Wednesday, November 12, 2014

[Review]: Sephora 4 Eye Look Book Set

Hey peeps,

So recently I stopped by at a newly opened Sephora (which is great, yet bad considering it's near where I work, good-bye paychecks T-T), to check out their items and of course, I couldn't resist getting something from there. What I picked up is one of Sephora's new limited edition eyeshadow sets, called Sephora Eye Look Books

The first thing I noticed was the packaging as it is quite cute, as it imitates the appearance of a book set, which appealed to me. 

But also, what drew me in too was the fact that the set came with different eyeshadows to create 4 different looks. I just got into makeup, so I'm not that good when it comes to creating different looks when using eyeshadows. 

There are 4 books and 4 different eye looks: 
Book 1: Smoky Eye Look
Book 2: Nude Eye Look
Book 3: Party Eye Look
Book 4: Metallic Eye Look

All of the books came with 5 eyeshadows, a mirror, a clear sheet that numbers the eyeshadows and an illustration that guides and teaches you how to put on the eyeshadows in order to achieve the intended look, a little tidbit, that is perfect for makeup beginners!  

The "book" packaging for the palette is adorable!

Overview for all the books/palettes.




Book 1: The Smoky Eye Look


Book 1 is described as having the following: 
"A collection of 5 smoky eyeshadow shades including a modern grey, a sultry matte black, and a soft white to  highlight, for a glamorous smokey eye look."

This book also comes with a sparkling and glittery black and a gunmetal blue eyeshadow.

Fun fact: I realized they misspelled smoky on the cover, it should really be spelled as smokey eye look.

I numbered the eyeshadows on the picture below because I took off the sheet. For all the books, the numerological order stays the same.

The eyeshadows go numeric order by starting at the very top left, then going clockwise.


Book 2: The Nude Eye Look


Book 2 is described as the following:
"A collection of 5 natural eyeshadow shades, including a beige champagne shimmer, a warm brown and an intense cocoa shade for an irresistible nude eye look."

The other two eyeshadows are a shimmery dark orange-brown and a shimmery grey.



Book 3: The Party Eye Look


Book 3 is described as the following:
"A collection of 5 vibrant eyeshadows, including a deep purple, a soft pearly pink and metallic grey for a dazzling party look."

The book also comes with 2 other eyeshadows, a metallic violet and a basic beige.



Book 4: The Metallic Eye Look


Book 4 is described as the following:
"A collection of 5 metallic eyeshadow shades, including a delicate gold, an intense copper and a golden khaki, for a luxurious metallic eye look."

The remaining two eyeshadows are a shimmery dark brown and a metallic dark yellow-brown.



Some Thoughts:
Pros: 
I like the fact that there are different books to create unique looks. I love the fact that they have illustrations to teach people how to apply on the shades of eyeshadows, as its perfect for people like me, who don't know how to use eyeshadow properly just yet. The size is another great thing, because its travel-friendly. Another plus is that the dark eyeshadows are very pigmented and soft. 

Short summary:
-travel friendly size
-darker eyeshadows very pigmented
-application is very easy and smooth
-included illustration/instructions/mirror
-4 eyeshadows per book
-1 highlighter
-various colours of eyeshadows (20 in total)

The darker eyeshadows are pigmented, while the lighter ones are not so much.

Cons: 
The lighter eyeshadows are not as pigmented. Also the way the book is made, I'm not too sure how I would be able take out the eyeshadow pan when needed. That being said, as well, there is no clear answer how deep the eyeshadows are in the pan.

Short Summary:
-lighter eyeshadows not as pigmented
-unsure how deep the eyeshadow pans are
-some of the matte shadows tend to crease


Final verdict:

The Sephora 4 Eye Look Book is perfect for a makeup beginner who has no experience or is not good at putting on eyeshadow and creating different looks. With this set, a person would be able to learn how create many looks with the help of the illustrations inside each volume. 

The price is not bad, considering you get 20 eyeshadows for $35 and 5 guides to teach how you can achieve the looks.

All and all, I would most likely recommend this to someone who's starting to get interested in makeup or is having trouble creating other looks with eyeshadows. But if you enjoy the eyeshadow colors/shades or just a makeup junkie overall, then this set is great for you as well! :)

✿{Overall Thoughts}✿

The packaging was adorable, it's what caught my eye the first place.

The pigmentation of the eyeshadows were depends, some were pigmented, while others were not.

The price was somewhat reasonable for the amount of eyeshadows you are getting.

The quality is good, the eyeshadows can be easily blended and are very soft.



