E.L.F. haul and review

New year brings new changes. I decided it's time to retire my old Smashbox (photo finish in Extravagant, a discontinued color) lipstick. It was my first red lipstick and is now 5 years old! I know that sounds really gross, but I paid $22 bucks for it and found myself barely wearing it, except for big events like weddings and graduations. I must admit it is starting to have an icky taste to it. Thus I decided to find a replacement, preferably a cheaper one. Since I enjoy buying things online lately, I decided to try out the Eyes Lips Face brand after reading and watching so many rave reviews about it. Here's what I got:

First up is the e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Rich Red $3

I had hopes that this would be a true red, but it's a bright glaring red with pink undertones on my lips. The color is reminiscent of most cheap drugstore lipsticks I've tried in the past. It looks super unnatural on me (felt like Flo from the Progressive commercials). I also found it difficult to apply evenly on my lips because it feels more like a lip-liner with the thicker and matte consistency. The only good thing about this product is that it has no smell and no taste (which I'm surprised, because most cheap products I've ever bought always have some sort of chemical smell/taste). Overall, I felt so silly in this color, I immediately wiped it off and didn't have time to tell if it's drying on the lips or not. I won't be repurchasing this product. 

Next up, is the e.l.f. Mineral Lipstick $5

Based on experience, I found that red lipstick with brown undertones look more natural on my lips than pink or orange tints. Therefore, after much research (looking at swatches from other bloggers/videos), I picked the Royal Red and Bare Brown. Here's how they look on me:

Compared to my Smashbox, the colors are very similar, thank goodness! The Royal Red shows up just as deep, a bit more wine/burgundy, and less shiny than my Smashbox. The Bare Brown is more muted. My old Smashbox is more pigmented (I often have to lightly wipe off some color to tone down the hue), verses the ELF ones I have to apply a couple more coats. The ELF ones apply smoothly and feels moisturizing. I also like that it has no smell and no taste (unlike the Smashbox that has a vanilla-cotton-candy scent). Both the Royal Red and Bare Brown color suits me well. The only complaint I have is that after I wipe them off (like after eating), my lips feel drier, unlike the Smashbox which is moisturizing and keeps my lips moisturized even after it has faded away. Overall, the Royal Red fits my bill for a deep red lip color to replace my Smashbox for special-occasion events. I think I will definitely use the Bare Brown as my go-to color for the daytime, since it's very close to my natural lip color but better :)  Here's some more swatches of the colors in case you are interested in how they compare side-by-side:

(As one can tell, the ELF ones are a bit more sheer than my Smashbox).

I'm glad these two hues worked out for me! They aren't perfect, but perfect enough to keep....since I detest trying on lip colors as much as trying on fitted jeans! And for $5 each with no parabens and chemicals, this is great!

I also purchased some e.l.f. Studio Blush $3

Mellow Mauve (on left), Blushing Rose (on right)

I normally do not wear blushes at all for fear of looking like a doll or overdone. I've only been using bronzer. I thought maybe the new me should give blushes a chance, plus I needed some fillers to get the free shipping. All I can say is that the Mellow Mauve is sheer and not as pigmented as the Blushing Rose. Both are way too glittery for my taste and comfort. I should've looked at the stock photos more closely and not picked such glittery ones. Sorry, just not a fan of glitter makeup. Definitely not repurchasing these.

What are your favorite brand of red lipstick and blushes?

Cute round pepper

My parent's garden never seizes to surprises me with wonderful, whimsical plants! Too bad I did not inherit their love of gardening (since I'm too deathly afraid of insects that inhabit such areas, haha). This time, my parents surprised me with an indoor plant. Isn't this the cutest pepper you've ever seen?

It's like a mini pumpkin!

Here's how it compares to a bunch of lemons (also from my parent's garden).

That's where it came from! Isn't it pretty? My dad was actually gifted this pepper plant without a label, so not sure what this variety is called. I'll have to research it some other time. I haven't tasted it either, but my mom said it's mild in spice.

I should really start a photo album of my parent's garden plants. It's like a botanical garden over there. Here's a few other interesting plants I took pictures of last year:

Purple Cactus that blooms yellow flowers.

 Hot Pink Cherry Blossoms

And look at those weird gothic purple plants growing out of the geraniums below!

