My Sephora Friends and Family Wishlist

Sephora Friends and Family 2009 starts at Midnight PST (that's 3 AM for us East Coast folks) on October 19th and ends on November 2nd. Enter FF2009 in the promo code box. I've been compiling my wish list for a few weeks now, and here is what is currently on it. What do you plan to pick up during the sale?
Nars The Multiple Coffret ($40) contains mini Multiples in Orgasm, South Beach, and Copacabana.
Korres Deep Color Mascara in Black ($18) is a staple. My favorite mascara! Gives volume, length and is good for your lashes.
Philosophy the supernatural Superglossy SPF 15 Lip Gloss ($16.50) in Live in the Moment. This pink mocha shade promises to be non-sticky and protect lips from the sun.
Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder ($35) can be mixed with any moisturizer or sunscreen for antioxidant protection and the repair of Vitamin C.
Tarte MultiplEYE ($65) Lash Enhancer. I certainly wouldn't mind if my short, stubby, thin lashes suddenly became lush and long!
Laura Mercier Eye Kohl ($19) in Black Navy is less harsh than black but provides more definition than straight navy. The best of both worlds!

Sephora Cash for Clunkers Haul

Sephora Cash for Clunkers is the store's most recent promotion, offering $10 off a $50 purchase (in store only) if you brought in 5 cosmetics to be recycled. I brought in 5 recent GWP items and didn't have a problem redeeming the offer, so I'm assuming minis are just fine. Here is what I picked up:

• Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler ($20)- my beloved Tarte curler (whose virtues I extolled here) broke this morning for the second time and after reading numerous raves for the Kevyn, I'm trying it out.
• Korres Mango Butter Lipstick ($18) in Natural Purple- the name sounds oxmoronic. This is a sheer, moisturizing lipstick in a sheer plummy my-lips-but-better shade. I was debating between this shade and Rose (another poor color description. It's actually a warm pinky peach) but I don't think I have another shade like this in my collection. Okay, who am I kidding. Of course I do. But I have fewer plummy berry colors than I do pinky peaches.
• Benefit Cosmetics Velvet Eyeshadow in Fawn Over You ($18)- this is a dark taupey beige with a polished shimmer in the most silky smooth, well, velvety formulation.

I also scored a large .5 oz Lancome Genefique Sample as my Beauty Insider gift. I'm curious to see if it lives up to the hype.

Feature Focus: Unsung Heros

I wanted to highlight some unsung heroes--tried and true never-fail products that seem to fly under the radar. Products that you never see in magazines, rarely hear raved about. I'm sure that everyone has some of these unsung heroes in their arsenal--please post about them in the comments!
Darphin Blush Sensation in Soleil Sublime:

This is bar none the most beautiful, natural looking bronzer I've ever used. I'm quite fair and on the pinker side, and this has absolutely no orange in it. It features a gentle color gradation so you can customize your look depending on how much 'sun' you want that day! The shimmer is super-subtle and doesn't accentuate lines and wrinkles, just lends itself to a gentle glow. It costs $40 and is available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

MAC Lilicent Blushcreme:

This cream blush has a unique love it or hate it texture. It's almost akin to a potted lipstick in that it's somewhat thick and remains dewy on the cheeks. This helps you look 'fresh' all day but if you're used to a cream to powder formula, this may take a bit of getting used to. The color is a real face brightener, and never fails to brighten my complexion with its warm, peachy rose hue. It is $18.50 and available on maccosmetics.com and at MAC counters nationwide.

Lancome Artliners:

Colors left to right are: Socialite, Brown, IceBlack, IceCarob and Star Shower
In my opinion, these little wonders stand alone in the liquid liner category. They are the easiest liquid liner and you can easily create a thin line right at the base of the lashes or thicker cat eye due to the unique flexible applicator that allows you to control the product. Unlike felt tip dispensers where the product may flow through inconsistently or only with pressure, these unique wands dip into the product and just enough comes out to create a perfect line every single time. The shades are gorgeous, although many of the unique ones are available on a limited edition basis. These are $28.50 and available wherever Lancome is sold.

Eye Necessities:

-Bare Escentuals Eye Shadow in Soul- the perfect vanilla base, this shadow is shimmer free (you can see the faintest glimmer in the pot which prevents lids from looking crepey but doesn't add a sparkle).
-Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen- the palest pink that brightens lids, creates the perfect base so your shadow lasts and the pigment appears true, and even works on its own for a natural eye look.
-Laura Mercier Baked Cakes Eye Liner in Key Lime/Dark Green Apple with Brush- gorgeous, baked, shimmery greens and a perfect brush for application. Use these wet or dry for a look less harsh than black but still achieve ample definition. I use the dark shadow on my upper lid and the light shadow to line underneath.
-Benefit Kohl Pencil Eye Liner in Sable- the only product I use on my inner rim. It lasts and lasts without iritation and glides on smoothly. The shade of brown is spot on--not too light or too dark.

Tools:

-MAC 208 brush- a very thin synthetic angle brush for precise gel eye liner application.
-Chanel Brush 3- a great brush for applying shadow to the outer corner. The bristles are densely packed and the thicker handle is weighted for easy application.
-Fresh Eye Definer Brush 20- the BEST crease brush, this is soft and perfectly shaped for the perfect placement and depth of color.
-Sephora Brand Professionnel Flat Blush Brush #42- perfect for small faces and the tapered point places the blush exactly where you want it to go.
-Tarte Eyelash Curler- this has never pinched my lids the way other highly-touted brands have and the lilac is so cute!

Plummy Beige Lipstick

Too plummy to be a true neutral, too neutral to be a true plum hue, not as cool as mauve and yet not quite warm...I love plummy beige lipsticks! The shades are complex and interesting yet still flattering and wearable for everyday. Here are some of my favorite plummy beige lipsticks:
From left to right: MAC Sharp Beige, MAC Midimauve, Paul and Joe 17, Lancome Beauty's Eve, L'Oreal Aishwarya Beige, Benefit Make Nice, Laura Mercier Brown Sugar Stickgloss, Tarte Champagne Brunch

Up Close:


Swatches:
From left to right: MAC Sharp Beige, MAC Midimauve, Paul and Joe 17, Lancome Beauty's Eve, L'Oreal Aishwarya Beige, Benefit Make Nice, Laura Mercier Brown Sugar Stickgloss, Tarte Champagne Brunch

NARS Angelique Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment

Backed when I owned NARS Exhibit A blush, I always had the most difficult time coordinating a lip look with it. On my the blush had rosy, red, and peachy orange tones that harmonized well, but were difficult to replicate in a lipstick. For those that have and wear Exhibit A, NARS Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment in Angelique is the perfect counterpart.

The Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatments are slim, waxy tinted balms with SPF 15 and moisturizing mango butter. All of the shades (there are 6 total) are quite sheer, with Angelique having the most color. It's described as sheer strawberry and to me is a rosy red with just a hint of orangey coral. It's perfect for summer! The downside is that it is quite sheer and quite expensive for a tinted balm at $25. Sephora only seems to have 4 of the 6 shades, but Nordstrom and Blue Mercury have the full lot.
And just for fun, here is my eye look of the day:

• Becca Satin lash to crease
• Becca Tweed in the outer 3/4 of the crease
• Lancome Black Coffee to line close to the lash liner and on the waterline
• Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

Stila Twilight Shadow (or My Small Sephora Haul)

I really wanted the new Josie Maran sunscreen from Sephora but it's not yet stocked in any stores in the city. This meant that if I wanted to take advantage of the VIB 15% off, I'd have to place an online order and needed to spend an additional $18 to receive free shipping. Spend $18 to save $6. I know, it's perverse.

I've never worn a silver eye shadow in my life but all of a sudden I had a craving for one that I had to satisfy, kind of like when I pass Crumbs and I know that the last thing I need is a cupcake and yet I'm powerless to resist. After perusing Sephora for some time, I settled on Stila Twilight. [Just as an aside, when did Stila eye shadows become $18 for the pan with another $2 for the case? Back in my freshman year of college when my whole collection was Stila I think they were an extremely reasonable $14. I do not want to pay $20 for a shadow by a company that makes a talking lip palette, but maybe that's just my preference. The joke's on me though since I bought it anyway!]

This shadow has a really divine texture--smooth, creamy, and with enough pigment and shimmer to show up as silver and not grayish white, but not so much that my coworkers will think I've just come from a rave. (Do they have raves anymore? I have no idea. Man, I'm getting old). I did have some fading by the end of the day but I was using the primer that came in the Tarte 500 Point Perk Kit and not my usual lovely Laura Mercier Eye Basics so your mileage may vary. I wore it with a very, very thin line of black liner, black mascara, and soft peachy pink cheeks and lips (Paul and Joe 16 Face Color and 40 Lipstick) and it was a very nice look overall, and different for me.

I've only used it once so it's too early for a full review, but I really liked the Josie Maran sunscreen today. Look for a review in a week or so. I'm also kind of enamored of the Tarte 500 Point Perk Kit. If that's still available when you place your Sephora order, it's worth picking up.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder

I ordered this from QVC because it came with what looked like a phenomenal brush, all for less than the cost of just the product had I purchased it elsewhere. The powder is a shimmering champagne that I though would be perfect to highlight cheekbones and browbones, but I cannot get it to show up on me unless I really pack it on with the included sponge. Granted a highlighter should be subtle, but I literally cannot discern any difference whatsoever when I use the brush to apply the product. I'm seriously considering returning it. Keep in mind that I am quite fair--those with darker skin will have a greater contrast with the powder and may find it more noticeable.

You can see just how subtle it is here:

Two Tarte Disappointments

I remember when Tarte cosmetics first premiered at Bergdorf Goodman years ago. I had a makeover and bought a ridiculous number of products, and continued to purchase and for the most part love everything. The last 2 items I've used, however, have not fallen into the 'love' category. The first is the 'natural' iteration of their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. I used this several years ago, back when it was chock full o' chemicals and liked it. It's now free of parabens, pthalates et al, and bored with how quickly my beloved Korres mascara dries up, I purchased the Tarte.

I get nice length and thickness from it, especially over their mascara primer, but boy oh boy is this flake city! I've had two coworkers (including a guy) come over and that my face was covered in black flakes it was so bad. One close friend, unprompted and out of the blue, said "whatever mascara you've been using lately--stop." Lesson learned. I tossed it and rebought the Korres.

Check back later to learn about the second Tarte product that's fallen short for me recently, the newly released Amazonian Clay Shimmer Powder.

Some New and Noteworthy Items on Sephora.com

Just browsing around Sephora.com and a few new items caught my eye:

• Make Up For Ever Tres Vichy Duo Eye Shadow Palette- $31
• Benefit Feelin' Cheeky Minis- $15
• Josie Maran Argan Sun Protection For Body SPF 30+ - $24. I love the face version.
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Discover Set- $39
• NARS Forever Yours Eye, Lip and Illuminator Set- $49
• LORAC Be Mine Collection- $37
• Shiseido Sun Savvy Set- $57

Staple Eye of the Day

I dusted off some old favorites for today's look: Rock & Republic shadows in Veil, Affair and Diffusion, Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Black Coffee and Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. This picture was taken after about 10 hours of wear. My mascara has wilted a bit but the shadows and liner are still going strong. I wish Rock & Republic had stuck around--I would have loved to see new shades and products from the line given how high quality I found nearly every product I tried from them.

Favorites Face of the Day

Today's face for this painfully cold day featured many of my tried-and-true favorite products. This is a look that's quick and easy for me to put together on days when I'm running late or can't figure decide what to wear.

• Rock and Republic shadows in Veil and Snakeskin
• Rock and Republic mousse blush in Rumor (this seems to be the only Rock and Republic product that doesn't show up for sale anymore which is a shame since it's a true holy grail. When it's finally done I'll be having it duped by Three Custom Color Specialists)
• Origins Multigrain Bronzer
• Scott Barnes Creme Color in Luster
• Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink
• True Cosmetics Lip Definer 1
• Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Baby (this is my second one and you can see it's nearly done. I have a backup waiting in the wings)
  

Finishing off the look were BE Matte in Porcelain on my T-Zone, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye and tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes (which smears more than my beloved Korres mascara). Fragrance was Kiehls Vanilla perfume oil.

It's Beauty Day on QVC

And I almost escaped unscathed. Almost. I just ordered this tarte Achiote Cheek Tint & Lip Luster Duo because I am powerless when the words "peachy pink" and "cheek stain" are uttered and when you combine the two, forget it. The set is $28.93 (plus tax and shipping) with a retail value of $49. There are a number of easy pay offers and special prices through midnight tonight. Are you watching? Did you order anything?

Some New Items at Sephora

Browsing the Sephora site for a new shampoo and conditioner (I'm open to recommendations for my straight, fine, dry hair) and "natural" mascara I discovered some new, intriguing items! What do you think? Are any of these going on your wishlist?

• Josie Maran Eye Love You Too Palette ($42)
• Josie Maran Fresh Faced and Romantic Beauty ($52)
• Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Palette-Pretty ($60)
• Korres Natural Look Antioxidant Color Collection ($32.50)
• Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Bath and Body Collection ($40-$55)
• Shiseido Collector's Edition Makeup Palette ($50)
• Stila All Over Shimmer Duo ($22)
• Sephora Collection Perfecting Color Concealer ($16)
• Stila Coconut Crush Lip and Cheek Stain ($24)
• Tarte Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmer Powder ($30)
• Pacifica I Love Fragrance Five Solid Perfumes Set ($25)

Sephora Haul

Because I just can't stop shopping! Despite having just spent my $20 VIB gift card in-store, I placed a Sephora order the other night. The 500 point VIB gift was a full size Benefit Coralista and mini Bad Gal mascara and I was powerless to resist! I ended up with:

• Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream- very expensive at $25 for a mere 1.4 oz but my hands are a veritable mess from the cold!
• Illamsqua Nail Polish in Verdigris- an shimmery emerald that I can't wait to wear on my fingers and toes!
• Tarte MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing Primer- finally, a "healthy" eye lash primer
• Benefit High Beam- the $10 size

My order already shipped!