Sparkles, glitter, and goodies - Oh my!!! I can't wait to try these out...the question is, which one first?
'Tis the season to start seeing some new products come out for the winter and Holidays. CVS had the new Sally Hansen products displayed - Gem Crush and Diamond Strength. These were not on an end cap, instead they had added a shelf to the top of the cosmetics aisles. I almost missed them, so if you haven't seen these in your CVS, take a look above you!
There are several of these polishes I want - any of the Gem Crush and there were a couple of pretty shades in the Diamond Strength collection as well. What have you picked up? Any suggestions?
Another Studio M/Massini color from Meijer. This time I have on Ego Trip, which was on an end cap with their Holiday colors for this year. There were tons to choose from, many of which I will need to go back for! Lots of metallics and foils. If I had been thinking, I would have taken a snapshot of the actual display, but I spaced it.
Ego Trip is a very deep emerald green with hints of teal. It switches based on the surroundings, although I wouldn't call it a duochrome. To me, it's a very Christmas-y green. The first thing I thought of was Hermey the Elf from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
This was an amazing formula. I could have gotten away with just one coat, but I did two just for good measure. The coverage was fantastic, it dried very smoothly without any streaking from the frost, and the texture was thin enough to make it easy to apply, but not so thin that it was runny. I wish all the formulas were like this, but of course it depends on the color.
(this is the most true-to-life picture for the color)
Sorry for the grainy pictures - my camera was dead so I used my phone. I just had to show this one off! I'm thinking for Christmas I will layer some red glitter over the top. The pictures don't do it justice, though. It is gorgeous in real - life. I will take some updated pictures once the batteries are charged.
- 
Too Faced will be having tons of great deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday...
Looking for a preview? How about this?
Eye Want it All Collection: $99 (a $165 value!)
Vintage makeup deals: 50% off!
Free Gifts: Every order over $75 from 11/23-11/27 will receive a FREE FULL-SIZE SHADOW INSURANCE EYE SHADOW PRIMER with your order!
Cyber Monday: Customers can receive up to $60 in FREE GIFTS with qualifying order including full-size mascaras, makeup brushes and more!
Manic Monday: It's on! Just as always, the Manic Monday deals will be available!
Sounds like fun! I'll definitely be heading over to Too Faced to check these out!
I had very minimal exposure to Jordana Cosmetics until Walgreens revamped their set up and put an entire permenant display in their cosmetics department. Until then there was a little rack with eyeliners and lip liners that I would pick up every once in a while. You can see what I have purchased and reviewed here. Actually, some of my most used items are the Glitter Rocks Retractable Eyeliners I swatched and reviewed here, and I got those on clearance for $0.62 a piece!
Now that there is a display at Walgreens, I took a look at the other offerings from Jordana and picked up one of their Easyshine Lip Colors to try out. There are six colors on the display, and I picked up Sugar Cookie, which is a warm, reddish brown cream - no shimmer here.
Actually, if you head on over to the Jordana website, you can see all of the different colors here. The website also has a handy key to tell you what the finish is for each of the colors.
Not only did I mangle the top of the lip color with the lid when I opened it, but my flash totally washed out the color in the tube. It is a much deeper shade, with more brown undertones. This is a smaller stick of color too, similar to the size of the Carmex I reviewed earlier this week.
Swatched on the lips, this is my lips but better. The shine is unbelievable, and unfortunately my camera did not capture this either. It reminds me of a the shine you get from a liquid lipgloss in a tube. Definitely an easy color, it adds a hint of warm red shine, without being over the top. This is a very slick, non-sticky gloss. Lasting strength is minimal at best, especially if you have to talk alot during the day. There is a slight fragrance, sort of a warm vanilla sugar (hence the name), and it is also sweet to the taste.
At $1.99 this is a nice little thing to keep in your desk drawer or purse when you don't want lipstick on. It doesn't tout any benefits (i.e. Vitamin E, aiding or healing chapped lips, etc), but it does feel nice on. These would also be nice for the younger girls that are asking for some lipgloss or lipstick...maybe a stocking stuffer or two from Santa?
A few days ago I posted some swatches of the Avon Draw the Line set of mini eyeliner pencils and I wanted to do an EOTD with the Sapphire Blue. Like I mentioned in the original post, this is a matte liner, so I was intrigued with how it would look on.
The pencil applied nicely - very smooth and creamy. Like I said in the earlier post on it, this is a bit of a sheer shade, so I had to apply it a couple of times to get the intensity seen in the pictures above. The wear was well - I didn't experience any smudging or color loss over the day.
To get the look:
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Revlon Edgy Elegance Eyeshadow in Girly - inner corner
Revlon Edgy Elegance Eyeshadow in Fierce - middle of lid into outer corner
Revlon Edgy Elegance Eyeshadow in Downtown - outer corner/crease
MAC Eyeshadow Phloof - highlight
Avon Draw the Line Mini Eyeliner Sapphire Blue - lower lashline
Tarte emphasEYES Clay Eyeliner in Black
L'oreal Voluminous False Fiber Mascara - Black
It's that time again - time for dry, chapped lips and brisk winter chills. I always have my tube of chapstick in my purse. It's my go to. Actually, I have one on my bedside table, one in my office desk, one downstairs in the "junk" drawer, and one in my purse. Well, what about those times when you want a little color and the benefits of a chapstick?
Enter Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm. Made with Vitamin E, Aloe and SPF15, not only does this nourish and moisturize, it protects. Also, it is available in numerous shades, including two new ones: Sheer Berry and Sheer Plum.
I tend to lean towards warmer berry and plum shades in the fall and winter, so I purchased Sheer Plum to try out. The pictures below actually brighten the color in the tube a bit more than Sheer Plum is in reality, but you get the gist of the color. This is a deep plum, almost warm chocolate shade in the tube. Once applied, as you will see in swatches below, the berry colors really shine through.
The product itself is a thin, non sticky formula. It smells a bit less like menthol and a bit more minty than the original Carmex in the pot, therefore it's not quite as medicinal smelling. Once applied, there is a cooling sensation familiar with Carmex. The product wears nicely and didn't feather after application.
Above is two swipes on the skin for a swatch. Below is two swipes on the lip. See, a nice color, but not overwhelming. The berry color really comes through upon application as well.
Final verdict: Why not? For $2.59 a tube you don't have to give up the benefits of Carmex for a little color. My lips feel soft afterwards, and the color payoff is nice and lasting. There are several colors to choose from, although I think a lot of people would like to see more of a red and less of a berry available. Maybe in the future!
Have you tried this yet? What did you think?
From Revlon's Spice it Up Collection, I picked up the nail polish called Glitz and Glam. This is a cranberry jelly base with silver glitter. It reminds me of one of last year's holiday colors by China Glaze - Mrs. Clause - but I don't own it so I can't do a comparison.
Although the color is a bit sheer, due to the jelly base, after three coats you do have a nice coverage. The dry time was pretty quick, so I suppose it lives up to the name "Top Speed", but I prefer to use a quick drying top coat like Seche Vite as well.
I've posted a couple of different angles/pictures below. I just had one of my nails break, so I had to cut them back - they look so stumpy...sorry. One picture is with a flash and the other in more natural lighting. I will say, being that this is a glitter polish, it really does sparkle! Look at that first picture - see what I mean? You know how sometime glitters end up a bit more matte once dry? Well this one is nice and shimmery, which is great for holiday parties or even just a pick me up.
I also picked up Mistletoe, which is a really vampy olive green - pictures coming soon once I wear it!
I ran across the Revlon Spice it Up collection for this holiday season while at Walgreens earlier this week. There are 8 nail polishes and 8 lipglosses to choose from. On the display there was a $1 coupon off Revlon, so I ended up purchasing two nail colors: Glitz & Glam and Mistletoe. I'll have pictures to post shortly.
Have you spotted this? What did you pick up? I really like some of the nail colors - lots of shimmer and sparkle!
Every year Avon comes out with mini-sets of some of their best selling products: nail polishes, eyeliners, lip gloss, etc. Of all the products I've tried from Avon over the years, one thing I haven't purchased are the Glimmersticks, and I've read some pretty nice things about them. I figured the holiday mini set of these would be a good way to test them out. The collection is called Draw the Line, and it is a set of four of the retractable, 12 hour wear, self sharpening eyeliners.
The four colors in the set are Sapphire Blue, Purple, Bronze and Smoky Grey. Only the Bronze has any shimmer. The other three shades are what I would consider a matte pencil. Swatches of the four pencils are below.
This collection is called a mini-set, and it truly is. The pencils are very small, and actually are a nice way to try out the Glimmersticks for the first time. The set of four costs $7.99 regularly, but I'm sure it will pop up on sale at some point, especially as we get closer to the holidays (or after). Because of the size, I find they would be good to keep in my purse, especially the Bronze or Smokey Grey, simply because they don't take up a lot of room and those two colors are shades I wear a lot and could touch up my makeup easily if needed.
Onto the product itself. The pencils have a nice, fine point, which is good for precision application. Overall, the consistency of the pencils were smooth. I found that Bronze and Smokey Grey were the creamiest and easiest to apply out of the four (Bronze being the best followed by Smokey Grey). Purple and Sapphire Blue were a little drier and a bit more difficult to use on the eye - there was some tugging, but overall the application was fine. I found it easier to apply on the lower lashline because of the size (or lack there of) of the pencils. Overall pigmentation was OK. These certainly don't have the pigmentation or ease of application like the superSHOCK Gel Pencils did (for the record, I still absolutely love these!), but they aren't terrible either. Again, the Bronze and Smokey Grey had the most pigmentation, where Purple had the least. I think you can see that by my swatches above.
So, bottom line, would I buy these again? Honestly, probably not, simply because for the price and quality, I have better products in the same colors or shades. Now, if you are looking to explore and enter the world of colored eyeliners, this might not be a bad idea for you - for $7.99 you get four colors that are a bit outside the box to play with. On the other hand, for those of your seasoned veterans of the eyeliner world, this is not a "must buy" by any means.
For those of you who have this, or any of the other Glimmersticks, what do you think? What is your favorite color?
Another pumpkin for you today, but this one wasn't quite as seasonal. This is a clear base with pale pink microglitter and very large, silver hexagonal glitter. Similar in texture and makeup as the Pumpkin polish in a bronze/silver, the actual coverage was quite sheer compared to the bronze. This is three coats, and you can still see quite a bit of nail through. With that said, the sheerness didn't really bother me. Because the pink color was more of a neutral, my nails just looked sparkly. It's kind of a safe-for-work glitter, in my opinion. I received tons of compliments on it too, which is an added bonus!
Below are a few more shots from different angles. I actually found this one on sale after Halloween at Meijer, and I think it cost $0.62 - talk about a find!
I had read somewhere that Nicole by OPI was partnering with the Kardashians, but I didn't realize how many colors there were going to be until I saw the display at Walmart this past weekend. The collection is called Kardashain Kolor. Each of the leading ladies has a set of 3 colors to choose from. There are some basic cremes and shimmers, and some really glitzy glitters.
The display is enormous, especially by Walmart standards. It's very rarely that I find seasonal/temporary display for one product that fits the entire endcap in the beauty department, but this one did! It definitely catches your eye when you walk by!
The polishes retail for $7 a piece and can be found instore or online.
I picked up Disco Dolls which is a golden glitter with hints of red microglitter throughout. Swatches to come soon.
From 11/10/11 through 11/16/11 Too Faced Friends and Family Sale is running - save 20% off your entire purchase with code FF2011F!
Michelle from Michigan posted a question last night, so I thought I would address it here since many of you shop at Meijer.
"I apologize-this comment is not about Hard Candy. I know that you shop at Meijer.Have you seen the 'Studio M' cosmetic section there? Meijer is the only place I have seen this. I had a coupon & purchased the baked eye shadow-have not tried it yet. If you have tried anything in this brand would you let me know your thoughts? Thanks so much!"
Great question Michelle!
Studio M is Meijer's "house" brand of products - they used to be called Massini, and have since switched over to the "Studio M" name. You will also find some accessories and such in the Massini or Studio M name if you wander around the store.
As for the cosmetics, I have purchased quite a bit of the Studio M products, particularly the nail polishes and liquid eyeliners - you can see some here and an EOTD with my favorite of the eyeliners here. I can say I have not tried the baked eyeshadows before, although every time I pass them in the store I am tempted.
As for the quality of the products I have tried, I am very happy overall, especially for the price. The nail polish come in a great variety of colors, types (glitters, creams, sometimes duochromes), and I am very pleased with their wear. Some last a bit better than others, but overall, for the price they are great. As for the liquid eyeliners, I use them every day. The color selection is fantastic - there are glitters, metallics and of course the basics. They also have a variety of blushes, foundations, lip sticks, lip glosses, balms, and eyeshadows. The actual size of the display is about the same as Wet 'n Wild in the store, so there is quite a variety to choose from.
Looking around online, it seems like most people are pleased with the quality of the line. What about you, fellow readers? Have you tried anything from Studio M/Massini? What do you think?
Hopefully this helps Michelle!
Walmart was setting up their holiday gift aisle this past weekend, and I spotted the set of 5-Hard Candy LE Nail Polishes. This is a deep purple shimmer, a bright orange/red shimmer, green glitter, gold glitter and silver glitter. It looks very similar to last year's set too, but I can't find my picture of it to compare. Price is $5 for the set. There were also single polishes for $1 a piece in similar shades to last year.
Nailpolish
Spotted at Walgreens: New NutraNail Gel Perfect 5 Minute Gel-Color Manicure Sets
11:30 AMOn a recent trip to Walgreens (looking for the Wet 'n Wild LE polishes none-the-less), I saw a little display of a new NutraNail product - their Gel Perfect 5 minute Gel-Color Manicure sets. I can only assume these are the up and coming "at home" versions of the very popular Shellac Nail system that has hit salons over the past year or so.
Although the display I saw only had four colors to choose from (I picked up Dahlia), there are actually quite a few on the website.
I'm going to try these out here in the next day or two. I am wearing my Chanel Peridot right now, and I can't quite get enough of it.
Have you seen these out? What do you think?
Bare Escentuals
FOTD: Bare Escentuals Pussycat and Gold Leaf, Maybelline Pressworthy Pink, and Laura Geller Como
10:41 AM
Years ago I was introduced to Bare Escentuals, and to this day I consider it one of my standard/go-to brands to use. I was feeling inspired by all the beautiful golds and bronzes of fall, so I fell back to two of the prettiest shades I think BE has: Pussycat and Gold Leaf. Below is how I put the look together.
Face:
Laura Geller Champagne Spackle
Laura Geller Real Deal Concealer "light"
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten Porcelain Foundation
Maybelline Blush "Pressworthy Pink"
Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion "Greed"
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Bare Escentuals "Gold Leaf" - inner corner
Bare Escentuals "Pussycat" - outer corner, crease
MAC "Sugar Shot" - highlight
Tarte Emphaseyes Clay eyeliner - Black
L'oreal Voluminous False Fiber Mascara - Black
Lips
Laura Geller Dream Creams "Como"
A close up of the eyes below - Pussycat comes across as almost a dirty brown in the pot, but once applied is a beautiful deep bronze. It's beautiful for fall.
I think I've found one of my new, favorite, neutral lip colors for the fall. Laura Geller's Dream Cream lip pallets are wonderful. I have received mine through the Escape from the Tropics Collection I ordered on auto deliver from QVC -- you can see the first set's swatches here. These are stripes of lipstick, for lack of a better term. These are not lip gloss, but instead are fully pigmented and can be applied on their own or mix and matched to create a color you find best suits you.
The color I am absolutely loving is the coral stripe second from the right in the Como pallet. In the pan it looks to be an almost washed out brick shade. When applied, it is a beautiful nude creme with a hit of coral, and I am absolutely in love. It works so well with my skin tone, is easily wearable with most anything, and the lasting power on these colors are fantastic.
If you haven't tried the Laura Geller Dream Creams, I would highly suggest you try them. A lot of possibilities in one little compact.
Avon Nailwear Pro in Vintage Boutique. This is a deep khaki/gray creme, leaning more on the warmer side. Depending on the light, it can look brown to an almost pale brownish lavender. In my opinion, it's more of a brown with grey undertones, kind of like the color of melted milk chocolate. Although it may look a little dull in the bottle, when applied this is a gorgeous color, especially for fall.
I don't know if Avon has updated the formula or not, but this applied extremely well. This is three coats, although I probably could have only used two. The nail polish dries so shiny too, which is different than some of the older shades I've used in the Avon line.
Side note, sorry for the blurry picture. I used my camera phone instead of my actual camera since the battery has died on it and needs to be charged.
