Friday, November 30, 2012

Clinique Whole Lotta Colour Set Review

Clinique Whole Lotta Colour Set
Clinique Whole Lotta Colour Set
Clinique Whole Lotta Colour Set (heavy swatches)
super strawberry, oversized orange, curvy candy, richer raisin, chunky cherry

The Clinique Whole Lotta Colour Set includes 5 shades of Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm. These tinted lip balms are sheer, shiny, and fragrance free. They glide smoothly on the lips and feel moisturizing, however the moisturizing effect only last about 3 hours on my lips. I like the packaging. They are easy to apply and you don't need a sharpener. To get more product, just swivel the end of the lip balm.

The shades included are:
super strawberry - sheer berry pink
oversized orange - sheer orange
curvy candy - sheer bubblegum pink
richer raisin - sheer plum brown 
chunky cherry - sheer cherry red

Cost:  $34.50
Size:  0.04 Oz (1.2 g) each shade
Longevity:  3 hours on my lips
Availability:  Sephora, clinique.com
My rating:  4 out of 5

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Make Up For Ever Star Powder 956 (Turquoise Gold) Review

Star Powder 956 (Turquoise Gold)
Make Up For Ever Star Powder 956


Make Up For Ever Star Powder shade 956 is describes as a Turquoise Gold. This product can be applied dry or wet and can be used all over the face. By applying it dry, the color payoff is a light shimmery wash. I prefer using wet on the eyes because the color intensifies and lasts longer. A small amount goes a long way.

Cost:  $20
Size:  0.09 Oz (2.8 g)
Longevity:  Varies by application
Availability:  Sephora
My rating:  4.5 out of 5

Sunday, November 25, 2012

NARS Friends and Family Sale 2012!

NARS Friends and Family Sale will be happening from 12:00AM ET on Monday, November 26th, 2012 to 11:59PM ET on Tuesday, November 27th, 2012. Make sure to use the code NARSFF2012 to get 20% off your purchase!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

MAC Dark Side Lipstick Review



MAC Dark Side Lipstick


MAC Dark Side Lipstick Ingredients

MAC Dark Side Lipstick is deep burgundy shade. The color looks intense, but I find it wearable. The finish is Amplified Cream, which looks semi-glossy. The texture is creamy and the pigmentation is good. This lipstick has a vanilla scent. I usually prefer lip products without a scent, but I did not find it too strong. The wear time on my lips was about 3.5 hours. My lips felt a bit dry after 3 hours.

Cost:  $15
Size:  0.1 Oz (3 g)
Availability:  MAC counters, maccosmetics.com
Longevity:  3.5 hours
My rating:  4 out of 5

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

My thoughts on Illamasqua Alter Ego Mystery Selection


I wanted the Illamasqua Alter Ego Mystery Selection box the first time I saw it in Sephora's website. Getting 10 full-size products for $60 sounded like an awesome deal (according to the box, the total value is worth $200). Two named best-seller items were included in this box and 8 were mystery shades. I thought that the whole mystery shades was a neat concept. However, once I received my order, I realized how disappointing all these products were. I have not tried these products. Therefore, this is not a review but my thoughts on what I saw.



The Nail Varnish in Jo'Mina (electric lilac) is one of the best-sellers included in this box. It looks OK, but at close examination, the vanish is separating and the cap was full of fingerprints (all items were covered in fingerprints).




Next, I got one Intense Lipgloss in Move (mauved rose pink) and one Sheer Lipgloss in Soul (orange).  The Intense Lipgloss looked dried and there were some black spots on it. The Sheer Lipgloss was separating. I liked the shades, but these products are old. The new lip glossses have different packaging.



The Liquid Metal I received was Solstice which looked like a nice gold shade, but it had a lot of condensation on the surface.


 Wail was the Mystery Cream Eye Shadow on my box. It was also covered in condensation.



The Cream Blusher in Raven (red) was a true mystery item. This product was not only covered in condensation, but it also had some growth on the upper corner. I am a microbiologist and this fuzzy white stuff is not normal on a makeup product. I own several cream blushes from other makeup brands and some condensation is expected when the temperature changes, but I never had something growing on them. Really gross! 


The other best-seller item was the Lipstick in Fable (matte rose pink ). The other Lipstick  was Pristine (matte black). Black is probably not of my go-to shade, but it was a mystery item. There was something wrong with these lipsticks. Both were covered with fuzzy spots. 


The last two items were Medium Pencils in Exert (grey) and Severe (brown). These two things also suffered damage at some point. The caps looked old and cracked. 

I am very disappointed with the Illamasqua Alter Ego Mystery Selection box. I think there are other ways of getting rid of old damaged products and selling them to costumers is not one of them. I could not test them on me for obvious reasons. This is the first time I have had to return makeup. It is unacceptable to pay for products that should had been disposed of.

