Topkapi madness!

A long time ago I started a new job and was immediately tasked with clearing out the desk of the person who used it prior. Mostly I was just files and stuff, but there was a drawer full of more personal items, like instant oatmeal packets and some change. I also found a bag from the Chanel counter at Saks, which contained (sadly) no left-behind makeup, but a receipt for something like $160. I was surprised at how few items were listed on the receipt!

Anyway, I never bought anything but nail polish from Chanel until last year, when I could no longer resist Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle (favorite!!). I've always wanted some of their eyeshadow, and late last week I finally lost my mind with regards to the Topkapi eyeshadow quad and I ordered it. I had some eBay and blog sale proceeds burning a hole in my pocket, most of it earmarked for the Urban Decay 15th anniversary palette. That product is sold out for the moment so I decided to pull the trigger on Chanel.

I'm kind of hopeless in the face of Chanel limited edition items anymore, primarily nail polish. I do have some Chanel perfume and the lipstick, which I really love (believe me you'd have to love it, for $30). Occasionally I buy this stuff because...I don't know, life is short? I like nice things. I like cheap things too but sometimes it's fun to splash out.

Anyway my Topkapi quad arrived yesterday.

I shipped it to myself as a gift, complete with note!

Again...life is short. (And Chanel gift packaging is free. Frankly it should be for $10 shipping.)

Chanel really has it nailed when it comes to packaging. Here's the little flocked pouch the compact comes in.

And the compact:

Yes it's plastic but it feels...serious. The lipstick I have (Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle) is the same way. Closes with a satisfying *click*. Weighty and sturdy feeling. Even the little plastic cover used to protect the shadows in transit was well made...and, of course, embossed with the interlocked Cs. (Naturally I seem to have lost track of that, but I don't really need it, it was just kinda neat.)

What really sealed the deal for me with this quad was the colors.

They're all colors I'll wear. I have lots of taupes and browns (I mean, this basically describes the UD Naked palette) so I know these will get use. What's better than something luxurious that you can use all the time?

I should also mention that while I was on the Chanel website, I made myself a big ol' wishlist of stuff that I want. I may or may not do something really insane and buy a lot of it for myself on my birthday. It's kind of fun to buy yourself something ridiculous on your own birthday.

Elf mineral eyeshadow & brushes

Earlier this month, I (painfully) took advantage of the Elf anniversary sale. Everything on the site was 70% off for 70 minutes. This would be a bargain on any site, but Elf's prices are already super low, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get myself some new makeup brushes and try a couple of Elf's mineral eyeshadows.

I only say that it was painful because the crush of traffic to the site meant it took the entire 70 minutes for me to put together an order and check out. However, that's a small price to pay for a discount that hefty. The $3 brushes and $3 eyeshadows I ordered were $.90 each.

Now I should say that I cannot recommend the Elf eyeshadow that's sold at Target - perhaps it's from the Essentials line? I bought some after work once when I was in a rush before an event and didn't have time to go home. It was awful in every way - barely pigmented, too frosty, no staying power. So basically, a $.90 price tag was the only way I was going to give another Elf cosmetic product a try.

First though let's look at the brushes, because I do like Elf's brushes and have used them for a while now.

I chose the Elf Studio line brushes, normally $3 each. In the past I've used brushes from the Essentials line, but because of the sale I decided to upgrade! I chose the complexion brush, blush brush, small angled brush, angled contour brush, C brush and small smudge brush. They are nice looking and seem to do the job just fine.

I saved some of the cards from the packaging because I'm not what you'd call a "natural talent" with eye makeup. For instance...what does this even mean?

(I actually figured it out later and it did indeed help me create a smoky eye! Glory hallelujah!)

Anyway, the shadows. I chose Socialite, Temptress and Smoldering.

Socialite and Smoldering are shimmers, and Temptress is a matte shade. I'm very interested in matte shades lately...sometimes I just don't want the sparkle. So I've been collecting a couple of these in subtle colors.

I swatched these on my arm but the pictures weren't anything to write home about. I do like Temptress, which is a medium rose terra cotta shade, but Socialite is the most interesting of these colors. It's a metallic, plummy dark gray with tiny multi-colored shimmer. Smoldering is a fairly typical shimmery metallic-leaning charcoal.

Here's a closeup of Socialite on the brush, in an attempt to show you all the different-colored particles.

I just kind of slapped on a quick look with Socialite and Temptress, and it seems to be wearing okay. I should note I didn't use any primer, which I expect would improve the wear a great deal.

I have another post (or two) about eyeshadow brewing, per one of your requests!

Tropical Watercolor eyes

It's been so hot & humid lately that I decided to do a tropical-ish look.But then my hubby's doc said that my eyes looked like a beautiful watercolor painting ergo the titleThere aren't many full face pictures because after this one the Hot Guy had to take the pictures,(My arthritis has been a demon lately) and his pictures had more boobies and butt than makeup so I will just have to break out

New makeup & CVS Beauty Club

On Tuesday I was seized with the desire to buy cosmetics and, because I had some CVS coupons burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to embrace the situation.

Earlier in the week I had stopped at CVS for some face wash and I bought a couple of Revlon eye shadows, Nude Slip and Violet Starlet.

Violet Starlet has a super neat greeny flash in it.

Nude Slip is one of those colors I just can't get enough of lately. It's like the Urban Decay Naked palette has inspired me to build an entire collection of wearable neutrals. (Wow...sounds exciting doesn't it?)

The other day I wore Nude Slip under (haha) Maybelline Lux Lilac and Urban Decay Mildew with UD Mildew eyeliner. It sounds garish but it was quite subtle and I would definitely wear it again.

Anyway, it was on this visit to CVS that I joined the beauty club, which is really just a rewards system within a rewards system. You can piggyback it onto your CVS ExtraCare account. Basically you get a 10% off coupon when you join, $5 ExtraBucks for every $50 you spend and $3 ExtraBucks on your birthday.

Now initially I thought the $50 reward level was a little much. That's a lot of makeup. However, qualifying Beauty Club purchases include hair care, sun care, skin care, hair accessories, hair color and even hosiery. So there are a number of items that would get you closer to your $50 reward, provided you like and use items that can be found at CVS, of course.

So I joined, because I am a sucker, and I got my 10% off coupon and a stray ExtraBuck. The coupon is only good for three days, so when I felt compelled to go peruse the cosmetics aisles on Tuesday during my lunch hour, I went back to CVS.

I actually did "need" a few things. I am out of my Sally Hansen nail polish clean-up pens and CVS had Sally Hansen products on sale. I also had in mind picking up some Physician's Formula bronzer, as every bronzer I own seems to be destined to fall to its death on tile bathroom floors.

I chose something called "Happy Booster" bronzer.

I must admit it is terribly cute.

Supposedly these are "mood boosting" bronzers and blushes. I mean, okay, sure. I can't speak to the veracity of that claim but it does what a bronzer should do otherwise.

The back of it reads like a bad translation to English: "The sweet scent of Violet provides a feeling of joy each time you apply." Hm well if you say so. It does have a scent so if that kind of thing bugs you, be warned.

See? Cuuuuute.

Plus these come with a $3 off coupon on the package and you get $7 ExtraBucks when you buy it. So it's almost like getting it for $4 instead of $14. Yay coupons! I will spend the $7 on something boring like contact solution. (Or maybe Easter candy. I will keep you posted.)

My Sally Hansen correcting pens are different now.

First I hyperventilated a little bit when I saw this, but honestly it's the same thing. Plus they're $5.49 now instead of $9.99. BOGO 1/2 off right now at CVS!

You can also get ExtraBucks rewards right now for buying Maybelline or CVS brand skincare products, and Revlon cosmetics (including the Top Speed polishes) are BOGO 1/2 off too.

I'm not one of those super savvy couponing people but I am a huge cheapskate so CVS' reward program gets a thumbs-up in my book.

Oh and because this site is called "Nail Polish Nonsense" and not "Makeup Nonsense" or "Plain Ol' Nonsense," here is some nail polish I wore recently, Like It Like That from one of the more recent Misa collections. It's more grass green and less teal in real life.

Dragons of Fate

Yesterday my allergies finally let up enough that I could play in my makeup!I've been dying to wear some of The Mythology collection so I chose Wyvern and Moirae as my main colors. Wyvern is a legendary winged reptile with the hind quarters of a snake and a barbed tail. Moirae are the beautiful Fates, the ladies whom weave the threads of destiny.
Peek a boo
I am trying one more time to grow my

A Wild Wicked Vixen Weekend

I'm sure you've read about our fun on Stiletto and Scandalous Ange's blogsBut I'm going to post it too so :oP
Our sweet friend Stiletto and her doll of a hubby drove to our side of the mountains for a visit.There was lots of girly jabbering and polish shopping and more girl talk and more shopping and frozen coffee.. and more shopping.How beautiful are my girls!!!! Yeah in case you didn't know...