December Favorites

Many blogs are doing a "best of 2011" post, but since I only started my bloggle this year, and am (comparatively) reserved in my purchases, I don't feel at all qualified to do one of my own. However, monthly favorites/empties posts are also popular, and I figured I should maybe start doing that, and what better time than now? Unlike Tip Tuesday or Recommendation Thursday, it doesn't require too much research on my part, but will hopefully still be fun and interesting for you all! I'm also hoping that the fact that it's only once a month means I'll be able to actually consistently post it (unlike my "weekly" features...). So, without further ado, here's what I've been loving in December!

MAC Matchmaster 1, Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder

MAC Matchmaster 1, Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder

I use these almost every day (occasionally I'll wear another foundation from one of my samples, but I always set it with Kryolan!). Yes, foundation and powder are boring "favorites", but as one of the only real staples in my collection, I felt I had to give them the attention they deserve!

DC

It's that time again, lovelies––I'm off to visit the boy in DC! Since it's New Year's, I probably won't be around much until the 3rd, but I've got a few posts scheduled, and I'll try to check in when possible.

I'm only bringing a few makeup products (carry-on/liquids rules suck), so I've pretty much got my NYE look planned out based on that: Urban Decay Rollergirl (minus the pink, probably), Urban Decay Rockstar eyeliner, theBalm Cabana Boy blush, and Chanel Dragon. I'm sorry I wasn't able to take a picture of everything together, but I put it off 'til today (bad Amy!) and now I have to leave to go to brunch then the airport. I will try to do a post-trip makeup summary/guide for how to save space when traveling, but no promises––the LSA (Linguistic Society of America) conference is the day after I get back from DC, and the day after I get back from that school starts. So, yeah. We'll see. But, so you don't feel completely abandoned, here's a picture of my NYE manicure. I suspect it'll be horribly chipped by tomorrow, but hey, I had to at least try!

Layering order:
1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails hardener
2 coats Orly Au Champagne (review to come, at some point)
2 coats Essence Prism@tic White
1 coat INM Out the Door

I wasn't able to capture it in a picture, but the layering combination gives completely opaque shimmery white nails that color shift from turquoise to purple to pink. It's pretty awesome. Very wintry!

As always, leave a comment, tweet me, or send me an email if you have any questions, and I'll get back to you ASAP! Have a lovely new year, and thank you all so much for reading, commenting, and giving this blog a reason to exist! Happy 2012!

Currently Coveting: Chanel Chance Twist & Spray Perfumes

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

Hey, look! It's a Fragrance Friday-related Wanted! I'd like to say I planned it that way, but...oh, heck, it's my blog, I can lie if I want ;-)

Chance eau fraîche, Chance eau tendre, images via Chanel

Chanel has released two limited edition purse sprays in two of my very favorite scents: Chance eau fraîche, and Chance eau tendre (the former was my signature scent for a couple of years, and I plan on picking it up again when summer rolls around; the latter is a lovely fruity floral that works great in the colder weather, too). The convenience and cuteness is just too much! These are available from Chanel.com and select stores, and at $72 for 0.7 oz, are more expensive than the bottled perfumes (eau fraîche: $65/1.7 oz, eau tendre: $68/1.7 oz), but if you feel like splurging, they're definitely something to keep in mind!
$72 for 0.7 oz, available from Chanel

Currently Coveting: Urban Decay Mini 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Sets in Darks and Brights

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

With the holidays over, there's been an increase in the number of new products available at Sephora and other online beauty retailers––yay! Urban Decay's come out with two new sets of mini eyeliner pencils, one in dark colors and one in bright (though honestly, I think they both have a mix of both those kinds!).

UD Mini 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Sets in Darks (left) and Brights (right); images via Sephora (both sets are linked in there––have fun figuring out where the division lies!)

The Darks set comes with eyeliners in Corrupt, Graffiti, Oil Slick, Ransom, and Stash, and the Brights set includes El Dorado, Rockstar, Electric, Binge, and Corrupt. Both sets have 5 x 0.02 oz liners for $19 (compared to the full-size 0.04 oz liners for $18), and are a great way to try out 24/7 liners if you haven't before! I'm going through a not-wearing-eyeliner stage right now, so I don't think I'll purchase either, but I'm sorely tempted to just because they're such a great deal.

