I have been so busy being sick and decorating and moving in to my room/office in my new house this past week that I haven't really had time to post about this haul! I can't wait to share before/after pictures with you all to show you what I've been up to. It's still a work in progress though, so for now... I will just be showing you my most recent haul.


I purchased these items from my local Designer Fragrances & Cosmetic Co. Outlet last week. I got:

The true superstar of this haul is definitely the Shu Uemura blush! I absolutely love the duo and the subtle glow it gives. This product truly lives up to its name. As I mentioned earlier, I've been under the weather this past week and the one day I decided to actually wear makeup, I wore this blush. Surprisingly, it gave me a wonderful healthy, tawny flush, even though I was truly pale and pasty. The base shade is a deep peachy bronze, and the white part is like a sheer, built-in highlighter. I just swirled my blush brush around in both to get an awesome, slightly shimmery glow. LOVE IT!

Unfortunately, I'm a total dunce and I didn't realize that the Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension mascara I purchased was grey. Doy. What am I going to do with a grey mascara?! Anyway, I have been using it as a primer since it is fiber enhanced, and it seems to be working pretty well. It has excellent staying power and does not flake, crumble, or smudge. Also, the grey-ness seems to be a plus because at least it isn't like you are trying to cover up a white primer.

I have yet to use the lashes, and I gave the Lancome lippy to my mom. As usual, the Designer Fragrances & Cosmetic Co. Outlet fails to disappoint, as my total for this entire haul was around $26.

Have you done any bargain makeup shopping lately? Have you been splurging or saving? Let me know!

Hey all! Hope you like the new layout :)

So, today I have some swatches straight from my stash! These are my blushes. It's a small, but sweet, collection of just the basic colors.


Clockwise, from top:

• Benefit "Thrrrob!" Powder
• Sonia Kashuk "Beach Bum" Cheek Sheer
• Milani "Sweet Cheeks" Powder Mosaics
• Jane "Blushing Plum" Blushing Cheeks
• NYX "Pinky" Blush
• Milani "Luminous" Powder Blush
• Stila "Lillium" Convertible Color
• NYX "Peach" Blush

I think people sometimes underestimate the value of a blush to brighten up the face. I really love these shades and use most all of them, except the cream/gel ones because my they don't flatter my skin type so much.

My favorites are the Milani Luminous shade, Benefit Thrrrob (which didn't show up too well in the photo, but I love the scent), and NYX Peach.

I would like to add Benefit's PosieTint to my collection in the future.

What do you think? What are your favorite blushes from your stash? Any recommendations? Let me know!

Along with some nice Mineral Foundation, the fine folks over at Mineral Concepts were kind enough to let me sample some of their lip balms and multi-purpose blush products!

What I sampled:

• Face & Lip Blushes (Mystic Mauve, Torrey Girl, Bambino)
• Moisturizing Lip Balms (BooBoo, NeNe, Rose)

I really liked their "Mystic Mauve" blush, which was a pretty, shimmery mauve color. All the Face & Lip Blushes tend to stay put very well, which means that you have to apply quickly and precisely. This was my first experience with Mineral Blushes, and I must say that it was an interesting one. I am used to pressed powders so it takes a little more skill to work with the loose powder, but the effect is sheer and lovely. The colors all have a touch of shimmer as well.

The Moisturizing Lip Balms are excellent. They come in very natural, flattering shades. The "Rose" shade was definitely my favorite, as it produces somewhat of a 'Your Lips But Better' shade. Very pretty!

Just for fun, I layered "Mystic Mauve" with BooBoo Lip Balm to create a look that rivals any long-lasting shimmer lipstick out there. My results? A really pretty effect that you would never guess was created by a powder!

So from this whole mineral experience, I've learned that you can really utilize mineral makeup to its fullest by mixing and matching colors and creating looks and effects that are suitable to your skin type, tone, and qualities.

Not sure what your skin is looking for? Take advantage of the sample size offers that companies such as Mineral Concepts provide! These allow you to test out the products for a nominal fee. You can try different colors or types of minerals to see what is your best match. Who knows, you may find something you love!

Have you ever used a mineral blush or lip product? What were the results?

Like any of these Mineral Concepts shades? Ever blended or mixed your own minerals? Let me know!

In the past few weeks, I've hauled some NYX products and I figured that since I had some time on my hands, I would post up swatches for you guys!

I swatched everything dry with no primer, with flash:

I am loving the Tinted Lip Spa and the blushes. I don't really like the scent/flavor of the Sheer Gloss, but that's just me. It's a little too faux-fruity for my taste. I have been using more mineral shadows lately so I've rarely used these, but they seem to be ok so far.

Use NYX? Love it? Any recommendations or favorites? Let me know!

Have a great weekend :)