December Favorites

These are the products I've been loving and wearing a lot in the month of December.

1. Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer Ultra Light Formula

2. Philosophy Candy Cane Lip Gloss: This smells and tastes exactly like a candy cane! It also really moisturizes the lips.

3. Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter: This is good for chapped lips.

4. Maybelline Expert Wear Enchanted Forest: This has many dupes. The lightest color is Mac Dazzlelight or Phlox. The color in the upper right is Mac Retrospect. The green color is Mac Humid or Sumptuous Olive. The darkest color is Mac Twinks or Tempting.

5. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust: This has so many dupes it is ridiculous. The first color on the left is Mac Yogurt or Pen and Pink. The second color on the left is Mac Vibrant Grape or Fig 1. The third color on the left is Mac Shadowy Lady or India Ink. The first color on the right is Urban Decay's Virgin, Mac's Vanilla, Mac's Mylar, or Urban Decay's Bootycall. The second color on the right is Urban Decay's Gunmetal, Mac's Silver Ring, or Mac's Knight Divine.

6. Benefit The POREfessional: This is another good primer. I got it as a sample from Birchbox this month.

7. L'Oreal Paris Carbon Black Lineur Intense: This is a liquid liner. This month I've been practicing doing the wing and cat eye looks. I'm getting a little better at it.

8. L'Oreal Paris HIP Concentrated Shadow Duo in Dynamic: This has several dupes. The left color is Urban Decay's Half Baked or Mac's Woodwinked. The right color is Urban Decay's Darkhorse or Mac's Magnetic Fields.

9. Bath & Body Works PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Winter Candy Apple: I got a sample size in a Christmas present from one of my coworkers. This stuff smells so good.

10. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking on Eggshells: This is another one with several dupes. The lightest color is Mac Shroom or Mylar. The brown color is Urban Decay Smog, or Mac Tempting. The pink color is Urban Decay Sin, Mac Naked Lunch or Mac Jest.

Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 Dupes

Hi! Ok, so I had a lot of help from a lot of different lists and websites. I want you to know that I don't have this palette, so I can't say for sure if these colors are similar. I'm just going by word of "mouth" or word I guess?!

I describe each shadow and say what the dupe is. If it is a Mac shadow I try to say a dupe for that.

I already have lists of dupes, and I didn't keep track of where I got those from. Just from all over the internet basically. So I used the lists I already had, and here are some other websites that helped me: http://mupnorth.blogspot.com/2011/12/urban-decay-naked-2-palette-mac-dupes.html she lists the palette 2 Mac dupes, http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-naked-1-vs-naked-2-palette-dupes-comparison-swatches she compared the first palette with the second one and also described the colors, and http://inexpensivebeauty.weebly.com/drugstore-and-etailer-dupes.html and this person listed dupes for Mac. http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-naked-2-palette-swatches-photos-reviews for her descriptions of the Urban Decay Palette 2 shades. Diva Makeup Queen has found her own dupes this is a link to part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BVGAeG7JaU. I added some of her dupes to my list. I will put up part 2 when it becomes available.

Blackout: matte black
1. Mac Carbon
2. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Greed, 3rd shade
3. Elf's Neutral Eye Beauty Book, 11th shade
4. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon 8-Pan Palette in Blue Had Me At Hello, 4th shade

Booty Call: peach tinted white
1. Urban Decay Virgin
2. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust, 4th shade
3. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking on Eggshells, browbone color
4. Mac Shroom
5. Elf's Neutral Eye Beauty Book, 1st shade

Busted: deep brown with shimmery finish, blackened brown
1. Urban Decay Hustle
2. Elf Day 2 Night, 2nd shade
3. Mac Smut
4. Mac Embark

Chopper: medium orange-red toned brown with coppery flecks of shimmer
1. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Trio Dancing in the Clouds, eyelid color
2. Mac All That Glitters
3. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Greed, 5th shade
4. Covergirls Country Woods Quad, 2nd from left
5. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Trio in Gilded Age, browbone shade
6. Elf's Neutral Eye Beauty Book, 4th shade
7. NYC Sparkle Eye Dust in Champagne
8. Milani Runway Eyes Fashion Shadows 01 Designer Browns, 2nd from top

