Ushering in the New Year with Femme Boulevard

I was SO excited when the Femme Boulevard ladies invited more bloggers to participate in their December look to ring in the new year! Now this was a bit of a challenge for me, as I do not have a remotely suitable place to photograph myself for something like this. (Working on it!) I'm also no makeup artist, and I am definitely not particularly skilled in applying makeup for it to translate well in photos. I am much more of an everyday casual makeup sort of girl - the more natural, not perfect, and non-makeupy it looks, the better!

So this month's look posed an interesting challenge for me - do I go all out with an intense metallic/shiny eye and bold lip, or do I make it more of low-key everyday version?

While I had some ideas for a contoured look with a shiny, glossy eye, I decided to choose the low key version. It is just more me, I suppose, and I thought it would be fun and a more practical look for me to explore and share. (What do you think? I was so indecisive! What would you have chosen?)

femme boulevard december 2012, holiday fotd
Becca Resurfacing Primer, Becca Radiant Skin Foundation, Armani Maestro Eraser #4, diorshow maximizer, fairydrops scandal queen, stila smudge crayon in smoke and black, jouer creme eyeshadow in cashmere, jouer tint in tiare, tom ford crimson noir li…
femme boulevard december fotd

I hope you like the look - do let me know what you think of it! :)

Sweater from Madewell 

Face: I paired Becca Resurfacing Primer with Becca Radiant Skin Foundation in Buttercup, which is perhaps just a smidge too light on me, but still a pretty nice, light foundation. I dabbed on a bit of Giorgio Armani Maestro Eraser #4 on my undereyes, and left the rest of my skin as is. It isn't in the best condition right now, which is lame, but whatever - that's life, right? I wanted to use Becca Bronzing Skin Perfector for a bit of subtle contour, but I couldn't figure out where I put it! I also dabbed on Jouer Highlighter in Tiare* on my cheekbones and inner corners of my eyes. Eyes My eyes are pretty simple here - I lined along the top with Stila Smudge Crayon in Black, and along my lower lashline with Stila Smudge Crayon in Smoke. I can't believe I had forgotten how much I like these smudge crayons until recently! My lashes are coated in the amazing duo of Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum and Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara - really, I think this combination makes my lashes the LARGEST they can ever be. I ought to curl my lashes and fill my brows, but that isn't an everyday thing for me, and while it SHOULD be, I thought I'd be more true to an everyday routine. Then I smeared on some Jouer Creme Eyeshadow in Cashmere* - I just love this shade! Lips Last but not least, I coated my lips with Tom Ford Lipstick in Crimson Noir. While I'm a big Burberry and Guerlain fan, I do like all of the Tom Ford lipsticks I've experienced so far. So pigmented and creamy, I thought this would be the perfect shade to top off this warm holiday look!

... And I just realized that in this entire process, I did not use a single makeup brush! I don't know how I feel about that, LOL!

Do take a look at the brilliant looks from the other lovely ladies participating this month. I'm so excited to see what they come up with, and I can't wait to hear what you think! :)

A Little Bit Of Everything
Beaute Fabuleuse
BellaChique
ChloeAsh‎
Eye Heart It
Joey’space
Messy Wands
Mostly Sunny
Musing On Beauty

P.S. This whole process has given me quite a heavy to do list for the new year! I need to practice my posing skills, which seem to have fallen by the wayside along with my makeup skills... skillz? Haha. I also need to sort out some lights and a place to take these face shots! Any tips in these areas are quite appreciated!

Products marked with an * were provided for review.

Wrap Up Your Holiday Shopping with a Lush Gift!

I can't believe it is almost Christmas! If the holiday is sneaking up on you too, I've got just the perfect little gift box from Lush to show you!

lush had a very shiny nose gift set review

Already wrapped in cute reindeer paper, this Lush set has a matching cute name! "...Had a Very Shiny Nose" is the perfect gift to brighten someone's bath or shower. :)

lush had a very shiny nose contents, lush olive branch shower gel review, lush sandy santa shower gel review, lush mr punch soap review, lush holiday 2012 gifts

This gift set includes two lovely products from the holiday collection, and a shower gel from the permanent line. The Olive Branch Shower Gel is a great earthy citrus that lathers up quite nice. Composed of olive and mandarin oil, I think this is a great gift item for just about anyone. My boyfriend thinks it is a perfect shower gel scent for a guy!

Sandy Santa is an adorable citrus sugar scrub, and it just smells yummy. Filled with orange, sandalwood, and rosewood oils, this is a nice exfoliating scrub that I love to use on my dry legs.  It makes my legs feel nice and smooth, and it is just the sugary citrus scent I like. A word of warning though, don't get it too wet, as it becomes an oozy creamy texture when it mixes with water!  I am keeping it in a small tupperware, and will grab bits of it to use as needed, cause I sure hate losing bits of my Lush goodies!

I am also enjoying all of the yummy smelling soaps from the holiday collection, and I'm happy to try Mr. Punch soap! It smells and looks like a tropical drink! :) Like the other Lush soaps, this is quick and easy to use in the shower, or a pretty option to leave near the sink in a guest bathroom!

This kit retails for $23.95 and is a great way to try out some Lush products! If you need a last minute gift, I highly recommend this or one of the other Lush gifts! There are plenty of cute ones , including ones under $20, with a variety of products in them! :)

What do you think of this Lush gift set? Will you be grabbing one before the holidays are over? :)

This product was provided for review.