Laura Geller

Looking for a vacation? Laura Geller "Escape to the Tropics" Pictures and Swatches **PIC HEAVY**

11:08 AM


Are you ready for a vacation?  I know I am!  Between tons of snow, and then tons of rain, I could really use a little sunshine in my life right about now!  Well, Laura Geller has come to the rescue.  A few months back (I think in December), she had a TSV on QVC, called "Escape to the Tropics".  This set contained all new colors (except for the foundation), all of which are absolutely gorgeous.  The packaging is too! 


The collection comes with a foundation Balance 'n Brighten (I picked Fair), a Blush 'n Brighten in Tropic Hues, a Dream Creams Lip Color pallet in Tropical Hues, a Baked Eye Dreams eyeshadow set in Sunset Horizon, I-care eyeliner in Purple Paradise, a retractable lip brush and a double ended eyeshadow brush. 

Like I said earlier, the packaging is absolutely stunning on this.  It's an embossed gold packaging that looks so elegant!  I'm not sure the picture does it justice, but you get the gist of the packaging in the pictures below.


First up, Balance 'n Brighten in Fair.  This was the lightest shade available until now - they just released a Porcelain, which I ordered in her most recent TSV: Vanilla Nudes, which should be arriving any day now.  Fair has swirls fair, bronze and golden correcting pigments.  This is a baked foundation, but once applied ends up some creamy on the skin.  It isn't cakey in the least - my only complaint is this shade will only work for me in the summer, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for the new Porcelain shade.


The Blush 'n Brighten in Tropical Hues is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!  I'm a bit biased towards her blushes, though.  There isn't one I don't like - they all blend so beautifully together to create a beautiful flush on the cheeks.  This particular shade swirls apricot, pink and gold (mine is mostly pink, but you can see the other shades in the first picture).  Don't get scared, though - you won't look like a Barbie doll in this color - the golds and apricots blend together to create a perfect warm/pink on the skin.  It reminds me of a pinkier version of Apricot Berry. 

Let me just say, I know a lot of you out there love the MAC MSF blushes...well if you do, you NEED to try out Laura Geller's.  These are even more beautiful, blend effortlessly, and come in two types (Sugared = shimmery and Sugar Free = matte).  What's better than that?  It's the best of both worlds!


The Baked Eye Dreams are a bit of a different presentation for Laura Geller.  Typically she creates the baked shadows, reminiscent of the MAC MSF eyeshadows, but this time around she took a play out of her Dream Cream lip colors and created a similar eyeshadow pallet.  This set contains four colors, all which coordinately beautifully together.  To the far left is an ivory with hints of gold and peach.  Next is a beautiful golden mauve, followed by a bright true gold shade, and last a deep plum/bronze to the right. 

The texture on all of these is quite creamy.  I find they are very well pigmented on their own, but I do like to use a primer with them, as I do with any of my eyeshadows. 


The Dream Creams lip colors I expected the least out of, and turned out liking the most out of the entire set.  Upon first impression, these looked like minimally pigmented glosses, but that couldn't be further from the truth.  Not only are each very pigmented, and rich, but the staying power and moisturization was wonderful on each shade.  The golden shimmer to the far left is beautiful on it's own, but manages to transform each color to the right when applied on top.  If you purchase one item out of this set, I would have to suggest this pallet!

The Purple Paradise I-Care eyeliner is a beautiful rich plum shade.  As with the other I-Care pencils, this is waterproof and can be worn on the waterline. 



The swatches from the entire collection are above.  I really love this set - it's warm but bright at the same time.  Amazingly, I think these colors would look beautiful on anyone.  As I mentioned above, I absolutely adore the Dream Creams lip colors - they are just gorgeous!

The price on QVC right now is $54.12 for the entire collection.

Did you pick up this set?  What did you think? 

Laura Geller

New Milani Baked Marbleized Eyeshadows: Mingling and Famous Duo

9:31 AM


Back in December I posted a snapshot of some new displays at CVS for Milani, Almay and Maybelline.  Well, I'm a sucker for baked eyeshadows, so I couldn't pass this display buy without grabbing one (or two) of the Milani colors.  I got Famous Duo and Mingling to try out. 


Mingling is a swirl of ivory, turquoise and hints of lavender and pink.  There is iridescent microglitter swirled throughout.  I immediately thought of my Laura Geller Baked eyeshadow duos when I saw this color.  It is very different from any of the other blues I have on hand, so this was an obvious buy.


Famous Duo has black, charcoal, and brick red swirled throughout.  This has what appears to be a deep silver microglitter.  When swirled together, it gives a really warm charcoal color. 

I have swatched these below - keep in mind these are wet/dry shadows, but I would highly recommend either using a primer or applying these wet in order to get the full effect.  If you do them dry, the pigmentation is minimal, and the shimmer falls out.  With a primer or wet the colors are just plain gorgeous.  The deeper shades would be beautiful as liners as well. 


The Baked Marbleized Eyeshadows retail from $6-7.99 depending on location.  Have you tried them?  What's your favorite color?

Smackers

Smacker's Dazzle Dust - Shimmery, Glittery, Goodness...

9:38 AM


I absolutely adored Lip Smacker's as a kid - there was something about all the different flavors of lipgloss!  It's no wonder I have such an obsession with lipsticks and lipgloss now!  Over the holidays, I was looking through all the fun goodies for stocking stuffers, and I came across this - Smacker's Dazzle Dust.  I guess I didn't realize that they had more than just gloss now!

The Dazzle Dust is a compact chock-full of glitter, shimmer and sparkle.  Appropriately named, this can definitely "dazzle" anything, from your cheeks, lids, to decolletage.  I believe the retail was $3.99, but I'm not 100% positive.

I took tons of pictures, so please bear with me - it was really hard to capture what this looks like! 



The snapshot below is probably the most accurate in terms of color and shimmer...


The texture and consistency is a bit chunky on this.  As you can see in the picture below, it doesn't go on very evenly.  I  think I used the brush that came with it, so that could be part of the problem.  The $0.01 brush doesn't exactly pick up and apply product as well as some of mine!  I think if I can get it to apply a little smoother and more evenly, this will be used as a highlight to my cheeks.  Now, on to find the right brush...

Mascara

Snapshot of Maybelline Volum'Express One by One Mascara

12:57 PM


I have been using the Maybelline Volum'Express One by One Mascara recently, and wanted to show a few preliminary pictures of the product before I got into an in depth review.  I found this in the display at Walmart - I don't think it even had an end-cap when I bought it...it must have been right around the introduction of this mascara. 


Anyway, here are a couple of snapshots of the brush.  This is similar to many of the volumizing mascara brushes out there on the market right now because it's a plastic, non-bristle based brush.  I thought it might be kind of like the Lashblast brush until I actually put them side by side, which you can see below too. 


Head on you can see how long and how many bristles there are.  The head of the brush tapers , giving you some ease of application towards the inner and outer corners of the lashes. 


Overall I am liking this mascara, but I will do an in depth review with before and after pictures soon - first I have to get the pictures off my camera!

Nicole by OPI

My Valentine Manicure: Nicole by O.P.I. "OMB" (Justin Bieber Collection)

10:23 AM


A while back I found the Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber collection, pictured above.  There are a few other shades that I found on another trip to Walmart.  For Valentines Day, I decided to wear "OMB", which is the bright red on the right above.  This is one of those shades that you just have to see in real life - the pictures don't do it justice at all.  This is very complex - in the light there are shades of red, orange and bright pinks.  It's a beauty!  I tried to take several pictures and angles below so you can see how pretty this is!





See all the different colors below?  I love this color!  The formula was great too - it went on very smoothly, dried quickly and lasted quite well, too!


Have you tried these yet?

Happy Valentines Day Lovelies!

2:34 PM


Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Indulge in those candy conversation hearts and have a fantstic day!  Back to regular blogging tomorrow...

Physicians Formulas

Physicians Formula Mineral Correcting Pebbles

3:45 PM


Physician's Formula has come out with quite a few new products this spring, including Happy Mood Boosting blush (which I still need to review), new color correcting minerals, including these new Correcting Pebbles, and new shades in the liners that I love, which I reviewed a few weeks ago.  Well, I am intrigued by all things shimmery, and seeing as this is supposed to help correct imperfections (and it had a $3 coupon attached to the package!), I decided to give these pebbles a try.

The pebbles have four shades: yellow adds warmth, pink brightens, and green tones down redness.  The peach is added illumination.  The pebbles are very creamy and delicate - one touch and they could crumble in your fingertips!  I actually like that, because I know that this finishing powder will bend smoothly into my skin - a lot of times the drier finishing powders end up looking chalky and drying on the skin.


The package comes with it's own brush underneath, but I opted to use one of my big buki brushes instead.  I do love the three colors on it though - anything bright like that and I instantly feel better and happier!  It reminds me of Lady Lovleylocks and the Pixietails...do you guys remember her?


Anyway, onto the brush...

