Colourpop All Nighter Super Shock Shadow Set

Wednesday, December 27, 2017


Quick post today, I just wanted to share swatches of a Colourpop shadow set I had ordered recently. 20% and free shipping did me in. 

Travel The World: Vienna, New Year's Eve

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

2017 went by at warp speeds. I feel like I was dealt a pretty good hand this last year, the best I've felt in a long time both physically and mentally.  My 2017 started on a pretty high note, as my spouse and I made our way from Germany to Austria to ring in the new year. I really don't know what got into the two of us, what made me propose Vienna for NYE and for my husband to agree, but it turned out to be sensational. Today's post is just a collection of images from that trip.

Best in Budget Beauty 2017

Monday, December 25, 2017


Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all good health, good food, and good company. 

This past year the median price of the average piece of makeup I purchased has undoubtedly risen, but I still came across some really great products that were under $15 (actually all but one item in this post is under $10!). Today's post rounds up some of my favorite beauty items that won't break the bank. 

2017 Skincare Empties

Friday, December 22, 2017

This year, I saved all my empties for one final post. I did a pretty good job of saving almost every scrap; every sheet mask backing sheet, all the boxes, and even empty foil sample packets. I used a surprisingly amount of things on my face, body and head. Laying it all out like this is certainly one way to survey your wallet damage for the year. 

Tom Ford Private Eyeshadow Camera Obscura

Tuesday, December 12, 2017


It's been a while, our household has been super busy with major repairs and renovations. New kitchen, new heating & cooling... it's been hectic. And expensive. I was going to abstain from the most recent Tom Ford release, I had successfully dodged the lipsticks. Then a sale code made its way to my inbox and I found myself immediately folding. I had wanted one of the two sparkly shades, either Tempete Bleu or Camera Obscura. TB sold out first on the Neiman Marcus website, so Camera Oscura it was!

Jung Saem Mool Essential Star-cealer Foundation

Saturday, November 25, 2017


This is my latest blind buy success, my first product from Jung Saem Mool. It took me a while to get used to the boxed format, but the Essential Star-cealer Foundation quickly became my favorite foundation.

Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush 02

Friday, November 24, 2017

So I was on a bit of a makeup brush bender this past fall. The brush stash gained about 25 new members and one variety of brush that I kept buying was foundation brushes. I kept hunting for that perfect one, a brush that I'd want to use every day. The one purchase I spent a fair amount of time mulling over was the Tom Ford 02 Cream Foundation Brush.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Chronos Palette

Thursday, November 9, 2017
 Another Rouge Bunny Rouge item I picked up during the sale was the Chronos Palette. I've been eyeing it for a few years and was happy to finally get it. RBR metallic & shimmery eye shadows are among some of my favorite, they are very easy to wear shades that flatter many skintones. Five  sparkly shades at once was too good to pass up.

Chanel Joues Contraste #380 So Close

Monday, November 6, 2017
 I saw a preview image for the blush from Chanel's 2017 Libre Collection a couple months ago and pretty much made up my mind to purchase it at that moment.  It's been a minute since an interesting color was added to the Joues Contraste line up, this near neon coral shade So Close definitely caught my attention.


Sephora Rouge/VIB Sale + ABH Prism IG Giveaway

Friday, November 3, 2017
It's almost time for Sephora's sale. Have you given any thought to what you might want to pick up, for yourself or as holiday gifts for others? I made a list of things that I really liked and would recommend to pick up on sale, as well as a few things I still might pick up. Feel free to talk me into or out of any of these products!

Thoughts on [Huxley] Skincare

Monday, October 30, 2017

Every once in a while I do get swept up with the idea of products and let me tell you, it was all too easy to succumb to Huxley products. The line offered up a new ingredient I've never encountered (desert cactus, fancy) and SweetCorea had a really great price on the line. I ordered four items from the Huxely Secret of Sahara lineup without thinking too much about it.

Regret, folks. I feel it.

