Ellis Faas Spring 2012 Set: Ramblings & Swatches

I couldn’t let the spring season pass without mentioning this lovely set from Ellis Faas.  To be brief, I love it, but you probably already knew that.*  After all, Ellis Faas has never let me down before in terms of product quality before.

The only other set I own from the brand is the Summer ’11 offering, which was not worth the price to me since I didn’t love all three products equally.  This set though, this set is perfect.  There’s a tube of Creamy Eyes (a life-changing formula if I ever met one), one of Lights (gorgeous, indescribable finishes), and the requisite lip product.  The colors remind me strongly of spring, but they can easily be worn year-round.  And they complement each other so perfectly, it’s almost as if they were made for each other.

Well, they were in a way.  That’s why this is a set.

*You didn’t actually think I was going to brief, did you?  When has that ever happened on this blog?  More behind the cut, people!

Victoria’s Secret Come Closer Quad: Review & EOTD

I have to admit, I was astounded by how many of you gravitated to the Victoria’s Secret Come Closer quad in my Summer Collection preview post.  I’ve been so busy falling in love with the bronzers (they impart an unbelievably pretty sheen to my skin) that I may have abandoned the eyeshadows altogether.  Sacrebleu!

Luckily, I finally came to my senses and pulled out Come Closer for today’s EOTD.

The quad comes in a sleek, copper-colored case that practically screams ‘summer!’  I’m not sure whether it’s made of light metal or heavy plastic, but it definitely looks lovely on my vanity (which if you think about it, is really the only thing that matters).  Like all shiny things, the surface is prone to picking up fingerprints.

Inside, there’s a champagne pink, robin’s-egg blue, taupe, and soft white.  The eyeshadows are all

Senna Mod Muse Part I: Eyes

Remember when I created a poll to let you choose what you wanted to see first?  Yeah, just kidding.  We’re not doing that because apparently I had already scheduled this post for today on my calendar, and I have to do what the calendar says.  Sorry!  Lip products will come another day.

Senna Sketch-A-Brow Pencil in Mink and Velvet Eyeliner in Black Forest, from the Mod Muse collection.

I haven’t worn pencil liner in ages, not since I discovered those creamy-gel like pencils (Urban Decay’s version is very popular, and I also love Prestige and Sally Hansen).  But Senna’s Velvet Liner is smudgy and soft, perfect for that just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-better look.  And the ‘but better’ part is imperative, as the actual just-rolled-out-of-bed look is my default, and I promise you it’s not nearly as attractive.  I tend to avoid pencil liners because they can be scratchy and hard, but this one glides softly, so softly that I have to be careful not to press too hard or the tip breaks right off.

As for the color, it falls in line with Mod Muse’s chic-and-wildly-wearable-concept.  It’s far from pitch black, which normally bothers me to no end.  If I buy a black liner, I want it to be the darkest black I can find, right?  But I have to admit, smudged pitch black liner is probably not the best day look.  If I am to wear dark black (and I can honestly say I never use that phrase outside of beauty blogging) liner during the day, it must be clean, crisp, and sharp as…Valyrian Steel.

Smudgy black liner, on the other hand, calls for a much softer black, bordering on a grey-ish emerald.  I run this pencil along my lashline, mess it up a bit with the included sponge smudger, and have the most effortlessly defined eyes.  I applied some this morning, came home 11 hours later, and was greeted by

I’m Rocking the Glamorously Tired Look with Eylure False Lashes

As any longtime blog reader will know, dark circles have become a permanent fixture on my face.  This past week, I’ve watched them grow bigger and bigger each day (so proud, I imagine this is what it’s like watching your kids grow up…no?).  The weird thing is, I’ve been skipping dark circle concealer entirely.  This is partly due to the fact that I’m extra groggy in the morning.  Plus, why bother trying to hide my exhaustion if I’m going to be walking into poles all day?

The main reason though, is because I’ve discovered I can enough of a ‘lift’ with mascara and some hastily applied lipstick.  Instead of faking a fresh face, I guess I’m going for the glamorously tired look now.  Oh, who am I kidding?  No glamour involved.  But at least I look semi-polished, and here’s why: lashes make a big difference.  Am I using that colon correctly?

Right, we were talking about lashes.  Well, as obvious as this may sound, big lashes make an even bigger difference.

Which leads me to

Blingtones and Nail Chromes and Color, Oh My!

This has been the longest week in the history of the entire world, which is why I decided to take a break and chase wigeons yesterday.  It was very therapeutic.

What else is therapeutic?  Color, of course!  My friend (who you briefly met) recently wrote a fascinating paper on color theory.  I would share the gist with you, but that would require a basic understanding on my part…let’s see what I got out of the paragraph she sent me, something about Freud and red and emotions…

Suffice to say, there are times when a pop of bright color can perk you up in an instant.  And if said color happens to come in a glittery or shiny finish, well, take my cash and call me wigeon.

Blingtones from Myface Cosmetics are just the thing to feed my color/shiny thing obsession.  Both look promising in the pan, but as I’ve learned, sometimes pan color doesn’t quite match with actual color payoff.

Luckily, that is not at all the case with either of these shadows: