Mango Tango = Perfect Spring Lipgloss

In celebration of the fact that I'm no longer up to my ass in snow, I wanted to post about what I would safely call my new favorite lipgloss. It doesn't happen often that I get product that I'm so in love with that I have to post about it the day after I receive it - but I'm pretty into this stuff.

In my opinion - you need a perfect spring lipgloss. It's similar to needing shoes when crossing a road full of broken glass and needles. I mean, you could still go on without them, but let's admit that it'd suck really bad.

And this, my friends, is the perfect spring lipgloss:

The one I speak of is the 2nd one from the left,

referred to as the elusive MANGO TANGO.

and also if you haven't picked up on this yet -

it's available through meetmark.com for $6.50

Swatch time:

It's like the perfect peachy nude pink that isn't pink enough to make you look like a hooker and isn't too nude that it blends into your lips & pisses you off because you just paid money for something that's the same color as your lips. Not super sticky either which is always a major concern of mine, as you know. Doesn't smell like much, but that's okay with me since I have yet to love the scent of a lipgloss that isn't a Beauty Rush from VS.

Don't know how long this is still going on for, but the best part about this little gem is that I paid $0 for it because my googling masterful self found a coupon code for free shipping and a free juice gem (when you spend $15 which was not a problem for me). The code is juicegem10, so try that little sucker out & let me know if it still works  for you ;)

Getting inducted into the "still the one" hall of fame?

Don't jump the gun just yet.

Foxy Four Eyes

Well it was a long, anxious 8 days. Last Tuesday I headed into America's Best since I was driven over the edge after driving home from visiting my boyfriend at school and having semi-blurred vision the entire way. The doc concluded that I needed specs for seeing far away. Picked out 2 pairs and then they broke the news...

"7-10 business days."

Eff my life I am the most impatient person EV-ERRRRRR. 

So today (day 9, mind you) - I called those bitches. And was told "oh yeah.. they're here". First off - thanks for calling and telling me. Second off - I will be there in 5 minutes.

 

If you guys are looking for glasses - I got both of these for $125 (including an eye exam) at America's Best. My employer, unfortunately, doesn't provide vision insurance - so that was a FANTASTIC price in my opinion for all of that with no type of coverage. It'd have  been even cheaper but the maroon frames were made by the vividly talented ex-host of America's Funniest Home Videos - Daisy Fuentes and APPARENTLY in some parallel universe - she is considered "designer". That bitch.

Either way I'm cool with my new look and I'm not totally blind so I'm not going to have to wear them every second of everyday which is also nice. I dig it.

Getting New Stuff Seriously Rules.

I get bored with things really easily. Luckily, for my boyfriend, he is not one of those things because he isn't electronic. When it comes to electronics, I've had like a two-year tolerance. I've never had a cell phone longer than that two year mark because I just get bored with them. I'm the same way with cameras (although sometimes I'm left with no choice because my rough housing causes their early demise).. I realize this is an expensive habit and recently I got sick and tired of it & decided to do my homework & find two devices that I figured would satisfy me for AT LEAST 3 years. At least.

As stupid as it sounds.. if something looks cute - I am way more compelled to hang onto it. My last cell phone (the voyager) was not cute & it's touch screen made me want to kill myself. My last camera (some Kodak thing) was also no beauty queen & it's "maybe I'll work today" 'tude made me impartial to it. So my bug kicks in & tells me it's time to move on & I don't resist temptation:

LOVE. IN FREAKIN' LOVE. I never had a blackberry before & at this point, I don't know if I'll ever want to own anything else ever again. I can do everything on this phone & I'm so glad that I didn't cave & get the droid like the salesman wanted me to because everything he highlighted that was so special about the droid.. the blackberry has it, too. Plus the droid's touchscreen was a huge turn-off & the keyboard wasn't raised which bothered me. Extremely happy with the Curve 8530 & now I can respond to e-mails on the go, too :) Makes my life much easier. If you're thinking about getting one - please e-mail me with any questions & I'd be happy to help ( kelspot@gmail.com) .. Plus it's FREAKIN PURPLE. Hello?!?!!?

