Shopping My Stash: Recently Rediscovered Favorites

To counteract the low from my previous post on all the products I don't want to be using anymore, I thought I'd share some of my recently rediscovered favorites from the depths of my make-up stash. To be honest with you, with both the Project Make A Dent and the Project 10 Pan going on at the same time, I often need to force myself not to completely neglect the rest of my collection. I've been so focused on making some progress in the lip products chosen for these challenges, for example, that I honestly don't remember the last time I wore something else on my lips, unless it was specifically for testing and reviewing on the blog. That's a bit sad - I guess I'm maybe a wee bit too driven to do well in my panning projects, lol.

I still think it's very important to keep rotating the products in your routine, either by means of a weekly/ bi-weekly make-up basket or tray, or just switching them ad hoc out once in a while, or maybe even seasonally, when you want to pull in some specific shades to keep you inspired. It's good to know what you own, and it's good to check once in a while if the products you loved in the past are still favorites - and if it turns out they're not anymore, just pass them on to someone more appreciative.

Anyway, here are a couple things I've been enjoying lately. Since I don't have any bronzers in either of my panning projects, I've been making an effort to switch out between the four I own on a monthly basis, usually in the order of their depth (as my skin gets to its darkest shade - by which I mean about NW15 - by the end of the summer/ early fall). Now that it's September, I've been using theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzing Powder, which is a beautiful matte bronzer, but so dark on my fair skintone that I have to be very careful with how I use it. For that reason, I've paired it with my EcoTools Fan Brush, which gives me a lot of control in terms of placement, as well as a sheerer application. If you have a pretty dark bronzer in your stash that you're scared to use, definitely try applying it with a fan brush; it makes a big difference!

On my cheeks, I've gone back to using Tarte's 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Blush in Dazzled (reviewed here), which is the perfect early fall blush shade with just a hint of plum. I have to say that I'm not absolutely swooned by the Amazonian Clay formula - it's a bit hard in the pan, and requires multiple layers and lots of blending to show up on my cheeks. But once I get it on, it's really beautiful, so I keep reaching for it again and again.

I've also been rotating through my powder eyeshadows regularly (mostly in pre-made palettes and my Z-Palettes), but haven't really been loving anything in particular. One thing I discovered while playing with my eyeshadow pans is that Surratt's Eyeshadow in Scintillante (reviewed and swatched here) makes for a fabulous highlighter on the face as well. Its delicate, refined sheen looks gorgeous on the top of the cheekbones, and it's just the right amount of glow for everyday.

See that giant crack? The other Benefit Creaseless Cream I have in the original packaging doesn't seem to dry out like that - this crack started to appear just a couple months after I've purchased No Pressure :( It's still creamy though.

I also gave my overworked Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo a short rest just before our holiday break, since I knew I would be using it all the time while in Tuscany, and in the meantime, I played around a bit with the Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in No Pressure (reviewed here). You know, I do think I slightly prefer the Benefit's cream eyeshadow formula over the Maybelline - it's just softer and easier to blend out. The bronzy taupey shade of No Pressure, even though it looks very similar to Bad to the Bronze at first glance, somehow looks a bit prettier once it's on the eyes; it's a bit smoother (doesn't pick up on the texture of the skin on my lids) and the added gold microglitters give it a bit more interest, either when worn alone or paired with a powder eyeshadow over the top.

For the lips, I've been mostly focusing on all the products in my Projects, but I will tell you this - after my bad run with some lip glosses I've been testing recently, I have an even greater appreciation for my Buxom Full-on Lip Polish (I have the shade Dolly, reviewed here) and the Full-on Lip Cream (Cherry Flip, reviewed here). These are just some damn fine glosses, people. My mini tube of Dolly is very nearly finished *sad face*, and you know what, once I use up Cherry Flip, I will be buying another one of these Buxom glosses, or maybe I'll even get one of the Holiday kits with the different minis (probably next year - I don't think Cherry Flip could be all finished before November).

Wearing all my rediscovered favorites on the face; base is Estee Lauder Double Wear Light, brows Shu Uemura Seal Brown, lashes Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara.

And that's it! I hope this post inspires you to go digging in your stash :) Which products have you been loving lately? Have you already started to pull out some fall-appropriate shades?

Simpler Living: Products I'd Like to Eliminate From My Routine

In my quest to reduce my beauty stash, I've been using and using up a lot of different products. So many, in fact, that lately I've started to feel a bit bored with my elaborate routine, and I'm over all those special products and treatments cluttering my bathroom and my vanity. If you've been reading Rocaille Writes for a while, you may remember that I wrote a similar post roughly a year and a half ago, but since then, I feel that I have even more products I'd like to add to my list of superfluous beauty stuff - skincare, haircare, make-up, all the works.

Starting with make-up, I've realized not so long ago that I really don't enjoy using liquid eyeliners. I know many of you are gasping in horror right now, but I just don't reach for them - case in point, that Wet n'Wild Mega Liner is all dried up now (why did I even have it in my drawer? Oh, right, I didn't know it had dried out, because I DON'T USE IT), and I kind of have to make myself use the LORAC Front of the Line Pro, reviewed here. I just prefer the convenience of a pencil (and yes, you can make a beautiful cat eye with a pencil liner!), or gel, if I really want that perfectly crisp look.

I'd to like to amend my previoust post here and say that while I'm still not using lip liners or eyelash curlers, I do sometimes reach for a face primer (although I haven't had to buy one in a long time as I keep getting deluxe samples with orders!), and I now use a highlighter (mostly powder) at least a couple times a week - but my skin has also gotten less oily and more even in texture, so they've become more fun to play with. I will however add one more product to my list of unnecessary steps: make-up setting sprays. Personally, the only benefit I get from using one is taking down an overly powdery finish on the face, and for that, I can easily replace it with a hydrating spray toner I already use in my skincare regimen.

