Eyescream, Youscream

I hate my eye cream. LOL
That was a little contribution from Mooch!
As witty as that sounds, it's totally true.

I've been on a hunt for a new eye cream because let's face it, I'm not getting any younger.
I usually use Bobbi Brown but needed to try something new.

I went on to Sephora to search and came up to Cosemedicine "Optimologist". Supposedly it has light diffusers that de-puff your eyes in a few hours and over time, lighten the circles. Why CCW, why won't you learn that you cannot believe everything you read??? Still, I fell for it. No samples offered, so I dropped $45 on this puppy.

Well. It stinks. Even though I've been hearing great things about this brand, it stinks. First off, it's not a "cream" consistency, it's more of a pomade. Now think about it, you know how thick pomade is when you put it in your hair, imagine that type of consistency under your eyes. I really wanted to "rub" it under my eye area, but I'm a good girl, I know to pat lightly. It doesn't work.
It also doesn't moisturize under my eye area, in fact, I felt like the concealer didn't look right after I put on the eye cream.

So, now I'm out $45 and an eye cream. Money. Wasted. But, it's all for the sake of the blog!
Bottom line, don't waste your money on this stuff, totally not worth it.

I remain yours,
The CCW

A little off subject...

Not just a little, a lot off subject.
I need to mention this because as of last it has been the main thing consuming my life.

On early Wednesday morning, my cousin was involved in a car accident that unfortunately killed her best friend and left her with various injuries.

My cousin physically will be okay in time, but I do not say the same emotionally.

She is one of the most selfless human beings you could ever meet. She was an accomplished athlete and student, but most of all, she loved life. She loved her family, she loved her friends.
No one, I mean no one, deserves this sort of pain. The moment I found out what happened my heart immediately broke for her and it has been broken since.

After seeing her this morning at her friend's funeral my heart ached even more. My poor uncle and aunt have been a wreck just worrying for her emotional state. My aunt turned to my sister this morning and said "It could have been her". Upon hearing those words, I broke down completely. She's right. It could have been.
And how fortunate and lucky are we that she is still with us today. I can't begin to tell you how lucky my family is.

I was able to say three words to her today and they were "I love you".
But if she was here in front of me, this is what I would say
"It was an accident, no one is to blame. It is the reason why they call it an accident"

I don't mean to change the whole tune of this blog, but I want you all to realize what I realized on Wednesday.
Life is too precious to get aggravated over the little things. Appreciate your family, your friends, because in an instant, it could all be gone. Don't worry about being overcharged for the shirt you thought was on sale. You have your health, be happy.

Megs, I love you so much, I am praying for you and please know if you need anything, I am always here for you!

Argh..........

Hello gorgeous,

It's been a while. I haven't really had anything to post about until now. It's been nagging at me for the past few days and I debated whether or not I should even write about it, but then I figured, Heck it's my blog, of course I SHOULD write about it.
So basically, as you can tell from my title, I'm annoyed, and I'm going to b*tch about it.