Foxy: Cream bisque with matte finish
1. Mac Brule
2. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Vanity, 1st shade
3. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Greed, 1st shade
4. Maybelline Eyeshadow 8-Pan Palette in Sunbaked Neutrals, 1st shade
5. Wet 'n Wild Single Eyeshadow in Brulee

Half Baked: coppery brown with a golden shimmer-sheen
1. L'Oreal HIP duo in Dynamic, left color
2. Mac Woodwinked
3. Elf Beauty Book Bright Eye Edition, 7th shade
4. Elf Beauty Book Neutral Eye Edition, 6th shade
5. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon 8-Pan Palette in Comfort Zone, 3rd shade

Pistol: dirty grayish brown with shimmery finish
1. Mac Smoke and Diamonds (limited edition)
2. Stila Diamond Lil
3. Benefit Where There's Smoke
4. Nyx Dune
5. The Balm Insane Jane
6. The Balm Selfish
7. Nars Bali (but matte)
*This one I don't own a dupe for. I guess you can find a shimmery gray and mix it with a shimmery brown. Make sure you had more brown than gray because it is not a taupe.

Snake Bite: dark bronze shimmer with metallic base
1. Mix Urban Decay Smog and Darkhorse together.
2. Urban Decay Smog dupes: Wet 'n Wild Walking on Eggshells crease color, darkest color in Maybelline Enchanted Forest, 3rd shade in Wet 'n Wild Comfort Zone, 6th shade in Wet 'n Wild Vanity, Mac Tempting, 4th color in Elf Butternut Quad
3. Urban Decay Darkhorse dupes: right color in L'oreal HIP Duo in Dynamic, 3rd shade on right of Wet 'n Wild Comfort Zone, Mac Magnetic Fields, Mac Smut

Suspect: soft champagne-bronze with a frosted, metallic sheen
1. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips in Bronze Hazel Eyes, 2nd color
2. Mac Bronze
3. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Vanity, 6th shade
4. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette 8-Pan in Sand Castle, 4th shade
5. Covergirl in Shimmering Sands, darkest color

Tease: creamy pale brown with a matte finish, looks like a matte taupe
1. Mac Quarry
2. Mac Haux
3. Bobbi Brown Woodrose
4. Physicians Formula Quartz Quartet, bottom left color

Verve: oyster with shimmery finish, grayish white frosty and shimmery
1. Mac Filament
2. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Pride, 4th shade
3. Hard Candy High Maintenance, cream color

YDK: warm, coppery red-toned medium brown with a frosted finish
1. Elf Day 2 Night, last shade
2. Urban Decay Sidecar and Toasted are similar
3. Mac Satin Taupe
4. Covergirl Tapestry Taupe
5. Wet 'n Wild Sand Castle top in middle
6. Wet 'n Wild Comfort Zone, 5th shade
7. Wet 'n Wild Single Eyeshadow in Nutty
8. Milani Runway Eyes Fashion Shadows 01 Designer Browns, last 2 colors are both dupes
9. Sephora Cinderella Palette in Chateau

My Favorites of 2011

These are my favorite beauty products of 2011.

1. Favorite Foundation: Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation in Blush Ivory

2. Favorite Powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

3. Favorite Concealer: Maybelline Super Stay 24 HR Concealer

4. Favorite Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

5. Favorite Eyeshadows: Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Vanity

6. Favorite Eyeliner: Milani Easy Liner for Eyes Retractable Pencil in Espresso

7. Favorite Mascaras: L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black Brown for top lashes and Maybelline Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof Mascara in Very Black for bottom lashes

8. Favorite Lip Liner: No. 7 Line & Define Lip Pencil in 20 Nude

9. Favorite Lip Stick: Elf Lipstick in Voodoo

10. Favorite Lip Gloss: Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in 008 Peony

11. Favorite Brush: I don't know where my mom got this. I think it is a Bare Minerals brush.

12. Favorite Nail Polish: Jesse's Girl High Intensity Nail Color in Flirt

Birchbox December 2011

I got my Birchbox today!!! Yay!!! It took awhile to arrive. I was really tempted to look and see what other people got in their box, but I wanted to be surprised.

It came with a Christmas card that had the details of what each thing was inside. The paper was sparkly, and the cardboard box it was mailed in had snowflakes on it. That is my chubby cat, Kitty in the background. She was excited I got my Birchbox too.

1. Recharge EBoost Orange Natural Energy Booster: Bounce back post-party with this tangy citrus energy booster, packed with a mega-dose of nutrients. This will be useful when I go back to working at the elementary school. There are a lot of germs.

2. Harvey Prince Yogini: Take a deep breath and relax with this calming scent. Notes of sandalwood, Egyptian myrrh, and grapefruit will help you feel as good as you smell. This smells really good. Myrrh reminds me of the wise men from the Christmas Story.

3. Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional: Camouflage visible pores with this velvety face primer. The translucent formula works wonders beneath makeup. I'm so happy to get this!!! I see this talked about all the time in blogs and YouTube. I've wanted this for awhile, but I just never went out to get it. I can't wait to try it out.

4. Olie Biologique 004 Huile Moderne: Five organic essential oils - including argan, rosehip, and bergamot - team up to moisturize face, body, and hair. A true superhero product for the winter months. I think it leaked out. You can see spots on the box where there is oil. It was partially opened. I might try this on my hair. I've heard about argan oil. It's supposed to be really good. It smells good too.

5. Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink: We teamed up with one of our favorite brands to create this custom fuchsia shade. Apply one coat for semi-sheer pigment, or build it for a hot pink pout. My kitty was curious about this, but she doesn't like how her hair always sticks to lip gloss. I don't really like the color on me. It's too cool toned. I see why they chose that color though because it is the brand's color. I think last time I got sent a fuchsia nail polish, so that would go with that I guess. It is such a cute little lip gloss container.

6. ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape: Celeb stylists swear by these double-sided tape strips, which will ensure that your party dress stays perfectly in place. Kitty and I don't like to wear party dresses that might cause anything to peep out. We are very modest. So I won't be using these. They are cool though.

Too Faced In Your Dreams Palette Dupes

I love Too Faced palettes. I think it is the packaging that appeals to me. It is so girly and cute. I went to Sephora and found myself really liking Too Faced new palettes. I went to Too Faced website and looked more closely at them. At the website I found a spot that showed the face charts that went with the new palette I had my eye on! Once I find the face charts and I know what kind of colors are in the palettes then I can dupe them! I don't have this palette so I can't say for sure that my dupes are exactly like the palette. I will include the colors, so you can find what dupes you have. This way it is like you have the palette, but you didn't have to buy it. Now that I know what colors I have, I don't want the palette. I still think the packaging is super cute though.

First I will share the dupes for the eye shadows, blushes, and lip glosses. Then I will tell you the face charts, and my thoughts for how each look looks on my face.

Eye Shadows
1. Full Moon (silver): My dupe is Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Collection in Blue Had Me at Hello, 2nd color (use this color very lightly).

2. Dream On (dark purple): My dupe is Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Collection in Petal Pusher, 3rd color.

3. Seduce (dark black navy): My dupe is Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Collection in Blue Had Me at Hello, 7th color.

4. Pink Peacock (pale pink): My dupe is Almay Intense i-Color Powder Shadow Trio for Hazels, pink color.

5. Swing (plum brown): My dupe is L'Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Professional Metallic Shadow in Electrified, right side.

6. Fishnet (silver black): My dupe is Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow in Lust, 5th color.

7. Silk Stockings (matte ecrue): My dupe is Almay Intense i-Color Powder Shadow Trio for Hazels, cream color.

8. La Cage (golden brown): My dupe is Maybelline Expert Wear in Enchanted Forest, brown color.

9. Rapture (chocolate brown): My dupe is Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow in Sunbaked Neutrals, bottom row, first color.

Blushes
1. You Hold the Key (natural peach): My dupe is Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso.

