Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Scent For Less: Prada Candy

                      The Scent for Less: Prada Candy

                       

To those of you who have smelled Prada Candy, you would know it's kind-of a love it or hate it scent. It's super sweet, and, while a lot of us love things that smell like straight up sugar, a lot of us also find scents like this sickening. But for those of us who do love the sweetness, like myself, spending 100 dollars on a perfume just isn't really a possibility. Here are some alternatives to buying this scent:

1. If you have a Sephora near you, or have shopped their online store, you may know that they have sets that include a bunch of sample products, whether they be perfume or makeup. These sets generally cost somewhere between 25 and 75 dollars. Still expensive, but they can be a real bargain. My first trip to Sephora, I bought a 50 dollar set with about 10 perfume samples. Ridiculous sounding, but here's the thing: They give you a certificate with this set that you can use to redeem a full-size of any of the perfume sample in the set with no extra cost. My first time purchasing one of these, I used the certificate on Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs, which is one of my favorite perfumes of all time. It was a bit of a no brainer to choose that perfume out of that set, because I didn't really care for any of the other ones that came with it. However, about a month or two ago, I decided to go for another one of these sets, rather than my usual lipstick or eye-shadow palette. This set was also 50 dollars, and it came with another 10 or so samples to choose from. I had the most difficult time deciding whether I wanted Prada Candy, Clean Rain, Honey by Marc Jacobs, and Marchesa Parfum D'Extase, but in the end, I had been wanting Prada Candy for forever, so I decided to go with that one. Either way, I got a 1.7 oz. bottle of it, which is generally 84 dollars alone, with the 10 perfume samples all for 50 dollars. I thought it was a good deal, and, while it is still pricey, it was absolutely worth it to me.  Here's a link to the set, incase you're interested: http://www.sephora.com/fragrance-sampler-for-her-P382953?skuId=1562123

As for dupes of this scent, I haven't found the perfect match, but here are some close scents to it:
-Sweet on Paris from Bath and Body Works captures the sweet aspect of it, but loses the musk. It still smells absolutely amazing though.
-Paris Nights from Bath and Body Works is a little bit of fruitiness added to it, but other than that it is pretty close.
-Brown Sugar and Fig from Bath and Body Works is probably the closest dupe I have found. They don't smell exact, but they are pretty similar.
-I don't own Pink Sugar by Aquolina, but from smelling a little sample of it that I have, they seem super similar.

For those of you who just want a link to the actual perfume itself, here is a link to the Sephora page, and the Fragrantica page:
http://www.sephora.com/candy-P376127
http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Prada/Prada-Candy-12426.html

I hope some of you found this helpful or entertaining in some way. Thanks so much for reading!<3

Xoxo
Olivia
http://livimusic.polyvore.com/
Instagram: livimusic

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

My Obsessions:Perfumes

If you are like me, you have multiple obsessions, whether it be food, a website, a television show, a singer, makeup, or anything else. One of my biggest is perfumes, but not just perfumes. I'm talking lotion, body spray, shower gel, room spray, bubble bath, and just about anything else scented. The amount that I have accumulated is a bit ridiculous, but hey. I enjoy it! So here is a brief look at some of my collection! But in this blog post, I will just be talking about the legitimate perfumes rather than everything scented.
 


Here I keep lotion, perfume, body spray, room spray, hand sanitizers, wall flowers. and hand soap.
 
 
Perfumes: These can be a bit pricey, but they are great if you really like one. They can be great things to ask for/give as gifts. You can also get sample vials and rollerballs for cheaper (or for free), which are great if you are on a budget, or for gifts (hello stocking stuffers!). Here are my perfumes and my thoughts on them:

 
~Selena Gomez by Selena Gomez, 1 oz.-My favorite summer scent that I own! It is so fruity, sweet, and girly. I absolutely love it! If I had to describe what it smells like or try to guess the notes, I would say it smells like really sweet oranges.
~Fantasy by Britney Spears, 1.7 oz.-If you are just starting out with perfumes, I feel like every girl should own a Britney Spears perfume. I am not a big fan of Britney, but her perfumes are amazing. They last all day, and not a day goes by that you wear one and you don't get compliments. I only own two at the moment, one of them being the original Fantasy. To me, it smells fruity and sweet. A lot of people say it smells just like cotton candy. I wore this religiously from 5th grade until the end of 7th grade.
~Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears, 1.7 oz.-This isn't one of my favorites, although I don't dislike it. To be honest, I would not have bought it full price, however, I found it at TJ Maxx for only seven dollars, which I couldn't pass up. It is definitely more of a peppery, oriental scent.
~Paris Hilton by Paris Hilton, 3.4 oz.-I fell in love with this about 2 years ago Christmas shopping at Kohl's, didn't purchase it for myself because I was Christmas shopping, but then got it from my Nana for Christmas (gotta love her!). It is definitely a mature scent, and smells so much more expensive than you would think it would. I absolutely hate the packaging though, which is my only complaint.
~Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson, 3.4 oz.-Definitely a great summer scent. Smells like flowers, but with a little bit of lemon and sweetness added in there. It's a very light scent too, which is a plus for school so you don't blast anyone out of the park in the middle of a test.
~Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf, 1 oz.-My all time favorite scent. Both me and my mom fell in love with it in the middle of Sephora, and I was going to hold off on it until I had money, but my mom decided she had to buy it for me so she could use it as well. We didn't purchase the full 3.4 oz. bottle though, because this perfume is ridiculous amounts of expensive. I am sure you can get free samples at Dillard's or somewhere, especially during the holiday season, so make sure you go check that out! It smells to me like a roasted marshmallows and everything sweet. It is very mature and a great scent all around.
~Purr by Katy Perry, .5 oz.-This is a bit of a strange perfume to me. It smells good, but something about it makes me almost hate it, and I don't know why. I got it from TJ Maxx for 4 dollars, which means I couldn't smell it before I bought it. It is almost sickening to me, and I really don't understand why. It's just so strong. To me, it almost smells like blueberries mixed with a ton of musk. It's definitely a night time perfume.
~Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs, 2.5 oz.-Definitely another one of my favorite summer time fragrances. It smells so soapy, fresh, and light, it is great for if you don't know what other perfume to wear. I also think that Marc Jacobs has the best packaging for his perfumes than any other designer, which is definitely a plus!
~Wild Rose by Avril Lavigne, 1 oz.-One of my first perfumes that I ever got! I bought it for myself after falling in love with it at Kohl's at the end of my 7th grade year. I used to go to the perfume section at Kohl's when I went there just so I could spray it on myself and wear it around all day. It is such a sweet floral scent, and it is so girly and perfect. I love it!
~Posh by Rue 21-For only a ten dollar perfume, I am pretty pleased with it. It doesn't last on the skin long at all, but they give you quite a bit of it, so if you spray it a couple times throughout the day, you are good to go. It smells just like green apples and pears, and I absolutely love it. It is almost sour smelling, which I know doesn't sound appealing, but I mean it in the best way possible! I couldn't find the notes of it, but I did find a picture of the bottle, which is gorgeous by the way!
~Too Too by Betsey Johnson, 1 oz.-Betsey Johnson is my all time favorite designer by the way, and if you love her as well, here is a tip: Check your local thrift stores, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc, because more than likely they have a ton of her stuff! I have some of her sunglasses, bags, perfumes, belts, and a lot more because of that reason. And with her having her own television show, her prices are about to skyrocket, I can guarantee it. Anyway, Too Too is a great mature scent. It is very strong though, so be careful with how much you put on. It is a floral scent for lack of a better word, and is extremely musky. I find that it is best for the fall and winter, but you could probably get away with it all year round!
~Betsey Johnson by Betsey Johnson, 1 oz.-This is definitely a lighter, more spring scent compared to Too Too, but the basic idea of it is the same. It is still a good musky floral scent, just with a little less maturate and spiciness.
~Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift, .5 oz.-This to me, is a great scent for all year round. It is super sweet, and berry-ish, with a little bit of musk. I wouldn't call it a mature scent at all though. It is pretty strong, so watch how much you put on, because it can give you and everyone else around you a headache for sure.
See it and it's notes here: http://www.sephora.com/wonderstruck-P296502
~Poppy Flower by Coach, 1 oz.-This is the epitome of spring to me. It smells like straight up honeysuckle flowers, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Like some of the others, it is very strong. 1 squirt is definitely enough to last you quite a while.
~Rebelle by Rihanna, 1 oz.-So sweet, and pretty much smells like straight up brown sugar. It is great for the fall and winter, and isn't too strong! I personally hate the packing though. It is such an awkward shape to store or have on display, and it is just tacky to me.
~Amor Amor by Cacharel, 1 oz.-Definitely a fruity, summery scent, but it's another one from TJ Maxx that I couldn't smell before I purchased and really can't stand it. It is also sickening to me, and is way too strong for me to handle. The scent reminds me of Posh from Rue 21 with a ton of musk dumped into it. I have to say I am not a fan.
 
Next, I am going to tell you the sample vials that I have, but I am not going to describe them to you because that would just take way too long. I will find the links to them for you though, and tell you if it is a hit or miss to me (if I like it or dislike it)!:D If you want me to do a review on any specific one, let me know in the comments down below! I would be more than happy to!
-Angel by Thierry Mugler; hit; http://www.sephora.com/angel-P9864
-Cleopatra by Tocca; hit; http://www.sephora.com/cleopatra-P54900
-Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel; hit; http://www.sephora.com/coco-mademoiselle-P12495
-Lady Million by Paco Rabanne; hit; http://www.sephora.com/lady-million-P269118
-Clean Rain by Clean; hit; http://www.sephora.com/rain-P375720
-Harajuku Lovers G, Baby, Music, Lil Angel, and Love; Collection as a whole was a miss. The only one I like is G; http://www.fragrantica.com/designers/Harajuku-Lovers.html
-Curve Crush for Women by Liz Claiborne; miss; http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Liz-Claiborne/Curve-Crush-2175.html
 
So I hope I could help you guys out in finding the perfect perfume for you! Go check out your local perfume counters to see if they will make you samples/have samples in the store that they will give you! A lot of times they do!
 
I should have more of these My Obsessions blog posts up soon, and I intend on doing some more scent related things like body mists, home fragrance things, makeup, lotion, etc. Let me know if there is anything you want me to blog about, if you want a review of something, etc. I would be more than happy to do them<3

 
 

Monday, September 23, 2013

My drugstore makeup routine!



I am sure we all know that makeup can be pricey. But you want to have nice makeup to play around with and make your gorgeous self look even more gorgeous (if that is even possible), right? Well no worries! Here is my 5 minute face using only products from the drugstore, and a couple more products from the drugstore that you may like!

I am guilty of spending a ton of my own money on huge name brands such as Yves Saint Laurent,
Urban Decay, Too Faced, etc. But you can often find that some drugstore brands are just as good as some of the ones, if not better. My personal favorite drugstore brand is Maybelline. It is cheap, and I am highly impressed with most of their products. Covergirl, on the other hand, I am not too thrilled with. Almost everything I have tried from that brand has been a disappointment. Typically, if I am doing my makeup in a hurry, I don't use foundation, blush, concealer, or any of that. If I am hurrying and doing a 5 minute face, I put mascara and a lip balm/tint on. I don't have bad acne, so foundation and concealer everyday are not a necessity for me on a daily basis, although I do find that it evens out my skin tone, so most of the time I use it anyway. So here is my makeup routine:

I start off with my foundation, which is by Maybelline, and it is the Fit Me! Shine Free foundation. It is in stick form, which is a little strange, but this foundation is great! It has pretty good coverage, but I wouldn't call it full coverage either. I get it in the shade porcelain, because I am ridiculously fair skinned and pale.

To touch up any blemishes that I want covered that weren't successfully covered by the foundation or BB Cream, I use the Covergirl and Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer. I have it in the shade Very Light, and it is perfect for my skin tone. I am highly impressed with its coverage as well.

I absolutely love playing with blush colors. It is my second favorite color area to mess with, next to lips. I change up what I wear daily, so here is a little about each of my top drugstore blushes:
-My personal favorite I think would have to be the Physicians Formula Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in the shade Natural. It definitely is a natural pink color, and I love it for school. It is definitely my most worn, and the packaging is adorable, which makes everything better!
-For a darker, less natural but still not over the top look, I go with the Revlon Powder Blush in Smokey Rose. It is such a pretty deeper pink, borderline pastel red (is that a thing? O.o) color, and I absolutely love it for the fall and winter especially! It is a to die for color, the pigmentation is great, and it lasts a long time on your cheeks!
-Another one of my favorite natural colors is the Maybelline Fit Me! blush in the shade Light Pink. The title says it all. It is so light, so natural, and so pretty for school, or if you are wearing a bolder lip color. I love it for the spring and summer time!

If you are looking for good blushes and are willing to splurge, some of my favorite high end blushes are from Too Faced. I love them all so much, I don't really have a favorite, but they are pricey. However, if I was going to splurge on high-end makeup, I would recommend getting a full face palette rather than a single item!

Next is eye-shadow. I generally don't stray from my Naked, Lorac Pro, The Balm Nude-Tude, or Kat Von D. palettes, but for drugstore alternatives, Maybelline color tattoos are my favorite. I use them as bases often with my high end palettes, but they can also be worn on their own as actual shadows.

Next is mascara. Mascara is what I think a face needs to finish off your makeup look. I typically will not go out of the house without at least that on, therefore it is definitely something I splurge on. For anyone who wants to know and/or is willing to splurge on a good mascara, my favorite mascara of all time is the Benefit They're Real mascara. It is amazing, and magical, and words cannot describe how much I love it. However, unless I am gifted it, it is not something I would go purchase again, because it is 25+ dollars, which is ridiculous. So for everyone else on a budget, we need drugstore. My personal favorite drugstore mascara is a limited edition one from Loreal, and it is called Voluminous Million Lashes Diamonds. It was out around this past Christmas, and I really hope it comes back this year, because I must go stock up on it. Another drugstore mascara I own is the Covergirl Flamed Out mascara, and to be honest with you, I can't stand it. I have never liked a Covergirl mascara, but I saw eleventhgorgeous raving about it via Youtube, so I decided I had to go get it to try it out. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me.

Last but not least, we are on to lips! Whether you use lipstick or gloss, it is still a great touch to totally change up your look. The colors you wear can make your outfit look totally different, and I love playing around with them! I am going to do this in three different sections:

-I will start with glosses, because I don't care for them as much. I find it hard to get a good lip gloss that isn't sticky, and has good pigmentation. I do have a couple though.
*This isn't necessarily drugstore, but it is a lot cheaper than a high end brand. Sephora brand lip glosses are great, especially if you layer it with a lipstick. They are not sticky at all, are super shimmery, and smell delicious! My favorite shade is Pink Kiss!
*I also really like Elf Shimmer Glosses, surprisingly enough. I am not a huge fan of Elf, but when they do something right, they really do it right. I wore these things every day of 7th and 8th grade, and got so many compliments. My favorite is in the shade Love, and it is basically a red shade for those who are scared to go all out red. It makes red lips a little less daring and bold.
*Lip glosses that I am highly disappointed in is the Flirt! Big Flirt sheer and shiny lip glosses. They are so expensive (I know they are by the brand Flirt, but jhese...), sticky, and their color payoff is terrible. I don't even understand why they have shades. I do not recommend!

-Next we have tinted lip balms. I love these for going to school, because they typically aren't too pigmented, and are glossy, so you can just throw them in your bag and put them on whenever without having to have a mirror. Here are some good ones:
*Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms are great! My two favorites are Pink Blossom, which is a very light, natural pink, and Rose, which is another one of those red colors for those who are afraid of red!
*Baby Lips by Maybelline are also great tinted lip balms! My two favorite are Cherry Me, which almost looks like you just ate a cherry popsicle, and Pink Wink, which is a great pale pink color.

-Last, we have actual lipsticks. Here are some of my favorites:
*Maybelline Vivids are great for bold, bright colors. They are great for adding an extra pop to an outfit. I only own three of these, and they are Vivid Rose, which is a hot pink/borderline red color, Shocking Coral (the name says it all), and Fuchsia Flash, which is a Nicki Minaj pink color to say the least.
*The Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Red Revival I find is great if you need a red lipstick for on stage, or the winter time. It is such a deep, dark red, and it is so gorgeous and long-lasting.
*Rimmel also makes some good lipsticks, but the only two I own right now are shade 102 from the Kate Moss line, which is a pretty natural pink color, and Candy from their regular lipstick line.
*A more glossy bright color is Blushing Sequin by Loreal. It is such a pretty, bright color, without being unwearable, and it isn't drying at all.

I hope you enjoyed and found this helpful. I am sure you can see swatches of any of these online, but if you can't let me know and I would be happy to show you guys.

Comment down below if you have any requests, or any suggestions for makeup for me to try! Also, if you want any reviews on products or something, comment down below and I would be happy to do those! If you like my blog, please spread the word! I am going to love doing this, I can already tell!(: <3