Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Toward Men...

Merry Christmas Everyone!





~Gabrielle~

Link to image: here

Announcement

Hey everyone!

You probably have noticed that posts have been few and far between lately for me. That's because right now I am so busy with school, sports, social life, and some other personal stuff that I'm finding it really difficult to find time for my blog.

I love blogging and all the great people that I've met since I started this, and I love doing this. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm disappointing people when I don't get to post as much and I don't want to feel pressured by this so I've decided to go on an indefinite hiatus. I'll still be here, commenting and reading your blogs, but I won't be posting. I hope you all understand! :)

Talk to you later,

~Gabrielle~

Review: Maybelline Colossal Volum'Express

Hey everyone!

Today I am giving a “review” on Maybelline Colossal Volum’Express Waterproof mascara. The reason I put quotes around review is because I don’t like giving negative reviews, so instead I’ll call this… “My thoughts on.” There, that sounds better! Onto my thoughts!

First, the packaging. It’s very pretty, I love the yellow and metallic turquoise, very eye-catching. It’s functional and attractive. One point for Maybelline!

Ooo, pretty packaging!

 Now let’s talk about the brush. It’s a little fatter than normal, not quite as big as CoverGirl LashBlast or anything, but not as skinny as, say, L’Oreal Voluminous. The bristles themselves are average length, but wiry. Let me explain- They’re skinny, and also kind of twisty. Here, look at a picture and see for yourself. It gathers product and deposits it in kind of a speckly way. It’s hard to see in the pictures, but there are little spheres of mascara on the ends of my lids.

As for the actual mascara? Well I already told you about the speckly part, but the length it gives is pretty good, as well as the volume. My lashes are noticeably longer, as well as slightly thicker along the base. However, by the end of the day my lashes are stringy- they’re clumped together and not at all flattering looking. Maybe this is just me, but this is really a big turn off for me, as well as a deciding factor. The waterproof-ness is also debatable- it doesn’t run off my face if my lashes get wet, but if I rub my eyes it smears underneath my eyes and I get a raccoon look. 

Bare lashes

Two coats of Maybelline Colossal Volum'Express

Ick- spider-lashes!

 All in all, I don’t think I would buy this again, and I’m glad this was given to me so I didn’t have to use my money. Some of you might have better experiences, but if you want my opinion, I’m going to have to say skip. IMO, there are better mascaras out there worth a try.  

Has anyone tried this? What are your experiences with this mascara? I’m also thinking about trying one of the Maybelline XXL Pro mascaras; Jamie of Maquilagem Masstige really likes this line. What other mascaras do you recommend? Leave a comment below!

~Gabrielle~

Book Recommendation

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven’t written anything in a while. I’m actually kinda uninspired right now, not to mention all my usual excuses- school, sports, etc. I should have a review and EOTD up next week though!

However, today’s post isn’t makeup related- it’s actually a book recommendation! I haven’t done much reading this year, but I read this particular book over Labor Day weekend. It’s Ophelia, by Lisa Klein, and yes, it is based on Hamlet, which happens to be my fave Shakespeare play. 

This book tells the events of Hamlet from Ophelia’s point of view- what happened before and after the tragedy. I won’t tell you too much, but in it she doesn’t end up like she does in the play… I like this book because it gives more depth to Ophelia who doesn’t really get a whole lot of attention in the play, and you can really empathize with her more.

If you like historical fiction or retellings of classics, then this is for you! Also, in the comments, let me know if you like book recommendations, or if I should stick to makeup!

Have you read any good books lately? Does this interest you? Let me know!

~Gabrielle~

Let Project 10 Pan commence!

Hey everyone!

As you can probably tell from my title, I am attempting Project 10 Pan. If you don't know what that is, it is when one tries to finish (or hit pan on) 10 products. For this, I am counting body products as well as makeup because I have too many lotions to count!

I'm already nearing completion on one of my foundations, Almay Line Smoothing Compact Makeup (which I'm not sure they make anymore- can someone enlighten me?!?!). In fact, I already hit pan and hopefully can finish it in a few weeks.

Another product I'm hoping to finish is Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar body lotion. It's quite old and I've only finished about 1/3 of it!

Is anyone else attempting Project 10 Pan right now? If so, let me know how it's going! Hopefully I can give regular updates on this.

Also, Happy Labor Day Weekend! I'm going down to my beachhouse with my family; hopefully I'll come back with a killer tan!

~Gabrielle~

August Favorites!

Hey everyone!

I missed my monthly favorites last month, because I really didn’t have any, lol. I did have one- using a shimmery blush as a highlighter also- for instance, Wet n’ Wild’s Pearlescent Pink. It’s a gorgeous peachy pink that adds some gold shimmer. Actually, that led to an obsession with cheek products which has continued into this month. Ready to see them? Here goes:

Clockwise from bottom right: MAC Plumfoolery blush, Revlon Pure Confection highlighter, Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

A closer look at the beautifulness that is Pure Confection

Swatches from top to bottom: Revlon Pure Confection highlighter, MAC Plumfoolery blush, Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

MAC Plumfoolery blush- This was my first MAC product I ever bought and I love it. It goes nicely against any skintone, like my fair-to-medium complexion. It’s got very fine shimmer sprinkled lightly throughout so it does add warm up your face a bit.

Revlon Pure Confection highlighting powder- This was limited edition from last year’s Revlon Pure Confection collection and I was lucky enough to find it on clearance at my Walgreens. I am so glad I did! It has gorgeous mint green, pink, and a hint of copper-y bronze-ish golden veining. If you wear it by itself, the pink does show up enough to be a legit blush, and it’s finely milled so it doesn’t make you look like a disco ball.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation- Check out my review here to see what I have to say about this lovely gem!

Copper shade from Victoria Jackson palette- I ADORE this because it has “spiced up” my boring neutral-eye look. Sometimes I’ll put this in the inner corner and other times over a dark brown in the crease.
 Anyways, I’ll be posting something later this week about this little treasure :) It doesn't look metallic in the pics below bu it definitely has that look.

The copper shade is the one in the middle, to the right of the ivory one

Have you had any monthly favorites? Let me know in the comments below or, if you have a blog, leave a link and I would love to look at them!

~Gabrielle~

Review: Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

Hey everyone!

I have been testing out Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Powder for the past two months or so, and I have come to some conclusions, chief among them: This might just be my Holy Grail foundation.

I love the texture of this- it’s a mousse, so it feels really smooth and spreads easily on my face. It’s a cream (or mousse?)-to-powder formula, so there isn’t a need to put powder on over this, unless you have a super oily skin type.  It gives my skin a smooth look while mattifying my oily spots.

Another thing I love about this is the coverage it gives. It covers minor blemishes and somewhat cancels out dark circles. For anything else, you will need to apply a concealer. (I have this in Light Nude 4, which is a perfect match for my skin.) Lasting power is also pretty formidable. I wore this for about 8 hours (a little longer than my school day) and there were very minimal oily spots on my forehead only.

Dare I say it? This is my new favorite foundation and my Holy Grail. At least until the next one comes along.

28 August- Unfortunately I deleted my pictures that I took with/without foundation. I will have those up tomorrow, so be sure to check back for those. 

Stock image from maybelline.com

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think? What’s your current favorite foundation?

~Gabrielle~

Maquilagem Masstige's Giveaways!

Hey everyone!

Jamie, or PoorCollegeStudent over at Maquilagem Masstige is having two really great giveaways!

The first is to celebrate her 100 followers, check it out here:
http://maquilagem-masstige.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-first-giveaway.html

The second is some products she got from a beauty event she went to:
http://maquilagem-masstige.blogspot.com/2010/08/huge-giveaway-urban-decay-and-jane.html

There will also be some links in the sidebar!

Hopefully, I will have a review of a foundation I have been trying lately and loving by the end of the week, as well as some mini-reviews of products I've been testing; that should be up sometime during the weekend.

Tata for now!

~Gabrielle~

Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara

Hey everyone!

No, I don't actually own the new Chanel Inimitable Intense mascara, nor do I plan on shelling out 30 bucks for it- but how gorgeous is this promo image?!?!?!

Picture from Temptalia.com

The multi-color eyes! The softly curled, luscious shiny hair! The perfect combination of blue eyeliner, pink blush, and nudey-pink lips! Chanel has certainly done a good job with this campaign image. I've been thinking about trying to recreate this look, but there's really not much to it.

