In which I wear circle lenses...

...and attempt Dolly makeup!  Yeah, I'm almost 30 and I don't have the bone structure for it, but it was fun anyway <3  Please ignore my bedhead :[

 

Circle Lenses are Acuvue Define (prescription) which I bought from Contact Lens Xchange (no affiliation).
Makeup: Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer in Perfect Nude, Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink, Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Marshmallow Bunny, Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit in Light
Eyes: ELF Eyelid Primer, Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Trio in Don't Steal My Thunder, Wet n Wild Shimmer Eye Liner in Black, Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black, Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Cream Eye Shadow Pencil in Pixie on waterline, and Ardell Demi Wispies Lashes applied with Duo Lash Glue

The Bare Minimum

Will you go out without makeup?  I've been leaving off the slap completely a few days a week even now that I've been back at work for a couple months.  Call me lazy if you like - there's no denying I look better with makeup on.  That's what it's for, after all!  If you don't look better with makeup, you are probably doing something wrong XD

That said, I went nearly my entire maternity leave without wearing any.  My husband didn't scream and run for the hills or issue an ultimatum about me letting myself go, so maybe looking imperfect isn't really such a big deal. 



Wearing ELF SPF15 Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige, Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer in Perfect Nude, Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Powder and Highlighter (FYI Juice Beauty sells in China), ELF Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Pink Umbrellas, ELF Studio Cream Eyeliner in Coffee, and mascara.
My sister said I need to start filling my brows regularly, which I did not do here... thanks, sis :-P

Wearing OCC:Skin Primer, Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow, Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer in Perfect Nude, ELF Studio Tone Correcting Powder in Cool, and mascara.  This is the minimum I really ought to wear ^_^;;

Wearing only OCC:Skin Primer, the Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow, and a clear gloss on my lips.  I think I need concealer/powder and mascara because I still look too unpolished here.
 

No makeup, no moisturizer, nothing. Ugh, my skin! Those dark circles! My tiny lashes -_-

What is the bare minimum for you?

Everything I've bought so far

Hi guys! Nope, I'm not dead - I've just found working full-time and being a (of course, also full-time) new mom to be completely consuming and I'm lucky if I get to read beauty blogs, let alone write for mine.  Part of me misses it, but I'm also glad I don't feel forced to do it. It's always been a labor of love for makeup ;-)

And here is my Number One Love, Yvette:

While I find far fewer are the days I get to play with makeup, I won't sugar-coat the fact that shopping for makeup is probably the real hobby!  I thought I'd let you guys know what I've bought/repurchased/received as gifts so far this year so if you are curious about any of these products and can't find a review on another trusted beauty blog (or just want to know what I think of them) you can request a review/swatches of something from the list and I'll carve out some time to actually blog!

XOXO,
Sarah S.

