Rocaille Writes

Oh, Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos ($59 for 0.355 oz/10 g, available on beautyhabit.com in the US), you're a thing of beauty. I included a little teaser about this Limited Edition palette in the Fall 2014 Beauty Wishlist post and some readers were interested in my thoughts on it, so I'm trying to be good and churn out my review before the product actually sells out. And yes, that did happen in the past. I still went ahead and posted about a discontinued product. Ahem. Moving on.

The Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos features five all new shades in a plastic compact. The product comes packaged in a cardboard box, which mirrors the flowers & hummingbirds design of the top of the compact. Now, the fact that this first ever eyeshadow palette from Rouge Bunny Rouge seems to have an actual shade name (Chronos) vaguely suggests that maybe there are other colorways in the works; pretty please, RBR?

The most amazing and unique feature of the actual compact is that it's magnetized and refillable; as you can see in the photo below, there are pin holes on the back of the palette which you can use to remove the pans from the compact to store in a different palette, or to store other RBR eyeshadow refills in the compact. The pans in the Chronos palette are the exact same size as regular individually sold RBR refills. As for the quality and feel of the actual compact, I wish it was a bit more luxurious: the plastic looks a bit cheap and the beautiful design on top doesn't stand out as much as I would like it to. On the upside, the palette is very lightweight, doesn't scratch easily, and has a large mirror on the inside - all those features would be very handy for travel.

However, while all these packaging considerations are important and noteworthy, it's the inside that really counts - am I right? Let's to the typical Rocaille Writes in depth shade analysis and comparison, which is not only time-consuming, overly verbiose and nit-picky, but also probably useful to... well, no one. No, I know you all secretly love it. If not - indulge me.

The first two shades from the left, Champagne Pewter Highlight, described as a peachy metallic champagne, and Metallic Rosy Brown, described as a peacock pink and gold shade, look deceptively similar in the pan but swatch very differently on the skin. While I usually find RBR shade descriptions to be pretty spot on, these are rubbish - and why no pretty birds' names on these shades? :( At any rate, both of these shades lean cool and have a high shimmer/ metallic finish - when picked up with a finger, they seem to almost have a foiled effect.

The Champagne Pewter Highlighter, a mid-tone platinum beige, is lighter and slightly warmer of the two, while the Metallic Rosy Brown is a muted taupe leaning purple and grey. In the arm swatch, you can see that compared to RBR Bohemian Waxwing, both of these shades are significantly cooler and more reflective. Fyrinnae Feisty Fennec Fox, swatched on the far right, comes pretty close to Champagne Pewter, but I don't have a good dupe for Metallic Rosy Brown.

L-R: RBR Champagne Pewter Highlighter, RBR Metallic Rosy Brown, RBR Bohemian Waxwing, Stila Diamond Lil, Fyrinnae Snow Leopard, Fyrinnae Feisty Fennec Fox.

Aged Bronze, the middle khaki brown shade described as an interchanging, cool olive metallic, is my unexpected favorite of this palette. Now, on my skintone and to my eyes, this shade isn't cool-toned and it isn't metallic. I'd describe it as a darker warm brown leaning yellow green with a luminous/ low shimmer satin finish. If you look closely in the palette close-ups, you can tell that this shade (and Midnight Blue Gunmetal on the far right) have a different texture in the pan than the other three shadows, which also reads as a different finish on the skin: smoother, less reflective but not flat by any means. I'm very happy that Rouge Bunny Rouge included two different finishes in this palette, as it's very difficult to build a well-balanced look using just metallic shadows. Aged Bronze and Midnight Blue Gunmetal give a lot more textural variety to the Chronos palette.

L-R: RBR Aged Bronze, Fyrinnae Green Envy, Laura Mercier Black Karat, L'Oreal Infallible in Emerald Green

Now, the last two shades on the right, Aubergine Gunmetal, described as a dark, gold-tinged eggplant grey metallic, and Midnight Blue Gunmetal, described as a deep, smoky blue-grey metallic, conversely to the first two shades, are deceptively different in the pan but swatch very similarly on the skin. I have to say that Aubergine Gunmetal is my least favorite shade in the Chronos palette: upon swatching, I lose nearly all of its purpley undertones and instead I'm left with a shimmery charcoal. This shade has the same multidimensionl metallic finish as the first two but unfortunately suffers from the same major drawback as the Metallic Rosy Brown: there's a lot of fallout. The first time I used this shade I did my base first, and my entire under eye area and tops of my cheeks were covered in charcoal specks after I was done packing on this eyeshadow on the lids - imagine my disappoinment!

Midnight Blue Gunmetal is a satin gunmetal shade with navy/teal shift. It has the same smooth, luminous finish as Aged Bronze - there's less shimmer and more sheen to these two. In the comparison swatches below, you can see that Aubergine Gunmetal is a darker, more charcoal cousin to RBR Eclipse Eagle, while Urban Decay Gunmetal is lighter, more metallic steel than Midnight Blue Gunmetal. The Rouge Bunny Rouge interpretation of a gunmetal shade is a lot prettier and more complex than the UD!

L-R: RBR Aubergine Gunmetal, RBR Delicate Hummingbird, RBR Eclipse Eagle, RBR Midnight Blue Gunmetal, UD Gunmetal from the original Naked palette

Now for the look: I decided to do a simple smudgy cat eye using Champagne Pewter Highlight all over the lid and in the inner corners, with Aubergine Gunmetal smudged upwards on top of a black eye pencil (Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Noir). You can see that on my eyes, Aubergine Gunmetal leans blue, and brings out the warm tones in my eye color. As mentioned above, I've had fallout issues with both Rosy Brown Metallic and Aubergine Gunmetal, but apart from that, all five shadows in the Chronos palette are pigmented, silky smooth to the touch and blend out easily. The three metallic/high shimmer shades need to worked into the skin more (as opposed to patted on) to achieve a smooth finish, so perhaps a blending brush would be preferrable to a flat shader when working with these.

You can find a lot of placement suggestions for this palette on the Rouge Bunny Rouge website (no, seriously - A LOT). As for my final thoughts: I'm glad that I bought the Raw Garden Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos and I find the shades within really complex and beautiful, but I've had such high expectations for it that inevitably, some aspects of it fall short for me. I do think the compact could have a bit more of a high-end feel, but more importantly, I'm quite annoyed at the amount of fallout on the Rosy Brown Metallic and Aubergine Gunmetal. I also believe that in terms of shade selection, there could be more of a difference between the two Gunmetal shades, and wish the palette included one lighter shade I could use as a highlight; on my fair skintone, Champagne Pewter Highlight is definitely more of a medium-depth shade.

See? No brightness in the inner corners -_-

One thing I haven't experimented with quite yet is using these shadows wet - they're a wet/dry formula, and most likely using the shades that are prone to fallout wet would mitigate a big part of the problem. However, that's true for all eyeshadows, high and low end, and since I rarely use my eyeshadows wet, I mostly wanted to see how the Chronos palette performed with my usual techniques. Have you tried this palette from Rouge Bunny Rouge? If not, are you thinking of picking it up any time soon?

'I said hey listen to me. Stay sane inside insanity, but he locked the door and threw away the key.' - Columbia, Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Happy Halloween, my dears!!! I hope you're having fun gallivanting around in your fantastic costumes (who did you go as? Please share in the comments!) while me and husband are stuffing ourselves with take-out sushi and watching a movie on Netflix - yes, you guessed correctly, we're not that into dress-up parties. But I do love theatrical Halloween make-up, and my blogging pal Liz from So Lonely In Gorgeous suggested we transform ourselves into characters from the cult movie Rocky Horror Picture Show for the occasion. Here's the result of my efforts:

Something a bit different after all these boring neutral FOTDs I've been posting, huh? :) I also thought it would be fun to take a few shots of the process - it did take me an inordinate amount of time to complete my look as it was my first time attempting to erase my eyebrows. Well, lots of swearing, fallen brow hairs and half a glue stick later, I think the result is quite decent for my first try.

While I was changing myself into Columbia, I reflected that it's generally a very convincing look for fair-skinned redheads, and I know there's a fair number of you reading this blog; so maybe a costume idea for next year's Halloween party? I decided to skip a full product breakdown for you, but I will say that Graftobian Hi-Def foundation in Buff made my life a whole lot easier for this look. I've also used La Femme blush in Mocha for the cheeks and MAC's Cockney lipstick (interestingly enough, my wedding lipstick shade).

Please check out Liz's take on Magenta - I, for one, can't wait to see her transformation.

Don't Dream It, Be It!

There's been a profusion of palette posts on here lately; what can I say, one thing I love about the Holiday Limited Edition make-up are the fantastic value for money sets and palettes. Now, I usually test products for quite a while before putting them on here for the whole world to see, but I couldn't resist showing off my new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette ($58 for 3 x 0.116 oz/ 3.3g), and given the upcoming beauty sales, I wanted to post this review with swatches as soon as possible to help anyone who may still be on the fence.

Isn't it gorgeous? It's hard to beat the visual impact of three marbleized blushes all in one compact. While the antique gold mirrored packaging is a finger print magnet, I like how sturdy it feels, and the palette shuts with a very satisfying click; in fact I need to wrestle it a bit to get it open. The compact also comes with a large mirror. The size of the blushes within is obviously smaller than the individually sold Ambient Lighting Blushes, but definitely large enough to swirl in a number of different blush brushes with ease.

The three blush shades within are Luminous Flush (a warm rosy pink, permanent), Incandescent Electra (a light peach, Limited Edition & exclusive to this palette) and Mood Exposure (a rusty neutral, permanent). Overall, I would say this palette leans warm but all three shades suit my cool-toned complexion, and I'd describe the finish of these blushes as glowy satin/ low-shimmer (meaning, my favorite). Mood Exposure is the least shimmery of the three and has a satin matte finish on the skin, while Incandescent Electra is the most shimmery but still on the lit-from-within rather than reflective end of the shimmer spectrum.

L-R: Luminous Flush swatched heavily and blended out, Incandescent Electra, Mood Exposure

While Limited Edition palettes from some brands often suffer from lower quality than permanent products, it is definitely NOT the case for the Ambient Lighting Blush Palette. All three shades are smooth, very pigmented (I recommend applying with a stippling/ duo-fiber blush brush) and last well on the skin. The formula of these kicks up a bit of powder due to its softness but it's nothing I can't deal with.

Luminous Flush, Incadescent Electra and Mood Exposure in full sunlight to show the level of shimmer.

One thing to remember, however, is that due to the Ambient Blushes' marbleized nature, the ratio of Ambient Lighting Powder to the blush pigment is going to vary slightly from palette to palette, so you may get less pigmented/ lighter in depth blushes in yours (case in point: my Incandescent Electra is quite deep and opaque, but Gaia's pan turned out to be more of a highlighter shade for her skintone).

L-R: Luminous Flush, Inglot blush no.86, Accessorize Merged Blusher in Diva, bareMinerals READY blush in The One

Now for individual shades comparisons and swatches. As you can see, Luminous Flush is the most similar to my bareMinerals READY Blush in The One, and swatched next to cooler pink blushes, leans quite warm and rosy. While for my personal tastes, I wouldn't mind a blue pink shade in the Hourglass palette, Luminous Flush is definitely a more universally flattering choice.


L-R: Incandescent Electra, Laura Mercier Second Skin Blush in Lush Nectarine, The Face Shop Pastel Cushion in Coral Cushion, NYX Powder Blush in Peach

If you already own both Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure, Incandescent Electra is definitely not unique enough to buy the whole palette just to get that Limited Edition shade. While it's beautifully smooth and a true peach, neither too warm or too cool, it seems pretty straighforward to me - but I'm still very happy to see it included in this palette because I love peach blushes. Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine is warmer, mostly due to the gold shimmer, and a lot less pigmented.

