Haulage in Baltimore, Part I: Forever XXI

Hey there!

So as you may have read in a past post, I went to Baltimore last month. While I was there, there was nothing for me to do but eat and shop, so I'm going to show you all what I bought.

First I hit Forever XXI. I love how inexpensive this store is, especially the beauty supplies. I bought a nail polish and two eye trios for a very low price...I want to say like $8.

The polish is a flakie in a sheer green base. It was the last one there and it has some boring name like "Light Green." It´s really pretty in person and for $2 you can't beat it. One trio is a pale yellow, warm light pink, and light purple. The other is neutrals: a pale beige, medium brown, and a cool darker brown. They all had pretty good pigmentation. I like them for travel or to leave in my bag.

Finally we have Claire's, where I bought a lot more than I thought. I blame the boredom. I went home with a sparkly headband, a duochrome polish, the precious metals mini collection, an ear cuff, and a hair donut.

Sparkly goodness!

 This is a mini set, so each bottle is 0.25 mL, which is perfect for a mini bottle (NOT 0.125oz....you know who I'm looking at). These are gorgeous for layering. These are not small glitters; they're larger pieces than the ones I usually buy. On the left, we have a holo glitter, next a purple, green, and blue glitter, next a blue and purple glitter, then a pink glitter, and finally a black and holo glitter. I love the look of these big glitter pieces.

This is Claire's Drops of Jupiter, which is from the Starstruck collection, which is pretty shimmers. Train earbug, anyone? This is a teal-to-pink duochrome with a glassfleck texture. I layered it over Zuza (and failed to take pictures) but the pink was fairly noticeable. I was afraid it wouldn't show up but it did make its appearance. Pretty shade, really cool bottle.

Here's a picture of my ear cuff. These have turned into my newest obsession and I plan on going back to get three more with my coupon. I've wanted a cartilage piercing for ages but since my parents have never been too keen on it, I'm stuck with these for a bit. But I love them! A warning though: the rainbow coloring on this one has completely rubbed off and it's now just silver, so if you buy it, put some clear polish over it to protect the coloring.

So that's about it. I haven't posted a haul in a long time...I've just found pictures in the abyss of my computer of about 6 of them...woops. With that, I'll talk to you later!

Thanks for reading!

Janna

Urban Decay Haul - Part Two

Hello there! Welcome to Part 2 of my haul! For part 1 and pictures/swatches of the UD Vegan Palette and Lip Love Gloss in Stung, click here.


Now I'm going to show you the eyeshadow singles I selected at $9 each. I chose X, Mildew, and Last Call. As you can see, the shadows are packaged in a clear little box, and that box had a coordinating color label on it, which I thought was cute. X was pink, Last Call, purple, and Mildew, green. Just wanted to mention that.

X is a stunning pink with a strong gold sheen in the pan; when swatched, it's mostly a pale rose gold. Mildew is a deep olive shimmer that's darker than I expected. Last Call is a gorgeous deep shade bordering magenta and berry. This shade in particular is really unique in my collection.

Here they are swatched dry:

There was very little product on my finger, so the swatches are light. But rest assured they're very pigmented and smooth. X is a tad bit pinker in real life.


Then I sprung for the Sparkling Lickable Body Powder. When this was on sale (it sadly isn't anymore), there were three shades pictured but only one was on sale, so that's the one I got. Here's Marshmallow, swatched next to the shadows. Note: now, since it's not on sale anymore, the font on the packaging is a different. I guess that's why they were cleaning out old ones.

Shown next to Benefit Sugarbomb for reference. This thing is huge.

The packaging is so pretty and the container is huge! I also love the powder puff and can't wait to luxuriously dab it on before a night out (ha, who am I kidding?). This stuff smells super sweet; it's a little overpowering when it's all in the container, but on the skin it mellows out. The texture of this, and the appearance in general, reminds me a bit of a nail polish, oddly: Orly Winter Wonderland. There are sparkly tiny flakes that are iridescent white with hints of blue and pink. It's pretty up close but just appears white at a normal distance. It tastes good too!



Finally, I ordered the Body Jewelry Temporary Tattoos because they looked interesting and they are currently, wait for it, two whole dollars. Who could pass that up? They come in this huge roll thing that I can't figure out how to open. There's a video on the page for these tattoos that shows these babies in action.

One more thing that they included with my order: A Naked foundation sample! Seriously, I was/am more excited for this than anything else because I've been wanting to treat myself to a mid- or high-end foundation once my tan fades.

These samples are bigger than any other foundation samples I've ever received and I've gotten quite a few in my lifetime. There is definitely enough product in them for a full face. I'm excited to check out 2.0 because that's what the Urban Decay website suggested I try when I was researching this foundation; it was just luck that it was included in the sample though. The shades 3.5, 4.0, and 8.0 are also included. These are the ones UD considers to be their most popular.

If you don't fit any of those shades, there is a transparent set of swatches that you can hold to your jawline to find your match.

So that's my haul and swatches! If you have any questions, let me know and I'll be happy to answer them. What's your must-have UD product? Did you take advantage of the sale? Or are you going to?

Thanks for reading!

Janna

Urban Decay Haul - Part One

Hey guys!

The first time I seriously started looking into buying Urban Decay products was with the release of the (say it with me) Naked Palette. I own a few brown eyeshadows, but of course, mine paled in comparison to the deep, rich, smoldering neutrals of that famous UD palette. But me being my indecisive-to-a-fault self - and partly, the price tag - I couldn't commit to ordering it. After the release of the Naked2 Palette, my fever grew worse; I poured over too many blogs, staring at swatches and watching videos comparing Naked 1 and Naked 2 (how many different swatches of the same palette can one girl look at? a ton.), now having the even-harder choice of deciding between them. What would it be, that rich gunmetal gray and lovely plum of 1 or that AMAZING double-sided brush and deep matte black of 2? Ultimately, I ended up set on getting Naked1 and continue to pray for UD to release that double-sided brush separately (it would save space when I travel!).

Fast forward to August 9th, around 3AM EST:
I'm perusing blogs, about 5 days behind on my trusty Google Reader, when I scroll across THIS POST by G. of Nouveau Cheap (if you love cheap stuff, you're already following her). A massive Urban Decay sale! Oh, wait, it started 4 days ago. There's nothing good left.

Side note: This ALWAYS happens to me when I'm behind on blogs. I miss out on sales or things that need my immediate attention. Like free facebook samples. Still bitter. ANYWAY. Moving on.

I clicked on the link to the site anyway, and after reading a quick parody of Call Me Maybe advertising their sale, I started shopping. Two hours later (I'm a night owl), I had checked out, after having searched tons of swatches of the goodies being offered at amazing prices, deciding what I want, and committing to clicking the Checkout button and fill out all the information and confirm (am I the only one who has a hard time clicking 'Submit order'?) While I didn't end up with the Naked Palette, I ended up spending the same amount of money on a bunch of makeup that I love, instead of one palette.

So now that that long story is over, here's part I of my haul and swatches!

First up is the Vegan Palette. This is honestly the best $13 I've ever spent; you get 6 eyeshadows, 3 of which are Naked dupes (and my most sought-after shades in the Naked palette), 1 mini 24/7 Liner and one mini UD Primer Potion in Sin. Imagine my excitement over this palette since I've never used a UD liner or UDPP in my life. Shocking, I know.

The shades are Minx, Urb, Gunmetal, Twice Baked, Smog, and Half Baked. They're all gorgeous. Here are some swatches.

Minx and Urb were hard to swatch since there are some glitter chunks in those shades. Once I start using the shadows I'm sure they'll be easier to pick up. The one I was most looking forward to (Die-hard UD fans are going to laugh) was Half Baked. It's in a ton of their palettes, I know, but it's such a pretty shimmery gold-brown fusion and I love it. Plus, I'm new to Urban Decay, remember?

 Next I have Lip Love Lipgloss in Stung. This was a whopping $4 and Stung was the only shade available for that price. It looked scary in the picture and swatched on the skin; it's a very deep berry color that looks close to black, but in swatches it sheers out on the lips to produce a nice berry tint. It's a squeeze tube that has a slanted tip.

