Benefit Rockateur Powder Blush

I have been on a blush collecting kick lately, I have been loving both the Josie Maran Cheek Gel and Tarte Amazonian Clay formulas over the past few months.  I have been collecting a bunch of shades from both of these formulas since the end of the summer and I decided that I needed to branch out and find more formulas to collect.  Benefit is a company known for their award-winning blush formulas and I have liked their Dandelion shade for years.  I was at Sephora the other night and was browsing for new blush formulas and shades when I was shown the newest product from that company.  Rockateur is the newest blush from Benefit and has been sold out ever since its release late last summer.  I had high hopes for this product however this shade is just not for me...

"A provocative rose gold cheek powder.  This rockin’ rose gold cheek powder gives a famously provocative flush that turns heads on stage and off. The crowd will go wild for its sexy faceted design, accented in luxe gold. The angled brush gives rich, show-stopping payoff every time.", states the Sephora's website.  Rockateur is the same great Benefit boxed blush formula however this is just not the shade for me.

Rockateur contains two versions of the rose gold shade in the box, the middle of the product is more of a deep rose matte hue while the outside rim of the product is a shimmery rose gold shade.  The Sephora associate showed me two ways to wear this product but we just couldn't really get it to work well with my skin tone.  We first tried to apply the matte part of the product on my cheekbones and then used the shimmery finish as a topper right on the highest points on my cheekbones.  The second way that we tried it was by swirling the blush brush all over the whole product to mix the two hues and then apply that to my cheekbones,

The first method of application was the better one for me, I loved this when we used the matte hue and I would have been willing to purchase it if the whole product was this shade.  The little bit used to highlight my cheekbones would look pretty with a bronzer in the summer months but seemed to be a bit too much for normal wear.  The second method didn't work at all, I would have only worn the shades mixed together when going out at night.  I would rarely ever use it in this fashion and I don't think that I would use it enough in the first method to both with purchasing this product.

I did like the matte hue in the middle of it, if this product would have been 75% of that shade then this would have been a great purchase for me.  However there is much more of the shimmer product contained in this product and I would spend more time trying to avoid the shimmer around the edges rather than ever using it.  I would rather try and find this shade in a matte finish from another brand and then look for a rose gold highlight to use where the Sephora associate applied the shimmer part of this product.  I am not a fan of shimmery blushes and I just tend to avoid shades with this finish.

I do love Benefit blushes but Rockateur is just not the shade for me...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Clinique Soft Powder Blush

I have been using my Tarte blushes for the past two months and I was ready to try some more blush formulas and shades.  I went back and forth about which brand and products to try this time around and I decided that I wanted to revisit another color product from Clinique.  I have tried and reviewed quite a few Clinique makeup products in the past and I have never found them to be of similar pigmentation and shade selection of brands like NARS and MAC.  Much of the makeup that I have used from this company is best for a professional setting or a more natural look for casual weekend looks.  Clinique still remains one of my favorite skincare product companies and I will continue to purchase many items from this aspect of their product line.

I wanted to give Clinique makeup products another shot, I have been using brighter blush shades from Tarte and MAC for the past two months and I wanted to look for shades with slightly less pigmentation.  I decided that the Clinique Soft Powder Blush might work well for the type of shades that I was looking for.  I found a few shades that I have been wearing to work and grad school classes over the past three weeks and I am growing more fond of this formula than many other of the Clinique makeup products.

I bought my blush shades at Sephora but I did find more shades on the Clinique website so I will need to visit one of the counters if I want to add more products to my collection.  "Silky formula sweeps effortlessly over cheekbones to create a natural look. Fresh, jet-milled colour builds and blends beautifully to desired intensity with custom sculpting brush. Long-wearing, colour-true. Oil-free.", states the Clinique website. 

The shades available on the Clinique website are...

- Cupid - shy, pale dusty pink
- Aglow - soft coppery nude with gold pearl
- Sunset Glow - midtone reddish bronze
- Smoldering Plum - heathered purple
- Iced Lotus - blue pink with white shimmer
- Precious Posy - energetic pink peach with gold pearl
- Berry Delight - midtone pink berry
- Spiced Wine - earthy brownish red with flecks of gold pearl

I bought Cupid and Berry Delight from Sephora.  Cupid is a pale pink matte with a very light color payoff.  This is a very nice shade to use for a natural look or with statement eyes or lips, it reminds me of a less intense version of Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Katie.  Berry Delight is a deep pink matte shade, this one applies as a medium pink on the cheeks and has slightly more pigmentation than Cupid.  Berry Delight is a more universal pink than Cupid as it could be worn by ladies with pale or medium skintones but Cupid is best for those with very pale skin. 

I am interested in ordering Iced Lotus and Precious Posy, both of these have a slight shimmer finish and I want to see how they compare to the shades with the matte finish.  Iced Lotus can be worn all throughout the year but I will be waiting a bit longer for Precious Posy, this peach-pink shade will work best with a bronzer in the warm weather months.

Both shades that I bought have light to medium color payoff, these are not the shades that I would wear if I wanted to do a bright cheek look.  They are best used for a more natural or professional makeup look.  Both of these shades last the whole day and are still in place when I finally leave my grad school class at night, they are a great choice for busy days. 

This is one of the better Clinique makeup products and I will be ordering the other two shades of this product.  This is a good formula for a wear-to-work look or for someone who doesn't like to wear a lot of pigment on their cheeks.

photo courtesy of Clinique

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee

I decided to take a break from thinking about the upcoming holiday collections and products and go back to adding to my blush collection.  I have mostly been obsessing over powder blushes so I decided to check another formula out.  This is also my first purchase from the Josie Maran line of skincare and cosmetics products, I purchased two blush shades and a few skincare products so I will have quite a few product reviews coming up from this line.  Today we are going to focus on the blush product that I have been playing with and we will look more at her famed Argan Oil when I review the skincare products.

The blush from Josie Maran in a cream-gel formula and one of the most unique that I have ever tried.  There are some wonderful aspects of this product and aspects of it that I cannot stand.  This is one of those products that I am very on the fence about, I don't know that I would ever purchase it again because I love the formula but the packaging is so awful that it kills the whole product for me. 

The Josie Maran products are sold exclusively at Sephora (other than her website) so all the photos and product descriptions will be coming from that website.  "An innovative coconut water-infused cheek gelée with up to 14 hours of color and hydration.  This buildable, blendable blush hybrid provides the natural look of a cream blush with the long-lasting hydrating color of a gel stain. Infused with 50 percent pure coconut water, it instantly hydrates while nourishing with the powerful benefits of vitamin E-rich argan oil. Like a refreshing sip of coconut water for your skin, this moisture-packed blush instantly drenches cheeks in a cool veil of color."

Josie goes on to add more details about the inspiration behind the formula.  '“Living on the beach in Oahu, I became a devotée of coconut water—and noticed that drinking lots of it seemed to make my skin and hair glow. I created Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée to bring that hydrating color to my face, and yours. Have a sip of coconut water for your face with this blush that's cool to the touch.” —Josie Maran"

I have no other formula to compare this cream blush to as it is like nothing that I have ever owned or seen before.  I LOVE this formula, it is pigmented and easy to spread.  I take one finger and rub it on the top of the blush and that gives me enough product to use for one entire cheek, this jars will last forever as I need next to none of the product to achieve full pigmentation.  Once blended, the formula stays perfectly in place all day and doesn't fade even after a full work out.  I will love this formula during the hottest days of the summer and it will be a staple for me next summer.

The Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee is available in the following shades...

