Eyeliners

Spotted at Meijer: New Revlon Age Defying DNA Foundation, Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara and Lash Liner

9:14 AM


Revlon has come out with a new Age Defying line, with DNA Advantage.  I stumbled on this while walking the cosmetics aisle at Meijer.  The retail is approximately $11.99 for the foundation.  There appears to be quite a range of colors, and the bottle comes equipped with a pump top, which is a nice bonus.  I searched online for some reviews, but this looks like it's very new, so there is very little out there on it.  Instead, the website notes the following:

"NEW Revlon Age Defying with DNA Advantage Cream Makeup combines makeup + powerful anti-aging skincare to help protect skin's DNA to fight the signs of aging. 96% of women saw flawless, younger-looking skin in two weeks. Lines and wrinkles are visibly diminished while skin is refreshed, hydrated, revitalized. SPF 20"

Have you tried this yet?  What did you think? 

Next up are the new items in the Grow Luscious line from Revlon.  First is the Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara.  With the same properties as the original Grow Luscious mascara, this is an actual volumizing mascara from the start.  The formula comes in both a regular and a waterproof.  The colors are Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown.   


Last, but not least, is the new Grow Luscious Lash Liner.  This is packed with vitamins and nutrients to help promote healthy lashes as well.  There are four colors:  Onyx, Espresso, Graphite and Emerald.  The formula looks smooth and easy to apply, but again I haven't tried this. 


Have you seen/tried any of these new Revlon items?

Guest Post: Summer Skincare Tips!

8:00 AM

Summer is almost here so it’s time to put away the heavy clothes, get a brightly colored mani pedi and most importantly start a summer skin care regiment. Not sure about how to go about your regiment? Here are some tips:

Exfoliate Weekly-  Getting rid of the old skin cells that accumulate on your face and body is a great way to give your skin a natural healthy glowing look. Once a week is sufficient to get good results.

Moisturize Daily- While you don’t want to use the same thick moisturizer in the summer that you do during the winter, it’s still very important to use a light weight, water-based moisturizer so that you hydrate your skin.

Use Sunscreen- When applying sunscreen to your face, you should apply one teaspoon and when applying it to your body, you should use the equivalent of one shot glass. To make sure that you get the best protection possible, be cautious when applying the sunscreen so that you cover every inch of skin and be sure to reapply it every 1 to 2 hours.

Use Body Lotion Daily- The rules for body lotions are pretty much the same as those for moisturizers. Select a light weight body lotion that won’t make your skin feel heavy and apply it right after you take a shower so that it really sinks into your skin.

Update Your Makeup- If you use liquid foundation, you may feel more comfortable if you switch to a powder because it allows your skin to breathe more easily. It is also recommended that you wear a lip balm that has an SPF of 15 in order to keep your lips soft and protect them from the sun.

Tan Safely- While it may be tempting to go sunbathing or lay in a tanning bed a far better option is to use a sunless tanner or bronzer. The tanner and bronzer will give you a nice summer glow and help the fight against wrinkles without exposing you to dangerous UV rays.

Wear Light Weight Clothing- Clothing made from cotton rather than a synthetic yarn is your best choice because it allows your skin to stay cool and breathe. Synthetic or manmade fabrics keep the heat in and make the skin overheat needlessly.

Drink A Lot Of Water- While it’s recommended that you drink eight glasses of water every day, it would be a good idea to drink more of it during the summer months. Don’t forget, the heat will cause you to sweat so you need to replenish your body often so that it looks vibrant and healthy rather than dried out.



Have a great summer!

This guest post was written by one of the instructors at a beauty school with locations in New York and Florida.

Jessica Custom Nail Colors

Spotted at Meijer: The new Wet 'n Wild Mermaid Cove Collection and Inked Collections of nailpolish

10:19 AM


Paroozing through Meijer yesterday and I saw some of the new Wet 'n Wild nail polish displays that have been discussed around the blogosphere.  The Mermaid Cove collection is gorgeous, and is very reminiscent of the Zoya Summer collection.  I picked up two shades (Enchanted and Ocean Grotto) that I'll swatch and talk about shortly.  This set is very sparkly, bright and fun.  I really did have a hard time picking!  And, at $1.99 a piece, it's a great price.


The Craze collection of Graffiti reminded me of a box of Crayolas.  Bright, creme shades, these are pretty standard colors outside of the packaging.  I didn't get any of these, but if you are looking for some basic brights, this would be a great option for you at $1.89 a piece.

You can see swatches of both of these collections at the lovely Nouveau Cheap Here and Here.

