Product Alert -- LORAC Romantic Eyes Collection

Between the holidays and my birthday, I've had a couple of Ulta gift cards burning a hole in my pocket.

Now, I definitely had a few items in mind as must-haves, but I also spent a little time exploring the Ulta website for hidden gems and stumbled upon the LORAC Romantic Eyes Collection.

I'm not going to do a full review because I've only used the kit a couple of times, but the set is an Ulta exclusive and limited edition so I thought I would give a quick rundown in case anyone might be interested.

Product Review -- Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

As a rule, I'm not really a fan of high-end mascaras.

It's not that I don't think any of them are good -- I just don't think it's worth it to spend $20+ on a product that I can only use for three months.

I have a couple of higher end mascaras that I really love -- the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes and bareMinerals Lash Domination Mascaras are my two biggest faves -- but I almost always buy those as part of a larger kit so I'm not paying full price for it.

I know that I'm probably missing out on fantastic mascaras because of my refusal to pay big bucks, but I am that stubborn.

So I was pretty excited when Influenster gave me the chance to try the new Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara.

Product Review -- Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder

Maybelline has a ton of new, pretty exciting products on the shelves these days -- and I've bought a bunch of them so reviews are coming -- but I'm kind of excited about an item that they've had out for a while.

The Dream Wonder Powder.

I've discussed before how difficult it can be to find a powder that cooperates with dry skin because by its very nature, powder is designed to soak up excess oil and moisture, which means it usually accentuates the hell out of dry, flaky spots.

But even dry-skinned folks need powder sometimes -- whether you're going to be on the go all day and need to set your makeup so it'll last or you have a BB cream or tinted moisturizer that you love but needs a little extra coverage -- so I'm always on the hunt for options that work.

I think the Dream Wonder Powder definitely fits the bill.

Product Review -- Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette

I'm a serious fan of Kat Von D's products, so I've wanted the Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette since it came out.

But I've got so many palettes with a natural color scheme that I couldn't really justify picking it up.

Thank goodness for the holidays, though, because I put it on my Christmas list and I was lucky enough to find one under my tree.

And I'm kind of kicking myself for not giving into the impulse to buy it when it first came out because it's a pretty great palette.

Product Review -- It Cosmetics Hello Light Creme Illuminator

In the past few years, I've really gotten into cream face products.

That's probably because I've gotten older and my skin's gotten drier and cream products tend to add back a little of that missing glow.

As a result, I've tried a wide range of cream blushes and found many that I like -- but I've wanted a nice cream highlighter product to pair with them (or to layer under powder highlighters for lasting power or a more intense effect) and have had a tough time finding one that I like.

The main issue has been color -- so many of the cream highlighters that I've tried have a strong gold undertone, which gives them a warm look that doesn't work with cool-toned makeup looks.

I decided to try the It Cosmetics Hello Light Creme Illuminator because I'm a big fan of so many other It Cosmetics products, but also because this cream highlighter actually looked like it might lean a little bit pink.

Product Review -- Make Up For Ever Liquid Lift Foundation

We haven't really had traditional winter weather here in New York this year -- it was nearly 70F on Christmas, for God's sake! -- but I've still been on the hunt for a more moisturizing foundation that would help my skin when it starts to get drier in the cold weather.

It's not an easy task, actually.

Even foundations that claim to be moisturizing or hydrating can accentuate dry patches or require a really heavy-duty hydrating primer underneath to look smooth and flawless.

I decided to give the Make Up For Ever Liquid Lift Foundation a try because their HD Foundation (the original formula; I know that they've recently reformulated and I have a sample, but haven't had a chance to try it yet) has been one of my holy grail foundations for years.

Product Review -- ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip Liquid Lipsticks

Note: I have to offer my apologies for disappearing again for the past couple of weeks. All of the fault lies with the holidays and various kinds of insanity related to them. But now the new year has started, I am ready to get back on a track -- and I've got a bunch of exciting new products, including some great drugstore finds, that I can't wait to share!

I'm a huge fan of ColourPop products and usually buy their new products as soon as they're available.

In recent months, though, I've fallen a little behind on their new releases, so when they had some sales around Thanksgiving and the holidays, I decided to catch up on what I'd missed.

The first product that I decided to try were the Ultra Matte Lip Liquid Lipsticks.

These lip products have been out since the summer, but I wasn't as excited about them as other people, I think.

I've mentioned before that I'm not really a fan of these types of ultra matte liquid lipsticks because the formula is usually super dry and unforgiving when it comes to any cracks or dry patches on your lips.