Evening Essentials

Packing a clutch for nighttime excursions is quite the task; what I bring with me depends on where I'm going. Weddings, for example, require less baggage than a night on the town (can't remember the last time I did THAT!). Recently, I attended a friend's wedding and made sure to bring these essentials with me. Yes, my lip look requires four products, but more is always more! I don't like to bring too much with me, and honestly, with a clutch this size, it's hard to fit more than a few items inside. I brought a few bobby pins in case my hair didn't feel like holding up, a pick (old habits die hard), license and debit card, cell phone, and an extra pair of earrings (in case I have an accessory change of heart). More than that and I'd be lugging my whole tote with me.

Yves Saint Laurent 'Rouge Volupte' Lipstick in 002 Sensual Silk

NARS Blush in Luster

MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture 
MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass in Patience Please

MAC Prep + Prime Lip

What are some of your evening essentials? Is your clutch bare-bones, or do you haul it all with you? Leave comments below! Xx

This Week's Beauty Purchases!

It's been quite a productive week in beauty buys for me. I haven't had a chance to try everything out yet, but I figured I'd introduce all of the products and we can go into them a little further later on. Let's get started!

NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna: After a less-than-stellar experience with Too Faced Peach Leopard Bronzer, I thought I'd try this cult classic. I detest super-shimmery bronzers, but the shimmer in this bronzer is almost undetectable; it just imparts a radiant glow. The shade "Laguna" is good for my pale winter skin. Maybe I'll try "Casino" in the summer time.

Maybelline Volum' Express the Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara: Is it just me, or are long product names super annoying? Regardless, I have mixed feelings about this mascara. The curved brush doesn't really do much for me as far as volume, but it helps with curl. I think layering this with another mascara (probably my favorite L'Oréal Voluminous Carbon Black) would look nice. My only issue is that Maybelline mascaras are a real pain to take off.

Essie Nail Polish in Bahama Mama: If you're trying to get in on autumn's oxblood trend but don't want to take the full dive, this is a great way to start. I thought this color would just be a deep fuchsia, but the deep burgundy/maroon color is much more than that. Pretty and rich, perfect for fall and winter. 

Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Café Au Lait: I got this lip gloss for free with a top I purchased from Lulu's. Honestly, I thought the gloss I received was a sample size, so I reordered it thinking the retail size would be bigger. I was a little disappointed to find out the petite container is what you get. This gloss is nice and moisturizing, and the color is a great neutral for every day. Would I pay $14 for it again? Probably not. 

Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray: I am so excited for this product, and I haven't even tried it yet. I absolutely loooved Oribe Dry Texturing Spray. Maximista is a "thermal-protective body-builder," and I think using it in conjunction with Oribe Crème for Style will give fantastic results. Did I mention how amazing Oribe products smell? Mmm!

Real Techniques Powder Brush: This is my first Real Techniques brush, and I think it's great. Right now I use an Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush to apply bronzer, and I think it's a little too heavy-handed. For a lighter bronzer application, especially on my pale autumn/winter skin, I think this fluffy brush will do the trick. I had a coupon at Ulta (yay!) and was able to get this brush for around $7 USD. Quite a deal for such a fabulous brush. Now I really want to try the Expert Face Brush. It's supposed to be great for foundation.

YSL Rouge Volupté Lipstick in #001 Nude Beige: This lipstick is creamy. Too creamy? It's too early to pass judgement. The color is a beautiful pinkish-nude, and the packaging is luxe, to say the least. It's a great match for my NARS Fantasia Lipliner Pencil.

Phew! That was a lot. I'm very excited to get better acquainted will all of these products, and I'll definitely keep you posted on what I'm crazy about and what is underwhelming. Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments. Until next time! Xx

TIGI Cosmetics, Part 3 - Lip Color

On to the third installation of swatching all of the TIGI Cosmetics I can get my hands on. Today, I present lip colors. First, let's take a looksie at some Decadent Lipsticks! These lipsticks are described as having a "long lasting formula" with "no shine." TIGI also recommends using this color as a "lip stain, blusher, or even eyeshadow base" which kind of skeeves me out. I don't think I'd ever use a lipstick as an eyeshadow base. These lipsticks are super creamy and pigmented, and don't seem to rub off. Bliss, Faith, and Finesse are all amazing. Beauty is the strangest shade; it reminds me of a sheer version of Chanel's Paradoxal nail polish, if that makes sense. The only issue with the lipsticks, and one that might bother you if you're sensitive to this sort of thing, is the smell. They have a very strong lipsticky/waxy smell that you'd probably relate to kids' play makeup. The top photo is kind of horrible, as it doesn't show the iridescent shimmer in some of the shades. Click here to see an alternate photo which showcases this a bit more.

Top photo, from left to right: Decadent Lipstick in Gossip, Splendor, Bliss, Fierce, Honesty, Peace, and Happiness. Bottom photo, from left to right: Beauty, Faith, Loyalty, Power, Passion, Finesse, and Luxury.

Below, Lip Cremes, which contain antioxidants and emollients to keep lips moisturized. These come with a felt tip, twist-up applicator. These lip colors are very creamy, and most shades have some type of shimmer, with the exception of Miami and Manhattan. The formula is sticky and thick, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable. I think these are very pretty.

From left to right: Lip Creme in Maui, Monaco, Malibu, Madrid, Miami, and Manhattan.

And last but not least, Luxe Lipgloss. These glosses are super shiny and moisturizing. The glosses either have a peppermint or vanilla (smells more like chocolate, though) fragrance. Dumb Blonde is a clear gloss, and Superficial and Diamonds & Pearls both apply clear with gold and silver glitter, respectively. Goddess is the only shade that contains no frost or shimmer.

From left to right: Luxe Lipgloss in Superstar, Superficial, Your Highness, Goddess, Foxy, Dumb Blonde, and Diamonds & Pearls.

All of the TIGI lip products are impressive. They pack a lot of color and shine, and they all stay on well. As I said before, the only problem is the smell of the lipsticks, but if that is something you can ignore, go for it! If you've previously tried any of these products, leave comments below and let me know what you think! Phew, I just realized this was a wordy post. 

Oh, and happy Monday everyone! I hope this week goes by fast so we can get to all of the Thanksgiving festivities, hehe! Remember to vote in my poll below, please and thank you! Look for more posts this week on my latest beauty purchases, including foundations, lipstick and more. Talk to you soon! Xx

Vampy lipglosses

I went to Sephora yesterday looking at different lipsticks, and I decided to pick this gloss up by NARS.  The gloss is called Bougainville, and the Sephora website describes it as "pomegranate".  I think this (and another similar gloss that had a bit of shimmer in it) is part of NARS' holiday collection.  It's a dark berry color that's dramatic without being overpowering, and there is no shimmer in it at all.  I really like NARS lipglosses, they feel great on and the colors are all so pretty.  I also think this gloss would look great with a deep lipstick underneath if you're looking for something more powerful.

Yesterday, my best friend Tori and I exchanged Christmas gifts (a little late, I know).  She got me this fabulous gloss by Kat Von D.  I really love Kat Von D's line of cosmetics; everything is super-pigmented and lasts forever.  This particular gloss is Hellbent, and to me, it's a perfect blood red.  It's one of the Painted Love glosses, meaning that it's more opaque and pigmented than her other glosses.  I love to wear a red lip, and usually I wear MAC lipstick in Brave Red with Lancome Juicy Tubes in Berry Bold over it.  This is a nice one-step product that gives a high-impact red lip.  My only problem with this particular product is the smell, which is kind of weird and fruity.  Not too strong to deter me, though!

I really love to do a dark, dramatic lip, especially in the winter.  I know the general rule is to wear neutral eye makeup if you're going to wear a dramatic lip, but I still wear tons of liner and mascara.  Below are some pictures of me wearing each color.  Pardon the messy application, haha.  Try one (or both) out, I think you'll enjoy them!

NARS Lipgloss in Bougainville

Kat Von D Painted Love Lipgloss in Hellbent