Review: ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Baby Doll +

Lots of lip product reviews lately - Sorry if you're tired of staring at my lips, lol. I promise more diversity coming in the near future! ;) Also added Peach Colada review to my previous entry in case you were wondering about the color on the lips!

Onwards to the review!

♥ *~REVIEW~* ♥

ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Baby Doll

*Description (from the E.L.F. site)*

Forget costly Collagen injections, or those painfully stinging glosses, stimulate your senses to a refreshed full perfect pout with e.l.f. Plumping Lip Glaze! e.l.f. proudly presents a revolutionary lip plumper, infusing natural ingredients that awaken your senses for fresh, volume enhanced, and moisturized lips. This dual sided Plumping Lip Glaze has a tinted color for a subtle plump or a clear gloss that power plumps your lips, use together and instantly feel the lip enlarging effects!

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Still can't find deals like this anywhere! Again, $1!!! Drives me crazy with happiness. The double sided wand lets you select whether or not you want super plump lips or just semi-plump lips:




After reading the review on the site, I thought sure no problem! No painful stinging! I generously lathered some of the white plumper on my lips = instant STING! LOL. Albeit, it was nice and minty, but it kind of burns your lips a little. Nothing I couldn't handle and it wasn't painful, but if your lips are sensitive BE WARNED! Thankfully, it subsides in a bit and you are free to apply the other side of the gloss.



I didn't notice major plumping; my lips are already kind of pillow-y so it was hard to tell for sure if they poofed up or not. After looking for awhile, I concluded that there was a minor plumping effect on both the top and bottom lips.

Baby Doll is a very pretty, subtle color with a hint of pink and tiny silver sparkles. Again, I'm the type of person that doesn't like things on her lips, and this was just fine -- it wasn't too sticky and it lasted a few hours!

Pros: Mild-moderate plumping effect, pretty & versatile color, wears for at least a few hours, not too sticky/tacky, very affordable
Cons: Definite stinging/possible irritation, not as pigmented (but it isn't really meant to be very pigmented, as it is described as a tinted lip color), Applicator a little stiff

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5)

I'm not sure how often I'd actually wear the plumper side of the product, but the glaze itself is lovely and I will definitely repurchase. For this price, it is a STEAL!

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Omnomnomnomnomnom...

For all you foodies out there, RESTAURANT.COM is running a promotion where you can buy some of their awesome gift certificates (save $25 off of a $45 meal after 18% gratuity automatically added - still a pretty sweet deal) - for only $2!!! Usually, they are like $10 for a $25 gift certificate. Just use the coupon code COOK at checkout! My family and I always stock up during these sales, hehe...

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I love Dim Sum Sundays at home! My Mom is the BEST COOK EVER - homemade "Pei-Don Jook" with crunchy bread (I can't spell out the Chinese name, it translates something like "straight oil"?!)



Can't forget dash of Maggi & white pepper!


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Hello to MeiBelle, Ms. Viafara, Tina, Sweetfurr, AlyssaMae, Pak4U, Fashion Geek, Dramaramas, Candy & Jen!

Good night all you beauties ~ I wish you a wonderful week!

♥ Irene

I ♥ Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick +

This is a followup to my initial review on Maybelline Moisture Extreme lipstick in Sugar Plum Ice HERE.

♥ *~REVIEW~* ♥

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick



No flash

I purchased these during the BOGO sale at Walgreens!

My collection now consists of: Sugar Plum Ice, Born with it, Windsor Rose, Sweet Ginger, & Peach Colada

Here are the swatches



**And on the lips**

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From my previous post, Sugar Plum Ice - shimmery, baby pink. ♥



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Born with it - Like its namesake, a very natural, subtle, sheer pinky color. YLBB



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Windsor Rose - a bright, cool-toned punchy pink. I didn't think I could pull off cooler toned pinks, but it actually looks really gorgeous & dolly on!