In shopping news, I'm just going crazy over Forever21 outerwear right now. My current favorites are:

Double-breast Jacket in Royal $27.50

Double-breasted Trench w/Belt in Khaki $32.80

Double-breasted Fleece Jacket in Red $27.80

Cropped Stripe Jacket $22.80

Distressed Suedette Jacket $29.96 sale

Perforated Crop Biker Jacket $34.80

Plaid Woven Coat $32.80

I've been debating on which ones to order and decided to only pick 2 of them. Future post to come! Any great finds at Forever21 lately? Please share!

Target suede wedges and Talbots driving gloves

I went to Target today in hopes of finding the Mossimo Vilda Smoker Flat in Turquoise (love the color online).  Unfortunately, my local Target has not stocked many spring items yet. I did however, found the black version in my size and thought it was very stiff and uncomfortable.

Of course the clearance rack always beckons me. I took home these Merona Milena Suede Wedges in Grey size 6 instead. They fit TTS and the 2.25" wedge heel is a very comfortable height. They are on clearance sale in-store for $14.98, not bad for genuine suede leather.

The grey and the red ones are darker in color than they appear in the stock photos online. I don't really need another grey shoe, but it's a versatile color, and I'm thinking of maybe painting these wedges my "ideal turquoise" color after reading this post from See Kate Sew (... if I don't find the ideal turquoise shoe first, haha). 

I like these wedges for the comfortable heel height. The padding at the ball of foot really works. The flexible rubber sole is good. The only thing I'm not fond of is the little hard plastic heel-thing because it does make some noise on tile/wood flooring (but not self-consciously loud, thank goodness). The top back rim of the heels might dig into the ankles a bit, but a heel liner can fix that.

Here's me styling the wedges with my J.Crew Double-cloth Lady Day coat in last year's orange version (sz 0P) and my new Talbots Driving Gloves:

I bought the black ones, but it's not a true black since it has a slight brown tinge to them. The size 6 1/2 fits okay (maybe a bit loose and there's still space in the tips of the fingers). The bad part about these gloves is that the finger tips are ugly-looking, especially the thumb (due to the flat outside stitching). The leather also makes a slight squishy-squeaky noise. I'm keeping mine, despite ugly fingers, because I actually love the off-black color, and the silk-lined, perforated leather is perfect for mild winters in my area (lightweight leather gloves seem rare at regular department stores).

 These driving gloves are currently on sale for $24.99 (from original $79), not bad for genuine leather, silk, and made in Italy!

People's Choice with ASOS

Strange how as I'm looking at these People's Choice Award fashions, these dresses remind of dresses I saved in my ASOS cart:

 

Kristen Bell vs. ASOS PETITE Lace And Mesh Dress (sale $44.54)

Kelly Osbourne vs. ASOS PETITE Asymetric Hem Color Block Midi (sale $27.27)

Ooh, 10% off sale price with code SALE10 (found out from See Chloe Shop) 

Thanks for tuning into my clairvoyant fashion episode #1! haha :) 

2012 plus preview

2012 is sort of a big year for me. I'll be turning 30! Can't believe it!

I barely know where to start with my New Years resolution. All in all, so many things to search for! For this blog though, my search continues for these items:

1. Statement shoes - When it comes to footwear, I tend to avoid attention and stay safe in black, brown, grey, and neutral tones, but I could use more spunk and confidence in my life. Thus, needing something bright turquoise, yellow, and maybe cap-toe (do you recognize which blogs I'm inspired from by these shoes?) 

2. Rebecca Bloomwood plaid jacket - I have a thing for everything the character wears in Confessions of a Shopaholic. Came very close last year with this post, but it sadly didn't make the cut. 

3. Comfortable travel gear - I'll probably be traveling more in the future and would like to look better in travel photos at the same time. I learned that I need better walking shoes (that looks good with skinny jeans and gives me some height....perhaps some booties). Also need a more grownup lightweight bag to carry all my necessities (to replace my old zebra-print Kipling bag). 

 This travel outfit and pose needs improving, no?

4. Coral jewelry - just something I don't have in my current collection and I think would freshen up many outfits.

5. Waffle-maker - Been drooling about it ever since this post from Fast Food & Fast Fashion. I've never made my own waffle before, so something new to learn!

6. Adult Tricycle - I'm the most embarrassing wobbly bicyclist, but I do enjoy a ride with the breeze in my face once in a while. Thus a tricycle sounds so much safer...and look at all that basket space!

 

All above are things I don't really need, but they make me happy thinking about when I have extra funds! What are you in search for in the new year?