2. Girly Show (cool mauve): My dupe is Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Mellow Wine.

3. Wanna Play? (soft pink): My dupe is Cover Girl Cheekers in Natural Twinkle.

Lip Glosses
1. Heart On (pink velvet): My dupe is Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Afterglow.

2. Pink Ice (mauve shimmer): My dupe is Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Lasting Moisture Lip Gloss in Delicate Mauve.

3. Give It Up (pink sugar): My dupe is Elf Hypershine Lip Gloss in Fairy.

Natural Beauty
1. Sweep Silk Stockings onto lid. Blend La Cage into crease. Apply Rapture to upper lash line and extend outward.
2. Apply Wanna Play? on the outer apples of the cheeks.
3. Gloss lips with Give It Up.
My Thoughts: It's a really natural look. I think it's pretty.

Feminine Flirty
1. Press Pink Peacock onto lid. Blend Swing into the crease and outer lid. Line upper and lower lash lines with Fishnet and blend.
2. Pop Girly Show onto the apples of cheeks.
3. Frost lips with Pink Ice.
My Thoughts: This look is really pretty, but I don't think it suits someone with my coloring. I think it is more suited for dark skin. There are a lot of cool colors in this look, so it could look good on someone who has more of a cool tone to their skin.

Seductively Smokey
1. Sweep Full Moon from crease to brow. Press Dream On onto the entire lid then blend. Smoke upper and lower lash lines with Seduce.
2. Sweet You Hold the Key onto the hollows of the cheeks.
3. Blend Heart On with Pink Ice and apply to lips.
My Thoughts: I look like a clown. The eyes aren't too bad, but you have to be light handed with the silver from the crease to brow. The lips are pretty, but I think it is too much with the dramatic eye. This is a look to wear out at night probably.

There was also a tutorial on the Too Faced website to go with the palette. You can find that here if you want to: http://www.toofaced.com/gtl-1096-only-in-your-dreams.aspx

1. Sweep Pink Peacock from lash to brow. Blend Dream On into crease and outer lid then repeat with a light application of Fishnet over top. Next, press Silk Stockings onto eyelid. Finish by lining the top and lower lash lines with Seduce.
2. Apply Wanna Play? on the outer apples of the cheeks.
3. Blend Heart On and Give It Up and apply to lips using your finger or lip brush.
My Thoughts: The eyes look muddy. At least the colors I used don't mesh well together. Maybe in the palette they work better. I like how they use a light blush with it. That way the cheeks aren't competing with the eyes and giving a clown look. The lips are pretty and aren't competing either. My finished look didn't look like the model in the picture.

Jesse's Girl Nail Polish in Flirt

This is a pretty rose, sparkly color. I think this is my favorite nail polish. I wanted to share it with you. It matched the rose pictures hanging in my bathroom. I'm not sure if the picture picked up the color well enough. It looks like my nails are just shiny. It is a pretty pink color and it looks nice with fair, warm skin coloring. I'm sure it would look nice on a lot of different skin colors.

FOTD: Holiday Look Duping Inglot

Today I copied a look originally done by Cosmetic Couturier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJjz98Z8BzA&feature=channel_video_title. It is really simple and pretty. The products I used again are my own collection. I will list what products she used and beside it what I did. She used mostly Inglot colors. I used Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palettes, like I do everyday and I found out they are limited edition. I really recommend that you go and buy all of them. There are four palettes and the eyeshadows are dupes for lots of high end shadows. They are very inexpensive at the drugstore.

