Review Post ~ L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base & Too Faced Bronzing Powder in Sun Bunny

First up for review is the *NEW* L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base. Whew... that is a MOUTHFUL.



I got the chance to try this when I noticed a coupon and sample in the latest edition of Allure magazine. My makeup stayed on ALL day. I didn't even need to touch up my powder! I have combination skin, with my oily areas being my T-Zone. I applied the L'Oreal product first, and then did the rest of my makeup as usual. Perfection. All day.
Was this a fluke? Maybe I didn't do enough moving and shaking that day?

Heck, I have a coupon, let's go try it out. If it really does stink Rite Aid has an excellent return policy. I picked up this base last night to use today, and am happy to report the outcome is the same! I was even outside today in the HUMID gross air sweating like crazy and I'm not shiny!

Retail on this is about $12.95 - but you can always watch out for drugstore buy one get one half off and/or coupons. Don't be discouraged by the size of the pot. It's NOT big and is a little off-putting. Really, you DON'T need much of this, so it should last awhile.

I will post a review update on this once I've used it for awhile. That way I can inform you if it made me break out, rash out, and how long it lasted.

Today I also wore Too Faced "Carribean In A Compact" Bronzing Powder in Sun Bunny.



This powder also has the staying power of super glue. Many a day has been spent looking for the perfect bronzer for my NW25 skin. I got this sample of Too Faced Sun Bunny with my most recent Sephora.com order (and it's still available now!) and (I'm not kidding) almost fell over when I saw how great it looked. OMG that sounds so narcissistic... I'm really not a tool. Once you try this product you'll see what I mean! It retails for $27 at Sephora.

Two products in one day that just last and last and last!! What are the odds?!

FOTD ~ Urban Decay Naked Palette & MAC Happy Together

Heya!

Believe.The.Hype.
You need the Urban Decay Naked Palette. It's SO easy to use and you have countless looks right at your fingertips.

Originally, I wanted to go for an extremely neutral look. Since all the looks I've seen (so far) of this palette have been smokey or dramatic I thought we needed to see something a little different. However, after seeing it in person, I just HAD to try Darkhorse eye shadow. It's just absolutely gorgeous and I can see it being the first to acquire a major dip.

For this look I used:
~ MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NW25
~ MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NW25
~ Lancome Dual Finish Powder Matte Bisque II
~ MAC Taupe Brow Pencil
~ MAC Brow Set - Clear
~ Urban Decay Eyeliner in Zero
~ MAC Plushlash Mascara in Black
~ Urban Decay Naked Palette Eye Shadows in Dark Horse (crease & outer V), Toasted (middle of the lid), Sin (inner corners), and Virgin (highlight)
~ MAC Happy Together Mineralized Blush
~ Bare Escentuals Buxom Gloss in Amber
~ Brushes - MAC 168, MAC 219, MAC 227, MAC 239 (2), Mary Kay Mini mascara wand (to brush up the brows)


I was REALLY impressed with the UD Naked Palette. The colors are AMAZING and there are so many possibilities! The shades are blendable and have a large range so you can go neutral all the way up to dramatic and everywhere in between. This is their best palette yet.

Between that and the AWESOMENESS of the Alice In Wonderland palette... I just may be turning into a HUGE Urban Decay junkie!!! Can't wait for their next F&F. I'm more than likely going to go a little wild!





Disclaimer - yes, to me, this eye is dramatic! I'm a normally neutral stay at home mommy ;) But we need to be beautiful too!

Review Post - Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss, Bare Escentuals Buxom Gloss, MAC Happy Together Mineralized Blush

Good morning & Happy Tuesday!

In this post I'd like to review of few of my samples that I received from my most recent Sephora order as well as MAC Happy Together Mineralized Blush.

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lipgloss in Doug


I assume this is Doug (described as a sheer medium pink w/ irridescent sparkle, which, btw, is spot on). I had to look it up on the site because I couldn't find it on the packaging, but it IS early, so I may just be missing it lol
This lipgloss was pretty sticky (which also seems to be the biggest gripe on Sephora.com's reviews), and I didn't really like the way it felt on my fingers or lips while applying. Once it was on, however, I was definately in like. The gloss has a nice tint to it and smalls & tastes DIVINE.
The full size packaging is probably what would keep me, personally, from buying this gloss. I'm going to be 30 years old in November and I have 2 small children. I wouldn't be able to justify purchasing this because I seriously feel like I'm about 15 years too old for it. I think it was a good move for the brand to reach out to a younger consumer though. What might keep a younger consumer away is the $19 price tag.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Gloss in Amber


BE and I have never meshed. I tried to buy in on the Mineral Powder and eye shadow and the stuff just never worked on my skin. These glosses have always intrigued me, but I never wanted to try them because of my experience with the Mineral makeup. This sample was the perfect opportunity to give the Buxom Gloss a whirl!

Amber, described as a soft shimmering peach, is really neutral and really pretty. I'm actually wearing it in the FOTD that I'll be posting today. It's a tad sticky but has a really awesome cooling effect on the lips that is still there even now, an hour later! It's not an offensive or painful feeling, it just feels GOOD. Almost relaxing. I love the packaging and the price isn't TOO bad at $18 a tube. They also have cute little sets of these, which is what I think I'd go for.

MAC Happy Together Mineralized Blush


90% of my collection is MAC. I'm a MAC girl. I just can't help it. Even though they sometimes release 3-4 collections a month! I still keep coming back for more pretties.
Happy Together Mineralized Blush (In The Groove, $23) was something I originally passed on. Usually these blushes are shimmer bombs and make me feel ridiculous when I wear them. In fact, the ONLY one that I loved before this one was Nuance and it's definately an HG. I loved the swatches of Happy Together, but passed because of my usual experience of Mineralized Blushes. Why waste the time buying and either having to swap or return it if I don't like it? My lemming got the best of me a week later and I ordered it off of the website.
So glad I did! It's MUCH more pigmented than the swatch I provided shows (which is both colors swirled together). It actually seems like it showed up a bit peachy on me. (I used this blush in the FOTD I'll be posting today). It goes on smoothly and I think it would compliment most skin tones.
I definately would repurchase this one and would recommend you pick one up STAT!

Sephora & MAC Haulage!

Good day! Two in a row! On a roll now!

What happened with the UPS you ask? My mailman called me around 3:30pm EST to tell me he saw my packages sitting on the street over. Same house number, wrong street! UPS always misdelivers! Anyway, legally he couldn't take them to me, but he said I could come get them. I can't leave the kids or take them out so I sent my father in law on a search and rescue mission. Recovery has been completed and I'm so excited I immediately took pics and ran for the computer!

Today my UPS haul consisted of The Urban Decay Naked Palette (which has sold out online THREE times now!), my HG Lancome Dual Finish Powder and MAC Happy Together Mineralized Blush from In The Groove, Brush Cleanser, and Plushlash Mascara (when did they change the Plushlash packaging?! lol).





The Urban Decay Naked Palette is actually more gorgeous in person than it is in everyone's blogs. Yes, it's possible. It is said to NOT be limited edition, but they just cannot keep it in stock. It's that amazing? We shall see!








My Sephora shipment was also stuffed with goodies! RARELY do I ever indulge in the 500 point beauty perk. TBH they are usually extremely lame. This time there was a nice little goodie bag from Benefit. A company I've been most curious about for the past month or so. (I've done some in store swatching at Sephora and Macy's but haven't taken the plunge yet).



The Benefit Makeup Your Mind 500 Point Perk includes Deluxe Samples of:
- BADgal Mascara Duo in black and plum
- Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in R.S.V.P. (sparkling champagne)
- Posietint
- Lipstick in Lady's Choice (naturally nude)
- Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer

I also got the Juicy Couture "Couture" Rollerball Mini for my 100 point perk and my 3 free samples are Too Faced Bronzing Powder in Sun Bunny, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lipgloss in Doug, and BE Buxom Lipgloss Samples in Amber and Dolly.

I've only tried the Couture rollerball, and I must say... LOVELY. I'll wear this a lot! It doesn't give me a headache AND it stays on!

Tomorrow there WILL be a FOTD with the Naked Palette! WOO HOO!

