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FEATURED - Friday, December 14th 2007

The Perfect Slouch Boot: Is there such a thing?

I have literally been on the hunt for a good slouch boot for more than two years now.  Initially, I was going to purchase Frye Dorado Slouch boots retailing at $500.  A little out of my price range, but, I didn't care. I wanted to end this Red October hunt. Unfortunately, Frye told me they were discontinuing this gorgeous boot. Let me ask you this, why on earth would  manufacturers stop making such a popular boot?  That really blows my mind!  Those money grubbers! Needless to say I was pretty pissed off about that because I was ready to buy them. So the search continues...

I happened to stumble on HSN's site while searching for something.  I never thought to look for something like this on HSN.  Not, that I wouldn't buy from them, just that I didn't realize how many great things they have.  When I saw these boots, it was like love at first site. But, the bad reviews kept me from purchasing these beauties. Over the month, I kept them in my shopping cart and never hit the "order" button.  So, one day I went ahead and took the chance, thinking what the heck, worst that can happen is I have to pay postage to send them back. Estatic was the feeling I felt when I saw the package on my front porch.  I ripped into the box like a kid in a candy store.  Beautiful was my first expression when opening my package. But, I wasn't worried about the quality, I knew that they were going to be perfect. It was the high heel I was most concerned about.  The heel is about 4" tall. Thats a pretty tall heel, espically if you are tall like myself.  I was dertermined to make it work. I took my boots to a local shoemaker, and he cut 1" off the heel and put some good insoles in for $20, and TADA! Perfecto!

So, here is my official review on these infamous boots.  The brand name is Hot in Hollywood 3 in 1 convertible suede boot, Plum Color, Retailing at $99.  You ask 3 in 1? Yep that's right, three boots for the price of one basically.  This boot converts from tall to slouch, to fold down bootie with tab snap closure.  Brilliantly thought of! The Plum color is absolutely to die for, not to mention it's the hottest color this season!  They also have Gray, Congac, Brown & Black.  My favorite amongst the colors: Plum, Gray, and Congac.  All three colors are the hottest this season, you can't go wrong!  So, lets get to the con now.  The only con was that the heel was way too high and the fitting was a little loose, but nothing a shoemaker can't fix! I usually wear a 8 1/2M, but with boots I always order a 1/2 size up and a wide width.  Boots tend to run small in most cases.

That's the great thing about Fashion, you can always make something work. There are endless possibilites! It may take a little here and a little there, but it will all come together perfectly in the end!  For me, spending an extra $20 and putting a little work into it, saved me not only $400 but my time also.  Thats not even the BEST part!  These Fabulous boots are on clearance for $49.90.  Most of all, I don't think people are purchasing them due to the negative reviews.  If you are a true Fashionista, you will go through hoops to get the perfect shoe!

{Photo via: HSN}

FEATURED - Sunday, December 16th 2007

Chanel Inimitable: Possibly The Best Mascara

Chanel sets a new standard in mascara with a formula that does it all.   A sophisticated formula and unique brush design combine to lengthen, plump and curl, delivering lush, long-wearing color so precisely that each lash, even the finest, is perfectly defined and separated.

Who doesn't want long, full, volumputous lashes right?  Is there such a product that can really deliver such powerful results?  I honestly don't think there is any product out there that is a miracle worker, that would be way too easy!  But, we can get pretty darn close to that.  Chanel, leader in the fashion and beauty industry, has yet another phenonominal product. 

Drum Roll please ... Introuducing Steph's pick for the best mascara, Chanel Inimitable Multi-Dimensionnel mascara, retailing $27.50.  The price is a little steep for a mascara, but it is well worth it.  This is my absolute favorite.  I have personally tried them all: Dior Show, Dior Blackout, Benefit Bad Gal, Fiberwig, Kiss Me, Lancome Definicils, Bobbi Brown.  Hands down it beats them all out.  And we cannot expect any less from Chanel. 

Now, I'm going to tell you why I love this stuff so much.  Not, only does it lengthen, seperate, and volumize, it's so easy to wash off!  For all the contact wearers out there, you will absolutely love this product.  It doesn't clump or make your eyelashes feel stiff and brittle.   To add even more length and protection to your eyelashes use Clinque lash building primer before applying mascara.  Tip: if you have thin and short lashes, try applying Cetaphil Moisturizing Creme on your entire face focusing mainly on your eyes and lashes every night, you will see a noticeable difference.  Give it at least 2-3 for results.

My Second macara pick, for more of a friendlier budget,  Maybelline Great Lash.  This mascara has been used for many years in the beauty and fashion industry.

Tuesday, January 15th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: A Mei Review and Swatches

A Mei Amore! Growl!  Can I just say how impressed I am over this collection!  For starters, the details on the eye shadow palettes are incredible!  Beautiful stitching!  And, the packaging is to die for, of course!  The Biggest hit of this collection, that you will hear me raving on about, is the lipstick, Siss!  OMG!  If you love neutrals, you have to have this lipstick!  In my personal opinion, it is the best true "nude" lipstick out there!  But, I knew this lipstick was going to be a hit because it sold out in a matter of hours online.  

LIPSTICKS: Siss, A Muted golden beige (satin).  This is a completely nude lipstick.  When I hear the term "nude," the first thing that comes to mind is Christian Louboutin nude high heel shoes.  And, that is exaclty the color of this lipstick.  It is not sheer whatsoever, it is a matte to satin lipstick.  I have been on a hunt for a true nude beige lipstick for so long, and I am so excited about this!  This literally sold out in a matter of hours when MAC released it online.  Good news is MAC has it back online, and it's only a limited supply, So don't miss out!  Ruby Woo, A Vivid blush red (matte).  This is a very pretty and intense matte red lipstick.  I would almost have to describe it as a Christina Auguilera red.  I love bold red colors, so I was quite pleased with the color also.

LIPGLASS: She's a star, A Lustre-shined light neutral gold (Frost).  This is a must have with the Siss lipstick.  Since the lipstick is a matte to satin, the lipglass gives it a polished look, which is gorgeous.  Love Rules, A Fuchsia with white sparkle pearl.  This is more a a dark fushia pink color with alot of shimmer.  The MAC website swatch looks completely lilac purple, and it's not at all!  It gives Ruby Woo that kick and shine it needs if you don't like matte lipstick.  For those who didn't get a chance at the Malibu Barbie lipglass, from the almost instantly sold out, Barbie loves MAC collection, well Love Rules is VERY VERY similar.  The only difference is Love Rules is just a tad bit darker, but, just as shiny and beautiful as Malibu Barbie Lipglass.  I'm going to try to get a swatch up today comparing Love Rules and Malibu Barbie.

EYE SHADOWS: Bold Eyes. Three shades of Eye Shadow Venus (S), Freshwater (VP), and Carbon in a compact featuring the traditional needlework pattern of A Mei’s native Taiwan embroidered onto a plaque insert.  Venus and Freshwater are MAC standard colors.  Freshwater was my favorite out of these colors.  Neutral Eyes, Three shades of Eye Shadow Vanilla (V), Mulch (V), and Brown Down (VX) in a black compact featuring the traditional needlework pattern of A Mei’s native Taiwan embroidered onto a plaque insert.  All three are MAC standard colors.  Overall, the eye shadows packaging was more impressive than the colors.  But, if you don't have these colors, it's well worth it.  A 213 SE eye brush is included in both palettes.

Overall, I loved this collection.  Buy worthy is the lipsticks and lipglasses.  If you love nude, and I do mean "nude" Siss lipstick is for you.  It can also be spiced up by a pink or peachy lipglass that would look great.  I love this color so much,  that I'm going to order me another one before they are gone!  Update: The Siss lipstick sold out AGAIN, in just hours after MAC recieved some in stock! Ruby Woo lipstick has also sold out.  If you had a chance to get this, please let me know how you like it!

{Photo via: Steph's Closet}

Monday, January 7th 2008

MAC: Sculpt and Shape Swatches, Reviews

I purchased the color Accentuate/Sculpt (actual picture above).  The shade description: Pale blushed beige/soft taupe brown.  My skin tone is Dark Light to Medium.  I don't usually use MAC's foundation or powder because my skin is very sensitive and tends to break out easily.  But, when the SA told me it was non-acnegenic and dermatologist tested, I thought I would give it a shot.  And, have to say I absolutely LOVE this product!  The best news is it works perfectly with my skin.  I love conturing and highlighting powders, and if you've never tried counturing this is your chance to try it for a fairly reasonable price of $21.00.  Unfortanetly, I'm not the lucky ones to have perfect cheekbones, but this powder certain gives the delusion of it (if applied correctly), and that's what I love about it so much! 

I use the lighter color on the top on my cheekbone, and the darker color in the middle of my cheekbone.  Be careful on the darker color because you dont want to put too much or you will have a noticeable darker streak.  If the darker color is too dark, try mixing both colors together.  I also use the lighter color as a highlighter on my forehead, temples, and nose.  To make this look absolutely gorgeous, use MAC's emote blush.  This blush was released in the Storm Signals Collection (My all time favorite collection in 2007), as a limited edition color, So, I'm not sure if it would be hard to find or not.  Since, I love this powder so much, I will be also purchasing Warm Light/Definitive for Summer.  A Clean peach/mid-tone reddish brown, for much darker skin tones.

 

Above are the Sculpt and Shape product swatches for Accentuate/Sculpt.  No base was used on this product swatch.  I also wanted to show that the two colors mixed, creates a nice color that isn't too bold.

MAC also released three new makeup brushes in this collection.  The only one that really intrigued me was the 138.  It is the perfect brush, espically for MAC's Sculpt and Shape powders but, I just couldn't justify spending $52.00.   Espically, when MAC has so many great collections coming up in spring/summer 2008 that I need to save my money for.  Not to worry though, the 138 is going to be a permanent brush.  I'm almost confident that these powders will work for anyone.  Just make sure you get the correct color for your skin tone and most importantly a good brush.  I cannot stress how important it is to use makeup brushes.  They are the most important tool for a flawless and sanitary makeup application.  If you cannot afford a MAC brush, try Sonia Kashuk brushes available at Target stores.  I have found that some Kashuk brushes are better than MAC and for a great price.

FEATURED - Monday, January 7th 2008

MAC Cosmetics Authentics Review and Swatches

The Above is an actual picture of the MAC Authentics Face Palette that I took this morning (I felt like being creative today)!  At first, I really wasn't thrilled about this collection.  I only ordered this because I was given a Macy's gift card for Christmas.  I have to say, I am pretty excited I did.

The very first thing that caught my eye on this palette was the blush color.  It is a very peachy to deep coral color that will look gorgeous for Spring and Summer.  So, I am quite pleased with the blush.  Blackberry is one of MAC's standard eye shadow colors.  A purplish-brownish color, perfect for crease lines.  The Moss Spot is a gorgeous moss greenish-yellow shadow that looks beautiful with green eyes espically.  Total Bliss is my favorite out of the bunch.  It is a light neutral beige with pink reflects, which is great for a highlighter also.  I am pleased with all the eye shadow colors.  Although, I don't think I would wear them all together at once.  But, don't knock it until you tried it, right?  So, I will be trying the look soon.  Another reason I like this palette so much is, you can toss it in your purse, pocket, back-pack,  and have a blush, eyeshadow (s), highlighter, and 213 SE brush.  It is perfect for those stay overs and for quick, on-the-go touch-ups.

I used two different kinds of bases on these eye shadow swatches.  The top set is used with MAC Paint in Sublime Nature, which is more of a matte based texture.  The Bottom set is used with MAC Paint Pot, Bare Study, a shimmery paint.  Overall, I think the matte paint had more color payoff and a slight shimmer to it, which was perfect.

On the Blush, I did not use any base underneath.  I absolutely love this peach coral color.  It looks great on darker skin tones as well as lighter skin tones.  Remember, this is an exclusive, limited edition palette, and only available at Macy's and other fine federated department stores.  This is not available at any of the MAC Stores or online.  If you are somewhat on the fence about this, I would go ahead and purchase it.   You can't go wrong with this face palette.  Your getting: 1 Blush, 3 eyeshadows, compact mirror, 213 MAC eye brush, all for $34.00.  Would you buy this palette?

Friday, January 11th 2008

Stila Cosmetics Resort Collection

Beautiful, Bronzed, and Gorgeous!  Stila Cosmetics, introduces a new eye shadow trio to the Resort Collection.  Champagne Glow, features pink, cool taupe, and rich brown shades.  Stila eye shadow trio's are known for their high pearl content and gorgeous shimmer.  This is a must for any bronzed sun goddess!  Boy, I cannot wait until summer!

Last Summer, I was able to try, Stila's Gold Glow eye shadow trio (pictured below).  And, I have to say I absoultely loved it!  It is one of my all time favorite eye shadows.  So, I am very excited about this new one.  Gosh, where can I begin with these.  The colors and the shimmer is just gorgeous!  I use them as highlighter, eye shadow, lip base, and anywhere on your body!  If you do not like shimmer, then, you will not like this product.  But, if your all about shimmer and being a bronzed beauty, then this is a must have for summer!  I love this so much, I am going to get the remainder of the collection.  The pink cheek duo is also gorgeous!  See collection photos below.   Don't forget to take advantage of Stila's 2 for 1 Sweet Deal. 

Tuesday, January 22nd 2008

Breaking News: Heath Ledger Found Dead

CNN reports, The New York Police Department declared Heath Ledger, 28,  dead on arrival on Saturday, January 22, 2008 at 3:30 pm in his lower Manhattan, New York apartment.  Police spokesperson, Paul Browne, said Ledger's housekeeper tried to wake him up for a masseuse appointment, and he was unresponsive.  The Masseuse, Diana Lee Wolozin, speed dialed Mary Kate Olsen three times on Heath's phone before she called 911 and another time after she called 911.  Wolozin currently does not have a state license to practice massage therapy. Their was a 26 minute delay before an ambulance was dispatched?  Could that 26 minutes could of saved his life?  Reportedly, Mary Kate and Ledger were socially dating.

Paul Browne says, possible drug overdose but, nothing has been declared.  Six prescription medications and over the counter sleeping pills were found in the Vincinity of his bed Browne later said.  The prescription pills were half full, in closed bottles.  In most cases, drug overdoses are usually found with empty, tops off, prescripton bottles.  An Autopsy for the tragic death of, Heath Ledger, was scheduled for Wednesday, but came back inconclusive.  We may not find out any information for a couple of weeks.

Photographers, onlookers, and reporters surrounded outside of Ledger's apartment when the news broke about this death, Browne said.  This just makes me sick! 

Heath Ledger, 28, was born in Perth, Austriaila.  Ledger was recently known for his 2005 role in Brokeback Mountain, were he played a gay cowboy who had a secret relationship.  He was also nominated that year for a Academy Award.  He has a 2 year old daughter, Maltilda, with actress, Michelle Williams, whom he met on the set of Brokeback Mountain.  She was currently in Sweden filming when the news broke.  She immediately flew home, where the paparazzi surrounded the airport waiting for her to arrive.

This breaking news is so sad.  Best wishes to his family and friends.  I really hope the paparazzi respects his family and friends by giving them privacy, but, you know that wont happen.  R.I.P.

{Photo via: People}

Monday, January 28th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Slimshines Relaunch

MAC Cosmetics introduces the relaunch of Slimshine.  Product Description: A new Lipstick combining creamy emolliency with a unique sheer colour pay-off. Provides the shine and moisturizing comfort of a gloss but with a smooth, non-sticky finish. Distinctive on and off. Comes packaged in its own stylish extra-long lipstick case.  Release is expected February 7th, 2008.  Cost USD $14.00 each. 

If Slimshines sound familiar, well they are.  These were introduced last year and were quite a hit!  If you love lipstick but, you feel it's too dry, then Slimshines are for you!  I had a chance to try them last year, and I absolutely loved them!  I love lip gloss but, feel it's too sheer sometimes, and lipstick is just too dry, so this is perfect for me.  The only BAD thing about these lipstick wonders is, they go really, really FAST!  And at, $14 bucks a pop, not sure if it's really worth it.  But, I still will be picking up one or two at least.

7 Brand new colors are being released along with 13 repromoted ones from the original release date, for a total of 20.  See all colors below.

Assertive Warm brown with golden pearl (Matte).

Grenadier Deep blue-red coral (Cream).

Intimidate Creamy plum (Cream).

Missy Pastel coral (Cream).

Rock Out Clear blue with gold pearl (Cream).

Think Tan Deep brown with gold pearl (Matte).

Voile Canary yellow with gold pearl (Matte).

Repromotes:  Bare, Cocoamour, Funshine, Gaily, Long Stem Rose, Lovey Dover, Most Wanted, Mousse, Pleasing, Prudeaux, Urgent!

 Check out MAC Slimshine product swatches.

{Source via: Specktra}

Tuesday, January 29th 2008

Britney Spears: Mental Breakdown Part Two

According to People, the action packed evening actually got underway much earlier Monday evening, when The Trainwreck and her manager, Sam Lutfi went for a short drive around Beverly Hills, CA.  

When they returned to her home at around 6 p.m., the noticabley upset Trainwreck, who appeared to be fighting with Lutfi, jumped out of the white Mercedes near the gated guardhouse.

Spears, wearing brown heels, cut-off shorts and a plaid fedora as she held her Yorkie puppy London, wondered around in tears and, at one point, sat down on the curb. "She looked completely lost," says an onlooker.

Only Spears seemed to downplay the incident, saying, "I'm fine. I'm having a nice time with my dog."

The singer ended up hopping into a car with photographer Filipe Teixeira, who gave her a lift to a Ralph's supermarket in Studio City before he brought her home, and she invited him and another photographer inside. Ghalib, who'd been noticeably absent from Spears's side in recent days, showed up about half an hour later. 

Later on, Police cars pulled up to the house in response to a call from security at Spears's gated community.  Spears drove through the gates and paparazzi followed her car on foot," said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez. "By the time officers arrived, the paparazzi were off the property, but officers handed out citations for those who were illegally parked.

Around 9 p.m. Monday, Spears's father Jamie and her mother Lynne, who earlier visited Britney's kids Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1 at  Federline's house in Tarzana, arrived at their daughter's home.  Mom to the rescue hopefully! 

Lynne, can you please get this girl some HELP!  We can clearly see how troubled this trainwreck is.  And people, don't feel sorry for Britney.  These are real problems, real people deal with everyday, and we don't get any pity.  She loves the attention and the paparazzi, it's her only true friends.  Why do you think she has a paparazzi boyfriend?!  Live with it Britney, that's LIFE!  Obviously, I do not feel somewhat sorry for her.  Brit, you made your bed, now sleep in it!

{Photo via: People}

Saturday, February 2nd 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Upcoming Collection Dates

An MAC ADDICT Ultimate Resource for 2008 

Slimshine - 2/7/08 (Int'l March 2008) Permanate MAC Line
Don’t speak. Lips are in danger of all manner of delicious indiscretion. Seductive in colour, shine and staying power. Seven new Slimshine Lipstick shades and 13 bring-back shades invite colourful, ultra-glossy conversations. People will talk.  

Check out the review and photo swatches for MAC's Slimshines Collection.

Mineralize Foundation - (LE) The release date keeps changing
Making headlines with our lightest mineral infusion yet! This unique loose powder foundation brushes on to adhere smoothly to the skin. Provides a radiant natural matte finish with medium-buildable coverage, and SPF 15 for everyday sun protection.

Fafi - 2/14/08 (Int'l March 2008) (LE)
A trendy collection inspired by the French Graphic Artist, Fafi. 

Check out MAC's for Fafi product photos, review & swatches part 1 and review & swatches part 2. 

Strobe - 3/6/08 limited edition
This collection includes: Strobe Liquid, Strobe Cream, Strobe Lip Conditioner, and 4 different shades of Tinted Lip Conditioners.

Check out the review and photo swatches for MAC's Strobe collection.  

Viva Glam VI - 3/6/08
Introducing a Special Edition VG VI Lipglass and new spokesperson into our mix - Fergie! A radical spirit, Fergie burst onto pop culture as female lead in the Black Eyed Peas. She joins Eve and Dita von Teese in speaking out on behalf of VIVA GLAM VI.

Check out review and photo swatches for the new Viva Glam VI Lipglass. 

Beauty Powder Blush - 3/13/08 (Int'l April 2008) (LE)
A micronized powder blush with a subtle pearlize pigment, 8 new shades and 2 re-promoted makeup brushes.

Check out review, swatches and product photos for MAC's newest Beauty Powder Blush. 

Heatherette - 3/20/08 (Int'l April 2008) (LE)
24-Hour Party People know what time it is when N.Y.'s counter-culture couturiers create a paint-by-numbers world of drama with two glittering looks. Choose from Good Girl for day, Bad Girl for night...or be the superstar you are and flip it!

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for MAC's Heatherette Collection.

