Tarte for True Blood

I have a confession...I don't watch True Blood.  Everyone still OK??  Do I need to get the smelling salts out?  It's not that I wouldn't watch True Blood, it's just that I don't have HBO.  I've seen a few of the early episodes before we got rid of HBO, but that's it.


So even though I'm not a fan of True Blood, I couldn't pass up the eye shadow palette and Lip Tint (there's also a Cheek Stain, but I passed on it...just not a fan of the gel cheek stains).  I'm already a fan of Tarte's Lipsurgence Lip Tints, so I couldn't wait to get it, and the palette just looked so darn awesome that I took the plunge, even though I've never tried Tarte's shadows.


Tarte for True Blood Lipsurgence Lip Tint is a sheer, blood red (duh) with a light shimmer and a minty fresh scent that is cooling on the lips.  The main reason I love the Lipsurgence Lip Tints is because they're sheer, but have buildable coverage.  They're perfect if you're scared of bold colored lips, like me, but still want a bit of that bold color.  Plus, they're also moisturizing and have a bit of a sheen to them, so you can just swipe them on and go.  I'd say in regards to texture and color, they're very much like a tinted lip balm, just with a bit more tint.  I have a couple other of the Lip Tints (not including the ones on my wishlist!), so I will do a separate post on them because they darn well deserve it!

Swatched light, then heavy on the arm.  Just a couple swipes on the lips.

Now onto the palette.  As I stated before, I'm new to Tarte eye shadows, but I've read good things about them, and I figured a big palette was a great opportunity to try a bunch of them out.  The palette itself is super cool with it's laced-up black and red pleather look.  As for the shadows, most of the 18 colors in the palette are ones that I would wear (there's a few I won't use much, but hey...can't win 'em all), and from what I can find, they're full-size, so for the money, a pretty decent value.  Almost all of the swatches were from one swipe.  The lighter colors took a couple swipes to achieve the color, but I can deal with that.  Texture-wise, they are all very smooth, and a couple of them do have glitter.  The palette also includes a mini Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, mini Natural Lift Eye Primer, and mini Emphaseyes Aqua-Gel Eyeliner...I'm not going to review those mostly 'cause I don't wanna, and they're not the reason I bought the palette.


I am going to give you loads of swatches, though!

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Dawn, The Light, Bayou, Charmer, Werewolf, Fairy

Left to Right:  Dawn (light, shimmering gold), The Light (pale, shimmering beige), Bayou (shimmering antique gold), Charmer (shimmering copper), Werewolf (matte dark brown), Fairy (light, shimmering white-pink)

Middle Row (5): Moss, Telepath, Glamour Me, Waitress, Dusk

Left to Right:  Moss (shimmering evergreen), Telepath (rose with silver glitter), Glamour Me (deep, shimmering eggplant), Waitress (shimmering beige with silver glitter), Dusk (matte pinky beige)

Left to Right, Top to Bottom:  Legend, The True Death, Stake, Nocturnal, V, Immortal

Left to Right:  Legend (matte black), The True Death (metallic silver), Stake (matte grey), Nocturnal (matte black with blue glitter), V (metallic cranberry), Immortal (matte black with silver glitter)

See the blue sparkles in Nocturnal?!  Pretty!

You can purchase the Tarte for True Blood Collection is available at sephora.com.  The Lip Tint is $24 and the palette is $52.  There is also a Natural Cheek Stain available for $$30.

Chanel Vendetta Le Vernis: Swatches and a comparison to Butter London HRH

Chanel Vendetta is a deep, vampy purple with red and blue shimmers.  It looks purple in the bottle, but once it's on the nails, it is nearly black.  Indoors, the shimmers basically disappear, leaving it looking more creme-like, but outdoors, Vendetta takes on a more glow-y quality, with the shimmers sparkling in the sunlight.

Vendetta is part of the permanent collection and is available for $25 at all Chanel counters and on chanel.com.


A reader asked how Vendetta compared to Butter London HRH.  Both have the same red and blue sparkles, but that is where the similarities end.  Vendetta is a very dark, blue-based purple, nearly black.  HRH is brighter and more red-based.  See here for my original swatches of HRH.  

