Free Lippie Friday | Sephora Gift & Shiseido via Freefly's

Good fortune came my way and I recently scored a few free lipsticks courtesy of Sephora x NARS and Shiseido- by way of a recent discovery, the free sample site Freeflys.com (register if you haven't already! I've already scored some free Cerave, Nivea, and Dr. Brandt as well). I thought I'd share some quick swatches and thoughts on them. And I know it's technically Thursday, but it's 12:00 somewhere and I couldn't wait any longer!

Quelle bonheur!! FREE Shiseido and NARS

The Shiseido lipstick I won in a giveaway contest. Apparently I was given the shade from the Veiled Rouge collection that most fit my personality based on a little quiz they had up on their site. The shade is called Mischief. 

I also picked up my Sephora birthday gift for 2015 early while checking out during the VIB sale not too long ago. Which is something you can do apparently... Sephora, December babies thank you. In case you weren't already aware, the gifts for this year are the NARS lip pencils in Rikugien and Cruella. 

AmorePacific CC Cushion SPF 50+ Broad Spectrum Review

The sensation that's sweeping many a nation is the Korean-born cushion compact. These are products that have been getting a lot of coverage (couldn't resist) in Western media and some very high profile beauty blogs. There are many varieties containing BB and CC creams for varying levels of coverage, but the main benefit is the natural, flawless-almost-airbrushed finish that can be achieved with these types of products. I would argue that these cushion compacts are the ideal base for anyone with dry to normal skin and is not particularly acne-prone (since they are generally not full coverage).

I purchased the AmorePacific cushion compact because it has earned wide acclaim as the best in the category time and time again. While the price tag is steep at $60, it comes equipped with a refill to cushion the blow. So it's like buying a cushion compact for $30, and not just any compact, the best compact... at least that is how I justified it to myself. :)

Mentholatum Sunplay Super Block PA++++ Sunscreen

This post has been split. This particular review will focus on the Mentholatum Sunplay Super Block PA++++ SPF 130. If you are looking for my thoughts on the Amore Pacific CC Cushion SPF 50+ Broad Spectrum in 104 Tan Blush, please go here.

The cardinal rule of giving good face for decades on end is to protect your skin from the sun. The sun can wreak havoc on your skin causing sun spots, discoloration, wrinkles, uneven texture, and of course the most serious affliction, skin cancer. It's of utmost importance to apply sun block every day, rain or shine. Those UV rays do not take personal days. I wanted to talk about two products I've recently added to my regimen to account for the increased sun exposure that comes with warming temps.  These are the Mentholatum Sunplay Super Block PA++++ SPF 130 and the AmorePacific CC Cushion SPF50+ Broad Spectrum in 104 Tan Blush. Look at them fitting right in with my other sun-blocking things. :)

Checking in with Uslu Airlines Lipstick in HOH

The beauty world has become incredibly fragmented with new brands popping up everywhere to cater to niche tastes. While drugstore and the Sephora-stocked brands may exert the most influence on our wallets, there's now even more ways to be rid of your cash. There's literally a scene for everyone, the indieheads, the Korean beauties, Youtube-launched brand devotees, high-streeters, the list goes on. There are so many lesser known brands out there, and I personally love it. It's like a little treasure hunt!

Today I wanted to talk about uslu airlines, a Berlin-based brand that boast Net-a-Porter and Urban Outfitters as their stockists in the U.S. They have a large, quirky range of lipstick and nail polish colors. What I really love about it though is that all of their products are named after airport codes. It may be a bit gimmicky, but I'm into it nonetheless. I picked up one of their lipsticks in the shade HOH. If you're curious which airport that is, it's the Hohenems/Dornbirn airport in Austria. *shrug* I picked it up because it's this glass coral color that looks a bit retro comic book-like. It reminded me of Archie specifically if anyone remembers that one.

4 Best Ways To Relieve Neck and Shoulder Pain

Chances are that you are reading this while hunched over a computer screen, modern-day human as you are. And chances are, you have built up a lot of tension in your neck and shoulder area after years of this behavior. In an ideal world, we'd all get weekly massages (nay, daily massages! it is an an ideal world after all) to make up for our ergonomic transgressions, but sadly, this isn't a practical approach for everyone. I've dealt with chronic neck and shoulder pain with a side of knotted tissue in my trapezius muscle (the one on top of your shoulders which extend down your upper back) for over 10 years, and whenever the going gets tough and I'm in need of a crick fix, these are the methods I turn to the most...

Stila Field of Florals Convertible Dual Lip & Cheek Palette

As promised, here are my thoughts on the Stila Convertible Colors I picked up from the Sephora VIB sale last week. The Convertible Colors are a cream product that are dual-purpose and can be used as a blusher or a lipstick. After having had some time to play with them, I have to say that these products are truly a jack of all trades, master of none. Don't get me wrong, I rather like them and do not regret my purchase at all. I stand by my opinion that this palette was a hit for me. However, there are some areas in which they can improve.

AS A BLUSH, they are wonderful. They are quite pigmented but not overly so. When applied they virtually melt into the skin, making them very easy to blend. You will be able to achieve as strong or as subtle a color as you would like. They have incredible lasting power, and act as a cheek stain. The only drawback this product has as a blush is that the melting action makes this feel a little tacky on the skin, kind of as though you used a lipstick. If you are used to cream products, this may not bother you.

AS A LIPSTICK, the colors apply opaque and give good coverage. As usual, the lighter colors may emphasize any lines or cracks you may have. They can be patted on for sheerer coverage or applied with a lip brush. Sidenote: hopefully you already have a lip brush because these do not come with one. There is one issue with them and it has to do with application. Like I mentioned before, these products melt upon contact with your skin/lips which makes it last and stain. However, when applying this becomes a bit of a problem as the melted lip color makes it hard to get even coverage. The way I get around that is that after I apply with a lip brush, I rub my lips together to smooth everything out. With regards to smell, this product has a very light synthetic smell - you know that very generic lipstick smell. There's no fragrance in the formula.

So with that out of the way, on to the swatches!

Sephora April 2015 VIB Sale Hits and Misses!

This is just a quickie post to help inform your buys if you haven't done your Sephora VIB shopping yet! In case you were on the fence about any of the items that caught my eye, I wanted to get this out there before the sale ends TOMORROW!

My picks arrived in the mail today and there were some clear hits and misses. I will be posting detailed reviews on the items with swatches in the near future so look out for that.

Mizon Snail Wrinkle Care Sleeping Pack Review

I've found that the world of Korean skincare is vast and often hard to navigate, with new miracle ingredients coming out all of the time. There's snail mucin, starfish, collagen of both the flora and fauna varieties, ferments, kelp... It's a regular cornucopia of interesting stuff to slather on your face. Because I've a renewed interest in skincare of late, I feel compelled to try products in each of these categories to see for myself whether or not they really make a difference. 

On the menu for today is snail mucin. 

Original KPOP Playlist #TBT

Back in 2012, Psy's over-the-top music video, "Gangnam Style", brought global recognition to the cultural phenomenon known as Kpop, drawing in the views with its colorful visuals, a bit of mild subversion, a little sex appeal, and a memorable dance. So while you probably know about Psy, what you may not know is that Psy and the other ultra-synchronized, dashingly handsome/beautiful talents in the industry are signs of the maturity of the Kpop industry. Kpop has actually been around since the late 1980's / early 1990's. Today I want to throw it back to the early days of the industry's beginnings with a video playlist (embedded below). It's a tribute of sorts to the boy bands and girl troops that started it all. Not only are these songs classic, but it's also fun to see what was trending at the time. Let me tell you, Koreans were not immune to micro-braids, Starter jackets, baggy jeans, bantu knots, and crimped hair. So without further ado, here are all of the songs that without fail give a healthy dose of nostalgia and at times have the power to bring a tear to my eye.

And The Party Never Stops: Affordable Brights in Sleek Snapshots Palette

When I discovered that the Sleek i-Divine eyeshadow palette in Snapshots existed, I was immediately drawn to it. At first I couldn't place my finger on the reason why because I've never actually worn brights before. It became very clear one night when I was scrolling through my photo library looking to change my background. It's a mundane task, but it has to be done every once in awhile because I get easily bored. Well, I'm happy I did because I figured out why I wanted the palette so much! It was because it reminded me of these two gems..

Detonate ze colors! || artwork from www.pipandpop.com.au

If Salvador Dali popped some Zoloft. || artwork from www.pipandpop.com.au

Sans the bright yellow, these are all the colors represented in Snapshots. So in hopes that the colorful palette would bring me to my happy place like those two fantasy landscapes... into the cart, the palette went and arrive at my doorstep it did, a few weeks later.

That 70's Mood Board: Peach and Navy

NSQ's resident bedroom MUA reporting, this time with a plug for a retro color palette that I've been digging lately - pairing peach and navy together in a few different ways. This post is totally inspired by the new Holika Holika Jewel-Light Blusher in Bitter Peach that may have arrived in my physical inbox a few days ago from Prettyandcute.com. I've included a mini-review of the product below.

Mini-Review of Holika Holika Jewel-Light Blusher in 02 Bitter Peach

Eyeshadow above, Blusher in question below

Unflattering Lippies and What To Do With Them

About this time last year, I was starting to get intrigued, or more like seduced by color cosmetics, namely the lipstick. A bit unwisely, I started buying up some of the cult classics because I figured, they have to be good to be so highly esteemed right? Would Allure Magazine or that Youtube beauty guru with the millions of followers ever steer me wrong? The unfortunate short answer to this question is yes, yes they can for many reasons... but the number one reason was that I was taking inspiration from the wrong people/beauty editors. Each person has their own unique coloring that encompasses a tone, an undertone, a clarity factor, and contrast and we'd all be doing ourselves a favor by giving more weight to recommendations from people whose hues are most like our own. (In case you're wondering, I'm an NC20 with a muted and medium contrast coloring.)

There is a wonderful and enlightening blog post over at Beginner's Makeup that really helped me stop shooting from the hip when it came to buying lip colors and start picking the right ones.

Still Reaching For Wet N Wild Comfort Zone in 2015

Last time, I talked about the Wet N Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks and how they rock your world without rocking your wallet and I thought I'd review the remainder of my Wet N Wild collection since we've covered a lot of it already (Mega Last lipsticks featured here and here.) These items would be the Wet N Wild Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Set in Comfort Zone 738 and the Mega Liner Liquid Liners in Black and Plum (review coming soon).

So, topic of the day... 

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette

Comfort Zone is somewhat of a drugstore holy grail in the beauty world with it being the pillar of many a girl's drugstore starter kit (starter kit/gateway drug, tomayto/tomahto) and for good reason.

The $0.89 Lipstick You Need In Your Life: Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks

Hot off the heels of a review done by one of my favorite bloggers, Musings of a Muse, I wanted to pipe in on one of my favorite drugstore discoveries in life, the Wet N Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks, pictured below. Weighing in at only $0.89 at Walgreens, these are a cheap thrill you don't want to miss.

SWATCHES



You'll notice across the board that the shades are vibrant and have a sheen to them. That sheen is what makes this lipstick unique. I hesitate to call them frosty because there's such a connotation with that word, but there are little flecks of glitter in the formula. It's not like herpes of the art world shards of glitter, but rather teensy specks of micro-, nay, nano-glitter. You'll see that it affects each of the shades differently.