IMATS LA 2013 Haul!

Hello, hello!

Here's the IMATS haul I promised in my last post. :)

This was my fourth time going to IMATS LA, and I felt like this year was the best out of all four.  Last year was good because there were a lot of the bigger brands, like Urban Decay and NYX, who weren't there this year.  But I don't know...something about this year made it more fun.  I wasn't as overwhelmed and stressed about lines, and I think that's because my cousins, K and C, and I did things a little differently this year.

Usually, we would get there early, around 8 AM, and wait in a crazy long line to register and get our wristbands.  Then, we would go inside and wait in crazy long lines to buy stuff.  Most of our time was waiting in those lines!  So this year, we got there around 11 AM (not planned), and there was no line to register!  Yay!  Then we went inside the Exhibit Hall and there were TONS of people.  We decided to just go up and down all the aisles to see everything and then go to booths we liked.

I don't remember all the booths we went to, but I'll go in order of what we purchased.

After going through all the aisles, we went to OCC, where my cousins bought a couple of lip tars.  I was thinking of getting some polishes, but ended up with none because they raised the price from last year's IMATS ($8 compared to the $5 I paid 6 months ago) and there weren't any colors I needed (wanted, but not needed...lol).  Most of the ones I wanted I was sure I had dupes for, but here are the ones I was thinking of getting:

Looking at it again, I'm really liking Strumpet, Starling, and Radiate.  Don't Black Dahlia and Vintage look almost exactly the same?  But I was still tempted to get both!  lol

I also didn't get any lip tars because I still haven't used up the ones I have and I have a ton of other lip products that need to be used up too.  So while K waited in line to pay at OCC, C and I went to wait in the crazy long Sigma Beauty line:

After K joined us in the Sigma line, we decided it wasn't worth it to wait and went to look for brushes elsewhere.  We ended up at the bdellium tools booth because a friend had recommended the brushes to me.

As you can see, I ended up with quite a few brushes and they're pink!  I bought 2 of the 777 (shadow), 780 (pencil), 781 (crease), and 785 (tapered blending), and bought 1 of the 716 (smoky eyeliner), 945 (face contour), and 992 (bronzer).  The eye brushes were all $5, contour brush was $8, and the bronzer brush was $12.  These are from their Pink Bambu line, which is a new product line (not available on the site yet).  They have handles made from sustainable bamboo and the bristles are super soft synthetic vegan bristles.  These also came in green and yellow.  In addition to this Bambu line, bdellium has a brush line that has bristles treated with an antibacterial agent.  I was thinking of getting some of those, but couldn't pass up on the pink.  Maybe next time!  And there will definitely be a next time, because I'm kind of in love with these.

After bdellium, we walked around a bit and ended up at the Naked Cosmetics booth.  I didn't end up getting anything, but we did get a demo of all the products and C picked up their primer.  I was debating whether to get some pigment stacks, but decided to think on it and come back later if I really wanted it.

Lime Crime was next.  I had wanted to try some of their nail polish, especially their blue one, Once in a Blue Mousse,but it was out of stock! :(  I still ended up with some goodies: 2 nail polishes and an eyeliner.

nail polish in milky ways and peaches♥cream; eyeliner in quill

Then, we ended up at Saucebox Cosmetics.  Can't really remember if we stopped by any other booths before that though.  I really, really liked the palettes at Saucebox Cosmetics, and so that was added to the debate.  Naked Cosmetics or Saucebox?  Once again, decided to think on it, so we went to a class by Gregory Arlt, the Director of Make-up Artistry for M.A.C. Cosmetics.  He's quite the funny guy, and his class made me want to go out and buy some M.A.C. stuff, haha.  But we were hungry, so decided to have lunch...finally.

By the time we got back from lunch, there was only one hour left to get in our last minute shopping.  We decided to jump in the Sigma line because it was way shorter this time.  I ended up with the Synthetic Precision Kit, which I have totally been lemming.  At first I was only going to get 3 out of the 5 brushes, because Sigma was selling individual brushes this time around.  But then I calculated it and decided it was more worth it to just get the kit. xD

After Sigma, we looked around some more and I finally decided which eyeshadow thing I was going to get...

Decided to go with the Midnight Blossoms palette from Saucebox Cosmetics!  This palette is a new product and was being sold at IMATS for $50 and came with a free primer and mascara.  It is now on their website being sold for the same price, but I'm not sure if it comes with a free primer and mascara too.  I'm also not sure how long the sale will last, because they told me this will retail for $65.

