Clinique Spring 2013 Collection - Spring Berries

We are now on the last of the spring collections and the beginning of my vacation from work.  It is also my favorite holiday of the year and I will enjoying myself today both with beauty products and then some time with friends later on.  But before I start decking myself out in green, we are going to look at the last of the spring collections, there are three new spring looks from Clinique and I am checking each one out.  I have been having great results from this company's skincare products over the past few months and now I am really excited to try more makeup from this line, especially foundations and other forms of face makeup.  I am suddenly craving a BB cream or a primer from this product line...

The new Clinique collection contains three version of spring makeup looks and we are looking at the first one right now, Spring Berries.  "Pretty, just-picked pinks show their playful side."  I looked at this collection first because I have been adding new pinks shades to my colleciton like crazy and I bet that this will be my favorite of the three!

Here is the Spring Berries collection from Clinique!

Chubby Stick Shadow Tint - Sheer wash of lightweight, creamy colour slips on. Layerable and long-wearing. Versatile, too.  Glide one on for a swift wash of colour. Contour with another to add depth, and yet another to highlight. There's no need to stop at just one. Appropriate for sensitive eyes and contact lens-wearers.
- 07 Pink and Plenty - pale pink

Quickliner for Eyes Intense - No need to be subtle when it's now so easy to move into the deepest, most dramatic range. Find all the intensity of a liquid liner in one simple stroke. Silky formula glides on. Stays on all day. Never needs sharpening. "Smoke" with the smudge tip on the opposite end. Ophthalmologist Tested.Two great ways to wear it.
- Intense Charcoal - deep charcoal gray

Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm - Tempt lips with a soft cushion of colour that's not quite sheer, not quite opaque-just the perfect happy medium. Loaded with mango and shea butters so lips feel comfortably soft and smooth. Eight vibrant shades in all.
- Plushest Punch - deep berry pink

High Impact Waterproof Mascara - Instant volume and length that resists flaking, clumping, smudging. Our waterproof version of High Impact Mascara can stand up to heat, humidity, an active day. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Ophthalmologist tested, too.
- Black - deep black

Blushing Blush Powder Blush - Silky formula sweeps effortlessly over cheekbones to create a natural look. Fresh, jet-milled colour builds and blends beautifully to desired intensity with custom sculpting brush. Long-wearing, colour-true. Oil-free.
- Cupid - pale dusty rose cream

I am in love with the Chubby Stick shade, this deep pink will be lovely for the spring and summer but I know that I would use it well into the colder weather months.  This product will be going right onto my Most Wanted list for the next month and I see a trip to the counter in my near future.  I love how this is a new formula and is full of moisturizing ingredients that will help soothe my chapped lips.  I want to see every other color that this product comes out in and I hope that I find more that I want to buy.

I think my next purchase from this part of the collection will be the blush shade, I haven't added many new blushes to my collection lately and I want to try more face makeup items from this line.  I like this pink shade and it will work very well with my skin tone and many different type of makeup looks.  High Impact is mascara formula that I haven't used for several years but I do remember liking it and I should get another tube of it to try out and review soon.  I wonder if a Clinique Gift with Purchase is coming up any time soon since my list could be very long this time around.

The first of the spring looks should be my favorite but we have two more to look at and let's see what else I find that I want to buy!

photo courtesy of Clinique

MAC Opulash Mascara

The last time that I went mascara shopping I decided that I was going to try a different brand and I starting shopping for a formula at the MAC counter.  I know what each of you are thinking..."Has she never used a MAC mascara formula before?  MAC is one of her favorite brands!".  I had often looked at MAC mascaras but I had always passed these formulas over for the limited edition collections and tons of lipsticks and lip gloss shades.  So this time around, I decided to try the slightly less glamorous era of the MAC counter and check out some new formulas.  I will admit that I was originally attracted to the Archie's Girls packaging of this mascara that the counter had displayed.  I forced myself to look past the super cute packaging and ask the MAC artist what her favorite products for eyes were.  Opulash is the mascara that she recommended and this is the tube that I purchased that night (she recommended a few other products and I ended up leaving with a full bag of products but that is beside the point).

