Scott Barnes Creme Color in Luster

This couldn't have come at a better time. I wasn't at work 3 minutes when a male coworker came up to me to tell me I looked tired. Clearly I need wither sleep or a new highlighter, and the latter is much easier to procure.

I've admitted in the past that watching beauty shows on QVC is a guilty pleasure and while I've never actually ordered Perricone products, I've always been amazed by the radiant glow the brand's spokesperson, Dana, has on air. When I read that she used Scott Barnes Creme Color in Luster on her cheeks (over Tarte Dollface, for those interested), I immediately went on a quest for it. Luckily Strawberrynet carries the now-defunct brand and for a mere $18, this baby was mine.

First of all, this thing is itsy bitsy teeny tiny. The plastic case is about an inch on each side and the product is around the size of a nickel. I don't know why I'm complaining since it's not like I ever use anything up, but for those interested in bang for buck, this might not be for you. The shade is a luminous champagne with a hint of ever-so-slightly-bronzey warmth. If you find that most highlighters look ashy on you, this would be a great option. It's creamy and glowy without being glittery and really does impart a radiance to the apples of the cheeks, more so than a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick or Laura Mercier ShimmerBloc. I'm not quite sure why, but darned if it doesn't do what it promises. The camera doesn't seem to capture it but the mirror does. A+!

My Favorite Mistake

Whenever a beauty magazine publishes a 'don't' list, one of the items is invariably "don't match your eye shadow to your eye color." The makeup powers-that-be have decreed that contrasting colors (plum if you have green eyes, amber if blue, etc) are the most flattering, but I happen to love green eye shadows and eye liners on my green eyes! To me, green is less harsh than black, more interesting than brown and really does showcase my eyes! I'm not always looking for contrast. Sometimes a soft smoulder or subtle definition is what I'm after, and I turn to my greens. Do you wear shadows and liners that match your eye color? What other makeup 'rules' do you break?

Here are some of my favorite green liners (click to enlarge):

1. Laura Geller Baked Cakes Eye Liner in Dark Green Apple (part of the Key Lime/Dark Green Apple Duo)
2. Laura Geller Baked Cakes Eye Liner in Key Lime (part of the Key Lime/Dark Green Apple Duo)
3. Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink
4. Redpoint Optic Effects Pencil (swirls of pearl, light and dark greens)
5. Lancome Artliner in Star Shower
6. Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Stash
7. Jouer Pencil Eye Liner in Vert

As far as green shadows go, my favorite shadow is the ever-elusive Lancome Erika F. Lancome does not distribute this shade in the states, but it is available to Americans via Strawberrynet.com, which is where I purchased both my Erika F single and the Lancome Colour Focus Palette in Escapade Champetre, which contains the shade as well.
In addition to the glorious grayed green taupey sprakle of Erika F (bottom left corner), there is a very pale greenish white, a gorgeous shimmered emerald and a murky bronze green. The shades all work beautifully together or on their own. The Erika F single seems to go in and out of stock often and is well-worth looking out for. It is truly unique.