In my skincare routine, I'd like to simplify by eliminating a daytime eye cream with SPF (plus, I just really don't like this Clarins SPF30 Sunscreen For Eyes one anymore - so thick and not nearly hydrating enough). I just don't think I need a separate eye cream for the day; I could just be using one eye cream both day and night, and make sure my facial sunscreen is not irritating and suitable to use around the eye area. And while we're on the topic of one cream for both mornings and evenings, I'd like to reduce my stash to just one face moisturizer too. I know that for some this may be unthinkable, and we've been told repeatedly (mostly by skincare companies) how our skin needs more nourishment and active ingredients at night, but I can take care of all the extra nourishment by adding in a face oil, and really, most moisturizers don't even have that many active ingredients compared to serums, which I have a few of to switch around according to my skin's current needs.

I also don't really use spot treatments anymore. To be perfectly honest, they've never worked all that well on my spots anyway, maybe with the exception of benzoyl peroxide treatments, but these too only work on a certain type of spot (usually small, clogged bumps on my forehead). I've also been getting less and less spots in general *fist pump*, so they're just not something I need to keep in my skincare regimen.

And lastly, I think the days of my using the Clarisonic are over. Maybe it's because I now have a much better face cleansing routine (using non-foaming milk/oil/balm cleansers and cleansing twice), I just don't really see the need for a Clarisonic anymore - if I feel like my skin may need a bit of a manual exfoliation, I choose one of my favorite scrubs instead. And, like mentioned above, I don't use foaming face washes anymore, which in my opinion work the best with those sonic brushes. I'll most likely send mine in a care package to my best friend, because I know she's been curious about the Clarisonic - I'm hoping maybe she'll get better use out of it.

For my hair, I'd like to do away with two products taking room in my shower: a clarifying shampoo and a hair mask. I've briefly mentioned in my 'What's In My Shower' post that I'm working on using these up, but never elaborated on the reasons for cutting these things out of my routine. It's very simple - I don't think my hair needs it. I have very fine, straight hair, and I find that a good volumizing shampoo cleans my hair well enough not to need a separate clarifier once in a couple weeks. I also feel like this absolute need for a clarifying shampoo is somewhat of a recent development; it almost seems like a marketing ploy designed to simply sell us more products, no? And at any rate, I've read multiple times that adding baking soda to your normal shampoo makes for a fabulous deep cleansing treatment, so I may try that instead of keeping yet another bottle on the shelf.

As for the hair mask, again - fine, flat hair. I generally don't suffer from very dry hair, maybe with the exception of my ends; but for that, I prefer to use a leave-in conditioner, which has an added benefit of helping to detangle the knots in my strands after I get out of the shower. In the same vein, I don't feel like I need to use hair oils either - the whole routine of doing a hair mask, then applying a little oil, then a detangling spray, then maybe a styling product to add volume... That's way too many steps for someone who isn't really all that into doing her hair. What can I say, it's just boring, and takes too much time as it is, without all the extra steps. However, if I do occasionally find the need to condition my hair a bit more, I'd prefer to just keep one universal plant oil to use everywhere, on my hair, face, and body - be it argan oil, jojoba, camellia, or a mix of a couple different ones.

And since I do already have quite a few of those nice base oils in my stash, I don't really need a cuticle butter either. My cuticles and fingertips in general are usually a dry, flaky mess, thanks to my eczema, but to be honest, I don't reach for my cuticle butter all that often anyway, maybe because I don't like the greasy fingers after applying it - and again, it's just another step I have to remember about. I'm fine with using my one universal oil on my cuticles too, or you know what, a good old lip balm works really well for that purpose too.

 Lastly, I don't want to own any fragrance mists, body splashes or however you want to call them. I just don't really see the point - if I want to smell nice, I'd just much rather reach for a perfume (eau de toilette/ eau de parfum) that will last a couple hours as opposed to this weak mist that will disappear within an hour or two. Even at home, I just can't be bothered to reapply; for now, I lightly use these before I head out to the gym to make myself feel a bit fresher in the morning. But yeah, in general, they're kinda pointless to me.

That's all I could think of right now - I'm sure there will be more products I'd like to add to this list as I continue making my way through my stash and learning to recognize my preferences a bit better. By the way, just to clarify: nearly all of the specific products I used to illustrate this post are GOOD products. Seriously, they do their job very well - which is why I'm not just tossing these things in the trash, but continuing to use them up. I'm just not going to replace them with another product of that type when they're finished - hopefully that makes sense. Also, if you're interested in different perspectives on simplifying beauty routines and what not, Liz has recently shared her list of stuff she doesn't use anymore, and Latoya has written a post about all the products she won't be buying for a while here. Do you guys also have a list of products you don't want to be repurchasing any longer? I'd love to know!

Minimalist Monday: Half-Yearly Make-up and Nail Polish Declutter

Using the same make-up products daily through my Make A Dent and Project 10 Pan challenges has really brought home how much I'm actually able to make good use out of what I own. In short: NOT. AT. ALL. And I'm not even talking about completely using stuff up, but simply feeling like I gave that pretty shiny thing I bought the love and attention that it deserves.

Which is why I quickly started to feel overwhelmed again with the size of my make-up and nail polish stash. While I have been purging my collection here and there for the last three years (see my last declutter post here), passing lots of goodies to friends and family and occasionally tossing something in the trash, this time I felt that I needed to be more ruthless, and really ask myself two questions: whether I was going to use the product more than once or twice just to assuage the feeling of guilt, and whether it was a unique shade I didn't already have at least two dupes for in my stash. What emerged from the culling process was a rather sizeable pile of stuff that I thought I'd share with you.

