Lush Christmas 2012 Haul No. 1

Lush Christmas 2012 Haul No. 1

I am excited about all of Lush's Christmas stuff!  My first shipment came in last week.  I ordered on-line because the stores weren't carrying any of the Christmas items yet.  Also, I wanted to purchase some on-line only Retro items.  Here's what I got:

1. Twilight Bath Gel (8.4 oz) - love the smell of lavender so I have high hopes for this
2. Snow Fairy (8.4 oz) - the best-selling cotton candy scented pink gel now has a new label
3. Sexy Boy Massage Bar (2) - this is a retro item and I wanted to try it because it sounds so good, a chocolate-y lime scent!  This is bigger than I thought it would be, doesn't fit into any of the tins.
4. Snow Globe Soap
5. North Pole Soap - I'm excited about this one, it's supposed to be similar to Candy Cane Soap
6. Snow Cake Soap - smells like almond icing, mmmmm.  I have the hand cream in Smitten which has the same scent.  It's subtle, not like Laura Mercier's almond scented bath products (of which I am also a fan)
7. Snuggle Body Butter - I haven't tried this yet but I like body butters so we'll see. This one is for use at bed time. It's supposed to dry to a powdery finish which is intriguing.  

I have two more shipments of Christmas items coming.  The problem is that some items sell out quickly and are restocked at different times.  I have an order of only Bath Bombs and Bath Melts coming as well as an order of Buche de Noel facial cleanser which was sold out for a while.  I am finished with Herbalism and wanted to give Buche de Noel a try in the winter months.  I'll post those hauls as well as some reviews when I use these items.

Thanks for stopping by!  

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Lush Halloween 2012 Haul - Pumpkin Soap and Calacas Shower Jelly

Lush Haul - Halloween 2012

I missed out on some of the Lush limited edition Halloween stuff since I checked on-line too late but I was able to find a few items at my local store.  I called around and it seems like most of the stores in Los Angeles are carrying the same 4 items:  Calacas Shower Jelly, Pumpkin Soap, Twilight Bath Gel and the Enchanter Bath Bomb.  I purchased the Pumpkin Soap and Calacas Shower Jelly.

The Pumpkin Soap smells delicious and the scent is perfect for the fall.  Smells a little bit like pumpkin pie filling but not as sweet.  It suds well and the scent does not linger on the skin.  I prefer this because while I love the smell of pumpkin during the fall, I don't necessarily want to walk around smelling like one.  I bought three of these, 2 for me and 1 to give to a friend.

I was a little hesitant about purchasing the Calacas Shower Jelly because shower jellies in general look like a lot of work.  I've read that some reviewers chop them up and then put a little on the loofah.  Some pinch off a piece and then work it up into a lather.  Others say that a lot of it ends up wasted since it can be messy to work with.  However, this jelly comes in a smaller size and the Lush associate did a demo where she just used it like a bar of soap.  She plopped the whole thing into her hand and then rubbed it around her arm.  Suds up a little bit.  This smells like those generic lime lollipops with clear plastic wrappers.  I love that one side looks like a skull in celebration of Dia De Los Muertos:

Love Lush!  I already placed an order for some of the Christmas 2012 limited edition items.  They are stocking more and more stuff each day.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with this company.

Review: My Beauty Diary Aloe Sheet Mask

 

My Beauty Diary Aloe Sheet Mask

If you've read my blog before then you know I'm currently obsessed with Asian beauty products.  I am loving sheet masks.  I recently tried My Beauty Diary's Aloe Mask which I purchased from Amazon.com for about $14 (1 box with 10 pieces).  My Beauty Diary has dozens of masks from which to choose.  I picked this one because I didn't want anything whitening but I believe "Black Pearl" is the most popular formula.  For reference, I have normal/combination skin with occasional breakouts and I'm in my 30s.  The aloe mask is targeted towards people with "normal skin, especially recommended for dry and damaged skin."

Here's the directions from the package (also printed below picture):

In case you can't read that, it says:  1) Unfold mask, 2) Fit gently over face, 3) Let mask rest on your face for 20 -30 minutes, 4) Remove mask and massage any remaining serum with your fingertips to ensure that it is absorbed.  Do not rinse off.

The sheet itself is like a thin piece of cotton soaked in serum.  There are holes for your eyes, mouth, etc.  To me, it felt soothing and moisturizing although I didn't think it did anything miraculous like erase fine lines or make acne disappear overnight.  The serum is like a lightweight thin watery gel.  Some mask serums are stickier than others but I found this one to have a nice consistency.  It easily massages into my skin after I remove the sheet from my face but I do have to wipe off the excess with a towel.  I've used it a few times and it doesn't make me break out.  The reason I like sheet masks is because I like to pamper myself every once in a while and this is an inexpensive way to do that.  I pop one on after I wash my face and just sit back and relax with a celebrity gossip magazine.

Would I purchase this again?  Maybe, but there are so many other formulas that I would rather try a few more and decide which one I like best.  Other formulas include:  Red Vine Wine, Sake Yeast, Strawberry Yogurt, Mexico Cactus, Bulgarian White Rose, and the list goes on.  If you have a favorite My Beauty Diary Mask, let me know in the comments section below.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned.

Makeup Vanity and Storage - IKEA, Muji and Ott-Lite

I live in an apartment so space is somewhat limited.  I used to store all my makeup in the bathroom but I read that this can be bad for makeup because of the humidity and heat from showers.  Plus, my bathroom counter was starting to look really cluttered and I missed the extra space.  I was planning to buy a small vanity for my bedroom but my brother is moving and he gave me his small IKEA table (similar here) with matching chair.  I took a look at it and decided why not.  Hey, it's free!

So, my bathroom used to look like this (yes, my complex was built in the 60s, hence the "retro" cabinets):

Before - very cluttered.  Train case is from Sephora.

After setting this up in a corner of my bedroom, my makeup storage and space now looks like this:

After - much more organized and bathroom counter is not cluttered

In order to turn the table into a makeshift vanity, I ordered another Muji storage unit and an Ott-Lite mirror.  The storage units are great and much cheaper than the designer acrylic cases used by Kim Kardashian.  I think each of the Muji units were $27.  The Ott-Lite can retail for $100 but I found it on Amazon.com for $60.  The brush holder is also from Amazon.com and the lipstick display case was a gift from a friend.  I believe it's Bobbi Brown but it's about 10 years old.

The Ott-Lite mirror is going to take a little while to get used to.  I read several reviews that said it provided the most natural light.  I think it's bright!  I am also not used to doing my makeup in a mirror where I can see so much detail due to the light and the ability to move it so close to my face.  Since I'm in my 30s, I really could do without seeing everything.  Kidding (mostly), it's fantastic!  I realized I was not blending my foundation as well as I thought.  I can also pluck every stray little hair on my eyebrows since the other side of the mirror flips to 5x magnification.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the outcome and I am glad my makeup has a new home...away from bathroom steam.

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned.

Review: Benefit One Hot Minute Powder on NC30

Benefit One Hot Minute

I'm a sucker for cute packaging and Benefit has some fun products.  A few months ago I decided to purchase One Hot Minute because I had read somewhere (a blog? a magazine article?) that it makes a good bronzer.  Plus, the packaging is so cute!  On a whim, I added it to my cart when I was buying some household stuff on Amazon.com.

The loose powder comes in a vintage looking round tin with a mini fan brush.  The tin is messy because you can't precisely control how much powder comes out of those little holes, especially if it tips over in a makeup bag.  So I pretty much never bring this product with me when I travel.

Now for some swatches:

Can you see the swatch? If not see below.

See, very subtle!

As for the shade, it is definitely not a bronzer on me (NC30 in MAC Studiofix Powder Foundation).  Maybe on an NC15/NW15 or lighter this would work as a bronzer.  On my skin tone, this adds more of a nice glow.  Benefit markets this product as a "rose-gold" luminizer so it does its job.  It's a sheer rosy nude color with shimmer.  The shimmer is subtle, no big glitter particles here.  I use a Smashbox fan brush to apply this powder pretty much all over my face.  I don't know if this would work for deeper skin tones since it is so subtle on me.  Overall I like this product and I will continue to use it but I probably won't repurchase.  I really wasn't looking for a luminizing powder.  I should have read more reviews before I purchased this. Ha!

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned.

Review: Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation in Warm Golden on NC30

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation in 320 Warm Golden

I was never a fan of drugstore foundations...until now.  I read all the rave reviews about Revlon's Colorstay Whipped Foundation and decided I must try it.  I was running out of my usual Makeup Forever HD Foundation anyway.  So I headed to Target and came home with the color 320 Warm Golden.  I read a ton of reviews before I made my purchase.  It's impossible to see what color you are getting because the glass container is so thick that every color looks similar. 

320 Warm Golden

Swatch of 320 Warm Golden 

This full-coverage foundation has a nice semi-matte finish and leaves my skin looking flawless.  It hides imperfections like minor hyperpigmention pretty well.  The shade 320 Warm Golden is a good match for my NC30 skin tone although I wish it were a little bit more yellow.  The texture is like Cool Whip.  I have to be careful about the application because I layered too much once and my face looked and felt very cakey.  I find the easiest way to apply it is with my fingers and it blends nicely.  I have normal/combination skin and the formula lasts all day (that I am awake and wearing makeup).  The packaging says it's 24-hour coverage but I don't know about that.

When I wear this foundation I first apply a layer of Eucerin's Daily Protection Moisturizer in SPF 30.  After that, I dip a mini spatula or Qtip in the foundation pot and apply little dots over my face.  Then I use my fingers to blend.  Viola!  Flawless skin.  I don't use any powder to set it although I do blot during the afternoon to control slight shine on my t-zone.  I use Clean and Clear Blotting Sheets or Maybelline's Dream Matte Pressed Powder in Medium Sand.

Overall, this was a great purchase for $11.99!  Give it a try!

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with any of these companies.  Although all of my links are for Target, you can purchase these products at other retailers such as CVS, Rite Aid and Drugstore.com.

Review: NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Smoky Look and Pink Rose

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Pink Rose (top) and Smoky Look

A lot of the YouTube beauty gurus mention NYX Cosmetics and I believe it's supposed to be a drugstore brand.  However, I've never found it at any of the drugstores in my area (San Fernando Valley, CA).  I purchased these two Mega Shine Lip glosses on-line at Amazon.com for $5.50 each.  Ulta carries NYX too.

There's a wide variety of colors to choose from and I picked two:  Smoky Look and Pink Rose.  Smoky Look is a nude pinky-beige with subtle shimmer and Pink Rose is a vivid pink with a lot of shimmer.  While these glosses are not opaque, they give my lips a nice wash of color.  I was impressed by the quality. They are not sticky or tacky but they do provide a high shine.  This is in contrast to my Guerlain Kiss Kiss gloss which is also shiny but much more sticky.  The NYX gloss is not a long wearing formula so like many lip glosses, I have to reapply often if I want to have color on my lips all day.

L to R:  Pink Rose and Smokey Look

The cap of the lip gloss wand has cute little bows!

The one thing that I am not too sure about is the flavor.  The glosses have a strong fake cherry flavor that is very artificial.  On the one hand, I'd rather have a lip gloss taste like fake fruits instead of chemicals.  But on the other hand, the flavor reminds me of cherry flavored Nyquil.  Overall all though, I would repurchase this lip gloss and I want to try other colors.  I definitely think they are worth $5.50.

Disclaimer:  I'm not affiliated with any of these companies.