Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick | Review

Yet another small review for you guys! I'd heard a few good things about Stila's liquid lipsticks, and as a huge fan of liquid lipsticks anyway, I was very excited to receive a little version of the product in my Birchbox. I received the color Beso, which is a gorgeous red.

It's very highly pigmented, and one swipe produces all the color you need. Unfortunately, this lipstick is not my friend. I wanted it to be, very badly. It had other ideas. Perhaps I got a dud, or maybe the smaller sizes aren't as good as the full-size versions. I'm not quite sure, but let me tell you my problem with this product. While the pigmentation and color is absolutely gorgeous, this lipstick does not "stay all day." Not even an hour, actually. After about 45 minutes of wearing this, I checked in a mirror to see how it was faring and the answer was: not well. There was a bare, very visible ring on the center of my lips where the lipstick had apparently rubbed off. It was also balling up, for lack of a better word, on my lips. It was not a very pretty sight. I re-applied to see if that would help, but the same thing happened. It just would not stay on my lips. It was also hell to get off of my lips, and left a lovely stain. Additionally, the scent is a little off-putting for me. I'm sure they mean it to smell like vanilla cupcakes, and it does, sort of. It's more like a vanilla cupcake chemical bath, and it's borderline sickly sweet. I could get over that, except the smell sticks around for about 30 minutes after application. 

I was very sad that this product didn't work for me, and I don't think I'll pay $22 for a full-size one to try. I'd rather try other liquid lipsticks, to be honest. Sorry, Stila, this one is a big miss for me. 

To close, let's have my blog earn its namesake:

One big, not-so-fluffy cat!

Review | Nyx HD Finishing Powder

I was in need of a decent setting product, as my last setting spray finally ran out. I decided to try my hand at a powder, which I usually don't bother with as my skin is very dry and flaky and powder tends to emphasize that. But, as I learned, some powders tend to work fairly okay with dry skin types, and now it was up to me to experiment and see which ones could.

I decided to get the NYX HD finishing powder as my first try. It was relatively inexpensive so if it failed, I wouldn't be out of a good chunk of my wallet. I also decided to go for the mint green color, as I do have a fair bit of redness as well. Couldn't hurt, right? I'd tried their translucent setting powder once before, when it came in the tub and you had to sprinkle it out. I hated that powder, as it showed off my dryness, and was the powder that made me swear off powders. But, now it was in a friendly compact, re-formulated, and I got it on a whim.

I must say I'm not disappointed! I don't use much, and mainly keep it concentrated under my eyes so my concealer doesn't crease. It does emphasize my dry skin a tiny bit, but not to such a noticeable or horrendous degree as powders can. It's quite bearable, and my concealer doesn't crease. The powder is very fine and thin, so it doesn't cake on and it's easy to control the amount you apply. I can't say I've noticed any difference in my redness, but I didn't really buy it for that. It may not be perfect, but it's decent, and that's good enough for me! I'd say this is a hit, and a cheaper option than more high-end setting powders that could potentially not work for me. After some research, I'm sure I can more confidently choose a high-end powder that could suit me. But this was a good first try, and restored my faith in setting powders a bit. As it is, I still want to invest in a good setting spray!

Haul | Most Recent Items I've Purchased

I finally return to beauty! I suppose this is more of a collective haul, built up over the last two months or so. But, as they're recent enough, and I've got quite a few things, a haul post seemed in order! The picture quality isn't so great, and for that I apologize. The natural light was dying and I'm a bit out of practice. I'll probably do more in depth reviews on individual items as I progress in using them and get a better understanding of them, but for now, let's see what I've picked up!

-Nyx HD Finishing Powder in Mint Green

-MAC lipstick in 'Syrup

-MAC Viva Glam lipstick in Miley Cyrus

-Milani blushes in Tea Rose and Romantic Rose

-Nyx Micro Brow Pencil in Chocolate

-MUFE Step 1 Primer in the white 'Nourishing' tube

-NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly

-Kat Van D Tattoo liner in black

-MAC Mineralize liquid foundation in NW13

I've also collected a few bits and bobs from my Birchbox subscription but I won't include those here. I might do a few reviews on things from the boxes, though, if I get around to it. As it is, I have a lot of things to review!

Days Go By

July passed in such a blur, and August is already on its way out. Seeing the time pass so quickly is making me feel a little sad, but it's also a bit of a good thing. I've been rather busy since my last post, with work and new friends that I've happily made, but I haven't forgotten about my little place to write about my journeys and beauty and everything else I love. Until I can gather up my makeup posts, I'll just share a little from the past month instead.

I took a day with my best friend to explore some of East Village, which is full of amazing food. We ended up going to Xian Famous Foods, which is a tiny little restaurant that serves the best soup I've ever had in my life. I also stopped at a macaron shop on our walk and picked up four little macarons, all of which were amazing. I'm dying to go back soon!

We had a roof day with some friends one night as well, where we laid out some blankets and played games and drank. It was a very fun night, and we plan to do many more! We light candles when it gets dark, though the city lights tend to help visibility as well. The subtle scents from the candles and the light breeze really make the entire atmosphere so serene and calming. I adored this night.

