Chanel's Blending Foundation Brush #7

Greetings Reader!

Little Background:

I've never been a big fan of foundation's brushes. All of the ones I've tried in the past (Sephora's, MACs, Clinique's, etc) didn't work. Perhaps I didn't have the right technique or I wasn't using the right foundation, but it always looked like I was wearing a mask. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't blend the foundation enough. Even when I would ask the associate at whatever store I was at to apply my foundation using one of their brushes, when they handed me the mirror I could still see the foundation on my skin. So in lieu of a brush I would use my fingers and then when I was done, I would gently buff my skin with a tissue to make sure that my foundation looked flawless. 

Chanel's Blending Foundation Brush #7:

And all of that was true until I purchased Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua. I asked the associate to apply the foundation with one of her foundation brushes. I thought she was going to use the Chanel Foundation Brush #6 (since that was the one I had seen most on YouTube and such. But she didn't, she used Brush #7. And that was how I came to purchase my first and only foundation brush.

This brush is dense with medium stiffness and a feathery soft brush head.This can be used on foundation, blush, and bronzer flawlessly! You don't have to be a make-up artist to be able to use this brush. I'm by no means a professional at make-up application, but even I manage to make my foundation look as if it's been airbrushed when I complete blending. Fantastic!

Bottom Line:

It's $54 well spent! It even comes in the signature Chanel black velvet case which is very convenient when I have to travel with my brush. No regrets so far. And other than the price, I can't think of a con. Give it a try the next time you're in the market for a foundation brush. I promise it won't disappoint.

I hope this helps. :)

MAC's Bronzing Powder

Greeting Reader!
Little Background:
MAC's is a fantastic make-up brand for those who haven't tried them out yet. I love their products even though I don't buy them all that often. Why? Because MAC is designed as stage make-up/performer's make-up. It's meant to stand up against anything and to look just as great 8 hours on. Having said that, I find that a lot of their products are super heavy. I'm not a fan of heavy products. When my skin can't breathe, I am more likely to get break-outs. I used their foundation for a little while 5 years ago, and while my face looked fantastic when the foundation was on, as soon as I took it off my skin looked like shit. It's a shame really, but what can you do?

MAC's Bronzing Powder:
I bought this powder in Golden over 5 years ago, and it works as well today as it did when I bought it! I figured it would have oxidized by now, but it hasn't. It's still goes on smooth and is incredibly long lasting. And when I say it's long lasting, I mean at least 8 hours of beautiful color. 

Since this is a bronzer, I don't use it very much. Some times I'll use it for contouring, but other times (mainly in January and February when I'm at my palest) I use it as a blush to add a hint of color or highlight my cheek bones. As I've stated already, I'm pretty pale (not fair). I don't go to tanning salons anymore as that just damages your skin faster and worse than if you went to the beach without sunscreen, but the downside is I look extra pale come January and February.

Another great feature to this product is that it's buildable. It's not heavy like many of MACs other products, so you can take your time applying it to make sure you get the exact look you want. The color is matte which is a huge plus for me. I'm not a fan of shimmer or glitter in my general face products.

Bottom Line:
I really don't know what else to say about this. It's a fantastic product. It costs $24 for 0.35 oz which is a steal when you imagine that I am still using the first one I purchased 5 years later!

I hope this helps. :)

Boots No 7 Lip Pencil

Greetings Reader!
Little Background:
Who doesn't love a great nude lip? It's simple and classic and with a hint of pink. 20 Nude goes with everything. In my search for a beautiful nude lipstick that didn't make me look like a zombie or someone from the 1960s - I stumbled on this great find!

Boots No 7 Lip Pencil:
Thank you Lisa Eldridge! She calls this a "cheat favorite" of hers since she is one of the Boots No 7 artistic directors and helped created this lip liner to match her own lip color. But I have to say - we have similar lip colors so her "cheat favorite" is one of my favorite finds. Now, I've only used this product in 20 Nude, but what a fantastic product. I would imagine the other colors in Boots No 7 Lip Pencil line are just as fantastic as the 20 Nude one, but I can only really speak to this one.

