Tag Archives: eyeshadow

Jul16

Buying Stuff: Episode 26

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Dianna

Insider Tip #257: When you go to your annual skin check at the Dermatologist’s office, plan ahead and make sure you’re wearing your nice underwear. Because regardless of who is looking at you almost naked, it’s less uncomfortable if you’re not sporting a baggy, pilled-up cotton, 6-year-old pair of underpants. Not that I know firsthand or anything, I just randomly thought of it and figured it’d be a handy little tip worth sharing.

Look, I bought eyeshadow!

This is the Givenchy Prisme Quatuor eyeshadow quad in #7 Tentation and IT. IS. TERRIBLE. It is also the only time I’ve ever received something that I put actual effort towards returning. Well, would you spend $58 on something that doesn’t work AT ALL and then store it away under your bathroom counter for the next 15 years? I mean, I would cuz I’m ridiculous, but would YOU? Cuz when you’re Givenchy there’s a certain expectation to uphold, and this was not it. Pigmentation was seriously lacking; even the glittery green looked muddy and matte on the eyelid. These colors should have been beautiful. And for once, the reviews on the Sephora site agrees with me. I can’t speak for the other quads, however, but Buyer Beware. This also has a six month shelf life, so what started out bad just got worse.

And now for a high quality, professional photograph:

Hush. I know. In my defense, I accidentally deleted the pic off my phone so I had to screenshot it from my Instagram, then crop it. I went to a lot of trouble to present it for you. Even more trouble when I tell you I’ve only used it one time.

I’m having bad luck with eyeshadow palettes lately, especially ones from designers. However, this Tory Burch one in Cat’s Meow isn’t as bad as the Givenchy. All of these shades had pigmentation, but the payoff wasn’t as impressive as I thought they’d be. Surprisingly, the two darker shades on the bottom looked about the same on my eyelid even though they clearly are not. The tones of them are more muted than vibrant, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending on what you prefer. They give you a more smoky effect than anything else, and they kind of wore off my eyeball by the end of the day (even with primer). I am going to pull it out again this week and have another stab at it. It cost me $60 so something tells me it’s the right thing to do.

I need to stop buying expensive eyeshadow palettes. Case in point:

It’s the NARS Dual Intensity eyeshadow palette and it cost $79, which is clear evidence I make very poor decisions. Yes, it’s pretty. Yes, it’s limited edition (and therefore puts me in a brainwashed kind of panic). But pigmentation on these is not as vibrant like you’d expect and I don’t find myself reaching for it much if at all ever. The shadows can be used wet or dry, and when wet they do give off a much better, bolder color. But who wants to be messing around with water in their eyeshadow? Cuz although this palette is made to get wet, I’d somehow manage to ruin it.

These are pretty:

This is an eye look I created using the Colourpop Supershock eyeshadows in the Shaaanxo collection. I will admit I bought this because I watch Shaaanxo on YouTube, and if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I do everything YouTube tell me to do. So these eyeshadows are interesting. First of all, they’re like $5 so super affordable. But they are unlike any other eyeshadow I’ve ever had. They are like a cream/powder hybrid. They are kind of wet like a cream, a bit squishy when you poke your finger into them (the fun part!), but you can apply them like powder. Granted, your fingers are the best tools to use with these shadows, but have you ever tried to blend your inner corner with a ginormous sausage finger? It’s nigh on impossible. I stick with brushes and somehow make it work.

More evidence that YouTube has made me its bitch:

What normal person has heard of Viseart cosmetics? Nobody. Unless you are a makeup artist – a real one, not one of those pretend ones on Instagram. So when I saw another of my Beauty Gurus swatching this Sultry Muse palette – who then had the audacity to tell me where I could go buy one of my very own since Sephora decided to do us all a favor and start carrying the line – I took about 1.5 seconds to think about it before I threw it in the shopping cart. And yes, they are gorgeous. They are everything you’d want an eyeshadow to be – buttery, pigmented, blendable. So naturally they cost a billion dollars (or $80, but close enough). Can’t say I’m too regretful. I don’t mind spending money on something I like. I’d rather get it for free, but if that’s not available, what choice do I have? Sephora is constantly out of stock on these – they are very much an in demand product. Which means you are panicking and NEED TO BUY ONE RIGHT AWAY. Or maybe that’s just what my brain does.

How about another photo of my eye:

I did not hear good things about the Hourglass Modernist eyeshadow palettes but I just felt like spending $58 on something. One thing for sure, the pattern molded into the palette is enough to suck you in. I love how ripple-y it looks. When I saw that, nothing else mattered. Is that shallow? Probably.

There are 7 palettes in the collection and I picked Color Field, the green one. Amidst the flurry of no-pigmentation claims, I created the eye look you see above and I was quite impressed. I thought there was plenty of pigmentation, and everything blended together so nicely. Perhaps some of the other palettes are not as good, but Color Field worked just fine. Granted, I used it just one time then stored it under my bathroom counter never to be see again, but THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

Speaking of pigmentation, I give you these:

Do you hear angels? I do. These are the Makeup Geek Foiled eyeshadows and they are the best most pigmented, vibrant, luscious eyeshadows on the face of the planet. This is not a joke. One gentle swipe is all you need for maximum payoff. They have an almost wet texture to them – apparently they have a higher oil content – and certain brushes give you better application. The MAC #239 or any of its dupes works really well. Or you can use your fingers, but again I don’t prefer that method. If you don’t have the MAC one or a dupe, any shader brush that has dense bristles will work.

There are a couple of cons though. The price for one eyeshadow is $10 so if you want to own the entire current collection, that’s $200 out of your pocket. I’m not saying I spent the last few months buying every single Makeup Geek eyeshadow available or anything, but I probably did. It didn’t hurt as bad until I got to the foiled shadows. Ouchie. But once I start on a project, I literally have to finish it because my OCD says so. Yes, I’m quite aware I have a problem.

The other con is these shadows are very delicate and can crumble on you with no warning. I swear I haven’t been throwing them around the room – they’ve been sitting gently in a Z-Palette the entire time – but two of my shadows have random chunks coming out of them. Not a huge deal since you can just press them back into the pan, but it is kind of annoying. And since they are $10 each, any crumb missing might as well be the Hope Diamond or something.

Let’s end on a bummer, shall we?

Who wants to buy a palette that looks like a quilt on the inside? Me! And who wants to pay $96 for it? Me! Wait … wait?! I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought the By Terry Eye Designer palette but I’m pretty sure it has 97.93766% to do with that stupid pattern stamped into the eyeshadow. Who’s the most ridiculous person on the planet? I’m not even gonna answer that question cuz you already know.

These are new and come in two styles. I bought the #2 Color Design because of the vibrant fun colors. And yes, it is a beauty to look at. And makes a very cool Instagram photo as evident by the 81 likes it’s currently received. But good gracious it’s pricey! And to be honest, I don’t think it’s worth it. Sure it looks fancy, but I did not find the pigmentation on any of these to be particularly good. Or not $96 worth of good. And I don’t know about you, but if I’m spending that much money on anything, it bygod better be the best thing that’s ever been invented. I’m keeping it until I die though because I figure eventually I’ll use it at least one more time by then. Hashtag JUSTIFIED.

In case you haven’t noticed but I’m extremely behind this month already. What is time? Where does it go? I dunno, guys. Sometimes I just paint my nails for three hours in the evening instead of doing something important. Although painting my nails is pretty important, but I imagine my husband thinks scooping cat poop is more important. He is WRONG. Bye Friends!

Dec15

Buying Stuff: Episode 23

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

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!

Nov19

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Current status: still freezing. But thanks for checking. I’ll just be over here wearing socks with my heels, sitting on a heating pad, holding my hand around my nose to keep it warm. Or, looking like an idiot, as it is commonly known.

Gratefully, the weather is supposed to get warmer in the next few days, so perhaps my pouting and whining will calm down a bit. Until the next polar vortex that makes it way through, that is. Me and Winter? We ARE. NOT. friends.

In brighter news, I bought stuff:

A little mini Inglot haul! I picked up a lip paint in shade 59 (in the purple family), a gel eyeliner in shade 82 (also in the purple family; kind of a dark periwinkle), and a pigment in shade 56 (a teal). I have decided that I love Inglot so much. The gel eyeliners are the creamiest and best I’ve ever used. They don’t set for 60 seconds, which works fantastically for me because I am never satisfied with my line on the first swipe. In fact, I need a good 20 minutes – but I’ll accept 60 seconds. I challenge you to buy one of these and then disagree with me. It’s impossible I tell you; they’re amazing. And if you think otherwise, well then you are WRONG. There’s no other way to put it.

I adore the pigments. I reviewed them in my Vegas haul if you’ll recall (and if you don’t, click here), and I still feel very much the same. They are stunning, vibrant, and beautiful. I now own four, and that’s a far cry from the zero amount I’ve owned in the past (i.e., my entire life) (i.e., forty years if you’re counting).

I’ve only purchased this one lip paint, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a lipstick or a lip gloss. It’s a very pretty color, but it sheers out somewhat on the lips which makes me think it’s a gloss. But it’s not really sticky. It’s creamy, but not thick. Either way, though, I like it and I might end up buying some more.

More fun with purple. See below:

This is the Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quad in Glamour Muse. I am so happy that Charlotte Tilbury is now being sold in the U.S. I don’t even know why, as I hadn’t even heard of her until someone on YouTube mentioned her one time. I’m gonna say it’s most likely cuz I wasn’t able to purchase her products that made me want to buy her products. Don’t tell me I can’t have something. That creates a panic in me so fierce that I could probably bend steel rods with sheer OCD force or something. Which I suppose is pretty genius marketing on their part. And also how I ended up with this quad.

Okay, I’m torn about it. At first glance, it’s super pretty. The sparkle is just right. But I bought this because I wanted something PURPLE not just purple. And the vibrant looking shade does not transfer that well onto your eyeball. How unfortunate, for me and for all of the world. Now, if you like a more subtle purple, by all means buy this quad with confidence. Do not be afraid. It will probably most likely be the perfect purple for you.

On a happier note, the longer I wore it (and the more often I stared at myself), the more I actually started to enjoy the eye look. So it turned out alright in the end. It just wasn’t what I was expecting in the beginning, that’s all.

And then! I bought this:

I love having a Color IQ number with Sephora because it tells me when new foundations come out that will match my skin tone. If you haven’t gotten your Color IQ done, I’m pretty sure you’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident, cuz anyone who’s everyone who loves makeup is (or should be) doing this. If you like taking out guesswork, making shopping easy, buying foundation from the comfort of your home without fear and while wearing pajamas, that is.

So here is the Dior Diorskin Star foundation in 32 Rosy Beige. For me, this is a really nice product. It’s pretty lightweight, probably about a medium coverage. Has a nice finish – not matte but not luminous – somewhere in between. It claims to be brightening, which I didn’t really catch, but that might have more to do with my horrid complexion to start with. That’s the problem with a lot of supposedly nice foundations. You can’t put them on top of skin like mine and expect fabulous – it just doesn’t happen very often. So, yeah, I wasn’t wowed or anything. It didn’t knock my socks off. It didn’t make me feel supermodelly (like the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection or Givenchy Photo’Perfexion does). So this foundation will be in my second tier – a high quality, better than average, no IT factor foundation.