Forever 21 Haul

I also wanted to post a quick snip bit from my latest haul from Forever 21, (I know, ._. I already bought things there recently, but this time, the items, were bought online since shipping was $21.)


I got a striped crop top, golden heart necklace and a stripe dress, all of which are super adorable!

And why is this haul relevant?
-It's because the stripe top and necklace are going to be featured in an upcoming an OOTD, which will be related to Hirunaka no Ryuusei (it's a shoujo manga)
-I'll talk more about the outfit and what I thought of the ending of HnR in the future blog.

Here are examples of outfits from the manga that I'm inspired by:


The colouring is from http://clairme.tumblr.com/


On a side note, upcoming posts  may be less structured, and maybe more 'loose' in a way, meaning I'll probably add random posts along with the main subject of the post, just to make it more personal and welcoming. 

Anyways, if you have any questions about the palette, ask away!

Thanks for reading,
Courtney ♡.





Friday, November 7, 2014

YesStyle Haul + Review


If you're like me, and are somewhat considered a shopaholic, (,,◕ ⋏ ◕,,)you may already know, the online store called YesStyle, which is one of my favourite clothing sites to buy stuff from.

YesStyle is known to be as one of the leading asian clothing retailer, they sell items from Japan to Korea, and more.

(Link to the store!)

What I like about the store is the vast selection of items they have and the majority of the items are very cute and girly. ^-^ They also have many different brands that you can choose from as well and often have sales each week.

Another good thing about the site is that, not only do they sell clothing, they also sell many beauty products such as makeup and wigs!

Unlike other online retailers, for Canadians, YesStyle will offer free shipping with any purchases at or over $25!

(Please NOTE: I am not affiliated with YesStyle in anyway. Everything you will see, I bought on my own.)

Let's start, shall we?

The items I'm about to show you, I had bought a while ago, but I never did a review until now, since I just started the blog and now have a better camera.

Ta-da!



Yup, the order this time, only consists, of tights.

59 Seconds Bow-Accent Two-Tone Tights
(Photo courtesy of YesStyle)

Camisole: Forever 21 | Skirt: YesStyle


Pros: From the haul, these tights are my favourite! The bow adds the element of cuteness to it, but as well, the entire design, also creates the illusion of the tights, to be a garter, adding a touch of sex appeal. The tights are stretchy and once you put in on, it's comfortable and smooth. 

Cons: The material the tights are made of is very weak, especially, the top half. If you don't take good care of it, the fishnet-like material will rip very easily. DO NOT, and I repeat do not, put these tights in the washer, this will wreck the tights, and it will rip apart (Learn from my mistake, haha). Hand wash it, instead! Another thing is that the bows are not sewn, but glued onto the tights, making it very flimsy and easily to fall off. (This hasn't happened to me, but I've read other reviews in which other people have experienced this.)

These tights can easily be paired with shorts, dresses, or my favourite way, with skirts. I do believe the tights can be worn in any season, it depends on how you style them yourselves. 

Thinking of buying these tights? Click Here!


59 Seconds Rabbit Print Two-Tone Tights
(Photo courtesy of YesStyle)

Sweater: YesStyle | Skirt: Forever 21

Pros: These tights are adorable. If you're a huge fans of rabbits, then I believe these tights will do you justice. The material of the tights are very comfortable and soft. The skin tone is very realistic as from afar it looks like the skin of your legs.

Cons: The one thing about this tight is that it only comes in one size. And if you're a small person like me, the tights might go up way to high. (SHORT PEOPLE PROBLEMS, FTW! :/) I'm exactly 5'0", but luckily, so far any of the tights I bought from the store, has not gone up to high.

These tights are more casual in comparison of the bow ones. These tights can be easily matched up with dresses, skirts, shorts and sweaters. And if you're like me, have to be peculiar, match it up with a rabbit shirt or sweater! :D Which reminds me, I missed out on a cute bunny sweater that was 30% off from TopShop T_T

Want these rabbit tights? Here's the Link!


59 Seconds Heart Print Two-Tone Tights
(Photo courtesy of Yesstyle)

Sweater Dress: Angela's Store


Pros: I like the illusion the tights give, from afar, it appears like knee high socks with heart tattoos all around. In comparison of the other two, these tights are probably the most flexible, in that, it stretches easily. However, it is not as soft as rabbit tights.

Cons: Again, these tights are one size. So, if you're short the tights will look longer and the images go up will way higher. And if you're tall, the tights will look too short. Although, I'm unsure, which height is middle ground, all the tights I have bought from Yesstyle has been at the perfect length, so if you're 5'0" like me, (Hiii :D), we good.

These tights can make any casual outfit cute. Ideally, the Fall, Spring and Summer seasons are best to wear it. If you do wear them in the Winter, I would advise to pair them up with warm, tall boots.

Click Here, if you want to take a better look at these tights.


I was skeptical of shopping at YesStyle at first, since I had read reviews on their service on other blogs. But I gave it a try since I couldn't resist all the cute things they had offered *-* Overall, my shopping experience with YesStyle has been great. The free shipping price is reasonable, and in my experience, the orders at least 7-10 days to get to my house. 

Although there are things that there that I have to include that I do not like about the site and one of them is that whenever they run out of stock of the items that you want, it will either take a month for them to restock or unfortunately, they will run out, and you will not get the item that you ordered. As well, you will not get refunded in money but in YesStyle's own credits, in which if you collect 1000 points or more you'll receive a gold membership, meaning for every item you will get 10% off immediately.

If you have any questions to ask me about Yesstyle, ask away! I don't mind!

Thanks for reading,
Courtney ♡

Sunday, November 2, 2014

♢DIY♢: Happy (Late) Halloween + Halloween Costume (Louise Belcher and her Hat!)

It's going to be a somewhat long post today, but first:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

It's the first time I dressed up for the longest time. When I was little, I thought trick-or-treating was the coolest thing in the world, I mean, free candy! But then in mid elementary, I stopped, because I thought it was lame and now I regret it, cause I miss getting free things. That being said, I can't even remember how old I was the last time I wore a costume, but I can tell you this, I probably dressed up as a cat.

image

This year I went as Louise Belcher from Bob's Burger.

Louise selfie :D


A closeup.



image


I was going to dress up as Tina at first, because, let's face it, we're all Tina's deep down, even if we don't want to admit it. Plus, Tina kicks ass! 

Haha, here are some examples:





But it's all good, I'm making my sister dress up as Tina and my parents as Bob and Linda for a family photo and my dog, somehow as Gene xD, HAHAHA.

For my costume, I couldn't find a simple green t-shirt dress, which I found odd, since I read that T-shirt dresses were supposed to be 'in' this year. I basically looked everywhere, until I found a dark green dress from Forever 21. The only problem I had with the dress is that it's way darker than Louise's.

I was going to order a t-shirt dress off Ebay, but by the time I decided to, I noticed that the shipping would take a month to get to my house, which meant, by the time I would recieve it, Halloween is over. 
(This is the lowest price for these dresses)

My Mary Jane shoes I had for the longest time, and I believe I got it from Payless, but if you're planning to dress up as Louise next year, and don't have Mary Janes, you can simply improvise and use simple black flats as well.

Now for the hat, which is Louise's trademark signature, is handmade. At first, I was going to buy it off Esty as first, but I realized the price was too high for me o.o, so I decided to buy the materials instead and let my sister make it for me, since she likes to sew and create things.

The materials you need are:
-Pink fleece or felt
-Wires
-Bobbins
-Scissors
-Pins
-Head Band
-Fabric Glue
-Sewing Machine 
-Glue Gun
(NOTE: The glue gun and sewing machine are two different ways to create the hat, if it were up to me, I would have used the glue gun, since I don't know how to use a sewing machine properly)

Some of the materials used. (Mistake, fleece was bought at Dressew, as well)
Side view of the hat.

Here are two examples of showing how to make Louise's hat:

or
(Both these links provide paper guides for the hat and more importantly, the bunny ears!!!)

There are only three key items you need for Louise's costume, but I felt it was too plain, so I added a chalkboard which I attached a string to, so I could wear it as an ornament. The chalkboard was from Daiso, so I got a good deal!




With that, I could write one of Bob's Burgers of the Day Names.

And this is how the chalkboard looked liked when wore:



For my hair, I also decided to curl it instead of letting it down straight, I thought it looked nicer and cuter.
Oh, and if you're really detailed-oriented, Louise ties her hair with yellow elastics.

Doing Louise's signature pose.



It was fun dressing up! Although I have to admit, if I wasn't working on Halloween, I probably wouldn't have bothered. Although, it really made my day that some of coworkers and customers knew who I was. Though, it was nice to relive my childhood, haha. I usually don't celebrate Halloween, and I just stay at home, (I'm an introvert, you see).

And of course, all credit goes to Bob's Burgers and Fox, and for the cute dividers I got it Here!

Thanks for reading,
Courtney ♡.