Makeup Minis, #1

In lieu of posting about what I wore this past week (aka nothing), I thought I would share with you a little something that has been on my mind when it comes to makeup.

I spend a lot of time thinking about my makeup collection and how I'll probably have grandkids before I make a dent in most of it. I fear for my makeup, as I once told Liz over at Beauty Reductionista. Ok, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but it is mostly true. I have no memory of EVER finishing a makeup product in my life. Maybe a lipgloss or eyeliner in my middle school or high school years - that seems to be a vague possibility - or even that first nice blush I had if only for the fact that I don't know where it is now so logically I must have used it up… 

In any event, while gathering all my goodies for the October Sampler, I realized just how many makeup minis I had in my stash. Mini primer? Mini cream blush? Mini lipgloss? Check, check, and check! I think I have a normal person's entire makeup collection in minis. (Ha! That thought scares me a bit.) I don't even want to consider how long I've had some of these things. Mini Chanel Glossimers from a holiday gift set in 2007/8? I know I lost half of them before I even made a dent in them. And seriously, the picture above is only what I have with me - there's a lot more at home where that came from.

Anyway, I'm not despairing, (yet). The thing about makeup minis is that it seems entirely possible to use them up, even for a lazy makeup wearer like me. I have hope, and so I selected a small portion of my makeup minis shown above and committed myself to finishing them. Maybe when I finish some of these, I can feel encouraged to use up something full size. :) 

How do you feel about your makeup collection? Is the thought of never finishing anything and letting all those pretties go to waste taking over your brain too? Do you have makeup minis to use up too? :) I'd love to know what you think, and any tips, tricks, or words of sympathy are greatly appreciated! 

Is Chantecaille Sel a Dupe for Burberry Pale Barley?

Last month, I purchased Chantecaille Sel eyeshadow from Gummy's blog sale, and I was really excited to try it. Every once in a while, you'll read a blog post about how great Chantecaille eyeshadow is, and I really wanted to find out for myself! 

Sel is a really great everyday sort of shade, and when I first tried it, I immediately thought of Burberry's much loved Pale Barley eyeshadow. In my opinion, Chantecaille's formula can't compare to Burberry's, but the shades are similar enough on my eyes. Sel has more of a gray/silvery undertone on me, while Pale Barley has more of a gold tone. 

Now onto the formula... Sel is soft and shimmery, but doesn't last long without primer. The first time I wore it, I didn't look in the mirror until after lunch (so about 5 hours after application) and pretty much all that was left was shimmer. Yikes. With my trusty Nars Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, the nice color is more visible and actually stays on all day. This also doesn't apply well with fingers - the result is not very pigmented or even. Not a dealbreaker, but I think that is something to note given my laziness. :) A lot of eyeshadow gets applied with fingers over here, and this one is just not one that will work that way.

My preference is the Burberry formula, which is much softer and doesn't necessarily require a brush. Without primer, Burberry eyeshadows have always lasted all day on me, and they usually don't even crease in my monolid area. I think if you have Pale Barley, you probably don't need Sel and vice versa. If you're stuck between the two though, I definitely recommend Burberry!

What do you guys think about Chantecaille Sel? Do you think it is a dupe for Burberry Pale Barley? Are you adding either one to your list? I'd love to know! :)

September Favorites

 *Press Sample, Affiliate Links

This month, I think I have a good range of favorites to show you. As usual, I don't have much in the way of makeup as I still fail to wear it daily, but I'm happy to show you the two items I have worn quite a lot over the last month. 

 Take a peek at the video to see what I liked last month, and do let me know what you think! What were your September favorites? :)

BLOG - bronzerbunny.com TWITTER - twitter.com/bronzerbunny INSTAGRAM - instagram.com/bronzerbunny LINKS MENTIONED Gummy's Blog - gummyvision.com Tom Ford She Wolf Review - bronzerbunny.com/blog/2013/tom-ford-she-wolf PRODUCTS MENTIONED Lush Dream Cream Lush Wiccy Magic Muscles Massage Bar Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil* Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask Murad Acne Spot Treatment Kiehl's Rosa Artica Eye Balm Clinique Super Fine Liner for Brows Tom Ford She Wolf DISCLAIMER: Products marked with an * were provided for review.

Products Mentioned
Lush Dream Cream
Lush Wiccy Magic Muscles Massage Bar
Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil*
Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask
Murad Acne Spot Treatment
Kiehl's Rosa Artica Eye Balm
Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows
Tom Ford She Wolf 

Jump In the Bath with Lush's Halloween Creatures

 *Press Samples

I'm not one for Halloween, but I'm all for celebrating with a bit of Lush's Halloween collection. Every year, this is something that I look forward to, and while I'm happy to see some of the permanent items year round (especially last year's The Enchanter bath bomb), I think the limited edition items are quite fun. 

Pumkin is a cute little bubble bar that reminds me of Mumkin from the spring collection. This little guy makes quite a lot of bubbles, more so than some of the others I've tried, and they sure do last a while too. Scented like the Fig & Leaves soap, which to my nose is mostly orange blossom, these silky bubbles leave my skin nice and soft. 

Lord of Misrule is a tricky little bath bomb scented with patchouli and black pepper. Green on the outside, the pink within emerges quickly and changes the bath into a reddish shade perfect for celebrating Halloween. I even feel like the little swirls are like ghosts! As the water sits for a long time, the shade turns to magenta, which I quite like too! (Below is the bath water as the pink emerges.)

What do you think of these limited edition items from Lush's Halloween collection? Will you be picking up any of these guys before they're gone? I'd love to know!