These shadows are quite pigmented and they swatched beautifully!  I played with this palette today, and can't wait to play more!  I will definitely be doing swatches and a review in another post, so watch out for that!  Side note, these specific shades are not sold individually; they're only available in this palette.

And that's it!  That was my last purchase.  Tried to go to MAC near the end, but didn't make it in time.  It was my first time staying 'til closing!

Overall, a great experience, though I do have some regrets.  I regret not buying some Naked Cosmetics stacks! lol  For sure next year!  I've already started a list of stuff to check out for next year. xD


Hope you enjoyed this post!  I really like seeing what other people got, so if you went and have a haul posted somewhere, please let me know in the comments!  I would love to check it out.  Gives me ideas to add to my list, haha.

BTW, here are some TIPS if you want to go to/plan on going to IMATS LA in the future:
- Buy your tickets ahead of time online!  If you buy before a certain date (which they will post on the website), you get a bit of a discount.  Also, there's no guarantee that tickets will be sold at the door.  The past two years, IMATS LA has sold out of tickets before the show date even arrived.
- Check out the exhibitor list and make a plan.  Rank which ones are your musts and which ones are maybes.  Then make your plan of attack!  Take into consideration wait time/lines.  The bigger brands, such as MAC and Sigma, have crazyyy lines (see above) that could take over an two hours to wait in.
- Bring a buddy, if you can.  This will help with the waiting in line.  You can wait together or you can take turns waiting and take turns looking around, so that you can make the most of your time.
- Bring BOTH cash and credit/debit.  Some places only take one or the other.  Better safe than sorry!

Hope that helps!  If I think of any more, I will definitely add it here. :)

P.S. IMATS is always fun, and I definitely say go, if you can.  In addition to buying makeup at discounted prices, you can attend classes and also see great make-up art like this:

And you can also see work from movies and shows, like this from The Walking Dead:
(picture under the break due to "gore", in case someone doesn't want to see it.)

REVIEW: NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact in Dark Shadows

I received this NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact in Dark Shadows from my Influenster Beauty Bloggers Vox Box 2012.  This was my first time trying a palette from NYC, which is:

"Straight from the city that never sleeps, NYC New York Color offers products with uptown style at down-to-earth prices, from $.99 - $4.99. The energy, style, and color of New York City shines through the wide range of shades, textures and innovative products. NYC always delivers the most on-trend products & shades hot off the runway!"

The colors were very pigmented when swatched, both with the primer and without.  It applied to the eye well and was easy to blend, with little to no fall out.  I used it with the primer in the palette and didn't get any creasing, but then again, I don't have oily eyelids and usually don't experience creasing with use of a primer.  I did experience fading after a few hours though.

I thought the primer was creamy and had a nice consistency.  Same with the illuminator, but I only swatched the illuminator.  I didn't actually use it on my eye because it's basically the same color as the lightest eyeshadow in this palette, but in cream form, so I just opted to use the shadow for my inner corner.  I wish they had included a matte highlight color instead of the lighter shade, since it already comes with that cream illuminator.

Overall, I am quite happy with this palette.  It makes a nice smoky eye and is great for nights out!  But you can also make subtle day looks, if you use just the lighter grays.  It's quite versatile, which surprised me, because when I first saw it, all I thought was SMOKY EYE.  But I actually was able to make a "day" look.  And at $4.99, I think it's a great deal!  Also, it is widely available, since most drugstores, Target, and Wal-Mart carry NYC.  I will definitely be on the lookout for other palettes to try!

DISCLAIMER: I received this mini candle to test and review courtesy of Influenster's Vox Box program.

IN THE RING: Physicians Formula Universal Shimmer Strips in Nude vs Eye Candy Shimmer Strips in Hazel

Today I have a comparison post for you!  I think this is my first one...and I really wanted to do this one right away, because it includes a clearance item.

When I saw the Physicians Formula Eye Candy Shimmer Strips in Hazel was on clearance at CVS, I went to check it out.  After seeing it, I immediately thought it would be a dupe for the Shimmer Strips Nude palette that I recently reviewed.  So I bought it to swatch and see if I was right, since this one would be a cheaper alternative.  Unfortunately, it wasn't!  But I think it's still a pretty palette.

Both of these palettes are quite neutral.  The main difference is the undertone of each palette.  The Eye Candy one is cooler, while the Nude one is warm....even the black shades!

top is eye candy, bottom is nude palette

I haven't tried out the Eye Candy palette, so can't say how well it holds up or anything right now...I'll probably do a separate review for it on it's own.  But from the swatches, I am leaning towards liking the Eye Candy one more.  I just like the colors more...except that pink one in the middle.  It just seems like such a random color to include!  Plus, it's very chalky...definitely a con to this Eye Candy palette.

Availability: CVS
Limited Edition? Yes, Eye Candy in Hazel is on clearance
Price: $10.99 for the Nude one & $3+ for the Hazel one

REVIEW + SWATCHES: Physicians Formula Universal Looks Shimmer Strips Eyeshadow Palette in Nude

I first posted this on my last Wishlist Wednesday, wondering when it would be out.  Well, it's out~!  At the time, my local CVS.  Instead, I found it at another one that I happened to stop at this past week (although I have been to my local CVS again, and they do have it now).  Of course, I had to pick it up.  It was the last one too!

My first impression was that the packaging was super cute!  I love lace, and the black and pink look really pretty together.  Plus it has that cute little bow.  Unfortunately, the little bow fell off of my palette as I took it out of the packaging.  So, be careful when you take it out of the box!  That bow is truly dainty/fragile...

next to the wet n wild vanity palette for size comparison

My next thought was that it was smaller than I was expecting.  This is my first Physicians Formula shimmer strips palette, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Actually, it's my first time using a Physicians Formula product ever!  I hardly buy Physicians Formula products because they are quite pricey, compared to the other drugstore brands.  I usually hold off until a good sale before purchasing!  (Unfortunately, this sale was only Buy One, Get One 50% off, and I don't think that's a very good sale...)  That's not to say I don't own any other Physicians Formula products.  I do have other Physicians Formula products, like the Happy Booster Blush that I hauled earlier, but I haven't used it yet, lol.  Anyway, enough rambling about that!  The size of each color is pretty small, and it may be a bit hard to get your brush in without picking up some of another color.

w/ a q-tip for comparison...the shadows are very thin/tiny!

These didn't have the greatest color payoff when I swatched them on my arm.  It took me several swipes to get what's in the picture:

swatches on nc-25 skin (I think, since haven't been color-matched in a while)

However, even though they come off as sheer, the colors are buildable, as you can see.  Also, it applies much better on the eyelid (with a brush), more pigmented.  All shades are shimmer shades (since they are shimmer strips) except the black, which is kind of matte.  It does still have a bit of shimmer in it in the pan, but the shimmer doesn't transfer when applied to the eye. 

And here's a look I did, using the 3 colors at the left-most side of the palette + the other PF item I got, the Nude eyeliners from this collection (I used the Pewter shade and will review it next!) :

Would I recommend this?  If you asked me this right after I swatched it, I would straight up say no because at $10.99, it's at the higher end of the drugstore spectrum and I would expect it to have better color payoff.  However, after using it on my eyes several times, I do find that I really like it.  It applies much better when applying to the eye, especially if you are using primer.  If you're a nude lover, I think you'd like this, especially if you love taupe-y colors.  This palette has some really nice looking taupe shades!  But if you're looking for a good, cheap first-time nude palette, I don't think this is it. (Again, the price!)  Try the Wet N Wild Vanity palette instead.  You get 6 shades for half of the price of this one (which has 9 shades).  If you want a palette with a black shadow, you could get the Wet N Wild Greed palette, which has a matte black.  Both of the Wet N Wild palettes are $4.99, so it'll still be cheaper to get both the WnW than just this one!  And actually, they're on sale at CVS for 50% off right now!  If it's a taupe-based nude palette you're looking for, try Maybelline's Natural Smokes quad, which is around $5.  And if you're wondering if this is a good cheaper alternative to the Naked palette...?  I don't think so.

Availability: CVS

Limited Edition? not sure if it's limited edition or not

Price: $10.99

Have you spotted this palette at your drugstore?  What do you think?

FAVES: November 2011

HAPPY DECEMBER!  One of my favorite months~

Class was cancelled today because the city declared a citywide state of emergency due to damages caused by the high winds last night.  It's crazy!  So many trees were blown over, as well as street and traffic lights.  And many electrical wires were snapped due to trees falling on them, so many are out of power.  I've been watching the news all day, and they said there haven't been winds this strong in a LONG time.  But it's not over yet!  The weatherman says the high wind advisory won't be over until tomorrow...His advice?  Try to stay inside and avoid driving if you can, as the roads are quite hazardous with the trees and debris littering it.

So heeding his advice, I decided to stay in and work on my blog instead. :)  And here I am with my first favorites post ever!  I actually have quite a few this month!  Let me just say that I am probably an advertising exec's dream come true.  I'm highly susceptible to advertising and pretty packaging, as can be seen in my ever growing stash of makeup and nail polish, lol.  So let's get to it...

I have 5 lippies that I've been loving this month:

ELF Mineral Lipstick in Nicely Nude, Revlon Lip Butters in Creme Brulee and Lollipop,
and Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine and Pink Punch.

I've had this ELF lipstick for a while now, but haven't really used it until now.  It's a great nude pink color.  I find it to be a bit sheer, but buildable.  It doesn't seem drying to me, but it's not exactly moisturizing either.  I haven't tested the wear of it, because I drink quite a lot of water, so my lip product is always being wiped away at random times.  BUT, I really love the color of it, so I've been wearing it quite a bit this month.

These Revlon Lip Butters are new and part of the permanent line, thank goodness!  I got these on sale at Rite Aid when Revlon was 40% off plus you got $2 +UP rewards.  I used the +UP rewards to help buy the second lip butter, so my total for both of these came out to less than one at the regular price, hehe.  I love great deals like that!  The display at Rite Aid was already half empty when I bought my first one, and there were only slim pickings when I got the second one.  Only like 4 colors left by that time.  And all the displays I've seen since (at Rite Aid, CVS, and Target) have been empty.  So I'm really glad they're permanent because I really want to try other colors!

Just like everyone else, I love these!  I was so excited to hear about them from Nouveau Cheap, and was on the lookout ever since G's post.  I'm glad I got my hands on a couple!  The first one being Creme Brulee, which is a nude color, and the second being Lollipop, which is a bright fuchsia color.  Both are quite pigmented, though Lollipop is more pigmented than Creme Brulee.  One time I wore Lollipop, my friends were surprised that it was a lip butter...they thought I was wearing lipstick. ^^;  They are creamy and go on like, well, butter.  It looks like they have shimmer, but when worn, the shimmer does not transfer.  They have a creme finish and are also quite long lasting, especially the fuchsia as it stains a bit...And the packaging is pretty!  I really like the packaging of Colorburst lip products, and this is no exception!

And the last two lippies are from Maybelline's Baby Lips collection.  I first heard about these from HollyAnnAeree and decided to check them out.  They looked cute and I liked the idea of tinted lip balm.  These were the first tinted lip balms I got, before the Revlon Lip Butters.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these are permanent.  I tried tweeting Maybelline, but they never responded to my tweet.  All the displays I've seen since getting mine have been empty and I haven't seen any new displays/restocking.  I really wanted to try the peach one and the cherry one!  Oh well!  At least I have these, and they are great!  Very moisturizing.  But these are not really pigmented; they just leave a tint, though I find that Pink Punch does have more color payoff.  These are also scented!  I actually really like both scents from the ones I have.  Pink Punch smells like fruit punch to me and Grape Vine smells like grape, of course.

The final items are two eyeshadow palettes and a blush I've really been loving (all from Wet 'N' Wild!):

color icon blush in mellow wine, 6-pan palette in lust, 6-pan palette in vanity

vanity

lust

These Wet N Wild 6-pan palettes in Vanity and Lust are my top two palettes.  I'm sad that they are discontinuing them!  Gotta stock up on backups while I can!  I have been loving Vanity ever since I got it, earlier this year.  It is my go-to palette for a neutral everyday eye.  Lust is a palette I only recently fell in love with.  I use it to switch up my everyday eye look every once in a while.  Also, it's great for creating a not-so-typical smoky eye!  They have great color payoff, and don't crease on me at all.

mellow wine

And another Wet N Wild product I'm loving is this Color Icon blush in Mellow Wine.  This picture is not exactly true to color, as the blush is a bit darker than this.  I have a very round face, so I kind of look for darker blushes, rather than light pinks, that I can use for a double purpose: both blush and contour.  This one works really well for that!

So those are my faves for this month~ What are yours?

Wishlist Wednesdays (01)

I was going to do some nail polish swatches yesterday, but the sun didn't want to play.  It was actually overcast for a good part of the day, and very muggy.  And then, it rained!  Not typical weather for this time of the year...o_o;;

I'll try to get some swatches up later this week, but for now, here are just a couple of lemmings I've had this past week or so...

color club in noveau vintage (fall 2011)

I don't own any polishes from Color Club, or any polishes that could possibly be a dupe for this.  It is a gorgeous metallic golden bronze color with green and golden shimmer.  Just look at the swatches here and here.  I think I'm going to definitely try to get my hands on this and make it my first Color Club polish!

This was the one that really stood out to me from Color Club's Fall 2011 collection, Back to Boho, but I also like Blue-topia, Earthy Angel, and Nomadic in Nude.

sleek eyeshadow palette in oh so special (le)

I've heard a lot of good things about Sleek and have wanted to try them out for a while.  The only thing stopping me from trying their products is availability.  Sleek is a UK brand so shipping to the U.S. is quite expensive. :(  But I think I'm going to give in for this palette, and get this for my birthday later this month.  This palette is extremely wearable, and the colors are gorgeous.  From swatches and reviews, this palette seems like a great buy!  I'd also like to try out their other palettes, lipsticks, and blush, but that'll be for another time...haha.

What have you added to your wishlist recently?

HAUL: Ulta, Target, Hautelook & nail polish

Hello~ First, I want to say welcome to my new followers. Hope you enjoy reading~ ^^

Today, I just have a haul post for you.  These are just some things I've purchased in the past month.

ulta eyeshadow & butter LONDON no more waity katie set

I bought these items at the beginning of the month.  Something you should know about me is that I am quite the Anglophile.  I'm very interested in British history and the monarchy...just 'cause.  So when I found out butter LONDON had come out with a nail polish named after Kate Middleton, after she had gotten engaged, I had to have it.  I mostly wanted it for the name, but the gorgeous color helped too.  I debated whether or not to order it online, but decided against since it would come out to $20+ with shipping.  And I'm glad I waited!  Because Ulta began to carry the butter LONDON brand, and though they didn't have No More Waity Katie in the beginning, they did end up getting it.  I only had to pay the $15+tax.  butter nail polishes are regularly $14, but No More Waity Katie only came in this set (no individuals) for a dollar more.  Eh, no big deal.  So I got it! :)  I had gone to Ulta for the sole purpose of getting butter LONDON's No More Waity Katie, but ended up with an eyeshadow cuz they were on sale for $2.

jesse's girl nail polish in julieg

Finally got this nail polish (from Rite Aid)!  I've been wanting this ever since I saw it on Julie G's channel.  It is a gorgeous coral color and great for summer.  Also, in case you didn't know, Julie is teaming up with Jesse's Girl to create her own nail polish collection!  I can't wait, cuz Julie's a nail polish lover (like me) and I know she's going to come up with some amazing colors!  (Not like I need more polish, lol.)

Now that it's back-to-school season, Target's got a lot of goodies!  These goodies include a bunch of ELF makeup and palettes that they don't normally carry.  I ended up with these 3 palettes.  The Neutral Eyeshadow Palette is one I've been wanting since it first came out, but I didn't want to pay for shipping.  I'm glad Target has it, even if for a limited time.  I hope Target gets more ELF makeup, like the mineral line.  There are some items I'd like to try, but I just don't want to pay for shipping, lol.

china glaze midtown magic, skyscraper, and cg in the city and essie tart deco

I stopped by a nail polish store this past weekend, and they had the new China Glaze Metro collection!  Only these 3 really stood out to me from this collection, so that's all I got.  And then, I saw that they also had Essie Tart Deco, which I've wanted since seeing a few gurus wearing it.  It's a great summer color!  I can't wait to wear it.  Swatches of all  polishes to come soon~

And finally, my Rock and Republic eyeshadows that I ordered from Hautelook finally came in!

rock&republic eyeshadows in chronic, wicked, and revenge

The shadows came in super nice packaging, and the eyeshadows itself are really nice.  I showed my Mom, and she really liked them too.  She told me to buy her some, if they're on Hautelook again, haha.  I'll probably buy more for myself too.  There are other colors that I wanted, but I figured I should start small, to see if I like them (since these are my first from Rock&Republic).

Swatches of everything coming soon~!