Drugstore lipstick haul

I have really been holding back on buying lipsticks lately because I tend to buy the "same colors" but if you're a makeup junkie like me you know that they are all very different. But even I know that woman cannot live on pinks and mauves alone so I picked up a couple red colors.

Red really is one of my favorite colors to wear but just not on my lips. Growing up I had really bad acne and scaring and wearing red lipstick seemed to bring more attention to this and made me even more self conscious. Now that I learned the importance of washing and moisturizing my face I only seem to get breakouts when I have some sort of hormonal imbalance or on my forehead because they are oily during the summer. My skin has been looking a lot clearer so I really thought I'd give reds another chance.

 So here is my humble little lippie haul which includes 3 new items I have not tried yet. I have a couple Revlon Lipsticks already and I have another Kate Moss Rimmel lipstick. 

 I really love this color on me, I think its a nice brighter pink without being neon. the formula isn't drying and offers enough of a glisten on my lips without being tacky on. This color is called Pink punch and the name really describes that it delivers. 

 This color is called #111 Kiss of Life from the Kate Moss lipstick line. Its a matte red and goes on real nicee but is a little bit drying and went on uneven. I had to line the edges with my lip liner brush but maybe its normal for a red. 

 The first of the Revlon lipsticks I have to show is called Wink for Pink which doesn't do anything for my lips. it might go well if I layer it with a gloss. the formula is a good as always. 

 This Revlon lipstick is called Fire and Ice which I find to be a pleasant creamy formula. Trying all these red lipsticks has really made me realize that I need a proper lipliner. Maybe that would help with my red lipstick issues. 

 Or maybe red lip crayons will be my savior? This one from Sonia Kashuk is pretty darn sweet and reminds me why I love lip crayons so much. this offered a lot of control over where the product went. the color is called Rosey Nude and is a matte color and is not full coverage but that's fine by me. I find full coverage lipsticks to look costumey sometimes.  I can't rock them so if you can then more power to you, you lucky duck you. 

I have been wanting to try these L'Oreal Color Riche Stain for a long time now. I find that it went on feeling wet and smooth and found it didn't stick to my top lip very well but I have that problem with most lip stains it seems. I did like the color it left my bottom lip and made it seem fuller with the red color left behind. 

 So that's it! That's all of them swatched and my first impressions of each. What I learned is that maybe I need to get a red lipliner in order to make these work and maybe I am not cut out to wear such a  high maintenance color. I will be looking for tips and tricks to try out on how to apply and keep it from looking splotchy on my lips. For now when I go out I will stick to my forgiving colors that I can apply without a mirror. 

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I am going to start working on showing you the new Sonia Kashuk limited edition fall eyeshadow pallet Jewel of and Eye for my Friday post so come back and see that. 

August Julep Maven box - Add ons included

 It's August and with a new month comes a new round of subscription boxes. The first round this month is from Julep Maven. This month's box was a celebration of the second year anniversary of the company and they decided to have a garden party theme. 

 This month I strayed away from my usual beauty profile and decided to get the It Girl box which featured 3 nail polishes instead of 2 and a beauty product. 

 I really love how they wrap everything really pretty and even came with some forget me not seeds. I gave those to my boyfriend to grow because I do not have a green thumb. I killed the plants in the office. my boss wasn't too happy about that. 

 The first nail polish that caught my eye was this orange one named Marjorie. They describe this as an orange frost. 

It took two coats and actually dint look that bad despite my fears of anything described as a frost. I think this might go on my toes next. 

 The next color which i was initially excited about getting was Fiore which is described as a espresso creme. I really actually wanted something just maybe a slightly "chocolaty" looking. 

To me I think it is a little on the muddy side, I might grow to like it but for now I think I am on the fence about this one.  

 The next one included in the box is this beautiful Fushia creme called Nellie. 

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 This picture doesn't do it justice, I think in person  it is a bit darker and really the perfect girly pink for my tastes. I ususally reserve brighter pinks for my toes but I'll let this one will end up on my fingers. 

 I got this color as an add on to my box as I don't really have any darker blues to play around with. 

 Pardon my cuticle and finger nail, do we all have that one finger nail we all hate? This is my hated finger nail but the color is really pretty. Did I mention that I use my points and got this add on for free. I earned it! whoo!

Here they all are in their glory! 

 Everytime I say the name of this I think the Amityville horror but is a very pretty soft white gold/platinum. reminds me of a white gold band. very light and hard to capture. Definitely prettier in person. 

Omg I love glitter top coat nail polishes, as I may have mentioned before I am horrible at applying and keeping my polish neat and glitter hides my sins. 

I don't have anything like this already and will definitely be going on sometime soon. 

 I really need something better to take pictures with because this color is so awesome but I couldnt for the life of me get it right. 

I am totally in love with rose gold and this is enough of a pinky gold with a hint of copper? maybe it's more copper now that I am staring at the bottle some more. Regardless, I think its a beautiful metallic that isn't costumey which I seem to have a problem with nail polishes just looking *meh*-tallic. I am always wowed by Julep's metallics. 

So that's it, hopefully if you got this box and these add ons you were just as pleased as I am. If you are not subscribed to this box you can click here and sign up. If you'd like a blog post dedicated to everything I know about Julep's service you can contact me or comment below. I'm more than happy to get you hooked. 

My top 5 must reads that I havent read

I have not been able to just sit down and read a book like I used to. Back In middle school and high school I would read a 250-300 page book within maybe 6-7 hours. I read the last Harry Potter in 3 days but only because my little sister hid her copy because I wasn't able to buy my own copy. She wanted to read it before me but that wasn't going to happen. She's the stronger swimmer and I'm the stronger reader and that's the way the cookie crumbles. So I am sad to say I can't read like I used to. Sure, I read my fellow bloggers posts and news articles but I have not read a book since (very ashamed to admit it) Breakfast at Tiffanys a couple months ago. My problem is I have no darn clue on what exactly I should read so now I have done some research and comprised a list of my top 5 books I must finish (hopefully) by the end of the year.

1) Answered Prayers the unfinished novel by Truman Capote

There is just something that interests me in about an unfinished book from any writer. Promises of the book focusing on the high and low society life. If it is anything like Breakfast at Tiffany's I will surely be pleased with the outcome. I must read more Truman Capote.

2) Pale Fire by Vladamir Nabokov
The book is a poem done in 4 cantos and dives into life death and the wondering of an afterlife. What human being has never thought of such things? Don't we all? What interests me is what other people see and think about death and what is to come. When I read I love to see someone else's point of view and challenge how I think or feel. I don't know about you but for me it is my Achilles heel.

3) Speedboat By Renata Adler 
Yes, I really love coming of age stories. I loved reading The Catcher and the Rye so this seems to be right up my alley. Young female writer in New York filled with observations. Sounds like something I would do but never write abpout myself for fear of doing it wrong because honestly, its hard. It's intimidating. For me, it is a thrilling read.

4) A Clockwork Orange By Anthony Burgess
This particular read interests me because of the writer's back story. Burgess had come back from abroad to his home in England to find the the youth culture had grown, including the rise of coffee bars, pop music and teenage gangs. His wife was beaten by american servicemen during WWII which caused her to miscarry her child. To see what this man wrote, and how he carried those feelings from his surroundings and events will most likely prove to be a great read. And no, I have not watched the movie.

5) Franny and Zooey By JD Salinger
I have read every single book from Salinger except for this one and I feel like such a loser for not completing them. But if you're a hardcore reader you know the feeling, once you finish...the adventure is over. It feels like your life isn't right anymore and you wish it would never end. I do admit, I have read the Franny half and not the Zooey half. What I noticed and loved about all his books it that they all seem so intertwined and connected in some small way. If you haven't noticed then I just gave you a good reason to go back and do a re-read. You're welcome.


So there's my list of books I'll try to read. I see they all seem to be downers but then again I've never been much into those "lady smut" books. I won't be too disappointed if I start reading some and say "This isn't just plain terrible, it's terrible with raisins in it!". Oh ho, ho Mizz Dorothy Parker you slay me! Okay, I'll stop with my inside jokes and if you have your own list you've made, comment with a link to your post. I really need more ideas of what to read. As you can see I like "classics that may or may not be banned somewhere in the world for being inappropriate" but I think if I were a book I'd like to be in that category as well.

July favorites

July, has it really ended? It just went by so fast and soon so will August. So since it is the end I have comprised  list of my favorite products that I have been using this month. I didn't really wear too much makeup because it's just too hot and is unnecessary. 

Big sexy hair spray and play

So first on my list is this hairspray even though I never did anything that really needed to hairspray like curls but I have been pinning my bangs back on my non hair washing days. Bobby pins always seem to slip and slide out of my hair so a quick spritz where my pins are is just a life saver. The spray and play I find is a lighter hold than most drugstore hairsprays which is great because then it doesn't weigh down and make my hair so stiff.

Suave dry shampoo

Moving on, you cant have a no wash day without some dry shampoo. The Suave is honestly the best I have tried out of all the drugstore dry shampoos I have tried. This one has the least residue and doesn't leave a crust behind my ears like the Dove brand does and has a nice tropical smell to it. 

Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche

I have loved this fragrance for awhile now and is honestly not just a July favorite but a holy grail item in my beauty arsenal. I mean, most women feel instantly sexy with a quick spritz of their favorite fragrance. This just smells so clean, fresh elegant and timeless. I could still see myself wearing this 10 years from now. It has a floral and citrus scent that ends to a slight woody scent at the end of the day. I get  constant compliments and asked what I'm wearing and so it instantly boosts my confidence. 

Covergirl Clump Crusher

The only thing I really need to do to make myself presentable most of the time is a good mascara. The Covergirl Clump Crusher in black is perfect and the waterproof formula is great for any occasion. 

C. Booth Honey almond dry oil mist

I got this from my Glossybox for June? July? I forgot but it has been my favorite for my dry summer skin. I find that lotion can feel heavy and feel like a mask that's sliding off. Dry oil spray is a great alternative and has a wonderful almond smell to it. 

Maybelline Dream liquid mouse in light 5 

This has been in my makeup arsenal since it came out and I really love how it matches me perfectly and doesn't look like a mask. I find on me the coverage is blendable and goes on well with my fingers or sponge. It doesn't seem to oxidize and turn me orange or even a pink color like some foundations do. 

Julep nail polish in Paris 

I am and always have been obsessed with glitter polish. I love layering it on top because honestly, I can't paint my nails for the life of me. this hides the lumps and bumps and is really pretty. 

Plus it does look like what I imagine Paris would look like at night. as I have never gone I can only imagine and this polish always helps. 

Julep nail polish in Brit

Another Julep polish in a what seemed to me just another grey polish but what I didn't know was that it is a matte finish. When I saw it drying really fast and not glossy I was thinking "what the heck?!!" but liked it because A) it dried fast and B) it was smudge and lump proof.

The color is called Brit and i got it when the website had their online warehouse sale for the small price of $3. 

Please excuse my horrible cuticles as I have not gone to get them taken care of in over a month. Time to treat myself soon! But you will notice it is a nice dark grey that doesn't look like you dipped them in silver plating. Honestly I find it refreshing to find a non shiny metallic and will still be great for fall or for going out on a summer night. 

NYX blush in Dessert Rose 

If I feel I look a little dead and flat in the morning I love to add a little blush despite it being summer and everyone is all about a nice golden glow. I'm tan, I don't need to be any more tanned than I am. i was actually saving this Dessert Rose color for fall thinking it was going to be dark but it actually looks nice against my skin's coloring. 

SOHO London Blush Brush 

This brush is a find from my local Big Lots store and found it for only $3 and I am in love with the shape of the bristles and it is on the softer side. 

Maybe the only complaint about it is that is smells like my cat. I really don't know why because my cat doesn't get up in my brushes. O.o 

Bare Minerals mineral veil 

Okay, take a look. you would think this is the normal Bare Minerals mineral veil BUT....

Taking a closer look AFTER buying and opening it like an idiot I realize it's the Twilight version that makes me look like Edward Cullen in the sunlight. So I quietly set this aside thinking maybe I can pawn it off on my little sister. 

But then I started to use this as a highlighter and it works wonderfully. I use it for nighttime when I go out and I want to add a little extra glow. for daytime I will only use it for highlighting my brow bone for a more open and awake look. So if you bought this on accident like I did and are considering throwing it out, DON'T because you could be missing out on a great highlighter. 

Xtremem Lashes eyeliner

I hate eyeliner that doesn't STAY PUT. Just stay darn you! That is what this one delivers, a stay out formula that is blendable and dries so it stays put no matter what. The premise of this eyeliner and why I love it so much is that it was inspired by how well gel eyeliner stays on but is such a pain to apply with a brush. this is a gel formula in a pencil form. 

Dead Sea Minerals antiaging day cream 

I love, love, LOVE this day cream which is another Big lots find for three measly dollars. I love how light weight it is and use it under my sunscreen because for my skin, even though I am acne prone it has responded well to moisturizing before I moisturize. 

As you can see I am almost out of it which makes me sad because I haven't been able to find it at the store anymore. 

The texture is thick and goes on really smooth making my skin feel soft like butter. Hopefully I can find more of this and will start hoarding it immediately. 

So now that you have seen my favorites, what were some of yours for the month of July? Go ahead and link me to your blog featuring your own list. I'd like to read all about them. 

Stay tuned because I will be reviewing my August julep box I have just received complete with swatches!

Hope to see you next time everyone!