Eyes
1	Lime Crime Eye Shadow Helper
2	e.l.f. Studio Contour Brush
3	e.l.f. Studio "C" Brush
4	e.l.f. Studio Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in Toast
5	e.l.f. Essentials Eyelid Primer in Sheer
6	e.l.f. Studio Waterproof Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara (2)
7	e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Ivory
8	Jemma Kidd Make Up Bio-Mineral Essentials Kit in Chocolat
9	Japonesque Go Curl Eyelash Curler
10	Pacifica Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette
11	Pacifica Wanderlust Mineral Color Set
12	Too Faced Matte Eye Shadow Collection
13	Too Faced Exotic Color Intense Eye Shadow in Enchanted Garden (2)
14	Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eye Liner in Black
15	EcoTools Flat Eyeliner Brush
16	Fyrinnae Pressed Eyeshadow in Arcane Magic: Sorceress
17	Fyrinnae Pressed Eyeshadow in Serendipity (2)
18	Fyrinnae Pressed Eyeshadow in Meerkat
19	Fyrinnae Pressed Eyeshadow in Parental Advisory
20	Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells (2)
21	Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in I Dream of Greenie
22	Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Cream Eyeshadow Pencil in Pixie (2)
23	Wet n Wild Color Icon Shimmer Eye Pencil in Black (2)
24	Wet n Wild Color Icon Shimmer Eye Pencil in Copper
25	Sephora Collection Emerald Eyelash Curlers
26	Korres Volcanic Minerals Volumizing Mascara in Obsidian Black
27	Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic Plus Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum
Lips
1	Lime Crime Carousel Gloss in Present
2	Lime Crime Carousel Gloss in Snowsicle
3	Crazy Rumors Lip Balm in Ginger Ale (2)
4	Crazy Rumors Lip Balm in Red Velvet (4)
5	Crazy Rumors Lip Balm in Cola
6	Crazy Rumors Lip Balm in Black Cherry
7	Crazy Rumors Lip Balm in Root Beer
8	Crazy Rumors Lip Balm in Pink Grapefruit Juice
9	Crazy Rumors HibisKiss Flavored Lip Color in Coral
10	Butter London Lips and Tips in Shambolic
11	Butter London Lippy in Primrose Hill Picnic
12	Butter London Lippy in Snog
13	Butter London Lippy in Trout Pout
14	Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Juicy Melons
15	Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Naked Dolly
16	Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Marshmallow Bunny
17	Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Honey Bear
18	Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint in Sugared Fig
19	Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Purely Kissable Lip Color
20	Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gel in 3-2-1 Glass-t Off!
21	Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gel in This Too Shall Glass
22	Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gel in Glass Confusion
23	Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipstick in 910D Red Velvet
Face
1	Boscia Make-up Break-up Cool Cleansing Oil
2	e.l.f. Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer Oil-free in Sand
3	e.l.f. Studio Small Stipple Brush
4	e.l.f. Studio Flawless Concealer Brush (3)
5	e.l.f. Studio High Definition Undereye Setting Powder
6	e.l.f. Studio Blush in Tickled Pink
7	e.l.f. Studio HD Blush in Headliner
8	e.l.f. Essentials Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige
9	Real Techniques Powder Brush (2)
10	Real Techniques travel essentials Set
11	EcoTools Alicia Silverstone Brush Set and Bag
12	EcoTools Buffing Brush
13	Pacifica Radiant Shimmer Coconut Multiples
14	Pacifica Good Karma Skin Care Kit
15	Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes
16	Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
17	Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow (2)
18	Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer
19	Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder
20	Too Faced Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush in Cocoa Rose
21	Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer in Perfect Nude
22	Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Simply Pure Chamomile Cleanser
23	Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Simply Nourishing Moisturizer
24	Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Simply Flawless Pressed Powder
25	Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Irresistable Glow Facial Highlighter
26	Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Mellow Wine
27	Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Oil Free in Ivory
28	Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel
Body
1	Pacifica Magic Carpet Ride Body Butter Set
2	Pacifica Body Wash in Tuscan Blood Orange
3	Pacifica Body Wash in Hawaian Ruby Guava
4	Pacifica Body Wash in Brazilian Mango Grapefruit
5	Soap & Glory Cream and Soaper Duo
6	Soap & Glory Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream
7	Suave Naturals Mango Mandarin Body Wash
8	JASON Glowing Apricot Body Wash
9	Philosophy Ooey Gooey Cookie Shower Gel
10	100 Percent Pure Honey Almond Hand Buttercream
11	butter LONDON Blagger Nail Lacquer
12	Orly Oh Cabana Boy Nail Lacquer
13	Color Club Halo Hues Holographic Nail Lacquer in Kismet
14	SpaRitual Sole Mate Hydrating Foot Balm
15	SpaRitual Water Mini Nail Lacquer Set
16	SpaRitual Nail Lacquer in It's Raining Men

The E.L.F. on the Shelf

I'm not rich, but I am a makeup fanatic and spend anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 on beauty products in any given year (remember that budget I was trying to stick to from this past February? I managed to stay within the budget for 8 out of 10 months :-D The two bad months I spent about $430 and $745... yikes!).  The funny thing is, lately I've noticed what a HUGE majority of my go-to products on my everyday shelf in the bathroom are from Eyes Lips Face, better known as E.L.F., which is just about the cheapest makeup brand that I can think of.  So, while E.L.F. products take up a tiny fraction of the money I spend on makeup/beauty products, they're really the workhorses of my daily face these days.  Crazy, right?  Here's a list of the ones I'm using almost every day:

Essentials Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Light Beige (I don't know how but this doesn't break me out and does a darn good job of evening out my skintone) $1

Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer Oil-Free in Sand (this works so well in my undereye area!) $3

Studio Concealer Brush (works with that concealer flawlessly) $3

Studio Tone Correcting Powder in Cool (does a great job of keeping the undereye concealer free of creases) $3

Studio Cream Blush/Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia (so natural, I adore it!) $3

Studio Angled Blush Brush $3

Studio Golden Bronzer (Dior Amber Diamond dupe, worn as my highlighter) $3

Essentials Sheer Eyelid Primer (doesn't really make eyeshadow colors pop like a base product would, but it does keep my eyeshadows from creasing) $1

Studio Waterproof Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara (honestly doesn't lengthen or volumize very much, but it is very black, holds a curl, and provides a really great daily mascara look) $3

Essentials Spoolie (for my brows) $1


Some other favorites that I don't use daily but have bought multiples of:

Studio Flat-top Powder Brush (one of my favorites for applying liquid foundations) $3

Studio Contour Brush (one of my favorite eyeshadow brushes) $3

Essentials Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal (a nice dupe for Benefit High Beam) $1

When I noticed that I could be doing my makeup for special occasions or everyday life using all high-end brands like Burberry, Chanel, YSL, etc... and yet keep reaching for these budget gems I thought it was worth sharing with you all!

