Shimmer Sheets

Sephora has decided to make “shimmer sheets” (think like oil-blotting sheets) in little booklets so you can bronze, blush and illuminate no matter where you are. 

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Will you try this new Sephora goodie for summer?

2011 has been a year of experimentation when it comes to manicures. And I love em all. Crackle, magnetic, marble….you name it, I like it. 

Sheer boredom and obsession with glitter made me play around with two colors I already had the other day, and voila! 

I used Sephora Brand’s Double Platinum for the first layer and Urban Outfitters’ Dust for the sparkle. Here’s how:

• Paint one (or two) coats of a sheer silver color. (You can really do this with any color your choose.)
• Paint a thing layer of Dust on each nail, (carefully!) only letting the little baby glitter specks get on your nail and the big glitter pieces at the tip. [Disclaimer: NOT an easy task. But like I said, bored? Try it.]
• Scoop Dust with your brush (and attempt to scoop as many big glitter pieces as possible) and then line the edges. Do as many layers as you so choose, but let each coat dry thoroughly before you do (because otherwise you’ll move the glitter). 

Feel free to go wild and be messy with it. The messier, the better. It’ll look like falling, glittery snowflakes. And that’s appropriate and a win.

I’ve scoured the differed “value sets” on Sephora’s website time and time again. Yet, I never found a kit that was all-encompassing. There was always that one product that I didn’t need/want/have a use for. 

Then Benefit’s “I’m Glam…Therefore I Am” kit appeared in the ‘Just Arrived’ section. It includes some of the brand’s bestsellers but also useful products and wearable shades. 

What You See Is What You Get
It includes:
- Girl Meets Pearl, a soft pink highlighter 
- Eyeshadow Palette, with a soft pink, a silvery mauve, a rich deep plum and a dark gray
- Glamming Face Powder, a shimmery pink blush (with brush) 
- Mini BadGal Lash Mascara
- Mini Life on the A-List Lip Gloss, in bubble gum pink 
- Double Ended Sponge Applicator
- Makeup tutorial

“I’m Glam…Therefore I am” has many wearable pinks with shimmers that highlight the face and an eyeshadow palette that spans light to dark (good for day-to-night makeup). It basically is your makeup routine wrapped up into a chic, Benefit-style box. And the best part? It’ll only cost you $36. Yes, for real. Promise. 

Whether you want to just sample some products by Benefit or establish a new routine for colder weather (flushed cheeks and pink shimmers work perfectly for winter), Benefit has got your (very glam) back on this one. 

$36 at Sephora

1) Benefit’s “They’re Real” Mascara — I’ve talked up this product like crazy recently, but it is seriously a must-have mascara. It NEEDS to be in your makeup bag, no if’s, and’s or but’s about it! It’s the best thing since sliced bread…or at least since Diorshow Blackout. For the full review, read on here. ($22) 

2)  Vera Wang’s Lovestruck Perfume — It’s very romantic and sweet, thus the name. I tried a sample about a week ago and it lingered, borderline sweet floral and kind of vanilla musk. Perfumes need to be tried on before bought, obviously, but if you like Princess by Vera Wang, you’ll like this as well. Consider it Princess’ sophisticated older sister (but only older by about 3 years). ($48)

3) Bobbi Brown Bronze Tortoiseshell Eye Palette — Bobbi’s new eyeshadow palette offers the most perfect neutral shades for autumn (but never dull neutrals, of course)! Think shimmery bronzes, creams, olives, chocolates and golds. Made for layering, not blending. Think of it as a relative to the Naked Palette. ($60)

4) DKNY’s Golden Delicious Perfume — If DKNY’s PR girl was a scent, this would be it. Glam, sophisticated, on-the-go and fun. It smells young without being too young and sweet without being too sweet. With apple, florals and sandalwood, this combination is a winner. ($42) 

