Product Review -- Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour in Soft Peach

When you're a makeup junkie like I am, you wind up making quite a few impulsive beauty purchases.

I certainly didn't need another blush, but I was poking around on the Clarins website -- a brand that I've never purchased from before -- and something about the Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colours caught my eye.

So I decided to try one out, despite their somewhat steep $32 price tag.

The blushes come in a very sleek gold metallic compact. There is a decent size mirror on the inside, as well as a small, pretty flimsy brush. Clarins also includes a red, velvet-like pouch for the compact that makes the packaging even more special.

Black Friday Steals and Deals

If you're in the U.S., I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving. If you're not in the U.S., I hope you had a happy Thursday.

Either way, you can definitely enjoy some Black Friday deals.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's all of the sales that I've seen pop up in my inbox or Twitter feed.

Happy shopping!

(I will try to update as I become aware of new sales and deals.)

Anastasia Beverly Hills -- 60% off eyeshadow and contour singles, 50% off Waterproof Creme Color and Concealer, 40% off Contour Kits and Cream Contour Kits, 30% off Lip Gloss and Metallic Luster Liners, 25% off Darkside Liner and new launch of Pro Brushes, 20% off brow products, Illuminators, and Stick Foundation, and 10% off Glow Kits (sale good Friday 11/25 12am through Monday 11/28)

bh Cosmetics -- up to 75% off sitewide (sale good through Friday 11/25 11:59 pm PST)

Clinique -- 25% off sitewide with code 25OFF (sale good Wednesday 11/23 through Tuesday 11/29 @11:59pm PST)

ColourPop -- 20% off all liquid lip products, including bundles, mini kits, and full kits (sale good Thursday 11/24 @ 8pm PST through Friday 11/25 midnight PST)

Dose of Colors -- 20% off sitewide with code BLACKFRIDAY (sale good Friday 11/25 12am PST through Monday 11/28 11:59pm PST)

Inglot -- up to 70% off select items

Juvia's Place -- 30% off sitewide plus free shipping within the U.S. (sale good through Friday 11/25)

Mally Beauty -- 30% off sitewide (sale ends Monday 11/28 at 11:59pm PST)

NARS -- 20% off sitewide with code TAKE20 (sale ends Tuesday 11/29)

OFRA -- 50% off sitewide with code friday50 (sale good Friday 11/24 11pm EST through Saturday 11/26 1am EST)

Stila -- 25% off plus free shipping sitewide with code 25BFSALE (sale ends Friday 11/25)

Tarte -- 25% off sitewide with code FRIYAY (sale good Wednesday 11/23 through Friday 11/24 11:59pm EST)

Product Review -- Juvia's Place Nubian Eye Shadow Palette

I have such a weakness for warm neutral eye shadow palettes.

(Yes, I know that term is a contradiction -- if a shade leans warm, it isn't neutral! -- but lots of makeup brands go with it so I am too.)

Natural looking shades in tones of orange, red, rust, copper, and bronze are pretty much my idea of heaven.

So I was sold on the Nubian Eye Shadow Palette from Juvia's Place since pretty much the first time I saw a picture of it.

Product Review -- Strobe Cosmetics Hotel and Freak Show Palettes

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I focus on mainstream beauty brands most of the time.

The kinds of brands that you can find at your local drugstore, Target, Walmart, Ulta, Sephora, or department store.

And I enjoy those brands and the fact that they're widely available so it's easy for most of us to find them.

That doesn't mean I don't keep an eye out for exciting indie brands, though -- and in fact, lately, I've kind of been on an indie makeup kick.

That's partly because I always think it's a good thing to support small business, but mainly because indie brands seem more willing to try new things and are more responsive to their customers.

They also tend to be cruelty free (and oftentimes vegan too), which is something that I'm trying to become more aware of.

Long story short: you're probably going to be seeing quite a few reviews of products from indie brands in the coming weeks/months.

I'd seen some really good reviews of Strobe Cosmetics on YouTube and various blogs, so I decide to pick up their two eyeshadow palettes, the Freak Show and Hotel Palettes.

Product Review -- Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight and Contour Palette

One of my biggest makeup pet peeves is palettes that combine powder and cream products.

(It just seems impossible to keep the powders from getting mixed into the creams, which is just kind of gross.)

So I really had no intention of purchasing the Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight and Contour Palette.

It only has one cream throw in with five powders, but it still annoyed it.

But then Tarte went and had a sale recently where you got a certain dollar amount off based on how much you spent, and I was already picking up the Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette so I bit the bullet and picked up the Pro Glow too.

Hey, it helped me save $15, so why not?

Product Review -- Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

It seems like Tarte has really been on a new product kick lately.

Every time I turn around, they've come out with something new, and it's starting to feel really difficult to keep up.

Still, from the moment I first laid eyes on the Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette, I knew it was going to be mine.

I'm a sucker for shadow palettes in general, I'm a sucker for warm shadows in particular, and I'm seriously in love with Tarte's metallic shadow formula, which I thought the shimmery shades in the palette might be -- so it was kind of a no-brainer.

Product Review -- Too Faced Totally Cute Eye Shadow Collection

Despite being a big fan of Too Faced's eye shadows and loving the compact design of their little tin palettes in particular, I had no intention of picking up their Totally Cute Eye Shadow Collection.

Don't get me wrong -- there were a few colors in the palette that did catch my eye, but there's also bright pink, which is a very difficult color for me to pull off on my eyes, and a couple of other shades that I just didn't think I'd get much use out of.

But I had an HSN gift card that I hadn't used, and the palette was available on the site with free shipping so I picked it up on a total and complete whim.

And I honestly can't remember being this pleasantly surprised by a palette in a long time.

Because I am seriously in love with the Totally Cute Eye Shadow Collection.

Round Up: Sephora VIB Sale

I just finished placing my Sephora VIB sale order -- it's only been nearly 72 hours that I've been debating over what to purchase.

That's not totally crazy, right?

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to share what I finally decided to pick up, and then shamelessly beg for whoever has or will partake in the sale in the future to share what they bought or have their eye on.

I love hearing about other people's makeup and beauty purchases almost as much I like making my own.

So here's the damage I did:

Product Review -- L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation

These days, with my skin getting drier each year, I love a good dewy or radiant foundation.

If that foundation also happens to be hydrating, well, then, even better.

Particularly now that we're headed into winter and colder weather, and my skin is starting to get its driest. 

That's why I couldn't picking up the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation when I was at Walgreen's recently.