Update

Hi chickadees!

I pumped out a ton of content this week. But I'm heading into a super busy part of my college semester so I may have to force myself to take a break for a little while. I'm not sure how long it'll last but I'm going to try and commit to getting some work done, as fun as it is running around reviewing sample sales and telling you about all the products I've been trying. I'm probably going to skip my coverage of The X Factor this week. I want Christopher Maloney to go home but I'm scared for Union J. That's pretty much where I stand. I'm sure the performances will be fine but nothing radically exciting will happen. I will try and at least make a recommendation for Music Monday even if I don't do a full scale analysis as I did with "No One Will Ever Watch You". Oh, and if you're not watching The Mindy Project, you really should because it's hilarious and I want it to stay on the air. I think that's it. I'll still be here if you want to leave comments but I'm likely not going to be doing any writing this weekend.

Talk to you soon!
Cat

Marc Jacobs Dot Perfume Set

Hello darlings!

I thought you might like to see the Marc Jacobs Dot perfume set I picked up at Sephora during Cyber Monday... and hear a little about my journey towards getting this set.

First, I saw the bottle in advertisements. Then, I saw it at Bloomingdale's. It is stunningly striking and adorable. But still I resisted. I told myself that Marc Jacobs perfumes (Daisy, Lola) smell terrible on me for some reason and that Dot would be no different. Then Dot appeared at Sephora and of course I asked for a sample. As you do. And wouldn't you know it, it actually stays true to the fragrance in the bottle on me, and it develops nicely as the day goes on. I don't know much about perfume so I'm not going to try and go into describing it. I just know what I like and what gives me a headache and what smells like something has spoiled and what punches you in the head with scent. What was I talking about again? Oh, right.

So, I pinned (on Pinterest) the image of the 1.7 oz size bottle of Dot and began to wait for the Sephora Friends and Family Sale. As you all probably know, that didn't go how we were all expecting. So I waited again, after news came out that there would be something for VIBs and (maybe?) Beauty Insiders. Well, now that all Thanksgiving sales are over, we've all gotten the message in our inboxes, for BI's it's $15 off your order of $50 or more. But I didn't know that was coming during Thanksgiving weekend and I was getting antsy.

So I logged onto Sephora during Black Friday at 12:01 and got the following page.

But at 12:14 am I finally got to the main page. All the Black Friday $10 were available so I threw one or two in my cart. And I was about to check out. But something held me back.

Flashforward to me sitting down to Holly Ann-AeRee's youtube video about Ebates and signing up immediately. 10% off my order? YES. 

And that I why I'm now in possession of a $72 Marc Jacobs Dot Perfume set (only a few dollars more than the $69 1.7 oz bottle it contains). And now, finally it's time for pictures.

REVIEW of Stila's Convertible Color Blush in Poppy

Hi chickadees!

So I don't know how long you've been a reader, but longtime readers will know that the first blush I fell in love with was Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface. Since then, I've also picked up Glisten and Exposed though I never really use Exposed. Well, since it came in my recent Beauty.com order, my new go-to blush has been Stila's Convertible Color Blush in Poppy. I have very dry skin, especially when it gets cold outside, and especially when I'm lazy/busy and keep forgetting to put on moisturizer. Poppy is perfect for that. Since it's a cream blush, you don't have to worry about using a brush that will cause you dry skin to flake and peel. Not attractive.

Also, I'm just kind of in love with the color. I've been wanting to try a darker blush for a while and though I wouldn't call Poppy a dark blush, it is a nice change from Dollface. Poppy looks a little scary in the container. It is not that dark when you apply it. It goes on as a bright red. If you're paler like I am, you run the risk of looking like a porcelain doll if you apply it in the wrong spot or too heavily. But it's very easy to blend out to something subtle or even to build up if you're going out for a costume party... or in a bad community theater production. Whatever. I don't judge. :) Blended out, it gives cheeks a nice, healthy flush. You're going to keep that red tone but I think if you're wearing blush and someone else isn't wearing blush, it's going to be pretty obvious you're wearing blush regardless of if it's pink or red.

I like to use a makeup sponge to apply it. The girl who helped me at Sephora gave me a demonstration. You pick up a little bit of product on the makeup sponge. Don't scoop it up or anything. A few firm taps/swipes across the top should be more than sufficient. Then press it into your cheeks where you want it. I like to apply my blush on my cheekbones, so I start near the apples of my cheeks (but not so far down) and then fade the color upwards. Then take a clean part of the makeup sponge and use it to lift off some of the pigment and blend it out. It takes a few tries but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy.