- Poppy Paradise - warm toned coral pink
- Pink Escape - medium cool pink
- Honeymoon Honey - medium warm tan
- Getaway Red - medium warn toned red

I bought Pink Escape and Poppy Paradise.  Pink Escape was my first choice and Poppy Paradise was a distinct second choice, Pink Escape is a great shade for me right now and I will be putting Poppy Paradise away to wear with bronzer next summer.  Both shades are very highly pigmented and both last all day long.  There is no formula variation between the two shades. 

So far I have been talking about what I love about this product and now we need to look at what I cannot stand about this product.  I detest this packaging, the screw top container screws on and off hard and I need to check it twice to make sure that I have it on correctly (any product with this type of container can dry out if the container isn't screwed on fully), I nearly screwed it up twice in less than a week.  My second complaint with the container is how messy this product can become, I had a bit on foundation on my finger during application and I left fingerprints in the product.  I have to wash my hands before and after application of each cheek in order to keep the product hygienic. 

I can't say that I would ever purchase this product again for two big reasons (other than I can't stand the packaging).  This formula is so great that the jars that I bought will last forever and there are no more shades that I would want to buy as the shade range is very limited.  I would recommend these to anyone that loves cream blushes and wants a very pigmented cheek look but I would caution them about the screw top jar packaging.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Lipstick Queen Oxymoron Lip-Cheek Rouge

An oxymoron is a term that we all became familiar with in grade school grammar lessons and one that most people continue to make use of long after their college graduation.  An oxymoron is defined as "a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory" and can occur in a variety of contexts.  Some of the most popular ones are "living dead" and "jumbo shrimp".  An Oxymoron is something completely different in the world of Poppy King and is one of biggest cult products.

In the world of Lipstick Queen, Oxymoron is a dual use product that is listed as a "matte gloss".  A "matte gloss" is a great example of a literary oxymoron, a gloss has shine and a matte has no shine.  So how does this product work and what will the final result of use look like?  I have heard of lipsticks having a "creamy matte" finish, a matte finish that is designed to be hydrating and not "dry" while still having a lack of shine to it.  Is this product another combination of a cream and a matte or is this a completely unique products? 

The Lipstick Queen website provides the following product description to help us understand how this product is unique.  "Many women are afraid of matte because they think it is high-maintenance, hard to wear and drying. Not so with this lip-cheek rouge, especially as the four shades were designed to be the colors of blush, very sweet, subtle and flattering."  The website continues the description with recommendations for best use.  "If you are wearing a bold or bright lip color then Oxymoron is the perfect way to subtly enhance your natural cheek color.  Four shades with Oxymoron names; Oxymoron means two opposites together (for example matte and gloss).  It feels as smooth and light as a gloss but on matte!!  Designed to use on the lips and cheeks.  For the lips, use a lip brush or your finger to apply.  For the cheeks, just dab a small amount on with your finger and blend."

This product reminds me very much of Stila's Convertible Color but with a more matte finish.  The application for both products is pretty much exactly the same but the results differ.  I use the Stila product mostly as a blush but use the Lipstick Queen product equally as a blush and a lipstick.  I found the Stila product to not very long on the lips, it's very creamy and lasts about as long as the average satin or cream lipstick.  The Lipstick Queen product has the lasting power of a matte lipstick but feels a bit more hydrating on the lips.  I do need to touch up with a hydrating lip balm once in a while during wear which is normal for me when I am wearing any kind of matte formula.  The Lipstick Queen product functions very well as a cream blush and lasts all day long.  As a lipstick, I get about five to six hours of wear before I need to touch up the color itself.

The Oxymoron Lip-Cheek Rouge is available in only four shades.  Lipstick Queen has never released their products in a wide shade range, which is a shame because I have loved every product that I have every used from them and always wants to buy more. 

- Free Ride - ultimate pretty peach
- Honest Politician - perfect pinky brown
- Minor Crisis - dusky rose pink
- Open Secret - romantic pop pink

I have bought both Open Secret and Minor Crisis.  I used Open Secret through the end of the summer and can use this bright pink all throughout the year, this is my favorite of the two shades.  I love bright pink shades and this is another great option for me, it is easier to wear than NARS Schiap and I can wear it when getting dressed up, for a more professional environment, and for a casual weekend look.  This is a very versatile shade for me and I will be using and buying it for many years to come.  Minor Crisis is more of a fall shade for me, I waited to open this one up until last weekend.  This is a subtle rose hue that works well for a more professional look or a more natural look.  I am very happy with both of these shades and wish that Lipstick Queen offered more shades in this product.

I love this unique product and will continue to watch for new shades or it and hope that this wish has already been expressed by other ladies to the Lipstick Queen company!

photo courtesy of Barneys New York

Benefit Dandelion Box o' Powder Blush

I have yet another post about blush today, I mentioned before that I tend to buy lots of blush shades when the seasons change and I have been outdoing myself even more this year.  Once I finish up this big round of blush buying, I probably won't pick any more shades up until my skin needs a pick up in the middle of the winter or early spring.  I don't understand my shopping patterns but I do understand what a good blush does as my skintone changes from tan to pale.  I wanted to buy blushes from multiple companies and Benefit was on my list as having top quality formulas for this product.

I was at Sephora the other day and I bought Dandelion from Benefit, I believe this ranks up there with some of their original products and I remember seeing this one in Sephora catalogs when I was in college and just beginning to shop there.  I have wanted to try this shade for quite a long time but I feel like I always get distracted by what is new and/or limited edition.  I know for a fact this is how the majority of my MAC shopping is done and it tends to spill over to many different beauty brands.

Benefit blushes are cult products and spawned a line of matching lip glosses a few years ago, I find it amusing that I have written more on the lip glosses than I have the actual blushes.  Today I will be changing that around.  Dandelion is a soft pink hue that can be used as a powder blush or a facial highlighter, I have used it only has a blush so far and I cannot see that I would be trying it as a highlighter any time soon.

"A pale-pink, pressed highlighting powder that transforms your complexion from dull to radiant.  Fake awake in just one stroke with Dandelion—Benefit's long-lasting, pressed highlighting powder in ballerina-pink. Its shimmery, satiny, and radiant formula leaves an immediate perk-me-up finish that brightens up your face—even at eight in the morning.", states the Sephora website. 

This pale pink complements my pale skin quite well and creates a natural flush when applied to my cheekbones.  It is very similar to Illamasqua's Katie hue but a bit less pigmented.  This shade would work well on anyone with pale to medium skin and cool undertones.  It is very easy to wear and I can use it with any makeup look or by itself for a bit of color on a casual day.  It lasts for about eight hours and wore nicely throughout the day.  It held up to work and then school after that but wasn't long enough wearing to survive a workout.  This really isn't a big deal for me and I am happy with getting all day from it under normal wear circumstances. 

I can see why this product and shade are a cult favorite and continue to be top sellers at Sephora.  I have a feeling that Benefit will continue to bring these blushes out for quite a long time and they will continue to be best sellers for the whole time.  This was the last blush that I bought however I might end up trying a few more formulas out in the coming weeks...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

I have been in a blush shopping mode lately...yesterday we looked at the Urban Decay Naked Flush palette and today I am reviewing the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush.  I go through phases with blushes, I will buy and try several new ones right in a row and then I won't pick anything new up for a few weeks or months.  I tend to purchase blush the most right around the changing of the seasons, I have been all about replacing some of my current formulas as fall is right around the corner.  I have used mostly eye makeup and skincare from Tarte so blush is a brand new experience for me from this company.

I debated between trying the cheek stain formula or the powder blush formula and decided to start with the powder blush.  I will start trying of the cheek stains within the next few months and then I will decide which formula is the better performing of the two.  I was pleased to see that both formulas are designed to be very longwearing, I need this type of formula as grad school classes are starting up again and my typical day is about 13 hours long and I need products that will look fresh and pigmented throughout the whole day. 

