Valentine's FOTN

Valentine's makeup tutorials have been abundant on Youtube, and Rachel's (spoof) is my favourite hahaha.

This will be on my FOTN:

Carried Away with Tarte (Holiday 2012)

I've been eyeing this kit for a while since it's appeared on the big-name beauty blogs in late September, but just couldn't justify sounding the mallet and parting with my cash.

And then, Sephora sent me a 10% VIB email...

The Carried Away with Tarte is exclusive to Sephora and comes with:

• 1 adventurer's bag (the carrying wrap bag with snap button closure)
• 24 full size amazonian clay eyeshadows
• 8 maracuja lip glosses
• 1 amazonian clay 12-hour blush in adventurous (shimmering rose)
• 1 blushing beauty domed blush brush
• 1 lights, camera, lashes! 4-in-1 mascara
• 1 amazonian clay finishing powder

Everything comes in this gold, fuchsia, and purple box:

I'm impressed by the quality of this "adventurer bag" -- It doesn't feel cheap and is very comparable to any travelling toiletry bag individually sold in stores.  I will be using this a lot.
In particular, I like that it fastens with a snap button and not velcro or ties.

This is what it looks like opened up:

And the eye shadow palette slides out of the pocket behind the mirror.  How smart is that?
I've already checked, and I can put the UD Naked palette in there with lots of room.

Here are the lip glosses:

Here are the eye shadows.  Just this alone already gets you full bang for your buck!
For full swatches, see Musings of a Muse.

The blush.  A full size is 0.2 oz, so you get a quarter of a full size.  This mini blush doesn't come with a mirror inside.
Again, for full swatches, see Musings of a Muse.

The brush is really soft!  It reminds me of a much smaller version of my EcoTools blush brush.

The finishing powder, of which I already have the full size version!

And finally, the mascara.  I wore it all day yesterday and enjoyed it.  It doesn't harden my lashes and is able to give me very good volume and some length.  The separation isn't too bad either.  The only thing is that it doesn't hold any curl.  Overall, I was still very impressed with this mascara as this is the first non water resistant mascara that has not given me panda eyes or smudging on my eye lids.  I like it, but will be staying with my Covergirl Water Resistant Lash Blast Fusion (the purple one).  The CG one gives me a bit of curl in addition to everything this Tarte one does -- plus, the CG is only $8 CAD, whereas this Tarte one is $25 CAD!

This set costs $70 CAD ($54 USD -- wtf with the difference), but I do not have any buyer's remorse.  This set is valued at $665 CAD -- that's incredible value!  Tarte has never disappointed me in their quality, so I'm very happy to own this set and truly believe they could've priced it much higher.

Another reason why I love this set is because I would use every single item in it.  Almost all sets tend to have something that is meh and makes you snub it, but I didn't get this feeling with this one.

What holiday collections or sets are you lusting after?

- M

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

After much pestering from R and 1.5 weeks of randomly appeared blotchy redness on my face, I finally caved.  This is my third ever MAC product and first ever MAC face product.

I didn't get matched at the MAC counter or anything... I figured that my skin tone was pretty much identical to R's, so I just grabbed the Medium - Turned out to be a perfect match; I can't tell it apart from my skin.

I wore it for a full 10 hour day today, and I'm quite pleased.

Before I begin, I want to inform that I've never worn foundation in any form; at least, not for the function of foundation.  When I use foundation (in liquid form only), it serves as a spot concealer.

After washing my face, I applied my usual Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner (my post on it here) to my T-zone.  Then, starting from my T-zone, I buffed the MSF all over my face with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush (my post on it here).  I found that it was a light coverage that was build-able to reduce redness and even out my skin.  The MSF isn't enough coverage for my under-eye darkness and dark pigmentation spots, so I used my Chanel Perfection Correcteur Concealer; however, I found that I didn't need as much of my concealer as usual.  After I applied my concealer, I went over my face with the MSF once more, really lightly, to just set everything.

Normally, I would apply my pore refiner to my T-zone, conceal, and apply my Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Translucent Finishing Powder all over.

Even though I didn't apply any moisturizer today, the MSF didn't enhance any dry patches (I have combination skin, but within the last couple of weeks, I've been having more dry-normal skin).  Sometimes, if I haven't moisturized, I've found that my Tarte finishing powder will slop up the little oil on my skin and make my top of nose and chin look like a flaky mess.

Also, the MSF was able to even out my complexion and keep it matte without making me look like a powderpuff.  Even after a full day out, I felt like it handled the accumulation of oil pretty well.  The MSF seemed to just slightly soak up the excess oil, leaving my face looking semi-dewy matte.  My complexion actually looked better as the MSF blended with my natural oil (as gross as it sounds haha).

Overall, I'm quite impressed and am pleased to have purchased it.  It functions like my Tarte powder, but seems to be better at handling my combination skin's oil and dry patches.  Considering I paid $36 CAD for my Tarte powder, $34 CAD for this MSF isn't bad.  My Tarte powder still looks full and brand new, so I'm sure the MSF will last forever too.  I will be travelling quite a bit for vacation this Autumn, and starting in January, I will be travelling twice a week for work, so the MSF is perfect - It will be a more travel-friendly option.

- M

M loves her Tarte Amazonian Clay matte blushes (Blissful, Dollface, Exposed)

For someone who only has two cheeks, I have plenty of blushes (three).  Obviously, I'm not Sabrina from The Beauty Look Book, who is the queen of blushes.

Before we begin, I would like to note that I only use matte blushes.  I loathe cream blushes, because I like my face to be absolutely matte (not powdery, just matte) and I think cream blushes are unsanitary.  Also, I do not like shimmer in my blushes, so I do not like Tarte's Amazonian Clay shimmer blushes.

There's always something I don't like about a certain blush, except Tarte's Amazonian Clay matte blushes.  They are just perfect for me.

My biggest problem with blushes (especially those from MAC), is that they oxidize super quickly on my skin.  If I were to swatch a MAC powder blush on the back of my hand, it would oxidize within 10 minutes - A peachy blush would become brown.  Tarte's Amazonian Clay matte blushes do not oxidize on my cheeks - the colours are always flattering and true to the pan throughout wear.  Tarte claims to have 12-hour wear, but I would say it's more like 5-6 hours during the Summer when my skin is combination/oily, and 7-8 hours during the Winter when my skin is combination.

If you have a particular preference to the ingredients within a blush, Tarte claims that their Amazonian Clay matte blushes are formulated without mineral oil, parabens, petrolatum, phthalates, sodium lauryl suflate, and synthetic fragrance; instead, they contain beeswax, vitamin E, vitamin C, mineral pigments, and of course, amazonian clay.

Personally, I think these three blushes are the most flattering out of their entire matte line:  Blissful, Dollface, and Exposed.  They provide a good range that would work with any look or skin tone.

Their packaging allows easy identification.
L-R:  Blissful, Dollface, Exposed

L-R:  Blissful, Dollface, Exposed

Blissful is a beautiful warm coral.  I've been using it like crazy this Summer.  I know a lot of people (including my girl-crush, Vivianna Does Makeup) have been raving about Tarte's Tipsy, but I prefer Blissful because it is a bit warmer and less bright.  Blissful is good for anyone who wants to have a brighter blush that is still conservative enough for the office.  Most people who rave and use Tipsy only lightly dab on it anyway, which actually gives a very similar, but slightly more orange, colour payoff as Blissful.  Please click here for more swatches of Blissful.

Dollface is a natural light pink.  It is my first Tarte blush.  This is a great blush for a natural look, because it's a little bit neutral and a little cool-toned with a slight blue tint.  I love wearing this during the Winter when I'm super pale and my hair colour becomes a little more ashy and cool.

Exposed is a nude pink.  I'm sure this one doesn't need any sort of introduction because pretty much everyone already has this one.  It is super flattering on all skin tones and puts the perfect amount of natural cheek colour.  I like wearing this on days when I only want the slight amount of colour on my cheeks.  Sometimes, when I'm feeling adventurous, I use this blush for contouring.  It's perfect for light contouring on lighter skin tones because it's more pink and less harsh looking.

If you've tried Tarte's blushes, which are your favourites?

I've become a bit obsessed over blushes lately.  I would really appreciate it if you could recommend any blushes that tend to oxidize less.

Blushing,

M

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush - Blissful

I've been pacing around Blissful at all of my local Sephora shops for quite a while, but just kept holding myself back so I could get it whenever I went over to the states next - It's $33 CAD in Canada and $25 USD in the states.

Evidently, I stopped by a Sephora when I was in the states over the Canada Day/Independence Day long weekend.

Tarte claims that it has 12-hour wear without oxidization.  I think it gives about 5-6 hours on my combination/oily skin during the Summer, and about 7-8 hours on my combination skin during the Winter.
The colour does not oxidize on the cheeks and it is true to the colour you see in the pan.

