Product Review -- Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette

I was going to be good, I swear.

I told myself over and over that I really didn't need -- hell, that I didn't even *want* it.

But then I saw a photo of the shades and there were one two many that pushed my buttons and I caved.

So yeah, I bought the Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette.

It would be really hard to top the Vice 3 in my mind, because there were just so many pretty warm burgundy/red/plum shades that I love for fall in it, but I was hoping that the Vice 4 would.

Right off the bat, it scores brownie points with me -- that's because it's actually the slimmest of all the Vice Palettes. Now, don't get me wrong -- I love impressive packaging, but if it's bulky and hard to store, it can lose its appeal very quickly.

In the Moment -- 4 Current Faves

I haven't done a monthly faves in forever, and I've learned that I can't commit to doing those regularly.

Some months, I have a ton of things that I love, while other months, I'm trying so many new products that I'm sure enough about any of them to call them faves -- and I hate the pressure of trying to randomly come up with faves.

But I always find it interesting to see what (not necessarily new) products other beauty junkies are enjoying at any given moment, so I want to get back to at least doing favorites sporadically.

I'm not going to call them monthly faves, though -- they're just going to be a few products that I'm loving at a given moment.

So here's what I'm reaching for most often these days:

Product Review -- L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation and Blush

Even though I know better, I can be a sucker for marketing hype.

Tell me that a product is going to blur my imperfections and make my skin look flawless, and even though I know that it's not true, I'm dying to try it.

That's what happened with the L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation.  

I didn't believe it could work miracles like blurring fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture as the product label claimed, but I was curious about what it could do so I picked it up. 

And because L'Oreal was BOGO-half off at Ulta, I decided to try the Visible Lift Blur Blush as well.

Product 411 -- ColourPop Fall 2015 Collection

I'm a fan of nearly everything that ColourPop does, so whenever they put a new collection, I'm all over it.

Especially when it's a fall collection with lots of shades that I dig -- and as an added bonus, it's 90s themed. I grew up in the 90s so the nostalgia factor definitely helps.

I made my purchases from the collection of single products -- I haven't picked up either of the sets ... yet. I'm trying to be strong because so many brands launching their holiday collections these days and I only want to buy things that I really want. Still, both the shadow and lippie sets are calling my name so who knows how long I'll hold out? -- which contains Super Shock Shadows, Super Shock Cheek Blushes, Lippie Stix, and Lippie Pencils.

'Tis The Season: Favorite Products For Fall

I'm a firm believer that you should wear whatever makeup shades that you like no matter what time of year it is.

I mean, if bright orange lipstick is your favorite, you should rock it year round, not just in warm weather.

But I'll admit that there are certain colors that I associate with specific seasons, so I tend to wear them more regularly at those times of the year.

And I'll also confess that traditional fall colors tend to be my absolute favorites -- all the rich, warm shades of plum, burgundy, rust, copper, and bronze totally float my boat.

So I thought I'd share some of my favorite products for the fall (I'm kind of jumping the gun a bit, given that it's still in the 80s here in NY and fall doesn't officially start for another week or so, but like I said, it's my favorite season for makeup colors so I couldn't wait.) in case you're in the market for some cool weather-ready shades:

Product Review -- Too Faced Lip Injection Color Bomb

I've never wanted fuller lips.

I mean, my upper lip is maybe on the slightly thin side, but it's not something that really bothers me all that much.

As a result, I haven't tried very many lip-plumping products -- and honestly, the lip plumping promise wasn't really what prompted me to try one of the Too Faced Lip Injection Color Bombs.

It was the color, pure and simple.

Still, I think this is a nice product on the whole, provided you can tolerate the slight warming, stinging sensation that occurs when the plumping action happens.

The Color Bombs come in a chunky pencil-like form that twist up, though their tips are rounded instead of pointed. The color of the exterior patching matches the shade of the product, but there are gold accents as well.

Product Review -- NYX Wonder Pencil

I am a big fan of using a nude eyeliner pencil to line the waterline.

It really does make your eyes look a little brighter and wider, so any day when I'm looking tired, it's kind of a must-do step in my makeup routine.

But I do run into a problem sometimes -- nude eyeliners tend to be a little too dark or peachy for my fair skin so they don't quite have the effect that I want.

