Some seriously strong self tanner

I actually received LORAC Tantalizer in a set of samples from Sephora. I’ve tried many self tanners and bronzers over the years but never found the perfect one that you can easily slather on the day of a special occasion and have a nice glow

without the streaks OR the icky self tanner smell. My go-to in the past had been Philosophy’s The Big Skinny (right), which is skin firming and gives you a very subtle tan but in my opinion smells like tanning lotion and if not applied super carefully, can create streaks.

Tantalizer was different! I used it a few times before my October 20 wedding and each time it gave me an ever-so-slightly shimmery bronze. Warning: it is not for the fair of skin. It is a really dark self tanner.

Before the wedding I used it across my shoulders and collar-bone and it was the perfect sun-kissed glow. I even got compliments on how perfectly tan I looked! Tantalizer is NOT your everyday tanning lotion but for a last-minute glow on a night out, it’s perfect. Plus, it smells really nice. Note: they do have a lighter version! Click here for their Luminizer, which is not as dark as Tantalizer.

Sephora VIB sale: what I bought today

Today Sephora is starting their pre-hoilday  20% off VIB sale and if you live near a Sephora, you can take a friend, go shop in the and get a fun, free tote.

Unfortunately, I don’t need to re-up on any of my everyday products but since I still can’t pass up a Sephora sale, here’s what I purchased today.

Fresh Brown Sugar body spray, $38: Now THIS is an everyday product. Sweet, citrusy and easy to wear it’s a perfume that isn’t overpowering. Try the rollerball size if you don’t want to jump in with both feet on a purchase of the bottle.

Jack Black Lip Balm Quad, $25: I’d like to say I’m buying this for a gift, but I’m really not. This is my favorite lip balm. There is one in my purse, one in my bathroom, one on my desk and one I use every night before bed. So that’s 4 right? Yep, I need the quad set.

Laura Mercier 4-pack of sponges, $15: I haven’t tried a contoured sponge before

so I’m excited to give that a go.

NARS smudgeproof eyeshadow base, $24: I’ve been using the same lid primer for almost two years. I think I’m ready to give something else a try, particularly if it’s quicker to apply than the BareMinerals cream. Since this is a new product for me, review to come!

Okay, so I qualified for free shipping (Sephora offers free shipping for over $50) and my total came to $102. After entering the VIB 20% off code, my new total is $81!

What are you going to buy? Put it in the comments or tweet me @emilylipstick.

Funny Story

This story is almost Part 2 of why I created this blog. I was lucky enough to go with two of my best girl friends to Napa for my bachelorette party in September. Rachael and Paige love beauty products in their own right, but by the second day when they hadn’t seen me use the same lipgloss or lipstick twice…they figured my purse was probably chock full of beauty products. And they were right! We spent a really fun rest of the trip using the 10 or so lip products and 4 perfumes I had brought.

So again, everyday lipstick really doesn’t mean something you wear daily, it means a different lipstick for every day!

Here are the three of us, from left to right: Paige, Rach and me.