May Wishlist

I'd like to think that my wishlist is smaller this month, but I'm not sure if that's really true...?

Laura Mercier Laura's Secrets Volume 4: The Illuminated looks like quite a collection. I swatched it in store the other day, and the shades are pretty, and I even liked the bronze-y shade of tinted moisturizer.

Korres Magic Light Contouring Trio has such pretty packaging, and I've suddenly become interested in Korres products... Their other powders seem quite nice, so I'd love to try this one.

Butter London Nail Polish in Knackered is one of those things that I see on Lisa Eldridge and then desperately want... 

Burberry Eyeshadow in Taupe Brown is something that I will definitely get one day. But not now. because I don't need anymore pricey eyeshadows! (Or so I tell myself.)

Givenchy Mister Light Instant Light Corrector Pen is a new discovery, and I'm not sure why I've never paid attention to it before. I might like it better than YSL, potentially!

Burberry Blush is one of those things that I can't decide over. Do I want Earthy or Tangerine? Or both??

Guerlain Ombre Eclat Eyeshadow in #186 Ondee is such a pretty taupe-gray. I can't seem to get away from those types of colors these days. And again, no more pricey eyeshadows for a while!

Guerlain Rouge Automatique Shine turned out to be more sheer than I expected, but also very shimmery and pretty. Not positive on which shade I want, but it's between 262 and 265. I may use that Sephora code to get a sample, but that also means buying something...!

Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation is something I hope to try in this winter's Sephora VIB sale. I dont need another foundation so therefore I will not allow myself to spend the money!

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Lip Pencil in Rouge is another indulgence I hope to make someday! Perhaps by the end of the year?

Marcelle BB Cream is something I still want ALOT. I think I will purchase this online in the next few weeks. 

La Roche Posay Rosaliac is a Lisa Eldridge recommendation that I want to try. Perhaps for summer, though!

Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Face Mist smells so good, and is actually moisturizing! My boyfriend loves to spray it whenever we're at Sephora. One of these days I'll actually buy it!

Sara Happ Lip Slip is a product I've heard good things about, so I hope to try it eventually.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm seems more affordable and potentially just as good as my current savior. I think I may order this in the next month or two as well. (Maybe as part of a birthday order??)

What do you think? What's on your wishlist? Did I manage to narrow it down, or is it still just as long as last month's list? :)

Currently...

Hey guys! Hope you are having a good weekend so far. I spent most of today taking blog photos, so hopefully I will have more reviews ready for you soon. I also have posted a new swatch photo on my post about Guerlain's 4 Seasons bronzer. In redoing these swatches I've realized (again) how I fear to press to hard or waste much makeup... though I shouldn't worry because at the rate I'm going, I'll never finish anything in my life! Other thoughts...

- I received Sephora + PANTONE Shades of Nature eyeshadow palette, which will be out on June 7th. I was so excited to receive this as a VIB gift for being a top contributor on their website & forum. I hope I can review it for you all sooner rather than later!

- My wishlist has gotten smaller, which makes me feel somewhat relieved. I've crossed things off the list and purchased a few items. I will do an updated wishlist post soon! What's on your wishlist these days??

- Tried out the Buxom kit (eyeliner + cream eyeshadow) I purchased a while back, and so far I like it! The liner is super black, which I love, and the eyeshadow is a pretty color with a bouncy texture that I enjoy. I hope to review it soon!

- Also enjoying Too Faced Better Than False Lashes, which was sent to me. (Exciting!) It's a bit of a process, which I'm not sure I have time for, but it does look good and stay on well. Have any of you tried it? I plan to do a video review, despite my ineptitude at eyelash related things.

