Philosophy The Beach Party

With the Sephora Friends and Family in full swing, I have been frequenting their website and Iphone app.  I have made my initial order and am waiting for it to come in the next day or two and I am already looking at what I would place for a second order.  Each time that I look at the website, I only manage to find more items that I would like to buy and am trying to figure out how to best narrow this down to only one more order.  So far, I have not been buying body products from Sephora since I have bought so many shower gels and lotions from the Fresh Picked line at Bath and Body Works and should not be adding anything additional to my shower at all.  That resolution went well for several months but now I am seeing some of the new summer products from Philosophy available on the Sephora website and I really want to go to the store and see what they smell like!

The first item that I am seeing available from this company is a set of three smaller sized products that is all wrapped up and ready to give.  Friends and family of mine love to get gifts from Philosophy so I am always watching for new sets and I love the large selection that this company is currently offering!  The Beach Party is a lovely little gift that contains three small body products, a gift that is perfect to give to someone who is going to the beach for the weekend or has an upcoming vacation.

"A trio of cleansing, polishing, and conditioning formulas that refresh with the scent of tropical fruit.  Fresh, juicy mangos and ripe passion fruit—embrace paradise and invigorate your senses with this luxurious set of Philosophy formulas. The body lotion contains nourishing shea butter and natural olive and macadamia nut oils to soften skin and add in moisture retention. The three-in-one shower gel cleanses and conditions skin and hair with a rich, foaming lather. The body polish gently exfoliates skin for a silky, tropical finish.  Drizzle the multitasking gel into the bathtub and soak in the sweetly scented bubbles for extra silky skin.", states the Sephora website to describe the product.

The set contains the following pieces...

- 2 oz Passion Fruit Daiquiri Body Lotion
- 4 oz Passion Fruit Daiquiri Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath
- 4 oz Passion Fruit Daiquiri Body Polishing Scrub

This fragrance is new for this summer however I am willing to bet that it is very similar to the Melon Daiquiri that I loved over the years.  This one has a mango scent so I might love it even more since mango is one of my favorite fragrances to use, regardless of the season.  In fact, mango is one of the few fragrances that can get me through the winter months without going crazy!  I am also interested in the fact that a scrub has been offered in this set, Philosophy is not known for having a big selection of any product other than 3-1s and I love that they are creating more and more body products for us to love.

This set is a great start to the summer body product collection and I am really looking forward to see what other products and fragrances come out in the next month!  Friends and Family is still going strong for me...

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC and Hayley Williams Collection

MAC has added another celebrity collaboration to their color collection line up, this time they have gone the route of the music industry and teamed up with the lead singer of the alterna-pop band, Paramore.  Hayley Williams is as well-known her for lovely singing voice and onstage presence as she is for her bright orange hair and stylish outfits.  I have often liked songs from this band but I have never seen them live or know much about the members of the band, but it looks like I might learn a bit more about Hayley Williams with this MAC collection! 

MAC has had some great collaborations over the years (Carine Roitfeld) and then some that I truely dreaded.  I must say that my least favorite one is on the way this summer, MAC and Rianna's collaboration will be among my least favorite color collections, almost soley because of the fact that I can stand her less and less with everything that I read about her.  I don't mind the music but she tends to annoy the hell out of me.  But we will cross that bridge when we get there in a few months...

The MAC website states the following about the collection, "Singular, vibrant and unmistakable - Hayley Williams, singer of the platinum-selling band Paramore, inspires an exclusive online colour collection of shades ranging from orange pop to shimmering coral. Limited Edition."

Here is the collaboration between MAC and Hayley Williams!

Eye Shadow - A highly-pigmented powder in a mid-tone coral with a frost finish inspired by Hayley Williams. Applies evenly, blends well. Limited edition.
- Daydreaming - frosted midtone coral

Lipstick -  Colour plus texture for the lips that made M·A·C famous. Limited-edition shade of Sounds Like Noise, a true bright orange inspired by Hayley Williams.
- Sounds Like Noise - bright true orange

Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on, adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.
- Lightscapade - soft candlelit beige with multidimensional shimmer

Nail Lacquer - High gloss, cream formula in Hayley's signature colour, a true bright orange. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Limited edition.
- Riot Gear - bright true orange

I don't look good in orange makeup nor do I like it anyway so I know that I will skip over the eye, lip, and nail shades of the collection.  The only item that I would consider buying is the Mineralize Skinfinish, I know several ladies that use this product and all of them highly recommend it.  One day at the counter, I will take some time and try it out.

This little collection is not my style and I will have more than enough to chose from this month from MAC so I will skip over it.  This would be a nice series of products if I had a warmer skintone and looked good in orange makeup hues.

photo courtesy of MAC

Stila Summer 2013 Collection - Festival of Color

I most often buy Stila products around the holidays, I love the gift sets and palettes that this company brings out and I have given the lip gloss sets to many friends over the years and have always gotten rave reviews on the colors and formula.  With all the applause that I have gotten from friends and family about these sets over the years, I have decided that I should continue to try more products from this line with every passing season, especially more of the Lip Glaze shades.  The summer collection has just been released from Stila and now we are going to look at what is coming up for the next season.  I am very excited to see two new Lip Glaze sets, just in time for spring and summer birthday season and I know that I will pick up a few of these the next time that I go to Sephora.

This collection is named Festival of Color and contains only a handful of new products.  These new products all look as though they contain tons of bright pigments and would really pop against a summer tan.  I have been getting more and more into colorful eye makeup throughout this spring season, I have been wearing pale lilac more and more now and am looking for a mint green eye shadow shade now too.  Who knows what colors I will want by the time that summer rolls around?!

Here is the Festival of Color collection from Stila!

Countless Color Pigments - Introducing Stila’s NEW innovative Countless Color pigments in a beautiful and exclusive, first-to-market formula. Each pan is a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind piece of art, created with vibrant pigments and handmade using a proprietary pressing and baking process. Use your creativity and let your imagination run wild.  There are endless ways to apply… use each of the three shades individually, blend two shades that are side by side for custom colors, swirl a brush in a circular motion to create one pop shade or swipe the brush across the product to create a unique multi-shade streaked effect.  Use fingers or a foam tip applicator for intense payoff. It is not recommended to use this product wet.  Endless color combinations in each pan.  No two Countless Color Pigments are alike.  Full coverage, pearl formula.  Long-wearing.  Vibrant, color-matched compact.
- Acoustic - red/beige/chocolate brown
- Light Show - yellow/bright blue/navy blue
- Indie - lilac/magenta/deep purple
- Center Stage - bright blue/bubblegum pink/coral
- Melody - lilac/periwinkle/deep purple
- Encore - chocolate brown/pale gold/rose
- Groupie - beige/bronze/deep brown
- Finale - bright pink/light pink/coral
- Lyric - medium pink/orange/pale pink

After Glow Lip Color - Dazzle by day and glow by night. Stila’s black light responsive lip color contains florescent pigments that are three times brighter than conventional colors, creating a vibrant pop of color in the sunlight. Once the sun goes down, black light sensitive pigments cause the product to glow when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light.  Medium, buildable coverage with staining properties for lasting color.  Sunflower seed oil nourishes and moisturizes, while oat kernel extract soothes and calms the lips.  Algae extract helps retain moisture and contains antioxidant benefits.  Glycerin attracts water from the environment and the lower layers of the skin increasing hydration levels.  Natural blend of waxes deliver a creamy, easy-to-apply consistency.  Vitamins C & E provide antioxidant benefits.  Cherry flavored.
- Tangerine Dream - deep burnt orange/bright coral
- Vivid Violet - deep purple/bright magenta
- Rave Red - deep red/bright red
- Party Pink - deep berry/medium neutral pink

Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - Just in time for summer comes this new, limited-edition shade of Stila’s best-selling Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in head-turning turquoise.  This easy-glide, quick-dry precision liner stays in place all day - no smudges, feathering, or running. The thin, marker-like tip is easy to use, even for the least experienced and delivers any look, from a thin line to a bold, dramatic stroke. It goes on smoothly without skipping, smudging, or pulling, and stays in place until you say when!  Striking turquoise shade (serene blue-green).  Waterproof and long-lasting.  Felt tip applicator for easy, precise application.  Goes on smoothly without skipping or pulling.
- Turquoise - bright blue green

Lip Glaze Trio - Music Fest - Fun is in full swing with Stila’s limited-edition “Music Festival” Summer Lip Glaze Trio in three music-festival-inspired, glossy shades with succulent scents. 
- Freestyle - medium fuchsia
- Harmony - cotton candy pink
- Ballad - neutral nude

Lip Glaze Trio - Road Trip - Fun is in full swing with Stila’s limited-edition “Road Trip” Summer Lip Glaze Trio in three music-festival-inspired, glossy shades with succulent scents. 
- Pink Sunset - medium soft pink
- Open Road - tangerine coral
- Rising Sun - bright coral pink

I am very happy with many of these new products and I think that I am well on the way to start using Stila products more than just around the holidays.  My favorite piece of the collection is one of the Lip Glaze Trios, Music Fest contains the shades that are on the cooler side and are all pinks and nudes.  All of these shades will be great for me and I will pick this product up the next time that I get to Sephora.  Road Trip's shades are pretty but will look much better on a complexion that is much warmer than mine. 

The After Glow Lip Color is a really interesting concept, I will have to try this one out before I really give any thoughts on it.  This could be either the greatest new lip product ever or one of the biggest let downs in cosmetic history.  Party Pink will be the first shade that I try and I will have to comb beauty blogs and magazines to find more feedback on this product.  Anyone reading this that knows anything about this product, please comment and let me know how it worked out for you.  The same thoughts hold for the Countless Color Pigments, great idea but could be either great or awful in application and wear.  My favorite shade here is one of the more neutral ones, I think they will be easier to start out with.  I want to buy Encore, the mixture of neutrals and rose, first and then get some ideas on how it works.  I will put off buying the bright shades until I can use the neutrals correctly to create a pretty eye look.  If I can get the application on the neutrals down then I will venture into the world of the brights and add more color to my eye makeup collection. 

This collection has given a lot to think about this summer, I have a new lip gloss set to order and two new products to really test out and write solid reviews on.  I have more Stila products to buy and try in the upcoming months and I will be writing more on this company's products over the next few months.

photo courtesy of Stila

Bond No 9 High Line

Bond No 9 is a fragrance brand that I have been curious about for years, this brand is very hard to find so I basically skipped over it for a long time since these fragrances were out of my reach.  Last winter I had been given a bottle of Chinatown from a wonderful Makeup Alley member as a gift and the few times that I used it so far have made me really begin to fall in love with this unique brand.  At the very beginning of the spring season, Sephora began to carry a limited number of their fragrances, I have yet to see them in the stores so I believe they will be online only but this is another avenue for me to order and try this line (Sephora has a great return policy and I could trade a bottle for another fragrance if I ordered one and didn't like it).  Then within the last few weeks, Nordstrom announced that this entire brand would be available on their website and in select stores, opening the brand up to me even more.  I spent some of the time that I was on vacation from work reading about this brand and their fragrances and I then decided to buy several sample from Amazon to start finding a fragrance for me to order.

Yes...I ordered and paid for perfume samples.  There are simply too many fragrances that I thought sounded great for me to try at once when I would actually get to a counter and I couldn't order every fragrance and then return it if I wasn't a fan.  I started with several that I would wear in the spring and summer and will repeat my order with fragrances for the fall months later on this year.  I am using the fragrances one at a time, almost every day, so that I can really try them out and see how the notes react with my skin chemistry.  I already own too much perfume and I can't buy fragrances that I don't love and I love trying the samples out for several days to really live with it and make a solid decision.

I started with High Line for the spring months, I had initially wanted to try the I Love New York; Earth Day fragrance when I saw it on the Sephora website but I couldn't find any reviews and no one on the Makeup alley boards had tried it before.  I visited the Bond No 9 Facebook pages and asked for some thoughts on it and High Line was recommended to me as a more unique and true green fragrance.  I have a lack of good green scents in my collection and I am actively trying to find several to add.  I have been using this fragrance for about a week now and I have started to collect my thoughts and can put a review together.

From the Nordstrom website, "The world's first railroad perfume. Wildflowers, green grasses and urban renewal. The scent starts off with a prairie grazing weed, purple love grass, mixed with citrusy bergamot and zesty Indian rhubarb. The perfume's floral heart is composed of red-leaf rose, Lady Jane tulips and grape hyacinth. Lingering base notes combine bur oak with imported sea moss to evoke the Hudson River's proximity, along with musk and teakwood to ensure Bond No. 9 High Line is a metro-perfume."

The notes of the fragrance are: Bergamot, Purple Love Grass, Indian Rhubarb, Red Leaf Rose, Tulips, Grape Hyacinth, Bur Oak.

This fragrance is a light green floral and I initially fell in love with it and wanted to order a large bottle within the first ten minutes of wear.  I love the initial hit of the grass notes and then the floral heart develops, the rose and tulip notes are the strongest on my skin and this fragrance showed lots of potential to be a new favorite rose scent of mine.  Within about two hours, this fragrance really faded away and I was very disappointed by the lack of lasting power, Chinatown sticks on my through a shower and I have heard that this the norm for the Bond No 9 fragrances.  I did find some reviews of High Line online and everyone commented on the lack of lasting power, so I didn't get a old sample of it by accident. 

I really liked this fragrance and it is a top notch example of a green floral and I have wanted a fragrance like this since last spring.  The big issue that has prevented me from ordering a bottle yet is the lack of lasting power, I would have to order a purse size bottle in this fragrance at the same time and then reapply throughout the day.  This fragrance will remain on my list but I will continue to search for another green fragrance that lasts longer than this formula does.  I don't expect to get the same lasting power from a green fragrance than I would from a musk but I still expected more power from High Line.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Baking Beauties

Late last night, I found the beginnings of the MAC Baking Beauties collection up on both theirs and the Nordstrom website and I am so excited to see it all up this morning!  I woke up early to start writing this post today and I will need to finish up in between work and class but I just couldn't contain my excitement anymore over this collection and I will be hitting the counter this weekend.  I have been asking the associates at my favorite counter for this collection for almost a month and I was so unhappy to hear that they do not do pre-orders anymore for limited edition collections.

But since I can't try or pre-order this collection early, I know that I will be at the counter when the store opens and I will have my shopping list already programmed into my phone.  I have been looking at the lip and nail products ever since I first saw the promotional pictures of the collection and one of the lipsticks is one my top color choices for spring.  The face powders in this collection are based on cupcakes and I have loved cupcakes for years so this is actually what drew my attention to the collection to begin with.

The Nordstrom website states a description of the collection, the MAC website is failing at the moment so I will work with Nordstrom until MAC comes back up.  "Exquisite. Scrumptious. Utterly indulgent. The artistry of cake decoration is a world filled with tempting creation, as is our colour collection inspired by the most couture of cakes."  This has the potential to be one of those collections that I buy tons of products of just because I am in love with the packaging and the concept!

Baking Beauties!

Baking Beauties Pearlmatte Face Powder - Pearlized and satin shades of Face Powder blend effortlessly to achieve an array of looks with a rich texture and velvet finish. Use for highlighting and blush effects. Baking Beauties flower and leaf design are stamped into the powder.
- In For a Treat - champagne base with matte coral flower and mint leaves
- Pink Buttercream - light silvery pink base with dark pink flowers and periwinkle leaves

Baking Beauties Pro Longwear Paint Pot - The long-wearing, highly pigmented eye color goes on creamy and dries to an intense, vibrant, pearlized finish. Seamlessly covers without weight or caking and blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.
- Fancy Frosting - frosted white
- Let's Skate - pale pink with pearl
- Mooncake - warm beige
- Eclair - light chocolate with gold pearl
- Dangerous Cuvee - frosted cool gray

Baking Beauties Glitter - M·A·C Glitter can be applied directly to the skin or combined with products to create high-level glitter and sparkle effects on all areas of the face, skin and hair.  Glitter is not eye safe and is not recommended for use on this area of the face.
- Reflects Transparent Teal - sparkling white with turquoise
- Pink - bright pink

Haute and Naughty Lash Mascara - A two-in-one mascara that lets you choose if you want lashes to be naturally defined, or instantly combed and loaded for full-on drama. Easy-to-use dual-wiper system allows this lightweight formula to go on either way. One wiper refines the application for a clean sweep, while the other loads the lashes for greater impact.

Baking Beauties Lipstick - Color plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Pure Decoration - light white peach (Cremesheen)
- Raspberry Swirl - light white blue pink (Cremesheen)
- Lavender Whip - light cool lavender (Cremesheen)
- Devil's Food - glossy deep plum (Frost)

Baking Beauties Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm - A liquid lip balm that adds moisture while providing the right pop of color and mirror-like shine. Enriched with a special, nourishing, mineral-rich complex. Can be worn alone or over other lip products.
- Baking Beauty - creamy light peach
- Cheery Cherry - creamy mid-tone blue pink
- Sweet Tooth - creamy lilac
- Glace - creamy pale baby blue

Baking Beauties Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high-gloss formula. Visibly different. Provides a no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Go hi-lacquer!
- Confectionary - light blue pink (Cream)
- Pistachio Creme - light teal mint (Cream)
- Bleu Velvet - light periwinkle blue (Cream)

Lustre Drops - A bronzer that applies like liquid sun. Water-based, beautifully smooth to apply with added pearlized lustre. Inspired by the popular M·A·C Face and Body FX. Provides sheer, natural-looking highlights with a luminous, shimmering finish.
- Pink Rebel - blue pink with gold pearl

129 SE Powder/Blush Brush - A special-edition, short-handled brush featuring a frosted-aqua metal ferrule. Designed for blush and powder application. Soft, black fibers form a full, rounded shape.

252 SE Large Shader Brush - A special-edition, short-handled brush featuring a frosted-aqua metal ferrule. Features soft yet firm bristles in a square shape for applying eyeshadow or emollient-based products.

I am still holding to my earlier thoughts that I would love the lip and nail products the most from this collection, I would have liked to see MAC do some type of eye shadow palette with this collection and I am surprised that only new shades in one product was released.  I do like the Paint Pot shades that came out with this collection, my most coveted shades from this product are Let's Skate and Mooncake.  I have adding pinks and neutrals to my collection all spring and these are two more that I would like to buy.

My favorite product is the Lipstick, I always want new pink hues and Raspberry Swirl will be coming home with me the next time that I visit the counter.  I have been using my newest pink lipstick from MAC at least twice a week since I bought it and with the purchase of this product, I would have yet another one to work with.  I have never used the Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm and I have never really read any good reviews of it, the consensus of the product reviews is that it basically is a lip balm with a little bit of shimmer and little to no pigment when applied to the lips.  I will hunt up several reviews and see if this holds true for this version of the product, I do like the Cheery Cherry shade of pink and I would purchase it is the reviews are favorable.  I like the Pearlmatte Face Powders but this is another product that I really want to see in person and read reviews of before I purchase it, especially with the veins of blues and greens in the products.  If I purchase one of these from the counter, I will report back but these products are often the prettiest on the counter but the lowest on quality.  Lastly, I would like several of the Nail Lacquers; Pistachio Creme and Bleu Velvet are the most unique and I want to add both of these to my collection.

I am also really excited about the brushes that were released with this collection, I don't need either of these brushes but I love the aqua shade.  I would be more likely to buy the powder brush since I am looking for a new fluffy brush to use with loose powder and bronzer.  This is a great collection for me and I can't wait to do some shopping this weekend!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Julep Summer 2013 Nail Color Collection - Nantucket Nostalgia

After looking at the Deborah Lippmann nail polish collection for summer, I want to look at more polish collections today and am getting very excited for the Sephora Friends and Family that is starting later on this week.  I have begun to add some items to my Shopping Cart but I know that I will need some major editing to it before I submit it for purchase.  I am counting the days until the sale starts for VIBs and we are getting closer and closer by the day.  The Nail Bar at my Sephora store is a favorite destination of mine and I have realized that there is now only one nail polish line that I have not year tried from this store, I have looked at the Julep line the past few times but I have not yet bought any polishes from them and perhaps I will be changing that later on this week.

I wanted to look more into this polish line while I still editing my cart and I decided to check out their products on Sephora and then on the company's website.  There are many more products on the company's website and I have found the new shades that are part of their summer collection, a series of brights that are nautical inspired.  This company also has a program that allows members to receive boxes of polishes and manicure products at a discount every single month and I am now considering joining this club if I like the polishes...