"A long-wearing, solar-baked blush that lasts up to 12 hours.  Infused with natural clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun, this nutrient-rich blush benefits all skin types for a fade-free flawless finish that lasts an amazing 12 hours. Inspired by tarte's bestselling shades of cheek stains and lip tints, the colors range from soft to vivid to suit a wide variety of skintones. For oily skin types, Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place. Those with dry skin will benefit from the clay's nourishing and hydrating properties, which naturally restore skin's moisture. Combination skin types can rely on its ability to zero in on skin concerns and deliver benefits to restore complexion harmony. The result: Blush that wears better, longer, and truer.  This product is free of petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, GMOs, and triclosan.", states the Sephora website. 

This blush formula comes in a range of shades and every one that I have tried has full pigmentation.  I have been the most interested in collecting the pink shades due to my pale skintone, my self tan is pretty much done at this point in the year and I am going back to shades that are best with my pale skin. 

The shades of Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush...

- Exposed - nude
- Dazzled - soft rose
- Dollface - light pink
- Fearless - coral pink
- Tipsy - coral
- Blissful - shimmering warm peach
- Captivating - warm peach
- Glisten - shimmering peachy pink
- Peaceful - soft nude peach
- Charisma - warm golden apricot
- Achiote - honeysuckle
- Natural Beauty - muted strawberry red
- Flush - pink berry
- Blushing Bride - plumy rose

I bought both the Dollface and Flush shades at Sephora, these were the two best pinks that are carried in the shade range.  Both shades wear for a full fourteen hours and remain nicely pigmented throughout the day.  The pigment level is medium-to-full, I find that NARS and Illamasqua have higher pigmentation than these but the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush has better pigment than most brands.  I am sold on this product and I will be looking for a few more shades of this product.  I would like Dazzled and Blushing Bride, I wish there were a few more cool shades in this collection of shades but I am hoping that we will see more as Tarte adds to this product line. 

photo courtesy of Sephora

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

Urban Decay has been rivaling MAC for my favorite makeup line the past few weeks and I have been heading right to their counter each time that I enter Sephora.  My recent favorites from this line have all been lip products so I decided to try a new type of product from this line and learn more about how their face products stack up against those of MAC.  MAC Pro Longwear Blushes have been my recent favorites and I want to see how the blush formula in the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette compares to that formula.  I am in the process of deciding how many more shades of Pro Longwear I want to order and the results of my use of this Urban Decay palette has the potential to change all my orders.

The Naked Flushed Palette is the face makeup piece of the super popular Naked collection of products.  I now own both Naked Palettes, the Naked lipstick shade, and the face palette.  I was slightly hesitant to purchase this product now as it contains a bronzer that I would not use until next summer.  I thought about it for a few moments and remembered that even I am in full "fall" mode, the weather has not caught up to me and I can test this product out for a least one or two weeks.  I now also know that I have a brand new bronzer to use next summer and may not have to spend time searching for new bronzer formulas.

I bought this palette at Sephora so I am using the information that this company provides on the product.  "A silky bronzer, highlighter, and blush in a sleek, travel-ready compact.  Use these pressed powders individually or blend them together to create just the right effect. Urban Decay’s micronized, jet-milled formula has a luxe, featherlight texture that feels amazing on your skin and provides a flawless finish. Light-diffusing particles enhance and perfect to for a fresh, glowy look, even after a late night. The color is intensely pigmented yet blends beautifully, and the universal shades are versatile enough for any skintone.  All shades are full size and come in a sleek case with an easy-open magnetic closure and a mirror that is compact enough for travel or mid-date touchups."

The bronzer is a medium tan shade, the highlighter is a pale pink shimmer, and the blush is a bright pink hue.  I have used the bronzer and the blush the most and am struggling to find the best way to make use of the highlighter. 

The bronzer is a traditional matte bronzer formula, I notice little to no difference between this formula and the one that I tried earlier this summer from Bare Minerals.  It goes on nicely and lasts a full eight hours when I am at work.  It doesn't make it very well through a workout or yoga class at night but I wasn't anticipating that it would so I am not that disappointed.  This shade is a true "Medium" and I have to apply it with a very light hand or my face will not match my neck (even with still using up my last bottle of sunless tanner).  The best mode of application for me is to tap the top of my bronzer brush directly onto the product and then lightly brush it all over my face.  I follow with a second round only on my forehead, cheek bones, and chin.  I don't know if this is the greatest bronzer formula ever but it works well and I will use it for a few more days and then bring it back out next May.

The blush is a bright pink hue that apply smoothly and has a nice amount of pigmentation.  This one is the quality of the MAC Pro Longwear or NARS.  It lasts all day without streaking during a workout and the pigment remains true throughout normal wear.  My biggest issue with this product is that I can only get it in this palette and Urban Decay does not sell single powder blushes (at least as of right now...I am sure that could change in the future).  I would love to see more of these blushes sold alone and in a range of shades.  I will be crossing my fingers that Urban Decay can deliver on this in the coming seasons.

I tend to mostly use the highlighter around my eyes even though many people get the best results with use on the top of the cheek bones.  I dip my finger into the highlighter and then apply a small amount on the inner and outer corner of my eyes.  It makes me look more awake without having to add more eye makeup.  I have used it this way in the morning and then again in the late afternoon to freshen my makeup up after leaving work.  I am afraid to work with it too much on my cheekbones or on the side of my nose since it is quite shimmery and I do not normally apply shimmer products in either of these areas.  This will take some trial and error and a very light hand during application.

Overall, this is a nice palette and I am happy that I could try out more Urban Decay Naked products.  The bronzer will be a staple for me next summer and I am getting my hopes up about this company bringing more blush shades out.  I would love to see this palette in different shades and I am sure that my wish will be answered over the coming seasons!

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Pro Longwear Blush

We have been looking at fall collections the past two days and now we are looking at a new favorite color product of mine, the MAC Pro Longwear.  The first time that I used a blush product from this company was several years ago with the collection A Rose Romance and I wasn't a big fan of the product as it had little pigmentation.  I found out later through beauty blog reviews that Beauty Powder can be used as a blush but is more often recommended as a highlighting powder.  So this product wasn't made to be pigmented the way that a normal blush is so I can give it a pass.  Technically then...I have never tried a true blush product from MAC.

I was playing around at the counter a few days ago and was trying a few shades from the permanent collection (as MAC has some big seasonal collections that will be released a bit later on this month and then next month) and stumbled upon the racks of blush.  I decided that I was going to try the Pro Longwear Blush formula first and then would go back later on and try the regular blush formula.  I purchased two shades from the Pro Longwear Blush line that night and wanted to try that one out first since I have seen less of these products in the limited edition collection and therefore know less about the product itself. 

I was most interested as to how this product is different from the regular Blush product, the regular Blush has a bigger shade range and is the one that I am seeing limited edition shades of and never this products.  I was assuming that since Pro Longwear is in their "Pro" line, this formula should have higher pigmentation and be of higher quality than the regular formula.  We will see if this is true...

The MAC website states the following in a description of the product, "A lightweight blush with extreme colour perfection and non-fading, eight-hour wear. Ultra fine, silky powder glides on and blends easily to provide a moist, flawless, natural finish or with layering, a brighter, more dramatic look."

I love this formula and wish that it was available in more shades!  It is very similar to the Illamasqua formula that I have been raving about for a few years now.  I barely have to dip my brush into the product and I have enough to do both cheeks and sometimes add a bit extra with a second dip.  Both shades that I have spread easily and are very silky to the touch.  The formula is very pigmented and lasts all day (even when working out and being outside in the heat) and I can agree that Pro products are better quality and constructed better than other MAC products.