To finish off, as everything should be finished off, I had some amazing cheesecake ice cream. I had already started on it before I remembered to take a picture! 

I hope August remains a decent month, even as I go into school and prepare for some very busy times. I hope to see you all soon!

July, July

July 4th is Independence Day for America, a day often celebrated with fireworks and barbecues. I don't usually celebrate July 4th for my own reasons, but I couldn't pass up a chance to see some fireworks this year. I went to Coney Island with my best friend, and we sat on the beach and enjoyed some beautiful fireworks and dollar churros that were a little stale but still pretty alright. It was a lovely and fun night, and I highly enjoyed myself. I also managed to get a few nice pictures of fireworks. Who hasn't seen those though, right?

Of course, it seems a few people in my neighborhood had some leftover fireworks, as for the past few days I've still heard/seen a few going off in the night. Fun to look at, but not fun while I'm trying to sleep. It seems to have waned, though, and hopefully they're running out by now!

Wandering

Lately work has been rather crazy, so I haven't had much time to pay attention to my little blog, sadly. I work in real estate, and the market explodes during the summer months, especially in New York. Fortunately, it keeps me busy and unable to dwell on very much negative things.

I still often feel like I'm just wandering around this city without any real purpose. I've never much felt like I had a purpose, to be perfectly honest. I've no idea what I wish to do with my life, and even though I'm young, I often can't help but feel stressed out about not knowing. Maybe that's the perfectionist in me?

I can't say I'm 100% happy yet, but I hope soon I will be there.

In the meantime, I've been collecting my empty products to make a post about, as I feel there's something terribly satisfactory in using up a product in its entirety. I love seeing other people's 'empties,' and I also feel a little more confident that their review of the product is more genuine than if they only used it a few times. Not to say they're lying, but that sometimes a product can end up not working out halfway through, and when the product is completely gone you have no misconceptions about your feelings for it. So, I've been collecting some things and I will hopefully have an amount that I'm happy enough with soon.

See you next time :)

May Favorites | 2015

I don't believe I've done a favorites post yet, and I know they're one of my favorite things to see in the beauty area of the Internet. I love to see what people have been enjoying, and also what they haven't - I think next time I'd like to incorporate both things I've liked and disliked. Ever since watching Claire Marshall's 'Beauty Reviews,' I feel like the inclusion of both is a pretty great idea.

But, anyway, this month is about what I've loved. It is a touch late, but better late than never. :)

I only have a few, all makeup related, as that's all I wanted to talk about this time. I've finally gotten the chance to really wear my makeup almost every day, so I've had plenty of time to try things out and see how I like them on an all-day basis and not just 'try it on and wear it around the house for a few hours.'

First, I'll start with the big thing: the Naked 3 palette.

I bought this last year, mostly because I loooved the colors in it. I'm a sucker for golds and dusty pinks. I didn't own any other Naked palette (I still don't), but this one called to me first. I've been really enjoying it this month, and almost every time I wear eyeshadow I use this. I particularly love Nooner, which is a matte mauve-pink and looks absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes I wear it alone with a bit of Dust in the inner corners. Dust is also a favorite, though many don't seem to like it because it's a fairly chunky glitter shadow and is a bit, well....dusty. I personally love it. It reminds me of fairy dust, and makes me feel quite like a fairy when I wear it. There honestly isn't a color in here I don't like in some way. With primer, these shadows last all day.

I've also been loving the Real Techniques buffing brush. I've been using it as my foundation brush, and let me tell you it works like a charm. I've always had trouble applying foundation with a brush, as it would get quite streaky, but this applies my foundation flawlessly. It feels wonderful. It can get a little streaky when the brush is dirty, but a good wash and it's back to it's usual perfection. Mine is currently dirty and in need of a good wash.

The Kat Von D Immortal Lash mascara has also been working pretty great for me. It's what I've mostly been wearing this month. It's a great, true black mascara that thoroughly coats my lashes and gives them length and, with two coats, a fair amount of volume. Nothing crazy, which is fine with me. The little bubble tip at the end of the wand is also pretty handy for catching my bottom lashes. The formula doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day, even in hot weather, which is fantastic (as you guys know, the Better Than Sex mascara did this to me - sad). I really enjoyed this mascara, and I'll probably buy it again.

The Pixi Flawless primer has also been steady on my favorites list. I've done a review on it already, so let me just say it has continued to not disappoint and I am sadly almost out of it. If you have dry, flaky skin, this might be a good primer to try for you.

Lastly, the OCC Lip Tar in Lydia has been killing it. I bought this on a whim a few months ago and I've worn it at least six times this month, which I almost never do for lipstick. I tend to switch it up a lot. But this lip tar is just so gorgeous. The shade is a beautiful dark mauve-y plum that looks fabulous with my pale skin, it applies like a dream, and once dry it stays on for hours. Even with no touch ups, at the end of the day my lips will be a light mauve that is still very flattering. It's also not drying. The lip tars can take some practice to apply, as they are very pigmented and can get messy fast. I apply it carefully with a small lip brush, which works great for me. I'm dying to get a few more colors from OCC soon.

I suppose that's it for this month. I have a few new skin/hair products to try out as well, and maybe they'll make it to next months list. We'll see!