BeautyRedefined by Pang

I don't know why I keep buying nail polishes and I certainly didn't need another lavender nail polish but Using My Maiden Name is just so pretty! It has a subtle violet shimmer glow that looks more prominent when you look at the bottle. It's probably what attracted me most about it.

Once swatched, the formula is more of a jelly creme with a medium thin consistency. It's a little bit patchy on the first coat but with the 2nd and third layer, it evens out nicely. The violet shimmer is so faint on the nail swatches that you can barely detect it. I wished it was a bit more noticeable like it is in the bottle. Other than that, I think this nail color is lovely. I did 3 coats on the swatches for full opacity.

To be honest, I don't know when this trend started but to me it's new, lol. When my daughter and I spotted them at a couple stores this weekend we sure grabbed a few. I thought they look pretty cool sitting there on the top portion of my fingers rather than at the base. Now I feel like I want more.

So Aldo had some and they were 2 for the price of 1...Roughly about $8.00 for both. The first set here has a little bow with a tiny rhinestone and a band with small heart-shape cut out.

The second set we got from Aldo had an infinity loop ring and double ended arrow.

Charlotte Russe didn't have a large selection but I managed to pick 2 sets. They were on sale 2 for $8.00.
The first midi ring is actually just one ring with a wide band and small coil whirled around it. It didn't grab my attention at first but once I tried it on, I loved it.

The second set had 3 rings. One that said Love, one with a dainty purple flower, and one with a dainty bow. How cute is this? I love this set. You can stack them together or wear them on a different finger.

So what do you think of Midi Rings? Do you like it? Do you own any?

When I spotted Parka Perfect, I thought it was a lovely medium greyish blue cream. It has very subtle and very fine silver shimmers. Sometimes I wonder why Essie does that you know. Why put shimmers that don't translate on the nails? It makes absolutely no sense as to why they even bother. Perhaps to trick you into thinking hmm...there's something pretty inside? I dunno.
The formula was not too thick or thin and had fairly good pigmentation. It was a little streaky and even though I probably could've gotten away with 2 coats. A third coat was needed to even out the uneven streaks.
The shade is simple, plain, and probably not the most unique grey you can find but still appeals to me in a way because it would make a nice base for nail designs.

I'm such a sucker for nail glitters and when I spotted this sparkling pink glitter from Sally Hansen Triple Shine collection, I couldn't resist but put it in my shopping basket. Ok, I admit it looks adorable in the bottle but overall I was rather underwhelmed once I got it on my nails. Sad, I know but it's still pretty and I think it was a perfect match over China Glaze Ahoy!
Twinkled Pink has a sheer pink jelly base that wasn't too thick or thin and picked up a fairly decent amount of glitters. It contains iridescent pink and gold glitters as well as silver glitters. Formula was rather easy to work with.
With the understated glitters, I think Twinkle Pink is a nice top coat for those who enjoy just a little bit of sparkles.

L'Occitane is probably the company I hauled the most products with this year, which is insane of me but the sales are making me do it, lol. Speaking of sale, they currently have a winter sale going right now so if you are interested I would suggest stopping by their store or you can view HERE what they have on sale on their website.

I actually went inside the store to make my purchases. I think they store has more stuff in stock. I purchased another Almond set ($55.00, was $79). I was particularly interested in the shower oil but I was getting a better deal with the set so I grabbed that instead. It also came with the almond soap, almond hand cream, and almond milk lotion.

I also purchased the Rose Body duo ($33.75, was $45), which includes the body wash and body lotion. I don't typically go for rose scented products but this smells like expensive roses lol. I was debating between this set and the Cherry Princess set but for some reason, the rose scent was more appealing.

And then lastly, I grabbed the Peony Shimmer oil ($18.00, was $36). Apparently, you can use it on face, body, and hair. The oil is very thin and absorbs quickly and leaves no oily residue behind. Although there seems to be a lot of gold shimmers in the bottle, once you rub it against your skin, they are very subtle. If you want a more noticeable shimmer, you probably will be disappointed but if you don't mind a subtle specks of shimmers then you'll like this. I love the scent of peony but this oil really lacks of it. The fragrance is there but very subtle so if you were expecting a stronger scent you'll be disappointed.

My favorite products and scents from L'Occitane is no doubt the Almond collection and the Peony collection.

Are you going to grab anything from their Winter sale?

Notice how it makes my skin look smoother?

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Wow, yes Happy New Year to all of you...best wishes and best of luck. May this new year be a lovely, healthy, and successful year for you.

When I look back at 2013, it was a rather sad and depressing year for me. Earlier during the year, one of my worst fear happened. I broke my left ankle during a stupid freak accident. Not only did I break my left ankle but I also sprain my right ankle and injured my sciatic nerve, which caused immense pain for a while. Lack of mobility and being confined at home for 6 weeks made my recovery days feel extremely long.

I had a friendship fall out with someone I used to work with. Her productivity and quality of work suffered greatly and after 2 years, re-training her, and doing a work improvement assessment with her for 6 months, she failed to improve. We had no other choice but to let her go. The perplexity of the situation was that she never once showed concerns or took ownership of her actions or lack of it. She believed it in her mind that we set her up for failure and that she was doing a good job. I don't know. I suppose it's hard to reason with someone who don't think they did anything wrong. I've worked with difficult employees but never with someone who didn't care about their performance. Most people take pride in their work and want to do it well but she wasn't like most people.

photo credit: WolfS♡ul via photopin cc

Aside from my physical ailment and work issues, I've also gained a lot of weight and I pretty much let myself go because my moral, my thoughts, my feelings really hit rock bottom.
I've spent the year battling my demons. I always try to keep a positive outlook no matter what kind of curve ball life threw at me but I suppose for some people, at some point something hits you hard and you just can't go back to being the person you once were. I kept relapsing back into this empty hole. For 2014, I'm gonna have to try to reinvent myself. I need to heal my soul. I need to find some hope and faith.

The highlight of 2013 is that my son graduated high school and went to a local college. I also taught him how to drive. The realization that I had a graduating kid gave me mixed emotions. Happy and proud that he made it and a little sad and scared that his new life goals may take him away somewhere far from home. His father, as we expected, didn't attend the ceremony. Didn't even send a card. His excuse was that his car broke down and can't make the drive. Anyways, I'll just leave it at that. My kids know who the real parent in their life is and all that matters is that I'm still here for them.

What's in store for 2014?

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I took a hit financially last year because I was out of work for my injury and disability insurance barely paid for groceries. I had to pay for books and tuition that financial aid didn't cover. I spent a lot and didn't get much. I didn't even go on vacation. My last credit card statement makes me want to pull my hair. This year, I will try to spend my money more wisely. I've decided that I'm going to challenge myself to use no more than $70.00 on myself each month. If I stay under the budget, I can carry over the left over money to the next month. If I go over my budget, next month will have a shorter budget as well. I think it's doable and reasonable budget. I really hope I don't fail.

photo credit: 401(K) 2013 via photopin cc

I really dread the thought of exercising but I need to do something about my body. I decided that I'm going to start with looking at my diet first. Perhaps looking at trying healthier recipes and portion control and once it becomes routine, go back to exercising. I know it's going to be hard to stay motivated but I'm gonna have to give it a try. I'm going to start looking at quick, easy, and healthy recipe. If you know of any that you enjoy, please share.

photo credit: Renée S. Suen via photopin cc

I don't like to make big plans. I just rather make realistic goals. I know for sure I'm gonna need to get another car this year. If I can keep my spending at bay, I hope to take a vacation with my kids in the summer.

As far as my blog is concerned, I may not post as often but I'll continue to post regularly, perhaps 2 or 3 times a week at least. The reason is I want to try to stay focused on other personal goals.

I guess that's it. I want to keep things simple and realistic. I know the last couple of years, my life has been hanging in limbo so I'm gonna need a lot of will power and motivation to make this a better year for myself.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your favorite memory of 2013 and what you look forward to this new year.

I hope everyone's having a good weekend so far. Wisconsinites are freaking out about tomorrow's plummeting temperature and by Monday we're expecting windchill down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. All the public schools in the area have already decided to close. I worked a few hours this morning and stopped by Wal-Mart to get some food and it was packed! I hope my car starts on Monday because I still have to go to work. Packer game is on Sunday and apparently I heard my brother bought tickets and is planning to freeze his ass off on the bench watching the game, lol. Crazy!

Anyways...Let's move on to the review...

I was interested in the Hourglass Opaque Rouge because of the color and because I heard that it was long-wearing. There's some mixed reviews out there. Some rave about it and some are dissing it but here's my personal experience with the product.

Packaging

I purchase the mini tube. Yes, thank goodness for a mini version but it's ridiculously small! It's 1/3 the size of the full size product and almost looks like a toy. It's got a cute curvy shape and comes with a doe foot applicator
.03 oz.

Product

Icon is a blue tone raspberry red. The color is lovely and I love how it looks on me and it definitely makes my teeth look whiter.
So I had a few issues with this lip color. First, it's the application. What you'll need to do is apply it on the upper lip and spread the color even with the wand before it dries. Then you move on to the lower lip and do the same. The key is you need to make sure you spread the color evenly and working on one lip at a time is your best bet because the formula sets fairly quickly.
The formula is tacky. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT press your lips together for the first 5 minutes after application. If you do, it's going to be a hot mess because the color is going to stick and create uneven patches and it will look pretty ugly. Once you wait past 5 minutes and allow the color to set, you'll still feel some tackiness when you press your lips together but it won't be as much and the color won't budge.
The formula is very pigmented and dries to a matte finish. I didn't find it drying or moisturizing but I would recommend you wear a lip balm first to keep your lips comfortable.
Also, you need to exfoliate and remove any dry patches prior to use because it will cling and clump if your lips aren't smooth.
They claim that the colors wears up to 14 hours and I guess that depends on what that means to you. It does wear well but if you are going to be drinking and eating the color is going to fade and look patchy, particularly at the center of your lips. If your food is a little greasy, the fading and patchiness will look more obvious. Whatever part that didn't come in contact with food or drinks will last up to 14 hours.
There is a light scent. I can't describe it but it certainly is not unpleasant and fades quickly.

Final Thought

The color is beautiful and what I would consider the perfect red for me but there are definitely flaws in the formula and application so you have to be especially careful when it's freshly applied. The tackiness of the product bothers me a bit. Yes, it wears quite long but while it does that it will also fade unevenly at the center of your lips as you consume drinks and food. Personally, for a lip product at this price point, I expect the formula to be nearly perfect, easy to use, and more comfortable. I'm not getting what I paid for here.

Rating: 7/10

Price: $10.00 for the mini and $28.00 for the full size.

Availability: Sephora

I first spotted these new Rimmel Scandaleyes cream eyeshadows at K-Mart and so far it's the only store I've come upon that has them in my area. They had 6 or 8 colors available. Though the other shades were quite pretty and tempting, I only grabbed Pomegranate because it's the only cream eyeshadow color I don't have.

Packaging

It comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator.
.23 oz or 7 ml

Product

Pomegranate is a medium dark shimmery burgundy with specks of gold shimmers. Finding some gold shimmers in it was quite a nice surprise.
The formula is pigmented and dries fairly quick. In spite of that I didn't really have any issues with the application. I would apply a bit with the wand directly on my eyelids and them use my finger to pat and blend the color. I also found that using a synthetic brush works just as well. You can also add a second layer if you want a more intense color or if you need to even out the application. I was very pleased that it didn't cake on or crack when I layered it. Some similar product have a tendency to do that.
I have moderately oily lids and without a primer, I was happy to see that it didn't crease when worn up to 8 hours. There was some slight fading but it wears longer with a primer.

