Packing Makeup for Long-Term Traveling! Which Products Made the FINAL CUT?

     Salutations, and happy and beautiful Sunday to you all! I have finally gotten to the "settling down" stages of my Chicago move, I wanted to make a roundup post of all the pretties widdled out of my self-perpetuating sea of beauty products to fit into my carryon bag. These products were ultimately selected to come with me to my initial hurrah of my trip, before I could go back to my home city to get the rest of my stuff. I managed to get through two months using just these products! 😁😌 The only casualty of my trip was, indeed, the Sleek eye palette that I was raving about in the video. I hadn't even had it that long...ah well.

                                 

                         View from Merchant Mart! Chicago, IL

Maple Holistics Sweet Almond Oil Skincare Review | A Cruelty-Free, All Natural Brand!

It's true - once you experience the immensely soothing skincare benefits of almond oil, you never go back. This small almond oil obsession of mine is getting to be a bit real. . . 

Disclaimer: This product was kindly sent to me by Maple Holistics for testing and reviewing purposes.

Aquatic Navy Sparkle | New Wet 'n' Wild Midnight Mermaid Collection! + YouTube Video + Swatches!

Good morrow! How dost thou?  This is one of the most excited I've ever been for a Wet 'n' Wild collection to hit brick-and-mortar locations! If you want to be a mythological creature (or just err on the side of dressing up like one for the day 🌠😁), Wet 'n' Wild is showing all of you lotsa love with collection upon collection inspired by mythological, fantastic beasts, creatures from land and from the deep blue! First was unicorns, and now...mermaids! 

If you can think of a character like, say Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd as a mermaid, she would definitely wear colors like these. So, steampunk inspired jewel tones, with a whimsically aquatic air of mystery, is my view of this collection in a conch shell! 😉

🔍If you would like to know what I used to get this Aquatic Navy Sparkle look, please watch the video and check out the description bar for all products used! A tutorial is coming soon!

⚓⚓ Wet 'n' Wild Haul + First Impressions Video! ⚓⚓

🔎 ⇨ Watch on YouTube ⇦ 🔍

My Choosings from Wet 'n' Wild's New Fall Collections!

Behold . . . Swatches! ✨

Wet 'n' Wild Catsuit Matte Metallic Liquid Lips in 'Sea Seduction' and 'Coral Crown'

Wet 'n' Wild Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow in 'Aquatic Prism' and 'Moonlight Majesty'

Wet 'n' Wild Limited Edition Fantasy Makers Palette in 'Neutrals'

Wet 'n' Wild Limited Edition Fantasy Makers Palette in 'Metallics'

Note: These Wet 'n' Wild Paint Palettes are labeled as ❌unsafe for use around the immediate eye area.❌Yes, that doth suck tremendously for those of us with sensitive eyes, but there are many more awesome ways these can be used as cream bases for other face powders and pigments for costume/Halloween/Cosplay makeup! Wet 'n' Wild is giving us the chance to channel our creativity and form something we may not have previously thought possible! Just use your imagination!

What are you planning on getting your hands on in these new Wet 'n' Wild collections? Stay tuned for a tutorial of this aquatic navy look! Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

✨Love , - Cailee

Tutorial: COOL TONES | Bright Cranberry-Red Fall Transitional Makeup

Happy Sunday, everyone!  Cailee here, and I'm just checking in and today's post will be showcasing a video tutorial I just recently posted: a colourful berry-monochromatic makeup look. So, I wore this out Friday evening, and surprisingly received a couple compliments on it! I generally shy away from these colors, especially around the eyes, but it's all about placement! These berry-magenta hues are a happy medium for this transitional period between seasons that we're in right now, just before the air turns ever more crisp and the leaves begin to turn yellow. This is a better quality video than the last two I've posted, so I'll try to make that consistent. 😊 

 Continue reading for the video tutorial! 

Rimmel 'Midnight' Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick | Reviewed & Swatched!

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color in 'Midnight'

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight,' swatched

Hiya everyone!  Obviously we are fast approaching the conclusion of August, and this has been a month of much lip color experimentation for me, and now that the leaves are about to change, the mild change in temperature is indicative that those crisp days are on the horizon, bringing with them the annual bearings that associate themselves with seemingly almost every blogger's favorite season. 😃 Many like myself, have an insatiable interest for deep, vampy colors, regardless of season or Sun's relative position to Earth in any given time of day. If the mood strikes, I wear whatever I please, so I figured I would test out a deep plum color that was introduced in this insanely affordable new liquid lipstick formula that Rimmel launched not too terribly long ago: behold, their Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight'.

🔍 Read onto the review 🔍 to see if I would recommend the Rimmel Stay Matte formula to anyone, or if it's a hard pass! You be the judge! 

2 Beloved (and Underrated!) Beauty Items that were No Small Feat to Finish | Empties

     Salve! Sorry, I'm a beginner at Latin, and know very few other greetings. 😅 So, sometimes beauty items cross our paths that we immediately develop an undying love for, and we either deliberately savor these items with the full intent of not using them up more quickly than products we just merely have a liking for, and sometimes these beloved products themselves have characteristics that actually make them rather difficult to finish up, even though we do love using them. The items displayed above are two items that exemplify the latter reasoning for me: one, an Oscar de la Renta eau de parfum, the other a salmon-toned correcting concealer from the wonderful Korean brand, Skinfood.

Chicago Wanderings (Part 1) + A New Beginning!!

"Never tell me the odds." - Han Solo, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

     Good day! Wow, this is the day when I will finally compile a post of my recent Chicago trip this past month. This first post will focus mainly on the architecture tour that I went on throughout the city! The following post will be where I go more in depth about the museum and art gallery I visited, as well as Millenium Park, and the foodie excursions I experienced whilst there this last time! Here's the biggie: I'll actually be calling the Windy City my home late this September! Yes, I am moving there - for all intents and purposes, I'm now Chicago-bound, getting preparations in order. I'm in the process of selling my car, moving my stuff out of storage, and everything else involved in constituting a big move. I had the fortune of connecting with so many awesome people while visiting there, and just went there again for a visit this past month feeling like I was home already, so decided that it was time for a change. I just fell in love with the city in a way that I'd never before realized when visiting before with family or friends, and just knew that I would be able to move there before winter. 💛

Karrueche X Colourpop Fem Rosa 'She' Eyeshadow Palette | Simply Swatches! + First Impressions!

Ciao, erryone! Well, guess this is my first actual Colourpop post! I'm a bit late to the Colourpop party, I know, but in all seriousness, can we just discuss this $16 limited edition Colourpop She Palette for a minute - the newly released Fem Rosa lineup of products are quite the hot ticket items from our beloved crazy-affordable, high quality colourful brand, Colourpop - and for good reason! This will be a pretty succinct post with the main focus being on swatches, as I haven't had the chance to play with more than 4-5 of these shades on my eyes - hardly enough experience with this to do a review. Hence, why I usually do not like featuring (or even purchasing) limited edition products. Once they're gone, they're quite gone. 

I do have a first impressions video of this palette up on my channel! You can check it out here. 

Currently Reading: The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

     - Dialogue from Sherlock, BBC, Season 1, Episode 1: 'A Study in Pink'

     John Watson to Sherlock Holmes: "Who are you?"

     Sherlock Holmes: "I'm a consulting detective."

     John Watson: "What does that mean?"

     Sherlock: "It means when the police are out of their depth - which is always - they consult me." (😁)

     As the time is approaching where I will inevitably be in the mindset where I want to read things other than Sherlock Holmes, for the moment, I'm definitely on a Sherlock kick. I'm currently reading Modern Library Classics The Adventures and Memoirs, as well as the Sherlock Holmes-Mary Russell spinoff series by Laurie R. King, and don't have any intention of slowing down on the great detective and master of wit anytime soon! (And, please forgive this picture lol, it's the only one I've taken of the book, and it was during a Panera breakfast time ages ago...been a while since I've had it, now that I think about it 😊). 

Thus Far . . .

     This is a very fine collection, and the stories of Sherlock Holmes have been so very cherished throughout the 20th and 21st centuries for good reason, I now realize. They will continue to be as such. I like to read these short stories on my short breaks in between classes at uni, as well as just before I go to bed. I've put the entertainment and excitement of 5 cases in this novel behind me so far, and am now on page 122 and am reading The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip - and the thing I'm left wishing at the conclusion of each case, is only that these stories were longer than 25-30 pages! I'm nowhere near complaining, though, because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was an absolute master at brevity, and the cases are fleshed out enough and are quick-witted and incredibly detailed (I just like reading a lot). We are able to see the human side of Sherlock, along with the impact of the help of his comrade and former army doctor John Watson, as well as the mysteries and grisly work they do in their travels. 

How I'm Reading These Cases . . .

Needless to say, I'm a linear reader, and I don't like to jump around in novels I'm reading, regardless of whether or not they're short stories. In the case of the Sherlock Holmes Adventures, these cases are developmental, and indicate progress in the friendship and camaraderie between Sherlock and Watson, and skipping around stories would probably be rather a disservice to the reader, in my humble opinion. The prolific sarcasm and deductive reasoning never gets stale, and is only part of why Doyle's works are known as overt classics recognized under the genius breed. 

These are stories that I along with many other classics readers treasure greatly, and I've read one of these cases in the past as a kid, however I wish I was introduced to more of them sooner - nonetheless, they resonate at any age, and the way these characters think begins to rub off on the reader as time goes on, whether the reader may realize it or not. I'm so glad to have these stories in my possession now, as I began watching the BBC show around the same time I started reading the Sherlock-Mary Russell series, but long before I ever got back into reading the wonderful originals.

I'll update you as my journeys from reading these mysteries begin to accrue! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Clinique Pops of Happy Lip Glaze & Perfume Coffret | First Impressions + Weekend Chicago Trip Ramblings!

Clinique Pops of Happy Lip Pop Glaze Lip Colour & Perfume Coffret

     Hello again!! 😁💛Wow, I'm soooo incredibly happy to be back on the bloggie! Phew, long hiatus there, right? So, *awkwardly clears throat* aaaaaand - begin riff: Uh - It's been a long time...I shouldn'ta left you - without a dope beat to step to.....step to - step to - uhhuh - step to.... boom. Ok...I'll stop embarrassing myself now. 😄😝I could've left you with a travel blog post, or something a bit more interesting than a measly book review, damn. Well, let me stop there....because I just recently took a short weekend trip to Chicago for some discoveries and urban dwelling and inspiration (and possibly a new beginning soon!) so there will be an entire account of my wanderings in the heart of that city! The photos are being curated, and will be up on my blog soon!

Book Review | A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King: Vol. 2 of the Sherlock Holmes-Mary Russell Series

Ah, well here we are: another book review! It's in the cards for me to delve into this review of A Monstrous Regiment of Women, the second installment in the Sherlock Holmes-Mary Russell series of case and adventure-laden novels, brought to life on ink and pages by none other than Laurie R. King! I know some of you will feel a bit of second-hand embarrassment, but I'll say it anyway: I'm actually listening to the Sherlock BBC theme whilst typing up this draft. So, don't judge me! 😄

In this second installment, Sherlock Holmes takes a backseat, and Mary Russell takes the reins, so to speak. Let the review commence!

Glossy Summer Lip Combo: Iridescent Watermelon!

'Tis a beautiful day, and you all know why! 😊 Happy Mother's Day! 

Today's blog post will be featuring a bright (yet sheer!) summer lip combo that I've been wearing quite a lot of lately! It's an interesting combo of a punchy creamy watermelon with a flash of peach and violet iridescence! Revlon Lip Butters....oh, how I miss ye.

A Bookly Tuesday | A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire #1 by George R.R. Martin | Thoughts & Update

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire #1 by George R.R. Martin. Phew, let me wipe that imaginary sweat off my brow, and say that if this wasn't in paperback edition, I would've happily used it as a doorstop before I commenced in reading it, because for some reason I'm the kind of person/reader who is perpetually drawn to the large, heavy tomes rather than smaller ones, but when the time comes that I actually pick them up to read them, I'm left shaking my head, not knowing what the hell I was thinking to even pick them up in the first place. Ideally, it was a goal of mine to finish the first novel in this series before summer semester at uni started, and while that ended up not being the case (my reading habits took a bit of a nose-dive last month), the good news is that I've read about 75% of it!

Knowing nothing about the HBO Game of Thrones series, and not being much a fan of fantasy literature at any rate (historical fiction is what I tend to prefer, where fantasy, save for some series, is just a genre that I just don't tend to gravitate towards anymore), I just had to see for myself, in regards to this series, what the world was going essentially ape-shit insane over, and so wanted to share some of my thoughts on it so far! 😁

4 Underrated Eyeshadow Palettes I Wish Weren't Discontinued. . .

     Happy Saturday, everyone!  I must say, talking about discontinued products never seemed to be a popular topic of discussion for me or other bloggers to really focus on much, and while there were originally plans to curate this into a small video series akin to being something like Products I Love & Wish Were Brought Back, alas, here we are in a blog post. 😃 

Book Review | The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King: Vol. 1 of the Sherlock Holmes-Mary Russell Series

     'Tis high time for a book review! My 2-week blog-cation has ended, and now, I have found it... this fascinating mystery series of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell's fast-paced, adventurous detective partnership is one that I would like to treasure, and will gladly dedicate my time to for the rest of 2017! Today, I'll be reviewing the first installment of this series written by Laurie R. King, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Or, On the Segregation of the Queen.

Book Review | The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

'What the Heck?' Product Regret: NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer | Review

NYX Gotcha Covered Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer in 'Ivory'

Hello lovelies!  Welcome to my third post in my blog's 'What the Heck?' Product Regret series! That's weird, isn't it...to say 'Welcome to my blog post!' Strange, hmph... Ideally, I wouldn't have to do any of these, but since I occasionally make impulse buys at the drugstore just like most everyone else, there are some products that don't pass my usual 'You don't need it. You've read nothing about it, so just walk away' mental filter. I won't say who, but there was a YouTube beauty gal I had watched for quite a while who has a similar skin type to me (dry skin) and last year I saw a review where she said this concealer had worked nicely for her, so I went out and promptly bought it. And I've had this tube for 7 months now, so at long last - here we are! A review! 😄 

NYX Gotcha Covered Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer in 'Ivory'

Currently Reading : Snow-Storm in August by Jefferson Morley

Spring Forward: A Small Haul + Some First Impressions!

     Spring is now officially upon us, it seems! Rain is aplenty, but those cloudy days haven't been overriding the days with sunshine, thankfully! Over the course of the past couple of months, yours truly has been scavenging Ulta drugstore sections and various other places for some spring beauty pick-me-ups (or, ahem, I guess cheap thrills is more like it). Bright vivid eyeliners, a poppy red lipstick (or two!), along with some neutral matte lipsticks, and some nice sweet-smelling balmy lip treats are the results of my attempt to change my makeup game a bit this season with some colors that may (or may not!) veer a little outside of my comfort zone! I've had the chance to try some of these items out as well, so you bet that some of these will include first impressions! Let's begin!

Book Review | The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Oh mercy, has Gaiman has crafted an absolute gem with this one! This will be my first book review, and it's one that has been almost a week in the making, and I have to say that I couldn't have chosen a more befitting novel for a first review if I tried! Spoiler alerts are accounted for! With that, let's begin...

Lip Love: Maybelline Color Elixir Glosses | My Collection + Swatches

     I can say with certainty that Maybelline lip products have tended to be some of my best purchases from the drugstore, with only a couple of exceptions that are only in terms of choosing an unflattering shade for my skintone, and not necessarily a faulty formula. I can say I have yet to encounter a Maybelline lip formula that I dislike. Their Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks are always my first stop when I visit the brand's section, just to see if any new colors have been released. 😍 It's no question that the Creamy Matte formula is certainly in my top 5 favorite formulas of lip products, and that's not just for drugstore - it's overall! 

     Alas, it's almost time to part with one of my favorite moisturizing, comfortable lip gloss formulas - these Color Elixirs are at a heavily discounted price in many places, and so since it seems that the brand is phasing them out soon, I thought I'd show these glosses some love on my blog! It really is a lip love with these, as they really show the lips love by providing a hydrating feel and long lasting wear! Oh, and I almost forgot: They also only require 1 coat! All swatches below are done with only 1 pass of the applicator!

Maybelline Color Elixirs L-R: Signature Scarlet, Blush Essence, Caramel Infused, Mauve Mystique, Mystical Magenta

What's In | Affordable Korean Skincare

     Happy Tuesday!  Imagine my surprise when I was making a visit to Ulta after work one day, and realized that they had added Skinfood and Tony Moly to their skincare selections in the U.S.! I rewound back and remembered when I bought a cleanser when they had the entire Tony Moly brand at steeply discounted prices a while back, so I thought that some Ulta's were phasing the brand out to make way for a new one. I'm so glad that I was wrong, and that they now have a revamp and an even larger selection of the brand! 

Skinfood and Tony Moly are fairly affordable Korean skincare brands that both have origins in South Korea. I was familiar with Skinfood for their salmon corrector (which you have seen on this blog since the very first post I published back in 2014 - this concealer is truly my holy grail!), so I was excited to delve into their skincare! My experience as of yet with their fares consists of a shea butter lip balm and their Moisture Foam Cleanser. 

Skinfood Egg White Pore Mask, $10.50, Tony Moly Bamboo Cool Water Soothing Gel, $9.50

As is probably obvious, the packaging is what ultimately won me over with these items!

Diaries of a Demure Vixen | Essie NOTW

Essie Demure Vixen

     Surprised as I may be that I have not yet featured Essie's Demure Vixen polish (one of my all-time favorite colors to wear on my nails) on my blog yet, I just have to remind myself that yes, my schedule for blogging used to be non-existent lol. Ahem, not to mention that my nails are never really in good form. But I digress! This lovely medley of mauve and taupe has a lilac/violet iridescence to it that is stunning, and leads one to think that it's no wonder that Demure Vixen is a best-seller in the brand. This has been on my nails the past few days, and is a shade that is neutral enough that I can wear for an extended period of time without feeling like I have to change it up, because the opalescence keeps me interested. So, as it stands, it's looking like this will be my Nail of the Week (NOTW)!

This polish has been with me for the last three years, and I have yet to finish my bottle - say what? It's currently one-third of the way through the bottle, and I'm surprised I haven't used more of it, because this is a definite 3-coater. The formula's thin, and the flash of shimmer is fairly subtle (the more coats you apply, the more apparent the violet shimmer is), but it's such an interesting neutral shade that I've found myself always willing to work with, because the results are just too incredibly stunning! It takes a while to dry (it stays a bit gummy for upwards of ten minutes), so I use my Out the Door Topcoat, and it sets immediately and I never get chips or the need to touch up until after 1 week.

Essie Demure Vixen

As far as polishes, do you prefer neutrals, vamps, or brights? I'm also looking into starting nail art, but my nails are such nubbins, I always render it pointless! Any tips? 

💋xoxo-Cailee

* Product in This Post