I've Got Good News & Bad News, part 2... sweet tartes!

Now for the good news...

Report # 2 on my recent trip to Sephora:

I picked up something fabulous. Tarte Rise & Shine lip stain & lip-enhancing gloss. I am a huge fan of the Tarte gel cheek stains, which I have been known to wear on my lips even though they don't taste great. So, with the lip product, one end is a nice berry stain. You apply this with a wand and wait for 15 seconds. Then proceed to the other end where you will find a light pink gloss that seems to cause some sort of chemical reaction when applied. As soon as you touch it to your lips it begins to tingle. As it tingles it begins to darken the lip, creating a crushed berry hue with nice shine and oomph. Oh yeah, and it tastes good.

I may have to get another tube so I can keep one in my train case and one in my handbag.

After perusing the Sephora website I came across a cute little set- Lovin' the Fast Stain- which is a mini cheek stain and a mini lip stain. I don't recall seeing this at my new Sephora so, darn, guess I'll have to keep checking back in with them until it arrives...

Bombshell-In-Training

I spent a fabulous Saturday afternoon visiting Sephora and Bath & Body Works with my BSS (Bomb Squad Sidekick), S. and her super-fun little girl, J.

We spent over an hour sampling glittery stuff and perfumes. Little J and I have very similar taste in fragrance. We both are drawn to the sweet, food-y scents. J. couldn't get enough of the Britney Spears In Control Curious in the classic black atomizer with pink sprintzer thingy. I have to admit- it smelled awesomely chocolately, sweet, and was not over-powering. It would look perfectly at home on any mirrored vanity.

I smelled something new, Lawrence Dumont Vanilla Orientale. Oh it was so light and yummy with spicy undertones. I was going to purchase, but after wandering the store for an hour I re-smelled my wrist to find that the dry down was pure vanilla. Not even a hint of the "orientale" left. So disapointing. It still smelled good, but I have a Bath & Body Works vanilla perfume that smells just as good...

J. decided on a Sephora Girls coin purse/compact. It's pink with a cute little kitty cat and unzips to reveal a small collection of perfect eyeshadows and lip glosses for Bombshell-ettes.

S. finally chose a Tarte Blushing Bride blush gel stick. The color is so pretty and I can't wait to see her rosey cheeks next time we get together.

I made a small purchase that I'll report on later...

Pilgrimage to Mecca

After months of waiting, the boarded up store-front taunting me, SEPHORA has opened in my local plaza. Today was the grand opening and I promptly received a text message from my beauty-addicted friend, R.

So, after my Friday night dinner date with D., we headed over so I could spend the gift certificate that has been burning a hole in my handbag since my birthday back in May (May 18 to be exact, hint, hint). I could easily have put it to good use online, but I made a vow to myself that I would keep it until the store opened...

D. dutifully wandered about with me, smelling things I offered him, acknowledging my outbursts of 'cute!', 'pretty!', 'I've always wanted to try this and it smells fabulous/repulsive...', etc. But when it came time to check out, the line snaked around the store, D. ditched me and waited outside. No problem, I made new friends in line, gave some advice ("oh- get the travel tube of Smashbox Photofinish Primer, not the glass bottle", "Wet n Wild has a lip plumper that works way better than Lip Fusion for about $48 cheaper", "oooh, have you tried Smith's Rosebud Salve? It's fab!"), and managed to check out with a balance left on my gift card!

True to form, I bought MASCARA and PINK LIP STAIN/GLOSS. I also got samples of eye make up remover and teeth whitener. Reviews will follow... stay tuned.

Hey Dollface!

I have 'hit pan' as they say in the realm of beauty addiction. I actually got to the bottom of a compact of MAC cream foundation and used a brush to scrape every last bit of it out.

That was 2 days ago. Foundation was desired, but travelling to the mall and shelling out $30 was not. Plus, I'm on a self-proclaimed 'no buy'(except mascara) until I use up all the -admittedly ridiculous amounts of- cosmetics I have in my train case!

So yesterday I went the no foundation route. This is not entirely unusual for me, but I generally wear it on workdays. Instead I used some of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer that I had thrown aside after using for a few weeks. It is a nicely textured gel skin primer that you smooth on before applying foundation or you can wear it alone to mattify your skin. I detest the matte look on myself, but I wanted smoother looking skin so decided to try it. Basically it backfired. My skin wasn't smoother in appearance- just slightly splotchy and dull. Not recommended on its own if you need any coverage, but it does smooth your skin and makes your foundation glide on...

Today I decided to try something else. Before applying anything but sunscreen I dabbed Stila Lillium Convertible Color (see my post entitled "How Cheeky" for a review) onto my cheeks. Next I took out my little pot of Lorac "Coverup"concealer that I rarely use because I can't be bothered with concealer AND foundation. I used my Stila foundation brush # 27 to dab it on the trouble spots- around my eyes and nose and this little red spot that I have on my cheek- and blended. I then dotted on Estee Lauder AeroMatte Ultralucent Pressed Powder- Transparent (how chic- just to say it!) to set the concealer and blush.

Can I just say that I may not need a full foundation again! This cocktail of concealer and powder provided the evenness I desire but with more staying powder than the MAC foundation. I felt smooth all day, when usually I'm requiring a mid-afternoon touch up.

voila

How Cheeky!

I am a blush fanatic. I once made a list of all the blushes I own and it was ridiculous. But I actually use them all, depending on my mood and what I'm doing. Cream for most days, gel for out of doors-y days, powder when I'm in a hurry, or for staying power over the creams, etc.

However, the blushes in my train case might start worrying about their status...I have found something fabulous that I have worn daily since I received it in my most recent Sephora order...drum roll please...

Stila Convertible Color in Lillium. It is quite peachy and I was a little leery at first because I tend towards the berry shades. After the first swipe of this creamy, dreamy product I was hooked. It gives a dewey, fresh look. I have constantly been receiving compliments on how "glowy" I look since I started using it. It blends easily, and a little dab will do ya.

Peach blush, the fountain of youth?