the favorites | february + march 2015

What an interesting couple of months! There was so much snow and ice that I thought I'd somehow wound up in Arendelle, and now today is as sunny as Corona.

On to the good stuff!

makeup

These past two months haven't seen that much change in my makeup routine. Having a lot of snow days makes me less desirous of doing a lot of makeup, but game days require at least a little bit of concealer along my jaw, or people will figure out that I'm a spy during the Resistance! For a lighter base, I've been enjoying blending out concealer like the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles—someone needs to talk with the branding team—with either fingers, my Real Techniques Expert face brush or the Beauty Blender I received in my February Birchbox. Oftentimes, I will also use the Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer in conjunction with the Maybelline. Together, they work quite well.

For color, I have become quite interested in warmer pinks. As a neutral-cool–undertoned woman with a hefty dose of pink in her skin, I've always gone for brighter, lighter pinks with blue undertones, but I thought I'd branch out since spring is now upon us. To that end, I've broken out my NARS One Night Stand palette, which I purchased back in November 2013, for the shade Deep Throat. I used to own a single of this blush, but I've since cleared out my stash, so my palette form is all that remains. It's quite sheer, but that keeps me from applying too much at a time. I also very much appreciate that the shimmer that runs through the blush is so subtle. No glitter-bombs for me, thank you very much!

For lips, I've been enjoying my Mom's Christmas present to me: the NARS Audacious lipstick in Dominique. It's such a unique shade, a medium-toned lavender with almost gray undertones. Its formula is lovely—very pigmented and not too slippy whilst not being drying. And while packaging is not the be-all end-all of good lipstick, sleek magnetic packaging never hurts. I've particularly enjoyed wearing this with the shades Cream, Light Bronze (look at that pan!), Pewter, and Mauve from my beloved LORAC Pro palette. I try not to feature the same products in my favorites posts because these would quickly become repetitive, but this color combination suits my gray eyes and fair, neutral-cool coloring. As you can see from the state of my palette, the shades can kick up quite a bit of dust, but for a relatively comprehensive palette, I don't think you can go wrong with this little guy.

games

I haven't yet featured video games on my blog because I don't play them all that often, but I've recently rediscovered some old favorites and one new one. Let me know if you'd like a more in-depth review of these at some future point.

First, a night of Battlefront II reminded me that Knights of the Old Republic is available for Mac. Naturally, I immediately went to the App Store and purchased it. I'm currently stuck defending the Ebon Hawk because I don't have a mouse, but I still love it. I've loved this game for going on seven years, but I've never finished it. Here's to hoping that I'll break that streak!

Second, I finished Professor Layton and the Curious Village over the course of three days. As you can tell from the above, I don't typically finish video games, but I was utterly drawn in with all the puzzles of St. Mystere. Fortunately, I've just found that there are five more games in the series, so I'll be purchasing the next one probably relatively soon if my birthday doesn't come up before then.

I hope that you all have had a lovely winter and early spring! Please feel free to let me know what other sorts of comments you'd like to see here.

the exchange | /r/indiemakeupandmore autumn 2014

I am assuming that most if not all of you are familiar with reddit, that site of intrigue and lols. I have been a redditor for nearly two years and, thanks to the lovely users over at /r/Indiemakeupandmore, have discovered the world of indie cosmetics. /r/IMaM is a very friendly community of both makers and consumers. Shop owners, like Christine of Hello Waffle, interact with customers and share their own favorite products from other shops. Think of it as the social counterpart to Etsy.

