Sephora Nail Polishes, Philosophy Cinnamon Buns, and Too Faced Extreme Lip Injection

I got my order from Sephora in today- just some bodywash, nail polish, and an eyeshadow.
(that's my  little Tortie , O'llie, up in the top of the picture. She likes to hang out while I'm experimenting with makeup, and never laughs if I try something really out there)


The bodywash is philosophy Cinnamon Buns, my absolute favorite. Using it is like rolling around naked on top of a giant cinnamon bun. Philosophy says it can be used as a shampoo also, but I don't think it makes a very good shampoo. :/

The nail polishes are Sephora brand. Lacquer polish L21 Mangue & nail polish #60 are the same exact orange. 
Their turquoise blues in the lacquer and the polishes are the same, also. 
Since some of the nail polishes are only $2 compared to $4 for the lacquer,
if there is a color in the cheaper one I get that, since I always use a base coat and a top coat anyway. The orange is nice, sort of pumpkiny, and bright without getting too bright.
The other polishes are nail polish #57 (lavender purple) and lacquer L23 Myrtille (what I'd call a deep periwinkle blue). All of the polishes are solid cream-types, no glitter or shimmer to them.
Sephora's polishes are great, and I like that they come in smaller, less expensive bottles- especially for the odder colors I probably won't wear often.

The eye shadow is from Make Up For Ever- I'd never tried their products but have heard good things about them. I bought a khaki brown color, it went on smoothly, has a lot of pigment, and blends very well. I'm waiting to see how it is on my lids after about six hours or so before I start raving about it and buying more.

OKAY. One of the samples included in my order was for Too Faced Extreme Lip Injection. I'm always looking for a better lip plumper... my lips are pretty full on their own, but I like a really full look. I dabbed on a bit from the sample packet- it is a thick clear gel- and right away my lips were a deeper pink color. In fact, all around the edges of my lips, where I got a bit messy with the gel, were also pinkish. I got suspicious and wondered if this was going to be like Smashbox's O-Glow, where they make claims about micro-circulatory effects but in reality the clear gel turns pink once it is exposed to air. 
The Lip Injection remained clear when I dabbed it on my hand, however. "How odd", I thought, "if my lips are turning pink from the effects of the plumper you'd think I'd feel somethingGAAARRRRHHH!!!!". The stinging that I felt didn't hit until about a minute after I had  put it on. it is unlike any lip plumper- tingling/ burning sensation I've felt. It was really like lots of tiny tiny needles stabbing my lips. I LIKE a bit of a burn, but for a few minutes until the stinging stopped, I wanted to run away from my own lips.
I wish I'd had thought to take a before picture. I really didn't think this stuff would have much effect, especially since it says on the back of the packet, "for maximum long term results, use for a minimum of 30 days- am and pm". That made me think it was more of a hydrating sort of treatment, to reduce lines and increase the volume a bit over time.



My top lip is usually quite a bit thinner than the bottom, as you can see in the above picture the Lip Injection evened things out a lot. The bottom is a bit plumper than usual, but the top lip nearly exploded. I LOVE this. This is so not the lip plumper for anyone with sensitive lips, but it has worked better than anything I've tried in the past.
My lips are still very full and it has been nearly three hours since I applied it. The only thing I don't like is how my lips are still an irritated-pink color at the edges, I will have to be careful applying this in the future.

*trots off to Sephora's site to buy a tube*

Pets, Cookie Magazine, and Etsy

I've been watching my mother's pets since last night and have to give Jack, her geriatric pitbull, his insulin shots. There are few things I hate having to do more than give animals injections.
I kept saying, "sorry sorry sorry sorry" as I grabbed his scruff and jabbed him with the needle- he didn't even seem to feel it, but I was so paranoid I'd done something wrong.I had to keep looking in on him every ten minutes or so. "You alive?" Like he'd answer yes or no either way.


I've been reading through a copy of Cookie Magazine from my mother- she isn't trying to drop subtle hints as far as I know- the ladies at her work pass around magazines quite a bit.  I thought it was funny how much I (a childfree woman) enjoyed this magazine.
 It really is quite darling! I really got a kick out of the article on dollhouses- ducklings were included in the photoshoot-



Check out McDuckyPants inside the house on the back! Had they included close-ups, I'm sure it would've been CuteOverload-worthy material.
'Cookie' didn't, at any point, make me wish for a munchkin of my own, but I did keep stopping and thinking, "Oh, that would be PERFECT for ______'s kid". I like to keep a small supply of baby/ child items on hand for gifts on short notice, and I saw so many good ideas in 'Cookie'.

One great gift idea I found by browsing through Etsy- Baby Mohawk hats! They're from Infantile (and they have adult ones also, I think I'd wear a black one).



