MAC Cham-pale & Stylishly Yours purchases

Guys, the second I saw promo pictures for the MAC Cham-pale collection I knew I had to indulge.  An entire collection devoted to shimmery, brightening makeup looks?  Totally down my alley.  Since I didn't specifically ask for a lot for Christmas, my mom said she'd buy me a couple of things from Cham-pale.  So when we went to Minneapolis earlier this week I went running for the MAC store.

Edit:  I just realized I kept thinking Too Chic was from Cham-pale, when it's from Stylishly Yours.  *hand to forehead*.  My bad.

I got the I Get No Kick eye kohl from Cham-pale and Too Chic beauty powder from Stylishly Yours.  Love!

I Get No Kick eye kohl ($14.50)

This gorgeous, champagne-colored eyeliner is the one thing I wanted before anything else.  I saw pictures/swatches a couple weeks ago on Temptalia when Christine reviewed the collection, and immediately fell in love.  I can't believe I don't have an eye pencil like this already (seeing as I love anything "champagne"-looking for eyes)!  It's really pretty on my waterline and inner corners to really brighten up my eyes, though.  I've been pairing it with MAC Naked Lunch eyeshadow on my lids- it kind of reminds me of Naked Lunch, just in pencil form. 

Too Chic beauty powder ($22.50)

It was hard for me to get Too Chic to show up in swatches on my skin, but it leaves this really subtle glow on my cheeks- just what I was going for.  I had originally planned on picking out one of the Special Reserve Highlight powders, but they looked pretty frosty, and I've never tried beauty powders before.  I love using this all over my face, and even on my brow bone for a highlight.  

I think the paint pots look interesting from Cham-pale, and I might splurge for either Chez Chez Lame or Rose Ole highlight powders (even at $28 each... ouch!).  I'm also considering testing out some more of the Stylishly Yours collection, because those cream color bases look gorgeous!  Christine (Temptalia) did say in a comment thread that MAC has like 10 or so collections coming out by May, though, so I should really hide my wallet.  

Have you guys indulged in either of these collections?  

Oh!  Also, quick question: I have that $25 Sephora gift card I got for Christmas burning a hole in my pocket.  I went there today and looked around, but there are just so many things I want that I can't decide what to get.  I was thinking about a Nars blush, maybe Oasis?  But anyway, if you guys have any suggestions of products you swear by that you think I should look into, it would help me so much!  I'm fine with anything up to like $35.  Thank you!

(Other things I was thinking about- UDPP, some kind of matte or subtly shimmery bronzer, a Benefit boxed powder or something else from Benefit, Makeup For Ever Aqua Eyes liner- ahh, I can't decide!)

Happy (almost) New Year!

This year opened so many doors for me- a new home (Chicago!), new school, new friends (who I cannot be more thankful for), and of course this blog!  I don't know how to show what it means to me to be able to come here and post about one of my favorite things, but I am so fortunate.  YOU guys make me want to blog every time.  With that said (and I have to make this short because I'm running late!), thank you for an awesome year!  2011 can only be better.
Hope you all have a fun and safe night.  I'm just working today and then my cousins will come over later for pizza/movies.

Oh, and quick note about my trip to Sephora yesterday- the next shade darker than Fairly Medium (in Bare Minerals) was Medium, which was too dark for me.  However, the SA told me I could exchange the Warmth all-over face color for another one if I couldn't get it to work for me.  I might go for A Little Sun or Faux Tan, which look to be slightly lighter and just more of actual bronzer products than Warmth is.
Stay tuned for a MAC post- can't wait to share it with you all!

Bare Minerals- My initial thoughts (Prepare for a long one!)

Hey everyone!
First off, I'm sorry this is so late.  I meant to have it up the day or two after Christmas, but a couple things ended up getting in the way: 1) I realized I wanted to do a little comparison between the Bare Minerals and my Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation, and 2) we went out of town for a few days.  I'm home now, though, so I wanted to share this with you ASAP!

My sister got me the Bare Minerals 8-piece customizable starter kit for Christmas, which gives you:
-the choice of one full-sized foundation (0.28oz, either matte or original finish) in your shade
-a smaller sized Mineral Veil (0.07oz)
-Warmth all-over color (0.05oz)
-Full Flawless Face brush
-Flawless Application Face brush
-Maximum Coverage Concealer brush
-mini-sized Prime Time foundation primer (0.5oz),
It also comes with a DVD that explains everything about the makeup, which I haven't watched yet.