Final Thought

This cream eyeshadow had a lovely color and nice pigmentation. Though it sets fairly quick, it still allowed me to apply and blend the color evenly. It doesn't cake or flake when you layer it and doesn't crease without a primer. Very good product for the price.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $5.29
Availability: K-Mart

I'm wearing Pomegrenate on the center of the lid. I applied a medium brown matte eyeshadow on the crease and a dark brown shade on the outer V.
For the upper lash line, I created a winged liner with Physicians Formula Eyebooster liquid liner in Ultra Black.
On my lower lash line, I'm wearing MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner Industrial
I'm also wearing Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon Blacquer on my waterline.

I took advantage of the weekend to stay warm and catch up on some blog posts. I have a lot of post drafted with pictures and needing some words. I'm also running a bit late for the last of my 2013 favorite products. I've seen so many people get on the ball with it already.

I was tagged by Jemimah to share with you my favorite palettes. I thought it would be fun to do because I certainly enjoyed reading other's tag about the Perfect Palette.

Best Packaging

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. This one got me stumped for a bit, lol. After looking through my palettes for the best packaging, I've come to conclusion that the Naked 2 fits the bill. Generally, I look for practical packaging and quality of product. Hardly do I purchase makeup just for the pretty packaging. I like the fact that the Naked 2 palette doesn't cling on finger prints, has a nice weight, has sturdy and lean packaging. Some of the prettiest packaging I've seen are the Sephora Disney Princess eyeshadow palettes. I thought they were beautiful but sadly, I did not get any of them because I have too many eyeshadows.

Best Color Payoff

Mehron INtense Pro Pressed Pigments Wind palette. Seriously, one of the best and most pigmented matte eyeshadow palette that I own.

Bare Mineral Ready Eyeshadow The Playlist. I couldn't just pick one, I had to nominate this Bare Mineral palette also. The pigmentation and creamy texture is just fabulous!

Most Versatile

Inglot Freedom System Palette. It's versatile because you get to pick and choose the palette and the colors.

Z palette. Ok so it doesn't include the eyeshadow but you can depot and put any eyeshadows that you can fit into the palette, thus why I think it's worth mentioning.

Best for Traveling

The Balm Jovi Rockstar palette - great colors, nice pigmentation. It's got you covered for your eyes, lips, and cheeks

theBalm Shady Lady palettes. They're small and light, which is great for traveling. The eyeshadows are also lovely.

NARS Danmari. You got 4 blushes, one bronzer, and one highlighter and they're all great quality. If I take this for my travel, I don't need anything else.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. The best face palette I own. If'I'm going on vacation, this will be in bag as well.

Biggest Regret

I know Wet N Wild has had some very nice palettes for a very small price but they've been a hit or miss and at this point. I am waiting for people to actually review them before I grab them.

From left to right: Petal Pusher, Fauna, Flora, Baking a Cake, Bake Off Contest, Baked Not Fried

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette (2009). I acquired this palette before I started my blog and unfortunately do not have a picture to share so I had to improvise someone's link, but I'm so disappointed at this palette. Half of the colors suffered pigmentation and looked muddy when applied. The cream eyeshadow went bad after 6 months. It was just not worth it. Ever since this palette, I refuse to purchase anymore Smashbox eyeshadows, lol.

Best Color Names

The Balm Jovi Rockstar palette - All these names take me back to the 90's, when I was a huge rock band fan back in the days.

theBalm Nude'tude palette. I think because the names are clever and coherent with the theme.

Least Used

Urban Decay Book of Shadows and palettes. Ok, honestly you can't go wrong with UD eyeshadows but I've barely touched these ever since I bought them. Some haven't even been swatched! Call me crazy.

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette. It's almost like new still!

120 Eyeshadow palette. My first multi-colored eyeshadow palette. Some colors work better than others. I lost interest in it as I keep buying more eyeshadows, lol.

Most Used, Most Loved Palettes

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. Like mentioned earlier, it's the best face palette that I own. The Ambient powders are divine. It's the perfect finishing touch and makes my skin look airbrushed.

Tarte off the Cuff Blush Palette. Has 4 blushes and a bronzer. All lovely colors with great pigmentation. I reach for it almost every day, I have to remind myself that I have other blushes too.

Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2. Ok, I think these are some of the most loved, most raved, and most sought out palettes in the whole world. I don't think I need to even explain it. I love them too. Naked 3 will be mine sooner or later.

If you've already done this tag, please link it, I'd love to read about your palettes. Otherwise, you are more than welcome to join in and participate in this tag as well.

Hello lovelies,

I purchased these new L'Oreal lipglosses at CVS about a week or two ago and they're fairly new. I'm not sure if they are permanent though.

My initial reaction is that they look awfully similar to the Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Lip Lacquers, but since new products always tempt me, I picked these two shades to try and compare.

Packaging

They have a nice shiny metallic gold packaging which attracts lots of finger prints. There's a window on one side of the packaging that indicates the color of the gloss. The label on top and color at the base will also help you determine the color inside.
They also come with a doe foot applicator. It's shaped differently than the Wet Shine lacquers and has longer fibers.
.18 oz or 5.5 ml

Product

Orange Tempo is a bright tangerine orange with subtle gold/orange shimmers. It's pigmented but not fully opaque either.
Plum Adagio is a deep plum with purple and brown undertone with subtle pink/purple shimmers. This shade was pigmented yet only semi-opaque. It settled into lip lines and looked a little more blotchy. You're better off wearing this over a lipstick or blot it and wear it as a stain.
The formula feels a little thick and cushiony but it's not sticky. Though not fully opaque, they're definitely more pigmented than the Wet Shine lacquers but the color is also buildable. I also find them quite shiny.
They're hydrating and comfortable.
Aside from the increased pigmentation, I feel that this formula doesn't wear as long as the Wet Shine. It doesn't cling on to lips very well and as soon as you sip some water eat something, it just comes off. I get an average of 2 1/2-3 hours before it starts fading.
It has a sweet fruity scents. Kinda smells like mango.

