Minimalist Monday: Updated KonMari Drawers & Tidying Up Q&A

It's been about a year since I first purged my clothing according to the KonMari method and I thought we were due for an update. You can click here to see what my dresser looked like back in May, when I decided to document it for all of posterity, and some things have changed a little since then. I just finished another round of more intensive decluttering a few days ago (as a consequence of reading Marie Kondo's newly released second book, 'Spark Joy' - would you like a separate book review?), so again I'm all fired up on the subject and full of different insights. I had this idea of doing this post as a Q&A - not that anyone has actually asked me these questions, though just for clarity's sake, this format may be easier to follow. But first things first.

The basic organization of my drawers hasn't changed all that much in a year's time - except that I now own even less clothing, so I've shifted stuff to make the drawers look fuller, but not stuffed. I'm not showing you my underwear drawer, but I have arranged all my bras the same way they stock drawers at Victoria's Secret, and I've put in a small divider for panties. I've made some room in my sock drawer so that I was able to fit in another box with my thights and stockings; I used to keep them in a separate bag deep in our closet, which made me never wear skirts or dresses in the cold season. The organization of this drawer makes a lot more sense now, and everything is easy to grab in the morning.

I also culled even more tops from my t-shirt drawer and thus decided to transfer my pjs into it as well - I keep sleeveless and short sleeve tops on the left, long sleeves in the middle, pjs and camisoles on the right. I have also recently color-coordinated them, keeping lighter colors in the front and darks in the back, and while I felt quite silly doing so, it does make the drawer look a lot prettier.

My sweater and scarf drawer has changed the least - I gave away a few more scarves and decided to store my belts in that free space (top right of the photo), but it's nearly the same.

The second drawer from the bottom, which used to house my sportswear and pajamas, now contains... some empty storage boxes and a basket. Sure, there's plenty of things other than clothing I could store in it now - back-up skincare, nail polishes, or purses - but for now, I'm happy with having that one empty drawer. I don't recall ever having an empty drawer, and it feels luxurious and full of possibilities.

Lastly, the bottom drawer contains jeans, pants, lounge leggings, and sportswear. This is my fullest drawer, and while I would like to have some more space in there, for now it's alright. I'm sure I'll find some more stuff to get rid of down the line... :) Now, for the Q&A part:

1. Have you rebounded?
If you've read 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up', you may remember that Marie boasted an absolute zero rebound rate after helping her clients tidy up their homes (although in her second book, she does admit that there is now one client - a participant in her TV show - who went back to their messy ways). I was personally extremely skeptical about that perfect score; how many times have you discarded unloved items and reorganized your drawers only to find them reverting to their cluttered selves only a couple weeks later?

However, this time I must have done something differently - I can honestly say that since my large tidying up session a year ago, I have kept probably about 90% of my possessions organized and clutter-free. I still struggle with some trouble spots; leaving dishes in the kitchen sink instead of putting them directly into the dishwasher, amassing piles of mail in the doorway, draping clothes over chairs; but all in all, my home remains quite neat and tidy.

2. Have you replaced the discarded items with new things?
Generally speaking, no, I haven't. I've decided to upgrade a few things - mostly cooking utensils, some basic layering tops - but I haven't been shopping much at all. It's been one of the things I've been very conscious of, because I really didn't want to fill all those carefully organized drawers with stuff again, and I wanted to prove to myself that all the extra things I used to own were just that - extraneous. And it worked.

3. Why did you need to do another round of decluttering? Shouldn't you have done it just once and for all, in 'one fell swoop', like in the KonMari method?
Well, yes, if I was following Marie's advice more closely, I definitely should have been able to do just one big decluttering marathon and be done with it ever since. HOWEVER. When I first purged our stuff before moving to our current apartment, I got rid of a lot of stuff, but I did not get rid of everything that didn't 'spark joy'. Things that I was hesitant about, things that I've had 'just in case', things I wasn't crazy about that I had bought or been given not too long ago - I kept all of it at that point. Why?

Bags of stuff we donated to Goodwill on Saturday: mostly clothing, books, some kitchen stuff.

Because I felt too guilty and/or scared to donate them at the time. Deep down I knew they were probably things I wouldn't be using, but I just couldn't part with them at that point. Which is why I've been decluttering in smaller increments since, and just completed a somewhat bigger declutter a few days ago - I keep getting better and better at discerning what I love and find useful and what just sits there with absolutely no purpose. I've gotten rid of a mixologist set we got as a wedding present (we love making cocktails at home but for whatever reason, this set contained tools we've never found a need for - a special knife for slicing citrus fruit, anyone?), our spare snowboarding pants (like we need spares now that we go snowboarding once a year...), a whole lot of books we were never going to reread.

Another aspect is that as time goes on, our perspective may change, and consequently our enjoyment or our decisions about the usefulness of things, may change as well. I think I will probably now always be vigilant about weeding out clutter, and I'll continue to do a larger purging session about once a year. It just sounds reasonable to me.

4. Has your husband joined you in tidying up?
Uhm, I wish. I love my husband dearly, but a) he's not naturally a tidy person, b) he has a tendency for hoarding. What saves us from drowning in clutter is that I balance him out with my OCD of having everything neatly put away and organized, and the fact that he hates shopping in actual stores - although Amazon browsing is a danger zone. He doesn't see a problem in clothing sprawled on the floor, overstuffed closets, books no longer being able to fit in our bookcase - and when I ask 'Can we get rid of this?', he usually counters by 'But why?! It's perfectly fine!'.

So yes, dealing with my husband's things is a bit of a challenge, and instead of this being his problem alone if he can't find a specific pair of socks or can't put away his laundry in a drawer, the problem is purely mine - I do all the laundry and I put it away, I strive to keep our books tidy on the shelves, I despair over a full closet where I can't see anything. The gist of the issue is that I care, and he doesn't. I wish it were different, but it's not, and it's most likely not going to change. So.

All that being said, I haven't had to resort to secretly discarding his stuff, and we've so far avoided a huge argument over keeping or throwing away a particular T-shirt. Most of the time, I let it go. If I truly think some stuff needs to go, I'll ask nicely if I can donate it, and if he doesn't want me to, I'll ask nicely again. And again, lol. I think that he has started to realize that the space in our apartment is limited, and if he wants 10 new programming books, or a new bike, or a hiking jacket, something else needs to go.

5. Has tidying up your home brought more joy to your life?
Yes!!! Two main aspects have contributed to my feeling happier at home - firstly, my level of anxiety has gone down, and secondly, I've been more motivated and able to focus on other areas of my life that are important to me.

Seeing a cluttered living room and kitchen first thing in the morning definitely makes me feel grumpier and less energetic, and consequently I do NOT look foward to the day, regardless of what I have planned. But getting up and seeing all the things I love put away where they belong, or clean and uncluttered counters in the kitchen, makes me feel more peaceful, and optimistic, and grateful for the new day. Really, the difference is night and day - you should try it!

Those tidy kitchen counters, and an organized fridge well stocked with supplies for the week, also makes me more motivated to prepare tasty meals and try new recipes. We only eat out about once every two or three weeks, and I'm responsible for all the home cooking - I'm also quite passionate about eating well (I like good food, people), and about eating right (clean, unprocessed food, lots of full grains, lean proteins and veggies). This resposibility of planning and executing our meals every day can get boring and repetitive really fast, but having a clean, well designed space that's peaceful and inviting makes it feel so much less of a chore. I may show you our kitchen some time, if you're interested - but cooking has been much more pleasant and enjoyable once I've sorted our space out. I've even started baking some quick and easy desserts again. Who would have thought?

Alright, I think I've waxed lyrical about tidying for long enough now. I AM still planning to show you our small walk-in closets, and like I said, maybe some of our kitchen cupboards and drawers if you're curious. Have any of you been inspired to declutter or change your storage after reading Marie Kondo's book? I find looking at other people's closets and storage spaces absolutely fascinating - you can see a tour of Claire's lovely closet and drawers here - they look beautiful, don't you think?

1st Project 10 Pan of 2016: Halfway Update

It's March and two months out of my four-month long Project 10 Pan have passed already! What better time to update you on my progress, am I right? The photo below shows all my products neatly lined up at the start of the Project in January... (click here to read the Introduction post):

And here's what they look like after two months of regular use:

Now, I realize I chose some pretty anti-climactic items that don't really show any progress, so I'm going to explain how I'm doing in more detail.

1. Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in PK-1: My Project goal is to use up half of the bottle (it was completely full at the beginning). As you can see by my sharpie mark, I only got down to the top of the lettering, which is not quite 1/4 of the entire foundation. However, I can't really fault myself - I've used the Aqua Foundation every single time I wore make-up in the past two months. I could probably speed things up by using more foundation each time, but I really like this one and I'm not in a terrible hurry to get it out of my stash.

2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light: I wanted to see a bigger dip in the middle, and it may not be quite visible in my photos, but on the right side of the pan where I usually tap my brush, there is a bit of an indentation. I'm hoping to make it a bit deeper by the end of this Project.
3. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Bluefin: I can't show you my progress since this retractable pencil doesn't wind down, but I've been pretty happy with my usage - I don't use it every single time I do my make-up, but I use it about 90% of the time, either on my upper lashline or to tightline.
4. NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base: It's difficult to judge my progress on this one: there's still plenty of product stuck to the sides of the tube, but I've been steadily scraping that off. Unfortunately, I think that after taking the stopper out, this product does begin to dry out more quickly, so it will be done by the end of April either way - I just want to get as much use out of it as possible.

5. NYX Powder Blush in Taupe: Yes, I've hit pan!!! That's probably my biggest success so far in this Project. I've been using this to contour my face every time I do my make-up, but also as a transition shade in the crease of my eyes - which is how I was able to hit that pan in the very middle. I have to admit though that it's not my favorite sculpting shade for my complexion - it actually pulls both a bit too warm and muddy. I will probably be saying goodbye to it after the Project ends.
6. Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer: Now, I could be doing better on this one. When I hold it up to the light, I can see a lot of product missing in the middle of the tube, but there's still a LOT left. My problem with this gloss is that I can't really layer it over other lip products (it's too creamy and slippery) - at least not the ones in this Project, which is what I've been wearing all the time - and as a stand alone product, it currently makes me look a bit washed out. I've been using it in lieu of a lip balm at home, but not very consistently. Oh well - I'm trying.

7. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie: Compared to my January photo, I think I've used slightly over half of the bullet, which means I should be right on track to using it up completely by the end of April. I'm still really enjoying this lip color - quick and easy to apply, and perfect to perk up pale, winter skin.
8. Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow: I wear this lipstick about once a week, and reapply once throughout the day. That, coupled with the fact that this is an incredibly pigmented lipstick, makes my progress rather slow. But that's okay - I am still using it, I just haven't been feeling a bright lip all the time.
9. Zoya Nail Polish in Jem: This one is a bit of a fail - I think I only used it three times since the start of my Project. Not because I'm bored of this color; I just haven't been really painting my nails at all. I'm not sure why; I'm either too busy or find something else to do when I do have time. I'll try to do better in the next two months, although the weather is turning more spring-like every day, and I may shortly be in the mood for a different shade. We shall see.

The Balm Nude'Tude at the beginning of the Project in January.

 10. theBalm Nude'Tude Eyeshadow Palette: I'm very happy with my usage on this palette - there's not pan showing yet, but you can see quite significant dips in the lighter and mid-tone shades. I'm quite decided that I want to pan this palette for all of 2016, although knowing myself and my eyeshadow-wearing ways, I'll have to exclude the darkest shade out of this palette, or only aim to hit pan. I'm just not going to wear a black smokey eye every day just to use up Serious - ain't gonna happen. But I am still enjoying using the palette and coming up with different color combos or layering options.

My palette after two months of consistent usage.

And there you have it! Overall, I think I'm doing as well as can be expected. I know that I'm not a panning rockstar, which most likely stems from the fact that a) I don't wear make-up every day, b) I use a small amount of product each time, but that's okay with me, as long as I feel that I'm giving these awesome products plenty of love. How have you been doing with your Projects? 

Make-up Bag Essential: Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer in 02

If I were to take one make-up product to a desert island with me, it would be concealer. For me, it's always been an essential, ever since I first started breaking out in middle school - and I continue to use at least one on an everyday basis, even when I choose to forgo the rest of my make-up. It simply gives my face the biggest impact: conceals tired under eyes, stubborn freckles, redness around my nose, dark marks from old zits as well as those angry red bumps that decided to put in an appearance at the last moment. Ugh. Which is why I'm always on the lookout for the best concealer out there, and I love trying new ones, like this Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer in the shade 02 ($50 for 0.6 oz).

This is without a doubt the most expensive concealer I've ever had (especially considering the small volume of the stick) - to be honest, I would have never opted for it if it weren't a generous gift with purchase from the Surratt counter at Barney's. So far, I have really enjoyed everything I've tried from Surratt, so I was curious to see how their complexion product would perform on me.

There are 8 shades in the range, spanning very, very fair skin to deeper skintones. I'm saying 'very, very fair skin' because I own the second lightest shade, which you'll see in the moment is quite comparable to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (especially once blended out on the skin - Chantilly oxidizes on me just a touch darker than in my arm swatch), which I consider to be really rather pale. I'd think that shade 01 would probably suit those who are in the N5 range (Bobbi Brown Alabaster, Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair Neutral and so on).

Surratt Surreal Skin Concealer in 02, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Laneige Cushion Concealer in Light*

I quite enjoy the minimalist black packaging with a sparkling ombre detail, and the entire product is small, sleek and lightweight - perfect for touch-ups on the go. But again, you are paying quite a hefty price tag for such a small product. The bullet itself is also quite slim, and cut at an angle; nice size for applying directly under the eyes or on areas of redness, but obviously too large for precise spot concealing.

I've tested the Surreal Skin Concealer both under my eyes as well as on marks, redness and blemishes. The product promises to 'erase dark circles and offer surreal coverage', and right off the bat, I have to disagree. If you're looking high coverage, the Surratt concealer doesn't have it. I would say that blended out, it offers a light coverage, built up in layers or really concentrated (on blemishes, for example), it's medium. On most days, I don't have very dark under eye circles and currently no monster zits to cover, so it's alright for me, but I think if you need some serious concealing action, you'd be very dissapointed.

I was however quite pleasantly surprised with the texture of this product. Stick concealers tend to be quite dry and heavy, and accentuate any dryness on the skin. The Surratt concealer doesn't do that - it's quite creamy (but obviously less so than a liquid concealer) and sits lightweight on the skin. As you'll see in my face shot, it doesn't exacerbate dry flakes around my nostrils, and it doesn't make my under eye area look too crepey (I prepped with a hydrating eye cream beforehand). It also wears well throughout the day on me and doesn't slide off bumps or blemishes.

Left side: no concealer under the eyes, right side: Surratt Surreal Skin. I've also used it around my nose and on any blemishes. Foundation is Koh Gen Do Aqua in PK-1. Feel free to click on the photo to enlarge.

All in all, I think it's a decent multipurpose concealer - like I said in the beginning, it would make a great make-up bag essential if you like touching up your concealer throughout the day, or perhaps to take on a trip in lieu of two separate products, one for under the eyes and one for spots. I like either picking up some product from the stick on my brush and then buffing it into the skin, or applying with my fingers - I find that using the stick directly on the skin doesn't work as well, probably because like most stick products, this benefits from being warmed up first. However, I will not be repurchasing once mine runs out - I do prefer to have something with a higher coverage so that I don't have to spend as much time layering the concealer on blemishes.

What was the most expensive concealer you've ever tried? Do you use a separate concealer for your under eyes and for spot concealing, or do you prefer to have one multitasker?

Current Masking Duo: Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Gel Mask & Clarins Pure and Radiant

Today I'd like to share with you two short reviews of the facial masks I've been using currently. I was sorting through my stash of skincare minis a few weeks ago and came across these two beauties: Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask ($52 for 5 oz, mine is a GWP size) and Clarins Truly Matte Pure and Radiant Mask with Pink Clay ($33 for 1.7 fl oz, again I have a GWP deluxe sample).

Let's start with the Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell. This mask claims to 'help counteract visible signs of aging, including the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration, dullness, and sagging'. It contains 'cell extracts' of four different types of roses, as well as castor oil, rose oils, rose water, glycerin, allantoin and aloe. Mind you, I don't believe in stem cell technology for topical cosmetic use - research doesn't support the claim that those 'isolated stem cells' have any miraculous anti-aging effects. I think it's just a marketing gimmick - but I can disregard that if the product performs well anyway.
 
Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Mask strongly reminds me of rose-scented hair gel. It's quite thick and spreads easily, but it doesn't melt into the skin the same way as my beloved Laneige Water Sleeping Mask (reviewed here). Once applied, the gel feels cooling and soothing on the skin, and after a couple minutes, sinks in but still leaves a discernible layer on the face. After rinsing my face after the recommended 10 minutes (which actually isn't all that easy - the residue sticks to the skin and refuses to leave without some elbow grease), my skin feels soft and soothed but only a little hydrated. Sure, this mask isn't drying, but it's definitely not as hydrating as just about any sheet mask I've tried, or the above mentioned Laneige, or even the much less expensive Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Rosewater Mask, reviewed here. I don't know, you guys; it's nice, it's quite pleasant to use, but I've had better results with other masks. For me, the performance doesn't warrant the high price tag.

On the other hand, I was quite pleasantly surprised by the Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask. It claims to 'clean, tighten and refine pores with a fresh matte result' as well as 'soften, smooth and comfort skin with Linden Extract'. I think it does exactly that. Annoingly, Clarins doesn't provide full ingredients lists for their products - I've only found an INCI list on Beautypedia (which gives this mask a 2 out 5 rating, by the way), according to which this contains kaolin, titanium dioxide as well as a whole host of emollients such as caprylic/ capric triglycerides, glycerin and isoparaffin.

Yeah, so maybe this mask doesn't have the best ingredients and contains signature Clarins fragrance (which I actuallt enjoy) - but it still works rather well. It has a smooth creamy consistency that's not too thick and thus easy to apply evenly on the face. While on the skin, it seems to sink in a little, without making your face incredibly tight and 'frozen', like a lot of clay masks tend to. It's also very easy to remove without scrubbing - it just rinses right off. After a 10-minute session with Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask, I'm left with a face that's soft and smooth, even in tone, and velvety matte. My pores appear somewhat smaller and there are no dry, irritated patches in sight.

If you've been considering this mask, I think it's a great little pick me up for normal to combination skin types that are prone to dehydration - because even though it's a clay mask, it doesn't dry the skin out. However, if your skin is combination to oily and you need some serious pore-purifying power - the Clarins mask isn't going to do much for you and I would probably steer you in the direction of something like the Aztec Healing Clay, reviewed here. Because my skin's been a lot drier and more sensitive lately, the Clarins is the perfect gentle clay mask for me - and I'll be sad once my sample runs out, but probably won't purchase the full size right away as I still want to compare it to the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask with pink clay.

There you have it - two short and sweet mask reviews. I'm curious, which masks are you reaching for in the winter? Do you still use clarifying masks or shelve them away until the warmer season? What is your favorite hydrating mask?

Earning My Blush Stripes: Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in No. 1 Natural Rose

I used to be a major blush fiend (as evidenced in the Addicted to Blush Tag) and was obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect pinky peach, the most effortless baby pink, the ultimate universal nude blush. Recently though, I've sorta given up on that quest. Not that I don't love blush - my face looks uncannily zombie/ vampire like without it - but a lot of the different blushes I had would end up looking roughly the same on the face. So I did a bit of culling of the less-than-ideal formulas... and as a result of seeing all that empty drawer space, I purchased another blush. Sigh.

But you guys, it was just too pretty to resist - look at it! It's the Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in shade no. 1 Natural Rose ($15 for 6g/ 0.21 oz, available online at www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/ and at Kiko stores). When I visited a Kiko boutique in Warsaw, I was a bit surprised by the price difference between this new Shade Fusion formula and their regular Soft Touch blush, which was also on sale. But as soon as I compared the texture of the two blushes and taken into consideration the design of the packaging, I wasn't at all interested in the more affordable Soft Touch line. I had to get the Shade Fusion.

The compact of the Shade Fusion blushes is just beautiful - small but weighty, with a simple, clean, luxurious feel. There's a nice mirror inside, and no wasting of precious space to include a crappy brush. Since the metal is so reflective, it is of course a fingerprint magnet, but I can live with that - and all make-up fans should now heave an orgasmic sigh because the closing mechanism is magnetic. Aaaaah.

But the tactile feel of this powder blush is what really made me pull out my credit card. It's so smooth and fine, with a silky texture and no powder kick-up. Yet, the product isn't hard-pressed into the pan - it's very easy to pick up with both my swatchy fingers or a blush brush. Not sure how Kiko pulled that off, but it's just so, so pleasant to use.

L-R: Kiko Shade Fusion in Natural Rose, NARS Douceur, Hourglass Mood Exposure, Catrice Rose Royce

I obviously gravitated towards the most neutral shade in the range, no. 1 Natural Rose. However, similarly to the Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce, the Kiko blush doesn't really look rosey on my skintone at all. Instead, it's quite warm and very slightly peachy. Compared to my other 'nude' blushes, you can see that both NARS Douceur and Hourglass Mood Exposure are a lot more brown. The pigmentation of the Kiko Shade Fusion blush is medium but buildable, and the finish is quite matte. You could of course play with the shade depth of this blush by concentrating your brush on different stripes - sometimes I like dipping my brush into the two darker shades on the bottom and applying that to the back of my cheeks, and then using the middle and top stripe for the apples to give myself a more dimensional look.

All in all, I really like this new Shade Fushion Trio Blush in Natural Rose - it's pretty, it's easy, it suits a variety of eye looks or lipstick shades. If you've been skeptical about Kiko products so far, I'd say to give them a shot, even if the range seems a bit overwhelming at first. I think that for the price, the quality is quite outstanding, and the brands follows current make-up trends very closely - so if you wanted to try something a bit outside of your comfort zone, you could do so with their products without breaking the bank. Have you tried any Kiko products? What are your favorite things in their line?

Pan That Palette 2016: 5 Eye Looks with The Balm Nude'Tude

One of the main post ideas I had after writing my rambling rant on how I'm currently not so much into make-up products (here) was to do different eyeshadow placements all focusing on a single palette. That palette is obviously The Balm's Nude'Tude, which I'm trying to pan this year.

From my understanding, there's some sort of general consensus online that Nude'Tude is not a great neutral eyeshadow palette - the undertones are weird, it lacks a matte highlight shade but has too many dark mattes, and so on. And yeah, I can see that - for my fair complexion with cool undertones, a lot of the shades in this palette are not ideal, even though the shadows themselves are pigmented and easy to apply. But while these shades may not be ideal, they're still absolutely workable and wearable. Let me show you how :)

1. Gradient Gunmetal Smokey Eye:
Use a dark eyeliner at the lashline as base; I'm using the Stila Bluefin Smudgestick from my current Project Pan - that's where the teal microglitter is coming from. Set the liner and blend it upwards and inwards from the wing with a matte black (Serious). Apply a shimmery taupe (Selfish) to the center of the lid and the lower lashline and blend out. Continue building the matte black at the lashline to the desired depth, smudge a very small amount on the outer part of the lower lashline. Highlight the inner corner with a white pearl (Sassy), blend out the outer corner and crease with a warm matte medium brown (Sultry). Finish with lots of mascara and black eyeliner on the upper waterline.

2. Daytime Cat Eye:
Apply a mix of yellow and pink pearl shades (Snobby + Stubborn) all over the lid and highlight the inner corners with Sassy. Define the crease with a matte brown (Sultry) and the lower lashline with a shimmery bronze (Schitzo). Line the upper lashline with Silly mixed with a drop of Inglot Duraline; it's a liquid silicone product that turns powders into long-wearing cream formulas. I just poured a drop directly into the corner of my eyeshadow pan so that I can still use the rest as a regular powder eyeshadow with my brushes. I have to admit that I was disappointed with how Silly performed as a liquid liner; I was hoping for a subtly glittery wing but the result was that of a dark matte brown, very similar to the shade Sleek from the palette. So far, no matter what I do, I cannot make the beautiful shimmer in Silly show up on my eyes :(

3. Sophisticated Khaki Smokey Eye:
Apply a darker taupe/ grey/ khaki cream eyeshadow all over the lid, blending it out into the crease - I've used Benefit Creaseless Cream in Skinny Jeans. Blend out and warm up the crease with a matte brown; I decided to use my face contour shade (NYX Taupe), but you could use Sultry from the palette. Define the outer corner with a dark khaki brown (Sophisticated) and dab a little yellow pearl (Snobby) on the centre of the mobile lid with your finger. Brighten the inner corner with a mix of Sassy and Snobby; I decided that Sassy alone would be too cool-toned. Line the lower lashline with Sophisticated, pop a little Snobby in the center of the lower lashline to mirror the lid placement. Black mascara on the lashes, black eyeliner on the upper waterline, green eyeliner on the lower waterline (optional - I had TIGI Perfect Eyeliner in Green lying around, so I thought why not).

4. Aegyo Sal-inspired:
This is one of the looks I liked from the Korean Beauty Secrets book I've recently reviewed. For those not in the know, aegyo sal is that little roll of fat on the lower lashline that babies often have (some adults too), and of the trendier looks in Korea is to either highlight or mimick that by applying a shimmery eyeshadow to the under eye area.

I'm saying this is aegyo sal-inspired because I do not have that 'baby eye fat' and what's more, I actually have some fine lines in that area that look more pronounced when covered in shimmery eyeshadow. So I've only applied a mixture of white pearl (Sassy) and shimmery champagne (Stand-offish) to the inner half of my lower lashline and around the inner corner, and a medium matte brown on the outer half of lower lashline. For my lid and crease, I applied a light layer of satin pink (Stubborn) all over as a base, and topped with another fine layer of warm matte brown (Sultry), buffed out into the crease. I also applied a smidgen of dark matte brown (Sleek) along the outer portion of my upper lashline, but otherwise skipped eyeliner.

5. Typical Monika Daytime Definition:
I realize that in my photos, this looks exactly like the second look (Daytime Cat Eye), but it's a little different: a typical Monika look has a more defined/ darker outer corner, and the upper lash liner is thinner and less winged out. For this look, I used the shimmery champagne (Stand-offish) on the lid, a matte medium brown lightly through the crease (Sultry), and a matte aubergine (Sexy) in the outer corner. A mix of the champagne (Stand-offish) and pearl white (Sassy) on the inner corner, medium matte brown (Sultry) along the lower lashline. The upper lash line is accentuated with a darker eyeliner (Stila Bluefin), lightly set with a matte black (Serious). A black eyeliner to tightline and lots of mascara.

I was the happiest with my Aegyo-sal inspired look - it was quick and easy and yet quite a bit different from my comfort zone (look 5). For a bit more drama, I also liked the first look - I quite like the smoked out lashline as opposed to lots of darker shades in the outer corner of the eye. But all in all, I've been leaning towards less eyeshadow lately, and I'm particularly not that fond of eyeliner at the moment. I think that daily eyeliner wear (due to having various pencil liners in my Project Pans/ Projects Make A Dent) has started to feel a little boring to me, and I appreciate the cleaner/ more effortless look of having only mascara-ed lashes against the lighter background of the eyelid.

All in all, it was a good experiment. I've been using The Balm's Nude'Tude for over a month now, and I can't really say that it has felt like a challenge so far. Every time I reach for the palette, I'm able to come up with little tweaks or slightly different placements. I've also been mixing and layering all the shades quite a lot, and it's fun. There's a whole LOT you can do with 12 different eyeshadows - and I actually feel like the variety of looks I've been able to achieve comes more from trying various approaches and styles as well as combining shades as opposed to having a variety of actual eyeshadows to choose from. What I'm saying is - I don't need 10 neutral eyeshadow palettes. For me, there's going to be more variety in looks in the scope of a single palette versus across those ten different selections. Almost every single neutral eyeshadow palette has a light shimmer, a medium brown, a cool and/or medium shimmer, a dark brown. Sure, the undertones may be different - but the basic placements remain the same. Once blended together, a lot of eyeshadows from palletes that may at first seem very different in the pan will actually look nearly identical on the eyes.

Which look was your favorite? Do you tend to do the same eyeshadow look every time you do your make-up, or do you like to experiment?

My Blog Sale Is Now Live!

Yeah yeah, I know I said that I wasn't really interested in decluttering my make-up stash anymore. But! But recently I found a whole bunch of stuff I was just holding onto for the sake of having it. I don't want my pretties to sit unloved - so here's another blog sale.

Here's the entire list of products for your browsing pleasure; I have products from Rouge Bunny Rouge, Urban Decay, Guerlain, Chanel, Benefit and Tarte, as well as some very inexpensive drugstore gems. There's a lot of eyeshadows, lipsticks, eyeliners as well as some face and cheek products.

Please help me find new homes for these awesome products, and thank you for browsing!