Tag Archives: blush

Mar16

Buying Stuff: Blush Edition

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Dianna

You won’t even believe what I’ve been up to. Remember that time not too long ago where I was addicted to makeup and bought Tom Ford lipstick for $50 because that made perfect logical sense? Well, of course it still does cuz you can’t fix crazy that easily, but that is not the point of this post. The point is that I now own almost 600 bottles of nail polish and I’m thinking I probably need like 94576946 more. Give or take.

Who am I?!

While you contemplate, let’s talk about some blush I bought. I’ve been using these for the past few months, and I have some things to say. Probably nothing that interesting, but let’s just pretend, shall we? You read this blog for a reason and most likely it’s not for the scientific value.

First up is the NARS Dual Intensity blush in the shade Fervor:

This is the prettiest one out of the bunch in my opinion. The darker pink is so shimmery and practically metallic, that only someone blind could turn their back on it. The lighter pink is more of a highlight, as it doesn’t lend too much color payoff – if any at all. However, as a whole, it’s pretty. I swirl my brush over both colors so the light pink doesn’t feel left out. And despite the intense foil of the dark pink, you don’t end up with prostitute-y cheeks like you’d expect. You don’t get much product on your brush, especially if you use one with loose bristles. That could be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re going for.

Something else about these blushes is they could also be used wet. That sounds like a lot of effort, and honestly, I’m not getting up any earlier in the morning just so I can apply my dry blush wet. But apparently it gives you a more high-impact flush. If you’re into that, then by all means. If you’re like me (i.e., lazy), we’ll just move on.

I bought these two Colourpop Super Shock blushes in shades Pre-Nup (pink) and Between the Sheets (peach):

And I freaking love them. They’re like 8 dollars, which proves you don’t need to spend your paycheck on fancy names just to get something quality. Never mind that comment on the Tom Ford lipstick.

These are cream blushes and super easy to use. I don’t know about you, but cream blushes give me the hives. They make me nervous. There’s a point of no return as soon as your fingers hit your cheek. Either it’s going to turn out fabulous or you’re forced to sport clown cheeks all day – there’s nothing in between. You get like 1.2967 seconds to blend as if your life depended on it (it does), and if you fail, the color is locked in place in whatever direction you’ve left it. Aaaack! I cannot deal with that kind of pressure. I may start blending with every intention of continuing to blend, but I get sidetracked easily. In other words, I need locked in a window-less room so I can do things properly.

So if you suck at cream blush, try these. Buy yourself a stipple brush, like the small one from e.l.f. or the pretty pink one from Real Techniques. They are your saving grace, trust me. Swirl the brush in the product and then onto your cheeks as if you are applying powder. It’s magical. The fear is gone. You’ll never shy away from cream blush again.

Anyway, back to the point (there is one), these Colourpop blushes are awesome. My favorite is Pre-Nup, the pink one. It looks so natural and lovely on the cheeks. I highly recommend it, especially if you have a hard time picking. Just toss this in your cart and be done with it. You can thank me by reading this blog and following me on Instagram. Or sending gift cards.

Sometimes I have a severe lack of judgement. Behold, the By Terry Terrybly Densiliss blush in Nude Dance:

I can’t even excuse myself because I used a coupon cuz I absolutely did not. I paid $70 for this for no other apparent reason than clinical insanity. In my quest to own all the things I’ve gone mental. Who buys a blush for $70? Crazy people and billionaires. That’s it.

In my defense, this blush is STUNNING. Everything about it from packaging to final result is top notch. The silver metal compact weighs about 10 pounds (probably) and feels so substantial in your hand. Like if you just want to know how much luxury weighs, then go hold a By Terry blush for a second. Good gracious, it’s fancy. Even the little blush brush it comes with is quite precious. I’ll never use it, but it’s precious nonetheless. The blush itself is a very flattering nude peachy pink. It lasts all day long and looks completely natural and glowy. I really do love it. But is it worth the $70 price tag? Welllllllll, you can most definitely find something you love that is cheaper. But if you just want to own a piece of artwork, I’d say $70 is a pretty good deal. Serious, hold the compact in your hand. You’ll understand.

Next up is the Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor blush in Water Lily:

This is an interesting product as you can see from the pictures. I will admit the uniqueness of it is the only reason I forced myself into using a liquid blush – a billion times scarier than using a cream blush. But the word “watercolor” got me and the little mesh screen that separates the product from the outside word sucked me right in.

I haven’t used this as much as I thought I might. It’s not difficult as expected – due 100% to the fact I used a stipple brush to apply it. A little goes a very long way, so be careful. But it just wasn’t as exciting as my imagination made it out to be. The color is beautiful – you see that gold sheen? – but once it’s on your cheeks, it’s pretty sheer and kind of appeared flat on me. It does last all day (it’s pretty much a stain), but other than that it’s been collecting a nice sheen of dust for the last few months.

Here is Marc Jacobs Shameless Bold Blush in Irresistible:

Look at that gorgeous orange! It’s definitely a bold, fun color. But how does it look on the cheeks? Well, it’s certainly not this vibrant – which is a good thing unless you bought it for a specific Halloweeny-slash-Clown-Disguise type situation. In fact, it’s so subtle, I about broke a brush in it trying to pick up product. That’s an exaggeration but only slight. It’s truly a vague wash of color; nothing drastic. I like it but it definitely makes you work for it.

And now, last but not least: the Becca mineral blush in Songbird:

Now THIS is a pretty blush! Don’t you just want to dip your aqua-tipped fingers in it? I do (and might still). This is possibly my absolute favorite. It’s pretty neutral but also warm. I’m on the medium side of light, and this flatters my skin tone very much. It’s pigmented but buildable. And it’s enriched with antioxidants so it’s healthy for you! There are 6 colors in the line, but this one is by far the best one. Trust me: I’m an expert.

And I know ya’ll are staring at my nail polish and also maybe the chipped parts and the hang nail. Number one, I’ve had lots of practice since this photo was taken and now my nails look like they need their own insurance policy (cuz they are moneymakers). And number two, you can go buy this polish from Live Love Polish by clicking here. It’s Floss Gloss in the shade Wet and it is fabulous.

Well that’s it guys. My first blog post in eons. Hope you enjoyed it and you read all the way to the bottom like a true friend. I’m going to start doing more nail polish reviews and swatch photos on here because I have to justify lining my 3rd bedroom’s walls with polish racks – otherwise, hubby doesn’t understand the purpose of 600 bottles. Why, I have no clue. Cuz he bought an elliptical. For exercising. So everything that happens after immediately gets a pass. Sorry, them’s the rules.

Back soon!

May7

Buying Stuff: Episode 25

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Dianna

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I’m addicted to following manicured nail pictures on Instagram. But not just any manicure – I only want to look at perfect ones with square cut nails and tidy cuticles. They soothe my soul like nothing else. Or like a Xanax maybe. And because of this new found insanity, I have become inspired to paint my nails more often. Like I want to be one of those girls with perfect square cut nails and tidy cuticles. I want to soak my fingers in a bowl of warm olive oil too. I want someone to suck all the fat out of my thighs. That last one has nothing to do with a manicure, but if someone could get that arranged, that’d be great.

I bought stuff! Let’s look:

Picked up this Besame Brightening Violet Powder because of its adorable 50s-era packaging. It literally looks as if it walked right off the pages of an old Avon catalog. Precious! Back when I bought it, Sephora just started carrying the brand and this was the single solitary item it offered. Now they have two other versions of the powder. The idea behind the violet one is that it will brighten up sallow skin – and it may simply be psychological brain trickery for all I know – but I’d swear it does just that. The violet tone is translucent but lends a skosh of something special. It will never appear obviously powdered, but you’ll know it’s there. Everyone else will assume you had a face lift.

One look and you’ll know why I got this:

It’s the Sigma Lip Switch in the shade Flip Flop and it’s pretty much the raddest thing you’ve ever seen. Check out that magical iridescence! It gives me heart eyes immediately. But of course something this awesome can never live up to expectations because that is how my life works. Cuz once it’s applied to the lips, it pretty much disappears. It’s glossy, yes, but if you want that vibrant orange/gold/pinky shift, you will have to look elsewhere. You get it faintly at best.

I have seen some Instagram pics where people would wear black or navy lipstick and then apply these holo lipglosses and the iridescence shows up much better. But ask me how many times I’ve worn black lipstick. I could count on one hand the number of times. Actually if I had ZERO hands, I could still count the number of times. Basically what I’m saying is for now I wear this as a sheer lipgloss over my coral or orange lipsticks. It serves a purpose. Not a very special one, but there ya go.

Not one to be left off the bandwagon, I bought this along with 97.95764% of the rest of the world:

It’s the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (in the light/medium version), a product I didn’t really need much less know how to use but I bought anyway because if it’s a bestseller, I WANT IT. Same goes for pretty much anything else in life. Your Oscar-nominated movie is spoken entirely in French and with no subtitles? No problem! Your Pulitzer Prize-winning book is a 700-page diatribe set in war-torn Prussia in the 17th century and most likely to cause eye spasms and involuntary napping? GIMME. I just refuse to not be in the know. But also, I can obsess like it’s my damn job. I couldn’t have walked away from this highly talked about product even if I had my feet on backwards. You cannot deny this kind of magnetism. The struggle is REAL.

So now that I have it, I’ve been making myself use it. And I’m really trying, I swear. I contour, I bronze, I highlight and set my under eye. But I haven’t been that impressed. I mean, it’s not a bad palette, but I don’t feel the need to hoard it or protect it with my life (cuz I will cut you over a couple of my foundations, so I know it’s possible). The highlight (shimmery) shade is really pretty, but all the rest for me are take its or leave its. However, I OWN THE DANG THING, and that’s what’s most important anyway.

