Sunday Snapshot

Starbucks Ethiopia, cinnamon roll from scratch, and CHANEL Rouge Noir!

          Hi everyone! I've had a fairly busy start to the fall quarter, with applications, odd work hours, and more. I've been relying on coffee and the little, eclectic things in life to keep me going! Here's what I've been loving lately:

1. What beauty collections are you most looking forward to?
Gucci Beauty has to be my most anticipated collection this year. In fact, it's already here, but it has yet to touch down in the blogosphere. I don't jump for every couture collection, but I'm loving the serious logo bling on their compacts. (PSA : you can find the entire Gucci Beauty collection here).

2. What's your drink de jour? 
I had to visit three different Starbucks before finding a bag of Starbucks Ethiopia coffee beans with a good date. (Desperate caffeine-dependent times call for desperate measures...)'Ethiopia' has a velvety dark cocoa edge on a light citrus background.  I've been enjoying this medium-strength brew this past week. I'm thinking of trying Starbucks Kenya next. 

3.  What are you making / baking right now?
I have a bit of an addiction to the cinnamon rolls at Au Bon Pain. It's not the healthiest habit, so I decided to roll up my sleeves and whip up a healthier version at home (see above!) Mine have organic flour, organic sugar, and sunflower oil (instead of butter).

4. Any new additions to the wardrobe?
I'm having a workwear moment lately; I've been collecting a number of pieces from the J.Crew Super 120's set. The J.Crew Bridget Dress, a V-neck sheath, is my favorite cut. It's not a style that's currently available, so I'm constantly on the lookout for it in the sale section. Recently it popped up in light heather grey ... just in my size! Score.

5. What's your current lacquer love?
I think a lot of us have a signature CHANEL red. If I had to choose, CHANEL Rouge Noir would be mine. I tend to favor deeper darker red cremes, with as little undertone as possible. CHANEL Rouge Noir is a great shade all year round - and an especially nice one for fall.

Thanks for reading! What have you been up to lately? (Feel free to use the same Q's).

Love, Dovey.

MAC Peony Petal (Tres Cheek collection) review + swatches

            It's coffee o' clock here at Cute and Mundane. I'm enjoying the last beautiful moments of my week-long vacation today and am gearing up for what's likely to be the toughest quarter of the year. (I can already feel the anxiety settling in). Fortunately, my week off coincided with the April issue releases of some of my favorite glossies; I read a fantastic article in Elle titled Fail Fast, Fail Forward. The themes of perfectionism, fear of failure, and learning to learn from mistakes really resonated with me, as I'm sure they do with many others out there. I highly recommend the article, if it's a topic that piques your interest!

          With that said, let's get back to blush! I thought this sunny Sunday would be the perfect time to feature a pretty pop of pink. MAC Peony Petal is a re-release in the MAC Tres Cheek Collection (Summer 2014). I've had this blush in my collection since its first debut; it's a gorgeous shade, so I'm glad it's being featured again!

          MAC Peony Petal is a bright blue-pink blush with a satin finish. It adds a wonderful brightness to cheeks! If my skin was a little less sensitive to MAC blushes, this color would be a staple shade for me.

         As you can see from my comparison swatches below, MAC Peony Petal is quite light and cool toned! NARS Angelika is warmer and has sparkles (surprising to me, as I've always thought Angelika was quite cool itself). Illamasqua Nymph, a bubblegum pink, is the most similar of the set, however it's a little lighter and less blue toned. Illamasqua Chased, a purple tinged pink, is darker and warmer. Tarte Adored (click for review) is a a warmer pink with sparkles.

         I'm quite fond of the cooler spectrum when it comes to pinks --- so I enjoy having the gorgeous blue-pink of MAC Peony Petal in my collection! (It's also worth mentioning that I'm fond of anything peony-related, thanks to growing up with plenty of the pink blooms in mom's garden!) I'm glad the shade is being featured again in the MAC Tres Cheek collection; it's an opportunity to pick up a pan if the pink piques your interest, plus it's a chance for me to give mine another swirl!

         Thanks for reading! What shades from the MAC Tres Cheek collection caught your eye? What is the coolest pink in your collection? How have you been, and what magazine articles have you enjoyed lately?

Love, Dovey.