24th Birthday Haul

So last Friday was my 24th birthday, which basically means one thing: I got a lot of makeup. Since I'm 24 people aren't really into buying me gifts anymore, so now I just get cash. Which is fine with me because I love to shop. Over the course of the weekend I received $155, which I put to good use during the week.

This haul is a big deal for me because I purchased my first Urban Decay products. Yay! I know I'm late to the party, but I'm gonna be honest with you -- I just can't afford high-end products otherwise. My husband and I are currently living off of just my income and expensive makeup just isn't a priority. But you can bet your mom's pajamas I made it a priority with my birthday cash.

I have been drooling over the Naked 3 palette for months. Like, honestly -- MOOONTHS. The rose gold pinkyness was calling my name. When I walked into Ulta, it was the first product I went to grab. It felt so satisfying to finally purchase that palette. I created a look with it the next day and was mildly horrified that I didn't fall in love with it immediately. I feel like it's not as pigmented as I thought it should be... I haven't used it since then honestly, because I'm terrified I won't like it. I also purchased the Naked Basics palette and I am head-over-heels in love with it. I like, can't wait to use it every morning. All the colors are gorgeous, highly pigmented, and blend so easily. Ulta was having a deal that with every $40 UD purchase you received a sample of the PP and the 24/7 glide on pencil.

If you follow me on IG than you know that my latest obsession has been lip products. Seriously, my organization is overflowing right now. But I still had to make sure to purchase some! Like the Naked 3, I have been dreaming of the Revlon matte balm in Shameless. Purple is my favorite color and the swatches of this product looked perfect. I also picked up a few NYX lip liners, because they are so raved about, as well as the matte lipstick. The matte lipstick is in the color Whipped Caviar, and it's a wonderful muted, rosey nude. I also got two new WnW lipsticks: Red Velvet and Mochalicious. I purchased Mochalicious on request from an IG follower and immediately fell in love.

Lastly, I had to pick up some NYX goodies. Of course. NYX is my favorite drugstore brand I think. I wanted some cooler-toned eyeshadows and more jumbo eye pencils. The pencil in Yogurt is so gorgeous! A really pretty, shimmery champagne color.

That's it for this haul. I love everything that I got and my soul just feels so happy. Also, I still have some money to spend so keep an eye out for another haul ;)

What's one of your favorite products that you think I should try?

First Impression of the Maybelline Creamy Matte lipstick in Touch of Spice

If you don't know about this lipstick, then you must be living under a rock! Seriously, this lipstick in this specific color has been flooding my feed on IG for a little less than 2 weeks now. And for very good reason! This Maybelline Creamy Matte lipstick collection was just barely released. Like, when I went to my Ulta, they had to bring the display out to me because they hadn't put it out yet. And it is selling like hot cakes! I've seen women on Insta travel to three or four stores to find this specific lipstick. There are other girls buy two or three of it for back ups. Seriously, that's how amazing this lipstick is!

Upon first opening the tube, I had a small heart attack. I found myself rather disappointed in the color. It was much browner than I was expecting. I swatched it on my hand, and all of my worries faded away. It looked beautiful! It only took me two or three swipes to build up the color completely, which is fantastic. I went into the bathroom to apply it to my lips and was pleasantly surprised by how creamy it was. I know it's in the name, but I was not expecting it to feel as creamy as it does. And the color? I loved it even more lovely on my lips than I did on the back of my hand. It was perfect for me. I was immediately excited to wear this product all Fall!

I've been wearing the lipstick for about 4 hours now, and I am so pleased that my lips do not feel nearly as dry as other matte lipsticks leave me. Now, let's be honest, you can't expect a hydrating and nourishing experience with a matte lipstick - you just can't. However, this lipstick is the most comfortable one that I own, hands down. While it does dry slightly, it still remains somewhat creamy so you are able to rub your lips together without causing enough friction to start a fire. It didn't seem to wear off in the slightest either, which I'm very impressed with because normally I'm left with a weird space on my inner lips. This lipstick does have the typical Maybelline lipstick smell, which everyone seems to hate and I like (call me crazy!). I also do not personally like this package, although that is simply because I prefer round packaging.

Overall, I am very pleased with this product and would repurchase. I also plan on purchasing Lust for Blush from this line once Ulta has a sale or I find a coupon.

 

 

lip swatch of TOS

How to Wear that Bold Lip

I used to think of lipstick as something old women wore. It smelled funny and I thought I looked strange with lips of different colors. However, since becoming a young adult who dabbles in the world of beauty, that old way of thinking has completely melted away. Lipstick is just another means of changing your appearance, just like any other beauty product. And lipstick has come a long way since I was a kid too. Now they have varying scents and finishes and now I'm paying more attention to the different formulas.

For the last few months, lipsticks have been something I'm very intrigued by. I used to envy women who could throw on any color they wanted and just look amaze-balls. Lipstick was very intimidating to me, but I was dying to pull it off. I was set on finding some amazing lip colors that I was comfortable wearing. My first lipstick purchase was from the Maybeline Color Whisper line. It was a bright pink, but had a very sheer application. I liked the color it gave, but it wasn't longwearing by any means. My first bold lip color that I ever purchased was Antwerp from the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (SMLC) line. I put that baby on and instantly fell in love with the color and how it looked on me. There was no going back.

That exact moment is when I realized the secret to wearing a bold lip color. You just have to purchase lip products that you are so in love with that you don't even care what people think or say. I was so in love with Antwerp and thought it was such a gorgeous color that I didn't even care what other people thought. I felt confident in that color and I owned that confidence. That's it - that's the secret!

After having that epiphany, my perspective was completely different. I began hunting down different lip colors and really experimenting. I'd buy a lip product (at Ulta), try it out, and if I didn't love it, I could return it. Since then, I've purchased quite a few bold lip colors, including: my perfect, glossy red, a deep, mauvey pink, a dark, vampy purple, and a gorgeous, wine color. I am so in love with all of these products that I don't even care if anyone expresses any distaste, because guess what?! It's my face, and I'll dress it how I want with the products that I love.

A few tips for wearing the perfect bold lip color

1. Try everything. Literally, eeeeeverything.  If it's a color that you've always wanted to try, but are afraid it's going to look bad on you - get it, try it, and return it if you don't like it (make sure to check with whatever store you're purchasing from that they will take back opened makeup - ULTA DOES). No one has to know.
2. When I'm trying out new lipstick colors, I pay extra attention to how they make my teeth look. Does the color make my teeth look whiter or yellow? This is something you may or may not notice or care about, but just in case you'd never thought of it, I wanted to mention it. 
3. Make sure you have a clean lip line. I know it's all about not caring what others think and everything, but no lip color will look good with an application that looks like a 6-year-old did it, you know what I mean? Take the time to apply the lipstick neatly, and use concealer for any cleaning up.
4. Wear it around your house or to a casual hangout session first. Since bold lip colors won't closely match your natural lip color, they can sometimes look a little funky as they wear off. So wear it around to see how it wears off. If it wears off sort of patchy, a good lip liner similar to the lipstick might help.
5. Experiment with different finishes. You might try on a glossy hot pink lip and absolutely hate it and feel overwhelmed by it. Give a matte hot pink lip a try. The bright color in combination with the glossy finish might have just been too much for you. 

How to respond to criticism
Honestly, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. However, it's the manner in which someone expresses their opinions that really matter. If you're wearing a bold lip and someone goes, "oh my gosh, what were you thinking?! That looks awful on you!" make a mental note that that person is a jerk and kindly remind them that it's your face, not theirs, with the most sass you can muster. Now, if a good friend approaches you and hesitantly brings up that the tone of the lipstick clashes with the undertones in your skin, be a bit gentler with this person. A nice "thanks for the input, but I still really like this color" will suffice.

I hope that this post was helpful! I know what it's like to be trapped in a world of neutrals due to fear. If your soul is just longing to burst into a world of bold, let it happen! Buy that lipstick you've always wanted and rock it! Hold your head high and strut, knowing that your confidence is what's selling the lipstick.

What are some of your favorite bold lip colors?

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks -- review and swatches

So my last blog post was nearly two weeks ago! Sorry for the lack of posts, but I've just been feeling so uninspired lately and I haven't really been purchasing any new makeup either. But, I am back and ready to roll! I recently purchased 5 MUG shadows, 12 Morphe shadows, 3 NYX blushes, and another ELF haul. So there will be plenty of blog posts to come! I've also been recovering from a head cold. On Monday it started with a sore throat and it's basically turned into a ton of congestion and coughing. It's been miserable, but I have been feeling better lately.

Anyways, onto the important stuff!

I hardly ever purchase makeup from Wal-Greens, simply because they're makeup is often a few dollars more than at Target. But I found myself at a Wal-Greens clinic yesterday and while waiting for my prescription I wandered over into the cosmetic aisles (big shocker there!). I noticed that their Wet N Wild merch was on sale and took a look at some of the Mega Last Lipsticks. I ended up purchasing three: Just Peachy, Mauve Outta Here, and Bare It All. I was going to deeper shades for fall time, but think I missed that mark a bit. See what happens when you're too afraid to commit?! UGH! Anyways, I love these shades regardless!

 Just Peachy is a wonderful nude peach shade - basically exactly what the name says!

Mauve Outta Here is a great muted pinky mauve.

Bare It All is a wonderful nude shade for me! I was hesitant to purchase it, but am so glad I did.

The lipsticks apply as a creamy sheen, but dry into a more matte, better long-wearing finish. I have noticed, however, that Just Peachy is easier (more creamy) to apply than the rest, so that makes me think that maybe the consistency in the line just isn't there. The packaging is cheap, that's for sure! But you can't expect a Gerard Cosmetics gold bullet when you're paying under $2 a pop. The packaging does it's job. It has a very slight smell to it. I don't find it pleasant or unpleasant - I'm indifferent on the smell.

At the Wal-Greens I was at, the color selection was very limited. A lot of the lipsticks were already sold out or I already had similar colors of what was available. However, on the Wet N Wild website, a much larger selection is available.

I think the Wet N Wild Mega Last lipsticks would be a great line to purchase those experimental colors. You know, when you really wanna try that orangey lipstick, but aren't sure if it's going to look good? It's not too much of a loss when it was $2.

Overall, I'm impressed with the Mega Last lipsticks and plan on purchasing more!

Do you own any Mega Last lipsticks?

What's your favorite color?