Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch: Review + Switched to Disqus

Today is another review! A concealer for my dark circles is becoming more necessary (boo! =3=), and as I have never tried any other concealers before, I just grabbed the first one on the shelf in Target. It happened to be Maybelline's Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer. It looked like a complete dupe of YSL's Touché Éclat, except about $32 cheaper, so I figured I would just try it out.

Price: At Target it was around $8, but of course it'll vary from store to store.

Description: The Dream Lumi Touch is available in 6 shades. According to the package, it
Illuminates
Hides imperfections

• Gel-based concealer illuminates shadows as it conceals.

• Skin looks instantly brighter.

I got this in Ivory. It's the second-lightest shade, which usually suits my NC25 skin, but this concealer definitely runs quite light. I probably need to go a shade down to nude, but this works reasonably well- it's just necessary to be careful about the 'reverse panda' eyes. Some of the shades have slightly yellower undertones, and some have pinker undertones, so I can see it working on a wide variety of complexions. It does work reasonably well at disguising and brightening up my dark circles- I'd rate it a 3/5, since it's good but it isn't fantastic, plus it has a tendency to settle into these little fine lines under my eyes (I'm not old, I've just squinted a lot throughout my life!).

Packaging: It comes in a twist pen with a brush tip. It takes quite a few clicks to get the product out the first time, but after that you can use just one twist for both eyes. The brush isn't terribly soft or good at blending or anything- it's easier just to dot the product on and blend it in with your fingers.

It's a miniscule amount of product!!! =n=

Without Dream Lumi Touch

With Dream Lumi Touch

In the last two photos, you can clearly see the difference it makes! Not the best concealer, but it does do a great job as a highlighter on browbones and tear ducts, and it isn't half bad overall.

Would I buy this again? Yes, I rather think I would, just in a shade darker. :)

Also, I switched to Disqus for commenting (just because I personally have found it more convenient when commenting on other people's blogs), but unfortunately it erased all my previous comments. :'( Please, let me know how you like it!
---Sunny

Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion: Review

Okay, so I am literally one of the most insanely sun protection obsessed people on the planet. I'll put some sunscreen on even if I'm not leaving the house!!! In the search for an HG sunscreen (I like Neutrogena's Dry Touch, but it gets boring to use the same thing all the time, and it's not perfect!) Mara of The Owl Hours suggested a different Neutrogena sunblock (Ultra Sheer Liquid). It looked fantastic, but of course, stores sometimes have the infuriating ability to draw your attention to something you suddenly decide is necessary to your continuing existence. That's what happened to me with Eucerin's Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion, and since Jen of From Head to Toe used it, I was sold. And I definitely don't regret the purchase at all!

 Price: I got this for around $7 at Target, but I think the price can vary by as much as a dollar between stores.

Description: Here's what the website says.  

This lightweight, gentle broad spectrum SPF 30 formula with UVA/UVB sunscreens including zinc oxide and titanium dioxide helps defend against long-term sun damage and also provides effective moisturization.

• Dermatologist recommended
• Provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection
• Fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula moisturizes for 24 hours
• Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and clinically proven safe for sensitive skin

 Its moisturizing properties are rated 2 out of 5 (more lightweight than rich). My skin is wacky, but overall this gives a nice dewy glow- not too matte and not too oily. I don't usually use anything on my skin other than sunscreen (too lazy to even use BB cream) and this works nicely as a stand-alone product. I haven't notices a white cast at all, and the lotion is absorbed quickly with only a trace of residue.

Packaging: The bottle is small, but since the consistency is a bit runny it'll last forever. The plastic is sturdy, and I like the nice hygienic pump.

Don't forget to always always ALWAYS wear sun protection when you go out! Read up on the differences between types of sun protection (i.e, sunscreen vs. sunblock) and learn what all the different attributes mean. Your skin will thank you later!
---Sunny

Glitter Gradient Nail Tutorial + FOTD

I am such a lazy girl. Anyways, I'm back with a glitter gradient nail tutorial~ Having taken the majority of these photos in the evening, the lighting is nasty. In the sunlight my nails look like Dorothy's ruby slippers! :) It's really quite simple~

Skipped the base coat, and just applied Naillicious's Holly Berry. Make sure your nails are nicely filed!

I used OPI's I'm Not Really a Waitress for this step. After your base color has dried, apply a medium-thick stripe to the end of your nail, then wipe excess polish off of the brush and drag the brush through the wet stripe and down your nail to create a gradient.

Using OPI's Because I Said So. Repeat the second step after the polish has dried, but only drag down a little so you don't obscure the second color.

Do another light gradient in red glitter down about 3/4ths of your nail (again, make sure all previous polish is dry!!!). I used Stila's Firework! Make sure not to get too much glitter on your brush, or it will obscure all of your previous work.

Because my magpie-like tendencies have begun to spontaneously erupt since watching My Little Pony, I used a random cheap glitter polish to add a second kind of glitter to my nails. It didn't work very well, and hardly made a difference... =3=

Finish up with a base coat. I used Sally Hansen's Double Duty base and top coat, which I do NOT recommend. It started chipping on the second day!!!

I hope you liked that tutorial~ Although honestly, next time I'll make sure to take all of the pictures during the day. And these photos really don't do the glitter justice- the gradient adds depth, and the glitter adds sparkle, so your nails really do end up looking like Dorothy's slippers!

Random snapshots:

FOTD. Tried out tightlining with lavender eyeshadow and gold highlighting on tear ducts and outer corners.

Vegan dessert for my dad- chocolate mochi cake in a cookie cup with cherry chocolate chip ice cream. All homemade except for the ice cream!

Little sister's homemade ichigo daifuku. Dear god I can't imagine how I ever survived without Japanese desserts!

Oh, and I have to ask, does anyone have any idea where I can find a 32DD bra? I've only ever found them online for absolutely ridiculous prices. I'm terribly sorry for the awkward question, but I am positively at my wit's end!!! *rage*
Anyways, I love the summer! It's so sunny and warm, and there are birds, and butterflies, and colors, and I can peacefully listen to Marilyn Manson and Disturbed all day long (well, at least until it's time for class!). 
Love you~
Sunny

A Venture Into My Mind

This is a meme, of sorts, stemming from Mara at The Owl Hours. Enjoy. And please, feel free to respond in kind.
Lots of love,
Sunny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What would you see, if you walked into my mind? Well, first I’d urge you to bring a light. It’s not all that bright in here. Also, a few of the creatures that dwell within are particularly vicious, but don’t worry- they’ll avoid the light. Ready? Good.
Standing in this cavern, you may wonder which way to go. There are so many twisting, labyrinthine tunnels that you can’t quite decide. You may pick a random one and start walking- however, I wouldn’t advise that particular one. Somewhere, a long ways off, but not quite as far away as one would like, is a frighteningly chaotic storm. It tries to escape occasionally, but can never quite manage it. May I nudge you in that direction, instead? You shrug and accede.
Your footsteps echo against stone as you walk down the hall. It is cool and dim. A fine mist hovers over every surface, a mist that bears a peculiar resemblance to spun sugar. The same mist drapes itself over your shoulders, and you find, to your surprise, that it is warm. Looking down the corridor, you see a series of openings- large doors, small doors, oddly shaped doors. Some are covered with physical doors, or strange substances. Some lack doorknobs. Some are mere openings in the wall.
The first door you encounter is covered in an opaque, milky white substance. You knock on it- it’s hard as stone. But as you pass, in the very corner of your vision you see it move in a complex dance of pale waves and whirls, and through a gap you can just see the rich, dim colors of jewels. The second door is difficult to focus on- your gaze just keeps sliding across it. But you catch sight of a sole terrarium in a tiny glass bell jar, lonely in an echoing room, through the viscous amber material draped over the doorway. The third door is an opening in the wall, leading to an enormous cavern which holds nothing but books- bright children’s books are stacked haphazardly next to dusty tomes, piled precariously on top of mile-long shelves. A wooden ladder invites you to pick a book, to lose yourself in words, but you would need lifetimes to work your way through that room. A fourth door is covered by glass, and within it you can see pure color- brilliant blues and pinks and yellows, ever moving, while delicate strokes of black constantly appear and are then erased. You pass many more doors, some wonderful, some merely strange, and some a little frightening, on your journey. Somewhere along the way, perhaps around the time you encountered a door shielded by a mantle of translucent liquid ice, a pervasive scent of warm vanilla sugar, of freshly baked cookies, of caramel, winds its way into your conscious. Further on, you acquire more fragrances- a desperate, salty scent lingers beneath the others, and the bright scents of lemon, mint and lavender soar above them.  Odd, perhaps, but somehow they all somehow work together in at least a semblance of harmony.
By the time you reach the end, you have seen many things. Perhaps you are even a little tired, jaded. You wonder, what more can there be? Patience. There is but one more door. It’s a friendly wooden door, the surface worn smooth. It isn’t locked- the bright, burnished knob requires no key. You gently, and a little cautiously, turn the knob and open the door.
You step into summer.
Your bit of mist disappears, little by little, under the sun’s warmth. Your light fizzles out, unneeded. A gentle breeze ruffles the leaves of trees, and bright flowers stretch towards the sky. Horses race across endlessly lush fields, dogs frolic among tall golden grasses, and a single cat delicately winds its way around your ankles. Birdsong spirals lazily through a cloudless sky. You catch a glimpse of laughing faces, gilded by the sun, before you find yourself back where you started.
Except now there’s a sign.
It reads, What would you see, if you walked into my mind?
An invitation.

Just In Time For Summer

Moved from Wordpress to Blogger! :) I'm going to keep my Wordpress and all its archived posts, but I much prefer Blogger's layout, and it is quite a bit more convenient, as many of the blogs I follow are on Blogger.
Anyways, as it's summer and I've been going in to school (because even online classes require in-person finals... =_=) dressing a bit more nicely is not an option. I can hardly show up in my pajamas!

These are some of my favorite coordinates~ I love my Dr. Martens to death, but it's getting a bit too warm for them. Ditto for the cropped owl sweater AND the coral bodycon dress. ;A; Even my hair, as you can see clearly, loathes the heat! I miss spring... I'm melting into a puddle as I'm typing this, after being squashed into my sister's greenhouse of a room to paint her walls kermit-green and egg-yolk-yellow with ammonia-scented paint. Nope, not bitter at all. What could have possibly given you such an idea? ;)
On another note, I'm seriously turning into a Forever21 junkie. Everything pictured hails from that glorious store, minus the heels, boots and ring. Seriously. It may be one of the ultimate symbols of consumerism America, but a plethora of trendy, cute designs + wallet-friendly prices = pure LOVE, at least in my book. Particularly since I need to look about three years older than I actually am, so as not to garner attention on a college campus.
Love you all~
Sunny