Weekend Trip Makeup

Lucky for us, we’re managing to get a weekend away soon. There’s no agenda. We don’t have anyone to go see. No errands to run. We might opt to go out to dinner at a nice place, but currently have no reservations to do so – local Chinese takeout is equally possible. I’m really excited about being able to relax.

Two-thirds of people say they want to try to pack light and then bring a ton of luggage even just for a weekend away. More stuff you have to keep track of, more stuff you have to wash and/or put away when you get back…not worth it. “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” and such. So I decided to make my weekend trip makeup just a slightly modified version of what I might have for everyday.

Weekend Trip Makeup

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Sick Day Makeup

I have been sick-ish since last Friday with a stupid sinus thing. That said, I look like hell because being sick generally does that to you as does the whole sinus-pressure-induced headaches and face pain. Oh, and waking up in the middle of the night, too. All awesome stuff. I’m finally pulling out of it, thankfully.

Fortunately, I haven’t had to look as rough as I’ve felt and sounded. Even though I don’t always execute this philosophy, I am of the opinion that the days upon which we want to bother with makeup the least are often the days when we can benefit from it the most. Being sick – not enough to debilitate you, just enough to make you uncomfortable and annoy you – is no exception, especially if you aren’t able to stay home for the duration of your illness.

Also, I want to be clear that I’m not suggesting that anyone do these things or wear sick day makeup, but since I had to go to work I prefer to look a little more lively; feeling out of it is an impact to productivity enough without a dozen people stopping you throughout the day asking if you’re okay, tired, sick, etc. I prefer not to entertain those questions, so sick day makeup it is. If I didn’t have to work, you can be sure that I would’ve been bare faced.

What the sick day makeup needs to correct: pale, dull skin; drier-than-usual skin, dark eye circles, redness around nose area. Woo. Despite what you’ll often hear and see, simpler is far better when you’re feeling sluggish.

Sick Day Makeup - Keep it SimpleSick Day Makeup

Though I already have a pretty simple routine, if I’m feeling out of it I want to simplify as much as possible. I want my sick day makeup to have as few steps as it reasonably can without sacrificing results because chances are I wanted to get out of bed on time even less that day than a regular day. I need to add some life back to my face if I need to be around people – which I did since I was unable to take any days off.

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2014 Prestige Makeup Gifts

All of the 2014 Prestige Makeup Gifts (Holiday sets) should be out by now, with MAC appearing to be this season’s stragglers – here are my picks for what’s worth a look at.

1. Too Faced Everything Nice (Sephora Exclusive), $59

Of all the holiday sets, this is by far my favorite. I actually don’t own any Too Faced shadows, but last year’s version of this palette (A Few of my Favorite Things) was my favorite of 2013. Twenty shadows with a nice mix of neutrals and (usable) colors, two blushes, two bronzers, some brushes (that honestly probably aren’t that great, but still), a Better Than Sex mascara mini and a cute bag for it to live in. The looks I’ve seen created with this so far have been pretty fun, and I hope I can get one before the season is over/they run out.

2. LORAC Ultimate PRO Collection (Ulta Exclusive, Online Only), $98

2014 Prestige Holiday Gift Sets - LORAC Ultimate PRO

Last year, Ulta had a LORAC Pro set that included a couple other things for $3 less than the regular LORAC Pro Palette price of $42. This year, we have a really nice bundle including the original PRO Palette, the PRO Palette 2 (each come with a wee tube of Behind the Scenes eye primer), the PRO Powder Cheek Stain in Rosy Glow, one of their new lauded PRO Matte Lip Colors in Pink, PRO Mascara, and PRO Cream Liner. This is a pretty damn good set. Considering each palette is worth $42, the the mascara goes for $23, the lipcolor for $16, the liner for $19, and the blush for $20, this set is a steal as compared to regular retail. I haven’t tried anything aside from the palettes, but even if just one of the other items is good, this set is worth it.

3. The Superstars Collection from Sephora (via the Wayback Machine) (Sephora Exclusive), $75

This would be a great gift for someone either just starting with makeup or wanting to check out a variety of prestige brands without the financial commitment of splurging on all the full-size varieties (though many items in this set are full-size). For me, this set includes I’ve tried and definitely like and would gladly welcome backups of, products I’d like to try, and a few things I would pass along to another makeup-user who has different tastes. This is a pretty versatile set – whether you’re looking at this as a, “Treat yo’self,” gift, a gift for a loved one, or a means of getting several smaller gifts for a handful or two of people, this has you covered if in doubt.

4. Too Faced La Belle Carousel, $49 at Ulta and Sephora

The name doesn’t drive me crazy but this is more of a cute gift than a practical one. While I don’t doubt the quality of what lies within, I do doubt the claim that it is a $282 value – unless the impractical packaging is valued higher than I’d expect (which wouldn’t surprise me). This is definitely something I could see buying and splitting up or getting for someone who, “has everything,” but might appreciate bite-sized palettes for travel or to simplify decision making (for those with 4,000 palettes and nothing to wear..)

5. Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot, $36 at Ulta and Sephora (via the Wayback Machine)

2014 Prestige Holiday Gift Sets - Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot

Despite my recent confession that Benefit’s packaging doesn’t do it for me, I’d be way more inclined to pick up this palette of cheek products from them. For the price of one regular sized blush you get seven products – five blushes, Hoola bronzer, Watt’s Up highlighter – and a brush. If you’re about that blush life and have wanted to try this, drop hints – it is a good value.

6. BeautyBlender & Solid, $25

Practical (yes, even when it comes to beauty) gifts always please and are nearly-universally appropriate. This holiday-edition BeautyBlender comes packaged with a BlenderCleanser Solid. Whether the user is new to makeup spongers or is an aspiring BeautyBlender hoarder, this is sure to please. Appropriate for novices all the way through professionals this versatile tool comes with cleanser to take care of it properly. Love it.

7. Urban Decay Ten 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set, $52 at Ulta and Sephora (via the Wayback Machine)

I chose this set over the dual-ended Black Magic set because one only needs so many shades of black eyeliner in their collection and I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. If we’re in the business of gift-giving (and we are), this would definitely be something a makeup fancier might look at and add to their wish-list but not prioritize very high if they aren’t abundantly passionate about colorful eye looks.

Those are my top picks of the 2014 Prestige Makeup Gifts! Vice 3 underwhelmed me and didn’t make the list because it was too similar to other years. The Benefit Advent calendar is a really cute idea, but reviews suggest that it includes non-makeup items such as hair ties and non-beauty items such as paperclips and notepads. MAC’s holiday brush sets are notoriously lower-quality than their regular-run counterparts. The LORAC Mega PRO would have made my list if it hadn’t sold out a week after release with no plan for more production.

What are your favorite picks from the 2014 Prestige Makeup Gifts so far? What is on your wishlist, and what are you gifting to others?

Agave Healing Vapor Iron

Agave Healing Vapor IronAgave Healing Vapor Iron (via the Wayback Machine)

If there were ever a subset of beauty whose products were laden with gimmicks, it would be hair styling and care. I’m lazily looking for a flat iron (mine is on the outs, but I’m not in a rush because I don’t use it all the time), and I came across this one on Sephora. Overlooking the fact that it is $150 for a non-professional unit, the name alone got me: Agave Healing Vapor Iron.

Healing, huh?

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Glitter Eyebrows

If you came here expecting a demonstration or tutorial of glitter eyebrows, I’m sorry (not sorry) to disappoint. A well-sculpted brow is a beautiful thing, but we’re approaching silliness here.

In the space of a single week, I’ve seen a few glitter eyebrow photos pop up on various places on the beauty-concerned web.

Here are a few notable ones. Glambot, in talking about an app that makes makeup recommendations, displays this relatively straight, glittery gold brow (and some other things):

Looks like they were sculpted with a great deal of care. Oh Anastaaaaasia, you didn’t tell us you were coming out with a new Dipbrow shade! What’s it called – gilded? I kid. (Also Dipbrow is amazing and if you knock it you’re probably using it incorrectly).

And then there’s this one, from MAC:

What.

What?

I love pigments and glitter as much as the next girl (but probably not as much as Ke$ha in that I do not want to siphon off my blood and replace it with a sparkly liquid) but this renders me a little speechless. Yes, I know it is for some fashion show nonsense but still – what’s the angle here? “Nothing screams chic like holographic gold glitter eyebrows that disperse towards the model’s hairline…”

I showed the MAC-tweeted photo to a friend who remarked that she just wants to be glitter for Halloween. (Seriously, add these leggings from American Apparel in the Gold Dot/Black color and you may be onto something…)

Is this actually a thing, or are glitter eyebrows just happening for the sake of artistry?

If this is just happening for artistic purposes then that’s cool. I would strongly caution against wearing something like this in a role you need to be taken seriously in (assuming it is not an artistic industry) because it simply will not happen.

Touch of Spice – Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick

I finally picked up the specific Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick I was wanting in the first place – Touch of Spice.

Touch of Spice is a sort of My Lips But Better shade – a matte rosy shade with a bit of brown. Very autumn-appropriate and extremely wearable in all situations (as compared to Divine Wine, which may be a little bold for the taste of some). The formula seems to be identical to the aforementioned darker shade and the lighter Daringly Nude. I don’t know about you, but it drives me up the wall to get two colors from the same line to find that they have completely different consistencies and wear time. I’m pleased that the Creamy Matte line from Maybelline is pretty consistent (at least across these three shades I own).

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick Touch of Spice

Like all the others in the line, it features a frosted tube in a sort of plum-ish shade that is not indicative of the lipstick itself.

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