Sparkles, glitter, and goodies - Oh my!!! I can't wait to try these out...the question is, which one first?
Spotted at CVS - New! Sally Hansen Diamond Strength and Gem Crush Nail Colors
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'Tis the season to start seeing some new products come out for the winter and Holidays. CVS had the new Sally Hansen products displayed - Gem Crush and Diamond Strength. These were not on an end cap, instead they had added a shelf to the top of the cosmetics aisles. I almost missed them, so if you haven't seen these in your CVS, take a look above you!
There are several of these polishes I want - any of the Gem Crush and there were a couple of pretty shades in the Diamond Strength collection as well. What have you picked up? Any suggestions?
NOTD: Studio M (Massini) Nail Polish in "Ego Trip"
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Another Studio M/Massini color from Meijer. This time I have on Ego Trip, which was on an end cap with their Holiday colors for this year. There were tons to choose from, many of which I will need to go back for! Lots of metallics and foils. If I had been thinking, I would have taken a snapshot of the actual display, but I spaced it.
Ego Trip is a very deep emerald green with hints of teal. It switches based on the surroundings, although I wouldn't call it a duochrome. To me, it's a very Christmas-y green. The first thing I thought of was Hermey the Elf from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
This was an amazing formula. I could have gotten away with just one coat, but I did two just for good measure. The coverage was fantastic, it dried very smoothly without any streaking from the frost, and the texture was thin enough to make it easy to apply, but not so thin that it was runny. I wish all the formulas were like this, but of course it depends on the color.
(this is the most true-to-life picture for the color)
Sorry for the grainy pictures - my camera was dead so I used my phone. I just had to show this one off! I'm thinking for Christmas I will layer some red glitter over the top. The pictures don't do it justice, though. It is gorgeous in real - life. I will take some updated pictures once the batteries are charged.
How to wear a red lip for Christmas, New Year's Eve or just everyday
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Many women have a hard time wearing a "red lip"and have avoided this bold look. Here are 5 tips on how to wear a red lip and look gorgeous but not overdone. The holidays is around the corner so ditch the nudes and pinks and go for something bold, sexy and festive!
1. Choose the right shade of red
There are many types of red: cherry, poppy, crimson, scarlet, ruby and the list goes on...
The trick is to pick the red that is right for your skin tone and hair. A simple way to decide is to look at your skin, if you do not want to bring out the dark circles, stay away from the bluish toned red lipsticks and if you do not want to accentuate the redness of your skin, avoid pinkish toned red lipsticks. Those with thin lips should stay away from darker lipsticks and bold classic ruby reds look great on fair skinned women.
2. Shape and define your lips
This is the most important part of a gorgeous red lip. Because red is such a bold color, the outline of the lips must be polished and the color has to be evenly distributed. Line your lips with a lip liner shade that is just ever so slightly darker than the lipstick you will sport. You can even fill your lips lightly with the lip liner and blend it into your lips to prime the lips and give the lipstick longer lasting power.
3. Precise application
I recommend using a lip brush or choose a lipstick that has a pointy end so you can precisely fill your lips. When using a brush, apply the lipstick little by little in a few strokes. When not using a lip brush, apply the lipstick in a dabbing motion area by area first to avoid mistakes and then trace the outline of your lips in a smooth motion to fill in any unevenness.
4. Tone down the eye makeup
Heavy eye and heavy lip is one of the most common makeup fiasco. Wear neutral, light reflecting eyeshadow that showcases the red lipstick. If you are wearing a matte red lip, try a more shimmery eye shadow and if you are wearing a glossy red lip, choose a matte eyeshadow to balance the look. You are welcome to use liquid black eyeliner and dramatic false eyelashes like Marilyn Monroe because you still want those eyes to pop and compliment the red lip.
5. Flawless skin
A red lipstick deserves a flawless complexion. Blemishes or discolorations draw the attention away from your perfect red lip. This is especially true for any redness on your skin, neutralize these areas with a yellow or green based concealer and then apply the foundation. To help achieve clear skin, visit the 10 ways to get acne free, clear skin- the secret to great skin post. Once again, avoid shiny skin with glossy red lip or matte skin with matte red lip. When you do get tired of red lips, try a nude, Angelina Jolie's Sexy Plump Lip look.
A Preview to Too Faced Black Friday Deals
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- 
Too Faced will be having tons of great deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday...
Looking for a preview? How about this?
Eye Want it All Collection: $99 (a $165 value!)
Vintage makeup deals: 50% off!