This autumn, /r/IMaM held a global makeup exchange, and I signed right up! I've previously participated in an exchange on /r/MakeupAddicts and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was paired with a woman from Australia, and she sent me the loveliest assortment of things!

fragrance

As you can see, I received a sample and a full-sized fragrance, both of which smell divine. Haus of Gloi's Olde Cider Haus is autumnal to the nth degree—tart apples and magic. Firebird's Pomegranate Basil, however, is a lush, herbal fruity concoction with a touch of currant. As I typically use parfum or cologne, I enjoyed a different vehicle for the scent. Both oils melt right into the skin without the harshness of alcohol.

makeup

I have wanted to try Femme Fatale Cosmetics for months now. The Australian-based brand carries beautifully complex eyesahdows, and The Masquerade in particular caught my attention. My exchange partner also sent me eyeshadows in Moonstone, Wildvine, and Umberhowl, all of which are multidimensional duochromes except for gorgeously shimmery Umberhowl. Love. She also included a blush sample in Radar Love and eyeshadow samples in Heroic and Crystalline Scale.

candy

Candy is one of my favorite things to include in exchanges, so I was definitely excited to receive some. I haven't tried all the taffies, but I've liked the ones I've tried so far. The musk sticks to the far right are so bizarre! They taste like slightly fruity, perfumed marshmallow-taffy. Tim Tams are possibly my favorite sandwich biscuits. If you haven't tried them before and are a chocolate fan like myself, do yourself a favor and locate some Tim Tams.

bonus bunny

My lovely exchange partner also made me a bunny! It is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts I've received. I know my partner put a lot of time and effort into the little guy, and I am so chuffed with it!

Thank you so much to my lovely exchange partner. Have you ever participated in a makeup exchange? What are your favorite online beauty communities?

the favorites | august 2014

It's time once again to talk about my favorite products from the past month!

makeup

I decided not to mention favorites from last month as you'd quickly tire of my waxing poetic for the NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer. This month has been a month of rediscoveries and new discoveries: I bought the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Extra Light Bisque last fall, but I didn't get the hang of it until recently. I just dab a bit of this on the inner corners of my eyes—wherever I am bluest—and follow it up with my beloved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly. 

As far as new products go, I made a bit of a haul a couple of weeks ago to pick up the Kat Von D Tattoo liner and the Hourglass Veil mineral primer. Both of these have turned out to be holy grail products for me: the liner is brilliant to use, and the primer suits my base of choice perfectly. Additionally, I won a giveaway on /r/MakeupAddicts and received a box of goodies, including this exclusive blush from Hello Waffle in But At Least I'll Look Pretty. Although I received it for free, I'd happily pay for this. I'm unfamiliar with loose blush formulas, but this one is soft and gorgeous: imagine MAC Syrup in blush form.

skincare

As summer is starting to wind down—at least in theory here in the South—I'm beginning to get back into my more moisturizing products. The CeraVe Hydrating cleanser has thoroughly impressed me so far with its creamy, non-foaming, and non-irritating formula. I've only had this for about the last couple of weeks, but I am chuffed so far.

tea

Ah, tea: the elixir of life! I drink tea regularly, but since I've moved back on campus, I've been guzzling the stuff. Barry's Tea Gold Blend is my favorite! I've been drinking it since I first picked it up in Dean & DeLuca three-and-a-half years ago. It brews beautifully with milk: it's robust but never bitter. It's becoming easier and easier to acquire, too, at least in the States, so snap some up the next time you see it.

What have your favorites been this month?

the favorites | july 2014

Hello, all!

I apologize for my lack of consistent posting this week. I've had family- and school-related obligations. Fortunately, I'm now back on track!

So, without any further ado, let's talk July favorites.

makeup

July in the South is fairly sweltering, so whenever I wear a full face, I can't go wrong with NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer. I currently own the shade Terre Neuve, which isn't quite pink enough for me, but it blends well enough that you can't really tell. The Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée in Poppy Paradise has acted in much the same way, giving me a sheer, bright blush. To set everything in place, I've been reaching for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light, as always. This also works well with the Wayne Goss method.

On my lips, I've been sporting this deluxe sample of the Laura Mercier lip glacé in Rose, which I received in a points perk from Sephora. Although I'm not the biggest fan of shimmer, the formula isn't sticky, and the color enhances the natural color of my lips just enough to look effortlessly pretty.

