Nars Sin Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

Nars Sin Blush

Nars Sin Blush ($28) is described on the Nars website as a berry tone with gold shimmer. Sin is actually one of the top 3 best selling Nars blushes, but it's never a color that really appealed to me in the compact. In the pan it appears to be a dusty mauve-plum with fine golden shimmer. I always assumed it would look dull or dirty on my cheeks, but I guess it's a best seller for a reason, so I decided to give it a try.

Once the color hits my cheeks, the color seems to come alive, and it changes from the boring and dull color in the pan, to a soft rosy-berry color on my cheeks. It does definitely pick up some of the warmness from my skin, but I love that the color doesn't completely change once it hits my face. Because of my prominent warm tones in my skin, blushes usually morph into a warm peachy shade, but Sin doesn't seem to do that. The color is soft and muted, yet completely sophisticated. It's subtle enough for every day, and for intense eye looks. The shimmer in Sin is very refined, and doesn't make the cheeks look shimmery - just a soft glow.

The blush itself is pigmented, and all I need is a touch of the brush. To avoid looking bruised, I always make sure to powder my cheeks after my foundation and apply the blush very lightly on top so it applies smoothly with a seamless finish. I like using a brush that isn't dense, so it won't apply too much color in one spot. (I've been using the Sigma Large Angled Contour Brush and it works great!)

Sin is exactly what I've been looking for. A blush that is soft enough for every day - something soft and neutral that won't wash out my complexion, and something different than the average pink neutral or nude blush.

I'm particularly excited that this blush is perfect for the Fall, and pairs really nicely with my warm eyeshadow colors and plummy pink lipsticks.

Nars Sin Blush on my cheeks

How to Apply the Perfect Winged Eyeliner Every Time!

Applying winged eyeliner is difficult, even for those who apply it every day. I've been winging my eyeliner since I was around 14 or 15 years old, and I still don't get it right on many days.

There are so many methods for applying winged eyeliner, but today, I'm going to over the way I typically like to apply pen style eyeliners. I find that when I use this method, my liner turns out perfect every time! And, it's super quick!

The eyeliner I'm using in this mini tutorial is my one of my favorite eyeliners - the Physicians Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum. It's incredibly easy to use, the tip is perfectly shaped for a thin, precise line and it never dries out or frays.

Step 1: In the first photo I started out with a clean eye. Typically, the ideal time to apply eye liner is after your eye shadow and before your mascara. (For the records, I'm wearing mascara for this tutorial, but it's much easier to apply eyeliner without mascara, as your lashes won't get in the way as much.) *If your eyelids are prone to getting oily, powder your lids and apply an eye shadow base.
Step 2: Examine where you want to start your wing. Use your bottom lashline as a reference. In photo #2 you can see the arrow going from my bottom lashline extending diagonally outward. You almost want it to look like a continuance of your lower lashline.
Step 3: With the tip of the liner touching the very end of your upper lashline, draw a thin diagonal line (45 degree angle) upward as shown in photo #3. It should be going in the direction of where your eyebrow ends.

Preview of Sephora Black Friday $10 Deals!

Black Friday is always an exciting time to see what cool deals brands will put out, and I'm always really eager to see what my favorite stores have to offer so I can plan my shopping accordingly!

Every year Sephora puts out products and sets that you can purchase for $10, but are worth more. I remember being a little underwhelmed by the selection last year - this years selection isn't bad. There are a couple I'd probably purchase.

All Sets are $10 Each

• Sephora Collection Gilded Brush Set Trio
• Bare Escentuals Let it Glow Set
• Boscia Best of Boscia Set
• Ole Henrikson Three Little Holiday Wonders Set
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple 12 oz
• Stila Travel Palette & Deluxe Kitten Lip Glaze
• TokyoMilk Femme Fetal Trio
• Too Faced Deluxe Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder & Travel Kabuki Brush
• Tarte Full-sized Gifted Mascara & Mini Multipleye Lash Primer
• Jack Black Comfort Joy Shave and Lip Duo
• Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes & Bear Naked Nail Wipes
• Tocca 3 Mini Rollerballs
• Bite Mini Lipstick Palette
• Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer and Shadow
• Buxom In the Spotlight Set

See anything interesting? I'd probably be the most interested in getting the Ole Henrikson Skincare set - I've tried samples of their products many times and have always liked them. I'd also maybe get the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer since it's such a popular bronzer. I never wanted to purchase the full size since I don't really need any more bronzers, but I'd definitely purchase a mini.

These products will be available in-store and online on Friday, November 23rd.

*Prices in USD. CAN $12. While supplies last. Limit 2 per item. Not available inside JCP. Not available in Canada.

Snowman Holiday Nail Polishes 2012!

Holiday Snowman Nail Polish

Around the holidays each year you might spot these cute Snowman Nail Polishes at your local drugstore for an average of $2 to $3 a bottle. They're only around for a couple months, and they're totally adorable and make for great stocking stuffers.

The Snowman Nail Polishes are available in a fairly large selection of fun holiday colors and some really pretty glitters. Although I see these polishes every year, I've never used them. I know some nail polish junkies love these, so I picked up a couple bottles to give them a try.

The odd thing is that neither bottle is labeled with an actual name or color, so I couldn't tell you the name of these, but I thought I'd share with you a couple of photos.

The pink polish is a raspberry pink filled with purple shimmer. It reminds me a lot of Essie Jamaica Me Crazy. The formula is really easy to work with. It's thin, yet it's not very sheer. I found that it dries very quickly and I don't have to wait much time at all to apply my next coat. It's opaque with two coats. It has a dull finish, so I applied two coats of a shiny top coat (Seche Vite).

The glitter polish is a festive combination of chunky silver, gold, blue, red, purple and green glitters. It's sheer with one coat, but the glitters get distributed pretty evenly across the nail. It's a really fun polish to top off your nails with.