Free Gifts: Every order over $75 from 11/23-11/27 will receive a FREE FULL-SIZE SHADOW INSURANCE EYE SHADOW PRIMER with your order!
Cyber Monday: Customers can receive up to $60 in FREE GIFTS with qualifying order including full-size mascaras, makeup brushes and more!
Manic Monday: It's on! Just as always, the Manic Monday deals will be available!
Sounds like fun! I'll definitely be heading over to Too Faced to check these out!
Swatches & Review: Jordana Easyshine Lip Color "Sugar Cookie"
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I had very minimal exposure to Jordana Cosmetics until Walgreens revamped their set up and put an entire permenant display in their cosmetics department. Until then there was a little rack with eyeliners and lip liners that I would pick up every once in a while. You can see what I have purchased and reviewed here. Actually, some of my most used items are the Glitter Rocks Retractable Eyeliners I swatched and reviewed here, and I got those on clearance for $0.62 a piece!
Now that there is a display at Walgreens, I took a look at the other offerings from Jordana and picked up one of their Easyshine Lip Colors to try out. There are six colors on the display, and I picked up Sugar Cookie, which is a warm, reddish brown cream - no shimmer here.
Actually, if you head on over to the Jordana website, you can see all of the different colors here. The website also has a handy key to tell you what the finish is for each of the colors.
Not only did I mangle the top of the lip color with the lid when I opened it, but my flash totally washed out the color in the tube. It is a much deeper shade, with more brown undertones. This is a smaller stick of color too, similar to the size of the Carmex I reviewed earlier this week.
Swatched on the lips, this is my lips but better. The shine is unbelievable, and unfortunately my camera did not capture this either. It reminds me of a the shine you get from a liquid lipgloss in a tube. Definitely an easy coloor, it adds a hint of warm red shine, without being over the top. This is a very slick, non-sticky gloss. Lasting strength is minimal at best, especially if you have to talk alot during the day. There is a slight fragrance, sort of a warm vanilla sugar (hence the name), and it is also sweet to the taste.
At $1.99 this is a nice little thing to keep in your desk drawer or purse when you don't want lipstick on. It doesn't tout any benefits (i.e. Vitamin E, aiding or healing chapped lips, etc), but it does feel nice on. These would also be nice for the younger girls that are asking for some lipgloss or lipstick...maybe a stocking stuffer or two from Santa?
EOTD using Avon's Draw the Line set in Sapphire Blue
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A few days ago I posted some swatches of the Avon Draw the Line set of mini eyeliner pencils and I wanted to do an EOTD with the Sapphire Blue. Like I mentioned in the original post, this is a matte liner, so I was intrigued with how it would look on.
The pencil applied nicely - very smooth and creamy. Like I said in the earlier post on it, this is a bit of a sheer shade, so I had to apply it a couple of times to get the intensity seen in the pictures above. The wear was well - I didn't experience any smudging or color loss over the day.
To get the look:
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Revlon Edgy Elegance Eyeshadow in Girly - inner corner
Revlon Edgy Elegance Eyeshadow in Fierce - middle of lid into outer corner
Revlon Edgy Elegance Eyeshadow in Downtown - outer corner/crease
MAC Eyeshadow Phloof - highlight
Avon Draw the Line Mini Eyeliner Sapphire Blue - lower lashline
Tarte emphasEYES Clay Eyeliner in Black
L'oreal Voluminous False Fiber Mascara - Black
Swatches & Review: Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm in Sheer Plum Tint
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It's that time again - time for dry, chapped lips and brisk winter chills. I always have my tube of chapstick in my purse. It's my go to. Actually, I have one on my bedside table, one in my office desk, one downstairs in the "junk" drawer, and one in my purse. Well, what about those times when you want a little color and the benefits of a chapstick?
Enter Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm. Made with Vitamin E, Aloe and SPF15, not only does this nourish and moisturize, it protects. Also, it is available in numerous shades, including two new ones: Sheer Berry and Sheer Plum.
I tend to lean towards warmer berry and plum shades in the fall and winter, so I purchased Sheer Plum to try out. The pictures below actually brighten the color in the tube a bit more than Sheer Plum is in reality, but you get the gist of the color. This is a deep plum, almost warm chocolate shade in the tube. Once applied, as you will see in swatches below, the berry colors really shine through.
The product itself is a thin, non sticky formula. It smells a bit less like menthol and a bit more minty than the original Carmex in the pot, therefore it's not quite as medicinal smelling. Once applied, there is a cooling sensation familiar with Carmex. The product wears nicely and didn't feather after application.
