Even if all you do is roll out of bed and head off to school or work in the morning, fresh, glowing skin can help you look flawless. Most people will have trouble with their skin at some point, and college life is not always kind to our faces. But there are a few simple things you can do to make sure you skin looks radiant all through college and beyond!
1. Take off your makeup at night. It sounds like a no-brainer, but there have been countless nights when I've gotten back to my dorm room late at night and all I've wanted to do was crawl into bed without bothering to wash my face. And if you wear foundation daily, going to sleep without taking it off on a regular basis can clog your pores and your complexion will suffer. So resist the temptation to fall asleep without first taking your makeup off, especially if you wear a lot of foundation.
2. Drink plenty of water. My favorite way to make sure I get enough water daily is to fill up my purple-college-logo Nalgene bottle twice a day - that way, I can take water with me to class or the library, and I know exactly how much I need to drink per day. Of course, you can drink your water out of whatever container you want, but make sure you stay hydrated and your skin will stay glowing!
3. Don't stress. It sounds impossible, especially in college. But you can reduce your stress levels by getting work done well before it's due, and making sure to take breaks while you work. And if you feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed, step back for a moment, go for a walk to clear your head, and come back to your work refreshed. You'll be much calmer, and it will be much easier to focus - plus, you can prevent breakouts by keeping your stress levels low!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
NYX Glitter Cream Palette in Paradise - Swatches
I'll admit it - I'm a glitter addict. I don't wear it very often because super-glittery eyes aren't really an everyday look for me, but I glitter is the one thing that I can't resist, even though I don't frequently wear it. The NYX Glitter Cream Palette in Paradise is a really cool, glittery way to spice up a look, despite being a little hard to work with.
Sorry that the swatches are kinda blurry, but it gives you the best idea of the sparkle that these guys have. These palettes would be great to check out if you like glitter but find it hard to use loose, because of the fallout. On the other hand, it's harder to get an opaque later of glitter because of all the thick gel that the product is suspended in. In my opinion, it's worth a chance at only $6, but I would wait and see if the formula works for you before buying multiple shades.
(In case it wasn't obvious, click the pictures and they'll get bigger!)
Sorry that the swatches are kinda blurry, but it gives you the best idea of the sparkle that these guys have. These palettes would be great to check out if you like glitter but find it hard to use loose, because of the fallout. On the other hand, it's harder to get an opaque later of glitter because of all the thick gel that the product is suspended in. In my opinion, it's worth a chance at only $6, but I would wait and see if the formula works for you before buying multiple shades.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tiny Hot Topic & Wet Seal Haul
A little while ago my friends and I took a mini road trip off campus and ending up stopping at a mall - which was particularly exciting since I haven't been to an actual mall in forever! There was a gigantic Sephora which was probably the most temptation I've ever experienced in one place, but thankfully I survived without squandering my life's savings! I did, however, grab a few sale things from Hot Topic and a couple of pieces of jewelry from Wet Seal.
Now I don't usually frequent Hot Topic, even for makeup, but I saw a few things on clearance that caught my eye - a set of two mini nail polishes for under a dollar, and some blushes that were also on sale, I think for a dollar or two. I also saw a lonely Kill Audio comic book in the clearance bin so I obviously grabbed it without a second thought - and if anyone actually happens to know the Kill Audio comics, please just be my best friend right now.
From the pictures you can see that the blushes do have a bit of shimmer, but it's actually not overpowering once you swipe a brush across them (and speaking of brushes, the ones included aren't awful, but I do prefer to use my own). These are heavily pigmented and I'm assuming they're intended to be that way, but I prefer to use only the tiniest amount when I wear these. I've found it's pretty easy to just barely touch your brush to the product and apply it, and then repeat as many times as you need to build the color. That way you don't get too much pigment at once, and you can build the intensity to the amount that you want.
At Wet Seal I decided on two necklaces (it was buy one get one 50% off, I believe). The first one is just a cute jointed owl, which I've been wearing a lot lately. The other one has a dragonfly (hint hint to the people who had heard of Kill Audio) and a few other charms hanging off of it - it's pretty long, so I don't wear it as often because it really only looks nice with certain outfits.
And that's all I ended up buying, unless you count an iced vanilla latte!
And I hope you all had a wonderful Star Wars day - I'm watching The Empire Strikes Back in my dorm room at this very moment! I would have done a Star Wars look to celebrate but ... I forgot. Next year, next year.
XOXO, Ally
Now I don't usually frequent Hot Topic, even for makeup, but I saw a few things on clearance that caught my eye - a set of two mini nail polishes for under a dollar, and some blushes that were also on sale, I think for a dollar or two. I also saw a lonely Kill Audio comic book in the clearance bin so I obviously grabbed it without a second thought - and if anyone actually happens to know the Kill Audio comics, please just be my best friend right now.
And that's all I ended up buying, unless you count an iced vanilla latte!
And I hope you all had a wonderful Star Wars day - I'm watching The Empire Strikes Back in my dorm room at this very moment! I would have done a Star Wars look to celebrate but ... I forgot. Next year, next year.
XOXO, Ally
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Hard Candy Glossaholic Lip Gloss - Review and Swatches
I saw these two glosses on the Hard Candy website a little while ago, and knew I had to have them. Not only did the glitter in them look fantastic, but they each claimed to have a different mood-altering property - and I'll admit it right now, I'm a huge sucker for gimmicks.
So the next time I was doing an Easy-Mac-and-ramen run at Walmart, I snagged these two suckers. Chill Out is the vanilla-scented one that claims to be relaxing, with purple, orange, and green flecks of glitter. Rise & Shine is coffee scented and claims to be energizing, and contains flecks of yellow, orange, and green glitter.
Obviously the biggest selling point for these is their mood-altering properties, and I pretty much got what I expected - nothing. Just because I love a good gimmick doesn't mean I believe any of them are true! That being, said, I still absolutely love this gloss. The vanilla scent/taste is delicious and smells just like cupcakes, but the coffee one is actually pretty disappointing - it smelled faintly sweet, but then there was a bitterness to the scent which I assume was the coffee part of it ... and trust me, coming from an absolute coffee addict, it smelled nothing like the coffee that I drink. I was definitely let down by that scent, but I do have to admit that being a coffee lover, I was probably expecting a bit too much from it.
In terms of formula, the gloss is pretty thick and has an average wear time. The real reason why I love these babies is because of the stunning glitter - the flakes look so unique on my lips, and even after the gloss wears off some of the glitter stays behind. The applicator is large and the tube is massive, making it harder to apply this gloss precisely, but I appreciate the fact that I can load up my lips with a single swipe. Other than that, I adore the packaging, from the fonts used to the cute coordinating purple and pink caps.
(Also, you should note in the swatches of the gloss on my lips, the glitter is much more apparent in real life, I promise!)
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Since this gloss doesn't actually live up to its mood-altering claims, I can't give it a higher score - but I can promise that these are the perfect combination of wacky and subdued. If you like glitter but don't want to feel like you're swimming in it, definitely check out these glosses.
XOXO, Ally
Obviously the biggest selling point for these is their mood-altering properties, and I pretty much got what I expected - nothing. Just because I love a good gimmick doesn't mean I believe any of them are true! That being, said, I still absolutely love this gloss. The vanilla scent/taste is delicious and smells just like cupcakes, but the coffee one is actually pretty disappointing - it smelled faintly sweet, but then there was a bitterness to the scent which I assume was the coffee part of it ... and trust me, coming from an absolute coffee addict, it smelled nothing like the coffee that I drink. I was definitely let down by that scent, but I do have to admit that being a coffee lover, I was probably expecting a bit too much from it.
(Also, you should note in the swatches of the gloss on my lips, the glitter is much more apparent in real life, I promise!)
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Since this gloss doesn't actually live up to its mood-altering claims, I can't give it a higher score - but I can promise that these are the perfect combination of wacky and subdued. If you like glitter but don't want to feel like you're swimming in it, definitely check out these glosses.
XOXO, Ally
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils & Eyeliner Pencil: Review & Swatches
It seems likely that by now, everyone has heard of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, and for good reason - they come in a massive range of colors, and work wonderfully as eyeshadow bases or liners. The set that I picked up on HauteLook came with 601 Black Bean, 608 Cottage Cheese, 606 Baby Blue, 618 Purple, 612 Gold, and 613 Lime. Another set also came with one of their Slim Eyeliner Pencils in 903 Dark Brown, which I'm including in this post since after all, it is a pencil.
