Tag Archives: Stila

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!

Birthday Haul: Part 1

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buying Stuff: Episode 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sigh.  My life is so hard.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buying Stuff: Episode 2

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Well crap. This is always happening to me:

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I ain’t gonna lie. Buying stuff is fun. Buying stuff with gift cards is even better. But you know as well as I know that you cannot, under any means whatsoever, spend strictly what’s on a gift card and then walk away. I am not Superwoman. I do not have magic powers. I am helpless as a baby lamb among shiny packages.

In other words, I spent too much money today.

It started out alright. I had a snafu with an eBay purchase yesterday where I ordered a Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner that turned out to be 5+ years old (um, eww) so I needed to get a new gel liner like pronto. Trusty YouTube, my evil special friend, told me Maybelline had a good product so I picked up a jar for $10. Also had a $5 off coupon for it, so things are going really well at this point.

Then I walked to the other side of Ulta, the high-end area where dreams are made of. Dammmmmit. Why is everything so pretty? I’m about 98.63848% certain I own everything already, but I somehow managed to find a few new things. You know, the status quo.

First thing I picked up was the Stila In the Garden palette. I’ve seen this here every time I come in so why now of all times do I suddenly feel I need it? I just made a decision and went with it. Which always turns out to be a very expensive decision. My decision-making skills need some assistance.

But look how pretty:

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It just looks like spring. And anything that reminds me of spring, sunshine, warmth and happiness … well, that’s my jam.

Then I walk past the clearance table, and if you are able to walk the opposite direction from a clearance table you need to take your show on the road because that right there is inspirational. However, I am simply human so I stop for about 2 hours.

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This Too Faced Joy to the Girls kit was all the rage this Christmas and I almost bought it 15 separate times. But I have been rewarded by my steadfastness by saving $10.

And of course on the way out the door I passed the Smashbox display where they had one Must-Have Metallics Rose Gold kit left. Having one left of anything creates a moment of panic in me, so naturally I had to buy it before it went extinct.

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So precious. I actually wore this entire kit today and it turned out lovely. Rose gold. That’s all I need to say about that.

By the grace of God, I was able to leave Ulta without buying anything else. Although I had a Tarte foundation and a Bare Minerals highlighter in my bag at one point. I do try very hard to be frugal to some level so this very act of putting products back on the shelf is a miracle to the nth degree. The fact that I will regret is mightily and daydream about them incessantly is besides the point.

Like I said, I’m only human.