A couple of days ago I was talking about how I should really stop obsessing over (and spending money on) make-up. Yesterday… I went on a little shopping expedition downtown and came back with these:

Clockwise, from left to right:
MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural, in Medium
Essie polish (from the Winter 2013 collection), in Toggle to the Top
Diorific Vernis (from the “Golden Winter” Holiday 2013 collection), in 751 Marilyn
[3ml free sample of Dior Capture Totale ONE Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum]
Diorific Long- Wearing True Color Lipstick (from the “Golden Winter” Holiday 2013 collection), in 042 Winter
Benefit “Gimme Brow” brow- volumizing fiber gel, in Medium/Deep
MAC Select Cover- Up, in NW20

I should probably thank my lucky stars that a. many of the Holiday collections haven’t yet hit the stores around here and b. Bobbi Brown is apparently only available in Athens. Both blessings in disguise, really (since otherwise, this little outing would have been far more destructive for my bank account – albeit extremely more satisfying for my inner shopaholic).

Now… I was invited to dinner last night so I got the chance to get dolled up & try some of my purchases almost immediately. Here’s my initial impressions (+ some feedback and estimates of when to expect reviews for the rest of the stuff):

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural
The lovely and extremely helpful girl at MAC recommended this and boy, oh boy do I owe her for it. This goes on like a dream, offers great coverage and does an amazing job of both matting down any excess oiliness and setting my make-up, all while looking practically invisible. There was no caking, no settling in any of my fine lines & no making my face look like a mask. Not to mention that said result lasted throughout the night, making me a happy and beautifully put together little camper! I would no doubt recommend this, especially to any of you with troublesome T-zones like mine…

Essie polish in Toggle to the Top
I think I’m getting a slight case of Christmas fever, which has kind of reflected on my choice of nail- color lately.  Suffices to say that for the next few “Sunday Manicure” volumes, you should expect to see sparkly shimmers, festive reds and shinning golds. I will be trying this out today, for Sunday Manicure (Vol.4), so stay tuned for pics and first impressions.

Diorific Vernis in 751 Marilyn
This will be coming up on Sunday Manicure, too -probably the weekend after next. So check back around the 8th of December for more details.

Dior Capture Totale ONE Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum
Even though I’m quite skeptical when it comes to what creams and serums I use on my face (whenever I tell my dermatologist that I feel like in getting older I should really establish some sort of anti-wrinkle routine, he says my skin is too oily, won’t crack and I should just leave it well alone…) I think I will try this. The lady behind the Dior counter sampled it for me and it felt so gel-like and completely non-oily that I’m feeling more confident about giving it a go for a few days, without wrecking havoc on my skin. I’ll probably start using it on Monday and check back with my impressions a few days later, so stay tuned.

Diorific Long- Wearing True Color Lipstick in 042 Winter
The 2013 Holiday collection colors are all so lovely, it was difficult to settle for only one. I loved Diva and Joy as much as Winter, but I am kind of hoping I will manage to grab them later (soon enough though, cause these seem to be just flying off the selves!). The Winter shade is a lovely raspberry brown that glides one and immediately lights up your complexion. Do make sure you exfoliate your lips well before applying, for the best possible result.  Other than that I’m really happy with this purchase and (despite the fact that I’ve often heard complaints about the durability of Dior lip colors) amazed at its lasting power.

Benefit “Gimme Brow” brow- volumizing fiber gel, in Medium/Deep
I have to admit I never thought it possible but I have found a brow gel that I like more than my trusted MAC Brow Set (mentioned on my Favorite MAC products post a few weeks back).  This little number by Benefit does exactly what it promises: fills and defines brows effortlessly, while adding volume (something which had never crossed my mind in conjunction with brows but, somehow, really works wonders for one’s face). I also found the Medium/ Deep hue to be a better fit for my natural color than the Show-Off MAC one, so I have to say that I think I will be sticking with this one from now on (pricey as it may be… it deserves it).

MAC Select Cover Up in NW20
Been using this for ages and find it suits me quite well. It has great coverage and staying power without being too heavy, thus never settling in the fine lines around my eyes or the sides of my nostrils (ever get that?). I’m kind of looking into trying new things, too (like Benefit’s Fake Up or Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer) but for the time being this will do the job (more than) well. Would have no qualms about recommending it to anyone -except maybe if you’ve got an “extra potent dark circle” issue, which I thankfully haven’t. Then you probably would need something more heavy- duty than this (possibly the Studio Finish SPF35 Concealer, if you wanna stick with MAC)