Long lasting and natural. It's a pretty creamy formula, so I didn't notice any tugging or pulling during application. And with a little blending, the product looks like your natural lip color without too much shine and gloss (but not entirely matte either). While you can use this as a lip liner, it's also great all over. I would apply a little lip balm over top of it though to help keep your lips moisturized. I love that it's a twist-style lip liner. Not that the standard pencil isn't nice. I just hate having to sharpen them - because I always forget and then need it when I'm no where near a sharpener.

Bottom Line:
Several retailers carry this online, but you can also get it at Target (when they are not sold out). I usually go to Target once a week and it took me 7 weeks to finally find 20 Nude. But Target did have a pretty nice collection of the other lip pencils in this line. It's $6.99 for 0.009 oz and the price seems pretty consistent even with online retailers.

I hope this helps. :)

Lip Fusion Micro-Injected Collagen Lip Plump

Greetings Reader!
Little Background:
Sorry for the delay. Last week's schedule was crazy! And I really needed the weekend to relax before coming back and posting a new entry.

I have full lips. Not Angelina Jolie full lips, but normal white-girl full lips. I always wondered about these kind of products and how they worked, so here's my reaction to this product.

Lip Fusion Micro-Injected Collagen Lip Plump:
If you're looking for fake looking lips, this is not the product for you. You're probably looking for a cosmetic procedure and not a little beauty plumping aid. Having said that, this product does work at plumping your lips slightly. It's a very subtle change to your lips. I'm not even certain that other people can tell that your lip are plumper, but I could always tell when I had used the product and when I hadn't.

First off, a lot of people think that this product doesn't work because they apply it over their lip balm or lipstick. This product must be applied directly to naked lips. It's the only way I've ever seen it work. If you apply it over your lipstick or lip balm - it can't really penetrate through whatever oil or balm that you're using on your lips already.

It tingles when you first put it on your lips. The tingling sensation lasts for about 3 minutes and then the product dissipates. At this point, I kind of think you can wipe it off and reap the benefits for the next 2 hours or so, but if you'd like to leave the lip gloss on that's fine too.

I know some people really like using this for lip gloss. I can't say that I'm a fan of that. It's kind of a sticky product after 5 minutes. And if you're not vigilant it can leave a white line around the inner part of your lips like you have cotton mouth. This is easily remedied if you monitor your lips during the first 20 minutes, but personally - after my lips are plumped I just wipe the product off my lips and move on to whatever lipstick or lip gloss I actually wanted to use.

Bottom Line:
It works to slightly plump your lips. I don't know if I'll replenish it after I've used up mine (Sweet), but it's a nice product. One of the reasons I don't know if I'll replenish it is that it cost $38 for 0.29 oz. Kind of steep in my opinion for something I wipe off my lips after 10 minutes, but to each their own.

I hope this helps. :)

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Greetings Reader!
Little Background:
I hate foundations that make it look as if I'm wearing make-up. If I wanted to wear a mask, then I'd wear a mask. My philosophy on foundation is that it should A) even out your skin tone, and B) look like the best version of your natural skin.

Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation:
This foundation is pure gold! My only regret with this foundation is not using it sooner. This is a sheer foundation that blends flawlessly onto your skin. You can apply this with either your fingers or a foundation brush. Since this is a liquid foundation, I prefer to use a foundation brush. I even bought Chanel's Blending Foundation Brush #7 (which I'll write a review on at a later date) to apply this product effortlessly. 

This is not a matte foundation, so if you're looking for that - this is not your foundation. It leave a dewy-type appearance to your skin. But it's not overpowering like you have extra oil on your skin. It just kind of makes your skin glow. I found this to be a very long lasting foundation. I think this works well for about 7 or 8 hours before it starts to break down a little and leaves a little shine to the skin. If you put this on in the morning before work, and were planning to go out afterwards - I would bring this with me for a little extra touch-up before heading out for evening plans. 

As great as I think this foundation is, I don't think that I would wear this during the hot summer months. I think that while it's a sheer coverage, that this product works best on skin in less humid/hot climates. So, this will really become a 3 season a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) foundation for me. 

