Favorites of the Moment | L'Oreal Nail Polishes

Hello hello!

Today's post is dedicated the L'oreal Paris nail polishes, which is my favorite drugstore nail polish brand at the moment. I currently own three from their regular line of polishes and Liya's Nude from their Collection Privée.

(L-R) Liya's Nude, Wild and Free, Wishful Pinking, Rough Around the Edges.

Liya's Nude, which is a purple toned taupe shade, has been my daily love during the colder months. The shade is absolutely perfect for the fall and winter seasons without being the usual burgundy red.

Wild and Free is a foiled royal purple that came out blueish in picture, but its purple. Aside from neutral colors, I love royal colors and this one is just soo beautiful on the nails.

Wishful Pinking is a light ballerina pink that comes off very shear at one coat, but looks so perfectly soft and beautiful. At two coats is when you notice the pink tint and is perfect when paired with gold glitter or french tips.

Rough Around the Edges is black with tiny specks of silver glitter. I love this because if the silver glitter was fewer, it would look like a night sky with filled stars. I like how this adds an interesting twist to the regular black nail polish.

Price Comparison:

L'Oreal's website: $5.00

Walmart $4.97

Target $4.99

Walgreens $5.99

I haven't seen too many people talk about the L'Oreal polishes but it's definitely one to consider adding to your collection if you haven't yet!

What do you think of L'Oreal's polishes? Do you have any color recommendations?

- Mary 

Products Worth the Investment | POND'S Cold Cream Cleanser | Review

Hello hello!

Today's Products Worth the Investment review is on the Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser which I have been trying for a while now and I've actually been really enjoying!

This POND'S Cold Cream Cleanser claims to remove deep-down dirt and make-up, including stubborn waterproof mascara, while infusing the skin with vital moisture - all in one easy routine.

Claims

Hypoallergenic

Suitable for Sensitive Skin

Won't Clog Pores

Dermatologist Tested

Key Ingredients: Mineral Oil, Water, Ceresin, Beeswax, Triethanolamine, Behenic Acid, Fragrance, Ceteth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Carbomer, DMDM Hydantoin Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Methylparaben


Price comparison
Target: $4.99 
Walmart: $4.97
CVS: $9.29
Walgreens: $8.29 
Ulta: $7.99



The actual product is very lightweight, fast absorbing, non-greasy, refreshing and cooling on the skin.
Its directions say to apply and massage to face in circular motions then wipe with a washcloth.
Rinsing off this product is optional, so I think this is great to use if you've been up all night and cannot wash your face, which is what I've been loving to use this cleanser for!
If you've ever used lotion in the past to remove your makeup, this works very similarly like lotion for that purpose, and this is very moisturizing so you don't need to apply a moisturizer after using this.

Just keep in mind that although this does a great job at taking off even waterproof makeup, this does not take out 100% of your makeup and can leave behind dirt in your pores so its still best to wash your face and only use this on days when you really can't wet your face for whatever reason.

Overall, I think this is a great cleanser to use whether you decide to wash your face afterwards or not. It does a great job at removing deep-down dirt and waterproof makeup. I love that it is very moisturizing and does not leave your skin feeling greasy or sticky at all! If you're looking for a cleanser that does not dry your skin out, I would definitely recommend this POND'S Cold Cream Cleanser!

I hope this review was helpful!
Thanks for reading! :)

-Mary

Products Worth the Investment | e.l.f. Blush Palettes | Review + Swatches

Hello there!

Today's Products Worth the Investment review is on the e.l.f. Blush palettes in both Light and Dark from their studio line.

A close up of the light palette.
Clockwise from upper left:Matte Light Pink (Very similar to their single studio blush in Flush), Matte Peachy Orange, Glittery Orangey Pink/Salmon, Matte Lemonade Pink.
**The order of the pans is the same order as it was when I received it.

A close up of the dark palette.
Clockwise from upper left: Matte Dark Orangey Pink, Matte Muted (almost mauve) Pink, Matte Brick Red, Glittery Red-Orange.
**The order of the pans is the same order as it was when I received it.

Swatches of the Dark palette (four left swatches) and the Light palette (four right swatches).
**Swatches are of the same order as they appear in the palettes.

I love both palettes, but I find that from the Dark palette I reach for the Matte Brick Red most often while from the Light palette I reach for the Matte Peachy Orange most often.

**Tip: I like mixing the different blushes from both palettes to create a whole new blush shade.

Overall, I definitely think these elf blush palettes from their studio line are definitely worth the investment. For only $6 per palette, you get a lot of product that is very buttery, long lasting, and pigmented. I love elf blushes in general, especially those from their studio line which run at $3 per compact so seeing this for only $6 for 4 pans is a definite steal! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great, versatile, and affordable blush palette.

I hope you found this quick review helpful!
Let me know what you think! :)


-Mary

2015 Beauty and Blogging Resolutions

Hello hello!!

Today's post is dedicated to my 2015 beauty and blogging resolutions!

KVD Foiled Love Lipstick in Oh My Goth

Beauty
My main beauty resolution for the year of 2015 is to improve my skincare routine.
Since I'm constantly trying new products, I feel its just right that I improve taking care of my skin, especially recently, where I've been noticing more and more breakouts on my face.

Another beauty resolution for this year is to practice my skills on over lining the lips, shaping the brows, and contouring the face.

From my back to school series "Whats in My Makeup Bag"

Blogging
My main blogging resolution for the year of 2015 is to stick to my blogging schedule which is on weekends. Recently I've been falling behind on posts (my apologies), but it will improve soon so expect more posts to consistently be flowing through!

Another blogging goal is to grow my audience. I plan on achieving that goal by sticking to my first goal and perhaps joining more social networking sites.



I'm interested on knowing your 2015 resolutions! Don't forget to stop by and share some on the comments section below or my Instagram @wndr14lnds


-Mary

Neutral Vampy Makeup

Hello there!

Here's a quick tutorial on this dark, neutral, vampy look. Hope you like it!

I started by taking this pinky nude shade from the top row of the Maybelline the Nudes palette and placed this all over my primed lids. You could definitely use a matte cream shade but I found this light pink to have a little sheen which adds a twist to the following matte shadows. 

With the shade Taupe from the Lorac PRO 1 palette, I lightly defined my crease while blending softly upward towards the brow bone, this will serve as our transition shade. 

Mixing Sable and Espresso, I further defined my crease softly, focusing mainly on the outer C. 

With a precision/pencil brush, I took a black eye shadow and further defined the crease to further smoke out the look. I also blended this black shadow on the lower lash line, connecting the top shadows with the bottom shadow. 

Using a matte light pink shadow, I brightened the inner thirds of the lid and inner corner. You can switch this shadow with a shimmery/glittery shadow of your choice to brighten your eyes and give the look a wide-eyed look. 

I finished the eyes by lining them with gel eyeliner and adding false lashes and mascara. 

The rest of the products used to create this look: 

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, L'oreal True Match Mineral Powder Foundation, elf eyelid primer, Maybelline the Nudes palette, Maybelline BrowDrama in deep brown, Lorac PRO 1, Benefit Hoola Bronzer, Benefit They're Real Mascara, KVD Foiled Love Lipstick in 'Oh My Goth', NYX Lip Liner in 'Currant', elf Black Cream Eyeliner, elf Baked Blush in Jet Setter, elf Pressed Bronzer in eaches, elf Baked blush in Pinktastic.  

I'm trying more and more to get out of my comfort zone and experiment with incorporating some color in my looks. Here I tried using the light pink shade in the inner corners, but at the end, it really don't make much of a difference! 

I hope you enjoyed this look anyway! If you decide to recreate any of my looks, don't forget to share!! :)

-Mary

Liebster Award - 1st Nomination

Hello there!!

I hope everyone's having a great Monday and a great week ahead of them!
Sorry I missed a post this weekend! I'm definitely stepping up the game and making it up this week!

As you might have guessed from the title, I have been nominated for my first Liebster Award a couple days ago by the lovely Dramabeautypop! (Thank you so much, Dian!!). Please go and check out her blog, a direct link is provided! Just click the blue link!

The Rules:

• Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you.
• You must answer the 10 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
• You  must pick five nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.
• You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
• You must inform the people you nominate that they have been nominated for the award.

Lets get started!

     Who is your role model? Why?

One of my main role models is Emily Noel! I absolutely love how dedicated she is and I definitely look up when blogging. Because of Emily, I plan on creating a YouTube account in the future and dedicate that account strictly on product reviews and tutorials. She lives her life by doing what she loves and loving what she does and that's how I want to live my life as well!

     What is your favorite makeup brand?

From the lower end, my favorite makeup brand would definitely be elf cosmetics! I love how their products are both great quality and very affordable!
From the higher end, my favorite brands (from my collection so far) are LORAC and Laura Geller.
I love the Lorac PRO palettes, the shadows are very buttery, long lasting, and versatile. I love the Laura Geller baked eyeshadows and blushes, they're very pigmented and long lasting.

     What is your motto to live by?
"Do what you love. Love what you do."
Since I am young, I am aiming on pursuing my dream of being a makeup artist. But right now I have a second choice, which could make me more successful in the future, but it's not a career I'd exactly 'love' to do.. Long story short, that's the motto I live by.

     Eyeliner or lipstick?
Eyeliner! On any day, I'd rather have defined eyes than colored lips since my lips are quite pigmented on their own.

     What is more important, what the scales read or you being happy with your body?

I believe the way one feels about their body is more important than what the scale reads.
The scale reads nothing but a number while the way you feel about your body reads your confidence and beauty.

     Mind reading or invisibility?
Mind reading. Even if I've always wanted to be capable of being invisible, I would rather be able to read minds. 

     If you were told you only had one more month to live, what will you do? How will you spend it?

If I was told that I only had one more month to live, I would definitely be in shock, but I don't really know how I would spend it or what I'd do in that month. I think its a decision better made in the moment.

     If you HAVE to get plastic surgery done in ONE place, all expense paid for, what or where will you get fixed? Why?

If I could get plastic surgery, I would merge my excess tummy fat to my thighs. I always wanted thicker thighs and a flatter tummy. (I hope merging fat from one place to another is considered one procedure...)

     "In love, the person who loves more is the happier one," with that said, would you rather love someone more than they love you or be loved more than you love them?

In love, I would rather be the one who loves more than "be loved more than I love them."

     If you could go back in time for only once, back to anytime period of your life, will you? If so, will you fix anything?

If I could go back in time, I would go back to my childhood between the age of 5-10 not to fix anything but to simply relive the great moments I've had as a kid.



     I nominate...
elfsbeauty
thatlittlebeautyblog
mynameismeg
audreybeautycorner
ramblingmakeup


     My questions for you...
1. Who or what inspired you to start blogging?
2. What is the meaning behind your blog's name?
3. Introvert or extrovert?
4. If you could change your name, what would it be?
5. What is your favorite quote?
6. If you had to describe yourself as one animal, which animal would you be? Why?
7. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self?
8. What is your favorite brand of makeup?
9. What are your tips for new bloggers?
10. Where do you see yourself in 50 years?
11. (bonus question from meee)
     What is the best post you've written? (please provide a link so I can check it out!)



Special thanks to Dian for nominating me and thank you for stopping by!

Stay tuned for more posts ahead!

-Mary

Products Worth the Investment | Rimmel Wonder'Lash Mascara Review

Hello hello!

Today's review is on the Rimmel Wonder'Lash mascara. 

I was very interested in picking up this mascara after hearing that it contains argan oil, which is very healthy for the hair. 

I picked up the waterproof version which is in the metallic blue/green tube, but there is a regular version also available which is in a copper tube. 

First off, the packaging of this mascara is just soo beautiful! Both the regular and waterproof versions have an interesting tube shape and are metallic finished...which is just so eye catchy and hard to resist to not buy! 

On to the brush, the brush is a medium sized rubber bristle brush and like and the wand has a quite flexible tip. 

The formula of this mascara is very wet so it definitely takes a while to dry between coats (about 20-30 seconds).

This mascara gives the lashes a very naturally defined look. Although this claims to volumize the lashes, I definitely see more definition and length than volume.

The combination of the wet formula and the rubber bristle brush really help to give the lashes a naturally defined look that is clump and flake free. 

Overall, I surprisingly really like this mascara! At first I had mixed impressions on this as I prefer dryer formula mascaras and I highly dislike rubber bristle brushes! I feel like the brush of this mascara is very soft that even if you accidentally scratch it against your lash line or waterline. It won't hurt. If you're like me and you prefer dry formula mascaras, I don't think you will like this much as I still wish this had a dryer formula as I really can't stand waiting for so long just to apply a couple more coats after the initial coat. 

Even if this mascara doesn't give the lashes that false lash effect, I think it is still great to have in your collection as it is a perfect waterproof mascara for no-makeup makeup looks or everyday wear. 

I hope you found this review helpful! 

Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! 

-Mary