Dec 13, 2010

NYC Lippin' Large lip plumper


What NYC Cosmetics says about Lippin' Large lip plumper lipgloss: "New York Color Lippin' Large Lip Plumper gives you noticeably fuller-looking, plumper lips. Cinnamon and Ginger help to enhance lip shape and fullness. The warm tingly sensation means it's working! Enriched with Vitamin E to hydrate, smooth, and soothe. Lips look and feel fuller, plumper, and kissable!"

My thoughts: When I first came across it I thought it was a little bit too pricey for a lipgloss tube, especially one made by NYC, but beforehand I had heard some good things about it so I picked out a color and bought it.

The color I have is in Strawberry Mousse, a light pink and golden glitters and shimmers. The lipgloss is featured in a clear squeeze tube and has clear screw cap and the applicator is slanted. The gloss has a light sweet scent.

My first reaction to it......... was that it had nice color pigmentation. Texture is not too goopy, sticky, or thick. It has a nice smooth consistency and kept my lips moist.

The percentage of glossiness is pretty good, I’d say just as shiny as a MAC lipglass. Within a few seconds I could feel the tingling sensation on my lips, not stinging just tingling and cool.

I wore it for several hours but after an hour or so, I wanted to see if it created any kind of plump in my lips. After making a judgement I noticed my lips looked about the same.

For what its worth, I really like the way it stayed on my lips, I was able to drink water without it transferring too much.

I am going to rate it an 8.5 out of 10 scale. I give it this rating because of the nice pigmentation and the lasting quality. Furthermore the points taken away reflect how little my lips plumped out.

I like the way NYC has a variety of colors in this formula and the amount of product in each tube is good, .55 oz to be exact.

NYC is available in CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target as well as other websites, please Google for more information!

Other Colors:

Very Clear (471)
Strawberry Mousse (472)
Peach Parfait (473)
Toffee Kiss (474)
Pink Champagne (475)
Plum Tart (476)

Which Lip Plumper Lipgloss do you like? Love? Please let me know your recommendations!

---NYC Lippin' Large lip plumper lipgloss---

product: 4 stars out of 5

packaging: 3 stars out of 5

quality: 4 stars out of 5

overall : 3.5 stars out of 5

would buy again? Yes

pros: Pigmented color, lasts on the lips, affordable, quantity.

cons: Doesn't plump like it should, a bit on the expensive side especially for NYC cosmetics.


Dec 8, 2010

Blush and Bronzer had a...uh...little accident

This is what happens when you are not too careful with your most favorite compacts or powders! Ok, so there is good news and bad news to this makeup violation: The good news is that I have about 5 backups of the blush (on the right), the bad news is that my most favorite bronzer ever (on the left) is by Tropez, which to my knowledge is discontinued


Since this has happened I'm very careful as to not move it around so much, in fear that I may lose pieces. I still use it but I dip my brush in it very carefully



I can't look at it anymore, it's just so sad looking! LOL

Has this sort of thing ever happened to you? Which beauty product was it?

Lamingtons...For those with a sweet tooth!



Tomorrow happens to be our annual Christmas party for my group at work...which means gift exchanging, lots of high calorie food and fun! I wanted so much to bring something savory to eat like cornbread stuffing or broccoli cheese casserole, instead I felt something sweet can never go wrong at a Christmas party! I didn't want to bring something boring so I opted to take a crack at making homemade Lamingtons! When I first heard of Lamingtons from Nat or CommunityChannel of Youtube, which she'd mention all the time, I just knew it would be something I would like.
Lamingtons are a sweet delicacy of Australia. They've been known to taste so good and be so popular that most bakery shops sell-out very fast after putting them out to sell. Lamingtons are little cubes of cake that have been dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut....how good does that sound! And yes, they are yummy! I could not find desiccated coconut at my local grocery store, they carry regular 'sweetened' coconut, which is quite moist and sweet but the recipe called for desiccated coconut which is much smaller and dry....So instead I used sweetened coconut. I started by baking a pound cake, which to me is the perfect cake for dipping due to it's dense nature. Pound cake mixes can be found at the grocery store so this was perfect! As soon as the pound cake was cooked and cooled I started the cubing process, which was super fun :)

I made the pound cake in a 9in. x 9in. square pan, this made cutting them into cubes alot easier. Here I've started to cut them into strips

Since the sweetened coconut I had was a little too bulky I did put it in the processor to chop it smaller but it still remained somewhat bulky!

And they are ready to be dipped!

