Makeup Collection: Lips

I have mentioned in the past that I am not as much of a fan of lip products as I am of eye or face makeup. However, the right lip color can really pull a look together, so I try not to underestimate the power of lip products. I think this is my least impressive portion of my makeup collection, so I'll try to get through it quickly.

Here are my lip treatments, lip balms, lip stains, and lipsticks (and a wild Stila Lip Glaze).

At the very top of the picture there is the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer.

For some reason, I have five Lip Smackers. The flavors I have are Barq's Root Beer, Coca Cola, Sprite, Cotton Candy, and Vanilla.

As for real/standard lipsticks, I only have three at school with me. The first is by Revlon and it is the Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wink For Pink (616), which has a pearl finish. The other two I have are both from Wet 'N Wild. I have the colors 968 (Pinkerbell) and 901B. The last product in the row is a Maybelline Color Sensational Pop Stick (from Summer/Fall 2011) in Pink Lollipop.

In the next row I have a Stila Lip Glaze in Guava (I'm not sure why I included it in this picture... it is a lip gloss, after all). Following that is my only Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey.

Next I have... a "few" Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms: Pink Wink, Coral Crush, Peach Kiss, Twinkle, Pink Punch, Cherry Me, and Peppermint.

Finally (at least for this picture) are my Revlon Lip Butters. Since my review a few months back, I've bought two more. The colors I have are Pink Truffle, Cherry Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, Sugar Plum, and Sweet Tart.

Not pictured: Burt's Bees Honey lip balm, Mox Botanicals Lip Butter (Pomegranate & Fig), Benefit Posietint, Benefit Benetint, my NYX round lipsticks, and a Revlon Colorstay lip gloss.

These are all of my lip glosses. I have the Revlon called the Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pursuit, Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked.

I have quite a few miniature tubes of the Bare Minerals Moxie Lip Glosses. The colors I have are: Hot Ticket, Socialite, Gutsy, Fashionably Late, Rebel, and two of Dare Devil (one came in one of my beauty subscription services and the others came in the Bare Minerals holiday collection).

Now, for the three lip glosses that are hanging around the others... I have the Mirenesse Lip Bomb in 9, the MyGlam Glam Gloss in 1, and the Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess.

I have 4 products by C.O. Bigelow: the Mentha Lip Shines in Vanillamint, Bubblemint, and Peppermint Mocha. I also have the Mentha Lip Tint in Plum Mint. Finally, I have the Jane Sparkle Gloss in Sparkle Pink.

That concludes this edition of my makeup collection. I'll probably do this again sometime in the distant future. Feel free to share a link to your makeup collection below! (or any of the other posts from this series, really)

Makeup Collection: Eyes

Eye makeup is something I tend to love, but I also stay within a certain comfort zone. Most of what I have won't be a surprise to anybody who has read my blog for a while. That being said, I still hope this is an enjoyable read.

Eye Shadow Primers:

Eye shadow primers are something that I consider to be essential, but I haven't found one that doesn't work for me, so I haven't ventured too much. I only have Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight (I have a sample size that has lasted forever - I'm not joking, I've used it at least 20 times), the full sized version of Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight, and of course, Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original). I have Urban Decay Primer Potion in the old packaging because when the new packaging was being released, I got this in a package of two for a pretty good price. I used the first tube for a long time (by the way, I didn't even finish it... it started smelling weird and I will probably feature it in my next "empties" post if I remember to.

But anyway, these are the primers I have (I also have the Mirabella Prime for eyes and face, but I don't plan to use it on my eyes).

Brow Products:

I am very low-maintenance with my brows. Sure, I cold take the extra minute to fill them in, but on an every day basis, it just isn't necessary. I have the Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel (which I got in a monthly subscription box) and the Maybelline Mastershape by EyeStudio in Deep Brown.

Eye Shadows:

And so begins the longest part of my post: eye shadows!

I have two L'Oreal Infallible eye shadows: Bronzed Taupe and Pink Sapphire.

I've gone a bit crazy with the Maybelline Color Tattoos. I have five: Audacious Asphalt, Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, Barely Beige, and Rich Mahogany. Of course I really want to try out some of the new releases, but I will wait as long as I possibly can to do so because of my spending ban.

Now for most of my palettes! I have the Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette, Too Faced Naked Eye Palette, Urban Decay Naked Basics, NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Champagne and Caviar (now called Caviar and Bubbles, I believe), and the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. Clearly I love neutrals a little too much.

Here is a palette I have mentioned many times in the past: Too Faced Glamour to Go.

I also have the NYX Butt Naked Eyes palette, but for some reason or another it was impossible to get a decent picture of the actual palette this time around.

Here are my drugstore trios/quads/palettes/whatever you'd like to call them. I have three by Wet N Wild: Sweet as Candy, Silent Treatment, and Walking on Eggshells.

I also have tried two of the Revlon Colorstay Eye Shadow Quads. I have Siren and Embellish (which was released fairly recently, if I'm not mistaken)

The final item is a face and eye product, but I hate this on my face, so I have designated it for my eyes. It is the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Bronzer, Blush, and Eye Shadow in the shade Riviera Strip/Sand Bronzer.

Next up is my two loose eye shadows. Both of these came in the MyGlam/Ipsy bag at some point. I have the NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in 02 Pearl and the Salty Cosmetics Loose Luxury Mineral Eye Shadow in Glama-ZOID.

Ah, now for the Z Palette. I'll be honest: mine looks pretty terrible because of all the exposed magnets and just lack of real organization, but these are all eye shadows I want to finish up, so I have to just deal with it. I will be listing these from the top row to the bottom row, so here it goes:

I have the Covergirl Cafe Au Lait trio followed by the Covergirl trio in Smoke Alarm.

Next I have the four eye shadows from the Stila Garden Bliss Palette (from two years ago, I believe). I also have The Balm's Meet Matte in Matt Batali at the end of row 2.

In row 3, there is the Covergirl quad in Fairytale and the Mark eye shadow in Stellar.

The last row has a random bronze eye shadow from Mirabella, the ELF Brightening Eye Shadow Quad in Brownstone, and a Mark eyeshadow in Glitterati.

Eyeliners:

To the left are some eyeliners that I have either received with the purchase of another product or in a beauty subscription box. I have the Be a Bombshell Liquid Eyeliner in Onyx, Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in Jet Black, and the Starlet eyeliner in All I Want is Peace, Love, and Chocolate.

The Stila Smudge Crayon is technically not only an eyeliner, but also a cream eye shadow. It really depends on the color you use. I have two full-sized ones (Antique and Rose) and three mini-sized ones (Black, Umber, and Smoke).

I've raved about the Revlon Colorstay eyeliners before - one color in particular. Here are the colors I have: Charcoal, Teal, Black, and Blackberry.

Here are my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils. I have mixed feelings about these, as I have said before, but I do think that the pigmentation is impressive. I have two in Zero, and then I also have Demolition, Underground, and Bourbon. I have all of these in the smaller size.

Here is every mascara I own. I'm very strict about throwing mascara away every three months, so at the rate I genuinely use mascara, I think I have a little too much (I won't need to buy any until sometime in March). I have two samples: (The Balm What's Your Type? Mascara in The Body Builder and Perfekt Lash Perfection Gel) and I also have three full-sized mascaras: Rimmel Extra WOW Lash in Extreme Black, Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex in Extreme Black, and Model Co Fibre Lashxtend in Extreme Black (I got this in a Birchbox, I think).

My other palettes (inside)

NYX "Butt Naked" Eyes (inside) - by the way, the sponge applicators do not make life easier with this particular product. Just thought I would let you all know.

Too Faced Glamour to Go (inside) - how have I not hit pan on the  top right one? It's my favorite sparkly eye shadow ever! This picture does not do the color justice.

So those were are all of my eye products! If you want me to review or swatch anything that I haven't already, just let me know.

Makeup Collection: Face

As I believe I have mentioned before, I tend to buy an excess of face products. This is because my skin... well, to be honest, it isn't a pretty sight most days. Lately I've calmed down on the excessive purchasing of face products (and not just because of "project minimize") and although I do have a lengthy list of products I really want to try, I will hopefully refrain from purchasing what I do not need. Although most of my collection is with me at school, there are a few items I always leave at home with the assumption that I won't bring my makeup home with me. This never happens, but as it is, I don't actually have the space for the few other products that are sitting in my acrylic storage unit at home (actually, I did an experiment and discovered that I could fit it all in a Birchbox).

I won't be reviewing things that I mention because part of the purpose of this collection post is to show you what I have so I can actually review something that has been requested. As you've probably noticed, I just review what I am using and move on to the next item. I will also link to any reviews I have already posted, so hopefully that is helpful.

Once again I am rambling and telling you more than you probably needed to know, so here is my collection!

