NOTD Blues

NOTD: Sinful's "Cinderella"

2:47 PM



Sinful has been coming around with some really pretty shades for spring, and up next is the new color called Cinderella.  Remember how beautiful her two gowns were in the Disney movie?  Well, somehow Sinful captured this in a polish.

Below is Cinderella - a pale, ice, blue creme with the slightest pink duochrome shimmer.  I'm not usually a fan of blue, but this one is right up there as one of my favorite new colors.  All I can say is p-r-e-t-t-y!



Below is three coats, with one coat of top coat.  Head on you don't see the shimmer, but to the side, it's definitely there.  Out in the sunlight, you really capture the pink shimmer!  Feel free to zoom in on the pictures below!





Maybelline

Spotted at Walgreens: New Maybelline Summer Glow Collection

11:26 AM


I went into Walgreens yesterday, and saw the new Maybelline Summer Glow collection.  This is a set of Luminous Glow compacts (a gold and a pink), a set of three Bronze Glows (which look gorgeous!) and two new Dream Bouncy bronzers.


I picked up a Luminous Glow in Blissful Pink.  These were $8.99 a piece, but there is a current coupon for $1 off right now, bringing it to $7.99.  I will post better (non iPhone) pictures later this week.  I think this looks beautiful is a blush or highlighter.

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Swatches: e.l.f. Cosmetics Lip Stain in Fashionista

12:37 PM



A while back I picked up an e.l.f. Lip Stain at Big Lots after spotting a few of the Studio Line there.  I picked up Fashionista because I thought it would be a nice summer color, and seeing as the weather has been in the upper 70's-80's here, it's time to break into the corals and pinks!

This is a dual ended product - one side being the stain and the other side having the gloss.  The stain itself is very light and smooth.  It leaves a matte finish if worn on its own.  The gloss is also quite light, not thick and gloppy like some "long lasting" products tend to be.  Both applicators are a typical, small size, doe foot. 


Fashionista is a slightly warm, pink creme.  This is perfect for summer, and it lasts a majority of the day!  I'm so glad I picked it up and for under $5, it's quite the deal!

CVS

Spotted at CVS: New! Limited Edition Sally Hansen Salon Effects for Spring

12:46 PM

I spotted the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Limited Edition collection, which I believe is for spring/summer.  There are 5 new shades/patterns: Antique Chic, Sweet Marble Floret, Twinkle Bell, Good Morning Glory, and Vine and Dine.  I am very partial to Vine and Dine and Twinkle Bell - so springy!




Bare Escentuals

BareMinerals Return to Radiance Collection: Swatches and Review **PIC HEAVY**

8:17 AM



Bare Escentuals was my first introduction into mineral makeup, which is understandable, as they were one of the founders of the mineral makeup phenomenon.  Since then, I have expanded into several other companies, including a lot of indie companies, to the point of having an extremely extensive collection of makeup covering the gamut of foundations, blushes, primers and shadows.  When QVC sent me an email with the upcoming BareMinerals collection, I decided to give it a try since I have not used any of their Prime Time collection, which I've read a lot about.  This Return to Radiance collection also has their introduction into the pressed blushes, so I was anxious to give them a try as well. 
From the QVC website:
What is it: Return to Radiance is an illuminating, full face eight-piece collection that gives you a natural, fresh-faced look and the famous bareMinerals(R) luminous glow.

Who is it for: All skin types and complexions.

Why is it different: It's the ideal mix of makeup and skin care to perfect and pamper the complexion.
NEW bareMinerals READY Blush delivers skin-nourishing benefits for softer, smoother skin while enhancing cheeks with a gorgeous flush of lasting color.

NEW Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer visibly calms skin, reduces appearance of redness, and primes skin for a flawless foundation application.

bareMinerals Original SPF 15 bareMinerals Foundation and SPF 20 Concealer provides flawless coverage without clumping, caking, or drying out skin.

Creamy, waterproof Nude Glow Primer Shadow delivers a soft champagne shimmer on the eyes, while Rock Star Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss gives you full, luscious lips in a soft pink melon shimmer.

How do I use it:Apply one pump of Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer into hands. Massage an even layer all over face, to visibly even skin tone.

Use the Swirl, Tap, Buff application to apply Original SPF 15 Foundation with the Full Flawless Face Brush for medium-to-full coverage.

Pat SPF 20 Concealer under the eye area, around the nose and lips, and on any areas of concern with the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush.

Smooth Prime Time Primer Shadow in Nude Glow on the eyes from lid to crease for a sweep of champagne shimmer. Use your finger or a brush to apply.

Lightly buff bareMinerals READY Blush in The Natural High onto apples of cheeks with the Full Flawless Face Brush for a golden petal peach flush of color. You can also pat it into the crease of the eye as a contour color using the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush.

Swipe Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Rock Star onto the lips for a perfectly pillow, soft pink melon shimmer.

From bareMinerals.

Includes:
1-fl-oz Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer--NEW
0.21-oz bareMinerals READY Blush in The Natural High, a golden petal peach--NEW
0.10-fl-oz Prime Time Primer Shadow in Nude Glow, a champagne shimmer--NEW
0.15-fl-oz Marvelous Moxie Lip gloss in Rock Star, a pink peach shimmer--NEW
0.28-oz Original SPF 15 Foundation in choice of 12 shades--three-time Customer Choice Award Winner for Best Foundation
0.07-oz SPF 20 Bisque Concealer--2011 Customer Choice Award Winner for Best Concealer
Full Flawless Face Brush
Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush
Made in China/Canada/USA

Below are my pictures and thoughts.  I will post a FOTD using these items later in the week.


First up, the packaging.  I was actually a bit thrown back by this.  It has been a while since I purchased any BareMinerals through QVC.  Every time I did in the past, the products came neatly packed in a little box.  Some were sturdier than others, but more importantly the box kept the products from sliding around during shipping.  This time, when I opened the cardboard QVC packaging, there were my items!  No box, no packaging, no tissue paper or bubble wrap to keep things in place.  Instead there was a spot of "glue" on each item, and two of them had freed themselves and were strewn all over the box.  Luckily it was just my brush and lip gloss.  If it had been my blush, I don't think it would have arrived in once piece.   Maybe I'm just spoiled, for for some reason this really bothered me. 

Up first, the reason I purchased this set - the blush.  This particular color is called Natural High, and is a definite dupe of the coveted Nars Orgasm (as well as the numerous other dupes I have posted on this blog).  In the picture above it's difficult to see the shimmer, but below the golden shimmer really shows up.
The consistency is quite creamy and smooth.  This isn't overly pigmented, so I found I needed a bit thicker/stiffer of a brush to apply on the cheeks.  The glow is really beautiful, and as a result I don't need to add a highlighter on top.


Up next, the Marvelous Moxie lip glosses, which are the newest version of their famous lip gloss.  I have always loved the BE lip glosses, from the original Buxom's to the Natural lip glosses they had a while back.  After using these for a few weeks, I would actually consider these to be somewhat of a combo of the two glosses. 
Marvelous Moxie are rich and luxurious, but actually have a nice sheer color to them.  This particular color, Rock Star, is a peachy pink with golden/peach shimmer.  When applied, it's just a nice hint of color, but not too opaque.  The shimmer is slight enough on the lips to not be over-the-top.  The consistency is thick, but it stays put and doesn't bleed.  There is the slightest cooling/tingling sensation, but not as extreme as the Buxom's



The other two items I was anxious to try were the two Prime Time items.  Below is the Prime Time Primer Shadow in Nude Glow.  Similar to other primer shadows, this is versatile enough to be worn alone or under your eyeshadow to help intensify the color.  The applicator is a squeeze tube - I actually squeeze it out onto my finger and apply to the lid.  Nude Glow is a beautiful skintone color with a slight shimmer.  It really brightens the lid, and I am really enjoying this as my "go to" on days I need basic and neutral look.



The other Prime Time product in this set is the neutralizing face primer.  This is a foundation primer, and the "neutralizing" version is yellow in color, which helps reduce redness and prepare the skin for your foundation. 
The consistency is quite liquid, which surprised me.  I'm used to using the foundation primers like Smashbox Photo Ready primer or Laura Geller's Spackle.  This Prime Time was even more thin than the Spackle, which took some getting used to.  One pump does the whole face, so don't be deceived by the little bottle - it will last quite a while.  Once dried, the skin feels smooth and even, and foundation application is very easy.  Note: you do need to let this particular primer "dry" before you apply your foundation, unlike some others on the market.

I have to say, I was a little reluctant to try this with the yellow color, but it really does blend right into the skin and evened out any redness I was experiencing after washing my face.  I tend to get blotchy, especially if I use a scrub, so this really helped hide any of those flaws prior to applying foundation.  And don't get me wrong - this doesn't have "coverage", per say.  Instead, this primes the skin and helps eliminate the look of flaws prior to application.


Below are the swatches of the Prime Time Primer Shadow (left), the Ready Blush in Natural High (middle) and Marvelous Moxie lipgloss in Rock Star (right).

Have you tried this collection out yet?  What about the Prime Time line?  Thoughts? 

Nailpolish

Zoya Summer 2012 Promotional Pictures: Beach & Surf

8:55 AM


A quick peek, above, of the Zoya Summer 2012 Promotion: Beach & Surf.  The line consists of the Beach (creams) and Surf (shimmers), with colors lined up below.  Myrta looks really pretty in the picture above, but I love corals in the summer!
 
Zoya BEACH Collection
  • Reagan (ZP614) - deep cerise pink cream
  • Lara (ZP615) - vivid cerise pink cream
  • Shelby (ZP616) - soft pinky pink cream
  • Arizona (ZP617) - soft coral orange cream
  • Tracie (ZP618) - sea grass metallic
  • Wednesday (ZP619) - soft aqua cream
Zoya SURF Collection
  • Rory (ZP620) - lotus pink foil metallic
  • Carly (ZP621) - thalia purple foil metallic
  • Kimber (ZP622) - magenta pink foil metallic
  • Myrta (ZP623) - coral orange foil metallic
  • Meg (ZP624) - mermaid green foil metallic
  • Zuza (ZP625) - aquamarine foil metallic
Back to regular blogging here shortly!

Eyeliners

Swatches: Milani Black Magic Liner & Eye Glimmer in Teal and Pink

10:09 AM


Milani Black Magic Liner and Eye Glimmer were on clearance at Meijer a few weeks back, so I picked up two to try out: Teal and Pink.  These are dual ended eyeliners, with one side being a blackened liner in the color stated, and the other end being a thick glitter-crayon topcoat. 

From the Milani website:
A dual-ended pencil that delivers three amazing looks! Apply blackened liner on lash line or on the eye lid for deep, dramatic eyes. Use the glimmer top coat over the blackened liner to create a spectacular dazzling look. Wear the glimmer top coat by itself on entire eye lid for a magical effect! 
The glitter-crayon side reflects the color the best.  In the picture below, the color really stands out. 


The other side (the blackened side) is difficult to decipher the color, which is the point.  When actually swatched, there is a hint of shimmer, in either teal or pink in this case.  The consistency of this side of the pencil reminds me of a kohl.  Somewhat chalky, but actually quite pigmented and easy to use, I preferred this side of the pencil to the glitter portion.


Below are swatches of Pink and Teal.  From left to right: glitter side alone, pencil/kohl side alone, glitter on top of kohl.


Notice how the glitter side actually washes out the kohl/blackened pencil?  That really frustrated me.  I really don't think I'll use the glitter side.  It was chunky, difficult to use/blend, and really doesn't show up on it's own.  Instead I will lend these pencils to the use as a smokey/smudgy liner. 

Have you tried these before?  What did you think?

Eyeliners

Swatches: NYX Candy Glitter Liners in Gold and Crystal

11:02 AM


After the holidays, Ulta put some items on sale that were all in a giant bin in the back of the store near me.  I spotted a few NYX Candy Glitter liners and picked them up at $2.99 each: Gold and Crystal. 


The NYX Candy Glitter liners have nice, thick brushes that allow some versatility in the thickness of the applied line.  The brushes are not flimsy, which sometimes happens, especially with glitter liners.  Also, the product itself has quite a bit of glitter in it, so you get a nice steady amount applied across the lashes. 

I don't wear glitter liner a whole lot any more, but sometimes a little sparkle is just enough to brighten a look.  Crystal is really pretty on top of black and Gold is just that - gold sparkles.  


Here's a closeup of the two.  I also have Disco Queen and Lavender, which can be seen here.

What's your favorite trick to add a little pizazz to your makeup look?
 

Eyeliners

Review and Swatches: tarte emphasEYES Aqua Gel Eyeliner in Plum

9:00 AM


Up first from the New Beauty Test Tube, tarte emphasEYES Aqua Gel Eyeliner.  I received the color  Plum.  These are currently available on Sephora's website for $18 a piece and come in several colors, pictured below.  From the website, here is what Sephora says about the eyeliner:

EmphasEYES™ Aqua-Gel Eyeliner
What it is:
A revolutionary long-wearing eye liner that contains intensely rich mineral pigments in a 50% water concentration.

What it does:
This revolutionary EmphasEYES™ Aqua-Gel Eyeliner captures the high-pigment concentration and staying power of a gel pot in an effortless pencil, no brush required! Even more unique is the proprietary formula which suspends rich mineral pigments in a 50% water concentration. By a process of hydrous pigmentation, cooling and refreshing pure water absorbs into the skin to hydrate and replenish the delicate eye area, leaving behind an intense, long-wearing, and pigment-rich color. Fortified with vitamin E, cucumber, and aloe this soothing Aqua-Gel Eyeliner maintains moisture balance in the skin while treating with healing free-radical fighters.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
EmphasEYES™ Aqua-Gel Eyeliner contains Skinvigorating™ ingredients like pure water that suspends mineral pigments while delivering and retaining moisture to replenish and hydrate skin, aloe leaf extract known for its soothing, healing, and antiseptic properties, which maintain moisture balance in the skin, vitamin E, which acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and fights free radical damage, cucumber extract, which is rich in vitamins A &C and helps soothe skin, and mineral pigments, which have been known to soothe and soften the skin.

Due to the unique nature of this formula, do not over advance the tip. A little is all you need to achieve rich color intensity! Make sure to always securely replace the cap to prevent product from drying out.


These are a very thin and sleek pencil.  The pencil itself is the color of the product inside, so if you're like me and have a ton of pencils in your stash, this makes them easier to identify in the box/cup.  The pencil is also retractable, but not self sharpening, so keep that in mind when twisting it up.  Pictured below is a closeup of the tip of the pencil. 


Swatched on the skin - this is one pass, several times to make a thicker line.  The consistency of this is different than anything I've used before.  It's almost wet, which makes sense considering the name is "Aqua Gel".  Because of the wetness, I got a slight cooling effect just because of the consistency and water that makes up the eyeliner.  It was actually really refreshing, especially in the morning when I'm trying to wake up!

Once the product dried, it stayed put.  This definitely had the ability to be smudged when wet, but didn't budge for me once set.  This is kind of unique - I find a lot of these wetter eyeliners either dry so quickly you can't do anything with them, or never dry at all. 

Plum itself is a very pretty, intense purple.  In the pencil itself, I didn't think I'd get much color out of it, but once applied it is really quite bright and beautiful.  There is the slightest shimmer to it, but nothing over the top. 

I have not tried this on my waterline yet, but just along the lashline.  I did not have any irritation or smudging. 


Have you tried the new tarte emphasEYES Aqua Gel eyeliners?  What do you think?  What color did you try? 
 
Speaking of colors, below is a snapshot of all the colors available, as shown on Sephora's website:
 
 

Calista Tools

Quick Preview: QVC's Beauty Test Tube

9:44 AM


For a several presentations, I've watched QVC's Beauty Test Tube and had the urge to purchase but never did.  Well, I finally decided to give it a go on auto-delivery this last presentation, so I thought I'd give you all a sneak peak.  Once I get through testing the products, I will certainly put up a review. 