I melted the chocolate frosting in the microwave to get it to be watery....The recipe told me to pour the chocolate over the cubes to avoid getting crumbs in the chocolate but that method did not work for me. I found it easier to dip each one in the chocolate while it was still hot, I could dip about 5 or 6 before the bowl of frosting cooled...

After the dive they are rolled in white coconut, here they are cooling/setting before I place them on the serving tray

What a mess my kitchen was! I probably won't be making these again any time soon! But they did come out tasty *munch munch* LOL

Merry Christmas!

Dec 4, 2010

Christmas Red Lips with Milani Lip Flash

Red lips for a night out, going out to eat, Christmas party, or going shopping!
I recently went on a little shopping trip to my nearest CVS, just to check out the.....yes you guessed, MAKEUP, LOL.....I found these new little Milani Lip Flash lip pencils and dared to try one out, it's good that if I happen to hate it, I can always return it since CVS has a great 'love it or return it' policy. These Lip Flashes are new lipstick pencils made by Milani, made to be a lipstick consistency but in pencil form. They currently have other colors such as Photo Flash, Star Flash and Flashy. I bought my Lip Flash in the color Hot Flash, a true red, with just a touch of shimmering pink sheen.

What the Milani website says about Lip Flash:
"The electric lip look is defined with highly pigmented flashy shimmer colors. Create news worthy lips with extra glossy, high color coverage and moisture rich ingredients. A sharpenable, easy to use, anti-feathering and nontacky lip gloss pencil."

The pencil contains 2.8 grams and retails for $7.99...it comes wrapped up in safety plastic (so nobody can swatch it! eww) and it has a clear cover cap. The pencil is a little 'chubby' but not too skinny. It is very easy to handle.


While the website claims the lip color to be 'extra glossy' I feel that is somewhat over-exaggerated. It's true that the lip color has rich pigmentation and is nicely moisturizing, the glossiness is not 100% instead a nice little smidget of shine. In any case, I feel the shine in Hot Flash is due to the cool little pigment or pearl sheen that is in the color....I've taken a closeup in the pic below that somewhat exhibits the gorgeousness of the sheen!


What I really love about the Lip Flash is the moisturizing quality! The lipstick itself is soft, smooth, glides on very smoothly, and keeps your lips moisturized and supple. Another key note: The high color coverage...I can't believe the amount of color of the pigmentation, which at first application is a great saturation of color on the lips, you only need one coat...After my first application the pencil hadn't looked at all used, which is very good-I don't have to keep re-sharpening it! So does it last on the lips? and if so for how long? In my case the Lip Flash lasted for a few hours, about 4, it is not entirely transfer proof but I can say if you drink beverages during the day, etc, you may lose some of the color. It transferred alot when I kissed my hand and I drink alot of water, seemed to transfer there as well but after about 4 hours the color still looked intact.
  

Dec 2, 2010

Mascara: Loreal Double Extend - Carbon Black

For some reason Mascara Primers seem to be coming out the woodwork lately, is it just me? Because of the outbreak of lash primers I decided to try one out for myself! I recently got the Loreal Carbon Black Double Extend mascara.......


Currently Loreal has three types of mascaras with a white primer on the opposite end. Double Extend (average $9), Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara ($10-$11) and Double Extend with Lash Boosting Serum ($10-$11) I have yet to try the Double Extend Beauty Tubes or the Lash Boosting mascara.


At first I was not too fond of the primer, I tried applying it a few times, even putting on about 5 coats before any of the 'white' primer showed up on my lashes. Afterwards I did apply the black mascara on top and the outcome was so-so. I've had better experience at creating a curl even without using a primer...
For me, this mascara was a big 'miss'....I'm eager to try out the Double Extension Beauty Tubes mascara


So this is my question to you gals...Which lash primer and mascara do you love? Leave your comments and suggestions in the comment box of this post!

Dec 1, 2010

Hard Candy's Ginormous Mascara

Who doesn't love Hard Candy cosmetics? Good, quality makeup at afforable prices! One of my 'must-trys' from a few weeks ago was the Ginormous Mascara by Hard Candy.


Here is what the packaging looks like....Looks gorgeous to me! Even better, they color the tubes according to what color the mascara is, how cute it that!

I'm dying to try out the other colors!


What I love about this mascara is that if you curl your lashes and apply the mascara they do not budge. I'm not saying your lashes appear to feel stiff or too hard, they are actually quite soft but sturdy at the same time.

The only thing I don't like about the Ginormous Mascara is that the brush is just a tad too wide, especially for those hard to reach lashes.

Below: A single coat of Ginormous mascara....


