My drugstore deals for the week

I haven't updated this website for a long long time. I probably have zero followers again. I had corneal collagen cross linking surgery - Wikipedia it here - and I just stopped caring about updating blogs in general after that It was very depressing to have even more blurry vision than I already had. By the time my first eye healed up enough to wear my RGP contacts again, it was time to start law school! So that craziness happened and next thing I knew, it was October and I had MIDTERMS.

I just finished up those midterms now and had my second cross-linking procedure for my other eye done this past Thursday. I'm back to that miserable depressed and in-pain period following the procedure. I'm wearing sunglasses so I can stand looking at the computer screen, which is at its lowest brightness setting. I walk around in sunglasses basically all day because my eye is so light sensitive.

BUT ABCK TO THE POINT. I came across some pretty awesome deals on Nouveau Cheap this week and I'm going to take advantage of some of them. Read on ^.^

So this week, the list of deals can be found here if you want to take advantage of a great deal yourself.

The two deals I'm taking advantage of this week:

1. Simple Skincare is buy one, get one free (BOGOFREE) at Walgreens. There is also a $2 off coupon available that doesn't apply to wipes, but imma try to use it anyway. Since cross-linking, I can't get water in my eye area until the epithelial layer grows back, so I have been using makeup remover wipes morning/evening to cleanse my face instead. I just ran out of the Alba ones, so I'm going to stock up and take advantage of the BOGOFREE deal.
2. Disney Villains collections: Since I just wrote about Walgreens, I remembered another good deal for this week. I'm not buying any but the entire Disney Villains collection (the eyeshadow palettes by ELF, the makeup bags by SoHo, the Ardell lashes, etc) are all 25% off this week. If you were interested in an eyeshadow "look book" by ELF, thsi means you get a 6-eyeshadow compact, liquid eyeliner, pencil eyeliner, mascara, and a lipgloss for only $7.50. Somebody is bound to like that deal, right?
3. Revlon pressed powder! Rite Aid is the better deal if you want multiple products - you get $5 back if you spend $15 on Revlon. BUT I have a 25% off coupon and $3 extrabucks from CVS. I also have a $3 off coupon and a $2 off coupon. So stacking all those means I'm going to walk out with a damn cheap pressed powder. I'll update later to say just how cheap. I want the powder from the nearly naked line, but the $2 coupon doesn't apply to that. Both coupons would apply to the powder from the colourstay line, but that one isn't as good. I'm going to try to use both on the nearly naked one but buy the other one if I must. 

I don't take any credit for finding all these amazing coupons so I won't directly link to them here. Go to Nouveau Cheap's weekly deals page and she links out to all the different manufacturers coupons there. I found my two CVS coupons in my mail b/c they are linked to my card. If you go to a  CVS and scan your card, it'll print you any coupons you have available! The 25% off one should show up, the extrabucks I probably earned from buying something else before.

Project No Buy - Week Nine and Ten

On Friday June 7, I had a small little eye operation - called corneal cross linking - on my right eye. I hope that this will strengthen my cornea enough to stop the rogression of kerataconus in that eye. I will hopefully have the same procedure performed on my left eye in three months.

Reco very is going well, but vision is still blah. My right eye's vision is still cloudy and more blurry than usual, and vision won't be restored to pre-operation conditions for the next month or so. The problem is that my glasses alone don't correct my vision and I can't wear contacts for at least the next 4 months and the frustration is just KILLING ME. So so much.

I'm temporarily absolving myself from penalties and sticking to a much looser schedule. I haven't even been able to accomplish any of my blogging goals because turning on my laptop is just not top priority these days. It's too hard and makes me want to cry every time I have to zoom in everything to like 500% only to still struggle to read it and squint like mad, causing my right eye to start hurting. Oh and all this while the laptop is being held up by my hands to be like 4 inches from my face. STILL CAN'T FUCKIN SEE.



-$0 - I would pride myself on self-control but I just haven't left the house much these days
---------
-$0

Money in Spending Bank after purchases: $150.44




Weekly Goals -
+$0 Finish swatching & posting at least one VDC eyeshadow collection
       - NOPE
+$0 Finish swatching & posting all Pumpkin & Poppy eyeshadows
       - NOPE
+$0 Catch up with Blog Everyday posts on Controlled Derangement
        - I haven't blogged much because it's so disheartening not to be able to see properly
+$5 Finish sending out ALL pending packages
       - Done!
+$0 Sell at least $150 profit in makeup/nail polish
       - Now that I've taken stock of what I sent out and what's left, I can re-focus on this in the coming weeks though
+$5 Try to help mom around the house more aka suck up to her for future favors
        - Done. Worked like a charm.
---------
+$10

Empties - 

+$2 John Freida conditioner - travel size 
+$2 Mini-sized Dove Deo, it also sucked
+$2 Razer, replaced with a new one
---------

+$6

Reviews -
+$8 May IPSY bag review - here
+$5 Essence nail polishes & GlitterDaze, Love & Affection - here
---------
+$13

Reading -
+$2.74 Taking Flight
+$2.00 I Bring The Fire, Part 1: Wolves (A Loki Story)
+$1.98 I Bring The Fire 2: Monsters (A Loki Story)
+$3.08 Me And My Ghoulfriends (Terrible trash don't bother looking it up)
+$3.04 Revenge Gifts
---------
+$11.84

1. Finish swatching & posting at least one VDC eyeshadow collection
2. Finish swatching & posting all Pumpkin & Poppy eyeshadows
3. Catch up with Blog Everyday posts on Controlled Derangement
4. Sell at least $150 profit in makeup/nail polish
5. Send out all international packages & catch up on with my monthly swap group
6. Do at least one review each for eyes, lips, & face products

($150.44) + ($40.84) = $191.28

IPSY: May Swatches and Review - Part 1

Hi everyone! I'm back again with the IPSY review. This was the first time IPSY had a large (huge, really) selection of items from which subscribers would receive some sort of combination. Many people were excited, but others were disappointed. I am still on the fence, as I am in the "didn't try everything, can't be sure" camp. But that does not mean this bag didn't have awesome items - in fact, I was one of the lucky ones who qualified for a free Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow! Check them out:

Zoya Nail Laquer in Blu, NuMe Finishing Serum, Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Glitter Rock, Yaby Concealer in Buff, Mirabella Lipstick in Daydream and Pacifica Island Vanilla Roll-On Perfume. 

 

All items outside of their packaging!

The polish shown here, Zoya in Blu, was already swatched by Pryanka here. This was one of 6 possible colors, as the options were all from the new Spring Collection. I'm obsessed with this color and the way it looks on my hand. Definitely my favorite product for this month!

Mirabella Lipstick in Daydream was the most surprisingly awesome of the bunch of items. This formula is SO SOFT. To quote someone else, this feels like butter on your skin. Body butter for your lips, if you will. The color is just sheer enough to be able to be worn daily, and I am very happy I got this instead of the glosses (I can't stand glosses!).

The Yaby Concealer in Buff was the biggest flop of the items this month. This concealer's consistency is somewhat gross, but it also just doesn't cover anything. This is aside from the fact that this is too light for my skintone. The previous Yaby items I received, the two eyeshadows from March were also a disappointment.

                                           

The NuMe Finishing Serum is another product I'm not yet sure about. I have thin and coarse hair, but I'm not sure what to even do with this. I tried dropping some in my hand and applying it as I have the Organix oils I own, but this doesn't seem to do anything. I was confused by all the raving about this item by many IPSY members online who were hoping to receive this. I may or may not swap/sell this item.

The Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On is my second favorite item this month. It smells like delicious candy - someone thought I had cotton candy on me when I put this on. It's definitely not for everyone, but for me this was a great departure from the fruit/citrus scents I tend to go for.

The Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Glitter Rock was the most anticipated item this month for most people. It wasn't actually something given to all IPSY members, but a bonus item for being a particularly active member or for referring two people to IPSY with a personalized link. I was the latter, and got this as a reward! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Urban Decay, thanks to Pryanka, and I was so excited to try this out. However, it is NOT the most user friendly shadow. It is quite difficult to incorporate this into a daily look, and if I can't find a better way to use this I may have to get rid of it. 

MORE!

I was able to get my hands on the two other Pacifica items that Pryanka and I did not receive through swaps and purchases. I don't like the Tahitian Gardenia as much as the Island Vanilla, but it is also a nice departure from my usual scents. The Coconut Crushed Pearl is absolutely wonderful. It smells like toasted coconut, and the consistency is similar to January's Tuscan Blood Orange that came in the IPSY bag. The bronzing effect looks natural on me, most likely due to my skintone. I love this product and am glad I was able to get my hands on it!

Feel free to ask any questions about the items I reviewed here!

*Some links for swatches weren't working, so I'll update this when I can get them working!*

IPSY June 2013 Unveiling

Hello errybody!! I can't properly swatch and review these things yet, as I need to use them over a period of time before I can give you an honest opinion. HOWEVER, what I can do is show you what I received and give you my initial thoughts. I can say though, that I am most impressed!! But that's nothing new, Ipsy outdoes themselves every month and sets the bar a little bit higher.

I'll preface the pictures with a brief note for those of you who don't already know: I had an eye procedure done this Friday (Corneal Cross Linking if you're interested) and am still recovering. from this. I also cannot wear contact lenses and my vision with Kerataconus is seriously distorted and impaired. Doing this is hard for me but not doing it is even more frustrating, so just bear with me. The quality of Photoshopping is probably crap and I'll cringe and die when I see my graphics with my contacts on but alas, enjoy.

Those are the five products in the Glambag! I received a bonus 6th item if your sleuthing eyes discovered it in the initial photographs :) For every two referrals you receive from friends you convince to subscribe to Ipsy, you receive a free additional item in your own glambag!! I managed to get two referrals last month, but after my May bag was already packed up. Last month, there was a limited edition of Urban Decay  (Value: $19) Moondust eyeshadows given out, but I missed out. The other option was a bracelet from Bauble Bar, and that is the bonus item I received in my bag. 

It is rather pretty, but I know for sure I would never pay full price for it otherwise. I don't see the retail value for it anywher currently but I'm assuming they sell it for $15 or so plus shipping. As pretty as it is, I wouldn't pay more than like $5 for something that simple. Maybe I'm just too stingy.

SO SORRY THIS POST IS MOSTLY JUST PICTURE SPAM

I'll have a proper review later with more talking and opinions and swatches and such :) Issela's June glambag had some different items from mine so hopefully, she will be able to review these for you all as well!

Essence Colour And Go Ft. GlitterDaze Love And Affection

Take this as a token of my love for all my readers! Despite the terrible vision and corneal cross linking surgery I had on Monday, I can't sit idle any more and am trying to upload this post. I was taking pictures and hoping the entire time that they wouldn't be too blurry! I think everything turned out okay, all things considered. My eyes are tired of squinting though so I'm going to sleep promptly afterwards. Play the song and read on!!

The Essence nail polishes are from my




GREY-T TO BE HERE

Grey-t To Be Here is a sheer but buildable grey polish with pretty purple shimmer dispersed throughout. At first glance, Cult Nails Disciplined comes to mine, but I think on the nail, the two are different - Disciplined is more sheer.than Grey-t. Itt dries to a gorgeous hi-gloss finish, almost like jelly finish. In fact, it's squishy enough that I could probably layer some glitter in between for a jelly sandwich. Future experiments will reveal all truths.

For the swatches above, I used: 1 Coat Nail Tek Foundation II, 2 coats Grey-t To Be Here, and 1 coat Revlon Quickdry Topcoat. 

CAFE OLE

Cafe Ole is a "nude Glam" nail polish. It's pretty but not quite my cup of tea. Or coffee. Harharhar, get it? Cafe Ole was just a little streaky and difficult to work with, but mayb if I was more patient betwen coats (And could see properly), swatching it wouldn't have been such a nightmare. I'm not a fan of this shade on me but it's not a bad nude. I only wish that 1 coat wasn't streaky because it would have made a great french manicure base otherwise. 

Cafe Ole is like a cross between OPI Samoan Sands and OPI Tickle My France-y in my opinion. I've got both, but SS is more sheer than Cafe Ole, and TMF is less sheer. If this had a touch more peach and didn't give my hands such a ghastly cast, I'd like it more.

Nail polishes used for the above swatches: Nail Tek II Basecoat, Cafe Ole (3 coats), Revlon Quickdry Topcoat

OH MY GLITTER!

Oh My Glitter! is prettyyyy! Unexpectedly sheer though, but built up with no problems. My camera hates purples and blues SO this color in reality is a LOT more true purple, not as blue-leaning as the pictures make you believe. Perhaps when I can see a tad better and do more fine-tuned Photoshop work, I'll make color-crrecting adjustments to the photos but for now, just take my word that it's more purple!

I used 2 coats and everything dried to a high-glossed finish. It's got a really pretty shimmer in it that's reminescent of Cult Nails, Doppelganger (The shimmery topcoat that allows you to recreate the signature Cult Nails sparkle in whatever nail polish you want). The shimmer doesn't translate that well onto your nail and I was hoping it would have been stronger. It's a very dainty purple polish and will make a great base for different glitters!

Polishes used for the above swatches: Nail Tek II Basecoat, Essence Oh My Glitter!, 2 coats, and Revlon Quickdry Topcoat

GORGEOUS BLING BLING

Gorgeous Bling Bling is a terracotta colored nail polish with chunky gold glitter/shimmer in it. I think it's shimmer but there are some bigger pieces too. Unfortunately when I took pictures, the chunky gold glitter just photographed a bit weird...rather than add "bling", I thik the overall effect is rough and choppy and blah. I hoped to like it more than I did. I'm also not explaining myself very well. Even though in reality, this manicure was glossy and smooth, it didn't photograph as such. 

WHAT I DID TO FIX THIS - I just topped it all with glitter. I've been waiting for a chance to use my GlitterDaze, Love & Affection nail polish purchased during a clearance sale. I think I paid like $5 plus shipping for it? Something like that. For that price, I've got no complaints.

GlitterDaze, Love & Affection

Love & Affection is named after a Rihanna & Future song and for that reason alone, I love it! I love that song because Future is like my trashy guilty pleasure and I can play that song on repeat and wail along with him for hours. Legit. HOURS.

Love & Affection is a GLITTERBOMB. It features a dark chocolate base packed with light pink, fuchsia, and silvery-white hex glitters in varying sizes. There is also some microglitter to finish it off. I used 1 coat dabbed on over Essence Gorgeous Bling Bling and was more than satisfied with the result, although the base is colored enough that next time, I will probably ust wear 2-3 layers on its own.

I had some issues with the formula at first, but despite my hesitations, was able to get a great application. The bottle is packed with glitter and in my opinion, the glitter-to-base ratio could do with some adjusting. When I put it on my nails, so so so many glitters come out that you can't make out what it's made of or appreciate its nuances anymore. It's like pretty sparkly glitter vomit on your nails. The fact that the base is so dark and opaque on its own also made it hard for the glitter to shine through, it just gets lost in the murky brown depths. 

I still like what it looks like, don't get me wrong, but I just think it had the potential to be more sophisticated than it is. My favorite part of the polish is the punch bold fuchsia glitters but sadly, a lot of them are buried underneath everything else and oly 1-2 really sparkle and shine the way they could. 

WELL THEN, I'M DONE RANTING. Go replay that song, you know you want to ;)

Project No Buy - Week Seven and Eight

Wooo talk about a hiatus. I was on two back to back vacations, one with friends and the next with family, and promptly fell sick after that. Haven't had the energy to update either this blog or Controlled Derangement and am now falling WAY BEHIND schedule. So sorry about that, so let's go ahead and play catchup!



-$9 - Essence Nail Polishes x4 (I was in Canada and bought a few colors I hadn't seen around locally here)
---------
-$9

Money in Spending Bank after purchases: $116.88 - $9= $107.88




Weekly Goals -
+$0 Finish swatching & posting at least one VDC eyeshadow collection
       - NOPE
+$0 Finish swatching & posting all Pumpkin & Poppy eyeshadows
       - NOPE
+$5 Follow up with FAFSA & TAP to make sure I'm getting a full financial aid package
       -Done, yay for loans? Financial aid for grad school sucks
---------
+$5

Empties - 

+$2 Nail Polish Remover, mini bottle courtesy of Twee&Honey 
+$2 Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil by Jordana
+$2 Ole Henrikson Facewash, travel size
+$2 Tresemme Shampoo, travel size
+$2 Tresemme Conditioner, travel size
+$2 Sunscreen, travel size
+$2 Body Lotion, travel size taken from hotel room LOL
+$2 Nivea Smooth Sensation Body Lotion (Full-sized)
+$2 False eyelashes (I was having fun with a pair in Canada)
---------

+$18

Reviews -
+$2 Essie, Orange It's Obvious + Cult Nails, Captivated - here
+$2 Essie, DJ Play That Song + Cult Nails, Seduction - here
---------
+$4

Reading -
+$4.36 The Widow of Larkspur Inn
+$2.16 The Tea-Olive Bird-Watching Society
+$3.84 Wander Dust
+$4.57 Breaking Twig
+$0.63 Cake Pop Creations
---------
+$15.56

1. Finish swatching & posting at least one VDC eyeshadow collection
2. Finish swatching & posting all Pumpkin & Poppy eyeshadows
3. Catch up with Blog Everyday posts on Controlled Derangement
4. Finish sending out ALL pending packages
5. Sell at least $150 profit in makeup/nail polish
6. Try to help mom around the house more aka suck up to her for future favors

($107.88) + ($42.56) = $150.44

NOTD: Essie DJ Play That Song + Cult Nails Seduction

Work this week has been crazy and I haven't had the energy/time to edit photos once I get home. AT THE SAME TIME, I hate not posting so ~~

You can click the smaller pix to view them full-sized :) Someday I'll figure out how to add a nice media gallery in Blogger but for now, this will do. I wasn't able to watermark these images taken on my phone because the 'edit' feature wasn't working on my instant uploads for some reason but I do want to post them. They're good pictures and since they are phone pix, I don't care terribly about watermarks!

This manicure is still on my nails today - I put it on 2 days ago and it's going strong with only the most minimal of tipwear!! The polishes used in this manicure were:

- Nail Pattern Boldness Glitter-A-Peel Basecoat

- Essie DJ Play That Song - 2 coats [Warm red-leaning purple jelly]
- Cult Nails, Seduction - 1 coat [LE Flakie polish in a blue leaning purple base]

- Revlon Quickdry Topcoat

- 

Essie, DJ Play That Song - 

• This shade is the 'title shade' from Essie's DJ Play That Song Summer 2013 Neons collection. It is a JELLY FINISH. Now from what I was led to believe, a jelly-finish nail varnish is meant to give you that squishy, semi-sheer (Translucent) high gloss finish that cameras just love.I don't understand why people criticize this formula for being too sheer. DUH, THAT'S KIND OF THE POINT.
• 2 coats on its own were good enough for me because I was going to add glitter on top. 3 coats would be ideal if I was wearing it alone. Perhaps 2 coats over white?
• The formula is on the thinner side so take care not to overload your brush and flood your cuticles. Apply carefully and patiently. 2-3 thin coats should do it depending on how much you want to build it up. 3 coats felt best for the ideal translucency and color. 

Note: It will never be as opaque as a creme finish on its own. Don't be stupid and expect a jelly formula to perform like an opaque creme and you'll be fine :)

Cult Nails, Seduction

• Seduction is a sheer purple (blurple) base packed with tons of multicolored flakies in varying sizesThey flash different colors prettily in the light but are predominantly in a purple or orange state. There are some great flashes of green or a more pink shade in there too.
• In the sunlight, my nails photographed as IF they were matte, but no matte finish was used. It shows off the flakies beautifully and clearly though, so enjoy the detailed view!
• There was no issue with this formula. Just the right density and viscosity - 1 coat brushed on, not even dabbed, was enough for the above effect. 
• You could wear it alone (2-4 coats depending on intensity of base color you desire and thickness of coat) but it is another JELLY FINISH formula, so quit your complainin' if you can't get it opaque on its own. It looks great layered over blues, purples, dark vampy colors, and black :)

Enjoiiii :) Cult Nails is available at shop.cultnails.com and each polish retails for $12.