Winter-is-Coming 2018 Makeup Bag

If I were still living in Pennsylvania, this would be a fall makeup bag and I wouldn't use a memed-to-death quote from a series I loathe. I'm in the great white north now, though; I walked in to work covered in snowflakes and turned on our heat as soon as I got home. It's winter in my neck of the woods, friends, and that's worth a Game of Thrones reference.

Perhaps the funniest thing about this makeup bag is just how blatantly lazy I've gotten. I didn't think it was possible to put any less effort in to my makeup while still actually enjoying makeup, but here we are, sans foundation and using bright lips as a crutch. Bold lipstick just screams "I tried, I really did!", even if I slapped said lipstick on during my five minute break between shifts.

Slap-It-On Base -- I've always stressed the importance of sunscreen year round; the sun doesn't stop shining on the last day of summer, after all. But it's especially important for me to use a moisturizing sunscreen like the Skin Laundry Daily Moisturize SPF35 now that I'm living somewhere colder, dryer, and brighter. It leaves my skin feeling smooth and plump, and it makes applying concealer a breeze. I've been skipping foundation and going for just undereye concealer on a lot of days, and while the Sephora Bright Future Serum Gel Concealer doesn't have great staying power, it's very skinlike and super easy to apply. For my cheeks, I've been reaching for the Face Stockholm Cream Blushes. The gel texture provides a bit of natural dewiness, aka it let's me skip highlighter.

Something Old, Something New -- My feelings about the Glossier Zit Stick are pretty mixed. The actual formula isn't that amazing or unique; you can get an equally effective acne treatment from any number of brands. That said, the pen format makes it ideal for purses and makeup bags, and it dries totally clear. I used it several times during an especially stressful conference in September. By contrast, we all know that I love the Maybelline Full n' Soft Mascara! It seems like no matter how many other mascaras I try, I'll always come back to this one. Full n' Soft gives me fluffy, naturally volumized lashes with minimal flaking or smudging.

Monday Morning Effort Level Lips -- Yes, I know what you're saying: "Dark lips for fall? Groundbreaking." But while Besame Red Velvet is one of my standard reds, MAC More Than a Woman is more purple than what I normally wear. I just tend to think that purple looks stupid as Hell on my skintone. I can get away with More Than a Woman because of its strong pink base, and it's just light enough to be office wearable for me. I pair it with the Sephora Lip Liner to Go in Deep Aubergine.

As a final note, I would like to thank the readers who donated via my Ko-Fi link! Our $15 donation to ProLiteracy went towards improving women's literacy across the globe. From now until the end of December, I'll be gathering donations for the Foundation for AIDS Research. If you'd like to contribute, please click the Ko-Fi link in the blog sidebar.

VIDEO: My Fiance Built My Dream Storage

I often (only half jokingly) say that Kirby's greatest personality trait is his ability to put up with my nonsense, and I stand by that. But he's also incredibly creative, hard working, and talented, which contributed this this beautiful build. I've wanted a card catalogue of my own for over a decade, and this vintage catalogue he completely refurbished for me is better than I ever dreamed it would be.

Kirby's Instagram: klund1215

Song #1: Dirty Elegance - "Dying Earth"

Song #2: Michael Nyman - "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" (from The Piano)

Hi, I'm back. Here's some stuff in our new apartment.

We've got our place about 95% set up, so it's time to come off of hiatus and post the obligatory shelfie picture! I'm aware that this isn't the most attractive arrangement of products, but we have a massive vanity in our bathroom and I've yet to find a bathroom organizer I like, so...product pile! Fun fact: roughly a third of these products have been living in a drawer in my fiance's old place for years. You can tell how long we've been dating by the bottle of Pssst dry shampoo, since I made the switch to Not Your Mother's years ago.

I have more products, by the way, but they're in a bin under the sink or in the vanity drawer. I'd be more apt to show this stuff off in an apartment walk-through if I lived in a place that was truly #aesthetic, but no joke, friends, almost every piece of furniture in our apartment came from a family member's garage or a local rummage sale. We're very function over form here. Case in point: the beat-up desk and bookshelf in my office were in Kirby's undergrad basement apartment.

That's not to say we haven't fancied things up a bit. The chair in my office reading nook came from Kirby's late grandmother's house, yes, but the pillows and the picture are new-ish: my parents bought the poster for me when I was a teenager and my mom made me the pillows several years ago, and they stayed wrapped in their plastic until we had a home of our own. Insert a lamp here and we're pretty much done with this section of the apartment, which I think is quite cute.

I'll also have more attractive organization for my beauty products soon, but I'm hoping to use a certain antique that Kirby is refinishing for me. In the meantime, my makeup lives in this post office box and these Glossier mailers. Trust me: the wait for my new organizer will be worth it.

