EMPTIES | January 2020

It's been a while since my last post so I thought I would ease in with one of my favorite posts to write about: empties! With what's going on in the world right now, I have time to devote to this space and also, I wanted to reconnect with y'all! So, let's get started with what I used up in the month of January.

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EMPTIES | March 2017

Happy Monday everyone! The Monday blues are nowhere to be seen here and with the sunshine, I feel so uplifted. I've been hoarding these empties for a while now so to justify my pack-rat tendencies, let's write about them! This was a slow month for me but I did finish a few full-sized items.

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PROJECT PAN | A to Z 2018: Second Quarter Update

Hi all! I'm back for another A to Z Project Pan update. I meant to do monthly updates but since I'm making slower progress than I thought, I decided to do quarterly updates instead. Hopefully, it's not boring since there will be better progress pics. Since my last update, I finished three products and rotated in three new ones! Read on to find out which ones they are ;).

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EMPTIES | December 2016 & January 2017

I've been holding onto my empties for over a year now so to justify my hoarding, I've decided to write about them. As I write this, it's Valentine's Day and what better way to end the night with some blogging about what I loved and what I didn't? 

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BLOGMAS | Day 5: ULTA Birthday Haul + First Impressions

I've gotta say, hauls are one of my favorite posts to do because I love sharing all the cool loot I got. But then I feel massively guilty afterwards when I tally up how much I spent. They're a good way of reminding me what I've got so they're not all bad? As I'm writing this post, all of the items I am talking about are still in stock, so fingers crossed that if what I'm showing y'all today interests you, y'all can still get it!

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BLOGMAS | DAY 2: Birthday Haul with Urban Decay

Urban Decay make some of my favorite eyeshadows so when I found out they were giving a free eyeshadow of my choice with any full size purchase, I jumped on the website to see what I could get. At the same time, there were several Cyber Monday week deals happening.

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BLOGMAS | Day 1: October & November Empties 2016

Heeeey all! It's been awhile since I last posted but I was going through finals. I've never studied so hard before in my life, haha. Now that those are out of the way, I can finally put all my ideas down and into the blog! Starting off with my October and November empties, I wanted to share this before it adds up. I've even finished some makeup products, which is always exciting. So let's talk about which ones I'd repurchase and which ones I'm glad are gone.

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RE-DISCOVERY | Rose Gold Love

It's been too long since my last post. For the past month or so, I've been busy studying for bimonthly exams and now that it's Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S., I've had some time to catch my breath. So of course, I wanted to finish up some blog posts that have been sitting here for too long. 

I'm not a fan of wearing pink clothing but rose gold is one of my favorite shades to wear on my face! For those who aren't sure what rose gold is, it's a an alloy of copper and gold with a tiny bit of silver. There's something so soft and romantic about it. It adds just enough color without being too loud, exactly my kind of shade. So I've gathered all the rose gold makeup that I own to share with my fellow rose gold lovers. So, let's get to swatching!

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FOTD | Makeup to Beat the Heat

It's been scorching hot in California these past few weeks. Major adjustments were needed to keep me looking perky and fresh. Ditching my liquid foundation and cream products, I went straight for powder products for a long lasting finish that didn't melt off as soon as I stepped out of the refreshing blast of air conditioner. So if you have oily skin or live in a hot climate, I hope that this will help you stay looking put together all day long without the need for heavy duty cleansers at the end of the day!

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FOTD | Simone Biles' Rio Olympics Inspired Makeup

As a kid, I remember having many dreams about what I'd be when I grew up. Becoming a teacher and a violinist are some of the ones I remember most clearly. But every four years, I'd watch the Olympics with my dad and every time the women's gymnastics program came on, I'd be glued to the screen and mesmerized. I'd do tumbles and leaps all around the house for days until my mom told me to sit down and read before I knock over yet another expensive vase. 

This year was a bit different and I've been avoiding watching the Olympics. However, my mom turned it on last night and we watched the women's team event and being the makeup junkie that I am, I was mesmerized by Simone Biles' eye makeup. The colorful glitter pop on her lower lashline felt fun and patriotic at the same time. I'm a bit too old to be doing tumbles and leaps so instead, I wanted to recreate that look for you. I'd post the photo for you but I've just been reading about copyright so I'll link you to the photo instead, hehe. 

Basically, she has a light golden satin eyeshadow all over her upper lid with a cat eye. On the lower lash line, she has red glitter on the outer corner, silver glitter in the center and blue glitter on the inner corner. There's different variations of this look but I like the one using the U.S. flag's color scheme the most. So, let's dive into the makeup!

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BEAUTY ROUND-UP | July 2016

July is finally over and that means only one more month until school starts! It's been a month of ups and downs but let's focus on makeup, shall we?These are the 8 products I've been using this month so let's dive in. 

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EMPTIES | June 2016

 Hello everyone! Long time no blog...and it's getting repetitive. The long and short of it is that I am going through some tough family issues that pretty much suck all the happiness out of my life. I'm not a crier but I've broken down twice this week. Instead of moping around and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to return to the things I love, mainly blogging and makeup. So, I'm starting my return with a June empties post, even though it's the middle of July, haha. I'm not the most consistent when it comes to blogging these days but bonus points for being unconventional? 

