Tag Archives: MAC

Empties – August through October

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Time to rifle through my garbage! Makeup items first, all the boring stuff after that.

Julep – Paris
Julep – Paris

I loved this polish like nobody’s business. Kalyn had sent me a package of Julep polishes after I had won them on her blog and I dove nose-deep into this disco glitter one. Julep‘sParis is a 3D glitter polish that seems to hint gold more than silver. I wore this sucker out on my toes for several months and eventually finished up the entire bottle.

Repurchase? Unlikely only because it’s a mail order thing and I prefer to pick up my stuff in stores.

MAC Kohl Power pencil in Feline
MAC Kohl Power pencil in Feline

I bought MAC‘s Feline eye pencil because it was hyped up several years back on YouTube. It was supposed to be the blackest pencil available and would stay on my waterline. Well… it’s black. But it’s also incredibly smudgy and would never really stay put if I used it as a solid line. This was great for smudging out and creating smokey looks, but it usually had to be set with a powder to keep it from transferring. Wouldn’t stick on my waterline either. And unfortunately, the closer I got to the bottom of the pencil, the more it just kept breaking off. :/

Repurchase? Nah.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight

I love the Revlon lipstains + balms something fierce. They may be drying, but they feel “normal” on the lips. I don’t have to be worried about my lip product transferring to clothing, food, glasses, etc., and that’s a huge relief to me. This product was in myProducts to Use Up in 2014 post and I’ve only just now reached the point where it’s dry enough that it’s not worth wearing anymore.

Repurchase: Yes, but a different colour.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara
CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara

CoverGirl‘s Clump Crusher mascara is a long standing favourite of mine: It separates my lashes well, the brush is fun and easy to use and the product doesn’t clump up. So with that being said, I don’t know what the hell was wrong with this tube but it sucked. It was too dry and didn’t work as well as the previous tubse I had purchase. This may have something to do with the fact that I picked it up at a discounted price at Winners one day, so it’s possible I just got a really old tube. (Ew)

Repurchase: Yes, definitely, but I’ll be picking it up at a drugstore next time!

Sephora – Tempting eyelashes
Sephora – Tempting eyelashes

I was gifted this pair of Tempting lashes from Sephora‘s collection by a friend who didn’t think she’d wear them. I didn’t get as much use out of these as I expected given the price tag associated with these suckers. I think maybe 3-4 uses? The band tended to straighten out more than I would like, which gave me a lot of grief when I would apply them. The effect was pretty, but not quite as voluminous as I tend to like my false lashes.

Purchase? Nope.

Tweezerman eyelash curlers
Tweezerman eyelash curlers

Soooo I didn’t realize that eyelash curlers aren’t supposed to hurt. I just assumed that since they look like torture devices, they’re actually supposed to feel like them too. Since this was my first ever pair of eyelash curlers, I really didn’t know any better. I left them at home by accident when I went on vacation and “had to” buy a new pair from a different brand at Sephora. The difference was unbelievable and I’ve since learned that theTweezerman eye lash curlers SUCK for my eye shape! I am so happy to discover that something can fit my eyeball shape better!

Repurchase? A world of no.

Benefit sample size of Big Easy
Benefit sample size of Big Easy

Benefit‘s Big Easy foundation (BB cream?) has certainly seen some hype, so I was interested in trying the sample packet I got from Sephora. However… First of all, there isn’t enough in one of those little swatchy things to actually do your whole face. Secondly, my skin was too dark for their third and fourth darkest shades and yet the 5th darkest said was way too dark. I mixed all three together and even then had barely enough to cover my face. The colour was still off. I’m kind of meh on the skin colours and the product didn’t wow me either.

Purchase? Not worth it in my book.

Pixi Flawless & Poreless primer
Pixi Flawless & Poreless primer

Another freebie from a friend! Pixi‘s Flawless and Poreless primer was… okay? I guess? I didn’t notice it actually doing anything under my foundation, but I felt compelled to use it anyway.

Purchase? No, I don’t see the point in it really.

Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes
Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes

You’ve seen these before, so I’ll be brief. Neutrogena Makeup Removing wipes are god-like. The Hydrating ones are better.

Repurchase? Yep!

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer

Aveeno‘s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer is a staple in my skin care routine. Love this.

Repurchase? Forever and a day.

derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub and Fortune Cookie Soap Walnut Facial Scrub in Swankified
derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub and Fortune Cookie Soap Walnut Facial Scrub in Swankified

derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub: Small sample from my Ipsy bag. It was fine. Smelled a little too much of fake lemon.

