EMPTIES | January to March 2019 Makeup Empties & Declutters

Hello internet! It's been a very long time since my last post (July 2018!) but to be fair, I haven't been blogging consistently for a couple years now. Life has been hectic for me, both good and bad. But I think I'll save that for another post because I've been saving all these beauty empties for months! It's definitely time to jot down my thoughts on these items and find a good way to recycle them. Here's a quick glance at all the makeup I used up from January to March of this year:

There's just so many products to talk about so I'm dividing the posts into makeup, skincare, and finally hair and body. I threw in my declutters at the end of this blog post since most of them were makeup, sadly. 

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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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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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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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HALLOWEEN INSPO | Rational Ravenclaw

The graphics are from Emily Corene on deviantart and tashab07 from deviantart

 Welcome back to the second installment of my Halloween Inspo! Today, I'm creating a Ravenclaw-inspired look. Incorporating lots of blue and bronze, I was going for a sweet librarian look. The photos are all very confusing because I actually started doing this look and then had to run off to dinner with the family. I took it all off because I wasn't about to go to a casual dinner with like blue eyeshadow--too much to explain to my grandparents, haha. 

The next day, I tried my best to recreate the look but failed miserably and the overcast weather didn't help my chances. So I really liked the eyeshadow I did from the previous day so I just skipped several steps and showed you the final eye look. That's taking the easy way out but as Halloween is less than 3 days away--eep! I didn't have time to redo things AND still do Gryffindor and Slytherin (definitely don't want to leave them out!) so I hope you'll forgive me. 

Anyhoo, let's get on with the show!

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FOTD | "Gilded Onyx": using the Lorac Pro Metals Palette

Photos via screengrab from Demi Lovato's music video "Cool for the Summer" (2015) 

Hey everyone! I'm a bit embarrassed that this post is barely coming now since I promised it 2 weeks ago but personal issues and not having my laptop for the past week hindered my plans greatly. Anyhoo, it's here now, just in time for the weekend! 

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REVIEW | LORAC Pro Metals Palette *Limited Edition*

As I'm sure you all are aware by now, I'm a sucker when it comes to Lorac eyeshadows. I haven't come across a formula I like more so when I see a new release, I'm on it like bees and honey. I wasn't going to get this palette at first but seeing the swatches, I couldn't resist! So let's get into the review :D

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HAUL | Lorac Pro Metal Eyeshadow Palette & NYX Essentials

Hi everyone! It's been such a long time since I last posted that I'm a little off my game. Starting off with a haul post seemed like a good idea to get the ball rolling. ULTA had their annual summer sale and so I jumped on that faster than ants at a picnic! I didn't grab too much since I have tons of things to go through but I of course couldn't pass up on limited edition LORAC and 40% off NYX. So, to cut this long-winded intro off, lets' jump into the items!

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PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | LORAC Pro Palette "Lt. Bronze" vs Milani Bella Eyes in Sand

LORAC Pro Palette vs Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow

Hey y'all! If you haven't read my previous post on the Lorac Pro Palette, the TL;DR version is that the one color that would prompt me to buy another LORAC Pro Palette just so I wouldn't be without it: Lt. Bronze. There's just something about the color; it's like a shimmery version of my skintone that  brightens and costs my discolored lids without looking stark against my light-medium skin tone. I've made a huge dent in this shadow and not wanting to go without, I've been proactively searching for dupes. Unfortunately, not many people have found anything similar, a testament to the uniqueness of this shade. Despairing slightly, I stumbled upon the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows at CVS while looking for something to soothe my makeup soul. Are the two formulas comparable? Let's find out! 

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REVIEW | LORAC Pro Palette

Lorac Pro Palette

You're probably wondering why I'm writing this post. Bought it way back in 2014 in this haul and if you've spent any amount of time here, you'll have figured out that this palette is my all time favorite eyeshadow palette, bar none. It is the only palette that pains me to leave at home when im right on space and will recommend this to everyone and their mother when asking my opinion when it comes to a palette that can truly do it all. When I realized that I've never dedicated an actual post to it, I immediately sought out to remedy that slight. Hopefully, you'll find my 2 cents helpful in convincing you that this is the only palette that I've come close to hitting pan on. This one is a long post so get a snack and some tea to get comfortable!

