August Favorites and 1 Regret

August was a month of makeup minimalism for me. I have decided to henceforth channel my inner Padma Lakshmi by focusing on flawless, glowing skin and favoring fresh blush and lip colors instead of over-done eyes. It's just what works for my skintone and sense of style. On to the current obsessions:

First up is YSL Rouge Volupte in #23:

After wringing my hands many times over the sticker price ($34!), I finally bought this lipstick thanks to my husband, who loved how it looked on me and talked me into it. And although I'm a proud frugalista, I have to admit that this lipstick covers so many bases that it's well worth the price and hype. It's full of moisture, yet it dries to a matte finish so it is smooch-friendly. The pigmentation is so great that a few dabs on my lips gives me a my-lips-but-better look. A few more dabs and we're in a peppy bright mode.  The packaging is of course heavenly and has finally taught me that packaging. does. matter.

In keeping with my minimal makeup look, I've been loving Benefit's Georgia beauty powder. I love using this as a blush substitute because instead of making my cheeks pink, it just lightens up that area by a few shades. That looks like a genuine radiant glow because I've noticed that after a solid workout, my cheeks are lighter, not necessarily pinker. I love this stuff. Tan ladies, seek this out.

This month I finally figured out how to conceal my undereye circles! I put a small amount of Smashbox photofinish foundation primer on my undereye area, and then blend thin layers of MAC select cover up on top. The primer prevents the concealer from settling into my fine lines. I set the whole thing with a loose translucent powder or MAC Studio Fix powder foundation. The look stays put without settling into fine lines.

As for my regret, I completely regret buying Rimmel's Gentle eye makeup remover. It's like having a Smart Car when you want a Rover. Ugh. This stuff did take off my eyeshadows with ease, but throw ANY waterproof formulations at it, and it quakes in its pants and runs home to its momma. I have been tugging and pulling at my eyelashes trying to get off my mascara, and it just does not budge it. "Gentle" would be the understatement of the year for this mascara. Stay away. My top recommendation for an eye makeup remover is, and will always be, Boots Eye-Makeup Remover with Icelandic Moss.

Sorry this was an uber long post, but I thought I'd come back with a bang. That, and I didn't want to have a backlog of 10 products I need to write about, so I thought I'd get them all out of the way so I can let new ideas take the stage soon. Thanks for reading chicas.

My Summer Foundation Routine

It is burning up in here folks! I don't know about your neck of the woods, but mine are positively steaming. So in hot weather like this, I am completely unmotivated to go through a whole foundation face routine unless someone is actually looking at me besides my poor little lab rats (I'm a nerdy neuroscientist FYI). So these days, I have a very simple face routine:

1) Apply MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation
2) Repeat as necessary throughout the day.

MAC Studio Fix Powder gives medium to heavy coverage, depending on how much you build on the product. On super hot days, you can even use a small amount as a blotting powder.

If MAC SF Powder was a man, he'd be steadily dating the Coastal Scents Large Synthetic Buffer Brush. Heck, he'd have proposed by now. I've been using this pair for a while now and I'm completely happy with how quickly this big soft teddy bear of a brush covers my face and lets me get out of my hot-as-heck bathroom that much faster!

 Awww look, they are cuddling!! (Why do I anthropomorphize my makeup?)

I love the big flat shape of this brush. Plus, because it is uber soft, I can stipple away to glory with no "ouch that pricks!"

So on weekdays, I heartily recommend MAC SF Powder Foundation paired with a soft stippling brush. Carry the compact with you because this makeup does not like to stay for more than 3-4 hours. 

On weekends, when I'm hanging out with homo sapiens as opposed to rodents, I go with Revlon Colorstay (applied with a sponge...sparingly!), topped off with Coastal Scents mineral veil. That puppy does not budge. 

What is your summer foundation routine? I heart product recommendations. :-)

Monday Moods

Mmm, what a yummy weekend I had. I attended a lovely wedding in the White Mountains of New Hampshire!  I also recently picked up Boots Botanicals Soothing Eye Makeup Remover and MAC Cleanse Off, so pampering myself is happening quite often lately.

I'm loving both the Cleanse Off and the Boots makeup removers, but a full review on both products will be coming up a little later.  And now onto my Monday Moods:



1. Mood: Wistfully wishing I could blog full-time.

2. Hair: Flat ironed and clipped back into a half-up half-down style.

3. What are your plans this summer? 
To finish up my dissertation so I can graduate next May (which means little to no summer days off, boo). I also plan to makeover my bedroom. Luckily, my sister in law, who is something of a prodigy in decorating, is coming over to help me. How about something divine like this? It's modern, and yet reminds me of  Indian color palettes...

[image from HGTV]

4. What’s the last thing you’ve eaten?
Dunkin Donuts hashbrowns. I'm a health nut aren't I.

5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:


Eyes: 

- Kat von D Ludwig palette for a shimmery bronze look
- The usual essentials: UDPP, Fluidline Blacktrak,  Zero, and Maybelline Colossal Volum'  mascara

Lips:
- Ever so Rich Cremesheen Glass

Cheeks
- Faces cream blush
- MAC strobe liquid as highlighter


6. What’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to you?
Meeting the man of my dreams. I know that's cheesy, but it's true!


7. What’s a quality you like about yourself?
I don't stress out and worry about things. Whatever happens, I can brush it off, think of a solution, and start to overcome it. I think problems become problems partly because your mind tends to exaggerate the size of the problem.

8. Something you’re looking forward to this week:
Going to visit my folks in Florida. I think I'll treat my tootsies to a pedicure whilst I'm there. :)

9. Outfit:

White cable knit sweater (Old Navy)
Rock and Republic jeans

10. Weekly goals: Get a few important posts out (i.e. a VERY belated April favorites!) 

Feel free to pick up this Monday Moods post for your own blog. I totally did not invent these questions; just forgetting where I got them from!

Putting Hot Pots into a MAC Palette

This is a super simple DIY tutorial for putting Coastal Scents Hot Pots into a MAC eyeshadow palette (see review and swatches here). The reason why Hot Pots don't automatically go into a MAC palette is because of a switcharoo in magnatizing techniques. The Coastal Scents palette is magnetized, and the pans are simply metallic. MAC is the other way around. The pallete is metallic, and the pans are magnetic. So you gotta game the system, but it is very simple.

First, gather all your Hot Pots, and place them on a paper towel.

Next, buy some small magnets that have an adhesive backing. I found these square ProMAG magnets at my local Michael's for around $3. Also, have a scissor handy.

Take one magnet and one Hot Pot (this one is S09).

Cut the square in such a way so that you cover most of the backside of the Hot Pot except the part that shows the name of the hot pot. I made 2 cuts and stuck them on so that the name peeped through. Peel away the sticker backing and stick onto the pan's back, as shown below. Crafty, eh?

Use the paper backing as a template for cutting the rest of your magnets. I suggest going one by one instead of cutting all magnets at once. Place the stickers onto the Hot Pots and place them into the MAC palette. The pans will fit perfectly and the magnets should hold the pans securely in place, even if you turn the palette upside down.

Et voila! You have a head start on filling up a 15 pan MAC palette!

Because I'm a bit of a neutral queen, I don't like to buy tons of eye shadows. For that reason alone, I couldn't justify starting a 15 pan MAC palette when I would probably only use 5-6 eyeshadows from MAC. But every now and then I do get a lemming for gorgeous shades that only MAC can come up with such as Black Tied, and Smoke & Diamonds. This is a great compromise for me because I can create a palette that is half CS and half MAC. I already love the matte white (top left) as a perfect brow highlight. As for the MAC eyeshadows, I'm delighted that now I only have to pay $11 for the pan rather than $14.50 for the packaged ones. A haul may be coming up sometime this summer!

Note: Hot Pots were provided courtesy of Coastal Scents. The MAC palette and craft supplies were purchased by myself. 

In and Outs

Although I love to blog about makeup reviews and such, part of the reason I blog is because I am able to  use my audience as a virtual confession booth. So I think once a week I'll put up a ramble of some kind. In and out this week, Monday moods, next week, etc. After all, a girl's gotta vent!

In: 

1) MAC Merrily. What an amazing blush. I never want to be without this guy. In the pan, it literally looks like a ketchup red. But on my face, I just look like the most natural blush on my tan skin (NC45). Olive and tan skinned ladies should definitely try this out. Note to the fair: stay away.

2) I just received a lovely package in the mail full of treats I won in Emily's giveaway. I feel so lucky, and her giveaway was so generous. All the products were all in such good taste, and a lot of the brands were new for me. I'll do a post on the products with swatches soon. Thanks Em!

3) I just booked a flight ticket to go see my parents! I'm so supremely happy because I haven't seen them since my Thanksgiving vacation. I'm looking forward to the Florida sun, my mom's never-empty pantry, and my dad's doting.

Out:

1) Project 10 Pan. Ok...HOW do you guys finish things like lipstick and blush in a reasonable amount of time? I need strategies people. I am intent on finishing up my Nars Orgasm, which I have hit pan on, but try as I might, I can't use it everyday because MAC Merrily comes in to steal the show. Seriously, throw me a lifeline. Is there some way to accelerate this? I have needs. Specifically, a need for YSL rouge volupte. One innocent swatch at Sephora and I became a little slave to it. I am also drooling over the summer collection by MAC, so...yeah...someone might be falling off the wagon pretty soon...

2) My nails...I haven't bothered to paint my nails in literally 3 weeks. They are shapeless, full of ridges, and overall making me feel crappy. I am thinking about getting gel nails so that I have perfectly shaped, non-chipping nails for 3-4 weeks if I'm careful. What do you guys think?

3) Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy lipstick. I would only wear this lipstick at midnight so that no one can see my lips. I am really not loving this grit-infested excuse for a nude lipstick. This was laughably included in the Urban Decay Hall of Fame set, alongside far more amazing products like UDPP and Zero. Who I ask, who, would look good in a nude lip with silver grits that make you look like you died at a disco?

That's it for my ins and outs for this week. I found this post very therapeutic, so I think more personal-ish posts will be coming in the future.

Foundation for Dry, Flaky Skin?

Remember that part in Miss Congeniality when Sandra Bullock gets ready to do her makeup, and she goes "Ok...now which one of these is the lipsticks?" All of a sudden, her friends swarm around her and help her out. The beauty blogging world reminds me of that!!

I just had a reader ask me a beauty question, and rather than just replying to her alone, I thought I'd open up the question to you guys so you can weigh in too!

Le Question: Can you suggest a foundation that is super easy to apply, gives light-medium coverage for daily wear, and is for combination skin (oily nose, but dry everywhere else)? I suck at liquid and I have a compact, but it looks funny and gives me flaky dry skin. 

My answer:

1. Using a gentle exfoliator everyday to buff away dead skin cells. I like Olay Regenerist Daily Thermal Peel, Mario Badescu Strawberry Scrub, and Lush Dark Angels.

2. Use a rich moisturizer before applying makeup. I suggest Cetaphil (in the jar) or MAC Moisturelush. You can also try La Mer if you have won the lotto. ;)

3. One of the best foundations I have used is Shu Uemura Face Architect. MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation is also great because powders don't accentuate flakes as much. For both products, a dense, flat top mineral brush works brilliantly.

4. In the winter, I used to get dry patches even after the foundation was on. What I did was apply a spot of eye cream on the dry spots and they'd go away (I used Mario Badescu's Hyalauronic eye cream). Because eye cream is heavier than face cream, it really helps combat flakes.

Now over to you guys. Please help this reader out, and along the way, give me a few new wishlist items! :)

March Favorites

It's been a wonderful month of new purchases and rediscovering gems I already had. Here are the products I've loved all month long:

Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer: I have been LOVING this as an all over lid color for my eyes! It's a perfect shimmering bronze and the mousse consistency is a dream to blend. I think the mousse line needs to launch eyeshadows too! Click here for my full post on it.

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Ever So Rich: This is my go-to gloss for a swipe of sheer baby pink. It complements any lip color you have underneath. No really. Any. Repurchase is very likely. Here's how it looks over a bronze lip.

Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm me up: a perfect dusty rose color. Not sure why this is categorized in the brown section of the lipsticks, but who cares. It's an amazing color. Pair this with Ever So Rich, and you'll have Victoria Secret lips! Here is the full post on it!

Shu Uemura Face Architect: What I love about this foundation is how easily it goes on, blends, and stays put. It also doesn't break me out. What I still don't like is that it is pricey as heck, therefore repurchase is unlikely. Anyway here's the full review.

Prime Time Foundation Primer: This was a pretty affordable primer I purchased from Sephora a year ago. It stayed dormant in my drawers because a lot of makeup gurus skip primers, but I recently tried it again and fell in love. I only use it on my T-zone, which is never prone to acne. It controls oil very well, and a little goes a long way!