L-R: Mood Exposure, NARS Douceur, NYX Raisin, NYX Mauve

Mood Exposure is the chameleon shade of this palette: while in the pan it looks like a cool plum, as soon as you touch the powder it turns into a rusty red neutral, the warmest shade in the palette (you can see that warmer ring in the photo above after I have swatched the blush with my finger). It's the most similar to NARS Douceur but more orange than brown, and a lot warmer than both NYX Raisin and NYX Mauve.

Here's a little Face Of The Day using Hourglass Mood Exposure, just to show you than even this very warm shade works well on a fair, cool complexion. Hopefully you can see that on the cheeks, the blush does not have any visible shimmer, and blends beautifully without sitting on top of the skin. I'm also wearing theBalm Nude' Tude on my eyes and Lancome's Color Design lipstick in Wine Party on the lips.

So, do I recommend the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette? Yes, yes I do. I find the quality to be stellar, the shade selection suits a variety of looks and skintones, and the value of the palette is great as well. I now know which blushes are going to accompany me on my Holiday travels. Have you tried the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes before? What are your favorite shades? Are you tempted to snag this palette?

Fellow beauty bloggers, do you know these posts where you want to publish just the photos and let them speak for themselves? Yeah, it's one of those - but on the other hand, it's make-up brushes, and I have a lot to say. Last week I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Surratt Beauty Artistique Brush Collection, sold exclusively at Barneys New York in the US. Belly from Wondegondigo invited me to tag along (check out her photos and first impressions here) and I couldn't be happier, both to spend time in her company and to stroke some ridiculously luxurious brushes.

Currently, the Artistique Brush Collection includes 12 brushes: 4 face brushes in grey/blue squirrel hair, 3 smokey eye brushes made with the same hair type, 3 flat shader eye brushes in Canadian squirrel, and two concealer brushes in Kolinsky (displayed from the bottom to the top in the photo). All brushes are handmade in Kumano, Japan from the finest, carefully selected materials and take about 60 different steps and a week to create - the Surratt brushes had been in development for five years, right from the brand's conception. In the display case, you can see that the matte, all black handles and ferrules are the exact same length on each brush and feature a beautiful green and purple duochrome ombre design. Troy Surratt also told us about his plans to expand the range to include more brushes: there's a foundation duo fiber buffing brush, a thicker badger hair brow brush, and a retractable spoolie brush in the works.


Troy's assistant, Nathaniel, presenting the Surratt Face Brush, $230.

Surratt make-up brushes are definitely an investment: the jewel of the collection, the Face Brush, retails for $230, and the brand is also working on an even larger soft powder brush that will retail for about $380. The price range is definitely comparable to that of Suqqu, and when Belly asked Troy how he would explain the uncommonly high cost of these brushes to an American consumer, he replied it's all down to the incredibly high quality of his collection: with proper care the brushes should last a lifetime, and he even described his Face Brush as an 'heirloom'.

L-R: Face Brush $230, Sculpting Brush, a mix of blue squirrel and goat hair $90, Highlight Brush $115, Cheek Brush $115

If you ask me about my thoughts on the price of the Surrat brush line, I definitely think you don't absolutely need very expensive brushes to apply make-up beautifully. However, if you perceive your beauty routine as a relaxing, sensual ritual and are completely beauty obsessed like I am, these brushes are certainly a fantastic addition to your collection - I'm already planning more purchases in the future. Another point to note is that if you have access to the Barneys beauty floor, this is the single Japanese-made brush range on the US market that you can physically touch and play with, bar some Hakuhodo appearances at IMATS or other make-up trade shows.

The pom-pom shaped cheek brush in my hand for size reference; it's quite small and dense to allow for a precise blush application and blending

After much oohing and aahing, I've decided to purchase one of the most unique brushes in the Artistique Collection, the Medium Smokey Eye Brush, $65. Each brush comes in a beautiful French-made cardboard box with a sliding top and velvet padding inside - I made a comment that the box is seriously too beautiful to part with and Nathaniel suggested reusing it as a pencil case, which I thought was a fantastic idea.

As you can see, the Medium Smokey Eye Brush has a long tapered brush head, quite a bit larger than my standard crease/ blending brushes, shown below for comparison. I've only ever tried one other tapered blending brush, the LE MAC 226, but the two are nothing alike: the MAC was much smaller, with shorter, denser and firmer bristles, and the only thing it worked reasonably well for was cut crease looks - however, the bristles were so scratchy that I decided to purge it. The three Smokey Eye brush sizes in the Surratt line ensure that everyone can find a good brush to work in their different lid spaces.

L-R: bdellium Tools no. 776, Hakuhodo J 5533, Wayne Goss no. 06, Surratt Medium Smokey Eye

The soft, floppy bristles of the Medium Smokey Eye take some getting used to, especially if you normally use shorter and more resistant blending brushes. However, I'm happy to report that the brush works beautifully to bring subtle definition to the eye. Troy recommended to use the brush by swirling its tapered tip in the eyeshadow and then applying the powder in the crease with a back and forth motion, letting the longest bristles deposit the color, while the shorter bristles on the sides do all the blending for you. He also suggested the brush can be used flat on its side to blend the eyeshadow from the outer corner in. I've been using a combination of both of these techniques and I find they work very well for quickly diffusing pigments in the socket.

There is however a downside to such a large and soft brush head; the Surratt Medium Smokey Eye does not allow for a lot of control, so if you like applying very dark shades in the outer V, I'd suggest using a separate brush for the placement and then maybe finishing the blend with the Medium Smokey. That's true however of most of my standard blending brushes as well.

Overall, I'm quite ecstatic with my new brush acquisiton: I'll try to spare you my exclamations of the 'Oh, but it's so, so soft!' variety, but yes, they're there every time I reach for the Medium Smokey Eye Brush. The attention to detail on these brushes is unmatched, and on top of being very useful tools (or extensions of the artist's hands, as Troy prefers to put it), they're also beautiful objects.

If you have a Surratt counter near you, I urge you to check out the Artistique Brush Collection, if only for the sensory experience (but if you don't have a counter nearby, the brushes are also now available online). I had a lot of fun at the launch and it was a great pleasure to be able to talk freely about make-up brushes, shopping for Japanese cosmetics and the product development process with both Troy himself (a fellow beauty geek by all means) and Nathaniel. Thank you for spending so much of your time explaining everything to us! It's rare these days to find such a down to earth, knowledgeable, passionate face behind the brand.

Have you tried anything from Surratt Beauty? What's currently at the top of your make-up brush wishlist (because I just assume everyone needs to have one)?

Eczema - if you know what this word entails, and I mean really know on a deep personal level, I feel you. Eczema is a bitch, there's no other way around it. You may remember that in my Fall Nail Polish post I complained about the state of my fingers and cuticles, which is how this post came about. Now, I don't claim to be an eczema expert or even that I have it particularly bad; I'm aware that for some people it's a lifelong condition that covers most of their body, and mine is only limited to my hands, and oftentimes, I'm even able to completely get rid of any flare-ups. But when I do have it (like now), it's a veritable pain in the ass, and I thought it may be helpful to share how I deal with it, especially if you've just started getting the symptoms.

While it's very common for eczema to first strike in the early childhood, I only started getting sporadic flare-ups as a teenager, and then I got a very bad flare-up a couple winters ago, and since then I've been struggling on and off. My mom also suffers from eczema on her hands, and her flare-ups and their pattern are extremely similar to mine, so I do think there must be a genetic link.

I've considered including photos of my typical eczema patch but honestly, it's pretty gross - even writing about it isn't pretty. Mine takes the form of a reddened, rough area of skin that develops small blisters, which burst after a day or so (sorry!), and then that area starts drying up to the point of cracking and flaking. Other symptoms include ichting, burning, occasionally bleeding from deeper cracks. Told you it wasn't pretty!

Some of the flare-up triggers, established through personal experience, my mom's experience and talking to my dermatologist, include frequent hand washing and soaking in water, low temperatures but also humid climates, as sweat also seems to make things worse, contact with harsh chemicals (for example, in home cleaning products or nail polish remover), contact with established allergens (I'm allergic to cats and petting one makes things more itchy in mere minutes), lack of UV exposure, moisture trapped under rings or other jewelry. My mom believes eczema is at least partly a form of skin allergy and pinpointing your specific allergens should help in recovery, but my dermatologist was skeptical - essentially, it's an autoimmune condition and anything can become a trigger.

Consequently, avoiding the triggers I've listed above generally helps in keeping things under control. What this means in practice is that I always do the dishes and other house chores in rubber gloves (my mom, who worked in a chemical lab all of her career, especially recommends talc-free single-use nitrile gloves), try to keep my hands above water when taking a bath, often don't put on my engagement ring and wedding band, re-apply handcream multiple times a day and always always after washing my hands, always wear gloves in the fall and winter.

As for the treatments, I use a combination of different products, both prescription and over the counter. If you've observed your symptoms gradually getting worse, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a dermatologist, because unfortunately, the single ointment that always stops blisters and itching in its tracks is a topical corticosteroid, which is prescription only. Steroid creams can have different strength but they're generally very effective - the downside being that they have some serious side effects. On top of being very drying, they thin out your skin over time and can even disrupt internal organs' function in large quantities; so they're kind of 'the last resort' type of treatment, and should be used sporadically to help manage the worst flare-ups.

Here's my typical course of treatment: as soon as I notice a new eczema patch, I apply my usual hand creams and then apply a thin layer of the steroid ointment over the patch and leave it overnight. If I really want to make sure I don't rub it off on the sheets, I'll also put on some cotton gloves; as a bonus, they help to trap moisture in the skin as well. My mom recommends to repeat this process every day until the flare-up completely goes away, but I try not to do more than 2 or 3 consecutive nights. The steroid medication helps to dry out the blisters but leaves behind very dry, flaky skin, so I really load up on hand cream the next week or so. Unfortunately, my flare-ups tend to reoccur in the exact same spots, but using the steroid cream seems to prolong the eczema-free stretches of time.

In the photos, you can see some of the creams and potions I'm using on my hands. The L'Occitane Shea Butter Dry Skin Hand Cream ($28 for 5.2 oz) works nicely and absorbs fast, but most of the time I prefer to stick to less expensive options, like the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Fragrance-Free Hand Cream ($3.50-$4.50 for 2 oz) or CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or Lotion ($10.99 for 12 fl oz). I find that occlusive creams, or the ones that leave a layer on your skin to trap the moisture inside, generally work best, which is why I really like using Neosalus Cream, a $$$ prescription moisturizer than leaves a layer on the skin even through hand washing. A fun thing to try are these nourishing sheet Hand Masks (the ones in the photo are from The Face Shop), although I've found that a thick layer of a hydrating face mask (like the Avene Soothing Moisture Mask) under a pair of cotton gloves works just as well for less.

I think that's all I can think of for now - let me know if you have any more questions, and of course please share your experiences with eczema and your favorite treatments in the comments! Oh, and a little update on my steroid-mangled fingernail: it doesn't look too hot right now but continues to grow out. Thanks for reading!

I realize this blog has been gradually creeping into the high-end territory for the past couple years; you guys may not remember but things were pretty low key on here in the beginning. I think the primary reason for featuring more expensive products recently has been my shift from quantity to quality, which came with the 2 products a month allowance I enforced on myself in January 2013. Not to say that you can't find good quality products in the drugstore - I guess they're just a bit less covetable for me these days. But one of the first affordable brands I've ever written about on Rocaille Writes was NYX, and now I have another product of theirs to show you: the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo ($5.99 for 0.27 fl. oz/ 8 ml) - so we've come full circle.

I'd been wanting a vampy matte lipstick to add to my collection for fall and while browsing at Ulta (you guys, last week was the first time I've ever set foot in a physical Ulta store - oh, the thrill of it!), I remembered that NYX had a variety of matte lip products in some pretty intense shades. I picked out Monte Carlo (SMLC 10), a deep cool red, although I also had my eye on Copenhagen, which was unfortunately sold out. With some smart usage of store coupons, I scored my new pretty for $2! I think taking advantage of deals and coupons is at least half of the fun of shopping at the drugstore.

