Remember when I said I was done with shopping! Done with too much makeup! Done with being a consumerism hag! Well. It turns out that I am not, in fact, done with those things just yet. I haven’t gone off the deep end—I have been quite good between March and mid-June—but in the end, I think I decided that it was okay to try some new things, as opposed to all of them, from time to time. Here are some of my recent purchases, brought on by a crippling sense of discontent (I got over it), and what I think about them so far.

NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave
I was in a fairly bad place when I placed (ha) an order for a couple of NARS lipsticks plus the Yachiyo brush. One of those lipsticks was Heat Wave, bought because of a sudden hankering for MAC’s Lady Danger. So far… Well, I really like it. The first time I tried it on, I fought with an overwhelming sense of dread because I felt like it didn’t suit me. Then I tried again, and now I kind of really love it? I know, a warm red—who’d have thought, right? Not me, that’s for sure.

NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks in Tonkin and Mascate
I’ve been putting off these purchases for a long-ass time—ever since I got the Pure Matte Lipstick in Montego Bay. This formula is just so freaking great, you guys. Especially if you’re a matte-lover like me. Tonkin is a pretty great everyday shade, a bit similar to Montego Bay, just a little less rosy. Mascate is a great and powerful red… I think it’s the red I’ve been looking for all this time! I have a number of great red lipsticks, but this just makes my lips feel so matte and lush at the same time. My bottom lip looks amped up times a hundred and five when I wear this, even without gloss or a highlighter. Who even knows how it does that, but it does!

NARS Pro-Prime UVA/UVB Protection Primer (not pictured)
(Are we noticing a pattern here?) I bought a primer with a high SPF last month. I meant to buy the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, but I figured I should just get something that will help me use up my NARS Sheer Glow first, since the only reason why I don’t wear it is because it doesn’t have SPF. I’m looking at a shade that’s unavailable here, too, so I held off on buying the tinted moisturizer until I can swatch the shade I want to get, i.e. Groenland. The primer is OK but it doesn’t help mattify. It’s a great base, though. Unfortunately, it has quite shoddy packaging and leaked through a hole near the cap after just 1 use, so I can’t take it on the go or on trips, unless I depot/decant it. I couldn’t even take its picture with the rest of these products because I have to keep it upside down to keep it from leaking.

Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Midnight Blue
Not really as blue as I’d like and it is wetter than I remember from my previous tube of the Anamorphic Lash Mascara, though that was in Noir or black. I still like it, but it’s not my favorite mascara, at all, which is a problem because I guess we are back to square one.

BECCA The Ultimate Mascara in Black
This is so meh, I can’t even expound on it more because that is all it is—meh. I’m not even all that fussy or picky when it comes to mascara. Like, this is worse than average passable quality to me, but it’s not technically bad. It’s just whatever. If this is what BECCA means by “ultimate,” then I think they need a vocabulary lesson.

K-Palette 24H Lasting 2 Way Eyebrow* and K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Eyebrow Mascara*
I received a few of these items early last week and I’ve been testing them out since then. So far, so good. A full review will be up later this week, so watch out for that! I can’t pick between the mascara and the liner/powder duo just yet, but I have strong leanings towards the former. But I also really like the two-way eyebrow! Hmmm.

NARS Yachiyo Brush
I caved and got it and I’m glad I did. This brush applies blush and contour beautifully and blends everything so well. I’m a complete blush dunce and this manages to take care of all the hard parts for me. Go, brush!

And that’s it for this post! I have been doing a bit of shopping, actually, but I haven’t roadtested or received the products just yet, so I can’t say much else. I will say, though, that this type of post might be a perma-fixture on this blog. It’s a method of previewing that makes sense to me.

What have you been trying out lately?

* PR Sample

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