Nars Spring Makeup Collection

I just checked out the new Nars Spring makeup line, and it got me very excited about makeup that I have absolutely no place to wear. Actually, that's not fair--most of it looks extremely wearable and PRETTY, like the gorgeous beigy pink lipstick. But my eye went straight to the electric blue glitter eyeliner. Here's the description from the Sephora website:

"Inspired by New York's infamous 1970s discos, these chunky crayons of translucent color are laced with glitter and can be worn on the eyes, cheeks, lips, and body."

Oh my gosh, it's enough to make me want to hop the next plane to Vegas. Sadly, the only place I have to wear it to is daycare, so probably not too practical for my lifestyle, but let me tell you, 10 years and a baby ago, I would have rocked this. Love the bright violet nail polish and hot pink lip gloss too, but I'm pretty sure I can find a Wet n' Wild version of both.

Drugstore Find: Mineral Foundation

Okay, first, sorry for the complete lack of blogs for the past few months. I'm going to try and do better now!

So, you guys know I love my Smashbox mineral makeup, but on Christmas Eve, I ran out. There was no way I was going to brave the mall on Christmas Eve, so I headed to CVS instead! I picked up this Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation. Um, I'm still using it. I actually really like it. The color is really natural, the coverage is great, and it's pretty long lasting. I definitely like it as well, or possibly a little better, than the bare escentuals bare minerals foundation. I do not like it as well as Smashbox, but...it's $8! I mean seriously. The one thing I do NOT like about it is the brush that comes with the foundation, so I strongly recommend you find a good brush you like. (I LOVE my Smashbox brush...yes, at $50 it's crazy expensive, but I think it makes all makeup look better.) If you're looking for a good mineral foundation, I would definitely recommend it.

Clinique Mineral Makeup

You guys know I love my Smashbox mineral makeup, with its awesome delivery system by which you shave off just the amount you need--so much neater than traditional mineral makeups, which just get everywhere, especially when you try and travel with them.

Well, Clinique has entered the mineral makeup fray with their Superbalanced Makeup, which has identical packaging to my Smashbox fave. And it's $34.50 for 18g, versus the Smashbox, which is $59 for 21g, so it's quite a bit cheaper. My friend Shelly, a girl who knows her makeup and a fellow mineral makeup devotee (she got me into bare minerals to begin with), tried this and really likes it.

Here's the thing: the Smashbox version has all sorts of vitamins and antioxidants in it, and supposedly reduces the appearance of wrinkles. And I feel like it really works! My skin responds really well to it. And I feel like my skin really glows after I use it. So I'm not sure if the Clinique version will do the same thing or not. But at that much of a price difference, I think I'm going to try it once I run out of Smashbox. If anyone has used the Clinique version, or if you've used both Clinique and Smashbox, let me know what you think!

Drugstore Find! Tinted Moisturizer

My friend Tara has been using Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer for a long time and loves it, but at $42 for 1.5 oz, she decided to look for a cheaper alternative. She tried Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer and is really happy with it. It's on sale right now at drugstore.com for $9.19 and comes in 1 oz sizes, so it's almost $30 cheaper than the Laura Mercier product. They both have SPF 20, but the Neutrogena product also contains retinol, so it has anti-aging properties as well. I cannot tell the difference, the Neutrogena looks great. Another drugstore success story!

Plum Nail Polish

I absolutely love Revlon's nail polishes. The formula is really easy to apply, long-wearing, and retail for under $5.00. And they come in some great colors. A few weeks ago I picked up a new shade at Target called Plum Night. For some reason, I can't find it online yet, but check your drugstores. It is the perfect color for fall. It's a very, very deep plum color, but doesn't read black. This picture is not the best, but you get the general idea.

