Essentials Haul

So I took a trip to Walmart a place I have a real love hate type relationship with. I hate how crowded the place always is and how I end up buying more stuff then what I initially went there for and I love the place because well...once you start walking through the aisles you see all these cool things you never knew you needed ;) which ties in with how I buy more then what I went in there for it's kind of a revolving cycle for me.

 Anyways this time around I almost stuck to what I went in there for although a couple pieces of makeup did find it's way into my cart.

Witch Hazel- I haven't used this in years and I don't know why I stopped using it. It's really great as toner/cleanser and I plan on putting it back in my routine by using it at least once a day.

Summer Eve in Morning Paradise Wash: This product is becoming a staple item for me, at first I bought to use only during that time of the month but I like what it does for us ladies "down there". It's also really great for those who have sensitive skin and get easily irritated by regular soap.

Neuterogena Makeup Remover Wipes: These are my HG wipes.

I've also been on a Dial kick lately so I grabbed the body wash in Himalayan Pink Salt with Water Lily which smells really good and of course had to grab one of their hand soaps which I use to clean my brushes.

A couple other things I grabbed were Trim Salon Boards for my nails, I don't spend much money on these because i'm always losing or misplacing them. As for the little bit of beauty stuff you see I grabbed a couple of Wet and Wild items just for the heck of it : A lipstick in Taj Mauve-hal, Mega Slicks lip gloss in Red Sensation, and a brow & eye liner in charcoal. And last but not least I finally picked up a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sugar Plum which I'll do a review on soon.

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Mandarin - Swatches + Review

Mandarin is a color that really intimidated me and I was going back and forth on if I should spend $19 on a lipstick that i'm unsure of but I ended up buying it since that's what my goal was for that day...to pick up a color that I normally wouldn't. 

The Packaging is something I love, I like how it comes in a square shaped tube vs the circular ones, because I'm clumsy and and am always knocking my circular lipsticks down when i'm trying to grab one so I like how the square one stays put.

The shade description given by Smashbox is : Electric Coral

And this particular shade has a lustrous finish, shea butter for lasting moisturization and  Vitamin C & E antioxidant to protect.

Surprisingly this was one of those colors for me that in the tube it looked a little scary ...gorgeous but scary. Yet it turned out to be a really pretty color.

I found the quality of the lipstick out of this world great. The pigmentation is incredible and it lasted me 4 hours without having to re-touch. Also be warned because of the intense pigmentation the lipstick did stain on me...which I personally don't mind but I do know there are people who don't like that. For example the swatch I did on my hand even after washing my hands with soap to remove it there was still a very strong stain left over from the swatch.

Personally I recommend using a lip brush with this one especially if you are like me and am just venturing into the world of bold lip colors it helped me have a little bit more control over the intensity. Also I've found MAC's Nymphette Lip Glass helps to tone it down a little while still giving a beautiful finish.

Purchased at: My local Sephora

Price:$19

Buxom Divine Goddess Luminizer Swatches + Review

I love liquid luminizers and one of my new favorites is the Buxom Divine Goddess Luminizer in Venus. I actually received a 1 oz sample at Sephora with the 500 points perk that they have and I am so glad I grabbed it, this stuff is amazing and will be perfect for me during summer time.

Product Description: 

A face and body cream luminizer with a unique, refreshing sensation. 


Bathe your complexion in an incandescent glow and experience the refreshing sensation of this sheer, lightweight cream luminizer for face and body. Wear it alone or under or over foundation to glow like a goddess. 

Price: $28

You can buy it at: Sephora

Venus is a color that will be perfect for all skin tones. The luminizer is very light-weight and non greasy once I put it on I can't even feel it  except for that cooling tingly sensation that stays around for a while. You can use this to highlight your cheekbones, temple, bridge of your nose and where ever else you may prefer to highlight, but it's also great to wear under your foundation, over it or as I like to do...mix a little with my liquid foundation for that glowy look. 

The reason I say this will be perfect for summer is because you can easily use it all over the body as well. I can see myself applying it on my legs during summer when i'm wearing shorts or a little on my shoulders  for that natural glow since the luminizer has a subtle sparkle to it that looks very natural.

The pic above I put a thin layer over my arm and that is the effect I got from the product.