Review: Urban Decay - Glinda Palette

I was eyeing this palette for a really long time before I caved in and purchased it. I must've gone into Sephora and swatched it like at least 5 times. So when the VIB Chic Week code came around, I jumped at a chance to get this Urban Decay Oz the Great and Powerful Glinda Palette ($49). Now I warn you because I know this is going to be quite a long post. I'm going to be reviewing the entire set, meaning the shadows, the liner and the lip gloss pencil. So be ready for a lot of writing.

Review: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of BB creams but the ones here in America typically can't cut it. When compared to Asian brands like Skin79 and Lioele, what we call BB creams here are really just tinted moisturizers. So it only makes sense that I was super skeptical when I purchased the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 ($39) in the shade Light/Medium.

Review: beautyblender

I always wondered what all the hype was about this tapered egg-shaped hot pink sponge. YT gurus, makeup artists and beauty bloggers like myself were always raving about this thing. So I caved in and bought the Beautyblender Duo Set ($39.95) from Sephora. Clearly, I must have been missing out on something.

When I first got it I was like "How the heck do I use this thing? But seriously, what makes this overpriced sponge so amazing?" And after the first use, I was hooked.

Review: Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish

I've been in the market for a good body scrub for a long time. I used to use Lush's Ocean Salt ($21.95) but it was much too abrasive and way too expensive for my liking. So when Sephora sent me a 15% off VIB coupon code, I jumped at the chance to get this Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish ($20). I had always looked at it in stores and everything from the texture to the smell really drew me in.

As with all Soap & Glory products, this body polish comes in the most adorable and girly pink container. There's just something in the way they design the labels on their packaging that never fails to entice me into buying or at least checking out their products. You get 10.1 fl oz. of product in this giant pink tub, which is quite a lot more than 4.2 oz. of Ocean Salt you get for $21.95.

According to the packaging, the product is a "shea butter, sugar and peach seed powder spa body polish with skin smoothing sea salt, grapeseed and almond oils." It may sound like a load of mumbo jumbo but basically it's a sugar based body scrub that smells so delicious you'd want to eat it.

The consistency of the product is very gooey and it feels like a paste with little scrubby beads when you apply it to your skin. A little goes a long way and you don't need to scrub too hard to reveal softer and smoother looking skin. I use this product about once a week and in just three uses, I've already noticed a decrease in in-grown hairs, bumps and dry patches on my skin. The best part is right after you use it, if you touch your skin it feels baby smooth even without lotion.
I'm completely in love with this body polish and it's definitely the best body polish I've ever tried. It's not too abrasive and not too gentle, it smells delicious and works wonders on my skin. I'll definitely be repurchasing this once I use it all up but I don't see that happening for a long time since you get such a generous amount of product! ♥
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Review: Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadows

I own way more palettes than is necessary for one human being but that didn't stop me from purchasing an Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow Palette ($10 + $6/eyeshadow) when I went to IMATS. The palette was discounted to $8 and the eyeshadows were discounted to $5 each, so with prices like that I figured how could you go wrong?

I made a mental note in my head that I wasn't going to buy any neutral shades since I already own the Naked, Naked 2 and Nude'Tude palettes. I figured purple would be a safe alternative to my usual browns and taupes since I don't typically wear colorful shadows.

Packaging: The palette is very well made and certainly impressive. The top and bottom are held together by four strong magnets in each corner of the palette. These magnets are so strong in fact, that I actually find myself having trouble opening the palette at times. It can get pretty annoying to have it snap shut and to have to struggle to open it but I'd trust traveling with this palette as I don't see it easily opening up or getting damaged in my bag.
As for the shadows, since I bought them individually all they came in was the pan. They popped easily into the palette and are held in place using a magnet. It's quite a tight fit however, so it's hard to take the shadow out after you put it in (trust me, I attempted to and ruined one of my shadows shortly after taking these photos).
Formula: The shadows are soft, smooth and highly pigmented. They're not all true to color though; for example, 74 looks like a true purple in the pan but when applied it shows up as more of a berry shade.

Application: All these shadows glide on very easily and show up highly pigmented on the eyes. They blend very easily and the shades I chose definitely work well together.
Longevity: The intensity of these colors last for around 4-5 hours and then they start to soften and become more muted. You can still see the color on your eyes but it just doesn't have the kind of vibrancy it had right after you applied it.
In conclusion, I really like the idea behind the freedom palette because it allows for more flexibility and creativity in your palette. You can choose the colors you want and create the palette of your dreams. It's also a great affordable alternative to MAC palettes as it costs $54 for a four shadow palette and then $12 a shadow at MAC. Looking at it that way, even without the discount I got at IMATS I still would've saved a bundle!
♥
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Movie Night Outfit

Last night I went to watch Iron Man 3 with my boyfriend and since we had time to kill before the showing, I decided to take some OOTD photos. We headed over to Battery Park and took some pics by the marina.

Sunglasses | Selima Sun for J.Crew (similar one here and here)

Jacket | Abercrombie & Fitch (similar one here)

Top | Forever 21

Jeans | Urban Outfitters

Bag | Kooba

Shoes | Comme des Garçons Play Converse

Earrings | Dean Harris

The weather was really sunny but still a bit chilly and very windy so I wore a denim jacket with a sleeveless tie-front button down and high-waisted skinny jeans. On my lips is Inglot's Lipstick in shade #279 and you can read my review of it here.

And for those of you wondering, Iron Man 3 was amazing and definitely a must-see in theaters. Marvel really outdid themselves once again with this movie, a huge step up from the somewhat disappointing Iron Man 2. The movie was chock full of humor, action and romance so there's something for everyone. Plus, how could you not love RDJ as Iron Man?!
♥
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And the Winner is...

I am very pleased to announce that the winner of my 100+ Followers Giveaway is...
Tsering Yangzom!
She will receive one Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, one Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait and one Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve. Congratulations Tsering and I hope you enjoy your prize~
Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway and even if you didn't win this time, don't worry because I am sure to have more contests coming up soon!
♥
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