Final Thought

They have a nice pigmentation without being completely opaque. The darker shade appear patchier. They're hydrating, thick, non-sticky, cushiony, and comfortable but the wear time is just average.

Rating: 8.5/10

Price: $9.49

Availability: CVS

Hey everyone!

These past few days have been brutal. I don't think I've ever experienced this kind of cold in my life. It was so cold that you could toss a cup of hot water in mid-air and watch it turn into snow.

Check out this video and see it unfold http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/boiling-water-snow-midwest_n_4551211.html

Anyways, because of that I had some car trouble. In spite of replacing a brand new battery and having my oil changed very recently, my old car wouldn't start unless it gets a jump. My boss pretty much came to pick me up on Monday because we had reports that were due, some people were out sick, and they just can't afford for me not to come in. Despite of the effort, things just kept running downhill from there. It has been a discouraging and depressing week. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong.

Today, I just wanted to share with you contacts lenses that I purchased through PinkyParadise during their Black Friday sale. The sale was pretty good and I couldn't pass up the deal, they were like 50% off. I received them over a week ago so had the chance to wear them a few times already.

You will receive a free cute and colorful animal contact case with each pair of contacts you order.

EOS Pop C Dark Blue ($19.90, Black Friday sale was $9.95)

EOS Pop C Dark Blue is the perfect blue contacts for me. I am not a huge fan of blue contacts but I really like these because it's a deep sapphire blue. The color is subtle and it blends really well with my natural eye color (dark brown) but if you take a good look, you can definitely see that the contacts are blue. I think it looks stunning on light blue eyes too because it give the eyes more depths and oomph!
The diameter is 14.5 mm, which has a pretty good enlargement effect. Personally, they fit on my eyes very well, don't look alien, don't move around, and feel pretty comfortable.

G&G Big DM 23 Green ($25.90, Black Friday sale was $12.95)

G&G Big DM 23 Green is a gorgeous emerald green colored contacts. I'm a huge fan of jewel tone colors so being able to wear them on my eyes just gets me even more excited. I like the design of the lens and along with the gorgeous color it really make my eyes pop. This is by far my favorite green contacts I've tried.
Diameter is 14.5 mm. They fit well, don't look alien, don't move around, and are comfortable.

Geo Princess Mimi Chocolate Brown ($23.90, Black Friday sale was $11.95)

Geo Princess Mimi Chocolate Brown has a nice warm brown color that makes my eyes look a little more glowy. The transition between the dark color and the light color is actually smoother in person and give my eyes more depth and dimension. The enlargement is pretty big. I mean this is a 15 mm enlargement and at first I had trouble getting them in because I am not used to contacts this huge but I just needed to make sure my eyes are opened wider when inserting them. In spite of the size, they are also very comfortable, blend well, and don't move around. I would prefer them smaller but I like the fact that they stand out without looking freaky.

I am a contact wearer for a long time so my eyes didn't have any problem adjusting to them and since I don't have dry eyes, I am able to wear them for more than 12 hours without feeling any discomfort. These circle lens can be used for up to 1 year.

So far, I am pretty happy with this haul. I love the colors and design of the contacts and I'm pretty happy with how comfortable they are. Shipping and handling was $9.00 for this order, which I think is a bit high for global mail. Took about 4 weeks to arrive from the time I placed my order. They have other shipping option if you want them quicker but I can imagine how much more that would cost.

Anyways, PinkyParadise is a good and reliable place to get your contacts from and they also have a very huge selection of many different designs and colors. Currently, they have a 20% off sale on all their contacts and the offer is good till January 12th so it's a good time to take advantage of the discount to try a few.

Which are your favorite contact lenses? Is there any you would recommend for me?

photo credit: HikingArtist.com via photopin cc

I'm so annoyed at myself right now. I passed out like before 9 pm last night. I was exhausted. Then I woke up at 1 am and can't sleep. I'm gonna have to be at work in a couple hours and I probably will get crabby if people get on my case, which is seems inevitable, lol. Feels like I was under a full moon this whole week.

I'm gonna need to get a humidifier because the air is just too dry. My nose has been stuffy and my throat has been feeling super dry at night, which also caused me not to sleep well.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out early later tonight and the same thing is going happen again...I can no longer deny that I have insomnia and truth is I don't know how to go about that.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that prevents you to fall asleep or stay asleep. It's either a physical or psychological. There's a few good reasons why you should get your beauty sleep, as the term suggest, because lack of it hurts your appearance, your health, and your quality of life.

Your skin regenerate itself while you sleep.
Your body need sleep to recharge. Lack of sleep makes you tired, increases your appetite, and causes you to gain weight!
Sleep deprivation makes you more irritable and stressed
Getting enough sleep keeps your mind sharp and yourself more alert during the day
Lack of sleep may give you more wrinkles, dark circles, baggy eyes...well you get the drift. When we don't sleep well, we don't feel good, and when we don't feel good, it shows on our face.
Sleep problems are linked to depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health issues.

After reading this list, I guess I'm ready to accept and admit my condition hits pretty much all the bullets. The problem was I didn't want to admit to myself I had another problem...lol. Who does anyways? It's depressing to even think of the possibility of it or add another one to the list. Truth is you can't fix your problem if you don't acknowledge them. So that's the first step. Stop being in denial.

Insomnia is probably one of those things many of us ignore and don't think it's that important. I know I am one of them but if you really stop and think about it. It can be serious.

