Green With Envy- FOTD

I thought I would do a green eye look today in honor of the holiday! :) I decided to kick it up a notch and go bold!


1. I primed my eye with my Painterly Paint Pot from MAC.

2. I then applied my lid colors with my Sigma SS217.

3. Then, I made the outer V with my Sigma SS219 and smudged it in. All of these colors are in the Coastal Scents 88 pc. (Matte) Palette.

4. I applied my crease color with my QUO crease blender brush. The color is from my Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette. Absolem is their original shadow Homegrown.

5. Eyeliner and mascara was then applied. Really easy look!



On my lips is MAC's Colour Me Coral lipstick and Elizabeth Arden's Crystal Clear lipgloss.

Company Rant- F21

I put in an order this past weekend and I must have clicked something wrong, because then I got an email saying that the order has been canceled. So of course, I try to get it worked out and ask for them to re-establish the order.

Things like this has happened before with other companies. I've had it happen with MAC and Alloy, at the top of my head. The minute the mistake is fixed, they enter in the order once again, and all is well. They even keep the coupon code that I use and apply it.

You know what Forever 21 did? The complete opposite. They refused to fix the order, would not even apply the coupon code to a future order, and said that I'd just have to do the whole thing over myself. To get the original free shipping that I'd had a code for, I would now have to get the $75 worth of merchandise that it takes to get it. I understand that the mistake was my fault, but they were not willing to offer to help at all like other companies have done.

A company with bad customer service always turns me off. On further reading, I have realized that I am not alone in this. Not only is the customer service bad, but apparently they treat their employees badly. I was reading this article a moment ago, before reading this one. I went on to read reviews from past employees and customers. I can't say that I'm too excited about getting cute accessories from them anymore.

Maybe this one girl revolution will get me nowhere, but I stick to my morals. Maybe they won't miss a lone customer, but I will not exactly miss them either. I had rather take my business to companies that actually appreciate their customers and employees. :)

Have you had problems with Forever 21? Maybe another store with bad customer service? Feel free to rant about it here! Or talk about the good experiences! I had a problem with Lush about two years ago and I have not bought anything from them since. I take how workers and customers are treated by companies very seriously. We all should!

Give Me Liberty!

Sorry that I did not post on Friday! I started feeling ill during the day and just didn't feel up to sitting at the laptop that much. :/

I made an order online this weekend for a few MAC items! I try not to get suckered into cute packaging, so I tried not to go overboard with purchasing. While I would have loved to get everything in the collection based solely on the lovely package it comes in, I know that some of the products would just not work for me.

Not pictured: another eyeshadow palette

Lip Erase in Pale- I happened to notice this on the site. I know that it is a Pro product, so I was pretty excited to see it listed! It's not part of the Liberty collection, but if you're wanting to try this...now is your chance to grab it!

Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl- I think this is going to be a great highlighter, though I'm pale enough that I can probably work it as a blush.

Lipglasses in Frankly Fresh and English Accents- These will look really nice paired with the lipsticks. Because English Accents has blue undertones, I think it will also be a nice lipglass to wear on top of Viva Glam Gaga.

Lipsticks in Ever Hip and Blooming Lovely- I almost did not get Blooming Lovely, because I don't know if I can pull off a purple lipstick. However, it is such a lovely color and layering gloss on top seems to change its dynamics according to the swatches I have seen. I look forward to experimenting with it!

Swatches to come soon after I receive my goodies in the mail! Did you get anything from the Give Me Liberty of London collection? :)

Aquafresh Whitening Trays

Currently watching: Rachael Ray
Currently drinking: water
Currently feeling: hungry
As you know, I've been using the Aquafresh Whitening Trays for the past week. I have finished them now, so here are my pictures along with my thoughts and review.

You should know that the trays are not like the flexible plastic trays. They feel the same as Crest Whitestrips. However, they have gel built in to the trays. There are seven packets that are each divided with two trays- one for upper teeth and one for the lower teeth. When you put them on the teeth, you just press them gently onto the teeth and dispersing the gel evenly. You are supposed to keep them on between 30-45 minutes for once a day. Try not to swallow. Then, when you take them out, just rinse your mouth out to clear any excess gel.

My thoughts? Well, I like them more than the Crest strips. These stayed on my teeth. I was able to talk if I needed to. Not being able to swallow is difficult and I found that sometimes there would be foaming of where the saliva would meet the gel. If any of the gel hits your gums, there can be a tingling sensation that can provide discomfort. I only accidentally did that once, but I was able to handle it.

