May Favorites

It's now or never for my May Favorites! These are absolutely wonderful products I couldn't miss sharing with you!

1. Bvlgari BLV II edp - my new love! I love finding new fragrances, and I wouldn't have sniffed this out if not for birchbox putting this brand on my radar! It's light and fresh and instant love. The only downside is it doesn't last long enough on me. The SA at Nordstrom was kind enough to give me this sample for free! wow!

2. Lancome L'Absolu' Rouge lipstick in Lily Rose - it's creamy and the most beautiful pink that I can wear everyday! Sadly when taking the photo I dinged the lipstick ack! This is a limited edition color from the Spring collection. There are still some left, and I def need a backup! I've used quite a bit already!

3. Jouer lip gloss in Blush - Initially I was drawn to this brand because of the name, jouer. It means 'to play' in French. The texture is of a divine high end lipgloss and the color (creamy baby pink) gives my lips a glowy look!

4. Deborah Lippman polish in Naked - The perfect nude color and the DL formula is top notch, wow! Officially addicted to DL. Now I just need the perfect nude pumps.

5. Bio-Oil Scar Treatment - Effectively lightened the new sunspot on my hand by 80% in only a month. With more regular usage I think I can make the spot disappear completely.

swatch of the lip products for you. Love them! :)

Lipstick by Lancôme
Fragrances by Bulgari

Dior Addict Lipstick & Free Mirror

Remember my previous post about the new Dior Addict lipsticks coming out? Well I went out and picked one up this week. After reading so many good reviews about them it's my duty as a beauty blogger and "dior addict" to try it! Plus it didn't hurt that I had some gift card credit AND they were giving a free mirror with purchase.

Call your counter to see if they are running the mirror promo (NOT sephora). Even Canada is doing it! :) No coupon need- just tell them you got a mailer about it.

I tried on about 10 different ones before I felt like I was annoying the mua by being indecisive. By golly there are 44 shades so it shouldn't seem odd to want to try many, right? They all started to look the same so I just went with Beige Perfection 322. It looked like the Nude one to me but more pink. I wanted Pink. It's from the Doll collection. I'm not surprised since that's the one I was eying. So anyway I made a quick video of how it looks in person and you get to see the mirror.

Meet my new fancy pepper grinder!!



Purchase Here - $28

Stupid me didn't realize they were discontinuing the blue and the high shine lipsticks. I'm a fan of the high shine texture except the shimmer that lingers on my lips. If you're a fan of those then I would stock up or wait for them to hit discount beauty retailers fyi.

To be honest I like the High Shine packaging BETTER. It's slimmer, the cap is slightly transparent, no silver bar that "cuts" the look of the lipstick, the case is more holographic, the box is holographic, and it's lighter. The high shine is 1.1oz and the new addict is 1.25oz LOL!

As for the formula I can't say yet b/c I have only tested at the counter. I have this thing about cradling my virgin makeup. When I use it I'll let ya know!


Loving the Duran Duran song in this video...

Are you Addicted yet?

If you've been to the department stores lately you might have noticed giant poster displays featuring Kate Moss for Dior. She's the new face for the Dior Addict lipsticks and they are releasing 44 new colors in March. 44 is an insane amount! I'm imagining Karla Sugar's arm now. hahaha. What do you think of Kate's winged eye makeup? I don't really like it at all...

They've got new lipsticks for everyone! Quite interesting names on some of them as you will see.

 Bobo... Do you know what a Bobo is? According to Urban Dictionary it is either:

• a Korean dude who muds like a maniac and farts uncontrollably
• a Finnish word for a well endowed gentleman
• one who knows nothing...idiot...downright stupid..imbeclie
• or BOBO the clown!

2010 Beauty Favorites - A Tag

Steph of http://meibelle.blogspot.com tagged me for a beauty survey! It's not too late right? I mean the Academy Awards don't even go on until February...

Questions:
1-Which lipstick/ lipgloss did you use most often in 2010?

Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige - soon to be discontinued?

2-What was your favorite eyeshadow this year?

Crazy but I didn't really have a favorite. I would say my Milani Liquif Eye liner in Black is my favorite eyeliner though!

3-What product for the complexion (foundation, blush, etc.,) did you use the most?

Foundation: Make Up For Ever HD- It lasts about 6 hours on me. The skin looks smooth when it's first applied. I've purchased this twice already!

October Favorites

October Favorites! These were well received last time so I'm at it again!

1. Dior Quint in Ready to Glow - I've been wanting to splurge on some top notch eyeshadows for some time now, and why not continue my addiction to Dior? I LOVE every single one of these colors! If I was going to spend a lot on this quint I wanted to make sure I loved every single dang color, no exceptions. The texture is smooth and heavenly but not sparkle crazy like other quints I've seen. This retails at $58, but if you divide it by 5 it's $11.60 per color which ain't so bad.. okay it's bad BUT I bought this on ebay for $40. So that's about $8 per shadow which is more reasonable.

2. Batiste Dry Shampoo - I've tried many low end and high end dry shampoos but I'm always itching to get back to this one. I stopped using it for a couple months while testing any other one I could find just to experiment. When I finally used this again this month it was like night and day regarding the difference in effectiveness. Zaps grease, no residue left once massage in, smell manageable, low price. That's all I really need. $7.99 at Ulta.

3. Givenchy Play for Her - I got this deluxe mini size from Sephora with code "herplay" and I'm so glad I did because this fragrance is LOVE! The only downside is that it's not very long lasting. If you like the pretty and sweet florals then give this a whiff! It has Bergamot, Sweet Pea, Amyris Wood, Tiare Flower, Sandalwood, Musk. I dry down was a pleasant musk which surprised me b/c I usually do not like Musk but it really works in this case.

4. Milani Polish in Bare To Wear - The perfect muted purple light gray color. Good quality creme polish! Limited Edition but you can buy it directly Milani.

5. Mac lipstick in Innocence Beware - The perfect pretty light pinky nude color. I grabbed for this the most in October. Since it's a cremesheen there's a slight shine which is nice. It's limited edition, but Hue may be a good color dupe from what I've heard.

6. Neutrogena lipstick in Just Whisper - see my review here.

7. Isqueen Crystal White Series Pore Refiner - I like how it's pink.. haha, AND that nothing bad has happened from using it so far! It gets the grime that my cleanser may have missed. Not so sure about the "pore refining" bit but it leaves my skin refreshed. Def worth checking out.

8. Milani Liquif'eye pencil liner - no smuding on my eye so far! It's deep black and inexpensive, and goes on smooth. Possibly replacing my mufe liner. It's only $5.99!

9. OMI Ume Softcream lipbalm - waaay better than any EOS lipbalm. It smells like peach and ume (plum) but more so peach. It's not better than Espie but I really enjoyed using this all month! It's now sold out on sasa.com but there are similar ones on ebay if you search OMI lip.

Review of Neutrogena MoistureShine in Just Whipser

Neutrogena MoistureShine Lipstick with SPF20
in Just Whisper 210 [buy here]

It's a very pretty nude pink that I've read is a dupe for Mac's Blankity. I love this! I want to try more shades! It's perfect on it's own or paired with a gloss. You don't really need a gloss though since this gives a nice creamy finish.

Pros:

• nice range of colors
• smooth
• moisturizing
• spf20

Cons:

• $9 (expensive for drugstore)
• cheap packaging
• only available in the us?

I highly recommend this lipstick! Have you tried Neutrogena makeup? A lipstick this awesome makes me want to put down the $25+ lipsticks and look into more shades from them!

What is everyone doing for Halloween? I'm not going to any parties (not cool enough) but I will be handing out candy. I actually like doing it! It's fun to see the mini Princesses and Spidermen. I got a bunch of glow sticks for free from CVS after coupon so I think the kids will LOVE that! I'm not going to BE anything, but I may put on dramatic makeup just for fun. I will however be sporting my Día de los Muertos Necklace!

[blogged here]

EOTD with prep for colour

So I picked up two shadows from Mac's collection, Prep for Colour, that came out recently. I got Hey and Prepped for Glamour. Hey is a Veluxe Pearl which I like and Glamour is a Frost finish which is just okay. I'm more used to the softer shadows which veluxe pearls are. When I got Hey I was frustrated b/c it looked just like All that Glitters which was my first Mac Shadow and Prepped for Glamour is supposed to be close to Satin Taupe. I don't have Satin Taupe but it was on my list of shadows to buy. So I finally buy some shadows and they end up being dupes? ugh, they did not have all that glitters and satin taupe at the store (lost!) so I couldn't do a comparison. I've seen swatches online but I'd like to see it in person.

Originally I liked All that Glitters but the more I look at Hey- the more I like it! It's still looks pink like All that Glitters but it's less red. Some say it's like Naked Lunch? I dunno. At first Hey wasn't soft like All that Glitters and it was pissing me off b/c my brush could not pick up and deposit it very well. Now I've messed with it enough to "break it in" and it's fine. Is this normal for Mac? So right now I'm not really liking All that Glitters anymore, and I may end up swapping it on MakeupAlley.

Then there's Prepped for Glamour. I'm not extremely happy about this color because I think pulls red when I put it on my eyelid too. I've read that Satin Taupe is more purple and that's what I've been looking for. So dang- I might just swap this for Satin Taupe... The last thing a poor girl needs are mac dupes. [karlasugar swatches]

In order to get a photo that had any resemblance to what it looks like I had to sit in front of a window even though it washed me out and makes me look like I have no eyeshadow on. But it is what it is...

