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

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

Lip Fusion Luxe Boudoir Collection

Pink lip gloss, how I love you so! When pink lip gloss shades are combined with top performing LipFusion, I fall madly in love and must purchase all the pink shades. I first tried LipFusion with one of their Bling Fusion glosses (I need to find this and review on here!) and placed it at the top of my plumper list within minutes of first trying it. LipFusion products were always top sellers at Sephora and said to be the best lip plumper by nearly every beauty editor. I found out for myself that all of these claims were true. I got lovely plump lips without turning into Goldie Hawn in First Wives Club. Any lines on my lips were smoothed they looked naturally plump and very attractive.

The newest shades from LipFusion came out in the Luxe Boudoir Collection, a collection of four pink based shades. "A springtime quartet of moisturizing treatment glosses infused with revolutionary lip-plumping technology. Discover a new level of fullness, shimmer, and color with LipFusion signature instant-plumping technology, now in a limited-edition collection of fresh, vibrant, spring-inspired shades". This little collection was created in partnership with the Seven Bar Foundation and a $1 from each purchase goes to benefit the organization. This organization works to microfinance loans for poor women in South American countries.

Here are a few notes on the technology behind the revolutionary LipFusion lip plumpers. "Achieve maximum volume and brillance for a truly stunning pout. This formula contains tiny, dehydrated, marine collagen micro spheres that absorb instantly and seek out the body's natural moisture. As soon as the spheres become rehydrated, they plump and hold onto the moisture they've collected, creating a mild 'swelling' of the lip tissue. The result is fuller, smoother, perfectly plumped lips in seconds. Results can last for up to 48 hours".

The new shades are...

- Vixen - radiant mauve

- Lolita - radiant pink beige

- Coquette - radiant coral pink

- Princess - radiant hot pink

My two favorites are Vixen and Lolita, which appear to be the more subtle of the four shades. I am a bit worried that the two bright shades might be a bit much with the gloss and the plumping properties. I think it time to begin working on my spring shopping list... I need more pink glosses in my life...

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

MAC Plush Glass

This might be a shocker but I have found my favorite lip gloss ever in the past few months. I got the MAC Plush Glass in Ample Pink last summer after the sales assocaite at MAC recommended it to me as a My-Lips-But-Better look to pair with dramatic eye makeup. Over the past few months, I have found myself reaching for it more than any other color that I own and the level in the tube is actually beginning to visibly dwindle...that hasn't happened to me in ages before. To add to the madness, I now go around recommending this gloss to everyone that is searching for a great lip product or something. I also have began handing it around to friends so that they can see for themselves why I go nuts over this product.

Here is the product description from MAC, "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". It has the traditional vanilla scent that all MAC lip products have and it has a bit of mint in it to add a tingle. The mint tingle is used to plump the lips but it is far from the effect of traditional lip plumpers. It just makes them a bit plumper to focus more attention on your lips without it being obvious that that is the objective.

Here are the shades that are available right now...

- Pretty Plush - extra-soft pink with white pearl

- Bountiful - richly pearlized mid-tone pink

- Nice Buzz - shimmery light gold with gold pearl

- Wildly Lush - lush, light, apricot

- Ample Pink - full, soft, rose

- Big Baby - peach with pink and white pearl

- Big Kiss - coral with pink and white pearl

- Fulfilled - full-blush creamy pink

- Wet, Wild, Wonderful - bronze with gold pearl

- Full For You - ultra-cool pink with silver pearl

- Posh It Up - pinked gold

- Power Supply - muted pinky brown with gold sparkle

- Oversexed - sheer red with small gold pearl

Ample Pink is the only gloss that I have from this collection but now I really want to get a bunch more of the shades. Here is the short list - Pretty Plush, Bountiful, Big Baby, Fulfilled, Full For You, Posh It up, and Oversexed.

The Ample Pink is jsut the most fantastic shade for me. I look amazing in it and the formula makes my lips look like full, plump pillows, making the male gender go gaga and stare at my lips. But without looking like I am trying for the attention. I really think everyone needs to run out and try this formula gloss when they next hit up their local MAC counter.

photo courtesy of MAC

DuWop Lip Venom V

DuWop's Lip Venom Lite was the first of the many lip plumpers that I have bought over the years. My collection has grown by leaps and bounds but I have always held a soft spot in my collection for the Venom and the great red shade that it turns my lips. I don't notice much with the plumping effect but since I already have rather full lips, I wouldn't really be the greatest candidate to test out the plumping effect.

DuWop has released a new Lip Venom called Lip Venom V, inspired by the Twilight series of books and movies. We all know that I love Twilight and marrying Twilight with beauty products is one of my versions of heaven.

Here is the description from the DuWop website, "Be transformed. Let the alchemy transcend. This special limited edition Lip Venom is a sneak preview of our highly anticipated Twilight Venom, debuting this fall. Lip Venom V is not your typical DuWop Venom. Instead of a gloss, Lip Venom V is a shimemring crimsom lip stain suspended in a venom-laced liquid lip conditioner with a super-potent bite (Watch out!), and contains argan, avocado, olive oils, and Vitamin E."

This product is limited edition and due to the demand that DuWop is anticipating, at the moment only a maximum amount of two of this product can be purchased by one customer.

This product is a major lemming for me. I am a bit on the wary side about the warning of the "super-potent bite" but I really want to give it a shot. And it is the first piece of the Twilight inspired collection that will be releasing this fall.

photo courtesy of DuWop