Birthday swag!

I have so many things to post, it's hard to decide where to start - but hey, it's been three months since my birthday, so maybe I should get around to talking about that ... and warning, this post is VERY pic-heavy after the jump!

Sephora birthday haul

My little brother gave me a Sephora giftcard, and after a little over an hour of wandering around the store, agonizing with my very patient, sweet and understanding manfriend about what to get, I finally decided on two fantastic items (and snagged a perfume sample and my birthday gift, too)!

Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in 07 Gorgeous Peach

The main thing I wanted was a jumbo lip pencil - one of NARS's matte or gloss pencils especially. But I couldn't justify the price to myself when Sephora had such a similar product; maybe if the NARS version was twist-up, rather than having to be sharpened (which, aside from being annoying, also wastes product), I would have just gone for it. The Tarte pencils almost sucked me in for that reason. But the Sephora brand Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencils are only $12 and, though they were out of the shade I liked best (02 Fancy Red), I still managed to find a beauty in 07 Gorgeous Peach.

Swatches of  Gorgeous Peach on otherwise bare skin, direct sunlight, no flash

A bit sheer, a bit pink, with a bit of golden shimmer - it would probably look good on anyone, and it definitely goes well with my pale skin.

Gorgeous Peach on otherwise bare lips, direct sunlight, no flash

It doesn't look shiny in a liquid way, which is what I'd expect with the words "ultra vinyl" in the name, but instead has a nice subtle glossy wash of color that looks very natural and sweet. I definitely like it, and have used it a lot since getting it (and have not had to sharpen it yet)!

Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadow in Pug

The other item was actually picked out by my guy :) He spotted this really soon after we entered the store - like, on our first or maybe second lap around it ... but for some reason, when he said "Look! Pug!" I was just like, "lol ok" >_< Finally I actually looked at it, and WOW! This is the Stay-There Eyeshadow from Buxom, which I hadn't (and still haven't) heard much about, but it is basically the same formula as the Armani Eyes to Kill shadows - a cream-pressed powder hybrid that is fantastically pigmented and long-wearing. Initial wear tests showed that I should not nap in glittery eyeshadow, but aside from that, this stuff stays put all day!

Swatches of Pug on otherwise bare skin, blurred on the right to show the glitter

These have dog-breed names, and all the colors looked good, but the boy and I, we love pugs! Plus, this color is holographic silver* that looks taupe until the light catches it ... how could I pass it up?! Lesson learned - next time I will trust my boy when he makes a suggestion at Sephora xD

The coolest bracelet ever

Speaking of whom, I have to show you the Arrested Development-inspired Mr. F bracelet he had custom-made for me - I know I mentioned it in my Date Night post, but here is the closeup. I am pretty sure this is the coolest gift I've ever received ... but don't quote me on that :P

Sleek Pout Paints, L-R: Peek-a-Bloo, Cloud 9, Pin Up, Mauve Over

He also bought four of the Sleek Pout Paints for my birthday after seeing me tweet about them! Seriously how spoiled am I?! (Also, if I had a wealthy stalker who bought me everything I ever talked about online, I would not have room to walk around, let alone sleep - there are so many things that catch my eye online!)

Swatches on otherwise bare skin, L-R: Peek-a-Bloo, Cloud 9,  Pin Up, Mauve Over; daylight bulb, no flash

A little bit of this stuff goes a long way:

Swatches on otherwise bare skin, blended out L-R: Peek-a-Bloo, Cloud 9,  Pin Up, Mauve Over; daylight bulb, no flash

These are Peek-A-Bloo, Cloud 9, Pin Up, and Mauve Over - if you hadn't heard a million times already, they're basically Sleek's answer to OCC Lip Tars and are meant to be mixed together to create your perfect shade :) Super fun to play with, and I was so excited to get them!

Happy time!

I used Pin Up and Mauve Over here, I think. This was at a Mexican restaurant overlooking Lake Tahoe, which was one of the best nights we had ... we got to watch the sun set while we were there, and the food was delish too. They even had to go grab a fresh guava to blend up my margarita, and no I did not mind waiting for it!

LOOK AT THE SILLY FACE!!!

And as if he hadn't already spoiled me enough (aside from what I've already mentioned, there were other awesome gifts too!), he also gave me the gift of MARU! In the form of Maru's book, that is. Not a Maru clone kitten, sadly :(

Yes, the Nook needs to be charged xD

One of the things I was hoping to get for my birthday was a pretty cover for the Nook my older brother gave me when he bought himself a Nook Color. My parents got me this lovely lavender leather case, and a black and purple skin with screen protectors, too. Now my Nook is safe and snug in its purple home!

Big Buddha bag

My mom has excellent taste! When she tried to order a few things from UrbanOg off my wishlist, and they canceled due to items not being in-stock, she picked some stuff out herself. This bag is huge and beautiful, all woven strips of different colored leather. I LOVE it. The brand is Big Buddha.

Wild Rose pumps

Then she got me these fierce shoes! I really need an excuse to wear them out sometime soon :) These are made of close-cut velour to resemble suede, which I always manage to ruin! They're "Yvone" pumps by Wild Rose.

Tim, Tim, Nina

My SFM (soul friend mate) gave me the gift of Tim Gunn, with a dash of Nina Garcia. These were all such fun reads. Project Runway FTW!

I was blessed with so many fantastic gifts, including lots of cash, which came in so handy while the boy was here for three weeks. If not for that, I would not have been able to grab a Fruit Stripes Gum bikini (rainbow zebra FTW!) to wear in Tahoe, or go to the Oakland Zoo with him, or go on some of the fun dates we had ... so that money was very much appreciated and put to the best use.

As you can see I had a very nice birthday and have many generous people in my life :) I'm actually now kind of glad I am just getting around to posting this - because it's a great reminder of how much I really have to be thankful of!

That being said, this incredibly long post was very tiring to write and I need a nap ice cream and a library book or two!

*On the Sephora item listing, Pug is described as "smoky pewter" and the swatch looks a bit blue. Seriously?! It's HOLOGRAPHIC SILVER!