Review: KoreanBuddy

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Good afternoon! Today's review is a little different, it's of a forwarding company. I've purchased a lot of skincare and makeup from Asia over the last few years and have my preferred methods of ordering from each country. For Japan I like Amazon JP, Sasa and eBay, for China I use Taobao (when I'm within the country, have yet to try International Taobao orders from the US). Up until now I didn't really have a great way to get everything I wanted from Korea without paying huge markup.

Mask Madness, Vol. IX: Skinfood Bitter Green Clay Soothing Mask

Sunday, October 22, 2017
My cat has modeling aspirations
It's been a few weeks since I reviewed a mask, I actually have half a dozen I want to post before this year is through, so tonight let's talk about one I consider to be a pretty big fail. Don't let the name fool you, the Skinfood Bitter Green Clay Soothing Mask is well, anything but soothing. 

50 Words or Less: More Repurchases

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

It's been a while since I wrote an installment of this series, let's take a look at some products that I enjoyed enough to repurchase!

Sleek Makeup Under A Spell Palette

Monday, October 16, 2017
 My local Ulta started carrying Sleek Makeup products a few months ago and I picked up a few things with some reward dollars. The palette I chose was one with a really interesting mix of colors, Under A Spell.

I absolutely love my Sleek i-Divine Dark Mattes Vol 2, but some of the other Sleek makeup that I've purchased has ended up given away/swapped. It's really a tossup. I think Under A Spell will be a palette that I pull out once in a blue moon, when I'm looking for a specific color to use.

Burberry Light Glow Blush in Earthy 07

Sunday, October 15, 2017

 I've made a serious dip in my Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder pan in The Contour Duo (review here) and wanted to get another contour for at home use. I like to save the lightweight KA duo for trips. What I ended up getting was the Burberry Light Glow Blush in Earthy, a light tan blush.


Shangpree Marine Energy Eye Mask

Monday, October 2, 2017

Good morning! 

Here at MakeupWithdrawal, I've blogged about quite a few masks - particularly in the last six months. A topic that doesn't come up as often, actually never, is eye care. Today's product is a cross over, small gel masks that target the eye region. The Shangpree Marine Energy Eye Mask has been a favorite in the past few months, and definitely deserves to be the first eye skincare product reviewed on the blog.

Review: Rouge Bunny Rouge Embers EdP

Sunday, October 1, 2017


One of the things I picked up in August was a new bottle of perfume during the Rouge Bunny Rouge sale. Embers was my first fragrance from the brand and I think there will be more in my future.

Kat Von D The Alchemist Holographic Palette

Monday, September 18, 2017


I bought the Kat Von D The Alchemist Holographic Palette months and months ago, during the spring Sephora sale after waffling over it for quite a while. I just couldn't decide if this was something that I really needed or not. It really has taken me half a year to familiarize myself with the colors, even now the palette feels really new and still presents a challenge every time I pull it out.


Review: The Brush Bar

Sunday, September 17, 2017

A few months ago I showed off this nifty gadget during an unboxing on IG stories as soon as I came back from Asia. It's one of the most inventive beauty products I've seen in a while! The Brush Bar is a slim, portable brush stand that has been helping me keep my brushes in peak condition.


Battle of the Brows: ABH Dipbrow vs Benefit Ka-Brow!

Monday, September 11, 2017



A few weeks ago,  I picked up a Benefit set of brow products for myself when I stopped at Sephora inside JC Penney to grab a gift. The SA informed me that each week, they'll have a spotlight product 50% off. For $17 (actually less, I used my 10% VIB coupon), I found the Bigger & Bolder Brows set to be irresistible. Today I want to compare one of the products inside, a cream-gel brow products called Ka-Brow! and Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow.

Some Powder Highlighters - Comparisons

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Did you see the Fenty Beauty release? It's pretty hard to ignore at the moment, I realized that the brand had done an incredible job at saturating social media when I saw FB products on three different accounts' IG stories in a row. I'm very tempted by both Killawatt Highlighter in Trophy Wife and Metal Moon but pretty committed to a no-buy (ok, like 75% committed). I'm swatching some highlighters that I already have in the hopes of talking myself out of a purchase. For now.


