A few of my favorite things - Travel edition

          After a brief stint at home in Chicago, I'm on the road again! This time, I'm writing from Midway Airport, en route to ATL. It's been an eventful morning, to say the least. I got here bright and early, only to find out my 8am flight had been cancelled! After some mumbles and grumbles about booking a later flight (and drowning my so-called sorrows in sweet tea), I've found a comfy spot where I can relax and piece together a post! (I'm running on three hours of sleep, so hopefully, I can keep things together and typo-free.)

         Today I thought I'd put together a travel edition of my A few of my favorite things posts, as that seems to be mostly what I've been doing lately! While I don't have a set of bright copper kettles of warm woolen mittens in my luggage, I do have a number of my travel sized beauty and skincare essentials to share with you today. Everything is pictured in my Sonia Kashuk Zig Zag Weekender travel case, which I was sent recently. It's colorful, got tons of pockets for organization, and has been a constant companion during this time. You could say I'm a fan. Now, on to what's within...

         I have a reputation for being a bit of a high maintenance traveler. I feel like my things are well edited, but somehow I always seem to have more bags than anyone else. I'm pretty proud of my makeup edit above, I feel like the combination has worked well for me these past few trips. (I've also linked a lot of my reviews below, so you can read / see more if you're interested)

         I never compromise on my foundation, so I always have CHANEL Perfection Lumière, CHANEL Double Perfection Lumière, and CHANEL Poudre Universelle. It seems like a lot, but I do use all three, usually lightly layered. My current cheek essentials include NARS Gaiety and NARS Oasis, which I've been liking as a contour. I take MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow for a long lasting brow. Urban Decay NAKED 3 has been my BFF for eyes; I love how the lightly pink toned mattes in this palette make me look more awake, especially when I'm behind on sleep, like today. NARS Larger Than Life Mascara and MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Liner, are of course holy grail products for me.

         I try to throw in a few miscellaneous minis for fun. Right now you can see Benefit Watt's Up, a Bobbi Brown shimmer gloss, and TopShop Cream Blush in Afternoon Tea in my bag as well. And of course, I have a number of lip products and mini eyeliner pencils rolling around in my purse on a usual basis.

         In terms of brushes, I try to stick with synthetics, both for cruelty-free and cleansing reasons. It's tough to bring around my beautyblender, so I've been using my Bobbi Brown Foundation brush instead. I've been using MAKE UP FOR EVER 132 (wavy flat brush) for powder; I've become quite the fan of this one. Other essentials include MAKE UP FOR EVER 148 (stippling brush) for cheeks, MAC 263 (angled liner), Bobbi Brown Eye Liner brush, and my Shu curler. I usually take other brushes at whim, usually this includes an EcoTools Angled liner and Concealer brush. I don't like bringing too many or too expensive brushes with me, as they seem easy to lose (knock on wood). However, I do prefer full length handles, so it's not often that I'll pack mini brushes to save space.

These two clear zip pockets conveniently attach via velcro to the second compartment of my Sonia Kashuk travel case. 

        Confession: in terms of skin / hair care, I actually have a lot more random little items (a la Q-tips, etc etc) than shown above. However, they're usually stuffed into the non-clear pockets of my Sonia Kashuk Zig Zag Weekender.

       Hair is another one of those things I just cannot sacrifice on. My curly hair is so frizz prone and capricious that I bring my ghd 1" to straighten it out and thereby keep it under control. Which means, the right heat protection and shampoos are necessary. Lately I've been all about Living Proof, so I purchased a Living Proof 'Full' travel size set, and a mini Living Proof 'Straight' hair spray to keep things under control.

        I've shown a few of my skincare favorites as well. Avalon Organics Vitamin C serum is an old favorite that I've used on and off over the years; I actually picked up this bottle during my trip to Alabama. I love Kiehl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate for it's high Vitamin C content as well; it's my preferred foundation base (as opposed to primer). TATCHA Cleansing oil is one of my favorite cleansers and a great way to remove the makeup. The miniature size was a part of the TATCHA Jet Set Travel Kit. It's nice to have a good shower gel as well; I happened to find this little bottle of Bliss Lemon + Sage at Marshalls.