Have you seen this image before? What do you think about it? Leave a comment below and tell me what you have to say! :)

~Gabrielle~

Personalizing Your Uniform, Part Deux

Hey everyone!

Sorry once again about the absence, but I was "kidnapped" to the beach and ending up staying there the whole weekend at my friend's beach house. It was a great way to end the summer, being there with my friends and everything. Anyway, here's the second part of my series, finally!

Shoesshoesshoesshoes. I wouldn't say I'm one of those people that's obsessed with shoes, but I do love a nice pair of cute anythings. I like flats, boat shoes, tennis shoes, espadrilles, etc. Just make sure the color/type of shoe is in compliance with your dress code! 

Left to right: Sperry Bahama Topsiders, Journeys; gold flats (I don't know where they're from)

I love backpacks because everyone has to have one, but no two are exactly the same. I usually use a bright orange flowery one from L.L. Bean, with a lot of keychains on it (I used to collect them), but occasionally I use a tote bag from the Gap that's very nautical.

Backpack, L.L. Bean

Tote bag, the Gap

Sorry about the shortness, but I already have a couple of tests and quizzes by the end of the week and I need to catch up on my beauty sleep! Talk to you all as soon as I can!

~Gabrielle~

Back to School EOTD

Hey everyone!

Ok, I know I said today would be part 2 of the uniform series, but I forgot to take pictures and my camera's charging now; so I'm posting about a good EOTD I came up with for the first day of school. It's neutral, but with a twist.

Start off with the usual- primer (Almay Eye Base+Concealer), a lid shade (e.l.f. Golden Glow), contour in the crease (MAC Chocolate Brown pigment), and a highlight (shimmery cream shadow from the Wet n Wild Pride palette). Neutral? Very. Too neutral, in fact, for the first day, which as everyone knows, sets the tone for the rest of the school year. :) So how do you fix that? Elementary, my dear readers. First, add some copper (from the Victoria Jackson palette) under the crease color in the outer lid, and then some golden sparkle in the inner corner (London Calling from Too Faced Glamour Revolution palette). BAM!!! It lights up your eye and will complement any eye color. Finish off with some brown eyeliner on the top lashline, smudged under the bottom lashline (or waterline, if you like; personally I like the lashline better), and some mascara (L'Oreal Voluminous).

Some things for the rest of your face that would complement this- a peachy pink blush (think NARS Orgasm, but without the shimmer) and a frosty nude lippie (Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Dreamy).

Whatcha think?

~Gabrielle~

Personalizing A Uniform- Part One

Hey everyone!

Continuing my Back To School Week here, this is the first in a two-part post about personalizing a uniform. I have been going to private school my whole life and have had to wear a uniform through all of it, so I’ve picked up a few tricks on showing my style while keeping with the dress code. (Wow, do I sound like one of those magazines, like “7 ways to go back to school in style!”, LOL!) And even if you don’t wear a uniform, hopefully you’ll see a cute accessory you like.

First, this is what I have to work with: either an oxford or polo shirt (spirit shirt on Friday!!) and either a gray or navy skirt, or navy or khaki shorts. I chose the long-sleeved blue oxford shirt and gray skirt, because this is my personal favorite combination.  

Boring blah uniform

Now, let’s start with the hair- I usually pull mine up into a ponytail or just leave it down, so I can use a hair ribbon or a pretty headband. For something extra-cool, you can use a hair band with a cute flower or something else sewn on! There are so many cute patterns and bright colors available, this should be something easy to find. 

A headband and some cute ribbons; I would show my flower hairband but I couldn't find it!!! :-(

Next, moving onto jewelry- most people have a staple necklace or ring that they put on everyday automatically. But what about switching that out for something a little more statement-making? For instance, I love long dangly earrings or large studs, and they’re so readily available at stores like Target, Forever 21, Icing, etc., the hardest part is picking which one you want to wear that day! Also, a colorful watch is really fashionable and functional, especially for someone like me who always has to know the time, plus I need it after school for cross country! 

Some bracelets in my school colors, earrings, and a cute ice cream necklace!

Now how does it look all put together?

Much better! Note hand on hip and rolled up cuffs for added "baditude"- prep-style, of course! :)

Don’t be shy about mixing a whole bunch of stuff, especially with a uniform- as long as you don’t pile on a whole lot of stuff, the accessories will balance each other out! That’s all for today, but be sure to check back tomorrow for part 2!!!

~Gabrielle~

PS Special thanks to my parents for letting me borrow their closet- unfortunately, my own is not that big, nor does it have a full length mirror.

School Makeup Bag Essentials

Hey everyone!

This will be the beginning of my "Back to School Week", with posts featuring back to school beauty tips. I'm kicking it off with some advice on what to carry in a makeup bag that you can easily stash in your backpack. This is stuff that you can use if you only have 5 minutes or less to do makeup in the morning, like if you've overslept your alarm, or pulled an all-nighter and you look like a hot mess. (I've been in both situations; trust me, not fun!!!) Here's some essentials to make you look wide awake and can easily be stored in a cute little makeup bag.

Counterclockwise from top left:

Concealer: You should have a concealer with you that can cover both blemishes and under eye circles. I like MAC Studio Sculpt concealer because it's thick and creamy, but easily blended out.

Powder: After you applied concealer, use powder to set it and also apply powder to any oily areas, no foundation needed! I use CoverGirl Clean Oil Control Powder.

Blush: A slightly shimmery blush will act as both highlighter and blush, warming up your face. This is MAC Plumfoolery, but a good drugstore one is Wet n Wild Pearlescence Pink.

Brush: A kabuki or buffing brush will work well for both your powder products so you can save space in your bag. This was in a Sephora Professionel brush set.

Mascara: This is essential to open up your eyes! It will make them look wider with just a few coats. This is my current favorite, CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion. You can also use a lash curler to help your eyes look even more awake, but I don't have one so I can't picture it :(

Eyeshadow: I use the shimmery white eyeshadow in this palette and apply it on the center of my eye, on the inner corner, and under the brow bone which highlights your eyes and helps you look more awake. For application, you can use the brush included which saves space! This is one of the best trick I know; it really works!

That's it, but what school makeup essentials do you use? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

~Gabrielle~

PS Sorry for the quality of pictures, but I can't find my camera charger so I had to use my webcam. Hopefully after I finish cleaning my room tomorrow I will have been able to find it!!!

Random Nonsense- A question and a plea for help!!

Hey everyone!

I'm on a mini vacation, my last before school starts, :(. As such, I had an idea to do a couple of school-themed posts next week such as how to personalize a uniform, an easy back-to-school look, organization tips, etc. What do you thing?

Another thing, I really need all of your help! I have tried using my Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette, but alas, no cigar! I cannot make those shadows stay on my lid. Seeing as how I used primer and don't have particularly oily lids, what do you think I should do? Did I simply get a bad batch, or am I not using it correctly (I've used it with Almay eye base, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and without anything; and I'm just using it normally!)? Any and all tips would be appreciated, thank you!

~Gabrielle~

I Give Up.

Hey everyone!

I am talking about Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara, which I purchased about two weeks ago and have been using since then. I had never heard anything about it, but decided to try it anyways, and besides I had a $2.00 off coupon. Well, let me tell you, I am now wishing I had gotten the Max Flash mascara because quite frankly this mascara just does not cut it. I normally would spend a little more time with it before reviewing it but I just don’t like it that much. However, if this changes, you guys will be the first to know!

Oh yes, the packaging is so cute, with a shiny purple tube and an embossed crown on top (sound familiar? What other Rimmel product looks like that? Answer below!). The brush… well, I can’t really describe it so let me just show you:

This is a “triple plump” brush for “fuller curvier lashes.” To me this just seems like a gimmick because it really doesn’t seem to help.

Nekkid lashes!

How about the formula? I think this is an ok formula. Sexy Curves is a little on the thin side, but most mascaras tend to thicken after a month or so, so I’m not too hung up on that. But it does dry quickly, and once it does you can’t go back and add some without forming unilash. That’s a little inconvenient for me, because I usually do one coat on one eye, then go to the other eye, and repeat until I get the desired effect. But now I do one eye at a time, which throws me off in the morning.

And the lengthening and volumizing? It gives just a little extra something, very natural looking and nothing dramatic. This isn’t what I was looking for; I like a lot of length and volume. It does better in the latter category, but even that isn’t saying much. It's just not impressive.

