lush love locket bath bomb

lush love locket bath bomb - purchased at lush

Metaphorically, breaking hearts is a bad thing, but literally breaking this one is good ;) You can break this huge bath bomb in half, and inside is a smaller heart - making this useable for three baths, or so Lush says. Love Locket is scented with vanilla, jasmine, and neroli essential oils and even though I generally don't like anything vanilla scented, Lush knows what they're doing.



I took a kitchen knife, stabbed it in (carefully!), wiggled it a bit, and took it out to poke it in another place until I could break it apart. Word of advice: definitely have some old papers around because the mess will be inevitable.





Dropping one of the halves in - how pretty! It fizzed away much quickly than Northern Lights or Sparkler did, though those were designed for a better show. The outer halves are embedded with light pink paper hearts, which slowly dropped to the bottom of the tub. I was surprised at how moisturizing this one was! I didn't even feel the need to reach for my body butter once I stepped out of the bath, though I did have to slather some on my feet a while afterwards. But whatevs, my feet always need the extra attention anyway.

I had the luxury of taking TWO baths over the weekend for this post, and can I just say it's sooooo relaxing. Also, it seems like turning on my very orangey bathroom light makes the lighting better post-processing? Anyway, back on topic...



The middle part of the bath bomb. I thought maybe the inside would be jam packed with oils and fragrance since it's so tiny compared to all the other bath bombs Lush had to offer, but that wasn't the case. The middle piece is definitely not enough for a bath, so I'd suggest using it with another bath bomb or melt (even though I haven't tried those yet haha). Or maybe as a foot soak. I just chucked the other half in.





The hearts from the middle are darker than the outer halves, and those float. They're made of the same squishy material the stars from Northern Lights were made of.



The aftermath, which was easily washed away with a quick rinse from the shower.

Lush says you can use the entire thing at once for the most luxurious soak imaginable, but I found that just half of it was more than enough :) I'd purchase it again, for sure - in fact, I think I might need to stock up on these before they sell out!

review | lush northern lights bath bomb

Lush Northern Lights bath bomb - purchased at Lush

It was intact when I got it, but it somehow broke in between me saran-wrapping my bath bombs after I took pictures for my haul post and right before I used it... boo! Sorry it's taken me so long to have this up - I absolutely hate being disturbed when I take baths so I only do it when nobody is home, haha. Northern lights isn't available anymore since it was only around for the holidays, but let's hope it'll come back next year.

Sadly I've come to realize that unless I have a decent photography light setup in my bathroom, the lighting is always going to be crappy because there's a wall between the tub and the window. So whenever I move out, I'll have to keep good, natural bathroom lighting in mind.

Like Sparkler, it didn't deliver in terms of moisture - but now that I think about it, I don't think most bath bombs were made for hydrating the skin unless it says in the product description, like Avobath or Butterball? Still, the mini-show in my bathtub was incredible and so was the scent - I'd say it was floral but sexy at the same time. If it came in a perfume, I'd wear it.

The final result: deep purple waters, with floating stars! For anyone that knows me, this is straight up my alley. I believe the website said they were confetti stars, but it's not papery and even though they reminded me of sprinkles you'd find on desserts, they didn't dissolve unless I squished them. I'd repurchase this without a doubt, though next time I'll probably try it with a bath melt.

review | lush sparkler bath bomb

lush sparkler bath bomb - purchased at lush

Let me start this off by saying that it is a very ballsy move to take pictures while hovering over a bathtub of water. The whole time I was being super careful and afraid of my camera falling in... Also, it's really hard getting pictures when the steam from the water keeps fogging up your lens. But then again, I guess part of being a blogger is the guise of being cool, calm, and collected while in reality you're freaking out and struggling like there's no tomorrow.





When I dropped Sparkler in my bath, the water turned bright yellow. The core of Sparkler is a deep orange, so that was a pretty neat surprise! It also smells really nice, like floral with just a hint of citrus. Lush says it shares the same fragrance as Rose Jam, though Sparkler's scent isn't as strong as the shower gel.

