Mini Vacation

Hi all. I need a mini break for a few days, so I'm taking Friday and Monday off. I'll be back to posting about taupe eye shadows and purple nail polish on Tuesday! Have a beautiful weekend!

Thursday Poll

The other day I went to get an MRI done of my brain. The Doctor I went to see about my, for lack of a better term, sun sickness/migraine headaches, suggested I get one along with some other tests. Now I don't have any results, but what I do have is a CD with all the MRI images on it. How cool is that. Aside from MRI's being really frickin cool, now I'm sent home with a hundred images of my brain! I picked the profile to show you as I find it most flattering. Now I know some nutter is going to leave a comment saying they see a tumor or some sort of other malformation, but I thought I would post the pic anyway just to prove that I actually DO have a brain AND it fills up most of my skull! This leads me to wonder about other medical services that we will see advances in for the future. Remember on Star Trek when Bones would wave this wand over the patient and be able to diagnose them using a hand held computer. I hear we aren't too far off from that. I mean we already have portable sonograms now, and we are using lasers more and more in surgery. How much longer to get to the advances of medicine shown in Star Trek or whatever Sci-fi show du jour is out there. The possibility of living 100 or more years seems even more possible now. That's exciting...but also daunting. How long will I have to work to support myself to the age of 100 or more? Will my pension fund run out of money if everyone lives to be 100+ years old? What about overpopulation? Will there be any room for people that can live that long at our current rate of population growth? Oh goodness I'm getting a headache just thinking about it.
On To The Poll!

1. Blush Of The Day? - Chanel Joues Contraste in Turbulent. Wowza Hot Pink that, applied lightly, gives and awesome flush, Sadly it is discontinued. My love of Chanel JC Blushes knows no bounds..even discontinued ones.

2. Have you ever had an MRI done? (Not that I want you to reveal personal medical information...but a simple yes, no or maaaaybe will suffice.) - This is my 3rd MRI. I had one done a long time ago for my Jaw...I had TMJ, this recent one was sooo loud. I don't remember them being so loud. Perhaps medical science can figure out a way to make it sound less like a jackhammer.

3. Best advance in the "Science" of cosmetics since you started wearing cosmetics? - Now granted you spring chickens my not be able to think of an example but it would be neat to hear your perspective over the last few years. Personally I think the advancements in Foundation are super. I remember how awful the foundation was in the 80's compared to now. It's night and day.

4. If you could live forever (Without having to sell your soul or suck the blood out of unsuspecting victims) would you? - I know this sounds really cheezy, but I would only want to live forever...or at least 500+ years if Mr. Sith was with me. Granted I wouldn't want to age any more than I already have. I mean come on. Can you imagine how much retinol one would have to use to erase 500 year old wrinkles?

5. What one beauty product do you wish they would perfect though advances in science/chemistry/whatever? - Oh Pore size. I want someone to make a product that will actually and truly shrink my pores without causing breakout and will give me that porcelain doll skin...yeah right...I'll believe it when I see it.

iQ Derma SmartLash

image from dermstore.com

Eyelashes. Our society seems to be obsessed with them. There are a ton of prescription and non prescription formulas on the market to enhance and grow ones eyelashes. When a PR rep from iQ Derma offered me the chance to try one of these non prescription products I jumped at the chance. Not that I'm unhappy with my lashes, they are of decent length and volume...nothing that couldn't be enhanced by mascara, but hey, if I have a chance to make them more lush and longer, why not?

A lot of these lash enhancement products sold over the counter, are VERY expensive and iQ Derma's product, SmartLash is no exception. Retailing at $125 USD this is not a product you buy because it will help you get to that total for free shipping. This IS the product that gets you free shipping..(sometimes)

According to the manufacturer, SmartLash is a "non-irritating lash enhancement" product that should give you a "lash line that looks thick, long and full". The product is prostaglandin-free (A hormone like substance) and is free from the harsh side effects of other lash enhancement products. It is ophthalmologist-approved for wearers of contact lenses and sensitive eyes. It is also beneficial for brow enhancement.

I read the insert that came with the product, and in clinical studies, participants experienced:

• Up to a 68% increase in the appearance of lash length!
• 100% saw an increase in the appearance of eyelash length, fullness and thickness after 30 days.
• 100% indicated a superior performance of this product when compared to previously used eyelash enhancement products.
• 100% said they feel like they need less mascara.
• 100% would recommend SMARTLASH to a friend.

After MY use of the product, twice a day for 45 days, here is what I experienced:

• No increase in lash length via photographic evidence, however my lashes did hit my glasses one day (Does that count?)
• My lashes did feel and look SLIGHTLY fuller after using the product twice a day but nothing like a false lash effect...and I was really looking.
• This is the only product I have used for lash enhancement. I have nothing to compare it to.
• If I ever feel like I need less mascara I have obviously died. Put some dirt on me if I ever make this statement. Using this product for 45 days did not make me say this...so at least it didn't kill me.
• Oooh. recommending it to a friend? Well here is the thing. I can't. I cannot recommend spending $125 of your hard earned dollars on a product that I saw minimal improvement with. Now that being said, you can see that my lashes are a decent length to begin with. they may have been thin, but I would hardly describe them as sparse. IF your lashes are shorter and more thin than mine, and you don't want to get a prescription for Latisse or something else then you MIGHT want to consider this product, but don't come running to me if you have the same results I did and now you are out $125!