I suggested her just getting me the full-sized foundation and Mineral Veil, but she surprised me with this.  She really loves the concealer brush and wanted me to be able to try it, too.
For this review I'm just going to go over each individual product and tell you what I think about them so far.

The brushes:

Top to bottom: Full Flawless face brush (what you use to 'buff' in the foundation), Flawless Application face brush (for Mineral Veil/other powders), Maximum Coverage concealer brush

I'm not sure if when you buy the brushes individually the handles are longer, but these brushes are all travel-sized.  The Full Flawless face brush (I'll just call it the foundation brush) is about the length of my entire hand laid flat.  The powder brush is the smallest in length, with the concealer brush being skinnier and just a little longer.  

Now, I had heard these brushes were on the scratchier side from brush comparison posts I'd read.  For other powder foundation/powder product applications I use my EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer brush, which is one of the softest things I've ever felt.  Comparing the two brands, these are definitely scratchier, however they aren't overly so and I do like the way they work.  My EcoTools brush IS great for buffing in powder foundation, but it's a pain to travel with and for other powders, it buffs them in too much.  It's perfect for when I need  a light application of bronzer, but not when I want high pigmentation.  

I really like how the Bare Minerals powder brush applies things like highlighters.  I just got the MAC Too Chic beauty powder (post coming soon!), and it actually shows up well as compared to when I use my EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer brush, which buffs it in too much.

The concealer brush is a new favorite!  My sister was right.  Now, I've never really used a brush for concealer, but my sister told me she uses a lighter shade of Bare Minerals as a spot concealer and loves this brush for it.  I've been using mine in the same way and this brush works really well.  

The Products

Left: travel-sized Prime Time, Right: Fairly Medium foundation (Original SPF 15 finish)

Left: Original Mineral Veil (0.07oz), Right: Warmth all-over color (0.05oz)

The foundation: I tried the Fairly Medium shade along my jawline while at Sephora, and I thought it would be a perfect match.  However, I've used it a few times and I'm going to go back today and see if I can do a darker shade.  It's not terribly light, but I know as soon as spring comes I'll get darker and I'll need to rely on bronzer.  

As far as the formula goes, I love it.  Keep in mind my skin is normal-dry and sensitive, and for foundation I look for something light-medium coverage, mainly to cover up mild redness and acne spots.  This evens out my skin tone perfectly and gives my skin a nice "glow", especially after using the Mineral Veil.  It doesn't cover up my acne spots enough, which is why I use the concealer brush to dab it over them.  The one downside is that this doesn't last all day- you'd need a fuller coverage concealer if you care more about the staying power. 

Prime Time: The only primer-type of product I've tried is the Monistat Anti-Chafing gel.  I've never really felt the need for a primer, though, so I didn't use it very much.  I've been using Prime Time since I got this set, and so far I like it.  I'm kind of basing this off of what my sister has told me her problems are with Bare Minerals- that it doesn't last all day on her oilier skin.  I think using Prime Time would really benefit her over me.  I have no problems with the foundation wearing all day on me since I've been using this.  However, it doesn't make my skin feel oily/greasy which I like.

Original Mineral Veil: I've heard so many raves about this product, so I was so interested in trying this! It's translucent, but it does give your skin a little extra "something", and nicely finishes the foundation.  The only thing I worry about is it leaving the smallest white cast- I usually wear some kind of bronzer highlighter on top of it so I haven't noticed it yet, but I also haven't really taken pictures or anything since using it.

Warmth All-Over Face Color: Dislike.  It's definitely too dark for my skin tone (I'm sorry I forgot to swatch this, I can do that if anyone would like!).  It's hard to buff in and makes my cheeks look reddish, which is one of the primary reasons I wear face makeup at all.  This is probably because it's too dark for me, but anyway, it will probably go in the trash or to my friend who's darker.  

Overall: I really like Bare Minerals and I'm so happy my sister got it for me to try.  It's perfect for someone like me, who wants something lightweight and easy.  This set is really nice because it allows you to try out all their top-selling products- unfortunately for me, the Warmth color will go unused, but I think anyone darker will find it works better (I'm around a MAC NC25 for reference).  Otherwise, I love the foundation, Prime Time, and Mineral Veil, as well as the brushes (even though they aren't as soft as my EcoTools).  They work really well and are SO convenient to travel with!

