Test Driven ::: Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics

All images by {accordingtoame}

A few months back, the Dolce & Gabbana cosmetics line (finally) hit Nordstrom.com. Having lusted after the products since reading about them in several magazines and having seen Scarlett Johanssen's beautiful ads grace the very same magazines for quite some time, I pounced.

Top Secret ::: Mary Kay Microdermabrasion Step 1

I left this little nugget out of my Skincare Routine post a few weeks back, regrettably, because I had just finished a tube and hadn't opened the new one yet when I was taking those photos. My (huge) mistake. 

Not that I didn't have an enormous amount of stuff in that photo already!

Must Have ::: It Cosmetics CC Cream

All photos by {accordingtoame}

I mentioned that I picked this up in a Loving Right Now a couple weeks ago. It's the first CC cream I have ever tried, or been interested in trying. I love the brand's brushes, and their pressed cheek stain, like, love-love. But I intensely hated the concealer. So I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to feel about this one.

Must See ::: Glamour's New Beauty Website/Blog

All Images Glamour.com

I have been a long-time reader of Glamour the magazine, and every few days will pop onto the "Girls in the Beauty Department blog" on their website to see what breaking news they have to share. This week I popped on there and was totally dazzled by a gorgeous new layout, and a totally apt new name, Lipstick.  

Must Have ::: Muji Acrylic Cases

All photos by {accordingtoame}

You may have seen me mention Muji in the past, I know I did in the post about the Great Closet Cleanout 2013. But if you're new around here, let it be well known that I am a huge Muji fan, despite not having a store in this city, and bought most of what I own from them via their website. Yay technology!

Must Have ::: Beauty Blender

All photos by {accordingtoame}

I cannot even believe I haven't waxed poetic about these things yet. They are a staple I cannot spackle without. These little pink egg-shaped wonders are an absolute necessity for me to apply concealer and foundation, and without them blending is just not the same. 

My Travel Basics ::: Ninja-Packing 102--Toiletries

All Photos: by {accordingtoame}

Previously, on My Travel Basics...Our heroine described at long-length how she plans, lays out, and packs her clothing and odds and ends into her travel bag as she prepares to jet off on a weekend adventure.  This episode joins our heroine as she packs her hair and makeup essentials, of which there are many.  Let's join the show, already in progress.

Top Secret ::: Refreshing Second Day Hair

Photo: Me, of my Bottle

I have, up until now, been an absolute failure at reviving second-day hair with dry shampoo. Being an "enhanced" redhead, skipping a day is kind of the nature of the beast, and is definitely a necessity to keeping it vibrant.

Trend Worth Trying ::: Jewel Toned Beauty

Photo: Nars.com

Spinning off of my Trend Worth Trying from two weeks ago, geared more towards fashion, this time I am focusing on Fall Beauty. For those who are less brave in the clothing department, or are more subtle with their trends, a great wine nail or smoky sapphire eye might be just the ticket. This is big especially for those in a more corporate environment, where color in the attire is generally frowned upon, a classic dark nail or slightly smoky jewel toned eye might be ok.

Must Try ::: Designers Do Beauty

Photo: George Chinsee via WWD

With a "Less is More" mantra, and a line consisting of just four simple, and beautifully packaged, cosmetics products to accompany a small bath and body line and a fragrance, Tory Burch is the latest designer to make her grand entrance into the world of beauty, scheduled to launch in a matter of weeks, and just a month after Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs made their own breezy splashes into this wide world of products.

Trend Worth Trying::: "The Lob" a la Julianne Hough

File this under "things I never thought I'd say or want to do".  

Normally I *hate* anything even resembling short hair, downright despise it, in fact, but when I saw Julianne Hough's cute crop, or even Jennifer Aniston's pre-grow-out, it really caught my eye, and made me think "hmm, I really think I could do that," despite every previous attempt at similar styles making me regret the day I was born. 

What I am *LOVING* Right Now!:::

Product Line to Check Out: ONE LOVE ORGANICS

I read about this line, One Love Organics, about maybe 2 months ago on BeautyBets, when I was looking for a new Vitamin C serum to replace the Mario Badescu I had been using, and found only "meh", in part due to the propylene glycol in it, and in part due to it just not seeming to really *do* anything.  It also didn't seem to place nice with retinoids or any of my other products.

