Sindie Pop! Winter Shades

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Good evening folks! Tonight I have some Sindie Pop! shades to show you. These are winter shades that will be discontinued soon, so be sure to grab yours ASAP. I'm pretty excited because Sindie was one of the first indie brands I had ever heard of and had been eyeing the brand for quite some time!

 The Mean One. Three thin coats.  A white crelly with green sparkle and green glitter.

 Mr. Freeze. Three coats. A crelly loaded with blue fine shimmer and blue as well as white glitter.


"♥". One coat over black. A simply gorgeous topper! It's a clear base loaded with pink, fuchsia, red, white and a hint of grey glitter. These colors look stunning together.

 
 Kiss Me By The Fireplace. Three thin coats. A white crelly with fine holo glitter, pink shimmer and red and purple glitter.

On The 5th Day. Three thin coats. A whiteish polish with super fine almost pearly golden shimmer. There's also small teal and gold glitter.

All of these polishes had plenty of glitter. Even though I used three coats, they were all on the thin side. On The 5th Day and The Mean One needed a second coat of top coat, but all the others were fine after just one. My favorite was "♥", I just loved how the subtle hint of grey really made the other colors pop.

So here's the good and the bad news- these colors are available... until the end of February! That means today and tomorrow are the last days to pick up these beauties. Good news! It's now extended into March, until the 20th! Click here to pick up these lovely shades!

Products featured were press samples. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

FOTD - Laura Mercier Artiste Palette Is The Greatest

Wednesday, February 26, 2014
 I felt better this morning so I put on a neutral eye and a soft "naked" face. I used my Laura Mercier Artiste Palette (2012 version), which might be my most beloved palette of all time. Seriously. I use it every week and it comes on the majority of my trips.

I still haven't put a dent in it. Well Vanilla Nuts, the light bone color that I use for a brow highlight, is almost near hitting pan. This was such a great gift from my then boyfriend, now husband. Every time I look at this palette I am filled with approval. Such a versatile makeup item! I was tempted to buy the 2013 version but there were just too many overlapping shades, some of which I also owned as singles.

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Duo in Granite
Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, Laura Mercier shades in: Vanilla Nuts, Cafe au Lait, Coffee Ground, Rich Coffee and Sunlit, Wet'n'Wild Panther, La Femme Eye Liner Sealer, false lashes
Face: Make Up For Ever Pro Finish, Revlon Colorstay, NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder, NARS Douceur
Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee

Have a great night!

Quick LOTD

Monday, February 24, 2014
Just wanted to show you all what I wore today as my LOTD. As promised, I have been wearing my Impulse Cosmetics Opaque Matte Lipstick in Electric City. Alas, this is not super opaque nor is it super matte. I ended up using it with OCC Lip Tar in Harlot. Electric City in the center of the lips, Harlot on the outer perimeter.

Good night!


Glam Polish Rydell High, Part II: Grease Inspired Shades


Good evening (well, early morning, really)!

Today I have for you another installment of the Glam Polish Rydell High Collectors Series. The three shades I'm showing you today are available now for preorder but will be released on February 27th.


A Comparison Between Plate Organizers: Bundle Monster & Cosmos

Saturday, February 22, 2014


For the longest time, I stored my plates in a homemade binder using baseball card holders. I even wrote a post about it a long time ago. Recently I wanted something a bit nicer since the binder was getting ridiculously heavy, believe it or not those plates can start to really weigh a bit once you have 100+! I bought two plate organizers just so I'd be able to compare and they both have pros and cons. 

First, let's examine the Bundle Monster Nail Stamp Stamping Plate Zippered Synthetic Leather Case Plates Holder Organizer. 



Cost: $15.99 
Easily purchased through Amazon or the Bundle Monster website.
Exterior is a nice heavy duty, vinyl, shiny croc print. The interior is a soft flocked velvet lined material. The stitching is sound. . 
BM says: 
Has 84 nail plates slots, but is designed to hold 168 plates (2 plates per slot). Fits 5.6 cm standard size nail plates.
Size: length 2-3/8'' * width 7/32''
Personally I don't like to place two plates in a slot. I'll be honest, I don't really have a valid reason, I just like having every plate in it's own spot. Maybe if there was a "lip" on the backside, I wouldn't mind as much.

Next, the Cosmos Black Soft Nylon Zippered Nail Art Stamp Plates Holder Organizer.





Cost: $12.99
Purchasable through Amazon.
The exterior is nylon. It pulls a bit around the stitching and doesn't seem super solid or quality. Essentially it reminds me of a CD case one might find at a dollar store. It's functional but the materials don't seem to be that great. 

Cosmos says:
Have 8 pages to hold 108 standard sized (2.2") stamp plates and 16 large sized (2.75") stamp plates
See-through design makes convenient for organization, zipper equipped makes your items more secure
It is nice to be able to store my larger octagon shaped plates, even if I can only store 16 of them. I like that this organizer can store 108 plates without having to double up plates in each slot. Each page is double sided. However, the pages seem flimsier.

To sum it up, I like the Bundle Monster organizer more in terms of quality, it definitely is made from better materials. I'm not crazy about the croc print though! I wish it had storage for other sized plates. The Cosmos organizer is just flimsier and less appealing, though I can't deny that I love all the extra slots.

Hope that helps! Have you seen any other organizers out there other than the one from BM, Pueen and Cosmos?

Products featured were purchased by me. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.


Impulse Cosmetics Get Lippy Palette - Opaque Matte Lipsticks Review



 I recently stumbled upon Impulse Cosmetics while looking for reasonably priced cosmetic glitter. While I did pick some of that up (to be reviewed at a later time), these lipsticks caught my eye and I purchased a Get Lippy Palette during a recent sale.

Get Lippy Palettes are custom made, filled with your choice of five Opaque Matte Lipsticks or METALUXE shades. I opted for matte shades because metallics have just never been my cup of tea. The shades I selected (you also pick a backup shade at checkout) were not so much for wearing on their own (though hey, if you can pull off a striking mint lip - you're pretty much my hero) but for mixing around/editorial looks and ombre lips. Regularly, each shade is $6.99 for a full sized, balm like twist up tube. According to the listing, each palette is roughly the amount of three lipsticks. This five shade palette is $22.95.

Glam Polish Nature's Beauty Trio

Friday, February 21, 2014

Good evening!

Tonight I have three Glam Polish shades to show you, from the Nature's Beauty Trio. These will be available for purchase on Feb. 27th but are available to preorder from the Glam Polish website now. 

EOTD - Pink Glitter

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

"On Wednesdays we wear pink!"

Or rather, happy Wednesday - I'm wearing pink glitter.

This is my first time wearing straight up glitter on my eye lid, not an eye product that happens to have a bit of glitter in it. I picked a good one for my first time, this is Impulse Cosmetics Cupcake. It's micro fine hot pink with iridescent sparkle.

Two Valentine's Day Manicures

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Here's a couple manicures I did last week that were V-Day themed!

The first is a chocolate dipped strawberry manicure. I used Morgan Taylor Man of the Moment as the red and Wet'n'Wild Black Creme as the black color. Everything else was painted with acrylic paint.


This simpler manicure used Lacquer Lust Amor as the base. It's a white to pink thermal on which I placed heart studs, also available at the LL shop.

Short and simple post, that's all there is to it tonight.

Mundane Mondays, Vol. XV: Chinese New Year Parade

Monday, February 17, 2014

Good evening!

I hope you had a great weekend and a fabulous Valentine's Day. We didn't do much this year, as we planned to go to San Francisco the next day to wrap up Chinese New Year festivities and attend the parade. 

Nail Pattern Boldness A Parliament of Magpies, Pt. 3

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Good evening!

Tonight I have my final segment of the Nail Pattern Boldness A Parliament of Magpies Collection. Be sure to check out parts 1 & 2  if you haven't already. Tonight we'll be looking at Clairvoyant Visitor, Love Returns, Magpie's Treasure and Thieving. I've saved some of my favorites - best for last!

Perfume Diary: Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau Eau de Toilette

Friday, February 14, 2014

Good afternoon! As it is Valentine's Day, I thought it might be appropriate to tell a love story. Or rather, a tale of falling out of obsessive love.

Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau was my among my first perfume purchases. It was in fact the priciest fragrance I bought at time the time which is rather odd because I didn't think that it smelled particularly appealing. Does that sound slightly crazy?

Here's what happened. I somehow ended up with a small sample spray of this scent and was instantly addicted. Not because I happened to love how it smelled and wanted to experience it over and over, but because it had such an different, odd opening that I kept obsessively sniffing my wrist. For you see, L'Ombre Dans L'eau ("shadow in the water") initially has a leafy, green smell.

When I was younger, my parents had a hastily thrown together garden in the backyard. They grew - or should I say, they attempted- green onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes. This small little attempt to cultivate a small part of our yard was in rather in vain as weeds grew rampant and deer as well as rabbits murdered most of what they grew. However a few small tomato plants survived and it is the smell of those greens on a hot, humid day that reminds me of how LdL opens.

A bit later, roses creep into bloom. Their fragrance approaches slowly, but relentless until you're surrounded by an English garden. Imagine soft petals laden with dew. There are supposed to be a few other notes too; namely blackcurrant and hints of citrus but I don't really get much of that. Perhaps the leafy portion (cassis) but I don't really get any of the berry. Citrus is really a hard scent for me, it always runs and hides when it encounters my skin.

Strangely enough, I bought this fragrance because I was infatuated and perplexed by the green opening. I didn't find it pleasant, I didn't really want others to smell it on me. I was just captivated by the top notes and just wanted to sniff it over and over again, just to gain an understanding of what it was.

And so, that is how I ended up with 3.4 fl. oz. of an EdT that I rarely wear. The longer I have it, the less it interests me. I'm not bewitched anymore. Not being a rose lover (at all), I hardly ever reach for it. What was I thinking, buying the 3.4? The bottle I have is of the old packaging. The new bottle is rounder and has a more aesthetically pleasing design.

Sillage: Mild
Lasting Power: Very short lived, 4 hours or less on me.

What do you think of Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau? I've heard that those who like it also love the Bais candle, I can't comment because I detest roses.

On that note, happy Valentine's Day from a rose hating blogger!

Products featured were purchased by me.

"Full Face" Base Makeup Routine

Thursday, February 13, 2014

I always get a good chuckle when people compliment my skin on Instagram. The small images size on IG do seem to be pleasing but I attribute any "flawless" skin remarks to a foundation that photographs extremely well.

I don't have clear, smooth, dewy skin. Acne has plagued me ever since I was nine years and thanks to hormonal issues, continues to be a constant battle. Breakouts are kept in check with a combination of diet and birth control. Thanks to glycolic acid peels, most of the pitting is gone but I still have some hyperpigmentation and enlarged pores.

Laura Mercier Finishing Eye Brush

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

This review is long overdue, I purchased the Laura Mercier Finishing Eye Brush back in May of last year. I was curious about this brush because of its duofiber bristles. It's the same price as the MAC 286 ($32), so I opted for the Laura Mercier because I not tried any brushes from the brand yet and wanted to get a feel for what they were like.

According to the Laura Mercier website, the bristles are "natural" and the white is synthetic. I'm rubbish at trying to identify animal hairs so I won't even try to guess what exactly "natural" means. The synthetic bristles extend approximately 2.5mm further than the other hairs. The brush is soft, rather loose in terms of brush head density. The shape is slightly tapered, but more of a long bristled dome shape than a severe taper. The handle is lighter than MAC, even a tad bit lighter than Hakuhodo brushes of the same size.

I find this brush to be quite good at diffusing color. This is not really the sort of brush that is good for moving large amounts of shadow around for blending, but more for buffing color into a fade.  The one thing that I've noticed is that it is a very one directional. That is, if you do any sort of windshield wiper motions back and forth, you may find the synthetic bristles to be a bit pokey. It's uncomfortable on the delicate eye area, so I advise to stick to outward and upward strokes instead of any circular movements.

Giorgio Armani #22, Stila #9, Hakuhodo G5522BkSL, Laura Mercier Finishing Eye Brush

Compared to other brushes of similar size and shape, I would say that the LM Finishing Eye is the one of the more rounded tapered blending brushes I have. Hakuhodo G5522BkSL is softer, finer, pointier and denser and it does it similar job though since more bristles contact the skin, it does what Finishing Eye does with less work. 

My favorite use for this brush is to create what I call the lazy smoked eye. That is to say, a monochromatic look with just one dark shadow, like so:
 This is L'oreal Infallible Smoldering Plum. On the left side, I've simply patted on the color to my movable lid.  On the right side, I've diffused the color upwards and outwards. Since this does lessen the intensity, I would then pat more color on my lid closest to the lash line.

The finished look, with hastily smudged black liner and a swipe of mascara. 

Other products worn:

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Granite, Essence Brow & Lash Mascara
Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, CoverGirl LiquidLineBlast Liner in Black, CoverGirl Flame Out Mascara
Face: Dolce & Gabbana The One Luminous Foundation, Wet'n'Wild Take On The Day Powder, La Femme Heather Blush
Lips: Bite Beauty Musk

Have you tried any Laura Mercier brushes or any other duofiber eye brushes? I know Real Techniques had a LE set with one and Hakuhodo makes a few that aren't black/white but white on white bristles. 

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.


Wet'n'Wild Take On The Day Mattifying Powder - NARS Light Reflecting Powder Dupe?

Monday, February 10, 2014

Good evening! A while back I picked up the new Wet'n'Wild Take On The Day Mattifying Powder in Pedestal and have been wearing it to compare with my beloved NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder. Alas, I wanted to post pictures sooner but it's pretty much been cloudy/raining nonstop since I've had it.

It's priced at $4.99 and is one of the new Wet'n'Wild Fergie products for 2014, can be found as a part of the permanent wall display. The fact that there is a color name (Pedestal) makes me wonder if WnW intends on releasing more shades and named this shade anticipating the need for distinction. Who knows.

New Bigger Pharmagel DN-24 Hydracreme Intensive Moisturizer

Sunday, February 9, 2014


I was recently able to try Pharmagel DN-24 Hydracreme Intensive Moisturizer and I was quite pleased.   Let's just cut down to the chase, shall we?

My skin has steady become less and less oily over the last year and other than my tzone, my skin is quite dry. I've been using Pharmagel Hydracreme in the morning as an all over moisturizer before applying primer and then makeup. I like that it absorbs very quickly and does an incredible job softening the skin.  Another plus is that it is formulated without parabens, alcohol, petrochemicals, pthalates, or sulfates which is nice considering that many people do have sensitivities to these ingredients. It does however contain fragrance. It's pretty mild, fades pretty quickly and I haven't noticed any skin irritation myself.

Overall I like this moisturizer quite a bit as it doesn't feel like there is any sort of residue or heaviness, just really supple skin. I would consider it to be most suitable for those with normal to dry skin and perhaps too heavy for those with oilier skin.

Usually the 2.0 oz. size of Pharmagel DN-24 Hydracreme is $35, but for a limited time the size is being doubled to 4.0 oz (like my pictures) for the same prize. Not only do you get twice the amount, but if you use "BBDN24TEN" at checkout, you get $10 off this bonus sized tub of Hydracreme Intensive Moisturizer, bringing the price down to $25 for 4.0 oz.

Click here to shop for Pharamgel DN-24 Hydracreme.

Products featured were press samples. Links featured are NOT affiliate links. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Glam Polish Rydell High Collectors Edition - Grease Inspired Shades

Saturday, February 8, 2014


Hi folks! Tonight I have the first part of the Glam Polish Rydell High Collectors Edition shades. These three shades are available now directly from Glam Polish. These are vibrant shades with micro flakes and scattered holo effect. The three tonight are Hopelessly Devoted, Look at me I'm Sandra Dee and Summer Nights.