Urban Decay Naked Palette on Sephora!

For those of you who don't have this palette yet (this also includes me), Sephora.com had it back in stock.

Happy Hunting!

An update 2

The total is now 5 this year.

Seriously?

On another note, I got some Holiday gifts to review, and am working on a new post right now.

Happy Holidays!

An update.

So, I guess you might be wondering what has happened to me (if anyone is still even reading this site).  In the last few months I have lost 2 family members, and am losing another one right now.  For those keeping score, this will make 4 family members in the span of 5 months.

Blogging is fun for me, but unfortunately takes time away from what needs to be done right now.  I haven't even been reading other blogs (if you knew me, you would know that is insane.  I normally open-all tabs in my blog folder, and then just read them all throughout the day).

I have no idea when, or if, I will be coming back.  I hope I will, since like I stated before, blogging is fun for me.  I never started this to get readers, I started this because it was a hobby, something to look forward to doing, a place to write down thoughts on products I liked, or hated.

Thank you for reading this, those of you who are still out there.

--kaoru

All Vegan Palette Now up at Urban Decay!

Yay!  I've been waiting for this palette to come up.  I love the colors, and the fact that it's vegan means it can be used on vegan/vegetarian people (I try to respect things like that when doing someone's makeup.  Granted, that isn't often, hehe).

Besides that, the Guerlain Fall palettes are up at Nordstrom.  $85 is a lot of money for a palette, but I just keep telling myself that it is 6 eyeshadows, and the packaging is to die for.  If you haven't seen what they look like, temptalia has some good pictures.  Karlasugar also has some swatches, in case you are interested.

... Bah

*Sigh* When it rains, it pours.  (No one passed this time, but serious amounts of RL stuff happened, and is still going on).

I'm going to change my blog to just random posts (as in random time, random subject, etc.).  It's the best that I can do at this time.  I just wanted to let people know that, no, I have not abandoned my blog, but I just can't write on it like I want to.

On another note:

Free shipping at Giorgio Armany with FSHIPPING code.
shu uemura is offering 2 deluxe samples of depsea facial mist with code DEPSEA
DuWop vintage sale from July 21st - July 27th (50% off vintage stuff, or something like that)
stila's new travel palette is up

Happy shopping!

Update: new posts ^_^

No, this isn't an update to tell you that I am not posting.  This is an update to tell you about what!

Still waiting for my haul from Texas (almost all gifts, but still, a haul).  I had to ship it to me, and it still isn't here yet, so I can't do that for tomorrow, as planned *sigh*.

Posts about parts of the haul!  (Already have one ready to go, but first I will post a post that I had hoped to get done before I had to leave, so that's tomorrow's).

More skincare!  Being only able to take travel sizes of items really makes you travel light, and try new things.  For once, it didn't cause breakouts! (woot)

Nail polish review.

Hope I get my package soon.  Without it, I might just have to rummage around the house until I find something to review.  *Continues to stare out the window, waiting for UPS or USPS.... should have asked how they were shipping it*

And now, a rant!

/rant/ Okay MAC, I know you like to create hype about a product, but I tried last night after midnight to get Stereo Rose, but it didn't go up yet, and I tried again this morning, and it was already sold out.  If you know a product is going to sell really well, maybe you should make more of it?  I was going to order more from that collection, but decided I really didn't need any of it, and since the one thing I really ordered was sold out, I skipped (so basically, they lost money).  *Sigh*  Oh well, at least it's just makeup, not something like a vaccine, hehe. /rant/

Finally Back!

Yay, I'm back.  I was hoping to write a review or two while I was gone, but I only got to even check my email once, so that didn't happen.  I hope everyone is well, and that my absence didn't completely bore you.

Glad to be back!

Hiatus

I know I have been taking a lot of time off lately, especially for a 2 posts a week blog.  I'm sorry.  I write now to say that I am taking another hiatus, and to, this time, give a reason why.

My uncle passed away this morning.  In fact, for many of you, by the time you read this I will already be on a plane to go to his funeral, and to help out my family.  Normally, when I leave, I try to have some posts done ahead of time, so that people don't notice.  This happened so quickly that I was unable to do so.

Once again, sorry for the hiatus, I hope all is well in your lives, and I will be back soon.

