Stila Precious Pearls Palette

I have been obsessively into eyeshadow palettes. So far I only have two new ones but I can tell that this is a slippery slope between 2 and 20. I splurged last pay day and bought the Stila Precious Pearls Palette. At Sephora, it retails for $40 which seems high but I looked at all the colors and thought, "YES!" I needed a palette with fresh spring colors and the beautiful shell tiled compact fit the bill. This is a high quality compact, heavy metal styling and smooth, rich mother-of-pearl tiles across the top. It's a work of art. My first thought was that I needed a new bathroom to show it off (any excuse, right?). OR at least, a new purse to carry it in! The colors are lovely, each showcased on their own. But the most disappointing thing about this compact is that they do not blend well. By this, I mean that the colors are not all picked to coordinate. The pinks are contrary (one a dusty, gold rose and the other a cool, cupcake pink). On the lid, they don't look so bad together though. I was pleasantly surprised to put the pale pink on today and find that it shimmers much more than in the palette. However, so far, the pearly white does not pack quite the promise of the Sephora description. I haven't noticed the gold finish yet. In the palette, the blue is gorgeous. On the lid, not so much, but I have received compliments while wearing it so perhaps I am being too hard. The brown is spectacular as is the green but I have taken to wearing them as a stand alone colors because they are difficult to coordinate. Staying power for this shadow isn't bad, no more or less than any other shadow. It does powder quite easily. I wear it with a base which I would recommend for any shadow. But make sure it is a pale base otherwise it seems to diminish the light reflecting bits of pearl in the shadows. It's a win for Stila. I would pick up one while you still can!

Help me find a new blush!

I am on the hunt. I just scraped bottom with both of my Dior blushes. There are so many wonderful choices that I am turning to my two loyal readers to ask for feedback. First, let me start with some information about me. One of my loyal readers and seen me in person so she is familiar with the skin. The other has not. I have pale skin. Typically, I use very light foundation. During the summer, I redden instead of tan so I tend to use products that have SPF. Still when I work in the garden during the summer, my skin runs a bit darker. I am looking for two blushes. In my color kit, I typically keep a brown or neutral tone blush and a dusty rose blush. I stay away from obvious pinks, the bright colors look fake. I don't use coral or oranges because they tend to be too harsh on my skin. I also avoid cheek stains also for the same reason. I like blushes that over a variety of ways to use them. Both of my current blushes have a range of similar colors that I blend or use as highlighters.

Now, for the question of the moment, how much will I spend? Since I have to buy two blushes, I would like to keep the price low. I like nice blush that will last awhile so I am willing to spend a bit. I've had both of my blushes for a year and used them quite a bit. But this doesn't mean that I am unwilling to go with a drugstore option like Revlon or other brands.

Some potentials (although I am still open to suggestions).

Nars - Blush and bronzing duo - Go from spring to summer with an outstanding color. Have heard raves for the past few years about the color "orgasm" and have thought about trying.

Dior - I could stick with what has been successful for me in the past. Two shades or a lovely palette in the Diorskin Shimmer Star (I have the amber diamond).

Cargo - I've never tried their products before but look at these luscious colors in the SuedeBlush!

theBalm - Again, a product line that I have never tried, has a "less is more" kind of blush that looks fun. Called "Hot Mama", it really has been thinking about summer!

JK Jemma Kidd - Not adverse to Target ever....I find more style and deals there than anywhere. Saw this pretty color and thought....maybe?

Anyway, I could go on and on! This is why it's so hard to make a decision. I had this problem LAST time I was shopping for blush. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Creaseless, Longlasting Eyeshadow

Obtaining crease-less, long-lasting eyeshadow is like searching for the Holy Grail. It just may be a myth created by beautiful airbrushed models in advertisements. On the other hand, with a few helpful make-up aids, it may be closer than you think. Tired of creased oily eyeshadow that had lost it's luster at the end of the day, I began the search for a base. In the past, I have just used my foundation but it is insubstantial. Two products came to my notice in this quest.

1. Trish McEvoy's Bare Eye Base Essentials - This tiny round tube retails at a whopping $24 but it is so far my favorite of the two eye bases. It spreads on with a thin finish that dries to a powdery softness but does not flake. I have it in the color Bare which is light and adds brightness to my eyes. It says it can be worn alone but there is nothing dramatic about the color. The applicator is spongy which allows for even spreading but it is more difficult to feather the sharp lines. As far as our "holy grail qualities", shadow does stay creaseless during the day. However, color wear is reduced somewhat - not nearly as bad as without entirely but still not full color.

2. Laura Mercier Eye Basics Base - A square tube does not a different product make. Very similar to Trish McEvoy's, this eye base retails for exactly the same price. I received it as a sample so did not get the right color. Wheat is too dark for my transluscent eyelids. The consistency of this eye base is a bit thicker, probably with the intent of adding staying power. It does add a bit to color stay but with the thicker product, the edges of my eyes feathered, threatening to flake off. The product has not actually flaked but it doesn't look smooth on the corners of eyes. It seems then that you have a choice to make, crease or feather. Either way, your color is not smooth. I found that some colors of shadow covered up the feathering though.

Both of these products were incredibly alike, enough to make you think that perhaps they were manufactured in same facilities. I don't believe this is true. Perhaps they are relying on brand loyality instead of flawless results to sell the product.

My next product to try in regards to the Holy Grail of eyeshadow is Urban Decay's Primer Potion. In the meantime, the quest resumes.