Kimber's Beauty Corner

Awesome Drug Store Products - Part 2 - The Foundations

2012-02-09T20:47:00.004-07:00

These are the Foundations / Tinted Moisturizers from my awesome Drug Store Haul:

Foundations / Tinted Moisturizer:

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers Moisturizer

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Moisturizer (Linked to my previous review)

Revlon New Complexion Compact Foundation

Revlon Color Stay Mineral Mousse Foundation (unfortunately soon to be discontinued)

Primer:

L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base

Powder:

L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder

I'll start with the Primer:

L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base is a nice sheer base for your foundation. I tried it both after applying tinted moisturizer and without using tinted moisturizer. I like the formula, it's a little thicker than most - but goes on easily and sheer. I don't like the jar, I keep getting gunk in my nails from sticking my finger in the jar. If this was a tube container, I would like this product much more. However, the product itself works very well at controlling oil throughout the day and my makeup stayed put.

So I will give this an A- on my grading scale. Great product, poor delivery.

Now for the Tinted Moisturizers:

You already know how much I LOVE the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer, and if you don't - please read up on it's awesomeness here.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers Moisturizer is a completely different product. Very nice sheer coverage, great anti-oxidants, and a good color range. However, I found this to be targeted toward Normal to Dry skin. So it complements it's counterpart well as the Skin Enhancer is targeted toward Normal to Oily skin. If you plan on using this with a mineral foundation go for it. It worked very well with the Glow Sheers mineral foundation and the Bare Escentuals I love so much. It became very shiny by the end of the day with my oily skin, but I doubt that would be a problem for drier skins.

I give this an A for dry skin and a B- for combo / oily. Great moisturizer and sheer coverage, but not awesome for oily skin. Go with the Healthy Skin Enhancer for combo / oily skins.

Everyone loves foundation? Well, you might love one of these:

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation has been repackaged from the old brush / container to an actual jar with separate brush included. The product has very sheer coverage, but very build-able and when combined with a tinted moisturizer had a nice medium coverage. The included brush is dreadful, and I used mine once and tossed it. I highly recommend a nice fluffy kabuki brush for application (budget options available at your local Target in the Eco-tools and Sonia Kashuk lines). I was not terribly impressed with it's staying power even with a primer, and I had to re-apply around lunch time.

I give this a B. Nice coverage and shades, but fades on oily skin.

Revlon New Complexion Compact Foundation is just plain awesome. I used compact foundation for years before Bare Escentuals (I'm talking 15 or so years here...) and always found they disappeared or clogged pores or just generally didn't cover as well as liquids. But since I like fast application and a very light texture, I generally still went with any number of the compact foundations available.

The coverage is Medium and can easily be built up to Full with a dry sponge application. I apply with a slightly damp sponge as this makes it easier to blend. The color range is excellent, and it has some serious staying power. I would recommend a moisturizer underneath if you have drier skin. This is going to find a permanent home in my makeup routines (Think quick Saturday application when heading out and about).

This awesome foundation gets an A+. Did I mention it feels very light on the skin?

Revlon Color Stay Mineral Mousse Foundation will unfortunately be unavailable shortly. It's being discontinued and I really don't know why, because it's really nice liquid foundation. So if you like liquids and have a local Ulta that still has a tube or 2 of this, give it a try. Very light on the skin, though application was a bit tricky. I used my fingers and got a nice full coverage, but had to work very quickly as it dried fast. Probably would have been better off with a damp sponge, but I didn't have one available. Coverage stayed all day and didn't really get shiny at all.

This gets an A- and a totally depressing "discontinued" disclaimer.

Since the one liquid foundation I tried is being "discontinued", I thought I should at least provide some information on another liquid to try. I looked up on Beautypedia.com under the Best Products another liquid foundation with Sunscreen (please people, make sure you get your SPF!). I found that L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup SPF 17 Sunscreen

is a great option for Normal to Oily skins, and when used with moisturizer is also great for drier skin. So if you are a liquid foundation fan, this might be great option for you.

Last - the Powder:

L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder turns out to be really great powder. I will in fact be stashing this in my purse since my portable powder cracked about a month ago. Very sheer and does not appear white on the skin, this powder controlled oil for about 1/2 the day (depending on the foundation under it) and has a great range of shades. It came with a sponge applicator which I tried and immediately discarded. Go with a nice fluffy powder brush for application.
Solid performer gets an A.

Overall, I really liked the products I tried. I like knowing there are some excellent options for the budget at our local drugstores. I'll let you know about the other products in the next post.

Nothing to disclose, all of these products were purchased by me and for me at my local stores.

Awesome Drug Store Products - Part 1

2012-01-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a project this week, largely directed at the teenagers in many of our homes (including my own pre-teen step-daughter) but also directed at the budget conscious among us. My Quest: Find the best drug store products on the market.

I started with research on www.beautypedia.com which is one of my favorite sites to research products. I use the "Best Products" lists to try out skin care, so why not use them for makeup products.

Here is the Haul from Walmart and Ulta:

Lots of products to test out - though one you need to try immediately!

Maybelline One by One Volume Express Mascara is one of the top 5 mascaras I have EVER tried. Stop spending $20+ for a tube and get this one right away. Great volume and excellent separation, no smudging (even after a seriously sweaty workout) and killer brush. This product out performs just about everything I've tried.

The list of everything else - which I will be testing out over the next few weeks:

Foundations / Tinted Moisturizer:

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers Moisturizer

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Moisturizer (Linked to my previous review)

Revlon New Complexion Compact Foundation

Revlon Color Stay Mineral Mousse Foundation (unfortunately soon to be discontinued)

Primer:

L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base

Powder:

L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder

Blushes:

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

Eyeliner:

L'Oreal Infallible 24 hr Eyeliner

Eyeshadow:

L'Oreal Infallible 24 hr Cream Shadow

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Shadow

Maybelline Eye studio Powder Shadow

Revlon CustomEyes Shadow with Liner

Mascara:

Maybelline One by One Volume Express Mascara

CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara (Linked to my previous review)

Part 2 - The Foundations

All of these products were purchased by me, to the tune of approximately $80. Pretty excellent for 13 products.

Clarisonic Mia

2011-07-26T13:03:00.000-06:00

Well folks, I know it's been a long time since I last posted. Funds and various other life intrusions are the culprit. But I purchased a new device that I thought you all should know about.

The Clarisonic Mia is a sonic facial brush, much like a sonic toothbrush. There are all kinds studies regarding this product, that I'm sure you can research on the Internet. I certainly did, and looked at them with a rather skeptical eye. I was more interested in user reviews. So that is what I read about. In summary - this product along with a really great cleanser (the one included gets a pretty high rating on Beautypedia.com) will clean your skin better than a washcloth.

So I just had to give a try. I purchased the brush from the SkinStore 2 weeks ago. I've been using it every day since. My skin feels smooth and clean when I finish using it, not dry or sticky as if there is still cleanser on my face. I can tell that I don't have nearly as many clogged pores around my nose (which is usually a cesspool of oil and makeup). My broken capillaries have not flared up or shrank in any way.

I read all kinds of reviews, many of them flattering and many concerns with it aggravating rosacea. I also talked with the Nordstom supplier who happened to be there the day I was researching and she mentioned she has very stubborn rosacea and started using the product 6 months ago. She had no discernible redness and mentioned that it has actually helped her. She did say to use the sensitive skin brush, which is what comes with the Red Mia.

Overall I've been impressed. My skin is very clean when I finish my scrubbing. Note: the product has a 1 minute timer so no over scrubbing for me! My face is noticeably smoother in that the forehead flakiness is gone and the chin pore clogs are almost non-existent. I have not changed anything else in my routine, and am still using a retinol in the evening and a salicylic acid gel during the day. I'm not using the same washcloth every day and cleaning the brush twice a week - so I think it's a keeper.

Anyone else using this product? Love it? Hate it?

MAC Venomous Villains - Photos!

2010-10-11T12:00:00.005-06:00

As I mentioned, I picked up a few of the Villains...and they are really pretty great.

From Cruella de Ville:

Darkly my Dear - blush
De-Vil - eye shadow
Wicked Ways - lip gloss

From Maleficent:

Formidable - nail polish
My Dark Magic - mineralize eye shadow

The blush is a nice deep rose color, which is looking good with that fading summer color. The De-Vil eye shadow is a shimmery copper color that is also looking great as a fall shade. I've got several base shades that look great with it - most pearly and peachy. The lip gloss was just for fun, and is a terrific hot pink. Looks nice with a raspberry shirt.

The Maleficent shades were largely fun shades. I love the polish on my toes as it's one of those shade-shifter types depending on the light. The eyeshadow is supposed to be a split pink / purple pot. But as you can see, mine cracked in shipping. So it has turned into a nice purple shade for a smokey eye.

Yes, I just picked my favorites, and am very happy with the selections. Nice fun packaging, and great color.

MAC Venomous Villains Collection

2010-09-28T13:45:00.000-06:00

Makeup and Disney, how do these go together? Well, MAC Cosmetics obviously thinks that one can get inspiration from Disney characters, and who am I to disagree when the collection is so fun and well thought out.

The MAC Venomous Villains Collection launched Monday 9/27 in the late evening. It's been talked about on the beauty blog circuit for months and now it's here. Interestingly, several of the shades have already sold out. I'm not big on collecting the MAC collections, but this one was a must see for me. I've loved the Disney Villains for a long time. I even bought a villains poster the last time I went (in 2003) and still have it, ready for framing. While I think the princesses and heroes of the stories are all wonderful, the villains are the most fun and ridiculous part of each story. Cruella de Ville has been a favorite for many years.

I've ordered a few items, including a smashing nail polish from my other favorite Maleficent's collection. I will post pictures when they arrive.

Please see this posting at Temptalia and her links to photos if you are at all interested, and order quickly. I suspect this is one of the most sought after collections for MAC and collectors get there early.

Bare Escentuals Modern Pearls Collection

2010-09-13T12:00:00.003-06:00

The last installment of the QVC Bare Escentuals Pearls auto-delivery arrived as the Modern Pearls collection. It's an interesting kit of fall shades mixed with various pinks. I'll admit off the bat that I'm not a green eyeshadow fan, but this looks to have a fair bit of charcoal in it so I'm liking it much more than usual.

Cultured Pearl Eyecolor - light pearl pink
Modern Pearl Eyecolor - jade gray
Big & Bright Eyeliner - charcoal gray
Flawless Definition Mascara
Pink Pearl Blush
Brightening Pearl Mineral Veil
100% Natural Lipgloss in Praline - plum rose
Wet / Dry shadow brush
Soft Focus shadow brush
Angled blush brush

I really like charcoal eyeliners, so this is a nice addition. Again These eyeliners are pretty average in staying power for the oily skinned gal, but have nice color payoff and the application is easy. The lipgloss is an excellent, non-shimmery shade of rose that I think is going to be great this fall. Matches so many of my rose blushes, that it's going to get a ton of use.

The eye colors are very pretty. I love the Cultured pearl shade of pink for the all over lid color. It pairs nicely with many of my shades, and also looks nice with the Modern Pearl shade. The swatch looks pretty green, but when I applied to my eyes, it came out as a nice deep shade that looks almost charcoal. The eyeliner especially highlights the deep quality of the shadow.

Overall, it's a nice kit - though I like the last one with the peach and navy the best of the four. Again, eBay is a great source for these kits - especially if you're only looking for a few pieces. Keep your eye on QVC.com - it's possible the kit will show up as a special in October or November. It's another great value from QVC and Bare Escentuals.

Best of the Drugstore

2010-08-30T12:33:00.000-06:00

Fall is coming. It's definitely back to school for many folks, and the rest of us are probably feeling the pinch of summer vacations or upcoming holiday shopping. So in honor of looking great while saving a buck or 10 - I present to you the Best of the Drugstore. Okay, well at least they're my drugstore favorites...

Tinted Moisturizer - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - this product rocks. SPF 20 and retinol in a drugstore moisturizer. See my full review of this product here.
Mineral Foundation - Neutrogena Mineral Sheers (loose powder OR compact)
The Mineral Sheers foundations come in loose powder or compact, and either product works great. SPF 20 starts you out, and I like to use the loose powder over the tinted moisturizer for a great looking natural face. All of it is a sheer coverage which is great in the summer and for teenagers. If you're looking for something with full coverage - look at the Revlon line of foundations for the ColorStay products.
Mascara - Cover Girl LashBlast (original orange tube)
This has got to be my favorite drugstore mascara. Every other one has disappointed me in some way. This one does everything I want and doesn't smudge through the day. See my review here for more information.
Primer - L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base
This silicone based primer is great in small amounts when patted (not rubbed, makes a mess) onto the skin. It does all the good stuff many of the more pricey primers do for controlling oil and keeping makeup in place.
Blush - Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush
This is a great blush for all skin types. It's whipped consistency allows you to build color on your cheeks as it dries down to a powder. The colors are sheer and very pretty, most have a shimmer to them. It doesn't seem to clog pores and doesn't fade much during a long day.
Lipgloss - L'Oreal Infallible Gloss or Lipcolor Compact
I have both of these in my desk drawer at work, and they get about equal play from me. The gloss is quick and easy and lasts quite a while. It's not terribly goopy either, so it's great for quick put-on-and-go usage. The Compact has a color, then a sheer topcoat. This stuff lasts for hours, but the 2 coats and the wait in-between can be annoying if you want something fast.

That's about all I need for work and most teens would need for school. If you are looking for some eye shadows and eye liners you should check these out. Though - one caveat, I would use these shadows with a primer for long lasting wear (Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance are readily available at Ulta - and worth the extra money. I haven't found a drugstore one worth a dime - yet).

Eyeshadow - L'Oreal HiP Shadow Duo's
They come in several shades, and duo's are great for creating a unified look. The color is fairly pigmented, thought it might take a couple passes to get an intense look. Highly recommend a brush application with these.
Eyeliner - L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner
I don't know that you're going to find something to compete with my Urban Decay 24/7 liners, but these are pretty decent. They are not highly pigmented, but this is nice because you can build up the color. Decent staying power, though it will slide a bit on oily lids (though primer seemed to help). This is a decent liner at a reasonable price.
Eyeliner - Cover Girl LiquilineBlast Eyeliner
This is another decent liner. It also is not as pigmented as the Urban Decay, but also does a nice job blending and building color. This doesn't stay quite as well as the L'Oreal but will also do better with primer and on normal to dry lids.
Eyeshadow - NYX Shadow Palettes
This comes straight from the Makeup Geek, who is a huge fan of these shadows. Again, a good primer is mandatory and these will need some building to get the shade just right. They are inexpensive and colorful for any one who wants to dabble in a little color.

I have purchased these products to play with them.

