Manicure of the Week

Now that fall is decidedly in the air, I've switched to darker nail colors. I have a real issue with nail polishes chipping given how often I wash my hands, but I've discovered that layering a glitterly polish over top helps extend the wear time of my manicure. Plus it just looks so gosh darn pretty. This week I'm wearing Sephora by OPI A Little Dangerous (a deep shimmery eggplanty purple) with Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me (clear with chunky and micro gold sparkled suspended inside) over top. I've already gotten a number of compliments and will definitely be repeating this combination.

Enormous Blog Sale!

My makeup is officially taking over my tiny NYC apartment and it's about time I sent some of these treasures to a loving home. There are a ton of items here, many used just once of twice. If you'd like more information on an item please let me know. I really need to clear all of this out and would love to sell it all at once for $100 plus shipping (USPS Priority Flat Rate). I'll included lots of samples and extras as well!

• By Terry Blush Veloute in Apple Glow- used 2-3 times. A super pretty cream to powder blush
• Vapour Beauty Aura Shimmer Blush in Intrigue- used twice
• Origins Blush in Sugar Cookie- used once
• Darphin Bronzer 04 Soleil Sublime- used a dozen or so times? No dips.
• NARS Kalahari Duo- right side used about 6 times (small dip), left side 3
• Trish McEvoy Face Colors in magnetic case- Resort Bronzer, Sunkissed All Over Face Color, Perfect Blush 1, Jolie Blush
• YSL Rouge Veloupte 2- used 3 times
• Inglot Sleeks Cream Lip Paint- used twice
• Inglot Matte Eye Shadow in Matte 378- used wet twice
• By Terry Black Crayon Blackstar in Deep Bronze- used twice
• Lancome Artliner in IceCarob- used 6 or so times
• Prescriptives Lip Liner in Guava- used once
• MAC Lipstick in Midimauve- used 4 times
• Chantecaille Raffia Lipstick- used twice
• Dolce & Gabbana Lipstick in Naked- used twice
• Lancome Lipstick in Rendez-Vous- used 6 times

• Jouer Eye Shadow in Caramel- used 3 times
• Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Maui- used twice
• Hourgloss Extreme Sheen Gloss in Origami- used once
• Ellis Faas Lip Color L207- used twice
• Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in BG 935- used 4 times
  
• Lancome Artliner in IceBlack- used 12 times
  
• MAC Lilicent Creme Blush- used 10-12 times. Has a dip.
• Julie Hewett Nude Noir Lipstick- used 5 times
• NYC Creme Stick in Urban Spice- used once
• Loreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base- tested once
• Rock & Republic Noir Lip Gloss in Confession (with retractable lip brush)- used 5 times (see photo)
• Sephora mini shadow in Aspen Summit- new
• Origins Underwear for Lids in Gold Dust- used once
• Tarte mini primer- new
• Lancome Magique Blush in Sweetheart- used 10-12 times
• Korres Mini Shower Gel in Guava- new
• Korres Mini Body Butters in Guava, Quince and Fig- new (unsealed)
• Korres Yogurt Cream
• Korres Minis, all new: Sugar Crystal Antioxidant Cream, Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturizer, Evening Primrose Eye Cream

Helloooooo!

Hi! Is anyone still out there? I know, I know. I've been gone waaay too long. A combination of work, heartbreak and family drama [temporarily] curtailed my mass cosmetic consumption and with very little purchased there was little to write about! That all changed with the Sephora Friends and Family sale! I placed 3 orders! I wanted to share some things I'd been loving in my blogging absence.