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Sweet ginger - I like this color A LOT - a great color for the Fall or matched with an earth-toned outfit. I actually might still have a trace of Peach Colada on my lips (thus the kind of coral-y shimmer in the flash pic) Mmm...reminds me of chai tea for some reason.



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Peach Colada - This one looked super promising and bright in the tube! Maybe it was the base I was using or maybe it just isn't that pigmented... :/ Either way, it just did NOT want to stick to my lips. Even after swiping it a few times, still no dice. It's still a pretty subtle shade in the 'coral' family. I'd still use it on a nice Summer day! :)



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Ok. Feeling lazy, will swatch Peach Colada later. (Maybe in the Summer when I'll actually sport it!) ***UPDATED - added swatch above 3/28*** Nude blush was all sold out, but I'll be on the hunt for it next time I'm stalking the makeup aisle during sale time! Strange observation: I noticed they sell a wider range of colors at the drugstores over Target.

Pros: Super affordable, very moisturizing, SPF15, gorgeous colors, tastes yummy
Cons: Not very long wearing

I am completely taken by this line! It's no wonder other bloggettes have raved about these too - there is a reason! If you're a n00b at lipstick like I am, you'll appreciate the fact that again, these lipsticks don't feel like lipstick on the lips. As previously mentioned, I hate anything but Aquaphor sitting on my lips, so it's pretty amazing that I actually enjoy wearing these lipsticks!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (5/5)

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Chronic dry-lippers REJOICE!!!

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Although I have received this award previously, I would like to thank Sharlene for all her crazy thoughtfulness in bestowing the sunshine award on me again! :) Recently, I have needed more sunshine in my life, and it really made me feel all types of awesome inside.

In turn, I want to give this to everybody since you guys have also brought sunshine into my life too!


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Thanks for the blog love Rachel, Chamorrita & pwincessanna ♥

♥ Irene

Love package from Sophia

After my trauma this week, I was kind of down. However, sometimes it's the little things that can brighten your day...like the kind words from you lovely ladies, a visit at work from my boyfriend, a call from my sister. :)

I was so surprised to see a rather large package waiting for me today before work from the one and only Sophia! I love all the attention to detail in her packaging...so lovingly wrapped & all SO PINK AND SUPER KAWAII!

Laid out to be admired before carefully unwrapping

The Engrish on this bag made me laugh (it achieved its purpose!)

She knows me so well!!!

The candy was sweet (I had a little hello-kitty shaped pina-colada candy!) but the letter as the sweetest....Thank you times a MILLION Sophia! You are so beautiful both inside and out!!! I feel so truly lucky to have met you. ^_^

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Welcome Superser, KrySTYLES, Yumeko, Really Petite, Shanti, esthefane, Shana, nOppi_him3 & Laura!

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Just around the corner - Reviews on Panasonic heated Eyelash curler + Fiberwig, Maybelline Colossal mascara (special 'diamonds' edition), More swatches of Maybelline Moisture Extreme (in a few sexy & affordable colors), Coastal Scents 88 palette, Yesstyle.com review, Giveaway, +++

♥ Irene

Thankful I'm alive...

Scariest moment ever yesterday. Like I had mentioned before, there was some freak snow in Texas yesterday (it's all gone today) - I had to go to work in the morning. It started off fine...I was trying to be careful and most of the major roads were clear.

I approached a bridge, hit an icy patch, and started swerving out of control...I flew over the curb (between two telephone poles), careened down a small embankment, and managed to lodge myself amidst a few trees. Of course my mind is going a bazillionmilesanhour...everything happened in slow motion.

The WHOLE time this was happening, all I could think about was "please don't let this damage my car too badly" - weird and a little sad. :( The right side of my car was all torn up from the branches, but no broken glass...there was not internal car damage (the engine still runs) but I'll be figuring out what to do in the next few days as far as totaling it and getting a new car or trying to salvage it.

