Bailaoragaditana's Aventuras

As mentioned previously, I went to the mall on Monday to relieve my internet-less boredom (fourteenth-century didactic poems weren't doing it for me, somehow), and picked up a few makeup goodies. Thanks to my lovely Bobbi Brown consultant Kyra, I got myself a pre-ordered Bobbi Brown/Nordstrom's exclusive palette for Holiday 2009:

It features a warm quad and a cool quad of shadows, each with a variety of textures, and a Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks in Blushed Rose.

I also got two lipsticks from the MAC Hi-Def collection, Sharp Focus and Resolutely Red:

(My third Back2MAC lipstick was another tube of Lovin' It, for my sister - see how much I love her? I spend my MAC empties on her! - who's dyeing her hair redder... it's a great shade for redheads!)

I tried to do swatches for the Bobbi Brown palette, with no luck - I could *not* get my crappy camera to get the shades anywhere close to reality, even when I messed around with colors and contrast and whatnot in my photo editor. It all just looked blah, so I gave up. I did manage to get a decent shot of Resolutely Red, though. I feel like it's a pretty wearable red for MAC - slightly darker than Russian Red, and creamy rather than matte (so less high-maintenance), but still bold and vivid enough for those of us who love our red lips!

Thanks for reading/looking, and enjoy!

Hello again! I've been up to my usual shenanigans, y'all! (To be fair, I *have* been saving up for Bobbi Brown's Ivy League collection and MAC's Makeup Art Cosmetics collection since I heard about them months ago, so... it's less bad than you'd imagine.) Anyway, I think I'll let the products speak for themselves. I've got some looks in the works, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to posting them - too much work for my own good these days :-( (Plus it's stupidly hot in DC at this time of year and I go to the pool and swim laps like twice a day, just because it's so unbearable... which means makeup is not really a brilliant plan most days.)

In this pic: Bobbi Brown Lip Crayon Trio; Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara; Tarte MultiplEYE lash enhancer (both Tarte products won on BellaSugar); Bobbi Brown shadows in Bash (metallic), Ivy (matte), and Golden Leaf (shimmer wash); Stila Cherry Crush lip & cheek stain; Bare Escentuals Buxom lip pencils in Brooklyn and Barcelona; Laura Mercier lip stain in English Rose; Bobbi Brown longwear gel eyeliners in Ivy and Forest Shimmer Ink; Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum; Nars Lipstain Gloss in Victoire; Christian Siriano for VS eyeliner (black); Laura Mercier sheer lipstick in Tender Lips

In this pic: MAC quads in In the Gallery (purples) and Notoriety (neutrals); MUFE Mat Velvet+ foundation in Alabaster; Laura Mercier Lip Velvet in Naked Rose and Scarlet Passion; Bare Minerals Buxom gloss in Dolly; MUFE AquaEyes liner in 16L (green); MAC lipglass in New Spirit; Laura Mercier sheer lipstick in Bare Lips

In this pic: all MAC goodies! Studio Moisture Tint in Light; quad in Photo Realism (greens); blush in The Perfect Cheek; eyeshadow in One-Off; Suntints lip balm in Full of Grace; lipstick in Lovin' It

And finally, a bunch of samples and things: Armani Code, Les Delices de Cartier (which smells amazing!), Armani Code Sheer, Pucci; Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (Mineral) and Tinted Moisturizer (Illuminating); LM Foundation Primer; Hourglass tinted moisturizer; Philosophy Microdelivery deluxe sample; AmorePacific eye cream; Urban Decay lipstick; Perricone Ceramic Skin Smoother

There's a few things I still want from the Makeup Art Cosmetics collection, which I've got a bunch of Back2MACs saved for, but this is kind of my last hurrah before going back to school in October - none of the fall/holiday collections, with the exception of the Bobbi Brown Earth Metals palette, really interest me, plus I'm already starting to experience Finals Panic (tm). Gah. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the makeup porn :-p and hopefully I'll be able to do a look or two soon (I need to remember to take pics more often, grr). In the meantime, have a great weekend, and live it up these last few days of summer!

You guessed it - I've been up to my old tricks again! I took advantage of the MAC Friends and Family Sale (ages ago, I know!) to stock up on some staples and expand my collection of basics; picked up some things from Bobbi Brown's new nudes collection for fall; and bought a couple of Benefit lipsticks that I have been wanting *forever*. (Or, at least, since I saw Temptalia's review of them ages ago!)