MAC Shroom as highlight, Hey in inner corner, and Prepped for Glamour in outer crease.
MUFE black liner top, maroon (bottom), and Estee Lauder mascara (weak)
When looking at this photo I realize I need to tight-line and re-curl my lashes! oops.

MAC Peach Ombre blush- I love this blush!
Rose studs in denim blue. I've got a few new colors in! They go quickly.

Swap with Cookiie for Gosh

I did a swap back in February (?) with Tiffany aka Cookiie from MilknCookiie. Their blog is really pretty and light plus there's tons of product reviews of things from Sasa. (mostly Asian products)

Anyhow, Tiffany wanted some ecoTools, and I was curious about the Gosh Lipsticks so a swap is born. She lives in the Netherlands, but it only took a week to arrive I think. I remember it being extremely fast! Take a look below if you're nosey. :P

There was really good gummy candy too. All gone...

Gosh Velvet Touch Lipsticks in Nougat and Darling. I really like Nougat. It looks messed up because I had trouble opening the seal. I ended up twisting the tube when it was still closed. Darling looks way to light to me. I probably going to be swapping this if there is any interest. I'm probably not even going to swatch it- I can just tell already. A part of me is just still curious though.

Everything else was extra! Thank you so much girls!!

Catrice Absolute Moisture Lipstick. It's a nice coral with some shimmer. Soft Coral or Spicy Coral... I forgot. I love the logo too! haha, remind you of something? I wonder if she knew?

Etos Baked Eyeshadow. The pigmentation is really good! I love it! I always wanted to try a shadow from overseas. I heard something in them (not allowed in US) makes them much better. I love something a little illegal. I also have a new love for baked eyeshadows. Thank you so much for going out of the way to include these extras :)

It's exciting to try things from other countries, and I'm so lucky to have made friends from all over the world. You gals are the best! If anyone needs help locating something- don't hesitate to ask!

Next up: Sasa Haul Revealed...

Bare It All while Skinny Dipping, New Fav Lipstick

Wet n Wild has really outdone themselves in 2010! I have never bought a wet n wild product before because I thought they were cheap and crappy. I decided to put that thought aside and try out this lipstick after watching a review on youtube. :P

Blogging has made me more into lipsticks and let me take a second look back at drugstore products. You all know this from my last post on the effects of blogging. I appreciate all the comments! It's good to know I'm not the only one!

Back to the lippie! They looked really pigmented and nice on the video so I popped by my local Walgreens after my stop at the Post Office. I was just here yesterday at looking for EcoTools where I spotted the Wet N Wild Color Icon palettes. They were so pretty, how could I miss them? I totally ignored the lipsticks though! After trying to research the palettes I also came across these lipsticks. Since I'm swimming in eye shadows I thought I'd try some lipsticks. But believe me, I'll be buying those palettes when they're bogo.

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color / Lipstick - $2.99

902C Bare It All

From the website:
Lips take center stage! This 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips.

Review:
Basically I really like it because it's not drying. It's matte. It's pigmented. It's smooth. No smell. I'm no lipstick expert so I dunno what else to say. I'll update this post when I think of more. I just bought this today! I like these better than the nyx circle lipsticks. Actually I don't really like the nyx circles all that much- drying. My prediction is people will be comparing the two.
I was trying to look for a dupe for the Max Factor below.

So I thought I'd be crazy and put all four of my favorite nude lipsticks on at the same time. haha. It's hard to really tell a difference.

Revlon Soft Nude- great color, the lightest of the bunch
Max Factor Skinny Dip- favorite nude for my medium skin but it's discontinued and old smelling now
Wet n Wild Bare it All- the only matte one. could be more pink
Rimmel Nude Delight- has the most moisture, great color, slightly more orange than the rest. It's between nude attitude and soft nude.

All of these are highly recommended! My skin is lt/medium now so I can't wear Nude Attitude or Elf Nymph.

I don't feel like this photo is color accurate. Everything should be more pink. But they really do look that different on my arms and lips in real life.

Top two color showdown. I still like Skinny Dip better, but Bare It All is close enough that I can stop looking. Adding a pink gloss on top would make it match.

What the packaging of all four look like.
Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick - $5.99
Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipstick - $2.99
Max Factor Vivid Impact Lipstick - $8.99 but discontinued.
Revlon Colorburst Lipstick - $8.99

Would I buy more of these? YES. Recommended? YES b/c it's only $3. But if you have the others don't bother with this color. Try one like Just Peachy? Or none at all, save your money! lol!

If anyone can recommend MAC cremesheen (or not) nude lipsticks comment below. Such as shy girl or creme d'nude. I think creme d'nude may end up being too light for me.


Oh, and if you're wondering why there is a Vitamin Schtick balm in the first photo, it's because I got it for free technically. You get a register reward for this for $1.99 when you pay $1.99+tax. Then you take that certificate and  can buy this lippie at $2.99- $1.99 = $1 + tax. wee!