The trials and tribulations of under-eye concealer

I am a college student, which means I certainly don't get enough sleep. Since I don't get enough sleep, I get dark circles under my eyes, ergo I need a really intense concealer.

As you may have inferred, I have no qualms about my bare face or my acne/acne scars. In fact, I couldn't care less about covering up these imperfections, mostly because people are used to seeing them. My dark circles, however, are rather annoying, and if I don't want to look like I took a line drive to the face, I need to conceal them.

I have two concealers, and here they are side by side. Right away, you can see a problem.

On the left is the completely over-hyped Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer, which is in the color nude. On the  right is a new purchase, the Rimmel Match Perfection in medium.

The Thursday Post: Thrifting a dark outfit

This time's thrifting story is rather unexpected. I was in and out within the hour, picked up exactly 0% of what I went in for (a burgundy, velvet blazer like Bilbo Baggins, Sirius Black, or Hugh Hefner--mostly Hef).

A few early birthday/Christmas presents

So, I'm back home across the Bay for winter break. I live right by the downtown, so I spent a lot of time in the boutiques/cafes/Sephora in high school. I was just there on Saturday with my friends, but I figured it was time to redeem my birthday perks from Peninsula Beauty and Sephora, and to figure out what perfumes I liked.

Chronologically, I went to Peninsula Beauty where members get a free nail polish < $8.50 during their birthday month. I was debating between Essie Stylenomics (Stylenomics 2012) and OPI Live and Let Die (Skyfall 2012) but I was smitten by the OPI. Essie is rather temperamental, and I prefer the OPI brush anyhow.

Behold the monster! It has a similar base to Stylemonics, a dark viridian green. LaLD is less creamy and opaque than Stylenomics, and both pull bluer than the promo images (Stylenomics, at least) suggest.

Finished Products Part I

In lieu of doing a November favorites post, I thought that I would share the products that ended their lives in this month.

This is actually inaccurate. I don't use up products all too quickly, and so I just accumulate them. Once I've accumulated a decent amount (five, I suppose, is a decent amount) I'll broadcast them out to the world.

• Sonya Dakar Acai Clarifying Wash
• Adapalene
• Duac
• Chapstick
• Wet 'n Wild nail polish, Invisible

OOTD: I was destined to look like an English schoolboy, did you know?

With all the academic shit going on in my life at the moment, I haven't been devoting as much time to my Internet shenanigans.

Enjoy an outfit from warmer weather.

• Shirt and belt are thrifted
• Shorts and cardigan from Forever 21
• Socks from DSW, Nine West
• Boots from DSW, Madden Girl

A Pre-Thanksgiving Post

This year, I've been much more cognizant of things that have gone right and wrong. I think I've learned a lot this year, and I can certainly hope that I will be more introspective in the next.

My life is going very well, and I am very, very fortunate. Here are some things that I am unquestionably thankful for.

1. I am so thankful for my family. My family is a source of so much joy for me, and I am very grateful for their enduring love and support.

2. I am extremely fortunate that my parents have the economic means to support us. At home, we enjoy a quality of life very different from some families in the United States and abroad.

3. As a corollary to the above, I am very fortunate that my parents are paying for my undergraduate education. They are very gracious for supporting me in this way.

4. I am very thankful for my friends, new and old.

5. I attend (in my opinion) one of the most intellectually-stimulating, innovative, and well-respected universities in the world. I am majoring in something incredibly interesting and fulfilling, which is so cool and awesome.

6. I am thankful for my job. For winter break, I've been drafted back into my old position in the office I worked in during high school.

7. I am thankful of my good health, but since it is completely in my control, it takes a lower priority on this list.

What are you guys thankful of? Non-US readers, feel free to chime in as well!

Wishlist Wednesday: As if I could afford Guerlain...

WW 003 by plantashes featuring

I tend to keep up on holiday collections that I could not possibly buy. I'm an undergraduate, and really, I cannot hope to buy anything from Guerlain's Turandot collection. And to be completely honest, if $150 magically fell from the sky, I probably still won't buy it. I'd probably deposit that shit in my bank account or something.