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REVIEW ┊ LORAC Pro to Go Eye + Cheek Palette

As the warmer months approach, travelling will be on a lot of people's agenda. Travelling light is ideal but my "be prepared for everything and anything" nature makes that an unattainable dream LOL *le sigh* When LORAC was exiting Sephora (WHY??) I was able to snag the LORAC Pro to Go Eye + Cheek Palette for a slightly discounted price. Since then, it's been a travelling staple for several reasons, of which I'll enumerate below!

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FAVORITES | Year in Beauty: 2014 Edition

It's already the fifth day of the new year so this post is a bit late I've just been really busy running errands and visiting family and friends, running from one place to another like a headless chicken on a caffeine high. In no particular order, I'm really excited to present to you the 20 products I tried and fell in love with this year and the 4 that will never get a second pass in my collection. 

1. MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation (Feb) -- The first high end foundation I ever tried, I fell in love with the light but buildable coverage. Most importantly, it was the best color match for my yellow-toned skin. The wide color selection, packaging, and performance make it a staple in my makeup kit!

2. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (May) -- The exorbitant price tag made me hesitate at first but again, the color match was spot on! I don't have to mix two colors like I used to, cutting down the guesswork, waste, and time spent getting ready by a good 2 minutes. Since I can use it on both my undereye circles and spots, it makes a perfect touch-up makeup bag companion. There's a bit of leakage at the top but that won't stop me from repurchasing this concealer!

3. Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush (Dec)-- This was a recent discovery  but it quickly made its way into my everyday rotation. I actually picked this up a while ago in the summer during Beautycon but only used it now that my skin has gotten quite dry. I've been meaning to post about this so I won't go into specifics but this is my favorite shade out of the ones I have (updated)!

4. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (Apr) -- Bronzer was not a part of my daily routine but this bronzer changed all of that. Not only does it smell like divine cocoa, the undertone is perfect for my tastes in contouring--no red or orange. One with a grey undertone mimics shadows best but those tend to look ashy on my warm skin tone. I got mine in a kit but I'm seriously considering purchasing it in a full size so I can take it everywhere!

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS ┊Holiday 2014: ♕ LORAC The Royal Eyeshadow Palette Set ♕

LORAC the Royal Eyeshadow Palette Set in Silver Silk, Gold Satin, and Plum Velvet

The holidays are right around the corner so if you haven't gotten all your gifts together yet, don't fret--I have two more gift ideas for the beauty-obsessed in your life!The LORAC The Royal Eye Shadow Palette Set contains a trio of quads featuring plums, golds, and silvers. Keep on reading for more info!

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS + EOTD┊Holiday 2014: ♕ LORAC the Royal Eyeshadow Collection ♕

 

⇥ AT A GLANCE ⇤

A set of 4 quads to create various looks fit for a Queen, Countess, Princess, or Duchess! Each color-coordinated quad has a mix of mattes and shimmers. Lorac's the Royal Eyeshadow Collection promises to be long-lasting, highly pigmented, and velvety smooth.

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FOTD ┊"Be Bold": Smokey Plum Makeup for Fall

I posted this eye look a while ago on my Instagram a while back. I loved how it came out so I just decided to write up a very short tutorial for those who wanted to achieve a similar result! 

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FOTD┊I'm "Fall"-ing for You: Autumn Bridal Makeup with Lover.ly!

Autumn Bridal Makeup 

 I'm a bit too young to be thinking about this but in an effort to provide diverse content on my blog, I present to you all an autumnal bridal makeup tutorial, "I'm 'FALL''-ing for You"!. Since we're beginning fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, I wanted to incorporate a lot of gold and copper to mimic the colors leave turn in fall. It's a bit metallic and shimmery but a matte look wasn't something I would personally want on my big day. Anyhoo, let's hop onto the tutorial!

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TIPS┊ ✈ What's in my Bag?: Travel Makeup Edition ✈

So this might be a little late as the summer is winding down, but I've been doing a lot of travelling these past couple of weeks. I have a problem with overpacking (gotta have my options!) and these are just some of the tips I have that helped me cut down on the number of products and bags I bring with me. I was heading to BeautyCon LA (I'll have a separate post on that!) so I packed a lot more than I usually do but...you get the gist of it. The items I packed aren't taking into consideration airline regulations, which vary by country/airline, so this is more if you're going to be checking in your luggage or travelling by methods other than air.

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FAVORITES | June & July 2014 ♥

I didn't have a June favorites since I wasn't trying anything new and still loved the products I had been using. July however, had a lot of new products that I can't live without and I've also rediscovered some old favorites, mostly lippies. Let's head right into these now :D

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