January Favorites

This month has flown by!!! I'm sorry for the sporadic posting, but here's to getting back on track! Today, I have a list of favorites for the month, and I have to say, I surprised myself with some of these. I bet they surprise you, too. Let's have a look, shall we?

Eyes
Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Inked in Pink
These cream shadows are utterly amazing. I think I may like them even better than their high-end counterparts! This pink is shiny, rosy, and makes for a beautiful wash of color that lasts until you take it off. For a five-minute face, this is ideal. I've already picked up the (less wearable, but just as gorgeous) blue metallic shade, and am seriously considering a few others.

MAC Apres Chic Eyeshadow in Ice
I've been using this in the inner corner, and it gives just enough warm sparkle to brighten up your look without reminding everyone of Tinkerbell. The color reminds me of snow, but snow that's looked at from inside a warm cabin, while you drink a cup of cocoa. If that makes sense. Which it probably doesn't.

Lips
Homemade Brown Sugar Lip Scrub
DO NOT BUY LIP SCRUB, PEOPLE!!!! Take a tablespoon of butter, melt it, and add just enough brown sugar to make a thick paste (around three tablespoons, give or take). Rub on lips. That's it. The butter is moisturizing and the sugar is rough and, well, scrubby. It takes off dead skin like a dream, and tastes good enough that you could spread it on toast--literally. Best of all, it's pretty much free. Keep the rest in the fridge to use later. I made this to use during filming, since I was in red lipstick, and we all know how pretty red lipstick looks on flaky lips. Our leading man used it, too, and threatened to take it home with him.

Face
Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Love
This product kept showing up on my radar, and I finally had to try it out. Now, I'm in love. This is the best stick blush I have ever used! The color is very natural, it blends like a dream, and the staying power is pretty darn good, compared to other stick blushes. I also feel like I'm doing something good for my skin when I use it. Again, for busy gals, this is a must-have. You don't even need a highlighter with it!

Tarte 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface
This is not the most fantastic, life-changing blush ever (see above), but I find myself reaching for it more and more. The color is a beautiful, cool pink, and the texture lends itself to blending into the skin. It's just a really good, pigmented, serviceable blush.

Skin
Olay 2-in-1 Daily Facial Cleansing Cloths
These removed greasepaint. Game. Set. Match.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
I've been using this in conjunction with the overnight peel, and I do think my dark spots are *slightly* lighter. It's only been about a month (which, yeah, I know they said results in four weeks, but let's be real, here), so I'm still on the fence, but the moisturizer is really good, regardless. It's lightweight, smells like apples, doesn't leave my skin looking shiny, and doesn't break me out. If it lightens up spots, that's just gravy.

MVP
Urban Decay Naked Basics
I can not believe I'm adding this to favorites, much less inventing a new category for it! The thing is, hardly a day has gone by that I haven't used this palette. A matte highlight here, a sheer wash of color there. Need a satin inner corner? How about a blending color, or a smudgy liner? Naked 2 and W.O.S. are getting some serious love these days, and the palette is on the fast track to making the Best of 2013 list. I'm shocked, but it's just that functional.

Are You a Good Witch Or a Bad Witch?

Photo Credit: Urban Decay

This showed up in an email today, and I'm curious as to what you guys think. Please leave a comment below to weigh in.

Urban Decay and Disney have teamed up to release two limited-edition Build Your Own Palettes, pre-filled with shadows inspired by OZ: The Great and Powerful. Now, these are three of my favorite things (UD, the Mouse, and the Yellow Brick Road), all rolled into one neat package. So, why am I not more excited?

Don't get me wrong, I totally want one, and I think they're a great value, monetarily speaking, but I'm not over the moon, and that kind of makes me sad.

