MAC Viva Glam Rihanna

Last year was the year of Rihanna for MAC, there were several sell out collections that featured her and the colors that she loves to wear.  I loved the Ruby Woo shade that was given a makeover just for her and now I see that this year will be another year of MAC and Rihanna.  MAC has just released the latest in their acclaimed Viva Glam collection.  Viva Glam is one of their most consistent best sellers and one that often sells out within hours of the initial release.  My favorites in the past have included the Lady Gaga and Fergie collections and I see that this year we will have Rihanna as our spokesperson for this great cause.

This small collection is now available on the MAC and Nordstrom websites and I am sure that several more department stores will pick this collection up within the next week or two.  "Rihanna launches our new M∙A∙C VIVA GLAM with two strikingly bold shades of red frosted Lipstick and Lipglass, perfectly capturing her fearless, confident style. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Rihanna goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature."  I see that Rihanna has released yet another red shade with her name on it...

I love red lipsticks and especially MAC red lipsticks so I am all about this collection even though I have not been a huge fan of the previous Rihanna and MAC collaborations.  This collection introduces the new shade in both the Lipstick and the Lipglass and I bet that I will want both of them if I like the shade.

Viva Glam Rihanna...

Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick - Rihanna's blue-red with frost finish. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

Viva Glam Rihanna Tinted Lipglass - Rihanna's frost blue-red in M∙A∙C's much loved Lipglass formula. Wear it alone or with a Lipstick. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

I do need to see how frosty these shades really are, they could be great new red shades for me or be way too shimmery for my taste. I am interested in a frosty red from MAC as I have several Mattes and Satins from this line already and this would be a big change for my red lipstick/lip gloss collection.  I am thinking that I would be able to pull off this Lipglass even if I don't like the Lipstick when I try it out.

I wonder how many more collaborations we will have with Rihanna for the next few months...

photo courtesy of MAC

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Lip Gloss

We are looking at the first product that I will be featuring in my Brand Spotlight 2014, it only makes sense that I would start with a lip gloss as I am always looking to add more lip products to my collection.  I thought that I should start with the Bobbi Brown Lip Glosses as I first got the idea for spotlighting new brands when I received a Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss sample from Sephora.  I still have not yet tried that product enough to review for my blog and I will be putting that product review on the back burner until I can order a few more shades of this product.  I contemplated ordering more of the shimmer formula first but I decided that I needed to add more lip glosses to my collection that I could wear in a more professional environment.  Bobbi Brown has been known for her nude lipstick shades and she has a great lip gloss formula with all kinds of wearable shades.

"This high-shine formula gives lips a sultry sheen for a fuller look.  Formulated with jojoba and avocado oils for immediate hydration, plus Vitamins C and E.  Aloe extract soothes lips and helps keep them feeling comfortable.", states the Bobbi Brown website.  I ordered my shades off the Sephora website but I see a few more shades available on company's website and now I will be needing to head over to counter to add even more shades of this gloss to my collection.

The Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss shades...

- Buff - beige pink
- Nougat - light beige
- Nude - medium pink brown
- Pink Beige - light pink beige
- Petal - soft pink
- Hot Pink - strawberry pink
- Bright Pink - watermelon pink
- Rosy - sheer bright rose
- Tangerine - sheer bright coral
- Hollywood Red - bright candy red
- Aubergine - deep grapey plum
- Pink Lily - bubblegum pink
- Scarlet - deep red

This formula is one of the best lip glosses that I have ever used, if not the absolute best formula.  The applicator is a traditional doe-foot, I think that the applicator is slightly smaller than that of the MAC Lipglass and this allows a more precise application.  The formula is hydrating without being sticky, it feels smooth and soft upon application and does not become sticky throughout the day.  I have had some issues with other lip gloss formulas that start off smoothly but become patchy and sticky with wear.  I have had absolutely no issues with any of the shades that I have bought and I doubt that I will have issues with any others that I will be buying.  The wear time is similar to that of any other lip gloss and it will needed to be reapplied after eating or drinking.

I bought the following shades; Buff, Petal, and Rosy.  Buff and Petal are my two favorite shades, these neutrals can be worn with any makeup look and in any environment.  Rosy is a brighter pink shade and I will be saving this shade for next spring/summer.  I really want the Nude shade now, as it will work just like the other nudes that I have already bought.  I thought that several of the pink shades looked very similar when I swatched them on my hand so I only bought one pink shade but now I want more of them since I love this formula so much.  Pink Beige, Hot Pink, and Bright Pink are on my shopping list for pink glosses for the upcoming spring season.  I think that I want to pick up Scarlet and Hollywood Red for next fall and I am tempted by Aubergine too.

Bobbi Brown has always been known for her lip products and she started her whole brand with ten nude lipstick shades.  I have started my love of Bobbi Brown lip products already and I would love to feature four more lip formulas this month but I will hold back on the temptation to scoop up the whole lip area of the Bobbi Brown counter.  I am not sure which lip formula from this company that I will try next to review but I know that I will be trying more lipsticks and glosses from this brand!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Viva Glam - The Original

MAC Viva Glam is a worldwide phenomenon and has been among their best selling products since the first shade was released in the early 1990s.  Viva Glam has been a huge piece of the MAC collection for almost twenty years now and has contributed more to the MAC Aids Foundation that I could ever imagine, I own the original Lady Gaga shade and there have been many more that I have wanted but they sold out before I could ever get my hands on them.  I consider it an honor for any celebrity to be the face of Viva Glam and I love the choices of the company so far.

This month, MAC is revisiting the original Viva Glam shade and spokesperson, I was in elementary school when this was released so I never saw the campaign or even knew what MAC was.  For many people in the beauty industry, this is a blast from the past but this is a whole new collection for me since I had never seen it before.  RuPaul is the original spokesperson for this collection and is the iconic spokesperson in my book.  The original shade was a deep red that quickly became a classic shade in the MAC Lipstick shade range!

The MAC website provides the following as a description of the collection, "The original VIVA GLAM girl is back! The fabulous RuPaul, first face of VIVA GLAM in 1994, returns with her outspoken burgundy red Lipstick - now also available as a Lipglass. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM - The Original goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS."