Anyway, back on topic - Can we talk about the glitter in this one?? So. Much. Glitter. From Christmas cards to baths - I LOVE GLITTER.



In the end, I think this one was just ok - I would use it again, but nothing about it blows me away. The fizzing part was a lot of fun to watch though, and it makes my bath water super pretty. I guess I expected it to leave my skin feeling softer and it didn't deliver in that department. It did however, leave a really nice scent on me for most of the day (and the washroom!).

Even though Sparkler didn't wow me as much as I thought it would, I'm super excited to try its sister bath bomb, Northern Lights. Both these bombs are limited edition products so while they're sold out online, they might still be available in-store.

review | naked2 basics palette

naked2 basics - purchased at sephora

I'm very late on the Urban Decay Basics palettes. When the first Naked Basics came out, everyone was all over that. Meanwhile, I convinced myself that I didn't need it - I felt like it was so hyped because it was convenient having all these super neutral shades in one palette. I don't remember what made me purchase the Naked2 Basics... Perhaps it was the VIB sale?

A closer look at the shadows. It's a very nicely sized palette - compact enough to make it easy for travel or chucking into the makeup bag, but has a decently sized mirror for touch ups. Do the lines around the pans drive anyone else nuts? It looks like it's made of cardboard or cardstock (which I did believe it was, before I actually checked it out in-store), though it's actually plastic. Of course it doesn't have anything to do with the overall quality of the palette, it's just a peeve of mine.

Obligatory swatches. Surprisingly they aren't as powdery as I expected them to be. Yes, they still are a tad powdery - though most of these are matte shades, so I feel like it's to be expected.

A rundown of the shadows with UD's descriptions and my comments, if any:

• skimp (pale nude satin) » The only semi-matte shade in the palette. I like this for highlighting my inner corner, though it's not my favorite.
• stark (nude-pink matte)
• frisk (warm gray matte) » I loooove this one as a transition shade!
• cover (muted red-brown matte)
• primal (muted brown matte) » One of my favorites for darkening any other shadows.
• undone (deep, smoky brown matte) » The chalkiest of the bunch. I get a little bit of fallout if I'm not careful. I still like this one a lot, it's nice for smoking out the bottom lashline or using it as a soft eyeliner.

Overall, I like this palette a lot and I'm glad I decided to get it. I find myself using something from this almost every time I do my eye makeup. It's very true to name - it's got all your basics covered, from highlights to transition shades to shades you can use to darken or smoke out just about any color.

Do you own the Naked2 Basics palette? What are your thoughts?

review | dolce & gabbana the blush luminous cheek color in tan 22

Ok, so a bit of storytime - Dolce & Gabbana blush in Tan is my faaaaavorite for contouring. So of course I'm gonna want to repurchase it during the VIB sale, except it's sold out online. I went as far as going to the Sephora in Times Square to get this, and that's saying a lot since I'm a super lazy person and would pick online shopping over carrying bags home, any day.

Anyway, I asked the sales associates if they had Dolce & Gabbana Tan - they did! It was the last one and one of them even showed me inside the drawer to prove it, haha. It was totally meant to be. The sales associates even said it themselves. This would be a good chance for a review since I've got a brand new one for OPTIMUM PHOTOS, but my thoughts will be more complete since I've been using this product for a little over half a year.



The new one is so shiiiiny. I don't know why, but it's really satisfying comparing old and new products.

Anyone else feel like a lot of the cost behind high end cosmetics is in the packaging? I'll admit it makes me feel a lot fancier than I actually am, though. It even comes with a dust cover to keep it warm on chilly nights!



Wearing just Tan as a contour, without blush. I wonder what that the little speck is under my birthmark.



Comparing D&G Tan with the other two bronzers I own. Benefit's Hoola looks more orange even though Hoola supposedly lacks an orange tone, and Tarte's Park Ave Princess is redder.... maybe.

PROS:

• Even though it has luminous in the name, it's not shimmery or glittery at all which I prefer for my contour. It's more ashy/cool toned than most bronzers, making it emulate the shade of natural shadows on the face. It looks pretty natural as far as contouring goes.
• Very easy to work with - super smooth, easy to blend out, and not patchy at all. It lasts pretty much all day on my face.
• It's a lot sheerer than I thought it would be (see cons), which makes it easy to build up and blend out without overdoing it.

