- pretty moisturizing, for lipsticks,
- well-priced (or as well-priced as things can be, nowadays,)
- creamy and pigmented,
- one of the few formulas that doesn’t catch on my dry bits or migrate to my lipline!
- BLISSFUL will get you a free mini rollerball of the new Bliss EdT,
- A ton of Stila sets and palettes are on for a steal,
- EYETARINA can be used for a Tarina Tarntino Eye Dream Hyperliner and Fleur de Lash Mascara set — use the code and get them both for $22 instead of $36
- Try samples of Murad’s new Clean Scene Craving For Clean Cleanser and Begging For Balance Moisturizer with CLEANSCENE,
- Or Dr. Brandt’s Blemishes No More Intenseolution with BLEMISHFREE,
- Or Kate’s new SPF 55 serum sunsceen with KATESUN.
- Fantasy: *Needs* to be foiled — it’s pretty used dry, but it’s really pretty used wet. Foiling really bring out its vibrancy, making it a lot more teal/turquoise and a lot less steely.
- Lagoon: I’m not sure if anyone noticed in yesterday’s EOTD, but Lagoon goes on a little patchy when foiled — it just doesn’t buff out quite right. But for $4, if you’re on a budget, its so worth the hassle! Lagoon is absolutely gorgeous; super-pigmented with an incredible, rich, blue finish.
- Ultraviolet: Goes on patchy wet or dry when swatched, but blends gorgeously when used in a look. Note that it is NOT any more patchy than any other matte violet shadows I’ve tried, including the much-adored MUFE 92! Matte violets are just really hard to formulate, I guess :o)
- Rainforest: A pretty mid-to-light green, but it’s the only shade I’d deem “skippable.” It does a great job balancing out the quad, but isn’t dazzling on its own.
We mentioned this one in the comments of another post, but I just wanted to make sure everyone knew about it! The much-raved-about Kat Von D palettes are now on sale for just $24US/$31CDN each at Sephora, this month only. So go stock up! ;)
Revlon’s Super Lustrous lipsticks, Super Lustrous lip glosses, and Moon Drops lipsticks are only $3.99 at Shopper’s this long weekend! (Limit 4.) The rest of the week, they’re still on sale, but they go up to $5.99.
So now would be the time to go try Mauvy Night or Mulled Wine!
Psst — you can now pick up the two new LE Viva Glam glosses online! As usual, they’re $14.50US/$17.50CDN each, and all the proceeds will go to the MAC AIDS fund. Feel free to click through the respective images below :)
Too tired to think today, so here’s a bunch of photos for you ;) Mauvy Night is a Revlon Super Lustrous favourite of mine — it features their gorgeous creme formula, which both feels great and looks great!
Here’s a point-form review of the Creme formula for any of you interested. It’s definitely my favourite formula out of the drugstore, though I haven’t tried the new Colorburst lipsticks yet!
Revlon Super Lustrous Cremes are…
They’ve also introduced a new cap, recently, with a clear top — super handy for those of us with way too many lipsticks. The only changes I’d make to the Super Lustrous line would be (a) adding more of these awesome creme finishes! and (b) taking the price back down a few notches. The price ($9 CDN,) is good… but it’s not quite “right!”
Availability: SLs can be found in tons of drugstores and grocery stores, but also online in shops like Target and drugstore.com!
the lovely, lovely tube…
… and again, the tube.
swatch on NW20ish skin
another lip swatch with slightly different lighting
the ingredients
Origins is offering free samples of Modern Friction with any order; just use CLEAN at the checkout!
Benefit’s new pearly primer, Girl Meets Pearl, is now available! Use the code PEARLY10 for free US shipping through the Benefit site.
Tarte is celebrating it’s tenth birthday! From now until Labour Day, use the code BDAY for $10 off any purchase over just $20.
For all you lash lovers — this weekend at Clinique
, get three free mascara minis and free shipping with the code MASCARA. I’m in love with their Buttershine lipsticks, and Smoldering Plum is one of my favourite end-of-summer blushers!
And, at Sephora… (please note that some of these are Beauty Insider exclusives and may be limited to US orders)
L’Artisan Parfumeur Coeur de Vétiver Sacré indeed smells like the “sacred heart of vetiver” — unlike many fragrances which list vetiver as a note, this scent is based around the dry, grassy scent of vetiver itself. However, its concentration on one single note does not deter from its beauty, and it is far from boring.
The opening reminds me of what Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea wanted to be, for about forty five seconds: bergamot black tea makes a sharp statement, but refrains from being harsh. The top notes begin to evaporate from the skin immediately, like most L’Artisan Parfumeur scents, taking away a bit of the sweetness of date and dried fruits. From there, it reveals a more peppery, exotic base, with saffron and ginger reminiscent of an ancient spice market, softening the feel with sweet, pink berries.
Finally, Coeur de Vétiver Sacré dries down to a gorgeous vetiver mingled with incense, musk, and just a touch of vanilla. It has a divine ancient-spice quality in its sillage, but close to the skin, it’s deliciously woody and practically edible, evoking memories of saffron rice and other delightful dishes.
The vetiver in this blend is grassy — not green in a stems-and-leaves kind of way, but grassy as if you’ve literally taken a (wonderful!) nose-dive into a pile of vetiver. No dirt, nothing mulchy, just clean and dry, made woody and spicy by the incense and ginger. Vetiver, as if it was grown in eroding desert soil, then pulled from the sand, left to dry in the hot sun, and sold in a spice market.
Overall, I do think that Coeur de Vétiver Sacré is gorgeous, but not the type of fragrance I’d wear. It’s very fresh and grassy-green (neither of which are my usual “type,”) and has a feel that is almost… sour. It’s certainly more masculine and feminine, and is by no means the star of the L’Artisan Parfumeur lineup, but do I think it would be amazing on the right guy (or girl, depending on your fragrance tastes!)
Coeur de Vetivér Sacré was crafted by the divine Carine Vinchon, and will be launching September 2010.
Availability: In the US, Coeur de Vétiver Sacré will launch exclusively this month to Barneys New York, but will expand to other retails in the new year. In Canada, it will launch in Ogilvy’s.
(Read the original post about the Stila here, if you missed it!)
After less-than-loving the new Stila palette’s design, I decided to embark on a little mission: to find some eye palettes that I did like the construction and design of, or at least that I liked a bit more! So, here are a few of my favourites. To be fair, I left out palettes with any less than seven shadows — it’s not exactly a level playing ground if you’re comparing a quad with a “blockbuster” palette for design!
As usual for these “list posts,” all images can be clicked to go to the product pages.
1. The new Sephora Color Diary palette looks really interesting — five different sets that pop out and have lids of their own, then pop back in at the end of the day.
2. These other Sephora palettes are great, too — I love the simple, clean design of the Artist palettes, and the Enchanted Eye Palette just looks so sophisticated and glam.
3. You honestly can’t go wrong with equally-sized circles, in two lovely, clean rows, as shown by Le Metier de Beaute and Chantecaille!
4. Also tried and true? Boxes filled with orderly rows of circles…
5. … and palettes in strip form, like this Kat Von D.
6. NYX palettes have to get a nod, too. The pigmentation’s really impressive for something that’s usually found at about $10, and they’re basic-but-clean.
7. Lastly, this totally doesn’t fit any of the requirements, but can you believe that this Forever 21 palette is only $2.80? It makes me wonder if it would be any good — has anyone tried the line yet?
Don’t miss yesterday’s Hype EOTD!
Annabelle Mono Eyeshadows always impress me, as I’m sure you know by now. Not only are they great drugstore shadows, they’re simply great shadows. I’m not saying they’re the be-and-end-all, but I am saying that I’d be a happy camper paying anything up to about $9-10 per shadow… but they’re only $4.25. So, colour me impressed!
Anyhow. I’m sure you’d much rather read the mini-reviews and see some swatches than listen to the ravings of a madwoman this blogger’s innermost thoughts!
swatched dry / swatched wet
Don’t miss: Fantasy and Ultraviolet. I love them to death; honest.
Possibly pick up: Lagoon, if you’re looking for a great medium-dark blue for less than $5, and/or you’re okay with having to take an extra minute or two to blend it out. (I totally am, and just adore the shade!)
Skip: Rainforest, unless you’re buying the whole quad.
Hype also repromotes the Volumelip glosses. Check out our review here!
Sorry for the delay on this one, girls! I guess I was just so busy obsessing over Marcelle that I didn’t have time to play with the new Annabelle collection ;)
Hype is a funny collection — it has two parts, one exclusive to Shopper’s Drug Mart and the other simply referred to as the “National collection,” ie the one that will launch everywhere. Well, I just have the National collection, but so far I’ve been pretty happy with the shadows. I’ll be sharing some swatches and reviewing the shadows tomorrow, but here’s an eye of the day in the meantime. I hope you like it!
Experience the photo overload and find out what I used…
Now, I almost never take photos in the direct sun, unless I can help it — it’s so unforgiving and harsh! (Plus, my skin always looks a little funny.) However, it really helps show how CRAZY vivid these shadows are, so I took a few anyways for this look. I did foil the shadows, which made a huge difference, but man! are they pigmented.
P.S. I just love the shadow that these falsies cast!
Products used:
Annabelle shadows in Rainforest, Lagoon, and Fantasy. (The Hype National collection also includes Ultraviolet, which didn’t make it into this EOTD… sorry!)
Revlon Fantasy Lengths lashes in Minx…which were, unfortunately, still speckled with glitter from this EOTD!
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero
MAC eyeshadow in Blanc Type
Smashbox eyeshadow in Smoke (for my brows)
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk