Ode to Smashbox

Who doesn't love a good sale? Browsing through Smashbox's Curtain Call section gave me a slight chill this morning. Beauty products hardly ever go on sale (as we all know) so even a $1 off is something worth celebrating. Here's a few of my latest picks from the Smashbox.com beauty blowout sale:

Smokebox ($28.50)
I love palettes and I love sales. So, how could I possibly resist this 10-shade palette? like this palette because the browns on the left are good for creating a nude look while the rest of the colors make great smoky eyes, taking care of all the eyeshadows I need while I'm visiting my guy down in Atlanta. Being in a long-distance relationship really teaches you to learn how to pack!





Lip Gloss ($11.25)
My favorite lip gloss (35mm) is finally on sale! I consider a lot when buying lip products and the less stickier the better. These cute glosses pack a lot of punch in the small tubes and it's very easy to carry around. My personal favorites are bombshell (a sheer nude pink) and35mm (a shimmery peachy copper).




Sunset Blvd Body Bronzing Set ($42.25)
Spring is here (although it doesn't feel like it) and summer will be too soon. Time to stock up on bronzers! This body bronzer is a good deal because it comes with a great kabuki powder brush. We all know expensive brushes are so I would definitely pick up this combo!

The most perfect nude palette

Bobbo Brown's Stonewashed Nudes Palette is possible the most perfect basic palette ever created. Ms. Brown claims that the eight shades in this collection will suit every skin color and she is absolutely on point. Mix and match the taupes and grays for a smoky eye or pick your one for an everyday neutral look. This is one complete eye palette that every beauty lover should own!

A few of my favorite things......

MAC is iconic for its eyeshadows and with the Originals line out now, MAC is more in the spotlight than ever. The one thing I always struggle with at a MAC counter, is picking from the unlimited array of amazing eyeshadow colors! There are just too many I want. So, here are a few of my favorites.
Caution: beware, the list is long but that's because there were too many beauties to choose from! My personal favorites are in italics!

Frost

Swish: Soft bright pink with icy metallic shimmer
Hepcat: Jazzy little deep blue-wine
Electra: Muted silver with icy metallic shimmer
Charred: Deep steel grey with silver pearl
Deep Truth: Very real truthful dark blue
Tilt: Bright violet duochrome with blue-green opalescent shimmer
Parrot: A soaringly electric turquoise
Steamy: Bright bluish-green with golden shimmer
Humid: Shade description: Intense vivid green with shimmer
Goldmine: Shade description: Intense gold with shimmer
Amber Lights: Golden peachy-brown with golden shimmer
Ochre Style: Shade description: Mid-tone yellow brown with gold
Phloof: Frosted off-white
Paradisco: Soft bright pinky-coral with golden shimmer

Lustre
Idol Eyes: Silvered violet threaded with gold
Honey Lust: Bronze-dipped peach

Matte
Memorabilia: Dirty purple
Plumage: Dusky peacock
Chrome Yellow : Vivid bright yellow
A Little Folie: Mid-tone red brown
Carbon: Intense black

Matte2
Post Haste: Bright berry pink
Clarity: Rich aqua
Newly Minted: Rich sea green

Satin
Folie: Reddish-plum brown
Sushi Flower: Soft bright pinky-coral with pink opalescent shimmer
Eyepopping: Soft lime green with gold and yellow pearl
Daisychain: Soft yellow beige with soft white pearl
Soba: Golden brown flecked with golden shimmer

Veluxe Pearl
Star Violet: Earth-touched pinky-brown plum fusion
Antiqued: Ash brown with bronze cast
Coppering: Hi-reflective orange copper

Velvet
Trax: Burgundy-plum flecked with bronze shimmer
Beauty Marked: A deep blackened red with a sparkle/twilight effect

Year's Best

2007 has been a great year in beauty for me. I've come to understand many things about my hair, skin and body that I never have before. Now that I'm hitting my mid-20's, I no longer have the turbulent skin woes of my teenage years. Here's a toast to my favorite beauty finds of the year!

Aussie Hair Products
My hair is thinning as it is and I have a hard time finding hair products that support my thinning, frizzy, coarse hair. Aussie is inexpensive but works like a miracle! I especially love their Hair Insurance leave-in conditioner spray. I've been using different leave-in conditioners since high school and this one has to be the best. I'm also a big fan of their Deeep 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Treatment, it leaves my hair leaving soft and silky! There's a hair product for ever hair type in this line. It's not often that I share a product line wit my super-curly headed younger sister!

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish
Over the years, I switched back forth and forth between MAC and Shiseido for my foundation and concealer basics. I was in need of a serious update, when I got one by default. I took one of my best friends shopping at a MAC store because I was treating her to a bag full of MAC goodies for her 24th birthday. It was at this MAC brunch, that the makeup artist showed me the wonders of the MAC Mineralize line. I've never had a liquid foundation, powder or concealer look as fresh and smooth as this did. From then on, I was hooked, not to mention, my skin feels a lot better. I love the luminous glow it gives my skin.

MAC Prime+Prep Face Protect SPF 50
A search for the perfect face primer led me to this discovery. This product helps keep my skin soft while protecting my makeup on a daily basis. The high level of SPF makes me especially happy because I hate applying sunscreen separately and try to incorporate it into my products as much as possible. I simply cannot live without my MAC primer!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
This product is a blessing to all makeup lovers out there! Finally, something that actually delivers what it promises; to keep your eyeshadow from creasing. Ever since I tried a small sample of it, I've been totally hooked. It's quick-drying, keeps eyeshadow from creasing and makes the color more vibrant. I can go a full day without having to redo my eye makeup just because of this fabulous potion.

Levres Scintillantes Glossimer Lipgloss in Hibiscus
I wanted to invest in the perfect red lipstick and I thought, "what better place than Chanel to get it"? I did indeed find my perfect red lipstick but I also found the most perfect blood-red lipgloss to match! Just one swipe jazzes up my whole face and it never fails to bring me compliments.

Oil of Olay 2-in-1 toner and cleanse
I'm a facewash whore. I can never stick to one brand or kind of facial cleansing product. For the past two years, I've been using Origins. I ditched Origins once I discovered this miracle product that clarifies and cleanses all in one! I absolutely love this facewash and nothing has ever made me feel so refreshed. Now I know why most beauty experts swear by OFO.

Benefit '10' Blush
In 2007, I've bought blush more than anything else and this one reigns as my favorite! A light bronzer on one side and a subtle pink blush on the other, this product has great pigments. For a low-key look, I like to sweep it all over my face in place of foundation or powder and my skin radiates from it! Have you done the sexy swoop??

MAC Mattene Lipstick in Rougette
Matte is back, but not with the dryness of the '90's. 2007's matte lipstick is luxuriously rich while still keeping the sexy look of matte lips. MAC always makes the best lipsticks and their mattene line is no different. I picked up 'rougette', a deep berry-red and it's one of my favorite MAC lipsticks of all time.

MAC eyeshadow in Soba
Everyone needs a good neutral brown eyeshadow. This one is my favorite neutral because it has a little kick to it. This satiny golden brown eyeshadow has little flecks of gold in it which makes helps dress up the other eyeshadows I pair it up with or is subtly beautiful on its own, too.

Hollywood Glo
I love Benefit because they come up with the most innovative products within the sassiest packaging. This highlighing liquid bronzer is a perfect fit for my light caramel complexion and makes my face 'glo'.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Ammo Box
This is one of the best eyeshadow palettes I've ever owned. Urban Decay packed ten of their best-selling eyeshadows into this ten-year anniversary special palette. I've seen a lot of my friends own this--even non-beauty-junkies! If you watch your budget when it comes to makeup, this one is a really good investment.

Nars Crazed
This red blush is so hot! Nars makes the best blushes, hands down (in my opinion), and this is one their sassiest colors!

Maybeline Define-A-Lash Mascara
This inexpensive mascara works wonders on my long but sparse eyelashes. It beats many of the more pricier mascaras out there because of it's lash separating technology.