Farewell 2010!

Dear Friends,

In just less than an hour, 2010 will be a memory. I still can't believe how quickly the year flew by!

I'm spending the evening at home tending to my mom who's been sick with the flu these last few days. I actually don't miss going out this year; we're still digging out from a major snowstorm that bombarded the New York area the day after Christmas. This evening I decided change into my PJs early and tackle my ridiculously packed makeup drawer. I purged about a dozen items that I didn't want anymore. I did this in preparation of my Project Pan (# still to be determined), which I am starting January 2nd. I'm really looking forward to using up a lot of my makeup stash this year. But that doesn't mean I won't be shopping new collections when my Project Pan is over! LOL

While I was sorting through my make up drawer I came across some items that definitely earned a place on my "2010 Favorites" list. Here are a few of them (pardon the lack of photos, I didn't plan on doing this tonight!):

~2010 Favorites~

Foundation: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Fair
Concealer: Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair
Blush: Nars Orgasm
Bronzer: (Tie) Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light & Mac Solar Riche Bronzer
Lipstick: (Tie) Rimmel Airy Fairy & Chanel Rose Comite
Lip Gloss: MAC Dazzleglass in Money Honey
Eye Shadow: (Lord, where do I begin?) MAC Shroom, Vapour, Smoke & Diamonds, Satin Taupe, Shale, Trax, Club, Femme Fi, Play on Plums; Revlon Colorstay Sandstorm Palette; Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette; Wet 'n Wild Nutty shadow, etc.
Mascara (Tie): Lancome Precious Cells Mascara; L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara
Eye Shadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Highlighter: MAC MSF in Refined

I could go on and on but then this list would never end! LOL

Am off to watch the ball drop on TV. Wishing you a happy, healthy and bright New Year. Be safe! Cheers!

Until next year,
Liz :-)

Review: Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection

Hi everyone!

This is a review of the Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection. I purchased this palette about five months ago so this review is a wee bit overdue!

This year Too Faced has released some really awesome palettes. I've never been disappointed with the various products I've tried and this palette is no exception. I really love it! This palette consists of nine shadows that are organized into three color combinations: Day, Classic and Fashion.

Colors by row (left to right):
Day (Heaven, Velvet Revolver, Sexpresso)
Classic (Silk Teddy, Push-Up, Erotica)
Fashion (Nude Beach, Honey Pot, Cocoa Puff)

All of the "Day" colors are matte...Heaven is a creamy, off-white shade; Velvet Revolver is a pale taupe; and Sexpresso is a rich dark chocolate.

The "Classic" colors have shimmer...Silk Teddy is a sheer, cool pink; Push-Up is a light, coppery brown; and Erotica is a shimmery version of Sexpresso.

The "Fashion" colors are also shimmery...Nude Beach is a sheer but glittery warm pink; Honey Pot is a medium gold shade; and Cocoa Puff is a warm reddish brown.

All of these shades are very wearable and easy to layer and blend. For work and typical everyday looks, I tend to reach more for the "Classic" shades. The "Fashion" colors are perfect for evening looks, especially with the glittery shades. I even mix colors from all three groups and they work together nicely. Plus, this palette includes three instruction cards for creating each of the looks...so it's really goof proof!

Now, while I totally love this shadow collection, I do have a couple nit-picky things about it:
the packaging could be better. Don't get me wrong, the box is very pretty but it's bulky. While it is made of sturdy cardboard, I probably wouldn't travel with it. I would be concerned of it getting damaged. Also the package has a little pull-out drawer that, to my dismay, only contains a dual ended applicator that's basically useless. Seems like a waste for such a tiny item!

If I had to rate this product on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), I would rate it a 4.5. I can definitely see myself reaching for this palette on a daily basis!

From what I can tell, it looks like this palette is a permanent item in Too Faced's line. It retails for $35 at sephora.com. It's a pretty good deal considering the amount of product you get! I hope you find this review helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below.

Until next time!
Liz :-)

A HOLIDAY GREETING

Hello everyone & warmest holiday greetings!

We are just a few days away from ringing in 2011. Can you believe it? I can't...it was on New Year's Day 2010 that I launched this blog. And I have been quite noticeably absent from it for the last several months. The reason? Everyday life and work, really. And I don't see it getting any easier in 2011. I've taken on a several extra responsibilities at work...it's all good but my free time is not as abundant as it used to be. Plus, I'm a primary caregiver to an elderly parent which can be challenging at times.

Despite everything, I have greatly missed posting on this blog. During these last few weeks, I have been pondering whether I should give it another go or just shut it down. And here's what I have decided: I'm going to give it another go! I'm going to commit myself to three more months and see how I do...I hope that during this time I will gain the momentum to keep it going as long as possible. Now I can't promise I'll be posting every single week, but I will definitely try to post a few times each month. Deal?

I'm working on some ideas for upcoming posts. Also, I'm going to give Project 10 Pan another try. For those of you who followed me from the beginning, I tried a Project 10 Pan experiment in January and broke down midway. It wasn't a total failure though; I did finish half the items on my list. But since then I have gone way overboard on new cosmetic purchases and realized recently I really need to use up several products. So, I'm in the process of picking my 10 items and will unveil them right after the New Year. Today I made what I think will be my final makeup purchase of 2010: a couple items from the new MAC Cham Pale collection! My purchase was small: one of the Lipgelees, a lipstick and an eye liner. I ordered online and can't wait for my little haul to arrive! :-)

So that's the latest for now. Looking forward to bringing you more soon!

Until next time!
Liz