October 2011 Favorites

October always seems to blow by, doesn't it? What with prepping for Halloween and the changing weather, it's such a dynamic month.  I, for one, was so busy I rarely had time for my trademark colorful eyeshadows and found myself primarily sporting statement lips!
Without further ado:

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder 001 Transparent $4
I never would have purchased this powder without hearing about it first from Hayley of Hayley is TCB.  She's such a makeup prodigy!  I trust products she recommends because I think she's quite the artist.  I haven't been disappointed in this matte setting powder at all.  It is an incredible bargain, doesn't make me break out or cause skin irritations, and doesn't make my skin appear paler.  It really controls oil, as well, for hours! My only complaint would be the packaging, but at $4 I'm not complaining!

Boo! Haunted powder!

Milani Lip Flash Pencils are $6.99 each, have great pigmentation and lasting power, and are nice and glittery for Halloween looks (or festive holiday looks in the coming months).  They sharpen really easily and are mostly smooth, though a bit sticky (I think that's why they last) and slightly gritty.  I bought these to be dupes of those Sephora-exclusive Urban Decay lip color pencils, but I don't own those so I can't compare.

03 Flash Light - the driest of the pencils

04 Photo Flash - really soft and moisturizing

05 Hot Flash - almost-dupe of Hourglass Siren gloss

Hot Flash topped with LE Milani Hot Flash gloss - even closer to Hourglass Siren

06 Flashy

07 In a Flash - this one is really sheer. Used in a FOTD here

08 Star Flash - difficult to cover my pigmented lips

Bath and Body Works Liplicious Lip Gloss $4 (Crazy for Candy Corn/Cookies & Scream) These are both yummy and glossy, but also sticky and I keep licking them off.  If you can avoid eating them, they last pretty long because of the stickiness.  I liked to wear them alone to feel festive or over the Milani Lip Flash pencils for extra gloss and moisture.  I blame the Muse for featuring Bath and Body Works products so often -- you can only witness so much cuteness before you give in!

NYC Bronzing Powder in Sunny $2.99 for when I don't go after Too Faced Chocolate Soleil in my Sweet Dreams Palette.  It's in my bathroom, handy for quick contouring when I'm running late (every day...), and a great bargain Stephanie C. from In Her Makeup Bag found.  Thanks, Steph!

MAC Painterly Paint Pot $17.50; best under cooler eyeshadows.  I use Soft Ochre for warmer shades, but this month I was reaching for more plum-toned neutrals when I had time to do eye makeup.

The blushes from Stila Travel Girl palettes, $14 per palette.  I have several so they're running the gamut of shades I've been reaching for to complement my bold lips.

Left to Right: Love and Empower palette hope & joy; Stila Loves Roxy palette gold coast & swim; Find Your Magic palette love & shimmer. Original review here

Ballet Flats (too cold for sandals, too warm for boots!), though it's starting to get too cold around here to skip out on fuzzy socks! For most of this month, though, I've been rotating the ballet flats collection.  It's just a coincidence that all these are a bargain, too!  I have to mostly stick to fabric shoes because I don't wear real leather.

Ballet Flats from Target and Kohl's

Do you go for comfy shoes and easy bold lips when you've got a busy month?

FOHN (Face of Halloween Night): Superficial Girl's Sugar Skull

Hi guys! I wasn't going to do anything for Halloween this year (besides festive nails), but I felt inspired by the cute and apropos sugar skull tutorial by Superficial Girl. Sorry it's not original makeup, but I will definitely give credit where it's due :) And I thought it would be fun to show my party look, even though I didn't design it.

  I wasn't getting much use out of this Kat Von D Metal Orchestra palette (another over-the-top look can be found here), but when I saw the tutorial from Superficial Girl, I realized this look was that palette's calling.

Makeup used: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra foundation (not pictured), Benefit Realness of Concealness mini "fake-it" kit Boi-ing concealer on lips, e.l.f. Blush in Gotta Glow all over, Kat Von D Metal Orchestra palette "first class" (shimmery white) all over, "techno" (blue next to the white) around eyes, "lucifer" (matte black) on nose and lids, Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx to trace around eyes, around blue sockets, and doodles all over face.  Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers Mysterious Maven kit deep blue lipstick (I used the eyelashes from this kit in this look), Fairy Drops Mascara (not pictured).  Actually, the Mysterious Maven kit came with a blue and black eyeshadow duo, so if you own a shimmery white single eyeshadow you could do this whole look with that $4.99 kit (though I got it 25% off for about $3.75), plus it comes with shimmery navy nail polish!

Dress - Betsey Johnson
Boots - Hot Topic

NOTD: Black Lingerie and Pumpkin Spice

Happy Halloween <3

Two coats of Revlon Black Lingerie, two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Pumpkin Spice, and one coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

One left...

My first MSF!  I was at the MAC counter last night turning in empty lipstick tubes for Back-2-MAC (the new lipstick choice? Vegas Volt!).  I noticed a Lightscapade tester tucked behind a display and asked, on a whim, "Hey, would you happen to have any of these left?"  To my utter SHOCK the SA said, "Yes, we have one left."  I had to buy it, of course!
The other MAC counter I bought my Ice Parade set at was sold out the day Lightscapade came out, and when I was there placing my pre-order for the Festive Frost Kit three Japanese girls came up and asked a SA whether they had any Lightscapade left.  The SA who was placing my order and the other SA were commenting that they had people coming by to ask about it daily.
So, I never expected to find it anywhere :) Score, right? *happy dance*

October Empties

People seem to really like posts like this, so I managed to rescue the above empties for a quickie review!
CVS Makeup remover wipes: I go through 1.3 packs of wipes a month. These have been in a favorites post before.  They work as well for me as MAC wipes, but without the sting.  Next up: more of these.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple 4 oz.: I realized I quite like this facewash for the morning, and was so psyched they had a super-deluxe 12 oz. 100-point perk of Purity Made Simple during the Sephora F&F.  Next up: The 12 oz. freebie of Purity Made Simple (of course).

The Cool Fix Targeted Gel Lotion: This was in a birchbox and I used it on shaved bits like my calves until it ran out. It does give a cooling feeling and light (though slightly sticky) moisturization.  I think it's nice for summer so I might seek it out next year. Next up: SteamCream

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller: My go-to undereye concealer. I don't need very much coverage so this is adequate for most days. I feel it works almost, though not quite, as well as YSL Touche Eclat. Next up: same thing!

Givenchy Vax'in For Youth 1 oz.: Seems to smooth out skintone and lessens the look of large pores, and lightly moisturizes while smelling nice, but doesn't get rid of wrinkles or dark spots and is crazy-expensive (I got it on sale, of course!).  Next up: A deluxe sample of Lancome Genifique

Lancome Creme Radiance Clarifying Cream-to-foam Cleanser 1 oz.: This was too drying in combination with La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (which I'm still trying out), and is very heavily fragranced.  I can't get past the heavy flower scent so I won't purchase the full-size.  Next up: The Purity Made Simple 12 oz.

Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer .5 oz.: I used this as a night cream because it doesn't have SPF. It's really thick and you have to warm it up to melt it in your hands before applying. I'm not sure but that aspect made me fear it was clogging my pores. It's sticky, too.  Don't like.  Next up: Dermalogica Active Moist

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster: Sticky, doesn't do anything but temporarily tighten.  I got it in a Sephora set. I wouldn't have bought it on its own because I tried it years ago and didn't see any results.  Next up: The Genifique sample

TonyMoly iceQueen Multi Play Cream SPF30 PA++: Was Muse Approved, so I ordered it online.  I didn't care for it under makeup (but she has dry skin and I've got oily skin).  I really wound up using it when I was going to be outside without makeup (working out or yard work).  Next up: Origins VitaZing

Yes to Cucumbers Eye Love Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel: cools and moisturizes. I really liked this over the summer but in cooler weather I need something a little more moisturizing.  I don't like most eye creams because they cause milia, but eye gels never have for me.  Next up: Avalon Organics Lavender Revitalizing Eye Gel

Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Body Lotion: Too strong-smelling for my taste, though the fragrance is nice.  Next up: SteamCream

H20+ Sea Results Eye Mender: An eye cream that actually didn't give me milia! I'm planning to buy this again but I'm going to try out the Avalon Organics lavender eye gel first.

Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover 1.7 oz.: I use this in addition to wipes when my eye makeup is being stubborn.  This is really great stuff and I'm hoping to get the Lancome Holiday Blockbuster for the full-size. Next up: hopefully, the full size!

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-usage Dry Oil 50mL: what happened?

With every use of this lovely-scented oil, the lettering moved across the bottle and stuck to my skin.  It was such a disappointment because part of the appeal of this product is the French Pharmacie-look of the bottle.  I haven't heard of this happening to anybody else, though. I bought it from birchbox so I know it's an authentic bottle.  Also, I thought it was a spray when I bought it but there was no spray nozzel on this one. *shrug* Next up: SteamCream.  It's body cream time, anyway!

I'm looking forward to empties and favorites posts from you guys :)  Did you manage to use up any makeup?

100 Followers and...

A huge "Thank you!" is in order to all of the gorgeous ladies who are following me!  I really appreciate it and I'll be holding a Thanksgiving Giveaway to celebrate. Stay tuned in the next couple of days for details, but here is a preview:

I'm so excited to get to play Makeup Fairy again! In fact, that's sort of my look for tonight:

TFSI, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense in Khaki Pulse on lids, champagne color from Maybelline Eye Studio quad in Strut it Suede from crease to brow, Benefit High Beam on browbone, Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner in Radium on lower waterline, Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers Mysterious Maven Kit lashes only, Duo clear waterproof lash glue, no mascara!

Tank and bandage skirt - Forever 21 $3 and $6
Sweater - Kohl's $6
Boots - Alloy $15
Spending nearly no money on clothes so you can spend more on makeup - priceless :-P

Lust Red EOTD: Is the Hype Around Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow to be believed?

Hi again, gals. I recently bought two Eyes to Kill Intense shadows by Giorgio Armani ($32 each retail, but they were 15% off with a promo code).  I had been lusting after them for months, poring over internet swatches and comparing their reviews on temptalia.com to help me choose colors... and I wound up choosing Lust Red and Khaki Pulse (not to be worn together, mind you!).

They're both creamy to the touch and swatch pigmented and gorgeous whether wet or dry, but I just can't settle my ambivalent feelings about them when I try them on my eyes:

In all of these photos, I'm wearing only Lust Red, without a primer, and applied dry (plus BADgal black mascara from Benefit).
Pro: the little red sparkles do come through, and this is clearly a black shadow, although,
Con: it is definitely a smokey black and not a true, deep black.  I'd like to try it over NYX Black Bean Jumbo Pencil in the future to see if I can get it to go deeper.
Pro: they last without primer and don't crease (some have called these cream shadows but I swear they're powder!)
Con: I experienced fallout whether I patted it on with a brush or my finger.
Pro: can be used wet or dry with a liner brush to make a smokey line
Con: even with a wet brush I couldn't get rid of the smokey, blurred-out effect and make a precise line like a glitter pencil, gel or liquid liner. It's just not as versatile as I'd hoped.
Pro: I think I like this vampy EOTD, but
Con: I tried to use this in my crease only with another look and it didn't blend as well as I had hoped. It performed "Just Okay" and nobody wants to pay that much for a color that performs so-so.

While this color is beautiful when swatched and the quality is not disputable, I have to confess I don't see why the hype is so big with these $32 eyeshadows.
I own all the 88 palettes made by Coastal Scents and my next order of business is to find a dupe. While the texture won't be creamy, I know, I think I could find a smokey black with red micro-glitters that isn't as flawed as MAC Beauty Marked and isn't so pricey (come to think of it, these pictures are reminding me of layering the gray and purple in the MAC Mineralize duo in Earthly Riches, too, but the look is only similar and not a dupe).
Update: There is also a new NARS Arabian Nights Palette with a similar shade (plus two others) for $45. Even though Chistine at Temptalia says the black with silver sparkles sucks, it's still NARS and it's still a better deal than the ETK shadows...

Don't get me wrong, I do like them.  I just don't think they're something to rave about if considering the full retail price (maybe $20 would be more appropriate?).  I really don't think they're must-haves or that you're missing out if you don't buy them.

Photos & Swatches: Kate Spade New York Supercalifragilipstick in Adventurous Red

Happy Friday, ladies! Let me cut to the chase and let you know that this red isn't particularly "Adventurous" at all.  It's quite sheer, actually.  While flattering, I found the pigmentation to be a disappointment with a name like "Adventurous Red!" I guess someone who has the cash for a $24 sheer lipstick and wants to pussyfoot into the world of red lips might be very happy with this. I'm glad I got it on sale for $17 and I will enjoy using it (even though I wish it had more oomph!).  It's not really worth it, though.
I remembered to get a picture of the "button" this time!  Unfortunately, while the box wasn't at all crushed this time, the lipstick tube had some random sticky glue on it that I did my best to clean off and the bullet looked like it had been improperly molded.

Left, one swipe. Right, many, many swipes.

It's a bit too emolient and I couldn't get the color to show in the center.

Popped in.

After a press, the bullet-end pops out.

Check out my review of Pop Art Pink Supercalifragilipstick! here.

MAC Holiday 2011 Nordstrom Exclusive Fabulously Festive Frost Face Kit: Photos & Swatches

I'm so psyched because I just picked up my pre-ordered Nordstrom-exclusive Fabulously Festive Face Kit from MAC's Ice Parade Collection for Holiday 2011!  I swatched it all and took photos in case you're curious (mostly because I couldn't find any photos online anywhere myself!).  I also picked up Dazzleglass in Pleasure Principle, which is just sooo pretty!

I picked up this massive Vegan cookie at the Nordstrom Cafe while I was at it:

MAC Nordstrom Exclusive Festive Frost Face Kit:

The snowglobe on the palette is so cute!  The brushes are all right.  Not as good as full-size MAC brushes, but not as horrible as some reviewers make them out to be!

Left to right: Eyeshadows in Once Upon a Time (Veluxe Pearl), Below Zero (Frost), Embark (Matte), and Expensive Pink (Veluxe Pearl), Matte blush in Buff, Amplified Lipstick in Imagine This (it's so creamy!), and Lipglass in Tra-la-la

Swatches WITHOUT primer for a change!  Once Upon a Time is sheer but a good highlight color; Below Zero is the least pigmented but not too difficult to build up; Embark is very pigmented but similar in color to Below Zero; Expensive Pink is smooth, pigmented, gorgeous, and duochrome!

 Clearly these shades are well-coordinated. Embark would make a great liner shade while you could easily blend Below Zero in the crease without too much fear of overdoing it.  Even if you use the highly-pigmented Embark in the crease, I think it would be easy to blend out with Once Upon a Time!  I chose this kit because a) It was the only Fabulously Festive Face Kit Nordstrom had (correct me if I'm wrong, but the Warm and Cool sets might be a maccosmetics.com exclusive) and b) these colors really suit warm brunettes/redheads!

Tra-la-la Lipglass

Imagine This (Amplified) lipstick: it looks a lot better when you can see more of my face.

Wearing Imagine This lipstick.  I didn't really want to do a full face-shot because I'm not wearing this kit on my eyes or cheeks

These colors really say "Thanksgiving," so I'm excited I have my cozy Tofurkey Day makeup all figured out!  Did you get anything from MAC Glitter & Ice or Ice Parade collections today?