Story of my life...Many years ago, I came home really tired from work. I can't remember how long I slept the night before but I was driving home from work and going 65 on the freeway. I fell asleep behind the wheel and my car went off the road and into the median. Luckily, it didn't fall into a ditch, hit another car, or flip, but when I abruptly woke up by the bumpiness, I was able to steer my car back into the freeway and avoiding an accident. I was scared to death thinking I could've died right there and my small children would've been motherless.

I've had trouble with my sleep habit for about a year and a half now if not more. This was never an issue before and I remember many moons ago, my mom used to always nag me for sleeping too much. She said to me "one day when you get to my age, you won't be able to sleep too." I would sarcastically reply "I guess I better get all the sleep that I can while I still can."

I don't want to see a doctor and I don't want to be on sleeping pills. I could be wrong but I think that's what they do and I'd prefer to avoid that. I'm beginning to realize that my lack of proper sleep is hindering my quality of life and health more than I realized.

I'm thinking about how the lack of sleep is hurting me personally. What is causing it and what should I do to make it better? My lack of sleep started about after the end of a relationship. I was hurt, I felt betrayed, and I went to bed feeling this way for a long time so I didn't sleep much. Afterward, I don't know if a habit just developed from there. Other things that could affect my sleep is my job. Around the same time, I got promoted, so I took on more responsibilities. There's definitely more pressure and more demanding. I haven't lost my mind yet but I get a lot of those little annoyance that seems to build up by the end of the day. Some days are just chaotic. I get nothing done and more problems added to the plate. I come home, I'm beat, and I'm thinking geez, I don't get paid enough to deal with all this nonsense. But overall, that's what I love about my job. All this craziness can be overwhelming at times but it keeps me challenged and I like being challenged.

At night, I seem to only sleep for 4-5 hours and I'd wake up. I have the hardest time getting back to sleep when that happens. So here's my problem. I'm a thinker and I usually have a lot of things running through my mind, small things and big things, for no rhyme or reasons sometimes. The only time I stop thinking is when my brain is exhausted and it doesn't tire easily either. I wished my body was as active as my mind.

I guess my mom was right. You really do think more and become more restless as you get older. I never thought it would do this to me.

I've started putting on the pounds with the lack of sleep too. I also avoid taking naps if I can help it. It really messes me up. Naps keep me awake all night so forget it. But still...I need to figure this out and it probably will involve changing some habits and ways of thinking. I don't know...

What helps you sleep?

Hello lovelies,

We had some freezing rain last night on my way home from work. I had to be extra careful because it was slippery as hell and what bothers me is that some people still drive too fast for this kind of weather. I really didn't want to be around them. I managed to get home without incident but our apartment parking lot is on a hill so as I was coming down the hill, I really had to brace myself because black ice and gravity was just pulling my car downhill and it was sliding and swerving from side to side. I freaked out that I was going to either hit a neighbors car or slide straight into that wall of snow at the bottom of the hill. I thought to myself, ughh what a stupid idea hoping they salted the lot already. I was very lucky my car stopped just a few inches from the snow wall. I went back around and parked on the more leveled parking lot by the apartment office but that meant that I had to walk a little far and had to brave the deadly slippery hill on foot! It wasn't easy and being on foot just made me realize how slippery it was. Imagine me trying to walk on wet ice on a hill. Eh what choice do I have? It's the only way home. I took really slow and small careful steps. A neighbor was coming up the same direction and she was so sweet, she said "let me help you, I got boots on we'll be fine. I don't want you to fall out here" so she grabbed my arm and we slowly walked to the entrance of the building. I was wearing flats and they had no traction so I was certain my chances of falling were really high. So lucky to have wonderful neighbor like that.

It's time now to get this review going for yah. Frankly, I could hardly wait to share it with you but I had to find the time to type it up because my week had been wack and stressful.

Packaging

Metallic gold case, which I love and hate because it's a magnet for fingerprints. I like that the base shows the actual color of the lipstick.
.14 oz or 3.97 g

Product

Up Town Mauve is a bright medium fuchsia/rapsberry color with a cream finish. Not a color I would call mauve but that's ok because it's super gorgeous I think.
The formula feels thick and it was very pigmented and creamy.
It was a little bit moisturizing, I'd say, but it does start to feel drier as the color wears down.
The color lasted like 5 hours before starting to fade. I left a bit of stain as it faded.
The lipstick is heavily scented. Smells a sweet and fruity. I didn't find it offensive but just too strong for my nose.

Final Thought

I really enjoyed the color of this lipstick and aside from the strong fragrance, the creamy, pigmented, and somewhat moisturizing properties of the lipstick is quite nice. If you love the color, you should just get it.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $5-$6

Availability: CVS

I picked up this new hair product at CVS a couple weeks ago and I was very curious to try it. I like to use oil, serums, or conditioning treatment after I wash my hair because it helps making my hair feel softer and more manageable.

Packaging

I love the bright orange tear-drop shape of the bottle. I think that's what first attracted me to the product.
It comes with a pump for easy dispensing.
5 oz or 150 ml

Product

So at first I thought it was going to be an oil treatment because it says Marvelous Oil but when I got a feel for the product, it feels more like a serum. It's light, very silky and slippery at first, and absorbs quickly.
It contains amla and jojoba oil and suppose to smooth and tame frizzy hair.
According to the label, you can use this hair serum 5 different ways.

You can use it as a pre-shampoo treatment. Apply to wet or dry hair before shampooing.
You can use it as a conditioner booster. Add a couple drops with your hair conditioner.
You can use it as a blow-dry accelerator. Apply it to damp hair before blow drying.
You can use it as a Ends Finisher, meaning applying to the ends of your hair to smooth split ends and prevent flyaways.
You can use it as an overnight leave-in treatment.

