Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy CC Lipstick in #501 Peony Review and Swatch

Okay... I need to admit it that I wanted to get hold of one of those Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy CC Lipsticks since I received its first promotional email. I am totally a sucker for its glorious red packaging. I couldn't stop thinking whipping out this lipstick out of my purse... Yes. I went for it when I first saw it at the Giorgio Armani counter at Nordstrom. I tried a couple of the colors and I was completely in love with the one I picked in the end - #501 Peony. Ever since I started wearing Jo Malone's Peony and Blush Suede scent, I've been obsessed with anything Peony. But I have to tell you, this lipstick offers more than the packaging and the beautiful name. 

I will start with the packaging. It's simply bold and glamorous. The level of luxurious feeling it offers is no less than the Tom Ford black/gold combination... I LOVE IT. It also has the magnetic lipstick cap -  same as the Burberry one. 

It's called "CC Lipstick" and claimed to be the newest technology which combines lip care with high impact color effect. The color is gorgeous as you can see from the swatch below. It's quite long lasting -  4 to 5 hours - drinking but no eating. I will do a kissing test and report back but for now I'm quite satisfied with it! I apologize that I took the picture at night time so the lighting might be a bit off but I really wanted to rave this product before I leave for my vacation! Of course, I'm totally carrying this in my purse with me!

The color definitely looks better on my lips than on my wrist. It totally brightens up my complexion and I absolutely adore it! I'm already thinking what the next color I should reward myself with next time I go shopping, maybe Heat? maybe Scarlatto? maybe Dolci? Ohhh I want them all...

x

Mimi

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer Review + Swatches (Celestial, Nova, Galaxy, Stellar)

Ever since there was the hype on Rimmel's Apocalips, I've been wanting to get hold of them! However, it took a while for us in the US to get them. Finally, I found them in Walgreens on one random visit. 

Now, I will start off with the packaging. They look pretty much the same as the UK version Apocalips. Average drug store product packaging, note the color on the packaging is similar or say a representative of the color inside but don't rely on them! I got four of them at once, as shown below. 

Color: From top to bottom in all three pictures are Celestial, Nova, Galaxy, and Stellar.

The swatches look nice, don't they?! They are extremely pigmented! All of the swatches above are just one stroke of each. 

Application: Easy. The sponge tip is great for application. It's super smooth and silky. It settles into a semi-matte finish which is very nice.

BUT, let's talk about the wear. The wear of these lip lacquers are so disappointing!! They are definitely not long lasting. The amazing pigmentation only lasts for less than an hour and starts to wear off. The part that's very frustrating is that it settles all on the boarders of my lips and that's not an attractive look. I'm not someone who checks in the mirror all the time so I really can't deal with this. Due to this reason, I've only worn the color Stellar once even though it's such a bright and beautiful color. My favorite color would be Celestial - lightest of all and it doesn't cause any embarrassment even if the color faded quickly because it faded "quietly" too.. The way I use to reduce the fading effect is apply some similar color lipstick underneath, blot lips, and use Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer as a lip-gloss. Even that, it doesn't prevent it from fading, just a better fading effect...

x

Mimi

Sephora Favorites 2013 - Give Me Some Lip - Draw The Line - Review

I was very excited to see Sephora's new favorites sets for 2013. They usually have a good selection of stuff in those sets and I tend to grab them before there are gone. This year, two of the sets really caught my eyes. They are the Give Me Some Lip lipstick/lip-gloss set and Draw The Line eyeliner set. 

I ordered online last week and I received the package yesterday. Don't be fooled by the picture on Sephora's website, those sets are mini! Here is a picture I took showing you the packaging and comparing them to the small packets of sample serums I received with the order. So they certainly don't look very big...

Now, moving on to the inside. You can't judge a book by its cover, right?

Give Me Some Lip ($25) has six products inside:

- 0.10 oz Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Bare Pink (2/3 size)

- 0.07 oz Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly (half size)

- 0.14 oz NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight (half size)

- 0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment (half size)

- 0.05 oz Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb (half size) 

- 0.10 oz Tarte LipSurgence Lip Luster in Glitzy (full size)

I'm happy with the amount of the products in this set. The full size Tarte lip luster was certainly a good bonus because it's worth $24 by itself. $25 for the whole set, you totally get your money back! I've always loved Fresh Sugar lip treatment although the mini size one tends to break easily half way because it's thinner than the regular size one. Buxom lip polish is always good as a lip plumper and NARS never disappoints me with its color and pigmentation. I'm quite satisfied with this set!

Draw The Line eyeliner set ($30) also has six products inside:

- 0.025 oz Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in Black 

- 0.082 oz Sephora Collection Long-Lasting 12HR Wear Eye Liner in Black 

- 0.01 oz Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black 

- 0.04 oz Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black 

- 0.01 oz Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Stingray 

- 0.01 oz Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion and Demolition

I love Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils. It's great for Sephora to include a double-sided one into this set. Black and Brown are always good colors for everyday use. Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner is another of my favorite eyeliner. I've tried Eyeco this morning and I'd say so far so good. It has a very thin tip and it's really easy to use to do a winged eyeliner look. I'm excited to try Stila eyeliners and I hope they won't disappoint. 

