Urban Decay F&F Sale is on NOW!

I'm sure you've already heard, but for 30% off all UD, head over to urbandecay.com and enter code: FNFW1

Offer is good November 9th-20th. 

And yes, I already ordered:

-Pore Perfecting Primer

-Ink Eyes in Zero

-Ink Eyes in Demolition

-Brow Beater in Brilliant Blonde

Kicking myself for not ordering the 9-piece mini 24/7 liner set, so I may have to place a second order :)

Hard Candy Cosmetics...still around!

Just wanted to quickly share that while in Wal-mart today, I was surprised to find Hard Candy being sold, with new packages and products. I thought Hard Candy was d-e-d, but apparently they've just changed a little. I was very tempted to pick up a beautiful, baked blush called "Honeymoon" that looked soft like Pleasureflush- it was only $7!- but I resisted...for today. :) 

The products were affordably priced and the packaging was enticing. AND, they still have their signature, bright nail polishes, complete with the plastic ring. 

Has anyone tried the new Hard Candy line? What are your thoughts?

FOTD: Dark Fall Colors

Ok so this is some makeup I did for my sister a couple months ago. My sister has beautiful porcelain skin, and she usually just does very simple, neutral looks. I wanted to kind of turn everything upside down and give her a look that she wouldn't usually wear. She was super apprehensive about the dark and intense colors, but after she saw it applied, I think she was impressed at the way makeup can totally transform. Obviously, I wouldn't apply this every day, but it is fun for an occasion! :)

I should also mention that I didn't use eyeliner, I didn't make much of an effort on the foundation and other finishing products. It was a quick application for fun, and if I did it for a more serious occasion, I'd have definitely taken more time.

Products (all MAC, afaik):

-'Tempting' Eye Quad 

-'Mosscape' Paint Pot

-'Blooming' Blush

-'Kirsch' Mattene

-'Jampacked' Lipglass

...Yes, this is a very Cult of Cherry-esque look. An oldie, but goodie!

Review: Illamasqua Cream Blushers

 

Another great product brought to you, 20% thanks to Sephora... and 80% thanks to me! :) So...I have been hearing rave after rave about the new British line, Illamasqua, and I figured this would be a great time to try it out.

I selected two cream blushes, Lies and Rude. I have been on a cream blush kick lately, and these are both gorgeous shades. 

Lies is a sheer light pink.

Even though it's fairly pink in the pan, when applied, it kind of reminds me of a slightly pinker version of MAC Porcelain Pink MSF. Here it is applied:

I'm on the paler side (my hand is probably NC20-25 right now), so the pink shows up rather well. However, I imagine that for the darker skin tones, it may just end up looking like a highlighter. It is very buildable though, and the formula allows for a little to go a long way.

Next, Rude is a more intense coral color. 

Like most corals, Rude is a universally-flattering tone, and because of its intensity, it can be applied lightly or heavily depending on the look you want. Just like Lies, I find that a little goes a long way.

Here it is applied fairly lightly:

I honestly am having a hard time finding any thing that I don't like about these blushes. They are everything I expect in a blush: 

-Easy to apply (try a 165 or 187 by MAC)

-Complementary, natural colors

-Soft and blendable for healthy-looking skin

-Decent-sized (slightly less than NARS, but still a good amount)

-Long-wearing

Even the $23 price tag, though not the cheapest, is comparable to blushes from other high end makeup lines, so it's really not a bad deal.

Anyways if you get a chance to check these out, you will likely be pleasantly surprised!

Review: Nars- The Multiple Trio

l to r: Copacabana, Orgasm, South Beach

Thanks to Sephora's F&F sale, I was able to get my hands on this lovely trio of NARS' mini multiples, and I'm excited to share my thoughts and a few swatches with you.

The Multiple is a many products in one compact roll-up stick. It can be used as blush, highlighter, eyeshadow, lipstick- whatever works for you. The set contains three varied colors: Copacabana, a nice soft pink-white; Orgasm, a universally-flattering and best-selling peach with gold sparkles; and South Beach, a buildable bronze. I find that all three colors are ones that can be used on a day-to-day basis- there are no obscure, difficult colors in the set.

I also love the silky texture that these have; it is a similar texture to NARS' cream blushes. It is easy to apply but won't melt on your skin. 

With Flash: Copacabana, Orgasm, South Beach

Without Flash: Copacabana, Orgasm, South Beach

The only thing I do not like about this product, is the price. Luckily, with the F&F sale, I saved a bit on the $40 retail price. Still, these sticks are only 0.14 oz each, which is a tad less than the typical lip balm- in fact, they are rolled up in the photo as far as they will go, and I have just tried them each once! So in nutshell, they average at about $13 for each- yikes!

Overall, the formula plus the convenience of having a lip, eye and cheek product in one container could ultimately make it worthwhile for you, as it was for me. However, if you are looking for a (much) cheaper version of these, I like Flirt! Big Deal Lip & Cheek Tint (my fave shade? The gold-hued Sheer Genius)! 

Enjoy!

Yes, I am still alive!

So, I just want to apologize ONCE AGAIN, for the delay in posting!! I've just been so hectic. I think about this blog every day, when I apply my makeup b/c there are sooo many products that I love and want to share with you, but I promise I will get going soon. 

Some of the things I want to review VERY soon:

-Maybelline Stilletto liquid eyeliners

-MUFE "Best of" kit 

-Cream blushes (Illamasqua, NARS)

...And many other wonderful things :) 

It's all a matter of finding the time to take some good quality photos. I want this blog to be the best possible! Anyways, I promise it will get better. :)

Review: Tarte Clean Slate Face Primer

Alright, this is a product that I've been wanting to review for a while now because it's so amazing. But I guess that now that I've been using it for 3 months, I have a great idea of how it works for the long-haul: it has been through many types of weather and many days of scrutiny, so I know it can with stand the test of time.

This, my friends is Tarte Clean Slate Face Primer.

 It is an all-natural product, free of parabens, preservatives, dyes, mineral oil and a ton more. Not normally one to stray far from my favorite, MAC, I actually was introduced to this primer by Sephora, who sent me a sample in one of my orders. Coincidentally, my sister also received one from her order, at about the same time. After just a couple of days, we conferred, and decided that this was one miracle product if we'd ever seen one.

It has a filmy, slightly opaque finish. Feels velvety when applied, and seems to fill in pores for a smooth, foundation-ready surface. 

Here it is in a blob on my hand: 

As you can tell, it is more matte, and while it is clear in color, it has a bit of the scotch tape effect. 

And now, here it is spread out a little bit so you can kind of get an idea of what the texture is. Note that this is not, by any means, blended out. When blended on the face, it is completely invisible. 

Why I love this product:

-I get a greasy face fast. However, I feel like with this primer, it staves off the grease a lot longer than with any other primer I've tried. My face looks great all day, even in to the evening.

-It can be worn under liquid/cream foundations OR powder/mineral foundations. Sometimes I find that powder + primer= huge mess, but not with this one. In fact, I find that it makes my mineral foundation look even and blotch free; it does not cake.

-It does not flake or dry up on the face. I've had this happen with some of the cult-fave primers. This one does not ever manifest itself in an unfortunate way. If I ever apply a little too much, it doesn't seem to adversely affect the way my makeup looks.

What I would change:

-The packaging is a little unfortunate. It is small (1.16 fl oz) and kind of hard to get product out. After the first few uses, it takes a lot of strength to squeeze the rest out, even though it appears as though there is a good amount left.

-The price is kind of steep: $27 for as I said, 1.16 fl oz. However, Tarte occasionally has friends and family sales (last one was 30% off), but I'm not sure how frequent these are. 

Despite the logistics of the product marketing, the actual product has been a life saver to me this summer. Living in Alaska (on the coast, no less), I have experienced cold, wet and windy weather, but I've also experienced hot, humid, 90-degree weather. I've had only the best experience with this product in all situations. And yes, I've been using it now for 3 months, so it definitely works the same the 50th time as it does the first time. :)

Yes, it's true! I'm back from my hiatus!

Sorry I've been so friggin' M.I.A. for the past 3 months! I've been up in Alaska this summer and my job has been kicking my butt! However, I'm starting to get the hang of things, so I think that might mean more time for posting. :)

Free MAC...Sorta

Alright before I clarify the title of this post, I need to just apologize for what I feel to be a lack of posts. My personal goal for this blog is to have it constantly updated with the latest and greatest products. Unfortunately, because I've been so busy I've had no time to set up my digital camera with my desktop, and I don't have wireless so I can't use my laptop, etc etc. It's kinda silly, I admit. But at any rate, the only time I can really get on to load pics is select times of the week. Sigh...so I apologize, but I am trying to get this thing going a little quicker, I promise.

Ohkayy, and now for the Free MAC that I was talking about. Well, in the past 6 months, I've gotten $200 worth of free MAC Cosmetics, and I am just putting how I did this out there because even though this may not be for everyone, it is kinda cool (and don't worry, I don't get a cent for telling you about it, so it's not a promo ploy or anything)! :)

Put it simply, I got $200 by using my Nordstrom Visa Card. They have a points program where you get 2 points per every dollar spent at Nordstrom (.com & rack included), and you get 1 point per additional dollar spent on the card (groceries, gas, phone bill, eating out-ANYTHING). Once you hit 2000 points, you get a $20 nordstrom note, usable on any Nordstrom merchandise, including MAC Cosmetics!

Now, 2000 points seems like a lot, but there are multiple (at least 4-5) times a year where you will receive up to 10 points per dollar on all Nordstrom purchases. Right now until March 22, Nordstrom Visa cardholders get 6 points per dollar. So, my Sugarsweet purchase yesterday, which cost me $115 gets me 690 points! So, right there I'm almost 1/3 of the way towards $20 to apply to my next MAC purchase.

Then, consider all your everyday purchases like Gas, Food, Phone, Utilities that you can charge and easily pay off with cash, immediately. Bigger purchases like airline tickets are awesome and give you a lot of points fast! Also, their bill pay system is extremely efficient and you can make unlimited amounts of payment during the month- if you want to pay on it after every purchase, you can, so you don't have to worry about interest...and the gift certificates are yours! And, if you can't help but carry a balance, the interest rate is extremely forgiving- starts at 7.9% +, so you're not paying through the nose for interest.

As I mentioned, I have received $200 worth of these gift certificates in just 6 months, mostly by charging my bills on it, but also thanks to the many generous multiple points periods (in 2008, they had triple points for literally 2 months! It was great!). BUT the best part is, if you open a card and charge $100 on it at point of opening, you get $20 in the mail (arrives in like 1 week). So, that's a nice bonus.

ANYWAYS, I know I'm selling this card like crazy, as if I'm getting something from you opening a card (I wish I got something for this, LOL) but the truth is I just cashed in one of my $20 certificates yesterday, and I have another one coming to me in April, so I'm just super excited. I know how much my readers love MAC (and heck, ALL makeup!) so if you have access to Nordies, and have good credit, you should go for it. I should also remind readers that it's the Nordstrom VISA, not the regular Nordstrom store card or pre-pay card (although you do get 1 point per $ with those ones too).

So I hope that's some worthwhile beauty advice today! :)

Double Dazzle Preview: New Dazzleglass Photos

Alrighty so I went a little bit mental last week and bought out practically all the new dazzleglass on eBay! I won't be living near a MAC counter or store when this collection comes out (April 30), and I hate waiting for the post, so I guess that kind of justifies me paying through the nose for these...not to mention I wanted them now! :) 

Soo...here's the list of all the dazzleglass that are being released for this collection (thank you to Temptalia.com for this info):

Sugarrimmed- Milky pale pink with red, teal and white pearl
Goldyrocks*- Sheer soft yellow with pink and gold pearl
Moth to Flame*- Sheer neutral beige with violet pearl
Smile*- Light coral with pink and gold pearl
Steppin’ Out- Clean yellow pink with red pearl
Utterly Posh*- Mid-tone orange with pink and gold pearl
Love Alert- Raspberry red with red pearl
Date Night- Deep plum with blue and gold pearl
Funtablulous- Purple with violet pearl
Extra Amps*- Sheer bright blue pink with blue and pink pearl
Like Venus- Clean light bubble gum pink with red pearl
Stop! Look!*- Sheer violet mauve with blue and pink pearl
Money Honey- Mid-tone rosy mauve with red pearl
Rags to Riches- Plummy pink with teal and red pearl
Baby Sparks- Pale pink with violet pearl
Bare Necessity- Caramel apricot with red and gold pearl
Girl’s Delight*- Sheer mid-tone tan with gold pearl
Get Rich Quick- Warm yellow brown

* denotes first-time release

So, of the first-time releases, I got:

Goldyrocks: This a nice, soft yellow that doesn't appear yellow when actually applied on the lips. It's more gold of course. Very pretty! I will need to try it a little more, but so far so good!

Moth to Flame: Surprisingly beautiful. I mean what can I say, it looks pretty in the tube, but the very light silver glitter is quite fantastic when applied! High shine! 

Smile: So this is the one I wanted the most, and when it arrived, I noticed it didn't look quite right...it was too dark, and I just couldn't imagine that it was the color that everyone raved about. It didn't have a sticker on the bottom so there was no way to tell, but after comparing it to swatches from other people, I realized what I had was Utterly Posh (see below). Well, UP turns out to be a pretty color, but I still wanted Smile, so I bought it also (lol). It really is gorgeous! When I pulled it out of the package today, I was like "yes!" because it was exactly the right color, everything I imagined. A beautiful, soft coral. I've heard it described as Baby Sparks with more peach, and indeed it is (see below for comparison of Baby Sparks and Smile). And the name is totally cute too! What more can I ask for? Oh and can I say this will probably look hot over Lollipop Lovin?

 

Utterly Posh: Ok so this is the one I initially got when I ordered Smile. It is like a darker version of Smile, or a lighter perhaps slightly less brown version of Miss Dynamite. Very pretty, I can't complain about it.

Extra Amps: So I can't say much about this one, because it is a very typical hot pink color. I don't find it too unique; it is just barely different from Miss Fizz. But it's pretty nonetheless. 

And here are 10 dazzleglass (new and old) that are coming out on April 30:

l to r: Sugarrimmed, Goldyrocks, Moth to Flame, Smile, Utterly Posh, Funtabulous, Extra Amps, Rags to Riches, Baby Sparks, Bare Necessity

I am really excited that a bunch of great colors are being released, including some of the best-sellers of the original release (bare necessity and baby sparks anyone)? I'm definitely looking forward to seeing some Steppin Out- I've heard good things about this color. Anyone really like this color?

Well, I do have to say that my very favorite dazzleglass of all time is Funtabulous. When I first saw the display of d/g last year, I could only pick 2, and I picked Funtabulous and Bare Necessity based on how they looked on me. Funtabulous has great color pay off for a dazzleglass, and I love how it appears over a thin layer of Myth or Fleshpot l/s. Definitely a winner! Plus, purple lips are in this season, so why not?

My beloved Funtabulous (I will deffo be getting a new one of these!):

Now, may I just say that there are a couple negative things about these...first, the amount of product in the tube is quite pathetic. It's like less than a mini lipglass from the holiday collections! Blah! That is one reason I didn't want to swatch on my skin, because I don't want to run out of any of this expensive gloss soon - sorry!! :)

Also, I have noticed that 3 of the 5 I've ordered smell like meat. Yep, that nasty meat smell is still plaguing the dazzleglass! I hope they fix it before the official release, but just so you know, it may happen to you! Luckily, if I let it air out for a second, it can be used ok w/o smelling too bad. But still the idea is not enticing by any means.

However, I noticed that Smile was not as sticky as my other dazzleglass. Am I crazy? Imagining things? Probably. But I smacked my lips together multiple times and was quite impressed.

Ok, so here are some comparison shots: 

Top to Bottom: Moth to Flame, Smile, Baby Sparks (all in the same ballpark, just different sparkles)

Top to Bottom: Funtabulous, Extra Amps, Miss Fizz (the difference btwn EA and MF are not so much that you have to have both, imo)

Top, Utterly Posh; Bottom, Smile. (You can see how, without a label on the bottom, UP could easily be mistaken for Smile)

Top, Baby Sparks; Bottom, Smile. The main diff here is basically if you prefer peach or pink. That's all. 

AND, since there are some Dazzleglass that will be sorely missed, here's a pic of some d/c dazzleglass  for the road:

Pleasure Principle, Comet Blue, Miss Fizz

Well, I hope you enjoyed this preview of new colors. I can take more pics as I know these are kinda small. But they were taken w/ flash in daylight, and I'm quite happy with the accuracy of the colors. Well, enjoy yourself some Dazzleglass in just about 1 1/2 months! :)