MAKE UP FOR EVER Fifty Shades of Grey - Give In To Me

Dior & Fifty Shades of Grey

February 15, 20151 Comment

This particular work week has been the toughest since starting at this new company about 3 months ago. So last night I needed some serious retail therapy and that means Sephora! Also I was trying to kill some time as I had tickets to Fifty Shades of Grey at 11:05 p.m. After Sephora I ended up in the cosmetics section at Dillard’s.

At Dillard’s I was drawn in by the Dior displays. I have always admired the Dior cosmetics for their flawless packaging and designer heritage but had never sampled any of their products. Currently I have a sample size of the Miss Dior scent Blooming Bouquet which I love so I stopped to smell the other Miss Dior scents.

The lovely sales woman got me talking about what type of make-up I used and what I had recently purchased at Sephora as I had the bag in hand. She could tell that I was fully stocked on the most essential beauty items so she brought me over to show me the new Dior Cheek and Lip Glow. I was instantly hooked by the product as it was a two in one item that was a lip gloss stain as well as a cheek tint. I do not have anything like it in my current beauty collection so I new I had to have it and that it would be a great first Dior purchase. Currently it only comes in the one shade 001 which is described as a “blushing rosy tint” so it is very pink. I am not sure if Dior plans on coming out with other shades but I believe 001 is a fairly versatile shade although I recommend going into sample it before purchasing. And if you go to the Dillard’s at the UTC Mall in Sarasota, Florida ask for Marlein at Dior she is wonderful. Before I left she made sure to make me an appointment for the Dior Backstage Artists who are coming at the end of the month.

Dior Cheek and Lip Glow – Shade 001

Last Sephora Saturday I wrote about my purchase from the MAKE UP FOR EVER limited-edition Fifty Shades of Grey collection so if you haven’t read that post I would read it now before continuing.

I know I said I was having a hard time justifying the purchase of the additional MAKE UP FOR EVER limited-edition Fifty Shades of Grey items but with the movie finally here I lost all self control and went ahead and purchased both the Give In To Me Makeup Kit and the Tease Me Lip Set in the shade Innocent.

MAKE UP FOR EVER – Give In to Me (keepsake box)

The Give In To Me Makeup Kit comes with four Artist Shadow palette in I-514, ME-612, S-556, I-625; a Graphic eyeliner; a Smoky Extravagant mascara; a Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in N4; a Lab Shine lip gloss in D14; and an exclusive keepsake box. The shadow palette shades are my typical everyday neutrals so it was a perfect purchase which I know I will get a lot of use out of. The lip gloss is fabulous although I realized when I got home that I already own the shade D14 which I purchased on Black Friday as one of the $10 Sephora deals. The graphic eyeliner is so precise I may switch from my favorite Sephora brand. This eyeliner applicator is made for perfecting a winged look or cat eye. The mascara I currently have a sample size of so I new the full size would make a great addition to my growing mascara collection. I have been thinking about doing a review on all the mascaras I own, let me know in the comments if you are interested in a post like that in additional to weekly Sephora Saturday’s. And if you did what I suggested by going back and reading last weeks post you know how I feel about the Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks. I will not stop until I own them all.

Artist Shadow palette in I-514, ME-612, S-556, I-625; Graphic eyeliner; Smoky Extravagant mascara; and Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in N4.

Artist Shadow palette in I-514, ME-612, S-556, I-625

MAKE UP FOR EVER – Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in N4; a Lab Shine lip gloss in D14

The Tease Me Lip Set in the shade Innocent includes an Aqua Lip lip pencil in 3C, an Aqua Rouge lipstick in shade 3, Clear and a Lab Shine lip gloss in D16 which also came with the Black Friday $10 Sephora deal. Currently the Sephora website no longer has the two shades of the Tease Me Lip Set available for purchase so I would hurry to your local Sephora before they are gone. Especially for the passionate shade as it contains the Limited Edition Shade 50.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Tease Me Lip Set – Innocent

Tease Me Lip Set – Innocent – Aqua Lip lip pencil in 3C, an Aqua Rouge lipstick in shade 3, Clear and a Lab Shine lip gloss in D16

All of the items that are part of the MAKE UP FOR EVER limited-edition Fifty Shades of Grey collection come with pamphlets on how to re-create Anastasia’s looks from the movie. I cannot wait to sit down and start re-creating looks from the hottest movie of the year. There are sure to be some photos to follow.

Let me know what you think of these products and be sure to see Fifty Shades of Grey which is in theatre’s now!!! “Laters Baby!”

Shiny Copper Penny from 2008

February 13, 2015February 13, 20153 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Buffalo Nickel.”

“What was I doing in 2008?” I thought after actually finding a penny that was minted after I was born.

It took .5 seconds for me to feel ridiculous because at 25 years old 2008 happened to be one of the most important and transitional years of my life.

In March my fiance and I got engaged. It was his sophomore and my freshman year and we had been together for 3 years (and will be celebrating 10 years this March). We still aren’t married mostly because we were focused on our educations and careers and partly because weddings are expensive.

That summer we both spent ninety percent of our time at the baseball stadium we worked at. Our days consisted of inventory, receiving concession stand food, and cleaning. Our nights were spent running concession stands full of teenagers who were selling overpriced popcorn and soda. We made a lot of money and we had a lot of fun. It was out last season working for the Sea Dogs and as much as we enjoyed ourselves we wouldn’t go back.

In September we officially moved out of our parents homes in Maine and into an apartment together in Boston where we both went to college. We adopted a cute kitten and named him Nelson. My mother moved from Maine to Long Island NY to move in with her now husband.

The first few months living together were tough but we bought an air conditioner and we got through it. We became best friends with Billy and now he is like family.

Thank you Daily Post for reminding me of an important time in my life.

Fifty Shades of Sephora

February 8, 2015February 8, 20159 Comments

This Sephora Saturday is all about Fifty Shades of Grey. I recently picked up some items from the MAKE UP FOR EVER limited-edition Fifty Shades of Grey collection. If you knew me personally you would know all about my obsession with Fifty Shades of Grey, I have read each book so many times I’ve lost count. So when I saw these limited-edition pieces from MAKE UP FOR EVER I knew I had to have them. All the pieces were used on the set of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie by Victoria Down, Head of the Makeup Department for Fifty Shades of Grey. Definitely check out Sephora’s Glossy interview with Victoria Down where she spills all her secrets from the set.

The first item I picked up is the Tease Me Lip Set in the shade Passionate (it also comes in a nude shade called Innocent). This set includes an Aqua Lip lip pencil in Matte Raspberry 10C, an Aqua Rouge lipstick in Limited Edition Shade 50, Clear and a Lab Shine lip gloss in D4 Shimmering Grenadine. The set also includes a pamphlet on how to re-create the different looks from the movie.

MAKE UP FOREVER Tease Me Lip Set – Passionate

Now let me just say my favorite, and everyday, lipstick is MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Rouge Artist Natural in N9. I love the quality, the moisturizing formula and how it just gives a little pick-me-up to my natural lip color. So I was not surprised when I tried on the Aqua Rouge lipstick and was blown away by the quality and long lasting wear. The first time I wore it was to a party where I was constantly sipping a cocktail and not one spec of that lipstick came off on my glass the entire night. That was the night I also realized that limited-edition Shade 50 is MY color. It packed just the right punch of sass without making me look like I had tried on my mothers lipstick. So basically no one buy it so I can purchase every last set. Just kidding, but not really. I would recommend this set to all and especially the Aqua Rouge lipsticks from MAKE UP FOR EVER. It is the perfect lipstick for all day wear, and special events where you need long lasting coverage.

From left to right: Aqua Lip lip pencil in Matte Raspberry 10C; Aqua Rouge lipstick in Limited Edition Shade 50; Shade 50 with Clear; and Lab Shine lip gloss in D4 Shimmering Grenadine

The second item I picked up was the Desire Me Cheek Set. This set includes three Artist Shadow blushes in I-526, I-808, S-748, a Travel Precision blush brush in 150 and an exclusive keepsake pouch. The set also includes a pamphlet on techniques and backstage secrets from the set of Fifty Shades of Grey movie. The set is designed to let you go from a healthy innocent glow to seductive flush of desire and everything in between.

Desire Me Cheek Set – Three Artist Shadow blush in I-526, I-808, S-748; Travel Precision blush brush in 150; and Exclusive keepsake pouch.

My favorite shade has been I-808 which I like to use on my brow bone and then also mixed with the S-748 on my cheeks. The S-748 is a lovely color but on my skin tone it looks a bit orange by itself which is why I combine it with the I-808.

From left to right: I-526; I-808; and S-748.

The one set I have not yet purchase because firstly its pricey and second I have just not been able to justify it is the Give In To Me Makeup Kit. This set comes with four Artist Shadow palette in I-514, ME-612, S-556, I-625; a Graphic eyeliner; a Smoky Extravagant mascara; a Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in N4; a Lab Shine lip gloss in D14; and an exclusive keepsake box. As the movie release draws closer I find I have less and less self control and may cave in and buy it.

Please let me know your thoughts on these products and the MAKE UP FOR EVER brand in general. Also let me know if you decide to go out and purchase these items after reading this. I love to know that I am not alone in my Sephora or Fifty Shades obsession. Be sure to come back next Saturday for my next Sephora Saturday post.

Give ‘Em What They Want

February 5, 20155 Comments

If my blog was a baby it would be a newborn who had to spend a month in the NICU before going home. I started it this past November because I needed an outlet for some of my feelings and thoughts I didn’t get a lot of traffic until January when I started Blogging 101. Naturally thanks to Blogging 101 and all the wonderful people I have connected to through that January was my highest traffic month to date. My goal is to double the traffic for February.

Here are the top 3 most popular pages & posts on my blog:

Having my home page come in first was not a surprise as I tend to share links directly to my blog as opposed to a specific post. However the fact that my About page came in at number 2 was a big surprise. I never thought that many people who visited my blog would care to read my About page. Knowing this means I will definitely be updating it soon and adding some more content. If you have some suggestions on what you would like to read on my about page please let me know.

Coming in at number 3 was my post An Uninspired Lost Girl. This was a post in response to an assignment in Blogging 101. I did not think this was a particularly extraordinary post but looking back at the comments I can see how the honestly behind it really resonated with some people. This post really showcases my feelings behind blogging and how much I rely on it to provide me growth in my everyday life.

I would appreciate any and all feedback on the above listed pages/posts and even the posts that didn’t make the top three. Thank you to those of you who have already provided some amazing feedback it is truly appreciated and helps my blog grow.

The Lost Girl Blogs 3 Goals for 2015

February 2, 20154 Comments

Get 1026 followers (cause that seems like a nice number).
Make lasting friendships with other bloggers.
Chat with other bloggers from at least 8 other countries outside of my own.

Why do you blog?

This question is remarkably difficult to answer because the reason I started blogging is different than the reason I have continued to blog and why I plan to keep blogging.

To make this quick I blog because I have a lot to say that does not necessarily fit into my day to day human interactions. By blogging I am able to share what I have to say when I want to say it and the readers can choose when they want to read it.

I also blog to share things that I otherwise would never share with those around me. This is all about bravery. One day I hope that I can be as brave offline as I am online.

If your blog exceeded your wildest dreams, what would that look like?

My dreams aren’t usually ‘wild’ per say just a bit ostentatious. Ideally the blog design would be completely customized by yours truly. I don’t pay my student loans every month so someone else can design my blog. Though I know the more followers the better I would be happy with a cool million. Anymore would just be ridiculous. I would be able to live off my blog, aka pay my student loans, by posting everyday and starting my own brand. My life goal is to have my own line of nail polish, every shade would be created and named by me and reflect the content of my blog and ultimately my personality. If that happened it would definitely exceed my current dreams. Which are limited to paying off my student debt before I die and being happy.

Burning Down the House

January 30, 20156 Comments

“Your home is on fire. Grab five items (assume all people and animals are safe). What did you grab?” Excerpt From: The Editors, WordPress.com. “365 Days of Writing Prompts.”

Thank goodness my dogs and human family are safe! Otherwise I would not be allowed to grab anything else.

My initial reaction is to grab my ALEX Ikea 9 drawer unit because it contains my essentials. Basically all my make-up, under garments, nail polish, and some important jewelry. But alas I am 100% certain I could never physically carry it out of a burning building. And before you start judging me about the make-up thing, first let me explain that my make-up collections monetary worth is almost as my as my laptop so I would hate to try and replace it all.

So that leads me to my five items (in no particular order):

my cell phone (to call the fire department and my insurance company)
my Louis Vuitton Cles (SLG) which contains my most used debit card and license
my Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 (because that took me 10 yrs to purchase so it is not going up in flames)
my laptop (because duh)
my GUND Snuffles bear which my Great Gram (now deceased) gave to me

Two Right Feet

January 22, 2015January 22, 20152 Comments

Typically when I wake up in the morning the first thing I do after using the restroom is check my phone for notifications from social feeds. This has become a habit and while I do not really think it adds anything to the quality of my day it does throw me off balance if I am too busy or forget to check them before heading to work.

