Beauty Trash #3

Ooops I got behind on posts, I took these pics in December. My Sephora Beauty Trash bag was totally overflowing-

So a lot of usual characters that I wont spend too much time on, but I did go through so makeup and random things too.  So this is about 5 months worth of trash, I have my usual face/skincare stuff, hair dye stuff, makeup stuff, and randoms.

So if we start with the usual characters I used up 6 makeup removing wipes. My usual Neutrogena that are my favorite 2 of those, 3 different types of Up & Up formulas they're fine for removing makeup swatches or when I use my fingers to application or back of my hand as a palette, and then some Simple Miscellar wipes. I love the Simple Miscellar water, also pictured here, so much I thought maybe the wipes would be good too. They were fine and kept me from running out of my bottle version as fast, but probably wont purchase again unless there's a sale. I'm constantly trying new makeup wipes so nothing new there and I'll probably repurchase a variation of these again.  The Simple Miscellar Water I'm on my last back up right now, so I'll probably repurchase again soon.

I have two empty packages of Up & Up cotton rounds, one in exfoliating and one regular and they're both fine. I don't like the exfoliating one as much I feel like it falls apart too easily, but it's great for nail polish removal. I've already repurchased both of these.  Then I have my holy grail moisturizer that Cetaphil cream love I have 3 back ups right now.  Then the odd man out in this group is my Deodorant- I use Secret Outlast and it's scent is just the fresh clean one- nothing special I've been using it for years. The only thing I don't like about it is if I'm not careful I get white deodorant marks on my clothes- I wear too many dark colors.

I dyed my hair A LOT these last 5 months. Still trying to get it back to its normal color from the bleach blonde Tyler episode of 2014. I only saved one of the hair dye tubes because the others were messy and gross, but I love this brand One 'n Only Argan Oil Hair Color it's very reasonably priced at Sally's and I've bought it at least 6 times since after I went blonde. It's very gentle and that's probably why I had to dye my hair so much because it did wash out very easily the first 4 applications. I've used the 20 and 10 Developers and hopefully I wont need to again but I think 10 is the way to go for me. I was using the 5 level at first and it would not take, it washed out so much that my hair kept ending up red, so I slowly moved up to 4 and then this last time did a 3 and it's finally stuck. I did expect it to wash out a little more but I'm fine with it and don't think I'll have to dye it again.  I also went through many packets of hair color remover wipes for my face because I'm a mess when I dye my hair. I used the Colortrak Wipe Off Color only a buck and they did the trick, they're not as wet as some but they worked fine.

For makeup I feel like I went trough small things but two I'm very proud of.  I finished a bronzer. NYC Bronzer in Sunny and after almost 2 years- I think it was about 20 months I made my way through that thing. I'm kinda sad it's gone because I feel like it's a great contour shade for me, but it has freed me up to try more. Also it's super cheap if I do feel the need to purchase it again. Then I also went through a Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in medium. It took me three tries to get my shade right but I miss this guy. I didn't use it every day because it was too drying but on the weekends I used it for a quick fix. I have other concealers I'm working through right now so I don't need it but I'll probably repurchase eventually.

Then I have three mascaras- 2 I love and 1 I hate. Maybelline's Lash Sensational  people said this was a drugstore dupe for Benefit's Roller Lash...they LIED. I hated this stuff it was too wet and never curled my lashes, I waited to it to dry and still hated it. Not for me. Urban Decay Perversion however is for me I loved it. This is the Mascara to use if you want the false lash look without the false lashes, I had this guy for over a year- tempting fate- because it would never dry out! Eventually it did and the big bushy bristles started sticking together but this guy it totally worth the $22 price. Then a sample size of Benefit's They're Real- love this mascara have already repurchased and will continue to do so. The sample size is the perfect size for me, I find it just as easy to use as the full size. This is one of my holy grail mascaras and I love it.

Then the last product is a huge dud. It's a Wet 'n Wild Coverall Concealer stick that smells like crayons and is so greasy and dry at the same time. I bought this for covering tattoos and it failed at that job. I probably had this thing for two years and I just finally gave up trying to use it, I hated it and have found much better ways to cover up tattoos that does not include this fail of a concealer.

For the last group I have some random things. My beloved hair clip! I have super super thick hair and usually go through hair clips like they're going out of style, but this monster is rubberized and I have 3 others at home because I was terrified it would break. Well luckily this guy is a work horse and I got a good year out of it before it broke. This is the Scunci No-Slip Grip Hair Claw usually about $6-8 depending where you buy it. Great clip for big hair and I cannot be without it.

Then I have a Norwegian Hand Cream I heard on YouTube was great for super dry hands. This did nothing for me. I can't complain too much it was under $5 but this was greasy and then disappeared without adding moisture to my hands, I was so disappointed. I'm still searching for the perfect hand cream.

And finally I have a sample of Lancome's Bi-Facil eye makeup remover.  I miss this stuff. Full size is priced over $20 and I just can't justify it, but anytime I get a sample of this I use it. This removes eye makeup so wonderfully and completely with no tugging or anything. I love it. If you just talk to the people in the Lancome section at Ulta they almost always offer you a free sample of something I recommend taking them up on it and getting the Bi-Facil. It's amazing.

So that's my trash! I miss a lot of these products. I'll try not to wait so long next time.

Makeup Madness Part 5! Mascara Monday!

It's been a minute since I did a makeup madness right? Ooops. Summer has been kinda busy.  But I figured I need to get rid of a lot of Mascara so a makeup madness would be really productive right about now.  I have 15 mascaras and only use about 3...also some are old...like a year old it's time for them to go! Now I will be the first to admit I keep mascaras past their recommended expiration date. Most people recommend getting rid of your mascara after 3 months to avoid eye infections, but a lot of mascaras have a 6 month expiration date printed on their tubes. (I just learned the cool makeup code that looks like a jar with the number of months it's good on it. My benefit products have it and they say 6 months.) So I'm going with 6 of when they dry out.

Here's what we're working with...

Wow this is a terrible picture...sorry.

Now I've never finished a mascara tube, I've never used one so long that it ran out- how much mascara are you people putting on?!?! I'm a two coat girl. So usually my mascara has to go bad before I pick up a new tube, but I'm going to be very forceful with myself and get rid of mascaras that are old...hopefully.

Let's start with my faves. Benefit makes some good mascara. My first Benefit mascara was the They're Real This little sample came in my Sephora Favorites kit that I got a lot of fave products from- good job Sephora. And it changed my eyelash life. I already have pretty curled lashes and they're relatively thick, but I lack length. I talked about it a little bit here. When it started to get dry-ish was right about the time the Benefit Roller Lash came out and I thought you know what I'm going to get that instead.  AND OMG it was even better than They're Real! This is a $24 mascara and it is worth every penny. Length, volume and curl! Like I said my eyelashes don't need a lot in the curl department but this stuff is amazing. My lashes look real and flawless with this on. I don't know how it does it. You can also use it in tandem with They're Real for more amazingness. I have a backup sample of my They're Real so I wont be repurchasing either right now, but both of these are over 6 months old now and need to be retired. I'm keeping both wands to try to help some of the weaker mascaras we'll talk about soon.  Both of these wands have rubberized bristles and they're kinda hard stiff bristles that hurt like a mother if you ever poke yourself in the eye.

My first foray into high end mascara came at the hands of my first Ipsy bag. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. This stuff gives you false eyelash looking eyelashes with just two coats. I even used this stuff during a show and got away with not having to wear eyelashes! It was amazing. When the sample started to dry out I bought the Pervserion/Subversion Duo from Ulta. The Subversion is a lash primer that's supposed to give added umph. I used it but I don't think it didn't anything too magical.  The full sized version of Perversion however is incredible. It's like the never ending tube of mascara. I have had it since September and it is still rich and creamy and applies as well as the day I got it.  Now considering it's been 10 months I am going to let this mascara go but it pains me because there isn't anything wrong with it! It's just old.  The bristles on these mascaras are fibery traditional bristles very tightly packed. Your lashes do clump a little bit it makes them so thick is doesn't really matter. Right now I don't need to repurchase but if I ever do a theatre show again I'll totally shell out the $22 for this mascara instead of buying flash lashes.

Maybe she's born with amazing lashes...or maybe it's Maybelline. Maybelline is the gold standard of mascara for me. I've used Maybelline my entire makeup wearing life. My first tube was one of those pink and green Great Lashes in Blackest Black and also Royal Blue. The Great Lash classic mascara tube isn't going to do anything spectacular for your lashes, it'll color them and add a little bit of length and separation, but beyond that you're on your own. This is a perfect mascara for no makeup makeup days. Pictured here I have Royal Blue that I purchased for the 4th of July. It's good for the lower lashes but not much else.  Maybelline's the Rocket is another great standard now with rubber bristles that are super short and get great separation in the lashes. This was my go-to before I found the high end ones. Then I've tried a few others the Colossal Pumped Up was a hand me down from my sister and like her I didn't find it too impressive and the Lash Sensational I got because it's supposed to be a dupe for the Roller Lash. I love the formula of it but the brush sucks, I'm keeping my Benefit brushes to see if they'll work with this formula. I'd probably purchase all of these again given the right circumstances or money limitations. Maybelline makes great mascaras. I'm only keeping the Sensational.


My last little group of high end mascaras leave something to be desired. I wish I had my Tarte Lights Camera Lashes because I love that stuff, it's right up there with my Benefit Mascaras. Another $20 mascara I got in an Ipsy bag and that stuff is the shit, so I had high hopes for another Tarte mascara Gifted. This stuff sucks! It's not the worst mascara I've ever used we'll get to that, but it's awful and should not be $20. Then I have a Clinique sample from my sister and a Lancome sample. All three of these are bristle brushes and all three have the same problem. THEY FLAKE! The Clinique one was really good for about a month but then started flaking terribly and the other two flaked from day one. I hadn't had a mascara flake on me in so many years I almost didn't no know what all the black specs on my face were from! I don't have very oily eyelids so I didn't know why my undereyes suddenly looked grey- these mascaras were smearing too! So they just didn't work for me so I will not be purchasing any of them and they're all being retired.

Last but not least my total failures. So two of these are cult favorites! The L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes in Carbon Black is what so many people go back to time and time again because they love the length and volume it gives. This did nothing for me. Spikey rubbery brushes that I usually like but the formula is so wet it wont dry and my lashes stuck together! It was the saddest thing ever! Then the CoverGirl Super Thick Lash was supposed to be a dupe for my Tarte Lights Camera Lashes and whoever said that should shut their dirty mouth because it's not.  Then the last one Volume Eyes from Model Co I got in an Ipsy bag and it just flaked and transferred so I didn't give it much of a try at all.  All three of these bad boys are going in the trash because one they're old now and two they suck.

So at the end of this Makeup Madness I know what I like and what I don't like in mascaras. I prefer a thicker dryer mascara formula with either short rubberized bristles or long fibery ones that are packed super tight together. I have ones I like in both the High End price and the Drugstore range. I hate spending $20 on mascara especially when a $10 sample will usually last me just as long. I'm currently working through my Lash Sensational and another tube of They're Real (sample size) and so I'm set for right now. I'll probably buy another Roller Lash next...it was just so good!

Previous Makeup Maddnesses include Blush, Bronzers & Highlighters, Eye Liners and Lippies!

tarte Tartelette Matte Palette Redux

So this is going to be a combination post. I've been promising to re-review my Tartelette Palette since my first review that I changed my mind on. And also this morning/last night I got a request for a step by step Matte Eye look.  So two birds one awesome eye palette. So I am not an expert at all when it comes to makeup, but I do watch a lot of Beauty Gurus on YouTube and read a lot of makeup blogs so I feel like somewhere out there I have back up for what I'm about to say and do.

I know Matte Eyeshadows are something a lot of people are afraid of because you have to be really careful, blend a lot and they just aren't as forgiving as shimmer shadows.  I think that's why at first I didn't like my Tartelette palette, I didn't know the trick yet.  So I added them to my eyes and wherever I put them they STAYED! Like they did not want to blend and the just wanted to chill in my crease all patchy and sad like.  So I scoured the internet to figure out what I was doing wrong and it wasn't till about 2-3 weeks after I had the palette that Tati shared this eye shadow changing tip on her channel. POWDER. After you primer your eyes, powder your eyes this makes all the difference. I swear! So I'll share in the photo's below how I do this, but I don't just powder my eyes once, I do it twice. And I can tell when I do a crappy job of it cause I get patchy shadow as a side-effect.  On to the step by step process.  (also this could be a little long because I captured the whole process) If you're just here for the eyes skip to Step 10.

Dangit I forgot to capture my BB Creams...sigh

Here's the majority of the products I used today I'll list them all with their shades along the way.  The most important step though is the base. You have to have a good even foundation to start with or the rest of the face falls apart, or melts off.

