the top of my dresser is home to my beauty stash, and, ironically, it was looking fairly hideous. so to celebrate the start of the first week of the new year, i figured i should pretty up my spot.
the end result (note: this does not contain my nail polish collection, which is embarrassing in its multitude and is another beast to tackle later on):
organizing my (beauty) addiction is the inspiration for this post - i inevitably had to toss products that were im-scared-to-think-how-old. what remained were my all-time favorites and essentials, which i could go on and on about, but i'll spare you and just provide a snapshot of what makes them must-haves (in my opinion).
- for the best overall lip look: chanel rouge double intensité (Bright Rose)
i have ridiculously high expectations for lip products. they can't be drying (and if they're actually hydrating, well, ill take one in every shade); they shouldn't require countless re-applications/touch-ups/etc; and i would really really love it if they didn't leave a mark on every coffee cup, fork or glass i use throughout the day.
ive made peace with settling for 2 out of 3 (sometimes even 1 out of 3 if it's a truly fantastic color), but this dual-ended miracle from chanel meets all 3 criteria so maybe it's time to get back to maintaining high standards. the breakdown:
-the base color has the PERFECT amount of pigment that wears comfortably and actually hydrates.
-the glossy top coat amps up your look for a gorgeous finish (but be sure to wait for the base color to dry before slicking on the top coat, otherwise its brush just turns into a colored mess).
-thanks to the magical interaction between base coat + top coat, the color does NOT budge at ALL. seriously, i am still happily surprised by how well it stays put with every sip of coffee i take.
- for the most effective way to go incognito, ie, best concealer: clé de peau
unsurprisingly, i love what it does while actively resenting its price tag.
- for the sassiest cat eye: stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner
i swear, it basically has a mind of its own - all you need to do is flick your wrist up at the corner of each eye, and this ultra-thin pen draws a flawless, flirty, feline-inspired line.
- for the prettiest snow white shadow effect: benefit longwear powder shadow (milk it!)
it's a well-known beauty fact that if you want to appear more awake than you are, you should dot a luminizer or white shadow in the inner corner of your eyes. if doing that succeeds in perking you up by a factor of 10, this shadow is a pearly white shade that perks you up by a factor of 100, at least.
- for the sweetest daytime shadow look: nars duo eyeshadow (alhambra)
a stunning rose gold hue meets a sophisticated champagne neutral. it's the most effortless way to look made up, but not made up.
and those are the tried-and-true favorites thatll carry me into 2014!
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