I have mine in Carbon Black. Other colors available include Electric Blue, Purple Haze, and even a gold color called Stash...
Product contains 12.6 grams, $5 each


Hard Candy cosmetics can be purchased at participating Walmart stores!

Review of Yuko Repair Through

Yuko is the original Japanese Hair Straightening company in the United States. The patented revolutionary technology straightens hair without compromising the hair’s health or vibrance.

I had a wonderful chance to experience Yuko products for myself. I was contacted and sent a free bottle of Yuko's Repair Through hair formula.
-------------------- 

I had never heard of the company Yuko until they contacted me to review some of their products. According to their website... 

"Yuko Hair Straightening, also known as Japanese hair straightening, is the world renowned U.S. patented method recognized as the leading brand of chemical hair straightening that gives you low maintenance, shiny, hassle-free straight hair. No matter how curly or unruly your hair is, Yuko will create the results you’ve always wanted."

I was intrigued by their hair care products and services but even before looking around the website I just thought they sold Japanese hair care products, nothing more, but it turned out to be more than that.

My Hair Background: My hair has always been a big disaster, too many years of not conditioning and plenty of sun (I do live in Texas, lol). To me it has always been a dried heap of wavy hair and brittle ends. I gave up on it long ago, I don’t have a hair stylist because of past bad experiences...So what I’m left with is to care and style my own hair, which can be a good thing if you have the right tools! And to be honest I never would’ve bought a hair product costing more than $15, but now since I have it, I really like it and can get use to paying a little more for quality.

So this Repair Through lotion meets my expectations and beyond. Sure it may be a bit pricey but in my opinion it’s worth it.

About the Repair Through:  
It contains Aqua-Gold, which is a water-soluble ingredient specifically created for Yuko by Phiten’s
Phild process technology. The Aqua-Gold helps deliver nutrients into the hair faster, smoother and more evenly. Our Repair Through also contains amino acids, silicone, and is alcohol-free. It prevents split
ends, reduces tangles, and protects your hair from the damage that can be caused by using a blow dryer or flat iron. Adds natural shine and moisture. Micro-emulsion formula gentle to the hair."

Comes in a light blue spray bottle containing 6.8 fl.oz of product. Retails for $24.00.

Directions:


Ingredients:


My experience using it:
-I applied it on my hair when it was dry and also when it was damp…

-Immediately after the application my hair felt soft and smooth

-Drying time was very fast

-2 days later my hair still felt very soft and looks shiny

You might like this hair product if you:
-Have dry hair

-Want to make your hair more shiny but not oily

-Want to protect your hair during flat-ironing or curling

-Want softer, smoother hair

Rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars

Overall: I am very satisfied with the Repair Through. I’m thinking about getting the Repair Cream and the Shampoo just to try it out.


Aside from the Repair Through that was sent to me, Yuko products and services include treatments such as Hair Straightening, also known as Japanese hair straightening, shampoos, lock-in treatments, Repair treatment creams and Repair sprays.

Lipgloss Spotlight: Mary Kay Nourishine lipgloss

Happy Holidays gals! I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was wonderful as was mine, I cooked the entire meal from scratch and had my family over at my house and had a great time! My very nice sister-in-law spent the rest of the week with us, I painted her nails and tinted her hair and we just sat around and talked....But all good things must come to an end, it was back to work on Monday! bah! I think the only great thing about returning to work on Monday was all the emails about the sales for Cyber Monday, I did haul a few things so I should be featuring them soon!

A while back a good friend of mine, Jeanette, had a Mary Kay party but unfortunately I wasn't able to go. I told her that I would order from her anyway so I went online to see what they had. Actually it was quite difficult for me to choose since most of the swatches on their website are hard to differenciate. My only choice was to take a chance on a lipgloss color. I'm not really a big fan of Mary Kay products, I've mentioned this before, but I was really intrigued by this lipgloss, I just had to share

Mary Kay Nourishine lipgloss in Fancy Nancy


The truth about this lipgloss is that it isn't at all that shiny, I should have compared the shine with another lipgloss but I would say they come close in shine like the Avon Glazewear Lipgloss.

It is a light Pink/Coral shade with tiny gold sparkles.
Comes with a doe-foot applicator.
Is only $1 cheaper than a MAC lipgloss.
Comes in a few other colors (but in my opinion I wish they would make more colors!)

I really like to layer this gloss over a deep color like a fuchsia pink or true red, it really brings out the sparkles!
This gloss is not sticky at all, it has a smooth consistency, keeps your lips moisturized and stays on quite a while. As I mentioned before, it isn't shiny all that much but I guess you could apply a top coat of your favorite clear gloss if you want more shine.