As for it's coverage, this works really well for my skin. It's a sheer foundation and is buildable. So, if I can't cover the little red areas around my nose (when I have red around my nose) with one pass of the foundation, I'll just add a little bit more of the product to correct it then. If you're someone that needs more coverage (hiding active acne, scars, rosacea, etc), this probably isn't your product. The Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation is a sheer coverage foundation. Usually, the negative reviews I've seen posted on this product are from people who wanted a sheer foundation for it's natural appearance, but then hated that it didn't cover moderate imperfections. You kind of have to weigh what you're looking for with most foundations. Most sheer coverage foundations do not cover moderate blemishes as well as stronger medium coverage or sheer/medium coverage foundations. So, keep that in mind when you go to the store to try this out. And you have to try this out at the store and walk away. If it's at a mall, stop by the Chanel counter first. Try on the foundation (make sure they give you a card of what they put on your face) and then walk around the mall and shop for everything else. Assess how your face feels, how the product stands up over time, what it looks like in natural light, how long the coverage lasts, and if you like it - go back and get it. If you don't, then at least you tried a product and you know it wasn't for you. Do not buy this blindly off the website because you'll get the color wrong and hate it for the wrong reason.

One down side of the product that I find a little annoying is that since it is a water-based formula (hence the "aqua" in the title) you have to shake the heck out of it! And when I say that you have to shake it, I mean that you have to vigorously shake (think about the way that the automatic paint mixers shake new paint cans at Lowes to mix paint together for the first time) the foundation for about 2 minutes or else the product will come out watery. Once it is shaken, it's a very thick cream and you only need about the size of a pea to cover your entire face. If you haven't used the product for a few days, then you'll have to go back to the vigorous 2 minute shaking. But if you used the product the day before, you can get away with shaking it for about 30 seconds.

It does have a slight fragrance to it (as do most of Chanel's products), but it's a very clean fragrance that dissipates very quickly after application. I haven't noticed any drying from the product on my skin. I know some people have reported that, but I guess since I have combination skin, the alcohol content just doesn't effect my skin's moisture.

Bottom Line:
It is expensive. It's $45 for 30 ml, but as with most of the other products I've recommended that have an expensive price tag - the quality of the product is justified in the cost. Meaning that a little goes a long way.

Note Bene:
I have a busy week coming up, and I'll be away from my computer for a few days. I'll do my best to post a new review next weekend.

I hope this helps. :)

Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum

Greetings Reader!
Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum:
There is no need for a little background for this product. This is my favorite scent! Created by Chanel in 2001, this fragrance was designed to capture a younger audience of Chanel perfume fans. I can't say that I'm a big fan of Chanel's perfumes in general (I think most of them are too strong), but this one I fell in love with immediately.

Coco Mademoiselle is not as subtle a fragrance as the Bvlgari BLV Pour Femme. I would say that it is more of a moderate coverage fragrance with slight sweet, floral, and musky notes. Specifically, it has top notes of Orange, Bergamot, and Grapefruit. Medium notes of Litchi, Rose, and Italian Jasmine, with base notes of Haitian Vetiver, Indonesian Patchouli, Bourbon Vanilla, and White Musk. I can honestly say that I've never come across anything else that smells like this perfume. It's unique and beautiful and perfect for any woman who wants to feel the same way.

When I first tried in on in the store, I felt like I was wearing an old Hollywood fragrance because of how glamorous and sexy it smells. And I always use this scent when I'm trying to make a statement. But it is not an overpowering scent. I know some people like fragrances that when you walk in the door you can smell it. And even after you've left, the scent lingers for several minutes. (Or perhaps that's just the people who use the elevators in my apartment). I'm not that kind of perfume wearer. I prefer scents that when you're giving someone a hug or are in close proximity to someone that they can smell the perfume. But when I leave or when I'm standing an average distance away from someone that they can't smell my fragrance. I know it annoys me when I'm chatting with someone 3 or 4 feet away from me and I can perfectly smell their fragrance. When you can smell it that far away from someone, then I think the fragrance is just too overpowering or you've applied too much.

