Valentine's Day

Received my favorite flowers and went to go eat sushi with the hubby.
We spoil each other every day, so Valentine's Day was no different!  :)
How did you spend your Valentine's Day?

Ulta Haul

I apologize for the lack of updates! I have been so busy! I will get to catching up on my followers' blogs right after I post this!

Anyway, I intentionally went into Ulta to buy a heat protection spray...and I came out with these items...all because they were on sale. I didn't even end up getting my spray!! Beauty addict problems.

From left to right:

1. The travel case on the left is a 75 piece collection by Ulta that includes 42 eyeshadows, 20 lip colors, 2 lipsticks, 2 lip glosses, 2 dual ended eyeliners, 4 blush colors, bronzer, and highlighter. I got this for only 10 US dollars!

2. Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner. I have REALLY long and thick, bleached highlighted hair...so I am always on the lookout for a good shampoo and conditioner. So far, I'm in love! My hair feels extremely soft! Also 10 US dollars! 

3. Nioxin--system 3 normal to thin-looking hair. I bought this for the hubby. He uses more expensive shampoo and conditioner than I do. -_- 

4. Mariah Carey OPI liquid sand nail polishes! LOVE this!! I promise myself that I'd only buy nail polishes I absolutely cannot live without since I have so much already, but I always give into the new OPI collections. I always buy the full sized ones of the whole collection, so this time I decided to buy the mini ones to see which one I liked and buy the full sized version of that polish later. 

A closer look of the Ulta travel case. What a steal for only 10 dollars, right? :) 

Contents inside the Redken box. Includes a sample of Argan 6 oil. That argan oil does wonders for your hair. I highly recommend adding argan oil to your hair routine! 

See how long my hair is and how hard it is to keep it healthy? I get my my hair done twice a year tops, but it's usually just once a year. The last time I got my hair done, (root touch-up and trim) was in the summer. When I "trim" my hair, it's about 6-8 inches.
  That is ALL my hair. ALL REAL! No extensions! I get asked that all the time and people go as far as touching my hair and looking through it to make sure I don't have extensions. I don't know if I should take it as a compliment or an insult. Haha.
 I take no vitamins. I just eat foods with all of my essential nutrients. My mixed heritage plays a huge part, too...I get benefits of all the right features.:) The Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner definitely helps also!

This is meant for chemically treated, thin looking hair. I tried it just for the heck of it and it definitely makes your hair appear thicker and gives your scalp that nice tingly, clean feeling! 

Now onto the swatches!

From L-R:
Get Your Number. (Matte blue with sparkles.)

Can't Let Go. (Matte purple with sparkles.)

The Impossible. (Matte Fuchsia with star confetti.)

Stay the Night. (Matte black with red glitter.)

This is just one coat of each polish. (With flash.)

Two coats with flash.

Still two coats, but with no flash. just wanted everyone to see a better comparison! :)

I usually stop at two coats, but I wanted to try THREE COATS! Look at that texture. No flash.

Three coats with a top-coat. Even though this nail polish is meant to be matte, I prefer it shiny with a top coat over it. (No flash, just room lighting that makes it look so shiny!)

Now go out and splurge on yourself! :) 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Time to start your resolutions! Here is a little motivation. :)

I brought in the new year with my wonderful family and a bunch of fireworks! 

BTW, It is very hard to take pictures of fireworks you set off yourself, haha.

What did you do for New Year's and how did you celebrate it? 

favorite time of the year!

a preview of our tree. i got everything on the tree at target for less than $50! the theme was turquoise and silver. i used ornaments, ribbons, garlands, poinsettias, and candy canes. 

a close up of everything. :) 

i also hosted my first christmas party for a small group of friends and it turned out wonderful!

cupcakes & hor d'oeuvres :)

anddd...my first christmas present of the year! it's my mom's watch. the person who gave it to me got "forever near..." engraved in it, which means a lot to me because i lost my mom earlier this year. 

how do you celebrate the holidays and what have you gotten so far? do share a post so i can see! :)

Sephora Haul.

I changed up my blog. Hope you guys like it. :)

I finally got my package from Sephora in. Came in 3 days, as promised. Love their costumer service. I got Christmas gifts for other people who I shared my blog with, so I won't be showing everything I purchased.

 The New Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - I LOVE all the Naked palettes! I'm a sucker for them and give in every single time a new one releases. 

*I will probably be doing a GIVEAWAY on this palette soon  (it will be open to ALL of my followers everywhere since I found out they don't have Sephora anywhere outside the US/Canada!) along with other beauty items I love! 

Sephora Deco Daze Faux Lashes - I don't wear strip eyelashes usually, but I bought these because they were on sale. Haha. 

DUO Individual Eyelash Glue - I use this to glue back on any eyelashes that fall off from my eyelash extensions. It lasts forever! 

Josie Maran Argan Oil - I have heard nothing but good things about Argan Oil, so I'm going to go give it a try! You can use this on your face, hair, or body.

It's quite small compared to the first Naked Palette, a little more than half the size of it. Excuse all the dirtyness, it has been through a lot. :P

Quick look using Venus, Crave, and Faint. 

Why do you do this to me Sephora?! 

Sephora Favorites, Draw The Line Eyeliner Sampler Review

*Picture from website

This came with 3 full sized eyeliners, and 3 sample sized eyeliners.