How about something pretty:

I die! It’s the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipstick in Coachella Coral and it is summer in a tube. It’s has a delicious, creamy formula, stunning color, and decent longevity. Even smells good. What’s not to love? Okay, maybe the $32 price tag. But it’s just so pretty. I was helpless, I admit. Plus, if you never use it and just pull it out of your purse when people walk by, then it’ll last forever. And really, isn’t that the point of designer makeup – to see and be seen? Obviously yes.

Another hyped up product by YouTube:

I was able to resist buying the Gerard Cosmetics BB Plus Illumination Cream until I watched this stupid/amazing makeup tutorial and decided I had to have it about 2.5 seconds later. Well, you know how it is. If I even think there’s one iota of a chance I can have flawless, beautiful skin just like in the video, then it could be dog poo in a jar but I’m all over it anyway. Please and thank you.

So about this stuff. It’s pure liquid gold. Seriously. You put it all over your face and holy moly, you shine like brand new money. Apply your foundation on top and then sit back to enjoy the view. It has such a stunning effect. Foundation looks more flawless. There is a radiance that is subtle but noticeable. No shimmer, just glow. Ugh, I love it. You can also use it alone if you want to dab some on your cheekbones or shoulders. Or you can do a drop mixed with your moisturizer or foundation for something lighter. Whichever way you go with it, you’re bound to love it.

Pointless Makeup Product #272:

It’s the YSL Tint in Oil, and if you just went Tint in Oil?! then we are best friends and you can continue reading this blog. It sounds really fascinating except that it’s not. It’s just a lip oil so we can all just go sit back down. There is nothing to see here.

But if you must know. I got mine in the shade Drive Me Copper. As you can see from the swatch, it’s not very coppery. Nor is it very any other color. It’s a tint – I get that – but you can literally swatch it next to the other colors in the line and wouldn’t be able to tell a difference between any of them. However, I can say a couple of good things about the product because I like to make an effort sometimes. It’s slick and shiny, so it would make a nice glossy topper for any lip color. It has a sticky factor of zero. And when worn alone it feels nice and comforting. But if you’re expecting something special in terms of a product with actual copper color (or any color), this one gets a big o raspberry.

And then there was this:

I hit pan on my teeny tiny Bare Minerals Touch-Up Veil setting powder, and it sent me into a panic. International Powder Crisis and whatnot. You know how it goes. So I immediately went in search of another setting powder that I could store in my purse and apply at work after I do my mid-afternoon blotting. The Bare Minerals one is matte, which is all well and good, but I wanted to try something different. A glow powder. And what better way to do it than with the Too Faced Candlelight Powder.

I’m not very good at glow powder. Either that or I expected more than I should. Cuz I didn’t get that “lit from within” candlelight glow I was thinking I’d get. Instead, I got glitter and sparkle. I’m too old for glitter and sparkle. I had read reviews prior to purchasing, and let’s just say SHUT UP with your soft-focus, your illuminates complexion, and your inspired by actual candlelight cuz none of those things happened and my heart is broken. It claims to be absolutely invisible, and while it is translucent, there is definite shimmer on your face. Okay, okay, it’s not out at the club shimmer, but still. I’m gonna keep playing around with it. Maybe it’ll grow on me. I mean, most people like this powder. They’re probably all 14-year-olds, but yes, most reviews are favorable.

Last product in the haul:

Sometimes I buy things for the sake of buying something. Take the It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Palette for instance. I hadn’t heard much about it. But I walked into Ulta without an agenda, had nothing in my shopping bag for five minutes too long, and I started to get anxiety. What if I didn’t find anything? I couldn’t leave Ulta emptyhanded. That’s blasphemy as far as I’m concerned. So picking this palette up was an act of desperation at the very least. However, I would find it useful especially when traveling since it’s basically three products in one.

My favorite is the blush. It’s a very pretty pink with a touch of coral and looks very flattering with my skintone. The powder is just okay. It pulls slightly pink on me so I don’t love it, although if it came down to packing an extra powder compact or saving space with this 3-in-1, I’d do the 3-in-1. That’s not lazy, that’s practical – and we all know how practical I can be. Finally, the bronzer. Looks very dark in the pan, but it does not apply that dark. It’s matte and has a bit of a reddish undertone – in my opinion; deciphering undertones is not my strong suit. However, it’s not my favorite bronzer. It’s not bad, mind you, but I never want to use this palette primarily because of the bronzer.

Well, that’s what I get for not doing my research before stepping foot inside an Ulta. It could’ve been worse though – I distinctly remember having an ice blue eyeshadow rollerball in my bag as well. I kindly put that back on the shelf. Anxiety is a REAL DISEASE – as you can clearly see.

Time for night night. Thanks for continually reading my blog. I love all my people. Internet hugs for everyone. Well, just the cute ones. Bye!

Jan28

Buying Stuff: Episode 24

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Dianna

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I feel like I haven’t done a Buying Stuff post in light years. But trust me when I say there’s been stuff being bought, like an embarrassing amount. I mean, if there’s a day that goes by without a UPS box sitting on my porch, someone needs to call the authorities cuz a crime has happened in my neighborhood.

So let’s get started. After wasting miles and miles of toilet paper, I finally decided to do this:

It’s the Vera Mona Color Switch Solo and you can wipe the eyeshadow off your brushes with it and simultaneously save the planet. It truly is a magical little tool. And handy too – sometimes I just don’t have the time to root around in my brush cup looking for something particular. I just take the brush I was already using, swipe the bristles around the mesh trap and voila! Clean brush to use again. It’s the lazy person’s (i.e., ME) best friend.

And because you’ll be saving billions of trees in the process, you can pat yourself on the back with a Sephora gift card. There, doesn’t that feel good?

Wanna see something pretty? Look below:

Can you stand it? Ugh. It’s the Chanel Camelia de Plumes highlighter and it’s too pretty to actually use. Like literally I’ve used it maybe 4 or 5 times then felt really guilty about it so I’ve put it away. It’s practically an art piece with all that leafy design on top (technical term, obviously). It is a limited edition and probably not even available anymore except on Amazon or eBay. But I wanted to show you anyway because it’s simply too lovely not to share. The color is a glorious mix of silver and gold, and if you don’t feel like a queen when holding/using/owning this, then you’re doing life wrong.

Now wanna see something ugly? Look below:

I know, right? It’s the Marc Jacobs nail polish in Lux (a chartreuse yellow), and it’s so verging on hideous that it’s practically cool. You know how male models can walk down the runway with a fanny pack on, and all of sudden you need a fanny pack like nobody’s business? Well, it’s that kind of cool. Except sadly my fanny pack would be less Chanel embossed leather and more Target-nylon-from-the-camping-aisle. But still.

Anyway, this color caught my eye because of it’s rare ugliness. Y’all know I don’t like nail polish. I barely buy it and wearing it from one week to the next is a crapshoot. So the lone fact that I bought nail polish and in THIS color speaks a thousand words. I absolutely loved it. It’s the most unique thing in my (albeit small) nail polish collection, and I don’t regret buying it for a second.

Then I bought this darling thing:

Is this too much beauty in one post for you? Everyone doing okay – heart rates behaving normally? Cuz this Tom Ford blush in Love Lust about gives me palpitations. If you’ve heard from other (more knowledgeable) people that Tom Ford blushes are beautiful and worth it – believe them. Highly pigmented, natural looking and luminous. It’s what cherub cheeks are made of. And if I have an extra $57 laying around, I’m buying me another one. However, how often does an extra $57 lay around at my house? Not very. I write a beauty blog. I’m not sure what else you expect.

The below happened because Nordstrom couldn’t just SHUT UP about their damn mascara coupon:

It was a Buy 2 Get 1 Free coupon, and I literally could not NOT take advantage. Who doesn’t want something for free? (Crazy people.) And if I don’t cash in on it, what does that say about me as a person other than being really, really bad at math? Cuz free is free, even if you have to spend $60 to get it.

First one is the Trish McEvoy Lash Curling mascara. I wanted to give this one a try since I didn’t own any Trish McEvoy products, and even though you might assume I own all the products of all time everywhere, sadly that isn’t the case. I mean, I am currently on my journey to own all the things but it’s going to take a lifetime at the very least. That’s okay though. Why be obsessed if you can’t do it proper?

But back to the mascara. This is one of those tubing mascaras, the kind that forms little tubes around your eyelashes. I’ll be honest when I say what is the point of tubing technology? Does it make things more voluminous? Or make your eyelashes touch your eyebrows? Well, not for me it doesn’t. It was just an okay find for me. It does remove very easily, so the fact I don’t lose eyelashes in the process is enough motivation to make me use this product.

The Dolce & Gabbana Secret Eyes mascara fared better. It is a lengthening version and it does alright. I mean, don’t go expecting falsie-status or anything, but I don’t think you’ll hate it. However, mascara is such a personal thing – one works for one doesn’t work for another. Although if you tell me you don’t enjoy the YSL Babydoll mascara or the Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes one, then obviously you are WRONG. But other than those two, I get it.

So this one gives decent length, separates and fans out lashes, but to get volume you’re gonna have to swipe on about 3 coats. Luckily this didn’t cause a clumping fiasco otherwise I’d have to trade my morning Starbucks run with pushing a stick pin between my lashes and manually, tediously separating them. Risking the safety of my eyeball isn’t always the best idea at 6:30 in the morning. But then again, nothing sounds particularly awesome at 6:30 in the morning. Aside from that, don’t make me choose between eyelashes and Starbucks. What is the point of the Constitution if I can’t have both? I ask you: WHAT. IS. THE. POINT.

