O.P.I. Summer 2010 Collection - Summer Flutter

In addition to the summery feeling collection created for the new Shrek movie, O.P.I. has also created a very pretty new collection of shades inspired by butterflies and nature. This collection is named Summer Flutter and consists of four bright summery shades of polish. Just from viewing the promo picture, I feel that this collection is going to sell like crazy. The colors aren't super unique but they are great choices for every woman.

The first shade is named Flower to Flower and this shade is a bright mid tone blue pink. It has a cream finish with no shimmer at all. I predict that this color will go over huge with the bright pink polish trend that has been going on so far this summer. I want this shade and will love it for summer pedicures.

The second shade is more a warmer tone than any of the others. This shade is named Flit a Bit and is a warm toned coral orange. I do not like this shade at all. i think that it is too orange to be attractive. Also, it will not work for my skintone but would be great for those of use with tans or warmer skin tones.

The third shade is another pink toned, though it is deeper than the other and could be considered more of a magenta than a true pink. The name of this shade is Wing It and it appears in the picture to have a slight shimmer to it. I really like this shade also and want to get a bottle of it for both manicures and pedicures.

The last new shade is my favorite. We have been seeing lots of great blues this season and this is no excecption. This shade is named Catch Me In Your Net and is a mid tone blue turquoise with shimmery finish. This is the shade that I want the most and will be going out to get this one soon. I can also this one selling out very quickly.

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Victory is Mine!!

Last weekend, I went to my local Macy*s for a MAC visit. I picked out a bunch of items when i saw one lone To The Beach tester at the bottom of the Lipglass fixture. And it was Easy Lounger which has been sold out online since the first few hours of the collection release!

And I got...the last one!!! Pretty, isn't it?

photo courtesy of MAC

Dior Summer 2010 Collection

I'm not really feeling quite summery at the moment, it is pouring rain out and it has taken me all day to get up the motivation to start talking about makeup. Yesterday, I had quite a nice MAC haul including some good pieces from To The Beach so I am pretty much finished with my summer shopping and beginning to think about what might be stylish this fall. So in order to get my summer love back, I decided to look at the beautiful Dior. The Dior website describes this collection as following, "The new makeup collection is inspired by the colors of John Galliano's fashion shows and the energy of Dior Addict Ultra Gloss. It highlights must-have products with irresistable, glowing, and instant radiance. From the star product, 'Addicted to Dior', to limited editions for the lips and eyes, this vibrant and tangy array ensures a splendid beauty makeup. A revelation for beauty addicts and diehard Dior fans. Spotlight on these essentials to wear all summer long..."

Let's check it out...

1 Couleur Ultra Smooth High Impact Eye Shadow - The texture: Enhanced by the latest eye shadow innovations, this revolutionary texture is based on "Micro-Fusion" for ideal coverage on the skin and maximum color impact. It leaves the eyelid visibly smooth and the color true for hours on end. 1 Couleur comes in several variations: matte, satiny to pearly and sparkling. The color: Color expresses itself incomparable intensity. The spirit of the collection lends itself to the mixing and layering of color for effects that rival those of fashion shows.

- Golden Spotlight - pale shimmery gold

5 Couleur Irisdescent Eye Shadow - Your eyes have never beheld such brillance. Shimmering palettes created with Dior's phenomenal new Wet Reflect technology. Ultra-reflective. Ultra-luminous. Ultra-incredible. Five metallic-rich shades in each palette. Silky smooth and weightless. So blendable, the colors virutally fuse with the skin for looks that defy creasing, smudging, or fading.

- Earth Reflection - shades of golds and neutrals

'Addicted to Dior' Lip Gloss Luggage Tag - The star of the summer collection, the Addicted to Dior lip gloss luggage tag, is stamped with Dior's Paris address and rhinestone accents. Insides is a duo of warm bronze and juicy pink lip gloss shades so you can get a kiss of color wherever you go.

Smoothing Lacquer Lip Polish - Dior Addict Lip Polish a true revolution in gloss! An exclusive spinning applicator mimics makeup artist application, rolling over the lips like a primer and a gloss in one! This spinning action uniformly spreads and smoothes the gloss, delivering fresh, long-lasting, layered brillance to the lips.

- Fresh Expert 002 - pink

- Radiance Expert 001 - nude

- Glow Expert 003 - coral

This seems like a quite a small collection from Dior but every single product in it is a winner! I love the 'Addicted to Dior' lip gloss set! This will add to my collection of cute little Dior items. I also love the new 5 Couleur and the 1 Couleur. I also want to get the Smoothing Lacquer Lip Polish in both the Fresh Expert 002 and the Radiance Expert 001. I guess that I am ready to get back into the grove of summer...

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Philosophy The Beach Girl

Philosophy's latest collection for summer has gotten me quite excited. They have brought out the Beach, a series of body and lip products that are perfect for unlocking your inner beach bum. I have loved the shore and anything associated with it ever since I was a young child so my interest is always piqued when the word "beach" is in any beauty product title.

