New Sephora & MAC purchases!

I've been on a bit of a makeup binge lately, it's so fun though. Some fun purchases I wanted to share are the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary eyeshadow palette, that I ordered from Sephora to also get the Dolce & Gabbana perfume VIB freebie... and a few fun lip colors from MAC. I was super excited to receive the Urban Decay palette, because the Naked palette was such a hit for me!

The palette arrived yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it to see the colors. I'd ordered the palette only after seeing the colors online, and I wasn't sure if some of them would be as wearable or good looking in real life as they came across in promotional pictures. However after I opened my palette, I was happy to find that a number of the colors jumped out at me as very wearable and great for daytime looks.

The packaging was also fantastic, it's a very weighty palette and comes with the cutest velvet lining - with a little storage compartment underneath the shadows. (Note: Be careful trying to open the storage compartment, I nicked the shadow in the bottom right corner trying to get it open after I took these pictures... and eventually devised a successful plan to open it with a chop stick. So I'm not sure how useful the compartment would be in the long run until the shadow is all gone.)

Upon first glance, my favorite colors in the 15th anniversary palette are: Omen, Midnight 15, Vanilla, Flow, Deeper, and MIA. We'll see if those are still favorites once I get a chance to try them out! I'm planning on trying to swatch the colors tonight, so I'll try to upload some photos tomorrow of how they look against my fair skin.

Also included in my box from Sephora was a freebie available to VIBS - a deluxe size spray of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue fragrance. I'm excited to try it out, as I posted in my previous blgo post - because it seems to be reviewed as a universally flattering perfume. (And I've also heard that almost all males love it on women, so we'll see if my husband takes notice at all!)

And just because it arrived in the mail at the same time that my Sephora box arrived... here are a few items that I ordered from MAC while they were having their free shipping promotion. Blankety lipstick and Evolution Revolution lipglass.

Here's a quick swatch of what they look like on, great neutrals for everyday!

MAC Blankety lipstick on left; MAC Evolution Revolution lipglass on right

Finishing off the summer by trying out some new perfumes...

I've been kind of finding myself in beauty related "themes", trying out new eye products, then new lip products, then going onto things related to hair. (Really loving some products by Alterna and Ojon, which I'll do a review on in the future.) My most recent interest though has been changing up my perfumes, trying to rotate some new choices into my typical "go-to" choices.

The perfumes that I keep on hand and that I wear year round are light, playful fragrances - that can be worn daily and adapt to a number of situations. I've worn Vera Wang Princess for years and it's one of my go-to perfumes that I don't hesitate to use for daily wear. It's flirty and has a slight floral undertone, but isn't overpowering because I hate feeling like I'm walking around in a perfume wall.

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz. size, $60

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy is another one of my favorites that I keep on hand, also light and not overpowering. It's a sweet smelling perfume with slight floral undertones and has staying power that really only lasts for a few hours, so it's better for short trips out of the house to run errands or something to that effect.

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz. size, $69

One of the heavier perfumes that I rotate in to my routine occasionally, but don't use on a daily basis is Chanel's Chance. It has more of a musky undertone that my other more daily use perfumes - but is nice when I want to be a bit dressier or I'm going to dinner.

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz, $68

Onto the perfumes that I'm planning on trying to rotate into my usual choices. I received a small sample of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue from Sephora and then read reviews on it that said it was universally flattering. I have a deluxe sample on the way to me from Sephora to try out and if all goes well it might be brought into the rotation. It has a light scent that is nice enough for every day, but is different enough from my other staple perfumes that it should be a nice  option for something different to wear.

www.sephora.com, 1.6 oz. size, $64

Okay, this next one... I admit, I just want because of the pretty, pretty packaging. Ha! I've been eyeing the Hello Kitty perfume sold exclusively at Sephora ever since it was first released, and I think it might be time to try it. From the reviews and also a deluxe sample that I've been using at home - it does smell a lot like a watered down version of Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy. However, I think it *might* be just different enough to justify the purchase of the adorable Hello Kitty atomizer perfume bottle... because after all, that's an investment too, right?

www.sephora.com, 1.7 oz size, $55

One last perfume that I've been thinking of trying, for I admit - reasons of marketing more than anything - is Escada's Taj Sunset. Sephora has a deal going on right now when you spend $25 online, you can receive a free deluxe sample of this perfume. It's supposed to have a fruity scent and sounds like it would be the perfect perfume to round out the summer on...

www.sephora.com, 1.6 oz. size, $55

So what perfumes will I end up choosing to add into the collection to end summer with? It's anyone's guess, but I'm planning on heading over to Sephora this week to compare some of the previously mentioned perfumes and to also test a few perfumes, like Marc Jacobs' Oh, Lola. I'll be sure to do a review on the ones I choose!