A Mention of MAC

I wanted to quickly mention something that most of you may already know about. However, it's good to mention, nonetheless. S informed me of the MAC Recycling Program a few months ago and it's a cool program! I thought about it this morning as I applied my Ricepaper shadow to my lid - I'm starting to run low on that stuff because I use it every single day!

The MAC Recycling Program essentially has you trade in six of your old MAC products to a MAC store or via snail mail and they will give you a free MAC lipstick in exchange. This way, you are properly disposing of your old makeup materials and getting a little something out of it at the same time. In fact, I believe S was able to get a new eyeshadow when she went to the store in person. That's a great way to try out a new color!

So be sure to save your old MAC containers and do the exchange. It's a win-win situation.

-A

The Best Part of Waking Up

I don't usually walk into Bath and Body Works anymore, but I did last month and something caught my eye. It was the packaging of a product. I saw a golden and green shiny bottle that was intriguing to me - almost calling my name. My mom was at the front of the line already so it was crunch time if I needed to throw in an extra product - I didn't want to wait on that long line again! I grabbed it, smelled it, and decided it would be a great body wash for me. After all, I was in the market for a new body wash. I went with it.

A few days later, I finally broke out my Ginger Mentha Warming Mint Body Wash by C.O. Bigelow. I was pleasantly surprised when I felt it on my body - it warmed up instantly!! You would think I would have realized this with the keyword "Warming" in the very name of the product, but alas, I did not. Ginger Mentha is minty, creamy, and even has some scrubbing beads in it.

Ever feel like you can't pull yourself out from under the warm covers on a cold, rainy day? Well, C.O. Bigelow's formula is the perfect way to wake me up in the morning and definitely to get me going. It keeps me fresh and comfortable -- who wants to feel cold in the shower?

I love C.O. Bigelow's Ginger Mentha Warming Mint Body Wash! Makes for a great stocking stuffer too! ;)

-A

On Stage with my Sole Mate

I've heard many-a-girl tell me they are so tired of the cult favorite nail polish Wicked by Essie. So I went on a mission to find something that could replace it. What did I find, you ask? My new fave is Sephora by OPI's On Stage.

This shade of purple (yes, purple) is great for the Fall and Winter seasons. It's dark (but not too dark) and vibrant. And because it's a Sephora by OPI, it lasts well over a week, dries fast, and looks nice and shiny. I absolutely love it. And it's not like it clashes with anything - it can definitely match anything you're wearing. I love it!

I've also been eyeing Sole Mate by Essie for my nails. It's a deep red/burgundy color that I think is great for the holiday season. I have yet to actually seek it out (hey, I've been thinking about Christmas shopping for others!), but it's a great stocking stuffer. Maybe Santa will bring it to me ;).

Sometimes we tend to get a little bored or tired of the same old stuff. Luckily, we have lots of options each season to adapt our normal favorites to represent new trends. On Stage and Sole Mate are two of this year's favorites for me.

-A

Not So Blush

Being the makeup-obsessed lover that I am, I of course had to sneak a peek at the new Lifetime reality show, Blush. I hadn't heard much buzz around it - in fact, I missed the first episode. Had it not been for @ElkeVonF, I would have probably let the show go under the radar. She had said that she wasn't too thrilled with the work they did on the show and I definitely need to agree.

Now, I'm no professional, but I just think the work they were doing on the show was so boring or way too over-the-top. Their first challenge was to use a bunch of food products as makeup for the models' faces. I guess they did their best - who knows what I would've done with the products myself - but for professional makeup artists (some are amateurs, however), I don't know how they are where they are.

Of course we have the diva attitudes and crazy personalities. One guy is just ridiculous and of course he was saved from elimination the first day. Now, if you were saved from elimination and were mostly praised by the judges for your work on your first task, wouldn't you just keep quiet? It seems that he has some sort of issue with himself or his work or with being with other people. He has his guard up and it's quite annoying. He may be doing an OK job, but he needs to get out of there.

I do not know what happened after that premiere episode. Despite watching it on demand, I didn't feel compelled enough to watch the second episode. This is one reality competition show that I'll sadly have to pass on. They still need to learn a few things for sure, but this makeup lover is definitely gonna stick to working my own mascara and blush.

-A

A Pleasant Liquid Eyeliner Surprise

I never thought that I'd like any kind of cream or liquid makeup, but I was definitely wrong. I decided to try out some liquid eyeliner because it seemed that when S used it, her eyes seemed much more dramatic than my pencil-lined eyes. S uses Chanel's felt-tipped liquid eyeliner, but I decided to try out Maybelline's Lineworks® Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner because of its similar felt tip (not to mention it's significantly lower price).

I absolutely love this liner. It's so rich in color, sharp-looking, and lasts all day. And although I normally stay away from waterproof because it's so hard to remove at the end of the day, this is the perfect liner that will come right off with a few wipes of my cotton ball soaked in eye makeup remover.

Liquid liner should be applied only above the top lashes and in an almost dotted-line fashion. It's easier than doing one flail swoop and you'll get a straighter line this way. The good thing about liquid liner, too, is that you can fix any mistakes with a Q-tip. It's great!! (Just don't forget to connect all the dots!!)

I'm really excited that I found a great drugstore product. Although I usually go to Sephora for all my makeup needs, I scored a great liquid eyeliner with Maybelline's Lineworks® Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. This just goes to show you that you might find such a great product when you least expect it. I never thought liquid or waterproof products were for me. I also don't normally run into the drugstore to pick up a new product because I can't test it. But this time these three variables really helped me pick the perfect eyeliner.

-A

Is This All I Need?

I got back to the gym yesterday. I am very excited about that. I've been pumped all day long! After my lovely shower last night, I decided I should really put moisturizer on right after I get out of the shower. My moisturizer even says to put on after you've washed your face and it is still damp. I thought, hey, why not follow the directions? My face felt so soft and protected and smooth. I was very happy about that.

Now my question - was it that I put moisturizer on twice yesterday or that I've begun using yet another different moisturizer? I purchased Prescriptives All You Need + SPF 15 moisturizer for oilier skin recently and have found my face to be nice and smooth. With my new revelation, I think what I should do is put my tinted moisturizer on in the morning and my regular Prescriptives on at night. That sounds like a good plan.

I've been rather obsessive in my search for the right moisturizer, I know. And my face literally produces more oil than a bottle of EVOO. Now, I know what you're thinking, if you have such oily skin, why a moisturizer?

I was told by a makeup artist at Nordstrom in Vegas that everyone should use a moisturizer, no matter what their skin type. If you have dry skin, it's obvious why you'll need a moisturizer. But if you have oily skin it's also important. You see, when you wash your face, some of the natural oils are whisked away. Your face naturally produces oils after this, but overcompensates for the fact that your face has no oil on it at all. And poof! Way too much oil - which is very hard to accept. I'm certainly not a fan.

Two thumbs up for Prescriptives moisturizer. I'll keep you posted…

-A

Twinkly and Sparkly

I was recently talking about bronzers with S and told her how much I love my NARS Laguna. She pointed out that she wasn't that big a fan of Laguna because it has sparkles in it and she likes her bronzer to be matte. I thought this was a great point, but I had never even noticed that this NARS bronzer had any sparkle to it! But she was right because when I looked at it again I noticed the subtle sparkles in the palette.

Sparkles. There's a time to use them and a time to save them. Are they a look we should strive for? Last year I got a sample of Urban Decay's Midnight Cowboy and loved it when I paired it with Urban Decay's Mildew. When I bought it a few months later, I felt that it was way too sparkly for a day at work, which is why I prefer MAC's Ricepaper (even MAC's Gleam is a bit too sparkly). In fact, Urban Decay's website does define the shade as "pink champagne w/ lots of silver glitter."

For daily wear, I do continue to use my NARS Laguna because I feel like my face is not all sparkly. Sparkles, to me, indicate party time - a night out on the town when you want to highlight and be dramatic. However, sparkles can actually be very fetching and fun if done correctly.

Subtle sparkles are the way to go for a day at work or an event where you want to have a more natural look. Glam it up with fun sparkles when you go to the club or want to liven up your typical smoky eye. It's a great way to have fun with your makeup!! Let's just not go crazy… I mean, I don't want to see my reflection in your eyes, but a little sparkle here and there is always a good thing. It's like putting a little twinkle in your eye. ;)

-A