Clinique, Urban Decay, and More (Pay It Forward)

On my favorite makeup forum, theres a thread called "Pay It Forward."  I love it.  The idea is that one person posts an offer of beauty products they no longer want.  Another person claims it.  The one who claims it then has to post a new offer of beauty products they no longer want.  The cycle continues from there.  It's a great way to try "new-to-me" stuff for free and pass on other stuff to someone who will appreciate it.  One lady's trash is another lady's treasure.  Here's the lastest "Pay It Forward" I claimed and received in the mail today.

Clinique All About Eyes Concealer in Light Golden and 

Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again.

These two products I will adopt into my collection and give myself 

30 days to "Use 'Em or Lose 'Em."

Darling Girl Cosmetics Hollywood, New Beginnings, and Dandelion Dust; 

Silk Naturals Faith and Tamale; 

Bare Minerals Good Fortune; 

(a small selection of loose pigments in sample baggies, not pictured)

These products I will attempt to Swap/Sell probably as freebies to share the love.  

I'm not much for loose pigments anymore.

Lastly, my "forum friend" included three homemade lip balms that look gorgeous!

I can't wait to try them out.  I'm impressed!

Can't give first impressions on these products yet since I haven't been able to use them, but people aren't joking about Urban Decay's Midnight Cowboy Rides Again when they say it is sparkly and full of fall-out.

Has anyone found a way to use Midnight Cowboy Rides Again?  I'll have to be creative.  And how about Clinique All About Eyes Concealer?  Thoughts?

DIY: The Too Faced New Romantic Make-Up Collection, Remodeled

A month or two ago, I received the Too Faced New Romantic Make-Up Collection in a swap from another "forum friend."  I was very excited.  I've enjoyed the three eyeshadows and the blush in the palette, but I've had one big complaint.

I strongly dislike when companies mix in lip glosses with powdered products.  Talk about nasty-looking contamination!  There's always powdered bits of makeup making their way into the sticky glosses, and I can't bring myself to use them looking that way.  Besides, since this was a used palette, I felt somewhat hesitant to use the lip products anyway.

So, after thinking and considering what to do, I decided I would look into a magnetized palette in which to put the eyeshadows and blush.  Lip glosses: "Bye-bye."

The cheapest palette I could find was Elf's Elements palette, which had two drawbacks.  It was not magnetized, and it was set up for round products, not rectangular.

I fixed that by removing the circular guides and supergluing the metal sheet to the bottom of the palette.  I then began dismantling the Too Faced palette and preparing the powder products to be magnetized.

Using a knife to loosen the top cardboard layer from the base.

Success!  All the products were accessible...

Blush Fail!  I learned the hard way that the putty knife was a better tool for the job.

Into the garbage with the blush... Sad day...

Practicing removal of the products by messing with the glosses first -- Bye-bye!

And, success!  Three eyeshadows saved!

Preparing the adhesive magnetic sheets for the back of the shadows.

Project in progress...

I dug the blush back out of the garbage.  

I use it as an eyeshadow anyways, and it's a beautiful color.  

Although a bit less pretty than it once was, it's salvagable, I think.

Finished product.

Overall success.

My goal was two-fold with this project:

1. Promote creativity. CHECK!

2. End up with a smaller, space-saving palette. CHECK!

Not so bad for my first attempt!

What DIY projects have you done lately involving your makeup collection?

Tarte for Tarte: SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner in Smoke

Welcome to the family, Smoke!

I just had a wonderful swap with a "forum friend." I sent her Tarte's EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener and Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lipgloss in Zesty Red.  She sent me a gently-used Elf Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder as a backup for the one I already own as well as Tarte's SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner in Smoke.  So, it was a "Tarte for Tarte" swap, so to speak.  She also kindly included a pencil sharpener that works quite well for the size of the SmolderEYES pencil.  How generous!

Elf Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder, 

Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner in Smoke, & 

Jumbo Pencil Sharpener

Smoke, swatched

First Impressions: I used Smoke today after a fresh sharpening to simply line my eyes. The texture was very smooth and I love the color.  It's a dark metallic grey.  I wore kind of a light grey smokey eye with it and a true pink blush on my cheeks.  I won't be surprised if this turns into a "Keeper" in my collection well within my 30 day challenge!

Have you tried any of the SmolderEYES pencils from Tarte?  How about the Elf Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder?

Week 1 Collection Update

"Use It or Lose It!" (my 30-day challenge) really has already motivated me to get rid of some items, or at least make an attempt at doing so!  Here's the updated list!

Numbers indicate on which day of the 30 day challenge I used the item.  (October 1 = Day 1; October 2 = Day 2; etc.) Once I use something three times, I'm going to label it a "keeper" meaning I no longer will keep track of what days I use it on.

Foundations:
Elf Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Porcelain 1, 2, 4 "Keeper!"
Everyday Minerals Base in Ivory 3, 5, 7 "Keeper!"
Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum 3, 5, 7 "Keeper!"

Concealers:
Elf Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter in Light/Glow 1, 2, 4 "Keeper!"
Elf Tone Correcting Powder 2, 4, 6 "Keeper!"
Everyday Minerals Aussie Perk Me Up Concealer 3, 5, 7 "Keeper!"

Eye Primer:
Elf Eyelid Primer in Nude 3, 7
Elf Eyelid Primer in Pearl 4, 5

Eye Shadow:
Elf Studio Beauty School 32-Pice Eyeshadow Palette Vol. 2 Bright
Elf Studio Eyeshadow Single in Oatmeal 5
Elf Studio Eyeshadow Single in Sand Dollar
Jouer Creme Shadow in Cashmere attempting to Swap/Sell
NYX Trio in Guru 5
Tarte TENN Eyeshadow Palette 4, 7
Too Faced Matte Eyeshadow Collection 3
Too Faced The New Romantic Makeup Collection Palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Delinquent 6
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Sin 1,2

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Juju 6

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Clash

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Rehab
Vincent Longo Trio in Premiere Dream 6

Eyeliner:
Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Black 1
Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Cobalt Blue

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Coffee

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Forest Green 2

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Midnight 4

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Plum 3

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Stardust 6

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Teal 5
Jouer Eye Definer in Gris attempting to Swap/Sell
L'oreal Infallible Eyeliner in Carbon Black 6
Milani Color Brilliance Eye Pencil lin 02 Aqua

Blushes:
Elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion 7
Jouer Powder Blush in Peach Bouquet 3
Laura Geller Blush & Brighten in Apricot Berry 1
Milani Minerals Blush in Luminous 5
Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Blissful 6

Bronzers:
Elf Essential Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder 7
Elf Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder 2, 4, 7 "Keeper!"

Highlighters:
Elf Studio Blush in Gotta Glow 2, 5
Jouer Highlighter in Champagne attempting to Swap/Sell
Nars Orgasm Illuminator
Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder in Champagne 4
Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder in Rose 3, 6

Lip Gloss:
Bath & Body Works Liplicious Tasty Lip Color in Cherry Gelato attempting to Swap/Sell
Bath & Body Works Liplicious Tasty Lip Color in Whipped Vanilla GONE!
Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss in Sweet Pink 6
Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss in Zesty Red GONE!
Elf Candy Shop Lip Gloss in Coconut Crazed attempting to Swap/Sell as a freebie
Elf Glow Pout Perfecter 2, 7
Elf Mineral Lip Gloss in Pageant Princess 1
Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Mirage 2, 5

Lipstick: (All lipsticks I am currently attempting to Swap/Sell as freebies)
Elf Barely Bitten
Elf Pouty Petal
Elf Rustic Brick
Mineralogics Rum Raisin
Mineralogics Pecan/Berry
NYX Christie
Ulta Lip Color in Glamour Goddess

New to the Family:
NEW! (7 Oct.) Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner in Smoke 7
NEW! (7 Oct.) Clinique All About Eyes Concealer in Light Golden
NEW! (7 Oct.) Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again

Day 7 - FOTD

Here's what I wore from my stash on Day 7:


Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum
Everyday Minerals Base in Ivory
Everyday Minerals Concealer in Aussie Perk Me Up
Elf Eyelid Primer in Nude
Tarte TEN Eyeshadow Palette
NEW! Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner in Smoke
Elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion
Elf Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder
Elf Essential Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder
Elf Glow Pout Perfecter

Day 6 - FOTD

Here's what I wore from my stash on Day 6:

Elf Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Porcelain
Elf Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter in Light/Glow
Elf Tone Correcting Powder
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Delinquent
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Juju
Vincent Longo Trio in Premier Dream
L'oreal Infallible Eyeliner in Carbon Black
Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Stardust
Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Blissful
Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder in Rose
Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lipgloss in Sweet Pink

Jouer Products I've Decided to Let Go...

*All of the photos in this post are of the actual products I'm attempting to swap or sell.  

If you look closely, you can see they are swatched.*

These were brand new products I only purchased a couple of weeks ago.  I swatched them, and I do like them...  So I guess I won't be heartbroken if they don't sell or if I'm unable to swap them away.  But I'd rather turn them in for something else...

Jouer Highlighter in Champagne, Creme Shadow in Cashmere and Eye Definer in Gris

Super Cool Feature:  The two little palettes clip together for easy purse storage or travel.  Genius!

They can also be clipped back-to-back, making them super compact!

So, I'm hoping to sell them for $15 each.  They retail for $20.  Wish me luck!