Review by Joeybunny - Taupes You Can't Have #1, MAC Innuendo

Elvira and I are bitches. Or bishes, however you choose to spell it. A few weeks ago we were discussing possible themes for blog articles, and we thought of one that we believed was sure to both annoy and amuse people. That topic is:

TAUPES YOU CAN’T HAVE! NYAH!

Yes, we have decided to torture everyone by featuring a hard-to-find (HTF) and/or discontinued (DCed) taupe eyeshadow at the end of each month. Why are we doing this? Because we can, ha! Also, Elvira and I have a huge collection of DCed and HTF taupe eyeshadows that we felt both deserved love and are worth searching the internet for.

I am thrilled to be writing the inaugural post in this series, and I present to you all one of the prettiest taupe eyeshadows I own, MAC Innuendo.

Innuendo was released back in the days when MAC Limited Edition collections were worth their weight in gold, and worth the buzz they created. It was released in the Nocturnelle color story back in 2006, Nocturnelle being one of the last great MAC releases (if you ask me - and I’m sure Elvira will agree with me 100%, as would most MAC fans - the last great MAC release was Barbie Loves MAC back in February 2007). When Innuendo came out, it quickly established itself as one of the MAC eyeshadows every makeup/MAC/taupe addict had to own. It’s gorgeous, it really is, and it sucks that this was not made a permanent shadow.

Innuendo is a soft, cooler-toned purple-grey-mauve-taupe color, but it’s not so cool-toned that I cannot wear it (unlike MAC Smoke and Diamonds). It is soft (MAC Frost formula, but not overly frosty), and easy to work with, as it isn’t too pigmented. It’s just pigmented enough to work as a wash of color over my lids, and I’m sure it it pigmented enough for Elvira to use in her crease. I love how my deeper skintone really pulls out the purple and mauve undertones in this shadow. As I write this, I’m actually staring wistfully at the swatch on my hand. I want to stroke it, gently, as a lover would...but that’s a sexual disorder so I won’t go on about that. Anyways...

This eyeshadow came out before I started to collect MAC, and I was lucky enough to buy it in late 2007 at a CCO. However, I’m not entirely sure you would be able to find it at a CCO still. I just checked the MakeupAlley swap lists, and there are five available for swap. I’m not sure about Specktra, LiveJournal, or Ebay. If you are a fan of plummy taupes, this eyeshadow is definitely worth the hunt.

Thursday Poll

Mr. Sith has a strange work schedule so he is usually asleep by 7PM and up by 3AM...this means that in the evening I have to watch TV on my own...because I HAVE TO watch TV...anyway he watches stuff on the DVR when he gets home and then after I put Darthypie to bed and finish my nightly blog post and putzing around on the interwebz, I watch DVR stuff too. But sometimes I find myself looking for Reality TV to watch. Shows like "Survivor" (yeah I still watch it), "Tabitha's Salon Takeover", "Top Chef", "Project Runway", "The Jersey Shore" (Fist Pump), et. al. fill my nights. I think I watch this kind of Trainwreck TV, as I like to call it, because it requires no actual thought or use of the higher functions of my brain. I have to think all day at my job, I have to be creative and think when I play with Darthypie and when I post on the blog, so by 8:30 PM I'm pretty thunk out. Reality Shows don't require thought, logic or for that matter, must attention. I can paint my nails, go through the mail, flip through a magazine all while "watching" the trainwreck that is the subject of this week's "Hoarders" or dejected model from "Models Of the Runway". That being said I also like to convince myself that I watch these shows because I'm an Anthropologist at heart (Still remember the first Margaret Mead Book I read called "Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies") and studying how people interact in groups and specific social situations fascinates me. Of course it could be that I watch these shows to feel better about myself because no matter how bad, tired or whatever I might feel, I'm not as bad as Jeff Conaway who seems to be the poster child for "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew". OK. That being said. I have to make sure that "Shear Genius" is set up to record next week and I have a "Launch My Line" to watch tonight.
On To The Poll!

1. Blush Of The Day? - Chanel JC in POESIE! Yeah biatches. That's right! I finally got my hot little hands on this much sought after blush and I didn't have to sell a kidney to get it! Whoot! A sheer, delicate pink with a slight frost is the best way to describe this color. I only need Chanel Turbulent to finish my collection...oh and Pink Satin and a back up of Narcisse...and...and...

2. Do you watch Reality TV? If Yes, what Show(s) do you watch? If No. Do you judge me and think my brain will atrophy from all the shows I watch? - OK. I think I answered this above.

3. What is one of your favorite beauty purchases from the last few months? - Aside from the Chanel blush, I would have to say Acorelle R of Rose perfume...from my favoritest perfume store in the whole wide world, Art With Flowers in Tyson's II mall.

4. Would you ever go on a reality TV show, regardless of the subject? - No. I like to pretend I'm a private person *ignores the fact that I have a blog, FaceBook page, and a Twitter account* and no matter what the subject those shows ALWAYS edit the hours of footage to make the main subject look like a total douchebag. I'd rather be a douchebag in private than in front of millions of people.

5. Beauty Item you are "Lemming" (want/ desire/ need) at the moment? - A good cream or gel cheek stain/blush. Not that I don't have enough powder blush that I love, I think I want a cream blush to convince myself that I don't want one. Does that make any sense?

Opinion: MAC Outrage

Sorry. I'm taking a break today from my normal product review to rant a little bit. There have been some rumors going around that MAC cosmetics may be raising prices next month. Some people say prices may go up as high as 30% on some items. Then there are people that are so outraged that they have created a FaceBook group calling people to join a boycott of MAC because of the alleged price increases (That haven't happened...yet) and continued downsizing of products without down sizing of prices (MAC pigment jars for example...that has happened.)

While I think it's fine to be outraged and angry that you are getting less for more...so to speak...I find it silly to get so irate over this. MAC is not the only company that is raising prices. Many companies raise prices every year yet I don't see similar outrage from people. Maybe it's because MAC isn't my favorite brand, that I just don't get the "outrage". Maybe it's because I'm a good honest Capitalist and understand that companies are there to make money. Hey MAC isn't a charity after all. Or maybe it's because a lot of the same people complaining about the alleged price increase this year are the same ones that complained last year, threatened to boycott, then became hypocrites because they shopped at MAC as soon as the Hello Kitty release came out. Yeah. You know who you are.

I think it's the same song and dance as last year. A bunch of people will cry "Unfair" and "Boycott" and by the time the MAC Too Fabulous Collection comes out those same people will be buying up limited edition Minearlized blush duos and Creamsheen Glass lip glosses like nothing ever happened. I'm not saying that I LIKE the increase. Of course not. I hardly think that a rumored increase to $17.50 for a MAC eye shadow is worth it. The color selection, quality and amount isn't as good as some other less expensive brands *coughFyrinnaecough*, but hey. if people are willing to pay it, MAC will just increase prices again and again.

If only people would voice such outrage when the price of milk goes up.

Granted this is just my opinion. I would love to hear from you. What do you think?
Do you disagree with me? Please share your your opinion in the comment section.
Do you Agree with me and have yet another point to make? Please lave your comments.
Do you not care and think makeup is dumb? The why the hell are you reading this blog?

Now let me say that name calling and such foolishness (e.g. saying I'm a douchebag or saying another commenter is a douchebag) will not be tolerated. It is my blog and I'll delete comments that go over the top - like people saying they disagree with me with their only argument is calling me a bitch. I already know I'm a bitch...you'll have to do better than that to convince me that you have a valid opinion contrary to mine.

Revlon ColorStay Makeup

image from revlon.com

As some of my more regular readers may know, I'm kinda foundation obsessed. I blame PhotoShop. The ads in today's magazines have filled my head with unachievable goals for beauty. They shave off the hip of Demi Moore to make her look thin. They elongate necks, change skin and eye coloring, and airbrush, airbrush, airbrush faces until they resemble nothing human at all.

Poreless models graces the pages of Vogue, Marie Claire, and other fashion magazines taunting me. They call to me softly. "Hey Look at my perfect skin! I know you want to buy [insert product they are advertising here] so you can look like me!" "If you buy this [insert product they are advertising here] your skin will look like this too!" "You're fat and have wrinkles but if you buy [insert product they are advertising here] you too can look flawless and thin." "Your subscription is going to expire in 6 months. If you renew now..." Blah Blah Blah. OK, so if I might need anti-psychotic medicine to stop the voices, but for some reason I don't think Lithium will silence the foundation advertisements from taunting me. That's why I was suckered into purchasing YET ANOTHER foundation.

Revlon ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex for Oily/Combination Skin is my latest foundation experiment. Since the recent Revlon PhotoReady Foundation was a total fail for my oily skin...but a nice color match, none the less, I knew I needed to find something better. I was drawn to The Revlon ColorStay because it was geared to people with oily skin, it was supposed to be transfer resistant and while providing full coverage, it was not supposed to feel heavy. According to the Revlon website the Revlon ColorStay Makeup is:

"Specially formulated for combination or oily skin, this oil-free formula helps control shine all day and gives you flawless looking skin. Makeup looks fresh and feels great for up to 16 hours thanks to the lightweight, comfortable feel from the Patented SoftFlex ColorStay™ formula."

So let's break it down. Control Shine all day? - Fail. Even with my beloved Fyrinnae Velvet Silica Gel as a primer I still have break though shine by at least 1PM (but that's 7 hours after application so not too bad)
Looks Good and Feels Great for 16 hours? - Fail. Sorry but after 16 hours nothing on me looks good. My makeup is blotchy and fading in the more oily areas and starting to look a tad cakey in the drier areas of my face. BUT! unlike Revlon Photoready I never feel like I am wearing makeup. Revlon ColorStay feels very light on my face and even when my fave gets oily I don't feel a layer of grime. So I guess that's a plus.

The color I got is the lightest. #110 Ivory. It's almost a perfect match for me. It's a tad warmer than my neck and a tad cooler than my face so it evens out. Revlon ColorStay comes in 20 different colors and all but 4 of them have SPF of 6. Which, by the way, is completely USELESS. Revlon might as well leave it out entirely. 6 SPF is nothing. I wear my own SPF under this foundation for better protection.

I have applied this with my fingers, a brush and a damp sponge. Obviously applying with fingers gives the most coverage. I honestly don't have to use half as much concealer after I apply this foundation. That is how full the coverage is. Applied with a brush gives a slightly more sheer but somewhat buildable coverage. Be careful tho, if you apply too much with a brush it can look streaky. Applied with a damp sponge gives the sheerest of coverage and is easily blended. You have to work in small sections no matter what your method of application because this foundation sets fast.

2 major drawbacks with this foundation are: a) Open mouth bottle. No pump, no squeeze tube, just a big glass jar opening that allows all the foundation to run out without any control. Not very sanitary. and b) The smell. OMG this stuff smells so awful. It smells like wall paint mixed with industrial cleaner. Seriously. It's reeks! Thankfully it fades once it is applied..or the scent receptors in my nose are burnt out from over saturation by the time I finish applying.

Do you NEED this? If you want a full coverage foundation that retails for under $12 USD then you might want to check this out. However, I do caution that if you are acne prone, this makeup will not remove easily with just soap and water. I highly recommend using an oil cleanser to break up the foundation and remove it and THEN follow up with your regular cleanser. Seriously. You NEED and oil cleanser to fully remove this foundation.