As a post-script, I've considered starting a second blog for posts about budgeting, food, books, and other miscellany stuff, mostly because I think it would frustrate people if that content started popping up here. If you've got an opinion on that, leave it in the comments!

New Assortment of Light and Dark Swatches

Between orders I've placed on Sephora and Nordstrom and a swap-for-samples with a generous Redditor, I've gathered enough foundation and concealer cards to do another slew of swatches! I tried to pick cards that came with both a light and dark shade; samples that only included medium shades, like the NARS and Bare Minerals ones, were not used for this post. As always, if any company would like to send a sample of their lightest and darkest base product shades for me to swatch, please contact me via the email on the side bar. This is especially relevant for dark shades--for whatever reason, companies never include anything near the darkest shade in the range on their sample cards.

These swatches were photographed in three lighting situations: natural light on the left, ring light in the middle, fill flash on the right. Please remember that these are being swatched on the inside of my arm, which is very light and leans cool yellow (NC5-ish). Hence, some undertones or shades may appear quite stark. My hope is that you'll be able to compare the shades to each other to figure out if you have a match. Also, I apologize about the disparity in swatch thickness; almost all of these came from free sample cards, and some of them give you almost no product to test.

From top to bottom:

•  Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 1.0.  This is the lightest warm shade in the range.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 1N. This is the lightest neutral shade in the range.
• CoverFX Natural Finish Foundation in N20. The CoverFX range includes neutral (N), warm (G), and cool (P) undertones; there are two neutral shades lighter than this, and there are equivalent cool and warm shades.
• Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation in Sand. There are five shades before this.
• Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y225. There are two warm shades lighter than this and several lighter shades with different undertones.
• Fenty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 150. There are five shades before this.
• Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful-Looking 24H Foundation in Light Y210. There are three shades lighter than this.
• Lancome Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation in 01N Nude Vanilla. This is the lightest neutral shade; 01N and 010C are currently the lightest shades in the range, but they have different undertones.
• NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia. This is the lightest yellow shade in the range.

From top to bottom:

• Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 8.0. There are six shades after this.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 4N. There are three shades darker than this in the range.
• CoverFX Natural Finish Foundation in N100. The CoverFX range includes neutral (N), warm (G), and cool (P) undertones; there are two neutral shades darker than this, and there are equivalent cool and warm shades. The darkest shade in the range is cool (P125).
• Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation in Espresso. This and Cool Espresso appear to be of similar depth, but with different undertones; they are the darkest shades in the range.
• Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y505. There is one warm shade darker than this; most of the darker shades in this range have red undertones.
• Fenty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 420. There are seven shades after this.
• Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful-Looking 24H Foundation in Tan 420. This is actually in the middle of the range; there are other "Tan" shades and five "Deep" shades.
• Lancome Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation in 12W Sunny Amber. This is the darkest warm shade and currently the second darkest shade in the range. There is a big jump between this shade (12W) and the darkest shade (16C), which suggests that the range will be expanded in the future.

Swatches of All Eleven of My Besame Lipsticks

It's no secret that Besame makes my absolute favorite lipstick formula. I love it so much, I wrote them a gushing email and they ended up sending me a few other products to try. There's no shame in having a favorite formula. What is slightly more shameful is the fact that I own eleven tubes, ten full size and most purchased in the span of a year. I could own more, but I've told myself that I've already gotten rid of several redundant or unflattering colors, and I know that most of the shades I haven't tried wouldn't work in my collection.

Then again, I'm barely resisting Tango Red. Thank the Lord moving is expensive.

For now, I thought it would be helpful to wear all of the lipsticks back-to-back, especially since I own or have owned almost every red the company makes. There are a few shades that I've swatched, but no longer own: 1930 Noir Red looked almost black on me and had a "meh" formula, 1935 was beautiful, but I didn't need another cool red, and 1969 Dusty Rose wasn't flattering on me at all. The shades I haven't owned are 1922 Blood Red (too similar to Merlot), 1939 Tango Red (I don't need another warm red), or 1952 Wild Orchid (it's too purple and it's only available at certain times, anyway). I don't own any of the Snow White shades, either.

Bear in mind that I attempted to come up with the most basic, simple makeup I could so that I could wear a bunch of different shades without them looking too "off." Also, I had to apply and remove almost a dozen decently long-wearing, pigmented lipsticks; my mouth ended up looking quite the mess, and my application is nowhere near as sharp as I usually like. That said, I think this will still be a useful comparison post!

1920 Besame Red

NOTE: This shade was sent to me by the company.

Their Description: "True red with a cooler, blue-toned base. Bright, vibrant, and head turning."