This particular tube came with the following:

From NewBeauty.
1st shipment includes 0.39-fl oz full-sized Mally Volumizing Mascara; 0.003-oz full-sized tarte emphasEYES Aqua Gel Eyeliner; 0.5-oz Kate Somerville ExfoliKate; 0.5-oz Ole Henriksen Truth Serum; 2.0-oz Nick Chavez Yucca Root Shampooing Cream; 1.0-oz philosophy field of flowers perfumed shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath; 1.0-oz philosophy field of flowers perfumed body lotion; 2.0-oz Calista Tools Achieve 10 Styling Cream; 2.0-oz First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream; and January edition of NewBeauty magazine
A closeup of all the items is below...


So far I've tried the tarte emphasEYES Aqua Gel Eyeliner and of course, Mally's Volumizing Mascara (a must have in my makeup bag).  I will post swatches of the tarte eyeliner this week. 

I am so excited to see what comes next.  I really enjoy the magazine as well - it's full of information on products I've never even heard of!  Have you signed up for this yet?  I would say, if you like trying new things, this would be a great way to get your beauty fix of various products.  Right now the product is not available on QVC, but it should be popping up in the near future. 

Nailpolish

NOTD: Sinful Cast Away Polish in Olympia

9:31 AM


I couldn't wait to try out the Cast Away polishes from Sinful, and as I mentioned a few days ago, I was able to pick them up for $0.49 a piece!  Anyway, onto the first swatch: Olympia.


Olympia is a pale minty green creme with a hint of yellow/lime to it.  Depending on the light, you gather more of the yellow tones vs. the creme/mint tones.  I think the first picture below (with flash) reflects the more true to life color, but I took one without the flash (second picture below) just so you can see both scenarios. 
(with flash)
(without flash)

This color is particularly beautiful in my opinion.  I'm not usually one for green polishes, but I found this to be very bright, cheerful, and wearable.  This is two coats with one coat of topcoat.  The polish itself was thick enough to get an even application in two coats and dried quickly.  I didn't find this gloppy or overly difficult to work with. 

I will say, being a green with some yellow tones to it, I notice in the first picture my hands look a little on the red side of things, but I really liked the color so I think I'll deal with it.  I am anxious to put a flakey over the top - maybe I'll try Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (the original) and see how it looks. 

Nailene

Reader Question RE: Nailene sensatioNAIL Invincible Gel Polish System

9:10 AM


Several weeks ago I posted a display of the new Nailene sensatioNAIL Invincible Gel Polish system that is available at Walmart, and reader mlk asked a good question, below.  I'm working on a little research here on my end, but just in case someone knew the answer, I thought I'd post it here as well.  Thanks!!

"Hey you guys, I'm new to all this nail stuff and I'm getting the sentationail starter Kit with the LED light, and I was wondering if it's possible to use products such as Shellac or Gellish or OPI axxium gels with this light? Please let me know I'm really curious and love all the OPI colors!"

Nailpolish

New Sinful Cast Away Polishes at Walgreens - Only $0.49????

10:11 AM

Over my lunch yesterday, I stopped by Walgreens to pick up some chocolate for the office.  Yes, I am the official "Candy Queen" of my office, with a bowl of candy on my desk bringing people into my office to top and chat, and allowing me time away from my computer.  After I filled my basket with Easter chocolates, I went by the cosmetics aisle to see if they had any of the new spring colors I've been reading about, especially the Sinful Castaway collection.  If you haven't seen the display, stop on over to Nouveau Cheap and check it out here.  If you want to see swatches, MakeupWithdrawal has some swatches of these beach beauties here.

Anyway, they did have a new display of the Cast Away Sinful colors, and as I was picking them up to choose a color, the cashier working the cosmetics department told me the Sinful's were only $0.49 a piece.  Wait, what??  Only $0.49 a piece!!  You better believe I purchased several, and just as proof I took a snapshot of my receipt below.


Here are the four colors I picked up - Athens, Zeus, Olympia and Neptune.



Just in case you can't see - they actually rang up $0.49 each!  What a steal!  I mean, even at $1.99 each I am happy with the price, but 75% off!  Woo-hoo! 


Get on over to your Walgreens and check it out - enjoy and Happy Friday!



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