Mourning Princess

This morning I had to do the one thing I've been dreading for most of my adult life. The one thing I knew was coming but never knew exactly when it'd be here. I had to say goodbye to my best friend, my baby girl, and it was absolutely devastating. Princess was a month away from her seventeenth birthday, but you would have never guessed it up until a few months ago.


Her health was on the decline, she'd been rapidly losing weight. Sunday night she refused her food and water, and could barely move her precious little head. Her doctor said if we hadn't brought her in, she would have passed on her own within two hours time. As heartbreaking as it all is, I have to stop myself from crying and remember the adorable, rowdy pup my stepfather gave me for Christmas when I was eleven.


She was a mischievous little dog and outlived her littermates by well over a decade. Somehow she survived all of her horrible eating misadventures: a full rack of ribs, a pound of chocolate, Begonias, dozens of my mother-in-law's Christmas biscotti.


She was kind enough to teach Muscles everything he knows about being a dog. She was his constant companion.


I spent over half my life with her by my side and I will miss her always.

NARS Anna, Audrey, Dominique, Vivien Audacious Lipsticks Review + Swatches

Surprise! I'm still alive! It's October which means I've had a birthday and an anniversary to celebrate, which means gifts! And, thus, makeup!

NARS Audacious Lipsticks
NARS celebrated their 20-year anniversary with the launch of 40 brand new, permanent lipsticks last month. NARScosmetics.com describes them as:

"Single-stroke coverage so shamelessly seductive in touch and texture the sensation is audacious. Forty shades of unabashed luxury for unstoppable impact."

I wanted all 40 immediately, but I slowly brought my list down to a more reasonable 14. I'm kidding! I'm the proud owner of 4. The lipsticks retail for $32, so plan accordingly.

NARS Anna, Audrey, Vivien, Dominique Audacious Lipsticks
NARS Anna, Dominique, Audrey, Vivien Audacious Lipstick swatches
NARS Audacious Lipsticks have a creamy satin finish which makes them incredibly comfortable to wear. I didn't experience any feathering with the four shades I own, and each lasted about four hours between eating and drinking. Vivien and Audrey both left a slight wine-colored stain: Vivien's stain was more berry, and Audrey more rosy. They are super pigmented — you can easily overdo it when applying if you're too heavy-handed. I got a little excited so my lip swatches have all been blotted.


Anna Audacious Lipstick The official NARS color description is "smokey rose" and I'd say that's pretty accurate. It's a muted, slightly purple rose with cool undertones, and it has quickly become one of my favorites! This shade is available at all retailers that carry NARS.

NARS Anna Audacious Lipstick

Audrey Audacious Lipstick The official NARS color description is "red currant" and I find it to be the perfect muted rosy red. It's bold without being too bright, with the slightest touch of cool undertones. It's available at all retailers that carry NARS.

NARS Audrey Audacious Lipstick

Dominique Audacious Lipstick The official NARS color description is "pink lilac" but I find it to be a muted, greyed lavender purple. It's awesome and I am 100% OBSESSED. This shade is available exclusively at Barneys and NARS (and is currently sold out on both websites).

NARS Dominique Audacious Lipstick

Vivien Audacious Lipstick The official NARS color description is "red plum" with which I completely agree. It's surprisingly dark and vampy in some light. This shade is available exclusively Barneys and NARS (and is currently sold out on both websites).

NARS Vivien Audacious Lipstick
Bottom Line: These lipsticks are absolutely fantastic. They're everything that everyone has said about them, and much, much more! $32 for a lipstick is a high price to pay but the quality is truly there. At least they're not Tom Ford prices! I can't wait to pick up a few more. The range is so large, I can't help but keep looking...

I overcompensated in the hydration department in preparation for these swatches so my lips are a bit prune-y. Sorry? Here are my bare lips for reference:


Just as a note, my skin tone is NC25 in MAC Mineralize Moisture, 2.5 Warm Sand in Bobbi Brown, and Medium Ivory in Laura Mercier.

Are the NARS Audacious Lipsticks on your radar? They should be! I'd love to know what you think and which ones you're considering!

MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection Swatches + Review

This! Collection! OMG! I gladly never get sucked into the hysteria surrounding MAC's limited edition collections but this spring something happened. Three back-to-back collections caught my eye, some for actual product and others for packaging (there's no denying it) but Alluring Aquatic was IT, the perfect combination! MAC Alluring Aquatic Lipstick, Extra Dimension Bronzer, Bronzing Powder
My original plan was to get one blush and one lipstick. After seeing swatches of the two blushes in the collection, I decided I had something similar enough to pass on the shade I preferred because I'm trying to make smarter makeup decisions and only get what I need ("need").

MAC Alluring Aquatic Lipstick, Extra Dimension Bronzer, Bronzing Powder
I went for the purple lipstick, go figure. Aphrodite's Shell Extra Dimension Bronzer and Golden Bronzing Powder ended up in my cart along with the lipstick somehow? I couldn't help myself! That compact!

MAC Alluring Aquatic Goddess of the Sea Lipstick
Goddess of the Sea Lipstick (Cremesheen) is described as a dark vibrant violet but I'd say it's more of a berry-plum on me. I adore this color! Like other Cremesheens I own, this one was very creamy and comfortable to wear. It applied nicely, a little sheer but totally buildable.

MAC Alluring Aquatic Goddess of the Sea Lipstick, Aphrodite’s Shell Extra Dimension Bronzer swatched/blended, Golden Bronzing Powder swatched/blended
Aphrodite's Shell Extra Dimension Bronzer is a very pretty, sheer but easily buildable, very slightly rosy-peach bronze. It shows up nicely on my skin but I have to be completely honest here, I know the least amount of all when it comes to bronzer! I think it suits me quite well nonetheless, and gives a nice subtle sheen to the skin. MAC description: Golden bronze with a touch of fine shimmer.

Golden Bronzing Powder surprised me given how shimmery and orange its twin in the permanent line is. There are shimmer particles in this one, but it's soft and flattering. It leans pinker on my skin than Aphrodite's Shell which was another surprise given its name. MAC description: Muted golden tan-beige with shimmer.

MAC Alluring Aquatic Aphrodite’s Shell Extra Dimension Bronzer, Golden Bronzing Powder
Now let's have one final round of applause for the gorgeous metallic teal packaging "elegantly accented" (lol) with water droplets...

MAC Alluring Aquatic Goddess of the Sea Lipstick, Aphrodite’s Shell Extra Dimension, Golden Bronzing Powder
Were you lucky enough to get ahold of the collection during MAC's online release last week? Nordstrom and Macy's both launched online yesterday, and it's set to be in stores on Thursday, May 22nd. What will you be getting, if anything?

...I thought I was done but I ordered two more lipsticks and my very first lipglass yesterday. This collection left me with so little willpower!