        I hope you've enjoyed this edition of A few of my favorite things. Southern weather is beckoning, and it looks like I'm finally getting on a flight! If you have any questions any of the products above, let me know! I've linked a lot of them to my original reviews for convenience. As for my Sonia Kashuk Zig Zag Weekender ($29.99), I believe the zig zag pattern is currently available at Target, if you're interested!

       Thanks for reading! What are your travel must haves? What case do you pack your beauty and skincare necessities in?

Love, Dovey.

Urban Decay NAKED 3 eyeshadow palette review + swatches

           I rarely spring for palettes. Despite being a beauty lover, I try to keep things minimal - which means going for carefully curated singles over collections of colors I don't feel particularly strongly about. It seems that the Urban Decay NAKED series is an exception to my rule, as I now own all three!

             That said, I did think carefully before picking up Urban Decay NAKED 3 - after all, did I really need another neutral palette? Ultimately I gave this rosy/ mauve neutral palette a go for two reasons.  First, neutrals with hints of mauve pink tend to look more natural on me, matching my skin's undertones. Second, neutrals are considered 'classics', but they're really subject to trend as much as your typical colors. Warm golden shades a la the original Urban Decay NAKED are out, while mauve pinks are currently in.

        To me, the textured rosy metal casing looks like wave-rippled oceanside sand! The closure and hinge mechanisms are plastic, which initially made me worry about the possibility of breakage. However, my NAKED 2 palette (which has the same construction) has yet to break, so these fears are, so far, unfounded.

       The palette comes with a double ended cruelty-free brush, which I definitely prefer over their pencils. One end is a fluffy shadow brush and the other is a smaller flat paddle. Overall, I find that Urban Decay brushes work well with their products. The light-handedness of a synthetic bristle brush is good when working with highly pigmented shadows.

         I'm a fan of the general organization of shades from light to dark, which wasn't the case in the past NAKEDs. The inclusion of more matte shades, including a base white, is much appreciated too! I've written more detailed thoughts on each shade below.

        I like to dust a matte white/cream tone all over my lids as a brightening base, so I was happy to see Urban Decay Strange included in the palette. It has an ever-so-slight satin sheen, which is fine by me. The next three are light and lean a bit peachy. To be honest, I'll probably get less use from them as I don't usually go for light peachy shades. Urban Decay Dust, was unfortunately a bit dusty for me (per its namesake). It's a pale peachy pink shimmer. Urban Decay Burnout is a slightly richer peach shade with considerable sheen. I found Urban Decay Limit to be a great matte kid, however, it's almost invisible on my skin. I'll probably use it to soften lines.

         Urban Decay Buzz is an unexpected favorite of mine. At first I thought it had poor pigmentation since it wasn't showing up well on me. Then I realized it was simply because the shimmery pink mauve blended in so well with my skin! It adds a beautiful pink glow to my lids. Urban Decay Trick might do the same thing for warmer skin tones; it has a nicely pigmented orange-copper glow.  I already know that Urban Decay Nooner and I are going to be BFFs. This slightly cool mauve brown is a perfect blending color for me. Urban Decay Liar is a wonderful mauve-brown with a beautiful sheen.

         There is a wonderful range of medium to dark neutral shades in the palette; though they might not look it at first glance, they all have mauve to pink undertones. Urban Decay Factory is a brown with slight pink undertones and a satin finish. Urban Decay Mugshot is a taupe brown. Urban Decay Darkside is a mysterious looking grey-taupe that leans a bit mauve. Urban Decay Blackheart looks stunning in the pan. When blended out, the pearl is lost and I get a soft black liner shade instead.

         I've swatched all twelve shades from Urban Decay NAKED 3 below. The palette may look slightly warmer and less pink on me than others' swatches, as my skin naturally pulls out some of the pink tones. (Whereas, on warmer skin, the shades might actually look pinker and cooler).

             The verdict on Urban Decay Naked 3? For me, it's love. I could see Urban Decay NAKED 3 becoming my favorite of their palettes. As I've mentioned, the shades seem to meld beautifully with my skin tone, and frankly, it's hard to find neutrals with rosy or mauve undertones (trust me, I'm always looking). My current favorite shades are Strange, Nooner, Buzz, and Blackheart.

