A Fancy Face of the Day

So, this look isn't particularly fancy, but the makeup I used is.  No drugstore products used for this FotD.

Chicago Travel Makeup Bag

I just got back from a trip to Chicago with my family (minus my husband because he had to work (sad face)), and I thought I'd show you what I took in my makeup bag.  If I showed you my skincare, this post would take forever to read.  Besides, I like looking at travel makeup bags more than travel skincare stuff.

Chocolate Gold Face of the Day

I was trying to think of a name for this FotD, and all I could come up with was naming it based on the fact that I used the gold shade (named Creme Brulee) in the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette.

Warm Browns With a Touch of Orange EotD with MUFE, Milani and Marc Jacobs

Yum.  Warm fall colors.

I used: from the MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Palette
                  -- Celestial Earth (sparkly/shimmery warm brown) all over the moving lid
                  -- Pinky Beige (light shimmery shell) in the inner corner by the tear duct
           Mialni Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Mandarin in the crease
           Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Brown(Out) along the upper and lower lashes
           Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

from left: Marc Jacobs eyeliner in Brown(Out), MUFE Celestial Earth eyeshadow, Milani Bella Mandarin eyeshadow, MUFE Pinky Beige eyeshadow

Marc Jacobs eyeliner in Brown(Out) -- Gah!  So gorgeous!

Have a wonderful autumn day!

P.S.  Did you notice the alliteration in the post title?

Autumnal Equinox Face of the Day with BFTE and Too Faced

Happy first day of fall!  I thought it would be appropriate to use the loose shadow/pigment from BFTE called "Autumn" today.  "Autumn" is an incredibly pigmented, metallic, molten gold. Seriously MOLTEN.  I didn't use any glitter glue or foiling medium with the shadows.

I used:
  BFTE Autumn all over the moving lid and inner part of the lower lashline
  BFTE Copper Cauldron in the crease, outer corner, and lower lashline
  BFTE Heat in the inner corner by the tear duct

from left: Autumn, Copper Cauldron , Heat

from left: Autumn, Copper Cauldron, Heat

  Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadow single in Brulee under the brow
  Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Brown (Out) on the upper lashline and lower waterline
  L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

Cheeks: Too Faced Sweethearts Flush Blush in Peach Beach

Lips: Too Faced La Creme Lip Cream in Spice Spice Baby

from left: Too Faced peach Beach blush, Too Faced Spice Spice Baby La Creme Lip Cream

Are you celebrating the equinox in any way?  I celebrated by going to the doctor for my "yearly". Yay.

Luxury Lust List

Some pretty pictures of what I'm drooling over right now.

Givenchy Terre Exotique Healthy Glow Powder  $66 -- Probably too pretty to use, but doesn't the color also look like it would give a beautiful bronze glow to the skin?

Chantecaille Tiger in the Wild Palette  $78  (really any Chantecaille palette makes me drool) -- The shadows and blush (the shade in the lower left corner is a blush) are tigers!  Tigers!!  The shades also look really wearable.  Probably too pretty to use, too, though.  5% of the proceeds benefit TRAFFIC.

Guerlain Rouge G Le Brilliant Complete Shine Lipcolor in Bianca  $51 -- The packaging is killer.  I can only imaging what it would feel like to pull one of these out of my handbag.  Especially at the opera or somewhere where I'm all fancied up.  Although I'm guessing using this would feel fancy no matter what.

Tom Ford Cheek Color Blush in Love Lust  $57 -- I've heard/seen such great things about the Tom Ford makeup line.  It all has very elegant packaging, and it seems like the colors chosen for the various products are flattering. Christine from Temptalia raves about this blush, so of course it makes me want it even more.

Chantecaille White Tiger Poudre Delicate  $85 -- Again, it's a tiger!  Definitely too pretty to use.  Proceeds benefit TRAFFIC.

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Shadow in The Siren 210  $59 -- Gorgeous rainbow of buttery shadows.  Jen from Vibrant, Vivacious, Veracious Beauty Blog did an amazing look using this palette, which made me want it even more.

Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Kiss & Blush in Rose Frivole  $40 -- I played with one of these at Sephora and was impressed by the texture and staining power.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat  $41 -- I have never tried this "cult" product that so many people love.  There are plenty of dupes out there these days (L'Oreal and Maybelline make cream illuminators housed in brush-tipped pens), but it would be fun to have the original.

What's on your lust list?