Some of these different ways of use overlap if you think about it. What I normally do is apply two pumps to damp hair, particularly at the ends. And then one pump, lightly around the crown of my head. Comb through and then blow dry using a low heat setting. I don't have much hair so my hair dries fairly quickly but I do feel that this helps dry my hair just a bit quicker.
Once dry, my hair feels soft and manageable. It gives it a bit of shine without looking oily and because of its lightweight feel, it doesn't weight down my hair which is really nice because some serum tend to make my hair flat but this one doesn't. My hair feels airy and light when I use this serum. I have slightly frizzy hair and this product helps smooth them out but if you want pin straight hair, you'd still need to use a straightener.
It has a subtle fruity scent. Kinda smells like melons.

Final Thought

Overall, I really like this. I love the silky feeling of the serum. It delivers soft, smooth hair, with a bit of shine and doesn't weight it down. It has a nice fruity scent that isn't overwhelming.

Rating: 10/10

Price: $5.99
Availability: CVS

Hello there,

I was tagged a couple weeks ago by Kar Yi to do this random fact tag. I know I don't often do tags like these and it took me a little longer to put together these facts, which I thought long and hard over, lol, because it wasn't easy coming up with 30 without putting you to sleep but I suppose it's good to throw something out there about myself that isn't beauty related so you can get to know me on a personal level as well.

1. I spent new years eve making Pho, drinking wine and champagne, and watching a movie with my family. That's usually how I prefer to spend my new year's eve. Nice and quiet with family.

2. The last movie I saw was on new year's day. I took my kids to the theaters to see The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug. Loved the special effects with the dragon. Great story line and lots of adventure.

3. Every day, I start my day with a cup of coffee with cream and sugar to keep me going. Caffeine helps keep me alert and awake.

photo credit: Linh H. Nguyen via photopin cc

4. Some days, I only sleep 3 hours before going to work.

5. I work as a team lead in a medical office.

6. What I love about my job is that it always keeps me busy and engaged with others. There's always more problem than I can solve. I'm always learning something new.

7. What I dislike about my job is there's too much work, not enough time.

8. There are certain things that I forget very easily and certain things that stick in my head very well. I guess it depends on how critical the information is.

9. I'm a quick learner and I take good notes.

10. I hardly watch TV.

11. I love roller coasters, the faster and higher the better. The best ride I had so far is the front row seat of the Millennium Force at Cedar Point. You gotta be at the front seat in order to get the best thrill.

12. If I had the money, I'd definitely consider plastic surgery. Actually, I have, I just didn't have the money, lol.

13. I prefer taking showers. That could change if I had a Jacuzzi.

14. My favorite childhood game was Chinese jump rope. I was very good at it and had so much fun playing it at school with my friends before class starts and during recess. Oh and my second favorite thing to do when I was a kid was climbing trees. There were Mulberry trees in the neighborhood and I used to always climb them to pick and eat the berries. They taste so good!

photo credit: debcll via photopin cc

15. I'm quiet and mellow. I may come across as boring but I'd be more than happy to go skydiving, bungee jumping, para-sailing, go to the moon, eat snakes, lol...yeah that kind of stuff...

16. I don't like confrontation but I will assert myself if I feel that it is necessary. I usually wait until I'm calmer before I talk to someone .

17. I started to cook for my siblings/family at the age of 10, I think. I just remember I was very young.

18. Hair styling is not my forte. I really suck at it, that's why my hair got no swag. Surprisingly, I cut my sons' hair all the time and do a decent job at it.

19. I've never got my nails done at a nail salon before.

20. I've never smoked.

21. I'm messy.

22. I love rice. I mean I have to eat it like almost every day. I crave badly for it if I skip rice for a couple days.

photo credit: visualpanic via photopin cc

23. I need at least an hour to get ready.

24. I don't like planning so most of the things I do are either habitual or spontaneous.

25. Things that make me happy: a kind word, knowing someone cares about me, yummy food, and sales.

26. I'd prefer receiving a thoughtful gift than a gift card or money.

27. I believe everyone deserves a second chance if they redeem themselves.

28. I'd rather be alone than being in an unhappy unfulfilled relationship.

29. I kissed a stranger on my 34th birthday at the spur of the moment. It felt like the best thing ever at the time, lol. He was cute and a good kisser too!

30. I carry a half dollar bill everywhere I go because someone special has the other half. I have a grain of hope that we might run into each other someday...perhaps when we're very old, or perhaps in another lifetime.

Kudos if you read the whole thing and I didn't bore you to death and thank you for the time :)
I tag anyone who'd like to do this tag. If you already have, let me know and I'd be glad to read yours.

Hello pretties,

I'm a bit tired but wanted to share this post with you before I go lie down. I got these two new polishes from Sally Beauty supply about a week or two ago. I was debating really hard because the collection looked quite interesting and pretty glittery but I had to remind myself that I need to stay on budget so with all the self control that I could gather, I only managed to pick just two polishes out of the collection. So far, I've been doing good.

Star trooper has a very sheer dark brown base with lots of gold shimmers, small matte white glitters, and medium silver glitters. It's quite unique and pretty cool-looking, which is what I like. The formula is very thick and tend to goop in some area so spreading it evenly wasn't easy. I also needed 3 coats to get opacity. I would suggest a few drops of thinner with this one. I added a clear top coat over the swatches as well.

Intergalactic Space has a sheer dark purple base with fine blue shimmers, small bronze and pink glitters, and large round white matte glitters. I could not get any of the large white glitters at all. They all sunk into the bottom of the bottle and not matter how much I try to fish them out, I have not been successful at all.
This one is also quite stunning in person. It's also very thick and difficult to spread evenly; however, I only needed two coats for opacity. I am also wearing a clear top coat over the swatches.

I'm pretty happy with the way these two polishes look but the formula could've been better. Not really a deal breaker since I can thin it down.

Hello lovelies,

Hope you're enjoying your weekend so far. It felt like such a long week for me. I've been super busy at work and overwhelmed with all the errors I come across and have to fix. We've been told at Friday's meeting that some people will have their work hours changed and that we are now no longer allowed to take breaks. During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the clinic had to write off an insane amount of uncollected patient balance and denied claims. The numbers were quite a shocking revelation and now everyone will have to feel the pressure and work harder. I have a feeling some people are going to quit.

So after feeling defeated at the end of the day, I stopped by Sally Beauty Supply last night for some retail therapy. I really needed something to cheer me up. Lucky for me, I came across the Finger Paints new flakies collection, fully stocked! I pretty much picked up all the shades. There are 5. Check it out!

Abstract Attraction -blue and purple flakies

Abstract Attraction, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Colorful Dream - green, gold/orange, purple, and just little bit of blue flakies

Colorful Dream, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Psychedelic Hue - green, teal, and a little bit of gold flakies

Psychedelic Hue, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Symmetrical Symphony - gold/orange, and bluish purple flakies

Symmetrical Symphony, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

Vivid Reflection - pinkish purple, and gold flakies

Vivid Reflection, one coat over a black nail polish and topped with a clear coat

I found that the formula is pretty much the same across the board. Not too thick or too thin. The brush picks up a decent amount of flakies on the first coat; therefore, one or two coat will suffice. These flakies are really nice. They have a pretty opalescent and transparent color. They lay flat on the nails, spread out easily, and have a fair drying time.
I noticed that this collection isn't as vibrant as the previous collection and they have a slightly cloudy appearance but a layer of clear top coat will bring out the colors a little more. I managed to pick up all the shades in the previous flakies collection and you can view and compare the swatches HERE and HERE.

If you missed out on the last collection or want to add more flakies to your collection, I think they are still worth checking out. They are now available at Sally Beauty Supply so make sure you grab them before they're gone. They are $4.49 each with the Sally Beauty card.

I know I am very late with this post and most people are already long done with theirs but I just can't move forward until I finish mine as well.
I've been very spoiled in 2013 and I've found so many favorites throughout the year but the truth is I am starting to get really overwhelmed with the products that I can't finish and the products that I neglected due to my insatiable love and greed for beauty products. So I promised myself that for the new year, I will spend less money and more time playing with my current products.

If you missed any of my trimester favorites, please feel free to check the following links to see what I loved using last year:

With no further ado, here are my favorites for the remaining of 2013...

Eye Makeup

1. Mehron INtense Pro Pressed Powder Pigments Earth Palette. One of the best matte palettes I've come across.
2. Mehron INtense Pro Pressed Powder Pigments Wind Palette.

3, 4, 5. Yves Rocher Metalglow Cream Eyeshadows, Bronze, Mercure, Cuivre Rose. creamy, buildable, smooth, and easy to blend.
6. Prestige Brow Perfection Brow Building System Medium-Deep. Affordable tinted brow gel.
7 & 8. Color Tattoo Nude Pink and Matte Brown. Too bad this was limited edition. These were some nice matte cream eyeshadows.

Urban Decay Black Market. Awesome set. The colors are dark and easy to wear.

Urban Decay Black Market Swatches

Prestige Total Intensity Against All Odds Liquid Ink Eyeliner All Nighter. Looking for a dark navy blue liquid liner that's bullet proof? Check this one out!

Lip Colors

1. Sephora + Pantone Universe Velvet Lipstick Earth Red. Creamy, smooth, hydrating, matte red. Such a fantastic color. I love it.
2. OCC Black Dahlia. Sultry, dark, and mysterious blackened red.
3. Bite Beauty Rhubarb. Incredible pigmentation and formula. It's a lovely mauve brown that's great for every day wear.
4. Maybelline Color Elixir, Intoxicating Spice. Simply gorgeous. I love this earth tone shade.
5. Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss Adorned. It's one of the most amazing pink gloss I have in my collection. So vibrant, stunning, and love that it is affordable.
6. Revlon Matte Balm Sultry. It's incredibly smooth, pigmented, light-weight, and semi-matte.

Face Products

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Face palette. The powders feel so soft and silky. It's finely milled and add a soft luminous glow to my face. Holy Grail face product for me.

2. Tarte Off The Cuff Amazonian Clay Blush Palette. I love this palette. The colors are pigmented and easy to blend. They are also lovely for daily wear.

Fragrance

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora EDP. Soft, delicate, woodsy, floral, and fresh.

Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP. Warm floral oriental scent with a slight powdery scent. The scent is casual and classy at the same time.

Skincare

1. L'Occitane One Minute Hand Scrub. This scrub is fantastic and effective for scrubbing away dry winter skin and leaving hands feeling soft and smooth.
2. Freeman Facial Polish Mask Charcoal & Black Sugar. Wonderful budget-friendly sugar scrub that exfoliate without drying out.
3. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. One of the best and effective spot treatment I've tried for the occasional pimple.
4. L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil. This oil feels and smell so good. It really helped lock in moisture and make my skin feel softer.
5. Jack Black Lip balms. I got to try the shea butter and black cherry pomegranate flavor and love them both.

6. L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. I am obsessed with the L'Occitane almond collection. This oil feels really nice and smells divine.

7. Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Gel Mask. I wished it wasn't so pricey for a one time use mask but it makes my skin feel so good afterward.

Nail Polishes

1 & 2. I Love Nail Polish Multichrome Nostalgia and Sweet Serenade. I love these multichromes. They are fantastic.

3. Orly Purple Poodle. Gorgeous color, great formula. I love Orly polishes.
4. Forever 21 Sand Lacquer Burnished Gold. One of the more unique texture color I've seen. The formula was also really nice as well as the price.
5. Anise Nail Polish Be Wordly. Medium dark purple with lots of fine scattered holo glitters.
6. Essie Lots of Lux. I love the mix of blue, gold, and teal shimmers in this lovely vibrant cobalt blue textured glitters.
7. L'Oreal Hidden Gems. Another unique textured glitter polish combo. I think it's my favorite from the collection.

