Recent Skincare Empties and Mini Reviews

Alright, here it goes: I'm tired of typing up long empties posts. Sigh. At the same time, I do think they're helpful and yes, it does often happen that my opinion on a product changes by the time I reach the bottom of the packaging - so it'd be nice to give you a little update on my past reviews. Therefore I've decided to continue posting facial skincare empties and to skip the rest, meaning bodycare and haircare. I generally spend the most on products for my face, so I have a feeling that skincare empties will be the most interesting to you as well.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. I don't have a separate review for this on the blog, but I've been using it since October/ November of last year and have just now used it up completely. The pros: it removes most of my make-up, it's affordable (obviously when scored on a 40% off sale) and it doesn't contain mineral oil. The cons: it doesn't rinse clean (but doesn't leave a residue when removed with a warm wash cloth) and the packaging leaks, leaving oil rings everywhere. All in all: I may repurchase at some point, but I've recently tried a sample of the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, and even though the Clinique one is pricier, I thought its effectiveness would be worth the extra expense.

TATCHA Luminous Deep Hydration Eye Serum* (previously mentioned here). I did like this eye serum from Tatcha for daytime, but I wouldn't purchase another one myself. The main reason is that I don't have nearly $100 to drop on a daytime eye cream - I'm saying daytime because I don't think it's moisturizing enough for me for overnight. The other reason is the packaging: unfortunately, the lovely gold accent on the tube starts flaking off pretty quickly, leaving random specks of glitter on my face, and the soft squishy tube actually cracked on me from squeezing. Also... do I really need a separate eye cream for the day? I'd prefer to use just one really good product day and night, you know?

Nuxe Reve de Miel Nourishing Lip Balm. This was my second jar (that I bought myself) and I have another one I received from PR waiting in the wings. Still the best overnight lip balm I have found so far and the closest I've come to a Holy Grail.

Paula's Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA* (originally reviewed here). My thoughts still stand - this was my second bottle of this product and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. I'm using a different chemical exfoliant from Paula at the moment, and I honestly miss the 5% AHA. I think I really noticed a difference in the overall brightness, tone and clarity of my skin.

Paula's Choice CLEAR Extra Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution 2% BHA (separate review here). It's a decent product, but to be honest, by the end of the bottle I was definitely ready to move onto something else. I don't know - maybe the longer I used it, the less of a result I could see? All in all, I preferred the Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA.

One Love Organics Brand New Day Microderma Scrub and Masque (deluxe sample). I moved onto this enzyme powder exfoliant after finally using up my jar of TATCHA Classic Rice Enzyme Powder*.  While the One Love Organics scrub did the job, I do like the TATCHA one more, but I think I've found the fairest of them all - the Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel, which I purchased a deluxe sample of in the last Sephora Beauty Insider sale (the mini was part of a set).

Neal's Yard Remedies Deliciously Ella Rose, Lime & Cucumber Moisturizer* (reviewed here). I felt a little ambivalent about this moisturizer when I first started using it, but it actually really grew on me. Yes, it's pretty basic - but for whatever reason, it was just right for my skin: moisturizing without feeling heavy. I used it every night until the last drop, and now that I've replaced it with a face oil, I miss it.

Laneige Brightening Sparkling Water Foam Cleanser*. Oooh, a foaming cleanser, quelle horreur. In all honesty, my husband mainly used it up, with just a little bit of help from me. In short, it wasn't our favorite. Mr thought the foam texture was a gimmick to get one to finish the product faster and have to repurchase more frequently, while for me it just felt like washing my face with a shaving foam. It also felt a little too drying - no surprises there. It's probably my least favorite product I've tried from Laneige.

My skincare routine does look a bit different these days as a result of finishing so many products and replacing them with other bits I've already had squirrelled away in my back-up stash, so I'm probably due for an update (last routine can be found here). Have you already revamped your skincare for spring and summer? So far, I've mostly just added sunscreen... 

Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) were press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

The Only Lip Gloss I've Ever Repurchased: Buxom Dolly

How often do you guys happen to repurchase the exact same lip product? I have to admit that I'm usually very fickle with my make-up; by the time I actually manage to use something completely up, which is not very often, I'm usually ready to move on to something different. But Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in Dolly ($19 for 0.14 oz) is my first exception to the rule - I just couldn't get enough of it.

Well, okay, I guess I'm stretching the truth a tiny bit here - I had a mini of the Lip Shine in Dolly (reviewed here) that I somewhat recently finished as part of my Project 10 Pan; Buxom's Lip Shines have varying degrees of subtle shimmer to full-on glitter, but forunately the Dolly shade had just a whisper of tiny gold dust. I also own a different Lip Cream in the shade Cherry Flip, reviewed here, which is a favorite in the summer. So I sort of combined the two favorites when I decided to purchase the Lip Cream in Dolly, which has the same gorgeous hue as the one I used up but without the shimmer.

I've discussed my feelings about the Lip Cream formula in detail in my review of Cherry Flip, and some more when I reviewed the Lip Shine in Dolly - I think both the cream and the shimmer finishes on these Buxom glosses are the same formula, albeit if you chose to purchase a Lip Shine with chunkier glitter, your experience may vary. And while regrettably I don't have anything left in my tube of the shimmery Dolly to compare with the creamy Dolly, from memory it's the exact same shade but with one tiny difference: the Lip Shine in Dolly had also a bit more of a translucent jelly finish, the Lip Cream is slightly more milky. However, once on the lips, I can't really tell a difference.

Dolly is my perfect lip perfecting gloss: the cushiony texture softens the look of vertical lip lines and dryness, while the subtle mauve shade evens out my lips' pigmentation. It's very close to my natural lip color, which makes it ideal for effortless daytime looks. It's also one of few lip gloss formulas that stay on my lips for a reasonable time, all the while feeling comfortable and moisturizing. In general, I'm not a fan of tingly plumping formulas, but I would say that Buxom glosses are more cooling than anything else, which I certainly appreciate more in the summer than in the winter, but overall don't mind all that much.

I don't have another lip gloss shade that's close to Dolly - as you can see, NYX Mega Shine in Beige is positively baby pink next to it. Out of my lipsticks, Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist in no. 3 Fuyuzakura is quite similar, but a little lighter once on the lips. Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up is darker and warmer.

L-R: Buxom Lip Cream in Cherry Flip, Buxom Lip Cream in Dolly, NYX Mega Shine in Beige, Maybelline Warm Me Up, Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist no. 3

I will be honest with you and admit that it took a lot of my willpower not to purchase one of those larger sets of Buxom's mini glosses that Sephora releases every Holiday season. I've contemplated their smaller set with two glosses and a Bold Gel lipstick, but upon swatching it in store, I decided that the Lip Shine in Gabby was way too glittery for me. I'm quite happy that I settled on Dolly in the end, because I know for sure I'll reach for it again and again, and I'm glad to have a tried and true gloss I can rely on. What is your favorite everyday lip gloss? Do you wear the same one again and again, or do you frequently rotate the ones in your stash?

More Of a Good Thing: Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows in Snowy Egret, Sweet Dust Seriema and Chestnut Napped Apalis

Because having more of Rouge Bunny Rouge When Birds Are Singing Long Lasting Eyeshadows is... L♡VE? RBR eyeshadows were among some of my favorite make-up products I've tried in 2014, so I couldn't resist getting a few more when the brand debuted on HauteLook a couple months back. I had longed to try their Matt (sic!) formula, so I purchased Sweet Dust Seriema and Chestnut Napped Apalis ($25 for 0.08 oz/ 2.4g each), as well as another shimmery shade, Snowy Egret ($19 for 2g).

