sampling

Do you have an entire drawer filled with product samples?  As you can see in the photo above, I certainly do.  But this month I finished up my usual moisturizer and, partly out of laziness, partly out of a half-assed desire to save some money, and partly because the thought of taking the samples with me when we move across the seas is appalling, I've been steadily going through them and using them up.   To my surprise, some of them are actually pretty stellar products and I might go out and buy a full-sized version once my supply of samples dwindles.  Guess that's why it's successful marketing.

Some winners so far...

on my face - travel edition

I traveled quite a bit over the last few months, including a month-long trip to the States and a little weekend getaway, so I had to do some careful thinking about my makeup essentials.  I pared it down and managed to fit everything into this little makeup bag (which, by the way, is the absolute best for travel, each little compartment velcros out so you can customize it as you like or just grab one little pouch, and the whole thing weighs about as much as a moth).

Here's the final edit: everything you need to look and feel fabulous when you're away from home without being overloaded or deprived.  It will get you through everything from casual cups of coffee to family dinners to glammed up nights out.

See the details...

on my face - november

I swear, I did not wear all this makeup at once.  But the cold weather and the grey rainy days make me want a little something more on my face, a deeper smoke on my eyes or a berry wine on my lips.  And of course, a variety of blushes.  (I am obsessed with having the perfect blush color for any given day, does anyone else out there have this problem?)

The details...

on my face - october

For someone as beauty and product obsessed as I am it strikes me as odd that I don't talk about it here more often.  I could probably fill a small suitcase with all my cosmetics, and I woud have trouble parting with any of it if it came down to it.  On the other hand, at any given moment in time I'm probably only using a handful of products.  I go through phases of absolute obsession, and then suddenly I will look in the mirror and realize, That blush is all wrong.  Luckily there's usually something else in my drawer to replace it and freshen up my morning routine.  For now, for the summer-to-fall transition, these are my go-to products.  Just a little complexion cleaning, a touch of color on the cheeks, and fairly neutral eyes.  Nothing that screams makeup, but still a bit more polished than those hot summer days we're leaving behind.

See the details...

latest beauty buys

I got a coupon in the mail the other day for 10% off my next Sephora purchase. Let's be honest here, 10% is nothing. That's not a real discount. What it is is a trick to get suckers like me into the stores buying more stuff.  And it works.  Well done marketers! This is what I picked up the other day.

Yes, that's my fuchsia lipstick there, and in case anyone's curious, I'm wearing it much more than I'd ever imagined and am loving it more and more each day.  I also picked up one of the new Make Up Forever liquid liners, in this gorgeous sparkly eggplant.  I love the way it goes on and the color is amazing, but to be honest I'm not convinced this is the best liner out there.  I've worn it a few times and it seems to flake off towards the end of the day.  I'm still trying to work out if there's some way around that.  If anyone out there has any insight I'd love to hear it.

Checking online on the US site I see that they don't carry these little spray scents in their bath and body line, which is too bad for you guys over there because they really are wonderful.  They're super cheap and smell delicious and clean and light, and are the perfect thing to throw in my dance bag for a little freshening up throughout the day. 

Also missing online are perhaps the most exciting part of this sephora spree: the nail stickers.  They're similar to the Sally Hansen ones that people are going crazy over.  I cannot wait to try out my leopard nails!  Definitely had to wait until after I visited my grandmother though...

fuchsia

I recently took the plunge and bought myself a brilliant fuchsia lipstick. 

I originally had my eye on Nars Funny Face, but the idea of spending real money on a lipstick I wasn't sure if I even had the balls to wear was sort of off-putting.  So I did a little research and found some dupes, L'Oreal Color Riche No. 288, and Sephora Collection Mr. Lover (R10).  As far as I can tell, they're all pretty much the same.  In the states the L'Oreal one is probably the cheapest, but in Spain the Sephora lippie had the best price so I went with that.  I have no regrets.  And by the way, yes, it turns out I do have the balls to wear it.  Not only that but when this color fades, it does so evenly and leaves behind this gorgeous even pink stain.  Here's a more accurate shot of the color, laid on thick and rubbed out to a stain:

I highly recommend it.  Anyone else out there pushing personal beauty boundaries?  Fashion boundaries?  Life/love/work/adventure boundaries?  I say we attack this summer with reckless abandon in all things, big and small. 

holy grail reconsidered

A few months ago I went on and on about how I'd found my hg foundation, which was actually a mix of two foundations that together resulted in a level of perfection that I thought meant I would never need to experiment again.  Well now I'm eating my words.  I've found a new holy grail foundation.  Apparently I'm fickle when it comes to cosmetics.  Go figure.

My new favorite: a mixture of Chanel Mat Lumiere (shade 20 clair) and Daniel Kern's moisturizer (though I'm sure any simple lightweight moisturizer would do the trick).

I've had the Mat Lumiere for a while now, but on it's own it went on a little too heavy, and I also found it oxidized a little dark on me.  I figured it would just sit on my shelf collecting dust until I gathered the guts to throw it out and forfeit all the money I'd blown on it, but when I hit bottom on my Armani LSF I thought I'd give it another shot.  So happy I did because I discovered that when I mix equal parts Mat Lumiere and my lightweight lotion, I end up with the perfect tinted moisturizer.  And the odd color problems are fixed too (maybe because it goes on so beautifully sheer and natural now).  I mix up a few days worth at a time and keep it in a little sample jar, and I just love it. 

I apply it with my foundation brush after my sunscreen.  Add a little cream blush in Penny Lane and a touch of Orgasm illuminator, both by Nars, and I swear, it's the best natural looking springtime glow you could ask for.