Have you seen these?  What did you pick up?

Aveeno

Aveeno Active Naturals Living Color Shampoo and Conditioner

8:39 AM



I have been given the amazing opportunity to be a part of Aveeno's and Recyclebank's new focus on their Active Naturals campagin.   Talk about a company that is giving back to the environment!  (Click on the picture above to see how you can get involved too!)
One of the newer items on the Aveeno block is the Living Color, Color Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner.  Now, as some of you know, I am a Wen girl through and through, but I did want to try out these products and see what I thought.  The Color Preserving collection comes in two varieties: Fine Hair and Medium/Thick hair.  I have the shampoo for fine and the conditioner for medium/thick. 


First and foremost, let's discuss what the whole "Active Naturals" is about.  Below, is a snippit from the Aveeno website:

Simply put, ACTIVE NATURALS® are ingredients derived from nature and uniquely formulated by AVEENO® to optimize skin's health and beauty. AVEENO® has unlocked the true potential of nature's skin-enhancing secrets, like soy and oatmeal, with patented processes that retain their full strength and purity. Gentle, effective, clinically proven AVEENO®. Recommended by dermatologists for 60 years.
AVEENO® is the leader in ACTIVE NATURALS® technology today, including oatmeal and soy, and will continue to develop innovative technologies around natural ingredients well into the future.


This particular set of shampoos/conditioners utelizes Lupine as the active ingredient.  The actual seed has a very high protien content, which as Aveeno explains, is used to help strenthen and fortify the hair shaft.  This coats, seals and protects your hair and it's color. 

The fragrance is quite nice.  I'm not sure what Lupine actually smells like.  It's floral, but not fake or over the top.  The shampoo cleaned my hair quite nicely.  The conditioner didn't make my hair feel slick or greasy in the shower.  To be quite honest, I hardly knew I had conditioner on when I was using it.  It's not exactly detangling - it's more nourishing, but less of a traditional conditioner. 

Overall the product is quite nice.  I'm glad I tried it, and will probably use this inbetween my Wen cleansings if I feel like I need a clarification. 

Have you tried these new items from Aveeno?  Thoughts?

Dollar Tree

Spotted at the Dollar Tree: LA Color's Eyeshadow Trios and Revlon Matte Eyeshadow Singles

11:24 AM

Below are a few snapshots of some items I saw at the Dollar Tree during my recent visit.  The most promising items to me looked like the LA Color's Eyeshadow Trios.  I haven't tried these before, but the colors were really pretty, and there was quite a selection of shades.

Also, if you like Matte shadows, Revlon had quite a few to choose from in various colors from light greens to browns. 

All for $1 a piece...not a bad deal!

Enjoy!






What's your most recent find at the dollar store??

Swatches: Avon Pefect Wear Extralasting Lip Gloss "Perpetual Pink" and "Everlasting Petal"

8:59 AM


Sorry for the delay on posting - I along with everyone else using Blogger seemed to have some issues!  Anyway, on to the next swatch of lippies!

Up next we have Avon Perfect Wear Everlasting Lip Gloss.  I have two colors here: Perpetual Pink and Everlasting Petal.  These are, as the name states, long lasting lip gloss.  The consistency is quite thick, the pigmentation is nice, and there is a really nice shine.  The formula really does last.  Surprisingly, this did not make my lips dry out or flake.  They felt moist the whole time I wore the color, it didn't trail or feather along the lips, and when the gloss finally did wear off, it didn't leave splotchy coloring behind on my lips.  Depending on the color, you may or may not see any color left behind at all:  Everlasting Petal = none; Perpetual Pink = a hint of color.

Both shades below have a hint of shimmer as well, but I wouldn't say this translates onto the lips.  In other words, these aren't frosty at all.  They just sort of, glow.


Everlasting Petal is the more sheer color of the two swatched here.  This is a warm pink, with swirls of coral and gold shimmer throughout.  This gives the lips a lot of shine with just a *hint* of color.



Perpetual Pink, on the other hand, has a nice pink/plum base with just a pinch of shimmer.  This is more opaque, and therefore more pigmented than Everlasting Petal.  I use this almost every day.  It's a perfect pink color for me, and I love how it lasts.


Have you tried these yet?  What's your favorite color?  I'm thinking I might order a couple more.  The price is $8.00, but were regularly on sale.

Cover Girl

Swatches: Cover Girl NatureLuxe Gloss Balms "Pinot" and "Muscat"

9:32 AM


Looks like it's a lipstick week for me!  Here are two more lippies I bought recently that are just little beauties.  This time around it's Cover Girl NatureLuxe Gloss Balms in Pinot and Muscat.  Being the pretend "wine-o" that I am, I had to purchase these two colors simply because of the name.