I love the new Origins Multigrain Bronzer applied with their new Foundation Brush. I've worn it nearly every single day since I got it almost 2 news ago. Both products are fantastic. Here it is loaded up on the brush:

I've also been using my NARS Turks & Caicos Skin Tint near daily. It's a punchy color on me that last all day until I take it off. I've even slept in it (bad, I know) a few times and it's looked just as fab in the morning. Lancome Crayon Kohl Eye Liner in Black Coffee has become a staple as have Stila Smudge Stick in Purple Tang, and these eye shadows: Edward Bess Dusk, Benefit Fawn Over Me, UD Shakedown, Alima Paris turned into a cream shadow with my Geri G Cosmetics Mixer, and Laura Mercier Vanilla Nuts/Coffee Ground Duo. Add in BE Soul, Becca Tweed, and R&R Veil, Affair, Snakeskin and Diffused and I think I could get rid of all of my other eye colors (though I can't actually bring myself to do so). Lip-wise it's been mostly Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Baby (HG), Laura Mercier Stick Gloss in Tiger Lily, Origins Smileage Lip Tint in Eco Pink and Burt's Bees Super Shiny Gloss in Juicy Peach. Fekkai Summer Hair Zero Humidity Frizz Control and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb have helped get me through the summer (which I'm actually sad to see go. It's chilly here and my summer wardrobe is much cuter than my winter one!).

Well I hope some of you will find your way back to me! I can't wait to share more details of some of the products I just mentioned and will be posting an enormous blog sale soon!

Laura Mercier Lip Glace

Along with the palette, my Laura Mercier steal of a makeup kit from Gilt contained a brush and 3 mini glosses, called Lip Glace. I'm definitely more of a lipstick girl and this was my first experience with Laura's glosses. These are smooth and not too sticky with a sweet scent that almost completely masks a "makeup-y" smell. The shades are Petal, Bare Beige and Baby Doll, all of which are available in full size for $22. Petal is an iridescent golden pink, Bare Beige a browny nude and Baby Doll a sheer sparkling pink confection. All apply sheerly but with enough pigment to give perceptible color.
From left: Petal, Bare Beige, Baby Doll
Baby Doll, Petal, Bare Beige

A Brief Interlude In The Prolonged Dry Spell

Well the makeup drought seems to be ongoing. I went to NJ today for the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and didn't even peek into Sephora or Neimans, and I only quickly scanned the Beauty Exclusives. I did pick up a Chanel Paradoxal and a replacement Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Baby, which really has turned out to be my Holy Grail. I've used up but a few lip products in my life and this is one of them. I'll post more on Paradoxal later this week, but so far it's not rocking my world. It's much more gray and flat that one would think from the bottle.

My Laura Mercier Gilt order arrived on Friday! Included was a Satinee Creme Shadow in Ecru Silk and a gift set containing this palette along with three mini glosses and a brush:
The shades are: Vanilla Nuts/Coffee Ground, Gold Dust/Sherazade and Primrose/Kir Royale.

The palette is the newer refillable version so I can swap shades in and out for travel and when I get bored! I'm not a huge pink/purple person so I just may have to head to a counter soon to find a suitable alternative for the Primrose/Kir Royale spot.

I found the Ecru Silk Satinee Creme Shadow to be cakey and streaky, and effect I never experienced with Laura Mericer Metallic Creme Shadows. It promptly found a home with my mother.

The glosses are sheer but beautiful and deserve a post all their own.

Manicure of the Week

This week I have a combination of Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Stormy Blue topped with Sephora by OPI Just a Fairy-Tail. Unfortunately the Sephora doesn't photograph well--it's a sheerish silvery holographic shimmer. The combination is beautiful in the sun!

The First Makeup Item To Tempt Me in Weeks

I'm not sure that this is the cure for my makeup ennui, but I went to Sephora.com for the first time in quite a while today and saw this exclusive Laura Mercier Beauty Insider palette ($48) and it's right up my alley! Called the Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face and Cheeks Creme Colour Palette, it features a Bronzer Veil, 2 Cheek Veils and 2 Glow Veils. According to Sephora, "[t]his ultra-sheer, blendable palette wakes up the skin and gives it an immediate, healthy glow. Customize your look with bronzer, cheek color, and glow for a natural "no makeup" radiance. Inside, there are tabs that fan out to display Laura's secrets on how to best use the formulas to create standout results."

Cream blush and bronzers? sign me up! This palette is currently for Beauty Insiders only and it's now at the top of my wishlist!