This collection is named Nantucket Nostalgia and is described as "Sail into summer.", this collection contains a series of polish shades and several makeup items.  I also see that the company makes some of the pretty polish shades in coordinating sets and this might be a great way for me to start my collection of polish from this company.

Here is the new collection!

Nail Color - Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented. Julep nail color is a fun way to make the season’s latest shades accessible to everyone. And because we’ve tested our trend-setting toxin-free colors and products in over 100,000 manicures and pedicures in our parlors, we have a good idea of what works and what our clients love.
- Bunny - crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer
- Nan - Nantucket red creme
- Char - nautical navy blue creme
- Bess - baby blue creme
- Martha - polo pink creme
- Kennedy - khaki creme
- Payton - kelly green creme
- Raegan - electric dark pink creme
- Dianna - mint green creme
- Lexie - dandelion yellow creme

Mad for Plaid Nail Color Set - Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented. Julep nail color is a fun way to make the season’s latest shades accessible to everyone. And because we’ve tested our trend-setting toxin-free colors and products in over 100,000 manicures and pedicures in our parlors, we have a good idea of what works and what our clients love.
- Nan - Nantucket red creme
- Lexie - dandelion yellow creme
- Kennedy - khaki creme

Nautical by Nature Nail Color Set - Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented. Julep nail color is a fun way to make the season’s latest shades accessible to everyone. And because we’ve tested our trend-setting toxin-free colors and products in over 100,000 manicures and pedicures in our parlors, we have a good idea of what works and what our clients love.
- Bess - baby blue creme
- Bunny - crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer
- Char - nautical navy blue creme

Bright, Bold Colors Nail Color Set - Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented. Julep nail color is a fun way to make the season’s latest shades accessible to everyone. And because we’ve tested our trend-setting toxin-free colors and products in over 100,000 manicures and pedicures in our parlors, we have a good idea of what works and what our clients love.
- Dianna - mint green creme
- Bunny - crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer
- Raegan - electric dark pink creme

Make Waves Nail Color Duo - Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented. Julep nail color is a fun way to make the season’s latest shades accessible to everyone. And because we’ve tested our trend-setting toxin-free colors and products in over 100,000 manicures and pedicures in our parlors, we have a good idea of what works and what our clients love.
- Bunny - crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer
- Char - nautical navy blue creme

DD Creme - A dynamic do-all makeup that goes beyond BB crème to moisturize, prime, perfect, and protect—both instantly and over time.  SPF 25 provides daily defense from the sun.  Two patented anti-aging ingredients decrease the appearance of pores and fine lines.  Hibiscus and olive extracts keep skin hydrated.  Lightweight, buildable coverage with an ultra-smoothing finish.  Comes in four shades—light, medium, medium-dark, and dark.

DD Concealer - A multifunctional concealer that disguises and diminishes the appearance of dark circles, discoloration, redness, blemishes, and other skin flaws.  Brightens and evens skin tone.  Erases minor and major imperfection.  Age-defying antioxidants protect delicate and damage-prone areas.  Light-diffusing powders minimize wrinkles and pores.  Highly concentrated formula.  Comes in three shades—light, medium, and dark.

Double Duty Makeup Brush - This unique 2-in-1 tool contains two stackable brushes—a large tapered brush for streak-free foundation application and a flat concealer brush that offers precision coverage and control.  Includes a tapered foundation brush and flat concealer brush.  Brushes can be stacked for storage or attached to create a double-ended brush.  Silky-soft synthetic brush heads allow for smooth, precise makeup application.

Face First Set - This set contains two products.  The DD Creme - A dynamic do-all makeup that goes beyond BB crème to moisturize, prime, perfect, and protect—both instantly and over time. SPF 25 provides daily defense from the sun. Two patented anti-aging ingredients decrease the appearance of pores and fine lines. Hibiscus and olive extracts keep skin hydrated. Lightweight, buildable coverage with an ultra-smoothing finish. Comes in four shades—light, medium, medium-dark, and dark.  The Double Duty Makeup Brush - This unique 2-in-1 tool contains two stackable brushes—a large tapered brush for streak-free foundation application and a flat concealer brush that offers precision coverage and control. Includes a tapered foundation brush and flat concealer brush. Brushes can be stacked for storage or attached to create a double-ended brush. Silky-soft synthetic brush heads allow for smooth, precise makeup application.