1.) Start with a naked face. I've added Josie Maran's Argan Oil Light all over my face with my usual ELF under eye Primer.  I also have on some chapstick.

2.) After this I add my allover face primer. I'm still using my Maybelline Master Prime Blur and still enjoying it.

3.) Then I start working on my base. Before I apply any BB creams I add my Lemon Aid primer from Benefit on any discolorations. I use this to neutralize my eyelid shadows and on any blemishes (which right now I seem to have a few)

4.) I also use this time to add my first of many layers of undereye concealer. I'm currently using Benefit's Erase Paste as my salmon based color corrector for under my eyes.



Here you can see my eyelids are a little lighter and my under eyes look a little yellowish but less blue.

5.) Now I add my BB cream. I'm using a mix of my Olay Fresh Effects BB cream and my Smashbox BB Cream.

6.) More concealing. I'm using a sample of Lancome's Effacernes Waterproof Undereye Concealer. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I like the texture but I still think we can do better...I think I have my color correcting down but it's the concealing now that's the problem...sigh

7.) More primer. Now I prime my eyes. I'm still using Wet N Wild's Fergie Take on the Day primer but it's almost out, so on standby I have Milani's eye primer.

8.) Powder! I do not powder my whole face, my skin is too dry for that nonsense but I do powder my eyes and undereye area and anywhere else that has concealer. It's called setting your concealer and it's important. I use Palladio Rice Powder for this, it's light and translucent.

So now we get to the good stuff, now we get to the eyes.

9.) First step to my eyes is to fill in my eyebrows I know I know sometimes I go to far and have very dark eyebrows and sometimes I do just enough and you can't see where I'm missing hair- today is somewhere between. I've been using and loving the NYX micro-pencil it's fabulous I use the shade Taupe.

For the next few steps you'll need a neutral palette I'm going to name the shades in the Tarte Tartelette palette but I'll also describe them and have a shot of the palette later highlighted with the colors I used.

10.) Take Free Spirit or your favorite light cream color all over your lid. I mean all over from eyebrow to lash line. This is the second layer of powder I spoke about earlier this doesn't need to be a thick layer but it needs to be there, your entire eyelid should be the same shade now and smooth when you run the brush over it, no skipping across the eye. I use a fluffy shader brush from Real Techniques called The Base Shadow Brush.

11.) Next I take Caregiver a pale but pigmented baby pink and cover just the moving part of my lid till the crease. I don't carry it into the crease here but cover the who eyelid again till the crease.  I use an ELF Essential Eye Shadow Brush but any short and flat brush will do.

There is now a pretty good amount of powder on my lids. It's not thick, you can't see it but if you run a brush across your lids it would feel very smooth- that's what you want.

12.) Now we attack the crease. I go in with my two medium colors and blend them together with a fluffy short brush by Real Techniques called the Shader Brush. I take this into Force of Nature and Wanderer  and tap off the extra and just start blending it into my crease. From inner corner to outer corner with windshield wiper motions. I go over this as much as I want.  This color covers the crease and goes about it and below it just the slightest. When you open your eyes you should see just a little bit of the crease color above your crease. This will be hard if you have fully hooded eyelids, mine are partially hooded so it works but the more real estate above your crease the easier this will be for you.

Here's how it'll look with eyes open and closed with just the first three eye steps.







13.) Okay here's the test to see if you have enough powder on your lids. Take a medium to dark brown color I used Dreamer on a fluffy domed crease brush I used my ELF Essential Eye Crease Brush. I dip just the top domed part of the brush in the color- start slow- and tap it off. Then I dot this on the outer corner of my eye. Do one eye at a time here, you can ever it out later. And I make a small triangle of shadow here.  (please see very unattractive picture here my lighting was hating me)

14.) Then Blend, blend, blend. Use the same brush, don't add anymore product and blend again into the crease, try not to go above the crease this time, but use the same windshield motions back and forth till it's completely blended out.

15.) Almost done with the eyes- next clean it up. Keep blending till you're happy and see an pretty gradient from one color to the next. No harsh lines, you want it to look smooth and effortless. I always go back into my pale pink and my cream color to re-highlight my browbone and brighten up my inner corner of the lid.

