November Faves

 Hey There!

It's been about two months since I've done a favorites blog post. I spent a while testing new products so I didn't have a real favorite. When you are using something new every 2 or 3 days you don't have a chance to become attached to any one thing. This weekend, I was setting out my makeup for the week (yes, I choose blushes and bronzers for the week, just like my clothes) and I realized that I did have some favorites this past month. There were some items that stayed in rotation.

I think I have found my holy grail face primer. I wanted to fall in love with a primer because everyone else is. Once I understood what primers were supposed to do, I tried several of them this year and then me, being the princess that I am, found the most expensive one on the list. I've been using my Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. It's a smooth base that is one of the only primers I've found to keep my t-zone (my nose) from getting greasy. I wear eyeglasses so that's a tall order. Hourglass has met the challenge and it's worth the money for that alone.

I have kept my e.l.f. Blush (dark) Palette on my counter all month. This has been the variety in blushes that I've needed. I may pull one or two single blushes out but I tend to reach for this and choose one of the 4 gorgeous colors. It seems that within this palette I have all that I need. I might not ever have to buy another blush again. Bwah - ha ha. I know. That was funny.

I bought this L.A. Colors Mineral Pressed Powder pretty recently but I have picked up this powder almost every day since I bought it. This has rivaled my MAC and Lancôme powders. It's smooth and a great color match. No, I'm not going to toss out my high end face powders but this one will stay in rotation with them.

My NARS creamy concealer has been my love since I received it in my Sephora VIB haul. I cover my dark spots and I feel comfortable that when I get home from work, I will still have spot coverage. No, it won't be perfect (not 12 hours later) but it won't be dark and glaringly obvious. I've pulled out the other concealers once or twice, simple because I don't want them to dry out or anything.

I've been testing different lipsticks all month so I don't have a favorite right now. What has been a constant is my NYX retractable lip liner in Nude Pink. It's a great nude for my lips and it has worked with many different shades of lipsticks. I've had a few lipsticks that without liner, are sliders but this lip liner has kept them in place.

My eyebrow combo has been my Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil in Soft Brown and my e.l.f. Wet Gloss Lash And Brow Clear Mascara. Man! I've been missing out on eyebrow life with this. I mentioned that I had tried Anastasia Brow products before and wasn't a fan. If I had tried this perfect duo before, I'd have never tried anything else.

And that's all folks. It's not a large loves list this month, but it's nuthin' but love. Everything has been used more in November than anything else. You have to keep reading though because I have a lot of stuff that I've been playing with so December favorites might be even more exciting.

Or you might see the same things next month. You never know.

A Tale of Two NARS

Hey There!

So I think we're down to the final 2 reviews from my Sephora VIB Haul. Don't cry though. Black Friday is coming so there are bound to be many more hauls coming your way. What I can give you until then is my review of my two NARS products.

Let's begin with the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer ($16 mini), shall we? I was a bit concerned to begin with because it has a high SPF of 30 and sometimes, many times, SPF formulations break my face out. This one began uncomfortably but then after about 2 minutes my skin calmed and I was ok. The second time I wore it, I added more regular moisturizer and it felt more comfortable.

I purchased the mini size in St. Moritz. The color was nice but the SPF left a cast that I wasn't a fan of. When I sheer it out with more face moisturizer, the cast wasn't as noticeable but the coverage wasn't good. I do like the tinted moisturizer as a light cover on the weekend. The added SPF is good. It's not supposed to be anything more than that so I'm happy with the purchase. I can't say that I'll purchase it again. I'll probably just get a NARS foundation and when I want light coverage, mix my foundation with moisturizer.

My other purchase was the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Biscuit. I had been drooling over this for so long, that I was pretty sure that it wouldn't meet my expectations. I mean, it's a $29 concealer. It can't be as great as I thought.

YOWZA!!! I am in love. I really am. This is so creamy and the perfect shade. It covers my dark spots so well. It's not heavy and works well with my powder and liquid foundations. And, it lasts several hours longer than even my Bare Minerals holy grail cream concealer.

Now, I know that other people like it under the eyes to conceal and highlight. For me, that was a fail. It creased and added about 10 years to my age. No, no, I've decided that powders do better around my eyes. Liquids and creams are my eyeball enemies.

The price is so gross but I have NO doubt that I will purchase this again. I try to be fair to my other concealers and wear them too but I've been reaching for this goodie more than the others.

So that's it. I'm done playing with all of the lippies and face makeup that I purchased from Sephora. Now, I'm ready to play with new makeup. Please believe that it will be happening!!

What Came In My Sephora VIB Box?

Hey There!

Do I have to tell you how super excited I was to get this package of goodies? Of course not. I think I did the happy dance right there at work. I placed my order a week ago and have "patiently" been waiting for my box 'o goodies. And now, they are here!

I spent so many weeks plotting and planning what I'd purchase. I wanted to make good purchases and only get things that I REALLY wanted, not that I kinda wanted. There were some things that I wanted now and some things I could wait until Black Friday weekend to get. And, there were some things that I wanted but tried out in the store and decided I didn't need.

The first thing you see (and the first thing in my Sephora basket) is the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set. There are 9 lipsticks that I am soooo ready to play with. Well, 7 -- one of them. I already own the full size of Lovecraft and one of them the kiddo really liked in the store (Wonderchilde) and I said when I got this set, I was going to give it to her. I am going to have so much fun with this, just you wait and see.

The other large lipstick thing you see is the Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash. 6 gorgeous lippies and a glide on pencil. I own one of these in a full size (Liar -- that's the name! I'm not calling anyone a liar) and I'm excited about trying them.

(Sorry. I'm excited about everything I bought! Why the hell would I not be?! I'll try not to say how excited I am again).

Look right above the Urban Decay package. Do you know what that is? It's my new NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Biscuit (you have to say it like that, with your color added). I have been talking about trying this for so long. I put this bugger in my Sephora basket months ago and never took it out. I knew it was coming home this time.

Next to that is the small NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. I've said that I don't like foundation but I'll use a BB cream or tinted moisturizer or mix a foundation with some moisturizer. I wanted to try this one and see if I'll like it as much as my Lancôme BB cream (yes, I know they aren't the same thing).

I picked up the Hourglass Indestructible Matte Liquid Lipstick in Canvas because I wanted to see if it was really as nice as everyone said and I picked up the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brown because I had tried it in store before but I hadn't been using it correctly so I didn't like it. Now that I have learned how to use it, I think I'll like it better.

 

Samples that came in the box.

And those are all the goodies that I got! I love them, love them, love them (you know, through the packaging) and will rush back to let you know what I think of them after I use them. I'll also chat a bit about my Black Friday plans and why I didn't choose some other items that I had my eye one. I think it's almost as important to know what I didn't pick and why as it is to know what I did pick.

What did you get during either the Sephora Friends and Family sale or the VIB sale? Are you preparing for the Black Friday weekend? What are you waiting for?