Pink Eyes

OK, so here goes another Wet 'n' Wild purchase, however, with a slightly different experience.  This was strictly an impulse buy and it was the last one in the display, which should have given me pause.  My mother's always warned me not to take/buy the last of anything, especially food, because nine times outta ten there's something wrong with it (e.g. imperfect, damaged, tampered with, old/expired, a return, etc.).  But I didn't think about any of that when I picked it up 'cause it was on sale... and it's pink eyeliner, for goodness sake!  It still had its plastic seal intact, too.  Ohh, but all was not well when I opened my purchase Ex-Stacey from drugstore darling Wet 'n' Wild...

Ex-Stacey is a pearly fuchsia from the Fergie Center Stage Collection - a lineup of products fostered via Wet 'n' Wild's collaboration with the former singer of pop/hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas.  It has a super soft texture... perhaps too soft since my liner came with its tip completely severed from the pencil and lodged in the top of the cap!  Oh, the horror!  Oh, the frustration!  I was too through, but decided to push on anyway.  I dislodged the broken tip from the cap and managed to smoosh it back onto the pencil so that I could at least try and render a swatch from it... a swatch that actually ended up having a nice color payoff and decent opacity, by the way.

So, there you have it.  I like the eyeliner (from what I could gather, at least) and got excited when I saw it (thoughts of duping MUFE's pink liner immediately chorus-lining through my head).  But, alas, I will have to return this pencil for an uninjured one.  Hopefully, the store will get more in soon.  Hopefully, I'll be able to snag another one.  And, hopefully, the pencil will be "on point".  Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully. 

Until then, I'll muse on the pics of Ex-Stacey and think on the glorious pink eyes that might have been...

Wet 'n' Wild Ex-Stacey is available at most drugstores and retails for around $4.

Green Goodness

I've really been trying to behave and all, but with this one I just couldn't resist.  I needed a dark green liner.  I wanted a good, dark green liner.  And when I saw it, I just had to have this gorgeous, dark green eyeliner.  So, I bought it.  And now I'm gonna tell you all about it.  If you have a moment, I'd love to share with you my thoughts on Wet 'n' Wild's eyeliner in Green.

Wet 'n' Wild's Green eyeliner is a lush, hunter green and it's from their ColorIcon line of products.  The liner applies smoothly across the skin without tugging, leaving potent bands of color in its wake, has a fairly creamy texture and is easy to blend.  It has a matte finish.

I really am loving this fetching shade of eyeliner.  My makeup menu this summer is going to be full of bold, colorful hues, so this addition will certainly bode well for my plans.  The bolder, the brasher, the better!  But you're not the least bit surprised to hear me say that, are you?  And with it being from Wet 'n' Wild, it was a small indulgence that did little to break the bank - which makes this purchase of dark, green goodness even all the more sweeter. 

Wet 'n' Wild Green Eyeliner is available at various drugstores and retails for .99¢.

Cleansing the Palate

So... this was my view today.  After running around non-stop and laboring for what seems like an eternity, I was finally granted a small reprieve, which I hastily took full advantage of.  Saddled with unbridled determination, my five senses have been overwhelmed with the task of taking in every nuance of my new surroundings.  Hmm... I guess I shouldn't say "new" as I've been here before, but my previous trips had always been laden with an agenda.  Not this time, though.  This time, in lieu of taking the tourist-y route, I've opted instead for the road less traversed to hang out with some of the locals, which also happen to be family.

To celebrate my arrival, my dad and his wife took me out to an Italian bistro not too far from his home.  It was a nice little haunt with great ambiance and an outdoor seating area overlooking a man-made lake.  The day's weather was so perfect that we unanimously decided to eat outside, our bubbly and attentive waitress plying us with fresh, hot bread and herbed olive oil while we waited on our main courses.

Daddy chose well, picking his current favorite: a spaghetti dish that normally comes with meatballs.  However, after befriending the manager during his first visit then submitting a modest request, my dad now gets his spaghetti specially made with links of Italian sausage as a substitute for the meatballs.  Yep, he's cool like that... 

His wife ordered a shrimp bisque topped with croutons the size of hockey pucks and a huge salad.  I wish I had taken a better picture of her victuals, but I didn't want to be rude and hover all over her plates.  She had no idea I was documenting the meal and I kinda didn't want to blow my cover either...