My Description: I find that it's pretty much impossible to make a bright red totally neutral; it will always lean a little cool or a little warm. Besame Red is the former. While they call this "bright, vibrant, and head turning," I think it has a slightly more muted quality than their other cool reds (scroll to the 1940s for that). It's a surprisingly wearable shade that I reach for more than I ever thought I would. Fair warning, this shade always leaves a strong pink stain on my lips after I remove it.

1931 Carmine

Their Description: "Neutral orange-red, with mostly orange pigments. Perfect for golden and olive skin tones, bright and beautiful on light skin too."

My Description: If I had to come up with a list of my top three favorite Besame lipsticks, Carmine would definitely be on it. As per their description, this is a very warm red; in fact, I'd say it's just one step shy of being a straight up orange. I find this shade truly bright and eye catching on my fair, yellow-toned skin, and it really does look stunning on tan and olive complexions.

1933 Merlot

NOTE: This shade was sent to me by the company.

Their Description: "Dark brown brick-red shade. Neutral enough for daily wear on any skin tone."

My Description: It's interesting that Besame calls this "neutral enough for daily wear on any skin tone," because I think it's very vampy on anyone with light to medium skin. While it's too deep for me to wear daily, it's a great every day red on dark complexions, and I love it for special occasions. The richness of this shade always garners compliments.

1941 Victory Red

Their Description: "A highly pigmented and saturated red. Denser, brighter, deeper and a bit darker than Bésame Red. Ideal for all skin tones."

My Description: This photo isn't quite doing justice to how bright Victory Red is. "Saturated" is the perfect description for this very cool-toned, bold, brilliant red shade. Victory Red has a slightly glossier formula than my other Besame lipsticks; if I want their usual satin finish, I have to blot it. Even blotted down, this is not a red for the faint of heart. I also have to note that some darker skinned people have mentioned that this shade turns pink on them, so it may not be the best color for deeper skintones.

1945 American Beauty

Their Description: "A cool berry red shade from 1945 with magenta undertones."

My Description: Is this color flattering on me? Not really, thanks to all of the purple in it. Do I keep it anyway? Yes, because it's so damn pretty. It's a winner for those of you who want a red that's cool toned, but not incredibly bright. American Beauty reminds me of Revlon Cherries in the Snow, but it's more matte. In fact, this shade is more matte than any of my other Besame lipsticks.

1946 Red Velvet

Their Description: "A deeper red suitable for every day wear. This neutral undertone red looks wonderful on all skin tones."

My Description: Now, this is a neutral, deep red I could see most people wearing every day! I've never seen this shade look bad on someone. As the name suggests, it's a rich, velvety red shade. My tube is in the special edition Agent Carter packaging, which is gorgeous and worth every penny.

1955 Exotic Pink

Their Description: "A bright bold flamingo pink from 1955."

My Description: It seems that this color was discontinued, then very, very briefly brought back when the company found an extra box of lipstick in storage. In my opinion, it's a shade they need to bring back to the rotation. Not only does it provide a break from all of the reds (and yes, I love red, but we need a breather sometimes), it's also a gorgeous shade in its own right. As weird as it sounds, this is the sort of shade that makes me think of "ribbons" and "orchids," very beautiful, fun, cool-toned pink things.

1959 Red Hot Red

Their Description: "A bold and brazen warm red. Similar to Bésame Red but warmer, with more yellow tones. A classic fire engine red."

My Description: I didn't need this shade, but I was splitting the limited edition Agent Carter lip kit with a friend, and she didn't want either of the reds. And when have I ever turned down a red? So here we are. Honestly, if you have one of the other true reds from the range, you probably don't need this color. Yes, it's slightly brighter and warmer than Besame Red, but they're so similar on the lips that nobody would even notice. If I had to pick, actually, I'd go for Besame Red because that muted quality makes it unique. You could also call Victory Red this shade's glossier, cooler-toned cousin. This is still a lovely lipstick; I'm just saying it seems redundant in the range.

1963 Portrait Pink 

Their Description: "Pastel baby pink without shimmer, ideal for paler skin tones. A barely there pink for days when you want something simple and light."

My Description: I bought this lipstick expecting a truly mod, milky pink, but it ended up being brighter and less white than I expected. (For a real mod pink, I ended up going for Rodin So Mod.) You may find this more mod if you have light to medium skin; if you're darker skinned, I think this will be a bit too white based for you. As it stands, I like this shade, but I mostly use it as a mixer.

1965 Portrait Peach

Their Description: "Delicate soft peach color and cousin of our Portrait Pink."

My Description: "Delicate" and "soft" are subjective, so I'll just note that while this is, yet again, not a pastel peach on me and it's brighter than I initially expected, it actually feels very 60s. It reminds me of the shades Audrey Heburn wore in movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's. This is one of my favorites to wear with dark eye looks for a pop of color, and I love how it adds a bit more saturation to beige nudes like NARS Raquel.