A month ago, I went onto the ELF Cosmetics website to get my tried and true "Tone Correcting Concealer". This time I was going to stock up. I wasn't just going to order 1, I knew I liked it, I was going to get 5 this time. It should hold me over for a while.
So, I go online, order the 5 and when it comes time for checkout, I notice the shipping.......$6.95. Wait....what???? $7 to ship my $5 product? Hmmm, that doesn't make sense. A little miffed I decided to "beat the system". Well, when I say that, I don't really mean pull the wool over their eyes. What I mean is, I will just buy more things so it will cancel out the $7 shipping charges. I decide to order 5 "Shine Eraser" blotting sheets. I needed them. I don't like to use pressed powder because I feel like it just cakes on.
So now I have $10 worth of products so I can pay the extra $6.95, YAY! Ordered.
10 days goes by and I don't even receive 1 email that my product has shipped.
I send an email. The next day I received a response stating that orders can take 14-19 days to process. 2-3 weeks? No way.
I was patient because I had ordered from them before and I received the package within 5 days. So I waited. On June 9th I received ANOTHER email from them saying they're sorry for the delays, thanks for being patient, yadda, yadda, yadda. Ok, at least they acknowledged that they dropped the ball on this one. Still, I wait.
On June 10th I finally get the email I've been waiting for....."Your order has shipped" FINALLY. I mean seriously, I completely ran out of the concealer and I was in desperate need.
June 12th, the package arrives. I run into my apartment and tear open the package. Out comes the blotting papers........and that's it. No concealer. I look at my invoice. They're on there, so why aren't they in my package.
Now severely annoyed, I write yet another email but I try to remain calm. I play dumb "Are they coming in another shipment" I ask? I wait for a response.
June 13th, no email.
So I call. I get Patty on the phone. I explain to her what happened and this is how the conversation went:
P: So, I'll send a request to refund your $5
CCW: Well why don't you just send me the products I didn't receive?
P: I'll try, but sometimes they don't do that, they'll just refund
C: So, basically you're telling me that if you refund my $5, I have to go online, RE-ORDER, and pay another $7 in shipping?
P: Yes
C: Well, you should refund me the $7, since I already PAID for the product and didn't get it
P: I understand
C: No, I don't think you do. You're "double-charging" me for 1 order that I placed.
P: Again, I'll put through the request to have the extra product shipped.
C: Your name again?
P: Patty
C: "Click"

Now, I try to have the utmost patience for people who are in the customer service field, because I know what it's like to be on the other line with frustrated client. I work with them all the time.
What annoys me most about Patty is she never even said "Sorry". It was all cut and dry for her, and while I don't expect her to cry for me that I didn't get my product, I did expect a little bit of sympathy. Surely she had been in that sort of position before right?
I debated whether or not I should call again and ask for a manager and complain about Patty, but in the end, I decided to leave it. But it's not stopping me from writing about it.

This Monday, I received an email from ELF saying they were sorry about the mix up and my concealers would be shipped. I got them yesterday. Exactly one month from ordering.

Was it worth it? Well, I do love the concealer very much so I most likely will be back to order again. And as I said before, I had a good experience previously with this company.
I just hope someone from E.L.F Cosmetics sees this and talks to Patty.

My review on the Shine Erasers? They stink. I feel like I use 4 of them before my face felt free of oil, and my face is NOT that oily.

If you do order from E.L.F, make sure you give yourself extra time for processing and shipping! You've been warned.

I remain yours,
The CCW

Don't judge a book by it's cover....

Or should I say, don't judge an egg by it's shell.

Suh-weet Jaysus I found it!!!!!

The one product that will make me look gorgeous ALL summer!!! The greatest part? It only costs $10. It's the Ped-Egg foot file.

I admit, when I first saw the commercial for it, I laughed out loud. Seriously, who's feet are so calloused they rip pantyhose? I always laugh at the over-exaggerated actors on commercials to sell a product.

The Ped-Egg gets the name from the unique "egg" shape, that fits easily into your hand, and they have these files that wipe away rough feet and callouses in minutes. So, I bought it. I wasn't dropping $115 on this (see "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"), it was $10, that's a sandwich and a bag of chips in NYC.

The files look like a cheese grater, but don't be scared, they are safe to the touch, and they have a compartment that holds the skin shavings. I know, it sounds gross, and when I opened the ped egg compartment to throw out the shavings the Mooch actually said "Oh, wow, that's just not right", however there is no mess, just wonderful looking feet!

I won't name names, but I tried it out on someone who has heavy callouses on their feet, and VOILA! Gone within 5 minutes.

I don't know if I will ever get Bliss products sent to me after saying this but, The Ped-Egg blows the Diamancel files out of the water, (Sorry Bliss)

I think everyone should who wants smooth feet should buy this product. I bought it at CVS, but you can buy it here.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I remain yours,

The CCW

Falsies

Ok Ok! So CCW received yet another delivery from the Makeup Fairy. We call this fairy Sephora. I had a $40 credit, plus some extra holiday (Yes, the Christmas Holiday) money floating around so I thought I would burn through it as a CCW should.

I got more than a few things, but the one thing I was anxious to try was "Imju Fiberwig"(pronounced ee-myoo) Supposedly, they are paint on false eyelashes. Since I am too scared to try out false eyelashes and be seen in public, I thought this would be a great start.
Apparently, it's all the rage in Japan, and has finally made it's way over to the States. Basically it's a kind of mascara that contains fibers that attach on to your natural lashes and make them longer.
Upon opening the package yesterday it was the first thing I grabbed. Holy Moly, my eyelashes look a mile long. As most of you know, I have been obsessed with perfecting eye makeup and trying to find the right mascara is included in that obsession.

First things first, they only sell black, but that's okay because usually when you're going for the "dramatic" eyelash look, you want the blackest of black mascara.
I can actually see the fibers on the mascara brush. No lying. I really feel like applying this makes my lashes longer.
Feel free to read all about Imju Fiberwig Here
At only $22, it might be worth a shot, buy it here.
Would I recommend it? You bet your bottom dollar I would, but only for the girl who wants dramatic lashes. This isn't a "Running Errands" kind of mascara. It's a "I'm going to get him to notice me" kind of mascara.
In fact, the Mooch said that I looked different, my eye makeup looked different. I definitely know this works now!

I remain yours,
The CCW

Here Comes the Sun

Do do do do.............
Usually in the summer, I like to keep everything in my life light. The humidity down in the New York City Subway system will do that to you. Makeup is the first thing I like to keep light, in every sense. Heavy creams from the winter are stored away, and I switch to lighter lotions in a pump. I don't wear nearly as much makeup during the day as I would in the winter. I want to let my skin breathe.
I've never really been a huge fan of Tinted Moisturizer because, although it's light and has some tint in it, it's not "my" moisturizer and I get very attached to my moisturizer. I opt for the liquid foundation blended in with the moisturizer in the morning. I use 1 part liquid foundation, 2 parts moisturizer. It gives my skin that extra boost of color, the extra boost of life I so desperately need in the morning.
I do put concealer where needed, (Elf Tone Correcting Concealer) around the nose, on top of any ginormous zits, etc.
Usually I brush on a bit of bronzer, under the cheekbone, and the blush tapped ever so lightly on the apples of my cheeks(Nars Blush/Bronzer Duo), then I go over the blush with some powder so it mulls out the color a bit. It's okay in the winter for your cheeks to pop, like you've been standing outside waiting for the bus, but there is no reason for that in the summer. You want to look like you are glowing from within.
I take a big eyeshadow brush and apply Nars Duo Eyeshadow in All About Eve, very natural looking.
I line my eyes with Clinique Quickliner for eyes in Grape, curl my lashes, and apply 2 coats of Clinique Lash Power Mascara.
Finally, before I give Mooch a big fat smooch and run out the door, I swipe Nars LipGloss in Turkish Delight on my smacker. This color is so baby pink, it goes on almost white, but once it settles it's the most natural color you could ever imagine.

On a side note, I must note that Nars Cosmetics has become one of my most FAVORITE makeup brands out there. I used to be a big Bobbi Brown fan, and while no foundation will match like Bobbi Brown, Nars is quickly becoming the staple in my Makeup Bag. I can't tell you how many lip glosses, lip sticks, blushes, bronzers and eyeshadows don the Nars label. I absolutely love it [To the Nars Associate who sees this, please feel free to send me some samples so I can test, I'll be more than happy to report on the blog, and I'm sure I'll love anything you send]

It's also essential to make sure you keep blotting your face in this humid weather. Don't bother putting pressed powder on your face, it just cakes on, use blotting paper or a tissue, and blot, don't rub or swipe!