The second sex pot is my new Fuji Film Fine Pix camera which has proven to be one of the simplest cameras to ever use & I've only had it for like a day and a half now. I got this thing for $70 on amazon (not even kidding - it was $130 at best buy) & it's so compact & little & perfectly portable. Another huge plus is that it doesnt have a lens that comes out (which has caused all of my other cameras to bite the dust) - so that was great. I did get a case ( a zebra one, thanks ) for the little bugger to hopefully prolong his lifespan. He's way too cute to die. Seriously.

OH! And he has a blog mode which automatically adjusts picture sizes down to make them easy to upload so you best believe I'll be using that ;)

Ahhhh.. fresh electronics.

Thanks For Not Lying To Me.

Now, I really dislike when people say shit like:

"Oh my god I HATE Liars"

or

"I cannot stand when people lie to me"

Oh really? Cuz I know like.. tons of people who LOVE lies. That's so weird that you dislike them. Seriously, people. I think we can all come to the conclusion without having to state aloud or via the internet that nobody is a fan of liars/being lied to.

Now, getting to my point... this same rule applies to companies. We (as in, the human race) - do not appreciate you lying to us about your products. Like your shine serums that make my hair feel the exact oppposite of what you promise. Or your eye primers that actually make my eyeshadow last for a SHORTER period of time than normal; totally defeating the purpose. I just don't think it's much to ask... buying a product & expecting it to do something even vaguely simialr to what it's packaging promises. Weird, I know.

So when I find a product that shockingly does what it's supposed to, and then some, I get excited. Infact - I get very excited. I get even more excited when the said product only costs $6.

e.l.f. you have come to the rescue YET AGAIN

with your studio line's face primer

When I first pumped it out, I was surprised that it was clear since the bottle looks white & the old face primer I used (Sephora's) was a milky white color. Sephora's also smelled like old lady perfume, and this one is unscented so that's another upgrade on my part. E.L.F.'s face primer is described to give you a satiny, oil free finish & it absolutely does that. The consistency at first felt oily to me, but once I started to smooth it in - I noticed that it made my skin feel matte & very soft. It creates a great base to apply liquid foundation and powder to. The fact that it's a gel & not a cream also makes me feel like it has a greater staying power & fills in lines better. My makeup has lasted visibly longer & I can honestly say I'll be replacing Sephora's primer with this. Sephora's perfumy smelling primer also made me feel like I was making my skin dry out by using it. Imagine applying a perfumed lotion to your face everyday.. seriously can't be that good for you.

But in conclusion, I'm thrilled that I decided to order this product. I'm not going to induct it into my "Still The One" hall-of-fame just yet, but... it's on the verge. Shit like that doesn't happen overnight, though. So patience is required. Either way - shout out to e.l.f. for not lying to me. Trust me, your honesty does not go unnoticed.

Hair Products That ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY SAY!?!

I've been at battle for what seems like forever trying to find a good shampoo that actually does what it says it's supposed to do on the bottle & a smoothing cream that doesn't make it look like I've just applied a combonation of baby oil and crisco to my hair. I know, who doesn't want that look? But I guess I'm just weird.

Anyways, happy to report that I've not only found one of these products.. but BOTH OF THEM.

That, my friends, is the happy dance.

The first product is the shampoo & thanks to Aussie - we have a winner. Thank you, you sweet Australians, for the "Cleanse & Mend" shampoo. The great thing about it is that it is an intense cleaning shampoo but unlike products like Degunkify by Herbal Essences - you can totally use it everyday which is fantastic for me since I use hairspray a lot. It won't strip your hair dry or anything if you use it regularly. Another thing that's great about it? Holy crap.. IT ACTUALLY MENDS! I don't know how many "repair" shampoos I've tried that have done jack freakin' SQUAT. This one has made my hair look healthier and feel softer. It's wonderful. The picture here shows it in the regular sized bottle, but I got a big one that has a salon style pump for $5 at Target.

Smooch.