I've been reading rave reviews about these Soft Matte Lip Creams for years, but you know that I sometimes tend to shun overly hyped up products. The Soft Matte Lip Creams are in fact liquid lipsticks with a standard doe foot applicator. The consistency is rather dense although the product spreads easily on the lips: in fact, the formula quite reminds me a bit of Fyrinnae Lip Lusters. The NYX Lip Creams smell a bit artificially of a vanilla-flavored pastry, but the scent doesn't linger.

I find that the doe foot applicator comes especially handy in applying the intense shade evenly and precisely along the lip lines. While at first, the Soft Matte Lip Cream formula has a nice slip and creaminess to it, once applied to the lips it sets to a matte finish and doesn't budge. I'd just make sure you're not applying too much product, because it then takes a longer while to set and in the meantime, I managed to get some product on my teeth. To me, since the product actually sets on the lips, I'd call it a stain rather than a cream - or a creamy lip stain maybe? :)

L-R: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo, Avon Make Out Red, Revlon Superlustrous in Cherries in the Snow (very close dupe), Wet n' Wild Deep Wine

Unfortunately, as with most stains and longwearing lip products, I find the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream to be very drying on me. I wore it on bare lips for about 4 hours and removed it as soon as I got home, but my lips were already in tatters. I will experiment a bit more with layering it over and/or under a lip balm, but I definitely have to reserve it for special occasions only. The upside is that the product really stays put and doesn't migrate, feather or transfer easily - so much so that I couldn't fully get rid of it with a micellar make-up remover.

Wearing NYX Monte Carlo with the Rouge Bunny Rouge Chronos palette on the eyes and Hourglass Luminous Flush on the cheeks.

If you're looking for a bold, unusual shade in a longwearing matte formula to wear once in a while, the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams are a decent choice, especially if you can get them on sale. I'm thinking that I'll definitely be reaching for Monte Carlo to wear to the upcoming Holiday dinner parties, when I need my lipstick to last through a meal. Have you tried any matte lip products from NYX? What is your favorite matte lipstick formula from the drugstore?

After posting my huge rant about gurus and YouTube beauty community, I've decided to take a page from my own book and start looking for new, more genuine channels to watch in my spare time. In the process, I have in fact unsubscribed from a number of 'big' YouTubers, who were beginning to bring me nothing but poorly veiled commercials and lots of frustration, and in their place discovered some amazing, less popular content creators who put up immensely enjoyable high-quality videos that definitely surpass what I'd been watching thus far. In the spirit of sharing the love, here are my recent favorite channels:

(Oh, I've included screenshots of these ladies' channel pages. Not sure if that's cool with them and legal and all that, but I needed cute graphics :)

Ashley at MakeupTIA (blog: www.that-is-all.com)
You guise, I've finally found a fellow beauty blogger with the same coloring as me! Not that easy to find a fair natural redhead with dark brown eyes out there; apparently it's not the most common genetic mix of features. She even has the same skin type as me (combination, acne-prone and sensitive)! While my hair may not be as fabulously coppery as Ashley's, I can definitely appreciate her recommendations: she's amazingly well-spoken, has a calm, soothing voice and makes beautifully edited, interesting and all around enjoyable videos. Check out her channel if you're a fellow redhead, like natural & green beauty, or are tired of the high-pitched overenthusing from other gurus.

Kristin Gehm
It's often difficult to find a more mature standpoint among all the beauty gurus catering to teenage audiences. Kristin is a beautiful, warm, kind, funny YouTuber whose product recommendations can really be trusted. I enjoy her eyeshadow combination experiments in the '4 Looks 1 Palette' series and swoon over her collection shown via 'Palette Paloozas' (isn't she crafty with her video titles?), but what I love the most are her Stash Status and Products I Am Using Up updates, which are essentialy a video form of the Project Make A Dent. Along the same lines of making good use of your stash and enjoying what you already have, Kristin's Throwback Thursdays and Total Re-Hauls are also some of my most favorite videos on her channel.

Kirsten at ItsKeerstin
Am I the only one confused between Kristin and Kirsten or what? (And that coming from a girl who insists on having her name spelt with a 'k' not 'c' in the middle ;). It's difficult not to love Kirsten's hilarious, high-energy, scatterbrained personality, or her silly catch phrases, inlcuding but not limited to the famous 'eff me in the b-hole'. Since I'm trying to edit down my own make-up collection, I'm the biggest fan of Kirsten's Declutter series. But then, having successfully purged her stash, Kirsten goes shopping, and I love seeing her picks in her long Haul videos. Make-up excitement all around!

Karima McKimmie (blog: Shameless Fripperies, also known as House of Karima)
Absolutely some of the best, most creative and informative make-up tutorials on YouTube; my favorites include the Dramatic Drugstore Makeup Tutorial for a Night Out and the Easiest Winged Eyeliner Tutorial. Karima is full of great tips and products recommendations, especially from less well known brands, like Rouge Bunny Rouge, Kevyn Aucoin or The Make Up Store - which are way more exciting to me than seeing another review of the latest Urban Decay release. I would love to raid her stash one day! Oh well, a girl can dream :)

Marianna at Marianna's Beauty Room (blog: Impression Blend)
I've only discovered Marianna's blog and channel fairly recently but I really enjoy everything she puts up, and I love chatting with her on Twitter. Her videos are the source of many a Lush lemming (even though I've sworn off bubble bars for now) and I also like listening to her answers to the popular tags making rounds on YouTube. Another thing worth mentioning for any bookworm is that Marianna also posts book reviews on her blog, and I'm always down for a good book recommendation.

Sandra at ttsandra (blog: www.ttsandra.com, formerly known as 15 steps then a beauty blog)
I will admit that I mostly watch Sandra for her product picks. I feel that she's quite eclectic in her choices and likes to discover products from new, smaller brands, which I always appreciate. Sandra also has similar skin and hair type to my own (by hair type I mean fine, easily weighted down strands) so I find her recommendations especially useful. Check her channel out if you like good monthly favorites with some unique picks, combined empties & haul videos (what a genius concept!) and natural everyday make-up tutorials.

Maggie at MaggiesMakeupTV (blog: Maggie's Makeup)
Yes, Maggie of the EPIC Makeup Room Tour and Makeup Collection video - seriously, you have not lived as a beauty fanatic until you see that. Maggie has been my blogging friend for a really long time and she's also Polish (living in Canada), so I've always felt a greater affinity between us. I've been really enjoying Maggie's newest Makeup Declutter series, which she had to temporarily put on hold due to some health problems (wishing you a swift recovery, my dear!). Moreover, Maggie puts up lots of wishlist-lengthening haul videos; so in a word, the best of both worlds.

Lauren at Redheadphd
Ha, another redhead! Well, I do what I can to support a vanishing species. Again, lots and lots of fantastic product reviews and recommendations, especially for the curly-haired, lipstick lovers, make-up brush geeks and fragonerds (uhm, perfume enthusiasts, that is). Lauren is another example that you CAN be well-spoken, non-repetitive, informative, clear and precise in a casual YouTube video about beauty products. I just wish she posted more often!

I'm hoping you'll find some new beauty channels to watch among my favorites and if you decide to subscribe to these ladies, do tell them I've sent you - although I'm pretty sure they have no idea who I am, well except for my pals Marianna and Maggie. I have also recently attempted to merge and reorganize some of my social media accounts and platforms, so you can now add me to your Google+ circles as a person, which will enable you to see my newest posts in your feed, or you can follow me on Google+ as a page, which is linked to my YouTube account, where you can find all of my channel subscriptions. No, I have no idea why this Google+ duality is even remotely necessary, but there you go. Now tell me, what are your recent favorite YouTube channels?

The Surratt Artistique Brush Collection launch I attented a couple weeks back was in fact my first time seeing (and swatching!) the range in person. I was immediately drawn to the beautiful shimmery eyeshadows and lipglosses, twinkling at me from the display. But, having admitted to myself that I rarely wear lipgloss, I decided to pick out one eyeshadow - and it just turned out to be the lightest shade in the line-up, Scintillante ($20 for the individual pan 0.06 oz/1.7 g, compact sold separately).

I took a couple photos of the entire counter display but they didn't turn out very well due to the quality of lighting. I was told that the vertical rows of eyeshadows are arranged to suit different skintones from the fairest on the left to the deepest on the right. Another note about the lighting at the Surratt counter in Barneys is the fact that it makes these eyeshadows appear a lot more shimmery (or should I say, sparkly?) than they are in natural light. Can we also look at these lipglosses? Belly said the shimmery blurple one was like magic on your lips. Surratt also has a black gloss in the range, which is meant to deepen the shade of any lipstick you layer underneath it. Very cool!

Some notes on the packaging: all of the powder products in the Surratt range are sold as individual refills (pans only) to reduce excess waste, with compacts available separately. Practically, it means that the price of a single item is higher if you want to have a compact for it (that would probably be the case of an average consumer) but quite reasonable if you don't need the case (I'm assuming that would be most beauty addicts). I didn't purchase the compact, because I intend to store my single eyeshadow in a Z-Palette. While it won't magnetize to the palette, because these pans are resin and not metal, you can either stick the eyeshadow in using the double-sided label provided on the back of your singles, or you could stick a magnet to the back - unfortunately, thus obscuring the label with your shade name.

You could also just keep your singles as they come, because conversely to most brands who sell individual refills, Surratt eyeshadows have a nifty sliding lid that protects the top of the shadow - I really like this design for how simple and compact it is, and the lid is transparent so you can easily see which shade you're grabbing for.

Enough blabbling about the packaging, let's talk about the product inside. Scintillante is a slightly greyish off-white with an icy gold shimmer. I understand that I may have lost you there, because having grey undertones in what is basically a highlighting shade does not sound good. But IT WORKS. See, on my fair skin, a lot of shimmery/pearly shades that are traditionally used to brighten the inner corners of the eyes are just too dark and/or too warm. On the other hand, pearly white shadows appear too fake and stark. What to do?! I think Troy hit it out of the park with this more muted, very pale white gold shade.

At the counter, Scintillante appeared to be more of a light warm beige with rainbow shimmer. In reality, there aren't many rainbows and unicorn farts going on in this shade; in diffused daylight, it has more of a glowy satin finish, similar to my beloved Shiseido Luminizing Satin eyeshadows. I've tried to capture the counter sparkle by taking an out of focus shot in direct sunlight - you can see some lime green, pale pink, orange and gold shimmers there, but these do not translate onto the eye. Probably better for everyday looks, just less fun :/ I find the texture of Scintillante to be similar to Shiseido as well, very soft and a touch loose on the brush but with supreme blendability and a finish that melds into the skin beautifully. Surratt's eyeshadows are made in Japan using the proprietory 'slurry' technology, where the liquid pigments are poured into the pans like cake batter and their surface is levelled out (not pressed) to ensure even distribution in the pan. Scintillante may not be the most pigmented shadow I've ever worked with, but it layers well and stays put for the entire day.

Here's a shade comparison for you, using some of my favorite brightening shades. Hopefully you can see that NYX White Pearl is paler and cooler, while Rouge Bunny Rouge Unforgettable Oriole, Fyrinnae Nijiro and MAC Soft Force are all darker, warmer and more golden. I feel that they're also more reflective than Surratt Scintillante, which has a finer, softer glow. I also took a photo of the first three in full sunlight so you could judge the level of shimmer for yourselves.

L-R: Surratt Scintillante, NYX White Pearl, Rouge Bunny Rouge Unforgettable Oriole, Fyrinnae Nijiro, MAC Soft Force

Here's a close-up of my eye look: I used Scintillante in the inner corners and on the mobile lid, with Rouge Bunny Rouge Champagne Pewter Highlight from the Chronos Eye Shadow Palette on the outer third and along the lower lashline, and Clinique Stone Violet in the crease for subtle definition. I think in this photo you can really see the difference in the larger shimmer of the RBR shadow and the soft brightening effect of Surratt Scintillante.

You could say that Scintillante isn't very exciting, and that's true - but for the purpose of effortlessly highlighting the inner corners of my eyes, it's a fantastic shade to have. I also wore it on my 'no make-up make-up' day with just a touch of brown liner to tightline and no mascara, and my eyes looked fresher and more wide awake. Here I'm wearing the eye look described above with Hourglass Incandescent Electra on the cheeks and a touch of fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Passion on the lips.

All in all, I'm happy with my purchase, even though Scintillante isn't exactly what I was hoping for when swatched at the counter. I'd especially recommend you check out Surratt's range of eyeshadows if you're a fan of the Shiseido shadow formula. What is your favorite shade for brightening the inner corners of the eyes?

I don't review perfumes all that often, mostly because I don't consider myself a connaisseur in any way, shape or form, and I'm always a bit worried about 'getting things right'. But talking about scent shouldn't be prescriptive - so I thought I'd give it a shot this month as I'm going through some of my perfume sample stash. And since I'm clearly a control freak, you get five mini reviews all based around the theme of roses, orientals and rose orientals. Hope you find something that peaks your interest!

Lubin Black Jade, 2011(top: galbanum, bergamot, cardamom; middle: rose, jasmine, incense and cinnamon; base: sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, amber)

This is the first niche perfume I've ever tried; the story of how it came to be is that my dad participated in some conference for Polish enterpreneurs, and one of the speakers was a lady who founded a chain of perfumeries specializing in independent and niche fragrances. He was given two little sample vials to take home and he kept them for a couple months until Christmas to pass on to me, knowing that I was interested in perfume. It always touches me how thoughtful he was to give it to me.

Since I've tried it for the first time around the Holidays, I now associate Black Jade with cold, snowy nights outside and a glowing fire on the hearth. It's described as a modern floral chypre but to me it's more of a floriental, with a big, tart, almost cherry-like rose, some powerful jasmine akin to Thierry Mugler Alien, and lots of sweetness on the drydown. I like how the rose is magnified with spices, especially cardamom (and doesn't rose and cardamom remind you of the creamy Indian dessert?) and a touch of incense somewhat reminiscent of Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois. I mostly get gentle vanilla with sandalwood towards the end (about 6 hours in), and I love that. Quite a beautiful, enveloping and sophisticated fragrance.

Jo Malone Red Roses, 2001(mint, red rose, violet leaf, lemon)

Yes, it literally smells like a bouquet of roses straight from the florist. I initially quite disliked this perfume thinking it rather old school, but after revisiting it almost a year later I came to appreciate it for the simple soliflore it is. I don't get much citrus in this rose but I do get the green: crushed leaves and some of that geranium tomato scent, quite close to rose otto actually. I wouldn't buy a full bottle as I ultimately prefer the rose note as a part of a bigger composition, but I enjoyed it: it brought back the memory of my mother's lacque jewelry box, where among strands of necklaces and mismatched ear clips she kept a single vial of genuine rose oil, the scent of which emanated every time she would lift the lid. Exceptional staying power.

Missala Qessence, 2011(top: saffron, coriander, cinnamon, chamomile, tagetes and orange; middle: damask rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, iris and elemi; base: olibanum, patchouli, oakmoss, musk, agarwood, vetiver, sandalwood, virginia cedar, vanilla, cashmeran, labdanum and cyperus esculentus)

While Red Roses can be described as a bit too simplistic, for me Qessence is definitely a case of 'too much of a good thing'. I feel sorry that I don't like this fragrance more, because the staff of Mrs Missala's perfumery, whom I mentioned in the review of Black Jade, was nothing short of amazing when I visited the boutique in Warsaw's Marriott hotel back in 2011. But Qessence does not agree with me. I've seen it described on Polish frag blogs as a symphony of the most precious notes in perfumery, but it's more like a cacophony to me. On my skin, it's quite linear, and the base notes of patchouli, cedar and frankincense eclipse the floral heart of the fragrance. Individual accords keep fighting each other for a prime spot, giving me a massive headache. Qessence is also incredibly tenacious, lasting beyond an evening bath and well into the next day (sic!). More reviews in English can be found on Fragrantica here.

Menard L'eau de Kasaneka, 2004(top: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, basil, bergamot and orange; middle: carnation, jasmine, heliotrope, ylang ylang and Japanese rose (Hamanasu, Rosa rugosa); base: ambrette seed, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver and vanilla)

Quite a delightfully refreshing rose oriental, with an invigorating spicy kick from ginger and orange at the opening. While I have no idea what Hamanasu smells like in real life (or maybe I do - looks suspiciously alike Rosa canina, so maybe I've smelt it and just assumed it was dog rose?), I can tell you that this rose is more heady and sweeter, not as green nor earthy. There's almost a fruity quality to this fragrance that reminds me of lychee, with an undercurrent of the overripe banana notes of ylang ylang, but the fruit is balanced out with something mysterious, hypnotic, night-blooming. I also get a lot a lot a LOT of vanilla from L'Eau de Kasaneka, with a woody background from the sandalwood. The base reads as warm and glowy, which I deduce is probably the ambrette seed working its magic, but I've never smelt that note separately so it's more of a guess that there's something more in there. Overall, it's maybe a touch too sweet for me, but I think it'd be a good perfume to try for someone just getting into florientals.

L'Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant, 2004 (passion flower, sandalwood, red rose, vanilla, saffron, sugar and ginger)

Me and saffron, we just don't mesh well together, so I'm not sure what on Earth made me seek out this sample (no, I know what did: a glowing review in my Perfumes: The A-Z Guide). To me, saffron tastes like paraffin, and smells like the numbing gel they use at the dentist. And since there's a lot of saffron in this, I literally feel my gums go numb when I spray it on; but I tried and tried for the sake of this review and also discerned a fresh white floral note, the sweetness of vanilla and quite a bit of ginger, which makes Safran Troublant smell quite festive and gingerbread-y. For an oriental, I feel that this one has an unexpected lightness while still satisfying the spice craving.

What are your favorite orientals and rose perfumes? What fragrance have you been wearing lately?

This is a very vague tag name for a beauty blog, don't you think? I would probably rename it somewhere along the lines of 'A Nosy into My Make-up Collection and Storage'. I always think that ONE DAY I will show you a little tour of my vanity, but in reality, that day never comes - so better a little glimpse than nothing, right? Thanks to Larie from Eye Heart It for tagging me, it was fun!

1. Which product do you still keep buying more of despite having plenty in your collection?
Leeeepsteeecks. And eyeshadows. And blushes. I'm a touch more tame when it comes to mascaras, eyeliners, primers, foundations, concealers, face powders, bronzers and highlighters - I'm happy with finding just a few that work and sticking to them over and over again.

2. What's the one product you can't live without?
Concealer - the first make-up product I started wearing regularly as a teen. My skin is still plagued by spots and scars, so I'm usually embarassed to show my bare face in public without concealing all the imperfections first. I know it's probably very silly and vain of me, but that's the truth.

3. Favorite makeup brand?
Is that even a legitimate question to pose a make-up addict, I ask you? I actually enjoy buying products from brands I've never tried before, so my collection tends to be pretty eclectic. I like Guerlain for lipsticks (but only have two because uhm, pricey), Inglot, Fyrinnae and Rouge Bunny Rouge for eyeshadows, Pixi for eyeliner pencils. At the drugstore, I like Revlon and Maybelline. Can we stop this torture now?

4. How big is your makeup collection?
Big for normal people, small for hardcore make-up addicts; so I guess somewhere in the middle? It all fits into this ----->

5. And how do you store it?
A small IKEA chest of drawers and half of a vanity drawer (also IKEA), the other half being taken up by jewelry. I store my nail polishes, skincare and so on separately, some in our tiny bathroom, some in a set of drawers in the bedroom. I'm not completely happy with my storage; while the IKEA box on top of my vanity is quite sturdy and functional, the built-in drawer is not - it only opens about halfway, and storing excessive amounts of eyeshadow palettes inside has caused the bottom to warp, threatening to spill the contents on the (hardwood!) floor. I'm very jealous of everyone's Muji storage, so I may try to justify that purchase at some point.

6. How many items of makeup have you got in your handbag at the moment?
Lessee: six. Two lipsticks (Lancome Color Design in Wine Party and NYX Tea Rose, which is part of my Project Make A Dent), Palladio blotting paper, Peter Thomas Roth Mineral Powder SPF 30, a Miss Sporty concealer pencil and a sample of Le Blanc de Chanel from Macy's that I forgot to take out of my purse.

7. If you could raid another blogger's stash, who would it be?
Is it totally predictable that it would have to be Driveller Kate's? That would give me access not only to some Japanese brands I've never laid my mitts on before, but also base make-ups possibly too light even for me. And lots of glitter for the eyes and fabulously bold shades for the lips. Kinda salivating just thinking about it.

8. How long does your usual makeup routine take and how many products do you use?
I've been teased before about how much time I spend doing my make-up, but what my tormentors fail to understand is that I treat it as the time out for ME. I like putting on my slap in peace and quiet without anyone looking, so if I can prolong the process, it makes my day a lot happier. Yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking now - blah de blah, put a NUMBER on it. 30 minutes is a safe bet; mind you, I don't have the usual 'need to get out of the door in the morning' time constraint when I get ready. If I do, I CAN make my routine shorter and simpler; same goes for the number of products, with the minimum being about 6 (powder foundation, concealer, brow product, mascara, blush, lipstick) and the maximum... Ooooh buddy.

The make-up filled half of my vanity drawer, with the shameful box of back-ups hiding in the back.

9. Have you ever bought makeup knowing you wouldn't use it?
Nope - like Larie, I buy make-up to enjoy using it, not just looking at it. Although I will admit that I've started doing this thing where I won't open certain 'back-up' products until the one I'm using at the moment runs out. You would think it's a reasonable process, especially for products like mascara, liquid eyeliners or maybe even foundations. EXCEPT I also do it for lipsticks that aren't even the same brand or shade as the one they're supposed to replace, as well as face powders, primers, concealers... It's quite silly, because now I have mild anxiety that my back-ups will go bad before I even have a chance to get to them. Something to work on next year for sure.

10. Tag a few other makeup addicts to do this tag!
I have a feeling this is an older tag and a lot of people may have already done it, but I'd love to see Belly of Wondegondigo, Claire from The Land of Lorp, Liz of So Lonely in Gorgeous and Louise of Lilting Grace give it a go - I want to see where you keep your make-ups! Thanks for reading, everyone :)

I've wanted to squeeze in this final purge of my make-up and skincare stash while it's still November; there's an epic empties post and the last update on my Project Make A Dent awaiting before the year's end, so I wanted to space out the collection-reducing content just a bit for you (also, I couldn't wait to get rid of this stuff, just sitting in my drawers and taking up precious space). Are you ready to see what's headed for the trash can?

Yes, this isn't a huge number of products - for which I'm quite glad, in fact. Throughout the year, I've given my unloved products that were still in a usable condition to friends and family to enjoy, including some lipsticks, blushes and eyeliners that I disliked the formula of, had dupes for, or that weren't a very flattering shade on me, and some gifted skincare I wasn't willing to try because of the ingredients. So this is really just the stuff that has been left behind and really isn't good for anything or anyone anymore, gone straight into the garbage after I took these photos.