I tried to capture the before and after, but it's really hard to show.  Yes, this is an illuminator, but you won't end up looking like a disco-ball.  Take a look before, and then the after below.  In the after, the skin looks smoother, brighter, and just all-together better.  I didn't put foundation on, or anything else, just bare skin versus the Physicians Formula Correcting Pebbles.


I'm loving these.  I use them every day after I put on foundation and finishing powder.  It just brightens the skin and makes you look awake...something I could definitely use these days!

Have you tried these pebbles?  How about anything else from the new Mineral line?  I tell you what...there were about 3 or 4 other things I wanted to try out...next time!

Avon

A Very Berry FOTD: L'oreal HIP Concentrated Eyeshadow Duo "Cheeky" and Revlon Colorstay Lipglaze in "Stay Ablaze"

8:00 AM


Sales mean new goodies to play around with, which is exactly what I did with the L'oreal HIP Concentrated Eyeshadow Duo in "Mischief" and Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze in "Stay Ablaze" I purchased at CVS this past weekend.  Here is a very berry FOTD...





Face
Avon Magix Illuminator in Light - under eyes/concealer
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten in Fair - all over face
CoverGirl TruBlend Blush Powder "Shimmering Sands" - cheeks

Eyes
L'oreal HIP Concentrated Eyeshadow Duo "Cheeky" - lighter/berry shade on inner corners
L'oreal HIP Concentrated Eyeshadow Duo "Cheeky" - darker shade - outer corners, crease
Avon I-mark Eyeshadow "Biscotti" - highlight
Avon Precious Glimmer Eyeliner "Charcoal" - eyeliner
L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

Lips 
Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze "Stay Ablaze"

CVS

My CVS Beauty Clearance Haul - Part 2: Revlon!

8:00 AM


Sorry this first picture came out pretty poorly.  Anyway - my second installment of my bargains from the CVS Beauty Sale - this time from Revlon.  I picked up a nail color in Pink Chiffon, a lip glaze in Stay Ablaze and lip color in Copperglow Berry. 






Copperglow Berry is a bit darker than Stay Ablaze.  It has a deeper, almost just a hint bluer color to it as well - and on top of that has golden shimmer.  Stay Ablaze might be my new favorite lipgloss - it's the perfect red for me, so I'll be wearing this all the time!  I am going to have to go see if there were any other shades on sale in this collection - these Colorstay's truly do stay, but don't dry out your lips at all.  I am loving them!

Did you grab any of these at the CVS sale?



e.l.f. Cosmetics

Free e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadows with $25 purchase!

1:39 PM


If you haven't seen swatches of the e.l.f. Mineral eyeshadows, take a look here and here.  I do love these, and at the regular price of $3 a piece, they are a fantastic buy!

Well, take advantage of it - right now if you spend $25 you can get 10 free mineral eyeshadows!  Use code MINTEN!  Stock up on your must haves from e.l.f. and get some free eyeshadow?  I'll take it! :)

CVS

My CVS Beauty Clearance Haul - Part 1: L'oreal H.I.P. Pigments in

8:00 AM

I am convinced that the CVS in the Midwest are so late to the ballgame - I went in to grab a hairbrush this weekend, and the *glorious* sale stickers were finally on the items that are part of their big beauty sale.  So, obviously I picked up some things - I'll be posting pictures and swatches over the next couple of days - who knows, maybe you'll see something you overlooked when you were in the store!

Today's brand - L'oreal HIP.  I picked up two pigments, a liner, and three of the concentrated eyeshadow duos.  I'm also testing out my new lightbox, so we'll see how that works as well - a double whammy!


Anyway, the two pigments I picked up were Beckoning, which is a bright almost fluorescent neon purple/blue, and Tenacious, which is a beautiful soft, but cool, copper color.  Closeups of the pots and swatches to follow...




Next up, the concentrated eyeshadow duos.  Now I know there are tons of you who swear by these, and even compare them to MAC, but I just never got off the pot and bought my own.  I'm not sure if it was the price or what...I'd always see them on the BOGO sales, pick them up, and never pull the trigger.  Well, at 75% off I couldn't really pass them up, so I grabbed three that I thought looked promising: Mischief, Cheeky, and Forgiving.  Closeups and swatches to follow as well.




Last, but not least, and probably the most practical out of the group - the HIP gel eyeliner in brown.  I honestly do not own a brown eyeliner that isn't frosted or glittery, so I decided it was time to grow up and get one.  I wear black all the time, but never wear brown.  I figure this little guy will come in good use!


So, what did you get at the CVS sale?

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