Albeit Nourishing Rose Lip Balm

I will probably never buy By Terry Baume de Rose, if I'm being perfectly honest with myself. I love the idea of it, but the reality is that I can easily become overpowered by rose scents and if I have that much money to spend, I'm gonna go for something a little more fun.

That being said, I am always looking for something soothing for my poor, chapped lips, so when I stumbled upon Albeit's Nourishing Rose Lip Balm in Anthropologie, I decided to give it a whirl.

I don't regret it one bit. In case you're not familiar, Albeit is Anthro's in-house cosmetics line. I quite like their nail polish and matte lipstick offerings, so I don't suppose it's any surprise this is a hit with me, as well. The balm has an almost gel-like texture that leaves a lovely shine on the lips and lasts a good couple of hours on me. The very subtle rose scent dissipates quickly, which is a plus for me, and I've definitely noticed my lips looking healthier lately.

Drugstore Favorites

I love makeup, as if that weren't already abundantly clear. In the past two years, I have truly come to embrace it all, from high to low. In that spirit, I thought I'd share some of my favorite items from the drugstore.

L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara first appeared on my radar after it's UK release. The volume I saw from this product instantly captivated me. My lashes, generally speaking, are quite full and long, so if I'm going to wear mascara, it had better make it look like I'm wearing fakes there's so much volume. This hits the nail right on the head. It's a really wet formula, which I love, though after it's been open a couple of months and dries out a bit it can be easier to layer. Since I'm usually a one-and-done girl when it comes to mascara, I prefer it brand spanking new, but I still love love love it. You're looking at my next tube of it up there, as I've used it so much in the past three months that I'm almost out. Unheard of for me!

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Eyeliner in Black Mica is the best liquid eyeliner I've ever used. I've had this since longer than you're supposed to use eyeliner for and it's still not done! A totally awesome amount of product. The felt tip is super easy to work with, and I love that the formula dries down so quickly. This is the first liner I've tried that let's me do a true, clean cat-eye. The color is also pretty damn perfect, as black as I could ask for from the drugstore and dries down to a nearly-matte finish.

Milani Baked Powder Blush in 05 Luminoso is a cult favorite. I know everyone talks about this shade, but it really blows most other blushes out of the water. It has a beautiful, buildable texture with just a slight hint of shimmer in a peachy pink that instantly brightens up my face. On the occasions when I've stopped sweating long enough to actually wear makeup this summer, I reach for this over all others.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in 25 Bad to the Bronze fills that essential nook in my collection when I just want to sweep on some eyeshadow and take off (and when I say "want," I mean when I have slept so late that I barely have time to do that, let alone a full face). It's a true bronze that you can just blend out with your finger to give the illusion of carefully done eye makeup, and it lasts all damn day. I. Love. It.

NYX Butter Gloss in 05 Crème Brûlée and 07 Tiramisu take turns on my lips, with the former taking the warmer months and the slightly darker latter shade owning the cooler climes of winter. They just have the most lovely texture, and a pleasant vanilla scent that avoids being cloying in any way. I always have one of the two of these in my bag for the moments when I need some natural-looking oomph.

Mini Sephora Haul!

In addition to adventuring at the Art Institute on Saturday, my friends and I took a long stroll up State Street and, of course, we stopped in Sephora.  I had intended to pick up a couple of things, and I did!  So I figured I'd share them with you...

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Fuchsia These lipsticks have been all over the blogging world since they launched getting a whole lotta love, and as a lover of a longwear, more or less matte finish, I knew I had to grab one of 'em. After swatching all six shades, I settled on Melted Fuchsia -- quelle suprise, me loving a bright pink lipstick? Some of the other colors looked outright garish, but if I'd been feeling really brave, I'll admit that I could totally have gone for Melted Violet.  I wasn't feeling brave, though.  The texture is awesome, though, lightly hydrating, the only thing I would say is that it does tend to catch on flaky lip bits (ewwwww), so definitely exfoliate those suckers first

Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in Brunette Duh. Getting into YouTube has coincided with a new interest in my eyebrows, I've found. I have pretty full brows, but filling them in a little bit just makes a whole look more finished, I think.  Brow Wiz is a pretty universally beloved option, what with it's absurdly small pencil and wide range of colors, and I'm pretty pleased so far.  It's not as warm toned as some of the powders I'd been using which definitely suits me a lot better.  I also adore the spoolie on the end, as it's stiff enough to actually make a difference when I comb it through my ample brows. Now to obtain a clear brow gel...

Tarte Bright by Night Skincare Discovery Set You know that gauntlet of minis through which you're required to run in order to check out at Sephora?  I get got almost every time.  This time, Tarte victimized me quite thoroughly.  I'd been considering this little set during the recent sale, but then it sold out online. Sad face. Quite a disappointment considering it was only $10, and would have been a good way to try the Maracuja Oil without having to spend a whole pile of dollars.  Naturally, when I spied it in its little holder on my way to the register, it leaped into my basket quicker than you can say "impulse buy."  It includes a 3ml Maracuja C-brighter Eye Treatment and a 7ml Pure Maracuja Oil, a pretty good trial size considering both of these are "a little bit goes a long way" products. I've only just started using it, obviously, so I'll keep you posted on how I like the oil and the eye cream after I've given them a good run.

Have any of you jumped on the bandwagon with these goodies?