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Buying Stuff: Blush Edition

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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!

Buying Stuff: Episode 24

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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!

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

Buying Stuff on Location: Las Vegas

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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!

Birthday Haul: Part 3

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

Buying Stuff: Episode 14

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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!