          For others, I think it depends on your expectations. Urban Decay NAKED 3 is relatively neutral and should be wearable on most skin tones. It's a good fit for the current climate, when subtle pink tones are trending. However, as I've mentioned, even neutrals have trends (and trends do pass); it's something worth considering if you like to think long-term.

          Thanks for reading! Have you tried Urban Decay NAKED 3? Which shades stand out to you most? Do you have a favorite out of the three NAKED palettes?

Love, Dovey.
P.S. Click to check out reviews of Urban Decay NAKED 1 and Urban Decay NAKED 2!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Blending Brush review + photos

          Meet the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Blending brush! As the name suggests, this brush was created to smudge out Urban Decay's 24/7 glide-on eyeshadow pencils; it also works well for softening the edges of any eye makeup. The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Blending brush is like a small precise finger for blurring the edges of long lasting eyeshadows. Creamy eyeshadow pencils and eyeliners impart quick and intense color. However, because they are pencils, an obvious line of demarcation between shadow and skin is often left. Most soft brushes do not have the power to smudge edges, and fingers tend to be too large and inaccurate. Hence, a good dome-shaped brush like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Blending brush is handy. I've successfully used this brush to smudge my Urban Decay Smoked 24/7 eyeliners (reviewed here), as well as my MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Shadow pencils (reviewed here).

Size and shape comparisons

          The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Blending brush has a small dome shaped head. The size is smaller than a typical eyeshadow brush, and comparable to other short dome-shaped brushes (see photograph above). The fibers are soft, but don't have a lot of bend, which is necessary for the kind of blending I've discussed. The synthetic fibers are cruelty-free and well suited to withstand the vigorous cleaning required to remove a cream product.

           Overall, the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Blending Brush is a great brush to have if eyeshadow pencils or smoky eyes are on your agenda. Don't get boxed in by the name; this brush can be used with eye products from Urban Decay, as well as other brands. I enjoyed using this brush, and hope to explore more from Urban Decay's Good Karma brush line. Thanks for reading! Have you tried Urban Decay Good Karma brushes? What are your favorite Urban Decay 24/7 eyeshadow pencils and eyeliners? How do you use domed/smudge brushes?

Love, Dovey.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Urban Decay Smoked 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set review

        When it comes to makeup, it's all about smoke and mirrors. Smoky eyes and mirror-shine, that is! The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil Set for Holiday 2012 is a set of six eyeliners that are the key to conjuring up the perfect smoky eye this season.

        Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on pencils are aptly named as they do literally 'glide' on skin. The formula is on the smoother end of the eye pencil spectrum; there is no tugging. The color is opaque and rich, upon one swipe. The softness does lend the Urban Decay 24/7 formula to smoky blending and use as an eyeshadow as well. In fact the Urban Decay 24/7 Blending Brush was created with this purpose in mind (review to come). Blending can turn these colors into sheer cream shadows. (You can layer eyeshadow on top for extra intensity). The flipside of workability is creasing, so be sure to give your liner a second to set if you want it to stay. The 24/7 formula is well loved lasting eyeliner formula amongst beauty lovers. However, because my eyes have creases near the lid, I do require a primer with all my eyeliners, including these. Incidentally, I ended up showering while wearing the Urban Decay 24/7 Demolition and Smog eyeliners and can attest to the fact that the formula is indeed waterproof.

        
          The six colors in the Urban Decay include jewel, pewter, and chocolate tones. Zero is the basic satin matte black pencil that's been found in many Urban Decay Sets. Uzi is a dark metallic grey that leans ever so slightly cool. Hardcore Urban Decay fans may remember Uzi eyeshadow, which was a pale silver; the color of the 24/7 eyeliner is a different but still pretty. Demolition is a dark chocolate brown. Demolition is also available in liquid eyeliner form. Smog, one of Urban Decay's best known eyeshadow shades, is a glowy golden brown that looks much like its eyeshadow counterpart. Empire is a dark eggplant purple with sheen. Mainline is a matte blue teal.

            The Urban Decay Smoked 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set makes smokey eye definition easy (so easy that you'd think it was magic). The set showcases a group of beautiful, yet practical eyeliners. With versatility in smudging and lining, you can get the smoky look promised, but you'll also have an arsenal of basic colors to wear year round.  Thanks for reading! What colors of Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners have you tried? Do you buy eyeliners in sets or singles? Which color in the Urban Decay Smoked set jumps out at you?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Urban Decay Dangerous eyeshadow palette review + swatches

         "Good morning/afternoon/evening gorgeous. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a standout smoky eye". The Urban Decay Dangerous eyeshadow palette for Holiday 2012 is a smoky shadow lover's dream. It's the moodiest of the Urban Decay's three holiday palettes (see my review of Fun here and Feminine here).

         The Urban Decay Dangerous palette has a jet black vinyl casing. The eyeshadows sit in a beautifully patterned tray of shadowy roses that seem ready to burst into wisps of smoke. The tray can be removed from the pouch (see below). Don't worry about it falling out though, as the magnetic force holding it in is quite strong. The pouch can be re-used to store 'makeup, pens, or prophylactics', however not credit cards, as the surface is magnetized.

          The Urban Decay Dangerous palette comes with a miniature lip gloss in a squeeze tube with the classic Urban Decay cutout cap detailing. The black ribbon peeking out in the tray's center is there to help prop the gloss out.

          The colors in the Urban Decay Dangerous palette include pigmented jewel, ember, and shadow tones. It's an all-star lineup of standout smoky colors from palettes past. Gravity is a deep violet shimmer. Loaded is a dark dollar bill green. I've been eyeing it since it came out in Urban Decay's Book of Shadows III. Evidence is a deep luminous navy that appeared in the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette. Deeper is an metallic amber brown that makes for beautiful glowing ember-like eyes. Mushroom is grey-taupe that made a splash in the Urban Decay Wonderland palette. Ace is a stormy grey blue from the Urban Decay 15th anniversary palette. Naked Lip Junkie gloss is a light red-pink with shimmer.

           With the  Urban Decay Dangerous palette, achieving the perfect smoky eye is no longer mission impossible. A good spy needs to vary her looks and there are plenty of colors to choose from in this palette. Moody colors like these are my modus operandi, so you can be sure I'll be reaching for this palette often. Thanks for reading! Do you see an Urban Decay Holiday palette in your future? Which colors in this palette jump out at you? Do you wear smoky liner colors during the day, night, or both?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Urban Decay Feminine eyeshadow palette review

           As I gaze into my crystal ball, I'm seeing a palette in your future. Could it be the Urban Decay Feminine eyeshadow palette for Holiday 2012? Shrouded in lace, fishnets, and artfully faded color, the Feminine palette has an air of mystery that is anything but usual.

          The Urban Decay Feminine palette has the prettiest and most intricate patterning of the three holiday palettes (the other two being Fun (reviewed here) and Dangerous). The variegated faded purple fabric is draped in a black lace pattern printed on the clear plastic casing.

         The eyeshadows sit in a fishnet patterned tray that can be removed from the zip packaging (see below). Don't worry about it falling out though, as the magnetic force holding it in is quite strong. The pouch can be re-used to store 'makeup, pens, or prophylactics', however not credit cards, as the surface is magnetized.

          The Urban Decay Feminine palette comes with a miniature lip gloss in a squeeze tube that has the classic cutout cap detailing. The black ribbon in the case is there to help prop the gloss out.

         The colors in the Urban Decay Feminine palette include faded gypsy purple, bottle glass green, and smoky grey. Wallflower Lip Junkie is a neutral nude pink cream gloss. Bordello is a pale mauve pink shimmer with flecks of gold micro-glitter. Skimp is a pale beige shimmer that reminds me of parchment. AC/DC is a light smoky purple with shimmer. Gunmetal is a popular metallic grey that you might recognize from palettes past. Hijack is an intense metallic teal shimmer. Lost is a neutral to warm medium brown shimmer.

          The Urban Decay Feminine palette has a thematic air of mystery that pervades from the packaging down to the cosmetic color scheme. It's the feminine-with-an-edge feel that Urban Decay is so good at doing. I love the soft interpretations of color that are unexpected, yet wearable. I'm especially looking forward to incorporating Bordello and Hijack into my current routine. Thanks for reading! Do you see an Urban Decay Holiday palette in your future? Which colors in this palette jump out at you? Are you surprised at this interpretation of feminine?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. The Urban Decay Dangerous review is coming soon, so stay tuned!

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Urban Decay Fun eyeshadow palette review + swatches

           Sometimes girls just wanna have fun. For Holiday 2012, Urban Decay bottled (or rather zipped) that spirit into an exuberant eye and lip palette. The Urban Decay Fun eyeshadow palette is one of three palettes released this season (previewed here).

          The Urban Decay Fun palette seems to channel a 'Caribbean meets Cosmos' vibe. The Caribbean blue cover is a laminated glitter field that sparkle like stars. The glossy cardboard inner construction has multiple marine octopi navigating deep space. You can see planets in the background!

         The eyeshadows and lip gloss sit in a sturdy tray that can be removed from the zip packaging (see above). Don't worry about it falling out though, the magnetic force holding it in is quite strong. I didn't even realize it was removable at first. The pouch can be re-used to store 'makeup, pens, or prophylactics', however not credit cards, as the surface is magnetized. There is a nice indent for the mini lip gloss with a strip of black ribbon to help you prop the gloss out of the case.

          The colors in the Urban Decay Fun palette include octopus purples, a teal ocean, and starshine. Most of the colors were strongly pigmented, as is typical of Urban Decay eyeshadows. Maui Wowie is a cool metallic gold with silver glitter. Deep End is a turquoise blue metallic that looks similar to the color in the Fun palette's casing. Sellout is a metallic pale peach. Fishnet is a unique and vibrant pink purple. It has flashes of tonal duality. Stray Dog is a metallic brown taupe that is infinitely wearable. I've wanted the single for some time now, so I'm very happy to have it in palette form. Freakshow is a dusky violet metallic. The strength of pigmentation is lighter than the others, but still good. Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Midnight Cowboy is a pretty pale nude with lots of sparkle.

           The Urban Decay Fun palette certainly tickles my fancy. The colorful 'sea meets space' packaging is over-the-top and I'm a fan.  The eyeshadows seem equally daring, however it's worth noting that half of them (Maui Wowie, Sellout, and Stray Dog) are wearable colors. The idea of this palette seems to be creating an everyday eye with a splash of color for intrigue. It's a nice break from the smoky neutrals that seem to typify the holiday season. Thanks for reading! Do any of the shades in the Urban Decay Fun palette jump out at you? What do you think of the bright packaging: totally cool or too much? What are your favorite Urban Decay eyeshadow colors? I'd love to hear what you think!

Love, Dovey.

P.S. I have reviews of the Urban Decay Feminine and Dangerous palettes for Holiday 2012 coming soon, so stay tuned!
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Urban Decay Vice eyeshadow palette review + swatches

         What are Urban Decay girls made of? Sugar, Spice, and everything Vice! The Urban Decay Vice eyeshadow palette is the spectacular centerpiece of the Urban Decay Holiday 2012 collection. The palette has twenty brand new colors, a dual ended brush, and sleek packaging. I've been looking forward to playing around with Urban Decay Vice ever since the promotional photos came out; I just got my hands on a palette and am excited to share my review and photos with you today.

          Urban Decay Vice palette is packaged in a deep purple case with a smooth rubberized feel. A crystalline 'UD' logo is inlaid in the lid. The case automatically opens at the push of a button and reveals a large mirror that fills the entire size of the lid. The lid swings open to about 120 degrees. It's a convenient angle at which to see your face if the palette sits on a table or vanity.







          A dual ended Urban Decay Good Karma brush is included and housed within the palette. Urban Decay's brushes are all cruelty-free synthetics. I've been making a conscious effort to move away from fur brushes and towards synthetics, so I'm happy to have another dual ended brush to add to my collection. The Crease brush (which I had from the NAKED2 palette) is one of my favorite brushes. I often use it to apply eyeshadow. It's soft and blends colors well. The Crease brush in Vice is slightly smaller and less full than the Crease brush from the NAKED2 palette. The Shadow brush is has the typical full, short, and rounded shape of an eyeshadow brush. The bristles are soft and easily deposit shadow on the lid. The fluffy Vice Shadow brush is an upgrade from the more paddle-shaped eyeshadow brush found in my NAKED2 palette.

          The Urban Decay Vice palette has twenty different colors that are brand new and exclusive to this palette. There are a mix of glitter, shimmer, metallic, satin, and matte colors. Generally speaking, the eyeshadows are pigmented and good quality, though Urban Decay tends to be better at creating shimmer or metallic finishes. To give you an idea of what shadows are in the palette, I've organized the eyeshadows into two groups: neutrals and brights.

          Urban Decay Vice looks colorful, but it has enough neutrals in it to be a 'NAKED3'. The neutral colors seem to be neutral to cool toned with a pink and grey taupe theme. Anonymous is a matte off-white with a pink undertone. I like to use matte highlights so I'm happy to see it here. Laced  is a matte light beige with a pink undertone. Freebird is a light peachy pink with glitter. Provocateur is a dusty pink with glitter. Nevermind is a shimmery light taupe brown. Echo Beach is a champagne shimmer. Jagged is a gold glitter with a sheer black base. Muse is a reddish brown shimmer in a dark black brown base. The reddish character is less evident in my swatch below, as some of the shimmer was blended away. Armor is a silver taupe with silver glitter. Desperation is a dark grey taupe with a satin finish.

          The Urban Decay Vice palette has a rainbow of bright colors as well. Noise is a metallic pink with glitter. It's very similar to Woodstock, but more red. Penny is a light tangerine metallic eyeshadow with gold glitter. Blitz is a golden yellow metallic. Junkie is a blue-green with gold shimmer. Unhinged is a metallic turqoise blue. Chaos is a near-matte royal blue. Occupy is a dark grey-blue metallic. Rapture is a dark grey-purple metallic. Vice is a shimmery purple. Black Market is a black with a satin finish.

 
           Overall, I'm impressed with Urban Decay's newest Holiday offering. Urban Decay Vice has cool packaging, a useful brush, and a great selection of neutral and bright colors. I was happy to see a number of rosy and grey-taupe tones in the neutral selection, as these are my preferred fall/winter colors. While I tend to be intimidated by brights, I do think Chaos, Occupy, and Rapture are colors I'd reach for on occasion. Urban Decay Vice ($59) is now available at Urban Decay and other retailers nationwide. Thanks for reading! Is Vice on your holiday wishlist? Which of the new colors jump out at you the most? What are your favorite Urban Decay palettes from now or years past?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Urban Decay Holiday 2012 preview

         For beauties both naughty and nice, Urban Decay Holiday 2012 has Feminine, Fun, Dangerous, and Vice. I'm opening my presents a little early this holiday season, so stay tuned for colorful reviews! In the meantime, which one of these sets catches your eye?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own

What's in my makeup pouch?

          Lately my makeup pouch has become more practical. While I do add in the day's lipstick color, most of what's inside is for emergency or non-color touch-up purposes. Here's a look at what's in my pouch as of late.

          I'll start with the makeup! I keep mini-sized Make Up For Ever black eyeliner and Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked. They're both small but quality products that are perfect for a pouch. Pouches are such great places to keep the mini you just don't end up using otherwise. I also keep Revlon PhotoReady 3-D Volume Mascara* there because I'm not fond of it, but it's better than nothing on the rare days I run out without mascara on. NARS Concealer in Custard is always there in case I need to touch up a blemish. NARS Belle de Jour is practically a permanent resident considering how often it's in my pouch. The sheer nude color goes with almost everything. I keep a Tokidoki nail file for my nails. It has a convenient plastic case so it doesn't rough up all the other packaging.

         The non-makeup items include skin-care and other essentials. Bliss Body Butter in Lemon + Sage is one of my favorite mini lotions. It has such a wonderful texture and the scent is a nice pick-me-up. I keep Kate Spade Twirl rollerball in case I need a scent. It's nice and feminine, but not overstated so it's good for a number of occasions. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick* is a great multipurpose item (especially for a cocoa butter addict; this is my third stick!). I use it as both lip balm and moisturizer for dry skin. The solid form is light and great for travel too. I always keep Band-Aids on hand for shoe blisters and I've repurposed an old prescription bottle to hold some Advil. (I also love any excuse to use my label maker). Thanks for reading! What are some minis or basics you keep in your pouch? I'd love to get some fresh ideas!


Love, Dovey.  

 *Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.  

Inspired by Kidrobot

          Have you heard of Kidrobot? It's an artsy line full of fantastical cartoonish figurines. You may have seen the 'Labbit', 'Munny', or mystery breakfast keychains in art museum gift shops or other whimsical stores. My friend Ponyo took me to the Kidrobot store in NYC for the first time. It's so fanciful, you just want to snatch everything up! My favorite figurine was 'Rainbowsaurus', which was a combination between a rainbow and a dragon. (Sadly, at a few hundred dollars, it was a bit beyond my price point). I thought it would be fun to do a blog post on makeup inspired by the Kidrobot store. The image in the photo above was a part of the Kidrobot store's wall mural.

          The Kidrobot inspiration is simple with bright colorblocked colors. Just like in a cartoon, a clean white base is important before coloring in. Illamasqua Sex eyeshadow (what a name, right?) is a pure white and very pigmented color. It's the perfect base to work over the lids and under the brows. I don't recommend turning your skin a packed white, however even a sheer white makes a difference in creating a clean slate. When working with brights, I think it's best not to combine too many at once. Most likely I'd use only 1-2 at a time to keep things chic. Some bright cartoonish colors I have in my color are MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #25  (bright blue), MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #24 (traffic light yellow), and Urban Decay Woodstock eyeshadow. It's best to pack on your color of choice in a strategic shape and blend as little as possible. Blending too much muddies the colors, which defeats the purpose of the look. If a complete lid in a bright color is too intimidating, one can focus a very basic constructionist grey taupe (like the gorilla above) color like Maybelline's Top of the Taupe and add little accents. Lining under the eyes with the lime green MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes #17L could do the trick. The look should be finished with the utmost clean black line, which can only be achieved with a liquid eyeliner (no smudgy pencil lines please). I've used MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Liner in black here.

         Overall, the key is to keep the colors as clean, elementary, and as well demarcated as possible. With too many colors and too much blending, you might end up looking up a rainbowsaurus.

        Thanks for reading! What are your favorite brights and how do you wear them?

Love, Dovey.

Oyster + Sand

          Though there are many beautiful shells in the sea, I often find myself drawn to that of the humble oyster. There's something endearing about the knobbly mottled exterior. Lately I've been weaned myself off brights and have been wearing subtle neutrals instead. Neutral can describe so many different palettes. The one I'm describing today was inspired by the opalescent pink, greige, and beige colors in oysters and wet sand. The products used are shown above: MAC Vex eyeshadow, MAC Moleskin eyeshadow, Sunday Riley Moon Dust eyeshadow, and OPI Did You Ear About Van Gogh.

           Speaking of greige and beige, do you remember how Urban Decay's NAKED2 palette (reviewed here) was supposed to be a greige version of NAKED? Although this didn't apply to all the  eyeshadow colors, I did use the greige toned eyeshadow Verve from this palette for my 'Oyster + Sand' theme. NAKED2 really has been my most used palette this year; I can't say enough good things about it.

          To get my 'Oyster + Sand' themed look, I've been shuttling between three complex oyster like colors: MAC Vex, Sunday Riley Moon Dust (reviewed here) and Urban Decay Verve as lid colors. You can see from the swatches that Sunday Riley Moon Dust is a a greyed off-white, Urban Decay Verve is a frosty silver beige, and MAC Vex is a pale beige with pink opalescence. As seen in the shell above, I'll mix a beige, MAC Moleskin (reviewed here), into the crease to add some extra dimension. To top things off, I paint my tips and toes with the sandy chic color OPI Did you ear about Van Gogh? (reviewed here). This color always reminds me of wet sand. Put together, I think the overall effect is relaxed and beachy.

          Thanks for reading! Do you like oyster or sandy colors? Do you like oyster? (I feel a little Walrus-and-the-Carpenter saying this, but I love a good oyster on a half shell). What colors have you been wearing recently?

Love, Dovey.