Sonia Kashuk Undetecable Cream Bronzer "rich bronze"

So Target opened in Canada, and after an initial frenzy (and tantrum-they brought two brands from US Targets with them the rest is the same old shit we get in Wal Mart) things have calmed down a bit. They still aren't fully stocked, but I did pick up this wicked awesome SK bronzer. I have to say that this stuff is fantastic. Packaging is attractive and functional-cream pan flips up to reveal mirror and sponge. I use this on bare skin and over foundation and it looks amazing. It really does blend in for a natural glow. Even though I can't possibly need any more product I still find myself buying things, which is why I write about them here. I suppose the reason I am so excited about this particular bronzer is that I can use it without foundation. During the summer I think that it's best to let as much of your natural skin show as possible, and this is coming from a super heavy foundation user. Slap that stuff on!!

I don't know if there will be any other shades coming, since my Target is missing a lot of stock.

Orly Mirror Mirror

Orly Mirror Mirror was a fall or Christmas collection from a few years ago, perhaps four? I bought it back in the day when I made huge hauls from places like TransDesign, before they raised their prices significantly. It's a light, airy grey creme and is opaque in two coats mostly, but three really makes it nice. I've used Seche Vite as a topcoat, and you can see some of my nails went gnarly from it. You can see the teeny weeny charm attached to the bottle. And my giant Frankenstein middle finger-that nail is just so much bigger than the others.

NARS light reflecting setting powder-pressed

Even though this came out a few months ago and I'm obviously behind the times I thought I would share my thoughts so far.

At 39 bucks this isn't cheap. That's my biggest complaint with NARS, since the quality of the brand does not always meet the price point unlike others like Guerlain. I've found NARS to be hit and miss with a few of their products-I loathe their foundation on my generally oily skin, but adore their tinted moisturizer (St Moritz). I like their eyeshadows, hate their lipglosses and lipsticks. I can't stand the waxy unscented smell of them. Fortunately blogs like Temptalia receive press samples and post good reviews to help folks like me, who purchase.

Generally I look for mattifying properties in a pressed powder, since it is made to be portable and for touch ups throughout the day. NARS claims it regulates shine throughout the day. This powder has sparkle without being shimmery, it's a very neat product. Right now I'm testing Becca's new matte primer under hourglass's primer and then with hourglass's oily skin foundation on top, it's been 3 hours and I have zero shine break through. I'll have to update the shine regulating properties of this powder on a combination of primer/foundation that's not as tough as this one. I went for the pressed instead of the loose formula simply because I am still plugging away at my jar of Ben Nye's banana powder that I bought last year.

NARS light reflecting powder comes in the traditional flat black packaging, and with a very whisper thin application sponge and pouch. My first complaint is that you cannot store the sponge in the compact, instead it all goes in the pouch together. The pouch is a nice touch, but I would rather the sponge fit inside the compact THEN in the pouch. It's just less dicking around in my opinion. But a very small complaint.

What's in my purse? Mostly garbage!!

I see a LOT of beauty bloggers do these posts, and while I enjoy them for the sheer voyeurism of it all I do think a lot of folks set it up to appear more splendid than it really is. So I took a photo of my purse while I had some downtime at work a few nights ago. Just dumped it on the floor and Voila! A rats nest of lipgloss and receipts. So here we go!

I blurred out my pills. But yeah, lots of receipts and paper garbage. And a spoon!?

My wallet. I like wallets that zip up. This is a DKNY one from winners. I'd like a leather one from coach in lime or fuchsia,  but this one has been fairly serviceable.

My bikini for tanning. Yes I know it's bad, no I don't care what you think. 

I fear the day when I need a hair elastic and don't have one. I keep multiples.

Random earrings, the star one has been solo for ages yet I still carry hope it will find its mate. Hair clips for bangs, eyelash curler.

Perfume sample, sunnies and random change. 

A cool bracelet I bought on the ferry, headphones and empty sample jars because you never know

Random things. Nail file from Sally's, this one is particularly awesome. Glycerin based hand cream. Nature Republic lip balm (so kawaii) Lush lip tint, which I do like but a pot form is miserable as it is really pigmented. USB drive, coconut sarong tie, eyeshadow pot. Lip balm, aleve.

Tangle Teezers brush. Seriously the Holy Grail. I bought one for myself and a friend who has fine hair that always tangles and they work great. My ends are bleached and this breaks way less hair than a traditional comb.

What also is in my purse ? Oh a crap ton of make up.

All nice and organized. 18 lip products. 6 eyeliners. One tube of primer , one eyeshadow quad yet to be tested, one foundation sample and one bronzer. No wonder it's so damn heavy all the time.

So that's it. A real mish mash of stuff, lots more than what needs to be. 

Zoya Liberty

Scooped this at my local winners today. 6.99, which is less than Canadian etailers. I would describe this as a azure ? blue with blue glitter. It's a very pretty polish. I probably have something similar, but Zoyas formula is lovely. Opaque in two coats.  I'm testing out a new top coat, which as it turns out is not good with glitter. It just doesn't have the high gloss finish of seche, although I do like it on non glitter polishes. You can see the difference on my pointer and the rest of my fingers.

Smashbox Studio Pop for eyes

9.99 at Winners? Yes please! I swear I buy stuff from other places. I do. Four mini eyeliners and a mini mascara. I love purse sized mascara! Lets hope it hasn't dried out.

Currently wearing the purple eyeliner. These are smooth and creamy and make no claims about being long lasting from what I can see. I will probably give the gold away to a fairer person, I can't see myself wearing it on a regular basis.

Icing gel polish Something Blue

I bought this the other day while downtown and doing touristy stuff-I was sneering at the bottle as I bought it. Gel like polish? Come on, Icing, stop lying. But when I put the first coat on this polish quickly wiped the sneer off my face. This stuff is pretty pigmented, and the texture is amazing. This is two thick coats, although one is nearly opaque. It's a thicker formula but it settles on the nail so well! Love this, going back for more maybe. A light robins egg blue with teal blue sparkle shimmer. Not as visible on the nail as in the bottle, but still there. Extremely pretty, and at bogo 50% not a terrible deal, this polish is similar to for Audrey by china glaze, that family of colors.

Zoya Piaf

I always wondered when Zoya would regret naming polishes after girls names, and I have decided its Piaf. I first discovered Zoya in 2003 when they still shipped to Canada, I bought a box-full- a few that I might still have.

Piaf is a pastel lemon chiffon yellow with silver sparkles. The color of Easter and spring-very, very pretty. This came in my last glossybox, or my first ipsy bag. 

It is a bit gloppy, as you can see from my application, which diminishes it for me but does go completely opaque.

State of the Nails address

Nails. This is about as long as they get before I chip and break them. My beds are so small I have to have a lot of free edge to make them long. Hands are dry from acetone. PS I got new pillows from Ikea I LOVE them

Zoya Stevie and worst vacation ever

Picked this up at my local winners yesterday, they had the full display. This and the sparkly green one. The formula on this was very nice, and with seche vite on top (actually I tried to use an unlabeled bottle of clear color club as a top coat but it was probably base coat and then put seche on it cured like JESUS had done it) the entire thing lasted three days. Which is a miracle, I'm ham fisted and clumsy. The photos are from day three. Anyways, I've come back from a cross country trip that involved exorcist like vomiting, diarrhea, an IV in the hospital AND affidavits. I'm covered in mosquito bites and I need to get my hair done. BLAH. I took two weeks off of work, that's the worst part.

Stevie is a light blue toned lilac with silver glitter, very pretty. Edit-ha ha, I'm a maroon-didn't even realize this is a textured polish ....