Euristocrats - 4/1/08 European Stores only 

Naked Paris - Sheer pink brown with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Rue D' Bois - Sheer mid tone pink with multi dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Patisserie - Sheer creamy neutral pink (lustre)

Barcelona Red - Frosty deep coral (frost)

Costa Chic - Frosty light coral (frost) ***A LUST have for coral lovers***

Milan mode - Sheer deep pink with multi dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Going Dutch - Frosty mid tone pink (frost)

Saint Germain - Pastel pink (amplified creme)

London Life - Sheer deep berry with multidimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Ramblas Red - Blue red (amplified creme)

Cockney - Sheer yellow red with multi dimensional pearlized pigments (lustre)

Neon Orange - Bright clean orange (Amplified Creme) (PRO Store)

Show Orchid - Vivid hot pink (Amplified Creme) (PRO Store)

Full Fuchsia - Bright clean warm pink (Amplified Creme) (PRO Store)

Fast Play - Medium neutral pink with plum-brown undertones (Amplified Creme) (Repromote)

Bombshell - Soft bright rosy-pink with golden shimmer (Frost) (Repromote)

Check out Specktra's fabulous swatches for this colorful lipstick collection.

Dress Camp - 4/17/08 (Int'l April 2008) extremely rare and "very limited"
Super hot Asia exclusive collection.  This collection will not be available at MAC stores only online.

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for Asia's Dress Camp.

Dazzleglass - 5/1/08 (Int'l May 2008) (LE)
Electro-pearl atoms blast their light as Lipglass gets the dazzle treatment. High-shine + large particle quartz and opal crystal captured in a great new formula with light-reflecting, crystalline iridescence. To be this dazzling: that's power!

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for MAC's new glitter lipgloss.

Naughty Nauticals - 5/1/08 (Int'l May 2008) (LE) 3-part release
Sailors, ahoy! In her fleet of pinks, corals, reds, and the deepest navy Nail Lacquer seen this side of Marseilles, she's uniformly chic, and cruising for romance. In style and desire, she's poised for perfection. Go overboard!  

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for this Naughty collection. 

Stowaways Quad - 5/1/08 Part of the Naughty Nauticals Collection and only available at Nordstrom.

Skinsheen - 5/1/08 (LE) (Int'l June 2008)
Legs...Bronzed to distraction. Seductive and cruise-worthy. A sprayable lightweight gel that unlike your fancy, never drifts. Brushes lightly and flawlessly over the skin. For the ultimate secret application and smoothest sheen, try the 179 Body Buffer Brush.     

Neo Sci-Fi - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE) 3-part release
Spinning glamour into another orbit: our magnetic field of hot fluorescents, modern buffs, beiges and flesh tones are destined to test the laws of your style gravity. With these supersonic shades and neon orange compacts, go shock the galaxy! 

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for the Neo Sci Fi Collection. 

Future Earth - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Lava-licious! The power of Volcanic Ash brought into one dynamic all-black element, Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. Mineral-rich. Cleanses, exfoliates, makes skin look radiant. Its glowing compliment: new Prep + Prime Microfine Lip Refinisher.

Check out the reviews, swatches and product photos for the Volcanice Mask and Lippie.  

Solar Field - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Alternate sun power. Glamour beams across the universe via new Solar Bits: free-formed clusters of rich pigment and pearl. Its full-volt complement: skin made provocatively golden through Bronzing Powder in Solar Riche and Refined Golden

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for the Solar Field Collection.  

Tendertones - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Sexier on the lips than balm. Silkier than gloss. More protective than naked. A lipcolour that combines soft shine, easy glide, and double-smooth satin finish with an everyday sun protective formula. To treat your lips...Love 'em tender.

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for this cult lip balm.  Check out Loreal's HiP Jelly Balm - is an excellent alternative that's actually better than MAC.

Summer Trend Bags - 5/29/08 (Int'l June 2008) (LE)
Shine-blasted. Shockingly fluorescent. Our easygoing Softsac goes patently neon in three tote-along sizes: mini, small and medium. Utterly functional and fun. The best complement to the M·A·C Neo Sci-Fi collection. Available in three buzzed-up colours. 

Cool Heat - 6/12/08 (Int'l July 2008) (LE)
Some looks are too hot for summer to handle but not Cool Heat. Sweltering corals, chill-out blues, complemented by Turquatic and its warm new sister shade, Turquatic Heat, create this season's coolest - and steamiest - beauty paradox.

Check out the review, swatches and product photos for this energetic collection. 

New View - 7/08
Natural and Shimmer. The split personality of powder to sheerly and subtly perfect skin with dimensionality and mineralized starshine. These Mineralize Skinfinish duos are state-of-the-art simplicity, high-resolution finish. 

Sonic Chic - 7/08
Mineralize Blush to break the style barrier: Screamingly chic, but soft, sheer, lightweight. Enhance cheekbones, create planes and contours with the 181 Buffer Brush for flawless blending. The fastest route to perfection yet is Ultra-Sonic.

Check out the Review and Photo Swatches. 

Electroflash - 7/08
Mineralize Eye Shadow in nine new duos with unblinking courage, and convincing new combinations. Add Lipglass and Lipsticks with quantum physics energy, in companion colours and electro-lustres. Electricity is our most precious resource...everybody, electrified!

Check out the Review and Photo Swatches. 

Colour Forms - 7/18/08 (Int'l August 2008) (LE) Nordstrom Exclusive

Lustre Twins - 7/31
Nine new shades of Pro Longwear Lustre Lipcolour featuring an exclusive sheer pigment top coat, with three Nail Lacquers. Separate if you must, but these Lustre Twins shouldn't live without each other. Codependent couture colour and shine starts here! 

Starflash - 7/31
Hollywood's new Power Couple. Our 12 new limited-edition Starflash shadows, combined with Kohl Power Eye Pencil. Shades for a smooth, creamy, cushioned life. Provides the double-wattage impact that will take you to the new stylesphere!

Check out the photo swatches and review. 

Cult of Cherry - 8/21 The new forbidden fruit. Deep, dark, dramatic. Lips ripened with juicy cerises and intoxicating kirsches while eyes smoulder in luscious spiced chocolate. With its sense of way-to-go dark, this is how we separate the bitter from the sweet...Fall drama just got more delicious. 

Check out the photo swatches, review, lip looks using cult of cherry lipstick colors, nail polish swatches and my makeup haul.  

Overrich - 8/21 Fall for luscious. Eight pigments that keep you de-lovely and delicious as ever. Oxidized, rich-metal hues are a cakewalk to apply, for eyes, face and all the sweet spots...These Overrich pigments satisfy an appetite for glamour.  

Check out the photo swatches, review and my makeup haul.

Suite Array - 9/25 Check-in to the double-delight luxury of our new Eye Shadow Suite. Eight shadow duos in unexpectedly fresh and frivolous colours paired with one of our new Pearlglide Eye Liners will provide you with all the accoutrements of day and night bedroom eyes.

Check out the review and photo swatches. 

Gold Fever - 9/25

MAC for Ungaro - 9/25 Dreamy, softly impressionistic, reverential...To celebrate his exciting debut, It-Designer, Esteban Cortazar, celebrity makeup artist, Sharon Dowsett, and M·A·C come together backstage to create a colour collection in the spirit of today's Ungaro.

Check out the review and photo swatches. 

Red She Said - 10/16 The retro-starlet allure of Hollywood glamour, with a modern twist. A season where lips connive, then confess in shades of provocative holiday reds. Party season and passions flare! "Red" She Said, and no one could resist her.

Check out the review and photo swatches.

Monday, February 4th 2008

Bobbi Brown: Pink Satin Collection Exclusive

Bobbi Brown's Pink Satin Collection.  Colors and Collection created exclusively for Neiman Marcus and only available in this palette.  Retailing $140.00 USD.  Don't miss out on this limited edition collection!  Although, I haven't seen these colors in person, they look gorgeous on-screen. 

The Pink Satin Collection includes:
• Metallic Eye Shadow Palette with Navajo, Hot Stone, and Pink Ice shades.
• Lip Gloss Palette with Spring Blossom Shimmer, Posey Shimmer, and Pastel Pink shades.
• Mini Brush and Palette Case crafted in black nylon holds the entire set and includes three mini brushes: Blush, Eye Shadow, and Lip Brush (with protective cap).

Don't forget to use promotional code "NMLOVE" at checkout, for FREE 2-Day shipping, if your interested in purchasing this.  Also, receive a mini deluxe sample of No Smudge Mascara with any Bobbi Brown purchase.

Saturday, February 9th 2008

MAC for Fafi: Fafi T-Shirt and Product Photos

Look what I stumbled upon today at my MAC store!  And, she thought she could get away without a picture, I think not!  What a great way to start the day.  My trip to the mall today was so eventful, and I'm excited to bring some back some news!  Not only did I get to preview Fafi, and Slimshine, drum roll please....Chanel Summer 2008 Makeup Collection!  Yes, that's right another collection and it's not even spring yet!  Bring on the summer!  Let me give you a little hint, Hello PINK!  A limited edition eyeshadow quad, and one of the colors is an awesome bright pink.  Two new nail colors are introduced in this collection.  Flamingo, a bright pink and Antilope a golden brown.  Sometime in March this collection will be releasing.  I'm going to need crazy pills for all these collections!

Initially, when MAC lauched the Fafi website I wasn't really attracted to the t-shirts.  It was just something I bypassed because, for the price, I can get a quad or two lipsticks, etc.  But, they are SO cute!  Seriously, when you see them on, their adorable!  This shirt literally speaks "Bad Ass!"  Espically with some Black Satin nail polish.  If your somewhat interested in these, do not wait, they will go fast being an Online Exclusive only!

After seeing all the Fafi swatches, and reading all the information from the MAC website, I have a pretty long lost of items that I'm interested in, and can't wait to play around with colors on February 14th.  I'm trying to avoid to crowd on release day.

Firstly, being a lipstick gal, I'm mostly excited about them.  The MA said really good things about the texture, so I'm really hoping it's true!  There is 4 out of the 6 colors that I'm looking forward to trying out.  Eyeshadows are also a big thing for me.  I am loving the Fafi Quad 1.  But, I'm just not to sure about the Quad 2.  It's colors that I normally wouldn't pick out, but, I'm not knocking it down.  I'm having my MA do me up, and if it's a go, I'll definitely take pictures to show everyone.  As far as the merchandise, I'm ordering all that online.  I'm not even taking the chance.  Last year, everything sold out at my store in a matter of one hour, with the Barbie loves MAC collection.  And, this isn't the first time this has happened.  I'm hoping MAC releases it online early, like they usually do with other collections.  But, don't hold your breath, because who knows. I'll probably get all 3 dolls ($9.00 each, I thought they be alot more expensive), T-shirt, after seeing it today, and the scarve.  If you love to put scarves in your hair this is a must! 

Only, one more week left.  Stay tuned for more information.  Are you planning to purchase anything?  If so, do you already have a list?

Check out the Fafi collection product photos and Reviews; Part One and Part two.

Love the french artist?  Check out the MOB (most official bitches) Fafi inspired t-shirt.  Love this!

Sunday, February 10th 2008

Chanel Summer 2008 Makeup: Product Photos

Another collection?  That's right, it's not even Spring yet!  Doesn't it seem like Chanel is always the first ones to release their collections early?  I love summer and I sure am loving this limited edition eyeshadow quad and their two new nail polishes!  

Stay tuned as I will post the color story.  I'm waiting for Chanel to verify the limited edition items.  Hopefully, I will have that up today.  This collection is set to release sometime in March.  

I do know that this eyeshadow quad is a limited edition item.  This colors in this quad is absolutely stunning.  A bright pink, peach, light green, and bronze.  Two new limited edition nail colors are also introduced in this collection.  Flamingo, a bright pink and Antilope, a golden brown.  Oh boy, I can't wait to see these nail colors.

Read the Color Story for the Chanel's 2008 summer makeup collection and take a sneak peak at the Fall 2008 Golden Child Color Story. 

Check out my reviews and photo swatches for the Chanel 2008 Summer Makeup Collection.

FEATURED - Friday, February 15th 2008

Chanel: 2008 Summer Collection Color Story

The destination of choice this season?  An extoic local, where very little comes between you and a beautiful bronze.  Chanel captures the feel of adventure - and the stunning sun effect - of the summer safari.  An exclusive colour collection, including sun-swept tan, golden bronze, pink bronze, and shades of khaki, delivers the must alluring getaway looks.

Chanel 2008 Summer Collection Color Story

FACE

Soleil Tan De Chanel.  Moisturizing Bronzing Powder.  Colors: Desert Corail, Terre Epice, Terre Ambre, Desert Bronze, Sable Dor*.  Price $48.00.

Bronze Uninersel De Chanel.  Sun Illuminator.  One color.  $45.00 USD.

EYES 

Ombre Essentielle.  Soft Touch Eyeshadow.  Colors: Tigre* (Bronze), Nomade* (Pink Rose), Khaki** (Khaki Green), Safari** (Stone Brown).  Price $27.50

Lumieres Facettes.  Iridescent Eye Effects.  Oasis*.  Colors included in quad: Khaki, Bronze, Coral and Pink Shimmer.  Price $55.00. 

Ombre Deu.  Fluid Irisdescent Eyeshadow.  Color: Atoll* (Gold Sand).  Price $30.00

Stylo Yeux Waterproof.  Long Lasting Eyeliner.  Vert Bronze* (Green Bronze), and Espresso** (Dark Brown).  Price $26.50.

 Inimitable Waterproof.  Mascara Multi-deminsionel.  Color: Emeraude* (Jade Green).  Price $27.50.

LIPS

Rouge Hydrabase.  Creme Lipstick.  Colors; Leopard* (Golden Coral), and Rose Flamingo* (Flamingo Pink).  Price $26.00

Rouge Allure.  Luminous Satin Lip Color.  Naive (Pink Nude), and Curious* (Nude Brown).  Price $30.00.

Aqualumiere.  Sheer Color Lipshine SPF 15.  Colors: Zanzibar* (Soft Peach), and Mauritius* (Bronzed Coral).  Price $26.00.

Levres Scintillantes.  Glossimer.  Colors: Gazelle** (Praline Pink), Pinup** (Frosted Golden Peach), and Seashell** (Soft Shimmering Pink).  Price $30.00.

NAILS

 Le Vernis.  Nail Colour.  Colors: Antilope* (Frosted Golden Brown), Flamingo Pink* (Bright Pink).  Price $19.00.

* Represents Limited Edition Colors

** Represents Repromotes

A new fragrance will be introduced in the Fall of 2008.  It is described as a softer version of Chanel No. 5.  It will only be available in one size, 5oz spray bottle, retailing $125.00.  Stay tuned for more on this.  

There is a couple of items I'm really looking forward to in this collection.  Lumieres Facettes (limited edition), the colours are beautiful bronzed in this eyeshadow quad along with a gorgeous pink color.  Inimitable Emeraude, a jade green mascara and last but not least, the limited edition nail colours.  I can't wait to see Flamingo, a bright pink and the golden bronze.  I expect one of those if not both to be sold out colours.  There is alot of greens in this collection.  Do I see a Jade Green nail polish for the fall of 2008?  Oh, I hope so!  What nail colour would you like to see Chanel come out with for fall?

UPDATE: The new collection should arrive at Chanel counters end of March beginning of April.

Check out the reviews and photo swatches on the Chanel 2008 Makeup Collection.

FEATURED - Wednesday, February 27th 2008

MAC Cosmetics Fafi: Review and Swatches Part Two

Eye Shadow Quads. I purchased both of these eye shadow quads.  I honestly, did not expect to like Quad 2, but, that ended up being my favorite.

Quad 1.  Vanilla, a white color witha a velvet finish, that is good for highlighting.  Hey Neutral, a shimmery tan color, that is very pretty nude color.  Pink Venus, bright pink frosted color, that has great color payoff and texture.  Howzat, a dark gray-ish black color, good for crease lines.  

Quad 2.  Bold as Gold, a gorgeous shade of shimmery yellow-gold.  I really loved this color, perfect amout of shimmer that isn't over powering.  Shockwave, more of a shimmery tangerine color, that isn't as bright as it looks.  You're Fresh, as it looks green in the quad, it's quite sheer.  More of a greenish-yellowish shimmer.  Prankster, it may look navy blue, but, comes out more dark blue-blackish.

If you tend to play it safe, I would go for the Quad 1. If you are daring enough, I would definitely recommend purchasing Quad 2.  The colors may look funky, but, appear more sheerer than they actually look.

Paint Pots.  I absolutely love MAC's paint pots.  I purchased Cash Flow, and Perky.  I am planning to pick up Rollickin soon.  My favorite by far is Perky.

Perky, a coral-peach shimmer color, that is truely gorgeous, and the color pay-off is great.  This is a must have base for Quad 2.  Cash Flow, a goldish-brownish color, that is great with browns and neutral colors.  Rollickin, a tealish shimmery color, that looks great espically paired up with Parrot eyeshadow.  Nice Vice, a purplish brownish color, that was way too dark and purplish for my skintone (NC25).  Layin Low, a creamy flat brown beige color.  Girl Friendly, a very flat pink color.

 

 

Powder Blushes.   The powder blushes were something I didn't even look at twice until I saw in person.  They may appear "very bright" in their Fafi cases, but, that is not the case whatsoever.  The blushes have very  "build-able color".  I initially only purchased Hipness but, later purchased Fashion Frenzy.  It's really hard to choose between the two, because they are both equally beautiful.  

Fashion Frenzy, a medium cool pink matte color that is very buildable.  Just be careful with the blush brush, you can easily get outta control  with the blushes, which might reflect the brightness of the color.  Fashion Frenzy looks great with Quad 1, Sexy n Fun lipstick paired up with Totally It lipglass.  Hipness, a warm peach matte color with a small hint of pink.  Hipness looks great with Quad 2, Strawbaby lipstick, paired up with Sugar Trance lipglass.

Iridescent Mineralized Powders.  These powders are just gorgeous, and by far the best out of the Fafi collection.  If you love to sparkle and shine, then these powders are for you.  Unfortanetly, I could not get a good picture to justify the beauties of these powders with them being so sheer.  I purchased Verve-vacious, more of a golden bronzed color. 

Verve-vacious, a goldish bronzed powder with several pigmented gold flecks.  This is gorgeous, and can be used as a bronzing powder for summer also.  Sassed-Up, a soft golden peach-pinkish color.  I believe this color will be more appealing for everyone and the most popular.  Sassed-up is another one I would like to purchase, only if my bank account wasn't depleted by Fafi!  Belightful, a cooler brownish powder with gold specks.  Verve-vacious and Belightful were very similar in colors.  I opt for Verve-vacious because it's more becoming, and it's a limited edition color.

Nail Lacquer.  I purchased both of these colors, because I'm a nail polish freak!  However, I do think Girls will be Girl is more appealing than Boom.  Girls Will Be Girls, a pink with a specks of gold that makes it somewhat coral-ish.  The coral color is not very noticable to the naked eye.  If you prefer the sheerness, you will only need two coats.  However, In the picture above, I had to use 3 coats to cover my nail completely.  Boom, a burgandy color with specks of pink shimmer.  This metallic like color is very pretty, and looks great on nails.

Overall, Fafi is truely a great collection.  It offers alot of bright pink/corals, girly colors that are going to be "it" colors for spring/summer 2008.  Definite stand out items: Strawbaby and Fun n Sexy Lipstick, Sugar Trance and Totally It lipglass, Perky Paint Pot, and Sassed-Up mineralized powder.  The only items that are sold out nationwide is Fun n Sexy and Strawbaby lipstick.  But, they may still be available at your local MAC Store.

Tuesday, February 26th 2008

MAC Cosmetics Fafi: Review and Swatches Part One

 

The question sill remains?  Does Fafi collection compare to Barbie loves MAC?  My opinion, absoultely yes!  Fafi and Barbie loves MAC has some similar colors.  I was really siked up about this collection until actual color swatches became available early online.  After seeing all the colors and swatches online, I wasn't as excited about this collection as orginally planned.  But, I wasn't knocking down this collection either.  MAC is well known for a reason, and that being the rare beautiful colors, quality, and overall texture.

Fafi previewed early at New York Fashion week, which gave many beauty bloggers the chance to preview and swatch this collection.  Also, some rather disappionting news came along with the preview that had bummed many MAC lovers out.  The fact that MAC would put "stickers" on their packaging.  I admit, it was rather disappointing news but, were not paying for the packaging after all, espically if you are a true beauty lover.  Please do not buy these items to sell on ebay for three times the price or even keep as a keepsake just to have it.  Fact of the matter is, I could care less about the stickers now.  To be honest with you, the stickers will last longer than the writing on the product.  On my "Sugar Trance" lipglass, the MAC writing on the bottle,  has completely rubbed off after only 3 appplications.  So, I wouldn't be too worried about the stickers.