After using this product twice a day for 45 days, the small 0.06 oz tube is still fairly full. One uses such a small amount for each use I see that a tube will last you several months. I stopped using the product after 45 days because honestly, I just didn't see the point. Perhaps if I went 60 days I might have noticed a change, but honestly it was one more step in my routine that wasn't providing me any benefit.

I really, really wanted this product to work for me. I actually tested it longer than I told the rep I would (45 days versus 30) because the photographic results after 30 days were so poor that I thought giving the product extra time to work might help. Sadly the results I had were nothing like those experienced in the clinical trial.

Would I have purchased this product had it not been offered to me? No. Will I continue to use this product? No. Will I seek out other last enhancement products in the future. Probably, but I certainly will not make it my life's mission to find a product that gives me false lash effect lashes. I'll just buy false lashes or just be happy with the lashes I have.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pterocarpus Marsupium Bark Extract, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Apigenin, Glutamic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Octapeptide-2, Panthenol, Mannitol, Biotin, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Oleanolic Acid, Disodium Succinate, Sodium Oleate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cellulose Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlor Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA.

Nubar Purple Rain Glitter

Nubar
I believe my obsession with purple nail polish has been well established. I promise that I will bring you other shades of nail polish to look at eventually. Like Picasso in his Blue Period, I am in my Purple Period. I have an excellent smattering of charcoal grey, black, and silver polishes to round off my collection, and with the fall collections coming out I see an addition of some champagne and gold colors added to the mix. Heck. I'm wearing Chanel Kaleidoscope as I type this. It's a loverly cool gold....Oh wait...I'm supposed to be talking about the Nubar Purple Rain Glitter polish and here I am trying to justify why I keep posting about purple nail polishes to you. Well you know what? I don't need to explain anything to you! I can own 1 million purple polishes if I want to. You are not the boss of me!

So Nubar is an excellent quality brand. I'm quite fond of the bottle design and formula of most of the polishes. The cremes are very opaque and most formulas wear for a long time before shipping. I'm not a fan of the top coat (Not shiny enough for me, but I think that's a personal problem.) What I do love about Nubar is their glitters.

I brought you the most awesomest purple glitter nail polish from Nubar (Violet Sparkle) in this post HERE. Now I bring you the 2nd awesomest purple polish. Nubar Purple Rain Glitter.

Don't let the bottle deceive you, this deep purple glitter packs quite a dark punch, the bottle, for some reason makes the polish look lighter than it is. The deep purple polish with glitters of Dark Purple, Light Purple, Pink, Red, Blue and Silver make this a densely pigmented glitter polish. Honestly I prefer to use a base coat of a dark purple creme under this glitter polish but in the pictures I have three coats of the glitter alone to make it opaque. The color is not as blue as the picture would lead you to believe. The glitter isn't as smooth as I would like, so a heavy coat of Seche top coat will hopefully smooth it out for you as it did for me.

Do you NEED this? Well if you are a purple addict like me ...and I'm starting to think I'm the only one...YES! For just $7.49 pretty purple polish can be yours too. I purchased mine from buynubar.com

Review by Joeybunny - BE Foiled Eyes Kit

At the beginning of the month, Sephora offered what I thought to be a pretty amazing VIB (Very Important Bullcrap...oh, I mean Beauty Insider!) special: get a free Bare Minerals Tutorials: Foiled Eye set (a $54 value which retailed for $32) free with any purchase.

Wow, this wasn’t cheap Sephora brand makeup or tiny samples being given out - yay Sephora for being generous! This Bare Minerals set seemed pretty nice, actually; it contains two shades of Bare Minerals eyeshadow, a double-ended brush, and instructions on how to achieve Bare Escentuals’ supposed “signature” foiled eye.

Ok, let’s stop here and let Leslie Blodgett know that she did not invent the idea of foiling eyeshadow. Leslie, this wasn’t a novel makeup trick so please stop acting like it was. Makeup artists were wetting their eye shadow brushes for a more intensely shimmery, pigmented eye look before Bare Escentuals came around and decided to make money off of the idea. Thank you!

Anyway, I wasn’t really going to argue with this special. Granted, I had an absolutely terrible experience with Bare Minerals foundation back when I was 18 (I was incredibly allergic to it, and it really did a number on my skin), but I was willing to try the eyeshadows, especially for free. Well, almost free. I bought a $5 Sephora brand taupe eyeliner I had been wanting for some time in order to get the set.

Let me describe the eyeshadows: TAUPE!

Now, let me try to describe the eyeshadows in more than one word: Pretty taupe!

(I clearly fail at this.)

In all seriousness, these colors are much prettier in person than I expected them to be. I have to note that I did not suffer any allergic reactions to the products, which was very nice (and bizarre - what’s in the foundation, then, that ruined my skin?). I did have an issue foiling them. BE shadows become...pasty?...when wet. At least that’s what I found. For some reason, even just the tiniest drop of water made them extremely hard to work with. I’m wondering if I would have better luck applying them dry on my lids first, spraying my eye area lightly with MAC Fix +, and then reapplying the shadows. I have to remember to try that. So, I’ve just been using these shadows dry.

This set includes a decently handy instructions card (which I only read AFTER I tried the eyeshadows, silly me), a double-ended “Foil and Fuse” eye brush (I have no clue what this means, but one side is flat and synthetic like a MAC 249 but smaller, while the other side is a somewhat rough-feeling pointed natural bristle brush), Disco eye color, and Night Owl eye color.

Disco on left, Night Owl on right (same order for swatches down below)

Disco is described as a “lilac pearl glimmer”, and on my NC40/42 skintone it shows up as a slighly purple-toned silver taupe. It makes a very nice lid color, and it works well on top of Night Owl to create a different effect. However, it’s too light and frosty to work as a highlight (I tried blending it up to my brow bone and I looked too disco-ish). Night Owl is described as a “steel amethyst glimpse”, whatever the eff that means, and on my NC40/42 skintone it shows up as an absolutely gorgeous shimmery cool-toned plum-taupe. I am in loooove with this color. It works great in the crease, on the lid, as liner. I want to roll my body in it.

Night Owl is a tad more purple than it appears in my swatches here. The picture below is when my hand was moved closer to a light source!

All in all, I’m really pleased with this! Sephora did an amazing job offering this kit as a freebie, and if you were unable to get this during the promotion, I would actually recommend purchasing it - or at the very least, purchase Night Owl.

Joeybunny Has A New Blog!

Our very own Joeybunny has a new blog! It's called "The Eyes Have It" and you can find it HERE or by going to http://toomanyeyeshadows.blogspot.com/

The idea behind Joeybunny's blog is an attempt to "discover" the multitude of eye shadows in her collection...which is ginormous, by the way. She will try to use a different shadow or combination of shadows every day and then blog about said shadows.

It sounds like a fun project. I hope you all go over there and visit and become a follower!

Beauty Blog Link Love

Retrodiva checks out the fun stuff at The Makeup Show, slideshow-form.

Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam is taking you To The Beach with a sneak peek at the latest collection from MAC. Who knew that baby shampoo could be dangerous?

Betty Girl Makeup tells you how it could be hazardous to your skin!

Sarah from I Heart Cosmetics is ready and prepared for some sun with her too favourite facial sunscreens.

Curious as to which products Louise from MakeupLoveer is using right now? Find out here!

Swatch-o-rama! The Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks are finally landing on UK shores... Lipglossiping has them sussed and swatched!

Beautywoome.com unearths the the best dry shampoos on the market.

Jen at beautyjunkielondon gets a sneak preview of the new Autumn/Winter range from Boots No7.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out drugstore concealers.

The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip & Cheek Creme in Tuberose.

Phyrra tells you all about her Holy Grail eyeshadow product, Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy.

Sophie shows off and reviews the Sleek Kajals, with swatches.

Madame B Fatale interviews the Boss of Gloss winner,

Cathy Mason. Louise has a chat with celebrity hairdresser Andrew Collinge and reveals photos of her 80's hair shame. *** Flying of on your holidays? Enter Lipgloss86's giveaway to win some Lee Stafford haircare.

Ever wanted to check out Annabelle Cosmetics? theNotice is hosting a giveaway of their new Mineral line, and you get an extra entry just for being... not Canadian?!

Review by Joeybunny - A Preview of Intelligent Nutrients and Nude Skincare

I don’t usually post on the weekends, but I had a very beauty-full day yesterday that I felt warranted a post! I think I met literally one of the nicest and most generous counter managers ever, and I just really wanted to share my experience with you (because she was that awesome, and the lines she represented were ones I had never heard of before).

A work client told me about a good friend of hers who was the counter manager of Intelligent Nutrients and Nude Skincare at Barneys NY, and suggested that I should go visit her and check out the products. I had never heard of either line, and I love any excuse to go to Barneys, so I thought it’d make for a fun excursion. It ended up being very fun and informative.

Ko-Shin, the counter manager, was probably one of the nicest people I have ever met. It’s extremely rare to go to a makeup or skincare counter in Barneys and be treated so warmly! I explained that I was a beauty blogger sent by her friend to check out the lines, and Ko-Shin launched into a good 45-minute long explaination and demo of every single product in both lines. I’m not kidding. Every. Single. Product. Who does that? You usually have to prod a SA to help you at a counter, yet Ko-Shin went above and beyond to make sure I had a thorough understanding of why Intelligent Nutrients and Nude Skincare need to be noticed and promoted.

