Regrets #1: Hair, Skincare, and Tools.

Hello again readers!

I thought this would be fun to do, since for the longest time I had a Sephora bag being filled with products that just didn't seem to work out. Either they didn't work for me, reacted badly, or just plain sucked! Like my empties, once the bag got too full, it was time to empty it out!

Batiste Dry Shampoo - A Hint of Color for Light or Blonde Hair:

I thought this would be a good dry shampoo to try, since I have blonde hair. I was horribly wrong. It has a yellow tint to the spray, which I thought was going to be a good thing, but it got all over my clothes, and all over the place. I found a layer of yellow paricles on my shoulders and on my tv stand where I do my makeup, and I was horrified. 

On top of the color issue, it didn't do much else. It didn't make my hair look any cleaner, instead it made it look dirtier - adding a buildup of product to my hair and making it feel gross. It also made my head incredibly itchy, so I would be scratching out my scalp until I took a shower.

AcneFree Oil-Free Acne Cleanser:

I used up quite a few of these really, only to find out that it was the reason my skin had a terrible reaction. Benzoyl Peroxide is NOT a friend to my skin. It dried it out, and though it helped with the acne, it made my skin break out in little irritated bumps due to the chemicals. Not a happy camper, and just vowed never to buy them again.

Not Your Mothers Beat the Heat Thermal Shield Spray:

This product admittedly worked rather well. It created a nice barrier between the strands of my hair, and the heat of my straitening iron, and it left my hair feeling soft instead of dried out. The downside si that this product legitimately smells like I doused myself in a fruity daquiri beverage. Smelling the product it smells like fruity alcohol, which I thought would go away with time, or after use. It didn't. 

I really noticed it being a problem, when I went to my Senior Seminar class, and kept smelling alcohol, and only realizing after asking some of my classmates, that it was me. Not a good idea to be smelling like you had one too many drinks at happy hour, when you're in an academic or professional setting.

SkinNutritions Youth Perfecting Intensive Moisturizer:

This product is part of a 3-step process; all available at the Dollar Tree. Now, I was really excited, because I thought this would be a good moisturizer for me, and was quickly shot down. I have oily skin, so I don't need too much help with having moisture on my face, but it's always a good idea to moisturize the skin anyway. I applied it to my face after cleansing, and toning (the first two steps) and I was left feeling greasy. The moisturizer is thick, and emollient, and it never seemed to absorb into my skin, even though I only used a tiny amount. The next morning, I still felt like I had the moisturizer on my face, and had to wash my face twice. It did not do me any favors. If you have oily skin, I would skip this moisturizer.

Acnefree Terminator:

This product is supposed to be a great spot treatment for problematic skin. It has the same effect as the cleanser, and left my skin with more problems than I started with. I don't get too many breakouts, just around my nose, with the occasional skin monster elsewhere. I'd much rather have giant spots on my chin, than small, irritated red bumps all over my face. The trade-off is not worth it.

Rue 21 Carbon Elements Cologne:

In the store, I really enjoyed this, and I quickly purchased it during one of their sales. I wore it a few times, and quickly ended up hating it. It did not work with my body chemistry at all, and smells like body odor when I wear it. It was gag-worthy! Even smelling it in the bottle left me feeling nauseous, instead of elated like it did before.

Elf Smudge Brush:

I never got a true chance to use it, until I started experimenting with adding shadow my lower lashes. It is TERRIBLE for smudging. The bristles are scratchy, and they don't blend out liner, or even simple shadow. The look is un-blended and unattractive.

Target Up and Up Crease Brush:

When I started reaching out for new brushes, this seemed like a good place to start. The bristles are soft, and moved around easily, so putting on shadows should have been a dream. Instead, I got a nightmare. It did blend out shadows really well, which was a good thing indeed, but it had the adverse effect where it would pick up shadow from my eyelid, and flick it towards my nose, or my cheekbones. No matter what I did, it continued to ruin even the simplest of makeup looks. This brush was too much of a hassle to keep.

Thanks for reading!

Always Off Makeup Cloths

Hello again readers!

I have been turned on to these makeup cloths, because of all of the hype around the Makeup Eraser. Many have said this is a good dupe/alternative for that product. Now, I haven't used the Makeup Eraser, but I've been using these for about a month now, and I have to say: I LOVE THEM!

The cloths are stocked at odd places. Sometimes I found them by the college/dorm storage options for back-to-school. Sometimes I found them in the hair aisle. Sometimes I found them in the skincare aisle. They're held up by those plastic strips to hang items up, so don't expect them to be on a shelf! I just do a bit of looking and I typically find them, but your store may be different.

Each pack has three towels; in pink, blue with chevron print, and blue with polka dots. Really cute styles, and a variety. I'm pleased with not only the variety, but the amount. They're perfect for removing your makeup at the end of the day, the right size for it. Also, they're under a dollar a piece. What? Yeah, you read that right. A pack is about $2 with some change. Not bad, if they work.

I've read people who use them dry with less-than-desirable results, and I have seen what the Makeup Eraser can do. I went straight ahead and just used warm water (I have also tried lukewarm, and cold water!).

The results, were instantly amazing. It takes off my powder products, but it also takes off my brow products, my eyeliner, my mascara, my foundation, everything with some gentle rubbing.

I'm not going to pretend that one wipe will instantly remove everything. I do have to rub the cloth over my face, sometimes I re-wet it with water to get the best results. Compared to using a regular makeup removing cloth, I'm really impressed with how it takes off my makeup, leaving my skin feeling clean and ready for cleansing.

It removes about 98% of my makeup. I have noticed a bit of my mascara is left at the base of my lashes, a bit of foundation around my hair line, and if I have any eyeliner on my waterline or if I tight-lined that day, I'm better off with a q-tip and some makeup remover to get that residue off.

I have noticed a difference between using warm water, and using other temperatures. Using warm water takes off the makeup so much faster, compared to the other temperatures, and I feel like it also removes the makeup easier. If you don't feel like you can handle the warmth, you can use the other temperatures, but there will be excess rubbing involved.

The biggest issue I have with this, is I always feel like it leaves my skin feeling a bit dehydrated, like it just soaked everything up. I don't mind it, per say, because I know it removes almost all traces of makeup, and I'll be cleaning it and moisturizing anyway afterwards, but it's a bit uncomfortable. I can't say anything about those with dry skin, so try it out and see what you think about that.

I really love the cleanup for these. Just pop them in the wash with the rest of your laundry, and they come out looking fresh and clean, and good as new! I was really impressed with that, but I'm sure that overtime they will start to hold stains and look less-than-satisfactory. I'm prepared for that, but I'm enjoying how nice they look after a wash.

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Now that I know how it works for every day use, I wanted to see how it stood, when combating the best of the best; the products that could withstand the elements.

For the test, I used one of the blue towels, since it shows the makeup far better than the pink (some might find that a downside, but in this case, I think not!).

The products I used for this test were: Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner in Everlast, NYX Eyebrow Gel in Brunette, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe, Milani Liquid Eye Eyeliner Pencil in Black, The Neon Pink Italia Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, The MeNow Liquid Lipstick in #16, and the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin.

I wet the towel, and went to town, trying to see if it could remove waterproof makeup with the aid of only water and some elbow grease.

I took the photo immediately, so you can see that there is some redness if you put a lot of pressure on it. All that was left, was some of the Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner in Everlast, and the MeNow Liquid Lipstick in #16. To be honest, I expected the Milani eyeliner to leave residue, but I was insanely impressed with the staying power of the MeNow liquid lipstick. Knocked the Kat Von D lipstick out of the park, dang!

And the towel was a wicked mess afterwards, just a mess.


So it's safe to say, if you're deciding that you're going to be a bombshell for the evening, it might be best to take a bit of preemptive measures. Use a nice remover to gently remove liquid lipstick, and same to that eyeliner. Save yourself the feeling of rubbing yourself raw and just use a good remover for those parts, and gently buff away the rest with the towel.
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I really can't see why you shouldn't try this; it changed the way I remove makeup. I can't see myself not using this product ever again, and I even went out and bought another pack - I might even buy another one, to have for when I go on long trips, or when I don't wash my towels right away.

Thanks for reading!

Disney Dare to Dream Collection at Walgreens

Hello again readers!

This week is a little special, since I'm showing three posts this week! I didn't want to wait too long before posting this one!

I wanted to show some of the Disney Dare to Dream Collection shown at Walgreens. There were three Collections, all revolving around three well-known ladies; Mulan, Ariel, and Pocahontas. They've been circulating around recently, and now they're on clearance! So if any of these swatches appeal to you, now is your time to go out and get them before they're gone!

I did not get anything from the Mulan collection for different reasons. I wouldn't use the book, the eyeliners were sorts that I already had, and I am not a fan of shimmery lip gloss. So there are no products from that collection in this review.

