Edward Bess Deep Shine Lipgloss in Lover’s Desire & Ultra Slick Lipstick in Lotus Bloom

Edward Bess has introduced some new shades of his Ultra Slick Lipstick ($32) & Deep Shine Lipgloss ($30). But with these new shades it looks as if some of his older shades were discontinued, such as two of my favorite shades, Secret Desire Lipstick and Endless Love Lipgloss (sad face). But I am hoping that his new shades will be equally as amazing as every shade I have tried. Here is a run down of the new shades of glosses & lipsticks:

Ultra Slick Lipstick:
• Midnight Hour - Cool PinkDeep Shine Lipgloss:
• Forbidden Love - Beige Coral
• Night Jasmine – Raspberry Mauve
• Roulette Rouge – True Red
• Naked Truth – Beige Nude
• Lotus Bloom – Peachy Pink

Deep Shine Lip Gloss
• Stolen Kiss – Baby Pink (Looks Similar to Endless Love)
• Lover’s Desire – Peachy Neutral
• Wild Passion – Berry Mauve
• Nude Whisper – True Beige

I picked up two of the new shades; Deep Shine Lipgloss in Lover’s Desire and Ultra Slick Lipstick in Lotus Bloom. Lover’s Desire is a peachy pink with a cream finish; it’s kind of like Secret Desire Deep Shine Lipstick but in lipgloss form! It has great pigmentation, like all of Edward’s glosses that it’s easy to wear on its own or over a lipstick. I find that all the Deep Shine lipglosses have great staying power which is I believe is due to the thickness of the formula. I can drink a cup of coffee and this gloss will last through, most don’t on my lips.

Lover's Desire

Lotus Bloom is just the color I have been looking for recently, a true peach. It’s described as a Peachy Pink on Sephora’s website but I don’t see much pink as you can see from my swatches. It’s a buttery smooth color that glides on easily. Lover’s Desire and Lotus Bloom make a perfect combo for a soft peach lip. I am totally in love with both!!

Lotus Bloom

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Bronzed Heather High Shimmer Lip Gloss

High Shimmer is the newest lip gloss formula released by Bobbi Brown. It offers light-catching shimmer and lasting, non-sticky shine. This is my first time trying this formula and I have to say that I really enjoy it. One thing I really like about the High Shimmer formula is the scent of the gloss; it’s like a sweet mint. I much prefer this to the scent of all the other glosses. Now that I think about it, the Rich Color Gloss has this same scent.

Bronzed Heather is described on the BB website as a Pink nude with gold flecks and I must say that description is a little off. When I think of pink nude, I think of a much lighter pink color that the color of this gloss. To me it’s more of a plumy pink with high gold shimmer. As you can tell from the swatch, this gloss does have a lot of shimmer and is super high shine. I was worried about the color at first, I thought it may be to dark for me, but that wasn’t the case at all. It’s actually quite beautiful on and almost gives my lips a bronzy hue. The formula is moderately thick and has decent pigmentation. This shade is going to be a great shade for Fall and I definitely see myself wearing it a lot!

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Pink Sunset Shimmer Lip Gloss

Pink Sunset Shimmer Lip Gloss ($23)  is one of two limited edition shades of Shimmer Lip Gloss released with the Fall 2012 Desert Twilight Collection, the other being Twilight. Pink Sunset is described as Pink Champagne, which is pretty spot on.  It’s not very pigmented by it does add a beautiful iridescence to lips on its own.  Applied over almost any shade of lipstick it adds a soft shimmer with lots of shine.  All of Bobbi’s Shimmer Lip Glosses are formulated with Aloe Extract, Vitamin C & E, Jojoba and Avocado Oils to soften, soothe and moisturize lips.  Pink Sunset is an easy color to throw on in a hurry and looks very natural. I find myself reaching for it almost everyday. 

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Bronzer/Blush Duo

 I picked up a few items from the Fall 2012 Desert Twilight Collection from Bobbi Brown. I was strolling through Macys and saw the collection displayed, I was immediately drawn to the Bronzer/Blush Duo ($36.) On one side of the split pan is Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Pink Peony and on the other side Shimmer Blush in Bahama Brown, Bobbi Brown describes it as “the perfect way to add a pop of color to the apples of cheeks. Simply use Bobbi's Blush Brush to create a beautifully blended 'late summer' glow."

This limited-edition Blush/ Bronzer Duo is naturally beautiful and different than any blush/bronzer combo I have used. At first glance you would think that Bahama Brown is the bronzer and Pink Peony is the blush, but it’s just the opposite. Bahama Brown Shimmer Blush is a neutral brown with just a hint of pink which prevents this shade from looking muddy on the skin. Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzer is a neutral pink that will suit almost anyone. It’s similar to Maui or Antigua Illuminating Bronzers in permanent collection. It’s a super soft and smooth powder that glides on evenly. Combined, these shades give a healthy glow to the face that would look beautiful on all skin tones. I have applied this product how Bobbi Brown said to use it, apply Pink Peony all over the face for a subtle glow and add Bahama Brown to the cheek for warmth. I think you could easily use it the reverse way to get a slightly different look. I’ll have to try that out next!

