Score!

I'm not an Urban Decay fan, but I was looking for a sheer pop-of-color cream blush to layer over my bronzer and happened upon their new Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tints ($24). Sephora describes the product as a "sheer, buildable cheek tint that glides on effortlessly and feels truly weightless," a description I agree with. I picked up the shade Score, which is a sheer peachy pink (more pink than peach) with gold shimmer. I think that the sheerness makes it look natural, and the golden glimmer is very pretty, but some might find it over the top. I'm very fair and find that the color builds nicely, but those with deeper skins will probably find that this shade does not show up. I've heard rants regarding the lasting power of this product but I haven't had any issues with it fading.

Face of the Day!

I unearthed an old(er) MAC Quad today and wanted to use it!

Eyes:
MAC Blanc Type lash to brow (over Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen)
MAC Naked lunch in and above the crease
MAC Copperplate in the outer corner
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Bourbon
Korres Mascara
(The other MAC shadow in the Quad is Sensualize)

Cheeks:
Rock & Republic Rumor
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Maui
Julie Hewett Goldie Shimmy to highlight the tops of my cheekbones

Lips:
Laura Mercier Tiger Lily Stickgloss

Urban Decay Friends and Family Sale Going on Now!

For those who have Urban Decay on their wishlists, now is the perfect time to shop! Now through April 19th save 30% when you use code 1SFNF on the Urban Decay site. I really like their 24/7 liners and matte shadows.

Quick Paul and Joe Swatches for Ondine

The lovely Ondine requested swatches of my Paul and Joe purchases from last night and even though I am not the best swatcher (my swatches always seem so messy and imperfect compared to some of the perfectly straight, dainty ones I've seen) I'm happy to oblige! Click on the image to make it bigger!


Also, in a desperate attempt to justify to myself why I have so many brown eyeliners, I started swatching them on my hand so that I could see just how different and necessary each one is. The swatches are messy since they were originally intended just for me, but I thought they might help someone discover a new brown eyeliner!

1. MAC Technakohl in Photograuvre
2. Benefit Kohl in Sable
3. Urban Decay 24/7 in Bourbon
4. Sephora Nano Liner in Glitter Brown
5. Paul and Joe 02 Dark Brown
6. Sephora Electro Liner in Copper Electro
   

Plums Today (and a Mini Love-Fest for Three Custom Color Specialists)!

90% of the time I'm wearing some variant of a peachy pink or pinky peach blush (the other 10% it's a bronze or nude shade), but today I decided to mix things when I rediscovered my Watercolours for Cheeks in Violet Lotus by a fabulous and incredibly underrated brand, Three Custom Color Specialists. Watercolours are deeply pigmented cream blushes with a dense, non-sticky texture. They do not dry down to a powder finish so your cheeks have a bit of luminosity to them, but without the thickness of MAC Blushcremes. Violet Lotus looks very bright in the pot and swatched, but can be sheered down to a cheerful "just in from the cold" look that I decided to base today's face around.

I highly recommend checking out Three Custom Color Specialists--their ready to wear eye shadows, lipsticks and glosses are high quality and though I've never tried it, the line built their reputation by duplicating discontinued shades from other brands. I love Trae's Favorite lipstick (I've actually used one of these up), Gail's Favorite Gloss (not on the website but I had them make me up a batch after I finished the first one and they do not charge the "custom" fee for this since it used to be part of the regular line up), and Warm Nectar and Warm Celery eye shadows.

Today's Face of the Day (click the picture to enlarge):
Clockwise from Top Right:

• Lancome Colour Design Eye Shadow in Snap- a soft smokey purple
• Korres Mango Butter Lipstick in Natural Purple- a sheer berry
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Rockstar- a shimmering plum
• Boobi Brown Champagne Quartz Shimmer Metallic Eye Shadow- a warm peachy champagne sparkle
• Three Custom Color Specialists Watercolours for Cheek in Violet Lotus- a neutral blendable plum-berry

Top to Bottom:
Three Custom Color Specialists Violet Lotus, Korres Natural Purple, Urban Decay Rockstar, Bobbi Brown Champagne Quartz Shimmer, Lancome Snap

Makeup Fail

I didn't sleep all that much last night and realized before I left the house today that I wasn't looking my absolute best, and yet didn't expect the first coworker I encountered this morning to greet me with "oh my gosh, are you okay? You look awful." Total makeup fail. I normally love all of the items I wore today but I suppose I should have gone with less gray on the eyes and a deeper, brighter blush! (I did also have eye liner and mascara on).
Clockwise from top:
Prescriptives Blush More or Less Creamy Cheek Color in Pink Sand
Benefit Velvet Eye Shadow in Fawn Over Me
Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Baby
Urban Decay Matte Eye Shadow in Shakedown

Some 'New to Me' Eye Basics

I have more eye shadows than any other beauty product and am constantly promising myself I won't buy any more. Oops.

I recently picked up Urban Decay Matte Eye Shadow in Shakedown ($16) and Origins Underwear for Lids in Golddust ($14.50).

The Urban Decay caught my eye because the shade looked like a slightly warmer version of MAC French Grey, one of my all time favorites. When I tested it, I was surprised at how velvety smooth and pigmented the shadow is! I certainly don't need another shadow, let alone another taupe, but I purchased it anyway and am finding it a lovely workhorse basic. For those unable to find French Grey, this is a good substitute (minus the shimmer). Shakedown combines brown and gray to create a universal taupe that's not too warm or too cool.

Without Flash (French Grey left, Shakedown right):

With Flash (French Grey left, Shakedown right):


Origins Underwear for Lids is an eyeshadow base that comes in two formats, a matte flesh toned one and a collection of shimmery light shades. The product is housed in a small swivel-up tube and glides on creamy but sets for all day wear. Golddust is a light champagne with tiny gold and silver shimmers that my camera refuses to capture. The product is extremely versatile--I've worn it alone, as a base for other shades to make them adhere and add glimmer, to highlight the tear ducts, brow bones and the center of my lids, and just to perk up my face after a long day. This shade can make any 'work' shadow festive enough for a party! Underwear for Lids is inexpensive, tiny enough to fit into any makeup bag, and both the product and shade deliver.

Urban Decay 24/7

I'm quite sure that I am no where near Urban Decay's target market. I'm 29, an attorney (albeit in corporate America and not private practice), would choose a neutral over a fluorescent eye shadow any time and believe that the majority of drug references and double entendres in their product and color names go right over my head.

That being said, while I'm not an Urban Decay groupie, I am an eye liner fanatic and after hearing innumerable raves for the line's 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils ($17), I had to give them a try. I have to say, these liners live up to the accolades. They glide on (as the name implies) incredibly smoothly with no tugging or dragging and they truly last all day. While there are some outlandish colors that would be fun for a night out (like bright teal), there are also many beautiful, wearable shades. I currently have Stash (a golden olive), Rockstar (a plum) and Bourbon (a coppery brown), all of which have shimmer. The company has recently added several new colors including eggplant and black with silver glitter, a midnight blue and a forest green (which will be next on my list!). My only complaint is that there isn't a good true chocolate brown. I like Bourbon but it is a bit on the light side and skews a bit coppery red on me.

Bottom line, even if you're not an Urban Decay fan, I highly recommend checking out these liners.

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.