Ariel Collection - Sea Darling

This one of the quads available from the Ariel collection. In my opinion, it is the least special.

The palette includes a cool-toned silver, a periwinkle blue, a turquoise, and a black. All of the shadows are decently pigmented, aside from the black. The issue with these is that they need a  primer or a base to really shine. If you use them by themselves, they will be swept away. Not the most high-quality shadows.

When I see this quad, I don't see anything to really fawn over. The shadows aren't anything unique, and aside from an affordable price of $3, I don't find this palette worth it.

Ariel Collection - Sea Witch 

This palette has a little bit more to offer. It's inspired off the Sea Witch herself - Ursula, and it's very easy to tell. With the lavender tinted white, the light violet, and the deep blackened blue, it rings true to her color palette. The wildcard, is the orange. I would have preferred another blue, or a red, or even a grey for this palette, but it oddly works. It's a little something extra, and having a nice orange shade in the palette keeps it from being too expected.

The shadow quality is the same as Sea Darling. They work best over a base or a primer. The best part about this one, is I find these four shadows easier to work with. The palette is different, and is unique, and definitely something I'd recommend picking up.

Ariel Collection - Beauty Book

In the Ariel beauty book, the colors are bright, fun, and very fitting for her personality, being 16 and all. They are really captivating, and easily swayed into your cart, to be honest.

Treasures: Matte cream.
Pigmented and soft to the touch.

Snarfblatt: A warm brown sheen with shimmer.
Pimened, and soft to the touch. I wasn't wild about the glitter.

 Whozits: A deep matte teal with sparse glitter.
The reason I bought this palette, to be honest. It felt harder, and crumbly, and it was hard to get it opaque. The pigmentation wasn't amazing, and I was left feeling disappointed.

Gadgets: Light pink shimmer.

Pigmented and soft to the touch. Very brightening on the eyelid.

Thingamabobs: Warm violet with shimmer.

Something unexpected, but I really enjoyed this shadow. 

Whatzits: Indigo.

Similar to Whozits, this shade felt harder to the touch, and crumbly. Another disappointment, because I loved how this shade looked in the pan too.

Gizmos: Turquoise matte.
Pigmented, and very soft to the touch. I have other shades like this one, but I can't ever resist a good turquoise or aqua.

Dinglehopper: Light blue sheen.
A soft blue. Pigmented, and soft to the touch. Nothing groundbreaking, but a little something different.

Oceanid: Cerulean blue.
This had a similar issue as the other bottom shades: a little harder, and a little crumbly. I'm not sure if it was just the palette that I had, or what, but I was disappointed.

Shell Spell: Bright pink.
Soft, and blends out easily. Something really fresh and bright.

Coral Fixation: Fuchsia pink.
This blush pissed me off, really. When I think 'Coral', I think of a warm, orange-toned pink. Not fuchsia. I wouldn't wear it anyway, but the name makes me want to grind my teeth. Just a peeve.

What's a fire:
Fuchsia pink with glitter.

The lipstick is a lipstick that I knew I wasn't going to wear for the color, and it ended up being pretty awful in formula. It goes on creamy - at first. But then it unearths glitter. Glitter, in the lipstick. It doesn't add anything extra when it's on the lips, but it's not something I was over the moon about either. The color isn't unique, and the glitter makes it unwearable for me since it sits uncomfortably on the lips.

**Jetsam Black is the same as New World Smolder. Review of the pencil down below!
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Overall, from the Ariel collection, I can fully only recommend Sea Witch. The others I would just pass up.

Pocahontas Collection - Great Spirit

Great Spirit is a beautiful, neutral champagne highlight. I was really impressed with how intense it can get, with just a few swipes.

I've tried it both under a translucent powder, and under another powder highlighter, and I like both ways. Under another highlighter, it gets even more intense and not for the faint of heart, but under a translucent powder it sort of dulls the shine and allows it to be a little more natural. Even with oily skin, this lasted all day for me, even with sweating, and I was surprised when I went to remove my makeup at the end of the day and it was still in tact!

With three shades to choose from, I'm sure there's going to be a shade that everyone will love, and I'm really in love with this product.

Pocahontas Collection - Spinning Arrow

In the $3 set, it comes with a large bronzer, and a brush.

The brush, is useless. It has hard plastic bristles and feels scratchy on the skin, and doesn't blend the product out nicely at all.

The bronzer however, is a gem. It's large, and a beautiful matte warm brown. usually I'm not wild about warm bronzers, but I really like this one. Once it's on my face, I enjoy how it looks, and it blends in beautifully on the skin. I was expecting to hate it, and fell in love with it instead.

Plus, it's HUGE! It's bigger than my palm, and will last quite a while.

Pocahontas Collection - Beauty Book

This palette is very warm, and makes me think of Fall every time I open it. I love how the colors all go together, even if they're not all in the same color families, and out of all three, I feel this is the most cohesive palette of the bunch. Very fitting for Disney's Pocahontas.

Dreamcatcher: A light periwinkle blue matte.
Really a nice light blue. Soft to the touch, and pigmented. A little too soft, as it creates fallout.

Ripples: A matte blue-teal shade with sparse glitter.
This is the softest shade in the palette, and creates a lot of fallout. It stains the skin a bit too, so that's something to watch out for.

Riverbend: A bright teal shimmer.
Pigmented, and smooth to the touch. This goes on almost effortlessly, and I don't find myself struggling to make it work.

Wingapo: A gorgeous peach shimmer.
I thought it was almost a peach-gold, but the shimmer isn't warm enough to be gold. It reflects the light beautifully, and catches my eye every time I open the palette.

Warrior: A nice burnt red sheen.
Like drying blood, this shade is fierce. I fell in love with it at first sight, and I enjoy working with it, because the outcome is definitely worth it. I don't have anything else like it in my collection, and I can't get enough of it. It's a little harder to work with, the pigmentation is a bit patchy, and it is not as smooth as some of the others, but I love it enough to overlook it's flaws.

Headstrong: A warm, burnt red-orange sheen.
Nice orange shades are a little hard to come by at the drugstore (though not impossible) this is a shade that is absolutely gorgeous, and I couldn't pass up. It's also a little patchy, but smoother than warrior.

Heroine: Neutral Brown.
Not quite a matte, but not a shimmer either. This looks really great in the crease, as well as the lid. Very soft, and pigmented.

Sycamore: Deep, blackened brown with gold glitter.
A really unique shade that I really enjoy. I've used it in my crease, I've used it to darken up the outter V. I love it! The glitter isn't always super visible, but I can't resist this shade even then. It's a little harder, not quite as smooth, and not extremely pigmented either.

Willow: A warm copper with sparse glitter.
Can't ever escape the coppers, but this works with this palette. It's pigmented, and smooth, and the glitter isn't a hassle.

Sun Sweet Berry: Natural pink with gold shimmer.
I really love this shade, and it has really solidified my love for more neutral/natural pink blushers, instead of bright pink, or shades like that. It looks really good on the cheeks, and warms up my face without being too overwhelming. Pigmented and soft, it creates a soft, but healthy look to my cheeks.

Voices of the Mountain: Similar to Spinning Arrow, where it's a warm brown bronzer, but it's lighter.
I love this too, and paired with Sun Sweet Berry gives a really healthy appearance to my skin, and warms it up a little (god knows I never go out in the sun much). A little goes a long way, so be sure not to use too much.

New World Smolder (**Jetsam Black): Basic black eyeliner.
In every beauty book I have ever bought, I have never been impressed with the included pencil eyeliner. It's not very pigmented, and it is easily wiped away. It doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell on my oily eyelids.

Always Be With You: A frosty pink gloss.
This is the wildcard for this palette. Now, I personally feel that a neutral nude gloss with no shimmer,  would have looked better with this palette. It's just too strange and different compared to how the rest of the palette feels. Even a darker color, like the color of her lips would have been a better choice. This will not look good on many people, and is just a typical gloss. The formula doesn't make up for the poor color choice.

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Overall, in my opinion, I love this collection the most. I see myself wearing this collection far more than all of the others combined, and it has taken my heart many times over. If you were ever interested in any of the Pocahontas collection, don't hesitate to pick any of them up! They're great products and worth the price!

Thanks for reading!

ELF - Disney Belle Face Palette -

Hello again readers!

This ELF Collection has been out for what seems like ages, and it's finally on clearance! This is the only product that I wanted, and so I thought I'd share it around the time I shared the Dare to Dream Collection!

The Belle Palette packaging is nothing exceptional. A white plastic, with a clear plastic lid with cute gold vine and rose decals, and a rendering of Belle on the cover. Sort of like the eyeshadow packaging for both the Belle collection as well as the Frozen collection.

The face palette is a well rounded palette, that I see myself getting a lot of use out of. The bronzer is not too shimmery, but not flat matte either, that leans a little warm to add warmth to the face. The blush is a nice soft peach color with a hint of shimmer. The highlighter is something I know I love, a nice frosty white with some gold. I really think this palette is a winner, and it applies so well on the face.

I'm not sure if this will work if you have dark skin, however. The pink is very light, and the highlight is a white-base, than can lean ashy.

I think it's a good palette for me, and if you're light to medium skin, you should check this out!

Thanks for reading!

Italia 6 Colors NEON Liquid Pencil n Eyeliners Duo Waterproof Eye Liners

Hello again readers!

I found these really interesting eyeliners on Amazon, the Italia 6 Colors NEON Liquid Pencil n Eyeliners Duo Waterproof Eye Liners. The set of 6, will set you back $11.77, with free shipping. I thought it was worth it, since each duo is a little less than two dollars a piece, and even if they were really bad I'd enjoy trying out some more wild colors.

The packaging is rather bulky. It has a long, wand with a short, fat round chamber, that holds the liner. I'm not sure if I'd prefer it a different way or not, but storing these liners can be a hassle. The good news, is that they do indeed stand up on their own, so they can be left standing on a vanity or in your makeup area.

The liquid liner applicator is a standard brush applicator, with a fine tip. I found this to be ideal for liquid liner application, allowing me to get fine tips to my wing eyeliner looks, and also to get fine lines.

The pencil liners are inside the wands, you pull them out of the ends. They're not as good as the liquids, and I found them to be a little dry and needing more work. These are great for tight-lining the eyes, and use on the waterlines.

In the set, you get six bright colors; a neon violet, a neon cool-toned pink, a neon pink, a neon orange, a neon green (chartruse), and a neon blue.

The liquid liners are all very pigmented, and were all applied with one swipe. The violet does need two coats to have an even coverage, however.

The only shades that leave a stain, are the neon violet and the neon green. It's not the most attractive look, and if you're someone who doesn't like staining, these will not be something you will enjoy, because even with a use of a primer, it doesn't help. I don't mind it too much, because eitiher the next day I'm staying at home, or I'll use another liner, but this is something to make note of before purchase.

Now the big question; are they waterproof? Yes! I found the liquid to be waterproof, and last all day. The only issue I had with them, is they feel a little thick sometimes if I use too much, and if I rub at them, they crumble off. I wore the blue one when I went to STL Pride, and it lasted ALL day even in the heat! The pencil liners don't have the same staying power however, so setting them with a similar color powder or touching them up through the day is ideal.

So I say these are definitely worth the price, and they're definitely worth looking into!

Thanks for reading!

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer - Smoky Topaz

Hello again readers!

Just popping in for a quick review of the Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer in Smoky Topaz! Out of all of the colors offered, this was the only one I wanted. I'm not sure if I'll be buying any of the others, even though I really enjoy this one.

The packaging of the Ultra HD Lip Lacquers is a long, plastic tube with a silver cap. On top of the cap, is a plastic gem. It's kind of silly, but I rather like the gem. It's pretty cute, and adds a bit of texture to the otherwise smooth packaging.

The applicator is a brush applicator, with small, short bristles. I was a little skeptical about it, but it worked out in it's favor; delivering a good application quickly, while loading up the brush with product. In a sense, having that much product loaded on the brush is not always a good thing, with the initial swatch (bottom), compared to after the product has been wiped on the lips and then reapplied to the top or bottom lip (top). I enjoyed it, but I am aware that others really dislike how the product is applied.

Direct Sunlight

Flash

The scent of this gloss isn't anything groundbreaking; it has a soft, vanilla scent, and the scent of most other glosses with that plastic, chemical smell. It's not to die for, but I also don't hate it. It lingers for a few minutes, before disappearing; whether the scent is really gone or if it just got light enough that I stopped noticing it to be debatable.

I found the color to be the most coveted for me, since it was a gorgeous rose beige gloss with shimmer. I didn't like the shimmer at first, but it ended up giving this gloss bonus points. 

I first wore this when I worked elections, and the gloss itself is stickier than I expected to be. Not uncomfortable, and it did not start glooping together, but still tacky. After about 5 hours, I noticed the gloss feeling was gone, and expected my lips to be bare. To my surprise, it still held on to some of the color, and the shimmer was still there, making my lips look healthy and moisturized (even tough they weren't). I was really impressed with it!

I really liked this gloss, but like I said the other colors just don't do it for me. Especially since each lip gloss is about 7-9 dollars!

Thanks for reading!