Secondly, a smoothing cream that doesn't suck. I have tried NUMEROUS brands trying to find something that I would be willing to use more than once. I just hate how I'd use something, and then when I'd be done - it would totally defeat the purpose of showering because my hair looked like shit. I was kind of okay with Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum, but even that left the hair feeling a bit greased up. Well EUREKA, this stuff is wonderful & thanks to Tresemme - totally affordable, too. I squeeze out like a quarter sized amount and apply it to the ends of my hair before I blowdry it (so my hair is a little bit damp). It's AMAZING how few fly-aways I get now, and I found that it helps to cut down on static, too... which has made me so much less suicidal this winter. I got this at Walgreens for like $3 so seriously.. it's a steal.

..and a smooch to you, too.

Woah Woah Woah.. Claire's Has Makeup? And it DOESN'T Suck?

Claire's.

I remember when Claire's was filled with magical things that only a 12 year old could love. Like credit card shaped "mood detectors" that had a little heat sensitive strip on them that you held your thumb down on to see what your level of love was. Oh and toe rings. Hundreds & hundreds of toe rings. I loved that place back in my body-glitter wearing, 6th grade days (and you know you did, too). I haven't really been a frequent of Claire's since then, though. I'd stop in if I needed an accesory for an outfit, but typically I'd bee-line straight to the section I needed and avoid the faux-build-a-bear department they had manifesting in the corner that was surrounded by grubby little 10 year olds oogling a bear-sized crown.

But being at the mall on my lunch & needing to kill time - my eyes were snatched by their cleverly placed makeup display front & center. Me, being the shelf appeal whore that I am, mozied on over to see what they had to offer & left with this:

I got this little smokey eye glitter kit thinking "eh.. the glitter liner will be cute and i like that gray color in there" and holy crapola - these have totally become some of my favorite thangs. For $8.50 (and the makeup is typically buy one get one half off), you can't beat this.

If you can't tell, the little book opens up to reveal a mirror on one side, an almost pure glitter white shadow, a somewhat sparkly gray shadow, a black glitter pencil liner, a sponge tip applicator, a silver glitter liquid liner, and a wittle baby mascara. Though I've yet to try the mascara (All Hail Lash Blast), everything else is KICKASS. The white glitter picks up all sorts of colors & it isn't straight loose glitter, so it doesn't fall all over your face (which is sooo hard to find a good glittery shadow that doesn't). The pencil liner is great and the liquid silver glitter liner is perfect for going over top of black liner to make it pop.

If you're looking for a good new years look - I'd totally recommend picking this up. I've been wearing something out of it everyday since I got it & like I said... $8.50, folks.

You're Still the One..

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong

No folks, contrary to what you may be thinking - this post isn't about boyfriend. While our 2 year anniversary is in just a little under one month & I love him to death, the Shania Twain lyrics are actually regarding eye primer.

Yeah. Eye primer.

Even though I have a couple "swear by" products, I'm never satisfied and always looking to try (and buying) new products. Over the past few months or so I have gone through quite a few eye primers and although I get super excited about them when I first crack the seal - I'm never left smiling for long.

Hard Candy's eye primer came as a free sample with a little shadow palette I got and it was in a squeeze tube as opposed to a tube with a wand - so that was intriguing. After I used it for 2 days in a row and came home from work looking like I just left the bar in Crease City, I was no longer intrigued. Same thing goes for E.L.F.'s mineral shadow primer. That one just sucks all around, sorry E.L.F... Shadows both fade and crease which completely defeats the purpose of using it in the first place. Their eye primer stick doesn't suck as bad - but it's kind of tough to put on since it's in like ... fat crayon form. I feel like I'm making my eyelids saggy just because of how hard I have to tug at my lid to make sure it's all rubbed in.

But through all my trials and tribulations, one little purple and silver tube was staring at me from my makeup stand. If I looked hard enough, I could kind of see it giving me that "I told you so.." look. How could I have ever strayed?

It's times like these that I turn to the ol' saying "if it aint broke don't fix it, you fickle little idiot". Us makeup ladies are constantly trying and buying but maybe I need to go all lash blast on my primer situation & refuse to buy any other product. I've never gotten bad results with primer potion & let's face it - the packaging is pretty kick ass. So congratulations, Primer Potion. You just got inducted into the Unnecessary Drama "You're Still The One" Hall of Fame. Snuggle up with Lash Blast & have a beer.

