Sephora Christmas Wish List !

Before I start this I feel like I need to make a bit of a disclaimer here.  I do know the true meaning of the season, I am all about charitable giving and generous to my causes.  That said, I think I made the 'nice' list this year.  So just in case Mr. J  Santa is asking, I thought I'd give a few of my wish list items from Sephora this year.

Brace yourselves...I recognize I have enough make-up & don't really NEED anything.  Yes I can admit it.  But sometimes a girl just WANTS a few things, you know?  Kind of like shoes.  I've really tried to branch out from just make-up here, although a few of them might have snuck their way in.

In no particular order...

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator - $42*

*all prices are in USD, only because that is how they are listed on Sephora's site

This looks gorgeous & is supposed to be amazing - and is pretty much sold out everywhere you look, so more of a pipe dream really.  And I'm guessing in Canada it will be closer to $55ish, which makes me really wonder what I'm thinking. 

Laura Mercier Perfecting Water Moisture Mist - $38

This is on my wish list after getting to try it in my Luxe Box, said to help your

serums & lotions absorb better and help to reduce redness on your skin.  I really liked 

it and want to try it in full size.

Laura Mercier Book of Nudes - $48  I would buy this for only a few of these colours, this is an AWESOME deal for all the product you get.  Love!

Sephora Pro Foundation Air Brush #55 - $34

I've heard great things about this brush & in particular raves about using

it to apply mineral foundation.

Clean miniature trio - $15

I've always loved the smell of these & the miniature bottles would be a great

way to try them.  Who doesn't want to smell like fresh laundry?

Benefit's Watt's Up - $30

My girls Jayme & Mendi over at Her Late Night Cravings, rave about this highlighter

and I believe them, so I need to have this.

Pacifica Island Vanilla Beautiful traveler duo - $10 (Lip Tint & Body Butter)

Pacifica Take me There Indian Coconut Nectar - $18  (Perfume roll on, Body Butter, Lip Tint)

I have to confess I haven't tried anything from the Pacifica line but I love the sound of these products/scents.  I'm a sucker for anything tropical & these sound like they are calling my name.

Too Faced Beautiful Dreamer - $46

I love a gift set, and this one looks amazing.  There is a blush/bronzer duo, eyeshadow quad, shadow insurance, lip gloss & mascara.  I have always been curious about the Two Faced box palettes, but I have no where to store those & suspect I would push them back in a drawer somewhere instead.

NARS blush in Douceur - $27

This is described as a soft pink brown & I've been wanting it for a long time but never seem to

get it.  Totally unique colour & I currently own nothing like it.   

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - $24

This gets rave reviews & I've been wanting to try it for a while now.  

NARS cream eyeshadow in Ponderosa - $26

This is from their holiday collection, the swatches say it leans more grey than brown..which 

I happen to love, how gorgeous is this colour!!

Lashstash - $45

I love the idea of testing all these mascaras, many in brands

I would never normally try...too much fun!

Philosophy Pure Grace Layering Collection - $49.50

I love this scent and these are just small enough that I don't think I'd grow tired

of them, before I was able to finish them.  I also love Aloha Girl but I couldn't find any photo

for that scent, so I wonder if they still have it - it's Hawaii in a bottle.

Sephora Gift Card

How can you go wrong.  I love getting these..then I squirrel them away & use them 

sparingly throughout the year.  

Okay I've rambled long enough..  Notice a particular something missing?  Points to whoever mentions it.  I figure I don't need it and it will be impossible to get right away, so let the hype die down & then I'll decide.  Know what I'm talking about?

How about you, what's on your Sephora wish list?

On the quest for the perfect taupe shadow!

Okay so here it is.  I am a neutral loving eyeshadowing wearing kind of girl.  I have LOTS of eyeshadow colours (some would say too many but is there such a thing?), but the ones I reach for the most are primarily neutrals.  Having said that, most of my neutrals are in the brown family.  What I really have been on the hunt for is the perfect taupe.  The taupe that I can wear on my lids, blend it up a little and call it a day!


Taupe is a funny one.  You can say 'lilac' and everyone instantly knows the colour you're referring to, not so with taupe.  So to be clear the taupe I'm looking for is more grey than brown, more cool than warm and more purple undertones rather than red.  This is where you all come in.  I need some taupe recommendations.  These are the shadows I currently have that are close to what I'm looking for; 

Annabelle Haute Chocolate Trio; Youngblood mineral shadow in Haze;
NARS Ashes to Ashes

Here are the swatches, as best as I could do anyway, taupe swatches are hard!

Annabelle      Youngblood     NARS

The Annabelle trio is called Haute Chocolate, but the lighter shades are more taupe than chocolate.  The swatch above is of the lightest color in the trio, and it is close to what I'm looking for.  I think if the light and the medium colors in this trio were mixed, it might be just right.  This is a matte shade but not chalky, easy to apply and affordable, it's just a little too light & I don't want to always have to blend the shadows.  

The Youngblood is a new purchase for me, as some of you may remember from last week.  I do love this shadow but I think it's a better crease color than all over lid color.  As you can see it's much darker than the other two and has a slightly red undertone.  Bring this shade down a little and it would be just right.

NARS Ashes to Ashes is the one I had the highest hopes for in my taupe quest.  I do like it but it's got shimmer in it, and needs a few coats to show up on my eyes.   The more you add, the more shimmery it gets.  This makes it just a little too much for me, for an everyday look.  I do wear it on my lids during the day, but I always need a matte shadow to tone it down a bit.  It also tends toward brown more than grey, which is likely hard to see here.

So there is where I'm at.  I need your help and suggestions to help me in my quest.  I'd like to see if I can find that one perfect taupe that could be my go to no brainer everyday color.  So please let me know your taupe favourites or taupe suggestions!  

Cool stocking stuffer & gift ideas!

Sephora Collection Boo Boo Bling In Clear, Hot Pink, Black, And Purple

Give these to your most fabulous friends—they can turn their ouchies into fashion statements with these jeweled bandages. Each Boo Boo Bling is customizable and comes with a bandage pad and jewels to match.

NARS Little Darling Lipstick (Limited Edition)

Consider this lip hue a throwback to the Mad Men era — the nude lip complements any skin tone. Bonus: This one is great for blending, too.

The Gap flower ballet slipper

Cozy ballet slippers--perfect for chilly nights and lazy mornings. 

S.O.S Lotion- coconut kiss

Dry, chafed skin magically vanishes when a tried and true potion of macadamia nut oil, sesame seed oil and wheat germ oil starts to mollycoddle your needy skin. 

Many scents to choose from but this one might trick you into thinking you were just on the 

beach!

You can buy online at Barefoot Venus or find stores in your area that carry their line. 

Who wouldn't love to find any of these items under the tree or in their stocking!