is so pretty!

I really do like almost everything from this collection. Definitely give this collection a look. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Venomous Villains - Evil Queen

I am so excited! The Evil Queen from Snow White is my favorite Disney villain. I just love her, so this mini-collection was the most exciting to me. I got pretty much everything from this mini-collection, excluding the Penultimate Brow Marker. Anyway, lets get started!

All the goodies open.

Swatches, inside (left to right)
Bite of an Apple (blush), Oh So Fair (beauty powder), Hot House (lipglass), Strange Potion (lipglass), Sinister (lipstick - lustre), Toxic Tale (lipstick - satin), Vile Violet (eyeshadow - matte), Her Alter Image (eyeshadow - veluxe pearl), Vainglorious (eyeshadow - frost)

Swatches (outside)
Same lineup as the previous picture.
(only bottom to top)

Oh So Fair Beauty Powder, this is actually
a bit more pink in real life. A lovely blush,
great for fair skin, and buildable.

Bite of an Apple Blush, an amazing coral
blush. Quite opaque, but buildable if you
want bright coral cheeks.

Strange Potion & Hot House.
Hot House is the hands down winner for me.
So sparkly, so pretty. Strange Potion is
lovely as well.

Sinister & Toxic Tale. I think I may be one of
the few that loves lustres. They are completely
buildable, so it is difficult to go overboard on the
color. Toxic Tale is amazing, bright vivid coral.

Vainglorious, Her Alter Image, Vile Violet.
Her Alter Image has the best color payoff.

The standouts of this mini-collection to me are
♥ Hot House lipglass, such a bright sparkly purple fuchsia. This is a repromote, so if you have it already from the Strange Hybrid collection, then you could miss it. I think I want to get back-ups of this one though.
♥ Oh So Fair beauty powder, mostly for the Evil Queen compact. I just couldn't pass this item up. The the beauty powder itself will make a lovely blush.
♥ Bite of an Apple blush, a true coral blush. If you like coral, this is for you. (Along with Toxic Tale lipstick and Strange Potion lipglass.)

I do love the Evil Queen, so buying everything in her collection was easy for me. If you adore Cruella De Vil & Maleficent, expect all your money to fly out to those collections. I would also think the beauty powders will be quick to sell out, as ... well, who doesn't want an Villainous compact?

I'm happy to answer any questions about the Evil Queen items, and will get up Maleficent and Cruella De Vil up as fast as possible.