I’m going to give rundowns of both lines, and later in the next week I’ll give reviews of the products. Ko-Shin gave me samples of every product in the Nude Skincare line, and reviews of a few products from the Intelligent Nutrients line. I already have used the Intelligent Nutrients samples, and I am wowed by visible results after 1-2 uses!

Intelligent Nutrients is the creation of Horst M. Rechelbacher, the founder of Aveda. Not satisfied with his earlier efforts, Rechelbacher decided to create a beauty line that utilized 100% food-based and organic certified ingredients.The lines are USDA approved, cruelty-free, 97% organic - you can eat these products (although I’m not sure why you’d want to)! I was very impressed by the ingredient lists of the products - they are all free of sulfates, silicone, parabens, petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances! That’s pretty awesome. From this line, I received samples of the Certified Organic Anti-Aging Cleanser, the Certified Organic Anti-Aging Serum, the Certified Organic Anti-Aging Moisture, and the Certified Organic Hair and Scalp Treatment Oil. I’ve already used everything, and my intial thoughts are very positive ones!

Nude Skincare is the creation of Bryan Meehan (the guy who started the UK version of Whole Foods - Fresh & Wild) and Ali Hewson (Bono’s wife). Meehan was confused by his customers, who would by organic food but then go and buy non-organic skincare. They believed that an all-natural skincare product just wouldn’t be effective, so Meehan set out to create a line that would be both high-performance and natural. Nude skincare is formulated without parabens, sulphates, PEGs, TEA, DEA, propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, mineral oil, or silicones. I think that’s pretty awesome! While at Barneys, Ko-Shin demonstrated most of the products on me - I was especially amazed by the Advanced Eye Complex.

It was the first time I had ever used an eye cream that I felt work. I literally felt it tighten and lift my eye area! It was amazing. Like I said before, I received samples of every product in the line minus the lip balm (which I did try in stores). I will be reviewing these soon!

I just want to re-emphasize how awesome Ko-Shin was. If you’re in the NYC area, or if you want to order from either of these lines, please call her at (212) 833-2508. Also, both lines will be having a facial event at Barneys in June! Intelligent Nutrients will be offering a free facial with the purchase of two products on June 3, and Nude will be offering facials with Joanna Czech (of Sava Spa!) on June 17, which is my birthday - I think you can guess what I’ll be doing that day! Call Ko-Shin if you're interested.

Review by Joeybunny - KenzoKi Cream with a Sheen

I think you’ve all heard me (and Elvira) wax poetic on the wonders of Kenzo before. In my eyes, Kenzo can do absolutely no wrong. From their fragrances to their KenzoKi skincare line, every item I have ever tried has smelled absolutely delicious and has worked as well as the company claims.

I am still quite enamored with the Marshmallow Mask I received a few months back; the smell is heavenly, but what really wows me is the effect the mask has on my skin. I glow. I look like I slept. Hell, I look like I had some great sex! Sadly, while the moisturizing effects of the mask last for days, the glowy appearance of my skin fades after a few hours. What’s a bunny to do?!

Well, I asked Kenzo if there was a skincare product in their KenzoKi line that would give me the glow I receive from the mask. I lucked out, because there is a facial moisturizer that gives a radiant glow: Cream with a Sheen! When I was sent FlowerbyKenzo La Cologne to review, I was also sent this cream to try (with a promise by Ashley, who at the time was Kenzo’s PR contact, that she used this every day and loved it and that I would love it too).

Cream with a Sheen promises to “moisturize intensely and catch the light;” there is a whole list of lovely-sounding ingredients, so I’ll list the ones that really caught my attention:

• Cotton Oil - This is in the Marshmallow Mask, so I was happy to see this was also in the Cream with a Sheen. The mask is so superbly hydrating, so I knew this cream would be also.
• Rice Plant Water - This is apparently what gives KenzoKi skincare its incredible fragrance (the products smell soft and powdery). Also, rice plant water apparently “reinforces the anti-radical activity of anti-oxidizing agents”: basically, it fights free radicals. Woot!
• Silk Extract - It’s moisturizing and “restores the skin’s suppleness”. Ok, my Sahara-dry skin could use some more suppleness.
• Ruscus - I’ve never heard of this before! Apparently it’s a tree, and the root is used in skincare. Ruscus helps “irrigate the epidermis and renew the complexion’s radiance and freshness.”

With all this fanciness thrown into the cream, I was more than excited to try it.

When I first opened the jar, I was really surprised. The cream is opalescent and pink-toned!

It reminded me a lot of MAC Strobe Cream, which is a product that I absolutely adore but always wished was more moisturizing. Of course, the cream smelled utterly divine. When I applied it on my skin, the opalescent pink-tone morphed into a gorgeous, subtle glow.

Yup, I looked like I had actually slept instead of staying out until 1am drinking on a weekday. All signs of my sleepless, hungover night disappeared. My skin was soft, too, softer than I expected. The best part was that the glow was visible through my foundation. Score, total score!

I’ve been using the cream ever since, and I have yet to experience any breakouts from it. My skin is definitely a lot less flaky since I started to use it, and most signs of my drunken sleeplessness are well-hidden. Also, I feel a lot happier when I use it, because it smells so damn good (yay for aromatherapy, yo). I hate to say it, but I think Cream with a Sheen may have ruined my relationship with MAC Strobe Cream! I just end up applying Cream with a Sheen, my foundation, and then more Cream with a Sheen on top. I’m addicted. It’s like pretty happy crack that’s actually good for me. Yet again, KenzoKi has won me over with another excellent product.

KenzoKi Cream with a Sheen comes in a 1.7oz jar and retails for $58 - a little pricey, yes, but a little goes a long way. You’d never be able to tell I’ve been using mine for about a month straight. Plus, looking like you just had awesome sex plus slept for eight hours is priceless, no?

Thursday Poll

Louise over at the Get Lippie blog is having a little giveaway. She is giving away some incredibly awesome stuff. Chanel nail polish, Guerlain Kohl, Chanel lipstick. Pretty nice for such an old woman (I joke, she's only a year older than me). The rules of her contest are that you either blog about what makes you happy OR, if you don't have a blog, you send an e-mail to her at contest@getlippie.com about something that makes you happy. I have linked her contest post under the word "giveaway" at the beginning of this post so that you all can enter too. It's not like one person's happy thing will win over another, she's using a random number generator to pick a winner from the qualified entries. So I decided to write about what makes me happy for this weeks Thursday poll. First and foremost my Husband, Mr. Sith and my son, Darthypie make me the most happy. Darthypie is 3 years old now and can identify Emperor Palpatine AND Grand Moff Tarkin by sight. That makes me happy. He squeals. "PINK DARTH VADER!" every time he sees the blog on the computer or my facebook page. He says "Mommy you're AWESOME!" like DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba. (If you have no idea what this is you don't have children under 5...be thankful. YGG is fun but not what I call stimulating entertainment for those over the age of 6). Aside from the 2 men in my life making me happy, my friends make me happy too. You know who you are. Some I have known for years and some I have never met in person but your friendship makes me happy. My pets make me happy...for the most part, except when HLB the cat pees outside of his litter box. Material things make me happy. I won't deny it. I like money and the things that money can buy. But other mundane things make me happy too. Fresh cut roses from out garden, peaches from our peach tree, naps in the middle of the day, fresh bed linens, jeans that fit perfectly, taupe eyeshadow. All of that makes me happy. Now here is a chance to talk about some stuff that makes you happy...and a chance for me to list some more stuff that makes me happy all at the same time. It's a win=win...and by WIN I mean LOUISE at Get Lippie. I want to WIN. LOL Actually I should be shouting the the random number generator...RNG! I WANT TO WIN! Winning would make me HAPPY! on to the poll.

1. Blush Of The Day? - BECCA PSP in Princess with MAC Alpha Girl BP from the Heatherette collection on top. It makes a nice warm glow on my cheeks.

2. What 1 mundane thing makes you happy? - Brand New Lipstick. I love the simplicity of a brand new lipstick. The potential it holds. The smooth, virgin lines of the product. And that feeling of first using it. So smooth (hopefully), so creamy (Hopefully), so perfect.

3. What is the last makeup purchase that made you happy? - For sure the BECCA Tuberose Lip & Cheek Creme and the BECCA Tatiana Lipstick. They are both such wonderful colors. I feel happy just looking at them and wearing them.

4. What Song, Movie, Book, and/or TV Show makes you happy? - Well not one specific song, but a lot of early 1980's top 40 songs sung in the car with Mr. Sith make me happy. They will make me even more happy when Darthypie is a teenager and I embarrass him doing so. A movie that makes me happy is Defending Your Life. It stars Albert Brook and Meryl Streep. It's such a funny and fun take on the afterlife and a lovely romance.

5. Is there a perfume, scent, and/or specific smell that makes you happy? - Believe it or not Clinique Happy Heart perfume makes me happy. (I wrote about it HERE). The smell of salt water and coconut tanning oil makes me happy too...because it reminds me of the beach and the ocean, and the scent of peach pie in the oven makes me happy too...because I love pie. It's my favorite dessert.

BECCA Tuberose Lip and Cheek Creme

Recently Hutelook was having a sale on BECCA Cosmetics. Like any good makeup junkie I stalked the Hautelook site until the witching hour (11 AM E.S.T.) and logged on to see the goodies offered by BECCA. OK. I have to admit a lot of BECCA products appeal to me, but I can honestly say my skin is not good enough to go with their sheer foundations or shimmering skin perfectors. But one thing I can go for is BLUSH and eyeshadow. Since I already own all the BECCA shadows I care to, I focused on the creme blushes. I picked up Tuberose Lip & Cheek Creme from the sale as well as a few other items, but the Tuberose Lip & Cheek Creme is a standout best product!

The preservative and paraben free product comes in the signature BECCA flying saucer packaging. (part rubber, part metal) The product is on the small side for a lip & cheek product but the powerful pigmentation in this product makes me think it will last a long long time. I have oily skin and this lip & cheek creme lasted all day on me. I apply it over my foundation or tinted moisturizer and set it with powder. The product doesn't fade or streak on me. It is perfection for a good 8 hours.


