Working on it…

After nearly a year off (I joined the workforce = no blogging for a long time ), I’m working on getting up to speed. We’ll see how it goes!

Haul: Sephora Friends and Family

I wasn’t planning on participating in F&F this year. I’m trying to start saving more money, and beauty is my largest area of extra expense…imagine that. As I was thinking, though, I realized I hadn’t made a beauty purchase that wasn’t a replacement of an “empty pan” (or bottle, jar, etc.) since before the wedding in July. So I let myself spend a conservative amount for F&F.

What I got:

L-R clockwise: Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in Grace, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb EDP Sample, YSL Touche Eclat Sample, Tocca Guilietta EDP Sample, Sephora Brand Retractable Lip Brush, Tarina Tarantino Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula

I’ve been lemming the Hourglass Femme Rouges since they came out, and Grace is described as a light peachy-beige on Sephora’s website. I’ll test and review at some point!

I also picked up one of the Tarina Tarantino LE Cream shadows, even though I told myself I wouldn’t buy any of the TT makeup after seeing some of the reviews. This shade in particular, Nebula, I’ve actually seen good reviews on, and it’s LE, so I really wanted to get it — it is a white cream shadow with lilac-blue iridescent shimmer (that is nearly invisible in the pot). I did a quick swatch after I photographed it, and on the skin, you see more of the iridescence than the white base (I didn’t post the swatch because I couldn’t get one that was even nearly true-to-color). I could see using this as a shadow alone, as a shadow base, or a non-traditional highlighter. Definitely to-be-reviewed for wear time and creasing — I have a lot of hope for this because it is absolutely gorgeous, and it came with a huge amount (0.37 oz compared to a MAC Paint Pot at 0.17oz or a Benefit Creaseless Cream at 0.16 oz)! So let’s hope it is functional!

*sigh* I love the packaging -- weighty and beautiful!

I also picked up a lip brush because I didn’t have one, and it was cheap! I like that it retracts, too, so if I want to take it in my bag with me, it won’t mess anything up.

Closed...

...open!

Last are the samples — I always try to get as many fragrance samples as possible with my orders so that I can keep them in my purse or put them in my travel makeup bag. I hate traveling with full sized perfumes. I was also excited to see Touche Eclat as a sample!

Did you haul anything for this year’s F&F at Sephora?

Eye of the Day: Vibrant Teal

I’ve been trying to do a bright teal look for a long time with various different products from many different companies. None of them turned out bright enough or quite the color I wanted them.

Enter Sugarpill. I ordered a “Monster Palette”  (Sweetheart) a bit ago that they were selling at 40% off. Why not, right? Especially since I’ve had my eye on some of the shadows in the first place. Best makeup buy in a long time! I was able to do the look I’ve been wanting to do, and have it turn out the vibrancy and color I wanted! Score! On to the look (I only did eyes today since I’m not going out, click to enlarge):

What I used:

• Too Faced Shadow Insurance
• Sugarpill Tako – from lashline to brow before other colors, and inner corner
• Sugarpill Midori – middle of lid
• Sugarpill Afterparty – outer 1/3
• Aromaleigh Moonagedaydream (Rocks! Collection) – crease and blended upwards
• Smashbox Cream Liner in Lava – upper and lower lashline
• Benefit Badgal Mascara in Black
• Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Black-brown

 

Do you have looks in your mind that you find difficult to bring to life because you can’t find the just the right color on the market?

Look: Smokey Purple

I actually broke out some of my Aromaleigh shadows today for a silvery purple look. I wanted to use Xylia because I hadn’t cracked into my Lost in Faerie collection shadows since I received them. The look (click to enlarge):

What I used:

Face:

• Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Stick Foundation in 564
• MAC Studiofix in NC20
• Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink

Eyes:

• Too Faced Shadow Insurance
• Aromaleigh Wonderland (Gothic Lolita) – lid
• Aromaleigh Xylia (Lost in Faerie) – outer 1/3
• Aromaleigh Mirielle (Bete Noire) – crease and blended upwards
• Beauticontrol Spectaculash in Black
• Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Sepia Ink
• Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Black-Brown

Lips:

• Aromaleigh Lip Balm
• MAC Peachstock Lipstick (PRO) — this is really becoming a staple nude for me

Also, as of right now, the colors I used in this look are still available for sale from what I can tell. Aromaleigh’s new official close date is now November 15.

Look: Feelin’ the Fall

I was feeling like a Fall look today and to me that means bronzes and golds, like the leaves changing. Here’s what I ended up with (forgive the angry face in the photos…I was looking into the sun!).

What I used:

Face:

• Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Stick Foundation in 564
• MAC Studiofix Concealer in NC20
• Bobbi Brown Blush in Almond

Eyes:

• Too Faced Shadow Insurance
• Meow Sand Dune (Egyptian Treasures) – inner corners and inner 1/3 of lid
• Meow Pyramid (Egyptian Treasures) – middle 1/3 of lid
• Meow Anubis (Egyptian Treasures) – outer 1/3 of lid and into crease, also lower outer corner
• Meow Jackal (Egyptian Treasures) – to deepen crease and blended upwards
• Sugarpill Tako – highlight
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero – waterline
• Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Black-Brown
• Beauticontrol Spectaculash Mascara in Black

Lips:

• Aromaleigh Italian Blood Orange Lip Balm
• MAC Peachstock lipstick (PRO, but mine is from the Liberty of London Collection)

I love these colors, and I’ve always loved Meow’s Egyptian Treasures Collection — all the shadows are buttery smooth, effortless to blend, and stunning with their metallic finish.

This look did not photograph well; you can’t even see the difference in the colors in the natural light! Here’s one inside with a flash, but it still doesn’t look quite true to life:

Do you feel like doing looks based on the season at times?

Haitus…State of the Blog

Hello, again, world. Long time, no see!

I feel like I am always making excuses for not posting enough, but I also thought someone might want some sort of update on my life and what’s up with the blog (maybe?).

I’ve been busy. Big surprise, eh? Every time I think I’m going to start having more free time for the blog, it seems that the opposite happens (wedding planning, job searching, other people’s wedding planning, people having babies, etc.). I keep amassing more beauty products for review in the mean time, though (or maybe that’s just the reason I tell myself I’m getting them!). The list grows longer on the left! They will get done eventually!

I think I am coming to terms with the fact that I may never be the kind of blogger who posts every.single.day and always has something great to say/review/show. I have no plans of shutting down the blog in the future, but I also think I’m going to allow myself to only post when I feel like it and have time. I do feel guilty for not posting more often, but it’s supposed to be a hobby for me, so I’m going to try to start feeling better about my blog…many posts or not!

For those of you out there who actually read this. I hope you don’t find it terribly disappointing or dull. I’ll keep supplying content if you keep reading — it just may not be as often as I’d like. I’m going to try to be okay with that. I hope you are, too.

And that, folks, is the state of the blog for now.

Review: Skin by Alison Raffaele Soft Gloss

This is almost the last of my Alison Raffaele purchase from Hautelook from a bit ago. Skin by Alison Raffaele Soft Glosses ($19.50 on alisonraffaele.com, I got mine for ~$5 on Hautelook; 0.21 oz.) are meant to be a moisturising, long-lasting, non-sticky gloss according to the Alison Raffaele website. It comes in six colors; the two shades I purchased are Demure (light pink) and Elegant (a dark rosy brown).

Packaging:

The packaging these come is is pretty standard. They are long, thin, clear plastic tubes with purple caps (the color consistant with the rest of the line). The tops of the lids have the Alison Raffaele flower motif stamped on the lid. There are no ingredients or even shade names on this packaging (it was on the exterior packaging; the box it came in), which is mildly irritating. These have a standard doe foot applicator.

Demure

Product:

These glosses were surprising to me in many ways. First of all, when I received them, I thought to myself, why in the world did I order these colors? Demure seemed to cool and bright for me, and Elegant was just so brown! They redeemed themselves upon trying, though, because while they look scary in the tube, their colors are somewhat sheer on the lips. In fact, they look rather nice! Demure cooled down my lip color to a lovely baby pink and gave a nice shine. Elegant darkened my lip color to a medium browned rose.  So — these are sheer, which is good to keep in mind! I consider this a neutral point in relation to the product because the official product website doesn’t claim any kind of coverage about them.

The formula is surprisingly as claimed! It goes on a bit thin, is completely non-sticky, and stays that way. It lasts a good few hours on me, and it is non-drying — even a bit moisturizing. It has a light vanilla scent that is almost unnoticeable, and that disappears quickly. A little bit goes a long way with these; too much product will goop up your lips. They are a bit on the extra-slip side, too, but I haven’t had a problem with them not staying put.

The gloss line itself is a bit limited. Only six shades are listed on the Alison Raffaele website. For this kind of gloss, though, I think this is acceptable — sheer glosses can look the same if they aren’t different enough from each other.

Image from alisonraffaele.com

I was very pleasantly surprised with these glosses, since I wasn’t really expecting much after the other products. These live up to their claims, and I enjoyed them besides. The price is a bit high when full-price (more than MAC tinted lipglass), but you do get a good bit of product (0.21 oz compared to MAC’s lipglass at 0.17 oz.).

Swatches:

Elegant, Demure

Elegant

Demure

Overall:

I gave them a 4/5. I wouldn’t consider them the BEST glosses I’ve ever tried, but they are pretty good, especially for a non-sticky gloss. I wear these often, and I liked them enough that I MAY purchase them at full price, if I purchase them again, though I’m glad for the price I got them for ($19.50 puts these between MAC and Chanel pricewise)!