This product is available in a few shades, of which I bought two of the pink shades.

- I'm A Lover - pink
- Fleeting Romance - coral
- Make You Mine - dirty salmon
- Rosy Outlook - bright yellow-pink (Semi-Matte)
- Baby Don't Go - light cool beige (Semi-Matte)
- Stay By Me - light peach coral (Semi-Matte)
- Stay Pretty - light bright blue pink (Semi-Matte)
- Blush All Day - light dirty rose beige (Semi-Matte)
- Whole Lotta Love - light blue pink (Semi-Matte)
- Eternal Sun - warm brown (Semi-Matte)
- Stubborn - mid-tone rose plum (Semi-Matte)

I bought I'm A Lover and Whole Lotta Love and I would like to purchase Rosy Outlook and Stay Pretty (both of which were out of stock at my counter).  I'm A Lover is a more pale pink shade (very similar to Illamasqua Katie) and this one has a medium pigmentation and matte finish.  This one will look the nicest when my skin is pale and I will put it away for a few weeks until my self tan has faded away and I am going back to fall and winter makeup looks.  Whole Lotta Love is my favorite of the shades and this one is a bright pink with lots of pigmentation, this one I can wear with a self tan or with pale skin and this one will quickly be elevated to high status in my traincase.

I mentioned above that there are two shades that I didn't see at the counter and now want to order.  The rest of the shades that I saw at the counter appeared more warm in the containers.  In fact, Whole Lotta Love appeared almost a coral shade in the container but then appeared much more of a bubblegum pink when used on the cheek.  I will have to test some of the more warm pinks on my hands when I visit the counters and see how they appear on the skin.  In the meantime, I will be checking back for the other two pinks that I want and might end up ordering online if I don't see them soon.

photo courtesy of MAC

Benefit Do The Bright Thing

Last week, we looked at one fo the many new palettes and sets that Benefit is coming out with this speing and today we are going to look at another one.  I have been buying a lot more from Benefit in the past year than I ever did before and I have really loved almost every item that I have gotten from them and I don't hesitate to buy anything new from this company now.  I am hoping that they come out with a set that contains small sizes of all of their skincare products, I am really surprised that I cannot find anything like this anywhere since this company always has all kinds of new sets and palettes out every season. 

Do The Bright Thing is the Benefit set that we are going to look at right now, the name of this product caught my eye instantly because I hate how ugly and gray my skin tends to look this time of the year and I will buy anything that promises a brighter complexion.  This set looks as though it contains multiple highlighters and hopefully I should find something to help my face in this set.  With using the Tarte Pure Marajuca Oil, I must say that my skin is better this year than it has been in previous years but I would still like to find a product of two that makes it looks as good as it will in spring!

"A best and brightest total-face makeup kit.  Brighten up your entire look with these brilliant beautifiers! These luminous bestsellers will give your face and cheeks a supermodel glow—and open your eyes with sexy definition."

The set contains the following items...

That Gal Brightening Face Primer - A silky pink primer that makes skin appear smoother and brighter.  Prime your skin to pretty—go from dull to darling with "That Gal"! Wear alone for clear complexion radiance or apply before makeup for a smooth, effortless application. Plus you can use it to re-brighten throughout the day.

High Beam Luminescent Complexion Enchancer - A luminescent complexion enhancer.  Benefit High Beam is an ethereal pink liquid highlighter that creates a radiantly dewy complexion. For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow.  It's a "supermodel in a bottle" and perfectly alluring on all skin tones.

Dandelion Brightening Face Powder - Fake awake with Dandelion—Benefit's ballerina-pink pressed highlighting powder. Just one stroke of Dandelion takes your complexion from dull to radiant in an instant. It's shimmery, satiny, radiant, perk-me-up finish is guaranteed to make them wonder ..."How do you look so pretty at eight in the morning?"

They're Real!  Beyond Mascara - A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular "out-to-here" look.  This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won't smudge, clump, or dry out.

Bad Gal Liner Waterproof Eye Pencil - A black waterproof eyeliner.  Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof Eye Liner contains a unique formula that glides on smooth and won't smudge or smear. It has a blending tip on one end so you can smudge your way to a perfect smoky eye.
- Extra Black - jet black

So far, this set looks to be the most promising out of all of them, I can see that Benefit has included most of their top sellers and fan favorites here.  I must try That Gal!, this pink highlighter could be the exact product that I need to help my skin and I will use it all through the spring if it really works.  The exact same will hold true for Dandelion, I want this face powder/blush and I could see myself using this all time, the pink shade will be great for me and I know a bunch of people who love this product.

I think that I will grab this set the next time that I am at Sephora as all of these products hold a lot of potential for making me look more human this winter!

photo courtesy of Sephora

NARS Makeup your Mind: Express Yourself Through Cheeks

About a week ago, we looked at the first of the two Makeup Your Mind sets from NARS, that day we looked at the eye makeup set and today we will look at the cheek set.  I was very excited about the eye makeup collection and therefore I doubt that I will be as excited about the blush set.  I love NARS Blushes however this set contains the Orgasm hue that I have owned for years now.  Orgasm was my first NARS Blush and my first NARS product in general and therefore it still holds a place in my heart even though I don't wear it near as much as I wear other shades from this company and from other companies.  Orgasm will always occupy a place in my heart...

Orgasm is one of the best sellers from NARS so I wasn't surprised that it is contained in yet another set but I do wonder how many more ladies do not own this product and would actually purchase it.  At some point, I would think that the market is getting completely saturated of this blush shade and all the spin-offs that have occured since its release.  I find that Deep Throat is actually more flattering to my skin and I have heard this from many ofhter ladies who have cool toned skin, I wish that a few more sets were done around Deep Throat as I would buy a set that contained a back up of this shade before I would buy another one with Orgasm in it...

This set is exclusive to Sephora and is still available on their website.  "A trio of products to illuminate your cheeks.  Turn the other cheek…to shimmering highlights and pops of color! Go beautifully bronzed one day and try a flush of blush the next. Released in conjunction with François Nars' must-have beauty manual, "Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself," this set features everything you need to get your cheeks pinched. "

This set contains the following products...

Bronzing Powder - Nars Bronzing Powder is a true brown-based bronzer with a gold shimmer fusion that's excellent for creating or enhancing the look of healthy, glowing, tanned skin.
- Laguna - brown with golden shimmer

Blush - A soft, sheer pressed powder blush.  NARS Blush offers a range of translucent, natural shades, each with a subtle pink for natural blush undertone, created to highlight the complexion.  Designed to be worn alone or layered together for more depth, NARS Blush provides a healthy glow to flatter any skintone.
- Angelika - cotton candy
- Orgasm - peachy pink with shimmer

The Multiple - An all-in-one, cream-to-powder, multipurpose makeup stick.  NARS The Multiple beautifully highlights, sculpts, and warms the eyes, cheeks, lips, and body in an array of shades, from sheer accents to mauve and bronze.
- Copacabana - glistening pearl

We all know that I already own Orgasm and that I prefer Deep Throat so we aren't going to get any further into that.  I do not own Angelika and this is a shade that I would wear pretty often.  It is a bright cotton candy pink, a shade that I would find very flattering on my skin.  this might be one of my next blush purchases, I haven't bought a blush in months now and I think that it is time that I invest in another shade.  The Multiple is one of the few products that I have never used from NARS and has never really appealed to me, many of the shades would be best for tanned skin and I would need to use the product in the summer months only.  I would be more likely to use it on eyes and cheeks only, I played with one tester at Sephora and the formula felt too chalky for me to consider using on my lips.  This is not really a product that I will be going after anytime soon.