Purchase? Unlikely.

Fortune Cookie Soap Walnut Facial Scrub in Swankified: I hated this by the end of the bottle. It worked fine on my face, but the scent was gag-inducing to me.

Purchase? NO!

The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter
The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter

I don’t know if this actually smells like what Shea Butter smells like, but I couldn’t care less, this stuff is delicious. The Body Shop‘s Shea Butter scent is almost masculine and rather cologne-like. And I seriously love it. This is a wonderful scent and a fantastic product.

Repurchase? Definitely.

Marrakesh Endz and Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair
Marrakesh Endz and Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair

Two samples from Ipsy.

Marrakesh Endz: I quite liked this actually. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and was thick and creamy. The ends of my hair seem fine, but I also recently had a hair cut, so who the heck knows if it actually works.

Repurchase? Possibly, if I saw it at a discount store.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask: This stuff SUCKED. I used it as the instructions said and it didn’t leave my hair feeling nice at all. If anything, my hair was sticky and close to uncomb-able after using it. What a piece of crap.

Repurchase? NO!

St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Hydrating Body Wash
St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Hydrating Body Wash

St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Hydrating Body Wash was left at my place by a guest who had come and stayed for a while. I finished it up because why would I let it go to waste? It was okay. The scent wasn’t amazing to me, but it was a perfectly serviceable body wash.

Purchase? Unlikely.

What’s On My Face – Volume 25

Mixed bag this week! Some colourful looks and some that are quite neutral.

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The colours you can get out of Inglot shadows is just unbelievable!

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  1. Inglot Matte 360 on the inner third.
  2. Inglot Matte 383 on the middle of the lid.
  3. Inglot Matte 325 on the outer third.
  4. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee through the crease.

Tarte gel liner in Black to create the wing. Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect mascara in Purple is on my lashes.

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A rare moment using the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I knew I wanted to wear that particular lip colour, so it was just about finding an eye look that would match the lips. I’m not sure it matches really, but I think it works.

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Eyes
(all Urban Decay Naked 3)

  1. Liar on the inner two-thirds of the lid.
  2. Blackheart on the outer third of the lid.
  3. Nooner through the top of the crease.
  4. Strange on the brow bone.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes and MAC Feline Kohl Power pencil was used to rim the outer half of the lower lash line then blended out.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Stay Perfection in Deeply Ivory
  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: MAC Gingerly
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Berry

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This was something new for me. I like trying things, but sometimes you realize some colours just don’t work together. In this situation, I’m not pleased with the grey shade that was created by blending between the pale orange and the darker blue. And I finally got bold enough to wear that bright orange lipstick I picked up form Milani in March but never wore!

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Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)

  1. Glass Slipper on the inner half of the lid.
  2. Shark Bait on the outer half of the lid.
  3. Mandarin through the crease.
  4. Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.

Gabriella Salvete liquid eyeliner in Black to create the wing and Urban Decay Perversionmascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: essence Pinky Flow
  • Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: Milani Sweet Nectar

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Just a quick one using a palette I love.

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Eyes
(using the Too Faced A Few of my Favorite Things palette)

  1. Party Time on the inner half of the lid.
  2. Evergreen on the outer half of the lid.
  3. Chocolate Milk through the crease.
  4. Cream Colored Ponies on the brow bone.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Too Faced Sun Bunny
  • Blush: Too Faced Raindrops on Roses

What I Bought This Month – September 2014 Haul

Settle in folks, this is another doozy of a haul. I spent almost two weeks in September travelling in Europe and this meant getting to dabble in makeup brands that I don’t have access to in Canada. I picked up a lot of different brands and products overseas, as well as a few new releases here in Canada/US.

Makeup Geek Vegas Lights palette ($37.99 USD)
Makeup Geek Vegas Lights palette ($37.99 USD)

The most exciting thing I picked up was the brand new Makeup Geek Vegas Lights palette. I hemmed and hawed over this sucker for a little while, but in the end splashed out for it. I love Marlena of Makeup Geek, and I *love* her eyeshadows.