Once I swatched this I noticed two things: 1) It smells like baby powder. Odd, but true. It's really weird, but it didn't bother me too much. Just something to mention if smells, especially such specific ones, are definitely not your thing. 2) This feels AMAZING on the lips. It has a very thick consistency, which I thought would make it very sticky, but it is the least sticky gloss I've ever used. It feels like a creamy gel on top of the lips and after removal, your lips feel baby soft. Considering buying a backup or a different shade before the sale's over.

Bare lips for reference

This gloss gives a juicy berry tint

I also ordered the Lickable Body Powder, Body Jewelry Temporary Tattoos and some single eyeshadows which I'm reviewing in a second post because I don't want to make this post any longer. It will be up later tonight!

Everything mentioned in this post is still on the Urban Decay website, though perhaps not at the sale price. Go snatch some stuff up!


Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for part 2!

Janna

Sephora + Pantone Universe Collector's Edition Set: Tangerine Tango

Hey hey!

Today I'm bringing you my latest obsession: the Sephora + Pantone Universe Collector's Edition Set in 2012's Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango. Oh my goodness this is awesome.

So Tuesday, July 3rd was my fourth dating anniversary with my boyfriend. Since he usually gets me polish, I told him to let me make some suggestions as to what I wanted instead of him going in blind to look for himself. I sent him the link of this on the Sephora site and didn't get to send him anything else because I couldn't make up my mind as to what Illamasqua polishes I want =P

Then, on Tuesday, I thought I'd have to feign shock as I opened up one of my gifts since I knew what it was, but I really was shocked because this thing is huge! Here's a picture. It's 14 x 8 inches for reference.

Seriously? This thing is gorgeous. And all of the individual pieces are huge as well! I thought that since this was a set the components would be small-ish, but these are huge even for individual pieces.

The inside:

Taken from the Sephora website:

This set contains: - 0.02 oz Color of the Year Eyeliner in Tangerine Tango Twist
- 0.31 oz Color of the Year Eyeshadow Quad
- 0.35 oz Color of the Year Prisma Chrome Blush
- 0.38 oz Color of the Year Blush Duo
- 0.1 oz Color of the Year Créme Lipstick
- 0.17 oz Color of the Year Lip Gloss


Six pieces for $48. Can you beat that? These pieces retail for $118! Let's take a closer look!

Super blurry picture of the eyeliner. My camera did NOT want to focus on it. But it's a really soft point that writes very easily and twists up. I'd say it's a true Tangerine Tango shade - a very red-orange - that isn't as coral as the other pieces of the set. The name on the liner is "Tangerine Tango Twist." It has microglitter in it that is barely noticeable but flickers when you move; the particles are so small that it reads as a shimmer. Love this and can't wait to rock it on my upper lash line!

Um, yeah, this quad is gigantic. The frosted top of this attaches by the four magnets that you can see at the corners. They are super strong, maybe even too strong (you really have to pull to get it to come off), and you definitely do not have to worry about it coming off accidentally. They 'snap' fiercely into place. The cool thing about this closure is that you can also twist the top to expose the shadows and have it attached by just two adjacent magnets. Clockwise, these shades are Carnelian, Scallop Shell, Sparrow, and Pavement. They're all shimmery, Carnelian with coordinating shimmer, Sparrow with magenta shimmer, and Scallop Shell and Pavement both with multi-colored shimmer. Love.

Next up is the Prisma Chrome blush. I've seen tons of raves about this product, and it's super pretty, especially the 3D design. This color is called Apricot Brandy and it's a peach with gold, orange, and perhaps green microglitter. Again, they are glitter specks that you can pick out, but the blush reads as a shimmer. I found the packaging a little hard to open at first, but like the other pieces, it's definitely secure and won't open unless you want it to. Love it.

Here's the lovely blush duo, featuring Desert Flower and Coral. Desert Flower has mostly a flat finish with very sparse shimmer particles and Coral features the same shimmer/glitter as in Apricot Brandy: gold, orange, and green. This duo has the same strong magnetic closure as the eye quad. Again, how huge is this? 

Here's the gloss! The shade is Tangerine Tango Luminous and it's a light-medium orange with a red undertone and some orange, pink, and gold microglitter. Despite the name I wouldn't say this is a true Tangerine Tango shade as it's not dark or red enough, but it's still really nice. Note the unique, flexible applicator! This shade is pretty but I'm not sure if I'm sold on how sparkly it is. In my experience, even after the gloss is gone, your lips are still sparkling. Oh, another thing: this gloss has an almost fruity scent to it and no taste. 

