My Weekend Mall Haul + Online Purchases (not a quick read, not for the faint of heart)

I made a spontaneous trip to the mall on Saturday (which in itself is a terrible idea and one that will leave you severely exhausted, poor, and wishing you chose more comfortable shoes) but it was such gorgeous weather that I wanted to get out and spend. I mean, get out and drive. That's right. SO, I did buy a few things (at each store) and I will share those purchases and photos with you because I know how obsessed you are with what other people buy.

                         From top to bottom: Tarte Lip Stain Charmed, LM
                                     concealer in shade #1, Mac Subculture compared
                                     to Chanel lipliner in Natural (very similar!)

Day 1:
Goal: buy shorts
Goal reached?: yes
Spending limit met?: no

My goal was to go to J Crew to buy shorts. But first, I wanted to stop by MAC to see if my lovely new make-up artist make-up friend got the Pink Friday lipstick I sent to her. She greeted me with a big hug which said to me, "yes, I got the lipstick and I am so in love with it." I was so happy that it made her so happy. I like to make people happy and I like to make people who appreciate things happy. Done and done. While in there, I swatched a bunch of stuff as did my young daughter. Now, I always use a tester wand to test things like lipstick and lipgloss on my lips but when I want to swatch something just to see the color pay-off, I rub it across my hands. I never saw the problem in this because its what the girls who work there do when they want to show me a certain shade. I continued to take part in my common swatching practice when I was approached by a MAC girl who is not my make-up friend (because real make-up friends let make-up friends swatch) and said "remember to use the wands we have over here to test anything." I don't know why but it just completely rubbed me the wrong way. Even if I took it too seriously, I felt like I was some dirty bird with a case of Herpes who was trying on all the lip products like it was nothing. Perhaps she doesn't know how much money I have spent this month alone in that store. I mean, have you seen the Wonder Woman items I purchased in one of my posts? Now listen up Mac girl, if I want to lick every lipstick in the store like its a tootsie-roll pop then you will sit quietly and allow me to do so.

After the brief setback in my make-up pursuit, I resumed my search for the Subculture lipliner (which I swatched repeatedly on my dirty filthy grimey hands) but they were out of it. I didn't realize this at the time because I grabbed what I thought was Subculture only to find out later that it was "Sublime Culture". What the what?! Tricky. I think its the same color but in a different form. I prefer the kohl style pencil liner. Not willing to leave the store liner-less, I decided to try the shade, Dervish which is a darker and pinkier tone. Most of the lipsticks I wear are of the nude/pink variety so I thought this may work. Finally, it was on to achieve my original goal so we headed to JCrew where I purchased some lovely shorts that were in that hot new spring shade, "blush". It is no secret why I would be so drawn to that shade given that its named after a cosmetic product, and one of my favorite products at that. Also picked up a gorgeous headband that really spices up that boring pony tail or bun that is occuring more and more frequently these days. You will see this all in photos. Lastly, Ipicked up a pair of shorts and adorable turquoise flip-flops for my oldest daughter and a couple of t-shirts for myself. Side note: I am NOT liking that thing that J Crew and lots of other stores are doing which is making paper thin t-shirts so that either A. you have to buy a tank top from them to go under it or B. They are so thin that after washing them twice the fabric is so worn that you will start to see little holes or even worse, your entire naked body. Wow. That paragraph was boring, boring, and more boring. Let's jazz it up with more make-up and less JCrew.


DAY 2:
Goal: to return some Mac items, return JCrew cropped chino pants when I realized they were extrememly far from my personal style.
Goal met?: partly
Spending limit met?: until I went to Sephora, yes.


Went to Mac at a different mall. My favorite mall. And if anyone is from the Durham, NC area then you know the mall. My goal was to return one of the J Crew items and exchange for another pair of the shorts I liked but this time in a gorgeous gorgeous dark teal shade. Mission accomplished and even received a $31 refund. That just doesn't happen often. And if it does, you better believe I will desperately and frantically search what products are nearest to the counter so I can buy something to use up the $31.


So I was off to MAC where I tried to return four of my Golden Lariat MSF's from the MAC WW collection. These products just weren't moving like I thought they would and they were all perfectly BNIB. No dice. I brought the wrong receipt and I didn't want to accept any store credit because that doesn't lighten up the Louis V wallet. But I exchanged my Dervish lipliner for the Subculture that I orignally wanted and was very satisfied because, when swatched on my hand, Subculture is extrememly similar to my beloved Chanel lipliner in Natural. And half the price! It doesn't go on quite as smoothly as Chanel but its a great back-up just in case Chanel cosmetics goes out of business and there isn't a single lipliner of its kind on the planet. Then I went upstairs to the Chanel/Trish McEvoy/MAC/Kiehl's counter. I had heard that the "Creme de Corps" whipped body butter is to die for. It kind of is. I went in to buy it but somehow got talked into something similar to it but that included Argan Oil. Also made by Kiehl's. I asked her how much, she said "$35". I said, "not bad." Then she loaded me down with samples and gave me my total which was $59. Mind you, I bought one product and the samples were free. I said, woah, back up, did you give me the biggest size of that lotion? She said "yes, that was what you said you wanted."I began to think I was suffering from make-up dillusion and that I had blacked out a few minutes ago long enough to make a decision that I would have never made. I am not the "buy the biggest size" kind of girl. I like to go in more cautiously, like buying the smallest size so that I get the instant gratification of being able to take the product home right then while simultaneously lessening the guilt I will feel when I review the receipts later. However, I saw just how many samples she gave me including a one ounce cleanser and Creme de Corps in a nice sized deluxe sample jar so I let it go. Consequently, she will not be invited into a make-up friendship with me. Clearly, she's dishonest and dishonest make-up friends will give you poor poor advice in the attempt of benefiting from it. Bye bye Kiehl's girl! You just lost out on a good thing.

Finally came my last and longest stop. Sephora. This particular Sephora is bigger and more awesome than the mall from Saturday. In a nutshell, I fell in love with Hourglass concealer and when I went to reach for my shade I had a thought run through my head that winded up becoming my reality. It was gone. As were each of the other two shades they offered. And by "offer", I mean "tease you with". I was actually willing to go one shade darker in the concealer if they had it. That's love. But they had zero. I then walked up to another Sephora lady and asked for a "full coverage, super creamy, long-lasting concealer than can cover a sun spot or blemish as well as work under the eyes." She looked at me blankly. Was I in Sephora, the make-up store or was I in the food court? She then walked over to another girl who was doing make-up on someone and asked her the concealer question. It was suggested to me that Laura Mercier was the way to go. I have a couple of LM products and have never been disappointed so I was sold before I got to the display. I'm no dummy though so I tried it on and played with it for a minute and loved it. As I was reaching for the shade for me, I saw that there were none. Not again! So I told her, in the exact words, "you better be opening up that drawer down there to see if you have more." It didn't sound quite as "gun pointed at your head-ish" as I just made it sound,  but more like joking friendly sarcasm. For once in my Sephora loving life, someone opened up the drawer that is supposed to hold more product which typically doesn't hold more product, and pulled out the item that I wanted in the shade that I wanted. Have you ever once asked any sales person in any retail venue if they had more of a particular item "in the back" and upon returning from "the back" they brought you the product you asked for? Me neither. This was history in the making. I proceeded to ask her if I could borrow a big fluffy brush so I could continue to walk around like I owned the place and it was my own personal vanity. The brush comes into play because after trying on that concealer everywhere in the lightest shade they sell, I was looking like Edward Scissorhands. I was going to say Edward Cullen here but realized it wasn't my style and felt desperate to attract the younger audience. What I'm saying is that I was in major need of bronzer. I've heard amazing things about Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer. It's a great matte universal type non-shimmery bronzer that actually smells like chocolate. What could be better than those qualities rolled into one product? SO, I grabbed a gigantic Sephora brand fluffy powder brush from the platinum line that has the pink metallic handle and very cool plastic flip top brush protector and went to town. I started to fall more and more in love with the brush with each swipe. So I naturally bought it. What else was I supposed to do with it?

I'm saving the best part for last. The girl who helped me with LM concealer and gave me a glowing review on the Sephora brush was beginning to do make-up on a nice young lady who wanted to start wearing more make-up because she's an event planner and has to put her best face forward on a daily basis. I asked if I could watch. Normally that would sound very out of line in another setting but it felt like an acceptable question for the context of events. Once I received my personal invitation to observe, the customer, myself, and Laura Mercier concealer girl started chatting about make-up and life and suddenly it hit me! I think I was making make-up friends! So I wrote down the name of my blog and gave each of them a copy and that was that. If you are one of the girls I'm talking about, hello! And thanks for giving my blog a chance! You're famous now!

Coach Joanna Wedge @ Nordstrom

UPDATE! UNPLANNED!
Day 3
Goal: return Kiehl's lotion
Goal met?: ....and then some
Spending limit met?: no (starting to see a theme here?)

There was not supposed to be a "Day 3". Day 3's are for people that clearly have a problem and instead of "day three-ing it" at the mall, should instead be working on another set of numbers....in the form of steps. Like, perhaps a step program. But it turned out I wasn't happy with the Kiehl's episode from Day 2. Now I may be slightly insane as it is but $60 is far too much to pay for body lotion unless it transforms your legs into those of one Miss Gisele Bunchen. Sadly, this is not the case and it made my legs an oil slick which is not smart for going out in the sun because there is zero difference between that oily lotion and going out in the sun with a nice coat of Johnson & Johnson's baby oil. Oil is oil is oil no matter if its mineral or argan when applying to sunscreen-less skin and facing the outdoor the world. Ahh, life was so much more carefree before all this sunscreen skin cancer UV/UVA ray business came about. In the attempt to accomplish this goal, I stopped at Nordstrom to make my return but because Nordstrom just happens to be the happiest place on earth and also houses every item on my current wish list, I wanted to look at the shoes. Reason being, I have no cute black sandals and the ones (Coach Gypsy Op Art black wedges) I recently ordered in my size are actually too small. I began my shoe hunt when I tried on the Dolce Vita Pali, not to be confused with its more expensive and hotter sister the Dolce Vita "Pela". The Pela's are around $170 and there is a picture of them in my Target blog post but the Pali's are the cheaper version still made by Dolce Vita but run around $80. Not fully willing to commit to these less than the best Pela counterparts, I spotted a pair of Coach Joann leather wedge sandals that were just my style. Coach shoes aren't the most comfortable and they run very small. But since comfort has nothing to do with my shoe-buying decisions, this did not factor into the "trying on" equation. I also don't like the fact that many of the Coach items are walking advertisements for the brand. Unless you're advertising Louis Vuitton, I typically don't like that characteristic in my wardrobe attire. I had DV Pali on one foot and Coach Joann on the other. There was a clear winner. The Coach wedge looked classier and better with my toe-nail polish while the DV looked a bit frumpy and unpolished. The Coach wedge did have a drawback when compared to the DV. The pricetag. What to do, what to do. Well... $208 dollars later I returned the Kiehl's and didn't exchange it for anything. To reward myself for my sensible decision (not the shoe decision, the one after it) I wanted to stop in Sephora to see if they miraculously got the Hourglass concealer. They did not. Instead I asked about the new Brazilian Peels that just came out at Sephora that boast the results that a professional chemical peel give without the dryness and peeling. I was very intrigued because I had one chemical peel and microdermabrasion done last month and I loved them. However, they are expensive to do on a regular basis. An at-home solution to this problem seemed to good to be true. But they were only $78 and you received four treatments to do once per week. And I also had the endorsement of a trusted older Sephora employee who has tried everything in the store and has nice and unwrinkled skin.

And that was the end of my three day mall binge. I feel so dirty. I feel so guilty. So low. But lookin' good while I'm down here swimming in my pool of shame.


Future Planned Mall Binges:


Next Saturday at the same mall, they are having a Hello Kitty make-up event. If you aren't familiar, they have a new Hello Kitty make-up line which I swatched today while at the store. I honestly thought it wasn't going to be any good. I assumed that the line was all fluff and not performance. I also thought, prior to swatching the shadows, was that they were going to feel like sidewalk chalk. They didn't! The shadows were so creamy smooth and very heavily pigmented. My daughter's face lit up when she heard there would be someone dressed as Hello Kitty and she could have her picture taken with her. So looks like Saturday number two will also be spent inside of Sephora. Should I inquire about living accomodations? Oh well, who can say no to an adorable girl who loves make-up AND Hello Kitty? And my daughter will have fun too!

Recent Online Purchases (in photos):
The Tarte lip tint in "Charmed"
Hope In a Jar original version
China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway

My Current Wishlist for 2011 (achievable version!)

Just what I need, more stuff. What can I say, it makes me happy! Call me shallow but shallow people usually have nice stuff. I am making this wishlist in the secret hope that my husband will stumble upon it and never ever be at a loss for what to get me for special occasions. And it could also serve as a guideline for the fashionably or cosmetically challanged. In no particular categorical or logical order. Much like my life and my blog.

Much of this list is the direct result of being enticed by certain YouTube make-up gurus showing off items included in this list. I am an easy easy sell.


The Clear Cube:


Similar to the ones seen decorating the bathrooms of the Kardashians, these babies are the most talked about organization station of the last year. I've recently found out that they are not identical to the ones that the K-Dash girls use because theirs were of course designed specifically and uniquely for them but I do believe they are from the same manufacturer. Yes, they're expensive and depending on which style you get can run you around $300 or more. They are made of acrylic and are basically indestructable. My words, not theirs. More info: http://www.theclearcube.com/faq.html

Michael Kors White Ceramic/Rose Gold Watch:


White. Ceramic. Rose Gold. Enough said. Michael Kors does two things perfectly and that is watches and shoes. And its affordable too which is great. This watch will look stunning with a tan and be a perfect compliment to the new color trends this spring. I am loving all of the nudes, bronzes, blush tones this season. I've heard from a YouTube guru's video (LisaLisaD1) that Fossil actually makes MK watches along with other high-end brands and that you can find these watches in the Fossil outlets for very good prices. Ebay is also a great place for MK watches.

Dolce Vita Pela Wedge Sandals:

I ended up buying the knock-off of these shoes that DV is making for Target now for $29.99. True story, I bought they online and had them accidentally shipped to an old address that was still saved in my Target.com account. I have no idea if they will be forwarded on to me or if the woman who is renting my old house from us is walking around in them as we speak. Either way, I still want the original DV Pela's which run around $175 but look so amazing in nude and grey. See my Target/Dolce Vita blog for more info on the knock offs (and photo below of the real DV Pela's)

UPDATE: Tried the DV "Pali" style on at Nordstrom (details in the Feb 28th mall haul blog) which is the cheaper version of the Pela. It was cute and comfortable but just didn't stand up to the other shoe I was contemplating. Had I just tried this shoe and not the other, I would have easily purchased the Pali. It is only around $80 as opposed to $175 and looks very similar. The shades they are offered in are gorgeous too. There is a nude which is the must have sandal shade this spring and a stunning pale grey which is also very much in style this season.



Chan Lu Wrap Bracelets

 Gucci Wedge Sandals

MAC Peach Ombre Blush:

Gorgeously discontinued as many good things are. A gradiant blush that goes from a true peach to a pinky-coral tone. This is a sought after item and sells for around $60 on Ebay. And I'm not above paying a ridiculous price for something I want. Afterall, things like this have amazing re-sale value. Unlike things like cars and houses. As for the blush, you can't drive it or live in it but it sure will look good on my cheeks this spring.

Dolce Vita Pela Wedge Sandals (below)

                                                          China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway

Miss Make-Up Does Lipstick! Top Picks Of All Time!

Lipsticks and lipglosses are probably my favorite cosmetic category. Dating all the way back to high-school, I was obsessed with lipstick and would not be caught DEAD without it. Going to school without lipstick, for me, was the equivilant to going to school naked. I literally felt naked without my WetnWild Brandywine lipliner and Revlon ColorStay Sienna lipstick. And I'm no less obessessed today. Only, I will absolutely leave the house without my lips adorned with color. I mean, I'm not THAT crazy. Sometimes, I can at least wait until I get in my car and if I'm running late, I put on my lipliner or lipgloss at a red light, or both if its a long light! So I don't do the dark lipstick thing very often like back in the 90's and I'm proud to admit I NEVER did the dark lipliner and pale lipstick combination. Today, I keep it pretty neutral with the occasional unexpected bright or bold lip. I have compiled a list of my top favorite lip products and they include lipstick, lipgloss, lipliner, lip balm, and anything else I can think of. These are really in no particular order. Just whatever came to mind.

A Little Background:

 I am fair-medium cool-toned complexion with platinum hair and blue eyes. These shades work with my skin tone and other characteristics but may not work for everyone. According to your skin tone, certain shades with certain undertones will work best for you and others will not. If you share a similar complexion, these should work for you as well. You will see most of my faves are from MAC because I think MAC lipstick gives the best shade selection and formula choices for the price. With the climbing drustore make-up prices, you can pay $3-$4 more and get a much better quality lipstick at MAC. I'm starting out with the most recent loves and working my way down to the ones I've used for a while.


MAC Marquis D' lipstick:

A gorgeous neutral, a peachy-sand shade with very fine shimmer, lustre formula so it will give off a bit of shine which enables you to go lipgloss-less if you are wearing this lipstick. My current fave lip combo at the moment is this lipstick paired with Chanel Natural lipliner and sometimes Emancipation lipgloss from MAC over top. I apply a pretty good base on my lips with the liner and then go to town with the lipstick. Using a lipliner to outline and fill in your lips before applying your lipstick will make for a longer lasting richer color.


Chanel Lipliner "Natural":

A must-have staple in my make-up collection. If I was without this lipliner, my lips would not be complete. A very neutral peachy toned liner that will work with most everything. Yes, Chanel make-up is expensive and I believe this liner was $29 but you get the liner on one end and on the other end is a lipbrush and you get a Chanel sharpener made specifically to sharpen the liner. This is a great idea because sometimes you will end up chopping off more than you want to when using a larger sharpener.


MAC Subculture Lipliner:

I am placing this one after the Chanel liner because I think its a cheap alternative choice for a great neutral peachy pink liner. At around $14.50 it is a great choice for a quality lipliner that you can use over and over with many lipsticks. Another couple of great choices although not in my collection, are MAC Spice and Naked lipliners.


MAC Pink Lemonade Lipglass:

A gorgeous summer-time or anytime shade. This is a beautiful and opaque coral-pink toned lipgloss. Some lipgloss is sheer and don't put out that "liquid lipstick" type color which is the point of not buying a lipstick, but sometimes you want the color pay-off in gloss formation. If color is what you want, color is what you'll get with Pink Lemonade. If you've never used a MAC lipglass and you don't like sticky glosses, you may not like this one. I happen to like sticky glosses because they STICK to your lips and last a long time. I don't like slippery glosses for the simple fact that you have to re-apply every 10 seconds and buy more product a lot more often. I highly recommend this for darker skin tones or practically anyone with a bit of color on their face.


MAC Speed Dial Lipstick:

Boy, this has turned in to my favorite MAC lip products of all time but I promise I will switch it up. This lipstick is a cool-toned, blue-based,bright pink. Translation: this lipstick looks great on fair skinned people with pinky undertones like myself. If you like MAC Pink Noveau, you may even like this better. You may look a little crazy if you have a dark complexion from medium-tan on up. Think Nikki Manaj wearing her "Pink Friday" lipstick. Speed Dial is in this same category along with other MAC lipsticks like Saint Germaine and Snob. If you are fair-skinned, cool tones with a blue base look best on you.


NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Cafe:

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is a 99cent favorite that I discovered several years ago through Makeupalley.com This is an amazing neutral shade, kind of a peachy pink champagne with a slight frost. Others have described the "frost" as more of a "metallic" sheen. Either way, its subtle and doesn't ruin the appearance. It has good staying power. Some have said it is a bit drying and others say it feels like a lip balm. Use your own judgement. As with any other brand that offers 99cent lipsticks, the packaging is pretty awful. I don't even think that once you twist it up that it twists back down. And almost all of the lids on the lipsticks that I own from NYC have cracked. This glowing review is for the actual "product" and not the packaging. For 99cents, you can't expect it to look like Yves Saint Laurent. What have you got to lose? Give it a go!


NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Sheer Red:

Warning: looks slightly scary in the tube if you aren't really looking for a super "red" red lipstick. But you'll be surprised if you give it a try. This is a fabulous introduction into the bold and seductive world of red lipstick. And once again, its 99cents. It is semi-sheer but builds up to a gorgeous blue-based cherry brick red. I just made that up. I've seen "cherry" red and I've seen "brick" red but never "cherry brick." Like the sound of it! Yes, another blue-based lipstick. I mention this a lot because its what I tend to gravitate towards being fair-medium complected with cooler undertones. Hint hint, cool toned people. Toss those shades that are too warm for you and take my "Lipstick 101" course starting here on my beauty blog at "right now" o'clock. Every woman should own a decent red lipstick and if you don't wear it very often then paying 99 cents is perfect and no one will ever be able to tell that you did. NYC makes other great reds that are highly rated as well like "Retro Red" which looks how it sounds and gives off an orangey-red appearance. Would look fantastic paired with OPI Mon-sooner or Later nail polish. I digress. "Ruby" is yet another great NYC red that has been compared to MAC's New York Apple. It is a true red that is brighter than the others and is also said to work with most skin-tones.


Rimmel Lip Liner East-End Snob:

Another lip lining staple and must-have product for pink lovers. This will work with most all pinks that are in the light-medium range. I've known people to just put on a good lip balm, fill in their lips with East End Snob and put on their fave pink gloss and they're all set. There isn't much else to say. Its pink. Its cheap. It works.


La Mer Lip Balm:

Once again, bouncing to the other end of the expensive and lavish spectrum is my next faveorite. This is lip balm. Its $45. Yes I know, your $2.99 Burt's Bees works just as good and you can't believe I'd spend $45 for a mere lip balm. Let the judging begin. Stand in line behind those that judge me for buying Louis Vuitton bags when their "Target" bags work just as well and look just as good. Umm, no, they don't. And either does your Burt's Bees. I love the La Mer lip balm becuase it tastes very good and fresh with a non-overpowering minty taste. It feels great on the lips and it actually does moisturize. It contains the same "miracle broth" ingredient that their famous and coveted Creme de La Mer contains. Plus I'm a sucker for packaging and it comes in a gorgeous little round pot with silver twist-off cap. I'm about 30% of the way through and I got it at Christmas-time. Not too bad. Works great under lipstick and this is where I get picky with lip balms. Some are too thick, waxy, or greasy or just not great pre-lipstick lip balms for whatever reason. I like my lips to be moisturized and not coated with waxy lip balm to the point where my lip liner will not glide on because of the waxy substance beneath it. This stuff is the perfect wing-man for my lipsticks and glosses. Take your Burt's Bees and shove it.


Clinique Lipstick Angel:

Another very wearable, good for everyone, red lipstick. This is a raspberry-toned red which looks especially good on fair tones but great on tan and dark skin as well. I know this because I look good in it (fair) and my sister-in-law who recommended it to me looks good in it (tan). I wear it with a red Rimmel lipliner that I can't remember the name of. Just go to a store that carries Rimmel and look for a red lipliner. That should do it. Very smoothe lipstick and glides on very well. Not too matte and not too glossy which is the perfect formula. Clinique is a tried and true make-up brand so you don't really have to research the reputation of this brand.

 NYX Mega-shine Lipgloss Beige:

I've already written about this one in my "How Did I Get This Far Without These?" products. It smells good, has great lasting power, just sticky enough to last but not sticky enough bother those that don't prefer sticky glosses. It is also nice and opaque and gives the appearance of more of a liquid lipstick rather than a gloss which can often be sheer. Don't let the name "Beige" fool you because it isn't beige. The. Perfect. Shade. Of. Pink.


Honorable Mentions:

NARS Orgasm Lipgloss:

The perfect peach toned summer shade that looks just like the famous NARS blush by the same name. The signature NARS shade made famous by their gorgeous shades of blush have absolutely made a big name for themselves in the cosmetics industry. Fun fact: When I see the NARS products on QVC, they sometimes sell "Orgasm" products like the multiple or the blush only they aren't allowed to say "Orgasm" so they say "O" or refer to it as the famous blush that starts with an "O". I think Orgasm was a clinical text-book term but I guess the producers over at QVC aren't fond of it.

MAC Lipglass Starlet Kiss Heatherette:

An old favorite and also a limited edition MAC product that was released with their famous Heatherette packaging. Pretty much near impossible to find one but I have kept mine for the purpose of its way cool packaging even though the lipgloss inside of it is a distant memory. But what great memories they are. A gorgeous opaque, bubble-gum pink gloss in the silver/hot pink/black "Heatherette" for MAC design. Quite possibly the best packaging MAC has ever done.

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick:

My previous HG (Holy Grail) lipstick. I know you're thinking, how did an HG end up losing its HG status and land in the honorable mention category? Well I'll tell ya. It was my HG before discovering a new HG that would soon be replaced by yet another HG (Speed-Dial). What can I say, MAC does "pink" right and I fall in (and out of) love easily when it comes to their pinks. Creme Cup is a much more wearable every day pink shade that doesn't have the brightness  or "wow" factor that shades like Speed-dial, Pink Friday, Pink Nouveau, and Snob have. This is your basic Barbie pink that can be worn with a natural day-time "going to work" look or an ultra-sexy glammed up smokey eye. Very versatile and highly recommended. For all ages and skin tones.

Favorite Lip Product Combos:

I mentioned one of them but I will reiterate in case you skipped over that part in an attempt to eliminate my excessive wordiness. 

Combo #1: I am enjoying the Chanel Natural lipliner where I outline and then fill in my lips to provide a good base because the Marquise D' is a lustre and although it provides a nice sheen it just doesn't have the lasting power I prefer. So I use the Marquise D' and then the Emancipation lipglass from the same Wonder Woman collection. Marquise and Emancipation go perfectly together and it makes for a beautiful peachy-nude lip that will not wash you out if you have trouble pulling off this look normally. I do think all skin tones can pull off this very pretty and wearable natural full lip look.

Combo#2
Similar to the one above. What can I say, I love nude lips. Probably because I love a strong eye look and haven't been able to pull off a good nude lip until a make-up artist at Mac showed me how to work with "Myth" lipstick. Prior to this lesson, wearing Myth made me look like I should be wearing a toe tag and laying on a stretcher waiting to be identified by my family. But, she showed me how to avoid this cold and lifeless look and instead brought my Myth covered lips to life. First, take Subculture lipliner from Mac which I've said is very similar to Chanel Natural (there are swatches in my Feb. 28th blog), line and fill in the lips as a base much like the combo#1 above. Then put on your Myth lipstick and top it off with the Mac Plushglass in Big Baby. It looked gorgeous and what made it even more gorgeous was that she did a super bold and fun eye look using the new "Valiant" palette (the green one) from the Wonder Woman collection. Well geez, I guess I shouldn't even stop there now that I'm going beyond the original goal of doing a lip combo. She also contoured my cheeks with the MSF in Natural (medium plus) because I'm on the fair side and the medium plus was a dark enough contour for the cheek bones. I want to say she used the Mighty Aphrodite peachy side for the blush but this is not official. To top it off she added some of the reflects pearl in the corners and slightly under the eye for a "wow" factor. Hey, if you're gonna go to a Wonder Woman event and get your make-up done you should just have fun with it. The word "neutral" never came out of my mouth. I was quite proud.


What's On My Lipstick Wishlist?:

Le Metier de Beaute Colour Core Lipstick:

I've been wanting to try these desperately and just haven't gotten around to doing so because they're only available at stores such as Neiman Marcus, Berdorf Goodman, Nordstrom and I can't get myself to buy without testing them out first. I have a Nordstrom near me and need to see if they carry them in store or just online. I've heard such amazing things about these lipsticks and I'm very curious. They are around $32 which is twice as expensive as a MAC ($) lipstick and similar to the YSL ($$) yet not quite reaching the same category as a Chanel ($$$) lipstick.

The Early (And Crazy) Bird Gets The Pink Power MSF Worm!

So I've mentioned in previous blogs that the Pink Power MSF is the gem of the Wonder Woman collection that MAC released on February 10 2011 in the US. Several MAC stores didn't even receive stock in this product and those that did didn't receive very many, some only receiving one or two and some not even getting one to put in their tester display. Being the little go-getter that I am was able to fanagle 7 of the 10 total MSF's between two MAC stores. The first five I got on opening day. The latest two I called about 15 different MAC stores to get and the only one I could find had two of them and wouldn't hold them for me but told me I had to get there right when they opened because they've had several calls for it. My competitive nature was up for that challange. After all, I had several people still trying to find them through me. I got to the mall around 9:00am. They open super early for the mall-walkers. So I joined them in my stilletos to kill about an hour, only stopping for a Mocha Frappe from McDonalds and I perched myself outside of Belk where one of the MAC counters is located in the mall. I didn't even want to sit on a bench that was around six feet to the right of the entrance because I was afraid someone else would come right up and take my spot. I shifted myself to where the door actually opens to enter Belk as opposed to standing off to the side because I didn't want anyone else to get the prime spot. I tried to locate a MAC employee to get their attention that I wanted Pink Power when they opened, but apparently they don't get their early to get things ready for the day and I began to get anxious. Not a soul in sight in the cosmetics department until someone showed up with a delivery for none other than MAC cosmetics. That totally could have been my angle now that I think about it. Anyway, it was some sort of large Wonder Woman cut-out for their event party this weekend. A MAC girl appeared behind the counter to greet the woman delivering the package and I now had an "in". I politely waited for my turn to speak to the woman that held my Pink Power fate in her hands. I said, I'm here to get your remaining two Pink Power MSF's. Puzzled, she said let me check to see if we still have those. They better still have them, according to a MAC boy the night before during my fourth call this week, they could not sell them until 10am on the day I was standing there waiting for the doors to open. Around 10 minutes later she came up to the glass and flashed the two golden tickets and said they were mine because she saw me first. Hallelujia! I could then relax and browse other products like a normal person. I don't get to feel like one of those very often.

Fast forward to the actual Wonder Woman event party at the free-standing MAC store today where my daughter and I had an appointment to get our make-up done. They were supposed to have "glamazons" dressed with Wonder Woman themes. I thought that "glamazon" was the new word for "drag-queen." Unfortunately, this was not the case. Instead, the glamazons were 6 feet tall, super skinny, legs for days, young models dressed in red satin hot-pants and red and gold boots. Close enough. You could get your picture taken with these hot young thangs after you got your make-up done, with a Wonder Woman cartoon-ish background. I was a bit puzzled that they didn't have someone actually dressed like Wonder Woman because it would have made for a much better and more logical photo-op. Instead it just looks like my daughter and I went to the MAC store with our new supermodel friend.


We had our make-up done by a fantastic, sweet, and very talented make-up artist named Julie. Julie had previously been extrememly helpful when I came to MAC the morning the collection first came out. She located for me six of the Mighty Aphrodite blush and five of the Pink Power MSF. And she was very sweet to my daughter so I requested that she be the one to do our make-up. She adorned my daughter in white glitter all around her eyes and at the request of my daughter, Athena's Kiss lipgloss. For those that don't know, this is one of the jumbo lip-glass in a bright purple-fuschia color that my daughter had been talking about all morning. Julie then glammed me up with an ultra-evening look from one of the new palettes. And as I've said before, I don't have a day-time look. I prefer a night-time look or a "more" night-time look all day every day. Ask and you shall receive. Nothing like a cat-eye in the daytime with white shimmer in the corners of my eyes. This may sound like a hot-mess but it was just plain hot. An added bonus was that she showed me how to wear a true nude lipstick without appearing as though the blood has drained completely out of my body. I now had a whole new respect for MAC "Myth" nude lipstick. With the right lipliner and gloss, your face can literally be brought to life. This brings me to the point I just decided to make when talking about how nice the make-up artist was. I am so used to the pitiful, pathetic, and inhumane customer service in all arenas of the retail or food industry or everything else industry that when I meet someone that is genuinely helpful without trying to get anything in return, I feel like I need to reward them in some way. It should be a give-in that consumers are treated with respect and sincerity but instead it feels like something we have to earn. Its the American way. So, for Julie's reward for being a decent human being, I am going to surprise her with a MAC Pink Friday lipstick. The ultra-exclusive lipstick was only sold during four days of the months of November and December and it was available online only. Julie told me she had never even seen the lipstick in person and was ultra excited that I would bring one in to merely show her. Little does she know, I am going to give a brand new boxed one to her. They say kindness is contagious. I believe it is. So go do something for someone else or something.


In photos: The only one not self explanatory is the photo on the right of what appears to be a shoebox of some sort. This is all of my MAC Wonder Woman stuff and my Rock and Republic blush collection. On the one side is Golden Lariat and Pink Power Mineralize Skin Finish followed in the same column by Mighty Aphrodite blush. In the other column are some of the lipsticks and lipglosses from WW along with my Rock and Republic blush collection. Jealous? You should be. Hit me up, I may be able to work with you.


The other non-self-explanatory photo is just a flier from Nordstrom when they did their release party, Not much of a party if you can't even release either of the MSF's. I bought their one and only Golden Lariat MSF the day they released it and the only other one they had of its kind was for their tester box. This was the store that received no Pink Power. The statment on the flier "MAC and Wonder Woman have saved the day again" leaves many wondering, "HOW"? If you ask me, MAC could have used Wonder Woman when they released their collection to do one of her spin moves to spin them up some product to sell.

Really Cheap Eyeshadow = Really Good Eyeshadow? Wet N' Wild Says Yes!

A Little Background Info:


I've been able to see the potential in Wet N' Wild for a while as they have had some stand-out products throughout their time as "that cheap drugstore brand". Namely, their lipliner in shade Brandywine 666 which I've been using for 16 years! Ever since Sophomore year of high school, Brandywine has graced my lips for all major events of my life. But back then I paired it with Revlon Colorstay lipstick in "Sienna" which would be my signature lip combo for years to come. I've since replaced Brandywine with my Chanel lipliner in "Neutral" but it was Brandwine that instilled hope in me that Wet N' Wild was not a throw away brand. Other impressive products being their black gel liner which is the blackest black I've ever used and some of their blush like "Berry Shimmer" is so pigmented that it will last forever. A reviewer once described it as giving the appearance of the cheek color of "Snow White". Even if this isn't true, I admit its what sold me.  A big-time drawback to a lot of their products that require plastic cases are the plastic cases. Very flimsy and will break faster than you can even get it opened. I have one in my bathroom drawer shattered to pieces but still has a full amount of product that I'm clinging onto.  This is turning into a blush/lipliner review and the following paragraphs will actually relate to the subject of the blog. Read on:






Overall Impressions: Texture


But WnW really grew out of the ugly duckling stage with their Color Icon line. After trying several of the trios, I can safely say that WnW has arrived and it is now their time to shine. I have four of the trios and I would love to get more. I've seen other girls do YouTube videos on the Color Icon eight shadow palettes but I have yet to find them in any of my local drugstores. Back to the review on the products I DO have. The shadows are so soft and buttery smooth that they are almost a cross between a regular powder eyeshadow and a cream eyeshadow. I especially noticed this texture when I was doing the swatches in the enclosed photos and had to rub my finger across the shadow multiple times so I could get a good picture. You certainly don't have to do this to get good color pay-off on your eyes. By far the texture and pigmentation are the qualities most sought after in an eyeshadow and WnW exceeds my expectations in both categories. My opinion is that the Color Icon shadows most resemble the texture of Urban Decay shadows. They are smoother and softer than anything from MAC, NARS, Too Faced, YSL, Chanel, and any single shadow you can find in the drugstore (the list goes on and on).


Overall Impressions: Shade Selection
The shade selection is overall pretty standard and easy to find in several other lines but they did have a few stand-out shades like in the navy/gold/silver-blue trio in my photos. All three of these shades are unique and gorgeous and make for a really good evening eye. For me, I'd wear it in the daytime too. I don't have a daytime look for make-up as it is. I only have a "nightime look" and a "more nightime look." Another very stunning shade can be found (or should I say NOT easily found) in one of the eight-shadow palettes. The palette is called "Blue Had Me At Hello", and the shade is the green/blue on the right side of palette in the enclosed photo. I don't believe that there are individually named shadows with these but I could be wrong. This is one I'd like to get my hands on and I do believe its fairly easy to find on Ebay for around $9.99. Depending on where you purchase the shadow from, I've seen them range anywhere from $3-$4.99. Very good price for the quality you receive. If you are lucky you can get them at a Buy One Get One Free or BOGO 50% off which drugstores are always doing with different brands. Personally, I found it hard to come by a good selection in my CVS, Walgreens, or Wal-Mart. They usually only had a maximum of three different shade trios to choose from. Overall, I think that the neutral shades from the Color Icon shadows could easily be placed in the Urban Decay Naked Palette right along side shades like "Sin"and "Toasted" and no one would be able to tell a difference.


Overall Impressions: My Faves! (and not so faves)

My favorite of the four trios I have taken pictures of and shown color swatches for is the "Sweet As Candy" trio. You get a creamy ivory shade for the browbone, a true brown with a slightly bronze tone for the crease, and a silver-toned pink for the lid. All of these shades have a subtle metallic sheen as well. I have been wearing this trio to death. This says a lot because I choose it over a large multitude of high-end brand and/or much more expensive eyeshadows. I have almost hit the pan on the pink shade in this trio and this really says something because I have only done this twice in my life! And the other time was with the Cover Girl Shimmering Sands trio. Proof positive that drug store brands are improving their competitive edge. Moving on, my second favorite and most often used trio is the "Walking on Eggshells" Trio which gives you a slightly more beige/ivory browbone shade. I prefer this brownbone shade over the one in Sweet As Candy. Next you get a bronze brown that is lighter than the one previously mentioned in the last trio.Lastly, the eyelid shade is more of a peach-toned pink which is just gorgeous. You can easily mix and match these trios and they would still compliment one another perfectly. For a change of pace, the next trio is called "I Got Good Jeans" and is part of the Spring 2011 collection. For the browbone you get a silvery-blue shade which is gorgeous but I don't think it works on the browbone being that it is just too much color. You'd have to use a very light hand with it and it could work. Next, a true navy blue with subtle sparkle. I love this shade. Truly one of my favorites! I've been looking for a good navy and this is perfect. Also perfect is its coordinating eyelid shade which is gold with gold shimmer. Coupled together, you have a stunning combination for a dramatic eye. I am trying to hunt down "Silent Treatment" which is also a part of the Spring 2011 collection. Another beautiful neutral palette with what looks to be a dark dark brown crease shade and taupey-brown lid color. This is said to be the hardest to find. Figures. Last, and in my opinion, least if I'm going to play favorites is "Knock On Wood." This trio looks a bit confused. The shades are very pretty, don't get me wrong. I just think they don't work in the order they are put in. For one, the lid shade is pretty dark for a lid shade. Its a brown-toned dusty rose shade and made me look sick when I applied it to my eyelid. Kind of like a cross between getting punched and waking up with a swollen eye lid. This would actually make a good crease color. The crease color it does come with is fine for the crease as it is being the darkest of the three browns I've spoken about. The browbone shade is also misplaced in my opinion. It is too much color for a browbone shade. It is a true mauve. Even with the lightest application it would still make you look like you got punched again. This would make a much better lid color but I'd still tone it down with one of the other pinks in the other trios.


Special Features:


Another plus is that Wet N' Wild does have them labeled as "browbone", "crease", and "eyelid" to show their suggestion for the application and also prove that they are coordinated in such a way to compliment one another and take the guess work out of what to pair with what. People love this, trust me.


I will be purchasing more as I see more of a selection in stores. I'd like to give Wet N' Wild a pat on the back for jumping into the game and possibly winning a few as well. I reach for my Color Icon trios just as often as the Urban Decay Naked Palette and could easily see any one of the shades in my Color Icon Trios right along side of UD favorites like "Sin" or "Toasted".


**In photos: "I Got Good Jeans" (very top), "Sweet As Candy" (below IGGJ), a collection of WnW shades ( below, and not the entire shade selections available), "Walking On Eggshells", "Knock On Wood", two of the 8 shadow Color Icon palettes (very bottom, including the green shade I was talking about)**


                                                                                                         
 

Target Steps Up Their Game in 2011!

Dolce Vita Pela $127.00 (above left)  

Dolce Vita nude wedge for Target $29.99 ( above right)
Dolce Vita for Target black wedge (below left) $29.99
Dolce Vita Porter wedge (below left) $89.00
Mossimo Wendi colog in brown/black $24.99 (below center/right)

Target has done a decent job in my opinion of keeping up with trends in their clothing and shoe lines. There are some drawbacks but if you are familiar enough with the different brands, you know what to buy and what to pass on by. One major downside to their women's shoes in the past has been their excruciating lack of comfort. I once had a pair of Mossimo silver thong style sandals with some sort of medallion embellishment in the middle of the front of my foot. This medallion may as well have been a chinese torture device because it dug into my foot with each stride. Each step more painful the one before it. I am pretty positive that if you go to Hell, the devil makes you wear these shoes during your stay. I was so desperate to rid myself of these shoes that I stopped at a DSW shoe store to buy a replacement pair to wear for the day. Fast forward to 2011 and we have both style and comfort in the same shoe. I present to you both the Dolce Vita line for Target as well as Mossimo which is a permanent Target brand and also the makers of the shoe from hell. I saw a YouTube video from Lorraine, TheCurrentCustom, and she bought a pair from this line. Lorraine has amazing style and she said they were comfortable and looked more expensive than they were ($29.99). So I looked at them at Target.com and fell in love with a particular pair in the nude shade which is all the rage for the spring season (see photo). I ordered them online because the nude shade was said to be only available online. While at Target today, I was anxious to see this Dolce Vita for Target line up close and try on a pair. I tried on the shoe that I had purchased online and was available in store in dark brown and black. Something I should mention is that Dolce Vita's regular non-Target shoe line features the same style of shoe but probably using real leather and possible higher quality materials. And they're probably 3-4 times the price (depending where you get them) than Target sells the other version for. The overall verdict is that they are very cute, trendy, easy to walk in and great quality for the price. Sold. I wanted black but they didn't have my size. I cruised on over to the other side of the aisle and low and behold found a pair of Mossimo Wendi clogs that I liked just as much if not more than the DV strappy wedge style. I thought to myself "yeah they look good but I bet they will be a killer to walk in." Much to my surprise, I was wrong! They are so comfortable. I purchased the brown color and have been wearing them for the last several hours. I am happy to report that they are still comfortable and going strong. Way to go Target! We are loving the new styles. And by "we" I mean ME and the assumption that the rest of America will feel the same way.


**For the record, the Dolce Vita sandals not labeled in my post as "for Target" are not sold at Target, but rather, various online sources. If it says Target, it is available either at Target or Target.com**