Sephora Friends and Family Sale going on now!

Hey Everyone!  The Sephora F&F sale has begun, and it seems they are doing it a little different this time around.  You have to enter your email address here and get your one time promo code.  It's going on from now till Nov. 2nd.

What will y'all be getting??

MAC Lightscapade Dupe?

Hey Everyone!  Hope your wk has been going well!  I went to the MAC unveiling party for all the fall collections a couple days ago.  Since then I have been playing with all my newly bought goodies :)

I had this product in my collection, Revlon Pure Confection Highlighting Face Powder, which seems to resemble Lightscapade.  So I decided to swatch the 2 products and see if it was a possible dupe.  I took pics of the products against 2 different colored backgrounds as they were giving them a different hue when photographed.  Both these products seems to have the same colours throughout each compact...a cream, yellow, pink and blue swirl.  How did the products weigh in?

*Revlon PC is 4.26 g for $5.99 (on amazon.com)  VS  MAC Lightscapade is 10 g for $28
*Revlon PC is a permanent product VS  Lightscapade which is a limited ed. item
*Revlon is a tad more shimmery and full of sheen VS Lightscapade which has a not so obvious glow and sheen

I find these 2 products to be somewhat similar, but for me they are different enough to warrant me having both!  I would use Revlon PC for a more intense nighttime look.  And MAC Lightscapade for a more subtle daytime look.  Below are close up pics and swatch pics.

What do you think, is Revlon PC similar enough to be considered a dupe?

X+O,

MAC: Posh Paradise Haul and Review

Hey Everyone!  I am back with a MAC Posh Paradise Haul...

As I did not get everything from this haul, I can only speak on the items I purchased and not the collection as a whole.  So, what did I get...

• Paint Pots:  Genuine Treasure (reflects antiqued gold), Nubile (light peachy nude) & Treasure Hunt (light pearled yellow)

• Mattene Lipstick in Delectable (orange-beige)

From what I got I pretty much like everything, and didn't really have much to complain about!  Out of the paint pots I think I will be getting the most use out of Nubile, it is a very neutral colour and can be used almost under any shadow.  But during the holiday season I think Genuine Treasure & Treasure Hunt will be great for those metallic nighttime, as well as daytime looks.  Genuine Treasure will give you more of a bronze or old gold look, while Treasure Hunt will be more on the true yellow gold side.  The Paint pots seem to be very well pigmented and easy to work with.  I really wanted to get Idyllic but I passed on it, since I have been hearing that it is pretty comparable to Artifact.  Artifact is already a colour I have in my extensive collection!  

As for the Mattene Lipticks I REALLY did not need anymore lipsticks.  So I decided to get only one to test out the formulation.  I like the texture and coverage of Delectable.  It does not seem to need a primer under it and it comes off as a pretty almost nude colour on my lips.  This is a colour I can picture myself using daily, which is why I opted for Delectable.  Below I have included some swatches of the products, if you wish to get a little closer of a look just click on the pic to enlarge it.  You can find all these products at maccosmetics.com

Above: Delectable lipstick; lined with MAC boldly bare lip liner

Did y'all pick up anything from this collection?  What do you think about this collection?

X+O,

Review: MAC Me Over Fluidlines

Hey Everyone!  Happy Labor Day!  It's time to talk about the MAC Me Over fluidlines...

I picked up 3 of the fluidlines from the collection: Avenue (charcoal black w/ gold pearl), Dark Envy (blackened green) and Midnight Blues (blackened blue).  They all have excellent pigmentation, as well as texture.  I highly recommend getting these, as they are a quick and effortless way to change up your look!  The blue and green fluidlines are a great way to add a pop of colour when doing a neutral eye.  I already bought the 4th fluidline, Dark Diversion (blackened plum) from another collection.  I was also pleased with the colour and texture of this product.  All in all, I have to recommend all 4 of these!

What do you think of these?  Do you love them as much as I do?

X+O,

Review: MAC Me Over Runaway Red Lipstick

Hey Everyone!  This is the continuation of the MAC Me Over Collection review series.  The only lipstick I purchased from this collection is Runaway Red.  I am always on the hunt for the perfect red and I believe I may have found it.  Runaway Red is a perfect deep red colour!   I have included a few pictures of the products and lip swatches below.  The first lip swatch is of MAC's Runaway Red on it's own.  And the second lip swatch is of Runaway Red, layered with a lip gloss on top.  The lip gloss I used is Loreal H.I.P. Shine Struck Liquid Lip color in Turbulent.  Turbulent is a high shine intense bold red shade.  I really love MAC's Runaway Red with and without a lip gloss layered on top.  It all just depends on the look your trying to achieve.  The lipstick is good on its own if your wanting to a matte look.  The lip gloss layered over the lipstick is also great if you want a beautiful glossy shine.  Have fun with it!

