I'm Alive--Just Not Here!

Happy New Year!!

Even though nobody cares this blog is pretty much dead and done :D

I may be opening a personal blog in the near future, but I've always been so bad about diaries and blogs and daily upkeep with things that require effort. Heh.

My last post here was in April! APRIL! It was Sephora's Pantone collection thing.

Guess what I did with the box in the picture? Well I took all the products out and put them away. Then last night while I was cleaning out my closet, I ripped out all the foam padding so now it's just an ugly cardboard bottom.

I was thinking of placing a magnetic sheet to cover up the ugly and place my Rock & Republic eyeshadows in there (depotted of course). Those poor babies never get used. By never I mean I *may* have used one eyeshadow once in the last 2 years I've had them.

Which brings me to my next point. I still like makeup a lot! I read Temptalia.com everyday and keep up with new product launches, but I rarely use or wear any of it. I've given away 75% of my stash to family and friends (who love them!). I haven't really bought anything new in months.

Welp...I'll still keep the site open because I've always liked to refer back to certain blogs for their swatches even when the blogger is long gone. If you want to reach me, I'm on Twitter as @joysmackme. TALK TO YOU LAAAAAATERRRR.

love & blessings,
Joyce

Sephora + Pantone Universe Color of the Year Collector's Edition Photos and Swatches

I'm a terrible blogger. I haven't blogged in months. I sort of...lost interest to be honest! I couldn't take good photos, frustrated myself, and just never tried again. I'm such a quitter sometimes! The Sephora + Pantone Universe collection is quite interesting to me, so I wanted to at least post randomly about it.

After playing around with this set for a couple days, I don't regret spending $68.00 on all the items. However, I wouldn't buy these products individually (except for the blush duo!) With the exception of the eyeshadow quad, the products are great but definitely not worth the price point they've been positioned. Per ounce, most of the products are more expensive than say MAC for a Sephora house brand which I'm not too comfortable with. If you see something you just *have* to have, go ahead and indulge! But take your purchase with a grain of salt.

By the way, is it just me or does it seem like this is the only year the beauty industry has vocally cared about Pantone's color of the year? Is it because orange can be used on all eyes, cheeks, and lips? I don't understand! Why weren't there collaborations and fusses before? Maybe I'm just losing my mind :P Oh and beware, this post is very photo-heavy.

Manicure: Lincoln Park After Dark + Essie Shine of the Times

This is my first holographic flakie polish! I applied Essie Shine of the Times on top of my only OPI polish, Lincoln Park After Dark. The latter has a disappointing formula. These photos were taken the day after I did my nails. Already there's noticeable tip wear? Boo!

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette ($4.99, 8 x 0.0375 oz., Drugstore.com) is an 8-pan eyeshadow palette featuring 4 neutral shades and 4 green-tone shades. The palette is a cheap square plastic case with a clear lid to easily view the shades; there is no mirror.

Wet n Wild shades are unnamed, so I'll just describe each shade by its color--

Beige is a warm yellowed creamy beige with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture and great pigmentation. I think it's a bit too reflective as a brow bone highlight, so I like to pair it with a matte beige to tone down the frost.

Copper is a warm pinky copper with a metallic-frost finish. It is incredibly soft, smooth, and dense in texture with excellent pigmentation. It's a rather complex shade for a drugstore eyeshadow!

Brown is a warm medium bronze-brown with a satin finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. Paired with the copper, it makes for a fantastic natural smokey eye!

Burgundy is a warm blackened reddish burgundy brown with gold shimmer and a satin finish. It has a dry, hard, thin texture with low pigmentation. It comes across more black in application. Wet n Wild has similar shades like this in other palettes--all of which are particularly poor.

Look: Green to Teal to Blue Eyes and Peach Lips

• Eyes
  Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
  Wet n Wild I Dream of Greenie ColorIcon Eyeshadow Trio; Eyelid on inner lid
  Kat Von D Angeles True Romance Eyeshadow Palette; Peggy on outer lid, Bukowski to define
  Rock & Republic Carat eyeshadow to highlight
  Physicians Formula Green Eyes Shimmer Strips CreamLiner on upper lash line
  Urban Decay Flipside, El Dorado 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil on lower lash line
  CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara
  Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit dark browns to fill in brows
• Lips
  Revlon Sunset Peach ColorBurst Lipgloss
• Face
  Clinique Calming Ivory Redness Solutions Makeup sample
  Tarte Tipsy Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush on cheeks

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick Review and Swatches

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick

Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick ($39.00, 0.40 oz., Sephora) is a warm highlighter/blush featuring 5 strips of varying coral, pink, and gold shades. Shimmerbricks are typically packaged in square plastic compacts with an included mirror. I did a few looks using Nectar here, here, and here.

The strips can be used individually as eyeshadows, but you'll have to use it over a base or primer and layer for opaque payoff. It has a thinner, harder texture but is still quite smooth. A single pass of a brush is enough to highlight cheeks, but a few more layers is necessary to build up as a blush. I find this particular Shimmerbrick shade to be really modern, beautiful, and flattering.