I usually don't go out for the whole day so I'm not sure about its lasting power. It definitely lasts for a few hours. I like that it has a mirror so you could always keep it in your purse and use it as a compact if you are worried about the color fading.

SWATCHES

Charm and Chain Sample Sale November 2012

Hi chickadees!

I stopped into the Charm and Chain around 1pm. The sale is at 611 Broadway from 11am-7pm today and 11am-6pm tomorrow. I didn't have a floor number so I headed up to their office at room 701. DON'T DO THIS. The sale is being held in room 401 on the 4th Floor. It's to the left of the elevators.

I'm keeping it to pictures this post because the showroom was pretty empty and there's not much to comment on in the way of sizes or whatnot like with a clothing sale. I saw a bit of Alexis Bittar, Dannijo, Kenneth J Lane, House of Harlow, as well as a ton of brands I'm not familiar with.

Botkier Sample Sale Report November 2012

Hi chickadees!

Super short report this time. I swung by the Botkier Sample Sale at 525 Broadway (5th Floor) on my way home. The sale will continue tomorrow from 10am-8pm according to the flyer. As far as I know that's the last day. I think this sale was being held in their actual showroom. There was no coat check or bag check though they did allow you to hang up your coat if you'd like to. The room was full of bags though I only noticed a few styles, or variations on the same style in different colors.

There were large purses, medium-sized purses, cross body bags, and a decent amount of print/embellishment. Botkier is not really my style so I'm not very familiar with the brand. I'd have more information but they didn't want me to take pictures of the prices and I felt awkward about taking pictures after that. Also, I was only there for a very short amount of time. Everything felt very casual. There were maybe less than 10 people in the showroom and though I didn't see anything I liked, people were definitely making purchases.

Alexis Bittar Sample Sale Report November 2012

Hi chickadees!

I ran to the Alexis Bittar sample sale during my break. It took me 2 trains. It’s at 344 W. 14^th St. so the easiest thing to do is take the A, C, or E to 14^th St. The hours are 9am-6:30pm today and tomorrow. It’s unassuming from the outside, a rented storefront plastered with Alexis Bittar signage and blaring pop music. But inside… a wondrous cavern of glittering gems.

You will have to check your coat but checking larger bags is optional and they let you keep your purses.

Merchandise: There was so much variety that it’s impossible to describe it all. Gold, silver, pewter, rose gold (though gold was dominant). Lucite, gems, stones, rhinestones, beads. Chunky bangles, delicate filigree, huge embedded geodes, parrot-shaped bangles, flower brooches and just stunning art pieces that defy paltry descriptions. I tried to take a lot of pictures but there was no way I could cover it all because….

Layout: …the merchandise is not really organized. You’ll find the cheapest pieces closest to the coat check. This is where the bags reside. Along one wall is a huge array of bangles and at the end of the shelves is the selection of pewter and rose gold jewelry. But everything else is random. There are bins to dig through and seemingly every other available surface is covered with something sparkly and alluring.

Pricing: Pricing was all over the place. At the low end were the cheaper items, wood bangles for $5-$10, plastic bangles for $15, and little zip bags for $15. The next price point was around $70-$100. If you find this affordable, you should be pretty pleased with this sale. There were plenty of earrings and rings in this range. The highest price range was around $200-$300. These were mainly the items with tiny red dots drawn onto the price tags. Red dots mean the merchandise is 50% the written price. I’m not so sure about the Lucite flower brooches, but you can certainly tell why some of those bracelets cost what they do. I mean, I would go by the sale just to ogle them, they’re that gorgeous.

Shoppers: Shoppers broke into two main categories: the older Ab/Fab set collecting mountains of bangles on their trays, and 20-somethings picking through for a few special pieces. And both groups were well represented. If you really want to take advantage of this sale you need to clear out some time and be prepared to dig with the crowds through bins. There wasn’t any pushing or rudeness thank goodness, but there was a lot of waiting.

I think this sale would be good for those people who want to do some expensive Christmas shopping. It’s a nice chance to get one or two special pieces for those people on your list that you want to splurge on at a discounted price. Personally, I didn’t find anything I’d be willing to splurge on without considering it. That and I have nowhere to wear museum-quality bangles.

PICTURES FROM INSIDE THE SALE