Eyes:
1. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden: I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
2. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: I used Palladio Shadow & Liner Herbal Crayon in Icicle under brow and tear duct.
3. Inglot YSM Face Powder in #40: I used my regular face powder. You can use whatever you normally use. I like Bare Minerals Mineral Veil all over my eye.
4. Inglot eye shadow in #467: I used the first color in Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Vanity all over my eye.
5. Inglot eye shadow in #111R *matte rainbow: I used the second color in Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Greed  over the eyelid.
6. Inglot eye shadow in #112R *matte rainbow: I used the second color Wet 'n Wild Color Icon in Vanity in my crease.
7. Inglot eye shadow in #453: I used the first color in Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Pride under my brows.
8. Mary Kay Eyeliner in Black Noir: I used Milani Eyeliner in Espresso in the waterline. I like to use a dark brown because I think it looks better on me than black.
9. Inglot Waterproof Gel Liner in #77: I used Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Brown on my upper lash line.
10. Inglot eye shadow in #64: I used the 6th color in Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Greed over the gel liner.
11. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Graffiti: I used Jesse's Girl Kohl Formula Eyeliner in Emerald City on my lower lash line.
12. Inglot eye shadow in #58: She used a darker green than I did. I ended up picking Wet 'n Wild's Single Eye Shadow in Envy. The color turned into a brighter green when I put it on, but I think it made for a cool effect.
13. Youngblood Mineral Lengthening Mascara in Blackout: I used L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in black brown.

Face:
1. Mary Kay Timewise Matte-Wear Foundation in #Ivory 4: I just used my regular foundation, Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation.
2. Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Light Diffusing Concealor in #02 Natural: This was used to highlight and I used Milani HD Advanced Concealer.
3. MAC Cream Bronzer in Weekend (LE, MAC To The Beach, 2010): I used Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 027 Sun Dance.
4. MAC Gel Blush in Just A Pinch (LE, A Rose Romance, 2009): I used Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural.
5. Inglot YSM Face Powder in #40: Again, I used Bare Minerals Mineral Veil.

Lips:
1. GOSH Lipstain Marker in #003 Berry: For lips, I used Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain and Balm in Forbidden.
2. Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Balm 

I tried to smile in this picture because the last time I took a picture of my face I didn't smile and I think I ended up looking sort of scary.

It's hard to see my eye makeup when my eyes are open. I think I have hooded eyes. You can see the green on the lower lash line.

The eyes are really simple. Even though it took a few steps to create. A lot of the overlapping of nude colors helps to create a good base for the eye and eliminates any veins.

The lips are blurry for some reason when a close up is taken. I don't know why it does that.

FOTD: Duping Mac's Glitter & Ice

Today I copied Amarixe's Glitter and Ice Tutorial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ADYbeUaC4o I don't have any of the Mac collection, but I just used things I already had. Under the video Amarixe lists dupes of what she used as well, so for alternatives that is a really good resource. I appreciate that she did that. I will list what she used and then what I used next to it.

1. MAC Morning Frost Paint Pot: I mixed two of my Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadows: Precious Metals gray color mixed with Not Just Nudes 3rd color. I was trying to make a taupe cream base.

2. MAC Fix+: I used Elf Makeup Mist & Set

3. MAC Hold That Pose! mineralize eyeshadow: I used Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner Hazel Eye Candy, 3rd color from the bottom

4. MAC Moleskin: Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Palette in Vanity 2nd color

5. MAC Winterized mineralize eyeshadow: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner Hazel Eye Candy, 2nd color from bottom

6. MAC Snow Season mineralize eyeshadow: Maybelline Enchanted Forest Quad, lightest color

7. MAC Blanc Type eyeshadow: Almay Intense I-Color Powder Shadow Trio for Hazel Eyes, lightest color

8. DollyWink liquid liner: L'Oreal Paris Carbon Black Lineur Intense

9. MAC Feline Kohl Power: Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Brow & Eye Liner in Black

10. NYX Slide On Pencil in Pure White: Palladio Shadow & Liner Herbal Crayon in Icicle

11. MAC False Lashes Extreme black mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous Hydrofuge Mascara in Black Brown for top lashes, and Maybelline Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof for bottom lashes

12. MAC Gingerly blush: L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush in W1-2 Bare Honey

13. MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl: Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl (this isn't a cream)

14. MAC Creme Cup lipstick: Revlon Soft Nude Lipstick

15. MAC Sugarrimmed Dazzleglass: Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Midnight Cowboy (You can use any shimmery clear lipgloss to pull off the same effect.)

So this is what it looked like. I feel embarrassed to show my face on here. I don't know if the color really came out well in the picture. My eyes don't really look like I did much but put gray eyeshadow on them in the picture. In real life it looked better I think.