The Year So Far........

Let's assess the year so far, shall we? The year started out in a bit of a funk but the landing of a job (yay!) has changed more than my financial situation and I am finally feeling like my old self! However I remain a complete and utter slacker with regards to my evening skincare routine...Anyways towards the end of last year I really got into swapping and some lovely additions landed in my stash and some losers went on to loving homes...

2010
Items Swapped or Given Away -61   (my swappers always benefit from my loser list)
Items Received in Swap- 22   (does not include skin & body care or nail polish)
Items Added to Stash by Other Means- 33  (includes items bought from gc's rec'd in swap)

My 2010 Favorites so Far.....

Face

I am really impressed by Coverfx primer, I use it on days that I don't use Genifique on those days I am really impressed by Lancome's La Base Pro BUT the new BE brightening primer is pretty awesome! I have yet to find an eye primer that sends me over the moon but BE's primetime eyes is on the launch pad. I remain in love with mineral foundations wether it be Bare Escentuals or Lancome. The best 4.99 (awesome sale at Soft Surroundings) I spent was for the T.LeClerc Terre de Sienne powder it is the most lovely bronzing powder. Undereye? The Thierry Mugler Bleu Glacis is the savior. BE's Mineral Veil is always in my bag if I get too glowy during the day...

Blush

Rock & Rerpublic, awesome pigmentation, awesome packaging, and just the loveliest colors ever...

Eye Shadow

Dior, there is magic in those blue compacts of color. I am not sure what it is but I am never displeased...

Liners - Eye & Lip

Lancome, the colors, the formula, the texture, what is there not to love?

Lip Sticks and Gloss

Dior. the range of colors is lovely beyond words.....

The Ultimate Summer Face, When it is Just too Hot

Eye - Lancome Erika F
Cheek - Lancome Shimmer Mandarin Sky
Lip - Dior Apricot Cloche or Lancome Chris & Tell

Arts & Crafts w/ Dior

The lovely J. gave me the Vintage Pink tester from the spring collection since it was sold out....How lovely of her it was the one thing that I longed for (besides a job) during the winter of my discontent.....

And of course I had to create a lovely new home for it outside it's tester packaging...

How cool is it that it barely looks touched?

                                              

 

 The top and the bottom.

I love my make-up "people"!!!

BE-Back Mountain....A Love Story

I first got into Bare Escentuals back in 1998/99 when  I saw it on QVC, at that time it was it just a kit with two foundations a brush and I think Warmth, I don't even think it was a full hour show. Anyways I really liked it and as time went by and more colors for the eyes and cheeks and lips were introduced I started to amass a nice little collection...There was a period of time that all I used was BE with the exception of mascara and lipstick/gloss but then I was over it and got rid of most of it except my most favorite colors...Last November I got sucked back in by the collaboration between BE and Honora pearls and although there are 4 kits in the series, so far I only have the first kit, I do have high hopes for the 4th kit...Last time BE was on QVC I got the ReThink kit which as I said I was very happily surprised by and I also broke down and got the San Francisco kit....

The SF kit is on the left and I could not love it anymore from the Golden Gate blush to the Cable Car and North Beach shadows to the Sourdough lipgloss it is simply a lovely lovely collection and the colors create a beautiful face. They are soft but still not horribly boringly neutral...I wish the gloss showed the pink iridescence that is shot thru it...On the right are Aztec Gold and Treasure Island that I received in a swap,they are from the Castaway collection....Treasure Island is an amazing green/bronze shade that I just love...I don't think I will ever completely quit BE and as long are there are colors that thrill me I will gladly continue my affair....

MAC & Disney & Pennies...Oh My!

Over the moon alert.....I am so excited for the Venomous Villains collection by MAC that is due in September (happy birthday to me from me) that I can barely contain myself... I am a fool for Disney, I would love to work for them and I would love to live in Celebration right outside the "world", it would be beyond awesome! I am constantly stalking Specktra for all the latest news and after the colors were spilled I quickly started my list....

Cruella
Lipstick: Innocence, Beware!
Lipglass: Wicked Ways
Shadow: De-vil
                                     Sweet Joy               

Evil Queen
Lipstick: Toxic Tale
Lipglass: Hot House
Shadow: Vainglorious

Beauty Powder: Oh so Fair 

 Blush: Bite of an Apple
Maleficent
Lipstick: Violetta
MES: She who Dares
Dr. Facilier

Greasepaint: Slick Back
                            French Quarter
Magically Cool Liquid Powder: Cajun

I'm so Vain Mirror- I mean really, how can you not?

I can't wait for the swatch previews to start rolling in and I am officially in saving pennies mode!

IGAJSIJHTS* Dior

*I got a job so I just had to spree...Dior

 My final spree was with the lovely J. at Dior where I bought....

Amber Diamond - Awesome Highlighter!

Golden Spotlight - A Sparkly Gold That Says Summer is Here!

Apricot Cloche - The Most Divine Pale Peachy Gloss!

Plus the added bonus of a GWP, my favorite thing? Why the pink rose of course!

The mini lipstick and mini quint as well as the samples and bag are lovely too BUT I love pink flowers...

I managed (with a little help from my friends) to accumulate enough receipts to send in for my Dior Diva VIP reward....I am on pins and needles to see what that package will hold....

Vultures 2, Lisa 0 - A Lovely Loss

As I was strolling thru Nordstrom last weekend I was accosted (dramatic) by the Angle rep who lured me in with Thierry Mugler make-up that they had gotten in for an event.... I cannot begin to sing the praises of the concealer, Bleu Gacis, it is a bizzare blue cream that feels spongy to the touch and cooling to the eye and is $45.00. I was like let me walk around and see how I like it...I went outside to investigate -awesome, were my hideous dark circles much much much less apparent? I went to ask  J. at Dior her opinion and she was like "wow!" and I was sold...So I returned to the vulture (she really is lovely) and said "ok, you were right" and I then browsed the display where I fell under the spell of the Plexi Gloss in coral effect...It is the loveliest coral holographic tube of loveliness but for $40.00, I was like no no no! So I only got the concealer. Til I got home and saw that some unexpected money hit my PayPal and before I knew it the order for the gloss had been placed....

I loved opening the package in the velvet pouch and I thought the thank you note was a lovely touch....

The picture does not even come close to showing the awesomeness that is the gloss, it is just lovely beyond words and I am thrilled with all the fragrance (all spray) samples...

In conclusion sometimes those vultures do know what they are talking about, love to you A. at Nordstrom, International!

IGAJSIJHTS* - Sephora

*I got a job so I just had to spree...

Sephora

I love shopping Sephora online, there are always codes for some lovely extras...

The Korres scrub smelled like a** so I returned it and got a small bottle of Josie Maran Argan oil, we shall see how that works as I am finding my beloved L'Occitane shea butter to be a bit heavy,,,

I am in love with the Too Faced 500 point BI perk the colors are really lovely...The little bag also holds my little BE foundation jar from the ReThink Beauty kit and I added a couple of small brushes and it is perfect to toss in my bag for "just in case".

I am also totally in love with the BE Wink & Kiss it was just a code, love the Buxom lipstick in Brooklyn - a lovely, rosey, nudey,tingly, lip....

An awesome spree!

More Fun With Swapping

I just adore swapping....

So some more losers left me and these lovelies came in their place...

I love Korres - Just Yummy!

Benefit Sassy Frass - Lovely for Fall & Winter!

Mac Uniformly Blue Greaspaint - Perfect Replacement for My Ghastly Lancome Gel Liner!

Dior Mystic Smokys - Hated it In Feb. but Played with it Again and Loved it, Especially Used Individually!

I Got a Job So I Just Had to Spree!

So after forever and a day I finally got a job and it is absolutely perfect....I am so glad that I trusted that when the time was right it would happen..Good things happen to those who wait....

I went to MAC at Nordstrom where got Firecracker and Brush (boring) Cleaner.Love, love, love Firecracker it really makes my eyes blue, blue, blue...

I also ordered the Bare Escentuals upcoming TSV on QVC....I absolutely love everything in this kit. At first I was like "oh, how boring" but it does create an amazing face. The eyeshadow Lucky is a lovely purplish taupe and the Ink liner looks fab with the shadow. The kit also comes with a new brightening face primer and eye primer. The eye primer has a subtle golden glow and paired with the shadow and liner my eyes looked lovely. The face primer doesn't shimmer but it does do something, I thought my face looked more alive and glowy, awesome! The Optimist blush creates a a rosy glow and the Jelly Roll lip gloss finishes the look off perfectly.....Usually the brushes that come in kits are like "whatever", there is one of those but the Tapered Crease Defining brush is just awesome beyond words it really is all you need to create an eye look. There is also a foundation and bag in the kit....It is an auto-delivery series so I am curious about the next 2 kits.

My last auto-delivery (the Pearl kits) has been a diappointment and I have skipped the last 2, I hope the last one delivers on the promise of the first kit, we will see....
Yay!!! I am so happy to be able to spree again......