September 2011 Favorites

Wow, that was a quick month. I had to cut down massively on my spending (because I got a new car!), but I still managed to add new favorites to the lineup:

The olive ("Browbone") shade from Wet n Wild LE Earth Looks Small From Down Here Trio ($2.99):
This is just incredibly gorgeous. I love to do a gradient greens eye with it, and this has a duo-chromey, antiqued gold look to it so if I am in a rush but still want my eyes to pop I can just swipe this across my lid by itself.  It's perfect.

Jill Stuart Mix Blush in Romantic Poppy ($65):
Hard to get, but other shades are available from iMomoko.com.  These are in beautiful packaging and come with a great brush.  Each shade in the blush quad can be worn alone, and when swirled together it has this dimension I cannot compare to any single blush I own.  It is almost a 3D effect.  It's so soft and blends out so well, you can get a full-on pigmentation look like NARS or a whisper if you prefer.  These are so pricey but I'm contemplating collecting every one that comes out... if I win the lottery... sigh.  I've been wearing this more than my beloved Illamasqua Lover this month!

Clinique Black Honey Brush-On Cream Liner ($15):
I wasn't really feeling the limited edition blush or eye quad, but I picked up the lip duo and this cream liner.  It looks more interesting than my usual black or dark brown, while still being neutral.  I think the bit of red in it makes my eye color skew more green.  When I've done a linerless look and find myself thinking I need more definition, this is what I've been reaching for all September. It just screams Autumn, doesn't it?  The brush it comes with is kinda meh but does the job in a pinch.

Mac Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack ($15):
This just works for me; it volumizes, lengthens, separates, and defines with true, deep blackness.  The price isn't bad at all, but I've been using various samples of it that I have around.  I've bought it in the past because I heard it is vegan, but I can't confirm that is still true. I have several mascaras in rotation at the moment (more than I ought to!), but this is the one I reach for when I just want a mascara I can rely on!

Dior Aurora (LE, Sold Out):
I can't even remember how much it cost.  I was boycotting Dior, like NARS, earlier this year because I have issues with the fingerprint-magnet packaging and excessively high prices.  I eventually caved on both of those boycotts, and this is what made me cave on Dior.  It was being raved all over the blogosphere, and when I got it back in June I didn't touch it for a few months because it was so pretty in its compact.  Well, I caved to that temptation, too!  This is what I've been reaching for when I don't want to put on anything besides mineral foundation.  At that point, I look too washed-out, and this is a perfect combo of a natural bronzer and peachy blush to send the pallor packing.  It's near impossible to over-do and requires no finesse; easy, goof-proof makeup at its finest.  This ought to be permanent.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple ($20 for 8 oz.):
I received a free bottle of this with a purchase during a promo at Ulta back in May or June, and eventually got around to using it on a regular basis this month. I've had samples of it before and was unimpressed - I tend to like a good lather with a facial cleanser.  I do have to use the CVS makeup remover wipes beforehand.  Still, with use over an extended period its gentle cleansing is growing on me despite my dislike for rose scents.  My face feels really clean but not at all irritated, tight or dry after I use it.  If my skin clears up a bit more I may attribute it to this cleanser rather than the cooler temperatures of Fall, but the verdict is still out.

Too Faced Sweet Dreams Palette ($52):
I think this was obvious; how many FOTD/EOTD have I done with this palette this month? The packaging is pretty and fun, the cheek products in the drawer alone justify its purchase.  Full review is here, but since writing the review I've figured out how to work with its few shortcomings and we're running away together ;-)

No lippies in the favorites this month;  Honestly, I was a lippie ho and love them all. Maybe next month!

First Day of Fall FOTD

It's the first day of Autumn, officially, and we've got the weather... 53 degrees and rainy! I saw a woman hydroplane off the expressway on my commute this morning. Fortunately, she and her car were okay!  I just hope this weather isn't going to persist the entire season. It was really hard to photograph my FOTD this morning!  I could have reached for the standard fall colors (browns, rusts, etc.) but I was feeling greenish antiqued-gold, blue-glittered purple, and soot to reflect the gray days and rain we've been having.

Face: Origins Vitazing, Boscia BB, E.L.F. Personal Blend Mineral Foundation in Light, Garnier Tinted Eye Roller
Cheeks: Rimmel Sun Light Bronzer, Too Faced Cocoa Rose Blush, Too Faced Candlelight Highlighter

Eyes: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Paint Pots in Soft Ochre, Too Faced Honeymoon on inner 1/2 lid, Party Girl on outer 1/2 lid, Nice Ash in the crease, blended out with In the Buff (also used on inner corner and browbone), First Dance applied dry to upper lashline, L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Lips: What could be more Fall-like than the Clinique Black Honey Lip Duo?

EOTD again with Too Faced Sweet Dreams Palette

I am really starting to love this palette... it seems any clothes I throw on can be complemented by some combo or another from it!
Today I pulled out my Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle to be a little matchy with Cut the Cake eyeshadow in my crease. I used Satin Sheets on the inner lid and corner, and matte Teddy Bear blended on the outer half of my lid.  I am surprised that Satin Sheets doesn't look pink at all on my lids, but instead becomes a pale, shimmery gold.  I put these shadows on over TFSI and MAC Paint Pot in Painterly from crease to brow.

I am loving how Satin Sheets catches the light!  Candlelight Glow is nice on my cheeks here. 

I was going for extreme subtlety, so no liner, brown mascara... just an almost-natural look with a dreamy haze cast over it.

I used Chocolate Soleil on my cheeks and temples today, with Cocoa Rose blush on the apples and lots of Candlelight Glow on the tops of my cheekbones.  Mascara is Benefit Bad Gal in Brown, which is ok but nothing to write home about proving to hold a curl!

FOTD with Too Faced Sweet Dreams Palette

My favorite coral blouse this summer... do I have to stop wearing it?

Top: Express, Necklace: Kohl's

Too Faced Sweet Dreams Collection: Shadow Insurance, In the Buff to highlight browbone, Peach Fuzz on inner lid, Copper Peony on outer lid to crease, Cop a Teal on a wet slanted brush as liner, MAC Zoom Lash mascara, Clinique Bottom Lash mascara

Cheeks: Chocolate Soleil as contour, Candlelight Glow as highlight, Illamasqua Blush in Lover
Lips: MAC Ever Hip Lipstick and Strange Potion Lipglass

REVIEW: Too Faced Holiday 2011 Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection Photos and Swatches

Sometimes a dream is a little sweeter than reality.  For example, I don't think I should be surprised that I'm a little bit disappointed with the Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection by Too Faced for Holiday 2011.  I LOVED, as in practically dreamed about, Too Faced Enchanted Glamourland from 2010's Holiday Collection. I took the time to find dupes for each shade in the eyeshadow palette using two Coastal Scents Palettes.  I never wanted to be without those color combinations!
(Off subject, but if you would like to know the Coastal Scents dupes of the Enchanted Glamourland Limited Edition palette from last year, please let me know in the comments below!)

The velvety softness and smoothness we've all come to expect from Too Faced eye shadows is evident in their 9-pan eye palettes (Naked, Natural, Smokey, Romantic, and Matte Eye Collections).  Every shade in the Matte Eye Collection I reviewed was silky and smoothly pigmented.  Sadly, the eyeshadows in the Sweet Dreams palette are harder-packed, which cuts down on their softness. In spite of this, I found they kicked up a lot more little balls of eyeshadow dust when I dipped in with a brush or finger.  They didn't feel as soft as the Enchanted Glamourland or Matte collection pans of shadow.  Several of the shades, as you may be able to see from the swatches, applied a tad unevenly and, dare I say it, chalky?  Fall-out can be an issue.  This is simply NOT the soft, buttery pigmentation I expect and now DEMAND from Too Faced because I know they can do it!

Warm indoor light

Overcast natural light

In the Buff, Peach Fuzz, Smolder, and Honeymoon.  Smolder didn't want to apply smoothly, grrr.  Honeymoon was less pretty on skin than in the pan.

Copper Peony, Teddy Bear, Label Whore, Nice Stems.  Nice Stems didn't apply smoothly, and Copper Peony was disappointingly sheer though it built up okay.

Lovey Dovey, Satin Sheets, Cop a Teal (darker than it looks in the pan, no?), First Dance. It might be in part the lighting's fault, but I just felt that the shades lacked dimension.

Satin Sheets, Cut the Cake, Party Girl (blue glitter made this apply so unevenly and chunky, but if you work with it patiently it's the most new/interesting shade in this palette), Nice Ash (chalky, but okay if built up)

Disappointment put aside, these color combos are great.  I'm happy Too Faced mixed up the shades a little (only four are repeats of last year, and are good for illustrating the quality decline).  I haven't tried the looks from the cards as of yet, but they also differ from last year's looks.  I wish they had explicitly stated color placement, but the cards are a much better representation than last year's.  I feel more like I will be able to figure it out by looking at them.

To be honest, the diminished pigmentation may in fact make these shades easier to deal with for a novice.  I found even the chalkier shades to be easy to build, so the shortcomings of this palette can be overcome.  I know my disappointment lies in extremely high expectations; I set aside last year's gift money to buy this year's Too Faced Holiday release! 

Please don't think I regret buying it, either.  I think the packaging is even cuter than last year's with the scalloping detail and addition of a mirror.  It is actually made of rigid children's book material though mine arrived to me slightly crimped on the top scalloping.

This palette would not be ideal for travel, as was last year's.  They are not meant to be compact or particularly sturdy, and for only $52 for all these shades at even this quality level I still think it's a steal.  Adorable packaging aside, it's $2.60 per pan of product (including a full-size shadow insurance which retails at $18), and you would only find this quality of eyeshadow single at the drugstore in Wet n Wild for $1.99.  The Wet n Wild trios and six-pan palettes are not as good as this palette (I am adding this opinion just to show that despite my critique of the shadows, they still rate pretty high compared to other brands).

As for the cheek colors, these were all Aces in my book!  Chocolate Soleil is blendable and yummy-scented, exactly like the single (which is $29).  I don't have the single of Candlelight Glow, but I want it now!  It offers a golden sheen without shimmer and is much prettier than E.L.F.'s supposed NARS Albatross dupe Let it Glow!  Both Cocoa Rose and Sweet Pink blushes were smooth and pigmented but blendable.  I'm not certain but I think they would do okay on darker skintones, if the colors didn't appear too pale.  Both blushes have warm and cool tones in them, so I think they'd work for either.  All the cheek colors went on smooth but sheer at first and built up very, very nicely.  These and the Shadow Insurance are probably worth the price of the palette alone!

Do I think, in spite of this palette's shortcomings, that you should RUN to the nearest Sephora and pick it up?  Absolutely YES!
But let us remember fondly palettes past:

Enchanted Glamourland Eye Shadow Palette

EG In the Buff, SD In the Buff, and so on for Peach Fuzz, Teddy Bear, and Label Whore

As you can probably see, In the Buff was more pigmented last year. This year, it's also stiff and chalky... but sheerer.  That is not actually such a bad thing with a nearly-white shadow. It can make a decent matte highlight either way.  Peach Fuzz was really close between EG and SD.

Teddy Bear, another matte, was also smoother and more pigmented in EG.  SD's version is the same color, but not dreamily soft to the touch and must be built up more. It doesn't blend as well, either.  Sigh...
Label Whore is kind of stiff in both palettes, and like Peach Fuzz didn't change much.