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Pink Truffle Creamy Color for Cheeks & Lips

Bobbi Brown introduced a new product with her Fall 2012 Desert Twilight Collection; Creamy Color for Cheeks & Lips ($20). This Limited Edition product is described by Bobbi as “Buildable color that blends with ease - our new dual-purpose formula provides medium coverage for both lips and cheeks (now in a fuss-free tube). Wear it alone for a muted flush of color or layer it with your favorite blush for richer depth; the intensity is all up to you. Feels creamy-yet-sheer on skin and makes transitioning from summer to fall a breeze thanks to two ultra-versatile shades.” The Creamy Color comes in 2 shades, Honeyed Tea (a honey beige) and Pink Truffle (a neutral pink rose). I decided to try out Pink Truffle as this shade looked more like a fall shade to me.

This product performs double duty as a cream blush and a lip cream. Pink Truffle is a deep neutral pink that is easy to use and blends nicely to give my cheeks a soft flush and my lips a soft stain of color. On the cheeks it has pretty good staying power especially if you go over it with a powder blush. On the lips, this product melts into the lips and gives a stain like effect which I like. I have been applying two of the new Bobbi Brown glosses (review to come soon) from this collection over Pink Truffle on my lips and I love the look it gives. This is a great product that I wish Bobbi Brown will come up with more shades and maybe make it permanent.

Blended

July 2012 Birchbox

This month Birchbox has teamed up with Glamour magazine to celebrate the five senses of summer. The box guarantees a multi-sensory experience. Here are the products I received:

Sense: Touch
Alterna BAMBOO UV+ Color Protection Fade-Proof Fluide
• This is a fade proof finishing gloss that promises to protect & strengthen your color-treated hair. It’s made with bamboo which contains amino acids to boost strength and flexibility. I have never been one for using glosses on my hair because they usually are too greasy but I will definitely give this a try and see if it’s different from the rest.


Sense: See
Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in Pearl
• This is already one of my favorite tinted moisturizers! One, because its oil-free and two, the coverage is great. It super lightweight and easy to wear all year round. Glad I got a little mini to travel with!

Sense: Smell
Oscar de la Renta Live in Love Perfume
• This scent features lovely notes like jasmine sambac, rose, ginger orchid, and amber. I am quite picky when it comes to perfume. This one is not my favorite, a little to old smelling and floral for me.


Sense: See
Stila Lip Glaze in Action
• Part of a set of three click-pen lip glazes called It’s Go Time, Action is a berry with gold pearl. Not a color I would normally pick but I think it will be great for fall!

Extras:
Taste: Larabar Uber Roasted Nut Roll
• Yum! A Sweet & Salty bar made with various nuts.


Hear: Custom Earbuds
• This was a great bonus because I needed some extra earbuds for the gym. Thanks Birchbox & Glamour!

Estee Lauder Daywear BB Cream

I have wanted to try a BB Cream for sometime now. A lot of people have raved about them so I wanted to see what all the hype was. A few months ago I received a sample size of Dr. Jart’s BB Cream and really liked the consistency and feel but the color, even though not much color was a bit too light for summer. So I went on the search for a different BB Cream that would work better for me and came across Estee Lauder Daywear BB Cream ($38).

 Estee Lauder Daywear BB Cream promises to Moisturize, Protect and give an instant, even-toned, healthy look all at once. It comes in two shades, 1 & 2 (basically Light & Medium) to suit a wide range of skin tones and comes with an SPF 35. This lightweight crème contains a Super Anti-Oxidant Complex to provide oil-free hydration and helps to control excess surface oil. EL recommends that you apply as a last step in your skincare regimen and that it can be worn alone or under foundation, I can see myself doing both. The fact that this BB Cream states that it is Oil-Free is a plus for me and is why I was drawn to it. It really does give the skin a beautiful finish without looking heavy and shiny. So far I have only worn it on its own on the weekend while running errands and it seemed to enhance my complexion. Overall I really am enjoying this product and can’t wait to try under my foundation as well.

Taking a break.....

Gonna take a break from blogging for a few weeks, got a lot going on! See you soon!!

L’Oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe

 L'Oreal promises that their new Infallible Eyeshadows will “last from day until dawn—a full 24 hours. This revolutionary formula fuses the ease of a powder with the velvety caress of a cream to create a unique hybrid that glides on effortlessly. And with its unique technology, your eyes are enhanced with pure, magnified pigment.” When I first saw these shadows they reminded me of the Armani Eyes to Kill Intense shadows minus the multiple colors mixed in. They are almost a pressed pigment that allows ultra smooth application and extreme pigmentation. The texture is extremely soft to the touch, almost silky.

Bronzed Taupe is a warm metallic taupe that in the pan looks much warmer than when applied. It’s such a beautiful color!! I love just wearing it on its own, so no other colors spoil its beauty. I found that this formula wears great, especially when paired with a primer and base. I wore it one day for about 10 hours with no fading or creasing. After experimenting a bit, I found it much easier to apply this product with my finger, rather than a brush.

The Infallible Eye Shadows retail for $7.95 on the L’Oreal website but pricing varies from store to store. I purchased mine at Target for $6.99 and had a $1.00 off coupon I printed from Target’s website. I also saw that they are currently on sale at Ulta for $3.99, so I might go scoop up a few more colors!

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Brushes

I have been a huge fan of Sam and Nic of Pixiwoo since I first started watching their YouTube videos a few years back.  Their tutorials are awesome and on trend; both of them are amazing makeup artists.  So when Sam announced she was releasing her own line of makeup brushes, Real Techniques, I had to try a few of them out.  The whole lines is available at Ulta and I have been able to catch them when they are on sales, usually Buy One, Get one 50% off, which is a great deal (even though they are already reasonably priced).  All the brushes have synthetic taklon bristles and are 100% cruelty-free.  Out of all the brushes I have tried, my favorites have to be the Expert face brush and the Stippling brush.

The Expert Face brush ($8.99 at Ulta) is a small but thick and plump brush that applies and buffs foundation perfectly into the skin. The synthetic taklon bristles are super duper soft and densely packed so you don’t get a streaky application. I have used it with all types of liquid foundations and tinted moisturizers, from thin to thick formulas and have never had a problem getting a perfectly flawless application. This is probably the best brush I have used to apply foundation (I own two!)  and don’t see myself using any other brush.

The Stippling brush ($9.99 at Ulta) is a dual-fiber brush that is great for creating airbrushed, high-definition results with all types of makeup.  I mostly use this brush to apply cream blush or highlighter but it can definitely be used to apply foundation.  The synthetic taklon bristles are the perfect length (shorter than most stippling brushes) and are dense enough to blend into the skin perfectly to ensure a flawless finish.    One of the best things about both of these brushes is that they don’t shed like most other brushes do.  I hate when I dip a brush into a cream product and a bunch of bristles get stuck in the product or you end up with some on your face.  I haven’t had that problem once with either of these. 

All I can say is that I LOVE, LOVE these brushes!!  So if you are looking for great, affordable makeup brushes check out Real Techniques available at Ulta stores/Ulta.com, Amazon.com & Drugstore.com in the US.

NYX Lip liner Pencils in Natural & Nude Pink

I love using lip liners to help my lipstick and/or gloss stay on a little longer but I am sick of paying an arm & a leg for them in high end brands. So I popped over to Ulta and was automatically drawn to the NYX Cosmetics section once I saw the array of different lip liner shades they offer. Plus they were Buy One, Get One 50% off, can’t bet that! After swatching a few different shades I found just what I was looking for; lip liners in Natural and Nude Pink. Both liners are well pigmented and really creamy. They glide on easily (no tugging) and wear well without feeling dry on the lips.

Natural is neutral medium beige that looks great with mostly anything.

Nude Pink is a light pinky brown that really matches my natural lip color and is a little pinker and brighter than Natural.

L to R: Natural, Nude Pink

Overall these are great liners. I find myself reaching for these two rather than my MAC or Bobbi Brown liners. If you have an Ulta near you definitely go check them out!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

After reading a lot about Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation via various other beauty blogs and hearing that it really is a great drugstore foundation, I thought I would give it a try. Currently this foundation is not available in the US so I had to order it from Asos.com. Wake Me Up Foundation promises to instantly re-awaken skin with a healthy, radiant looking glow. It also says that it will eliminate visible signs of tiredness and premature ageing and help fake a daisy-fresh glow by disguising the look of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles and giving an even, flawless, but natural-looking finish for up to 10 hours.

There are only six shades available in this formula, which is kind of a bummer because you don’t know if the color will be an exact match but I decided to try the second to lightest shade True Ivory (#103). When I first received this product, the shade looked a little dark in the bottle compared to other foundations I have, mostly Chanel foundations in B20, but surprisingly it matches my summer skin tone quite nicely. Wake Me Up has a light fresh scent which is soft and not overwelming. The formula glides on with ease without feeling heavy or thick and is easy to blend, it didn’t settle into my fine lines at all. Coverage is medium with a natural, slightly dewy finish, which probably comes from the illuminating radiance pearls. I found that this foundation does really awaken the skin and gives your face a fresh glow. It set well on my oily with the addition of some pressed powder and it lasted for around 8 hours which is pretty good to me.

Drugstore Days....starting tomorrow....

I am going to be sharing my recent & long time favorite drugstore products! Stay Tuned!