16.) Eyeliner time! I like to use NYX's Dark Brown Gel Liner, it's dark and smooth and goes on like a dream. I apply this with any liner brush right now I'm using my Sephora Liner Brush from high school so I have no idea if they still make it but it works beautifully. I do the very thinnest line I can do, just to darken up the base of my lashes, I don't use a very thick line.

17.) Lower eyeliner- I don't usually use eyeliner on my lower lash line I just take the darkest color eye shadow I used and an angled brush to pop it down there. Today I used Dreamer again and a no-name angled brush.






17.) The final eye step is to add mascara! I'm in love with my Benefit Roller Lash. It's like my Benefit They're Real but curlier. It's fantastic. However before I could finish using it- disaster struck!!!

Oh the tears. 

18.) After I cleaned up my mess. I continued on with the rest of my face. Which pretty much is always the same. Bronzer from my NYX Sunny, Blush from whatever is closest- today was my new Milani Tea Rose this stuff is strong! Then I finish with my ELF highlight in Moonlight Pearls.

And done! Geesh it always seems like such a long process when I write it out! But it really doesn't take me more than 15 minutes. 

Here's a close up of the Tartelette Palette and the colors I used. 

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PS So sorry I've been neglecting my beauty blog! I've been working on an excessive movie project on my main blog . It'll be done by the 30th for my birthday. But this is the most action my other blog has gotten in a while, so it's good for it. Once that project is over I also promise to continue my Makeup Madness series with my liners. 

Makeup Madness! Part 1: Blush.

So I'm going to start a new blog series here to get through my makeup collection. Now I know my makeup collection isn't as ridiculous as some of my favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus but for someone who only has one face and only plays with makeup for fun, it's kinda out of control.  Partially because I'm a hoarder and partially because of the last year.  So here's a picture I added to Instagram tonight to show my collection and over the next few weeks I'll take us through all these things...

New blog series coming about my ridiculous makeup collection. I do not need this much makeup. #makeupmadness #makeupmonday #makeupcollection

A photo posted by Tyler Archer (@tyleralyse) on Feb 2, 2015 at 5:58pm PST

 So blush...first we need to talk about my face. I am fairly fair...but I have a lot of pigment in my face- make sense? Great. Now I am not pale, but I am fair- however in makeup I am usually Beige or Medium if those colors are lighter and more yellow/red in pigment instead of pink/bronzey undertones.  Now here's where it's complicated and I confuse the makeup artists at Sephora and Ulta.  I have yellow undertones and red cheeks and nose.  So I can do cool tones or warm tones...which is so annoying! So that explains why my blush game has suffered for years and I've spent years looking like a clown because I don't even have to put on blush and I can look like I'm wearing too much of it.

So here's the collection...

Well they're pink...yes.  And those pictures suck...well yes too. There are maybe three blushes in these pictures that I've had since before I went blonde (almost a year ago).  And those blushes are either terracotta, rose or hot pink.  Now the blushes I've bought in the last year range in pale pink, hot orange pink, mauve, tea rose, terracotta, neutral pink, peony and what the hell were you thinking pink.  I'll go through them one by one with my thoughts- let's go oldest to newest...

1. NYC New York Color Cheek Glow Powder Blush in Riverside Rose 651- this blush shows up with no pigment on me. I can swatch it on my arm and you can't even see it.  This is a lighter clay rose color and I don't know when or why I bought this. I also don't know why I've kept it, it's clearly the wrong color, I never use it and the logo is still completely visible in the product. Goodbye blush.
2. Ben Nye Dry Cheek Rouge Victorian Rose DR-61- oh my goodness why do I still have this. This is a dark deep rose color and I've had this since high school.  This was a part of my Ben Nye makeup kit I bought for my musical theatre program in high school.  At some point my sister stole it from me because she liked the color and in the last year or so I stole it back from her...I never used it after I stole it back- it was just the principle of the thing.  This blush is so old I can't even swatch it- I rub my finger in it and nothing comes off.  Luckily it doesn't smell, but it's a sad sad blush so it's going to be friends with the NYC blush and my trashcan. One thing I can remember about this blush though is it stays on like a trooper, this stuff wont budge till you tell it to.
3. Very Sexy Mosaic Blush in In Lust by Victoria's Secret.  I've been wanting to do a post on all my Victoria's Secret makeup because I have a lot. There was a time in my life during college and post college where I bought all my makeup from Victoria's Secret. Who could refuse a line called "Very Sexy".  I loved their makeup and this blush is no different.  But it is HOT, like hot hot pink.  I've hit major pan on it but it's still going strong. In the last few years I've mostly used it for theatre and Halloween, but I love this stuff.  A few of the colors in it make great eye shadows too.  There's some shimmer and some matte and all together it's fabulous.  It also stayed on my cheeks all day which I didn't know yet, but would become a problem with future blushes. I'm keeping this...forever- or till it runs out...
4. bareMinerals blush in Poppy. This blush is beautiful! I light rosey pink I wore the hell out of this blush in my early post-college days. There's barely any of this stuff left.  My first boss got me hooked on bareMinerals for a little while.  I used all their products but their blush is the only one I've made this much of a dent in. I think this color is a perfect light flushed color and looks great on many skin tones.  Now like all bareMinerals products about half way through the day I noticed they were gone, very little pigment remained on my cheeks.  I wouldn't repurchase it because the loose powder format is annoying but I'll definitely keep it till it's gone too and if they have a pressed version I'd be open to getting it some day.
5. Lancome Blush Subtil Powder Blush in Cedar Rose- a very neutral almost mauvey rose color. I bought this blush my first Thanksgiving in College Station, so 2ish + years ago.  I bought this because my Glo Mineral Makeup Terra Cotta duo blush had run out- I had gone through 3 of those things inbetween my bareMinerals Days and my Lancome days.  I was sooooo upset. So I went to Ulta and told the lady I was looking for a new blush and of course she took me to the high end section and I just went with it.  She put this on my cheeks and it looked amazing. So natural and pretty I spent the $30 for it and was a super happy camper for the next year and 2 months.  Now this blush was beautiful but once I went blonde it just didn't work with my coloring anymore.  I've hit serious pan on this product too, because you can not overuse this product if you try, but keep it around because I may go back to it eventually- also it smells really nice like all Lancome products.  As far as staying power went it didn't stay all day, but got me through a good 5ish hours- this was before I learned about primer.
6. Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Mellow Wine.  Bring on the pink! This blush is pink. Not hot pink, not cool pink, just pink.  I bought this blush shortly after becoming blonde when I realized I needed some more color in my cheeks. Now my blonde was not a nice subtle dark blonde, but a bleached blonde platinum blonde thing- so to say I was washed out would be an understatement.  This cheap like $2 blush did the trick. It was bright, made me look awake, and sometimes like a clown.  It's really easy to put too much of this stuff on. I frequently looked perfect in my bathroom mirror, got into my car to look in the mirror and realized I had clown face.  Now this stuff still didn't have great staying power, so luckily if I did make it to work clown faced normally by lunch or early afternoon I'd look normal or like I didn't have any blush on at all.  I've since moved on from this blush but will keep it around for shows, Halloween and the likes.  This is basically the drugstore equivalent of my favorite Victoria's Secret Blush.
7. NYX Blush Dusty Rose- A few months after going blonde, I started trying to dye my hair a little more natural of a color, I ended up with a strawberryish orangey blonde color and needed another new blush.  Something less loud than my Wet nWild.  So I went with a a pretty dusty rosey pink closer to my Lancome color but still with a little more pigment.  My cheeks soaked up this blush like I'd never worn blush before.  This stuff would not stay on. I could put on piles of it and my face just kept it all for itself. So this was a short lived blush relationship. Still before I'd discovered primer so I'll keep it around to see if I ever reach for it and use a primer.  It's only $5-6 I probably wouldn't repurchase it because I eventually learned a blush secret, but I'm not going to toss it out just yet either.
