April Favorites, Empties, and a Change of Course

I didn't do a Monthly Favorites post last month, since I didn't feel like I really had anything of interest to share, and I'd only used up one product. April fared slightly better in both regards!

You probably know by now that I'm a bit OCD (if not, see my polish and perfume spreadsheets), and I've been loving perfume lately. Most recently, it was polish (obviously), and before that, makeup in general. For a few years, it was cross stitching that I spent my time and energy doing, and I know I will go back to that eventually, but for the time being, I'm enjoying reading about all the wonderful perfumes there are!

My perfume collection, such as it is. Lots of sample vials! I'm going to need a new system soon.

Sunday Summary

Hey, all. I've been sick this weekend so haven't felt like doing much of anything (which has been unfortunate, since I have two 40-page math-heavy ling articles that I have to lead discussion for tomorrow, oh goody), so this Summary is going to be short and sweet:

Delicate Hummingbird is back! And she did some major hauling while she was on her blog break. I'm glad there are people out there like her who like trying and having so many different products, since it makes them a great resource for the rest of us! She's the one who alerted me to the awesomeness of CARGO blush, so I'm glad she's back :)

Cafe Makeup featured several Le Métier de Beauté lipsticks (not sure if they're new for the season or not), and created a new lemming for me, Dubai. Doesn't it look so lovely? Major MLBB potential. I'm hoping it's not LE so that I can buy it someday down the road when I'm wanting a luxe lipstick.

Christine's been reviewing all 16 of the new MAC Fashion Sets (coordinating lipstick, lip gloss, and nail polish, and OMG her poor lips!), and while most of the sets hold less than no appeal for me, I'm really digging Girl About Town. Probably not enough to buy any of the items, since I already have a happy pink lipstick and think the stickiness of MAC's Lipglasses sounds just terrible, but golly, I do love looking at the pictures!

And The Bloggess is on tour and is posting from her archives; this one is from 2008, on how she got cross-dressing legos. Her daughter's response: priceless.

And that's all, folks! What links have you been loving this week? When was the last time you were sick?

Skincare Saturday: In Which I Pull My Hair

I've had acne since I was 11, ranging from moderate to severe. I have tried every prescription treatment on the market in those 11 years, some more than once, and I find that each and every one stops working after a few months (or never works at all). There are times I think I have my skin figured out, as when I wrote my Juice Beauty Blemish Serum review. I'm sure you all realize where this is going: it's not working anymore. My skin is a disaster, again.

Fragrance Friday: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan

I'd thought about ordering samples of "raw" perfume ingredients to familiarize myself with the different notes, but ended up deciding that $80+ could be spent better on perfumes that are known for exemplifying a given note.

image via Fragrantica

Ambre Sultan is such a scent for the note of "amber", which is traditionally characterized by a blend of labdanum, benzoin, and styrax (see Bois de Jasmin's post on amber/ambergris and Perfume Shrine's review of Ambre Sultan for more info). Ambre Sultan was introduced in 1993 by Serge Lutens, one of the most well-known niche perfumers. Lutens lives in Morocco, and many of the scents in his line revolve around exotic/oriental notes like amber, oud, and woods.

Currently Coveting: Sisley-Paris L'Orchidée Highlighting Blush

Many products I feature in Currently Coveting are things I hope to someday buy (or at least try) myself. This is not such a product, but it is extremely covet-worthy, so I thought I should post it anyways!