LE Givenchy Rouge Interdit No. 25 Marble Rouge Révélateur

Saturday, September 9, 2017


I first laid eyes on this lipstick three months ago in Shanghai. I spotted it from across the floor at JiuGuang Department Store and made a beeline for the Givenchy counter where it was on display.  I found it pretty much irresistible. A red and black lipstick swirled together into one color? Couldn't walk away from Rouge Interdit No. 25 Marble Rouge Revelateur.


Review: Neogen Green Tea Real Fresh Cleansing Stick

 
Good morning!

I'm smitten with sticks. Things in stick form, to be specific. A few weeks ago I wrote about switching from bringing liquid foundation to stick on travels and it made me kind of wonder - why couldn't more of my makeup/skincare products be in sticks? It'd certainly make for easier packing, less liquid products to shove in that tiny quart size bag when I fly. Suddenly I wanted everything in a stick, including cleanser. That led me to Neogen Green Tea Real Fresh Cleansing Stick.


Mask Madness, Vol. VIII: Manyo Factory Overnight Miracle Sleeping Pack

Saturday, September 2, 2017

I've been using the same Manyo Factory Overnight Miracle Sleeping Pack for the last four months and that is more than adequate enough time to come up with a review. What was an initially "Meh" product has become a staple in my nightly routine. 

Travel The World (You Should Eat Here): Minnesota State Fair

Thursday, August 31, 2017
I don't visit my parents in the Midwest very often, but when I booked my flight to visit Minnesota this month, I made I would be around for the Great Minnesota Get-Together. There is no happier place for your inner snacker, I can assure you. There's always new and dare I say, innovative* foods each year. 

* by innovative I mean, wow, I've never seen that deep fried before. 

Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner


Good morning!

Do you ever find yourself buying skincare cult favorites, hoping for the same result that others rave about? Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner is possibly one of the most popular toners in kbeauty. It's always wining some sort of award or mention, product of the month or year. With such accolades, I found it impossible to resist. Having used it for the last few months, I figure that's long enough to write a review.


[Yungo by ReEn] The First Hair Cleansing Treatment & Ampule Drop Essence

Thursday, August 24, 2017
It's been a while since I reviewed any haircare on the blog, today I'd like to talk about a brand that was first introduced to me by my sister. She had originally picked [Yungo] The First Hair Cleansing Treatment when Memebox was having those ludicrous clearance sales earlier this year. When we met up in Shanghai, I had the chance to try this product for myself, and ultimately I ordered the Ampule as well.

Histoires de Parfum Ambre 114 Eau de Parfum

Monday, August 21, 2017


Good morning! My favorite thing about weekends is waking up early, extra early. I'm usually up before dawn, I find it super relaxing to make myself a mug of lemon tea, read and blog while the rest of the west coast snoozes. This quiet period is to fragrances what I think the golden hour is to photography - there's something to be said about enjoying a scent to yourself in the early hours. The  weekend before last I rewore Histoires de Ambre 114 Eau de Parfum and hashed out some of my thoughts before hitting up the farmer's market.


Mask Madness, Vol. VII: Nature Republic Bamboo Charcoal Mud Pack

Friday, August 11, 2017



Good afternoon! Today's review is a mask that I picked up months ago. There's a Nature Republic store in my area and they frequently have tantalizing flash sales on the weekend, where products are marked down 50%. Those sales are so tempting, they always make me forget that I don't have a very good track record with Nature Republic products. The Bamboo Charcoal Mud Pack was a hesitant buy, but the ingredients checked out.

NARS Velvet Lip Glide Set: Review & Swatches

Thursday, August 10, 2017




Recently, a friend and I decided to split this set of NARS Velvet Lip Glides.  There were some cooler shades that she wanted and I was definitely drawn to the warm shades. That's a foundation for a great friendship, pro tip. I usually don't review things so quickly after purchase but 1) I feel like my mind is made up, I'm not going to budge also 2) it's exclusive to Ulta and there's a sale.


Travel the World: Salzburg, Austria

Wednesday, August 9, 2017


It takes me forever to edit pictures from our trips. I start browsing through them and I get caught up reminiscing, which I suppose is the whole point of taking those pictures in the first place. Before I know it, I'm buried in warm memories, I want to go show the Mr. and no photo edits take place. Repeat weekly. Last winter we took trains across several countries, including some stops in Austria. One of the cities we stopped in was in was Salzburg.

Lip Products. Many of Them.

Monday, August 7, 2017


Whoops, hit that publish button a little early there! All fixed. 

My lips are ridiculously dry all the time and I have no idea why. I drink a ton of water, I keep a humidifier by my bedside but the default setting for my smooch is flaky and rough. Gross, I know.

I try to keep a lip balm within six feet of me at all times, to encourage reapplication before they get to the cracked, bloody stage. One in my purse, one in my book bag, one at my nightstand. Another at my desk, one that just floats around, frequently in my pocket. You get the idea. This would be how I ended up with an insane number of lip products, as you now see before you.

Sephora Collection Make No Mistake Foundation & Concealer Stick

Sunday, August 6, 2017


 Recently Sephora Collection added a new foundation to their lineup - Make No Mistake Foundation & Concealer Stick. I thought I would pick up another stick foundation in a darker tone to ride out my "tan" for the rest of the summer.

Montale Greyland

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Good afternoon!

I reviewed the Scentbird service a few months ago, but procrastinated a while on reviewing the scents I received. Before I knew it, months and months worth of fragrances were piling up, so I paused my subscription as motivation to kick my butt into gear. Time for me to review each scent before allowing myself to acquire more! Today's scent is by Montale, called Greyland.

Review: Tom Ford Cheek Brush 06

Sunday, July 30, 2017


I have a little bit of a confession. I have major regret, and it's beauty buying related. Years ago, I had been lusting after Tom Ford Cognac Sable quad for many moons. So many in fact, that it was discontinued before I could purchase it. I regret this, immensely. When I heard that the Tom Ford brushes were due for an overhaul (source), I immediately resolved to not feel this same regret. So I recently splurged and bought the 06 Cheek brush that I had been making eyes at for the last few years.

Blemish Skincare Routine - Summer 2017

Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Good afternoon!

I tend to get a few scattered pimples that time of the month, a cyst somewhere on my jaw and a some inflamed whiteheads. The cyst usually dominates my chin (on those days, the cyst IS my chin, ouch) and the whiteheads occur primarily in my t-tzone (nostril is a popular respawn spot). I retaliate fast and hard by switching to some centella heavy products that reduce redness, inflammation, and soothe when acne is at its worst. 

Review: Olivarrier Fluid Oil Squalane

Tuesday, July 25, 2017
 Good afternoon!

I recently received a new skincare item that I was pretty excited about. Jolse kindly sent Olivarrier Fluid Oil Squalane my way, and it worked its way into my skin care routine very quickly.

Manyo Factory Lactobacillus Bifida Mist

Friday, July 21, 2017


This is without a doubt, a product that I never thought I would ever care very much about. This plain brown spray bottle doesn't score many points for looks, but after a few months of use the Manyo Factory Lactobacillus Bifida Mist inside is one of my favorite substances ever. 

Travel the World: Chengdu, Sichuan Province China

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

 We recently had a day long layerover in Chengdu, China. It was my first time in central China, the Sichuan Province region. We didn't have very long to explore the capitol city Chengdu, but we made it a priority to see some giant pandas!


Mask Madness, Vol. VI: Sulwhasoo Clarifying Mask EX

Monday, July 17, 2017
Good evening!

I've been hitting this Sulwhasoo mask pretty regularly lately, enough so that I've managed to finish the tube in less than two months. The Sulwhasoo Clarifying Mask EX is a peel off mask from this Korean high end skincare brand. While I've used a few deluxe sized items from Sulwhasoo, I think this is the first product that I used long enough to write a full review.


[The SAEM] Cover Perfection Tip Concealer

Thursday, July 13, 2017


During the "winter" (CA winter, go ahead and laugh), I have been loving the moisturizing A'Pieu Creamy Moist Concealer, I wanted something more light weight feeling for summer. It's been hitting 110F in my area, and whatever I picked had to survive high temps. I recently bought a few shades of  The Saem's Cover Perfection Tip Concealer and have been riding out the heat waves with this product.

A Few Chikuhodo GSN Brushes

Friday, July 7, 2017



At the beginning of this year I ordered my first Chikuhodo fude and ended up buying a few more from the GSN series last month. I thought I would group my reviews of the four GSN brushes into one post.

Tom Ford Solar Exposure Palette

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Good evening! 

I'm having trouble falling asleep tonight, so I thought it was about time that I wrote up my review of the face palette that I've been using all summer. I purchased Tom Ford Solar Exposure a few months ago and it was hard saving it for my vacation, I wanted to use it constantly. 

Mask Madness, Vol V: [I'm from] Honey Mask

Saturday, July 1, 2017


Good afternoon. Today is another mask post, a review that I've been struggling to write for the last few weeks. Today I want to talk about the I'm From Honey mask, perhaps my most eagerly anticipated mask so far this year. I was so excited to get this honey mask into my hands and was really shocked by the results it gave me.

Review: VDL Perfecting Last Stick Foundation

Tuesday, June 27, 2017


Have you heard of the brand VDL? I've been seriously crushing on their Pantone books of eyeshadow recently, however my first product from this brand happened to be a foundation. They have a really nice range of base products; all sorts of primers, foundations, color correctors. I bought the VDL Perfecting Last Stick Foundation SPF 35++ for my trip to Asia, in attempt to switch from liquid foundation to stick.

There was only one review that I could find on TesterKorea and though it was favorable, I was still pretty nervous ordering this foundation. At $20, it wasn't going to break the bank if it turned out to be a dud but rarely do I order a full bottle/tube of foundation completely untested.


Urban Decay x Basquiat Gold Griot Palette

Monday, June 26, 2017
 When I swatched this palette instore earlier this year at Ulta, I liked it. I didn't full-price-love it, but promised myself that if I ever saw this marked down at HauteLook, Nordstrom Rack or the like, I'd immediately snatch it up. I guessed that it would take about a year to reach discount status, but was happy that it happened a lot sooner.

PureHeal's by Nature Village Centella 90 Ampoule

Thursday, June 22, 2017
I've been trying to find alternatives to some of my favorite products, and one item that I finished recently but hadn't yet repurchased was my bottle of Dr Dennis Gross Clinical Concentrate Radiance Booster. Though marketed as some sort of exfoliating youth serum, I found it to be marvelous at reducing breakouts, both in terms of redness and blemish size, when applied overnight. Now the PureHeals Centella 90 Ampoule is not super close ingredients wise, but I have found its effects on the skin to be similar.

NARS Loaded Palette

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

I've managed to hit pan on a lot of products this year and among the most notable was my main traveling palette, the 2014 Laura Mercier Artiste For Eyes Palette. I didn't want to bring it on trips any more, (now I'm just always  low key stressing about shattering its shades) so I was very happy to get the warm NARS Loaded Eyeshadow Palette

Travel Bag - Tropical Summer Edition

Thursday, May 25, 2017



Good afternoon! I thought I'd show you what I packed for an extended vacation. We'll be seeing so many family and friends, I'm so excited to be spending this time with loved ones and my most loved one while exploring new places and revisiting some of my favorite restaurants and bars. We've both been intensely busy the last couple of months (the Mr. especially, poor guy has been burning the candle at both ends) that we both need some serious unwinding. We're heading to hotter and more humid regions of China and Thailand, so my packing needs are completely different from when we traveled in the winter.


Manyo Factory: An Overview of my Favorite Skincare Brand

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Today I want to overload your eyes and brain with this brand that's really done marvelous things for my skin.

It's taken me months to write this post, many revisions. I didn't want to sound like an absolute nutter who was obsessed with a toner (spoiler: I totally am) and this brand. I kept on buying full sized bottles of the Manyo Factory products that I sampled and had to retake pictures. In the end I decided to write an overview of some core products, and separate posts for items like sleeping packs, eye gel, etc.