Will I continue to use this foundation? Yes. Until I finish the bottle. Then I'll move along to something else. Chasing that unicorn...or perfect foundation... until I have flawless skin like those advertisements in those magazines...whichever comes first.

BECCA Cosmetics Lip Tint In Milla

I think one of the hardest lip colors to find, for me, has been a sheer, dark red tint that not only lasts, but also feels good. The problem with some sheer lip colors is that they fade quickly or they leave a stain on your lips that is not the original color of the lipstick *coughcoughCliniqueAlmostHoneycoughcough*. I finally found that perfect sheer deep red color when I purchased BECCA Lip Tint in Milla. Described as a "sheer black currant" THIS is what Clinique "Almost Honey" Should have looked on me instead of that bright purple fuchsia mess that looked like a lipstick massacre on my face.

You see what I wanted was that "just bitten and sucked your arterial blood look" And thanks to BECCA Cosmetics Lip Tint in Milla I have finally achieved it. Now I'm sure that BECCA Cosmetics wouldn't be pleased to know that I am comparing their precious lipstick to the trendy Vampire thing, but I'm not talking about glittery vampires. I'm talking about The cool Vampires in The Hunger Starring Susan Sarandon (hot), Catherine Deneuve (hotter), David Bowie (Hottest) and Dan Hedaya (not hot at all, but an excellent character actor). The Hunger uses a song from one of the best Goth Bands ever, Bauhaus. Peter Murphy (also quite hot) sings his Goth Anthem, "Bella Lugosi's Dead" in this movie, causing many a young goth chicks in the 80's to put on extra black eye liner and more talcum powder to white out their complexions because they were so inspired. Yes. The Hunger is....Uh wait. I was talking about lipstick wasn't I? I get off on a tangent about Peter Murphy and Catherine Deneuve and look at me. I'm all fermuddled. (no fermuddled is not a real word.)

BECCA Cosmetics came out with the Lip Tints a few years ago? Maybe it was last year, but until then BECCA had never even had lipsticks...that I know of. So this was big news when they were finally released. Perhaps they were perfecting the formula or the packaging or the colors, but whatever they did, it was all worth the wait.

The packaging is a hefty metal tube. When I first got the lipstick I thought I had received a faulty tube because I couldn't open it. It was only by accident that I turned the cover of the case and realized that the lipstick covers screw on. What a great thing! If I had a nickle for every time I lost the top to a lipstick I'd have at least $1.35. (Hey. That's a lot when you break it down into nickles!)

The formula is so moisturizing. It has excellent "slip" meaning it glides on without tugging on my lips. The color is true, when it fades or wears off you don't get a different under color, in fact, it stains my lips nicely so that when it does wear off my lips still retain some color of the original product without that icky ring around the lips look. According to the BECCA website the Lip Tints are "Infused with a moisturizing formula containing Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Honey and other essential fatty acids with natural anti-oxidants to leave lips soft and moisturized" Oh that is awesome. Oh and the lip tints are scented. if you don't like scented products I feel bad for you because you will miss out on this light vanilla Caramel scent that is soooo good it makes me want to eat the lipstick! It doesn't taste like caramel, so I'm safe. Oh but I do love the scent of this product sooo much. The color in the tube looks intimidating, but once applied on your lips it deposits a sheer, glossy, deep berry stain that looks soft and fresh.

The BECCA Lip Tints retail for $24 USD but I purchased mine during one of their sales. I think I got 25% off. Either way. I would pay full price for this. That's how much I like it. It comes in 8 colors described as the following:
Milla (sheer black currant)
Gisella (sheer caramel nude)
Vendela (sheer rosy nude)
Estella (sheer soft beigey pink nude)
Alina (sheer orange/red) Laelia (sheer peach nude)
Yasmina (sheer mauve nude)
Tatiana (sheer raspberry pink)
Most of the colors are nude, which is to be expected with the BECCA "Less Is More" philosophy, but they all seem to be beautiful.

So the big question is, Do You NEED this? Well If you want a sheer glossy lip tint in lipstick form...then HECK yes! But if you turn your nose up at scented lipsticks, then the answer is no.


Ingredients:Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ricinus Communis(Castor) Seed Oil, Phytosteryl Oleate, lsostearyl Isostearate, Hydrogenate Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Polyisobutene, Kaolin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Flavor (Aroma), Beeswax, Ozokerite, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Luffa Cylindrica Seed Oil,Tocopheryl Acetate,Honey Extract, Water (Aqua), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Gllycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Talc. MAY CONTAIN + /: Iron Oxides (Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499), Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Carmine (Cl 75470) Yellow 5 Lake( Cl 19140:1), Red 7 Lake( Cl 15850:1), Red 30 (Cl 73360)

Review by Joeybunny - NARS Kuala Lumpur eyeshadow duo

Today’s review shouldn’t shock any of this blog’s loyal readers. I’m reviewing NARS’ latest powder eyeshadow duo, Kuala Lumpur, and I love it. Of course I love it. This really shouldn’t surprise anyone. I have never hated a NARS powder eyeshadow.

Now, I am not entirely thrilled with the latest NARS collection for this Spring. Granted, Amber Valetta looks gorgeous and very Catherine Denevue-ish in the ad, but there’s something sort of off about the look.

Maybe it’s the eyeshadow. I don’t know. Also, the promotional pictures of the collection looked kind of boring...except for Kuala Lumpur. There is something about a burgundy-ish eyeshadow that gets my pulse racing and makes my wallet magically open all on its own (I swear!). So of course, being the sheep that I am, I went to my Saks lady - hi Litza! - and asked that I be called as soon as the Spring collection came in.

Litza called me this past weekend, and I hurried over to Saks to pick up my little prize, but before paying for the duo I also checked out the rest of the collection. It was meh. The nude lipstick, Cruising, is pretty but I have too many nudes to justify purchasing it. I was drawn to Ophelia and Easy Lover lipglosses (a soft strawberry and a sheer but bright hot pink, respectively) but again, these are colors I already have. Luckily, NARS items are rarely discontinued or limited edition so if I change my mind, I can always pick these up at a later time. But Kuala Lumpur? Oh, how you made me gasp when I opened you at my desk!

The left side of Kuala Lumpur is a delicious rose-gold color with gold shimmer. Applied dry it appears more gold, the shimmer softly glistening. Wet, it is gorgeously metallic and it shines. The right side of the duo, however, is magnificent. It is not a color for the weak of heart. Dry, it is a beautiful pink-red, not quite burgundy, but not quite merlot, with subtle gold glitter that surprisingly doesn’t produce much fallout. Wet, it is an inky, mysterious merlot and the gold glitter shines against it. It is scary, but approachable. Some may prefer it as an eyeliner, but I went all out with my EOTD and used it wet all over my lid. I know Lachesisss would absolutely die over this duo.

(FYI guys - this was near impossible to get a decent swatch picture of. My sincerest apologies!)

Now, there have been posts on MakeupAlley saying that Kuala Lumpur was too similar to the Cheyenne and Brazil duos. This is blatantly incorrect, and I did a comparison picture to prove this point. In my picture, the duos (starting clockwise at 12 o’clock) are as follows: Bohemian Gold (now discontinued), Brazil, Cheyenne, and Kuala Lumpur. Brazil and Cheyenne look similar but I guarantee you they swatch differently enough to own both.

So, do you need this? Yes if you love NARS as much as I do, or if you love burgundies on your eyes, or if you’re willing to experiment with such colors. Otherwise, maybe not. But who knows? Why not give it a shot?

Thursday Poll

Nostalgia - nos-tal-gia [no-stal-juh, -jee-uh, nuh-] –noun
1. A wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time
2. A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
3. The irrational urge to buy beauty products from your youth hoping that they possess some sort of magic that the rest of the world overlooked. When in reality they suck just as bad as you remember, hence why the rest of the world moved on.

Yes. You can become nostalgic for makeup, beauty products, etc. Honestly I have no idea why one would want to go back to the old red Revlon black eye pencil that you had to light with a match before using, or why anyone would buy a shampoo brand popular in the 1970's because it was heavily fragranced and that's pretty much all it had going for it....oh wait. I did that last thing. I purchased "Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific" shampoo and conditioner several months ago. I did it because I was feeling nostalgic. You see my parents never let me get that shampoo. They insisted I use Flex. You remember Flex right? It didn't smell perfumey and didn't come in a cute pink bottle. No it was utilitarian and inexpensive. To this day my parents still pay no mind to the type of shampoo they buy, what kind of soap they use or anything like that. I think that's why I'm such a beauty junkie. I was deprived as a child and now that I'm an adult I surround myself with things I was denied in the past. At least that's my justification. By the way, Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo and conditioner does smell like the real stuff but it dried my hair out really badly. Now I only use it occasionally. It's still nice to use, but it's not an every day thing. I got it at the Vermont Country Store. They have a ton of old time-y products for everything you can imagine. Not just personal care, but home cleaning, candy, clothing, you name it, they probably have it...and if they don't you might be able to ask them to carry it. Yes. It's that cool of a store. This is not a paid advertisement, I just really like the place. Anyway. So feeling nostalgic about beauty products can be an expensive habit. Sure the shampoo I purchased was inexpensive, but if I ever feel nostalgic for a Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Poesie I'm gonna have to shell out $100 or more for it. They are that rare..and yes that beautiful, but no blush to me is worth $100. Heck. Someone recently paid over $230 for a long since discontinued Clarins nail polish on evilbay. I don't deny that it was a beautiful color, but I'm not sure if it was $230 beautiful...well at least to me. Obviously the winner of that auction thought so and more power to her. I bet her nails look fab! What I'm saying, is that one needs to be careful about being nostalgic for beauty product of yesteryear. Sometimes what you remember about them isn't actually what they are in reality. You might have built up how great the product is in your head because time and accessibility have created a product in your mind that exceeds the actual real life item you desire. For example: The Rose Milk Lotion I have coming in the mail to me. Will it be as wonderful as I remember or just another lotion that eventually gathers dust once it's half way finished? Only time will tell.
On To The Poll!

1. Lip Of The Day? - Lancome Pixel Pink. A several Seasons ago limited edition pink lipstick. This cool pink Color Fever Shine lipstick is one of my favorites and I wish Lancome would re-release all the LE shades in one collection on year.

2. What beauty item reminds you of your youth? - I think that Flex Shampoo & Conditioner is one item. I detested the smell and hated the results but it certainly reminds me of my youth. I don't think I was able to pick my own shampoo & conditioner until I was a teenager...and then when I could I chose Finesse. Remember that? Whoo whee that stuff smelled great!

3. Who was one of your favorite bands or music artists in High School? - I was infatuated with The Clash, but I also loved Howard Jones. It's an odd paring. Synth pop with Punk rock, but I was still finding myself music wise. I still get a little misty when ever I hear Howard Jones "What Is Love?"

4. What old item from your stash have you recently re-discovered and fell back in love with? - I recently pulled out my Besame eye shadow in Plum Dandy. I forgot how much I love that color and how awesome it is for making a plummy smokey eye. Combined with that Annabelle pencil that The Mighty J sent to me It is fierce!

5. What beverage reminds you of your childhood? - I think Yoo-Hoo and Tab are the ones I remember the most. I loved drinking Yoo-Hoo even though it made me sick after drinking it and I remember how much I HATED the taste of Tab but wanted to like it because the can was pink!

MAC Lip Gelee In Resort Life

The lipgelee looks a tad more pink in real life

One of the more annoying things about getting old is that you tend to get set in your ways and resistant to change. Come on. How many old people do you know that would stop watching the TV show Numb3rs in order to watch Better Off Ted (a MUCH better show)? Exactly. So when I saw the new MAC Lip Gelees in the Lillyland collection I didn't want to like them because I like my lip gloss with a wand not in a squeeze tube. I never liked squeeze tube lip gloss and I certainly wasn't going to start now. I'm old and set in my ways....except. I hate that Numb3rs show and I really love Better Off Ted, so maybe I would like squeeze tube lip gloss. Maybe.

Honestly, what convinced me was the absolutely beautiful color of Resort Life. It's a beige with pink and silver glitter. But MAC describes it as "off white with pink pearl" Toe-May-Toe; Toe Mah-Toe.
It is fairly sheer and l feel it looks best over a lip stain. However if you wanted to sparkle up a smokey eye this would be a neat neutral nude to put on your lips. It's pretty. Nuff said.

With Flash

Without Flash

MAC Lip gelee formula is soft and moisturizing and this specific one is a glitter bomb. I'm very fond of Dazzleglasses from MAC and I like glittery lip gloss so this was right up my alley. The gloss comes in a squeeze tube with a slanted tip. It made application easy and with mild pressure just the right amount comes out during application. The tube is 0.5 oz and retails for $14, which is better than the Dazzleglass that is 0.06 oz for $18! The gloss itself is scented with the signature Vanilla scent that all MAC lip products seem to have and is smooth and non sticky. I like very much that it's non sticky...however if I apply too much lip gelee it can look a little gooey on my lips. I just spread it out a bit more and it's all fixed...thankfully.

One drawback is that the some of the glitter in Resort Life can go rogue at times and get inside your mouth and you get that icky gritty feeling between your teeth. Gah. I HATE that. It's like having sand in your mouth. once teeny tiny piece of glitter feels like Snookie for The Jersey Shore just dumped her sandy flip flops in your mouth. Weee. That's a really gross image. I apologize. ::shudders::
(Could that photo of her be ANY more Photoshopped. Hellooo? Photoshop is supposed to make you look better imagine what she looks like without the airbrushing?) OK,. the glitter isn't as bad as the nightmare inducing image implied above, but if you have that as a pet peeve it's gonna annoy you. Oh and one more thing. The lipgelee does not seem to last as long as my Chanel Glossimers, but since it's 1/2 the price I can use twice as much...right?

OK. Moving on.

Do you NEED this? Well I say yes, but glittery lip gloss is a love it or hate it thing. I love it, and now that I know that I actually LIKE squeeze tube lip gloss I'm ready to ditch my walker and prune juice and take that big leap into the lip gloss squeeze tube foray!

Resort Life over a Cover Girl #415 lipstain

Boots No. 7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow in Mink

A little while ago a lovely reader sent me a gift of 2 eye shadows. One was Cargo Yukon (Which is one of the prettiest taupes ever, but sadly discontinued) and the other was Boots No. 7 Stay Perfect Eye shadow in Mink. The Boots shadow was a total surprise. How sweet right?

Absolutely!


Now I will warn you that the Boots No. 7 eye shadow is not awe inspiring nor does it make you moan with pleasure when you open the small compact with a little sponge applicator. No. It's no Cargo Yukon, Fyrinnae Beholder or for that matter Shu Uemura ME 945. This shadow is just your average brown based light taupe. But that doesn't mean it isn't special. All taupes are special....duh! Some are special stand alones and some are special bases...and some are specially crappy (HA!).

The Boots No. 7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow in Mink is a special base. It is lightly pigmented, so if you want a bold look you won't reach for this, but it's light enough that you can use it as a base shadow for other taupes, greens, blues, browns, plums, you name it. The sheerness combined with the stay put formula makes this shadow excellent for layering under others because it won't become muddy or murky when other shadows are blended into it.

Boots No. 7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow in Mink has a soft pearl shimmer finish. It is a light neutral brown based taupe and it does not seem to crease or fade when worn with an eye base. Lighter skin tones will like this shadow as an all over wash for one of those "No Makeup" Makeup looks, while darker skin tones will enjoy this as a sweet highlight along the brow bone and inner corner of the eye.

With a price point around $6 USD how can you not get this? Now I will say that this color is VERY similar to Bourjois Ombre Stretch Eyeshadow in Brun Nylon, which I did not like, but I think that's because after all that was SPENT on that shadow all I got was a mild taupe. However, for just a few dollars I can get the exact same color and performance from Boots. Plus I don't have to go to an Ulta to purchase it.

Sorry Ulta but your customer service in store sucks. I'm always greeted by some dead behind the eyes looking Sales Associate (SA).

Not actual Ulta Sales Associate. Just a creepy doll to show the dead behind the eyes look.

She appears that she would rather chat with her fellow cow-workers than ring me up and I end up having to remind the SA that I have enough points to qualify for a discount. Yes. This has happened to me twice.

Approximate conversation
Me: "Doesn't that make enough points for $3 off the purchase?"
SA: "Uh Yeah. Like do you want to do that?"
Me: "Yes. Of Course! Why wouldn't I?"
SA: "Uh huh." *Flashes dead behind the eyes glare at me*
Me: "OK. Well. Thanks....I guess."
SA: "Uh huh."

Yeah. So I can purchase Boots No. 7 Shadows at Target or online from Drugstore.com. Now with Target I'll still get a dead behind the cashier, but at least I'll be able to pick up diapers and windshield washing fluid at the same time.

CARGO blu_ray™ Blush Highlighter in Pink

image from sephora.com

Cargo is pulling out of Sephora so they recently cut prices for all Cargo cosmetics on the Sephora website and in most stores. Most items if not all of them were 50% off. I love a sale and have always wanted to try a few items from the blu_ray™ line so I figured this was the perfect time to scoop up a few lovelies.

The first thing I went for was the blush/highlighter in pink, described as a peachy pink, this is definitely more peach than pink. The blush is a pink based peach color with large and small gold glimmer/shimmer particles in it. If you are dark skinned you will be using this more as a highlighter than a blush. If you are cool toned you may not like this blush on you at all. The blush has no scent that I can detect and comes in a smart little square, black plastic, compact with an ample sized mirror.


According to Cargo this is a highlighting blush created especially for use with "high-definition film". Yeah That's perfect for me...because you know...all the HD film making I'm involved in.

I personally think that HD was invented by Plastic Surgeons to boost their business. People look TERRIBLE in HD and the only way to make them "pretty" is TONS of makeup and a lot of plastic surgery...and even then, it really only makes them look like aliens rather than human beings. I digress.

Apparently this blush/highlighter will, "...provide flawless results while looking completely natural during high-definition filming, blu_ray™ Blush/Highlighter is a universally flattering shade of blush with a velvety formula that adjusts with ambient lighting, providing a natural finish day or night."

OK. I can agree with that. The formula is soft and "velvety" and once applied the blush I did find it to be a fairly natural or should I say neutral blush on me. It's not my natural flush but it looks like a soft neutral color on my cheeks. It definitely applies darker on the skin than it looks in the pan. I guess that's because the "...Photochromatic pigments adjust with the light to ensure natural looking makeup." Uh huh. suuuure. "The irregular particle size helps to scatter and diffuse the light creating an optical blurring that gives the look of a softer, refined skin texture. "


OK. Let's stop now. This blush looks VERY shimmery on me. Not quite metallic like a MAC Mineralized Skin Finish type highlighter, but shimmery none the less. It's sort of glittery too which I'm not sure I like. Is it me or does this blush look a lot like NARS Orgasm blush?

The Cargo blush is not that memorable. It's rather forgettable. I guess if you aren't much of a blush person you might like this blush because you can just swipe it and go, but then why are you buying blush in the first place right?

Worst of all, this blush didn't really last that long on me. I guess I'm spoiled by the Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes I wear that last all dang day. This blush looked like it was gone by 1:00. Surprising, since when I swiped my blush brush over the product it picked up a TON of powder, you would think that it would last longer since it seemed so pigmented. Sorry. Not the case.

Do You NEED this? I don't think so. I paid $13.50 since it was on sale, and it regularly retails for $27. This blush is NOT worth $27. It's probably worth $13.50 to carry around in my makeup bag for days when I need a little blush boost or I forget to use blush (yes. it has happened once or twice) but it's really not worth the retail price. Save your money for a Chanel JC and you will be happy...or at least I will be happy...and after all....it's all about me anyway.

Quick Review by Joeybunny - Lancome Chris and Tell lipstick

This is a quick review guys - I wanted to get these pictures up as quickly as possible considering that this lipstick JUST came out. Literally, it just debuted yesterday and is almost completely sold out.

What lipstick is it? It’s Lancome Chris and Tell, the latest in the Pout-a-Porter series (which had such classics as Behnaz Red, Proenza Pink, and my favorite lipstick ever, PS Kiss). Designer Chris Benz has created a very spring-y, happy color. It is a peachy-pink that looks salmony on me. It seems to be almost unflattering on my NC40 complexion, but I think I love it. It’s bright, it’s there, and it smells like violets! Also it is creamy as hell (creamy enough that I feel as if it might slide off my lips). I just need to figure out how to wear it, exactly. I’m thinking either a mod 60s matte white and brown eye, or a shimmery purple eye (yeah, I aim for unflattering and theatrical!).

Note that my pictures of the lipstick itself are somewhat unreliable. The color is truest in my FOTD picture.

The lipstick retails for $29 and if you think you want it, call every Lancome counter or Lancome boutique within reach! Good luck!

Review by Joeybunny - Paul and Joe CS Spring 2010, #066 Purple Clover Face & Eye Color

I think that by now my Paul and Joe obsession has been well documented here, on MakeupAlley, and on Lina’s blog The Beauty Look Book. I *love* Paul and Joe Beaute. I really can’t help it. Everything about the line is perfect, from the colors to the formulations to the absolutely darling packaging.

The counter at Bergdorf Goodman recently launched the newest Collection Sparkles (CS) collection, Wild Flowers. Since I had to pay Hettie and Caroline a visit anyway to pick up Paul and Joe eyeshadow #18 (it’s a silvery taupe, of course), I thought it would be a nice time to check out the products in real life.

Now, let me start off by saying that I was not exactly looking forward to the latest CS collection. I had seen promotional pictures on blogs for months, and thought the collection was a huge let down. Potted glosses in pink colors? Not for me! Green and pink eyeshadows? Meh. Yeah. No.

I was confident I would be able to visit Hettie and Caroline and walk away with only the #18 eyeshadow. This is the point, dear readers, where you laugh at me and say “Joey, of course that wouldn’t happen!”

And you’d be right, because that didn’t happen. I ended up bring home #066 Purple Clover Face & Eye Color. If you’ve seen the promotional pics, you’l know this is the pink eyeshadow with the purple clovers. I know, I know - pink eyeshadow?! Pink eyeshadow can be exceptionally hard to wear, I admit. The pink part of the Face & Eye Color is really a pinked mauve, which made a huge difference in the appeal of the product for me. Unlike those who are lighter-toned, I can’t do a light pink on my eyes because it often washes me out or just looks whitish. However, this pink is darker, so it shows up on me nicely (but because it shows up on me, it’d probably be too dark/too pink for someone who’s paler than me). Also, the purple clovers are more of a plummy color, and it compliments the pink-mauve nicely when worn in the crease. Both colors are shimmery, but not frosty. I’ll be interested to see if I can manage to wear this on my cheeks! On my eyes, the colors both brighten and warm up my face.

The other two Face and Eye Colors were ok. I just blatantly refuse to wear pastel greens and pinks on my eyes, so #065 Lady’s Slipper was out of the question. #064 Honeysuckle was pretty but boring - white gold with golden brown. It looked identical to the Fall duo which Elvira reviewed and eventually sent over my way.

The potted Lip Gloss Lacquers CS were cute but totally impractical (you would definitely need a lip brush to use the colors separately), and none of the colors appealed to me (they were either glittery or just too cool-toned). If you like pinks, glitter, or potted glosses, then take a look at these.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with my cute little Face and Eye Color! I promise soon to post pics of my little Paul and Joe collection.

Thursday Poll

OK. I have learned my lesson. I am finally done with high end mascara...until Darthypie is out of day care at least. I now have my second case of Pink Eye in 12 months. Not only is Pink Eye contagious it also likes to breed in nice damp dark places like mascara and other cream eye products. Thankfully I was very aware of what I put on my eyes today so I can sanitize some items and throw away others. One item headed for the trash bin is my Shu Uemura - The Basic Mascara. This simple formula mascara had no frills, no big claims, nope. it was simply a great black mascara that didn't flake, held a curl and defined my lashes like no other mascara ever could. But at $27.50 per tube I can't afford to toss this in the trash before it's finished. Since I don't want to reinfect myself I'll be tossing this tonight. ::sigh:: I'm so sad. Buuuuuuuuuut...that opens the door to a lot of Mascara trials! I'm testing out 2 new Rimmel mascaras as soon as my eye is all better. I can't wait. The new mascaras sit in their flash shrink wrapped packages promising longer lashes, curvier lashes, glam lashes, flirty lashes oh so many promises. They sit there in the CVS bag, mocking me, whispering to me in the middle of the night..."Elvira! Wake up! Don't you wanna try me? I have a neat-o comb like applicator. Open me up. See what I'm like. It doesn't matter that it's 2AM and you have pink eye. Rip me open. You know you wanna. It'll make you feel good...feel good...feel good."
On To The Poll!

1. Mascara Of The Day - NONE! Stupid rugrats at Darthypie's daycare and the legions of diseases they transmit! (note how I don't place blame on my perfect son because he's perfectly perfect?)

2. What is your favorite brand of lip gloss? - I would have to say it is Chanel Glossimer, but I'm not opposed to falling in love with another brand, it's just that Chanel Glossimers are non-sticky, last for a long time and come in colors I like.

3. Current song you just can't get out of your head? - The Nurse Who Loved Me by A Perfect Circle.

4. What are you waiting for in the mail? - The Big Buddha Brush from the Urban Decay Hautelook sale. I got it for $9! (Saved $27!) I knew there was a reason I kept putting off buying that brush!

5. How often do you bid on Ebay? What was the last item you won? - Oh at least once a month. Last item I won was a "Buy It Now" for a devil hello kitty lip balm. Yeah. I need it!

Decléor - Aromessence Rose D'Orient - Soothing Concentrate

image from dermstore.com

Since I started my regimen of Retin-A Micro I have notice little improvement in my acne but a big change in the texture and sensitivity of my skin. Umm. Just so you know, it's supposed to work the other way around. but my skin hates me so we have a long on going battle. A new weapon in my war with my skin is the Decléor - Aromessence Rose D'Orient - Soothing Concentrate. This is an oil. Yes, an oil I put directly on my face and it has made a HUGE difference in my skin.

Let me tell you a brief history about Decléor. They were founded over 20 years ago by a team of aromatherapy experts. They cornered the niche market by applying their knowledge of the plant realm with modern research techniques to essential oils. Now many still believe that aromatherapy to be just a fluke and have no scientific basis, but with companies such a Decléor they are quickly showing the world that aromatherapy and use of essential oils from plants to have a strong footing in the scientific community for skin care.

According to the Decléor website "Decléor AROMESSENCE™ concentrates are 100% pure, 100% natural, 100% active and preservative-free."
I like that. Preservative free is always a good thing in my book.

OK. On to the product I ordered. Decléor Aromessence Rose D'Orient - Soothing Concentrate uses Rose and Chamomile Essential Oils to disinfects and soothe the skin. That's what I needed. Something that would help with calming my skin down but not aggravate any existing acne I might have. So I get the little 0.5 oz bottle in the mail and it is wee. OK. It's not microscopic but I look at it thinking. Wow. That's kinda small. I hope I didn't get ripped off. Upon reading the directions I find that I ONLY need to use 2 drops of the oil at night and 2 drops in the AM. Well. I think to myself, that's not so bad I guess. That might last me 4 months or so. Oh and the scent. Well it's kind of hard to describe. It's very "Herb-y". Not very rose like. I think the scent is nice but those with sensitive noses might not like this one. It is not flowery at all...for those that don't like rose scents.

The neck of the bottle is very tiny and while I wish that this bottle included a dropper I am resigned to the fact that I have to apply 2 drops to my fingertips and blend it into my entire face. Thankfully, when I tip the bottle the oil just doesn't pour out. The neck is so small that I really need to tap the bottle to get the drops of oil to come out. During some trial and error I find that 3 drops is better for me in the evening an 2 drops in the daytime.

After cleansing with my Clarisonic and after applying my Retin-A Micro, I simply put a drop of Decléor - Aromessence Rose D'Orient - Soothing Concentrate on three fingertips (clean!) and touch them to my other hand and gently pat the oil all over my face. I take special care to pay attention to areas that seem exceptionally dry or irritated. I follow up with my regular moisturizer and eye cream and hit the hay. In the morning I use 2 drops patted lightly on to my skin and follow with my moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation primer.

I have been using this oil for one month now. Let me tell you how it has worked. First of all, before I started using this oil I had a red patch of skin, about the size of a nickle that was dry, itchy and peeling on my left cheek. I wasn't sure what it was but it was hard to cover up, it itched and my regular moisturizer wasn't helping it. I even went so far as to use my Nivea cream in the blue tin from Germany on this dry patch and NOTHING changed for weeks. Within ONE WEEK of using the Decléor - Aromessence Rose D'Orient - Soothing Concentrate that dry patch was gone, the redness was gone and no itching. It seriously got rid of it in a week. I was impressed.

As for the rest of my facial skin. It brought it back into balance. I was seriously drying out my skin because of the acne medications, but the Decléor was able to balance my skin out. I'm not dry like the desert any more but for a while I felt I was too oily, so I cut back on using the oil only once a day (in the evening) so far, my skin is calm, less red, not irritated by the acne medicine and in general balance. Honestly I find it to be a miracle. It worked so quickly and I didn't get breakouts from the oil and my skin felt softer and smoother and more calm after each use.

Do you NEED this? Well yes if you have sensitive skin that is acting crazy this cold winter. If you are sensitive and have oily skin this won't make you MORE oily but you might want to use less or none in the AM before your makeup routine. Those with dry skin will love this and might find their skin drinking up the serum quickly. If that's the case Decléor recommends that you use the serum along with the matching moisturizer and facial was from the line. Of course they are going to say that they want to make money right? If you find that if this formula isn't strong enough for those with dry skin you should check out Aromessence Angelique - Nourishing Concentrate with hazel seed, avocado and rosemary oil. Those with oily and combination skin might benefit from Decléor Aromessence Ylang Ylang - Purifying Concentrate. But please note, I have only tried the Decléor - Aromessence Rose D'Orient - Soothing Concentrate, and I'm just going off what the website says.

Ingredients: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Neroli Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Rose Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil

MAC Eye Shadow in Hypnotizing Violety - Taupe Lovelyness and All Races Eye Shadow - Matte Meh

It's been a long time since MAC Cosmetics has come out with a new Taupe eye shadow. Well it's been almost since August. Between then and now MAC has released 94,984 new limited edition collections (this might be a slight exaggeration). Today I bring you MAC frost formula eye shadow in Hypnotizing from the Love Lace Collection and MAC matte formula eye shadow in All Races from the All Races, All Ages, All Sexes Collection.

Let us start with the Taupe shall we? Taupe comes in many different shades. THIS taupe is a plummy greyed taupe, or according to the MAC website it is a frosted greyed mauve. Oh it really is stunning. The moment I saw it swatched on KarlaSugar's little arm (HERE) I knew it had to be mine. Upon laying eyes on this magnificent violet, silver shadow I gasped. The MAC sales Associate (SA) looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. Oh the frost finish made Hypnotizing look almost metallic. The violet merged with the silver and grey making a delicious smokey taupe. Oh yes. I was so buying this. The MAC SA approached me cautiously and asked if there was anything that she could help me with. You know what? Come to think of it, she had a giant day glow pink flower painted on her face covering her eye and cheek. HOW DARE she look at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. SHE's the freak. SHE's the one who looks strange. Just because I was drooling over the display and fondling the taupe Hypnotizing eye shadow like it was THE RING from Lord Of the Rings and I had crouched down on the floor like Golum chanting "My Precious." over and over again is no reason to have mall security on hold while she eyes me cautiously. I mean really.


The second shadow I picked up was from MAC's 7,687th collection of the year (note. number may be slightly exaggerated). It is a light dusty mauve color called All Races, et. al. When I saw the swatch on KarlaSugar's arm I had no intention of buying it (see it HERE), but when I saw it In Real Life (IRL) I knew that this mauve putty colored gem had to be mine too. I did not have the same reaction as I did with the taupe eye shadow so there was no need for Mall security to get out their zip ties and "cuff" me this time. Jerks! Anyway. I picked up both because I saw that they would work really well together. All Races is MAC's Matte formula and not the Matte2 formula, which does make a difference. Matte2 shadows are slightly softer, more pigmented and and less chalky than the regular Matte shadows. Unfortunately this matte shadow is hard, chalky and didn't even show up when I tried to swatch it for this review. It makes a decent highlight with a frost shadow and would look nice as an all over wash for a quick cool toned eye, but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this shadow.

Both shadows are consistent with MAC quality. They are on the hard side and have very little, if any, powder fall out. I will say that I have been completely spoiled by the MAC Starflash formula; so soft, so creamy, so opaque...I sound like peppi le pew don't I? Anyway. I have been spoiled by the starflash formula so when I went to use these new shadows I was surprised at how hard the shadows are. That's not a bad thing. It's just different. Honestly I think ALL of MACs shadows should be changed over to the Starflash formula. So if you are reading this MAC executives (yeah right) you need to make this change ASAP and bring back Stereo Rose MSF and Rubia Lipstick while you're at it. Kthxbai!

Do you NEED this? Hypnotizing - Well it's a cool taupe and very violet so if you are very warm I say pass, but if you are neutral to cool you will love this. All Races - No. I say pass on this one no matter what your skin tone.

MAC Hypnotizing all over lid, MAC All Races on brow Bone and blended intoHypnotizing, Chanel Nior Lame cake liner, Shu Uemura The Basic Mascara and Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara