FOTD Blue

FOTD: Laura Geller's Real Deal Arsenal

10:35 AM


I don't usually do full-face FOTD's anymore, but seeing as this kit is based around the foundation, primer and concealer, it seemed kind of silly not to!  Anyways, here is a look at the Laura Geller Real Deal Arsenal on, including the blush, lips and plum shadow.  I really love this blush - its a gorgeous color!



Face:
Laura Geller The Real Deal Remedy Stick
Laura Geller The Real Deal Foundation - Light
Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer - Light
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten - Fair
Laura Geller The Real Deal Blush - Spiced Mauve

Eyes:
L.A. Splash Eyeshadow Primer/Sealer - all over lid
Laura Geller "Fruit Tart" - inner corner
Laura Geller "Mystic Sea" - outer corner
Laura Geller Eye Rimz "Plum Like it Hot" - outer corner, lower lashline
MAC Retrospeckt - highlight
Loreal HIP Khol eyeliner
Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama mascara

Lips:
Laura Geller Light Beams Lipgloss "Passion Fruit"

Revlon

Spotted at Walgreens: New Revlon, New Sally Hansen, New Rimmel!

2:08 PM

Happy New Year!  The displays keep coming!  Here is what I saw in Walgreens yesterday!

New from Revlon: The CustomEyes mascara.  Now this is a new concept, at least for me.  As opposed to having the brush wand pull through a different cap for volumizing vs. lengthening, the actual wand itself changes.  With the click of the cap, bristles can come out to give more definition, or be withdrawn back into the wand to allow for volumizing. 

(Click on the images to enlarge)



As we all know, I'm all for a good mascara, especially a good gimmick, so I of course purchased a tube.  I'll do a review in a few days after I've been able to give it a try.  I'm definitely curious about the whole thing...we'll see!


Not only was there an entire display devoted to this new mascara, one of Revlon's multi-brand racks also had it the CustomEyes mascara, along with an animation at the top to show you how it works.  What else was on this display?  Well,  the new Top Speeds, new lipgloss, and some new CustomEyes eyeshadow palettes.  I took a closeup of one of the palettes, Metallics I believe was the name, and you can see it below.  The colors look pretty!



Also new from Revlon, the new Crazy Shine nail buffer.  I've seen these before, from different companies, and really it all depends on the brand as to if they are effective or not.  This one looked promising, and even had a tester you could try out on the display. 


New from Rimmel:  Glam'eyes eyeshadow quads and trios.  Actually, when I was at Meijer, I stumbled across this display and it had some singles in it as well, one of which I purchased.


Finally, new from Sally Hansen:  Vitamin enriched lip care.  These look like lipsticks, but without the color.  There is a Vita A, Vita B, Vita C and Vita D.  Interesting!


Have you spotted these displays yet?  What have you purchased?

Meijer

Spotted at Meijer: New Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Metallic Gel Eyeliner Trios/Mascaras, Shimmer Strips Eyeliner Pencils, Candy Shimmer Strips, and Mineral Wear Correcting Powders/Pebbles and Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Makeup

11:38 AM

I ran into Meijer yesterday to pick up a few items and came across some new Physician's Formulas on the end cap.  Not only were there the new Shimmer Strips Eyeliner pencils and Eye Candy's that Nouveau Cheap mentioned earlier last week, but there were new Metallic Shimmer Strips (they are GORGEOUS!), new Mineral Wear correcting powders (including some shimmering pebbles, which I bought to review later), and some new Happy Boosting Glow & Mood bronzers, blushes and powders with the most darling hearts embossed on the top.  These would be perfect for Valentines Day!

Scroll down to view the end caps - you can click the pictures for a larger view.  I ended up buying two of the metallic Shimmer Strip liners, one of the pencil sets and one of the Shimmer Strips eye Candy sets, along with the pebbles...seriously, it was a huge haul.  But, the good thing is the face products had a $3 coupon right on top, so instead of retailing at $10.99, they rang up $7.99.  The gel liners and pencils were $9.99.






Have you come across these displays yet?

Laura Geller

Laura Geller's The Real Deal Aresenal - Merry Christmas to me!

10:57 AM

You'll have to forgive me...I was so anxious to try this present from my mom, that I didn't take the pretty "pre-used" pictures to post on my blog! 


The Real Deal Arsenal was a TSV on QVC a few months back, and I had total buyer's remorse for NOT buying it!  I was so excited to get this to try out!  The kit comes complete with all new products in the Real Deal line, including a Spackle in stick form - the Real Deal Remedy Stick, The Real Deal foundation SPF15 in stick form, a blush in stick form, the Real Deal Blush Stick SPF15 in "Spiced Mauve", the Real Deal concealer, an Eye Rimz Baked Wet/Dry Eye Accents in "Plum Like it Hot", and a new Light Beams Lip Gloss in "Passion Fruit".  This also comes with the cutest sponge "lips" applicator to apply the foundation and concealer.


I'm not going to lie, I was scared to try a non powder/mineral foundation.  I think it's been 15 years since I have worn one, since I either use Bare Escentuals or Laura Geller's Balance 'n Brighten.  In the past, these have made me feel very over done because the colors either don't match, they oxidize and become orange, or they just look caked on.



See how all of these are in stick form?  I think Max Factor used to have a heavy-duty coverage foundation in a stick form I loved, but of course, it's long gone!  The Spackle is awesome, and blows every other face-perfecting primer I've tried out of the water.  Honestly, I don't need anything to help with oily skin - for me, it's just evening out and hiding the flaws: i.e. fine lines, pores, and just creating a smooth canvas to work on.  This does the trick, and is definitely my holy grail.  The foundation is amazing, and blends extremely well into the skin.  I actually set it with my Balance 'n Brighten, and have not had any of the oxidation that I have had in the past, causing the color to change.  Instead, the foundation matches flawlessly, and I don't have any lines or cakiness that can sometimes happen with liquid or stick foundations.  The Real Deal Blush in Spiced Mauve is a beautiful rosy color with golden shimmer.  I will say, that if you don't like shimmer, the look of the product in the tube can be a turn off...but once applied, it smooths into the skin and gives a glow.  I, of course, love shimmer, so if I feel like I need a little, I have swiped some Ethereal Rose over the top to give it a little *umph*.  The stick does give that "color from within" or "just pinched" cheeks that we all strive for in a blush, without being over the top or too pigmented. 


I used to have an art teacher that always said, "A dot does a lot!" with regards to glue.  Well, the same can be said for Laura Geller's Real Deal Concealer.  I use the smallest amount possible when it comes out of the tube to conceal under each eye, and it works magic.  It covers, doesn't fall into lines, and lasts all day.  I will say, you could definitely come into trouble if you used too much, so if this is something you have used/tried with little success...try to use less product and see if it helps.  A little truly goes a long way!


The Eye Rimz in Plum Like it Hot is a beautiful swirl of mocha, pinks and plums.  These can be used wet or dry, on the water line, as a shadow/liner...you name it!  This is a beautiful warm color that I am falling more in love with each time I use it.



Above are the swatches.  Of course, I didn't blend in the foundation, concealer or blush.  I will say, they look quite yellow for my skin on the swatches, but they actually work quite well once applied and blended in.  Like I said, the blush looks a bit overwhelming, but again blends so well into the skin that it looks completely natural.  The Eye Rimz are best used over a primer (I used LA Splash eyeshadow primer/sealer) or wet.  When they are dry, you just don't get the full effect, and they look kind of chalky.  The lipgloss is gorgeous - a perfect every day color.  To steal a phrase from my girl at Nouveau Cheap...this color is my lips but better! 

Up next...a FOTD using this kit...

Essie

Spotted at Walmart: Essie Nailpolishes

10:46 AM


It's amazing what you can come across the day after Christmas...why weren't these out before hand for some last minute gift ideas?  While paroozing the after Christmas clearance at Walmart, I saw an enormous end cap for Essie nail polishes, which are now carried at Walmart.  The regular price was $7.49, but were on "special" for $7.00 a bottle.  From what I could tell, this was the entire line, including four seasonal shades, which you can see at the top right corner of the display.  This is definitely something kind of different for Walmart.  I'm glad to see it!

Have you seen this display yet? 

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

10:34 AM


We had a very white Christmas this year - the first time in a long time!  I hope you all had a Merry Christmas as well.

A few things I will be posting about that Santa brought...

1.  Laura Geller "The Real Deal Arsenal"
2.  Zoya Nailpolishes
3.  Philosophy Snow Globe Shimmering Body Whip

How about you guys?


e.l.f. Cosmetics

EOTD: Wet 'n Wild Pixie Palette "Sugar Plum Fairy" and MAC Pigment "Helium"

9:28 AM



The Wet 'n Wild Pixie Palette in Sugar Plum Fairy has turned out to be the more difficult one for me to fall in love with.  I'm not sure what the hold back is for me - I typically love purples, and the quality in this set is very nice.  Who knows...regardless, I decided to play around with another color combo, and included MAC Helium as well.  This combination, I really like...Enjoy!

LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Primer
Wet 'n Wild Pixie Palette:
- middle left - inner corner
- bottom right - outer corner, crease
- top left - highlight
MAC Pigment "Helium" - inner corner, blended out to crease
e.l.f. Cream Eyeliner "Charcoal"
The Falsies Drama mascara







Aromaleigh

EOTD: Aromaleigh Alloy and Darcelle, Milani Lilly White

11:07 AM


I decided to dabble in some of shadows I ordered from my most recent Aromaleigh purchase, and here's what I came up with...

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy - all over lid
Aromaleigh Alloy - inner corner
Aromaleigh Darcelle - outer corner, crease
Milani Lilly White - highlight
Smashbox Cream Liner "Bronze"
The Falsies Black Drama mascara

Golds and greens...my favorite! :)

Almay

Spotted at CVS: New! Milani Baked Eyeshadows, Orly Holiday '10 Minis, New! Almay Intense i-color, New! Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Lipcolors

2:09 PM

For all you Midwestern girls, I finally saw some of the new products that have been making a buzz across the blogosphere, including the new Almay Intense i-colors Smoky i-kits, the Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marbles, and the new Maybelline 24hr Super Stay Lipcolors.




I also found a little tube of these cute little Orly polishes from the Holiday collection this year - you can see swatches here on Vampy Varnish's site.  These are minis, so they retail around $3.99 a piece.  The colors that stood out to me were "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe", "Glitz and Glamour", and and "Rockin' Rocket".  Pretty little sparkles for the holidays!




NOT

Wet 'n Wild MegaLast Nail Color "Cupid"

8:37 AM


A few weeks back I found these little miniature Wet 'n Wild Megalast nail colors on an end cap at Walgreens.  These little gems would make a great stocking stuffer - there is a color and a high shine top coat packed together for about $1.99 I think.  I picked up the color called Cupid, which is a thick frosty white shimmer with iridescent glitter in various shapes and sizes strewn about. 


The color reminds me of marshmallow fluff.  Actually, so does the consistency.  This polish couldn't decide if it was going to be thin or thick.  It was an awkward consistency, so as a result the coverage was very uneven.  I used three coats, and on some nails this was perfect and on other it was too sheer.  Of course, it may have helped to use a white or off white base coat to give the opacity I was looking for.  I do like the sparkles - it's not over the top, so this may make a nice frosty top coat to another color in your collection.  When this dried, there was not a lot of shine, so I used the topcoat that came with it, as well as Seche Vite to give it some lustre.  Overall, the quality is about a B-, but for the price, this is a cute little color for the holidays.


Have you tried these?  What color did you pick up?  I have one more to try out, so I'll post it this week - of course, I can't remember the name!

Loreal

Review: L'oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator "Black Bronze"

11:42 AM


I think by now most of you know I love to try different mascaras.  Mascara is one of my favorite beauty products, and any more there are so many different kinds, colors and brushes, I inevitably have an entire drawer devoted to them!  Well, L'Oreal has come out with a new version of their Double Extend, called Eye Illuminator.  There are several different versions: Black/Copper (for blue eyes), Black/Bronze (for green eyes), Black/Quarts (for brown eyes), and Black/Crystal (for all eyes).  Although I didn't try the original  version of this, I was intrigued by this new collection because of the sparkle and metallic mascara on one end.  Now, before you all sigh a collective "ohhhh....another one of those?!", let's give it a try and see what the verdict is!


First, the mascara side.  The wand is a basic bristle brush, and the formula is that of a lengthening mascara.  This isn't clumpy, dry or thick.  Instead, the formula is quite light, and allows for the brush to do the work to pull the product across the lashes and lengthen.


Next, the Illuminator side.  From the packaging on the outside, I would have thought this was a version of the L'oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara - you know, the one with the ball brush?  Well, upon closer inspection, this is actually a hybrid of the really thin bristle brushes that are used for either your lower lashline or the random glitter mascaras on the market, and that of a normal spiral bristle that has been cut into a ball shape.  I know, a crazy explanation, but take a look at the picture above...I think that about sums it up!  The actual mascara isn't a glitter, but instead looks like a metallic mascara.  The picture above doesn't do the color justice at all - in the Black Bronze set I bought, this portion looks like liquid copper - it's absolutely gorgeous!  The next question would be...does it actually show up on the lashes?


I really wish I could figure out my camera, because these pictures are not reflecting what the mascara actually looks like in real life.  First of all, I have to say I was impressed with the formula of the Double Extend black mascara.  I don't typically go for the lengthening mascara because as much as I would love long lashes, I would rather be able to *see* mine, and a volumizing mascara is required for that!  With that said, the formula on this was nice and buildable, clumping was minimal, so I was able to get a nice effect.  The metallic side was exactly how I would want one of these to be - actually visible once applied!  Unfortunately my camera's flash washed out any of the color, so there is barely any notice in the pictures.  My lashes looked metallic, had sparkle, and you could see it in every day light, directly on, from the side, etc.  There was no fall out, it wasn't chunky, and it didn't clump on the ends of my lashes. 




I have tried so many of these glitter and colored mascaras, and this was the first one I've actually seen on when I looked in the mirror after application.  There definitely is color, shine and sparkle.  I really do think this would be gorgeous for the holiday season!  I wore it yesterday and received tons of compliments on my sparkles...


Also, a snapshot of my EOTD using the Wet 'n Wild Night Elf palette, Hard Candy's Lunar Eclipse Meteor Eyes and L'oreal's Double Extend Eye Illuminator in Black/Bronze.

OK, so have any of you see and/or tried this? 

Revlon

Spotted at Walgreens: Sinful mini's for $0.99, Revlon Scented Nailpolish and Heavenly Metal, Sally Hansen Insta Dry French Manicures, & Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle

11:42 AM


New drugstore collections are one of my favorite things, and just in time for the holidays!  I went into Walgreens yesterday to grab some hairspray...something simple, and unexpectedly came across several new displays.

First, above is from an endcap with little stocking stuffers.  These are mini Sinful nail polishes that are $0.99 - the colors are really pretty - a frosty and sparkly gold, an warm red, blue and bright green. 


Secondly, at the very bottom of the cosmetics counter was this new display of Revlon's Scented nailpolish.  Of course, they don't smell immediately, but it is after the polish has dried - the scents were ranged from Beaches to Berries, and everything in between.  I picked up a bluish-purple (in the greens and blues above), that I think is called Ocean Breeze.  I'm very excited to try these out!  The colors are really pretty, too, and are a far cry from the muds and greiges we have seen recently.


Next up are these new french manicure sets by Sally Hansen Insta Dry.  The whole thing is quite unique from start to finish.  Not only are the colors quite unique (purple and green, silver and black, blue and yellow, red and orange, and of course, your typical french white and neutral), but the depending on how you twist the lid determines the color wand you pick up.  These also have a very thin brush, so you can try different kinds of designs, not just your standard french manicure.


Next up, are the new Sally Hansen Nailgrowth colors - most of these are quite "neutral" in my opinion, no bright blues, greens, or yellows.  The most vivid color in the set would be either the bright pink up front or the frosty green on the left.  I was very tempted on getting the green, so I think I'll wait for a sale and do that!


Last but not least, the Revlon Heavenly Metal collection.  I didn't even know where to start with this one - it was tons of frosty goodness!  There are three sets of shadow-duos, which are baked colors.  There is a silver and charcoal, a gold and silver and a frosty white and navy blue.  The three polishes are silver, gold and copper - I picked up the copper one.  There are three eye crayons and some of their color stay lip colors.  Beautiful stuff, and definitely my favorite of the whole trip!  I'll post pictures with the scented polish I bought as well.

Have you spotted any of these?  If so, what did you get?

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