If you are interested in getting one of these mystery boxes, keep in mind that in fact you might end up with mystery items growing mystery things on them!


Saturday, November 17, 2012

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Review



Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette


Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked

I debated whether to get the original Naked Palette or the Naked 2 Palette. I compared both palettes and decided to purchased the Naked 2 palette. This palette contains 12 eyeshadows, a travel-size Lip Junkie lip gloss in Naked and a full size double-ended Good Karma Shadow & Crease Brush. All shades are highly pigmented and come in three finishes: matte, shimmer and glitter. The texture is soft and blendable. I had some fall-out with some shades and I have to use a shadow base, otherwise they crease on my eye lids. The brush is firm but soft and it is made of synthetic fibers. Each eyeshadow except for Booty Call can be purchased individually for $18. The size of the individual eyeshadows is about the same size as each shade of the palette. The Naked Lip Junkie is neutral pink with a subtle minty flavor. There is a tingling cool sensation on the lips for a few minutes, which I am assuming is for plumping the lips. The formula doesn't feel too thick and it lasted 2.5 hour on my lips. Overall, I like the Naked 2 palette. All the colors are wearable, and versatile. I like the packaging too, which is travel-friendly and practical.

Foxy: cream bisque with matte finish
Half Baked: golden-bronze with shimmering finish
Booty Call: shimmering cork
Chopper: copper shimmer with silver microglitter
Tease: creamy pale brown with matte finish
Snake Bite: dark bronze shimmer with metallic base
Suspect: pale golden beige with shimmering finish
Pistol: light gray-brown with shimmering finish
Verve: oyster with shimmering finish
YDK: cool bronze shimmer with metallic base
Busted: deep brown with shimmering finish
Blackout: blackest black with matte finish

Cost:  $50
Size:  0.05 Oz (1.3 g) each eyeshadow
          0.11 Fl. Oz (3.23 mL) Lip Junkie
Longevity:  10+ hours with a eyeshadow base
                    2.5 hours for the lip gloss
Availability:  urbandecay.com
My rating:  4.5 out of 5


Friday, November 16, 2012

MAC Lip Erase in Dim Review



MAC Lip Erase in Dim (black background)
MAC Lip Erase in Dim (white background)
MAC Lip Erase in Dim
MAC Lip Erase in Dim Ingredients

MAC Lip Erase is described as "a flesh-toned balm that visually neutralizes and erases natural colour from the lip. Shine- and texture-free." In other words, this product is a concealer for the lips. There are two colors to pick from: Pale and Dim. Pale is mostly likely to be used on light skin tones and Dim on medium skin tones. I chose Dim.  Even though, it is supposed to be texture-fee, it feels creamy and moisturizing without being greasy. Once applied on the lips, the product sinks into the lips and there is no visible shine. I wore it alone and under a lipstick and it lasted 2.5 hours. This a interesting product to try, but I don't consider it a must have. I feel that using a small amount of foundation on lips has the same effect as this product.

Cost:  $19.50
Size:  0.5 Fl. Oz (15 mL)
Availability:  maccosmetics.com
Longevity:  2.5 hours
My rating:  3 out of 5 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Smashbox Studio Pop Brush Set Review

Smashbox Studio Pop Brush Set

Brushes are an essential tool for applying makeup effortlessly. I love good quality brushes and they are hard to find at a reasonable price. When I found out about Smashbox offering a brush set, I was curious about the quality. I asked several makeup artists at different Smashbox counters; they all said that the quality of the brush set was the same as the ones bought individually. This news piqued my curiosity even further. Can a makeup brand really offer brushes of such professional quality for $60? I tend to research all the products I buy online. Therefore, I contacted Smashbox via chat offered on their website. I asked about each individual brush and their materials. The answer was the same; 'the qualitly of the brush set is the same as the brushes sold individually.' Neither the box of the set or the website listed the materials on some of these brushes, so I asked and this is what I found out:

#2 Face & Cheek Brush is made from goat hair
(Individual retail price $48)
#10 Crease Brush is made from squirrel hair
(Individual retail price $24)
#13 Foundation Brush is made from synthetic fibers
(Individual retail price $29)
#15 Definer Brush is made from squirrel hair
(Individual retail price $24)
#21 Arced Liner Brush is made from sable hair
(Individual retail price $20)  

All of these brushes are amazing. They are very full and soft. I washed them and I didn't have any shedding. The set also includes a brush bag, which is very convenient and practical for traveling. I only wish they added #7 Tapered Shadow Brush to bring the rating to 5/5. If you are looking for a good quality brush set, I highly recommend this one.

(One more thing:  If you spend $100 or more on smashbox.com use the code HOLIDAY2012 to save $25.
If you spend $50 or more use the code FRIENDS2012 for 25% on your purchase until Monday November 26th.)

Cost:  $60
Avilability:  smashbox.com
Made in:  China
My rating:  4.5 out of 5