The formula is creamy and, as I mentioned, very pigmented. The product has no shimmer in it so it won't exaggerate large pores or make one look greasy. A few dots on the cheeks (like one on the apples and maybe 2 smaller ones on the cheek will give you a very pretty and natural corally pink flush. Not that people flush naturally in a corally pink color, but pretend they can, because this what you would look like if you could. Not that Corally is a word. Coral-ly. Coralish? Coraltastic? OK My limited vocabulary has stunted me again. But seriously, lit from within glow is what I would call this color. If you have ever used or seen NARS "Cactus Flower" creme blush, BECCA Tuberose is a peachier and non shimmery alternative. If you have seen Chanel Joues Contraste powder blush in "In Love", BECCA Tuberose is a slightly pinker and creme version. I am truly smitten with this blush and plan to wear it a lot this summer.


One thing I will never understand why people insist on getting lipstick type quality from a lip & cheek product. Trust me, if you wanted the softness and shine of a lipstick from this kind of product, it would slide off your cheek in a matter of minutes. That's why I never really rely on these Lip & Cheek products to be my sole lip color. I might mix Tuberose with a lip balm already applied to my lips or I might apply Tuberose to dry lips and then add gloss on top but I do not expect or want this as a sole color. It's too dry and accentuates the fine lines in my lips. No thanks. It's pretty as a lip stain, however, it's a touch on the light side and I'm just not a fan of matchy, matchy lip & cheek looks anyway. (It reminds me too much of the 1980's)

Do you NEED this? Duh. YES! It's such a flattering color that I think it would suit the most palest complexions to some of the darkest complexions. If the color will stay on my oil slick of a face you know its going to stay on yours. I experienced no breakouts while using this product. Be warned that the swatches on the BECCA website are sucktastic, your best bet is to do a google image search for the colors you are interested in. The Lip & Cheek creme retails for $29 USD. I purchased mine for $14.50 from the Hautelook sale.


Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Kaolin, Tocopherol, Parfum (Fragrance), Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Carmine CI 75470, Red 36 CI 12085, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090.

Please note that while Becca is Vegetarian friendly this specific product is not Vegan friendly. Not that I care. Don't get me wrong. I love animals! They're delicious!...but Vegans may not be interested in using products with Carmine in them. Wanna know what Carmine is?....BUGS!! Crushed up bugs that form the most loverly red color ever! Call me Evil, call me Sadistic, but I will never give up carmine. I hate bugs. This is my sweet revenge upon them for scaring me so! MUWAHAHAHAHA! No but seriously. No offense to Vegans. I just want you to know that this has carmine in it. I like to rant a bit about bugs because I have an unfounded and irrational fear of them.

And The Winner Is....

The winner of the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Hidden Treasure is...

Tee

Congratulations to Tee. She has been sent an e-mail and should confirm her address by COB Friday. If I do not hear from her by then, I'll choose another winner.

For those that entered but did not win...do not fret. July 13th will be the 2nd Anniversary of the Pink Sith Blog. I plan to have a spectacular* giveaway for that "event". (and yes. International entries will be accepted...so unfair that you all are left out so often)

*Spectacular = Stuff I was able to afford on my own dime. It won't be La Mer and Serge Lutens but it will be pretty and sparkly stuff none the less

Dr. Perricone High Potency Eye Lift Review

image from http://blog.perriconemd.com

I recently did a giveaway for Dr. Perricone's No Foundation, Foundation. In talking with the rep at Perricone, I expressed an interest in trying some of the products for myself. The generous rep at Perricone sent me a product to try that I have been lusting after for quite some time. The product?

Dr. NV Perricone High Potency Eye Lift

As you may or may not know. I'm a tad obsessed with eye creams. My eyes are showing signs of age, fine lines, slightly saggy skin on the eyelids. Thankfully I have very little darkness under my eyes but there is many a morning when my eyes are puffy and droopy all at the same time. There was an eye gel by Sisley that I adored, but I found it too expensive and slightly unstable as the natural botanicals in that product have a fairly short shelf life. I have been searching for a great alternative and I think I may have found a nice one with the Dr. Perricone High Potency Eye Lift product.

Dr. Perricone describes this as a "fast absorbing intensive eye treatment....helps repair the advanced signs of aging around the delicate eye area...". According to Dr. Perricone the High Potency Eye Lift is supposed to actually lift your skin around the eyes while also minimizing deep wrinkles and nags under the eyes. It is able to do this by using "patented anti-aging ingredients: DMAE and Phospholipids....[and] Pycnogenol...".

DMAE has been used for several years in the skin care industry, but there have not been many tests done that actually prove it is good for you...alternatively there haven't been many tests done to prove that it's bad for you either.

DMAE is a short for dimethylaminoethanol, a naturally occurring substance that facilitates the synthesis of a neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

What?

Well I'm no chemist, but I'm not a rube either. A lot of the articles about DMAE on the web are either advertisements or scare tactic articles provided by organizations with an ulterior motive. the most objective article I found was one from SmartSkinCare.com HERE It also provides an secondary article about safety concerns with using DMAE products HERE

Here is an expert that gets to the point about DMAE. "DMAE is better known and researched as a "smart drug" than a skin firming agent. In a number of studies, DMAE has been shown to reduce age-related decline in cognitive causes some degree of skin tightening. However, despite speculation it remains unclear how ability and memory." "The DMAE-skin connection is less researched. It has been demonstrated that DMAEDMAE firms the skin..." "Whatever the mechanism, the effect of DMAE is often noticeable although seldom dramatic. Besides, even though DMAE can't fully reverse the existing facial sag, it may reduce its further progression. Some people report a cumulative effect with continued use of DMAE. "

OK. Sorry to get all technical on you, but when talking skin care and special chemicals I like to get as detailed as possible. I promise not to bore you with any other chemical speak for the rest of this post.

I used this product for 45 days. I used it twice a day morning and evening. I noticed that there was a slight, tightening of the skin around my eyes and on my lids. I did notice a slight reduction in the puffiness in and around my eyes at the end of the 45 days. My eyelids seem slightly less hooded. I do not have deep wrinkles around my eyes, but I did not notice an increase in the fine lines that already formed around my eyes.

The product itself was fairly light and liquidy. It comes in the Perricone signature brown glass bottle. It has a pump top that can be easily locked for travel. The pump dispenses too much product. It took some time to get used to how far I needed to press the pump down to obtain the appropriate amount of product. If I used a full pump's worth I would have enough product for three sets of eyes or a ton of product that wouldn't skin into my skin for one set of eyes. I liked that the product itself felt lightweight absorbed quickly, providing one does not use too much. I could easily apply eye makeup over the product and it was moisturizing enough that I didn't feel the need to have a stronger product around my eyes....however, the formula may not feel moisturizing enough to those with very dry skin. I did not experience any milla or breakouts from the product and trust me, I have had eye creams do terrible things to my skin. This is NOT one of those creams.

Do you NEED this? Well at $95 USD for 0.05 fl oz I'm hesitant to say one way or another. After 45 days of use at two times a day the eye cream is a little less than half way finished. I am taking into account that in the beginning I overused the product from the pump that dispensed too much. I think that I can get another 3 or more months of use or more out of the rest of this product. Spending $95 every 5 months or so seems awfully high to me. However, the results justify the price and I expect things to only improve after continued use. Since I have noticed an increase in the firmness of skin on and around my eyes I will be buying this once I run out. Yes. It did seem to lift the skin around my eyes. Yes. I didn't notice any new lines or deepening of existing lines around my eyes. No. I'm not convinced that DMAE is effective or unsafe or safe. There has not been enough credible research done. But I'm going to throw caution to the wind and continue to use this product.

Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Phosphatidylcholine, Isopropyl Palmitate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dimethyl MEA (DMAE), Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Calophyllum Tacamahaca (Tamanu) Seed Oil, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Resveratrol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Tocotrienols, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Disodium EDTA, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Steareth-20, Tocopherol, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Astaxanthin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.

Review by Joeybunny - Clinique Color Surge quad in Plum Seduction

I think that by now, any reader of this blog has figured out that Elvira and I are polar opposites when it comes to our likes and dislikes, with the exception of our deep love of taupe eyeshadows. Physically, we just have different beauty needs. Elvira is the pale blonde I always dreamed of being; I’m tanned with black curls. Her skin is oily; mine is so dry you could peel it off my face. Elvira wears red lipstick; I wear red eyeshadow. Elvira hates Clinique makeup (and Clinique products in general, with one exception); I love Clinique, and that’s where today’s review starts.

Sometimes I feel as if I am indulging 10-year old Joey every time I buy a Clinique product, since it was one of the first makeup lines I ever used, but I have never been disappointed by the products - makeup or skincare. Really, I love every single item I have ever tried from the line, and over the years I’ve amassed an impressive amount of the makeup. My Clinique collection probably resembles a small counter at a department store, in all seriousness. I might as well start wearing the white lab coat and offering skincare analysis from my bedroom. I do have enough of the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion to supply upper Manhattan...

Anyway, I am particularly fond of Clinique eyeshadows. Unlike Elvira, I find them to be pigmented, blendable, and long-lasting. Also, despite my being a total color whore, I appreciate the wide palette of neutrals that are offered in the various formulas and textures. I could definitely wax poetic about the cream eyeshadows especially, but today I’m going to focus on my latest acquisition: Color Surge Eye Shadow Quad in #110 Plum Seduction.

(with flash)

(without flash)

Color Surge is the overarching name of the Clinique powder eyeshadows, and they come in a range of formulas (Matte, Soft Shimmer, and Super Shimmer). The shadows are soft and lovely, and while most are them are more natural, every day colors, there are some non-earthtone colors in the line. The quad I chose is one of these, as you can probably assume from the name!

My beloved adoptive momma (Janine, of ALemmingADay) is a Clinique salesperson, and I ordered Plum Seduction from her during a recent GWP event. I was more than thrilled when I finally received it, because I had actually played with the quad a bit at Sephora. It’s so lovely in person, and it really appealed to both my love of purple and my love of taupe because it contains different shades of both colors!

Moving from L to R, there’s:

1. A light silvery-pink taupe, if that makes any sense. On my tan skin, it pulls more silver than taupe which makes it suitable for a lid color, an inner eyelid highlight, or a brow bone highlight - all dependent on how much of it I layer on. I have found that if I apply two-three layers on my lid, the taupe tones are more apparent.
2. A satiny pink-purple. As bright as this color appears, it’s the sheerest of the bunch. I like that Clinique caters to the color-phobic and makes bright colors that are buildable. The more I layer it, the brighter it gets. A single wash is perfect to add a hint of color to my lids or lower lashline.
3. A matte, deep purple. This color is highly pigmented and is great in either the crease or as a liner shade.
4. A dark, utterly divine silver-purple-taupe. I need not explain why I love this shadow, as I feel it’s evident from the color description. Even Elvira would swoon over this shadow!

(without flash and more close up)

(with flash and from a little further away)

With a base, these shadows last about 7-8 hours, which I find to be pretty good. The colors are subdued enough to be appropriate for any environment, but they can definitely be punched up. The quad retails for $25 and I find it to be a great deal, especially since Clinique is always running some sort of GWP event - buy the shadow palette and get a ton of other fun stuff for free!

Pixi Fairy Light Solos Eye Shadow - No.5 Boho Bronze

image from target.com

A few weeks ago the girls across the pond (England) were raving about a sale on Pixi eye shadows. One such gal mentioned that they had the perfect taupe. Of course hearing that my little sith ears perked up and the taupe part of my brain started to produce a special hormone that makes it all but impossible to NOT look for said shadow. Thankfully Pixi eye shadow is readily available at my local Target. My Taupe craving was sated...for the time being.

The perfect taupe I picked up, is the Pixi Fairy Light Solos Eye Shadow in No.5 Boho Bronze. Bronze? Really? Yes. this is hardly a bronze. It's for sure a taupe. A warm taupe with a brown base and very very frosty. Because of the shadow composition and it's claim to "reflect light" it was difficult to photograph. So here are some pictures with and without a flash.

With Flash

Without Flash

The pigment is a tad on the light side. It's not heavily pigmented but it certainly isn't sheer. The shadow comes in a cute green compact with a clear cover so you can see the color easily. The powder has a little pixi imprinted on it. It sadly disappears within one to two uses, but it was cute while it lasted. The shadow is soft and a touch on the powdery side but I didn't experience any fall out during application. The shadow lasted all day with a base (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) without creasing or fading. I think it makes a really nice wash of color and would look beautiful with a darker taupe or brown used in the crease.

According to Pixi the eyeshadow is a mineral formula and it's supposed to brighten and lift eyes. The formula is supposed to be crease free and gives a "youthful glow of color to brighten the eye" They also claim that the shades are "holographic" with "3-D undertones" Ummm. Really? I didn't see that. Holographic? 3-D? What is this, Avatar? Um no. No holographic or 3-D component to this shadow at all. "Silky soft, they will treat, tighten and brighten" Yes to Silky Soft. No to treat, tighten and brighten. This isn't botox in powder form it's just eyeshadow!
My Favorite is "...Natural mineral pigment, mica, diffuses light;" Well duh. Mica is a mineral. Therefore anything with mica in it, is a mineral cosmetic by definition. That just gives me a chuckle. Then they say "shea butter moisturizes and gives the appearance of smoother lines." Um. No. Didn't happen. The amount of shea butter per application is so infinitesimal that it would really make no difference on your eye lids.

So why the bashing of an eyeshadow that I like? I'm just sick of companies exaggerating claims and trying to make a product seem more "healthy" than it is. Why can't eye shadow just be eyeshadow? Why does it have to cure cancer and firm eyelids? Why can't it just be...um...I don't know...PRETTY?

Do you NEED this? Well. Maybe. The Pixi Fairy Light Solos Eye Shadow retails for $14 USD for the 0.08 oz product. That's pretty high for drugstore eye shadow. I'm not sure I would recommend it only because you can probably find something for less or have something similar in your collection already. Here is a swatch with MAC Style Snob, Laura Mercier Topaz and Ulta Sandstone for your reference.

However, if Target ever has a sale, or if you can find it for less than $14 USD I would pick it up. It's a decent taupe to have, fairly neutral and would work well on cool toned and warm toned skin.

EOTD using Pixi Boho Bronze and MAC Naked Pigment

INGREDIENTS: Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil. May Contain: Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Mica & Iron Oxide (CI 77019, CI 77491), Mica & Titanium Dioxide (CI 77019, CI 77891), Mica & Titanium Dioxide & Tin Oxide (CI 77019, CI 77891, CI 77861).