First off, and what you see in the first photo, is a palette full of various depotted eyeshadows and blushes I knew I wasn't using for a while now. The palette itself used to have a foam insert for round pans the size of a MAC shadow (here's what it used to look like), but by removing it, I was able to both cram more inside as well as put together pans of all different sizes and shapes. It now houses MAC (Deep Truth and Solar Force), Inglot (the square satin pale peach, round dark grey and metallic silver), DIY pressed pigments from NYX and Barry M, two Too Faced eyeshadows from the Natural Eye palette, one shadow from Physician's Formula Canyon Classics quad, and two La Femme blushes. By decluttering all these pans from my Z-Palettes, I was also able to go ahead and depot the Stila In The Moment palette (review & swatches here; look who's talking about having too many palettes back in 2012...), pictured above. I usually find that by depotting my less reached for palettes, I'm able to make better use of the individual shadows housed within.

Continuing with the eyes, I decided to pass on most of my bareMinerals 7 Ways to Bare Eyecolor set (review and swatches here); I simply DO NOT reach for loose eyeshadows, even in lovely neutral hues. I also went ahead and included some of my pencil liners in the giveaway pile: Urban Decay 24/7 pencils in Binge and Mildew (swatched here) and a brand new, unopened Milani Liquif'eye in Brown. I simply have other eyeliners that are very near dupes, and while I do manage to use up an entire pencil occasionally, these things do dry out - so no point keeping back-ups in my stash, they're going to be unusable sooner rather than later.

Lancôme Color Design Palette in Coral Crush (swatched and reviewed here), along with the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Golden Emerald (click!), Lise Watier Tartan Magique Ombre Soufflé and the recently reviewed YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer were also given the boot. All very decent products, but I just have too much - I still don't really wear green or teal on the eyes, and I chose the Sleek Oh So Special eyeshadow palette over Coral Crush for that warm peachy feel. Since I just recently got a smaller palette (Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow in Hanashoubu), I felt it was fair to pass on one quint to someone else to enjoy.

Culling my blushes was probably the most painstaking part of this declutter, and the most time-consuming. I swatched a whole bunch and wore a few on my cheeks for several days to see what my final thoughts would be. In the end, I'm getting rid of Revlon Photoready cream blush in Flushed (click, I own two shade dupes in cream blushes alone), Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine and Laura Geller Boysenberry powder blushes (click, both pull too orange on my skin for my current taste). The Benefit Watt's Up cream highlighting stick never really suited me, so I'm giving it away together with the Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Lavish Lilac (click - sorry, forgot to include it with the eyes stuff - not my favorite formula, I won't be able to even make a dent in it before it completely dries out).

Lastly, lip products. Most of these have been swatched, reviewed in a lukewarm manner and worn maybe once or twice: Nature Republic Botanical Shine Tint (click!), bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Make Your Move (click!), Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge in N9 (click!), Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Ripe Raspberry (click!), Bourjois Color Boost crayon in Red Sunrise (click!, I own too many reds), and an older tube of MAC Viva Glam IV (too frosty for my current preferences). There's also a brand new, unused tube of something MLBB mauvey from a brand I've never heard about that I received in a complimentary GlossyBox, but I'm not all that interested in trying it and would prefer for it to go nice and fresh to someone more appreciative.

Now, nail polish! That was a bit of a messy process. I had my eye on some bottles that I knew I haven't touched in over a year, but before getting rid of anything, I wanted to give them one last chance by way of a quick fingernail swatch, as you can see above. I decided to keep OPI Pamplona Purple (thumb), Zoya Pixie Dust in London (middle, never worn as a full mani - I want to see if I reach for it this fall/winter season) and Revlon's Perplex (pinky). I've decided to toss Wet n'Wild Shield (index, not into metallics anymore, an old bottle) and pass on Revlon's Black with Envy, as well as OPI Lights of Emerald City (both layered on my ring finger, LoEC always bubbles on me!).

I also said goodbye to OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips mini from the Holland Collection (I own a very near dupe from BarryM) and OPI Chicago Champagne Toast (never worn as a full mani in the two years I've owned it). While I was swatching and comparing my polishes, I counted my stash and it turned out that even after various purges and only one polish purchase so far this year, I still own about 70 bottles. Frankly, that's insane, and it's making me a bit sick to my stomach - I mean really, do I need this many?! I don't do nail art, I don't consider myself a collector, I'm not even that much into polish anymore... Just why. I'm seriously contemplating a nail polish no-buy for the foreseeable future.

These are three products from my stash I decided to throw out rather than give away; they were all too old and mostly used up.

The good thing about looking through my nail polish stash was that I also had a chance to do a bit of cleaning - I like to keep the necks of my bottles free of any dried polish residue so that the caps screw on more firmly and prevent the polish inside from drying out. I recommend a good polish remover and something lint-free for this task (meaning, not cotton wool); I used Orly's nail wipes intended for gel manicures.

There you go; I hope my purge pile was at least somewhat interesting for you. All of these products (minus the three tosses mentioned above) have now been divided into a couple pouches with a specific recipient in mind. A quick count reveals that I decluttered 22 single eyeshadows (powder & cream), 1 eyeshadow palette, 3 pencil eyeliners, 6 cheek products (powder & cream), 7 lip products (full size & mini), 1 deluxe sample of face primer and 4 nail polishes (full size & mini). Together with the throw-aways, that's 44 products less in my stash. I would say that's probably equivalent to a 'one in, one out' policy adopted by some, given that I'm allowing myself two make-up products and/or nail polishes a month (that's 24 a year, but doesn't include gifts, gifts with purchase and other freebies - and that stuff adds up quickly).

