subtle smoky eye

if you've ever read this blog before, you know that i'm more about the statement lip than i am the statement eye. to me, it's so much more comfortable to do neutral eyes and slap on a bright lipstick. but i was in an experimental mood last saturday night, and decided to try a not-too-dramatic smoky eye. i thought the result was appropriate for a lingerie shower:

i first applied wet 'n wild's idol eyes creme shadow stick in "techno" all over my lid. then i brushed on a layer of maybelline's shadow quad in "natural smokes." i liked how the purple still kind of came through.... 

the purple shade, "techno", is the one i used

 

on top, i layered the top left shade, the one labeled "lid"

by the way, i just figured out this weekend that if i curl my hair with a curling iron, and then hairspray it upside down, it turns out awesome like in the first picture. i really should do that more often, but i'm just so gosh darn lazy (about hair. about makeup, not so much).

review: eucerin intensive repair lotion

you may (or may not) remember my saga with AHA lotions for my bumpy arms (click here if you don't). well, basically i purchased this one that worked pretty well, but smelled so strongly that it repulsed my husband. not so good, especially since i plan on staying married for a very long time.

so the quest continues. i've been using the walgreens brand of AHA face lotion for nighttime, which is working out fabulously. BUT i also need something during the day. you know, a 2-punch approach. the walgreens cream is too strong to use twice a day, plus a little too thick under my clothes. i really want something lightweight.

well, daniel helped me pick out this lotion a couple of weeks ago. he actually scoured all the labels at walmart for any sign of "AHA", which is alpha-hydroxy acid by the way, just because he detests my old palmer's lotion so much. ha!

i never would've seen that it says "alpha hydroxy" on the bottle had it not been for daniel. i waffled on what size to buy for a while, and luckily i bought the smaller one....

why was it lucky? because this lotion sucks. anyone remember what elmer's glue feels like on your hands? that's exactly the same feeling and consistency this lotions has as i'm rubbing it into my skin. gross. plus i'm not convinced it actually moisturizes anything.

by the way, i grabbed this image of off instyle's website, where it was listed as a best beauty buy! apparently this lotion is "anti-inflammatory, soothing, and hydrating." which makes me even more suspicious that beauty editors just say good things about whatever new product has just hit the shelves. not cool.

don't let that deter you, though. hey, if you really like the feel (and smell!) of elmer's glue, then by all means- buy this lotion. as for me, the quest continues....

next on the list:

nude lipstick

let me introduce to you my favorite nude lipstick-

nyc cosmetics ultra last lipstick in "mousse"

in real life, the color looks more like this:

it has a little bit of an orange/peach tone to it, but i would call it a caramel color:

here's what it looks like on me:

 

without flash

  with flash

i really love the formula of this lipstick! i never would've tried it, because, well let's just face it- the packaging looks so cheap that the actual product can't be that promising. but i was wrong! i read a review about this lipstick range on makeup and beauty blog, and couldn't get over how smooth and creamy it looked! this lipstick claims to be long-lasting, but don't believe it. it's not. in fact, i would call it more moisturizing than long-lasting. a lot more moisturizing that some lipsticks that claim to be moisturizing! i'm really loving the texture of it. in the pictures, i have a very thin layer of clear lip balm over the lipstick, but it's smooth and creamy even without it. i liked this so much that i went out and bought another shade, "rose gold", which is also awesome! 

wanna know my inspiration for caramel-colored lips? hilary duff, who seriously has the best lips in the whole world (except maybe for angelina jolie....):

i know the shade i bought isn't quite like hers, but i tried! i mean, how gorgeous is this picture?? and i wish i could rock the smudgy/sparkly eye makeup like she is.... sigh, maybe tomorrow.

new nail polish: wet 'n wild megalast in "red tape"

i'm not sure i'm a red nail polish type girl. i've never really worn it before. red nail polish always says high-maintenance and trashy to me, but i thought it would be nice to branch out of my usual blue/green/purples* and experiment with something new. i loathe the idea of getting stuck in a rut.

i took these pics yesterday, six days into my manicure. is that incredible or is that incredible?? as you can see, i finally had some chippage on my index finger, but that didn't happen until yesterday! wow. these wet 'n wild megalast polishes are seriously well-formulated. love them. here's proof:

from L to R: "red tape", "haze of love", "bite the bullet", "private viewing"

i now own 4 of them. they last longer (and are easier to apply) than any other polish i've ever tried.... BUT i don't make it a habit to try higher-priced nail polish (OPI, essie, orly, etc.). within a couple days of painting my nails, i usually get bored and am ready to switch colors anyway. 

*about the blue/green/purple thing.... apparently those are "my" colors, because that's all i ever wear- shirts, nail polish, colored eyeshadow, jewelry.... i've yet to find a shade of blue or purple that i don't like with my coloring. now green, on the other hand, is quite a bit trickier....

wet 'n wild color icon eyeliner in "green"

ok, i'm back! if you've been wondering where the heck i was, i've been sick all last week. i had some crazy virus that included fever, chills, cough, head congestion, vomiting.... haha, too much information?

anyway, i'm finally feeling better and actually feel like getting dolled up with makeup again. my husband knew i was really sick last week when i didn't even feel like putting on any makeup at all! ha.

well, in trying to look alive again today, i tried out a new shade of eyeliner, hoping it would make me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. i've been looking for the perfect shade of emerald green eyeliner (like this) for forever:

photo: glamour

isn't it beautiful?? i really love it with brown eyes, but i was hoping it would make my blue-green eyes more intense, too. you can judge for yourself:

i think i like it! finally, a green eyeliner that actually shows up on my waterline! it's so hard (at least in my experience) to find a colored pencil eyeliner that's vibrant enough to make an impact and soft enough to glide on easily. would you be shocked to know that i paid 50 cents for this pencil?? wet 'n wild was having a 50% off sale (!!) last week at walgreens, so i just had to buy it (and the purple liner too). even at full price, these eyeliners are only 99 cents! now these are the brand-new reformulated liners that wet 'n wild just put out. so glad they did, because the old ones sucked haha.

here's a lovely swatch of the color:

pretty, right? not too teal, not too olive. i don't think olive makeup is for me :S. not with my coloring. i do better with gem tones, i think.

holy grail lip product: maybelline moisture extreme lipstick in "rum raisin"

i mentioned this lipstick in my new faves post last week. i seriously can't rave enough about it. i bought it on a 40% maybelline sale at rite aid (i think in november??), mostly just on a whim. But at first swipe, I knew it was a keeper. It's somehow everything I want in one package- sheer to medium color that can be applied without a mirror, feels like a balm, goes with any eye makeup look, and brightens my face up instantly. see for yourself:

so easy, and yet so pretty! you can tell more in the second picture that it's not an opaque, creamy finish. it's more gel/balm-like, which is awesome. it somehow makes my cheeks look flushed and my eyes sparkle. that should really be the test of a fabulous lipstick-

1. does it make your cheeks look flushed?

2. does it make your eyes bright and sparkly?

3. can you apply it with ease?

4. do you have 4+ back-ups of it in various purses, drawers, or places around your house?

then it's a holy grail lipstick :). no but seriously, i do have several back-ups.... i spotted these moisture extreme lipsticks on clearance at walgreens around thanksgiving time, and had a panic attack, thinking that they were being discontinued. so i bought like 3 tubes for myself (they were between 2 and 3 dollars, but still....). oh, and also a couple for my mom.... and my sister.... and my cousin :S. and you know what?? they all love it too! of course it helps that we all have the exact same coloring, but still. it's fabulous!

 

maybelline used to have a huge color selection of these lipsticks, but they've discontinued all but about 10. the amazing "rum raisin" is among them. although i think walgreens is phasing them out to make room for new products this january, they're still sold at target and walmart (and online, of course!). so for now, i'm safe!

pretty green storage

i feel the need to share a few pretty things with you that my husband just doesn't appreciate as much as i do-

this thing is so cool! first of all, the swirly green pattern just screams my name. but when i first spotted it at marshalls, i was very waffle-y about it, because i really just have so many swirly green objects in my life (namely coffee mugs....), and i'm trying to do a better job of buying things dissimilar to things i already have. but THEN i realized it was magnetic! it sticks to my fridge like a boss! i don't know why i would need my makeup to be stuck to a refrigerator, but that's ok. it's still awesome! right? right.

the other awesome thing- this friggin sweet makeup bag from target! my mom bought it for me for christmas. i would say that she has impeccable taste, but i actually picked it out myself. so i guess i'll just tell myself that i have impeccable taste.

look at all the stuff it houses- with room to spare!

erm, i don't know why that maybelline cover-all stick is still in there. i don't even use it anymore. oops!

i could probably fit twice as much stuff in there, and it would still stand upright! sweet.

just in case you wanna know, the makeup bag is for things i take with me in my purse every day. the magnetic divider is for things that don't travel too well- brushes, eyeshadows that crumble if you sneeze on them, items that are packaged cheaply and open inside your bag and get glitter everywhere.... you get the idea.

anyone wanna share makeup storage ideas? i get strangely excited when i see pictures of how others organize their makeup. actually, i get strangely excited when i see a picture of makeup, period.