It's been awhile

But in the meantime, I received my next Ipsy!

And this time, I had tried none of the items! I swooped in on that hot pink Urban Decay lipstick (Anarchy is the color.  While not fullsize, it's a suuuuper nice sized lipstick trial).  I have been dying to order Nars Yu for ages, so this is a great opportunity to get the shocking pink out of my system. I live for Urban Decay eyeliners and eyeshadows, but have not tried a lipstick in ages (back when they looked like actual bullets, anyone? I had the most lovely frosted purple, that I swear was amazing. I paired it with a white-silver eye for a snow bunny look.  Much more successful at age 22, perhaps).  This formula is creamy and amazingly long lasting. Very thick, smooth, expensive. It's quite nice.  I will definitely be rechecking them out (even though I swore never to buy lipstick in a tube again).

The second product that has been in heavy rotation is this amazing NYX cream blush.  It's an orange creamsicle shimmer (Tickled) that is surprisingly light and happiness in a compact.  I normally stay away from cream blush, as I feel it makes me even greasier. This formula added no grease and actually dries pretty quickly and matte.  It's so easy to apply (fingers) and just smudges around into a natural, sunkissed look.  I think I'm converted. I will still use my Nars powder blushes, but -if I'm honest- mainly because I'm cheap and they're almost full compacts.  Oh, but how I recommend this NYX. AND IT'S ONLY SIX DOLLARS.

I just tried out the Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub and it's got a lovely spa feel and scent. It's a scrub, but very gentle. However, as I sit here, my face feels a bit oily.  If I use this again (and I probably will, as it's a fairly large tube - like a travel size), I will make sure to only use it at night.

The last two items will probably be tested tomorrow. One is a BB cream with color match technology, which sounds pretty foolproof.  We shall see. The other is Pixi mascara. How good/bad can it be?  I'll let you know.

Two months in, I'm loving Ipsy. I really look forward to that pink bubble envelope and I really feel it's been a good value.  I havent loved every item, but that's sort of the point. I didnt have to spend $25 to realize I hate a color or a formula.  And I love those makeup bags!

UPDATE - I have to tell you how much I love that Pacifica BB cream. I was completely impressed by how effortlessly it absorbed into my skin and color matched as it claimed.  It feels a bit glue-y when you first apply, but soaks in quickly and feels like nothing.  If you like tinted moisturizer levels of coverage, this is a nice option. Especially as it's only $16. Not too much of a risk.

Shopping Spree

Being between jobs, it's been hard to indulge in my makeup obsession, but with a new job on the horizon, I decided to burn some money I dont yet have. Oh, the justification of it all.

I am still working my way through my experiment with drugstore foundation, so I decided to concentrate my money on some investment pieces. First up is primer. In recent years, I have discovered the absolute necessity of primer. The difference in staying power and concealment is instantly recognizable when using a good primer. Without primer, my makeup flakes and seems to settle in each and every pore and fine line. With primer, I get a good approximation of smooth skin.  I've tried out numerous samples in the last year, various Mac formulas, Benefit Porefessional, Laura Mercier.  I've really liked each of these, but I decided to commit to one I've been reading rave reviews of and in a formula that seems will speed up my morning routine: Benefit's Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer. Though reviews are such a mixed bag - reading the latest ones, I'm a little worried.  Ugh, commitment to $30+ products is so very hard!

Next up is highlighter/concealer. For years, we've been hearing the hype of YSL Touche Éclat, but this recent article convinced me that I need to take the plunge.  In the store, I loved the blurring effect it creates, so I'm excited to try this in real life.  I tried really hard to buy the Clinique version, but none of the three shades were remotely close to my skintone.

Finally, I've finally committing to a brow pencil. I'm dipping a toe into focusing on my brows (I've finally noticed that my brows appear to stop around mid-eye - not a good luck).  As a first step, I went with a simple pencil with brush and will work my way up to powders.  I settled on DiorShow Brow Styler. It's a universal brown (literally the name), so I'm hoping that I wont be too far off on color (I fear the Groucho Marx effect).

With a checkout moment of weakness for a three pack of Urban Decay liners, that's $127.  Ouch. I snuck over to Lush for some Rockstar soap (ahhh, that smell), and I've officially burned up all my soon-to-be spending money.

I'll report back next week with some real world test results. And some more of my award-winning photography. Eesh!