Available April 18, 2013 (North America) and May 2013 (International) at all MAC locations

M·A·C loves everything about a cupcake. Face Powder arrives in exclusively designed cupcake patterns, and Lustre Drops create a luminous finish. Pro Longwear Paint Pots add a touch of dazzle. Haute & Naughty Lash delivers two-in-one coverage. Lipstick lays it on soft and tempting in tones including Devil’s Food and Raspberry Swirl. Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm provides nutrient-rich moisture. Nail Lacquer decorates in glittering Bleu Velvet and Pistachio Crème. And for professional results, two limited-edition brushes with pastel accents. Hello, cupcake!

(click for full size!)

(click for full size!)

Lipstick ($15.00 US/$18.00 CDN)

• Pure Decoration light white peach (cremesheen)
• Raspberry Swirl light white blue pink (cremesheen)
• Lavender Whip light cool lavender (cremesheen)
• Devil’s Food glossy deep plum (frost)

Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm ($19.50 US/$22.50 CDN)

• Baking Beauty creamy light peach
• Cheery Cheery creamy mid-tone blue pink
• Sweet Tooth creamy lilac
• Glacé creamy pale baby blue

Haute & Naughty Lash ($20.00 US/$23.50 CDN)

• Haute & Naughty Black black

Brushes

• 252SE Large Shader ($31.00 US/$37.50 CDN)
• 129SE Powder/Blush ($35.00 US/$42.00 CDN)

Pearlmatte Face Powder ($29.00 US/$34.00 CDN)

• In for a Treat champagne base with matte coral flower and mint leaves
• Pink Buttercream light silvery pink base with dark pink flowers and periwinkle leaves

Pro Longwear Paint Pot ($18.50 US/$22.00 CDN)

• Fancy Frosting frosted white
• Let’s Skate pale pink with pearl
• Mooncake warm beige
• Éclair light chocolate with gold pearl
• Dangerous Cuvée frosted cool grey

Glitter ($21.00 US/$25.00 CDN)

• Reflects Transparent Teal sparkling white with turquoise
• Pink bright pink

Lustre Drops ($21.00 US/$25.00 CDN)

• Pink Rebel blue pink with gold pearl

Nail Lacquer ($16.00 US/$19.00 CDN)

• Confectionary light blue pink (cream)
• Pistachio Crème light teal mint (cream)
• Bleu Velvet light periwinkle blue (cream)

February’s Birchbox was “Red Carpet Ready” themed in honor of film awards season. Mine included a mini Catwalk Your Highness Root Boost Spray, Dr. Jart BB cream, Couture La La fragrance, TheBalm Hot Mama!, and a Ghirardelli chocolate square with caramel filling.

First, the chocolate was a delicious and much needed snack while packing. Catwalk Your Highness did provide some root lift for me, but nothing more than light teasing would do. It might be better suited to very thin hair. The Dr. Jart BB cream was about 4 shades too dark but otherwise I thought the texture was nice. I love Hot Mama, which is a peachy coral blush with gold shimmer. It looks similar to NARS Orgasm in the pan but in reality is much less pink. I love these small blushes because they’re great for travel or a makeup bag in your purse.

March’s box was “March Madness” themed in honor of the basketball series (I’m kind of sad with sports and honestly I wouldn’t have known that apart from all the guys at my office talking about their brackets non-stop). The box included Miss Jessie’s Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo and Creme de la Creme Conditioner, Sumita eyeliner in bright aqua, Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream, and a Madewell nail file.

Interestingly enough, the Madewell nail file was my favorite item in this box. I love the pattern and the quality of the file was great. We’ll see how it holds up after a few more uses. Otherwise I found the box pretty unremarkable. I’m apprehensive about applying anything “enzymatic” to my face from an unknown brand, I typically can’t use scented shaving creams, I see very little use for an aqua eyeliner in my life, and I’m pretty happy with my current haircare products. In other words, like the real March Madness, this Birchbox left me underwhelmed.

Hoping for a better surprise next month!

The short story is that I am most likely leaving WordPress for good. It’s just not secure enough for me to run on my own, and I don’t ever want to get hacked again.

The good news is that I will most definitely keep blogging on another platform, probably under the same name. This catastrophe served as a wake up call to get back on track with blogging and get back to the parts I used to enjoy so much. I think I lost a lot of my enjoyment when I tried to make blogging a money-producing job instead of a hobby (not that I ever made much money from it). Time to get back to basics I think.

The best news is that, to my knowledge, none of your information or security was compromised due to the hack.

