Review -- Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette

I'm a pretty big fan of Urban Decay's Naked line of products.

I have all of the eye shadow palettes, the foundation, and one of the Flushed blush/bronzer palettes -- and they're all very nice. The Naked shadow palettes are probably some of the most used in my collection, actually.

So when the Naked On The Run Palette came out, I was seriously tempted to pick it up.

But then, I told myself that I have enough palettes that I like well enough for traveling -- which is supposed to be the main selling point of the palette; it's got everything you need to take "on the run." -- so I talked myself out of it.

Until I got some gift cards for the holidays and a coupon code for my birthday from Ulta and I figured why not.

Product Alert -- Upcoming Tarte Sweet Indulgences 3-in-1 Collection TSV from QVC

When I fall off the wagon, I fall hard.

So despite my best efforts to cut back on QVC beauty TSV purchases, I caved and bought the upcoming bareMinerals holiday kit and then right after that indulgence, I went and ordered the upcoming Tarte Sweet Indulgences 3-in-1 Collection TSV.

I couldn't help it, though.

It's just too good a value.

For just $59.94 (plus s/h), you get three lovely boxes full of goodies, so Tarte suggests you can break them up and give them as three separate gifts.

You totally can, I think -- unless you're greedy like me and want to keep all of the treasures for yourself.

Product Alert -- Upcoming Tarte Shades of Clay Amazonian Colored Clay 7-Piece TSV on QVC

Hope everyone is having a fabulous New Year! I've started 2014 with a cold, which is kind of a bummer, but I'm still determined to get back on a reliable blogging schedule. It's one of my resolutions for the year, so don't hesitate to keep me honest.
 
If you asked me to list my favorite makeup brands, Tarte would easily come in somewhere in the top 3.

That's why it's always pretty much a done deal that I'm going to order a Tarte Today's Special Value (TSV) from QVC when they appear.

When the TSV contains a slew of new products, then I'm a total goner.

The Tarte Shades of Clay Amazonian Colored Clay 7-Piece TSV that will air on QVC on February 4th is chock full of new goodies and some old favorites, so I had to give it a try.

The kit contains:

• Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer
• Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Liquid Foundation
• Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Bronzer Blush in Pink Bronze
• Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Eyeliner in Black
• Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
• Tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss in True Love
• Tarte Bamboo Foundation Brush

You also get a nice big, hot pink makeup bag to hold all your items.

bareMinerals Beautifully Brillant Holiday Collection TSV

By now, it's pretty obvious that I'm a total sucker for any and all QVC beauty-related TSV's.

But I was especially excited to get my November InsideQ magazine and see it chock full of some pretty great deals.  I've actually only ordered one early, but I suspect that I'll be persuaded to be one or two more when they actually make to the air.

The one TSV that I decided to order early is the bareMinerals Beautifully Brilliant Holiday Collection, which will air on November 16th, and while it only arrived today and haven't had much chance to play with it, I am seriously glad that I did.

bareMinerals Bare Luxury TSV Fourth Installment

You know you're signed up for too many QVC beauty TSVs when one arrives on your doorstep and you had no idea it was coming.

That's what happened this week with the BE Bare Luxury TSV.

My hardworking UPS man brought the fourth and final installment in the series yesterday, taking me totally by surprise.

In a good way, of course.  I was having kind of a blah day and there's nothing like new makeup to perk you up, right?

September Favorites

September Goodies

Another month gone...

I seriously can't figure out where this year has gone.

But I definitely enjoyed September - the weather finally cooled off a bit here on Long Island, so it actually felt like fall. 

I love fall.

I especially love fall makeup.

The Balm Schwing Liquid Liner

The Balm knocks another one out of the park with its packaging.

I've mentioned before that I am seriously eyeliner challenged.

For as many years as I've been putting on makeup and as many times as I've lined my eyes, I am still hopelessly spastic... and sloppy.  Recently, I discovered that putting my liner on after my mascara helps quite a bit, but on the whole, it's definitely not my strong suit. 

And liquid liner is definitely the worst.

Tarte Miracle of Maracuja TSV A/D Shipment #2

New Tarte goodies!

So not only did my Tarte Miracle of Maracuja TSV A/D shipment show up on my doorstep todayas promised, the UPS man actually arrived before I'd put my makeup on so I was able to actually use the products so I have a pretty informed opinion about the shades and formulas.

Eyeliner after Mascara? A Quick Tip for the Liner-Impaired

Mascara then liner?  It works!

I mentioned in my last post that I spent the last week taking various day trips and generally just goofing off around the greater NY-metro area.

We aren't able to take a proper vacation this summer, but these little "stay-cations" are a really fun, budget-friendly way to make up for that fact. I had a ton of fun this week and didn't have to deal with any of the hassles of traveling. 

Okay, that's the end of my stay-cation pimping, I swear.

Since I actually had to be ready to leave the house at specific times all week, I found myself rushing through my makeup routine quite a few times.  One morning, I was in such a hurry that I only realized after I'd put on my mascara that I'd forgotten eyeliner.

Tarte's Miracle of Maracuja TSV from QVC

Tarte's Miracle of Maracuja TSV

I have a subscription to QVC’s InsideQ  magazine– but not for the articles.  Each month, you get a sneak peek at upcoming TSVs so you can pre-order, and while there’s really no risk of missing out on any of these values, I guess I just like getting my beauty specials early.

I don’t have much patience.

I knew that there was a Tarte TSV coming up in March, and I knew that I was going to order even without seeing it. When my InsideQ arrived earlier this week and I actually saw it, I ordered without hesitation. I didn’t expect it to come so quickly, but I was giddy when the UPS truck stopped in front of the house yesterday. 

QVC & TSVs (Tarte Glow Your Way to Gorgeous #3 Swatches)

There's nothing better than having a brand new box of beauty goodies to open.

As any savvy makeup junkie knows, buying a kit that includes several products is a surefire way to save a little money. 

Sure, there’s some risk – you might not like all of the products included or some of the shades might not work with your coloring – but if you can get five full size products for the price of two and a half, it’s a good gamble to make.

While you can find kits at Sephora, Ulta, and brand websites, I find that the best values usually come from QVC – if you happen to shop the Today’s Special Value (TSV). If you’re not familiar with QVC, a TSV is either a single item or – in the case of most beauty TSVs – a kit of products that is on sale for a 24 hour period at a lower price that the network typically sells it. In most cases, when you purchase a beauty TSV, you also have an auto-delivery option, which means that you lock in the TSV price for a series of two or three future kits containing the same products in different colors.

Depending on the brand and the kit, it can really be a great deal.