--Kaoru

DuWop LipVenom Sale

Just got this in my email:

 

Save 30% off our popular Mini Venom Trio for one week only (June 14th - June 20th).  This amazing deal ends on 6/20/10 at midnight EST.  Enter code TRIO to receive discount on original Mini Venom Trio only.

 

As always, free ground shipping on orders $50 or more!

Haul

So I'm back *dances of yay ensue*, and came back with a small haul, because really, when you are driving 5.5 hours to the airport and back, and that's without the rest of the traveling, there will be hauls.

My haul!

The lipsticks that are out of their boxes were actually Back 2 MAC, so I really did less damage than it looks like.  I barely remembered to grab my empties before I left, and have been meaning to take them for a while, so I didn't care about the extra baggage.

What I got:
Cornflower Pigment Sample (Thursday was the first day for counters to carry some of the pigments as a permanent thing, so I was able to pick this up)
Syrup Lipstick
Fast Play Lipstick
Lustering Lipstick (Originally supposed to be Impassioned, but they were sold out)
Cyber Lipstick
MAC 130 Brush
shu uemura P Brown 820 Eyeshadow
Givenchy 17 Island Lagoon Eyeshadow

That last one really surprised me, since I didn't think I would like it that much, and it was expensive for an eyeshadow, but I really loved the texture, and the shade when mixed.

Glad to be back.  Hopefully I'll be getting my own smartphone soon, so maybe (I say maybe) that won't happen again.  Just realized that the phone I am looking at has more megapixels than my camera... sheesh.

Ahhhh! Sorry!

Last minute business meeting, and forgot my laptop to upload something.  (Yay for borrowed phones!).  Really really really sorry, normally I have posts ready, but like I said, last minute.

On another note:

Korres 25% off with free shipping on orders over $35, from 8th of June to the 16th of June.  Code FRIENDSANDFAMILY.

Sorry!

Sorry there's no post today, but I'm currently feeling sick, and I have to go move my brother-in-law.  Postings should resume on Wednesday.

--Kaoru

Julie Hewett Sale!

From now until May 31st, Julie Hewett is having a sale of 40% off with coupon code MEM40.

I know this code is good, because I just used it myself.

Happy shopping!  Her lipsticks are wonderful, and 40% off of them is a hard deal to pass up.  Also, try her Omit concealer pencil, good for the waterline and reverse lining, and her Cheekies, which are like Bobbi Brown pots.

She has matching lip liners for her lipsticks, if you are interesting in that.  Personally, I find that cheap lipliners would just as well for me, so I would say pass on that, unless you want to have a perfect match for your new red lipstick.

Few words of warning: juliehewett.net and https://cart.juliehewett.net/ actually have different pages, with the same products, and the code works on both of them, same cart, etc.  The difference is the page layout, and how much is said on each page.  Also, Scarlet, the Icon of Beauty Lipstick is not available right now.  It will lead you to a blank page on the juliehewett.net site, and the cart.juliehewett.net site doesn't even list it.  Also, Vampie Cheekie is only available through the cart.juliehewett.net site, the other doesn't list it.  I purchased this, and will update if they suddenly tell me it is out of stock, or discontinued.

Good luck ^_^.

Wanna Get to Know You

Saw this on Fuzkittie's blog, and thought it would be fun.

1. What time did you get up this morning? Noon, because I wasn't feeling well.

2. How do you like your steak? Medium rare, Filet Mignon with Bacon on the outside.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Iron Man 2

4. What is your favorite TV show? South Park

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Japan, since I love the food.

6. What did you have for breakfast? Nothing (noon, remember?)

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Japanese and Indian

8. What foods do you dislike? Peas

9. Favorite place to eat? Hana

10. Favorite dressing? Ranch, because I can use it on other food.  On salad, lemon juice.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Honda Civic

12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans and T-shirts.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Don't know.  Anywhere.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Half empty.

15. Where would you want to retire? *shrug*  Where I live?

16. Favorite time of day? Twilight.  Love the colors, the smells, the sounds, and the temperature.

17. Where were you born? Texas

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Soccer/Football

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? I'm tagging someone?

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? This is nonsense.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Anyone.  I like reading about people (real people, not celebrities).

22. Bird watcher? Not in the book sense, but I like watching nature.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night.

24. Do you have any pets? Currently two cats.

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Might be traveling to Texas to visit family this summer.

26. What did you want to be when you were little? Archaeologist

27. What is your best childhood memory? Ummm... don't know, hehe.  Getting my first pet snake?

28. Are you a cat or dog person? Cat.

29. Are you married? Yes.

30. Always wear your seat belt? Always.

31. Been in a car accident? Twice, neither my fault (thank goodness).

32. Any pet peeves? People not washing their hands after using the bathroom.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Pineapple, basil, pesto, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, olives (not on the same pizza, hehe).

34. Favorite Flower? Roses, since they are so easy to take care of.

35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate mint, or chocolate peanut butter.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Don't usually eat fast food, but Jack 'n the Box or Arby's, since they have curly fries.

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? 0.

38. From whom did you get your last email? A fellow student in my class.

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Nordstrom.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Bought a lot of mini chip bags, since I don't eat chips fast enough for large bags, and hate stale chips.

41. Like your job? Kinda.

42. Broccoli? Yes please.

43. What was your favorite vacation? Going to Japan in college.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My husband.

45. What are you listening to right now? Indica - Linnansa Vanki, Týr - Tróndur í Gøtu

46. What is your favorite color? Teal

47. How many tattoos do you have? 0, but I want to get two (still planning them).

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? Anyone who wants to take it.

49. What time did you finish this quiz? 3:59 PM Pacific

50. Coffee drinker? Nope.

Yep, that was kinda fun.  Though that whole tagging section...

So what are your answers?

40 Questions

I saw this on Jamilla Camel's site, and thought it would be fun.  Plus I thought it would be a nice break from nail polish reviews (that's what happens when you're sick, and don't want to contaminate your makeup, hehe).

How many times do you wash your face daily?
Usually twice, but I have been known to skip it in the morning if my face doesn't need it.

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) Combination, dehydrated oily.

What is your current facial wash? Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser, shu uemura Cleansing Oil A/O, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser

Do you exfoliate? Yes

What brand do you use? Clean and Clear, MAC, Biore

What moisturizer do you use?
Neutrogena Moisture Oil Free Formula SPF 15, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cream Night, Kiss My Face Natural Face Care - Peaches & Creme AHA 8%

Do you have freckles? Yes

Do you use eye cream? Yes, Clinique and Shiseido.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin? I had and still have acne prone skin.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? No.  My brother did, and it was bleaching his sheets because of how harsh was.


MAKE-UP

What foundation do you use?
Max Factor Pan Stick 101 and 121

Revlon PhotoReady 002 and 003

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation NW20

How about concealer?
Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque, Max Factor Pan Stick, Lancôme 'Photôgenic' Skin-Illuminating Concealer SPF 15 Camée, Maybelline Concealer/Highlighter Pen

Do you know your undertone color? Yes, red.

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I have never really gotten into them.  I keep some around for fun, but I don't think they're for me.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months? Yes, I usually write the date I opened it with a permanent marker onto the tube.

What brand of mascara do you use? Anything and everything.  I have ones that I like that I repurchase, but I'm constantly trying new things.

Sephora or MAC? Sephora

Do you have a MAC Pro-card? No

What makeup tools do you use in make up application? Brushes and fingers.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? Yes, UDPP.

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? Taupes (and champagnes, hehe, I cheat).

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? Pencil

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? Rarely.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? I think they're messy, but I love the color range, and the price.

Do you use mineral makeup? I have in the past, but am not currently.

What is your favorite lipstick? Giorgio Armani Lip Waxes.

How about lipgloss? Dior 'Addict' Ultra Gloss Reflect.

What is your favorite blush to use? ... I guess Stila Convertibles, since I can also use them as lip colors?  Either that, or MAC True Romantic.  I actually bought a backup of that one.

Do you buy your makeup on ebay? Not unless I trust the seller.  Even then, very rarely.

Do you like drugstore makeup? Yes.

Do you go to CCO's? Rarely, since the closest one to me is still 2 hours away.

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? Yes, but couldn't justify the price without going into the field.

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? Kinda.  I've been practicing since I was little, but I just take way too long.

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones? Both.  I usually wear neutrals, but I love brights.

Which celebrity always has great make up? Son Ga-In

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
Concealer

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? Yes, all the time.