Above is two swipes on the skin for a swatch. Below is two swipes on the lip. See, a nice color, but not overwhelming. The berry color really comes through upon application as well.
Final verdict: Why not? For $2.59 a tube you don't have to give up the benefits of Carmex for a little color. My lips feel soft afterwards, and the color payoff is nice and lasting. There are several colors to choose from, although I think a lot of people would like to see more of a red and less of a berry available. Maybe in the future!
Have you tried this yet? What did you think?
NOTD: Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel "Glitz & Glam"
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From Revlon's Spice it Up Collection, I picked up the nail polish called Glitz and Glam. This is a cranberry jelly base with silver glitter. It reminds me of one of last year's holiday colors by China Glaze - Mrs. Clause - but I don't own it so I can't do a comparison.
Although the color is a bit sheer, due to the jelly base, after three coats you do have a nice coverage. The dry time was pretty quick, so I suppose it lives up to the name "Top Speed", but I prefer to use a quick drying top coat like Seche Vite as well.
I've posted a couple of different angles/pictures below. I just had one of my nails break, so I had to cut them back - they look so stumpy...sorry. One picture is with a flash and the other in more natural lighting. I will say, being that this is a glitter polish, it really does sparkle! Look at that first picture - see what I mean? You know how sometime glitters end up a bit more matte once dry? Well this one is nice and shimmery, which is great for holiday parties or even just a pick me up.
I also picked up Mistletoe, which is a really vampy olive green - pictures coming soon once I wear it!
Spotted at Walgreens: Revlon Spice it Up Collection for 2011
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I ran across the Revlon Spice it Up collection for this holiday season while at Walgreens earlier this week. There are 8 nail polishes and 8 lipglosses to choose from. On the display there was a $1 coupon off Revlon, so I ended up purchasing two nail colors: Glitz & Glam and Mistletoe. I'll have pictures to post shortly.
Have you spotted this? What did you pick up? I really like some of the nail colors - lots of shimmer and sparkle!
Avon Draw the Line Mini Eyeliner Set - Swatches and Review
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Every year Avon comes out with mini-sets of some of their best selling products: nail polishes, eyeliners, lip gloss, etc. Of all the products I've tried from Avon over the years, one thing I haven't purchased are the Glimmersticks, and I've read some pretty nice things about them. I figured the holiday mini set of these would be a good way to test them out. The collection is called Draw the Line, and it is a set of four of the retractable, 12 hour wear, self sharpening eyeliners.
The four colors in the set are Sapphire Blue, Purple, Bronze and Smoky Grey. Only the Bronze has any shimmer. The other three shades are what I would consider a matte pencil. Swatches of the four pencils are below.
This collection is called a mini-set, and it truly is. The pencils are very small, and actually are a nice way to try out the Glimmersticks for the first time. The set of four costs $7.99 regularly, but I'm sure it will pop up on sale at some point, especially as we get closer to the holidays (or after). Because of the size, I find they would be good to keep in my purse, especially the Bronze or Smokey Grey, simply because they don't take up a lot of room and those two colors are shades I wear a lot and could touch up my makeup easily if needed.
Onto the product itself. The pencils have a nice, fine point, which is good for precision application. Overall, the consistency of the pencils were smooth. I found that Bronze and Smokey Grey were the creamiest and easiest to apply out of the four (Bronze being the best followed by Smokey Grey). Purple and Sapphire Blue were a little drier and a bit more difficult to use on the eye - there was some tugging, but overall the application was fine. I found it easier to apply on the lower lashline because of the size (or lack there of) of the pencils. Overall pigmentation was OK. These certainly don't have the pigmentation or ease of application like the superSHOCK Gel Pencils did (for the record, I still absolutely love these!), but they aren't terrible either. Again, the Bronze and Smokey Grey had the most pigmentation, where Purple had the least. I think you can see that by my swatches above.
So, bottom line, would I buy these again? Honestly, probably not, simply because for the price and quality, I have better products in the same colors or shades. Now, if you are looking to explore and enter the world of colored eyeliners, this might not be a bad idea for you - for $7.99 you get four colors that are a bit outside the box to play with. On the other hand, for those of your seasoned veterans of the eyeliner world, this is not a "must buy" by any means.
For those of you who have this, or any of the other Glimmersticks, what do you think? What is your favorite color?
