Buxom Buxom Lashliner

Yesterday we looked at one of my new favorite lipstick formulas and today we are switching gears to one of the new eye makeup products that I have been playing around with.  Many of you know that I have been trying to buy more eye makeup over the past few months and less lipsticks and lip glosses in an attempt to even out my makeup collection.  I tend to prefer cream eyeliner formulas and rotate between ones from Tarte and Smashbox.  I wanted to try more cream eyeliner formulas and I decided on the Buxom Buxom Lashliner formula from Sephora.  I love Buxom lip gloss formulas and really wanted to see if the eye makeup products are the same quality as the lip products,

The Buxom collection can be purchased at Sephora or at Bare Minerals stores, I tend to purchase these products from Sephora as I don't purchase many products from the original Bare Minerals and rarely ever go into that store when I go shopping.  The first shade that I purchased was a brown shade and I was intending to purchase other shades in this product however I was disappointed to learn that this product is available in exactly two shades...black and brown.  Therefore I will not be purchasing many more shades in this product any time soon.

The Sephora website provides a description of the product itself and the two shades that are available for purchase.  "A lash line enhancing and conditioning treatment.  Lash addicts beware: Buxom Lashliner is highly habit-forming. This may look like just a liner, but it's also a thickening and conditioning treatment that instantly takes the appearance of your lashes from hardly any to very many. This mineral-rich, paraben-free, whipped gel formula glides on like a liquid liner and dries to a long-wearing smudge proof eyeliner. The formula is made with natural ingredients, including vitamins A, C, and E; Honeysuckle; Jojoba Oil; Soy Protein; Tourmaline; and Biotin (vitamin B), which support healthy lashes. In one fluid stroke, you can fill in the base of your lashes—making them appear lusciously longer and fuller. This product is ophthalmologist tested and safe for contact lens wearers. The result: Healthy, lust-worthy lashes that have no limits."

A few facts from the testing of this product:

-  88% of women agreed Buxom Lashliner stayed put all day
- 76% of women claimed Buxom Lashliner made their lashes more dramatic.
-88% of women agreed Buxom Lashliner stayed put all day.
-76% of women claimed Buxom Lashliner made their lashes more dramatic.

As I stated above, this product is available in only two shades; Leatherette (Black) and Suede (dark brown) and I purchased the Suede shade.  This is nice deep brown hue with a matte finish, it is easy to wear and I have paired it with a quite a few different neutral eye makeup shades. 

The formula is nice but I don't find it to be anything special and the claims that are made from the manufacturer have not been seen on my end.  I have been using this product for two weeks now (two or three times a week) and maybe I need to use it longer or more often to see the results on my lashline.  I use the product with the Tarte eyeliner brush and I make sure that I get it right on my lashline so I don't think that I am applying it incorrectly.  The formula applies nicely and states on all day without smudging however it performs very much like every other cream/gel eyeliner formula that I have tried and there is nothing that sets it apart.

The formula is easier to remove than that of Smashbox and I do like this aspect of it since I have struggled in the past to get all of my eye makeup off at night (even with use of a separate eye makeup remover).  Anything that makes it somewhat easier gets top marks in my book.

I am on the fence about really liking this formula, it is very nice and I love that is stays put and is easy to remove but I hate that there are only two shades of this formula.  I would consider purchasing the black shade however I currently have that shade from Smashbox and don't need another black cream eyeliner formula.  I would love if this product was offered in a few more shades and I could order more of them but my collecting of this product is basically done after my initial purchase.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Current Favorites!

I just realized the other day that I haven't done a Five Favorites post for several months now, at one point I was doing them monthly and then somehow I just stopped during them during the fall months.  I can pretty sum up my entire fall and early winter favorites with this post, I have been using all kinds of red shades for my nails and lips and have been using Kate Walsh Boyfriend ever since I first got the sample from Sephora and then ordered the rollerball of the fragrance.  I can say that I have chosen some really great products over the past few months since I have been many of the same shades and fragrances since October, normally I tend to rarely use the same fragrance or shade two days in a row so it is pretty unbelieveable that I continue to use the same shades day after day and am still in love with them!

My Five Favorites from the beginning of fall to the present!

MAC Lipstick in Ladybug - " Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous"  Ladybug is a sheer red, described by the company as "yellow tomato" and it is one of the Luster finish Lipsticks.  Lusters are on the sheer side and are more hydrating than any other formula, they are perfect for any time of the year and are among the easiest of MAC Lipstick's to wear.  This lipstick shade is a neutral red that is sheer enough to wear in any situation but will still get you noticed.  This is one of my favorite red lip shades and is one that I often recommend to ladies looking to buy their first red lip hue.

Kate Walsh Boyfriend - "She inhales his shirt, taking in the scent of the man she loves. It lingers on her clothes, her sheets, her hair—all over. Imprinted on her body and in her mind, it radiates within her, filling her with feelings of warmth and desire.  Actress Kate Walsh wanted to capture the scent of a guy on a girl: a man's cologne mixed with perfume, the smell that lingers on the skin. This fragrance evokes memories of that time after he has left for the day—when she gently awakes in a bed that's still warmly redolent of "boyfriend."  An alluring balance of vanilla, jasmine blossoms, and an accord of amber is set against the sensual scents of a man, including a light musk and a shimmer of fresh woods.  Notes: Dark Plum, Myrrh, Night Blooming Jasmine, Benzoin Tears, Skin Musk, Golden Amber, Vanilla Woods."  This unique fragrance has been one of my favorites over the past few weeks, I used my sample of this scent within a few days and then quickly ordered the Rollerball from Sephora.  This fragrance is a mixture of plum, jasmine, vanilla, and wood on me.  I initially didn't like this fragrance but am very glad that I gave it another chance, it is much more masculine than what I normally wear but doesn't smell like men's colonge.  It is very soft and sensual and the perfect date fragrance or to wear for cuddling in the winter months.  I will be using this all the time until spring comes.

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Adventure Red-y - "China Glaze is a professional-level nail enamel made with a special balance of polymers and resins that combine to create a nail lacquer that is long lasting, chip-resistant and resistant to color and shine fading. Will not thicken in the bottle, no thinners necessary. "  Adventure Red-y is a "deep vivid red" with a cream finish, I love this red shade so much!  It came out in the On Safari collection for fall and now it is getting harder to find but I really recommend searching for it.  This is one of my favorite reds, it is deeper than many of the other that I own and I get compliments on it whenever I wear it.  It works very well in the fall months and then I wore it straight through the holidays and will still use it next summer for pedicures.  This is one of the best purchases that I have ever made from this polish company and On Safari is now up there with Anchors Away as my favorite collections from them.

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish in Betty - "A pout-perfecting, sheer coverage, shimmering lip gloss.  This bestselling, lip polish instantly creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips with luminous shine. Vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, smooth, and protected while the tingling sensation reminds you that it's working."  Betty is a "crimson red" and is one of the older shades in this product, I first got this lip gloss back in 2009 and I somehow forgot about it for a whole year and then I pulled it out and tried it for the first time around the holidays in 2010.  This is a lovely deep sheer red.  It is another shade that is sheer enough that anyone can pull it off and it will work in any situtation but will still get you noticed.  This formula has a bit of a plumping effect but nothing mind blowing, it will help to slightly fill out your lips and improve the texture but it will not give you the collagen lips.  This is one of the Sephora best-selling lip gloss formulas and I have never met anyone that doesn't like this product!

Tarte EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow/Liner in Bronze - "A collection of plush eyeliners and a double-ended eyeliner brush, to create intense and long-lasting high definition eyes.  These liners provide skinvigorating™ benefits and an intense yet smooth-cream texture, perfect for creating a precise, high definition line or a smoky, sultry shadow base. High-performance natural™ Amazonian clay deepens the intensity of pure color pigments while nourishing skin for a truer, bolder color that lasts. The botanical waterproofing agent in these liners is earth engineered from a blend of natural plant waxes to form an impermeable layer that protects against rain, sweat, tears, and creasing for longer wear.  Nature's most perfect ingredient, Amazonian clay, balances and neutralizes skin's surface. Whether oily or dry, it reduces surface oil and improves the overall texture of the skin, for smoother application and better wear. The black and brown shades are matte; the bronze, plum, indigo, and green shades are metallic."  Bronze is a "deep bronze sheen" and is the eyeliner that I have been turning to more and more ever since I bought it in October.  This liner shade works with both of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes and therefore I use it at least three times a week, it is more subtle than the liner shades that Urban Decay selected for the palettes and therefore is much easier to wear in a professional environment.  This shade has a bit of shimmer but it is subtle and will work well with any type of makeup look.  I have been using this liner with shades from Naked and Naked 2 and then doing a sheer red lip at lot lately, both for work and getting dressed up at night.

