It will surprise none of my regular readers to learn that if I could wear only one category of makeup for the rest of my life, it would be lipstick. (I could probably use nude lipstick as undereye concealer, right?…right?) I wear lipstick every single day. I’ve tried almost every color category of lipstick. I… Read More Lip Liner: An Overdue Appreciation
In my personal taxonomy, most makeup falls into one of four categories: 1) products that I collect actively (lipstick, eyeshadow, nail polish); 2) products that I own in limited numbers because I use them very slowly and/or don’t find them exciting (blush, highlighter, eyeliner); 3) products that I wear regularly but purchase only when I… Read More Gambles with Gloss: NYX Gingersnap and Revlon Rosy Future
When Urban Decay released the Naked Heat collection earlier this summer, the product that really tempted my resolve was not the Naked Heat palette itself but one of the two limited-edition 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils: Torch, a rusty orange. (Okay, the palette was also tempting, but slightly less so.) I swatched both eyeliners, as well… Read More NYX Faux Blacks Eyeliners in Blackberry and Burnt Sienna
The only makeup store close to where I live is an especially snobby Bluemercury, so when I visit my mom in San Francisco, I tend to spend more time than strictly necessary in Sephora and Ulta. During this particular visit, I was excited to check out the NYX Liquid Suede Metallic Matte lipsticks, which debuted… Read More NYX Modern Maven and a Liquid Suede Metallic Matte Anti-Haul
Happy Easter! Full disclosure: I’m one of those secular assholes who welcome the Easter season not for its religious significance but for the positively pagan abundance of egg-shaped chocolate. Growing up half-Jewish, I couldn’t help noticing the difference in quality between Easter candy and kosher-for-Passover candy, which consisted (and still consists) primarily of coconut-covered marshmallows… Read More FOTD: Cyborg Easter Bunny ft. NYX Twilight Tint
Welcome to the first, and saltier, of my two 2016 roundup posts! A few notes before we begin: There are thirteen products on this list simply because I was disappointed by thirteen products last year (not a large number, considering how many I tried). As always, the products are listed in chronological order of purchase,… Read More My 13 Least Favorite Beauty Products of 2016
One of the best lipstick formulas that I’ve discovered in 2016 is the NYX Liquid Suede formula. I generally prefer solid to liquid lipstick, but I’ve somehow collected three Liquid Suedes: Amethyst, Stone Fox, and most recently Brooklyn Thorn, one of the 12 new shades released this past spring. I have no idea what the… Read More NYX Liquid Suede and Suede Matte Lip Liner in Brooklyn Thorn
Surfacing briefly from the dissertation abyss to give you my November update! I’m proud to say that I made only one beauty order on Black Friday—I bought some new clothes that I really needed, so I couldn’t justify splurging on makeup too. And November was my birthday month, so I received a few makeup gifts,… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #11: November
It turns out that I have time for one more post before I head to New York tomorrow! A lot of new products entered my life in October, and though some of them were gifts, some were…definitely not. It’s not exactly shocking that I bought more stuff than usual last month. October tends to be… Read More Low-Buy Progress Report #10: October
NYX expanded its matte lipstick line at the beginning of this year, adding some trendier colors to its extensive but mundane collection of reds, pinks, and nudes. The new shade that immediately caught my eye was Up the Bass, a medium purple with a large dose of gray. Because we were heading into spring at… Read More NYX Matte Lipstick in Up the Bass
Auxiliary Beauty 