The collection description from the Sephora website is right here, "Get so close to the beach that you can almost taste the sun and sand. Philosophy's summery new collection gets your senses as close to the beach as possible, thanks to an orange-crush-slush fragrance that's sweet, light, and delightfully energizing. The high-shine lip gloss; hydrating body lotion; and signature 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath make you feel like life's a beach, every day".

This fragrance is available in the individual products and also a giftset that features smaller versions of all three items. We are going to look at the giftset since the description will cover all three items. "Inspired by hot summer days on the beach and strolling along the boardwalk, Beach Girl is a refreshing pick-me-up that will make you smile. This set is designed to leave skin feeling super clean and soft and lips looking glossy and beautiful. The orange crush slush scent is so delightful, refreshing, and energizing, you will be reminded of summer days packed with sun, sand, and play."

The 3-in-1 and lip gloss formulas are the same as they have always been I decided to only check out the body lotion description. I have still never used one of their body lotions, I wish they came out in more scents. I was very happy with the body butter that I got from Philosophy several years ago so I hope that their lotions are of the same quality. "The beach is never far from reach with Beach Girl Body Lotion. The delightful scent of orange crush slush is energizing, like a summer day packed with sun, sand, and play. This ultra-rich body lotion is formulated with nourishing shea butter and natural olive and macademia nut oils to help soften skin and aid in moisture retention. Antioxidants soothe and protect the skin against environmental damage. Beach Girl melts easily into a skin for a non-greasy feel and leaves a light, citrus scent for a refreshing skin pick-me-up." I want more lotions from this company.

I smelled this fragrance a couple weeks ago in Sephora and I liked it. Not loved it, just liked it. It is a light, sweet orange soda scent and it is one of the ones that I like enough to purchase but I wouldn't use it all the time. For myself, the giftset would be perfect. The sizes are small enough that if I didn't use them all the time, then they won't live in my shower for months. Now, Philosophy has also introduced a new 3-in-1 fragrance called Pineapple Coconut and I love this one. This one is just the most perfect mixture of the two fragrances and this is the perfect fragrance for the summer. Now this product I could see myself using every single day and will purchase the largest size of 3-in-1 available. I also want to get the matching lip gloss in this fragrance

I wish Pineapple Coconut came in an entire line of bath and body products...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Chanel Summer 2010 Collection - Les Pop-Up de Chanel

The newest collection from Chanel is quite different than their previous collection released for spring. The spring collection was all about wearable makeup and looking natural yet beautiful everyday. The new collection for summer is about bright fun makeup but these colors have a very definite time and place that they are appropriate to wear. Namely, not the office. However, this collection may be less versatile but is no less beautiful. The Nordstrom website states that, "The standout shades of the season: pops of neon bright lip and nail colour, luminous bronzing powders and more".

Let's check it out...

Soleil Tan de Chanel - Gently illuminating bronzing powder in the form of wave-swept sands. Innovative, oil-free formula delivers a naturally gorgeous bronze glow that never look dull or flat.

- Terre Epice - light bronze

- Terre Ambre - amber bronze

- Terre d'Or - golden bronze

- Terre Halee - deep bronze

Soleil Tan de Chanel - Sheer, weightless liquid instantly brightens skin and evens out skin tone. Light-reflecting pigments provide radiance and luminosity. Botanical extracts soften, smooth, and moisturize. Oil free. Fragrance free.

- Sunkissed - medium bronze

Rouge Allure - It combines fabulously wearable, lustrous colour and sensational comfort and is subtly etched with the world-renowned Chanel logo.

- Genial - rich coral

- Darling - light blue pink

- Super - bright pink

Aqualumiere - A brillant pop of sheer colour and ultra-creamy texture provide an immediate sensation of softness and comfort. Lips are throughly hydrated with a nourishing, soothing, and fortifying action.

- Bondi - sheer warm peach

Aqualumiere Gloss - Brush on the exquisite, water-light look of this new ingenious gloss and discover perfect comfort in a sheer wash of colour.

- Bondi Beach - rose gold

Gloss Fluo de Chanel - With its hot colour and high-wattage shine, the electric effect of this bright, sheer, light lip gloss is perfect for going from the beach to a night out.

- Laser - bright fushcia

- Pop - bright coral

Levres Scintillantes - Intense frost and shine for lips. Cool array of hottest colours in a convenient, easy-to-use case. Gel texture imparts a shimmery, ultra-glossy look. New shades add extra sparkle and shine.

- Bikini Pink - light pink

Inimitable - Now, in a single stroke, Chanel sets a new standard in mascara with a formula that does it all. A sophisticated formula and unique brush design combine to lengthen, plump, and curl, delivering lush, long-wearing colour so precisely that each lash, even the finest, is perfectly defined and separated.

- Noir - black

Les 4 Ombres de Chanel - Shade combinations ranging from matte to frost to satin for multiple looks, contrasting or complementary. Apply dry for subtle shadowing. Slightly moistened applicator gives a more intense shade. Organic polymer derivatives ensure smudge-proof long wear, particularly in high temperature or humidity. Dermatologist tested.