Anyway, happy Saturday! I'd love to hear what beauty & product thoughts are on your mind! :)

Lipstick Diaries: Update

Hi again! As you may remember, I set out to explore my ever growing stash of lip products. It's almost May now, and I've hardly made progress. (Check out my original post, and my post about lip care) A few of my favorites:

• La Mer the Lip Balm - this has now become a staple in my collection, and I product I use the most. This has done wonders for my lips, especially with the back and forth weather we're experiencing here in Chicago!
• Fresh Sugar Coral Lip Treatment - I was excited when this color was released, and I'm a big fan of the Fresh Sugar scent. The shade is quite pretty, and doesn't make me feel strange when I apply it without any makeup on!
• Nars Velvet Gloss Pencil in Mexican Rose - I had a brief obsession with this pencil around the time it came out, and absolutely love the stain it leaves on my lips for daytime wear. Strangely enough, I may like the 2nd day stain MORE than the gorgeous glossy pink-red it is when I first apply it. (It may just be that perfect berry stain shade I've been lusting after forever!)

I also picked up a YSL Glossy Stain which has such a marvelous formula, and a Guerlain Rouge Automatique for everyday pretty recently... And I rediscovered another Nars Velvet Gloss Pencil in a quite pretty everyday shade that my boyfriend loves... but haven't had much occasion to wear any of these! I guess sometimes I feel like putting on a lip color without any other makeup is just unfinished and strange for me. Do you ever feel this way??

What are your favorite lip products? Any everyday go to's even if you don't wear any other makeup? I'd love to hear!

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadows

I'm sorry I've had a tough time keeping up this month! I've just been SO tired from work and with my limited time to actually test products well, it's been tough to keep up! And this week, lucky me, a wisdom tooth seems to be emerging and is SO painful. While it's been rare that I've worn any makeup at all, fortunately, I've been keeping notes! I bought one Maybelline Color Tattoo a few months back (January or February?) and earlier this month I decided to pick up the other two shades during a BOGO50% off sale at Ulta with one of their $3.50 off coupons. (I was pretty excited since it only ended up being $7.63 for two!!)

The shades I have are the most neutral ones - Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, and Audacious Asphalt. For some reason, Audacious Asphalt has a green-ish tinge in these photos - not sure why?? Also, the packaging has a nice weight to them but why did the "Color Tattoo" label have to be placed on crooked on my newer ones? It just seems silly to me.

(Clockwise - Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, Audacious Asphalt) I'm sorry I had already tried Tough as Taupe long before I took these photos!

Tough as Taupe is a gray-taupe shade with a bit of pink in it that could make a great base for nearly any skintone. On me, it also works as subtle definition on my lid. I love that this shade is matte, and I hope that Maybelline will release more matte neutral shades!

Bad to the Bronze, while it appears very warm in the jar, is definitely not as bronze or metallic as I thought it would be. (Wohoo!) I thought it might be too shimmery, but the shade is tame enough for everyday wear.

Audacious Asphalt is a pretty gray silver. I think in some lights or on some skintones it will have that greenish tinge I mentioned before. I know when I was swatching it definitely looked that way in some lights!

(Swatches, top to bottom - Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, Audacious Asphalt) Sorry the shot is not super crisp... :( 

I tested these shades without primer on each occasion. I hoped that they would be very long wearing, but I do have very oily lids. My favorite primer is Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, and with it I can definitely get many superb formulas to last 24 hours. Other products such as the Stila Smudge Crayon and L'Oreal Infallible  (and a few others I can't seem to think of at the moment) can last at least 10-14 hours on my lids without a primer, so this is a bit of a disappointment for me. The product does claim to be 24hr, after all.

When I tested, I managed to wear one shade for about 7 hours before noticeable creasing occurred. The color began to fade at this point as well. The space near my lashline (where I have a small crease/fold) is the most oily, and at this point the color in that area completely disappeared. I also wore this shadow into the shower one day, and it essentially melted off in the warm water without me doing anything. (I waited 30-45 minutes before showering) Based on these results, don't imagine these would be waterproof.

While the product is pigmented, I needed a few swipes of color to get even application. (I apply these and the L'Oreal Infallible shadows with my finger unless I am using them as liner.)

All in all, I like the texture, application, and shade range of L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows much better. However, these are quite good for drugstore cream eyeshadows, and they do have very smooth, creamy textures. (I find that some cream eyeshadows can be quite hard unless you really warm them up, including mid-range ones like Benefit...) If Maybelline releases more everyday shades, I will definitely pick them up for some quick & easy eyeshadow options.

How about you? Did you run to pick up Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows? If you have some, how do you like them?