Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Damn Glamorous" (LE) [The Matte Lip 2014] + A Comparison

PURCHASED

Oh my God - HOW DO YOU WRITE REVIEWS AGAIN?

Maybe just kidding. (What does that even mean?)

Once upon a time, MAC released a collection called The Matte Lip, that came with seven new and limited edition lipsticks, of which I purchased three, two that are reviewed here and here, before purchasing a fourth that I'm reviewing today (before the third of the first three). Did I lose you yet?

Fun fact: The Matte Lip marks the third collection from MAC from which I purchased four lipsticks. The other two are A Fantasy of Flowers and Playland.

Second fun fact: The four lipsticks I purchased each from the three collections were all the same finish, per collection. The four from A Fantasy of Flowers are all lustre, the four from Playland are all amplified, and the four from The Matte Lip are all matte.  

Third and final fun fact: Playland is, without a doubt, the winner of all three collections ("Toying Around" should have been backed-up twice, at least, instead of not at all), but The Matte Lip is, also without a doubt, the runner-up thanks to "Damn Glamorous."

If I never got to the third fact, the "fun fact" tangent I started would be 100% unrelated rather than 66%. Numbers.  

The IceBlock [23]: Happy Belated Thanksgiving + A Milestone

Holy Wow (Maxi), here I am writing again. I'M JUST UNSTOPPABLE!

Okay, okay, I'm still a little...off, lol, since I pulled my all-nighter. 1 A.M. to 7 A.M. this morning, sprinting to finish my 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo but, even bigger than that, sprinting to finish.

I actually felt myself wanting to cry a little this morning when it was all done.

If you see my word count near the top right (or perhaps directly to the right of this post at the time it is published), you'll see that I just barely finished my 50,000 words. 50,015 was my validated count. NaNoWriMo goes through to the 30th, so I technically still have today to write even more for my novel, and in previous years I have continued writing through to the end, and beyond for a week or so. But this year it's not even possible, because my novel is done.

Happy Halloween & A Quick Update

Hi everyone. Halloween was this past Friday, and I conveniently started to get sick last Tuesday. On Friday, I ended up taking the day off from work because of the "viral infection" I was diagnosed with the night before, and by Friday night I had bronchitis.

I was really excited for Halloween this year, and so you can imagine my disappointment when I had 100 fever Friday night. I was pretty much in bed, sleeping on and off, this entire weekend. Today my fever spiked to 102, but thankfully it's back to normal after taking some Motrin.

NaNoWriMo has also started, and I'm a bit behind thanks to all of this sickness. This is honestly a first for me - I've never gotten sick with infection twice in two months. I really think something is in the air this season. I feel like everyone around me is getting sick with fever.

So things have been...terrible, and interesting, I guess. I just wanted to give you a heads up about what's going on. I'm beyond behind with reviews, so at this point they'll be going up for the sake of documenting my thoughts on them, or something like that.

I hope you're all feeling better, and that you enjoy the rest of this week.

~nikki

Tag: One Lovely Blog Award

Hello everyone! Hope you are enjoying your weekend. I never get tagged for anything, mainly because I'm usually just the follower that's lost in a group of hundreds of others, but Mel from I'm Not a Beauty Guru was sweet enough to think of my blog and tag me. Thank you again, and for those reading, do check out her blog. :)

I would explain the tag more but there is a set of guidelines already in place that does the explaining, so here are said guidelines as follows, albeit slightly modified:

1) You must display the award logo at the top of the post! 
2) You must thank the person who nominated you.
3) You must add this set of rules to your post so that your nominees will know what to do.
4) You must add 7 facts about yourself into the post.
5) You must nominate other blogs and leave links to each of them in your post! 
6) You must let the people who you have nominated know that they've been nominated!

There was a seventh rule about following the person who nominates you, but I deleted it because I could never, ever expect that of anyone. I don't even really advertise my blog because...I don't know...I feel like people who find pleasure in reading it will come of their own will. It has to do with how I am personally. Maybe because I'm a loner, and used to not having friends, but I feel like a bother asking anything of anyone, lol.

...Should that count as a fact?! Sure, why not. That's fact (1). Now for the rest!

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Styled in Sepia" (LE) [The Matte Lip 2014]

PURCHASED

Hi! Can you believe Halloween is in less than 2 weeks? October has been flying by for me..and with it, so is the decent weather. And the sunlight. The precious sunlight.

I really wanted to review "Fashion Revival" for you today, or both that and "Styled in Sepia," but it's already 9:15 and I didn't realize that the pictures for "Fashion Revival" have yet to be edited. It looks like "Styled in Sepia" is next on the list, then, not that that is a bad thing. "Styled in Sepia" is one of my favorite lipsticks from this collection. 

Which brings me to the fact that I purchased one more, "Damn Glamorous," which I probably won't be able to take pictures for until Saturday, if luck is on my side and, with it, the sun.

Really, though, let's talk about "Styled in Sepia." Let's talk about the collection's brownest lipstick, since I just said in my last post that brown is my least favorite color family for lipsticks. Remember? =D

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Pander Me" (LE) [The Matte Lip 2014]

PURCHASED

Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay - remember when I said I had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago? Well, for the past week my mom has had fever on and off, and she was finally diagnosed with bronchitis after seeing two doctors. Isn't fall in New York the greatest thing?

Anyway, if you saw my sneak peek post regarding MAC's The Matte Lip collection, then you know that I purchased three of the seven limited edition lipsticks that launched with it, amongst other products. Today, I'm here to share my first of three reviews related to this collection: my thoughts on the lipstick "Pander Me."

In my sneak peek post, I mentioned how "Pander Me" wasn't actually my own pick when I placed my order for part of the collection two weeks ago. It appealed to me at first, and then it didn't, and then it did again and didn't again, et cetera. Even now I can say that if my mom hadn't picked this lipstick, I still wouldn't have had second thoughts about it based on continuously emerging reviews and swatches across the web. Yet here it is with me, and here I am with you to say what my thoughts about this color all amount to.

Let's get right to it, then.

MAC's The Matte Lip Sneak Peek

PURCHASED

Hi everyone! Today's post is going to be a quick look at the products I purchased from MAC's newest collection, The Matte Lip. The collection just launched online this past Thursday and my order was delivered Friday evening. Between the fact that the weather has been moody and the fact that the lipsticks I picked up are, well, matte, I was only able to take pictures for reviews for two of the three that I purchased. If I was able to get all three done, I wouldn't even bother with this but, clearly, that wasn't the case.

The Matte Lip features eight lipsticks - seven limited edition shades and one from the permanent line - as well as permanent additions to MAC's line of Pro Longwear lip pencils and blushes. Not surprisingly, the three products I picked up were three lipsticks, and all three are limited edition shades.

So, for the sake of providing hopefully helpful images while they still are helpful (you know, before stuff sells out), I have for you quick swatches of the three colors I picked up: "Pander Me," "Fashion Revival," and "Styled in Sepia." 

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Lingering Kiss" (LE) [A Novel Romance 2014] + Comparison

PURCHASED

Hi everyone. I guess you could say I've had quite a rocky start to my new job, based on my last post. Then, this past Saturday, I caught the infamous sinus infection that I've managed to avoid for almost 2 years. I'm on a roll. I feel like my "strongest" week was two weeks ago...which was my very first week, when I was at the start of training.

This post - ugh, this poor post is so overdue. I'm sorry.

Today, finally, I'm reviewing the third and last lipstick of the three I picked up from MAC's A Novel Romance collection, "Lingering Kiss." I don't even know if this color is still available. It may be, but I'm honestly not sure.

Without wasting more time, let's move on to the review.

On Loss

Dear Niki,

I don't think very far with this. Buy a hamburger. If I had a lot of money you wouldn't long for anything. Take care of yourself. You are very special. I love you.

Hugs + Kisses
Grandma

Marie
1930-2014

A part of me is gone with you.

The IceBlock [22]: Fall In Every Sense

Hi everyone. Can you guess why I've been on the quiet side?

I feel like everyone wants to shout "Fall is here!" and start talking about change the second September rolls around. Maybe I fall into that category; maybe I don't. It's September 10 and fall begins on one of the month's nine 20's...

Regardless, this post is a lot about change, and also about things staying the same. It's about where I've been, and to reassure you that this blog is still my baby and that I continue to love writing and reviewing stuff. The quiet is temporary.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Good Kisser" (LE) [A Novel Romance 2014] + Comparison

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Hi everyone. Happy Labor Day for those of you in the states, whether you're off or not (and if you are, then I hope you're enjoying your free day). I feel weird writing this review because if you read my last review from MAC's A Novel Romance collection, then you know I said I was passing on "Good Kisser" since I own "Red Balloon," a supposed dupe for it. I was also waiting for "Lingering Kiss" to arrive in the mail, which it has.

Well, I brought my tube of "Red Balloon" to a MAC counter where I knew "Good Kisser" was still in stock just over a week ago. I won't say how they compare - you'll see for yourself near the end of this review - but I did decide to pick up "Good Kisser," and I'm ready to review it for you today.

Sakamoto Maaya, Part 2 of 2: Replica (LE) Commentary

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Hello, hello. Right now I'm not home, and will in fact be out most of the day, but I've taken with me my wonderful laptop and pre-uploaded pictures for two posts. While I'm not sure if I'll be getting to the other one, at least I know that this one will be up shortly and my review of Replica complete.

Sakamoto Maaya's newest single, Replica, was released a week ago and I posted Part 1 - with pictures of and details regarding the limited edition packaging and first press bonus - of a 2-part review this past Sunday. Today I'm ready to get to the heart of my review in Part 2, where I'll be sharing my thoughts on the songs themselves - both the songs of the actual single and the songs from the limited edition mini live album.

Yes, I'll be reviewing all 8 songs.* Brace yourself.

*Don't worry, 2 of them are instrumentals. It'll still be long, just not that long!

Sakamoto Maaya, Part 1 of 2: Replica (LE) + External Bonus (08/20/14)

PURCHASED/AFFILIATE

It's that time again when I have a new release from Sakamoto Maaya, and I'm both extremely excited and once again anticipating the next one. The never-ending cycle...

Anyway, not even a month ago I wrote this post sharing some information regarding Sakamoto's newest single, Replica. This past Wednesday, 08/20/14, it was released, and my copy ~that I preordered a long, long time ago~ (not really - the end of June) arrived from CDJapan on Friday.

I've thought about it, and even though my last Sakamoto review - Be Mine!/SAVED - was a single post, I've decided to break this one up into two parts. The first - which you're reading right now - is about the limited edition single's packaging and any first press/external bonus(es), and the second will be my actual review of the songs on the single. I'm going to try to get Part 2 up later this week,  but for now let's enjoy some pretty pictures!

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Yield To Love" (LE) [A Novel Romance 2014] + Comparison

PURCHASED

Hi! Recapping on what I said in my last post, today (well, over five hours ago it became yesterday for Japan, but whatever) was the release of Sakamoto Maaya's newest single, and tomorrow is the store launch date for MAC's new collection, A Novel Romance. Last Thursday, the collection launched on MAC's website, and that's when I placed my order for the lipstick I'm reviewing in today's post, "Yield to Love." I'm actually getting one more lipstick from this collection at some point, but I'll talk about that near this post's end.

A Novel Romance features a slew of beauty products, but with regards to lipsticks specifically, a total of six limited edition lipsticks were released with it: "A Novel Romance," "Myself," "Good Kisser," "Hearts Aflame," "Lingering Kiss," and "Yield to Love" (the collection's only MAC-online exclusive). I picked up "Yield to Love" for two reasons: its cremesheen finish and its color which, on some bloggers, appeared to be a brighter, raspberry pink. 