Laguna is the top rated and best selling bronzer from this company, I have been using MAC bronzers for some time now and next spring I should buy at least one or two more formulas from companies other than MAC.  This would be one that I would really consider buying, it has won Allure Best of Beauty Awards in years past and is always featured at Sephora.  I guess that I will begin bronzer shopping again this May...

I wouldn't buy this set, I would only purchase the bronzer and the Angelika blush hue.  I do love NARS products and this company puts together some of the best palettes and sets that I have ever seen.  I am much looking forward to the spring collection from this company and I know that I will be spending even more money than ever from NARS this year!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cream Blush and Pressed Sparklicity Duo

I jumped on the Tarina Tarantino bandwagon slightly too late, I have been admiring many of these products for several months and have recently just started shopping this brand however Sephora just announced that they would no longer be carrying this brand in their stores or their websites.  The makeup line will still be available on the Tarina Tarantino website however I don't know of any other websites or stores that ever carried this line (other than Sephora) so now this brand will go the way of Vincent Longo and B. Kamins.  After Sephora stopped carrying these brands, they got much harder to find and most likely lost market share since now the products need to be hunted down instead of being able to play with them in the stores...  Which is really sad because the one product that I have bought and tried from this brand is great and now I just want to order more...

I have always drooled over the blushes from this company at the store, however I always just kept ordering Illamasqua blushes from the website since I was so in love with that formula.  I still love that formula but I am trying to branch out a bit and try some other brands.  Of course I would find a formula that I love right as the brand is being pulled from its biggest retailer, I will still try and find this brand online but it is just so much easier to find the products when browsing the store.  I bought and tried one of the products that was introduced for the spring season and I wanted this product as soon as I read about it.

The Dollskin Cream Blush and Pressed Sparklicity Duo is a combination of a cream blush shade and the best selling Sparklicity product (a product that is unique to this brand).  "A collection of blush duos with exquisite powder formulas that glisten.  Get a gorgeous, radiant look with these rich, velvety-soft blush combinations. The unique formulas blend effortlessly on cheeks and kiss skin with the subtle shimmer of micro-crystalline Sparklicity. The intense pigments are long-lasting, leaving skin beautifully moisturized and glowing all day." 

There are two shades available in this product:

- Mr. Pink - bright azalea pink/shimmering soft pink
- Coral Cameo - warm sunset/shimmering gold tan

I own Mr. Pink, I love the bright pink cream blush hue, worn alone or with a bit of the Sparklicity on top.  The smallest appliation of the blush turns my cheeks bright pink and makes me look like I just came in from the cold.  This formula is very pigmented and still very easy to use, it must be applied in moderation (otherwise it will be too bright) but the effect is lovely.  The blush by itself is best for the daytime, I would only add the shimmer for getting dressed up at night. 

I am so sad that I just discovered and bought this formula, I love this product and now want to try the powder version of this blush and see how it compares to the Illamasqua formulas that I love.  I hope that the discontinuing of this brand from Sephora does not spell the end of the brand itself, I will be very unhappy if I cannot order these products at all...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Vincent Longo Day Play Duo Compact Blush

I haven't really been thinking about blush lately, until I looked at the Smashbox fall collection yesterday, I can honestly state that I haven't been looking at new formulas or shades lately.  I had purchased so many new shades from Illamasqua last spring and have been rotating in between them and Benefit's Bella Bamba over the past few weeks.  I started thinking about blush again after reading about that formula and specially Vincent Longo blush formulas.  I have loved the Water Canvas Blush formula for years and I revisited the company's website to see if any new shades were released over the past few months.  No new shades have been released, but I did start looking at some of the other formulas and thought about ones that I have tried over the years.  One of the formulas that I used a few years ago and have fond memories of is the Day Play Duo Compact Blush, a compact that contains two complementary shades that can be used alone or mixed together.

The Day Play Duo Compact is a product that allows the user to mix the two shades of blush in order to create a full variety of shades.  "This powder blush captures the vitality of a youthful glow with its creamy, densely pigmented formula.  The texture disperses evenly and blends effortlessly leaving a radiant glow to the cheeks.", states the Vincent Longo website in an overall product description.  This line is now much reduced in availability, a complaint that I have had with quite a few makeup and skincare lines lately.  I feel like as soon as Sephora reduces the counter size or decides to stop carrying the brand, almost every other website and retailer follows their lead.  Can I start a website of the "rejected" lines?  I bet that I could make it a pay very quickly...

This product can be applied in a variety of ways.  Vincent Longo suggests the following mode, "Dip into the Day side to create a natural daytime glow, and the Play side to contour the cheeks and add drama for night.  The two shades can also be blended together to create a unique, multi-tonal color for any time of the day."  This product is currently available in the following six shades.

- Canyon Light - medium warm bronze/pale tan
- Coral Crush - bright warm peach coral/pale peach
- Heart's Desire - medium plum/medium rose
- Innocence - medium pink/light to medium warm peach
- Misty Blossom - medium warm pink coral/light warm pink
- Temple Peach - medium peach/deep warm peach

Heart's Desire is the shade that I always used from this product line, I have found that many of the blush and face shades from this company tend to lean toward the warm side and I often have a hard time finding shades that are flattering on me, even the pink corals are warmer than I would normally find flattering.  The Day shade in the Heart's Desire compact is the rose shade and the plum shade is the Play shade, I use the rose shade by itself and then mix the two of them to add a bit of the pink tone to the plum shade.  I don't love the plum shade by itself so I do need to add some of the rose shade and the mixture is much improved.  The pigmenton both the Day and Play are decent, they have a nice color payoff but Illamaqua and NARS both contain much more pigment than this line does.  I prefer the Water Canvas Blush from this company, the pigmentation and wear are nicer.  Since the rest of the shades are too warm for me, I can't see that I will need to buy anymore shades from this product line.  I wish that this company would continue to offer new products and shades, many formulas are top quality but I never see anything new that I wish to order...

photo courtesy of Vincent Longo

Benefit Sugarlicious Lip and Cheek Set

I have been talking about the three new Benefits sets for the past few weeks and I am happy to report that they are now available for purchase on the Sephora website.  We began looking at these sets when they were just a preview on the Sephora and I am so excited that I can actually purchase these products now!  Today we are going to look at the last set in the new collection, Sugarlicious.  Sugarlicious is another set that is a collection of cheek and lip products, I loved the Feelin' Dandy set and I wonder if this set will be as wonderful for me as that set of pinks is.

Sugarlicious is a series of products that are all nude shades, this set should work well with almost every single skintone and I believe it will be very easy to wear in many situations.  I still haven't been able to decide which set I think will sell the best, all of the sets have great products and will work best for different skin tones and seasons.  Sugarlicious and Feelin' Dandy will work best for me in the fall months, TropiCORAL will be best for me in the summer months when I have a fake tan.  Over the past few months, I have been all over Benefit products and I have found some great new items from this line!

From the Sephora website, "A four-piece lip and cheek kit in deliciously nude shades.  This pocket-sized kit features sweet and soft shades for a fresh, natural-looking glow.  It includes an iconic tint, award-winning cheek color, luscious lip gloss, and sexy highlighter - all in a chic mirrored compact - so you can add a pop of color to your look morning, noon, and night."  This set includes the following products: Benetint Lip and Cheek Tint, Sugarbomb Box O' Powder, High Beam Highlighter, and Ultra Plush Sugarbomb Lip Gloss.  Benetint is one of the best-selling products from this company and the stain that inspired every other product on the market today, I will be using mine all the time this fall to create a subtle red lip and to create a lasting base for my red lipstick shades.
More details about the products in this set!
Benetint - The original - and still the best - rose-tinted lip and cheek stain.  Benefit Benetint is a kiss-proof and waterproof, indelibly sheer tint.  It gives an innocent yet provocative glow to keep everyone guessing, "what has she been up to?".  It's the sexiest flush you can get from a bottle.
- red rose

Sugarbomb Box O' Powder - A "sugar rush flush" facial powder.  Gimme me some sugar - with Sugarbomb!  These four unique shades of rose, shimmering pink, soft plum, and peach blend together for perfectly for a delicious "sugar rush flush".
- peach/rose/shimmering pink/soft plum

High Beam - A luminescent complexion enhancer.  Benefit High Beam is an ethereal pink liquid highlighter that creates a radiantly dewy complexion.  For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow.  It's a "supermodel in a bottle" and perfectly alluring on all skin tones.

