So, remember this post?  Yea, you know – the mega-sad one.  Well, just so you know: ever since writing that post and opening up about my current situation, things have much improved!  We all have heard that talking about things always makes you feel better, but we don’t always put it into practice.  Let this be a lessons learned for everyone (including myself): IT REALLY DOES MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.  I think why it helps is that you feel like you’re sort of being pro-active, and doing something for good yourself, even if you’re not actually putting a solution into action.  Once I did that, it was easier to start doing other constructive things to get back to my usual perky self.  I started doing kick-ass yoga (aka ashtanga yoga) to compliment my half-marathon training, and I feel stronger and more fit than ever.  I had my friends over for dinner and brunch this past month, and felt a little less disconnected that before.  And this past week, I made a connection with another gal who needs a place to stay, and soon I might just have  a roommate, which would help my financial situation immensely.  Things are most certainly looking up, and I just wanted to give you a little update and also to thank each and every one of you who were so fantastically supportive after I wrote that post – you gave me such comfort and the courage to then open up to my friends and family, and since have felt infinitely better.  So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being the wonderful people you are and for being so kind and caring.  Though I haven’t met most of you in person I feel very fortunate to call many of you friends

Particularly amazing friend-cheer from the wonderful Sarah of Beauty and the Baked Goods…aside from the very fact that she SENT me a care package, the sweet hat card and note plus hilarious envelope quips made me laugh out loud.  BEST.  THERAPY.  EVER.

Now, let me share some other goodness with you!  MAC has put out a collection this year (one of the million) called Year of the Snake, which contains a handful of repromoted shades with snazzy box packaging and beautiful snake-like embossing on the actual product, and only available for purchase online.  The moment I saw the peachy-golden fantabulousness of the Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (which I hear has been repromoted up the wazoo….how did I miss it before?) on Circuits of Fever, I was 100% madly, desperately in love.  I went to buy it on the site, only to find that it had been sold out, to my utter disappointment.  Denise assured me that often things will come back in stock after a time, and to keep checking back every few days.  So, like a makeup obsessed crazy person, I checked the site constantly for a week, each time crossing my fingers and toes that it had come available again. No such luck.

Of COURSE, as things go, after a few weeks of giving up online shopping for Lent, I happened to be casually browsing the site and came across the powder, which was IN STOCK.  Let this be an indication of how much I wanted to own this powder, that I broke my Lent promise (which I have NEVER done) and snapped up the powder in seconds flat.  My love was that serious.

And do I feel guilty?   HECK NO.  This is why:

It’s sooo pretty you guys!!  I have purchased a few items over the past year with pretty designs and such, but this one really gets me goin’.  It’s just SEXY.  Love, love, love it.

I find the color to lean slightly pink and reads more coral than peach, but who are we kidding – coral is the SHIT!  No complaints here.  The golden shimmers throughout are really beautiful, and NOT an overspray.

As you can see from the swatches (first diffused, then layered), when worn it’s more of a golden highlight versus getting any serious pinky/peachy/coral hue showing.  Fair skins could probably wear this as a subtle blush though I think, as it does give even my darker skin the barest hint of color.

Comparing this to the other highlighters I showed you earlier this week, I would say that this does sparkle a bit in the sunlight, but it’s subtle and manageable in my opinion.  There is something about this powder I just ADORE.  I find it reminds me of a warmer version of Chanel’s Poudre Signee – it really illuminates my face in a beautiful way while remaining somewhat elusive.  I can see why MAC has released and re-released this powder several times over – it’s just so gorgeous!  To look at as well as to use.  I even prefer this design over the Chanel (sacrilege, I know).

Currently this powder is sold out on the US site but in-stock on the Canadian one (lucky us!).  I don’t know how long the collection will be available, but I would suggest if you’re interested in this powder to get it sooner rather than later – I know they’ll likely release it again (and again) in the future, but this design is not to be missed.  I even plan on keeping the box it came in too, that is BY FAR the best packaging I’ve seen to date.

Oh yea, FYI – the Beauty Powder retails for $29CAD.

Have you come across any beauty products that have rocked your world lately?