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Shampoo: Pantene Color Solutions--Smooth

Conditioner: Pantene Color Solutions--Smooth

Shower gel: Caress Evenly Gorgeous (bar soap)

Styling products: Moroccan Oil, Tresemme Naturals Mousse, Umberto hair spray

Body moisturizer: N/A

Deodorant: Secret Smooth Effects in Wildflower Fresh

Fake Tan: N/A

Foundation: MUFE HD in 115 Ivory

Cleanser: Cetaphil

Exfoliator: Some blackhead scrub with salicylic acid

Primer: Fix +

Foundation Brush: Fingers, EcoTools retractable Kabuki

Powder: MAC MSFN

Concealer: Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing in Light-Medium, Bobbi Brown Creamy Correcter in Light Bisque

Blush: MAC Pink Swoon, Benefit Sugarbomb

Bronzer: N/A

Highlighter: MAC By Candelight

Eyeshadow Base: TFSI or MAC's Paint Pots

Eyeshadows: MAC Sable, MAC Carbon

Eyeliner: Milani Liquif'eyes in Black or Brown, Maybelline EyeStudio gel liner in Blackest Black

Lash Curler: I think it's CoverGirl... it's ancient!

Mascara: MAC Opulash, L'Oreal Carbon Black Voluminous

Lipstick: MAC Viva Glam Cyndi

Lipgloss: Sally Hansen 12-Hour Treatment in Flawless

Nail colour: Sephora by OPI's Brunette on the Internet

MUFE HD foundation: Initial thoughts

Finally made it out to Sephora again (only twice this summer!), this time determined to exit with a foundation. I had previously looked at NARS Sheer Glow & MUFE HD foundation, but I didn't really go in determined to get my exact color match. Today I did.

It was a Saturday afternoon, so I wasn't really expecting amazing, devoted attention, but I was still able to get a SA to help me get matched. I ended up getting matched to MUFE HD in 115 (a foundation with some pink undertones--which oddly looked amazing!) and NARS Sheer Glow in Deauville, but I went with the HD for more coverage, a pump, and a slightly better price. I can't do a full review right now, but I can say that the formula is awesome and it gives a great, natural finish (by no means matte, but definitely not a shiny or overly-glowy finish). I was surprised at how pretty my skin looked with a pink-toned foundation on. I've always avoided anything pink-toned like the plague because I think of sunburned skin or breakouts, but the pink just makes me look fresh. Anything yellow-y made me look sallow and sick. Topped with my MAC MSFN and paired with some concealers, I'll have one hell of a fresh face!

Now I just have to find a great red lipstick--hard feat, I know. I'm currently using MAC Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick almost everyday to give my pigmented lips that just-bitten red look, but I want something more matte and retro, yet not as dark as my Revlon In The Red matte lipstick. I'll definitely be hitting up Christine/Temptalia's Scarlet Season series for that!

My hair was not cooperating today, though. I still do a side part when I do my victory rolls and the larger side usually cooperates and rolls with little effort, but today it decided to be a bitch and not roll correctly. Oh well! At least I have an arsenal of hairspray and bobby pins to beat it into submission. My little sisters (okay, not really little--15 and 17) are wanting their hair colored now, so I'm doing one's highlights (done it lots of times before) and the other one wants to try some red-tones (which I've also done on myself in the past... thank goodness I stopped), so I've been really hitting up MakeupAlley to try to find great recommendations. What would I do without it?!

Sephora haullllllll!

aaaahhh. Does anyone else find swatching relaxing and therapeutic? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Well, I definitely do. I got to spend an hour and a half (maybe more... I lose track of time) swatching away in Sephora and getting to know the awesome Carly (shout out!), who helped me out, made lots of great recommendations, and gave me lots of samples. She used to work for MAC as well, so we talked about what we love/not-so-love about the brand. I finally got my answer about the closest freestanding MAC store, which was not the answer I wanted (but it was the one I expected): Atlanta or NoVa close to DC. Both over 5 hours away from my north-central North Carolina location. yaaaaaay. But I know that I can save up my empties if my family ever decides to go to DC for whatever reason! I'd LOVE more eyeshadows rather than lipsticks.

But I've gotten way off track. I got two NARS eyeshadow duos, Habanera (a lovely slightly-grayed plum and silvery mint green combo) and Eurydice (purple-raspberry with blue shimmer, like the color of a blueberry or dark raspberry stain, and a deep grayed olive), and a NARS pencil sharpener (it was only $1 more than the Sephora one, which didn't have an adapter for smaller chubby pencils). Carly gave me a DiorShow mascara sample, a Clinique 3-step skincare sample set, Bliss' Naked Body Butter sample, and PerrioneMD Advanced Face Firming Activator sample. Because I reached the 100-point mark on my Sephora account, I got a deluxe sample of Laura Mericer's tinted moisturizer in Warm Radiance (a pain in the a** to open, but the color is lovely!).

I tried to convince my mom to try a blush or something, but let's just say I don't get my love of makeup from her (I got it from the internetz). She's had the same broken Clinique blush for twenty years and tries to match her makeup to her clothes (e.g. a lilac blouse equals lilac makeup). I try to impart some of my knowledge, but she just doesn't get the joy out of it like I do. Oh well. That's what my 15-year-old sister is for!

Because I knew I'd be swatching/testing away, I made sure my makeup was super minimal:

Fix+ (priming) [this stuff is liquid GOLD!]

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light-Medium

Fix+ (finishing)

Milani Liquif'eye line in Brown

MAC Opulash Mascara in Bad, Bad Black

Lip balm (Blistex with SPF 15)

[No blush!]

My new purse. aka I'm in love!

Trust me, it looks so much more lovely in person. It has a soft, worn-leather look without being leather. Vegetarianism FTW! It was a great price at Target, and it wasn't too "trendy" or too "Palm Beach Retirement Home" or too "Real Housewives of _____," which are categories that I think purses often fall under. I think it's pretty multi-seasonal, and I'm hoping it'll last me for at least a year--it would definitely fit in with my fall/winter wardrobe! It has tons of room in it, and the pockets inside are great for my cellphone and my makeup for touch-ups (a NARS compact for the mirror, and and lipstick/lipgloss I'm wearing that day), and it comes with the requisite "secret" zippered compartment for whatever you fancy.

All in all, lovely!

Update on all the MAC drama: the To The Beach collection went online (but not set up formally) at about 5:30pm EST yesterday, and Marine Life powder was sold out in two hours. Holy evilbay, Batman!* I can't wait to go to my pre-ordered MAC items from my lovely MUAs (makeup artists) and gossip about the upcoming collections. I love my counter! They know my likes, and they know I'm pretty much a guaranteed sale, so they treat me well.

But I'm off to Sephora tomorrow to do some NARS hauling, and maybe some MUFE or other brands as well. I'm fairly set on buying NARS's Habanera duo if it looks good on me, and I'm definitely getting a blush or two (yeah, I'm kind of a blush freak. What can I say? I love 'em!).

*evilbay is what my fellow Specktra-ites and I call ebay, where greedy people buy up limited edition/hyped up items in bulk from the MAC stores/website and turn around and sell them for 3x the normal price on evilbay, leaving any real MAC shoppers in the dust and with empty wallets if they break down and buy said overpriced item.

Dilema, dilema...

As you have already learned, I am a MACaholic through and through.

I guess that's why I feel so guilty looking at NARS and MUFE swatches. I feel like I'm cheating on my Significant-Other-That-Does-Not-Actually-Exist!

MAC's To The Beach collection hits freestanding stores and counters Thursday, and may even show up on the MAC website later tonight. I already have some items on hold [Rosemary & Thyme eyeliner, a permanent shade in the most GORGEOUS packaging for this collection; Hipness blush, which is a repromote from the Fafi collection; and the super-coveted Marine Life highlight powder that's more like an intense coral-red blush on my NC25 complexion (that's warm, fair-medium skin to all you non-MAC followers)]. I'm still flirting with Flurry of Fun lipglass, which is a sheer peach with teal (!!!) and pink shimmer, and I may also snatch up a permanent shade powder bronzer, too, because the orange packaging with white coral design is just too pretty to pass up lightly.

But of course, I have to keep in mind that MAC is coming out with a huge Spring-Colour-Forecast-esque collection called Fabulous Felines, which will debut in three distinct color palettes in August, and the super-anticipated and supposedly-massive Disney Venemous Villains collection in September, which will borrow color schemes and makeup advice from the likes of Cruella DeVil, the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Dr. Facilier (from the latest classically-animated The Princess & The Frog, which was completely adorable). These collections, especially the latter, will consume my makeup allowance for the remainder of the summer/early fall and with no steady income, I'm going to have to make some very painful sacrifices. In other words, I'm going to have to severely limit how much I buy from permanent collections, including expanding my pitifully-small NARS collection and buying my first MUFE (Make Up For Ever) item(s). Thank goodness the closest Sephora is almost 40 minutes away, or else I would really have a larger problem to deal with.

For the love of all things pretty, I'm hoping I find lots of loose twenties while trying to replace my broken, beloved purse today.