Latest UD Haul, Swatches, and Review

Okie dokie!  I got a chance to try out my new UD stash yesterday I've got pictures and reviews!  Here's my latest UD face:

So, let's talk eyeshadow, specifically Minx:

Minx looks slightly intimidating pressed in its little container, but the color applies as a shimmery pale blue with the slightest hint of green, packed with sparkly silver glitter.  I know that we all LOVE a good dose of heavy pigmentation, but in this case, I found the more subtle look to be very feminine and romantic.  Reminds me of Cinderella.  There a bit of fallout from the glitter, but I feel that a small amount of sparkle on my cheeks makes me a little more glamorous...like a fairy princess! :D  Loved it so much that I wore it two days in a row!  Since Minx is so gorgeous, I simply chose to do a monochromatic color wash on the top and bottom lids accentuated with black liner as not to upstage it with any additional hues.

Next up, Pocket Rocket glosses:

Dustin

Max

Rashad

You all know that I love a fun, bright lip!  But for a smoldering, sexy look, I love pairing smokey eyes with a high nude lip, which is why I chose to go with these more subdued gloss shades this time around.

All shades are translucent/sheer.  Dustin is a brownish nude with glitter particles.  It's the deepest of the three shades and shows up more dominantly than the other two on my lips.  Max is more of a true nude with the barest hint of shimmer.  I felt like I was applying a glossy concealer to my lips when I tried it on, but really, I love it so much.  I think it would look amazing with a super-smokey eye!  Rashad is a creamy, neutral, medium pink that is just so flirty and girly.  I love them all and can totally see myself going through a pale-lip phase for the next several weeks!

And finally, De Slick:

It's a super-fine oil-control mist that has a light, but not unpleasant, fragrance and literally feels like nothing on your face!  Spray it on before makeup application to control oil at the pore level, and then after makeup to set and seal.  I was most excited about this product because my oily complexion requires several powder touch ups throughout the day to hide my shiny spots.  Here are comparison photos of me in fresh makeup and then 12 hours later with the help of De Slick:

It's a little hard to tell because the "before" image was taken in the morning with a combination of natural and artificial light.  The "after" image was taken late at night with only artificial light, so the colors are slightly off.  Also, it looks like after 12 hours of wear, my eyeliner has run a little and my gloss (Rashad) has all but worn off! Lol.  But anyways, back to De Slick.  Though wouldn't say that it's a miracle oil control product, I am going to admit that, so far, it's the best oil control product I've tried.  I had to blot once, with tissue, to get rid of the shinies.  But, to be fair, it was after an intense cardio session and Bar Method workout.  I've only gotten a chance to try it for 2 days, however, so  I'll see about updating with my final consensus.

Well, that's that for now!  Hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend.  I think it's the last of warm weekends for a very long time here in sunny California!  Goodnight!

Hugs,
Cat

More Urban Decay

I've been a bad girl.  I just can't resist Urban Decay's clearance sales...top quality makeup at dirt-cheap prices?  How could I say no?  Here's my latest:

Pocket Rocket lip glosses in Dustin (nude with iridescent sparkle), Max (nude pink...but looks more salmon), and Rashad (creamy, medium pink)

Eyeshadow in Minx. (blue with green shift and silver glitter)

XL bottle of De Slick oil control mist.  A part of my ongoing search for the perfect oil control agent.  Still haven't found it yet, so hopefully this is the one! (crossing fingers)

Unfortunately, my makeup is already done for the day, but I'm so excited to put this haul on my face tomorrow!  Will update with swatches. :D  TGIF!

Hugs,
Cat

Urban Decay Sale Haul

One of you tipped me off on an Urban Decay sale (thanks Jennifer!) and I ended up getting more stuff than I should have, lol.  Check it out!

I ordered the lipstick in Midnight Cowboy, the "vintage" eyeshadow in Goddess (love the name!), got the Black Palette (been waiting for it to go on sale!), and chose the Pocket Rocket glosses in James, Timothy (which I got for my sister, actually), and Colin.

UD also "gifted" me with a limited edition lipstick cap.  Pretty, to be sure, but a little useless, if you ask me.  I'm guessing they're giving them away because no one wanted to buy them.  It's high quality, heavyweight, and comes in it's own "coffin" lol!  I thought the original cap was perfectly fine, however.

LOVE the glosses!  Can't wait to share swatches, stay tuned and have a happy Tuesday!

Hugs,
Cat

Urban Decay Mini Haul!

Thanks to a tip from one of you girls, I recently shopped Urban Decay's sale section (even though I shouldn't be) and purchased a few noteworthy goodies.  Y'all know I can't resist a good sale.  It's my kryptonite.  My shipment came in yesterday.  Check it out!

1. Urban Lash Kit
2. 24/7 Shadow Pencil Stash
3. Ink For Eyes in Binge and Empire
4. Matte Shadow in Chronic

Delinquent, Rehab, Juju, Sin, and Clash.

These swatches and lighting really don't do these shadow pencils justice!  The color glides on effortlessly and is so vibrant that they nearly jump out at you.  I thought my Color Tattoo cream shadows were awesome until I fell in love with these guys.  You get the convenience of cream color with the precision of a pencil.  These are THE BEST!  Now on sale at Urban Decay from $34 to only $12!