Now, you can use white liner for a similar effect but I find that it's kind of a stark, obvious look that I don't necessarily want for an everyday look.

Fortunately, I came across the NYX Wonder Pencil on a recent trip to Ulta, and it's the perfect solution to my dilemma.

Makeup 911 -- How Do You Use Hot Pink/Magenta Eye Shadow?

As anyone reading this blog can attest, I am a bonafide makeup junkie.

I spend a ton of time playing with makeup and reading about it and yeah, buying it, so I definitely know my way around an eye shadow palette or a tube of lipstick.

But just because I'm a makeup enthusiast (sounds better than fanatic, doesn't it?), that doesn't mean that I know everything about the topic.

In fact, there are plenty of things that I'm kind of clueless about when it comes to makeup.

So I thought it might be fun -- and helpful -- to do a series of posts where I pose some of my makeup questions to you guys and see if you can offer up any tips, tricks, or suggestions.  

(And if you have a makeup topic that you're struggling with, feel free to leave a comment or email me with it and I would be happy to use it for one of these posts -- because if I can't help you, I'm sure someone else reading this blog can.)

My first dilemma is hot pink or magenta eye shadow.

I have several palettes that include bright pink shades, which are gorgeous and I'm totally drawn to.

Some of the hot pink/magenta shades in question -- Sigma Redberry Rose, Too Faced Totally Fetch, Sephora Little Mermaid Sha-la-la, Urban Decay Junkshow

The problem is that I have no idea how to use them in a way that's wearable with my skin tone. 

I'm super pale so they're going to make a seriously bold statement on me, and I really don't want to wind up looking sick. 

So... what's your favorite way to wear hot pink eye shadow without it making your eyes look totally bloodshot and infected?  

Product Review -- BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Blushed Copper

One of the very first products that I tried from BECCA was the Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal.

It's a cream/liquid highlighter that looks absolutely gorgeous on the skin, but it can be kind of a pain to use -- because cream/liquid highlighters are always trickier to apply than powders and you can't really put it over powder (I do sometimes, but I have to be careful with the application).

It is versatile, though, because sometimes, I'll mix a little in with my foundation, BB cream, or tinted moisturizer for a subtle, over all glow.

So in general, I like the product quite a bit.

When I saw that BECCA had come up with pressed versions, though, I was definitely interested -- and I kept meaning to pick up Opal or Moonstone to use as an everyday highlighter.

However, when I saw the limited edition shade Blushed Copper (Sephora lists it as limited edition anyway, but it's been on their website for quite some time so I'm not sure how limited it really is), I decided to change plans -- because the color definitely isn't a highlighter on my fair skin but it's so ridiculously beautiful that I had to have it.

Product Review -- IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Illumination

For the most part, I feel like American BB and CC creams are gimmick-y.

Because for whatever "skin care" ingredients they might contain, they really just perform like tinted moisturizers, which is hardly an earth-shattering development in the beauty world.

Of course, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule -- the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream is not only one of my favorite BB/CC creams; it's one of my favorite face products period.

It provides medium to full coverage, is hydrating, feels lightweight, contains SPF50, and applies flawlessly with your hands -- what's not to love?

So when I heard that IT Cosmetics was coming out with an illuminating version of the CC cream, I had to give it a try.

Because I'm all about illumination -- I like looking dewy and glowy and all those things.

To be honest, though, I think the original YSBB CC+ Cream has a nice dewy finish so I really wasn't sure what to expect from the Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Illumination.

Review -- Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oils

If you had asked me what I thought of cream blushes back when I first started wearing makeup, I probably would have told you I hated them.

They just seemed so much harder to use that good old powder blushes and I didn't have any patience for it at all.

Fast forward several years when my skin started becoming drier and I may not be cream blush's biggest fan.

It can give the skin such a nice, healthy, dewy glow and in most cases, it looks so very natural on your cheeks.

(And even if you've got oily skin and don't feel like you can wear cream blush, try using it as a base for your favorite powder blush. You'll get more color and better staying power, I promise!)

As big a fan as I am of cream blush, I'm an equally big fan of Josie Maran's cosmetics. Now, I know they're probably not for everyone because they tend to offer a more natural, softer look, but I am hooked.

That's why I couldn't wait to try the Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oils.