Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC)

***WARNING: This post is full of color!***

I love colors! I remember my first job, we had to wear ALL black all the time (like the MAC makeup artists! LOL) and I was just dying to wear anything that had the slightest pop of color so it didn't look like I was going to a funeral all the time. My mom thought I was going through a "goth" phase, LOL. So when I finally left that job, I went color crazy!



Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) has phenomenal color pay-off and rich pigmentation. If you are looking for vibrant color in the makeup industry, then definitely check out some of their products. I recall first hearing about this company at a makeup show last year, and it was so nice to see them again this year at the recent Makeup Show in LA back in March.

I was able to get my hands on a few products which was perfect timing because I had a reader that wanted to know more about this brand and it's such a pleasure to try these out because I don't know any makeup companies (in a freestanding store like Sephora) that have such bright and vibrant colors, let alone being so affordable for us gals on a budget! OCC's nailpolishes and lip tar are absolutely GORGEOUS, I could not even believe how pigmented these were in ONE STROKE!

Now the lippies in the POTS are lightly-tinted balms (despite the fact they share the same name as the liptars), so they don't show up any color on my skin, but the LIPTAR (the ones in the tubes) are PIGMENTED. And this is surprising coming from a plastic tube one would think they are just regular lipglosses, but nope! These are amazing and much more pigmented than other brands out there not to mention affordable (only $12.50) considering YSL lipsticks are nicely pigmented but are $34 a pop! I know that given it's in a plastic tube that may seem steep, but it's the quality you are paying for. They also feel nice on the lips, not overly drying or gives a "cracked" look or feel. You can always put chapstick before you apply if you find it the least bit drying, but they were fine for me.

I will let the pictures speak for itself (click to ENLARGE some pics):






Don't mind my crappy looking nails, this was from awhile ago and I was trying to get my acrylic nails off so they look janky! I had to put "Dangerous" (gray color) over "Wasabi" since I only had 5 fingers! LOL (ONE COAT ONLY) see how pigmented they are???


The loose eyeshadows:


(NO BASE, applied DRY)


(NO FLASH)


The Lippies:






These lip swatches are the LIPTARS (from the doefoot tubes, NO BASE):

Lime Crime Eyeshadows!

Hello my lovely blogger friends! I know I am delayed on my usual daily post but I was unable to post last night because my whole body was sore from my "spring cleaning" this past weekend, putting things in trash bags and boxes and carrying them up and down the stairs, and then from working out at the gym on Monday...so I went to bed early last night since my body was tired and was just not letting me stay awake, thus missing Gossip Girls, One Tree Hill, AND The Hills! So ladies please fill me in on what happened in any of these shows or the previews for next week! LOL.

"So bright! It's illegal!"



(Congrats to Tina Marie for winning the Glamour Doll Eyes eyeshadows!)

Anyway, I had the opportunity to try out Lime Crime's Eyeshadows (www.limecrimemakeup.com), which is another awesome makeup site for vibrant, eye-popping colors. They are so pigmented and their loose glitters are finely-milled and ideal for pulling off a more glamorous look.

The colors I tried: "Princess Caraboo" (Green), "Empress" (Purple), and "Twilight" (Blue, and can you tell why I picked that color??? LOL), and the loose glitter in "Alchemy"

***Nailpolish used in this photo is Essie nailpolish in "No Boundaries"***






Quick look using "Empress" e/s (I forgot what I used for the entire look since I uploaded these pics weeks ago sorry!) I think I used NYX "Black" for the outer-V and contour...

Quick FOTD using Silverthorn e/s

Here is a quick look I did real quick as a request from a reader who was looking for a white and silver look, I used MAC e/s in "Gesso" in the inner corners, "Silverthorn" e/s from A Rose Romance collection, and a bit of NYX "Black" eyeshadow to make it more dramatic for an evening look. I also used "Blush of Youth" beauty powder on the cheeks. I am also being brave and decided to test out MAC's Studio Tech Foundation (the compact), it's a cream based foundation (not overly creamy), and so far so good (no breakouts *knocks on wood*). I will let you know ladies know how I like it hopefully by the end of this week...I have so many posts to write and I am trying to find time to do it all!

How-to:

I first applied a primer (Smashbox Eye Primer), then applied "Gesso" on the inner corner of my lids first with a sponge tip applicator; I then applied "Silverthorn" e/s with the other side of the applicator, then applied NYX "Black" with a bit of MAC e/s in "Knight Divine" using a small eyeshadow brush I got from Wal-Mart, on the outer-V then blended on the contour(crease) of the eye. Then applied highlight color and blended all the colors. Re-apply "Gesso" if you accidentally blended too much and it looks a bit faded.

Anyway here is what I used:

[Face]
- MAC Skin Base Face Primer
- MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC30
- MAC Studio Tech Foundation in NC35

[Cheeks]
- MAC A Rose Romance "Blush of Youth" beauty powder
- MAC MSF in "Petticoat" on the apples of the cheeks for a little shimmer

[Eyes]
- Smashbox Eye Primer
- MAC e/s in "Gesso" on the inner corner of the lid
- MAC e/s in "Silverthorn" on the middle of the lid
- NYX e/s in "Black" with a bit of MAC e/s in "Knight Divine" on outer-V and contour
- MAC "Shroom" e/s as highlight
- Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen
- L'Oreal XXL Mascara in Blackest Black
- Urban Decay "Zero" on lower lashline

[Lips]
- MAC "Snob" lipstick
- MAC "Steal My Heart" lipglass (LE)

My Pretty Pink Box!

I got my 2nd pretty pink box last week and I am just loving these cute little boxes and the awesome gifts that await me inside! If you remember last year I got my first pretty pink box and I loved all the amazing samples and full-size products I received from familiar and brand new companies.

What I love about myprettypinkbox.com is that it's truly unique and allows budding companies to get their wonderful products out there to us, so that WE have the opportunity to try out their products. There's always something new in each box every month! The next box goes on sale ($11.99 not including shipping) on May 5th!

Check out Myprettypinkbox.com for more info.

MAC: A Rose Romance Review & Pictures

So what did I pick up from this collection? I picked up both beauty powders: "Blush of Youth" and "Summer Rose", "Silverthorn" eyeshadow, and "Magnetique" lipglass. I have "Mutiny" pigment from when the "Naughty Nauticals" collection came out. I forgot to get "Steal My Heart" lipglass, so I have to go back and get that! The see-thru lipcolors (lipstains) are pretty neat, but didn't tickle my fancy enough for me to get any of them (but let me tell you, they really stain and stay on! So that might me awesome for some of you looking for a sheer colored lipgloss that lasts). The MUA recommended wearing these see-thru lipcolors underneath your lipstick or lipgloss so when those layers wear off, you still have the stain underneath!

CLICK TO ENLARGE:


The lipsticks (A Rose Romance, Odyssey, Way to Love) were pretty but were TOO sheer for me, not to mention I have tons of lipsticks that look close to those colors (California Dreamin' and Curtsy, both LE) of course they may be slightly different from each other, but I really don't need that many pink-tinged lippies especially that are too sheer for my taste. And "Odyssey" is permanent, so no need to rush to get that.

The eyeshadows were bleh to me personally, I already have "Shadowy Lady" and "Creme de Violet, and the other ones "Of Summer" and "Et tu, Bouquet" seem like colors I would just "collect" but never put to any good use. Hence I only picked up "Silverthorn" (veluxe pearl) since it's really pretty and I don't have a lot of silver eyeshadows to begin with. It looks similar in color to MAC e/s in "Cumulus" from the "Blue Storm" collection except "Cumulus" is a tad bit darker and less shimmer, more on the matte side, and "Silverthorn" is a nice light-medium silver with an opalescent bluish tint to it. Definitely stands out!



The Beauty Powders have dainty embossed "rose petals" that you don't even want to touch it! I like the natural, barely-there look both of the beauty powders give, the only con I have, is that for my skintone, it takes quite a few swipes for it to even show the slightest bit of color on my face, I KNOW THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SHEER, but I just wish they were pigmented just a pinch so there's less effort on my part, LOL. But at the same time, I DO LOVE that you can BUILD up the color gradually and not worry about overdoing it like other blushes (for example) where half a swipe is too much color. So this is definitely my favorites out of this collection because it gives a nice natural glow to the entire face or cheeks for those with light and medium skintones (not sure how it shows up on those with darker skintones). Although I must admit at times they almost look alike!

As for the gel blush, I didn't even give it a second look to be honest. For one, I personally am not into cheek stains, not that I don't necessarily like them, I just prefer powder form blushes, and of course it's the angel on my shoulder telling me I don't need it. :)

The Fix + Rose Spray smells super yummy, but that's about it. No different than MAC's current (and permanent) Fix+ spray which I still have a lot of, so passed on that.

The Nail Color "Love & Friendship" is a nice pretty rose color and looks really pretty on, but I am not into MAC nail polishes for some weird reason...so passed on that too.

What do I think are must-haves? BOTH of the beauty powders ("Blush of Youth" and "Summer Romance"), "Silverthorn" and "Of Summer" eyeshadows, "A Rose Romance" lipstick (I think this is perfect for others), the see-thru lipcolors, and "Magnetique" lipglass.

What are nice to have but not a necessity? "Shadowy Lady", "Creme de Violet", and "Odyssey" lipstick (as these are permanent),"Steal My Heart" lipglass, "Mutiny" and "Circa Plum" pigment, "Way to Love" lipstick, and "Just a pinch" gel blush is great for some of you...

I say skip: "Virgin Kiss" and "Et tu, Bouquet?"

***Sorry I was unable to do swatches of the entire collection, but there are tons of swatches online!***

I had to swatch the beauty powders on tissue since it's hard to see on my skin...








(Mutiny Pigment is the only one in this new collection)






(NO FLASH)


(WITH FLASH)

FOTD: Neutral Eyes & Bold Pink Lips

I've been doing a lot of neutral looks lately since it's easy to do and work-friendly. I decided to dust off my MAC "Show Orchid" lipstick and "Magnetique" lipglass from last year's pink lipglass holiday set (which will be available in full-size tomorrow in the "A Rose Romance" collection).

What I used:

[Face]
- Sustainable Youth Elasticity Moisturizer
- MAC Prep + Prime Base (Primer)
- MAC Line Filler
- MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC30
- Sonia Kushuk Loose Powder
- Buff'd Mineral Foundation in "Chamois" and "Almond"

[Cheeks]
- MAC "Dollymix" blush
- MAC MSF in "Petticoat"

[Eyebrows]
- Anastasia Duo Brow Powder in "Medium Ash"

[Eyes]
- Smashbox Eye Primer (will do a review soon!)
- MAC "Orb" eyeshadow all over the lid
- MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"
- L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara in "Blackest Black" (will do a review soon)
- Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara in "Blackest Black" (will do a review soon)
- Urban Decay eyeliner in "Zero"

[Lips]
- MAC "Show Orchid" lipstick
- MAC "Magnetique" lipglass

Product Review: Revlon Liquid Eyeliner Pen

Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Shade I bought: "Blackest Black"
Other shades it comes in: Black and Blackened Brown
Where to buy: Many drugstores should have it now
Price: Around $7-8 (varies)
Would I buy again? Yes

I went to Wal-Mart the other day to re-stock on my beloved Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner but to my surprise they didn't have the one I usually get (the triangular shaped bottle) but was instead replaced with their new Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner Pen! I am impartial to eyeliner pens just because they seem to dry out faster than the ones in the pots, even when stored upside down or horizontally, they don't last as long as the ones that have pots. However, what I DO love about them is how easy it is to create a nice line or wing with the precise brush as well how it's easy to tote around for any touch ups.

As much as I LOVE my MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack", sometimes it's hard to get the perfect wing even with the most precise eyeliner brush (the little line of eyeliner some of you 'wing' out at the outer corner of your eye). So sometimes I like to apply my fluidline then use the Revlon liquid eyeliner for the wing portion of my eyeliner, or I will use it OVER my fluidline to create the darkest line.

I have NOT personally tried MAC's Penultimate Eyeliner, I have played with it in the store, and I can honestly say that the Revlon Eyeliner Pen seems JUST AS good, it stays on for me even at the end of the day, doesn't flake or rub off for me at all, and their "Blackest Black" is a nice true jet black and offers an intensified black like the Penultimate Eyeliner. Not to mention the Penultimate Eyeliner is $16.50, whereas the Revlon Eyeliner is around $7-8.

Anyway, here is my review on it!

PROS:
- The pen form is easy to tote around and allows for easier application to line the eyes, no mess or globs of liquid eyeliner all over the place
- Colorstay technology allows wear for up to 16 hours! And it totally does for me, I can wear this all day and it still looks just as fresh!
- The fine-tapered felt tip gives a nice soft thin or thick line, as well as giving me better control to be able to line the eyes smoothly and evenly, dispenses the right amount of product to eliminate mistakes!
- You can control the intensity of the color
- Doesn't flake on me, or fade, no weird smell

CONS:
- None, other than because it's in pen form it may dry out faster than the traditional liquid eyeliner (I will let y'all know!)

You might like this if: You have trouble lining your eyes, have shaky hands, or want an eyeliner that is easy and fast.

Overall: I am an avid fan of Revlon, especially their Colorstay Liquid Eyeliners and even their Colorstay Eye Pencils. I use their lipsticks and used to use their eyeshadows and concealers before I got bit by the MAC bug, (because MAC gives me more product for my money for certain things). It was no surprise that this eyeliner performed remarkably well because it's just as awesome as their original and to me it's just as great as MAC's Penultimate Eyeliner Pen, and cheaper! I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a good eyeliner that lasts and gives a nice bold black, or especially for those who are new to lining the eyes or have a hard time lining the eyes because the pen forms allows you to just concentrate on applying it just right and dispenses the right amount of product.

Questions & Answers Session

I am planning to do a mega post to answer all of your awesome questions at once, you can ask ANYTHING you want and if I can answer it, then I will, to the best of my ability. It can be makeup/beauty/skincare related, like what are my top must have beauty essentials, fashion-related, or even personal questions like what my favorite ice cream is! I will then compile them all and answer them all at once in a post as I am sure there are many of you that probably have the same questions so I thought this would be a great way to reach out to you all and hopefully I can help answer anything that makes ya wonder!

So if you have a question (or more!), leave them here in the comments section! :)

New Urban Decay Items

It looks like Urban Decay has heard our cries in regards to the amount of product being wasted in their infamous Primer Potion (eyeshadow base), however they did not change the bottle, just angled the wand, hmmmm I am wondering if that should completely solve the problem...I see it helping, but I think their might still be a lot of product that this clever little angled wand might miss, if any of you ladies happen to get this new and improved version of UDPP, let me know how you like it!

They also made their UDPP 60% bigger! Damn that is a lot of primer potion loving right there!

Geez louise it's HOT (& a CONTEST!!!)

***CONTEST CLOSED****

As much as Cali is a fun place to be, the summers here are killer, and today was no exception, although it's still spring, it was so damn hot today! It makes me miss winter already...





The BF and I went to the Beverly Center last weekend since I have NEVER been there and I've been living in Cali for like 12 years now! It was fun just walking around, he bought some shirts, and I didn't really buy much (shocker!) which is a good thing since I am trying hard to control my spending habits and not go overboard since my birthday is around the corner, then it's Hawaii time. Based on pictures and swatches I've seen online, I only want 3 or 4 things from the MAC Rose Romance Collection, just one of the beauty powders, a lipstick and 2 lipglosses. None of the eyeshadows are wowing me at the moment, but the lippie lover that I am, those are definitely worth looking at.

Did anyone see Gossip Girls last night?!!?? Was that one of the funniest episodes or what! I loved how Dan and Serena were pretending to be together in front of Gabriel, it was hilarious! And poor Chuck, what a lost soul, but he is a cutie!



Anyway, I am having another CONTEST! The WINNER gets to choose 5 FULL-SIZED colors from Glamourdolleyes.com, as you recall I did a post with a few swatches last week, and these eyeshadows are amazingly pigmented and affordable.

So what do you have to do to get a chance to win? Simply follow my blog (to the right under "Followers") and/or leave a comment on this post with your email!

When does the contest end? The contest ends TODAY April 21st, at 11:59 PST. All entries submitted AFTER 11:59 PST WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Follow the rules!

Who can enter? ANYONE can enter, US AND International readers can enter! Just either follow my blog and/or leave a comment in this post with your email (if you have a blog or profile that I can contact you from, you DO NOT have to leave your email).

The winner will be notified (picked randomly) via email April 23rd, 2009 and can then let me know the 5 colors of their choice. Good luck and thanks for participating!

Here is a quick look I did using Glamourdolleyes eye shadows in "Lime Light Pie" and "Olivia Green", sorry I got outta the shower and started playing with makeup haha. (lips: MAC "Fleshpot" to neutralize lip color, then applied MAC "Creme d' Nude" lipstick)