boring.

almost every day, i wear the same eye look. just liner and a brown shadow similar to my skintone so nude, basically. or a gold shadow and a brown shadow in my crease. that sounds gross. in my crease. which crease? you guys all know which crease. but still.

i also have very oily eyelids. so my shadows always crease. it didn't bother me for a while because i would just blend it out until it faded and kind of not care. sloppy i know.

i've been demoing three things as primers lately. there are primers made primarily (heh) for the face, some for the lips, some for the eyes. these three things i used on the eyes mostly, but i used the gel on my face a little.

two out of three are not actually primers. but they do work as primers: milk of magnesia, monistat anti chafing gel and the regular elf eyelid primer. i don't care if anyone judges me for the monistat, because it's not like it's made of vaginas, it's just an anti chafing gel, no miconazole.

the milk of magnesia isn't my favorite for a lid primer, because i've heard that it's too basic, but i love it as an antiperspirant. yesterday and today were hot and it was perfect. and today. it has no scent, though. you can get it almost anywhere, even at the dollar store, so i'd say prices range from a 1 to 5 bucks.

the chafing gel was alright. it has a really nice feel to it. under my makeup it was like aaaaah yes. it costs between 7 to 8 bucks. it works great for it's intended usage because i'm part of the big thighs club.

the elf eyelid primer is GRRRRRREAT for a dollar. crazy. i think it's the kaolin clay but mine is still on. my shadow might have faded a little, and one eye looks better than the other because of my shitty application, but for a dollar you really can't do too much better.

Discontinuation information from Rimmel (COTY)

Funny title. Anyway, I wrote Rimmel about some of the CVS clearance products, and as I expected...

Thank you for asking about Rimmel Stay Glossy 6 Hour Lipgloss in Black Diva and Rimmel The MAX Volume Flash Mascara in Black. We're so sorry to have to tell you that these products have been discontinued and we understand how frustrating this can be for you. Unfortunately, there are no current plans to reintroduce these products and all warehouse inventory has been depleted. 
In addition, our Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Nail Enamel French White Nail Tip Liner, Wild Orchid, Posh Pink and Rimmel Glam'Eyes HD Shadow in English Oak are all in the process of being phased out and will be discontinued on September 1st, 2013 
However, our Rimmel The MAX Volume Flash Bold Curves Mascara in Black, Rimmel Stay Glossy 6 Hour Lipgloss in Immortal Charm and Fuchsia Fever are all currently still available for purchase, which you can locate at authorized retailers that include most major CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sears, ULTA and Target stores.
We would like to inform you, the inventory of each retailer fluctuates, as the availably of products is at the stores discretion. 
Our decision to stop making a product is based on market trends. While we would like to be able to keep everyone's favorites, it's just not possible.
Coty is always introducing new products as a result of consumer feedback. We feel strongly that listening to consumers like you helps us to improve. You can be certain that we will share your comments with our Marketing Department.
We hope you will continue to select and enjoy Coty products.

I'm going to pick up my Black Diva soon--it's a shame because black is such a unique color for a gloss. I don't forsee another D/S brand producing one anytime soon.

is there anybody out there?

AH. I haven't made a post in a while. I just sort of fell off--it's discouraging feeling like I'm basically talking into the abyss. I know you have to build up to having an established blog and readers, but it's like, why produce content if you don't have an audience? But you have to produce content to gain an audience. You see the problem here.

What I'm thinking will be next is me talking about prom makeup, then my (fingers crossed) next hair cut. I desperately want to buzz off the sides and back of my hair. I know I haven't made many posts on this blog yet, but I don't even think I could make many posts about hair since I currently despise styling mine. I want to get on my grind about that when I do cut my hair, because it'll breath some life into it.

I've also been on the hunt for a deep conditioner and a "perfect" detangler, so there is that. Anyway, see you guys soon hopefully with some content and not just filler lol.

shh

ya'll ever encounter "secret sales"? i kinda love that and i kinda hate that. on friday, i went into a duane reade (i can't recall the last time i was in a duane reade, but i practically live at rite aid which is a problem) and picked up two sinful colors polishes and the jordana fabuliner that i'd been coveting from my mom. i wanted to replace the elf liner i have that has yet to rear its head in kmart or the dollar tree in my area.

the fabuliner is normally 2.99. i spent a while in the store comparing polishes since it was so well organized it was a pleasure to look at. sort of like an organized box of colored pencils. i have a thing for art supplies because some of them are so pretty lol.

so i get the the counter, ready to pay about 7 bucks in total, but my total comes up to 5 something. the liner was on sale for 74 cents! and nary a sign by the display. there was even an announcement about the other things on sale. i couldn't. my mom was irritated that i didn't pick her up one of the liners too lol. i might confine my drugstore haunting to going to duane reade every few fridays or so, because that store is so nice and no one walked up to me asking if i needed help haha.

this wasn't a real post-post, but lemme be okay ._. if anyone actually reads this and wants to share an experience about a "secret sale" or a store they just simply like being in, leave me a comment! i have yet to get one and it's sorta weird since i've gotten plenty of page views :o

oops!