Vegas Lights: Casino, Sin City, Roulette, Mirage, Desert Sands, Bada Bing
Vegas Lights: Casino, Sin City, Roulette, Mirage, Desert Sands, Bada Bing

The colours in this palette are right up my alley – specifically Sin City and Roulette. The bottom row really helps ground any look you can come up with this palette. I’m impressed thatMakeup Geek managed to put out a palette that actually has serviceable neutrals along with some beautifully coloured shadows. I think this palette is limited edition, in which case, consider picking this up before it’s completely gone!

Makeup Geek shadows: Chickadee, Glass Slipper, Shark Bait ($5.99 USD each)
Makeup Geek shadows: Chickadee, Glass Slipper, Shark Bait ($5.99 USD each)

When I put in the order for the Vegas Lights palette, I also put a few shadows in the order. I have this (completely useless) idea of collecting all the Makeup Geek shadows so had to plug in a few more for this order.

MAC Chromacake in Landscape Green ($31 CAD)
MAC Chromacake in Landscape Green ($31 CAD)

For this year’s Halloween costume, I’m going as Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Because of Gamora’s green skin, I’m going to need a heck of a lot of coverage so I hopped on over to the MAC Pro store and picked up a Chromacake in Landscape Green. I’ve never used a Chromacake before, or any kind of body paint before, but I’m hopeful that this will turn out well.

MAC pigment in Landscape Green (free)
MAC pigment in Landscape Green (free)

The lady at the MAC Pro store was kind enough to give me an insanely generous sample of Landscape Green pigment to match my Chromacake. In fact, she gave me so much pigment I was actually able to mix it with alcohol and press it into an eyeshadow pan. Very handy!

essence – Life’s a Cherry ($3.99 CAD)
essence – Life’s a Cherry ($3.99 CAD)

I’ve been loving the Autumn Peach blush by essence that I was previously sent, that I wanted to check out the other shades. Life’s a Cherry is a lovely pink veering on red shade. I think the lighting on the shot above really doesn’t make it across right, but so far I am loving this other essence blush as well.

e.l.f. Disney Ariel Eye Collection ($5 USD)
e.l.f. Disney Ariel Eye Collection ($5 USD)

The Disney Ariel collection was never released in Canada as far as I could see, so a friend in the US shipped a bunch of the products up to me. The eyeshadows aren’t bad, but that eyeliner is absolute crap.

e.l.f. Disney Ariel Bronzer & Mini Kabuki Brush ($5 USD)
e.l.f. Disney Ariel Bronzer & Mini Kabuki Brush ($5 USD)

The brush on this one is far too scratchy, but the bronzer is fairly nice. Pretty glittery, but still useable.

Ardell Disney Ariel Lash Kit ($8 USD)
Ardell Disney Ariel Lash Kit ($8 USD)

And lastly from the Ariel collection, a couple pairs of false lashes. They’re regular Ardell lashes but specially packaged up for this Little Mermaid collection.

Tarte – Rainforest After Dark ($26 USD)
Tarte – Rainforest After Dark ($26 USD)

My wonderful friend Sara whom I was vacationing with in Prague managed to snag me a few goodies in the US that she very kindly brought over for me. She managed to get an awesome deal on the Tarte Rainforest After Dark palette.

Rainforest After Dark
Rainforest After Dark

Having only ever tried Tarte’s blushes and bronzer, I was curious how their eyeshadows would perform. There are some lovely shades in here, but the palette on its own needs help. There’s no matte brow shade that works for me (the light pink is too dusty of a pink colour) and the pale lavender-grey is actually quite sheer and requires a lot of packing on. That being said, this sucker is super handy. The browns on the right side are wonderfully pigmented, the bronzer and the highlighter are wonderful and the blush is like all of Tarte’s blushes – easy to blend and looks great on my cheeks. This palette is wonderful for a full face – something quite rare in a palette of this size.

NYX – Fizzies ($5.99 USD)
NYX – Fizzies ($5.99 USD)

I had bought NYX‘s Butter Lipstick in Fizzies back in March but had managed to mangle it when I took it out to a club one night with me. The bullet broke in half and no matter what I did, I couldn’t put it back together. Since NYX‘s Butter Lipsticks still aren’t available in Canada, once again Sara managed to pull through and picked me up a tube in the US. Here’s hoping I don’t break this one as well.