On me, the color is actually not bright nor is it a raspberry pink. In fact, I think "Yield to Love" looks closer to the swatch on MAC's website - which most said was completely inaccurate - when I wear it than it does to swatches done by bloggers. That's an interesting statement to make, considering the fact that the swatch on the MAC website is actually pretty scary (and, in that sense, inaccurate still). 

So, with that being said, I hope that of all things in this post, my pictures are most helpful. 

FOTD: August 16, 2014

PURCHASED

Hello! Here we are nearing the start of another week, again, the never-ending cycle...but on the bright side, we have Sakamoto Maaya's Replica releasing Wednesday, and MAC's newest collection, A Novel Romance, launching in stores the day after that. So there's some change from the norm to be excited for.

Back in present-time, I have another FOTD post to share with you today, using a new eye shadow I received with the rest of my [first] order from Beautylish this past week. Inglot's 26 Shine was originally going to be the star of this look, and this post, but I ended up falling so much in love with every aspect of the finished look that I don't think any one product should get all the credit. Hence why I'm labeling this as a "FOTD" rather than an "EOTD" (face vs. eye for those not familiar).

In this post, I'll be listing the products used, and describing how I got the eye look. I'll also give a few different lip product options that I think may compliment this look (based off my stash of course), because that was the only aspect of the entire look that I wasn't completely set on. Ironically, haha.

Eyes: Milani's Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow Swatches (8 Colors)

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Hi everyone. Happy Saturday! Today is the first day that's felt like a true [pleasant] summer day...and I spent it taking and editing the pictures for this post, which almost took forever but not quite. Don't worry, there were reasons I couldn't do much today to begin with. If you can't spend it outside, I guess it's best to be productive indoors, right?

I went back and forth trying to figure out how to introduce this new line of Milani eye shadows to my blog. I originally did a look with three of the colors and decided that I would use that look to create a review post. Then I did another look today using a fourth of the eight colors I own, and I wondered: would this technically have to turn into a review, too? But what about the other shadows used in the same look?

And then, what about the other four shadows from this line?

So, today, I decided to do a picture-heavy post that is not a review, but simply a close-up-and-swatch kind of post. Once I do looks using the shadows and/or review posts, I'll add them here as links for additional information per color. That seems like the best way to go about doing this. At least it seems that way today, haha.

EOTD: August 3, 2014

Hello! Here we are at the midpoint of another week, and I thought I'd share with you an eye look I did this past weekend. It was for the most part improvised, as I only knew that I wanted to use one shadow in particular, but I was fairly content with the finished look. My eye makeup techniques are still lacking but there is (I think) subtle improvement each time I go about doing it. The bulk of my struggles exist in the fact that my eye's crease...well...cuts itself. 

That probably doesn't communicate much. Sorry. 

The eye shadow I knew I wanted to use was "Bewitched" from Prestige's Total Intensity line. This brand - this line from it, specifically - has been getting an influx of attention lately, and what convinced me to pick up "Bewitched" was its duochrome nature. I simply adore duochrome shadows. 

Coming Soon: Sakamoto Maaya's Replica

AFFILIATE

Hi everyone! In honor of today being the first of August, I've decided to write a short post to amp up the excitement for Sakamoto Maaya's newest single, Replica, scheduled to release later this month - the 20th, to be exact.

This isn't really news, as most fans have seen information about this single circulating around the internet. The CD itself, both regular and limited editions, has been available for preorder from CDJapan since the end of June, too. I mainly wanted to document the information here on my blog for two reasons.

Stephen King: Mr. Mercedes (2014)

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Hi! This is a review that I've been dreading, simply because I finished reading the book over a month ago and...I don't know why I do this to myself. I mean, I know how it got to be this long since I've finished, but damn.

I've had this post saved at "Hi!" since...Thursday, I think. I didn't even know how to continue it, so I finally settled on just being honest, haha.

I have a love/like relationship with books by Stephen King. Some of his books fascinated and terrified me - such as my all-time favorite Duma Key and his more recent Joyland. Others didn't grasp my attention quite as much - such as Christine and Rose Madder. Regardless, whenever King has a new release, I always check out the book's promotional bite, curious to see what he's managed to come up with next and whether or not it's something I might enjoy reading. When it came to Mr. Mercedes, I knew in an instant that King wrote a book I would not just enjoy, but enjoy thoroughly.

Oh, I won't deny it: it's fun figuring out who the mastermind murderer is. I would know the fun in murder mysteries - Agatha Christie is one of my top favorite authors. But when a book's bite instantly introduces the murderer by name, and that book's author is Stephen King, well, you simply can't go wrong.

Lips: MAC's Sheen Supreme Lipstick in "Phosphorescent" (LE) [Moody Blooms 2014]

PURCHASED

Hi hi. Today I'll be reviewing the last of the three products I picked up from MAC's Moody Blooms collection, another Sheen Supreme lipstick in the color "Phosphorescent."

"Phosphorescent" was my first Sheen Supreme lipstick, though I previously reviewed "Moody Bloom" - the other of these lipsticks that I picked up from Moody Blooms - here. Inevitably, I reference "Phosphorescent" multiple times throughout that review, so if you've read that review already then you kind of already have an idea of my thoughts regarding this particular shade. This post will, of course, go into greater detail with "Phosphorescent" specifically, with the usual rundown of pictures.

So yeah - let's take a look at the infamous "Phosphorescent"!

Lips: MAC's Sheen Supreme Lipstick in "Moody Bloom" (LE) [Moody Blooms 2014]

PURCHASED

Hi everyone! In my last MAC post about the Moody Blooms 2014 collection, which I posted right before this one (here's a link anyway), I made an error and stated that I picked up two products only from this collection. I was thinking about my visit to the store when my boyfriend was here, during which I picked up "Artistic License" and "Phosphorescent." I totally forgot that I ordered another lipstick, "Moody Bloom," online. So why not review that one next?