NYX Maroon Nail Polish Review and Swatches

I thought I'd reviewed this already, but going through my photos stash, I realized I hadn't! Whoopsy daisy, my bad. Better late than never! Especially since this is a permanent shade.

2 coats NYX Maroon, no top coat

Chanel Mat Lumière SPF 15 Foundation in 02 Porcelaine Review and Swatches

When I went foundation shopping at Macy's, I knew I wanted to stop by the Chanel/Dior counter just for kicks (and to pick up Chanel Dragon). The SA said the Mat Lumière formula would be best for me, as it's designed to control oil and be long-lasting but not heavy, and matched me to the lightest shade, 02 Porcelaine, a pale cool shade.

Image via Chanel

Currently Coveting: Sephora Prisma Chrome Eyeshadow

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

New and unusual formulas of eyeshadow have been all the rage this past year (see: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre, Armani Eyes to Kill, Estee Lauder Gelée Powder), and it looks like Sephora is jumping on the bandwagon with their new Prisma Chrome eyeshadows.

Image via Sephora

Available in 10 shades, these are supposed to "bring together the best features of baked, powder, and cream shadows. [Their] revolutionary effect captures light perfectly, delivering a prismatic effect with an unbelievably smooth and true color finish." Sounds interesting, no? The design and formula sound a lot like Estee Lauder's Gelée Powder eyeshadows, but at $15 for 0.12 oz, these are much cheaper, and I'm super curious about how they compare! Moon Beam and Shimmery Sand appeal to me in particular, with my passion for neutral eyeshadows, but it looks like there are some beautiful bold and bright colors too. Let me know if you've tried them, and what you think! I may have to add one to my next Sephora order...

theBalm TimeBalm Concealer in Lighter than Light Review and Swatches

You may recall a previous mini-review of mine on this same product in Light. I took back the set that came in, and when theBalm's 40% off Black Friday sale rolled around, decided to pick it up in Lighter than Light and see what I thought. So far? I'm liking it quite a lot!

theBalm TimeBalm Concealer in Lighter than Light

Milani HD Advanced Lip Color in Modern Mauve Review and Swatches

Another item from my Milani 50% off haul, oh goody! I've been wanting to try this lipstick for awhile, but between it not being available anywhere near me and being $9 for 0.06 oz, I couldn't quite take the plunge. But half off with free shipping is an offer I can't refuse, so I did some research and figured Modern Mauve would be the closest thing to MLBB in the line for me. Herewith, my musings.

Milani Modern Mauve

Merry Christmas!

I hope you're all having a lovely day with your family :-) We don't celebrate Christmas religiously (at least not in my immediate family), but we do use it as an excuse to all be together and eat lots of food (our favorite pastime!).

Here are my Christmas nails; I painted them late last night after having a disastrous experience with the red Milani One Coat Glitter (denting, chipping, terrible), but I like this combination! And, beautifully, they match one of my rings––don't you love it when that happens?

Layering order, all but ring finger: (ETA: I realize now that I'm not wearing my ring on my ring finger, but I assume you're all intelligent enough to figure out what's going on.)
1 coat Brucci hardener
1 thick coat NYX Maroon
1 coat INM Out the Door

Ring finger:
1 coat Brucci hardener
3 coats Color Club Gingerbread
1 coat INM Out the Door
1 coat Gelous
1 coat INM Out the Door (last 2 coats done today)

The ring is a family heirloom with a ruby (my birthstone!) and diamonds; it was part of my college graduation present from my grandparents. Ain't it purty (though blurry, because I figured I should choose the picture that shows my nails better than my ring, since this is a beauty blog, not jewelry).

Did you do your nails special for Christmas? Or dress up at all?

