A few things.
1) I left the Benebalm in my car for like three days and it didn't melt.
2) I got the new They're Real! Push-up liner and it's actually kind of amazing.
3) I'm on a new skincare regimen and my skin is suuuper dry and flaky and irritated so... ouch...
4) I have lots of new things to show soon! Expect Hourglass, Too Faced, Boscia, Benefit...
5) Any recommendations for a really good sunscreen/moisturizer with SPF? My face is super sensitive to sun damage right now because of the topical treatments and SPF is essential. I only have a tiny bit with me so I'm lookin' for a new one (because moving to college again means you leave the regular sunscreen with your family... who won't ever use it).

La la la lo lollitint.
I got a tiny free sample!
They also had tiny Stay Don't Stray samples but Lollitint is so much cooler. 
(ayyyyyyyyyyy cause it's a cool-toned pink) (and stay don't stray isn't)

I like it so far! It doesn't have any scary purple tones, but it's a nice cool-toned pink, which I think is flattering on everyone because it gives a youthful flush. Look at that flush on the far left! What a youthful flush!

It's thicker than Benetint and a little harder to blend since once you set it down it locks into place a little more than watery Benetint, but it's still workable. It's nice with the Radiant Orchid theme, although I think it should be mentioned that it was released before the Sephora collection so they were ahead of the curve. It's called 'candy orchid' which makes it sound slightly different and more precious.

I like it on cheeks but not so much on lips, because it catches on dry spots and stains them more, as is the fatal flaw of many 'multipurpose' products like this, although it can be remedied with lip balm applied over it. Not under, it won't stick as well. But on cheeks it's super cute! 

ALSO, YOU GUYS, I WENT TO A REAL ACTUAL BENEFIT BOUTIQUE. We took a trip to San Francisco (bleh) but I went to the Benefit store (yeh). It was so cute! Everything was cute! The sales ladies were all so nice and were like, man, you know your stuff! I gave my mom a tour and showed her a lot of tempting products. (I'm reeeeeally wanting one of their cream shadows or Girl Meets Pearl. Or the They're Real liner, oh my god, it's so gimmicky, I want it so bad.)

TIP: Wear cool cheek colors like this with warm lip colors! Not weirdly contrasting, of course, but it's a nice touch to balance things out if you're wearing a lip color that's a little too warm but too pretty to give up on.

Is there a truly universal lipstick? Or blush, or eyeshadow?

Nah, I don't think so. But there are some that I think can work on moooooost people, and for moooooost situations. Neutral colors are sometimes boring, sometimes the best thing since Betty White, and they're here for a reason but I think pink neutrals are much more flattering than straight browns and beiges.

Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in Mademoiselle
It looks boring in the tube, but transforms to a lovely reddish neutral color on my lips perfect for every occasion.

Benefit Rockateur
This is my second-favorite blush, only because there's an irreplaceable pink at the top tier. It's pink enough, it's neutral enough, it's glowy enough and subtle enough for every day or fancy-pants days.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette
I bet you thought I was going to say Naked3 because I like pink. WELL I DID NOT. Too Faced have outdone themselves with this palette, with light and dark shades, matte and shimmers, and a good balance of interesting neutrals and subdued colors to create any neutral look you could want. While I'd love to see a copper in there, I love the creamy mattes and reddish browns that compliment blue eyes. (Salted Caramel is a slightly odd shade that gets so much love over here.)

Also, as I'm sure you've heard, it smells like chocolate. Not in a fake way, like hard candies flavored like chocolate (ew) but like actual things that you would smell in a kitchen chocolate. The shadows are made with cocoa powder, which is apparently like super beneficial! good for your face! although applied in such small amounts I doubt their effectiveness. It's okay though, because I don't care, I just like that it smells good.

Bonus: Maybelline Full'n'soft
Okay, I don't have it anymore, but it's always my recommendation for people just starting on makeup. It doesn't clump or smudge, the black is super dark, and if you get bored in class you can always pet your eyelashes, because they are going to be kitten-soft.

Tip: Don't listen to anyone, about anything, but mostly this. There are no universal colors. Wear whatever you want. But I'm just saying, a neutral too warm or too cool will look JUST AS OFF as a red too warm or a pink too cool, so don't think you can get away with blindly buying something that everyone likes just because everyone likes it. You're better off looking for truuuuuue neutrals if you're buying blind. 