NOTD: Pumpkin Nailpolish - Pale Pink and Silver Sparkles
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Another pumpkin for you today, but this one wasn't quite as seasonal. This is a clear base with pale pink microglitter and very large, silver hexagonal glitter. Similar in texture and makeup as the Pumpkin polish in a bronze/silver, the actual coverage was quite sheer compared to the bronze. This is three coats, and you can still see quite a bit of nail through. With that said, the sheerness didn't really bother me. Because the pink color was more of a neutral, my nails just looked sparkly. It's kind of a safe-for-work glitter, in my opinion. I received tons of compliments on it too, which is an added bonus!
Below are a few more shots from different angles. I actually found this one on sale after Halloween at Meijer, and I think it cost $0.62 - talk about a find!
Spotted at Walmart: New Kardashian Kolor for Nicole by OPI nail polishes
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I had read somewhere that Nicole by OPI was partnering with the Kardashians, but I didn't realize how many colors there were going to be until I saw the display at Walmart this past weekend. The collection is called Kardashain Kolor. Each of the leading ladies has a set of 3 colors to choose from. There are some basic cremes and shimmers, and some really glitzy glitters.
The display is enormous, especially by Walmart standards. It's very rarely that I find seasonal/temporary display for one product that fits the entire endcap in the beauty department, but this one did! It definitely catches your eye when you walk by!
The polishes retail for $7 a piece and can be found instore or online.
I picked up Disco Dolls which is a golden glitter with hints of red microglitter throughout. Swatches to come soon.
Christmas makeup looks and ideas - how to look gorgeous for the holiday season
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School or work is on a break, time to look fab for Christmas! Here are some glamorous look for the Christmas season. Great for Christmas parties or just to look special every day during the holidays. Time to kick back and be a little creative with yourself this Christmas!
FLAWLESS SKIN
It's Christmas and the snow is falling. Nothing is worse than blemishes, freckles and dark circles on your face. Picture a snow princess or angel, porcelain and pristine. So let's ditch the bronzer and tan for a season! To help improve your skin texture, check out my post on How to get Acne Free Clear Skin.
Tip 1: Use a primer. It'll create the perfect canvas for your face that will help your makeup stay put and fill in pores.
Recommend: Smashbox Studio Fix, Revlon's Au Naturelle Primer
Tip 2: Conceal with a multicolored palette. Don't think that your skin comes in one shade. Our skin has many pigments. Use yellow for dark circles and green for redness.
Recommend: Benefit's multicolored concealer, Lise Watier (available only in Canada), Physician's formula Concealer Sticks. 
Tip 3: Mineral foundation. I know some of you really dread layers and layers of makeup on your face but full coverage doesn't have to be thick coverage. Try a mineral makeup. You buff on as many layers as you want and still feel like you are wearing nothing. For more pointers on which mineral foundations best suit your skin, check out my post on Mineral Foundation Hype.
Recommend: Bare Escentuals foundation, Physician's Formula mineral foundation, Revlon's Mineral Makeup
Tip 4: Spray on some natural spring water. This will set your makeup so it will last all day. Believe it or not, having water on your face will make your makeup rather waterproof for those of you living in rainy or snowy places. Plus, it will hydrate your skin for the dry winter. So very multi-functional!
CHEEKS
Brrrrrrrr...it's so cold when you are outside in the snow. But don't you just love those rosy cheeks you get from being outside? That's why I think rosy cheeks will be perfect for the holiday season. Nothing better than naturally glowing cheeks that make you look like you just came back from a snowball fight! For a list of my favorite blushes, see Best Blushes for all Budgets post. 
Tip 1: Use one of those shade smart blushes. The ones with microbeads that turn into the perfect blush color for you when you put it on. This will give you the best natural blush ever.
Recommend: Almay Smart Shade blush, Smashbox O-Glow blush.
Tip 2: Apply it in the right areas. Smile and dab it right on those cheeks. Plus, blend blend blend.
EYES
My favorite part. Think gold, silver, green and plum. Just don't mix too many colors together or you might look like a Christmas tree. To make all the difference, remember to wear fake eyelashes.
Gold: The trick is to mix the gold with silver. Never apply gold alone or else it will look unnatural. Put silver on the inner corner of both your upper and lower lid and apply gold on the outer. Blend the two together. For an evening look, mix gold with brown to look sultry.
Silver: Also do not wear alone unless if you have really deep set eyes. Give your eyes some definition or your eyes will look flat like a white piece of paper. Give it some contour with gray or brown where your crease is and bravo, your silver will make you look wide awake for those present opening moments.
Green: Depending on the shade of green you pick, you can achieve different looks. I personally think matte dark green, like a Christmas tree is perfect for Christmas. It can be worn alone or just underneath your crease if you apply a similar matte highlighter on your brow bone. Also, contour those creases with black or brown for a smokey look. For those of you who like lighter green such as lime or forest green, go for a frosty look. Remember frost not glitter. Mix green with gold or silver. If you are a little on the wild side, try mixing it with pink for an edgier look.
Plum: To be used for evening looks. Here's your chance to have smokey eyes and stand out. I love plum and this will be the look I will be rocking most of the holiday season. Matte or shimmer, the possibilities are endless. Use plum with silver and I like to use a black shade on the crease to give my eyes some contour.
LIPS
Marilyn Monroe, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani. What do they all have in common? They are huge fans of red, bold lips. Me too but when I first tried red lips, it looked horrible. After some experimentation, I finally figured out why! For more tips on how to achieve the perfect red lip, see How to wear a red lip for Christmas, New Year's Eve or just everyday.
Tip 1: Use a lip liner. Contrary to popular believe, you are not supposed to match your lip liner with your lipstick. Match it with your lips because the point of a lip liner is to accentuate your lips, not your lipstick.
Tip 2: If you have thin lips or if you just want poutier lips, use a gloss on top. This will make the color underneath last longer.
Tip 3: Use one of those long lasting lipstick. One side with color, the other side with gloss. No doubt you will be munching on something throughout the day during the holidays. Nothing more annoying than reapplying every hour.
Recommend: Revlon's Colorstay Lipstick, Mac's Prowear lipstick, Maxfactor's lipstick.
For those with thin lips: apply gloss on top of your red lipstick. The trick is to make them look bigger. Matte red lipstick will shrink your lips, it did to mine.
Recommend: MAC red lipsticks and glosses, Clarin's Joli Rouge (my personal favorite)
For those with full lips: you will look gorgeous in matte red lipstick. It will look classy and elegant.
Recommend: Revlon's Matte collection lipstick (I'm in love with this one), Mac's matte lipstick
Two Faced Friends and Family Sale Starts today! Save 20%!
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From 11/10/11 through 11/16/11 Too Faced Friends and Family Sale is running - save 20% off your entire purchase with code FF2011F!
Reader Question: Studio M from Meijer - Are the products any good?
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Michelle from Michigan posted a question last night, so I thought I would address it here since many of you shop at Meijer.
"I apologize-this comment is not about Hard Candy. I know that you shop at Meijer.Have you seen the 'Studio M' cosmetic section there? Meijer is the only place I have seen this. I had a coupon & purchased the baked eye shadow-have not tried it yet. If you have tried anything in this brand would you let me know your thoughts? Thanks so much!"
Great question Michelle!
Studio M is Meijer's "house" brand of products - they used to be called Massini, and have since switched over to the "Studio M" name. You will also find some accessories and such in the Massini or Studio M name if you wander around the store.
As for the cosmetics, I have purchased quite a bit of the Studio M products, particularly the nail polishes and liquid eyeliners - you can see some here and an EOTD with my favorite of the eyeliners here. I can say I have not tried the baked eyeshadows before, although every time I pass them in the store I am tempted.
As for the quality of the products I have tried, I am very happy overall, especially for the price. The nail polish come in a great variety of colors, types (glitters, creams, sometimes duochromes), and I am very pleased with their wear. Some last a bit better than others, but overall, for the price they are great. As for the liquid eyeliners, I use them every day. The color selection is fantastic - there are glitters, metallics and of course the basics. They also have a variety of blushes, foundations, lip sticks, lip glosses, balms, and eyeshadows. The actual size of the display is about the same as Wet 'n Wild in the store, so there is quite a variety to choose from.
Looking around online, it seems like most people are pleased with the quality of the line. What about you, fellow readers? Have you tried anything from Studio M/Massini? What do you think?
Hopefully this helps Michelle!
Spotted at Walmart: Hard Candy LE Nail Polish Collection for the Holidays
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Walmart was setting up their holiday gift aisle this past weekend, and I spotted the set of 5-Hard Candy LE Nail Polishes. This is a deep purple shimmer, a bright orange/red shimmer, green glitter, gold glitter and silver glitter. It looks very similar to last year's set too, but I can't find my picture of it to compare. Price is $5 for the set. There were also single polishes for $1 a piece in similar shades to last year.
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