Beach Meanderings

I've been feeling rather massively unmotivated the past few days, and I'm going to blame it on Christmas ('tis the season and all that). I hope I get my mojo back soon, because I have some more things to review, and I'd like to get back into the swing of my weekly features, since nothing but reviews can get a bit tedious. Until then, though, here's a bunch of pictures from the trip to the coast that my mother and I just took. Enjoy! (Note: It was the biggest pain in the butt to get these pictures to upload, so I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Feel free to click on any to enlarge them.)

The Gilbert Inn in Seaside, where we stayed; it was first built in 1892 but has since been remodeled (duh) and recently reopened

We stayed in the Renee room

Various rooms in the inn's shared living area; it was just us and one or two other groups, though we saw neither hide nor hair of the other guests, so we essentially had the whole house to ourselves

Festive Christmas tree

Free chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!!! I ate no less than 6 during my stay. It was especially amazing when they were fresh from the oven and still gooey. Yum

Seaside has a boardwalk along the beach that we walked along for a little ways. The current Seaside is where Lewis and Clark (the latter of whom is an ancestor of mine) spent their winter on the Pacific, so there's many placards and signs around commemorating and explaining, though I didn't bother to take a picture of any (whoops)

Isn't it gorgeous?? Much of the Seaside area is really flat, so when the tsunami comes (as it eventually will; it's long-overdue, actually), the whole area will be wiped out. But it's lovely for now!

Milani 3D Holographic Nail Polish in Hi-Res Review and Swatches

Another Milani nail polish, woohoo! This one is from their 3D Holographic line, which has 6 colors, of which I have 3. I wanted something that would be easier to apply and remove than a glitter, but not as boring as a cream, and this polish fulfilled both those desires!

Milani Hi-Res

MAC Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation in 1 Review and Swatches

A few weeks ago I went foundation shopping at Macy's (the only department store with a beauty section in Eugene, we are so deprived) and was matched to and given samples of several brands' foundations. I almost didn't go to the MAC counter, because it was geographically the farthest away and I'd already gone to 4 other counters, but I decided I could take the 10 minutes more of standing. I was hoping to get matched to their standard shade scale, divided into NC (which, ironically, is the warm shades) and NW (the cool shades; I remember these by treating them as "not cool" and "not warm", respectively) and ranging from 5 to 50+, though their main foundation ranges start at 15. Once you know your MAC number, you can usually find your corresponding shade in other foundation lines more easily, so if nothing else, I wanted to walk away with that knowledge. Of course, I ended up deciding that the one foundation that isn't divided in the normal way was the foundation to try, but it's worked so well for me that I can't even care that I still don't know what my MAC number is (though, from what I've seen with this foundation and from input on Temptalia's Foundation Matrix, I'm probably NW10-15). The foundation in question? Matchmaster.

Matchmaster 1

Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder Review and Pictures

Powder mattifying products are my best friend. I've used (and loved) Mattify! ULTRA in the past, but wanted to try something else that would hopefully be cheaper, and after trawling the internet, came upon Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder. Kryolan, stationed in Berlin (Ich bin Berliner!) is a makeup company designed for use in theater and bills itself as being long-wear and heavy-duty. Their Anti-Shine Powder is formulated to survive long shooting sessions while keeping the face shine-free, without adding a white cast. Does it succeed? (Spoiler: I can't actually attest to whether it survives long shooting sessions, since, hello, grad student not model/actor. But I figure my normal-person observations are helpful, too?)

See label

Holiday Lips: Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque

This isn't quite a review in the normal sense. Chanel recently discontinued all (but one?) of their Rouge Allure Laques, intensely pigmented liquid lipsticks, including Dragon. If you're a regular reader of Temptalia, you know that Dragon is her HG red lipstick; I've also seen it featured on Getting Cheeky, Messy Wands, and Blushing Noir. I hadn't planned on buying it until I had a better-paying job (linguistics graduate teaching fellow does not, shockingly, bring in the big moolah), but with news of its discontinuance (?) and a couple of fancy holiday parties to go to, I decided I should completely ignore my makeup budget (more so than usual, I mean) and try and hunt it down or forever hold my peace. I went to Macy's, but mine was sadly sold out; fortunately, other stores had it in stock, so the SA placed an order to have it shipped to me. This also required me to pick up something else to avoid paying $10 for shipping, which is why I bought a $36 eyeshadow (review to come). But I digress.