I have been using this fragrances and products for the past few weeks and I know that I will continue to use them all through the rest of the winter.  Last year, I got sick of red right after the holidays were over but I am much more in loves with reds this year and I know that I will be using these products all the way until the beginning of March!

photo courtesy of China Glaze's Facebook page

Buxom Time to Shine Lip Gloss Set

It is the first day of December and now crunch time is beginning to come upon us for gift shopping.  I am bascially done shopping for any holiday makeup shades for myself and now I will really begin ordering all of my friends their gifts and palettes from the Sephora website.  I love giving lip gloss sets to my friends and now I have found another great option from the Sephora website.  I have been using my Buxom Lip Shine in Betty ever since the beginning of November and I have been loving the sheer red hue and the shine that it delivers.  I can honestly say that it has quickly become one of my favorite lip shades of the holiday season and I will wear it for the rest of the winter months.  I now see that Sephora has a little gift set of these top selling lip glosses and I am already deciding which one of my friends would love these lip glosses as much as I do!

The Time to Shine set contains six little lip glosses in the best selling Buxom Lip Gloss formula, I fell in love with this formula the very first time that I tried it and love adding new shades of it to my lip gloss collection.  Not that my lip gloss collection really needs to get any larger at this point and I swore to myself that I would only buy gifts from the Sephora website but I really, really want this set and I know that I will really use the shades throughout the whole year...

This set is exclusive to Sephora and the website contains full description of the set and the shades contained in it.  "A six-piece Buxom® Big & Healthy™ Mini Lip Collection.  This luscious lip collection has multiple finishes and shades to keep you center stage–shimmering and sparkling Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polishes and creamy, glass-smooth Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Creams. Lacquer and layer them up to create your perfect pout. With the refreshing tingling sensation plus vitamins A and E, lips are soft, smooth, and ready for the spotlight."

Big and Healthy Lip Cream - A creamy, pout-perfecting gloss for voluptuous lips.  Tingle, plump, and shine your smile to super-sexy proportions. No shimmer, no glimmer—this creamy lip gloss delivers velvety-smooth color with intoxicating shine. The hyaluronic filling spheres infuse lips with moisture for creamy soft perfection and the look of a full, extra-kissable pout. Vitamins A and E help keep the skin supple, yet protected, and the fun tingling sensation reminds you the gloss is hard at work.

Big and Healthy Lip Polish - A pout-perfecting, sheer coverage, shimmering lip gloss.  This bestselling, lip polish instantly creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips with luminous shine. Vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, smooth, and protected while the tingling sensation reminds you that it's working.

This gift set contains the following shades:

- Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in White Russian (nude pink), Berry Blast (vivid fuchsia)
- Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Sugar (original/ rose beige), Katie (original/ pale pink), April (diamond/glimmering icy pink), Gina (diamond/ glimmering hot pink)
I have only used one of the two formulas in this line, I have not yet tried any of the shades from the Lip Cream formula.  I believe that this is a newer formula and there are very few shades currently in it (especially compared to the multitude of shades in the original formula).  White Russian looks like a great shade for me, I will use this nude pink all year round and it will work with any makeup look that I can come up with.  I will buy this shade in the full size if I decide not to purchase the whole set for myself.  I do like the Berry Blast shade too and this shade will fit in well with some of the spring makeup trends that were in the Allure December issue (Spring Trend Report on the way this month!) and I now want this shade...

I don't own any of the shades in the original formula from this set and now I want all of them too!  What was I thinking when I clicked on this set and thought that I would only give it as a gift?!  I would wear all of the shades from the original formula in set, especially the Sugar (rose beige) shade, this will be another neutral for me that I can pair with anything.

Shopping for gifts for myself is not the way that I should be starting December but I REALLY want this set...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Buxom Buxom Sculpted Lash Mascara

I have just finished up the tube of the Lancome Hyponose Doll Lashes Mascara that I started using at the very beginning of October, I have been going through mascara like crazy the past few months as I continue to be obsessed with creating huge lashes.  I typically had to use two to three full coats of the Lancome formula to get the lashes that I want and then I ended up going through the tube faster than usual.  When I ordered that mascara from Sephora, I also ordered the newest formula from Buxom. I had loved the original Buxom Lash Mascara when I first bought it several years ago and it has remained a favorite of mine.  Therefore I was very excited when I saw another version of this mascara and ordered it as soon as my mascara stash began getting on the low side. 

The original Buxom was one of the few mascara formulas that could give me the huge, thick lashes that I am obsessed with and performs among the best formuals from Benefit and Dior.  The new version of this mascara is the Buxom Sculpted Lash Mascara, a mascara with a "S" shaped wand to help this formula create really large and defined lashes.  I have used this mascara for the past three days and so far I have been really happy with the results that I have been seeing. 

This brand is exclusive to Sephora, this is only place that the products can be purchased (I have also seen them at free-standing Bare Escentuals stores too).  " A vitamin-rich, lash-nourishing mascara with a unique “S” shaped brush.  Consider Sculpted Lash Mascara as lash artistry at its best. The “S” shaped brush grabs and thickly coats each lash, allowing you to sculpt, shape and style for a full-on, fanned-out effect. The nutrient-rich formula coats each lash from root to tip, ensuring your volume and shape lasts all day with no clumping or flaking."  This mascara is available in one shade, True Black, and it is a deep black hue.

Since the brush is so unique, Sephora has provided instructions on how to get the best use from this product.  "Hold the wand with tip down so that the outer “U” shaped curve of the brush contours to the outer curve of your lashes.  Sweep through lashes, while slowly turning brush for ultimate volume and shape.  Then, use the angled tip to maneuver into those hard-to-reach inner lashes.  The finishing touch: with tip pointed down, tap the brush along lower lashes to coat."

Following the instructions is key for the best results from this product, I do skip over the last step since I don't do my lower lashes but the first three create the best use of this product.  The first step is key, the upper curve on the outisde creates volume at the outer corner of the eyes.  This step makes my eyes look bigger and more open, while the formula creates the huge lashes that I crave.  This brush is harder to work with than the original, it took me several tries to get it right.  The first time that I used it, I created a mess of clumpy lashes and had to use a comb to get them sorted out.  The next time, I used it slightly slower and was able to avoid the clumps.  For daytime use, I do one coat of this product and then save the second coat for more drama.  After I have finished the initial coats, I use the tip of brush to touch up individual lashes that I amy have missed the first time around and then use the tip just to add an extra coat to the very outer corner lashes.  This usage creates a great result from this mascara and makes me very happy.

Removal of this formula is the worst aspect, eye makeup remover only gets about 75% of it off and the rest smeared all over my under eye area.  This isn't the worst formula that I have used for removal but I don't love how much effort it takes for me to get it all off at night.

I have finally found a mascara formaul that makes me happy, however I was expecting this formula to be a winner for me since I have loved the original since I first tried it out.  This formula is one of the best for those of us who love big, dramatic lashes.  This brush is harder to work with than the original but the results are much better for opening up and bringing attention to the eyes.  I have found another mascara that I can consider a top choice for huge lashes and I really recommend it!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bare Escentuals Buxom Swinger Girls

The Buxom line from Bare Escentuals has long been my favorite part of this company.  And I have recently learned that I am not alone in this love.  My local Sephora has expanded their Buxom area to an entire aisle as some other companies are getting their's axed to about half the aisle or even less.  New products from this comnpany are coming out practically everytime that I go to Sephora and Buxom Lips is fast becoming a favorite lip gloss of mine (second only to MAC Plushglass).  It is rare that a company delights me with everything that they come out with and it is making me want to collect one of everything from this company. 

Buxom has just released a new lip gloss set that drove me wild from the first moment that I saw it when browsing on the Sephore website.  Four pink and rose lip glosses in one of my favorite formulas?!  This set, called Swinger Girls, has my name written all over it and I am so excited to head to the store to buy it.

"A four-piece collection of pout perfecting lacquers.  These four lip lacquers take soft shades to a whole new level of luscious.  The tingling, cooling sensation creates the look of enticingly voluptuous lips, while a deep infusion of Vitamins A and E helps keep lips soft, smooth, and protected."  Along with the overall description of this set, Sephora also provides some of the impressive results of the clinical trials of this lip gloss.  "In clinical trials for Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish: 86% of women experienced an immediate increase in lip fullness, 75% of women felt lip moisture increased, and 96% of women were satisified with the overall improvement in their lips."

The four shades in this set are all lovely and perfect for the spring season.  I can easily take them into summer too since they will all work with tanned skin later on.  The shades are...
- Emily - rosy nude
- Heather - champagne sparkle
- Lauren - pink cupcake
- Marissa - pink blush 

My favorite shades are the Emily and Marissa, both of which are more on the deeper pink side.  I will get lots of use from them since they can be worn with a more professional look or against strong eye makeup.  Lauren is bright pink and is a very fun shade but this one is best for going out.  Heather appears more on the champagne side and has the most sparkle of the four.  This one might also be best for going out, depending on the glimmer factor of it. Either way, the formula of these glosses is fantastic so I know that I will love all of them.

Buxom has me sucked in yet again...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip Polish

Somehow I have been skipping over these lip glosses in my makeup box for the longest time, I had at least one or two sitting in my traincase since at least the beginning of summer. So it was like Christmas morning when I as digging around and came across two of these (in their original packages yet!). I have been test-driving both shades and I have decided that these rank up in my short list of favorite lip glosses. This lip gloss has a plumping ingredient in it, reminding me more of MAC Plushglass than DuWop Lip Venom.

Sephora states the following about this product, "A pout-perfecting lip polish. Naturally creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips. This mineral-infused polish imparts a luminous high shine with no sticky or tacky feeling. A deep infusion of antioxidant Vitamins A and E helps keep lips soft, smooth, and protected, while the tingly and cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are getting an immediate increase in fullness." In clinical trials: 86% of women experience an immediate increase in lip fullness; 75% of women feel that moisture in their lips has increase; and 96% of women were statisfied with the overall appearance in their lips.

This product is available in a range of shades, from subtle to dramatic, with three finishes: original, tint, and diamond. Here are the shades that you have to choose from...

Original Finish (sheer cream gloss)

- Amber - soft shimmering peach

- Betty - crimson red

- Bianca - shimmering golden orange

- Brandi - shimmering deep rose

- Bunny - innocent pink

- Candi - shimmering soft pink

- Dani - berry pink

- Destiny - peach nectar

- Dolly - shimmering muted plum

- Dominique - clear with iridescent microglitter

- Eva - warm rose

- Gabby - plum shimmer

- Ginger - shimmering copper rose

- Isabella - sunlit copper

- Jessica - copper pink

- Kanani - shimmering vibrant pink

- Katie - pale pink

- Krystal - high shine clear
- Lacey - coral poppy

- Lana - black raspberry

- Princess - shimmering pink pearl

- Sandy - pink nude

- Sugar - rose beige

- Trixie - shimmering golden rose

Tint Finish (cream finish with more pigment)

- Cherry - sheer poppy

- Liberty - sheer red glaze

- Margarita - sheer raspberry

- Melonie - sheer fushcia

Diamond Finish (super sparkly finish)

- April - glimmering icy pink

- Celeste - glimmering soft peach
- Charity - glimmering cherry red

- Clair - moonlit mauve

- Sarina - shimmering toffee

- Starr - raspberry ice

The two shades that I purchased are from the original finish collection. I have Dani, which is the berry pink shade and Betty, which is the crimson red shade. The Dani shade is very easy to wear since it just gives my lips a hint of a berry tint and I have paired this shade with many different eye shadow shades. Crimson works the best when it is paired with a golden eye or a black cat eye. The plumping action on these glosses makes my lips full and plump but not over-powering. Instead of burning, this gloss give a hint of mint tingle and fades after several minutes. The plumping effect lasts about two or three hours, usually until the gloss needs to be reapplied.

The last time that I went to Sephora (after trying these glosses out), I sat and stared at the counter and felt like a little girl in a candy store all over again. I could have grabbed a shopping basket and started filling it up right then and there but I decided to try and have some self control. Maybe hold it down to one or two per visit... Most of the ones that I want are from the original formulation, I don't plan to really mess with lip gloss perfection! My shopping list: Brandi, Bunny, Eva, Lana, Sandi, and Sugar. I want to try out the April shade in the Diamond formula and see how it compares to the Baby Sparks Dazzleglass.

Well now I have yet another lip gloss obsession. Since that was EXACTLY was I needed!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bare Escentuals Buxom Samantha's Smoky Eye Set

I was instantly attracted to this product because the cover of the set reminded me of a scene from Sex and the City. The cover is of Samantha, a blond secret agent wearing a trench coat which is directly out of a scene from Sex and the City in the beginning of Season Six. Between this scene in the show and the fact that this set is from Buxom makes this a top choice of mine the next time that I go to Sephora. Earlier this year, I wrote about how much I loved the Buxom Lash mascara fromthis collection and I used this product until the very last drop came out of it. Since mascara and Sex and the City are two of my favorite things, this set has me written as over it.

Sephora places this product in the following category, "A kit that has everything you need for that killer combination of sexy, smoky eyes and luscious, nude lips". The website goes on to give a more detailed description. "This set will have you feeling armed and gorgeous with Bare Escentuals' smoking hot combination of: a Buxom Smoky Eye Stick in Smokin' Pistol, a Buxom Smoky Eye Brush, a Lash Mascara in deep black, and a universally flattering nude Samantha Big & Healthy Lip Polish". I found more details about the mascara and the lip polish on the Sephora website so I will share it with everyone.

Buxom Lash - A paraben-free, lash-volumizing mascara. Bare Escentual's Buxom Lash Mascara - Blackest Black holds the style of your lashes for a continuous 12 hours with no flakiness. The silky, vitamin-rich formula darkens, lengthens, and thickens from root to tip without ever clumping. Its patented, hourglass-shaped brush is designed to lift and separate every lash without delivering the perfect amount of antioxidant-rich mascara needed for bigger, fuller lashes.

- Blackest Black - deep rich black

Buxom Lips - A pout-perfecting lip polish. Naturally creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips. This mineral-infused polish imparts a luminous high shine with no sticky or tacky feeling. A deep infusion of antioxidant vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, smooth, and protected, while the tingly feeling and cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are getting an immediate increase in fullness.

- Samantha - seductive nude

Since Buxom Lash is one of my favorite mascaras of all time, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this set even if I only ended up liking the mascara in it. The Lip Polish is on my list of products to review shortly, I hav eonly tried mine once but am happy with it so far. The mascara is just plain amazing, it makes my lashes look long and full and never smudges. The products in this kit are top notch and the concept and package will be loved by any Sex and the City fan. I am really interested in the Smoky Eye Stick and to find out if it more of an eye liner or a shadow pencil. I want to try it out with my MAC liners and see if it helps me to create a smoky easy quicker and easier than just using a traditional liner and shadow.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bare Escentuals Buxom Chronicles: Four of a Kind

I can barely keep my eyes open this morning so we are going along the path of least resistance to me. So no chemcials in skincare that I need to explain and no stories of tightlining with a new eye liner. So what does this path lead me to? Lip gloss! Ever since using the Bare Escentuals Buxom (which I know that I should have thrown out after two months but I love it so much that I am still trying to coax the last few drops out of), I have become a fan of the Buxom product line from Bare Escentuals. The set that I have recently fallen in love with and am going to Sephora to search for is the Four of a Kind, a set of glosses named after four girls. And immediately, I think of the Sex and the City. Typical...

Sephora states that this set is "A set of four high-shine, plumping lip polishes on a mission". The website goes on further with the following description, "Meet the girls, Katie, Trixie, Dolly, and Violetta - four sexy dynamos who will plump, tint, and drizzle your lips to pout perfection. Each shimmering shade leaves your kisser curvaceous, voluptuous, and drenched in fabulous color, while a tingling sensation reminds you that your lips are looking fuller by the minute. A deep infusion of anti-oxidant Vitamins E and A will keep them soft, smooth, and protected".

The four shades are: Dolly, a muted plum; Katie, a pale pink; Trixie, a shimmering golden rose; and Violetta, a shimmering fuchsia berry. I really like all four of the shades and since they appear to be more on the cool toned side, I bet that all of the shades would work out for me. I think that Trixie might be an early favorite of the glosses but I need to try them all to find out.

Another Friends and Family item to add to my list... This is getting to be quite long!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara

While we all know that I am not a fan of the Bare Escentuals face makeup, I have a huge weakness for their Buxom line of lip glosses, mascaras, and other fun items. Barely a Sephora trip goes by without me drooling over something in this collection and considering whether or not to add it to my already overflowing shopping bag. Several weeks ago, I bought the mascara from this collection and so far it is hitting the top of mascara love list.

This mascara is a super volumizing formula and makes my lashes huge and very flirty. Sephora puts this products into the category of "A paraben-free, lash-volumizing mascara". The website gives a further description of the product as follows, "Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash - Blackest Black holds the style of your lashes for a continous 12 hours with no flakiness. The silky, vitamin-rich formula darkens, lengthens, and thickens from root to tip without ever clumping. Its patented, hourglass-shaped brush is designed to lift and separate every lash while delivering the perfect amount of antioxidant-rich mascara needed for bigger, fuller lashes. It intensely volumizes lashes up to 300%".

This mascara is available in two shades currently; Blackest Black, a true black, and Blue Noir, a bright blue. I have the Blackest Black and I love it. It is one of the best black shades that I have ever tried, super dark and inky.

This is a great mascara choice for volumizing! The brush is hourglass shaped and huge. It is a bit hard to work with the first few times but I quickly got it down. The shape of the brush allows every single little lash to be picked up by the brush and covered in mascara. It makes all of my lashes look huge, lighting my eye ups and making them look huge. Also, the brush has little rubber bristles on it to continue to help picking up every lash. I get fanstastic, thick, defined lashes without any flaking or clumping. To remove this product, soap and water is not enough, you will need eye makeup remover. However, with the proper product, removal is not difficult.

The easiest way to apply this product to puch the brush right down at the bottom of the lash and wiggle it up to the end. This technique makes sure that every lash is picked up and evenly coated without creating a mess.

I highly recommend this mascara and am very glad that I bought it. This mascara might acutally be higher ranked on my mascara list than BadGal and the only other one that it will go up against is Diorshow Iconic.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes Flower Girls

This may be old news, but I have the tendency to fall utterly in love with almost any product that either the name or the shade has something to do with anything floral. This might be a bad thing but it is the way that I am. In the past, I haven't been a huge fan of the company Bare Escentuals after spending a month trying their mineral foundation and seeing little to no improvement in my skin. Normally, I just walk right by their display in any store that I go into. But sometimes...flowers can change that.

What I am referring to is their newest collection of lip glosses, called Buxom Babes Flower Girls. When I first saw this name, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this collection would be full of sheer shades of pink that would be appropriate for the upcoming wedding season. Sephora describes this product as "a set of four floral-inspired lip glosses".

Here is the product described in a bit more detail (also from the Sephora website), "Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes Flower Girls are four floral-inspired pout perfecters infused with 100% pure bareMinerals to naturally create the look of fuller lips. Its tingly, cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are looking fuller, while a deep infusion of antioxidant Vitamins A and E keeps them soft and protected. With luminous high shine in the most lucid pastels, it's a lovely garden party for your lips that will leave your lips blossoming with sheer feminity. All-natural, collagen-boosting ceramide helps repair damaged lip tissue and enables new collagen production".

So this product makes some big claims...not only will it make you look fantastic, it will also repair damaged lip tissue! I am all for products that can do a dual purpose but I am also not convinced that the lip repair aspect of this product will be as effective as claimed. If the gloss can penetrate the lip surface easily then I do see the potential for some of the ceramide to be absorbed and the collagen boosting process to begin. However, I have found that most lip glosses tend to be too thick and sticky for this claim to be accurate. I am on the side of products that help to boost collagen but if Bare Escentuals can make this claim come true, then maybe the ceramide ingredient might be more effective when used in a lip balm or nighttime treatment. Just some food for thought...

Now back to the fun aspects of this product...the colors! This set contains four lip glosses. The first one is called Rosie and it is ballerina pink shade. The second one is called Lily and it is pink lavender shade. The third is called Iris and it is sheer periwinkle shade. The last gloss is called Poppy and it is carnation pink shade. I love three of shades but at the moment, I am a touch weary of the Iris shade because I have never tried any color of periwinkle on my lips. However, I am certinaly game to find out how this shade looks on me next time that I get to Sephora or the Bare Escentuals store.

photo courtesy of Sephora