Friday, November 30, 2012

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eye Shadow Base

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eye Shadow Base ($24) is a light-weight, budge-proof eye primer that helps keep cream and powder products in place. It is a sheer base that dries transparent and keeps products looking fresh even after a good 9-10 hours!






Pro Prime is a not silicone-free, but it doesn't feel heavy or tacky at all. It has a slight slip and dries to an invisible, semi-matte finish. I like to use a teeny tiny amount on my lids and along the lower lash line. It helps keep runny kohls and eye pencils in place. On the lids, it evens out skin tone and leaves a beautiful canvass for powder and cream eye shadows. I don't see that much of a color popping effect, but it sure does hold shadows in place and makes them totally budge-proof and extremely water resistant. I don't have overly oily lids but if you do, you can be assured that your eye makeup will look just as fresh and vibrant as it was when applied. I have no qualms with the product itself, but the packaging makes it slightly difficult to get product out after a few uses.




Overall, an excellent base to prep eye lids before applying those powder shadows or super creamy products that vanish and crease after an hour or two. I like to use it alone too, when I want to even out my skin tone a little and leave it looking fresh and clean. If only NARS redesigned the packaging into a tube, it would be a better value for money.

Available at Sephora stores and online at sephora.com

Have you tried the NARS NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eye Shadow Base?

Pacifica Island Vanilla Holiday Wanderlust Collection

The Island Vanilla Holiday Wanderlust Collection ($28) features a Body Butter, Body Wash and a Perfume roll-On, all from Pacifica's best selling Island Vanilla line. The value set has full sizes of the Body Butter, Perfume roll-on and a Jumbo size of the Body Wash, packaged in a reusable gift box!




Island Vanilla is a warm, comforting scent with a slight hint of citrus. It isn't extremely sweet or cloying, which makes it a perfect scent for just about any time of the year. The Body Butter, is hydrating, non-greasy and fast absorbing, just like the other ones I've tried from Pacifica. It isn't heavy duty, so you may have to re-apply after a few hours. I love using Pacifica's Body Butters even in the summer as they don't tend to leave a film behind or feel heavy. 



The Body Wash is a gentle, non-drying, sulfate-free cleanser for all skin types. It lathers pretty well, but I somehow don't get the squeaky clean feel from this one. On the plus side, it is quite hydrating and doesn't strip skin of moisture. The vanilla scent is very luxurious and leaves your shower smelling great. I wish it lingered around for a bit more. As for the roll-on, I absolutely love the way it smells. I'm not too fond of roll-ons as such, but it is a great travel size and unlike many pure vanilla scents, this one isn't overpowering at all. There's a slight hint of citrus in the mix that keeps it from being too sweet. The scent isn't very long lasting, but when layered with the body butter, it lingers on for a much longer time! 






Overall, a great value and a lovely little treat for all you vanilla lovers out there! Pacifica has a lot of great scents to choose from and this is one of their warmer, richer scents that I am sure most people would love. 

All Pacifica products are 100% vegan, Cruelty-free, Gluten-free ,free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil and petrolatum.

Available online at pacificaperfume.com

What do you think of the Pacifica Island Vanilla Holiday Wanderlust 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.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

BUXOM Time To Shine 6-Piece Mini Lip Collection

A six-piece, limited-edition holiday collection from BUXOM, the Time To Shine ($29) set comes with two of the Big & Healthy Lip Cremes and four Lip Polishes, all in mini sizes, in a variety of finishes. The collection includes Big & Healthy Mini Lip Polishes (Sheer) in Sugar and Katie, Big & Healthy Mini Lip Polishes (Diamond) in Gina and April and the Big & Healthy Mini Lip Cremes in Berry Blast & White Russian.