30 Days Makeup Challenge: Day 2

If you missed my first post on this, see here.

How did you learn to use makeup?
Trial and error! I also had help from my younger cousin (she was always well ahead of me in the fashion and social areas of life!), my mom (who taught me to mix my foundation with moisturizer), and my bestie L (whose fault it is that I even got into makeup, because had I not tried her Sephora-purchased products, I would have happily lived in ignorance and not realized there were better products out there just waiting to be found!). I'm also constantly learning from other amazing beauty blogs/bloggers, all of whom know much more about makeup and its use than do I.

What about you? How did you learn to use makeup?

Color Club Gingerbread Nail Polish Review and Swatches

This is the second one of the Color Club polishes that I got at Ross that I decided to wear. The combination of cool-toned gold glitter and rainbow holo particles could not be resisted. And really, why would I even try?

3 coats Gingerbread

Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino Review and Swatches

I'm kind of a blush fiend. It's not the item I have the most of (that would be lipsticks/balms/stains), or even the second-most (that would be eyeshadow), but it is the item I feel I have the most versatility in. Unlike eyeshadow, where I pretty much just stick to nudes, or lipstick, where I'm really arbitrarily picky (berry-plum-rose-red, but it has to be the right kind of berry-plum-rose-red), I feel comfortable wearing a lot of different colors of blush. And, since I'm so pale, especially in the winter, I find blush to be the most important part of making me look not sickly. I have many of the staples covered, but I was lacking one true classic: red. Then, along came Milani's 50% off sale, and I decided to pick up the Baked Blush in Red Vino, an intensely saturated red with gold shimmer.

Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino

Milani One Coat Glitter in Gold Glitz Review and Swatches

Milani had 50% off plus free shipping on Cyber Monday, which I was of course all over. I picked up several things, including 5 nail polishes (glitters and holos, whee!). The first one I'll be reviewing is Gold Glitz, a super dense gold and bronze glitter. Believe it or not, one coat actually did the trick. *GASP* I know, right?!

Milani Gold Glitz

NYX Black Label Lipstick in Socialite Review and Swatches

I have a confession: I am a bit lipstick-obsessed. I didn't realize how extensive my collection's become until I collected it (almost) all together to compare shades, and there were, like, 20. Oops. They're just so fun! This is one of my more recent acquisitions, as I picked it up during Cherry Culture's 40% off NYX sale a few weeks ago. I've been hearing raves about NYX's BLL line for ages, and figured this was my chance to try them out. The main problem I had was deciding what color to get, since there's no place that sells NYX near me, and with close to 100 colors, you can't find swatches of everything online. I did a lot of Google searching, and ended up deciding on Socialite, hoping it would be a nice, cool berry-red. That, it is not, but I like it nonetheless.

NYX Black Label Lipstick in Socialite

theBalm Cabana Boy Blush Review and Swatches

This summer, I saw Cabana Boy at TJ Maxx for $10, but it was before I'd started working (=had limited funds), and I knew I wouldn't want it until fall/winter, so I decided not to get it. I have regretted that decision many times the past few weeks, but fortunately, theBalm had a 40% off sale for Black Friday, and I opted to get it then (for $12.60, but hey, much better than $21!).

Cabana Boy

UPDATED with new colors: Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie, Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Cherry Tart, and Sugar Plum Review and Swatches

So, I should be working on my 17-page paper that's due Thursday at 5. Instead, I'm writing about lip butter (which has kind of already been done by, like, every other blog ever), because I'm a mature and responsible student. Or, y'know, not. This is just so much more fun than writing about Turkish speech production (though, I'm not going to lie, that doesn't suck, either...nerd, party of one). Anyways. Enough rambling!

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie (top) and Berry Smoothie (bottom)

Revlon recently(ish) introduced a new product, lip butters. They come in a staggering 20 color array, and are touted as being moisturizing tinted balms. I kept holding out for them to be on major sale (say, 40% off), but a couple of days ago I caved and bought two at Rite Aid for BOGO1/2. All told, they cost me $5.63 each, and honestly, I don't even feel that bad about it. Paying more than $5 for a drugstore product usually breaks me out in hives, but I really, really like these, so I'm glad I finally took the plunge and bought them!

Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe Nail Polish in Sugarplum Fairy Review and Swatches

So, I posted a little while ago about an awesome find I had at Ross: 6 new Color Club nail polishes, plus top coat, for $7.99. It's called Beyond the Mistletoe, and it's the new holiday collection, priced normally at $48. You can imagine my extreme satisfaction at finding out that not only did I have 6 new glitter/holos in my collection, but that I'd gotten them for 83% off retail. That's, like, the most a poor (monetarily, not pathetically, though I suppose the latter could be considered, too) beauty junkie could ever hope for. I was, frankly, paralyzed with choice about what one I should wear first, but ended up deciding to go for the most holographically glittery awesome one: Sugarplum Fairy.

Skincare Saturday: Uncommon Scents Amber Cream Review and Pictures

Check it out, guys! I'm actually doing one of my "weekly" features! Wowza. (Confession: I definitely thought tomorrow was Saturday, so I was all ready to set this to post in the morning, only to realize that no, today is Saturday, you moron, so for those of you on the East Coast: It's Saturday here, so it still counts, darnit!) Today's special feature: moisturizer. Not just any moisturizer, though; I've mentioned this one before here, in one of my very first posts. I recently rediscovered it, and thought it would be worthwhile reviewing in depth. The moisturizer in question: Amber Cream, made by Uncommon Scents, a locally-owned bath and body shop in Eugene. It was recommended to me by my dermatologist a few years ago, when I was struggling with dry skin on top of my acne, and it served me well when I was going to school in the Northeast (Philly counts, right?). We've been having an unusually rain-free winter so far, and my skin has been somewhat dry because of it, so I decided to give this stuff a try again. I had stopped using it because I thought it was too heavy for my skin, and I found it didn't absorb fully and therefore didn't play well with my foundation. I've discovered since I started re-using it that past me was an idiot. Yeah, I said it! (Sorry, past me.)

Uncommon Scents Amber Cream Moisturizer

NYX Eye Shadow Base in Skin Tone Review and Swatches

When Cherry Culture was having their 40% off sale, I decided to finally pick up the NYX Eye Shadow Base. I usually use elf's primer (or, more often than that, nothing at all), but figured I should try branching out and seeing what else is out there. Temptalia reviewed it awhile back, and gave it high marks, so the lower price just sealed the deal. I've used it a few times since I got it, and let's just say: it's worse than worthless for me.

NYX Eye Shadow Base in Skin Tone

It's aliiiiiiive!

Hello, lovelies! I'm sorry the blog has been a bit slow lately; it's the end of the term, and I've had mountains of stuff to do. Happily, I am all done with my own papers, and I finished grading my students' finals, so after I turn grades in, I am done for a month! I have lots of stuff coming your way in the next few weeks, but here's a quick preview:

My current manicure, with Color Club's Gingerbread; full review to come in the next few days, I hope!

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire; this is a gorgeous sparkly purple-taupe cream-gel eyeshadow that I bought so I wouldn't have to pay shipping, but that will be going back tomorrow, as 1) I cannot afford a $36 eyeshadow, no matter how pretty, and 2) It creases on me (wtf).

It comes with its own little brush!! SO CUTE. And, because it's Chanel, classy. Also, functional. Full review to come, eventually.

Benefit Benetint, Posietint, and High Beam Review and Swatches

Earlier this year, Benefit had a trio of minis of three of their most popular bottles: rosy-red Benetint, warm pink Posietint, and pale pink glowy High Beam for a mere $15. I'd been dying to try Benetint and Posietint for years, but was not about to pay $28 (now $29, great) for something I wasn't sure I'd like, so I was thrilled to see this set. Regular readers know that I have the world's oiliest, shiniest skin, so a highlighter is really not something I get much use out of (which is sad, because so many highlighters are just so pretty), but I wanted the other two products enough to accept it. I'm always looking for a great long-wear, natural lip product, and I hoped that Benetint and/or Posietint would fit the bill. Each product comes in a mini bottle, similar to a nail polish bottle, with a little brush––very cute, and given the formulas, pretty functional.