These are part of the new collection that Taylor Swift is behind.  From the Cover Girl website:

"Get the sheer color and shine of a gloss with the soft, lightweight feel of SPF 15 balm. Fortified with mango and shea butter, this feel-good formula leaves your lips feeling decadent and delicious."


Pinot is a very raspberry shade with a hint of pink shimmer.  Although there is shimmer in the balm, I barely saw it translate on the lips.  Instead the color is a sheer, but deep, berry on the lips. 



Up next is Muscat, which is a warmer, almost (but not quite), red.  Again, the color is rich, but sheer as well.  I would say that Muscat is a bit brighter than Pinot, but both are gorgeous in their own right. 




I really like the consistency of these.  Like a stain, you get a translucent color on the lips, but unlike a stain, these are moisturizing and don't make my lips peel, flake, or dry out.  Also, unlike a lot of balms out there, you have quite the selection of colors and tones to choose from.  This isn't your mama's Lip Smackers, that's for sure!

The NatureLuxe Balms retail for approximately $6 at drugstores, but with all the coupons and BOGO50's that happen, I'm sure you can get it for less than that. 

Have you tried these balms?  What did you think?

Avon

Swatches: Avon Ultra Color Rich Moisture Seduction Lipsticks in "Rosewine" and "Perfect Pink"

8:44 AM


After the swirly-goodness that is the Laura Geller Lipstick in Banana Berry, I thought I'd post a couple more swirlies for all of you to enjoy! 

This time, we're looking at the new Avon Ultra Rich Moisture Seduction Lipsticks in Rosewine and Perfect Pink. 

From the Avon website:
"Our most moisture-infused lipstick…for the lushest color you’ve ever known! Up to 500% moisture boost. 1000% full-on sexy lips. Ribbons of rich moisturizers intertwine with seductively smooth color for a sensuous surge of deep hydration." 

Perfect pink is a very bright pink, swirled with the moisture ribbons and a hint of shimmer.  The actual color is quite muted because the swirls don't have any color to them, thus cutting the actual color of the lipstick.  Instead, you have nice moisture and high shine, with a hint of color.


Rosewine is a gorgeous, warm, berry shade.  This particular color has more lipstick and less swirls of the moisture ribbons throughout, thus making it more pigmented.  On, it becomes a very rich berry color.


Both of these lipsticks live up to the hype of being "moisture rich".  The pigmentation is nice, and really, for as rich and moist of a lipstick, the color doesn't travel off of the lips into the fine lines around your mouth.  Lasting power is pretty good.  It's definitely not what I would consider "long wearing", but it's also not sold as that. 

These are SPF15, which is an added bonus.  Retail price is $8 on www.avon.com.

Have you tried any of these lipsticks before?

Laura Geller

Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten Comparisons: Porcelain, Light and Regular

8:00 AM

**Note:  I clearly had not had my coffee when I labeled these: it should be Porcelain, Light and Regular**

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I figured I'd give it a whirl!  I found the three different shades of Laura Geller I've picked up over the years, and wanted to do a side-by-side swatch.  Porcelain is definitely a world different than Fair and Regular, but this should at least give you an idea as to how much.

Like I mentioned in my earlier posts, Porcelain is really more focused on the pink and ivory to help cancel out all the red discoloration us porcelain girls can get.  There is obviously the beige coloring in there as well, helping mute out the pinks, but overall, this is a much paler color.  In the swatches below, you can hardly see it against my skintone, where the other two clearly stand out.  Porcelain also lacks the yellow undertones, where the Light and Regular definitely embrace those.  I'd say the difference between Light and Regular is the deeper tones found in Regular.


Hopefully this helps so you can really see the difference between the three.  I really think the first picture does lay it out well. 

FOTD Golds

FOTD using Laura Geller's Baked Vanilla Nudes Collection

1:26 PM


A quick FOTD using all the products from Laura's Baked Vanilla Nudes collection. 

Like I said, I really like the Porcelain BnB - it seems to be the best color for my skintone in the winter.  As the weather warms and I see the sun more, I'll move up to the Fair or Light.  The blush is great.  The colors work well individually to contour, blush and highlight, but I really liked blending them all together for the blush, and using the deep to contour and highlighting ontop of the cheek bones to add a little more dimension. 

My favorite is definitely the eyeshadows, though.  I used the Vanilla Toffee on the inner corners and the Black Cherry as the crease, outer corner, and lower lashline.  I also used the Black Cherry wet as my liner.  The mascara didn't do much for me, so I actually gave that away.