image via NM

Just look at it. Isn't it beautiful? Also, $108 wtf. I can only imagine how silky smooth and beautifully pigmented it must be, sigh. Check out Karen's review and pictures to see it in action. But seriously, $108?!
$108, available from Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus

a england Dragon (from The Legends Collection) Nail Polish Review and Swatches

I'm, like, two months late to this party. Adina is the lovely creator of a england polish, which debuted with The Mythicals, a collection inspired by King Arthur in late 2010/early 2011 (this was before I got into polish hardcore) to much acclaim. Earlier this year she released another collection, called The Legends, inspired by the legend of Saint George. 6 out of 7 of the shades are holographic and 3 of those are duochrome, so needless to say, I was beyond excited to see swatches. I managed to restrain myself to just one choice, though I'm still dying to get St. George (awesomely glowy dark turquoise) and Bridal Veil (holographic black! aaah!), and Princess Tears (light pink-lavender with grey shift) and Ascalon (darker purple with grey shift) certainly call to me, too, especially given my fondness for lavender polish. But anyways! I ended up only getting Dragon because it seemed the awesomest of the awesome choices. And wow, how awesome it is.

2 coats Dragon

Currently Coveting: Fresh Sugar Coral Tinted Lip Treatment

Currently Coveting is a sporadic feature on products that look interesting, whether new, classic, or something in between!

image via Sephora

Really, I want all of the Fresh Sugar lip treatments (especially Rosé, Passion, and Plum), but the newest edition is just so summery and beautiful that I figured it would be most appropriate to post about it! I've heard nothing but praise for this line of tinted lip balm, and the only reason I haven't tried it yet is the price ($22.50 for tinted lip balm?! Whyyyy). But I'm breaking my own boundaries all over the place (if you'd asked me a year ago if I would ever spend $30+ on a lipstick, I'd have laughed in your face, but I am now in possession of 3 such lipsticks, purchased with my own funds, and Lord, that's disturbing), so I no longer find the price quite as prohibitive. May cave and pick one up during a sale or if I get a gift card (my birthday's in July, hint hint!). $22.50 for 0.15 oz, available from Sephora

Tulips!

That's pretty much the whole of this post. These tulips are in the wagon in our front yard, and I snapped a few pictures on Sunday when it was sunny (and 75 degrees, awesome). Aren't they purty?

 And, as a bonus, our cherry tree on the verge of blooming!

What spring sights have you seen lately? Have you gotten to enjoy sunshine?

Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker pH Powered Lip Gloss in Light Pink Review and Swatches

I first saw a review of this on theNotice, who described it as a nice pink gloss that also stains (along with her trademark wittiness!). I'm always looking for some way to achieve a lip stain that doesn't require actually using a lip stain, since my experience with those so far has been exquisitely terrible, so needless to say my interest was piqued! When I was in New York, CVS was having 40% off Physicians Formula, and I snagged one. It comes in two colors, Light Pink and Pink, and it took me a good 5 minutes to decide between them (fortunately, my friends have the patience of saints). I ended up opting for the Light Pink, since I figured it was less likely to turn hot pink on me.

pH Matchmaker Lip Gloss in Light Pink

Skincare Saturday: Sunday Riley Skin Adrenaline Review

Another Sunday Riley moisturizer, what the what! This one was recommended by the SA as a good daytime moisturizer for my (very oily) skin.

image via Barneys

Compared to Bionic, Skin Adrenaline is slightly creamier (as contrasted with liquidier, totally a word) and white, rather than yellow. It also smells nasty; where Bionic smelled like the pink fruit Mentos, Skin Adrenaline smells like rancid plastic Mentos (my mother thinks it may have spoiled, but that seems so unlikely from a high-end brand that's relatively new...but I have another sample packet that I will open and test later, once my skin is under control [fingers crossed that it gets there, UGH], and update this post). Fortunately, the smell doesn't last long. Other observations: it absorbs really quickly, which is great for those of us who don't want to sit around waiting for our moisturizer to sink in when we hit the snooze alarm too many times (me, every morning), and a little goes a long way. It doesn't make me oilier during the day––it may even help control my oilies, but I haven't tested it rigorously enough to say for sure. I fear it may have irritated my skin, though I'm also testing a new Clarisonic brush so I can't be sure about that. As far as its anti-aging claims go, I have no idea. But for $185 for 50 ml, I assume it must be the moisturizer equivalent of the fountain of youth (though compared to Bionic, it's a steal!). Honestly, it works about the same as my Amber Cream as far as moisturization and interaction with makeup, but it's almost 30x more expensive (yes, I did the math). If you have some (lots of) money to burn, don't mind plasticky scents and possible rancidity, live near a Sunday Riley counter, and are worried about signs of aging, you may want to check out Skin Adrenaline. Otherwise, I think you can safely skip it. $185 for 50 ml, available from Barneys, Sunday Riley, and Bergdorf Goodman in New York

Fragrance Friday: Guerlain Jicky and L'Heure Bleue

There are untold numbers of reviews and articles on Guerlain's classic perfumes, and I really don't have enough to add on the topic to warrant giving each their own post, so I've decided to cover a few of them at a time. I don't yet have all of the Guerlains that I would like to try, but I have several of the classic must-haves, 2 of which are the focus of this post. Before ordering my samples from The Perfumed Court, I had never actually smelled the classic Guerlains, only the newer ones available at department stores (like L'Instant de Guerlain and Insolence, and even those were years ago), but after reading so much about them I knew they had to be featured in my initial forays into the field.

Guerlain as a perfume house has been around since 1828, with the position of head perfumer handed down through the generations until 1994, when the company was sold to Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (MHLV), the luxury conglomerate (and though Jean-Paul Guerlain remained head perfumer until 2002, they brought in other perfumers to compete). Check out other perfume blogs for the general consensus on this (hint: 'fume heads were not, and still are not, pleased with the direction the company has since taken). The classic perfumes have been reformulated, some many, many times, both to make them more profitable and to eliminate ingredients that the perfume self-regulating agency deemed allergens or carcinogenic (nitro musks, for example, are no longer included in perfumes). Most perfume connoisseurs find the older editions superior to the reformulations, but some perfumes have had more successful updates than others (Mitsouko is considered a pretty faithful reformulation, whereas Balmain Vent Vert's new version is quite loathed). I am reviewing, and will probably always review, the new versions, unless the vintages are available from TPC/Surrender to Chance for a comparable price. There's also the matter of different strengths smelling different; the parfum/extrait versions are apparently all superior to the edt/edp versions, but they are also much more expensive, so I will stick with the cheaper, less potent eau de parfum (or eau de toilette, depending on which is the standard).

And now, without further ado, I give you the Guerlains, part 1!

Nailtiques Formula 2 Plus Review

You may have noticed a relative dearth of nail posts the past couple months here on BJB. My nails are naturally just terrible, weak and extremely prone to peeling, so I decided (after trying many, many treatments with less than stellar results*) to pull out the big guns and try Nailtiques. The Formula 2 Plus is recommended for people with "excessive, problem nails" who have used Formula 2 for 6 weeks with no results. I had no desire to waste my time further, since I'd already tried so many other treatments with marginal success, so I opted for the 2 Plus. It's the true heavy-hitter of the nail treatment world, with a price to match ($9.50 for 0.25 oz, oy), but I was willing to try anything. And, since it cost so much, I was really inspired to follow the directions to the letter, something I hadn't necessarily done with other treatments! So, I applied it to my nails once a day, removing every few days to start over, and kept my nails otherwise polish-free. After a month or so, I downgraded to once every couple days, as they recommend. I know you're wondering: did my amazing feat of nail self-restraint and dedication pay off?

FOTD and Flowers

Last weekend it was gloriously, gorgeously sunny, and I figured I should take some FOTD shots. While I was outside doing that, I saw a bunch of pretty flowers, so I snapped some shots of them as well.

The best of the shots I got of myself. Freckles, anyone?

Face
CoverFX Clear Prep FX (review to come)
Revlon ColorStay for Combination/Oily Skin in 110 Ivory
Meow Concealer in Sleek (1) Siamese
Kryolan Anti-Shine Finishing Powder
theBalm Frat Boy

Currently Coveting: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres

I have no idea why I haven't posted a CC for this product yet, because it has been on my mind for weeks.

image via NM

It's a new product from YSL that is a hybrid gloss-stain-lipstick, and it sounds potentially awesome. The idea is that you apply one layer to lips and let it settle, which gives color and a natural finish, before adding another layer for shine and more color. The texture sounds very distinctive, and I'm not sure I'd be okay with it (we all know how much I hate sticky gloss), but the idea is very intriguing! I swatched a couple of shades when I was in New York, and I really want #5 Rouge Vintage, a berry-red, though there's a number of shades that appeal to me (#7 Corail Aquatique, #10 Rouge Philtre, 12 Corail Fauve...). I may have to cave and buy one sometime, though it'll have to wait until next month, since I don't have $32 left in my beauty budget for this one!
$32 for 0.20 oz, available from Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus

Upcoming Sephora Deals

I saw this list of codes for Sephora on Temptalia and thought I'd share the ones I'm most excited about. This probably means I'll have to make a Sephora order to take advantage of them...fortunately, I've got a wishlist a mile long! They all require a purchase of $25+, and are good into May. Whee!

Starting this week:
Free Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Toilette deluxe sample spray with code 4HER, 4/18 through 5/21 (I reviewed this here; it's 0.33 oz and the perfume is really lovely! I definitely recommend it as a friendly, likable, approachable musk and rose)
Choose 1 of 2 free Origins deluxe moisturizer samples with $25+ purchase with code EARTH12, 4/21 through 5/21

Starting next week:
Choose 1-2 (not sure if that means 1 to 2 or 1 of 2, though I suspect the latter) deluxe fragrance samples with code SCENT4U, 4/24 through 5/24
Choose 1-4 fragrance sample bags with code 6SCENTS, 4/27 through 5/31 (also not sure what the fragrances included are, but with 4 to choose from, there's bound to be a combination that appeals!)

Any products you plan on picking up to snag one of the special bonuses?

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer Review and Swatches

Oy oy oy, I should have written this post a couple months ago but hey, better late than never? TFSI is really popular in the blogosphere as an eyeshadow primer, and when Too Faced had a 20% sale for Valentine's Day I decided it was time to pick it up.

It's a "nude" thin cream-liquid that completely disappears once applied. It spreads really easily and you only need a tiny bit! It emboldens eyeshadow colors and helps keep them from creasing or fading over the day.

Sunday Summary

Happy Sunday! It was gloriously sunny here this weekend, and I got to hang out some in the sunshine. Unfortunately, I've still got a lot of syntax problem set and probabilistic grammar reading to do, but I'm still glad I could spend some time in the warmth!

Scrangie has swatches of the new Deborah Lippmann chrome polish collection. I don't love any of them enough to warrant the $18, but I'm hoping other brands will put out dupes...she also has swatches of the upcoming NARS for Thakoon collection, full of bright and beautiful cremes. Kutki is calling my name, which is weird, because pale blue + creme finish is the antithesis of everything I value, but it's so pretty!
naturalNchicmakeup has a great review of Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation, and it makes me want to try it! Maybe I can snag a sample the next time I'm near a LM counter (which will be who knows when, since there isn't one in Eugene!)
Let Them Have Polish shares a gorgeous layering combo, which she deems "Coal Digger" (yesss, Modern Family reference!)
Lucy's Stash has pictures of her Easter egg mani, which is just too cute for words.
The PolishAholic weighs in on the whole Ciaté Caviar Manicure debacle. If you haven't heard about it, check out her post (or one of the many, many others linked in hers!), and even if you have, take a look to see her pretty interpretation of the trend!
Scents of Self writes up her recent sniffing adventures
Café Makeup shares her new labeling system

And, for non-beauty links:
Abstruse Goose has a random comic about fighting evil with a broom
The Bloggess has a characteristically hilarious tale of her husband's bafflement in the face of bedecked mice
Cute Overload catches the Easter Bunny prepping for the big day

What links have you been loving?