I decided not to go to my MAC store on release day, because I knew it would be overwhelming.  I went the next morning, and I was really impressed by the colors.  They are gorgeous, not anything I had imagined in my head.  That's why it's important to physically play with the colors, and not go by the online swatches and photos.  Here are some of the products that I think are must have's, and are truely fabulous.  Lipstick: Fun n Sexy (sold out everywhere) and Strawbaby.  Eyeshadow: Quad #2, yes with all the funky colors.  Lipglass: Totally it, and Sugar Trance.  The beauty powders, these are truely the best out of the collection.  

Lipsticks.  The three colors that I purchased are: Hot n Sexy, Strawbaby, and Utterly Frivolous.  Hot n Sexy, is a very deceiving color.  It is somewhat sheerer than it looks, but, with two coats is a hot pink with a blue undertone that is absolutely gorgeous.  I wanted to pick up another tube, but this was completely sold out everywhere.  Strawbaby, is a gorgeous coral-peachish glaze, that looks amazing on.  I had to pick up another tube just because this is a color you could wear on a daily basis.  It is by far my favorite out of the lipsticks.  Utterly Frivolous, is a sheer pink creme that is very pretty, but, not a must.  High Top and Not so Innocent is pretty sheer for my taste.  Flash n Dash is a very bright and orange, and I felt like it was a little too orange and bright for my complexion.  Barbie Loves MAC, Rocking Chick and Fafi's Fun n Sexy is very similar in color, espically when Fun n Sexy is applied more than once.  The only real difference is the blue undertone in Fun n Sexy.

Lipglass.  The lipglasses I purchased are: Sugar Trance, Cult Fave, and Totally It.  Squeeze it was way too dark for me.  Sugar Trance, a beautiful light peach gloss that is gorgeous over Strawbaby lipstick.  This is my favorite out of the bunch.  Totally it, this is a must have for Fun n Sexy lipstick.  It certainly makes the color intense.  Cult Fave, is one I didn't pick up orginially but,  found myself liking this one the more and more I saw it.  It goes perfectly with Utterly Frivolous and Not so Innocent.  Squeeze it was just to dark for my complexion and too brown-ish.  If I had to pick one out of the bunch it would be very hard.  But, it would definitely be Sugar Trance.  It's such a pretty peachy nude shade.  I know I'll regret not picking up another one.  See the Comparison pictures below.

There is a couple of familiar colors in this collection and the Barbie loves MAC Collection.  Check out the comparison pictures below.

Sugar Trance is just a tad bit lighter than Barbie's Fashion Pack.  Fafi's Totally it, has a tiny bit less sparkles than Malibu Barbie does.  Malibu Barbie and Love Rules is almost identical in color.  The only true difference is Love Rules is a tad bit redder than Malibu Barbie, but, wouldn't be noticable to the eye.

Check out part two review and swatches.

FEATURED - Friday, March 14th 2008

MAC Strobe Collection: Reviews and Swatches

The Strobe collection offers a new line of sheer tinted moisturizing lip conditioners with added bonus's, SPF 15 and UVA/UVB retailing $14.50/ea.  They are very soft, creamy and feel wonderful on your lips, and just in time for the pool and beach.  I  just want to add that these lip conditioners are extemely sheer, which was a little disappionting.  It was really hard to capture a photo swatch due to the sheerness of this product.  Honestly, they are way to sheer for my liking, espically for $14.50/ea.  I think I'm going to stick to my good ole tinted burts bee lip balm, it's just as good!

Kiss is a coral pink sheer color that is very faint.  This color would go great for those looking to bring out the natural pigmented colors in lips. 

Rays is a bronzy shimmery color that is my favorite out of the bunch.  This is a great color for those bronze beauties out there. 

Blossom is a nice cool very sheer pink tone.  This color would be more apprioate for those who don't have pigmented lips.

Current looks mauve-brownish in the tube and is the darkest color of the bunch.

Beam is hint of shimmer clear color.  I honestly, could hardly see the shimmer in this color.  And, on the photo swatch it is not even noticable.

I didn't pick up anything in this collection, just because I felt nothing appealed to me.  The colors are extremely sheer, and to honest, I rather spend $14.50 on a MAC lipstick or lipglass.  Plus, I have to save my mula for the next exciting upcoming collection heatherette.

Tuesday, March 18th 2008

China Glaze Ecollection: Review and Swatches

Suprisingly, Unplugged was my favorite color of China Glaze Ecollection.  A beautiful brown rust color with red and gold shimmer making this color stunning.

Shower Together a bright turquoise blue color that is my second favorite out of the ecollection.  Many hollywood celebs have been sporting around this color.  This color is comparable to China Glazes popular, Aqua Baby.

Solar Power, a bright taxi cab color that represents the sun but, don't be afraid of this color!  Believe it or not, this color is going to be the "it" color geared towards summer.  Rescue Beauty Lounge also has a beautiful yellow color that I will be swatching soon.  I was really hesitant about this color at first, but, ended up like it.  Solar Power will look great on those pedi's.

 

Tree Hugger, a Granny Smith Apple shimmer color, that is perfect for spring.  I really like this color, it also reminds me of an sour apple blow pop.

Hybrid, a light brown shimmer that is very comparable to OPI Charmed by a snake.  This is a nice neutral color, that most will find appealing.

Recycle, a dark gray creme shade that's my first. Gray nail polishes are on the hot radar right now, so I think alot of us will really like this color. 

Overall, I really liked this collection and the fact that the colors are based around the envirnoment is and A+ in my book.  The fact is, our Environment is in Crisis and we need to be aware of this critical problem.  What have you done to change the envirnoment?

I laughed when my husband handed my 20 cloth re-usable bags at Walmart to replace the plastic ones.  But, the fact is, he is the one laughing at me.  If everyone just makes the littlest change, it could make the biggest difference.

I would love to hear if anyone has done anything different to save the envirnoment.

FEATURED - Friday, March 21st 2008

Chanel Summer Collection: Reviews and Swatches

Overall, I was really impressed with their Summer Collection.  Chanel's last couple of collections really hasn't impressed me, so, I was pretty excited.  This collection can be for anyone.  They have all the season's "it" colors.  Peach, pink, bronze, and corals are this seasons it's colors and it think they hit the nail on the head. 

The thing I love about this collection, it's very suitable for "Green Eyes!"  I have light green eyes and olive complexion, and sometimes it hard to satisfy us, let's just say that.  These colors look amazing with green and hazel eyes.  Emeraude, gives a hint of color that's not too bold nor daring, and the Vert Bronze eyeliner, is very unique, like an olive green bronze liner.  Items I picked up: Oasis Quad, Nail Polishes, Gazelle Glossimer, Emeraude Mascara, Atoll eyeshadow fluid and Vert Bronze eye liner.  Gazelle, is by far a must have, it's simply gorgeous, and the color pay-off is great you don't even need a lipstick!

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polish.  $19.00 USD.  Flamingo and Antilope are both limited edition colors for the Summer 2008 Makeup Collection.  Flamingo, described as a pink flamingo with gold shimmers, that makes this beautiful.  Antilope is a metallic light bronze sand color that is also gorgeous.  I think the most appealing color will be Antilope because it is a very neutral color.  Although, they are both gorgeous colors, and will sell out quicky, as most Chanel limited edition colors do.

The Flamingo and Antilope has been applied with two coats.  One thing I love about these polishes is you can contol the color completely.  They apply somewhat sheer, but, can be darkened nicely with an additonal coat.

I've been hearing alot about these two colors lately.  So, I wanted to show you guys the comparisons.  Delice and Antilope may seem similar, but, are completely different in their own way.  Delice, is a very clear-to-light beige sheer polish with lots of gold shimmer.  Antilope, is a semi-sheer, sand frosty color, that does not have any shimmer.  Although, it may be semi-sheer it applies much thicker than Delice.  It actually has good color, and can be thickened easily by additional coats.  I definitely prefer Antilope over Delice. 

Here are some additional swatches.  Stay tuned for more to come.

 

Chanel Levres Scinttillantes Glossimer.  $26.00 USD.  Gazelle, a new color this year, described as a prailine pink color with orangish undertone.  I know it's described as a prailine pink, but, I'm seeing more peach in this color, which makes this a very hot and unique color!  Repromotes: Pinup, described as a frosted golden peach color and Seashell, described as a soft shimmering bubblegum pink color.  To be honest with you, I loved every single color, even though two are repromotes.  I can't say enough good things about Chanel's Glossimer's.  They really are FAB!

 

Chanel Aqualumiere Lipshine.  $26.00 USD.  Mauritius, described as a bronzed coral color and Zanzibar, a soft peach color.

Chanel Rouge Allure Satin Lip Color.  $30.00 USD.  Naive, described as a sheer light pink color.  Curious, described as a sheer nude brown color 

Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick.  $26.00 USD.  Rose Flamingo, described as a pretty pink flamingo color.  Leopard, described as a gold coral color.  Flamingo and Leopard both has awesome color payoff.  Both these colors are so calling my name, but, I just hate spending that much for lipstick!  Urggh! Check out some color combinations of the Lipstick and Glossimer's.

Here are some Lipstick and Glossimer combinations.  Again, the Rose Flamingo and Leopard are the definte stand out colors to me.  One thing I love about Rose Flamingo and Leopard, it just takes the right lip gloss and you can accomplish every color shown here.  Rose Flamingo with Seashell or any light pink gloss will create the Navie/Seashell look.  And, Leopard paired up with Pinup or any light peach lipgloss will create the Zanzibar/Gazelle look.

When creating lip combinations, I always think in terms of "good color pay-off", when choosing a lipstick color.  Because, after all, that is your prime base, so make it a good one.  And, if you have good color pay-off, all it takes is gloss to create any of look or color.  Mix your glosses with lipstick colors you normally wouldn't, I bet you'll be surpised in the color outcome!

 

Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara. $27.50 USD.  Emeraude, described as a beautiful jade green color.  I messed around with the color today, and I do like it.  It's a Jade Green, but, isn't very noticable which is why I liked it.  Just a hint of color, that everyone can wear.  I espically loved it because it brought out my light green eyes.  This color would also look great with hazel eyes. 

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner.  $26.50 USD.  Espresso, described as a dark brown choclate color.  Vert Bronze, described as a green-bronze eyeliner.  The stand out of the two eyeliners is  definitely Vert Bronze.  It's a very unique color eyeliner that I really liked.

 

Chanel Ombre Deu Fluid Irisdescent Eyeshadow.  $30.00 USD.  Atoll, described as a gold sand color.  This color is absolutely stunning.  It's a very pretty gold sand color that looks great alone or as an eyeshadow base!  Also, looks great paired with Vert Bronze eyeliner.  I really love Vert Bronze it's a very unique eye liner color!

FEATURED - Wednesday, May 21st 2008

Neo Sci Fi: Swatches, Review, and Product Photos

 

Overall, the Neo Sci Fi is everything I expected.  I think this collection offers a little bit for everyone.  Most shades are very wearable and neutral toned, which many of us will find appealing.  However, there is quite a bit of repromotes in this collection.  But, this may be a good thing, espically if you didn't have chance to grab these in previous collections.  If the color swatches didn't grab your attention, well be prepared, the packaging is sure to "wake" up your day!

It don't take a brain scientist to figure out summer collections are all about the traditional Sun Godess.  So, if you think your seeing deja vu here, you probably are!  The color shades range in Golds, Bronze, Peach, and Browns.  And, I think Sci Fi will be more popular with warmer skin tones.  I really had fun playing with all the colors and chatting it up with the MA's today.  Espically, about the nail polishes.

So, do you notice what's missing in this collection?  Pinks!  The fact that there's not many pink color shades in this collection really tickles my fancy.  I know, I know.... A girl cannot have enough pinks, right?  Well, Pink "RULEZ" in my makeup collection, so, this is definitely a move in the right direction.

Of course, I didn't leave the MAC store empty handed. Take a sneak peek at my haulin pictures.  Some items I picked up were: Sci Fi Delity, Astral, Pink Grapefruit, and Supreme.  For the complete run-down, check out my haul.

Check out all the photo swatches below.

 

Neo Sci Fi Lipsticks  Astral - A mid-tone warm brown lustre with red and gold pigments. The red pearlized pigments are barely noticeable, and the gold shimmer makes this really pretty. Sci Fi Delity - A burnt red frost with gold pigments. As soon as I swatched this, I knew this was love at first site.  It's a perfect color that isn't to bold that everyone can rock. Electro - A very very bright neon orange.  As much as I love to look at gawk at this color, I need to get back to reality.  Because, I know electo would just sit their all lonley with her other sisters.  She has tons of sisters! Pleasureseeker - A sheer creamy peach glaze.  I really wanted to love this color (it was on my haulin list), but, sadly, it was extremely sheer.  My lips are fairly pigmented, so, it took about 5 applications to get good color.  Sunsonic - A light beige gold frost.  So, before you go, uggh... This is suprisingly, a very gorgeous color when paired up MAC's lipglass.  I felt like I was in one of those "Got Milk" advetisments.  umm, yeah, it was basically like a white frosted ring around my lips.  I think ya'll can image what that resembled!  However, I topped off with supreme lipglass = an oh so dreamy choclate creation.

Electro....your so electrifying....

 

Lipglass Naked Space  - is a nude peach with gold shimmer.  Naked Space is fairly light but,  a nice color, espically if your into nude colored glosses. Soft & Slow - is a mid-tone creamy plum with gold shimmer.  A nice pink that has good color pay-off. Pink Grapefruit - is a "must have" beautiful orange with gold pearl.  The swatches do not lie, it's absolultey amazing.  I plan on picking up a back-up this week.  Supreme - a rich milk choclate bronze with white pearl.  This is another color that just popped out to me, it's so rich.  It's also my first brown lipglass purchase.

 

I'm hypnotized by Pink Grapefruit...

Eyeshadows Magenetic Fields - is a brown black with silver pearl.  The color is much more brownish than black.  It's a great darker brown, espically for crease lines. Evening Aura -  is a frosty golden peach velux pearl.  Evening Aura was one of my favorite eyeshadows.  A very beautiful peach golden color for a softer look. Femme Fi - A frosty golden creme pearl velux.  A great highlighting that has awesome color pay-off. Time & Space - A rich copper brown that is highly pigmented.  The color pay-off is beyond excellent.  Expensive Pink - a pink with gold duochrome.  Although this is a permanent color, it is stunning.  I've owned this color for quite sometime and is one of my all-time fav's.

I know there's been alot of confusion about Expensive Pink.  This is a MAC permanent color.  So, don't let the bright orange packaging throw you off.  It's only being promoted with the orange packaging through the Neo Sci Fi collection.  However, the black packaging is available in their regular stock.

Some more pics below....

Powder Blush X-Rocks - A shimmery dirty mauve with great color pay-off and pigmentation. Spaced Out - A shimmery peach with good color pay-off.

I have a fancy with powder blushes, so this was a must have for me.  Spaced Out wasn't as highly pigmented compared to X-Rocks.  But, I may be back to my MAC store to pick up X-Rocks because it was just as gorgeous.

Cremestick Lip Liner 80% - is a Deep cocoa brown Beurre - is a dirted plum Summerfruit - a pale coral

Nail polishes are my major weaknesses.  I literally own about every color in the rainbow.  So, these color were a no brainer for me.  Check out the Neo Sci Fi photo swatches. 

Nail Polish Metalist - A soft light sand shimmer.  I think more of us will flock to this color because it's the safe route.  I passed on this color because it was boring and not unique.  In fact, it reminds me alot of Chanel Antilope and Dior's new summer one.  Plasma Blu - is an bright turquoise shimmer.   This is a pretty bright turquoise that will look fab on toes. Neon 8 - is a coral orange shimmer.  Neon 8 is my favorite color out of the four colors.  The color isn't as bright as you think.  And, is a great orange shade. Phosphor - a bright taxi cab yellow frost.

Check out MAC's Solar Field Review, Swatches, and Product Photos.

FEATURED - Friday, April 18th 2008

Chanel Strikes Gold For Fall 2008

Chanel strikes gold for their 2008 fall collection Peter Phillips, a new creative director for Chanel's makeup line.  The collection will be released in July followed by Philips’ holiday collection, due for October, which will continue the gold rush theme.

The collection, due in to hit counters in July, which includes Gold Fiction, a softly shimmering nail polish, $30 (yikes); Facettes D’Or, a finely milled gold loose powder that reads on the skin as a subtle glow, $56; Gold Light Glossimer lip gloss, $26 (oh la la); Rouge Hydrabase lipstick shades in copper, plum and coral (yum another coral), each $27, and a quad eye shadow palette with gold, coffee, ivory and dark green eye colors, $56.

Looks like Chanel is hyping this Gold Fiction nail polish to be the next Black Satin or Blue Satin!  While Chanel’s nail polishes usually retail in the $19 range, Gold Fiction will retail for $30. “We’ve used high-end pigments to get the color and finish just right, and the outer bottle is also done in an [opaque] gold case.”  This is going to be a limited edition color but, may become permanent depending on it's popularity.

Chanel will reprise — and amplify — gold in its holiday color collection, due out in October, with Poudre Precieuse Or, a gold highlighting powder that will retail for $75; Gold Shine, a gold Glossimer lip shade, $26; Noir Scintillant, a black eyeliner with gold sparkle, $28, and Haute Chocolate, a gold brown nail shade, $20.

And, I thought $19 was expensive for nail polish, hola cow, $30 bucks!  Chanel keeps going up, up and away! I just don't know if I can justify $30 bucks a bottle.  It's really hard to judge by the promo pictures, so we'll have to wait and see the color swatches.  Stay tuned.

The Chanel Fall Collection has arrived.  Check out the review, swatches, product photos and nail polish swatches for this brand new collection. 

{Source: WWD}

FEATURED - Thursday, April 24th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Naughty Nauticals Color Story

Get ready to set sail to MAC Cosmetics for the Naughty Nauticals Collection, set to release on May 1st.  Get your haulin list ready and your checkbook!  Check out the color story and promo images.

Lipstick

• Buoy-o-buoy - Sheer light pink with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (glaze)
• Party Mate - Creamy neutral pink brown (lustre)
• Ahoy, There - Sheer midtone pink (lustre)
• Port Red - Yellow red with gold pearlized pigments (frost)

Lustreglass

• Hey Sailor - Blue plum pink with white pearlized particles (lustre)
• Ensign - Peachy pink with white and gold pearlized pigments (lustre)
• Love Knot - Sheer pink with blue and white duochrome (lustre)
• Bateaux - Neutral brown peach with white frost (lustre)

Eyeshadow

• Shore Leave - Pale frosty cream (veluxe pearl)
• Illegal Cargo - Mid-tone frosty greyed plum (frost)
• Submarine - Mid-tone frosty clear blue (frost)
• Meet the Fleet - Matte midnight blue (matte)
• Pandamonium - Frosty gunmetal with whtie pearlized pigments (lustre)

Pigment

• Lark About - Sheer frosty white blue (frost)
• Mutiny - Sky blue with gold pearlized pigments (frost)
• Lovely Lily - Lilac with red pearlized pigments (frost)
• Bell-bottom Blue - Frosty blue with white pearlized pigments (frost)

Technakohl

• Smoothblue - Ocean blue wtih frost
• Greyprint - Rich pewter grey with frost

Pro Lash

• Coal Black - Black Mascara

Nail Lacquer

• Shirelle - Classic red (cream)
• Naughty Nautical - Dark royal blue (frost)

Check out the review, swatches, and product photos for this Naughty Nautical collection.

FEATURED - Friday, April 25th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Cool Heat Collection For Summer

MAC introduces Cool Heat Collection for Summer 2008.  This collection should be arriving at stores and online around June 12, 2008 and International July 2008.  Check out the Product Images and Color Story Below.

Perfumes (Creations): $22.50 USD

• Turquatic Crisp and energizing! A splash of clear, sparkling mineral water brought to a chill through an infusion of fresh lotus leaves and Corsican cedrat, then finished with a warm blend of anemone, orris and blue cedar. (Repromote)
  
• Turquatic Heat - Turquatic heat is a warm, floral, woody fragrance, with a sultry modern sensuality. Inspired by the original turquatic scent, this new edition delivers a unique and strong personality, delivered thru a contrasting heated sweetness. (LE)

Eye Shadows: $14.00 USD

• Solar White - Frosted muted white-gold ((Frost) (LE)
• Warming Trend - Frosty light taupe (Veluxe Pearl) (LE)
• Warm Chill - Frosty seafoam green with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Gulf Stream - Frosty mid-tone blue-green with green pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Cool Heat - Frosty teal with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Climate Blue- Midtone violet-blue with pink pearlized pigments (Velvet) (LE)
• Blue Flame - Metallic navy-blue (Veluxe Pearl) (LE)

Slimshines: $14.00  USD

• Tropic Glow - Blue-pink with silver pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• By Degrees - Neutral brown-pink (Frost) (LE)
• Gentle Summer - Light clean yellow-pink with white pearlized pigments (Frost) (New perm shade)
• High 90s - Pink-orange (Frost) (LE)
• Swelter - Sheer red (Frost) (LE)

Cool Heat offers some stunning eyeshadow colors in this collection.  Lust haves for me are Warm Chill (a seafoam green),  Cool Heat (Frosty Teal), and Golf Stream (blue green frost).

{Source: Specktra}

FEATURED - Saturday, April 26th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Neo Sci Fi Color Story

MAC Cosmetics introduces Neo Sci Fi for Summer 2008.  This future earth collection is due to release May 29, 2008 and International June 2008.  Check out the promo pictures and color story below.

Lipsticks: $14.00 USD

• Sci-Fi-Delity - (Frost) Burnt red with golden pearl (LE)
• Pleasureseeker - (Glaze) Creamy peach colour (LE)
• Astral - (Lustre) Mid-tone brown with red pearl (LE)
• Electro - (Lustre) Brilliant orange (LE)
• Sunsonic - (Frost) Gold with white pearl (LE)

Lipglass: $14.00 USD

• Supreme - (Frost) Bronze brown with white pearl (LE)
• Naked Space - (Frost) Frosted creamy natural peach (LE)
• Pink Grapefruit - (Frost) Pink-orange with gold pearl (LE) (Repromote)
• Soft and Slow - (Cream) Pale beige with gold pearl (LE) (Repromote)

Cremestick Lip Liner $14.00 USD

• Beurre - Dirtied plum (Repromote)
• 80% - Deep, deep cocoa (Repromote)
• Summerfruit - Pale coral (Repromote)

Eye Shadows: $14.00 USD

• Magnetic Fields - (Lustre) (LE)
• Femme Fi - (Veluxe Pearl) (LE)
• Evening Aura - (Veluxe Pearl) (LE)
• Time and Space - (Frost) (LE)
• Expensive Pink - Pink with gold duochrome (Veluxe Pearl) (Repromote)

Sheertone Shimmer Blush: $17.50 USD

• Space Out
• X-Rocks

Mascara: $11.00 USD

• Plushblack - A mascara formulated to instantly plump up lashes for extreme voluptuous effect. Volumizing, lengthening, curling, lifting. (Repromote)

Nail Lacquers: $10.00 USD

• Metalist - (Frost) Copper with white pearl
• Plasma Blu - (Frost) Turquoise with white pearl
• Neon 8 - (Frost) Brilliant orange with orange pearl
• Phosphor - (Frost) Buzzing bright yellow

This collection has my name all over it!  Neo Sci Fi features more warmer colors in this collection.  I can't wait to see the actual colors in person.  I'm loving everything, including the hot trendy nail polish colors!  Get your haulin list ready for May 29, and your checkbook!

{Source: Specktra}

FEATURED - Thursday, May 1st 2008

Naughty Nauticals: Review, Swatches, Photos

 

Check out all the Naughty Nauticals collection swatches.  I will be writing up the review shortly, along with more photos!

Party Mate - A semi-sheer mid-tone pink lustre color that has light buildable coverage.  This has more color pay-off than Ahoy, There and is a tad bit darker. Ahoy, There! - A sheer dirty pink color with multi-dimensionel pearl that makes this a glaze.  This is the lightest color of the bunch. Port Red - A must have for red lipstick lovers!  A gorgeous ruby red with gold pearl which makes this a frost.  This is my favorite out of the bunch, and is very pretty. Buoy-O-Buoy - A creamy neutral beige color with pink undertones, that has buildable color.

 

The only color that really stood out to me was the gorgeous, Port Red.  The other colors have more of a " neutral-pink" pay-off, which I'm so over pink right now.  My makeup collection is heavily out numbered by pinks.

Ensign - A peachy pink with white and gold pearl.  This color appears more peachy than pink.  And, is a great all around color. Hey Sailor - A mauvey plum pink with white pearl.  Hey Sailor has the best color pay-off out of all the lustreglasses. Love Knot - A sheer pink with blue and white duochrome.  Love Knot is the sheerest of all the colors. Bateaux - A neutral brown peach with white frost.  Bateaux is my favorite color of the bunch.  It's a nice neutral color with a hint of peach.

The two colors I purchased were Hey Sailor and Bateaux.  Hey Sailor has good color pay-off and looks fab combined with Port Red lipstick.  Ensign is also a pretty color, but, Bateaux had more of a peach color pay-off which I opted for Bateaux.  Love Knot was very sheer on me but, I absoultey loved the blue and white duochrome, just wished it had better color pay-off.

Lark About - A sheer white frost pigment with blue undertones.  Bell Bottom Blue - A navy blue color with white pearl.  The white pearl gave this color more of a blue color with purple undertones. Lovely Lily - A soft lilac color with pink undertones.  The pink undertones gave this more of a softer color. Mutiny - A clean sky blue with gold pearl.  The gold pearl makes Mutiny not as bold, and less color pay-off.  This is my favorite out of the pigments.

Mutiny was the only pigment I purchased from the Naughty Nauticals collection.  I think this is a great color in general that everyone can wear.  It's not to bold or daring, it's a nice soft aqua color.

Shore Leave - A pale frosty ivory color with pink undertones, that has quite a bit of shimmer to it.  I really liked this color, it looks fab as a highlighter paired up with Illegal Cargo. Pandanonium - A frosty gunmetal color with white pearl. Illegal Cargo - A frost grey plum color that has more mavey-plum color pay-off.  Meet the Fleet - Midnight blue matte color.  I really did not like this color nor texture at all.  It was very blotchy when playing with the colors, and I was not impressed at all. Submarine - A beautiful mid tone blue color with frost that almost looks like a darker teal color.

I wasn't nearly as impressed with the eye shadows.  I felt Meet the Fleet and Pandanonium were very dull and boring to me.  The texture was very blocthy and hard to work with when I was swatching.  I purchased Shore Leave, Illegal Cargo and Submarine.  My favorite out of the eye shadows is Illegal Cargo.

Pigments vs Eye shadows.  I had a hard time deciding between the pigments and eye shadow colors, because they are somewhat similar.  But, I decided to go with the eye shadows because of the better color pay-off.  Illegal Cargo is much prettier and bolder purple than Lovely Lily.  And, Shore Leave is a pretty ivory white frost comparted to Lark About, which is more of a sheer white-blue pigment.

FEATURED - Friday, May 2nd 2008

A Colorful Storybook to a Happy Ending

Product: Sephora Colorful Story Palette

Price: $35.00   (an $80.00 value)

Steph's Rating:

Buy it: Sephora, Limited Edition

Recommend: Yes

Nobody can tell a colorful story like Sephora!  Sephora introduces a limited edition palette feauting 16 of their best selling eye shadow colors.

This is such an fantastic deal!  I originally only purchased this because I needed an item for free shipping!  Sephora always gets ya with that free shipping!  I was automatically drawn to this colorful storybook palette.  But, hesitated for a minute because I've never tried Sephora's eyeshadows.  I knew it couldn't be too bad because they are my #1 beauty authority.  Plus, this would be a perfect Mother's Day gift also.

Overall, this limited edition palette has some great colors choices.  And, is the perfect palette to travel or take on-the-go.  What's great about this palette is the colors are all seasons appropriate which makes this a fab deal!  The only drawback I had is the quality (hey, I'm a MAC girl, I have high expectations).  It is fairly good quality, that is why I rated this 4 kisses but, not the best.  I found that the shadows worked best with a good base such as Urban Decay or my personal fav MAC Paint Pots.

Check out the palette colors below.

The colors featured in this palette include: Strass 7 (charcoral black with silver glitter), 9 (taupe shimmer with gold glitter), 3 (gold shimmer with gold glitter), 2 (silver shimmer with silver glitter); Pearl 8 (champagne beige pearl), 1 (white pearl), 9 (coral pearl), 7 (soft bronze pearl); Chrome 4 (vibrant iridescent teal-turquoise sheen), 3 (brown-green iridescent sheen), 6 (pale opalescent sheen), 2 (rich plum sheen); Mat 6 (matte white), 3 (matte chocolate brown), 7 (matte deep burgundy), 1 (matte charcoal black).

Check out the photo swatches below.  The photo swatches are in the same order as displayed in the picture above.

 Wowza!!!  Chrome No. 4 is my absolute favorite out of the palette....

Chrome No. 3 is a very unique color.  A brown-green iridescent color, that tops off at my second favorite.

 A little more pictures below....

FEATURED - Tuesday, May 13th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Sonic Chic Collection for Summer

MAC Cosmetics introduces Sonic Chic collection in June/July 2008.   A collection of lightweight mineralized blushes that's great for defining and conturinging cheek bones.  The blushes consists of pinks, golds, and browns.  Check out the product info and color story below.

Sonic Chic collection consists of 9 new mineralized blushes.

Dainty - A Yellow pink with gold pearl Warm Soul - A Mid tone beige with gold Nuance - A Mid tone peach with gold pearl Gentle - A Raspberry with gold pearl Gleeful- A Deep dirty blue pink with gold pearl Merrily -  Dirty burned red with gold pearl Love Thing - Dirty burgundy with gold pearl Love Joy - Mid tone brown with gold pearl Pleasantry - Intense mid tone blue pink with gold pearl

The Sonic Chic collection should be available at the end of June.  Stay tuned for more information.

a big thanks to Kiss and Makeup for this great info!

FEATURED - Tuesday, May 13th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Starflash Collection

MAC Cosmetics introduces the Starflash Collection for late summer.  A collection which includes a selection of Hollywood eyeshadows for that luxury tinsetown chic. They're creamy and jet milled for uber glamour and available in 12 colorful shades.  Check out the product photos and color story below.

12 new glamourus eyeshadows are introduced in this colleciton along with the Power Kohl Repromotes from the Storm Signals Collection.

Eyeshadows

Dreammaker - Frosty Yellow Gold Grand Entrance - Frosty Neutral Pink Beige Bold & Brazen - Frosty Light Copper Sunset B - Frosty Midtone Pink Lotusland- Pink Lavender with Gold Pearl Talent Pool - Blue Green with Gold Pearl Mink & Sable - Olive Green Smoke & Diamonds - Frosty Dirty Taupe Go - Frosted Bronze Glamour Check - Reddish Brown Top Hat - Dirty Indigo Star by Night - Midtone Blue

Kohl Power Eyeliners (Repromotes)

Raven - Black with Red Pearl Orpheus - Black with Gold Pearl Mystery - Black with Green Pearl Feline -  Intense Black

For one, I am just thrilled about the Kohl Power Eyeliners.  MAC has the best eyeliners hands down.  I just wish they would come out with more colors!  This collection should hit MAC stores end of July/August.  Stay tuned for more information.

a big thanks to Kiss and Makeup for this great info!

FEATURED - Wednesday, May 14th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Overrich Collection

MAC introduces Overrich Collection for late summer.  A colorful range of 8 new metallic pigments that's inspired by the new Cult of the Cherry collection.  These are filled with stunning oxidized pigments in glamorous colors.  Check out the photo swatches below. 

Pigments

Blonde's Gold - Light Tan with Gold and White pearl  Antique Green - Turquoise Green with Gold pearl  Vintage Gold - Tarnished Green with Green pearl  Museum bronze - Rich Taupe with Gold pearl Mauvemnet - (Repromote) Cool Taupe with Gold Pearl  Mega-Rich - Frosty burnt Orange with Gold pearl  Copperbeam - Rusted Brown with Red pearl  Heritage Rouge - Deep Burgundy with Red and Brown pearl

The Overrich collection should be available end of August/Sept 2008.  Stay tuned for more infomation as it become available.

Check out the review and photo swatches for this luxurious overrichness collection.

Craving chocolate cherries? Check out the cult of cherry photo swatches, review, lip looks using cult of cherry lipstick colors, nail polish swatches and my makeup haul.

A big thanks to Kiss and Makeup for this great info!

FEATURED - Wednesday, May 21st 2008

MAC Solar Field: Review, Swatches, Product Images

 

Overall, the Solar Field Collection was very, hmm.... interesting!  Solar bits, was a little (alot) tricky to start off with.  The good ole saying "practice makes perfect" certainly applies to MAC's solar bits.  As I was swatching these little bits, I was overtaken by the beauty of the pigmentation and shimmer.  But, good looks are always deceiving as they say.  I had the pigments all over the place (shirt, face, hands, floor, everywhere) at my MAC store.  Just swatching these four colors took time.  The bits are fully pigmented and very chunky in a ball like form.  But, delivers quite the knock-out when the application is perfected.  I haven't had a chance to mess with them personally, but, I highly recommend using mixing medium or they'll be everywhere.

Bronzing Powder Refined Golden - is a light golden peach color.  This color was fairly sheer, and didn't have "as much" color pay-off.  This shade would be ideal for fair skin complexions. Solar Riche -  a mid-tone deep bronze orange color.  Solar Riche has much more pigmentation compared to Refined Golden.  This color is more ideal for darker skin tones, or can be used as a blush.

Check out some more pics below....

Solar Bits  Black Ore - is described as a rich black with gold pearl.  Initially, I was completely pulled in and dramatized by this color.  But, after dealing with the mess, I wanted a color that I could get some good use out of.  So, I passed on it for now, but, just for now.  The gold pigmentation is so rich that gives almost an dark olive green appearance.  Sunpower - is a light metallic tan with gold shimmer.  Bronzescape - is yellow brown with gold pearl.  It's a rich copper brown that has excellent color pay-off. Scatterrays - decribed as a soft metallic peach with gold pearl.

Bronzescape was the only color I purchased today.  Because, I knew that these highly condensed clusters of pigments wasn't going to be so user-friendly.  I highly recommend purchasing a neutral color that you can multi-task or until you can perfect the application.  Scatterrays and Sunpower were very similar in color due to the gold pigmentation.  Sunpower is more gold and Scatterrays has more of a white color pay-off. 

Check out MAC's Neo Sci Fi Review, Swatches, and Product Photo's.

FEATURED - Saturday, May 24th 2008

CVS Drugstore Haul: Revlon Summer Collection

Revlon Beyond Natural is a new makeup collection, which includes eight products that create a naturally glamorous look, and works with all skin tones. The collection for face, eye and lip includes a smoothing primer, a unique skin matching makeup, a concealer and highlighter in a single compact, a cream-to-powder eye shadow, a defining eye pencil, a defining mascara with a molded brush, a cream lipgloss and a protective liptint.

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze is the first mineral lip gloss with longwearing ColorStay technology that lasts up to eight hours and is an extension of the Revlon ColorStay mineral face and eye collection launched in the first half of 2008.  So, I defintely wanted to put this to the test!

Drugstores should seriously have beware signs ya'll.  I just can't seem to stay away.  The ladies at CVS were just setting up the Revlon summer displays and I was really drawn into this collection mostly due to the name, Beyond Natural.  A summer collection based around the natural, no makeup look.  Beyond Natural consists of two different displays: Cool and Warmer color shades.  The cooler collection colors are mostly based around pinks and the warmer shades are browns, and peach shades.

 

Protective Liptint in Spice Epice 050.  The protective liptint was my favorite out of my CVS haul.  An moisturizing lip tint with SPF 15 + 6 different colors = Cha-ching!  Spice Epice is a gorgeous bronzey peach color that was featured in the promo ad.  I have been sporting around this lovely liptint for the last few days and I'm really loving it!  Revlon's liptint reminds me of alot MAC's strobe collection.  The color Spice Epice had excellent color pay-off!  I didn't try any of the pinks colors because they looked fairly sheer.

Creme Lipgloss.  Described as a creamy peach shade.  Lipgloss is a must have accessory for summer.  The texture was very smooth, moisturizing, and non-sticky.  The color pay-off and staying power was much better when used in conjuction with the protective liptint.

 

Creme to Shadow Quad.  I usually don't splurge on drugstore eyeshadows because MAC is the best.  However, the colors always seems to pull me in.  The natural brown shades in this quad automatically caught my attention.  But, if your looking for color pay-off, perhaps this isn't the product for you.  Revlon's really going for that natural look, and that is exactly what this collection delievers. A very natural, no-makeup look.  The texture was very smooth and easy to apply with your fingers.  I had no luck whatsoever with makeup brushes and was much easier with my fingers.  However, there was some creasing but, I caked on several layers which may have been a factor.  Clearly this creme to shadow isn't meant to be layered upon layer but, I wanted to put it to the test.  Overall, I liked this creme to shadow quad.  It's easy, quick and pefect for the beach or anywhere you want to look all nat-ur-al!

Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze in Natural Raisin. The claim: A Mineral Lipglaze that supposed to last up to 8 hours with Revlon's colorstay technology.  I haven't purchased a revlon colorstory lip product in lord knows how many years!  Probably when they first introduced the line.  The color pay-off was outstanding and the texture was a tad on the sticky side.  The staying power wasn't quite 8 hours, but did last for quite sometime.  The shine was still there after an hour, which is one of the things I really liked.

FEATURED - Thursday, May 29th 2008

MAC Colour Form: Color Story, Promo Images

Nordstrom introduces MAC Colour Form as their Anniversary collection this year.  This collection will be available on July 18th, 2008.  Only available at Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com.  Check out all the promo images below courtesy of Bjooti.net.

Eyeshadow Palettes:

5 Warm Eyes (LE) $38.00 USD Fertile - blackened brown (S) Chillproof - Frosty creamy white (F) Tancentic - Frosty beige pink (VP) Rolled Gold - Frosty golden olive (L) Rustic - Frosted copper red (VP) 213 SE Application Brush

5 Cool Eyes (LE) $38.00 USD Radial Pink - Frosty white pink (V) Brown Border - Frosty plum(VP) Spot Colour - Mid-tone blue purple w/ white pearlized pigments (L) Blue Spill - Mid-tone cornflower blue w/ gold pearlized pigments (F) Slate- Smoke grey (S) 213 SE Application Brush

Lip Palettes:

Cool Lips (LE) $22.50 USD Miss Rose Lipstick - Creamy mid-tone blue pink (L) Cassis Royale Lipstick - Sheer mid-tone plum (L) Virginity Lipglass - Sheer mid-tone pink w/ pink pearlized pigments 316 SE Application Brush

Warm Lips (LE) $22.50 USD Fresh and Fun - Creamy neutral coral (F) Oh Garnet - Creamy mid-tone red (A) (Repromote) Flash of Flesh - Sheer peach pink w/ multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Repromote) 316 SE Application Brush

Neutral Lips (LE) $22.50 USD Altered Beige - Creamy yellow beige (L) Square Root - Mid-tone burnt bronze (F) Lunar - Sheer creamy yellow beige w/ white pearlized pigments 316 SE Application Brush

Brush Sets:

Red Nylon Bag - 5 Basic Brush Set  (LE) $49.50 USD 129 SE 190 SE 224 SE 242 SE 266 SE

Green Nylon Bag - 5 Advanced Brush Set (LE) $49.50 USD 187 SE 168 SE 212 SE 219 SE 275 SE

Purple Nylon Bag - 5 Advanced Brush Set (LE) $49.50 USD 187 SE 168 SE 212 SE 219 SE 275 SE

 

Lipsticks (LE) $14.00 USD Naked to the Core - Creamy soft neutral pink outer w/ sheer beige pearlized core (L) Pop Circle - Creamy bright blue pink outer w/ sheer pale pink pearlized core (L) Inner Hue - Creamy mid-tone coral outter w/ sheer golden peach pearlized core (L) Rose Go Round - Creamy burgundy outer w/ sheer golden pink pearlized core (L)

 

Richmetal Hightlighers (LE) $16.50 Female - Frosty pale pink w/ green gold pearlized pigments Deep Deposit - Frosty deep blackened burgundy Quick Flash - Frosty warm gold Rose Bullion - Frosty mid-tone pink w/ gold pearlized pigments Dark Influence - Frosty purple w/ pink pearlized pigments Positive Charge - Frosty copper w/ gold pearlized pigments

 

Pigments (LE) $19.50 Royal Flush - Frosty mid-tone red Gilded Green - Frosty mid-tone green w/ gold pearlized pigments Tea Time - Bronzed brown w/ multi-dimensional pearlized pigments Jardin Aires - Tan w/ gold pearlized pigments (Repromote) Circa Plum - Frosty mid-tone lavender Steel Blue - Rich deep turquoise greenblue w/ small pearlized pigments (PRO item)

Colour Form Powder:

Sun Centered (LE) $24.50 Coral w/ gold pearlized pigments Mid-tone bronze Soft wheat w/ gold & silver pearlized pigments Soft peach w/ white pearlized pigments

Play Around Pink (LE) $24.50 Intense blue mid-tone pink w/pearlized pigments Plum Soft pink w/ pink & white pearlized pigments Light pink

{Info: Specktra}

FEATURED - Thursday, May 29th 2008

MAC Electro Flash: Color Story, Product Images

Here's some more MAC collection info I've been meaning to post.  MAC introduces Electro Flash collection for Summer 2008.  This new collection consists of 9 gorgeous Mineralized Eyeshadow Duos, along with 4 lipsticks, 4 lipglass and a Large Fluff Brush.  This new collection should be available starting in August.  Check out the product photos below courtesy of Bjooti.net.

Mineralized Eye Shadow Duos Play on Plums Mélange/Mono - Peachy gold with pink and bronze veining / Bronzed burgundy mono Sea & Sky Mélange/Mono - Silvery pale blue with deep blue and silver veining / Bright blue mono Hot Contrast Mélange/Mono - Dirty red with silver and black veining / Black mono Love Connection Mélange/Mono - Pale beige with gold and blue veining / Warm gold mono Two to Glow Mélange/Mono - Dirty bronze with pink and orange veining / Orange mono Odd Couple Mélange/Mono - Warm gold with lavender and bronze veining / Purple mono Polar Opposites Mélange/Mono - Dirty purple with silver, indigo and pink veining / True silver mono Fresh Green Mix Mélange/Mono - Golden olive with blue, gold and aqua veining / Lime mono Pink Split Mélange/Mono - Dirty rose with bronze and pale blue veining / Pink with gold pearl mono

Lipsticks - $14.00 USD Vanity’s Child - Sheer pale beige with pearl (Lustre) (LE) Fast Thrill - Frosty clean mid-tone pink with pearl (Frost) (LE) Mellow Mood - Glossy mid-tone dirty pink with pearl (Lustre) (LE) Dangerously Hot - Creamy deep brown red (Amplified) (LE)

 

Lipglass - $14.00 USD Culture Clash - Frosty clear baby pink with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost) (LE) Major Minor - Frosty mid-tone beige with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost) (LE) Sonic Vibe - Frosty mid-tone pink with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost) (LE) Lil’ Hot Pepper - Frosty burnt red with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost) (LE)

Brush - $30.00 USD  227 Large Fluff Brush

{Info: Kiss and Makeup}

FEATURED - Sunday, June 1st 2008

Gold Member Baby: Chanel Fall 2008 Makeup

Chanel strikes it rich this Fall with jaw-dropping gold and bronze shades.  With the rising cost of gold, it's no wonder Chanel would be at the top of their game.  Facettes D'or nail color in gold fiction, delivers an massive 18 karats of illiminating gold right to your fingertips.  But, this gold rush nail candy don't come cheap.  This hyptonizing nail color will be retailing for $30.00. Chanel is also introducing Gold Fever, an finely milled golden powder that delivers a sheer glow of gold.  Gold Fever will be retailing for $50.00.  Two must-have products you don't want to over-look.  This new fall collection should hit most Chanel stores mid July. Check out the color story and info below.  

Lips

• Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick.  Simply Pink (coral pink), Fantastic Plum (deep purple) and Great Copper (bronze). $26.00 USD. 
• Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour. Enthusiast (deep red creme). $30.00 USD.
• Aqualumière Sheer Colour Lipshine with SPF 15. Formentera (beigey rose) and Papeete (cranberry).
• Glossimer Lipgloss. Amberlight (bronze), Delight (lilac), and Gold Light, (shimmery gold). $26.00 USD.
• Precision Lip Definer.  Pretty Pink (medium nude pink). $28.00 USD.

 

Eyes

• Eye Shadow Quad in Reflets d’Ombre.  An eyeshadow palette with four shades in coffee, dark green, ivory, and gold. $55.00 USD.
• Soft Touch Eyeshadow.  Bronze, (metallic brown) on one side and Bois Bleu (dark teal) on the other. $27.50 USD.
• Silky Eyeshadow Duo. Cristal-Dusk contains two shadows in white and brown. $40.00 USD.
• Precision Eye Definer. Denim is a gray-blue shade. $27.50 USD.

Face

Powder Blush. Rose Dust is a pinky, plum shade. $42.00 USD. Soft Pressed Powder. Almond is a shimmery beige. $50.00 USD

Nails

Le Vernis in Kaléidoscope - is a greenish-gold shade Le Vernis in Fantastic - is a deep, plummy wine shade

The Chanel Fall Collection has arrived.  Check out the review, swatches, product photos and nail polish swatches for this brand new collection.

A little gold member for your viewing pleasures!

FEATURED - Monday, June 2nd 2008

Colored Mascara: Black Is Out And Color Is In

Product: Urban Decay Big Fatty Color Mascara

Price: $17.00

Steph's Rating:

Buy it: Urban Decay, Sephora

Recommend: Yes, Espically if you love color

If you love the extra-thickening powers of Big Fatty Mascara, round out your collection with these wearable shades. Turquoise and navy hues give brown and blue eyes a jolt, purple shades make green eyes more dangerous, and burgundy adds drama to any eye color. They're a refreshing alternative to basic black.

Colored mascara is making an huge comeback and I'm so giddy over it!  Urban Decay introduces four new colored mascaras this summer.  Black Cherry (a deep burgandy), Electric Blue (a vibrant teal blue), Indigo (a vibrant blue violet) and Purple Haze (a dark purple).  Check out the photo swatches and the video tutorial to get this look below.

These new shades are so fun and sassy, I just love them.  The bold pop of color instantly makes your lashes eye candy.  I happened to stop by my local Sephora today to pick up some primer potion, and these beauties were calling out my name.  I was immediately drawn to these vibrant colors, foremost the Electric Blue shade.  Thankfully, I was able to snatch the very last one (shoowee, close one)!  Electric Blue is definitely going to be the most popular out of the four.  The other colors were fully stocked.  Purple Haze is another nice color I will have to pick up soon.  It is a must have color for those green eyed babies!

The promo image is pretty smokin hot ladies!  So, make sure you check out Urban Decays tutorial video to get this look.

To get this look you'll need: Urban Decay Eyeshadow(s) in Blaze and Rush 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Deviant Sparkler Pen for Lips in Flare Big Fatty Color Mascara in Electric Blue

 

FEATURED - Monday, June 16th 2008

Kat Von D Makeup: Photo Swatches

A couple months ago, I blogged about Kat Von D's new makeup brand.  I was finally able to check it out at Sephora.  Overall, I was pleasantly suprised with the eyeshadow palettes.  The color pay-off was pretty good as well as the lasting power.  And, at $34.00 per palette for 8 eyeshadow colors, is a fantastic deal.  Just averaging about $4.25 a color.  Check out the photo swatches below.

True Romance Palette in Beethoven ($34).  The Beethoven palette contains: Lucifer (matte charcoal black), Speed Blue (dark metalic blue), Razor Gray (warm gun steel shimmer), Tequila (metallic cornsilk shimmer), Galeano (metallic medium plum shimmer), Sinner (metallic purple black shimmer), Rad Purple (matte purple black with purple glitter), Leather (matte dark brown) with two doubled-ended applicator brushes.

Speed Blue was my fave out of the Beethoven palette.  It's a cross between MAC's freshwater and blue flame.

True Romance Palette in Ludwig ($34).  The Ludwig palette contains: Lucifer (matte charcoal black), Orbi (golden green shimmer), Dimebag (metallic lime green), Clay (beige with gold glitter), Tequila (metallic cornsilk shimmer), Downtown (metallic light copper shimmer), Baroque (golden bronze shimmer), Leather (deep chocolate brown sheen), and two double-ended applicator brushes.
 

Ludwig is my favorite out of the two.  It's a great color combination, espically for the neutral loving gals out there.  My faves are both the greens (no brainer).

FEATURED - Thursday, June 19th 2008

Dior Fall 2008 Makeup: Impression Cuir Collection

For Dior’s Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear collection, designer John Galliano imagined a refined sensuality accentuated by precious python and ostrich skins, fox fur, and crocodile skin patterns.  Now comes Dior’s most exotic color collection yet:  Impression Cuir, which channels the luxury of animal-inspired patterns and textures and features rich, romantic shades of burgundy, plum, and copper.

Color Story

Impression Cuir Eye palette ($55.00) pictured above

2-Colour Eyeshadow in Bronzy Look and Silver Look ($35.00)

DiorSkin Poudre Shimmer in Copper Diamond ($42.00)

DiorBlush in Pink Copper ($38.00)

5-Colour Eyeshadow in Earth Tones and Iridescent Leather ($54.00)

Crayon Eyeliner in Iridescent Khaki #363 ($25.00)

Creme de Gloss in Creamy Burgundy  and Delicious Plum ($25.50)

Rouge Dior in Western Beige, Pink Drama, Fantastic Plum, Fiction Brown ($27.00)

Ultra-Gloss Reflect in Lace Beige #587 and Lurex Plum #877 ($24.50)

Dior Contour in Mythical Brown #713 and Mysterious Plum #988 ($25.00)

Dior Vernis in Red Ebony and Mystic Violine (Sephora exclusive) ($19.00)

Dior 5 colour eyeshadow quint in Irisdescent Leather ($55.00).  Dior's 5 colour irisdescent quints are truely fabulous and contain the perfect color combinations.

Dior Le Vernis nail polish in Mystic Violine (the sephora exclusive) and Rouge lipstick in Fantastic Plum.  I presume this collection will be available sometime in August.

The Fall 08 makeup collection is in - check out the swatches and review. 

FEATURED - Tuesday, June 24th 2008

Allure Free Stuff: Huge Beauty Giveaway in July

Allure's having a huge Beauty Giveaway for the month of July.  Starting July 1st, you could win Molton Brown's new hair collection of 14 amazing shampoos, conditioners, and treatments such as the Depth Charge Seednoir prewash Hair-Therapy, plus the re-Charge Black Pepper and White Mulberry Sets of body washes, lotions, secnted candles, and more worth more than $800.00.

Remember you can't enter until July 1st.  Click here to enter the huge beauty giveaway.

Check out some more giveaways below in July from Allure.

 

FEATURED - Tuesday, July 1st 2008

Drugstore Haul: Sally Hansen, Loreal

This week, Walgreens has buy one get one free on Loreal lip products which, is a perfect time to stock up on colorjuice.  My weekly visit to the drug store turned out to be fall makeup mania.  The fall 2008 makeup displays are in full force.  And, as much as I wanted to start stocking up vampy colors, summer's still here and I'm hooked on bright girly colors.  Here are some of the things I came out with:

Sally Hansen ($5.49) - Lacquer Shine in Lily - a ruby red shimmer and Lotus - a choclate brown shimmer.  I couldn't leave walgreens without getting a couple rich, dark colors.  Dark vampy red and plums are going to be huge colors for fall and Sally Hansen's Lily is right up my alley.

Loreal Colorjuice ($7.49) - This is a classic drug store cult item for me.  I haven't formally did an review on this, but, this is probably one of my most frequent reoccuring beauty purchases. 

Loreal Hip ($8.99) - High gloss jelly balm in Succulent.  This is a new product from the hip line that features at least 6 different shades of: coral, pink, plums, red.  I'll be doing an review comparing Loreal's and MAC's tendertone shortly.

FEATURED - Friday, July 4th 2008

Product Review: Loreal Hip Metallic Shadow Duo

Product: L'oreal HiP Metallic Shadow

Price: $6.99

Steph's Rating:

Buy it: Drugstores

Recommend: Yes

Fly into the metallic world of color with Loreal's new Hip metallic eyeshadow duo's with rich, high pearl finish full of intense color.

HiP introduces another great product to their shadow duo line - a metallic with an insane amout of pigmentation and color pay-off.  These new metallic shadows are the whip you guys, for serious.  Gilded is the shade that came home with me today.  A true metallic gold with a brown w/gold shimmer for creases that is featured on the display promo.  A perfect combo to go with richness of Chanel Gold Fiction nail polish this Fall.

I was instantly drawn into the high intensity metallic pigments of the duo shadows.  Their practical, everyday colors you can incorporate into your work and school wardrobe.  Not bright and outrageous like some of the regular non-metallic shades. Five colors combinations are available in: Gun Metal -jade green/olive, Magnetic - navy blue/light blue, Sculpted - mauve/light pink, Gilded - gold/brown and Platinum - black/silver.  Check out the photo swatch below.

 

Two swipes with my finger delivers intense gold color that blended perfectly with my MAC 239 brush.  A sponge applicator and mirror is included with compact but, you'll get better results with a makeup brush such as MAC's or any flat tipped eye shadow brush.  

It's really hard to find a good metallic eyeshadow with staying power and color pay-off.  And, these rock compared to the dreadful, metal-x shadows from MAC.  Everything about metal-x collection was horrible - crease lines everywhere, texture nearly impossible to deal with - to much hassle than it's worth.  I have some swatches of metal-x and mineralized shadows I'll be putting up soon to compare textures.

 

Overall, HiP metallic shadow duos earned four kisses but, may easily earn five after a few more uses.  Other great colors are Platinum and Gunmetal.  I may go back seeing how wonderful these turned out.

FEATURED - Monday, July 7th 2008

Chanel Fall Makeup Collection: Review, Swatches

 

The new Chanel Fall makeup collection debuts at most stores this week. Overall, some key players in this collection: Gold Fever highlighter is a beautiful gold highlighter that looks absolutely flawless on any skin type.  Glossimer lovers - Gold Light and Delight are must have lip glosses drenched in glistening shimmer.  My first thoughts on the lilac (Delight) lip gloss "What in the world am I going to do with it"?  Oh my gosh, Everything!  Words and pictures cannot describe the beauty of this sparkling gloss.  It's definitely meant to be a topper and not to be wore alone.  The Glossimer were my fav's besides the Kaleidoscope nail polish. 

Kaleidoscope nail polish sold-out online within two days of release on Chanel.com.  But, you can find this limited edition color at most Chanel counters as the Fall collection just debuted.  If your thinking, is it really all that?  Yes, Yes and double yes!  Don't miss out on this very unique shade!

I was pretty disappionted in the eye shadows and quad but, my wallet was oh so happy!  The colors were just blah to me - brown, white, gold, dark teal?   Come on Chanel, you can do better than that.  I was more impressed with HiP's new metallic shadows rather than these.  Also, the shades had poor pigmentation as it took quite a few swipes to get some good color on my NC30/35 skin.

Check out all the pic spam below.

 

Want more Chanel?  Check out my Haul from the Fall 08 collection. 

FEATURED - Tuesday, July 15th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Lustre Twins Collection

I'm seriously backed up on all my upcoming MAC Collection releases.  Here are the prelimanries details of the new Lustre Twins collection according to our friends at Specktra.

Pro Longwear Lustres - A two-step application of lightweight colour + mirror-finished top coat. Apply the colour. Let it dry. Apply the top coat! Provides sheer to medium coverage with a rich, lustrous, moisturizing finish. Longwearing, comfortable on the lips. Won’t shift, transfer, feather or smudge. $20.00 USD

• Coco Lust /Sweet Sexy - Deep red brown/copper brown with gold pearlized pigments
• Red Flame / Orange Flicker - Intense bright yellow red/bright yellow red with gold pearlized pigments
• Red Reflection / Mirror - Deep berry magenta with pearlized pigments/clear with white pearlized pigments
• Pink Air / White Top - Light pink with pearlized pigments/clear white with red and pink pearlized pigments
• Ripe and Ready / Soft and Lush - Bright pink coral with gold pearlized/yellow pink with gold pearlized pigments
• Gypsy Rose / Shimmer it - Berry red with gold pearlized pigments/white gold with multi-coloured pearlized pigments
• Custom Rose / Pink Virtue - Berry plum with pearlized pigments/light blue pink with silver pearlized pigments
• Boss brown / Slave to Pink - Chocolate bronze with pearlized pigments/champagne neutral with pearlized pigments
• Alta Moda / Hip Love - Deep blackened red/deep plum with red pearlized pigments

Nail Lacquer - $11.00 USD

• $$$$$ Yes - Metallic silver foil (frost)(Repromote from Heatherette) 
• Perplexing - Deep blue purple (frost)(New and PERM)
• Firehouse - Bright chrome red (frost)(New and PERM)

This collection should be available at MAC stores on July 31, 2008.  I'll defintely be passing on this release.  If your not familiar Pro Longwear Lustres, the lipstick combo dries out your lips to the extreme and two of the nail polishes will be perm.

{Source: Specktra}

FEATURED - Tuesday, July 15th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Cult of Cherry Collection

I've had the color information for months now.  It was one of those releases that just got lost in translation because their are so many upcoming MAC collections!  Check out the color and product information below.

Available at MAC stores August 21st

Eyeshadow Quad: Spiced Chocolate $36.00 USD (LE)

• Nanogold - Sheer yellow beige with pink pearl (Lustre) (Repromote from N Collection)
• Brash - Frosty reddish copper (Veluxe Pearl)
• Spiced Chocolate - Deep reddish brown (Matte)
• Sweet Chestnut - Frosted cranberry (Frost)

Eyeshadow Quad: Tempting Quad $36.00 USD (LE)

• Next to Nothing - Next to Nothing - Cream white with pink pearl (Frost) (Repromote from Smoke Signals)
• Sharp - Frosty bright yellow-green (Satin)
• Dark Edge - Dirty chocolate brown (Matte) (Repromote from N Collection) 
• Tempting - Sinfully rich coco (Lustre) (Repromote)

Eyeshadow Quad: Shadowy Lady Quad $36.00 USD (LE)

• Light Fall - Light Pink (Satin)
• Smudged Violet - Frosty blackened lavender with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)
• Deep Truth - Dark blue (Frost) (Repromote)
• Shadowy Lady - Darkly veiled plum (Matte) (Repromote)

Lipsticks: $14.00 USD

• Creme Cerise - Sheer yellow taupe (Lustre) (LE)
• Lightly Ripe - Sheer mid-tone pink (Lustre) (LE)
• Russian Red - Intense bluish-red (Matte) (Repromote)
• O - Intense purplish-red with metallic golden shimmer (Frost) (Repromote)
• So Scarlet - Grape burgundy (Amplified Creme) (LE)

Lipglass: $14.00 USD

• Cherry Blossom - Sheer light pink with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Rich & Ripe - Mid-tone pinkish red with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Cult of Cherry - Red with red pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Liquor - Neutral brownish mauve with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)(LE)
• Jampacked - Sheer grape with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)

Mattenes: $14.50 USD

• Rapturous - Deep berry red (LE) (Repromote from Mattene)
• Kirsch - Blackened cranberry (Mattene) (LE)
• Chock-ful - Blackened brown (Mattene) (LE)
• Bing - Blackened eggplant (Mattene) (LE)

Nail Lacquer: $11.00 USD

• Silverstruck - Frosted greyed taupe with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)(LE)
• Illegal Purple - Creamy blackened eggplant (Cream) (LE).

Blush: $17.50 USD

• Plum du Bois - Frosted deep pink bronze with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
• Blooming - Frosted deep peach (Frost) (LE).

Mascara: - $12.00 USD

• Zoomblack - Rich Black (Permanent)

The eyeshadow quads look amazing only if the colors weren't repromotes.  The Tempting quad has three repromotes (are you kidding me) along with a gorgeous new yellow shade that's in between Eyepopping and Going Bananas.  This kinda frustrates me knowing I have one, two and even three shades of each quad.

Check out the Cult of Cherry invitation for the launch party held on August 12th.  Craving cherries? take a peek at the photo swatches, review, lip looks using cult of cherry lipstick colors, nail polish swatches and my makeup haul.

{Source: Kiss and Makeup, Specktra}

FEATURED - Wednesday, July 16th 2008

MAC Cosmetics: Suite Array Collection

The Suite Array collection introduces a new eye shadow suite with pearl glide liners.  Check out all the color information below.  All preliminary information and pictures courtsey of Specktra and Ernie1881.

The Suite Array collection should be available on Sept 25th.

Eye shadow Suites - $16.00 USD

• Blue Zone - Deep grey/green with silver pearlized pigments/Light ice blue with silver pearlized pigments.
• Ocean 2 - Mid-tone blue with silver pearlized pigments/Light blue with silver pearlized pigments.
• Smoke & Ash - Black with silver pearlized pigments/Mid-tone grey silver with pearlized pigments.
• Counterparts - Deep forest with gold pearlized pigments/Mid-tone orange with gold pearlized pigments.
• Rose Suites - Intense blue pink/Light yellow with silver pearlized pigments
• Shallow v. Deep - Bluish green with gold pearlized pigments/Mint with silver pearlized pigments.
• Sweet Liason - Pale yellow with gold pearlized pigments/Deep brown with gold pearlized pigments.
• Team Violets - Dark burgundy with burgundy pearlized pigments/Mid-tone violet with gold pearlized pigments.

Pearlglide Liners - $14.50 USD

• Wolf - Deep grey with gold glitter
• Rave - Deep purple with purple glitter
• Fly-by-Blu - Light blue with blue glitter
• Black Russian - Black with navy blue glitter
• Miss Fortune - Eggplant with light pink glitter
• Bankroll - Rich green with bright green sparkle
• Spare Change - Mid-tone brown with copper glitter
• Molasses - Brown with mid-tone brown glitter

Thanks to Ernie1881 for this sneak peak.  To check out more pictures from this collection, click here.

FEATURED - Saturday, July 26th 2008

Product Review: Loreal Bare Naturale Mascara

Product: L'oreal Bare Naturale Mascara

Price: $8.99 - $9.99

Steph's Rating:

Buy it: Stores, Pharmacy, Online

Recommend: Yes

Loreal introduces New Bare Naturale Mascara, a natural mineral infused mascara that suppose to lengthen and illuminates each lash.  Loreals gentle conditioning formula is infused with natural ingredients and minerals that provide luminous, healthy looking shine.

The claim: No brittle clumps, moisturizes and conditions with added minerals, adds volume and weight without the heavy feel of mascara, smudgeproof, flakeproof and water resistant.

I can thank my mom for my big eyes and lashes I have to cut from time to time.  Yes ladies, you heard right - cut with scissors.  Most of my girlfriends cringe to the fact of cut and eye lashes in the same sentence.  Contacts or eye glasses have been a part of my daily routine for years now and long lashes can be quite a disadvantage. 

First off, I was really excited to try this mascara because I've been looking for a "natural" type of mascara with minerals and added ingredients that is actually good for your lashes.  Knowing that this is natural type product, my review is based more on a light, natural looking mascara and not a volume-lengthing. 

The tube is clear with a leopard like print inside that was pretty cool - very different from all my other blah and boring tubes.  Black/Brown is the shade that came home with me,  Infact, this was my first mascara in black/brown mostly because, I'm going for that all naturale look.

Loreal's patent brush contains super soft bristles that easily brushed through my lashes.  As you can see, the brush is slighty slanted and was extremely easy to use.  No clumping or pulling, just a smooth, clean application. 

I applied two coats for a natural look and my lashes were extremely soft and lightweight, which I loved.  Overall, Bare Naturale is a great mascara if your looking for a naturale no-makeup look.  However, this many not be a good choice if you looking for something dramatic with lengthing or voluminzing results.

FEATURED - Monday, July 28th 2008

Shu Uemura Fall 08: Instinct Collection

The Instinct Fall Mode collection is now available online at Shu Uemura. 

"Stimulate your instincts with shu uemura's Fall Mode Makeup Collection! Explore these layerable, sensual and iridescent shades of Fall to discover your own make-up expression! Staying true to shu uemura's heritage of innovative and conceptual design, each item is encased within palettes of silver, gold and black motifs, expressing the modernism and elegance of the collection's femininity".

Duo Eyeshadow ($38.00) in Mesmerizer - sumptous violets in creme and powder formula, Tantalizer - green and goldish bronze in creme in powder formulla, Mystifier - a green black and brown bronze.

Glow on Blush ($21.00) in Lust - a reddish pink with subtle pearl, Pulse - warm elegant pink with fine pearl and Steam - a sensual hightlight with platnium like glitters.

Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine ($23.00) in Crimson Dazzle - a rich red and Brown Dazzle - a beige brown colors.

Luring Powder ($38.00) in Rose - a sensual pink shade that compliments all skin types.

Nail Enamel ($16.00) in Dark Wine - a dark wine shade with silver and gold glitter.  Must have shade for polish addicts.

FEATURED - Monday, August 4th 2008

Dior Fall 08 Collection: Review, Swatches

Overall, Dior's new fall collection offers a nice collection of neutrals with an edge of color.  This is a great collection espically for neutral lovers wanting to ad a jolt of color this fall.  However, I was slightly disappionted because some shades were sheer and the pay-off wasn't there -espically for darker skin tones.  I'd hoped this collection be in the same category as MAC's Cult of Cherry with rich, dark, vampy shades but, it's not.  

Dior's new Fall 08 makeup collection, Dandy Lady, should be readily available at most counters or within the next week.  Check out all the photo swatches below. 

My local counter didn't have all their stock in so, one lippie's missing.  Despite the promotional images, Fantastic Plum applied sheer as a cool berry shade which, was a huge disappiontment to me because I was expecting more of a dark, gothy shade.  Regardless, it's an beautiful berry-wine color.

Delicious Plum is a gorgeous berry wine color with excellent pay-off and is the bread winner of the four. 

The gorgeous olive green and gold in the Khaki eye liner looked divine with my olive complexion and green eyes. 

At first, Dior's 5-colour quint in Earth Tones didn't interest me whatsoever until swatched.  All the colors had excellent pay-off on my NC-30 skin and was suprisingly beautiful.  However, I didn't pick this up yet, the word is YET.  This is an great universal quad that would appeal on anyone.

From the first sight of the product image - I knew this wouldn't be for me.  The color pay-off took several swipes to achieve the swatched color above. 

Both eye shadow duo's are pretty but, nothing unique from the Silver and Bronzy.

While the exotic crocodile print in the Impression Cuir is striking to look at but,  the color pay-off wasn't there.  The swatch above was swiped serval times with my finger and who wants to ruin the gorgeous print?  Copper Diamond highligher is just simply gorgeous for every complexion.  My Dior MA told me all five shades are different colors which, is something Dior usually don't do.  Simply stunning.

Being a crazed nail polish addict - it was a no brainer for these drool worthy vampy shades.  Red Ebony, a glossy reddish brown creme with subtle shimmer that's featured in the Dandy Lady campaign ad, is much prettier than expected.  Initially, this shade didn't come home with me because I didn't think it was special but, it is!  Hopefully, you guys were able to pick up the Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive, Liquorice - a pretty plum color drenched with shimmer.

I've been told Dior's, Red Ebony nail polish, is only avaiable at Dior counters and will not be available at Sephora or Nordstrom.  Sephora is also debuting a Dior exclusive called Mystic Violine which should be available sometime this month.

FEATURED - Wednesday, August 13th 2008

MAC Cult of Cherry: Review and Swatches

Tonight at the Cult of Cherry launch party godiva chocolate martinis and yummy hors d'oeuvres were served by the sexy and stylish Cult of Cherry chic all decked out in cherries.  The store was packed and extremely hot as they only let about 40 people in at a time - that's alot considering how little the stores usually are.  The hot flashes were starting to come on and I couldn't wait to get the heck outta there.

Overall, Cult of Cherry is a great selection of color to choose for Fall - from dark vampy colors to reds and pinks.  It's a great variety for every appetite.  The lipstick and lipglasses impressed me the most - espically, the Mattene colors.  The shades are dark, vampy and have fabulous color payoff - exactly what I'm looking for this fall season.  Jampacked lipglass is drop dead gorgeous and will appeal on any skintone, seriously.  I saw this shade on fair, medium and dark skin - truely beautiful ya'll.

Check out some swatches below. 

The Mattenes's are in a slimline case much like the slimshines but are semi-matte texture.  Some of us probably won't like the textrues - just because they don't glide on easily like MAC's lipsticks.  But, don't let that hold you back because the colors are fab and looks hot paired up with MAC's lipglasses.

So Scarlet - a must have dark wine shade and Creme Cerise - yellow beige neutral shade are the two stand-out colors in this collection.  Lightly Ripe is also a pretty pink color if you looking to tone it down a bit.

Cult of Cherry - a sparkling red with amazing color pay-off along with Jampacked a deep grape gloss that leans more on the dark magenta side are both must have colors. 

Blooming was hardly faint on my NC-35 and Plum De Bois is a beautiful brownish plum that would appeal even on lighter skin tones.  The color is very buildable and not to dark.

As much as I wanted to resist the yellowish lime shade of Sharp - I couldn't.  The color has excellent pay-off and just looked amazing with the other shades in the quad.  Sharp looks espically fabulous on ladies of color.

The bad news - there's two repromotes in this quad and thank goodness it's not Satin Taupe.   I know some of you are torn on wether to purchase this quad for the yellow shade.  So, here's my advice on the situation.  If you own overgrown or bitten you might want to think about passing on this one because their close.  Personally, I don't own those two shades which, is one of the reasons this came home with me. 

Spiced Choclate quad is suprising beautiful with excellent pay-off.  I didn't expect to bring this home with me.  In fact, me and my friend Tracy both picked this one up.  Very gorgeous - the orange frosty shade reminded me alot of Firespot from the Moonbathe collection.

Shadowy Lady quad was the only one that didn't interest me.  When I was swatching this quad at the Launch party with my girlfriend Tracy - she automatically picked up on how boring the colors were.  And she's not a crazed MAC fan like myself.    

Illegal Purple is a glossy black cherry shade verses a purple eggplant as described on the color story, which, was a little disappionting.  It's very pretty and the application applied flawlessly but, it's just your standard black cherry creme polish.  Now, on to Silverstruck, a gorgeous multi-dimensional grey taupe frost that is so very "WOW" unique.  I'll be posting a seperate swatches for the nail polishes.

So, there it is!  What do you guys think of Cult of Cherry - Any takers?  I'll be posting my haul pictures soon.

FEATURED - Tuesday, August 19th 2008

Sally Hansen Salon: Nail Polish Swatches

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  I've been dealing with internet issues for the last couple weeks and that's one of my main reasons for my lack of posts.  But, it looks like everything is back to normal, thank goodness.  Life without internet - can you even imagine?

Let's start off with some Sally Hansen today.  Here's four shades that I picked up in the last couple of weeks.  I'll be posting the others later.  Haute Chocolate is a chocolate brown shade with red and gold shimmer that's a great brown color for fall.

Check out some more pics below.

 Shimmers are my favorite nail polish texture because they can be so unique.

Grenadine Glaze is a grenadine hot pink-red that was much prettier than expected.  It's hard to pick up on the hot pink in my swatches but the color is definitley there along with subtle hot pink and gold shimmer.

A great color to end the summer and begin fall.

Plum It - a gorgeous deep plum purple with pink and blue-purple and gold shimmer.  This would be a pedi color.

Navy Baby - a navy blue shade with aqua shimmer.  Navy blue is probably my all time favorite nail polish shade that I'll always have love for.  It's such a classy color and a great alternative to your standard goth black polish.  Navy baby may not be the most unique color but my nails are loving the metallic sheen texture. 

FEATURED - Friday, August 29th 2008

Bobbi Brown Gift With Purchase: Skincare Set

Isn't Bobbi Brown's new shimmering nude eye palette just divine?  Get it while you can.  Do you guys remember how insane ebay prices were last year for the stonewashed palette?  For three days only - spend $85.00 and receive and complimentary skincare to go set.  Enter SKIN2008 at checkout.  Free shipping over $75.00.

FEATURED - Thursday, September 4th 2008

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Fall Collection Preview

Rescue Beauty Lounge introduces three drool worthy shades this fall.  Bruised - a moody deep plum brown cream, that's the new black to coordinate with your best outfits.  Teal - a deep green navy blue shade, that's a must have for any green and blue lover.  No more war - an edgy pure olive green grunge shade perfect for that metro chic look.  And, with the return of winter whites Ja Baek reintroduces, Plie - a opaque neutral beige with a hint of blush.

The fall shades are now available for pre-order at Rescue Beauty Lounge ($19).

Check out the swatches & review for the Fall o8 collection. 

FEATURED - Friday, September 5th 2008

Bobbi Brown: Shimmering Nudes Eye Palette

 

Bobbi Brown introduces a new limited edition shimmering nude palette ($50).  A eye shadow palette consisting of seven cool and warm nude shades that's flattering on every skintone.  This includes a combination of soft, pearlized Shimmer Wash Eye Shadows and high-shimmer Metallics to softly illuminate eyes, and Espresso Eye Shadow to line eyes. Comes with a dual-ended Eye Shadow/ Eye Liner Brush.

The seven shades includes: (pictured above from left to right) Nude Beach Metallic, Nude Mist Shimmer, Naked Eye, Nude Glow Metallic, Mica Shimmer, Nude Spice Metallic, and Espresso.  Check out the photo swatches below.

   

I'll be the first to admit, neutral shades usually aren't my thing.  But, something kept pulling towards Bobbi's Brown new shimmering nudes eye palette.   The shades are a nice mixtures of the metro chic colors debuting this fall.  Plus, you get three new bobbi brown metallic shades.  A great deal - espically, if you don't own any of these shades.

When swatching the shimmer nudes palette, I was a little hesitant because the color pay-off wasn't that great on my NC-35 skin.  But, when coordinated with the other shades in the palette, it was well worth it.  You can go from professional and sophicated to a sexy, smokey eye look in minutes.

This palette is now availabe at Bobbi Brown for a limited time and retails for $50.00.

FEATURED - Thursday, September 18th 2008

Lippmann Collection: New Shades for Fall

Deborah Lippmann introduces a whole bunch of goodies this fall for your nails.  A couple of items I picked up from the fall collection is Party Like a Rockstar Set ($25) and Superstar ($15).

Party Like a Rockstar Set includes two (small size) limited edition shades: Good Girl Gone Bad - a gorgeous purple with pink and silver shimmer, Devil in a Blue Dress - a midnight blue and a small fast dry topcoat.

Check out the photo swatches below.

Good girl gone bad - a sexy purple vixen nail polish named after Rihanna's hit album/song.  A gorgeous purple loaded down with pink and silver shimmer.  Since there is so much pink shimmer, this looks magenta purple in some lights.

Devil in a Blue Dress - a darkened navy blue - black creme.  This is just your standard midnight navy blue creme - nothing special.

Debroah Lippmann best describes Superstar as a copper flecked fudge.  A brown base coat filled with massive amouts of copper, brown and gold glitter.  Superstar is definitely out of the ordinary and different - which is one of the reasons it's starting to grow on me. 

This collection is now available online.

FEATURED - Monday, September 22nd 2008

Fall 08 Collection: Borghese Wines of Tuscany

Borghese introduces the Wines of Tuscany collection this Fall 08'.  A collection of seven limited edition shades of vampy reds, pinks, browns, and plums.  Overall, this is a nice collection espically, if you love dark, vampy plummy shades.

Out of the collection, I came home with four of the stand-out shades.  The pink and reds didn't interest me much because it's just your standard hot pink and reds - nothing unique.

Check out the photo swatches below.

 

 Pomino Plum - a burgandy plum with pink and blue shimmer. 

Vini Violet - a deep magenta purple creme.  This was one of my favorite shades out of the collection.  It's a much deeper purple magenta in real life and looks fantastic on toes.

Brunello Grape - A deep blackened grape with matching shimmer.  A very gorgeous, vampy shade for fall.  There was another similar shade in this collection to Brunello Grape but, not as pretty in my opinion. 

Espresso Brown - a brownish red with red and gold shimmer.  The wines of Tuscany collection is now available at your local CVS or Walgreens.

Hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend!   

FEATURED - Wednesday, September 24th 2008

Limited Edition: NYC Gets Metalicious for Fall

New York Color cosmetics introduces the metals for fall.  A collection consistsing of mineralize metallic eyeshadows, two lipsticks, lip gloss and a must have metallic nail polish - that's a definte hit in my book!

This limited edition display should be hitting most stores now or later this week.  Make sure you keep your eyes peeled because, my store only had two slots for Molten Metal nail polish *gasp*!  Should of, would of, could of picked up the other bottle but, I wanted to give someone else the oppurtunity to grab this awesome nail shade.

Check out the photo swatches below.   

24KT Chrome lip gloss is a gold loaded down with gold shimmer.  Marbleyes mineralize metallic eyeshadows in Aquamarine - a teal shimmer mixed together and Tiger's Eye - a light bronzy gold shimmer mixed together.

Saving the best for last.

Ever since Michelle gave us a preview of Molten Metal - I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  If you have any doubts, don't.  Because your doubts could be someone else's treasure. 

Molten Metal's a very hard color to describe.  A reddish burgandy brown based loaded with silver glitter.  One thing I absolultey loved about this color, it compliments everything, and I mean everything.  Pinks, Reds, Purple, you name it.  It's totally smashing, you guys!

The picture above was taken in the shade and is accurate color representation.  This collection is only available for a limited time where all New York Color cosmetics are sold.

FEATURED - Monday, September 29th 2008

Fall 08: China Glaze Hay Ride Collection

The Hay Ride collection is the second addition to the stunning and gorgeous Fall Rodeo Diva.  Much like the Flannel Fixation release, the colors have excellent pigmentation and only required two coats to achieve bottle colors.  Some of my pictures are taken with three coats just  to even out all my errors.  All my  swatches are taken with no topcoat to accomplish best color respresentation.

In this collection sixe shades are included.  Golden Spurs was the only shade that just didn't fit my style for some reason.  However, it's a nice neutral color that will appeal to most.

Check out all the photo swatches below.

 Golden Spurs is a light tan shade with gold shimmer. 

Yee-Haw! is a peachy orange with gold shimmer.  At first, this color was so-so but, after wear it is truely stunning and looks ravishing on all skin tones.

Prize Winning Mare is another one of my favorites because it's unique and hard to describe.  A brownish shade with bronze and gold shimmer.  But, not as bronzy as per se Dior Gold Nugget.

Lasso My Heart looks purple in the bottle but, in real life is more of an metallic pink shade. Described as a purple with red and gold shimmer,   

Wagon Trail is drop dead gorgeous and looks even more stunning on.  A black with gold shimmer and olive green undertones.  One of the most unique colors or so I thought.  Check out it's twin sister.

Side Saddle a vampy brownish red with gold shimmer.

The Hay Ride collection is now available at Head2Toe or 8ty8 Beauty.

FEATURED - Sunday, October 5th 2008

Holiday 08: Chanel Haute Chocolat Nail Polish

Chanel introduces a chocolatey dreamy shade right in time for the holidays.  Haute Chocolat - a hot chocolate brown with gold shimmer.  It also has a touch of red shimmer but, isn't very noticable.  My application only required two coats to achieve bottle color and was flawless with no true errors.

Chanel also introduces two other shades: Dazzling (repromote) holiday red and Perle Rosee - light pink with matching shimmer.  Dazzling is just your basic red and Perle Rosee reminded me alot of Rose Turbillion but, nothing unique.

Check out more photo swatches below. 

 

 

The holiday 08 collection should be hitting most chanel counters next week and chanel.com.

Looking for an Alternative to Haute Chocolate?  Check out some brown nail polish comparisons.

FEATURED - Sunday, October 5th 2008

Chanel Holiday 08 Collection: Review, Swatches

Can you hear those sleigh bells ringing yet?!  It's not even fall and the Holidays are hitting most counters.  Actually, Chanel is always the first to release their collection super duper early and the rest seem to follow.  That's Chanel for ya!

Chanel's new holiday collection continues the "gold-theme" carried out through their fall collection as it is with most holiday releases.  Two colors that we continually to see is Red and Gold shades that never get old. 

You may see a couple of familiar items silimiar to their Fall collection but, I assure you they are quite different.  Foremost, the gold highlighting podwer's.  Gold Fever, released back in fall, is a gold beauty powder compared to holiday release.  The Pourde Precieuse Or is absolutely stunning as you'll see in the swatches below.  What's different - it's actually a pigment verses a powder and it's filled with gold and silver glitter - it's breath taking, you guys!

Check out all the swatches below.

The only lipstick that was a stand-out was Audace - a vibrant holiday red.  It's pretty but, not so unique.

Looking at Gold Shine - your probably thinking it's exactly the same as Gold Light.  But, it's not.  What's so unique about Gold Shine is you'll notice a peachy-pink base color which is stunning verses a clearish base.  Red Shine - a pretty red gloss perfect for the holiday.

 Chanel Holiday 08 Quad.

The Quad was prettier than I expected and the color pay-off was good on my NC-30 skin.  The gold highlighting powder looked gorgeous topped over the eye shadow quad.

How many times can I say WOW in a sentence?!  Don't worry, I'll spare you guys from the torture.  The gold highlighter is absolutely amazing and the picture doesn't even justify it.  When I was at the Chanel counter I grabbed the last one of these babies and the makeup artist was showing how multi purpose this stuff is.  You can add this to your lip glosses, eye shadow, nail polishes and even moisturizer.  If you can only get one product - do purchase this because it's truely amazing and beautiful!

Three nail polishes were released with this collection and Haute Chocolat was the only worthy one.  A gorgeous hot chocolate brown filled with gold pearl and very subtle red shimmer.  Check out more photos for Haute Chocolate.

Check out my Chanel makeup haul from the Holiday collection.  This collection should be available in the next weeks to come and on chanel.com.

FEATURED - Thursday, October 9th 2008

Chanel Holiday 08 Collection: Product Images

Chanel's Holiday collection is all about Glitz and Glamour.  Gorgeous Gold's and browns makes the perfect combination for a gorgeous - but, not over the top look this holiday season!  And, if it wasn't for my empty pocket book, I would have stocked up on so much more!  But, sadly, Chanel adds up faster than my wallet can even fathom.

Check out the photo's below.  I'll be going more in depth with each product.

 

Red Shine - a gorgeous holiday red shade that is very pretty.  I'm a huge sucker for red lip gloss so this was a no brainer, ya know?  But, after looking at all my photo swatches, I'd wish I picked up Gold Shine instead.  You know why?  Well, it's just simply gorgeous!  And, what makes Gold Shine so different from other gold glosses is the peachy pink base color completely drenched in gold shimmer.  Gold Light topped with Chanel's gold highlighting powder = to die for! 

I can't even remember the last time I purchased a Quad from Chanel.  It's been that long since they've actually had a worthy one.  13 Beiges De Chanel, is a gorgeous mixture of brown and golds that's stunning.  And, just imagine, the gold highlighting powder topped over this look.

Check out the photo swatch from the Beiges De Chanel Quad. 

It's an interesting combination of colors - not your standard "beige" quad.  All four shades blended incredibly well - just like butter.   The mixture of colors range from your muted gold's to brown with gold pearl, dark brown with gold shimmer (for the crease) and a vanilla colored matte highlighter.   

Chanel Gold Highlighting Powder ($75).  Now, before you eeek at the price tag, here's some insight that may take some pain away.  This is pigment and not powder.  Actually, it's a large size of pigment.  Just think on the lines of MAC's pigment in jars.  To this day, there isn't one that I've used up.  MAC's Pigment jars are 7.5 g and Chanel's is 8.0 g.

When I was at the counter swatching the Holiday collection, Chanel's makeup artist literally put the gold highlighter on every swatched color on my arm.  I was amazed how versatile it was.  It looked stunning with pretty much everything.  Suitable for body, lips, moisturizer, eye's - you name it. 

Check out more pictures below. 

A large body brush is included with the highlighter and is meant to be used for larger areas.  So, if your using this as a highlighter, you can just use a powder or hightlighter brush.  My professional Sonia Kashuk powder brush worked out perfectly. 

 Oooh......ahhhhh..... So pretty.

Haute Chocolat is a pretty chocolate brown with gold and red shimmer.  Most likely, this will be the sell-out from the three that were released.  It coordinates perfectly with the gold and brown theme to complete the look.

Everything should available online anytime now.  I know many Chanel counters don't plan on getting the holiday collection until mid October or later.  I'd call your local counter before making the trip.

FEATURED - Friday, October 10th 2008

Sally Hansen Fall 08: Tracy Reese Collection

Year after Year Sally Hansen collaborates with fashion designer, Tracy Reese to bring us the latest and greatest nail trends right from the Runway.  For Fall 2008, Sally Hansen and Tracy Resse introduces 10 limited edition shades directly from Tracy's Fall 2008 Fashion Runway show.

The fall collection includes 10 new shades sure to please any appetite.  The shades range from your basic nude colors to vampy and edgy - perfect for fall trends.  Sally's best selling formula provides full coverage with two easy applications.  Some colors used three applications just to even everything out.  But, overall, two coats was the average for me.

Check out all the photo swatches below.

I'll be the first to admit - nude colors aren't my thang but, Divinity - a true nude with gold shimmer and slight pink undertones ended up being one of my favorite shades from the Fall collection.

 

Quartz Chameleon - a soft pink with gold shimmer.

Moonstone was my least favorite shade from the Tracy Reese collection.  Despite the grey bottle color, it's more of an white frost with silver shimmer. 

If it wasn't for Sally Hansen's previous release in Gunmetal, I would be all over this color.  Stormy Blue was slightly disappionting just because Gunmetal is pretty much an exact dupe.

 For the swatch above, three coats were applied on each nail.

Raven's Wing - a black loaded down with black, gold, and silver shimmer that's very blingy.  I absolutely love black nail polish colors for Fall - it's the new blue baby.  What makes Raven's Wing different from any other black is the beautiful gold base shimmer.

The Good Earth - a dark brown coffee shade with gold and red shimmer.  Good Earth is a darker brown than Chanel's new one, Haute Chocolat.  Check out the brown nail polish comparisons.

Alchemy, another favorite from the collection, a magenta purple with red and pink shimmer.

Cruel Heart - a ruby red with matching shimmer.  Just your standard red, nothing special.

Night Lily - a deep berry purple pink creme.  Unfortanetly, my swatch isn't an accurate color respresentation for some reason.  It's a much deeper purple berry shade that's very pretty. Check out an example below.

Night Lily has the same base color as Massini's Purple Medallion.  Just to give you an idea how off my swatch is above.

The Tracy Reese collection should be available now at most stores reatailing ($4.99 and up).

FEATURED - Sunday, October 26th 2008

Alternatives to Chanel Haute Chocolat Polish

Chanel's Haute Chocolate nail polish is truely fab, I'm not going to lie.  But, nowadays with the ecomony in the early stages of recession and uprising costs on just about everything, twenty bucks may not be realistic for most of us.  So, here's some alternative brown nail polish comparisons that's on a friendlier budget.

Check out the swatches below.

Sally Hansen's, Haute Chocolate ($5.99), may resemble Chanels name but is much different in color.  Sally's version is much more red toned compared to Chanel's milky brown.  

 

Chanel's, Haute Chocolat ($20), is a true milk chocolate brown filled with gold pearl and very slight red shimmer.  It's the perfect brown shade espically if you've been searching.

  

Sally Hansen's, The Good Earth ($5.99), is an excellent alternative to Chanel's.  The colors may not be an exact dupe (which, quite honestly may be hard to find) but, it's close and a gorgeous color if that.  The Good Earth is slightly darker brown with a tad bit red toned and has less gold shimmer compared to Haute Chocolat but is a great brown regardless.

The Good Earth was released in the Tracy Reese fall 08 collection and should be available at stores now.

FEATURED - Monday, November 9th 2009

New Holiday Mini Sets from Borghese

Product: Borghese Holiday Mini Kits, 4 minis per kit, .14 oz/ea

Price: $9.99/per kit

Steph's Rating:

Buy it: Rite Aid, Walgreens

When you start to see the Christmas trees, lights and decor - you know the Holidays are right around the corner, which only means, exclusive gift sets! I'll be the first to admit, I'm a sucker for seasonal collections including this one from Borghese.

Each limited edition set includes four, small nail lacquers with Micronized Gemstones or what I'd like to call, Glitter. The mini sized bottle is accompanied with a pint size application brush that I had minor issues with. No biggie, but worth mentioning.

Are you ready for some swatches? Lets start with the first set called, Allegra.

Gold Glitter is a warm toned gold with gold glitter. It's much warmer than Nubar's 24K Nail Polish.

Red Glitter is a fabulous holiday color, it's an opaque red loaded with gold glitter. 

White Glitter is a frosting like white glitter with micro glitter that can be topped over any nail color or worn alone.

Black Glitter is a opaque black with silver glitter.

White glitter layered over Black glitter.

Next is the Serena Collection. 

Brown Glitter is a semi sheer brown/red with gold, red and silver glitter. If you love OPI's Holiday Glow like I do, you'll love this one. 

As soon as I swatched Green Duochrome, I knew we had a winner and a close dupe to Laura Mercier's Caviar Dreams. It's a gorgeous duochrome that switches from Gray, Green and Purple depending on the lighting. Really fabl!

 

Even though Borghese Green is a teensy bit more blue toned or tealish compared to Laura Mercier's, it's great alternative to the fabulous Caviar Dreams. 

Multi Color Glitter is a clear/sheer with blue, purple, gold and red glitter that's a close dupe to Sally Hansen's Rockstar Pink.  

Purple Shimmer is a vampy purple/plum with micro shimmer.

Overall, Great Sets! A perfect holiday gift for any fashionista. Each set includes trendy, up-to-date colors that are fabulous and unlike the typical package sets. Downside, I found the price of $9.99/set a bit high considering each bottle is only .14 oz. The smaller application brush gave me some minor issues. Micronized Gemstones or Glitter? Whatever the case, these are awesome! Borghese, we want full sizes!

My favorites: Green Duochrome, Brown Glitter, Red Glitter, Black Glitter and Gold.

What do you think of miniatures? Love them, Hate them? What's your favorites?

FEATURED - Monday, November 3rd 2008

Nail Polish of the Day: Revlon Crushed Crimson

Happy Monday!  I've been enjoying the fantastic weather these last two days, while it's here anwyay.  Today I'm sportiing one of Revlon's new fall colors in Crushed Crimson ($4.99).  Described as a mix between cinnamon, plum, and brown with fine subtle shimmer that's actually very pretty.

Crushed Crimson isn't the usual suspect you'll see on my nails or in my collection.  But, after having two close encounters with this shade, is a clear sign it was meant to be, obviously lol.

A few days ago, I picked this up but decided to put it back right at the last minute.  Then, just yesterday as I was browsing through my November issue of Instyle magazine, there it was again, bingo!

My application required two coats and no true problems with the formula.  Crushed Crimson is now available at most stores.  Have a great day!

FEATURED - Tuesday, November 11th 2008

Nail Polish of the Day: Petites Shimmering Bark

Shimmering Bark ($1.39) isn't "officially"my nail polish today, but it certainly was a few days ago!  I've been recouping this weekend from watching my four year old neice and didn't have a chance to post this.  Thank goodness we can give her back though - whoa such a handful.

I'm all about different and unique colors when it comes to drugstore nail polishes and Shimmering Bark ranks up there.  A hard shade to describe, mauve/plum/brown/taupe with purple and pink shimmer.  Can that description possibly get any longer, lol?!

It's different, yet a nice fall plummy color to coordinate perfectly with the OPI "France" family.  Priced at $1.39 a pop, Petites offers a nice range of colors including, a few really spectaular shades that I'll be posting as my NOTD's this month.

Petites are available at Walmart stores.  Have a wonderful day!

FEATURED - Monday, November 24th 2008

MAC and Hello Kitty: Let the Insanity Begin

You've heard the rumors for months now.  WWD sets the records straight for this highly anticipated collection we've all been waiting for.  Seriously, do you know how insane the demand is going to be for this collection?  Read more details below.

MAC has teamed up with Sanrio Global Consumer Products to create a Hello Kitty color cosmetics collection.  This new collection will arrive on MAC’s Web site Feb. 10, in North American stores on Feb. 12 and into overseas stores in March.

“We are thrilled to partner with a brand that shares the vision of offering an innovative, authentic and transforming experience to our loyal fan base,” said Janet Hsu, president of Sanrio. Sanrio’s worldwide retail sales of licensed products for 2007 is estimated at $5 billion.

While the 34-year-old Hello Kitty character is usually assumed to be a cat, she is actually a girl, according to Sanrio. And a girl without a mouth, so she “speaks from the heart,” the company said. “She may not have a mouth, but she’s going to sell a lot of lipstick,” cracked Demsey, noting that a waiting list for the items will go live on Jan. 7 at maccosmetics.com.

“To me, MAC Hello Kitty embodies the ultimate beauty icon,” said Jennifer Balbier, senior vice president of product development for MAC Worldwide. “She’s sweet and sexy, slightly edgy, and appeals to a wide range of customers. We wanted to reflect that through a sweet side, but also something slightly mischievous when it came to the colors. I started out by creating a palette of pinks, since they fit and always trend well in the spring. And this look is so much about the eyes that we did two eye shadow quads.” The Lucky Tom quad has violet blue, brown, gold and pink-coral shades, while the Too Dolly palette has mint, blue-silver, pale pink and magenta shades.

“We incorporated glitter eyeliners because she loves anything that twinkles, and we took the coral and hot pink theme and did pretty, poppy [colored] blush,” added Balbier.

While this collection is intended to have a sophisticated presentation, MAC hopes to appeal to younger fans with two shades of lip conditioners.

The Hello Kitty offerings fall into two collections: the Hello Kitty Colour Collection and the more high-end Hello Kitty Kouture. The bulk of the items are in the former category: six shades of lipstick with names like Fashion Mews and Strayin’, each $14; six Lipglass shades, each $14; and two tinted lip conditioners, $14.50 each; two eye shadow palettes, which each contain four shades and retail for $38; two shades of pigment are $19.50 each, and two Reflects Glitter stockkeeping units — one blue, one pink — are $17.50 each. Four Glitter Eye Liners, each $16.50, two shades of Beauty Powder, each $22; three shades of nail polish, each $11; a black mascara, $12, and false lashes, $12, round out the color offerings. Shades range from pinks and turquoises to lavenders and greens.

Hello Kitty Kouture is intended to be the high end of the collection. Two shades of Dazzleglass, each $28, each feature a reusable silver chain pendant with Hello Kitty outlined in white Swarovski crystals on black with a pink crystal bow. Sheer Mystery Powder, $90 and available in three shades, is packaged in a silver powder compact with Hello Kitty outlined in white Swarovski crystals with a pink crystal bow on a black background.

“We wanted to have affordable luxury and a high-low aspect, so it made sense to do the Hello Kitty Colour Collection and Hello Kitty Kouture,” said Demsey.

The Hello Kitty Colour items, a Petite Makeup Bag, $22, and a medium Makeup Bag, $35, will be in all doors, currently about 581 department and specialty stores in North America including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, as well as MAC’s 138 freestanding stores in North America and at maccosmetics.com. Internationally, the items will be in 1,307 doors in 69 countries, including 296 MAC freestanding stores outside North America. Hello Kitty Kouture will be available at MAC stores and maccosmetics.com only. At the maximum, the collection will be available for eight weeks.

A plush doll, $42; purse mirror, $22, and three-brush collection, $49.50, will be available at MAC stores, Nordstrom doors and maccosmetics.com only. A mirrored key clip, $16; beaded bracelet, $34, will be sold in MAC retail stores and at maccosmetics.com only, and a tote, $45 and soft vanity kit, $55, will be exclusive to maccosmetics.com. These items are intended to animate the counter presentation and create an entire Hello Kitty world at retail, Gager noted.

While none of the executives would discuss sales projections, industry sources estimated that the limited edition MAC Hello Kitty collection could do upwards of $12 million in North American retail sales. That projection is slightly larger than that of the hit Barbie collection.

In-store visuals, shot by Nick Knight, show the polar opposite aspects of the collection. One is an image of a blonde model holding a black vinyl Hello Kitty doll, which will be part of the accessory line. The other visual is what Gager terms “more of a dominatrix creature.” The point, said Gager, is to show that makeup can be transformative. Makeup was done by Val Garland, with hair by Sam McKnight.

And Demsey promises the surprises aren’t over yet. “There will be more products to come in the next three months with this partnership,” he said.

Ladies - start saving up!

FEATURED - Saturday, November 29th 2008

Fall Winter 08: OPI La Collection De France

 

Couture Couleur La De France fall/winter 08 collection features twelve rich, senous colors inspired by the effortless elegance of French fashion.

Despite the fact I'm so fashionably late posting my Fall swatches, the OPI France collection has some truely unique shades this year.  Starting off with the most unique and my personal favorite, You Don't know Jacques.  A deep brownish gray taupe creme that compliments most every skintone.  Another great shade coming in second is Parlez-vous.  Described as a lavendar purple with gray undertones.

What I passed on - most the Reds.  There's only so much you can do with red and while most of the shades in the France collection were nice, they just didn't interest me.

Check out the swatches below. 

Bastille My Heart - a medium cherry apple red with subtle pink shimmer.  I would of preferred this to be a tad bit darker.

 This image is a good color representation of Bastille my Heart.

We'll Always Have Paris - a dark vampy purple reddish creme.  A great plum shade for fall.

You Don't Know Jacques was one of the many stand-outs in this collection and my favorite.  Described as a Muddy Grey Taupe creme.  It's different, unique and just a fab neutral color all around. 

Lourve me Lourve me not - a violet base with blue and red shimmer. 

Parlez-vous OPI is another one of the stand-out colors in the France collection.  A lavender purple with muted gray creme.

Tickle my France-y is a nice neutral shade that's anything but sheer.  This is the perfect anytime shade that you can leave on your nails for days and not have to worry about coordinating with your work wardrobe.  

Eiffel for this color is a darkened plum with blue and pink shimmer that simply looked stunning on.   

Eiffel for this Color

Yes.. I can-can a darkened red plum much like We'll have Paris' base color, but with added silver shimmers.  I preferred this one over We'll have Paris because the silver sparkles gives a bit of kick.

I'll be adding a few more swatches this week.

The OPI collection de France is now available at OPI retailers and 8ty8 and Head2Toe.

FEATURED - Sunday, November 30th 2008

Fall Winter 08: Misa Poisoned Passion Collection

Misa introduces the Poisoned Passion collection this fall and winter 2008.  A collection of six seductive dark vampy shades of red, purple, blue and green.

Overall, Poisoned Passion is a nice collection of five shimmers and one creme shade.  Being a lover of shimmer polishes, I was pleased with all shades and glad only one being a creme texture.

All colors are rich and infused with excellent pay-off.  Most colors only required two coats and only had problems with Dying love.

 

A Sin Worth Committing, vibrant royal blue with blue and aqua shimmers.  Much brighter than OPI Yogta get this blue and Jessica's Midnight Moonlight.

Dying Love was my favorite from the Fall collection even though the application was a little finicky.  A black with silver and light blue shimmer.

This one left some visible brush stokes, but I really liked how the blue and silver shimmer made an glaze effect on my nails, so I guess I'll deal with it.  If you take your time and don't rush, you shouldn't have any problems.

 Candid shot of Dying Love

Fatal Affair, purple with blue and pink shimmer.  The base color is distinctly purple, but the blue shimmer is so powerful it leaves a glaze type of blue shimmer on top.

 

Forbidden Lust, violet based purple with red and blue shimmer. 

 Love Bite, the only creme and the dud of the collection.  Burgandy red brown creme.

Toxic Seduction, a blackened teal with gold and green shimmer.  Being a green nail polish fanatic, you'd think Toxic Seduciton rank up there with my favorites, but it didn't, for me at least. 

At first, Toxic Seduction was like love at first sight.  But, after a day or so of wear and tear, the once vivid teal was gloomy and darkened like a cloud was hoovering over.  My nails looked somewhat dull.  Mostly because of the "darkened" in Toxic Seduction.

The Poisoned Passion collection is available at Head2Toe.

FEATURED - Tuesday, December 2nd 2008

Coming Soon: China Glaze Romantique for Spring

For Spring 2009, China Glaze introduces the Romantique Collection.  A sensual collection of twelve metallic chrome textures due to set release in the beginning of Janurary 2009.

The Romantique collection is split into two seperate releases just like the Rodeo Diva collection.  Warm palette consists of yellow, browns, and oranges while the cool palette consists of greens, blues, and purples.

Check out some sneak peek swatches from the ladies at E-polish and All Lacquered Up.

FEATURED - Monday, December 8th 2008

Nail Trends: Loreal Goes White for Winter

 

Loreal's latest Winter makeup display, Your Golden Moment featuring the gorgeous Beyonce is a collection of gold and brown eye shadow quads, peachy lipstick and glosses and two winter white nail polishes.

First up Satin Starlet, a crisper and brighter white compared to Chanel's white satin and a great alternative to the limited edition shade.  Suprisingly, I was able to get this accomplished with three coats and hardly streaking for a sheer.

See more swatches below.

    

Premiere Pearl was my favorite from this collection.  A white with pinkish - green iridescent pearl that dried to a satin texture and had fairly good color pay-off. 

Both these shades are now available at stores and retail around $4.99 each.

FEATURED - Tuesday, December 16th 2008

Steph's Closet One Year Anniversary Giveaway

Good morning all!  December's a special month for me and not because of the Christmas Holiday.  Last year at this time I can remember sitting with my husband at the Las Vegas conference center listening to Matt Cutt from Google and Craig from Craig's List and other successful bloggers speak.  At that exact moment, I knew blogging was for me, but didn't realize what I was getting into.

I'm not going to bore ya'll with all the geeky details, but I plan on writing a pretty lengthy post on my first year of blogging.  Anyhoo, on to the good stuff.

This has been a beyond excellent year for me and my blog at Steph's Closet.  Since the beginning, my traffic is 50 times the amount it once was and it's all thanks to my awesome readers.

How do I enter:

Simple!  Just post a comment.  Anyone that has a email address can post a comment on Steph's Closet.  Please make sure email address is current for contacting reasons only!  Email addresses are NEVER displayed or given out at anytime.  Must be a U.S. or Canda mailing address Only one entry per person Winner(s) will be picked randomly and announced mid to end Janurary

All items are brand new and unused.  1st prize details: Chanel Sublimage Eye .14, Strivectin SD Eye Creme 1 oz, bliss body butter 1 oz, Rescue Beauty Lounge mini sample kit - lotions, body wash, mini opi metal file, amazing graze buffing wash, glitter files

All full size and unsed Nail Polishes: SH emerald city (green), Nicole Show you Care (dark purple shimmer), China Glaze Ruby Pumps (gorg red glitter), CQ Chocolate Plum (brown plum), Revlon Berry Jeweled (magenta shimmer) , Rimmel Pop Quiz (peach glitter) and Scene Stealer (brown glitter), Loreal B. Impulsive (blurple glitter).

 OPI Blue Lagoon (blue holographic), mini manicure set, blue glitter file.

Revlon Plum Flip (duochome plum), Berry Jeweled (magenta shimmer), glitter file and mini manicure set.

The winners are announced!

FEATURED - Wednesday, December 17th 2008

Holiday 08: Chanel Moscou Collection Swatches

Chanel's Moscow - Moscou collection introduces three new exclusive limited editions inspired by Russia's fashion.

Let's get down to business because I know you guys are dying to know.

Are all three shades beautiful?  Of course.  Unique?  Somewhat, but for the most part, not really.  Must Haves? Probably not. Depending on your current money situation.

My Favorites are Nuit De Russie and Or De Russie.  Must Have: Nuit De Russie.

The formulas are rich, opaque and only require two coats for each color.  You could possibly get by with one coat due to the thickness.  Not overly thick - just perfect.  No reason to add thinners or anything like that.

I'll be posting all possible dupes from my collection in the next couple days. 

The big question that's on everyone's mind? Does this look like Wagon Trail and Wnw Stunner?  Yes.  Looking at both Wagon Trail and Stunner compared to Ore De Russie, you'd think their different.  The shimmer in Stunner and Wagon Trail is distinctly gold toned and Or De Russia is bronze almost resembling a brown base rather than black.  When applied, it's hard to tell the bronze and gold shimmer apart from each other.

First, let me clarify that these aren't exact dupes.  Just extremely close and probably not recognizable to the naked eye.  I'd say pass on this want to save some cash and opt for China Glaze's Wagon Trail for $4.99.

 

 Inside Flash.

Fue De Russie is a black based polish with maroon and very subtle pink shimmer.  Both Feu and Ore have fine micro glitter shimmer and Nuit has more of a chunkier heavier glitter.

What distinguishes this from any other comparison is the maroonish shimmer.  CG Lubu Heels, Nicole Black Cat-cha Later, Petites Black Rouge are all "red" based shimmers.  Even though there's some subtle pink in there, I still would classify this as a "maroon" shimmer.

 Inside Flash.

Nuit De Russie is truely the bread winner from the Moscou collection.  Described as a black based polish loaded down with teal and subtle green chunky glitter.  Now, when I say "chunky"glitter, it's not as heavy as your probably thinking,  just more so compared to the other two from this release.

If you were to splurge on only one shade, I'd recommend this one.  It's gorgeous!  The chunkier shimmer makes this oh so fab.  Maybe not so unique compared to Sinful's What's your name or Nicole's Blues in the Night except Chanels has tons more shimmer with an added touch of subtle green.

The Moscou collection retails for $30 each and is only available online at Chanel.com or at their Boutiques.  Most of these colors are not available at the makeup counters.  It's going to be the same routine as the Robertson Blvd collection.  I'd call first before making a trip.  Stay tuned for the comparisons.

Want more Chanel? Check out their latest Purple Craze for Spring 09!

FEATURED - Friday, December 19th 2008

Alternatives to Chanels Moscou Collection

Looking Chanel fabulous doesn't have to cost a fortune.  Shhh....no one will ever know!

Sure, maybe the colors weren't as unique as I'd like them to be, but the formula surely makes up for it in the end.  When it comes to formula and application, Chanel has it goin' on.  The Moscow collection has rich opaque textures that beat out all the competition hands down.

After playing with all comparisons yesterday, I will say Chanel makes the best shimmer polishes around.  The sparkle and shine out beat them all.

 

Feu De Russie was the easiest to duplicate from the Moscou collection.  The closest alternative is Sally Hansen's No Chip 10 day in Endless Nights ($4.99) and coming in at a close second, Nicole Black cat-cha later ($7.99).  Both shades available in stores now. 

Other Potential Canidates: Sephora Meet For Drinks (too magenta pink), Sephora I'm with Brad (too red like Sinful's rose diamond), Petites Black Rouge and CG Lubu Heels (glitter too red and chunky), Sinful Rich at Heart (too red). 

Judging by the bottles, Wagon Trail ($4.99), WnW Stunner ($3.99) do look different from Or De Russia. The bronze shimmer in Chanel's is dead on Dior's Gold Nugget.  You could probably franken a dupe with a black or dark brown base with some bronze and gold shimmer.   

 

The only true differences is the brownish and blackish bases.

It takes 2-3 three coats of Nicole's Blues in the Night to accomplish one coat of Chanel's.  That's how fabulous Nuit is!

Nicole's Blues in the Night ($7.99) doesn't have nearly the amount of shimmer as Nuit De Russia and Sinful's What's your name ($1.99) is more black with subtle shimmer.  Both polishes are readily available at stores.

Hope your having a fabulous Friday! 

FEATURED - Wednesday, December 24th 2008

New Line: NYC introduces quick dry nail polish

 

Out with the old and in with the new is NYC's resolution.  You may have noticed stores clearing out the NYC glossies only to make room for these hip new colors.  I've seen that Meijer and some other stores have marked down the glossies to clearance.  Make sure you take advantage of those clearance items and stock up because their bye, bye, bye!

Details: NYC introduces a quick drying nail polish in under 60 seconds called, New York color in a minute.  A vast variety of 24 new colorful shades and one clear fast dry topcoat.

Overall, these are fab.  Most colors are exceptionally pigmented and only requires two coats with the exception of a few lighter shades.  The variety of colors are endless and priced at $1.99 is a steal.

Who has time to sit and wait around for polish to dry?  I certainly don't.  That's why these are perfect for me.  A quick drying polish that stays put for days. 

The nail polish names represent street and popular places you'll see in New York City.

 

Chelsea (first two pics above) 228B - deep candy apple shimmer.  Two coats, no topcoat.

Lincoln Center 232B - dark burgandy red-brown creme.  Two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added  Manhattan 248B - a deep burgandy magenta-purple creme that could be Lincoln Center's cous.

New* Just Added  It was hard capturing the true colors of both these shades.  Manhattan is much prettier with the magenta purplish undertones.  

Canal Street 220B - a dark brown red shimmer. Two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added  Broadway 238B- a red- brown cinnamon with red, gold and silver micro shimmer. Two coats.  No topcoat.

 

Fifth Avenue 218B (above) - a rusty copper orange shimmer.  Two coats, no topcoat.

Mulberry Street 212B - a white sand beige with shimmer.  Coverage was really good for light toned shade.  You could even get away with two coats on this one.  Swatch (above) three coats, no topcoat.

Update: After wearing this Creme Bruele shade (Mulberry Street) a few times, I ended up really liking it.  Possibly a mix between NYC's Little Italy and Bryant Park into a shimmer version.  

Little Italy - A crisp white or french white creme.  It's really hard to find a white opaque shade and sometimes I even resort to a french white such as Little Italy.  Swatch (above) two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added   Wall Street 234B - a mid tone pink with shimmer.  Three coats no topcoat. 

 

Soho 222B - A light pink feminine shade with shimmer.  Three coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added   Uptown 242B - a barbie pink with shimmer.

New* Just Added   Here are some pink comparisons from the NYC line. Uptown is my favorite out of the three. 

Bryant Park 214B - a much lighter version of OPI's Charmed by a snake.  Described as a sand color beige with shimmer.  Bryant Park kinda blended in with my skintone.  Meh for me, but pretty on someone else.   Two coats, no topcoat.

New* Just Added   Park Avenue (two pics above) 246B - a unique duochrome shade that switches between taupe, lilac and pink.  Three coats.  No topcoat.

Central Park 216B - a light peach shimmer with some pink undertones.

New* Just Added   Midtown 240B - a vibrant hot pink with blueish-purple shimmer.  

New* Just Added   Downtown 244B - a dusty pomegranate pink creme. 

Times Square 224B - Perhaps the brighest color from this collection.  A bright coral with hints of tomato red creme.  Although my pictures may look tomato orange, Times Square also has distinct hints of coral pink.

 

 Penn Sation (two pics above) 230B - a magenta pink-red with shimmer.

 

East Village (two pics above) 206B - Turquoise blue shimmer that was somewhat sheer.  Three coats to acheive bottle color.  Swatch (above) Three coats, no topcoat.

West Village 204B - a navy blue base wiith pink and purple shimmer. Maybe not the most unique, but very pretty.  Two coats, no topcoat. 

 

Chinatown (two pics above) 210B - Saving the best for last.  Not quite black but not quite purple.  A unique ink  colored shade loaded with some duochrome micro shimmer that looks blue, silver, and mint green at different angles.  It was hard distinguishing the colors.  Talk about gorgeous, whoa!  I highly recommend Chinatown - a definite must have from this collection.

The NYC New York in a mintue quick dry is going to be a permanent line and should be hitting stores in the next couple weeks which retails for $1.89/ea.  So, get on over there and pick you up some Chinatown.

FEATURED - Thursday, August 20th 2009

OPI Fall Matte collection: Review, Swatches

This Fall, OPI introduces the Matte collection, a release of six current OPI shades available in a non glossy, matte finish. Each bottle is included with an instruction tag that states the following:

• Matte by OPI does not wear as long as original OPI Nail Lacquer.
• Do not use base coat, top coat, drying products, or hand lotion when wearing matte.
• Do an all Matte nail. Or do a Matte nail with matching Glossy tip.

Before we get to the details, let's discuss what this means. It's time to toss that rule book out the window because skipping a base coat would be a bad idea. You don't want your nails super stained. If you can hunt down a no shine base coat, that would be best. I've had better luck using a ridge filler for my base.

As far as hand lotion, just be sure to wipe your nails off with a tissue or cotton pad to avoid that shiny, satin finish.

Application is the challenging part. Every matte polish I've tested is super fast drying, which may create problems for the habitual coater. The good news, OPI's wide brush makes it easier to accomplish three brush strokes. Anymore than that, you'll notice streak lines in your application.

Ready for some swatches guys?

Alpine Snow, a white chalky flatte matte. This reminds me of a winter snowy morning when the snow is intensely bright to look at.  

As much as Gargantuan Grape looks minty green in my swatches, it's not. It's a tad bit more yellow based and has that chalky texture.

La-Pazatively Hot is true to the name! A gorgeous hot pink matte with shimmer that's one of my faves from the collection.

 You Don't Know Jacques, a mushroom brown taupe chalky matte.

Lincoln Park after Dark, a vampy blackish purple matte. 

As much as I'd wish Russian Navy was a shimmer like the original, I still love it. A flatte navy blue  matte.

The matte collection is now available at Professional Salons and online at the E-tailers. Have a wonderful night!

FEATURED - Sunday, December 28th 2008

Chanel Spring 09: Bohemian Fantasy Collection

With the birds chirping and warm sunny days we've been having, you'd think Spring is on the way.  Trendsetter, Chanel, starts us off with a preview for the upcoming Spring 09 season.

The Bohemian Fantasy offers a collection of browns, plums, and silver eyeshadow quads and singles.  Bold bursts of red, pinks, and beiges for your lips not to mention the stunning yet vampy Vendetta nail polish for all you purple lovers.  For the not so bold, Django vernis offers a nice feminine touch of pink appropriate for any work envirnoment.

This year Chanel goes all shades of Purple - a girls best friend.  What a brilliant idea, purple!  Much different from last year's Aurora Blue and the typical "pastel shades" that I personally dislike.

Mystic shadow quad is much gorgeous in person.  The stunning silvery plummy shade will have you at hello - no kidding!  Need to brighten your eyes up? Try Delta Irisdescent fluid, a gold metalliic eyeshadow base that's stunning under Mystic Eyes.

Check out all the swatches below.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Spring collection should be available mid January at counters and online.

FEATURED - Sunday, January 11th 2009

Swatches Galore: Hot Topic Nail Polish

Since I've been talking about Hot Topic so much latley, I figured now would be a perfect time to post all my nail polish swatches.  Just a warning to ya'll -  pic spam galore here.  You'll probably find yourself scrolling and scrolling.  Sorry Chicas.

I'm going to brief you guys real fast so you can get down to the good stuff.

Price: $2.99 or cheaper, if you can spot any on clearance.  Those discount bins are seperate from the nail polishes, so check around or ask sales associate.  Most colors are available at Hot Topic stores usually located in Malls and some online.  You'll find more of an color selection at the actual shops.

Quality.  Here's some of my descripencies I have with Hot Topic's quality.  The awkward brush size and overall construction makes it a little hard to navigate on your nails.  Some formulas I find rather thick and others are just fine.  If you run into a thick formula, no worries.  All it takes is a drop or two of thinner such as Seche thinner Restore.  Guys, don't be afraid of thinner.  It's, so easy.

One of my blogger friends, Scrangie also has love for Seche Restore.  Click here to check out a great instructional she posted on how to repair your nail polish.

Bottom Line:  I'll deal with the formula & brush because the colors are kick ass.  Plain and simple! 

Muted Gray - A stormy blue gray creme.

Comrad Green - A great alternative to Rescue Beauty Lounge's, No More War.  Army green olive creme tht applied glossy.

Kelly Green surely speaks for itself.  A great alternative for Nars Zulu and Rescue Beauty Lounge's green.  A must have color for me.

Kelly Green

Pastel Pink Iridescent - a pastel pink with blueish purple iridescent shimmer.  The snapshot in the picture is accurate.  Three coats to achieve bottle color.

Pastel Purple Iridescent - a pastel purple with pinkish gold iridescent shimmer.  Three coats to achieve bottle color.

Bright Turquoise - a bright turquoise creme that dried to a satin like finish.  You'll need a top coat if you desire a glossy finish.

Bright Purple - a bright purple creme that dries to a satin just like bright turquoise.

Dark Pink - Dark Pink Fuschia creme that applied to a satin like finish.  You'll need a topcoat if you desire a glossy finish. 

 

Midnight Purple - a purple blue creme that sways towards an "ink" colored tone.  Very Vampy. Love this.

Chocolate Brown - a dark chocolate creme that applied glossy. 

Silver Glitter - an opaque silver metallic foil type glitter polish.

Black Glitter - a black base loaded with silver glitter.

Black Glitter

Red Glitter - light red based with silver and red glitter.  You'll need three coats to achieve bottle color.

Red Glitter

Turquoise Glitter - a light turquoise base with blue and silver glitter.  Three coats to achieve bottle color.

Turquoise Glitter

Blue Iridescent - navy blue based with matching and aqua blue glitter.  A must have color.

Blue Iridescent

Purple Iridescent - a purple based with purple and blue glitter.  Another must have color.

Purple Iridescent

*New Trq/Ht Pnk Chunky - OMG Hot Topic gives birth to a Glitter this Spring!  A gorgeous chunky hot pink and turquoise blue glitter.  The base is clear like RBL's and takes a good three to four coats for bottle color.  Well worth the hassle!

FEATURED - Friday, January 23rd 2009

New Bold N Sexy Shades from Black Radiance

TGIF!  Happy Happy Friday.  Today has been a glorious day.  Mid 60's, full sun - gorgeous.  But, I'm not holding my breath because it's just a big fat tease.  Tomorrow were right back to temperatures in the thirties and snow.  Booo!

Let's jump start the weekend with some Bold and Sassy colors from Black Radiance.  So, these aren't exactly new.  Well, they were back in November when I oringially picked them up at Walmart in Jacksonville, FL.

When I spotted these beauties, I was on it because most stores in my area don't carry Black Radiance.  What's up with that?

The colors are extremely pigmented.  You could probably get by with one thick coat.  All my swatches were done with two.

Check out the swatches

 

 Rique -  a deep red brown maroon loaded with gold shimmer. 

 A very close dupe to China Glaze's Side Saddle and NYC's Cognac Sparkle.

 Passion - deep purple eggplant with matching shimmer

 Naughty - charcoal gray with silver and mint green shimmer.

 Seductive - a bronzey gold with gold shimmer.

Seductive and Prize Winning Mare are pretty much an exact dupe.  The only difference is Seductive is just a hair darker, but not by much.  Gold Nugget is more gold compared to the other two.

Now finding these may be a litte tricky.  Check the Black Radiance makeup displays where their regular nail polishes are located. 

Have a great weekend!

FEATURED - Wednesday, March 11th 2009

Limited Edition Nail Polish Sets from Icing

Happy Hump day!  Hope your having an excellent Wednesday morning.  Today I'm bringing you some fabulous limited edition sets from Icing by Claire's.

Last December during Christmas time, I discovered these nail polish sets at the mall. Unimpressed by the brush quality, I neglected to post my photo swatches.  Having brush imperfections can make your application a nightmare to deal with. 

When I saw the new spring colors at Icing, I just gasped and decided to give them another go around.  And, I'm happy to report - No brush difficulties. Yay!

Confession time.  So, the only reason I intitally picked up this set was due to the unqiueness of Ocean View and Retro Girl, but ended up loving them all!  Good thing, a? 

All five shades are loaded down with hot pink, gold, and purple micro shimmer.  Although, the only shimmer you'll see is hot pink.  Actually, I didn't even realize the various colors until I was swatching in the sun.  

Some of the formulas were a littlle more sheer than I preferred, but that's ok - I'll deal because their super pretty.  With any semi sheer nail polish, I pack the color on pretty thick - that way I won't be bothered with four coats.  The drying time may be a little longer than usual, but it beats four coats. 

 

Pure is a semi sheer white with hot pink shimmer that had better coverage than Icing's, Oceanview and China Glaze's, Kwik Silvr.

Ocean View, one of my favorites, a semi sheer seafoam green with pink shimmer.

 Ocean View and Pure.

 Tickled Pink is a light to medium pink with hot pink shimmer.

In Bloom is a lavendar purple with hot pink shimmer.

Retro Girl is beyond amazing and highly unique!  Described as a muddy olive green brown with purple, gold and pink shimmer that had good pigmentation all around. My pictures may look brown, but there's defintely olive green in there.  Take a peek at the product picture above.

Now, on to the bling bling. The glitters have an light tinted based and are filled with glitter and micro shimmer.  I debated on whether posting my swatches because it's next to impossible to capture the actual colors. 

 

Goldie Locks has a golden champagne base with gold, green and blue shimmer.

 

 Sparklin Girl has a silvery purple base with gold, purple and silver shimmer.

Starry Eyes has a light blue base with silver and blue shimmer.

 

Oscar has a light lime green base with gold and silver shimmer.

 

Passion has a light pink base with pink, gold and silver shimmer.

Here's some other colors from Icing.

Blackout is a greyish black base loaded with silver and holographic glitter.

 Luv U 2 Much is a clearish sandy base with silver and tan glitter.  Super blingy.

 Jem is a pink red loaded with silver shimmer.

Icing's Electrified reminds me of Misa's, Fatal Affair with a little bit more blue.  A blueish purple base with an overlay of blue shimmer.

Hellooo Foil goodness!  Oh my, I've never seen a foil polish this pigmented.  Wow, almost looks like Minx foils!

Maggie is described as a silver foil that's packed with pigmentation you'll only need one coat. 

 A Girl Like You, another foil goodness, is a pink and silver foil.  Excellent pigmentation, another one coater.

Here's a blurred pic just to show you how foily they just are!

Icing by Claire's nail polish is only available at Icing stores usually located in Malls.  Pricing as follows: miniature bottles $2.50, Large bottles $4.50, LE colored set $14.99 and Glitter set $10.99.  They always have buy one, get second half off specials.

So, I wanna hear - What's everyones favorites?  

FEATURED - Thursday, March 12th 2009

Holo Hotness: Orlys Primsa Glosses

Have you guys seen Orly's new glosses? They are down right incredible!  One of Orly's newest editions, Prisma Gloss in shades of Silver and Gold.  Prisma gloss acts as a topcoat that's - fast drying, high shine and loaded with special gold & silver glitter particles for a holographic effect on your nails.

Have fun with any nail polish shade using Primsa gloss!  Forget Essie's Starry Starry night, you can create your own starry dream in silver or gold.

Shake, Shake, Shake!  When you receive these glosses, you'll need to give them a good shake.  The glittler particles fall to the bottom of the bottle and needs to be mixed up with each mani.

For best results, treat prisma gloss as a topcoat.  The glitter and holograpic effect will stand out more.  Personally, I think they work best when used with a creme nail polish color.

Too bad the sun wasn't out today, I really wanted to show you guys the full potential of these babies.  All my swatches were used with one coat of Orly's Primsa Gloss and any creme based polish.

Silver Prisma Gloss is a clear base with silver and holographic glitter.  These are so fun to play with!  You can experiment with virtually any nail polish color in your collection!

The best news is - you'll only need one coat of Primsa Gloss to acheive a "WOW" factor to your nails!