Hard Candy- Hide & Glow Cheek!

This Hard Candy cheek tint duo was purchased by me at Walmart for $6.  Let me just say, that I hate buying cosmetics at my local Walmart.  Everything is always opened and swatched and used.  How annoying.  Anyways, I always make sure to buy things that are packaged and sealed if I do end up really liking something.  

So I picked #315, In Love because I thought it would work best with my skin tone, though there were two other color combos also available for purchase. 

Top Color

 Bottom Color

 And here are swatches on my arm:

Left is the top color and right is the bottom color

These initially felt waxy when I was trying to swatch them on my arm, but after a couple of swipes, the color melted onto my skin.  Of these two colors, I thought that I would like the top color the best.  The bottom color is sheerer and can be used as a highlight on the top of the cheekbone.

I was hoping that this would leave a just pinched, flushed look on my cheeks.  I was wrong.  Blended out onto my cheeks the color just disappeared.  It also felt very waxy and was hard to blend. So sad.:(

This is my first purchase from the Hard Candy line.  I mulled over the display for a while but there was so much glitter in everything.  I mean, I like glitter, but not all over my face.  (I much prefer it on my nails-haha)  I was standing there debating between their baked blush or this blush duo.  I choose this cream blush because I wanted something that I can wear to the pool this summer that is light and not too out there, but I will probably go back for the baked blush sooner or later.  

Bummed, 
Cherrie

NYX Mega Shine Lipglosses

I purchased these eight NYX Mega Shine lipglosses from Ulta.  These were on sale when I purchased them, buy one get one half off, but normally retail for around $5 each.

These are all square tube glosses and come with the standard doe foot slanted applicator.  No SPF unfortunately, but all of them are hypoallergenic.

 NYX Sweet Heart - Silver shimmer & pale pink color

,

 NYX Golden Pink- Silver shimmer & pink color

 NYX Plush Red - Cream red color

 NYX Crystal Soda - Gold shimmer & pink/peach color

 NYX Cosmo - Very fine holographic shimmer particles & pinky mauve color

 NYX Perfect - Silver shimmer & pale pink color

 NYX Sponge Cake - Silver shimmer & frosty mauve/bronze color

 NYX Sugar Pie - Milky nude pink

 

 Swatches in natural light:  Sweet Heart, Golden Pink, Plush Red, Crystal Soda, 

Cosmo, Perfect, Sponge Cake, Sugar Pie

 Swatches in shade: Sweet Heart, Golden Pink, Plush Red, Crystal Soda, 

Cosmo, Perfect, Sponge Cake, Sugar Pie

 Swatches in sun:  Sweet Heart, Golden Pink, Plush Red, Crystal Soda, 

Cosmo, Perfect, Sponge Cake, Sugar Pie

These glosses are scented but not flavored.  They smell very fruity, and it reminds me of Cherry flavored Pepto Bismol.  Seriously. lol.  But the scent is not so overpowering when it's on your lips.  The pigmentation is superb on these and in all, I think that they are just plain awesome.  I was most surprised at Plush Red because it swatched so beautifully- a liquid red lipstick!  So pretty.  I also like how the tops of the glosses are little black plastic bows, so very kawaii.  

I heart all of these but I would have to say that my favorites so far are Cosmo and Sweet Heart.  I would recommend these glosses because they are very pigmented and have a high shine factor.  A great deal when they are on sale.  I will definitely repurchase from this line again.

Wishing u cosmic-worthy lips,

Cherrie

Icing on the Nails

I took my current mani and layered a coat of this nail polish I got at the Icing.  These were $4.50 each but the Icing had a cosmetics deal- buy one get one half off.  I picked out these two colors:  Epic Winning and Glimmer.

I took Glimmer and used one coat of it over my current mani, Rimmel London's Steel Gray color.  See the Steel Gray mani here.  But after painting my thumb, I was surprised that it only took one coat to get it opaque.  I will say that although the color is very pigmented, the formula is very gloopy and hard to work with.  I like the shimmer factor but it is very thick on the nail.  It also dries semi-matte.  It also feels gritty and grainy from all of the glitter particles.  Definitely add topcoat to get a glossy and smooth finish.  And as I was putting on my topcoat, I was thinking that I liked my Steel Gray mani a lot better.  *sigh* 

 Glimmer on the nails, Steel Gray on ring finger

I had such high hopes for Glimmer especially because I don't have anything like it.  It's silver, but almost like a taupey shifty silver and the holographic glitter does not show up as well as it does in the bottle. (I know it's hard to tell in the picture above but it's there, I promise)  In all, I like it but not in love with it.  Very disappointing. I will give it another go though by itself and see if I like it better that way.

Epic disappointment,
Cherrie

Jewelry & such...

While I was in Green Bay over the weekend I picked up some costume jewelry at the local mall.  When it comes to jewelry, I like necklaces the most but I don't even wear them all of the time. lol.  I just like to look at them. :P

First, I picked out these Hello Kitty earrings from Hot Topic for $3.99.  I love the cute packaging!  These are plastic studs.

Then I went to Wet Seal and got two tops and some jewelry as well.  Jewelry was buy one get one half off so I picked this rose gold ring.  This ring also has the stretchy band.

 I also got this coral ring from Wet Seal:

Charlotte Russe had jewelry on sale for only $5 each so I picked out some necklaces.  I love bib necklaces, but I don't own any gold ones yet so I got this intricate looking necklace.  I don't know what I will wear it with yet but it was too pretty to pass up.

I also fell in love with this peacock necklace.  I love the jewel tones on the feathers and it hangs on a long chain.  I paired this necklace with a bright fuchsia summer dress on Saturday.

I also could not resist this ribbon necklace.  I really like how dainty it is.  The ribbon looks like a pale yellow in these pictures but it's actually a cream color.  Perfect to pair with a floral summer dress.

Big rings & much love,
Cherrie

I got Naked

After much debate with myself, I did it.  I jumped on the Naked train and I got the Urban Decay Naked Palette.  I have swatched it so many times but always walked away from it because of the hefty price tag.  But I made up my mind and I bought it while I was at Ulta for $48.  (eek- it was painful watching that money being handed over.)  But-it was my personal reward for working my butt off this last year with school.  :)

I am only going to swatch the colors that I like the most from this palette.  You have all probably seen swatches of this very popular palette already.  

Swatches: Smog, Half Baked, SideCar and Sin

So, first off on the left of these swatches is Smog.  This is such a pretty bronze color.  Next in line is Half Baked.  I am so in love with Half Baked.  It is so pigmented and silky smooth.  Just a great gold color overall.  The next one over is Side Car. This I would wear as an all over color on my lids.  Very pretty.  And last is Sin.  These are all my favorites because of the shimmer factor. lol.  I do like that there are mattes in this collection though, just because I normally do not buy matte shadows (Naked and Buck are the mattes- haha or buck naked)  

I will do a look later on this week with this palette so stay tuned!

Shimmery swatches,
Cherrie

Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Nail Polish - Steel Gray

 Rimmel nail polishes were on sale this last week at Walgreens - 2 for $4, which is a great deal because these normally retail for around $4 each.  I got two colors from this collection, and I stacked my $1 off coupon with this purchase, so I got one of the polishes for $1!  The first one I'm showing you all is Steel Gray.  I think that on the nails, this color is more taupe than gray, but still a pretty color nonetheless.

I'm glad I waited to purchase these at Walgreens, because at Kmart, Rimmel polishes were almost $5 for one and Walmart was $4 for one. Do I know when and where to shop or what? lol. 

Anyways, these colors are my first Rimmel nail polishes.  Yes- I am a Rimmel virgin.  (well, my nails are anyways.)  I like the square bottle and the crown on the top of the brush handle.  So chic. 

 Steel Gray in natural light

 Steel Gray in shade

This is three coats.  Application is okay, but had to load the brush so that it wouldn't drag.  Also, this is one of the coolest brushes I have ever seen.  The brush is tapered and allows for close application to the cuticle and the sides of the nail.  So great.  This look is topped with one coat of Seche Vite on top. If you look closely, my cuticles are still stained a bit red from my previous Maybelline mani.  ugh.  Even with acetone, it didn't come off. :(

I probably will layer on something else on top of this, but I will have to leave that til tomorrow because it's getting pretty late.

Sweet dreams,
Cherrie