3 coats of Rimmel Sexy Curves

Now that all that is over, I have to go over my #1 complaint- smudging. Even after it has dried (and formed unilash) if you blink this mascara will usually leave little smudges on your eyelid. This is quite annoying, especially if you’ve already got your eyeshadow on. But the weirdest thing is that I noticed smudging right above my lashline after applying Sexy Curves. I think this is due to the bulbous parts of the brush hitting there while putting the mascara on, but I could be wrong. It’s really annoying though because it’s hard to wash off, and especially annoying if you’ve already applied the rest of your eye makeup.

All things considered, this not a good mascara and definitely not worth repurchasing. It only gives minimal length and volume, smudges easily, doesn’t give curvier lashes, and is just plain annoying. I think the only good thing it does is help your lashes grow, because of added proteins. But let’s face it, I can just use L’Oreal’s lash serum for that and not have to deal with it. My advice? Stay far away from this mascara.

Have you tried this mascara, and if so, what are your thoughts? Any mascaras you think I should try? Comment!

~Gabrielle~

PS The packaging is very reminiscent of their own Moisture Renew lipsticks!

 PPS Is anyone else really excited for Shark Week on Discovery Channel? 

Collective Haul

Hey everyone!

Well, after a day and a half of frantic searching, I found my computer charger (long story, but I thought I had left it in Florida...yeah...) and I can now *finally* post my collective haul from that trip. And let me tell you, I am really pleased with what I got!

Clockwise from nail polish:

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish in Green with Envy- I just posted my review on it on Saturday, so go check it out!

Maybelline Color Sensational lipgloss in Plumtastic- I have a Color Sensational lipstick that I'm really pleased with, so when I saw this on sale for $4.98 at Target I picked it up. I chose the plum color because it's something I've been wanting to try but didn't really want to try as a lipstick.

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser- I needed a new cleanser and was recommended this one by Jamie at Maquilagem Masstige. It's really gentle and is also a makeup remover, bonus! I also really noticed that my face hasn't been too oily, which might just be me but then again it could be because of this cleanser.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation- I picked up this foundation because, well, I just wanted to try something new and the texture of this fascinated me. It goes on really smooth, almost like a mousse-to-powder finish, and really makes my skin stay matte.

Bath and Body Works Travel Mirror and Makeup Bag- Aren't they darling? Actually, one of my teammates who is going to college this year (and playing for them, I might add) has been with the team for a really long time and gave each of us one of these. It was so sweet, so thank you so much Katie! Both items are really handy, and I can definitely see putting this in my backpack for touch-ups come schooltime.

I'll review the makeup products once I've finished testing them, so check back for those later!

Lastly, on the way to Florida, we made a side trip to Slidell, Louisiana (I have some cousins there, and let me tell you, they are some of the most fun people in the world to be with), a suburb of New Orleans. Saturday, we actually made a trip into the Big Easy  because my sister and I had never been there. We hit up all the touristy places- the French Quarter, Jackson Square, Bourbon Street (which was fun, but it STINKS), the Moonwalk, D-Day Museum, Cafe DuMonde, etc; basically staying in the nicer parts. What was cool (to me at least) was that in all the little shops they had really pretty Mardi Gras masks. These really appealed to my dramatic side (I love the glamour of masquerade, plus they're just plain pretty) so I got one! It ties around my head, and I love the glitter detailing around the eyes; it really makes them stand out!

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think? Comment!

~Gabrielle~

NOTD + Review: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear

Hey everyone!

Tonight's my last night in Florida, and while I'm a little sad I can't wait to go home again. But I have had a blast being here so it's all good :)

Anyways, I know I said I was going to do a haul but due to packing I had to settle for an NOTD so I figured I review it at the same time. I'm talking about Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish in Green with Envy.

Firstly, the color: I love bright colors and this is probably one of the best SH lines for it. I picked Green with Envy because it's a really unusual apple green creme that I don't have in my collection. So far so good!

Now, how does it apply? It has a nice formula that's on the thick side. It's not bad at all to apply, except when you wipe the excess on the side of the bottle, there is still some product left hidden on the brush! It's quite annoying, but I just make sure to be extra careful in wiping it off.

Now for the last part- how well it wears!!! In my humble opinion, this is a great long-lasting nail polish. It really wears well (the second pic below is after day 5 of my mani). There was only minor tip wear and maybe two chips. And this was without a top coat, so probably it would do even better!

So here's my overall view: If you're looking for a long-lasting nail polish option, for a good price ($2.50 at Walmart), with a nice color selection,  check out this line! I don't think you will be disappointed. Probably around a 4/5 if I had to do a rating.

Sorry for the briefness, but I'm quite tired and I want to go to sleep. I will post the haul tomorrow when I'm at home, promise! Until then- have you tried this polish yet? Are there any drugstore polishes you think I should try/review? Let me know and comment!

~Gabrielle~

Update!

Hey everyone!

Well, my team lost yesterday, one game away from the Final Four in our tournament. Still, 5th place in a national tournament is no joke, so I'm not too upset. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that posting will resume, starting later tonight with a collective haul from my trip here! So tune in later for that, and until then, here's a link to a funny  video to keep you entertained:

Fuzz!!!

~Gabrielle~

TAG: Getting to know me!

Hey everyone!

Since I'm kinda "starting over" with this blog, I figured I'd do the Getting to Know Me tag Steph over at In Her Makeup Bag did a few weeks ago. Consider yourself tagged if you're reading this and post a link in the comments because I would love to see them!


-->
1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30am- I had a softball game!
2. How do you like your steak? Medium rare
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Toy Story 3- don't judge!
4. What is your favorite TV show? Criminal Minds. Spencer Reid is just too cute!
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? the town where my beach house is- it's small and not commercialized
6. What did you have for breakfast? Toast, bacon, a few Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Munchkins, and some water
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican, fo shizzle. Or maybe Italian. Though I do love Oriental. And you can't forget my good ol' Southern comfort food! Oh heck I like pretty much all types, except seafood.
8. What foods do you dislike? Well, seafood, and whole tomtatoes, and umm... yeah a few other things I can't think of right now.
9. Favorite place to eat? Pretty much anywhere that has good food. But if I had to choose I'd say my Cajun cousins' house. Something good is always cooking!
10. Favorite dressing? Ranch
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? 1964 Mercury Cougar- my dad's hobby is restoring old cars, and my siblings and I drive the results.
12. What are your favorite clothes? plain ol' cotton t-shirts and athletic shorts
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Hawaii!
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Half full, because I'm always pretty bubbly and smiling.
15. Where would you want to retire? the town where my beach house is :)
16. Favorite time of day? Morning, because I love the feeling of getting work done when no one else is up yet.
17. How many siblings do you have? 3- a brother and two sisters, all older than me. I'm the baby :)
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? College softball and college football (and yes, there is a difference between college and pro!).
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? No idea
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? Not sure
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Anyone and everyone's!
22. Bird watcher? Nope
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning, for the reasons stated above
24. Do you have any pets? I have a very fat cat, Willy, and also a family dog, Rufus who is such a sweetie.
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? It's not really news, but my brother is getting married sometime this spring and then he's leaving soon after as a commissioned officer in the Navy.
27. What is your best childhood memory? Ignorance- it truly is bliss.
28. Are you a cat or dog person? Cat
29. Are you married? Nope!
30. Always wear your seat belt? Duh!
31. Been in a car accident? No
32. Any pet peeves? People who tell me what to do when I'm already doing it! GRRR Get off my back people!
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Regular, NOT CANADIAN, bacon
34. Favorite Flower? Yellow roses.
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate chip cookie dough.
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Sonic
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Never! I actually got 91% the first time.
38. From whom did you get your last email? My BFF, Katherine
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? The CCO
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? It wasn't completely spontaneous, but it was out of the ordinary- go-karting with my teammates!
41. Like your job? Since my job is to be a student- not so much.
42. Broccoli? I don't hate it, but it's not my favorite.
43. What was your favorite vacation? New Year's Eve at my beach house with all (and I mean ALL) my family.
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My teammates.
45. What are you listening to right now? The Glades, blaring on the TV because it's my mom's new fave show.
46. What is your favorite color? turquoise
47. How many tattoos do you have? None.
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? Anyone who reads it!
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 9:30 p.m.
50. Coffee drinker? Not unless it's some of Cafe DuMonde's cafe au lait! Preferably with beignets. Mmmm....

