2014 Products I Want to Use Up!

As a relatively goal-oriented person, one of my favorite subjects at this time of year is setting goals for the next year.  Whether called Plans, Goals, or Resolutions, they all mean the same to me - something to strive toward to feel a measure of success.

A 2013 favorites post will be coming soon, but as I was going through my stash last night, I realized that I have quite a few products that I simply just want to be done with.  Not that they are necessarily unflattering or unliked, just that I have something newer that is very similar, or just seem to never end. Many of them are lip products, some are deluxe sample sizes, with one significant eye palette thrown in to the mix.

I must give credit to two (2) of the YouTubers to which I subscribe: Michele of MakeupMLC MakeupMLC YT Channel and Kristin of KristinGehm Kristin Gehm YT Channel.  Both of them are around my same age (one a little younger, one a little older), but I love their perspective, attitude, and input on products.  Let's face it, I am not a 19-yr old UK gal, heading off to class at Uni, or out to the bars/clubs on a Wednesday night.  I basically wear makeup for work, date nights with the Hub, and sometimes a dinner party at a friends house. I will never use loose glitter on my eyelids or any extreme color on my face, so I look to those women for ideas on how to mix it up.  Every once in a while (inspired by the great Lisa Eldridge Lisa Eldridge YT Channel) I will put on false lashes and a bold lip - woot woot - crazy wild woman alert!

Here a snap of the products for 2014:

It looks like alot, however many of these are almost empty.  Another note, my Empties posts for 2014 will focus on these products. 

Below are pics of the products by category and I may mention a little something about a few, but definitely not all!  I will save reviews, opinions for the Empties posts.

Face:

For face, quite a few of these are almost done, or sample sized. Typically, you get a better value when you buy the full sized version, but I love sample/value/gift deals so I can try a bunch on new products at once.  This is especially true of foundations and BB creams.  I really like the Misha BB cream above and want to finish this one while my skin is still relatively pale.  Concealers are also a weakness;  I have so many that I just need to finish so I can move on to the new ones that I have stacked up.  Casper, our resident Elf-on-the-Shelf, whispered in my ear that I may have a La Mer concealer in my stocking next week, and I HAVE to finish the Hourglass one above before I can start on the La Mer!

Towards the end of 2013, I really got into blushes and bronzers, and have purchased quite a few new ones.  One of the best for this time of year (and subsequent paleness of my skin) is Burberry's Earthy blush.  I am using it as an all-over bronzer with a little extra thrown in for contour.  The other blushes by Nars and Stila are both pretty basic so I feel like I can use them by themselves or layered over other products year-round.

Eyes:

 

This is ambitious!  I have also been on an eye palette kick lately with the new Naked 3 and Laura Mercier Artistry palettes already residing in my stash.  I need to go through at least one this year!  I chose the Lorac Pro because of the variety of both textures (sheer, satin, frost, and matte) and colors.  This a great palette for travel as well, and will provide a variety of looks, though I will still be challenged to use some of these colors (Garnet??? really???).  The Tarte gel liners (black and bronze) are the oldest ones I have.  So far they are not dried out, but I would like to use these up, or at least for the most of the year.

Lips:

 

There is a theme here: my lips but better (MLBB).  Most of these colors are on the mauve-y, pinky, neutral side of the color spectrum.  These are the colors I tend to gravitate toward due to the ease of use (no mirror needed!).  There are few that are pretty old, but do not have a bad smell or texture so I will use until they are gone.  I like using liners especially since I am starting to notice product migration/vertical lip lines - ugh, but I seem to always forget about them.  I do not have a ton of lip liners compared to other classes of products, but enough where it bugs me when I don't use them (especially the Chanel ones because they are not cheap!).

So that is it for now!  Gotta go put my face on and start vetting the 2013 faves post for next week!

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Haul: Baby did a bad, bad thing..........

Whatever happened to Chris Isaak?  I love his music and the fact that he was a Cali boy through and through. 

As I was looking at my holiday shopping loot, his song was running through my mind.  Of course, I did not have a hot (have no idea if he is still hot, where the hell is he????) surfer singing in my ear.   Only the sound of guilt-waves crashing through my brain.

Oh yeah baby, mama went shopping!  And not just once, multiple times.  So what did I haul?


Josie Maran: holiday set from Sephora, and F/F sale from JM website



Korres Scrub/Facial set, Orgins Vita-Zing, sample scrub from Laura Mercier

 

Holy Armani Batman!



Wet-n-Wild, LM, Dior gloss, UD, Tarte



Swatches from Wet and Wild Palette and LM Eye Color Stick in Khaki



Armani swatches

I am not going to list everything because I am lazy.  I just felt like I needed to document/record this for posterity.  I am still on the fence about a couple of the Armani items (will do a separate Armani Blog/review later) and want to give them a few more trys before I decide.

Just a call-out to the ones that I am really pleased with:

- JM Argan Oil Balm - I have been carting this around for my dry, cracked fingers and cuticles.  Have definitely seen some improvement in texture.
- Dior Lip Maximizer/Plumper - I just love the Dior lip products that I have (balm, plumper, lipsticks and lip liner).  I am holding out on getting any of the glosses since they have a brush applicator of which I am not typically a fan - much prefer the doe-foot type.
- Korres Wild Rose 24-hour Facial - love the smell of this cream.  I think you are supposed to wear this overnight, but my skin is so dry I am using it under my primer.  My skin is staying soft all day, makeup is not slipping, and all is right with the world!
- Armani Sheer lipstick #30 - great nude lippie!

FOTD 102612

I have a ton of errands to do today in between working from home (WFH).  Kiddos have activities and a school H-ween party tonight, and karate belt test tomorrow.  The weather has turned relatively cold (mid-70s yesterday, low 50s today - love Chicago!).

I felt like trying out a look that I will be doing for the wedding next weekend.  A couple of the BMs requested a brown smoky eye.  With smoky eyes you need to be careful on the amount of product you put on the lower eye or else you could look very Goth.  S is getting married at 3:30 in the afternoon, with a reception later that night.  I want to do a day-to-night look, where I can add some extra liner and blush/highlight for the reception.

Here is the daytime look:

and the stuff:

Chanel Perf Lumiere in 30
Bare Escentuals in Summer Bisque
Dior concealer in Beige 002
Physician's Formula bronzer
Almay get up and grow mascara
Pixi black liner
Laura Mercier Color to go palette warm neutrals
Chanel Loose powder to set
Chanel lip liner in Natural
LM gloss in Baby doll

To bump it up for night, I would  add black liner in lower waterline, more mascara, shimmer at inner corner of eye, add deeper blush and highlight on cheeks.