Do y'all like Runaway Red by itself or when it is layered with the gloss on top?

X+O,

Review: MAC ME OVER Eyeshadows

Hey Everyone!  Lets go through my review of the eye shadows from the MAC Me Over Collection.  I bought 3 shades:  Creamy bisque (dirty ivory with pearl), Mythical (frosty coppery red) and Carbonized (frosty dark brown).  

The texture of the Creamy bisque shade is very pigmented and smooth.  It isn't glittery, however it has a pleasant pearlesque sheen to it.  I also like the finish of the unique shade of brown seen in Carbonized.  Even though it is a shade of brown,  this particular shade in quite uncommon as well as versatile.  Carbonized has a certain depth element to it and with it also being veluxe pearl, I simply love it!  As for Mythical, I simply wasn't satisfied with the texture even though it has a vp finish.  It was not as deeply pigmented as I would have liked it to be, and it did not give ample colour payoff.  In my opinion, there are many colours within the same colour family that can give a better effect.  It just didn't seem like there was anything really special about Mythical to me.  I am interested in trying out the other 2 shadows in this collection, Outre and Moleskin...they seem like they would be great for the crease.  If you have either of those, what do you think?

 If you want to get any of these eye shadows they can be found on maccosmetics.com

Take: Creamy bisque and Carbonized

Leave: Mythical 

X+O,

Review: MAC ME OVER Blushes

Hey Everyone!  Here are the swatches for the 2 new blushes from the Mac Me Over Collection.  This was the collection that were showcased in stores last week.  There are 2 shades that were released in this collection, Stunner (light coral pink) and Equilibrium (light bronze).  I was more excited for the shade Stunner, as I love all coral/pink shades of blush.  When I layer Lilicent (cream blush by Mac) under Stunner I get a perfect not overdone look.  As for Equilibrium, I have not found a way to get it to work for me...any suggestions?

So for now, I would only recommend Stunner.  At least until I can make Equilibrium work for me...

But with blushes I always tell all the women in my life (my mom, aunts, cousins and friends) to try on a blush and see how it looks on them!  What looks good on me, may not work for you and vice versa...

You can find these new goodies on maccosmetics.com

Have a fabulous day!

 X+O,

Review + Lip Swatches: Bare Escentuals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor

Hey Everyone!  Hope your wk is off to a great start!  I visited my local Sephora this past wkend and found these Bare Escentuals lip colors which I found to be interesting.  They are in lip gloss packaging but have the coverage of a lipstick.  The 2 colours I picked up were: Charisma (coral pink) & Ambition (hot pink/fuchsia).  Below I have swatches of both colours on my hand as well as on the lip, to give you a better idea of the colour and coverage.

You can find these on sephora.com, along with 10 additional shades.  

Pros:

* Sleek packaging

* Coverage of a full coverage lipstick (ie MAC's amplified finish)

* Many colour options

* Hydrates and repairs, while it also plumps and firms lips simultaneously

Cons:

* Cost $16

So what do you think?  Would you pick these up?

 X+O,

URBAN DECAY: 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection

Hi Everyone!  Got this palette a while ago and have been getting tons of use out of it!  I have included swatches as well, and like always you can click on the pic to enlarge it.  Lets get down to the pros and cons of this product, so you can decide if you need to make this palette a new addition to your collection!

Pros:  

* Wide range of colors, from neutrals to blues/teals to pinks/purples

* The amount of looks you can create with this palette are endless

* Creamy, buttery, high quality texture 

*Richly pigmented with excellent colour payoff

* Beautiful gun metal filigree designed packaging with a secret compartment for storage

* 15 X's .05oz eye shadows for $55

*  All shadows will work with every skin tone

Cons:

* Cannot just throw it in your purse/ Not travel friendly

*  Whenever there are multiple shadows in a palette it can get messy and colours can mix

* Some of the colours are limited edition

Have y'all picked up this palette?  How does it compare to the Urban Decay NYC palette?

X+O,

Sephora & Hautelook Haul: Korres

One of my first purchases from Korres was their lip butter in mango. It has an amazing consistency, is very moisturizing, and with a slight touch of color. It can also double as a cheek tint, how cool is that? On my next visit to Sephora I decided to pick up another lip butter glaze in jasmine, but this time in a tube. I actually like that one better. It's easier to use, especially since I'm a bit of a germ freak.

Then one day on Hautelook, I saw that Korres had this cute little set. Since I had such luck with my first two lip butters, I decided to pick it up. I also picked up the lip scrub in a tube.