5) Too Faced Perfectly Pretty Set — I stumbled upon this Too Faced mini set on the Sephora website and realized what a great deal it was. It includes: a mini Lash Injection mascara, a mini Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer, a Primed & Poreless face primer and a cute little cosmetics bag. For about $16, you get all the glam necessities in a cute bag. Too Faced’s makes a great mascara, everyone needs a shadow primer (but not enough people use it) and a pore reducing primer is priceless (say that 5 times fast!). ($16.50 online only) 

6) Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color — Tired of lipstick smearing off within an hour? Annoyed with lipgloss that constantly gets stuck to you hair? Urban Decay now makes a remedy in a quaint little pencil. It’s highly pigmented but also glossy, leaving lips nice and smooth but also fully colored in. UD offers pretty pinks, bright fuschias and fun orangey reds. The pencil is made with paraffin, which is used in hand creams as well to keep things smooth. ($19) 

Say hello to another required summer savior: blotting papers!

They’re small, discreet and often overlooked, but they’re a great thing to keep handy in your bag on these unfortunately humid summer days. (I mean, it’s grey skies and muggy as hell over here on the East Coast…that’s just cruel, Mother Nature.)  
 
I always thought I belonged in the populous of dry-skinned sisters. However, this summer (what with all the heat, makeup and constant running around NYC like a madwoman) my skin starts to look oily by lunch. Not cool.

Luckily for me (and all of you), Sephora makes blotting papers (100 sheets) for $8! They provide a wide array to choose from: lavender, tea tree, natural (organic) and Vitamin C/E. It soaks up oil and makes skin look matte without ruining your makeup. You’ll have a whole new outlook on freshening up and it’s such an easy way to maintain your makeup throughout these hot summer days we have ahead of us. 

Quick look awake! So most people are experiencing the pain that is finals week everywhere around the country this week (and I hear for high school’s it’s AP week as well). So here are a couple pick-me-up products to help you look like a well-rested goddess when really, you’ve been running on 3 hours of sleep and lukewarm coffee and PopTarts. 

1. Benefit Eye Bright - This awesome little pencil is a soft pink color. You’re supposed to apply it to the inner and outer corners of your eyes and blend it for a more awake look. You can even double it as an eyeshadow. Feel free to use as much as you want, there’s no real way you can overdo it with this one. $20 at Sephora

2. Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner  - Need to buy either or both: 03 Pure White or 16 Azur Blue. Using either a highly-pigmented pure white or a deep blue to line your waterline will instantly brighten your eyes up with minimal effort. Sephora’s little eyeliners are super cheap and go on super smooth. $5 each at Sephora

3. Stila Eye Shadow - Stila is one of the best brands to go to when you’re looking for a shimmery wearable colors. So either pick from the gold family (see: “14 kt” “Oasis” “Prize” or “Sparkle”) or the soft pink family (see: “Starlight” “Sun” or “Dune”). All you need to do is apply to your lids and most importantly, the inner crevices of your eyes. I’d recommend to just skip the brush and just use your fingers. Voila! $18 at Sephora

Picking a good manicure color can be one of the best decisions you’ll make all week. Right now I’m rockin’ Essie’s Guilty Pleasures (see above). It’s a pretty carnation pink (with a hint of a coral undertone) and I think it’s wildly appropriate for spring. 

So in lieu of the imminent chippage, I went to Sephora to search for a color that matches it. Sephora brand (the little bottle) makes a shade almost exactly identical to Essie’s, called Valentine. And for $5! It wasn’t even a thought. 

Win. 

$8 for the Essie; $5 for the Sephora

Sephora Professionel Platinum Foundation Brush #47

A good brush is hard to find…

Discovering this brush was such a nice surprise! I had been looking for a reasonably priced brush for liquid foundation for a while and nothing seemed to be streak-proof. The Sephora #47 actually blends liquid foundation in seamlessly, minimal streaks and the brush feels great against the skin. Provides great coverage and the bristles are synthetic, which is apparently great because it doesn’t absorb oil. Sanitary and streak-free. What’s not to love?

Pros: blends smoothly, great price, does not leave streaks (which are the bane of my existence), GREAT FOR LIQUID

Cons: needs to be cleaned pretty often (no one likes hardened foundation on their brushes)

$27 at Sephora