OPI Venice collection for Fall 2015 {swatches & review}

Ok, here’s the post I’ve been promising for weeks, finally! For those who have been waiting, I’m genuinely sorry – what with the move, and the upheaval in Elena’s schedule (due to the move), carving out any time for the blog has been nearly impossible, as she naps for maybe 30 minutes at a time, tops. Nap time = mama’s productive time, therefore: no nap time = nothing accomplished. On top of that, Elena was sick with some kind of virus since Thursday and pretty much slept or snuggled on her mama for 4 days straight. I didn’t really mind – love the chance for extra cuddles! – but it was anxiety-inducing as the first time she’s been sick, and again I got a whole lot of nuthin’ done.

Anywho. She’s currently napping for who knows how long and I just can’t wait any more! May I present to you the OPI Venice collection for fall 2015!

Since time is a tickin’ I’m going to get right to it! Let’s start off with my favorite shade from the collection:

Tiramisu for Two

Yep, it’s a ‘plain’ ‘ol nude (described as a ‘sweet coffee cream’) – but let me assure you, this nude is anything but boring! It is SO creamy and pigmented and the perfect mix of neutral tones that makes it stupidly flattering, at least on my skintone. And the application is great too, just 2 easy coats with no drag or streaks to be found. Probably the current fave nude in my collection!

It looks a lot more pink here in this swatch but it’s just the lighting – it’s more beige in person. However, this photo does serve to show how it compares to another neutral, Dior Incognito. I’ve always found that Incognito is actually almost too pink and deep to be a true nude on me, whereas Tiramisu for Two is several tones lighter and therefore better. That’s right, I said it – an OPI is better than a Dior.

O Suzi Mio

My second favourite in the collection. I absolutely ADORE the plummy tones of this polish and it’s high-shine crelly texture. So perfect for fall! Here I’m wearing it with 2 coats because I like the slight sheerness which helps retain the eggplant tone, but three will make it completely opaque.

Another reason I love this shade is that it doesn’t have that ‘almost black’ feeling about it which I really don’t favour. Here I’ve compared it to Zoya Anja which I always want to love but don’t quite because it’s just too dark. O Suzi Mio as you can see still looks purple, not black (especially when compared to the actual black shade above it).

Purple Palazzo Pants

Another winner here for me, though I don’t exactly feel fall-ish when I look at it. This shade was a gorgeous formula as well – 2 coats and loads of shine all on it’s own. These types of purple-pink shades I find quite flattering on me as well.

The sad part about this shade is that it’s pretty similar to Chanel Sweet Lilac, which means I probably have to let it go (the OPI, not the Chanel {god forbid!}). I haven’t done it yet because I think I might wear it for one full manicure first…it’s clearly not an exact dupe but it’s close enough that in my purging state I can’t justify keeping both!

My Gondola or Yours? 

This was a surprise to me in two ways: 1) it contains shimmer, which you can see in direct sunlight, and 2) I really liked it on me! I’m not a fan of black polish on my nails, it always looks too harsh or something, but I really loved the effect of this shade. I don’t know if it was the shimmer that did it (it’s not very noticeable in the shade or indoors), or the subtle crelly finish, but whatever it is it’s working for me! This does require 3 coats for opacity but they weren’t fussy to apply at all. I don’t have any shades to compare to this as I don’t own black polish!

It’s a Piazza Cake

Another complete surprise was how much I enjoyed this shade, a devout non-orange wearer! Orange has never looked good on me IMO, but the burnt tones of this shade (which you see more in the first photo) make this quite wearable and absolutely the most perfect fall-ish shade! I’m wearing this as a full manicure right now (check it out on my Instagram) and it’s one of those shades I keep staring at, which is how I know it’s a keeper. SO pretty and different. And guys – this is a 1-coater! Here I’m wearing 2, but today I only did 1 (time of the essence, etc. etc. etc.). Fabulous! I also have nothing like this.

A Great Opera-tunity

Yet another shade that I initially thought I wouldn’t like but ended up enjoying! It was a *bit* strange-looking on my hands as it made any redness stand out, but on toes – oh YES. I feel like I should be wandering around a fabulous resort with this shade on. It’s described as a melon and I’d say that’s accurate – it’s actually kind of perfect for the transition between summer and fall. Love this! Note that it is a little on the thick side so be careful in your application to ensure a smooth finish.