Nov 5, 2010

Sally Hansen Nail Art nail polish pens


Where to buy: CVS, Target, Walgreens, Walmart
Price: Varies...I purchased these for $7.99 each and haven't really seen them any less anywhere else

I initially bought these to use on some fake nails to design something cute for halloween, then I was just going to keep them for future use...

My first thought:
The red was a frosty, rusty, disgusting color and the black was just horrible....Runny, watery, pale, and wouldn't stick to any surface!

A color that is good: The pure White one is really nice....the color itself is highly pigmented and stays put

So, exhibit A. Red on top, black on bottom


Notice how the black puddles in the middle and leaves the outer all grey and stupid? Also, I tested out a line on the bottom....overall it's a watery shame :(

The Red: I was not expecting it to be this frosty red-rust color, I was actually
hoping for something like a pure red creme color...


Loved the white color, but decided to return these kids back to CVS because I feel as overpriced that these are, Sally Hansen won't get my approval unless all of the pens are of good quality!

What is your favorite Nail Art pen/polish?


A Great Time Shopping

What is it with me and my hauls? I won't pretend that I hardly noticed the long absence I take blame for (sorry!) but for your enjoyment here is one of my latest hauls!

So I heard a few good things about the new lipglosses by NYC, comparable to Urban Decay Ultraglide glosses. At first I bought Plaza Punch (a favorite of mine) and went and bought 2 more (big mistake). While Plaza Punch has alot more 'color' the other 2 I have aren't as pigmented...instead give off sheer color but nice shine.
Mulberry St. Mocha
Plaza Punch (favorite!)
Big Apple Red
and a new lipgloss I really like is Lippin' Large in Pink Champagne

Found some Loreal on-the-loose shadows! Only 1 color at Dollar Tree...but I grabbed it, anyway I don't have this color!
Airy Azure - A light shimmering turquoise (sort of reminds me of the Tiffany color)

Another new favorite is the Plexi Gloss by Hard Candy, found at Walmart stores
Mauve - Alous

"Hi, I'm Erica and I'm addicted to Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks."

('Sandalwood Beige and Mauvy Night')

...and it doesn't quite help when there are sales all around me, for example, my local grocery store has them for $2 right now!!!!!!!!!!
Yikes, I better make more room in my lipstick box :D

'Toast of New York'

'Kiss me Coral' and 'Ginger Rose'

'Peach Me'

'Berry Haute'

The collection by MAC called Venomous Villians was a big hit and I only took home 1 item, which was a lipstick, you know me!
'Innocence Beware! is not too light and not at all bright, but instead gives a soft bare pink color on the lips, since it is a creamsheen the lipstick has lots of shine...

MAC-Innocence Beware!, Revlon-Peach me, Ginger Rose, Sandalwood Beige, Berry Haute, Kiss me Coral, Toast of New York, and Mauvy Night...

It came finally! I've been dying to play around with the colors and actually use it for work, can't wait! I'm the proud owner of a...
Urban Decay 'Naked' Palette

comes with a tiny little eyeshadow primer called UDPP

(colors: Virgin, Sin, Naked...)

12 shadows in all, for $44 dollars and it also comes with Zero and Whisky - the 24/7 glide on liners by Urban Decay....
....Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked....

...Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted....

...Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal.

For halloween I decided to design something cute on each finger but I didn't have a good orange polish so I picked up this color at Sallys

Japanese Koi

All the other polishes came from all over...
Touch of Mink

Van D'go (a very nice color)

Galaxy Girl (still not sure about this color, it may go back)

Meet for Drinks (the pic doesn't do this polish much justice, this is a really nice purple burgundy color with tiny sparkles)

Moonstruck (not sure if I included this color in my last haul, lol)

Stellare Notte (same for this one! haha)

Arcadia Aqua (this is some strange brand I found, but the color is really nice!)

Last but not least, my newest addition is a nail polish by NARS called Pokerface...

So, here are the halloween nails I mentioned earlier but I'm missing one?

One thing that I love collecting (other than makeup!) are movies. I try to at least find my all-time favorites or classics....pretty much anything made in the 80's make the top of my list...Here are some I've bought recently...

(super old-school 80's!)

Honestly, this is the original Avatar...

Love it!


One of my favorites

 Some more pens to add to my little collection...

A gift for myself
Something very important is going on with me at the moment and to reward myself for my hard work I decided to buy this cute Coach wristlet in purple...I will let you all know how I am doing with my change, if you don't know already! haha

Good Night my friends,

Erica, LaliAmora