Hi guys! I was trying to get some content up and I ran into the "No more storage space in Picasa!" problem other bloggers have been seeing. I'm not opposed to paying to upgrade my storage option, but I want to know what others have done before I commit to that. When I went to look into that option, it said that I was only using 59% of my Picasa storage space... Has anyone ever had this error before? How did you resolve it?
Haaaaaalp...!
Thanks guys!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
EOTD: Maybelline Eye Studio in Cozy Cashmere
I've been meaning to show you guys this Maybelline Eye Studio quad for awhile now! It's Cozy Cashmere, and was part of the limited edition fall collection. I love wearing really warm colors on my eyes, and I've been using the heck out of all my neutral palettes lately, so I knew I had to have this quad! It's a good "neutral with a twist" set of colors. Sorry I didn't show this to you guys before now; this may be difficult to find now, although I've seen a couple floating around drugstores recently. I found mine on a display at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Cozy Cashmere has an incredibly shimmery/ frosty champagne beige, a warm medium brown with gold sparkle, a nearly-matte burnt orange, and a nearly-matte deep brick red that leans a touch burgundy. I wish there was a fifth matte nude shade so you aren't stuck with the shimmery color as your only highlighter, but if that's the only other eyeshadow single I have to use to make an eye look out of this quad, I'm still a happy camper.
The following swatches are in the order of the quad, but backwards; left to right is the burgundy shade, the burnt orange, the medium brown, and the champagne.
And here I am wearing the colors over eye primer, with an ivory matte highlight shade under the brow bone.
Summary: These shadows are very pigmented and easy to blend. The colors are great for fall and are definitely unique; I don't have any other drugstore shadows in these colors. I'm really happy I picked this quad up, and wish that I'd tried it out sooner so I could let you guys in on the good news before now!
What do you guys think of this set? Do you wear warm oranges and reds on your eyes? I know some people are afraid they'll look like they have pink eye with red colors near their eyes. As long as I use a liner alongside red or orange colors like this, I don't worry about that too much.
Did anyone else pick up this quad?
Cozy Cashmere has an incredibly shimmery/ frosty champagne beige, a warm medium brown with gold sparkle, a nearly-matte burnt orange, and a nearly-matte deep brick red that leans a touch burgundy. I wish there was a fifth matte nude shade so you aren't stuck with the shimmery color as your only highlighter, but if that's the only other eyeshadow single I have to use to make an eye look out of this quad, I'm still a happy camper.
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| The Quad; Cozy Cashmere |
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| With the lid up |
The following swatches are in the order of the quad, but backwards; left to right is the burgundy shade, the burnt orange, the medium brown, and the champagne.
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| On an angle to show the finish and shimmer better |
And here I am wearing the colors over eye primer, with an ivory matte highlight shade under the brow bone.
Summary: These shadows are very pigmented and easy to blend. The colors are great for fall and are definitely unique; I don't have any other drugstore shadows in these colors. I'm really happy I picked this quad up, and wish that I'd tried it out sooner so I could let you guys in on the good news before now!
What do you guys think of this set? Do you wear warm oranges and reds on your eyes? I know some people are afraid they'll look like they have pink eye with red colors near their eyes. As long as I use a liner alongside red or orange colors like this, I don't worry about that too much.
Did anyone else pick up this quad?
Thursday, November 15, 2012
NOTD: Zoya Anastasia
Wow, busy busy week on my end! Are you guys feeling that holiday gear-up already, too? Besides more errands than usual (several trips to the DMV last week, had to take my car in to get looked at today, a broken stove yesterday...), fall reorganization and cleaning in anticipation of holiday guests, and the usual work and household duties, I have felt like I've been "falling" behind! I have to admit, it feels good to get some things reorganized and looking better around the house, but it's been at the expense of my social life, leisure time, and-- you guessed it-- my blog! I miss you guys! What have you all been up to? Am I the only one with errands and chores piling up?
Anyway, I've got another Nail of the Day to show you guys. This one is a pretty Zoya fall color, Anastasia. It's a deep plum-mauve with threads of gold shimmer that definitely make an impact on the nail; this isn't the sort of shimmer that shines in the bottle and then disappears on the nail! Zoya describes this as nearly opaque, and I would concur; I used two coats and got perfectly opaque, even coverage. This is an easy one to work with!
Summary: I'd recommend this color in a heartbeat! It's gorgeous, and a good fall or holiday color if you don't want to use traditional holiday colors; the amazing gold shimmer against the dusty jewel tone background make it feel festive, if not over the top. It was a dream to work with, too.
Do any of you have this color? What do you think of it? Do you have any non-traditional "festive" nail polishes you pull out around this time of year? I have a few champagne shimmers I'll probably start rotating into my lineup!
Anyway, I've got another Nail of the Day to show you guys. This one is a pretty Zoya fall color, Anastasia. It's a deep plum-mauve with threads of gold shimmer that definitely make an impact on the nail; this isn't the sort of shimmer that shines in the bottle and then disappears on the nail! Zoya describes this as nearly opaque, and I would concur; I used two coats and got perfectly opaque, even coverage. This is an easy one to work with!
Summary: I'd recommend this color in a heartbeat! It's gorgeous, and a good fall or holiday color if you don't want to use traditional holiday colors; the amazing gold shimmer against the dusty jewel tone background make it feel festive, if not over the top. It was a dream to work with, too.
Do any of you have this color? What do you think of it? Do you have any non-traditional "festive" nail polishes you pull out around this time of year? I have a few champagne shimmers I'll probably start rotating into my lineup!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Nyx Blush in Raisin
It's been awhile since I've featured a blush, and it is high time I introduce you to some of my "new" pretties. I've actually had Nyx's blush in Raisin for awhile. I bought Raisin alongside Red and Taupe, intending to use all three as contour colors. Raisin is a plummy color with a touch of grey/ taupe which makes it a great contour shade to accompany plum, wine, berry, and purple blush colors, as well as a nice matte blush all on its own. Nyx's blushes are very pigmented and finely milled; they last through an entire day on my skin, and blend beautifully. My only complaints are that they can be difficult to find and that the surface has little raised pyramids on it, which can sometimes leave a weird pattern of blush on your brush, since it's so pigmented a small tap will do (no swirling required!). Since it blends so easily though, that's not really an issue, although you can't forget to blend the product on your cheeks because of this! I like that the packaging has a clear lid so you can see the color of the product from the front.
I purchased Raisin from a beauty supply store in San Jose and paid $7.99 for the blush; this is a bit steep, as I've seen these blushes elsewhere for $5.99, and Ulta will often run BOGO sales on Nyx cosmetics, although many places don't carry the full range of shades. Sometimes random stores will carry Nyx; an inexpensive clothing store in my local mall has a display (but only in the plus-sized store; the standard size store across the mall doesn't have a cosmetics display...), so keep your eyes peeled!
I tried to look through my existing blushes to do a comparison for you. The closest color in my stash is NARS' Sin, which is slightly lighter, less taupe, and has some golden shimmer in it. In the swatches below, Sin is on the left and Raisin is on the right:
Finally, this is what it looks like on the cheek! I am only wearing Raisin on my cheeks in the following photo, although it does pair very nicely with other blushes as a contour shade as well.
Summary: Nyx blushes are worth the $6-$8 pricetag, hands down! I think they can compete with much higher end blushes as far as pigmentation and staying power go. My only complaints are that they can be hard to find, the raised diamond design makes careful blending a must, and that I wish they had a wider color selection; the shades are pretty basic earthy neutrals, and are mostly matte. More interesting colors and finishes would make me very happy! That being said, these are great "basics" to fill out a makeup collection, and I love that they have so many matte shades with a taupe or grey tone that make for such great contour colors.
Have you guys used Nyx blushes? Do you have any favorite contour colors?