The slim eyeliner pencil is just as creamy as the jumbo ones, which means it does move around during the day if you don't set it with a primer underneath or a shadow on top. The color is very pretty and I love it as an alternative to black eyeliner, and the staying power is not bad by any means. But if you're someone like me, who has to be at class by 9 AM and then doesn't take her makeup off until 11 PM or later, you're going to need some touch-ups. For me, this tends to be the case with all of the pencil liners that I use, so the NYX one definitely doesn't under-perform compared to other liners. And like I said, all it needs is a bit of primer or shadow to hold it in place. The application is pretty effortless because it is so creamy, and all you need are one or two swipes to get a nice opaque line.
Rating:
Jumbo Eye Pencils: 4.5/5
Slim Eye Pencil: 4/5
Recommendation: If you don't already love the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, give them a try - the only real negative is that they crease, but with a primer that's hardly an issue. And the Eyeliner Pencils are great quality and come in 31 different colors; for just $3.50, a fraction of the price of an eyeliner from Mac or Urban Decay, you get a smooth, pigmented liner with only a few drawbacks. Both products live up to their descriptions without a doubt.
XOXO, Ally
All of the colors are pretty shimmery, even when they don't look like they should be, although colors like Cottage Cheese and Gold are particularly shiny. Black Bean is fairly matte, and only gives off a tiny bit of sheen in the pictures because of its creamy consistency. But even the shades that are very shimmery can be used underneath matte shadows, because it is possible to cover up the shimmer with a few layers of a matte shadow. The formula on these is great, and they smooth onto the eyes very easily. They do crease so I don't wear them without using a primer first. But the primer is worth it, because layered underneath a similar color of eyeshadow, they make your entire look pop.
The slim eyeliner pencil is just as creamy as the jumbo ones, which means it does move around during the day if you don't set it with a primer underneath or a shadow on top. The color is very pretty and I love it as an alternative to black eyeliner, and the staying power is not bad by any means. But if you're someone like me, who has to be at class by 9 AM and then doesn't take her makeup off until 11 PM or later, you're going to need some touch-ups. For me, this tends to be the case with all of the pencil liners that I use, so the NYX one definitely doesn't under-perform compared to other liners. And like I said, all it needs is a bit of primer or shadow to hold it in place. The application is pretty effortless because it is so creamy, and all you need are one or two swipes to get a nice opaque line.
Rating:
Jumbo Eye Pencils: 4.5/5
Slim Eye Pencil: 4/5
Recommendation: If you don't already love the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, give them a try - the only real negative is that they crease, but with a primer that's hardly an issue. And the Eyeliner Pencils are great quality and come in 31 different colors; for just $3.50, a fraction of the price of an eyeliner from Mac or Urban Decay, you get a smooth, pigmented liner with only a few drawbacks. Both products live up to their descriptions without a doubt.
XOXO, Ally
Friday, April 1, 2011
NYX Glitter Gel in Silver Lake: Review & Swatches
I'll admit it, I am absolutely in love with glitter. That's just one of the many reasons I was drooling all over the makeup in the movie Sucker Punch - so many of the girls had gorgeous, glitter-encrusted eyes. Thus it should come at no surprise that whenever I see a glittery new product, I snatch it up as fast as possible.
The NYX Glitter Gel comes in twelve shades of glitter, ranging from your basic whites and silvers to lime green and bright pinks. Personally I think NYX packaging is adorable, and I love that it's simple and looks effortless, but still comes off as cute. The color I have is Silver Lake, which is an iridescent transparent glitter with pink, blue, and green shimmer. It seems to be one of their more versatile shades, because the glitter itself is hard to see unless the light is reflecting off of it, whereas with a blue or green glitter you would see the specks of glitter on your face even without the light shining on it. It smells vaguely like very sweet cereal to me, but more "chemical-y" if that makes sense - but unless you were applying the gel very close to your nose the smell is not very apparent and fades quickly.
One layer of this product gives a subtle sparkle (the picture above is way more than you would ever need to use at once) - this is not something designed to be used for a heavy layer of glitter, like in an eye makeup look (that should be fairly obvious from the packaging, which states it is for face, body, and hair). I have worn it a few times by dabbing just a small amount over my cheek highlight, and I've gotten lots of compliments on how "sparkly" I look. You can also layer the gel to get a more intense glittery look, if you so desire, although I definitely would not recommend using too much glitter on the face.
Once dry, the glitter adheres to the skin fairly well, and unless you're constantly rubbing at the area where you applied it, it should stay for quite some time. I haven't actually used it on my hair because I don't typically wear glitter gels or temporary colors or things like that in my hair, and I would probably mess it up somehow. (Plus, my scalp gets dry in the winter and I don't want it to look any flakier than it probably already does.) But the gel isn't too thick, so it seems like it would apply to the hair nicely.
Rating: 5/5
I deliberated this rating for a while - I wasn't sure if I should lower the score and reserve a perfect score for truly exceptional products, or leave it at a 5/5 because there weren't any real negatives for me to deduct points because of. In the end, I left it as is, because while it's not the single best product in the world, it still performs exactly as it is intended to.
Recommendation: The NYX Glitter Gel does everything it promises to do - not much more, but nothing less, either. I wouldn't say it's a must buy, but if you want something to add subtle sparkle to your everyday (or nighttime) makeup, this is a fabulous deal for $6. I would definitely recommend the Silver Lake color, since it is subtle, yet buildable.
XOXO, Ally
Once dry, the glitter adheres to the skin fairly well, and unless you're constantly rubbing at the area where you applied it, it should stay for quite some time. I haven't actually used it on my hair because I don't typically wear glitter gels or temporary colors or things like that in my hair, and I would probably mess it up somehow. (Plus, my scalp gets dry in the winter and I don't want it to look any flakier than it probably already does.) But the gel isn't too thick, so it seems like it would apply to the hair nicely.
Rating: 5/5
I deliberated this rating for a while - I wasn't sure if I should lower the score and reserve a perfect score for truly exceptional products, or leave it at a 5/5 because there weren't any real negatives for me to deduct points because of. In the end, I left it as is, because while it's not the single best product in the world, it still performs exactly as it is intended to.
Recommendation: The NYX Glitter Gel does everything it promises to do - not much more, but nothing less, either. I wouldn't say it's a must buy, but if you want something to add subtle sparkle to your everyday (or nighttime) makeup, this is a fabulous deal for $6. I would definitely recommend the Silver Lake color, since it is subtle, yet buildable.
XOXO, Ally
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Zoya, MAC, and Sephora - Mini Haul
First off, hey loves! Sorry I haven't been posting much, I had midterms and then my spring break started, so I've been all over the place with work and packing and traveling and such. But I picked up a few things at the mall today, as well as m Zoya polishes coming in the mail, so I thought I was long overdue for a post on here!
I snagged the Zoya Intimate collection back on Women's Day when it was $25 and free shipping, and these colors are just as gorgeous in real life as they were online. Caitlin is a light gray-ish indigo, Dove is just a straight-up light gray, and Marley is a shimmery pink with a touch of purple. Dannii is a darker purple with gold shimmer (it didn't show up too well in the photo, but trust me, the gold is there and it's crazy-sparkly), Gemma is a dark green with a beautiful blue/purple duochrome, and Jules is a sparkly, metallic gold that looks almost taupe-y from some angles (again, the sparkle doesn't show up too well in the picture but it's super shimmery in real life).
I also picked up Stars 'n' Rockets from MAC, because I had heard a lot of great things about this color - this shadow can be so many different shades of purple depending on the angle you look at it, it's insane! And since my bronzer brush from Bare Escentuals had fallen apart, I got a fairly inexpensive ($19) face brush from Sephora to replace it.
So that's all I've collected over spring break thus far, other than a few things from Victoria's Secret which I didn't feel like photographing with my 12 year old brother watching me! ;]
XOXO, Ally
I snagged the Zoya Intimate collection back on Women's Day when it was $25 and free shipping, and these colors are just as gorgeous in real life as they were online. Caitlin is a light gray-ish indigo, Dove is just a straight-up light gray, and Marley is a shimmery pink with a touch of purple. Dannii is a darker purple with gold shimmer (it didn't show up too well in the photo, but trust me, the gold is there and it's crazy-sparkly), Gemma is a dark green with a beautiful blue/purple duochrome, and Jules is a sparkly, metallic gold that looks almost taupe-y from some angles (again, the sparkle doesn't show up too well in the picture but it's super shimmery in real life).
I also picked up Stars 'n' Rockets from MAC, because I had heard a lot of great things about this color - this shadow can be so many different shades of purple depending on the angle you look at it, it's insane! And since my bronzer brush from Bare Escentuals had fallen apart, I got a fairly inexpensive ($19) face brush from Sephora to replace it.
So that's all I've collected over spring break thus far, other than a few things from Victoria's Secret which I didn't feel like photographing with my 12 year old brother watching me! ;]
XOXO, Ally
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