When Is It Okay to Be a Narcissist?

When it's spelled NARSISSIST! And it's in the form of an awesome eye shadow palette.

Feast your eyes on 15 pans of shadow goodness:

This little lovely was sent to me for consideration from the generous PR crew at NARS. I am a full fledged NARSISSIST and couldn't be more proud! In fact, this is the only palette I have been using exclusively for the past three weeks. I even went away on a family trip and instead of stuffing my over sized makeup bags with solo pans and shadow palettes. I took this one palette. I had more room for those extra tubes of nude pink glosses I can never have enough of at all times. It really hasn't disappointed me yet! There may be a few repeating shades I already own, it doesn't bother me. I'm so pleased that I have a backup and it's housed with a smartly edited set!

I will admit that I received this early February and I'm now just getting around to writing this review. 

BAD BLOGGER!

This is what happens when you have a new demanding job, a long work commute, and still trying to maintain the title of "Awesome Mom and Wife"! However, this allowed me to really test this palette out and give a fair assessment. So how do I feel about this palette?

I feel that each row is arranged by theme: top row - neutral, middle row - smoky nudes, third row - taupe, charcoal smoky eyes. But I do like to mix up colors and also layer. If I want a softly lined eye, I use Pandora (black) along the top and bottom lash lines. 

To swatch shades fairly - I broke it down by row.

Row 1:

shades left to right:
All about Eve/Madrague/Fez/Bali/Coconut Grove

Row 2:

Madrague II/Nepal/Ashes to Ashes/Brousse/Mekong

Row 3:

Bellissima/Lhasa/Bad Behavior/Dogon/Pandora

I still can't get over just how easy these shades are to pair or wear solo for days that you just don't want to wear blend more than two shadows together.

Here's just a small sample how I've been wearing these shades:

The shades I wear almost daily: Ashes to Ashes, Nepal and Madrague/Madrague II. Neutrals are my fall back but when I'm feeling extra saucy and/or I'm going out I'll dip my shadow brushes into Lhasa, Bad Behavior and Pandora as my outer-v accent and lower lash smoker. I use Bali (neutral brown) to fill in my brows - one of the best shades I have discovered. It keeps my brows looking full and natural and it's also a great shade to use as a contour. I love using Madrague (matte caramel) as my eye socket contour. This shade lends a bit of deeper contrast when using the lighter shades on my lid, like soft rose Nepal or matte cream, Madrague II. But when using with a slightly deeper mocha taupe, Ashes to Ashes or taupe grey, Lhasa - Madrague softens and lightly diffuses the color and lending a hand to seemlessly blend with a darker, outer-v shade. I have been loving Coconut Grove, Brousse, and Bad Behavior (when using a heavier hand in application). As usual, when paired with a great eye primer or even concealer on the lid, these shades will stay on your lids the entire day until you are ready to swipe it off with your best eye makeup remover.

The first time I received this, I was really hesitant to even swatch each pan. And then the biggest decision - which shade do I try first? I am so glad I have this beautifully edited palette in my collection - it's going to solve a lot groggy morning problems like, "shit, I overslept and I need to leave the house in thirty minutes!"

Side note - in the photo of me in top right corner I'm sporting Love blush and Adelaide Illuminator from the Final Cut collection (NARS). This was also sent to me for consideration. This tea rose blush is very subtle on my tan skin but it's just as beautiful if it were worn by someone with a fairer complexion. I'll post a swatch photo soon. And by soon, I mean before the month is over. Love is a gorgeous shade for a soft pop of pink on my cheeks when I'm wearing both smoky or subtle neutral shaded lids. The blush and illuminator retails for $30/USD.

I cannot praise this palette enough. You can find this at department and specialty stores that feature the NARS brand and of course online at www.narscosmetics.com.

Narsisist palette - $79/USD

A Peek at NARS' SPRING 2014 High Seize Collection

Here's a very long overdue post.

Yeah, newsflash...I know! Quick update on where I've been - I quit my job in SF and now currently working in Silicon Valley for a big internet company. That's all I'll say! Also, my new job is really consuming lots of my time and sadly that last thing I want to do is review my beloved beauty products that seem to give me sad puppy dog eyes as I look at them on my sad bathroom counter!

Yes, I sometimes view inanimate objects as breathing things...just go with it!

Recently the good, kind folks at NARS treated me with a sample of the recent Spring 2014 High Seize collection. And I am inspired to write again! Rich, aquatic and anchored in glamour. This collection will really have you craving a warm yacht holiday escape from the dreaded polar vortex!

The new items have me digging deep in over stuffed cosmetic pouches to pull out more NARS products that I have been neglecting. I have rediscovered my love for NARS and just how easy I can pull a look together with these colors for those early morning that I don't have a full hour to get ready because I have to get out the door to drive up to almost an hour to work each morning. Glad to report that I have two new items to add to the mix!

Here's what was sent to me:

Na Pali Coast Multiple ($39/USD) and Larger than Life Long Wear Eye Liner in Puerta Del Sol ($24/USD).

Obligatory forearm swatches:

Na Pali Coast Multiple:

Na Pali Coast is located on the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii. This beautiful rose peach shimmer does a very easy job of evoking walking along a balmy island shore right at dusk. It is gorgeous! As you know the multiple is a product that is that - multi-purpose for your face. Honestly, I just use it to highlight cheekbones or as a cream rouge. The darker shades I tend to use for both cheeks and lips.

I used it today to keep my complexion warm while I walked the cold, wet streets of SF this morning:

I have a love/hate relationship with the Multiple - it's a great highlighter but because my skin is dark I sometimes have to pack it on just to show up on my cheeks. If it's a shimmer then I feel too frosty - okay for Vegas, per se but not so much for a suburb south of SF. Also, it never lasts more than two hours on me. My skin sucks it right up. I have to take it with me so I can reapply. But I'll probably never stop buying them because I do love it's portability and the right shades do wonders for my look and mood. As you can tell, by my beanie, I am freezing my ass off but this glowing peachy rose cream makes me look a bit sun kissed!

Puerta Del Sol
Named after the busy town square in Madrid, Spain. It's a lovely parrot green shimmer.

I was lucky enough to visit Madrid a few years ago. I do remember visiting this square and parrot green shimmer doesn't come to mind. Until I came across this photo:

I miss Spain :(

Eye liners vibrant like this are often reserved for my bottom water lines to brighten my eyes.

A beautiful shimmering jade on my eyes. But let's talk staying power - I didn't have to touch up the color till four hours later. And that's just on my water lines! I need to purchase Via Veneto (black) next time I'm at a NARS counter. That long wear strength is just ridiculous!

This collection also feature two new dazzling shadow duos - need Kauai because it features the shade of the year - orchid! There are also two new polishes, two larger than life glosses, a new satin lip pencil and another larger than life eye liner. These shades got me in full vacay mode - I'll be back at the NARS counter soon.

Ugh, guess that means I need to clean out my makeup stash...A-G-A-I-N!

NARS HIGH SEIZE SPRING 2014 Collection available now at narscosmetics.com, NARS boutiques and department stores that feature the NARS brand.

What Did I Buy?

In this week's episode of Lex's luxurious beauty buys, I throw that phrase around loosely, I share with you what I bought at the last Sephora's VIB sale:

This beauty sponge has been making its way around the beauty blog blocks and I was curious. But would this $19.95 sponge really make a difference in the way foundation lays on my skin? I've even seen this used on video tutorials to apply foundation and concealer with convincing accolades. Okay, I was convinced. I was going to buy this but only on sale.

I've tried this damp to stipple my tinted moisturizer,creamy compact foundation and the pointed tip is convenient to blend concealer under my eyes and at the corners. It did make my makeup look natural and not look like it was just sitting on my skin - it does blend nicely. I also like that it's soft to the touch. However, it will remain stained by your foundation and concealers, no matter how much you try to clean it. I use the cheaper alternate - baby shampoo. It was also recommended by a sales associate is to try a very light drop of dish washing liquid to remove any lingering grease. I'm not exactly sure just how long this will last but I probably won't replace it because of it's price tag.

So do you need this? It's really up to you. If you like using your foundation brush or inexpensive sponge version - stick with that. I am trying this out of pure curiosity. It's not an entirely big loss - I do like the color pink!

em michelle phan: Arched Defining Brow Liners

I have a confession to make - I have never watched a Michelle Phan makeup tutorial on her YouTube channel, up until recently. And if you are a blogger and into makeup, you have heard of her. If not then you must have waken up under a rock...a very big, heavy rock. She was innovative early in her tutorial videos by adopting a voice over format. It's a very documentary like feel. As a former art student, she approaches makeup application like art work. And anyone that mimics their tutorials like the awesome PBS Bob Ross instructional show, is extra cool in my book. She was named a video makeup artist by Lancome and has recently launcher her own cosmetics line, EM Michelle Phan.

I am a very, very lucky girl to have received an invitation to try out some of her products.

Arched Defining Brow Liners:

There are five shades to choose from: ash blonde, medium brown, caramel, brunette and black. Since I wasn't sure just how dark the black pencil was I opted for both the brunette and black pencils. I like that these are self sharpening and there's a spoolie on the other end for blending.

Brunette has a bit of red in it and black is not what you think. It's a dark neutral brown that has a bit of grey in it.

Here's a very naked eye with Brunette:

This is a great shade for the days where I don't want to do a heavily shaded lid or on the weekends when I'm running errands with my daughter and I just want to keep my makeup super simple.

