My beauty Bag

Bobbi Brown Cocoa Mauve Collection

If you really love someone, you’ll give them the Bobbi Brown Cocoa Mauve Collection.

This flattering collection of colors takes the guess work out of coordinating a stunning look. The set includes Bobbi’s Mauve Metallic Eye Shadow, Cocoa Mauve Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, Berry Mauve Creamy Lip Color and Sand Pink Blush, neatly packed in a cute mauve-lined black nylon cosmetics bag.

The shadow is a shimmering pale taupe and a staple for any makeup bag. (I usually pop a contour color in the crease, like a matte berry shade, to give the look more definition.) The cocoa mauve eyeliner is a brownish purple shade which makes eyes stand out without looking harsh, and the brush-on gel formula is easy to work with.

Applying the berry mauve lipstick feels so good because the shea-butter enriched stick almost feels like a gel-balm. The color goes on with medium, glossy coverage.

The look would not be complete without the sand pink blush, one of my all-time favorite pink blushes. It lights cheeks up with a rosy glow that looks like you just got back from a brisk walk outdoors.

From: http://www.glossypink.com

Clinique Holiday 2008: Blackberry Bloom.

The CLINIQUE Holiday 2008 makeup collection, Blackberry Bloom, is a sultry collection that highlights a beautiful glowing face accentuated with a sexy, dramatic eye.

A NEW limited edition shade of Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Blackberry Bloom is clearly the star of the show with the cult favorite long-wearing powder in a combination of berry shades to create a natural looking radiant glow.

There are three NEW shades of Colour Surge Eye Shadow Super Shimmer: Black Coffee, Black Amethyst and Black Smoke (all limited edition shades). While Black Coffee and Black Smoke are both super rich, highly pigmented shades, we can’t keep our hands off Black Amethyst.

Black Amethyst might just be our favorite eye shadow of the entire year. It’s no secret that we have a strange obsession with taupe eye shadow–and this one (while technically not taupe) is a gorgeous taupe-y purple.

Take our word–if you’re a taupe-lover, this will be your new fave.

(We tried to swatch it for you, but the camera is broken. AGAIN. This dumb Nikon D-50 has given us nothing but trouble since she turned two.)

Another product to note is the High Impact Mascara in a NEW Black Honey limited edition shade. This one you’ll have to see with your own eyes. So pretty.

CLINIQUE Holiday 2008 Blackberry Bloom makeup collection is available this month at Clinique counters nationwide and online at clinique.com.

From: http://www.makeupbag.net/

Holiday Collection: Prescriptives Aglow 2008

Gift Set: Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia Set

Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia Set ($95)- Two magnificent white flowers captured in a luxurious, elegantly simple bouquet. Two ways to wear this exquisite fragrance. Ready to give in an exclusive gift box, this limited-time collection includes Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia Eau de Parfum Spray (1 oz.) and Body Lotion (6.7 oz.). A precious gift. (Nordstrom.)

It becomes increasingly difficult for me to choose which holiday fragrance set to purchase for myself each year. This set did not make things any easier. I’m VERY VERY tempted.

From: http://www.facecandy.blogspot.com/

Get Clear Skin with RAWskincare Ambiaty Serum

I’ve hit that point of cosmetic overload where I feel like I have so much stuff and no time to use it all! Thus, I’ve temporarily reverted back to using only the basics (my version anyway) of just toothpaste, cleanser, and serum. The serum I chose weeks back is RAWskincare Ambiaty Concentrated Serum since I hadn’t tried it yet. It’s been the only thing I use everyday when I’m fresh out of the shower.

Now, when I’m doing my makeup I usually need base of some sort. Even if I can skip foundation I still need a bit of concealer, something. Not since Ambiaty! My skin has been glowing like crazy and those dark spots on my face that I normally need to conceal are vanishing away. Loves this stuff. It also reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles, just FYI.

My bottle is halfway gone and I hate to see it go. I wish it could magically replenish itself but I’m sure I’ll need to open my wallet for this to happen. No matter, I’m in love!

RAWskincare Ambiaty Concentrated Serum, $79

From: http://frappelattes.com/

Winter 2008 Nail Color Trends.

“All of the color, none of the calories.”

I’m totally fawning over these new Essie nail color shades!! The berries and eggplants (in red and blue hues to suit your mood) look absolutely delicious for the nails and that canary gold is one that I have been searching for, for seasons. Did I mention that I love the names, including Damsel in Distress (a deep eggplant) and Rock Star Skinny (a mahogany red)? I need this collection in my life.

Fortunately, Essie has grouped these babies into a single kit for the season. The “Colors to Go” 6 piece Winter Collection kit includes all six shades (Bold & Beautiful, Damsel in Distress, It’s Genius, Shifting Power, Sexy Divide, and Rockstar Skinny) and retails for only $45.

From: http://frappelattes.com

Mika 2008 Holiday Shu Uemura Collection.

We already showed you the Mika Portable Brush Set that we love so much from this collection, but wait ’til you see these palettes:

Designed by Japanese photographer and director Mika Ninagawa, these palette cases are just as gorgeous as the shadows they contain.

midnight winter sakura (top)
Mika Ninagawa’s breathtaking night view of the snow-white Japanese flower decorates this case. This set’s magnificent hues, like smoky blue and pink beige, will create eyes as intense as the name implies.

adorned marguerite (middle)
The marguerite-adorned case features an inner palette that is a playful mixture of Mika Ninagawa’s dreamy colors. Vivid combination of pink and blue shade brush on to add a velvety sensation to the eyes.

secret luscious rose (bottom)
A photograph of roses by Mika Ninagawa beautifully decorates the case that opens to reveal a contrasting range of colors. Lightly frosted white and rich moss green will accent eyes in shades that make the most classical flower new again.

And while you’re here, we might as well show you the lip glosses:

delicious rose and seductive gerbena are little makeup pouches containing shimmery lip gloss trios to make you smile.

Shu Uemura Holiday 2008 Mika Ninagawa is available beginning November 2008 at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom counters nationwide and online at shuuemura-usa.com

From: http://www.makeupbag.net

Review of Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask by Bliss.

Yay for bubbles!

Bliss’ Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask is one of the most entertaining skin care products that I have tested to date. I was a huge fan of bubbles as a kid (still am, actually!) and this mask made me feel really happy.

The folks at Bliss are convinced that our skin needs extra oxygen since the levels naturally
present in the skin decrease with age.

Soooo…if you use this product (which is actually a sort of at-home version of their famed Triple Oxygen Treatment facials) you’ll be giving your cells the energy they need to perform their “youth-inducing” tasks at optimal levels…

Err…well…it feels really good!

Bliss’ Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask dispenses as a gel that’s a clear grapefruit-y color. Once you apply it to your damp face, the magic begins as a fluffy foam starts bubbling up. 5 minutes of effervescence later and voila…sort of.

I’ll admit, my face felt fresh, clean, and pretty supple but, it also feels that way after I wash my face like normal. Needless to say, I surely wasn’t shouting from the rooftops.

So, do you need this stuff? If you have $52 to spare, sure give it a shot. It’s a fun product. But otherwise, continue caring for your skin as usual!

Stay Beautiful

$52
Available at Blissworld.com

From: http://beauty365.blogspot.com/

Rimmel Light Beam After Hours Lip Gloss Review. Sometime over the summer I was sent three tubes of Rimmel Light Beam lip gloss for review. I’ve been so busy using them and trying to pry them out of my daughter’s hands that I sort of … er, forgot to review them. Heh. Sorry about that! It was a weird summer, y’all.

Anyhoodle, you’ve probably seen this stuff in stores by now, and if so you know that the selling point is the packaging. The tube is squat and rectangular with a mirror along one side — big whoop, we’ve all seen that before. The unique part is the cap — there’s a little push-button operated light in it. Yes, a teeny, tiny flashlight. Open the product, depress the button in the top of the cap/handle, and a tiny spotlight shines down the length of the wand and thus onto your lips as you apply the product. Kind of like in this dramatic photo provided to me for purposes of illustration:

So with the light and the mirror, you can apply this stuff in the dark! Cool, huh? The light also works while the cap is on, so you can dazzle everyone around you with your mysteriously glowing tube o’ gloss, like in this picture I took myself in a dark (bath)room:

Yes, I AM easily amused, thanks for asking!

So let’s talk about the product INSIDE the cool tube, huh? Light Beam is a thin, very sheer gloss that’s only a little bit sticky. I received three shades — In The Mix, a sheer pale pink; Spotlight, a shimmery raspberry pink; and After Hours, a sheer brownish-plum — and they all look the same (read: clear and shiny) on my lips except that Spotlight is shimmery and the others aren’t. They all taste fabulous, though. In The Mix is sort of fruity, Spotlight tastes like bubblegum, and After Hours has some nebulous sweetness (maybe a little vanilla?) going on.

The thin texture combined with the yummy flavor means these glosses don’t really have much in the way of lasting power. If you don’t eat them off your lips, they’re going to wear off pretty quickly anyway. And let’s face it — do you really NEED a light and a mirror to apply what is essentially, on lips, a clear gloss? Maybe it’s because I’m old and have been applying lip gloss to my own lips for 30+ years, but I really don’t. Now if this gloss were actually pigmented, and I were the type to spend a lot of time in dark movie theaters and night clubs and … basements? or something? then the swell packaging would be extremely helpful.

Now, as mentioned in the first paragraph of this review, I HAVE been using and enjoying this gloss all summer. No, it doesn’t really show up at all, but it’s yummy and I certainly don’t hate it. However, my local supermarket is charging nearly $10 per tube for this stuff, and I really don’t think I’d pay that much for this product. I guess if you think of it as a combination flashlight/mirror/gloss — sort of the Swiss Army knife of the lip gloss world — then it might be worth $10 to you. Or, as mentioned above, if the gloss were heavily pigmented then I can see the packaging being worth a couple of extra bucks for the convenience factor.

But for a delicious yet very sheer gloss with an admittedly cute gimmick? Eh. I don’t think so.

From: http://lipstickismycrack.blogspot.com/

Anastasia Brow Gel.

With all the lofty marketing claims attached to new products these days, it’s so refreshing to find something that wows you even though you have rather low expectations of it.

I recently came into possession of a tube of Anastasia Brow Gel in Clear, and my first reaction was “ehhhh. Repackaged clear mascara for several times the price. Pass!”

But when getting ready for a wedding last month, I wanted to make sure my brows — sparse as they are — stayed in place all night, so I decided to take the Anastasia gel out for a spin. I really wasn’t expecting anything more than the results I used to get with a tube of Cover Girl clear mascara.

Wrong! Wrong! I love being wrong in situations like these; it makes something mundane seem like a groundbreaking discovery.

The Brow Gel felt like absolutely nothing going on, but my brows did not even budge all night. Like I said, they’re pretty sparse, but they have a tendency to get out of place pretty easily — especially the right one. Three reasons: (1) the long, sideswept bangs that fall on the right side of my face are a brow disturbance hazard, (2) I end up pushing them out of my face pretty frequently, therefore touching the brow and disturbing it further, and (3) that right brow has an old scar running through it, which tends to act like a brow cowlick (browlick?).

So when I say they didn’t move all night, this is pretty impressive. In addition, they were SHINY. As in, healthy-looking. Healthy-looking brows. Who knew such a thing could be possible!

And finally, the formula didn’t flake, dry out or get sticky over the course of the evening. Winner! I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but yes, it really is worth the $21. It’s really not that high a price to pay for peace-of-brow!

From: http://beautyaddict.blogspot.com/