Unnecessary Necessities | Tech

3:32 PM

I'm so cool with my paradoxical titles. Today I wanted to talk about those pesky pieces of tech that you just can't seem to live without, although you secretly know you'd be perfectly fine without.




I talked about this in my favorites post a few days ago. Basically, it's an activity tracker. You wear it on your wrist and it tracks how much movement you do, and with that, estimates things like number of steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled, etc. It's totally unnecessary, but very cool and motivational. It pushes me to exercise when I can see just how little I work out. It has apps for the iPhone and Android (I have Android) and there's one for PC and Mac too. I blocked out my weight but it goes in the blacked out area.




These days, design-oriented headphones are taking the world by storm. Beats, Frends, etc. Headphones are not only about quality, but also design and appearance. I think these Sol Republic ones are so cool looking. This is a brand that hasn't gotten much publicity like Beats by Dr. Dre, but I think are easily comparable. Michael Phelpes has been seen sporting them, but that's about the only well-known person I've heard of wearing them. They're this ultra cool design where everything is an independent clause, meaning it's highly customizable and replaceable. The sound is nice and bright. Although to be honest, it doesn't sound particularly natural, not like if you were in the studio with the artist. Think more of in the middle of a concert.

This is an app that essentially saves pages for later. It's available on most of the platforms on the market - Apple, Android, and web! If you saw something while browsing your phone and didn't have time to read it, you could save it in Pocket and go back to it later on your phone, computer, or tablet - it even saves stuff offline, which makes it convenient for those on-the-go. I apologize for not having a screenshot, but check it out if it interests you.



This is a brand that makes pocketsized portable speakers that play unreasonably loud for their size. I have the V.1.1. Capsule speaker, but most of them resemble something along the lines of mine (although some don't have a cap like this one) - a plastic spring-like thing that condenses down and locks to save more room. These are really great because the battery lasts forever and there's a great sound quality. The bass booms and the treble is crisp and clear.



pixi

Pixi Flawless Vitamin Veil | Review

9:42 PM

Hi, everyone! Today I'm writing a review on a new foundation I've been trying out. Read on to see my thoughts!


What it is: cream-to-powder foundation
Where it is: Target and online
Price: $10 for the mini that I'm reviewing, $24 for the full size
Pixi products are not tested on animals.

Pixi says that this product "miraculously evens out skintone and makes it look like you have no foundation on. It also treats your skin to a host of vitamins, minerals and skin-enhancing goodies. It plumps lines, hydrates, nourishes and protects while perfecting skin. Hypoallergenic. Fragrance free. Suits all skin types." There are three shades available; this is the shade Medium.


The product I have is a mini size that comes in a simple compact with a snap-shut lid. The regular sized product comes in a sizeable compact with a mirror and a drawer with a puff. My mini contains .105 oz of product, or 3 grams.


Pixi claims that this is a "neutral medium tone" but I'd describe it as more of a yellow toned medium. It matches my skin tone perfectly and cancels out redness to a pretty good degree. It offers light/medium buildable coverage. I'm not sure if this is the deal with everybody, but whenever I use a cream product with a brush (rather than a sponge) it just looks patchy and bad. Anyways, I'm sure that you can infer what I'm about to say: when applied with a damp sponge, this looks natural and skin-like, but when applied with a brush, it's visable on the skin. This product is a lot longer lasting than expected. I'd say it starts fading around the 8/9 hour mark on my normal/dry skin. I find that this does set down to a powder finish, but it's not particularly powdery, nor does it help with oiliness, so I'd recommend a setting powder.

Honestly? While this product isn't bad, it's not remarkable in the slightest. Pass.

NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Gold | Review

9:31 PM

Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the inconsistent blogging. I keep forgetting that I do't have anything queued up. Anyways, today I have a review on a liner that I have quite a lot to say about.


What is it: colored liquid liner
Where it is: Ulta and online
Price: $4.50
NYX is proudly cruelty free!

I've seen an image floating around Pinterest for ages now of a girl with black liner with a thin gold line right over it, and recently I started lusting after a gold liner to be able to recreate the look. NYX says, "transform your look in seconds with this super-pigmented eye liner that highlights eyes with an electrifying stroke of color. The fine brush tip allows for precision application, and can be used to create lines of varying thickness. Go subtle or go glam." This product comes in ten shades, ranging from a classic black to an electric blue. The shade I'm reviewing is Extreme Gold.


I am not a fan of the packaging. It comes with a long, thin brush that is floppy and not exactly easy to control. Inexperienced eyeliner folks will not have a fun time with this, but if you know your way around a good liner you'll be okay.The well that the liner comes out of is also much too large, and you're forced to wipe the brush off before application, thus wasting liner. It contains .19 oz of product.


Holy me oh my. This liner is unbelievably pigmented. It is a light, bright gold with an extremely metallic and shiny finish. It's an eye-catching shade that will leave you in awe of how pigmented it is. Wear time is practically infinity. This fool will not come off without a battle. You gotta go down with your cotton swabs and oil and just go to town on your eye getting it off. It's not marketed as waterproof, but oh man oh man this is so waterproof. It's also smudgeproof, budgeproof, and bulletproof. It does take a moment to set, but I think those 20-30 seconds are worth 12+ hours of perfect liner.

Recently Loving #8

3:10 PM

I've not written a favorites post in quite some time. I tend to use the same products over and over again, in case you haven't noticed, haha. Hence, I don't discover a lot of new loves. However, I've got a few things to talk about today so let's dive into it!


Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Pressed Powder
Now that it's summer and I'm so shiny you could see my reflection in my forehead, I've been really appreciating a lightweight powder. It covers up the shine but let's my skin breathe. I've written a review here. I love tossing this into my purse with my EcoTools Retractable Kabuki Brush for applying on the go.

Real Techniques Starter Set
I picked up this set a few days and I have to say, I'm really impressed. The only brush that I'm not obsessed with is the Fine Liner Brush, but that's mostly because I prefer using an angled brush for eyeliner application. However, these are high-quality, soft and fluffy. They wash and dry so well. My favorite is the Base Shadow Brush. I also really like the Accent Brush. The case that it came with is also really cool.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
I have a teeny tiny size of this that I got in the Beauty Blogger Darlings kit at Sephora. I've not tried many eyeshadow primers, but two of the best did absolutely nothing on me so I gave up a little bit, but this is phenomenal. It has no effect on intensifying or length of eyeshadow, but it prevents creasing like something special. You could probably power a motorcycle with all the oil from my eyelids. However, with this primer, my eyeshadow stays crease free and looking fine all day.

e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit in Medium
I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I do, but the gel is just a perfect color match for me! This ashy dark brown is a perfect brow color for me, since I have black hair with a hint of brown. The gel is easy to use, lasts up well under sweaty runs and humid days, and looks so damn good.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paulo
This lip product has made many appearances on my blog. It's a dark plummy-pink that is bold without being very attention grabbing. Hard to explain, but basically it makes your lips look plump and full and the color is gaaaaawgous.

NYX Gel Liner and Smudger
I just wrote a review about this yesterday, so I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. Super pigmented. Stays put. Application is smooth and creamy.

Spotify
I tried Spotify when it was brand new a few years ago and I think it was only a premium feature then or something; either way, I didn't have a good impression and stuck with Pandora, but I've fallen just head over heels in love with Spotify. It's like YouTube specifically for music. There are playlists for every occasion and every artist imaginable.

Orange is the New Black
This show is ridiculously amazing. It's about a relatable character, Piper, who goes to a women's prison for drug trafficking from her past and has to survive. I started three days ago and I finished the whole show. Granted, it's only two seasons, but all I did for three days was hunker down and watch.

Bates Motel
If you've ever seen Psycho, this is supposed to be a prologue, but in modern times. It's about Norma and Norman Bates living in an insane town with insane people. There's good screenwork and decent acting/writing. I recommend you check it out.

Fitbit Flex
I got this a few days ago, and it is so mofoking cool. There are tons of these activity trackers on the market, but I saw this at Costco with some extra bands and figured "hey, steal!" and picked it up. Basically you wear it on your wrist and it tracks your movement. Think a glorified pedometer, but with a less condescending implication. You set a goal online or in the free app, and it tells you when you've reached it. I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Thirty Seconds to Mars
I watched Mr. Nobody the other week, a sci-fi film starring TSTM's lead singer Jared Leto and immediately developed a crush on him. That led to binge listening to the band, who I'd of course heard of but never really listened to the music. I don't have a definite taste in music, so I can't really tell you what kind of people would like this, but it's alternative pop/rock style music. Excellent songs will excellent instrumentation.

NYX Gel Liner and Smudger | Review

7:59 PM

Hey guys, I wanted to apologize for the lack of posts lately. I've been writing too many essays for schools and just the thought of writing something else exhausts me.


What it is: Gel eyeliner
Where it is: online and Ulta stores
Price: $8.99
NYX is proudly cruelty free!

NYX says that this "ultra-smooth formula is both extremely precise and easily blendable. Perfect for a bold cat-eye or a sultry smokey look." There are five shades available; I have the black shade, which is called Betty. 


This product has very simple packaging. It's in a small, glass jar with a plastic lid. I always wonder why lids are plastic and jars are glass. Does it preserve the product better or something? Anyways, while this lid shuts securely, it's recommended that you store it upside down to keep air from getting in and drying out the product. This liner contains .11 oz (3 grams) of liner. That's about $90 per oz. For reference, MAC Fluidline contains the same amount and retails for $16, making it $160 per oz.


This liner is as black as my soul. It's a deeply pigmented, true black with a matte finish. While this sets down to a matte finish quickly, the product is super duper creamy. The texture is much more like a cream than a gel. When dipping the brush into the pot, it's almost like dipping it into Cool Whip. It applies easily and smoothly without dragging. While this liner doesn't smudge or fade or flake off on its own, it's not waterproof and will smudge when it comes in contact with tears. All in all, I really do recommend this, but if you have eyes that tear up easily like yours truly, you might want to keep your eyes dry.

Thanks for reading!

Mini Haul

3:44 PM


I popped on into some stores today and bought a few products I've been lusting over! The Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush is such a cool concept and I'm very impressed with it. The nib is flexible and makes for great lining. The NYX Gel Liner and Smudger is my first proper gel eyeliner and I'm really excited to test and review this. Same with the NYX Studio Liquid Eyeliner in Extreme Gold! I've been eyeing up the Pixi Flawless Vitamin Veil Foundation in Medium for a while now and finally decided to pick it up. I've used all of these and have a lot to say so look forward to reviews!

review

Sephora Cream Lip Stain | Review

4:58 PM

I accidentally went an entire week without posting anything. I took all the pictures and everything but I guess forgot to upload them to the posts and didn't queue them. Ah, sorry about that. I don't even do much during the day - I go to work for the morning and then spend the rest of the die lying in bed with my computer resting on my boobs. I like to refer to it as "the Tumblr position."


What it is: a liquid lipstick that leaves a stain
Where: Sephora stores and online
Price: $13
Sephora is not a cruelty free brand. I am disappointed.

Sephora says that "this high-coverage lip product features avocado oil for a texture that transforms as you wear it: when applied, the initial cream texture becomes a silky, lightweight stain. Lips achieve stunning color and feel soft and comfortable." There are ten shades available, and about half of them have matte finishes. The one I'm reviewing is #3, Strawberry Kisses.


This liquid lipstick is packaged in a slim tube that contains .169 oz (about 4.7 grams) of product. It has a doe foot applicator, which is on the thinner side. I've noticed that lately brands have been opting for wider, paddle shaped doe feet. This doe foot applicator is great for precise application however, and I find it really easy to work with. It does tend to pick up a bit too much product and needs to be wiped off, but I'm okay with that.


Strawberry Kisses is a beautiful pinky-red. I'd call it an electric dark pink, if that makes sense. It's a really pretty color and flatters my skin, although I thought it might be too pink for it it looks great. This is available in a great variety of shades; there are classic reds and nudes, and also purpley mauves. The cream is very creamy and soft, and sets down to a matte finish almost immediately. It is suuuuuper pigmented. The swatch was one swipe with very little product on the doe-foot. Honestly, when I wear this I usually only use the tiny drop of product that I wipe off of the applicator.

I wanted to talk about how comfortable this is to wear. Obviously, as a long-wear matte color this isn't going to be hydrating, but it doesn't make your lips look flaky and dry like the NYX ones do. It won't emphasize any dryness on the lips, nor does it hydrate. I find that this is pretty comfortable to wear on the lips, although you can definitely feel that you have lipstick on. I actually noticed towards the end that my lips feel a little tacky, but nothing some blotting can't fix. As of the lip stain claim? That's bullshit. It's simply a super pigmented liquid lipstick.


Freshly applied.


Four hours and a nap later.

This is my 4 hour wear test. On a regular day I would've worn it for longer, but I was feeling grubby and wanted to wash my face. It doesn't even look like these pictures were taken at two different times. I did notice some bleeding on the bottom lip, but this could be stopped with the use of a lip liner. I didn't eat anything during this, but I was constantly drinking water. Although I didn't leave any lipstick prints on my water bottle, I did smooch the back of my hand and saw that it left a lipstick imprint. Interesting.

Would I recommend this? Well, yes - but to be honest these aren't that much better than the $6 (and with more product) NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. If you have a bit more cash to spend definitely consider getting these, but in all fairness they're quite similar to the drugstore brand's.

e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit | Review

6:30 AM

Hey, everyone. How are you today? I'm okay, I've been watching lots of Community lately and I'm very depressed that it's been canceled. I'm hoping Hulu will pick it up as a Hulu exclusive, but that may not happen. UPDATE: YAHOO HAS PICKED IT UP! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS


What it is: an eyebrow gel/powder duo
Where: Target stores and other places that sell e.l.f. products, and online
Price: $3
e.l.f. is proudly cruelty free!

I've actually never tried anything from this budget brand before, other than a few brushes. Not for any particular reason; just never got around to it. However, I've been itching for a new brow product and decided on this over the $32 Benefit BrowZing.

e.l.f. says you can "create brows that are fuller, thicker, and more defined! The pigmented wax defines and shapes brows and the color complementing setting powder keeps them looking arched and perfected. The doubled sided taklon brush has one side to help arch your brows while the other side aids in filling them in. This duo provides lasting color definition for a naturally beautiful look." This product comes in four shades, I'm reviewing Medium.


The packaging for this is quite NARS-esque. The e.l.f. studio line seems to copy the NARSpackaging, expect instead of the grippy material NARS compacts are made of, these are made of a matte plastic. There's a little window to let you see the product shade, which would be handy if you have multiple. The top flips over 180 degrees, which makes me very happy. There is a small but usable mirror included, and a little double sided applicator that is usable but pretty flimsy and crappy. I quite like the packaging; it's very sleek. The gel contains .0042 oz (1.2 grams) of product while the powder contains .0081 (2.3 grams). I'm a bit afraid I'll go through the gel very quickly; dipping the brush in for the very first swatch already left a pretty sizable dent. However I find that the gel isn't a very soft gel; it's a denser gel and I have to work my brush in a bit to get some product.



Let's talk shades. The gel is a darker shade than the powder, which is the case will all the shades available. The idea is that the brow gel is the one that shapes your brows and the powder just sets the gel and gives it a natural look. I get that reasoning, but the colors don't quite correspond with this one. The gel is a nice cool toned dark brown; the color is pretty much spot on with the powder that I currently use for my brows. The included powder, however, is a smiiiidge too warm. I feel that this powder would be better in a shade made for people with red hair. It doesn't go well with the gel. I have what I like to call soft black hair, which is really just black hair that looks brown in certain lights. Because of this, I don't like to use gray eyebrow products or brown ones, but rather cool-toned browns are my favorite. I think the gel in Medium would be good for people with similar hair colors; as you can see from the picture it's a pretty good color match.

I with that the gel would last a little bit longer. Alone, it lasts perhaps 6-7 hours, but when powdered/penciled and set with gel, it will last all day. It's not a big problem for me personally since I always set my brows with gel before leaving the house, but I'd imagine this to be a nuisance for others.

Overall? I'm pleasantly surprised. I know e.l.f. can be a huge hit or miss brand, and while this product isn't ahmaaaaaazing it's enjoyable to use and is pretty much a hit (:

makeup

What's in my Makeup Bag? | Everyday Makeup #3

12:46 PM

Taking this picture took nine years. After I got all my products all sorted out neatly, I put my foot on the table (I was standing on a chair) for stability and all the round products rolled out off place. It was irritating.


Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer | NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Gleam | NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in Medium | Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Pressed Powder | e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit in Medium | Sonia Kashuk Brow Definer in Haze | No7 Lash & Brow Perfector | Pixi Extra Eye Bright Liner | Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Cream Shadow in Moonstone | Boots Botanics Eyeshadow Quad in 30 Golden Brown | NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skintone | NYX Slide On Liner in Brown Perfection | Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighting Stick in Shimmering Sands | Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush in Blossom | NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paulo | Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Strawberry Kisses | NYX Butter Lipstick in Little Suzie

I'm not the biggest fan of wearing bases. I have a fear of transferring products, and in my mind foundations are always associated with transferring. However, I do like to go through all my products and since I work in an air conditioned building, I'm okay with wearing a base product. Right now I'm mixing a tinted moisturizer and a liquid highlighter together to create a lit-from-within glow. I like the naturally radiant finish that these two products give together. Since there's barely any coverage, I also like to go in with concealer around my nose, chin, and undereyes. I then set everything with a weightless powder.

I always try to get my brows done as quickly as possible, so if I'm not wearing any foundation or TM I go straight to brows. I always fear I'm running out of time and brows are most important to me. Anyways, using an angled liner brush I'll sculpt out the arch and underside with a tinted brow gel and then fill in the rest with a pencil. Before applying brow gel to set them in I will highlight with a pinky-nude shade, right under the arch, and then gel them in. 

Now that my eyebrows are sorted out, I can relax and move onto the eyes. These days I either do nothing or do it all. When I'm doing it all I prep by putting an eye base on the corners of my eyes, as the NYX one tends to crease with oil but prevents product from settling into corners. Then I like to pop Moonstone, which is an icy taupe, all over the lids. Then I like to run the shimmery brown from the quad on my lashlines. Then, I like to highlight the inner corners with the  bottom left shade. I then draw on a kitten eye (baby cat eye liner, get it?)  with a brown eyeliner. And there are eyes finished.

We're almost at the end. Stick with me! I like to highlight first; I'm not sure why. But I swipe onto the high points of my cheekbones, a little bit on the nose bridge, and a dab on the Cupid's Bow and blend out with my finger. After that I like to pop on a bit of blush just for a little bit of color. 

And finally, lipstick. Depending on what I'm doing and how long I'll be doing it, I'll pick a shade from one of the lovely three colors I use. 

Thanks for sticking with it, that was quite a bit haha. Have a good day!

Winged Liner Tips

10:43 AM

I don't know what happened. One day I was almost an expert at winger liner, and the next that expertise was just... gone. I'm relearning the do's and don'ts of winged liner and I thought I'd share some tips that I've picked up both times around.

  • Practice makes perfect. Seriously. No videos or blogposts or tutorials can be perfectly tailored to you, as your eyes won't be the same shape and dimension as the person making the video. You could even get a cheap liner (maybe the $1 e.l.f. one) just for practicing with!
  • Variance helps. You might think winger liner looks terrible on you, but trust me - winged liner looks great on everybody. You just have to get your shape right. Do you want a sharper angle? A longer wing? Thicker? Thinner? Try out a bunch of shapes, angles, thicknesses, etc. You won't know what looks great until you try it.
  • Powder beforehand - if you want. I find that it really helps to take some eyeshadow and an angled brush and stamp out the shape of the wing before you fill it in. It's not only significantly easier, but much more forgiving because you can go and redo the stamped shape easily.
  • Try different liner types. Winged liner can be done with pencil, powder, and gel along with liquid, don't forget that. Not to mention the different types of liquid - felt tip, brush tip, etc. Give them all a try and see what you're most comfortable with!
  • Winged liner can be a statement or a staple, depending on how you do the rest of your makeup. 
  • Keep some eye cream and cotton swabs around. If you make a mistake, dab a bit of eye cream onto the sore spot and gently rub away with a cotton swab. This is much gentler than a makeup remover and don't disturb the rest of your makeup.

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Hi there, I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you. I'm a beauty blogger who also happens to be very interested in photography/film. Chat with me, let's be friends!