Bottom line:
Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum is $85 for 1.7 oz or $115 for 3.4 oz. A little goes a long way and this is also a long lasting fragrance with more than 12 hours of continuous coverage. This does come in an Eau de Toilette, but I think that the Eau de Toilette smells like poo. It is a completely different scent in the Eau de Toilette compared to the Eau de Parfum. Try both of them out the next time you're looking to sample fragrances, but don't forget that I warned you about the Eau de Toilette.

I hope this helps. :)

Bvlgari BLV Pour Femme Eau De Parfum

Greetings Reader:
Little Background:
I know I've said how much I dislike wearing beauty products with scents in them, and the reason for this is that I wear one of two perfumes on a daily basis. And I actually want to smell these perfumes on my skin rather than 20 different products with 20 different scents and then in the distance - a perfume I spent a lot of money on trying to break through the other fragrances.

Bvlgari BLV Pour Femme Eau De Parfum:
This is a light powdery fragrance. It's not very sweet or floral, but it is a very sophisticated scent. It has a slight woody musk note to it as well (which since this is the feminine version of the BLV Pour Homme, I would kind of expect that it would have a slightly masculine note to it.) 

BLV is a very clean feminine scent which although it is a very subtle fragrance, it's incredibly long lasting. I can spray this on in the morning and still smell it on my skin throughout the day until my evening shower.

It has a top note of Galanga, and subsequent notes of Iris Heart, Vodka Base, and Dark Chocolate. I don't know if this comes in a Eau de Toilette, but I've also never looked. I can't really wear Eau de Toilette fragrances because of the alcohol content. It gives me a headache.

Bottom Line:
It's $85 for 1.35 oz of the Eau de Parfum. Give this a try if you're looking for a nice soft sophisticated feminine fragrance.

I hope this helps. :)

Becca's Beach Tint Blush

Greetings Reader!
Little Background:
I've tried several different kinds of liquid blushes over the years, and I can't say that I've ever really liked them. Essentially, liquid blushes are cheek stains which if applied correctly look fantastic, but when applied incorrectly, looks like a child took a marker to your face. And they are long lasting products that soaks into your skin, so you either have to wait for it to wear off your skin or wash your face and start all over.

Becca's Beach Tint Blush:
I first saw this product in magazines and I thought it looked wonderful, but when I noticed it was a liquid blush I was pretty hesitant to purchase it. A few months after I started seeing this product in magazines, I noticed a video blog post on Lisa Eldridge's website where she sampled this product and demonstrated how to use it. Because of that post, I decided I'd give it a try.

This has to be the easiest and most natural looking liquid blush I've ever used. It's actually more of a cream than a liquid, which might be why it's so easy to apply. It's buildable which I love because sometimes I just want a hint of color to my cheeks and other times I want something more dramatic. Ultimately though, it looks very natural once applied because of it's texture. And if you apply too much of the product, it doesn't soak into your skin immediately so you can wipe the extra product off your face and you don't to have to worry about taking your other make-up off with it either. Which is a huge plus for me! It has a dewy appearance - so this isn't a matte product if you're looking for a matte blush. The product also has a slight scent to it to match whichever color you chose. So, I purchased watermelon and it has a perfumey watermelon scent (not like real fresh watermelon scent). I'm not a big fan of scents in my beauty products, but the scent dissipates fairly quickly on your skin.

Last thing I'm going to say is their customer service is fantastic! Over the summer, this product was not available in my area. Even Sephora's website wasn't carrying the product yet (they have since picked up the line). So I went on their website and looked through their 10 or 12 different shades of beach tint and couldn't figure out which one was best for my skintone. So, I emailed the website and described my general complexion, and I got a call back from one of their consultants with "This is what you should try first. I know you're going to love it. And in the winter months these shades would probably work best for your skin tone. Oh, and we have an amazing return policy so if you feel that this doesn't work or you don't like it - don't hesitate to return it!" Fantastic! And the shade she said I would like the most for summer months (watermelon) was my favorite blush to wear during the summer months. 

Bottom Line:
This is a great product and well worth the money. It's $25 for 7ml which seems expensive, but you only need a couple drops on either cheek for full coverage that lasts 6 or 7 hours. I've been using mine since about July almost every day, and it looks like it's hardly been used.

I hope this helps. :)

Benefit's They're Real! Mascara

Greetings Reader!

Little Background:

As stated before, I like natural looking mascara for daily wear and I cannot wear false lashes. It's a shame I can't wear false lashes without looking like a clown because there have been so many times where I'll go out in the evening and I'd really like something more dramatic on my eyes. But who wants to go out looking like a fool?

Benefit's They're Real! Mascara:

One day during one of my Sephora runs, I noticed that they had a deluxe sample of Benefit's They're Real! Mascara for 100 points. I'd seen the mascara online for a little while, but hadn't really wanted to spend then money to get it. And I can honestly say now that not getting this mascara sooner was a huge mistake!

This mascara is fantastic! The application wand is amazing. It lifts, separates, and curls. The mascara also adds extra volume while lengthening. The only downside is that it does clump a little bit. But the way I see it is that it's designed to be a dramatic mascara which in order to make your lashes look voluminousness can cause a little clumping. It's not a lot of clumping and a quick brush with a lash brush takes care of anything extra hanging on the ends.

Bottom Line:

It's definitely worth the money. It's $23 for 0.3 oz or you can buy the sample size (which I didn't know about before receiving the deluxe sample) for $10. Or you can probably just wait for it to come back to Sephora's deluxe sample giveaways and pick it up then.

I hope this helps. :)

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Fleur de Lotus

Greetings Reader!

Little Background:

I don't own many Chanel products. Why? Because of the cost. It's truly the only reason. Just like Dior, Chanel creates fantastic beauty products, but if I only bought Chanel or Dior - I'd live in a cardboard box.  And probably not even a nice cardboard box because of how expensive their products can be. Having said that, sometimes I save up and avoid lesser expensive products for something really nice.

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush:

Case in point. I've seen this blush in magazines for a while. I love Kiera Knightley's make-up since she became the spokeswoman for Chanel. Lisa Eldridge, who is an amazing make-up artist, recently did her make-up for the world premier of Anna Karenina. Absolutely stunning! And it was because of this particular post on her website where she used the Chanel Joues Contraste powder blush in Rose Initiale (72) on Kiera Knightley that I decided it was time to try out Chanel's blush.

I went to my local Chanel counter and was pleasantly overwhelmed by all of the beautiful shades of blush they had on display. The Chanel associate came over and started telling me about how fantastic this product was (like I needed her telling me.) I mentioned the Rose Initiale color and she put it on my skin and it was beautiful, but she said, "you know what? That's a really pretty color on you, but we have a new limited edition color, Fleur de Lotus (69), that will suit you much better." So, I took off the Rose Initiale and put on the Fleur de Lotus - and damn it if she wasn't right!  

Pros:

~ Long lasting. I've worn it for 10 hours and the color remains just as beautiful as when I first put it on.

~ Beautiful pinky coral color.

~ Very pigmented. A little goes a long way.

~ It's buildable.

~ No shimmer or glitter.

~ Silky application and finish.

~ Natural looking. Kind of like it's enhancing the glow within your skin.

~ Soft and feminine.

~ Fantastic packaging.

Cons:

~ It has a scent. It smells like roses, but it's not subtle. It's more of a very perfume-type rose scent. I'm not a fan, but luckily the scent on your skin disappears after a few minutes. 

~ Expensive. It's $43 for 0.14 oz.

Note Bene: 

The term "joues contraste" translates to "cheeks contrast" - which we call blush. 

I hope this helps. :)

Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara

Greetings Reader:

Little Background:

I have to confess that I'm a little blessed with relatively thick black eye lashes. One of these days, I'm going to have to thank my dad for them. But as with most blessings there can be a down side too -  my eye lashes are stick straight (not so thankful for that, dad). And as an additional fyi, I can't wear false eye lashes because of how straight my eye lashes are. The few times I've attempted to wear false eye lashes for dramatic effect have ended in disaster. Each time I tried it (no matter how much I curled them) I couldn't keep my eye lashes curled to match the false lashes and it looks stupid because it obviously looks like I have two rows of lashes, and not in the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor way - in the very very stupid looking way. Oh, and I should probably add that I haven't tried false lashes since purchasing the Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler which does an amazing job curling my lashes daily and they keep their curl for a long time.

