Kandee Johnson/ Sephora!

This girl is such a doll. I really am inspired by her tutorials. A girlfriend (Monique) turned me on to her. She's so fresh, incredibly pretty and she's a lovely makeup artist. Lots of great tips, here.

Monday- I went to Sephora. I seldom go, but thought it was time to check out, in PERSON, all of the delightful things I've been coveting.

I think the first rule of makeup purchasing is- IF POSSIBLE, TEST IT. Everything looks incredible, magazine-ized. Every (good) review has you chomping at the bit to possess said item. Every pallet feels like it's going to expand your world of beauty. But the fact of the matter is- just a few brush strokes, finger smooshes and sponge smudges later, that $54 book of colors has lost its luster. So for this reason, I went. A mission, of sorts, to dispel the fantasy.

The thing I wanted to try most, was Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows, by Urban Decay. There is NO QUESTION- these shadows are fine. They're almost creamy (kind of a Bare Minerals powder-cream situation) and settle into every surface they're spread on (in my case, the back of my hand... in about a thousand different strokes of color).

I would ABSOLUTELY grab this book, if I thought I'd use all of the colors. I'm doing my best to move past the insane eye makeup bonanzas I get up to, as I think a more natural approach is better for the soul. But- if you are a person who WOULD use all of these colors, I think the price is utterly worth it. Note- I've been hearing/reading, over and over, these are just their most popular colors, renamed in a theme. So if you have some U.D. colors already, compare.

Note- IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED URBAN DECAY'S PRIMER POTION, please, please do your eyelids a favor... (it even comes in three shades, now!).

I think my fave of everything I spread on the backs of my hands, and up my arm, was Tarte. And note- I really just tried shadows.

Tarte's shadows are so soft, they almost become dust, when you touch them. They go on lightly and spread/blend beautifully. I think their colors are wearable and natural and their palates are BIG. I mean- the pots. The one pictured, above, is misleading. I thought the squares might be 3/4", a piece. But no- they're probably 1 1/4- 1 1/2", squared. Really worth it.

Next, I tried scents. Much to my surprise, Kim Kardashian's scent was really lovely. I also liked almost every one of Pacifica's scents. Light and inexpensive. The kind you can reapply all day long without it ever being overwhelming. I like to do a lot of re-spray.

Overall, it was a splendid trip. I didn't have a powerful urge to leave with anything expensive. In fact, I only bought a couple of Dry Oils (Sephora brand) that were on sale for $5 each.

Hooray for Sephora Day (kind of like President's Day, but with more lipgloss)!