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Turbo Mascara in Blackest Black: Repurchase is 100% guaranteed, and this is a Holy Grail for me. Enough said. :)

My DIY 188 brush: My Coastal Scents stippler brush has made a comeback into my life as a MAC 188 dupe! A simple rubberband reunited me with this little gem. Here's my full post on it. I love applying blush with this brush. It's small and precise enough to fit right on my cheek bones, but blending very highly pigmented blushes can be an issue, so be careful how much you pick up in the first place.

That does it for March. Now that it's April I'm roaming out and about in skirts and light jackets! Spring is here! I now leave you with my current mood:

Lip Combo I'm Loving Lately

I have been religiously using this lip combo all month and thought it was time to share. It is Maybelline ColorSensational in Warm Me Up, paired with Ever So Rich Cremesheen Glass on top:

Out of the 3 pictures, I think the lowest one does the most justice to this color. I'm really happy with this lipstick, its a wonderful dusty rose that looks even brighter with Ever So Rich on top of it. It just brightens up my entire face! One of the best makeup tips I ever heard was from the amazing Carmindy, who says don't worry about covering up your imerfections. Instead, bring out your best features. I couldn't agree more. Although I do lightly cover up my flaws, I spend more time playing up my eyes and lips, which are my good features. It's like a psychological concealor because no one notices imperfections when your strengths are radiating!

Old Makeup, New Life: Part 3

This is my third mini-series post on using your makeup for a new purpose. This time up is a product I actually love for its intentional purpose and its new purpose: my MAC Hello Kitty Popster lip conditioner. This puppy is the most adorably-packaged lip balm in my collection. Ergo, it does get plenty of use. But lately, I've also been using it as a base for my blush! The sticky texture and subtle pink tint give my powder blush a great surface to stick to, and therefore it can last longer. It also gives my cheeks a natural sheen.

Though I do still have an itch to go buy a proper gel or cream blush, I am happy to make this work for the time being. You can use any lip tint for this purpose, even a dab of Vaseline should do the trick. I actually got this idea from a Korres Lip Balm display at ULTA. The sign said try using the lip butter as a nice flush of cheek color.

 What are your favorite ways to make blushers last longer?

Old Makeup, New Life: Part 2

Welcome to another post on my series on giving your unloved makeup a second chance by "retraining" it for a new job (hehehe Recession-speak happening on a makeup blog!). Up this time is my e.l.f bronzer ($1). Aaah I bought this at my very very beginning of makeup collection. This product really sucked as a bronzer, because its just copper-shimmer with very little pigmentation and zero staying power. However, I love using this to mattify and bronze up my super pink lipsticks. Do you have a lipstick that is too cool toned, washes you out, or is just too pink to pull off? Whip out this bad boy, and take a look at the transform!

Here I'm showing my To Swoon For lipstick by MAC. The hand swatch shows To Swoon For at the top (too cool-toned for my skin!). The bottom swatch shows  the same lipstick, but this time with the bronzer dabbed over it! A huge improvement I'd say! I never like a totally matte lip though, so I have put Ever So Rich Cremesheen Glass on top of it (as seen on the lips). I love Ever So Rich by the way. It's a very sheer baby pink gloss, and is perfect when you want a bit of shine but no color to compete with your lipstick. This was a great gift from a dear friend. :-)

Have you tried face products on lips to get a different effect? If so, please share below!

How to make a MAC 188 brush

This DIY was so simple to do that I simply had to share it with my bargain-loving readers. Compared to the MAC 187 duo fiber face brush, the MAC 188 has a smaller diameter, and is great for blush since it's small enough to precisely apply it on the apples of your cheeks. Before I shelled out $34 for one, I had to see if it was worth buying, or if I could make do with what I have. The two duo fiber brushes I have are from Coastal Scents and can be found here and here. Of the two, I find the silver duo brush to be of higher quality. 

Materials needed: a duo fiber brush of your choice and a small rubber band:

Place the rubber band like so around the back end of the brush, and gently push it forward.

 

Stop pushing it forward about 1/3 way up the bristles. This location resembles the diameter of the MAC 188. It ain't that pretty to look at, but who cares? I can use that money for a certain ombre blush I've been lemming instead!

Now for the review: the smaller diameter of this brush is absolutely ideal for precise placement of blush and for those with smaller cheekbones. This brush is also ideal if you use multiple blushes at different points of your face. However, since this brush is extremely soft, you will have to build up color with multiple layers, especially when working with mineralized blushes. This brush would also work perfectly with highly-pigmented cream blushes. 