The cute bag canvas bag came filled with some great goodies! There was this beautiful white eyeshadow that would be good for a brow highlight. A lovely nude lipstick, a mascara, a lip gloss, as well as a eyeliner. I actually haven't had a chance to use these items, but I'm looking forward to it.

As for the lip scrub, I have used it and it actually disappointed me. I'll talk about that in another review. My lips are crazy dry and I was hoping that this product would help this annoying problem.

One of the things that I like about this brand is that their products are natural and good for you. I don't feel guilty using their lip butter, since they are petroleum free. On top of that, they smell soooo good!

Besides the lip scrub, I have been very happy with my Korres products. One of the things I want to try in the future is their skincare. I've heard from various gurus that it's pretty good. Have any things from Korres that you love?

MAC: Fashion Flower Haul

Hi Dolls! I was excited about the release of this collection, as it had the beauty powder I have been wanting for sometime: Alpha Girl. I didn't want to shell out big bucks to pick it up on Ebay, so now after much waiting it is FINALLY mine! :) I was also looking forward to trying out the new lipstick Growing Trend (mid tone taupe nude), as it is right up my alley! I am absolutely obsessed with all nudes, as well as the amplified creme finishes! So this was a winner in my eyes! I did not pick up the Ever Hip lipstick this time, since I got it when it was released during the Liberty of London collection. I was so excited to get it when it was first released, but then I didn't end up using it much... The Light Sunshine beauty powder & Ground Cover eyeshadow seem OK, not anything that I would say you need to run out and get. And as for the Lucky Green eyeshadow it is permanent...so I wouldn't say you need to rush and pick it up by any means.

So what did I pick up?

• Ground cover Eyeshadow
• Lucky Green Eyeshadow (permanent; already had it in my stash)
• Alpha Girl BP
• Light Sunshine BP
• Fashion Flower Lipgelee
• Growing Trend Lipstick
• Ever Hip Lipstick (from L.O.L. collection)

Recommendations: Alpha Girl BP, Growing Trend and Ever Hip Lipstick Passes: Light Sunshine BP, Ground Cover Eyeshadow

What did y'all end up getting? What were your 'hit and misses'?

x+o,

MAC Ever Hip Lipstick, YOU ARE MINE!!

Hello lovely readers!

For the past couple of days I've seen sick as a dog. The majority of my time has been spent sleeping, watching tv, or internet shopping. I was on the MAC website getting my weekly fix, and I decided to pick up a couple of items from the Fashion Flower collection. The one lipstick that I wanted, Ever Hip, was already sold out!

Ever Hip lipstick had already been released with the Liberty of London collection and was making it's way back to us through this collection.

So, even though I was sick, I picked my butt up this morning and headed to my local MAC counter. This baby is now mine!

To see swatches, check out this post HERE.

I really love these new paper bags they have started to use. And here she is, Ever Hip! A beautiful coral color with a creamsheen finish. I can't wait till I feel better and actually put this baby on!

Hope every one is having a great day!

IMATS New York HAUL!!

Hello All!

Well, here is my haul from IMATS New York. I set aside some money little by little and thankfully I really didn't go past my budget. Yay! I actually did see some things that I had to just walk away from. They're still on my "wish" list and maybe someday I'll purchase some more goodies :)

Review: Sugarpill Chromalust Loose Eyeshdows



Hello!  I'm so excited to share with you my Sugarpill swatches!  If you haven't heard already, Sugarpill Cosmetics is a new independent cosmetics brand.  If you want a little more info, check out my first Sugarpill review HERE. 

I couldn't pass up the 20% off sale for Sugarpill's anniversary.  I had picked up three loose eyeshadows during last years black Friday sale, so this time I decided to get all the rest of the loose eyeshadow colors.  I couldnt' get my hands on one red loose eyeshadow.  For some reason I can no longer find it on the website :(  I wonder if it's been discontinued...  Also, I forgot to take a pic of Goldilux, forgive me!  That color is included in the swatches though.

Please click on the pics for a closer view :)

I swatched these without an eyeshadow primer.  As you can see, they are crazy pigmented!  That's using just one swipe! And talk about adhesion!

(Please click on the pics for a closer look)

I think my favorites are definitely Goldilux, Magpie, and Darling.  The quality of these loose eyeshadows are amazing.  I did have slight trouble with some of the eyeshadows that have big chunky glitter such as Stella and Royal Sugar.  Those two colors are gorgeous, but the large glitter had a tendency to rub off.  It may have been because I was not using a shadow primer.  Nonetheless, these shadows are beautiful and worth you looking into.  Especially if you have a love affair with color!