Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick and Fergie for Wet n Wild

Smashbox's Honey has been one of my most worn lipsticks of all time. It seems like I finally found the perfect nude to go with my skin color. My current tube is almost over so I've been wanting to repurchase. Before heading over to Sephora, I decided to stop by the drugstore. I had been looking at the Wet n Wild lipsticks and there was one that seemed to jump at me. I had to take the shade Bebot Love. As it turns out, this could be a dupe for the Smashbox lipstick (almost! I've never been good at picking out dupes).

The shades are pretty similar. I would say Honey has a warmer undertone where Bebot Love has a cool pink undertone. However, the finishes and feel of the lipsticks are very different. Bebot Love has almost a matte finish while Honey has sheen finish. The texture on the Smashbox lipstick is also a lot creamier than the Wet n Wild. Even though it's not an exact dupe of the shade, I don't regret buying it. The matte finish does make it easier to wear and the staying power is a bit better.

Do you like looking for make-up dupes? Which one is your favorite?

Christmas Beauty Bits

This Christmas I got some pretty nice beauty bits. I didn't get anything to big, but they're some that I have fallen in love with pretty quickly.

• Rose Scented Soap- I got this from my mom and dad. Its packaging has to be one of the most adorable things I've seen. The little keepsake box is filled with different stamps and icons from the city of Paris and it's also a music box! It plays Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The soap is also pretty impressive. The scent is absolutely gorgeous. 

• L'Bel Essential Make Up Remover- This is one the best make up removers I've tried. It's very gentle and removes my toughest make up with just 2 swipes. It is also very moisturizing on skin and leaves my skin feeling pretty smooth.

• Precision Blending Sponge- I found this at TJ Maxx for $6 and decided to give it a try since everybody was raving about the Beauty Blender sponge(which I believe to be outrageously expensive). I don't know if there's any difference between this one and the original, but it does what it needs to do. It makes blending foundation a no brainer while concealing the look of pores. 

• The Body Shop's Lily Cole Lip & Cheek Dome- My best friend Ivonne got me this one and I've been using it since I got it. It's in the shade Crazy for Coral which is a gorgeous and very natural shade. Even though it's such a pretty shade, I find it suits my cheeks better than my lips so I've been using it as a blusher. I like that it has a very creamy texture so it blends into the skin marvelously.

From eyes to nails

I haven't quite forgotten about my new year's resolutions just yet and in the interest of keeping them, I've been looking for ways to use up my beauty products. After getting my Naked palette, all of my other shadows have taken the back seat. However I do have some greatly pigmented and very unique loose eyeshadows that I can't bear to part with. To try to save them I've been using them on my nails and I thought it would be nice to show you guys how.

In case I want to create a one time unique color, I mix clear coat and eyeshadow on a plastic plate until all of the pigment is incorporated. Then I use a clean nail polish brush to apply to nails. For a more permanent solution, try emptying the eyeshadow into the top coat bottle and give it a nice shake.

For a different look I apply some top coat to the nail and before it dries I use a make up sponge to stipple in the eyeshadow.

What are your favorite ways to repurpose beauty products?

2013 Beauty Resolutions

It's the first week of january and everyone knows it's resolution time. I've never been someone who makes a gigantic lists of resolutions and even less one gigantic resolution. I've always thought that keeping a small list of manageable resolutions was the trick to being successful. It's a lot easier to stay encouraged when you're able to see some changes and if you share these with other people that have similar interests. So in this spirit, I give you my beauty resolutions for this year.

What are your beauty resolutions for the new year?

For the compulsive cosmetics gal

Gifts under 50 for the compulsive cosmetics gal by momo-san92 featuring tarte makeup

Buried under all my schoolwork, I hadn't realized that Christmas is upon us. I'm not so much for receiving gifts as I am for giving them, so every year I have fun creating gift lists and guides for my friends. This particular occasion I've decided to start with cosmetics, because I believe it's the easiest one. Make up stores this time of year are filled with value sets and it has been my personal experience that these are always a good buy. There's also a great variety of sample and travel sizes that are perfect for stocking stuffers. Here's what caught my eye this season:

1. Tarte's Fantastic Foursome 12 hour Amazonian Clay Blush set($39)- This has been one of the most impressive sets I've seen in a while. Each blush can run up to $24 by itself and here you have a selection of the 4 most popular shades for only $39. The pigmentation in these is incredible and the lasting power is superb!

2. OCC Lip Tars Set($50/$16 if you buy individually)- If you're looking for a vegan lipstick that just won't quit, then you have to get your hands on these. The selection of shades and the color payoff are great.  

3. Korres Lip Butter Collection($19)- These have been going around the blogger community for a quite a while and I found them quite interesting. They offer a very sheer color and some of these have a really lovely scent.

4. Urban Decay's Basic Naked Palette($27)- This palette is supposed to be the matte companion to the very famous Naked and Naked2 Palette. I think this is a perfect palette for someone who is in a more professional setting and needs something clean and classic.

5. Origins Minis($10-$17)- Origins has been a very sought after skincare brand recently, and the fact that they offer smaller versions of their most popular products is definitely a plus.