Urban Decay Catfight

The other day, I went onto the Urban Decay site to look at the new looks that they had put together for Spring 2009. Shockingly, everything that they put together and showed were way too dramatic for my taste and way too dramatic for many people’s tastes I would think. I decided to try and take one of the looks that I liked the most on the site and find a way to make it more wearable in everyday life.

The look that I am working with is called Catfight and it is based around dramatic eye makeup and glitter eyeliner. Here are the products that are used to create this look…

Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner
- Catfight
- Midnight Cowboy

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil
- Zero

Big Fatty Mascara

Deluxe Eye Shadow
- Sting

Lipstick
- Midnight Cowboy

The first change that I would make to this look is to not use Zero to draw on eye lashes way above the lash line. I would use a more dramatic mascara than Big Fatty (Phenomen’eyes) or even false lashes to get a huge lash look without drawing them on. The Midnight Cowboy Glitter Liner does not need to fully wing out under the eye and could be drawn on top of the Zero in that spot. The Catfight liner could be used as an accent to the Midnight Cowboy on top instead of being used to draw with the Zero “lashes”.

Toned down, this could a really pretty pink and gold look for the upcoming months. Or you could just be a rock star and wear it as they suggest…

photo courtesy of Urban Decay

100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

Going off of the wonderful luck that I have had with the 100% Pure body products, I am deciding to expand my horizons into their skincare line. I looked on their website and I found some cleansers that look very enticing and a bunch of other products that I certainly mind having but I decided to zero in on one product, the Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream. My B. Kamins Therapeutic Eye Cream is amazing for dark circles but doesn’t really wow me in the puffiness area. The other day, I looked in the mirror when I woke up and almost died when I saw my face. This was the morning after a stress related crying fit but that doesn’t change the fact that I looked terrible. Quite frankly, looking like I felt terrible made me feel 100% worse so I decided to start searching for a new anti puffiness eye product.

I have heard rave reviews for this product and just off of the top of my head, I can think of two people that I know that really love it. I already know that caffeine speeds up the cells of the body so whatever it can help to slim down and improve the appearance of cellulite. Based on this assumption, I would assume that it would work to reduce the appearance of the puffiness in the same manner. Here is the description of the product from 100% Pure, “Anti-inflammatory, caffeine rich green tea and coffee de-puffs and reduces swelling while increasing circulation to alleviate and brighten dark circles. Concentrated with potent anti-aging vitamins, antioxidants, and nourishing blackcurrant oil. Truly, 100% Pure.”

Reduces swelling, puffiness, and increase circulation all while being an organic product that is actually good for my skin?! This is coming home with me the next time that I am able to get to a mall that carries this line. And I think that I will be looking into more face care products from this line too.

photo courtesy of 100% Pure

LUSH MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Melt

The other night, I decided to try another LUSH bath product. This time, I used the Bath Melt in MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment. The Bath Melt look like kind of like bath bombs, but they dissolve slower and are more hydrating. This product has gotten really high ratings on Makeup Alley, so I was really excited to try it.

I must be in the minority for this product, but I didn’t find it to be all that great. First a description of the product from LUSH. This is for the product overall, “Drop a bath melt into a tubful of hot water to release its moisturizing oils, cocoa butter and fine essential oils. Highly recommended for dry skin or during the parched winter months, bath melts leave your skin soft and fragrant.” The directions were to drop it in hot water, let it dissolve completely, and then get in the tub and enjoy. First of all, it took forever to dissolve so I ended up getting cold and just got in the tub before it was finished. So I already didn’t begin my relaxing bath happy.

Now for the scent itself. The description from LUSH is right here, “Musky marshmallow body oils for the bath comforts without the calories. It looks like strawberry ice cream (or maybe a raspberry fairy cake) but it's really a sweetly scented, relaxing bath oil melt to place in a warm tub. Lie there languidly as you watch it slowly dissolve, sweetly scenting your body with marshmallow and marigold, and softening your skin with cocoa butter and almond oil. Mmmm…” It did turn my bath water a pale shade of pink which I really liked but overall it was a rather mediocre experience. I could smell a sweet scent with some hints of marshmallow but it was nothing fantastic. It didn’t dry my skin out, so that was a plus for the product. But overall, it took too long to work and I think I am just more of brightly colored bath bomb or bubble bar girl than anything else.

photo courtesy of LUSH

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss

Urban Decay has just released one of the most memorable lip gloss collections in my history of makeup collecting. When I first heard about this collection, I began laughing and couldn’t stop until I began to have problems breathing. The collection is called the Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss.

Here is the description from Urban Decay, “Undress our men with the flick of your wrist! Inside the cap of our custom tube is a photo of a yummy man. Tilt the tube back-and-forth to strip them to their undies! (We've even included front and rear photos.) Whether you swoon for a future senator or a tree-hugger, one of our men is sure to please you. Our guys make awesome gifts for bachelorette parties, baby showers, or b-days. And the gloss? This formula is so slick and cushiony, you would love it even in a plain ol’ tube. Each shade varies in opacity and finish, but all have a sweet crème brûlée flavor. The formula contains Hyaluronic Spheres, known to improve cellular function, prevent dehydration, and fill in lines and wrinkles. The brush applicator is ideal for blending. Need to lure a real man? Give the tube a rub to release pheromones into the air! Undetectable to the smell, pheromones enhance mood and sexual attraction. The flat tube slides right into your pocket!”

OMG, this is seriously amazing! I totally want this product! And since every lady has difference preferences, we have eight different men to choose from. Here are our choices…

David - milky mauve
- David is a hard-working man: at work, in the gym, and most importantly, in bed. After a grueling 60-hour week, he still has the energy to come over and put his 110% into you. Undress him to inspect your benefits package.

Doug - medium pink with iridescent sparkle
- Who doesn't love this guy?! Doug is cool. He has a closet full of clothes, a hard drive full of music, and loves making out on the street. Undress him to see why he's always smiling.

Eric - sheer true red
- American born, but schooled abroad, Eric retains many European sensibilities, including Italian bravado, French table manners, and German soccer skills. Undress him for a little Spanish fly.

James - hot pink with ultraviolet glow
- How cute is James?! You have the same favorite color (pink), the same hair (black), and the same size jeans (tight). And yet, he's still all man. Undress him to see if he's emo down below, too.

Jesse - blackberry with warm sparkle
- Jesse owns a dingy cave of a bar on the Sunset Strip, pouring whiskey and cheap beer for rock royalty. Undress him to see where his tattoos end and your one-night stand begins.

Julio - white with iridescent sparkle
- Is there anything hotter than a hot guy holding a baby? Julio is an amateur chef, a hot dad, and sweet as pie. Undress him and start fantasizing about the babies you'll make together.

Kirk - sheer nude
- When he isn't out running the trails with his two chocolate labs, enviro-activist Kirk is finishing his master's in sustainable architecture. Undress him when you two feel like getting eco-friendly.

Timothy - coral with pink glow
- An all-American and future Senator, Timothy is your mother's dream come true. Skilled at fencing, rugby and sailing, he is valiant and fun. Undress him and he'll make you the next Jackie O-oh-ohhhhhhh

HAHAHAHAHA…I am going to die of giggles here. So which ones do I want? David is my favorite by far. I love the color and this could be one of my ideal men. I also want Eric, Doug, James, Kirk, and Timothy…for the colors. Who do I want not for just the colors? A lady never tells…

photo courtesy of Urban Decay

CK One

There is one fragrance this spring that I really have an urge to purchase the hugest size imaginable of. That fragrance is the one and only CK One from Calvin Klein. He has re-released this fragrance in a special bottle that looks like it could be an anniversary edition of the fragrance. The first time that I ever smelled this was in an issue of Seventeen that I bought when I was just entering the sixth grade. This was the first fragrance that I ever remember really wanting someone to buy me but at the time, Calvin Klein had just released some rather controversial advertising campaigns so my parents would not allow me to own anything that had his name on it. Eventually, I did succeed in purchasing some of his t-shirts but I never did get my hands on this fragrance.

I have sort of forgotten about this fragrance even though Calvin Klein releases a special edition of this fragrance almost every summer (so it seems). I just always associated this fragrance with the 90s and the grunge movement, neither of which I am a fan of anymore. This fragrance was first introduced in 1994, so this year would be the 15th anniversary of its launch.

Why did I start rethinking about this fragrance? A fragrance strip of it was included in one of the many magazines that are delivered every month to my home and I resmelled it to see if I remembered it accurately. To my shock, I remembered it almost exactly and a new lemming was created. I don’t want the anniversary edition bottle, I want the original that I was never allowed to have circa 1995.

I have often wondered what this fragrance smells like and what notes allow it to be unisex and somehow smell almost the same on both genders. Here are the notes of the fragrance - papaya, pineapple, jasmine, green tea, and amber. I don’t smell any of the individual notes in this fragrance so it absolutely confounds me as to how they work together to create this unique fragrance. This is a mystery that I may never solve but at least now I am allowed to purchase myself of bottle of this fragrance. And it will be large one so I can use it even when its not popular or easy to find anymore.

photo courtesy of fragrancenet

Smashbox Spring 2009 Collection - Muse

I haven’t bought anything else from Smashbox since the disappointment surrounding the Bionic Mascara. I haven’t even really looked at everything from that collection since that purchase so I decided to look at the new collection from Spring 2009. The collection is called Muse and the collection is about bringing out your inner artist with makeup palettes, eyeliners, and lip paints.

Here is the collection…

Muse Artist Eye Palette - Inspire your inner artist with this one-of-a-kind mirrored palette with 10 stunning shadows plus a custom ARTIST EYE SHADOW BRUSH.
- contains the shades Biscuit, Chocolate, Soft Green, Dark Celery Green, Light Silver Blue, Dark Blue-Grey, Sheer Lilac, Deep Orchid, Rose Copper, Coffee

Muse Cream Liner Pencil Set - Four ultra-creamy, vibrant eye liner pencils to create a masterpiece all your own. Wear each shade alone, blended together, or smudged with shadow – experiment with color and get inspired!
- contains Deep Ocean Blue, Deep Violet, Dark Charcoal, Deep Gold

Hybrid 2 in 1 Luminizing Primer - Get instantly smooth and glowing skin and create a perfect canvas for makeup application with this revolutionary dual formula PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER and ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. It’s packed with vitamins, antioxidants and botanicals for added healthy skin benefits. Wear under foundation or alone for a gorgeous natural glow. Can be used all over face for a radiant complexion or blended over cheekbones, brow bones, the bridge of nose and chin to highlight.

Bionic Mascara - BIONIC is the first ionic mascara for longer, stronger, more voluminous super-power lashes! The specially engineered brush gently coats lashes with our revolutionary long-wearing formula for a high impact lash in just one sweep. Now in a hot black violet hue that’s perfect for Spring!
- Black Violet - black with a hint of violet

Muse Lip Paints - This rich, creamy lip gloss glides effortlessly over lips for soft color and brilliant shine. Create your own one-of-a-kind artistic hue by mixing and layering shades.
- Luminary - creamy nude
- Artiste - creamy berry
- Virtuoso - creamy pink

Muse Blush Rush - Get a gorgeous rush of color with this ultra-luxurious, long-wearing blush in a one-of-a-kind mirrored compact for glowing cheeks befitting any muse.
- Masterpiece - warm peachy coral

I wouldn’t mind trying the Lip Paint in Virtuoso, the creamy pink shade. It might be a nice change for me to get a lip gloss with a creamy finish instead of the shimmery one that I have been buying lately. I would also like to try the Hybrid 2 in 1 Luminizing Primer, I love the anti-oxidants and the promise of a natural glow. My face hasn’t really had much of that this winter and I would like it to happen this spring. The new color in the Bionic Mascara…let’s just not even go there…

photo courtesy of Smashbox

MAC Sugarsweet

The second new collection that MAC is releasing today is called Sugarsweet. This collection is full of spring pastels and at first glance, looks like it would be really fun to work with. Here is the description of the collection from MAC, “This spring, M·A·C is all temptation... frostings, finishes, fillings. Each of them whipped, creamy, deliciously stylish, as inspired by the world's most popular sugar-sweet desserts. Never has a season looked so eat-me-up gorgeous!” Now that MAC has given me makeup that reminds me of dessert, I can be 100% sugar sweet from head to toe!

The collection…

Eye Shadow - Highly-pigmented powder. Applies evenly, blends well.
- Dear Cupcake - Mid-tone pink coral with gold pearl
- Club - red-brown with green pearl
- Stars N’Rockets - purple with pink pearl
- Sugarshot - pale frosty beige
- Aquavert - soft mint with white pearl

Sugarsweet Shadestick - Shadestick Eye Shadow specially packaged for the Sugarsweet collection. Features colour-matched casing and packaging. Available in a selection of five cupcake-inspired shades.
- Lemon Chiffon - frosted pale white gold
- Penny - light pinky copper
- Cakeshop - frosted pewter
- Red Velvet - frosted mid-tone pink
- Butternutty - frosted light neutral beige

34 Lash - Dramatically long. Wispy. Features a long, winged-corner edge. M·A·C Lashes are handmade to exact specifications. Each pattern and design is perfectly shaped and arranged to give a striking effect, whether the look is natural or dramatic. Available in a variety of shapes and densities.

Zoom Lash - This instant volume mascara power-lifts the lashes into length, curls them up...builds them faster than you can wink! Precision control wand glides smoothly down lashes to provide a gorgeously silky upward “sweep”. Smudgeproof and long-wearing!
- Zoom Black - rich black

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Bubbles - shimmery warm white
- Touch - peachy cinnamon
- Lollipop Loving - clean mid-tone coral with subtle green with gold iridescence
- Saint Germain - clean pastel pink
- Sweet Thing - mid-tone magenta with multi-dimensional pearl

Tricolour Lip Glass - A colourwave of three stacked shades with varying pearl combinations in one Lipglass vial. Each layer smoothly gradates into the next. Applied color may vary slightly with each application. Comes with its own applicator. Limited edition.
- Consume Me - clear with gold pearl
- Tasty - sheer raspberry pink
- Just Dessert - sheer frosted silver pink
- Triple-Yum - sheer golden beige
- Simply Delicious - sheer frosted golden peach

Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks and brows, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.
- Perfect Topping - pink/peach/lavender mélange
- Refined - tan/peach/coral mélange

Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high gloss formula. Three long-wearing finishes - Cream, Sheer, and Frosted. Visibly different. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection.
- Peppermint Patti - creamy mint green
- Seasonal Peach - creamy pale peachy pink

I really like the whole collection and would be more than happy to own the whole thing but I will force myself to pick out several favorites from the collection. Let’s be realistic for a second, if I actually purchased the whole collection, I might not even get to many of these products until next spring will all of the makeup that I currently have started. My top picks are in the eye shadows, the shadesticks, the lip glosses, the Mineralize Skinfinish, and the nail lacquer.