i planned on at least trying to crank out a post every day even if i had nothing real to say. i've been slacking. here's a mini-post on something i noticed today that's bugging me a little bit about a certain product...

you must be thinking that those are two different polishes, right?

wrong

these are both wet n wild "I Need a Refresh-Mint"

i'm confused lol. one is a robin's egg blue and the other is more of a true mint. i own the bluer one and was somewhat disappointed because i was searching for a mint and thought that it must look different when applied based on the swatches. i guess not. but the bluer one is a lovely color, so i hope it somehow becomes/stays part of the line, maybe under a different name?

up so close.

i've seen a lot of negative feedback about these wet n wild megalast liquid lip colors. they're new for this year and i'm not sure if everyone knew what they were supposed to do before they purchased them. they are not lip glosses. they are a long wearing lipstick like product that dries to a matte finish. i own three, so i'll show you swatches of all three and one on the lips.

(This is upside down ahaha. But right to left - Back To The Fuchsia, Rose To The Occasion, Cherry On Top)

they do not transfer at all, but break down when you eat greasy things. these should be applied in thin layers--i only use one coat and i get enough coverage, but everyone is different. and isn't that what makes life grand?

i feel like a disney musical. here comes the lip swatches! (i photographed these on Sunday so that's why i have on the scarf still. i promise that i change clothes every day lol.)

and the last one with flash

thoughts:

•  this lipstick looks good for every day wear, as long as no one is taking up close photographs of me haha.
• the tacky feel of the formula is a little annoying but i can deal with it if i just really feel like wearing lipstick that day and i don't want to touch it up.
• i looooooove that it doesn't transfer. i wore this to get some froyo and i left looking just as fabulous as i entered. (of course i would still be fabulous if i left my lipstick all over the cup and spoon, but that didn't happen!)
• i wasn't really feeling and of the shades with shimmer but something possessed me to buy Cherry On Top. i haven't worn it yet. the color range wasn't really my thing and it didn't excite me the way that the megalast round lipsticks do. but these... hm. they're a unique sort of product so i don't mind.

i would probably give it a 8.5 outta 10. i wish that it wore off a little more evenly, that it didn't feel sorta stifling on the lips and the the shade range was a little cuter. they are regularly 2.99 and the display had 1 dollar off coupons. i can't remember if there was a sale or not.

sweet kisses.

that fuchsia lipstick i mentioned in my first post? it's the bomb. forreal. the packaging is cheap and can be a little annoying when opening/closing the lipstick. but i'm used to being extra careful with lipsticks because my favorite ones are the wet n wild megalast type. if anyone would want swatches of that because i haven't seen too many on a blogger of my complexion lemme know in the comments. (not that i've gotten a comment yet haha.)

anyway, nicka k new york makes this lipstick in about 69 shades. i did the math based on the website lol. here's how they describe it:

A moisturizing, pigment-rich lipstick available in a variety of natural and glamorous shades that offer medium-to-full lip coverage. Long-lasting and non-toxic, NK Lipstick leaves a smooth, semi-matte finish.

it is very moisturizing. a more popular blogger than myself reccomends to wear it without any lip balm/moisturizer underneath, but i disagree. do what makes you and your lips comfortable and cute.

(NK Brilliant Fuchsia, no lip liner. sorry for the shadow lol)

it wore for a while, through some greasy chips and drinking from a bottle, then at the very end of the day i had a faint stain that i was able to wipe off after applying chap stick. the stain was hard to photograph but it was there.

extra silly photo:

would anyone want a tutorial on how to do a circle scarf? i'm not quite done with this one but it was pretty simple and fun.

refresh-mint?

i used to exclusively like blue nail polish. whenever my mom would take me with her to get a manicure, she derisively referred to the color that i always chose as m&m blue. i couldn't help it. it was just so damn blue. that's the one thing i have in common with ethan's mom, i think. we both love blue. hell, she painted his room blue.

he wanted blood red.

i promise you, he's actually more normal than i am. somehow.

(check out that tip wear!)

this megalast polish was giving me some serious flashbacks as i applied it. i promise it's not the fumes, i have a fan going and the windows open. "I Need A Refresh-Mint" has been really popular lately since mint is the color of the season apparently. this strikes me as more of a robin's egg blue.

i love the polish, the formula isn't thin and it didn't dry incredibly fast or incredibly slowly. i was watching Gintama while it was drying so i can't give the best estimate. i also topped it off with the (discontinued) NYC topcoat i picked up Wednesday. ya'll know kmart has secret bogos sometimes? sheesh.

my only complaint is the brush. 

i've bought megalast polish before so i knew what i was getting into, but it somehow seemed worse with this one. it's wide, it picks up a lot of polish and can make things uneven. but it looks better after a second coat + top coat. i'm still a lil salty about it though.

i have really funny shaped nails, so i don't see myself posting a lot of polish reviews. if anyone is enjoying this and also has funny shaped nails, lemme know.

would i repurchase?

i don't see myself using it up because i've never finished a polish. i am a sucker and wet n wild just came out with a ton of new colors, so i would probably end up purchasing more when they're on sale. they're regularly 1.99, so they're not a wallet breaker at all, i'm just lame and cheap.

NYC Quick Dry Topcoat

i was planning on reviewing this soon as i had just bought a bottle, but as i suspected, it's been discontinued. i emailed COTY about it so I'll share their reply.

(they misspelled my name lol so i won't include it), 

Thank you for asking about New York Color In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Top Coat.  We're so sorry to have to tell you that this product has been discontinued and we understand how frustrating this can be for you.  Unfortunately, there are no current plans to reintroduce this product and all warehouse inventory has been depleted.

Although it's not exactly the same, many former users are now enjoying New York Color Long Wearing Extra Shiny Top Coat, which you can locate at authorized retailers that include most major drug stores.
Our decision to stop making a product is based on market trends.  While we would like to be able to keep everyone's favorites, it's just not possible.
Coty is always introducing new products as a result of consumer feedback.  We feel strongly that listening to consumers like you helps us to improve.  You can be certain that we will share your comments with our Marketing Department.
We hope you will continue to select and enjoy Coty products.

so yeah. i cannot personally recommend that extra shiny top coat as i have never purchased it, and i don't plan on purchasing it because the reviews were poor. (i might, because you never know, and it's 99 cents) it's a real shame that they discontinued the quick dry topcoat because it is one of the cheapest ones i've found and it works really well. i do have more chips than with my standard revlon topcoat, though. so i'll enjoy the bottle of NYC that i have, but i do wish it hadn't been discontinued

clinical.

another product review. i like reading product reviews on other sites, so you'll probably see a bunch of these here. this one is going to be quick because i'm not really into mascara, but i am very fond of this one and the "megawink" formulation/brush from the same company.

Wet 'n' Wild Megalast Clinical Mascara

i love everything about this for some reason. the product itself is slightly wet, which i like because the first three mascaras i tried from Black Radiance (sort of a cousin to Wet 'n' Wild as they're both owned by Markwins and have similar quality imo) were dryer. there's definitely a mascara smell to it, but i don't mind it much and i'm almost partial to it. the smell disappears after the mascara dries. it's very easy to apply, doesn't clump, and doesn't transfer to lower lids or upper lids. not a very dramatic mascara and suitable for every day wear.

mascara on

no mascara

i haven't seen any major lash growth from this plus the serum, but i like the way it makes my lashes look so i'm going to continue using it until it runs out.

price: i got this during a crazy sale, so i paid less than 3 dollars for this and the serum. normally it retails for around 4.99.

would i repurchase: 

yep. but i would probably wait for another sale because that's how i am.

koolaid lips.

ya'll remember when you would have red kool-aid or an icee and you would feel cute after because your lips were red? no? maybe that was just me. (i know there is no flavor called red, but a bunch of flavors happen to be red. just roll with me.) that color staining is the same basic effect as your run of the mill marker lip stain.

now i haven't tried any other lip stains, but after this one i haven't been crazy interested. NYC offers one of or probably the cheapest lip stains in any North American drug store at 4.99 a pop. they were supposedly 40% off at rite aid, but i ended up paying full price for this and i didn't have the heart to return it. i had purchased two lipstains from NYC before, but the tip of one fell off immediately after opening it and i returned both because i was annoyed.

the shade i have is Berry Long Time. i didn't take a picture of the tube, but here's one off of amazon.

marker tip applicator, cap, nothing fancy.

let's cut to the chase: here are my lips with no product

~so luscious~

and my lips with the stain! not really a good look.

it left my lips feeling really dry. also, i seem to remember it being more pigmented when i purchased it but now it's just sorta... meh. it's wearable with a gloss over it to hide the settling and make my lips less dry.

(NYX African Queen, which is one of my favorite glosses. and i'm not a huge gloss fan. it's a lovely fuchsia.)

would i repurchase?

probably not. maybe if i lost my mind or something. that could happen.

lavender crime.

i feel like everybody who is into makeup has heard of lime crime. i'm surprised by the amount of people who like having lime in their internet handles. that's neither here nor there. but lime crime does make (or... sell, at least) a ton of really pretty pastel lipsticks.

and what i really want to talk about is pastel lipstick. oh. be still my heart. i know, i know, i'm a black girl and it contrasts a lot with my skin tone, but i've never been in that "oh, i can't do xyz because it clashes with my eye/hair/skin color."

soooo i did. 'scuse my bathroom i'm new to this blog thing.

(ELF liner, random NK palette you can get at any BSS or Cherryculture, and a lil bit of NYX pigment in baby pink. Not my favorite eye look ever but it was fun.)

(Jordana Lavender Lady + NYX Castle--I think lol)

the first photo is more true to color, the second one was taken with the "toy camera" effect. i'm not at all a photography person besides photographing my face. *vain*

it was a spur of the moment prowl through my mom's cosmetics for something pale enough. right after i bought another fuchsia lipstick today--which also looks GREAT as a cream blush. i have it on in the photo. 99 cents. yasss. and another black one. there's no reason why i should have two black lipsticks. (906 Brilliant Fuchsia by NK, 306 Black by NK)

there's something nice about just doing what you want.