Eye Makeup of the Day - Featuring Mac Cosmetics

Hello!!

 

Today I decided to try something new - an eye makeup of the day (or EOTD). The makeup that I wore today features Mac eyeshadows which I've been loving lately. This has become my go-to makeup look!

 

 

 

 

 

The Products:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Mac Nylon Eyeshadow (inner corner, first third of the eyelid, and browbone)

Mac Crystal Eyeshadow (center of the eyelid)

Mac Handwritten Eyeshadow(outer third of the eyelid, crease, and lower lashline)

Mac Blacktrack Fluidline (on top lashline)

Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner (on top and bottom waterline)

Benefit They're Real Mascara (on top and bottom lashes)

 

The Tools:

Mac 239

Mac 217

Mac 219

Revlon lash curler

 

 

 

XOXO

 

Mary Kay Influenster Box

Hi everyone! If you haven't heard about Influenster, I highly recommend checking them out. It is a program were you can take surveys to become eligible to receive a complimentary box full of goodies! This is the second box that I've received, you can read about my first box here.

 

This box is full of products from Mary Kay which I've never tried before. I wasn't in love with this box, however I wasn't completely disappointed. I enjoyed some products, were indifferent about other products, and was unimpressed by a few products. The price deters me from repurchasing some of these products in the future. The quality isn't as nice for the price. Many of these products are drug store quality in my opinion. Take my reviews with a grain of salt! You may fall in love with these products. Everyone has different opinions.

 

 

What I received:

Lash Love Lengthening Mascara (retail for $15)
Claim: strong, seriously separated lashes.
My thoughts: I did not enjoy this mascara as a girl who loves dark and bold lashes. This was WAY too natural to me in which it was borderline non-existent on my lashes.
Recommend: NOPE
Repurchase: No way

Lash Primer (retail for $15)
Claim: dramatic definition, fuller-looking lashes.
My thoughts: PIECE OF CRAP. This did absolutely positively NOTHING to my lashes.
Recommend: NOPE
Repurchase: No way

Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush (retail for $10)
Claim: the perfect brush for applying any cream product.
My thoughts: This I enjoyed! This brush stood up to the deep clean test - no excessively falling out bristles or running of the dye.
Recommend: Yes
Repurchase: No

Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm (retail for $22)
Claim: soft, creamy, long-wearing formula.
My thoughts: This was a decent product, however I don't see myself using this a lot. I rarely wear any color, but if I were it would be purple. I used this as a base underneath eyeshadow. I don't think that I would wear this alone because I can see it fading and creasing over time.
Recommend: Not for $22
Repurchase: No

True Dimension Lip Stick in Pink Cherie (retail for $18)
Claim: intensely moisturizing, exquisitely smoothing.
My thoughts: This was another decent product that I liked from this box. The color is gorgeous! It is true to color on the lips as it is swatched. The lipstick has an odd smell to it, however it goes away after wearing it for a little while. I didn't find this intensely moisturizing, but not excessively drying either.
Recommend: If you don't mind paying $18 for a lipstick
Repurchase: No


Have you ever tried Mary Kay products or Influenster?
XOXO

 



Back to Mac #1

Hi everyone! I've been shopping at mac now for two years and I have finally accumulated at least six empties for their back to mac program. Here are my mac empties and what I thought of each product!

 Left to Right: Oil Control Lotion, Studio Sculpt Foundation in NW 15, False Lash Mascara, Brush Cleanser, Haute & Naughty Mascara

Bottom: Blotting Powder Pressed in Medium

 

 

Oil Control Lotion ($31) - This was one of the first purchases I made at mac. I think this is nice for oil control in the summer. This lasted me about a year using it almost everyday. It's worth the money if oil control is important in your daily makeup routine.

Recommend: Yes
Repurchase: No 

Studio Sculpt Foundation in NW 15 ($31) - This was the first mac foundation that I've tried. I definitely prefer matchmaster for the simple fact that it is a better color match. NW 15 was too dark for me. The consistency and staying power is nice, however this isn't the best foundation for the fair individuals. 

Recommend: If you can find the correct color match - yes.
If you are fairer than NW 15 - no.
Repurchase: No

False Lashes Mascara ($20) - This was the first mascara I've purchased from mac and my favorite so far. It is what I look for in a mascara - super black, lengthening, and volumizing.

Recommend: Yes
Repurchase: Yes

Brush Cleanser ($14) - This is a very basic item to have in your makeup kit. I've only used the mac version, but I think this gets the job done. It lasts for quite a while as well. I've repurchased this once and will be repurchasing in the future.

Recommend: Yes
Repurchase: Yes

Haute & Naughty Mascara ($20) - This is a nice concept for a mascara with two brushes that do two different things. One is more of a natural look, while the other is a fuller and thicker look. I rarely used the smaller, more natural brush because I'm a fan of big and bold lashes!

Recommend: If you like both natural and dramatic looks - yes.
If you like dramatic looks all the time - no.
Repurchase: No

Blot Powder Pressed ($24) - This is a nice powder to have if you have oily skin. I did find that this product reduced the shine. This lasted me about a year and a half. I think for the price and results, this is a good product if that is what you are looking for.

Recommend: Yes
Repurchase: No

 

I've started another batch of back to mac items which hopefully won't take me two years to collect! I will feature those items in another installment of my back to mac blog series.

 

What do you recommend getting when you back to mac? Lipstick? Lipglass? Eyeshadow?

 

 

XOXO

MAC COSMETICS - Shopping List

Hi everyone! I thought that I would share with you the items that I've had my eye on at MAC for a while. I'm going to the mall on Saturday so these items are what is on my shopping list!

MAC COSMETICS - Shopping List by ladyem2 featuring glitter eye makeup

 

1. Single Eyeshadow ($15 each). I've never owned a MAC eyeshadow and I want to get a everyday makeup look. The shades that I'm interested in are Nylon, Handwritten, and a "best friend" blending color.

2. Prep & Prime Lash ($16). I'm currently trying out a sample Lancôme version that I've been liking so far. I want to try out a few more versions before I buy a full size.

3. In Extreme Dimension Mascara ($20). I've already tried two different mascaras by MAC - Haute & Naughty and False Lash. I want to try out a few more and see which is my favorite.

4. 219 Pencil Brush ($25) & 209 Eye Liner Brush ($19). I've wanted the 219 for a while, but have never bought it. Since I've started using concealer, I've been using my 211 which I previously used (but didn't like) for my fluidline. The 209 looks like a good brush to use to apply a thin line of eyeliner.

5. Eye Kohl in Fascinating ($16). I've wanted to try a white or nude shaded eyeliner for my waterline. Black is usually too harsh for everyday.

6. Lash Curler ($20). My eyelash curler (Revlon) is getting old and not curling my lashes enough for my liking. I want a good one that isn't too expensive.

7. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural ($30). I've wanted this product since I first learned about MAC. I've never bought it though. I decided that once I finish up my Blot Powder that I'll buy this (which I'm really close to being done with).

8. Fix Plus ($21). Sometimes I notice that my face looks a bit too powdery (not cakey) for my liking. I've heard that this product is good for that.


Please let me know if you've used any of these items. I would love some input before I head to my local MAC counter.


XOXO

january haul (makeup edition)

Here is another edition of my january haul. I clearly spent too much money this month! This is my makeup version of my haul. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think if you own these items. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

new to my collection (makeup edition) by ladyem2 featuring lancôme

1.)I went to my local mac counter to get another tube of my nw 15 studio sculpt foundation. The makeup artist that was working suggested another foundation and concealer. The only concealer I've tried were drug store - one liquid and one mineral. I never liked either of them so I decided to skip concealer in general from then on. I would just apply another layer of foundation to build up the coverage to what I like. The makeup artist tried this on me and I loved it. It's a bit drying at times on my blemishes, however with moisturizer it's not too bad. So far I like it. I'm in the shade nw 15 for this concealer.

2.) At the same time that I bought the mac concealer, the makeup arist also suggested a different foundation. As mentioned before, I was using the studio sculpt foundation in nw 15. When I first bought it I was slightly tanner (in summer) so it worked fine. However, I've lost some tan in my face so it would look like foundation rather than skin. I love this foundation so much more than the studio sculpt. The matchmaster in 1.0 is definitely my shade right now that I'm so pale. My face doesn't usually tan so this should work for a few months. It's very light-weight, however it has a strange smell when you put it on. You can't smell it throughout the day though, which is good.

3.) I wanted to try the too faced perfect eyes waterproof eyeliner since I heard rachel whitehurst on youtube rave about it. I was browsing the sephora website buying other stuff when I needed to add one more small item to get free shipping. I saw this mascara-eyeliner set for only $10 and had to try it out. I haven't tried the mascara yet (which is lash injection at $21 full size), because I like to only have one mascara open at a time. I will let you know how I like it when I try it out! I have tried the eyeliner (which is normally $18 for a full size). I like it so far. It will usually stay on for a few hours for me. However, my eyes water a lot so it doesn't last all day on me. I got my eyebrows threaded yesterday and the eyeliner didn't survive. I'm not sure if I would buy this at full price.

4.) I've wanted to try out lancome products for a while now. I've heard about these products from youtubers like rachel whitehurst and carly cristman. The mascara (hypnose star $28) and the eyeliner (art liner $30) are both full size! This also came with deluxe samples of their eye makeup remover (bi-facil full size $28) and mascara base (cils booster xl full size $24). I got all of this for $34 (or $4 more than the liner). So far I've only tried the eyeliner and the makeup remover, which are both really nice! The makeup remover is so unbelievably gentle! I've never used one that doesn't require some tugging at my eye. I may buy the full bottle when this is empty. The eyeliner is really nice, however I haven't decided yet if I would buy another to replace this one. It would probably have to depend on how long a full size one lasts me. This is my first high-end liquid eyeliner pen. I've used drugstore versions in the past and they were a waste of money in my opinion.

5.) I'm not sure who inspired me to want to try korres lip butters, but this seemed like a great way to try them out. I got three full size lip butters(normally $12 each) and three full dize lip butter glazes (normally $14 each). If I had bought all this seperately I would have spent $78 rather than the $39 I spent online at sephora. I wanted to try the lip butters because I've heard that they are really moisturizing for the lips and smell amazing. They are both of those things, however they didn't leave my lips moisturized for as long as I had hoped. I have really dry and chapstick-addicted lips. I'm hoping to find a solution to both of those problems, however korres is not it. These are really nice though. I would recommend these as a nice lip balm. These are subtle enough for anyone who likes colored lips (like coral and red) but can't pull that off. In case you were wondering what flavors I have, lip butters -- guava, pomegranate, quince and lip butter glazes -- jasmine, raspberry, wild rose.

Let me know what you think of these items if you already own them and use them. I would love to know, especially on the products I haven't opened and tried yet. What makeup products did you buy this month?

XOXO

September 2012 Haul

Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay of this. I've been super busy. The pictures aren't the best since I took them with my camera phone and at almost 10 pm at night.

 

 

MAC Haute and Naughty Too Black Mascara

 

I've been able to try this out for a few weeks since it's been a little while since I bought it. It's a little weird at first. This actually has two brushes, one pulls out of the other. The first one (the smaller knob) is a smaller and produces a more natural look. The second one (the sparkly knob) is larger and fuller. This produces a more fuller and darker look. I usually use the smaller wand for my lower lashes and the larger wand for my upper lashes.

 

Here's a picture of me that I posted on instagram a while ago wearing this mascara. I used the larger wand for both my upper and lower lashes in this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes

 

This is the second package I've bought since trying this makeup remover wipes. These are amazing! They smell great and they don't irritate my skin. I recommend these for those with sensitive skin and can't use other makeup remover wipes from other companies.