P.S. According to Wikipedia, TRAFFIC is the wildlife trade monitoring network.  It is a joint program of the World Wildlife Fund and the World Conservation Union.  (www.traffic.org)

Back Home Look of the Day

So, in case you didn't notice, I was out of town much of last week.  I was staying with my parents while my sister was visiting from Wisconsin.  I don't get to see her much, so I wanted to stay a few days and really spend some time with the fam.  We had a lovely time hanging out, shopping, watching westerns (my dad is a big fan), and shoveling snow.  I actually came home on Friday, but I didn't feel like blogging until today (I don't generally blog on the weekends for some reason, and I may have been feeling a little blue that my sis is going back to Wisconsin).  I also realized how easy it is to get out of the blogging habit.  Anyhow, I'm back and have my computer available, so posts should resume and you can look forward to looking at my face again.

Here is today's face:

natural light

Eyes:  Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 eyeshadow palette #204 The Starlet
                   -- metallic silver all over the moving lid and tear duct
                   -- shimmery mushroomy grey taupe type color in the crease and
                                 outer corner and lower lashline
          Urban Decay eyeshadow in Naked to blend out the crease
          Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadow single in Brulee under the brow
          Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner in Ultra Black
          Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara

from left: Marc Jacobs The Starlet palette silver, and dark taupe, Urban Decay Naked, Wet 'n' Wild Brulee, Physicians Formula Eye Booster in Ultra Black

Cheeks:  NARS Laguna Bronzer to contour
             Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
             Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface just on the apples of the cheeks

from left: NARS Laguna bronzer, Tarte Exposed blush, Tarte Dollface blush

Lips: Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lipstick in Perfect Blossom (discontinued)

daylight bulb

I think this eye makeup may be a little over the top metallic-wise, but it's sort of cool and futuristic.

flash

Have a beautiful day!

Christmas Gifts

I had a lovely, laid-back Christmas with my husband.  We slept in, opened gifts from each other, parents, and siblings, and went to see "The Desolation of Smaug"  in 3D.

My husband gave me these gorgeous earrings.

Beauty: NARS Nail Polish in Disco Inferno
                Marc Jacobs Lip Gel in Have We Met?
                Benefit Boxed Blush in Dallas
                Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Marc Jacobs Lip Gel in Have We Met?

Books: Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup
               I Am Malala
               Masters of the Planet: The Search For Our Human Origins (I studied anthropology
                                                                                  and hominid evolution in college.)

The earrings match the emerald ring my parents gave me for graduation from Michigan State (2003).
Green and white are MSU's school colors.

Favorite gifts I gave (highlights only, because otherwise this list would get long) (no pics -- sorry):
    Husband: cool dress shirts with various designs (flocked paisley, metallic pinstripe, etc)
    Dad: a huge book about opera houses their and architecture
    Mom: a collectable Detroit Starbucks mug (this was hard to find -- I had to stalk ebay)
    Sister: a bunch of Lush bath products, Benjamin Britton War Requiem cd
    Brother: fancy flashlight for camping, Dr. Who dvd
    Sister-in-law: Voluspa candle set (I kinda wanted to keep this for myself!)
    Niece and nephews (ages 9, 7, 5): cool t-shirts and hats with skulls, Despicable Me 2

So, what did you get?  What was your favorite gift you gave?

Hobbit Inspired Face of the Day

My husband and I saw "The Desolation of Smaug" in 3D on Christmas day.  It inspired me to wear what I think of as Middle Earth colors (green and gold for the Shire) on my eyes the next day.

Eyes: Marc Jacobs The Starlet palette -- gold color
         BareMinerals Glimmer eyeshadow in True Gold
         Fyrinnae Enchanting Otters -- crease and outer v, and lower lashline
         LORAC PRO palette -- Taupe in the crease
         Sephora Mattifying Foundation -- under the brow
         Physicians Formula Eye Booster Pen -- upper lashline (I put a little more
                                   True Gold over top of it)
         Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara

Cheeks: Stila All Over Glow Face Color and Luminizer in Pretty Pink -- blush, highlight
            Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Milk Chocolate -- contour

Lips: Urban Decay Revolution lipstick on Lovelight

from left: Urban Decay Lovelight lipstick, Marc Jacobs gold from the Starlet palette, BareMinerals True Gold Glimmer, Fyrinnae Enchanting Otters, LORAC Taupe eyeshadow, Sephora Mattifying Foundation, Too Faced Milk Chocolate bronzer, Stila Pretty Pink blush blush and highlighter (the highlighter is there, just hard to see)

I've been using Fyrinnae's Enchanting Otters (green with lots of gold sparkle) frequently as of late.  It is so incredibly pretty.