Pretty warm colors.  I love them, and yes, their names make them all good enough to eat!

Laura Geller

Laura Geller Baked Vanilla Nudes: Pictures & Swatches, including the New! Porcelain Balance 'n Brighten

9:45 AM

When Laura Geller said she was going to be introducing a lighter shade of Balance 'n Brighten (porcelain), I was very excited.  This new color was introduced in a collection called Vanilla Baked Nudes.  The set comes with your choice of Balance 'n Brighten, a Cheek Dreams Blush, mascara, dual ended brush, Marble Lipstick and Baked Eyeshadow/Eye Rimz duo.


First, let's take a look at the Balance 'n Brighten in Porcelain.  This color truly is different than any of the other BnB's she has - I'll post comparison's later.  Instead of focusing on the yellow and beige corrective colors, this is swirled with ivory and pink to help correct the imbalances us fair girls have in their skintones.  At first I was scared this was going to be too pink, but I couldn't be happier with the color.  There are hints of true skin-tone colors swirled through, so this nicely offsets the pinks and ivory shades that are swirld through, giving a very true porcelain color with great buildable coverage.


Next up, the blush.  This is a bit different than her typical baked blushes, and instead plays off of the Dream sets she has had in the past.  This is her Baked Cheek Dreams in Neapolitan.  This instantly was remanicant of the MAC Blonde, Brunette, Red Head blushes from a year or so back. 

The three colors can be worn separately (highlight, blush, and contour), or they can be blended together to create a more intense color.  These are not overly shimmery, but have a nice frost to them.  The colors are really nice, and the pink really brightens the face and gives the apples of your cheeks a nice color without over doing it. 


Vanilla Toffee and Black Cherry are quite possible the two favorite colors I've have from Laura Geller, and if you filter through my LG posts, you'll see I have quite few.  The Vanilla Toffee color is a very shimmery bronze, ivory and gold swirl that mixes together and becomes a beautiul guilded, intense bronze on the lids. 
Black Cherry is such a different play on black.  At first glance, you see black and irridescent white swirled together, but upon closer inspection, there are these beautiful berry sparkles swirled throughout, softening and warming the color.  If applied dry, or without primer, this is very muted, but when applied wet or over a primer, the color is so intense and beautiful.  I've used this both as a liner and as a shadow and I am just blown away every time I put it on. 


The brush is double ended, with a nice contoured blush brush on one side, and an oversized, almost paddle shapped, sponge applicator on the other. 


The Berry Banana lipstick is a really warm berry shade, with swirles of creamy banana throughout.  The color is very nice (the picture below is muted, but the swatch is accurate), and it smells like banana berry.  Yum-o!


Swatches are below.  For the blush, I swiped them alone, and blended together.  The eyeshadows are over Pixie Epoxy so you can really see the intensity of the colors. 


FOTD's and BnB comparison's coming soon!  Did you pick up this set?  What were your thoughts?

Burts Bees

Burt's Bee's Tinted Lip Balm "Red Dahlia"

8:41 AM


This is a long-time overdue post.  I just realized this weekend how backlogged I am on posts and pictures, so hopefully I'll be able to catch up a little bit here!

At the beginning of the year, Burt's Bees came out with a line of tinted lip balms, so I decided to try Red Dahlia, one of the darkest shades in the set.   There are six, total shades available, seen below:


I like to have a lip balm available in my purse at all times.  Although I do have my medicated Chapstick, I find it nice to have something with a hint of color.  Seeing as I washed my Dr. Pepper LipSmackers in the laundry, I thought this might be a nice opportunity for me to get a "grown up" version for my bag!


The product comes in a typical chapstick tube, but the outer packaging is a thicker cardboard tube with the color of the tinted balm on the inner sleeve. 


The Red Dahlia tinted lip balm is a deep warm berry in the tube.  There is no shimmer or frost.  The main ingredient in these lip balms is shea butter, which helps to soften your lips, as well as protect from drying out.  I can't emphasize the moisture these lip balms provide!  I have found historically that tinted colors tend to dry my lips out, but this one does not.  There is also a nice shine to the hint of color, so this is a nice everyday shade to have in the bag. 


You can barely see the color above.  This is one swipe, so if you want a little added color, just swipe again.  Of course, this would be nice over a lip stain because of the shine - and it can help prevent those lips from drying out from the stain. 

Have you tried these yet?  What do you think?  These balms retail for $6.99, which is a bit spendy for a balm, but I am very happy with it overall.

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