Holiday Loot

So I didn't get everything on my wish list this Christmas. So what? Holidays are for sharing with your family. And speaking of my family, we had a beautiful time together - what with me getting a lot of tips from my mom, SisMei and Mrs. BroMei on everything from career rebuilding to cooking for one to, well, keeping one's self beautiful. That explains the coconut-oil conditioning routine I described in the last entry: it's been passed down from generation to generation. (But only for the girls in the family... which explains why my Dad was unable to slow down the growth of his bald spot. Sorry.)

On the bright side, I did get this package from SisMei:

Smashbox doesn't call this the Try Me set for nothing. You've got trial sizes of the Photo Finish primer and Photo Op Under-Eye brightener, a clear lip gloss, a double-ended brush (Brow #12 and Eye Liner #9, respectively), and a compact with brow wax, brow powder, and cream eyeliner.

In the Brow Tech section: wax, and powders in blonde, brunette, and taupe;
Cream Eyeliner: Image, Thunder, Putty, Caviar, Picasso, and Midnight Brown.

So far I'm liking this set - I like to use the Photo Op as a base for concealer and the Brow Tech powders (in any color) for grooming my brows. The brush is also a great addition to my arsenal - the Liner #9 in particular is actually a little fluffier (like an art-store brush) so it's more comfortable to use on the eyelid. I still haven't tested the Cream Eye Liners enough, but from what it looks like here, they follow the regular Cream Liner formula, as opposed to the more tenacious Jet Set liners from the same brand.

And if that wasn't enough, I also got some extras on the side!

Everyday Minerals calls the Salon Fun blush a "sweet raspberry shade layered over a neutral pink base," which turned out to be too bright for SisMei's liking. I tried wearing this on New Year's Eve by putting it on with an extra fluffy brush, which made the powder virtually disappear on my skin. Next time, though, I'll layer this with a bronzer - which makes sense now that contouring seems to be the story of the year (thanks, Allure January '09 issue).

Also, when I ended up at SisMei's house post-blackout - still with the raging respiratory infection, to boot - this Sephora Vanilla Cupcake bath and body bubble gel was added to my stash. Not only did it smell of vanilla and almonds, but it also cheered me up even when I was at my sniffliest. Sweet indeedy.

Not shown in this stash: Maybelline's Mineral Power Finishing Veil in Tan (which was a little too dark on me... but hey, more contouring power!) and Pop Beauty's Golden Sparkle Sauce, which I was able to snag at Sephora at Pearlridge Center for half price. I've decided that the Sparkle Sauce is going to get a test run in my makeup bag as a temporary replacement to my MAC Paint Pot, since I'm supposed to use the stuff as an eyeshadow base.