I bought a brush:

A Wayne Goss #7 lip brush to be exact. I bought this to go with the Inglot lip paint, as I didn’t feel like going all hillbilly fingers into the pot. We use brushes like refined ladies in here, people. Or else.

What can I really say about a lip brush other than it applies lip stuff? Not much. But I will say the edges are very thin, so if you’re really good at using a lip brush I’d think this one would do a pretty good job for you. Other uses of this brush include gel or powder eyeliner application. I tried the gel version, and you know what? I really suck at gel eyeliner. But others who don’t suck might find this brush a dream. It has somewhat stiff bristles so they don’t go flopping all over the place and allows for some nice precision.

Look at this beauty:

This is the Marc Jacobs Sky-Liner Highliner gel eye crayons kit. Let me preface this by saying this kit is a limited edition. However, the eyeliners themselves are not, so even if it’s 17 months into the future and you are reading this blog, this review should still apply. Unless Marc Jacobs goes out of business, so in that case, kindly carry on.

I love these eyeliners. They are very creamy and easy to apply. The shimmer is beautiful. They last for a very long time on the upper eyelid or below the lower eyelashes. On my waterline, though, they did not last as long. Kind of went patchy in the afternoon. But I have very wet eyeballs so that’s probably the reason. I’ve yet to find an eyeliner with hardcore staying power – the Sumita Beauty one comes the closest, but I’m still on my mission. Regardless, though, these are some pretty, good quality liners and you should go ahead and throw them in your basket.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy the travel size of this item:

It’s the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, and if you try it once you will fall madly in love, then wrestle with your conscience regarding the $105 full-size price. Or you can ignore yourself like I usually do. It’s your risk to take. But I swear, I have no idea what this stuff is made of – okay I do; it’s made of thermal mud from the Hungarian Moors – but it’s truly magical. Has an odd little smell verging on licorice, but I’m most likely conjuring licorice due to its black color. Anyway, I use a very small amount and apply it all over my face. The texture is soothing, soft, velvety smooth. Wiping it off is even better cuz then you are left with the skin of a baby’s bottom. At this point, you’re under its spell and your shopping hand starts to get itchy. Also, it removes makeup very well, but that’s beside the point now isn’t it?

I have since bought an Omorovicza travel kit that includes another jar of this balm. I’m hoping by the time I’m done with both jars, my fascination will have been satisfied and I will no longer feel the pull of buying the full size. Because honestly, I don’t WANT to pay that much for a cleanser. Although, I suppose I will if I won’t leave myself alone about it. I can be soooo super annoying sometimes.

If you like colorful eyeshadows, you should buy this:

Ack! I die. This Urban Decay Vice 3 palette is just lovely. That gorgeous green on the top row is what caught my eye initially. And the golds and purples. There are hearts in my eyes right now. I had no issues with pigmentation or blendability. Fallout was pretty minimal if at all. And it comes in a cutesy little iPad case to help make your shopping decision even easier.

So many stunning looks can come out of this palette. My favorite (other than the green of course) is using Lucky – which is the color of a new penny – all over the lid, then adding Alchemy – a bold raspberry – in the outer v. Of course, I’m sure some makeup artist could do it even better, but I was pretty proud of my invention. Pretty sure Urban Decay is about to call me. Or Vogue.

Behold, look what else:

Is your mouth hanging open? Mine is. It’s the new Gucci makeup, specifically the eyeshadow duo in Fume. It’s shockingly beautiful, very luxurious, fancy schmancy, and ooh la la. Practically too pretty to even use, what with all those little Gs stamped into the shadow. However, I did use it – just once so far – and lemme just say that sometimes I question my own makeup skills. How could something this lovely not turn out even more lovely once applied? There was more pigmentation in the pan than on the eye. What did I do wrong? I suppose I could’ve wet my brush first to see if that made it better, but putting something wet into something dry gives me anxiety, like there’s a never-turning-back event about to happen, and it stops me from doing it. That’s most likely the #1 reason I hate washing my hair. Which has nothing to do with this eyeshadow, but still.

I’ll keep playing with it. I’m determined to not give up. I’ll do it for my people (that’s you), so you will continue reading (and loving) this blog.

We’re at the end. You’ve made it. Now wasn’t that fun? Be sure to come back again and again cuz I write updates all the time. You won’t want to miss out on anything. Trust me.

Nov6

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

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.

Oct31

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Who makes the decision to repave the street in front of my house on Halloween? And then tells us we have to park our cars elsewhere until it dries? How am I supposed to get home? There’s only one way in and one way out of my neighborhood, so it looks like I be walking through fields, barefoot and in 10 feet of snow. Blah.

But most importantly, how is FedEx supposed to deliver my four Sephora orders today? I mean, you know that’s the part that’s really killing me right?

Anyway, my long awaited Las Vegas haul has arrived. Thanks for your patience while I went on vacation for three weekends in a row. But just look at what you’ve waited for:

This is the NARS Audacious lipstick in the shade Dominique, and it almost didn’t happen. I was watching a YouTube video several weeks prior to Vegas, and one of my gurus was going on and on about how fabulous this particular shade of lipstick is. It’s a muted purple – or a purple mixed with a skosh of grey – or it’s just very pretty. Any of those three. And so I went to buy it but nobody had it. Apparently, it’s an exclusive shade for Barney’s New York (aside from NARS) and it was sold out in both places online. Aack! This created a panic in me like nobody’s business. I mean, I don’t live in a big city. The fanciest store we have is a Macy’s, and not even a two-story one. How am I ever going to get my hands on this lipstick then?

You go to Vegas.

Wandering through the Forum Shops inside Caesar’s Palace, and I almost missed it. Gawking off to my right while passing the NARS store on the left. Thankfully I turned my head just in time. It’s so funny going into a store where the salesladies start gearing up for their spiel, and I’m holding my hand up like shuushhhhhh. I already know what I’m looking for; I’m a woman on a mission.

Turns out, they had three tubes left. And then the heavens opened up and angels began to sing. It truly was a miracle moment. I might as well have stumbled upon the last Golden Ticket, or maybe the cup that Jesus drank out of, for how exciting and miraculous this was.

If you like creamy, pigmented lipstick then you will love these. There are a ton of colors that are widely available on lots of sites, Sephora included. I just can’t guarantee you’ll find Dominique. Which is unfortunate because it’s the most beautiful. You’re welcome for the rave review anyway.

You know how when you’re in Vegas, money doesn’t feel like actual money? As in, your $100 blackjack money is traded for a stack of chips, which might as well be Monopoly chips considering how quickly and recklessly they are lost. Well, that’s what happened when I did this:

It’s Cle de Peau. I ain’t even going to tell you what these two things cost because it is the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard. But VACATION. What other excuse do I have?

I walked into the Barney’s at the Palazzo just to “see” which my husband should know is international sign language for an Impending Shopping Event. Cuz nobody goes to just “see.” They go to shop on accident. It sounds less purposeful that way, and whatever ensues afterward is “not my fault.”

Browsed for literally half a second when I bagged this shimmery eyeshadow quad in #308. Oh, lawd, the purples! Had to have it, even though the eyeshadow and compact are sold separately. Honestly, that’s a horrible thing to do to someone isn’t it? Thinking they’re getting a whole complete thing, but turns out the very important holder portion is missing. Do I buy soda at a restaurant and they bring it to me without the holder? How about a hot dog – you expect the bun too, right? Of course you do, cuz this is America and you have a right to get a bun with your hot dog.

I rest my case.

Anyway, I bought both the eyeshadow and compact.

And then the saleslady has the audacity to suggest their award-winning concealer. As she is applying it on my undereye, she is telling me how it’s the Concealer to the Stars (i.e., Kim Kardashian) and OMG, it looks so amazing! Well, you can’t do either of those things PLUS win beauty awards and not expect me to buy it. I mean, I am no superhuman.

For those curious, I picked the shade Beige which looks pretty good. The formula is like a cream-to-powder and works best if you have moisturized first. It covers dark circles nicely but not completely – so don’t be expecting no miracle despite the fact it costs a fortune. Unless you have the undereye of a 14-year-old that is.

Had to pop into Sephora because I know the Vegas one will sell wayyyyy more brands than the one in my hometown. That’s the only thing I was interested in – products that are’t readily available to me. So here’s what I got:

Okay, the Marc Jacobs O!Mega mascara was a freebie and I do have access to this at home. But I traded in 100 Sephora points cuz I was curious. This turned out to be one of the best makeup decisions I’ve ever made. I absolutely LOVE this mascara. It fans out my lashes, fattens them up and lengthens them so beautifully. This may be my favorite, although it’s hard to top my Charlotte Tilbury.

I know mascara is very personal because what works for one may not work for another. We all have different eyelashes. Mine are sparse, thin and itty bitty. And what the O!Mega does for me is nothing short of awesome. It has size-increasing ingredients in it, and I highly highly highly recommend.

Next thing I picked up is the Dior Capture Totale makeup base (primer). Again, I have access to Dior where I live. I suppose you could say I got a little sidetracked inside Sephora. Var var easy to do as I’m sure you know. Time isn’t even a real thing once you step inside. I don’t even know why I got this because certainly I didn’t need yet another foundation primer? (If you considered that an actual question, you might’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident.)

This primer has a lot of skincare in it, with anti-aging ingredients and UV protection. It’s pinkish white tint actually brightens my face up a bit when I use it, which I kind of like. I don’t have much more of an opinion at this point because I’ve only used it a handful of times. It doesn’t spread really well over dry skin – I had to pat it on instead of smooth it on – so if you don’t have combo skin at the minimum, ask Sephora for a sample first before spending real money on it. Of course, I bought it practically sight unseen cuz in Vegas there is no such thing as real money.

Finally I get around to the brands I don’t have easy access to. Picked up the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill eyeshadow quad in #3 Pantelleria. I didn’t even know Sephora carried Giorgio Armani. I was actually able to get color matched to the Luminous Silk foundation, where I found the shade I own (5.5) is not the shade I should be wearing (5.25), and even though the one I own works just fine, the fact that it’s not my shade makes me want to spend another $60 to buy the right one. OCD is a real problem, as you can clearly see. Also, run-on sentences.

But back to the eye quad. It is truly beautiful. I wanted to pick colors that wasn’t my normal purple or green, and I just love the teal. Very smooth application, easy to blend. I’m really happy I bought this. It’s one of the best luxury eye quads I’ve ever purchased.