Cheap Eyeshadow Find

Well, I was so encouraged by my drugstore mascara find that I decided to see what other drugstore makeup products I could find to substitute for more expensive versions. I tried this Maybelline Stylish Smokes Eyeshadow Quad and I love it! The colors are so pretty, and as you can see from the picture, application directions are stamped right into the eyeshadow, showing you which colors to apply to your brow bone, lid, crease and corner. The formula wears really well, it really lasts all day. And it's only $5 at drugstore.com! I tried the grays shown above, but they come in other colors too, including browns, purples, and greens. I'm having great success with the drugstore brands.

Cover Girl Lashblast Mascara

Okay, you guys know that I LOVE Diorshow mascara. It's the best I've ever tried, it's supervolumizing, never clumps, and is just generally fabulous. Well, I ran out of the stuff the other day, so headed to the mall to buy a new tube. When I got home, I realized the salesgirl had given me a different formula than the original. I was in a hurry, so I ran up to the drugstore to pick up a temporary replacement and grabbed this Cover Girl Lashblast. Uh...I really like it. I mean, really like it. Do I love it as I do Diorshow mascara? I do not. However, it's $8, versus $24 for the Diorshow...I can learn to love it.

It has an enormous brush, which I love, but the brush is tiny little plastic spikes. Sort of weird, but it definitely works, it made my lashes really thick without clumping. Okay, there was a little clumping, but not bad at all. Now, I applied two coats, whereas with Diorshow you only need one. But it stays on all day and I love the way it looks. I like it so much that I haven't bought a Diorshow replacement. This may be my new everyday mascara.

Inspiration for my fall makeup look

So, I was flipping through a catalog the other day and I was struck by the makeup the models were wearing - super flushed cheeks and rose stained lips, with a more neutral eye. They looked really fresh and young...because they were. Here's the thing - it was the Boden Kids catalog, which as a new mom I now receive.

Now, I don't know if this is an indication that I am becoming obsessed with youth, or if Boden Kids just employs an exceptional makeup artist. Regardless, I am taking these looks as inspiration for my fall makeup. I'm thinking a lip and cheek stain, like this one from Benefit, $24 at Sephora.

Is it wrong that I also love her little polka dot coat? And don't even get me started on her horse tote!

Mineral Powder

So, I love my bare minerals makeup, but it's so messy! It's not the best designed system I've ever seen. And forget about traveling with them (although, my friend Shelly is so smart and puts scotch tape across the top of the container when she travels which keeps the powder from going all over the place). So I was on the lookout for a new mineral makeup.

I ended up buying Smashbox's Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder, which is $59 at Sephora. I know it's expensive, but it's really big, so I think it will last a long time, and I really love the color and coverage. It's very sheer, so if you're looking for heavy coverage this isn't for you (although if you keep layering it on you can get heavier coverage). It is so lightweight, but it makes your skin look glowy and pretty. It claims to be anti-aging--I'm not sure about that, I haven't really noticed a big difference. But it is very hydrating and won't dry out your skin like a lot of powders. Wear it with a foundation primer for the longest wear.

And the packaging is so ingenious. You just turn the base and shave off the amount you want--no mess!

It comes with a little brush, but I ended up buying this amazing brush as well ($52 at Smashbox.com). I know it's super expensive so it's definitely a splurge, but I have to tell you I LOVE this brush, it is so soft and delivers perfect coverage and I'll have it for a long time.

If you like the packaging of the makeup but the Smashbox version is too expensive for you, Elizabeth Arden has a mineral makeup in the same type of container for $37.50. I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for the makeup, but may be worth checking out.

Lorac Lip/Cheek Stain

My friend Jocelyn introduced me to this Lorac Lip/Cheek Sheer Wash this past weekend, and I had to share with you all. It's a stain, so it stays on a really long time, which I love, and the color is very natural looking. You do need to keep reapplying gloss, because it kind of wears away after eating and drinking. But it's very easy to apply and the color is very wearable. I like that it's a multitasker too, and can be worn as blush. This is a great item to stash in your makeup bag. $19, at the Lorac website.

Makeup Train Case

I have a confession to make: I miss my Caboodle! Remember Caboodles? The brightly colored plastic makeup organizers that everyone at my junior high had? My makeup and brushes and tools are currently spread between various drawers, cosmetics bags and bins. As a result, I cannot find anything. Hence the yearning for my old Caboodle. Here's the problem: I would be somewhat embarrassed to keep this on my vanity, much less carry it around by its clear plastic handle anywhere in public. Unfortunately, I am now too old to carry a Caboodle. (However, if you are in junior high, you really need to go to Target and get one!)

Luckily, I have found a grown up version of the Caboodle, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to share it with you! It's the Sephora Train Case, and it is awesome. Look at all the tiered shelving! It comes in several styles, but I like this limited edition ivory mock-croc version for $110. It combines the functionality of the beloved Caboodle with a more glamorous aesthetic.

On a side note, this would make a great gift for anyone who loves makeup and/or organizational tools.

My latest nail obsession

Chanel has a new line of nail colors out, the limited edition Robertson Boulevard collection. The colors are so fun (from left, L.A. Sunrise, L.A. Sunset, Melrose and Rodeo Drive). I have to have the pink and purple, they are adorable. The collection was created to celebrate the opening of the new Chanel store on Robertson Boulevard in L.A., and is available at the new store on May 31. The rest of us have to wait until July, and, I kid you not, there is a waiting list. Ridiculous? Yes. Do I love the ridiculousness? Again, yes. Is my name on the waiting list? If you have to ask, you don't know me at all. $25 each at Chanel.com.

Best Mascara Ever

Mascara is pretty much my favorite beauty product of all time.  I've been through a lot of different brands over the years, but when I met Diorshow mascara (sigh), I knew it was the one. No other brand comes close. It comes with an enormous, extra fat brush that covers every lash, and the formula is perfect--no flaking, no clumping, just thick, separated perfect lashes. Perfection is not cheap--$24 at Sephora. But you can't put a price on true love.

There's a limited edition version out right now, Diorshow Black Out, which looks pretty wonderful, it's a super-intense black.

Best makeup ever

I'm pretty much obsessed with bareMinerals makeup. I always wear full makeup--foundation, powder, the works. So I was very skeptical when my friend was raving about bareMinerals, which always seemed to me to be some sort of glorified powder. But she insisted that it had great coverage and lasted all day. I decided I had to try it.

I bought the Starter Kit from Ulta for $60. That's pricey, but it does come with a lot of stuff:

-three brushes (an overall face brush, another face brush that provides a little heavier coverage, and a concealer brush)
-two foundations, each a slightly different shade
-one "Mineral Veil", which is kind of an overall finishing powder
-two all-over face colors: "Warmth", which is kind of like a bronzer, and "glow", which is a soft rose color

It also comes with a dvd showing you how to put all this stuff on, which is helpful, because I admit I was a little overwhelmed by it all when I opened the box. After a few tries, I had it down though, and now I absolutely love it. I guess it's ground up minerals, in sort of a powdery form. It's very natural looking, it really blends into your skin well and doesn't leave any foundation lines. It feels really lightweight, and it amazingly lasts all day, even through work-outs. I got talked into buying the "PhotoFinish" foundation primer from Smashbox, which is $36 at Ulta, so that might be part of the secret to making it last all day.

Supposedly you can use the foundation as a concealer also, just by using the concealer brush. Personally, I still use a cream concealer under my eyes, just for extra coverage. And I don't really use the warm or glow powders. Even so, I think it's a really good deal-- the brushes alone would cost more than $60 if you bought them individually.

The sets come in light, medium and tan, and each set comes with two slightly different foundation shades. I bought the light, and I can wear either of the colors that came with my set, one is slightly more golden than the other and maybe a little darker.

I highly recommend this make up and I think the starter kit is a great way to try it out. You can get it at http://www.ulta.com/ .