You have probably spotted right away the difference in size and price between these eyeshadows. The two matte shades I purchased are only available as single compacts, while Snowy Egret is available as a refill pan. All the shimmery shades from Rouge Bunny Rouge have slightly smaller pans than the matte single compacts. It's a bit confusing, and while in theory it's nice to get more for your buck, I wish the matte shades were the same standard size of a MAC eyeshadow, so I could plop them in my custom palette. As it is, I've depotted the single compacts and keep shuffling my two RBR mattes between different Z-Palettes (as a side note, melting the plastic underneath and piercing it with something sharp to wedge the pan up and out has worked great for me; I was also able to peel the labels off and stick them to my depotted pans without any problems).

Before we start swatching and comparing, I apologize for a slight lighting/ white balance discrepancy between the photos; I took these shots on two separate days and I'm guessing the temperature of the natural light I was working with must have been different. But I think that also shows you different aspects of these shades, no?

Let's begin with Snowy Egret (described as smoked palest gold iridescence), which is at once easy and difficult to review. Easy, because I knew right away that I would love the formula, having already experienced and loved four of the When Birds Are Singing Eyeshadows previously (click for my review and swatches of the shades Unforgettable Oriole, Bohemian Waxwing, Delicate Hummingbird and Eclipse Eagle). Difficult, because it's a rather complex shade. I would describe it as a very pale platinum with a white gold sheen.

When I took it out of the packaging, it immediately reminded me of Surratt Beauty Eyeshadow in Scintillante, and while they're not too far apart, Snowy Egret is warmer and has a stronger reflective quality, while Scintillante is more cool pink/ grey (well, for a white gold shade, anyway...) and has more of a subtle scattered sparkle finish.

L-R: RBR Snowy Egret, RBR Unforgettable Oriole, Surratt Scintillante, MAC Vex, NYX White Pearl

I'm sorry these swatched don't stand out very clearly on my skin, but I'm fair and they tend to blend in quite easily. You can see here that RBR Unforgettable Oriole is warmer, deeper and more of a champagne tone, but Snowy Egret is not a stark white either, compared to NYX White Pearl. I also shot these swatches in direct sunlight to show you the intensity and tone of shimmer in these shades (my usual swatches are in diffused natural light, by the way).

L-R: RBR Snowy Egret, RBR Unforgettable Oriole, Surratt Scintillante, MAC Vex, NYX White Pearl

Let's discuss matte Sweet Dust Seriema (semi-opaque cool dusty mauve taupe) next. I was very much looking forward to owning a basic cool-toned transition/blending eyeshadow shade, as many of the often recommended shades for that purpose run too warm and orange on me. But Sweet Dust Seriema is seriously cool-toned; it has that grey aspect of a natural shadow on the skin, but with enough mauve/ purple undertone to balance it out. It pairs beautiful with cooler shades on the lid, and I think that for pale and cool toned skinned like me, it could even work as a cheek contouring shade (because see how much cooler it is than NYX Powder Blush in Taupe?).

Now, in terms of formula and performance, the Rouge Bunny Rouge Matt eyeshadows really are as stellar as everyone else made them out to be. The texture of the powder in the pan is incredibly silky and smooth, so they apply and blend on the eye without any effort, and last an entire day. Compared to my other favorite matte eyeshadow formula from Inglot, the RBR shadows are slightly less opaque but also not as soft and powdery (less powder kick-up when picking the powder up with a brush or a finger). I'm not sure if I necessarily like them MORE than the Inglot; Inglot single pans are $6, RBR are $25. Both are stellar formulations, and I like how complimentary the RBR shades are compared to my Inglot counterparts. But if you're on a budget or don't have easy access to Rouge Bunny Rouge, you'll still be good with your Inglot Freedom System choices.

L-R: RBR Sweet Dust Seriema, Inglot Matte no. 337, Red Apple Lipstick Clean Slate, NYX Powder Blush in Taupe

Lastly, Chestnut-Napped Apalis (semi-opaque chestnut puree with a hint of cocoa dust... Say what?) is a fantastic neutral blending shade, running neither too warm or too cool. While I forgot to include that comparison in the photos, it is in fact a very similar shade to that NYX Taupe contouring shade - so yes, I'm sure it would double as a face sculpting powder on just about any skintone as well.

Compared here to some warmer matte medium brown shades, it stands out as the most cool-toned, but you could see how warm it looks against Sweet Dust Seriema. It's just a staple neutral brown, I think a must-have in a good eyeshadow collection. The formula is just as good as Sweet Dust Seriema. Love, love this shade, even though it seems like such a boring color - but it's hard to find something that's just right!

L-R: RBR Sweet Dust Seriema, Too Faced Velvet Revolver from the Natural Eyes palette, Annabelle So Foxy (similar to MAC Charcoal Brown), a medium brown from Physicians Formula Canyon Classics quad, Inglot Matte no. 344.

As you can probably tell, I'm very happy with the new additions to my Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow family - I don't know if I need to have them all, but I can't rule out getting a few more shades in the future, even if that means depotting and defiling the beautiful packaging. I haven't yet met an RBR eyeshadow I was disappointed in. I hope this post was helpful to anyone looking for good transition mattes as well; I realize that my shade comparisons are somewhat limited as I can only compare to other things I own, but hopefully that gives you some idea about the shade depth and warmth. Rouge Bunny Rouge newbes, do you have any of these shades in your stash? RBR collectors, which shades am I missing from my line-up?

Rocaille Raves: Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens

You know my regular reticence to buy into any sort of product hype? Yeah, I prefer to quietly wait for the bandwagon to pass, smell the roses, ponder things in my own time, and then maybe, MAYBE, pull the trigger. So when opportunity arose to snag some Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens ($12 for 0.04 oz, or $18 for a set of 5 smaller pencils + sharpener) via Belly's blog sale and some poorly rationalized Asos order, I finally pulled. The trigger, that is.

From the utterly unsuspenseful title of this post, you already know that I'm really, really liking these Pixi eye pencils (not pens!). So much so that I like them better than the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on liners, and better than the NYX Slide-ons. And I like them just as much, or maybe even a teeny, tiny bit more than the Sephora 12HR Wear Contour pencils - I don't know yet, the verdict is still out on that one.

I hear you ask 'But Monika, what is so special about these boring old pencils?'. Weel, let me tell ye (not sure why this had to be said in a Scottish accent): apart from the pure awesomeness of the shades, they're unbelievably soft, creamy, pigmented and long-lasting. The brand also claims they're non-transfer and waterproof, giving the effect of liquid liner in a handy pencil form. I actually mostly use eyeliner pencils in lieu of liquid or gel liners ('cause, lazy), so I was excited about the level of pigmentation on these Endless Eye Pens; I find them more intense and opaque than the cult UD pencils and the NYX dupes of those. They do also wear like iron; I find that they can transfer a bit when applied in the waterline (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't) but otherwise there's no smudging, running or flaking.

I have five shades now: Black Noir (pure matte black), Black Tulip (dark indigo pearl over a black base), Deep Plum (eggplant with very fine multidimensional shimmer, similar but more intense than Urban Decay Ransom), Copper Glow (reddish brown with gold micro glitter) and Sage Glow (golden olive with gold micro glitter). They're all equally smooth and creamy with the exception of Sage Glow, which is the most glittery shade - the consistency of that one seems a bit drier and not as intensely pigmented, but I remember from my UD liners that their glittery shades (like UD Gunmetal) suffered from a similar issue. That minor flaw aside, the glitter in Copper Glow and Sage Glow is small enough to give just a twinkle of light on the eyes, and stays put without migrating all over the face; I even applied Sage Glow to my waterline with no irritation whatsoever.

L-R: Black Noir, Black Tulip, Deep Plum, Copper Glow, Sage Glow. The bottom photo shows the tenacity of the Silky Eye Pens - this is what I was left with after vigorous rubbing with a cotton pad soaked in a micellar make-up remover. A good cleansing oil/ waterproof make-up remover is a must with these pencils.

You will obviously see these pencils quite often in the upcoming FOTD posts and such (actually, I used Black Noir here already), but I wanted to show you a simple micro glittery look with both Copper Glow and Sage Glow. I was worried that Copper Glow would be too warm of a brown for my complexion, but you can see it works beautifully as a liner on my top lashline. While I rarely wear greens on my eyes, I love the subtle olive accent of Sage Glow on my lower lashline and waterline - like I said, I had absolutely no issues with the glitter moving or getting in my eyes (and I do wear contact lenses).

To complete the look, I'm wearing MAC Patina eyeshadow all over the lid and smudged on the lower lashline, with Soft Force to highlight the inner corners. For my blush I chose  NARS Douceur, and I have MAC Viva Glam V lipstick on my lips. All in all, I'm really happy I've decided to pick these Pixi liners up - they're some of the best pencil eyeliners I've ever had the pleasure of playing around with. Have you recently got anything you're loving to pieces?

You're a Doll, Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly!

Oh, Buxom. Buxom, Buxom, Buxom. You and your lip glosses... I've mentioned before that I'm more of a lipstick than a lipgloss gal, and then I'm DEFINITELY not into shimmery glosses - but I'll make an exception for you, Buxom Full-On Lip Polish formula! Yes, you're THAT good. (I'm not alone in talking to my lip products, am I? Am I?!)

The Full-On Lip Polish ($19 for 0.15 oz, deluxe sample size pictured here) shimmery lip glosses are one of three gloss formulas available from Buxom; the other two being the non-sparkly Full-On Lip Creams (I've raved about the shade 'Cherry Flip' here) and the shimmery, but non-tingly Full-Bodied Lip Gloss, which I've yet to try. Both of the Full-On lines claim to have a gentle plumping effect, on top of being smooth, shiny and moisturizing with hyaluronic spheres and Vitamins A & E.

The plumping effect manifests itself via slightly tingly, but mostly cooling sensation on the lips, which lasts for about an hour on my pout. Interestingly, the Full-On Lip Polish does not smell minty/mentholated - it actually has the most delicious scent of crème brûlée when applied to the lips. It comes with a standard, fuzzy doe foot applicator that deposits just enough gloss to cover my entire lips. The gloss smooths over any vertical lip lines, gives intense shine, hugs the lips for a non-sticky, cushiony feel. It's so, so comfortable! The micro shimmer feels weightless and non-gritty, my usual pet-peeve with any shimmery/glittery lip product.

'Dolly', the shade of a deluxe sample I received with some Sephora order, is a warm pink mauve shot through with delicate golden shimmer. I refused to try this gloss for a while because I thought this shade would be all wrong on me (too brown, too frosty...) - but it's actually very pretty! It's definitely in the 'My Lips But Better' family and on me adds a hint of depth and warmth to my paler, cooler lips. The fine gold sparkle adds some dimension without being too noticeable.

Clockwise from the top: MAC Viva Glam V, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly, NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige

L-R: Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly, NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige, Maybelline Warm Me Up, MAC Viva Glam V

As for the moisturizing claims: the Buxom Full-On formula so far has been one of the most easy and comfortable lip gloss I've ever tried, tied only with the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector. It's obviously not as moisturizing as a lip balm but does not dry out my lips in any way. The wear time is standard for a gloss, meaning it doesn't withstand earing or drinking, but doesn't wear off or fade otherwise. Gosh, I'm now kicking myself for not picking up one of the holiday mini sets Sephora releases every year! Maybe next December...

Have you tried Buxom Full-On gloss formula? What is your Holy Grail lip gloss?

My Holy Grail Lip Balms: Osmia Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair & Nuxe Rêve de Miel

In truth, I originally planned this post to be a strict comparison between two fantastic honey lip balms, with one clear winner emerging at the end. But I can't do it, you guys - I just love them both, and nobody wants to be forced to pick their favorite child lip treatment. Still, would you like to hear my thoughts on these bedtime staples and why you need them in your life? Yeah, I thought so.

Osmia Organics Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair* ($22 for 0.28 oz) contains beeswax, cocoa butter, Vitamin E oil, manuka honey, as well as myrrh and bergamot essential oils to heal dry and cracked lips within one to two days. The balm also contains lanolin to help it stay on your lips overnight. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm ($19 for 0.52 oz/ 15 g) is a concentrated formula to nourish and repair chapped and dry lips, and contains beeswax, shea butter, sweet almond, rosehip and Vitamin E oils, honey as well as grapefruit and lemon essential oils.

As you can see, both of these lip treatments contain beeswax, Vitamin E oil and honey (which hydrates dry lips beautifully on its own - you need to try it!), plant oils and butters, as well as essential oils; essentialy, the ingredients for both are very similar. Osmia's Lip Repair contains 79% certified organic ingredients, while Nuxe Rêve de Miel contains 80.2% ingredients of natural origin.

In terms of texture, Osmia Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair is more solid (you need to break the hard surface with your fingernail - I actually use my nail to scoop out the right amount of both of these balms) but thinner and more oily once warmed up on the skin. Nuxe Rêve de Miel is softer in the jar, but thicker and more waxy on the lips. Osmia's balm feels very smooth and quite light on the lips and gives a slight sheen, while Nuxe has an almost grainy, heavier consistency and a matte finish. I like the feel of both of them equally for different reasons. Both lip treatments stay on the lips overnight (I can still feel some in the morning), but Nuxe is probably a touch more tenacious - it can even withstand drinking and a small breakfast. The smell of Osmia's Lip Repair is resinous with a touch of citrus, while Nuxe's scent reminds me the most of candied orange peel with a touch of honey.

In terms of effectivess, both Nuxe and Osmia are fantastic at nourishing and hydrating very dry, peeling lips - which I get on a daily basis, so an intense lip balm like these is an absolute must in my night skincare routine, and I always keep one on my bedside table. The similarity of end result is in fact the reason why I can't choose a favorite; while you might nit-pick over packaging, texture, scent, organic versus natural ingredients, in the end those factors are simply a matter of individual preference - but the effectiveness of product is what matters most to all of us.

Lastly, let me touch on the price point and availability of both products. In terms of price per ounce, Osmia's Lip Repair works out to be roughly twice as expensive as Nuxe's already pricey balm. Osmia Organics products are also only available online through their website, while Nuxe products are offered by a number of etailers, as well as in some drugstores (Duane Reade Look Boutiques in New York, for example). Osmia's product are handmade in Colorado with high quality natural and organic ingredients, while Nuxe's are made in France with a touch more lab-derived fillers. So yes, it's cheaper and easier to get the Nuxe Rêve de Miel... but I really like my Osmia (support small businesses!), so I'll probably just end up rotating purchases of both.

Have you tried Osmia Organics Lip Repair or Nuxe Rêve de Miel? Which lip treatment is your Holy Grail?

*Disclaimer: Osmia Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair is a press sample I received directly from the brand for review consideration, and I purchased Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm myself. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as a free press sample. All links are non-affiliate and simply provided for your convenience. Thank you for reading!

Best Beauty Buys of 2013

The year 2013 is now drawing to a close; I hope you spent your Holidays well with your loved ones and now that you're slowly emerging from a food coma, it's time to think about the glamour of New Year's Eve! I might be able to help in your party preparations with my selection of best make-up products I've tried in 2013. These are not actually items that were newly released in 2013, just bits that I personally started using or rediscovered this year - basically, a yearly favorites of sorts. Majority of these products have been previously reviewed, so if you're interested in more details and swatches, please click on the provided links. Let's get cracking!

Starting with base make-up, this was actually the hardest part to include in my favorites. I suppose that throughout the year, I used my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation the most and now I've very nearly finished my bottle, but I came to the conclusion that it's a very difficult product to get right; if my skin is too much on the oily side, it slides right off, if it's a bit dehydrated, it clings to all the dry patches. So, contrarily, for its ease of use, the 2013 award goes to Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 (review and swatches of my shade, Tender Rose, here). This mineral foundation is quick and easy, gives good coverage and disguises both enlarged pores as well as dry flakes. I only wish they made a travel jar as well!

Onto the eyes (I know, no blush in my round-up; quelle horreur! I just wasn't very loyal to any particular formula or brand although I've tried some lovely ones this year... Maybe a blush favorites post in the future?): I actually have two eyeshadow formula favorites. First up, and it's no surprise, bareMinerals READY Eyeshadows. My favorite all-round color combo is this palette in The Finer Things (LE, sorry! But... click here anyway?), although you can also find great neutral choices in The Power Neutrals palette or Truth quad.

Secondly, nothing can beat the price point and unique shade selection of Fyrinnae loose eyeshadows (swatches here and here, eye looks here and here, notes on pressing samples here). Admittedly, they require a bit more effort if you wish to save space and application time by pressing them, but for me the payoff is absolutely worth it. I can also credit Fyrinnae shadows for more colorful eye make-up experiments this year. I undoubtedly see myself expanding my collection of their shades in the future. As a side note, I love using my Z Palettes for all the loose eyeshadow and blush pans and much prefer them to any other free form palette I've tried thus far.

Eyeshadow sticks and eyeliners: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colors (especially the shade Grey Pearl, swatched and reviewed here) and Sephora Contour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear respectively (shades Flirting Game and Surfer Babe here). 2013 was a grand year of cream eyeshadows for me, which I'm sure some of you noticed from the abundance of posts on the subject. Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks still stand out as overall winners, and the Sephora Contour pencils are the best pencil eyeliners I've tried in a long time; the available shades of both products are beautiful too. You just can't go wrong with either formula.

This past year was a jolly good time for my lashes, mostly due to the amazing thickening and lenghtening powers of LiLash Eyelash Serum (full review here). I'm still clinging to my first tube and scraping up the bottom for the very last bits; as you can see in the photo, I do have a back-up, but I want to get the most mileage partly because of the price, but mostly because it's sadly no longer in production. I might cry when it runs out. As for mascara formulas that worked the best on my full fringe, Laura Mercier's Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara ($24 for 0.4 oz) was a very pleasant surprise (I have another deluxe sample here in the photo), but honorable mentions should also go to Bobbi Brown's Everything Mascara ($25 for 0.2 oz) and Buxom's Buxom Lash ($19 for 0.37 oz).

 Aaaah, lip products. I have to say this year I turned to more high-end formulas and generally, as my lips got a lot drier, became significantly more picky about the formulas. Three that emerged as comfortable, line-filling, hydrating winners: Guerlain Rouge Automatique (the only shade I own, Shalimar, photographed and swatched here - but I'm already scheming to purchase more shades) for a proper, pigmented lipstick, Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments (older review here; my favorite shade was Rose but I also really like Passion) for a sheer, juicy formula, and lastly Buxom Lip Cream in Cherry Flip (clickety click!) for a gloss.

For nail polish favorites, my regular rotation of OPI and Essie polishes was joined by Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer (no links, but you can look up swatches in my 'Month in Nail Polish' posts). I came to really enjoy their solid 5-free formula and I can't blame the shade range either. I especially like Zoya's more adventurous approach to finish; you can find creams, duochromes, subtle pearls, holos, sand texture and even bar glitter in their line-up. I like!

Wow, congratulations if you got this far! That was quite a bit of overly enthusiastic make-up musings, wasn't it? You might notice that I featured a lot of these favorites in my recent 'What's In My Make-up Bag?' post; what can I say, I really do like have my favoritest and trustiest products with me when I travel. I also decided to exclude any skincare or haircare products from this list for a variety of reasons, most of them having to do with the fact that it's a more difficult subject matter to evaluate objectively and thus, probably less helpful to you. Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed reading about my best beauty buys of 2013 and stay tuned for 2013 in review post!

