Wednesday, November 30, 2011

bareMinerals Holiday 2011 : Pretty Amazing Lip Collection

The Pretty Amazing Lip Collection($28) is one of the many holiday kits from bareMinerals that comes with mini sizes of their Pretty Amazing Lip Glosses and Lip Colors. The set comes with four shades - two Pretty Amazing lip glosses in Sass(Nude Shimmer) and Oomph(Light Shimmery Pink) and two Pretty Amazing lip colors in Savvy(Rosy Nude) and Confidence(Berry Pink).




The Lipcolors feel more like a liquid lipstick and work best on exfoliated lips. You need a bit of prep work for the color to glide. If you have dry lips like mine, be sure to apply a lip balm prior to applying this. The texture feels smooth and very slick. The colors have a creme finish and are very pigmented too. You need just a swipe for the colors to show up and they have a beautiful, subtle glossy sheen. While they are not extremely moisturizing, they do feel comfortable. The shade Confidence especially leaves a beautiful rosy stain after fading. They last a good 3-4 hours on me.

L-R : Savvy, Oomph,Confidence, Sass

The Lipglosses on the other hand are more sheer, shimmery and have a thinner consistency. They work quite well on dry lips and have a very glossy finish to them. The shimmer does not look very tacky either. They don't last as long as the lipcolors do but, since the colors are a little sheer, I like to layer them over a lipstick. All colors come with a wand that is really convenient and deposits color really well without being patchy.

L-R : LipColors in Confidence, Savvy, Lipglosses in Oomph, Sass

Overall, a good way to try out a couple of finishes from the Pretty Amazing Lip range. They are not a cure for dry lips or overly moisturizing but, feel very good, texture wise. The colors are not OTT either. 'Confidence' and 'Oomph' especially are very beautiful and will look good on most skin tones.

Available at Ulta stores, Sephora and online at Ulta.com, Sephora.com and bareescentuals.com


What are your thoughts on the bareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lip Collection?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle - Review, Photos & Swatches

With everyone raving so much about these lip butters, I couldn't stop myself from picking up a shade. I wanted to pick up a couple of them more but, by the time I went to the store, the display was close to empty. I grabbed a very safe, everyday pinkish brown shade called Pink Truffle.

Pink Truffle is great if you have pigmented lips like me. I love the way it turns out on my lips. It's the perfect MLBB shade for me and would look great against most skin tones. Texture wise, the lip butter feels like a hybrid between a lip balm and a glossy lipstick. It is very pigmented for a lip butter and goes on smooth, almost like a less slick, less glossier version of the MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks. If you have extremely dry lips, be sure to exfoliate well since it has a tendency to enhance lip dryness. Once applied it is very moisturizing, feels light and stays on for about 2 hours.

Although I love the packaging, the product feels a little too creamy and gets deposited on the sides of the tube when retracting it back. It is a little squishy too & gets really messy after a couple of uses. I love creamy lip products but, I just wish it was a little less messier. There's also a very slight vanilla scent that quickly fades.


Overall, they do a great job for the price(anywhere between $6-$7.49 depending on where you buy), soften lips really well and the shade range is just amazing. I believe there are around 20 shades that will be added permanently to the Revlon lip product range. If you can't decide which one to pick up first, Pink Truffle is a great everyday, subtle shade that I would recommend for just about anyone. I would love to pick up a shade or two more when I find a well stocked display.

What are your thoughts on the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters?

Friday, November 25, 2011

Bath and Body Works Charmed Life - Shower Gel & Body Lotion

I've been enjoying these products from Bath and Body Works' Charmed Life line for a while now. Charmed Life was launched as a fall fragrance and most BBW stores have this line 50% off now so, grab them before they're gone. Originally priced at $10.50 each, these are well worth a pick up from the sale.

"Our exclusive Charmed Life™ is a positively sexy blend of juicy guava, sparkling pear and creamy vanilla musk, inspired by taking chances, having fun and savoring life's fabulous moments"

The whole charmed life line has very cute packaging that looks more expensive than it actually is. In my opinion, the shower gel has a stronger notes of musk than the body lotion. I'm not a big fan of musk so, I'm glad the body lotion doesn't smell as musky as the body wash. The body lotion is more sweet and has a strong vanilla fragrance which I love. When layered on, this duo leaves you sweet smelling for hours. Scents like these can also be a little over powering for some so be sure to take a whiff before buying. And if you try it on, walk around the store for a while to see how strong the fragrance is for your liking. The shower gel doesn't strip my skin too much and the body lotion keeps my skin balanced and works great as an overnight moisturizer too. The scent however lingers on even after that.

Overall, Charmed Life is one of the stronger scents from Bath and Body Works that gets stonger as you layer. I like the body lotion more than the shower gel and would definately recommend that as one of the best ways to wear this scent. Picking it up at half the price makes the deal even sweeter.

What are your thoughts on Charmed Life?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Holiday 2011 Gift Sets from AVON

Here are some of AVON's holiday gift sets that come with a great price tag and fabulous packaging. Most of the items are available individually as well. These kits are limited-edition for the holidays. They are all very affordable, make great gifts and are also a great way to try out quite a few products.





















AVON Foot Works  Berry Mint Collection Foot Set($12.99) comes with full-sized products to pamper and prep your feet prior to polish. It comes with a foot soak, foot scrub, foot cream and a dual foot file in a pretty pink color. I'm still trying out these products and love the foot scrub especially so far. Will do an in-depth review in the coming weeks since these are permanent anyways. This gift set is a great value since everything in here is full-size.

























Draw The Line Mini Eye Liner Set($7.99) comes with four of AVON's glimmersticks eyeliners in Sapphire Blue, Bronze, Purple and Smokey Grey, all in mini sizes. The eyeliners are very tiny and retractable. Keep in mind that they are not even travel size, even tinier in person. These eyeliners go on smooth and stay put for 3-4 hours. The blue one did sting my waterline a little. The bronze and grey are something everyone can wear on a daily basis.

 

 

L-R : Bronze, Smokey Grey, Purple, Sapphire Blue
Pretty Polish Mini Nail Set ($7.99) is my favourite among the three. I love all colors(Midnight Plum, Glitter Silver, Glitter Gold & Real Red) in this set. The nail polishes are mini-sizes and the glitters make layering so much fun. Real Red and Midnight Plum are very opaque in two coats. These nail polishes are 3-free and started chipping after 3 days. I love this nail set & if you are a nail polish lover, don't miss out on this one!

L-R : Real Red, Glitter Gold, Midnight Plum, Glitter Silver



 

Glitter Gold layered over Real Red. Love the tiny hexagonal glitter!




All products are available through AVON reps and online at avon.com

What are your thoughts on these holiday kits from AVON?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

5 Body Moisturizers I'm Loving This Season!

As someone with super dry skin, I'm constantly on the lookout for some good moisturizers and have tried a ton of them. I prefer thicker creams and body butters during winter but there are some good lotions that do a great job too!

The Body Shop Passion Fruit Body Butter



One of the best moisturizers for dry skin. I picked up the Passion Fruit one during a sale at TBS. It sinks in so quickly and the fragrance lingers on for a long time too. Like all TBS body butters, this one too is non-greasy. These body butters also double up as great hand creams.


Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter($5 Travel size, $18 Full size)
Pacifica is one of my favourite brands when it comes to body care products.Though this is not as moisturizing as the TBS body butters, it is still good enough to last for 7-8 hours. It keeps my skin balanced and sweet smelling.

Bath and Body works White Tea and Ginger Body Lotion($9.50)

I picked this up during the BBW semi-annual sale and absolutely love the way it smells. I can't wait to pick up more of the classic scents again when they bring them back during the sale. This is something that works really well when my skin is not too dry or after using a body scrub. I love to layer it with the body splash!


Yes to Carrots Deliciously Rich Body Butter

This super rich body butter works great even on the driest of skins. It works great on dry, cracked feet too. It does have a strong fragrance though. I got a travel size from Target to try out. I'm not sure if I'll buy a full size ever since I have too many body butters and lotions to finish off.

Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing Cocoa & CupuaƧu Butters Body Lotion ($8)
This is one of the most effective moisturizers you can ever find at the drugstore. It does not have a great fragrance or fancy packaging but does an amazing job on dry skin. I don't have the need to re-apply for hours together when I use this. It sinks in well and does not feel greasy at all. It's a great pick if you have dry, itchy skin too!

What are your current favourite body moisturizers?

*Burt's Bees was a press sample

Saturday, November 19, 2011

L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara

Voluminous False Fiber Lashes($8.95) is a fairly new mascara from L'Oreal that claims to deliver lashes that look fuller, longer and sculpted, without the clumpiness, almost like false lashes . The mascara uses a unique blend of short and long rayon and nylon fibers that is also used to make false lashes. Although the packaging looks bulky, it is not. I think the gold packaging makes it very classy looking as well.


The wand has a lot of short, thick bristles that looks like it will do a good job for sparse lashes like mine. But, it feels a little scratchy and the formula feels a little dry which eventually leads to a lot of flaking. Even after using a lash comb, there was quite a bit of clumping that made multiple coats a little difficult. I do however feel it did a good job lengthening my lashes. If your lashes are already in good condition and you don't need too much volume, this would work. Whatever be the case, this mascara needs a lot of patience if you want lashes to look flared and separated especially when doing two or more coats. This mascara would have been a better one if it came with a lash primer/prep that protects lashes from the dryness and prevents it from becoming too stiff.


This is how it looks after a good two coats, taken on two different days. Let's just ignore my unruly brows!


Overall, the L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara is not something that helps my short, stubby lashes to a great extent. The Original Voluminous Carbon Black is one of my all time favourite mascaras since it gives me a lot of volume without weighing down my lashes or making it stiff which is where this mascara needs improvement.  If your lashes are like mine, you need to be very patient and work with the formula since hurrying up could lead to too much clumping that could make lashes appear limp and glued together. If you have pretty good lashes to start with, this maybe something that you could use for a little length and volume. Even in that case, be sure to be really patient with the formula to avoid clumping.

What are your thoughts on the L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara?

Disclosure: The product in this article was provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

MAC Technakohl Liner in Auto-de-Blu - Review, Photos & Swatches

Auto-de-blu($15) can be described as a dark, matte blue that works well with most eye colors. I like to use it along my lower lash line. I won't say MAC Technakohl liners are the softest when it comes to lining my upper lash line. But, they work really well on my lower lash line and adhere well to my waterline too.

I do however like the staying power of these liners. Auto-de-blu stays on for about 4-5 hours and does not smudge all over the place. It works well as a base for certain eye shadows too. It takes a while to set which is great if you want to smudge it out.
Auto-de-blue is one liner that actually looks blue on me considering most dark blue liners actually look almost black on me. I like to smudge this along my lower lash line for a lovely pop of color. The twist up form is very convenient and the formula does not irritate or sting my eyes even when used on the waterline.
If any of you own Siahi fluidline from the Mickey Contractor for MAC collection, please let me know how this compares to that. I've been looking for something that looks like Siahi.


For a daily matte brown eyeliner, check out Photogravure.

What are your thoughts on MAC Technakohl Liner in Auto-de-blu?

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Petal Pink - Review, Photos & Swatches

Josie Maran Argan Color Stick($22) is a sheer cheek & lip color, available in two shades, Petal Pink(Peachy Shimmery Pink) and Rosy(Dusty Rose). Infused with Argan Oil, these Color Sticks provide color & nourishment. It is a great pick for normal/dry skin for a sheer flush of color.


Petal Pink is a very flattering shade of shimmery peachy pink. The color is rather sheer but very natural for a daytime look. The stick is very moisturizing and glides on skin for a wash of color. I use my fingers to blend the color to my cheeks. The color blends seamlessly on moisturized skin and leaves a dewy finish. Petal Pink is a shimmery shade but the shimmer isin't gritty. If you have large pores though, be sure to prep well. I haven't had any breakouts from using this so far but, if you have oily skin and don't like the dewy finish, be sure to top it off with a setting powder.


Since it is a cream product, it is not the most long lasting when worn by itself. I would recommned setting it with powder blush or prepping well with primer prior to applying it to increase the staying power. The stick has a very strong scent that takes a while to fade. The packaging is the most easiest to travel with without having to worry about product breakage or leakage. I also love the rose gold casing that makes it very classy looking.


The Argan Color Stick is also recommended to be used on lips. If you have very dry lips this may not be the best option and also since it has shimmer it tends to accentuate dryness. As a cheek product, it looks incredibly natural and very flattering on most skin tones. There's also a good amount of product in there that will last you a long time.

What are your thoughts on the Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Petal Pink?
 
Disclosure: The product in this article was provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume Spray

Pacifica's Tuscan Blood Orange is a scent I can never get enough of. I've tried the body butter from this range & absolutely love it. The juicy orange scent is just perfect to perk you up without being too strong.
 
"A vivacious blend of spicy blood orange, subtle strawberry and raspberry, and juicy mandarin. Its delectable complexity emerges layer by layer, creating a bright, sophisticated impression. It blends brilliantly with a variety of other scents and stands alone with fresh poise. This inspired fragrance has a natural grain alcohol base. Spray, play, and enjoy every day!"

The Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume ($22) is something I like to layer with the body butter. It may not be the most long-lasting perfume out there but definitely something I love to use any time of the year. It stays on for about 6-7 hours and does not smell the least bit artificial. Just like freshly squeezed oranges! If you like citrus based fragrances, you'll love this one a lot!

The tiny bottle won't last you a very long time if used everyday but, Pacifica has a lot of value sets for most of their scents. Perfumes are a personal choice so, please take a whiff before you buy this one. What maybe my favorite scent, may not be your cup of tea. I like most scents that Pacifica makes and Tuscan Blood Orange is by far my favorite & something I'll never stop buying! You can never go wrong with fresh scents like this one.

All Pacifica products are formulated without Parabens, Sulphates, Synthetic Dyes & Petrochemicals.

Available at Sephora stores, Whole Foods and online at Sephora.com

What are your thoughts on the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume Spray?

Friday, November 11, 2011

Jillian Dempsey For AVON Professional Eye Smokifier

These Professional Eye Smokifiers($8.00) from Avon remind me of the Smashbox Soft Effects Powder Eyeliners for less than half the price.The packaging and the applicator are very similar and so is the concept behind these. I like to use them like a setting medium instead of eye shadow, similar to how I use the Smashbox one.


Blue Grey is a dark, navy blue with silver shimmer. It looks almost black. Khaki is a light olive with green shimmer. I haven't tried any shimmery shades from Smashbox so, I really cannot compare the two in terms of texture. But, these shades of Avon liners pack a lot of shimmer in just one swipe. Blue Gray is quite pigmented and goes on evenly. The green however is a little sheer and needs some work for the color to show up. The applicator is a very soft sponge tip. Just like any other powder eyeliner/eyeshadow, there is fall out so be sure to do your face makeup after your eyes are done.




I prefer using these over an eyeliner. If there was no shimmer, they would be great for a smudgy, smokey look along the lower lash line on their own too. These smokifiers stay on for about 5-6 hours on an average and do a great job keeping any eyeliner in place. They are water-resistant, not waterproof. The shimmer does tend to migrate so, I run a q tip along my lash line to remove excess glitter.
Top to Bottom : Khaki, Blue Grey

Overall, apart from the fallout and the shimmer that migrates, these work well for smokey eyes. They are also a good budget pick if you don't want to spend more than $20 for such an eyeliner. I wouldn't recommend them as eye shadows, more like a convenient setting tool for eyeliners that tend to smudge.

Available through all AVON reps and online at avon.com

What are your thoughts on the AVON Professional Eye Smokifier?

Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy.