Empties #4 | Products I've Used Up + Mini Review!

I didn't want to hoard my trash for as long as I did last time. It's easier to do empties posts if there aren't quite as many things to talk about. 

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule: I used to use this as my day ampoule, just like the other Mizon one that I featured in my last empties post. I prefer the snail one to the collagen one, but I will probably continue to purchase the It's Skin one because I like that one the best. Would I repurchase? No, not right now. Maybe at some point.

Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Cream: I talked about this in a couple past favorites posts. I'm glad that I finally used it up because it was getting old. There's also a companion eye cream that came in the set that I should also think about using up. This was a really thick and moisturizing cream that really saved my dry and flaky skin this winter. Would I repurchase? As much as I loved it, I don't think so. There's other creams that I've purchased that I like just as much.

Missha Flower Bouquet Skin Fresh Cleansing Oil in Cherry Blossom: I loved this from the second that I bought it. I got this during the Missha Thanksgiving sale, so it definitely lasted a pretty long time. I haven't decided which new cleansing oil to try next, but Missha can do no wrong when it comes to cleansers. Would I repurchase? Definitely. I want to use up other ones before I do, though. Probably next big sale Missha has.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essense: This is my second or third empty bottle of this product. Benton produces some really nice skincare products that aren't too expensive that have great ingredients in them. This is probably one of my favorites. I use this in the day and night after my ampoule. Would I repurchase? I already have a new one going, but I'll definitely get another when that one starts getting low because I have to order internationally.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I wish I could find a larger size bottle of this ampoule. I don't think this lasts as long as my Missha one, which is 50mL compared to 30mL. I probably should have considered buying two of them. This is the best ampoule that I've found for daytime that has gotten me over Missha discontinuing the one from their Near Skin line. Would I repurchase? Already have another one. I'm thinking of trying out a different one than the VC, but also ordering one of those as well and keeping stocked on ampoules.

ElishaCoy Vita Capsule Cleanser: This used to be my favorite cleanser when I first started using Korean products. I would go through spurts where I would use it a ton and then stop because I didn't want to use it up. Well, that's dumb. I knew that I would need to finish it at some point, so I did. I still really like this cleanser, but there are others that I also like. Would I repurchase? Maybe at some point, but I have so many cleansers that I need to use up first.

Holika Holika Pig Nose Clear Black Head Strip: Nothing special here. This is just a pore strip for your nose that is supposed to pull out blackheads. I've had a box of these lying around for a while, so I figured I should maybe use one. Would I repurchase? Probably not. I have a ton of nose strips because I bought this box of ten and a box from another brand.

Alpha Hydrox Retinol ResQ: I was confused as to how I was out of this already because there was another tube in my last empties, but that's because I went from doing one empties post in November to the next in January! I use this nightly, so I think that's why I managed to polish off two tubes. Would I repurchase? I actually bought a Neutrogena retinol instead this time just so my skin would get too used to this one. I haven't used the Neutrogena for long enough to decide if I like it better.

beautyblender sponge: Look at this thing. It's gross. Obviously I didn't wash it because I was just going to throw it away after cutting it in half to make sure it didn't have any mold in the center. I saw someone talking about how since these sponges harbor bacteria and stay damp that they can mold. I was curious. I've had this sponge since I think September or October, so I figured it was time to let go. Not too far into using this sponge, it tore near the bottom. That was me squeezing foundation out of it and being too rough with my nails. Lesson learned. I love beautyblenders. I don't apply my makeup with anything else. Would I repurchase? I did buy a two pack, so I have another that I'm currently using and I ended up buying a second two pack during a beauty.com sale so I plenty of beautyblenders.

Bath & Body Works candles in Twisted Peppermint, Frosted Cranberry, Winter Candy Apple, and Fresh Sparkling Snow: I really like Bath & Body Works candles. It really annoys me that you can never 100% burn the candle because the wick only lasts so long. Fresh Sparkling Snow was my favorite scent and it had the best throw. I really wish they made other products in this scent, but they don't. I thought they would because Twisted Peppermint has a bunch of lotions and body care things. Would I repurchase? I just bought a bunch of summer candles, so yes. If these scents are available next year, I'll definitely get Fresh Sparkling Snow and possible Twisted Peppermint.

Jessica's Jams | What's on My Nails Lately?

So, as a new Jamberry consultant (well, I guess two months isn't "new"... but I will say that I did get promoted twice in that time period, so yay me?), I've loved doing my nails again. Honestly, I was never a nail polish girl for myself. I used to get so frustrated and impatient. However, I can't go back to polish right now because I'm obsessed. Here's a few of my manicures lately.

Teal Mini Polka and the February Stylebox Exclusive

My cuticles look horrible on this one, but this one is my current manicure. I took that photo last Sunday, and my nails are still on. I'm itching to change them, but they're still hanging on, so I'm going to keep them for another few days. The multicolored wrap is the February Stylebox Exclusive (Stylebox is a subscription box from Jamberry -- usually you get two wraps), and the other is the Teal Mini Polka. A very spring-y combo in an attempt to will Spring to get here!

Love Spell

This was my Valentine's day Manicure... the wrap is called Love Spell and it is even prettier in person. It's a great seller and it looks awesome on the nails. The finish on it is a sparkle, which is even more eye-catching than my regular Jams. I got a lot of compliments on it, which was so fun. :)

Boysenberry and Boysenberry Chevron

Love me some purple! I wore this with my purple chevron scarf to a birthday party last month and I loved this mani! It lasted me about two weeks, and some of the chevron wraps were literally falling off my nails before I finally removed them. So pretty.

Quilted: Day 1 and Day 8

So, Quilted is without a doubt one of my favorite wraps. It's so pretty and so fun and just funky enough to get away with without them being distracting. Plus, purple. My hands are horribly unmoisturized, but this was another mani that lasted me a good 10-14 days. 

Reminisce Matte

And my mom wanted a Jamicure of her own, so I hooked her up with some Reminisce. They lasted a little over a week and a half for her, and she seemed to really enjoy them! She's been such an awesome supporter of my little mini-business, so it's been cool to have her as a support system.

If you're interested in Jamberry, check out my Facebook page and my website... I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you've got!

Bath & Body Works Candle Haul

When you live in a stinky household like mine where there's a man with socks and underwear all over the place in addition to the three little rodents, you need candles. My parents always purchased and burned candles when I was growing up, so I was accustomed to always having them around. Shaun doesn't understand that it's nice to have a candle burning because it scents the house and gives it a little light.

I love the Bath & Body Works candles, but they're really expensive at $22.50 for a three wick. I always wait until they're on sale and I usually purchase a bunch at one time. This time around, I happened to be holding onto the 20% off coupon that shipped with my Christmas candles and all the candles were on sale for $12.50 each. That's when I decide to stock up.

Because these are the spring and summer scents, there's a lot more to choose from than the winter scents. I really had to narrow down my list because I probably would have bought 10 candles and not even I can warrant that purchase. I do two more 20% off coupons, one for in store and one online. I'll probably end up getting maybe one or two more in store because they don't have shipping fees, of course.

Since I've only sniffed all these candles and currently only have one of them lit, I'll take the descriptions from the Bath & Body Works site.

Watermelon Lemonade: Quench your thirst for long summer days with a refreshing blend of watermelon ice, sparkling water and freshly squeezed Meyer lemons.

Love & Sunshine: Fill a room with the juiciest fruits, the brightest blooms and sunny, cheerful citrus.

Caribbean Escape: Dive into a blend of tropical melon, raspberry nectar and lemon mellowed by creamy coconut milk and sugarcane.

Oceanside: A blend of sun-ripened citrus, juicy melon and refreshing ocean air brings you to a perfect day on the shore.

Cherry Blossom Sangria: Celebrate spring with the sweet scent of sangria made from fresh cherry nectar, crisp apple slices and a hint of wild raspberry.

Mango Dragon Fruit: The ultimate tropical fruit blend of rare and refreshing dragon fruit mixed with juicy mango.

I'm about to do an empties post, but you'll see that I finished up a few candles this time around. It's finally time to move on to summer scents because I'm sick of winter!

2015 Year to Date Favorites

It's been an age. I know. I'm finally past one of two certification exams, and I am over the hump of the semester that is mid-terms. So I'm able to chat about some of my favorite things! 2015 has been a year of lazy, no-makeup blah-ness. However, I have managed to try a few new things and rekindle my love for some tried and true favorites.

Jamberry Nails Cuticle Oil: Okay, so since I have started to make a little side business selling nail wraps, I've realized that I should probably take care of my hands a little better. One of those ways is with Jamberry cuticle oil. I am obsessed with this stuff. I don't get nearly as many hangnails (are those the painful skin cracks on your hands right by your nail? Or is the hangnail the actual hanging nail?) and the dry patches around my nails are going away. I usually use it at least once a day, but have been aiming for twice. It's an incredible value for $10. I've used it twice a day for a month, give or take a few days, and it's not even a quarter of the way gone yet. I got this in my starter kit, or else I wouldn't have really tried it... it's incredible, though, and I'm glad I did.

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick: Juicy Peach is my favorite lip product right now. First, it smells divine. Second, it's just tinted enough to be subtle, but it gives a pop of color too. It's also really easy to re-apply. And it really does moisturize! I'm not sure of the ingredients on it, but it doesn't make my lips thirsty for more like some lipsticks or lip glosses do, or even some chapsticks. I'm always tempted to wear it to bed like a chapstick.

Davines OI All in one Milk: So, I tried this from a Birchbox way back in October or November and I hated it. But recently I was staying at my boyfriend's place, and I picked it up off of his counter. I used my normal shampoo and conditioner, so I figured I'd give it one more shot. It didn't weigh my hair down at all, and it made it very soft. I loved the way my hair looked that day when I went to work. I've now ruled that part of my hair care routine out and determined that it was either the shampoo or conditioner from the Davines line that weighed my hair down. I'm glad I gave it another shot.

Benefit Moisture Prep Toning Lotion: You guys. I went without this for like two months when my little starter sample ran out and I was so sad. But I sucked it up and spent the $30 and my skin feels much softer now. When I find a skin care routine that works, I've just gotta go with it. No more procrastinating, no more "I'll try something else." Just go with what works, for the most part. Of course, I'll try new things, but when it comes down to it, I need my previously tested awesome toner lotion.

Clarisonic Mia 2: So I love my boyfriend with all of my heart and soul, but I'm certain he is to blame for the death of my first Clarisonic Mia. He wasn't very careful of the little shelf it was on, and kept knocking it over. Every time I heard that "thud", my heart dropped. I tried to charge it one day, and it wouldn't charge. I told my mom, hoping that she had paperwork or something on it, but on Christmas morning, I had a brand new Clarisonic :) I'm so happy! It's no different than the original, really, other than the color, but it works wonderfully and I am grateful to have it again. I'm trying to make more of a consistent commitment to my skin and my beauty routine, so this is a great way to start that!

I promise I'll be back in the next day or so with more posts from the past month or two. It's good to be back!

Perfume Wish List

Okay, when I get obsessed with something, I get into this spree of can't stop, won't stop. Do I think I have plenty of perfume to last me through the year? Yes. Are there still bottles that I want? Absolutely. Especially working in food service where I definitely need to look and smell great all the time, there's just not a limit.

I purchased decanted samples of these scents and I want to eventually get a couple of these in full size bottles. I am going to leave a few alone and pass the list on to Shaun, because he was interested in buying perfume for my birthday and Christmas but I never had anything I wanted.

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom: If I could go back in time, I would have tried Red Delicious before buying it and realize that I like this one a hundred times more. I do still like Red Delicious and I'll definitely continue to wear it, but there's a bottle of this unboxed on Fragrancenet.com for $32.99 and I'm really considering getting this one because it smells great. The notes include Apricot, Cassis, Grapefruit, Smooth Skin Accord, Blond Woods, Jasmine, Rose, Apple, and Muguet. I don't even know what half of those notes smell like on their own, but I like them together.

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia: I was really bummed when I couldn't find Gucci II anywhere, so I decided I was going to see if there were any other Gucci perfumes I wanted to try. There's an entire Gucci Flora line, but the Gorgeous Gardenia one sounded the best to me. Notes include pear, red berries, gardenia, sugar, frangipani, and patchouli. I really like the smell of this one, but it's pricey. This is $50 on frangrancenet.com, but it's over $100 retail for the 3.3oz bottle. This is one I'll probably save for a later date or get a smaller bottle.

Gucci II: I'm lovesick over this stupid perfume and I haven't even smelled it yet. I almost don't want to talk about it. This is probably going to be a blind buy and I think the scent has been discontinued. The notes include a blend of tart, tangy fruits, cassis, blackberry and a mix of red berries, orange, violet, jasmine, freesia and peony. I want this so bad. I am currently bidding on a bottle through eBay, but I know what I'm willing to spend. If someone beats my bid, then I'm definitely not spending more. It's possible that I would settle for a tester bottle without that large glass cap.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight: I got samples of both this and the regular edition of Daisy Eau So Fresh. I ended up not really liking Daisy Eau So Fresh, but I do like this version. This was a limited edition release, so I'm sure this is going to be hard to find. If I decide to buy this perfume, I may end up getting one without a box or a bottle that has been used. I don't see an issue with purchasing perfume that someone didn't like and they used a little bit of it, especially if it ends up being a good price. The original has top notes of grapefruit, pear and raspberry with middle notes of rose, jasmine and apple blossom. The Delight version has notes of sweet, run-ripened apricots and blood oranges and high notes of pink pepper and white tea. 

Admittingly, I did blind buy a limited edition bottle of an Eau So Fresh, but I think it was the Eau So Fresh Sunshine. It was an unboxed bottle, but the picture looked like the sunshine edition with brighter flowers. When it comes in the mail, I'll find out which one to cross off my list. If they end up smelling similar, then I definitely don't need both. 

Hugo Boss Boss Femme: This is just such a random perfume choice. I noticed that a lot of the scents in the pink bottles were what I was looking for, so I clicked on this one. The notes were Tangerine, Apricot, Freesia, Jasmine, Fleur de lys, Blackcurrant, Rose, and Lemon Wood. Now that I know what I like in a scent, I decided to try this one out. As this perfume is a bit heavier and expensive, I'll probably end up filing this one away for a bit. I feel like I have plenty of perfumes to wear in the winter, so I might ask for this for Christmas next year. It's only $35, but that's only for a 2.5oz and many of the other ones are 3.3oz for that price or a little more.

Versace Yellow Diamond: I should have known this was coming. I'm so hooked on Versace Bright Crystal Absolu that I had to try another one of their scents. I really like this and it isn't that expensive. This is an EDT, so not as strong as an Eau De Parfum. It's listed as $42 on fragrancenet.com, which is more than I'd like to spend on perfume now that I have as much as I do. This is also another scent I'll end up saving, but maybe not until next year. I think this would be a nice spring scent, so I might wait until I have a coupon. The notes include lemon, mimose, pear, freesia, bergamot, water lily, neroli, guaiac wood, musk, amber. I think it smells fresh and nice.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream: I'm conflicted on this one, which is why I made sure to leave it at the bottom. It was the first Marc Jacobs perfume that I wanted, but now that I have a bottle of Daisy Eau So Fresh, I don't know if I can warrant purchasing this one. As an Eau De Toilette, it's too expensive. The cheapest I can find it is $55, and that's without a box. I'm still leery about purchasing tester bottles because I like having the fancy caps on my perfume. This is another scent that I will file away, and it I happen to find a bottle on eBay that is half full, I might splurge if the price is right. The notes are blackberry, wisteria, coconut, lychee, pear, and grapefruit, so it is right up my alley. I'm not even sure why it's so expensive.

Perfume Diary #4

DKNY Red Delicious: I'm not knocking this perfume at all. I'm just saying that I'm not sure I should have blindly purchased the largest bottle out there. Red Delicious was discontinued, so I wanted to make sure I could still get it and enjoy it by purchasing the 3.4oz bottle. I really like the scent, and since it is discontinued, I couldn't get a sample from myperfumesamples.com because it wasn't available. That being said, I don't have a little spray bottle sample atomizer like I do with my other perfumes. I did buy a rollerball of this scent on eBay to touch up during the day. I think my biggest gripe with this perfume is that I don't like rollerballs. The ball always seems to get stuck and it takes forever to apply the scent. There is an upside, though. At least everyone else doesn't get assaulted by my perfume when I spray it on because it's only a rollerball. I'm going to continue to wear this one, but I am disappointed that it doesn't last very long, especially the perfume coming from the rollerball.

Vera Wang Princess: I'm not sure why I felt the need to include this scent, but I did pull it out of a drawer the other day to try it on. I only own a very small bottle of this perfume, and it happens to be one that doesn't even spray. The bottle is so small that it's just a dab and go perfume. I think I would have worn this more often if it did spray, because the dabber is just so aggravating. There isn't a way to get this on your skin without it getting everywhere. I've considered purchsing a full bottle of this beause I remember how much I used to like this fragnrace a few years back. I've wondered if it is possible to outgrow a perfume because everywhere I read reviews about how this is a teenage girl's perfume. I don't think this pulls too sweet on my skin, but the notes do include water lily, golden apricot, pink frosting, precious amber, lady apples, pink guava, mandarin meringue, dark chocolate, wild tuberose, vanilla chiffon, Tahitian tiare flower. Both the dark chocolate and pink frosting notes seem a bit much to me, but I can't pick those out when I smell this perfume. If I can find this for a good price and it doesn't end up being a seven year old bottle, it's possible that I will add this to my collection.

Gucci Eau De Parfum II: I just want to get this out of the way. I have not smelled this perfume, yet I'm seriously lusting over it. It's a Gucci perfume, so obviously it is more on the pricey side. I don't want to jump into purchasing this perfume, but the notes sounds like something I would really love. The top notes are orange, black currant, and mandrin. The heart notes are violet, blackberry, and fresh jasmine. The base notes are heliotrope, musk and cedar. Unfortunately, this isn't something I can find a sample of because myperfumesamples.com doesn't carry it. I also don't want to just buy a small bottle in case I love this perfume because then I'm going to need to buy a bigger bottle. I'm not sure what I want to do about it, but I know that I really want this perfume and I think I'm eventually going to end up buying it.

Perfume Diary #3

Jimmy Choo Exotic - My initial thought was blah, this stinks. It's a lot heavier than I expected it to be from the notes. I guess considering that it's from Jimmy Choo, you would want a perfume that only needs one or two spritzes to do the job. I worried about what I smelled like for most of the day, but I didn't notice that my perfume smelled overwhelming when I got home. I did add another spray and noticed that I didn't hate it. At first, I didn't think I could ever wear this out again, but now I actually think I might like it. The notes include grapefruit, raspberry, black currant, passion flower, orchid, and patchouli. It's possible that I initially smelled the patchouli, which isn't my favorite on its own. There is a possibility of actually liking this perfume, so I'll probably do another post.

Marc Jacobs Dot - This is one of those perfumes that I don't know if I want to purchase. Look at the bottle. The bottle is so cute. I'm trying to move away from how much I like the design of the bottle. It was much easier to get away from Honey because I ended up not really enjoying the scent. For Dot, I do like the scent. The notes for Dot are listed as red berries, dragon fruit, coconut, jasmine, honeysuckle, vanilla, neroli, driftwood, and musk. All the scent notes sounded great to me, which is why I ordered a sample. My only gripe with this perfume is that it doesn't last very long at all. My sample is almost gone because I carried the mini spray in my pocket and reapplied throughout the night. I think if I do purchase a bottle of this scent that I'll wait until the summer. I feel like the scent will probably linger better when the weather is warmer and it isn't really a winter fragrance to begin with anyway.

Escada Moon Sparkle: Ah. Back to this little gem. I'm so happy that I bought a full size bottle of this perfume. It smells so good. Right now, I think I can safely rank this as above DKNY Red Delicious but under Versace Bright Crystal Absolu. I'm worried about using up Bright Crystal Absolu because it costs so much money, but I think I've discovered my fall back scent. I actually shouldn't get to spritz happy with this one because I do think it is discontinued, but I'm sure a 3.3oz/100mL bottle should last quite a bit of time. I noticed that it's back in stock on Perfumania.com, so I think I can still get it. I did purchase a full size bottle on eBay and I got a much better price for it then than what is listed right now. I really love this scent so far and I don't mind that I need to touch it up to keep it fresh. It does last on my skin, but I like when you can actually smell this. One of the guys at work actually really likes this on me and keeps trying to think of what perfume it reminds him of. The first night I wore it to work he asked me what I wearing because he could smell me when I showed up for my shift. I think I may wear it when he's working just because.

Lips of the Month | January

I have a love/hate relationship with these lipstick posts. I should probably stop waiting until the end of the month to do swatches because then I would remember which ones I liked the most. This time around, I decided to not take pictures of the actual lipstick tubes because I've been using more liquid style lipsticks and those are a pain for photograph.

Monte Carlo: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This is probably my least favorite of the lip creams because it takes so much application to build up the color. I'm not sure if it's drying out really quickly or what because I don't remember needing to build it up so much when I originally swatched it. The lasting powder was good, but it definitely doesn't build up to as dark as I hoped.

Yield to Love: MAC Cremesheen formula. Limited edition from the Novel Romance Collection. This is one of my favorite more neutral mauve colors. I believe this was an online exclusive color that I managed to snatch up on the MAC site on the day it was released. I was going back and forth on this lipstick and I'm glad I bought it.

Electro: MAC Lustre formula. Limited edition from the Neo Sci-Fi Collection. I don't usually like the lustre formula, but I actually really like this color. I'm a huge fan of orange lipstick. I don't know why I decided I needed orange lipstick in January, but I guess it worked.

Relentlessly Red: MAC Matte formula. This has always been one of my favorite lipsticks by MAC. I've talked about this color before I think I've had this in multiple posts. It's a little dry, but because of that it dries down completely. I like having a lipstick that is transfer proof.

Ibiza: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This is one of the colors I prefer. I really like the formula on this one and the color lasts for a decent amount of time.

San Paulo: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. I originally thought this was going to be a brighter pink, but I like the shade that it ended up being. 

Stockholm: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This color is generally my go-to for a shade of lipstick or long wear lip color when I need something more neutral. I wore this to a holiday party and I didn't feel like having high maintenance lips, especially when drinking.

Flawless: ColourPop Satin formula. My first foray into ColourPop. I'll definitely do a swatch post at some point, but these are a new to me brand of lipsticks that I heard about on YouTube. They only cost $5, so of course I had to buy a bunch. This is the only Satin formula color that I liked, and I have to say that it's more of a satin-matte, which I like. The color is also pretty awesome.

Ellarie: ColourPop Matte formula. Most of the ColourPop lipsticks that I own are the matte formula, which is nice because those are my favorite lipsticks. This is a really nice berry color and I think it might be one of my favorites of the ten I purchased.

I <3 This: ColourPop Matte Formula. This is a nice bright pink that I'm sure I could find at least five dupes for in my collection. Either way, it wore really nicely and I like the stick packaging it comes in. The matte formulas are really nice.

Lumiere: ColourPop Matte formula. I bought this one because KathleenLights designed the color and it looked nice every time she wore it. I don't know if everyone was using a lip liner underneath, but it looks nothing like on the site. My lips made it appear like I wasn't even wearing anything. Not even like my lips but better, but more my lips but wearing absolutely nothing. This one was just okay because it wasn't what I was expecting.

Merlot: NYX Matte formula. I've talked about this color before. I really like it, although I wish it were just a bit darker. The picture makes it look washed out because it is a little deeper of a wine color in real life.

My favorite arm of lipsticks ahead! I was really feeling purples and I'm probably going to use these ones more often.

Salon Rouge: MAC Matte formula. Limited edition with the Heirloom Mix collection. I actually think this is my favorite MAC lipstick that I've purchased recently. It's definitely in my top 5 MAC lipsticks if I were to think about it off the top of my head. This is just the most perfect berry color and I need to use it more before the warm weather hits.

Russian Red: MAC Matte formula. I love Russian Red. This is my tube from the Wonder Woman collection and I think it was my first red MAC lipstick. The only downside to this color is that it never really dries down to a true matte. It's more of a demi matte that transfers, but at least it's moisturizing.

Spitfire: MAC Satin formula. Limited edition from the Wonder Woman collection. Likewise, I think this was my first purple lipstick. I really love the satin formula and I'm so glad I managed to snatch up this lipstick since it is such a sought after color.

Bauhau5: Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick. This is such an intense pink/purple color. I've been enjoying liquid lipsticks and I'm pretty sure the KVD ones are some of my favorites. I do like the NYX lip creams, but they aren't transfer proof like these ones are. The KVD colors last me an entire 12 hour shift at work and manage to look fresh all day.

Prague: NYX Matte Lip Cream. This is probably another one of my favorite colors from the lip cream line. It is a bit more bold on the lips than on my arm, yet not as deep as the tube would lead you to believe.

LBB: ColourPop Matte Formula. This is another really nice color. It does remind me of Flawless, but with a matte finish. I find that I don't need to touch up the matte colors at all, which is something that I can really get behind.

High Bred Red: MAC Amplified Formula. This is one of those red lipsticks that I use just to make sure I don't forget about it. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. The picture is making the shade pull pink, but it is definitely a true red.

Alabama: NYX Matte formula. When I first got this color, I thought it would be too brown for me to pull off. It is the only brown-red that I own and I really like the way it looks. All the NYX lipsticks go on so effortlessly for me.

Matte 408: Inglot Matte Formula. This color is redder in real life, but the picture makes it seem like it pulls more pink. The lighting started getting bad and these reds all look a bit pink. The Inglot mattes all look like crap when I swatch on my arm, but all I need is a bit of lip balm and they glide on my lips and last all day.

Bichette: ColourPop Matte Formula. This is another one of my favorites from the ten I bought. This reminds me a bit of Salon Rouge, which is why I like the color so much. I've been really into berry colors and this one hit it out of the park.

Damn Glamorous: MAC Matte Formula. This is yet another favorite MAC lipstick of mine. I think I just bought this a few months ago and this is only the second time I've worn it, but I really like the color and the finish.


Roundup!

MAC Lipsticks: 8
Matte: 4
Amplified: 1
Lustre: 1
Cremesheen: 1
Satin: 1

NYX: 7
Matte Lip Cream: 5
Matte Lipstick: 2

ColourPop: 6
Matte: 5
Satin: 1

Kat Von D: 1

Ingot: 1

Perfume Diary #2

Just a couple more scents for now. There's only so many I can wear at a time, of course. I'm sure that each one will have more than one spot in the Perfume Diary series as I decide which ones I like the most and which ones I'm willing to invest in a whole bottle. After all, this isn't like buying a $16 lipstick and hoping for the best. Some of the perfumes I'm testing out go for almost $100 a pop for the larger size bottle, like Bright Crystal Absolu which retails at $110 for the 3.2oz size.

Nina Ricci Nina: This is actually a scent that I liked when I was younger, about the same time I also wore Fantasy by Britney Spears and wished to have enough money to purchase a bottle of Vera Wang Princess. I never even owned a sample vial of this perfume. I only knew I liked it from the peel off in a magazine. Well, I finally got my hands on a small sprayer of this scent. The notes listed are apple, praline, lemon, peony, apple tree, lime, musk, cedar, and datura. It's the same fruity floral scent I remember, but it doesn't wear very long at all. It is an EDT, but I feel like it wore off pretty fast. This would definitely be something I would have to bring with me to spritz on again during the day. Overall, I really do like the scent. I just wish it lasted longer.

Coach Poppy Freesia Blossom: Coach has a quite a few scents in the Poppy range, so it was difficult to narrow it down to just one. Even now, I think I may need to dip back in just get the rest so I can actually compare and see which one I like better. The notes for this one are listed as bergamot, cassis, raspberry, strawberry, apricot, jasmine, orchid, freesia, vanilla, brown sugar, and musk. It's definitely one of my favorites that I've tried so far. I even had a coworker tell me that I smelled divine when I wore it, so that's saying something. I did notice that it wore off enough that I sprayed a little more on while I was taking a bathroom break, but this comes as an EDT and an EDP so if I end up buying a bottle I'll purchase the EDP instead. According to one website, this scent was listed as limited edition. I don't want to pay more than $60 for the large bottle of this, so I may wait until I see it on Perfumania.com and hope that it's a legitimate bottle.

Perfume Diary #1

Okay. This is something I want to do now that I'm starting to get into fragrance. Since I barely have time to blog about things I buy and swatch, this is perfect to actually write down my thoughts on products I've been using.

I recently sprung for my first designer fragrance, Bright Crystal Absolu by Versace, and have started exploring other scents that I might enjoy. I also purchased Red Delicious by DKNY and while I like Bright Crystal Absolu more, I do like the smell of Red Delicious.

Because I've ventured into trying scents, I decided to get a few decants online and order full size bottles of the ones I like the most. I hauled a bunch of 3ml decants from myperfumesamples.com and I've smelled about half of them and worn a couple just around the house.

I've come to realize that I most enjoy fruity floral scents, which I'm sure I knew all along.

In this entry, I want to discuss my initial thoughts on a couple.

Marc Jacobs Honey: I actually thought this would be one of my favorites, but now I'm not so sure. I'm going to wear this out of the house, but I also don't think this is really the most appropriate for winter. It opens as a floral and as it hangs around, never really transforms into the fruity floral that I thought it would be. The honey note turned out to be honeysuckle, which would be nice if there was something else to balance it. As it turns out, I'm not a fan of straight floral scents and this does kind of remind me of grass.

Miss Dior EDT by Dior: The first notes listed on the site was mandarin and tangerine and there was a strawberry sorbet note listed. I was fine with jasmine and violet as floral notes because I do like fruity floral perfumes and this is a popular fragrance. However, I think the patchouli and musk really overpower everything else in the fragrance. I don't know if I'm brave enough to even wear this outside, seeing as I've only sprayed this on my shirt and really didn't care for it. I know scents have to transform with your body chemistry, but this is the only one that I have sprayed on my skin. This just smells too strong for my taste.

Escada Moon Sparkle: I was most excited about this perfume because KathleenLights talked it up in her perfume collection video. I don't think this would have been something I would have selected on my own because I've never heard of Escada. All the other brands of fragrances I've heard of, but I think Escada is smaller and I don't believe their  perfumes are high end. Apparently, they release limited edition scents and then discontinue them. This one is from 2007 and is apparently still circulating. I believe this is supposed to be one of their more popular releases. Anyhow, it was only my list to try because of that video so I did a search for it not expecting it to be available. The fragrance notes listed were strawberry, raspberry, black currant, red apple, citruses, sweet pea, freesia, musk, jasmine, rose.  I really liked the idea of this scent. It was one of the first scents I tried on and I loved it immediately. I definitely leans more fruity than floral, but it's balanced nicely. I had no doubts about this fragrance other than it's an EDT (eau de toilette) and I was worried it wouldn't have staying powder. I was wrong and I loved the scent so much that I found it online and purchased a brand new bottle for $37 to add to my budding collection. I normally wouldn't be so rash about a purchase and I want to try out my new scents more before making another purchase, but I'm worried about the availability. I don't want to shell out an arm and a leg for perfume. My bottle is still on the way, but I'll probably do another post after it arrives.

January Monthly Favorites

I feel like most of these items aren't new at all, but I think some of them have actually not been featured yet. There's actually a few staples that are missing from the month's list. I don't have a favorite concealer, toner, or mascara. I'm almost out of a couple of these things and I think I might be able to do another empties post even though I just posted one!

Missha Flower Bouquet Skin Fresh Cleansing Oil in Cherry Blossom: I talked this up last month and I haven't been using anything else to take off my makeup. I think this will only last me about another month, so it's a good thing I decided to buy a couple different cleansing oils from Missha.

Missha Creamy Latte Chocolate Cleansing Foam:  Another item from last month's post. I've been using only this cleanser for the most part and I'm starting to get to the point where I'm worried about running out.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: It's been awhile since this showed up in any posts, which is strange since I haven't stopped using it. This is my last step of my morning skincare because my primer and makeup just apply better after this. It's definitely one of my favorite gel type moisturizers.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: I can't say enough good things about this ampoule. It's my favorite and my holy grail ampoule. I will forever continue to purchase this as long as Missha makes it.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I just about killed this bottle, which is why I'm glad I ordered another one when it was half gone. I'm thinking of trying a different type in the line, but for now this is my go to in the morning.

Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream: This is an oldie but a goodie. When I ran out of my Benton Steam Cream, this was sitting in my cabinet and I decided that I needed to use it again. This is a nice light cream, so it's different than the Benton. I think I may end up using both now.

Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Cream: I've been using this to combat my dry winter skin. This jar is almost empty and I have something different to replace it with. I did enjoy this cream quite a bit, but it was pricey and it is now time to move on. I hope I won't miss it too much because I really did love it.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I needed a moisturizing primer to deal with my dry skin. Ever since I ditched the Smashbox primer, my skin has stopped peeling under my makeup in my dry problem spots. I definitely can't use this in the summer because it makes me a little oily and my makeup slides around, but this has been perfect for winter skin. 

Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: These used to be two of my favorite BB creams and also my first two Skin79 ones. VIP Gold gives a little more coverage but tends to pull a little grey on me. I usually mix these two together because the Green one is moisturizing and is closer to my skin tone, so it tones down the grey from VIP Gold. I've used this pair for over a year off and on and the canisters are much lighter than my other two Skin79 BBs, so I'm wondering how long before I run out.

ElishaCoy Time Capsule BB Cream: This BB cream gives me more coverage than the Skin79 and it doesn't pull grey on me. That said, it gives my skin more of a makeup feel because it does cover more. I like my face to look more natural, but if I have something to cover than this is what I've been using.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Marble: I had to look this up online to see what it was because there's only a color label on the bottom. I was going through some drawers of makeup and found this balm and figured I would use it. Turns out, I really like it and it's discontinued of course.

NYX Butter Lip Gloss in Tiramisu: I wanted to try these glosses but I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss. I always end up buying them and then they get stashed away, like my MAC lip glasses and Revlon lip glosses. I actually like this just for moisture because it isn't sticky. This color barely shows up and I wear it around the house and sometimes to bed because it's just a film on my lips. The fact that it smells like cake doesn't hurt either. I had to restrain myself from buying 5 more when Ulta had them on sale.

MAC Fluidline Brow Gel Creme in Dirty Blonde: I've been more into natural brows and not my usual red ones. I generally coat my brows with red powder and then top it with this because the color looks nice. I've always loved the formula of this gel and I feel like I can get a much better, sharper shape with this than a powder.

(MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm: I got this in my Ipsy bag earlier this month and immediately loved it. I've been wondering if I should get a full size, but that tube won't have the slant tip applicator and some of the ingredients are a little sketchy looking. For now, I just really like this gel based balm.

MAC Blackline: I don't remember where I was digging when I found this liner, but I forgot how much I love it! It's black, but it's also gold. And magic. It doesn't wear as well on my waterline as the Noir liner does, but I do prefer this when I'm looking for a bit of flair.

Clockwise from top: Sea Me Hear Me, Mighty Aphrodite, Copper Diamond, Mary Lou, Aphrodite's Shell

MAC Sea Me, Hear Me: I bought this back in I think June or July when the Alluring Aquatic collection had been out for a month or two. I ended up having non-buyers remorse and got this from a seller in a facebook group. I'm so glad I bought it, because I loved this shade this past summer and I recently decided that it was a good color now. I might rotate my blushes because I noticed that I don't use some of them, but this was great this month and I really love the color and packaging.

MAC Mighty Aphrodite: This blush has been with me for years. I think it was one of the first MAC blushes and I bought because it was from the Wonder Woman collection. I just remember that I was living in Salem at the time and didn't own a lot of makeup, never mind a lot of MAC. That was one of my favorite MAC collections of all time and this is one of my favorite blushes. I tried rotating through my shades this month and kept going back to this one.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond: This was included in last month's favorites, and for good reason. I really love this highlighter. I try to wear something less intense with a darker blush or bronzer combo, but I've also started with my excuse to not wear this every day because I don't want to ever hit pan on it. You only need a tiny amount though, so I don't think I'll plow through this highlight.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: Another intense highlight that I loved last month and into this month. I think this one is a bit more opaque than Copper Diamond, but it also blends out a little better. I think I like Copper Diamond more than this one, which I guess I should considering that it cost three times more than Mary Lou here. A little goes a long way and it doesn't take much to look like the 90's disco ball glitter trend threw up on your face.

MAC Aphrodite's Shell: I think I have to dig through my favorites posts and see when I haven't included this bronzer. This shade is just effortless. It's the perfect pale skin bronzer and I never feel like it gets too heavy, no matter how many times I swirl my brush in the pan. I have a few bronzers, but I always go back to this one. I don't know why I bothered to buy other shades. Probably come summer I'll use the others because most of them are too dark for the winter. No one looks sun kissed with three feet of snow outside.

NARS Devotee: I had to include this hot mama again because I used the crap out of this highlighter this month. I really do wear a full face of makeup five days a week, so I need a little variety. I feel like three highlighters isn't overkill in a post when you think of how often I wear makeup. I may need to update my picture of this pan because the hetchmarks have started fading more. I think this may be my favorite NARS highlighter of the four I own.

NARS Goulue: This month I left my Guy Bourdin palette on top of the stack and used this blush and Devotee quite a bit. I did think this was too dark for my liking at first, even though I was sure this would be my favorite blush in the palette. After learning to go lightly with this shade, I think it really is my favorite in this palette.

Tarte Breathless: I wanted to continue getting use out of my holiday cheek palette, so I picked this color to try out and I kept going back to it for a more natural cheek. This is generally a blush I would wear with a dark lip so that my face wouldn't compete with my lips. It does look kind of like face powder in the pan, but it totally transforms on the cheeks.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: I found it. This is my perfume. I've been trying out different scents because I really want to wear perfume and not just lotions that smell like candy. I found a sample of this that had been tucked away from a Nordstrom order and I just kept going back to that little spray. Well, I realized that I had been spritzing it on every night to go to work and that my sample was almost gone. I almost died when I realized that the 3.2oz bottle was $110 online, so I did some digging and found it for $60 on Overstock.com. I used a 10% off coupon and with my SwagBucks points that I collected over the holidays, I managed to score a $25 gift card. This sounded like a great deal to me, so I scooped up this bottle and one other perfume that isn't quite a favorite yet that I'll talk about in a haul. This is my first "grown-up" perfume purchase and I seriously can't tell you the last scent I bought. I used to really like the Britney Spears perfumes. I think I have a small bottle of a Hilary Duff perfume from high school and also a teeny tiny bottle of Vera Wang Princess that is so small it doesn't even have a sprayer. I think this will be a favorite for a while and it has definitely been a gateway drug into finding more perfumes that I like.