Please note: If you take off the rubber band, you will see a dent in the brush similar to when you have a dent in your hair from a scrunchie. So make sure you are okay with that before you proceed! I have 2 stippler brushes, so I keep one in its original condition, and the second one has this rubber band on it at all times.

I hope this DIY inspires you to turn your spare stipplers into a MAC 188 dupe. After I started using dense flat-top brushes for applying foundations, my poor duo fiber stippler brushes fell by the wayside, so I'm very happy that they've been given a new purpose. :)

It's my birthday and I'll haul if I want to

As any self-respecting makeup junkie would do, I treated myself to a birthday makeup and nailpolish haul last week. I went to my local drugstore and then to ULTA, and all in all, I think I did good because I got everything for around $50. Here are my new toys:

 

Left to right: 

Maybelline Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up 

Maybelline Sensational in Pinkalicious

Seche Vite

OPI Sand in my Suit 

OPI Italian Affair

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Hydrofuge (Classic Black)

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Ever So Rich (this was a gift from a dear friend and makeup enabler)

Pencils, from front to back

Prestige Waterproof Eyeliner in Surf

NYX Lipliner in Soft Brown

Prestige Eyeliner in Smokey Green

I got the Maybelline products at buy 2 get 1 free from Ulta, and the OPI nailpolishes were discounted to $6.25 each. 

L to R (on both pictures): Pinkalicious; Warm Me Up

Top to bottom: NYX Soft Brown, Prestige Smokey Brown, Prestige Surf

Without Flash:

With Flash:

 

I'm loving this haul so far. I find a restrained haul lets me enjoy each product to the fullest. I'll do full reviews in the upcoming days, but I'll give you a sneak peek now: I already know that Prestige Surf, Colossal, and the Maybelline lippies are all going into March faves. I'm also getting a soft corner for Sand in my Suit. But shhh, full reviews will follow once the honeymoon period is over and I've tested them thoroughly.

PS. I've just installed a third party commenting system called Disqus which allows comment threading and more. Please do me a favor by commenting on this post (even if its just a "hello") so that I can test whether it's working well. Thanks!

Review: MAC Intenso

I'm no longer a MAC mineralized virgin! I recently bought MAC Intenso from CCO and have been trying it out for a few weeks now. It looked so irresistable on the shelves and once I swatched it, I knew it was coming home with me (the normal CCO discount of $5 didn't hurt either). I'd describe Intenso as a peachy/rose with a lot of gold running through it.

This blush is quite different from anything else in my collection. I have matte blushes from Coastal Scents, and Dream Mousse blushes by Maybelline. With those, I just need a light touch to get the color payoff I need, and I usually use a stippling brush for them. However, with this, a light hand will only give you gold specks on your cheeks. So I build several layers with a contouring brush before getting the payoff I want, and then this is the final result:

 

Applying this blush is almost fool-proof. You can't apply too much (though you can apply too little), and no matter what brush you use (contouring or stippler), you'll never get a streak of color; it'll always look diffuse and airbrushed. 

Having said that, there IS quite a bit of gold on this. It can work in the daytime, but I'd stay away from it if I was wearing very heavy eye makeup. I'd say this looks utterly stunning with neutral defined eyes and peachy, dewy lips. Its just the right flush for a youthful, natural look.

My first EOTD feat. Sleek Graphite!

After writing up my previous post called "Can Sleek Graphite work for tan skin?", a lot of you guys requested for me to do a look using this palette. Without further ado, here's what I came up with for my first EOTD:

#1 used all over lid and just below the lower lashline

#2 used on outer corner to create the V

#3 used to set my pencil liner on waterline using the sponge tip applicator

 The basics:

Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Waterline: MAC Powerpoint Engraved

Gel Liner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrak 

On browbone: a random Coastal Scents nude matte blush

Mascara: Maybelline Define-A-Lash Lengthen

I hope you guys liked my very first EOTD. I don't consider myself an expert with eye makeup, but blogging about it is going to make me practice more!

I need your opinion!

Yours truly is turning another year older in less than a month. But before I get into the post, how amazing is this Hello Kitty cake?!?!

Anyway, heavy hints have been dropped to the hubs that I'd, of course, love to have a mad makeup spree. Aah gone are the days when a little Borders gift card would suffice. So to to make the most of this, I have a general idea of what I want, but I want you, my awesome readers, to advise me on what exactly I should purchase. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. What drugstore mascara should I buy? I am eyeing Maybelline Full n Soft or L'Oreal Voluminous. Any other holy grails I'm unaware of?
2. I'm loving MAC's All Ages All Races, All Sexes Collection thanks to JulieG's video! What items do you  love from this collection?
3. I need more OPI and China Glaze in my life. What would you suggest that is pink/nude?
4. I'm tempted to haul from NYX's $1 sale, but after checking on both the NYX and Cherry Culture websites, I can't find the sale anywhere. Can someone please send silly me a link to it?

On a side note, I'm really really happy to have reached 187 subscribers. My goal is to hit 200 and then hold a giveaway! You guys are the best; I find myself thinking of my giveaway everytime I'm wandering around the mall, CCO or drugstore. I hope I can hit that goal soon and thank you all properly! Happy weekend everyone!

Mmm, product packaging...

I was wandering in CCO a couple of weeks ago and was so happy to run into a MAC Hello Kitty item! It's a tinted lip conditioner with SPF 15 in Popster. The name, packaging and cheerful color had me at Hello! I'm not someone who runs out to buy stuff from every MAC launch, but this is probably one of the collections I wish I had a few more items of (that and Style Warrior).

Although the color looks scary bright, I put it on and loved how it blended out to be a very pleasant pink flush on the lips. The left swatch is unblended, and right is blended. I like how it goes from baby pink to dusty rose.

This little luxury is tucked into my makeup clutch and goes everywhere with me. I love taking it out and putting it on at random times of the day as a little pick me up. But all indulgence aside, it's not very conditioning on my lips. It's a waxy, almost matte effect. Don't expect dewy wet lips (now this is actually a good thing if your significant other does not like sticky kisses). I was expecting Vaseline with a tint, in a cute package. Not the case. If you have super dry lips, get a different lip balm. This product gets props mainly for the pleasant color and Prozac packaging (Prozac because its so cute that it literally enhances my mood).

And the Oscar goes to...

As 2009 winds down I find myself looking back and thinking of all the holy grails I've discovered this year. The quest for amazing makeup is not something I want to end--I always want a product to out-preform my current favorite. And I test that limit every month when I buy a new product simply for the novelty and adventure of testing a new toy. But these products have stood up to my fickle shopping ways. Even if I did buy something new, I make sure these products are in my collection at all times as veterans of their industry.  

Oscar for best liquid foundation goes to Revlon Colorstay Foundation. Medium-full coverage, a low drugstore price, immense lasting power, and a wide color selection make this a winner. However, it does break me out if I use it on a daily basis and makeup removal is a b****!

The Oscar for the best powder foundation goes to MAC Studio Fix. As with Revlon, this gives medium-full coverage, is priced well since it lasts a VERY long time, and MAC is renowned for its color selection. This trumps Revlon Colorstay because it does not cause acne breakouts on me. However, the coverage is not as long-lasting, so I use it for work, not play.

The Oscar for best lipsticks goes to MAC. I love how moisturizing these puppies are, and the color selection is almost infinite. My favorites are To Swoon For and Chintz on Chintz.

The Oscar for best lipgloss goes to NYX. This gloss is priced reasonably, gives sheer or heavy coverage, depending on which shade you choose, and is in the sweet spot between sticky/long lasting, and non-sticky/short-lived.

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack takes the Oscar for best eye-liner: This liner is the perfect black, is priced well because it will last for eons, and applies like a dream, no matter how clumsy you are. Just use an angled liner brush, and you'll be lining like a pro in no time.

The Oscar for the best mascara goes to Maybelline Define-a-Lash. Do not be fooled by its humble drugstore status. This is one amazing mascara. The waterproof lengthening formula does EXACTLY what it promises: it separates, defines, lenghtens, and stays put until you've generously swiped it with eye makeup remover.

Kat von D in Ludwig wins the best eye-shadow pallete Oscar. Ok ok, I haven't tried EVERY eyeshadow pallete in the world, and certainly not MAC, but I have to say that for the price, this pallete will provide you with several looks, from neutral to bolder smoky looks. It all depends on which shades you use, and how you apply them. It's an amazing pallete that I reach all too often.

Last but not least, the ole'  faithful Oscar goes to Urban Decay Primer Potion. This Oscar is simply for a product that I've forgotten how to live without. I love using it even by itself to mattify and brighten my eyelids. And when I use it as a base, its not sticky, just perfect for applying e/s and having it stay on ad infinitum.

So there you have it folks. My top makeup picks for 2009. I hope 2010 exposes me to many more products because I have a humble, yet burgeoning makeup collection. I hope 2010 brings me more MAC faves and drugstore finds, but also opens me up to other brands. Thanks for reading!

I love you NYX Ice Princess!

Ice Princesss was my debut entrance into the wonderful world of NYX. And what a smashing entrance. I have to say NYX has blown me away with their quality, price and packaging. A+ in all three. On to les swatches!

Ice Princess is a sheer pink shade that can be worn alone, or layered over any shade of lipstick. I wanted to show you guys a picture of my lips with Ice Princess, but it looks quite sheer and since everyone's lips are differently pigmented, I thought this would be more helpful

My favorite way to wear Ice Princess is to apply it over 2 MAC lipsticks: To Swoon For and Chintz on Chintz. Here are all three shades:

Top to bottom: MAC To Swoon For, MAC Chintz on Chintz, NYX Ice Princess

As for texture, I find this to be not too sticky, and not too light--just right. It does require re-application throughout the day, but that's just the nature of the beast when it comes to lipglosses (unless you are using UBER sticky Dazzleglass, which I don't care for because my hair keeps sticking to it!).

When it's time for my next haul, I will be bee-lining to Ulta for many more NYX products, especially lipglosses and JEPs!

November Favorites +1 Regret

Part of why I'm so late on posting my November favorites was because I felt like I'd be harping on and on about products I'd already raved about. But honestly, I do love these products, and they have stood the test of time and have been favorites month after month:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation. I don't think I'll bother paying for MUFE HD or Nars. Why should I when I have this drugstore gem? Although it does break me out if I use it daily, so I save it for weekends.

Merle Norman Super Lube: I've had this one jar of lip balm for nearly 10 years. I've hit pan recently, but there's still plenty left on the sides, which I take out with a lip brush. It's like vaseline, but a little richer. My next purchase will probably be the MAC Honey lip balm tin (I'm hoping Ebay will come to the rescue!).

Kat von D Ludwig Pallete--middle two highlight colors (Clay and Tequila). I use the more nude color all over my browbone, and then dot the really bright white right under my brow's arch.

Maybelline Define-a-Lash: This mascara is perfect if you already have nice lashes, but need a little more length and definition. You get that sun-ray effect where each lash is separated. It also holds a mean curl all day long.


Coastal Scents Blending Fluff: perfect for an all over color on the lid.

MAC 252 (from a holiday set from CCO): perfect for crease work and putting a dot of highlighter under the arch of my brow.

1 Regret: Burt's Bees Day Cream: although raved about this earlier, as I hit pan on the sample, the moisturizer separated into oil and lotion. When I put it on, my skin looked so oily that I couldn't wait to get home and scrape the greasy feeling off my skin. What the heck? Overall, I regret buying the Burt's Bees Radiance Face Sample Kit. It has so not been worth it. Yes, I did like some of the products, but none of them won me over to the point that I'd purchase a full size, and that was the whole point of buying the samples. Do you guys have any BB products you really really love? I don't want to turn my back on it just yet...

 What are your favorites and regrets for this month?

Lush, MAC, OPI, & NYX Haul!

After months of holding myself back, I finally let loose and got a large haul thanks to wonderful Black Friday deals that extended all weekend. The wait was seriously worth it as I saved quite a bit of moolah. I'll review of all these items once I've tried them out but for now, enjoy the haulage:

MAC Strobe Lotion
MAC sharpener (for Engraved
MAC Select Cover-Up in NC45
MAC Moisturelush Cream sample (which I may add the stingy makeup counter lady was unwilling to part with because "people take advantage of it"...as I am checking out...with a boatload of makeup...WTF)

NYX Jumbo eye pencil in French Fries

NYX Lipgloss in Ice Princess (which I've been using this relentlessly and may hit pan at a record speed)

Lush Grease Lightning

Lush Sea vegetable soap

Lush Dark Angels

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly

A Grape Fit; You Don't Know Jacques!; Barefoot in Barcelona

This is love. Go buy it now.

Can't wait to review these products for you guys! Which ones would you like me to review first?

Also, a HUGE thank you to Beautygirl24, The Beautifier, xcharleym0ox and Krystle for the blog awards they've recently given me. I'm so grateful for every single one, and I promise to post it up ASAP. Just want to say thanks here. You guys are so awesome. :)