8. elf Pressed Mineral Blush in Jet Setter- this is a gorgeous mauvey pink. I love this color and it was only $3.  I just wish it translated on my cheeks stronger! It's very natural looking and had about average for me staying power.  I didn't use it very frequently at all but will give it another try someday. It's such a pretty color and very natural looking, I just had too many new blushes come in right after it and steal it's thunder.
9. Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette- blush in Unleashed- this is a beautiful pale pale pink. Oh my gosh this is gorgeous.  This was my first experience with Tarte and with high end blushes since Lancome. And I'm afraid I can't go back! This blush makes your cheeks look like the perfect pink flush. I have red undertones on my cheeks and it never pulls red, but always stays a beautiful light pink. I wish this blush was in the permanent line because I would use it for always but alas it's limited and so I use it sparingly.  Also this blush lasts all day...all day long. I was amazed and swore it was because it was a high end product.  Love. 
10. Coastal Scents Forever Blush sample duo in weird purple pink and nude.  This was a sample I got in my first Ipsy bag in August.  I didn't care for them.  One the sample was too small to try and two the colors were just wrong. I can't speak to really anything on the quality of these blushes but they're going to go make friends with Ben Nye and NYC- sorry.
11. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in savored.  Another limited edition blush from Tarte darn it!  This blush came in my QVC Today's Special Sweet Indulgences Holiday collection. It came with two blushes the other one wasn't right for me so I passed it on to my sister, but this one is dark mauvey pink with light shimmer. And it's gorgeous.  This was a perfect fall shade and I love it. I feel like the 12-hour is super true because like my other Tarte blush, that I didn't stop using till I got this one, it lasted all day.  I love it! I really started to believe that the high end blushes were bringing something special to the table- or maybe it was just Tarte. All my favorite YouTubers talk about Tarte blushes strongly and I can see why. 
12. Too Faced Blush in Who's Your Poppy? This blush was a part of the Le Belle Carousel holiday set I bought to divide up between friends. This was the section I kept it also has a Chocolate Bronzer in it too, but the blush is gorgeous and very similar to the blush I'm going to talk about next.  It's a shimmery orangey pink with very high shine on the cheeks.  It's lasting power is great if you use a primer under it.  In late fall I discovered using primer on just my cheeks. I'd never liked primer's before because they dried out my face but I learned you could use primer on just your cheeks to make you blush stick around longer- good to know.  I haven't used this blush very much at all, because it's in a duo with a bronzer I'm not letting myself use until I finish up another one. So it's sticking around and will have its time.
13. Nars blush in Orgasm.  If there was every a more hyped up, cult favorite blush of the beauty blogosphere then I don't know what it is.  This blush is talked about by everyone in that it's a color that looks good on everyone.  I got this blush in a holiday set from Sephora and probably never would have just bought it flat out on it's own. However I was thrilled to have it in the set and bought the set in part because this was a full sized product in it.  This blush is an orangey pink with gold shimmer.  The Who's Your Poppy looks very similar but comes off shinier than this one.  Orgasm is a beautiful color and I do imagine it looks good on most people. Whenever I do a really neutral eye look I just throw this on and it adds something special.  This blush has great lasting power and it amazing.  At $30 I'm not sure if I'd buy this blush again though. I wont right away when it's gone since I have a pretty convincing dupe in my Too Faced blush but if I see it for a great deal in a kit again I'd definitely jump on that opportunity.  If you've been eyeing this blush and thinking you want to buy it I recommend it- it's great.
14. Stila Convertible Color in Camellia.  This was a hand me down from my sister- she couldn't make it work for he.  I was a little nervous and apprehensive about my first cream blush product. The color is a very neutral nude with more orange than pink in it.  I thought it'd be good for no-makeup makeup days.  I apply this with my elf small stipple brush and it goes on smooth.  When I first started to use it though my cheeks broke out just a little bit.  I think it's a very thick and heavy formula.  Also since it's a cream it stays kinda dewey and I found I needed to set it with another blush or a translucent powder.  I usually just wear this on the weekends, it doesn't last all day at all and it doesn't pack a high enough color punch for me, but I like having it in my collection and will continue to use it.  I don't think I'd purchase this again but maybe another color in the Convertible Color line.

And that's my blush!  If I had to pick two blushes out of the bunch it'd be my Tarte Unleashed and Nars Orgasm.  Two very different colors but between the two you could get both day and night covered. I really enjoy the higher end blushes.  I use some of my drugstore blushes on the weekends but am really too big a fan of my others now.  

I apply my blush with the Real Techniques Blush Brush.  Don't be intimidated by the size of this brush, it's large but it's perfect. I feel like it prevents me from getting too bag clown face because it helps diffuse the color so much.  

Like a lot of things in my makeup collection right now, I don't need anymore blush.  I do not have a simply blush palette yet and that is on my list for eventually, but right now I have plenty of blushes I enjoy and don't feel like I'm missing anything in my range of pinks.  

Next up bronzers and highlighters...a much smaller collection for me.