tax free haul

2 weekends ago was texas tax free weekend for back to school shoppers. i'm not in school anymore, but who says i can't take advantage of it....(evil grin).

i went to san marcos outlet (if you're in the area definitely check out this outlet). it's huge with a lot of designer brand stores if you like them (i.e. gucci, tory burch, fendi, ferragamo, and prada(coming end of this year)). as expected i wasn't the only one taking advantage of the tax free weekend. there were so many people that we had to spend 30 mins just to park. texas heat ain't helping either.

i was hoping to score a pair of ferragamo low heel chucky pump, but found none that i like at the price that i like. there were some discounted ones for cheaper, but not what i wanted. it's always a hit or a miss at the outlet. that's the price to pay for not wanting to pay retail.

side story.....mr. adventure read somewhere that some goods(probably low-end to mid-range) that are made in italy are actually made by chinese immigrants living in italy with low wages and poor working conditions. you would think "made in italy" are goods made by highly crafted artistic italian, but that's not always the case. what are your thoughts?

showing some of my favorites.

from bcbg, thick black blazer (so ready for fall). think this will be nice to wear over bright colored dresses.

from banana republic, high heel sandal (surprisingly pretty comfortable)

from forever21, off white blazer (love the W cutting at the bottom)
 

from cc0, l’occitane and crabtree & evelyn
 
rose 4 reines hydrating face mist. very light with a lovely scent.
body foam wash in mango and pomegranate. smells yummy but doesn't lather as well as i like. more bubbles-> more fun!
hand therapy in lavender(i'm loving the faint scent and the mini tube that fits in my purse)
hand therapy in citron honey & coriander
boobi brown concealer in beige. great match and great coverage.
l’occitane cheery blossom solid perfume. the floral scent is sweet and not too overwhelming.  

mcdonald’s smufs toys are over and I only have 4. kicking myself for not making the extra turn when I  passed by one.

I’m going to anaheim mid-sept for a conference. any recommendations for places to pick up japan/korean beauty items around the area? not sure if I have the time, but just in case ;P

haul ~ josie maran

one boring afternoon, I browsed the web as usual and ended up looking at josie maran website….opps. I heard good things about their 100% pure argan oil, but not so much on their makeup. when I came across the “good buys” section, I knew I had to get something…..double opps.



my fav item,wildflower argan powder palette.



Swatches without primer
L2R: Eye Shadow in Pearl (shimmering white), Cashmere (shimmering taupe), Magic (deep grey), Plum (shimmering plum), Lilac (shimmering lavender), Blush in Little Kisses (soft peach),  Shimmer Powder in Posey (shimmering pink) and Blush in Baby Cheeks (soft rose)

I’m in love with this palette especially plum and lilac. some of the colors are soft, but definitely buildable for smoky eyes. the texture is smooth and easy to blend. this palette is great for travelling as it as 5 eyeshadows to mix for a soft day look or a night mysterious smoky look. the blushers and highligher is a huge plus as you don’t have to carry any additional makeup. I don’t know about you, but I like to travel light (more space for shopping?)

natural wonder argan powder palette



Swatches without primer
L2R: Eye Shadow in Daydream (shimmery apricot), Hope (bright iridescent blue- purple), Desire (iridescent teal), Trance (shimmery gold), Think (shimmery copper brown), Blush in Illusion (deep rose), Bronzing Powder in Beach No. 1 (bronze), Blush in Fiction (peachy pink),

this palette has interesting colors, such as hope and desire. I don’t own any of these colors, so they are good to have in case I wake up one morning and decide that it’s going to be a colorful day. i ‘m loving the blushers and bronzer. again good for traveling and smooth and fine texture as well as easy to blend.
argan oil lipstick in birthday suit


L2R: Lipstick in Birthday Suit, Lip Liner in Peach and Natural
birthday suit is a sheer nude beige color sort of like a milk tea color. as for the lip liner, they don’t look peach nor natural to me. the swatches doesn’t wow me at all. they seem too dark. hopefully they’ll look ok on my lips.

I believe they’ll still on sale in their website josiemaran

la la la la la la~~~~ la la la la la~~~~

I’m collecting the smurfs toys from mcdonald’s. I know I know. it’s supposed to be for kids. but hey, they bring back childhood memories. do kids know about smurfs anyway? I doubt it. boy…I feel old now. during my quest, I learned that you don’t have to purchase a happy meal to get the toy. you can just buy the toy. have you watched the movie? heard it’s a flop.

review ~ eyeliner pencil

liquid liner and gel liner are great, but when I’m in a hurry(i.e. woke up late for a 9am meeting) I rely on my pencil liner for a quick, error free tight line around my lashes and waterline.

I’ve never tried any milani makeup, although I passed by the aisle every single cvs visit. since I’m not liking my current pencil liner and they are having a buy 1 get 1 50% off sale, I picked up milani liquif’eye metallic eye liner pencil in 01 black and I’m not regretting it. read on to find out why~~~~

all pencils were sharpened before swatches, so no foul play

test drive 1: pigmentation

no primer with a single stroke
R to L: Milani Liquif’eye, Dior Crayon eyeliner in black, MUFE Aqua Eyes in matte black and L’oreal Wear Infinite Soft Powder Eyeliner in ebony

clearly milani is the most pigmented. it’s also very creamy and soft. 2nd place goes to MUFE. Dior is last here as it’s very dry and hard.

test drive 2: “smudginess”

rub once. again, the winner goes to milani. it barely smudged.

after rubbing pretty hard for more than 10 times.

winner! I wore it today without any primer and it started to smudge a little in the outer corner after 4hrs. I wonder what can this baby do with primer on.

ironically, it’s the cheapest and it outshines the others. if you’re interested, get it now from cvs as they’re having buy 1 get 1 50% of this week. I picked up 3D Glitzy glamour gloss in 40 as my other item.

sephora has jack black lip balm set for $10 (save $5). it comes in black tea & blackberry and grapefruit & ginger.  can’t wait to try this highly rave lip balm.

cushy’s threads + seafood

updata on mantao: he’s still lost. I’m not giving up, but I really wish he’s having fun roaming around becoming king of the cat’s world. I noticed there are a few missing cats around my neighborhood. mantao must be recruiting his army.  think positive! thanks to all your sweet and encouragement comments  

mr. adventure took me to a seafood restaurant, pappadeaux for a little cheer me up. we don’t have a lot of good seafood restaurant being in central texas, so pappadeaux is pretty decent.

fresh oysters all to myself. sometimes it’s a good thing when your bf don’t like the same food.

fried seafood platter. the batter was light and crispy. I have a sore throat now. blaming this and the heat wave.

my threads for the day.

comfy floral dress: aerie (showed in my haul post)
black messenger bag: nordstrom rack for $10
gladiator sandals: ross
eiffel tower and bow necklace: gifted from shanghai

to everyone and myself, “drink more water to combat the heat!”