Let's go over it, shall we?
Make Up For Ever Eyeshadows (Matte formulas)
I wanted to experiment with some new colors, specifically orange and yellow. I had visions of a 'sunset' eye look comprised of orange, yellow, pink and electric purple. I already had a fantastic pink and purple in my Make Up For Ever palette (which conveniently still had 5 empty spaces to fill), so I grabbed #18 Tangerine (a gorgeous orange that evokes coral or a really ripe canteloupe) and #71 Sunflower (a rich yellow, like the inner flesh of a perfectly ripe nectarine).
In the 80's, one of my favorite eye looks consisted of a bright green lid with bright yellow shadow from crease to brow bone. (I was 15 - it was allowed!) In honor of that look, I also grabbed #91 - Apple Green. Yay!
Sephora Collection Professionnel Platinum Angle Liner Brush #22
My go-to "day" look has been a simple one, focusing on an even complexion using NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc and NARS Illuminator in Orgasm, followed by NARS The Multiple in Portofino applied to my cheeks and eyelids. The look is finished with a cat-eye liner look using gray shadow and an angles brush. The only angled brush I had was a teeny one that came with a Kat Von D cream liner. Quite frankly, it's a terrible brush (and a terrible cream liner). I will now be able to achieve this look more easily. Decent brushes are a must have, folks!
Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Honey (SPF 15)
Fresh has long intrigued me as a cosmetics line. I was first turned on to them by their fragrances. They used to have a whole bunch of them in intriguing herby and floral scent combinations like Red Currant & Basil or Pomegranate & Anise. They smelled delicious, but they were $65 a bottle (not much by my price standards now, but definitely then) and the fragrances didn't last long at all. Then, they came out with the Sugar collection. I was pretty excited by Lemon Sugar, but the scent disappointed me. So did the Sake collection and several others. I started just skipping this section at Sephora.
Then they came out with the Sugar Lip Treatments and the Tinted Lip Treatments. Savvy, savvy Sephora and their Impulse Bins of Doom featured the Sugar Rose while I was in Las Vegas last summer and I had to have it. I freaking LOVED it. It's comfortable, adds just the right amount of color and tastes delicious. (Fair warning: If you live in a hot climate, do not apply outside. It melts really easily!)
This past winter, they came out with Sugar Plum. Again, I had to have it. It gives a little bit more color than the Sugar Rose, but it's very wearable even on my pale skin. Now, there's Sugar Honey, a nude version of the same product. Fresh, big kiss to you for these!
The 'Freebies'
As a Sephora Beauty Insider (yeah, you KNOW I signed up for that they day they rolled it out in Seattle. No joke - I was there the very first day!), I get points for all my purchases. Since I've been doing the bulk of my NARS shopping at Nordstrom, I don't accrue as many points as I used. Plus, for the last couple of years, I haven't been impressed by the 'deluxe samples'. Yesterday, they finally got me to cash in.
I used to be obsessed with Benefit Cosmetics the way I am obsessed with NARS and Make Up For Ever now. I wanted to have a 'signature' line and I was totally seduced by Benefit's packaging. Unfortunately, I abandoned them because their Bad Gal Mascara wasn't to my liking. Also, can you imagine a Product Slut that is brand-monogamous? Perish the thought!
At any rate, what Benefit does VERY VERY well is their cheek colors. I was reminded of this when I bought the sample pack of mini-Benetint, High Beam and Posie Tint. The 500 point Beauty Insider Bonus right now is a trio of Benefit Best Sellers: Dandelion Face Powder, That Gal Brightening Face Primer and Bad Gal mascara. Clearly, I will be giving away the Bad Gal mascara, but I have missed Dandelion and can't wait to play with That Gal. I'd also received an email from Sephora telling me the new 100 point perk was Benefit's brand new mascara: they're Real. It's a curling, lengthening, volumizing, glossy formula with a brush that reminds me of Chanel Inimitable Mascara (only slightly bigger than Chanel's). Curling mascaras are the best for me. I hate eyelash curlers, but my lashes grow straight down so they're a necessary evil. I'll let you know how it works out. Chanel Inimitable is still my bench marker for GREATEST MASCARA ever, but I haven't been able to justify $30 for a mascara that I can only use for a few months as opposed to other products that last at least double that time.
Whew! I feel sated on new products for a bit! Don't worry, I still have plenty to review!
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