Okay, so I know this is kind of bitchy because this beauty has been off the Sephora website for quite a while. BUT I have justified posting up this late review because:

• It is still available in some Sephora stores! (I go always and can attest to this fact)
• Sephora recently sent out $15/$20 off when you spend $50 coupon codes to their VIBs and
• These coupon codes aren't even valid for Canada online (oh fine print), so you'll have to go to the store to use it anyway
• Some of the blushes in this palette are sold individually as well. If you happen to love just one, you could still pick it up individually (I would recommend you do this with the coupon code though)
• If you must have this in your life and cannot live without it, then (I judge you) it is being sold at inflated prices on eBay so...yay? (It's still probably worth it in my opinion)

Note: This palette was a Sephora exclusive so sadly it is not available other places that NARS is sold. But, there were other great palettes/sets in this collection, even some that were never at Sephora, that are still available at Holt Renfrew and the Bay (Again, I go always so trust me).

And so without further ado, I present my beloved NARS One Night Stand palette from their recent Guy Bourdin collaboration:

So last month, Sephora was all about the sales, starting with the Friends and Family Sale and quickly followed by the VIB sale, both at 20% off. Before I knew about the VIB sale, I was lucky enough to get a F&F coupon from Nikki Roth (from NikkiRothBeauty), who works at Sephora and makes awesome YouTube videos, so thank you Nikki! I debated long and hard about what to get and tried to keep it reasonable at one palette only. I was initially sold on the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, since those powders got super hyped-up last year (although every time I try them in store I'm honestly unimpressed), and here was an opportunity to try out three shades!

However, when I looked into the nitty gritty, I realized that the Ambient Lighting Palette was too good to be true. You were actually getting less product total (3.48oz vs. 0.35, so fine they're like the same) for $15 CAD more!? ($67 CAD vs. $52 CAD; in the U.S. it was $58 vs. $45). Yes, it was an opportunity to try three colours (and one was limited edition, blah blah blah) but realistically, the only shade I cared about was Dim Light and the overall palette was a worse deal in $/gram of product, so that was a no brainer. I also considered the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes, but most of the shades are fairly dupable and it had a bit too much purple (and no other colour family or warmth) for my liking. Also, I don't exactly have a shortage of eyeshadow palettes in my life.
Note: If I still haven't convinced you, both of these palettes are also sold out at Sephora online, though still available in some stores and elsewhere, but I would go grab them now before it's too late (seriously, leave. You can read this later).

So this is what came with the NARS One Night Stand Palette, no silly, flimsy brushes or primers, just six beautiful cheek colours. Yes, this palette was ridiculously expensive at $72 CAD less 20% (about $57.6 CAD in case you were wondering). However, compared to the Hourglass palette, I actually felt I was getting a good value for the dollar: this palette contains 0.84oz (6*0.14oz) of product - each full-sized NARS blush is 0.16oz ($32 CAD), while a bronzer is 0.28oz ($42 CAD). Essentially, for the price of one bronzer plus one blush, you're getting four blusher shades in a variety of colours/finishes, the famous Laguna bronzer and a wonderful highlighter.

Furthermore, I actually didn't own that many blushes, by some standards. Unfortunately, this palette did contain their famous Orgasm blush, which I did already own. However, I was sort of expecting this, given Orgasm is practically the most famous blush of all time and so they put it in almost every palette and set ever made. And let's be honest, can I girl ever have too much Orgasm in her life? (I kid, I kid). So since I had always wanted to try more NARS blushes (and Laguna), but could never decisively pick one given their high price point, One Night Stand was easily justified. For size references, you can see it compared to some of my other palettes from clockwise: MAC 16-pan eyeshadow palette, NARS Orgasm Blush, NARS One Night Stand, Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette, and NARS And God Created the Woman eyeshadow palette. One Night Stand features your standard black rubber NARS packaging, and a nice beautiful mirror (which you can see me in above). While some complain that this packaging attracts dust and smudges (which it does), I happen to love the NARS packaging since it is sturdy, sleek, easy to open yet firm when closed, and I also kind of love when it starts to look worn in and dirty over time.

1. Devotee (Highlighter): A beautiful frosted highlighting powder that is not-too-pink nor not-too-gold, but somewhere in between as a neutral pinky beige. I do not have many highlighters to compare this to, but it does add a beautiful finish to my skin tone that is not too obvious, but definitely noticeable. Note: Devotee does have lots of fine glitter particles, which may be bothersome to some (can accentuate pores) - use sparingly on cheeks and you should be fine.
2. Mistinguette: Honestly, this is the shade that sold me on this palette. I have been holding off on Bobbi Brown's Pale Pink and MAC's Well Dressed, which have both been on my wishlist for quite some time, so I was thrilled when I saw a bright, blue-based (cool-toned) matte pink was included. These sorts of shades may be intimidating to some, but please give them a chance if you have a light/medium skin tone, since they just show up beautifully on the skin. So far, I've used Minstinguette more than any other shade in the palette, since it is perfect for achieving a flushed look.
3. Orgasm: Like I really don't feel that I need to say anything about Orgasm. (It's a pinky-coral with some golden shimmer that is supposed to be universally flattering). Though I have heard many say it is not worth the hype, it was the first blush I ever got (because duh) and I love it. Whenever I have a special event, Prom and the like, I have always worn Orgasm (though now with my larger collection this may be subject to chance).
4. Goulue: Okay first off, what the hell sort of name is this? Being fluent in french, I am rarely stumped my cosmetic and fashion names that are hard to pronounce, but this one is a little tricky (Ps. I've looked it up and "Goulue" was the nickname of a famous French CanCan dancer, go figure). Anyway, I was also super excited about this berry red/pink shade, since it is a perfect fall/holiday colour to brighten up my pale skin. Obviously, Goulue has the best colour payoff, so I would use a light hand and blend it out to avoid a clown-face. Nevertheless, it provides a surprisingly natural finish, even with its golden sheen. Goulue would also be perfect for medium-darker skin tones, just saying.
5. Deep Throat: I have been interested in this shade ever since Allison/Amarixe started raving about it years ago (and unlike me, this chick knows her blushes). I haven't actually used this shade much, but I have played around a bit and found it to be the perfect, understated cheek to pair with any eye look. Slightly lighter and more coral than Orgasm, I think Deep Throat is a great versatile go-to for light-medium skin tones, that will enhance your complexion without drawing any attention away from a dramatic eye/lip.
6. Laguna (Bronzer): Almost as famous as Orgasm, this bronzer needs no introduction. Laguna is perfect for the whole "warm up your entire face" look, and can be built-up for a little contour if you really want it to, though keep in mind it has a subtle golden shimmer. On my skin tone, Laguna is not too orange-y, nor is it really dark enough to achieve a dramatic contour (for that, I prefer Benefit's Hoola Bronzer). Although I really Laguna and have considered buying it a couple of times in the past, my one gripe with One Night Stand is that the Laguna pan is just a little too small for my Sigma F25 brush, which I happen to use for bronzer. However, it's still a wonderful shade for light-medium skin tones, though probably too light for darker skin tones.

Note: Orgasm, Deep Throat, and Laguna are permanent, though they are often included in NARS palettes, so you may want to hold off on purchasing for later collections. Devotee, Mintinguette, and Goulue are all limited edition, though Albatross, Gaiety and Dolce Vita from their permanent range would make fine substitutes (respectively).

First of all, happy December! December is one of my favourite months for several reasons, most notably the infectious holiday spirit, giving gifts, the family times, the pretty snowfalls, and welcoming a new year. Also, today was officially the last day of classes at McGill so TIME TO CELEBRATE (oh wait, finals, oops....I mean, time to buckle down and study hard).  And in that spirit, it is the perfect time to get back in the classroom for Megan’s Guide to the weird world of talking about beauty products on the Internet and other related inquiries. If you happened to miss Lesson #1: Vocabulary, then you should definitely click here to catch up and get your read on. The end of November marks the new hordes of routine monthly favorites/empties videos and blog posts, and the beginning of December also marks the start of Vlogmas for many. Confused as to what monthly "favorites," "empties," or "Vlogmas" may signify? Then grab your notebooks and highlighters, class is about to commence.

Lesson #2: Traditional types of videos/blog posts

There are no specific rules or restrictions for the topics of beauty-related videos and blogs, but there are a several generic types of videos/posts that are most shared and loved by the beauty community. Knowing what these traditional types are can be very useful when trying to sort through the multitude of beauty information in this great world wide web.

• (Monthly) Favorites: Showcasing beauty products that have been most-loved that past month, or simply recently. Some people solely discuss beauty products and fashion items, while someone include other types of favorites, such as food, music, movies, books, people, etc. (note: some ambitious vloggers make a “beauty favorites” and separate “non-beauty favorites” for lifestyle choices)
• Haul: Sharing recent shopping purchases, sometimes as they are actually being taken out of shopping bags and sometimes including some initial reviews.
  
• (Monthly) Empties: Essentially, this is when someone shares their recycling/garbage of the products they have finished that past month (or recently), provides a more in-depth review, and shares whether or not they would repurchase each product.
  
• TAG Videos: These videos/posts vary widely in topics, often containing random questions, weird challenges that may involve makeup and/or significant others and/or family members. The way that TAG videos and posts work is that once someone invents the theme, they pass it on by “tagging” other members of the beauty community to make the video/write the post, and then those people tag more people, etc. This explains why you might see millions of videos entitled: “Sweater Weather TAGs,” “My boyfriend does my makeup TAG,” “Five Minute Makeup Challenge,” “Perfect Palette TAG,” etc.
  
• Skincare Routine: This one is pretty self-explanatory. Sometimes divided into morning vs. nighttime skincare routines, but essentially an overview of the various skincare products that one uses. Keep in mind, it is far more risky to experiment with skincare based on others' recommendations when compared to makeup. Skincare products can react very differently depending on skin types, climates and age, and what works well for someone may not work as well for you. That being said, it never hurts to know what other people are actually using and the results they've seen!
  
• Review: Probably the most common type of blog post consisting of someone's opinion regarding their experience with a beauty product. Reviews can (and ideally) include swatches, comparisons, pictures (if in blog post format), detailed information and whether or not the reviewer recommends the product and for whom.
  
• Tutorial: This is another very common type of beauty video, and sort of responsible for the YouTube beauty community revolution. Tutorials provide a detailed guide of how someone applies a specific makeup look, in order for you to recreate a similar look or simply learn from their application techniques. Some tutorials are specific to eye makeup or face base makeup, while some can show a complete transformation from no makeup to a complete full-face. Tutorials are great for beauty newcomers and experts alike, as you can always learn something new from others or get inspired by their creativity and combinations.
• How-To: Whilst similar to tutorials, how-tos tend to be far more detailed to a specific makeup technique, and as such are excellent sources of knowledge. Some examples include how-to: contour, shape/groom eyebrows, apply self-tanner, get that perfect cat-eye eyeliner, make your lips appear fuller, cover up hyper-pigmentation and acne scars....the possibilities are endless!
  
• Unboxing: A couple of years ago, monthly subscription services took over the online beauty community. While some beauty "gurus" have partnerships with these services and receive their subscriptions free from PR in order to showcase the boxes to their viewers, these videos are still a good resource if you are curious as to what a typical monthly box from one of these subscriptions would look like, and if it would be worth your while.
  
• First impressions: Feature initial reviews of a beauty product, usually during/after one's first application of it. Although these are not the most comprehensive of review-type posts, they can still be useful, especially if you are considering a brand new product, since many first-impressions are for products that have yet to be released (some of the online beauty community content providers get products prior to their release, once again for PR purposes, as a means of sharing them with their audiences).
• Room Tour / Aparmtent Tour: A lifestyle video that is still very heavily requested/loved in the beauty world, since those who appreciate learning aesthetics in makeup often enjoy seeing others' interior decor.