Also, buy stuff from HSN. I got the Chocolate Bar Palette with a full-size TFSI for $30-- $50 originally for the set (aka palette and free primer), and a $20 off coupon. Check it regularly. I think you even get points for that. Really, really awesome deals with lil kits and lots of freeeeee shipping!

I like translating French names on cosmetics, especially from French brands like Chanel. My dear friend (and undoubtably my closest makeup-friend) gave this beautiful blush to me on my birthday with a gloss and lip scrub. She certainly knows what I like! I saw a review of it on Temptalia, and for weeks afterward, every time I looked at a picture she posted and I noticed her skin looked particularly good or her blush was really cute, it was ALWAYS this blush. No other blush has thrown me into such a fit. I'm so grateful to have it.

It is Literally The Best Thing Ever. It's the perfect pink. It smells heavenly. It just looks radiant.

It's mostly matte, but with the subtlest satin sheen, mostly evident in the pan and applied to the cheek. The texture is so finely-milled, so smooth, that I may never need another blush again. This is, hands-down, my favorite blush formula, if all the Joues Contraste (contrast cheeks. I've never really understood that one, because it sounds like it should be a blush duo, but okay) blushes are like this. If you apply with a heavier hand than you meant to, it blends out like a dream in two seconds, from doll cheeks to fairy princess pink. I like to put it on with a blush brush and then feather it out with a larger powder blush, since the shape of the blush (a cute little dome) can lead to the pigment building up in the center of your blush brush and it looks pretty concentrated when you put that up to your face. Softer brushes, super soft bunny-fluff brushes make this look absolutely perfect.

Tip: Pink blushes like this go with everything because they mimic a natural blush so well. A different shade might be better for you, but a sparkle-free, shamelessly pink blush will always look good.

I'm in love with you.

Benefit's Benebalm.

I mean, also the guy that gave it to me, but, you know.
I've liked Fresh's Rose lip balm since I got it in the Sephora birthday gift a couple years back, but have been frugally using it because I refuse to pay $22 for a lip balm that's nice, yes, but will inevitably melt or break off its base because of how soft it is.

When Benefit unveiled their new tinted lip balms, a lot of people criticized them for being too sheer, nearly colorless (Chachabalm, we're looking at you.) and wouldn't buy them. However, the translucent rosy-red of Benebalm seemed like the end of my perfect-tinted-balm search that had almost ended with Fresh Rose. I love lip products. I love lip balm. I love color. I don't love overly tinted lip balm, which gives you more and more color every time you reapply, when all you need is moisture. I don't love clear lip balm: though necessary, it's not exciting.

This is perfect. The packaging is foolproof and adorable, so even if it melts it will stay contained to its original shape, and there's no wiggle room for it to break. It's even more hydrating than Fresh Rose, shinier and more red than pink. 

It's also $18, so it's perfect for your wallet! When someone else buys it for you! $18 for lip balm is insane! I'm going to be pissed when I inevitably run out of this and repurchase!!!!!!

Tip: layer this over Benetint, focusing the application of Benetint on the outside edges of your lips, because it'll easily cling to the inner edges which I think are more absorbent of lip stains or something, or at least this happens to me and I end up with extreme just-ate-a-popsicle-mouth. You could also get fancy and switch it up like layer Lollibalm over Benetint or Posiebalm over Chachatint but let's be real, normal people don't have that many tints and balms.

I've got bronzers out the wazoo but I don't know exactly how I want to use them or anything, I just know I like to have them...? I'm trying to learn how to use it because I think my face could use some of the warmth, but I'm just taking baby steps for now. Also, I'm trying to be really good about sunscreen these days, so using bronzer can at least make it look like I've been in the sun at least once. After all, that's why Too Faced has so many of their bronzers-- to keep people safely fake tanning instead of risking their health! I'm totally lusting over Snow Bunny and their Bonjour Soleil palette but I don't think I've graduated to that level so I can't justify getting it... yet?

The PF powder is not technically a bronzer, it is a 'pH powered matchmaking powder' or something, but when it's on my face it's a little too dark and warm for me, so it's a bronzer on me for all intents and purposes.

The NYC bronzer is something I got on a whim, because I had heard it was so awesome and so cheap!!! It's okay. I like its sheerness, which is good for bronzer rookies.

Benefit Hoola I got in a set with a bunch of other minis. I don't super love it but it's a good bronzer for sure. More pigmented than the NYC Sunny bronzer, but it's not obnoxiously orange so you can contour with it.

Too Faced makes absolutely the cutest packaging, and this is no exception. I mostly use this as an overall illuminating powder thing, because the gold shimmer is gorgeous and really flattering on me. However, if you focus on just the brown beads, it's a nice bronzer in a pinch. Actually, though it's shimmery and I'm not about that, the brown color itself is perfect for contouring.

BH Cosmetics offered this duo for like $3 with a $25 purchase I think, so I got this. The blush is super pigmented, but the bronzer is really smooth and silky and a really nice example of a shimmery bronzer done right. It's glowy, it's not sparkly.

The Sephora bronzer is my first adventure into a big-girl bronzer! I really love it, because you can customize how much shimmer you want by getting more product from the shimmer or matte/satin side. They have a darker color too but it seemed a little off for me so I picked this up and it's been my go-to for weeks (if I ever decide I need it). Its red undertones mimic a natural tan and it's really good for making oneself look actually tan, instead of contouring or adding a 'just got back from the salon' orange tint.

NARS Laguna is apparently The Best Bronzer Ever and I can see why you'd love it if you're into bronzer. It's smooth, it's buildable, the color is neutral and has just enough pretty gold sheen. This little baby size isn't really big enough for me to use it a ton and love it, but I'm definitely intrigued and I'll continue to use it. But since it's also the size of an eyeshadow single, I love it for that.

NARS Lovejoy is technically a blush but it's the brownest blush I own and when I put it on, it looks like I've added and blended bronzer right into it, and I can definitely see the appeal of that! Plus since it's so red, if you apply it veeeeery lightly as a bronzer on the points of your face that would sunburn or tan first, it looks REALLY natural because it looks like you got a faint sunburn with your tan. This is not as unappealing as it might seem. It looks pretty good.

Bonus swatch: Hourglass Radiant Light isn't reeeeally a bronzer and it's not included in the photo but color-wise it functions as a bronzer on me and the finish is to die for if you don't like obvious added color. I like to apply the other colors in the palette it came in, and then use this one on the edges of my face for natural warmth, and the tops of my cheeks for a little 'sun.'

TIP: Don't contour with shimmery bronzer. Just don't. Matte bronzer is your friend. Shimmery bronzer is totally fine for 'actual bronzing' which I have determined to mean 'faking a tan' which means putting it kind of all-over your face and especially where you would naturally tan/burn-- forehead, nose, upper cheekbones, chin, etc. The reason shimmery bronzer is okay for this is because obviously, when you get a sunburn, it's sparkly. Or because it reflects more light and looks more natural and pretty.

The other two lip colors in Meet Your Match will not go unnoticed! I actually love them, they just aren't as groundbreaking as Hourglass Child. 

First we have Bite Beauty Lush Fruit gloss in Strangefruit.
I dig the color and finish but it's sticky. Sticky sticky sticky. However it's a wearable pink orchid color, perfect for 2014's Radiant Orchid Pantone Color of the Year. I don't keep up with those a ton, but this year it's pink so I have to. Strangefruit is a lovely almost milky orchid, and is just plain adorable if I'm to judge purely on color. On the lips it looks like a healthy pink glaze rather than the heavy sticky mess it feels like. The matching nail color was nails, inc. in Devonshire Row and it's way too purple for me so I gave it to my mom, but it does get points for formula (very smooth) and color (IF you like purple).

Next is Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Tint in Elite.
I love chunky crayon/pencil-style packaging like this, but it's not the greatest I've used. It comes out really pink in comparison to the packaging and the nail color, but it's still fairly coral so it's super cute for summer. It's supposed to be minty, but it also smells like plastic, and I like my minty things to be supremely minty. I feel kind of lukewarm towards this as a chunky crayon kind of lip product since I've seen so many great ones, but as a lip product in general I still like it. I've seen a lot worse. It's a nice color for sure, I just wish it was more coral to match the nail color. The polish was Deborah Lippmann's Girls Just Want To Have Fun and I really love the squishy finish of it! I did experience bubbling (which never happens to me) but I'm not sure if it was the polish or the base and topcoat I used, so beware of that. It's a really nice summery color, perfectly bright but not neon so it looks real classy.

TIP: If you're going to match your lips to your nails, use different finishes on each for a more casual finish, like you just HAPPENED to match them instead of like you just HAPPENED to just be leaving a MAC photoshoot where they matched everything ever for you. For example, pair a shimmery red nail with a matte red lip, or an opaque bright pink nail with a sheer bright pink gloss. This set is delightlfully non-matching in a slightly different way because the colors don't really match each other in shade but in theme.