Mini Sephora Haul

Hello again readers!

Just a small Sephora Haul, from when I went to Vegas. I only bought one thing, but that one thing tipped me over 100 points, and I cashed it in for something I knew I was going to love.

I picked up one of the Lustre Matte, Long-Wear Lip Color in Nude Pink Lustre. I have a very small wishlist when it comes to the Sephora line, and I picked this one out for myself. I'm a sucker for neutrals.

The product is applied with a wand applicator, with flat sides. It picks up just enough product so you don't have to keep pushing the wand in the tube and pulling out more product, you can get an even application with just pulling the wand out once.

The color isn't necessarily nude, not to me. It's a white-base light pink with just a hint of beige in it to keep it "nude". It doesn't suit me very well, but I keep wanting to make it work.

The formula is really something I wasn't expecting. It did not have a mousse texture like the NYX Matte Lip Creams, and it did not have a liquid texture like the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks either. It has a sort of a thick cream texture. It doesn't dry down quickly, it takes a few minutes, but I find that even when it does dry down to a semi-matte finish, it wears comfortably.

I got a few hours out of this lipstick, up to four, with inside-wear being the biggest issue. Aside from the color, I really enjoy the formula.

I cashed in my points for the Elizabeth and James White Nirvana perfume rollerball mini. The notes included are; Peony, Muguet, and Tender Musk.

I love this perfume, so much. I wasn't a fan at first, but it wears so well on my body chemistry. I can't get enough of it, and this rollerball is something that I consider precious in my collection. I want to use it all of the time, but I don't want to use it up until I know I can replace it with a full-size. It's a beautiful, sophisticated scent that lasts all day on me.

Thanks for reading!

Alchimia Apothecary Review

Hello again readers!

So, as soon as I got my order in, I've been testing out these perfumes... and then to find out that they're changing their business!

Alchimia Apothecary used to create perfume oil blends, that they sold off. However, they're changing the direction of their company. Instead of me trying to describe it, I'll let you read it for yourself here. It sounds scary, but I find that it's good news! I'm really intrigued to create blends for myself, and I want to attempt another try at my handiwork to create a dupe.

I picked up a Choose Your Own Adventure (that will be canging in the future, but you can still create scents!), and included in my package was a sample.

I'm a little bummed that I can't really describe this scent to you... Zero just smells frigid, like zero degree weather (get it?). Cold and sharp. It has a scent of mint and pine, like you stepped outside on Christmas. I'm going to try wearing it in the winter, because it smells more like a winter scent than a summer one. Very strange, but wonderful. 

Now for the bulk of this post... My favorite perfume of all time is Promise Me, and this is not a secret by any means. Neither is the fact that they no longer sell Promise Me, which was a huge hit to me. I wanted to try to get a dupe made, so I wouldn't worry about using all of it up... or at least something extremely similar.

I sent an email off to Erin at Alchimia Apothecary, and her messages were fast, and kind. I was very happy with her patience with me, as sometimes I felt I came off as repetitive and nervous, with my misunderstanding on how certain notes worked, as well as my failure to describe the scent that I had in mind. She was as I said patient, and sort of walked me through which scents smelled like what, which is above and beyond if you ask me. She was very thorough, and understanding. I was really impressed, because although I still know very little about perfume and scents, I felt relieved and confident and her abilities.

However, it was close, but not close enough (not a fault of Erin, but my own nose and my ignorance with how scents work!). I'm a perfume noob. Basically, I find a scent I like, and stick with it and hope for the best. I could only find the notes of the original perfume online (missing out notes like vanilla, etc.) and wasn't sure exactly which perfume notes to add.

In the end, I ended up picking four notes: Gardenia, White Tea, Apple Accord, Vanilla. Erin suggested Cologne Marine Note, which I love in this scent, and was really impressed with her suggestion because it just made it so much better.

The scent that came out, was a version of Promise Me, with a sweet apple twist. Promise Me No. 2. The apple accord overpowers most of the other fragrance, and the vanilla I think adds just a bit too much sweetness.

It wears great throughout the day, and even with my skin chemistry, I can smell it. The sweetness goes away after a few hours, and I find I like it better as the day wears on, rather than on initial application, which I was also impressed with.

To be honest, out of the entire original Promise Me, I really liked the sharper notes, compared to the sweeter notes. When I place another order (when they return), I think I'll end up skipping out on the vanilla entirely, and picking a more sharper apple fragrance to go into the mix instead.

The original pricing was $15 with $3 shipping, making the total $18, a great price for a perfume oil that will last just as long as a spray in my opinion (maybe even more than a spray for me, as I use at least 3-4 sprays of perfume/cologne and only a few drops of the perfume oil).

The pricing will change with the company, but I suggest keeping an eye out for their return. They company is fantastic, and the creations are almost limitless!

Thanks for reading!

Save Rock and Roll

Hello again readers~

I went with my sister to her university today, and afterward we had lunch and did some shopping!

I didn't buy this today, but I didn't want to make another post about it... It's a black high-low skirt. I was very fortunate that it was in my size, and I have an outfit already prepared for it. :)

 At Forever 21 I scored big time! They had some very cool jewelry pieces that I couldn't pass up at all!  A shimmery chrome bib/collar necklace (I'm not sure how to refer to it, if you do, let me know!), a geometric diamond pendant, and a feather pendant. Simple and gorgeous.

At Rue 21, they had these adorable roller-ball perfumes for a dollar each. They smelled so good, I bought all they had (plus a muskier one for special occasions). I decided I was going to save them, and had a nice giggle at myself. I'm going to 'save'  Rock n' Roll.

Which proudly brings me to the last blip of the post:

I purchased the new Fall Out Boy CD, Save Rock and Roll! Admittedly  it was last Thursday, but I didn't want to make a post just about the CD either. It's incredible.

I did however, purchase Infinity On High today at V-Stock so I'm a little energetic about this.

I lied, I'm VERY energetic about this.

Thanks for reading~