What E.L.F. does need to improve upon:
Eyeshadow.  The bad ones are crumbly, powdery and terrible and the good ones aren't quite pigmented enough or just fade very quickly.
Eyeliner: Actually, the cream ones in the pots in the Studio line aren't too bad, but packaging is a big problem with E.L.F. (of course, with high-end makeup part of what you're paying for is really luxe and well-designed packaging) and they dry out incredibly fast.  The E.L.F. pencils I've tried that require sharpening are too hard and tug at my delicate eyelids.
Foundation: They don't make any worth using if you have anything that needs covering, but the quality of their new Maximum Coverage Concealer does give me some hope.  Foundation is one of those products, like skincare, that most people are probably better off splurging on, though, anyway.

To be honest, I've not really tried many of their lip products... they seem to be pretty typical of cheap drugstore quality to me, and I simply prefer my lipsticks to offer a luxurious experience.  Especially because lip products tend to be all that I carry with me and who doesn't love to whip out a beautifully packaged lipstick or gloss in public?

I'm not in any way affiliated with E.L.F., just a satisfied fan of them.  I think their website is relatively navigable, and I haven't had any problems with them except for one recurring issue: they have made order packing mistakes on 3 out of my last five orders!  I know that's a pretty terrible rate, but each time I e-mailed them and they either rushed me the missing items or immediately credited my money back, no questions asked, within a couple of days.  So, while their order packers are kind of crap, their customer service is excellent.  You can get all my favorites for $31, likely with free shipping, at eyeslipsface.com, and some of their products are sold at Target.

Can you guys recommend any other E.L.F. winners to me?  The worst part about E.L.F. is it's so cheap I'm always itching to buy back-ups I don't need... XD

<3 Sarah S.

L'Oreal Buys Urban Decay and... I just don't have anything left

Maybe you've heard this news.  As a gal committed to her vegan makeup collection, I find this super-disappointing and ultimately rather depressing.  Makes me feel like I don't even want to write a beauty blog anymore (what's the point, if practically all the makeup companies are owned by one or two BIG companies that test on animals? I don't want to promote them, even in my microscopic corner of the internet).
I'm still a big fan of Too Faced, and independent companies like Lime Crime and Fyrinnae.
I get tons of my basics from ELF, which is both affordable and of decent quality.
I guess all I'm trying to say is I really appreciate all of you guys and the support you've given my little bloggie for over a year, and I'll enjoy your blogs whether you're into cruelty-free only or not... but I'm feeling like I don't really want to blog anymore myself.  I've always bought everything for this blog with my own money, and I just don't know if I can generate a decent number of posts when I only use a few brands.
Anyway, <3 you guys.  This might be good-bye.
Sarah S.

Please help me decide?

Hi guys! I hope all has been well.  Sorry I have not been blogging but life has simply been all kinds of cray.

I finally decided to build my own Urban Decay eye shadow palette, and I'm stumped as to the last shadow to include... so I though I'd put it out to the blogosphere for assistance.  I already have the first five shadows picked out, and I'm just not sure whether I want to round the palette out with Cobra or Naked.  What do you guys think?

Top Row: Roach, Chase, Mushroom
Bottom Row: Foxy, Maui Wowie, Naked

Top Row: Roach, Chase, Mushroom
Bottom Row: Foxy, Maui Wowie, Cobra

*Please note: These are NOT my swatches.  I got them from the internet - I think most of them are from Temptalia. I couldn't swatch them myself because I don't have them yet.  I will gladly take them down if Temptalia asks me to.  Hope I'm not being a complete jerk using them for this purpose!

If I wasn't a terrible blogger I'd embed a poll or something, but as it stands I'd really, really appreciate it if you left me a comment about which shadow to choose.  Thanks, guys!
<3 Sarah S.

Lisa Eldridge's "Biba" Eye

Hi guys! Sorry I'm neglecting my blog.  I'm really hugely pregnant (perhaps you want to see?).
Lisa Eldridge recently did this video with a look that inspired me to get off my rounded duff and play with my cosmetics.  I frickin' love her, by the way.  Besides her talent, she's extremely knowledgeable and affable, too :) When you watch her videos she can tell you about the history of classic looks like this one.

As you can see, I did this eye look over my daily makeup (which has been nothing more than tinted moisturizer, concealer, powder, brow powder, and blush) and it's almost totally worn off... not fabulous.
But, I had such fun with the bottom lashes I thought I'd make a little post on this bloggie.

Products - ELF Mineral Eye Primer, Too Faced Matte Palette, Physicians Formula Black Automatic Eye Liner, ELF Lengthening & Defining Mascara, Wet n Wild Color Icon Shadow Single in Sugar, Revlon Beyond Natural Lashes in Flirty (not cruelty-free anymore), DUO Lash Glue

Do you guys love 60's makeup half as much as I do? XD