Too Faced Melted Lipsticks in Melt Berry and Melted Candy ($21 USD, each)
Too Faced Melted Lipsticks in Melt Berry and Melted Candy ($21 USD, each)

She also snagged me two of the newer shades of the Too Faced Melted lipsticks. I haven’t actually tried any yet, but I’d been lusting over them for several months. As they’re cheaper in the US, I broke down and had her buy me two – Melted Berry and Melted CandyMelted Candy is AMAZING. It’s almost fluorescent and shows up amazingly in pictures.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul (free)
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul (free)

And finally, she also kindly gave me a few products that hadn’t worked out for her. NYX‘s Soft Matte Lip Cream is a product I’ve heard about constantly over the years, but had never picked one up. The colour above is Istanbul and I’m excited to try it out.

NYX Butter Gloss in Red Velvet and Fortune Cookie (free)
NYX Butter Gloss in Red Velvet and Fortune Cookie (free)

And lastly, Sara handed over two NYX Butter Lip Glosses that hadn’t worked for her. (Shock, horror!) I’ll always happily add more of these to my collection!

Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What’s Nude (£10 GBP)
Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What’s Nude (£10 GBP)

I had a layover at Heathrow on my way to Prague and made a mad dash for the Boots they had in one of the terminals. Thankfully, this particular Boots had Soap & Glory makeup products and I was able to pick up their Lid Stuff eyeshadow quad in What’s Nude.This is a handy quad to bring along with a super bright palette, quite similar to one of the Urban Decay Naked Basics.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker in Raplumzel (£8 GBP)
Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker in Raplumzel (£8 GBP)

Also from Soap & Glory is their Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Raplumzel. This is completely unlike any other balm sticks I own. It’s way more buttery and soft, very reminiscent of a Revlon Lip Butter except that this smells like caramel or something. Delicious!

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in Deeply Ivory (£14.50 GBP)
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in Deeply Ivory (£14.50 GBP)

Boots’ own brand No7 was having a deal on where if you spent enough money, you’d get a free goodie bag. I was interested in picking up more foundation from No7 as I already use their Instant Radiance foundation quite often. I got re-colour matched with their fancy handheld device and they paired me up with Deeply Ivory, two shades darker than what I had been previously using. I really love just how well the colour match seems to work with this brand, I’ve never been disappointed! I have zero idea if the technology is the same, but I’ve found that the Boots one gives me accurate results whereas the one from Sephora is seriously dodgy.

Boots No7 Lipstick in Sweet Copper (£9.95 GBP)
Boots No7 Lipstick in Sweet Copper (£9.95 GBP)

The lady at the Boots counter was doing colour matching to “find your perfect shade of lipstick”. I’m sure this suckers some women in, but it was really just about colour matching your skin and then finding a few shades that seem to match it based on some card they had. I thought it was basically a bunch of garbage, but I picked out a colour I didn’t think I had (yeah right) and it turned out to be Sweet Copper. Beautiful shade and I really love the consistency.

Boots No7 Exquisite Eyes Gift with Purchase (free)
Boots No7 Exquisite Eyes Gift with Purchase (free)

And because I’d spent enough money on their No7 line, they gave me this set. It includes a mascara, an eye pencil, a brush and a shadow.

Barry M Nail Paint in Diamond Glitter (£2.99, each)
Barry M Nail Paint in Diamond Glitter (£2.99, each)

I spotted the Barry M display and snagged the last two Diamond Glitters left on the display. I had previously gone through an entire bottle of it and I knew I loved it. I was happy to re-stock this in my collection because I can’t get Barry M in Canada.

Too Faced – Melted Nude (456 Kč)
Too Faced – Melted Nude (456 Kč)

Because I had loved the Too Faced Melted lipsticks that Sara had brought me up from the US, that I ran out at bought Melted Nude in Prague. Bonus being that it was on sale (price above is the non-discounted price) and it was cheaper than I could even get it in Canada. Sold!

Sephora Eye Lash Curler (315 Kč)
Sephora Eye Lash Curler (315 Kč)

This one was a necessity. I had forgotten my eyelash curlers at home and had to pick up a pair while on vacation. I’ve been using Tweezerman ones for years and I guess I just assumed eyelash curlers are supposed to pinch your eyes? Wrong, so wrong. I was happy to discover that Sephora‘s eyelash curlers are wonderful! No pinching of my lids at all! Think I’ll be throwing out my Tweezerman ones immediately.

L’Oreal Micellar Gel (119 Kč)
L’Oreal Micellar Gel (119 Kč)

Now this was interesting! I picked this up at Rossman, one of the drugstores in the Czech Republic, because I had read that L’Oreal regular liquid version was similar to Bioderma‘s micellar liquid. This is the gel format and I’m curious to see how this works in comparison with my other makeup removers.

Dermacol Soft Heel Balm (72.90 Kč)
Dermacol Soft Heel Balm (72.90 Kč)

Picked up Dermacol‘s Soft Heel Balm solely because of the packaging. I have nasty heels and anything I can use to repair them is definitely right up my alley.

Dermacol Party Time mascara (179 Kč)
Dermacol Party Time mascara (179 Kč)

I wish I’d bought more Dermacol, but I didn’t actually realize that they were a Czech brand until very late into my trip. This was another item bought purely because the packaging screamed at me. Not opened yet because I have a bunch of other mascaras I need to finish up first.

essence blush up! in Heat Wave and Pinky Flow (105 Kč, each)
essence blush up! in Heat Wave and Pinky Flow (105 Kč, each)

Snagged these two up because I’ve never seen them in Canada! Bush ombres are just way too pretty to pass up and the one on the left looks like a dupe for MAC’s Ripe Peach, a blush I had never managed to get my hands on.

Astor Lipcolor Butter in Feeling Feline (169.90 Kč)
Astor Lipcolor Butter in Feeling Feline (169.90 Kč)

Hot pink, slightly sheer and called Feeling Feline! We had to go to three or four DM stores before we finally found one that hadn’t already been used. I also like how it’s not cut at the top like all the other chubby stick lip products.

Catrice Liquid Liner in Dating Joe Black (94.90 Kč)
Catrice Liquid Liner in Dating Joe Black (94.90 Kč)

Nikkie of NikkieTutorials claims this is better than Make Up For Ever’s liquid liner. Sold!

Gabriella Salvete Glitter Enamel (89.90 Kč)
Gabriella Salvete Glitter Enamel (89.90 Kč)

Yet another 3D silver glitter polish to add to my  collection! I think this one is textured though.

Gabriella Salvete Liquid Eyeliner in Black (129.90 Kč)
Gabriella Salvete Liquid Eyeliner in Black (129.90 Kč)

I really don’t need more black liquid liner, but this one claims that it’s matte. I’ve yet to meet a liquid liner that’s actually matte, but hey, I’m willing to give it a shot!

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (15 €)
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (15 €)

My brother brought this over from France as I was getting low on the one I had back in Toronto. I had thought this was around 7 or 8 euros, but it turns out it’s a lot more expensive than that. I wonder if the price got jacked up recently?


That’s it for this post! There were a few things I picked up in Vienna that I don’t have on me now (forgot them in the car, my friend in Germany is going to mail them to me) so they’ll be in next month’s post.

 

What’s On My Face – Volume 24

So many vibrant  looks this week! Hooray!

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I don’t wear this look very often, but when I do, I definitely seem to startle people with how vibrant that pink colour is!

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Eyes

  1. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk all over the lid, with Sleek Floss on top.
  2. Sleek Pout on the outer half of the lid.
  3. A touch of Makeup Geek Creme Brulee through the crease.
  4. MAC Shroom to highlight the brow.

Winged liner with Tarte’Black gel liner and Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Hard Candy Hula Hula
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Lips: Softlips CUBE in Vanilla Bean

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I created this look for my guest blog post on Nicole’s site (Nicole About Town), but wanted to re-post it here to have in my own archives.

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Eyes

  1. Inglot Matte 334 all over the lid.
  2. Inglot Matte 325 on the outer third of the lid and used as lower lid liner.
  3. Urban Decay Blackout to darken up the outer edge.
  4. MAC Vellum  to highlight the brow, also used as an inner corner highlight.

I used Tarte‘s Black gel liner to create a wing, then used Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet pencil liner  to tightline and rim my inner lower lash line. I applied several coats of CoverGirl‘sClump Crusher mascara and then popped on a pair of J. Cat lashes in EL13 with some duo lash adhesive.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla
  • Bronzer: NYC – Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hourglass – Diffused Heat
  • Highlighter: MAC – Silver Dusk
  • Lips: essence – Wear Berries!

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Oh Razzleberry… aren’t you BEAUTIFUL!

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Eyes

  1. Urban Decay Half Baked on the inner two-thirds of the lid.
  2. Makeup Geek Razzleberry on the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. MAC Ricepaper to highlight the brow.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat

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Playing around with Illamasqua‘s Alluvium pigment. Not my best attempt at blending!