Compared to Chanel Inattendu, which is a peach-nude, this has more pink/red in it’s base. I like it’s uniqueness.

Venice the Party?

Ok, now we’ve reached the shades I was more ‘meh’ about. Though this is gorgeous in the bottle and probably lovely on the right skintone (it positively glows!), I didn’t like it on me at all. It also doesn’t make me think of fall very much – maybe if it were a bit deeper in tone. This is 1 of 3 LE shades in the collection so if you love it you need to snap it up sooner rather than later. Application was good, 2 easy coats, but beware that it does stain slightly. I also noticed chipping after 2 days with this one (I wore it as a full mani). I don’t really wear these kinds of colors so I have no comparison swatches for you, sorry!

I paired this with A Great Opera-unity for a mani/pedi combo…I wasn’t that into it, to be honest. Venice the Party? was too shimmery I think to suit it. Oh well!

Gimme a Lido Kiss

I had my fabulous assistant help me with these next two colors – she was getting bored the day I needed to take these shots so I occupied her with some of the bottles lol. She does good work, eh?

Gimme a Lido Kiss is a red shimmer that I found kind of dull, to be honest. The glow on this one isn’t all that fabulous, and it leads more orange than blue so on me I wasn’t wild about how it looks. Great formula though, thin but pigmented; you could almost make this a 1 coater but I’d go with 2 to be safe.

I thought Misa’s Red Pumps at the Nordstrom might be comparable to Gimme a Lido Kiss, but the former leans cooler and has that glow that the latter is lacking. I won’t be replacing that one, that’s for sure!

Up next ladies {and gents!}, we have St. Mark’s the Spot!

A ‘royal blue pearl,’ this shade has a lot of depth to it and is kind of mesmerizing to look at, no? That said, it’s not for me – shimmer polishes in strong colors just turn me off for some reason. This has a good formula as well, 2 easy coats, and it’s another LE shade so snap it up if you want it! Though I have a ton of blue shades, I don’t have any with an intense shimmer/metallic like this one.

I wore it with Gimme a Lido Kiss which I think was a better match than the previous pairing. Feels kind of US Patriotic now that I think about it!

Amore at the Grand Canal

I was eager to wear this shade because I love a deep red, and it is quite nice, though it looks brighter here than in person (and could probably use a top coat to really make it polished). It’s definitely pretty, but not terribly original. Good formula, 2 coats and no fuss.

I knew when I saw ‘Amore’ that it would be similar to other shades in my collection: Tom Ford Bordeaux Lust and Essie Limited Addiction. It’s kind of a hybrid of the two, and while it’s nice I am definitely not keeping it over the other two. I wear red polish so rarely as it is I don’t need to add another to the mix anyway!

Worth a Pretty Penne

When I first laid eyes on this shade I was sure I was going to love it, but turns out it’s just too close to my skintone to be anything stand-out. That being said, this is a great polish with visual interest from the flecks of dark and light copper, and it could be a 1-coater if desired. It also has zero brushstrokes so if you’re a fan of metallic polishes you’ll like this one! I personally don’t love metallics so I have nothing to compare to this.

I paired Amore at the Grand  Canal with Worth a Pretty Penne, and again I was kind of ‘meh’ about it. Looks nice enough and goes well together but it seems kind of ho-hum to me. Maybe I’m just fussy!

Gelato My Mind

This was another shade that did not say ‘fall’ to me in the least, but sometimes I think brands are just trying to do something unexpected so it doesn’t bother me when they include shades like this. This is a beautiful color to be sure, so vibrant – but the formula was not so great. The 1st coat was streaky and consecutive coats can become disastrous if not applied quickly, as this polish is prone to dragging.

Though I have several aqua shades, the only one Gelato My Mind is truly similar to is another OPI, Eternally Turquoise, the latter being a bit more muted and a hint less green. Due to the formula, I won’t even be entertaining the idea of keeping ‘Gelato’ – there’s no room for crappy polish anymore, no matter how pretty it is!

Be There in a Prosecco

This is an opaque cream shade, and while I do love pale tones lately, I wasn’t wild about this. Aside from the formula, which is a bit streaky but not terrible (especially for such a light shade), there is echoes of Zoya Cho about this that turn me off – I think it’s the more warm, yellowish leaning about it that doesn’t work for me. It’s like a dirty white.

