Late Summer Favorites

Happy (?) last day of summer!  I thought I'd celebrate (???) the day with a favorites post.  And, because I didn't write a July favorites post, and I'm slightly late with August favorites, I figured I'd just call this a "late summer favorites" list.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer -- This tinted moisturizer has a wonderfully light texture, has a light citrus scent, and leaves the skin slightly dewy.  It has decent coverage for a tinted moisturizer, and it protects the skin with an SPF of 30.  I have been wearing the shade Alaska because I've been using a self-tanner, but I think I'm going to need to switch to Finland for the winter.

MDSolarSciences Mineral Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UVA-UVB Sunscreen -- This stuff has an interesting texture.  It's very silicone-laden, and kind of thick.  I love that it has a really high SPF, but my favorite thing about it is how well it works as a makeup primer.  I need to try to write a full review of this sunscreen.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara -- Whenever I use this mascara, I remember how good it is. However, I did manage to poke my eye rather seriously with the wand recently, and it really hurt.

Prada Candy -- Wearing this perfume puts me in a good mood.  It's kind of a sweet, but spicy
floral-y scent that has completely different top and bottom notes, so it smells totally different after a few hours of wear.  You really need to try it for yourself.

Sleek Garden of Eden Eyeshadow Palette -- I have really been enjoying this palette.  My favorite shades in this palette are Eve's Kiss, Evergreen, and Fauna.  Tons of possibilities with this.

from left: Eve's Kiss, Evergreen, Fauna

I sometimes find writing favorite things lists kind of tough, because the staple items (like foundation/tinted moisturizer, mascara, powder, etc.) remain pretty much the same each month, and I use so many different other things (like eyeshadows, palettes, blushes, lip colors -- I usually mix those up everyday) that it is hard to choose favorites.  Does anyone else have this problem?  How do you choose what favorites to write about?

Thanks for checking out my recent favorites!

Eve's Kiss EotD with Sleek Garden of Eden

The name of this post is simply the name of the main color of eyeshadow on the lid called "Eve's Kiss" from the Sleek Garden of Eden palette.  Creative, right?

I am really loving this palette, by the way.

P.S.  Scroll down for some broken limbs.

With flash:

Daylight bulb:

I used:
  from the Garden of Eden palette:
             Eve's Kiss (shimmery sparkly lavender) on the moving lid and inner corner
             Paradise on Earth (shimmery sparkly purple) in the crease
             Python (shimmery sparkly brownish plum) in the outer v and lower lashline
             Flora (matte plumish brown) in the upper part of the crease
 

   Wet 'N' Wild Brulee Color Icon shadow single under the brow to blend Flora
   Sonia Kashuk Long-Wearing Gel Eyeliner in Ebony on the upper lashline and lower waterline
   Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

from left: Eve's Kiss, Paradise on Earth, Python, Flora, Brulee

I'm trying out the Urban Decay Perversion mascara that I got in my Ipsy bag (the only thing that excited me), and it seems pretty good.  I'm not sure that it performs too much differently than Maybelline's Full 'N Soft though.

Some excitement and broken limbs from a couple of days ago (a storm with crazy wind passed through) :

Amazingly, thankfully, and luckily, nothing got damaged.  Not even the Japanese maple (the little red tree in the photo) that looks like it got squished.

Were you expecting broken leg or arm pictures?  ;)

Have a great day!

Garden of Eden Eyes of the Day

It's no secret that I love colorful eyeshadow.  Purples and greens are probably my favorite colors, so I figured I better make the Sleek Garden of Eden eyeshadow palette mine.  I ordered mine from Amazon, but Sleek also delivers to the US, so it is possible to order directly from them.

I used three of the green shades and one of the brown-y plummy shades for today's eyes of the day.

I used: Evergreen all over the moving lid and the inner 1/3 of the lower lashline
          Fauna in the outer v and crease, and the outer 2/3 of the lower lashline
          Tree of Life as liner on the upper lashline
          Flora in the upper part of the crease blended up towards the brow

Also: Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black on the lower waterline
         L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

from left: Evergreen, Fauna, Flora, Tree of Life

The greens in this palette are gorgeous.  Super shimmery and wonderfully pigmented.  I do find all of the shimmery shadows to be quite soft and slightly fragile.  The matte shades are a little stiffer, but definitely workable.

If you love greens and plums, you might just want to get your hands on the Garden of Eden palette.

Have a wonderful day, friends!