Haulin' at Nordstrom Rack!

     I'm going to start this post by saying that I absolutely should not be allowed into any store that offers discounts especially one that sells makeup for dirt cheap. I can't deny my thrifty nature when I'm thrown into one of these situations, and I'm going to admit right now that I have to stop buying more makeup!! But it was on SALE, my god, I couldn't just pass by and not stare at all of the wonderful products that were begging me to buy them!!

     The Nordstrom Rack is dangerous. A good friend of mine has been raving about this place for years, and now I finally know why! They have a great collection of designer clothes, shoes, bags, makeup.... everything.. and it is SO FREAKING CHEAP.

     Well, okay, I saw my favorite brands and I flipped out and impulsed a bit, but can you blame me? Look at these beauties:

NARS, guys. FREAKING NARS. 

I had a heart attack when I saw that box...

Here's what I picked up, with price comparisons:

Urban Decay All-Nighter Finishing Spray- $13.97 ($29)

NARS Midsummer Dreams Set- $34.50 ($47)

Urban Decay Primer Potion- $8.97 ($18)

     I will definitely be writing separate reviews on all of these beauties, because I use these products regularly!

     Midsummer Dreams from NARS is a set with a mini nail polish, a small The Multiple in Orgasm (get it, lol), and a beautiful highlighter duo called Hungry Heart. I'm in love with this, and now that spring break is coming I'll be able to work the glittery highlighters into my routine, and the blush stick is a beautiful shade- I've always wanted to try Orgasm and now I have it! (squee) 

     The next two products that I picked up from UD were at Nordstrom Rack only because the company is changing the packaging on the products- I got them for half-off just because the brand wants to redesign their bottles! Yay.

     All-Nighter has been WONDERFUL with increasing the staying power of my foundation and blush, but my best find was the primer, hands down:

     I am OBSESSED with Urban Decay's Primer Potion, and I'd been using the same container for years. I dropped and shattered my old one a few months ago, and I was heartbroken, because I didn't feel like throwing down $20 for another one. I had been using ELF's eyelid primer in the meantime, which is pretty terrible. To find this product in its old packaging for only nine bucks is such a steal, and I'm relived that I was lucky enough to find and buy it!! I've been using it every day, and I'm ready to burn my interim ELF primer, lol.

    After coming back from Nordstrom Rack I had a wonderful opportunity to try everything out- I was out the door an hour later for dinner with a friend, and I felt very posh with my new blush/highlighter combo on!! c:

here i am in all my glittery, neon-y glory!! (is it spring yet? screw it, neon 4-eva)

***I'm wearing MAC's Cockney on my lips- I swatched it in this post! ***

I'll definitely be taking a trip back to my new favorite store- and maybe i'll actually look at the clothes they have next time! :p

Love,

Izzy

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Review, Swatches, & EOTD

     I got this eyeliner in January's Birchbox, and while I was not thrilled with it in the beginning, I've been converted into an every day user of this product, which is impressive, because I'm an EYELINER FEIND.

 

There's a little defect on my stick's design :c it's okay, though, it still works beautifully! Also, this is a smaller version of the actual product, hence the "mini" on the stick (.04 oz of product as opposed to .07 oz)

Here's Sephora's description of this holy grail of liquid eyeliners:

    Featuring a long-lasting pigmented formula, this black eyeliner has an easy-to-apply, pen-style nib, allowing you to create thick feline flicks and defined lines for a smudge-proof finish. Apply a thin line along the lash line and inner rim or smudge outside the rim for a sultry, smoky effect. This gratifying, color-intense liner doesn't flake or fade and adds a unique touch to any look.

     The felt-tip of this pen makes for such an easy application of the product. The fact that the tip is tapered allows for complete control of the thickness of the line, and the finished line is always pigmented, smooth, and truly black. It dries on my lids really fast too, which is awesome because other liners will stay wet and transfer to my crease if I'm not careful. And once it's dry, it won't budge, which is awesome. I haven't tried it under my eyes but I'll be sure to update this post if I have any problems with it.

      I know a lot of girls that are intimidated by the difficulty of applying a cat's eye (I used to be one of them, haha) and this product allows me a beautiful winged look, and I can apply it on both eyes in less than a minute- messing up is almost impossible!!!

     Today's look is a prime example of quick makeup. I finished my face in under ten minutes today because I slept in (ew, mondays...)

Today's EOTD with Eyeko- 

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Eyeshadow- Midnight Cowboy (Lid)
MAC Matte Eyeshadow- Soft Brown (crease)

Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner- Black

ModelCo Lashxtend Lengthening Mascara.

     I've heard of other people having this eyeliner dry up on them, but I've had mine since January, and so far, it still works fine.

     All in all, this is a GREAT product, and I use it regularly, especially to school (though I've been shopping my stash a little more lately, and I've been into colored liners in the past few weeks!). This is a great staple for someone who's starting to get into liquid liners, and it's pretty reasonable, at only $16, and they have some other colors with the same formula available, too.

     Like I said, I got this in my birchbox, but it's available at Sephora, too!

     Make sure to leave me any questions or comments that you have!!

Love,

Izzy

MAC Year of the Snake Lipstick Review & Swatches: Cockney

     I picked up this lipstick with my last order to MAC, and I absolutely love it! The red is so vibrant and warm- it seems like a great color if you're going on a tropical vacation (or if you use bright reds in your daily routine, which I'm hesitant to to do!)

Click here to check out a FOTD where I'm using Cockney!

   The packaging of the lipstick is like any other normal lippie from MAC, with the exception of the beautiful holographic cover that goes over the box.

     The snake pattern that's embossed on the actual lipstick is gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it before, and it makes the lipsticks really stand out from the rest of the collection.

     The lustre finish of MAC's lipsticks has never been my favorite- they are usually drying on my lips, but I can always apply some balm as a base to prevent from feeling uncomfortable throughout the day. Cockney has some real staying and staining power, though, which strays from many other lustre formulas I'm used to! All in all, this is a great tropical red that I'm glad to add to my collection.

    I used it in this look on a Friday night with a friend! It's such a bold color :)

     I hope you're all having a great week!

Love,

Izzy

MAC Archie's Girls Lipstick: Oh, Oh, Oh Review & Swatches

I ran into MAC on Saturday afternoon with a mission: I've been looking for a light, shimmery plum lipstick ever since my Urban Decay lipstick in Pistol discontinued and broke apart. I saw Oh, Oh, Oh swatched on different blogs and I was instantly in love.

I know some people are up in arms about the packaging in this collection; a lot of people think MAC's choice of white makes the products look cheap. I absolutely love the packaging on the lippies, blushes, and lipglasses, though! They have an adorable vintage look to them.

I was never into Archie comics when I was a kid- too preoccupied by pokemon, I guess- but nevertheless, I think this new collection is pretty freaking adorable. I'd love to pick up a few more pieces before time's up (Betty Bright is calling my name!) but I don't know how I can justify spending more at MAC this month. I have a huge haul I'm almost ready to post about, oh no :x

* * B+ * *

     I love the color of this lipstick. It's a sheer plum color with enough gold sheen in it to make the shade really unique and beautiful. This shade is Lustre, though, which is quite drying on my lips, but I just put Burt's Bees on beforehand and I'm usually fine. The Lustre finish also doesn't last on me at all- I can get 3 bours of wear with this lipstick at the most- but I'm so enamored by this shade that I'm going to stick with it. If you're willing to spend $16.50 for a decent lasting lipstick, give Oh, Oh, Oh a go! There's something so unique and gorgeous about this shade.

Click Through For Swatches!

Kat Von D True Romance Palette: Star-crossed Review and Swatches

     I've always admired Kat as an artist, and when I used to watch her on TV I would marvel at how awesome her eyes always looked (She's always wearing a great "Kat" eye! harhar). I knew I had to pick up one of her products when I got the chance, and I'm certainly glad I did.

     The Star-Crossed palette includes four blendable, metallic, and overal vampy shades to experiment with.

From left to right; Hyperballad, Scandanavian, Oceansize, Ville

•      Hyperballad is a metallic, cool-based silver, and pairs well with:
•      Oceansize, which is a beautiful metallic turquoise. 
•      Scandinavian is a beautiful metallic brown-taupe that's growing on me every day.
•      Ville is a gorgeous blendable plum shadow, and is easily my favorite shade in the quad.

Swatches: Click Through to see!