I love that it comes with so much product, because I can't see myself finishing this anytime soon. They're about the same as Benefit's older boxed powders. It wears well on me over foundation and tends to wear off quicker on bare skin. The packaging holds fingerprints very easily, but it's not that big of a problem to me. Nectar is my favorite Shimmerbrick to date because I love pinky corals, and this one isn't as frosty.

My 2011 Makeup Favorites

Since the beauty industry is booming, 2011 had a great run of amazing products! The items pictured here are my absolute favorites for the entire year--products I've reached for often and have bought back-ups of. Even though more and more awesome products are being released as the years come, I think most of these products will remain in my stash forever!

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duo Review and Swatches

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duos

L'Oreal Lively, Cheeky HiP Concentrated Shadow Duos ($5.49 - $8.49, 0.08 oz., Drugstore) are coordinating eyeshadow duos packaged in round plastic purple compacts. Both of these shades have harder, thinner textures but rather smooth just the same.

Lively has a neutral-cool light brownish taupe with a soft satin finish on the left. The right side has a neutral shimmery darkened forest green with a frost finish. I like this duo for an effortless everyday eye with green accents.

Cheeky has a warm reddish cranberry pink with a frost finish on the left. The right side has a warm plummy purple with a frost finish. If I don't use this correctly, my eyes can appear a bit bruised! But separately, I absolutely love these shades.

I suppose for a drugstore product, L'Oreal HiP duos are nicely pigmented, but I wouldn't go as far as describing them to have "high intensity pigments." I have found L'Oreal HiP duos to have varying payoff and application success. The matte shades are rather chalky; metallic shades are pigmented and smooth; crystal shades are thinner and sheerer; and frost finish shades are about average. I would suggest only grabbing duos that you find you'll use often as these aren't of must-have quality.

Manicure: 2011 New Year Nails

This is what I wore for New Years Eve and a few days later. I went to no parties or get-togethers. I sat at home with my dog and watched Bones. LOL. Anyways...I'm not too crazy about this manicure. I think the two glitters should have been switched. Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters is SO disappointing. That is THREE coats of PoFG on the pink nails!

NYX Hot Pink, Sahara, Golden Dune, Sunset Ray Single Eyeshadow Review and Swatches

NYX Sahara, Golden Dune, Sunset Ray, Hot Pink Single Eyeshadows
NYX Single Eyeshadows (~$5.00, 0.09 oz., Cherry Culture, NYX) are really affordable single eyeshadows in part of an extensive range of shades and finishes. They all come in a square black plastic compact with a clear lid and snap closure. This post includes Sahara, Golden Dune, Sunset Ray, and Hot Pink.

Sahara is a yellowy beige with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation. I find it a bit too frosty as a brow highlight, but when toned down with a matte beige, Sahara serves as a beautiful highlight shade.

Golden Dune is a golden bronze with multi-chromatic shimmer and a metallic finish. It reminds me of a lighter Urban Decay Smog. It has a soft, dense, slightly crumbly texture with excellent pigmentation.

Sunset Ray is a neutral-cool carrot orange with a shimmer finish. It has a slightly dry, yet smooth and dense texture with good, build-able pigmentation. I found that it applies slightly unevenly. I prefer more yellowed oranges, so Sunset Ray doesn't see much love from me.

Hot Pink (matte) is a borderline neon deep pink with a mostly matte finish but detectable shimmers throughout. It has a dry, stiff texture with good, build-able pigmentation. The unfavorable formula leads to uneven application. It kind of reminds me of NARS Desire blush!

These are the only single NYX eyeshadows I own, but from these four I have to say that I like them. I find that I don't reach for them as often because I have yet to depot them into a custom palette. There are so many shades to choose from, so the collecting process can seem daunting (like MAC and MUFE shadows can be). I love how affordable they are for such a generous amount of product!

Look: Smokey Warm Cranberry Eyes

• Eyes
  Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo Eye Studio Eyeshadow on lid
  Stila Damsel Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner smudged out on upper lash line
  Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette; Black to define, Beige to highlight
  NYX Sahara Single Eyeshadow to highlight
  Urban Decay Naked Palette; Naked + Buck to contour
  Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit dark browns to fill in brows
• Lips
  YSL Nude Beige Rouge Volupté Lipstick
  Avon Tickled Pink Glazewear Shine Lip Gloss
• Face
  Maybelline Sandy Beige 220 Fit Me! Liquid Foundation
  Maybelline Light/Medium Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector under eyes, on blemishes
  Physicians Formula Natural Beige Healthy Wear Powder Foundation
  theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer on cheeks, mixed with:
  NYX Pinched Powder Blush on cheeks

Display Notice: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Makeup

My local CVS is just knocking it out of the park with all these awesome displays! I grabbed both the Natural and Rose Happy Booster blushes from last year. I definitely want all the products on this display!

Display Notice: Revlon PhotoReady Primers

You know how you read one bad thing about a product and it's just engraved into your memory forever? I have a stigma with everything Revlon PhotoReady because somewhere I read that it was a huge glitter-bomb fiasco. It makes me hesitant to try any of these products! But they're packaged so nicely...and target specific needs...and I WANT THEM! Spotted this at CVS but saw a display at Walmart also!

Display Notice: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick Collection by Kate Moss

Finally! They're here in my beloved America! I've been crying for months seeing these lipsticks on the blogosphere and unable to have them. I think 001 and 008 are on top of my list!

Display Notice: Wet n Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color

I saw this display at the Dover Air Force Base AAEFES. To be *completely* honest, none of these shades really appeal to me. I'm not into demure nudes or muted pastels. I have enough reds, so the deep purple is the only shade that I may want. However, if the formula is fantastic, I may change my mind!

Revlon Carbonite Nail Enamel Review and Swatches

Revlon Carbonite Nail Enamel ($2.00 - $4.99, 0.5 oz., Drugstores) is a smokey charcoal with silver, gold, and darker charcoal shimmer and a high metallic finish. It is a limited edition shade part of the Grit Grandeur collection. It reminds me of the look of furiously used pencil shavings.

The brush is well designed for the formula. It isn't too long or flimsy. It distributes the medium-thick formula very well for easy control and application. You could get away with two coats, but if you want super opacity, I'd apply three coats. Carbonite wore well for a few days before I saw tip wear (but no chipping).

I was super impressed by Carbonite's formula because I typically have terrible luck with Revlon polishes. This particular shade applied evenly and semi-opaque in one coat--unheard of for Revlon polishes! I love the smokiness, metallic finish, and multidimensional nuances. I wasn't able to locate any in my drugstores, but I did see one at Big Lots for $2.00!

Look: Golden Pomegranate Orchid Eyes

• Eyes
  Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo Eye Studio Eyeshadow on lid
  Estée Lauder Deep Orchid Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme on outer lid
  Urban Decay Naked Palette; Half Baked on inner corner, Naked + Buck to contour, Virgin to highlight
  Physicians Formula Brown Eyes Shimmer Strips Gel CreamLiner to line upper lash line
  aerie Color Plum Forever Liner on lower lash line
  Wet n Wild Lust ColorIcon Palette; dark matte purple on lower lash line
  CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara
  Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit dark browns to fill in brows
• Lips
  Urban Decay Naked Lipstick
• Face
  Almay Sand Clear Complexion Makeup
  Physicians Formula Natural Beige Healthy Wear Powder Foundation
  Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick on cheeks

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Review and Swatches

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush
Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush ($25.00, 0.20 oz., Sephora) is a muted natural medium plummy pink with a softened matte finish. Like all Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes, the product's packaging is a solid circular acrylic compact mimicking the shade of the blush with a mirror and snap closure.

It's easily one of my favorite blushes of all time! I find myself reaching for it all the time lately because it goes with any look, any occasion, any purpose. It wears well on me (about 6-8 hours), but not as well as some other blushes I've tried which is strange because it's touted as having 12-hour wear.

Exposed is unbelievably beautiful and flattering for any skin-tone, any time of the year. It's one of those unexpected mind-blowing blush shades like MAC Blushbaby or Korres Natural. Even though it's pricey at $25.00, it is one of those higher end products that I completely recommend as a must-have!

Look: My Christmas 2011 Makeup

Sorry for the lackluster pictures! I didn't have time to capture quality shots so I did what I could with my iPhone's camera. A classic holiday look: neutral eyes and red lips! METALLIC red lips!

• Eyes
  Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
  Urban Decay Naked Palette; Sin on lid, Buck to contour, Virgin to highlight
  e.l.f. Black Studio Cream Eyeliner on upper lash line
  Urban Decay Whiskey 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil on lower lash line
  CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof mascara
  Anastasia Highlighting Brow Kit medium and dark browns to fill in brows
• Lips
  NYX Plush Red Slim Lip Pencil
  Kat Von D Adora Foiled Love Lipstick
• Face
  MUFE No. 40 Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation
  CoverGirl Translucent Honey TRUblend Pressed Powder
  Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush on cheeks
  theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer to highlight

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Review and Swatches

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3
theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 ($39.50, 9 x 0.067 oz., theBalm) is a 9-pan eyeshadow palette with beautiful multi-chromatic shades. The palette is a thin, study, hard cardboard square with a magnetic closure and full-sized mirror.

Lusty Lee is a cool steel silver with a metallic-frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, slightly thin texture with great pigmentation.

Envious Erin is a warm pale yellow-white with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with great pigmentation.

Racy Kacy is a warm red-copper with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, dense texture with excellent pigmentation.

Safe Bet Annette is a cool pale light pink with a frost finish. It has a soft, smooth, but thin texture with great pigmentation.