NYX Bronzer and Blusher in Marbella Review and Swatches

I'm going on 2 weeks of this goddamned stupid horrible plague (finally started antibiotics, though, so fingers crossed I feel a bajillion times better by class on Tuesday) and I do not feel like being smart or witty or coherent. But I do want to share swatches with you, so here's a super lazy and incompetent post. Enjoy?

Currently Coveting: Bronzers and Highlighters

Currently Coveting is an intermittent feature on products that catch my attention, whether new, cult classics, or something in between!


I'm pretty pale, much like French is pretty nasal. I've never been matched to MAC's main line of foundations, but Matchmaster 1 is just a little bit dark for me, so I'd guess I'm in the NW 5-10 range depending on season. Most of the time, I'm just fine with that; sure, I have to wear sunscreen like whoa, and gigantic sun hats are my best friend (after bunnies, I mean), but I am just way too lazy to try to fake a tan. I'm also pretty oily, much like cheese is pretty delicious. I use multiple products daily to try and keep my shine to a minimum, and still am not entirely pleased with my results.

And yet. And yet. Lately, I've been finding myself feeling like picking up a bronzer and/or highlighter. I already have a bronzer, Benefit Hoola, and almost never wear it, and a luminizer, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, which I can't even tell is there after application, so I justify considering buying new ones by saying I'll use it them contouring, since, while the Meow Skinny Dipper is the perfect color for contouring, I am always far too lazy (notice a trend?) to bother with loose powder in the morning, and Hoola is too dark to be a foolproof contour. Really, though, I just want them because they're pretty. Fortunately, I have more restraint than that (barely), but here are some that have particularly caught my eye:

Combos

Korres Magic Light Contouring Trio Santorini, $28 for 0.30 oz

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush, $75 for 0.56 oz

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

Meow Cosmetics Skinny Dipper in Light Siamese Review and Swatches

I placed an order during Meow's founder's sale, and thanks to the 25% off and the fact that I'd stocked up on foundation samples on a previous order, I was able to convince myself to branch out and try some of their other products.  One I've been getting particular use out of is the Skinny Dipper in Light Siamese (neutral, my foundation shade of choice).  Skinny Dippers are intended to be used for contouring; they emphasize the cheekbones and slim the face when applied below the cheekbones (suck your cheeks in, and contour in the indentation made).  Since they're color-matched to foundation families, they're guaranteed (assuming you know your foundation shade, of course) to offer a contouring effect that looks completely natural.  While I've been using my Benefit Hoola as a contouring product off-and-on over the past months, I wanted to try out something that would be subtler and more natural.  So how do the Skinny Dippers perform?

Skinny Dipper outside under clouds

Benefit Hoola Review and Swatches

I may have mentioned that I'm a bit pale once or twice, and because of this I've tended to shy away from bronzers.  Too easy for them to look orange or muddy.  They are, however, great for contouring, so last fall, after extensive research (of course), I decided to purchase Benefit Hoola on eBay.  Knockoffs are always risky when buying on eBay, but choosing products that are NIB ("new in box") helps cut down on the fakes.  Luckily, I got the real deal, and have been using it sporadically for many months.  Following are my thoughts!

Meow Cosmetics Blush Comparison Post

I've finally reviewed and swatched all of my Meow blushes!  Cue confetti!  I don't know about you, but I got confused about their differences about 5 blushes ago, so I figured I should do comparison swatches of all of them to try and clarify matters for us all.

Left to right: Saucy, A Lick and a Promise, Glisten, Spark, Elephant