I have been blending the two shades together and I'm loving the results:

I love that it's not too dark and it looks like it could be my actual brows if I were blessed with naturally dark and full eye brows! 

For the past twenty years, I've been a shadow and slanted brush kind of girl. In fact, it would take me less than five minutes to do both brows. Then again, that's on a good day. I actually shunned all pencils, only using to fill sparse sections of my arches. The pencils I have used are often waxy and weren't that great. I love the formula of this pencil, just enough creaminess to go on easily but still sturdy to be long lasting and it blends like a dream with the spoolie brush. I am very impressed with this product, as I take my brows seriously. 

Yes, I'm that girl that doesn't leave the house without her brows on to go on a four mile run on the weekends. 

On that note, these pencils do not fade even after an intense workout. The irony is I have bangs again and my brows are covered for the most part. Well luckily, I found this pencil to define and darken my brows when my bangs are blown haphazardly on a windy day. 

These pencils retail for $19/USD and can be found online, click here. 

These were sent to me for consideration. 

Makeovers: Not Just for the Jilted....

I've taken a bit of time off, just in case you haven't noticed. Well, a few things have happened - busy workload and a anxious feeling about my status since the sale of half of the company, where I work and fulfilling my duties as my sister's maid of honor for her wedding last weekend.

The problem is the longer I stay away it becomes so easy to slack. And if slacking were a career, I'd be CEO!

So, I'm getting off my lazy butt to just share a few new things I have tried out.

On my birthday, last month, I enlisted the help of NARS makeup artist, Laura, to give me a hot birthday look for my karaoke outing. I also got a chance to visit the NARS boutique in the Lower Pac Heights neighborhood, SF.

Even the outside exterior has a very sleek, minimal look. The window display was sparse but that didn't mean there wasn't an impact on those window shopping in the neighborhood.

The inside of the shop, did not disappoint either. I love this little book collection nestled above the makeshift fireplace.

But let's get back to why you guys are here. The makeover and the amount it took to transform me into a smoky karaoke chanteuse. 

If only my bathroom counter looked like this, well organized and gigantic!

The wonderful makeup artist, Linda talked me into beefing up my brows. Not just darkening but giving me full throttle editorial brows. I was scared but I thought "what the hell, I'm 39 and like Nars says - it's just makeup..."

Here's the result:

I know not that bad but I've been rocking a slim brow for years and years. By the end of the day, I was use to it and really giving thought to getting a prescription for a hair growth treatment from my dermatologist. The dark brow really complimented my strong lined smoky eyes with copper shadows. 

More scenes from the NARS boutique:

My current favorite NARS product - eye paint. I really need to get that review out since it's been about a month and a half of use - ugh, I'm a lazy a**hole I know!

I love how much light comes into this boutique. The placement of the makeup stations are ideal, not for anonymity from the public but at least you'll really see how your makeup looks in natural lighting. 

I can't wait to return to this shop for some holiday shopping, especially since the Guy Bourdain/NARS gifting collection has debuted. 

If you would like to visit the NARS SF boutique in person, here's the address:

NARS COSMETICS BOUTIQUE FILLMORE 
2050 FILLMORE ST. 
SAN FRANCISCO 94115

My makeup was a hit at karaoke that night, my face didn't melt but then again I wasn't dancing with 500 other people in a packed club, thankfully. 

After trying a different brow from what I was use to, I start to think more about my looks and what else I could improve. I think it's because I'm 39 now and really not that far from 40 but don't worry, I'm not looking into medical procedures (well, never say never....)

I really started thinking more and more about my hair and what I wanted to do next. Go back to light brown/dark blonde highlights? No, that's an upkeep expense I can't keep up with. Cut into a cute choppy LOB that a lot of off duty supermodels have been rocking? No, I took way too long growing it this long and plus I'm not 5'10, 105 lbs and 23 yrs. old. Just kidding...no judgments here...just lacking courage. 

What else could I do? Well, I've been thinking about a look that I really loved and was my trademark before my daughter was born - bangs.Yes, it is upkeep but it would just be a few bucks and my hair stylist's salon is about 5-7 minutes walking distance from my office. 

I had the longest time debating and probable exhausted everyone with their thoughts, my husband especially. I had to take the advice I given to others when they want to change their hair, "It's just hair, it'll grow back"

Yeah it'll grow back, albeit a long year or two, but I'll just give my bitching and moaning to myself when I'm in the awkward pinning my bangs back, grow-out phase. 

Behold my bangs and the man who keeps my hair in check for the past twelve years, Melvin Burns.

Isn't he adorable? If you're in San Francisco and need to find a new stylist near your office in the Financial District, please, PLEASE check out: http://www.ecrusalon.com/

And here I am working it and upholding my Maid of Honor duties for my sister's wedding, last week:

I think I made the right decision. And you can't tell but my brows are dark and full under my fringe.

Up next, my the current skincare regime that's changing my skin for the better.