Here are the details:
For $49.00, you will receive your choice of the Theodora palette or the Glinda palette, each featuring eight all-new shades. Four shades are singles, and two shades are duos. The color selection in each palette is supposedly based on the actresses' makeup looks in the film. The Theodora palette features deep neutrals with pops of green and navy, and Glinda is predominately pink and purple with several sparkling options. The shades are housed in (nicely mirrored) tins that were designed to reflect each character's personality. Theodora's tin is black with green, and Glinda's is pink and sparkly. Each comes with a travel 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (Black or Eggplant for Theodora or Glinda, respectively), and a Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Red or Pinky-Beige (again, Theodora or Glinda, respectively).

These are two absolutely gorgeous palettes, no question. I ran the numbers on them, and if you purchased the items individually (which you can't, as they're all exclusive to these palettes), the final total would run upwards of $127. I couldn't add in the price for the travel eyeliner, as UD doesn't sell them individually.

Here's my problem: I want to build my own. I don't want all of the neutrals in the Theodora palette. I already own both Naked palettes and the Naked Basics. As far as neutrals are concerned, I'm good. On the other hand, pinks aren't always my best color, either. Hot pink? Sure. Baby pink? I look ill. I do, however, want the all of the duos. Good greens aren't always easy to come by, the navy/gold duo is just stunning, the shimmering whites that reflect either red or blue sound freaking cool, and who couldn't use silver and gold glitter from time to time? I want those, and I can't get them without buying both sets.

Of the two, if you're looking for one to give you the most complete eye looks, I'd go with the Theodora. They'll all be pretty dark and dramatic, and more geared for Fall than Spring, but I feel like you could come up with a decent number of looks with those colors. The Glinda palette has a couple of full looks in it, but it strikes me as being more of a completer set. You're getting two highlighters, two glitter accents, two "lid" colors, and two smoky lid/crease colors (as far I can see).

Were I to buy one, I'd get the Glinda, because it has more colors that are unlike any I already own. I just can't see shelling out (let's call it what it is) fifty bucks for some nice glitters in a pretty tin. If it's still out around my birthday, maybe I'll hit up my family with the suggestion. In the meantime, I'll hope against hope that UD will decide to sell just the duos as a set, too.

Review: Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub

I ran out of my Olay Skin Smoothing Cream Scrub--which I love--and thought that now would be a good time to try out this Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub that I keep seeing everywhere. I've been using the Simple wipes for months and really like them, and my Mom's been raving about their undereye roller. Ulta sent me a $5 off coupon, so really, there was no time like the present. I snapped up one of the last bottles in the store, and excitedly went home to wash my face.

Um...I don't like it. At all. Not. A. Fan.

Let's break this down:

The Good
I like the packaging. The product comes in an inverted Spring green squeeze tube. The tube is also translucent, so you can see how much product you have left and not be caught off guard by an empty tube. The print work on the tube is attractive and...well, simple. I'm also impressed by Simple's promise to never use dyes, fragrances, or irritants, as well as their low price point. This tube was $7.99 before coupon.

The Bad
This stuff smells awful. I'm all for not using perfumes, but this product doesn't smell "natural"; in fact, it smells downright chemical. That's actually the word Thomas used to describe it when I asked him to sniff the tube. To me, the scrub reeks of bug spray. It's just not pleasant.

Another thing that's not pleasant is the exfoliator. Simple uses rice granules, but they're so large that they don't so much smooth your skin as assault it. If I wanted to scrape my skin, I could just use my fingernails, thank you. Also, the granules do not dissolve, so if you use this in the bath (and I do), the granules stay in the bath water. Granted, this does mean that they, in effect, scrub your entire body, but not well, not comfortably, and not on purpose. It's just kind of gross.

The Ugly
In in a fancy circle on the front of the tube, you'll see the word "moisturizing". Ignore that. My skin has felt tight and dry after each washing. I've also experienced some breakouts, but I can't definitively point to this as the culprit. I'm pretty sure, but can't say for a fact.

I'm stuck with this stuff for the moment, so I'll keep you posted if anything new develops. The wipes are great. I've really enjoyed the toner. This is not up to par with those. If you're looking for an inexpensive scrub, go with the Olay. I know I will be.

Final Verdict: 3.6 out of 10. Try the line, but skip this.

FINALLY! The Best of 2012!

Well, it only took me till half-way through January, but I finally got my Best of 2012 list together. I feel a sense of accomplishment (and if you get through this monster of a post, you should, too). These are not necessarily my favorites for the year, but are my most used products of the year. In most cases, they are my favorites. In others, I've notated my actual favorite, as well. I hope this helps some of you. If you have favorites of your own, please list them in the comments! I'd love to read them.

Okay, I'm tired now. Have fun, and good luck.

Seriously, this is crazy long. Go get a snack or something first.

Really. I'll wait.

Okay, here we go!

SKIN PREP:

Face Wash
Olay Skin Smoothing Cream Scrub
I've been really happy with this scrub. It came highly recommended from Total Beauty members, and has proven to be a very gently, effective scrub. It leaves skin feeling clean, soft, and moisturized. I ran out of it this morning, and am planning to repurchase after I give the Simple scrub a chance to wow me (and it's not going well).

Face Wipes
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
I'll be honest, Neutrogena wipes remove makeup more effectively, and I used them for years without a qualm. Somewhere along the way, the formula must have changed because they started to leave a greasy film on my face, and the smell became unbearable. I tried to keep it up for a few packs, but had to change to something else. These Simple wipes smell fresh, leave my skin feeling clean and not greasy, and do a really good job at removing makeup. Waterproof mascara is still a bit of a challenge, but I can deal with that to not look like a oil slick.

Makeup Remover
Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover
This works, doesn't irritate, and is, surprisingly, cheaper than a lot of drugstore makeup removers. If you need something small to hit your $25 or $50 order goal (for freebies or free shipping), this is a good choice.

Moisturizer
Olay Total Effects 7
I used this stuff for a couple of years, and liked it a lot. I'm only 32, so I don't know how well the anti-aging benefits worked, but they sure couldn't have hurt. My skin felt hydrated and supple, and makeup applied well on top. It's a darn good moisturizer.

*Clean and Clear Dual Action Skin Moisturizer
When Thomas and I went to Disney World this past October, I'd run out of my Olay and was using a sample of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum (awesome). I'd forgotten how dry car rides can leave your skin, and the sample wasn't cutting it for either of us, so we ran to Walgreen's to grab...something cheap. This was only a few dollars, and was supposedly good for breakouts, too. Turns out, it worked even better than I'd hoped, and I've been using it ever since. The Olay is fantastic, but for the money, you can't beat this. I use it on my actors, too, when I'm doing their makeup. It hydrates, clears up pimples, and feels fresh and minty.

Eye Cream
SUPER By Perricone Eye Brightening Melon
You know what, I'm not even going to bore you with a description. It's discontinued, and I'm sad. It was awesome in a jar, and I feel I may shed a tear when the last dregs are used up. If you can find this, BUY THIS.

Lip Treatment
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment
I have used this every morning and every night since June, and I've noticed a dramatic reduction in the frequency of very chapped lips. I've used other products in the past to heal chapping, but this is the first thing I've tried that seems to actually prevent occurrences. Plus, it smells like oranges and tastes like sugar.

Facial Treatment
GlamGlow Mud Mask
This ugly, chunky, green, leaf-filled clay paste is pure magic. Blackheads? Gone! Dullness? Not anymore! This leaves you with tighter, clearer, brighter, HD-ready skin for up to three days after just one use. Even my husband loves this stuff. Just don't buy retail. It's incredibly expensive. I got ours through Amazon (proper...with free shipping) for a significantly more reasonable price. Just be careful and use a trusted seller.

Tooth Whitener
Colgate Optic White Toothpaste
I'm a coffee drinker. I like Coca-Cola and chocolate and red wine (on occasion), therefore, my teeth have been a pain in the rear to keep white. Strips, bleaching...everything but in-office whitening--nothing worked! This toothpaste works. Within a week, I could tell a major difference. I've been using Optic White for about a year now, I guess, and people are asking ME what I use to get my teeth so white. Oh, and it's only about $2.50 at the grocery store.

BATH AND BODY:

Body Wash
Bath and Body Works Be Enchanted
This came in the 2011 Black Friday bag, and I've been a fan ever since. It smells like sugared pomegranate, which makes me think of sparkles and glitter and girly-girl shinies. It's loverly.

*Bath and Body Works Cashmere Glow
If you want something a little more grown-up and sophisticated, this also smells divine and has the added bonus of shea. I don't even need lotion after using this, most of the time.

Shaving Cream
Gillette Satin Care with a Touch of Olay
I started using this over the Summer, and have repurchased several times since then. During the past few months, I did try a high-end and another drugstore brand of shave cream, and neither compared to this. I've gotten close, smooth shaves with very few nicks, and my legs feel silky smooth afterwards. It's a keeper.

Sunless Tanner
Victoria's Secret Beach Sexy Sunless Tanner
Would you look at that? I'm not orange! My clothes aren't orange, either? And you only cost $15? At a place that runs $10 off sales regularly? Wowzers! Now, will it make you look like a VS Angel? Um...no, but it will make you look less like Wednesday Adams.

Sunscreen (Face)
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock
This is non-greasy, sinks right in, and isn't a pain to apply makeup over. Basically, it's everything a facial sunblock should be.

Sunscreen (Body)
Hawaiian Tropic Dry Oil Clear Spray Sunscreen
I just like this sunscreen! It smells good, comes in a wide variety of SPF values, and gives you a little bit of a shiny glow without making you feel like you'll stick to everything you come in contact with.

HAIR:

Hair Treatment
It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product
It detangles. It conditions. It's a heat protectant. It adds shine. It slices. It dices...okay, maybe not those last two, but it, seriously, does repair and protect your hair. I've used this for a year, and even with all the heck I put my hair though, I've found little to compare it to.

Styling Product
Bumble & Bumble Prep
This stuff has saved my life on more than one occasion. Maybe that's a little overly-dramatic, but not by much. I use this on shoots when I have to touch up curls. Prep reactivates the products already in your hair, so a few spritzes of this and a few minutes in hot rollers and I'm back in action. I also love it for reactivating Surf Spray, to get some serious texture for messy buns on the second day. And yes, it works to add volume and sleekness to blow-outs, and can be used by itself with hot rollers to create soft waves. A travel size is about $6, and it's worth every penny.

Hairspray
Pantene Pro-V Classic Maximum Hold
It's an oldie but a goodie. Basic hairspray that does what it says. 'Nuff said.

*Aquage Freezing Spray
I used this on my most recent shoot, and was dumbstruck. My pin-up hair stayed picture perfect for several hours, even in humidity, and even when it began to wilt toward the end of the day, it wasn't enough to require a touch-up. It's pricey, but if you need liquid cement--that doesn't look crunchy or stiff!!!--this is a great product.

Dry Shampoo
Ion Daily Solutions Dry Shampoo
If you have time to wash your hair, then by all means, wash your hair. However, for those omigod-I-can't-believe-the-alarm-didn't-go-off mornings, this might be a lifesaver. I like to use it as a texturizer for braids and buns, even when my hair's clean.

Styling Tool
Remington Style Ceramic Compact Hot Rollers
This little wonder gives you five small rollers and five medium-large-ish rollers, as well as pins, and can still fit inside your purse. It's great for travel, small spaces, and--in my case--touch-ups on shoots. Even with really long, really thick hair, you'd be surprised how effective these are. I have several sets of rollers, and these are, by far, my favorites.

Hair Color
L'Oreal Root Rescue
It's a squeezy-tube of 10 minute color, and it really does match! My hair grows really fast, and I'm starting to get those pesky "sparkles" (I refuse to call them gray hairs!), so even with regular colorings, sometimes I need a pick-me-up. I love this, and recommend it highly. Trust me, you won't end up with polka-dotted hair.

MAKEUP:

Primer
Tarte Clean Slate
I've tried all sorts of other primers, and I just keep coming back to this. It feels silky and fills in pores beautifully. It's just a really darn good primer.

