My UD Book of Shadows III Finally Came!

Just a random post with some glamour shots of my new Book of Shadows =). (NOT a review- face it, there are like a million and one reviews/swatches for these all over the internet.)

Buy it HERE. The colors are gorgeous. I especially like Kush, which has different tones of green, and Rockstar, a deep purple. Now who knows if I'll even get around to using it... I still have my Alice in Wonderland BOS in it's package, untouched...

Haul: My New Bag & a Few Other Goodies From F21!

YAYYY! I got a mini imitation of the coveted Alexa Mulberry bag =). It also looks like the Proenza Schouler P1. It's from Forever21 and is a steal for $30, compared to its counterpart that totals over $1000. I love it so much. I wish it was as big as the Alexa, but it's good for the price.The material itself is also very impressive. It's nice and sturdy. The nice thing is that it also fits my notebooks and such for class :).

I've been really into silky/flowy materials lately. They look great layered under a cardigan or a blazer. I'm imagining it with a pair of boots for the upcoming cooler season.

Knee high socks are definitely in this fall. I got a gray and cream pair since I already own a good amount of black ones. I'm not so sure why I bought the girly headband... we'll see if I find a way to wear it without looking like I'm 10.

Overall, a small haul, but I got really good staples for the season =)!

NOTD: Purple Gradient

IM BACKKK! I had a wonderful vacation in Hawaii and hopefully I'll get the photos off my boyfriend's laptop soon so I can post a few up =). All the nice beach photos were taken with his camera because it was waterproof, and I didn't want to mess my camera up.

On to the nails!

I followed Jen's (frmheadtotoe) tutorial HERE. I don't own a lot of nail polishes so I made do with what I had. I LOVE the results! I can't wait until my nail polish chips so I can do another color scheme. I'm thinking gold next, and corals after that. I've always wondered how it was possible to do a gradient on your nails, and Jen's tutorial is so simplistic!

Colors I used:
Sephora by OPI in A True Romantic, Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Wild Card, Sephora by OPI in Domestic Goddess, Covergirl Boundless color topcoat in Gold Rush.

Aloha & A Teeny Weeny Hiatus

Hi guys! Just wanted to let you know that I won't be updating until next Saturday because I will be in... HAWAII. I'll be on the plane in about three hours! I'll be coming back two days before school starts, so hopefully I have some time to update! Don't worry, I'll be back with more blogposts.

The weather is now dreary in Portland. Low 70s, but raining. Glad to get some sun and some R&R!

Have a good week ladies!

Free $25 From Rock & Republic. Yes, I mean FREE!

Rock&Republic has launched their refer a friend program! Much like many sample sales, you can invite others and recieve $25 when they sign up and make their first purchase. BUT, the big perk from Rock & Republic is that when you sign up for an account through an invite link, you automatically get $25 to use on your first purchase. NO STRINGS ATTACHED. That's right, just for SIGNING UP. Go ahead and use it on their cosmetics, you all know you love their blushes. (Remember to use the code ROCKCOSMETICS for an extra 50% off their makeup like). It doesn't work with just one blush, because after discount it will be $20, and you need at least $25 worth of merchandise for it to work.

Oh did I mention shipping is only 99 cents?

If you want a free $25 to spend click on my invite link below! The $25 should show up under your account in "My Rewards", and applies automatically in your cart, if it doesn't, you did something wrong ;P. 

CLICK ME to join

UPDATE: Looks like they caught on. The $25 off is only valid on orders of $75 and off, and looks like the cosmetics code is expired also =(! SORRY! 

Belated August Favorites

GAH. I know this is super late. I feel like I'm always apologizing for my lack of blogging. Forgive me again!
This post has been ready to post since the beginning of the month, but I haven't had any free time =(.
Lately I've been using the same products almost everyday, with the same exact looks. I really enjoy my easy routine now, I've cut the time I do my makeup in half!

Nars Laguna Bronzer: This has been the ONLY cheek product I've been using. I use it to contour and skip the blush. It gives a nice tan/glow affect that looks polished. Plus, it takes me less than a minute to do.