The Original Viva Glam!

Viva Glam I Lipstick - In 1994, M·A·C introduced VIVA GLAM, an outspoken deep red that was universal in appeal and glamour. In 1997, a second lipstick was created VIVA GLAM II, a pinked mauve. VIVA GLAM III, a foxy brown plum launched in 2000. VIVA GLAM IV, a heartful rose charged with gold, introduced in March 2002. In March 2004, Viva Glam V makes its debut, a pure neutral pink with a delicious Lustre finish! VIVA GLAM VI, the newest member of the VIVA GLAM family, is a warm terracotta-plum with pearl finish. Wear it alone or finish it off with a coat of VIVA GLAM VI Lipglass. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.
- Viva Glam I - intense brownish blue-red (Matte)

Viva Glam I Lipglass - A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It's pigmented, very shiny and can impart subtle or dramatic colour. It contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application.
- Viva Glam I - intense brownish blue-red

This collection is more than a Lipstick/Lipglass collection for me, these shades take me back to the 1990s and the supermodels that dominated the fashion world in this decade.  I remember looking at mnay pictures of Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell wearing either this shade or one that looked exactly like it both on the runways and on the streets of New York City.  This was when I first started to become obsessed with fashion and supermodels and this lipstick shade was a big reason that I always tried to steal my mother's lipsticks and wear them around the house.  I have a sneaking feeling that I am not alone in these behaviors and that the Supermodel Era inspired lots of young girls at this time...

I guess it goes without saying that I must have both of these products and I will wear them all fall and winter!

photo courtesy of MAC

Stila Lip Glaze

Today we are going to look at a product that will make many of you laugh that I have not used it before.  I'm not kidding...I have used several products from Stila before (eye shadows and tinted moisturizer are among my favorites from them) and have given many of their sets as gifts.  Even though I have given many of my friends the big Lip Glaze gift sets that they make around the holiday season, I have somehow never bought one for myself and resisted the urge to try any of them.  I have heard very mixed reviews on these lip glosses, people either love or hate them but almost everyone agrees that there isn't enough product in the tube and they burn through them very quickly.

My lip gloss addiction runs very much to MAC and NARS, I am not often in the market to try new lip gloss formulas since I have such a large collection of my beloved Lipglasses.  I happened upon the Stila Lip Glaze formula when my brother gave me a few of these glosses for my birthday last month.  I was hooked on this formula after using one of the shades a few times however I completely agree that I can almost see the product getting used up in the tube each time that I release more gloss.  I didn't need another lip gloss obsession but now I have one...

The Sephora website contains all of the shades of this product and will often have exclusive gifts containing many shades of these glosses for the holidays.  " An ultra high-shine lip gloss in a nifty click pen.  Stila's ever-popular lip glaze is back in action with larger pens (twice the size of the original) guaranteed to keep your lips glossier, longer. The gloss gives lips a punch of color and adds a delicious scent. Whatever sweet flavor you are in the mood for, it is sure to be found in this collection of classic shades."

My favorite aspects of this lip gloss is the formula.  I love that the formula is on the thicker side (more like NARS) and therefore will last for several hours after initial application.  It is one of the better wearing glosses that I have used, I will still have it on after eating or drinking and do not have to reapply as much as I do with Lipglasses.  This is a sticky formula gloss and will not appeal to anyone that does not like that feeling on her lips, I have had to pull my hair out of my lip gloss several times already when wearing one of these shades and I will admit that this can get annoying when it is a windy day and my hair is all over the place.  This lip gloss formula has a time and place (or certain hairstyle). 

The pen style applicator still slightly puts me off this product, as I said earlier I can see the product advancing up and agree with most people that there isn't enough product in these tubes.  I will give Stila a lot of credit for making the tubes larger and giving us more product without much of a price bump.  The sets that contain the small tubes are the best choice for trying out colors and then I would recommend buying the best ones in the large size.  I am looking forward to the holidays so that I can order myself a big set of these and trying out a whole range of shades!

The color list is pretty extensive and we will look at right now...

- Brown Sugar - shimmering golden nude
- Vanilla - pearly nude gloss
- Apricot - melon nectarine
- Banana - shimmering gold
- Kitten - nude pink shimmer
- Kaleidoscope - glimmering pale pink
- Grapefruit - frosted pink
- Passion Fruit - shimmering bright pink
- Watermelon - clear pink
- Guava - sheer rosy mauve
- Raspberry - high gloss fuchsia
- Tangerine - shimmering peachy melon
- Starfruit - shimmering coral
- Fruit Punch - creamy red
- Strawberry - deep red
- Cranberry - sheer brick red
- Black Cherry - sheer deep purple
- Sugar Plum - sheer nude plum
- Blackberry - purple wine
- Roseberry - glimmering nude plum
- Berry - pearly mauve gloss
- Mocha - sheer plum brown

I was given Brown Sugar and Kitten, two neutral hues that look great with any eye makeup look that I pair them with.  I have used Brown Sugar more than I thought that I would, this is the shade that is pictured and looks really deep in the tube but becomes the perfect sheer nude on the lips.  I love this shade and this is my favorite of the two.  Kitten is a lighter version that has a bit more pink in it, they look very similar on the lip and both shades are very easy to wear.  I also want to buy the following shades: Vanilla, Kaleidoscope, Passion Fruit, Watermelon, Strawberry, Sugar Plum, and Berry.  The last three shades I will put off buying until fall since they are deeper hues that will work very well with the fall trends that we have looked at in a previous post.

I didn't need a new lip gloss love but I found it and will have more lip glosses to collect and add to my already huge lip gloss collection.  This is a formula that is best suited for ladies that like a longer wearing lip gloss formula and don't mind it being a bit stickier than many other formulas.  The shades that I have tried are sheer and could work very well in any type of circumstance or with almost any look.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Sephora Collection Ariel Mermaid's Song 4 Piece Lip Gloss Set

At the end of last year, Sephora Collection released a special collection that combined makeup and fragrance with the love of Disney that is so prominent in this country.  I visited Disney World when I was a child and I loved everything Disney until I entered my teenage years.  I went through quite a few years without seeing any kind of Disney movie but now that I am in my late twenties, I have begun to enjoy some of my favorite childhood movies again.  Snow White is a current favorite of mine however I have had a soft spot for The Lion King and The Little Mermaid since I was a young girl.  I am not obsessed with Disney as many of my friends still are but I do enjoy watching the movies now and then and I have grabbed a few beauty looks from Snow White.  Now I see that Sephora Collection has brought out a pretty summer collection that teams up great makeup and our favorite red-headed mermaid from The Little Mermaid. 

