Drugstore 1st Impression and Swatches | Hard Candy Top Ten Satin Eyeshadow Palette in 'Rich & Famous'

      Hello everyone, and happy Monday! So, would anyone like to see a stunned makeup enthusiast's first impression on an insanely cheap palette? Because that's what I'll be doing in regards to this Hard Candy Top Ten Satin Eyeshadow Palette in 'Rich & Famous.' Ahem, now people, this is a $6 palette...just let that sink in, and let those swatches further down do the math for you. 😉 I know, I know, it's mathematically impossible to do that, but - I digress!

ZIT HAPPENS: How To Conceal Blemishes & Textured Skin | Makeup Application Problems

Seeing Spots?

     

     Happy Saturday to you all! I decided on a how-to session today, since acne, after all, is the bane of everyone's existence. So, I have certain ways of tackling and dealing with those annoying periodic cases of hormonal breakouts, as well as remnants of those occasional cystic bumps from hell. Please know that I am not a skincare expert, but I can not suggest enough, that if you have an ongoing problem with acne or breakouts, you would benefit very well from, at the very least, owning just one skincare product with a glycolic renewal complex or a product with glycolic acid as the #1 active ingredient. From what I've learned, there's no AHA or vitamin that is used in long-term skincare and acne treatment that's a marketing fad. None. Unlike other ingredients I've found that are just fillers and serve absolutely no purpose or lasting benefit to the skin whatsoever.

     Glycolic acid is the most common of the AHA 'cules (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), and its key purpose is to remove those dead skin cells and to exfoliate. Skin comes first and should be first priority if you have problematic skin, and makeup should always come second. So before you take the plunge on that $30 temporary-fix concealer, might I suggest that you try to find out what your skin is missing? I really don't intend to sound preachy or anything, but we only get one shot with our skin, and I made the mistake of not taking care of mine, and learned better a couple years ago. Just a few words I wanted to pass on to everyone out there, especially those of you who are around the same age as me. Keeping it real, as I always do, and it's only because I love you all enough to keep it snazzy!

     Back to the subject at hand! I wanted to show you step by step how you can diminish those pesky peculiar pimple POS's and uneven skin surface. The first task at hand is tackling the issue with well-exfoliated, well-treated and moisturized skin, and the makeup products and method I use to create a long lasting barrier of coverage will naturally follow afterwards. When I have a breakout, makeup sometimes can slide right off me, rendering reapplication necessary, as I always apply a very light, barely there dusting of finishing powder and can go kinda moisturizer-happy beforehand; I apply much less powder than most people I know, so my method may seem out of order to some of you, but it's one that works, nonetheless! 

All photos in this post were taken indoors in front of a window in natural sunlight and no artificial lighting. None were taken with flash.

A Bookly Wednesday: The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt | Thoughts & Update #1

How innocent it looks......

     Le sigh of 'oh shit.' This seemingly moderately-sized tome is finally beginning to reduce my thoughts to pinings of the disappearance of that figurative brick wall that seems to appear in front of me and block me with every five pages of this book that pass. While I'm not going to throw in the towel on this, pack it away and move on to another read just yet, allow me to just reiterate from my first post of this novel, the sheer number of developed characters that are contained within this book. The families are all of the same timeline, same narrative, they are all acquainted with one another, and are constantly appearing and developing with each page.

Oh, don't know where I'm going with this? Just take a look at all these characters...

It cut off the bottom of the page, but oh, if only that was all......

Drugstore Skincare Review!! Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

*Contains Affiliate Links     

     Hello, and good day to you all!  So, now is the time for me to finally express some thoughts and other ramblings of a review on this seemingly inexpensive skincare product from the Freeman brand, and seriously, this stuff is pretty much the grand-daddy line in the drugstore skincare market. My first tube is currently on its last leg, as you will see from the photos. The product in question is none other than the Freeman Feeling Beautiful Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask. I was originally planning on making this a Skincare Sunday post, but limiting myself to one skincare review a week would be pretty pathetic on my part lol, especially since I have quite a few products I want to discuss with you all! This is a beauty blog after all, for goodness' sake! :)

     And look, this tube is almost empty, so please excuse all the photos of this crinkly, beat-up packaging. Should've clicked away on the cam when I first bought it, right? I know, le sigh. 

Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

Nail of the Day: Revlon Nail Enamel in 'Wildflower'

     I had to jump on here quickly to show one tiny way I've been embracing the soon-coming closure of summer. Bright pink nails!  It's a rare occurrence that I wear anything on my nails, to be quite honest. I can just never find the time, and, much like how I feel about jewelry, I look at the constant maintaining of well-manicured nails in my case as, firstly, hard to obtain, and secondly, rather superfluous for me, personally. Eeek now awaiting for the pitchforks... 😅

This bright pink beauty from Revlon is from their original formulation of nail polishes, which I've never found to be the longest lasting line of nail polish in the drugstore at any rate, however as long as I get at least a full day of wear out of a nail polish, I'm a happy camper. And with prior times of wearing this color, I have actually gotten a couple days out of it with a top coat before the chipping became noticeable. So, not really high maintenance where that's concerned. It's quite a lovely color, and this is just two thin coats, so it is nicely opaque. Wildflower is a glossy, creamy bright mid-toned cool pink that I like to wear because I know for a fact I could never pull off a bubblegum pink color like this on my lips. In these pics, I am not wearing any top coat. The base coat I used is Orly Ridgefiller.

Ladies, let me know! What's on your nails at the moment? 

💋xoxo-Cailee

Acquisitions | MAC, Sephora, & Drugstore + Mini Reviews!

     Hello dolls!  After the course of some thorough research, I have been experimenting with different products, not to mention a few different brands that are completely  new to me, trying to get a better idea of what to incorporate into my freelance kit. As you can see, a good majority of my findings were drugstore, or at least drugstore price (post disclaimer: these were all purchased by me).