Whew!  I was going to include a comparison to my Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation too, but seeing how long this is I'll save it for another post.  

Hope this is helpful for any of you considering Bare Minerals! 

Christmas EOTD+Gifts (Bare Minerals coming soon)

I was going to combine my post about my Bare Minerals set with the rest of my Christmas presents, but I forgot I also wanted to show you my EOTD for today.  I figured that instead I'd just break them up so it wasn't one giant post of pictures.  I hope this is ok!
Now, in regards to my EOTD, please keep in mind that my camera kind of washes out the color.  I tried my best to show how sparkly this was, but it didn't come through too well.  I'm still quite pleased with it, though- nothing too crazy but different from what I normally do.  I wanted something that was bright and eye-opening with a little hint of color.

(This one above shows the shimmer!)

What I used:

-Victoria's Secret Pro eyeshadow primer

-ELF studio eyeliner/shadow stick in Pearl/Glow (as base on my lid and lower waterline/tearduct)

-ELF mineral eyeshadow in Innocent (lid and blended into crease)

-medium matte violet shade from my Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette (outer crease)

-Lancome eyeshadow in Topaz Temptation (from quad- along lash lines and outer corner)

-light matte cream eyeshadow from my Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette (highlight)

-Rimmel Spark It Up! eyeliner in Tiger's Eye

-Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express mascara in Black

Lastly, here are some of the goodies I got for Christmas that I am just super excited about.  The shoes... I had been waiting/lusting over for forever.  THEY ARE NOW MINE AND THEY FIT!  Yay!  ;)

Left: Deena & Ozzy foldover ankle boot; Right: Chelsea Crew perforated oxfords (Both from Urban Outfitters)

I love them! 

I was really nervous about the sizing on these oxfords- it was European sizing, and the reviews for them said they ran a little small.  Being a US 7.5 (roughly) I ordered them in a 38, and thankfully they fit perfectly!  I've had a terrible time getting oxfords to fit me, so this was a great surprise (plus, I had tried the ankle boots on in the store so I knew they would fit.  I was just worried about these).

My mom surprised me with a $25 Sephora gift card in my stocking, along with two of the C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve's!   I was totally not expecting the gift card, so I am incredibly grateful and excited.  I've been wanting the Too Faced Naked eye palette for a long time, so I might jump for it now.  :)

These tights I picked out with the top/skirt below on Black Friday (Charlotte Russe).  I totally forgot about them!  I'm in dire need of new tights, though, so I can't wait to wear them.

lace long-sleeve top and ruffle skirt from Charlotte Russe

Lastly, this mannequin jewelry stand was a complete surprise!  Every time I see something like this I talk about how cute they are, and my mom apparently took notice.  It's going to be perfect for my long necklaces!  Unfortunately it's too big to take with me to school, but it fits right in with the decor in my room at home.  

That's about it!  Thanks so much for reading.  I'll be sure to do a post tomorrow or later tonight about my thoughts on Bare Minerals.  I have the pictures all taken- just need to type it up! :)  

Merry Christmas!! (and stay tuned)

I just wanted to take a minute and wish you all a very merry Christmas!  My family and I opened half of our presents earlier, and after church this morning we'll open what's left.  It's so hard to wait!  I opened the ones I knew about- my shoes, Bare Minerals (my present from my sister), and an outfit.  There are a couple of things left under the tree that I'm not sure about, but it'll give me something to look forward to in church. ;)
What have you guys received today?  I hope at least some of what you asked for!  My mom put the C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve in my stocking, and because of the deal at Bath & Body Works (buy 2 get 1 free) my sister got one, too.  I have it on my lips as we speak.  They're thanking me!
Anyway, I also wanted to let you know that I'll be doing a post about the makeup things I've gotten later on today.  I've tried the Bare Minerals already (I got the customizable 8-piece starter set), so I want to tell you my initial thoughts about it.
Merry Christmas, again!  Talk to you all soon.  :)

Review/EOTD: Lancome Color Design eyeshadow quad

Happy Monday!  I'm finally "home" at my parent's house for Christmas break, and during a bout of boredom this evening I came across an old Lancome eyeshadow quad of mine.  I can't believe I don't use this more often- it definitely deserves better!  So, I decided to review it for you guys.  Apologies in advance- I'm not sure the exact name of it (It's a few years old).  The back of it only shows the colors/finishes, which I'll include for reference.