I suppose my one take away from this process would be not to wait before purging a product you know you don't really love - that way, you benefit from having an edited collection at all times, but also the products you decide to pass on are at their freshest for someone else to enjoy. I usually keep a donation bag in my closet for all the clothes I'm deciding to get rid of, and I'm planning to now have a separate box for my unloved make-up. Have you guys been purging anything lately, or are you over the decluttering trend? I'm secretly waiting for the pendulum to swing the other way and to see people start hoarding again, lol. How are you feeling about the state of your make-up stash?

Mixed Feels: Products I Don't Know What To Think About

I've never featured any of these five products in any of my posts - the simple reason being that I really don't know what to think about them. Mind you, this is different from a non-disputable case of shitty products I regret buying; none of these are bad, really. They're just... not here nor there, maybe? As a long-time blogger, I usually have lots of clear-cut opinions about every beauty product I try, but these five give me very mixed feels:

1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I'm a huge fan of FAB Radiance Pads, but their cult extra-moisturizing Ultra Repair Cream doesn't really do it for me. You may be surprised why, as a combination-skinned gal, would I even have this in my stash, but I was actually hoping to use it on my eczema-ridden hands. But nope, it does very very little to moisturize my severly dry, flaking and cracking fingers, and even as a regular hand cream, it's just alright. Is there something I'm not getting about this, you guys?

2. LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eye Liner in Black ($23 for 0.02 fl oz). I'm not a massive liquid eyeliner user, usually prefering the convenience of a pencil, but I can appreciate the precision of a good pen. This LORAC liner seems to gather a lot of great reviews, having both beautiful pigmentation and a tiny brush (not felt!) tip. However, I can't make it work - I dislike its shiny/vinyl finish on the skin, and whenever I need to go over my line to thicken or even it out, it seems to really drag on itself, making it time-consuming and unpleasant to apply. I'll use it up, but I won't repurchase.

3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer in Light ($24 for 0.24 oz, I have a mini that came in a set). This is a really weird one: sometimes I really like how it works on my skin, sometimes I hate it. The big pros of this concealer are its longevity (really stays put, and I would even call it water-resistant) and how well it covers discoloration and redness. The cons are the finish on the skin (dry, accentuates lines and flakes) and not enough coverage to be used for spot-concealing. It's definitely not my favorite, but perfectly matches the foundation I'm currently trying to use up, the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 1.

4. Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Light to Medium ($24 for 0.10 oz). Are you shocked? I know this is a must-have for a lot of people, but for me it just didn't hit the mark. I bought it hoping to use it on its own on lazy make-up days, but I dislike how my brows look with it on: the shade is too ashy, making my brows look like they're greying (I guess that's my fault for choosing the wrong color), the texture is quite crispy, but most importantly, it just doesn't give me the definition I was looking for. I have quite good brows naturally, but there's just a couple of sparse areas that I like to fill in to give them a better shape, and for that purpose, using a good eyebrow pencil is undoubtedly superior to this gel. I can wear it paired with my Shu pencil - but that's more, not less effort on my part when getting ready in the morning. On a different note, I think I'm done with Benefit products for a while; I just can't stand their marketing strategy and constant hype. From what they say about their own products, you'd think it was the second coming of Jesus - but from my own experience, the products are mostly overpriced and mediocre. So. You won't see much of Benefit on this blog any time soon. I've had enough.

4. Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil ($77 for 450ml, mine is in LE Mika for Shu packaging). Shu's oils are like the big daddy of cleansing oils on the Western beauty market, but I think in this day and age, we can all do better than splurge nearly 80 bucks on a bottle of predominantly mineral oil. Does it remove my make-up? Yes, but not all of my mascara, and it always clouds my vision - so I think after I'm done with this giant and awesomely designed bottle, I'll switch to something like The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil, or an Asian drugstore oil.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what were your thoughts? Have you been using any products recently that gave you very mixed feels?

Project 10 Pan 2015 Intro: All Make-up & Nail Polish

I've been thinking about this Project 10 Pan Introduction post for months now, and finally the time has come to reveal my products. As you probably know, I'm still continuing my Project Make A Dent, which is a yearly challenge, but since five of the products selected for it have already been finished, I decided to go ahead and start another panning project. I hope it's not too boring and/or confusing for you; if you're not so much into that type of content, please feel free to skip it in the future; for my part, I'll be doing my best to space these posts out with reviews or what have you to keep things interesting :)

Without further ado, here are my products: it's all make-up and nail polish! Starting with the face, we have Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Make-up in Intensity 1 (I'm estimating there's between 1/3 and 1/4 of the tube left) and Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin in Ivory (1/2 of the bottle left). These two give me a range of shades to work with, as well as different levels of coverage. To set my base, I've chosen the MAC Pressed Blot Powder in Medium Dark.

For the eyes, I've only added in my Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Copper Glow (click here for a review and swatches). The reason there aren't more eye and no cheek products included is that I want to keep this Project quite realistic; from doing my Projects Make A Dent, I know that it takes me absolutely ages to use up eyeshadow, blush or bronzer. I'm actually really counting on completely finishing my selected products and thus moving them out of my collection.

For the lips, I've opted for a variety of choices: the Elf Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin (click!), a sheer nude, the Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (lip-swatched here), a shimmery pinky peach, the Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist (click!), a lightweight but bright pink, and the Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Dolly (click!), a neutral mauvey gloss to pair with all of these or wear on its own.

I've marked my progress with a sharpie on the more liquidy products for future reference.

I've also never attempted to use up an entire bottle of nail polish before, so I'm starting slow by adding in these two mini Orly Nail Lacquers in Gumdrop, a mint green, and Rage, a metallic rose gold. Both have about 2/3 of the bottle left.

I'm quite excited about this new Project, and I'm looking forward to playing with these products on a regular basis - well, I've had a head start on some of these after finishing items from my Project Make A Dent, so I know a few of these should go pretty quickly and hopefully motivate me to keep going. I haven't quite decided how often I should update you on my progress; I'm giving myself till the end of this year to complete this challenge, so let me know your preferences on the frequency of updates.

Are you doing a Project Pan this year? If so, please link your posts in the comments, I'd love to follow your progress and cheer you on!

What I've Learnt About Myself Through Decluttering My Make-up Stash

After my last post in the Capsule Collection series, where I talked about my lifelong habit of saving my favorite things for later and trudging through blahs in the meantime, some of you lovely people suggested that maybe I just shouldn't use (and own) those mediocre products, full stop.

I can't lie, it's a valid point - so it prompted me to do another make-up and nail polish purge. But this time, I thought that instead of just documenting the stuff I'm getting rid of, I'll try to actually learn something about my product preferences in the process, so I may hopefully avoid poor purchasing decisions in the future. Here's what I've found out:

As a sweeping generalisation, I have a hard time getting rid of 'so-so' products - you know, the ones that don't suck really bad, but don't do if for you either - like this Murad Skin Perfecting Primer in the Matte Finish, but pretty much all of the things shown in this post fall in that category. Another important lesson: I don't use loose mineral products for cheeks or eyes (but I do make an exception for loose face powders or foundations). If it's in a messy little pot and I haven't yet been bothered to press it, it needs to go, as exemplified by the miscellaneous Coastal Scents blushes in the photo above - I actually used them a lot when I first got them, but they haven't been touched in 2 years probably!

The next lesson covers my shade selections: I don't look good in pigmented plummy blushes (NYX Powder Blush in Raisin). My skin has enough of a cool almost purpley undertone, so anything leaning plum/ purple makes me look a bit bruised. I also don't use or look good in warm bronze shades, which is why I'll be passing on my untouched sample of the Rouge Bunny Rouge Bronzing Glow Liquid.

Staying on the topic of cheek products, I haven't been able to part with this Bourjois Pastel Joues Blusher in Rouge Corail for years, even though I'm afraid to actually put it on my face. I stole this blush from my mom years ago, who purchased it in Paris even longer ago - I want to say this blush is now 16 years old? I was keeping it for sentimental reasons: it's the first blush I ever owned, and it came from my mom, and it had that delightful old school make-up scent... But I figured that if I wasn't able to wear it (because it was just too old for my tolerance levels, not because the formula changed), I should let it go, and that my photos are enough to convey the memory of this product forever without it taking space in my collection.

Now for the eyes: again with the warm gold and bronze tones (also... red eyeshadow?!), they just don't look right on my cool-toned skin (Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Eldorado, Wet n'Wild Khol in Bronze, a shimmery gold eyeshadow from Inglot) and I don't use loose mineral eyeshadows (Fyrinnae Kapir). There's also no sense in keeping eyeshadow dupes in an inferior formula (Annabelle Vanilla Chilla, a purple Wet n'Wild shade from one of the trios) - when am I ever going to reach for them? Certainly not when I finally use up the better eyeshadow these are dupes of, because... I never finish any eyeshadows.

I also need to remember that both cream eyeshadows and eyeliner pencils do dry out - so I shouldn't be stockpiling multiple shades. Ideally, I should only have as many on the go as I am able to use up within a year to two. Older than that, they become hard, stiff and difficult to apply. I'll be working on downsizing my eyeliner and cream eyeshadow collection further this year.

As for lip products - again with the dupable shades in an inferior formula (Wet n'Wild lipstick in Hot Paris Pink is nearly identical to my beloved Maybelline Color Sensational in First Class Fuschia), I'm just not going to get to them before they expire, so may as well let someone else enjoy them. As for lip glosses, my goal is to only keep a few around as I wear them much less often than lipsticks. My gloss preferences are as follows: I don't like lip glosses in pots where you have to dip your fingers in, I generally prefer no shimmer or glitter in my glosses unless it's undetectable on the lips, and I don't wear pigmented glosses in bold shades (NYX Mega Shine in African Queen) - they're just too messy.

Lastly, not too many lessons glimpsed through decluttering my nail polish stash - just again not to keep multiples of the same shade around, and that buying nail polish in little sets is a tricky business, because there's usually a shade or two in there that I don't like. For the same reason, I'm generally against beauty subscription services - you'll always end up with lots of minis that you have no idea what to do with, and they accumulate so fast; I still have my Birchbox samples that I received three years ago! I'd much rather save the money I would be spending on a subscription and just splurge on one full size product of my own choosing that I really want to try.

I've also realized, mostly through using up my make-up primer and perfume samples, that I tend to use very, very little product in one application. A 1 ml primer foil packet lasts me about 2 weeks, meaning that a standard 1 ounce/ 30 ml primer tube would be lasting me over a year of everyday usage, and I don't wear make-up every day; I'm sure the same applies to foundation for me. If I can only finish at most 1 bottle of foundation and primer in a year, I don't think I should be keeping more than two on hand at any given time. I don't know how realistic that is - I love trying new foundations, and I like to have different shade and finish options; but maybe having three would be an achievable middle ground? Either way, I need to keep in mind how slowly I go through my make-up products.

That's about it for now; it's amazing how many things you learn about yourself when you analyze your habits. Looking at my little list of preferences, I'm able to squash some lemmings in the bud: no Colour Pop eyeshadows until I use up some (at least two or three!) of my creams, none of these new liquid lipstick thingies from Anastasia or NYX because they're just too high maintenance! Do you also try to reason with yourself in a similar way when new products are being released? Have you observed that you now know more about your personal tastes than when you first started collecting make-up?

January 2015 Beauty Favorites

How long has it been since my last monthly favorites post? Too long, I guess - for some reason I don't often have a satisfactory line-up of products to present for your viewing pleasure without it becoming rather repetitive to my regularly scheduled reviews. But this month, I have a few 'shopping my stash' rediscoveries, as well as some new, previously unmentioned products that I preferred to cull together in the form of shorter reviewlets.

Let's start with not quite make-up, shall we? After deciding that TATCHA Gold Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm wasn't moisturizing enough as on overnight treatment for my cracked winter lips, I've gone back to an old inexpensive favorite, the Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm in the Vanilla Bean flavor. I don't taste much of anything in this, but the balm itself is properly thick, oily and longwearing, so that I still have a layer of product left on my lips come morning.

Similarly, Josie Maran Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil is a welcome boost of nourishment for any area of dry skin: I use it mostly on my cuticles, and it has a delightful orange icing scent. My best friend must have been reading my mind because shortly after taking photos for this Favorites post, she sent me a package containing two shades of Josie's tinted Argan Infinity, which can be used on lips or cheeks. Can't wait to properly test them out!

Inglot's Duraline is one of those things I'd been meaning to pick up for months, but finally bit the bullet when I was visiting home over the Christmas break. In essence, it's a liquid silicone blend meant to be mixed in with powders to achieve an intense longwearing cream formula, but it can also be used to revive cream products. I've been using it with my nearly defunct pot of Maybelline Color Tattoo and it has worked wonders, turning it back into a smooth, creamy, soft consistency. If you own several cream eyeshadows on the brink of being completely dried out, do pick up a bottle of Duraline - it will save you some pennies in the long run!

I'm pretty sure both NYX Powder Blush in Taupe and the Boots No7 Blush in Soft Damson must have been mentioned in a past Favorites round-up. Both are the perfect shades for a cool winter complexion: NYX Taupe serves as an effortless contouring shade, No7 Soft Damson gives the prettiest subtle pink flush to the cheeks. You know, sometimes rummaging through your make-up drawers and bringing out forgotten favorites really is a pleasure!

This month I have also been experimenting with lining my eyes using a soft pencil and an angled brush, as demonstrated by the talented Karima in this tutorial. The brush makes it easy to deposit color exactly at the roots of your lashes and to find the perfect angle for your flick. For me, using an eyeliner pencil is also less messy and time-consuming than pulling out a pot of gel eyeliner, because, ekhm, lazy. I have also found that for some of my drier, harder formula eye pencils that tend to drag at the lashline, using the brush to place product instead is a much less frustrating experience. You already know my love for the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens, but I feel that I haven't mentioned my favorite angled brush in too long: it's the EcoTools Bamboo Flat Eyeliner Brush. I just ordered a new one from Ulta because mine, after five years of unfailing service, is finally ready to retire.

One product I forgot to take a close-up of is my mini bareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener; I think my shade is Luminous 1. For some mysterious reason, I've had some dry patches in the inner corners of my eyes this month, and my trusty Bobbi Brown Corrector just wasn't looking right. The lightweight, blendable formula of Stroke of Light however managed to disguise my blue undereye circles without catching on any flakes or creasing in the fine lines around the eye. In close-up photography, I can see that it has quite visible shimmer particles, but it's not very obvious to the naked eye. I'm really enjoying my little sample, and I think I should look for something with a similarly thin consistency once I'm done with the heavier Bobbi Brown.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my favorites; it's quite interesting to me that among so many new products I've been trying lately, I still turn to some older loves from my stash. What beauty products have you been enjoying recently? Are they new discoveries or have you been shopping your stash?

This Make-up Wearer's Manifesto

I'm not sure what to call this round of random musings, and I'm not really sure how to begin - so I'm just going to start typing and see where we end up. This post is about me trying to change my attitude towards wearing make-up, and generally speaking, my lifelong habit of 'saving it for later'. Does this sound vague enough or should I muddle it even further in the preamble?

Well, here's the gist of it. As a stay-at-home wife who lives very far away from most of her friends and all of her family (husband excepted), I spend a lot of time alone, in our apartment. When we moved here to NYC from Bellevue, WA, and I transitioned from working part/full time to just hanging out at home, I decided it would surely be silly to get dolled up every day to do the dishes, read books and occasionally pop downstairs to pick up packages. It's just me, right? I don't need to prove anything or try to impress myself, so why bother?

It turned out to be a bit of a slippery slope. First, I decided against putting make-up on every day (I'm letting my skin breathe!), only reserving it for the times I was going out to run errands or having some sort of social obligations. Then, I couldn't get out of loungy pants (ok, pajama bottoms) and stretched out t-shirts, and often skipped brushing my hair in the morning. And then recently, I've noticed around lunch time that I forgot to eat breakfast that day, haven't touched some nicer pieces in my closet for well over a year, and haven't been to a hairdresser in a year and a half. Wait... what?!

Before you start judging along the lines of 'Wow, she really let herself go' - no, you wouldn't even notice my gradual decline if I didn't just tell you about. Because when I did go out, I still applied my make-up meticulously (come on, I'm a beauty blogger, remember?), spent some time putting together a nice outfit, or even attempted a hair style. I did not suddenly start looking like a bridge troll; I maintained a pulled-together exterior, just became very, very lazy when it was just myself I was keeping company.

What really got me thinking about my attitude towards my own appearance on my 'days off' was my mum, who's been retired for about two years now. I've noticed that she probably now takes MORE care in her make-up, hair and clothes than she used to when she had to get ready for work every morning. She's constantly experimenting with her fashion style, doesn't miss a hair appointment with her stylist, and she's even started to do her nails (big deal here, folks)! So... if she can look nice just for herself, why can't I?

Not an easy answer, that. But I guess what it boils down to is that I generally tend to think the person I am at the moment doesn't deserve the effort of making herself presentable just for her own enjoyment. That the current me isn't good enough to look and feel pretty just because - no, there has to be a reason for me to pull myself together, which usually involves being in the company of other people. So, other people (like, strangers in the street?) deserve not to be put off by an au naturel Monika, but Monika can absolutely make herself feel bad about her messy reflection in the mirror.

You may gather from this that I'm not a very self-loving person, and you're right, I know that, and I AM trying to work on it; I did go see a hair stylist this week, ok? I also realize that self-love extends beyond one's appearance, but since this is a beauty blog after all, I just thought I'd share this shallower aspect with you, hoping that some of you may have similar experiences, and even if you don't, knowing that you're sensitive, emphatic, amazing people and you feel me. But yeah; my first step towards accepting myself as I am now is making the effort to look and feel pretty on the regular.

This also includes (FINALLY!) not saving stuff for later (later, when what? I'm bigger and badder?). Just to clarify, this is not the good kind of delayed gratification like in the famous marshmallow experiment; what I do is more along the lines of: 'Let me torture myself with the crappy stuff right now, and then be so miserable that I won't even feel the gratification of enjoying my favorite products when the times comes to finally pull them out'. But - NO MORE!

So if I feel like slapping on my most expensive foundation to take out the trash, I'll do it, and even if I don't feel like doing it, I'll still make myself do it, just to prove a point. If I feel like wearing a cashmere sweater just to read my book, I'll put it on, and enjoy its warmth and fluffiness. If I crave the spicy scent of my newest Serge Lutens perfume, I'll spritz it on and sniff my wrist every couple minutes while I'm typing up a blog post. Because you know what, my 'good' stuff won't last forever, and I should enjoy it while I have it, and not make myself endure mediocre things in anticipation of using my favorites some day in the unforeseeable future. Right? Right.

I've also been thinking that lately, I want to wear my make-up pretties more often precisely because I don't have to. What I mean by this is that for years, I'd been mostly wearing base make-up to conceal breakouts and hyperpigmentation scars. But in the past couple of months, I've been getting a lot less pimples and clogged pores, the texture and tone of my skin looks more even, and I'm not even as incredibly oily on my nose and forehead as I used to be (have I just jinxed myself? Will report back!). So now that my skin looks alright - not flawless by any stretch of imagination, but really good for me - and I don't need to hide as much, I can enjoy make-up just for the fun of it: the beauty of the products themselves, the variety of textures and colors, the tactile pleasure of putting it on, the experimentation with different placements and shapes. Not that I didn't enjoy all of it before, but without the stressful element of 'Holy crap, pizza face, where's my concealer?!', wearing make-up makes me even happier.

Tell me, do you also struggle with the 'save it for later' attitude towards your clothes and beauty products? I sometimes feel that my stash-reducing projects like empties and Project Make A Dent make it even harder for me to enjoy my bestest things, forcing me to reach for blah products over and over again, while in the meantime, my favorites just sit there gathering dust at best, or even expire and have to be tossed at worst. I also recently realized that my beauty and fashion needs and preferences really change quite often - or, uhm, I'm growing and becoming more discerning, I hope? Either way, this means that something I've just bought thinking it the best thing ever may turn out to no longer hold my attention when I finally start using it couple years down the line, because I'd been so focused on using up other stuff first. Oh, first world problems...

Best Beauty Buys of 2014

'Tis the season for my beauty favorites of the entire year 2014! Are you as excited as I am? I've been jotting down ideas for my annual picks for a good month now, and I'm finally ready for a grand reveal. So... drumroll please! In no particular order, but starting with skincare:

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (review & comparison with other exfoliating pads and acid toners here): I don't often woe seeing the bottom of a deluxe skincare sample, which is what happened when I first tried the FAB rounds last February. I promptly finished my other pads and repurchased the full size of lactic acid-based Facial Radiance Pads, and I'm definitely planning to pick up another tub once my current one runs out - I love them this much. I see a visible improvement in the clarity and texture of my skin, as well as better absorption of serums and moisturizers I layer over the top - all of that without any redness, stinging or peeling.

Dr. Wu Intense Renewal Serum with 18% Mandelic Acid (full review here): Another exfoliating favorite, but this time something I use weekly rather than daily. This clear, water-like, liquidy serum sinks in immediately, and does this magical thing where the morning after application, my skin is so soft, so bouncy, and a lot more even. I think it's good to mix up your acids for better efficacy and the Intense Renewal Serum does the trick for me.

Now, onto what you've surely been waiting for - make-up!

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (another mention here): I've been hearing that a lot of people had given in to the NARS concealer hype only to return it a couple days later because it looked too dry under their eyes. But for me, it's perfect, maybe because I don't ever use it to cover dark circles - I use it on spots and scars. It's very pigmented, very blendable and layerable, and never looks cakey on my 'problem areas', ha. I use it by swiping a tiny bit from the doe foot wand on the back of my hand, and then I pick up little by little with a small brush and spot conceal - not the most time-efficient method but looks supremely natural. Chantilly is a very light shade that oxidizes just a smidge to blend in with my skintone perfectly - a shade match and formula win-win.

Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 Brow Pencil in Seal Brown (full review here): Since my initial review, I've stared to appreciate this cult eyebrow pencil even more - it's quick, precise, looks natural on the brows and lasts all day. The shade Seal Brown is spot on too, the best color match I've ever found for my brows. I've recently tried the popular Benefit Gimme Brow gel too, but nothing beats the Shu pencil for me!

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens (review and swatches of all the shades shown here): Last year I was all about the Sephora Contour 12 HR Wear eyeliner pencils, but this year Pixi Eye Pens (pencils, dammit!) have surpassed them: on top of just as creamy and pigmented formula, they seem to last better on my waterline, and they don't even transfer from top to bottom waterline. If you've still not tried them, you're missing out!

Rouge Bunny Rouge When Birds Are Singing Long Lasting Eyeshadows (review and swatchathon of four of the shades here, and look - are there three more pans in the photo...?): To be honest, I like all of the RBR eyeshadows I've tried, but the original 'When Birds Are Singing' formula slightly more than the Limited Edition mineral wet/dry formula of the Chronos palette (click!). There's something very special and sophisticated about Rouge Bunny Rouge shimmers, and the newer to me mattes are simply dreamy. I fell down the bunny hole of these eyeshadows, no doubt about it.

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trios (review & swatches of the neutral Nude here, and the pastel Static here): Since we're already talking about sophisticated shimmers, I'd be remiss not to mention the Shiseido Luminizing formula. While their trios are not the most pigmented shadows I've ever encountered, the subtle, glowy, perfecting finish they impart on your lids is hard to come by in other brands. The color combinations in these trios are very interesting too, and I already have my beady eye on a couple more. I definitely recommend you swatch these next time you're near a Shiseido counter!

Canmake Cream Cheeks in the Clear finish (review & swatches of the pink CL04 Clear Pink Joy and the apricot CL03 Clear Orange here): This year was also the first time I've tried a cheek product with a jelly finish, and now I'm completely hooked (more jelly reviews to come next year!). If you're looking for an inexpensive, radiant, lightweight but pigmented cream blush, the Canmake Cream Cheeks are simply beautiful. While they're not easily accessible in the US without shopping on eBay or a dedicated Japanese cosmetics website, these little gems are well worth the trouble.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (full review & swatches here): Again with the glowy but not sparkly finish (can you see a pattern here?) - I really, really like this year's Hourglass blush palette. But my love of this blush formula goes beyond the palette, so if you skipped out on that one, I would still give their regular Ambient blush line-up a good swatchathon next time you're in Sephora. Beautiful, easily buildable shades in a formula that melds into your skin and lasts an entire day.

Shu Uemura Unlimited Shine Supreme Lipstick (full review & swatches of the shade I have here): Quite surprisingly, I only have one favorite lip product for the entire year, and it's this Shu Uemura sheer number. I simply haven't bought (and tried) very many new to me lipsticks this year, but from what I've sampled, this one was a clear standout: lightweight, decently hydrating, and beautifully cushiony on the lips, the light pink PK331 leaves me wanting more Shu Uemura lipsticks.

Original Beautyblender (another mention here): I know I've said there's no reason to buy the Beautyblender if one already has the less expensive Real Techniques sponge, but in the end, the Beautyblender seems to have gained an edge over the RT thanks to its better durability and bounciness. The reason I'm including the famous pink egg in my round-up is the fact that I've been working with some less than perfect foundations this year, and the only reason they look decently natural and even on my skin is down to the application with a damp Beautyblender. So, if you have any bases in your stash that drive you absolutely nuts and you're thinking of throwing them in the trash, give them one last chance with this - I find that it really makes a difference.

And a first for my annual beauty favorites, a couple haircare picks - because now that I have long and somewhat damaged locks, I need a bit more TLC.

Batiste Dry Shampoo: I've tried a good number of different dry shampoos in the past couple years, both on the drugstore and salon end of the spectrum, and good ol' Batiste may just be my favorite of all. It soaks up the oils effectively without making your hair stiff, sticky or dirty-feeling, gives a little bit of texture and volume, costs under $8 and comes in a variety of scents and shades. What's not to love? I'll be repurchasing.

Enjoy Leave-in Conditioning Spray: My favorite story about how effective this leave-in conditioner really is dates back to when I worked in a hair salon, and one of the stylists got a little girl in her chair whose hair was literally so matted that it looked like one giant dreadlock (which is what happens when your mummy indulges the 'I don't like brushing!' exclamations). The stylist, having washed the brat's hair, applied copious amounts of the Enjoy spray and somewhat, little by little, managed to get all the tangles out. My hair is not as bad on a daily basis, but it often resembles a rat's nest after washing - this drastically cuts down my brushing out time, while keeping my flowing locks (har har) hydrated and glossy to boot.

And there you have it! You may have noticed a prevalence of high-end brands here, as well as a respectful nod towards Asian brands, especially in my make-up favorites. The simple reason for that is that those products are genuinely what I've been interested in trying this year compared to last year for example, which featured a lot more easily accessible American brands. I have also tried and fallen in love with some cult classics this year, like the Shu eyebrow pencil or the Beautyblender. What can I say, I like to mix up more niche brands with old favorites!

I hope you enjoyed this round-up of my favorite beauty products for this year, and please let me know in the comments what your picks are for this year, so I can try them out in 2015! Can you believe how fast 2014 has gone by? Are you already planning your New Year's Eve party outfit and make-up or are you still in the post-Christmas food coma?