Good to Glow Set - This set contains three products, two of which are Nail Colors.  The DD Creme -A dynamic do-all makeup that goes beyond BB crème to moisturize, prime, perfect, and protect—both instantly and over time. SPF 25 provides daily defense from the sun. Two patented anti-aging ingredients decrease the appearance of pores and fine lines. Hibiscus and olive extracts keep skin hydrated. Lightweight, buildable coverage with an ultra-smoothing finish. Comes in four shades—light, medium, medium-dark, and dark.  Nail Color -  Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. Our professional chip-resistant formulation is fast drying and highly pigmented. Julep nail color is a fun way to make the season’s latest shades accessible to everyone. And because we’ve tested our trend-setting toxin-free colors and products in over 100,000 manicures and pedicures in our parlors, we have a good idea of what works and what our clients love.
- Bunny - crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer
- Dianna - mint green creme

Boy I hope that I like these polishes when I finally do order them from Sephora, some of these colors are great and I hope that the formula is just as good as the shades.  I think that I am going to start with ordering some of the polish shades and then decide on the rest of the makeup and manicure products and see the quality of the line overall.  I really like a bunch of these shades but I think that I will order one or two to begin with and go from there.  My favorite color is the deep navy blue, Char, and this will be my first purchase from the line.  I also like the following shades: Bunny (white) and Reagan (bright pink) and I am hoping that this polish line becomes another one of my polish obsessions.

photo courtesy of Julep

Deborah Lippmann Summer 2013 Nail Polish Collection

The color collections are now really coming at us and the polish collections are now coming out too.  We had a great spring season for nail polish shades and I don't know how the beauty industry will be able to top the speckled polishes that were introduced by Illamasqua and Deborah Lippmann over the past few months.  After the great season that we just came off of, I am now doubly excited to see what some of my favorite companies have in store for me this season.  In the summer months, I love brights and then really pale nudes, I will be sick of pale pastel shades in the next few weeks and I will go back to wearing my favorite brights right after that!  I think that I am hoping to pick up a few new great brights in the next few weeks and then I want to buy at least one or two more pale nudes to add to my collection.  I am all over the polish shade range in the summer months and I usually change my polish at least every two days this time of the week.  And that doesn't even count my weekly pedicures...

The first new nail polish collection that I have seen for the summer months is that of Deborah Lippmann's and therefore that is right where we will begin!  I have loved this brand for years now and this is one of the best brands for pale neutral polish shades.  Sarah Smile is still one of my favorite shades, it is a lovely pale pink that was designed for Sarah Jessica Parker when she was on the set of Sex and the City (still my favorite television show!).  I will need to get another bottle of this shade very soon since I wear it all the time and for all occasions.

So what is Deborah Lippmann doing for the summer months?  We have four new shades offered that are all inspired by mermaids, I remember several summers ago that the beauty industry went through a mermaid phase and my favorite OPI for Sephora polish came out in this middle of this trend.  I wonder if this trend will be back this summer, the Chanel summer collection shades would work very well with this type of trend and I am betting that we will see more collections that are inspired by this type of trend.

Here are the new shades that Deborah Lippmann has brought out for the summer!

- Do the Mermaid - lavender luster (glittered shimmer)
- Million Dollar Mermaid - tangerine twinkle (glittered shimmer)
- Mermaid's Kiss - bubbling blush (glittered shimmer)
- Mermaid's Eyes - seaside cerulean (glittered shimmer)

Mermaid's Eyes is my favorite of the new shades, I love any type of teal polish shade and this shade is very unique and quite special.  These shades might be my new favorites for the summer season and I am so excited to try out this new finish, I never thought that the speckled finish could be topped and this is almost like a shimming version of it.  After I get the teal shade, I want to buy both of the pink and lavender shades and I know that I will wear them all summer long. 

This collection is wonderful and a great start to summer polish collections, I still can't believe that companies can find more new finishes to make and each time they only get better and better.  I think that Mermaid's Eyes might be my early favorite of the whole summer season!

photo courtesy of Deborah Lippmann