Liner Love: Sephora Contour Eye Pencils 12HR Wear in Flirting Game and Surfer Babe

Recently, I'd started feeling very spleeny towards my eyeliner pencil collection; yes, I had more than enough in number, but the formulas seemed lacking, the colors uninspiring. I just felt a little update was in order, and in the back of my mind I had this nagging nugget (see what I did here?) of information that Sephora eyeliners might be worth checking out; even after my fiasco with their Nano formula, reviewed here. And nothing like the VIB sale to give you a little push, ya know?

It's funny how I often pick products in pairs; like one is not quite enough to satisfy a lemming, and two is not as indulgent as buying a trio. Do you guys purchase two products at a time too? Anyway, the product in question is Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencils 12HR Wear in Flirting Game no. 15 and Surfer Babe no. 24 ($9 each for 0.04 oz). The pencils are slim and sturdy with color-coded ends and they require sharpening, which I don't mind, really.

 An obligatory rave about the formula: both eyeliners are soft, smooth and glide on easily with the least amount of pressure (all characteristics that are also present in some other eyeliner formulas I enjoy, like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencils or the NYX Slide-On Eyeliners). They're also very long-wearing once they set, and can be smudged immediately after application. Where the Sephora formula differs from (and is superior to) my Urban Decay and NYX eyeliners, is the pigmentation; both Flirting Game and Surfer Babe pack a lot of punch in one swipe and have a more opaque and vibrant base than the other two formulas - you can see it quite well in the swatches. It's also noteworthy that the Sephora Contour Eye Pencil shade range is wide and interesting, with a variety of finishes (matte/shimmer/glitter); this is also true for Urban Decay shades; however, Urban Decay Glide-Ons retail for $19, while Sephora is less than half the price.

Flirting Game no. 15 is a darker neutral taupe with very refined silver, pink and orange shimmer, visible only in direct sunlight, but giving the shade a lot of dimension. I actually don't own any other taupe eyeliner pencils, but wanted to show you how it compares to a light grey taupe shadow stick like Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Grey Pearl, an eggplant shade like Urban Decay Rockstar, and a basic medium warm brown like Urban Decay Whiskey. Both Urban Decay pencils required more layering to show comparable opacity next to Sephora Flirting Game, and especially with Rockstar, you can see how the darker base shade seems almost greyed and faded.

Surfer Babe no. 24 is a dark teal with fine tonal shimmer/ pearl finish. Again, I previously had no teal eyeliners in my collection, so the comparison is simply to show you where to place the color in the blue/green spectrum, and to show differences in formula and finish. Compared to Surfer Babe, the Urban Decay Binge shade (navy blue) again seems less vibrant and pigmented, and you can also see the slight patchiness of the NYX Pretty Violet's formula. I would say that formula-wise, the TIGI Perfect Eyeliner in Green stands its ground next to the Sephora pencil, but the price and very limited shade range cannot rival that of Sephora.

 Here's a quick and simple look showcasing both pencils: I blended some MAC Patina eyeshadow on the lid and out in the crease, highlighted the inner corners with Rouge Bunny Rouge Unforgettable Oriole, and then applied Sephora Surfer Babe pencil on the upper lashline, flicking it out at the end. I used Flirting Game on the lower waterline and smudged into the lower lashline. I'm happy to say even on the waterline, the pencil lasted through a whole windy day. On my lips, I'm wearing Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Warm Me Up.

I'm very happy with this liner purchase and I can definitely see myself picking up more shades in the future; especially after finishing some other less satisfactory formulas. So far, I haven't found a more affordable, easily accessible, and overall great quality eyeliner option than these Sephora Contour Eye Pencils, and I would definitely recommend you check them out next time you casually pop into a Sephora store for a little swatching session. Have you tried these Sephora eye pencils? Are there any other products from the Sephora Collection range that are worth looking into?