Haul + First Impression: ColorPop

Everyone across the internet in the beauty community are raving about Colorpop all of a sudden. I had heard that they easily rival the high end brands, but with a $5 price tag. With the $5 dollars off first purchase and free shadow for Colorpop's first birthday, I couldn't resist the chance at getting 2 free products.

First off, how cute is it that they include  hand written letter. That's a sign of a good company, trying to make themselves more personal.

The packaging from Colorpop is great. Very high quality for items that are so inexpensive. The packaging of these products look clean and the holographic labeling is gorgeous. The sleek lippie stix packaging reminds me of Copic markers, which are artist grade markers. The packaging on these products don't seem the least bit flimsy either. 

Super Shock Shadows

Game Face: Metallic copper

So Quiche: Metallic taupe with pink and silver shimmer

Birthday Girl: Metallic pale pink with loads of glitter

Cricket: Metallic cool toned purple with silver and pink shimmer

Bae: Metallic plum with teal blue shimmer

(With Camera flash; L-R: Game Face, So Quiche, Birthday Girl, Cricket, Bae)

Seriously these Super shock shadows are so intriguing. The texture of them are pillowy soft, and silky, feel like a creme almost, but look and behave more like a powder. The texture is comparable to L'Oreal Infalliable shadows, but the Super Shock do seem to be a bit more creamier. I find the best application with these is with fingers. 

I definitely recommend getting Bae. I've never come across a shadow quite like this. Not to mention it combines teal and plum, two of my favorite colors. 

(L-R: Lumiere, Leather, Creature)

Lippie Stix

Lumiere: Matte warm mid-tone pink. 

Leather: Matte deep orchid

Creature: Matte oxblood

(Colorpop Lippie Stix in Lumiere)

I was never into MLBB lip colors. These shades always make my lips look puffy in my opinion. Some people seem to like it, but I think my lips are big enough as it is. I decided to give this shade a go, still gives me a puffy lip look, but the formula is nice.

(Colorpop Lippie Stix in Leather)

Leather didn't turn out how I expected it to be. I was hoping for a color closer to the tube shade, a deep purple, but this is definitely more of a dark purple orchid color. I'd say this is actually a great shade for those who want to dabble in purple lip colors because this seems quite wearable. I guess next time I'll try out Feminist to get that deep purple I wanted.

(Colorpop Lippie Stix in Creature)

Creature is oxblood heaven in all of its deep brown and red gory. Definitely a must have out of the 3 shades in my opinion. 

Review: Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette

I was actually not planning to get another vice palette after my dying interest in my Vice 1 palette with the exception of a couple shades. Seriously. But after seeing at the amazing jewel tone colors in the Vice 3 palette, I had to have it.

Product Range Name: Urban Decay: The Vice 3 Palette
Retail Price: $60
Amount: 0.8 g/0.03 oz. each
What is it? 20 piece Eyeshadow palette with duo sided eyeshadow brush and makeup bag.
Where to get it? Limited Edition at UD website, Sephora, and Ulta

Packaging: 7/10
The palette itself is thinner than the previous palettes (around 5 mm thinner). They also changed the opening mechanism. The Vice 3 is a magnetic closer, whereas the previous Vice and Vice 2 were latch closers that steadily rose the lid. It also comes with a large mirror the size of the lid.

On one hand, I do actually like the chrome silver/lime color scheme with the funky blur of colors on the front. Very sheek 80's. What I have a beef with is that it feels a ridiculously cheaper than its past version. It's made out of a really light cheap plastic that you would expect out of the drugstore. Also the "Vice" logo looks tacky. Maybe it's the font, but I would have much preferred the "UD" logo from the previous Vices, it just looks nicer font-wise and as a "jewel" like embellishment.

Truth: Pink toned matte creme. 

Undone: Cool toned matte beige.

Downfall: Matte medium brown.

DTF: Matte Taupe.

This column is composed of an array of great basic blending out shades, which are must haves in anyone's eyeshadow collection. All shades are pigmented and smooth. My only gripe with these is that they are super powdering. Very lightly dip your brush in and you almost kick up dust. Thankfully these are pretty light shades for the powderyness to not be a big deal fallout-wise.