Ultra Plush Lip Gloss - A silky, plush gloss that glides onto lips.  This dazzling lip gloss drenches your lips in brilliant shine and a burst of juicy color that's never sticky.  Loaded with crystal brilliance, color glides on smooth.  Just one stroke will give you glimmering, shimmering lips.  The irresistible shades, from sultry nudes to punchy pinks, come in soft-squeeze tubes with a custom tip designed for perfectly even application.  To create a beautifully pulled-together look in seconds, pair your favorite gloss with its complementing Box O' Powder.
- Sugarbomb - shimmering pinky nude

This set will be easiest for me to wear all throughout the year, I love the pink nudes that have been included in here.  This shade of Ultra Plush Lip Gloss could very easily become a staple in my makeup case, I can wear this shade with a natural look or against a strong eye makeup look.  While I mostly am planning to buy eye makeup products for the fall months, I do need to make sure that I have a variety of subtle lip gloss and lipstick shades that will pair well with very strong eye makeup looks. 

The Sugarbomb Box O' Powder has me very intrigued, I can't wait to see how these four shades blend together on my cheeks.  I have read lots about this product but I haven't tried it yet, I will have to change that very soon though I do wonder how if this blush shade will work better on my pale skin or when I have a bit of fake tan.  I will need to try the product at Sephora and decide if I should buy it now or wait until the end of next spring. 

I can see some big Benefit purchases in my very near future...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Benefit Feelin' Dandy Lip and Cheek Kit

We have already looked at the first of the new Benefit sets, the Go TropiCoral set will be best for the summer months or a skintone that is naturally tanner than mine.  I haven't seen them at the stores yet so I haven't decided if I plan to buy that set now and set it aside for the next summer season.  I should be totally focused on fall shopping but I am now already thinking about things that I might love next spring and summer and how I plan to try and store all of these products, the last behavior that I need to adopt is shopping all year round for every season but these Benefit sets might inspire that in me!

Today we are looking at another one of the new sets, Feelin' Dandy is another lip and cheek-based set of products however the shades look like they will be on the cooler side and therefore a set that I could actually use going into the fall and winter months.  I have been insisting that I need to buy more eye makeup products this fall and not more blushes and lip shades however I am not heeding my own advice and have been buying all different types of products if I love them.  My lip gloss and lipstick collection is really getting too large but that hasn't stopped me yet and I doubt that it will any time over the next few months...

As of right now, this set will only be available at the Sephora stores and on their website in early August.  "A perk-me-up lip and cheek kit in assorted pinks.  You'll look radiant and pretty with this pocket-size lip and cheek kit that features a tint, award-winning cheek color, luscious gloss, and sexy highlighter - all in a pretty mirrored box - so you can add a pop of color to your look morning, noon, or night."  This set contains - Posietint, Dandelion Box O' Powder, High Beam Highlighter, and Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Dandelion.  I love all the pink shades for both lips and cheeks that are in this set, this set has my name written all over and I will have no problems pulling off any of the products contained in it!

Here are some more details about the products that are housed in the Feelin' Dandy Set!

Posietint - A poppy-tinted lip and cheek stain.  Benefit's Posietint is a petal-pink stain that plants a kiss of see-through tint on cheeks and lips.  With hours of smudge-proof, just-picked perfection, you'll be the prettiest bloom in the bunch!

Ultra Plush Lip Gloss - A silky, plush gloss that glides onto lips.  This dazzling lip gloss drenches your lips in brilliant shine and a burst of juicy color that's never sticky.  Loaded with crystal brilliance, color glides on smooth.  Just one stroke will give you glimmering, shimmering lips.  The irresistible shades, from sultry nudes to punchy pinks, come in soft-squeeze tubes with a custom tip designed for perfectly even application.  To create a beautifully pulled-together look in seconds, pair your favorite gloss with it complementing box o' powder.
- Dandelion - soft pearly pink

Box O' Powder in Dandelion - Fake awake with Dandelion - Benefit's ballerina-pink pressed pink highlighting powder.  Just one stroke of Dandelion takes your complexion from dull to radiant in an instant.  It's shimmery, satiny, radiant, perk-me-up finish is guaranteed to make them wonder...'How do you look so pretty at eight in the morning?".

High Beam Highlighter - A luminescent complexion enhancer.  Benefit High Beam is an ethereal pink liquid highlighter that creates a radiantly dewy complexion.  For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow.  It's a "supermodel in a bottle" and perfectly alluring on all skin tones.
This is one of the few sets where I know that I would use every single product in the whole case.  Posietint will be a great bright pink stain that I plan to use as a blush, I can wear this now and then all the way into the cool weather months.  I don't know that I would it as a lip color quite as much but I like having the option, I just love this bright pink shade!  The Box O' Powder is a lighter pink so I would save this shade for fall and winter, light pinks tend to show up better when I don't have a fake tan and I am wearing brighter shades right now that pop against my tan.  The matching lip gloss will work well all year long for me, any shade of pale pink will work for me and I will use it on a regular basis.  Lastly, I would use the High Beam at night to enhance the area around my eyes and cheekbones. 

This is my favorite of the boxes that we have looked at so far and this is the one that I want the most.  Any shade of pink is usually very flattering for me and this set would add some great choices to my makeup arsenal.  I love been loving Benefit products recently and this set is another hit.  We have one more set to look at over the next few days and hopefully the Sephora website will get them at the very beginning of August so I can head over there very soon.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Benefit Go TropiCORAL Lip and Cheek Kit

The great releases from Benefit just keep coming and coming, I have loved almost everything that has come out from this company over the past few months from both the skincare and the makeup collections.  To keep the great choices coming, Benefit is releasing three great sets at the end of July/beginning of August.  Today we will look at the one that I am the most excited about and that I am considering ordering as soon as it becomes available on the Sephora website, Go TropiCORAL.  Each of these sets contains some o the best-selling Benefit products and are targeted for certain areas of the face.  TropiCORAL contains shades for the lips and cheeks, all of which will be better for my skin in the summer since they will complement a tan.  I would be likely to order this set right away and use it until Labor and then decide what shades would skip work for me in the fall and what pieces would have to put away until next summer.

These sets are currently Sephora exclusives so all the information will be coming from this website.  As I stated above, the products are not yet available for order but Sephora will email you exactly when they become available.  I would recommend taking this route if this is a product that you can't live without, using the email alerts for Urban Decay was the way that I got my Naked 2 palette in the first round.

"A four piece lip and cheek kit that seriously turns up the heat.  The pocket-sized kit features warm and vibrant shades for a sultry, tropical look.  It includes an iconic tint, award-winning cheek color, luscious lip gloss, and sexy highlighter - all in a mirrored box - so you can add a pop of color to your look."  This set contains the following products: Cha Cha Tint, Coralista, High Beam, Ultra Plush in Coralista.

Here are some more details on the products you will be getting with this set!

Cha Cha Tint - A mango-tinted lip and cheek stain.  This mango-tinted stain beautifully blushes lips and cheeks with a tropical sunset hue.  Smooch-proof and smudge-proof, this sheer stain will have you looking deliciously sun-kissed for hours.