And I ordered the lobster and crab ravioli topped with a bevy of portobello mushrooms.  Can you say absolutely delicious?  Can you say absolutely scrumptious?  It was awesome!  And the serving was HUGE!  I later found out that I was given the family-size dish, but I promise you I didn't order that serving.  Oh, well.  Their mistake was certainly to my benefit... YUM!

On the ride back, I took a breathy exhale.  The sun had just started to dip and the city was beginning to glow with a steady halo of street lights and a vast array of ornamental fountains.  Sometimes it's good to just get away and regroup, recharge... and cleanse the mental palate.  And this was definitely one of those times.  I may get into some of the tourist attractions later on, but this leisure time is doing me good.  The much needed respite before for my next step...

The last bridge to my final destination.

Lilac Mojo - 392

Hey, guys!  I've been kinda in the doldrums recently as far as my makeup is concerned and really haven't had the time to go all Cirque Du Soleil on my eyes like I like to.  But I believe I've found just the color to help inspire me out of my rut and help inject some interest back into my spring cosmetic wardrobe.  And so, without further ado, I'd love to tell you all about Inglot eyeshadow #392.

#392 is a soft, pinkish violet that hails from Inglot's Freedom System of single-pan eyeshadows.  It is potently pigmented, behaves well on the eye with regard to blending and interacting with other colors, and - despite it being a matte - its texture is smooth like buttermilk!

The more I look at this color, the more I'm drawn to pair it with yellow.  Yessss.... perhaps keeping it simple with a "barely there" tinted gloss along with a toasty brown bronzer sculpting the cheeks.  Hmm... the hamster in my noggin is workin' some serious OT right now trying to drum up additional contenders, but I think the yellow is winning.  Either way, I look forward to window dressing my peepers with this ab fab shade and may even throw on some falsies for good measure!  But we shall see, y'all.  We shall see...

Inglot #392 is available at Inglot boutiques and select Macy's, and retails for $7.

Pack It Up, Pack It In...

Well, I'm hitting the road, guys.  Yep, I'm doing a semi-move and visiting with family before my actual, factual move that's quickly approaching.  Yes, I will be moving again... and we all know how much I just loooove moving (enter sarcasm HERE).  Anywho, I'm packing up all my stuff and doing the whole shebang again.  And as far as transporting my precious cosmetic cargo goes, I've pretty much got my routine down pat.

For my loose MAC shadows and handful of Wet 'n' Wild shadows/palettes, I have my trusty Donna Karan cosmetic bag to pack them into.  The bag - with its large, dual compartments and interior, elastic pockets - is perfectly suited in size to keep them all organized and safe during travel.

If you've read my makeup organization post then this one should look familiar to you.  Not only do I use this converted, Bluetooth earpiece case to house my NARS and mega MAC blushes, but it's also a convenient carrier as well since it comes with a lid!

And I think just about everyone has some variation of the "multiple drawer" storage unit and I'm no exception.  I bought this one years ago from Target and it has served me well ever since.  So convenient, I never have to remove the items and re-pack when traveling; I just pick the whole thing up and go.  Now, how handy is that?  Pretty handy, I'd say...

Here's another blast from my organization post.  But just in case you didn't get the memo, iPhone/iPod boxes make awesome cases for makeup, especially space guzzling items like large bronzers and other face products.  The boxes have a sponge/foam insert in the top lid and they're extremely sturdy, which is an absolutely perfect combo for transport!  You won't be able to fit many items in the box (depending on their size), but whatever does make it in will make it to the destination pristine and intact!  Gotta love that!

I also like to pack a lot of my smaller containers into a large shopper or tote so I can stay abreast of everything and keep travel as simple as possible.

So, that's what I've been up to for the past few days (feels like years!).  I've been so busy with moving and trying to get things in order that I've really had little time for anything else.  Oh, and I very inconveniently hurt my hand during all this; yes, my fingers look like overstuffed linked sausages... Oy!  But I'm on the mend.  Slowly, but surely getting back to original form.  Very slowly...

Ahh, the joys of moving... (enter extreme sarcasm HERE)

Field Trip: Target

And so I made my way to one of my favorite places to hang out the other day...  I had no real agenda, but you know how that goes: it's awfully hard to enter a "wonderland" like Target and leave empty-handed.  But I fought the good fight, cruising the aisles with my arms tucked tightly at my side, trying not to grab at every sparkle and twinkle that caught my eye...   