Once again, the comparison shot shows it much different in tone than it is IRL. The closest shade I have to it is OPI The Beige of Reason; however, that is a sheer so they end up looking quite different when worn – and ‘Beige‘ is lighter in tone, anyway.

Baroque…But Still Shopping!

This is the last of the 3 LE shades! I love the name of this one…actually I enjoy the names of a lot of these for once! I was really stoked for this shade and though it was going to be a winner, but….no. Just no. The tone of it isn’t great on my skin for one, which doesn’t make for a bad polish – just bad on me – but aside from that, it’s got those horrible glitter bits in it that just don’t work in an opaque polish! Remember Pineapples Have Peelings Too and how ugly that was? I thought at first this would be sheer, with all that glitter, but when I went to layer it, it just wasn’t happening – way too much pigmentation. Bleh. I don’t like this at all (but the formula is good, 2 quick coats to opacity). I have nothing to compare this to.

I Cannoli Wear OPI

Last but not least! Historically I don’t like pale grey tones one me as they usually lean too bluish and just don’t look cute. I feel the same about this shade, sadly, though I recognize my skintone doesn’t represent most, so this probably would look great on a lot of people! It’s got a thin formula that builds up nicely in 2 coats – it’s a touch fussy but less so than ‘Gelato‘ so if you like this shade it’s worth it to pick it up. As I don’t enjoy these shades I don’t have any comparisons for it.

There you have it – a timely review for a seasonal collection, hurrah! Hopefully the LE shades are still available if any of you are interested in those. Overall I quite liked this collection; while there were a few duds, even the shades I didn’t like on me I could appreciate being flattering on someone else. Considering fall is my favourite month I’m pleased OPI nailed this release!

Holiday Wish List: NYC Edition!

So my most excellent boyfriend has been planning a secret trip for the two of us for the past two months, to which I was aware but not privy to our destination.  Earlier this week I was finally told where we were headed so that I’d have a little time to plan what I’d like to do…..in NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!!!! ~jumps up and down excitedly~  We leave this Tuesday!!  I am SO EXCITED, GUYS.  I’ve never been, and I cannot WAIT to go!

Having a few days to figure out our plan of attack (because I AM going to take on the city in a BIG way), I have a number of things on my list. It should come as no surprise that aside from the usual touristy-type excursions, plus taking in a few awesome cultural events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, and the Moscow ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, my sights are largely set on SHOPPING MY FACE OFF.  Oh yea.  It’s goin’ DOWN.

And so, I bring to you my next wish list instalment – the NYC edition 🙂

The ‘Way Overpriced in Canada’ Wish List

1. Giorgio Armani – prices for Armani products in Canada are hiked way up on almost every single item, which is absolutely ridiculous – especially considering that almost all other brands sold here are near on par with US prices now.  I used to order all my stuff from Neiman Marcus, but since they stopped shipping makeup to Canada (WTF!?!?) I haven’t bought a single item from the brand in over a year.  I’ve been interested in trying out one of the new(isn) Flash Lacquers ($29US/$38CAD), as well as finally picking up a Rouge d’Armani ($32US/$38CAD) lippie, but I’ve needed a chance to try out shades, so you can be sure I’ll be taking the opportunity this week!  Additionally, I’ve been lusting after all iterations of cream/liquid/stain blushes, so I’m gonna eyeball the Blushing Fabrics ($39US/$45CAD) and see if they pique my interest.  And…if I’m feeling especially spendy, I might pick up another ETK Intense shadow for good measure – $33US to our $42CAD???  Uh, YEA.  C’mon, I gotta take advantage of ‘normal’ prices while I can! 😉

2. Burberry – The markup on Burberry here in Canada is as extreme as Giorgio Armani, if not more so – and as another brand that I enjoy but rarely have an opportunity to shade swatch, I’ve definitely got a few items to seriously investigate.  High on my to-buy list is either their Lip Covers ($30US/$40CAD) or Lip Velvets ($30US/$60CAD???????????), and I’ll likely pick up one of their new nail polishes ($21US/$25CAD) as I just can’t resist their packaging.   I also wouldn’t mind taking a good hard look at their Light Glow blushes ($42US/$50CAD), the shade Russet which I own having been bought unseen a couple years ago.  I’m going to take the opportunity to swatch their eyeshadow singles and palettes ($59US/$70CAD) as well, as I’ve never had the chance, but I’m sort of on mega-shadow overload, so we’ll see if any win me over enough to come home with me.