1970 Chocolate Kiss 

Their Description: "Neutral milk chocolate brown, especially flattering on red-heads. A great nude shade for medium to dark skin."

My Description: I can't recommend Chocolate Kiss for darker skin enough, but I also quite like it on my fair complexion. I think it's because this is a brown with a lot of red in it. It reads more terracotta than straight-up brown on me, and I like it. I only have a mini because it's not the sort of shade I wear often, but I always enjoy it when I do wear it.

All Shades Together for Easy Comparison

2018 "Warm Weather" Makeup Bag

I promised I would be better about documenting my makeup bag, makeup basket, "what I'm reaching for right now" products, so here I am with a warm weather makeup bag! ...except it's not warm yet. In fact, it's barely cracking 60°F this week, so is it even spring?

Part of me relishes the cooler weather because my fiance and I are visiting Toronto in June, and if it stays 10° cooler than usual, we'll have no problem walking 4+ miles a day to sight see. Buuuuuuut one of my students told me this actually means it's going to be hotter than Hell this summer. So is there going to be a sudden jump from cold, damp April to blazing May? Climate experts, help a girl out!

Regardless, I've been wearing these products a lot lately, and I'll likely keep favoring them when the sun does finally show up to the party. Here's a breakdown of my warm weather ready look.

SPF (aka "Sun Protected Face"): Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen (1), Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme (2) Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint (3) -- I get lazy as all get-out about my base makeup in summer. It's just too humid and hot for me to care, and I hate the feeling of sweat mixing with foundation. So I almost always skip foundation in favor of sunscreen and concealer. Lately, I'm eating my words about Glossier Invisible Shield and am enjoying it for incidental exposure; I add dabs of Kat Von D Lock It where needed for coverage. But I've also finally found a tinted sunscreen I like, the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint, which provides light coverage with a natural finish.

Glossy, Glowy Finishes: Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand (4), Becca Beach Tints (5), Glossier Generation G (6), Glossier Lip Gloss (7) -- My highlight collection has expanded recently to include a number of newer products with an almost "wet" finish. The Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, a champagne-colored highlighter that adds a bit of warmth and plenty of glow to my skin, is leading the pack. The locking mechanism on the tube just makes it so makeup bag friendly! As far as colors go, I tend to stick with warm, pretty pinks in the summer months; the Becca Beach Tints in Watermelon and Dragonfruit fit the bill for blush, and for my lips, I like a layer or two of the sheer Glossier Generation G lipstick in Crush.  I've been topping that off with some of Glossier's Lip Gloss lately for a super shiny look.

Sweatproof Eyes: YSL The Shock Mascara (8), L'oreal Brow Stylist Definer (9) -- The L'oreal Brow Stylist Definer is actually brand new to my collection, but I plan on giving it a thorough testing this summer to see how it compares to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I have the shade Brunette. Beyond that, the only other eye makeup I usually wear during the summer is mascara, because everything else just tends to melt and smear. YSL The Shock is my favorite sample I'm using right now because it provides plenty of volume and some length without looking clumpy.

Moderate Stash: Highlighters

Despite the fact that I'm borderline obsessed with highlighter, I don't write about it much. It's been over three years since my last collection post. Maybe I'm just too busy trying foundations and raving about lipsticks; regardless, I've done my highlighter stash a disservice, and that must be rectified.

Now, when I announced on Instagram that I was writing this post, I received some wonderful recommendations from followers, like "Tell us how long they last." Part of the problem, though, is that...I don't generally have a problem with my highlighters fading. This is partially because I use creams and liquids exclusively, and they're more likely to "stick" to your skin, and partially because my skin is uber-dry, so makeup clings to it. That said, I'm going to do my very best to give you a useful description of the finish, color, wear, packaging, and purpose of all of these highlighters.

Please note that this information was accurate at the time of this post. Prices change, new shades are created, old shades are discontinued, formulas are altered, etc. I mean, damn, MAC lipsticks weren't even $15 when I bought my first one, and now they've crept up to $18, fifty cents more per tube at a time. Time is a great thickener of things products.

Lastly, my birthday is coming up next week! If you've enjoyed my blog and want to show your appreciation, please consider (but don't feel required to) leave me a "tip" on Ko-Fi. I donate all of the tips to charity; right now, my charity of choice is Pro Literacy. If that's not in the cards for you right now, no problem! I love "happy birthday" comments and emails as well. :)

MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite

Cost: $34 for 1.7oz, $12 for 1oz
Formula: Lotion
Packaging: Squeeze tube.
Other Shades: Goldlite, Peachlite, Redlite, Silverlite (1oz size only available in Pinklite)
Finish: Natural
Color: Faintly pink and opalescent.
Description: I've gone through at least three of the travel size Strobe Cream tubes, and now that they've expanded the shade range, I can see me emptying dozens more. This is actually a luminous moisturizer, and you can absolutely use it in that capacity if you don't mind the shine and need just a bit of hydration. Because of the thin lotion texture, it appears incredibly natural and seamless on the skin and gives you that no-makeup-makeup, "I slept really well" look. I usually use this as a highlighter on foundation-free days for work (left photo), or I mix it in to my foundation and use a dab more on top of my cheekbones for a soft glow (right photo). Note: the travel size tubes are actually cheaper by the ounce, but as of right now, you can only get them in the original Pinklite shade.
Purchase: MAC Cosmetics

ELF Beautifully Bare Targeted Natural Glow Stick in Morning Dew

Cost: $4 for 0.08oz
Formula: Oil Stick
Packaging: Twist up stick.
Other Shades: Pink Pearl Glow, Champagne Glow
Finish: Wet
Color: Clear
Description: I was pretty bummed when I realized the Ciate Dewy Stix contained some of my no-no ingredients, then thrilled when The Critical Babe mentioned this much cheaper product as an alternative. While the other two shades are a bit garish and sparkly, Morning Dew is completely clear and gives you a "wet skin" look in seconds. That's not shocking when you look at the ingredients and feel this product on your skin: it's an actual oil stick, not a traditional highlighter. This means it will look super glossy and gorgeous without being sparkly, but it will also stay tacky on your face and may seriously clog some people. Also, while $4 is a great price, you're not getting a ton of product here, so keep that in mind if you plan on using this highlighter regularly.
Purchase: ELF Cosmetics

Glossier Haloscope in Quartz

Cost: $22 for 0.19oz
Formula: Cream Stick
Packaging: Twist up stick.
Other Shades: Topaz, Moonstone
Finish: Glossy; can look wet in some lights.
Color: Very Pale Champagne
Description:  Like the ELF Beautifully Bare Targeted Natural Glow Stick, this is an oil-laden highlighter in stick form. I refer to it as a "cream stick," though, because it has a smoother, less oily texture and a bit of fine shimmer in it for a dash of color. (It still stays sticky on the skin.) That might sound unattractive, but I love the ease of this highlighter, which I can swipe on and blend out in less than a minute. The mixture of smooth oils and barely-there color make it ideal for photographs, where it catches the light will still looking incredibly natural. This is probably my personal favorite Glossier product. I have tried the other two shades, and while Moonstone was a bit meh to me, I really liked Topaz. It's just too warm and dark for my skintone.
Purchase: Glossier

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight

Cost: $38 for 0.4oz
Formula: Liquid
Packaging: Squeeze tube with a sponge tip applicator and on/off mechanism.
Other Shades: none
Finish: Glossy; slightly metallic when layered.
Color: Champagne
Description: The cost of Charlotte Tilbury products generally makes me want to die, but because this one was a decent size and everybody was bragging on it, I decided to throw my Nordstrom gift card at it. I'm glad I did,  because I totally get the hype! It's a champagne-colored highlight with fine shimmer that gives you a light-catching, slightly glossy look; you can layer on a little extra and get a more metallic shine, but it's never going to be overdone. Now, is it as wet-looking as something like the ELF stick? No, but the benefit of the Charlotte Tilbury is that the liquid formula actually dries down. This means you can use it around your eyes as well. (Peep it on the inner corners of my eyes in the right photo.) I also like that the tube has a little on/off mechanism to prevent the highlighter from seeping out in your luggage or your handbag. The sole downside for me is that this is the only shade available, and because it is more golden, I have to use it on a full face of makeup to make it "fit."
Purchase: Nordstrom

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl

Cost: $41 for 1.7oz, $19 for 0.68oz
Formula: Liquid
Packaging: Airless pump for full size, squeeze tube for travel size.
Other Shades: Moonstone, Opal, Topaz, Rose Gold, Champagne Pop, Prosecco Pop (0.68oz size only available in Moonstone and Opal)
Finish: Ranges from natural to metallic, depending on how much product you use.
Color: White
Description: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is the OG "WOW THAT LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER" product, and it's still a tough one to beat. While it's costly, you get a ton of product, and the littlest dot goes a long way. Apply a small amount with a flat brush for a natural look, or layer it on with your fingers for that metallic "Instagram Glow." This is definitely a shimmery highlighter, but at least in the shades I've tried (Pearl and Moonstone), it's a very refined shimmer. Still, I'm not a fan of mixing this in to my foundation; it's just too shiny. The "Pop" shades purportedly contain chunkier glitter. Also, be aware that this formula contains sunscreen ingredients that some people find sensitizing. I've had my tube of Shimmering Skin Perfector since college and it's still almost half full, so I will be getting rid of it at the end of the year to be safe. If they ever make Pearl available in the easier-to-finish travel size, I will absolutely repurchase it.
Purchase: Sephora

Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Mars

Cost: $28 for 1oz, $14 for 0.25oz
Formula: Cream Stick
Packaging: Twist up stick.
Other Shades: Supernova, Stardust
Finish: Shimmery
Color: Peach glow with faint purple shimmer.
Description: I wanted this highlighter in its original lavender shade, Supernova, for quite a while, but when I swatched them in my local Sephora, I realized that Mars looked much prettier and more refined. The peach base almost blends in to my skintone, leaving me with some shine and a bit of purple shimmer that's only visible when you're very close to me. In other words, this is sparkly and far from natural, but it isn't outright glittery. The texture of this cream stick is a little more powdery than the Glossier or ELF products, and it dries down more on my skin. It's not a shade I reach for regularly, since I tend to prefer "natural" or "glossy" to "shimmery," but it's damned pretty and works well for nights out. Note: while the 1oz size of this is technically a much better value, that's a ton of highlighter to finish up, and I'm not sure most people could manage it. I definitely encourage you to get the minis instead.
Purchase: Sephora

Another Slew of Light and Dark Swatches

I've gathered samples for the past few months and am now tentatively ready for a new slew of swatches. I say "tentatively" because it's damn near impossible to get truly dark foundation samples on sample cards. Most brands just use their "darkest-of-the-middle" shade. I'll repeat what I said on Instagram stories here: if any brand wants to send me 1-2 use samples of their lightest and darkest foundation and/or concealer shades (no full size products or payment needed), I'll gladly take them for my next swatch post.

I thought I'd try this in three lighting situations this time, so let me know what you think about that! The left photo is in direct sunlight, the middle photo is in indirect sunlight, the right photo is with flash. Please remember that these are being swatched on the inside of my arm, which is very light and leans cool yellow (NC5-ish). Hence, some undertones or shades may appear quite stark. My hope is that you'll be able to compare the shades to each other to figure out if you have a match. Also, I apologize about the disparity in swatch thickness; almost all of these came from free sample cards, and some of them give you almost no product to test.

From top to bottom:

• Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer Concealer in Light. This is the third lightest shade in the range.
• Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape Concealer in Light. There are three shades lighter than this in the range.
• Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme in Light 3. This is the third lightest shade in the range.
• The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.0N. This is the lightest shade in the range; there is currently a 1.0P shade that is equally light, but with a pink undertone.
• Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation in Porcelain. This is the lightest shade in the range.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in 1N2 Vanille. This is the second lightest neutral shade in the range.
• Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Foundation Fluid in RG5 Dynamic. This is the lightest shade in the range.
• Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint in Ivory. There are two shades lighter than this in the range.
• Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx01. This is the lightest shade in the range; Sx02 is a very similar depth, just a hair darker and more pink.

From top to bottom:

• Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer Concealer in Deep. This is the second darkest shade in the range.
• Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape Concealer in Tan. There are three shades darker than this in the range.
• Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint in Tan. This is the second darkest foundation in the range.
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Dark Golden. There are three shades darker than this in the range.
• Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation in Maple. There are five shades darker than this in the range.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in 5N1 Pecan. This is the second darkest neutral shade in the range.
• Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Foundation Fluid in RG80 Magical. This is the second darkest shade in the range.

Moderate Stash: End of 2017 Lipstick Collection Swatches

I didn't think I'd do another "here are my lipsticks" type post before the end of the year, since I've been on a lipstick no buy for the last few months. But my collection has actually changed a bit since that declutter video, thanks to a couple of swaps, some beauty box arrivals, and another mini-declutter conducted whilst swatching for this post. I honestly can't wait to do my end-of-the-year inventory, because I'm incredibly proud of how small my collection is now.

Is my lipstick drawer worthy of a minimalist now? Heck no, but I've definitely made some improvements since my last Moderate Stash swatch post. For starters, I've admitted that I just don't like gloss and have gotten rid of pretty much all of them, and anything gloss-adjacent; the only one I own now is the clear gloss from Glossier. (Wow, I never thought I could put the word "gloss" in to a sentence so many times...)

Doing a regular inventory like this also stops me from buying more shit I don't need. I won't lie: there are a few shades I'm interested in getting as soon as 2018 rolls around, namely MAC Chili. And if Besame comes out with Red Velvet in special Agent Carter packaging? I don't know if I'll be able to resist, since I already love the shade and Hayley Atwell is ah-mah-zing.

Anyway, let's get on to the swatches! Natural light is on the left, flash is on the right.

Mauves and Purples

Pinks

Peaches and Browns

Reds and Corals

(Side note: I decided to get rid of Ciate Diva shortly after swatching it. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice lipstick, but it's so similar to Besame Victory Red that I don't think I need both.)

2017 Makeup Bag

Is there some reason why it takes me a freaking year to document my current makeup bag? This is definitely an alternate collection of products from what I was using at the start of 2017, and seeing the transition would've been really fascinating. Why am I so bad about writing these posts?

Ah, whatever. "What's in my makeup bag" posts are always so voyeuristic in the best way possible, so even though this is long overdo, hopefully it'll still be interesting.

Bear in mind that these are not the only products I'm using right now. This is just the collection of makeup I'm currently favoring and using very frequently. Also, this is a theoretical bag of makeup I'd take on a trip if I had to be gussied up while I was away.

The perfect sheer base: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (1), Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Tickle the Ivory (2), YSL Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen in #2 Luminous Ivory (3), and Glossier Cloud Paint in Beam (4) -- I spend more time on my base than on most parts of my face because I'm funny about how my skin looks. That said, I like to stick with products that are comfortable on my dry skin and easy to apply. You're seeing two repurchased base products here, Buxom Show Some Skin and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. The foundation provides light coverage, subtly perfecting and staying skin-like, while the concealer softens my undereye circles and hides my blemishes. I'm still fiddling with the Touche Eclat Pen, and I don't think I'd call it a holy grail yet, but it's certainly useful for subtle highlighting. The Glossier Cloud Paints are goof proof, so I can slap them on on the go and never look overdone. Beam is probably my favorite of the bunch.

A simple, fuss-free eye: Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara (5), Glossier Boy Brow in Clear (6), and the Catrice Long Lasting Brown Definer in 040 Brow'dly Presents (7) -- I'm lazy about eye makeup in general, but especially when I'm traveling, I don't want to deal with liner smears or shadow fallout. Instead, I tend to focus on a lashy look, which the Ubame mascara does perfectly. For my brows, I'm still loving the look of brushed up hairs and a not-too-precise fill in. The Catrice brow pen makes filling in your brows quick and easy, and while Boy Brow isn't my absolute favorite brow gel on the market, it does a nice job of grooming the hairs without feeling crunchy.

A statement lip: NYX Lip Pencil in Auburn (8), Besame Lipstick in Portrait Peach (9), Glossier Generation G Lipstick in Jam (10) -- Peach, plum, and burgundy are cliche colors for autumn, yet I think there's something to be said for switching up your textures. With a lip pencil, for instance, you can get a really precise application of color and a variety of finishes: slide it over balm for a stain, fill in your lips for a matte look, or add a dash of gloss on top for some shine. NYX Auburn is probably my favorite pencil for this because it's such a flattering red shade. For plums, I often like to move away from the vampier options and go for a sheer shade, like Glossier Jam. And while there are many peach lipsticks I love, Besame Portrait Peach is my current favorite because of its smooth satin formula.

Fall-friendly fragrances: Hermes Ambre Narguile (11) and Dame Perfumery Dark Horse (12) -- Sorry about the tacky alliteration, but cold weather fragrances do funny things to me. While warm, spicy, sultry scents are my favorites and I therefore own a wide variety of them, these two are my current favorites. Ambre Narguile is sometimes described as a "spicy apple pie" scent, which is both somewhat accurate and overly simplistic. There's an incredible warmth to this fragrance; dabbing it on is like wrapping my body in a warm blanket while I sit at the edge of an apple orchard. It manages to be thick and sweet without being cloying. Dark Horse screams fall to me, too, but in a different way; there's a dryness to this fragrance that carries the spicy notes like leaves on the wind. Purple prose aside, these are damn good scents that deserve every bit of love they get.

A New Slew o' Foundation and Concealer Swatches

I've managed to gather up a decent number of light and dark foundation swatches, so it's time for another slew! I swatched the lightest shades on the cards up against a "swatch standard," NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia. I also wanted to swatch the darkest shades on the cards, since it can be hard to find comparison swatches for deeper skintones.

The top image is in natural light and the bottom image is with flash. You can click on the images to expand them. Please keep in mind that, because I'm quite fair and have some cool yellow undertones, a lot of these swatches will look very stark or orange against my skin. My hope is that you'll be able to compare the colors to each other and potentially find a match.

From left to right:

• Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Concealer in Fair. This is the second lightest shade in the range. 
• Dermablend Cover Creme in Rose Beige. This is the third lightest shade in the range.
• Smashbox Studio Skin Concealer in Fair. This is the lightest shade in the range.
• Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation in 1.1. This is the third lightest shade in the range.
• Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia. This is the lightest yellow shade in most NARS ranges.
• Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation in 112 and 001. These are the two lightest shades in the range.

From left to right:

• Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation in Dark Golden. This is the second darkest shade in the range.
• Dermablend Cover Creme in Chocolate Brown. This is the second darkest shade in the range.
• Smashbox Studio Skin Concealer in Deep. This is the darkest shade in the range.
• Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation in 4.3. This is the second darkest shade in the range.
• Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in 500 Suede W and 470 Suede C. There is an entire set of shades darker than these in the 500 range.
• Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation in 302 and 303. These are the darkest shades in the range.

Yet again, let me stress how frustrating it is that darker skin tones are not well represented in the beauty world. I figured, when I swatched most of these products, that these shades were in no way the absolute darkest the range had to offer. (I knew there were darker shades for the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra.) I mean, look at this! That's the second darkest shade in the Smashbox foundation? What? And am I going crazy, or do some of the undertones in these shades look quite extreme? Koh Gen Do 303 seems balanced and reasonably deep, but 302 looks so orange to me.

Mad props to Lancome, though, because that shade range is incredible.

Moderate Stash: 2017 Storage Situation

This past Christmas, my partner and I agreed to skip giving each other gifts and to instead just enjoy our time together. Being a bit of brat, however, my partner cheated and got me a "I heard your last week of classes was tough" present: this plastic storage tower. I've been wanting a tall tower with drawers for about a year now, since I found it difficult sometimes to navigate a flat tray and I wanted to conserve space on my desk. This sneaky present absolutely fits the bill!

Before we break down what's in my drawers these days, a few quick notes:

• I have two drawers in my bedroom Sterilite tower dedicated to beauty products. One contains all of my perfumes so they're away from light and temperature changes, the other contains body lotions, expired products used for swatching, back-ups, and my few nail polishes.
• Most of my skincare is kept in the bathroom, since that's where I use it.
• This tower actually came with three of the wide drawers. I removed one because I didn't need it.
• The top tray, wide drawers, and narrow drawers are technically three separate pieces. I used glue spots my partner had left behind to affix the tray to the top of the wide drawers.

Moving right along!

The top tray is technically designed to hold your "every day makeup," but I use it hold primarily base products. The larger compartment in the back left is good for my exceptionally tall bottles, like the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector and the Clinique Moisture Surge spray. In the raised, divided compartments, I keep my most-used brushes, brow products, ELF makeup remover pen, and a few very long tubes, like the L'oreal Voluminous mascara primer and Physician's Formula liquid liner. My lash curlers are tucked in to the far left. The shorter compartments in the front contain smaller eye liners and my current mini-mascara line up. The right compartment contains most of my base products, including my foundations, concealers, and powder, plus some miscellaneous "dumb reach" products like my Kat Von D Lock-It concealer sample and lip balm.

The first wide drawer contains all of my blushes, and I was SO excited to see that they all fit in here! The Stila Field of Florals palette takes up about a third of the drawer, but that's fine; it contains 12 different colors, after all. There's also 2 blushes from Face Stockholm (sorry about the fingerprints), 2 Becca Beach Tints, 2 BBIA Downy Cheeks, and my YSL Creme de Blush in Babydoll and Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Pravella.

The second wide drawer houses a small variety of products. First, the brushes I use only occasionally are in the back. I also put my Beauty Blender and my current pencil sharpener in here. My lip pencils are laid out in the front, and I really like this organization for now; it makes it very easy for me to spot each individual color. I stored my Besame mini-lipsticks in here because they're easier to see and get to laid flat like this.

This container has four narrow drawers, two shallow and two deep. The shallow drawer on the left contains my Lime Crime Velvetines; they're the only liquid lipsticks I use now because I'm a monster they're my favorite formula. I keep the eyeshadow products I use regularly on the right: three of the amazing but apparently discontinued Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor eyeshadows, Wet n' Wild Brulee, and Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I still own a magnetic palette containing the Urban Decay Book of Shadows and some singles, but because I don't use those often, they're put away in the Sterilite tower.

The deeper drawers hold--shocker!--more lip products. On the left, we have my two Bite High Pigment Pencils, the only gloss I own (this one is from the Glossier Holiday collection), and most of my Glossier Balm Dot Coms. (The fourth tube is kept in my purse.) On the right, I store my traditional lipsticks. I currently own 3 Glossier Generation Gs, 2 MAC mattes, 2 of the now-discontinued Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks, and 5 NARS Audacious. I wanted to store these lipsticks upright, but the Glossier tubes are just a hair too tall.

So as you can see, I'm back and totally ready for more posts in 2017! I'm hoping to write better reviews, finish more products, and find a few new Holy Grails. (Most perfect foundation for dry skin, I'm ready for you.) Here's to another year in the beauty blogosphere!