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? Yes, for the most part.  There's a reason I said concealer above, hehe.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? None, they all have good and bad products.  Maybe NYX, because of quality for price.

What do you think of Makeup? A great form of expression that traverses language barriers and geographic location.

Urban Decay Friends and Family

Many of you might already know of this, but I thought I would share for the rest of you ^_^.

Happy Shopping!

How do I love boots?

Let me count the ways.

Boots and I go way back, to even before I cared at all for dressing up on occasion, or anything of the sort.

Back in highschool I would wear nothing but boots, except in gym, where I had to wear tennis shoes.  Most of these were hiking boots, but still, boots.  There's just something about them that makes me happy, like a pair of cozy socks, or a bowl of soup.

Later came... the craving.  I started buying more types of boots, from little booties to full blown knee high motorcycle boots (which I waterproofed, and made into my rain boots.  They can't handle a deep puddle, but they can handle rain and small puddles).  Most of my boots are black, but there is the occasional brown or tan boot that makes an appearance.

So why all this talk about boots?  Because boot season is starting to come to a close, and I am giddy with excitement.  While most people see this as a good day because they can finally whip out their flip flops (never cared for those, myself), I see it as the day to go bargain hunting, and find boots at an even cheaper price!  Bwahahahaha!

I never stop wearing the boots; I just start bringing the occasional sandal or non-boot dress shoe with me.  You know... in case.

Random - fragrance

So I got a sampler of fragrances from Sephora for Christmas 2009, and am just now getting around to testing all the fragrances.  Man, it's funny how personal fragrance is to people, hehe.  I was looking at reviews, just to see what people smelled in them, staying power, etc, and one of the fragrances, Ralph Lauren Romance, to be exact, I could not /stand/, but had good reviews.  I just found that funny, thought I would share.

Oh, and I might be reviewing another fragrance soon, since I have this sampler, and my husband's (he didn't like any of them, so looks like I get his coupon, too, woohoo!).  Let's see if I find anything worth getting a large bottle of!

Random - I hate being sick

So, I went to a concert (only the second one I've ever been to, hehe) last week, and came back with hurting ears, a cold, and a better appreciation for a couple of songs that I rated lower before I saw them played in person.

Now this cold has taken my voice away for 3 days, and counting, and has just generally pissed me off in any way it could.  Everyone around me has it, but for some reason I'm the only one that had their vocal cords affected.

Any case, this leads me to a small rant: if you are sick, for the love of all that you hold dear, don't go to a crowded event and get everyone around you sick!  Sheesh, it's called common curtesy.  If you have to go (this concert was really once in a lifetime), wear one of those facial masks to at least /try/.  Oh, and cough into your sleeve, not onto people!

Well, at least I got to see a couple really good bands in person.

20 Questions

I wasn't tagged, but I'm bored waiting for news at the moment, hehe.  Stole this list from buymelipgloss ^_^.

1. Things you cannot leave the house without: keys, cell phone, wallet

2. Favorite brand of makeup: NYX, Dior, Giorgio Armani

3. Favorite clothing store: Eddie Bauer (they carry talls), J.Jill (Same reason)

4. Favorite flower: Roses

5. Favorite perfume: Burberry London, Black Pheonix Alchemy Labs Blood

6. Heels or flats: Both!

7. Do you make good grades: Yes

8. Favorite colors: teal and blue

9. Do you drink energy drinks: Not really.  Don't like the taste.

10. Do you drink juice: Whenever I have it, but only a glass a day.

11. Do you like swimming: Nope.

12. Do you eat fries with a fork? Depends on if I'm able to wash my hands afterwards.  If the answer is no, then form it is.

13. Favorite moisturizer: Face - Neutrogena Night Cream stuffs, Body - Avalon Peppermint Lotion

14. Do you want to get married later on in life: I'm already married

15. Do you get mad easily: Depends on what I'm getting mad about.

16. Are you into ghost hunting: Hehe, yeah, because it's funny.

17. Any phobias: I can't think of any.

18. Do you bite your nails: Only when a nail breaks to the point it hurts, and I'm saving my poor hands.

19. Have you ever had a near death experience: ... Don't know, so I'm guessing not.

20. Do you drink coffee: Nope, don't like the taste.  I can handle bitter, coffee just tastes bad to me.

Yay, a post!  Hehe.