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