3. YSL – We have YSL here at our Sephora in Halifax, but I’ve been eyeing their Faux Cils Eyeliners in Sea Black and Cherry Black, and being $6 less in the States ($28US vs $34CAD) I might finally give in.  Or I might wait till the next VIB sale – I haven’t yet decided 😉

4. Hourglass – Another overpriced product here in Canada, the Aura Cheek Stains ($38US/$54CAD) have been on my wish list for a while.  Again, with my desire to bolster my non-powder cheek products, its likely I’ll pick up one of the two shades at this MUCH better price.

5. Becca – Seems I’m on a blush kick, yea (or I guess it’s just another regular day :P)?  Though I’m opting for less powder blushes for the most part, I’ve been dying to try these Mineral Blushes, and again, the price is right ($32US/$38CAD).  If nothing else, I want to at least swatch the shades so I know what to order during the next VIB sale.

The ‘Can’t Access in Canada’ Wish List

1. Dolce & Gabbana – This is a brand I’ve been casually interested in over the past few years, but I haven’t felt strongly enough about it to order anything sight-unseen from Sephora.  I plan on giving it a good look while away and see if it’s worth a purchase or two (or if anything should be added to a future wish list).

2. Ilia Beauty – I have yet to foray into organic makeup, mainly because everything is only online and I don’t have the option to swatch any shades first, something I try to avoid with makeup.  I don’t think I’ll purchase anything while in NYC, but I plan on swatching as much as I can so that I have an idea of what I might like to pick up in the future when the time is right.

3. RMS Beauty – Prices for the above two lines are relatively comparable in Canada as they are in the US; however, RMS does have a somewhat noticeable price increase – therefore I just may have to cave and pick up a few things if they suit my fancy.  I’m mainly looking at the “Un” Cover-Up, the Living Luminizer, and the Lip2Cheek colour balms.

4. Tom Ford Beauty – Oh, HECK yea.  Without a doubt, some Tom Ford makeup will be coming home with me this week! I have been lemming this brand for what feels like a lifetime, and as they don’t ship the brand to Canada I have been sorely out of luck.  I’m getting my chance, bitches!!!!  Unless I am totally unimpressed with it all, I plan on buying a blush, lipstick, and nail polish, as who knows when I’ll get my chance again?

5. Givenchy – It may come as a surprise to many of you that I haven’t tried this brand, as it seems like everyone and their dog raves about their lipsticks and polishes.  Unfortunately, we don’t carry it anywhere near me and again, I wasn’t comfortable with ordering anything sight-unseen.  It is ENTIRELY possible that I’ll be purchasing both a ‘Le Rouge’ lipstick as well as a nail polish, and it is going to be GREAT.

Last but certainly not least is…

The “I Haven’t Bought a Full-Sized Fragrance in Years and It’s About Damn Time / Go Big or Go Home” Wish List

1. Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur – I’ve read so many things about this eponymous fragrance house without ever experiencing why it’s so popular, so it’s about time I change that.  The first scent I ever heard about was ‘Carnal Flower,’ so of course it’ll get a sniff or two, but I’m more interested in this warm, spicy, vanilla-heavy scent that sounds right up my alley.  I’m hoping to be wowed.

2. Love by Kilian – I know very little about this brand though I’ve heard it’s name often enough.  My impression is that it’s hit or miss, but I still plan on giving this gourmand oriental – again heavy on the vanilla – a look to see what it’s all about.  If nothing else, I like the bottle!

3. Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille – While my local Sephora carries a few Tom Ford scents, we do not unfortunately have this one, which is THE one I’ve been dying to smell!  It sounds SO my kind of jam – clearly I love me anything with vanilla, but am trying to graduate from sickeningly sweet smells into something a bit more…mature, shall we say.  I’ve heard differing opinions on this one, so I’ll just have to see for myself.

4. Diptyque Eau Duelle – Initially certain I was only interested in purchasing a candle from the brand (I tried last year to order one from BeautyHabit only to be told the shipping cost would be something like $36…uh, NO), once I started researching scents I came along this one which boasts – surprise – vanilla, but this time with a hit of boozy bourbon along with spicy cardamom and pink pepper.  It also contains ambergris, which if you recall from my review of the fragrance from Sephora’s Ariel collection is derived from whale sperm.  YES!  How very…sexy.  LOL

5. Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille – The last contender in my search for a grown-up vanilla-based scent, this fragrance contains sandalwood, an inclusion which I favour in my scents, as well as musk and tonka bean.  It may be a touch too summery with the addition of coconut milk, but I’ll give it a whiff nonetheless – I’m rarely discriminatory when it comes to gourmand fragrances 🙂

And there you have it!  A rather comprehensive look at what I plan on drooling over while away.  What’s scary is that this just encompasses my potential beauty purchases – I haven’t even TOUCHED on what I hope to buy for fashion (and jewelry…Tiffany’s, here I come!)!!  As Christmas is looming, I’ll also be picking up a few treats here and there for friends and family….so, essentially, I’m coming home very, very broke.

…But also very, very happy!!!  New York City, here we come!!!  See ya’ll in a week! 😀

Have you been to NYC?  Do you have any recommendations on where to go, what to see (and where to shop!?)?

A Fall Color Story (Swatches Abound!)

Ok.  So fall has officially sprung arrived.  I am SO ready!  I know you summer babes who love your heat are crying “WTF Latoya?!” and for you I say – I’m sorry 😦  I’m not hating on warm weather and sunshine, I love it as much as the next person.  But after a few months of bright polishes and ‘au naturel’ looks, I’m eager to get down and dirty with some sultry, vampy makeup.  I love change, what can I say?

As I’ve mentioned before, my makeup purchasing has slowed down considerably over the past 6 months +.  One of the best ways for me to curb the impulse to buy something new is to go through my own collection to revisit old shades and swap out colors to reinvigorate myself.  While doing the official ‘switch over’ for autumn, I got the idea to put together a few color stories that I felt were appropriate for the start of the fall season!

Russet

I’m starting you off slow with a shade that it incredibly wearable for almost all skintones – russet.  These colors would be great for an easy going fall walk through the woods, that add a bit of life to the face but not a whole lot of color, per se.  I picked up LMbD’s Rumour blush in a swap in early spring, and started wearing it fairly regularly during the summer as it added the nicest warm, radiant glow to my cheeks.  It looks a bit scary in the pan but with a light touch for fairer skins, this is a great alternative to bronzer and leaves my skin looking naturally healthy.  This is one of those awesome transitional shades that also works well in fall – the color reminds me of the turn of the leaves.  L’Oreal’s Colour Riche Colour Caresse Shine Stain in Eternally Nude (a product which shall henceforth be known as CRCCSS) was a spurr of the moment purchase back in the spring, and was initially a bit of a disappointment – on my lips, it’s not terribly nude, but rather a sort of warm reddened brown – but I ended up liking the color for what it is, anyway.  Another super wearable shade, and the formula is quite close to the YSL version, enough for me to probably opt for these over those due to the huge price difference.  Sadly, the Urban Decay 24/7 liner here, in Lucky, a wonderful coppery shade, has been discontinued.  I honestly need to start shopping for a dupe now, because this is probably one of my top favorite liners and I’m gonna be heartbroken when I finish it (which will actually happen because I use it regularly).  Sigh.

Swatchy time!

Left to right: UD 24/7 Eye Liner in Lucky (DC), LMdB Blush in Rumour (swatched heavily, then buffed out), L’Oreal CRCCSS in Eternally Nude

Rose

Rose is not normally a shade I gravitate toward, as it tends to look very drab on my skintone, but these particular shades are both light (the lippies) and dark (the blush) enough to work well on me.  Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum, a discontinued shade (sorry!) in the old packaging, was something I picked up when I had my makeup done at the counter several years ago.  It would never have been a shade I’d have picked, but it ends up being one of my favorites for it’s exceptional wearability.  It looks great with tanned skin, but is also perfect for fall/winter as well with it’s plummy tones.  I quite like the formula of these as well – easy to apply and blend, and doesn’t leave my oilier skin greasy-looking.  Laura Mercier’s Lip Glace in Discrete was kind of an impulse purchase – I don’t think I realized at the time that it was like $36, which is kind of a lot for a gloss – but its been well-used (despite the fact that it contains lanolin and I try to avoid wearing it two days in a row).  It’s an easy nude-type shade that wears well with cooler toned smoky eyes, and isn’t TOO glossy.  Lastly, I snagged a sample of BITE Beauty’s Luminous Creme Lipstick in Pepper a couple months ago, and it is a dusty rose shade that is similar to my natural lip color but a bit deeper and warmer.  The formula is creamy and feels great on the lips, and goes with just about everything!

Left to right: Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Discrete, BITE Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Pepper, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum (swatched heavily, then buffed out; DC)

Deep Red

Now these are the shades I can get behind!  I love me a good deep red anything in the fall – makeup, clothes, you name it.  L’Oreal’s La Couleur Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Mahogany is still one of my favorite eyeshadows, particularly so after wearing it in my friend’s wedding with such success, and was quite honestly MADE for fall.  It’s gorgeous brown-red tones work with just about any cool-weather outfit I can come up with, and the color compliments just about every eye shade beautifully.  NARS Turkish Red Cream Blush (another discontinued shade…oops) is a fabulous shade of blood red that is awesome for that windswept/windburnt look – however, it does require a bit of a skilled hand.  It can go on a touch patchy due to it’s intense pigment (which also means a light hand is necessary), but when its done well, the effort is SO worth it!  And, I just had a brainwave that MAC’s Dare You lipstick, shown here, could potentially be used as a cream blush if you were aching for that kind of shade.  It has the similar deep red tone – which is particularly fabulous on the lips!  This is a more wearable red for those of you who are a bit gun-shy of an in-your-face bold red, and looks amazing in the cooler months.  LOVE.

Left to right: MAC Dare You lipstick, NARS Turkish Red Cream Blush (swatched heavily, then buffed out; DC), L’Oreal La Couleur Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Mahogany

Berry

I am also particularly partial to berry tones in the fall/winter…they’re just so delectably sexy!  Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in L102 is still one of my absolute favorite lipsticks and hands down the shade I get the most compliments on.  If for no other reason, THIS lippie is why I love fall so much!  The fussy packaging is totally worth the drool-worthy, long-wearing shade.  Illamasqua’s Crush Cream Blusher was a sale find I scooped up last winter, and while it didn’t get too much love from me since then, I plan on rocking this baby out all season long.  When my skin isn’t tanned, it turns a bit pinkish, but right now with my fading tan, it looks more like it does in the pan – a gorgeous deep berry shade.  YUMMY.  Another Illamasqua fave is their Precision Ink in Havoc, which is still honestly capturing my heart some two years later.  I mean, it’s a dark wine -colored eyeliner that doesn’t look black – how badass is that?!  I wore it over the weekend while working at Clinique, and I swear I sold more because customers just thought I looked THAT GOOD.  LOL!

Left to right: Illamasqua Precision Ink in Havoc, Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in L102, Illamasqua Crush Cream Blusher (swatched heavily, then buffed out)

Violet

Here comes the trickiest shade to wear of the bunch – violet.  Too much red and it can make you look like you’ve been crying; too much blue and you look like you just had a throw-down with one of the ‘Real Housewives.’  It can quickly veer in to goth territory if you’re not careful – thankfully, all of you know just what you’re doing at all times, right!? Right.  So, first we have the most challenging of the bunch – MAC’s Mattene Lipstick in Bing, and LE shade from 2008 or 2009, that has been making my life difficult since then.  I WANT to rock this blackened purple shade full force, but alas I am still a scaredy-cat.  However, I have managed to find various ways to wear it in a toned down way, either mixed with a red lippie or as a stain, so that will have to do for now.  The lovely violet shadow you see here is a new acquisition (in fact, the three shadows are) from Inglot, shade # 325, a matte purple.  I have yet to wear it, but I’m going to make an attempt this week – wish me luck!  Finally, we have another UD 24/7 Eyeliner, in 1999….which is discontinued…but which I JUST purchased from Sephora two weeks ago (so that makes it better, right!?).  They had several of the old shades up for sale, at $7.95CAD a pop, and I couldn’t resist.  This is an awesome toned down version of violet, that does have a hint of red but seems to work perfectly on my eyes to subtly add a touch of color without going to crazy town.  I’ve been wearing it on my lower lash line to give just a bit of definition and I’m really loving it.

Left to right: MAC Mattene in Bing, Inglot Matte Eyeshadow in #325, UD 24/7 Eyeliner in 1999

What are your favorite shades/products to wear in the fall?  What color story do you like the best?