But I digress - for the majority of my life I didn't feel the need to wear mascara because I didn't think I needed to darken my lashes or make them more defined. But around 22 or so, I decided I'd give mascara a try. What an overwhelming experience! There are a ton of different kinds of mascaras from different companies that all do very different things. And what I was searching for was a natural looking mascara for a mascara newbie - and thus my research began!

I know you're expecting me to say that I found the Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara and fell in love, but that's not how it went. My first great mascara love was MAC's Lash X Mascara. This was a fantastic mascara for someone (like me) that just wanted my natural lashes to look a little better. I loved it so much that that was my go-to daily mascara for over 5 years. But like most things in the beauty world - this product was not meant to last forever, and was (I believe) discontinued about a year ago.

Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara:

Thus started my new quest to find another natural looking mascara that I could use on a daily basis, and that's when I stumbled onto the Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara. As I mentioned yesterday, I researched the Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler for a while, and when I went on their website I looked through their mascara section and noticed this particular mascara. I read the reviews on this product during that week that I was deciding whether or not I'd purchase the eye lash curler, and figured - "what the hell? It say 'natural' in the product's name."So I bought it. 

I have to say that this is a nice natural looking mascara. I don't think it is as fantastic as everyone claims it is, but it's a nice product. 

The two problems I've had with it are:

1) For the first week or two when I first opened the tube, the mascara is a little watery. Watery mascara leads to eyelash clumping (which I never think looks natural or good) and it takes forever to dry. So, you have to be extra careful and wait for it dry so that you don't smudge the mascara onto your skin and you have to wait for it to dry so you can run a lash comb through it to separate the lashes.

2) After about 3 months maybe even closer to 4, I started to notice little clumps of mascara at the end of my lashes. It's not a lot and a quick brush of the lashes with a lash brush takes care of it, but it's an added step that I wouldn't have expected for this product at such a young age. And maybe I kind of got spoiled with the MAC Lash X Mascara since a tube lasted about 6-to-9 months without any of these issues. The MAC mascara also had a rose smelled to it that would fade over time and help you know when it was time to replenish. 

I've been using this product for as long as I've been using the eye lash curler. And as I said before, the eye lash curler is fantastic and I would strongly recommend anyone reading this blog that is interested in buying the eye lash curler to give it a try. But the mascara is a different story. I think that I have to buy the mascara more often and that I have a shorter prime-use period to use this product. During the months in between the water stage and the dry clump stage, this is a wonderful product and I don't have any issues with it. Which is why I've repurchased it so many times while I test other products for a replacement.  But I can't discount the draw backs either, and since it's $28 for a tube - I expect a little more for my money and that means I want more than 2 months of good mascara use for $28.

I'd be very interested to see if anyone else has had this issue with this product because I haven't read any reviews like this from anyone else. I'd also love to hear anyone's recommendations for natural looking mascaras on the market right now. I am currently testing Lancome's Définicils High Definition Mascara with Lancome's Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base. This mascara has a little bit more definition than I would like on a daily basis, but it's not too bad. I've only been using it for a few days though. Also, I have to admit that I tried Lancome's Définicils High Definition Mascara a few years ago, and it was so watery that I threw it out after a month. I think I may have gotten a bad batch or something or maybe you have to use a base with this mascara. I don't know the answer honestly. But I'm retrying it right now and I'll probably post my opinion in a month.

I hope this helps. :) 

NARS Blush in Super Orgasm

Greetings Reader!
Little Background:
I'm sure most of the people who read this blog have heard of Nars blush in Orgasm. That shade has a cult following all it's own. Now I personally do not own Nars blush in Orgasm because every time I've gone into a store to sample the shade, it always ends up being during summer. As with most people, I'm a little bit tanner in the summer and since I have pink and yellow undertones to my skin - the shade just didn't work for me. I kept reapplying and finally gave up at 3 applications. Since it's December now, I'll probably give it a try later this week when I'm at the mall to finally figure out whether I like it or not, but its definitely not an all-year-round blush for me.

Nars Blush in Super Orgasm:
So, while I was already at the store sampling the Nars blush in Orgasm, I noticed the newer shade, Super Orgasm, and decided that I'd give it a try. Maybe the sample in the store had less glitter because it had been sampled so many times before, but I absolutely loved this color. Stila used to have a shade in their magnetic pots line that was similar, but this was even prettier. So I bought it and this is what I think. 

Pros:
~ Beautiful pink color with a touch of peach. The regular Orgasm shade is the opposite. It's predominately a peach color with a hint of pink.
~ Velvet-like appearance. 
~ Long lasting.

Cons: 
~ Enough glitter to make whore blush! And they are large glitter flecks. The regular Orgasm shade is more of a shimmer which is manageable for regular use.

Bottom Line:
I'm not going to repurchase this when I run out. It was $28, and it's probably going to dry out before I ever get close to finishing it. I don't know how long that will be as it's a premium blush, but still - it's not worth repurchasing for myself because (with all of it's glitter) it only has a very special purpose for me and that is going out in the evening. Christmas is coming, so perhaps this is something that I'd wear to a holiday party, but I like to wear make-up that doesn't distract people or draw attention to one area. Plus, when I wore it to work a few times, my co-workers pointed it out. They asked me why I had glitter on my face at 7 am. If you don't mind glitter on your face, you'll love the color! It's just not my thing.

I think I may have set a record for how many times someone could say "orgasm" on a beauty blog. Win!

I hope this helps. :)

Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler

Greetings Reader!
Little Background:
There is a reason why this eye lash curler has a cult following! And that reason is that it's amazing! I first heard about this product 7 or 8 years ago (probably while watching E!). But at that time (college student) I wasn't that into make-up, and the idea of spending $20 on an eye lash curler (gasp!) was unfathomable in my mind. I didn't even wear mascara back in my early twenties.

Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler:
About 2 years ago I was using Tweezerman's and Sephora's eye lash curlers, and after a few months of using them I noticed I was starting to get "bent" eye lashes when I curled my eye lashes. These two product (both under $15) were basically new and they were already starting to show signs of wear after only a couple months.

So finally I broke down and started researching the Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler. It became apparent really quickly that I couldn't test the product first (as they didn't have any retail locations for me to test). I know I've mentioned on my other blog before that I do not buy products that I cannot test first. It's just kind of my own policy. I know Sephora has a really great return policy, but I'm very conscious of the fact that if I buy a lipstick or make-up brush, try it, don't like it and return it - that product becomes void. They can't then turn around and sell it someone else given the intimate nature of a product you put on your face.

I kicked around buying this eye lash curler for about a week even though everyone raves about how fantastic it is. When I did buy it, I also bought it with their Ultimate Natural Mascara (that I'll write about later this week). And I must admit that I haven't regretted buying it once!

The difference between this eye lash curler and the other eye lash curlers on the market is that it has a rounded silicone base. You may be able to see it from the photo, but the silicone pad (black part of the eye lash curler) is rounded - like your lashes should be. So, when you curl your lashes you don't get "bent lashes" that are pointing up, you get a curled lash. I know - it sounds really basic, but I haven't found another eye lash curler on the market (in the US) that has this design. Even their hinge is patented. I don't really understand why the hinge is patented and what makes it so important, but it's an interesting fact about the product. If anyone knows why the hinge is so important, please write me a comment below.

Where to buy this?
I typically won't include this section in here, but the Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler retails for $20 only on their website. Regrettably, Shu Uemura pulled their free standing kiosks in Nordstrom's and Lord and Taylor a few years ago to "guarantee the quality service that all customers were receiving." I personally think that's bull. I think it's more apt that it was a business strategy. It costs more money to have a counter at a retail store - between the products and the staff, that to have a website and one location for the product. But for whatever reason, you can now only purchase this on their website. Sephora and other beauty stores do not carry it in the United States.

I promise if you try this eye lash curler, you won't regret it. Right now their website is having (in the US) a promotion that if you spend $45 or more, you'll get a free mini-eye lash curler (CURLERSEM). I don't know how much smaller this one is from a normal eye lash curler they sell, but I'm considering stocking up on my mascara just to get the little one. Oh, and you can get free shipping if you spend $50 or more. 