 

 

Simple Eye Make-up Remover & Swisspers Cotton Rounds

 

The cotton rounds are great for removing makeup. I prefer these over cotton balls. These are pretty basic. The Simple makep remover is nice, not my favorite however. I haven't found my "holy grail" eye makeup remover yet. These irritate my eyes sometimes by making my eye sight fuzzy.

 

 

 

I'll be posting my October 2012 Haul soon. I've bought some interesting things this month so far. :)

XOXO

August 2012 Shopping List

Hi everyone.

Since deciding to start my "no nonsense makeup ban", I've changed my august shopping list.

Various Foundations:

Clinique Stay Matte Foundation ($23 for 1 fl. oz.)

MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation ($27 for 1 fl. oz.)

MAC Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation ($33 for 1.18 fl. oz.)
MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation ($30 for 1.3 fl. oz.)


I've wanted to switch my foundation for awhile now, so I figured I would get some samples and buy a new one before I start school again in September.


Mascara:
MAC Plush Lash ($16)
MAC Opulash ($16)

I'm almost out of my bottle of False Lashes. I was going to repurchase it, however I think I'll try a different one. Plush Lash is $4 cheaper and contains 1 gram more than False Lashes. Opulash is $4 cheaper and contains 3 grams more than False Lashes.

I'm going to be posting a separate back to school shopping list soon. Keep your eyes open for that.



What is on your shopping list?
XOXO

June 2012 Favorites

I've decided to break my monthly favorites, haul, and empties into individual blog posts. Here are my June Favorites!

MAC Tres Cheek Blushes (Lovecloud, Peony Petal, and Full of Joy) - I am in love with these blushes. These are perfect for spring and summer. I've mentioned Lovecloud and Full of Joy in my May Favorites and Peony Petal in my June Haul. These blushes are beautiful. If you can get your hands on these, I highly recommend them.



MAC False Lashes Mascara - This has been my favorite mascara since I bought it a few months ago. I will be repurchasing this when it runs out. I used to only use drugstore mascara, but that's changed since I found this. This is the only MAC mascara I'ved used, so I'm not sure how it compares to their other formulas.



Urban Decay Naked & Naked2 Palettes - I'm so glad I bought these. At first, I didn't think that I would need to own both. However I think if you can afford both and want both, go for it! Here are some combinations that I've been loving:



Chanel Earrings - I've been wearing these a lot this month. I own two pairs, however this is the smaller of the two. Aren't they pretty? Unfortunately one of the stones fell out, so I want to eventually buy another pair.





Daisy Fuentes Glasses - Usually I only wear my glasses during class when I need to take notes, however I've been wearing them a lot more this month. I can see without them, however I've been wearing them during class, when I'm on the computer, and when I'm reading.


Songs - There have been three songs that I have been OBSESSED with this month. They are: Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Eli Young Band, You Don't Know Your Beautiful by One Direction, and Angel Eyes by Love and Theft.

What have you been loving this month?

XOXO

June 2012 Shopping the Stash & Shopping List

Hey everyone!

In addition to my monthly favorites & etc (see my other blog post), I will also be doing a post about the items that I want to buy and use up in my collection for the coming month. This new idea is from another blogger that I follow, The Sunday Girl, called shopping the stash. She does hers every Sunday, however for now I am going to do it every month.

June Shopping the Stash:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (in my project pan)

Max Factor lip gloss in first kiss (part of my gloss out 2012)

Rimmel lasting finish lipstick in airy fairy (in my project pan)

Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm (in my project pan)

N.Y.C. smooth skin bronzing face powder in sunny (in my project pan)

Wet N Wild mega protein mascara in black

Prestige eyeliner in black




This tube of Too Faced Shadow Insurance has been in my collection for around 2 years now. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture (you should be able to zoom in), but it's getting pretty flat! I like it but I want to use it up so that I can try other similar products. Let me know what eyeshadow primers you love.

