Affordable Quality Makeup

Since I recently decided that my make up collection needed a "makeover", I've been browsing online for reviews and deals on makeup. YouTube surprisingly has a good collection of how-to videos that random people put up and you can get some really nice tips and tricks in getting the look that you want. Also, they have a lot of helpful reviews when it comes to products that you may want to try but you're still thinking about it.

I've learnt that pricey products may not necessarily be as good as claimed; there may be cheaper, generic alternatives that work just as well. In addition to that, sometimes spending a little bit more may be worth it. I found several new make-up brands that I've tried and several websites that have amazing deals on makeup.

ELF has a pretty decent, budget-friendly collection but some items work better than others. Most of their products sell for $1 and they usually have additional offers going on, so you may get an additional discount or free shipping with your order. I love their nail polish and lip glosses! For nail polish that retails for $1, the color is amazing. It's not like those cheap and bad quality nail polish that you can find at the drugstore for about the same price. Their lipglosses smell so good that everytime I put it on, I feel like eating it! The colors are nice and subtle enough for me, I don't really fancy dramatic looking lips. I also have some of their brushes and the quality is decent for the price. I purchased some of their eye colors and they were a little disappointing because I was looking for eye colors that were true to color and had more pigment in them. But once again, if you're looking for day time looks, love to experiment with color and you're on a budget, I would say give their products a try.

If your also on a budget but wouldn't mind spending more than $1 on products, try NYX. They have a huge color selection and their prices will not burn a hole in your pocket. NYX has been compared to MAC and I would say I somewhat agree. They have single eye shadows and trios and I had a hard time choosing the colors that I wanted to try. I like dark or neutral colors. That's it. Nothing else. I know, I am weird but I don't think I can pull off any other kind of look. Their eyecolors are extremely pigmented for the price...love NYX to death! I got the single shadows in Eggplant, Deep Purple, Gypsy and the trios in Lake Moss. You can get NYX for cheap at Cherry Culture. They have other brands too and some of note would be LA Colors and Kleancolor. Extremely affordable and good quality at the same time. Oh, don't forget your drugstore brands like Revlon, Cover Girl and Loreal. They're affordable and pretty decent too.

Now, on to high end brands. My current favorite would be Smashbox. I really like the concept behind their cosmetics and their website has really good deals such as free shipping on any order and free jumbo samples, including a free full-sized product with every purchase during lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursday. If that is not a good deal, I don't know what else is besides stuff being totally free! I am currently using their Photo Finish Primer and I cannot live without it. I have to put it before putting on my powder/foundation because it makes my makeup glide on like silk. It smoothes out any creases and lines and bascially turns your face flawless. I also like their Brow Tech in Brunette...which I am also using and their Photo Op under-eye brightener. I bought a little try me kit from Smashbox over the summer and I'm still using it. Besides Smashbox.com, you can get Smashbox on Sephora and on eBay.

Okay, enough about the products and stuff. The question is where does one get high end makeup for cheap? I already mentioned that you can get alternatives such as ELF and NYX if you're on a budget but if you're hardworking enough and have time to browse and search, I would say get your butt on eBay. They have a crazy selection of "vintage" and current makeup for really good prices. When I say vintage, I mean overstock or out of season makeup. I've bought a bunch of Smashbox items on eBay for about 70% off the original retail price. While the stuff may be cheap, it is also good to keep in mind that while you're thinking about buying the product, google it to check if its still a current color or how many seasons ago it was released. I have no problems with using last season colors/palettes but if it's any older than that, it gets a little iffy. But in the end, if the product is sealed or is new, it should be okay. I tend to stay away from MAC and Bobbi Brown on eBay because surprisingly, there are fakes out there.

Another good tip is to go to the brand's site itself because most of them usually have a "vintage" or clearance section where they have a discount on their end-of-season products. Make sure you sign up for their mailing lists for first dibs on their promotions. I know it is annoying if they keep sending you emails everyday but filter it and check your spam every now and then. You might pick up on a good deal. If you're a big bargain shopper like me, try heading to outlet malls or places such as TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack because they do carry makeup from their stores as well. Lastly, check out makeup blogs and forums, and YouTube for the best current deals on makeup by people who are even more obsessed with it than you are! :P I recently found this amazing site, BeautyCrunch that carry labels such as Stila, DuWop, Lola and Too Faced for incredible prices. BeautyCrunch is officially acknowledged by Stila as one of their "vintage" makeup retailers, so they're legit and you know they get their makeup from Stila itself.

Some crazy deals on BeautyCrunch - I saw Stila lip glaze trios going for $9 but they were already out of stock! >:O That is insane, OMG, *faints*, dream-like cheap prices that will never ever happen...until now of course. 5 lip pots for $15 which is even cheaper than going to the Stila counter at your department store and buying 1 ($17 at store). I have placed an order with them and I cannot wait for my order to come. I got 2 eye palettes (one of which is the smokey eye, only $15(!!) instead of $40), the lip pots and some other items for a friend. They frequently update their store so check back for new items and of course, sign up for their mailing list!

I am thinking if I should just buy a ton and bring it back with me to Malaysia and just set up a stall at flea markets and sell it. I'm sure people would buy...but hmm...don't know about it though. Any ideas? :)

Cheap(!) Designer Clothing?

I think my favourite pastime at the moment would be shopping online. Especially if I have a reason to escape working on my weekly book report for my History class this summer. Recently, I noticed that many designers decided to collaborate with retail stores to produce cheap but still fashionable clothing. For example, Karl Lagerfeld (designs for Chanel) and Roberto Cavalli decided to team up with H&M to produce affordable but fashionable clothing for the masses because the average Joe/Jill would probably not be able to shop at Chanel.

Target I think would currently be the best place to look for cheap but stylish clothing since they recruited labels such as Rafe, Libertine and Isaac Mizrahi among others. I recently spotted a Rafe bag at Target for under $30 and was surprised at how good it looked. For one thing, it didn't look cheap. However, I didn't really like the design of the handles and therefore, walked away from it. For those uneducated in the matters of fashion, a Rafe Totengco bag does not go for under $300 and usually runs into being over $400 a pop.

The bag that I ordered


One of Libertine's collection pieces at Target

However, a couple of days later, wanting to escape the utter boredom of reading Alan Brinkley's "The End of Reform", I decided to give myself a break and go browsing online. I found myself at Target.com and to cut the story short, I have now in transition, a Rafe bag being shipped to me. I didn't see the bag at the store and it was available online only and the reviews were good. If I don't like it when it arrives, I can always return it to the nearest Target store for a full refund. Now, after browsing Libertine's line at Target, I think I might go and have a look at the store in the weeks to come. Now who can resist affordable, chic designer clothing?

The Mall: An American Evil

I hate America. I really do. Why? Because of the tempting retail outlets here that peddle their wares at insanely low prices. Long gone are the days when I stare wistfully at goods sold on amazon.com and dream that I could purchase them because they usually do not ship to Malaysia. Now, with the click of a button, I find myself buying shoes and luggage online. It's not that they're expensive or anything but it's the fact that they're cheap and plentifully abundant so much so that one finds oneself buying things because they just happen to be CHEAP.

I had to stop myself on several occasions now that I realized what I've been unconcsiously doing. I failed today. A pair of jeans from New York & Company that was once $59.50 is now $5.99. It looked good on me. A sweater that I've been eyeing at Pacsun, was $39.50 and is now $2.99. How can one resist when Roxy canvas sneakers are only $2.99. ROXY CANVAS SNEAKERS FOR $2.99!! Those prices are unheard of back in good 'ol Malaysia where one can only dream of finding such incredible steals (with conversion!) at the mall.

I've been making money from America, working for my college and letting them put good money in my pocket and a roof over my head. The malls here have been working overtime too, silently drawing me with invisible strings and slowly draining money out of my pocket and putting it back into the American economy. I think I will be staying away from the evils of the mall and their retail therapy. Too much of a good thing is bad, no?

Sweet Sweet Baby!!

It was another boring day of classes yesterday, but the good news is that my IS 044 class on Wednesday is cancelled; my Prof. has to attend a funeral. This week is turning out to be a sweet week, I have absolutely no Chemistry classes to attend as my Prof. is away at a convention. I got back from my last class today and went to the front desk to check if I had mail. I had more than mail alright! I had 2 packages and a card in total. I wonder what was in those packages? Hmm....


I opened the box! It was rather empty don't you think?


I dug among the filler bags and found...


My newest addition to my gadget family! The gorgeous 5.5G 80GB Ipod in Black! I've been wanting one since forever and I finally decided to buy it online over here after procrastinating for so long. Since I've been hitting the library very often these days, I decided that I needed a little music to accompany me when I study. Also, this will accompany on road trips and on flights here and there. It took me less than 30 mins to sync the whole of my mp3 library to the Ipod, which is considered very fast as there is currently 2758 songs in there. Yes, I had to download iTunes to make it work...but then again, Apple Inc. know what they're doing. However, I don't really like iTunes because I can't delete multiple songs at once which is a pain. Or maybe it's because I haven't figured out how to do it yet...


The other package contained the casing and DioFilm I ordered for my Ipod. I wouldn't have the heart to use it if I knew that it could be scratched easily. I like the casing as the flap is magnetic, it helps keep my earphones secure. It's cheaper to buy on Amazon than from the Apple Store. Also, I got $10 discount because I used Google Checkout for the first time or else I would be paying $17.83 for the accessories. Total damage to my bank account...$332.49 + $7.83 = $ 340.32. It was worth it!

Therapy

Finally I'm able to have a breather in between everything. I have been so so busy the last week. I had a test to study for during the weekend and an assignment to finish. The test was one of my least favourite subjects...American Politics. Nevertheless, I can now heave a sigh of relief that it's done! But I don't know how I'll do though. The second part was pretty tough. I have another test to study for, Chemical Analysis this coming Thursday. After that, hopefully I can just sit down and chill for a while. Because of all my assignments and tests, I missed two Sunday night suppers of home cooked food! Sigh...nevermind, the next one is coming up in 2 weeks time and I'll be sure to keep my calender free on that day.

So far, my other classes are going pretty well. Iowa Environment is a pretty easy class, along with Information Systems 044 which is good because I can relax in class. Last week, I wrote about having a tough time with the Excel Project for my Environmental Decisionmaking class but I managed to finish it in the end. To my surprise, I got 19/20 for that assignment. My model was not as complex or as organized as my professor's but thankfully, I got it right!

Also, due to all the stress I've been facing, I've been going for therapy sessions once a week. My therapy? Shopping! I'm serious, it helps me relax and forget about all the work that I have piled in front of me. At times, I really miss my friends as well so the shopping helps. I know it is a very bad alternative and it shows on my bank account but I'm trying hard to keep it in check. The next time I go out, I shall take only $10 with me, enough to pay for the bus fare and for a meal. Talking about meals, I went to an Indian restaurant buffet lunch yesterday after church. It cost me $8.94 including tax and tip and student discount. Oh well, since I hardly ever eat out, maybe twice a week, I don't really mind spending money on food. It was a treat to be able to eat as authentic asian food as possible. I stuffed myself. :)
Next week might be a Chinese buffet lunch perhaps....we shall see...

I left most of my shoes in Malaysia and I hate not having a variety of shoes to choose from. So I bought these:


Very fashionable peep toe kitten heel pumps...$10.99 (OP $14.99)


Sneakers from American Eagle, a steal at only $9.95 (OP $29.95)


Boots from Maurice's, only $6.25 (OP $34)


Tweed ballet flats from JC Pennys....$4.99 (OP $20)

Lovely shoes! I told my mum that I bought tons of shoes. She did nag me of course but after hearing my explanation, she didn't have much left to say. I haven't worn any of them yet. Am keeping some until the weather gets milder so that I won't get frosbitten toes due to over exposure. ^_^

My New 'Baby'

I was scouting the market for a new laptop to take with me overseas and as usual, I got my tech budddie (Ju!) to help me with the specs. Knowing that the Pc Fair would be coming up, I managed to settle on a model from Acer. To make things even more interesting, I was working at the PC Fair so it wasn't easy to find some free time to look for the best deals available. But, I'm glad to say that I managed to get my new baby on the last day at a very good price, and to sweeten the deal, some free goodies were thrown in as well. So, I've now got 3 USB Drives. One too many for me I would say but nevertheless, they might come in handy.

However, I've still not rigged up my laptop to access Streamyx so I'm still using my other earlier "baby", my desktop to work online. I find it so much better to have a personal computer that I do not have to share so that if anything ever goes wrong, it will be my fault. I hate having to figure out what went wrong especially if it was not my doing.

El Cheapo CDs

Never underestimate a good deal. When items go for an unbelievably low price, it doesn't mean that it sucks/spoilt etc. Get the picture? Anyways, I went to Doulos last Wednesday with a friend to check out what was available on board. My ultimate goal on that trip was to buy some nice Christian comics which were unavailable here. To my utter disappointment, there were none sold onboard. I was rather devastated, and the hot weather did not help one bit. I just wasn't interested in the offerings of books onboard. However, as I roamed by the Music section, I saw a lot of CDs and Tapes going at an unbelievable low price. As I've not heard of these bands before, I was a little hesitant to purchase any of them. But the urge was so great I couldn't resist. In the end, I went home with 5 CDs for an unbelievable RM40! To make the deal even sweeter, 4 of the 5 were actually really good. I didn't like one of the albums...I never had a thing for Spanish Gospel Pop anyways...