The Lip Cremes go on smooth, don't have any shimmer and have a slight tingle to them. They aren't sticky and feel more like a smooth, slick liquid lipstick. I get about 2-3 hours of wear time and the wonderfully comfortable texture feels very nourishing on dry lips. Berry Blast, a medium fuchsia is a great color for pigmented lips like mine and White Russian is a lovely pinky nude to pair with a smokey eye. The Lip Polishes on the other hand, are quite shimmery and have a slight, sticky texture, because of which they last a little longer. The colors in this set are fabulous and have a super shiny, glossy, wet finish to them. Both the Big & Healthy Lip Polish and the Lip Creme have a slight tingle to them and plump lips in a subtle way.

Big & Healthy Lip Creme

Big & Healthy Lip Polish (Diamond)

Big & Healthy Lip Polish (Sheer)

Wearing BUXOM Lip & Healthy Lip Polish in Sugar

Overall, a great set with a beautiful selection of a variety of Buxom's Big & Healthy lip products that come with a fabulous price tag. I love the mix of different finishes in here. The mini sizes aren't tiny either and will last you quite a while!

Available at Sephora, Sephora inside JCPenny & online at sephora.com

What do you think of the BUXOM Time To Shine 6-Piece Mini 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.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum Purse Spray Trio

The Purse Spray Trio by Jimmy Choo ($68) is a limited-edition set for the holidays, featuring three 0.5oz purse sprays of the Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum. The special edition packaging features glossy black spray bottles in perfect travel sizes, beautifully gift wrapped inside a box.







The spray bottles are quite heavy, but extremely convenient to travel with. The packaging is simple, elegant and classy. With notes of sweet orange, pear nectar, tiger orchid, Indonesian patchouli and caramel, this perfume is described as rich, exotic and sensual. I absolutely think it is all of those! It is one of the strongest EDPs I've tried in a while and extremely long lasting. What goes on as an overwhelmingly strong, woody scent, settles down to a rich, creamy, slightly floral scent. It may not be for everyone as I've seen a lot of people complain about how strong it is. It does feel a tad more like a grown up scent, but in a very sophisticated, elegant way. Not a lot of perfumes last a really long time on me, but this one manages to linger on for hours together! The creamy richness makes it a perfect fall/winter scent!




Overall, if you love exotic, rich scents and don't mind how strong this perfume comes off as, the Jimmy Choo EDP is something you'll absolutely love. It is not quite floral, but not too woodsy either, which makes it really unique, in my opinion. The original bottle design is gorgeous and the purse spays make for an amazing little gift for any fragrance lover.

Have you tried the Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum Purse Spray Trio?

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.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Yes To Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

Yes To Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair, a line formulated to gently treat hair that is damaged from heat styling and treatments. The Shampoo and conditioner are paraben-free and claim to protect and mend stressed tresses!







The Yes To Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair Shampoo ($7.99), is SLS free, but still contains another gentle surfacant which produces a rich lather. It has a slight herbal scent that most products in the Yes To Blueberries line have. I'm not too fond of the scent, but thankfully it is subtle enough not to linger around. The shampoo is rather gentle and doesn't strip hair of moisture, but it tends to build up a little bit overtime, so be sure to use a clarifying shampoo once a week. It does manage to leave hair feeling soft and easier to manage through the day. It may not leave you feeling extremely squeaky clean, but rinses off pretty well without leaving behind a residue or an itchy scalp. A great gentle shampoo, with a good ingredients list for normal-dry hair that doesn't cost a fortune!


The Yes To Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair Conditioner ($7.99) has a light, airy texture and smells like a lighter version of the shampoo. It doesn't have too much of a slip and feels thinner in texture than most conditioners. I love how it doesn't weigh hair down too much, yet manages to add a good amount of shine and softness to dry ends. It also washes off easily and the bottle lasts a really long time.




Overall, a very good, gentle, nourishing duo for dry and normal hair that tends to go through a lot of heat damage. If you have oily hair, you could find the shampoo a little too heavy, but even on normal/dry hair, I would recommend a good clarifying shampoo once a week or so to steer clear of any dulling residue.

Have you tried the Yes To Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair Shampoo and Conditioner?

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 21, 2012

Burt's Bees Beeswax and Banana Hand Cream

Burt's Bees Beeswax and Banana Hand Cream ($7.99) is a rich, emollient, beeswax based, banana scented hand cream to pamper dry hands. Sweet Almond Oil is one of the top ingredients, which makes this a super rich, all round moisturizer for hands, elbows and feet. Its loaded with a ton of skin conditioning agents and is 100% natural.






The glass jar packaging is rather heavy, but very appealing and makes you want to grab it right off the shelves. The cream is extremely thick and has a very strong banana scent that fades after massaging in. It is quite greasy and oily, better suited as a night time moisturizer and takes a good amount of time to sink in too. Its all worth it at the end, as this heavy duty moisturizer provides a great deal of relief to chapped hands, especially this time of the year. It works wonders on cracked feet too, leaving them super soft. Just be sure throw a pair of socks on to seal the moisture in.





Overall, a great smelling, effective, multitasking hand moisturizer! You have got to like the smell of bananas to like this one. So far, I've only seen this at Whole Foods and on the Burt's Bees website, so it can be quite hard to find in other stores. If you don't mind the rich, greasy texture, you'll love this one!

Have you tried the Burt's Bees Beeswax and Banana Hand Cream?

BITE Beauty Luminous Lip Library

BITE Beauty's new holiday launch is the new Luminous Lip Library ($36), a limited-edition kit featuring lip treatments, lipsticks and sheer balms all packaged in a sleek, travel friendly compact, with a mirror included! The kit includes Superfruit Butter, Line and Define Lip Primer, Sheer Balm, Luminous Crème Lipstick in Cava (lilac beige), Rosette (soft pink), Pepper (dusty rose), Fig (nude rose), Cin Cin (tropical coral), Poppy (bright poppy red), Carménère (apple red), Rosé (peachy pink), Tannin (poppy red) and a Lip brush











The Superfruit Butter is a sheer lip balm, made with berry extracts and a good base to prep your lips prior to lipstick. Not that these Luminous Creme Lipsticks need a balm underneath. They are super creamy and have a lovely, very subtle sheen to them. The colors in this palette are gorgeous and the reds are perfect for the holiday season. They do have some warm nudes and beautiful pinks which makes it a complete lip palette that you can just toss into your purse. Because of the buttery texture, these lipsticks tend to bleed a little, so using the Line and Define Primer keeps them from bleeding. More like an invisible lip liner and a slick base, the Primer works well with most creamy lipsticks. The palette also comes with a sheer balm in a light pink color, almost clear on my lips. Finally, the lip brush, which is fantastic and a perfect way to apply these pigmented, creamy lipsticks!


L-R : Protect Sheer Balm, Cava, Rosette

L-R :Pepper, Fig, Cin Cin

L-R : Poppy, Carménère , Rosé, Tannin

Wearing BITE Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Tannin

Overall, a wonderful, very practical gift and a great way to try out some of Bite Beauty's Luminous Creme Lipsticks. The textures aren't overly squishy, so they don't make a mess inside the palette, plus it has magnetic closure, which makes sure it won't open up while traveling.

Formulated without Parabens, synthetic oils or waxes, polybutenes and petroleum.

Available at select Sephora stores and online at sephora.com.

What are your thoughts on the BITE Beauty Luminous Lip Library?

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 20, 2012

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Beauty Deals

Some Black Friday and Cyber Monday beauty deals across various brands. I'll add more to the list as I receive more info. Happy Shopping!