See the pic above? I took it especially for the blog

I remain yours,
The CCW

A peek inside

This evening on the subway, I sat next to a woman who decided to give herself a makeover from 42nd Street to 59th street. I'm always compelled to take a quick peek inside people's makeup bags just to see what they're carrying. It's like I can tell a lot about personalities just by seeing what they carry around. And I'm equally as fascinated watching people put makeup on. What's their regime to help them get beautiful, that sort of thing. Believe it or not, I'm not the kind of gal who's going to whip out her makeup bag and start to do her makeup during her morning commute, however I thought it would be fun to tell you what I carry around on a day to day basis. I used to have the mentality that more is better when it comes to the amount of makeup you tote around. Not true.
One of my best girlfriends one year bought me this great makeup bag from the GAP. Big and roomy, it eventually got very dangerous. I was able to fit anything and everything into this bag short of my refrigerator. I kid.
I think you should know that you don't have to carry around your Kaboodles (yes, I still have one) to keep your makeup in.
So here's a list of what I bring with me on a daily basis, and why. **note, the picture above is the actual makeup bag I carry**.

• NARS Dual Blush/Bronzer in Orgasm/Laguna. This couldn't be any more perfect than you think. Blush/Bronzer and in the most absolute perfect shades for any girl. I have the perfect "sun-kissed" look as well as looking like, well, you know. The name speaks for itself. Buy it here for only $37, I promise you, it's worth it.
• Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Grape. Just great for a touch-up, (see previous post).
• Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx. Perfect for Day to Night makeup, I just put a swipe on my inner eyelids, and line the tops of my eyes and smudge, and I'm totally date-worthy. Buy it here for only $6.79, I promise you, it will become a staple.
• Maybelline Ultra Brow Brush on color in Dark Brown. I think it is so important to accentuate your eyebrows, it really brightens up your whole face. Buy it here for $5.79, and don't forget to go one shade lighter than your hair color (except for blondes)
• MAC Cosmetics 266E small angle brush. This works in conjunction with the Ultra Brow color. Although Maybelline has a brush, I feel I can get more precise with this one. Buy it here for $19.
• MAC Cosmetics 129 SH Powder/Blush Brush. I love love love MAC's brushes. They just grab onto the color perfectly and don't leave much behind. Buy it here, for $34.
• ELF Cosmetics Tone Correcting Concealer in Light. Ok for real, the ONLY concealer that actually does even out my skin tone. And on top of that, I'm going to make your day so much happier.....it's $1............yes ONE DOLLAR! Unbelievable. I like to stock up on 4 or 5 because the tube is small and I go through it quickly. Buy it here for only $1.
• Avon Wrapped In Cashmere Eyeshadow Pencil in Camel. I work with a guy who's wife sells Avon, so sometimes, well every time, I feel totally obligated to buy stuff. You can really find some good stuff in that catalog sometimes. This is perfect because if I need a bit of Nude color eyeshadow at night, I'll just give my eyes one swipe and I'm ready to go. Buy it on sale for only $2.99.
• Clinique Lash Power Mascara in Black Onyx. ( See CCW's first post)
• Shiseido Eye Lash Curler. EVERY girl should have one. It really opens up your eyes and makes you look "awake". Did you know, that I own two? One for the bag and one for the nightstand? Why? Ok, I'm crazy, totally crazy, but just in case my makeup bag gets lost or stolen, I'll always have one on hand. Once you use it, you'll understand the cult obsession. Buy it here for $17.50.
• Clinique Almost Makeup in Babyskin (see "Summer Boot Camp")
  

So that's it! 11 items. I'm not kidding. Nothing crazy, no refrigerator.
I have to say, these are absolute Staples to me, things I know I cannot live without.
But I'm curious, what do you have in your makeup bag?

Stay cool, it's starting to get hot!

I remain yours,
The CCW