"Moody Bloom" is one of six limited edition Sheen Supreme lipsticks that released with Moody Blooms. Sheen Supreme lipsticks are a different line of lipsticks from MAC's regular "lipstick" category, and the second different line of lipsticks I've tried from MAC (the other being the Huggables, which I've yet to review). I'll go into what MAC's claims are for the Sheen Supreme line but, for now, I thought I'd mention that I originally planned on skipping all of these lipsticks because I heard many people describe the Sheen Supreme formula as being greasy/messy, which I don't find very appealing.

To be realistic, I only originally purchased "Phosphorescent" for that reason. Ordering "Moody Bloom" online, then, says what I thought after all about the Sheen Supreme formula.

Eyes: MAC's Eye Shadow in "Artistic License" (Veluxe Pearl) (LE) [Moody Blooms 2014] + Comparison

PURCHASED

Hi! I'm finally back, and I apologize for not posting reviews in a long time. I'm glad to be writing again, though, and have a lot of reviews that are due, so let me get to the topic of this post.

Also: I know, I know, for some of you I may be wearing a target on my back. When will you review makeup that ISN'T from MAC?! I still buy outside of MAC, but they do produce my favorite lipstick formula(s), and they happen to be releasing a lot of collections that I've purchased products from. I realize the imbalance between makeup brands in my reviews (and the imbalance between general categories in my reviews, hah), but do rest assured: my blog is not going to become MAC-exclusive, or even makeup-exclusive. I kind of just review what I'm using, or reading or listening to, as it comes.

Of course I bring that up because today's post, and the one planned to go up next, both have to do with MAC products. Both are products from one of MAC's recent collections, Moody Blooms, which was released the very end of June. This post will be focusing on the limited edition eye shadow that I picked up, "Artistic License," with the addition of a swatch comparison to a cheaper option I noticed in my collection.

The IceBlock [21]: Saying Goodbye

I have lost friends over my relationship, and have had others question me or try to tell me why being committed over long distance is not worth it or, even more, is unfair to one's self. I am glad to say that even when I was at the human peak of self-consciousness, as a teen, I still didn't take what people said or thought about me to heart.

For anyone that has followed my blog somewhat closely, you may have put two and two together and figured out that my boyfriend does not live here. And for those of you who are just now stumbling upon this post, it's clear to you that I am in a long distance relationship. This will be my official announcement of it, not that one is needed.

There is a logic we come to learn as we get older. That practice makes perfect. The more you do something, the easier it is to do. And I wish at this very moment that those words were true about everything, but there are many things that can't be contained within any kind of frame.

We say goodbye every day, multiple times a day, and today is the fourth time I've said goodbye to him for what will turn into months, but you know what? Not only does saying goodbye not get easier, but it in fact gets harder. I am sitting here typing this to you, feeling a rock-bottom loneliness that will crumble to tears for the next few hours, then linger for a week before slowly morphing into a subtle "I miss you" that's constantly trumped by the monotony of life, 2,800 miles apart.

This is my fault. I mean, I decided this on my own, and I wouldn't change it for anything. I am committed and I am prepared to feel like utter crap each and every single time I have to say goodbye. Which I will perhaps always be able to count on both hands, because 2,800 miles is a 6-hour flight that you simply can't do every month, or for a mere three-day-weekend. Regardless, as a single decision made entirely by me, it still hurts the way a loss could. The dragging periods of wait in between are awful, but the very moment, when we know "this hug will be the last for a long time" - that moment is the absolute worst.

And here I am trying to get through it again. Taking in this silence that makes my stomach knot, and realizing you're gone. We said goodbye a few hours ago, and you're gone.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Pure Heroine" (LE) [MAC x Lorde 2014]

PURCHASED

Hi everyone. Today is the second to last day before my vacation starts, and while I'm excited, a plethora of things also makes me feel uneasy and stressed. I've been working a lot of hours and that plus my daily exercising has led to daily headaches, so I've been totally out of it. This post could have been written weeks ago, as the product I'm reviewing made it to my doorstep the first Friday of June. By the way, happy June everyone, and happy summer soon, too. We're in the year's gem month, which is already more than halfway over. (I'm biased; it's my birthday month.)

I saw Temptalia's review of this product in my Facebook feed before I even knew what collection it was from. I don't know or care about Lorde. The color, however, instantly caught my attention. I feel proud (and poor) to say that I love trying out all kinds of colors: purples, oranges, mattes, frosts, pastels, deep/rich tones, cool tones, warm tones - oh,  you get the point. I love being able to mold my appearance so that I can trick people into thinking I'm a certain kind of person, with a certain kind of style. I don't want anyone to know who I am - or maybe a human ditto* is exactly who I am.

*Pokemon reference. 

In any case, it turns out that "Pure Heroine" is one of the two items making up the tiny MAC x Lorde 2014 collection, which is apparently only available on MAC's website and in a very, very select few stores - I believe one or two of the three (is it three?) are located here in the disgusting city of New York. In saying that, I feel partially guilty for claiming my own from the online stock that people everywhere else have to fight through. Not that there was much fighting for this one. In fact, it's still in-stock on MAC's website at the time of this post.

So, let me refrain from making this introduction any longer and let's get to the review already.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Dodgy Girl" (LE) [Sharon and Kelly Osbourne 2014]

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Hi! Tonight is turning out to be exceptionally creepy, and this week is the week that MAC's Sharon and Kelly Osbourne 2014 collection will be launching on more online sites, as well as in stores, so what better time than now to review one of the collection's limited edition lipsticks, "Dodgy Girl"!

I don't actually care about Sharon or Kelly Osbourne, or anything Osbourne-related for that matter. And as for the standard MAC lipstick, I'm indifferent towards the matte formula. Then there's the fact that many of the collection's lip products were either sheer and boring, or light and borderline paste-y. The Patentpolishes were more than I was willing to spend, and I wanted to pick up a lipstick, but I didn't know which one.

Okay, okay - let's step back a moment. MAC's Sharon and Kelly Osbourne 2014 collection is split into two halves: Sharon's collaborated products, and Kelly's collaborated products. Both had pretty face and eye products of which I skipped everything. As for lip products, Sharon had four limited edition colors in the newer Patentpolish formula while Kelly had four limited edition colors in the standard lipstick formula - three mattes and one satin. The satin, and the most wearable color of the bunch, was "Kelly Yum Yum," which I had no interest in because I not only own "Candy Yum Yum" but I own its much more comfortable, glossy counterpart, "Happy-Go-Lucky."

So what I did was settle on the most unique color of the bunch - a matte named "Dodgy Girl" - knowing very well it could possibly clash with my skin tone and/or take added effort to apply. Thank goodness neither happened! =D

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "True Love's Kiss" (LE) [Maleficent 2014]

PURCHASED

Hello! I actually started another post on Wednesday that should've gone up by now, but I never got to finishing it and then this past Friday happened. I ended up with "True Love's Kiss," the limited edition lipstick from MAC's Maleficent 2014 collection.

When I saw what this collection would consist of - and the fact that its only lipstick, "True Love's Kiss," would be a shade of red - I completely ignored it. It released the first week of May, I think - I can't even remember right now. The point is, it's been out for a while, and you can probably still find it in stores because...well...those that don't have reds don't wear them, and those that do have reds likely have a shade of red close enough to "True Love's Kiss" already.

I own four red lipsticks, two of which are samples and two of which I purchased on my own (both of those are from Revlon - one of which was one of my first reviews here). Then I have the orange-reds, pink-reds, and purple-reds, that are much easier reds to wear because they're mixed with those other colors. But red-red, I have no problem turning away from. That is why I totally ignored this collection all of May.

But this past Friday, my mom and I went to see the new movie, Maleficent, that this collection was inspired by, and the movie was awesome in my opinion. In fact, I would watch it again right now if I could. Then there was the fact that Angelina Jolie's red lipstick was gorgeous in the movie. I thought it would be pretty neat to own a lipstick that not only was in the shade of the movie's main character's lipstick, but was from a collection inspired by the movie as well. So yesterday my mom and I went to a Macy's that still had "True Love's Kiss" in stock and each got our own.

I wanted to get this post up as soon as possible, since we're in June already.

Kristin Hannah: Fly Away (2013)

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Hi! I can't believe I'm already writing a review for Kristin Hannah's Fly Away. It's felt like forever since I read the book's predecessor, Firefly Lane, but it's only been a month, and I've read three books - and part of my own - in between. I thought I would have read plenty more books before sitting with Fly Away,  purely because Firefly Lane left such an impression on me. 

And I probably would have done that if it weren't for my mom, who fell in love with Firefly Lane after I recommended it to her. Unlike me, she was eager mere minutes after finishing the book to jump into its sequel. As such, I bought Fly Away much sooner than planned and, well, read it. 

You can read my review for Firefly Lane here, but in a nutshell, this book held so deeply with me that I had nearly nothing negative to say about it. The story was heartfelt and painfully real. I wasn't sure how Fly Away would stand up to it. 

With that being said, I think Kristin Hannah did a magnificent job, though as is per usual with sequels, the first is always the best. 

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Goddess of the Sea" (LE) [Alluring Aquatic 2014] + Comparisons

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Review #2! The second lipstick I picked up from MAC's summer 2014 collection, Alluring Aquatic, is "Goddess of the Sea," a limited edition cremesheen. I was most excited for this lipstick, because I know and love the cremesheen formula and don't own many purple lipsticks.

I have to say, taking pictures for this review was a pain today, because the damn sun kept dipping in and out of the clouds. For a while I thought all the pictures I took would be of awful quality due to the darkness in my room. Hopefully you won't find them too disappointing, haha.

Moving along.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Pet Me, Please" (Frost) (LE/Repromote) [Alluring Aquatic 2014] + Comparisons

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Hi again! Yesterday, I posted a sneak peak of the products I purchased from MAC's summer 2014 collection, Alluring Aquatic, and I mentioned that I would get the reviews up for the lipsticks as soon as possible. Well, today is the day! I'll be starting with the lipstick that I tried out first, "Pet Me, Please."

"Pet Me, Please" was released once before with MAC's 2010 Fabulous Felines collection. I was not even using makeup at the time, so I can't comment on that collection or the performance of the original "Pet Me, Please." I simply want to point out that this color is not brand new, though it is limited edition once again.

"Pet Me, Please" is the second lipstick I purchased from MAC in the frost finish, and I was reluctant to purchase it originally because of that. I haven't reviewed my first frost-finish lipstick but, in a nutshell, it can feel quite drying on my lips, which sucks since I'm not a fan of layering lipsticks. I was afraid "Pet Me, Please" would follow suit.

Thankfully I was in for a pleasant surprise!

MAC's Alluring Aquatic Sneak Peek

Hello! MAC released their summer 2014 collection - Alluring Aquatic - online this past Thursday, and I managed to get the three products I wanted with overnight shipping. So I got my order in the mail yesterday and wanted to post pictures of everything as soon as possible, since much of the collection sold out on the MAC website within an hour or so of going live (typical).

Unlike my previous 'sneak peak' post, which was done for Playland, this one won't discuss comparisons or first impressions. I won't be doing a master post for this collection, either, since I only got three products, of which two are very different lipsticks. There will only be this post with swatches, and then the detailed reviews for each product which will follow shortly after.

My final shopping list included the following: "Pet Me, Please" and "Goddess of the Sea" lipsticks, and "Aphrodite's Shell" Extra Dimension bronzing powder.