Coralista - A warm coral-pink powder that warms up your complexion.  Take a tropical pleasure trip with Coralista.  Sweep with this warm coral pink powder onto cheeks anytime, anywhere.  move your brush to the beat and turn up the heat...bikini optional!

High Beam - A luminescent complexion enhancer.  Benefit High Beam is an ethereal pink liquid highlighter that creates a radiantly dewy complexion.  For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow.  It's a "supermodel in a bottle" and perfectly alluring on all skin tones.

Ultra Plush Lip Gloss - A silky, plush gloss that glides onto lips.  This dazzling lip gloss drenches your lips in billiant shine and a burst of juicy color that's never sticky.  Loaded with crystal brilliance, color glides on smooth.  Just one stroke will give you glimmering, shimmering lips.  The irresistible shades, from sultry nudes to punchy pinks, come in soft-squeeze tubes with a custom tip designed for perfectly even application.  To create a beautifully pulled together look in seconds, pair your favorite gloss with its complementing Box O' Powder.  Coralista is a sheer coral shade.
As I stated above, this set will be best in the summer months, the only product that I think that I could pull off in the fall and winter months is the High Beam highlighter.  I am on the fence about the Cha Cha Tint, I am slightly concerned about the mango tint of this product, this might be too warm for me to pull off, I will have to try this product at the counter before I consider ordering this set.  I hope that this isn't the case because I love this set and don't want an issue with a single product to ruin it for me.  The Coralista blush will be great with tanned skin, this one will be best in the summer months and for a more natural look.  The same reasoning holds for the lip gloss, these two shades will only be used when I have a fake tan.

This would have to be a summer purchase for me, if I can't get until mid-August then I will put it aside until next June.  As of right now, my purchase decision hinges on the Cha Cha Tint, I must try this product at the counter and see how warm it really is.  We will look at the next two sets over the next few weeks and then I will really decide what my favorite one and top shopping choice is!

photo courtesy of Sephora

NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette

The new products are coming fast and furious to the Sephora store and website, one of my early favorites is the new NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette.  I always love palettes from NARS and consider this company to put together some of the best palettes in the beauty market, over the past few months my NARS collection has been growing like crazy and this trend shows no sign of stopping over the next few months.  My current obsession from this company is the Sheer Lipstick and I have been collecting a shade or two each time that I go to Sephora and I am currently stalking the company's website for the release of the new collection.

Foreplay is a palette of cheek shades that centers around the best-selling cult favorite Orgasm shade of blush.  I doubt that there is anyone in the beauty world that has not heard of or tried this shade of blush, it was my first purchase from NARS when I was in college and I still own that product (yes it is still good and can be used!).  I still turn to this blush shade when I have a fake tan in the summer and love the results every single time.  This palette contains the Orgasm shade and then several others that will complement it.

So far this palette seems to be a Sephora exclusive so the product description comes from this company's website.  "A chic cheek palette featuring four dazzling shades based on the best selling Orgasm Blush.  The gorgeous afterglow of classic Orgasm is reinvented in this quad that combines Orgasm Blush plus vivid shades of pink and peach and a shimmering gold to create your own signature glow."
It contains the following shades...

- Orgasm - peachy pink with gold shimmer
- Peach Matte Blush
- Gold Highlighting Blush
- Pink Matte Blush

Based on what I am reading on the Sephora website, Orgasm is the base shade of the palette and all the other shades have been designed to layer and mix with this shade to change the effect.  The Peach Blush would make it warmer, the Pink cooler, and the Gold more dramatic.  I am most excited about mixing Orgasm with the Pink shade, this is will make it cooler and easier for me to wear when my skin is pale.  The Peach might make it too warm for me, however I will need to use this combination in the summer only -  I could only pull this off with a tan.  The Gold Highlighter would be what I would use the least, this blush shade is shimmery to begin with and this would only make it more dramatic.  Adding the Gold Highlighter would really intensify the shade and I would only use this combination at night in the summer months, it is too much for the daytime and would only work on a tan.  I love that the other blush shades are all mattes, Orgasm is very shimmery to begin with and if these shades would have added shimmer, the finish would be way to much for most people to pull off.  Also, it would have made the combinations unwearable for the daytime.

In addition to the fact that I really to order this palette, I am also wondering what types of combinations that I can come up with with the shades that I already own.  I am considering a mixture of Orgasm and Nymph from Illamasqua (a bright matte pink shade) to see how this palette will work.  I love tha idea behind this palette and I am going to see what combinations I can come up with, both using it and with other shades that I already own!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Benefit The Pretty Committee Set

Anyone who reads this blog regularly is beginning to notice that I have been all over Benefit products for the past six months, ever since I started using their Triple Moisture Face Cream, it seems like the brand has come alive for me and I have been putting more and more products from this brand into my summer beauty regime.  The Bella Bamba lip gloss will be out soon and I am still stalking the Sephora website for the offical release so that I can order the product for myself.  While I was stalking the website, I started browsing all of the Benefit products to see what else I could find that I might want to order.  While I was enjoying myself, I laid eyes on a great set of products, one of which is the full-size version of the Bella Bamba Blush, one of my current favorite products.  I have always found Benefit to offer fantastic sets that allow the user to try out a variety of their best products.

This set is named The Pretty Committee, a set that includes a bright pink blush and a series of brightening skin products.  This set is very attractive to me, it contains one of my current favorite Benefit products and three others that I have never tried.  So this set will give me a back up of my blush and will let me try out a few new products, I am all over The Pretty Committee Set!
I found this set on the Sephora website and it states that it will be exclusive to this retailer, so I will pull all of the set and product information right from this website.  "A four-piece set that everything you need to perk up and glow.  The votes are in and the committee agrees - it's all about bright!  Filled with Benefit's most brilliant bestsellers, this festive set gives all complexions a perky, pretty glow.  High Beam enhances complexions with a luminescent veil, while Eye Bright adds an instant pink lift to wake up the eyes.  Bella Bamba face powder adds a 3D brightening to the face, and Stay Don't Stray doubles as a stay-put primer for concealers and eye shadows."

Here are the four products that are contained in the set!

High Beam - A luminescent complexion enhancer.  Benefit High Beam is an ethereal pink liquid highligher that creates a radiantly dewy complexion.  For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow.  It's a "supermodel in a bottle" and perfectly alluring on all skin tones.

Eye Bright - A pink perk-me-up stick to brighten the eyes.  Benefit Eye Bright has a pop of pink that brightens your eyes and your spirits instantaneously.  It's like a nap in a stick - keep it handy for afternoon touch-ups.

Bella Bamba - A watermelon-pink blush laced with shimmering gold undertones.  This boxed blush, with a mirrow tucked inside a magnetic closure flip-top lid, amplifies cheekbones and creates the illusion of sculpted features for a gorgeous 3D effect.  Your face will look instantly brighter with a just a quick swipe of this ultra-flattering color on the cheeks.

Stay Don't Stray - A 360 degree primer for conealers and eye shadows.  Tell your makeup to stay, don't stray!  This dual-action primer works 360 degrees around the eyes to make concealers and eye shadows REALLY stay put.  Concealers never crease and eye shadows stay vibrant and true - you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!  Stay Don't Stray preps, protects, AND perfects.  Preps: The lightweight formula blends seamlessly into skin, brightens eye area to minimze the appearance of fine lines, and comes in a universally flattering nude shade.  Protects: Hydrates with sodium hyaluronate to lock in moisture, fights signs of aging with Vitamins C and E, and does not contain parabens.  Perfects: It's long-wearing to keep makeup looking fresh, locks on ALL concealers and eye shadows, and prevents creasing of eye makeup.
With the exception of having a back up to Bella Bamba, I can say that I am most excited about the Stay Don't Stray primer.  I currently am on my last tube of Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion (I amassed quite a collection of them when receiving tubes with nearly every single set and palette that I purchased from this company) and I need to buy another eye primer soon.  I am looking forward to seeing if this set will be available in the stores and hopefully I can get the Bella Bamba gloss and set at the same time.  Benefit is quickly turning into a company that I am relying on more and more to find great new products!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Benefit Box O' Powders Ultra Plush Lip Gloss - Coming Soon!

