Your Daily Dose of Cute

I don't feel like talking about talking about makeup at the moment because I'm in the middle of an applesauce attack, but here's your daily dose of cute:



Between that and the wide-eyed little boy baby at the storytime meeting today, I think I might want another one after all.

Micabella update

I just found on my shadow jar that it's 2.5 grams of product. Not the 5 I thought. Still, it's more than I will ever use up and since I'd have a hard time splitting a MAC Pigment with someone, I'd almost rather pay $10/shadow and get to play with more colors. I probably won't buy more simply because I have too much eyeshadow and I'm pretty sure I can get more product for less from other brands. The color payoff may just be a little less intense with those. The Micabella shadows are seriously beautiful.

Micabella Mineral Cosmetics

My mom was in town for the weekend to celebrate the 4th and my birthday. In true patriotic fashion, we went to the mall to light our wallets on fire and shoot them into the skylight heavens. First stop was Charlotte Russe, where they were having a great sale and I felt pretty darn cute in clothes I'm probably too old for. Trudging my way back to the door with two very large bags in tow with a sick "Why did I buy all that stuff?" feeling in the pit of my stomach, I wasn't giving my mom the attention I would usually afford my toddler if she were my shopping buddy.

So when she stopped to admire something shiny and say "Ooh, pretty" aloud at the Micabella kiosk (Micabella.com), my reaction ("RUN!") was a little delayed. I knew they were notoriously aggressive salespeople there. I didn't actually get the "Run!" out before the beautiful lady at the register swooped in and scooped me up with her perfectly pigmented talons (ok, manicured nails, but humor me on the mental image). She deposited me into her comfy little chair and went to work more aggressively than my own mama to try to make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. I swear, if I ever have a really bad day and feel like a total hag (frequently do), I'm going there.

That said and all questionably genuine compliments aside, the products are really nice and if you're stubborn enough about not wanting to buy anything after they've taken the time to make you up, you can score a decent deal. The prices they tell you at first are not final. I ended up giving in and buying the foundation on top of three shadows. I wanted the blush, too, but I was already feeling like I should be about three feet shorter, looking over my shoulder with a naughty little grin and one glittery, pigment-covered hand in a forbidden cookie jar. In reality, my hand was just poised mid-air, credit card dangling.

The foundation does make my skin look flawless. It feels good to the touch and to my face. It's like I don't have anything on. Despite its powder form, it doesn't feel dry and tight like a lot of them do on me. I thought the color was a little dark for me but it looks better today. I got Lady Godiva. The shadows can be used eight ways, similar to pigments and loose shadow pigments from other brands (in your hair for highlights, in your lotion, mixed with clear mascara or nail polish, as lip gloss, as liner when used wet, etc). The shadows are highly pigmented and smooth; they also come in a range of colors to compete with almost any other makeup line. Because they're loose, you can also mix them to create custom colors.

If you're a fan of MAC pigments but hate the almost-$20.00 price tag and the fact that they don't come with sifters, you can get three Micabella shadows (with sifters) for $30. You get 7.5 grams of MAC pigment compared to what appears to be slightly less of the Micabella pigments (I can't find the number of grams anywhere, but it appears to be around 5).

Micabella makeup is 100% pure mica and minerals. There are no preservatives, dyes, chemicals, talc, or oils. They also never expire, so if it takes you 20 years to use up a product, it's not a problem. Just don't add moisture or oils to the main jar; keep things sanitary and you'll be fine.

The Best Highlighter (Face)

I've been searching for the perfect cheek highlighter lately. Who knew it was already in my makeup collection? It's the one eye shadow I have from Stila--Kitten. It's a frosty peach-pink that's so light it's almost white, but not so white that it's too stark against my skin. It's also one of the silkiest shadows I've ever used. I love it on the tops of my cheekbones and the inner corners of my eyes. I'm going to try it above my cupid's bow one of these days when I actually think about putting on my lipstick before I get in the car. I think it'll make my upper lip look plumper. This is such a multi-purpose product!

Now, if I can just find the perfect cheek contour color...I'm not buying anything this month, so I'm forcing myself to figure out new ways to use the stuff I already have. That and maybe I can use up some of the things I've been collecting for years.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Review

This is for the regular Too Faced Shadow Insurance, not the colored "Lockdown" version that just came out.

Texture: Kind of oily/slick. You only need a tiny, tiny bit for both eyes because it spreads out so easily for a thin, even layer. This tube could probably last about a year for me. Maybe a little less.

Color: It looks beige when you squirt it out of the tube, but it's invisible on.
Price: $17 for .35 ounces, and you can get it at Sephora, Ulta, or TooFaced.com

Packaging: One of the more sanitary ones. It's a squeeze tube with a small tip so it's easy to control how much comes out. You don't have to dip your fingers in and you'll also be able to easily get the majority of the product out. The container was my biggest complaint about Urban Decay Primer Potion. If you didn't cut it open, you'd throw away about 2/3 of the product. This one's sort of like a very small tube of toothpaste.

Performance: I never knew my eye shadow could last all day on my inner corner OR stay bright all day long. Other things I tried like Urban Decay Primer Potion and MAC Paint Pots (which I used to swear by) just don't cut it anymore. At all. I'm going to have to force myself to finish my Paint Pots in Bare Study and Painterly just so I don't waste product and can use the containers for Back 2 MAC. I just can't say enough good things about this stuff. I really never knew a primer could work so well.

Point to consider: I have dry lids. I have heard that if you have oily lids, this isn't a good match and UDPP is better.

Favorite Products for April

April's almost over and I've discovered (or re-discovered) a few products that I absolutely love this month:

*MAC Silverthorn eye shadow: This one came out with the Rose Romance collection this month. It's not a simple silver. I see a lilac-blue tone plus a gold shimmer. It's hard to describe but this is a very unique color! And you know how some things show up in heavy swatches but don't translate well to the lids? I could still see the blue/gold tones on my lids yesterday when I wore this shadow on the lid with Circa Plum pigment, also from the Rose Romance collection, in the crease.

*MAC Just a Pinch Gel Blush (also from Rose Romance): It looks scary in the jar, but it makes you look like an innocent girl who just got her first kiss when you put it on. It's just a glowing, beautiful flush that blends into your skin effortlessly. If you've tried the cream blushes and thought this was the same, go try it anyway. The texture is completely different, lighter, easier to blend, and just, ahhh...

*Cover Girl LipStain in Everbloom Kiss: This is the lightest one and it's pinker than the other one that I have, Teasing Blush. That one shows up almost berry-red on me. Both are pretty, but I like Everbloom Kiss better for fair skin during the warmer months.

*MAC Perfect Topping Mineralized Skin Finish: It's barely-there pink and perfect to use as a blush OR all-over skin brightener. Use a regular, dense blush brush for blush application and a big, fluffy brush if you want to use it all over to brighten up your skin.

*Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara: I got this in Extreme Black and I'm still loving it. I mentioned this one earlier along with the LipStains.

*LUSH Honey I Washed the Kids Soap and Solid Perfume: One word: MMM! It's a pretty sweet scent, so if that's not your thing, you might want to pass. However, it's not completely sweet to me; I think it's got a clean sort of undertone, too. Either way, it's worth a sniff! I haven't been using anything else since I got it.

*Milani Nail Polish in Day Dreaming: This is a light, creamy gray. The lasting power is average for me. I've had it on for three or four days and there's some slight chipping around the tips of about half of my fingers. I didn't use a topcoat, though.

*MAC Dazzleglass in Steppin' Out: This is the only Dazzleglass I think I would repurchase. It's a beautiful hot pink with a slight coral tinge that doesn't scream for attention when you put it on, but just does a nice job of brightening your face. It complements MOST makeup looks I do, but I wouldn't pair it with a smoky eye or anything that dramatic.

And some products I tried that I wasn't impressed with this month:
*MAC Shadestick in Cakeshop: I tried it on my hand and it looked beautiful. The pewter-green shade showed up and the shimmer looked like shimmer, not glitter. On my EYES, however, the color disappeared and I was left with big chunks of glitter...which left ME with a big sty.

*Revlon Creme Gloss: The color (Slip into Pink) I got isn't bad, but I was hoping for a different applicator. It is a pretty, shiny nude-pink. Stupid me for not looking into it further before grabbing it. I just don't like the flow-through brushes. They tend to get messy and I feel like I either have too much product or not enough. This is one reason I'm not crazy about Stila's Lip Glazes.

*NARS Blush in Torrid: Even applying with the lightest hand makes me look blotchy and like I'm in the middle of an eczema attack. This will be better when I've got a little more color. It's still a very pretty medium coral-pink with a tiny bit of gold shimmer, though. It's darker and warmer than NARS Orgasm, one of my favorite blushes. Anyway, Torrid is beautiful, but just not the best for me most months of the year.

Drugstore Makeup Finds

Yep, it's me. I'm alive! My goal is to start posting regularly next month. Life got pretty busy for a while there, in good ways and in bad ones. I'm trying to lay off the shopping for a while, but I couldn't resist a few drugstore finds. They're cheap, right? That's what I keep telling myself, "Oh, it's just $5.00..." MAC still has my heart, but it's easier to justify three things at Walgreens for the price of one thing at the mall. Here are some of the goodies I've picked up and love:

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara: I'm usually disappointed by Rimmel mascaras despite the snazzy packaging that sucks me in almost every time. The brush on this one is curvy and it's plastic like Maybelline Define-A-Lash, Cover Girl Lash Blast, etc. It's almost like three balls in a line. I got it in Extreme Black, which really IS black, black, black--not gray. So far, it's thickened and lengthened my lashes. It says it curls, too, but I never really notice that with any mascara. My lashes aren't particularly straight to start with. Anyway, one big problem I have when it comes to mascaras is their tendency to kind of disappear. I don't know if it just wears off at the tips or what, but what starts as a va-va-voom lash day can fall to a measly attempt to maybe look like my lashes are tinted. This formula, though, stayed on all day. Yay!

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse: I got this one in Pink Frosting this time. I had a darker one once before that I absolutely despised because of the blotchy appearance it gave my skin. I ended up trying to give it away. This is a light, youthful pink and it's great on my fair skin. I'm on the fence about sparkles. Sometimes I see them and think they're obnoxious and sometimes I don't. As in, sometimes I just don't see sparkles on my cheeks at all so I'm not sure if there are glitter mermaids swimming around in there, coming up to the surface on random days to check out another life in the sun. (Can you tell I just introduced my daughter to The Little Mermaid?) If you like warmer tones, there's a peach one that looks really similar to this one. It was gorgeous too, but I didn't want to go all crazy and get two before I made sure I liked this one. I may go back for it. I'd like to wait for some sort of Maybelline BOGO sale though, because they tend to pop up frequently and I paid full price (still less than $8.00) for this one already. The consistency of this blush is like whipped cream and you just barely have to tap your fingertips into the pop to pick up enough color. Then you tap it onto the apples of your cheeks and blend around and back toward the temples. It's not scary because it's not the type of blush that will dry in one spot before you get the chance to smooth it out. The color is a bright, neutral medium pink that makes you look like you have a juicy little secret.

Cover Girl Lipstains: Beware of the colors! They're brighter than you might expect based on the packaging. I got Tempting Blush and it's a pretty red-berry color. The packaging is one of the lighter ones. Application will take you back to elementary school when you might've colored your lips with markers. That's essentially what this is--a fruity magic marker for your mouth. What makes that great is the precision you get. I once had a lip stain from Sonia Kashuk's line that not only tickled like crazy when I tried to apply it to my lips, but the brush was flimsy and I couldn't get it to go only where I wanted it. With this Cover Girl brush, you could line your lips and then fill them in with color--definition AND long-lasting color. Nice. Oh, and some of the reviews said they don't last that long, but I've had mine on since about 6:00. It's lasted through a meal, snacks, smooches, and a few glasses of water. It faded just a bit, but it looks better, more natural, this way.