NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Cordura

I was at my local Sephora the other day looking at my favorite section for some new eyeshadows. Of course, NARS is my favorite aisle at my Sephora, and their products never seem to disappoint. I swatched a few of the singles, then some of the duos, and this set really caught my eye. The eyeshadow on the left side of the duo is a rich, warm shimmery bronze color, which is the more wearable of the two. It's a great color to wear on its own all over the lid and is great for daywear. My favorite of the two, however, is by far the one on the right. It's a very very sophisticated black coffee color concentrated with lots of golden shimmer. This is a GORGEOUS color for nighttime. I like to wear it in the crease and on the lower lashline, then I pack it on in the outer V area. These colors go together perfectly to make a deep and dramatic brown smokey eye, but when worn very sheerly, could almost pass as neutrals. NARS shadows are EXTREMELY PIGMENTED and blend so beautifully. Generally, what you see in the pan is what you get on your eyelids, when applied with the proper brushes over the right eyeshadow base. Cordura is such a gorgeous duo and I find myself grabbing for it pretty often. Soooooo, is anyone else currently OBSESSED with this eyeshadow duo from NARS right now too?!?! What's your favorite color of the two? :]

NARS Striptease Lipgloss

I have been complete obsessed with this lipgloss ever since I first got it!!! The nude lip look is by far my favorite look for lips, and I wear it religiously, using all different kinds of products, depending on my mood. The NARS website calls Striptease a "candlelight nude." It really is... It's a gorgeous pale beige with just a touch of pink, with a very very fine pearlescent shimmer laced throughout it. It's gorgeous over any nude or pink lipstick, but it's also pigmented enough to be worn on its own. I love the consistency of NARS lip glosses because they are long-lasting but I don't find them to be very sticky at all, and they're actually pretty moisturizing. Striptease is my go-to nude lip glosses right now, because it adds such a nice dimension to the lips and doesn't really give that corpse-ish/concealer lips appearance. It really doesn't have a scent or flavor, some people complain that it tastes like plastic though. It's $24 but it's totally worth it, because it usually takes me a while to completely use a whole lip gloss, and I'm just soooooo in love with NARS products right now :] So, anyone else use Striptease lip gloss? What do you usually pair it with?

MAC Carbon Eyeshadow

Carbon eyeshadow by MAC is one of those staples that we all seem to have in our makeup bag, but never really seem to glance over twice. It's just a flat, matte black. No shimmer, no glitter, nothing amazing really. But what I LOVE about it is that it gives depth and drama. Life would be so boring without deep, dark smokey eyes! I love this stuff because it's got the perfect amount of pigmentation. It's not too dark, but not too grey. I love using it all over the lid up into the crease for a perfect simple smokey eye. Black eyeshadow all over the lid is just so vampy and glamorous and sophisticated, especially with a glossy nude lip :] Sometimes I just like to apply it in certain places, like on my lower lashline, or just in my crease, and it's perfect for setting eyeliner on the waterline. It's not the MOST pigmented black eyeshadow ever, but that's not such a bad thing- it's easier to blend :] I can even use Carbon very very lightly to shade in my eyebrows if I need to... If I feel like my eye makeup is boring or underwhelming and I need to kick it up a notch, I'll take a pencil brush or a fluffy blending brush and apply some of this stuff in my outer V area and blend it a bit. This shadow is so overlooked, but it really has a LOT more uses than w give it credit for, and I couldn't see myself NOT using it on a daily/nightly basis. I love the staying power that this stuff has too. Use it with the right primer, and it'll stay on all day and all night :] Sooooo who else loves this shadow? Anyone else use Carbon all the time? How do you incorporate it into your eyeshadow looks? :]

MAC Strobe Cream: Light and Luminous

MAC's Strobe Cream has recently become one of my absolute favorite multi-purpose skincare products!!! It's an amazing lightweight moisturizer, and it contains numerous vitamins, antioxidants, and green tea extract. It prepares my skin for foundation by smoothing it out and evening out my skintone. It also contains iridescent particles that enhance the appearance of skin, making it look fresher and brighter. I like that it'll make you glow but it's not overly shimmer. Since it does have an iridescent quality, I also like to use it as a very subtle highlight. Sometimes I mix a little of it into my foundation if I want to look just a little more glowy and dewy and not as matte. It's seriously one of the greatest products MAC has in it's permanent skincare line and will have you instantly looking luminous. It's $30 for 1.7 oz but should last you a while because you really don't need to use that much of it to see it's effects. Anyone else use MAC's Strobe Cream? What's your favorite MAC skincare product?

MAC Studio Fix: Powder Plus Foundation

This has been my favorite powder foundation for YEARS now. I think I picked up my first compact of it when I was just in high school. I've had an on-and-off-again relationship with this product, but somehow, I always seem to go back to it. I love it so much, I tend to keep back-ups of it all over the place. I love it because you can use it very sheerly just to help even out your skin-tone just a little bit, you can use it to set your liquid or cream foundation, you can use it to blot your oily spots when you get shiny, you can use it to conveniently touch up throughout the day, and so much more :] I've tried many many many different powder foundations, from YSL to Shiseido to Chanel to Dior to Smashbox to Maybelline... and I must say, I love the quality and quantity of Studio Fix Powder Foundation compared to lots of the other ones I've tried. It has great coverage, if you put enough of it on, in conjunction with the right primer, can have you looking flawless<333 I don't make the cake-iness that it sometimes imparts. It sucks oil up very well... you don't have to worry about being shiny when you have this stuff sitting around :] It's easy to apply so it makes foundation application on-the-go very easy, and it's nowhere near as messy or high-maintenance as liquid foundation. It's one of MAC's most popular products and it comes in a myriad of shades sure to match anyone with skin. I like to apply it with a large fluffy powder brush to keep it from looking too thick but you can apply it with a sponge to get better coverage. Sooooo... Do you use MAC's Studio Fix Powder Foundation? Or do you find it to be to heavy or cakey? Tell me your thoughts :]

NARS Orgasm Blush: A Shimmery Golden Afterglow

NARS Orgasm blush has been a staple in my makeup collection for a few years now... I remember hearing lots of hype about how the product gives you the perfect flushed look and that it looks amazing on every skin-tone. I have to agree. Though NARS does have very many colors and textures of blush, I totally believe that their Orgasm shade is universally flattering and I absolutely LOVE the gorgeous super-fine gold shimmer it deposits on the cheeks. Orgasm is a beautiful, warm pink-peach-coral color, it's highly pigmented, and, like all blushes, can be worn as a sheer wash over the apples of the cheeks, or deposited much heavier with a denser brush for a more dramatic look. I have found that very many companies have tried to duplicate Orgasm blush, but no one can hold a candle to this cult favorite. The texture, the pigmentation, the blendability, the lasting power, the gorgeous golden shimmer, the packaging... All of these factors add up to create the most sought-after product of the NARS cosmetics line. I must admit, I don't grab for this product very often, but when I do, I am reminded why this blush is just SO POPULAR!!! How can you not love Orgasm?!?!? :] Do you wear Orgasm often? How do you like it on your skin tone? Do you like it better than Super Orgasm? How do you usually wear this blush? Let me know if you LOVE this color too<3333

NARS Deep Throat Blush: The Perfect Peach

Deep Throat is a blush I had been lusting after for a while. I've been completely obsessed with blushes from NARS lately... They're just SO GORGEOUS and so pigmented and they just look AMAZING!!!! I've been wearing Orgasm and Super Orgasm a lot lately... I like these coral colors and I truly am a sucker for anything with a little bit of gold shimmer. Lately, though, I've been looking for a blush that was a little more natural that would enhance my face rather than adorn it. Deep Throat is totally my all-time favorite blush right now!!! It's a gorgeous warm-toned rosy peach color with just the right amount of shimmer... It really adds dimension to the cheeks without looking too dramatic or overdone. I love the way you can apply a sheer wash of it over the apples of the cheeks for just the right flush of color, or you can add more to make it a little more dramatic for an evening look. NARS blushes are about $30 but I must say, they are just too gorgeous to NOT buy, and they really do last FOREVERRRRRRR :] What's YOUR favorite blush right now? Do you like blushes from NARS? Let me know what you think :]

PHO: Vietnamese Noodle Soup

One of my favorite foods in the world right now is Pho. It's Vietnamese noodle soup with lots of different types of meats, sauces, seasonings and vegetables in it. It contains some pretty exotic ingredients that are not usually used in Western cuisine, so I'd say it's suited more for someone with a very cultured palette. There are so many different layers to this soup, it's truly a culinary masterpiece. It's the Vietnamese equivalent of comfort food, but it's also extremely healthy:] Does anyone else like Pho? How do you usually order/prepare it?

Smashbox Photo Finish Face Primer

I have been using Smashbox's Photo Finish Face Primer for years now, I think I may have actually started using it in high school. It's probably the #1 foundation primer on the market right now. It's silicone based so it makes your skin very soft and smooth, and allows your foundation to glide on effortlessly. I've noticed that it really does make a great difference in the application and wear of your makeup. I apply this stuff generously all over my face and neck, including my eye and lip area. I just like having a smooth canvas, and this primer greatly improves the appearance of skin. I've also noticed that it helps shrink the appearance of large pores and it evens out your skin tone and texture. Smashbox Photo Finish Face Primer has a wonderful gel-like texture and feels pretty slippery to the touch. If you want a smoother, more even skin tone and much longer weartime for your makeup, then I totally recommend applying this stuff before starting your makeup routine!! Anyone else use this stuff? Don't you just love it!??!? :]

MAC PRO-LONGWEAR FOUNDATION: MY HOLY GRAIL!!!!

I am very happy to say that I HAVE FOUND MY HOLY GRAIL FOUNDATION!!! I have tried very many over the years, I've tried cheap drug store brands, and I've tried the most expensive department store brands. I've had custom foundations made at spas, and I've ordered foundations from all over the world. I'm glad to say, however, that I actually picked up my HG foundation at my local MAC counter that I shop at every week :]

Over the years, I've been looking for a foundation that not only looks normal, but that offers good coverage as well. I prefer a matte finish and I love the idea of buildable coverage, just because I wear less during the day, but put a lot more on when I go out at night or take pictures, or feel like I just apply a little bit more to be happy with how it looks.  Oh yeah, I also wanted something that would stay on ALL DAY.

This stuff is AMAZING!!!! I've always loved MAC foundations, even though I know that not too many people out there seem to like them. I don't seem to have a problem with breaking out, and I feel like MAC foundations always have a super nice finish that never really get too cakey on me. I love how this stuff seems to blend SEAMLESSLY into my skin. It gives me that perfect matte yet glowing look. I guess you really don't need to set this stuff with powder, because it sort of feels powdery once it sets on your skin. I don't get oily/shiny when wearing this stuff anywhere near as fast as I do when wearing other foundations. And, it has an SPF of 10, so it helps protect your skin too!

Pretty much, I love how MAC's Pro-Longwear Foundation looks, feels, and lasts on my skin. This is my favorite foundation ever :] Anyone else use this stuff? Is anyone else ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with MAC Pro-Longwear foundation? Tell me about it :]

MAC HUG ME- A WARM & WONDERFUL NUDE FOR FALL

While makeup shopping with a friend about two years back, I came to the sudden conclusion that I should buy more tan-nude lipsticks to add to my collection. I've always been a fan of wearing a warm beige nude all over my lips then applying a lighter shade to just the center of my lips. The sales associate picked out a handful of more "tan nudes" that I purchased without even trying on. They looked good in the store, and fortunately I was happy with all of them :]

At first, I though this color was little too dark for me. Honestly though, it kind of just blends into my skin-tone. It's probably a shade or so darker than my NW30 complexion, but it doesn't look gross-brown on my lips at all, fortunately. It's a lot better than having concealer lips. It's a really pretty pinkish-tan nude that gives you that J.Lo/Kim K look. It looks amazing on, I love how warm it is. It looks even better if you have a tan :] Being a Lustre, it's super-creamy and rich and feels very luxe on the lips. To me, it really feels like a YSL Rouge Volupte, so silky-buttery smooth. It's not drying at all, in fact it's the complete opposite. It feels just like a lip-balm on. It's pretty versatile, you could wear it with any look, although I do prefer wearing Hug Me when I have an extremely dramatic smokey eye going on. I would recommend this color to everyone, except the super-pale, because it might show up as brown on someone with a very light complexion. SO, who here uses Hug Me lipstick!? Is it something you reach for often? Or does it sit in your "do-not-use" makeup drawer? If you DO wear Hug Me, what kind of looks do you tend to wear it with? Just wondering :]

BEAUTYMARKED EYESHADOW. CREATURE OF THE NIGHT.

Beautymarked is one of my favorite eyeshadows from MAC's permanent collection, if not my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. It's a gorgeous velvety black eyeshadow with LOTS of reddish burgundy glitter. I remember first buying it many years ago because I saw it sitting on the eyeshadow display at the MAC counter and thought to myself that I'd never really seen anything like that at all. Since then, Over the years, I have used copious amounts of this smoldering color. To this day, I have not found a similar eyeshadow that's as intensely pigmented, rich, gorgeous and glittery as this beautiful color. I've seen lots of eyeshadows slightly similar, but no other company has really been able to duplicate it. I've always been drawn to dark colors. The darker, the better. I'm terribly addicted to black eyeshadows, and I just cannot resist a black eyeshadow that contains shimmer or reflects. I love richly pigmented vampy shades that look amazing when used to create a smokey eye. Beautymarked is extremely pigmented. It is easily grabbed by eyeshadow brushes, and yes, it shows up exactly on the eye as it does in the pan. I've found, however, that if you want all of the red reflects to show up on your eyes, you have to use a sticky eyeshadow base or else the glitter will get eaten by your brush instead of adhering to your eyelid. In the past, I've had some trouble with fallout from Beautymarked, but after a while of using this color, you'll learn how to apply it in a way that avoids creating fallout. I've seen that a lot of people will use this color to line their eyes, or they'll wear it in the crease or to smoke out their outer V. Personally, my favorite way to wear it is all over my lid, from lashline to crease, then blended out very well. It looks good with just a little big of a shimmery silver or white color on the inner corner, and I usually don't care to wear a highlight color on my brow-bone. Sometimes too much highlight can take away from the effect of a dramatic smokey eye. Is anyone else completely obsessed with this color? Anyone have it but not use it very often? Tell me about your experience with Beautymarked... How do you like to wear it?

TAJ MAHAL ALL FALL.

The other day I went to the NARS counter at the Nordstrom in Fashion Valley in San Diego. I needed to stock up on some of my everyday basics because my local Nordstrom unfortunately doesn't carry NARS. I picked up my fave powder foundation, some blushes, and a lip gloss. I was glad to see Taj Mahal blush on display because I heard that it'd been discontinued and could only be purchased on the acutual NARS website. Taj Mahal is a rich burnt orange color. It's kind of like a very ripe tangerine, and it has gorgeous golden micro-shimmer in it. There really aren't any other blushes this color out on the market right now, and I hear that Francois Nars actually created it especially for Naomi Campbell. Of all my NARS blushes, this one is currently my favorite and I'm sure I'll wear it all Fall. It's just such a rich and vibrant color that gives you the perfect flush of luminous color that really warms up the face without looking overdone. Is anyone else obsessed with Taj Mahal right now?!!? :]

MAC MYTH. THE PERFECT NUDE?

I have always been on the hunt for the perfect nude lipstick. I wear a dramatic smokey eye every night, so of course I need a very neutral lip that will help balance out my face when I have a lot going on with my eyes. I always wanted a peachy beige tone that would nude out the pigmentation in my own lips, without looking too much like concealer. I've literally purchased dozens of nude lipsticks, if not hundreds. Although I don't think Myth is the PERFECT nude for me, I do absolutely LOVE this color and use it very often. Myth is described as a "pale, flesh-toned slightly peach-pink tinged nude." That being said, I am not pale. When I wear this color on it's own, I look dead, or very cold. That's usually not the look I'm going for, so I usually wear another nude lipstick a shade or two darker underneath of Myth. Then, I put a nude gloss over this :] Myth is a gorgeous lipstick with a satin finish, and happens to be very pigmented. It can show up as opaque on your lips with very little effort, that's probably one of the reason why I love it so much. And it shows up great in photos :] You can pile it on for a dramatically pale nude lip, or wear it with other lippies to neutralize them a bit. If you aren't eating or drinking, it stays on for about 4 or 5 hours, which makes me happy. So, has anyone else tried Myth? Or use it on a daily basis? Let me know what you think about it :]

GAGA'S MEAT DRESS AT THE 2010 VMA'S: OFFENSIVE OR AVANT GARDE?

Watching the VMA's the other night, I was bored by pretty much everyone, with the exception of Mother Monster, Lady Gaga. Of course we didn't expect her to wear a simple Little Black Dress like everyone else. We saw her wearing some pretty gorgeous couture pieces, most of which must have taken hundreds of yards of material and thousands of hours of hand-sewing. They were all amazing, dream-like pieces, and actually very elegant and sophisticated, including giant, voluminous skirts with perfectly constructed bodices. Though they were all beautiful, the one look that REALLY stood out to me was her meat dress made by Franc Fernandez. The dress was very carefully draped onto her body and sewn together, and she also wore a pair of wedge booties covered in meat. She had a 40's style headpiece as well, and a bejeweled meat clutch that she asked Cher to hold when she accepted her award. Of course, this is Lady Gaga. She is known for always wearing the most outrageous, perfectly draped, voluminous, gravity-defying wearable works-of-arts ever. Personally, I can't really tell if I like it, or if I find it to be completely repulsive. I love the fact that she expresses herself so well through what she wears, and is never really bored to look at. She takes chances, she'll wear something she likes whether other people like it or not. But has she possibly crossed into the territory where she is just doing it for the shock factor? Did she wear this dress because she thought it was a gorgeous piece and really wanted to make a statement? Or did she just want people to stare in amazement and be disgusted that she was wearing a dead cow? I love the fact that she will never bore us. She's grabbed our attention for years now. She's inspired millions of her "little monsters" to take their own fashion risks and be comfortable in anything they wear. But do you think it was just vile of her to wear raw meat as a dress? Think about it. It's the flesh of a dead animal. That's pretty unsanitary. No one else has ever done it. I doubt anyone else ever would. What do you think of Gaga's dress? Would you tell her to wear that steak-dress with pride? Or to put it in the fridge and save it for a BBQ?