Wet 'N Wild Fergie Summer 2013 Photo Op Eyeshadows

I finally caved in and bought the Wet 'N Wild Fergie Photo Op Summer 2013 eyeshadow palettes. I missed the original display that came out earlier this year. I'm not sure if my Walgreen stores just never received them, if I just some how overlooked them or if they were only in Rite Aids and/or CVS stores, because I do not have a Rite Aid close to me and I rarely go into CVS now that I live in Tennessee. (I pretty much stick to Walmart, Target, and Walgreens -they cover every brand and all my drug store cosmetic needs. Occasionally, I go into a CVS.) Recently, I saw small displays popping up at Walgreens which contain the lip glosses and the palettes. They are just shelf displays, not real big, and some Walgreen stores didn't even bother putting up the displays and the palettes and glosses are mixed in with the core Fergie line on the shelves. I saw the displays in 3 different Walgreens and passed them up for 2 weeks. I have heard very mixed reviews on these. While some people are saying that they feel they get a good deal for their money and that the shadows are just as good (with some saying even better) as the core line, the other half of the beauty community is spouting to stay away and that they are a huge disappoint due to bad color pay off; very powdery; and no staying power. 

Personally, I feel the colors are appealing and they go together well. Here's what did me in- If you look closely on the right corners of these palettes you can see marks from where a peel off coupon was. These Walgreen displays had a $1 off coupon on them making these $3.99 instead of the normal $4.99.

I took these home and swatched them to see the color pay off and to get a feel of the texture and quality. Personally, I have had good luck with the palette that I received. For my birthday this year, I was given "#A029 Desert Festival". When using this palette, most people couldn't even tell I was using a drug store cosmetic. 

The picture is of my eye and a make-up look I did earlier this year. The purple color is from the "Desert Festival" palette. I have received tons of praise from this look and no one guessed I used a drug store eyeshadow.

The first palette swatched was "Shades of the Hamptons". This is the more colorful palette, although the colors are cool and pastel. The only color I really foresee being difficult is the pink color; it is a bit on the chalky side and not as smooth as the rest of the colors. It still does give color though and the rest of the shades seem soft, which will make them easy to blend. The fallout didn't seem like it'd be too bad either. I'm excited to try this palette!

The second palette is called "Newport Nights" and it is a more neutral color. Again, the only color that seems to be difficult is the pink color. Not sure what it is with the pinks....... The bronze color in the middle is very intriguing to me. You can't tell from the picture, but it is a bronze with a good amount of shimmer to it.

Overall, I am really excited to try these out and I think they're going to be good. Especially considering the price that I paid, only $3.99, it it was a good deal. The only real problems I have are- The names of the palettes were only on the sticker that you have to take off in order to open the palettes, so you either have to remember the names or look them up. A pet peeve of mine with cosmetics is when companies don't make it easy or accessible to find the names of their products on the actual product.

The other warning I have- my first palette I received for my birthday broke when I dropped it. Not the colors in it, but the actual palette. The clear plastic part that you view the colors through just came out and there was no way for me to put it back together or protect the eyeshadows, so I had to toss it. I only used it a handful of times. I have had bad luck in the past with Wet 'N Wild's trios and 8 pans breaking easily but dropping them or having them placed in the wrong way, but that was the actual eyeshadow breaking. With these, I would say that while the shadow seems hardier, the palettes feel more sturdy, but really aren't.

Just in case you didn't know- there are lip glosses that went with this collection, but I have never felt compelled to try Wet 'N Wild lip products, so I passed on those. I have also heard really bad reviews from the colors in this collection.

Target Clearance Summer 2013

Went to Target last night and discovered they were having a few of their items on clearance. Mostly, what I saw on clearance was select Sally Hansen polishes and Maybelline products (mostly lip products).

I am trying really hard to not buy a lot. In my previous post I stated I am moving and that's why I'm trying not to buy too much. I already have a ton of make-up and nail polish I have to move. However, I couldn't pass up a Maybelline Tattoo shadow that I don't have!

The color is "#30 Pomegranate Punk". The other color they had on clearance was "#10 Fierce And Tangy" which is an orange color. I was really tempted to buy the orange one, but then I passed. Living in Tennessee on and off for the last 9 years has really turned me off from the color orange due to the Volunteers. If you are not a sports fan you may not understand, for me all I ever see around this place is orange and I'm NOT a fan of it right now. I'm thinking both of these colors are going to be either discontinued or not carried by Target anymore - either way, for the price, I'd pick it up if you are interested. I may go back and get some of the lipsticks, but I really am trying hard to stay away from cosmetics right now because of my move. Every Target will have different quantities available and certain Targets will have brands that other locations won't, so if you can make sure to check out multiple locations.

Status of Future Posts

I have some posts backed up and I'd like to explain why. I am in the process of packing up and moving. I have about a month to get all my affairs in order, which is not a ton of time considering that I have a lot of things going on daily. I will be working on getting these posts up and will continue to post on this blog, but it will be slow and not as up-to-date as I would like until I move AND I am settled in. With that being said, hopefully I can get some posts up today!

Review: Circus by Andera's Choice "Ringmaster"

Fresh paint! (Also, a review.) I just did my nails this morning in the color "Ringmaster" by Circus By Andera's Choice. I received this in one of my Glam/IPSY bags a while ago, but never felt it was a good time to use it until now.

This is a bright pink color, as you can see. Very bright. It has an orange hue to it. Unfortunately, this is not a favorable review. I had heard a lot of complaints about this polish when IPSY started sending them out in their bags, but I paid no mind; I had received the white shade, Reverso, in a previous bag and love it! Reverso is thick, which I know a lot of people do not enjoy that type of formula, but I really like it; I can get away with 1 coat, but usually use 2 just to smooth out. However, Ringmaster is not like Reverso. While they both dry fast, which makes layering easy, this one is very streaky and after 3 coats I gave up on making it look 100% opaque. It has a semi matte finish to it, which I find neat. Other than that, I can't see myself using it or even giving it away. Since neon colors are so popular now, I'm sure I could find a similar shade from another brand, so no loss tossing this one. From a distance or just a glance it looks fine, but if you look up close you can lines and the fact that it is still quite see-through in some parts.

The picture above is a natural, outdoor photo with no flash or filter. You can see the patchy, streaky, spotty parts better too. The bottle is nice looking. For those interested in purchasing- official website says "sold out", but they sell all 5 colors they offer for $29.95 + shipping. The bottles are .45 fluid ounces and it is the Big 3 Free. Like I said, I received mine in my IPSY bag and I have no idea if or when Andrea's Choice will restock. I would say this color is not worth restocking though.

Salon Perfect "FIRST LOOK" Fall 2013

The nail polish company, Salon Perfect, has a new display at Walmart. The collection is for the fall of 2013 and is titled "First Look". 

All 4 rows contain the same exact polishes, which makes only 12 different polishes on the display. None of the colors are new, however, depending on your Walmart these may be hard to get polishes. Not all Walmarts carry the same colors and some Walmarts only get certain colors in for displays and not on their shelves. At my Walmart, the modular is not big enough to hold all of the colors it is suppose to, so not many of these colors make appearances unless they have a place to put them. 

What I would like to point out is the bottle on the right. It is not an actual color, it is a Matte Finish. I have not seen this available before from Salon Perfect in any of the stores around here. I did not purchase it, because I have one from China Glaze that I've yet to use, but this is a way better value. The bottle is $3.98 and I paid $2.99 for a bottle less than half the size that was on sale from China Glaze.

Sugarpill Cosmetics Online Expo Sale

Yesterday, Sugarpill held a limited time (and limited quantity) sale. Their limited PHAMExpo loose powder shade, Asteria, was available, as well as their limited edition shade @#$%! that was available at this years LA IMATS. They had all of their pressed powder palettes on sale for 10% off, but it was a limited quantity as it was only the palettes that were in the Expo packaging.

The sale started at 11am Pacific Time, which for me was 2pm Eastern Time. I overslept and did not log on to the sale until about 3pm. All of the palettes were sold out by then, except for the Burning Heart palette. The good news was that Asteria and @#$%! were still available! I had only planned on buying those 2. I changed my mind at the last minute, however, because when I clicked on @#$%! it listed the ingredients and I saw that there were 2 parabens in it. I know some people do not care about parabens, but I am not a fan of them for health reasons. I try really hard to avoid things with parabens or harmful chemicals. I had heard that @#$%! was not vegan, which I found odd at the time since Sugarpill has always advertised being vegan friendly, but I couldn't go with something that had 2 different parabens in it. I did snatch an Asteria though and I will be posting when I get! Let me know what you ordered.

e.l.f. Beauty Bundle

The news is slowly spreading around the beauty community- ELF (Eyes Lips Face) is starting their own subscription service. From the title of this entry you can tell it is called "Beauty Bundle".

Product
They bundle a bunch of their products together and send them to you. It looks like you get everything from tools, to palettes, to foundation. They guarantee $40 worth of products, which is double of what you pay.

Cost
The cost is $19.99 + shipping. Shipping is $6.95, so your total cost is $26.94. You are billed every 8 weeks, so you're only getting a box every 2 months. There are plans that you can pay for half a year (3 bundles) or a whole year (6 bundles) at a time, but you're not saving any money by buying these packages.

My thoughts: I'm not seeing how this is a deal, unless they're going to be more like Julep and introduce new products. ELF constantly has sales and deals, so rather than pay for things you may not want, you could just use the deals to get what you do want. If you factor in the shipping cost, you're actually get less than half of the value of the bundle. (If you're anything like me and you hate paying for shipping, then you'll understand where I'm coming from!) Overall, I'm slightly interested to see those who do get this service and what they get, and of course how they feel about it. I'm going to skip on it for now and I can't see myself getting into it.

On a side note: I've noticed the decline in subscription services lately. The hype was there, but it's slowly going away. People just don't want to pay for things if they're not getting a big bang for their buck and especially when you really don't have a choice in what you're getting. Most of us notice the pile of samples in our house that are sitting there of products we'll never use. I'm still subscribed to IPSY and Julep, but that's about it. There really isn't another service that has proven to me to consistently be worth it.

CVS Last Chance Sale Summer 2013

As many of you know, CVS has been having a Last Chance sale. They marked things 50%-75% off, which is a great deal, even if you consider that CVS usually has higher prices than Walmart or Target (with the exception of sales or the use of coupons). I really wanted to jump on this sale, but my grandfather was ill and I wasn't able to go about my day doing what I please. To make a long story short, he passed away and my time and money went to a 20 hour trip and family matters. - Most of the sale items, at least around my area, are gone. Some of the CVS stores have even taken down the sale banners. I happened to stop in a CVS that is in a town just outside of where I live, because I was waiting for my car to be fixed. I actually have never been in this CVS before, but it is nice. I did find a few clearance items, but most of it would not suit my skin tone or skin type. However, I did find 1 gem and couldn't pass it up! For $2.12, which was 75% off of the regular retail price, I found a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick!

The color is #663 "Va Va Violet". It is a deep, dark purple. For those not familiar with Revlon lipsticks, they don't have a scent and they're pretty nice lipsticks for drug store cosmetics. I personally am not a fan of their rival, L'Oreal. I cannot stand the smell of L'Oreal lipsticks!

I have always been a fan of dark colors, especially purples and reds. (I also really like browns; more along the lines of cafe colors.) So, I was really satisfied with my find! From what I can tell from the other stores around here and on the Revlon site, it looks like this color has been discontinued. -I shall enjoy it while it lasts.

When swatched, this color is not as intimidating as some people may first feel it is. Obviously, for me, it's not an every day color and I don't think it would be for most of us, but I'm excited to wear it out! 

Wet 'N Wild Pop Art Craze Collection

As most of you know, Wet 'N Wild released a summer collection inspired by the 80's and Andy Warhol. People starting seeing these displays pop up last week and blogs & Instagram are flooding with people who are posting their findings and what they bought. The West Coast and East Coast seem to have gotten these displays in first and they are slowly creeping up from the South and down from the Midwest.

I have been on the hunt since I heard the first person that found them! Today was my lucky day. While most people have found these at Rite Aid or Walgreens, I found mine at K-Mart. I have been into several Walgreens and have yet to find them there; I was in 3 before I found them in K-Mart today. I want to share my experience though, because for some of you it might help you find them if you are the hunt as well. 

The nail polishes were on the front cosmetic display that you see when you walk in. It was not on the front side, it was on the back side. It looked like a full display, except for the green polish (Stand The Test Of Lime), but I don't know if that means someone bought 1 or that they didn't get that many in.

I did not buy the white polish (A Blank Canvas) as it looks like it is the same as their permanent white shade (French White). of the same line. It may possibly be a bit brighter as I tried to compare them in the store, but it could have just been the way the lighting hit the color too. I bought the rest of the shades.

Now here's the tricky part! I was frantic, because I did not see the eyeshadow trios! I looked about 3 times around the cosmetic area and was trying to find someone to see if the display was somewhere else or if they would be getting the display in. (Or, maybe they had, but hadn't put it out! -I was determined to get these!) I was just about to give up, because I could not find an associate. I went to put the French White color back and there they were!

Whoever stocked these decided to ditch the display and put them where the regular 8 pans are, because they had an empty spot. All 6 palettes were there, just behind each other. I bought 1 of each, which left 1 of each for someone else. So, there you go! Make sure you check EVERYWHERE, because you never know where they might put them. I have also heard that some Walgreens have been keeping them behind the counter if they have limited space, so make sure you ask someone (the best person would be a cosmetics associate) before you give up. Hope this helps!

***The price listed is for the 8 Pan. These trios rang up the normal $2.99 and the polishes were the normal $0.99.

I'm not going to swatch these, because you can find swatches all over the internet. I recommend "Oh Three Oh Four" for great swatches on the polishes. For the trio swatches check out "Nouveau Cheap" who also gives a great, detailed review! Also, "Vampy Varnish" gives a great up and close view!

I will be updating my blog later with my personal thoughts and feelings on the performance of this collection after I've had time to try it out! Any questions, just ask!