I absolutely live by Tarte blushes because they are long-wearing, do not oxidize, and are cruelty-free.
In addition, they are formulated without mineral oil, parabens, petrolatum, phthalates, sodium lauryl suflate, and synthetic fragrance.  Instead, they contain beeswax, vitamin E, vitamin C, mineral pigments, and of course, amazonian clay.

Heavy and Light swatch (in direct natural light)

Heavy and Light swatch (in indirect natural light)

Blissful is a beautiful warm coral that would be flattering on any skin tone, and has been my ultimate go-to blush for this Summer.
I know a lot of people (including my girl-crush, Vivianna Does Makeup) have been raving about Tarte's Tipsy, but I prefer Blissful because it is a bit warmer and less bright.  Blissful is good for anyone who wants to have a brighter blush that is still conservative enough for the office.  Most people who rave and use Tipsy only lightly dab on it anyway, which actually gives a very similar, but slightly more orange, colour payoff as Blissful.

What are your favourite coral blushes?

- M

*Cue Britney* I'm a slaaaaaaaaaaaaave for you

Sephora rang the bell and I came crawling... R, too.  She went to one of our local stores even earlier than I.
Not that, that, makes me any better...

Anyway, I had to get my hands on that sample package and umbrella, especially if it was during VIB 15%!

(The umbrella has officially become my car umbrella, so it's already taken its righteous place - Sorry, forgot to take a photo first).

Here's my shiz!

The sample package included:

• MUFE smoky lash extra black mascara
• SEPHORA full action extreme effect mascara
• GIVENCHY mister light
• BUMBLE AND BUMBLE thickening shampoo
• BUMBLE AND BUMBLE thickening conditioner
• JUICY COUTURE viva la juicy spray

Cashier gave me another sample:

• OLEHENRIKSEN truth is in the eyes

There's stuff I actually paid for:

TARTE amazonian clay 12-hour blush (Exposed)

Ohhhhh yeaaaaa I did... I can't wait to use it tomorrow...

I plan to do some mixing with my Dollface one. It'll be gorgeous.

TARTE emphaseyes brightener

For days when I want something less stark than UD yeyo

BEAUTYBLENDER

I wanna see what's with the hype.  For the price, it better shit on my QUO sponges.

SEPHORA precision pore cleansing pad

This shit is bananas.

It's sooo gentle.

I like to put my Purity on it and use it to massage my face in the shower.

Lately, I've been using the La Roche-Posay purifying gel with it.

It has a suction on the back so I stick it next to my shaver. 

What did you buy?

- M

Vegas Haul

I think R did a swell job of popping my cherry on my behalf down below, haha.

Alike R, I love my commas.  Also, I have a tendency to make up my own words... it's pretty bad awesome.  It's to a point where I have to use spellcheck to be certain whether the word in question actually exists.  Something else is I tend to ramble and get distracted very easily.  This is a fair warning.

Recently, I was spending Christmas in Vegas, and obviously, shopped my face off.  I want to share my haul of beauty products with you.

L'OCCITANE apres-shampooing hair conditioner

I'm used to mountain wind chills, not desert crosswinds, so I was so dry the whole time.  I don't think I've ever used so much lotion and lip balm in my life!  This product was my saving grace for my super static-y hair.  I bought it at the North Outlets in a desperate attempt to help my tortured hair, and it ended up being a definite repurchase (hopefully, I can find it again. I can't seem to find it online).  It has a very light scent that reminds me of Dove shampoo, but lighter.  I've tried other leave-in conditioners in the past, but I've always found them to be too thick, so my hair ends up feeling really heavy.  This one's a bit like a light lotion for the hair.

DUO eyelash adhesive glue (Dark Tone)
ARDELL fashion lashes (124 Black)
THIS IS BIG.  I popped my false eyelash cherry in Vegas (ya, it ain't staying there)!

I found both at CVS.  My friends' girlfriends were saying how cheap was the selling price (I didn't think they were, but then I found out they're reusable).  I commented on how I've never used them before, and they insisted that I glammed it up for our Christmas dinner.  I chose the most natural (read:  non-spider) looking ones.  The instructions on both products were super easy to follow, but I took a ridiculous amount of time getting them on.  They ended up looking SUPER GORG.  I'll slave for them again when a special occasion comes up, but definitely won't be a regular thing.

NARS smudge proof eyeshadow base
This was a repurchase.  This primer works to make my eye makeup pop and last forever.  I've tried the Urban Decay ones, but have gone time to time back to this one.

SMASHBOX limitless liquid liner pen (Jet Black)
R knows this.  I have issues with eye liner.  I have an insane variety of liners, and need more eyes to wear them all.  When I don't have time to meticulously line my eyes, this is my go-to.  It's basically a thin felt tip pen with an insane point for precision.  And, when it says that it's waterproof, it actually is.  This is my third re-purchase and will continue to do so.

YSL volupte sheer candy (4 Succulent Pomegranate)
This is a dupe purchase of my (discontinued?) YSL Gloss Volupte.  Sorry, I don't remember the colour name, but it says 6 on the bottom.  It is definitely a dupe, but with more pigmentation and way bigger packaging.

It's not as moisturizing or long-lasting as the Chanel Coco Shines, but it's a super pretty glosser, and I luuuuurve reapplying it.

Hmm, It photographed more coral red.  The bullet's actually more light cherry red in real life.

TARTE amazonian clay 12-hour blush (Dollface)

Ok, so I didn't know this was the blush when I bought it... until R told me.  I think this allowed me to give a really good honest opinion about it before drinking any koolaids.

I've been meaning to replace the beloved blush (Tender Blush in 102 Pink Kiss) that's in my ancient Estee Lauder travel palette that was a part of a bonus gift years ago.  I can't seem to find the EL blush anywhere, so, pretty sure it has discontinued :(

Since then, I've been on a hunt for a perfect dupe blush.  At the Forum Shoppes' Sephora, I swatched the entire collection of amazonian clay blushes, and thought Dollface matched my skin tone best.  (I don't remember my reaction to the super-hyped Exposed, but I doubt it impressed me much since I ended up with Dollface.)

 Without Flash

With Flash

Dollface is a gorgeous neutral, nude light pink that is so flattering and natural.  I am very happy with this purchase!

MARC JACOBS Daisy rollerball

This is a repurchase.  I have ALL of the Daisys.  Yea, yea, issues, I know.  I think I'll do a post in the future with pictures of my entire collection of Daisy products...

I'm a musk base with slight fresh floral top tones type of girl.  This will always be my favourite perfume, and a rollerball just makes it easier for me to wear it on the go!

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Ok, so, since I've poured so much money in Sephora over this past year (and last year, sigh), I had a VIB 10% off your entire purchase to use for this entire purchase.  I was able to keep $9 out of the red (wooo).

I had been saving a whole lot of my points for this Vegas trip, because the rewards in Canadian Sephora stores are absolute shit.  Thanks for making us millions!  Here's some vaseline in a condom-wrapper-like package for spending hundreds!

(Yea, I've exposed myself as a Canadian.  You should've caught on to all of the additional O's in my -OURs.)

Anyway, this is my 500-point reward, a Laura Mercier package:

• Tinted Moisturizer SPF20
• Foundation Primer
• Flawless Face Polish
• Eye Basics Concealer
• Long Lash Mascara

L-R:  Eye Basics Concealer, Tinted Moisturizer, Foundation Primer

I've only tried the eye concealer so far, and it's seriously a dupe of my Chanel Correcteur Perfection (shocker!).

I think it matches me better than the Chanel one too.  I'm kind of in between the 10 and 20, and it's more yellow toned than my actual skin colour.

Only thing with this Laura Mercier one is that it dries a lot faster, so I have to sponge it quickly.  I've been dap-sponge-ing instead of my usual dap-dap-dap-sponge-all-ing.

It's half the price of Chanel, so I think I'll be repurchasing it as a dupe of Chanel!

I chose the CLEAN Cotton T-Shirt perfume as my 100-point reward:

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I went to Nordstrom at Fashion Show Mall the afternoon before my flight to look for some Deborah Lippmann boat coat, as per Princess R's request.
There, I found something for myself (of course).  I snagged their last Philosophy 'Purity Made Simple' value set.  The set was such a steal at $39!
I love love love love love the Purity facial cleanser.  I initially tried it when a huge (16 oz, maybe?) bottle was gifted to me by Sephora, during their old face products superheroes marketing promo (?) -- Anyone remember that?  A few months ago, I just purchased a 24 oz bottle.  This will be a backup weee!
I think I'm going to do an in-depth review of it when I do a facial routine post in the future.  Look out for it!

After my flight, I stopped by a Walmart, where I grabbed a pack of the Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes.  In Vegas, one of my friends gave me some to remove my Christmas makeup and DUO glue residue, and I loved it!  It was super gentle on my ultra sensitive skin, and worked great to remove all of my makeup!

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Wow, that's it!  I hope you enjoyed reading my post, as I had so much fun writing it.
If possible, please say hi and let me know what you think in the comments box - I would really appreciate it :)

Practically yours,
M.