Review: Maybelline Charcoal Smokes Shadow Quad and Lilac Nails

I've realized something over the past few months: my job makes it difficult to blog as often as I'd like. That's the funny things about jobs; typically they're time consuming to begin with, but they can often take up the time you enjoy spending on your hobbies. Lame.

Ok, enough kvetching. Onto the pretties!

Ladies, I present to you my newest obsession:

Maybelline's Stylish Smokes Quad in Charcoal Smokes.

Oh. Em. Gee. 

Love.

This quad has been all over the Internet for months now. Every review I've read has gone on and on about how this is a winner of a drugstore quad. I find Maybelline very hit or miss, especially with their eyeshadows. Usually Maybelline shadows aren't very pigmented and the texture is chalky and too powdery. I found this quad on sale ($4, usually $8) and decided I'd try it out. 

Excellent decision, Tiffany! (Pats self on back).

I love this quad. Each shadow is highly pigmented. I swatched them on my hand without any primer underneath and the color and finish of all four shadows was immediately obvious to me.

(In direct light and with flash)

The above swatches are the results of running my fingers through each pan ONCE.

The shadows are true to the picture above. There is an icy white silver, a taupe-grey, a grey with lilac undertones, and a sheer matte black with silver glitter.

No flash (L) and with flash (R)

These shadows are super blendable and long-lasting. I didn't use primer under these shadows and my makeup lasted all night. It's also really easy to build up the color; the lilac-grey looks amazing when you pack it on and blend it into the socket with the lighter grey shadow.

At home and out for drinks; no touchups needed throughout the night!

(Photo shamelessly stolen from the SIL's Facebook profile. Hollah, Em!)

I must urge my green-eyed sisters: BUY THIS QUAD! It gives my eyes an almost emerald tone. Win.

Up next: silvery-lilac nails!

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Nail Polish in "Pedal to the Metal"

Now, you might think, "lilac nails? Girl's way out of season!" But here's the thing; this is really just a borderline lilac, and its silvery enough to look wintery and to remind me a bit of midnight snow; you know, that really shimmery and cool-colored snow that sparkles in the street lights? This polish has that sort of finish to it.

I found this bottle of polish sitting on my coffee table. Either it belongs to Em, or I've got some polish gnomes leaving pretty bottles of lacquer all over my house. I'm cool with either option, but I think Em probably deserves the credit ;)

With the holidays fast approaching, I'm really looking forward to posting some fun holiday look how-tos! Look for some red lips in the not too distant future!

Have you tried any of the Maybelline Stylish Smokes quads? How do you feel about them? Let me know your favorites!

Review: MAC Sable (& Some Shadow Comparisons!)

The husband and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll down Newbury St. last night. Naturally I just had to stop into MAC and check out the goodies. I always try my best to get in and out of that place without spending a fortune on products I don't need, and for the most part I'm pretty successful at this. But last night I found myself swatching shadows and, well, I just couldn't resist bringing this beauty home.

MAC Sable is a gorgeous plum-golden brown shadow. It looks like a basic brown in the pan, but once you swatch it it takes on a totally different color; there are rosy-bronze undertones in this shadow that you don't see until you put it on. I love warm brown shadows, especially when they have hints of purple or pink in them, so this shadow feels right at home in my MAC palette.

At first I thought it might be pretty similar in color to Satin Taupe, one of my all-time fav MAC eyeshadows. I swatched them next to each other and was surprised to see that, while the tones should be the time, the colors take on two very different personalities.

You can really see the warm bronze tone of Sable, whereas Satin Taupe is a much cooler color. The formulas are exactly the same, however. Both are satin finishes. They're smooth and blend really well. These two colors are definitely related, but they're certainly not twins.

I was also very pleasantly surprised to see how close Sable and Satin Taupe are to the deeper brown shade in the NARS Kalahari duo. Both are close matches, and if you don't want to spend the $32 for the NARS shadow, you can use one of the MAC alternatives (which are much cheaper!).

But wait, there's more!

MAC Sable and Patina = a dupe for the NARS Kalahari duo?

EOTD using Sable, Woodwinked, and Shroom

Do you enjoy finding similar shadow colors? Share your fun color match finds! :)

An Overdue Collection of Some FOTDs

In trying to make up for lost time, I've got a bunch of FOTDs I've been meaning to post over the last month. With apologies again for the massive amount of slacking, here are some Face of The Days for your perusal!

                              

Eyes: MAC Woodwinked, Clinique Pink Chocolates Quad (The browns), L'Oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

Cheeks: Mary Kay Mineral blush in Sparkling Cider. E.L.F. Studio Blush/Bronzer duo

Lips: Victoria's Secret lipgloss in Mischief

Eyes: MAC Haux & Satin Taupe, L'Oreal Lavender Smokes Quad, Elizabeth Arden Velvet Plumtones Quad, Maybelline Define-a-Line Eyeliner in Rich Raisin, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon black

Cheeks: Milani Lumious blush, Bare Escentuals in Warmth

Lips: Mary Kay lipgloss in Berry Sparkle, Rimmel lipgloss in Rose Cocoon

Eyes: Elizabeth Arden Velvet Plumtones Quad, MAC Scene & Shale, L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black

Cheeks: Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose

Lips: Rimmel lipgloss in Rose Cocoon

Eyes: MAC Shroom, Revlon Sterling Rose Quad, Revlon CS eyeliner in Black, L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in Carbon Black

Cheeks: E.L.F. Studio Blusher/Bronzer Duo, E.L.F. All Over Color Stick in Lilac

Lips: N.Y.C. lipgloss in Sungold Pink

Today's EOTD: Stila Sunset, L'Oreal Lavender Smokes Quad, L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in Carbon Black. Look how this shadow combo turned my green eyes blue! Amazing!

I admit I am a full-fledged lover of L'Oreal Telescopic mascara at this point. The above pictures show my lashes with two coats of Telescopic. My lashes look super long, defined, and full. I mean it when I say this just may be the only mascara I'll buy for a good long time.

A close up of the Estee Lauder lipgloss I reviewed in my last post (Honey #03). It looks a bit like a soft peony pink color in this picture, but in actuality it's a soft honey gold. The formula is super thick and should be a bit warm when applied to the lips, otherwise the color is milky and streaky. Once it warms up though it spread beautifully and is pretty true to the color in the tube.

I'm dying to pick this palette up at Bobbi Brown sometime in the near future. The colors are very much in my comfy zone, and it's pretty cheap for Bobbi Brown, too, which I admit is a bit appealing when you consider one eye shadow pan is close to $25! I've been dying to pick Rockstar up, too, so the price point and the gorgeous shadow selections makes it extremely appealing!

EOTD Using Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips

I broke out my newly acquired Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips shadow palette for the first time today.  I was initially pretty meh on the nude and pinks shadows, but I had high hopes for the rest of the palette. Out of curiosity to really put the bronze shades to work, I got a little heavy handed and had some fun!

I quickly discovered there's more to this palette than meets the eye (get it?).

The colors don't look like much when the eye is open, but once they're closed (or drifted, as it were)...

Nothin' but shimmer and sparkle, and bronzey delicious shadow!

Unfortunately the Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips don't photograph especially well and as a result the look in the picture is a little purple overall. But in person, I have that just-spent-the-day-at-the-beach sort of glow. Love it.

Considering it's the middle of winter and my skin is about smooth as a brillo pad (quit slacking, Dove, and do your job!), these shadows went on like silk and blended gorgeously. They've also lasted quite a while without any obnoxious creasing.

Well worth that $4.