Naked Palette... 2!

Look here

Are you as excited as I am? Stock up. I don't want either of us to wait 6-8 months for another Naked palette!!

My only gripe is that I was hoping for more matte shades. There should be a Naked Matte Edition, don't you agree? Maybe next year:)

Sephora Stippling Brush

Sephora #44, $35

Hi. Have you seen this stippling brush before? It's at your local Sephora, probably. It's got sturdy bristles when you touch it as you pass by, right? And you want a cheaper alternative to the MAC coveted stippling brush, right? Well, don't get this one.

I have had it for over a year now and I haven't had any better luck with it than in the beginning. It's not soft at all; it's like flimsy plastic rods poking at my face. If you use it to buff your makeup in rather than to stipple, you can probably get away with it. The brushes are indeed stiff enough so that they stay upright, and I haven't lost any hairs yet.

That all being said, my biggest gripe about it is that I wash this brush all the time, at least twice a week, and the dye is so darn cheap that it still bleeds! That's right, the black hairs' dye will bleed into the white part of the bristles, and even after a year it continues to do so. You can definitely wash it out, but what's the point if you want to use this brush dry? This dye doesn't stay on the brush. Oh no, no, no. It gets on your face when you apply your products. You WILL have a blue-tinted face. People have compared this to the MAC stippling brush, and even though I don't own that brush, I can bet that there's no real comparison.

Another stippling brush to avoid while we're at it is the Ulta stippling brush. I can't find it on the Ulta website so you may find it at your Ulta stores, but don't go out of your way because it's not worth it. I've had that one for a year too and it keeps on shedding; it's never stopped. It sheds when I wash it (wet), and it sheds when I use it (dry). The hairs get on my face and it's so annoying. Not only that, the shedding makes the bristles so uneven--you'd expect that though, wouldn't you? The only good news is that it's definitely softer than the Sephora brush... but that's not saying much.

Anastasia Hydrafull Gloss - Sugar Pink

See my Birch Box post for my open box in November 2011.

I got this sample and if you watched my video, you'll know why I was surprised at the applicator--it's a paddle, not a doe's foot or whatever you'd expect. First impression: thick and sticky. I was right, very thick and sticky. It was hard to apply because it was so thick, but it was pigmented thanks to the thickness. I had to use my finger to spread it out evenly; the paddle was good for scraping off excess gloss though... scraping. Very shiny, very glossy. Tastes and smells pleasant and sweet.

As the day goes on, it becomes less thick because the warmth of your lips will almost melt it, but that's a good thing in my opinion. It becomes very hydrating on your lips, but because it's (in a sense) melted onto your lips and thinned out because of that, the color becomes more sheer. It's very flattering though, and retains its shine.

Full size is $21, a little pricier than some other high end glosses. The brand Anastasia is known for its brow care/enhancing cosmetics, so this little introduction to its lip products is pleasant. All in all, not a bad gloss, especially as the day wears on. If you're willing to pay the price, I don't see why not :)

Birch Box: November 2011, Supersmile Professional Whitening Toothpaste

So a few days ago, I opened my November Birch Box (see previous post) and I've gotten the chance to try out this toothpaste. First, here are a few items of information:

• The full size is 4.2 oz.
• The full size is $21.
• Does have fluoride (to prevent cavities)
• Is supposed to be whitening

First off, how pricey is that? No matter how good it is, I doubt I'll pay this much for a toothpaste. My dentist told me that toothpastes with whitening properties make very little difference and that if I want to get a whitening job done to make an appointment at the office or buy a drugstore whitening tray, at the very least. 

I've been using this for 2-3 days now and it's alright I guess. Packaging is simple and clean, which I tend to appreciate. It's a dry toothpaste; you'll understand if I tell you that it's nothing like a gel toothpaste in that it's not gooey, and it's not like most other toothpastes which are creamy. You're also supposed to use this on a dry toothbrush. The flavor is supposed to be "icy mint" and it smells and tastes minty and leaves a cooling sensation. 

Biggest question: does it work? A big YES. But keep in mind that all toothpaste whiteners only work so much (or so little is more like it). For what it is, it's as effective as it can be. I would never go out and get the full-sized tube though, unless it costs less, and quite honestly if you went on to Ebay, it does. Still, if you're willing to pay ten dollars or so more, Aquafresh makes a very effective teeth-whitening kit with mouth trays. You do have to leave the trays in for 30 minutes, but I see a difference after three uses. With this toothpaste, it took about a week for me to notice a difference, but I think I'll be purchasing this at the lower price on Ebay.

Birch Box: November 2011

By the way, the chocolate is terrible.

Products mentioned:

• Essie: School of Hard Rock
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Hydra-ful Gloss in Sugar Pink
• Harvey Prince Eau Flirt
• Super Smile Professional Whitening Toothpaste
• Zoya nail polish in Holly
• Chuao Chocolatier Choco Pod in Firecracker

Want to join Birch Box? I'd love to know what you got in your Birch Box. Let me know in the comments!

Pink Contacts

See my previous post for what these contacts are :)

Freshkon - Blooming Pink

As natural as pink eyes could possibly be.

Try something eye-catching :)

So I wanted to try something new... very new.

Pink and purple contacts, sent to me by my dear aunt and uncle from Hong Kong (he's an optician there). According to the pictures, these look very natural--well, as natural as pink and purple eyes can be. I can't wait to try!

A break from cosmetics; the lesson: if you have an argument, back it up well.

I was curious as to whether or not iQQU is still owned by Michelle Phan (which it no longer is) and came across this site, particularly this post. You know, I'm not a Michelle Fan by any means, but articles like this have extreme dis-credibility. Don't be this person, who throws out big names just to prove a point. Particularly, she or he believes that by simply quoting a scientific article and throwing out PETA's name that s/he has a point. Um, no. This was my reply:

This article completely throws your credibility away, in my opinion. Just by quoting a scientific article, you attempt to renounce a chemical based on studies imposed upon animals; but don't you realize that most products in the market, even organic products, contain many of the same individual chemicals or substances derived from organic matter containing such chemicals? I don't see the difference if, say, you apply sunflower oil from a freshly picked sunflower to your skin versus sunflower oil from the jar if any sunflower oil itself has been tested on a rabbit at any given point in time and adverse effects were observed. Look, dimethicone is found in fast food, and don't tell me you don't swallow a hamburger once in a while from McDonalds. If you studied any chemistry you'd find that it's processed from sand and is in your glass; does that mean you will tear down all your windows? Also, PETA euthanizes 98% of all animals they take in; this organization's opinions are the absolute least trustworthy and most unethical. Another thing, PETA collects money to create billboards with Pamela Anderson displayed on Times Square--not once, but twice--which is a rather expensive task, rather than to take care of these animals they choose to kill. Maybe you should look into your sources a little bit more.

Because YES, Peta does kill animals. I don't trust their lists or opinions for a second. For all I know, they tortured animals themselves to create an effective video.

And YES, dimethicone is found in various products. Not just makeup. Look in your food, and also find out what glass is made from and therefore where dimethicone was derived from. Maybe it's because I'm a biology major, but I come from the understanding that everything from products to animal/human behavior to the vaccines you and I take are possible through animal testing. If you really want to renounce everything that comes with animal testing, then enjoy TB, Whooping Cough, Polio, and--of course--no cosmetics :)