Makeup So Good That I Want To Buy More

UPDATE October 2022:  Looking for me? Military life has us moving again, as it does. So while I won’t be posting, if you have questions you can always leave a comment on any post or email me at editor.nikkifromhr@gmail.com.

Dior 689 Mitzah, NARS Liberte, Pat McGrath Belle of the Ball Swatches
Dior 689 Mitzah, NARS Liberte, Pat McGrath Belle of the Ball (LE)

If you watch beauty videos on YouTube you may have seen this concept popping up where people are highlighting makeup that was so good they needed more. I thought I’d run with that idea but instead talk about a few things that I’m not going to buy more of despite really enjoying them. I’m no stranger to buying multiple colors of the same formula and as you’ll see in the last two, I already own multiples. I’m just trying to buy makeup differently moving forward.

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette (689 Mitzah), $62

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette 689 Mitzah Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette 689 Mitzah

I have posted a full review with swatches if you want my full thoughts on this palette. I have owed several Dior 5 Couleurs over the years and I’m never disappointed. Every time I wear Mitzah, I’m impressed by how smooth they are on my eyelids, while still having enough shine to stand out. Lately, I have been reading and watching reviews of the 579 Jungle version because I love green eyeshadow but as with most colors, all greens don’t work for me.

While I do think that the two greens in this palette would work out great, I really think I’d mostly only use the 1 green shimmer shade and the rest of the palette would be a waste for me. In the reviews I’ve watched, the dark green matte does seem to show as green, so that was good to find out, but I hardly ever use shades that dark. Buying this palette would just take time away from enjoying the Mitzah palette.

The Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes can be purchased for $62.00.

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Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics

MAC Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette Dark, Extended Play Gigablack Lash, Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Dark, 217S Brush, Raizin Powder Blush, Satin Lipstick MAC Red, Technakohl Liner Graphblack

I enjoy writing these posts because it is a chance to talk about some older products that still manage to take up permanent residence on the brand’s best sellers list. To keep it simple, I use the brand website’s best seller list rather than separate retailers.

Update May 23, 2025: I now have a MAC Vol. 2 Forgotten Best Sellers post. I have also created bestseller posts on NARS, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Maybelline, and Laura Mercier, if you’d like to check them out.

While it’s a tough sell to say anything from MAC Cosmetics has been completely forgotten, there are a couple of products that I want to showcase from the brand anyway. Despite not hearing as much hype about MAC Cosmetics, they are still a powerhouse in the beauty industry, and I’d imagine that a lot of people have some everyday staples from the brand. To get nerdy on you for a quick moment, MAC and Estee Lauder led the Estee Lauder Companies’ makeup portfolio with a net sales increase of $337 million combined (according to the Estee Lauder Companies’ August 24, 2022, annual report). So again, MAC isn’t really forgotten by makeup consumers at large, but if you are tuned in to beauty news, I think the items I’m going to talk about today may be lesser known to you.

MAC is also joining in on the Labor Day sales and having a buy more, save more event ($20 off $75, $30 off $100, and $50 off $150). There are some exclusions, so double-check the website for the terms before you get too excited 😉.

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Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Starts Sunday (Feat. Smashbox x Becca Champagne Pop Swatch)

The sale runs from August 28 to September 17, 2022. If you are a regular Ulta shopper then you likely already knew about this. For those of you not familiar with this sale, during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty, you can get select high-end beauty products for 50% off. It can be a great time to restock your staple products or maybe try something new. Each day there are different deals happening for that day only (ending at 11:59 pm CT). Certain deals are online only so make sure to pay attention if you prefer to shop in-store. If you have the ability to purchase in-store, that is really the best way to do it. Then you can just buy the one item you want on the day it is available and you can avoid the temptation to add things to your cart to get free shipping. The free shipping threshold for Ulta online is $35, but if you are a diamond or platinum Ultamate Rewards member you will qualify for free shipping on any of the beauty steals.



