pretty please

CARGO blu_ray High Def Makeup

Have you heard of the new CARGO "blu_ray High Definition Make-Up" line?  According to the promo matierlas, this line was created for make-up artists working on high definition projects - ie, since high def picks up on the most minute details on everybody's faces (eek) they wanted a make-up line that provided great coverage but looked natural.  Seems a little gimicky to me but I've got to admit that I like their lip gloss.  I tried a pretty peachy, pink color with a touch of shimmer and pearl color.  Now, it does smell exactly like minty floss but that could be a good thing.  I really liked the sheer coverage and the hint of color - I always struggle with any product with strong color - it just looks funky on me and seems to make my little lips look smaller.  This color was subtle and soft.  Now, the packaing does claim that the gloss uses all sorts of crazy technology ("hyaluronic acid derivative spheres and a peptide chain") to plump lips and smooth out fine lines, but honestly, I couldn't see any difference.  The lip gloss is being sold in a set of four for $29.  I think it might be worth trying.

NARS Blush - Embarrassing Name but Great Product

I've got to say - I am loving my new NARS blush.  I used the cream version a couple of years ago and liked it but always had some issues with really getting it to blend in and not be patchy.  I'm in love with powder version, though, and the color I chose (Deep Throat - ugh) is really beautiful - a nice peachy pink with just a hint of shimmer.  The texture is really smooth and it's lovely on the cheekbones.  I love the packaging too - they use this sleek material for a streamlined look and feel.  At $25, it's pretty pricey for blush, but I think it's worth it if it's something you won't leave home without wearing. 

Best of Sephora?

The latest Best of Sephora list just came out and as usual, there are some that I totally agree with and some that I am completely perplexed by.  My faves that also topped the Best of Sephora are: Hope in a Jar lotion by Philosophy, Urban Decay Primer Potion (although the container is awful), Bare Minerals foundation, and GoSmile teeth whitening.  However, I can't believe that Diorshow Mascara made the list again!  I think it's so clumpy and flakey!  I really need to get a new mascara but haven't been able to find one yet (ideas??).  I'm also always surprised to see Benefit's Hoola Bronzer make the list - I think I'll need to try that one on my next trip to Sephora.  I tend to think that Benefit's face colors come out a bit brown but maybe this one is nice.  Anyway, inspired by Best of Sephora, I decided to try out a classic winner - NARS blush.  Although I didn't go for the cult favorite - Orgasm - I did choose a similarly suggestively named "Deep Throat."  Ugh.  Why do they have to name their products this way?  I feel so dirty buying it!  I'll let you know what I think of it soon!  Maybe I'll try out all the Best of Sephora products and let you know what I think!

Mascara Test Run: Givenchy Eye Fly

In my hunt for a new and improved mascara after the Diorshow disappointment, I hit my stash of samples and pulled out Givenchy Eye Fly Lash Extender Mascara.  I don't know much about this brand other than that Liv Tyler is their latest rep and she's super cute in their commercials.  So far, I like this mascara pretty well.  It has the qualities Diorshow didn't - very buildable, non-flaky and creates LONG lashes.  Oh, and the brush isn't enormous - just perfectly normal-sized.  The only problem is that I'd like a little more volume to my lashes - not just long.  And the price is pretty steep - $23.50.  Maybe that's because the mascara contains "an infusion of mother of pearl particles" to make your lashes shimmer.  That seems a little excessive to me.  And no one has commented that my eyelashes are shimmery.  I'd like to find something cheaper that works better.

Overrated: Diorshow Mascara

Ever since I first started reading beauty blogs, I've heard rave reviews of Diorshow Mascara by Dior.  The fabulous huge brush, the buildable volume, the lack of flaking...how could I not indulge and try this mascara?  I've been using this for a couple of months now and can say with certainty that I am not impressed.  Yes, the brush is large...making it more difficult to maneuver.  My lashes start looking clumpy when I apply mulitple coats.  Oh, and the stuff flakes like freaking dandruff.  I finally said enough and am looking for a new mascara, and hopefully one without the steep $24 price tag!  Suggestions?

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

I've previously raved about Urban Decay Primer Potion - I love that it makes my eyeshadow stay put and not crease.  I love that it even seems to intensify the color I apply.  However, I hate the shape of the stupid bottle and that I know there's like 30% of the product that I can't get to.  Apparently there are ways to cut the bottle open to retrieve that last 30% but isn't that kind of ridiculous?  Thus, I was happy to see that a Sephora makeup artist went for a different primer when showing my friend some ideas for her wedding makeup.  Instead of Urban Decay she chose Too Faced Shadow Insurance and had the same comment I had - that she loved Urban Decay but hated the applicator and the bottle.  Last week I bought the Too Faced product and so far - it's been great.  I like the squeeze tube application a lot better and it seems to have the same staying power and similar consistency as Urban Decay.  I also love how little I have to use - like an eighth of the size of a pea.  Seriously.  It's awesome.  And at $17 for .35 oz. it's not much worse than Primer Potion's $16 for .34 oz.  I have a new favorite.

Bronzer!

Previously Posted on August 1, 2007.

Oops, it's been a while since I last posted! The good news? It's August so I have another month's budget to spend on clothes and makeup (I...um...wasn't allowed to buy anything in August due to an overly spendy June). I plan on making a trip to Sephora this week (I "need" some interesting new eye shadows and we'll see what else I find!).

Today, I'd like to discuss bronzer. I've battled with bronzer in years past - I first tried it while on Europe Semester in college. I bought some Clarins powder face bronzer in Rome but after a little while realized that it just made my face look dirty. However, this year, when my body tan was looking great from my spray tanner (scroll down to learn more about that), I realized that my face was a completely different color. I ran off to Sephora and scooped up Stila Sun Bronzing Powder SPF 15 (it's so tricky, you LOOK tan, but you're actually wearing sunscreen!) in Shade 2, Sheer Warm Matte Bronse. Now, I have learned that the key to bronzer is figuring out where to apply it and, to be more specific, where to apply it on your particular face. Before, I had been applying it "where the sun would normally hit you" - on the tops of my nose, cheeks, forehead, chin. However, I'm a bit cheeky, and I mean that physically, my face cheeks are plump and happy (and whenever I gain weight it goes there first). For me, I use bronzer as a contouring trick - under my cheek bones, around the edges of my face, on the sides of my nose, and a little on my forehead and chin. This slims my face down a little while still looking summery.

I say, try bronzer again and experiment with where you put it. It can make a big difference!

My Favorite Eyeshadow

While I'm still loving the pink chocolate Clinique Eyeshadow quad - I have to stop and rave about Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner.  I expect a lot from a cream shadow - it needs to be buildable and above all it MUST NOT CREASE.  I've resisted cream eyeshadows for years because every time I invested in one it creased all over the place and stayed in the back of my beauty drawer.  Benefit Cosmetics is a very cute brand - with fifties/retro packaging and trendy product names - but sometimes trendy companies don't make quality products.  While I don't feel like Benefit's products always live up to their claims, they've got a couple great items and one is their eyeshadow.  The pigment is beautiful - buildable and shimmery - and it really doesn't crease.  The color looks beautiful all day.  The price is steep $18 per little glass jar - but it lasts for years and works by itself give a great wash of color on your lids.  I own Tattle Tale (a buttery bright ivory) and Skinny Jeans (a shimmery grey) but I'd love to own them all.  Totally worth the investment.

Bare Minerals - Jump on the Bandwagon

First of all - I'm back!  I know it's been a ridiculously long time since I've posted!  Amethyst Ball took place last Saturday so I am finally resurfacing from the piles of ribbon, silent auction bid sheets and baskets.  The good news?  The event was a tremendous success, raising over $430,000 and looked spectacular!  The bad news?  I wore the same dress I have for the last couple of years and got hit on by a legendary (read: old) race car driver who shall remain nameless.  Ugh.

All that to say - yes, I'm back!  And I can't believe I haven't raved about Bare Minerals foundation yet!  Almost everyone I know has an opinion about the Bare Minerals line.  It seems to be one of those lines you either love or hate and I am way on the love side.  That's not to say that it doesn't take some getting used to but ever since I bought in when I was a senior in college, I've using the stuff religiously. 

Now, I don't recommend this product for those with problem skin and a lot to cover up.  As much as the info-mercials proclaim that this product can provide the ultimate in coverage, I seriously doubt it and think you'd end up spending way too much time buffing the powder in when you could just be slapping on some liquid or cream foundation.  However, if you've got skin like mine - basically clear with some uneven areas, this stuff is powder gold.  Here's how I know - since using it I've received countless compliments on my skin (that it glows, that it's perfect, that's it's so even) - not on my foundation.  I don't know quite how to describe it, but this makeup seems to make my skin sort of blur - the unevenness just disappears and my skin looks luminous.  Oh, and maybe the reason I have pretty much clear skin is because of this makeup - my complexion has definitely improved over the last couple of years. 

I must confess, however, that I have not been particularly impressed by the rest of the Bare Minerals line - it's just too pricey for what it does and the "Get Started Eyes" set I tried came out too orange-y for my skin tone.  I do recommend trying the Bare Minerals line - see if it works for you - you can always return it and you may find your go-to foundation! 

A Sad Day...

I KNEW it would happen!  Remember my beautiful (almost too pretty to use) blush from Clinique?  I opened the compact last week to find it in chunks and all crumbled up.  I think I actually wailed "Nooooooo!".  So - now I am in search of a new blush.  Any favorites?