MAC Friends and Family:

- Eye Shadow refill pans in Silver Ring and Parfait Amour

- Eye Kohl in Rosemary & Thyme

- Powder Blush in Plum Foolery

- Pro Palette (15-pan)

- Eye Shader Brush 239

- Mini Shader Brush 228

- Oil Control Lotion

- Cleanse-Off Oil

- Green Gel Cleanser

- Brush Cleanser

- Bulk Wipes

Bobbi Brown:

- Nude Eye Palette

- Rose Bud and Twilight Creamy Lip Colors

(Broom and dustpan not included! :-p You may laugh at my photo-taking abilities...)

Benefit Full-Finish Lipsticks:

- Lady's Choice, No Competition, and Wild Card

I need to get off my lazy bum and put together some looks with this stuff, but somehow I keep getting sidetracked by academic work. Insane, I know. But I'm going to try to do maybe one look a week for the rest of the summer, as a bare minimum, because I have been seriously neglecting this here little blog :-/ Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon!

Oh yes, I am back from Spain, and loaded down with goodies! I may have been a good little girl and resisted my makeup-buying urges whilst in Granada, but you can bet your boots that my will to resist temptation is now thoroughly broken.

Which is why I can't decide whether Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 is the seventh circle of hell, or an earthly Paradise. The security check area is a suitable setting for Dante's Inferno, but once you clear those machines, you enter into the Heavens of Consumerism. You can buy anything, including cars. No, I have no idea what you would need with a car if you're about to get on a plane, but... maybe I just don't have enough money to understand? There's a branch of Harrod's. There's electronics stores, clothing shops, restaurants, and all manner of ways to fritter away money on duty-free purchases large and small. But my eye was caught by the familiar pink-on-black lettering of one of my favorite brands.

Yes, that would be Victoria's Secret. In Heathrow Airport.

Top row, L-R: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead and Blonde; MAC Powder Blush in Pink Swoon and Peaches (both Sheertone)

Bottom row: Urban Decay XXX Shine lipgloss in Guys Love Betsey; MAC lipglass in Quick Tease; MAC Select Cover-Up concealer in NW15; MAC lipstick in Lady Danger; MAC lip pencil in Redd; MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy; NARS lipgloss in Bloodwork

As you can see, I am having a major issue with red lips. *sigh*

I've spent most of this week stressing over details of my upcoming trip to Spain - money, visa applications, filling in five thousand forms for everyone under the sun who could possibly have anything at all to do with it, millions of emails and phone calls and just... stress stress stress. Thus why I haven't really been around lately. But fear ye not... I have not abandoned ye! This afternoon, Khorshid Khanoom and I engaged in some serious Thai-food-and-makeup-shopping retail therapy. Tofu panang curry and MAC... the perfect combination! :-D

As you can see, I hit up MAC in a major way, although I didn't get everything I planned to. I picked up the Brunette Blonde Redhead shadows in Femme-Fi and Henna (from the Brunette collection) and Flip (from Redhead). I exchanged 4 products' worth of Back2MAC and got Live & Dye lipglass (from Redhead), and lipsticks in What a Do! (Brunette), Marquise D' (Redhead/Antiquitease), and Hot Tahiti (permanent). I still have enough empty pots and tubes and things to get 2 or 3 more lipsticks, but I haven't seen anything I really must have (aside from Lady Danger, but I really need to lay off the bold red lips for the moment).

I also popped into Sephora and finally picked up a tube of Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, which I've been debating for a while now. I tend to be kind of cautious about over-hyped products, but I think I can safely say Black Honey's cult status is fully deserved. And then I got out of Sephora before I could buy anything else. (NARS lipgloss in Bloodwork is soooo going on my wish list!) Finally, it was over to The Body Shop to grab a bunch of Cranberry soaps (I use it to scent my dresser drawers) for $2 each (seriously!), and some Tea Tree wipes for my bag, and Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF15, which I got for my walking/running type activities, because my normal oil control lotion doesn't have SPF (boo!) and I would really rather not turn a lovely shade of lobster just because I was trying to get some exercise.

Sorry for the crappy pictures - I've got two dead lightbulbs in my room now, and I am waaay too lazy and cold to leave my coccoon of blankets and change them. I hope to get to playing with my haul shortly (I need to come up with a look suitable for passport/visa photos!), and I think I'm going to order a few more things from BBR online - the Mineralize SkinFinishes were really nice, but I wanted to think it over a bit more before investing. And possibly Quick Tease lipglass, which was nicely sheer. I was kind of disappointed by Chignon lipstick, but Hot Tahiti is pretty much how I was imagining Chignon to be, so I'm pretty happy with that. Anyway, I've probably talked enough now, but thanks for reading!

As I was browsing my usual makeup blogs on Christmas Eve, I wandered over to the Bobbi Brown site to drool all over the Artist Palette for Lips (again), which is a makeup junkie's dream but which I so cannot justify buying... (yet!)... and while I was there, I stumbled - completely accidentally - upon the Bobbi Brights eye palette, which is maybe even more lust-inducing!

First things first: The palette is little. Like 3.5 x 5 inches. A little bigger than an index card. Each shadow is a little more than 1cm in diameter - smaller than a dime.

Now, down to the nitty-gritty:

Overall: very pigmented, very soft, rich colors. All of them are very true - they definitely show up the same as they look. That said, I don't think that it's great for people who'll do brights a lot - it's better for experimentation. Or travel, which is what I'm going to use it for - so I can take loads of colors with me in very little space. If you're looking to go crazy with bold looks, the Coastal Scents palettes are probably a better deal - you get more colors and more shadow for less money.

Anyway, I'm off to lunch/dinner with a friend - Thai food! - and then a sleepover (a friend is having some issues), but I will update with looks/opinions later in the weekend. Hope this has been somewhat helpful, and thanks for reading!

Much makeuppy stuff was given to me for the holidays... and I also, um, bought myself a few gifts too :-p

My fabulous presents from khorshid khanoom: Smashbox Soft Lights & Blush duo in Super/Model, eyeshadow trio in Glow On, lipgloss (True Color) in Couture, and Brow Tech/Cream Liner palette; Sugar "Round the Clock" shadow palette in Day Job

My presents from me (and others): Hollister lipgloss in Bare, Global Goddess Lip Veils in Cardamom and Mirage, VS Beauty Rush glosses in Red Delicious and Passion Fruit Pop; Armani Lip Wax in Cardinal Red, plus samples of Armani Code perfume and Crema Nera serum

I got some money as well, which I plan to put towards Brunette Blonde Redhead, and I ordered a Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brights shadow palette (which should be here tomorrow!). Plus I got two different lingerie sets, which I will let Adriana Lima and Izabel Goulart model for you, because while I'll put my face on the internet, me in my skivvies is probably not the best idea!

Now I just need makeup looks to go with them... hmm....

Anyway, I shall be posting more stuff soon, playing with my new maquillage... thanks for reading, and enjoy!

You read it here first.

After more than a year of virtuously resisting jumping on the mineral makeup bandwagon, I, bailaoragaditana, have bought mineral makeup.

I was at Ulta, and I saw the fair/fairly light starter kit, and I... just couldn't resist any longer.

Contents include:

- bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Fair and Fairly Light

- bareMinerals Mineral Veil

- bareMinerals Warmth All-Over Face Color

- bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper (mini bottle)

- three brushes: two face brushes and one concealer brush

- instructional DVD

I haven't tried applying any of it just yet, but I plan to do so in the next few days, with pictures. I'm kind of scared/nervous, really - it's a whole new kind of makeup for me, and teaching an old dog (ten years of makeup!) new tricks should be interesting.

And I depotted my Urban Decay shadows last night and put them all in my MAC palettes - it's kind of cool to condense my massive collection of pots into four slim boxes. Makes it look like I have way less than I actually do :-p

Thanks for reading, and hopefully see you around here soon!

Step 1: Turn off television.

Step 2: Drink the last of the sangría.

Step 3: Check email.

Step 4: Open email from person at Sugar HQ.

Step 5: Experience overwhelming joy (winning more makeup) that erases bleak despair (Sarah Palin) from my soul.

"Dear bailaoragaditana,

Congratulations! You are the winner of the daily BellaSugar product reviews giveaway for October 1st and have won Bare Escentuals’ 3 Perfect Blushes set!"

Oh yes, my friends, that's right! I have won more makeup. Fortunately, it's not something I have a huge stash of. I only own maybe 3 or 4 blushes, and I only really use Bobbi Brown blush in Desert Rose. So this is one area where I could do with branching out and exploring. Plus, it will be my first-ever experience with Bare Escentuals, and with mineral makeup in general! (Not that I haven't swatched or anything before, just I've never felt the need to jump on the bandwagon.) It will probably be a while before I get the package (the last thing I won took about 6 weeks, I think), but it's something to look forward to and I shall definitely share it with you once I get to playing with it. (Assuming I ever find my camera cable.)

*Also - a question for you, since I seem incapable of making up my own mind. I recently de-potted all of my MAC shadows into 15-pan palettes, and I'm really pleased with the result. I was wondering if I should do the same with my Urban Decay eyeshadows, since the pans are the same size and it would mean I could probably take the majority of my higher-end eye makeup with me when I travel (to Spain and also back to England). But there's not a comparable recycling program for UD (ie, no free lipstick), although I could just put the plastic in the recycling bin... so what do you girls (and guys?) think? I'm torn, because I love the way the palettes look, but I don't want to waste the UD shadow vault I bought... gahhh....

Anyway, thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll find my darn camera cable and post some actual looks and stuff soon...