Year of the...Dragon?

Happy 2012!!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season, I know I did!! With as much lead up as we have for Christmas and the New Year you would think that I would be glad to see it go. However, that is not the case. Ever since I can remember I have dreaded that "day after Christmas" feeling. Come on, you know that feeling. Where you've put so much time and effort into something and it's gone in the blink of an eye. I suppose I could compare it to the planning of my wedding and the day of my wedding. You have crazy expectations and dreams. You focus so hard on it, and then...whoop, there it went. However enjoyable, it just doesn't last long enough. I have also found out that it gets worse the older you get. We get up later (I will not get up at 5:30 on Christmas morning to open socks and oven mitts.), we get sleepy earlier, and we don't get anything cool to play with. Yeah yeah I know, I wouldn't ever trade time with my family and loved ones for anything, I'm just saying getting older blows.

So in an attempted to prolong my memory of the holidays and the year 2011, I thought what better way to start off the new year than an overview of the last. Here are some of the most recent products that I have gotten...some of them I'm sure will become favorites in 2012, 

From left to right: ZOYA in Edyta. ZOYA in Stacy. ZOYA nail polish remover. Ulta Professional makeup primer. Urban Decay eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy Rides Again. OPI in Pamploma Purple. OPI in My Private Jet. And China Glaze in Cracked Medallion. 

 I have an obvious nail polish problem. Problem. I constantly convince myself that there is something I have to get at Wegmans, just so I can walk down the nail polish isle. I can justify most nail polish purchases with the thought of at least ONE shirt that I have that would match said nail polish color. I think that in 2012, to please my wallet, and my husband. I will try harder to use the colors that I already own. I buy them because I like them, so I should use them more than once, right? As long as I can get though the next couple releases of the limited edition nail polish colors I will be fine. Nicki Minaj has a collection coming out in January, and most of the polishes are kind of neon. I'm not a huge fan of neon nails. HOWEVER, there is an amazing bar glitter that I must have. I missed out on the glitter polish from the Muppet's collection. I haven't given up totally, I am still on the hunt. I have spent the last couple months in search of the perfect glitter polish. One that can go with many of my polishes. It needs to be the right consistency and application. I'm thinking of a couple Deborah Lippmann bottles...but have yet to commit. I like a glitter ring finger every once in a while, and I have yet to find that special one.
So far I like the ZOYA products I purchased, the only place locally that I can find them is at Ulta Beauty Supply. The remover is great, so is the packaging. The OPI colors I have gotten are great, perfect for the holidays. My Private Jet is going to be a staple throughout the year of 2012, I can tell already!! The Crackle from China Glaze is not the most amazing polish ever. It might have been because I didn't give it enough time or enough polish. But I will certainly be giving it another chance to wow me because the color is pretty!
The Ulta face primer I picked up on a whim. I'm not sure if I love it yet. I know I don't hate it, and it hasn't made me break out. (knock on wood) It has the same silicone feeling that the Smashbox Photo Finish has. And it does have a great matte finish that stays with me all day long.
For the first time I am a little disappointed in Urban Decay. I love the other shadows and palettes I have from them. However, this single shadow does not live up to it's hype. The payoff isn't great, and it has a TON of fallout. I was trying to get something to compare to my Sidecar. Which is in the NAKED palette that I am still currently loving. And this was not a great pick. I figured because it was so popular and had a similar glitter and color to it as Sidecar it would be a good bet. Foiled! It's not a horrible shadow, it just lacks what I love about the color from the palette. Even when using a MAC paint pot or Urban Decay Primer Potion it still doesn't hold well. I'm looking for something comparable, but in a single shadow so that I don't have to lug around my NAKED palette in my bag.
With the winter months upon us, my golden glow is fading fast. I don't have the time to keep up the tanning visits at the salon, or even a spray on tan. That being said I have had to find a bronzer that works with my paler skin tone for the winter. I forgot how much I loved the Elf bronzer/blush compact. I remember loving it last winter, but as soon as I hit pan, mine shattered. By that time I was using my Nars or MAC bronzers because I had gotten a little bit of a tan. So I am back to loving me some Elf. Not only is it cheap, it is a great quality. I'm not a huge fan of the blush, but for $3 what can I ask for! :) 


 And there you have it, A recap of my last few purchases from 2011. Most of those items will gain a place in my makeup collection. Those that don't make the cut get shoved into a bin under my bathroom sink. Where they live out their miserable lives with other hair and makeup products that just don't live up to the claims their companies make.