Hair Straightening Products

2010-08-23T12:00:00.001-06:00

I have tried a couple of "no frizz" and "straightening" products in the last few months. I'd like to tell you about them, since I know some of my readers have thick and wavy to curly hair much like mine.

The first is Living Proof no frizz Straight Making styling cream. This has a nice smoothing ability, and my hair after drying was bouncy and straight. It definitely helped the drying process and made straightening easier. But it didn't give me much shine and had the best results after using a flat iron post blow-out. It also works well if you have mostly straight or straighter hair that is prone to the summer frizz. Overall it's a nice product, but a tad bit pricy and hard to find. The 8oz. bottle retails at Sephora for $35.

The second is Pantene Curly Anti-Frizz Straightening Creme. This product impressed me in a big way. My hair is shoulder length and very thirsty (especially in the summer), so it takes about 3 pumps of product to coat my hair. When I blow dry with a brush, my hair comes out nice and smooth - almost no flat irons necessary, unless I'm going for that stick straight look. My hair was also nice and shiny, which is unusual after a serious blow out. This gets a huge thumbs up from me. Economical and works, better than most of the high end serums and straighteners I've tried. Check this out at your local drugstore for around $6.00.

The last product I've tried recently is the Phytodefrisant. It's a relaxing balm, and I received a couple samples from Sephora. I've been using it when I style straight and it works about as well as the Pantene. I've not yet found a Phyto product that I didn't like, and this one stands up with all the rest. This line is pricey (5oz. for $35) and available at salons and Sephora.

Coach Poppy Project

2010-08-11T13:13:00.000-06:00

So what's up with the cute poppies on the blog? It's a blog contest from Coach. Both bloggers and readers can be winners, which I thought was pretty cool. It's also another way to get some exposure to the blog.

Here's the scoop:
Readers grow the poppies by Tweeting. You can click a "black" or, in my case, "gray" poppy and it will fill in the Tweet for you. If you Tweet using the #CoachPoppy hashtag, it will grow the poppies on all sites. If you use MY hashtag #kimbers_corner, it will grow the poppies on my site. You can also click the "Like" button to like the project on Facebook.

Readers can win handbags if a handbag appears in the poppies, you should click it.

Readers can Follow the trail of poppies by clicking on that link at the upper left of the page. You can see some new blogs (which can be fun!) as well as get a chance at finding a surprise like the handbags.

Bloggers win if their site appears in the top 10 list of all blogs being Tweeted about. I don't expect to win, but I do think this is a fun way for Coach to connect with bloggers and readers alike. I've always liked their bags, and what a fun way to show it off.

So go ahead and Tweet or Like and Follow the poppies. Grow Poppies Grow! #CoachPoppy #kimbers_corner

You can participate in the project by following this link http://poppyproject.coach.com/

Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express Mascara

2010-08-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

So I got sucked into another drugstore mascara purchase. Largely because this got a few good reviews, and I want to give you as many inexpensive options as I can. While I love Diorshow, who can really afford $22-$24 for mascara on a regular basis?

Maybelline recently released "the Falsies" version of their Volum' Express mascara. Interestingly, it performs very much like the Colossal Volum' Express - though I like the brush better here. The formula is pretty wet, but doesn't seem to clump (yay!) so be careful when applying or you will have some smudging. The brush is what they are calling the "spoon" brush. It's just a bit curved, with the bristles inside the curve being a tad bit shorter than the bristles on the edges. It's great for getting up close to the lash line - but still seems to leave a bit of mascara on my lids. I'm sure I don't have the technique down yet.

As for how this looks when applied - I love the volume I can get with it, and it does do some lengthening. It's not super at lengthening though, so if you want super length you'll need a different mascara. The volume is great, and the color is great. I wouldn't recommend more than 2 coats though or you will start to look like Tammy Fae Baker (spider lashes! scary!). No smudges for about 7 hours, and if you have dry eyelids I would imagine this would be all day. My super oily lids smudge a bit after 7-8 hours.

Overall, this is a good mascara if you have normal to dry lids and are looking for volume and length. If you have oily lids - I'd stick with the Cover Girl LashBlast (orange tube). It appears to be widely available, and I purchased mine at Ulta.

Benefit POREfessional

2010-07-26T19:00:00.000-06:00

I believe I mentioned that I needed to sample Benefit POREfessional before buying. Well, sample it I did. Stopped in Ulta last week for a few supplies and decided to check this out. The sample in the store turned out to be a little runnier than the bottle I purchased, but was still a good indicator of how it would work for me.

This is meant as a makeup primer / pore hider. It's oil free (huge plus for the oily skinned girl like me) and can be used under or over makeup. Yep, I said over makeup. It's silky and smooth with just a hint of tint. It blended right over my tinted moisturizer and didn't disturb it. My pores look smaller and smoother after application and appear that way for several hours. The nice thing is that you can touch up with it if you have a dinner date and no time to run home. I thought it fought my usual shine problem very well and compares favorably with my favorite primer - Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector. It also has the added benefit of not affecting the finish of my mineral makeup. It applies smoothly over the POREfessional and has no added shine or texture.

This is now appearing in several retail chains including Ulta and Sephora for $28. It's fairly pricey and almost double what I pay for the Clinique - but it's a larger bottle, so I'd say it will just stop you from purchasing as often. It's a pretty impressive product and I've been testing it in 90+ degree weather for the last 2 weeks. So its a great consideration for those that have a desire to hide the appearance of their pores and control shine.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

2010-07-19T12:00:00.002-06:00

This has been my one big beauty purchase this summer. Urban Decay always has some of the best shadows, richly pigmented and sometimes a little sparkly. So the Naked kit, with it's neutrals and non-sparkle set of 12 shadows, 2 liners and primer was a steal for $44.

What a terrific set of color. I see several neutral eye looks, and at least 3 smokey eye looks that can be accomplished here. Most neutral eye sets don't include such terrific black / grays along with beautiful dark mauve / pink shades.

Included in this set:

Primer Potion - Original
Zero 24/7 Eyeliner - black
Whiskey 24/7 Eyeliner - brown

Eyeshadow shades:

Virgin
Sin
Naked
Sidecar

Buck
Halfbaked
Smog
Darkhorse

Toasted
Hustle
Creep
Gunmetal

If you are looking for a collection of great matte and shimmer shadows in just about every color you would "need" for any trip - I think this is it. At $44, I don't know that you can get this quality and quantity anywhere else. I'd highly recommend picking this up at Sephora or Urban Decay. Keep in mind, this already sold out at Sephora once and they just announced receiving their second shipment.

New Summer Products

2010-07-12T12:19:00.000-06:00

Okay - limited budget time. I haven't purchased any new products to review or test out recently - so I don't have much to write about. But I am really interested in a few new products, especially from Benefit and Bobbi Brown. I do have Urban Decay's new Naked palette on the way here, but that's about all I've managed to justify.

So here are some links to reviews and pictures of some of the cool new summer products:

Benefit Scene Queen - New Benefit kit with eyeshadow, blush and a few other goodies. Looks great, but do I really need all that? Checkout Temptalia's review.

Bobbi Brown Denim and Rose - Okay, these colors are really appealing. Pink and navy are just somehow so simple but pretty. Again, I can't seem to justify the purchase after having just received a peach and navy kit from somewhere else. But check out this review at Temptalia if you're interested.

Benefit POREfessional - This looks like an interesting primer product, but at almost $30 - I need a sample size test before springing that much cash for something that appears to be hit or miss. Two reviewers have talked about this one at Gouldylox and the Muse. I'm so picky about primer, that this one could go either way for me.

Urban Decay Vegan Palette - Another great looking shadow palette from Urban Decay. But at this point, I think I have enough Teal / Aqua shadows to last a lifetime. Check out this review at Temptalia.

That about covers the latest releases that I had any interest in. I'll let you know about the Naked palette as soon as it gets here and I can play with it. From all the reviews I've seen - it's smashing!

Skincare Basics

2010-07-06T12:00:00.002-06:00

So, being that I review a lot of "beauty" related products, I thought we should at least bring up the topic of skincare. Largely to state that I am NOT an expert in this area. I'm a woman who had pimples until she was about 35 because she was using the wrong products and never could figure out the right products.

Let's just say this is a topic I'm learning about, and I'm trying to go to the right sources. One of the books I picked up at the library a few years ago has quite a cult following. "Don't go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" by Paula Begoun is a real encyclopedia of products, ingredients and information. Her associated website, to which I now subscribe, Beautypedia.com has the most current and updated reviews and information available.

Now, they don't review things as a like or dislike. They review things based on the ingredients and whether they are good for your skin or do what the companies claim. So some of the products I swear by, don't get such great reviews from Paula and her team. But for the most part - I take her information seriously. While my skin may not react to something visibly, an ingredient could be causing damage and that is something I am trying to avoid.

But here is a summary of what I've learned, and it's all rather basic.

1. Anti-oxidants are good - they help fight invisible damage to your skin. This just plain makes your skin look and feel fresher. Anti-oxidants are ingredients like vitamins A, C and E. Paula has an article here about these excellent ingredients. Interestingly enough, one of the best anti-aging ingredients is Retinol which just so happens to be Vitamin A.

2. Exfoliation is also good - You need to keep your skin fresh and help cell turnover. Scrubs however can be bad. Many are overly abrasive and can actually irritate your skin. There are many ways to exfoliate, and one of the best ways is to use a clean washcloth when washing. Clean is key, I use mine twice, and toss it in the wash. Another great ingredient for exfoliation is an AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) or BHA (Salicylic Acid). I'm currently using a 2% salicylic acid gel daily, and it keeps my pores clear and my face generally blemish free. The difference is AHA is water-soluble and BHA is oil-soluble. So AHA's a great for those with drier skin, and BHA's are great for the oily skin folks.

3. Moisture rocks - No matter how oily your skin is, and mine is super oily, you need to keep the moisture in your skin. This is a huge challenge for the western U.S. where the air is so pleasantly dry. (I love living in Colorado, I'm from Chicago and know humidity very well) Finding a good moisturizer is probably the biggest struggle for most people. But I know that if I don't use one, I have very flaky skin. Find a balance is my best advice, and read beautypedia.com for recommendations to try. I'm currently using a lightweight serum with Retinol at night, and a tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 during the day. It's just enough moisture to keep the flakes at bay, but not stimulate more oil.

4. Sunscreen is mandatory - Seriously, do I need to say more about this? Find a great moisturizer with sunscreen and a great foundation with sunscreen. Period. If you want a great tinted moisturizer with Retinol and SPF - look at Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer. It's great, inexpensive and available at your local drugstore.

One thing I should mention, Paula also creates her own products in a line called Paula's Choice. I use a few of these, and so far - what I have tried is excellent. The BHA 2% gel has been a skin saver this summer.

I'm not an affiliate of Paula's Choice or beautypedia.com, I just find the information there very useful.

Cover Girl LashBlast Fusion

2010-06-28T12:00:00.001-06:00

Cover Girl's LashBlast is one of my favorite drugstore mascaras. It's thick and black and builds serious volume on my lashes. They have taken this line and created a lengthening formula and a shimmer formula. Their most recent addition is Fusion which is a combo of the lengthening formula and original volume formula.

I had to hunt for a tube, my local Ulta just didn't have it, nor did Target. I finally found a tube at of all places Wal-mart (which isn't a usual shopping spot for me - but with the new interior re-do, they've certainly eliminated many of my complaints).

I've tried it for a couple days and found it to be a decent mascara for the approx $8 I paid for it. I don't like it as much as the original, but it's pretty good. The volume isn't as good as the original but it does add nice length to my lashes. I still don't love the big thick applicator either - tough to get those tiny lashes with it. But overall this is a good mascara for someone who wants a bit of both volume and length without being extreme in either category.

Bare Escentuals Vintage Pearls

2010-06-21T12:00:00.002-06:00

So the 3rd installment of the Bare Escentuals Pearls Auto-Delivery from QVC arrived last week. It's called Vintage Pearls and I have to say that it's really a classic look set of colors. Navy and cream being the highlights and an excellent shade of dark Navy eyeliner.

Included in this kit:

Antique Pearl eye color - light peach coral
Twilight Pearl eye color - blue steel
Big & Bright Eyeliner in Midnight - deep Navy
Flawless Definition Mascara
Vintage Pearl Blush - washed poppy
Brightening Pearl Mineral Veil
100% Natural Lipgloss in Glazed Donut - champagne mist
Blending Brush
Full Tapered shadow brush
Flawless fan brush

The eye colors are very pretty and very classic. Antique pearl is a creamy shade of palest peach and it looks natural on the eye. The Twilight Pearl is a nice shimmery navy color that I thought blended pretty well and made for a nice classic eye (it also happens to match my new USA Soccer jersey which I thought was pretty handy for USA vs. England). They eyeliner shade is just about the most perfect navy I've seen. It's deep and almost black but not quite. It performs like the other ones from previous kits, so it's not an all day stay liner for me - but does pretty well for about 5 hours.

The brushes are pretty basic, though I don't have a fan brush and likely won't use this one - largely because I'm not an artist with my makeup. The full tapered shadow brush is a staple in my kit, so it's good to have a double for travel (it's great for a classic "darker lid" look).

Overall, I like it just as much as the other pearl kits and I suggest you keep your eye on QVC as these kits tend to show up as "specials" on shows about 4-6 months from now. eBay is always another good option for these kits or individual pieces.

MAC To the Beach

2010-06-17T19:22:00.000-06:00

Another month and another MAC collection. This time, it's To the Beach and it's really retro and pretty.

I know this topic has been written about on several blogs, and they all got me excited to try a few of the products. I selected a lip gloss, eyeshadow and Marine Life highlight powder.

The eyeshadow in Shimmermoss is a beautiful teal that is highly pigmented and very shimmery. But it works well with a few of my more shimmery Bare Escentuals colors as a base and I quite like the shade.

The lip gloss (Tinted Lip Glass) in Easy Lounger is a true pink. It's not as sheer as my Buxoms, but it's a great fun summer color that really stands out on the lips. It lasts a couple hours as well which I really like, and seems to nice and moisturizing.

The Marine Life highlight powder has not yet shown up, back-ordered to extinction I'm afraid. But here is an excellent review of this sold out shade.

A few of the colors are still available at MAC and Nordstrom. Or if you want to search eBay...

Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams

2010-06-07T12:00:00.001-06:00

Make Up For Ever is a line at Sephora that always has interesting products. I love their Aqua Eyes eye liner, it doesn't smudge or budge on my oily lids. One of their new products this summer is the Aqua Creams. They come in 22 colors and are formulated for either eyes or cheeks / lips.