If it does touch your gums, they turn white for a little while. I have really sensitive teeth, but I did not experience too much of a problem with these as far as sensitivity goes. With my rinse afterward, I did use warm water as opposed to cold to dodge any sensitivities. I think the term trays is used loosely, as they are more like sleeves. I did notice a change in shades, but I did not really receive the results that I would have liked. I liked these for a quick fix, but I still prefer the flexible plastic tray systems.

Before Aquafresh trays:

I have problems with stains. I like my coffees, sodas, and teas. What can I say? :)

After third use:

They say you're supposed to notice a change by the third use. I did notice a slight change!

Final use:

Not bad. Most of the staining is gone! I do have a few whiter splotches from the bleach on the ends of my teeth. I can deal with that, because it's not that noticeable and I don't plan on having too many people getting near enough to notice. :P The results are supposed to last up to six months, so we'll see!

Have you whitened your teeth? What do you use (Crest, Aquafresh, another brand, etc.)? I've heard Catherine Zeta-Jones uses fresh strawberries to brush her teeth and whiten them!

Best & Worst: Oscars 2010

Currently reading: Marked of the House of Night series
Currently drinking: water
Currently feeling: a headache coming on
The Oscars were this past Sunday. Like always, I just don't care about the award shows at all. I do, however, love the red carpet! I love when stars do it right with their outfits for the night and cringe when they don't. It is all a matter of personal taste, of course. In no particular order, here's my list of the best and worst dressed celebs to walk down the carpet!


Demi Moore looking gorgeous!

Cameron Diaz resembling old school Hollywood glamour.

Anna Kendrick. Who knew someone from the Twilight franchise could actually pick something decent?! Kristen Stewart, take note. Way to go, Anna!

Miley Cyrus looked gorgeous. The hair and accessories were perfect.



Poor Tina Fey. Someone needs a new stylist.

Sandra Bullock. I know a lot of people liked this, but I just think she could have picked something better. Between the dress and the flat hair, it just seems to age her.

Jennifer Lopez. How did she sit down in the chairs? And it looks like fish scales or bubble wrap. I haven't decided which yet.

Sarah Jessica Parker. My biggest beef with the dress is that it gives her no shape. The color is the next problem. I think her makeup artist went a little overboard with the bronzer, as well.

If you watched the red carpet, the awards shows, or saw pictures on other websites, who passed and who flunked in your eyes?

Shoppers, Walmart, & Old Navy

Currently listening: The Fame Monster by Lady GaGa
Currently reading: UK In Style mag.
Currently feeling: hot
I went shopping this weekend and picked up a few things. The only things not pictured are two v-neck tees that I got from Old Navy. I love stocking up on basics, so I picked up the tees in light brown and purple. Only $9 each!

At Shoppers:

• Maybelline concealer in green to conceal redness. Looking forward to seeing if this works for me!
• Nailene nails with little flowers on them. Thought I'd wear these on my wedding anniversary for a little added pop.
• Two Nicole by OPI nail polishes in light pink. I plan on layering them.
• Maybelline Dream Mousse blush.

This is a shimmery pink blush. I don't always like shimmer, but this looked like a really pretty color for summer!



Little hearts in the nail polish! I'm looking forward to wearing this. It screams Wendy! :)

At Old Navy & Walmart:

Dress on the left is from Old Navy and the dress on the right is from Walmart. I was just at Walmart scanning DVDs and as I was walking down the aisle, this dress caught my eye. The florals! The zipper! The flattering fit! I had to get it. Best part of this great find? The price. $18! The gray one cost me $19. Two cute summer/spring dresses at under $20 each!

Sigma Brushes

Currently doing: cooking dinner
Currently excited: for tonight's TV shows!
Currently feeling: stressed
It seems that everywhere I turn these days in the beauty community, there seems to be talk about Sigma. I've decided to give in and I purchased the complete set! Here, I will share pictures, reviews, and a few possible uses for each brush.

SS224- Uses: lid color, crease color, blending, highlighting brow bone

SS219- Uses: crease color, outer corner, smudge eyeliner, wash of color on lower lashline, inner corner highlighter

SS194- Uses: concealer, applying eye bases

SS187- Uses: both liquid and powder foundation, blush, bronzer

SS266- Uses: eyebrows, crease color, eyeliner

SS190- Uses: liquid foundation, primer

SS150- Uses: powder, powder foundation, blush, bronzer

SS252- Uses: eye bases, lid color

SS168- Uses: contouring, highlighting

SS275- Uses: crease color, browbone highlighter

SS209- Uses: eyeliner, lip brush, concealer

SS239- Uses: lid color, browbone highlighter

Ordering a kit right now also gets you a free travel-sized SS217 brush.

SS217- Uses: eye base color, lid color, highlight brow bone

Out of all of the brushes, my favorites are: SS150 (face), SS194 (face), SS224 (eyes), and the SS219 (eyes). The one that is the most disappointing is the SS187. It's just not dense enough for my liking. I find it being the one I reach for the least. And honestly, it's the only brush that I don't like in the set.

You should wash the brushes before use. They will shed quite a bit during the first wash, but that's normal. They do not seem to shed much after that. You also have the option of getting a brush roll with them, but I purchased a different one (see post below). I think these brushes are definitely worth the money and I really do like them. Shipping was rather fast and came in a lovely black drawstring bag. In this case, I'm glad I gave in to peer pressure! ;)

Let me know if you have any further questions about the brushes. And if you already own them, feel free to tell me what you think, a few uses that I might never have thought of, etc.!

My First Etsy Order

Currently excited: I mailed the contest prizes out today!
Currently trying: not to bite my nails
Currently feeling: Happy! TGIF!
I ordered two things from Etsy the other day and I received one of the two in the mail yesterday! I happened upon this girl who sells handmade makeup brush rolls in really fun and girly patterns. She makes regular-sized ones for 12+ (you could double smaller eye brushes in one pocket, if you wanted) brushes and larger ones for 15+ brushes.

I ordered a regular pink and black damask print and it's adorable in person. The quality of these are amazing. The fabric is thick and can be washed! She even sells matching makeup cases. I'd been needing one of these for traveling and I didn't want to pay crazy amounts of money. These cost under US$20! Here are pictures of mine:



The slots range in size. Some are bigger and some are smaller. The slots are big enough to hold at least two smaller handled brushes. However, if you only put one in the slot, it will stay put.






The brushes I've put in the slots are my Sigma brushes. My review on them is coming up on Monday! To my contest winners, be on the lookout for your prizes in the next week or so. They were mailed out today! :) I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

In My Makeup Bag

Currently watching: The Simpsons
Currently deciding: where to go this month for vacation!
Currently feeling: indecisive
I thought I would show what I've been carrying lately in my makeup bag that I throw in my purse. As you can see, I try to carry the bare essentials. I carry a lot in my purse, so I try not to weigh down my bag with individual things. :)

This is just an Aerie case I ordered from AE awhile back. In this picture:

Benefit Dandelion powder- I use this as a quick pick-me-up or to dust on over a fading blush.
Marc Jacobs mirror
MAC Sheer Pressed powder
Benefit BADgal mascara - I always try to carry samples/trial-sized with my daily bag or when I travel!
MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick
Costco Kirkland travel powder brush
Viva La Juicy spray
MAC Tendertone in Tender Baby - These have been discontinued, sadly.
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Bourbon

Spring 2010 Trends

Currently listening: Russian Roulette by Rihanna
Currently browsing: travel sites!
Currently feeling: creative
Time for my takes on what's going to be "in" for this spring!

1. Tribal. Rather it be a safari-themed outfit or jewelry, any form of tribal is showing up.

2. Cardigans open with a belt. This allows you to show an adorable eye-catching blouse and have it shown, while the belt defines your waist.

3. Ruffles. These are showing up on dresses, purses, blouses, and even shoes!

4. Pastels. I love this trend! I incorporate it in my nails and my makeup the most.

5. Boyfriend blazers. It can be hard to find the perfect fitted blazer, so with this being a "boyfriend fit" it will make it a lot easier! These are meant to fit loosely and bigger.

6. Textures on nails. Lots of layered glitter. Patterns. Kick it up a notch!

7. Neutral eyes with cat-eye eyeliner. I love neutral eyes. The hardest part of this trend will be getting those flicks with the eyeliner just right.

8. Hair buns, ponytails, and braids. I love that these hairstyles are all about getting hair out of your face. Now all of the attention can be on your beautiful face! Get out those elastics and get creative!

9. Orange is the new pink. I don't like orange very much, but you can bust out the coral also. It just needs to be classified as being in the orange spectrum. If you don't think you can pull off orange, try it in small doses.

10. Nudes. Head-to-toe neutral colors!

11. Florals. I cannot get enough of florals. I want this trend to stay for a long time yet. It's so fantastically girly.

12. Cone-shaped heels. These are heels that are thicker at the top and go down in size to the point. They provide a bit more balance than stilettos. That's a giant plus!

These are just the ones that I am interested in. Is there a trend that I didn't list that you're happy about that's in fashion? What trend are you looking most forward to?