A Few Of My Favorite Cosmetics Purchases From The Past Month Or Two...

Yes, I've been doing quite a bit of shopping over the past month or so, and YES, most of it has been for makeup :] I love it all... I don't know why I'm so obsessed with it, but I am. I love compacts and tubes and jars and palettes, and I especially love NARS, Chanel, YSL, MAC and Dior :] I'm going to be reviewing most of the "fun" things I've picked up lately. I've really gotten back into Chanel lately, and I've been buying fragrances a little more often too. I will forever love my black eyeshadows and my nude lipsticks<3333 A lot of these products have probably already been talked about by like everyone and their mom. Some of them I may have already reviewed in the past, but sometimes when I re-purchase an item and try it out all over again, I tend to have a different experience with it. But I really don't care hahahahaha I love to put my two cents out there :] I've photographed each item individually for each review- I'm SO not good at taking pictures of things. I'm only ever awake at night, and of course it's hard to take good quality pictures of things in indoor lighting- but hopefully the pictures will be clear enough to be helpful, hahahaha... I'm still getting used to this stuff. Tell me about some products you've picked up lately that you're really excited about!!!!

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Makeup Porn :]

I was doing my friend's makeup the other night before we went out... I let her go through some of my makeup to let her choose what she wanted me to put on her... (She went a bit overboard)... Of course we were taking pictures of ourselves... and I liked how all the makeup looked so I took a picture of it really quick :] If you want a review on anything, let me know :]

MAKEUP FOREVER's Rouge Artist Intense #22

MAKEUP FOREVER launched their Rouge Artist Intense line last year... I think it's an AMAZING line- the lipsticks are SO pigmented, and there are SOOOOOO many colors to choose from. And I love the textures- they have matte, satin, and pearl, so there's literally a lipstick for everyone in this line :] OF COURSE I go straight for the nudes (I only wear nudes). #22 is THE PRETTIEST nude lipstick I've seen in a LONG time, and it's currently my absolute FAVORITE!!!! It's a satin flesh-toned nude. It's got some warm peachy undertones but warm and cool-toned people can wear this color easily. #22 is a satin, and LET ME TELL YOU- MUFE's satins are soooooo much better than MAC's satin's. This stuff is smooth but not slippery, and it's super-pigmented without being drying or chalky. It's so moisturizing that it feels like lip balm :] I feel like if Brigitte Bardot had to pick a lipstick from this line, she'd pick #22 :] If you want a cheaper dupe, I'd recommend MAC's Creme d'Nude or Revlon's Soft Nude. Seriously though, next time you're in Sephora, check these babies out and give em a swatch or two. You'll probably love them!!! I'm definitely going back for more, whether I need them or not :]

Black, Blue-Green and Purple Makeup Look

A couple of weeks back, QueenOfBlending had a makeup contest on Twitter, and the theme was "Black, Blue-Green and Purple." I threw some things on, then kept adding stuff. It wasn't my absolute best but I thought it was fun, and I really liked the colors together :] I used a lot of different things, but a majority of the products were from MAC, NARS and MAKEUPFOREVER.

Late-Night Online Shopping & Makeup Porn From NARS!!!

Hey everybody!!! I've been doing some more unnecessary makeup shopping tonight since I got home... I've already put in a few orders hahahaha... I've been looking at swatches and pictures of NARS products because I need more eyeshadows and blushes from them... and I ran across the picture above!!! Lol it got me all excited hahahahaha I just LOVE seeing lots and lots of makeup sprawled out all over a table... I totally see some of my favorite shadows from NARS' Night Collection lined up along the bottom left-hand side of the screen :] I've got lots of NARS' darker, rich, jewel-toned colors, but now I'm trying to pick out some pretty, lighter, more "wearable" neutrals for Spring and Summer. Tell me some of your fave neutrals from NARS<33333

Alexander Wang Fall 2011 RTW Makeup Trend: Clean Face, Strong Brows

I was just browsing some pictures from runway shows when I noticed the makeup trend at Alexander Wang's Fall 2011 Ready-To-Wear show. It features a very clean monochromatic face with very bold, dark eyebrows. There's perhaps a bit of very light contouring and highlighting. I personally like this look a lot because it's very simple and very androgynous. It's sort of harsh and not the most flattering of makeup looks but I like to take ideas from one look and mix it into another look. Alexander Wang wanted his audience to pay more attention to the clothing in his collection than the makeup on the models, and this edgy look totally complemented the dark, futuristic androgynous collection. I think I would wear this look to run some errands like go to the grocery store or to the mall to pick something up. If you're not gonna be doing much, I think it'd be nice just to have foundation and powder all over the face and really strong brows. That's just me though. Let me know what you think about this makeup trend/look...

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2011RTW-AWANG

Our Favorite Luxury Brand Cosmetics. Quality or a Gimmick? Tell Me Your Thoughts/I Want Your Opinions!!!!

Okay. How many of you will agree with me that all luxury makeup products are completely over-priced? I can't help but buy as many of these little black compacts as I can. Expensive makeup makes me really happy and I just love the experience of walking into my favorite department store and swatching things and talking to Sales Associates about products. Realistically, however, I know that production costs of my favorite makeup is nowhere near its retail price at all. It's something we're all well aware of but we keep it in the back of our heads. We know we have pay the big bucks for the things we love the most. I guess. Some mineral powder, pigments, glitter and preservatives pressed together in a little black compact. Seems like nothing, right? However, when shopping a brand such as......... NARS, I seem to have no problem spending $25 on a single eyeshadow, or about $30 on a single blush. My favorite NARS powder foundation was about $50. Just yesterday I bought more Chanel makeup, and a simple lip gloss was over $30. It's not all that amazing either. I honestly could've bought one at Wal-Mart for like 5 bucks and gotten the same results. I just really like Chanel's packaging. I want to know what you all think? Are these cosmetics really worth the amount that we pay for them? I'm the first one to throw my money at the lady behind the makeup counter, but I have just recently started thinking... "Are they really worth that much?" I feel like such a sucker sometimes. Another thing that's been annoying me lately is the term "Limited Edition." A lot of us have become panic shoppers because of those two nasty words. I have found myself buying something simply because not many of that product will be made. I read about an amazing item in a new collection coming out and I hear YouTube beauty people rave about it endlessly, so of course I purchase it without even swatching it hahahaha... I also tend to buy multiples/backups of things just in case I really like them and need more after I run out. However, I don't think I've ever really used a cosmetic item in it's entirety in the whole amount of time I've been wearing cosmetics. I also tend to buy lots and lots of products that look exactly the same, but that's a WHOLE other story hahahaha... I've come to the conclusion that cosmetic companies will continue to charge as much as people will pay. So if you want something nice, expect to pay a lot for it. Let me know how you feel about this situation. Are you in the same position as me? Do you find yourself blinded by the glare bouncing off the YSL compact? Or are you a practical shopper that only buys exactly what you need? And lastly, what percentage do you think our favorite makeup products are marked up?

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? :]

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!??!? :]