One of my favorite products that I have been using this summer is my Benefit Bella Bamba Blush and one of the most exciting previews that I have seen this month is that a series of lip glosses with be released to match some of the best-selling Benefit Blush shades.  So far, this collection of glosses is listed as a "Coming Soon" on the Sephora website but I am just so excited that I wanted to share with everyone.  I don't have a release date yet on these products and it will take at least a week after the website release for the new glosses to be available in the stores.  I will be all over the Bella Bamba lip gloss when I can finally order it!

Sephora provides a full description on this product, I looked for this release on the Benefit website and couldn't find any details so I have to assume that this is a Sephora-only release (at least for the time being).  "A silky, plush gloss that glides onto lips.  This dazzling lip gloss drenches your lips in brilliant shine and a burst of juicy color that's never sticky.  Loaded with crystal brilliance, color glides on smooth.  Just one stroke will give you glimmering, shimmering lips!  The irresistible shades, from sultry nudes to punchy pinks, come in soft-squeeze tubes with a custom tip designed for perfectly even application.  To create a beautifully pulled-together look in seconds, pair your favorite lip gloss with its complementing box o' powder."

The shades of the gloss match the shades of the best-selling Benefit Blushes.  I see that Bella Bamba will be available in a lip gloss shade but that Thrrob is not going to be available.  For the longest time, I thought that Thrrob was discontinued but I still see it at the Benefit counter at my local Sephora.  This gloss will be available in six shades, however this is a great shade range in that there is at least one or two shades to suit everyone's skin tone.

Here are the blush-inspired lip gloss shades from Benefit!

- Dandelion - soft pearly pink
- Sugarbomb - shimmering pinky nude
- Dallas - dusty rose
- Bella Bamba - sheer bright watermelon
- CORALista - sheer coral
- Hoola - shimmering golden nude

I love the Bella Bamba shade and I want to create a summer look around the use of the blush and lip gloss, this look will be fabulous will a tan and will be perfect for weekends.  Dandelion will work well when my skin is a bit on the paler side since it is a pale pink shade, I now want both the gloss and the matching blush.  Sugarbomb will also be better for a more natural look when my skin is paler and both of the products in this shade will be very flattering.  Dallas is a more pigmented rose shade and I will be adding both of these products to this collection for the fall months.
I can't wait until this lip gloss is released and the overview of the shades has me even more excited.  This little collection will be havok on my wallet, I now want four lip glosses from the group and it also has introduced me to three new blush shades that I want to buy.  I tend to skip over Benefit blushes and head right to NARS and Illamasqua shades but between looking at these shades and how happy I have been with Bella Bamba over the past few weeks, I want to add more shades from this blush lineup to my overflowing traincase...

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Hey, Sailor! Colour Collection - Blush and Highlighters

We have just finished up on of my favorite parts of the Hey, Sailor! collection, I loved the eye makeup part of the Colour Collection and I think that I have already found several of the products that I will be buying on Thursday morning.  I haven't used many blushes and highlighters from MAC, the one product that I have in this line is a Beauty Powder from the Rose Romance collection.  I'm not really in the market for new blush shades at the moment since I am currently using the shades that I have collected from Illamasqua and am very happy with their blush formula.  However, we have already seen how well I can remain strong against the temptation of this collection, the packaging is doing me in and making me want to buy almost all my summer makeup from this collection!

"Set sail this summer with a colour collection inspired by the glam of vintage pin-up girls.  Go overboard with the never-ending colours of Pro Longwear Lip Pencils, Zoom Waterfast Lash, Lipglass, and more!  Limited edition."  This part of the collection offers two new shades of blush and one new highlighter, this is the smallest part of the Colour Collection and one of the least exciting.  One first glance, none of the shades in these products are very unique and they wouldn't be among my first choices of the collection.

The Blush and Highlighters in the Hey, Sailor! Colour Collection...

Hey, Sailor! Powder Blush - Colour for the cheeks and face in a satin finish.  Comes in a nautical blue and white striped compact.  Limited edition.
- Launch Away! - true peach
- Fleet Fast - pinky golden coral

Hey, Sailor! Highlight Powder - Pearlized highlights in a superfine pressed powder.  Goes on easily to create a smooth, sophisticated pop of light.  Packaged in a jaunty nautical striped compact.  Limited edition.
- Crew - soft peachy cream with fine shimmer

All of these shades have warmer undertones, none of these are that great of a choice for me.  Launch Away! is a lighter peach shade that is on the sheerer side.  This shade would be great for someone with light to medium skin that has warm undertones.  Fleet Fast looks like a deeper and less shimmery version of NARS Orgasm, this is a must-have only if you don't own any of the peachy pinks from NARS.  The Highlighter Powder is very pretty in the compact and I believe that this is going to be one of the best-selling products from this collection, it reminds me of the To The Beach Marine Highlight Powder that became an instant cult classic and was commanding top price on Ebay within weeks of the collection release.  This highlighter is a warmer tone with lots of peachy shimmer in it so this is another product that isn't for me.

This is one part of the Colour Collection that I can totally skip over...none of these shades will work very well for me and I would rather concentrate my energies toward the eye and lip parts of the collection.  I can see these shades working very well for someone with a warmer skintone and I do see them selling very well when the collection hits the counters this week.

Now we are heading to the lip and nail part of the Colour Collection...I see some new reds in my future!

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Tres Cheek

The second of the four MAC releases this week is a targeted collection for the cheeks, Tres Cheeks contains a series of new blush shades.  The traditional blush formula is one of the only products that I have never tried from MAC, I have used the Beauty Powder as blush but for some reason I have never bought one of their original blushes.  Lately I have been buying so many blushes from NARS and Illamasqua that I haven't been looking at other brands the way that I normally do.  Prehaps this series of new shades will change that for me and I will be picking up a few MAC Blushes on the coming weeks. 

Tres Cheek contains only new shades of the original formula, to the best of my knowledge this is not a new formula just a series of new shades.  "Blush as vibrantly, softly, or hip as you dare in shades that reflect your mood, style, and skin tone.  Six new limited edition Blush Powders in red-orange, peach, pink, and lavender that are seamlessly sheer, and stay as bright on the skin as they are in the palette."

The six new shades...

Powder Blush - Colour for the cheeks and face.  Various formulas.  Different looks.
- Pink Tea - neutral beiged pink
- Immortal Flower - bright peach
- Full of Joy - lavender
- Lovecloud - bright midtone pink
- Modern Mandarin - red-orange
- Peony Petal - bright blue pink

My favorite shade is the one that I have pictured, the Peony Petal is a bright blue pink that will work very well with the all the makeup shades that I currently own.  I am always buying more pink and rose blushes that promise to have full pigmentation and now I have more to add to my collection.  In addition to Peony Petal, I want to order Full of Joy and perhaps Pink Tea also.  Pink Tea looks as though it will be a less dramatic shade so this one might be best for professional environments.  I am interested in the Full of Joy shade, the pale lavender.  I am curious as to how this shade will appear on the skin, it is very pale and cool so if I can't pull it off than I don't know who it will be flattering on.

Time to go blush shopping again!

photo courtesy of MAC