New York City is one of those places for me that I just love. The bright lights, overall energy, and hustle/bustle of it all is just one of the most refreshing things. Now don’t get me wrong: give me a week of it and boy am I exhausted! That’s why it’s the perfect weekend getaway. Two weekends ago, myself and Faith headed into the big apple for a weekend of shopping, dining, and birthday celebrations. Set two beauty lovers free in the city and they’ll come back with a major haul! (P.S. you all would die at the amount of makeup the two of us tend to always bring. Combined together, it’s basically an entire Sephora store on one counter…). While the weather was extremely rainy and gross (thanks Joaquin) the makeup stores were nice and cozy. Albeit, the perfect excuse to hide away and try out some new products.First we stopped at the MAC store downtown. Somehow I’ve made it through this beauty journey thus far and have yet to own any MAC products; shudder. I picked up my first MAC lipstick in Craving – which is an Amplified shade. This color is described as a “burst of plum” and it has an amplified creme finish. I definitely need to apply it with liner, but it’s a great fall color. I also snagged the ever-popular lip liner shade in Boldly Bare – a perfect nude/pink color. Lastly – and probably my favorite find – were these two shades from the eyeshadow collection. How I only grabbed two, I’m not sure, but I’m sure I will be back for one of those MEGA palettes. The colors I picked up are Coppering and Brown Script. They are the perfect combination for that effortless fall eye look. I love that they are a bit reddish, but aren’t too overbaring. I usually swipe Coppering all over the lid and then use the matte Brown Script in the crease.
Next, we hopped over (aka walked in the pouring rain hoping our umbrellas didn’t blow over, while attempting to not get hit by cabs while taking photos in the middle of the street) to the NARS boutique store on Bleecker Street. The store itself was so clean and gorgeous, and I loved how quiet it was – unlike most times I head to Sephora. While there I snagged the exclusive illuminator in the BLKR line. This is the most beautiful golden highlighter and it has such a creamy consistency. I’ve been mixing it in with my foundation for a great glow, and it also allows you to apply less foundation for a win/win all around! I also picked up my favorite Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla (which seems to be my true fall/winter shade).
A bonus treat was when I sampled Faith’s The Falsies Push-Up Drama mascara by Maybelline. Anything Gigi wears is good by me. Technically this isn’t a NYC exclusive product, but we did go into several stores looking for it. This mascara gives great volume while thickening the look of your lashes. If you’re on the fence of spider lashes, but wanna give it a whirl, this is a great compromise. I’ve been layering it with several coats when I want a bold night out look.
These pieces have made their way into my daily makeup bag, and I don’t see them going anywhere for a while. Have you tested any of these yet? What would you pick up if you had the chance?
(L to R) MAC Smitten | MAC Boldy Bare | NARS BLKR 413 Illuminator (Sorry for the sleep wrinkles)