Happy Saturday lovelies,

It's been a week since I posted something. I was ~~slacking off~~ busy and also wanted to take a break. We're going back to having frigid temperatures again and I've been dropping off my kids to school for the past few days because it's just too cold to be out there waiting for the bus. For some reason I just have the sudden urge to go take pictures of the snow. I thought to myself, you know you should really take more pictures. I'm pretty sure once I step outside, I'll change my mind really quick, lol.
Since I wasn't working on my blog, I got to sleep a little more and felt a bit more rested.

Today, I have for you review of this Jordana lipstick that I got on sale at K-Mart a couple weeks ago. I think it ended up being $1.00 and some change.

Packaging

Clear see-through round plastic tube.
.12 oz or 3.4 g

Product

Pom-tini is a raspberry red with subtle gold shimmers and frosty finish. The frost here is a bit much for me. I wished it was less frosty.
The lipstick glided smoothly and applied evenly without tugging. The pigmentation is good and give full coverage. The color leaves staining behind.
The formula wasn't moisturizing and my lips felt dry after 2 hours of wear. I'd recommend wearing a good lip balm underneath to make it more comfortable.
The color last 4 hours on me before it starts fading and the stain will remain for a few more hours, though it ends up looking blotchy as it fades.
It has a strong artificial, sort of fruity scent to it, that is similar to the Milani Color Statement lipsticks. I'm not really a fan of it.

Final Thought

As far as color and finish, it may be subject to personal taste. I liked the fact that it was pigmented and wasn't tugging during application. Formula was slightly on the dry then again, you should be ok if you prep your lips and wear a lip balm beforehand.
I didn't love the scent but on top of that there was an odd after taste on this particular lipstick and I don't think I will be keeping it. This is like the 3rd time, I purchased a lipstick on sale at K-Mart and they ended up smelling or tasting weird like they've been sitting on that shelf like forever, probably the main reason why they were on sale. My advice is don't get this from K-Mart but if you take your chances either save your receipt or realize that you could to lose a buck or two on it.

Rating: 7/10

Price: roughly around $2.00
Availability: K-Mart, Cherry Culture

Thoughts? What's the best cheap lipstick you tried?

I'm definitely playing catching up on my blog this weekend. Don't want to get too comfortable not doing them.

We are back to experiencing frigid temperatures and for some odd reason I just had this urge to want to take pictures of the snow. There is something lonesome, melancholic, and beautiful about Winter snowscapes. Kind of reflects on my current mood. Perhaps that's why I felt like taking pictures of it. I've been dropping my kids off to school because it's just too cold for them to be outside waiting on the bus. Heck, I am freezing my ass in the car when I'm warming it up in the morning and I'm not even exposed to the windchill while I'm in it.

Ok, let's move on to this review. For the record, I receive this cool eyeliner set as a Christmas gift.

Packaging

They come with a handy dandy aluminum case with I think a frosty finish. It has that artist appeal to it.
There's 5 different color retractable eyeliners.
Sadly nowhere on the packaging it tells me how much product is in there.
Initially, the first thing I did when opening up the package is try to twist up the product. I found that the twist up mechanism is odd or not really working properly. Even after twisting the pencil for like 6/7 times, the product only slightly budged. Once, you get it to move, you don't have to do that many twists. The second problem I found is that you cannot retract the product back into the tube. So you better make sure that you don't twist up more than you need.

Product

Stingray - matte jet black. It's available for purchase individually without the set.
Lionfish - warm dark brown with bronze shimmers. It's available for purchase individually without the set.
Aubergine - shimmery dark eggplant purple
Navy - navy blue with a slight sheen to it
Emerald - bright emerald green with subtle silver shimmers
The first thing I did was of course swatch them and I was very pleased that they felt creamy and pigmented. They also glide nicely on the eyes without pulling or dragging, which is awesome.
You can create medium to thick line with these pencils. They don't include a sharpener but if you have one from another retractable pencil, you can create thinner lines if you are able to sharpen them.
They only take a few seconds to set so giving you a bit of time to smudge them if you like.
They are described as being waterproof. I didn't find them completely waterproof but more like water resistant.
I have moderately oily lids, when used with a primer underneath, they lasted all day with minimal fading and just a smidgen transferring on the bottom lash line. They still performed well without a primer though I would say there's like 20% more transferring and fading after 5 hours of wear.

Final Thought

There's no denying that I love the colors, pigmentation, and tug-free smooth sailing formula. Personally, I do need to use eye primer in order to make them last better and longer on my eyelids and minimize transferring. If you have drier skin, you may be able to get away without primer.

Rating: 8/10

Price: $34.00. Great price for the set. One eyeliner typically goes for $20.00.

Availability: Beauty.com, Ulta

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Essie Parka Perfect Swatch

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Twinkled Pink Swatch

L'Occitane Winter Sale Haul

Happy New Year! A Glance Back at 2013 and What I Look Forward To For 2014

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Icon - Swatch and Review

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint Pomegrenate - Swatch, Review, & Eye Makeup Look

The Perfect Palette Tag

L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Orange Tempo and Plum Adagio - Swatch and Review

Pinky Paradise Haul - Color Contacts Pictures and Review

Insomnia

Milani Color Statement Up Town Mauve - Swatch and Review

Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil Frizz Defy Hair Elixir Review

30 Random Facts About Me

Orly Galaxy FX Nail Polish Swatch - Star Trooper and Intergalactic Space

Finger Paints Kaleidoscope Collection Swatches - Their New Flaky Glitters of 2014

Favorites From October - December 2013

Jordana Lipstick Pom-Tini - Swatch and Review

Stila Color Outside The Lines Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner Set - Swatch and Review