I purchased 2 colors that are for the eyes, shade 21 (turquoise) and shade 3 (silver). These are billed as waterproof and smudgeproof creams. I'll give this to you in 2 categories - the Good and the Bad.

The GOOD - Color payoff is excellent! I love the intensity of the shades and the even color they provide. They are very slick to apply and blend very easily. No sparse pigment here people, just intense color.

The BAD - Oh did they ever smudge and smear. I was expecting great things. Several bloggers gave them the thumbs up, but they must not have oil slicks for eyelids like I do. I thought because the eye liner pencils are so great, that these would hold up just as well. I was severely disappointed. I ended up with a big silver streak in my crease. Not attractive.

In summary - these were a total bummer. If you have dry lids - they will work amazing for you, I even think those with normal skin can make them work. But if your lids are oily, forget it. The whole point of something smudgeproof is for it to NOT SMUDGE. I don't want to use primer with cream shadows, I want them to stick like the Bobbi Brown long wear Cream Shadows. All in all that was a waste of $40. Two excellent colors, two complete meltdowns.

My Summer Favorites

2010-05-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

Well, I'm out of new products at the moment. I thought I would go over some of the previous posts with the intent of reminding you of some of my summer favorites.

Tinted Moisturizer - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer

Bronzer - Laura Geller Bronze-n-Brighten

Foundation - Bare Escentuals Matte

Concealer - Benefit Erase Paste

Primer - Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector

Mascara - Cover Girl LashBlast and Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition

Eye Shadow - Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow

All of these products for one reason or another are essentials in my makeup kit and all are long wearing. I'm really looking forward to that lighter and easier makeup season this summer. Our community pool opens this holiday weekend and you can expect to see me in my waterproof LashBlast and SPF 30+.

Here's to summer. Cheers!

MAC Cosmetics Greasepaint Sticks

2010-05-17T12:00:00.002-06:00

The MAC Cosmetics line has all kinds of interesting and fun products. They come out with new lines almost every month it seems. These items are from the Art Supplies line that came out a few months ago.

I'm always looking for interesting products and from the reviews I read, the Greasepaint Sticks were really cool and came in some excellent colors. They are billed as eye crayons and seem to have a nice build-able coverage. In other words you can build up the intensity of the color on the eye.

I picked these up in 2 shades and I must say the color is awesome. I got Dirty and Uniformly Blue, and love both of them. Dirty is a gunmetal shade and Uniformly Blue is an excellent navy. These are fatter than an eyeliner, so are in theory are great for sultry eye. I absolutely loved the color of both sticks.

They also applied very easily, slid on and I was able to blend the color on my lid to get a great smokey look. But they were a complete disappointment in the wear category. They are billed to be water-resistant and long wearing. My oily eyelids creased them after about 2 hours. I tried them on top of my Clinique Touch Base for Eyes the next day, and they creased again. I haven't tried them over my Urban Decay Primer Potion yet - but the whole point was that they were supposed to be long wearing without primer.

Overall, the concept and colors are terrific, but if you have oily lids they don't last. I'll let you know if I try them with my Primer Potion, but I'm currently so bummed out about them that it might be a while.

Available at MAC stores and online.

5/17 - Editor's Note: I tested these with Primer Potion today, and while the primer managed to stop the creasing and smearing - it also made them impossible to blend! My favorite part of them is the blending. So yes, I'm still disappointed and will continue to experiment on how to use them best.

Victoria's Secret Beach Sexy Instant Self Tan

2010-05-10T14:05:00.000-06:00

It's self tanner time, at least for me. Spring is no time to be blinding your co-workers and self with exceptionally pale skin. But I'm not a fan of "orange" tanners either, so it's tricky to not look like a pumpkin.

Victoria's Secret Beach Sexy line has a few self tanners, and Instant Self Tan Lotion appealed to me. I've had good luck with the tinted instant dry type of tanners. They look brown when you apply, and tan nicely as opposed to some kind of orange shade. I picked this one up on a whim and have to say I really like it.

It's brown and shimmery when squeezed from the tube. Applies very sheer, but with enough of a tint that it allows you to avoid the standard streaks that come with most self tanner. It gives you a bit of a tan tinge and the scent is a combination of oranges and coconuts. It has very little of the nasty "chemical" smell you get with most tanners. All of this was pretty impressive. Most impressive was the tan I got after a nice full day of wear, not orange and tinted just enough to take off the white glow of spring from my arms. I wouldn't recommend wearing with a white t-shirt or bra because you will get some transfer of the product. Those are safe for the next day, post shower. But for the most part, it dries and does not rub off. Neither is it sticky or slimy.

Like I said, I was surprised and impressed with this product and think it will be a repeat purchase. Retail price is $12, but they are currently running a special - 2 for $20.

Laura Geller Chocolate Volume 2 - Berry

2010-05-03T17:00:00.000-06:00

I received the Volume 2 auto-delivery from QVC of the Laura Geller Delectable Chocolate plan. This volume is Berry themed and very pretty.

For a full review of the products, please see Volume 1 here.

This kit includes:

Balance -n- Brighten in Fair (my choice)
Blush -n- Brighten in Berry
Marble Eyeshadow in Raspberry Creme Truffle
Eyeliner Pencil in Eggplant
Shine & Shield Lip Gloss in Fresco Berry

The colors are all so pink and spring. The lip gloss is absolutely strawberry and just so fun and pink. The eyeliner is in the ever popular color this spring - eggplant. I have to say, it's just like the Bare Escentuals kit shade so I feel like I just got a duplicate. They seem to perform similarly, so I won't be running out of eggplant eyeliner any time soon.

I think my two favorites in the kit are the eyeshadow and the blush. This is a pretty popular shade of Laura's blush and is a great pink shade that I think works pretty well with most skin tones. It looks great on me and I'm almost out of my current pot. The eyeshadow is a beautiful bronze raspberry shade that is great dry, but really shines when used with a wet brush. It just brings out the deep intensity of the color.

Overall, I really like the kit for spring and if you didn't get in on the auto-delivery you can likely pick it up on eBay new. I like this method for picking up individual items that maybe the buyer didn't like, but you love (seriously the eyeshadow and blush are worth it).

I purchased this kit.

Burberry Summer Fragrance

2010-04-26T16:50:00.001-06:00

My last trip to Sephora ended in a surprise fragrance purchase. I might have mentioned this before, but I'm a complete sucker for Burberry fragrances. I have not met one that I don't like, and these are the only fragrances I've ever "used up" outside of that one Liz Claiborne bottle in high school.

So when the fragrance sales lady hit me up while I was cleaning tester samples off my hand - I was putty in her hands. She spritzed the two latest Burberry scents for me Burberry Brit Sheer and Burberry Classic Summer. I liked them both. The Sheer was just that, fresh with scent of light peony and grapes. The Summer had me at the get go - warm and citrus with a hint of rose. It was love at first sniff and there was no way I walking out without it. Fortunately I had a bit of left over gift card cash to help me along, though it's pretty reasonably priced at $50 for a 1.7oz bottle.

I know fragrance is a personal thing, but if you're looking for a great Mother's Day gift - I'd highly suggest either of these for the fabulous women in our lives that are our mothers. Neither is overpowering, and both are perfect for summer. My mother has the best garden in town - so almost any scent with rose or peony makes me think of her.

Urban Decay De-Slick Spray

2010-04-19T17:00:00.002-06:00

Urban Decay's spring line has some new and innovative products. The first thing I read about and HAD to have was one of their makeup setting sprays. They have several new models that they partnered with Skindivinia to create. Amongst the best setting sprays going are those made by Skindivinia, so to see Urban Decay partner with them to bring these to the masses really is exciting stuff.

I choose the De-Slick model as it's summer coming around the corner and I simply get oilier and oilier with each passing month. This spray is meant to keep the oil at bay and everything looking fresh. I've been testing this over the last few weeks in conjunction with my regular routine.

I've found that it does make my face a little shiny when applied after makeup. I've got my makeup application down such that it's usually matte unless I'm sweating when applying. I give this 2 spritzes and let it set. It seems to bring out the pores I just concealed and the wrinkles I just blended. I don't like either the shine or the pores, so that didn't thrill me. So I started spritzing to just set the foundation, then applying my Mineral Veil over the top. This kept the pores and shine in check without affecting the purpose of the spray.

As for it's oil-control and staying power, I thought it did a pretty good job of controlling the daily oil production. My makeup stayed put slightly longer than usual - but not enough so that I just HAD to keep using daily. I think it this is more of a special occasion product for me, as the products I use daily seem to do well enough with staying power and oil control. But if you are struggling to find those products, you surely should give one of the setting sprays a try.

The setting sprays come in several flavors all meant to work with various skin types. They retail for $29 and can be had through Urban Decay.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Tinted Moisturizer

2010-04-12T17:00:00.002-06:00

Spring is trying to settle in here in Colorado - though Winter is making it a tough go, woke up to 2 inches of slush on April 7th. I am starting to plan when it's time to switch from my winter "super moist" routine to my summer "oil control" plan.

My current favorite summer tinted moisturizer is one from Neutrogena. I LOVE the Healthy Skin Enhancer in Fair to Light for summer. It's slightly darker than my winter color and controls oil like nothing I have found yet in a moisturizer. It's also highly ranked at Beautypedia and when they like the ingredients, so do I.

This product is SPF 20, which is huge around here in the summer, for sun protection. It also includes a good amount of Retinol and anti-oxidants. This stuff is all good for your skin, and the kind of thing that is in night treatments. I say, why not treat your skin during the day too.

This product is not "officially" an oil-control product, but for whatever reason, I think it works pretty well at the oil-control game. Granted, I use my primer over it - but in summer I need some extra help and I think this manages just fine. If you are super-fair skinned, you may have trouble finding a shade. The rest of us will do well with the shades available.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer is priced around $12 and is available at Ulta and your local drugstores and supermarkets.

Bare Escentuals Sailor Girls Buxom Babes

2010-04-05T17:00:00.003-06:00

Another great Buxom Babes collection for this spring from Bare Escentuals is the Sailor Girls. Yes, I am totally in love with these glosses. So of course I had to break my self imposed buying ban to pick these up.

The colors described by BE:

Mini Marina Buxom (island plum)
Mini Skipper Buxom (juicy coral)
Mini Misty Buxom (sparkling sand dollar)
Mini Sunny Buxom (golden sunrise)

They seem to have a bit more shimmer than the regular glosses without being actually glittery like the holiday collections. I really like the colors included as a real deep coral shade is in this bunch. I have had a thing for coral lip shades forever (my signature lipstick in college was a shade of bright coral) and most of the Buxom glosses are so sheer that the coral factor is diminished. Not with this most excellent shade, so I think Skipper is my favorite.

These are available at Bare Escentuals, Sephora, QVC and other retailers for $28. If you're looking for great summer pocket glosses - give these a try.

Bare Escentuals Exotic Pearls Collection

2010-03-29T17:00:00.002-06:00

As part of the Pearls Auto-Delivery program from Bare Escentuals and QVC, I received my second installment last week called Exotic Pearls.

It included:

Exotic Pearl eyeshadow (winter sage)
Black Pearl eyeshadow (smoky violet)
Big & Bright eyeliner in Plum
Flawless Definition Mascara in Black
Pearl Blossom blush (pink geranium)
Brightening Pearl Mineral Veil
100% Natural lip gloss in 7 Layer Cake
3 brushes - Tapered Crease Defining, Fast & Flawless, Angled Face

I really like the eye colors as they blend well and have a fabulous shimmer. Purple isn't my favorite color but darn if it doesn't look great with my blue eyes and fair skin. The plum eyeliner is also a great shade, better than the black from the last kit. Though, I'm not impressed with the lasting power of this liner. Wore it all day Saturday and by the end of the day it was no longer a line, but a smudge of what used to be there. The blush is a great color - but again, I didn't swatch it because I probably won't use it. I love the pale pink lip gloss, though it really is sheer and has hardly any color payoff. Though, it is moisturizing and feels good on the lips.

The other nice bit of the kit is the booklet with a nice face chart of one look you can create with the colors. These are a great getting started point for the beginner or people like me who like ideas and pictures.

The colors are fabulous for spring and the kit in general cheered me up, because it's just so girly. These are colors I haven't loved since grade school but will definitely be using this spring for fun.

While this kit is not yet available from QVC as a kit, you can probably find it on eBay if you're really interested.

Makeup For Ever Aqua Eyes Eye Liner

2010-03-22T17:00:00.004-06:00

I've been picking items out of my stash to write about lately since I've put myself on a bit of a makeup purchase "slow-down". I've been on hiatus, so I don't have anything "new and fabulous" to tell you about. Having written about the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, I thought I would write about one of the other pencil liners that I like.

Enter Make up For Ever Aqua Eyes liner pencils. These are sold by Sephora,run $17 a piece and come in amazing array of colors. Shades are yellow to black to everything in between. I picked one up because I was specifically looking for teal and found the perfect one. They work similarly to the 24/7 pencils but are not quite as creamy. Otherwise, they do last and are waterproof (to an extent, won't run - but don't rub your eyes when they are wet!).

What does this mean to you? Well, they won't apply as quickly and easily as the Urban Decay because they are harder. But they do have great color pigmentation and staying power. They also don't smudge as easily but that wasn't a consideration for my purpose. I like liner in a line, and smudging is for my Shadow Liners.

Laura Geller Bronze -n- Brighten

2010-03-15T17:00:00.001-06:00

Spring is trying to make an appearance here, at least it did - until winter gave it a nice smack down yesterday. But it does make me want a little bit more color on my face than my awesome Too Faced Snow Bunny is providing. So I'm back to my favorite bronzer, Laura Geller Bronze-n-Brighten.

Please excuse my photograph for showing more of the base pan than the actual product. It does prove how much I love this bronzer. It's a beautiful swirl of browns and tans and pinks that when applied looks like a tan rather than a pumpkin. It comes in both a regular shade (shown here) and the Fair which has a bit less of the brown. For me, the Fair would be fine in the winter - but I do get a touch of color in the summer so I prefer the regular shade. It doesn't clog my pores, or look dirty on my skin. For me this is the ideal bronzer almost year round. Obviously, I'm going to need another compact of this product, so I'm shopping for the best deals.

Available at Laura Geller's Website with a brush, QVC without a brush and in a great Starter Kit if you've never tried her products. Laura Geller is also available at the new CVS Beauty360 stores and online.

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liners

2010-03-11T17:00:00.011-07:00

Out of curiosity, I purchased the Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner 3 piece kit from QVC a while back. I wanted something smudgy and smoky in one swipe. We all know that most eyeliners can be smudged to give a sultry look, but we also know that this requires a little technique and some eyeshadow to get it just right. These liners were demonstrated as a "no-fuss" smudgy look.

I have to give them serious credit. They are really smudge proof once applied. I can attest to the waterproof-ness as well, it definitely required waterproof makeup remover. The kit on QVC comes with a stiff tapered brush that allows a thinner application or a wider line. The formula has a little play time to allow a finger smudge once applied and then it sets. I have the Spotlight and Envy shades which are plum and a shimmery black. You can apply them thinly as a liner using a different brush, but what is the fun in that? The #30 brush makes it so easy to get a smoky eye look without all the mess and work. The plum Spotlight shade surprised me in how much I like it for a less intense look, but still smoky and sultry. The black Envy is very intense and so far, I've only used it for my Halloween makeup. I'm so fair skinned, that it's not fair for it to be in my kit. Someone with darker skin would find this color fabulous and shimmery (Very similar to Sarah Jessica Parker's Oscar look).

Both Sephora and the Smashbox website are now selling these in duo kits, which I find interesting as they have a lighter shade presumably to blend with the darker shade on the eye. I think the real gem of the Shadow Liner is the #30 brush which I don't see sold separately on their website. I see the #15 brush which appears similar, so definitely get the brush with the Shadow Liner - you won't be disappointed.

Clinique Touch Base for Eyes

2010-03-08T12:00:00.002-07:00

To round out the trio of fabulous eyelid primers, I think we should talk about Clinique Touch Base for Eyes. After my reviews of Urban Decay Primer Potion, and Too Faced Shadow Insurance you should know about this 3rd amazing, yet slightly different option. This "find" came to me as a question from a friend and reader, she wanted to know how it compared to the others.

The answer is "very favorably". This is slightly different that the other 2 eyelid primers I've reviewed here. It's in a cream shadow form and can be worn alone or as a primer. It's a solid - so it doesn't have to go in your travel security 1 quart bag (anything that doesn't have to go in there is like gold in my book). It also comes in 6 different shades depending on your needs as some have shimmer, and some are more matte.

I like that it's a quick application with my fingers and that it glides on smoothly. I find it fairly easy to blend eye shadows over, so I don't go to my nude base shadow as much with this product. It is lasting about 8 hours on my lids until I need a touch up because of fading (and at that point, isn't it time to call it quits anyway?). It creases only slightly and that's after about 5-6 hours on my super oily lids. It doesn't itch and doesn't feel drying, so after several days of use my eyelids are not parched.

Sephora only carries the shade Canvas in stores but has 4 available online, and it's not the best for a fair skinned lady like myself. I've been told the Buff Lighting would be better. I think the best part of this product is the shade selection so it can act as a base, or just your everyday shadow.

Touch Base for Eyes is available at Sephora, Amazon, Clinique and your local department stores.

I purchased this product

Bare Escentuals Rocker Eye Tutorial kit

2010-03-01T17:00:00.017-07:00

One of the great things about Bare Escentuals are their kits. I love the kits, and they come in many different sizes and shapes. My favorite eye shadow kit to date is the Rocker Eye Tutorial kit. I have blue / gray eyes, and they tend to look fabulous with gray eye shadows.

This kit comes with 2 eye shadows, 1 liner shadow and a double-ended brush:

1980s Eyecolor (metallic gray)
Rock Star Eyecolor (sparkling smoke)
Black Leather Liner Shadow (glistening blackest black)
Double-Ended Rock 'N' Roll Brush

If you like drama and fun, this is the kit for you. This is my "Vegas" kit as it makes easy work of a smoky eye. The included brush allows for precision application and the box shows 2 different looks. The Tutorials line includes different looks on each of the boxes so you know what to do with each color. The colors have a lot of sparkle so be prepared for some fall out (have a big fluffy brush handy to swipe it away). I love the 1980's color and sometimes just use that for an evening out without the full "smoke" - it's more of a "smolder". If you'd like to see a full set of pictures check out the Muse here. Here's a picture of me rocking the Rocker Eye (sorry it's not bigger). Love this look.

The kit is available at $38 from plenty of retailers, including Bare Escentuals, Sephora, Nordstrom and Amazon

I purchased this kit, and am an affiliate of Amazon.

Bare Escentuals Prime Time

2010-02-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Being that I have oily / combo skin, foundation primer is an absolute must have. Granted, I didn't know this until a few years ago. It certainly stopped the issue I've always had with makeup and the "gone by 3pm" syndrome. The very first primer I tried was Bare Escentuals Prime Time in the original formula. It now comes in an Oil Free formula as well - I'll tell you about both products.

Original Prime Time is a nice slippery primer meant to put a barrier between your skin / moisturizer / oil and your foundation. It's a silicone primer with Vitamins C and E, and just slides right over your skin. I like this because it doesn't disturb my tinted moisturizer. It makes a nice smooth matte surface for applying your minerals or whatever other foundation you like. I've found it lasts probably 5-6 hours on my oily skin without touch ups. Even then, I just blot and do a quick dusting of powder to look great again. Overall, this is a pretty good primer comparable to Smashbox's Photofinish in both ingredients and behavior on my skin. If you are more of a combo to dry skin person, you won't experience the breakthrough oil that I see mid-day. This also hides some of that dry skin flakiness you see by smoothing the skin's surface (which I like especially in the winter).

The Oil Control version is a different story. It does not contain silicone, but is water based with Witch Hazel and glycerine. I really don't like this formula at all, it's too wet and messes with my tinted moisturizer during application. It also "tingled" a bit, which is clearly related to the Witch Hazel (which I don't really like much - my skin has always seemed sensitive to it). I also found that when I applied my minerals they seemed shiny when used over top this primer. Not a look an oily skinned girl appreciates. There are many people who really like this version of the product - but not me. So while I'm not impressed with this version, it might be worth trying a sample if you are super oily and not looking for application over tinted moisturizer. Otherwise, I give this version a no-go.

I don't mind silicone in my primer - some people are very sensitive to it. So if you know it's a problem, you might like the Oil Control version. I am in the other party who doesn't like Witch Hazel and does like silicone - so the regular formula is my choice.

Both products are priced at $21 and can be purchased in the Bare Escentuals Boutiques, Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom and Amazon.com among other retailers.

I purchased this product.

Smashbox Get Sexy kit

2010-02-22T15:41:00.006-07:00

I just can't resist telling you about a good deal. I had a review all lined up for today - but then found out that Smashbox is on QVC today with an amazing deal. I've been impressed with what Smashbox products I've used so far, but don't have very many of their kits.

So - the Get Sexy kit is the QVC Today's Special Value - today, Monday 2/22/10. It's a 7 piece kit, all full size products and under $50. Yes, I said under $50. The colors are all purple / mauve shades and really beautiful for spring. These things usually sell out, and the great price goes away at midnight ET.

The descriptions from QVC:

face and body highlighter in Allure, a light shimmery gold

jet set liner in Vamp, a deep purple

lip enhancing gloss in Smitten, a nude

lip enhancing gloss in Lust, a deep red berry

creamy cheek color in Captivate, a rose

eye shadow quad in Charm, with sand, lavender, lilac, and deep purple

limitless eyeliner in Smoke, a deep smoky purple

Jet Set is their signature eyeliner, and is waterproof and pretty impressive. The eye shadows never disappoint because they are always well pigmented and apply smoothly. I like their lip glosses as well, though I have tried this particular model.

If you want a nice kit to vamp up your spring colors - I highly recommend this one largely due to the incredible price.

I am not affiliated with QVC or Smashbox, this kit just looks awesome.

Nars Blush

2010-02-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I talk about blush often enough and that I don't like Bare Escentuals blushes. But I don't think I've answered the question of "what blush do you like?" The answer is NARS powder blushes. There is just something to be said for a quick swipe of a brush across a palette and then the cheek. No fuss.

I have 2 shades of Nars blush in Orgasm and Outlaw. Orgasm gets rave reviews everywhere you go because it really is the perfect peachy pink shade. It goes with almost every skin tone and looks fabulous on me both in the winter and summer (an accomplishment). It's got some shimmer to it, so if you don't like shimmer - I wouldn't look their direction. I like it, as it acts as blush and highlighter in one. This stuff has some staying power as well and doesn't fade for at least 6 hours.

Outlaw is an awesome dusty rose shade that is low on shimmer. I had a L'oreal blush (my first blush in fact) in this shade for years and it just works with my pale skin. Again, the staying power is really fabulous for any blush (most fade on me after 3-4 hours, so getting a whole day out of one application is amazing).

Now, I will say this - don't shop for blush online unless you trust the website swatches. I purchased 2 blushes through Sephora.com and had to return one of them. Outlaw looked pink on the website, and turned out to be a deeper rose shade. The other one I ordered was what I thought to be rose, and was brown when I received it. So the colors are misleading. You are much better off shopping in store for blush. I am going to send you to another blog for excellent swatches, no one does a better job of swatching than Karla Sugar. Keep in mind, this is not what I would call "cheap" blush, they run $26 a piece. But the payoff in both color and wear is worth it.

That being said, NARS blushes are available at the NARS website, Sephora, department stores and Amazon.com.

I am an affiliate of NARS and Amazon, but purchased this product.

Bobbi Brown long wear Cream Eye Shadow

2010-02-15T17:00:00.002-07:00

I had never tried, let alone heard of cream eye shadow before I found this product. I had only ever seen powder shadows either in mineral form or pressed in trays. So I started doing research about long wear products for eyes since my lids are so oily and crease-prone. What I found was Bobbi Brown long wear Cream Eye Shadow is the best at put it on and forget it.

I went to the counter to try this product as it seemed like it needed a bit of expertise in the application area. The makeup artist explained that it needs a stiff synthetic brush for application because of the long wear formula. Fluffy wasn't going to cut it for this creamy stuff. They then did a very simple application of Bellini as an all over color, and Stone as the lid shade. I asked for a neutral "wear to work" look, and this was perfect. I didn't want to buy them until I had walked around the mall for a while to see if they creased or not. If something is going to crease on me it does it quickly, so I just went shopping. They held the colors for me as I did my "trial".

Not a single crease after 2 hours, not even after 9 hours. This stuff is simple, pretty and incredibly hardy. There are 20 shades listed on the website, most of which are very neutral and pretty. some of the most popular colors are Ballet Pink, Navajo and Bone. People use the darker shades like Steel and Slate as lid / contour shades. It requires pretty precise application for multiple shades as it doesn't "blend" like powder shadows. But I use my finger to apply Ballet Pink and Bellini regularly, as I use them for a quick single shades. Powder shadows can be used over them, so if you want a beautiful crease-free base for a powder lid or contour shade - these are wonderful.

The shades are either shimmer-free or slightly shimmery. The newer Metallic line is where the glitz and glam come in to play. These are fun, though I would recommend wearing them as single shades - it's very hard to blend the metallics.

These shadows at $22 can be purchased at Bobbi Brown counters, Amazon, QVC and the Cosmetic Company Store at your local outlet mall. They don't have the latest colors, but will give you a good price on them so I always check there for shades from "last season".

I purchased this product. Photo is clockwise left to right - Ballet Pink, Bellini, Stone

Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Skin Revival Treatment

2010-02-11T17:00:00.006-07:00

I am no skin care expert, but believe you need to know what you are putting on your skin. I do a lot of reading on sites like Beautypedia.com where the science of skin care and makeup is taken into account of the product ratings. If you read sites like that, you will find that this is one product where I'm completely ignoring the advice of experts. Largely because I think it's giving me results where other products have failed.

On to the Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Skin Revival Treatment. It was the first in the RareMinerals line, which is their skin care line. The formula includes Vitamin C and Vitamin A. I started using this about 3 years ago, when I was saying to myself "I'm in my mid-thirties now, why does my skin look like an 18-year old?" (and I wasn't talking about wrinkles folks...). I haven't been without my "magic dirt" since.

What I've found is that my forehead - previously full of tiny pimples, that products like Proactiv only made worse, was completely clear. Zero pimples on my forehead, nose, chin or cheeks. This seemed like a miracle after 20 years or so of fighting oily and breakout prone skin. I have also found that the red rosacea patch on my cheek noticeably smaller and less irritated. I also think my skin is smoother and less splotchy looking as well.

This product works as a night treatment, and I usually put it on last after a good moisturizer. Without it the product can be drying, so I wait for the moisturizer to absorb and pat on my magic dirt. I can't give you science behind it - I just know that I no longer fight with blemishes on a regular basis. Just one or two small ones will crop up occasionally, and I use this with a brush to treat those by just dabbing some on directly. I also have changed my routine to only use this on my oily "t-zone" during the winter to keep down the drying on my cheeks. There are folks out there who find it incredibly drying, so if you're dry to start it might not be the best product for you.

It comes in several shades if you are looking for night time coverage, or clear (which I use). It's available for purchase at several locations for $60, including the Bare Escentuals boutiques, Sephora, and Amazon.com.

I have purchased this product on several occasions.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

2010-02-08T17:00:00.002-07:00

Eyelid primers are just about mandatory for me if I want to wear eyeshadow. I've already talked about the amazing Urban Decay model, which got me interested and sold on primer. I'd like to talk about another really terrific primer from Too Faced called Shadow Insurance.

Shadow Insurance is a silicone based primer with a slight skin tint to it. It evens out the color of your eyelids (mine have purple veins - I'm fair skinned, this happens), but is not heavily pigmented so skin tone matching is not an issue. I also like that it is non-shimmery so it just tints the eyelids and preps them for shadow. This stuff, like any other primer is "sticky", so I like to apply a nude shadow over it to start my colors so that they blend easier.

As for long wear? Yep, long wearing. I did a full test drive of this product on a work trip a few weeks ago. I had very long days, and didn't have to touch up at all after 9 hours. Nothing creased or faded. It also didn't have the tell-tale itch of some of the eye primers I've tested (Smashbox itches for me after a few hours).

Shadow Insurance is another great primer for eyes. I've got one more eye primer which I think is fabulous and will eventually write up for you (it's from Clinique!). I was tipped off about it by a friend and reader, and you don't have to put it in your travel baggie.

Too Faced is available at their website, Ulta, Sephora, and Amazon just to name a few, and is priced at $17.

I received a sample with purchase.

Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash

2010-02-04T17:00:00.002-07:00

Anyone else having serious dry skin this winter? My skin feels crispy almost every day no matter how much lotion I use. Some of this comes from having a complete addiction to fancy scented body washes, the rest is attributed to the Colorado arid climate. Well, I found a new body wash at the drugstore to help combat this dry feeling.

The Dove Deep Moisture body wash with Nutrium is pretty impressive. Usually I get out of the shower and instantly itch. When I'm done after using this, my skin feels much softer and less irritated. I still slather on the lotion, but this takes the edge off and my lotion lasts longer. There is all kinds of science behind the Nutrium - but the bottom line is that it really acts as a moisturizer in the shower.

The scent is nice and clean, and my husband has taken to using it as well to help fight the winter itch. It's not the foamiest formula, but it does get you clean along with a nice shot of moisturizer. If you don't feel like spending $15-$20 on the "latest" scent, but around $5 on something that works for your skin, I'd suggest the Dove Deep Moisture body wash.

It's available at your local grocery and drugstores.

I purchased this product out of desperation.

Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Mascara

2010-02-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

I mentioned a few blogs ago that I kept receiving this mascara in several kits. After 3 kits with full sized tubes, I decided it was time to give it a serious look-see.

The Flawless Definition Mascara is new this summer to the bareMinerals line and is probably their best mascara. I have not been impressed with any of them to this point. This one has a nice skinny brush with the rubber bristles. I really think these types of brushes do a great job of defining and separating lashes.

This formula is great, it has a good amount of volume building as well as lengthening and defining. I love how long my lashes look and how separated they get with this brush. I was surprised by the volume I was able to build after two coats as that has never happened with one of their mascaras. It's soft on the lashes, washes off easily and guess what - it doesn't smudge! So this meets all my requirements, without being overly pricey.

I've seen it on Amazon for around $14-$15, retail from the boutiques is $18.

One thing to note, is that I'm not so sure about the tube / dispenser. After about 2 weeks, my tube and wand are pretty gunked up with mascara which is causing my brush to be gunked up. I don't know if the bottle I received is faulty - but I would love to know if anyone else has experienced issues with it.

Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel

2010-01-28T17:00:00.006-07:00

Wavy hair is a challenge. It's not straight and it's not curly, and mine has what my stylist calls "a seriously stubborn wave". I've been styling my hair wavy for the last few years as it's just easier on my hair and my morning routine. That being said, I'm always on the lookout for a good curl / wave product. This particular one was a purchase I made based on a conversation I had several years ago with a former co-worker who has the most beautiful curly hair. She styles it both straight and curly and came in one day looking fabulous, so I had to ask what she used that day. The answer was Ouidad. Being that this conversation was several years ago, I couldn't remember what product specifically it was that she loved. But when I saw the product available on Sephora's website a few months ago, I knew I would give it a try at some point. So I grabbed a bottle on their 20% off sale in the fall and have been experimenting with it ever since.

I tried the Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel since I like and need the hold a gel provides. Well, this was unlike any gel I have used in the past. Most gels dry crunchy, this does not. It also enhanced my curl to some extent. My hair is soft and wavy when I am finished styling. I like the look, but it really needs a bit of shine to it, so I whip out my Redken Shine Spray to finish the look without crunchy hair.

Now I will say this product did not hold all day for me which was a bit of a disappointment. My waves started to "fall" a bit after 3pm, which is a pretty long 8 hours to begin with. I use some hairspray for hold - but they still flatten a bit. If your hair is more naturally curly I wouldn't worry about the hold time, since your hair is always curly anyway. My waves have the tendency to look great after blow drying and then fall out and look frizzy by mid-day since they are rather loose to start.

I coupled this with some mousse after about a week and the hold time dramatically improved as did the look of the curls. You could try their mousse called PlayCurl or my favorite curly girl mousse - Nexxus Gorgeous Curls Curl Enhancing Foam Styler which has great hold time without massive crunch.

Ouidad is available online through their website, Amazon or Sephora.
I am an affiliate of Ouidad, however these products were purchased by me with the intent of making my hair look great.

Bare Escentuals I Love BE Grand Collection

2010-01-25T17:00:00.007-07:00

I wanted to take this week to give you a heads up on a new Bare Escentuals collection that will be airing this week on QVC. I'm giving you a heads up rather than a review because I don't plan on purchasing this kit. Mostly because I'm not using the regular foundation any more (well, I'm using up my last 2 jars); I love the Matte so much. The colors are very pretty and I am thinking about picking a few of them up on eBay.

QVC Showings of Bare Escentuals:

Friday 1/29/09 - 11pm-12am ET

Saturday 1/30/09 - 12am-1am ET, 11am-1pm ET, 3pm-5pm ET, 9pm-11pm ET

The kit will include - Link to Mineral Madness description and pictures:

bareMinerals Foundation - Full Size
RareMinerals Night treatment - Full Size (LOVE THIS!!)
bareMinerals Charcoal eyeliner pencil - new shade
bareMinerals Soul eye shadow
bareMinerals Heartcake 100% Natural Lipgloss
bareMinerals Heart Glimmer
bareMinerals Love all over face color
Handy Buki brush
Contour Eyeshadow brush

The Heartcake lipgloss is a peachy pink shade that I really like and tend to go for when making purchases. This is nice lipgloss, no tingle like the Buxoms and decent staying power. It is fairly moisturizing, so it won't dry you out.

The Love radiance looks like another great peachy pink color. I like their all over colors, you can use them any where. I tend to go for my neckline with these, as I'm a v-neck and scoop-neck shirt fan.

The eye shadows Heart and Soul (cute names!) are a sheer off-white pearl shade and deep rose shade. Also a nice combo here.

I talked about the liner in a previous review here. This is a new shade, and I love charcoal shades.

The night treatment is fabulous and deserves its own review (which is in the works, I just haven't finished it yet). If you have adult acne or oily skin, I really recommend this product. It's also helped fade my rosacea.

That's the scoop I have - history says the Grand kits are usually fairly pricey due to the full size products, so expect it to be around $90 dollars.

Laura Geller Delectable Chocolate Baked Kit

2010-01-21T17:00:00.006-07:00

QVC did it again a few weeks ago, and put together another great kit from another great beauty product maven. Laura Geller is a make up artist from New York who has really found a niche with her "baked" products. I saw her on QVC a few years ago and picked up a small kit from Sephora with her foundation, blush, and bronzer. Love the foundation for touch ups and carry this in my purse. It's mineral makeup without a lot of the mess. I can't say enough about the bronzer here, it will eventually get it's own write-up it is so good.

The Delectable Chocolate kit was a Today's Special Value on QVC a few weeks ago and it looked appealing for the auto-delivery program (which means I get 2-3 more kits at the same price with different colors) and for the interesting colors. I'm not in love with browns as I am so fair. But I know many of you use them as your day to day go-to colors.

The kit comes with a foundation, blush, eye shadow, gloss, and eyeliner. It also included a booklet with color descriptions and application suggestions.

Balance-n-Brighten - Fair
Blush-n-Brighten - Tartufo
Bake Marble Eyeshadow - Tiramisu
I-Care Waterproof Eyeliner - Caffe' Mocha
Shine and Shield SPF 15 Lip Gloss - Fresco Gelato

Balance-n-Brighten is a nice mineral makeup, it can go on a big heavy if you are not careful. But I like it in my purse as a touch-up product, also as a quickie brush on before a weekend shopping trip. I tried the fair this time, and it is a good match for my winter skin. Overall, this is a good but not great foundation for me.

Now the blush in Tartufo is interesting. It has lots of pink, so I was hoping it would tone down the brown. This color was not good on my winter pale skin, but it's close - so I think it will make a nice summer blush for me. I was hoping it would warm my skin up a little, but instead it looked a little dirty. So I will stick with my pinks and peaches for the winter and try this again with a little summer color. But over all, it's not a shimmery blush and seems to last for several hours.

The eyeshadow in Tiramisu is excellent. When applied dry it is a nice shimmery neutral. When applied with a damp brush it becomes a bronze-y brown. I love this shade, very versatile and I think will become a regular for me on quick neutral days. (most days in my book). In the swatch photo here, the wet application is far left, then foundation, dry eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner and gloss.

The eyeliner is nice brown shade (not my fave, but goes great with the eye shadow) and seemed to stay for several hours, only smudging at the end of the day. Fairly good, but not the best eyeliner ever. Nice small tip though, good for precise application. It also had a smudger end which I thought worked well.

The gloss is a perfect "lip color" shade, not sticky (miracle!) and fairly moisturizing. I also like that it has SPF which makes it great here in Colorado where you need SPF every where you go. I like this even though it's a little thick and takes a light hand in application.

Over all, it's a nice kit - which is no longer available on QVC. You might be able to find it on eBay - just make sure it's "new" and not "used". If you are a Laura fan, or new to her stuff I hope it gives you an idea of what her products are like. Feel free to let me know if you tried this or any of her products before.

OPI Suede Nail Polishes

2010-01-18T12:00:00.007-07:00

I went into the store looking for a good top coat. I am loving CND Air Dry, but Beauty Brands didn't carry that one, so I will be trying Speedy by CND this time around. However, this is about the OPI Suede polishes. It was after she gave me some line about them "changing" to the Speedy top coat (total lame excuse for not carrying the object of my desire) that I was distracted by the Suede display by O.P.I.

I almost exclusively use OPI polishes, as I find them to be the most chip-proof for my soft nails. I'm always whacking them on things and bending them. Most polishes chip like mad, including OPI's top coat (for whatever reason). So the Suede is something new. It's a matte finish, and you don't put a top coat on it. I grabbed the Russian Navy as I love dark polishes in the winter.

The finish is unique. While the polish itself is sparkly, the finish is matte and looks almost textured. I really like the color along with the finish. The nice thing is that it also looks great with a top coat which when the sparkle really comes through. I think this shade will become a staple in both my summer and winter collections since it's so universal and not quite as dark as many of their "winter" shades. It did take 2 coats for the polish to look really good and opaque.

Overall, if you're looking for something different take a look at the Suede line, there are some great shades available. (Please excuse my ugly soccer toes - I just thought you would want to see the finish)

I purchased this product.

WEN Cleansing Conditioners

2010-01-14T17:00:00.002-07:00

QVC had a WEN Today's Special Value a few weeks ago, and to those who are not QVC "lingo" hip - it means they had a super low price on a particular set or product. I have never tried WEN and had a few questions about it. I thought with this price, I could give it a try without breaking the bank.

WEN is a "cleansing conditioner" created by Chaz Dean. Essentially, it's supposed to eliminate shampoo from your hair cleansing routine by both cleaning and conditioning your hair without stripping it. It's an interesting concept, and for many people with very curly hair it's a very appealing idea. Many of the "curly girl" websites talk about not using shampoos and only using a conditioner to clean your hair. I've been on a wash every other day routine for a while now, and it really helps keep my hair color in place and my hair less brittle. But I still wash around my hairline every day due to oily skin and scalp. This is a little drying and defeats the purpose of washing every other day and trying to be "shampoo free" those days.

On to the WEN experiment. According to the booklet I received, I am supposed to use this product daily in place of both shampoo and conditioner. I started with the Fig as it's supposed to be for thick / coarse hair. I followed the instructions exactly, wetting the hair thoroughly first, followed by a sectioned application of the product, followed by a comb through and "let sit". After I completed my shower routine (about 5 minutes), I rinsed and rinsed well. The rinsing was about double my usual rinse time, but otherwise relatively easy.

Day 1 - hair looked great, was soft and conditioned as expected.
Day 2 - roots looked greasy and flat, but the rest of the hair was well conditioned.
Day 3 - had to wash - did not like the flat and greasy looking roots (I essentially chickened out from the 5 day trial I had planned).

So there it is, I realize it's not a real trial of the WEN system. I quit mid-trial because I didn't like the look of my roots which were dull, greasy and flat. Now the booklet says I need more product and more massaging to fight that. However, I massaged judiciously and had plenty of product going just to make sure I didn't get greasy.

The other "flavors" I received were Sweet Almond Mint and Lavender. I attempted to repeat the same 5 day trial with each "flavor". I really like the Sweet Almond Mint, though it's a little "tingly" on the scalp which could be irritating to some. It also didn't leave my roots as flat and greasy looking as the Fig, so I was able to go about 4 days without shampoo. I thought that was pretty impressive. This is my favorite of the bunch as it didn't weigh my hair down and looked good after several days. I won't be giving up shampoo any time soon, but this is a nice change from my routine.

The Lavender didn't weigh my hair down, but after 2 days straight my hair was frizzy. We have no humidity in Colorado, so this was a suprise. It looked I was living in Atlanta. This one will go the way of the Fig flavor and be an every other day use until I use up the bottle.

Overall, I do like the product as my hair was very soft and fluffy after use. I can get away with a few more days straight with the Sweet Almond Mint. But I think for me, it's a better fit into my usual routine of shampoo every other day and use WEN on the non-shampoo days.

Please let me know if you've tried WEN, are trying it, or general thoughts on it.

WEN is available from their website, QVC and Amazon

Lancôme BI-FACIL - Eye Makeup Remover

2010-01-11T17:00:00.006-07:00

Lancôme BI-FACIL - Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover is a product I stumbled upon by accident and found that it is just not worth trying anything more. I received a sample of it when I purchased some products last summer, and used the sample while traveling last year. I just recently purchased the full size bottle because it was worth every penny (and it's a bit pricey - $26 for 4.2 oz.).

So what is it? Ah, it's eye makeup remover. I would go so far as to say, the best of it's kind. It's a dual formula, so it requires shaking to mix up the emulsion. Just put a bit on a cotton ball and swipe across your eyes - makeup gone! Now waterproof formulas make take a few seconds of holding then wipe to dissolve, but no aggressive scrubbing is necessary. Every remover I have tried makes my eyes red / swollen / itchy and just miserable. This does not. No swelling or irritation of any kind with this remover. According to the description it is safe for you contact lens wearers as well.

I know this is short and sweet - but this product is simple and works well above anything else I have ever tried for serious eye makeup removal.

Product is available at various retailers and department stores, including:

Redken Vinyl Glam 02

2010-01-07T17:00:00.002-07:00

I have been on the hunt for a good shine product for years. Tried several serums, and sprays and not yet found anything that really lasts and makes my wavy hair look great without either fading or weighing it down.

I went to Beauty Brands and just asked one of the Sales Associates if she recommended any shine sprays. She said she really liked the Redken Vinyl Glam 02 and it was one of their best sellers. So I played with the sample in the store. My hair looked like I had just glossed it without it being stiff or crunchy. It was like a shiny nail polish top coat. The finish also lasted longer than an hour (which is my problem with the Rusk shine spray), and has gone almost 8 hours most days. This is with my hair styled curly and straight (makes it look so soft after a flat iron run). I haven't tried it in humidity due to the complete lack of such evil stuff here in Colorado. But my experience has been that shine sprays do help the frizzies, but won't last as long in humidity.

If you are looking to add some shine and finish to your look, this product has really stepped up the look of my hair.

It's available at both Ulta and Beauty Brands, along with other salons and hair product retailers.

I purchased this product.

Awesome Drugstore Mascara

2010-01-04T17:00:00.006-07:00

As my last tube of mascara dried out (you would be surprised how fast this happens in Colorado), I grabbed a couple of well reviewed mascaras from the drugstore. I thought you might be interested in knowing which ones you can get on the cheap that still rock the lashes.

My mascara requirements:

1. Enhance length and volume

2. No smudges / flakes

3. Super black

L'Oreal Voluminous in the original formula (there are several new options now) comes highly recommended. So many different beauty bloggers and beauty board posters love this product; including my favorite Makeup Geek (www.makeupgeek.com). I gave this one a try for a week and found that yes, my lashes looked fabulous. Thick, black and the second coat really enhanced both length and volume. However, I got the smudgies after about 5 hours. I had the tell-tale black streaks on my eyelids just after lunch time. I was pretty disappointed by this since it came so highly recommended. But there it is, it smudged 3 out of 5 days on my super oily lids. If you are drier, this would not be a problem for you. It satisfied 2 out of 3 requirements for me and would probably be great for someone with less oily lids.

I have used LashBlast before and really liked it. This was before my quest for good mascara took me into the previously uncharted territory of Dior, Lancôme and other department store brands. So I thought now was a good time for a second look at this product. I purchased the "Ultra Black" shade previously and remembered that I liked how it looks, so that was my choice again. It has lived up to my expectations. It's not the most lengthening formula, but it does great things for volume. The brush is absolutely great for separating lashes and putting the mascara where I want it (and not where I don't!). The "Ultra Black" shade is a very intense black and it doesn't smudge or flake. It satisfies most of my requirements and is a great general purpose mascara.

Maybelline Define-a-Lash Volume was a semi-random pickup. I loved the Colossal Volum' Express (in the yellow tube) but so-so on the big brush. The brush on the Define-a-Lash looked small and accurate (rubber bristles). The brush is great, but the formula is not. No volume to speak of as far as I could tell, though it did define my lashes nicely. So if you really just want a nice lash defining and slightly lengthening formula, give this a try as it didn't smudge during the day. But if you want Maybelline and you want volume, give Colossal Volume Express a try, it's fantastic for both volume and length. It doesn't smudge either, so all of my requirements were met and enjoyed!

All three brands are available almost anywhere, including your local grocery stores / drug stores and Ulta.
3EHZE7DURSUX

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009-12-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the holidays have come in like a storm and we have been running around visiting family and such for the last week. Not much time to trial run products and blog about them has been available. I did get an amazing new photo printer from my husband, so my computing time has been devoted to getting that dialed in and running.

I have a few products that I'm playing with now, along with a drugstore mascara review all lined up for the new year.

So I hope your holidays were merry and you can ring in the New Year (and new decade) with style - whatever style you choose. We will be at the 9pm fireworks display in downtown Denver, as it's my favorite way to bring in the New Year - low key yet festive.

Last Minute Gifts

2009-12-17T12:56:00.001-07:00

I had this crazy idea I would have time to do everything this holiday season. Hah! Blogging got cut out as things started to pile up - wrapping, shopping, shipping, cards and 4 different holiday gatherings between the hubby's work and mine.

So in an effort to continue to blog about something - I will blog about some other blogs who have great last minute gift ideas:

Musings of a Muse - this is a great list of last minute stuff, much of which I would recommend myself.
Product Girl - recommends some amazing handcreams from L'Occitane, I keep these in my purse as well. Perfect stocking stuffers for almost any female on your list.
Jet Set Girls - another amazing Sephora sampler kit is recommended for the lip product fan on your list.

And a few more ideas of my own:
Bath & Body Works - teenage girls on your list? Picky ones? I haven't met a teenager that doesn't love this store. Gift cards and gift sets from here are a no brainer for both the teenager and the adult female. I highly recommend the Temptations collection Licorice or Peppermint flavors.
Sephora - this is a gender neutral gift card, though most men would disagree until they see the selection of mens fragrance available. But for a great male gift, I think this fragrance sampler is pretty nifty (7 scents for the price of 1) and makes travel easy. Sephora also has sampler kits for almost everything and everyone. Check out their gift lists for ideas.
Bare Escentuals - Gift list for any Bare Escentuals fan on your list, I love the new silver tote. Be warned, their shipping isn't the best, so if you need it before Christmas be prepared to pay for it.

I hope that helps with any last minute emergency gifts on your list. Both online shoppers and you brave last minute mall shoppers, I wish you luck and Happy Holidays.

Benefit Fragrances

2009-12-10T17:00:00.003-07:00

Benefit, known for its fun and functional products, has a fairly new line of fragrances this fall / winter. I sampled them all in the store a few weeks ago just for fun. I also think fragrance is a really personal thing, a scent that is great for one person just doesn't do the same things for another. That being said, I thought I would talk about these because they come in great fragrance / lotion gift sets.

I am no fragrance expert. I can't tell a "note" of a perfume other than to say if I liked it or not. So I lump fragrance into a couple of buckets:

- Fresh / clean - for things like CK One

- Fruity

- Floral

- Overpowering

Laugh with me LeeLee is fresh and fun, I thought it would be a great everyday scent for me. I like things that fall into the fresh and fruity buckets, and only rarely like floral scents (I love Lancôme’s Miracle so Magic which is a floral, but of a lighter variety than most floral scents). This was in the fresh and light floral buckets, so it works for me. Benefit describes it as "woody floral - a light blend of citrus, jasmine and lily blossoms". And while I can't tell jasmine or lily unless I'm sniffing the actual flower - it's definitely woody and floral.

Something about Sofia was more fruity and flowery for me. Love it though, since it's still in the light category. Benefit describes it as "oriental floral - a dream of oriental blossoms, mango & vanilla". I definitely got the fruity feel from this, but it's soft not like the fruity scent of the original Liz Claiborne (which by the way, was my "go to" fragrance in high school. I think I went through 2 bottles of it during that time). I thought this was a wonderful party scent and would make a great gift for any girl on your shopping list.

My place or yours Gina just didn't do anything for me. It's very strong and smells so much like Poison that I had high school flashbacks. No idea why I ever bought Poison and had to force myself to wear it, must have been the "cool" scent that year. Yuck, and this one was another stinky scent that is just overpowering. Benefit describes it as "woody oriental - an alluring affair of pink pepper, wild raspberry and patchouli." and I think it's the patchouli that I don't like. If you like these types of scents, it would be great for you.

Available at various retailers:

Disclosure: I belong to Benefit’s affiliate program.

Bare Escentuals on QVC

2009-12-07T17:00:00.002-07:00

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I am a complete Bare Escentuals fan. Yes, I don't love all their products and yes, I like goodies from several other companies. But I am always a sucker for their kits and Buxoms and anything new they come up with.

So as a tip to those who are unashamed of ordering from QVC, Bare Escentuals will be on this week Thursday 12/10 and Friday 12/11 with some of their new kits and a new travel bag (which I think I love).

I'm going to link you to Mineral Madness, who always has the scoop on the BE products. The link has the TV schedule and the products up for grabs. At least one of these kits will have a great QVC price, so it always makes it worthwhile to check it out.

My take on these, some cute kits that have been part of the new fall / winter collection. If you're looking for gifts for someone like me - Candy Cocktails and Face Fashion: Classic Glam are a good price, and really nice kits. If you are looking to supplement your brush collection (these are great for travel) I'd look at the Holiday Mini Brush Collection.

I realize this is a bit of a plug for QVC, and I don't work for them or get paid by them in any way. I just thought I would share a little insider info with my readers so you can plan ahead. You can also check out Bare Escentuals.com for current info on these kits and many other fall / winter products.

The World Cup

2009-12-04T14:04:00.001-07:00

I realize this is completely off topic of a beauty blog. However, it's very relevant for today. I am a huge soccer fan. I have played since I was 10 years old, coached for 10 years, and have been to more games than I can count. The US National team is a particular favorite of mine, both men and women's. I've been to the Olympics, countless qualifying games, the Women's World Cup twice and to Germany in 2006 for the Men's World Cup (or as the German's say "der Weltmeister" - I think it's der anyway...). I am passionate about the game and our teams.

Today was the World Cup 2010 draw in South Africa, and after a very tense and hotly contested qualifying race I was hoping the US would have a less frightening group than 2006. In some respects we got lucky and in some, we are going to have a very hard fight.

(my friend Brian and I at the pregame "warmup")

England set all kinds of records in qualifying and the US will play them our very first game. Can you say frightening? At least for the casual fan, many of our players play in the English Premier League, including our incredible goalie. (I have serious goalie love for Tim Howard). We shouldn't be intimidated by them, but Wayne Rooney is a shifty guy and if they decide Beckham is going to be on the team - expect many a perfect pass to him right over our defense.

The other 2 teams in our group, Algeria and Slovenia, are complete unknowns to me. I know that Algeria had a very tough qualifying game in hostile territory to get into the tournament. Slovenia is rumored to have a very stingy defense, as I read they allowed the fewest goals in qualifying. So both could be tough opponents.

The US has problems of it's own. One of our very best and most experience defenders jacked up his knee in qualifying and it's unknown whether he will be ready. This rings of the injury to Chris Armas before the 2002 Cup. So one of 3 things will happen, our defense will be like a sieve, Gooch (Oguchi Onyewu) comes back or we will find a miraculous young talent to fill his place. Bob hasn't found him yet - so keep looking (the most promising guy I can think of is unfortunately I think a foreigner). The other weakness I see is that Charlie Davies, who really is a young talent, was in a terrible car crash right before the final qualifying match. He is not likely to be recovered in time either. We do have some talent in the forward line, but they need some lessons from Brian McBride on how to dominate the space they are running. I will for now, leave our hapless midfield alone - there is so much room to improve there, I don't know where to begin. All I can say is that I hope the players are shaken out of their comas and are inspired by the task ahead.

So I apologize for the off topic narrative today, but I am very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for the US team and for the World Cup in general. I would LOVE to see the USA vs. England game live as I think it will be an incredible atmosphere. Both teams have passionate fans (some of whom I know from Fire games and Germany - here's to you Koz(pictured with drum)) and I think have a love / hate relationship with each other. After my experience in Germany in 2006, I think I know just how exhilarating that game will be.

Good luck men, and here's to the intense training required in the months ahead.

Bobbi Brown long wear Gel Eyeliner

2009-12-03T12:00:00.004-07:00

If you read my review of the Bobbi Brown Goldstone eye palette, you will remember that it contained the long wear gel eyeliner and mentioned that I love this stuff. I thought I should let you know how much I love the eyeliners by giving them their own separate review.

This eyeliner is absolutely waterproof and smudge proof. Once you get the hang of application, it just glides on the eyelid. It comes in 16 colors both with and without shimmer (though, the shimmer is very subtle). I am not one for super dark liner with the whole fair skinned / blue eyed thing I have going on, and Bobbi has several shades that work for me. I originally purchased the Graphite Shimmer Ink with the eyeliner brush, as it's more of a gray and I love gray eyeliner (always have). You can make the line thick or thin, but either way this stuff is fabulous. I also think I mentioned before the trick with lining the lower lashes. Fill the brush for the whole eye (you work it in the brush in the lid and scrape the excess) and line the top lashes first. Then WITHOUT refilling, lightly dot the lash line on the lower lid. Much less dramatic, but still enough definition to make the lashes stand out.

There are several other amazing colors - but my favorite is the Black Mauve Shimmer Ink, just looks great with my blue eyes. She has so many different colors, some more intense than others, but all of them are completely smudge free and waterproof. I swim with this stuff on occasionally, and it doesn't budge. Her newest color the Forest Shimmer looks amazing on both Hazel and Brown eyes, so if you want something a little different than black or brown - take a look. Head to a department store like Nordstrom for a demo of the product if you need application advice (I sure did!).

Bobbi Brown can be found at her website, and in department stores:

Shopping Deals

2009-11-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

So many of my fellow beauty bloggers have linked all the latest bargains for Monday on their blogs. In lieu of my own post, I thought I would link you to several of their blogs.

Gouldylox has Black Friday through Cyber Monday deals here
The Fashionable Housewife has more Cyber Monday deals here
Blogdorf Goodman has info on Lancome here
Musings of a Muse has another great discount code list here

A few other discount codes:

Smashbox has their Friends and Family sale through Monday Nov 30th - code SBFF9 at checkout
Bare Escentuals through Today 20% off - code MERRY at checkout
Sephora has free shipping all weekend through Monday - SHIP4FREE at checkout

I hope you had a good holiday weekend, and can still take advantage of some of these great deals. I am way ahead on shopping right now, and am feeling pretty good about everyone else on my list. My PC upgrade even went pretty well.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving and Holiday Shopping

2009-11-26T11:00:00.041-07:00

Well folks, it's Thanksgiving and I hope you are spending it with friends or family or a little of both. My husband has the kids for the first time on Thanksgiving so we are going all out with help from Honeybaked Ham. I am also upgrading my PC this weekend to Windows 7, so expect a full post when I am out of upgrade hell.

Since tomorrow is Black Friday - here are a few beauty related gifts for people on your list:

Philosophy gift sets - Recipe Box, Red Velvet Cake, and Winter Escape
I love all the products in these sets, the 3 in 1's smell amazing and are not drying and the lip glosses are sturdy and tasty. These sets are perfect for everyone (though, my husband doesn't like the "food" scents too much).
Too Faced Glamour Revolution
This is perfect for that teen / 20 something girl in your life, amazing colors and Shadow Insurance for staying power
Burberry mini scent pack
Okay, this one is a suggestion for anyone shopping for me. I LOVE Burberry scents, all of them. The only bottles of fragrance I ever use up before they go south.
Bare Escentuals Happiness or Surprise collection
Pretty colors on any skin tone, so for the Bare Escentuals fan on your list either of these is just right. See my blog entry on the Surprise collection.
Urban Decay 24/7 Sets
Like I mentioned in my blog entry, these eyeliners are just great. So for the fun girl on your list, set her up with a collection of these gems.
Bare Escentuals Winter Escapade lip gloss collection
For the lip gloss lover, or tween girl on your list. These lip glosses are just the bomb.
Bare Escentuals Candy Cocktails eye shadow collection
You can't go wrong with an eye shadow collection named after cocktails can you?
Benefit Holiday Kits - Celebutante, Sexy Starlet, and Laugh with Me Leelee Crescent Row set
Two of these are cool makeup product sets with some of Benefit's best products. The other is a fragrance / hand lotion set that I sampled in the store and loved the scent. Fresh and friendly, not overpowering.

One more note, my friend over at ellaface has some nice holiday kits as well (I like their scrubs). I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and this gives you some fun shopping ideas.

I have either purchased these products, lusted after them or played with them at the counter. I have not received any of them as samples.

Lancôme Définicils Mascara

2009-11-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

In my never ending search for amazing mascara, I stopped by the Lancôme counter at Nordstrom over the summer to ask the sales associate about their mascaras. Lancôme had an awesome gift with purchase going on, and I was due for a new tube of mascara. I chatted with her for about 10 minutes regarding their different products, and we decided to try the most popular mascara in the Lancôme line - Définicils.

I would love to sit here and write about how amazing this product is. But I was disappointed by this very pricey ($24.50) mascara. I will say that it did lengthen my lashes incredibly, which I liked. The color is a bluish black rather than a super black shade. You would also think that I'd like the skinny brush, but the bristles are so far apart that it did nothing but clump. I had to get out my eyelash comb and separate between coats. It also didn't generate much volume at the base of my lashes so it didn't meet the "enhance thickness" requirement. It didn't flake, but it did feel very stiff after it dried. Overall, it didn’t impress me and I have found better at my local drugstore. I am currently using up my tube as a top coat when I want some serious length to my lashes.

If you like the length this product offers, a comparable drugstore choice would be Maybelline Lash Stiletto. This one did not clump for me, and was what my makeup artist used on my wedding day. It made it perfectly through a very warm Las Vegas day, and quite a bit of tearing up.

So if you like super long lashes, don’t mind using a comb to separate and a not quite black formula - Définicils is widely available at your local department stores.

Bare Escentuals Beautiful in Pearls

2009-11-19T19:43:00.001-07:00

In case you missed it last week, Bare Escentuals was on QVC with their new kit Beautiful in Pearls. This is a QVC exclusive, which will have 3 more similar kits produced through the next year. I am a complete sucker for these kits, I love the color co-ordination and they always have a special touch. This one is Pearls. Everything in the kit has a pearly look and is very luminescent. So, being a sucker I bought it and the auto-delivery of the other kits. I have sent ones back that I didn't like before, so I fully expect that to happen again - but it's such a good price that I can't refuse.

The kit consists of:

Flawless Definition Mascara (seriously been in the last 3 kits, I've got 3.5 tubes now which includes a mini-tube)
New Big & Bright Mineral Eyeliner Pencil
Blush - Precious Pearl
2 eye shadows - Blissful Pearl, Magnificent Pearl
100% Natural Lip gloss - Sugared Strawberry
Brightening Pearl Mineral Veil
3 brushes - Precision Eye Defining, Tapered Blush, Flawless Application

Since my last 3 kits included Flawless Mascara, I decided I better crack open one of the tubes and try it. This is pretty good stuff. I have yet to like any of BE's mascara's until now. The brush is one of those rubber pronged ones, and I like it. The formula is pretty similar to Cover Girl Lash Blast. I was able to get both volume and length out of it while there was no smudging. I think I will actually use these mascara's so that was a huge plus for me (no mascara buying for a while).

The pencil liner didn't thrill me. First it is black, really black and I don't love black liner. Second, it's a little smudgy on oily skin. It would do better with a primer underneath. Third, the only way I like black liner is on my waterline (yes, I know - not the best idea - but I am a child of the 70's which puts me in high school in the 80's, need I say more?). This did not stay on the waterline, and made my eyes water quite a bit. So for me, the liner is pretty ho-hum.

The blush is a pretty dusty pink shade, but again I don't love BE blushes so it will go up on eBay eventually (my eBay stack is growing; I should probably do something about that). I didn't open it - but it looks like a very pretty color and will have some sheen with the pearls in it.

Now the eye shadows are really pretty. There are 2 in the kit and the base shadow Blissful Pearl is just a wonderful pinky peach color that could be an easy daytime swipe on the lids and go. The other shade, Magnificent Pearl - I haven't quite pinpointed yet but it's darn lovely. The kit describes it as charcoal taupe. These are not sparkly, but definitely shimmery. The picture does not do them justice (wobbly shooting). They also blend quite nicely and look sharp together.

The lip gloss is a nice pink color that I like, but it's pretty sheer and it's not a Buxom so it doesn't stay quite as well. But it is moisturizing and looks pretty, especially on top of a pink lipstick. It also has a Brightening Pearl Mineral Veil finishing powder, which I do really like especially for parties. It's not glittery, but enough shimmer to feel like you're going to a special event without feeling like a disco ball.

The brushes are decent, and if you don't have a contour brush yet - be happy. This brush is awesome if you stink at doing contour colors. It's angled so that you put the tip into the crease and have the angled part facing upward against the upper part of your lid. Then swipe like a windshield wiper back and forth from the middle of your eye to the outer part. See Makeup Geek for awesome videos on how to apply eye shadows, and this brush will make you look like an expert!

Overall it's a good kit at a good price. I don't love it like I did the Surprise kit - but it's nice overall kit if you want a complete look-in-a-box for those who are pink inclined. QVC and Bare Escentuals do a great job with these, and the pricing is affordable. Definitely worth a look.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencils

2009-11-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like a good pencil eye liner? Pencil is simple, quick and can be colorful. Urban Decay 24/7 liners are all of those things and more.

As I mentioned, oil is a serious problem for me and everything smudges or runs. I had read about the staying power of this liner in an Allure magazine blog and thought I would give it a try. I picked up this amazing bronze color (Lucky) and gave it several trial runs. What can I say, it didn't move and the color is vibrant. These liners are also incredibly smooth to apply, and glide right on your lid. They live up to their name and really do last (I actually have to work to remove them).

I have a few of these, and they are all long lasting and darn near smudge proof. 1999 is an awesome plum, Deviant is a very bright blue, and Lucky is a bronze penny color. I should also mention that you do have a little work time to smudge them before they set.

They have some cool sets of liners, so if you like variety you should check these out:

You can pick up individual pencils here:

Urban Decay - Friends and Family sale 30% off through November 20th - FNFW1
Sephora

Urban Decay Primer Potion

2009-11-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Urban Decay's Primer Potion is just magic for anyone who has trouble with creasing / smearing eye shadows.

I got a tiny vial of the stuff as a freebie at Sephora over 2 years ago. I had no idea what it was, but thought - okay, I will try this and see what it does. So I took it on a Las Vegas trip in the middle of August (can you say HOT?) because I knew I would be using lots of eye shadows that week. Well, not a crease, not a smear, nothing but perfect eyes all evening / night long. My eyes are so oily that I usually crease within 2 hours of doing up my makeup. Well, this stuff was like a miracle.

My final trial of it was the wedding of 2 very good friends, where I knew I needed my makeup to look spectacular for well over 8 hours. It was shortly after the Vegas trip, and I hadn't really used it since then. I figured it would be worth a shot to get at least 6 hours out of it and I brought my eye colors with me to touch up prior to the reception. Well, no eye touch up needed - and I couldn't believe it! All I touched up that day was my powder and blush. Off to Sephora I went to purchase the full sized tubes.

It comes in 2 different colors now, original and Sin. I like the both, but they serve different purposes for me. If I have a whole eye in mind, I use the original nude shade. This stuff is like glue for shadows and can be sticky so you have to place your shadow on before you can blend it. I use the trick of applying a little Bare Escentuals Well Rested (any matte nude shadow will do) after applying the Primer Potion so that when I go to blend whatever colors I want that day, they apply and blend a little easier because the Well Rested took away the "stickiness". It's not really sticky to the touch, just to eye shadow - after all, it's meant to anchor the stuff to your eye lid. With a nude base over the Potion, I can blend to my heart’s content and don't have to worry so much about "placing" the shadow on my lids. The Sin shade is a shimmery nude shade and works great as a base for any shimmery look you want to do, you'll get the added bonus of the shimmer from the Potion if you choose an all over color. I like to use Sin when I'm doing a nude or pink look and want that as my base / all over eye color and the just put a crease or lid color over it.

I will say the packaging leave a bit to be desired, as those curvy tubes are impossible to get the entire product out with the wands. There are videos all over the internet explaining how to cut the tube open and scrape out and store the product that is still in the tube just when you think it's empty. It's worth consideration when purchasing, but this product is completely worth the hassle. I cannot believe how well it works and can vouch that not even the oiliest of eye lids can make this product budge. As a caution, it can be drying to those with dry or sensitive eyes. Too Faced makes a nice primer that I will review at some point, it's not nearly as drying.

Urban Decay can be found here amongst other retailers:

Urban Decay.com - Friends and Family sale through November 20th, code FNFW1

Sephora

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

2009-11-05T19:34:00.001-07:00

I have talked a bit about awesome makeup products so far. But now you might be wondering, how do I get this stuff off my face at night? Well, I happen to have a couple of suggestions about just that. You might be surprised about this, but one of the best facial makeup removers I have tried comes in an oil form. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.

What they say about themselves, "DHCcare.com is your exclusive online source in the U.S. for authentic DHC products - skincare and cosmetics from one of Japan's top beauty companies. We are also a provider of fine foods and nutritional supplements - products that help you be as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Look for new sales and liquidation specials every month for a savings of up to 50% off! Get 4 free samples every time you order."

Now, on to the awesome Deep Cleansing Oil. It is largely made with Olive Oil and dissolves almost everything on my face. I have used this product to remove waterproof mascara and eyeliner, and I use it daily to just remove all the makeup before truly cleansing my skin. It's a pretty simply application, do NOT wet your hands or face first - just take a pump of the product and rub your face as usual. Include your eyes and eyelashes in the process, it does not sting or irritate. Then rinse, you will be free of your makeup and cleanse as usual. I know it's an extra step in the cleansing process, but it both moisturizes and removes stubborn makeup before cleansing. These are good things for your skin! DHC makes several other cleansing products to follow up after the Deep Cleansing Oil, of which I prefer their glycerin soaps (Mild Soap, Olive Soap and Pure Soap). Used with a washcloth, these 2 steps clean my face from the day and help keep me breakout free.

Even if you already have a cleanser you love, you might have trouble removing mascara without an eye makeup specific product. Eye makeup removers tend to make my eyes red and swollen, which is why I switched to Deep Cleansing Oil before my usual cleanser. DHC also sends samples in their catalog (which is how I found out about this product) so you can try different things before you buy. If you want to try it - get the 2.3 oz. bottle and see how you like it (this size is under the travel restrictions as well so it might come in handy). The bottle lasts a while since you need only 1 or 1.5 pumps of product each time.

Check them out at DHC Care

Too Faced Caribbean in Compact in Snow Bunny

2009-11-02T19:23:00.002-07:00

Now that fall is here and our faux tans are fading, it's time to add a little bronzing powder to our routines. Bronzer can be very scary, they come in so many shades and some of them look like little pumpkins in a compact. I for one, have a hard time finding a bronzer that make me look sun kissed rather than dirty or like Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompas.

Too Faced makes a bronzer called Caribbean in a Compact, which comes in two shades Snow Bunny and Sun Bunny. I found Sun Bunny to be a nice tan color (rather than orange) that works for me in the summer, but is still too dark for my fair skin in the winter. If you have a medium or tan skin tone, this one would be just right for you. The Snow Bunny compact is perfect for me. It's a blend of pink / white / tans rather than orange shades. This particular bronzer is very shimmery, so I use it as a highlighter / bronzer rather than just strictly a bronzer. I use it on my forehead, cheekbones and tip of my nose and chin. Right where the sun hits you are the best application spots, and a light hand is best. If you are shimmer averse, I would stay away from this one and perhaps look at Laura Geller Bronze -n- Brighten which I will review at some point because it's also great.

Too Faced also has kit that includes the Snow Bunny and Sun Bunny as well as their Pink Leopard bronzer (this is also an awesome color; I was torn between this color and Snow Bunny when I was shopping). If you're a bronzer junkie or someone who goes between 2 or 3 shades during the year, The Bronzed and the Beautiful would be the product to pick up.

Too Faced products are available at many locations, here's a few:

Too Faced online store - (free samples with purchase - recommend Shadow Insurance eyelid primer)
Sephora online and in store
Ulta online and in store

Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector

2009-10-29T16:18:00.000-06:00

I recently had a request for a review of a makeup primer. For those that don't know, a makeup primer's purpose is to smooth the skin and prepare it for makeup. It effectively creates a barrier between moisturizers that soak into the skin and your makeup (which you do not want soaking into your skin - this is the disappearing effect many people experience). The first primer I ever heard of was Smashbox Photo Finish, which is a silicone based primer. This stuff is very good for dry to normal skin, and didn't really do much for my oily skin. (Yes, to those in the know, they have since come out with a "light" version for oily skin types). Many different companies make a primer and many of them are very good, whereas some really didn't do anything for me. This one is my favorite, but I do use others depending on the day and length of time I expect to be "looking my best". So I promise to talk about a few other pretty good primers in future posts.

My search landed me at a rather inexpensive and completely amazing product. Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector is a two-fer of primers. It temporarily reduces the appearance of pores and absolutely fights oil all day. Since I really like to apply a tinted moisturizer, I like a primer that applies over the moisturizer and doesn't mix with it (like the BE oil-free Prime Time did). You need so little of this product to cover your oily zone, that the somewhat small tube lasts almost 5-6 months. I use less than a pea-sized amount for my forehead, nose, chin and apples of my cheeks. It glides on smoothly and makes an even surface out of my porous cheeks so that the Bare Escentuals makeup I use just glides on top without sinking into lines or pores. It also does such a terrific job of fighting oil that I don't need to touch up until 2 or 3pm, which is about 7-8 hours after I've applied my makeup. If your skin is less oily than mine, you probably won't need a touch up at all.

Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector comes in 2 shades, Invisible Light and Invisible Deep and both are incredibly sheer on the skin. I've listed a few online and in store shopping places. If you are a bargain shopper, and have a Prime Outlet mall near you (Castle Rock, CO or Kenosha, WI for starters) with a Cosmetics Company Store - you can pick this item for a few dollars less than retail. (Though, call ahead if you are making a special trip - the one in Castle Rock tends to only have the Deep tint for some reason)

Clinique is widely available, here's a few links:

Clinique

Sephora - FF2009 to save 20% during the Friends and Family sale through Nov 2nd

Smashbox Sheer Focus

2009-10-26T19:38:00.000-06:00

With fall in full swing, and I do mean swing, it's time to talk moisturizer. I’m talking tinted moisturizer to be precise. The weather in Colorado has been lovely followed by freezing, followed by lovely again for the last few weeks and my skin is taking a beating. Even with my oily t-zone, I wear moisturizer. Colorado has what is considered an arid climate, which has been a huge adjustment from the humidity of the Chicago area. One of the great things about a tinted moisturizer is that it balances all that dryness out while evening out my skin tone. I can use less foundation and concealer while doing my skin a favor at the same time.

My fall and winter tinted moisturizer favorite is Smashbox Sheer Focus. I received a free sample with purchase last year, and went back 3 days later to purchase a full size tube. I need more moisture in the winter and I get it with Sheer Focus without clogging my pores. It comes in several skin tone appropriate shades (Fair, Light, Medium, Dark) and one more universal shade (Luminous). It's an oil free formula and has an SPF 15 rating, which I love for every day sun protection. The Luminous shade is the color I have been using and it's very forgiving, pale skinned or still sporting a faux tan. A small amount goes a long way with this product, and it blends evenly and easily with your fingers.

Overall, I just love how moisturizing it is while not causing me any additional oil problems during the day. I also love that in a pinch; I can use a swipe of Sheer Focus / Powder / Mascara and be out the door in 5 to run errands.

Smashbox is widely available, and can be purchased here among other retailers:

Smashbox ("Let's do Lunch" Tuesdays / Thursdays 9AM - 2PM pst will get you a free full size item with purchase)
Sephora (Still having the Friends and Family Sale FF2009 code at checkout, through Nov. 2nd)
Ulta

Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes Winter Escapade

2009-10-22T19:27:00.000-06:00

Given my love of the Buxom Lip Gloss, I also just HAD to have this collection of the Buxom Babes, so I ordered it through the online store 2 weeks ago. Winter Escapade is very much a holiday themed collection of the awesome Buxom Babes. You can see my review of this lip gloss here.

The colors included and described by Bare Escentuals as:

• Holly (sparkling butter cream)

• Merry (honey caramel)

• Hope (glistening ice)

• Joy (juicy apple)

I think I love Holly and Joy the most. I really like a red lip during the holidays, and Joy is just right. Hope is the most versatile and can be used over any lipstick for a bit of sparkle and fun during the holiday party season.

I have only seen this kit at Bare Escentuals boutiques / online store and Sephora so far. It could show up other places, we will see. Sephora is having their Friends and Family sale right now, through Nov 2nd. Code is FF2009 for 20% off your order.

I'd also like to mention that both Sephora and the Boutiques have some other new seasonal kits with eye shadows and the fabulous Face Fashion kit. I already have many of the colors in these kits, so I will not be purchasing them. I thought they were worthy of mention if you like a complete face kit or are looking to just supplement your eye shadow collections.

- Face Fashion

- Sweet Obsessions

- Happiness

- Radiance Rocks

- Pure Luxuries (Love the bag in this kit, it's my "makeup bag")

- Extreme Glimmers

Please let me know what you think if you've picked any of these kits up. I'm susceptible to such influences!

Too Faced Natural Eye Kit

2009-10-19T15:12:00.000-06:00

Eye shadow is a product I mostly play with on weekends. I generally don't wear it to work because it takes me application time that I don't have when heading to work (I am a perfectionist after all). It's also something I always take when I travel, so I really like kits with lots of pretty colors. I picked this one up on a whim, because on my last trip I didn't have any nice neutral colors for daytime in my travel pack.

The Too Faced Natural Eye kit is part of their fall collection. It has 9 colors, a dual ended brush and 3 application cards with different looks. I really like this collection of colors; they are very pretty on any skin tone and are nicely pigmented so they actually look true to color on your lids. One nice detail about this kit is the color names and groupings. Each row represents the colors of a certain look, and match up with the supplied idea cards. I think these idea cards are great, they give you a basic plan for each color group which you can use exactly as shown or improvise. The colors in the first row for "Day" are matte and give a nice clean finish. The middle row "Classic" has a nice shimmer to each shade, and they blend easily. The bottom row "Fashion" is sparkly and I found a bit difficult to work with. The sparkle from "Nude Beach" ended up all over my face. The standard 'fluffy brush removal' trick didn't work very well with this one. Their website has a trick to do the eye shadow first, then apply your face makeup. I may try the 'cover your under eye area with a tissue' trick with it next.

Overall, it's a nice kit and I think it will become a regular in my travel kit. With 9 colors, I can create almost any look I want and supplement with other colors if needed.

If you buy from Too Faced directly, they have free samples at checkout so be sure to select Shadow Insurance. It's an eye shadow primer that will make these colors last all day and into the evening. Reviews of this product and other primers are coming soon!

A few places Too Faced is available:

Too Faced - online

Ulta - online and in stores

Sephora - online and in stores

Bobbi Brown Goldstone Long-wear Eye Palette

2009-10-16T20:54:00.001-06:00

Now I know we haven't talked about it yet, but I am a HUGE Bobbi Brown fan (the makeup artist, not the musician). I have read several of her books and started my Bobbi Brown collection with 2 long-wear cream eye shadows and 1 long-wear gel eyeliner. Coincidentally, that is exactly what is included in one of her new palette's, the Goldstone Palette. Though, these eye shadows are the new Metallic cream shadows rather than the standard version.

Colors included in this kit are:

Goldstone Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow
Mineral Dust Long-Wear Cream Shadow
Caviar Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
Mini dual ended brush.

I love the long-wear cream shadows, they do not crease even on my incredibly oily lids. They are also such a nice smooth application, they just slide right on the lid. The metallic shadows are just beautiful if you like your shadows good and sparkly. They seem to have the same staying power as the originals, and these 2 colors are very neutral.

The gel eyeliners are equally fabulous and water / oil / smudge-proof. They do take a bit of practice to apply, as you don't want to load up the brush too much and you do not want to reload the brush to apply to your lower lashes (the line comes out too harsh otherwise). They are also an item you want to immediately clean your brush after use or it will dry in the brush and become very difficult to remove. But this stuff doesn't smudge or run or do anything other than look fabulous once it's applied. The Caviar Ink color is a nice brown / black color and just wonderful with these 2 shadows.

I think this kit is appropriate for nights out or a little glam in your day (with one shadow applied just to the lid). I really like the metallic shadows, but then I like some sparkle in my life.

I purchased this kit through Bobbi Brown's online store, but it's also available at Nordstrom in store and online.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes about Town

2009-10-12T20:42:00.000-06:00

Being that its fall, may lines have new products debuting and Bare Escentuals is one of them. They have several new kits, many exclusive to their boutiques or Sephora or Ulta. The new Buxom Babes about Town kit is exclusive to Sephora and I ordered it last week.

Given that I've already spouted my love of Buxom lip glosses, I won't go into that kind of detail here. I'll just tell you to go check out this link and read about it. This is a new kit includes a Buxom Babe lip gloss and lip stick. The gloss tubes included are Destiny, Dani, Isabella, and Zena. The Buxom lip sticks included are Berlin, Milan, Shanghai and Amsterdam. Destiny looks like it might be my favorite of the bunch, goes great with my fall colors. The lip sticks are a new product, so I thought I would talk a little about those in this review.

Buxom Lip Sticks in this kit are small and shaped like a lip liner. They go on smoothly, like you would expect with a lip stick. They are matte in color, but felt dry on my lips. I was compelled to put some gloss on over top to moisturize. It's fortunate that each stick is paired up with a gloss in the About Town kit. They do look great with the gloss over top for an opaque finish. The combo of stick and gloss lasted throughout the morning with no fading or sliding. Overall, I would not wear one of these sticks alone but I do like them paired with the gloss for a full color, rather than sheer, look.

This is an only at Sephora kit, so you can pick it up in store or online.

Bare Escentuals The Surprise collection

2009-10-09T19:50:00.000-06:00

I will admit I am a sucker for kits. I love the idea of someone picking out colors that go together for me and selling them in a kit. Which brings us to Bare Escentuals The Surprise collection. It is brand new this October, and is exclusive to the boutiques and online store. Bare Escentuals has for the last few years, put together kits that are exclusive to their primary retailers. The Surprise is exclusive to the boutiques, The Happiness collection is exclusive to Sephora and Ulta will have an exclusive kit that doesn't appear on their website yet.

I purchased The Surprise this year for 2 reasons, I really liked the eye colors in this kit and the brushes are not duplicates for me. Happiness has a pretty lip color that tempted me, but I did not need another Flawless Definition mascara (I have 2 tubes already that I haven't even tried!). Now, on to the fabulous colors in this kit...

• Secret Radiance All-Over Face Color

• Spellbound Eyecolor (a pale pink)

• Surreal Eyecolor (a shimmery taupe)

• Suspense Liner Shadow (they describe as "inky teal", I would call it charcoal or graphite)

• Intrigue Blush (rose)

• Double-Ended Natural Lipgloss in Brilliance & Angel Food Cake (both are peachy / nude)

• Soft Sweep Cheek Brush

• Tapered Crease Defining Brush

• Line Diffuser Brush

I have some swatches here. I didn't swatch the blush since I likely will not use it and will try to sell it on eBay or give it away. I am not in love with the blushes, they are pretty - but I find them difficult to apply evenly and way too time consuming. I really like compact blushes, so I usually sell or give away the blushes in these kits. In fairness, if you like the blushes - this one is a really pretty soft rose shade.

The shadows appear to be very finely milled and are almost silky smooth when applying them. I really like how soft they are, both in shade and texture. Spellbound is a very pale pink with just a touch of shimmer. I like it, though I think it could be used wet to get more punch from the color. The Surreal color is an awesome neutral color and blends easily in the crease with the sweet fluffy dome brush in this kit. The Surprise Radiance is a fabulous neutral shimmer that I just love along the neckline and décolletage. Yes, you can use the Radiances on your face as well; they make great highlighters along the cheekbones. I had heard good things about the Line Diffuser brush that pushed me towards this kit. I like to apply BE liners dry (many do this wet - I find it too intense for my pale coloring) so I like a brush that can push the color onto my lower lash line either in a smooth line, or a little smudgy depending on my mood. This brush is just perfect for either, and is about to replace my Heavenly Liner brush. The Suspense liner is a nice charcoal shade (almost teal) with just a hint of shimmer as well. The lip glosses are interesting, it's the Natural lip gloss (not the Buxom) and it's a nice gloss without being too sticky. One is a rich nude and the other is a very sheer glittery peach. I like the nude shade, but the glittery one is almost gritty and it's not my favorite.

One last little thing about this kit are the jar lids and brush handles, they are a lovely dark pink color and add some fun to the kit and my makeup bag. Overall, I'd give it a B+ since the lip glosses are so close in color, I would have liked a pink toned and a peach toned one rather than both being peachy / nude. I think its great every day kit that can be sassed up for night by using Surreal on the lids and the Suspense liner shade as a crease / outer corner shade.

Available online and in the Bare Escentuals Boutiques

Disclosures and Policies

2009-10-08T20:01:00.002-06:00

Consider this the disclosures and policies post.

I am not paid by any of these companies to review their products. If I receive a free sample to review, I will disclose that information in the review. I am not a reviewer for hire, but someone just like yourself who enjoys beauty products and wants to talk about them.

This blog is a member of Google Affiliate Network, LinkShare, Amazon Affiliates and Google AdSense. If you click on any of the advertising links and purchase a product through that link, I do receive a commission.

As for comments, I reserve the right to delete any comments I deem outside of a cosmetics conversation. This includes spam and advertising outside the content of this blog.

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Benefit Erase Paste

2009-10-05T19:40:00.001-06:00

Concealer is a tricky product for many people. They are usually too pink, too yellow or even too green (which scares me a bit). I've experimented with a few different products and was never totally satisfied with the results. A few of them didn't last all day, and one of them just looked like yellow paint on my skin. I stopped searching when I found Benefit's Erase Paste.

This concealer mixes the best of concealers with the best of brighteners. My primary use for concealer is under eye darkness and a little broken capillaries patch on my cheek. I have pretty fair skin, and have found that pink brightener products work the best for me, but sometimes look a little plastic or ghostly and slide off by midday. I have trouble with yellow concealers as well, they make me look uneven. While I have a touch of yellow undertone, it's not enough to try concealing my "problem areas" with strictly a yellow color. This is where Erase Paste excels. It's a combination concealer / brightener with staying power like you wouldn't believe.

Erase Paste comes in three flattering shades: Fair, Medium and Deep.

All three have a great balance of pink brightener and yellow concealer to do both jobs just right. It doesn't slide on my oily cheeks and blends easily. I have found that when I apply the Erase Paste over my foundation and then set with my loose powder, my under eye darkness is magically gone. If I apply before foundation, the minerals stick to the product and it creases. It definitely earns the Paste part of it's name from the long wearing formula, once applied it sticks all day. One thing to note - it's sticking power is serious, and I find it difficult to wash off my brush without a facial cleanser. My regular brush cleanser didn't work, but facial cleanser did.

This product is worthy of an in store stop next time you are at the mall. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Benefit products are widely available and can be found at:

Benefit Cosmetics - online store where we have a free shipping code for you:

Free US Standard Shipping on any $50 purchase. Enter promo code PRETTY50 at checkout.

Sephora - in store and online

Ulta - in store and online. Benefit is a new product line at Ulta as of this summer, so go check them out!

Bourjois Paris Volume Glamour Ultra Black Mascara

2009-10-02T20:57:00.001-06:00

Mascara is my go-to product, if I am leaving the house on a quick trip I reach for the mascara before leaving. It is my staple in every look, and I have tried so many different ones in the last few years. I probably have a top 5 list just in my makeup drawer alone. This doesn't count the tubes I get as samples from ordering online. So I thought I would start what will become a massive list of sweet mascara's.

You should know my requirements for good mascara up front. Your list may be different than mine which could change your view on any mascara that I review.

I like BLACK. My eyes are one of my best features, so I like them to stand out.
My lashes are long and thick but pale. I want my mascara to enhance both length and volume.
DOES NOT FLAKE OR SMUDGE. Seriously, I have very oily lids and many types of mascara either smudge on my lids or flake off.

Bourjois Paris mascara in Volume Glamour Ultra Black is fabulous every day mascara for those who don't want to spend department store prices on their eyelashes. As the name says, it enhances the volume of your lashes and is a deep black. I also find that my second coat does a nice job of lengthening so my lashes look both thick and long. No spider lashes here, the brush is thin and the bristles thickly packed so they do a great job of separating the lashes. I am not a fan of big poofy mascara brushes because they apply mascara to my lids as well as my lashes (a trusty Q-Tip resolves this, but it is an annoying extra step). This one is skinny which makes it easy to be accurate in your application. It also lets you get those tiny little lashes that can be hard to reach with big brushes. This mascara lasts all day and there is no smudging or flaking. It's not waterproof, so don't wear it in the pool or to the sappy chick flick at the multiplex.

I'm now on my second tube of this great mascara, and will continue to use it due to its affordable price ($13.50) for what feels like a luxury mascara. Please let me know if you love this product, or if you have suggestions. I'm always looking for a new mascara to try!

This mascara is available at Ulta, where they always have coupons making this product even more affordable.

What next?

2009-10-01T19:57:00.000-06:00

I have two reviews written and ready for posting. One about a sweet affordable mascara and another about an awesome concealer. I'd like to know what you want to hear about next.

Please vote by posting a comment below.

Thanks for your input, and either way - I will post a new review tomorrow evening.