Tinted Moisturizer/BB Cream
Too Faced Beauty Balm
This is, I think, the only foundation I've ever repurchased. I know I bought a couple of CoverGirl NatureLuxes, but I'm not sure if any were flat-out repurchases. Yes, I realize this is pretty much a glorified tinted moisturizer, but it gives light-to-medium coverage (depending on how you build it up), feels light, and makes my skin look brighter and more even. The vitamins and skin benefits don't hurt, either.

Foundation
MAC Studio Sculpt
This gives medium-to-full coverage, and was recommended to me when I went to MAC looking for HD foundation. Even with that, it still feels light and leaves a slightly dewy finish. Lasts for hours and looks like skin. It's a winner.

Concealer
Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer
This is one of the best concealers I've ever dealt with. I kind of hate the packaging, but it's worth the hassle for the gold inside. This reduces puffiness, so I haven't had to use my undereye roller in months. It conceals so well and with such a lightweight feel, that I wish it was foundation. It's also a pretty great highlighter, if you get a lighter shade for under your eyes. There's not a great range of shades, but if you can find yours, definitely consider giving it shot.

Powder
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder
It's cheap, has decent coverage, works on a wide range of skin tones (especially the Transparent shade), doesn't clog pores, sets makeup beautifully, isn't cakey, lasts a good long while, and did I mention it's cheap?

Eye Primer
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
If you have any redness or discoloration on your lids, this will help counteract it. If you don't...it still gives you a great blank canvas to make shadow colors pop and keep them from creasing. I've tried other primers, and I just keep coming back to this one.

Cream Eyeshadow
Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Sippin 'n' Dippin
I'm afraid this one's been discontinued, but you can still get it from All Cosmetics Wholesale. It's a beautiful peachy gold that works beautifully as a base and by itself.

Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked 2
This gets a lot of flack for being fairly one-note, but I beg to differ. I've gotten dramatic smoky, daytime bronze, glamorous silver, and about a bajillion other looks out of this one palette, and still reach for it over my Naked 1 more often than not. Yeah, there's a lot of taupe, but it's a lot of different taupes, so it works.

Eyeshadow Single
Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Collie
This could have taken the Cream Eyeshadow spot, but it's really more of a mousse, and I've never even considered using it as a base. Plus, it seems to dry down to a powder. Anyway, this is a simply gorgeous champagne shadow with oodles of sparkle. If you want glitter without the fallout, here you go.

Eyeshadow Pencil
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadow Pencil in Rehab
Great as a liner, great as a quick lid color, doesn't budge, and the color is a pretty neutral medium brown. You can't go wrong.

Eye Liner
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero
Again, this doesn't budge. It's also very creamy, very black, and most likely included in whatever palette you just bought. Seriously, I have so many I've given some away and still may never have to buy one.

Mascara
Buxom Buxom Lash Waterproof
A makeup artist used the non-waterproof version of this on me years ago, and I've been in love ever since. The waterproof version came out a few months ago, and I've never looked back. It's everything you need for long, voluminous, black, pin-up-worthy lashes.

Eyebrow Enhancer
E.L.F. Eyebrow Kit
For three bucks you get a wax and a powder, and they're both good quality. What's not to love?
*Smashbox 10 Piece Eye Liner and Brow Tech Palette
I've been using this on my actors, since they're of varying brow color, and it's incredible. This is a very natural-looking set of powders, and perfect for anyone who needs options. It's also hard to get a hold of, but worth the effort.

Cream Blush
MAC Cream Color Base in Virgin Isle
This is the perfect pop of healthy color! Use your fingers or a small stipple brush, and use over cream foundation or even just moisturizer. Perfect for beachy looks.

Powder Blush
NYX Crimson Amulet Palette--large peachy-pink blush
If anyone knows if this shade comes in a single, please let me know!!! I'm going crazy trying to find this! I want to put it in my go-to palette, and can't find it! This is a stunning, sparkling, universally flattering, uber-pigmented color, and I love it so much.
**NARS Orgasm
If you can't find the NYX, and don't mind spending way too much on a blush, you can't go wrong with this one. I've had mine for, oh, three years now, and it's still going strong. I wear it a lot, too, so that's really saying something. It's a shimmering (read: not glittery, just a nice sheen) golden peachy-pink, and looks amazing on everyone. There's a reason it's a cult favorite.

Contour Bronzer
Benefit Hoola
It's a fantastic matte contour color/bronzer, and another cult fave. Keep your eyes out, because generous mini-versions of this can be found in sampler packs all the time. This is one I keep in my actor makeup kit, and it works great as a shadow, too.

"Bronzing" Bronzer
Too Faced Pink Leopard
This one seems to polarize folks. Either you love it or you hate it. Me? I love it. It's a light bronzer with a hint of pink and fair amount of shimmer. You can use it as a bronzer on the tops of cheeks, as a highlighter for more golden looks, or as a very subtle blush. For fair lasses, it's a multi-tasking dream. For darker tones, it's a lovely highlighter, but might not be worth your while.

Cream Highlight
Benefit Watt's Up
Whoa, Nellie! This leaves a gorgeous pale golden champagne glow on your skin, and the stick form makes it easy to apply to your cupid's bow, and allows you to travel with it easily. Again, keep your eyes open for mini-versions in sampler packs: they're even more travel-friendly, and will last for-freaking-ever.

Powder Highlight
MAC Mineralize Blush Duo in Moon River
I bought this before I got married five years ago, and it's still going strong. This is THE perfect pink powder highlighter, and I'm still on the hunt for a replacement dupe. Unfortunately, it's long been discontinued.
**Too Faced Snow Bunny
This is so shiny and beautiful, I can't even begin. The colored strips merge to give you a pinky-bronzy-champagney glow.
*Too Faced Glamour To Go Spun Sugar Highlighter
This is part of the G-T-G palette, and is by far the most used section of mine. It's glittery and gold, and not for the faint of heart. Loves it!

Lipstick
PINK: Victoria's Secret Enamored
Glossy, but easier to apply and far less sticky than regular gloss, in a perfect coral pink.
NUDE: MAC Shy Girl
Warm, slightly pumpkin-y nude with a glossy sheen.
MATTE: Buxom Big & Healthy Lipstick in Bombay
A true rose shade that can also be used as liner. Comes with built-in sharpener!
RED: MAC Russian Red
It's red. It's matte. It's long-wearing. It's fabulous.

Lip Gloss
NUDE: Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked
This is my Summertime nude gloss. It's a little pink, non-sticky, and lasts a good long while. Over time, it really did noticeably plump my lips. It's a little pricey, but the tubes are huge.
PINK: Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Trixie
This is another great Summer color. It's a Barbie pink that's just opaque enough to show up. Non-sticky, cool mint feel and taste.

Lip Balm
Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart
This is as low-maintenance a true red as you can get. It's also glossy and moisturizing. Amazeballs.

Balm Stain
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
This gives your lips just a hint of color, and you don't need to worry about reapplying...like, ever. You might want to keep some clear balm around for moisture touch-ups, though.

Lip Liner
Rimmel Lasting Kisses
This is the only lip liner I use these days. They're creamy, long-wearing, come in a ton of shades, look as good as MAC (in my opinion) and cost a few dollars at the drugstore. I can't argue with any of that.

Setting Spray
Urban Decay All-Nighter
How good is this? I shelled out the almost thirty bucks for a big size to keep in my actor kit, and a mini sits on my counter. Need makeup to last for hours? This'll do it. Need powder to look less cakey? It'll set you up. Anti-humidity protection? BAM! It's a must-have.

Limited Edition Palette
NYX Crimson Amulet Palette
I am so glad I picked this up. High-quality shadows in a variety of shades and finishes, some of the best blushes I've ever used, a really good highlighter, and so much more! If you can find one, grab it. You won't regret it.