Then I saw the Givenchy Photo’Perfexion Fluid Foundation and quickly decided the 39 foundations I own is not enough. At this point it had nothing to do with the foundation itself, but more the fact that I needed to own all the things. Got color matched to the shade Perfect Cinnamon, which surprised me for some reason. The word “cinnamon” does not evoke a light to medium skin tone in my mind, but it worked. Took it back to my hotel room and did a quick trial run. And was promptly amazed. The finish on this is extraordinary. Claims to do what digital retouching would do, and I would say that’s pretty close to accurate. Remember how splotchy and hideous my naked skin is? So yeah, you might wanna buy this. Out of 39 foundations, it’s in my top 3.

After all this shopping, I dragged my poor husband into one last place: the Inglot store. And here’s what happened:

In my defense, they had a couch there so he could sit and Facebook or play Fantasy Football or whatever it is that boys do. I decided to try out a couple of their pure pigment eyeshadows because I was mesmerized by seeing them in person. Swatched a few on my hand and was blown away by the intense color. I picked a purple/gold glitter and a burgundy. Both stunning. I’ve used these in real life situations since Vegas, and I’m in deep passionate love. I like to apply them as liner under my lower lashes, and you don’t know the true definition of “pop of color” until you’ve used an Inglot pigment. Plus, they’re like $14. Practically free!

The whole point of my Inglot visit, however, was to see their freedom system eyeshadows up close and personal. There’s no way I could create my customized eyeshadow palette by looking at thumbnail pictures online. It would be overwhelming at the very least. So, I chose the 10-pan palette and got to work. I did the responsible thing and selected a matte crease color and browbone color because every palette requires one. Then decided to create two quads – a orange/brown one and a purple/green one. The quality is very nice. I thought each shade was nicely pigmented and blended well. And the fact they are only $7 each – well, who’s gonna say no to that? (Crazy people.)

Remember how I turned 40 at the end of August and that we’ve been celebrating that fact for at least 2 months? Well, I made sure to remind my husband (lest he forget) that the whole point of Vegas was to go out with a bang. I mean, how many times do you turn 40 in your life? Two, three times, tops?

Well we were passing all these fancy stores – Gucci, Dior, Prada – and I kept jokingly asking what he was buying me. And I don’t know if he was just tired of hearing me or if he’d planned it all along, but oh my God, LOOK:

Happy 40th birthday to ME. Now if I can manage not to sit on these or leave them in a restaurant bathroom or something, that’s yet to be seen. I’ve never had a mishap with my $16 pair, but you know how you can totally hold your breath for 17 seconds until someone actually asks you to hold your breath for 17 seconds and then it’s nigh on impossible? I’m a little concerned about that.

Well, thanks guys for hanging out with me and for making it to the very end of this post. You rock, and if it weren’t for you, I’d be talking to myself and that’s A) weird and B) sad.

See you tomorrow!

Oct13

Buying Stuff: Episode 20

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

I absolutely cannot wait to share my Las Vegas haul with you guys. The products I bought are what dreams are made of. Well, my dreams, that is. However, because I’ve been meaning to post some other products for several weeks now, I suppose I’ll do it first. So, presenting, THAT OTHER HAUL THAT ISN’T AS EXCITING. (But still awesome.)

I do love me some eyeshadow. I want to own every palette that’s ever been made. I’m addicted, I’m fully aware, but you should see it all. They are like my little eyeshadow children, and I love each and every one of them. These right here are no exception.

I would never guess I would love an $11 drugstore eyeshadow palette. But this Maybelline The Nudes one is awesome. Every color is wearable, blendable, colorful. It is, quite literally, one of my favorite palette purchases. Isn’t that strange that something so inexpensive – it was even on sale for $7 when I picked it up – could turn out to be more precious than my $50 palettes. Just goes to show you, luxury makeup doesn’t mean squat. Although you can forget I said that as soon as my Vegas haul is posted. Cuz money doesn’t seem like actual money when you’re in Vegas. I don’t make the rules, guys. It is what it is.

Aside from that, I recommend you pick up this palette. The concept is pretty cool because it’s strategically placed in pre-designed quads, trios and duos. So if you count in fours (two top, two bottom) that is considered your quad; if you count in threes (all top, then bottom), those are your trios; then count in twos (all top, then bottom), those are your duos. They make it super easy to put looks together. Of course, I rebel and mix all over the place, but that is what professionals do. I am a professional, just so we’re clear.

Another batch of really nice drugstore eyeshadows are the new Milani Bella Eyes. Even looking at them is pretty exciting – they look like little cookies that someone stuck their thumb in. Or maybe that’s just how I see them. In any case, I bought some neutral colors (shown above) because that’s all my local Walgreens carried. However, we got a brand new CVS, and you’d swear it was a Bloomingdale’s or something the way I was carrying on. I made a special trip clear across town to see what kind of makeup they carried. And wouldn’t you know it – the best Milani display I’ve ever seen. Hoards of different things in all the colors. So I picked up a couple more shadows because I really do like the texture. They call them gel powders, and I’m not even gonna pretend to know what that means, but the result is lovely. They blend into each other so naturally. If you haven’t given these a try, I recommend you grab a few.

And then I bought this thing:

It’s a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick highlighter in Beige. In case you’re wondering: YouTube made me do it.

Well, you know how it is. Someone goes on and on and on about something, you start to feel like you’re missing out on the secret to life. I caved and bought one to see for myself. And yes, it does have a very lovely sheen. It’s not over the top sparkly by any means. Sometimes when I use it, I almost feel like I didn’t put on enough, that’s how subtle it looks on me. It comes in several colors, like a bronze, a pink and something else (besides the beige), so perhaps if I had gotten a different one, it would show up more pronounced. Or more likely than not, I just don’t know how to apply highlighter properly. Because when I swipe my finger through it, the color is just stunning. On my cheeks, however – just barely. It’s not my most favorite highlighter I’ve ever used, lemme just say that. Until I figure out how to use it the right way, that is.

Here’s my very first MAC lipstick purchase:

I think I picked a pretty good one for scrolling through a bunch of thumbnail color swatches on the Internet. I chose the MAC frost lipstick in the color Fluid, and it’s a plum brown. Perfect for fall. And the frost finish of it reminds of my first lipstick purchase in 7th grade. I don’t know if that’s a compliment to the lipstick or not, but I like it regardless.

Aside from all that, Ebates had like an 8% cash back or something at Macy’s, and that’s the only reason I bought this lipstick. I make absolutely no sense, I’m quite aware.

Last part of the haul came about from a Birchbox email that enticed me with a 25% off coupon. They know what they’re doing. Oh yes they do.

Sometimes when you’re forced to shop, it can takes days to figure out what you want to buy. There was no way I was letting a good coupon go to waste. I mean, there are starving people in China, for chrissakes.

So after about 3 days, and realizing that I clearly need more responsibilities in life, I finally decided on the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 palette and brushes kit. Oh man! This was such a big surprise to me. Normally I don’t go for palettes that have almost all similar eyeshadow colors (in this case, pink), but I took a chance on this one and I absolutely love it. Every look I’ve done with it has been so pretty. Shadows are blendable and pigmented. Well worth wasting 3 days if you ask me.

As for the brushes, these are pretty decent quality. I got a large shadow brush, a crease brush and some kind of angled blender brush. I can’t think of a feasible use for that last one, but I did like the other two. The crease brush deposits a nice amount of color in the outer v, then blends it out real good. I’ll continue to use them. However, probably not that angled one.

And while I was getting 25% off, might as well buy something else to make it even more worth my while. Decided to go with the Origins GinZing moisturizer, a product I was really curious about. This is an energizing moisturizer, meant to be applied in the morning when you’re halfway asleep, brushing your teeth with your eyes closed. It has caffeine in it to wake up your skin, and it has a nice, refreshing citrus scent. It is very light, and leaves my skin feeling very soft. Not sure if it really peps me up or not, but I can brainwash myself into thinking so.

That’s it for today. October boxes are rolling in so I’ll have those coming up this week. Plus of course the most fabulous haul of all time. Stay tuned, y’all. You won’t wanna miss it.

Sep29

Birthday Haul: Part 3

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

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.

Sep14

Birthday Haul: Part 1

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Remember last month when it was my birthday? How I turned 40 and had to console myself with makeup? Yes, it was touch and go there for awhile. Luckily, I pulled through. Here’s why:

Pretttttttay! I’m not even kidding when I say you need this Tarte Rainforest After Dark palette, especially cuz it’s limited edition and could disappear for all eternity at any time. I’m not being dramatic. It could be happening right now as we speak for all I know.

This palette covers all your face needs. We have six beautiful purple and gold eyeshadows, a lovely champagne highlighter, their Park Avenue Princess bronzer, and a gorgeous dusty rose blush. I love everything about this palette. I will be packing it for my trip to Vegas next month since it’s a 4-in-1 and that’ll save me room in my suitcase. Cuz I have no plans to visit the Inglot store while on vacation and buy hoards and hoards of eyeshadow. That’s pretty specific, but yeah, no plans whatsoever …

The day of my actual birthday my husband and I were going out of town. Quick stop for him to get a haircut gave me about 15 minutes to run across the street to Sephora. Look how much I can accomplish in 15 minutes:

Well the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette wasn’t from Sephora but we stopped on the way out of town for that too. I had a dream about this palette and knew immediately I had to get it RIGHT NOW. I mean, when you start dreaming of specific eyeshadow palettes, that’s like the voice of God talking or something.

If you love earth tones, you will love this palette. They are gorgeous. I don’t know how I overlooked this before on my million other trips to Walgreens. So pretty. The only issue some may have is the shadows are all shimmery. No mattes. That doesn’t bode well for my old lady eyes, but I created a look with it that didn’t turn out bad at all. In fact, it looked quite stunning. It blended seamlessly, which is rather important. I highly recommend if you’re asking. For $5, I’m not even sure there’s a question.

But back to what I managed to toss in my Sephora basket in the span of 15 minutes. Make Up For Ever had a new display of these Artist Shadows and I was immediately drawn to it. There was this gorgeous orange right on top, and I couldn’t drag myself away. It looked almost like foil it was so shimmery and intense. I daydreamed a bit about what kind of eye look I could create with it, then picked up the box to toss it in my basket. And noticed –

It’s a blush. My most perfect tangerine eyeshadow is actually a blush. Heart = broken.

Well, drat. I still wanted it though and the clock was ticking. Who says you can’t use blush on your eyelids? My YouTube beauty gurus do it all the time. And I am nothing if not a beauty guru.

Ended up creating a 3-pan palette with the orange (ME734), a black purple (ME930) and a copper red (ME728). I wore all three shadows on my lids during our weekend getaway, proudly displaying my circus eyes while sipping a latte in a cafe on Sunday morning. My husband thought it was a little much for a coffee date, but what does he know? (Nothing.) Checked in the mirror to see what he was referring to and quickly declared his eyes as broken. I looked fab, end of story.

The other thing I picked up was the Too Faced Melted Lipstick in the shade Melted Fig. This is a beautifully saturated purple color. But it’s wearable too. Because it’s purple but not purple.

These lipsticks go on very smooth. They’re pigmented beyond comparison. A little glossy at first, but that fades away to an almost matte finish. Can feel a little dry on the lips after awhile, but the color does last and last and last. I don’t think I’ll buy any more of the colors, but I’m happy with what I got.

The last bit for today is this thing right here:

Stila has came out with four new Eyes Are The Window palettes. I went back and forth for awhile trying to decide which one I wanted. Finally settled on the Mind one which has all matte shadows. Not sure of my reasoning other than in the picture, the vibrant earthy colors spoke to me the loudest.

In person, these are some pretty shadows. They just look so perfect in the pan. But when applied, I felt like the blendability was slightly lacking. I could create a look with them yes, but was never fully satisfied with the final result unless I’d properly blended for 15 years. It literally takes that long. Or felt that way at least.

And so now I have a bad attitude about it and probably won’t pick it up very often. But the packaging is adorbs so if you can salvage anything, by all means spend $50 so you can display this beauty in the wicker basket on the back of your toilet. I mean, that’s what I’m doing with mine.

This is just part 1 of the birthday haul. There is much much more to come. You should probably go ahead and get excited. It’s coming people. And also, I am the boss of you.

Toodles!

Aug1

Buying Stuff: Eyeshadow Edition

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Welcome to August! Otherwise known as My Month-Long Birthday Celebration! Therefore, everything below is immediately and forevermore JUSTIFIED. Because if you’re that person who can deny a girl her birthday treats, then how can we ever be friends? It’s nigh on impossible.

So here’s a bunch of eyeshadow stuffs for you to love:

That’s the Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 in the shade The Vision. I have never tried Bare Minerals eyeshadows before, and can I just say how lovely they are? I probably shouldn’t have gotten started now because do you know how many colors they have? Like eons worth. This particular one has a mint blue/green on the left (you know, the one completely washed out by my camera), and a duo chrome teal blue/brown/green collab on the right. They go on very smooth, color shows up brilliantly, and they blend out like a dream. I heart them so much! Pretty sure I’ll be picking up a few more of these very very soon. Or else someone needs to be gifting these to me like stat. Have I mentioned this is my month-long birthday celebration? Wellll, it is.

And then comes this thing:

If you don’t know what palette this is, then you have been camping in the Siberian Wilderness for far too long. It’s the Too Faced Chocolate Bar, and I’m about 97.95746% certain I’m the last person in the world to own it. Well, except for the cavewomen and nomads. But after them, definitely the last.

I went back and forth for months deciding if I should or should not buy it. At first glance, other than the obvious few colors, it looks like a bunch of brown eyeshadows. And I didn’t need a palette full of brown eyeshadow. However, my sister got it, then my best friend got it, and then I started to feel like I was missing out. Fiiiiiiinnne. I bought you.

And now I love you. Dammit.

This palette is officially one of my most favorite ones. The colors are beautiful, and I can actually get quite a few looks out of it despite all the brown. And honestly, the browns are very different from one another anyway – much more different that I initially thought. There’s a mix of shimmers, mattes and glitters and every last one of them smells like chocolate. Not fake, artifically flavored chocolate, but real cocoa powder. I don’t know if that’s the green light to go on and eat the dang thing, but I guarantee someone’s dipped their finger in and took a lick. And don’t be looking at me like I’m guilty cuz I have too much hypochondria in my brain to be sticking my tongue in eyeshadow.

Here’s the result of some late night YouTubing:

Good lord. Did I need this?

(Yes. The answer to that question is always yes.)

This is the Tarina Tarantino Floriculture palette. First of all, your eyes are not deceiving you. The eyeshadow pans are ginormous. You get a lot of value for your money with this one. The shades are also very pretty, delicately shimmery, perfect for my old lady eye skin. The only complaint would be the absense of a matte crease or matte highlight; however, I’m not peeved enough to never use this palette again. Plus, the fuschia floral packaging is beautiful and looks ultra fancy sitting in the wicker basket on the back of my toilet.

It is limited edition, but I’ve been seeing it around for awhile so not sure how long it’ll still be available. I’d say play it safe and go ahead and put it in your shopping cart immediately, because although the palette may stick around for a little longer, the apocolypse could happen any day now. And you need this to help get you through.

Lookie, more Makeup Geek eyeshadows:

These are my absolute favorite eyeshadows in all the land. That’s not an exaggeration. I own about 25 single pans now (all expertly arranged in my Z-Palette), and every single one of them is amazing. I haven’t had fallout issues, blending issues, pigmentation issues. In fact, if these were people, they’d be your best friend, your partner, your lovahhh. Serious. That didn’t get weird there for a second, did it?

Anyway. I highly highly highly suggest a shopping trip to MakeupGeek.com and buy a few of these. I challenge you not to be impressed. Plus, for the mere price of $5.99, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t want a hundred of these. Well, wait, that’s $600. So maybe not a hundred – at least not all at once.

On a side note: math. Twenty-two years since graduation, and I. STILL. GOT. IT.

Last item is this thing:

I’m not sure when this debuted but I’m thinking it was just a few weeks ago. It’s the Amrezy palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. Isn’t it lovely? Those jewel tones though. I die. I die! I haven’t used all the colors yet cuz it literally came in the mail two days ago. But so far everything works great. At first glance, I thought the Caramel shade would be too dark for my crease, but it actually went on very natural. I’m hoping the Morocco (orange) shade is just as good. I’m wearing the Topaz on my lid today with Deep Plum in the outer v, and I swear if Vogue isn’t calling soon, then something is wrong with Vogue.

Well, that’s it guys. Are you tired now, cuz I am. It’s pajama time! Have a great weekend.

Jun23

Buying Stuff: Episode 16

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

I spent two hours at the Chuck E. Cheese with a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old so everything listed below is immediately justified. Don’t even try to argue with that.

Here’s my stuffs:

Finally got a chance to exchange the MAC Pro Longwear Foundation. A few months ago, I assumed incorrectly that I was an NW25. I wore this shade to work fully aware I had a slight line is demarcation on my jaw. Luckily I have sweet friends who lie to me and tell me it’s not that noticeable. Otherwise, I would’ve had to go home sick.

Anyway, tried the NW20 shade and it’s perfect. I really like the finish of this foundation. It looked very natural on me. I felt if I didn’t have a splotchy natural complexion, I would have looked flawless. Because this one came pretty close. Unfortunately I’m paying for my reckless youth. Not wearing sunscreen and picking at your face is bad bad bad, kids. If you ignore everything written in my blog, at least remember this one.

Well. Good deed = done. I have succeeded at life. I can get back in pajamas now.

I was in the makeup section at Dillard’s minding my own business, when the Dior counter started calling my name. And when Dior speaks, you listen. I didn’t even have an idea what I wanted; I was just “looking”. Except that’s not a real thing. Y’all know “just looking” is a made up term wives tell their husbands. Just looking is code for I’m about to buy a ton of shit; don’t judge me.

I was browsing the Fluid Stick lipgloss. The lady at the counter was swatching them for me, and I’m searching everywhere for a price tag. I know these things aren’t free, dammit; where do they keep the price tag? Hidden, that’s where. Or else you’d probably never buy this.

But lawd knows I ain’t asking. Not gonna find out ahead of time it’s $35 and then embarrass myself by not buying it. So I do, and it gets handed to me in a cute little logoed bag, which I parade around for all the eyes to see. I mean, if you’re gonna spend $35 on lipgloss, you might as well get some congratulatory stares out of it. I’m pretty sure that’s what those stares were for. Certainly not pity ones for the weirdo holding a Dior bag in your face.

And for those curious, the color I got was #869 Vie D’enfer, a brownish reddish thing. And it has a really lovely glossy shine. Worth the price tag though? Mmmmm, probably not. I don’t always make the best decisions while in the midst of a makeup seduction. I lose control of my brain.

Another lipgloss I didn’t really want or need was the Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil in the color Scarlet Fever. It is not my fault it was 50% off, and it was on my way out the door. Don’t put that stuff right in front of my eyeballs. Bad things happen.

However. It’s a beautiful red orange gold sparkly gloss that catches the light better than anything I own. I’m really happy I bought it. See, sometimes random purchases work out. I’m a smart person after all.

Last item in the pic is the Chanel le Volume de Chanel mascara. I had heard someone on YouTube say this is the mascara of life, so where’s the question? I walked up to the counter, and the salesgirl barely got her May I Help You out when I grabbed the mascara and handed it to her. I’m sure she was impressed by my determination. Now if only I could apply that to all areas, I’d be the President of the United States. At the very least.

The mascara is a very nice one. The texture is slightly thicker than a normal mascara, so it could get gloopy if you don’t take your time. But it does a great job for me in lengthening and fanning my lashes. Perhaps not the mascara of life, but a must have regardless.

And then Sephora happened. Oopsie:

At least it’s only this one thing this time. Saw this cute little skincare set from L’Occitane and knew I had to have it. I was not seduced by the royal blue packaging in any way whatsoever. Packaging doesn’t work on me.

Okay, that’s not a thing either. If you are adorable, I want you. If you look like you came from the Dollar Tree, you may have a seat.

This is their anti-aging Imortelle set, and I have no idea what that means, but each item is called Precious, and well, that’s me in a nutshell.

So you get the Precious Cleansing Foam, Precious Eye Balm, Precious Water and Precious Cream. That’s a lot of Precious in one place! I’m excited to use it. The reviews online are mostly positive (over 4 out of 5 stars), except several were saying the moisturizer had a funny smell. Now, I’ve applied salmon egg enzyme on my face for over a month, and am currently using a day cream made out of shiitake mushrooms – certainly I can handle a cream that just smells “funny”? We will see. I’ll be ready to use this set in about 15 years or so.

Stockpiling skincare backfires sometimes. Although if I ever find myself living on a deserted island somewhere, I’m already prepared. Succeeding at life once again. Seriously, why am I still wearing business casual when pajamas are all I need?

Payday is one day where I can honestly say I make the BEST decisions:

Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Sage Green. And it’s stunning. I love green, so naturally I have gravitated towards this one. It’s just a color that has the potential to emote feelings of spring AND fall. I have to have lots of green in my life.

As for the eyeshadows themselves, these go on very soft in terms of pigmentation. Even the darkest brown shade isn’t that dark. So it’s hard to have a super defined eye look unless you rim it with a heavy black winged liner or something. There isn’t much shimmer, so that’s good for me, but the colors just don’t POP enough. However, I will use it often, especially when fall rolls around, cuz I think the whole scheme is lovely. Cuz even when green is bad, it’s still pretty good. I love green. Did I tell you that?

Alrighty franz, I’m out of time for now. Back tomorrow with the best post that ever lived.

Snacks On Rotation

surprisingly, not a food blog

Tag Archives: eyeshadow

Buying Stuff: Episode 26

Buying Stuff: Episode 23

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

Buying Stuff: Episode 20

Birthday Haul: Part 3

Birthday Haul: Part 1

Buying Stuff: Eyeshadow Edition

Buying Stuff: Episode 16

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: