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

Bare Minerals READY Bronzer

I have been talking about my search for a second bronzer formula for the past few weeks and I can finally write that I have found a second bronzer formula for the summer!  I have been looking critically at every formula that was in the summer collections, regardless of pricing, brand, or availability.  I kept coming back to some of the MAC collections but since I am already using a great bronzer from this company and I wanted to find a different type of formula from another company.  I was even considering trying a cream bronzer but I still don't feel comfortable working with this type of product and I cannot find many reviews on these products. 

I finally went into Sephora and found one of my favorite Sales Associates there and asked her point blank for what she thought was the best formula powder bronzer in the store.  I did not want the best selling or what the company considers to be the highest rated, I wanted her favorite to use and one that she has sold and recommended to customers.  She lead me in the direction of Bare Minerals READY Bronzer, a brand that I wasn't expecting and one that I don't use very much from.  She put a bit on my face and I was sold on buying the formula and giving it a try at home. 

The Bare Minerals READY Bronzer is a matte powder formula that also contains anti-aging benefits for the skin.  "A bronzer with antiaging benefits.  BareMinerals Ready™ Bronzer buffs on rich golden bronze color for a beautifully even, buildable glow. Powered by bareMinerals’ proprietary SeaNutritive Mineral™ Complex with antioxidants and cold-pressed carrot oil, this silky long-wearing formula delivers incredible antiaging benefits. Color lasts for up to eight hours."

This formula is available in three shades...

- The Skinny Dip - light tan
- The High Dive - tan
- The Deep End - dark tan

I purchased the lightest shade of this formula, it is great for ladies that have normally fair skin and add a bit of color in the summer months, it looks very natural with my fake tan and I am quite fond of this shade.  The formula is very easy to use and wear, I use it on my cheeks, chin, and forehead with a huge, fluffy bronzer brush.  This formula goes on sheer and leaves a natural hint of color, there is nothing "fake" or "orange" about this formula, it doesn't oxidize in the sun and doesn't look fake even after eight or more hours of wear. 

This company also makes a loose powder bronzer which I have heard is actually among one of their hardest products to use and look natural but this pressed powder bronzer is a great choice.  I am so glad that the matte powder bronzers are stating to become much easier to find, I dislike wearing that much shimmer on my face during the day.  This is great choice for a natural looking bronzer and will on rotation with my favorite formula from MAC all summer.  The search for a second bronzer to rotate with is over!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Benefit The Bronze of Champions Set

Benefit has released several great palettes and sets this spring and today we are going to look at the last of the new ones.  We have looked at all the Neutral palettes and I have been stalking the counter at Sephora so that I can buy at least two of the three palettes.  The set that we are going to look at today is a perfect pick for the summer months, The Bronze of Champions is a set that is primed and perfect for the summer months and I am always on the hunt for great new bronzer formulas to add to my collection.  This set contains Benefit's top selling bronzer and then several shades of makeup to complement my newly bronzed skin...and a great new lip gloss for the summer.  I have been all about Benefit products over the past two years and I want to add as many more of them to my collection as I can.

I can't say what I am the most excited about yet for this collection, I think that I am ready to add another bronzer formula to my collection and I am hoping that this set contains one that I will love to use.  I also want to try this lip gloss formula, I haven't used many lip products from this company and I need to start using them.

"A total bronze kit for eyes, lips, and cheeks.  Get your goddess on with these believable-bronze makeup essentials! Filled with sexy bestsellers, this TAN-talizing box of beauty has all you need to get out there and glow for glory.", states the Sephora website when describing the overall set.  There are quite a few products contained in this set and we will look at each one in more detail so I can decide if there are enough that I want contained in this set for me to purchase the whole set.

The contents of The Bronze of Champions Set...

Watt's Up! Soft Focus Highlighter for Face - A soft-focus highlighter for face.  This cream-to-powder highlighter turns up the wattage with a delicate, gorgeous champagne glow. Its smooth application and luminous sheen switches on the "wow" factor for any complexion. Apply it to cheeks and browbones, then sculpt with the soft-glow blender for your perfect gleam.

Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow - A long-wear cream eye shadow that won’t crease or smudge.  Benefit’s award-winning cream shadows are as crease-resistant and smudge-proof as ever! The 10 incredibly wearable shades (including original favorites RSVP, Birthday Suit, and Skinny Jeans) glide on easily and last all day. It’s fresh and fabulous color for all!  Make it last even longer! Layer long-wear powder shadow over your creaseless cream shadow for extra staying power.
- Bikini-Tini - oyster pink

Longwear Powder Eye Shadow - A powder eye shadow that lasts.  Finally, powder eye shadow in a fabulous long-wearing formula. This soft and silky shadow comes in 12 wearable shades and three finishes: matte, satin, and sheen. From pale shell to brilliant silver, these Benefit eye shadows have got you covered!  Make it last extra long! Layer long-wear powder shadow over your creaseless cream shadow for extra staying power.
- Thanks a Latte - golden brown

Hoola Bronzing Powder - A beautiful bronzing powder.  This powder is like Barbados in a box! Sweep Hoola across the chin, cheeks, and forehead with the accompanying brush for a healthy, natural looking tan year-round— no tanning bed necessary.  Always tap off excess powder to avoid applying too much color. This is a contouring bronzer that can also be used to highlight features of your face.

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.
- Hoola - shimmering golden nude

They're Real! Mascara - A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular "out-to-here" look.  This breakthrough bestseller reveals lashes you never knew you had! The specially designed brush features staggered bristles that grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The custom-domed tip uses precision bristles to lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. With a glossy, jet-black, long-wearing formula, you’ll flaunt luxurious, silky lashes that won’t smudge, clump, or dry out. True story!  Go horizontal! The staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume. Then go vertical! The custom-domed tip with precision bristles lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes.  
I must buy this set!  I want that bronzer formula and the lip gloss formula, I was a bit afraid that the lip gloss would have been a bronze color but I like this warm nude hue for the summer months.  I have already used several tubes of the They're Real! Mascara and this formula holds a place among the best ones that I have ever used so I am more than happy to add another tube of it to my collection.  I have not tried either of the eye shadows or the highlighter however I have seen all of these products in many palettes and have heard very good things about them in beauty magazines and blogs.  I would like to try all of these products and I will be buying this set the next time that I go to Sephora!

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

The Body Shop Summer 2012 Collection - Honey Bronze

The Body Shop has just released its newest summer color collection, I had to ignore all the new body products and force myself to focus only on the color products.  I love the body products from Body Shop and I could spend a small fortune on their Coconut and Mango product lines, they are two of the only product lines that I have continued to purchase year after year and have never gotten sick of.  I have found that I can now buy the body products at my local Ulta stores (though not at Sephora anymore) so I don't stress as much about being over an hour away from the closest freestanding Body Shop store, though I will have to order the makeup online or do some traveling in order to pick them up.

The new summer collection from The Body Shop only consists of bronzing products and all series of brush types to help apply the powders.  I just ourchased my first new bronzer for the summer, so I am not desperately in need of another one but I would like to own two shades for when my tan varies in hue over the next three months.  I see bronzers of all formulas in this collection, the only one that I am very likely to purchase is the pressed powder bronzer, the gels and shimmering oil are more complex products than I often try to work with in the summer heat and humidity.  The bronzers in this collection remind me of one of the MAC summer collections from years part, Naked Honey.  This wasn't a favorite collection of mine but it still had it's memorable pieces.

Personally, I think that this new collection from Body Shop could be a bit more diversified, how many types of bronzers does one need for the summer?  The best part about this collection is that there is a product of two for everyone however the collection range doesn't encourage purchasing any more than one or two products

Here is the new range of bronzers in the Honey Bronze collection...

Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil - Give your skin an even, bronzed look with a hint of shimmer with a lightweight body oil.  Honey bronze glow.  Tan-enhancing shimmer.  Non-greasy finish.

Honey Bronze Bronzing Gel for Face - Get an instant bronze glow with a moisturizing, honey-enriched gel. Moisturizing.  Light, non greasy formula.  Suits all skin tones.

Shimmer Waves - Sweep colors together for a stunning, all-over glow on the face and cheeks or use each one individually on the eyes or to accent specific areas.  Pearl pigments provide shimmer and sparkle, helping to disguise fine lines around the eye area.  Ultra-fine talc is a high-performance powder that enables smooth and even application.  Community Trade Marula Oil from Namibia helps to repair skin's moisture barrier.
- 01 Bronze - champagne gold/deep brown/red bronze/medium bronze/medium gold
- 02 Blush - medium bronze/medium rose/red bronze/medium bronze/pale cool champagne

Honey Bronzing Powder - Give your skin an even, bronze matte finish with a honey-enriched pressed powder.  All skin tones.  Even matte finish.  Convenient compact.
- 01 Light Matte - light tan
- 02 Fair Matte - light to medium tan
- 03 Medium Matte - medium tan
- 04 Deep Matte - deep tan

Brush-On Beads - Add a touch of radiance to your face, cheeks, and decolletage using bronze or buff colored powder beads with light-diffusing particles and pearl pigments.  All skin types.  Community Trade Marula Oil from Namibia helps keep skin soft and supple.  Light-diffusing particles and pearl pigments instantly brighten skin and help reduce the appearance of fine lines.
- Bronze - all shades of bronze
Baked-to-Last Bronzer - Create a sun-kissed glow with a natural-looking bronzer, handmade, and slow-baked for up to eight hours of deliciously rich color.  All skin types.  Community Trade organic Olive Oil from Italy helps to condition the skin.  Community Trade Shea Butter has antioxidant Vitamins A and E to help protect and nourish skin.  Community Trade Marula Oil from Namibia helps to repair skin's moisture barrier, leaving skin soft and supple.
- 01 - deep bronze with pale gold swirled in
- 02 - medium bronze with pale pink swirled in

Retractable Blusher Brush - A retractable makeup brush with a protective cap that is perfect for on-the-go application of your favorite blusher or bronzer.  Super-soft synthetic hairs are long-lasting and specially cut to be extra gentle on delicate face skin.  Flexible, round-shaped head is ideal for applying and blending powder.  Removable cap protects brush hairs without leaving makeup residue in your purse or cosmetic bag.

Kabuki Bronzing Brush - Apply our Bronzing Powder to face, cheeks, and decolletage with a high quality, super soft brush.  Super-soft synthetic fibers allow a seamless application of bronzing powder to face and decolletage.  Bronze opaque and metallic flat-stemmed handle allows for easy application and allows brush to stand upright.
Face and Body Brush - A versatile, larger makeup brush that is just the right size for applying blusher, bronzing powder or shimmer to the face or decolletage.  Soft synthetic hairs are long-lasting and specially cut to be extra gentle on delicate skin.  Wide tapered head is ideal for applying and blending powder formulations.  Slightly tapered handle makes the brush easy to hold and use for controlled, precise application.

Blusher Brush - An indispensable, soft-bristle makeup brush that is just the right size for applying blushers and bronzers.  Super-soft synthetic fibers are long-lasting and specially cut to be extra gentle in delicate facial skin.  Wide, flat tapered head is ideal for applying and blending powder formulations.  Slightly tapered brush handle makes the brush easy to hold use for controlled, precise application.

I think that the piece that I would need most from this collection is the Honey Bronzing Powder in both the fair/medium and medium shades so that I switch them up to make my ever-changing summer fake tan.  This is only product that I am at likely to purchase from this collection, the rest are very nice however I wouldn't use the shimmer finish bronzers enough to warrant a purchase of them. The only product that I would consider buying is the Shimmer Waves palettes, I like both shades of them and since I could use them as eye makeup, I know that I would get use from them all summer.  I would be unlikely to use them in any other way then as eye shadow. 
The last piece from the collection that I have an interest in is the brush collection.  I am considering ordering the Face and Body Brush to use for loose powder since Body Shop has very high quality synthetic face brushes.  This isn't my favorite collection of the summer however it produces a series of high quality bronzers and all types of brushes to aid in application.

photo courtesy of The Body Shop

MAC Hey, Sailor! - My Haul and Final Thoughts

This morning I was finally able to pick up my pre-order on the Hey, Sailor collection at my local Macy*s.  After sitting in what seemed to be endless traffic and massive amounts of humidity rendering my hair a disaster (I will be redoing it after I finish this post up), I finally pulled into the mall parking lot, found a spot, and then went running into Macy*s.  I even skipped over Sephora on this visit, I was so excited to get my MAC products and then get back home to play with them.  My initial thought when I got to the counter was that there was no excitement around this line, the counter had one poster up and normal-sized display instead of all the bells and whistles that was I was expecting to see.  I did my pre-order a few days ago with the counter manager and I wish that she would have been there this morning since she knows me well and has recommended products that have ended up being favorites of mine.  I ended up only leaving with the four products that I had pre-ordered so I will have to visit again in order to purchase some of the permanent shades that I need.

I narrowed my initial purcahse down to the four products that I wanted the most when I looked at the collection.  The bags are not available at the counters so I wasn't able to buy any of those.  I decided on a Lipstick, two eye makeup products, and a bronzer.  None of the shades and products are super-unique and they are many dupes out on the market from all different brands.  If you love the packaging, then you will be all over this collection; if you don't, then you will not die if you don't buy multiple pieces of the collection.  Did the packaging push me in the direction of this collection?  Of course it did!  The only product that I would have purchased if the collection was in the plain packaging is the powder bronzer since I actually need it.  MAC offers great red lipstick hues but I didn't need another one and wouldn't have really noticed this one had I not be stalking the collection.  The same reasoning holds for the gold eye makeup products.  However I happen to love the packaging and I am so happy with the four products that I have bought!

My Hey, Sailor! haul!

Hey, Sailor! Bronzing Powder - A lightly frosted, tinted powder that gives skin sheer, natural colour effects and highlights.  Ideal to enhance and strengthen a tan.  Packaged in blue and white stripes, it's a match to everything Hey, Sailor!  Limited edition.
- Soft Sand - golden bronze with fine gold pearl

Hey, Sailor! Eye Shadow - Highly pigmented powder.  Applies evenly, blends well.  Packaged in blue and white stripes, it's a match to everything Hey, Sailor!  Limited edition.
- Barefoot - tarnished gold

Hey, Sailor! Powerpoint Eye Pencil - A kohl pencil that has all the intensity of colour-power of ultra-soft carbon.  Provides deep, fully opaque coverage and an intense, smoked finish with duo-chrom pearl.  Versatile in application: blend or smudge.  Packaged in blue and white stripes, it's a match to everything Hey, Sailor!  Limited edition.
- Handforged - metallic yellow gold

Hey, Sailor! Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips.  Stands out on the runway.  Simmers on the street...or at sea!  Packaged in blue and white stripes, it's a match to everything Hey, Sailor!.  Limited edition.
- Red Racer - bright yellow red

We will start off with the bronzer.  I decided on the Bronzing Powder because the shades were more neutral, the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders looked slightly harder to work with; one shade has a red finish, the other a pronounced yellow undertone.  Of the Bronzing Powders, Soft Sand is medium tan with very little shimmer, the other Bronzing Powder has a heavier shimmer and is a darker hue.  Soft Sand is the easier of the two shades for me to pull off.  This bronzer has a sheer to medium finish, it will work best as a light dusting used to lightly tanned to medium skin.  This is the shade that will fit most of the ladies that shop at MAC.

The Barefoot Eye Shadow is the pretty gold shade that I wanted as soon as I first looked at the collection.  The MAC website doesn't give full details but the counter manager told me that the finish on this shadow is closest to the Veluxe Pearl formula, a formaul that manages to produce some of the best and worst MAC shadows.  This shade has a medium to sheer finish and works best when applied with an eye primer.  I will be using it with other golds and champagnes, it is not quite pigmented enough to wear on its own.  I was considering the gold-toned Pigment in this collection but the counter manager told me that the eye shadow is easier to apply and a bit softer than the texture of the Pigment, making my decision of what I wanted easier. 

The Powerpoint Eye Pencil is one of the best quality products that I bought with this collection and I see myself getting the most use of this liner and the matching shadow all year round.  This pencil is less pigmented than the Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencils so this isn't the dupe that I was hoping for.  It needs to be applied twice to get a full color intensity, one coat offers a subtle gold look and two coats are needed to create the full gilded eye look.  This pencil lasts all day long and only budged when I used eye makeup remover on it at night, this is a great choice for the summer months.

The last product is the one that is my absolute favorite from the collection and the one product that I had to own from the collection, the Red Racer Lipstick shade.  This a medium yellow red with a satin finish, the finish is very close to a matte and is just slightly creamier than Russian Red.  This shade reminds me of Ladybug with a full coverage finish, a shade that I have often hoped for.  This shade gives me about 6 hours of wear and will begin to wear off with extended eating or drinking.  A primer would be needed under this shade to keep it on all day. 

Overall I am very happy with my purchases from the Hey, Sailor! collection.  I certainly don't need the whole collection even though I love the packaging.  This is one of my favorite MAC collections so far this year, even though I think that the packaging is better than some of the products and shades in the collection.  I like other products in the collection but I really don't need any of those shades as much as I wanted these.  I will be able to use the bronzer all the way into September and the rest of the shades will work well for me all year round and will work well with the rest of the shades in my traincase.  I predict that this will be one of the biggest MAC collections of the year.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Hey, Sailor! Bronzing

The second part of the collection is the Bronzing products, this is a big part of the collection and I see many of the same types of products that we see every summer from MAC.  Are some of these products permanent or does MAC just bring out the same summer bronzing products out every single year in different limited edition packaging?  I feel like I saw many of these products in 2009's Style Warrior and then again in 2010's To The Beach.  Last year, nothing from the Surf Baby! face collection popped out at me, most of the shades were too warm for me and I am hoping that this collection changes that.  The models for this collection look much different than the ones from the previous years, this year's model is much less bronzed and has a more polished makeup look from the previous years.  That should mean that MAC has brought out more of a shade range and it will contain shades that work better for skin that is cool-toned and doesn't get very tan.

"Set sail this summer with a gorgeously golden bronzing collection inspired by the glam of vintage pin-up girls.  Go overboard with Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder, To The Beach Body Oil, and more!  Limited edition."  It looks like To The Beach was the big inspiration for the bronzers in this collection and MAC is using the best pieces of that collection to re-release this year.  From what I remember reading, To The Beach was one fot he best-selling MAC collections of the past few years and I can see that MAC would want to continue to capitalize on it again.

Here are the Bronzing products from Hey, Sailor!

Hey, Sailor! Bronzing Powder - A lightly frosted, tinted powder that gives skin sheer, natural colour effects and highlights.  Ideal to enhance and strengthen a tan.  Packaged in blue and white stripes.  It's a match to everything Hey, Sailor!.  Limited edition.
- Soft Sand - golden bronze with fine gold pearl
- Refined Gold - finely spun golden with soft pearl finish

Hey, Sailor! Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder - Combining comfort, flawless sheer-low transparent coverage and long wear, this is bronze with a fully dimensional yet natural finish.  Comes in a nautical blue and white striped compact.  Limited edition.
- Nude on Board - bronzy, yellow tone
- Sun Dipped - dirty red tone

To The Beach Body Oil - A shimming body oil formulated to bring a sheer sheen and sexy gleam to skin.  Soothing, naturally emollient.  Its fusion of three botanical oils help soften, smooth, and moisturize skin.  Limited edition.
- Seaside - dirty blushy pink with multidimensional sparkles
- Man Rays - glowing tan with multidimensional golden shimmer

167 SH Face Blender Brush - Specially designed for the lightweight application/blending of face powders, highlighters, and bronzers; this short-handled brush of white goat hair is dome-shaped, luxuriously full and fluffy, to create a flawless look.

I must have both of the new Bronzing Powders in this collection.  Refined Gold will be the best shade for the beginning of the summer as I am still building a tan and then Soft Sand will be better for the middle to the end of the summer when I have a full (for me) tan built up.  Even my full tan isn't very dark so I want the bronzers that aren't quite so dark.  The two shades in the Pro Longwear look slightly harder to pull off , they both appear deeper and warmer than my skintone will ever get so I will be skipping both of these products.  I have heard rave reviews about the original To The Beach Body Oil however this is a product that I don't really need and I don't know how much use i would really get from it.  It would be a fun product to buy but it isn't anything that I will be rushing out to buy on my first haul of the collection.

My biggest purchases from this part of the collection will be one, if not both, of the new Bronzing Powders.  I am in need of a new bronzer anyway so this is one of the practical items that I will purchase from the collection.  Next up, we will go onto to looking at the Colour part of the collection and all the non-practical items that I will want from Hey, Sailor!

photo courtesy of MAC

Clinique True Bronze Pressed Powder Bronzer

My mind may be fully engaged with fall scents and makeup lines however my makeup routine is still firmly entrenched in summer.  At the beginning of this summer, I was reorganizing my traincase and randomly found this Clinique bronzer that I had never opened.  I must have gotten it for free with a Clinique gift over the years since I didn't reocgnize the packaging of the palette that it was housed in.  My Lancaster bronzer was getting low so I decided that I should try this one out for the summer and see how it performed.  I have worked with many Clinique powder formulations over the years and have been happy with them so I had high hopes that this bronzer would perform as well the foundations and powders did.

"Lightweight powder bronzer creates a natural-looking, sun-kissed radiance.  Blends, builds easily to your desired level of bronze.  Perfect for on-the-go glow.  Long-wearing.  Oil-free."  This bronzer has more of a matte finish than a shimmer, which I much prefer when using a bronzer.  I hate to use the heavy shimmer powders for everyday use so I am so happy with the slew of matte finish bronzers that have been hitting hte market over the past two or three years. 

I use this like any other powder bronzer; sweep a bit on a big fluffy brush and then use it to highlight the areas of my fave that are naturally touched by the sun.  This formula is one of the lighter ones that I have used and is very easy to apply and blend.  This product goes on very sheer and has to built up in two or more layers to really get the "bronzed" look.  For myself, this is fine since I have fair skin and only self-tanner to get myself a few shades deeper than normal.  A dark bronze wouldn't work for me and therefore if you have medium to deeper skin and really want a deeper tan, this product won't be enough for you.  However, for fair to light-medium skin, this product is very natural looking and enhances the little bit of color that I get with self-tanner.  This bronzer is very soft and has a buttery texture, I love the feel of this product.

This product currently is available in three shades, all of which are best for fair to medium skintones.

- Sunswept - warm bronze with flecks of gold pearl
- Sunblushed - reddened bronze
- Sunkissed - pink bronze

I am using the Sunkissed shade since my skin already has so much pink in it.  It looks much more natural for me to use a bronzer with a pink tone in than to use one that is considered a neutral shade.  After I completely finish my Lancaster bronzer, I will look for more bronzers with pink undertones.  The Sunkissed shade has no pearl to the finish so it looks very natural, Sunblushed is exactly the same.  Sunswept has the pearl in it so I would be more likely to keep a shade like this for the evening.

I will continue using this bronzer until Labor Day and then I will start going into my fall makeup routine.  I am very happy with this bronzer though I really only recommend it for ladies with fair to light-medium skin.  It isn't a deep enough shade to really show up one someone with a deeper skintone.  

photo courtesy of Clinique

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer

Too Faced has recently released a new bronzer for the summer of 2009. This bronzer has a matte finish unlike many of the bronzers that I have seen with more of a shimmery finish. So far this summer, I have become totally sick of bronzers and tanners but I am still intrigued by this one. Why? This one has a matte finish and therefore might look a bit more natural than that shimmer spiked ones that I keep running into at Sephora. Also this bronzer contains real cocoa powder so I am in the hopes that it will smell the best out of any of the products that are currently available.

This product is considered to be a "delectable matte bronzer". Here is the description of the product from the Sephora website, "Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer makes getting glam-and-tan downright delicious. Too Faced combines the natural, therapeutic effects of real cocoa powder with their signature bronzing pigments, creating a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens out and enhances all skintones. The complexion is left with a flawless finish, a gorgeous radiance, and a subtly sweet scent".

This product looks awfully dark and slightly scary in the packaging but when appiled with a light hand, produces a very nice tan shade for pale skin. I would imagine that a woman with a deeper skintone could use a much heavier had with this but for us pale girls, a little bit goes a long way. Swirling a bronzer brush around just the edges fo the product helps to ensure that only the right amount of product is picked up. I read over a bunch of the reviews on the Sephora website and what most people are the happiest about is that it has a matte finish and therefore is more wearable in the daytime. And now with this product, my whole face can smell like candy!

photo courtesy of Sephora