Year: 2014

Cataloging

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Hello from windy Chicago! We left New York and New Jersey (with a sprinkling of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania)… and now we’re hitting SF, LA and Las Vegas in the next few weeks, so if you wanna tag along, here be my Instagram (hint: it’s @presidents!). I intended on cataloging the looks I wear on vacation, but it turns out that that’s much harder to do than I thought, so there are quite a bit of gaps here. I’ll post information as I remember them, and I’ll try looking through my folks’ and siblings’ cameras for possible look photos I can put on the days that I didn’t take a photo (which is most days). SEPTEMBER 15: Urban Decay Naked 3, Happy Skin Gel Liner (Brown), Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Fake Out! Mascara (pink tube), ILIA Beauty Multi-Stick (All of Me), ILIA Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner (Shell Shock) SEPTEMBER 16: I DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR NARS Pure Matte Lipstick (Mascate) SEPTEMBER 17: Urban Decay Naked 3, MAKE Eyeshadow (Khaki)*, Happy Skin Gel Liner (Brown), Physician’s …

Favorite NARS Bits

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While I’m miles away on vacation, allow me to share with you a few of my favorite bits from NARS. I think you can tell that NARS is one of my favorite beauty brands. If I could pick just one brand to use for the rest of my life, I can pick NARS and not even feel bad about it. Anyway, like most established brands, NARS is a bit intimidating to approach if you’re a new buyer. Here are a few of my favorite items from them, not including skin care or brushes. Mostly because I forgot, lol, but I quite like them, too. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer — I’ve never loved a concealer as much as I love this one. I have it in the shade Ginger, but Custard works well for me. It is easy to blend, packs on a lot of pigment, and doesn’t look cakey. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation — One of my favorite liquid foundations! It’s a medium coverage foundation with a slightly dewy finish and a great range of …

My Favorite Matte Lipstick Formulas

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Hey everyone! Before I left for my pretty extended vacation, I thought I’d whip up a post showing you my favorite matte lipstick formulas. I’m pretty picky with lip products, though my stash may not seem like it. I figured out, for example, that I’m not really into very glossy lips or frost finishes. I’m pretty okay with satin or creams, but my (second) favorite kind of lip is a matte one. I think it’s because I have pretty full lips anyway—shininess just exaggerates my pout and not in a way that I appreciate. I know mattes have a reputation for being fussy, so here are my favorite formulas to help you maybe find yours. Now, there are a lot of “matte” lip products that only masquerade as such. These picks on my personal list are pretty much shine-free. I’ll list them from great to best. Ahem. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipsticks These are my first introduction to matte lipsticks. They are creamy, but not shiny, and they pack a lot of pigment. My first …

Flushed for Fall: Some Blush Picks

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Here are five of my blush picks for fall, which isn’t technically even a season where I’m from (we only have “super rainy” and “super hot”), but there’s no harm in partaking in other countries’ seasonal whims, I say. Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Abundance The newest addition to my blush brood, Abundance is quite a unique color that’s pretty perfect for fall. It’s a pretty intimidating and unusual color—a grey-toned purple-leaning taupe—but it applies beautifully once you figure it out. NARS Powder Blush in Sin Of course this blush would be a part of a “best of” series for fall blushes. Sin is a mid tone muted purple that has gold shimmer running through it, like the ubiquitous Orgasm. Like Orgasm, Sin’s shimmer doesn’t ruin the blush but adds just the perfect hint of golden luminosity. (Alternatives for this type of shade are the MAC Powder Plum Foolery and the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blushing Bride.) Addiction Cheek Stick in Suspicious This is such a great deep wine shade that you can …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 37: Rae

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For today’s Nosy Beauty, I’ve got Rae from Scatterbraintures! She is one of the most discerning and critical beauty reviewers, in my opinion. She’s more specific and particular than I am, for sure. • From my teens to my twenties, I’ve always only been just a skin care girl. ​I started using ‘real’ makeup since 2+ years ago (i.e., when I worked for Watsons). I wasn’t in marketing or sales. I worked behind the scenes, inside a cubicle. I already left the company, but I took my new found love for makeup along with me. I started using makeup because it was kind of required. Now, I think I’m starting to enjoy the whole makeup application process where I’m forced to focus and be mindful. I think it’s even better than yoga in the sense that I don’t hurry to get to the next step.

My NYC Beauty Haul + First Impressions

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As mentioned in my last post—a modest haul! Kind of. I’ll explain. First, I have not turned my nose up at consumerism, nosiree! I have actually gone loco over books on this trip. Yup, so smart. Here’s what I picked up from New York when we stayed there for about five days… Behold! A few things I picked up from Duane Reade, just because we were there buying ~necessities~: Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes, Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volume Mascara, Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara (pink tube).

Unboxing: Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP August 2014

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Hi everyone! I’m not sure if anyone noticed (since I’ve queued up a few posts), but I’ve been in the USA since the 13th of September. I haven’t had much time to sit down and make new posts, reply to comments or read blogs, but I’m trying, I’m trying! I haven’t bought a lot of makeup yet—just a few pieces, and skin care—but I have 4 cities in 2 more states to explore. So far, we’ve been to New York, Boston and Stockbridge in Massachusetts, and now we’re nestled in New Jersey. If you’re interested in following our American exploits, I’ve been posting a lot on my Instagram, @presidents. Let me know if you want to see a supremely tiny haul, too. 🙂 Anyway, here are a few bits I’ve gotten from the second round of Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP subs. I had this specific box shipped to my friend Barby’s place since there was a shipping mix-up and it first ended up at a dead address (my fault). Unfortunately, I hadn’t …