November 2011 Empties

Hello Everyone,

I've had a decent month for empties, although most of these products are not that hard to use up.

1. L'Oreal Absolute Eye and Lip Make- up remover - It does its job, and I will probably buy it again (when there is a sale on it ;P).

2. Simple Radiance Brightening Eye Cream - Simple is my favorite skincare range, and I will always come back to it. I liked this cream, but as I always say I didn't really notice much difference in my skin. Maybe my skin is in good condition, and that's why I don't see any changes (yay for me). I do appreciate that it doesn't have any alcohol and scent free, especially after some other stuff I've tried.

3. Sally Hansen Vita-B Lip Moisturizer - I love this stuff! It moisturizes extremely well, and the packaging is so much cuter than the regular balm. I've bought several others from this line, and I will keep buying it.

4. Boots Tea Tree + Witch Hazel Exfoliating Face Scrub - Can I say I HATED the smell? But my husband liked it, so go figure. I think it's an ok scrub, but I will stay away because I can't stand the smell. To me it's just too nasty.

5. Radox Shower Smoothies Spirit Booster - it's pretty hard to get a shower stuff wrong, and this shower smoothie is no exception. It does smell good enough to drink (and the tube has a big warning not to drink it lol), it lathers well and it cleans well. I will buy it again in a heartbeat.

6. elf Complexion Perfection powder - it's very similar to Rimmel's powder, and I liked it. I'm not sure I will bother with buying it again (or ordering anything else from US elf's website), because it takes so LONG to get to me. I'm a patient person, but waiting almost 2 month kills the excitement even in me.

7. Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush - oh Batiste, you are still my love. I don't know how many bottles of this stuff I've used up now, but this is my first one in this huge size. I love it and will buy it again and again!

8. Aussie Take the Heat Shampoo - it's my 2nd bottle of this shampoo, and I love it enough to buy again.

9. Clinique Clarifying Lotion for Combination Oily skin - this crap deserves its own photo (ok, I just forgot to include it , so had to run back and add to photos). I've bought it in a neat little gift set, figuring it's a good way to try some Clinique without spending a lot of money. I had high hopes for it... now I will never buy it again.

This is supposed to be a step 2 in Clinique's famous 3 Step System, which is "comfortable, non-drying exfoliator that helps create clear, glowing skin". I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to exfoliate, but even my skin felt noticeably drier and tighter. I'm convinced that it's main purpose is to completely get rid or ANY kind of oil on skin! I get that it's for combination oily skin, and guess supposed to control oiliness but I'm scared to even imaging how their stuff for an actual oily skin feels like! Also, as all Clinique stuff, this is 100% fragrance free. What they neglect to tell you, is that while it doesn't have any typical smells, it is full of alcohol! To the point that it REEKS of it. The smell of alcohol is overwhelming, and pretty nasty. Just because my skin is a trooper and nothing gets to it, doesn't mean I want to use cleansers full of alcohol on it. After using this, I appreciate Simple stuff just that much more.

10 & 11. No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara in 01 Black & 02 Brown/Black - I actually forgot I've finished these a while back, but they were hiding in one of my storage cups. I like these mascara, but I think for a drugstore they are a little on a pricey side. I will buy again with one of Boots No7 vouchers though.

12. Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in Navy - oh the memories! This was one of my first felt tip eyeliners, and pretty much what started my love with them. Sadly this one completely dried up, and I found out about it while trying to use it. Although it is not surprising, because I've had it for almost a year. Sadly, Eyeko completely revamped its brand image and products, so I don't think these are available to buy anymore. While I'm sad a little, there are plenty of other felt tip eyeliners to try and I won't miss these much.

13. Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes Mascara - this was a mini size mascara in one of the Tarte gift sets, and I love it! I just bought a full size version of non-waterproof one.

14. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - another sample size that came with one of the palettes I have. I have a striking suspicion that there are more primer left, but I can't be bothered with trying to cut the bottle open and depot. Plus, I don't have any appropriate containers, it's going to dry up fast, and I just bought a full size primer. Other than the bottle, this primer is great.

15. Benefit PosieTint - (seriously, I keep forgetting stuff! This is the 4rd time I'm editing this post LOL. Well, this is the last staggler, I promise) this is a 4ml size that came with one of the magazines during summer,  and I quite like the size because it means I can actually get though it! I like the natural rosy flush PosieTint gives me, and you can see it pretty often in my FOTD. I'm glad I got to try it, but I won't be buying the full size because I don't love it THAT much to spend the amount of money it costs.

Have you used any of the stuff I listed?

~ Lyuba

REVIEW: Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara

Hello my Funky Readers,

I'm long overdue with this review, I think I had photos taken AND edited (let me hear you do a collective GASP now) for at least two weeks... but I have to admit that I find it very hard to write reviews. Because everyone is different, and what works for me wouldn't not work for you. That's why I rarely review makeup, and try to stick to stuff that either work... or don't. Like makeup removers and face creams. Oh wait, just talked myself into a corner, face creams could be different for anyone out there! Oh well... guess I'll have to start reviewing makeup items too now.

Today I give you Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes! mascara which I got in the gift set that my brother got me for Christmas. Sadly I don't know if Tarte is available in UK... so to all my UK readers, I'm sorry!!! This is a sample size by the way.

What they say: 

Lights, Camera, Splashes! Waterproof Mascara
What it is:
A waterproof lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning mascara.

What it does:
Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! 4-In-1 Waterproof Mascara's waterproof formula gives you the bombshell lashes you love, and is guaranteed to stay put through rain, sweat or tears.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This mascara contains Skinvigorating™ ingredients such as beeswax, a natural waterproofing agent, mineral pigments, known for their soothing and softening properties, and carnauba wax, an emollient wax that ensures smooth application.

Size: 0.24 oz

Black:
Isododecane, Aqua, Pentaerythriyl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Cyclopentasiloxane, PVP/Eicosene Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polybutene, Cera Alba, Cera Carnauba, Alcohol, Polyquaternium -10, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

What I say: 
First of all, I would have never bought this mascara for two reasons: 1.  It's waterproof, and after years of wearing waterproof mascara I realized I don't care for them! Mascaras never run on me (even in high heat), I don't go swimming in them, I don't go to the gym in makeup, when I cry I don't care how I look  and I've heard that they also very bad for your lashes. So I'm using it because I got it as a gift in a gift set, which I had little control over. 2. The price, $19 is a little steep for me when I can get a nice mascara for under $10.

But the packaging, oh the packaging! I'm glad that I've never saw it in full size in person, otherwise my above "never" would have turned into maybe.  And now that I spy that Tarte has a regular version too.... but the packaging is not as cute :(

So aside from this mascara being waterproof I am actually very impressed with it! Although there is nothing special about the wand, I don't know what is this "patented dual-wand technology" they are talking about because by looking at it you won't see anything different from any other mascara wand on the market (that are not those silicone type wands I mean).

But when I apply it, this is where I can see the difference! The wand is actually pretty long and narrow, so it is able to coat almost the whole length of my lashes. Even the bottom ones are not as big of a problem, as I usually have with other mascaras, because this wand is narrow enough to coat them without messing up. I love natural but dark look to my lashes, so I only apply one coat of mascara (by one coat I mean I keep applying it while it still wet. Does that count as one coat? I always think that 2nd coat means applying mascara after 1st coat completely dried, and I rarely do that). This mascara doesn't clump (love, love, LOVE!!) and makes my lashes look oh so long, and dare I even say full? The thing is, I do have long lashes.... you just can't see them because they are so light, so I need something extra to help them show up. I wear glasses, and my eyelashes actually touch the glass!!!!! How cool is that? A little annoying that I have to wait until mascara is completely dry before putting glasses on, but I think it's a minor thing.

I think it's also decent with delivering a curl too, although I think my eyelashes are naturally curly so somebody with straight lashes will have to comment on that. As far as their conditioning claim goes, I don't know... by the time I'm done trying to remove it I bet all the conditioning properties are going out the door.

Please excuse my left eye (on your right), and what looks like mascara failing to deliver. It is not, it is Lyuba who is failing to apply the mascara just as well on the left eye. I always, always, always have trouble applying mascara to my left eye and I'm incredibly jealous of anyone who can! I resigned myself to forever have uneven eyelashes, but thankfully no one can see it from far away and those who do get close enough, generally don't care :P After all, I can always use fake eyelashes for a uniform look! Or I can just practice, practice, and practice till I get the left eye right too!

The wear is good too, if there was any fallout I didn't notice it. I usually wear makeup for 10+ hours, and when I was taking it off everything was still there. It does stay!

Overall I'm very pleased with this mascara, it delivers what it says it would (lengthening, volumizing, and even curling) at least for me. Sorry Tarte, but I still won't buy it on its own, but I wouldn't mind getting it in a gift set again. I would recommend it to anyone who has fair lashes like me and wants them to stand out, and who is not afraid of waterproof mascaras.

Available from Tarte and Sephora for $19.

Have any of you tried this mascara? What do you think? 

~ Lyuba

My Current Obsessiong: Tarte Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Nude

Hello Ladies,

For the past few days I've been obsessing over one product that I neglected since Christmas... and that would be Tarte Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Nude. I actually got it as a gift from my brother, and it was part of Sephora's special Tarte gift set. It is not for sale there anymore unfortunately, because I think it was truly a great value. If you want to see the photos of this gift set, check out my holiday haul post. :)

Well I have to admit that I neglected this gloss/stain duo for the longest time because of how brown it looked. I never used brown lip anything before, and I was a little scared to try it! All I can say is that I should have tried it earlier.

Here is what they say:

Tarte's Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain gel-based tint gives lips a long-lasting glow that stays all day coupled with a lip-enhancing gloss that gives the appearance of fuller lips naturally. The result is a pout that's pretty and polished. Even after gloss wears away the lip tint remains. Perfect for women who are frustrated with lip products that don't last, Tarte's Rise & Shine's natural lip tint stays on all day, and since its alcohol free it is completely non-drying! The smooth lip gloss adds a lustrous finish that give the appearance of fuller lips, naturally. Skinvigorating ingredients: Tarte's T5 Super Fruit Complex: a proprietary blend of the five most active super fruits (goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate) loaded with naturally occurring, antioxidant rich nutrients and vitamins that have been known to deliver refining, anti-aging and skin-restorative benefits with each application.

Paraben free

Phthalate free

Sodium lauryl sulfate free

Petrolatum free

Synthetic fragrance free

Synthetic dye free

No Animal testing

Directions

Put on Lip Tint the same way you would gloss staying within your natural lipline. Wait about 15 seconds for it to set, and then apply gloss. Reapply gloss throughout the day as needed. 

Here is what I say: 
OMG that thing costs $21 by itself!!!!! I knew Tarte was expensive, but I honestly didn't expect for Rise&Shine Lip Gloss and Stain to cost almost, if not half the price of the whole gift set (I believe the gift set was either $44 or $49). This is not a product I would routinely purchase and for me it is firmly in the luxury category. And the thing is, what I got with the set IS a full size product, I checked. That said, I'm very happy that my brother got this for me as a gift because otherwise I would have (probably) never bought it myself.

As I said before, I avoided trying this because of how brown the stain looked, but recently I've been using a lot of lip stains so I decided to give it a go. And I love it. I never imagined that brown would look so good on me, being all pale and stuff, but it sure did. Maybe it is because the brown is not THAT brown, and looks more natural? Who knows, but one thing for sure is that now I want to try more brown lip products.