Dragon: Metallic spring green.

Freeze: Frosty sky blue with white glitter

Heroine: Matte navy with blue sparkle

Brokendown: Shimmery golden bronze

Vanity: Shimmery dark purple

Lucky: Metallic orange-based gold. This one of the most pigmented in the palette.

Reign: Brown shimmer with a pink iridescence

Bobby Dazzle: Frosty white with gold shimmer

Alien:  Medium pink pearl with a gold sheen

Alchemy: Magenta Pearl with a lavender sheen

Bondage: Blackened purple with red/pink shimmer. Another huge pigment winner.

Sonic: Metallic coppery red

Last Sin: Champagne shimmer with white sparkle

Angel: Taupe shimmer with white sparkle

Defy: Matte dark grey

Revolver: Black with navy shimmer


Extras:

Brush: Its a double ended brush, much like the last brushes that came in the past Vices. One side is a dense C-shape shadow brush and the other is a sparsely packed bending brush. Its just inconvenient to store.

Bag: It's a well made bag and could probably fit the smaller tablets, but its not padded at all so maybe just makeup is the way to go for the bag. Wish they traded the bags for better palette material.

Overall:

Definitely better quality eyeshadow wise than the first Vice palette.  Bondage and Lucky are the most pigmented. Angel is pretty sheer in pigment and Defy is a bit uneven too. Packaging quality is a thumbs down. Shadow-wise this is a pretty good well rounded palette.Great for beginners because it has matte blend/highlight shades, shimmery neutrals, and jewel tone shadows to shake things up. Would make a great holiday gift.

Review: Kao Liese Prettia Hair Dye in Sweet Apricot

Back in December when my roots were growing in after using Cassis Berry, I thought I was ready to go a step lighter and try Liese Prettia Sweet Apricot. 

Comes with:
Hair Dye
Developer in bottle
Foaming pump
Gloves
Conditioner

Directions:
Add the little black bottle(hair dye) to the Transparent bottle of Developer.
Cap it.
Do NOT shake. Gently flip upside down 5-6 times.
Replace white lid with pink pump.
Spread through hair.
Wait 30-40 minutes.
Wash and add Conditioner.

(Fluorescent lighting)

A orangey light brown or very auburn. I'd say it turned out very close to the color result on the box.

Positives:
Not damaging. Seriously, None.
Did lighten my hair and matched closely with box results.
Even color.
The Foam was easy to use and no crazy drippy mess.
Had more than enough to spread in my hair.

Negatives:
Smell. Has a chemical scent, but so does every hair dye. 
Some areas of my roots became a bright orange. Assuming it is due to the heat from the scalp lifting the hair color faster. It's nothing too ridiculous though.

(Top right: Direct Sunlight, Middle right: Natural indoor)

Overall:
5 out of 5
The packaging is way too good. The formula is not damaging, easy to use, mess free, and even. The color didn't seem to fade much. I'm telling you, Kao and/or Japan's hair dye game is on point. Definitely a future repurchase.

Ipsy: 2014 July Bag

Here is the 2014 July Ipsy Bag:

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in "Mango Rita":
Initially, I was excited to get a nail polish, but disappointed with the color choice. That was until I saw the color in person, besides the orangey creme color it has holographic shimmer spread in it. Beautiful and unique. Although the holographic shimmers seems to be just gold when on the nail. The formulas good too, A 2 coater, dries faster, and last awhile without chipping.

Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment:
This was what I need skincare wise. I've been battling acne for years, but I haven't tested this properly yet. So I'm not sure what to say.

Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass:
Current status: Madly in love! I was jumping for joy to receive this. I always wanted to try this sheer liquid tint type of product be it from, Benefit or Lioele, but I could never muster up the courage to purchase it for such a natural tint. The formula of this is very nice and the scent is amazing. Gives a cherry popsickle tint and smells like it too.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08:
Not sure what to say about this. I'm sure it's nice, but I don't need it. I'm naturally tan already and one of those people who can tan after just 10 minutes in the sun. I'm probably just going to give this to one of my paler friends.

bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SPF 15:
Not entirely sure which shade I received, but it's a dark taupe. The formula is nice and dries quick. It's not a base/primer type of product due to it setting and drying fast. It's a nice stand alone shade.

Ipsy Bag:
I get the theme of summer and the beach. I feels like a swim toy type of material with scallopped edges.  Cheap, but handy still.

Overall:
4 out of 5
Big fan of the nail polish, cream eyeshadow, and lip tint. Happy with the spot treatment. Not in need of the Tanning oil. Out of the bags I had received up to this point this was by far my favorite.

Ipsy: 2014 June Bag

Here is the June 2014 Ipsy Bag:

Laneige BB Cushion: 

It comes with a sample of the BB Cushion SPF50+ Broad Specrum Sunscreen and 3 shades of the BB Cushion in Light, Medium, and Dark. The concept of this is interesting, it is more of less a product-soaked sponge. The sponge is a "Patented Antimicrobial Puff" that dispenses the perfect amount of product. Not sure if this type of product is my thing, but I'll use it on my lazy day less coverage days.

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray: 

Possibly the most use product in this for me personally. I have stick straight hair and this doesn't work for those who don't have some type of natural wave to there hair. So I suppose I can use this as a back up hair spray, but it does make your hair a bit crunchy

NYX Butter Gloss in "BLG08 Apple Strudel":

I was really excited to get to receive this. I've seen rave reviews on it all over the internet when it came out. Apple Strudel wouldn't have been my first choice in color, but it's a pretty shade in the tube. The problem it is that is too sheer for my liking and it's a thicker gloss with a sight stickiness. It is good at lasting for a bit, but that slight stickiness would bother me to no end.

Nicka K New York  Shimmer Eyeliner in "Green":

I looked forward to try this, it reminds me of my days of crazy colored liners. Nicka K isn't really that nice of a brand though. It's the type of brand that I only see a cheap local dollar accessory stores. To my surprise, I like it. It's a bright teal green and the applicator brush is thin. It is a very runny inner so it takes a second to dry. Stays put nicely, but it does STAIN. Be warned.

MDSolarSciences Mineral Tinted Crème Broad Spectrum SPF 30 UVA-UVB Sunscreen:

This was a great little sample for the summer. I loved it. Unlike any other facial sunscreen I tried, it went on smoothly like a primer and because of the tinted quality, no weird white cast. It does separate a little in the tube so remember to shake it up. 

Ipsy Bag:

For June, we received a cute tropical print bag by Rebecca Minkoff. It seems pretty well made and the print is nice and vibrant.

Overall:

3 out of 5

I didn't need the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Spray and not a fan of the Nyx Butter Gloss. The samples of the Laniege BB cushions and the Nicka K liner were alright. My favorite was the MDSoarSciences sunscreen, surprisingly. I'm actually considering to purchase the full size. 

Ipsy: 2014 May Bag

Look forward to a load of ipsy subscription bags coming up till the current bag. I subscribed in May, but I didn't have time to post them til now. So without further ado, here is May's Ipsy bag of 2014:

LA Fresh Travel-lite Facial Cleansing Wipes: 

These are actually quite nice. Good amount of wetness, without soaking your face. It's also soft and not a bit scratchy. Some cleansing wipes dry out my eyes drastically, but these were perfectly fine.

Jersey Shore Tan Pure White Mineral Sunscreen: 

Upside it has 35 spf. Down side, it feels like every other sunscreen out there. From the scent, texture, and white cast. Not very impressed, but good travel body sunscreen if you don't already have one.

Boo-Boo Cover-Up Concealer: 

This was probably the highlight of the bag for me. Thankfully I got the Medium shade, which is only a tad lighter than my skin tone. It is a very heavy coverage concealer that spreads very well. So a little goes a long way. I could see this being a little cake on the under eyes if you have any fine lines, but I would just make sure your skin is nicely moisturized before applying.

Pacifica eyeshadow in Duo1: 

These shadows are very typical colors: a creme and warm tan. They aren't the most pigmented, but they will definitely work. A bit powdery, but due to the colors, it isn't too much of a concern.