Base Products (primer, foundation/BB cream, powder, etc):

Primer:

I am not big on using face primers. To me, they are just an added step that I have personally never thought of as necessary because I've never found one I loved. Both primers I have are sample sizes, so I really need to just use them up so it's not taking up the space. I have the Mirabella Prime (which is for face and eyes) and a sample of Lancome La Base Pro (which I got at Sephora as a 100 point perk, I believe). Both of these are silicone-based. If I ever do buy another primer, I really want to try any of the Korres primers or the Tarte BB Tinted Treatment (which is a tinted primer).

Foundation/BB Cream/Tinted Moisturizer:

Foundation has always been my favorite, yet least favorite thing to buy. I love how my skin looks with a good foundation, but the frustration of finding a foundation that matches my skin and doesn't irritate it is pure torture. That might be a slight exaggeration, but I've spent more money on foundations in my lifetime than I have spent on anything else... and I still have nothing that is perfect for my needs.

But, I digress. I currently have the L'Oreal Youth Code BB Cream in Light, Shiseido Dual Balancing Foundation in Very Light Ivory (I 00), and Clinique Acne Solutions in Fresh Alabaster (01).

Not Pictured: Estee Lauder Double Wear in Ecru and Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow

Powder (including a powder foundation):

Powders are another thing I can't get enough of. My skin is oily and I generally like most of the powders I buy. I tend to buy pressed powders more often than loose powders because they aren't as messy and make traveling easier.

The powders I have are: NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder in Translucent, Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Cream (Light 4-5), Neutrogena SkinClearing Mineral Powder in Classic Ivory (10), Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation in Classic Ivory (10), Covergirl Clean Oil Control Pressed Powder in Classic Ivory (510), and Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder (more of a skin treatment, but it is a powder and I do use it on top of blemishes when I'm not wearing much makeup).

Not Pictured: Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in Porcelain (110), Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, and Bare Minerals Matte foundation in Fairly Light.

Concealers:

I get lazy with concealer. I usually only use concealer under my eyes, but if I have a particularly nasty pimple or if I have an occasion where I want my skin to look great, then I will take the time to cover it up.

I think a lot of people either own or have tried MAC Studio Finish Concealer at some point (I have shade NC15). I also have Revlon Photoready Concealer in Fair (I'm not sure why I am including this because I probably have a few days worth left) and I have the Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter in Fair (125).

I do like the concealers I have, but eventually I would love to try something new just because that is how I am. Besides, this blog would get quite boring if I never tried anything new. (So it totally makes sense that I'm limiting myself to 12 unnecessary beauty-related purchases this year, right? ;)

Blushes, Bronzers, and Highlighters:

I finally got two Z-palettes! One is specifically for face products and the other is for eye products. So let's give this overview in columns (so the left column will be listed from top to bottom, the middle column will be listed from top to bottom, and the right column will be listed from top to bottom). By the way, don't worry about the gunk on the bottom (from the glue that Covergirl uses for their palettes). I cleaned it off after taking pictures, of course! ;)

Left column: Benefit Bella Bamba, Benefit Dandelion, and The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer

Middle column: Covergirl Cheekers Deep Plum, Covergirl Cheekers Natural Rose, and a poor cracked blush from the Stila Garden palette.

Right column: Mark Blush in Star Glo, Mark Blush in Kitten Glow, and Mark Bronzer in Golden Glo.

Next up are my only blush singles in the original packaging. I have the MAC Mineralize Blush in Hand-Finish, which is really old and was limited edition back in 2009 (I think). I'm not proud of the fact that I am not even close to finishing it, but when it comes to powder products, I plan to keep it until it actually seems to be going bad.

I also have the NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Boho Chic. Finally, I have the Sula Natural Blush in My Little Secret.

The next products I have are all by Benefit: Posietint, High Beam, and Benetint. I got these a long time ago, but as I said for the MAC blush, until it seems to have expired, I'll probably hang on to these. I am not proud of the fact that I've struggled to even remember to use these products.

There has been a lot of buzz about the Wet N Wild products in recent years. I believe the Wet N Wild Color Icon Bronzers were released around this time last year. I only have Reserve Your Cabana because I am not a big fan of bronzer as it is, and this is really more of a highlighting product... even for my fair skin.

And finally, my blushes and bronzers that come in palettes specifically for face and eye makeup! I have the Too Faced Glamour to Go palette and the NYX Butt "Naked" Eyes palette, both of which I have talked about a lot on here.

And that is every single bit of face makeup I own. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them below.

October Hits and Misses! (2012)

My monthly favorites seem to be getting shorter and shorter. I blame this on the fact that I am really working to finish as many products as I can. I still want to have an interesting collection, but I don't want to have piles of things I'll never use

• Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream: I've talked about this a lot and I even finished it this month. I would buy it again eventually, but I have a lot of foundations and BB creams to finish, so for now I will not be repurchasing.
• Revlon Photoready Concealer: I bought this on a whim a little while before I banned myself from buying makeup this past summer. It's great for under-eye circles. I don't use it on blemishes because I usually don't bother to cover those.
• Rimmel Extra Wow Lash: This mascara is inexpensive ($5 or less) and it works quite well. The formula is a little dry, but it never makes my lashes feel dry or brittle (which I can't say for other mascaras I've tried recently). This is a definite keeper.
• Stila Smudge Crayons: I've talked about these a lot, so I'll keep it to the basics. They last on my eyelids and have convenient packaging.
• Too Faced Glamour to Go Palette: I bought this a while ago and I keep switching between this palette and another palette. The color in particular that I love is in the top right corner. I didn't really use the blush or bronzer in this palette, so I didn't take a picture of those. Plus I think I already have taken pictures of both.
• Lush Seanik Solid Shampoo Bar: I've used this almost every time I wash my hair and it is very clarifying and volumizing. 

And for the misses? No beauty products, but... I have officially decided that Starbucks coffee beans and I do not get along well. I love their lattes, but their beans have honestly never impressed me. I prefer going to places like Fresh Market with a variety of coffee (if you've been there, you know just what I'm talking about).

Tag! 10 Makeup Items I Would Repurchase

The purpose of this tag is to list the first ten items I would repurchase if all of my makeup somehow disappeared (destroyed in a fire, stolen, and so on). I believe it was actually called the "If All My Makeup Disappeared" tag around this time last year. Either way, it's the same general idea and it's fun, so I decided to do it.

1. MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NC 15): Although I hardly ever wear concealer to cover my blemishes, I opted for concealer rather than foundation. If all of my makeup disappeared, I would let my skin breathe (more than it does now) and only attempt to cover dark circles and large blemishes. However, I would also consider trying the Hard Candy Glamouflage since they recently released a lighter shade (the one that used to be the lightest was slightly too dark for me). Then I could just mix the concealer with moisturizer and have a tinted moisturizer.
2. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder: This powder has been one of my favorites for a long time. Although there are several different shades for the powder, it is pretty sheer, but that doesn't bother me. 
3. Covergirl Cheekers Blush in Natural Rose: I'm really hesitant to put this here. This is because ever since CoverGirl decided to re-release their tinted moisturizer and market it as a BB cream, I've been boycotting the brand (because to my knowledge, they still haven't even mentioned their shady behavior... poor PR move in my opinion). So to be more precise, I would buy a color exactly like Natural Rose because it looks nice on my skin.
4. Maybelline Color Tattoos: This really isn't going to be a surprise to anybody who reads my blog regularly, but I love these. Barely Beige is my favorite, but it's limited edition. From the permanent collection, I love Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe.
5. Stila Smudge Crayon: Now, I know I already mentioned a cream eye shadow, but the thing about the Stila Smudge Crayon is that it can be used as an eye shadow and an eyeliner and it actually stays put all day (except on my waterline, but I have yet to find something that does and since I don't wear eyeliner on my waterline on a daily basis, it's not a deal-breaker). 
6. Wet 'N Wild Eye Shadow Trios: I have three of these and love all of them. I'd probably buy Walking on Eggshells first because it gives a subtle look.
7. Rimmel Extra Wow Lash Mascara: This mascara is inexpensive, but it gives me the same effect as most mascaras that cost more.
8. C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shines: these lip glosses aren't sticky and they taste nice. I'm not a big fan of going overboard with the lip products, so usually I opt for some form of lip balm.
9. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater: Technically a skin care product, but since my skin is becoming quite dry, I've been spraying this on after applying foundation. I will be trying plain rosewater from a different brand after I finish this, but this is actually more accessible, so I'd be willing to buy it again. Plus it's only $7.
10. Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder: again, this is technically a skin care product, but when I have a really bad breakout on my face and I'm not going anywhere, I do apply this to my blemishes and it calms them. I feel like it was a good buy because it will probably last me a year (which is probably past its intended expiration, so that is impressive).

So those are the 10 things I would repurchase first. There are some items I've never owned that I would seize the opportunity to try if my collection disappeared. For example: Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I don't own it, but I want it. It's probably one of the best palettes to start out with anyway.

What would you repurchase if your makeup disappeared?

Updated Travel Makeup Bag: Weekends Home

This year, I brought the majority of my makeup collection to school with me. I technically have enough to get by on the weekends I go home, but I still like to take some of my every day products with me just so I can work toward using them up. I also prefer the makeup I brought to school with me.

The Bag:
This is just the bag from September's MyGlam Bag (now it's called Ipsy?) - this bag is just plain and black... perfect for throwing in most of the purses I own. It also fits quite a lot of products in it (at least in my opinion - I've become quite low maintenance).

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream:
I've talked about this a lot, so I'll keep it short. I bring this with me so I can finish it sooner. I love it, but I'm ready to move on to the next product.

Covergirl Clean Oil Control Pressed Powder (510 Classic Ivory): 
I've had this powder a while. It's average, but I probably wouldn't repurchase.

Ecotools Retractable Kabuki Brush:
This brush is amazing. It's soft and it is perfect for powder application.

Too Faced Glamour to Go Palette:
I've also talked about this a lot. It has 8 eye shadows, 1 blush, 1 bronzer, and 1 lip color (although I scraped this out because it was beginning to look nasty and the color didn't suit me).

Rimmel Extra Wow Lash Mascara:
Ah, something I haven't talked about! I saw this in a couple of different $20 makeup challenge videos and people seemed to like it. I also just bought it on a whim because I forgot to pack my mascara the last time I went home, so I decided to just give this a whirl. It's cheaper than Maybelline Great Lash (everywhere I've seen it, at least) and it's much better. I can't believe I didn't know about this mascara before.

Stila Smudge Crayons in Smoke, Umber, and Black:
I love these because they're tiny, but another issue is that they're... well, tiny. They aren't worth the money, but they are great to carry in a purse. That being said, I'd buy the full sized ones and be able to store them in my travel makeup bag just as easily. Or I could bring my beloved Maybelline Color Tattoos along.

Lip Smackers (Coca Cola):
Just a random lip balm. This one smells nice, so I have this one with me at the moment.

Review: Stila Smudge Crayons

It's not exactly a secret that I love cream eye shadows. I rave about the Maybelline Color Tattoos all the time and before the Color Tattoos were released, I was seriously considering a trip to the MAC counter for some Paint Pots. However, sometimes I wish I had a good cream eye shadow in the form of a stick. Well, I think I may have found the perfect one for me!

Right now is Ulta's 21 days of beauty, so they have great deals going on every day for 3 weeks. One of the deals was buy one get one free for the Stila Smudge Crayons. On that particular day, I was at school and there was no way I'd be able to make the trip to the nearest Ulta.... however, my mom actually surprised me and picked up the shades "Rose" and "Antique" for me because she knew I like cream eye shadows and I'd mentioned these to her before. Another thing that's important to note is the hefty price tag for these : $22. The good thing is that Stila works pretty hard to convince you that the purchase is worth it. Here's what the Stila Smudge Crayons supposedly will do for you:

• It functions as a primer, eye shadow, and eye liner all in one
• The formula is creamy, yet doesn't crease
• It is long wearing and water-resistant
• The shades are bold and pigmented
• Vitamin E soothes and protects your eye area
• The pointed tip makes application easier, plus there is a sharpener included if you want to use it as an eyeliner

The only point I can't confirm or deny is the "soothing" or "protecting" aspect from the vitamin E. These sticks are creamy, they don't crease, and the colors are beautiful. You can blend the product as soon as you apply it, but once it dries, it stays that way all day. As of right now, there are 8 shades available, including Kitten. I can't really compare these to any other stick cream eye shadows because I've never tried anything like these (I'm not counting the NYX jumbo sticks because those aren't long wearing at all). I like that if you would rather not sharpen these, you don't have to (in fact, that is a big reason I have yet to try the Urban Decay 24/7 cream eye shadows... it's because I hate sharpening the eyeliners). Ulta also has a "try me" set with three shades. The downside? It is $22 and you get miniature sizes.

The only reason I am reluctant to give this a glowing review is the price. I think Stila set the price point a little too high, because $22 for 1 gram of product is ridiculous to say the least, since the Color Tattoos contain 4 grams. However, it doesn't change the fact that the product inside is amazing. I think a more appropriate price would be maybe $18, but clearly that's not up to me ;)

I also recommend swatching these in the store so you can see if you like the texture for yourself... but please don't put the one on display anywhere near your eyes. You never know where it has been, but if you put it on your hand, you can just wash it right off once you try the product for yourself.

Below are the swatches of Rose (top) and Antique (bottom). Left is the original swatch and right is after 30 seconds and some rubbing. If I would have waited another 30 seconds, then the second picture would look exactly like the first. Quite amazing, if I say so myself! 

What is your favorite longwearing cream eye shadow?