I think both sets are very good value, but if I had to choose one, I would probably be more inclined to buy the lip set just because it has more different variety and higher end brands. Also, the lip set is $90 in value but costs $25 and the eyeliner set is $79 in value but cost $30, so you do the math ;)

x

Mimi

Lululemon and Athleta Haul

I have been enjoying wearing workout gear to run errands, grab a quick bite or simply to look good during my workout routine. (I totally believe 'looking good makes you feel good'). Lululemon and Athleta are two of my favorites for yoga and casual sportswear. I've probably shopped more at Lululemon than Athleta in the past years because I somehow always felt that Lululemon has a more fashionable and dynamic spirit but Athleta surprised me today during my shopping trip with their designs. 

The first item below is from Lululemon. It's a 'Free to be' tank and it's on sale! Whenever I saw sale items that have my size at Lulu, it's hard to resist if the color looks fine. But this one, I really liked it! It's also on their website right now so go grab it if you can find your size. It would be perfect for workout or pairing with a pair of jean shorts or leggings. While I was looking up this on their website, I had to get this other 'Scoop me up' tank. (Follow the link embedded and see if they have your size)

All things below are from Athleta. I got this cami below on sale for $19.99 + tax. It fits so well and the material is very similar to the lululemon one and it's very comfortable to wear. It has removable cups and gives good support. It's called the Printed Harmonious Cami.

I wasn't sure about this white 'Swagger Skort' ($49) at first but the girl at the store told me it's their best seller and suggested me to try them on. I was shocked at how flattering they are! You need to go to the store now and try them on. There was a girl at the check out counter waiting ahead of me and she also got this commenting that this skort is good for all ages. I totally agree! I can't wait to wear them to play tennis or just jogging around!

Ah it seems I really needed tanks and skorts. This last one is the 'Runaround Skort'. I purchased this one because it was extremely similar to the Lululemon Pace Setter Skirt I have but at a lower price. I love the design and the material. And honestly, this is equally 'behind' flattering as the Lululemon one. 

New workout gears are great motivations to get me in the gym! I'm gonna head out now and go for a run in this gorgeous day!  

x

Mimi

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul Review

I've heard so many people talking about NYX lip products recently, from beauty bloggers to a few girl friends. I was at Ulta the other day so I figured I would pick up a few and give them a try :)

Below are the ones I got:

(From left to right: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul, NYX Butter Gloss Crème Brulee, NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil Chestnut)

I think they are all good quality products for the price you pay. But the most unique and my favorite among them is the Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul. 

It's funny that the reason I picked up this color was because I liked the name. Istanbul. I've always wanted to visit Istanbul. It seems like such an exotic place. Among all the pink-ish color on the shelf, I figured I would just go with the name I like ;)

I love the texture and finish of this lip cream. The product name says it all: Soft. Matte. Cream. It has a velvety finish which gives somewhat of a moisturizing feel to the lips but don't expect it to be lip balm type of moisture. It's also quite pigmented. One layer, you will be ready to go. It's long lasting but the only cons I have for this product is that it dries unevenly sometimes. Overall, it's a good product! I have also tried adding the NYX Butter Gloss Crème Brulee on top of it which changes the finish to a glossy and more summery look :)

x

Mimi

A Review of Recent Lush Purchase...

As many Lush fans could probably relate, Lush is a store where you go in and you will most likely come out with a little black bag in your hand. It happened to me again a few weeks ago. I have used all of these three products for a while now so I figure I would do a brief review here.

Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioner

I've heard a few people talking about it and I went straight to it once I stepped into the store. It has a very citrusy scent to it due to the orange flower absolute and grapefruit oils in it. With the rose water and almond milk added to the ingredients, it also has a very subtle floral scent. Lush says this product "beautifies, conditions and perfumes" your hair. I would agree with the statement for the most part. I'm very happy that the scent does last all day and it's indeed a very pleasant scent. However, I don't think it's rich or moisturizing enough as a conditioner. It is a vegan product, perhaps that's the reason. But I have to use a handful of products to get it all over my hair. I went through this 8.4 fl oz bottle very quickly. Therefore, this is not a daily conditioning product for me. I did repurchase another bottle because I do enjoy the scent being long-lasting on my hair. I absolutely adore the feeling when I wake up in the morning and smelling it from my hair. Nowadays, I tend to pair it with an unscented conditioner and it works very well that way.


Bubble Gum Lip Scrub

I smelled it in store and I loved the sweetness of the bubble gum smell. As for the texture and the effect, I think it was an overall Okay lip scrub. I have to put on some lip balm on my lips before exfoliating them with this product. It's just like raw sugar on your lips without any moisturizing ingredients. It was a bit rough. But with the lip balm, it works! People always say that you can make your own lip scrub at home with brown sugar and shea butter, I think that might be a better option. I don't think $10 for a tiny pot of bubble gum scented sugar is worth the money.

Catastrophe Cosmetic Mask

This is blueberry infused with tiny bits of blueberries visible in the tub. I love blueberries... I love them in pretty much everything. I didn't have any high expectation with this mask. As most of the Lush masks, they are all made with natural ingredients and I won't expect any drastic result with that in mind. I really enjoyed the deep cleaning effect of it. The only downfall of this mask is that it dries very very quickly on my face and little dusty powdery stuff from it will fall with or without any facial expressions/movements. But overall, it's a good product.

I hope you find this review helpful :)

x

Mimi