MARILYN FEVER!!!

A very important thing happened in makeup history today.

The Marilyn Monroe Collection by MAC came out!

I have always been a huge Marilyn fan so when I found out that MAC was doing a Marilyn collection, I knew that despite my very meager budget, at least a few of the products would be mine! I vowed to only eat canned tuna fish and cereal if it would allow me to lay hands on this collection!

But by the time I was able to get online and check it out, the entire collection was SOLD OUT! I immediately called my local MAC store and they did have a few pieces left in stock. Let me reiterate that the Marilyn collection came out TODAY and it is selling out faster than you can say hot cakes! I was able to get my hands on three beautiful items, but lets be honest here, it really wouldn't matter if they were the ugliest shades I've ever seen. It's MARILYN MONROE, people!

What's better is that I actually do love the colors I got! 

Now, I really do wish I was a die hard Marilyn collector who would never once touch the items, save them in a shadow box under archival lighting, and later sell them for a million dollars, but I just can't help myself! I've already tried everything on and I shall be wearing it all as often as possible!

And I think that when the products run out I will always keep the packaging as my own personal little collectors items. Think how cool and retro they will look 20 years from now!

And now, without further ado, here are some pics of the little beauties!

How wonderful is this packaging???

Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush

Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek

Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary

Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary

Marilyn Monroe in The Perfect Cheek

Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary

Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek

These shades look quite muted on camera and in person, but on fair skin they are actually very pigmented! The Perfect Cheek has a nice plummy undertone and Legendary is a beautiful soft peach.

Marilyn Monroe Dazzleglass in Phiff!

Of the two Dazzleglass shades in this collection this one had a very slightly peachier sheen but it is essentially a clear with high shimmer

Top to Bottom: Marilyn Monroe Dazzleglass in Phiff, Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek, Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary

Photo update the next morning: Using The Perfect Cheek blush and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Precious with Pfiff! on top

Face Mask and Lipstick???

I wasn't planning on doing a review today at all. But as I was washing my face this evening I saw some bumps looming, dum dum DUM...and I thought a good purifying mask might be in order. Out came my little unsung hero, the same mask I've been using since I was old enough to put a mask on (which for me was probably around 4!), the one and only Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque!

Masking it up!

Now I have used  many, many face masks in my skincare career, some that were great and some that were awful, some that were cheap but mostly they all seem to cost a fortune, and I still always keep a tube of Mint Julep Masque at the ready. It's smells minty, as you would imagine, feels creamy going on, and leaves your skin feeling tightened, toned, and very soft. The best thing about this little wonder aside from that fact that it really does work, is the price! This gigantic tube only cost $3.79! For that price, you practically owe it to yourself to give this mask a try!

As for the second part of this review, you may notice that my lips in the picture above are rather nicely stained.  This wonderful phenomenon happened quite by accident and was only noticed as I was applying the mask! And just like that, my next beauty discovery was born! ;)

Earlier in the day I had applied one of my forgotten Cover Girl Lip Perfection lipsticks and went about my business. I had some soup, did a little cleaning, some bathroom organizing, face washing, teeth brushing, and mask applying. It was only then that I realized how bright my lips still were! Amazing! This lipstick is not a longwear formula, it's just a regular old lipstick in the amazing shade Tempt (I'm pretty sure I got this in a buy one get one half off sale at Walgreens but it's available almost anywhere), and it is perfect for Fall, which is why I pulled it out today in the first place. But I guess I had never realized the staining power that this particular shade gives! When Tempt is applied in the usual way, it feels smooth and creamy, and as it wears off the stain left behind feels comfortable and not tight or dry like some stains. It's a beautiful cool cherry that's not too pink and not too red and it will now be a go-to shade to keep in my purse! There's something about a red stain that is so much more wearable than a full on lipstick. You don't have to worry about it getting on your teeth or feathering out at the edges. That said, this shade performs great as both a classic creme lipstick and a stain giving it a solid A+ in my book!

Have you ever come across a go-to favorite by accident?

Cover Girl Lip Perfection in Tempt