After a brief stint of believing I'd lost it, my friend Kyle found my Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Pumped Up! mascara hiding in my couch—I kid you not. I'm very glad he did: it's very volumizing very quickly. Don't buy into the "double shot" marketing nonsense, but do try this if you want long, full lashes. Finally, on my eyelids themselves, I've been sporting Mother of Dragons from Shiro's Seven Kingdoms collection. Although it's intimidating in the baggie, when applied, it transforms into a sultry, shimmery burgundy that brings out the green in my eyes. Its only real failing is its lack of lasting power, but I hope to remedy that with Darling Girl Glitter Glue in the near future.

skincare

My skin doesn't like summer very much. Between the heat, humidity, and constant switches in between, I don't blame it. Fortunately, the Stridex Maximum Strength pads have helped keep my skin in check. Soaked in beta hydroxy acids, these pads balance the pH of my skin in the morning and act as a chemical exfoliant, which makes them useful for the keratosis pilaris on my arms as well. Another product that my face has been enjoying this month is the elusive Antipodes Aura manuka honey mask. At once soothing, hydrating, and cleansing, this has pampered my skin.

nails

Although I didn't document it, Essie's Watermelon graced my nails at the beginning of the month. Since I bought it while studying abroad, every time I use this polish, I wonder why the US doesn't have the wide brushes of Essie's UK diffusion line. With the wider brush, it applies smoothly and quickly for a nearly gel-like coat of hot pink-red. I'll have to paint my nails with it again this August: it's summer in a bottle!

What have been your favorite products this month?

the collection | blush

Clockwise from top right: Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush, Bobbi Brown blush in Desert Pink, NARS blush in Deep Throat, Jouer Tint in Peony, Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Amused, Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée, Bourjois Blush Exclusif.

Mistinguette can be found in the middle of the top row. Deep Throat is directly underneath it.

Left to right: Bourjois Blush Exclusif, Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush, Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée in Poppy Paradise, Jouer Tint in Peony, Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Amused, Bobbi Brown blush in Desert Pink, NARS blushes in Deep Throat and Mistinguette.

I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to makeup. When I finally learned to apply it, blush was among my first purchases. In fact, I still own that blush over six years later: the Bobbi Brown blush in Desert Pink. I've worn it off and on again since then, but my taste in blush has gravitated toward lighter, brighter pinks since then.

Cream blushes are my true loves when it comes to adding a bit of a flush. I'm naturally quite redness-prone, so a little goes a long way, and I find that creams look the most natural. The Jouer Tint in Peony is a classically creamy formula, intended for both lips and cheeks, although I tend to reserve it for the latter. My one cream-to-powder option—a formula that I don't like as well as a traditional cream—is the Bourjois Blush Exclusif. I got caught up in the hype surrounding the Bourjois cream blushes, but when I finally got to the UK, none of the shades seemed to suit me. Fortunately, this came out around that time. It supposedly adjusts to your unique skintone—hence its name—but I suspect it just responds to the skin's pH. Nevertheless, it is indeed a bright, pretty pink that travels well. You can see that I've hit pan both on it and the Jouer Tint.

The Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée in Poppy Paradise has a formula unlike anything I've experienced before. It's a bright but sheer gel with a nearly balmy texture that feels cooling on the skin, a welcome sensation in this summer heat. Similarly, the Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush—which is a sample size, by the way—looks like an intense berry in the tube but sheers out to one of the lightest shades in my collection. It's not my favorite, but I like Tarte as a brand and was more than happy to exchange Sephora points to try another product of theirs.

Aside from the aforementioned long-lived Bobbi Brown option, the three other powder options that I use are the NARS blushes in Deep Throat and Mistinguette from this past Christmas's controversial One Night Stand palette and the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in the apparently now-discontinued shade Amused. Deep Throat is the only shimmery blush I use, and Mistinguette is the only shade I've used from its palette as I simply haven't yet tried the other shades and resisted swatching them as they hadn't yet graced my face. Amused, as you can see is by far the most pigmented blush I use, but when used with a light hand, it lasts very well on me.

So, there you have it: you've got me blushing in pinks of varying shades and undertones.