new nail polish: wet 'n wild megalast in "bite the bullet"

a polish that's not really new to me, but it's new to you-

with flash: looks a lot like the color in the bottle, doesn't it? until you see it....

 

 without the flash! now it looks more greige/mushroom-y

shown: katie showing off her mani and her new HUGE green ring.... love!

in real life, the shade is somewhere in between. it's definitely more of a dull purple than a greige color. i used 2 coats, no top coat, just fyi, if you're into that sort of thing....

 

today's face is brought to you by some new faves!

(i tried to post this yesterday, but blogger was being moody.... sorry)

this is what my face looked like yesterday:

face:

maybelline dream smooth foundation

maybelline dream mousse concealer (under eyes)

maybelline superstay concealer (under eyes)

covergirl cheekers blush in "classic pink"

wet 'n wild natural blend pressed powder

eyes:

maybelline define-a-line eyeliner in "chestnut brown"

wet 'n wild color icon eyeshadow trio in "walking on eggshells"

maybelline great lash mascara in "blackest black"

maybelline define-a-brow eyebrow pencil in "light blonde"

lips:

e.l.f. luscious liquid lipstick in "cherry tart"

this is a really basic, subtle look that i imagine would be appropriate anywhere. it's all about brightening up the eyes, but still looking natural. i LOVE the chestnut brown eyeliner. this maybelline liner has quickly become my favorite, and not just because the packaging is lime green! it goes on soooo smoooooth. plus that medium brown color is just great. somehow it makes my eyes look more blue than green, like black or brown-black liner usually goes. in this look, i lined my eyes all the way around, but it still looks natural and bright-eyed! because this liner goes on so smoothly, it only lasts about half a day before disappearing, but having to touch it up once a day isn't a big deal to me, i still love it!

ok, on to another favorite product. this wet 'n wild eyeshadow is super pigmented and smooth. plus is never. creases. ever. isn't that incredible for a $3 eyeshadow? i never would've tried it if i haven't read glowing reviews online. the pink shade (the very lowest one) is great for a wash on your eyelid. it reminds me of pink satin ballet slippers because of its shimmery finish. the brown shade is perfect for shading your crease. i've been using this for a lot of my looks, even without the pink shade.

here i have the pink shade on my lid, and the brown blended into the outside corners and crease.

even without a flash, look how glowy and pretty it is!

i've been doing this eye look a lot lately, either when i look really tired, or when i just want something subtle that pairs wear with any kind of bright lipstick! i've yet to try a lipstick that clashes with this eye makeup.

enjoy! more looks coming, i promise!

the new year is for a new start, right?

yes, i'm still alive, if anyone's still around to read this....

i don't really know why i quit blogging. too busy? too lazy? i don't know. but in the months (*ahem*.... sorry) that i've been away, i've somehow ended up with an almost entirely different makeup routine.... what? how did that happen? the products that i last called favorite no longer seem to be favorite.... it appears that i've purchased a great many products toward the end of 2010....

so, in honor of a new year and a new start, i give you.... NEW FAVES!

 

from top:

1. maybelline dream smooth foundation

2. maybelline dream mousse concealer

3. maybelline superstay concealer ("cream")

4. maybelline define-a-line eyeliner ("chestnut brown")

5. maybelline moisture extreme lipstick ("rum raisin")

6. nyc liquid lip shine

7. wet 'n wild natural blend pressed powder

8. covergirl cheekers blush ("classic pink")

9. maybelline eye studio color plush silk eyeshadow ("copper chic")

10. wet 'n wild color icon eyeshadow trio ("walking on eggshells")

11. loreal HIP eyeshadow ("electrified")

12. loreal HIP eyeshadow ("precious")

13. wet 'n wild mega eyes creme liner

um, wow.... that seems like a lot. and looking at the list, it seems like i have a huge love affair with maybelline right now. anyways, stay tuned because i'll be posting reviews of all of these amazing products soon!

wishlist for fall: shiny brown hair color

i haven't been dyeing my hair for a couple of months now. it's been liberating, easy, and just plain lazy. perfect for summer. but i'm becoming more and more discontent with my natural look. you know why? because i've been reading (too many) september issue magazines, which are basically comprised of 500 pages of wishful thinking. they make you unsatisfied with everything in your closet. oh yeah, and the weather. it's still scorching hot outside, and i'm wishing for changing leaves and a brisk feeling in the air. and a beautiful autumnal (gah, i hate that word!) hair color to match. 


now here's the tough part- which one do i want??

photo: nicky hilton, glamour.com/beauty

light golden brown?

medium golden brown?

photo: jessica biel, glamour.com/beauty

rich auburn?

tell me which one is better! i'm thinking i wanna make the change before i leave for my trip to new york in 3 weeks! :D

a couple of weeks ago, there was a sale at walgreens- certain brands of sally hansen nail polish 2 for $4. i couldn't help it.

l: "pacific blue", r: "glazed sand"

with flash

"glazed sand" look like a beautiful rose gold color.... but on me, it looked really pale. champagne, really. disappointed....

but "pacific blue" is awesome! kind of like an electric version of royal blue. love love love. i first wore it on my hands, but now it's on my toes too, because i think it's perfect for the end of summer.

new nail polish: wet 'n wild megalast in "private viewing"

have you tried the new wet 'n wild polishes yet? and by new i mean a few months ago.... well you should, because they're amazing! they're $2, available everywhere, last forever, and are all super sophisticated colors. here's the first one i tried-

2 coats, no top coat

,i really like this shade. it's kind of so ugly that it's awesome. lucky magazine featured a shade like this a few months ago, and i much prefer it to the dark taupe shades that are soooo popular these days. kind of reminds me of chanel inattendu:

photo: makeup and beauty blog

or this awesome rimmel one (in milk chocolate) that is now defunct:

photo: mocha mishmash

wet 'n wild's "megalast" formula is amazing, by the way. i've bought another one, and still want more!

 

so what do you think about this color? kind of reminds me of chai tea... mmmmmm, chai tea. i should go make myself some. isn't rainy weather perfect for a hot cup of chai tea? and jazz.... and jelly shoes!

3 ways visine can make you prettier

 1. well let's get the obvious one out of the way- use it as eyedrops! i do this when i have to get up at an ungodly hour to work at an estate sale at 7 in the morning.... and also in the afternoon when i inevitably get sleepy and bleary-eyed....


2. dab it on pimples or red spots. eye drops don't just get the red out of your eyes, they take it out of your skin too. i do this a lot when i go swimming and can't wear lots of concealer. just put it on any red spots on clean skin and leave it, or put on makeup after that. it makes your skin tone more even.


3. use it to mix liquid liner. last week i was just piddling around at home, and tried to wash my hands, and the water wouldn't turn on! the maintenance guys were working on the plumbing. oh, the joys of living in an apartment.... but it was one of those days where i *really* needed some eyeliner. but somewhere in the deep recesses of my cognition, i remembered reading that you can use visine (instead of water) with dark eyeshadow to make eyeliner. perfect! that's so genius, because visine is formulated for eyes, so it won't irrate them as eyeliner! and it worked great!


so recently, i've just permanently kept a bottle of eyedrops in my makeup bag. it can really save the day.