Too Faced Melted Rainbow

Aaaanndddd...I'm back again. After a recent conversation with a coworker, I decided to try to get back into writing/blogging. Which means taking baby steps by starting with reviews.

Since my last post over two years ago, I started working full time. That being said, I am still relatively frugal, i.e. I still lean towards drugstore products and only buy from Sephora when either a) I have a gift card, b) it's friends and family discount time, and/or c) there's a big online sale.

During one such occasion I came across this beauty, Too Faced Melted in Melted Rainbow. I became a Melted lipstick fan the moment I tried a sample of Fig. I purchased another set of minis later, but until then, had not come across a shade that I needed so badly I was willing to drop $21 for a full size.

Until I laid eyes on Melted Rainbow, described by the site as a magenta shade. I typically gravitate towards red/berry lip colors, but after purchasing Girl About Town by MAC several years back, I grew a soft spot for pinks. The tipping point was the name...is there anything more yummy sounding than a melted-down rainbow?! *insert rainbow and heart eyes emojis*

My hopes were temporarily crushed upon realizing that not only was this shade exclusive, limited edition and online only, but also only available to those with VIB Rouge Status. I may have more of a disposable income than I did compared to my on-call/temp job days, but I still can't justify spending a minimum of $1000 a year at Sephora alone, even if free shipping is involved. #sorrynotsorry Luckily, I have a best friend who is (ok, WAS) willing to. She made the purchase for me, and almost a month later (we kept missing each other), it was finally MINE.

Even the packaging is perfection.

As with most of the lippies in the Melted line, a little dab goes a long way. Once the satin finish fades, it still leaves a pretty stain that in my opinion, looks just as good (if not better) than the freshly applied product. Melted Rainbow is the stuff of Lisa Frank childhood dreams!

Product Review- Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara

Confession: I rarely buy mascara. For the past several years, I've managed to get by mostly on various Clinique mascara samples given to me by my grandma. They're not bad, either! But when my last sample was up--this time a freebie of Benefit's 'They're Real!"--I knew I had to get down to the drugstore, stat. I was aimlessly wandering the beauty aisles of my local Target when I came across the Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up! Mascara (whatta mouthful) on sale for $5.99. Despite the fact that I hadn't even read any reviews on the product, I grabbed it and bought it. I had purchased the original Volum' Express Colossal before and vaguely remembered that I'd liked it (remember, I hadn't purchased drug store mascara in at least three years), so I figured this one would be just as good, if not better.

Here it is, in its pristine, still-packaged glory:

On initial use, I was not impressed. Having gotten used to the tiny wand brushes of sample sizes, this one felt oversized and awkward. I ended up with mascara on the underside of my eyelid, which was definitely not attractive. Not to mention uneven, clumpy eyelashes.

Despite that unsuccessful first attempt, I decided to give the product another chance. A couple weeks later, and while I'm still not in love, it's an OK mascara: one that I'm willing to use up, but won't be repurchasing afterwards.
 
       

Urban Decay Naked 3 Monolid Looks

After almost a whole year on hiatus, (!) I'm back for yet another attempt on this blog.

I managed to get my hands on the Urban Decay Naked 3 a few months back, after seeing and hearing multiple raves about it. My first run-in with this palette happened when I stopped by the UD counter at Macy's, and the MUA on duty insisted on giving me a new look! Le result:

Wish I could remember which colors the MUA used! The only one I can remember is Blackheart.

I was actually sold on the palette that day, but, being broke, that didn't happen. It wasn't until Sephora had a sale a few months later that I finally caved. I know Naked 3 has been out for some time now, so everyone and their mom has probably seen it, but here it is again:

I still consider myself a total eyeshadow newb, so although I loved the romantic, sensual color scheme, I had no idea how to wear them. Enter YouTube tutorials, specifically those geared towards monolids. Here were my favorites:

 blushmepinkk. Concise and to the point. Nice!

ahreum17. Sometimes vloggers get a little too chatty for my taste, so tutorials set to music are A-OK with me. Plus this look is smokinnnn'!

From Head to Toe. One of my favorite beauty vloggers- how could I not include a tutorial from her?   

 I've been told this isn't the most versatile of the Naked collection, but I'm liking it so far. However, I'm debating getting one of the other ones. Out of all the palettes in the collection, which is your favorite and why?  

 

nail 911!

I began a lifelong love affair with nail polish at an early age: I believe I was about 6 years old. I vividly remember hanging out at my then best friend's house, and her teenage sister agreed to paint our nails. We both chose a bright red. After my dad picked me up and we went home, he told me I would have to take it off; he didn't think it was "appropriate" for girls my age to wear nail polish. What?! That was the end of me wearing nail polish..until I turned 10.

I remember my 10th birthday party, where my mom bought several bottles of Wet'N Wild nail polish to put in goodie bags. I was allowed to keep one for myself, and I never looked back. Around the same time, my dentist was giving away little prizes for every time we went in and didn't have new cavities. Naturally, I chose the nail polish.

Oh, and my dad never said anything about me not being allowed to wear nail polish again- although he did laugh at some of my color choices, particularly the blacks and blues I favored in middle and high school. (I still do, to this day.)

Anyways, moving on from the back story...it could be a combination of factors, ranging from diet to overdoing my nails, but I've noticed that lately, my nails are in less than top shape and they split pretty easily.

Au naturel- is there any wonder why I like to keep them polished 24/7?

I'm placing a portion of the blame on my base/top coat: I'm currently using the Base/Top Coat Pro by Rimmel. I like that Rimmel is a brand that doesn't conduct animal testing, but the quality of this product is something to be desired. I've seen a fair amount of reviews on MUA that it causes nails to split/peel. Not to mention that I can do my nails hours before bed and STILL end up with creases the next morning.

I'm also thinking I might be encouraging damage by redoing my nails every week. When I was in high school (and even college), I would go for weeks between paint jobs. But now that I'm attending job interviews/meeting new people as part of my volunteer job, I feel I should look more put-together - no more three-weeks-in chipped nail polish! I suppose I could go au naturel every once in awhile, but I've become so accustomed to having my nails painted that I can't go more than a couple days with naked nails. Is it even realistic to have your nails polished almost 24/7 and still healthy? Or am I gonna have to suck it up and...*gulp* go bare?

What are your favorite base/top coats? Do you prefer multitasking products (base/top coat, 4-in-1's, etc), or stick to separate products? How often do you do your nails? Let me know in the comments- I'd love to hear what other nail fanatics have to say!

happy feet (new shoes!)

I currently work in women's shoes, so I spend a lot of time trying not to give into the temptation of buying every sneaker, boot and sandal I lay eyes on. Still, there are times when I can't resist. Here's my latest deal, a pair of oxfords by Rachel Roy. They feel like butaahhh! I haven't worn them yet, but they're so soft on the inside, I'm pretty sure I could work an entire shift in these babies. At $34.50 (originally $89), these were a bargain. Can't wait to wear 'em out!