more reason to blush

i love nars, i especially love nars blushes. cream, powder, bring it on. as much as i get annoyed every time i open any magazine's best of beauty issue and see a rave for orgasm blush, i have gone through more than my share of this product. i think i just get annoyed at the repetitiveness, but at the same time, it's an amazing color. amazing. it's everyone's favorite. i think it's K's favorite--i am pretty sure that every time i see her, she is wearing it.

so when i saw on the sephora site that there is a new version of this called super orgasm, i immediately headed to my local to check it out in person to see the brand could improve upon perfection.

so disappointing

i have never been a fan of benefit's benetint, but i couldnt wait to check out their new posie tint (in the interest of fairness, i feel like i should tell you that i loved moonbeam for a really long time). i should have taken my time. it was so disappointing. it's easier to spread on and blend than benetint is--which is my gripe with this particular product--but the color immediately got absorbed into my skin so it was like i wasnt even wearing anything. well, at least now i know, i wont be using my sephora gift card on this! it made me really, really sad because i wanted to snatch it up and love it.

so i will admit that when the NARS orgasm glosses and multiples came out i was DYING, DYING, DYING to get my hands on them. coveted. dreamed. plotted. that being said, as soon as i saw the gloss i was like, Really? and was so disappointed. the multiple fared a little bit better; i saw it, loved it and then the second time i saw it, was disappointed and it was much like the first time i saw the gloss.

it was so sad.

then a few weeks ago, i was in my local sephora (they are pissing me off, btw) and saw the most beautiful NARS cream blush--seriously, i thought my heart was going to stop. i normally LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the line, but have been in a little disappointed in the past--and when i saw this color i knew all was well in the world again.

cactus flower. and it's beautiful.

it's so beautiful that the word simply does not do it justice. in the packaging it's a lovely, shimmering poppy color--the color that i have been dreaming of so long, but could not find. i reached for it because i had to have it--AND THERE WERE NONE LEFT. i am not gonna lie, i would have hulked out in sephora and started smashing displays, but i got a hold of myself and thought, this has to be a mistake, they have it SOMEWHERE.

they didnt.

i trekked over to another sephora on 57th and lex--and was about 30 blocks from home. because of cream blush (but it's so beautiful). they didnt have it either. it was like i was on the search for the holy grail or something and the next thing i know, i am calling up bendel's (they have it!) and it's being set aside for me.

it was worth every step and every penny.

everyone can learn a thing or two from Bobbi Brown

last saturday JG, C, A and I hit the soho bloomies to shop for C's wedding makeup. C wanted something similar to Eva Longoria's wedding pics on the cover of OK! (i think this was the magazine, but i could be wrong). dramatic eye with a neutral lip--and C is just so lovely, i couldn't imagine it not looking great. anyway, i am not particularly fond of the downtown outpost of bloomies--i think that the cosmetics department is way too small and the salespeople are way to pushy. after perusing a couple of different counters, we finally got comfy at Bobbi Brown--i had a feeling we'd end up there because every bride i've ever known raves about the Bobbi Brown MAs. And let me tell you, they have reason to! the MA did such a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful job on C that i just stood there gaping. she looked like herself, but like the best version of herself--a dramatic, glammed of version of herself. exactly the way you would want to look like on your wedding day.

she used a bunch of different products, but by far the stand out and the thing i am going to purchase next--actually make that the two things i am going to purchase next (i can't help myself) are the pot rouge in calypso coral (coral always sounds scary, but it isnt. in it's best incarnation it should be soft and this color is velvet loveliness. 3 of us put it on afterward and our skin tones and coloring couldnt be more different. this is a must-have, i think!) and the long-wear gel eyeliner. any color of the gel eyeliner would be amazing--the secret is the formula. i dont usually wear eyeliner and when i do, it's usually liquid, but i want to start wearing eyeliner because this product is so amazing.

i love too faced. just love them. love the products, the whimsy, the packaging–and i love that they don't break the bank. these are good-quality, girly and glam. however, they discontinued one of my favorite products--it is the beauty lover's curse. the blush bouquet pure flower essence gel blush was amazing. it was the perfect i've-been-running and now i have this pretty flush blush. the best part? it also doubled as a great lip stain. seriously, this was the perfect product. but now i can't find it anywhere so i only bust it out on special occasions. i know, i am sad. the great news is i think i've found a perfect doppleganger: Smashbox Skin Tint in Infrared.

we should all be more cheeky!

i love that whole i've been skiing out in the great outdoors and drinking hot toddies in the chalet look. it's so rosy and pretty and healthy looking. the fact is, the only time i really spend outdoors is when i am running to starbucks. so creating that pretty flush takes work. one of my favorite tools is Stila's convertible color--i have 3, i love them so much (fuchsia, poppy and peony). the fuchsia and poppy are perfect for this--just layer and blend with a cotton ball. the peony is a nice neutral. then i just put some pretty powder blush over it to keep it in place. you're supposed to be able to use this on your lips, but it's not great on the lips. in a pinch, it's fine, but this is so great on the cheeks, it really doesn't matter. plus, it lasts forever.

get your own now!