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DESTASHING PROJECT | Going Cruelty-Free: Eye Edition Pt. 1

Welcome to the first part of my De-Stashing Project! As you all know if you read the previous post, this blog is going cruelty-free. I have been limiting my purchases to cruelty-free only items but decided that it was finally time to go through my collection and either sell or use up the non-cruelty stuff. The process took me at least 3 hours plus photography time but it's been organized and being put to use. Since I have such an overwhelming amount, it was difficult to find things but with the way things are now, I am reaching for more products and getting use out of them. We're starting off with the eyes since it was the easiest to go through.

When I finished writing this post, it was super long and ain't nobody got time for essays. So, I'll be splitting it into two parts. This first part (going up today) will be single eyeshadows and palettes while the second part will be eye primers, eyeliners eye crayons and mascaras. The second part will go up on Saturday so you get an extra post this week--yay!

 I'll be keeping tally of what's staying and what's going to a better home. So let's get started!

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FOTD | Sparkly Purple Prom Makeup 2.0

I meant to post this up waaaay earlier than this to make it in time for prom season, #storyofmylife, BUT if your prom has already passed, take this as a #throwbackThursday! My senior year prom was back in 2011, which isn't that long ago, now that I think about it...I was adamant about doing my own look after a friend's quinceanera fiasco a year back. At the time, I was super proud of my look, evidenced by my wide smile. I usually don't smile as wide anymore but I was also ecstatic about getting my braces off in time for prom, haha. 

While my 2011 look isn't horrendous, there are many things I would improve upon, like my base makeup, which was virtually nothing, and eyeshadow. So, I decided to call my updated look "Sparkly Prom Makeup 2.0", abbreviated to SPM 2.0 for future reference. Unfortunately, I no longer remember or have the original items used in SPM 1.0 so I substituted with items readily available in 2016. So with improved product formulas and additional experience, I'll walk you through my updated look! 

Oh gosh, the nostalgia of 17-year old Cindy...

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HAUL | Fall ULTA Goodies

Most people go shopping for a new fall wardrobe once autumn sets in, but me? I go for brand new makeup! ULTA was holding a 21 Days of Beauty so I waited to pick up some items I've been wanting for a while. Yay for restraint! Now, let's get on with them items, yes?

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REVIEW | Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette

Never in a thousand years did I think I would ever buy an entirely matte palette, let alone a neutral one. Don't get me wrong--mattes are an essential part to every eye look of mine but it's always the shimmery or glittery shades that catch my eye. I tend to use the mattes included in the palettes already but after bouncing from palette to palette, I thought it was time to settle down and find a workhorse matte palette that covers all the bases--and I think I've found it in the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette.

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BEAUTY REVIEW | April 2015♥

I'm thinking of starting a new series. Instead of doing monthly favorites, I've decided to change it to Beauty Review. I love sharing products I loved using during the month that I didn't get a chance to do a full review on but I've also come across products that didn't work for me. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll be including those dud products as well as product updates! Without further ado, let's head into my April loves!

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PRODUCT SMACKDOWN ┊Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation vs Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

One of my favorite pastimes is to find affordable alternatives to my beloved high end products. Don't get me wrong, the high end stuff is amazing but being a student, I need to be stricter about what I spend on. Most of the time, the high end stuff is great, justifying the price; with drugstore things, it can be a hit or miss. I've been looking for an affordable alternative to my favorite summertime foundation, the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation, because I need a darker shade as I inevitably tan, regardless of how much sunscreen I slather on. The Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation appealed to me because I've had good experiences with their concealers. Do I think it's a dead-on dupe? Keep reading to find out!

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FOTD | Outta This World: featuring Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Solstice

Hey everyone! I promised a swatch of this awesome Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Solstice over on my Instagram but my internet was so spotty at home. It took a while so I included a FOTD to make up for it. 

Solstice is described as a metallic pink-red w/ green 3-D sparkle and shift. Upon first glance, it looked similar to MUG Pigment in Insomnia and Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette in Definer. Though it has the same aqua sparkle in direct light, the base color is a pinkish red that shows up in the shade. The texture is a bit dustier, similar to a pressed pigment so don't rub your brush in it too roughly. Solstice has a translucency about it; the sparkle helps it look more opaque but my skin color shows through a bit with one layer. Two layers or a colored base helps it appear opaquely without skin showing through. The sparkle is gorgeous without feeling gritty or oversized; it reminds me of pixie dust, very fine and delicate. I used a dark brown eyeliner below which made the aqua sparkle more intensely. I also layered it over a navy blue liner and a burgundy liner which also made the aqua sparkle look more intense. 

Without further ado, here are the swatches!

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FOTD | Naked and Exposed: The Valentine's Day Special

I'm (perversely?) satisfied with my title, haha. 50 Shades of Grey has been on my mind lately as the movie hit theaters this past Valentine's Day weekend here in the States. With everyone on my social media feeds talking about it and extensive PR, I couldn't avoid it--if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! My friends and I planned on going to see it but as I wasn't feeling well, we settled on dinner and movies at home instead. So grateful for friends that are willing to change up their plans for little ol' me at the last minute--thanks y'all! 

I've been a bit under the weather lately so blog posts have been scarce around here. I actually tried this look out a week ago so that I could post it as a Valentine's Day look but we all know how that turned out (╥︣﹏᷅╥) Anyhoo, no use crying over spilt milk so let's get on with the show! It's not exactly a tutorial but hopefully my explanations will help you see how I created this look :D

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