Toodles for now!


~Gabrielle~

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Palette Review + EOTD

Hey everyone!

It feels good to be here in Florida, though it is very hot. I have a spare moment to blog, so I thought I'd review my WnW Color Icon palette in Pride.

First of all, I had heard everyone rave about this product- it's lasting power, pigmentation, blendability, softness, on and on and on. So I put it on my wishlist and picked it up at Walgreens last week. First, the pigmentation- well, the blogging community was right about that. One swipe of the eyeshadow produces a highly pigmented color, and I often pick up too much on my brush! Which is a good thing, btdubs. So A+ for that! (I stand by my statement that the mattes are more pigmented than the shimmers, but both are excellently colored.)

Next, the blendability and softness. Not much to say on these areas, except, well, this palette has them. They aren't chalky or dry at all, and they blend easily which makes them ideal for creasework. Check!

Now for the last category- lasting power. This is the palette's one flaw. Every blog I have read that had reviewed these said the eyeshadows in these palette lasted all day, even without a primer. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me, and I don't even have particularly oily lids! These lasted about 3 hours without primer and about 4 with. I'm not sure why it's only me, but I will keep working with these and see if I can't figure out a way to make these last longer.

All things considered, these palettes are an excellent bargain and I want to buy the other 3 in the collection, because for the price, this can't be beat. I recommend these to people who want pigmented eyeshadows in a mix of colors that are easy to apply.

Now here's the look I made using the right side (shimmers) of this palette for a friend's party the other day.

I used Too Faced George and Weezie for all over the lid, then the green in the crease. I applied the blue above the green and along the lashline then connected it. I finished with a hint of brown eyeliner on the top lashline and Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara.

What's your take on this line of eyeshadows? Comment!

~Gabrielle~

NARS Cactus Flower Cream Blush Dupe???

Hey everyone!

A few days ago I was watching arose186's June favorites video and she described her NARS Cactus Flower cream blush as "red with a golden glow." That sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then later that night as I was looking through my lipstick bin to find some chapstick, it hit me like...well ok it wasn't that dramatic but I realized what I had been thinking about- my Rimmel Moisture Renew lippie in Rosette- a red with golden shimmer.

Now I've heard of people using lipstick as blush before (Sandra Bullock at the Oscars, anyone?) so  wasn't that reluctant to try this if it meant finding a good dupe. So I dabbed this on the apples of my cheeks, blended it out, and... well it looked pretty good. It was definitely sheer but you can build it up. There is one major problem though- the shimmer in the lipstick is very fickle. On one cheek, you could see what looked like little glitter chunks but on the other it was just a perfect glow, no disco ball-ishness. So that is quite hit and miss, but for finding a dupe of an expensive blush I'm willing to deal with this.

Of course I had to check some other blogs to see if anyone had swatched Cactus Flower for me to compare, and one of my favorite bloggers, Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog actually has a review of the NARS blush. Her pictures look pretty comparable to my results; however, she says the texture of the NARS is more like a gel than an actual cream, but I don't think that affects the quality of my dupe any less.

Has anyone ever tried using a lipstick as a blush before? Will you be trying this? Comment!

~Gabrielle~

PS Tomorrow I am leaving for Florida! I am spending a week there which is nice because I have only been able to take a few days vacation at my beach house (not in Florida) all summer. Unfortunately, it won't all be fun and games as I am actually there for a national softball tournament but I will still be able to soak up some sun and collect some tar balls on the beach whilst I'm there. Also, posting will probably not be actual beauty posts as much as tags, some awards I've been neglecting, etc. But I will still be here. :)

I AM SO STUPID

Hey everyone!

So you're probably wondering why my old blog is deleted, etc. but the fact of the matter is, I AM STUPID. I was going to delete an old google account, but silly me, I was signed in with my gmcbee13 account and deleted that one. It deleted everything, including my blog. And it's unrecoverable. So I'm starting over, it's still the same blog and everything, but I lost all my old posts and stuff, so please bear with me the next couple of weeks while I get everything sorted out.
Thanks!

~Gabrielle~