YSL Gel Blush and Soft Blush

Ack my Sephora binge didn't stop with just YSL glossy stains.  I also got a few blushes!

I got a couple of their new gel blushes.  On the left is 1 (carmine veil) and on the right is 2 (coral veil).

I always love YSL packaging.

The gel blushes are super light texture-wise and are easy to apply.  I'm happy to say they are not sticky at all.

And I also wanted to try out their soft blush because I always love a good cream blush.  I got 1 (velvety peach), described as a pinky peach.

Ack I forgot to take a photo before I swatched it!  The texture is so smooth and creamy.  And unlike some cream blushes (Tarte for one - although I still like them), it doesn't feel greasy at all.

So here are some swatches.  They don't show up very well in my apartment lighting and all three are very sheer.  I like that they're so sheer, but buildable.

On the left is the soft blush, middle is gel blush #1, and right is gel blush #2.

These are just light swipes so I think if you want a heavier blush you can definitely build up the color.  Sorry my hands are so dry, the weather is actually a bit more like real winter weather today and I was cooking and washing dishes just before this.

I can't wait to try these out on my cheeks!  I'm not sure which I'll try first.  Hmmm...

Now I know I should get up and shower after having run but my lil pug doesn't want me to get up.  She loooooves going in that spot right behind my legs.  Do you like my bright socks?

I love her no nose pics.

Oh no don't fall asleep on me!  I need to get up, but do I dare move her?

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy - Swooon!

I picked up some YSL Volumpte Sheer Candy in Dewy Papaya, Succulent Pomegranate, and Mouthwatering Berry through a Sephora purchase.  These are described as glossy balms and I'm a sucker for any fancy lip balm.  I hate glosses and traditional lipsticks and so I'm always on the prowl for good lip treatments/balms with some color.

First off, the packaging is beautiful.  I'm also a sucker for good packaging.  I'm like Sephora's dream customer.

Even with the shiny metal cases, it doesn't show fingerprints too much.  Also I love how the middle colored band is representative of the color of the balm.  I hate it when I have multiple cases of something and you can't tell which is which from the outside.

These are really smooth and shiny.  I mean look at that gleam!  I was very sad to have to use them for the first time.  I love that brand new look!  From left to right we have pomegranate, berry and papaya.

But I did use them.  Sigh.  These are the same texture as a lip balm so very smooth and took a few rubbings to get this much color onto my hand.  The texture is similar to the Fresh lip balms, but less soft and smooshy.  From left to right is papaya, berry, and pomegranate.

Momma said knock you out!

Once I spotted my pug waiting in the background by the fridge (she was hoping a trip to the kitchen meant treats, when really I just went there for the better lighting), I got distracted by my own stupid amusement at playing around in the photos with my pug.  Tickle, tickle!

Good lil pug - you deserve a pat on the head.  And eventually a treat.  Btw, on my nails I'm wearing Essie's meet me at sunset.  I love it but my mom hated it and said it looked too orange.

So here's a serious and closer up look at the swatches (remember left to right is papaya, berry and pomegranate).

I am loooving these lip balms.  Fancy packaging, beautiful colors, and moisturizing balminess.  Sigh, the only thing that would make these better is if they have great staying power.  Time and testing will tell.  I tried on pomegranate on my lips afterwards and let me tell you this color is even more beautiful on the lips than on my dry gross hand.  It's like the color you wish your lips could always be naturally with a slight extra oomph and shine.  Perfect!  Admittedly, these are really pricey.  I'd say try to pick out the color you like best, but I failed at that so it would be hypocritical of me to say so.  Ok, now it's time to give my well deserved pug a treat for being such a good sport.

Update Review - Sephora Haul

I am so happy with my mega haul so far and wanted to do a quick update/review.

Dior Pro-Youth Sorbet Eye Creme - Looooving this! In the past couple years I've started to suffer from some eczema outbreaks on my face and neck (so now I have the joy of dealing with acne, wrinkles and eczema - oh joy!). Last summer i had a fierce outbreak on my eyelids. That was horrible! Itchy eyelids and not wanting to damage the already thin skin there! I think that may be part of the reason why I feel the skin around my eyes has gotten so much worse recently. I mean, i have no willpower in general so there's no way i can resist scratching something itchy. So that took forever and a day to go away last year because you cant use a lot of creams you would use elsewhere on your eyelids since the skin there is so delicate. I was able to make it go away with diligent and liberal applications of Shu's heavier creams (the phyto black line). Aquaphor and Eucerin sucked and just left me with greasy lids. So recently I noticed slight flareups on my eyelids again (curse you dad genes with your problem skin and large calves!). But a couple days of using the Dior creme made it go away completely!! The cream is very light but slightly sticky so its not super easy for me to rub in without feeling a little tug so I'm not thrilled about that. I think if I used more when I applied that would help but that is too rich and heavy for me. Well whatever, it helped clear my dry patches so I'm a happy camper.

Hourglass Aqua Sheer Cheek Stain (Rouge and Flush) - These are simply ah-mazing. They are actually very easy to apply and blend in so long as you don't dilly dally. And you can really feel the difference with their water based formula. Super duper light, with not a speck of grease or oil. I plan on using these every day during the spring and summer. LOVE. These were pricy but in my opinion totally worth it. I want all the shades! I havent tried the Givenchy one yet.

Dior Nail Cream - Hmm I am a bit torn on this one. On the one hand (hehe) it is super tacky feeling and takes fo eva to absorb. And even after it absorbs it still feels slightly tacky still. But on the other hand the skin around my nails and my cuticles already look waaaay better. So I'll keep using it, but only before bed. Sometimes I wash my hands real quickly and not too thoroughly after it absorbs in and I can still feel a slight tackiness so I think it's still there and working, but now it's just a bit more bearable for me and I don't have to walk around with sticky hands.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara - I am generally not a mascara person so I may not be completely impartial but I hate this. The brush is goopy when I pull it out and after using it on my nonexistent bottom lashes I saw no difference BUT I felt a difference when my lashes kept sticking together whenever I blinked. Wtf?! Sucks!

Hello Kitty Sweet Gloss (Charmmy) - Nice gloss stick and goes on very smoothly. Much much less sticky than a traditional gloss. Pretty color but nothing that special about this. I'll keep it and use it but probably wouldn't repurchase.

Tarte Lip Surgence Natural Lip Lusters (Buff and Adored) - LOVE these! Amazing to put on - they glide over your lips so so smoothly with beautiful light pigmentation. I was worried they might be too pigmented and I would end up with brown or pink pink lips but no. These are the perfect balance of sheer and pigmented so it just looks like my natural lips but better times 100. Lasting power is pretty good but not great. Not a true stain. But I love these. I want more shades!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils 15 Year Anniversary Collection - LOOOOOVE! These glide on sooo smoothly and are beautiful colors. Sidenote, I did notice the smell that lots of people have complained about but thats from the packaging. It went away and besides I'm not keeping the pencils in that ginormous box. Where would I put it? These pencils don't really last all day, but they simply fade away instead of smudging. And they still last waaaaay longer on my lower lids than any other pencil, including MUFE.

So I have tested out a few of them and even worn them to work! The first day I wore Stash on top and bottom with Koji Dolly Wink liquid liner in black over on top and Mildew in the middle lower lid and Baked in the inside corner.

The second day I wore Binge on top and bottom with the Koji Dolly Wink liquid liner on top and Asphyxia in the inside corner.

Love love love these pencils. So many great colors to choose from. Great and easy application. And fairly good staying power with little to no smjudging.

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Mega Sephora Haul - Blushes and Eyeliners and Lip Pencils, Oh My!

I had another binge shopping spree at Sephora and I got a ton of fun new products and some replacements.  This post will be very picture heavy so bear with me!  My hands and arms are totally discolored from all the swatches.


Shipping was sooo fast!  I love opening up a big package with so many fun and pretty things!

So let's do the boring stuff first.  Restocked on a couple essentials.  DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask and Sephora nail corrector pen.  I don't know if this mask does anything for my zits because even after using it as a mask or as overnight spot treatment my zits remain exactly the same.  It does, however, absorb all my excess oil and so I use it about once a week in the warmer weather months.  The Sephora nail corrector pen is a huge help to me with my nails.  I am just beginning to get the hang of painting my own nails and this helps to get rid of all the mistakes.  It's a bit liquidy and greasy seeming at first, but so long as you're careful it works fabulously.

And here are a couple samples I got in exchange for some of my Sephora points.  I've tried the DDF Acne Control Treatment before and it's ok.  Salicylic acid is not that effective for me and my zits but I want a travel sized zit cream and this will do.  The Dior Pore Refining Perfecting Moisturizer was an accidental grab.  I clicked the box without realizing it until after I was reviewing my order confirmation.  Oh wells!  

Ok, now the fun stuff!  First up is the Givenchy Blush Gelee in Candide Pink.  It's the only shade available through Sephora's website and I've been dying to try this out for a while.  I rarely use powder blush anymore and love love love cream or gel blushes.  I wanted to get some more liquidy/gel blushes for the warmer weather.   

After several clicks, the blush starts to come up through the sponge applicator.  I'm not thrilled with the idea of a sponge applicator.  How do I clean it?!

This is after I used it for a swatch on my arm.

And here's a swatch on my arm.  It's like a cool liquid going on but dries completely with no residue.  It's almost like a stain.  LOVE.  The color may be a bit too cool pink for me but meh, I am a blush fiend and have no qualms over having clown cheeks.  

Next up are two Hourglass Aqua Sheer Cheek Stain

First up is Flush.  After clicking the bottom like a 100x, the blush finally came up in a gross and disturbing way.  It kind of reminded me of blood seeping through a bandage. 

After testing it, it looked a little less disturbing and more like blush.  Again I don't know how I can clean these cloth applicators.

Swatch - Such a pretty color!  Like the Givenchy blush it goes on a little liquidy but dries completely with no residue.  Love!

And here's the Rouge gross blood stain.  It also reminds me of lady time.  :P 

Swatch of Rouge.  It comes out much lighter than how it looks in the applicator.

And below are the swatches together: From left to right Givenchy Candide Pink, Hourglass Flush, Hourglass Rouge.  As you can see Givenchy is definitely a more cool pink.  Flush is a bit of a darker and reddish shade. And Rouge is a more rose-ish color.  All very pretty.  All go on very light and liquidy but dry quickly as stains.  I imagine I'll have to blend quickly before these dry since they don't budge once dry. 

Oh and here's Essie's Over the Top on my fat little toes.  I LOVE this color especially on my fat toes! This was not part of my Sephora haul but I had mentioned recently about loving this shade on my toes and wanted to take a photo before I forget.

Now soon you are going to see photos of swatches on my hands.  I am warning you that my hands are super dry and gnarly.  I haven't been as diligent with the hand cream, plus I've been doing my nails so often the nail polish remover has been drying out my fingers, plus the weather here all of a sudden dropped this week and it's like winter is back again, drying out my hands and legs.  Apologies in advance!  But this Dior Fortifying Cream for Nails should help!  I was totally enamored with this cuticle cream online and it got such good reviews!

They recommend that you use this at night.  Will do tonight!

I love Dior packaging.  I wish I could work for Dior or some other makeup company and just test all of their packaging.  They would have them roll out on a conveyor belt and then measure my reaction and squeals to see which are most effective and alluring to consumers.

I mean look at this, even the foil cover is pretty!

Whoa!  Totally not what I expected!  I thought it would be more of a hard waxy kind of cream.  This is very goopy and dense and pink!

Omg so much of the cream on the foil lid!  I'll have to use the foil portion first.  I saved it for later tonight.  My nails and fingers are so happy.  Can't wait!

Ok, don't judge!  Next up is the Hello Kitty Apple Balm.  Yes, I am a grown woman.  And yes I purchased a hello kitty cosmetic.  BUT, in my defense, this got very good reviews and I read about it in this month's Allure issue.  That's a grown up magazine so that means it's totally acceptable!  

I must admit the packaging is very very cute.

SMOOTH.

I love new products before I use them.  They're so smooth and clean looking.  This apple balm smells super sweet.  Not sure how I feel about that just yet.  I don't want any super sweet smelling makeup, but it's better than the smell of some makeup out there.  Seriously, some makeup smells so bad or like old lady makeup.

Testing it out.  Sigh, first dip into the balm.  Now it's USED.

Swatch on my dry dry hand.  I was relieved to see that it wasn't as bright as it looked at first.  And it was surprisingly smooth and nice feeling.

I also bought the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara.  It's only $10!  But it is tiny.  I wanted to try it out since my bottom lashes are almost nonexistent and I can never use regular mascara there.  I also want to test it out on my upper lashes since I also have sparse and small lashes there and don't like too heavy looking mascara in general.

Tiny tiny mascara brush!

I confess I also got a Hello Kitty Sweet Gloss.  A lot of the Hello Kitty products got good reviews!  And I figured I should at least try them out in case they might be awesome.  I got Charmmy.  Oops I started opening it before I remembered to take pics of the packaging.

Nothing too special about the casing.  Kind of reminds me of when I was young and had random cutesy makeup. 

But the shade is not cutesy at all.  It's a very mature and pretty sheer brownish red neutral.

Here's a swatch so you can see how sheer it really is.  Feels a teeny bit sticky going on, but that's expected since it's called a gloss.  I love the idea of a solid gloss and not the gross liquidy tacky feeling ones.

And moving onto eyes, here's an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Sin.

Sin was not my top choice, but as you'll see I ended up getting a ton of Urban Decay eyeliners in all the shades I would have wanted so I figured I should get something different.

It's a pretty shade but maybe a bit too metallicy for my tastes.

All right, I confess again!  I got some Hello Kitty Eyeshadow Sticks too!  Ack!  I got Birthday Cake and Playground.

Here's Playground.  I wanted a black one that I could use to blend out my eyeliner and create a smudgey eye.  I don't really like using traditional eye shadow powders.  I don't know why.  I have them and never ever use them.  So I decided to try the stick form.  I wish it had a bit of a sharper point though.

Here's a swatch above my Urban Decay swatch.

And here's Birthday Cake. 

A very pretty brown.  I like this one but then again I'm a boring neutral eye shadow kind of girl. 

Hmm, not sure about the staying power though.  I rubbed my hand a couple quick times and the shadows smeared a bit.  See?

I also got Peter Thomas Roth's Retinol Fusion because I'm getting old and decrepit and need something to help my acne AND wrinkle prone skin.  My skin has been aging considerably this past year all of a sudden!  I tried using the Murad acne and wrinkle treatment but it didn't do anything and I think it was causing some new breakouts.  So no more of that!  I hope this works out, but I haven't used a retinol product in a loooong time, since my teenage acne prescription cream days.  I hope there's not as bad of a breaking in phase with this as I had with those prescription creams!

It's a clear liquid inside with a drop applicator.

Jumping back to more lip products!  I am really intrigued by the Tarte Lip Surgence Natural Lip Lusters!  I love the idea of a thick creamy lip pencil.  I only have bad memories with lip pencils in the past - thin and hard, only meant to line the lips.  I could never get into using those lip pencils to fill in my entire lips.  Yes, the staying power must be better, but the texture was hard and it took forever to fill in my big ol lips.  So I'm hoping that Tarte will turn a new leaf for me.  I chose this over Clinique because this one seemed to have better reviews and colors and I'm not a huge fan of most Clinique products.

I chose Buff and Adored.  I really wanted others, but I already had a huge shopping cart and decided to try out just these two for now.  If I like them I can always get more later!

Here's Buff.  A beautiful thick nude colored pencil..

Here's Adored.  A lovely pink.

And here are swatches on my dry hand.  The top one is Adored and the bottom is Buff.  Adored is a little bit more of a cool pink and Buff is a little bit more brown than I initially thought these would be.  But when I Googled these before I noticed that the colors look different on people's lips as opposed to swatches on hands and arms.  So I'll reserve judgment until I try these out on my lips!

Remember how I am aging at a rapid rate?  Well I also need a good eye cream.  I used Dior Capture Totale back in the day and really liked it.  It was lightweight and didn't give me any millia.  I used up my Shu red eye cream which was nice but now it's too much of a hassle to get Shu products (other than hair!) in the US.  And  I've been using the Boscia amino-ag eye treatment recently based on Fuzkittie's recommendation.  But that one is a big giant MEH.  It hasn't done any harm but I don't really see it doing any good either.  It's super lightweight but I need something more.  Enter Dior Pro-Youth Sorbet Eye Creme.

I chose this instead of Capture Totale because it got better reviews and I figured I might as well try it out.  It comes with a spatula applicator thingy that I will never use but will keep in a drawer for the next 5 years thinking I might find it useful at some point in the future but never will.

It's a nice heavy glass container in an oval shape.

Omg, even their safety seal is pretty and has a Dior label on it!  Love their packaging!

Sheesh, so sanitary and safe that even after peeling off the safety seal (which was really really hard to remove and required some judicious use of my nails) there's a plastic lid.  If they are that concerned with the cleanliness of this, they should have put it in a pump or tube form then!  I love Dior packaging, but I generally hate anything in tub form.

Deliciously velvety smooth eye cream.

Let's try this bad boy out.

Here I swabbed some onto my dry hand.

And blended it in.

Whoa!  Do you see the difference in my hand?  The very left side is where I rubbed in the eye cream.  The middle to right part is my regular dry ol hand.  The cream is sooooo light and fluffy and blends in like a dream!  It's a sorbet indeed!

Oh I also got a lighted Tweezerman mirror.  This is for my plucking.

The light is kinda small and dinky and to the side.  But it'll do.

I saved this for last because it's the biggest.  Behold!  The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils 15 Year Anniversary Collection!  It comes in a ginormous box, beautifully displayed, and with a pencil sharpener with one small hole and one big hole.  This is pricy, but a great deal for the number of pencils you get.  I was adding the pencils into my shopping car separately and quickly realized that the better bargain would be to get this set.

Beautiful!!

And here are some tiny swatches.  There are a ton of swatches online from others if you want to see bigger swatches.  These are, from left to right: Stray Dog (shimmering taupe brown), Corrupt (dark metallic brown with silver glitter), Bourbon (medium brown with sparkle), Midnight Cowboy (Beige Sparkle), Baked (Bronze), Stash (mossy gold-green), Mildew (deep mossy green), Perversion (blackest (and they mean blackest!) carbon black), Electric (bright blue), Binge (deep metallic blue), Ransom (bright purple), Asphyxia (pinky iridescent purple), Rockstar (deep reddish purple), Zero (black), and Uzi (sparkling gunmetal gray).

These really do glide on like a dream!  So smooth!  I imagine that there will be no tugging or having to pencil over and over again to get some color (e.g., Nars and Shu I'm looking at you!).  My favorites so far are Stray Dog, Baked, Stash, Mossy, Binge, Ransom and Rockstar.  I probably will never use Electric, except to draw smiley faces on my arm.  And the other colors are all still very nice but I have other eye pencils that are similar to those.  And the difference between Perversion and Zero is that Perversion is BLACK black, while Zero is regular black.  Below is a pic with flash.  My flash always washes out my photos.

Here's the pencil sharpener it comes with.  Nothing special but it's nice to have the two different sized holes.

 Love these eye pencils so much!  I tried rubbing them off my arm and they wouldn't budge!  Below is a photo after I rubbed my index finger repeatedly back and forth.  Amazing! 

Don't believe me?  Look, this is the finger I used to rub my arm.  It's interesting because you can see some of it rubbed off on my finger but it doesn't LOOK smeared or faded on my arm.  Wonderful!!  I hope these really do last all day and are waterproof because I've been having issues with my lower lid which is so watery (I blame my contacts) and can't hold a line.

Phew!!!  Sorry for the super duper long post but I wanted to share all my swatches and thoughts on my new and fun products!  So happy! :D