This week for instance I have been so busy at work I have not been able to participate in Blogging 101 as much as I would like. It has made me feel totally behind, confused and uninspired to write. Just writing this post now is giving me anxiety. But I am forcing myself through it to get back into the groove.

I have missed this community for the past few days so I will be doing my best to keep up. Staying engaged in the group helps motivate and inspire me. It has made me feel better than I have in a long time so I will not let myself get behind again.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Two Right Feet.”

An Uninspired Lost Girl

January 15, 2015January 16, 201520 Comments

There are days, times where I have either been completely uninspired to write anything about anything and then there are days, times where I feel so lost in my own problems that I think writing and posting would be a complete mistake.

I’m afraid.

I do not want the blogging community to think I am negative, but I want to be real. I do not want them to only hear from me on my good days and think of me as someone who only has good days. I want to be able to share the good days, the bad days and the ugly days.

But I’m afraid.

I want to be able to share all of me. I want people to understand me and I want to understand them. I want to be able to share my ‘I’m sorry but I don’t feel like feeling that way today’ attitude without having to say I’m sorry. Because I’m not sorry.

I’m afraid.

I am just who I am on whichever day you find me. And Tuesday will be different than Wednesday which will be different than Saturday.

But I want to be brave. I will try to be brave because I know you are out there. You. The person who will find me in this vast blogging universe and read my blog and say “Yes. I am not alone.”

I will be brave for you. So come find me.

This post is in response to the Blogging 101: Be Inspired by the Neighbors daily task. I expanded on my comment on The Endeavors of Everyday Life blog post called “Having The Wobbles And Inspiring Blogs (While Feeling Utterly Uninspired)” which you can find here.

DAILY PROMPT | Audience of One

January 12, 2015January 16, 201510 Comments

The only days I see in color are the days I wake up beside you, I am not sure you knew that.

I worry sometimes that you will never understand how deeply I love you. This fear has been created and maintained by my own selfish need to keep you just far enough away so that it appears you could never hurt me. But you hurt me.

When you get cut I bleed, you probably didn’t know that either. If I could take all the pain you have ever felt, or will ever feel and put that inside me I would. Even though some of that pain is caused by me.

Did you know that you are the only source of happiness I need to survive? We could be trapped in a room with no light and just being able to hear your voice or touch your hand would be enough to sustain me.

If we had only one more second together this is what I would need you to know. This is how I feel, have always felt and will always feel.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Audience of One.”

DAILY PROMPT | Call Me Ishmael

January 10, 2015January 16, 20159 Comments

I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror* cursing my unruly hair knowing my frustration had less to do with my hair and everything to do with the man standing behind me. Our eyes meet through the reflection in the bathroom mirror and I instantly relax dropping my brush on the counter. I turn to face him and he reaches up and tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear, his fingers brush my ear and I feel a cool tingle race down my back. I want to lean forward and rest my face against his chest but I know I can’t. The frustration creeps back in and I step out of the bathroom and out of his reach knowing he will follow me anyway.

Walking down the hall and into my room I turn on the light and begin searching for my favorite pair of jeans. I find them at the top of a pile of cardboard boxes, which I still have not unpacked even though I moved into this new apartment almost a month ago, and pull them on. He is sitting on the bed watching me and I realize I am not embarrassed by this. Granted he isn’t looking at me like he wishes I was taking clothes off rather than putting them on. His stare suggests vague interest like when your flipping through the television channels trying to find something to watch.

“You know if you’re bored you don’t have to be here.” My words come out a bit more harshly than I anticipated and I sigh frustrated with myself.

“Boredom is not something I feel anymore.” he says getting up to come stand in front of me.

I notice his brown eyes look sadder today than usual and I instantly regret what I said. I want him here all the time regardless if he is bored or not. I take a moment just looking up at his square face and short brown hair. I wish right now more than ever I could touch him. I have always been better at expressing how I am feeling with a touch than with words. I reach up as if to touch him and he steps back out of my reach.

“It isn’t fair.” I say dropping my hand and my head.

“Life’s not fair kid.”

“You know I hate when you call me kid.” I say looking up but he is already gone.

*The book I chose was Fifty Shades of Grey.

If your interested in being a Lost Girl or Lost Boy (or any other oxygen breathing organism) then come back tomorrow because I bet it’s a lot more fun being lost together. To make it easy just press the “Follow” button on the upper right hand side of this page and get email updates every time I post.

<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/call-me-ishmael/”>Call Me Ishmael</a>