I purchased Raisin from a beauty supply store in San Jose and paid $7.99 for the blush; this is a bit steep, as I've seen these blushes elsewhere for $5.99, and Ulta will often run BOGO sales on Nyx cosmetics, although many places don't carry the full range of shades. Sometimes random stores will carry Nyx; an inexpensive clothing store in my local mall has a display (but only in the plus-sized store; the standard size store across the mall doesn't have a cosmetics display...), so keep your eyes peeled!
I tried to look through my existing blushes to do a comparison for you. The closest color in my stash is NARS' Sin, which is slightly lighter, less taupe, and has some golden shimmer in it. In the swatches below, Sin is on the left and Raisin is on the right:
 |
| Sin on the left, Raisin on the right |
Summary: Nyx blushes are worth the $6-$8 pricetag, hands down! I think they can compete with much higher end blushes as far as pigmentation and staying power go. My only complaints are that they can be hard to find, the raised diamond design makes careful blending a must, and that I wish they had a wider color selection; the shades are pretty basic earthy neutrals, and are mostly matte. More interesting colors and finishes would make me very happy! That being said, these are great "basics" to fill out a makeup collection, and I love that they have so many matte shades with a taupe or grey tone that make for such great contour colors.
Have you guys used Nyx blushes? Do you have any favorite contour colors?
Monday, November 5, 2012
NOTD: Flirt + After Party
I recently decided that, after all of my pale pink and nude manicures for work, I needed something dark and glittery on my nails! I decided on Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Flirt, a deep warm purple with shimmer in it, with Icing's nail polish in After Party on top. After Party is one of my go-to glitter top coats; it has irregularly shaped pieces of purple, blue, red, and gold glitter in it, and it is so much fun to wear.
After Party doesn't lay flat on the nail, so I needed two layers of Seche Vite to smooth things out and keep the glitter from snagging on anything. I didn't mind, though; it's so much fun to wear, and I love the way it popped against the dark background of Flirt. I think I may try After Party on top of a nude or shimmery tan (like China Glaze Fast Track or SOPI I Only Wear Vintage...) next!
Do you guys have either of these nail polishes? What do you think of them?
After Party doesn't lay flat on the nail, so I needed two layers of Seche Vite to smooth things out and keep the glitter from snagging on anything. I didn't mind, though; it's so much fun to wear, and I love the way it popped against the dark background of Flirt. I think I may try After Party on top of a nude or shimmery tan (like China Glaze Fast Track or SOPI I Only Wear Vintage...) next!
Do you guys have either of these nail polishes? What do you think of them?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Limited Edition Haul and a Look!
Hi Guys!
Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently as I generally like to, I've been very busy with work! It is going really well, but it has definitely been an adjustment from my "anything goes" student schedule, and I haven't exactly figured out how to budget my time on my days off the most efficiently yet. Anyway, I have been trying really hard to get at least one blog post up a week, and increase from that once I get a better handle on my time management! And maybe once I've caught up on all of the household cleaning... Yeah, that's been getting neglected as well.
Anyway, I went to my local beloved Bed Bath & Beyond with the amazing makeup department, and I found a few goodies in the Limited Edition section! I got two L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows (see my ebullient earlier reviews here and here) and two Revlon Colorburst lip glosses. The eyeshadows I bought were from the Diamond holiday collection. I bought Blinged & Brilliant, a warm bronzed champagne shade, and Gold Imperial, a true gold. Both have an incredibly shimmery with a metallic finish. Gold Imperial has gold glitter and applies with only medium opacity, but can be built up to be more opaque; Blinged & Brilliant is more metallic without any glitter particles and is more densely pigmented. They were $6.99 each. The lipglosses I purchased are All That Glitters, a very sheer gloss jam-packed with glitter that flashes white and gold depending on the way the light hits it with rainbow microglitter scattered throughout, and Brilliant Bordeaux, a sheer heathered mauve with silver shimmer. These were $5.99 each, and part of the Revlon holiday Just Add Sparkle collection. These are both products that I have used before and love; in fact, Colorburst lipglosses may be my favorite drugstore lip glosses, and the Infallible eyeshadow is my favorite drugstore eyeshadow formula. Both, in my opinion, hold their own when compared to products more than twice their price.