I am not going to view this entire collection, I don't have much interest in it and I doubt that many of my readers will be interested in buying the whole collection.  I have no objection to looking at a few pieces of it but this collection is much too young for me and I wouldn't be able to use many of the makeup shades and any type of fragrance that would come out with it.  I would be interested in a lip gloss set for the summer, I love bright lip glosses for the summer and I am excited to try something fun over the next three months.  I think a Disney-inspired lip gloss collection is just the thing to have some fun...

This collection is only available at Sephora and all the details will come from this company's website.  "A set of four flirty lip glosses in shades that dare you to be bold.  Fun and feisty, this set of lip formulas speaks volumes. This collection of glistening glosses features shades inspired by Ursula’s earrings, Ariel’s pink dress and iconic red hair, and her sisters’ darling shells. Take advice from your favorite mermaid: Be empowered. Be bold."

The four shades that were inspired by The Little Mermaid are...

- Mermaid - courageous coral
- Red Head - rich red
- Dream Girl - perky pink
- Sea Witch - bold berry

I think that the first three shades will be my choices for the summer but then I will save Sea Witch for the fall and winter months.  I am so excited to try these out, the Sephora Collection lip glosses are not the best quality that I have ever used but the color range is awesome and I have some picks from them already in my collection.  I think it is time to watch some Disney movies...

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Cremesheen Lipglass

I have talked on this blog before about MAC Cremesheen Lipglass and how I had somehow never tried this formula.  I have been using this spring season to try all kinds of new products and I have been very successful with finding new favorites.  I remember that this gloss was introduced about four years ago and I believe that it was a limited edition product.  The shades immediately sold out and a pale lavender shade was one of the top lip gloss picks of that season.  Several months later, the collection came back out and it held a permanent place in the MAC Lipglass line up. 

I know that I am not alone when I say that I get distracted by all the limited edition collections that MAC releases on a monthly basis, I tend to get obsessed with finding certain items and seem to come to the counter with blinders on.  I only look at the permanent collection fixtures when I am not looking for any items that are limited edition and I have some extra time on my hands to browse.  I also know that I cannot be alone when I state that many of the permanent collection products are better quality and higher performing than some of the more coveted limited edition collections.  Case in point - this product.  Over the past two years, I have admired several of my friends and co-workers lip gloss shades and over the half of the time, they have pulled a tube of this product from this purse to show me.  I think that this product does not get the love that it deserves and I want to change that!

From my original understanding, Cremesheen is a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick.  While the Sheen Supreme Lipstick is a very hydrating and soft lipstick, I would consider this formula to a higher pigmented cream lip gloss.  MAC has been doing these hybrid products for a few years now and I am all about these unconventional formulas!

"A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own."

Here are the available shades of the product!

- Boy Bait - light neutral beige with pearl
- Right Image - midtone blue pink
- Loud and Lovely - blue pink
- Double Care - coral red
- Deelight - mid-tone neutral
- Over Indulgence - neutral brown
- Richer, Lusher - peach coral
- Fashion Whim - light beige
- Fashion Scoop - clear pink
- Japanese Spring - pale dirty pink
- Just Superb - dirty neutral pink
- Narcissus - dirty eggplant
- Paper Lantern - frosted soft warm pink
- Pagoda - frosted cool pink
- Partial to Pink - light creamy yellow pink with light gold pearl
- Calypso Beat - pale neutral peach
- Double Happiness - frosted light nude
- Floating Lotus - frosted soft rose
- Rising Sun - frosted bright orange
- Imperial Light - frosted light peach
- Dynasty at Dusk - frosted neutral pink
- Fever Isle - bright red coral

I own three shades of this gloss and there are a few more that I need to order, my counter has been out of everything lately and I wasn't able to get all the shades that I originally wanted.  I bought Loud and Lovely, Floating Lotus, and Boy Bait. 

The formula of this Lipglass is great, it is easy to apply and very pigmented.  These glosses have the same level of pigment as a sheer lipstick and all three shades that I have provide rich, creamy color.  These are much more pigmented than the average lip gloss and I treat them as a lipstick when choosing the rest of my makeup for the day.  The brighter and deeper shades will look garish against strong eye makeup, just as a bright or deep full pigment lipstick would.  This gloss doesn't have the best wear time, but none of MAC Lipglasses do and the wear time was pretty close to the others in the line.  I found this gloss to be less sticky than the Plushglass or the Tinted Lipglass formulas that I have in my collection.  The scent is the traditional vanilla fragrance that is found in all MAC lip product. 

Loud and Lovely is my early favorite, it is pigmented magenta that never fails to get me compliments when I wear it.  Boy Bait is a good neutral and provides a nude lip, this one could be worn against strong eye makeup as it produces a light nude lip.  Lastly, Floating Lotus is a pretty rose that is very easy to wear and will be one of staple lip gloss shades from MAC.  The display of these glosses was have empty and I didn't have quite the selection that I was hoping for after looking at the shades on the website.  Loud and Lovely and Boy Bait were among my original choices and I was pleased to buy both of them, however I had a few that I wanted more than Floating Lotus.  I liked Floating Lotus when I saw it online and I would have bought it eventually anyway.  The shades that I wanted and didn't see: Fashion Scoop, Right Image, Partial to Pink, Paper Lantern, and Dynasty at Dusk.  I will collect these shades over the next few months as I over online or visit other counters.

A new MAC lip love!

photo courtesy of MAC

Beauty Loves Week Day One - MAC Plushglass in Ample Pink

We are going to start this week off with my favorite lip gloss and one of the formulas that I think gets the least amount of love from MAC.  I love all of MAC Lipglasses and I tend to pick up a new one almost every single time that I visit the counter or that a new collection comes out.  So when one formula and shade captures my love and becomes the lip gloss that I use the most and tell all my friends and co-workers to try.  I have a huge collection of MAC Lipglasses (and more are one the way from Archie's Girls so my collection is only going to get larger over the spring season!) so it is rare feat that one shade has been my favorite since I first bought a tube of it in the summer of 2008.  Being that it is now 2013, I have had the same lip gloss love for almost five years.  How many ladies can say that they have loved the same lip gloss for almost five years...and my love affair with MAC Plushglass shows no signs of leaving any time in the near future.

Plushglass is considered to be the thicker, plumping formula of MAC Lipglasses.  I rarely see limited edition shades of this formula and I only found out about it because the MAC makeup artist that was doing my eye makeup recommended it to me.  This makeup artist really knew what she was doing, not only did she help me create a subtle smoky eye but also taught me how to re-create it easily at home.  And then recommended the pefect lip gloss to use against dramatic eye makeup or for when I don't want a lot of pigment on my lips.  That original tube has all the print worn of it from banging around my purse so often and all the product was literally scraped out of it before I declared it to be finished and I bought a new tube of it the very next time I passed by the counter in Macy*s.  Today's Beauty Love celebration is over MAC Plushglass in the Ample Pink shade!

The MAC website states the following for the overall product description, "Sheer lip colour with a pearlized high-shine gloss finish. Comfortable to wear: lush, multi-dimensional. Gives a cool-warm, vanilla buzz to the lips. Moisturizes, soothes and visibly plumps the lips to make them look luxuriously healthy and well-conditioned. Contains vitamin E for added environmental protection."  This lip gloss formula only contains fifteen shades in its line-up, much smaller than the traditional MAC Lipglass line up.  The shades range from pale to deep and all of them have a cream finish.

Ample Pink is my absolute favorite shade and it is a "full, soft rose", a sheer rose that compliments my lip shade and skintone.  The plumping effect in this formula is very subtle and really only adds a very little bit of volume and evens out slight lip lines.  It makes my lips looks full and healthy, a look that men are drawn to naturally.  I never fail to get compliments on this lip color from the ladies around me and I have noticed that more men will talk to me when I use this lip gloss than when I use any other gloss shade in my collection.  This is the epitome of the perfect lip gloss and the best product that I have ever used.  I will die if this shade is discontinued and I really wish that MAC would bring more shades out in this formula, epecially in the hyped limited edition collections that are housed in the special packaging. 

Beauty Love Day One is all about the best lip gloss that I have ever used and that my traincase will never be without!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2

I have been putting off posting all day, MAC has been sending me teaser emails for the past two days about all the new products and collections that are supposed to be releasing this week.  I spent a decent amount of time yesterday stalking both the MAC website and the Nordstrom website in hopes that Archie's Girls would be available for purchase.  Nothing was up for either website yesterday and this morning was exactly the same.  I kept checking on and off throughout the day since MAC kept sending me emails about Year of the Snake being up and ready for purchase.  And nothing...until about half hour ago.

MAC has finally updated their website which is realy good because I have been getting close to giving up.  I don't know if others were doing the same amount of obsessive checking for collections that I was or if MAC was having technical issues but the website has been really slow all day and it is still not moving at the normal rate.  The first of the new collections that I see up is this year's version of the traditional Viva Glam collection and it is another shade of Lipstick and Lipglass that has been made with Nicki Minaj.

Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky was the big hit of early 2012, the Lipstick sold out very quickly at the counters and was one of the biggest shades in the spring and summer.  You might remember how excited I was initally for this shade and then how let down I was when I saw how much yellow was in it, I still consider this one of the least flattering Viva Glam shades ever, it was on par with that super-pale nude from Gaga that was pretty much unwearable for the majority of the population.  Viva Glam's used to be among the best lip shades from this company, MAC wants these shades to sell out and to raise money for the MAC AIDS Foundation so they have traditionally made shades that many females could easily wear.  Not lately...

"Nicki Minaj continues her reign as the hip-hop queen of M·A·C VIVA GLAM. The Lipstick-loving diva is back to serve up a delectable duo of Lipstick and Lipglass in an all-new shade of pastel lavender pink. Every cent of the selling price goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited Edition."  I see that there is no Ricky Martin in this year's collection and his unisex lip balm is not offered anymore...

Nicki Minaj for Viva Glam!

Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick - M∙A∙C and hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj join forces to create VIVA GLAM Nicki, a scene-stealing Lipstick. Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. Limited Edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki - bright yellow pink

Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick - Embrace Nicki's colourful style with her new limited-edition shade of VIVA GLAM Nicki 2. It's a vivid pastel lavender pink, with a subtle sexiness and satin finish that's so Nicki. Every cent of the selling price goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki 2 - pastel lavender pink

Viva Glam Nicki Lipglass - Pay homage to Her Minajesty with a new limited-edition Lipglass in a hot pink. Wear it alone or pair it with VIVA GLAM Lipstick for a perfectly glossed look. Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Viva Glam Nicki - hot pink

Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipglass - Get a shiny finish with the new limited-edition pastel lavender pink Lipglass that mirrors the magic of Her Minajesty. Wear it alone or paired with a Lipstick. Every cent of the selling price goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Viva Glam Nicki 2 - pastel lavender pink

I doubt that I am going to be buying either of the products in this new shade, it reminded me of the shade that came out for Fergie about 4 years ago and I wasn't impressed with that one either.  Both of these shades are very hard to wear and I bet that more people bought them to add to a MAC collection then to actually wear them.  The only item that I am even on the fence about the original shade in the Lipglass, yellow is not in the description of it and therefore it might be more flattering that original Lipstick.  This is a start to the new collections for the spring but I am waiting with bated breath for Archie's Girls...

photo courtesy of MAC

Urban Decay Oz Eye Shadow Palette - Theodora Eye Palette

Urban Decay has teamed up with the creators of the upcoming movie Oz: The Great and Powerful and are celebrating the release with two brand new, limited edition eye shadow palettes.  One eye shadow palette represents the Good Witch and the other one represents the Bad Witch, one palette looks as though it will be good for day looks and the other for nighttime looks.  Any palette from Urban Decay will always catch my eye so of course I want both of them!  Theodora is played in the movie by Mila Kunis and these eye shadows shades have been made to complement her coloring and her costumes in the movie.  We are going to start with Theodora right now and then the next post will be all about the Glinda palette.

Theodora is the "Bad Witch" palette, it contains shades that are deeper and smokier, all of these shades are on the more neutral side so they can be dressed up or down depending on the look created and mode of application.  On the top of the my head, I know that I would use many (if not every single one) of these shades a lot, they will all mix well together and will work so very well with both of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes.  However, do I really need this palette if I own and use both Naked Palettes on a regular basis?  Technicially the answer should be no but since I love Urban Decay palettes and use them all the time, I know that I will end up ordering this palette and getting lots of use from it all throughout the year.

As of right now, these two palettes are exclusive to Sephora but I am sure that they will come out on the Urban Decay website and then to Ulta and select Macy*s very soon. 

"One of two gorgeous limited-edition palettes inspired by the Disney movie “Oz the Great and Powerful.”  Inspired by the Disney film’s theme of good witch vs. bad witch (and the good witch/bad witch dichotomy in all of us), Urban Decay created two collectible palettes loaded with beautiful, never-before-seen shades. Recreate Theodora’s captivating, edgy look with eight all new and exclusive eye shadows in six pans (this set includes two duo-shades that are split in half, with a different color on each side of the pan). Every shade features Urban Decay’s Pigment Infusion System™, the proprietary blend of ingredients that gives each shade its velvety texture, rich color, serious staying power, and blendability."

"The Theodora Palette incorporates Urban Decay’s Build Your Own Palette format for total versatility. When you finish the original shades (or whenever you get the urge to experiment), just pop them out and pop your favorite UD shadows into the cool collectible tin. It features a moody, colorful skyscape flanked by Rorschach-like patterns, with Urban Decay and the name of the film in foil lettering."

Contained in this palette is the new formula of Urban Decay's Eye Shadows, a 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, and a Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color (a product that I really want to try!).  Let's look at the products and shades in the Theodora Palette!

Eye Shadow - Urban Decay’s groundbreaking new eye shadow formula.  This reformulation of Urban Decay’s eye shadow features even softer, amazingly velvety texture; richer, more dense and decadent color; smoother, more uniform pigment distribution and blendability; and longer-lasting, more crease-free wear. The new line of shadows features a completely revamped assortment of shades, new textures, and a totally redesigned token compact.  The secret to the new formula is Urban Decay’s Pigment Infusion System™, a vehicle for color that holds tightly to pigment and gives the formula its glide. The proprietory blend of ingredients allows color to weave itself through the formula resulting in insane color payout, color that stays on your lids, and sparkle that doesn’t fall. The amazing technology works for every shade and finish. Every Urban Decay shade is silky, blendable, and stays put.  The new assortment of shades features bestselling favorites, all new shades, and several shades previously available in past palettes. Packaging was inspired by NYC subway tokens; the chromed gunmetal compact with a clear window allows you to see your shade and pop your shadows out and into one of the new customizable palettes.
- Broken - pale cream satin
- Beware - warm brown matte
- Bewitch - dark chocolate brown satin
- West - deep metallic brown shimmer
- Spell - black satin with green and gold shimmer and gold metallic with tonal glitter
- Jealous - pale green pearl and dark green pearl

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - A dynamic eyeliner pencil in a rainbow of shades.  Glide on color that stays put for the duration of your non-stop, on-the-go day! These cushiony, creamy eye pencils deliver powerful, vibrant color that slides on smooth and stays soft and creamy for blending (about 30 seconds), then dries to a long-lasting finish that won't budge. Line eyes with a hint of color or go for the full artistic, multi-hued effect. Truly inspired, these pencils go all day and all night.  Created with 50 percent moisturizing ingredients suspended in a sophisticated waterproof formula, this brilliant collection of eye essentials offers long-lasting color and a dreamy, creamy feel when applied.
- Zero - black

Super-Saturated High Gloss Color - Urban Decay's creamiest, most sumptuously pigmented lip pencil.  This formula delivers all the opaque, saturated, high-impact color of your favorite lipstick and an arresting high-gloss finish in one chubby pencil. And with a dynamic bright to deep shade range in creamy and sparkly textures, the runway-ready possibilities are endless. Even the glittery hues in this collection of high-gloss lip pencils feel smooth on your lips (and leave not a trace of sparkle grit). This conveniently portable pencil's high-gloss shine can be blotted for a more stain-like effect, but no matter how you wear it, the color lasts. Free of mineral oil and paraffin, this formula contains plant-derived ingredients that nourish lips. Because the barrels and boxes are color-matched to each shade, locating the color you want is easy, even in the deep, dark depths of an oversize tote.
- Theodora - bright red cream

Goodness, I know that I would get so much use from this palette and this might be one of the few on the market today that I would rally use every single color and product in it.  I think my favorite of the eye shadow shades is on of the ones that was created just for this palette; Spell is contains two shades in one compact, one is the black spiked with green and gold shimmer and the other is the gold metallic with warm glitter.  I would love to see Urban Decay separate these two shades and then bring it out in their permanent collection.  I am already beginning to envision all the ways that I could use this shade.  The rest of the shades will work very well to create all kinds of neutral eye looks but are nothing unique, Spell is the most unique and special shade contained in this palette.

I already own at least one eyeliner in Zero (I think that I might actually own two or three from all the palettes and sets that it has been contained it) but I really like this product and I use black eyeliner all the time so I am more than happy to add another one of these top-rated eyeliners to my collection.  The red shade of the Super-Saturated High Gloss Color will be another red that I will end up falling in love with, I have used very few lip products from this company but have ended up loving every single lip gloss that I ever tried from this company.

Theodora is a strong contender for my favorite of the two palettes but we need to look at Glinda before I can decide!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Philosophy Home for the Holidays Set

I have been looking back over the gift ideas and set thst I have looked at this blog and realized that I have mostly been focusing on color gifts and that I have compleely ignored one of my favorite bath and body lines so far this season.  What would a holiday be without something new from Philosophy?!  I have purchased many Philosophy gift sets for friends and have never had anyone been anything less than beyond excited about receiving their newest fragrances and then playing around with them so I know that I have some surefire winners from the products that have come out this season!

My favorite gift from Philosophy is the Home for the Holidays set, a combination of small shower products and matching lip glosses.  All of the scents that are contained in this gift are inspired by treats that are consumed during the holiday season and I know that they will make me crave sweets for the rest of the winter (if I purchase it for myself), I see that my new favorite from this company, Have a Cherry Christmas, is included with this set and this makes me want to order one for myself along with the ones that I will order for friends and family!

I found this set on the Sephora website and that is where the following description is found.  "A delicious, eight-piece collection of festively scented formulas for hair, skin, and lips.  Wrap yourself in holiday love and lustrous shine with this set of inspiring scents and pampering products. The three-in-one shower formula cleanses and conditions skin and hair, leaving it super soft and silky. The emollient lip gloss hydrates, soothes, and luxuriously softens lips, while leaving your pout adorned with a sheer, glossy finish."

This set contains the following products...

3-in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath - A multitasking cleanser for hair and body.
- Sparkling Cranberry - sparkling cranberry-spiked champagne
- Have a Cherry Christmas - pure sweet cherry dessert
- Peppermint Bark - peppermint and white chocolate
- Cinnamon Bun - cinnamon buns covered in frosting

Lip Shine - A high-gloss, high-flavor lip shine.  This lip-loving essential imparts a beautiful shine and a hint of color. Sunflower seed oil and vitamin E nourish and hydrate dry lips for smooth, soft results. The delectable flavor is perfect for calorie-free indulgence.
- Sparkling Cranberry - sheer deep berry
- Have a Cherry Christmas - sheer medium berry pink
- Peppermint Bark - sheer deep red
- Cinnamon Bun - sheer gold shimmer

This is one of the best holiday-themed giftsets that I have seen this year from Sephora.  Many of the color sets don't really scream "Holiday!" but the body products are much more holiday-themed.  all of these fragrances in the body products will make showering fun and will help everyone to have some fun this holiday season and forget about some of the stress.  Have a Cherry Christmas is one of the best sweet charry scents that I have ever smelled; as a cherry fan, this is one of the best scents that I could ask for and I want to buy this one in the huge size.  Sparkling Cranberry is crisp and reminds me of cosmos and going out, this is a great product to use when getting ready for New Year's Eve!    Peppermint Bark reminds me of their old Mint Chocolate scent from this company that I used to love and I need to get a full size bottle of this scent too!

The Lip Shines hold little appeal for me though I do have friends that really like them.  This lip glosses are very, very sheer and I would just rather use MAC Lipglass or a NARS gloss if I am craving color and shine.  This lip shines are best for the flavor and scent, they hold little appeal for someone who wants lots of pigment from their glosses.  They do make very cute gifts though...

Now we have a bit more variety with holiday beauty gift shopping, there are lots of color options out there but don't forget about everything else available on the Sephora website!

photo courtesy of Sephora

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

Philosophy Fall 2012 Body Products

The weather has cooled down and now I can officially use all of my fall perfumes and body products, I love returning to old favorites and discovering new scents this time of the year and it is one of my favorite aspects of early fall.  I already looked at the Fall Traditions body products from Bath and Body Works, I actually went back to the store a few weeks after writing this post and tried the Brown Sugar and Fig fragrance again.  I hated this on my body when it first came out but it smelled less intense this time and smelled more subtly musky than full on fig on my skin.  I was so excited that I picked up the shower gel and matching lotion to use this fall.  So I already bought a few new products for the fall but I still am interested in picking up some other products from Philosophy...

It seems that every single year, two of the best-selling Philosophy fall scents come out.  The Caramel Apple and I Love Candy Corn are staples for this brand and are the backbone of the fall products.  This year is no exception and both of those scents are back along with a brand new one.  The Caramel Apple has always been my favorite every single year (these are my favorite fall treats) and I am willing to bet that this year will be exactly the same!

We will start out with the single 3-in-1s, as these are among Philosophy's most popular products.  In Love Candy Corn is the star of the fall products for this company.  "An oh-so-sweet caramel candy corn shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath.  Back with a caramel twist, this oh-so-sweet caramel candy corn shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath is everything you love about candy corn with a rich, creamy layer of caramel.  It's moisturizing formula provides a rich, foaming lather to gently cleanse and condition, leaving skin and hair feeling soft."  I never bothered to smell this when I last saw it at Sephora as I thought that it was the same scent as every other year but I will have to smell it again now that caramel notes have been added.  The original scent was so sweet that I couldn't use it very much and I would never use up a 16 oz bottle of it, let's see if that is still true with the caramel scent addition.  The Caramel Apple is always my favorite.  "A delectable caramel apple shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath that cleanses and conditions skin and hair.  You won't be able to resist bathtime when you dip into the delectable scent of caramel-coated apples.  Its moisturizing formula provides a rich, fomaing lather to gently cleanse and condition, leaving skin and hair feeling soft.  The delicious blend of red delicious apple and creamy caramel scents makes this shower gel the perfect bath treat on a crisp fall day."

The newest scent in the 3-in-1 is Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa, the drink that was made popular by Starbucks several years ago.  "A three-in-one cleanser for hair and body with the delicious scents of melted caramel and chocolate.  Cover yourself head to toe in the sweet scent of delicious caramel with this luxurious cleanser.  The multitasking formula provides a rich, foaming lather to gently clean and condition, leaving skin and hair soft and healthy.  The perfect bath and shower treat, this oh-so-sweet concoction is gentle enough for everyday indulgence."  This one sounds wonderful...Rolos are a favorite candy of mine and I am willing to bet that I would love this product and I must smell it the next time that I go to Sephora!

Sephora all makes lip glosses to match the candy corn and hot cocoa scents!  I have never really used Philosophy Lip Shines before, they are mostly clear with a slight shimmer and are mostly for the flavor.  First the I Love Candy Corn gloss.  "A high-gloss, high-flavor lip shine.  It's everything you love about candy corn, combined with Philosophy's lip-loving gloss formula, for deliciously soft lips.  This product's naturally emollient ingredients and Vitamin E help hydrate, soothe, and soften lips.  It leaves a sheer, lustrous finish and sweet candy corn flavor that stays delicious on lips.  It's the perfect lip treat for fall."  The I Love Candy Corn shade is clear with a hint of shimmer, this is only worth buying if you love candy corn.  The Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa has a bit more tint to it.  "An emollient-rich gloss that coats lips with the sweet flavor of cocoa and caramel.  Soften, hydrate, and smooth with this sheer gloss that guarentees a sugary pout.  The perfect treat to moisture and beautify, this oh-so-sweet formula is gentle enough for all-day indulgence."  I like both of these shades but I don't love either of them.

There is also a lip gloss set that I see on the Sephora website, it contains two different shades of lip shines that are not seen separately anywhere else on this website.  The Trick or Treat Lip Shine Duo is my favorite of the lip gloss products.  "A set of two high-gloss, high-flavor lip shines.  There's nothing spooky about these delicious lip treats.  Philosophy's trick or treat calls to mind the scent of crispy marshmellow bars and the delectable scent of caramel-coated apples.  Both are made with emollient formulas that hydrate, soothe, and soften lips to leave a sheer, beautiful shine."  Marshmellow Bars is a clear gloss with gold shimmer and the Caramel Apple gloss has a sheer deep red tint, Caramel Apple is my favorite of all the Lip Shines. 

On the Philosophy website, there is an additional giftset available that I didn't see on the Sephora website.  And it has the Caramel Apple scent in it!  "No tricks, just treats.  Trick or Treat features Sweet Cinnamon Icing and Caramel Apple Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath.  Leave skin and hair feeling soft."  This Trick or Treat set is awesome looking and I will be looking to use it from the company's website.  I have never smelled Sweet Cinnamon Icing but it sounds like a scent that I would fall in love with.  Years ago, Bath and Body Works had a scent called Cinnamon Frosting in their original Tutti Dolci line and this was one of my favorite scents and I have never smelled anything like it since.  If this scent matched it, then I would be in heaven!!!

I am so excited for more fall products, I am beginning to think that I could use these products all the way through the winter.  I love the Caramel Apple scent and I want to collect it in as many forms as possible!

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky...Part 2!

Last February, we looked at the newest installment in the MAC Viva Glam series, Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky.  If you remember, I was obsessed with owning Viva Glam Nicki from the second that I first heard about it months earlier and then counted the days until the collection was finally released at the counters.  After I was finally able to try the lipstick, I was so disappointed because I hated the shade when I tried it on, it had too much yellow in it and was too warm for my skintone.  I quikcly got over my obsession with this shade when I bought NARS Schiap and this shade became my go-ton bright pink matte from the end of the spring and then all the way into the summer.  I still plan to pull that hue out now that we are in fall since bright lip shades are still very popular and this shade is still a favorite lipstick of mine.  That shade made me forget about Viva Glam Nicki...

At some point over the past few days, MAC quietly added to the Viva Glam Nicki collection and will draw attention back to the Nicki and Ricky collection.  I seem to remember that MAC did the exact same with the Viva Glam Gaga line several years ago and this worked out very well for them.  This time around, MAC has released the Viva Glam Nicki in a lip gloss formula.  I am thinking that this shade might be easier for me to wear since it wouldn't be near as pigmented and it might be ok with my skintone.

"Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj bring a hot new way to Glam it up with Viva Glam Nicki Lipglass.  The limited-edition products joins Nicki's scene-stealing pink Lipstick and Ricky's colourless Lip Conditioner.  Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men, and children living with HIV/AIDS."

The original Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky and also the newest addition...

Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick - MAc and hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj join forces to create Viva Glam Nicki, a scene-stealing Lipstick.  Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men, and children affected with HIV/AIDS.  Limited edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki - bright yellow pink

Viva Glam Nicki Lipglass - Pay homage to Her Minajesty with a new limited-edition Lipglass in hot pink.  Wear it alone or pair it with Viva Glam Lipstick for a perfectly glossed look.  Every cent from the sale goes toard helping women, men, and childern affected with HIV/AIDS.  Limited edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki - hot pink

Viva Glam Ricky Lip Conditioner - Pop icon Ricky Martin amps up Viva Glam with a limited edition Lip Conditioner that goes from day to dance floor!  Untinted, keeps lips soft and supple.  Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men, and childern affected with HIV/AIDS.  Limited edition.
- Viva Glam Ricky - clear

I already know that I will not be buying the Lipstick or the Lip Conditioner, I ruled both of those out in the first round.  Now the lip gloss is a very different story, I will need to try the shade out and see if this version is a bit cooler than the lipstick the shade description is different.

Let's see if this gloss release is a strong as the Lady Gaga one!

photo courtesy of MAC

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

MAC Cremesheen and Pearl Collection

MAC has just released the Cremesheen and Pearl lip collection on their website and it should be hitting the stores and counters by August 9th, I love that this company is now releasing their new collections online a week before the counter release, this gives me time to really look at every single shade and product and make a better decision before I make my pre-orders.  I wonder how the pre-orders are growing due to the earlier online releases, when I picked up my Hey, Sailor! pre-order, the counter had piles of pre-orders under the counter.  At this point, I will never wait for the release date if there is something that I really want, I am the queen of the pre-order and most of the associates at my MAC counter know they will see me the weekend before a huge release.  Let's see if I will be paying them a visit over the day or two...

This collection revolves around the Cremesheen Glass and Lipstick formula, this release will become part of their permanent collection and I am really excited to collect some of these.  I know many people who love the Cremesheen Glass formula and I have been recommended it so many times, I haven't tried it yet since I haven't bought any MAC glosses recently.  I have been buying their lipsticks a lot and now I think that I need to buy more glosses from them on my next few visits.  The Cremesheen Glass is a combination of a lip gloss and a lipstick, it has a pigmented, creamy finish and comes in a variety of hues.  This collection adds a pearl finish to the Cremesheen Glass and Lipstick formula, this will appeal to even more customers and I can see this formula capturing even more fans over the next few weeks.

"A shimmering twist on an instant classic - Cremesheen Lipstick and Cremesheen Glass get infused with crushed pearl.  Rich new colours with creamy texture and an advanced complex that locks in moisture and conditions.  Light reflecting pearls add a high-shine shimmering finish."  As of right now, this collection only contains shades that are on the lighter side of color range, I see lots of pinks and peaches, but no reds or berries.  I am a bit surprised by this as we are going into fall and deeper lip shades are a major trend.  Since this collection is permance, I might buy one or two shades now and purchase more of them next spring and summer...

Here is the pearl twist to the Cremesheen line...

Lipstick - Lipstick that lavishes lips with everything they love and more.  Superior colours with rich creamy texture mold and hold to lips while natural conditioning agents lock in moisture for a soft cushion and comfort.  Light reflecting pearls add amazing high shine and shimmer.
- Japanese Maple - frosted light beige
- Pure Zen - frosted warm nude
- Peach Blossom - frosted cool nude
- Shanghai Spice - frosted neutral pink
- Sunny Seoul - frosted warm pink
- Coral Bliss - frosted light coral
- Pink Pearl Pop - frosted midtonal pink
- Saigon Summer - frosted bright orange

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of MAC Lipglass.  Soft, comfortable, non-sticky.  Applies with a doe-foot applicator.  Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Paper Lantern - frosted soft warm pink
- Double Happiness - frosted light nude
- Imperial Light - frosted light peach
- Dynasty at Dusk - frosted neutral pink
- Pagoda - frosted cool pink
- Floating Lotus - frosted soft rose
- Rising Sun - frosted bright orange

I will definitely be saving the shades from this collection until next spring and summer, I wish that MAc had released this collection last April or May, I would have bought tons of the glosses.  My favorite shade from the Cremesheen Glass will be the only shade that I buy now, Floating Lotus is a frosted soft rose and contains enough pigment for me to use this time of the year and throughout the entire year.  I can see this shade being a great addition to my lip gloss collection and I will use it all the time.  I will buy this shade the next time that I am at the counter.  Paper Lantern is the only other shade that might buy in the first round, this warm pink will work well against a strong eye look and I will be doing a bunch of those types of looks this fall.

Next spring, I will be more interested in the Lipsticks than I am right now.  Pink Pearl Pop will be a great pink for the spring and I hope that pinks are as populatr next spring as they were this spring.  Shanghai Spice is a more neutral pink and I will want to see how this would work in a My-Lips-But-Better look, I will be looking at this shade closer at the counter and see if it is a dupe to Way To Love (how is it that MAC hasn't offered a similar shade since the beginning of 2009?!), I might buy this one right away too. 

This collection looks very promising for me, however that is due mostly to my skintone.  I love pinks and they work wonderfully for my pale skin.  However, the shade range leaves a lot to be desired so I hope that MAC has more shades on the way.  The current shade range leaves a lot of shades totally passed over and someone with a deeper skintone will not find any shades to complement their skin.  I do hope that MAC has more to come with this product line...

photo courtesy of MAC

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

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

Benefit Benetint Pocket Pal

The other week when I was looking at the new Benefit set that has come out for the release of Snow White and Huntsman, I realized that I have a tube of the Benetint Pocket Pal that I have never reviewed even though I have used it on and off for a few years now.  I remember buying my first jar of Benetint when I was a senior in college and I went through it very quickly during the fall semester, I was wearing a subtle red lip almost everyday with a clear gloss on top of it.  When I went to repurchase the product, I was creating a sheer red lip less than I was before and I would go through the product much slower than I was before so I decided to purchase a smaller size than I traditionally would.

That day at Sephora, I decided to purchase the Benetint Pocket Pal instead of the full-sized bottle, the original product is made to be used on both lips and cheeks but this product's packaging seems to be geared more for use only on lips.  I only ever used it on my cheeks once or twice so this new packaging style doesn't bother me at all.  "This glossy color wand is your best beauty pal.  A mini Benetint - the original and still the best rosy lip and cheek stain is paired with a clear shiny gloss on the other end.  Carry it in the handy pocket protector and you'll have kiss-proof, smudge-proof with you wherever you go."  The stain part of this product is applied with a small brush, it is best to use it to dot the product on and then quickly (and I do mean quickly!) apply and smudge the product to your desired shade.  The clear gloss comes packaged with the traditional sponge foot applicator that we see in many lip glosses on the market.

For those of you that don't have a background with this product, I will provide a few quick details on the Benetint stain itself.  "The original - and still the best - rose-tinted cheek and lip 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."  The texture is a thin, watery liquid that absorbs quickly into the skin and needs to be blended in right after application.  It creates a bright red flush on the cheeks and a sheer red tint on the lips.  I find the product to be more flattering when used as a lip product, I dislike the bright red blush look on my cheeks.  I feel that when used on the cheeks, it makes my ruddiness look much worse than it normally does, this is one of the few cheek shades that I cann't wear at all. 

As a lip product, it produces a sheer cherry red flush on the lip.  My favorite aspect of using this stain is that it sets quickly and then will stay on all day long, this product doesn't budge until I wash it off at night.  A clear or shimmery gloss is needed for use with this stain as it doesn't hydrate at all and my lips still get dry throughout the day.  That was my main complaint with the product ever since I had been using it and I was very excited to see that Benefit addressed this and created a product to correct the issue.  One of the best uses of this product is apply it before using red lipstick and as the lipstick wears off, the hue remains and looks more even than when the lipstick just wears off.

Stain products can be a bit harder to apply the first few times that you use them, they set quickly and then stay that way until removal.  I have had it look uneven and unblended before and I have found that this issue is usually worse when it is used on the cheeks.  The product is much easier and more flattering to use on the lips and among my friends that use the product, more use it exclusively on the lips.  I know very few people who use it on the cheeks. 

Benetint has been best-selling product for many years now, it is now considered a cult product and often wins all types of beauty awards.  This is the first product of its kind and so many companies have tried to imitate it.  Benetint remains the best-selling of all the products and is still the top rated stain on the beauty market.  I do wonder if there is anyone in the country who hasn't tried this stain yet...

photo courtesy of Sephora