The crazy thing is I walked away from everything WITHOUT A SCRATCH. I was really down about the whole thing, thinking about how unlucky I was...until I realized how the simple fact that I was ALIVE and untouched was worth so much in and of itself. I am so thankful that God had his protective hand over me throughout the whole accident and for surrounding me with loved ones so quickly. Life is so precious and we all are so fragile in the whole scheme of things. I promised myself not to take this fact for granted...as Suze Orman always says "People first, then money, then things!"

Life teaches you so many things. Sometimes the lessons are harder than others...this time, luckily only in the form of squeezing my budget. If anything, I feel like I'll be more careful with my $$$ from here on out...emergency funds are so important!!!

Man, I have so much respect for all of you out there who have to deal with the snow everyday for MONTHS.

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Even though I had an incredibly bad day, it did cheer me up to see this sweet award from Yumi



♥ THANK YOU!!! ♥

I in turn will tag:

Sophia
Shop n Chomp
Glitteryeyesxx
Khristine
Sam
Suegarcoated
Anita
Liana
Stephanie
Yumi
Serena
Michelle
Nikki
Susie
Kimberdoll

♥

Finally, thank you for the love new readers veriweto and Mademoiselle !!!

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Please take care of yourselves today and DRIVE SAFELY


♥ Irene

Review: ELF Waterproof eyeliner pen, swatches +

First of all - WHAT GIVES. Snow in Texas yet AGAIN...one day it's like 70 degrees and t-shirt weather and then the next day, suddenly 30 degrees and snowing! Weather is seriously having an identity crisis. I can see it slowly building up on the front lawn again. *sigh*

♥ ♥ ♥

As other lovely bloggers have already discovered, E.L.F (Eyes Lips Face) cosmetics are available for instantaneous purchase at TARGET. Love Target. Love their dollar section! Love their clothing! Love their Pro All-things-Hello Kitty-&-DOMO sponsorship! ♥

Well, it's easy to get carried away, but I bought a reasonable 3 products to test out. Today's review features their Waterproof Eyeliner Pen.

The pen is sleek and ergonomic - the lid was a bit annoying (kind of hard to pop off) but I guess as long as it keeps the product from drying out, it might be worth the extra hassle. At only $1 it seemed too good to be true.

The tip is akin to a felt-tip pen and has the ability to draw a thick or thin line



I got excited when I swatched the pen on my arm - the pigmentation seemed decent with only one swipe and was buildable. The swatch on the left has been built up a few strokes while the one on the right is just one swipe.



The real test though, was how well it works on the area intended! My lids are a bit wrinkly to begin with so eyeliner application (especially liquid liners) has always been difficult.





Nooooo...it really was too good to be true! For a waterproof eyeliner, this stuff sure didn't stand a chance on or even near my waterline. Granted, some of my disappointment may be due to my lack of skill in precisely applying the liner -- that being said, I was none too impressed.

Pros: CHEAP, unique way to apply liner, supposedly waterproof (some people have said it works really well as a waterproof liner?), sleek design.

Cons: Has a bit of a 'scratchy' feel to it, takes a few applications to build pigment, not good on bottom lid (smudges and wears away lightning fast), might dry up quickly.

I don't recommend it overall - I don't think I'll be using it very much (though I might give it another chance on a rainy day for round 2!) - I much prefer my Revlor Colorstay eyeliner - so much easier to apply, darker, richer color and less hassle with the lid.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (2/5)

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This Target purchase made me happy. Comes in xs - xxl and it's super cute and a bit western princess! Lovely for a warm Summer day (NOT a frigid winter-y nights such as tonight :( )

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10 honest facts about myself tag by the feisty & fabulous FortheFierce!

1. I FINALLY am comfortable in my own skin...Literally. After years of covering up my face in liquid/powder/xyz foundation, I have learned to go without and it feels GREAT. I still spot cover if needed and cover up completely on special occasions, but I feel like my skin has improved significantly since I stopped piling things on.

2. If there is one part of myself phsycially that I love, it's my LEGS. :D

3. I sometimes regret that I never had the guts to truly follow my dream - do something awesome like fashion design, graphic design...Creative stuff that I would wake up excited about everyday!

4. I believe in true love. ♥

5. I have a weak spot for ramen noodles, anything with cheese, and spicy foods

6. I am kind of blind. I have the worst vision in the family even though I also was the number one consumer of carrots. If anyone can recommend a place that sells colored contacts for nearly blind people with astigmantism, please share! I have been searching forever! :(

7. I have a strong work ethic and believe that though life isn't always fair, hard work gets you places.

8. I have been burned so many times by 'friends' before - I think I may be a little scarred inside.

9. I play video games sporadically and get hooked quite easily. It's a little embarrassing to whip out my Nintendo DS lite at the airport, and see the 7 yaer old little boy across from me do the same. Oh well, I still rock at TETRIS (I can kick Bowser's A$$!)

10. I'm a natural introvert. I feel like the support here in blogworld and the general environment is so much more positive though, it is easy to open up and feel more like myself. ♥

I'm interested in what everybody has to say, so you're all tagged! :)

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Before bedtime, a sweet welcome to DOLL

Nikki's Giveaway!

The lovely Ms. Nikki is hosting a 150+ follower giveaway! Much love & congrats! Her blog is always full of fun little tidbits, gorgeous pics + she is a total sweetheart. :) Please check it out here!

♥

***A Pink glittery whole-hearted welcome to the beautiful Kissters, the super fun Shop N' Chomp (Love her blog & all the heads up on deals!), and the lovely Rachel of Hidden Beauty***

♥

Review: Silk Whitia moisturizing mask and Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel Update

So I've had these Silk Whitia masks for awhile, but haven't gotten around to trying them until just recently! These particular masks are from the "Deeply Moisturizing" line, which is appropriate for my skin. They are still Buy-one-get-one on Sasa.com.

The masks claim to "Quickly replenish moisture and improve ability of cuticle to restore moisture. Ginseng extracted effectively removes fine lines, nourishes into the deep skin, prevents aging and promotes a radiant and energetic appearance"

Contains: Collagen, ginseng essence, hydrated protein, vitamin E, ascorbate N.M.F., propylene glycol, C.M.C., methyl paraben, de-ionized water.

♥ REVIEW ♥

The masks are of superb quality - they are heavier than the My Beauty Diary and Kuan Yuan Lian masks = TONS of serum. I felt like I was wasting so much of it after opening the package ~ I could have bathed in all of the excess from the package if I wanted to, lol!

The masks are BIG. Maybe I just have a small face - or maybe the masks are just humongous. I had to adjust quite a bit to get the mask to sit properly on my face. It didn't really 'stick' to my face very well. The flaps on the sides kept sliding off too. :( The smell is ok - a lot like ginseng, which I don't particularly care for.

I am skeptical of the "improving ability of cuticle to restore moisture" part of the claim, but overall, the mask did its job = more moisture!!! My skin felt kind of plump & refreshed afterwards!

Here is a look at my face after the mask (after that time of the month, still searching for miracle product to get rid of bumps and redness! Any suggestions are welcome :D)

Overall, I would love to use this mask again, especially in the Winter months when my skin is especially parched. It didn't irritate my otherwise sensitive skin & I can see myself using these an hour or so before bedtime. You don't have to wash your face aftewards so really hassle free, just peel off after an hour and right to bed! ♥

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CELLNIQUE SKIN SEBUM GEL UPDATE

UPDATE - speaking of skincare, I just wanted to quickly update on the Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel that I have been using for a month or so now. It might not have smoothed out the little bumps that I had mentioned before, but I still LOVE it because I have been about 99.9% blemish free since using it. You know when you get that feeling that a giant pimple is preparing to bust out and ruin your entire week? Like you can feel it right under the surface, but it's not quite ripe yet? (sorry for the graphic-ness, but I am trying to illustrate a point!) Well, this happened just a few days ago...I just dabbed a little bit on the area on my nose before bed, and the pimple never came to a head. It just *poof* - disappeared! The day/week is saved again!!!

(btw, I am NOT getting any type of sponsorship or free stuff from Cellnique, I just want to share my experience. I'm kind of hooked on this stuff)

I thought of this suddenly because I commented on Sparklemidori's post awhile back about getting a free sample of the stuff (travel-size, great for trips!) - and just received my sample in the mail...

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RANDOM FOOD

OMG Sophia's Pancakes! I gave them a test run last week - they turned out pretty good though I might have added too much flour. I love this dish because I was able to use all the leftovers in the fridge!!! (green onions, kimchee, sliced yellow onions & imitation crab!)

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Extra post-St. Patty's day ♥ for Sue, Timeless Fashionista, Dunia Anak-Anak!

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Still so many things to do! I just got the following in the mail so I will be reviewing soon:



I'm such a klutz, I hope I don't end up burning my eyeballs. :(

I have mail to send out, a giveaway coming up, tags, projects & goals, and a vacation around the corner! See you all soon & sweet dreams!

♥ Irene

Houston Rodeo and Japanese dollar store bling

Caution: Just viewing pictures from post may cause your arteries to spontaneously combust. Ugh. :( I promised myself this is the last food 'splurge' for a very very long time. Seriously bad for me.

**SUPER Pic heavy**

The Houston Rodeo is a yearly event with big headlining country, non-country, and teen sensation type musical acts (Black Eyed Peas, Lady Antebellum, The Jonas Bros, Mary J. Blige, etc.), a carnival, crazy amounts of artery-clogging food, and of course, real-life Rodeo events (horse/pig/cattle show & auction, roping, bull riding, barrel-racing, mutton-busting etc.)

We got down to business immediately! FOOD!!!

Here is a list of the sampled goods:

• Deep fried OREOS
• Deep fried Cookie dough
• Deep fried Tiramisu
• Deep fried Moon Pie
• Chicken fried bacon (you heard that right!)
  
• Alligator on a stick (tasted like chicken)
• Deep fried frog legs (tasted like chicken)
• Deep fried bloomin' onion
• Sausage on a stick
• Funnel cake
• Turkey leg
• Roasted corn with butter & cayenne pepper
  

Chicken Fried Bacon

A selection of fried goodies

Fried Oreos


My thoughts exactly

Funnel Cake

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I guess it is what you would call a semi-risky experience? (at least to me, this is what qualifies as 'risky') I'll probably never do this again though. Made me all types of sick afterwards. :(

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The petting zoo was kind of lame compared to last year. I have a strange fascination with petting zoos, probably because I never was allowed to have a pet as a child. As my sister described it, all my pictures are of me 'excitedly petting seemingly indifferent animals' LOL! Truth. These are last year's pics just b/c it was so crazy crowded and I didn't want to wait in line this year.

This goat was interested in the leaf-shaped tassles on my purse

This chick looked like she had some major eyelashes going on


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My favorite part of the Rodeo was not the food, but the ambiance - all the bright, cheerful colors and pretty lights (please ignore my dorkiness :P)

My BF thinks that these stuffed carnival toys are impregnated with bug eggs








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Finally, there is a relatively new store in the Bellaire area of Houston that stocks tons of cute Japanese products for reasonable prices! (It's called FIT - they have an online store too with products ranging from $2-$10 (soooo many cute Bento boxes!), discount code 5555 for 5% off your order! ^_^)

I picked up a few things to bling out my gear:

I ♥ Stitch!!!



Very Spring-ish ~ Flowers & hearts


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XoXo to Carmen, My-My (she's super artistic!), samebrightsky, Kimmi, KayCee, lanenatraviesa2, pdlauj, Shelly-Ann, and Charlotte! ♥

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