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!

Purify & Refresh (Philosophy gel cleanser and moisturizer review)

In my opinion, Philosophy is one of the best-smelling bath and body lines out there. The first product I purchased from them was their Raspberry Sorbet shower gel. You know how they say scent can trigger memory? That shower gel reminds me of my junior year of high school. Good times, haha.

Anyways, I digress.

My most recent Philosophy purchase was the Purify&Refresh set from the Impulse counter at Macy's. It contains the Purity Made Simple gel cleanser and Take a Deep Breath gel cream moisturizer.

Purity Made Simple gel cleanser

   I've been intrigued by the Purity Made Simple cleanser since I saw the original one-step facial cleanser in the shower caddy of one of my college housemates. Because I have oily skin, the SA recommended I use the gel cleanser, but she was also nice enough to provide me with a couple samples of the creamier original formula.

To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed by this product, especially since it was expensive. I'll admit I was sold by the claim that it could double as an eye makeup remover- in my ongoing quest to simplify and green my routine, I've decided to cut back on using the cleansing wipes, i.e. use them only when I end up crashing at a friend's place and am too tired/drunk to really wash up. Unfortunately, this only does a subpar job of removing eye makeup- especially liners/shadows with more pigment to them, a la MAC and Sugarpill. Not to mention, if it gets in your eyes, it stings!

I recently asked my mom what she uses to take off her makeup at night, and she said Cetaphil! D'oh! How did I not think of that? I've been using the Purity gel cleanser for almost three weeks now, and it hasn't caused me to break out, which I take as a good sign. Once I finish up with the tube, I think I'll make the swap to plain ol' Cetaphil. It's a tried and true classic, no?

Take a Deep Breath gel cream moisturizer- found in both tube and pot!

I was slightly more impressed by the moisturizer, but not by much. However, it didn't do a very good job of making my skin feel hydrated. I guess this is ideal for oily skin, but I'm used to the heavier texture of Origin's A Perfect World- a much better antioxidant moisturizer, imo. The microscopic sparkles give my skin a nice faux glow, which is kind of pointless when I'm just going straight to bed after I wash up. I would consider using this moisturizer during the day- IF it had SPF! Also, I was disappointed that this cheap plastic jar isn't even slated for recycling. (Its recycling program is another reason why I'm pro-Origins.)  

Overall, both products were just OK. If there's anything from Philosophy I'll repeatedly go back for, it'll be their shower gels, but not their facial products.     

Gimme the Fine One One (Product Review)

Benefit Cosmetics- one of my favorite brands. The quality, the retro packaging, the quirky names they give their products...unfortunately, they don't meet my requirement list (green packaging, no animal testing, etc), so Benefit makes it onto my guilty pleasures list.

During the last employee appreciation at Macy's (see previous post), I picked up one of their newer products, the Fine One One. It's a blush/highlighter that can also be used to give the lips some color.

The full product.

Product view from the top (shades L to R): pink champagne, sheer watermelon, soft coral.

I'm not the most confident blender, so I typically tend to stay away from cream products. However, the handy size of the product made it relatively easy to use. The colors are gorgeous, and give me a nice flush. It looks nice in person, but my crappy little camera does not do it justice.

Other reviewers have complained that the color doesn't last, but I also made sure to put on the POREfessional beforehand, so we'll see how it goes! The girl at the Benefit counter also recommended putting a powder blush over Fine One One, so I just used a MAC blush over it. I'll probably try it again tomorrow with the Nars Orgasm blush.

As I mentioned earlier, Fine One One can also be used on lips, but I think I'm just going to use it on my cheeks only. Call me a weirdo, but there's just something not right about putting a product on my lips that's been rubbed up my cheekbones.