Next up is the lovely lipstick in Tangerine Tango Cream. Unlike the lipgloss, this is the true TT color: a deep red-orange. This has the same fruity scent as the gloss and I love the ridges in the bullet. Another awesome thing about this lipstick is the magnetic closure; you can hear it click shut as the pieces attach, so it's really secure and the cap won't come off in your purse (cough experience). Very pretty and bright. Can't wait to wear it!

Finally, here are just two swatches: the gloss and eyeliner. Imagine the gloss swatch (top) a bit more of a true orange; it photographed a little too coral and too bright. Oh, and don't mind my translucent skin. I'm an NC 15/20ish for reference.


So yeah, I'm obsessed with this and keep opening it up to play and swatch. I didn't do formal swatches of the shadows or blushes but i did apply a bit to my fingers and rest assured that these are pigmented. I can't wait until there are more colors of the year so I can have more collector's sets! They're still available as of today on sephora.com if you're interested! I highly recommend if you don't mind shimmer.


The only negative thing I can think of, and it's just a technicality, is that the orange pieces of this set are not all true Tangerine Tango shades, but I can understand that that shade is not as flattering or wearable for all skin tones, and the coral/apricot/carnelian derivatives are much less obnoxious. That being said, I love that they all aren't true TT shades; it gives variety and compliments the shade instead of the user drowning in it. I just had to think of a negative so this post has some authenticity =P It's only a negative thing if you want to drown in it.


PS. My nails in this post are my berry ombre from yesterday!


Do you have anything from the Sephora + Pantone Universe line? And another important question: When you have collector's sets or LE pieces, do you hoard them and leave them pristine, or use them? I'd love to hear!


Thank you so much for reading! What do you think of this set?


Janna

Face Paint Friday - Wet n Wild Mega Eyes

Hello everyone!

I decided to start an installment on my blog called Face Paint Friday. Before I go on, I wanted to point out that I thought of this idea without seeing it anywhere else, and I am unaware that something called Face Paint Friday exists elsewhere. If you know of another blog/site/anything that uses "Face Paint Friday," please let me know and understand that this is an unintentional coincidence.

Every Friday, if I post on a Friday (not sure that it'll be every week), I'll make posts regarding different makeup products instead of the usual nail posts. These posts could range from an eyeshadow look to a face primer review to a new favorite lipgloss or my top makeup products of the moment.

Please let me know what you think of this idea, and if you'd like to start posting your makeup looks on Friday also, feel free! I've been getting more and more into makeup since I've discovered the blogging world (you're enablers, all of you!), and it's so much fun to paint myself up. =D

So for this week's installment, I'm going to show you a green eyeshadow palette that I bought from Wet n Wild almost 5 years ago, so it might not look familiar. It's called Amazon Greens. I think the Wet n Wild Mega Eyes trios have been discontinued, but at the time of this post there are very reasonably-priced listings on eBay. Here's a picture of the trio:

I love the mirror on the side. For reference, these trios are exactly the same size as the current trios.

Here are some pictures of the look I did.
























To create this look, I used the pale green shade on the inner corner, the brown shade in the middle and the dark green shade on the outer corner.

Taking eye pictures is so hard! I give all of you beauty bloggers major credit. Any tips for a girl with a simple camera on how to take better eye makeup pictures? My "macro" setting is just a Close Up setting that is designed to shoot from 28 inches, which isn't a close-up shot if you ask me.

I will say that these are brighter in person, even though I did edit them a bit to try and bring out the color. It reminded me of the makeup version of Chanel Peridot, gold to green. See, I added a nail polish reference in there somewhere!


I added a quick poll in this post because I know most of us read through a reader. I'd really appreciate your feedback!

What do you think about Face Paint Friday?
	I think it's a great idea and I want to participate, too!
	I think it's a good idea and like reading through makeup posts as much as nail posts.
	I don't mind it, but I prefer nail posts.
	It doesn't interest me at all.
	Other - I'll explain in the comments.
pollcode.com free polls

That's it for now! What do you think? Thanks for reading!!

Janna