For the following look, I used L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Blinged and Brilliant on the lid, and I used Gold Imperial on the inner corner, along with a plum shade in the crease and an ivory under the brow bone. I am wearing Brilliant Bordeaux on my lips.
And here is an up-close look at the colors:
Here are some swatches; both are done dry with my finger. Gold Imperial is on the left, Blinged & Brilliant on the right. You can see that Gold Imperial has some gold glitter in it and is a bit more sheer (though it can be built up to opacity), and Blinged & Brilliant has a frosted, metallic finish. It's a warm champagne peachy-pink shade with a pale gold sheen.
And here are the glosses!
So far, I've been having fun playing around with these. I love that Gold Imperial is a very true gold color, and Blinged & Brilliant is such a brightening shade, it just opens up the whole eye. As for the glosses, Brilliant Bordeaux is a really nice "my lips but better" shade that cools down the natural color a bit, and I think All That Glitters will be great for layering.
What do you guys think? Will you be picking any of these shades up, or have you already bought any? I'm really excited to try using All That Glitters over a red lipstick for the holiday season!
Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently as I generally like to, I've been very busy with work! It is going really well, but it has definitely been an adjustment from my "anything goes" student schedule, and I haven't exactly figured out how to budget my time on my days off the most efficiently yet. Anyway, I have been trying really hard to get at least one blog post up a week, and increase from that once I get a better handle on my time management! And maybe once I've caught up on all of the household cleaning... Yeah, that's been getting neglected as well.
Anyway, I went to my local beloved Bed Bath & Beyond with the amazing makeup department, and I found a few goodies in the Limited Edition section! I got two L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows (see my ebullient earlier reviews here and here) and two Revlon Colorburst lip glosses. The eyeshadows I bought were from the Diamond holiday collection. I bought Blinged & Brilliant, a warm bronzed champagne shade, and Gold Imperial, a true gold. Both have an incredibly shimmery with a metallic finish. Gold Imperial has gold glitter and applies with only medium opacity, but can be built up to be more opaque; Blinged & Brilliant is more metallic without any glitter particles and is more densely pigmented. They were $6.99 each. The lipglosses I purchased are All That Glitters, a very sheer gloss jam-packed with glitter that flashes white and gold depending on the way the light hits it with rainbow microglitter scattered throughout, and Brilliant Bordeaux, a sheer heathered mauve with silver shimmer. These were $5.99 each, and part of the Revlon holiday Just Add Sparkle collection. These are both products that I have used before and love; in fact, Colorburst lipglosses may be my favorite drugstore lip glosses, and the Infallible eyeshadow is my favorite drugstore eyeshadow formula. Both, in my opinion, hold their own when compared to products more than twice their price.
For the following look, I used L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Blinged and Brilliant on the lid, and I used Gold Imperial on the inner corner, along with a plum shade in the crease and an ivory under the brow bone. I am wearing Brilliant Bordeaux on my lips.
 |
| Brilliant Bordeaux |
And here is an up-close look at the colors:
 |
Here are some swatches; both are done dry with my finger. Gold Imperial is on the left, Blinged & Brilliant on the right. You can see that Gold Imperial has some gold glitter in it and is a bit more sheer (though it can be built up to opacity), and Blinged & Brilliant has a frosted, metallic finish. It's a warm champagne peachy-pink shade with a pale gold sheen.
And here are the glosses!
So far, I've been having fun playing around with these. I love that Gold Imperial is a very true gold color, and Blinged & Brilliant is such a brightening shade, it just opens up the whole eye. As for the glosses, Brilliant Bordeaux is a really nice "my lips but better" shade that cools down the natural color a bit, and I think All That Glitters will be great for layering.
What do you guys think? Will you be picking any of these shades up, or have you already bought any? I'm really excited to try using All That Glitters over a red lipstick for the holiday season!
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