From the eye shadows, I really want Dear Cupcake, Sugarshock, and Aquavert. I have never tried the Shadesticks, so these will also be a new product for me. From this line, I want the colors Lemon Chiffon, Penny, Red Velvet, and Butternutty. From the Tri-colour lipglass, I want consume Me, Tasty, Just Dessert and Triple-Yum. I want the Perfect Topping Mineralize Skinfinish, I haven’t gotten to try this product either but I have heard so many raves about it that I am really excited to get one now. Lastly, I really want the Peppermint Patti Nail Lacquer (already sold out on the MAC website). My “narrowing down” of this collection really didn’t do all that much for me, so it looks like I will be getting most of the collection.
photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Viva Glam VI SE

Tomorrow MAC is releasing two new collections. The first one that I am going to talk about is the latest edition to the popular Viva Glam line of lipsticks and lip glosses.

First, a bit of background on Viva Glam, Feel free to skip this part if you are already familiar with the line. “In 1994, M·A·C introduced VIVA GLAM, an outspoken deep red that was universal in appeal and glamour. In 1997, a second lipstick was created VIVA GLAM II, a pinked mauve. VIVA GLAM III, a foxy brown plum launched in 2000. VIVA GLAM IV, a heartful rose charged with gold, introduced in March 2002. In March 2004, Viva Glam V makes its debut, a pure neutral pink with a delicious Lustre finish! VIVA GLAM VI, the newest member of the VIVA GLAM family, is a warm terracotta-plum with pearl finish. Wear it alone or finish it off with a coat of VIVA GLAM VI Lipglass. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.”

Here is the description of the new shade, “A lavender-lovely Fergie asks us to enter a new kind of dreamscape, to feel the "Yes, we can!" of tomorrow, and to push forward on behalf of every man, woman and child affected by HIV/AIDS. VIVA GLAM VI Lipstick, Lipglass, and Special Edition Lipglass lead the way. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.” The shade of both products is a lavender hue that will mostly sell out within a day after the release. The Lavender Mews Cremesheen was huge for MAC and these products will likely be just as popular.

- Viva Glam VI SE Lipstick - soft blue pink
- Viva Glam VI SE Tinted Lip Glass - soft pink-tinged mauve

I really want the Tinted Lip Glass but it is already sold out on the website and I bet there is a waiting list at the stores for the release tomorrow. Hopefully, this one will get restocked soon because that shade holds holy grail potential for me.

Sorry for the small photo, this is the only one that i could upload onto my computer, thanks to the format of the new MAC site.
photo courtesy of MAC

O.P.I. South Beach Collection

The latest O.P.I. collection for the spring and summer months is called South Beach and it is full of shades that are pinks, tans, corals, and a purple here and there. At first glance, I thought that it only looked “ok” and not something that I fell in love with. But I decided that I should at least go through and look at every color and see if there are any gems in this collection. The description from O.P.I. is here right, “Undeniably Hot! When you think heat, think South Beach. OPI South Beach Collection features a palette of shades that captures the color, the fashion and the trend-setting excitement of the world's most stylish celebrity playground- South Beach. A new polish collection for Spring 2009, the South Beach colors span from a playful nude to a deep bronze, a sun-burnt purple to a party-ready coral. Head South for Spring with these exciting shades!” Could be fun…maybe.

Here are the shades…

- Overexposed in South Beach - A vivid purple that can’t get enough attention
- Miami Beet - This racy red-violet could be your vice
- Done Out in Deco - A “deco”-dant shade of arty lilac
- Suzy and The Lifeguard - a not-so-innocent light pink
- Party in My Cabana - Wear your cutest bikini and this rich “cab”- tivating pink
- Feelin’ Hot-Hot-Hot! - A flamingo pink blazing with style
- Paint My Moji-Toes Red - A warm rosy red for cocktails on the beach
- OPI On Collins Ave - A sizzling red-orange that knows where the action is
- Conga Line - A hip-shaking, fiery, orange-rose- Sand in My Suit - Can you “bare” this nude shade?
- Clubbing til Sunrise - A golden tangerine that goes from dusk to dawn
- Bronzed to Perfection - A toasty brown that’s perfectly chic

Of the whole collection, I really like Suzy and the Lifeguard and Sand in my Suit (the picture is of this shade). I sort of like Done Out in Deco and Paint My Moji-Toes Red. I’m just not that into this collection, it’s cute but I feel like it has all been done before.

photo courtesy of O.P.I.

Happy St. Patrick's Day with Bathed and Infused!

It might be obvious to everyone that reads this that my favorite holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. I get ready for it weeks in advance and start drinking Shamrock Shakes well before Valentine’s Day. As we all know, I love Irish everything and since my favorite color is green, this is the ideal holiday for me to celebrate. To keep St. Patrick’s Day is my heart all year round, I have to get fragrances that remind me of this holiday. Bathed and Infused makes two fantastic ones that I think should be part of everyone’s body product wardrobe. And both are uni-sex, so anyone can fall in love with these products.

The first one is called Green. This is one of the highest rated Bathed and Infused fragrances on the Makeup Alley Bath and Body board and it is recommended by all those who have used it before. I ordered this one with high hopes but I was kinda afraid that I might be disappointed by all the hype surrounding it. But I was overjoyed to learn firsthand that this fragrance does not disappoint and it truly worthy of its status as one of the best and most versatile scents from this company. Here is the description, “Spring comes to life when all things green push their way through the surface to receive the welcoming warmth of the sun. Grass, clover, garden mint, and a twist of lime perfectly capture the essence of this special time of year.” This one is crisp and fresh and makes me think of the first warm days of spring that are so treasured.

The second one is called Shamrock. This is the Bathed and Infused scent for March, under their “A Scent For Every Month” section of their scent listings. This is one of the first scents that I ever bought from and still remains one of my favorites. The description from the company is right here, “The cleanest and greenest scent we could find. Close your eyes and picture yourself surrounded by beautiful green rolling hills and fresh air.” Everything about this fragrance makes me want to go Ireland and spend time in the countryside there. This reminds me of grass after a long soaking rain shower and how the air smells when it is thick with moisture and fragrance.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Spray and wear some Green!!!

photo courtesy of Bathed and Infused

Shu Uemura Pink Collection

Shu Uemura has released another makeup line this spring, called The Pink Collection. Shockingly, every product in this line is a pink shade. “shu uemura introduces the Pink Collection, 9 new shades of Rouge Unlimited and 5 new shades of Gloss Unlimited formulated with an innovative pink hybrid pigment developed for the first time ever, to deliver unprecedented pureness of the color pink.” More pink lip glosses?! I am so ready to see this collection!

Here we go…

Rouge Unlimited Pink Collection - shu uemura introduces the Pink Collection, 9 new shades of Rouge Unlimited formulated with an innovative pink hybrid pigment developed for the first time ever, to deliver unprecedented pureness of the color pink. Suitable for all skin tones.
- PK 312 - soft peachy pink
- PK 315 N - sheer melon pink
- PK 316 - warm rosy pink
- PK 321 - soft pale pink
- PK 322 - sheer pink beige
- PK 323 - sheer petal pink
- PK 343 - opaque baby pink
- PK 344 - soft lavender pink
- PK 359 - sheer electric pink

Gloss Unlimited Pink Collection - shu uemura introduces the Pink Collection, 5 new shades of Gloss Unlimited formulated with an innovative pink hybrid pigment developed for the first time ever, to deliver unprecedented pureness of the color pink. In addition, Gloss Unlimited is formulated with special shimmer and glitter to maximize color and shine. Suitable for all skin tones.
- PK 325 N - sheer rosy pink
- PK 333 S - pale pink sparkle
- PK 369 - opaque hot pink
- PK 378 S - hot pink sparkle

The Pale Pink Soft and Pale Lip Duo Set - If you're looking for a soft hint of color a little sparkle, this duo combines the perfect shades of pink lipstick and gloss. Set includes Rouge Unlimited 312 Soft Peach Pink and Gloss Unlimited 333S Pale Pink Sparkle.

The Pink Collection Warm and Sheer Lip Duo Set - If you're looking for warm and rosy tones, this duo combines the perfect shades of pink lipstick and gloss. Set includes Rouge Unlimited 316 Warm Rosy Pink and Gloss Unlimited 325N Sheer Rosy Pink.

The Pink Collection Hot Pink and Clear Lip Duo Set - If you're looking for a hot pink that will make your lips stand out, this duo combines the perfect shades of pink lipstick and gloss. Set includes Rouge Unlimited 369 Opaque Hot Pink and Gloss Unlimited 310N Clear Baby Pink.

Oh this collection is amazing, I want all of the glosses and two of the Lip Duo Sets. I want the Pale Pink Soft and Pale Lip Duo and the Hot Pink and Clear Lip Duo. Hot pink lipstick has always been very far out of my comfort zone but this collection is inspiring me to try and expand my boundaries. I want to try to PK 359 and see how color like this works out for me. I also want to get PK 322 and PK 323 because I think they might be some my-lips-but-better shades that I can add to my permanent collection. So excited right now!

photo courtesy of Shu Uemura

Fond Farewell Products

There are very few beauty products that I swear by and could not live without. Urban Decay Primer Potion, Vincent Longo Water Canvas Blush, Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum, Lippmann Collection Just Walk Away Renee Nail Polish, Benefit BadGal Lash, Stella McCartney’s Stella fragrance are just a few of the products that I really love.

So I get really disappointed when I manage to find a product great enough to love and then it ends up getting discontinued. Here are my five most missed beauty products…

Chanel Ciel de Nuit Nail Polish - My first piece of expensive makeup ever. This is what got me hooked on makeup back in the seventh grade. I loved everything about it; the color, the bottle, the interlocking Cs on the cap, the fact that no one else in junior high had it, and even the cute little Chanel shopping bag that it came in. I have searched high and low for a polish that even comes close to this color and have continued to draw a blank for over ten years. Chanel introduced Blue Satin and Azur last spring and I tried to recreate the original color with it but still came up empty.

Fresh Memoirs of Geisha Sake Bath - One of the most amazing bubble bathes ever released. A florally, peachy scent that produced thick, luxurious bubbles. It never dried my skin out and was just the best bath experience ever. Fresh has their original Sake Bath but I prefer the scent of this one more.

Vincent Longo Gel-X Lipstick in Lust - The perfect deep red for me. I have never found a color quite like this one and am beginning to doubt that I ever will. It was a cream lipstick that resembled the formulas that were popular in the 1950s. This lipstick lasted forever and always garnered me compliments with every use. This lipstick contained shea butter and tons of emollients to keep lips hydrated and plump looking.

Dessert Beauty Deliciously Kissable Bath Bubbles in Creamy - I don’t have great luck with bubble bathes obviously. This one wasn’t popular on Makeup Alley and this line overall just sucked and had the crappiest quality. But somehow this product was a gem for me. Only a little bit of this gel is needed to create a huge mountain of foamy bubbles that make the whole bathroom smell like cupcakes. Just because I loved it doesn’t mean that it was loved overall and the whole line was gotten rid of.

Awake Optic Force Mascara - One of the most amazing and unique mascaras that I have ever used. It had dual ended brushes, one for a base coat and the other for a top coat. The brush on the base coat was shaped like a W to get the product to the edges of eye and to make the middle of the lash pop. The brush of the top coat was small and easy to get every single lash. The first time that I used this mascara, a friend looked at me and told me that my eyes looked amazing. It really killed me that I found an AMAZING mascara and it got discontinued. I still believe that if more people knew about the amazingness of this mascara, it would have been a top seller for Awake.
Ok, now I’m just getting depressed…

100% Pure White Chocolate Body Cream

Now that winter has pretty much come to an end, I have to put away one of my favorite body creams to use in the cold weather months. The product in question here is the White Chocolate Body Cream from the company 100% Pure. The amusing part of my love of this product is that I actually don’t like white chocolate, I would pick any kind over white. But somehow, I absolutely adore the White Chocolate Mochas from Starbucks in the wintertime. And I guess that I am one of the only people that drinks those because one day, I ordered one right after a guy did and the barista was so shocked that two in a row were requested that she decided that him and I were going to get married and that we belonged together. All before 9:00 in the morning…

Quite frankly, I prefer this body cream. It is made with real white chocolate and smells much more like the real thing then many of the fake chocolate products on the market. This product is all natural and 100% vegetarian. Here is the description from 100% Pure, “Luxuriously rich, nourishing body cream immediately softens, hydrates and makes your skin more healthy. High concentration of Vitamins C & E repair and protect against aging. Organic Green Coffee and White Tea increases circulation and are high in antioxidants. Smells delicious because it's made with real chocolate, not synthetic fragrances. 100% Pure never uses any synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, petro chemicals, chemical preservatives or any other toxins.” And if you don’t believe me that this product is 100% Pure, here are the ingredients, “Organic White Tea, Organic Cocoa Butter, Cocoa extract, Organic Macadamia Nut Oil, Organic Kukui Nut Oil, Organic Green Coffee, Pure Chocolate Absolute, Lavender Honey wax, Chamomile wax, Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Pure Hazelnut Absolute, Japanese Honeysuckle, Citric Acid, Witch Hazel.”

I learned a lot about this line when I worked for Bath and Body Works and I have never looked backwards on this line since. I also have the Chocolate Mocha products to use in the wintertime too and the Virgin Coconut products for the summertime. The major difference that I notice with this product (different from traditional lines) is that it doesn’t always absorb fully if you use too much of it and a bit of it will stay sitting on the skin. But since, very little of this product needs to be used to get results, I have been using the same bottle for over two winters and it is barely half empty.

Maybe White Chocolate Mocha boy would love it too…

photo courtesy of 100% Pure

MAC Grand Duos

Tomorrow, MAC is releasing their first limited edition collection since the Hello Kitty Madness. This is actually the first new one in about a month (unless you count the Hello Kitty Kouture line of accessories and two glosses that only came out in the free standing stores). This collection consists solely of blushes and isn’t all that exciting for me since I rely on blushes from NARS and Vincent Longo and don’t really use anyone else’s. The collection is called Grand Duos and here is the description from MAC, “M·A·C makes the next move with Grand Duos: Mineralize Blush with a marbleized mélange on one side, and a complementary mono-shade on the other. A sophisticated but simple new way to get your vital minerals!”

The collection…

Mineralize Blush (Duo) - A Mineralize Blush featuring soft-shimmer super-shine pearl in pretty tricolour veining to enhance and glorify cheekbones, followed with the pop and dimension of solid colour shimmer without an overly frosted look.
- Light Over Dark - Orange yellow mélange / deep brown
- Moon River - Blue pink mélange / pale yellow pink
- Love Rock - Gold violet mélange / bright blue pink
- Grand Duo - Copper pink mélange / plum
- Earth to Earth - Purple bronze mélange / yellow brown
- Intenso - Pink gold mélange / Terracotta rose
- Hot Planet - Copper yellow mélange / midtone plum

Also with this product, MAC suggests the use of their 188 Small Fibre Face brush, “A flat-topped, full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of any formula colour – fluid, cream, powder or pigment. Ideal for creating soft layers or adding textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres.” Normally, I can use the brushes that I already have for most the new makeup that I buy but this time, I think I would take MAC’s advice and get this brush because these blushes look like they could be tricky to apply correctly the first few uses.

I might be passing on this whole collection, Moon River is the only color that has caught my eye but I want to wait until A Rose Romance comes out and then get the whole collection.
photo courtesy of MAC

LUSH Creamy Candy Bubble Bar

The Creamy Candy Bubble Bar is another product from LUSH that can rank as one of my favorite bath products ever. Bubble bars are different from bath bombs in that they produce a good amount of foaming bubbles but they are not quite like liquid bubble bath. First I will provide the LUSH description of what a bubble bar is then we will look at this product individually. “Bubble bars are the first-ever solid bath foam, and a LUSH original invention. Unlike liquid bubble bath, our bubble bars contain no preservatives to damage the environment, or harsh surfactants to irritate the skin. Crumble one under running bath water for a tubful of luxuriously soft, scented bubbles.

And the description of this product is right here, “With comforting vanilla for your sweet tooth, Creamy Candy bubble bath is delicious (with no calories) and scrumptiously scented to make even the biggest sourpuss smile. So if you know some people who need cheering up, take a trip to the candy store and re-acquaint them with their inner child. They might wonder why they ever grew up.”

I cut the bubble bar in half and only used one part it to see much I could get from one bar. Shockingly, one half a bar produced a whole tub full of candy scented pink bubbles. I was so happy with the product and I add this one to my collection of LUSH staples. This product still amazes me in that they can have a solid bar but still have it create all the bubbles of a traditional liquid bubble bath. A miracle of chemistry and now something that I will be looking into to see how it can be done.

As a side note, while on the LUSH website looking this description up, I found a clover shaped bath bomb for St. Patty’s day that turns the bath water green. I seriously want to buy about 100 of these!
photo courtesy of LUSH

Clinique Spring 2009 Collection - First Blush

The Spring 2009 collection from Clinique consists of very traditional spring shades and could pretty much be considered a dupe of First Blush from Laura Mercier. This collection is also called First Blush and we will be seeing which collection is the better of the two. Here is the description from Clinique, “There's no easier way to get the look than with Clinique's new and limited-edition makeup. Discover portable, all-in-one powder blush/brush, soft-shimmer eye shadows and flirty lashes NEW High Impact Curling Mascara. Pair it all with Clinique Happy In Bloom—back just in time to make your spring a little softer, sweeter.”

Here are the collection products…

Quickliner For Eyes - Automatic eyeliner pencil twists up. Glides on. Smudges to a smooth blur of colour with the convenient smudge tool on the opposite end. Needs no sharpening-silky formula is always ready to line and define with ease. Stays on all day.
- Really Black - true black
- Smoky Brown - muted brown

Quickliner For Lips - All-day lip liner. Use to line and define lips or smooth all over lips before lipstick application for extended wear. Non-drying formula helps keep lipstick in place. Prevents lipstick from feathering and bleeding. No sharpening required.
- Cocoa Rose - brownish muted pink
- Lip Blush - rose pink

Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 - Lip gloss juiced up with 8 hours of lasting shine. Spends every minute comforting lips. In 18 glistening shades from sheer to full intensity. Moisture makes each one even more mouth-watering.
- First Blush (LE) - pale pink
- Honey Shimmer (LE) - mauve
- Whisper - clear sparkly gloss
- Air Kiss - clear gloss

Happy in Bloom Perfume Spray with Lip Gloss Compact - One day your world is sweeter, softer, brighter. Discover the charm of Clinique Happy In Bloom, now with a limited edition lipstick compact—a pretty-to-wear bloom of Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick in Strawberry Ice. For a limited time only.

High Impact Curling Mascara - Coaxes lashes to their longest, boldest, most upturned look yet, without a pinch, pull, tug or tear. Arched wand scoops up, lifts up every last lash. Smudge, flake, smear-resistant for up to 24 eye-opening hours
- Black/Brown
- Black

Quick Blush - Portable, all-in-one brush and blush, available in six natural-looking shades. Swivels up to reveal a full brush, pre-loaded with cheek colour contained right in the cap
- Berry On Time - berry plum
- Minute Mocha - tan
- Peach-in-a-Pinch - true peach
- Hurry Honey - honey tan

Fresh Bloom Limited Edition Eye Shadow - Two complementary shades of powder eye shadow deliver rich, creamy, intense colour with a touch of luminosity. Super-wearable, ultra-flattering.
- Limited Apple Blossom - greens
- Limited Cherry Blossom - pinks
- Limited Tiger Lily - tans
- Limited Maple Blossom - browns

This collection is love it or leave as are most of the recent Clinique collections. They really tend to not come out with anything new or very exciting. I know that they have a formula for their collections and that they prefer traditional colors the they know will sell well for them but it is not time for them to start mixing it up. Anyone can find these shades in almost any collection and if they don’t start bring new colors out, then no one will buy anything at all from them. I would recommend going with the Laura Mercier collection if you really want these types of shades for spring.
photo courtesy of Clinique

Awake Stardom Mascara

During casual days and anytime that Phenomen’eyes was just too much, I was also using the Awake Stardom Mascara. I actually bought this mascara by accident, I was rummaging through the Awake makeup drawer at my local Bath and Body Works and I was trying so hard to find the black shade in the Optic Force area that I just grabbed this one and never bothered to make sure that I actually got Optic Force. So a couple of months later, I got the tube out and was shocked to discover that I actually picked Stardom up instead.

I had never used this product before, I always used Optic Force and Escalation when I bought mascara from this company. I first noticed that this mascara has one curved brush and a small comb on the other end of the tube. The curved brush applies the mascara base and then the comb separates lashes and applies another coat of mascara. I can’t find a description of this product because it is not listed on the Awake site so I guess that it is gone for good. And the worst part is that Optic Force is not listed either so I am now nursing a broken heart over that mascara.

And the verdict? I was so unhappy the first time that I tried this mascara. It is not meant to give the user huge, fake looking lashes and I knew that but I still was not happy with the results. The firs thing I noticed was that it highlighted the fact that a huge chunk of my lashes were broken or missing on one of my eyes (a casualty from the super scrubbing needed to get Smashbox Bionic Mascara off). What a great look for me! However, over time, I did get used to this stuff and the more defined look that it gives me. I realized that I have to use four coats of it to even begin to give myself that look that I normally desire with a mascara but I can get a kind of thick lash look from it (sort of). Not my favorite and not a repurchase but it did force me to think out of the super sized lashes box.

The Use of Vitamin K to Help With Dark Circles

There is one skin care ingredient that I think is a top performing but is not widely recognized for how well that it works. This is shame because Vitamin K has been a lifesaver for a my horrible dark under eye circles. Vitamin K is one of the active ingredients in one of my favorite eye creams, B. Kamins Therapeutic Eye Cream. B. Kamins is a line that was started by Canadian scientist Ben Kaminsky, in response to his research with children’s rosacea (a condition that both of his children suffered from). He makes some of my favorite facial products for both sensitive and redness prone skin. Between this line and Caudalie, I never need to look for skincare products again (but of course I will keep testing more and more!).

This the description of the eye cream that I am so in love with, “An exceptional topical cosmeceutical treatment indicated for both dark circles around the eyes and skin bruising resulting from cosmetic skin procedures. Contains hesperetin, vitamin K, stabilized vitamin C, sodium hyaluronate and glycosaminoglycans to help strengthen fragile capillaries and cosmetically neutralize color differences in the orbital eye area. Also rich in zinc and copper oligopeptides to help decrease the period required for healing bruises, and Bio-Maple™ compound, a powerful humectant/moisturizer to help normalize a damaged stratum corneum.” In English? This eye cream helped to reduce the appearance of my under eye circles by helping to thicken the skin itself, not just attempt to bleach them away.

I need to make a distinction between the two major types of under eye circles first. They are either blue or black. Black circles are caused by circulation and the pooling of the blood in the under eye area. A bleaching agent can help with this condition, however a side effect is that will thin the skin over time, possibly speeding along wrinkles and other forms of aging. I am saying to not using a bleaching agent if you have these types of circles, Murad Lighten and Brighten is considered on of the best eye creams on the market today and will help with this type of skin issue. But if you (like myself) have blue under eye circles, a bleaching agent will not give you the type of results that you are looking for. I suffer from have thin skin and the blood vessels just naturally show through. This is more common in very fair complexions than anyone else. I need to thicken my under eye skin so that the blood vessels aren’t showing through as much.

This is where Vitamin K comes in. It helps the skin to strengthen itself from the inside out, ultimately making it stronger and healthier and allows less of the blood vessels to be visible through the surface of the skin. This ingredient is one of my favorites and I think it gets much less attention than it deserves and I recommend to anyone who is having issues with discoloration in their under eye area.

photo courtesy of B. Kamins

Most Wanted March 2009

March = spring makeup!!!! Here is my most wanted list for upcoming month.

- Laura Mercier First Blush Face Palette
- MAC Hello Kitty Tinted Lip Conditioner in Fish Paste
- Cle de Peau Beaute Intensifying Cream Eyeliner in Deep Black
- Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in A Perfect Whirled
- DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom
- Kai by Kai Body Butter
- Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk SPF 20 Foundation
- Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder
- NARS Eye Shadow in Baby Girl
- Murad Intensive Resurfacing Peel

This is going to one hell of month for shopping…