The good news is that I had a chance to do some redecorating, and I had some options since we had 2 pretty complete sets of furniture to work with. A lot was sold on Craigslist (met some really “interesting” people there). I thought I’d give you guys a peek at the things I found and the spaces I decorated… keep in mind we’re still working on a recent college grad budget

Also want to say up front that some of these items were purchased with a gift card I received from Target for testing out their new Threshold line of household goods. I’ve always been a big Target shopper (remember that college grad budget?) so there are also items I purchased with my own money at Target over the last year or so. Everything was around or under $20.

Starting with the entryway, I found a cute door mat that’s scratchy enough to get gunk off your shoes before going inside. I thought it was pretty and a little feminine without going overboard.

Probably went a little too feminine for (boyfriend) G’s taste on the entryway, featuring a mirror I got at Target when I moved into my apartment last year. Need to finish perking up this area with some picture frames or candles, any ideas?

Next up is the living room, where I took some “before and after” photos. Here is “before” with a mix of my white furniture and G’s red sofa and chair. I love that TV unit, but it looked kind of sad with the cheapo cloth bins I bought a few years back. I also disliked how cluttered the table looked.

I purchased some wicker bins for the TV unit and put up a few knick knacks from my old apartment to make it look a little classier.

And I got a matching wicker tray for the coffee table to hold the remotes and such. Dug through my “decorations” box for some old pictures and invitations to fill out the display top on the table.

Next up were the bathrooms. G and I had navy blue and aqua shower curtains before (from Target, coincidentally) and although I love the colors, they didn’t go well with our beige bathrooms and brown/orange countertops…. still need to work on the towels, but I’m hesitant to purchase before we settle down for good.

I got this Moroccan-inspired shower curtain for our main bathroom, along with a taupe bath mat (I think it was actually a door mat) and double-sided curtain rings — no more squeaking from the cheap shower curtain rings! The bath mat is a huge improvement over the folded towel we were using before.

We use our second bedroom as an office (gotta fit all this nerd somewhere, right?) and for that bathroom I purchased a brown and ivory paisley shower curtain along with the same taupe bath mat and shower curtain rings. G also had some ivory and brown trash cans from his old apartment, so we used those in both bathrooms. Perfect match!

That’s all I’ve got for now. The office is a work in progress and I haven’t found the right vanity yet, so my makeup is living in a sad plastic drawer unit for now. Still, I’m really pleased with our apartment and the complex as a whole, and I love living with my best friend.

Have you redecorated lately? Do you have any tips?

It’s the right mix of classic and modern. An effortless elegance. Beautiful, yet affordable. Designed for a lifetime of housewarmings. It’s everything you’ll love about your home.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are my own and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.

• Want perfect skin in less than 5 minutes? Check out Jenn from Spiced Beauty’s review on the Make Up For Ever PRO Finish Foundation!
• Phyrra shares her IMATS LA 2013 experience!
• Beauty Reflections found her halo with the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light!
• Love purple eyeshadow, but want something with a little more impact? Fake bright eyes and hydrated skin with this violet eyes + cream textures tutorial on theNotice.
• Amy Antoinette reviews the beautiful Clarins SS13 Makeup Collection.
• Check out Krasey Beauty’s latest party face of the day!
• Jessika from polish insomniac was sure she wouldn’t like the Liquid Sands in the Mariah Carey by OPI collection. Was she right? Find out!
• On the hunt for the perfect green eyeshadow? Head over to Makeup Morsels for a review of L’Oreal Golden Emerald, a true drugstore gem.
• Jenny uses Chanel Mirifique and MAC Reflects to create a shimmery smoky eye on My Funny Valentine.
• Gouldylox shows her favorite makeup for winter weather; products that hydrate, help the face look fresh, with a pop of spring colors.
• See how Kim Porter transformed this beauty by giving her a bold lip using OCC Lip Tars.
• Need some Valentine’s Day manicure ideas? Check out Audrey Dao’s Manicure Monday for some Valentine’s Day manicures!
• Is the famous Hydraluron Serum really all that and a bag of chips? Find out at Musing on Beauty, where Mariella tells you everything about it!
• Will Guerlain’s new limited edition Sakura Blush G give you a pretty pink glow for spring? Find out over at Pleasureflush!
• Cindy at Prime Beauty has an early Valentine just for you! A look at the new Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Soft and Sexy Eye Shadow Collection!
• Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed has got diva-worthy nails thanks to the Mariah Carey by OPI Collection! Check out her swatches and see what you think of the new Liquid Sand texture!
• Pammy Blogs Beauty continues to build her MAC Collection with her MAC Matters: Build a Core MAC Collection with $21 a month. See what she got for her January Challenge!
• Take a look at two new shades of the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colors out for Spring, over at Makeup, Beauty and More!

This month’s Birchbox was themed around the new year and included a fold-out poster with self-improvement tips, which I mostly ignored (the other side of the poster was actually pretty cute! See below).

Inside I had 5 samples, of which I have only actually tested 4, because I take forever to try new hair products.

• Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo: see above shameful admission
• Caudalie Vinexpert Radiance Day Cream SPF 15: this was nice but nothing stellar, I don’t normally wear day cream so this isn’t something I would purchase.
• Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner: Eyeko used to have a similarly packaged eyeliner that I used and loved despite the dysfunctional packaging. Pleased to see that the packaging has been improved and the eyeliner is just as good, if not better. See original review here.
• Aerie Shimmer Fragrance: I thought this was a tiny wrapped chocolate at first and was annoyed to see it was another fragrance sample. The most common complaint I hear about beauty sample boxes is that they contain too many fragrance samples and there’s basically no way to stop them. I wish someone would make this an option! Oh, and I wasn’t in love with the perfume, I thought it smelled mature in a bad way.
• Deborah Lippmann the Stripper To Go: this single-serve packet contained a tiny finger mitt pre-soaked with polish remover. It did a great job of removing polish (as good or better than my beloved Zoya Remove+), but I was concerned about soaking my index finger with remover for several minutes while I worked on the other nails. Probably wouldn’t purchase, but it is a good product.

tips poster

front of poster

Like all good beauty bloggers, I’m never satisfied with my current routine and always wanting to change things up. So, even though I still like the BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream I’ve been using for a few months, I wanted to try something else, perhaps something with a lighter texture. I poked around my favorite beauty blogs and saw that everyone is raving about NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, which offers light coverage along with a lot of skincare benefits.

I went to Sephora this weekend to test out colors and there happened to be a NARS rep in my store for the day. We were both disappointed to discover that even the lightest shade, Finland, was too dark for my skin. She tried to get me to buy NARS Sheer Matte in Siberia (a perfect color match), but I wasn’t having any of it. I wanted the product I came for!

I jokingly asked if she would tell NARS they should make a lighter shade and she replied that NARS was already planning to expand the Tinted Moisturizer shade range in both directions, lighter and darker. This is very exciting news for those of us at the ends of the color spectrum! No timeline as of yet (I forgot to ask, oops). I’ll see if I can get in touch with NARS PR to ask and of course update you if/when I find any new info.

For reference, here are the current shades (courtesy of Karla Sugar):

G = Gilt   |   H = Hautelook   |   R = Ruelala   |   I = Ideeli   |   C = Coterie

Beauty.com

• Coupon: $10 off $50 + free shipping through this link (expires 12/31)
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Bobbi Brown

• 3 deluxe samples + free shipping with $49 order and code LWEYE (expires 1/31)
  • Long-Wear Eye Makeup Remover, Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara, and Hydrating Eye Cream
• Free gift wrap on all orders (select at checkout), no code necessary
• Free shipping on $65+ orders, no code necessary

DermStore

• 20% off  when you shop from your ‘favorites’ list (expires 1/29)
• Free shipping on all U.S. orders, no code necessary
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Drugstore.com

• 20% off everything in the green & natural department
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Molton Brown

• Free 1 oz mini with every order, no code necessary
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NARS Cosmetics

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SkincareRx

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Available January 31, 2013 at all MAC locations

The snake-inspired collection is defined by a palette of vibrant shades and shimmering finishes. Beauty powder illuminates the skin, eyes shadow creates striking contrasts, and pigments intensify the effect. Zoom Lash adds definition and Powerpoint Eye Pencil defines a razor-sharp line. Lipsticks quiver with lustre and MAC’s exclusive packaging slithers with chic – featuring Beauty Powder, Lipsticks and Eye Shadows embossed with a gorgeous snake design.

Large Eye Shadow ( $21.00 US/$25.00 CDN)

• Once Upon a Time… Metallic vanilla (veluxe pearl)
• Aztec Brick Frosted true copper (veluxe pearl)
• Altered State Deep frosted blue purple (veluxe pearl)
• Carbon Intense black (matte)

Pigment ($21.00 US/$25.00 CDN)

• Brash & Bold Bright magenta
• Push the Edge Deep bright purple with pearl

Lipstick ($15.00 US/$18.00 CDN)

• Freckletone Neutral peach (Lustre)
• Plumful Blossoming rose-plum (Lustre)
• Cockney Sheer yellow red with multidimensional pearl (Lustre)

Beauty Powder ($24.00 US/$29.00 CDN)

• Shell Pearl Pale peach with gold pearl

Powerpoint Eye Pencil ($16.00 US/$19.00 CDN)

• Engraved Rich black

Zoomlash Mascara ($16.00 US/$19.00 CDN)

• Zoomblack Rich black

Once Upon a Time…

Aztec Brick

Altered State

Carbon

Brash & Bold

Push the Edge

Freckletone

Plumful

Cockney

Available January 31, 2013 (NYC only) / February 7, 2013 (North America) / March 2013 (International)

Betty and Veronica – the names alone are a vivid four-colour flashback to an era of sweet, comic book innocence. Their eternal love triangle, with all-American freckle-faced Archie, is legendary in its teen tension, tight sweaters, and two-toned saddle shoe charm. Girl-next-door blonde Betty vs. vivacious, spoiled rich-girl, brunette Veronica, an epic rivalry, now in two contrasting MAC colour collections, packaged in exclusively designed cases.

Betty

Lipstick ($16.50 US/$20.00 CDN)

• Girl Next Door Vivid blue pink (lustre)
• Betty Bright Light vibrant peach (satin)
• Oh, Oh, Oh Sheer brown plum (lustre)

Lipglass ($16.50 US/$20.00 CDN)

• Summer Sweetheart Light peach
• Stay Sweet Light lavender pink
• Kiss & Don’t Tell Bright coral

Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner ($16.50 US/$20.00 CDN)

• Lord It Up Bronze with pearl
• Black Swan Black with gold pearl

Opulash ($17.50 US/$21.00 CDN)

• Optimum Black Saturated intense black

Pigment ($23.00 US/$27.50 CDN)

• Cheers My Dear Light lavender (frost)
• Lucky In Love Shimmering light blue green (frost)

Nail Lacquer ($17.50 US/$21.00 CDN)

• Pep Pep Pep Light peach nude
• Comic Cute Bright coral

Powder Blush ($22.00 US/$26.00 CDN)

• Cream Soda Light neutral coral (satin)

Pearlmatte Face Powder ($30.00 US/$35.00 CDN)

• Flatter Me Golden peach base (Shell Pearl Beauty Powder) with coral hearts (Foolish Me Powder Blush)

Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow x 4 ($44.00 US/$52.00 CDN)

• Caramel Sundae Mid-tone warm tan (satin)
• Cheryl Chic Light coral pink (frost)
• Dreammaker Pale frosty yellow (frost)
• Showstopper Dark, cool-toned brown (matte)

Veronica

Lipstick ($16.50 US/$20.00 CDN)

• Daddy’s Little Girl Mid-tone pink violet (satin)
• Ronnie Red Bright Red (matte)
• Boyfriend Stealer Deep blackened plum (cremesheen)

Lipglass ($16.50 US/$20.00 CDN)

• Mall Madness Mid-tone pink violet
• Strawberry Malt Bright red
• Feelin’ So Good Deep blackened plum

Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner ($16.50 US/$20.00 CDN)

• Petrol Blue Deep navy with pearl
• Designer Purple Violet with pearl

Opulash ($17.50 US/$21.00 CDN)

• Bad, Bad, Black Saturated intense black with extra volumization

Pigment ($23.00 US/$27.50 CDN)

• Black Poodle Blackened pink (frost)
• Magic Spells Blackened teal (frost)

Nail Lacquer ($17.50 US/$21.00 CDN)

• Past Curfew Deep berry
• Double Trouble Deep navy

Powder Blush ($22.00 US/$26.00 CDN)

• Prom Princess Mid-tone violet pink (satin)

Pearlmatte Face Powder ($30.00 US/$35.00 CDN)

• Veronica’s Blush Silvery pink base (Frankly Scarlet Powder Blush) with deep pink hearts (Play It Proper Beauty Powder)

Spoiled Rich Eyeshadow x 4 ($44.00 US/$52.00 CDN)

• Spoiled Rich Rich purple (frost)
• Ron Ron Run Deep navy (satin)
• Pin-Up Purple Mid-tone orchid (frost)
• Gravel Charcoal (matte)

Girl Next Door

Betty Bright

Oh, Oh, Oh

Summer Sweetheart

Stay Sweet

Kiss & Don’t Tell

Cheers My Dear

Lucky In Love

Pep Pep Pep

Comic Cute

Cream Soda

Flatter Me

Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow x 4

Daddy’s Little Girl

Ronnie Red

Boyfriend Stealer

Mall Madness

Strawberry Malt

Feelin’ So Good

Black Poodle

Magic Spells

Past Curfew

Double Trouble

Prom Princess

Veronica’s Blush

Spoiled Rich Eyeshadow x 4