Lancome Color Design eyeshadow quad

What it is: A high-end eyeshadow quad from Lancome featuring golden browns.  I don't have many department store makeup products, so this is a rarity for me!  It was actually my mom's first, but she never used it so she gave it to me (She doesn't wear eyeshadow very much).

It includes the shades:

Latte- matte cream

Burnt Sand- shimmery gold

Guest List- metallic dark brown

Topaz Temptation- shimmery golden chocolate brown

Price: $42.00 (This is how much the current quads are going for, according to lancome.com) 

(Left to right: Latte, Burnt Sand, Guest List, Topaz Temptation)

Formula: The three shades, Burnt Sand, Guest List and Topaz Temptation have awesome pigmentation.  I only need to swipe my finger across them once to get the above swatch.  Unfortunately, the lighter Latte has terrible payoff.  I need to practically scrape the pan to get anything on my brush, and it requires several applications to show up on my skin (This could be partially due to the age of my palette, but I'm not sure since the other three are fine).  Other than Latte, the three shadows are really easy to blend and apply.  I love the wearability of the shades as well- they all compliment each other and the difference in finishes is really nice (matte, shimmer, metallic).

Wear/quality:  I don't usually have many problems with eyeshadows creasing on me (My lids tend to be normal-dry), and these are no exception.  I always use a primer underneath my eyeshadows so I can't say how they are without one, but I get all-day wear using a primer.  

I did a look with the palette as well so you can see how the colors go together-  I just love how they're neutrals, but the shimmers keep the look from being boring!

(I wore Latte as my highlight shade, Burnt Sand all over my lid and inner lower lash line, Topaz Temptation in my outer corner and outer lower lash line, and Guest List as a liner.)

The one thing I dislike about this quad, aside from Latte being so light, is the value.  The total amount in the quad is only 0.05z, which is the same size of one full-sized MAC eyeshadow.  I'm close to hitting pan on Topaz Temptation and I haven't even used it that much.  

The lovely Angelic Betrayal just commented and told me that it looks like my quad is probably a gift with purchase, so smaller than the full-sized one.  Thank you so much for letting me know!  This would explain why I've come so close to hitting pan on one of the shades.

Pros:

- Beautiful neutral colors

- Good pigmentation in 3/4 shades

- Blends easily and wears all day

Cons:

- Expensive

- Lightest shade has poor color payoff

Overall, I'd definitely recommend you try-before-you-buy.  I've never used any of Lancome's other eyeshadow quads, so I'm not sure if the quality varies between shades (I'm guessing it does).  At $42 it's not exactly something I'd pay for when one shadow isn't pigmented, although the other three are gorgeous.  If the shades are all beautiful and something I'd get a lot of use out of, I think I'd consider it.  

Do you guys own any eyeshadows from Lancome?  What are your thoughts?

I survived my first semester away at college! And my Christmas list

Hey everyone!
As my title says, I'm done with my first semester away at school.  I had final tests this last week, and then final projects that were due the week before- basically I was swimming in homework and studying.  I am SO HAPPY to be done!  I've been stranded at school this weekend, but I fly home tomorrow and can't wait to spend some quality time with my family (I get to see my sister who I haven't seen in so long!).  And, of course, my blog- I'll have so much more free time on my hands over the next four weeks to start posting regularly again.
Can you guys believe it's only a week until Christmas?  I've been thinking about everything BUT the holiday this month, so it totally crept up on me.  I still need to do all of my Christmas shopping for my mom, dad, and sister.
Surprisingly, I don't have much in terms of makeup on my Christmas list.  I'm really intrigued by the MAC Cham-Pale collection, but it doesn't come out until after Christmas- I want to check out the "I Get No Kick" eye kohl, Special Reserve highlight powders, and lip gelees.  They look so sparkly and fresh!
But anyway, here are a few things that are on my Christmas list-

Too Faced Naked Eye kit- I want to take a closer look at this again.  I saw it at Sephora last week, but didn't pay it much attention until I saw swatches online today.

Deena & Ozzy Foldover boot from Urban Outfitters- I found these in store a few weeks ago and immediately fell in love.  These are definitely the kind of shoes that I had to see on myself before I liked them, though- I didn't think they were that great from pictures online.  

Chelsea Crew perforated oxford shoe from Urban Outfitters- I ordered both these and the boots above, and had it shipped directly to my parent's house for my Christmas present.  I didn't try these on in the store, though, so I'm not sure how they'll fit (The sizing is different than standard).  Hopefully they work, because I've been looking for the "right" oxfords for so long!

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve- I really wanted to ask for the Fresh Sugar lip treatment, but $22 for lip balm seemed a bit much (Even as a present).  I rediscovered my love for this lip balm during a recent trip to C.O. Bigelow, so on my list it went!  I'm currently in the midst of a lip balm obsession, so any other recommendations are welcome.

That's really it for now!  What are you guys asking for for Christmas?  

I'm still alive! Things I'm loving lately

Hi everyone!  I cannot apologize enough for my lack of posting lately.  I've been so swept up with school and friends, and I also lost a lot of my interest in makeup/experimenting with it.  I think when other things comes up, it really takes a backseat to what's important.
When I went home for Thanksgiving, though, my spark was ignited (my problem then was that I forgot my camera)- I wanted to buy makeup and actually try out different looks again.  So I know when I'm home for Christmas break I'll get back into posting more frequently.  I have a solid five weeks of break starting the end of next week, so you can bet the anticipation is killing me!  I'm going to be really sad to leave school, though- I've found such amazing people here to call my friends.  It's a great feeling to have people who genuinely care about you, and it's been just what I needed.

With that said, this post is long overdue.  My makeup routine has changed drastically over the last month or so, getting simpler and simpler every day!  But I still have my favorites that I resort to when I'm lacking the ounce of creativity left in me.  ;)
First off, I want to start out with the skin care products I've been using the last couple of weeks.  My skin is pretty sensitive and runs on the dry side, depending on the weather- but growing up, I've never had a problem with acne/breakouts.  Ever since starting college this semester, however, my skin has broken out almost every week.  One pimple would clear up, and then another would form, all in my T-zone.  This was SO frustrating!  Mainly because I'm not used to having actual "breakout" areas.
Anyway, over Thanksgiving break I purchased both of the following products and I've been using them ever since- so, almost two weeks now.  My breakouts have almost completely cleared up and my skin feels like normal again.  Hallelujah!

Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer spf 15 and Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Daily Scrub.  

I think this Neutrogena cleanser is what has helped my skin.  I was using the Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash, but never noticed much of an improvement in breakouts.  This scrub, on the other hand, has exfoliating beads that are still gentle enough to use twice a day (which is recommended).  I follow this with the Aveeno moisturizer, and even though it has SPF, I use both day and night.  I just love it.  I'm thinking I may need something a little more moisturizing for colder days, though, so if anyone has any recommendations for that, I'm all ears!

Onto makeup, which is going to be short but sweet:

(Everything else I'm using on a daily basis right now I've mentioned countless times on here)

Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation in Light 2-3- I think I've told you my obsession with this foundation before, but my laziness has made me obsessed again.  It's so easy to just buff onto my face and go.  After using this type of foundation, I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to do liquid- it takes me so much more time/effort.  ;)  I'm curious as to how Bare Minerals works- if you've used it or have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments!  I'd love to hear.

Rimmel eyeliner in Black Gold- This is a gorgeous antique gold eyeliner that I've talked about before.  It doesn't stay in place the best, so I need to top it with some kind of powder, but the color is so pretty that I put up with it.  

Maybelline eyeshadow quad in Time For Wine- You all probably know my favorite eyeshadow color to wear is either champagnes or purples/berries.  I love using the two purples in this quad in my outer corner- so pretty!  I really don't recommend this palette for its quality.  The pigmentation isn't the best, (in fact, the other two colors hardly show up on me at all- see swatch), so if I want more color I use this:

Dark shimmery purple from my Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette- This is a really pretty eggplant purple that works well when I want a little more color.  It goes great with my green eyes!  I've also been using the matte black shadow from this same palette for lining my eyes, and a matte cream for highlight.

Swatches:

(L-R: Maybelline Time For Wine quad, Rimmel Black Gold eyeliner)

*I forgot to swatch the Coastal Scents shade, I'm sorry!

Lastly, this is the kind of eye look I've been doing pretty much daily the last few weeks.  So simple and neutral (Using the Maybelline eyeshadow quad and Rimmel eyeliner):

 (Please excuse my eyebrows...)

Thanks for reading, everyone!  And definitely expect more frequent posting to happen in a couple weeks.  Finals are full-speed ahead now!

<3