RANDOM OUTING: MAC COUNTER (DUPE ALERT)

TOP: MAC 'MOCHA' LIPSTICK
BOTTOM: NYX 'HERADES' ROUND LIPSTICK

I went to a mac counter and was swatching away like crazy when a color caught my attention. I remember having this particular shade in my wish list and I was beyond tickled when I found out I already own an incredibly similar shade... NYX round lipstick in HERADES.

Glad I didn't spend the 15++ dollars because these two feel/look about 98% similar. Herades (bottom swatch) is slightly brighter but on the lips and swatched you can barely see any difference unless you're a little ocd-ish like me, lol. I didn't even buy the NYX lipstick thinking it was a dupe, it was just a random buy. Don't you love when that happens? : )

Another great random dupe.

BATTLE OF THE EYE PRIMERS! URBAN DECAY, TOO FACED, ELF!

The 2 most popular eye primers out in the beauty world, and one incredible inexpensive primer that is quite impressive!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance cost about $18 dollars, and the Urban Decay Primer potion in the old packaging is about 18-19 dollar (i forgot) and the price to beat is ELF's Eyelid Primer at $1 ridiculous dollar, lol EVERYONE CAN AFFORD A DOLLAR PRIMER!


THE UDPP comes in a cute package but if you seen any youtube videos, you will now the packaging at the end is a severe inconvenience. Product gets caught in the curves of the packaging that the wand can not simply reach. I would have bought the new UDPP in the new tube packaging but I got this in a set. I like how it applies, it dries on clear and sets fast and dry not greasy and does not move my foundation/concealer. My lids are oily and this primer has not worked 100% to make my shadows not crease. I'm not to terribly disappointed, nor impressed. I don't know if I would buy this again to be honest. It also irritates my eye a little but only in the beginning, lol shoot I am not letting a expensive primer go to waste...


The ELF primer is not a necessarily "you get what you pay for" type of product. Its actually a pretty decent product considering its one dollar! I actually find this and the UDPP to be somewhat similar. It doesn't irritate my eye like UDPP, and shadows apply nicely, but it can crease your shadow a lil bit. Not a primer I would wear to go clubbing, nice to wear when running errand though, like running to the drugstore for some more makeup! lol


Lets get to it folks. My fav out the set is Too Faced Shadow Insurance.


The packaging is functional, product last for a year +, and it really makes my eyeshadows come alive! I know UDPP is the king of primers in many eyes *no pun intended*, but many haven't tried Too Faced. The price seemed ridiculous to me in the beginning but honestly this thing LASTS! And your shadows will be happy to. I have a separate full review on luuux on TFSI in this link.

BATH AND BODY WORKS YELLOW TAG SALE!

OMG! I was just saying the other day I needed a new/few summer-y scents and here I see a post on my FB page on a super sale at Bath And Body works! 50-75% off sale?! I could NOT miss it, even though I heard this sales been around for a while. hmmm wonder whats going on...


Anyway, I got mostly fruity yummy scents and the prices were AH-MAZING, and the coupon code saved me a few on shipping and handling. so heres what I got y'all!

BALI MANGO SPRAY MIST - $4.80 

PASSIONFRUIT COCONUT MIST - $5.00

COCONUT VANILLA SPRAY MIST - $2.40

TWILIGHT WOODS SPRAY MIST - $4.80

JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOM MIST - $2.40

JAPANESE CHERY BLOSSOM BODY CREAM -$2.40

Everything with coupon + tax cost me $31.35. I'm a little pissed that there's a 10 dollar off $30 coupon floating around but that's what I get for rushing. I don't have good luck with sales cause by the time I come back, everything is out of stock, but on the website everything is still there, go figure, lol oh well.


I am very happy with all my purchases. My favs at the moment are Japanese Cherry Blossom and Bali Mango mmm mmm yummy! I am  greedy so I'll probably buy more scents. 

MINI CROWN BRUSH REVIEW!

Before I purchased my sigma brushes, I had my 'brushes for now' brushes from Crown. I heard so many good things about this company so I decided to give them a go. The prices are super low for individual brushes and they have their fair amount of dupable brushes for MAC. The only con is you have to make a minimum order of 25 bucks otherwise you can't buy. This isn't a huge con, but if you just want one extra brush to add to your collection your better off going elsewhere like Coastal Scents for example. Shipping was $7, not amazing but not terrible, and shipping & delivery went smoothly. The professional line is the most prcey of all the individual brushes next to the synthetic line of brushes. Okay enough of that lets get to the goodies. 

From the 'Studio Pro' line I have: 


1. This is the precision brush aka the pencil brush. NOT AT ALL A DUPE FOR MAC'S 219! Its beyond scratchy, its what i cal unusable... I don't throw it away, because I am a firm believer in making good out of a crappy brush. I'll find a good us for it eventually. I like it for applying/blending my eyebrow when using powder. 

C431 PRECISION DETAIL (PENCIL BRUSH)

2. This is the large fluff shadow brush I was hoping to be a dupe for Mac's 227 brush (its not as tapered and it very large). I don't use this brush for shadow, but I really like it for my brow brown as a highlight, or buffing the shadow when it blended it up to high. The brush is also good for highlighting the cheekbones. It's not the softest brush alive, but its definitely usable. Minimal shedding when washing.

C407 JUMBO SHADOW

3. Next is my fave brush out of them all, it is the pro blending fluff, a dupe for Mac's famous 217 blending brush. Its soft, its not super dense, but it does the job. I like to blend my shadows with it, add color to the crease, highlight my brow bone, and even shading my lid. Hardly ever sheds.

PRO BLENDING FLUFF C433

4. Now this brush i have mixes feelings about. Its sheds a ton when you clean it and t sometimes shed when your applying your makeup! I tried using this brush for concealer but no go. The bristles are shorter than Mac's 224, but it's just as tapered. It's the the softest brush, but its not super prickly either. I only use this brush to add a subtle wash of color in my crease. And that pretty much it. : (  Dare I say this was the most disappointing of the bunch?! I do. (only because I had high expectations for this brush)

DELUXE POINTED CREASE C412

5.  The last 2 brushes are from the 'Studio' line. One angle 1/4" liner brush and a concealer 'camouflage' brush. Both are I beileve taklon brsitles and are the softest of the bunch. I dont use much of the camoflauge brush as it is called, but I like it to apply/blend cream shadows, and eyeshadow bases like nyx jumbo pencils. I got this brush because i thought it looked like a dupe for Mac's 252 brush but it way too soft/flimsy. The angled liner brush another mac dupe for the 266 brush would be perfection if it was firmer but its a little to flimsy for my cream liners, but applies liquid liner beautifully.

C224 OVAL CAMOUFLAGE  

1/4 ANGLE LINER

DUPE ALERT! ESSIE'S TART DECO vs. SALLY'S HANSEN SNAPPY SORBET

I went to Rite-Aid and there was my color, Tart Deco. I've been obsessed with orange/corals for the spring and this color is just so pretty but 8 bucks for a polish? honey please, not me! So I did what any cheap broad would do... I swatched the polish to find a cheaper dupe, lol. I know, I know... But t my effing surprise, this color looked very similar. When I went home there it was in my collection; Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri nail polish in snappy sorbet. Im telling both colors are near identical! Sally's polish is a bit darker/orange-y but i swear after it dries you can't even tell the difference between the two! SMH, wow, all this time.... and i had a dupe all along. Here are the pics.


I actually like Essie's polish consistency and the brush, and one coat was pretty good, but i painted my nail with 2 coats just to make sure that it was at its truest color. Gorgeous peachy-coral shade, perfect for all skin tones and SPRING!


But I really lovvveeeee Sally's flat-paddle shaped brush one coat is seriously all you need, and they last long. Oh, and it's hella cheaper. I still want tart deco... greedy! : )

tart deco looks darker but its the lighting, i swear its lighter but not that much lighter

*UPDATE: NEW DUPE FOR TART DECO IS REVLON TOP SPEED 'PEACHY'. 97% LOOK ALIKE. PICS AVAILABLE HERE :

http://www.luuux.com/node/3089617?blog_id=53722

REVISED: 09/12/2011

SPRINGY NAILS ON DECK! CHINA GLAZE

I LOVEEEEE China Glaze Nail Polishes and it has been a minute since I've done some majah haulage but at last, these polishes will have to do, but I'm coming for them later on and its going to be huge! These shades are just screaming EASTER! Pastels are my fav, and apart from 1 polish (Agent Lavender), they were HEAVENLY to apply, surprisingly so. Cream finishes as usual, and 2 coats is all you need. They dried rather fast too and you really don't need a top coat but I love glossy nails.

'Agent Lavender' is a gorgeous lilac/lavender with a gray-ish undertone in the sunlight, but in a regular room lighting its a gorgeous light and bright purple, perfect for Spring. (I wore this all through the summer too!). I don't know why, but from the first time I purchased and used it, the formula was a bit thick and sticky, a problem I have never ever had with any of my CG polishes and it was a little difficult to apply. I must have gotten a bum on but the color is so pretty I just worked with it.

Holy guacamole! Or Holy Minty? Well, anyway this polish was the easiest to apply, it was like a dream! 'Re-fresh Mint' is so gorgeous! It takes a ballsy chick to rock this kind of green, but its so light and delicate, anyone can get away with it, especially on your toes. I don't think they would look good on my toes, maybe on the lighter skin tones...

Lastly is 'Lemon Fizz'. It looks a lot more yellow in this photograph but it's a little more of a pale yellow and its so pretty. This polish was easy to apply and 2 coats should suffice. Yellow makes any and every outfit pop, so go for it. It will certainly pop, but not in an obnoxious neon way (just the way I like my nails to pop, but again this is just as bright and pretty). 

SINFUL COLORS 'HAZARD' NAIL POLISH

This polish is a brighter in real life and this pic was taken in natural light. 

This color is just gorgeous and I have a few others like it and I will be posting pics of the rest later on...


The color is a peachy/salmon coral color and it is a creme formula and I just think it's perfection for the Spring time. This color looks like it would be flattering on all skin tones. 2-3 coats is all you need and it dried pretty fast (5-6 minutes) but not completely.  I purchased this polish at my local Walgreens for $1.99 and the color that came to mind was China Glaze's Peachy Keen, a color that has been out of stock of my fav discount nail polish website, a color I don't understand for the life of me why I didn't purchase when I had the chance but i digress... 


This color will due and For 2 bucks I can't really complain. Or can I? Yes, I am not too fond of Sinful Colors Nail polish's brushes. I feel like it's way too dense and makes the polish go on streaky. Luckily I'm kind of a pro when it comes dealing with crappy nail polish brushes so I had to put in work and it came out lovely, but it was certainly frustrating at times. But the color is so pretty, it's worth the hassle.