Skincare Saturday: Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer

Jack Black, makers of my HG lip balm (Grapefruit and Ginger is the best!), also have a variety of other skincare products aimed at men. I got a sample of their hand cream with my most recent Sephora order, and though I am not a dude, that hasn't stopped me from using the lip balm and it sure as heck wasn't about to stop me from using the hand cream.

image via Sephora

It absorbs pretty quickly, though I can still feel a bit of a film for awhile after application, so I find it works best before bed rather than when I'm working on the computer. On the upside, it is super moisturizing. While it has a sorta funky smell, that fades quickly, unlike the hand cream itself, which wears like a champ, surviving multiple hand washings and a full night's sleep. If you're looking for heavy hand cream that, like the Energizer Bunny, keeps on going, Jack Black is well worth checking out.
$15 for 3 oz, available from Sephora

Fragrance Friday: Dior Dune

Dior Dune has been around since 1991, and it's quite beloved by the fragrance community, though less so by the general perfume-buying public. After trying it myself, I can see why: it's really, really weird, a boon for perfumistas and somewhat of a burden for those just wanting to smell pleasant.

image via Dior

Dune is a really complex, intelligent scent. Yeah, I know, "intelligent" applied to a scent? Puhlease. But it's true! It's the kind of fragrance you can't just smell and enjoy; its beauty is in its contradictions, weirdness, and complexity.

Currently Coveting: Rouge d'Armani Sheer Lipstick

We all know by now how much I love sheer lipsticks, right? And I recently shared how much I love Armani's Rouge d'Armani lipstick formula. So you can only imagine how hyperventilatingly excited I am about their new product, Rouge d'Armani Sheer.

image via NM

I haven't read any reviews about it so I have no idea how it performs, but Armani says the formula has "a creamy texture" and is "feather light and translucent, as hydrating as a balm". That, plus the gorgeous promo pictures, have got me interested!
$30 for 0.14 oz, available from Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Armani

30 Days Makeup Challenge: Day 8: Blush

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Armani Rouge d'Armani in Plum 600 Review and Swatches

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much lately! I joined okcupid last weekend, and have had a terrible time keeping up with that and school starting, much less blogging! It's been fun, though :-) I'll try to catch up on blog stuff this week. Today, I bring you a beautiful lipstick.

The actual color is between these two pictures

Sunday Summary

Happy Easter! We don't really celebrate 'round these parts, though when I was growing up we always had a big Easter egg hunt (I insisted that we evenly divide the loot after, even though I always got the most, mostly because I didn't want to risk not getting my fair share!). My brother and his girlfriend were going to come down for dinner, but apparently decided they were too busy––they're moving into a new apartment, so I guess that's understandable. So it's just me, my mom, my grandparents, and my aunt, and a whole lotta ham. Yum!

Instead of posting links from the past week, I thought I should change it up and share some of my favorite bunny pictures. Enjoy!

Clapping bunny!

Flying bunny!

Pancake bunny!

Actual name, Oolong. Check out his Wikipedia page here.

 The bunny I befriended in Sweden:

He visited me while I was sleeping...

And hippity hopped all around

And foraged for food

While showing off his wicked hair.

I hope your day has bunnies and chocolate :-)

Skincare Saturday: Sunday Riley Bionic Anti-Aging Cream Review and Pictures

I mentioned before that I'd gotten a bunch of skincare samples from the Sunday Riley counter in Bergdorf from a very helpful and generous SA. I decided to use them one at a time to try them out and started with the Bionic Anti-Aging Cream, which the SA had recommended for me as a night moisturizer since I have super oily skin and don't need much hydration during the day.

image via Barneys

The Sunday Riley website describes Bionic as:
"Built on Hydration + Anti-Aging fusion technology. Highest concentration [compared to what?] of key ingredients to Rebuild Collagen, Stimulate Elastin Production, Densify [sure guys, that's a word] the Skin, Reverse Photodamage, and Increase Skin Energy. All emerging anti-aging technologies and causes of aging covered in the creation of this stimulating, cutting-edge product."

I have no idea what's up with the random capitalization, either.