Gillian Flynn: Gone Girl (2012)

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Hello. I feel like I'm late to the whole Gone Girl craze- I mean, for a while it was the book that would continuously pop up here and there because of how "amazing" it was (Gone Girl veterans - see what I did there?). And then there's me, who enjoys all genres but has a soft, warm spot for mysteries, horrors, and psychological thrillers.

Still, I never felt the urge to read Gillian Flynn's bestselling thriller until now. Actually, I never had the urge to read it period. I just didn't know what to read after Heartbroken. Lo and behold, Gone Girl was sure to sneak in - again - as I searched for books, and I decided I'd give it a go.

What can I say? No, really, what can I say? I have very strange, cycloned feelings about this book, and I've been dreading this review since the moment I finished the last chapter on the train yesterday morning. What will I write? How do I summarize my thoughts on this book?

Because, truthfully, everything about everything is complicated when it comes to Gone Girl.

The IceBlock [20]: What's the opposite of up?!

Once upon a time, I was in high school, optimistic about the future, and naive. I thought about my birthday, I thought about my where-I-want-to-be's for after college, and I thought about all the time I had, for I was ahead. Yes, I started school a year early, and I would jump-start the rest of my life that much sooner. I decided on a number, and that number was 23. Twenty-three.

Once upon a time, I was a college student with a full scholarship, wondering how many credits I could balance at once, figuring out all the different degree paths I could take, having a taste of companionship, yet still naive, for I still felt optimistic without real thought of what was coming. I felt like the next step would make itself known when the time came. I had patiently calculated a number, and dutifully knocked it down one by one at each arrival of night. ~1470 days 'til I do...

Once upon a time, there was no more once upon a time, for the time was now. I was a year ahead. Now I've spent two years making little to no progress [so it seems]. I'm mostly a pessimist. And that stupid number sat on my priority list for so long, that it developed this kind of importance that makes this year carry a weight capable of shattering a spinal disc or two [I'm pessimistically weak, remember?]. 1470 days? Uh, how about 52?

Oh how time flies!

Lisa Unger: Heartbroken (2012)

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Hi everyone. I have to say, today was fairly disappointing - the weather was shit and that ultimately meant I couldn't take any new pictures for reviews (not that I, honestly, wanted to, and it isn't like I don't have pictures for products on the ever-growing waiting list), nor could I go walking (which is what I wholeheartedly wanted to do). The rain, one could argue, was the appropriate soundtrack to get through the last bit of the star of today's post - Lisa Unger's thriller, Heartbroken (2012) - but, honestly (again), I didn't even feel like reading. I didn't feel like doing anything.

Reminds me of my pajama shirt that reads "It's one of those days." Oh yes, yes it is.

Surprise, surprise - I don't want to write a review right now! But I'm pushing myself to do it because I did indeed finish Heartbroken and the best time to write a book review is, literally, as soon as possible after the book is done. 'Sides, it's not like I didn't like the story!

FOTD: April 26, 2014

Hi! When I went to IMATS two weeks ago, one of the products I was waiting for months to buy at the show's discounted price was Stila's In the Light palette. I was so excited to finally use it today, and I'm really happy with how everything turned out so I thought I'd share it with you here!

This isn't really a review post, though my opinions on the products I used will be peeking through here and there. I mainly wanted to show a look my mediocre makeup skills could come up with using this palette, and how it pairs with other products (both new and old). =)

Sarah Addison Allen: The Sugar Queen

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Yay! Another book review! I'm finally getting into the routine of reading again, and it's great. The book today's post is about - The Sugar Queen (2008) by Sarah Addison Allen - is a book I've been meaning to read for a couple of months now, and I'm both sad and happy that I finally got around to it.

Sarah Addison Allen is an author that is fairly new to me, in a way, as I discovered her at the end of 2012. This is the third book of hers that I read out of the five that she has published, and it's this book that made me realize something. The anticipation of her next novel - whenever that is, since she just published one this past January - pretty much mimics that anticipation I have for all of Sakamoto Maaya's releases.

What I'm trying to say is, in the short time that I've known this author, and from the three books I've read of hers, I feel confident in saying that Sarah Addison Allen is my new favorite (living) author. The sadness that exists in this is the fact that, as I mentioned before, she only has five novels, and I'm now done with three of them. I almost feel forced to take my time getting to the last two because the thought of having none left to read is awful.

In any case, the reason I love Sarah Addison Allen's work enough to declare her my favorite author has much to do with The Sugar Queen, and the themes it shares with her other two books that I've read - The Girl Who Chased the Moon and Lost Lake. Which brings us to this post.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Toying Around" (LE) [Playland 2014]

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I was going to just call it a night and save my review of "Toying Around" for tomorrow, but no. I'm going to plow through to the end, while I still know what I'm doing (lol!).

Some colors are winners. It's as simple as that. From the moment you put them on, you know that they're winners. You know you'll get a lot of use out of them, that they're what you've been looking for - that they make you feel totally confident whenever you wear them.

"Toying Around" is one such color.

I knew I wanted it from the start, and as much as my list changed between January and April, it was the only color from my initial list that stood put. I did take a risk in buying it - I love a lipstick that's a perfect balance between pink and orange, but most inevitably fall too pink, or too orange. You can see examples of such lipsticks in my comparison post here, where I compare "Toying Around" to an example of each.

That's not to say that "Toying Around" is perfect, because it's not. If you view it next to the other pinker colors in the collection - as I have swatched in my master post here - you'll see that it's more orange than pink. But still - there's just something, something about it...

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Happy-Go-Lucky" (LE) [Playland 2014]

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Review #3! We're almost there! "Happy-Go-Lucky" is the lipstick I was curious about after hearing it being compared to "Candy Yum Yum," which I own but have such a hard time using due to the streaky, drying application. You can see a comparison of the two here.

When I tried "Happy-Go-Lucky" at my MAC counter, the ease with which it applied convinced me to purchase it. It's definitely the most fun color of the four Playland lipsticks I purchased, in my opinion.

If you want to see "Happy-Go-Lucky" beside other lipsticks in this collection, check out my master post here. With that being said, let's move on to the review.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Sweet Experience" (LE) [Playland 2014]

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When MAC's Playland collection first launched, I only planned on purchasing two of the collection's lipsticks, and "Sweet Experience" was one of them. I wanted to own a pale pink in a more opaque formula, compared to my other pale pink from MAC, "Rose Lily." "Sweet Experience" was perfect.

Also, for anyone that's ever been curious about "Saint Germain," an amplified cream lipstick from MAC's permanent line, but just knew in their hearts that it would look awful, give a warm welcome to "Sweet Experience."

Before we get into the review, just know that you can click here if you want to view my master post for Playland, where you can see "Sweet Experience" beside the other three colors I own from this collection.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Red Balloon" (LE) [Playland 2014]

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Here we go! The first lipstick I'll be reviewing from MAC's Playland collection is "Red Balloon" - the one that seemed to be the less stellar option of all the colors available. I initially wanted this lipstick, then I decided not to get it, and then I saw more pictures of it and ultimately bought it. It's the darkest of the four amplified lipsticks in this collection, and perhaps the easiest to wear everyday.

If you want to see "Red Balloon" beside its fellow Playland lipsticks, you can check out the master post I created for this collection here. If you want to see a comparison post, click here. Otherwise, let's get to the review.

MAC's April 2014 Collection: Playland

LEFT TO RIGHT: MAC Playland lipsticks in:
Red Balloon, Sweet Experience, Happy-Go-Lucky, and Toying Around.

Hello, hello! As of yesterday, I finally have all four of the lipsticks I purchased from one of MAC's April 2014 collections, Playland. I already did a separate post with quick swatches and comparisons, which you can find here, but today I'll be doing a master post with all four of the lipsticks side by side, swatches, and full-face pictures - much like what I did for MAC's February collection, A Fantasy of Flowers.

As with that post, this post is meant solely to allow you to see the products I purchased beside each other, so you can see what differences exist within the collection. Playland featured permanent and limited edition products, including eye, cheek, and lip products. In terms of lipsticks, there are six limited edition colors, of which two are in the frost finish - "Playland" and "Head in the Clouds" - and the remaining four are in the amplified finish - "Red Balloon," "Sweet Experience," "Happy-Go-Lucky," and "Toying Around." I purchased all four of the amplified finish lipsticks, which I'll be sharing with you today.

This post is not a review of the products. Once reviews are up for each product, I will link them at the post's end. 

IMATS NYC 2014 Recap - April 12, 2014

Just over a year ago, I went to my first IMATS in NYC. It's kind of crazy to think that so much time has passed already.

IMATS NYC 2014 was last Saturday, and my mom and I had a great day. We got there right after the doors opened, weren't waiting on line a ton, got to visit a variety of booths, purchased some new makeup, and were out by 11:30! Three whopping hours, haha! Then we went for a walk through shitty Manhattan because it was one of the most beautiful spring days we've had to date (yesterday was a close contender, though), and we got home by 4 P.M. It was one of the most eventful weekend days I've had all year (in New York, anyway).

Since I basically explain what IMATS is in my first recap of 2013's, linked above, I thought I'd keep this post brief in terms of text and focus on pictures. I didn't take as many pictures as last year - but last year was also calmer than this year, in my opinion. The crowd was intense from the start - in fact, I didn't visit two booths I planned on purchasing from - Sigma and Sugarpill - because their lines were ridiculously long (one stretched across the entire space and the other literally made it out the door...or was that Lime Crime???).

Either way, my mom and I had a lot of fun, and she enjoyed her first IMATS, even though she couldn't care less about makeup! Haha.

So!

Kristin Hannah: Firefly Lane (2008)

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Whenever I go to Barnes and Noble, I always visit the fiction aisles to see if anything catches my eye. I love my tried-and-true favorites, like Agatha Christie and Stephen King, but I am as eager to discover a new love as I am to read another of their stories. I view my list of authors as I do my list of music artists: one that I work to expand on, so that the possibilities to experience become endless.

I've never heard of Kristin Hannah, but the covers of her books along the shelf were what drew me in, and the summary of Firefly Lane is what won me over. A story of friendship between two completely different girls that goes over the span of thirty-plus years. Horror and mystery novels are my favorites, but stories of life and all of its ugly and beautiful faces have been meaningful to me lately. And, of course, I love stories that really go in-depth. I rather know too much about the characters than too little. I want to feel - to realistically feel.

As such, I purchased Firefly Lane (2008). It has been my go-to read during my time on the elliptical, so I didn't expect to finish it this soon. But I've been wanting to read it - wanting to see what happens next, how the friendship between these girls ends or goes on forever. That's why I sat down today and read what was left.

Now I'm here, unsure of how to organize this review, but wanting to tell you that Firefly Lane is one of the most touching, powerful, and submerging novels I've ever come across.

MAC's Playland Lipsticks Sneak Peek: Quick Swatches, Comparisons, & First Thoughts

LEFT TO RIGHT: "Sweet Experience," "Toying Around," and "Happy-Go-Lucky"

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It's the weekend of the week of MAC's Playland online and in-store launch dates - which means I have (some) lipsticks in my possession to share with you (and WEAR!), yay!

I don't know what collection Playland is supposed to be, except one of many April collections, so I can't say much about that. But I will say that I've been anticipating the release of this collection since January for two reasons: (a) the lipsticks are in bright pink-related shades, and (b) they're in the amplified (creme?) finish, which is my absolute favorite MAC finish.

So when it launched on Nordstrom's website this past Monday, I ordered my first two picks: "Toying Around" and "Sweet Experience," which I received in the mail yesterday. Then on Wednesday I ordered "Red Balloon" off of Belk, which has yet to arrive (one of the reasons I consider this post a 'sneak peek'). And finally, last night, I went to my local MAC store and swatched the collection's other lipsticks in person, settling on "Happy-Go-Lucky." That essentially means I bought all four lipsticks in the amplified finish for this collection, as the other two are frosts.

This post is a 'sneak peek' because I do not yet have pictures of me wearing the lipsticks, or full reviews on them since I've owned them for less than a day. I also will not be writing those until next week, when all four lipsticks are in my possession and I can create a master post for the collection. In this post I will share semi-detailed comparisons to lipsticks that have been said to have comparable colors, and I will share my brief initial thoughts on some of the lipsticks that I have worn already.

UPDATE 04/22/14: I received "Red Balloon" today and have since worn it and "Happy-Go-Lucky" so this post will include updates here and there to add my opinions on them (and swatches in terms of "Red Balloon").

IMATS NY 2014

Hi! Tomorrow is the first of the two public days of IMATS NY 2014 and I'm happy to say that I'm going again this year! Thankfully my mom is coming with me this time, so it won't be as boring as last year (when I was all by my little self).

I'm so excited, and have been looking forward to this since I bought our tickets in January. Apparently Sigma, Sugarpill, and NYX will be around this year so yeah, it's nice to see more brands that I recognize (especially the ones that are normally shop-online-only for me).

Anyway, if any of you are going to IMATS tomorrow or Sunday, I hope you have a great time! I'll post my 'haul' (which will still be small haha) as soon as I can. :)

~nikki

Lips: Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in "Jungle Peach" (LE) [Vintage Collection 2014]

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Hi! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we might actually have a spring here in NYC this year, and thank goodness for THAT, as this winter was brutal. Still...it seems whenever we have nice weather, the wind is total shit. It just blows nonstop, and it has a tendency to be icy. Ugh.

Anyway, yay for a review that isn't on a MAC  product!

This post seems almost fitting. Today I'm going to review another Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick - and I italicize 'another' because a long time ago (roughly a year and a half!), I published my first lipstick post ever on this blog, which reviewed a Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick. You can find that review here. Going with the theme of time, Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks are one of the most timeless drugstore lipsticks around. And, on top of that, the color I'll be reviewing today is a perfect example: it's a color that's being re-promoted in a limited edition collection dedicated to vintage shades that customers voted for. Sounds kind of like the MAC collection mentioned in my previous review, no?

The color is "Jungle Peach," originally released in 1963! To be honest, "Jungle Peach" wasn't my preferred color choice. I originally wanted "Snow Peach," but every display I found was sold out of it. That's because Revlon is doing the usual "2 per display" fail-tactic that a lot of drugstores have been implementing lately with their limited edition collections. One can never understand.

In any case, I did manage to find and purchase "Snow Peach" later on, and I'll be reviewing that as soon as possible. But for now, let me just say that "Jungle Peach" pleasantly surprised me. 

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Hoop" (Satin) (LE) [By Request 2014] + Comparisons

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Hi! This past Tuesday, MAC released their spring 2014 By Request collection. "By Request" collections are essentially collections made up of previously released products that are voted to come back for a limited time due to popular demand. MAC offers a choice of products to vote between, and then the products with the top votes become part of the collection. This time around, the products were all colors released in the '90s (yay!), and the collection is exclusive to MAC's website. No in-store try-it-before-you-buy-it here.

I didn't know anything about this collection, nor did I vote for any of the colors (or hear about them, really). Honestly, I didn't learn anything until just over a week ago. As usual, I was mainly drawn towards the lipsticks, and of the three that were voted highest, the only one that caught my attention was "Hoop," which was apparently first released during a 1991 collection (my birth year). This might be lame, but I do find that pretty cool.

Anyway, I got my package in the mail yesterday and have worn the lipstick since, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on a limited edition item early for once. I also decided to include a comparison to two other lipsticks that I already have, for those interested in other choices with similar colors.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Nearly Nude" (Amplified) (LE) [Nudes & Metallics 2013]

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Hello! I want to start off by apologizing that I've been reviewing mostly MAC lipsticks for the past few beauty reviews. It wasn't intentional; I've simply been using my MAC lipsticks frequently and wanted to get reviews up for them while they're at the top of my use list.

While this lipstick is one that was part of a collection last year (so, as it is limited edition, I have no idea what the availability of it is at this point), I wanted to review it (a) because I really like this color, (b) I often look at my reviews as a kind of archive of the products that I've owned and tried, and (c) I'm waiting with great anticipation for the upcoming April collection, Playland, whose lipsticks are a majority in the amplified finish, like this one.

I remember that I found this lipstick on MAC's website by chance. I was just getting interested in nude lipsticks and I wanted to try another lipstick in their amplified finish. When I saw a set of nude lipsticks released under a collection called Nudes & Metallics, settling on "Nearly Nude" was easy.

Cover: Sakamoto Maaya's "Saved"

Hello again! I just wanted to write up a quick post regarding a vocal cover I've been working on. One of my top hobbies since as long as I can remember has been singing, and although I didn't follow through with my original intentions of pursuing a music degree in college, I still take my singing seriously.

...That's not to say that it's any good, but I do try to improve on it and I hold myself to high standards, as is true for everything that I do.

EOTD: March 29, 2014

White background!!! :(

Hi. :) I'm going to try to write some reviews today that I took pictures for this past Wednesday, but for now I thought I'd make a quick post about an eye look I did today. A basic eye look, no doubt, because I am by no means good at applying eye makeup. I'm still trying to understand how to properly work with my eye shape.

The palette I used today was the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette that my brother got me for Christmas last year, and I also broke in a new mascara. So this post is by no means a review, though I'll mention some initial thoughts here and there as I describe what I did.