Left to right: Benetint, High Beam, Posietint

Ross Nail Polish Haulage: Pics and Swatches

I went to Ross yesterday, because Nouveau Cheap posted that a reader had found a set of (long discontinued) Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, and, being the duochrome whore that I am, I had to go and check out my local Ross to see if I would be lucky enough to find it myself. I not only found the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, but also picked up a set of Color Club holos and glitters, Beyond the Mistletoe, which is, according to Fashion Polish, new for the season. So, for $14, I walked away with 4 duochromes, 5 holos, 2 glitters, and a top coat. Needless to say, I was hyperactively excited (and tweeted Nouveau Cheap about it, because if anyone can appreciate a good deal, it would be her!). I haven't had the chance to test any of them for wear or anything, but I wanted to get swatches up so you can see what the dealio is, and hopefully get yourself to a Ross to check them out!

Color Club first; the bottles I have don't have names on them, but I got the names from Fashion Polish (who got them from Color Club, so one assumes they're accurate).
ETA: These were $7.99 at Ross, and the Color Club website has them listed at $48.00 ($8 apiece). So, if you're interested in the set, it's definitely worth checking your local Ross!

Beyond the Mistletoe, left to right: Sugarplum Fairy, Beyond the Mistletoe, Holiday Splendor, Jingle Jangle, Candy Cane, Gingerbread

Sugarplum Fairy is a pale lavender holo in a clear base; it's the strongest holo out of all the ones in this set, and it's reeeeeeeally pretty. In some lights it approaches being linear (still wanting a linear holo polish like whoa, though). Very delicate and sparkly, much like a fairy!

We'll pretend it's blurry on purpose, mk? 3 coats Sugarplum Fairy with 1 coat top coat

Beyond the Mistletoe is a light blue holo in a clear base; it's a bit sparser than Sugarplum Fairy and not quite as holographic, but very close.

3 coats Beyond the Mistletoe with 1 coat top coat

Holiday Splendor is a subtle green holo in a green tinted base. This one's not nearly as sparkly as SF and BtM, but it's really, really green, which definitely makes up for it. I'm thinking I may need to wear this for my next Duck manicure...I can pair it with Gingerbread and be super glittery and awesome!

3 coats Holiday Splendor with 1 coat top coat

NYX Girls Nail Polish in Carnival Review and Swatches

Deborah Lippmann makes a polish called Happy Birthday. It is really, really glittertastic. It's got a mix of all kinds of colors, shapes, and sizes of glitter (Scrangie described it as "clown puke", though in a good way) in a clear base, but it's $18 and therefore out of my price range. Fortunately, there's a ton and a half of cheaper dupes or near-dupes, one of which is the topic of this post: a NYX Girls polish called Carnival.

NYX Girls Carnival

Quick Review: MOR Little Luxuries Body Butter in Lychee Flower and Cassis Noir

I've been meaning to review these for months, but I've just never gotten around to it, so today I am! Very briefly, of course, since I have a 17-page research paper due in less than 2 weeks that, oh right, I haven't started writing (done a lot of reading for it, though!). Anyways, quick rundown:

Image from MOR Cosmetics, because I'm actually too lazy to take pictures of mine. Bad blogger! Bad!

I got a little jar of MOR (a company based in Australia) body butter in Lychee Flower from my neighbor last year for Christmas, and I absolutely loved it. The smell is so gorgeous, and is exactly what the name would make you think––bright, fresh tropical fruity floral. It smells absolutely divine. Even ignoring the scent, the body butter is fantastic; it's really dense and thick, so you only need a teeny bit and it moisturizes like all heck. I use(d) it primarily as a hand cream, because it's only 1.7 oz and I didn't want to waste it on my legs, where I wouldn't be able to sniff at my leisure, though the one time I did use it on my lower extremities, it stayed wonderfully fragrant for 12+ hours (!!). Have I mentioned that it's really, really moisturizing? I have? Oh well, it bears repeating. It's the perfect combination of lushly, richly moisturizing while still absorbing and not being greasy. If only it weren't $14...but it comes in the most adorable packaging, so it's a fantastic gift for the luxury-lover in your life. It lasted me a couple of months of near-daily use, so it's not like it'll be gone really soon (and yet, still too soon).