So, seeing as I'm 22 and have oily skin, aging isn't really a concern of mine, and since I've only been using the moisturizer for a week or so, I wouldn't expect to see any effects regardless. While I can't speak to its effectiveness at combating age, I can say that it works fine as a nighttime moisturizer.

looks like vanilla custard! I poured one of the samples into a spare contact lens case––very handy!

It's yellowy in color and smells like the pink fruit Mentos (I was so proud of myself when I figured that out!), which has always been my favorite flavor so I don't mind it. It's less dense than a cream but not as liquidy as a serum, and it absorbs quickly, though the smell lingers for a few minutes. It's fine, I'm certainly not sad to have gotten to try it and I'll use up the samples I have, but it's not like a wildly life-changing product. Of course, I am so not the intended market for it, so take everything I say with that in mind. Also: wicked expensive. Definitely worth getting a sample before you buy!
$225 for 1.7 oz, available from Sunday Riley, Barneys, Bergdorf (in-store in New York only, so it seems)

Fragrance Friday: CB I Hate Perfume Black March Review

This is one of the perfumes I ordered from The Perfumed Court. It's not the one I tried first (that would be Guerlain Aprés l'Ondée), nor the one I like best (Guerlain Mitsouko), nor the most memorable (Guerlain Shalimar), but it is the one I feel I can actually describe using words besides "I dunno, it smells nice," so I figured I would start with it and hope that my skills at identifying perfume notes will improve with time!

image via CB I Hate Perfume

Zoya Reece Nail Polish Review and Swatches

I finally, finally felt like my nails were looking nice enough to try painting them. Turns out, they're not quite there yet, but close enough that I felt okay taking swatch pictures!

I got this back during Zoya's Red promotion for Valentine's Day (it wasn't the red I chose––that's Reva, which I'll be posting once I wear it!) because I felt like I didn't have enough pink polish (that's not glitter or holo or cream) and Reece looked pink but still interesting. And lo and behold, pink and interesting it is!

Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara Review and Pictures

I tend to hate mascara. It's a pain in the ass to apply, it clumps, it flakes, it smudges, it loosens the curl of my lashes, it irritates. I have naturally long, dark, abundant lashes, and I'd failed to find a mascara that gave me what I wanted (curl, definition) without what I didn't (clumps, flakes, heaviness). Until now.

Shoes!

I'm still recovering from being sick, and I really spaced on keeping up with other blogs for the first half of this week since I was in New York, so instead of a Sunday Summary, I bring you pictures of new shoes!

I pretty much never buy new clothing; most of my disposable income goes towards beauty-related products, and the vast majority of my wardrobe is years old, hand-me-downs, bought used, or some combination therein. Occasionally, though, I do find myself willing to splurge! Especially on shoes, since my philosophy tends to be: 1) find a cute, functional, comfortable pair of shoes, 2) wear them until they wear out. Achieving the first while drawing out the second as long as possible usually means paying a little more (though the pair of leather knee-high boots I got on eBay for $18 is an exception!).

Macy's is having a big shoe sale, where you get 30% off your entire order with the purchase of 3+ pairs of shoes, so I went yesterday with my mom and grandmother. We all managed to find shoes we liked (my mother found two pair, in fact), and though the ones I got are kind of painfully expensive (though really, they're less than the Armani mascara and lipstick I got, which I think speaks more to how far I've fallen re:makeup spending than anything else!), they're so. damn. cute. that I can't even care!

Clarks Artisan Fiddle String Platform Sandle in Platinum

See? SO CUTE. And, as is usual for Clarks, super comfy. They're normally $89, but I got them for $62.30, and I plan to wear them all the time once the weather cheers up. Between these and my navy leather Birkenstock Ibizas, my feet are going to have the weirdest tan lines.
$89, available from Macy's (15% off if you buy one pair, 30% off if you buy 3) and Endless (cheaper there), available in burnt orange, white, black, and tan leather as well

How do you feel about shoes?