2009 Favorites Become 2010 Must Haves

I am having a seriously hard time beliving that there are only 18 freakin' days left in 2009. What a year it's been, though. I have to say it's probably been one of my favorites. Not only has the blog really taken off over this past 12 months (thanks to you wonderful ladies), the Pittsburgh Penguins have won the Stanley Cup & the Steelers won the Superbowl. I still have hope for the Pens in 2010, as always, but as for the Steelers... yeah, sorry.

Anyways - I got a couple e-mails regarding some makeup must haves for 2010 so I figured what better than to make my 2009 favorites into essentials for 2010? Plus, since I am a considerate little Christmas Elf - you still have time to tell the last minute shoppers with you on their list that you'd like these pups for Christmas. So then they're not only awesome - they're also free :) You're welcome.  For those of you who read me, and read me often - not only are you going to Heaven, but you'll probably be able to consider this a nice little review session.

Get serious - you saw this one coming. Lash Blast Mascara by Cover Girl is the best mascara there is. For those of you who read me - you know I would not steer you in the wrong direction COUGHMARYKATEANDASHLEYCOUGH. Once you go blast, you never go back, baby.

Jesse's Girl Liquid Crystal lipgloss has become another staple of mine. I did a review for them back in like, October-ish, and they sent me these little devils. Fell in love. The thing I love about them is that they're not sticky, it's a subtle look - but it's still glossy, and since they're irridescent... they match everything. Win, win, aaaaand... win. www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com

Another one of my swear-bys is AVON's moisture effective eye makeup remover lotion. Honestly, I love rubbing the SHIT out of my eyes after I've been banned from touching them all day long, and this stuff lets you do exactly that. It doesn't smell like acid, its super gentle, and its never once burned my eyes. Plus I saw it on sale for $2 on avon's site last week.

My friend Natalie who sells mark. got me one of these & I am totally in love with it. It's called a 'flip for it color kit' and it has eyeshadows, a blush, 2 lipsticks, and 2 lipglosses. Best part is is that it flips - so it all fits in one totally coordinated and ready for your purse compact. If you're looking to try mark. out for the first time, this is the perfect way. Plus they release new palettes every season, so they're fun to collect :)

This is a new favorite of mine by HARD CANDY, which you can get at Wal-Mart. It's a glitter liner in black and it is so easy to apply, the glitter is totally perfect, and the packaging is so cute. It's great to trace over already lined eyes to give it a little bit of spunk, especially for a cute night look.

Ohh, E.L.F... How I've fallen in love with you this year! However, I do have one favorite of theirs and it's their waterproof eyeliner pen. I recommend this to everybody and always compare it to lining your eyes with a sharpie because it's the most easy to use liquid eyeliner I have ever used. Aside from that - it lasts ALL day. Perfect to pair with that glitter liner. Plus it's only $1.00, so lighten up - cheapskates.

 

Finally, Urban Decay's Sustainable palette totally gets worn by me in someway everyday. I think of all of UD's palettes, this one is the most WEARABLE - where you don't get as many off the wall shades as you do practical ones. It contains a couple super glittery shades, so if you like sparkle - it's up your alley. Plus the little sample of primer it comes with is fantastic for taking on trips, too :)

Well there we have it - those are my favorites of 2009 and must haves for 2010.  I'm sure the next year will be full of new products I love, and equally as many as I want to flush down the toilet. Let me know what your favorite products of the year were & maybe I'll add them to my wishlist. Have a great week ahead & I will be announcing winners for my giveaway tomorrow.. so stay tuned :o*

Target... I Have Something to Tell You...

I am a loyal, loyal Target shopper. In fact, my boyfriend was once almost frightened by the fact that I turned down a trip to Target. Typically I shop there as opposed to the Wal-Mart that's literally 2 minutes away (unless I feel a little Miley flowing through my veins) because I find Target's stuff cuter, more "trendy", and they have a kickass dollar section. My best friend also works there so I enjoy distracting her while she's trying to fold clothes.

Anyways, I'm sorry Target but Wal-Mart's addition of Hard Candy to their arsenal might just sway me to stop there a little more often than you. I know you have all those makeup brands that are a little crazy expensive for what you get (sorry but aside from Sonia Kashuk ... NONE of those collections have done anything for me), but I'm not impressed. I got a couple things from Hard Candy the other day and I might have a new fave brand emerging.