My favorite of the three is the Burberry Curve Lash. It takes the least amount of effort to make an impact. The brush is small and does a pretty good job of volumizing. Length is about standard, but I’ve come to the conclusion that fat lashes are better than tall ones anyway. I wouldn’t say it curls them any better than other mascaras, but what do I want in a $30 mascara – a fecking miracle? (Yes.)

Last thing I bought are the Gerard Cosmetics Jaclyn Hill lip thingies:

If you don’t know who Jaclyn Hill is, it’s clear you don’t spend enough time on YouTube watching makeup tutorials, which in that case I can only assume your life is much more exciting than mine. I mean, I’ve been reading the same 200-page book for roughly 3 months now because I keep using all my free time on YouTube. I should really have more responsibilities in life. If it wasn’t for the fact I have a full time job, I’d probably be winning in the Couch Pajamas Olympics event (but failing at the Cheetos-slash-Little Debbie Cake Resistance Program).

Well anyway – Jaclyn Hill. She is a very popular makeup artist on YouTube and she has teamed up with Gerard Cosmetics to develop her own colors of lip gloss and lipstick. I already own one of her lip glosses (called Rose Hill, a beautiful rosy pink) so this lip gloss in Buttercream and these lipsticks in 1995 (brown) and Buttercup (pink) complete the collection. I absolutely love these products. The lip glosses are very pigmented, which I prefer in a lip gloss. Super shiny, not terribly sticky (or not annoyingly sticky). If I had to pick my least favorite, though, it would be the 1995 lipstick. It’s very much a Kylie Jenner-esque shade and I don’t always think it looks good on me. But it looks good on loads of other people. Which happens to me a lot with lipstick. Skin tone can be such a bitch sometime.

Welp, that’s it for today. I have two box reviews to finish out the month and if my math is correct, I should be able to fit them in with one day to spare. If I can be a proper blogger and focus my attentions, that is. I get very distracted by lounging.

Bye!

Dec15

Buying Stuff: Episode 23

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Dianna

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Just 10 days until Christmas and only 1,457 presents left to buy. Have I told you about the time I waited until the absolute very last minute (i.e., Christmas Eve) to buy gifts? Or that I bought Easter basket trinkets at midnight on Easter where they were, surprisingly, not even discounted? How about those birthday presents that tragically get “rerouted” during delivery end up arriving at my house roughly a week late? I tend to procrastinate with things that stress me out. However, advertise a makeup pre-order for something that’s not even available for 2 or 3 months, and I’ll get that done like yesterday. Perhaps someone’s priorities are skewed? I mean, not mine, but someone else’s?

In any case, I bought stuff:

Your eyes are not playing tricks. I bought the Gucci Lustrous Glow foundation y’all! I was so curious about this product because there were only like two reviews of this YouTube. I wasn’t even sure what color I was, and that quickly became my mission-slash-obsession in life. Like, first find out my Gucci foundation shade, then solve world hunger. I started with Light 030. It seemed to be a touch too light, so I thought it would be safe to go up one notch to Light 040. This one I held onto for about a week trying to decide if it matched. It didn’t un-match necessarily but my face is naturally a little darker than my neck so it was hard to be sure. I went ahead and ordered Light 050 so I could do a proper comparison.

You can imagine all the trouble and expense I’m going through at this point, yes? I had charges for foundations before refunds were processed. Thank God for Discover, that’s all I have to say about that. Finally ended up settling on Light 050. It had the least degree of washing out (if any). I wouldn’t call it a perfect match – a skosh too yellow – but I’d make it work. I mean, it’s Gucci. You don’t return Gucci. It’s in a rule book somewhere, I’m certain.

And was all the trouble worth it? Welllll, it’s a decent foundation. It had a nice natural finish to it. Very slightly glowy on me; it wasn’t “lustrous” by any means. The coverage was light to medium. When foundations are light coverage, I tend to not like them as much because all my ugly bits show through. So keep that in mind. If you have a good complexion to start with, you’ll probably like this foundation more than me. Best part is the lovely packaging. If anything, you can buy this to sit on the back of your toilet for your house guests to admire. A little pricey for bathroom décor, but did I mention it’s Gucci?

It was 3 o’clock in the morning when this happened:

I really shouldn’t have internet access once my husband goes to bed. Cuz I bought the May Lindstrom Honey Mud cleansing silk almost on autopilot. However, it wasn’t alcohol-induced so points for that.

This stuff is advertised as a cleanser. It’s made out of honey and clay and somehow manages to smell exactly like a Tootsie Roll. The consistency is like a pudding before it sets up in the fridge. I won’t lie; you want to eat it. It feels super moisturizing and soft on the skin. I can see this as a very luxurious spa treatment because it’s so elegant and lovely. HOWEVER. I was disappointed that it didn’t seem to clean my skin very well. If you ask me, I’d consider it more as a pre-cleanser than a main cleanser. For an $80 price tag, you should expect more. Like pore gunk removal-slash-zit zapping-slash-magical powers. They do give you the option to apply this as a mask instead, and I can see it working well in that capacity.

A side note: the honey used for this is collected from unsprayed/unfertilized fields of wildflowers in Michigan. So now everything bad I just said went right out of your head didn’t it? Yeah, mine too.

I owned zero products by Tory Burch when I discovered they had a small amount of makeup on the Sephora website. And because I’m in a constant state of needing to own all the things, I picked up this Bronzer and Blush. Shade is called Divine, although that point is moot since it only comes in one shade.

First of all, the packaging will suck you in. I love orange. So warm, so summery. Just looking at it will bring a smile to your face. But the product itself isn’t that bad either. I wouldn’t say you could use each section separately unless you use teeny tiny brushes. Rather, just swirl your brush over all the shades combined. You end up with a very pretty sunkissed glow on the cheeks. I am much more happy with this purchase than originally expected.

If you’re looking to buy Tory Burch makeup, there isn’t a huge selection. Sephora carries lipstick and a lip and cheek tint as well. Hopefully there will be more forthcoming in the future as I am not opposed to buying something else.

Look – something pretty:

Another instance of wanting to own all the things. My first Kevyn Aucoin purchase, and I’d say it’s a pretty good one. Hautelook was having a sale and the only eyeshadow duo left was the #201 Antique Silver/Plum Shimmer. Turns out, that was the perfect duo for me. The purple looks so stunning with my brown eyes. And the silver isn’t like SILVER! but more Silver. Well, I’m sure you know what I mean.

Blendability was excellent. Pigmentation was excellent. I can’t think of anything bad to say. I want to buy all of them, so that could be bad. For my wallet, anyway.

I bought this too:

It’s the eyeshadow palette out of the Tarte Bon Voyage kit. Why didn’t I show you the entire kit? Cuz the only thing I wanted the kit for was so I could get this palette. It is amazing. Great selection of mattes and pretty shimmers. Nothing super glittery. Neutral but still colorful. I got so much use of it for an entire week and never reused a shadow. That’s value. The cost is $59, but this is a 20-pan palette, and larger pans at that. Plus you get extras in the kit like a mini finishing powder, mini cheek stain, mini mascara, and a full size lipgloss and lipstick. Oh, and a mini Maracuja oil. So honestly, it’s got good stuff for a really great price. What I’m trying to say is go ahead and buy this. It’s at Sephora only. And it’s LIMITED EDITION. You panicked yet? You should be.

However, do not buy this:

This is a mucho mucho waste of money. It’s the Bobbi Brown Mini Eye Palette. Super cute packaging, which enticed me first. Then I thought the price ($35) wasn’t too terrible for 8 designer eyeshadows. I mean, it’s not awesome but I suppose you’d could say I’m used to it. My last thought was that I didn’t have a lot of Bobbi Brown stuff, and because I’m very ridiculous, I went ahead and purchased it because that made perfect sense.

Now. I’m not saying this palette wouldn’t work for certain people. But for me it was simply no bueno. Three of the shadows were chunky glitter, and even though they are quite clearly different colors in the pan, absolutely no discernible difference appeared on my eye. The other colors were okay, but very sheer. If I want a sheer look, that would be okay, but more often than not I don’t. The size of the palette is a 2-inch square. This doesn’t bother me, but I wanted everyone to know in case they would be expecting something bigger.

Ever since I’ve gotten this palette, it’s been hiding out in the Train Case of Unused Makeup. It’s probably going to live there. I’m keeping it because the packaging makes me happy and it’s Bobbi Brown (i.e., fancy). Does that make me shallow? Probably.

Last thing:

As if I don’t have enough cleansers or something, I went ahead and picked up the Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip cleanser primarily because I liked the name Ceramic Slip. I really should develop more appropriate shopping techniques. I certainly shouldn’t base my purchases based on clever names, pretty packaging, and whether or not they look like food.

Regardless, though, this is a good cleanser. It doesn’t smell that great. Like it literally smells like the inside of a ceramic pot. That’s probably not its intended smell, but I detect nothing floral, sweet or perfume-y at all. It has black pepper and frankincense in it. Are those good smells? NO. But they’re not horrid, so we can move on.

This cleanser is not moisturizing. It actually physically tightens your skin. It foams up really nice when you use wet hands and makes you feel like you’re getting your face super duper clean. It claims to give me miniscule pores and flawless skin. It’s printed right there on the front of the bottle. They wouldn’t do that if it wasn’t true. Either that, or it’s just a very clever marketing ploy because besides the name, that’s the other reason why I bought this.