How cute it that? Very cute! But I would have to get one in a unisex color for my gift stash.
This is the sort of thing, where if no friends or co-workers announced an upcoming baby, in a year or so I could just say, "To hell with that, I'm keeping this and one of the cats can wear it".

It is easy to get lost on Esty- there is so much to look through! For those who don't know, Etsy is, "Your place to buy & sell all things handmade", the variety of products is amazing- from fine diamond jewelry to handsewn cat toys. Many of the items are one of a kind, this is a great site to 
find unique accessories.

The sweetest shop I've come across on Etsy is Ugly Kitty's. Quasi is a rescued kitty with a smooshed-in face, and her human has raised over $1800 for shelter cats so far through her Etsy shop. I think Quasi is adorable, sort of a cat/ French Bulldog hybrid. Check her out!

Vogue, Superhero Style and Retro-futuristism

I don't usually buy Vogue, but I'll be buying several of the May issue- check out some of the photos posted today in the LJ community 'fotodecadent':







This last one especially thrills me- what a wonderful piece of art that dress is!
It looks like she belongs lives in a retro-futuristic world where all the policemen carry
Atomic Disintegrators.


And of course, all the bad guys would carry guns like the one below by Weta Collectibles.



It is such a good thing that, at $690, this is out of my price range. Because if I could get my grubby paws on this baby, I would totally spend my days jumping out of alleyways and from behind parked vehicles, aiming this at passerbyers and making obnoxious, "PEWPEWPEW", 'raygun shooting sounds'.

Candy Review- Pocky Strawberry, Cute Fabrics and Totes from Japan

I'm not sure if Pocky can rightfully be considered a candy, but I'm going to stick it in that category. In my mind, the cookie sticks only serve as a vehicle for the candy-like outer coating.
I bought these over a month ago at Cost Plus World Market, totally in love with the packaging- they make me think of Strawberry Shortcake in Strawberry Land.


The box came with four packs with six sticks in each one, 
each pack has a cute print of little strawberries and the Glico logo.
When I opened the first pack, the strawberry scent hit me right away. The scent was so strong, I was surprised how mild the strawberry taste was. The ingredients list includes both dried strawberries (you can see the little bits suspended in the cream coating) and artificial strawberry flavor. The taste of the cookie stick actually stood out more than the outer coating.
I was a bit disappointed, but since I bought the box for the excellent packaging, I really can't complain.


I am trying to decide on what I'll order from Shinzi Katoh's website. If I had the money, I would order one of every item, but I can't do that. The tote bags are oh-so-adorable, and there are aluminum bottles to match quite a few of the totes. They also have some vinyl-coated bags, they cost quite a bit more than the totes 
(around $50 compared to about $18 for the totes) but seem like they would be sturdier, and they are a nice, big size. This one with the Elephant/ Oranges is too cute!

 

I use tote bags all the time, since I like to carry my sketchbook with me. Tiny purses just don't do it for me, and I don't want to run into anyone with even a similar bag to what I'm carrying.
Here in Phoenix, it seems like every other girl and woman has a real or fake Coach or Louis Vuitton bag on her arm. It all strikes me as being so unbelievably boring.
Shinzi Katoh has a selection of fabrics, not a lot but the ones they do have are darling.
Another online shop carrying some Shinzi Katoh products, and a much wider range of cute fabric, is Nuno-plus, they have a lot of teeny-tiny adorable prints. The fabric can get expensive, over $20 for a yard, so check Reprodepot first if you are in the USA, they carry quite a few of the same exact fabrics at cheaper prices.

Candy Reviews- Hot & Cold

I bought a bar of Frey's Hot Chilli Pepper chocolate (described on their site as, "Extra fine dark chocolate with an extra hot kick".) last week. I've been holding onto it, because my dentist warned me about eating spicy foods after having my wisdom teeth out. I decided it was safe today, and tried my first square.



I let a small piece of the chocolate dissolve in my mouth. The dark chocolate is extremely rich and smooth. A few bits of dried chili (the fourth ingredient after chocolate liquor, sugar, and cocoa butter) trickled to my throat along with the melting chocolate, and created a slight 'burning' sensation. Once most of the chocolate had dissolved, I was left with most of the dried chili pieces in my mouth, and then I could actually taste the chili instead of just a plain 'hot' flavor. 
The next piece I chewed and ate, and that created a better effect- the heat of the chili and the smoothness of the chocolate combined perfectly, and afterwards there was the slight flavor of chili in my mouth.

Now, Frey's website claims they are Switzerland's #1 chocolate. I have to wonder, does that mean they are the best? Or, if I were to tell a Swiss person I like Frey, would they think, "EEEEEEWWWW. Nasty."? I mean, here in America, certain things that are popular and considered to be '#1' are NOT always the best, they just appeal to the lowest common denominator. So I wonder....

After savoring the last of my square of Hot Chilli Pepper chocolate and pondering over what the Swiss like, I decided to finish with my last Ice Cube.

With an ingredients listing of: "partially hydrogenated coconut oil, sugar, low fat cocoa, whey powder, soy flour, hazelnut paste, lecithin, spice, and natural flavor", one might expect these to taste sort of nasty. One would be wrong.
These are the smoothest, meltiest chocolates I've ever had.
I used to get these all the time, they were easier to find when I lived in the NorthEast. 
Here in the SouthWest, especially at this time of year, if I want them I have to order them online and pay extra for the shipping option that keeps them cold. So, I savored the last one in my stash. What makes these great is how they manage to make them taste cool.
It has to be that hazelnut paste.

Rescue Beauty Nail Polish

I recently ordered a nail polish from Rescue Beauty Lounge- Recycle, a deep green.

I've been wanting a dark green ever since I wasn't able to get Nars Zulu last winter. I don't usually like paying a lot for a nail polish, MAC is usually a splurge for me at $10 or so.
Recycle ended up costing me about $25 after shipping, but I figured I deserved
a treat since I'd just had my wisdom teeth out, and my face was all swollen, lopsided and painful.
I have to say, I'm very happy with this product- two coats are enough for perfect coverage, and it dries fast to a high shine.
I'm already planning my next purchase- they have a great violet, Purple Haze, that is tempting.


Ah, and MAC's Dress Camp collection is out today.


This is the lipstick, "Too Fab":


Too Barbie-doll pink for me, I can't see putting that on my lips, it would make me look like a preteen. I love the package design with those zebra-stripes, though.

The compact is another story, however:


Bright pink blush usually works really well on my place skin, as long as I don't go crazy with it.
And the shadows look very usable for summer.

The Lipglass lip glosses are nice colors- a gold and what looks like a more silvery pink, but I don't like super-shiny lips, so they wouldn't work for me.

EDIT: Awwwww, same day and EVERYTHING is already sold out? I can't believe it, honestly. I suppose I will keep checking back to see if they miraculously restock- I know that seems unlikely but I've seen it happen at least with the little Fafinette figures, Ermine was marked sold out but then was available again (and now is sold out again, glad I got her when I did!). *prays to the makeup gods*

Lipstick Tube Art

I have a problem buying makeup. I have quite a bit of makeup that I will never, ever, use, because using it would ruin the pretty design. Most recently I bought the new Relvon "A Floral Affair", the color looks like it is perfect for me, but I'll never find out because one
 swipe of a blush brush and the pretty embossed design would be ruined forever.
I have a powder compact from Physcian's Formula that I can never use, because I can't bear to ruin the design with Marilyn Monroe's face on it.
So, I really prefer products with pretty PACKAGING to those where the product itself is decorative.
I'm noticing decorative lipstick tubes everywhere recently, I'm hoping this trend keeps up, because some of these designs make the product into miniature, collectable works of art.

First, from Cargo (off topic, but they make a great blush), we have Planet Love lipstick:

"A lipstick tube made entirely out of corn - a renewable and abundant resource. This environmentally-friendly innovation also emits less greenhouse gases, which many scientists believe to be the major cause of global warming. The outer carton is made of flower paper embedded with real flower seeds. Simply moisten, plant, and wait for a bouquet of wild flowers to grow!"
How awesome is that? I think it is just crazy- almost the equivalent of a lipstick tube you could eat once the lipstick is gone. Except, with pretty design printed on each tube, I'd be saving mine.

Next, from Paul & Joe, check out their 2008 spring collection's packaging:

Such pretty designs, I had a bit of a hard time finding a shop that sells these. 
One online store hqhair.com has their products, including the ones pictures above. 

Besame Cosmetics has their exquisite little gold lipstick cases that could make anyone feel glamorous:




I'm in love with MAC's Fafi line, a lot of the colors are sold out on their site by now, but not HighTop, my new favorite lipstick color.


It looks more orchid-ish in the picture, but on my lips it is a cool gray-purple with aqua-blue shimmer. The art on the tube is great, the Fafinette featured on the package is Eriko, I love her orange hair.
Their Heatherette line has some nice packaging, too. I'm not into Heatherette- a lot of their designs just make me cringe- but I'm glad to see that they're not just using boring black tubes.
I'm very excited about the upcoming MAC LE lines (THANK YOU temptalia.com, such a great resource for sneak-peaks).

The orange tubes of their Neo Sci-Fi collection are making my mouth water....