Maybelline The Falsies mascara: I've had this for awhile now but never got around to using it because I'm a regular Full n Soft user. This really does give your lashes dramatic volume and length. However, the wand is too awkward for me to want to use on my bottom fringe.
Loreal Linuer Intense: Easy cat eye. Nuff said. Only problem is that it isn't waterproof at ALL, so be careful.

MAC Cork e/s: Blends wonderfully in the crease, or I can use it as an all over lid color for a minimalist brown look.
Maybelline Age rewind concealer: I've just reviewed this so you guys no how much I love it =).

Rock and Republic lipgloss in Muse: If you guys remembered, I didn't like this when I first got it. It looks really sheer on the lips and is pointless. However, paired on top of a nude lipstick, it tones down the drastic nude and gives a peachy sheen.

August was a minimal makeup month, and it's been continuing into September... I admit it, I've been lazy with my routine!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer is the BOMB

Seriously, title says it all. I was really skeptical to try a drugstore concealer. I haven't used one since high school (the seriously crappy turn-up tube one that CoverGirl makes). However, I heard some ravings, and decided to give it a go.

 The Instant Age Rewind concealer retails for about $8-9 dollars, depending on where you go. I bought the color light-medium. It has a dual ended spong-tip pen, one side to correct, and the other to highlight. This stuff is freaking awesome. The corrector really is a great concealer, and has reached HG status. I've been using this everyday. I usually use my Amazing Cosmetics concealer, which is great, but the consistency can be a bit thick. This offers great coverage (although not as heavy), but with a creamier consistency that feels more natural. You really don't need much because the coverage is that good. I use this under my eyes and around my nose. It does wonders for my under eye circles. Then, I set it with my Amazing Cosmetics powder set. I don't really use the highlighter side however, I did try it on my cheekbones, and it's ok. I like that it's not the usual glittery highlighter and looks a lot more natural.

Concealer on the left, Highlighter on the right. 

I'm definitely buying more once I run out =)!

Etude House Top 10 Tan BB Cream: Initial Thoughts

Uh Huh. I've been sucked into the BB cream phenomena. For those who don't know what BB Cream is, it's a really popular makeup/skin product in Asia. For those who already know allll about it, you can skip the next little part.

BB stands for blemish balm. Most BB creams are tinted, so are in a sense, a tinted moisturizers. The difference, however, between these and traditional foundations, are that they are supposed to be beneficial to the skin. Different BB creams claim to do different things. For the most part they are supposed to help acne, whiten, and improve the skin overall. Now when I first heard whitening, I said "HELL TO THE NO". I love being tan and will never go back. However, I learned that when they say "whitening" they mean the cream helps even out your skin tone, and NOT to bleach it, as I originally thought. I'm all for even skin tone. The more I read into BB creams and scrolled through reviews and recommendations, the more determined I was to try them ALL.

The great thing is that they are superrrr cheap on eBay, I think it was $12. I have a long list of ones I will be buying, but to start things off, I got the Etude House Top 10 V-line BB cream. Wooo, ain't that a mouthful. Doesn't the picture on the box look like cleavage? I wonder if that's what v-line means.... which has nothing to do with BB cream or my face. HAH.

I decided to first try this version because it's for tan shades. This is very rare for BB creams. Most BB creams come in fairly pale shades, about NC20 or so. I figured I'd take a shot with NOT looking like a ghost first. Etude's Top 10 Tan is actually supposed to make fair beauties appear tanner. Yeah, that's right. That's their lame gimmick. Anyone can look darker with a darker foundation. DUH. Anyways, it also has an SPF27. Which is great =).

First of all, my hand is not that pale. My camera does some crazy crap with lighting. The color of the BB cream itself is great. I'd say it'll match NC30-35ers. It's has yellow undertones, and nothing grey like I hear is common of many BB creams.

Slightly spread out

Almost fully blended

I tried to not blend it all the way so you can see the difference between the left and right side of my hand. The left side is untouched by the BB cream.When I wore this on my face, I didn't moisturize. Big problem. This really accentuates dry skin (Which is my skin type), so make sure you moisturize well. It still did look good on my skin though. I tried it again with lotion underneath and it looked great! The coverage is light-medium, which is enough coverage for me. I really like the way it looks and will definitely continue to use this. I haven't used it enough to say whether my skin has improved, but I will definitely update on that!

Do you ladies have any BB Creams you love? Share with this noob please =)!