This was recommended to me as a volumizing mascara and I have been using it for a few days now and I must say that I do agree.  This mascara gives me huge lashes and is very similar to Benefit's BadGal Lash and Diorshow Iconic.  I am very happy that I have another mascara formula that I can rely on for great lashes.

"Superlative style & state-of-the-art science merge. A new formula in a more saturated intense black with extra-volumization, expansion & curl delivered dramatically with our most bodacious brush yet. Lasts 15 hours!"

This formula is available in two shades: a deep blue and a black.  Of course, I bought the black shade since that is the only mascara hue that I ever use.  It is true black, it is very deep and rich and the color saturates the lashes with only one coat.

The MAC associate told me that this is one of the thinner mascara formulas and allows the user to build volume with multiple coats and no clumping.  I am never satisfied with just one coat of mascara and need one that lets me build volume and drama.  I hate volumizing mascara where the formula is so thick that I can't build coats and then get all the small lashes that I miss with the first application, I am very picky about mascara formulas and textures and this one has passed all my tests so far.  I can't say that this the best mascara that I have ever used, I have gotten slightly better results from Diorshow Iconic but this is a very solid volumizing formula and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again. 

I need two coats of this mascara to get the big lashes that I crave, one coat will volumize lashes but it is not enough for me (it would be enough for normal mascara users).  The huge brush used with this formula makes getting the smaller corner lashes a bit harder but I have gotten great results from only using the tip to grab these lashes.  I have not any issues with clumping, smudging, or flaking and that makes me really excited since I can put this product on in the morning and then it lasts until I take it off at night and I don't need to clean it up throughout the day. 

This mascara is very easy to remove at night with the use of a separate eye makeup remover, I rarely have any excess product under my eyes after removal and I am very happy with this aspect. 

Opulash is a very solid volumizing formula, it is not my favorite but it works very well and delivers on its promises.  I love how it stays in place and it is easy to build the needed volume.  I would love to see this formula is more of the limited edition packaging and I know that I would buy a tube of it right along with the rest of the products.

photo courtesy of MAC

Zoya Spring 2013 Collection - Lovely

We are pretty much at the end of the spring color collections and this is fitting being that today marks the middle of the month of March.  I have already started to do some major shopping and will continue over the next month and a half.  Nail polish has been a huge love of mine this spring season and every Sephora order that I have made has contained at least one new bottle of polish.  And I feel that I still have not made a dent in all of the new hues that I want to order.  Needless to say, my next purchase really needs to be a better holder for all of my polish shades...

Zoya is polish line that I am always interested in but I have a hard time finding at Ulta and therefore own much less of than any other brand.  I would be more than happy to change this fact and I think that I will just need to start ordering from the Zoya website and hope that the colors appear correctly on my computer browser. 

Lovely is new the collection for spring from this company and it is series of pretty pastel hues that I adore already.  "Beauty is a lovely state of mind", states the company when providing a collection description.  This collection contains single bottles of polishes and also a set that provides multiple bottles of the polishes.

Here are the new shades in Lovely...

Nail Polish in Julie - Zoya Nail Polish in Julie can be best described as a full-coverage, soft wisteria purple metallic. The soft color and subtle shimmer give nails a delicate and feminine look. Originally created as a custom runway shade for fashion designer Zang Toi.

Nail Polish in GeiGei - Zoya Nail Polish in GeiGei can be best described as a full-coverage, blushing cherry blossom pink metallic. A shimmery light shade for an always-appropriate natural pink nail look. Originally created as a custom runway shade for fashion designer Zang Toi.