I first made my way over and through the furniture aisle and visually feasted on the printed ottomans on display.  Pretty cute and comfy looking, I must say.  Seeing them gave me some ideas, too.

After wandering into the food section, I had the nerve to pick these bad boys up from the shelf knowing good an' well I don't need another cookies & creme ANYTHING as I already have a full supply of vanilla ice-cream and Oreos at the house.  But they were sweet to look at.

I got a little happy when I saw this hanging from its hook.  I like EOS' shaving cream as well as their lip balms, having tried the latter in the honeydew "flavor".  But a blueberry acai flavor?  Ooh-wee!  That had me intrigued.  I mean, I know it's only lip balm, but I think EOS balms are kinda fun to have... and, on top of that, they actually work well.

And now for the section of the store that makes my heart race just a little.  My Target shopping trip is far from complete if I cannot peruse the makeup/toiletry aisles... and peruse them I did!  I never really gave Boots No. 7 any genuine attention, but I sure was surprised (and pleasantly so) to find that they have a foundation line that includes a few deep shades.  It was just a few, but still an encouraging thing to see. 

Then came the obligatory swing past Sonia Kashuk's display and my eyes were drawn to her assortment of lip liners, especially this dark, hot pink one called Hibiscus.  I own some of her brushes, but haven't tried any of her makeup offerings.  Hmm... that may have to change very soon.

Revlon!!  OK, did I sound excited?  Too excited, perhaps.  But you know they have my heart as far as drugstore lippies and nail lacquers are concerned.  I took an extra slow stroll past their diverse display of colorful items, stopping to do an up-close survey of an eyeshadow palette and a groovy green polish.

I've heard so many good things about NYX's lip products and I keep saying that I'm going to try them; I just haven't as of yet.

But these NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminators quickly caught my fancy.  Has anyone tried these yet?  Either one looks like it would be pretty cool, but I'm not quite sure...

OK, I am not a real fan of ELF.  Yes, I have exactly two of their single shadows, which are actually good and nicely pigmented.  But the brand has never really called out to me.  However, these HD blushes sure do look enticing, don't they?  Wow.

So, while I was able to exercise a certain amount of restraint, I can't exactly say that I ended up leaving the store the same way I came.  I did make a purchase, which I will definitely share with you guys as soon as I can.  I injured my fingers a few days ago, but as soon as they are ready for prime time, it will be on and poppin'!  I repeat: ON AND POPPIN'!

Friday Flashback: Call Me Bubbles

Hey, guys!  Do any of you remember this one?  I don't recall what collection it hails from, but it's one of the few pre-made palettes that I own from MAC.  Those already in the know know how I feel about MAC eyeshadows: when they're good, they're good; when they're bad... Well, let's just say that this is a quad-full of good ones.  So, if you don't mind traversing down makeup's memory lane with me, let's revisit all the loveliness that is MAC's Call Me Bubbles.

Call Me Bubbles is a compilation of four, summer-worthy shadows that not only share the same amount of intensity as far as color payoff, but they're all equally as gorgeous.  Starting clockwise from the left corner is citrus-tinged, off-white Call Me Bubbles; frosty tangerine Fresh Daily; cantaloupe coral Full of Flavor; brassy copper Brash. 

Call Me Bubbles (L), Fresh Daily (R)

Full of Flavor (L), Brash (R)

Brash (L), Coppering (R)

If I were to pick a favorite shade out of the palette, it would have to be Brash.  It is so satiny soft to the touch and when I tell you that my finger looked like it had been dipped in melted copper when I swatched it, please believe it.  It is a certifiable eye-popper!  And for those who were wondering if it was a dupe for MAC's Coppering, it's not.  Coppering is much rustier.

L - R: Brash, Full of Flavor, Fresh Daily, Call Me Bubbles

This palette is chock-full of hits!  All the colors are vibrant and absolutely GORGEOUS, especially Brash!  And as pretty as they all are, can you believe I have yet to wear any of them?  Yes, I know.  Calling Me Bubbles has been calling my name, though.  And I'll be heeding that call very soon.  Please believe it.  But until then, you can just slap me for sleeping on this palette for so long.  With an open hand.  And all five fingers... 

I give you full permission.