Too excited! Holiday Makeup buys!

AH so I just had to update, upon seeing the email about the Naked3 palette and posting about it as a part of my "Christmas Wishlist," I actually went ahead and bought it! I got a good deal on it on Sephora.com!
As a beauty insider, I received an email for a $15 dollar reward gift card (use by Dec 15!), so I bought the pallet and using the code "Blitz" I was able to choose a Sample gift bag, that comes with 8 samples! I chose the "Cheery" bag as it has more samples that I think I would use! AND I was able to choose an additional 3 samples (mainly perfume, don't really like perfume samples but they're free!).
I had enough beauty insider points to get another free gift but I decided to save my points til the next level! OH and did I say I got free shipping?? So after taxes I spent a total of $41 on the Naked3 Palette and a bunch of free samples!! Such a great deal I think! Can't wait to get the palette and try it out! I will be posting makeup tutorials hopefully when I get it! :)

Here's my cart :)

Happy Holiday shopping :)

November Ipsy Glambag review!

October Ipsy Glam Bag video review!

Halloween and lipstick!

I've been a big fan of lipstick lately! I've been wearing it to Lab and I love it. I bought this new Rimmel London Kate lipstick in number 12. It is reddish coral and really nice! It is matte though, so not glossy. For this look I used black eyeliner on the water line, maybelline stiletto liquid liner on the top, and Dior Show Blackout mascara. For eyeshadow I used an old maybelline sunset bronze pallet, and I sweeped the gold across my lid.  Nice casual look for work!

Makeup organization DIY

I have so much makeup and don't realize how much I actually have! I have so many eye shadow pallets and never use them! I end up spending more money on new make up pieces because I don't realize I already have a certain color, or liner, or mascara, mainly because all of my make up is tucked away in drawers. When you are getting ready in the morning you don't have time to rummage through drawers, so you just use what you have on hand. This DIY organization solves the problem!!!
I saw this idea on pinterest and fell in love!

Lab Fashion

So WHO said that working in a lab/doing research meant you had to be boring in the fashion department? Not me. And that's what this blog is all about. Here are some outfits I put together that I would wear on a daily basis for work, and the best part these are all safety requirement compatible! Working at UCLA, there are really strict rules about what we can and can't wear. We have to wear pants or long dresses that cover our legs and close toed shoes that cover our entire foot. So that rules out flats and heels (why would you want to wear heels anyway? Running around all day at work = hurting and uncomfortable feet!) Here are some shoes/booties I picked to go along with these outfits. Another requirement is that long hair needs to be tied up. So why not go for a cute pony tail or even a bun? I'm recently in love with ballerina buns on the top of the head. I also really love dark and light wash jeans. I wear the occasional dress to work with black leggings underneath. Can easily be converted to more a more classy look after leaving work by just removing the leggings! and BAM you are ready to hit the town! (I usually wear dresses on Fridays).
As far as makeup, why not put some on?? I know some people don't care enough but its just like any other job. I never leave home/show up to work without some eye liner and mascara. I don't always do eyeshadow but when i do it is a gold shimmery kind that resembles the look in the picture below, but instead I use black liquid liner at the top! And I have been experimenting with new shades of lipstick as you have seen in my previous posts.
Hehe stay fabulous!
My next post will be a video review! I'm so excited to share my first video review with you!
Let me know your thoughts xoxo Andrea

Lab Fashion by andreah227 featuring a vegan lipstick

Weekend styles!

Ok so this weekend I went to an Above & Beyond show at the Greek Theater in LA and it was a totally acoustic show! As in, they played their amazing songs live with real instruments! It was amazing and the venue was gorgeous! I had never been to the Greek theater before!
I tried to recreate my bright neon green and blue makeup that I wore to the Above & Beyond show I went to last year in May! I think I did a good job and it came out great! Lasted the entire night!
I wore this cute white lace dress I bought from Target! By Xhiliration, I added the black belt and some leggings because it would be cold! I also wore this Larimar ring I bought while in San Antonio! It complemented my nail color! Twas fun. Although the show was pretty short (over by 11pm), it mustve been difficult since they were playing everything live!
How was your weekend?!
 xoxo A

Bright lipstick!

So I've been pretty bored with my daily make up routine, and seeing as how I've been spending a lot of my time in the lab, I haven't really cared about my face that much... But that will change now! I have been breaking out a lot so I need to start washing my face better and taking better care of it! 

And ever since I experimented with the blending of lipsticks in one of my last posts, I decided to try this new bright lipstick sample I received from Ipsy in one of my previous glambags! 

I am in LOVE with this lipstick. It is so bright, creamy, smooth and moisturizing! It also lasted the entire day! I love the pigment. It also hydrated and smoothed my lips, making them look more plump and healthy! I love it!

It is from Urban Decay, Revolution lipstick in a shade called "Anarchy." I am in love.

The full size lipsticks from Urban Decay are about 22 dollars, which is a little steep for a lipstick, but I would be willing to pay extra for the quality and richness of the color! This lipstick also comes in a variety of shades, so check it out! I am going to check out a more demure shade that I can wear daily, but I also want to buy the full size of Anarchy for when I am feeling bold!

Ps. I apologize for the closeups of my face. I'll try to get better quality pictures for my next posts!    

xoxo Andrea

Ipsy makeup!

So I got my Ipsy Glambag for September. I decided to try a couple of the products. First, I used their liquid liner, by Jesse's Girl, it has a nice tip that can be used to make a really thin line or very thick if you apply more pressure. I like it! I might consider buying it when my actual eyeliner is used up! I always make mistakes and end up with a really thick black line and have to remove it to make it look better...

May Ipsy Glam bag review!

So I LOVED May's Glam bag! Loved the items.
First, I loved the lipgloss from Juice Beauty. It was very shiny, shimmery, and tasted/smelled awesome. I have been using it a lot recently so it is almost out! If you go to their website, juicebeauty.com, the gloss is $15, the reflecting gloss. It is a little on the expensive side, but I think it's a good deal. I would maybe want a little more in the tube but I'd buy it. If you buy before June 15, you can get 20% off using the code 'Ipsy20'!

New beauty buys!

So today I took the day off from work and took a day to myself. I went to the gym in the morning, burned a nice 400 calories on the elliptical, went to group meeting for work, and then took a drive to Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade to do some shopping. It was great! Such a beautiful day!

April - Pretty in pink Ipsy GlamBag!

Hello readers!
I have been pretty busy this past week or two with school work and actual work... Too much to do in the lab! I have an Orals Qualifying exam for advancement to Phd Candidacy coming up at the end of May, so excuse my absence if I do not post. Although this blog is a good way to escape from science sometimes.
So here is my review of the April Ipsy Glam bag. I skipped writing one for March because I wasn't very wow'ed by the items from last month, but this month totally makes up for it!

Happy March!

Happy March everyone!!
Wow, the month of February has come and gone and we are now in March! Time is flying by!
It was beautiful in LA this weekend, it was in the 80s so on Saturday, some friends and I went to the beach to surf, chill and relax by the water!
I wore my Fringe bikini top by L*Space, I just love it! It is the original fringe bikini, before a lot of other brands started copying it and selling it for less than 1/4 the price!! This top was 71 dollars! And worth every penny. But when I see cheaper brands selling the same or similar style for not even 20 bucks, I feel cheated. Anyway, here is my suit, paired with a black bottom from Victoria's Secret!

February Ipsy glam bag

My February Ipsy bag came in a few days ago!
I have to say, I wasn't very impressed this month. I feel like I used more of the samples from last month. This month, it came with a mascara, gel liner, face primer, lash cards, and little eye shadow samples. The bag is a shiny black bag, it's cute but looks a little cheap... I preferred last month's bag!
So the face primer is from Pixi... I don't know how much I'll use it as I'm not really big on the foundation/face primers. I prefer to not have my pores clogged with makeup unless I go to an event or clubbing. So maybe I'll use it once. It didn't seem to blend really well, I kept blending it in and it seemed to just rub away. I guess I'll really see how it is when I'm doing my make up.
The Mica gel eyeliner looks really good, I hadn't had a chance to open it yet, but it seems to be very black. I am currently using a regular liquid liner from Maybelline called stiletto, maybe when that is finished I will try this gel liner! I've never heard of the brand but I have been into using new brands -- I have an eye shadow primer from Nyx -- seems to work pretty good!
The eye shadow sample is from Coastal Scents; the colors look nice, I received "candlelight," "gunmetal," "incognito," and "ashen." Very romantic shades for a nice smokey eye look.
The mascara, I'm not sure if I will actually use it. I will do a comparison soon. I currently use DiorShow Blackout mascara that I am IN LOVE with... (see pics below). It just separates my eyelashes and curls them... all while making them stand out! Love it! And for 25 bucks at Sephora, how can you compete?!
I tried to use the Lash Cards last night as I was getting ready to go out in Hollywood....It was a little hard to use. I mean, it's not complicated to do but I couldn't coordinate myself to apply mascara and have the lash card on my eyelid. It's a great concept, and I want to try using it again. I always have a problem with clumping of my eyelashes and getting my mascara on my shadow after I have already applied it... So this is a great solution! Great idea!

February 2013 Ipsy Glam bag contents

Reviews for recent items!

Helloooo. So here are my reviews for my Ipsy Glam bag items and some other stuff I have talked about before!
So First of all, I painted my nails with the Nailtini red nail polish and it was so shiny and glossy without a top coat! I was lazy and didn't put on a top coat and it lasted a couple of days and still had shine! It was nice. It only started to chip when I went back to work and had to wear gloves (pesky gloves, ruin all my nail polish! downside of being a scientist!)
I also have used the Big Sexy Hair hairspray. I curled my hair with the styling tool last weekend and I spritz it with the hairspray. It didn't make my hair crunchy, it just made sure the curls stayed 100%! it was pretty nice, and I was happy with the hairspray. Other hairsprays I have usually make my hair stiff!
I have also been using the Argan oil from the kit in my hair right after I shower or before bed to make my hair silky and hydrated. So far so good! I like it. But I do have the same Argan oil in a much bigger bottle from one'n'only, probably a lot cheaper than the Josie Maran oil for the same if not more.
I used the Pacifica body butter from the kit as well, as my hands have gotten really dry! It smells so good, I love it!

New treats! Ipsy

So my new beauty subscription to Ipsy finally arrived!
If you don't know what Ipsy is, or what a beauty subscription is, is you pay 10 dollars every month and you are sent a little make up bag with deluxe or full sized samples of various make up products! I was pretty happy with this first month, as I have use for all of the goodies!
First, I was given a crease makeup brush by Soho, which looks pretty nice. I have been using a regular makeup brush for my eye shadow but I think this one is better! (on a side note, I have also bought an e.l.f. liner brush, which is really good for applying makeup close to your lash line!)
The Big Sexy Hair volumizing hair spray also looks great! Can't wait to try it out this weekend!
They also sent me a "Pacifica" Body butter in Tuscan Blood Orange, and it smells so good! I have been using it to moisturize my dry hands (I work in a lab wearing gloves all day, I constantly wash my hands and it dries them out!)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!!
Hope everyone had a fabulous night!
I ended up going to this bar downtown that I went last year... my friend and I swore we wouldn't go there this year, but lo and behold, that is where we ended up again. But it was fun, the music was good. This is what I wore!
I curled my hair using my straightener that I bought (the PYT styling tool -- seriously best investment ever!) It took me some time because I sectioned it off and did small pieces, but I know that as I get better at using it it will take less and less time!  I think my hair came out fabulous! I love it! I intertwined pieces to get the layered look and it all was in one huge curl, i loved it! ALSO, may I note that I DID NOT USE ANY HAIRSPRAY!!!!!! And my hair stayed like this all night!!! My hair is usually so hard to curl and keep in a curl! I woke up this morning and my hair was still curly too! This styling tool is amazing, I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an easy way to curl their hair!
As far as my makeup, I used my Dior show Blackout mascara -- my eyelashes looked fake! My mom was convinced I put false lashes on, but they were all mine! I wish I took a picture of my eyelashes!
I also used a goldish eyeshadow from Maybelline and created a smokey eye look with the MAC Smutty Green eyeshadow I blogged about previously! It came out really great! Topped my lids with liquid liner and voila!

Merry after Christmas!

Merry after Christmas!
Hope everyone had a great holiday!
I know I enjoyed spending it with my family! Especially since I don't come home often it was good to just relax and spend time with my parents! I received new clothes from Hollister and A&F, they are so comfortable and cute! I'll blog about them later, maybe. I also received some makeup, I got this mineralized eyeshadow from MAC - in Smutty Green. It is such a pretty color, green with black hues and glitter. It works to create a subtle smokey shade! I took a few pictures when I wore it out but not very good quality -- I'll try to take better pictures when I wear it out again!
The next picture is my outfit when I went to church on Christmas eve! My failed attempt to curl my hair using my styling tool -- its hard! I will try again, but I just think I am not doing it right! I wore some cherry red lipstick from Maybelline, my favorite red hue. My outfit was glam and just right for the holidays!
The last two pics are of my outfit from Saturday night! I wore my Jordan jeans from Motel, paired with a black zipper back top and spiked black wedge heels! It was a cute outfit, and my Jordan jeans even glowed in the black light! It was pretty cool!
What did you get for christmas?
AH I need to figure out what I'm doing for NYE and what I am going to wear! I have a few dresses in mind (some that I have blogged about here, and one that I don't think I posted about). But New years eve is in a few days! AH! What are you doing? and more importantly, what are you wearing?! haha let me know!
xoxo A

MAC mineralized eye shadow in Smutty Green

Happy November!

Hey hey everyone. I've had a pretty busy and hectic month with work and classes, and now I am back with updates and outfits!! I have recently bought these two new black dresses (one can never have enough black dresses!!) I don't know where I am going to wear these, but they are perfect for the upcoming holiday season!!
This first one is so beautiful, it has a lace top that fits perfectly with a drop waist skirt that goes hi-low... which I adore. I saw it on a mannequin outside this little shop in Westwood right outside of UCLA called Crisalide, and fell in love. I lingered in to the store to take a look and the lady working at the store convinced me to buy it (see her behind me in the awful mirror pic below)... I have some nice really high black heels to pair with this dress, or some really high nude heels...