Max Factor lip gloss in first kiss is a product that I've had since high school (5+ years). I don't think this product is available anymore. It's a pretty pink color, although it's on the sheer side. This is a product in my project gloss out. If you've seen my blog post about gloss out 2012, I consider my lipgloss collection pretty big. Maybe not as big as some peoples, but there are plenty of products that I have been neglecting over the years.



Rimmel lasting finish lipstick in airy fairy is a product that I was originally introduced to by Anna Saccone or The Style Diet on YouTube. I like this shade, however sometimes it's a little to frosty for me. I've used quite a bit of it in the year or two that I've had it. This is a product that I've included in my project pan since it's not my favorite lipstick.


Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm was a product that I bought at my school bookstore after losing my only chapstick. This is a product that I'm surprised so many people like. I don't think this helps with my chapped lips at all. It actually makes them more chapped than before I put it on. I do enjoy the smell though. I wish this performed as my all time favorite chapstick - Blistexs.

N.Y.C. smooth skin bronzing face powder in sunny is another product that I don't like as much as everyone else does. This is just an ok bronzer. Maybe it's because I've never found the right technique for putting on bronzer without looking unnatural. I've had this for about a year, however it doesn't look like it! Don't drop this product - my lid broke off the first time I dropped it. I still use it though. This is a product that I've placed in my project pan. What's your favorite bronzer that you'd recommend me trying after I've finished this one?

Wet N Wild mega protein mascara in black is not my favorite mascara. I would not recommend this even though it is super cheap. This doesn't apply as black and smoothly as I would like. It also smears and wears off throughout the day. Save your money for something else.

Prestige eyeliner in black is a nice eyeliner in my opinion. The reason I want to use it up though is because I have a brand new black eyeliner that I've never opened and my Urban Decay duo from the Naked palette. I find that this eyeliner goes on smoothly and doesn't irritate my eye. It even goes on the upper lash line which has been rare in my experience with pencil eyeliner.

June Shopping List:

MAC Powder Blush in Peony Petal ($20.00) - MAC describes this as a bright blue pink and is classified as a satin. This blush came out in the beginning of April in the Tres Cheek collection. At the time, I wanted this blush in addition to the other two blushes I bought - lovecloud and full of joy. I didn't buy it because I couldn't afford the $60 price tag at the time. I'm glad it's still avaiable online because it's beautiful. I actually ordered this last night (June 1). Did you buy this when it originally came out?

Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover ($9.50) - I want to try this out when my current eye makeup remover runs out (Olay). This has a lot of good reviews on Sephora's website. Also, if you are a fan of the Vampire Diaries, I recently found a picture of Elena's bathroom and this was on her counter. So if you want to use the same eye makeup remover as Elena Gilbert, you can buy this. :) Have you ever used this before? I've only recently got into eye makeup removers. I used to use cold cream. How do you remover your eye makeup?

Dillard's Tailored Goldtone Chain Necklace ($28.00) - I've wanted a necklace like this ever since I started watching deanne5253 on YouTube. I've also seen this type of necklace on pinksofoxy on YouTube. I like that this can be worn long or layered since it's 65 inches long. This necklace comes in goldtone, silvertone, rose goldtone, and hamatite-tone. I'm leaning toward the goldtone, however I would have to see them in person to compare them. This is the cheapest version I've found of this necklace. It looks like such a nice necklace for everyday and for when you're dressing up a little bit.

Blue Sky Weekly/Monthly Planner ($16.99-$18.99) - I have been using these planners for the past two years. This planner has tabbed weekly and monthly calendar views. I usually buy these from Office Max. I like the larger versions (8.5x11). On their website, I'm liking the circa, mulberry clear (shown), fiona clear, linnea, and victoria patterns. Some of these planners run from January - December while others are July - June so be careful which one you buy. There are some January - December patterns that I like however I need the July - June planners.

XOXO