On one side is the stain, on the other is the gloss, so this part is pretty standard. Apply lip stain, wait for it to dry then apply lip gloss. Also pretty standard. Both are called Nude, but don't be fooled by how dark the stain looks. It goes on very natural, enhancing your natural lip color with a slight brown tint.

The downside of the stain is that it is very liquidy, so the color goes on patchy and hard to layer. And don't even think about commuting the ultimate lip stain sin, aka forgetting to exfoliate your lips (like I did here). This stain will pick it up in a heart beat and expose all the dry bits on your lips. While it's at it, it will also dry out your lips pretty bad, and that's where the gloss comes in to cover up the dryness and give your lips some OOOOMPH!

See how much better it looks? Outside in the sunlight it is even shinier. Oh, and I had no idea but apparently this lip gloss is plumping too? Because I felt a slight tingling on my lips, and some of the reviewers commented on that too.

Here are my lips after reapplying the lip tint & gloss once, and then wearing them for couple of hours. If you zoom in, you could see some nasty patches of ickiness on my top lip, which I'm assuming are tint/gloss leftovers from the first application. But I think from a reasonable distance it is not as noticeable, and lets face it, how many people will get in our faces to examine our lip gloss? Regardless, it is still disappointing that there is some residue left, since it's not like we can quickly exfoliate our lips before applying lip stain again.

Which brings me to another point, the staying power. It is OK, nothing special. The first time I wore this duo, I felt like it stayed on for a long time but every time I wore it afterwards the staying power was mediocre. Couple of hours max maybe, although it survived light eating and drinking. The gloss stays on much longer, and does give my lips a nice finish but since the gloss in itself is pretty transparent I want some color too. Hence reapplying the lip tint, and having to deal with 'residue'. (I did try to wipe off as much of old gloss as I could, short of crazily rubbing my lips)

Lip Tint, together, Lip Gloss

Here you can see very well how the lip tint applies, and this is exactly the way it goes on my lips. Thankfully lip gloss is there to fix things.

So overall I am pretty happy with this product, even if I have to call total BS on the non-drying lips part. The lip stain dried my lips out like crazy, it almost felt like they were stretched. Pretty uncomfortable feeling I gotta say. The reason why I am happy, and why I'm obsessing over it right not is because of the end result which I think is simply gorgeous. And because this product proved to me that I too could wear brown lip products, and opened the door to explore new stuff.

I am happy that I got it, but I can't bring myself to recommend it to anyone at a full price. If you have been wanting to try Tarte products for a while, and you see a set that has this Rise & Shine duo in it, by all means get it. I think that would be the best value for your money, plus you'll be getting other stuff to try too.

What do you think? Have you tried any Tarte products?

Just for fun, here are my EOTD.  Just a simple look, this is what I usually do when I don't want to bother with fancy eye makeup. The eyeliner is Urban Decay, don't remember the name but I got it at TKMaxx when they had lots of UD for sale.

I love how eyeliner color matches my glasses! That particular shade of red is one of my favorite colors :)

~ Lyuba

Holiday Haul

Hello ladies,

I consider myself a pretty patient person. If not, how else would you explain me being able to buy cosmetics and not use it for a while, even if wanting to a lot. I have some stuff that I bought back in November but have not touched because first I wanted to use up some existing things I have, and now I need to take photos before using it. I'm talking about Benefit's Her Name Was Glowla set, but it is not pictured because it is not technically a part of my holiday haul. 

Holiday season is a crazy time for my family because our birthdays happen in December, then of course Christmas and New Year, and then our anniversary is on January 3rd. This year is a little bit less crazy because my husband is away and I'm all alone with cats (and all they care about are some yummy munchies), plus he got a big gift that combined birthday, Christmas and anniversary gifts so I didn't have to think hard about what to get him. So I got some stuff for myself instead haha. Or asked for cosmetics as a gift.

FRONTCOVER To Go set
On my birthday (December 27) I met up with some friends at Bluewater mall but little did I know that it is THE infamous Boxing Day. I was told that it is the equivalent of US Black Friday. Well either way, it is also my birthday and I was determent to do something fun and going shopping is always fun in my book. Even if I had to drive for over an hour and dodge crowds. But anyways, enough of my ramblings. I wanted to try Frontcover makeup for a while, and this set was 1/2 at Boots so I figured I had a right to pick it up. I swatched some eye shadows while getting ice cream with my friends, and we were totally impressed. Now I just need to work up the courage to take more detailed photos and review this, so I could be freeeeeeeee to use it.

 Sigma Complete Kit with Brush Roll in Pink
I got a giftcard from my in-laws... which could only be used in US. This is a whole separate rant that everyone who knows me already heard all about. Anyways, after trying to use it in Bluewater with no success (I had to try!!!), I decided to go the trusted route of ordering something online. Sigma had a sale on their brushes at the time, so I ordered Complete Kit with Brush Roll in Pink, which I probably would have never ordered if I had to buy it myself. Can't help it, as much as I understand the need for good brushes I just can't shell out $80 at one time :( I got the set in pink, but I do not see it on the website anymore so maybe they discontinued it.

tokidoki Robbery Palette
Remember my rant about some websites not shipping to APO addresses? The stuff you see from now one are the ones I really, desperately wanted from Sephora but had no way or ordering them myself. So I gave a list to my brother of stuff I wanted and he got me all these stuff!!!! I think I'll do that from now on, just give him a list haha so he doesn't have to think so hard. :P So here is tokidoki Robbery Palette which I really really really wanted. I don't have any idea who tokidoki is/are, some kind of Japanese cartoon? (speaks the person obsessed with Japan) Nor do I really care. I've heard the name before, but other than that I had no idea about them. But when I came across their makeup range on Sephora I was blown away by the cuteness! The box is metal too! :) And the design is so cute :) Ok, I'm in a cuteness overload happy land right now.

Stila limited edition Travel Palettes
Ever since I saw these I've wanted the Russian palette. Yup, because I have Russian in me. Too bad for me though because it was sold out everywhere except Sephora. I could get Tokyo and Aspen on Ulta.com but why would I order from there when Sephora had 4 of them, including Moscow? So my brother got them for me :) They are sooo cute in person, although smaller than I expected. If I like these enough I will hunt down the other two on eBay, for collection purposes.

Yup that is my kitty trying to steal some makeup ;P

Tarte Bronze Smoky Eye kit
I've been wanting to try Tarte cosmetics for a while, so I just added random stuff to my list. Actually I added a LOT of random items, not necessary Tarte, to have some element of surprise but this is what my brother choose for me so I could finally try it. I don't see this set on Sephora.com anymore so I guess they sold out. So far I'm excited about everything except bronzer and possibly the lip stain because it is very brown. But I'm going to try it and see how it looks on me since I never ever tried brown for a lip color.

 Maybelline Instand Anti-Age primer and Sleek Molten Metal
These are not part of my holiday haul, but stuff I picked up on Saturday. I'm very excited about Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age primer because I also ordered an American equivalent of it. I guess it is part of the Eracer foundation line which just now been released in UK (I went to 3 Boots stores, and 2 Superdrug stores before I found it in the 3rd Superdrug) but it had been released in US for a while. I finally ordered myself one with the primer that comes with it, otherwise I would have bought a foundation too. I'm can't wait to receive it in the mail so I can compare to, mostly because shade names and numbers for foundation are different for US and UK. Call me clueless, but I thought that the shade names and numbers will be the same. Guess not lol.

Next is Sleek Molten Metal which I wanted to try ever since I saw a preview of it in December. I had to go to 3 Superdrugs before I found it too! Not much to say here other than I never used cream eye shadows so it will be a new experience to me. 

Have any of you picked up any good stuff lately?

~ Lyuba