Binge and Empire

These cream eyeliners aren't bad.  I love the deep, indigo blue of Binge and the elegant, aubergine hue of Empire.  They can stand to be slightly more opaque (I had to build a few layers for optimal opacity) and can be a little bit softer.  The angled brushes that they came with were high-quality, however were too soft, in my opinion.  I would recommend using a stiffer eyeliner brush, such as the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush.  I'm glad I paid $7 for these instead of $22!

Chronic

This little guy was on sale for $3.  How could I resist?  Chronic is a soft, earthy shade of green tea that I think is perfect for the transition from winter to spring.  It's applies smooth as silk with pigmentation that packs a punch, a consistent quality of all UD shadows.

I couldn't wait to play with my new makeup!  This is the look I created today using Clash, Rehab, and Binge:

I've been wearing this shadow for 8 hours now with no creasing or fading.  Yay!

I look forward to creating some cool looks and tutorials with these guys. :D  Oh, and of course UD decides to have a sale AFTER I make all my purchases.  I'm out of juice so I won't be shopping anytime soon, but you all can definitely take advantage.  Just enter code: FFSPRING12 for 20% off your next order.  Orders over $50 ship free!  Happy shopping!

Hugs,

Cat

Jason Wu Target Collection Haul

I was sooooooooo planning on waking up at 6am tomorrow morning in order to battle the crowds for the launch of the Jason Wu Collection for Target, but, as it turns out, the sale started a few hours ago online, so I was able to snare a few items at the last minute.  Sadly, I didn't get everything that I wanted, but didn't log off empty-handed.  Here's what I got:

I had originally wanted the top and skirt set in this print, but they were long-gone by the time I got wind of the online sale.  I went for this sleeveless chiffon dress with a skinny yellow belt instead.  I'm actually liking it quite a bit!  I hope it looks just as nice in person and fits well!

I'm a sucker for cute floral prints, so I couldn't let this one escape me!  Also, blue is one of my favorite colors!  I just adore this whimsical design!

This dress also came in white, but I figured black would be easier to wear (as well as easier to maintain a clean appearance).  I love the nude skinny belt, but wish the lace was also the same shade of nude instead of black for more pop.

I'm not a big fan of clutches because I prefer having my bags hang off the shoulder as opposed to holding them (Cat = lazy).  However, this clutch is too cute to resist!  I like the idea of the dressiness of a clutch juxtaposed with the low-keyness of the straw texture.

I love this knit top!  You get the comfort of a tee while the black trim and bow add a touch of chic.  I can pair this with a pair of skinny jeans or tuck it into a skirt.  So easy to dress up or down! 

I love this scarf for the same reason I love the above blue floral shoulder bag.  Aren't the colors and prints to die?!  I can't wait to wear it headband-style, so gorgeous!

Well, that's all I was able to get.  Everything else was sold out and I don't even want to know what it's going to be like in stores tomorrow.  Hopefully they'll re-release the collection in a few months so that I can snag all the goodies that I missed.  In the meantime, I can't wait to get my stuff in the mail!  Of course, I'll have practical expectations as far as quality and fit.  One must keep in mind that this IS Jason Wu for Target, not RTW.  But hey, beggars can't be picky!

Hope some of you were able to make away with some good finds.  Have a great night!

Hugs,

Cat

Triple Haul: Lime Crime, Sugarpill, and ELF

Guess what?  More goodies in the mail!  I feel so guilty because I'm getting all these little "presents" on a near-daily basis while I should be shopping for holiday gifts. (although I'm nearly done with that, yay!)  Anyways, over Black Friday/Cyber Monday, I ordered a couple lipsticks from Lime Crime, a Sugarpill pressed shadow palette, and a bunch of stuff from ELF.  First up, Lime Crime:

Styletto and Countessa Fluorescent

Yeah!  Can't wait to do a post on pitch-black and hot hot hot pink lippies!  :D

Next, Sugarpill.  I wanted so badly to get both the Sweetheart AND the Burning Heart palette, but they sold out of Burning Heart before the sale even began and they're still sold out now.  Hope they get it back in stock before Christmas because it's on my wish list!

Sweetheart palette

Pardon the yellow lighting *ugh*, but OH MY GOODNESS!  The packaging is so pretty that I want to save it and frame it.  Also, the shadows are much more generous than I expected for a quad palette, these are full-sized eyeshadows!  Totally worth the $$$$!  I'm totally freaking out to try these!

Last but not least, ELF:

:: Eyes ::

Studio Pigment Eyeshadows in  Tropical Teal, Golden Goddess, and Naturally Nude

:: Lips ::

Mineral Lipstick in Natural Nymph, Runway Pink, and Royal Red

Essential Beauty School Candied Lip Balm Collection

:: Face ::

Mineral Booster in Sheer

Seriously, I'm in makeup heaven!  I don't even know where to start.  Lol.  Boo that my makeup has been done for the day, but there's always tomorrow!  Anyways, two finals down, one more to go.  Back to hitting the books, although having all this new stuff makes me antsy to play!  Have a great Tuesday night!

Hugs,

Cat