Oregon Ducks Manicure

I'm a graduate student at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. I tell you this because this post is intimately tied to that part of my identity. Last week, the state board of education terminated the contract of the UO's president, Richard Lariviere, saying he wasn't enough of a "team player" and his efforts to make the UO a self-sustaining economic entity, apart from the (very, very broken) state funding system were undermining the other colleges in Oregon. This is patently absurd, of course––I'm baffled how anyone could think that the improvement of one school must come at the detriment of others (especially if, as is the case here, the one school helps subsidize the others). The campus community, as well as Eugene at large (and many state politicians, actually), has not taken the news well, and the members of the board, the chancellor, and the governor are the target of much ire. There have been rallies, petitions, and meetings, but as of Monday, the board voted to oust Lariviere come Dec. 28, at which time the UO will, apparently, have no president. The sense of frustration and sadness that I get from how events have played out cannot be overstated, and I considered writing a post on here about all of it, but ultimately decided that would be a little too "beyond" the "beauty" purpose of the blog. So I decided to paint my nails green and yellow so I'd have an excuse to write about this, while still keeping true to the spirit of the blog. Not to mention it was a great procrastinating tool!

30 Days Makeup Challenge: Day 1

The lovely Magi-Mania ran this feature on her blog (which is in German, but the pictures are great if that's not a language you're familiar with!), and I thought it was a cool idea, but I knew I would never have the wherewithal to actually post my answers every day. So: I still think it's fun and I'd like to do it, but with the modification that I will post a new answer every day that I feel like it, which will be nowhere near 30 in 30 days. 30 in 6 months, maybe, though I can't promise even that. (ETA: I've also decided to change many of the questions, since there were some I didn't feel equipped to answer, and others I wanted to address that weren't present. Also, it's my blog, so I can pull crap like that!)

Having said all that, then, here's the first one!

When did you start wearing makeup?
I started wearing foundation and concealer in early high school, I think, but I didn't really get into makeup (in the sense of it being a daily ritual and outlet for my OCD) until a couple years ago. My approach to it has changed a lot, too; now I'm very careful about what I buy and do a lot of research beforehand, but I'm also more willing to spend more for higher-end products rather than just sticking to cheapie drugstore stuff (though I still love me some cheapie drugstore stuff!). I've gotten much better about knowing what I like to wear and not buying things that don't fit into that ethos, though there are some times that I can't help myself––fortunately, I have friends who are willing to take lots of the things I don't use, so at least I don't feel like they're completely wasted!

What about you? When did you start wearing makeup? I'd love to hear your stories!

Revlon Nail Enamel in 675 All Fired Up Review and Swatches

I've been buying a lot of nail polish lately, because a) it's cheap, b) it's cute, and c) there are so many colors to procure!  Even though I'm absolutely terrible at painting my nails, I still enjoy the ritual, and besides, it's so fun to have pretty colors waving at you on your fingers!  I was having a serious lemming for a red nail polish, so when I was at Target I picked up one by Revlon (for $3.99, because I was too impatient to wait for a sale).  It's called All Fired Up, and it is seriously red.

Revlon All Fired Up

theBalm You're Giving Me a Complexion Kit Review and Swatches

You know how sometimes you purchase something, and you're just so excited that you can hardly bear it, and then you use the products, and you realize with a sinking feeling that they're just not going to work for you? Yeah, that happened. Now I'm going to grouse about it on here (the real reason I started a blog!).

I posted a few days ago about the awesome theBalm sets at TJ Maxx. Before I go any further, let me tell you that this review is in no way a condemnation of theBalm or TJ Maxx. I love them both super lots, but sometimes love is not enough (I feel like that should be accompanied by a really sad guitar).