CONS:

• The $$$, obviously - though it's worth every penny! It's $45 for .17oz of product, while most higher end blushes and bronzers have twice the amount of product for around $20-$40. I've heard that NYX blush in Taupe is pretty close, but I haven't tried it since I always had a hard time making NYX blushes work for me in the past.
• It's a lot sheerer than I thought it would be (see pros), and I'm slightly disappointed that I have to layer this quite a bit for it to show up the way I like it, though most people don't pile on the contour like I do. I go in even more with Benefit's Hoola underneath the cheekbones on most days.

review | urban decay nail color in addiction

Hi! Today I'm reviewing Addiction, the second of the three Urban Decay polishes I bought from Nordstrom Rack. I would describe this one as a green-gold - packed with yellow-gren and evergreen shimmers that shift to a chromey gold. Wonderful selection of descriptive words here, but I probably don't know what I'm talking about.

Learning to do closeups is an art that I haven't mastered yet.



PROS:

• Like Vice, it was really easy to work with - great consistency, not too thick or too thin.
• At first I was on the fence about it, but I actually really like the color! It has a slight gold shift, but depending on the lighting it can look more greenish or more goldish. I think is pretty unique.

CONS:

• Even though I did two coats, three would be better for good measure. I can see some patchy areas if I hold my nails up to the light, though nobody really looks that closely anyway....

I actually like Addiction a lot more than I thought I would. I normally only use greens in nail art, but I can see myself wearing just this. It also reminds me a lot of Christmas tinsel decorations.

review | urban decay nail color in vice

As promised, here's one of the Urban Decay polishes I said I would review! Something good must be happening, because I'm actually doing what I said I would do. Anyway! This color is called Vice, and it's an eggplant purple with red and blue micro shimmers.

Under direct sunlight, where the micro shimmers are more apparent. Kind of ugly photo especially with my pilly sleeve, it's something I have to work on I guess. Or get a macro lens, which I'm seriously considering for posts like this. Of course I'm sure it'll come in handy for other photos too... but it's probably mostly for nail polish close ups.

PROS:

• It's sooooo pigmented and opaque, it's crazy. Seriously, this truly a one-coat polish.  I did two coats out of habit, but I left it at one coat on my ring finger. You can't even tell the difference!
• Super easy to work with - no gloopiness, but it's not super thin that you'd need more than one or two coats. It's a nice consistency, I hope it won't change too much as I continue to use it!
• The packaging, swoooon.

CONS:

• The color itself isn't anything too special and I feel like I could find a similar color elsewhere. I wouldn't buy it for the full price at $15, but it's not bad for $5 at Nordstrom Rack.
• There's a slight golden flecks in the bottle, but it's not noticeable on the nails - I think it would have been pretty if they were, but oh well.

Do you own this polish, or something similar? What are your thoughts?

the body shop haul + first impressions

The Body Shop had a 50% off sale recently soooo.... yeah. There isn't much explanation needed, except I've always wanted to try their body scrubs but can't justify spending $20 on something I can DIY at home. The Body Shop body butters do offer nice scents and moisture though, which is something a little harder to do at home. Most of these I haven't tried yet, so I thought it'd be fun to write up a little first impressions on the scents.

satsuma body butter » James' favorite scent on me, so I bought a huge one to transfer into the mini-size container I already have whenever I travel to see him. It just smells very citrusy and orangey, I don't think there's another way to describe it haha. It's not my favorite scent but I do like it, so might as well ;)

raspberry body butter » Haven't used this yet, but it smells deeeelicious. I was afraid it might smell like a flat berry scent, but it's actually quite sweet and tart like actual raspberries. I was asking James if he thought lychee blossom or raspberry would smell nicer and he picked this one - so thank you James even though this blog is a secret to him, for now. And to everyone else I know in person. /stealth

satsuma body puree » It smells really nice! The scent is lighter than the body butter and seems to have more depth to it. It fades into a non-fragranced lotion kind of scent when you rub it in, though. Somehow the scent seems to come back after a while? I don't understand.

grapefruit body scrub » I didn't like how the body butter version smells, but this is pretty nice. I actually really like the sour smell, like the kind you get from the rind. Going along with the citrus theme here.

coconut body scrub » Smells grosssss, would not purchase again. I love the scent of coconut so I was pretty excited to try this out. It doesn't smell like coconuts, but it does smell like a not-good detergent. Trying to use this up as quickly as possible.

olive body scrub » Some blogger wrote about this but I forgot who it was, but I said it was something I'd be interested in trying. I think it's a unisex scent since it's not too masculine or feminine. Overall I think I'm a fan of the Olive range at The Body Shop!

Totally unrelated, but eating chips with chopsticks is the greatest idea ever.

review | anastasia dipbrow pomade

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade: It's the product that everyone and their cats have been raving about since it came out, and for good reason.

Both the jar and box packaging are pretty so I had to include both, but in that ~artsy~ way where one has to be out of focus. The color I picked out is the darkest one, Ebony. I think the color selection is awesome cause this is the first product that I have that goes with my hair - the others are either too reddish or straight up black, which I don't prefer for my eyebrows.

It's really easy to go overboard with this product - the first time I used it, I literally ended up with Sharpie brows, no joke. I wish I could pull off that kind of brow. But whatevs, I went out like that anyway. The teeeeniest tiniest impression on the gel is all I need from the angled brush. Unless you like a bold brow of course, then by all means go bananas with it!

Before and after. Please excuse the bad coloring, I'm still playing around with the camera settings. But then again I've always been bad at doing these kinds of pictures, so it's probably me and not the camera! I also used this on the last eye makeup post, and I probably will be using it on many more to come!

review | tarte rainforest after dark palette

When Tarte had their Friends and Family sale, I quickly snatched up their Rainforest After Dark palette 'cause I've heard a lot of good things about Tarte eyeshadows and I don't own any. But mostly because I'm a sucker for packaging. I can't find it on the Tarte website anymore, but it's available at Sephora!

Unrelated but, my mom haaaates snakes. If she sees this palette, she'll flip out for sure.



Mmmmm, look at that packaging.



And that box texture.



Does anyone else think these clear plastic covers are one of the coolest things out there?



The palette in all its glory.

{ mouse over for eyeshadow names }

Obligatory swatches, even though most of them are probably not true to color at all n______n. I found make a mauve, plum away with me, and up to no gold to be the easiest to work with - so pigmented and buttery! Bare to explore and tan-gled up in you are alright. They aren't as soft as the first three mentioned, but they're just as pigmented - the only downside for me is that it doesn't show up well on my particular skintone. Don't turn a-brown was the chalkiest and hardest to work with out of the bunch.

I also love the dumb and punny eyeshadow names.

{ mouse over for these names, too! }

Now, to the face products. Excuse the band aid. It's covering a pretty nasty mosquito bite and I'm almost convinced I have Skeeter's syndrome because my bites swell up to be bigger than a quarter, and it hurts like a bruise but is still unbearably itchy. Maybe even two quarters in diameter... and that doesn't seem normal.

I'm just okay with park ave princess - I haven't used it enough to form a justified opinion on it. I'm not very open to trying out new bronzers it seems! Champagne has quickly turned into one of my favorite highlighters. It's a subtle highlighter, but very pretty nonetheless. Plus, I love how powder highlighters are much quicker to apply. When I first saw unleashed, it reminded me of Dieselboy's Unleashed!, which was one of my favorite mixes years ago. Getting back on topic - it's a nice blush. There isn't anything too interesting to me about it, but I seem to be reaching for it often enough to like it.

Overall, I think this is a pretty fantastic palette! Whether you want to go simple or bold, this palette can go both ways. I really like that I can do most of my eye and face makeup with just this, making it very travel friendly. This is the first time I've tried Tarte shadows and I'm impressed!

(Edit: it seems like I forgot to finish my last paragraph, haha! It's been fixed now!)

Until next post,

Becky