I picked up a bottle of the Vitamin C Serum along with a few samples of the other items, and started in on them. So far my absolute favorite IS the Vitamin C. It's a cushy texture, not at all what I expected for some reason...and nothing like the Mario Badescu which for lack of a better description was kind of like rubbing alcohol in a dropper bottle.  This stuff is dreamy on the face and smells DIVINE. I apply one pump right out of the shower after cleansing, and rub it in all over (I probably should press?) and down my neck. Once that sets in, I apply a tiny amount of the Vitamin E eye balm, and then my moisturizer if I'm "patchy" or "molting" from retinoids. Then I'm done. I did have some trial and error in the beginning to figure out if I needed one pump or two.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Kevyn Aucoin 'The Sensual Skin' Tinted Balm

On a whim, I decided I needed to try some kind of "balm" product. I don't really know what I was going for. Maybe some kind of in between product? Either way, I ordered the Kevyn Aucoin "The Sensual Skin Tinted Balm" one afternoon, and after waiting a unusually long period of time to receive it, seriously like 2 weeks or something from when I ordered, I started in on it.

Because I am a glutton for punishment...another attempt at IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye.

For some reason, probably stupidity, or general awake-ness, I decided that I would give this stuff another go. And I got two colors this time, as if last time wasn't enough with one.  This time around it was only slightly better but still not anywhere near decent enough to keep. This stuff doesn't even cover me on a good day. Or a great day. Or on a DAYUM GIRL YOU LOOK FINE! day.

Coverage was still crappy at best--nonexistent really--and the texture was still gross and sticky, though it did seem to dry down a little more, still not enough to not require mixing again.  The biggest changes--color and packaging differences. The tubes actually felt full this time. That was good. You don't have to squeeze as hard and don't feel like you're just expelling air.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Lancome Tient Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation

The Lancome Tient Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation is another product I have been using for a while and finally think I have the hang of, and the hang of saying all of that crazy long name.  It's not an everyday item for me, but I have been incorporating it a lot more lately, simply because it's helped with coverage around my eyes.

I was not really sure about this shade, which is 100N and I believe is the lightest one they offer, but it seems to be working pretty well, despite being WAY pinker than I would otherwise go with. The girl at the counter applied it under my one eye and around that area and some woman that was at the Jo Malone counter was watching along while she sniffed candles waiting for her daughter to pay for something, and she walked over and said "oh my god, that is just...incredible. It almost erased your circles!"  She could've been a drone, a robot, a shill (she wasn't) but I was sold at that point. Because it really makes a noted impact to me. Since I focus it around my eyes, and less around my face, I am ok with the color being a little pinker than I'd wear otherwise.  I had a perfect color match with the Estee Lauder Double Wear but it would not stay on my face and didn't play nice with concealers.

PRODUCT REVIEW: VanityMark UltraBrow in Gingerella

So after discovering and confirming that Covermark changed the formula on my beloved Brow Markers, I started looking for a replacement that was not in a goofy ass purply color that makes no sense with a coppery red head of hair.  I had been using my fallback powder from BareMinerals, a mix of Redhead and Strawberry, more Strawberry than Redhead. But the looseness is a mess, so I was hoping I'd find similar in a pressed format.  I wanted the Urban Decay Brow Box, but they no longer cater to redheads, which is an annoying trend with cosmetics and hair companies.

I read about Vanitymark's UltraBrow on Phyrra's site a while back, and saw that they carry TWO redhead options, one for lighter and copperier heads, and one for auburn and darker/cooler reds. I went with Gingerella, for the coppertops.  I ordered it from Brett Friedman's site directly on a Monday and had it by Thursday. I see now that they have a nice special too, 2/25 so I might order a couple backups.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Yaby Cosmetics Concealer and Paint Pot/Eyeshadows

Yaby Cosmetics was new to me until about a few months ago, it was wildly popular all the sudden on some makeup forums, especially related to bridal makeup, and it started popping up on blogs.   It was raved about, esp the eyeshadows and pearl paints, for color payoff, blendability and longevity which I assume is why bridal artists love it so much.  

The products were developed by a Canadian makeup artist who has a huge portfolio, esp in editorial work. Their swatches are PRETTY amazing. They offer great, close up shots of the pan. I ordered from Yaby's site, on a Thursday, and got it exactly 6 days later via UPS international. The company is based in Canada and shipping was 1/3 of the total price for the order, pretty insane, so plan for that. I went with the cheaper UPS option bec I didn't want to risk extensive damage from the postal service and while it was really pricey, I am kind of glad now that I did. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: TARTE SmolderEYES Waterproof Clay Eye Liner & TARTE EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Eyeliner

While at ULTA picking up something I actually was out of and did "need", I checked these out and ended up buying one of each in Bronze. The color was nice for each though they are slightly different in tone, one is slightly warmer than the other.

PRODUCT REVIEW: It Cosmetics Vitality Cheek Stain in Pretty in Peony

After reading a few reviews on this around the internet, and seeing a few QVC presentations on it, I finally bit the bullet and picked it up in "Pretty in Peony" because it looked close to my Nars TORRID blush, slightly brighter maybe. And my assessment was really close.