What's In Pink Julep's Make-up Case? The Mega-post!

Saturday was such a great day! I set out early to do some much-needed make-up shopping at Kirk Freeport Duty Free. Sadly, I was unable to get the turquoise Chanel nail polish I wanted, but I stocked up on some great loot anyway! I had a great time and I think the sales ladies thought I was nuts because I bought so much stuff, but honestly I can't remember the last time I stocked up my make-up bag, so it was desperately needed cause I am a make-up girl! If you're not into make-up, perhaps you should skip this post all together!

I have a pretty extensive make-up bag because make-up is one of my favorite things in the world! I love to experiment and I change my face daily... I'm definitely not the girl who wears the same eyeshadow every day... especially since I'm living on an island with no shopping. When I can't buy a new outfit, I get a new lipstick and experiment with my cosmetics regularly.

Some of the products below are new, some are old. There are a few I just got and haven't tried yet. I'm going to try to do more beauty posts and we'll see how that works out. I always love it when other people post what's in their make-up bags, so I figure it's time to share mine.

1. NARS Make-up Primer with SPF 20

I use this over my moisturizer, under my foundation and it really does keep my make-up in place all day and fights the evil island heat/sweat problem! I love this product and often wear it alone for sunscreen. It doesn't break my face out either, which is great!
2. Blistex Ultra Protection with SPF 30

3. Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm

I always try to wear lip balm under my lip color to nourish my lips because they're prone to dryness. I have one with sunblock and one without. I love Burt's Bees, but I read somewhere that a large percentage of melanoma (don't quote me on this) occurs on the lips, so SPF is important on your lips, especially in tropical climates with such a hot year-round sun!

1. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Concealer

(I just got this and have never used it, but everyone says it's the best!!!)

2. Lancome Complete Coverage Concealer

This concealer is great. I've been using it for a while!

3. MAC Glimmershimmer

I don't even think you can get this product anymore, but I got loads of them a while back because I love it! I either put it on under my foundation or mix it with my foundation for a dewy glow.

4. NARS Orgasm Illuminator

I wanted to try this, but they were sold out, so the sales lady gave me a sample. You can use it alone, as a highlighter or mixed in with your foundation for a glow. I'm excited to see what it does! I want to try this as a replacement for the MAC Glimmershimmer which I haven't been able to find recently.

5. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe

Hands down, the only foundation I've ever loved. It's up there in price, but it lasts forever and it only takes a little to get a nice blend to even out the skin. And it gives a bit of glow! Loves it!

1. NARS Loose Powder in Flesh

2. NARS Powder Brush

3. Nars Bronzer in Laguna

4. NARS Bronzer Brush

5. NARS Pressed Powder in Desert

I love the Nars brushes because they are made with real hair, they're super soft and they hold up for a long time! I'm a big fan of the loose powder! The pressed powder is okay and can be worn alone over moisturizer, but I mainly only use it for travel since the loose powder can get a bit messy.

1. Diorskin Shimmer Powder in Rose Diamond

I like a shimmer powder instead of a liquid highlighter sometimes because it's faster and more convenient with travel. This particular powder can also be used as 5 separate shadows and the lightest shade is great for highlighting the brow bone or the inside corner of the eye. I previously used a shimmer powder by Stila, which I loved, but I can't get it here, so I'm trying a new one!

2. NARS Blush Highlighter in Albatross

Haven't tried this yet.

3. Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Powder in Nude Shimmer

This powder is VERY glittery, so I don't use it often, but it's great for the chest and shoulders and occasionally, I sparkle my cheeks with it, but not often.

1. Revlon Sheer Powder Blush in Peachy Keen

2. Lancome Delicate Oil Free Powder Blush in Pink Pool

3. NARS Powder Blush in Orgasm

4. NARS Powder Blush in Deep Throat

I try to keep a variety of blushes in coral, peach, pink and bronze shades. I use different ones when my skintone varies with sun exposure and also, when wearing different eye or lip colors.

I am a HUGE fan of Elizabeth Arden eyeshadows! They are hands down my favorite! They go on easily and the colors are rich and smooth! I always grab a pallet or purchase with purchase gift set around the holidays when I can. The pallet above is one of my faves and nearly used up. The colors are as listed below:

Eyeshadows

1. Teak, 2. Jewel, 3. Shadow, 4. Brown, 5. Teal, 6. Gold, 7. Wheat, 8. Pink Petal (out, but this was my favorite ever!), 9. Golden, 10. Apricot, 11. Silvery Brown,

12. Silver

Blushes

13. Sunblush & 14. Pink Mauve

This is another Elizabeth Arden pallet I picked up. This also had some other stuff in it. There was a cube with 4 pallets. I threw the rest out and kept this one. The colors are great, but sadly they didn't photograph too well. The eyeshadow colors are as listed:

1. Plum, 2. Mauve Pink, 3. Sapphire, 4. Slate, 5. Tulle, 6. Smoke

Bold, funky eyeshadows can come in handy occasionally! I like to wear these sometimes when I go out or go to a concert. They aren't as bold when applied as they look in the photo. I also wet a liquid liner brush with water and use these as eyeliner sometimes, which gives a really cool colorful effect.

Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadows in:

1. Fishnet

2. Graffiti

3. Adore

I love the cases these come in. So cute!

MAC Eyeshadows in:
1. Swimming Lustre
2. Symmetry Matte
3. Big T Frost

4. NARS Eyeshadow in Night Star

Dior does fantastic 5 color pallets! They even have a designer series that comes with instructions and includes a creme eyeliner for the perfect application for those who are unsure of which colors to pair together.
1. Christian Dior 5 Color Pallet in Night Butterfly
2. Christian Dior 5 Color Designer Pallet in Smoky Design

I'm also a big fan of Revlon eyeshadows! I think they are the best option for affordable eyeshadows among other products!
Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow in:
1. Berry Bloom
2. Spring Moss
3. Sterling Rose

1. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (Simply the best there is!)
2. Diorshow Mascara (I've tried them all and this is my favorite!)

1. MAC Fluidline in Delineate

This is red! It was given to me in a swag bag and is not the most useable product for me. Not sure if it's an eyeliner or lipliner, but I've used it as both... it works well with brown or orange colored shadows and works beautifully under red toned lip colors!

2. Loreal H.I.P. Color Truth Creamy Eyeliner in Midnight Blue

I'm a strong believer in having several options in lipcolor. My go to's are mauvy pinks, lilac shades of pink, light browns, corals and reds. I try to stay away from any bubblegum pinks or oranges because frankly, I am not sure they look good on anyone. Wine colors and dark browns wash me out completely. I'm more keen on wearing glosses than lipstick, but I break out the lipstick for special occasions and NARS or MAC are my favorites!

NARS Lipglosses in:

1. Giza

2. Orgasm

3. & 4. Duo in Chihuahua & Greek Holiday

NARS Lip Lacquer in:
5. Sweet Charity
6. Chelsea Girls

7. NARS Lipstick in Red Lizard

I love C.O. Bigelow because the mint is cooling and freshens breath!
1. C.O. Bigelow Vitamin Mentha Lip Quad
2. C.O. Bigelow Lipstick in Vintage Rouge

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tints in:
3. Violet Mint
4. Pink Mint
5. Bare Mint
6. Magenta Mint

Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick in:
1. Teaberry Shimmer
2. Perfect Rose

1. Elizabeth Arden Lipgloss in Shimmering Pink
2. Elizabeth Arden Lipgloss in Golden Pearl
3. MAC Lustreglass in Opal
4. Merle Norman Luxiva Delites in Cafe Royale

1. Lancome Lipstick in Champagne
2. Lancome Color Design Lipstick in Trendy Mauve
3. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Classical

Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick in:
1. Starlight
2. Amber
3. Simply Red
4. Beauty
5. Pink Twilight
6. Autumn

It's important to have the right brushes in your beauty arsenal! This can be a very expensive investment, so I recommend taking advantage of the Lancome counter's free gift with purchase sometime that includes a set of brushes. I find their eyebrushes very good! I have never tried the Sonya Kashuk brushes at Target before, but I've also heard they're great! If you can start out with a set that's doable and add a new really good brush now and then, that's a good way to get started! That's what I do! One good powder brush can cost upwards of $50! So it's important to take good care of them too! The next thing I plan on adding is a pair of Tweezermans! They are meant to be amazing, but I can't seem to find them here on island!

I love the NARS brushes as I said before! And the retractable lipbrush is necessary for glossing on the go without ruining your purse!

Eye pencils are equally important. Liquid eyeliner can be great, but I don't use it much anymore. It can look too heavy and a little dramatic. It's also a nightmare in the heat! A good selection of black, brown and grey is perfect for every situation!

I don't always use lipliner, but it's handy for long-lasting color. I try to keep red, pink, mauve, coral and a tawny brown. I'm in the need of a coral and brown so if anyone has any recommendations, leave me a comment!

1. Estee Lauder Artist's Lip Pencil in Mocha Writer (love this one!)

Elizabeth Arden Lip Pencils in:

2. Rustic

3. Plum Rose

4. Blush

5. Cocoa Rose

It's important to have a good collection of nail lacquers for in between mani/pedi's!

1. OPI Nail Lacquer in Get Me to the Taj on Time

2. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Twisted Pink

3. Zoya Professional Lacquer in LO

OPI Nail Lacquers in:

4. Sheer Your Toys

5. Moon Over Mumbai

6. Zoya Professional Lacquer in GALA

7. Sephora by OPI Nail Color in Too Good For Him

OPI Nail Lacquers in:

8. Black Cherry Chutney

9. Copper Mountain Copper

10. Play Till Midnight

11. Curry Up Don't Be Late

12. Russian Navy

13. Dating a Royal

14. Natural Nail Basecoat (Important to prevent staining)

15. Top Coat (Gives a glossy shine!)

16. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Black Out

A great tip: When you're in need of a product, check out http://www.instyle.com/ to see the products they've rated as the best for the last few years. They rate them by skintype, i.e. fair, medium or dark, so you can get an idea of what color or brand will work best on you and it really gives you a great starting point! Some of the products I recently purchased were from their list and they're great!

Would love to hear what your favorite make-up products are! Leave me a comment and let me know!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!