Here is a misguided dupe that kinda frustrates me. I’m one of those finicky people that believes that dupes need to be >97% the same to be considered true dupes, so hearing that these two products are dupes from multiple sources is something that I want to put to rest.
Let's get on with it, shall we?
NARS Orgasm and Laguna in separate pans.
What the actual NARS Duo looks like (photo fromSephora.com), $41
e.l.f Contouring Blush & Bronzer Duo, $3
As you can see, the packaging for the two products in question are quite similar. Both are black clamshell compacts with large mirrors and similar pans. However, the NARS compact (and the rest of the NARS products) has a rubberized texture. The elf compact is significantly less weighted and isn’t as high quality. Even though the packaging isn't really important when it comes to dupes, I thought I should mention it.
After holding off for about 2 years, I finally bit the bullet and purchased the NYX Bronze Smokey Look Kit when NYX was on Hautelook a few weeks ago. It's no secret that I'm a rabid neutral fanatic, so you'd think that I would love the living snot out of this palette.
WRONG! There are actually very few things that I like about it, which really bums me out because this thing has so much potential to be a girl-on-the-go's best friend. "What is wrong with it?" you may ask... well, keep reading and you'll find out.
TGIF (amirite?)! Ugh, what a week! I don't know about you, but it's been a pretty taxing couple of days and I'm super stoked that I'm now able to kick back and relax... LOL, who am I kidding? I need to get started on my Spring cleaning. I'm just taking a temporary blogging break to bring you another Weekly Favorites post. :)
My typical "work face" is pictured above. I tend to keep it pretty simple and neutral for personal ease and a professional appearance. Normally I skip foundation for a bare face or I substitute in tinted moisturizer because my position is pretty demanding and I don't have much time to touch that up and I certainly don't have the time to worry about patchiness or oxidization.
My eye look consists of 4 very neutral eyeshadows:
Iron Maid-In in the inner corner, Adagio under the brow and all over my mobile lid, Allegro in the crease, and Presto softly smudged along my upper and lower lash line.
And now on to the tally!
Face products:
Sonia Kashuk All Covered Up concealer: $9.99
Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Highlighting Concealer: $5.99
Benefit Hervana Boxed Blush: $28
Maybelline Dream Matte Powder: $7.49
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray: $12 (travel size price)
Eye products:
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion: $9 (travel size price)
theBalm Balm Jovi Face Palette: $39.50
Maybelline The Rocket Mascara: $7.99
Lip products:
Benefit Posie Tint: $30 (couldn't find a price for mini)
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lipgloss in Candy, Baby: $7
Brows:
Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar: $29
Total: $185.96
Hoooooooo-eee! That's a lot more than I was expecting! It makes me wonder how much a full-on "Going Out" face would be worth...
Wow, this tag is perfect for me, wouldn't you agree?
1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do?
Honestly? I really really really suck at removing my makeup. I have this full blown removal process that I do go through (remover, cleanser, toner, and moisturizer), but either using a remover wipe of flat out forgetting tends to happen more often than not. Feel free to yell at me down in the comments because this is really bad for your skin.
2. Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly?
Eh, I spot clean more often than deep cleaning. Spot cleaning either happens weekly or right after using a really pigmented or difficult product (i.e. gel liner, dark eyeshadow, lipstick, foundation, etc) and I deep clean about every month or so. I don't really feel too bad about it though because I use about 1/6th of my brushes on the regular so I don't feel too compelled to break out the Dawn dish soap, which works WONDERS, every week.
3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?
I'm really OCD about my nails. Over the past 3 years that I've been regularly painting them they haven't been naked for over 6 hours... ever. Chips almost send me into a nervous breakdown and I end up removing EVERYTHING and repainting them a different color as soon as I possible can. Case in point; I've painted my nails 3 times at my job as a Office Assistant and innumeral times as a Lab Technician (even though my hands were covered with pretty purple nitrile gloves 98% of the time).
4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it? (i.e purchasing a new topcoat, or a new foundation etc.)
If it's something that I undoubtably can not live without I will buy it as soon as I have the chance. However this rarely happens because I have about 3 of everything...
5. What is your worst beauty habit?
See answer 1.
6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?
Any monumentally huge thing that needs to be done. Big things scare the crap out of me.
7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?
I'm very punctual, as in 5-15 minutes early ALWAYS, so I normally have all of my ducks in a row before heading out. There have been a few instances where I put off my makeup until I get somewhere if I know it won't be on point, but that doesn't happen often.
8. Can you commit to spending bans?
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! Only when I'm totally broke.
9. How organized is your makeup and nail polish collection?
Organized to the point that it is mildly scary... and even then I'm not happy with it. Everything has a place, but I get a little anxious when I open my "loose" drawers that have things simply put in them (and even then they're as organized as possible with definite, yet unconfined, categories).
You can check for yourself in my old and new makeup collection videos:
New
old
10. What is the longest amount of time you have gone without writing a blog post?
A month. Yup... I'm a horrible blogger.
I was tagged by the lovely Mary over at Neon Chipmunk. Check her out!
Rules: 1. You must copy and paste these 'rules' into your post when you write it, it doesn't take long!. 2. You must state that this tag was created by Laura fromThe Beau Bow 3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post (link their blog as well) -follow them if you're feeling nice!, and then at the end of your post state who you tag, and then comment on their blog on their latest post to let them know you tagged them, and link your post so they can see what to do. - I wasn't tagged. 4. Title this post 'The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger TAG' so everyone knows what it is about.
I tag:
Whoever wants to do this! Just let me know if you do and I'll check it out. :)
NYX recently added a ton of new products to their line in what I assume is an effort to replace older packaging and products. So far the only new item that I've been able to get my hands on is an eyeshadow trio form the new Love in Rio eyeshadow trio line. The reason that I decided to pick this up over the other new and exciting products is because I currently own a very fallout prone Triple Shadows for Sexy Babe's Eyes Only trio (gee, what a mouthful) and I wanted to see if the new trio was an improvement on the old formula.
Hello there dearest readers! It's been a spell, huh? I thought that I'd touch base with y'all because I miss ya! I promise that I'll have some legitimate makeup content up soon. Life has just been super chaotic and GO GO GO lately and today has been the only day in weeks that I've been able to kick back. :3