Brushes
Real Techniques
These are my brushes of choice now. I've started buying a second set for shoots. I gave a set to my Mom. That's how good they are. Dense, soft, highly-effective, easy to work with brushes that are color-coded for function, flat on the bottom (to stand up), and come with their own display/brush rolls--and are not much more expensive than E.L.F.'s Studio Line. Answered prayers.

Nail Polish Brand
China Glaze
I've just really gotten into this brand this year! They're inexpensive, great quality, and the colors are unique and plentiful. The Hunger Games collection were some of my favorite polishes of 2012, hands down.

Nail Polish Remover
Sephora by O.P.I. Nail Color Remover
This works quickly, smells nice, and doesn't make my nails peel. It's also not terribly expensive.

*Loved more, but used less due to when it was discovered.
**Non-Limited Edition most used product.

While I Was Out: EMERGENCY!!!!

Hello, there. It's been awhile. How's tricks? Today, I thought I'd share with you a few things I've learned over the past week:

1. When Urban Decay says 24/7, they really mean 24/7. I wore the shadow pencil in Midnight Cowboy for at least 24 hours, and even cried and rubbed my eyes, and the darn thing didn't budge. Sure, I got glitter all over my face, but the color didn't budge. Sold.
2. Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturizer will clear up and moisturize skin super clogged, dehydrated, nasty skin. For real. I knew I liked that stuff.
3. Gerber Sweet Potato baby food is actually not bad. I'm not saying I want it all the time, but it's not bad.
4. Emergency room nurses are underpaid. Whatever they make, double it.
5. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing worth watching between 11am and 6pm. Thank God for youtube and OnDemand (I haven't figured out how to work the sixty billion remotes we have to get Netflix or DVDs without prompting from Thomas. I know, I know, I'm an insult to feminism. I confuse easily.)
6. My husband, friends, family, and coworkers are awesome.
7. My Mom is a freaking saint.
8. Caffeine is my friend, and I miss it terribly.
9. Starvation is not the key to weight loss. I haven't been allowed to eat for, oh, let's call it a good, solid month (more like two, but with decent days here and there), and it sucks. Right now, all I want is a cupcake and a big ol' plate of fettuccine alfredo. Oooh! Or maybe that crabmeat and brie grilled cheese I saw on the Cooking Channel! Yeah, I need food. Ladies, if you're considering doing something drastic to fit into your Mardi Gras/Prom gowns, I highly advise against it.
10. Things could always be worse.

Just so you know, I'm okay. I'm not going to go into too many details here, but I've been battling some downright annoying heath issues for a little while now. Nothing pre-existing, Mr. Insurance Man, and hopefully nothing major. I just wanted to let you guys know why I've been MIA for a bit. Some days, I just didn't have it in me, and I'm really sorry. We're still trying to suss out the source of my problems, but I've got great people working on that. Thanks for putting up with the off-and-on, and look for fun stuff coming up very shortly.

Much Love,
Erin

Krampus Stole My Post

I can't upload pictures today, for some unknown reason. This is a particularly bad problem because I had a review of Wet 'n' Wild's new Fergie eyeshadow palette scheduled, and it's kind of hard to discuss colors and swatches without, you know, colors and swatches...yeah...

This is probably for the best, though. I should really be working on lines and not playing with makeup, so I'll leave you with my love and a look at the trailer for the film I'm working on. It's fun, and has cute children. Who doesn't like cute children? Anyhoo, have a wonderful Thursday, and I'll (hopefully) see you tomorrow.


Fighting Owl Films

Have We Met Before?: Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Review and Comparison

Today's post is courtesy of morbid curiosity and a sale at Walgreen's. For some time now, I've been intrigued by Maybelline's Color Tattoo series; not so much because I thought they were new and exciting, but more for the sheer fact that they weren't. I already own the Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow that's almost exactly like it, and both of those products seem ridiculously similar to MAC's Paint Pots. The curiosity stems from the fact that I paid a heck of a lot more for my Benefit. Well, actually, no I didn't, come to think about it. I have three colors, and one was free, one was bought cheap from a third party, and the other...oh, yeah, I did pay full price for that one! Well, there you go.

Anyway, I have been really hesitant to buy any of the Color Tattoos because the only shades that really interested me were shades I already owned. I mean, I have silver, gold, and pewter bases from Benefit. Urban Decay also has a gold, along with Eden's yellow-y flesh-tone and Sin's champagne pink. Plus, I've got shadow pencils from UD and NYX, so, really, I'm good. This is not said to brag about my extensive collection (ha! It fits in a drawer with a few extra things in a case. It's not anything to brag about. I don't "collect". I buy stuff that I'm actually going to use on a day to day basis), but to show you that this is not a new thing. It's just new to the drugstore. I'd have tried them out a long time ago if I'd been able to justify the purchase, but I couldn't. Honestly, I still can't, but my curiosity got the better of me; I had to know if this was the same thing. If so, I could let you guys know, and also save myself a few bucks when my higher-end bases run out. The "Inked in Pink" shade from the new Metal line looked incredibly pretty, so I snapped up one and took it home to try out.

Dear God, my countertops don't look anywhere near that filthy in person! I just cleaned that bathroom Monday!

The color is a beautiful, shimmering rose. I can say from experience, now, that it looks stunning with gold, but I think it would be equally pretty with cooler tones, as well. It's just a good, neutral shade. The packaging is also gorgeous. The product comes packed in a heavy glass jar, with a black plastic lid. It looks very sleek, and very high-end. In fact...



...they're twins!! Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow comes in the exact same packaging. The only differences between the two are the design of sticker on the lid, and the Benefit holds half a gram more product. That's it.

Here are the Maybelline and Benefit swatched together. Obviously, the colors are not the same, but the consistency and pigmentation are on par with one another.

While I was at it, I thought I'd check out how the Maybelline compared to UD Sin Primer Potion. There's really no comparison. The UD is a very pale champagne color, where the Maybelline is a truer pink. The UD is also very dry, while the Maybelline has a wetter formula. As a final test of all three products, I washed my hands. See, when I first opened up the Maybelline, I swatched the color on the back of my hand, just to see what it looked like, then washed my hands with soap to clean it off. It didn't budge. Period. I eventually had to use makeup remover. This time, I used a lot more soap, water as hot as I could stand it, and scrubbed. The first to go was the Benefit, in a laughably short amount of time. The Maybelline did come off, but it took some work. The winner was actually the Primer Potion, with a little left on my hand even after I gave up and dried off.

This is a shot of the Color Tattoo alone on my eye. The shade is very pale, so it blends into my NW15 skin, but you can definitely see the shine. My lids look wet! This does dry quickly, so if you want to blend it into another product, you have to work pretty fast. Just FYI, I tried it with Benefit Sippin' and Dippin' (that's the product I've compared it with in this post), and the effect was just beautiful. Plus, they blended together very easily, so if you own some cream products and just want to add to your stash, these should work well with the stuff you already have.

Here, you can see the finished eye look, with the Color Tattoo used as a base for powder shadows. I used Sin all over the lid, Virgin on the inner corner, Naked in the crease (all from the Urban Decay Naked palette), Faint on the outer corner and W.O.S. as brow highlight (both from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette). UD 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Rehab works as lower lash liner, and UD 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero lines the upper lashes. Mascara is Buxom Lash. After almost four hours, there's absolutely no creasing or fading.

Bottom line, this is a fantastic product. It looks beautiful both on your eyes and on your counter, and is every bit as good (if not better) than its higher-end counterpart. And it's a third of the price. Did I mention that? A Color Tattoo will run around $6.99, and that's without a coupon or sale. Benefit runs $19. I didn't have a MAC Paint Pot to compare in this post, but I've used them, and they're the same thing. One of them will set you back $18.50. If you're looking for a good shadow base, and like the colors that Maybelline offers (and there are fourteen to choose from), you can't beat this.

Final Verdict: 10 out of 10. This is an absolute gem.