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Eyes

  1. Illamasqua Alluvium pigment all over the lid.
  2. MAC Handwritten in the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. MAC Shroom to highlight the brow.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara is on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Illamasqua Skin Base in 6.5
  • Blush: Coastal Scents – some kind of peach blush, no idea name or number
  • Lips: Bite Beauty Fig

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Subdued, but rather pretty.

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  1. MAC Vanilla pigment all over the lid.
  2. The pinky-bronze shade from the Sleek Sunset palette in the outer corner.
  3. MAC Handwritten tapped lightly in the outer corner and used as a liner.
  4. MAC Shroom to highlight the brow.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Extravagant is on my lashes.

Travel Makeup Bag – Heading off to Prague & Vienna

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Tomorrow I’m heading off on a week and a half vacation with a very good friend of mine. Several months ago we decided to go on vacation together and we picked Prague as our destination of choice. We’ll be in Prague for about seven days, but I’ve also extended my trip by a few extra days so that I can visit Vienna with an old friend of mine that lives in Germany.

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I’m changing things up this time a little bit and bringing a (mostly) all-in-one face palette. When I was looking through my choices of palettes to bring, almost everything was either all neutrals or all brights. I didn’t want to travel with an all neutral palette yet again (I get too bored) but bringing an all brights palette isn’t the best of ideas either.

Too Faced – A few of my Favorite Things
Too Faced – A few of my Favorite Things

So when I was perusing my palettes I realized that my best option was going to be Too Faced‘s A few of my Favorite Things palette (from their holiday 2013 collection). There’s enough mix of colours in this palette to satisfy me on holidays and it’s got two blushes and two bronzers as well. Most of my powder bases are completely covered with this!

The only downside is the palette is freaking huge which makes it slightly inconvenient. Thankfully it actually came with a large makeup bag so I’ll be using that for this trip as well. I have to say that I’m incredibly nervous about damaging this on vacation. The palette was limited edition and I’ll be heartbroken if I bust this or lose it while on vacation.

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And of course I’m bringing my eye primers – NARS‘ Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base and Urban Decay‘s Primer Potion in Original.

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And one pair of falsies for certain special occasions while on vacation (we’re planning to go to the Opera and get all fancy!). These are Sephora‘s Tempting lashes with some Duo eyelash glue.

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I’m also bringing along Anastasia‘s Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde/Taupe because it’ll be quick and easy to apply (versus my Dipbrow pomade).

Kat Von D‘s Tattoo Liner in Trooper is also coming along for the ride because of its easy application. I’m a winged eyeliner freak, and while I prefer gel, this is far less fussy while travelling. I love that it has a brush tip and not the regular foam/felt tip applicator that most automatic liquid pens have.

My mascara of choice is the Urban Decay Perversion sample that I received in my August 2014 Ipsy bag. This stuff is absolutely wonderful. Really black, wet formula and does wonders for my eyelashes.

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I’m not even sure I’ll wear these, but they’re good to have just in case. For foundation I have my beloved Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla. It’s the darkest foundation I own but it’s still a touch too light for me right now. Nothing a little bronzer can’t fix though!

For any blemishes when I want to look flawless, I’m also bringing along essence‘s Match 2 Cover! concealer. Having two shades in this package is incredibly handy for custom mixing a shade to my current skin shade.

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In an attempt to possibly counterbalance my precious eyeshadow palette, I’m bringing some of my absolute cheapest lip products: Two Wet n Wild lipsticks (910D and 903C) and a NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu.201409_travelmakeupbag_macbrick_macprepprime

Just some essentials for my lips:

MAC Prep + Prime for lips to keep my lipsticks from bleeding outside my lipline and to increase lipstick longevity. (This product is absolutely holy grail status.)

MAC Brick lipliner for the red Wet n Wild lipstick. While the lipstick doesn’t necessarily need the liner since it’s pigmented enough, it’s just nice to have something to help clean up the edges of a red lipstick.

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And lastly, a Nivea lip balm in Milk & Honey for when I inevitably end up with chapped lips (thanks airplane air) and a bite-size Benefit Watt’s Up! cream highlighter.

I’m actually quite proud of this makeup bag. I think it’s the right choice for a “longer” (~12 days) European vacation without being overly excessive in the product department. I think the Too Faced palette really made it a lot easier since it alleviated the need to bring a bronzer and some blush options.

By the way, if you’ve been to either Prague or Vienna, I’d love to hear any of your recommendations for places to visit!