Let's start with skincare, shall we? We have three expired sunscreens here, two from Poland and one from Paula's Choice. In fact, only one of these is mine and nearly empty (Paula's Choice SPF 45), the rest are really old bottles my family left behind after visiting us. I should have probably insisted they take these with them (well, if their luggage wasn't already at the weight limit), because I have no use for any sunscreen that's below SPF 30, and these are a laughable 10 and 15. A lesson to take away from this is NOT to have multiple back-ups of sunscreen because they do expire quite quickly.

I'm also finally getting rid of Tolpa's Dermo Face Sebio Light Mattifying Correcting Cream and Reviva Labs Light Skin Peel mask, both of which I disliked and are nearing their expiry dates anyway. I'm also throwing out a deluxe sample of Clarins One Step Exfoliating Cleanser and the Fortune Cookie Soap sunscreen stick that came in one of their Soap Boxes, because I hate both and life is too short to waste on mediocre products.

Now for the interesting part: make-up! You guys, I went back and forth on some of these for a good fifteen minutes, I just hate wasting products (and money!) so much. However, four of these were gifts, so none of my own money's been wasted here. The Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion sample, Graftobian Luster Creme in Orchid Odyssey and Murad Eye Lift Illuminator were all gifts with purchase and don't work for me for various reasons, plus I'm sick of looking at them lingering in my make-up storage.

The Sleek True Colour lipstick in Cherry was very well loved and a part of a make-up swap with a dear blogging friend, but it's unfortunately gone off; you can even see in the photo that the bullet looks a bit suspicious. I won't be replacing it with anything just now because I have some similar shades, including Wet n'Wild Dark Wine and Lancome Wine Party, but I may think about a closer subsitute next year. I used to really like the Revlon Colorbust Lipgloss in Papaya, but came to realize I dislike lipglosses with large shimmer particles, and haven't worn it in over a year, and my trusty NYX dual sharpener has gotten an upgrade via the Urban Decay Grindhouse, so I feel it's time to say goodbye.

And that's it! I'm much happier now that these products have made their way out of my stash. My decluttering efforts, combined with beauty shopping limits and regular empties, have really made a difference in the size AND quality of my collection. I definitely feel that I'm coming closer to having a well edited, versatile, well loved and manageable stash without random products and multiple back-ups causing me to feel guilt and anxiety. How about you? Have you jumped on a decluttering bandwagon this year?

Happy December! Since it's the first today, I thought it'd be alright to mention the dreaded 'H' word now; are you guys already feeling festive? Me, not so much - December kinda snuck up on me this year, and with our tropical getaway over Thanksgiving, I'm not ready to talk about gifts, Christmas trees, Winter Wonderland and all that. But I AM ready to talk about some georgious lipstick! (See what I did there? Couldn't help myself, sorry.)

Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact in Georgia ($51 for 0.12 oz) is by far the most expensive lipstick in my collection. I feel that I can't really dive right into my usual ponderings on the shade and texture without mentioning the price point first. Even though I got Georgia during the Sephora VIB 20% sale, Rouge Gs are still ridiculously spendy, and I'm not feeling too proud of myself that I succumbed to the temptation and bought it.

Given the completely over the top 'space tampon' packaging of Rouge Gs, I can't help but wonder whether I'm in fact paying for the luxurious tube or the lipstick within. This is not to say that I don't enjoy high-end, well-designed packaging (hello Givenchy Le Rouge!) and that I don't in fact expect it of more expensive products (cue my disappointment over the Rouge Bunny Rouge Chronos palette), but I realized that I don't want to be paying extra $15 over the already high price of premium lipstick just for the excessive Parisian jeweler-designed compact. I'm not collecting lipsticks for posterity - this is an utilitarian product, for Pete's sake. Couldn't we reign in the price and the design just a little bit, Guerlain?

With that necessary rant out of the way, let's oooh and aaah over my new Rouge G. Isn't this line just a perfect decadent thing to treat yourself to for the Holidays, or any time of the year for that matter? What surprised me in the Rouge G formula at my first swipe is the thin and gel-like texture. The brand claims Rouge Gs contain 'a ruby-powder formula that interacts with the light and creates a jaw-dropping pout of perfection'. While that particular detail sounds like a bunch of marketing crap to me, Guerlain also pens these as lip smoothing, plumping and hydrating, and I hate to agree.

I've been recently experiencing a lot more dryness on my lips and many lipstick formulas that used to feel comfortable are no longer very pleasant or attractive. By contrast, the Rouge G glides on the lips easily without catching on flakes and achieves full opacity with two swipes. The formula smoothes over vertical liplines without pooling and gives a beautiful, plump, cushiony look to my normally puckered mouth. There is a faint smell of violets (but nowhere near as bad as Burberry Lip Covers) but absolutely no taste.

No. 62 Georgia is a prime example of how I'm always drawn to the same shades over and over again. Sephora describes it as a rosy pink, but on me it's a warm rose with more red than pink tones. I'm still debating which one of my other rosy lipsticks, Givenchy Le Rouge in Rose Taffetas 201 or MAC Viva Glam Cyndi, is the closest dupe to Georgia. MAC's Cyndi, which is a Luster finish, is closer to Georgia in finish but a touch more watermelon red, while Givenchy Rose Taffetas is similarly lighter in depth, but a matte texture with a more muted white base. YSL Rouge Pur in Pink Grenadine is deeper, more red and thicker/ more opaque, and I threw in NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover just to show you how un-pink Georgia reads on my cool skintone. If you're curious, Burberry Lip Cover in Primrose Hill Pink would be very close to Georgia as well.

L-R, same order as the above photo: YSL Rouge Pur in Pink Grenadine, d/c, Guerlain Rouge G in Georgia no. 62, MAC Viva Glam Cyndi d/c, Givenchy Le Rouge in Rose Taffetas, NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover

Here's another one of my boring daytime looks, using Guerlain Rouge G in Georgia on the lips. I applied it on bare, unexfoliated lips (no lip balm!), without a lip liner. If you look really closely, it isn't as even near the flakes as on the rest of the lips but it somehow softens the appearance of dry skin. There was no bleeding or feathering when I wore it, and it retained a comfortable, creamy feel on my lips despite below freezing temperatures outside. It didn't unfortunately survive a meal, but I wasn't really expecting it to. The rest of my face is Face Atelier Ultra foundation (back from its summer exile, I finally found a way to make it work by applying over primer with a damp beautyblender and substantial powdering over the top), Canmake Cream Cheeks in Clear Pink Joy CL04 and dodgy dried out eyeliner pen on the eyes.

On my cool, fair winter skin, Georgia pulls almost coral - not that I'm complaining, just definitely not pink. Have you ever tried the Guerlain Rouge G formula and if so, what are your favorite shades? Or do you think $51 is entirely too much to spend on one lipstick?

I wasn't really planning to give these two a separate review, but my skin's been doing so well and I've been liking them so much that I just had to put my two new skincare loves in the spotlight: the Andalou Naturals Brightening Probiotic + C Renewal Cream ($19.99 for 1.7 oz/ 50 ml), and the included gift with purchase, the Clarifying Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub (regular size is $11.99 for 1.7 oz/ 50 ml on Vitacost, if you use my referral link you can get both for $21 - pretty nice, huh?).

Here's the reason I bought the Probiotic + C Renewal Cream in the first place: as you may remember, I had the Kate Somerville Goat Milk moisturizer on my wishlist instead. Well, I was contemplating that purchase, but I really wasn't very happy about the recent price increase (to a hefty $65), but also about the fact that the brand uses pollutant plastic microbreads in their products. I had tried a mask from Andalou in the past, and as I was browsing their product line, the word 'probiotic' jumped out: Aurelia Skincare, another natural brand, also makes probiotic products but at a much higher pricetag, and if probiotics can restore healthy bacteria in your gut, maybe they could also do it on your face? You know, like conquer all the bad acne bacteria and overall strengthen the skin's defense mechanisms?

So while I do buy into the probiotics and maybe more importantly, the high Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (form of Vitamin C) content, I'm not so convinced about the whole 'fruit stem cells' technology, for various reasons. But hey - if you can at least give some antioxidant power harnessed from apples, grapes and berries, as well as hyaluronic acid, manuka honey, peptides, resveratrol, coenzyme Q10, allantoin and Vitamin E all in one moisturizer, who am I to complain? I also had no idea my Renewal Cream would come with a free Facial Scrub, so bonus points for that.

But sometimes even the best ingredients list doesn't guarantee good product performance. This is NOT the case with the Brightening Probiotics + C Renewal Cream: it's probably the BEST moisturizer I've used in a really long time, surpassing the Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve, my former favorite. Both Andalou products come in sturdy plastic jars, the full size having a nicer brushed metal lid (the deluxe sample's lid is just plastic) - nothing groundbreaking here, but aesthetically pleasing and functional.

The Probiotics + C Renewal Cream has a beautiful, fresh tangerine scent that feels refreshing and energizing as you're applying the moisturizer to your skin. It has a very lightweight, almost gel-like texture that spreads easily and absorbs quickly into the skin. It definitely feels more hydrating than moisturizing (as in more water than oil content) and while I've been using it at night, the weightless formula would be perfect to wear as a day cream under make-up. As a night cream, it acts as a seal to my serums and treatments, and layers well with a facial oil for the added boost of moisture in the winter.

I've only been using it for a couple weeks (so I can't vouch for long-term results) but here are my thoughts so far: the Andalou Renewal Cream makes my face feel velvety soft, hydrated and balanced. By balanced, I mean that I now rarely get dry flakes around my face, but it also seems to help minimize oil production a bit. I've also noticed fewer large breakouts and less congestion, and my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is fading faster. Can you tell how happy I am to have this in my routine?

The Clarifying Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub was also a very nice surprise. I generally prefer chemical to physical exfoliation, but sometimes the only way to get rid of some pesky dry patches is to incorporate a gentle scrub once a week. The Lemon Sugar Scrub is maybe a bit coarser than I would like (the sugar crystals are larger than what I'm used to), but with the right amount of water, they dissolve easily, forming a thick, creamy, slightly foamy layer on the face. Because the sugar dissolves in water, the scrub is easy to rinse off, and leaves my skin quite matte but not dry or tight. I did get some redness on my sensitive skin, though it disappeared quickly, and after usage my face was smooth and perfectly prepped for further steps in my routine - everything seemed to absorb that much better! Again, I can't vouch for long-term results, but so far I'm really liking it, and I'm happy to see aloe vera, sunflower, coconut and olive oils, manuka honey and MAP in the ingredients. And it smells heavenly of Meyer lemon and ylang ylang :)

So finally, after a long period of putting up with mediocre moisturizers, it seems that I have found my match. I'm really glad I gave Andalou Naturals a chance, and I'll be definitely trying more products from the brand; in fact, I also bought the 1000 Roses Sensitive Skincare Kit to try over the Holidays. Andalou Naturals is carried in Whole Foods in the US, and from my experience, the employees are happy to make a sample if you want to try before you buy. Have you ever tried anything from Andalou Naturals? What is your current favorite moisturizer?

Since I always complain how boring my everyday looks are, why not have some fun at least for the Holidays? I haven't done a true smokey eyes in so long that I thought it fitting to return to this true make-up classic and put a glamorous Holiday spin on it with rich jewel shades and sparkling metallics. It's a good look to try if you prefer to play up your eyes rather than your lips, or have a long night of eating and drinking and would rather not risk a Christmassy red lip. Here's how I did it:

I'm not sure how much you can tell from the photos but the eyes are very heavy in this look; in fact, I don't remember the last time I wore this much make-up on my eyeballs. Because the eyes are so dramatic, I've kept my cheeks and lips more on the neutral mauvey side, but made sure to carefully define and fill in my brows to balance and frame the bold eyes.

And yes, this is a pretty literal interpretation of the Holiday color theme: a burgundy matte in the crease and a shimmery emerald green along the lower lashline, with a an antique gold metallic taupe on the mobile lid and in the inner corners. I've also used a matte midtone neutral brown to transition the burgundy in the crease, and a matte cream shade under the browbone to help tie the whole look together. I lined my upper lashline with a black eyeliner pen, extending it out only a little bit at the outer corner, tightlined with a black pencil liner, and applied a dark teal in the bottom waterline.

This bold eye look wouldn't be complete without a pair of false lashes, and I chose a pair of Esqido Mink Lashes in the 'Oh So Sweet' style*. This is my second pair of Esqido's beautiful, fluttery falsies and I have to say that Oh So Sweets blend in with my natural lashes even better than the Unforgettable pair, reviewed here. I still struggle a bit with properly applying these in the inner corners of my eyes, but I think we're getting there. The Esqido Oh So Sweet give just the right amount of drama and definition to the look without overwhelming my eyes - and you can now get them for 20% off, AND there's a 12-days giveaway going on until December 12th too! If you're not sure which style would suit you, Esqido just came out with an interactive Holiday Lash Guide to help you choose the perfect pair to suit your look and eye shape. It's a lot of fun to try out and actually, the Oh So Sweet pair turned out to be my match!

Here's the product breakdown with reviews linked where possible, in case you're curious:
Base:Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Porcelain, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque under the eyes, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly on spots and scars, MUFE HD loose powder to set
Cheeks:Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil bronzer for a very light contour, NARS blush in Sin on the apples and blended back into the hairline, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light to highlight
Brows:Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 eyebrow pencil in Seal Brown, Benefit Gimme Brow fiber gel in Light/Medium
Eyes: NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, antique taupe from the L'Oreal HiP Duo in Electrified on the lid and inner corner, theBalm 'Sexy' matte burgundy shade from the Nude'Tude palette, a matte light brown from the Physicians Formula Canyon Classics quad to blend out, Too Faced Heaven matte cream eyeshadow on the browbone (from the Natural Eye palette), Inglot no. 414 Pearl emerald green eyeshadow along the lower lashline;
Physicians Formula Eye Booster thick eyeliner pen in Black, Pixi Endless Silky Eyeliner in Black Noir to tightline, Sephora Contour Waterproof Liner in Surfer Babe on the lower waterline, YSL Faux Cils mascara, Esqido 'Oh So Sweet' Mink Lashes*
Lips:TATCHA Gold Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm*, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, patted in along the lip lines

I hope this gives you some inspiration for the upcoming season of parties and family gatherings; I'm defnitely going to do something similar for our Christmas Eve dinner or maybe Christmas Day! Do you plan your Holiday party looks in advance? What are you intending to wear this year?

Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brands for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Our tiny Manhattan bathroom has minimal storage, so we make as much use as we can out of our medicine cabinet, also known as Monika's Secret Skincare Stash (our family was beyond surprised to learn there's stuff hidden behind the mirror, lol - there's no such thing as medicine cabinets in Poland, folks!). I thought it'd be fun to share what I'm reaching for skincare-wise these days; there's a lot of products to get through so this is more of a show-and-tell than mini-reviews, but I've linked previous reviews where possible and if you have specific questions, just let me know in the comments. Alrighty then!

Are you surprised that my stuff occupies three out of four shelves in the medicine cabinet? I'm not showing you Mr's shelf because really, unused colognes and beard scissors aren't that exciting. I've also skipped a couple haircare products on the bottom shelf for the sake of brevity. Sorry these photos are all at an angle and thus in various stages of out-of-focus-ness; kinda hard to take shots of a mirrored cabinet without putting yourself in the frame. Anyway, let's work our way from the bottom to the top:

The bottom has some random things like cotton squares, my deodorant, contant lens case and a cup with q-tips, nail scissors, Tweezerman tweezers, spot treatments (Aesop Control and Paula's Choice BHA 9) and LiLash. Next to that from right to left, I have some more treatment skincare that I reach for a couple times a week rather than every day: Dr. Wu Intensive Renewal Mandelic Acid I use once a week at night, TATCHA Gold Camellia Beauty Oil* I sometimes layer under my night cream for added moisture, and Coral Actives 5% Benzoyl Peroxide serum for spots again. Also, an Epic Blend More Moisture Unflavored Lip Balm* - still really liking their balms!

On the middle shelf resides the bulk of my everyday skincare routine. I line it up sort of in the order of usage from left to right, starting with cleansing and toning products on the left. For my morning cleanse, I use the MyChelle Apple Brightening Cleanser, and for the evening cleanse, the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, preceded by the Avene Micellar Lotion if I'm wearing make-up that day. For acid toning, I use the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads in the morning, the Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads in the evening and always follow both with a spritz of rose hydrosol, here decanted into a clear spray bottle.

I pat in my eye cream right after toning my face and before serums and moisturizers: right now I'm using the ever so popular Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment. At night, I like to go for a more targeted serum and apply Murad's Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lighening Serum, and in the morning, the more hydrating and soothing Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum*; although I do find now that it tends to roll under my moisturizers. You probably know all about my thoughts on the Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Renewal Cream if you've read my previous post, but if I need some added SPF protection, I've just started using the Canmake Easy & Fast Make Gel (sic), which is basically a moisturizer, sunscreen and make-up primer all in one.

I tend to keep things I only use occasionally on the very top shelf, like my collection of Aura Cacia essential oils, which I sometimes use in my bath or in DIY skincare, but mostly in a little oil burner for scenting our apartment. My favorites are Cardamom, Vetiver, Bergamot and Ylang-ylang, and for some reason, the Jasmine Absolute in jojoba oil turned out to be a complete let-down.

On the right of that same shelf I store my scrubs and masks. I only use a physical scrub about once a week, and I try to do my masks about twice a week - I'll often scrub first and then apply a clay mask or a moisturizing one for better performance. The two scrubs I'm rotating are the Reviva Microdermabrasion Pomegranate Scrub and Andalou Naturals Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub. For clay masks, I use either the Andalou Naturals Blue Geranium Creamy Clay Mask or a Ghassoul clay mask with rose oil my parents brought me from their trip to Morocco. I also still love the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant and like to use it before applying the Dr. Wu Mandelic Acid serum, and when my skin is feeling dehydrated, I reach for the Avene Soothing Moisture Mask; unfortunately both of these are almost used up, so I'm on the lookout for some new replacements.

And there you have it! Pretty excessive, huh? My mum just recently told me she only washes her face at night and often doesn't apply even a moisturizer, much less two types of toners, serums, treatments and all that jazz. Is your medicine cabinet as filled with skincare as mine? Does your routine tend to be short and sweet or long and elaborate?

Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brands' PRs for review consideration. I purchased all the other products myself, or they were a kind gift from friends/family or a Gift With Purchase. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Clearly, this post shows exactly what I am using myself in my everyday skincare routine, which means I like all of these products enough to keep reaching for them. Thank you for reading!

I realize it's probably too late for most people to speak of any gift ideas, but these were just too cute not to share with you - and it's something a little different than beauty! So, even if these ideas are not entirely doable this year, you could keep them in mind for next Holiday season, or even a birthday or other special occasion.

One of the things I like to gift my friends and family for Christmas are cute calendars and planners. I feel that it's something almost everyone uses and needs (especially for the beginning of the new year) but maybe doesn't necessarily want to splurge on a really nice one themselves. In the past, I've gone the classic Moleskine route, but this year I thought I wanted something a little less run-of-the-mill. After a VERY long research session on various websites, Amazon and Etsy, I completely fell down the Korean stationery rabbit hole. I mean really - can you get ANY more adorable than this?!

2015 Gunmangzeung Simple Light Monthly Small Dated Planners in Circus and Bonjour patterns

2015 Gunmangzeung My Daily Life Dated Small Diary in Red, PlanD Matryoshka Index Sticky Note Set, Iconic Sticky Book in the Vintage pattern

I ordered all of the planners you see here from the Korean online store Fallindesign, but you can also search for the specific ones on eBay. The downside of ordering through Fallindesign was that I paid about $20 in shipping, while eBay shipping options are often free or very affordable, but the upside was that I was ordering from an established and trustworthy retailer, and my order was delivered within two weeks, everything inside packaged impeccably. The paper quality in all of these planners is great, and I love that they come with a plastic cover; however, please note that the patterned journals are not hard cover, which makes them less sturdy but not as heavy to carry around.

Gunmangzeung Monthly Simplanner Special Edition (undated) in the Apple pattern

2015 Indigo Willow Story Illustration Pattern Undated Monthly Scheduler in Yellow, Smile Sticky Memo Notes - Owl

Now, if you DON'T want to go through the hassle of ordering from the evil Bay or a store overseas, I have another option for you. Shortly after I placed my order for these Korean planners, I was contacted by the US-based custom paper goods retailer Minted.com. This was one of those times when I was genuinely happy to hear from a brand I hadn't known about beforehand, because I was sucked into Minted's offerings pretty much instantenously.

Minted.com is like a curated collection of beautiful things from graphic designers all over the world, which you can pick out and customize to fit your own needs. They have everything (do I sound like the Stefon character from SNL?): wall art in a variety of sizes and frames, customizable journals and notebooks, personal stationery, Holiday greeting cards, even fabrics and stickers. Not only are their adorable designs very hard to resist (I challenge you NOT to find something you like on their website!), it makes me feel good that I can contribute to the income of an actual living breathing designer. Here are some of my top picks with links:

I Love Baking and Math Art Print // Do Small Things with Great Love Customizable Planner, Address Book or Notebook // Read Textured Blocks Art Print // Blue Bird Personal Stationery // Hello Love Day Planner, Notebook or Address Book // New York City Map Foil Art Print // Classic Posy Personal Stationery // Mid-Century Moments Art Print

Again, it's probably a bit too late to use these ideas for this upcoming Holiday season, but how wonderful would be to pick out a custom gift for your loved one next year? Maybe a weekly planner with their photo and a meaningful quote on the inside cover, or an art print that relates to where they live or what their interests are, or even a personalized stationery for exchanging snail mail. I'm definitely storing these ideas for later.

Are you guys stationery-obsessed too? Do you like giving customized gifts? Let me know in the comments what your best Holiday gift ideas are this season!

Disclaimer: This post has been published in cooperation with Minted.com. I am receiving a store credit in exchange for featuring my top picks from Minted on my blog; this way I can also try out their services myself and let you know what I think of them. After I order and receive my goodies, you can expect an update with specifics on quality, turnaround time and delivery. I've purchased all the other products featured myself and they are actual presents I'm gifting some family members and friends this Holiday season. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as (future) free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Wait, what?! Tanning, Bahamas - what is all this nonsense about, and in the middle of December to boot, I hear you ask? Well, I kind of hinted here and there that we were going on a short tropical getaway over the Thanksgiving weekend, and it was Bahamas, baby - the Island of New Providence more specifically. But before I could transform myself into a true Bahama Mama (yes, my husband did call me that several times and yes, I did have a few of those cocktails while we were there), I needed some help in the tanning department, and Cocoa Brown kindly sent two of their products to the rescue.

You may remember from this ranty post that I am generally over self-tanning and mostly embrace my pale self. But there are just a few occasions when a warm glow, not even a tan per se, comes in handy - one of them being a beach vacay. What really convinced me to give Cocoa Brown a try was that the company hails from Ireland, the land of fair freckly beauties, and they have very light fake tan options for the palest of pale like me. My husband thought it was hilarious that I got some Irish self tanners to test out :) Cocoa Brown has also just launched on the US market, and their products are now available in Ricky's NYC beauty stores - if you live in New York, you know there's a Ricky in virtually every neighborhood. If you're not in the US or Ireland, you can also shop for Cocoa Brown products online at FeelUnique.com, which offers free worldwide delivery with a minium $15 order.

I decided to go for the big guns first and try the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse* (can't find the official MSRP in the US, but it's $11.27 for 150ml on FeelUnique), which I applied with their Tanning Mitt* ($4.82 each). I'd never tried a self-tanning mousse before, so the experience was both terrifying and fun. The 1 Hour Tan Mousse comes out as an incredibly fluffy khaki-toned blob when you press down the nozzle, which I then tried to vigorously but evenly blend into my skin. It spreads easily but dries down rather quickly, so I'd recommend working in smaller sections. At this point, I panicked just a little bit, because it gives an instant olive tan to the skin and I was starting not to look myself, but it's just a guide color to help you apply evenly and not miss any spots. The guide sets on the skin and doesn't transfer or rub off, so no worries about getting the fake tan on your clothes or your bedsheets.

Since my skin is fair and I chickened out, I only kept the tan on my skin for an hour (you can also wait 2 hours for a medium tan or 3 for a dark tan - or opt for the Dark Mousse), which is when I rinsed it off under the shower. All of the dark olive guide color came right off with just running water, and when I stepped out and carefully toweled myself dry, I was left with just a hint of a peachy brown tan. Husband couldn't see anything at all, but to me, my skin had that pretty warm glow, no streaks, no dark patches, overall very natural looking and exactly what I was hoping for. While the mousse has a pleasant gardenia scent once it's on your skin, I did get a faint whiff of fake tan after I rinsed it off in the shower, but nothing that couldn't be masked with a fragranced body butter. Since the one hour application only gave me a very faint tan, I'd probably go for an hour and a half next time now that I've got my courage up.

Now, the Gentle Bronze Gradual Tan* ($9.66 for 200ml on FeelUnique) is definitely something I'm more familiar with, as gradual self-tanning lotions used to be my weapon of choice back when I was still reaching for a fake tan here and there. The gradual lotion has a nice light consistency that sinks right in and the same gardenia scent. Again, one application gives just a little bit of color that warms up my skintone from the plucked chicken into the 'we sometimes let her out of the cellar' territory. I will definitely reach for this one more often once the temperature rises and my legs are not always covered with pants or tights.

In terms of fading, the 1 Hour Tan Mousse washed away very gradually without me really noticing; with that little bit of sunshine in Nassau, it was almost as if my natural holiday tan blended in perfectly with the self-tan glow. I experienced no random pale patches for the five days or so when I still had some self-tanner on my skin and I was really happy with my more radiant, outdoorsy skin. With the help of Gentle Bronze, I'm now able to extend my holiday glow for an extra couple weeks; again, the effect is so subtle that it fades evenly and gradually.

If you've made it this far into this unseasonal review, here's a special bonus for you! I've decided to include a couple photos from our trip - not that you can see my tan in any of them - but rather to feast your eyes on some beautiful colors and hopefully warm up your day:

Overall, I'm very pleased with the results achieved with the two Cocoa Brown tans I've tried, especially the 1 Hour Tan - it was just so easy to use! At this price point, I can definitely see myself repurchasing. Do you guys use self-tanners? What is your favorite tanning product?

Disclaimer: Products featured in this post and marked with an asterix (*) are 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 products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Oh, the inner turmoil and third-guessing yourself when deciding whether to pull a trigger on another neutral eyeshadow palette... Remember my hesitation over the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 palette? In the end, I didn't buy it. In fact, apart from the Limited Edition Rouge Bunny Rouge quint, I haven't bought another eyeshadow palette this year, the main reason being that I really, really want to avoid getting repeat shades I may already have as singles or in other compacts. So, I decided to bypass the whole palette issue by way of my handy dandy small Z Palette, and put together my own perfect matte eyeshadow set. Wanna see what's inside?

What we have here is a mix of drugstore, mid-end brands and one lonely MAC eyeshadow in Embark, a warm dark brown. The two largest rectangular pans are Inglot, which makes one of my all time favorite matte eyeshadow formulas - here's another post with other shades and swatches, but I reach for no. 337 and no. 344 the most. Conversely, my least favorite (and second to most expensive) matte formula in this palette is the MAC eyeshadow - I don't know what happened to my Embark, but it's rock hard, patchy and poorly pigmented. I thought that maybe it formed that hard layer on the surface like some older powders sometimes do (although it's been barely used and always stored in a MAC palette), so I tried to scratch it off, but it's pretty much the same underneath. What gives? I'll experiment with it a bit more but if I can't find a way to work with this texture, it's probably going to go in the trash.

The three smaller rectangular pans come from my new drugstore acquisition, the Physicians Formula Matte Collection Eye Shadow Quad in Canyon Classics - I think I paid about $8 for it on Amazon. I bought it precisely with the thought of depotting it into the Z Palette, and while that process wasn't entirely pleasant (see the damage from a pin in the corners? Yeah, spare yourself the trouble and just melt the plastic underneath straight away), I'm very happy with these shadows.

They may not be as creamy or opaque as Inglot, but they're still very, very good for an inexpensive, widely available option. I'm sorry I forgot to include swatches of these, they do however swatch true to pan, and yes, these two medium warm browns are very, very similar indeed - I wish they included something a bit different. Overall, it's a great neutral medium-depth quad that should suit a variety of skintones, and the ivory shade is even light enough to show up on my fair skin.

You may recognize the other, slightly deeper and more yellow ivory eyeshadow in the round pan from my Project Make A Dent - it's an Annabelle Eyeshadow in Vanilla Chilla. I'm a bit over it and actually, the Physicians Formula is way nicer both texture and shade-wise, but I'm still working on it! The last round pan is another new discovery, a Red Apple Lipstick Mineral Eyeshadow in Clean Slate* ($18.75 for 0.055 oz/ 1.5 g), a medium matte grey leaning purple.

Red Apple Lipstick eyeshadows are gluten-free, paraben-free and vegan, can be used both wet and dry, and already come in a single pan form to save you the trouble of depotting. You can also purchase their two eyeshadow compact called Twosie separately, and they also have small Z-Palettes with their own cute apple pattern available as well. I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from Clean Slate, assuming that lipstick was probably the star of the Red Apple Lipstick product line, but boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

Red Apple Lipstick Mineral Eyeshadow in Clean Slate definitely rivals my favorite Inglot mattes. It's incredibly smooth, buttery and beautifully pigmented, and blends like a dream - but doesn't blend into oblivion like some mattes are wont to do. It does have quite a bit of powder kick-up in the pan, just like the Inglot mattes, but that's probably the only downside to the formula (well, not really. I don't even mind it that much). It looks beautiful on the eyes and wears all day over eyeshadow primer. Yeah, I don't think I'll be buying any more MAC mattes any time in the future; give me Red Apple Lipstick's shadows over MAC any day. You can also catch RAL on their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram if you have any questions or like silent stalking like me.

L-R: Annabelle Vanilla Chilla, MAC Embark, Red Apple Lipstick Clean Slate, Inglot 344, Inglot 337, Too Faced Velvet Revolver

The last tiny pan in there that's super similar to one of the Canyon Classics shades is Too Faced Velvet Revolver, possibly my favorite shade depotted from the Natural Eye palette. I'm very happy with my Do It Yourself (more like Assemble it Yourself) matte eyeshadow palette, and I think it's an incredibly useful thing to keep on hand when you need some basic neutrals to create a complete eye look. A lot of smaller eyeshadow compacts (duos/ trios/ quads/ quints) often lack these basic highlighting and transitioning shades, so a staple little palette like this is indispensable for everyday usage.

What are your favorite neutral matte eyeshadows you reach for over and over again? Do you have a premade palette, keep your depotted shadows in a freeform palette, or do you use singles? I'd love to know!

Disclaimer: The product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from Red Apple Lipstick for review consideration. I purchased all the other eyeshadows myself. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

I often casually mention here and there what a huge bookworm I am, but I'm quite non-commital when it comes to actually sharing what I've been reading, maybe except for some few and far between library hauls on Instagram. Well, I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and finally pass on some book recommendations - especially fitting now as it's the time of annual 'Best ofs' and some such lists (yes, there IS a beauty round-up coming soon, duh!). Anyway, lo and behold, in no particular order, my favorite books I've read in 2014:

Btw, these are not the books I'm recommending (I'm especially NOT recommending you read Regina Brett), it's just one of the shelves in our bookcase. All of the books I'm recommending (with the exception of one) were library finds, and on that note, New York Public Library is a favorite too, even if they only let me keep the books for 2 weeks at a time.

Kristin Cashore 'Graceling' and 'Fire', 2008 and 2009
Fantasy has always been one of my favorite genres in fiction, and these two first books from the Graceling Realm series cement my love and hope in its future. Why yes, these are children/ young adult books. And yes, contrary to many teen reads making the rounds these days, 'Graceling' and 'Fire' are mature both in subject matter and literary means, but more importantly, they're moving, thought-provoking, gripping and relatable. I found the emotional upheavals of the main characters very haunting, in a similar way I've always found Astrid Lindgren's Ronia the Robber's Daughter incredibly beautiful in its melancholy. I'm probably doing a very poor job of convincing you to read these right now, but I absolutely loved them, and I think you would too.

Isabel Allende 'Ripper', 2014
Wait, what? Isabel Allende of magical realism, The House of the Spirits and Eva Luna, has written a murder mystery? I was intrigued too. Both me and Mr read this one and had some bones to pick with the plot at times, but 'Ripper' also has elements I've loved in other mystery books: a precocious child/ teen sleuth character (similarly to the hilarious and lovable heroine of Alan Bradley Flavia de Luce series) and a serial killers' fanatics club who takes on solving the 'Who dunnit' (similarly to Charlaine Harris' Real Murders/ Aurora Teagarden series). In addition, Ripper also features multiple points of view and a curiously matter of fact style of narrative. Maybe not a 'must read', but an engrossing choice for crime novel (and San Fran!) lovers.

Neil Gaiman, 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane', William Morrow and Company, 2013
Am I totally late to the party? Or maybe you too haven't heard that there's a new(ish) Neil Gaiman book out now? Either way, go read it, it's everything we've come to expect from the author, maybe even in a slightly more unsettling atmosphere. 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' bridges the realms of a short story/ short novel, memories and dreams, the world of adults and the world of children. It paints a beautiful, menacing landscape where things don't always turn out alright in the end, not without grave consequences. Just read it already, you can thank me later.

Donna Tartt, 'The Goldfinch', Little, Brown and Company, 2013
Oooh, Pullitzer Prize winner and shortlisted as one of 10 Best Books of 2013 by New York Times Book Review - are you impressed already? I feel that The Goldfinch has become an Ulysses of the past year, where a lot of people attempt to read it only to get stuck in the first few chapters. I don't think it's entirely fair; not that this is an easy read, but the difficulty lies more in the subject matter than the style of writing for me personally. The Goldfinch features a tragic young hero whom we follow through his struggles and let's admit it, mostly lows, but also some fascinating insights on the art world and the personal meaning of art, similarly to the book I'm going to recommend next. Overall, it's somewhat of a daunting read, but well worth the effort in my opinion.

Susan Vreeland, 'Girl in Hyacinth Blue', Penguin Books, 2000
Not the latest release - but I've actually started with the newer (2012) Susan Vreeland historic art novel, 'Clara and Mr. Tiffany' (also lovely, especially if you're interested in Tiffany's stained glass, early feminist movements and New York City in the 1890s), and worked my way back to 'Girl in Hyacinth Blue' - of which I slightly prefer the latter. This is more of a collection of short stories centered around the common subject of an imaginary Vermeer painting, and the meaning of that work of art in the lives of different people spanning from its creation to modern times. It's not necessarily eye-opening, but I enjoyed the various glimpses into the past and multiple narratives.

Michelle Nevius and James Nevius, 'Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City', Free Press, 2009
Can you see that strangely meandering pattern in the choice of my reading material? I've always enjoyed reading books set in cities I lived in, and living in NYC definitely has the benefit of a lot of fictitious reading material ('Clara and Mr. Tiffany', 'The Goldfinch', and a notable mention of 'The Golem and the Jinni' by Helene Wecker). But sometimes it's a good idea to build a solid basis of hard facts about your city by way of a history book, especially if you get a lot of house guests who enjoy little anecdotes here and there, but would never actually research anything on their own - can you tell I'm speaking from personal experience of a not-always-willing amateur tour guide? I've paged through a couple different books on NYC history but 'Inside the Apple' was definitely a standout: clearly divided into little nuggets of information, interesting, cross-referencing and comes with several guided walk ideas at the end. If you're a fellow New Yorker or a lover of the city, Nevius' book may be worth looking into.

Jonathan Carroll 'Bathing the Lion', St. Martin's Press, 2014
Carroll is back, baby! If you grew up in Poland in the 90s, you're probably very familiar with this American writer and his books, especially the covers of editions published in the 'Salamandra' series. I was trying to explain to my husband how his books were my favorite growing up, and he didn't remember ever reading one, so I did some digging, and get this: his first book, 'The Land of Laughs', couldn't find a publisher for a long time and was finally published thanks to a famous Polish science fiction writer, Stanislaw Lem, whose son Carroll taught in Vienna. Since then, Carroll's books are published first in Poland and often reference elements of Polish culture, as is the case in 'Bathing the Lion'.

The cover of the American edition likens Carroll's writing to Philip K. Dick, Italo Calvino, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Kafka. I do agree that 'Bathing the Lion' starts in a magical realism fashion, but then quite unexpectedly takes off in several different directions. It's a bit of a mind bender, and after devouring it through the course of one fine Saturday, my thoughts keep returning to the plot and its possible meanings. I definitely recommend it. If it helps you decide, Neil Gaiman recommends it too.

Enough with the favorites, time for the one major unfavorite for this year: Allure 'The Beauty Expert' (quote unquote purely mine) magazine, and women's magazines in general. Here's a bit of background to my story: a while ago, I used to have a yearly subscription to Allure, which I enjoyed, and when that was up and I found a very inexpensive subscription option for six months, I went for it it again. I've always treated women's lifestyle magazines as a very frivolous, brain fart sort of reading material, but with this round of Allure, I've ceased to enjoy it even in that role. I find the topic selection quite boring, the quality of writing sub par, the product recommendations untrustworthy, and overall content light years behind blogs and online platforms.

But get this - Allure probably felt beauty blogs encrouching on their territory, and wanted to appear progressive and generous of spirit, so they launched their own best beauty blogs competition. I am aware that the contest helped some bloggers build their audience and brand relationships (good for them!), but I can't help but feel that Allure is somehow taking advantage of participants to promote their own magazine. In the time of widespread outrage at undisclosed sponsorships, PR samples and hidden commercial content, doesn't it seem kinda convoluted to you that bloggers would be pointing their readers in the direction of a magazine where those practices are everyday bread and butter? Maybe I'm taking quite a radical stance, but either way, I won't be subscribing to Allure any longer, and I'm switching my in-flight reading material to National Geographic these days. What do you guys think - do you still read beauty and fashion magazines?

That big rant aside, I do hope you enjoyed browsing through my favorite reads for this year and have found something that piqued your bookwormy interest. Let me know if you've read any of these and if so, what were your thoughts, but more importantly PLEASE share your book picks for 2014 - I'm forever looking for good recommendations!

Prepare yourself for a long, looong post chock-full of my empty beauty products from the fourth quarter of 2014! I'll also update you on my progress in editing my skinare and make-up collection towards the end, so feel free to skedaddle to the bottom of the page if you don't care for my beauty trash. Right, let's pull everything out from the empties bag!

Clearly, that's not everything that was in the bag - I had so many things that they just wouldn't fit in the frame. For some reason, I think I had more empties in that last quarter of 2014 than I had in any of the previous updates, which makes me pretty happy! Anyway, what should we start with? Maybe skincare...

Products I disliked and wouldn't repurchase: Murad Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30 (heavy, greasy, strange consistency that tended to roll under foundation), Arcona Raspberry toner (awful artificial scent, sticky on the skin), Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant (works reasonably well but leaves a greasy film).
Products I enjoyed, but I'm trying out other things:fresh LotusYouth Preserve cream (keeps skin supple and moisturized without being heavy, but weird scent and my new Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Renewal Cream works even better), Sisley Hydra-Global Intensive Anti-Aging Hydration (also a great moisturizer, but the price! No, thank you), Dermalogica Age Smart Overnight Repair Serum (good anti-aging oil serum, a touch heavy for my combination skin), St. Ives Daily Exfoliating Pads (okay but not as good as First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads), Avene Soothing Moisture Mask (effective but still looking for my perfect hydrating mask), Vichy Eau Thermale Water Spray, Nature Republic Bee Venom Mist Essence (really enjoyed this soothing and hydrating toner but for the price, it run out quite quickly).
Products I would repurchase (but am probably trying out other things too): Bioderma Hydrabio Serum (absorbs quickly, lightweight, effective at hydrating, good for sensitive skin), Mountain Rose Herbs 100% Rose Hydrosol (I may be getting some new hydrosols under the tree - I'm excited!).

Bodycare! Lots of soaps, deodorants and bath oils/ salts, but no body lotions? Hmmm, I may have been slacking on the body moisturizing front...
Products I disliked and wouldn't repurchase: Crystal Essence Natural Deodorant in Pomegranate (didn't de-stink and the rollerball was quite drippy)
Products I enjoyed, but I'm trying out other things: Zum Tub Sandalwood Citrus Bath Salts (to be completely honest, husband used up all of these when he had a cold), Aura Cacia Rose Otto in Jojoba oil (used in the bath as well but a bit expensive for this little bottle), Purell hand sanitizer, Black Olive Oil Soap from Morocco (again, used up by husband, we both liked the cleansing power but not having to scoop it out of the tub), Prada Candy Shower Gel (an indulgent gift with purchase of Candy perfume), Rose bar soap from Bulgaria, and the Neom bath oils were covered in my last empties post, I'm not sure why I still had them in my bag :/
Products I would repurchase (but am probably trying out other things too): Mitchum Power Gel Unscented Antiperspirant

Onto haircare! Only four products here, no styling treatments this time.
Products I enjoyed, but I'm trying out other things: The Body Shop Banana Conditioner (conditions well without weighting down my hair but not a fan of the banana scent), Alterna Bamboo Abundant Volume Shampoo (enjoyed it but too pricey to purchase regularly), Dove Hair Therapy Dry Shampoo, Phyto Hydrating Hair Oil deluxe sample (didn't make it to the photo, it was nice but nothing special)
Products I would repurchase: Batiste Dry Shampoo (much better than Dove, I really, really like the results it gives me!)

Hand and nailcare - a new subcategory especially for this round of empties since I had quite a few products in the bag:
Products I disliked and wouldn't repurchase: Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel x 2 (it's a facial cleanser btw, but I disliked it on the face and used up the rest as a hand soap).
Products I enjoyed, but I'm trying out other things: OPI Original Polish Remover (works well except for glitter nail polish, I ordered Zoya's Remove + to try next), Trind Nailpolish Remover* (ditto).
Products I would repurchase (but am probably trying out other things too): Barry M Nail Paint in Raspberry (I have a China Glaze polish in Merry Berry that's extremely similar, but I love the Barry M shade and formula! My bottle is 5 years old though and unfortunately, no amount of nail polish thinner is capable of reviving it now), Neosalus Cream (prescription moisturizer, too expensive to repurchase but works very well - I still have one tube left for this winter!

Exciting times, make-up empties! Lots and lots of mascara samples - I only have a couple of those left so I can finally start using my full size mascara back-ups!
Products I disliked and wouldn't repurchase: Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara (gives no volume whatsoever), Revlon Brow Fantasy Duo (pencil side is passable, but the gel is awful! Crispy and visible on the brow hairs), Physicians Formula Eye Booster Eyeliner + Serum (felt tip is way too big, linerisn't pigmented enough and tends to feather), bareMinerals Lash Domination Mascara (scratchy brush a la benefit They're Real, smudged and flaked on me), Skindinavia No More Shine Make-up Setting Spray (did nothing to stop shine or mattify my face), Osmia Lip Luster is a repeat from last empties, sorry!
Products I enjoyed, but I'm trying out other things: benefit BADgal Lash (decent but not oustanding), YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils (I quite like it but definitely don't want to pay the full price), BECCA Dual Coverage Compact Concealer (works well but there are better products for concealing imperfections on the market), Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Mascara (again, I'd rather not pay high-end mascara prices with so many good options at the drugstore!).

As you can see, I also used up a few fragrance samples, my stand-outs being Lubin Black Jade and Menard Eau de Kasaneka - you can find full reviews of these perfumes in this post.

And lastly a couple foil samples; no immediate loves here, but I was pleasantly surprised by The Face Shop Face It Make-up Primer.

Now for my overall progress in editing down my beauty stash this year: I'm really proud of my progress, you guys! I know many of you have been rooting for me and thank you for that, it has definitely given me a boost of motivation. Between my empties posts, general decluttering and purging of the stash, including both products I've given away to family and friends as well as products I threw in the trash (latest round-up here), and my Project Make A Dent (the finale is coming!!!), my attempts at the capsule collection have been a big success. I have not only downsized my back-up drawer tremendously and managed to finish older products lingering in my collection, but I now also feel that my stash is more edited and contains only products I enjoy reaching for on a regular basis. I no longer feel a twinge of anxiety when I think about products I've kept for years that are probably already expired or nearing expiry, and I'm more ruthless in getting rid of products that don't work for me.

I have also gotten better at controlling my lemmings and those sudden urges to immediately go online beauty shopping because I spotted something I'm really interested in trying. I've found that when a desire to shop RIGHT NOW makes your mouth go dry and you feel your willpower crumbling, it's best to step away from the online checkout, maybe go make yourself a cup of tea and re-evaluate why you feel the need to buy right this instant (there's usually no good reason and even significant discounts are not always the best excuse to shop). I personally make a deal with myself where I'll put my latest obsessions on a wishlist, and if I feel like I still really need the new goodies in a month or so, I can get them within my 2 products per month allowance.

Now, speaking of my beauty allowance - I've also been generally doing well with it and although I cheated quite a bit in the month of November with all the sales and discounts going on, there were also months where I purchased less than 2 beauty products, or nothing. I've now also come to the point where I do need to repurchase certain skincare items because I have no back-ups left to use, and I think those necessary purchases should be exempt from my limit. I will be talking about these new caveats and updating some of my goals early next year, so stay tuned for that!

Extra brownie points if you got this far! Thank you so much for reading and please let me know in the comments how you're doing in trying to edit down your beauty stash - let's all motivate each other for even more downsizing progress next year! And... Merry Christmas!!!

From the Enchanted Garden: Rouge Bunny Rouge Eye Shadow Palette in Chronos

'Stay sane inside insanity...' Rocky Horror Picture Show Collaboration

Checked Off My Wishlist: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Surratt Artistique Brush Launch and Medium Smokey Eye Brush Review

Eczema on Hands and Fingers: Triggers, Tips & Treatments

Matte Impact: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo

Share The Love: Recent Favorite YouTubers

Perfect Inner Corner Brightener: Surratt Eyeshadow in Scintillante

November 2014 in Perfume: Roses, Orientals & Rose Orientals

The Make-up Addict Tag

Final Make-up & Skincare Declutter of 2014

Holiday Treat to Myself: Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Georgia

Green Beauty: Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Cream and Lemon Sugar Scrub

Jewel Tones and Metallics: Holiday Glamour Make-up Look

On My Skincare Shelf: Current Routine and Favorites

Cute Christmas Gift Idea: Korean Planners and Minted Custom Wall Art

Fake Tanning for the Bahamas with Cocoa Brown

Alternative to UD Naked Basics: My DIY Matte Eyeshadow Palette

For Fellow Bookworms: My Favorite Books of 2014

Last Empties of 2014 and Capsule Collection Update