July Favorites ★

When I first started blogging I didn't feel like I had been using enough or keeping track of my products to create a favorite's post at the end of the month. So I'm really excited today to bring you my July Favorites! I made sure to keep a mental note of things I have been loving this month and here they are!

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a sort of recent favorite as I bought it this month and have not stopped using it! It's great for refreshing my face or make up during this humid month as well as help my moisturizer sink into my skin a lot quicker! This month I haven't been wearing any foundation at all. I have my new skincare routine to thank for that which I'll be posting up sometime in the next week! The only thing I've needed to cover up were my super dark eye circles. I've fallen back in love with my L'Oreal MagicLumi concealer. It's a wonderful consistency and gives my circles the coverage and light that I need to make me look awake. I haven't been wearing a lot of lippies this month but I did seem to be reaching for my EOS Lip Balm quite a lot!

My favorite cheek products have been NARS Laguna Bronzer and Benefit's Hervana. Laguna has been giving me that flush of golden color that I can't seem to get naturally sitting in an office full of fluorescent lighting all day! Since my make up has been so minimal this month I've made sure to keep my blusher natural as well with Hervana. I have ravings reviews on both that you can read here and here!

Can you believe it? I've got three, count 'em three, favorite eye liners! The first is Make Up Forever's Aqua Liner in OL Black. It's a great consistency, waterproof and is great for tightlining and on the water line. The second is an absolute rubbish eyeliner. It's Smashbox's Emerald Eye Liner. Complete rubbish. It fades and glides off in a mere two hours. So why is it a favorite? Well I LOVE the color and I've been wearing it on my waterline for ages now. It was gifted to me by a friend who didn't want it anymore so that's why I use it. It brings out my blue eyes so beautifully that I keep it with me to touch up a million times a day. I'll continue to use this only because I know I can't go out and buy an emerald liner from another brand at this time! Not much to say about third favorite. Sephora Collection's Liquid Liner in Black. Has been my absolute favorite liquid (and overall) liner for about a year now. Love it. Go get it. You won't regret.

My last favorite is a tad random. It's Sephora's Instant Nail Polish Remover. It's one of those removers that has a saturated foam inside and you place a single finger in at a time to quickly remove your nail polish. I LOVE THIS. It's perfect for those of us who enjoy changing up our nail colors often! It's allowed me to change my polish color without dreading the awful cotton balls and sticky fingers! It's quickly and easy and makes my life a little bit easier every time I use it!

So that's my favorites post! I hope you all enjoyed. I'd love to hear some of your favorites of the past month! Leave them in the comments section or link me to your post! I love to read these types of posts!

xo

On Holiday to Alaska!

Image from Carnival Website

Good middle of the night to you all! It's currently 4:00 in the morning and I am getting ready to leave for my trip to Alaska! I shall be gone for a week! No internet, no phone, no nothing! It hasn't even hit me yet that I'm going. I'll be taking loads of pictures as it's got to be absolutely beautiful! Packing to a place where the climate is sort of but not really cold proved to be the most difficult task! I think I got it down although I don't know where my sister is going to be putting her cothing, haha!

Hope you all have a wonderful week! I will talk to you all very soon once I get back :) And never fear! I've queued up some really fun posts for you to read whilst I am away :) Bye everyone!

xo

How Much Does My Face Cost?

Andrea from Andrea and the Beauty Blog came up with this brilliant post idea! As soon as I saw her comment with this idea I got so excited and made sure that the next time I wore my sort of 'everyday make up' I would keep track of everything! This is more of a summer every day routine. I'll be sure to do one in the winter as well! Now let's see how much damage there is to my wallet to make my face all purrrrty...

• Caudalie Beauty Elixir $18.00
• L'Oreal MagicLumi $13.00
• Sephora Liquid Liner $11.00
• Make-Up Forever Aqua Liner $18.00
• Smashbox Eyeliner $19.00
• CoverGirl 24HR LashBlast Mascara $10.49
• Benefit's Hervana Blusher $28.00
• NARS Laguna Bronzer $34.00
• EOS Lip Balm $3.00
• M.A.C. Venus Lipstick $14.50

GRAND TOTAL: $168.99

Consider my jaw on the floor. WHAT? Holy guacamole! This is even more of a reason for me to just stop shopping. This is for just one look! And a summer look that doesn't need as much make-up. Oy, I'm ashamed to look at this. 

I challenge everyone to find out how much their everyday face costs them! Link it to me in the comments!

xo

NOTD: Polka French

Bonjour or bonsoir depending on the time of day this goes up for you! I come to you with a super quick nail of the day! The lovely people at the The Beauty Department: Your Daily Dose of Pretty posted this quick and easy nail tutorial that I had to try the second I saw it! All you need for this is a really good white color and a pretty sheer peach or pink color! Click the link above to see how I achieved it! I think I did a pretty decent job. My hands were a bit shaky with the dots! Also instead of a dotting tool I used the tip of a bobby pin (which I have found out are fabulous dotting tools!). This nail art is simple and classy with a fun cutesy twist!

xo

Review: LUSH Ice Blue Soap

LUSH soaps hold a really special place in my heart. I don't particularly enjoy solid bars of soap because I do feel like they sometimes leave my skin feeling dry. Not just LUSH soaps, most in general. But I just love how exciting it is to hold a specially cut chunk of soap. And I can either splurge (like I did on this one) or get a smaller more humble chunk. Yes, I just referred to soap as humble.

Today's LUSH soap is Ice Blue. A frosty blue soap that smells like peppermint and spearmint and just plain delicious mint! It's great for clearing up the senses, haha! This was one of the first soaps I ever bought from LUSH and I was so excited because I got to take it on vacation with me. After spending hours laying on the beach and playing in the sand this soap just refreshes you and makes you feel squeaky clean! I'm going to take a decent size of this to Alaska to keep even cooler than I will probably be! It does leave a somewhat dragging feeling after I use it which is not desired. I do know that LUSH has this same scent in a shower gel form called Freeze. If I wasn't on a no spending challenge I would probably be ordering it right now!

Do you lovelies prefer bar of soap or shower gel? I think it's interesting to see what people prefer better! What was your first LUSH soap or which would you love to try?

xo

Say Goo'bye to Shopping - 100 Day Challenge

It was bound to happen everyone. I've seen a few bloggers who are beginning or in the middle of their 100 Day No Spending Challenge. The gif above is the only way to describe how I'm feeling. It's accurate and very funny! Why am I doing this? I have a shopping problem. I know people say they've got a shopping problem and no one seems to think it's real. I always have a compulsive need to buy something when I'm super happy or super sad. A lot of my friends think I can help it but I can't. Since no one will help me I figured it's time to help myself. 

Each blogger has his or her own set of rules and here are mine:

1. No more cosmetic products. 
2. No more beauty products.
3. No more bath and body products. Unless I run out of all my soap (Seems unlikely at this point) Then I may buy one but only one!
4. Absolutely no clothes shopping. In stores and especially online. The only exception to this is if my mom takes me shopping and kindly decides to buy me a new sweater.
5. I can only buy metros, dinner if there shan't be any at home, skincare replacements, hair care replacements and any emergency expenses.

5 simple rules that will probably make me cry at some point in time. I really need to do this, not just want to. The way I spend money is ridiculous. A month's worth of pay is not enough for me which is sad cause I have no bills to pay. Tell me that not cuckoo bananas? I know. I'm hoping to save up to be able to take a trip to London. That shall be my gift if I can muster up the funds. I think that's worth way more than a new lip gloss or nail polish.

I'll create a tab so you guys can keep track along with me. I'll be updating my progress weekly :) If any of you are doing or are going to do this challenge let me know below! We'll be able to motivate each other and make it to the 100 Day Mark together!

This challenge starts Tuesday, July 24th and will end Thursday, November 1st. Wish me luck everyone. The Shopping Lord knows I'm going to need it.

xo

Bloglovin'

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LUSH Emotional Brilliance | My Experience + Bubbly Review

As many of your already know LUSH Cosmetics globally launched a brand new make up line called Emotional Brilliance this past Saturday. Like many kooky Lushies I ran to my local store's launch party! There are four LUSH stores in NYC but I went to the one in Union Square out of favoritism and convenience (I was meeting friend's later!) I walked towards the shop and saw the awesome sign that you can see in the left picture above. It only made me that more excited to walk in! There was a decent amount of people in the shop already browsing, playing with the line, and getting a reading. You had to  put your name on a list and wait for a color reading which wasn't all too bad. I had a really lovely chat with one of the sales asscoiates there who helped me pick out bath products for an awesome two part series I have coming up (!!!)

The time flew by and I was finally able to sit down at the infamous color wheel! It was so COOL and not to mention colorful! The girl doing my reading was super funny and made it very entertaining. She told me to clear my mind and forget everything as she spun the wheel and created crazy dry ice fog over the wheel! (That was probably my favorite part) The three colors you chose all signified something and the order you chose them was important as well. Here were mine!

• 1st Color | Strength/Weakness : Calm
• 2nd Color | What Your Soul is Craving : Bubbly (haha, we interpreted this as my soul needed a drink ;) )
• 3rd Color | What You Aspire To Have : Ambition

I thought all those were pretty spot on! Although I could have just applied any part of my life to any of the 27 or 30 colors! It was a really fun experience and I'm a fan of what some might call "gimmicky color read" If I'm honest, that's what truly drew me to the line in the first place! I was walked over to the Emotional Brilliance wall and was shown all my colors and told I could play with all of them if I truly wished. I ended up only getting Bubbly as it was my absolute favorite out of the bunch (and I was short on funds :( )

Bubbly. Perhaps the most fitting color I could have chosen! Bubbly is a lip color (but can be used as a cheek tint or anywhere you desire!) It was $22.95 for this wittle bottle which made me cringe but I knew I couldn't leave without getting something! I love the packaging of it. I think the little glass vile is a cute and creative idea! I also like the small tag that proudly displays the color!

The applicator is a very short doe foot applicator. I don't think it gets all the way down to the bottom which is a shame because there will be a portion of the products you won't be able to reach. I have to dip the wand down and out about two times before much product comes out onto the wand. More seems to get on the back of the applicator than the slant of it. 

I added two swatches above as they were in two different lightings and that ultimately dictates how the color shows up. It's a lovely bubbly pink color with really subtle gold shimmers. It has a sort of frost finish to it. The color lasts a long while. I'd say maybe 3 hours? It takes a few sweeps back and forth to get a nice color cover on the lips.

So what's my verdict? If I have to be 100% honest I'm not really itching to grab any more from the rest of the line. I am very happy with the one thing I did get but it's pretty pricey for just a so-so product. I'm not completely smitten with it. The color does look super lovely but I think I could have found the same color from a different brand with a better application and pigmentation. Not hating it on but I'm just a tad underwhelmed!

Did you guys go to your store's launch party? What are your opinions on the new line? 
xo

Review: NARS Angelika Blush

Today's post is brought to you by the sheer definition of blue-based pink. Meet NARS Angelika blush.

Now, don't be too intimidated by the color! It's actually so gorgeous and one of those colors you will always need to have in your collection. I love NARS blushes. They're all super pigmented with easily buildable formulation. NARS Angelika, in particular, is really pretty to add a natural "barbie" flush to your cheeks (as natural as Barbie's flush can get, haha) Or for a better picture, the pink color your cheeks turn after a really good run.

The only thing that I can see being a deal breaker for some is that it is jam packed with glitter. It's not shimmery, but there's actual bits of mini glitters in it. I am a fan of the glitter but I can see some of you not wanting to look like you sneezed into a pot of shimmers. I used this particular blusher for my dance competitions, applied a tad sheerer than the left swatch (I know, crazy right?!) but I still enjoy wearing it to work super sheered out like in the right swatch. I'm not sure this will be everyone's cup o' tea as the color and the glitter are a tad scary. I would still give it a swatcharoo the next time you're near a NARS counter.

What do you guys think? Too much? Or not enough, haha?

xo

Update & apologies!

I'm having way to much fun with my editing program, haha! So yes, UPDATE and these include apologies. For the past two weeks I haven't been cranking out posts of any quality and not so frequently. It's not just bothersome for you guys but me as well because I like everything to look neat, polished and have some value. I don't know what's been going on lately. I've been so bored with life for some reason. I'm trying to change that and fast! So starting today I will be back to posting regularly and quality stuff as well! I've already photographed five posts worth of pictures that I think you'll guys will really enjoy!

Also, a week from Sunday I shall be on my way to Alaska (so excited!) I'll be taking lots of pictures and maybe some outfit of the days to share when I get back! I won't have my laptop with, nor will I have my phone to instagram or tweet. I'm quite excited to get away from it all but my sister is dreading the part from her phone! This also means that I won't be able to post whilst I'm away for a week. I want to try to have as many great posts written up to queue for the week! I was also wondering if there's a series of posts you guys have seen or some fun tags that other blogger's or you yourself have done that you'd like me to do! I'd really appreciate your lovlies opinion as I'd like to keep you entertained whilst I'm away! :)

Hope you're all having a lovely Friday and have an even better weekend!

xo

And the winner is ...

Congratulations to Becky! I will be sending you an e-mail right this very second! You must give me your address and the colors of the blusher and lippie! You'll have 24 hours to respond before another winner is chosen! 

Thank you so much to everyone for entering! This shan't be the last giveaway on this blog as there are many more momentous occasions on this blog that'll be celebrating with you all, my lovely readers, who make this blog (and my shopping addiction) so grand! Have a goodnight everyone and thank you again! Sending mucho love to you all!

xo

Two Faced!

Hahahaha, I'm sorry you guys have to see me like this. I'm in the middle of drying my nails and waiting to wash my brushes. I got off work super early today and off course everyone made plans and isn't home. It's all been thunder storming for the passed 3 hours and I though heck, why not try a smokey eye? You have nothing better to do! So now you're looking at the picture and going .... WHAT HAPPENED? Haha, I started my own smokey eye with a new eye shadow I bought on the one eye because I didn't really feel like doing both. I finished one look and then said ... well now let's try a second one I like and see how it goes! The funny thing is I'm wearing foundation on only half my face (can you tell which?!) because in that moment I felt that that eye needed flawless skin. Yeah, I'm not exactly sure how my mind works either. I thought this would just be a fun post to put up and hopefully make you guys laugh! The smokey eyes actually came out really awesome (for my first tries!) on their own, hahaha. I'm off to wash my brushes, grab some tea, watch So You Think You Can Dance, read and then announce the winner of my giveaway (only 5 more hours left!) at 12:05 A.M. Notice how I never said I was washing this off? Ha! Talk to you guys super soon!

xo

ULTA Friends & Family Online Sale !!!

I just found this in my e-mail and the first thing I thought was "I NEED TO SHARE THIS WITH THE WORLD" and then proceeded to think that you all may have gotten the same e-mail. So ULTA is having a Friends & Family Sale which means everything is 20% off online (excluding some products) if you're a member (basically if you have an account) and 15% if you don't. But it's like super easy to create an account so I would just do it! It's valid thru Sat. 7/21/12

20% Off Code: 82278
15% Off Code: 88740

Also, another thing! If you are signed up on Ebates you get 4% cash back! Which basically means you get 24% off your order because that money comes back to you! If you don't know what Ebates is, it's a website where when you click through their link onto the site you're shopping at they'll take a portion (whatever percentage of that day) and give you that amount as cash back in the form of a check or straight to pay-pal! 

Here's a link to it if you want to check it out! Completely free to sign up and there are so many online stores to choose from, a lot of popular ones as well! EBATES EBATES EBATES

So go snag you an Urban Decay Palette for $10 off! I know I'm running! Happy Shopping :)

xo

Review: OPI Cajun Shrimp

Today's post is brought to you by my bon-a-fide Popeye's Cajun Shrimp, mmm-mmm. Haha, okay weirdness is over. I'm sat at work, here for over an hour and on my third cup o' joe. So excuse any random and unnecessary exclamations (!!!) OPI Cajun Shrimp is a beautiful coral-y red nail polish that is perfect for this summer season as corals are all the rage! I've seen this color on a few beauty blogs and have been trying to find it for ages at any nail supply store. I've found it before but the prices were outrageous. I bought this on Friday for $8.50 which I thought was a really good price.

Natural Lighting

I've heard that OPI nail polishes get a really bad rap for not being the best polish or just complete rubbish. Which I say to you, "what?!" This (as well as my other OPI polishes) are super creamy and are that lovely balance of not to thick of a consistency and not too runny. The pigmentation is great as well! I'm a two coat kind-a gal no matter what the polish but you honestly only needed one coat with this. No touch ups, no bald areas, and streaks.

Flash

I took this pictures about two days after I applied it and it still looks so lovely! Only now have I noticed any tip wear (which I honestly think is just my nails growing out a bit) and any chipping is because I foolishly pick at it. I'd say if you're a fan of corals this season to jump on this color! It's a perfect summer red; classy yet fun all in one! Don't let the bad rap fool you, this is formula is actually one of the best I've used! Even when coral goes out of style there's just enough red in it to make it a staple in your nail polish collection!

I'm now on a hunt for more colors. What are some of your favorite OPI nail polishes? 

Don't forget, there's only 36 hours to enter my 1/4 Anniversary Giveaway! Enter before it's too late! :)

xo

LUSH Emotional Brilliance: My Thoughts Summed Up

Image Source: MakeUp For Life

LUSH Cosmetics is coming out with Emotional Brilliance this Saturday, July 21, 2012! It's such an exciting time for Lushies new and old because it's a make-up line! The basis of this make up line is that the make up you choose will be based on your mood. There will be a color wheel that you spin and then you are asked to pick the first three colors that stand out to you! I don't want to give out too many details that I've read about because I'm not sure exactly how it all works! All I know is that I will be there this Saturday buying up the store! My B.I.F. (Best Internet Friend) Julia, author of the blog LushiesUnite on tumblr which is by far the most brilliant LUSH blog you will ever come across, posted this set of GIFs to properly, and to a T, describe what every Lushie felt and is feeling about Emotional Brilliance!

Enjoy & make sure to check out her blog! :) And here is the link to her direct post.

When you find out what line is:

When you see the video:

Every second from now until July 21st:

But sometimes you just can't contain yourself and you're just like:

And then you geek out over the promo pictures online again and you're like:

When the LUSH doors finally open on July 21st and you're the first into the store like:

And then you FINALLY SEE IT and you WILL BE LIKE:

And you wallet will be like:

But you will be like:

And everything will be okay because everything is LUSH and nothing hurts.

Is this not what you guys felt?! Are you excited for the launch of Emotional Brilliance? Share your thoughts below! 

xo

FOTD & OOTD: A Weapon of Massive Consumption

"And I am a weapon of massive consumption and it's not my fault it's how I'm programmed to function..."

-Lily Allen The Fear

This song actually has nothing to do with my face make up ... or my outfit. I was just listening to the song and this line came up and I thought "How funny and true for me!" And that is how a blog post title is born! *tada* Anywho on to my FOTD & OOTD. Now, bare with me I still don't have anyone to take my photos for me and I am really inept with my bulky camera from too far away (the darn thing never focuses properly!) So please excuse the wonky outfit pictures, the huge camera wrapped around my arm and the huge flash. Other than that, I hope you enjoy! I felt super confident walking on the streets with this make up and outfit. It made me look and feel good :)

On my face:

• M.A.C. Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer (NW 15)
• MakeUp Forever HD Powder
• Sephora Collection Long Lasting Eye Liner (Black)
• M.A.C. Powerpoint (So There Jade)
• M.A.C. Zoom Fast Black Lash Mascara
• Benefit's Hervana Blush
• *not in picture* M.A.C. Flamingo Lipstick

What I'm wearing:

Top: Abercrombie & Fitch

Skirt: Forever21

Denim Vest: TopShop

Accesories: Celtic Ring, Infinity Knuckle Ring

Hope you guys enjoyed! :)

xo

Weekend Wishlist #01

I've been in the city twice this week. Once, because I thought I was going over to Mihai's house and the second because of a dentist appointment. I was around M.A.C. and Sephora and I didn't buy anything *gasp My little sickness has put me in quite a level headed move, meaning I wanted it all but knew I didn't need it. So I decided I'd share with you what I had my eyes on!

1. NARS Smudgeproof Shadow Base

Urban Decay Primer Potion just isn't cutting it anymore!

2. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I NEED THIS. The colors are so ... agh. I feel like I'd wear this more in the winter time so I figured I'd wait until then to get it (hopefully a Sephora coupon will come my way!)

3. Butter London Toff

Such a pretty purple color! At Ricky's NYC it was $15 and I thought that was just ridiculous when it's only $14. I know, I know it's only a $1 but every dollar counts!

4. Sephora & Pantone Universe Shades of Nature Palette

I adore the colors in this palette! All the shadows are gorgeous and silky smooth to the touch. The price is steep and it doesn't have the greatest application for that amount. I'm gonna wait for Sephora to knock the price down of it and then it's all mine!

5. Cover Girl 24HR. LashBlast

Oup, I lied. I did end up buying this! I needed a really good waterproof mascara :)

6. M.A.C. Blushes

I went in to get Fleur Power, couldn't find it. Found three amazing blushes that I am now dying to have and then found Fleur Power. I might be go next week to get a Blush Palette along with the giveaway winner's prize!

I know. I'm cuckoo bananas. It's just ever so tempting with all these awesome products out. I'm quite impatient and think if I can't buy it all now I'll wait till I can. Especially since next week is the release of  LUSH's Emotional Brilliance line (EEEEEEEK!). I know I'll just be snatching up pretty much everything.

What are on your wishlists? If you haven't enetered my giveaway yet, make sure to do so here!

xo

Twitter for The Mod Mermaid!

I've created a twitter especially for the blog! It's really exciting for me because now I'll have another outlet to interact with you guys, as well as tweet about all my beauty related problems and adventures! I'd love it if you guys would follow me and I'll follow all of my readers back! Leave your usernames so I can recognize you! I have a more personal twitter but this way I'm not clogging anyone I personally know with beauty related things and then having to answer questions later!

Twitter: @themodmermaid

I've also added a new component to the giveaway! If you follow my twitter that'll be an added two entries! Make sure to leave your username on the rafflecopter widget if you do! I look forward to tweeting with you all! :)

xo

Tag: Would You Rather - Beauty + Quick Update!

Hello all! Long time no speak! Sorry to just drop from the blogging world for these few days. I haven't been feeling quite well and never had the proper opportunity to post. I'm glad I got the giveaway post up before all of this though! (thank goodness for the queue!) If you're following this blog and haven't entered yet, be sure to do so here! I like to think the prize is quite exciting! :D

I'm feeling a lot better now and will be posting in full swing! I thought I'd ease back in (my gosh I make it sounds like I've been gone for ages) with a Beauty Tag I found on AnanSays | Beauty & Lifestyle Blog. She didn't tag me but I still thought it would be fun to do! Before I get started I just thought I'd share this photo I found on tumblr. Any lipstick lover will agree. Our little lippies are so spoiled! Anywho, haha, on to the tag!

1. Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice make-up, or nice hair and no make-up?

Nice hair and no make up. Only for the simple fact that my hair never looks nice and it would just be a lovely change!

2. Would you rather shave your eyebrows or have your eyelashes fall out?

Ah! Eyelashes! Most definitely! Eyelashes would be a lot less noticeable ... I think.

3. Would you rather be forced to shop at only MAC or Sephora for the rest of your life?

Oh gosh. Hmm ... I'm really getting into M.A.C. lately but I think I'll have to go with Sephora. There is just way more to choose from there!

4. Would you rather wear the lipgloss/lipliner look or 80's perm?

HA! This question is brilliant. Funny story. I was watching Toddlers & Tiaras the other night and one of the little girls was actually rocking the lipgloss/liner look and I just thought 'It's bad enough you're putting them through this pageant but you do THAT to them as well?!' Haha, I thought it was hilarious. 80's perm for sure!

5. Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush?

Overdone blush. Hands down.

6. Would you rather wear MC Hammer pants or biker shorts in public?

Biker shorts! They'd make my bum look all nice and bubbly.

7. Would you rather have a bad orange-y spray tan or really weird tan lines that can't be covered?

Really weird tan lines that can't be covered. Unless you live where I live, you cannot understand my decision to look like a Cheetah instead of an oompa loompa.

8. Would you rather have a bad haircut or bad hair color?

Ahhhh. That's a tough one. Hair color, I guess? Color I can deal with it, but having to deal with a n unruly haircut can be awful!

9. Would you rather have youtube or twitter taken away forever?

Twitter. YouTube is perhaps 10x more entertaining!

10. Would you rather give up using makeup brushes or mascara?

GAH. What is this question!? No wonder it was left for less. Am I allowed to pass? Haha. Ehm, uh, my gosh I'm sitting here and I cannot even decide. Mascara. Only because I cannot apply blush without a stinkin' brush ):

I tag all of my lovely readers to do this! It's actually quite fun and more difficult to choose than it looks! Have a lovely weekend everyone! As well, good luck on the giveaway to you all! :)

xo

[CLOSED] Happy 1/4 Anniversary to TheModMermaid! *Giveaway*

I'm a little early on the actually date! Turns out, the time I had originally planned to run and end the giveaway would have been impossible because I would have been away. Besides that Happy 1/4 Anniversary to TheModMermaid! Three months doesn't seem like a lot to most but it does to me! I can't believe how far this blog has come in a short time. I love interacting with other bloggerson there blog and here on my own! You're all steadily making my shopping lists longer, my skills in make up stronger, and my fashion more fashionable, haha! I'm enjoying it every step of the way and to celebrate this milestone I have decided to host a giveaway for all my lovely readers! *everybody dances*

I held a poll on this blog to let you guys decide what the prize should be and it was unanimously clear that you'd all love a M.A.C. Lippie & Blush! I am already jealous of the winner cause a Lip/Blush combo is awesome! So how exactly will you win this blush? I've decided to use Rafflecopter (as seen on many other blogs) to easily keep track of all the entries! I'm not sure if Rafflecopter randomly chooses a winner at the end but if not I'll just use random.org to choose!

Here are the rules:

♥ As this is a giveaway for my readers you have to be following this blog! Now I realize it can be ever so tempting to follow right away after seeing a giveaway but please, if you're a new reader, only follow if you enjoy the content!

♥ This giveaway is international! *hooray!*

♥ Please be over 18 years of age. If you're not you can absolutely still enter but you'll have to get your parent's permission. PLEASE DO THIS. I'm 19 years old and my mother still gets suspicious of my strange packages!

♥ The winner of this blog will have 24 hours to respond to my e-mail with their chosen colors. If not, I shall continue to choose a winner until I get a response!

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The giveaway will start today Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 12:01 A.M. and end on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 12:01 A.M. That's about! If there are any questions be sure to let me know! Bonne chance, everyone!

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Review: NARS Laguna Bronzer

This bronzer is perhaps the most talked about bronzer in the beauty world right now. It leaves many of us wondering is it just a hype or is there actually something so amazing about it? It should be pretty darn amazing for the ridiculously steep price of $34! So is it worth it? Is it as good as every beauty enthusiast who has ever graced this product says it? I don't know about everyone else but my answer is YES! Holy cow, I cannot begin to describe how amazing this bronzer is. I've always strayed away from bronzers because I live in a place where people constantly overuse it and begin to look like oompa loompas. It's just safe to say that the people here give bronzers a seriously bad reputation. I never realized that bronzer can be used for so much more than just giving your 'guido face'. So why is this one so special out of all the other alternatives?

NARS Laguna Bronzer is just a soft, warm bronzy brown color that is just perfect for a pale gal like me. Bronzers tend to look really orange on girls with fairer skin tones if not for the right shade. Laguna is great if I want to give my face a nice surge of bronze color without making me look like overly tan. The pigmentation is stunning and the color builds like a charm, as well as blends out like a dream! It's perfect, and I mean perfect to give your face natural contour without harsh lines! Which is great for making my round cheeks look  more defined. 

Is the price tag scary? Oh yeah, you betcha. Is it worth it? Absolutely. If you're looking to just add the most lovely kiss of color onto your face instead of big wet one, this would be the one to get. The right amount of color, with the right amount of shimmer. Sometimes it's necessary to make the investment to get a product you're going to love and know you're going to use again and again! I recommend this with the highest of regards (if that sentence makes sense! haha)

What are some of your favorite bronzers?

xo

Random Rambly Rant: Hooded Eyelids & FOTD

Apologies for no actual beauty content on the blog at the moment. I swear I have products that I am dying to review you for you guys, as well as other miscellaneous posts. Which is actually what brings me to this post! I was trying to snap a picture of my make up today because I thought it reminded me of a bronzed, sunset look (beauty girls, we can buy and use the products but have the worst difficulty describing it). Anyway, I wanted to do a FOTD because I don't do those too often, but I couldn't get my eye make up to show up! After blogging for this short amount of time I have come to the realization that my eyelids are indeed hooded which makes it super difficult to showcase my eye look's without looking down at the floor! I never understood why I could never see my eye make up unless I put my head all the way back and then proceeded to look in the mirror. 

I did manage to slightly capture the eye make up along with the rest of my face so I decided I'd also do a FOTD :)

What I'm wearing:

• Dr. Jart++ Waterfuse BB Cream
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Half Baked all across the lid and lower lashline
• Urban Decay Toasted on the outer third of the lid atop the Half Baked and then into the crease
• Urban Decay Virgin in the inner corner and brow highlight
• Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes 001 upperlashline and then smudged a bit, then on the water line
• M.A.C. Zoom Fast Black Lash
• NARS Laguna Bronzer 
• NARS Orgasm
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Honey

That's all! Easy peasy golden eye look (: I love to use the gold and purply eye color to make my blues eyes pop more. Unfortunately the eyeshadow colors get really lost when I open my eyes!

Do any of you also have hooded lids? What are your tips & tricks to get your eye make up to pop and not just get hide away? I'd love to hear any tips you may have as this is starting to become a tad frustrating!

xo

Rose Jam Bubbles, Crazy Dance Moms, & A Warm Cup O' Tea

Evening to all where evening does apply. I come to you today with a different type of post. I had my first beach outing today and what do I get? Massive sleepies and a never ending head ache. I've been tossing and turning in my bed and I can't seem to get any better. Even Advil doesn't seem to kill the monster. I don't have the energy in me to post a review or put on any make up for a look I really want to do, so I hope you don't mind if I just write about my evening. 

In the winter time during school I'd always run a bath to cure any stuffiness or headache that seemed to pop up out of the blue. I figured it couldn't hurt to just lie in some warm water and fluffy bubbles that smelled of sweet Rose Jam. It helped me relax a lot! If I was old enough to drink I'm sure some wine would have been lovely. Instead I opted to indulge in my favorite guilty pleasure, Dance Moms. Such a nutty show! It's really fun for me to watch as a dancer who sees cuckoo banana mom's like this in the studio all the time! Only perhaps not to their certain level of cuckoo. With the lights off, no candles, the sweet smell of bubbles and the yapping of the crazy mom's, I was starting to feel better. My headache is still not completely gone but I am now snuggled in my covers with a nice cup o' tea and watching The Glee Project which is almost better than the show itself. I hope you are all having a lovely evening, one a tad better than mine! I shall be back to posting tomorrow (hopefully :) )

xo

[EDIT: So I've just had to empty my entire closet to accommodate a constructor who's ideal time to come is 10 P.M. I hope you are all now having a much, much better evening!]

NOTD | Nebula Nails

Are nebula nails relevant anymore? If not, then I have jumped on the bandwagon way to late. I was stumbling upon a ton of nail video son YouTube and their seemed to be a common theme of nebulas and space. My younger sister and cousin said this to me, and I quote "How very hipster of you..."I thought that was quite funny because then they also called them "tumblr nails". I really liked how this came out! It looks cooler in the sunlight and muddy in the shade (hence, why there is no shade picture, haha) Not your average "summer nail" but it's great nail art to do when you have a lot of time on your hands! Like me on this long weekend whilst watching Camp Rock. So cheesy!

Here are the colors I used:

• Revlon ColorStay Base Coat
• China Glaze Smoke & Ashes
• Sephora by O.P.I. Mermaid to Order
• Butter London Knackered
• China Glaze Hook & Line
• Color Club 
• Wet & Wild Shine 460D
• Revlon ColorStay Top Coat

Have you ever tried out these nebula nails; recently or back when it was cooler? I'd love to see pictures!

xo