- Demure - pinks, peaches, and browns

Le Vernis - Brillance to your fingertips with must-have colours from the runways of Paris. State-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails. Unique patented non-spill bottle with wiping action for easy application.

- Mistral - sweet candy pink

- Riveria - intense rose

- Nouvelle Vague - bright ocean blue

I really like this collection much more than I thought that I would after looking at the promo picture. Most of the bright aren't for me but I found several items in this collection that I would love to purchase. First of all, I want all three of the new nail polish shades. From the new lip shades, I would like to get the Bikini Pink gloss and the Rouge Allure in Darling. I love the new Les 4 Ombres in the Demure shade, this will be perfect for me. I will also try out one of the bronzers and see how the lightest shade looks on my skin.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Shade to Order Sunless Tanner

My latest sunless tanning product is a break from my usual Lancaster or St. Tropez products. I was sent this Bath and Body Works tanner from a PR company and I admit I was a bit nervous to try it out. My usual tanners are foam and tinted. This one is not so had this product not been sent to me, I might never have tried it out and broadened my beauty horizons. The product that I am referring to is the True Blue Spa Shade to Order Select-a-Shade Gradual Tanning Lotion. This is the first tanning product I have used that is gradual, not tinted, and a lotion. So I did need some practice to master this one.

The Bath and Body Works websites gives the following description to describe the product. "Isn't it comforting to know that you're only one shade away from the perfect sun-kissed color? By choosing your desired shade and simply adjusting the setting on the dual chamber, you can customize the intensity of your sunless gradual tan while you lavish your skin with nourishing, oil-free moisture". The product has seven settings, setting 1 is all self tanning lotion and setting 7 is all body lotion. I have found that setting 4 or setting 3 works very well to create a gradual tan for my skintone.

The Bath and Body Works website lists the advantages of some of the active ingredients in this product. They state that glycerin helps the skin retain moisture. The aloe vera in the product soothes and smoothes the skin. Vitamin E moisturizes, conditions, and helps to protect the skin during application and later. Also, this product does not have the traditional sunless tanner chemical fragrance that I am used to. The fragrance of this tanner is a coconut orange flower mix and is much more pleasant than the chemical scent of both the previous tanners that I have used.

So what do I think of this product? I have both likes and dislikes of it. I love the fragrance and I do enjoy the gradual part of this product. After about two applications, I look as though I spent a day at the beach, instead of a week in Rio. For someone with paler skin, this helps to create a more natural look and not a huge transformation overnight. I really wish that this product was tinted, it would be much more helpful in application. The overall application was actually much easier than I thought that it would be. The hardest parts for me to get even are the typical areas: feet, knees, and elbows. The use of a lotion instead of a foam really helps to keep my skin hydrated and it doesn't itch as badly as it usually does when I use the foams.

If this product was tinted, this would be an amazing product because it has some other great attributes. Bath and Body Works has come quite a long way since I first used their tanners when I was in college...I look natural and not orange!

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection

As I wrote a few weeks ago on the Sex and the City movie tie in fragrance, now we have another beauty collection tie in to check out. The third Shrek movie came out over the summer and now OPI has a new collection of shades based on this film. I have never seen any of the previous movies so I don't plan on seeing this one but I do plan on seeing what bright new shades are being released in conjunction. There are six shades in total, one dark, two pale, and three bright.

The first shade is named Funky Dunkey and this one is a deep blue purple cream. This shade is pretty but is it rather generic and could be very easily dupable. I like this one but this isn't unique enough for me to purchase and if I did, I don't that I would use it more than half a dozen times at most.

The second and third shades are the paler shades and these are my two favorite of the new collection. I would like to buy both of these shades and can see myself getting a decnet amount of use out of both. the first of the two shades in named What's With the Cattitude? and is a pale robin egg blue cream shade. I love this one and I think this is my favorite of all the shades. The second pale shade is named Rumple's Wiggin. This shade is a pale pink lavender cream and even though it looks like a bunch of shades that I currently own, I will buy it and use it a lot.

The last few shades of the collection are the bright shades and I think that these will be the best selling shades of the collection. The first bright shade is named Who the Shrek Are You?. This shade is a bright yellow green cream. I doubt this shade will be flattering on me but I can see it being a hit for pedicures and working well against tanned skin with more golden undertones. The second bright shade is named Ogre-the-Top Blue and this is my favorite of the bright shades. This one is a bright ocean blue cream, I love this shade. This one will be great for pedicures for this summer especially against white or silver sandals. The last new shade of the collection is named Fiercly Fiona and is a bright yellow. I don't like this shade at all and it would look awful on me.

I want three new shades from this collection. I want both of the pale shades, What's With the Cattitude? and Rumple's Wiggin. I want one of the bright shades, only the Orge-the-Top Blue. Not my favorite collection ever but it still produced a couple of items for me to check out.

photo courtesy of Amazon.com