If you love purples as much as I do, these both have a place in your collection.

Urban Decay Friends & Family Sale

For just a few days only, Urban Decay is offering 25% off everything online (except the Naked Palette - boo)!!  But hurry, the sale is only from July 5th - 10th.  Enter code FFSUMMER11.


Get shopping!

I'm baaaack!! Chanel Illusore Look

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  I've been working on balancing work, life along with some personal issues, and blogging had to take a backseat.  I do plan on continuing blogging, and I thank everyone that has stuck with me.  Muchos kudos to you bloggers out there who maintain life, work and regularly blog - it's hard work!


I haven't really been purchasing all that much makeup lately, which isn't really a bad thing.  My bank account is sure thankful, and I certainly have more than enough in my stash to last an eternity.  Buttttt, Chanel's Fall Collection caught my eye...and how could it not?  Right now I don't have swatches, mostly because I'm still debating a few items.  I do, however, have a look for you featuring Illusore Illusion D'Ombre from the Fall Collection.


Basically, I wanted to do something simple and work appropriate.  I'm lucky that I have a little freedom to wear fun stuff, but I find myself gravitating to more polished and professional looks.  This is just a wash of Illusore over the lid with a highlighter, and a little liner underneath the lower lash line, topped off with a few coats of mascara.  Super simple and  a quick to do in the morning.


Natural Light

Indoor

And a new swatchcat feature...my face!

Products used:

Lorac Eye Primer

MAC Swiss Chocolate e/s (in brows)

MAC Smut e/s (in brows)

MAC Dazzlelight e/s

Chanel Illusore Illusion D'Ombre

Chanel Khaki Platine Precision Eye Definer

Yves St. Laurent Faux Cils Mascara Black

Benefit Bad Gal Mascara Plum

Smashbox Camera Ready Concealer Shade 2.0

MAC Cute Blush

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Creamy Lip Color

OPI for Sephora Glee: Mash-Up

I'll admit it...there's no shame in it.  I'm a bit of a Gleek.  If you watch Glee, you know why it's so awesome.  And if you don't, are you waiting for some sort of private invitation?  Watch it already!!


Jumping on the Glee-bandwagon is Sephora, by releasing a whole line of polishes dedicated to Glee.  My pockets aren't deep enough that I could indulge in them all, so I strategically chose one:  Mash-Up.  I didn't test or see any of the others, but this one is the clear winner based on uniqueness alone...and it doesn't hurt that it was inspired by the hunky Mr. Schuester, who is reason enough alone to watch Glee, amiright?!  Mash-Up is a pearly, opalescenty, multi-tonal, glittery grey, and I think I've used my daily allotment of adjectives, so I'll just let y'all drool over the pictures.

Peep the rest of the pics after the jump!

Laundry Cats

I was going to fold the laundry I did earlier this week, but who would want to disturb this:

The laundry can wait.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I haven't posted anything tasty in awhile, so I thought I'd post these delicious cupcakes.  I'm giving my coworkers a little treat for Valentine's Day - Red Velvet Cupcakes!  Totally thematic with the red cake and ivory frosting, and totally indulgent.  Perfect if your honey loves sweet treats!

Click the jump for the recipe and another teaser pic!

Butter London Nail Lacquer - Diamond Geezer

Want a bright, silvery foil with little bits of glitter?  Diamond Geezer would be it.  I almost wore this for New Year's Eve, but I figured bright foily, silver would be too cliche.  Eh, I have the rest of the year to wear this one.

Butter London Nail Lacquer - Branwen's Feather

Branwen's Feather is described as a blackened purple (yes, another one...shocker!) reminiscent of a raven's feather.  Yeah, that pretty well describes is all right.  Branwen's Feather has a deep black base with purple and multicolor shimmers.  Gorgeously vampy is how I describe it.

Again, apologies for the craptastic photos.  Just picture this color richer and not so washed out and you'll get an idea of how awesome it is.