Hurricane Sandy Update

Hey everyone,

As all of you have probably heard, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast earlier this week and made a mess of NYC. The area in which I live in lost power and the city has estimated that the earliest they'll have our power restored is Friday or Saturday. Fortunately, I'm staying at my boyfriend's place that was mostly unaffected, he still has electricity and running water which is more than I can ask for at the moment. I'll try to get some posts up as soon as I can but all my things are at home so it'll be hard for me to do any reviews. Hopefully I can get my monthly favorites and wish list up by tonight or tomorrow. I hope everyone else on the East Coast is safe and dry, and my prayers go out to all those affected.

Elle

Review: NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny

I hope everyone on the East Coast is safe, dry, and staying indoors. I've been stuck inside all day today because of Hurricane Sandy but I've been using this time to sort through my Summer/Spring clothes and take out my Fall/Winter ones. There have been reports on the news that my power might go out at any second so I better move straight on to this post before I get cut off.

This NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny ($2.99) has been a drugstore favorite for a while in the beauty community but I never got around to trying it out until now. I'm not a huge fan of drugstore makeup but I'm slowly being converted by all these amazing new products I've found, such as this bronzer and the L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara.

Packaging: It's $2.99 and from the drugstore so what can you really expect. The packaging is extremely cheap, coming in a flimsy plastic compact. There's a mirror on the inside and it came with a little pouf for application but I threw it out because it was practically useless.

Quality: Once again, since it was only $2.99, I didn't expect much but this bronzer seriously surprised me; I can see why so many people are raving about it. The shade is perfect for lighter skin tones, adding a hint of warmth to your skin. You also get a lot of product and I can see this bronzer lasting me for quite a while. I'd also say it's comparable to Benefit's Hoola Bronzer, which is $28!

Application: I like to apply this all over my face using a Sigma F30 and it applies easily and evenly. But be careful not to apply too much because it can make you look sunburnt or rub off on your clothes!

Longevity: It stays put for most of the day but it does start to fade towards the end of it.

Overall: This product is amazing for its price and I can definitely see why people love this product. I would recommend this to people with lighter skin tones because it's just a hint of warmth. But definitely be careful when you apply it because if you apply too much you can end up looking burnt. This hasn't become my favorite bronzer yet, at the moment it's Benefit's Hoola Bronzer, but it's getting there!

Review: L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara

I mentioned this L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara ($5.84+) in my latest Target haul. I was inspired to purchase it because I had seen MakeupByTiffanyD mention it in one of her videos and post pictures of it on Instagram, and it looked amazing. Her pictures showed long voluminous lashes, which is a look I've always been trying to achieve but could never find the right mascara for the job. On that note, I think I've found the answer to my prayers because this mascara is the best I've ever tried!

Packaging: The mascara comes in a pale gold tube and while that may seem to make it look more luxurious looking, it actually has the opposite effect of making it look like a drugstore mascara imitating a department store one. The brush is very thick and fluffy and the stopper inside the tube does a great job of evenly dispersing the mascara about the brush and taking off any excess. I've yet to have too much mascara on the brush when I take it out that I have to wipe it off.

Quality: I did say this mascara was the answer to my prayers so that should let you know right off the bat that this product is amazing. My lashes are on the longer side but they clump very easily since they criss-cross and like to clump together naturally. This mascara does a great job of lengthening my lashes even more, almost to the point where it looks like I could be wearing false lashes. It also does an amazing job of actually separating my lashes and defining each one.

Application: My lashes never clump when I use this mascara, which is rare to me because I normally have to try really hard to prevent clumping with any mascara I use.

Longevity: This mascara lasts me the entire day without smudging! That's also another amazing feat to me because my mascara always smudges, especially underneath my eyes. This one stays put and refuses to budge so I don't end up looking like a raccoon by the end of the day.

Overall: I would recommend this to anyone who is on a budget but is looking for lots of length, volume and definition (really, what more could you ask for?!). The formula in conjunction with the brush creates, in my opinion, the perfect mascara. It also applies easily and stays put all day. This mascara does a great job making my lashes appear much longer and fuller and people have actually complimented me on my lashes when I was wearing this product. The amazing quality and the fact that it's a drugstore brand, so it's a much more affordable product, make this mascara definitely worth checking out.

What are your favorite mascaras? Do you prefer drugstore or department store brands?

TAG: I ❤ Fall!

I finally finished all my midterms! I feel so relieved and pretty accomplished because I got through them all. I'm also super excited to get back to blogging on a regular basis. I saw the I ❤ Fall tag going around YT lately and I thought it'd be a great tag to do to welcome in the Fall season. Here's the questions:

1. Favorite Fall lip product
2. 
Favorite Fall Nail Polish
3. 
Favorite Starbucks Fall Drink
4. 
Favorite Fall Candle
5. Favorite Fall Scarf or accessory
6. 
Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze
7. Favorite Halloween movie
8. 
Favorite candy to eat on Halloween
9. 
What are you dressing up as for Halloween
10. What is your Favorite thing about Fall

Now on to my answers!

1. Favorite Fall lip product

You already know! My Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me ($2.99) is always in my purse nowadays because it's so perfect for this season. It's low-maintenance so I don't have to worry about it smudging and I can reapply it easily when I'm in class. It's hydrating so it keeps my lips from drying out due to the cold and harsh winds. And it's such a pretty "your lips but better" shade that I just can't resist! Check out my review if you want to know more.

2. Favorite Fall nail polish

This is my newest polish from my recent Target haul but it's quickly became my Fall favorite. It's a really nice deep berry color that is perfect for the season and as with all Essie polishes, the quality is great. I do have a swatch of it on my Instagram (@lipstickndlace) so if you're interested check it out.

3. Favorite Starbucks Fall Drink

I don't drink coffee, or rather, I can't. Whenever I drink coffee I'm bouncing off the walls and can't concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds. So I'm not the kind of person who's all excited about the new Pumpkin Spice Latte or whatever it is. My favorite Fall drink from Starbucks is a hot chocolate!

4. Favorite Fall Candle

I've only just started getting into candles because my mother is deathly afraid of them, she believes that the moment you light one it will set fire to everything. I've finally convinced her that they're not that bad and she allowed me one. This one candle is Bath and Body Work's Marshmallow Fireside and I love it. It smells so homey and delicious, it just smells like all things Fall and Winter. I also bought the Leaves candle for my boyfriend's place but this one has a much subtler and sweeter scent.

5. Favorite Fall Scarf or Accessory

My favorite fall scarf/accessory is hands down my Burberry wool/silk scarf. It's giant and light weight so you can wrap it around yourself to accessorize and keep warm without getting too hot. I also love how it matches with practically anything so it's a really easy grab and go accessory.

6. Haunted House, Haunted Hay Ride, or Haunted Corn Maze

I'm pretty much forced to choose haunted house because I've only ever been to one haunted house in my life, and it was Nightmare in NYC. I've never been on a haunted hay ride or been in a haunted corn maze, I'm just not into paying to get myself scared. I don't even watch scary movies.

7. Favorite Halloween Movie

I'm a sucker for Disney movies and I remember watching Halloweentown every single year during Halloween when I was a kid. I actually hate scary movies so this family oriented movie was just up my alley.

8. Favorite Candy to Eat on Halloween

I'm not a big candy eater so I don't have a favorite candy to eat. Candy corn is okay, and while I do like lollipops and chocolate I feel like you can eat that all year round so it doesn't really count.

9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween

Hate to be a buzzkill but I'm probably not dressing up for Halloween this year. I'm not a big Halloween fan because I live in the city and there's no such thing as trick-or-treating around here. Most people just go to clubs in their costumes but people can get really drunk and violent so I prefer being safe and staying home, I can go clubbing any other 364 days a year.

10. What is your Favorite thing about Fall

My favorite thing about Fall has definitely got to be Fall fashion. I love layering and looking warm and cozy. I also love to read all the September issues of all the fashion magazines!

I tag everyone reading this post to do this tag if they want but I specifically tag DrinkCitra, Jayne at Cosmetic Proof and Sherry Williams of I AM PISCES! I'd love to see your answers ladies(:

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me

Three midterms down, two to go. I've already gotten back my Physics midterm and I did not do well, over half the class got below a 65 and I'm included (a few people got zeroes and single digits). I'm debating whether to drop the class and retake it in the summer, I'm just afraid the medical schools won't like that I withdrew from a course! But at this rate, I don't expect anything higher than a C from this professor since he actually encouraged us to drop after giving the midterms back and refused to curve or give us extra credit. *Sigh* Such is life. No point in dwelling on the past so let's get on to today's product review!

I'm pretty sure you've all heard of the Maybelline Baby Lips ($2.99) line by now, people have been talking about it everywhere. I refused to believe the hype for the longest time, having a bad experience with tinted lip balms in the past, so I held off on purchasing one. I finally caved in not too long ago and bought one in the shade Pink Punch, and one thing led to another, and I ended up purchasing this featured shade, Cherry Me.

I've also decided to go with a new review format in this post in an attempt to make my reviews more organized.

Packaging: The packaging of the product is pretty cheap but since it's a tinted lip balm what can you expect? The product comes in a plastic twist up tube with a snap-on plastic cap. All of them come in different bright colored tubes so they're fun and convenient to carry around in your purse.

Product Quality: I was actually very surprised by the quality of the product. From past experience, tinted lip balms tended to accentuate dryness on my lips and the colors were very chalky looking. This product however, actually softens and hydrates my lips while giving it a nice sheer pop of color. As you can see from the picture below, there's a significant amount of color from just one coat of the product. It also makes my lips look glossy and hydrated.

Scent: All the lip balms in the Baby Lips line have a certain scent to them, and you can usually tell what it is by the name. For example, Pink Punch smells like fruit punch whereas this Cherry Me smells like a Cherry flavored Jolly Rancher!

Overall: I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in an affordable, low-maintenance, multi-functional lip color. How amazing does that sound!? I would definitely suggest this specific color to people who are interested in a red lip but are afraid to go full red. The color is sheer but still there, I like to say it's a "your lips but better" shade. While the packaging is cheap, the product itself makes up for that in every way. For $2.99 how could you go wrong?

Target Haul!

I went to Target last weekend and got some really awesome stuff that I wanted to share with you all. I would have made a post earlier but I'm still so busy with midterms that I'm just trying to get posts up as soon as I can. I still have two weeks left of midterms to go so bear with me and I promise a lot of great posts to come!

I was looking for some really specific stuff at Target and I was shocked that I found everything I wanted. Usually the shelves are raided and empty at the Target I go to so finding limited edition items or popular items is typically hard for me.

1. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat ($3.99) - I ran out of top coat at home and I had a goal in mind to get one at Target. I wasn't set on any specific top coat but when I happened upon this one I recalled xteeener from YT mentioning it in one of her videos and I was interested in giving it a try. I used it recently and it actually works, my nails dried in under a minute!

2. Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat ($3.99) - And what a coincidence, I ran out of base coat as well at home so I also needed to pick that up at Target. I got this base and top coat from Sally Hansen because there were no base coats and all the base and top coats were expensive except for this one. It does the job so I can't complain.

3. L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara ($5.84) - I had been wanting this mascara ever since MakeupByTiffanyD mentioned it in one of her videos and showed pictures of how volumizing and lengthening it was on her lashes. I've used it a few times and it's definitely one of the best drugstore mascaras I've tried. I'll probably be doing a review on it soon.

4. EOS Alice in Wonderland Lip Balm Limited Edition Collection ($7.99) - Unfortunately there is no link to this online so you'll have to visit your nearest Target to get it but this was my main objective of going to Target. I had seen some photos of it floating around the beauty blogosphere and I knew I had to get it. I love Disney, I go to Disney World every year, and I've recently become addicted to EOS lip balms after I purchased the Strawberry Sorbet one. The flavors are: Blueberry Potion, Watermelon Wonderland and Sweet Vanilla Nonsense. If you're interested I highly recommend going to check it out ASAP because they are limited edition and only sold in Target. Also, where the finger indentation typically is on the packaging, there's a Mickey Mouse face instead!

5. Essie Nail Polish in Bahama Mama ($7.79) - Everybody keeps mentioning this shade as being one of the top shades for Fall so I had to check it out. I don't like dark nail polishes all too much but this one is actually really flattering. It's a deep rich purple and I think it'd look great on all skin tones. I recently painted my nails with this shade so if you want to see a swatch check out my Instagram (@lipstickndlace).

6. NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny ($2.99) - Once again, unfortunately there is no link to this online but this product is readily available in every drug store and Target there is. It's a great matte bronzer and I'm sure most of you have heard of it before. I really like it and it's started to replace my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Give Me Sun! The color is a lot lighter than the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish so it looks more natural on my paler Fall skin tone. I'll try to do a review soon on this as well.

That's all that I bought this go around and I'm extremely satisfied with all my purchases, which is actually a first for me. I hope you all enjoyed this and have a wonderful day!

✨ October Wish List! ✨

I usually like to get these wish lists up by the 1st of the month so I'm extremely late this time around. Midterms are really stressing me out since I'm trying to boost my GPA before I take my MCATs and apply to Medical school next year. So far I've taken one midterm, Physics, and I'm pretty sure I completely flunked it. When my professor said "anything is fair game" on the midterm I didn't think he meant stuff we hardly covered in class! I'm considering dropping the course if I don't see any possible way of getting at least a B but I have never dropped a course before and I didn't plan on starting now. I'm hoping he gives us extra credit or a curve but he has no history of being that kind apparently so for now it's just wishful thinking. I still have four midterms to go and hopefully the grades from my other classes will act as a buffer for this awful grade I'll be getting in Physics.

Anyways, enough about my college problems and more about what I have my eyes set on for the month of October.

1. Tarte 5-Piece LipSurgence Collector's Set ($34)

I've never tried a Tarte LipSurgence before and I've always wanted to so I figured getting this set of five would be a great way to try out multiple colors and finishes to see if I like it. Have any of you tried a Tarte LipSurgence before? I'd love to know your opinions on them!

2. Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream ($18)

I have been seeing swatches of this nail polish everywhere! And it's so freakin' beautiful! I can't fathom paying $18 for a nail polish but the beauty and uniqueness of this polish makes me think it could be worth it. I'm still on the edge about this one but I'm about to break.

3. bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer - Combination Skin ($28)

This might sound really weird but I don't have a nighttime moisturizer at the moment. I was using Aveeno's Smart Essentials Nighttime Moisture Infusion but I noticed it was too greasy for my combination skin and I think it might have started to break me out. This bareMinerals moisturizer is the best nighttime moisturizer I've found so far and I'm considering checking it out. Does anybody have any recommendations?

4. MUFE Full Cover Concealer ($32)

I actually just realized yesterday morning that I seriously needed some new face concealer. I really want a full coverage concealer for my face in order to hide some veins in my cheeks and old acne marks. I've been considering checking out this MUFE concealer but I'm open to recommendations!

5. Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder ($32)

Another product I surprisingly do not have is a setting powder. I've been using my mom's Shiseido Perfect Smoothing Compact but the coverage is too much for me when I use it with my Lancome Teint Idole Ultra foundation. I really want a sheer or translucent setting powder that can also control the shine I get from my oily forehead. I've been considering this one from UD but I'm open to recommendations for this as well.

So that's my wish list for now. Hopefully I find the time to go out and make these purchases before the end of the month. Also, if you have any recommendations on nighttime moisturizers and setting powders for combination skin or full coverage concealers please let me know!

September Favorites!

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a week since I last posted but I've been extremely busy with school and performing so I just haven't had the time. I spent this whole weekend performing for the Travel & Leisure Global Bazaar at the Lexington Armory. I got to sample food and drinks from various countries, famous chefs and even got to go zip lining. The highlight of my weekend was meeting Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto!

Pretty cool right? Well anyways, I warn you all that my posts will be rather sparse this month since I have all my midterms these next three weeks. I also have to plan and book my vacation with my boyfriend in January, we're planning to go to Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea World Orlando. So I'm going to try my best to post as much as I can but I probably won't be posting as much as I usually do.

Now on to the real topic of this post, my September Favorites. September flew by and I believe it, between school and performances I haven't had much time for anything else. My favorite products this month are all mainly skincare products because as I mentioned in previous posts, my skin has been misbehaving lately so I've been on the hunt for a new skincare routine. A majority of these products are from my Lush haul at the beginning of this month, so check that out if you want to know more.

1. Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me ($2.99) - This has been my go-to lip product this entire month. It's one of those your lip color but better shades of red and I love how it smells like a jolly rancher. It's a very low-maintenance product, which is great for me now because I've been so busy, and it does double duty by also being a lip balm. I'll probably be doing a review on this product soon so keep your eyes out.

2. LUSH Tea Tree Water Toner ($8.95) - I've never used a toner before now but this product has got me hooked. It feels really refreshing when sprayed all over the face and I have noticed that I've had significantly less breakouts since I've started using it. Tea tree water helps to draw out any impurities such as blackhead and excess oil. I'll also be doing a review on this product soon, so keep your eyes out once again!

3. LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter ($14.95) - Wow, do I love this stuff. I use it on my heels every time I get out of the shower and I've noticed my heels have become a million times softer. I used to have extremely dry and cracked heels but ever since I've started using this my heels have become very smooth. If you want to know more I have a review on this product here.

4. EOS Organic Lip Balm Sphere in Strawberry Sorbet ($2.99) - I was extremely late on the EOS lip balm train but it's better later than never. I had my doubts about this product because the idea of carrying around a giant egg shaped lip balm was not appealing to me, but I'm glad I gave it a try. The product feels great on the lips, it moisturizes without feeling sticky or greasy and I love the way it smells. I really wanted to get the limited edition Alice in Wonderland pack but I can't find it anywhere!

5. LUSH Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub Sample (Free) - I got this sample with the rest of the Lush products and I'm so glad I did. I use it once a week and it really scrubs deep down into my pores getting out all the blackheads and getting rid of any dead skin. It's pretty harsh, I'm not going to lie, but using it once a week is good enough. I love this product so much that the next time I'm at a Lush, I'm definitely picking a full size up.

I hope you enjoyed this post and once again my apologies for not posting as much. I'm going to try to post as much as I can these following weeks but I can't guarantee anything since my midterms are looking to be really tough this semester. Wish me luck!