And I'm Back!

I wasn't exactly on vacation--I had sinus surgery and silly me thought that recovery would be just a few days and I'd using the remainder of the two weeks of vacation time I took from work to shop, visit old friends and relax. Wrong. Very wrong. At first I felt liked I'd been hit by a Mack truck; now 12 days later I feel as though I've been run over by a Prius, and while this is a huge improvement, I now need a vacation from my vacation. I did muster some strength on Black Friday to do a little bit of shopping as a reward/exercise of self-pity, and I have seven orders on their way to me! Vicodin+cabin fever+internet access=a whole lot of spending! I also plan on tracking down the new By Terry Ombre Blackstar Eye Shadow Stick London Makeup Girl mentions on her blog. Space NK had the testers but couldn't find the actual products to sell. Hopefully tomorrow.

I did purchase the Chantecaille Holiday Lumiere de Rose Highlighter at Neiman Marcus ($36). I've heard mixed reviews of this product---some saying it's too dark to be a highlighter and some saying it's a very pale shade. Turns out they're both right. The product has a shimmery overspray akin to a darker version of Stila Kitten with more pink in it. Once you get past this layer you'll discover a pearly light shell colored powder perfect for accenting brow and cheek bones. The pictures below capture the overspray--once I get past it I'll follow up with more on the product underneath. Several swatches and brush swipes later and I still have the darker color though the well-used tester revealed true hue of the bulk of the product

This offering is considerably less expensive than Chantecaille's usual fare, but I have to say you'll understand why as soon as you pick up the compact (of this or of their other Holiday powder). They're very small (eye shadow sized) and made of very lighweight cheapy plastic. I have Clinique compacts with more heft. Sometimes you just want to treat your self to a small luxe goody and Chantecaille usually fits the bill, though in this case the item just doesn't feel as special. It's still a nice highlighter and if you're a Chantecaille collector, this season should prove easier on your wallet.

More information on new purchases to come as I feel better and my packages start arriving! I'm hoping to also be up for a Manicure of the Week tomorrow!