Nail Polish in Piaf - Zoya Nail Polish in Piaf can be best described as a full-coverage, fresh forsythia yellow metallic. A light, cheerful yellow that's soft and easy to wear thanks to the subtle shimmer finish. Originally created as a custom runway shade for fashion designer Zang Toi.

Nail Polish in Blu - Zoya Nail Polish in Blu can be best described as a full-coverage, soft and delicate pale baby blue with a glossy creme finish. A dreamy, calming blue that's both fun and flattering on the nails.

Nail Polish in Jacqueline - Zoya Nail Polish in Jacqueline can be best described as a full-coverage, perfect magnolia nude cream. This light creamy beige has slight warm undertones and a glossy creme finish. Originally created as a custom runway shade for fashion designer Peter Som.

Nail Polish in Neely - Zoya Nail Polish in Neely can be best described as a full coverage earliest spring green in a glossy creme finish. A fun color in a muted finish gives a cool vintage edge to your look. Originally created as a custom runway shade for fashion designer Peter Som.

Lovely Collection Sampler - The Zoya Spring 2013 Lovely Collection Sampler is the perfect way to try all 6 Zoya Lovely Collection colors. The sampler includes the following:
1 - 0.5oz Piaf
1 - 0.5oz GeiGei
1 - 0.5oz Julie
1 - 0.5oz Blu
1 - 0.5oz Neely
1 - 0.5oz Jacqueline

I really like some of these shades and I can't wait to do some ordering and looking to see if my salon will have some of theses shades offered for manicures.  My favorite shade is the one that I have included the picture of, Julie.  I have already talked this spring about how much I am loving pale lilac shades and this is another great example of one.  I now think that I have found one of these shades in every single new polish collection.  My next picks from the collection are: GeiGei, Blu, and Jacqueline.  I am all about the pinks and blues this spring too and these are great shades for me to add to my collection.  I think I need to start looking for more pictures of these shades and compare how accurate my computer screen's images are.  I might just find my new polish obsession this spring...

photo courtesy of Zoya

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap - Extra Mild

It seems like winter is never going to leave us this year and I am having to use winter products for much longer than I have in the past few years.  This is normally the time of the year when I am beginning to look for lighter face lotions and SPF products but I just made a Sephora order for a thick night cream and a hydrating face serum.  In addition to looking for lighter face lotions, this is also the time of the year when I begin to shop around for a foaming face wash instead of the cream formulas that I use all winter long but the same logic is holding for this type of product and I have been using my new bottle of Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for the last week and will be using it well into the spring.  Liquid Facial Soap is one of those products that Clinique has had out for years now but I had just never tried it and never realized that there were forms for all skin types.

I first though that Liquid Facial Soap was a product geared more for normal to oily skin types but that was when I didn't know that there is more than one version of the product.  I realized that this might be a good product for me to try when I was playing around on the Clinique website earlier this winter and found that this product actually comes in three forms, one of which is designed just for dry and easily irritated skin.  Just like mine...

"A non-drying liquid soap that cleanses gently and thoroughly.  Clinically formulated cleansing—that's how great skin starts. Dermatologist-developed Facial Soap maintains protective lipids and loosens surface flakes to leave skin clean, comfortable, and refreshed—never taut or dry. It rinses away easily and prepares skin perfectly for the exfoliating action of Clarifying Lotion.  A convenient pump dispenser provides just the right amount of product."  I have never used the Clarifying Lotion after this product but I must say that I really like this face cleanser!

I  bought the Extra Mild version of this product, that this is wash that is recommended for sensitive and dry skin.  Instead of the traditional gel formula, this version is a light creamy wash with a texture that I have been loving the past few days.  This wash is very similar to most other cream texture face washes, it doesn't foam up at all and doesn't leave skin feeling dry and stripped after rinsing.  I have used many creamy washes and they are really one of my favorite beauty products and will remain so.  This product is very clean rinsing and actually has the ability to get all of my face makeup off, I do not try and get any of my eye makeup off with this product.  I have never found that a face wash can get eye makeup off correctly and usually it just makes my skin worse than the use of a separate product.  Some formulas of creamy face washes cannot get my makeup off and then I feel that I should be using a separate toner to get the residue off and this would be the worst idea for my skin.  I am happy to report that I have not had any issues with makeup residue since I have started using this product, a real plus in my book.

In addition to the formula itself, I really like that this product is housed in a pump bottle.  I don't have to guess what is the correct amount to use on my face, one pump is all that I need.  I have found that I have had judgement issues with some cream cleansers in the past, with the fact that they do not foam, it is harder than normal to figure out what is the best amount of cover my whole face without wasting product.  No issues here, this style of bottle is completely idiot proof and I thank Clinique for that very much. 

I have been having a good run with skincare lately, my last few purchases have all been great and my has been looking much better over the past few months.  I am glad that I tried this product and that I investigated all the formulas that are available of it.  Clinique has been good to me lately with skincare but now I think that I need some more color products from this brand!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Bobbi Brown Spring 2013 Collection - Lilac Rose

We have now seen the release of the final spring collection from Bobbi Brown and this is my favorite of all them so far.  Lilac Rose is the big spring collection and I can already see that this collection will contain products that I will have to fight to get.  Lilac Rose is just the perfect collection for spring, there are all kinds of pale lavenders and beautiful rose hues for all facial features and I can see myself spending a lot of money on these products!  I have really been into pale lilac shades for eyes this spring and have decided that I must order some from Illamasqua but I am hoping that this collection will provide at least one or two more great options.

The overall collection description is available on the Nordstrom website, "FRESH FROM THE RUNWAY Introducing Bobbi Brown’s Lilac Rose Collection Designed to flatter all skin tones, Lilac Rose is spring’s most-wanted look. Take your pick."  In previous seasons, I have become obsessed with a Bobbi Brown look and used it to create rose gold eye looks for many seasons later on (I still wear and love this look) and I bet that this collection will inspire me for several spring seasons to come!

Here is the Lilac Rose collection!

Lilac Rose Eye Shadow Palette - A modern take on spring florals. A mirrored compact features eight mix-and-match eyeshadows in the season's most-wanted look: heathery neutrals and dusty pinks designed to flatter all skin tones. Includes a range of textures, from shimmer to metallic shades, for buildable color that blooms beautifully. With a deep charcoal that doubles as an eyeliner, the floral-inspired palette is Bobbi's freshest pick for eyes.
- Ivory Eye Shadow - creamy white
- Pale Rose Eye Shadow -  muted pink
- Pink Lily Metallic Eye Shadow - light purple-pink
- Stormy Grey Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow - smoky grey-brown
- Barely There Eye Shadow - soft nude-pink
- Heather Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow - brown heather
- Dusty Lilac Eye Shadow - grey pink
- Black Chocolate Eye Shadow - dark brown

Lilac Rose Sparkle Eye Shadow - Bobbi's fresh take on glitter lights up eyes with a combination of shimmering pearls and fine glitter. Perfect for both day and night.
- Lilac - medium lilac with silver shimmer

Lilac Rose Shimmer Brick - Handmade in Italy, the award-winning editor's favorite highlights skin with five bars of pearlescent shimmer in Bobbi's freshest take on spring florals. Featuring bright pink, golden pink and icy pink pearl pigments perfect for light to medium skin tones. Each bar also doubles up as an eyeshadow.
- Lilac Rose - bright pink/golden pink/icy pearl pink

Lilac Rose Blush - Available in a wide array of shades, Bobbi's Blush Collection offers the best way to give cheeks color that looks fresh and natural. The silky formula glides on smoothly and evenly. Matte finish looks natural and offers long-lasting wear. Now in a sleek, new flip-top compact with a "pop-out-pan" design. Blush shades can be used individually or easily assembled into Bobbi's makeup palettes.
- Pastel Pink - bubble gum pink with satin finish

Lilac Rose Lip Gloss - Bobbi has sized up all her glosses to give you an extra dose of shine. Lip Gloss is formulated with soothing botanical extracts, including avocado, jojoba and chamomile oils plus aloe extract to keep lips soft and supple. Scented with a hint of vanilla.
- Lilac Rose - deep lilac cream
- Pink Lily - medium pink cream
- Pink Lilac - pale pink shimmer

Lilac Rose Brightening Lip Gloss - Bobbi has sized up all her glosses to give you an extra dose of shine. This sheer, reflective formula wakes up your face and helps create the illusion of fuller lips. Wear alone or on top of your favorite Bobbi Brown lipstick.
- Lilac Rose - cool lilac pink with shimmer

Lilac Rose Nail Polish - Inspired by the heathery pink hues of a spring bouquet, Bobbi created her latest shade for nails, Roza, for her Lilac Rose Collection.
- Roza - heather pink cream

My favorite piece of the collection is the Eye Shadow Palette, I love this collection of shades and I know that I would get lots of use from these shades.  I could use these shades this season and then well into the next few seasons so I know that this would be a great product for me.  I love the combination of roses and neutrals in this palette and I would be able to mix these shades with many that I already own.  This will be a great purchase for me and I will be looking for this product the next time that I go to the counter.

The next item that I must have from the collection is the Sparkle Eye Shadow in the lilac shade, I love this shimmering lilac and this will make quite a statement this spring and then into the summer.  This will be a great addition to my lilac eye shadow collection.  The rest of the items that I really want are the lip shades, I love these lip glosses in this collection and I always want more lip glosses.  My favorite is the Pink Lily shade, I love this medium rose cream gloss and this will be perfect to wear in many situations and will all kinds of eye makeup looks.  This is a must have for me this spring!

This might be one of my favorite collections of the spring and I can't wait to visit the Bobbi Brown counter.  I am on vacation from work next week and I am planning a shopping trip already!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

China Glaze Spring 2013 Collection - Avant Garden

The official collection for the spring season from China Glaze has finally arrived to their website and that means that I will have a trip to Ulta and Sally Beauty Supply coming up very soon.  I have collected many shades from spring collections in the previous years from this company and Anchors Away from spring of 2011 is still one of my favorite polish collections in history and I own almost half of the shades but still keep adding more polishes from it when I go shopping.  That collection contained a great mixture of brights, neutrals, and pales and I can only hope that Avant Garden is just as lovely this year. 

China Glaze is a favorite nail polish line of mine and one that I buy multiple bottles of every single season.  I just love their shade range and how well their polish wears for me, thanks to this company, my polish collection is spilling out of the box that it is stored in and I have to take a day while I am on vacation and visit Bed Bath and Beyond to figure out a new storage system.  And if this spring collection is as good as last year's Electropop and Anchors Away, then I will need a new storage system before I haul from Avant Garden...

"China Glaze is a professional-level nail enamel made with a special balance of polymers and resins that combine to create a nail lacquer that is long lasting, chip-resistant and resistant to color and shine fading. Will not thicken in the bottle, no thinners necessary."

This collection is comprised of pretty pastels and vibrant brights.  I am not sure which line I am more excited for and I know that I will quickly find favorites in both shade ranges.  I think that I will start with the pale shades for spring and then buy the brights but save them for the summer months.  I have just started getting my pale shades out and I refuse to go back to wearing my deep jewel tones.  It hit the mid 60s last weekend and I want the temperatures to stay there for the rest of the month!

Here are the pales in the Avant Garden collection!

- Dandy Lyin' Around - pure white shimmer with silver while glitter flecks
- Fade Into Hue - muted periwinkle cream
- Keep Calm, Paint On - mint green with a silver shimmer finish
- Life is Rosy - muted cool rose cream
- Pink-ie Promise - medium bubblegum pink cream
- Tart-y for the Party - bright lilac cream

And here are the brights in the collection!

- Budding Romance - bright yellow olive green cream
- Fancy Pants - bright indigo with silver shimmer
- Mimosas Before Manis - bright warm coral with gold shimmer
- Passion for Petals - bright warm salmon pink cream
- Snap Dragon - bright magenta with silver and gold shimmer
- Sunday Funday - bright cool blue cream

My favorite part of the collection is the pastels, my top rated shade is the one that I have pictured here.  Tart-y for the Party is very similar to the shade that I loved from the OPI Eurocentrale collection and I have been loving lilac polish shades so far this season.  I now know what shades will be in constant rotation on my nails this season.  It goes with saying that Tart-y for the Party will be going on my Most Wanted List for the next month.  I also want to purchase a few more shades from this collection and my shopping list is as follows; Dandy Lyin' Around, Fade Into Hue, Life is Rosy, and Snap Dragon.  Snap Dragon reminds me very much of a shade from Anchors Away (Ahoy! I believe) and I know that I will get lots of use from all of these shades this spring and summer.

This is another great collection from China Glaze and it is getting me ready for the warm weather to come back and stay.  We only have a few more spring collections left so we will wrap it up over the next two weeks and I will keep collecting great new beauty products from spring!

photo courtesy of China Glaze's Facebook page

Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Mango Butter Nourishing Body Bar

Many of you will remember that I went crazy for the Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Mango Butter products last summer and after I bought all of them, they were discontinued and then I couldn't replace any of my favorites.  Well I am very happy to see that they must have been seasonal since they are now all back on the shelves and ready for me to go shopping!  I have already picked up another Body Butter and another Bar Soap to put away for the summer months.  I then realized that I had never reviewed the Bar Soap on this blog, as the product was unavailable by the time that I got around to using the soap early last winter.  Which was sad because I really loved this product and I have already opened up my new bar and am deciding if I should pick up yet a few more to satisfy my obsession with these products...

Bath and Body Works really only carries bar soaps in their Spa line, a line of high quality product that always perform well (I loved this line back from when I first worked there in college and still do).  The Mango line of products is a favorite of mine, I have loved the scent of mango for years and I have used the Mango line from The Body Shop for years now.  I am really excited that I now have two whole body product lines to choose from!

"Mucho mango! This rich, nourishing body bar with abundant lather gently cleanses skin while lavishly moisturizing with tropical Mango Butter.  With richly replenishing Mango Butter and Glycerin.  Fresh and juicy mango butter fragrance.", states the Bath and Body Works website in a description of the product.

The first aspect that I noticed of this product was that the fragrance filled the whole bathroom as soon as I took the wrapper off the product.  For the rest of the day, every single time that I walked by the bathroom, I could smell the lovely mango scent coming out at me.  The only other soap that I have had the same from is the LUSH Rockstar soap (my absolute favorite soap ever!) and I was instantly in love with the product.  The soap lost its scent a little bit over the four weeks that I used it but i could still smell it every single time that I went into the bathroom. 

This soap is a very creamy formula and I really recommend it for drier skin types, my skin is very dry and will remain so until the beginning of May.  The product produces a very rich and creamy lather while still rinsing clean and not leaving a film on the skin.  I was very impressed with the rich lather created by this soap but I must say that I was even happier when I got out of the shower and my skin wasn't as dry as it normally is.  This bar soap didn't solve my dry skin (not that a bar soap ever really could) but it didn't strip my skin and leaves it feeling better than many liquid shower gel formulas do.  I would recommend this for anyone with dry skin or skin that can be easily irritated in the cold weather months.  This one bar lasted about 5 weeks for me, it is large and dense bar that didn't disappear with the addition of warm water.

I love this bar soap and I really hope that this line will stay around longer this time, I would love to see the Mango Butter product line be available all year but if it isn't, I know that I will buy a bunch of these in the next few months!

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works