I’m going to try to post my FOTDs for an entire week…  So here’s Monday!  I work by myself on Monday, so I don’t need anything too perfect or overdone – however, that doesn’t mean I’m just leaving with mascara on!

I think I sort of “rediscovered” pink blush today.  I’m always worried that using pink on my cheeks will enhance the natural redness in my skin, so I usually opt for peachy colors when it comes to blush.  However, I decided it was time to finally pull out my Crushed Bougainvillea CCB and give it a try.  I am SO happy with the results!  The color seemed much more glowy and “from within” than some of the normal choices I opt for.  This may be the start of something new for me.

Face:

• Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in Shade 1
• Benefit Erase Paste in Fair (under eyes)
• OCC Skin Airbrush Foundation in Y1
• MAC Prep and Prime setting powder
• Emote blush to contour
• Crushed Bougainvillea CCB
• Blonde MSF

Eyes:

• Quite Natural p/p on brows
• TFSI
• Painterly p/p
• Grand Entrance e/s
• Wedge e/s
• Blanc Type e/s
• Stila All Day Liquid Eyeliner
• Fascinating Eye Kohl
• MUFE Smoky Lash mascara

Lips:

• Aquaphor
• Crushed Bougainvillea CCB  - I tapped this in with my finger and loved the effect – very subtle and not too-perfect

There are some tools you never realize how badly you need until you’re without them, and I found this out when I lost my pencil sharpener.  It was a cheapie from the drugstore, but it was able to sharpen all sizes of lip and eye liners that I own, including the hard to sharpen NYX Jumbo pencils.  After I’d scraped my eye a few times with dull, unsharpened pencils, I decided it was time to go ahead and replace it – and while I was at it I figured, why not go for an upgrade to a name brand sharpener?  Surely, they must be better?  And sleeker and cuter of course.  That may have slightly affected my decision.  I searched at MAC first and I saw the dual-ended sharpener on the website.

At $6.50, it’s priced affordably.  It’s definetly sleek and sexy looking.  All of my pencils should fit in either of the ends perfectly.  And because it’s MAC, it should be awesome.  This story should have a totally happy ending, right?

Wrong.

So first of all this sharpener is made out of the cheapest, thinnest plastic.  It just feels like it’s going to break.  I guess that is entirely a subjective thing, but I really don’t want any of my products, even something like a pencil sharpener, to feel that it is so fragile that I could snap it by clenching my fingers too tight.  The entire sharpener is 3 parts – the large sharpener at one end, the small sharpener at the other, and the clear part in the middle to separate them and store the shavings.  This is a nice idea…  But unfortunately the sharpeners don’t screw into the clear plastic center, they merely press on tight.  And I’m using that word tight very lightly; I’m constantly pulling one end off by accident and then the shavings end up everywhere.

Besides just the sloppy design flaws, my biggest issue overall is with the sharpeners themselves.  When you sharpen your pencils, you want them to come out looking similar to what they where when you first bought them, perhaps a tad sharper.  The best way I could describe how your pencils are going to come out is…  Well, do you remember sharpening your wooden No. 2′s back in the day?  Those traditional pencil sharpeners gave you a long point with lots of exposed lead, which is very good when you’re writing with a pencil -  but it’s terrible when you’re using it for makeup.  This sharpener eats up a ton of your pencil in the process, and unfortunately, you don’t end up with a precise tip, but a long tip with product that will break off very easily.  The blade also continues to cut into the product while you sharpen, further weakening the tip.  Oh and by the way, it completely mutilated – but didn’t in the least bit sharpen – my NYX Jumbo Pencil.

Look at how nasty these tips look!

In conclusion I guess I would have to say I just really, REALLY do not recommend buying this sharpener from MAC.  In my experience, my pencils look chewed up, the tips break, and I’m not getting any kind of smooth, sharp pencil tip that’s useful for makeup.  So I’m back to my search for a good sharpener.  I don’t know if I’ll be heading back to the drug store, but I’ll definitely be doing more research this time!

I just got my hair touched up and some lighter blonde highlights… I feel like my complexion brightens up so much right after I get my color done! Anyway, I felt like this FOTD complemented both my eye color and my hair well. These pictures were taken on my new Samsung Captivate. Not bad for a phone right!?

Face:

• Benefit Erase Paste Concealer in Fair under eyes
• Amazing Concealer in Fair on blemishes
• MUFE HD Foundation in 110
• MAC Prep & Prime Powder
• Emote Blush to contour
• Illamasqua Blush in Unrequited
• By Candelight MSF

Eyes:

• TFSI
• Painterly p/p
• Amberlights e/s
• Mulch e/s
• Embark e/s
• Soft Brown e/s
• Blanc Type e/s
• Nylon e/s
• Smolder Eye Kohl
• Stila 24 Hour Liquid Liner in Black
• MUFE Smoky Lash mascara

Lips:

• Hot Gossip l/s
• Love Nectar l/g

I’m wearing my airbrush makeup again today… It really is amazing how flawless airbrushing makes your face appear… I would have to show you my bare face with all of its current blemishes at the moment in order to show you just what a difference it makes!

Face:

• Tarte Primer
• Amazing Cosmetics concealer in Fair
• OCC Skin Airbrush Foundation in Y1
• Blot Powder in Medium
• Prism blush for contour
• Melba blush
• MSF in Soft and Gentle

Eyes:

• TFSI
• Painterly p/p
• Blanc Type e/s
• Satin Taupe e/s
• UD Perversion e/s
• UD Sellout e/s
• Ben Nye cake liner in black
• Fascinating Eye Kohl
• MUFE Smokey Lash
• Omega and Espresso e/s on brows

Nothing on lips atm…

I am usually not a huge wearer of greens… But I think Absinthe might turn me around – this yellow green is the PERFECT shade for my blue eyes!

Face:

• Tarte Face Primer
• MUFE HD Foundation #110
• Benefit Erase Paste
• MAC Blot Powder in Medium
• Benefit Dallas Blush
• MAC Warmed MSF
• MAC New Vegas MSF

Eyes:

• TFSI
• Painterly p/p
• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Sugarpill Absinthe Chromalust on lid
• Sugarpill Tako e/s on inner corner
• Aquadisiac e/s in crease
• Bottle Green e/s on outer corner/crease
• Soft Brown e/s for blending
• Ricepaper e/s under brow
• On lower lashline: Sugarpill Lumi, Absinthe, and Bottle Green over NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Horseradish
• Fascinating Eye Kohl in waterline
• Stila 24 Hour Liquid Liner on upper lashline
• MUFE Smoky Lash mascara
• Omega e/s on brows

Lips:

• Love Nectar l/g

Sorry for the terrible iphone pics by the way!