Recent Beauty Product Purchase Reviews

I went on a small make-up shopping spree based on recommendations from Nicole Deanne and Vincent Longo.  Based on Nicole's recommendations (and how amazing S. looked at both her trial and her wedding), I bought MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark (at LAX duty-free) and Maybelline's Full n Soft Waterproof Mascara in Very Black.  I love the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural; it's very light and you don't feel like you are wearing anything at all, but gives a very even smooth finish with a natural glow.  I don't ever wear foundation or concealer, but it provides the perfect coverage for me over my everyday Laura Mercier's tinted moisterizer in Sand, if I'm going out at night.  As we learned from Nicole, certain powders and foundations can look weird and unnatural in photographs, but she likes the MAC powder because it looks very natural in person as well as in pictures.  The mascara doesn't really do much for me; it goes on smoothly and doesn't clump, but doesn't really add length or volume (which, in retrospect, is fine for Nicole since she usually uses false eyelashes on her brides).  I love all the Vincent Longo products, particularly the wet / dry diamond eyeshadow for a dressier night out and the liquid shadow for a more casual night out.  I sometimes regret cosmetic purchases after taking them home as I often feel that they don't look as good as when a professional applies them in a department stores, but fortunately that's not the case with my recent purchases.