Happy Halloween and Upcoming Treats

My Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Halloween order arrived this week, and I'm in the midst of slathering myself with these perfume oils and forming opinions.  I was thrilled to see the enclosed postcard graphic was of one of the perfumes I ordered, La Femme de Satan.  It will be interesting if someone asks me what I'm wearing.....living in the Bible belt and all.

Another treat arrived this week in the form of 9 Makeup Geek blushes which have taken up residence in my Halloween themed palettes.  Lots to play with here.

Wishing everyone a festive and safe Halloween!  The dogs and I need to start getting our costumes on....

NOTD: Nic and Autumn by Julep

True to form, I'm being drawn to dark, vampy colors now that it is fall. Consequently, Julep's Nic with it's black cherry color was my first choose for wear this week.

Of course, I ended up with some serious sheet marks even though I gave it a good 2+ hours before I went to bed, but topping it with a coat of Seche Vite helped mask that problem.  I did end up chipping a thumb the next day trying to open a package (will I ever learn?).

So, after a few days I repaired the chip and some slight tip wear and topped Nic with the gorgeous glitter Autumn.  Just so appropriate, you know?  I noticed that Autumn is back from the Vault for $6.99 on Julep's site this month, so you might want to pick it up if it appeals to you.  I personally love it and find it to be an untemperamental beauty.

P.S:  Don't forget to Fall Back this weekend (Daylight Savings Time).  I'm personally not looking forward to it being dark when I leave work, but I do love the earlier light in the mornings!

Tarte's EmphasEYES Cream Shadows for the Next Loving Your Unloved

Disclaimer:  I purchased these.

After a bit of thought I decided on Tarte's EmphasEYES cream shadows for the next volume of my Loving Your Unloved series, where I give some love to items that have languished neglected.  I have 5 shades and they are starting to dry out, so it's time to use'm before I lose'm!

These have gotten some use over the years but I do find the pots a bit small and therefore cumbersome when it comes to application.  Fortunately I have a small but dense brush that is working for me that I will use.  Below you can see how four of them looked brand new, and it will be interesting to see how much of a dent I put in them over the next month.

These were originally sold via QVC in 2011, but I purchased mine on sale from Sephora in December of 2012, so they are actually going on 4 years old.  I do see a few of these still for sale on Amazon (from Tarte), but I'm guessing they are few and far between having been limited edition.

Cassis and Currant by Le Métier de Beauté: October VIP Box

I signed up for a third year of Le Métier de Beauté  VIP subscription box, and October's box was très bien.  As far as I know these are limited edition's so if you don't subscribe to the VIP box you are out of luck, but I've still got to show them. Just so pretty!

I'm a fan of LMdB's lip cremes and all the other colors I have are light and/or sheer, so I was quite excited to receive the sheer ruby Cassis.  There are actually some blue violet flecks in the mix, but they don't really show up on the lip.  I'm calling Cassis a ruby because it reminds me of a ruby ring I own, which is a lovely red that flashes pink.  

I find these glosses to be very comfortable and long wearing, and Cassis lasted all morning on my lips even after sipping on a smoothie.  Cassis gives just enough color that I don't need to layer it over anything, and the glossiness is perfection!  Sorry for the blurriness above, that is courtesy of the remnants of Patricia.  Raindrops were definitely falling on my head (and camera) when I took this picture.

Currant is a new product (Lip Verglas) which I hope will show up in stores at some point, because it's NICE. The sheer gel formula does not lack in color at all, so you are getting the best of both worlds here: comfortable lightweight gloss + color impact.  

LMdB glosses are $36 each and I'm estimating the value of the Lip Verglas at $30, making the value of this box $66.  

Currant Lip Verglas

Cassis Lip Creme

P.S.  I highlighted and chopped on my hair this weekend, hence the lighter color. I keep thinking I'm going to let my hair grow, but when scissors get in my hands....

Topanga Satin Lippie Stix by ColourPop

Topanga is the third and last Lippie Stix that I purchased from ColourPop back at the beginning of the summer. It's described as a mid-tone dusty coral with a satin finish (coral, people!), and I think the satin finish is my favorite of the matte, satin, and glossy finishes.

I'll be honest and say I haven't worn Topanga a whole lot, mainly because I have too many lip products to chose from. These are nice budget lip colors and definitely worth a look. The pigmentation is quite good and the wear comfortable for the 3 hours or so that Topanga lasted on me.

I'm more enamored with ColourPop's eyeshadows and highlighters than their lip products, but that's just me. As a brand, I think the selection and quality really cannot be beat at their price point.

I'm also impressed with how often they are releasing not just new colors, but new products, such as the gel liner pencils and pots that I just received an email announcing. Truly impressive!

October Birchbox: Positive Force

October's Birchbox theme is "Positive Force", and Birchbox is doing their part to raise awareness and money for breast cancer by partnering with Estee Lauder to fund one year of breast cancer lab research hours.  Admirable!  Lots of good things in my box as well, so let's take a look.

I was quite happy to see BioRepublic's Aloe Rescue Revitalizing Fiber Mask ($4.83) in my box, as I've read good things about these.  Korean skincare is where it's at, so I'm always happy when I get to sample some new to me brands.

I've sampled Klorane's Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk ($6.25) before and remember being a fan.  It's pricier than I want to pay for a dry shampoo, but that makes getting another sample even better.

I actually purchased Jouer's Matte Moisture Tint Sunscreen ($4) after receiving a sample a few years back.  I'll be giving this one to my mom so she can try it out and see what she thinks.

I believe everyone got a mascara this month, and mine was stila's Huge Extreme Lash ($10.62).  I've worn it twice now and found it easy to apply, even with the honking big brush.  However, I did experience some smudging on my lower lash line (despite it's smudge proof claims), which makes it no go for me when it comes to purchasing.  I've got super oily skin so perhaps others will have better results.

Last up is Number 4's Restore & Repair Oil ($6.50), which I've yet to try.  I've got such a surplus of hair serums/oils that I rotate, but I am looking forward to adding this one to the mix.  It features argan and sunflower oil mixed with an interesting array of natural extracts, although 'cones are at the top of the ingredient list.  I've really liked the Number 4 product line thus far, so we shall see.

This month's box total was $32.20, which is quite good for my $10 investment. Happy camper here!

Santa Fe Satin Finish Eyeshadow by MAKE Beauty

Disclaimer:  This was a GWP.

MAKE Beauty has some seriously good eyeshadows, and Santa Fe is fast becoming a favorite of mine - and not only for the eyes.  This peach hued beauty also makes a great facial highlighter!

Which makes the $25 price tag a bit more palatable, considering it's a multi-tasker and all.  Described as a "pale orange with peach undertone", Santa Fe's satin finish gives it just enough shimmer to add a glow but not enough to emphasize pores, making it a good highlighting option.

I really like the esthetic behind MAKE Beauty, where 33.3% of all sales on WeSeeBeauty.com is donated to the We See Beauty Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the cooperative movement. Their makeup is not tested on animals, and is paraben-free, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic.

Rapture Afterglow Blush by Urban Decay

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Cooler weather brings to mind a different color palette - plum and deep berry tones, in particular.  Those are colors I usually can only carry off on my nails, but I wanted to try one of Urban Decay's new Afterglow blushes and the plum toned Rapture ($26) seemed like a unique addition to my collection.

Afterglow blushes are described as being finely milled, the result of the right balance of coated powders and pigments.  Based on Rapture, I'd say that's right, as it applies seamlessly and is very easy to build up color.

Rapture has a soft shimmer that provides a nice sheen without emphasizing pores, and it pairs quite nicely with Urban Decay's Revolution lipstick in Manic. I'm also wearing UD's eyeshadow Laced (review here) and two discontinued 24/7 eyeliners - 1999 and Baked.  I still shake my head and wonder why those were discontinued.

Manic Revolution lipstick

Laced eyeshadow, 1999 and Baked 24/7 eyeliners

The Afterglow blushes are supposed to wear for 8 hours, which is a realistic claim.  My oily skin tends to rapidly break down makeup, but I can still see color at the end of my day.  Rapture gets a thumbs up from me and I think it will see plenty of wear this winter!