I hope this helps. :)

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Versus Clinique Airbrush Concealer

                

 

Greeting Reader!
Little Background:
I researched these two products for over a year before I actually tried them at Sephora. I didn't know if I really needed a highlighter. I already had plenty of concealers, so the idea of a highlighter was a very foreign concept for me. For those that don't know what a highlighter is used for, it is essentially a product designed to brighten your skin in certain areas. IE. If you have dark circles under your eyes or redness around your nose - you would use this product in lieu of a traditional concealer (this is a type of concealer). Also, if you have acne (scars or active), this is a great product to just brighten your skin and to take the focus away from those blemishes.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat:
This is the one I ended up buying. Why? It came down to the rosewater that is added to the YSL product that is not in the Clinique product. 

I primarily was interested in brightening the circles under my eyes. I don't have really dark circles (which is why I'm not using a stronger concealer), but I do get moderate circles under my eyes from time-to-time. When I applied this product to my eyes, I didn't notice any creasing from it. Which is a big deal for me. Because while I don't have wrinkles yet, when I applied (and I'll go into greater detail below) the Clinique product I noticed creasing around the upper parts of my eyes which looked like I had wrinkles. I think the difference between the two products and why the YSL product provides a smoother finish is because of the rosewater. If anyone knows if that's the truth, please leave me a comment below. 

Clinique Airbrush Concealer:
This was also a great product, but not for what I needed. I applied this product to my right eye, and the YSL product to my left. I found, while chatting and laughing with the Sephora associate, when I smiled after applying the product, the Clinique bunched into my smile-lines around my eyes leaving the appearance of wrinkles.

At first I thought I had applied too much (and I had used my finger to blot the two products into place), but after removing the Clinique product and reapplying it with the Sephora Collection Pro Flawless Air Brush #56 - I had the same problem. At that point I started looking at the ingredients to figure out why this was happening (because after a year of researching these products, I didn't recall anyone mentioning this) and it seemed that the rosewater was the likely reason for this. 

Again, the rosewater is just a guess. If you know why the YSL Touche Eclat has a better finish than the Clinique Airbrush Concealer - I would love to hear about it!

Bottom Line:
The YSL Touche Eclat is pretty expensive - $40 for one pen. The Clinique Airbrush Concealer is far more affordable at $19.50 for one pen. 

So, my advice to whoever read this is if you are looking for a highlighter for non-creasing type areas (the area around your nose, acne coverage, etc) then the Clinique Airbrush Concealer is a great product. You won't regret buying it. 

But if you are interested (like I was) in primarily highlighting the area under your eyes, then the YSL Touche Eclat is the product you should try. It may be more expensive, but you will look flawless. I purchased this product a shade lighter than I would a traditional concealer. The color's shade is "luminous radiance."

I hope this helps. :)

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick

Greetings Reader!
I've always been a lip balm/lip gloss kind of girl. Lipstick always seemed incredibly cumbersome to me with the necessary multiple reapplications per day. Not to mention if you’re wearing a darker shade and eat or drink– you end up having a ring of color around your lips while the center remains lipstick free. And, even the higher end lipsticks felt as if they were drying out my lips.

So, to say that I've never been a big lipstick kind of girl would be accurate. However, in August I stumbled across Dior’s Addict Extreme lipstick in Avenue (667). This is a super creamy, moisturizing, gorgeous lipstick! The beauty consultant at my local Sephora even raved about how incredibly long lasting this lipstick was.

I bought it and tried it out and it is a really fantastic lipstick. Having said that- it is not long lasting. Without food or drink, the initial color lasted 30-minutes, and then a secondary beautiful color takes over for the next 2-to-3 hours (perhaps that’s the stain effect). The secondary color isn’t as rich as the initial color, but it is still very beautiful. And when it fades, it doesn’t fade to an awful color or become chalky like most lipsticks I’ve found. It really just kind of fades away.

I didn’t notice a taste. It’s not sticky at all. If you eat or drink something, it will come off almost immediately. But even with it’s fading, I really love the color, and will buy it again when I run out. It’s a bit pricey at $30, but I’ve used this lipstick almost every day with 2 or 3 reapplications since August and I’m not even a quarter of the way down the tube. Oh, and packaging is fantastic!

I hope this helps. :)