Not only is their packaging amazing (shelf appeal whore... HOLLA!), but their products are seriously my style. Their shadows are all wearable colors - you don't have anything too outrageous and they have a pretty big selection. Everything from face primer (which I willlll be trying) to giant tubes of colored mascara... I could seriously look at their stuff all day. Another thing that really impressed me about them is that you get a really good amount of product with everything you buy. You're not paying $6 and getting a tiny ass pan of shadow. I am far too familiar with that feeling except add the number 2 before the 6. Pissed.

I got these 3 things to start me off, but I know I'll end up buying everything they freaking make:

Baked Shadow in "Break Up" - $6

Glitter Cream Eyeshadow/Glitter Eyeliner - $5

Liquid Glitter Eyeliner in Licorice (Sparkling Black) - $6

The shadows are baked, so they're really light and both have an irridescent quality to them. They're going to make fantastic highlights and they also look great blended together. You get a really unique gold color that way. The cream glitter shadow was not at all like I thought, and that's a good thing. They typically tend to be gloopy, hard to apply, and sticky. This was just like any other cream shadow except super glittery. Trust me, I won't be wearing it to work or anything but it'll be pretty for christmas parties and such :o) The matching liner was a nice bonus, too. And finally this HOT glitter liner. Although it is a bit more translucent than I hoped, the glitter is GORGEOUS in it and I used it today overtop of my e.l.f. eye marker to give it a sparkly effect and wing the edges out more. Loved it. I'm going to pick it up in a few more colors because for $6 it's such a steal.

Have you guys tried Hard Candy yet?

Nothing Like Supporting Future Trainwrecks...

Miley. Miley, Miley, Miley.


Now I'm no Miley hater by any means... I totally bump her stupid songs in my car and I don't want to watch her die or anything but let's face it - the girl is on a path. When you're 17 performing in booty shorts with butt clevage exposed, having sex with dated a 22 year old underwear model, and striking poses like this one while performing for the Queen:

...you're crazy Britney bound.

Here's one thing I'll give Mile-ster. The bitch has a pretty sweet clothing line with old friend (I'm sure) Max Azria at Wal-Mart. I am not typically a frequent of the clothing department at Wally World but thanks to Slut-A-Saurus Rex, I've been buying. Today, for example, I bought a couple things and of course none of them are on the website... but either way I got 2 dress shirts for $10 each. And one is zebra. CLEARLY. They also now have out their holiday dresses which are actually pretty cute:

$20.

So I guess the lesson that we all learned today was that you can be slowly spiraling out of reality and into Lindsay-Lohan-Land and still have a pretty cute clothing line. I'd say that's a win. If you haven't checked out the line yet, pop in. Like I said, I got a really cute sheer ruffle front top and a drapey white top that I can wear to work for $20 total. Who doesn't love a bargain, eh?

P.S. Don't Forget to Enter My Secret Giveaway!

It doesn't close until Monday the 14th :o)

My New Skincare Arsenal

So fantastic way to kick off my week today: come home to a lovely AVON box sitting on my porch :o) To be specific, we're talking mark. (which is one of my favorite lines ever ever ever). I had tried a sample of one of their moisturizers called "matte chance" a week or so ago and I totally fell in love with the crap. I've mentioned it before - but I love matte stuff. Maybe some grudge I have against oil... not really sure. But anyways, I actually didn't get any makeup with this order - just a bunch of skin care stuff which is also one of my favorite things. Go figure, though - I put in an order last week uh-gain with AVON & ordered a bunch of makeup. I need help.

So here's the three things that came today:

Matte Chance Mattifying Lotion $15

 

Mist Opportunity Multi-Tasking Refresher $8

 

Light Bright Lighten & Depuff Eye Gel (hook-up) $8

If you're looking for a good moisturizer that's lightweight and won't leave you feeling greasy - you are honestly not going to find anything better than matte chance. It comes in a little pot which has a special dispenser that you push down on the disc and it dispenses the perfect amount so you don't waste anything. I highly highly recommend this, especially if you're prone to oily skin. The mist opportunity was something I'd been interested in trying for awhile & I was impressed with how big it was. It feels really light weight and fresh, and I'm going to use it under my makeup in the mornings since it really "wakes your skin up". It doesn't feel oily at all, either (which was my only worry about it). The eye gel is the only thing I'm a little sketch about. Obiviously, I'm not sure if it's working yet since I just got it - but the thing is a hook up treatment (aka, pretty small) and i had to squeeze it preeetttyy hard in order to get to product to come out. Granted, you don't use that much - but still. For $8 I'm hoping it at least works because lord knows my dark circles need all the help they can get.

If you guys have any questions - you can always shoot me an e-mail (kelspot@gmail.com) and I'll be happy to help. Let me know if you all plan on trying any of these! You can find all the products I picked up on mark.'s website here: www.meetmark.com

p.s. I wanted to thank my wonderful twinny for the amazing KVZ purse she sent me last week :o) that girl knows me all too well & I'm so happy we're buddies now! Keep your eyes on your mailbox this week, woman ;o) There's somethin on the horizon!

LOTD & Urban Decay

I don't post LOTD's a lot, but yesterday - my bargain magnet pulled me into forever21 & I couldn't resist sharing . Got this dress on my lunchbreak yesterday (what did I tell you? It's one of the most dangerous things ever working 5 minutes away from my favorite mall) and  it was FIVE BUCKS! Down from $23. Win. I figured I'd wear it today since it's not frigid outside. Enjoying nice weather while you can in Pittsburgh is a law. If you're caught with a winter jacket on when we're having unseasonably warm temps - you will be arrested. Remember this if you ever come visit.

And the fabric is really super soft.. almost like silk but less static-y. If I knew anything about fabrics, I would probably know what it was called, but I definitely do not take after my mother in that department. The little cardigan thing is from Target and I got it like 2 months ago. I'm so excited that I finally have something to wear it with because I swear that little shit matches nothing else that I own. It's a weird brown.

Also - let me express my love for Urban Decay's twice baked & half baked shadows. I have been wearing them together a lot lately and they just look so pretty blended together. That's what I'm rockin today. If you get the "sustainable" palette, they're both in there (aaaand it's my favorite palette ever). I also just put an order in with mark. for some skin care stuff - so look for that review soon. Natalie gave me a sample of their matte chance lotion & I loved it, so I picked that up. I've got a weird obsession with matte... anybody else? Just me? Yeah? K.

Enjoy your Tuesdays!

SHUT UP It Is NOT Too Early.

I'm sick of people belly-achin' about how it's too damn early to even be talking about Christmas. Where I do think that you should hold off on throwing up a pine tree in your dining room until 12:01am on the day after Thanksgiving, I think that it's perfectly acceptable to start getting excited about Christmas as soon as November rolls around. I simply don't understand the people who think that the whole "Christmas" thing is nothing but a media circus because you cannot tell me that your inner child doesn't do a goddamn cartwheel when you walk into the mall and there are snowflakes hanging from the cieling. If they hung them up in freakin' August I would be excited. A little confused, but excited.

I don't get the Christmas hate. Is the fact that there are ornaments on sale 7 weeks before Christmas physically damaging you? Is that I-Hop holiday pancake commercial threatening to slay your family? No, they're not. The fact that you do not like Christmas coming early is not going to stop it, so shut up.

So here you go Christmas Freakin' Haters. Inner Child CRUSHERS. GRINCHES.

I am going to tell you what I want for Christmas on November 16th. And you rolling your eyes and going "OH MY GOD IT IS NOT EVEN THANKSGIVING YET" is not going to make this post vanish... SO SUCK IT.

*AHEM*

I Would Like:

ZEBRA SNUGGIE.

Band Hero for Wii .. such a good party game

Ankle boots.. Preferably these suckas from F21

..let's face it there's WAY too much shit at ULTA I want.

This is literally a dream come true...

and finally..

Has anyone else ever played this?

I spent months of my life beating the first one..

so addictingly wonderful.

I wouldn't mind world peace & a swift kick in the ribs to all the raspberry girls out there, either.