  • 50% off Select Black Owned Products $5.00 – $42.50, regular price $10.00 – $85.00 (online only): Keys Soulcare jumps out at me here. I haven’t tried anything from the brand yet. I have, however, checked it out in-store and the textures of the moisturizers have me curious, and the packaging is very nice.
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40% Off Smashbox Cali Contour Palette (Product Update and Smashbox Bestsellers Sale)

The Smashbox website is currently having a sale for UP TO 50% off Bestsellers and the Cali Contour Palette is one of the featured items. I reviewed this palette back in May of 2021 and while I still think that it would be best for normal, combination, and oily skin types, I figured that this was an excellent occasion to share how I get it to work for my dry skin. I can use the top right and top left shade on my dry skin throughout the year without any issues. However, the yellow setting powder, two highlighters, and the bottom right bronzer shade are the ones that give some trouble.

It’s really not difficult to work with if you have dry skin, it is just that, in my opinion, these powders need to absorb some moisture to look their best. I find that when worn over dewy foundations (the more moisture the better), they melt into the skin and do not appear dry. When I wear some of the powders in this palette with my top foundations (Estee Lauder Double Wear, NARS Natural Radiant Longwear) they can look dry and powdery. However, over dewy bases like the Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer and the Urban Decay Hydromaniac, they melt into my skin nicely with no dryness.

Smashbox Cali Contour Medium-Dark (Deep) Palette swatches Medium dark skin
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Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Make Me Blush (Swatch)

If you’re not new here, you have probably already seen my review of the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks from April 2021. Although I didn’t review them until last year, this formula has been one of my favorites since about 2012, and I continue to sing its praises. In that post, I swatched the shades Rum Raisin, Raisin Rage, and Desert Escape (click here to see that post). I have now posted 202 blog posts on this website, and to this day, the Revlon Lipstick review remains my most viewed blog post. Since there is still clearly interest in these lipsticks and I couldn’t find anyone else with this shade (Make Me Blush), I figured it was a great occasion to share it with you.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Make Me Blush 763 Swatch

If you aren’t familiar with the Revlon Super Lustrous line, it is a traditional cream lipstick. They are comfortable, provide decent pigmentation, don’t accentuate lip lines, and are fragrance-free. This formula does have a lanolin ingredient (C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters), so keep that in mind if you are allergic to lanolin.

Continue reading “Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Make Me Blush (Swatch)”

Affordable Makeup Storage and Organizer Ideas

Organizing your makeup doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I thought I’d share a few of the ways I’ve stored makeup over the last several years to give you some ideas. Most of what I use is under $20 per item (or was at the time of purchase), and these items (or similar) can be found at Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, and Amazon. Of course, I have to give you the standard blogger disclaimer that I have a lot of makeup because I review products, and you don’t need this much stuff unless you want that much. Also, keep in mind that these photos are just sections of products throughout different periods in time, so it is not necessarily everything I own at present. As a military spouse, I move a lot, so these examples are from different houses, and I’ve had to declutter and rearrange out of necessity over time.

Affordable Oranization - Makeup Beauty Storage/Organizer Ideas and tips (No Ikea Alex Drawers)
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Bobbi Brown Chocolate Lip Liner and Rose Lipstick (Swatches and Review)

While I’m still disappointed that Bobbi Brown, the actual makeup artist, is no longer affiliated with the brand, I’m happy to say that I haven’t experienced any quality changes with the products. I have a decent amount of Bobbi Brown content, so I’ll be brief and just shout out a few of the products from the brand that I’ve been using lately.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Dark Peach, Lip Liner in Chocolate, and Lipstick in Rose Swatches
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Dark Peach, Lip Liner in Chocolate, and Lipstick in Rose

If you are interested in knowing more or seeing past posts on the brand you can check out these links:

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Makeup Fails and Just OKs (NARS, bareMinerals, Armani, Urban Decay, and Covergirl)

NARS Copper Mini Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette, bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm, Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400, Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 60 Medium Dark, and Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Red Maple Bloom Swatches

Sometimes, products just don’t work out, and it’s important to share those items, even if I don’t want to dedicate a full review to them. These are just some quick thoughts on these products, as I won’t be continuing to test them for more in-depth reviews. Today I’m talking about the NARS Copper Mini Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette, the bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm, the Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400, the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 60 Medium Dark, and the Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Red Maple Bloom (limited edition shade, but permanent formula).

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

Continue reading “Makeup Fails and Just OKs (NARS, bareMinerals, Armani, Urban Decay, and Covergirl)”