Bobbi Brown : 

Free shipping with any order plus a free specially sized lipgloss with any purchase. Also, choose from 2 sets - Deluxe samples of Crystal Lip Gloss, Vitamin Enriched Face Base, Intensive Skin Supplement (code - BBFRIDAY1) or Deluxe Samples of High Shimmer Lipgloss in Bellini, Hydrating Eye Cream, Everything Mascara (code - BBFRIDAY2). Both offers end 11/25/12. Available at www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

Smashbox:

Enjoy 20% off orders on Smashbox.com for purchases of $50 or more. To receive the discount, enter the code FRIENDS2012 when checking out. (Discount Dates: November 21st – November 26th)

The Body Shop:

The Body Shop is offering 3 ITEMS FOR $30 in the entire store! SAVE UP TO $78! *Excludes pre-packaged gifts, gift cards, Love Your Body™ memberships and charitable items.

Plus! This year The Body Shop is giving you double the joy on Black Friday! They've got boxes of joy in-store: Pick up two gift sets for just $25 with any $30 purchase!

And don’t miss Mistletote - their exclusive 14-piece collection – exclusively online! It’s joy in a bag, yours for just $30 when you spend $30 or more.

Products Included in the Missletote: Body Butter Brazil Nut, Hand Protector Hemp, Camomile Eye Makeup Remover, Satsuma Shower Gel, Satsuma Hand Cleanse Gel, Mini Foot File, Coconut Lip Butter, Peppermint Foot Lotion, Satsuma Soap, Vitamin E Moisture Cream, Love ETC… Body Wash, Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub, and a Mini Nail Gift

Thymes:

Cyber Monday - Thymes will give away a FREE Frasier Fir Candle with any order placed of $50. Decorated with pine needles and enclosed in a clear cello bag tied with a festive red ribbon, this candle’s value is $17 and is a limited edition for Cyber Monday only.

Lumene :

Black Friday -  Walgreens is offering 40% off all Lumene products! Promotion ends after November 23rd.


C.O. BIGELOW :

Offering 20% off site wide now through Tuesday, November 27th at BIGELOWCHEMISTS.COM

BATH & BODY WORKS :


Black Friday VIP Bag
Some of Bath & Body Works’ most iconic fragrances are paired with skincare essentials in this covetable collection, which can be mixed and matched to indulge that someone special with truly unforgettable scent this holiday season.
  • Cashmere Glow Body Lotion 8 oz
  • Cashmere Glow Shower Gel 10 oz
  • Paris Men’s Shower Gel 10 oz
  • Paris Amour Body Lotion 8 oz
  • Sparkling Pink Champagne Anti-Bac Foaming Hand Soap
  • Mini Candle in Cranberry Bellini
  • Gauze Sponge
WHAT IT COSTS: $20 with any $40 in-store purchase (over $100 value)

Super Saturday VIP Bag
The must-have gift for the fragrance lover on your list, this bag is filled with 10 of Bath & Body Works’ bestsellers. 
  • Paris Fine Fragrance Mist 8 oz
  • Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel 10 oz
  • White Citrus Body Lotion 8 oz
  • Kitchen Lemon Anti-Bac Foaming Hand Soap
  • Eucalyptus Mint Mini Candle
  • Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Lotion 2 oz
  • True Blue Spa Super Softening Hand Cream 1 oz
  • Sweet Pea Pocketback Hand Sanitizer
  • Pink Glitter Pocketbac Clip
  • Gauze Sponge
WHAT IT COSTS: $20 with any $30 in-store purchase (over $75 value); available beginning 12/22

Limited-Edition White Barn Christmas Candle

Light up the season with this radiant candle, scented with a jubilant blend of sugared pine, sweet green balsam, crisp apple and smoked firewood. Available in stores and online for Black Friday only, this candle is as exclusive as it gets.
WHAT IT COSTS: $20, only on Black Friday

BEAUTYSAGE.COM :

Offering 20% site wide from Wednesday November, 22rd – Saturday, November 24th.

Mally Beauty :

MallyBeauty.com is going to kick off “Pink Monday” (Monday, November 26th, 2012 starting at 12amEST) by offering 25% off all face products.The Promo code for 25% off all face products is 25FACE.

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012, the 25% off site wide sale will apply for any users that “Like” the Mally Beauty’s Facebook page!

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012, the sale will be extended to Mally Beauty’s Twitter followers. All of Mally Beauty’s Twitter followers will receive 25% off all site items.

Sephora :

$10 only deals on Black Friday - Sephora Collection Brush Set, bare Escentuals Let It Glow Set, Best of Boscia Set, Tokyomilk Femme Fatale Trio, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronze with Kabuki Brush, Tarte Full Size Gifted Mascara and Primer, Jack Black Comfort and Joy Shave & Lip Duo, Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes and Nail Wipes, Tocca 3 Mini Rollerballs, Bite Mini Lipstick Palette, Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer & Shadow, Buxom in the Spotlight Set, Ole Henriksen 3 little wonders Holiday set, Philosophy Purity Made Simple 12oz, Stila Travel Palette and Deluxe Kitten Lip Glaze

Dr. Brandt Skincare :

Black Friday - 50% savings on dr. brandt take the doctor home with you holiday gift set at drbrandtskincare.com. $154 value, Black Friday price: $74

Cyber Monday -Savings on dr. brandt skincare FULL size eye creams at drbrandtskincare.com **Plus FREE shipping. Lineless eye cream ($60 value, Cyber Monday price: $30). Light years away brightening eye cream ($95 value, Cyber Monday price: $47). Flaws no more R3p eye cream ($80 value, Cyber Monday price: $40) .Time arrest eye serum was now ($87, Cyber Monday price: $42)

Cyber Week - Tuesday, November 27th – Wednesday, December 2nd.
40% savings on select dr. brandt skincare classics at drbrandtskincare.com

Tanda :

For the first time ever from November 22nd – November 26th (cyber Monday), Tanda is offering 40%-off the Tanda.com site and free shipping on all Holiday orders.

SKINDINAVIA :

20% off NOW thru Cyber Monday + FREE shipping + FREE mini. Coupon codes: US orders (CYBER20); international orders (INT20).

bareMinerals:

Royal Treatment for $49 (original $85), $186.50 value. Offer exclusive to bareMinerals boutiques and online at www.bareMinerals.com. Free shipping with any purchase on www.bareMinerals.com. "Vision in Velvet" will be on sale for $49* (original $79), $220 value. Offer exclusive to Macys, www.Macys.com, Nordstrom & www.Nordstrom.com

BlingGuard:

BlingGuard, a brand with effective and innovative “fashion fixes” is also offering free shipping for cyber Monday on BlingGuard.com.

AHAVA:

Black Friday - AHAVA will offer 40% off site-wide with code BLACKFRIDAY. Offer valid November 21st – 25th . Online at  http://www.ahavaus.com/

Cyber Monday - AHAVA will offer a FREE Extreme Night Treatment ($72 value) with orders over $40 with code CYBERTREAT. Available exclusively on Cyber Monday (Monday, November 26th)

bliss:

Black Friday and Cyber Monday -  Enjoy up to 50% savings on select luxury items!  Also, save 30% on beloved bliss and Remede bundles and sets, and save 20% on a selection of Bliss, Remede and Elemis products. Offer valid November 23rd – 27th (note: through CYBER MONDAY as well) at : http://www.blissworld.com/

Caswell-Massey:

Caswell-Massey will be offering 20 - 30% off site-wide. Stock up on cult-favorite soap sets right before the holidays from not only Caswell-Massey but also the couture soap brand, Gianna Rose Atelier. Offer valid November 23rd – 25th at  www.CaswellMassey.com

drugstore.com:

drugstore.com will be offering Facebook exclusive offers to all fans. The deals extend across all categories and will be revealed at random each day leading up to Black Friday. On Black Friday, the number of deals offered will increase in both number and value. 26 total deals; 4 deals per day Mon-Thurs, 10 deals on Friday. Deals range in value, lowest $0.99. A progress bar on the app lets people know how much time is left on each deal and when the next one will be revealed. All deals are stackable. All deals are Facebook exclusive. Throughout the week of November 19th at : www.drugstore.com.

Stila:

Black Friday (Sephora deal) - Stila Merry & Bright Palette and Lip Glaze Set. Stila introduces an affordable, festive beauty set that comes with a paper-wrapped makeup palette with six gorgeous eye shadow shades, a Convertible Color in Lillium and a deluxe-size Lip Glaze in Stila’s best-selling shade, Kitten. Available on the busiest shopping day of the year and for only $10. Available exclusively on Black Friday (Friday, November 23rd). Exclusively at Sephora for $10.

Cyber Monday - Stila Online Warehouse Sale: Come shop the online version of Stila’s coveted LA Warehouse Sale. Enjoy deals of up to 80% off. Offer valid Monday, November 26th – Sunday, December 2nd at www.stilacosmetics.com

Urban Decay:
Black Friday - DEAL #1: Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color Collection for $49 (a $140 value)
GO BIG OR GO HOME. Urban Decay is offering all SEVEN of their cult-favorite chubby lip pencils for just $49. Available exclusively on Black Friday (Friday, November 23rd) at : www.UrbanDecay.com

Black Friday -DEAL #2: Smoked Palette + FREE Double Ended 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set for $49 (a $77 value).  Available exclusively on Black Friday (Friday, November 23rd) at : www.UrbanDecay.com


Crabtree & Evelyn :

Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Gardeners Handcare Collection - $4 for 250 ml. Mini Hand Sanitizers of Citron, La Source and Lavender 3 for $6. Available in-stores.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Tarte Holiday 2012 - The Stand Outs Limited-Edition Best Sellers Kit

A limited-edition, value set by Tarte, The Stand Outs Best Sellers Kit ($25) comes with three of Tarte's bestsellers. Included in the kit are, the EmphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Bronze (full-size) with a dual-ended liner brush, the Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara in a deluxe size and a full size LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Pouty. 






EmphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Bronze

The Amazonian Clay Waterproof Gel/Cream eyeliners work great as a liner or shadow. The dual-ended brush that comes along is quite nice too. One end is pretty precise for a thin line or when you want to wing your liner out, and the other end is fabulous for smudging the color or packing it on when using it as a shadow. The liner is pretty forgiving to mistakes and gives you quite a bit of time to smudge it out. Once it sets, it doesn't budge either. Love the color of Bronze as a liner and as a sheer wash all over the lid. It is a metallic, bronzy brown with very fine shimmer and a super creamy texture that glides without any tug or pull. Fantastic formula and great packaging too!






Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara 

Tarte describes this as a 4-in-1 mascara that volumizes, curls, lenghtens and conditions lashes. It does lenghthen and curl pretty well, but I could use a little more volume for my stubby lashes. Lashes look natural without the crunchy feel and don't lose curl overtime either. The brush looks like a typical volumizing mascara brush, but takes care of clumps very well. It is non-waterproof and washes off quite easily too!




LipSurgence Natural Lip Luster in Pouty

Pouty is a berry pink with sublte shimmer. It is the perfect berry pink for pigmented lips, as the color shows through in a very nice way. As for the formula, it is quite moisturizing but not overly so, especially on dry lips. It does feel very comfortable without the waxy, heavy feel though. I get about 2-3 hours of weartime from Pouty. The sublte shimmer adds a nice sheen and doesn't get left behind once the color fades. 







Overall, another one of those fabulous value sets from Tarte and a nice way to try out some of their products at a super nice price. There's nothing I do not like in here! The perfectly handpicked selection of products is amazing and the colors are wearable and gorgeous! 

Formulated without any Parabens, Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Synthetic Fragrances and Petrochemicals.

Did you pick up the The Stand Outs Limited Edition Best Sellers Kit by Tarte?