OPI Suede is basically the matte version of a frosted polish, which results in a suede-like effect. It is an interesting look. It appears matte, but light can catch on the frost a bit, so it isn’t completely without shine at times. I rather like it and I think I prefer it over a standard matte look.

OPI states that the suede nail lacquers do not wear as long as other polishes and they also instruct not to wear a top coat with the suede polish. Wearing a top coat certainly would defeat the purpose, since it would remove the matte effect.  As for wear, I didn’t think it was too bad. I started chipping it a day later because I was doing yard work, but it actually held up better through that than I expected it to. I can’t say that I particularly noticed any less wear from it than I do with standard OPI nail polish.

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Fresco Phyrra compares seven eye shadow primers. See which ones come out on top!

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A Touch of Blusher is three years old!

The Makeup Blogger is thrilled that holiday gift sets are upon us! Her first favorite is the new NARS Lipgloss set from Sephora!

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The light lavender shade is quite luminous, with silvery pigment running through it. A swatch is below.

The MAC holiday polish also wore particularly well for me. MAC nail polish always does, but I got longer than normal with this one. I suspect it is because I got good one coat coverage and didn’t use a top coat, so the lacquer wasn’t as thick on my nails.

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Urban Decay eyeshadow does not lack for pigment! The shades are quite brilliant and last very well. I was quite impressed when I gave them a try during a recent field trip to Sephora. Below are swatches from the Show Pony palette. This was taken well after I swatched the palette since I was looking for better light for direct photos than in the store. I thought they might wear off from rubbing on my jacket sleeve, but the color stayed on strong.

The Urban Decay Show Pony set is quite versatile.  You can get a decent neutral look from it, or a vibrant party look, making it good for many different people and many different occasions. It would also be a good holiday gift. I give it a big thumbs up!

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The 12 Best Foundations Under $15

Get flawless-looking skin with these beauties from L’Oreal, CoverGirl and more

When it comes to foundation, it really pays to find the perfect product for you. After all, all the eye makeup and lip products in the world won’t make you look gorgeous if your skin looks blah. On the bright side, TotalBeauty.com readers have found that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get flawless-looking skin. In fact, there are plenty of cheapie products that will give you just that! Read on to see what they are. See foundations

No. 12: Almay Line Smoothing Compact Makeup for Dry Skin, $14.78

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.8

“It actually does improve the appearance of lines …”

No. 11: Maybelline New York Pure Stay Powder Foundation, $7.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.8

“First time in my life, someone commented on my ‘beautiful skin’ …”

No. 10: CoverGirl Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Liquid Makeup, $10.13

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.8

“I recently saw a friend I hadn’t seen for a while and she asked if I had something done …”

Want to see what’s No. 1? Click here!

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This rather standard mascara, with a bit smaller than normal brush (something I normally like) didn’t really measure up for me on all levels. I didn’t get a whole lot of length from this mascara. I would say it was definitely under average. Then, while it wasn’t a clump fest, it did clump slightly for me. Mostly though, it smudged. I had fairly bad raccoon eyes within a couple of hours. Just to be sure that I wasn’t having a bad mascara day, I tried it on two other days, with the same results.  So the upshot with this one is that I say stick with the lip venom, but skip the lash venom.

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