Eva-Nyc Therapy Session Hair Mask: 

I'm always looking forward to trying new hair masks to help out my bleached blond ends, so I was excited to try. Appreciate the squeeze tube rather than a packet. It's just much more fuss free for me. As for the formula, Eh. Not the best. You basically use this like a conditioner, but you eave it in for a longer period of time. I waited over 6 minutes, but my hair didn't seem anymore intensely moisturized than my normal conditioner. 

Overall:

Not a bad Bag. Thought this was a good bag for my first month on Ipsy.

Review: Kao Liese Prettia Hair Dye in Cassis Berry

Back in July 2013, I decided to take a big step for myself and dye my hair. My hair has been black for my entire life. I've always wanted to have crazy colored hair though, but my parents weren't the most accepting. There were many changes going on at the time (new job, relationship, school), I thought "why not get a new hair color while I'm at it?" I wanted to start small, I knew it wasn't easy to lighten black hair.

Enter the 
Kao Liese Prettia Hair Dye in Cassis Berry:

First off, I'm Asian and our hair is a bit thicker and different from Caucasian hair so I decided to go for an Japanese Box dye as opposed to one from the US.

One thing that I was always worried about was the damage on my hair. I love my hair texture. Shiny, healthy, and stick straight, I'd get compliments on it often. A couple years back, when I decided to cut my hair the hair dresser was shocked and tried to convince me not to because it was so nice. But enough of the rambling.

 I heard Prettia wasn't as damaging so that weighted in my decision. Also... Who can't resist the packaging? Too Cute.

Comes with:
Hair Dye
Developer in bottle
Foaming pump
Gloves
Conditioner

Directions:
Add the little black bottle(hair dye) to the Transparent bottle of Developer.
Cap it.
Do NOT shake. Gently flip upside down 5-6 times.
Replace white lid with pink pump.
Spread through hair.
Wait 30-40 minutes.
Wash and add Conditioner.

Liese Prettia in Cassis Berry: After

Excuse my picture in bottom right, I didn't like it, but it was a good hair color picture.

Kao Liese Prettia in Cassis Berry: Before and After

It turned into a dark somewhat neutral brown with slight pink tones. The change was barely noticeable in indoor lighting, no one actually even knew until I mentioned it. ^^; It is noticeable outdoors or in sunlight. Though considering I knew how I looked prior, it was generally noticeable to me. 

Positives:
Not damaging
Did lighten my hair.
Even color
The Foam was easy to use.

Negatives:
Smell. Has a chemical scent, but so does every hair dye.
Didn't turn out like the before/after picture on the box.

Overall:
4.5 out of 5
Did the job and didn't damaged my hair. Wasn't the color on the box, but was in the realm of it. I'd recommend it.

After wear:
I think it retained the color pretty well. The berry tint wore away a bit, but nothing bad.

Nature Box May 2014: First Box~

So I finally buckled down and subscribed to a couple Subscription Boxes. Reason I started with Nature box  was because I found a 50% off coupon for the first box and I realized I've been eating TERRIBLY for the last couple months. Due to not being able to stop snacking, the least I could do is go for healthier alternatives when I am snacking. This box is the Happy Snacker Package.

Sweet Blueberry Almonds: 

I absolutely ADORED these. The Almonds themselves weren't rock hard, like some almond snacks are. They are just the perfect texture. The blueberry powder coating was very nice and sweet. I went through the two bags really fast. 

Fuji Apples:
Ehh. They were very skinny, which makes sense considering they were dehydrated, but the mantle part is the best part. Not a fan of the peel, felt like chewing on tough razor blades. I'd say these were doable though. My favorite out of the dried fruit, but would not try again.

Cherry Ganache Granola:
They were exactly what you'd expect, Cocoa- favored granola with dried cherries. The cocoa granola didn't seem to be sugary at all, which is nice. It was a good snack overall.

Dried California Peaches:

Ew. These were entirely way too tough and the pit was still there so you'd have to eat around it. They weren't that great tasting either, pretty bland. Stick to the fresh thing.

Dried Pears:
Same as the Dried California Peaches.

Roasted Sea Salt Chickpeas:
These were a nice extra surprise gesture. I'm usually into more fruity or sweet snacks, so it was nice getting a salty one. These were really good. Kinda reminds me of wasabi beans. Nice, lightly salted, and crunchy. Gave these to my dad because he adores these type of snacks.


Overall:
2 out of 5
Why? Out of the 5 snacks, I only really liked 2 of them: the Sweet Blueberry Almonds (I would 100% get again) and the Cherry Ganache Ganola. The dried fruit was Terrible, I'm sticking to the fresh stuff.

Review: Urban Decay's Vice Palette

I was going to post this review some time mid-December, but my laptop died. >___>; Then right when I got a new one, life hit me pretty hard. But enough with the excuses, here is my LONG put off review.

Product Range Name: Urban Decay: The Vice Palette
Retail Price: $59
Amount: 0.8 g/0.03 oz. each
What is it? 20 piece Eyeshadow palette with duo sided eyeshadow brush.
Where to get it? Limited Edition at Sephora and Ulta 

Packaging: 9/10 I actually quite like it. Having had it for months already, it's still as good as it was the day I got it with its durable rubbery plastic. The only problem is that because it's rubbery, it attracts powder like crazy so it's not as clean as it once looked. The raised acrylic/plastic jewel is a nice touch to the sleek purple packaging too.

I love the fact that the lid slowly opens on its own once you push latch button. The Vice palette also has a HUGE mirror, which is convenient.

Brush: 7/10 In general, I'm not a fan of double sided brushes because of the awkward storing options. That being said, the quality of these is really excellent for something that comes included in a palette. The synthetic bristles are as soft as they come. The blending side is quite spares and is nice for sheering out the pigmentation. The other side on the other hand is very dense and stiff, which does pack on colors well. Yet, I still don't reach for these much, but they are good if you don't have many eye shadow brushes to begin with. Still, I would've preferred an eyeliner. 

The Swatches (with and without flash):

L-R: Desparation, Muse, Jagged, Blitz, Penny Lane

Desparation: Dark grey with a very subtle sheen. Okay to work with and the pigmentation is okay.

Muse: Matter dark brown base with notable bronze glitters throughout. This does have a bit of fallout and the pigmentation is a bit weak.

Jagged: Deep slightly greenish antique gold. This is a nightmare to work with: fallout, not pigmented, ang gritty. It's a beautiful shade, but it takes a load of work. I recommend to use it wet and on a sticker base.

Blitz: Very bright metallic gold.

Penny Lane: Light shimmery golden orange.

L-R: Junkie, Chaos, Occupy, Unhinged, Black Market

Junkie: Shimmery greenish teal. Drop dead gorgeous color.
Chaos: Matte Pacific blue. Somewhat patchy and a wee bit hard to blend.
Occupy: Shimmery dark blue tinted gunmetal with silver glitters.
Unhinged: Shimmery sky blue.
Black Market: Close to matte Black. Not the Blackest of black or the most pigmented, but still easy to work with.

L-R: Provocateur, Rapture, Vice, Noise, Armor

Provocateur: Super glittery silver lavender. Expect major fallout, so it's best with used wet with a sticky base.

Rapture: Shimmery dusty purple.

Vice: Shimmery medium purple.

Noise: Hot pink with a sheen and chunky gold glitter. I'd expect the glitters to not show up because they easily fell off.

Armor: Dark gun metal with silver glitter.

L-R: Nevermind. Echo Beach, Anonymous, Freebird, Laced

Nevermind: Frosty brown taupe.
Echo Beach: Shimmery beige.
Anonymous: Matte creme.
Freebird: Shimmery light pink with chunky glitters. This is quite chunky in general so with this expect fall out.
Lace: Matte pink toned beige.

Quality: 8/10 Generally speaking, most of the shades are very pigmented and easy to work with, except Muse, Jagged, Provocateur, and Freebird. . There is a consent look out for fall out with many of these shadows. Personally speaking, despite Jagged and Provocateur being a mess, they are very worth the effort to make work because of how nice the shades are.

Overall:
8/10
The Vice Palette has a variety of finishes and colors to mix and match. This palette may seem like it's geared toward the color-lovers, but more than half of the shades are neutrals. The Packaging is a plus compared to Urban Decay's usual cardboard. The drawback of this palette was the fact that it was expensive compared to the other palettes out at the time
Would I Recommend this? Yes, for the people out there that want to spice up their neutral looks with a bit of color.

Review: Covergirl Lip Perfection (The CVS Clearanced)

Okay so I thought that somebody out there would appreciate swatches of some of the Covergirl Lip Perfections together while seeing them at the CVS clearance that's going on. I know I would have. I was looking up swatches on my phone like crazy trying to decide if it was a good color. So this will be mainly up for the swatches and I may add more because I think I want at least 2 more lipsticks.

Product Range Name: Cover Girl Lip Perfection lipcolor

Shade Name(s): Smolder, Impassion, Entrall, Fervor

Retail Price: $7-8
Amount: 3.5 g/12 oz.
Available Color(s): 44 shades according to the CG website
What is it? Lipstick
Where to get it? Anywhere that sells Covergirl

(Natural lighting)

L-R: Smolder, Impassion, Entrall, Fervor

(Flash)

Smolder: My-lips-but-better type of nude with a tinge of brown to it that has a creme finish
Impassion: Bright shimmery slightly burnt orange. Despite its appearance it's not too incredibly shocking too wear.

Entrall: Bright shimmery red. A bit too bright red for my tastes so I have yet to wear it out.

Fervor: Rosy Mauve with a creme finish. Dries down to a satiny almost matte finish as seen above.

I must say these lipsticks are phenomenal. They're pigmented, smooth, and not heavy on the lips. I didn't experience any drying from these either.

The plastic tube seems durable enough. The squared shape of the tube also makes them easy to store together. The bottom even has the lipstick within it so you know exactly what color you have without having to open the tube.

Overall:
10 out of 10
I found no faults with these Covergirl lip perfections as of yet. These want me to actually dabble into Covergirl products again. By far my favorite product by Covergirl yet even though that's not saying much since mostly everything I have tried from the brand has failed me.

Review: LE Maybelline Eyestudio Quad in "Cozy Cashmere"

Maybelline's shimmer eye shadows are really good, as I stated in my last post, but how would their mattes perform? My answer: pretty darn good. I believe "Cozy Cashmere" is the only Maybelline Eyestudio quad to contain mattes. Although I could be wrong because I haven't look into them until the pass month or two.

(Natural Lighting)

 (Flash)

Product Range Name: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk eye shadows

Shade Name: Cozy Cashmere

Retail Price: $7-$10
Amount: 0.09 oz/2.5 g
Available Color(s): Fall 2012 Limited edition collection and was released with Olive Martini, Smokey Cinnimon, and Sea Sprite 
What is it? 4-pan eye shadow palette/quad
Where to get it? This is Limited edition so you may still find it at Walgreens or where ever this collection appeared.

Unlike my last review on Copper Chic, this has a variation of finishes. These are still very pigmented, silky smooth, and not powdery. 

This quad contains a:
Metallic Nude - The shimmers in this one are larger and shinier than that of the nude shade from the copper chic palette.
Satin Dark Brown with scattered Gold Shimmers -  The impressive thing about this is that you actually can see the gold shimmers post application. I find with this type of scattered shimmer eye shadow, they usually end up being a solid color and the shimmers just never appear or fall out onto my cheeks. I'm impressed, although it doesn't mean that there isn't any glitter fallout from this. It's just not as much.
Matte Burnt Orange - Quite silky smooth in texture. I'm loving this shade as of late. It really warms up any look when applied to the crease.
Matte Mauve-y Brown - Also quite silky smooth. This gives a nice change from your average brown crease eye shadow.

(Natural Lighting)

(Flash)

Overall:

9 out of 10

Deduction of one point for the fallout from the dark brown with golden shimmers. Other than that I think this is a lovely quad. Your able to able to a full look from it, from a warm day look to a warm smokey brown look. This palette range are really becoming nice go to's for me as of late. I really encourage the thought of Maybelline releasing more matte shades in the eye studio formula.