Okay friends, we’re at the end. Beauty boxes are arriving so I’ll be getting on those reviews soon. Plus I’m in a constant state of Buying Stuff, so honestly, the fun will never die. Hope it’s warm and sunshine-y where you are. I’m going to go roll up in a ball under a blanket somewhere. Bye!

Nov6

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Dianna

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Finally the sun has come out after being non-existent for the past several days. I was starting to wonder if we’d ever see it again. I mean, by all means be 48-degrees if you have to, but at least give me sunlight. Without the sun, I am moody and sad and var var pale. Sunshine sustains me. It’s the only thing that can get me through the disaster that is Winter. I love sun, sunlight, sunshine, and any and all things sun-related. Sunglasses.

Therefore I sit in my car during lunch hour where it proceeded to blaze hot right onto my face and into my eyes. Urgh. Go away, Sun.

Clearly something is wrong with me.

Look, I bought stuff:

This is the Benefit Majorette Booster Blush, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. This is one of those circumstances where I bought something cute simply because it was new and would make a good Instagram picture. Does that make me shallow? Probably.

Okay, yes, it’s a cream-to-powder blush so obviously you can use it that way. But I’m not a huge cream blush fan even though this one is pretty idiot-proof. Like the most easiest application and blendability I’ve ever come across. The color is a sweet girly peach. It’s matte and has a great smell. You can also layer it underneath another blush to give that other blush more vibrancy. But those are two things I’m not really interested in. First of all, who has time to be applying TWO blushes? (Superhumans.) And second of all, I didn’t think it looked all that pretty on my face. However, everyone else in the universe seems to love it, so apparently I lose at makeup.

But then I bought this:

Who else has been petrified of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade? I mean, this stuff is a gel-like cream you apply to your eyebrows with a liner brush – freehanded – and hope to God you don’t ef it up. I am not a natural when it comes to drawing on brows. Sure I could just follow the lines like a normal person would, but I do have pictures of myself where I did just that and ended up creating BROWS! with jazz-hands and everything. So I was scared that something as pigmented as this would be messy and worse.

Long story short: I faced my fear. Me and Sephora had a little chat and I decided to go for it. But which color? They’re all variations of brown. Which one would create the most natural look? I wish I could tell you my selection process was more scientific, but it all boiled down to seeing the word “universal taupe” on other brow products from other brands, so I chose the Taupe one and walked away before the anxiety kicked in.

Believe it or not, this isn’t as scary as I expected. If you tap your brush in lightly and very gently sweep over your brows, you can make some natural looking arches. Granted I can’t come close to the pictures I see on Instagram, but it’ll do for me. As for the color, there may have been a better brown shade to suit me, but the Taupe works just fine. Which is good cuz I’m pretty sure this little jar will outlast everything in my makeup collection.

Guess who came to America?

It’s Charlotte Tilbury! This is some exciting news cuz the last (and only) time I bought one of her products, international shipping about made me change my mind. Since I had my pick this time, I chose the Feline Flick eyeliner pen. As my preferred method of eyeliner, I feel as if owning all of them is completely justified. But then again, I write a beauty blog, so EVERYTHING is justified as far as I’m concerned. And nobody can argue with that kind of logic.

But back to the eyeliner. I liked it alright. The nib is pretty sturdy, so it lends a great amount of control in the application along the lash line and drawing the angle in the start of the wing. However, when I tried to connect the wing portion to the base of my lashes, the sturdiness of the nib didn’t make that part as easy. Like I literally had to go over it several times in order to get a good, crisp looking line. However, my own OCD may have played a part in that. And also, I am not very good at winged liner. But aside from those two things, I can’t say this eyeliner is my favorite. I’ve went back to my Kat Von D pen for the time being.

Look how beautiful:

I bought this Laura Geller Baked Gelato blush because it looked like food. Like something I could stick my finger in then lick off. A cupcake top. A vat of frosting. I literally couldn’t NOT buy it after laying my eyes on it. Whoever was in charge of the design of this product is a genius. I own chocolate masks, strawberry moisturizers, and all things coconut BECAUSE of geniuses like this. All other companies should take note. You want me to buy your product? Make it resemble food.

This is a really beautiful blush. The shade I picked out was Guava, and it’s a bright but wearable pink. It’s sheers out really well and creates this lovely flush of color. I’m not sure if it’s a cream that’s been baked or what exactly, but it’s applied like a normal powder blush and that’s all I really need to know. I feel like I need more colors, but I’m trying very hard to be good.

Hahaha, just kidding. I bought this too:

This Smashbox Cherry Smoke eyeshadow set is the perfect fall palette. Instead of your typical grey or black smokey eye, this is a taupe and burgundy version and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Each shadow applied well and blended nicely. I could create a daytime, natural look with it as well so it’s pretty versatile. Although I don’t necessarily stick to daytime/nighttime makeup rules. I want what I want when I want it. Smokey eye at 10 a.m.? Done. But for those who like to stick to rules (and are probably not wearing white after Labor Day), you can still utilize this palette at your 9-5. And back to that whole food thing – the word “cherry”? Sucked me in right away.

One of the best makeup decisions ever made is below:

It’s the Sedona Lace Round Top #480 brush and I’m in deep, passionate love. Ugh. I can’t even express properly how beautifully this applies foundation. It hugs every curve of my face and makes blending practically effort-free. I thought I loved my Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but this (while similar) is so much better. Even the price is good at $18.95 (although I had a 20% coupon as well as an additional $4 off). The bristles are dense, and the round top gets rid of harsh lines that blush or bronzer might create. I don’t think I’ll ever want to use anything different. It’s also pink and adorable and looks pretty on my counter. How many more reasons do you need? Approved! Put it in your basket.

We done for today. I’m now going to get back to fighting with Sephora’s broken website. They are having their 20% off sale and the entire world is on the internet. Boo.

Sep29

Birthday Haul: Part 3

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Dianna

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I would tell you my 40th birthday celebration is over, seeing that it was about 30 days ago and all, but it’s not. Nope, I can stretch a birthday out for dayyyyyys, so it’s Vegas all next week to commemorate this milestone like a proper lady. May or may not involve male dancers.

Just kidding. But it will definitely involve shopping. And my husband’s credit card. Weeeee!

See below for the last bit of damage with said credit card:

I love all of that. That = happiness to me. Did I need all of it? Is the sky blue? Don’t ask stupid questions. Let’s begin!

Cashed in 100 Sephora points for the tiny Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick in the shade Rose Dressing. Even despite it’s miniature stature, it comes housed in a black box to make you feel like a fancy lady. I’ll be honest when I say I didn’t even care what color the lipstick was; I just needed that box. You know, so I could apply lipstick in public like a damn professional.

Lucky for me, the lipstick isn’t a horrendous pink. It’s not fuchsia or magenta or anything loud like that. It’s nice. The formula is very creamy, kind of matte but reflects a bit of light. I’d buy a full-size. Not because the full-size comes in a leather tube. But probably.

And of course I can’t sit around listening to every beauty guru on YouTube sing the praises of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, and then somehow not go buy it. I bought mine in the same NW20 shade that is my foundation as I felt that makes the most sense. The coverage on it is really, really good. I’d say a healthy medium at the least. I don’t have massive dark circles, but I don’t have the undereye of a 14-year-old either (sadly). This concealer brightens me up and makes me look awake and fresh. A little goes a long way, however, so don’t overdo it. Unless you like cakey. Cakey, not cake, cuz that’s two different things and cakey is bad while cake is fantastic. And now I would like a piece of cake, so what was I saying?

Oh yes. I am happy I got this concealer.

Picked up a tube of the Lust for Lacquer lipgloss by Marc Jacobs. I chose the shade Shooting Stars because it seemed like a neutral but not a nude, which tends to wash me out. Also it is a full coverage gloss instead of a sheer, which is what I prefer. What is the point of sheer gloss I ask you? Anyone? Anyone? No, no one knows the point. Unless you are a 10 year old playing in your mommy’s makeup, no one knows the point.

But, back to the issue. I really like this lipgloss. It’s very shiny and the color is beautiful. The only issue is when the gloss starts to wear off, it leaves behind pieces of glitter on your lips. It’s not the worst thing could happen, but just wanted you to be aware. It doesn’t go away gracefully.

Another lipgloss found its way into my basket – this time in the form of the Hourglass Extreme Sheen in the color Siren. I didn’t even know if I wanted another lipgloss, but this vibrant red orange caught my eye. I swatched it and knew immediately I had to have it. It’s the color of fire, or a maple tree in the fall, or the sun as it nears the edge of the Earth. I’m not kidding you; it’s gorgeous. It goes on super metallic, but it does simmer down pretty quickly. It’s creamy, opaque and long lasting. I highly, highly recommend – this color or any color for that matter. It’s officially one of my favorites.

After talking myself out of purchasing an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, I managed talk myself in again. The price isn’t that desirable ($35), and despite your impression of me, I can stall a little bit when it comes to price. But since it was my birthday and since someone else was paying for it, I went ahead and picked one up. There are six colors, and I decided on Mood Exposure, which is a soft plum. Now, you may have heard about these blushes and the magical powers with which they have been infused; however, I didn’t notice anything spectacular happening upon my face that I couldn’t have achieved with my NARS Orgasm blush. But if you are the type that is influenced by fancy words such as Photoluminescent, then by all means. I do admit I like fancy words too.

Having said all that, though, I do like the blush. The color is pretty and it does impart a bit of a sheen, which is most likely the magic I was talking about. It lasts for a long time on my cheeks, and even looks better as the day goes on. I like the premise of these blushes, how they are mixed with the Hourglass ambient powders to create something unique. I see how you can get sucked in by something like that. Out of 681 Sephora reviews, 481 are 5 star. So see? I clearly have no idea what’s fabulous. I need another one to be sure.

Picked up the new Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser because it’s an orange gel that looked fun to play with. That’s not a typo. (I am a child.) It starts out as a gel that melts into an oil as you massage it into your face. Then you add water to it and it turns milky. So of course after all that I had to throw it in the basket. I was about an inch away from finishing up a cleansing milk and absolutely couldn’t wait to be done with it. But then the cleansing milk kept replicating itself cuz it took about 2 more weeks to empty it. Urgh. Finally though – I started using the melting cleanser and lemme just say the idea of it is better than the reality. The gel part is fun if you’re big into texture like I am. It does melt nicely onto the skin, but once it turns to oil it loses that thick consistency and then I’m just over it. The milky bit is a non-event. However, most importantly, it breaks up the makeup like a champ so I suppose it you buy products based solely on whether they work or not, you’ll like this one. I, on the other hand, just like things that look pretty.

Treated myself to a bit of luxury as well. Passed the Chanel counter on the way out the door when the Les 4 Ombres quadra eyeshadows stopped me in my tracks. The one in the display was the Tissé Gabrielle, and it was absolutely stunning. Shades of grey and mauve. They look very sparkly in the pan, but when applied to the eyes they shimmer but not in an overly glittery way. Like I could wear it to work and not feel flashy. But that’s coming from the girl who wore a record in her hair in 7th grade, so you can’t always measure wearability by me.

I dunno, guys. I just really loved this quad. Out of all my luxury quads, it’s my favorite. Maybe because it goes well with my brown eyes. Maybe because the name Chanel makes me feel like a princess. Maybe because it’s the latest one I bought and therefore the most new and exciting. Whatever the case, I am happy I picked this up. They blended well, and the term ombre really suits the shadows as they are all (with the exception of the white gold) variations of taupe/grey.

The Chanel lady also tossed in a set of freebies in the form of a serum, foaming face wash, and eye cream. I’ve used them all but the serum, even though I’m most excited about the serum. It’s next, though, as soon as my current serum is empty. I’ve got about an inch left in the bottle, but we all know how long an inch can last. What I have tried – and still currently using – is the face wash, or face mousse as Chanel likes to call it, is wonderful. It’s a pearly white, moussey consistency (aptly) that smooths over the face nicely. The smell is pure luxury, like perfume but a clean, fresh version. But the best part is wiping it away. It comes off so perfectly and completely and leaves behind soft, moisturized skin. Like, I’ve never had a cleanser do this. I want to buy a full-size, but it’s $45 and I’m not sure cleansers should cost this much. I dunno, but I’m really really thinking about it.

The eye cream is okay. The tiny sample tube has lasted me a month so far because you need so little of it. I think there would be great value in your money here if you have a thing about eye creams. Unfortunately, I don’t, but of course I can never love anything that makes economical sense. So I am going to enjoy this while it lasts as I know I won’t repurchase. It is a pretty thin eye cream, but I prefer thicker. Although it does sink in super fast, and that’s important to me. However, I don’t have a love affair with eye cream, so I’m just gonna move on with my life now.

Here’s what I got with the gift card my sister gave me:

It’s the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection foundation and IT. IS. LOVELY. First of all, the packaging. Looked not-so appealing on the website, but in person – Ack! This speaks luxury at top volume. The bottle is super heavy glass and feels so substantial in your hand. The cap is black plastic, however, the top of the cap is inlaid with a gold Guerlain logo that’s so so so pretty. I chose this foundation because for one I didn’t have to pay full price ($61) due to the gift card, and two, there is a color match for me based on the Color IQ scan Sephora did for me last fall. I am in the shade 13 Rose Naturel, and it fits me perfectly. The finish is matte, and the coverage is almost full (on me). I love everything about this foundation. Everything. My face looked the most flawless it’s ever looked, and that’s saying something as I don’t ever look flawless. I prefer this foundation over every single one I own, even the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, and that hurts me a little to say that. In fact, if something happened to this foundation due to theft, damage or natural disaster, I wouldn’t blink an eye to repurchase immediately. So now you know the depths of my love. It’s a pretty big deal.

Last bit of the birthday haul has arrived. It’s the free mascara Ulta gives you:

Yes, the quality of my photos surprise even me.

So if you’ve ever been curious about the CK One mascara, let me ease your mind. This is an average one. I’ve had worse and I’ve had better. Which is pretty much the definition of average. (Shhhhh, I know.) The wand on this one twists up and down to give you two styles of lashes: up for length and down for volume. I admit it did make a difference when I applied both wand versions. But how annoying is it to do all that? (Very.) Just give me a wand that does both, please and thank you. The result, like I said, was average. It didn’t make me wanna stare at myself in the mirror very long, let’s just put it that way. On the bright side, it’s free. The day I start complaining about free stuff is probably the day the Universe stops giving me free stuff, so we don’t wanna put all that negative energy out there no do we? No, we do not.

Okay, friends. You’ve made it through all three parts of my Birthday Haul (assuming you’ve read part one and two). Give yourself a little pat; you deserve it. I’m gonna go read a book, eat some Cheez-Its and zone out. Var var busy, as you can see.

Jul3

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dianna

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You ever have those times where you think you are doing so good at shopping, not spending too much, then on the way out the store you see something you most desperately need and end up ruining all your good work? Except you technically didn’t ruin anything because now you have something amazing, therefore you go home feeling like you quite literally saved the world from a stock market crash. Well here is one of those times:

It’s a cute little mask set from Peter Thomas Roth and I am in love. Even if you don’t like masks, you could buy this cuz it has pretty colors, and who doesn’t love that? (Crazy people.) I’ve been wanting to try the two gel masks for awhile, so finding this kit made me var var happy. I didn’t know the pumpkin one existed, so that was a bonus. Although I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin smells. The last pumpkin thing I had was a mask from Michael Todd, and it had the consistency and appearance of baby food. Not necessarily a bad thing if you love pumpkin; however, I do not. But this Peter Thomas Roth thing is an exfoliator and the opposite of baby food, so I think it will be fine.

And remember how I saved the world from a stock market crash. So everything mentioned in this post, including the pumpkin scrub, is immediately justified.

Below is a small Sephora haul:

I love it when I run out of something cheap like body wash or makeup remover. I have a legitimate shopping excuse at that point, and anything else that happens to find their way into my little basket is just a hazard of the emergency. I mean, what can you do without body wash? You can’t take a bath, that’s for sure. So probably “emergency” is too mild a term to describe this situation, but “catastrophic misadventure” is much too long to type.

So I picked up a Philosophy body wash (that triples as a shampoo and bubble bath) in the scent Melon Daiquiri. It smells like summer in a bottle, and I really like it. They have tons of scents to choose from, and I spent an obnoxiously long time sniffing each and every one of them. I almost bought all of them at one point, but finally decided on the melon. But the Animal Cracker and Coconut scents are probably my next buy.

Wanted to try one of the Too Faced La Creme lipsticks because YouTube haunts me about 95% of my day. Lots of my gurus talk about how they like the formula of these lipsticks, and I am easily persuaded, so there ya go. I swatched a few of them in the store, decided on Pink Chocolate, and proceeded to walk around with it in my hand for about 45 minutes. Right before checkout, I had an attack of conscious and realized I didn’t need to buy another lipstick. I put it back, then stood in line at the register behind a lady taking an extraordinary amount of time signing up for the rewards program. Or just long enough for me to ignore my rudely interrupting conscious and grab the lipstick off the shelf again and put it in my basket.

Well. People need to be quicker in dealing with their transactions, that’s all I’m saying. Hardly my fault.

Also got suckered into buying the Sephora #55 airbrush foundation brush because I am helpless and need a psychiatric evaluation. Honestly, how many foundation brushes do I need? In my defense, none of them say the word “airbrush” in the title, and I don’t know about you, but that word sucks me in almost 97.90567% of the time. As evident by the fact I bought the dang thing.

I primarily wanted it because back in May when Sephora opened, the sales girl applied the Kat Von D foundation on me using this brush. The finish was spectacular, which prompted me to buy the foundation. Since that day I have not been able to duplicate the finish. In fact, I almost hate the Kat Von D foundation because it is so thick and dry that applying it is about zero fun.

So now that I have this brush, one of the first things I did was apply the Kat Von D. I read the directions of how to use the brush, and it says to dip it in the product, swirl it on the back of your hand, then apply to your face. I did all that, and I still didn’t get the finish I was looking for. Drat. Perhaps I am not the makeup artist I pretend to be? Perhaps my brush is broken? Whatever the case, I have yet to achieve the look of airbrush, but I’m still working on it.

And then for no reason whatsoever, I needed to buy the Becca Beach Tint Shimmering Souffle. For one, it’s a new product and there was a lot of excitement circling the Becca aisle because of it. And two, the texture of this is pure fun. It’s like the bubble wrap of makeup – you can’t stop touching it. Whoever decided to call it a souffle gets an award, because that’s the perfect name. It’s cushiony, airy, light. Here’s a better close up, complete with finger indention. Not a big one cuz I didn’t want to ruin it right off the bat:

This is the color Guava/Moonstone. It’s a cream blush – but the easiest application of a cream blush I’ve ever used. It’s no fail. If you get circus cheeks from applying this, then you need to sit down, as messing this up would be nigh on impossible. The color payoff is very sheer and subtle, which could be a good thing if that’s what you’re looking for. Beachy and glowy is what it is and var var beautiful. Now, this is the only color I’ve used. The others may be completely different. You may get circus cheeks out of them for all I know. But the Guava/Moonstone is golden and sunkissed – probably works best as a highlighter since the coral in it does not pop like you might expect. I also have medium light skin, so depending on how dark or light you are, this may or may not be your dream blush.

How’s that for a review? Maybe, maybe not, could be, could not be, yes, no … You might just need to swatch them for yourselves cuz I ain’t getting sued for misleading information. All I’m saying is I like it. Mostly because it’s squishy in its jar. I dare you not to want to stick your fingers all in this stuff. If you are somehow able to refrain yourself, you might need to take that show on the road, because that amount of willpower is downright inspirational.

Next up is this horrible picture below.

I can’t even pretend there’s not cat hair all over this blanket. I’m sorry. What can I say? They lay about as if they own the place. And I guess that’s somewhat correct since my girl cat poops wherever she feels like and we still let her live with us.

The only thing in the picture I bought was the Bobbi Brown blush – the rest I got for free. Perks of being VIB Rouge, y’all! Which did not cost me a small fortune to begin with or anything (you know, in case the husband is reading this). But back to that Bobbi Brown blush. I got the color Sand Pink, and it’s a really nice medium shade that looks good with my skintone. I’d say it’s pretty pigmented, but right now I’m distracted by how much cat hair is on that blanket and I can’t think of anything else. I need to page-down real quick or something.

So all that Fresh lip care stuff was a little sample set. It includes the lip polish, two lip balm treatments, and a sugar shine gloss. I am really enjoying these products. Aside from the weird brown sugar smell, that is. I don’t prefer it. But I believe the scrub is the best one I’ve ever used. It keep my lips exfoliated the longest. Which is quite a feat because I have the flakiest lip skin in all the land. I don’t even understand why. It couldn’t be because I sleep with a fan blowing in my face for 8 hours or anything.

The lip balms are nice as well. The Rose one has a slight pink tint, but it’s not super evident, so don’t expect a whole lot. I do like the way they feel on the lips; very moisturizing. The shine gloss is just a top coat. I probably won’t use this as much, but it’s not a bad product. I just don’t wear a lot of clear glosses.

Then I cashed in a couple hundred rewards points and got the next two things. First one is the Aqua Eyes eyeliner by Make Up Forever. I didn’t realize when I got it that it was a brown pencil, but I’m kind of happy it was. I have a lot of black liners, but very few brown ones. I was mostly interested in it cuz I needed a really good liner that stays put in my waterline. And even though this one is waterproof, my eyes somehow, miraculously, couldn’t give a shit. So this isn’t the one, needless to say. Still searching. Story of my life.

Last product is the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer. I know I’m the last person aside from nomads and cavewomen to own this bronzer. Better late than never. I can’t own all the things all at the same time ya know? Anyway, I thought this bronzer would be too dark for me cuz it kind of appears that way in the pan. But it’s PERFECT. Goes on lovely, blends fantastically, and smells like chocolate. Plus it’s matte so old people like me can wear it with confidence. Yayuuuuuus. In short, it’s my favorite bronzer now.

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of this post. Your reward? Another post tomorrow.

You’re welcome.

Jun3

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Dianna

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So while I’ve been posting one box review after another, it may appear I have not been out shopping for new goodies. Hahahahahaha. Do you even read this blog? Lemme just put your mind at rest.

Birchbox had a little shipping delay and they were unable to get my box out on time with the rest of the world. They felt horribly guilty (as they should), so I was given $10 worth of Birchbox points to help make up for it. I will accept your apology, and buy myself this Cynthia Rowley eyeshadow with it:

These shadows were very powdery, but kind of in a good way. I thought they blended well and looked very nice on my eyelids. Perfect spring shades, even though we are now coming up on summer. But who follows tradition? Not me! I will wear my white pants in December if I feel like it. Even though they are a size too small now so probably shouldn’t do that. White pants are very unforgiving in a lumpy-thigh-skin sort of way. And if they cling to you like they are holding on for dear life – well, that’s not a look anyone should embrace. I mean, maybe supermodels, but then after that, NOBODY.

What am I going on about? I dunno.

Look at this little piece of artwork I made:

I have too much time on my hands.

I saw this beautiful purple and olive green NARS combo at Sephora and knew instantly I had to have it. If there are two colors more suited for each other than purple and green, please let me know. But also I have brown eyes, and if I’m not mistaken, purple and green are great complimentary colors for brown or hazel eyes.

Aside from all that, these are nice eyeshadows. Not extremely pigmented on me, but really, what do I know? Everyone else in the world disagrees, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I am very hard to please. We’ve established this already.

Speaking of pigmentation, or lack thereof, I present to you:

It’s Marc Jacobs blush. Should be amazing. Color in the pan looks to die for. Color on the cheek … not so much. I swear, I about got carpal tunnel swirling my blush brush over this thing, trying – desperately – to get it to release it’s beautiful lilac pinkness. I don’t even have dark skin. In fact, I’m on the lighter side of medium, and this barely showed up on me. No, I wasn’t expecting straight up purple cheeks, but come on! You are $30; now dadgum act like it.

If you’re curious, this color is called Outspoken. And I will say, once I sort of swirled enough of the ribbed impression off the top of the blush, the pigmentation increased a bit. Not gonna go out of my way to sing any praises or anything, but it did get better. Thank goodness, because y’all know I can’t be bothered to return anything back to the store.

Next up is this thing:

Now that I am a Sephora VIB Rouge, I get included on the secret emails that promote exclusive freebies with purchase. Never one to disregard an exclusive freebie, I got a sample of the Dior Dioraddict It-Lash mascara. I had it for about two seconds before I decided I needed a full tube. This stuff is awesome. It fans my lashes out like butterfly wings. I just love it. You can get your own tube now; it’s not just for VIB anymore. And I highly recommend that you should. Just do what I say. I am the boss of you.

Along with the Dior mascara, they had another VIB Rouge sample promo going on where I could pick three free deluxe trial sizes of an array of products. The next three photos is what I chose.

Why would I buy Urban Decay makeup setting spray? Cuz I don’t own any and I was curious if it actually worked. So I used it and honestly I can’t tell much because I don’t ever feel as if my makeup has fallen off. I don’t even know what that would look like. My face always has makeup on, and it always looks the same all day long. Do people actually have issues with their makeup just melting away as if nothing ever happened? Am I being naive? Am I being a butthole? Probably both.

I will say, however, that if I use a matte setting powder (currently It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores) then spray this on, my t-zone oil is less apparent. Like right now I just came in from outside where it is 90 degrees and hideous, and my forehead, nose and chin feel very dry. The good kind of dry. So perhaps there is something to this setting spray thing. I am going to do a scientific experiment tomorrow and use my setting powder and NO spray and see what happens. Because before I spent $30 on a full size bottle of this stuff, I need to know if it actually works and it’s not just the psychological brain trickery that seems to haunt me at every turn.

Another sample is this cutie pie:

It’s Benefit Fake Up Concealer. I got the shade medium and it seems to be a good choice for me. I have been using it for the past few days, and I may consider buying the full size. I like the way it blends out with my concealer brush. I probably already have a concealer that does this, but you don’t end up with hoards of makeup with that kind of logic. So we’re just gonna push that thought out of our heads immediately. And also, please disregard the fleshy hand. Who knew you could gain weight there?

You can never have too many cleansers. Here’s proof:

At one point, I owned the Boscia black illuminating mask, which was a super fun peel-off kind. Thought I’d give the matching cleanser a whirl. I haven’t used it yet as it’s in line behind 3 other cleansers, but hopefully I will use it before the end of the month. One thing to note about this cleanser, and perhaps its most endearing quality, is that it warms up as soon as you put it on your skin. I used to have a mask like that a long time ago, and I loooooved it. The warming sensation feels way better than a cooling sensation, so I’m really excited to give this a try.

Big nerd alert. Sorry.

Okay, this next item is the must luxury of all the items I’ve ever purchased:

Ummmmm, Tom Ford. That’s almost all I need to say about this, and you’d be nodding your head saying, Yes, girl, I know. Cuz that’s why you’re reading this blog: you understand. But for those that need explicit instruction, I will oblige.

Glossybox had $25 gift cards to Bergdorf Goodman in their May boxes, which I told you about (if you’ve been reading this blog like a proper human being). Well, I could have gone on their site and found something for $25 and end up getting it for free, but like a true makeup addict, I lose all sensibility and decide to buy something horrendously expensive so I could get a $25 discount instead. I mean, honestly, when would there be another chance to get a Tom Ford eyeshadow quad for $25 off? Never. These things don’t end up in the reject bin. It was my only chance.

So now I’m feeling pretty good about myself. I used it once (Silvered Topaz is the name) and it was very pretty as expected. It now rests inside it’s little brown velvet pouch inside my makeup drawer next to the Dolce & Gabbana and Dior eyeshadow compacts. Will I use it again? Probably. But more importantly, I own it. And that’s all that matters.

Below is a little Sephora haul:

Do not even ask why I bought that super dark burgundy metallic OCC Lip Tar. You already know the answer. In an effort to own all the things I had to get it as I didn’t have any OCC in the stash. But this color is gorgeous. I tried it on in the store, and wowza! If it was October and I had a big ol sweater on, this dark lip would’ve put the entire world in its place. It’s stunning. Plus, you only have to use a pin drop in order to get a full application. That’s not even an exaggeration. I will own this tube for at least 15 years. Talk about value for your money.

And if you’re of the curious kind, the color is Black Metal Dahlia.

Next item is the Buxom lip polish in the color Gabby. I love these things. I own three now. They have an addictive cool tingle that feels awesome on your lips in the summer. It literally makes you stop sweating. They don’t advertise that, but they should.

Ran out of makeup remover, so thought I’d give the Sephora brand a try. I always get the waterproof version because I feel it gets my mascara off way better than the regular kind. I’ve been using this for a couple weeks now, and I really like it. Does a great job. I think I will most likely repurchase this if I’m already in Sephora and I need some. However, for about $4 less, Ulta carries the Lumene brand and it works just as good. Never mind that Ulta and Sephora are in the same mall and I could easily go to either one to pick up eye makeup remover. I make up my own rules and exceptions to those rules, so just let it go. It’s a puzzle only I can figure out.

Last item in the Sephora haul is the new Bare Minerals Bareskin serum foundation with brush. I got a little sample of this and no sooner did I get it on my face was I out the door and standing in front of Sephora about 15 minutes before they actually opened. This is the most beautiful foundation I own, better than the Chanel (I’m sorry!) or the Shiseido (am I actually saying this?). I don’t even know if I can explain it properly, but here is my best effort:

If you have normal or dry skin, cancel all your plans today and get to Sephora or Ulta immediately. If you have slightly oily skin, get a sample first to see how it wears for you. The formula of this foundation is very liquidy and has a slight slick texture that may seem oily although it’s oil free. I have an oily t-zone, and I still love it, but I do set it pretty good with my transluscent powder. If you have oily skin all over, you may not like this. Again, try a sample and give it a shot.

The finish is just unreal. My skintone has never looked so even, and I have a very splotchy naked face. It’s not matte, and it’s not dewy, just somewhere in between. It’s lovely. Just lovely. I don’t even know why you are still reading this and not in your car on the way to the store. What are you waiting for?!

It does have an accompanying brush that I bought because it is quite unique. Looks like a flat top kabuki, but instead of it being completely flat top there is a little divot in the center, or a “well”, to drop the liquid into. I’m not sure of it’s purpose, honestly, so I think you could probably use any brush and get a great application. I will say that every time I’ve used this brush, it’s shed on me. Boo.

See below:

It’s a Z-Palette. At the time I bought this, I had nothing to put in it. I was just preparing to put stuff in it. I wanted some Makeup Geek eyeshadows, and all the beauty gurus put them in a Z-Palette. What’s good enough for them is guaranteed good enough for me. I’m easily influenced.

So I got my first batch of Makeup Geek shadows:

Picked out these colors cuz I felt they were very summery and fun. The green is called Appletini, then there is Yellow Brick Road, Last Dance is the purple-y shade, Frappe is a matte brown, and Mango Tango is the coral. These babies blend like a dream and I heart them sooo much! And now I’ve addicted myself. I have 5 more shadows on their way to me as we speak. In my defense, my Z-Palette holds 27 shadows and hell if I’m having a half empty Z-Palette. How tacky and gauche that would be. Pffft.

Last thing in the haul is more eyeshadow palettes because I can’t control my shoppin’ hand:

These are both from Sleek Makeup and they come straight from jolly ole England via the Royal Mail. Next up: lunch with the Queen. I know; so fancy! Anyway.

These i-Divine palettes are very inexpensive, about $12. There are several to choose from, and I feel I got the most varied of them all. The first one is called Snapshot and the second one is apparently limited edition (did not know!) called Lagoon. I used a few of the colors today, and they seems to be alright. I did feel like I was blending longer than necessary, but perhaps I was off my game this morning. But also I was trying to mix a yellow with a teal and a black, so maybe those need extra TLC anyway. Can’t wait to play around more and try out some very fun looks. If I go to work looking like a clown, it’s all in the name of research.

That’s it guys. Ginormous haul. But I got paid today so don’t worry, more is already on its way. I waste no time. In fact, if I’d treat every aspect of my life in the same way I treat my makeup addiction, I’d probably be President by now.

Toodles!

May14

Tales From the Mothership: A very special episode of Buying Stuff

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Dianna

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About a month or so ago, I swear I was just minding my own business. Walking through the mall, glancing in store windows, sipping an Orange Julius, getting my wedding ring cleaned. Then I spotted it. Across the foyer inside the JCPenney, the sign shone like a beacon in the night. Brilliant and dazzling. Magnetic. Calling me home.

It was a Sephora under construction. Right there amid the Petite clothing section. My heart stopped. I’m sorry, whaaaaa?!?! When did this happen and why has no one told me about it? I felt as if I’d stumbled across an oasis in the desert. I seriously had to control my legs from sprinting across the tiled floor. Cuz an out of shape, almost 40-year-old woman running without any supportive girdle-like garments is not a scene for public viewing. It hurts everyone’s eyes, trust me.

The doors were covered in a Visqueen plastic sheet, but they didn’t install it very well cuz I could totally see inside. All I had to do was peel back the sheet where it was attached with screws, bolts and super glue, and voila! Instant peepshow. All my favorites were in there. NARS, Makeup Forever, Becca, Bite … I was dying. Literally dying.

Opening day was a month away. Do you know how long a month is? Like 15 years or something. It’s ridiculous. I tried to exercise patience, but we’re talking about the opening of a Sephora not a dentist’s office. You can imagine how hard it was. In fact, I peeked behind the Visqueen at least 12 more times. Also got on the escalator a once, twice or 18 separate occasions so I could glance over the top. Since it’s a roofless store, that makes perfect sense. Otherwise, I’d look like a crazy person.

Finally the day arrived. Walking through those doors felt like taking your first breath or feeling the sun on your face after a thousand years of winter. I spent an extraordinary two hours just browsing the front of the store. That’s not an exaggeration. Sales ladies kept checking on me because I was there so long, reminding me there was a whole other half I hadn’t even looked at yet. Oh, I was quite aware, trust me. I just didn’t want to miss out on anything so I was taking extra special mental notes.

And when I tell you I was fawned over, I was freaking fawned over. I got a full foundation application, free samples made for me, they told me they loved me. Everybody was just so happy and excited in there. For a second I’m thinking, Willy Wonka’s in here somewhere isn’t he? I’m going to turn around and Willy Wonka will just be standing there handing out golden tickets. He runs the chocolate factory AND Sephora. And why wouldn’t he? That place is magical.

So here is my loot in all it’s beautiful, radiant glory. A couple of pieces were mailed, but it all came from Sephora:

The Caudalie Polyphenol serum is one of those free gifts with purchase. It’s a month supply of anti-wrinkle and vitamin C goodness. And it comes with a dropper to make it super scientific and fancy. I haven’t used it yet because I am working on another serum sample right now, but it’s coming up next. I’ve loved every Caudalie product I’ve used so far, so I’m sure this will be no exception.

Picked up a Bite Beauty lipstick in the shade Shiraz which is like a brownish-plum color. Not very springy but I didn’t want red, hot pink, coral or nude … so what is left? This one. And I like it. The color suits me, but the texture of the lipstick is probably the best I’ve ever felt. Doesn’t dry on your lips, which is my lipstick pet peeve. I recommend var var mucho.

While I was getting my foundation did, the sales lady asked me what my favorite moisturizer was, and I looked at her like she was cray. Obviously she has no idea how many different moisturizers I use, so much that I couldn’t even answer this question properly. I stammered, mostly. Then she gave up on me and picked out her favorite to apply on my face – Ole Henriksen’s Nurture Me. And of course it felt amazing, smelled amazing, was amazing. So I own it now. But you knew that’s how this story would end. I’m nothing if not predictable.

The foundation she applied was the Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo. I had been curious about this for months. It’s a full coverage matte foundation and I really wanted to see how I’d look without pores, freckles or splotches of any kind. Lemme just say I looked okay. I wasn’t in love or anything. But didn’t hate it either. So naturally I bought it cuz that’s just how bad my mental illness is.

One lipgloss I knew I had to have the moment I saw it was the Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in the shade Trixie. It’s this beautiful golden pink and it reminds me of summer. Looks very fresh and youthful on the lips, and if there’s anything I wanna pretend to be, it’s almost always fresh and youthful.

Got another lipstick, and kind of stepped out of my comfort zone with the Too Faced Melted in Melted Peony. This is a pink, not hot pink but verging on Barbie pink. It’s surprisingly pretty. It’s very opaque and bold, which I love, although the longer it wears on your lips, the chalkier it becomes. That part is a bummer, but if you just keep reapplying and everything will be okay. You might not get anything else done on your to-do list, but at least your lips will look lovely.

I bought the most ridiculous mascara on the planet. I read on some site that Dior Diorshow Blackout was the best mascara for short, sparse lashes. Well, I perked up immediately. Anything to help my hopeless eyelash situation, I instantly need. Lemme tell you, this mascara is thick. Like pudding. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But it is thick. And you gotta be super careful when applying or you’re gonna get some crazy spider leg lashes. However, this mascara gives me the best length and volume of any other mascara I own regardless of anything else. So you take the bad with the good and deal with it. Cuz it’s mostly good. It’ll be my special occasion mascara.

I wanted to play around with some pretty spring eyeliner colors so I picked up the Stila smudge stick in the Periwinkle shade. I wore this over the weekend and it’s so pretty. I paired it with some champagne eyeshadow so it really stood out. I feel like I wanna get some other colors now. They have a turquoise and an emerald that are doing their very best at tempting me.

Last item in the picture is a lip balm by Tokyomilk in the Coco Noir scent. Has a blend of rum, cocoa and cherry and it smells very exotic and masculine. It’s hard to describe the scent, but even harder to describe the texture because I’ve never felt anything else quite like it. Don’t know if I love it cuz it’s just so different. I don’t hate it though, in fact I like it a lot. But is it love? I’m not thinking so. In other words, we can make out but we’re not soul mates. Moving on.

The below item is one I ordered online and it’s var var beautiful:

See! Oh my gawd. It’s the Dolce & Gabbana eyeshadow quad in the shade Elegance. If this doesn’t scream Spring! to you, then you need your eyes checked. It’s glorious. And even better in person. I can’t even believe I own this because it’s just so lovely. I wanna walk around with my eyelids shut all day so others can enjoy it as well. If anyone wants to help me make that happen (i.e., as human seeing-eye dog), let me know. Thanks.

Oh, wait. There’s more! I did make a second trip to Sephora only a mere few days later. And picked up these little goodies:

I am a little slow on the bandwagon, but in my defense I’ve only been buying makeup since September. But I finally decided to get the Benefit Coralista blush. This color is so pretty! Looks very natural on the cheeks. I would wear it everyday if I didn’t have 23 other blushes giving me the stink eye. So gotta be fair and spread the love. But next time I’m wearing brown clothes, this blush is MINE.

Picked up the Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub. Let me preface this by saying this is not a very good lip scrub. But if you like the smell of cherries and big into soft, gentle textures, this is a great product. Sephora gave me a sample of this during my first trip. Had I not used a sample first, I would’ve bought this thinking it was going to get rid of all my peeling, dry lip problems – and I would’ve been disappointed. But this feels very nice going on the lips, even though the exfoliating beads are few and far between. I’m not even sure what is the point in calling it a scrub because it wouldn’t blow eraser crumbs off a sheet of paper much less remove dead skin off your lips. However, I like the way it feels and the smell is heavenly so naturally I’m spending $18 on a product that does not do what it claims but still like anyway. Again, mental illness.

Last in the batch is the Kat Von D Autograph eyeliner. I wanted this because I’m in search of an eyeliner that won’t disappear from my inner rim. I’ve tried lots, and the Sumita brand is the closest I’ve gotten so far. But I was told the Kat Von D would be a good one, and it was only $10 so I felt as if either way, I’ve saved money. Well, I must have super wet eyeballs or just bad juju because this thing does not work for me at all. Within an hour, the eyeliner had already started to wear off even though it is waterproof. Sad face. Still on my mission, I guess.

I’ve saved the best for last, y’all! I just want everyone to know I’ve made a success of my life. Mom, you can rest now; your job is done. Whatever else happens, no one can take this away from me:

Highest level at Sephora now. I’ve made it! This is like an Academy Award or something. I haven’t been this excited since I got my gold card at Starbucks – which I flash at every given opportunity. Royalty at the cash register people; step aside! So I imagine this card will be pulled out of my wallet frequently, and maybe not even just at Sephora. I might “accidentally” drop it while in line at Walmart, or maybe try to pay with it at Home Depot – oops, sorry, wrong card, I’m so silly. I mean, I did a lot to earn this thing so I would like a little time to blatantly enjoy it. Thanks.

So that’s it. Hope everyone is still awake and excited to go out and buy some stuff! I will be back tomorrow for some box reviews. But for now I’m going to go put my wrists in ice water cuz I feel carpal tunnel setting in. Have a great day!

Apr10

Buying Stuff: Episode 10

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Dianna

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I would say I need to quit buying stuff, but we all know that will never, ever happen. Buying stuff is the gas that keeps me going. If I can’t look forward to opening my mailbox in the evening, then what is the point of life? I ask you: what is the point?

So here’s a few things that came in my Sephora box:

In yet another attempt to own all the things, I have added a couple new ones to the pile. First item is the resurfacing mask by Tata Harper. I hadn’t really heard much about the Tata Harper brand. But this mask comes in a pretty green jar, and that was enough persuasion for me. And then upon further research I discovered it won an Elle beauty award. So at this point, nothing else mattered. I bought the Tata Harper and it’s simply lovely.

The jar, that is. I haven’t used the insides. I have no idea when that will actually take place. Owning all the things doesn’t necessarily mean using all the things. Do you need to take a minute to write all this down in your notebook? I’ll wait.

…

Okay, next new brand is the Shiseido foundation in a stick. Who doesn’t love things on sticks? Corn dogs, lollipops, deep fried chocolate dipped twinkies. Those may not come on sticks, but they are delicious! Anyway. The foundation. Back in October, I got color matched at Sephora using their Pantone camera device. They gave me my color number (1R07) and now I can input this number on Sephora’s website and up pops a myriad of foundations that will match my skin tone perfectly. No more guessing! This is ingenious, in my opinion. If you haven’t done it, GO.

So I ordered this foundation knowing with a 100% certainly it would be my color. And you know what: it is. It almost disappears into my skin after swiping it on without even blending. It’s perfect. I was nervous because I am a medium skin tone, but the color match was a natural fair ivory. But I decided to trust the Color IQ system and so glad I did. Obviously the colors run dark, so FYI for those that need to know.

Let’s talk mascara. You know how I have about 27 tubes or something like that? And how I’m always in search of that one mascara to beat all mascaras? Well, I think I’m getting pretty close with this one. YSL‘s Babydoll mascara is so amazing y’all. The brush is small so you can really get down to business. My lashes get fanned out and lengthened nicely, which is what is always missing with so many of the mascaras I try. I’m so happy to have this, it’s worth every penny of the $30 I spent on it. And if my husband’s reading this, I meant $3 not $30. Silly auto-correct.

And because I don’t ever have enough masks in my life, I picked up the First Aid Beauty red clay peel-off one. For those with twitching fingers, a peel-off mask is the perfect thing to soothe you. Nothing is more fun than peeling something off your skin. Dried glue doesn’t happen as much anymore, and now that I’m older, sunburns – while still 100% satisfying to peel – are not the ideal way to go. You know, skin cancer and whatnot. So what is left but a peel-off mask? And if they happen to rip off my tiny mustache while we’re at it, that’s just bonus points. In other words, so excited to use this. One day. After all my other masks get their turn first.

Sigh. My life is so hard.

Last item in the picture is something I got off Amazon. After sampling the tube of Coola sunscreen in my Birchbox and discovering how much I loved it, well what is the natural next step? This stuff is not cheap, but I did find a tube on Amazon for about $8 cheaper and free shipping so I don’t feel too bad. Actually, I don’t feel bad at all. It is sunscreen – a vital and crucial part of life – and therefore a medical necessity. That = JUSTIFIED. Any questions?

Next batch of goodies came from Ulta after they sent me a 20% coupon that I did not need. However, that is irrelevant at all times. Here’s what I picked up:

I went in primarily for the Stila liquid eyeliner pen. I wanted to get a green one. Why for? Just cuz. You know how we girls do. Actually, I was thinking how I really liked the look of my blue Chella liquid eyeliner, even though its pen tip is the biggest fail known to man. Someone on Instagram had said Stila had a great pen and in lots of pretty colors. Well, that’s all you have to say. I’m on it immediately. I really impress myself with how quickly I can get things done. Not housework, but the other stuff. Well, just makeup stuff. Everything else is a crapshoot.

Back to the eyeliner. I picked up the Moss color, which is like a hunter green. I applied it and it went on so smoothly, was so pigmented, and I didn’t have to do the toilet paper swipe thingy in order to keep the color flowing in the nib. It was heaven. My holy grail probably. No, definitely. And then, as an added bonus because I wasn’t even checking for this, it didn’t feather out on my inner eye like every single other liquid eyeliner does that I’ve tried. A miracle! God wasn’t resting on the 7th day – he was creating the Stila eyeliner and making my life very very happy indeed.

And as if I needed another cream blush in my stash (I did), I picked up a lovely peachy color by Butter London called Honey Pie. I picked this up on a whim because they had it out on display and I passed by it on accident. They really shouldn’t put things on end-caps. Dangerous territory, those end-caps are. Also, shelves of things near the check-out registers. Bad, horrible. Just like window displays, the little set-ups in the front of the store that highlight the specials, all the rows of products lining the walls and filling up the insides, the stuff in the middle and the left and right sides. All that is bad, horrible, dangerous territory. If you can somehow float near the ceiling without seeing or touching anything, that might be the only safe thing.

Last thing I got was the Benefit The Big Easy BB Cream. A spontaneous purchase, as I never intended to buy this as I have plenty other BB creams to tend to. But the packaging was irresistable, they had them on display (right in the front – see, I told you), and if I ever walk out of Ulta with just two things, something is seriously seriously wrong. One thing to note is the color range runs a little light. I would normally get the light-medium shade, but the medium actually worked best. However, the shades are self-adjusting, so even if I had chosen wrong I still think it would’ve turned out okay. The finish looked very nice on my skin, like a powder but not flat. Coverage was light, but probably buildable. I say probably because I never build my foundations. If I gotta put two coats of foundation on, I’d never get out of the house in the morning. It’s best to just get it right the first time. So, I liked this product a lot. Dry skin people may not because of the powder finish, but for my oily skin peeps – this one’s got your name on it.

That’s enough for now. I actually have more haul pics but I feel as if some of you may already be asleep. We will continue our discussion tomorrow. Hoorah!

Snacks On Rotation

surprisingly, not a food blog

Tag Archives: blush

Buying Stuff: Blush Edition

Buying Stuff: Episode 25

Buying Stuff: Episode 24

Buying Stuff: Episode 23

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Birthday Haul: Part 3

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

Tales From the Mothership: A very special episode of Buying Stuff

Buying Stuff: Episode 10

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