Hawaii Pics

So back in June I went to Hawaii and I said I was going to show tou guys some pictures, but I got a bit lazy....
anyways, I thought, "Why not do it now?"  So here are some of my pictures. I hope your not hungry because a lot of it is food haha!
Ps. This is the first time I am using my phone to blog. Hopefully it turns out great!

Simple Drugstore Look: Every Day Edition

Today, I am going to show you a look that I have really liked. It is a really easy look and you can adapt it in a way that you like. You can stop after the first step or do every single step and even add more colors. It is a very neutral look so it's not all up in your face. As an added bonus, the look is pretty much all drugstore. Cheap, but awesome at the same time!

Products Used:

Face

Skin79 Oriental Gold BB Cream

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny

Eyes

Wet n' Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone

Maybelline Ultra Liner in Black

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara(Waterproof)

For tools, I pretty much only use ELF so there is nothing really specific that you should use.

For the face products, this is just what I use. I love these products, but you may have products you prefer.

This is the only eyeshadow palette I am using. It is super cheap ($4.99) and really amazing. You can find this at Walgreens. I labeled each side as Side 1 or Side 2.

Apply the browbone color on your browbone and the eyelid color up to your crease from Side 1. Don't go past the crease.

Add the crease color from Side 1. Make sure you blend it in really well.

Add the define color from Side 1 to the outer v. For me, I like it a bit subtle, so I did it with a very light hand.

This is what the look open so far.

For some added drama, I added the gorgeous( and I mean gorgeous!) define eyeshadow from Side 2 to the middle of my eyelid. The color is simply gorgeous!

So I finished it off with eyeliner and mascara. Voila! We are done! Easy-peasy lemon squeazy! 

Now even though this is not exactly part of the tutorial, I just really wanted to show you this color. It is the Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic. I have a very sheer layer, but it can definitely be made to be more opaque. Love it!

The format I used was inspired by Urban Babe. She posts about makeup, life, and it is all really interesting/helpful. You should definitely check her out!

Anyways, I hope this was at least slightly interesting.

Thanks for reading!

Megumi

Things NOT to Buy

Now, we live in a time were money can be tight, but we still want to look our best. I mean, if we didn't what's the point of the countless hours spent browsing on the internet and looking up all the product reviews. Here is a list of things I think you should NOT spend a huge amount of your money on.

#1 Facial Sprays
I think Facial sprays are a HUGE waste of money. I mean, a majority of women only buy them so that they can spray something nice and refreshing on the face. If you just buy a spray bottle in the travel section at your local store and put in water with some rose essence( or any essence) then you can have the same effect. The mist will be finely sprayed and you can still have the refreshing feeling that you were looking for without shelling out as much money. If you are the type of person who wants the benefits of a facial spray, then here is a DIY from another blogger.

#2 Lip Balms
Now when I say lip balms, I'm not talking about the chapsticks, tinted lip balms(well maybe I am for this one), or any of those kinds of things. I mean a lip product whose sole purpose is to save your lips from dehydration. I love chapsticks, they are easy and convenient. I am talking about products like Rose Bud Salve. Now this product is supposed to re-hydrate your lips, but why spend $8, when you can buy something for probably half the price, maybe even less? I suggest instead to buy petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, or products that contain petroleum jelly, like Aquaphor. They don't cost as much, have the same feel(or similar to) as the Rose Bud Salve, and are really effective. Plus, many people are attracted to the color of the salve, believing that it will give them I nice tint. Sorry to say, but it is so sheer that there is literally no point. Plus, if you wanted to make a tinted lip balm, just mix your petroleum jelly with pink eyeshadow or any color that you desire. No need to shell out so much money ladies!

#3 Lipstick
Now this one may or may not hurt me, but their are some great alternatives to some expensive lipsticks in the drugstore. I am not talking about colors that are hard to find or the texture is different, I am talking about the basic colors. When some people say, "I just want a basic red, let's go to MAC!" that makes me think 'don't they know that they could get a really great red at the drugstore?' Honestly, there is only a limited amount of different reds in the world and most people can find their lipstick at the drugstore. The drugstore companies have really stepped it up people so go check it out! If you want a sheer red, matte red, or even a super shimmery red, just go look at the drugstore!

I'm not saying all makeup should be bought at the drugstore or condemning some products for being creative. I just think people should spend their money wisely and not just blindly head over to a makeup counter without checking their drugstore or trying to find an alternative. If you have been eyeing a certain product, then save your money to buy it by looking for alternatives!

Hopefully this was a bit of an eye-opener for some people.
Thank you for reading!
Megumi

CVS Deal:Garnier Hair Products

It's that time of year again where school begins. WOOHOO! To be honest, I am completely excited to go back to school. I get to see all of my friends and roommates again! Anyways, I have to start buying personal care items because I live in a dorm, story of a college student.

Are you ready for a great deal? If you buy 3 Garnier Hair products, not only will it cost $10, but you will also get 3 Extra Care Bucks. If you don't have a CVS card, well, you should. Not only is it free, but you get the benefits of awesome deals and boy do they have great deals!

The products I bought were:
Daily Care Shampoo and Conditioner
Brilliantine Shine Gloss Spray

I have never tried them before, but I never hated anything from Garnier, so I don't think it is going to start anytime soon.

With the 3 Extra care Bucks, I was able to finally buy the NYC Bronzer in Sunny. Guess what? It only cost me 21 cents! How crazy is that? I mean, this is definitely worth the deal, even exceeds it!

It was hard to take a picture. I wanted to have the picture with all three products, but my hands just aren't big enough. Gahhhh, small hand girl problems!

I wanted to try this because my friend is absolutely in love with it. 

Sunny Bronzer is in my life! Now, I can contour or at least put on some color that my BB cream takes away.

I hope this post was at least a little bit helpful! Now my next hunt is to find a waterproof liquid eyeliner from the drugstore. Wish me luck!

Thank you for reading!

Megumi

Regret Buying: Revlon Lip Butter

This is such a sad day. I regret buying something that many people absolutely love! If you couldn't tell from the title, I regret buying the Revlon lip butter.
Why do I regret buying it? Not because of the packaging or the color or anything like that. I love the product itself, well, kind of. My problem is that it melts! It melts all the way down to the bottom of the tube. Why would I waste my money on that? Plus, I bought it for $8. I could have bought another lipstick that doesn't melt instead. It's a waste of money AND product.

The tube itself. I love the packaging!

 I've had it for barely a month and I don't even put it on everyday. I put it on maybe once a week if I remember and it's not even like I am swiping it on my lips constantly. I put a sheer layer and leave it at home.

I am sad to say that I will never buy another tube of this. So sad, but it had to be done! I mean, if my chap stick and such don't melt, why do you!

I hope you found this post helpful.

Thanks for reading!

Megumi

Mario Badescu Haul

Hello! I made a small purchase from Mario Badescu after trying some of their products. If you want to know how to get samples click here. (It is a step by step guide on how to receive samples and my review on the ones I received.)

I bought the Enzyme cleansing gel and special cucumber lotion because this combination has given my face a new glow! It is blemish free and silky smooth. I knew these two products worked because after I ran out of my samples and tried to go back to my other skincare, my skin was terrible. My pores got clogged up and I started breaking out. Not a good thing obviously.

Special Cucumber Lotion and Enzyme Cleansing Gel

(Review of the two products on sample post)

I also received three complimentary samples that come with each order.
They are:
Strawberry Face Scrub(review on sample post)
Ceramide Eye Gel
Drying Cream

From Top Left: Drying Cream, Ceramide Eye Gel, Strawberry Face Scrub

What's great about the samples is that there is a large variety of them. Usually, if you were to pick a sample off of Ulta or Sephora, there is only nine you could pick from. On this site, there is a long list of products which is great.

It seems there was a promotion because I also received either a travel size or deluxe sample size(I don't know the difference!) of the Summer Shine Body Lotion. Boy, does this lotion have some shimmer! It smells like coconuts which is fantastic, but I would probably only put it on my legs. It's still great to receive something for free.

Summer Shine Body Lotion

My total with shipping is $31.95. It is a tad expensive for my taste, but with such great results, I don't mind. too much.

Anyways, thank you for reading!

Megumi

Product Rave: Wet n' Wild Jumbo Juicy Flavored Lip Balm

Quick post! I found the Wet n' Wild Jumbo Juicy Flavored Lip Balm at the Dollar store in a pack of two so I decided to buy it. I actually really like it!

credits: chaptastic.blogspot.com

 I like it even more than the Maybelline Baby lips. It is a lot more hydrating for me and I like the flavor. I have it in Orange and Grape, but don't get the Grape. It smells like Grape flavored medicine. EW! I don't think they are very expensive(considering that they are from Wet n' Wild) and they have quite a bit of product. I'm not saying that the Baby Lips are not good because I still love them, especially the tinted ones. Just give this one a try as well!