Take It or Leave It?

What do you do when you desperately feel like writing a blog post but it's three am and you're a little drunk? You do a Take It or Leave It (aka In and Out). These are easy and moderately mindless and really enjoyable to read!

Taking

Highlighters - I've been obsessed with highlighters (a la Nars' Albatross) lately. I think the slightest touch of shimmer on your cheeks is oh so flattering. Which leads me to the next...

Dewy Skin - Normally I'm all about the flawless skin... not completely matte but I wouldn't say dewy either. Now that the hot months have returned and I tend to sweat off my make up I've (luckily) realized that I love the dewy look! I've been slapping on nothing but a light tinted moisturizer and I think it makes me look healthier. My skin tone is still even, but I look a lot more natural.

Metallics - I'm loving the metallics out this season. Nails, shoes, make up, all of it. I'm really loving the Lorac trio I picked up recently. BEAUTIFUL!

Floral and Feminine - This part of fashion right now is my fave. I love soft feminine clothing that screams, "I'm a girl! You can't wear this!" There's something sexy about being thought of as a woman.

Leaving

Almost All the Rest of Fashion - OK That's not entirely true. I'm loving the rocker bits (in small amounts) but NOT loving the giant prints, nauticals, and everything else that's going on in fashion right now.

Teal Eyeshadow - Teal looks terrible on me. It washed me out and makes me look like I have the flu. Not really what I'm going for.

All of my Friends Being Pregnant - Yes I'm happy for them, but I'm not necessarily happy for our friendships!

Mini Sephora Haul!

So, My BFF is getting married in a couple of months and her bridal shower is in a few weeks. Technically, I'd like to be a "good friend" and actually pick her out a nice, heart-felt gift, but I know that she is like me and would very much prefer a big, fat Sephora gift card. So, I ran into Sephora last night to grab the card for her and "accidentally" picked a few things up for myself. Funny how that happens each and every time I get withint the city limits of a Sephora.



I'll be honest here and tell you that I got this one 99% because of the packaging. I also got one for C. to put with her gift card. This is the tokidoki Cromatico Eyeshadow. For both of us I grabbed the colour Carnivora which is a pinky, ivory creamy colour. Temptalia (www.temptalia.com)had mentioned one should STAY FAR AWAY from the glitter shades and I agree completely (and FYI you can tell the ones that are supposed to be glittery because the cover of the packaging is glittery too). On swatching they were pretty blah. Carnivora is honestly nothing very original, but it's a pretty shade I will wear often and hey even if I don't it's a cute eyeshadow to sit on my make up center.



Can I just say a big props to the ladies who swatch everything for us make up geeks? I think I've taken about five hundred swatches before getting them to come out somewhat ok. Still working on it though so I appologize if they suck. At least they were postable.



My next purchase was a LORAC Starry-Eyed Baked Eyeshadow Trio in Superstar. To be honest with you I've never really taken a good look at LORAC products, but as I was madly running through Sephora (no friends to focus me!) I was swatching every neutral eyeshadow gift set I could find trying to find a good one to get C. I swatched the Little Black Book set from LORAC and was instantly in love. I think that this trio is three of the four colours that were in that set, but I'm not sure.



Did I mention that I AM IN LOVE!? Argh these things are SO beautiful. The three colours remind me of different shades of MAC's Woodwinked if that makes any sense. You know that shine you get from Woodwinked? These all have that. One is a really beautiful bronzed gold, then the medium colour is a nice bronze (the closest to Woodwinked I would say) and the dark shade has a lot less of the shine, but it still a bronzed chocolate with some shine. AMAZING. I wore two of the three shades today and I don't want to take it off.... ever.



Next is something that's been on my HAVE TO get list for forever, although I didn't pick up the shade I was planning on getting and I'm a little sad about that. Kind of. I wish I had gotten both really. This is the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Blush in #13 - Smooth Talker. It is the ultimate Barbie pink and reminds me a lot of Benefit's Thrrrob blush (which, by the way, I can't find any where. Did they d/c it?). Not a colour for everyone by any means, but for super pale ladies like myself it is a miracle worker. It takes pale from being washed out to looking super healthy. I was planning on picking up Nip Slip. Next time... Because we know there will be a next time soon.





Finally I grabbed one of Urban Decay's Stardust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy. Contrary to the crappy reviews these shadows got from pretty much everywhere I am SO IN LOVE with them (how many times have I said that in this post?). I love that they aren't insanely pigmented. I love the glitter. LOVE IT. Yesterday I wore it (dry) alone over a neutral base so all you got were pretty flecks of glitter when the light hit it just so and I got multiple comments on it. And not comments from the girl at the MAC counter or my make up addicted friends (because, let's be serious, they're the only ones who can ever distinguish a slight change in eyeshadow shade/texture/finish), but from real work people and even a random on the street.



That being said, I would want to own a ton of these. I think that one of them is a must and more might be a waste of money (unless you're into bright greens and blues, which I am not). As far as glitter shadows go this one is really unique and I can see myself reaching for it over and over and over again.



Lastly, I redeemed my Beauty Insider points and grabbed the Ole Henriksen Three Little Wonders set. I've always wanted to try out pricy skin care products, but I just haven't had the heart to shell out big money on something like that. I haven't tried it yet but it looks interesting.

And now a random honourable mention or two:
OPI's Instyle Red. My mom sent it to me because she got it free with her Instyle subscription but didn't think she'd use it. Red isn't the right word to describe it. It's not quite red, not quite hot pink and it is beautiful!!





As I was leaving the mall I made a quick stop to Chapters because I had a gift card. I tend to read heavier things in the winter and a ton of chicklit in the summer. I love me some good chicklit.

I grabbed:
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris which is the second book in the series. It's the basis for HBO's True Blood. I love that show. Who doesn't love slutty vampire sex?

I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk - this is a new author for me, but it sounded like a delicious book.

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger - I'm just finishing up Everyone Worth Knowing (which is great by the way) and I read the Devil Wears Prada which was also amazing. So, I figured I would probably like this one too.

4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell - who doesn't love anything and everything by the goddess who created Sex and the City?

ELOTD


Finally, my eye look of the day! Excuse the brows in MUCH need of attention. Today I took the lightest shade of the LORAC trio all over the entire lid. MAC's Firecracker on the outer 2/3 and MAC's Amber Lights in the crease and outer V as well as the darkest LORAC shade from the trio in just the outer V. MAC's Vanilla was my highlight and then I finished it off with black cream liner (I'm currently using a Maybelline one I don't love) and a few coats of L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara.