Since we are in the last month of 2016 [yikes!] I thought it would be a good time to do a little eval of some of the beauty/fashion “things” I’ve used this year. Let me begin with the hits:

1. Urban Decay anything
   1. Shadows—love the consistency, color and staying power
   2. Vice lipstick—again, color selection, consistency and staying power
   3. The little miracle tube of eye primer—especially love the anti-aging option. This stuff is like glue—my eye makeup looks the same at 10pm as it did at 8am when I first applied it. This is really good as I don’t have the time or desire to reapply anything but lipstick
   4. Naked Skin color correcting fluid—I ran out of my YSL Touche éclat corrector [which I loved but oh, the price…]. This formulas is not quite as light as the YSL but every bit as good and less than half the price.
   5. The Vice Lipstick app—too.much.fun.
2. Giorgio Armani foundation—I tried the lasting Silk UV formula. I am sold on this! It is the best foundation I have ever used. The formula melts into the skin and gives full and lasting coverage. A little dab is all I use. Plus, it adds a nice glow to my skin.
3. Bobbi Brown powders/blush/bronzer:
   1. Bronzer—I used the Brightening Finishing Bronzer and it gave me a natural sunny glow, not orange…enough said.
   2. Brightening brick in pink—this color enhances the cream blush I’ve been using and gives my face a little extra oomph in the cooler seasons, much like the bronzer in the summer
4. Maybelline–huge surprise here for me. I avoid these types of cosmetic lines since you generally get what you pay for. However, if I want to try a trendy color or something a little “out there” then this is a safe route as the money output is pretty small. Cases in point:
   1. eye liner pencil—I tried a royal blue and an emerald. On their own, they smudge and roam all over the eyelids. With a little help from some powder shadow and the Urban Decay eye primer, they work just fine.
   2. Lipstick—just for the fun of it, I picked up 2 odd colors, based solely on a magazine ad. On their own—ew… the greige tone is next to death and looks nothing like the ad. However, I have been using it as a base for my other lipsticks and they take on alternate and flattering hues! I did purchase a dark blue—wouldn’t be caught dead in this in public. It may go the way of the circular file if I cannot use it to alter some other colors in a flattering manner.
5. Tom Ford lipstick—need I say more??? Just fabulous.
6. Laura Mercier eye caviar stick—I have 2 of these. The rose gold is wonderful, the khaki, not so much.

As always, some things just don’t turn out to be favorites after all!

Misses:

1. The aforementioned Laura Mercier eye caviar stick in khaki—maybe I just got an old piece of merchandise but the cover won’t stay put and the color just does not blend well.
2. Nars Audacious lipstick—in the long run, I reapplied much more frequently than one should need to when paying 32.00 for a lipstick. Also, the consistency was a little, shall we say, bumpy? I might consider another product but probably not the lipsticks.
3. Benefit brow pencil—the product is great, the case superb, but really, it only lasted me 3 months! And, no refill option. Hmmm…
4. I’m really quite done with any of the alphabet products—BB, CC, or EE. They just don’t deliver.

Looking back at this list, I’ve experimented with quite a few products. You’ll notice that I left out Estee Lauder. I love the fragrances, had fun with a double sided product that includes a lipgloss and highlighter; find their eye shadows and lipsticks to be some of the best. I’m feeling a bit late to the party, however, when it comes to the in crowd that seems to be their latest customer base. Just not feeling loved or wanted as a customer.

Happy December and enjoy feathering your Friday!