I stopped by MAC on my way home from the city. Why? It was on the way, and I felt the need to try their concealer. I wasn't even afraid I'd be tempted by anything there, since I'm all about NARS right now.



Anyway, I was greeted right away and told the SA that I wanted to get a rec for an under eye concealer. She comes back, applies it, and then hands me a mirror....if I were drinking water, I would've done a spit take.







It was soooo dark and red! I walked over to a different area where there was brighter lighting, but it still looked horrible. I asked, "don't you think this is too red and deep?" She replies, "well with your undertones, any other color would turn ashy." So basically she was telling me that this was my only option, and I would just have to settle with it if I wanted a MAC concealer.





LMAO! This girl was obviously an idiot, or she thought I was an idiot. A blind one at that. Even if I had planned on buying anything, I would've dropped it all at that point.



I asked for a MAC wipe, took that shit off, and headed for the door.

I didn't buy any makeup items (except the UD Alice in Wonderland BoS and a few lippies) in the month of January. So of course I had to make up for it this month. I started working on my NARS collection this month, so you'll notice lots of that.

So, I was reading reviews for some of the products I've recently acquired to see if I had anything to add. I kept noticing people complain about the prices of NARS and Dior e/s, so I thought I would do a little price comparsion. Before I begin, I'm in no way bashing any of these brands. I like them all, but I do have differing opinions on quality and such. That's inevitable.

I'm going to compare MAC vs Urban Decay vs NARS vs Dior.

The basics:

MAC singles (pans)- 1.5g for $11, $7.33 per g

MAC singles (pots)- 1.5g for $14.50, $9.67 per g

NARS singles- 2.2g for $22, $10 per g

UD singles- 1.5g for $16, $10.67 per g

Dior singles- 2.2g for $28, $12.72 per g

As you can see, yes, there is a difference in price, but when you break it down, NARS and Dior aren't that expensive, right? Urban Decay is even more expensive per gram than NARS. Yes, you're paying more, but you're also getting more product...not to mention better quality in most cases.

NARS and Dior also have duos and palettes that make the shadows even more affordable. Yes, spending $58 on a quint might seem like a lot, but have you done the math to see how much you're actually getting? 1.2g is how much of each shadow you get. You pay $11.60 for each of them. For only $.60 more and .3g less per shadow, you get quality that MAC can't compete with (of course, this is only my opinion). The only difference is, you're buying it at once. :)

So, the next time you're thinking of buying higher end makeup, do it! There's no need to make silly restrictions on yourself, especially if you're buying MAC or UD consistently. There's no real difference! How's that for justification? I don't know, maybe that's all I'm trying to do-- justify my purchases. Either way though, it's time to face facts.

Back to my original complaint though. I hate to see when a product gets great reviews, but is punished for its cost. I even read a review by someone who had gotten the item as a gift, but still had something to say about the price. I'm sorry lady, it was Free.99 for you, so gtfo.

Of course, if you're a drugstore junkie, this does not apply.

Moral of this post: Don't skew the ratings of a product just because you're an unreasonable cheapo. Be realistic!

I picked this up from Sephora recently and have been wearing it pretty much everyday since. I like it a lot. Do I think there are other alternatives to this? Yes, and there are some that work better, but I'll save that for another post.

Here's what Sephora has to say about this product:

Orgasm Illuminator What it is: A complexion enhancer that makes skin look instantly refreshed, radiant, and glowing. What it does: NARS Orgasm Illuminator lights your skin from within! Deceptively sheer and decidedly luminous, it magically transforms lackluster skin into a remember-me, luscious complexion. Flirt with foundation, go it alone, or go neck-and-neck with your décolleté. The effect is, well, orgasmic.

I totally agree. For me, this does everything it claims to do. I have yet to mix this with foundation, so I don't know if my opinion will differ any, but wearing it alone definitely gives a healthy glow. I would definitely recommend stopping by a NARS counter or Sephora and testing this out. Hand and face swatches:

It really picks up in the sunlight. I let a bit of shade into the swatch to show how it completely disappears. Just don't stand in the shade all day and you'll have that glow you want!

Nothing but the illuminator on my face. My cheek combo is La Femme Russet and NARS Orgam Multiple. This was taken in artificial lighting, with the flash. You get 1.1oz, which is actually quite a bit since a little goes a long way. If you're not sure how much 1.1oz is, check your liquid foundation, most are 1oz.