Ringing in 2013 with some glitz and sparkle!

It's the last day of 2012 today and I can't contain my excitement that this year is finally over! 2012 had some big ups, as well as some big downs for me (nothing in moderation), so I can't help but look forward to the year ahead, despite not being a very optimistic person by nature! With that in mind, let's end 2012 with a bang, shall we?

For this purpose, I brought out the "big guns" for today's and tonight's makeup! No better time of the year than New Year's Eve to wear those metallics, shimmers and glitters, right? So, here's my glitzy selection:

Boy do these make me happy just to look at them! From top and counter-clockwise, we have: Chanel Harmonie Du Soir eyeshadow quad, Benefit Watt's Up highlighter, Bobbi Brown lipgloss in Black Pearl, and The Body Shop The Sparkler All Over Shimmer! Soz, they day doesn't call for subtle! :)

Let's have a closer look:

Chanel Harmonie Du Soir eyeshadow quad was released as part of their Holiday 2012 collection. The design features a quilted pattern, along with the double C's logo, same as last year's fall Topkapi palette (that I'm wishing I hadn't missed). Now, I often feel that when you buy such high-end makeup, you end up paying for the brand name for the most part, but this isn't the case with this palette: the consistency beats my other Chanel quads and singles hands down, the formula is soft, smooth and buttery and makes applying and blending super easy! The shade selection is just lovely, ideal for celebratory occasions, and the pigmentation was definitely up to par! Granted, they're not dark and deep enough to stain your hand after washing it, but they give that rich metallic sheen that we all associate with the holidays! My only complaint would be the lack of a darker matte colour for the outer corner, but that's easily fixable with an eyeliner.

Next up, something for the face: Benefit's Watt's Up highlighter. A little unblogged about gem in my collection, this is an extremely subtle and natural-looking highlighter. It adds a golden peachy glow to your upper cheeks, that matches most blush colours, without looking too obvious. I took two swatch photos of it, one without direct flash, and another with it, to give you an idea. It certainly doesn't look as frosty in real life! There's a little sponge tip blender thingy on one end of the product, but I prefer to blend it with my fingers. The...light bulbs on the packaging are spot on: it really gives that effect of sitting next to an incandescent light source! Not 100% lit-from-within, but pretty close!

Moving on to the lips, my pick for the day would be my newest addition: Bobbi Brown lip gloss in Black Pearl! This is a beautiful lipgloss - I know us bloggers tend to overuse words like 'beautiful', 'lovely' and 'amazing', but this particular product definitely deserves all those adjectives! The sophisticated mauve sheen is amped up by very tiny pink, green and silver particles! The formula was an unexpected change from the non-sticky, minty smelling one that I'm used to from Bobbi Brown lipglosses, yet, I'm willing to put up with that for this gorgeous colour! Definitely one of the big hits by Bobbi Brown lately, along with Oyster lipgloss (for swatches of Oyster, hit Make Up4All's post, here).

Lastly, something for the body: The Body Shop has released two All Over Shimmers in time for the holiday season, one of them being this one in Dazzling Copper. This is not for the faint-hearted, which you'll probably be able to tell from my swatch alone (given the fact that my camera rarely catches glitter, you can tell this ain't a discreet highlighter! The packaging indicates that you can wear this on your face, body and hair, but I definitely think it's way too much for the face! Would be amazing on your neck, cleavage and shoulders though! Now, I don't think I'll be exposing these areas tonight, but I'm thinking of adding some of this to my curled hair! Word of caution though: the atomizer, as lovely as it looks, sprays a... cloud of bronzed glitter, you might wanna keep this one for the bathroom only!

And here's a quick FOTD using the eyeshadow palette and the lipgloss! I'll be adding the highlighter and glitter in time for the New Year! :)

Hope you all have a lovely time tonight and welcome the new year with the best possible way! See you all...next year! :)

Disclaimer: The Body Shop The Sparkler is a pr sample.

What will your makeup look be for New Year's Eve?
What are your shimmery products of choice?