Eye Shadow

MAC For A-Mei

Posted on January 6, 2008 by daneen in Eye Shadow, Lipgloss, Lipstick | Leave a comment

If you’re a MAC fan, you’ve probably been closely following the fast and furious Spring 2008 releases. You’ve probably heard about Sculpt & Shape, Moistureush, The Originals, N Collection, Slimshines, Fafi, and Heatherette. But have you heard about MAC for A-Mei?

Taiwanese pop sensation Chang Hui-Mei, known to her fans as A-Mei, is collaborating with MAC on a color collection – to be released this later this month. The line features both vivid and muted hues, and product packaging is inspired by the singer’s Austronesian heritage; the stitch design is based on the costumes of her native Puyuma tribe.

The collection includes:

Two limited edition eye palettes:
Bold palette – containing Venus, Carbon, and Freshwater
Neutral palette – containing Vanilla, Mulch, and Brown Down

Lipstick
Ruby Woo (vivid red, Matte) and Siss (Muted golden beige, Satin)

Lipglass
Love Rules (fuchsia with pearlized white sparkle) and She’s A Star (light neutral gold)

The collection will be available at the San Francisco, Soho, and Vancouver MAC PRO stores – as well as MAC stores throughout Asia.

An Amazing Discovery

Posted on January 4, 2008 by daneen in Blush, Eye Shadow, Holy Grail, Lip Plumper, Mascara | 1 Comment

If you’ve never dabbled in DuWop before, get thee to Sephora and pick up the Discovery Kit, a set of five DuWop makeup must-haves. The kit includes a full size version of Lip Venom – as well as miniature versions of Amber Eyes (an eyeshadow palette with a base amber shade, a deeper version, and a cream liner), Blush Therapy in Hug, Venom Gloss in Lantana, and Lash Lacquer mascara in Carbon Black. The products are packaged in the cutest reusable train case.

Cult favorite Lip Venom has been named the best lip plumper by Sephora, Good Housekeeping, and Elle – but to be honest, it’s a bit too aggressive for my liking. Then again, I have sensitive skin and I don’t need much enhancement in that area.

My personal fav of the bunch is another award winner, Blush Therapy. After only using it once, it became my #1 cheek color choice. The cream glides on like a gel, but dries to a sheer velvety powder. It blends effortlessly and the finished result more closely resembles a natural flush than shiny gel stains or regular powder blush. And to top it all off, literally, it has aromatherapy oils built into the cap.

Blush Therapy’s latest award is a spot on my Best of Beauty 2007 list. It was also one of the products I used to achieve my New Year’s Eve look. On my next trip to Sephora, I definitely plan to purchase in at least two more colors.

This Holiday Season, Tarte Wishes You Health

Posted on December 27, 2007 by daneen in Eye Shadow, Lipgloss, Mascara, Primer | 1 Comment

Accidentally leave some friend/cousin/co-worker off of your list, and now you’ve got to promptly stuff some stockings? Tarte’s We Wish You Health Skinvigorating Gift Set is a sure bet. The kit contains:

Mini Clean Slate Face Primer: the silicone-based formula is packed with avocado oil to moisturize and echinacea, rosemary & hibiscus oils to soothe. Just a pea-sized amount of our new clean slate foundation primer smoothed onto clean skin is enough to provide the fresh start you deserve. Note: because of the silicone, I wouldn’t recommend those with oily skin.

Mini Lock & Roll Creaseless Eyeshadow Duo (shade – slate): this double-ended wand has a Vitamin E enriched cream on one end, and a finely milled crushed mica powder shadow on the other end. Apply in to simple steps: brush a sheer wash of the cream shadow on lids and wait about 10 seconds for it to dry. Then roll the matching loose shadow directly on top; the binding agents in the cream shadow will lock with the powder, creating a crease-free, budge-proof finish.
Mini Inside Out Vitamin-Infused Lipgloss powered by BORBA (new shade – serenity): the ultimate in double-duty beauty, this pomegranate-scented, moisturizing lip gloss works to soothe and hydrate lips, while Borba’s nutraceutical blend delivers powerful ingredients.

Mini Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara: whatever your lashes lack, this feather-light, 4-in-1 mascara finds a way to compensate. Rice bran and candelilla wax extend the length of lashes; synthetic film formers lock in curl; proVitamin B5 thickens lashes; and organic compounds coat and treat lashes to protect against breakage. This product, by itself, is reason enough to purchase the gift set – it gives you the look of perfect lashes, but without screaming “I‘m wearing mascara.”

The We Wish You Health Skinvigorating Gift Set is only $30 (a $50 value) and available at tartecosmetics.com and Sephora.

The Compact That Talks Back

Posted on December 4, 2007 by daneen in Eye Shadow | Leave a comment

Still can’t get the smoky eye quite right? With the push of a button, Stila’s Talking Eye Palette literally talks you through 5 easy steps to the perfect smoky eye – all in under a minute. And the compact comes with a fold-out insert card that details each step. It’s the easiest way to create the perfect smoky eye!

Available in : Original, Emeralds, and Bronzes

This is a palette that literally gives new meaning to the term ‘beauty talk.’

See it in action – tune in tonight for QVC’s Gifts of Beauty Special at 6pm EST (3pm on West Coast).

Breakup Makeup

Posted on November 27, 2007 by daneen in Cleanser, Eye Shadow, Lipgloss, Makeup Remover, Moisturizer, Nail Polish, Nails | 1 Comment

When we get our hearts broken, emotions run the gamut. We heal ourselves through tears, fill our iPods with sad love songs, and use Häagen-Dazs as an analgesic. But when things are going bad, sometimes the best revenge is looking good.

Newly single gals can paint the town (and their nails) red with Orly’s Divorcée 6-Pix. The collection includes 50/50, Pawn the Ring, It’s Not Me, It’s You, One Night Stand, See Yah, and Take Him To The Cleaners.

Got a friend going through a breakup? Buy her Hard Candy’s Mix Tape in Breakup Mix. It takes a lot less effort than making a real one, and she’ll look cute to boot. The palette feature three eye shadows and three lip glosses, so you can create a mix of color to match your mood. All the shades are made to coordinate, so it’s impossible to come up with a bad combination.

Benefit’s dear john lustrous facial cream is like a ‘moisture magnet’ for your skin. Use day or night to moisturize and put lustre back into your complexion. Voted “best face cream” by Elle magazine in 2006.

MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil from Boscia is a miraculously different and extremely gentle way to deep cleanse, by breaking up all makeup, dissolving impurities and refreshing congested skin without leaving an oily residue.

Hola From Orlando

Posted on November 17, 2007 by daneen in Eye Shadow, Lip Balm, Sale | Leave a comment

By the time you read this, I’ll probably be back in Philadelphia – but I had to report on my fabulous beauty finds in Florida. I’m here on business, but I had some downtime – which I chose to fill with a trip to the Orlando Premium Outlets. I visited the Philadelphia Premium Outlets on Monday, so I guess you could say that I’m addicted.

Anyway, I stopped by The Cosmetics Company Store, and it didn’t disappoint. Like the one in Philadelphia, the outlet carried Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, Origins, and Prescriptives. But they also sell select products from Stila (including some discontinued, yet gorgeous, shades of Lip Glaze).

I picked up three MAC Eye Shadows for $10 each (normally $14) and two MAC Tendertone Lip Balms for $11.25 each (usually $14.50). Tendertone is a lipcolor that combines the shine of a gloss with the soft emollient feel of a lip conditioner. Moisturizing and non-sticky in wear, they smell like a candy apple. I highly recommend Deep Sigh (sheer bronze pearl) and Pucker (sheer raspberry).

Very Sexy

Posted on November 3, 2007 by daneen in Celebrities, Eye Liner, Eye Shadow, Lipgloss, Lipstick, Video | 1 Comment

News flash…Heidi Klum is very sexy. Last month, her first signature makeup collection for Victoria’s Secret launched nationwide. Klum worked with VS makeup artist Linda Hay to create the limited-edition, must-have makeup so women can achieve her coveted runway and red carpet looks. Featuring eye-catching shimmer and a fresh neutral color palette, the Heidi Klum Collection for Very Sexy Makeup is perfectly timed and on-trend for sexy holiday party makeup looks.