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion.

• Full Size
• Thin brush for a sharp, precise line. 
• Loved the staying power of this eyeliner! I used this eyeliner when I went on a cruise to the Caribbean and it stayed on ALL day and night! 
• Comes off easy with no harsh rubbing. 

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper

• Sample.
•  The brush tip makes it easy for you to make a thin or thick line.

This one was my favorite. It doesn't last as long as the Urban Decay one does, but the application isn't that dark, which I preferred, and if I wanted the color to be darker, I just applied another layer. 

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight Black.

•  Full size
•  Does not come with a brush so you have to use your own.
• I found that this gel eyeliner dried out pretty quickly, so you need to be quick. 

Buxom Insider Eyeliner in Black Jasper. 

• Sample
• Retractable Eyeliner.
• Smooth Application.
• Good for tight-lining. 

Sephora Collection Waterproof Retractable Eyeliner in Glitter Black.

• Full Size
• Includes a smudge brush at the end so you can smudge out your eyeliner. (Though when you smudge it out, the color almost completely disappears.)
• I loved the little hint of glitter it included!

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner in Mat black.

• Sample
• Dark enough to look like a liquid eyeliner, but not to the point to where it looks sharp.

Loved this pencil eyeliner the best! My HG pencil eyeliner is Urban Decay 24/7, but I use this one just as much. 

SWATCHES. 

*I used the hubby's arm by the way. haha. My number one supporter!! :) 

From L-R: Urban Decay, Kat Von D, Make Up Forever, Buxom, Sephora, and Smashbox. 

The Buxom eyeliner isn't a true black and you can see how glittery the Sephora eyeliner is. 

WATERPROOF TEST!
The Smashbox eyeliner is starting to run. 

After lightly rubbing it.
The Buxom, Sephora, and Smashbox eyeliners are starting to disappear while the UD, KVD, and MUFE eyeliners are still completely on.

After rubbing it like crazy! Haha.
As you can see the Urban Decay one is STILL completely there. The Kat Von D eyeliner started to fade, but not as bad as the others. I was disappointed to see the Make Up Forever eyeliner rub off! It did so well! 

So, if you are looking for a waterproof eyeliner that lasts ALL day, through rain or shine...your best bet is to get the Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner. 

Eyelash Extensions

i have had eyelash extensions for awhile now. the first time i got eyelash extensions, it took about an hour and a half to do and she placed about 20-30 eyelashes on my natural eyelashes. my touch ups take about 30-40 minutes and i usually try to get them every 3-4 weeks or when i count my eyelashes and i have about 10 left. 

the picture above is 2 weeks after a touch up. it still looks full, right? :) excuse that one eyelash that is out of place! i should have combed through it before i took this picture.

CARE
- can only use an oil-free/water based make-up remover.
- use a lash comb to brush through any eyelashes that get out place...like the one in the picture.
- be gentle! do not pull on them or rub your eyes.
- avoid using oil based products and no waterproof mascara! i wear no mascara at all!

the picture on the right is before i had eyelash extensions. as you can see...they basically look non-existent. i have on only pencil eyeliner that i smudged and i put a little bronzer in my crease.

PROS
- SUPER FAST AND EASY TO GET READY. i don't usually wear face make up so i just put on my eye make-up and i'm out the door! i used to spend all this time putting on fake eyelashes or curling and putting on mascara, but not anymore. sometimes i don't even wear eye make-up at all...that's how much of a difference it makes.
- lasts until your natural eyelash falls off, which is about 2-3 weeks. sometimes i can go up to 4 weeks!
- SAVE tons of MONEY! when you first get your eyelash extensions, they're pretty pricey. I've seen them go up to $300. I did a lot of research and got mine for 150 starting,  but the touch ups afterwards cost WAY less than that...though the prices do vary. I used to buy individual eyelashes because I prefer the way they look rather than the strip eyelashes ...so me constantly buying those individual lashes cost me a lot more money than getting my eyelash extensions filled every few weeks.
- no mascara or curling necessary! they already look like they're curled and have mascara on them!
- they look very natural.

CONS.
- when an eyelash falls off, it's really noticeable since the eyelash extensions are so long and dark. it makes your eyelashes look sparse and gappy...WHAT, okay...that's not a word. but there's a gap where your eyelash that fell off used to be and it will probably bother the crap out of you.
- the maintenance.  it's not that bad, but you do have to be careful when you take off your make up or wash your face.
- the 48 hour time period where you cannot get your eyelashes wet or touch them. yes, you cannot wash your face or wash your hair for two days. which is why i always wash my hair right before my appointment and rely on simple makeup remover wipes. those 48 hours ARE CRUCIAL! one time, i washed my hair the day of my appointment and my eyelashes barely lasted 2 weeks.
- though i did say you save money, it is still a pretty pricey upkeep. i personally do not mind spending the extra money to keep them up, compared to buying false eyelashes constantly.
- you have to be careful when you're sleeping and make sure you're not sleeping in a position where you could potentially mess up your eyelashes, or your eyelashes end up all weird and it's hard to fix.

anymore questions? feel free to ask!
 THIS IS THE LONGEST POST ON EARTH, I APOLOGIZE!