NOTD ~ OPI DS Mystery

It's definately a MONDAY. It's overcast, threatening rain, and the kids are in major crank mode. The pup is mad at me because her backyard is in ruins and I won't let her out front for her daily sunbathing, so she sits here, as I type, huffing and puffing. She'll like the soon to be NEW backyard much better... but you can't tell her anything when she's in these moods ;)

THEN... I think... HEY the day is looking up! UPS tracking is saying that my Sephora and MAC orders are delivered and on my porch! WOOOOOHOOOO! I go look. Um. No. They're not there. Owen and I trooped up and down the block (Lydia was sleeping) looking on porches to see if they were misdelivered (which UPS has a habit of doing) but no dice. We came back inside, me slightly devestated and Owen perched at the window to watch for my packages. Sephora stated that if the package didn't show up by 4pm to give a call back and they'd try to hunt it down. Here's hoping. It held my HG Lancome powder AND the ever sold out Urban Decay Naked Palette which has sold out THREE times already on the website since it's release. It also held my 500 point beauty perk from Benefit, which I was just as excited about =(

So, seeing as how today's post can obviously not be an FOTD of the UD Naked Palette, I decided to do a NOTD post with OPI DS Mystery!

I received OPI DS Mystery in the mail today from the lovely Marni, a fellow SwapTawk admin that wanted to send me a little gift to make me smile during these dark, cooped up, cabin fever type days of Salmonella banishment. It's a perfect choice! What better way to lift your spirits than to paint your nails with the pretties?!

OPI DS Mystery is GORGEOUS. I'm not sure how to even describe it. I'm a lover of every single one of the OPI DS that I've tried (which I think is at least 80-90% of them) but this one is different. It's a vampy shimmer. In the bottle it almost looked like a black khaki... but when you paint it on it's a vampy purple with gold glitter. I had a little bit of nice light in the kitchen, so I took a few pics... I hope they translate ok! It was extremely hard to pick up the beauty and the glitter on this bugger!

I used 3 thin coats of OPI DS Mystery, Orly Top2Bottom as my base coat, and Seche Vite as my fast dry top coat.

MAC Trip 4 Bronze Eye & Cheek Palette FOTD

Well, well, well! Howdy!

It's been awhile. A long while after my most recent pledge to blog more. Summer has taken hold and the kiddies and I have been on the go almost constantly. Day camp, the park, pool, play dates.... I wanted to keep them active because our yard is in a perpetual state of renovation. (Thats right, BIG TIME RENO - adding on a new basement, bigger kitchen and master bed/bath! This will have it's own seperate before and after blog later).

For the past week and a half my 3 year old son Owen has been sick with horrible diahreea. We had his stool tested (yeah, sorry if you're eating) and he has salmonella. We've been cooped up the whole time and I've spent that time wiping butts and babying him.

Today, he's feeling much better but we're still cooped up. What to do with my time? Well watch Youtube vids from my fav gurus! Namely Temptalia and EnKore. I was interested in the Urban Decay Naked Eye Palette EOTD's (Korens is AMAZING) and learning how to fill in my brows. I couldn't find anything for filling in brows on EnKore but Temptalia had an awesome one that I watched. They are the reasons that I got my butt in gear and did my makeup today and decided to blog about it.

I totally skipped on UDPP and Foundation today, since I'm just staying in and the whole face doesn't really NEED to stay on. Also, I got some Mary Kay makeup, my good friend from high school, Holly, is a brand new rep for them and I had her first party for her. I don't have it all in my possession yet BUT I do have the Waterproof Mascara and Black Eye Liner that I wanted to have a test run on. When my other stuffs arrive I'll do a blog on that too ;)

I used the following:
~ MAC Trip 4 Bronze Eye & Cheek Palette (which includes Eversun Beauty Powder Blush, Magic Dust e/s, Elite e/s, and Smut e/s) I used ALL of these. Eversun on the cheeks, Magic Dust to highlight, Elite all over the lid and Smut brushed lightly under my lower lash line.


~ MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NW25
~ Lancome Dual Finish Powder Matte Bisque II
~ MAC Taupe Brow Pencil
~ MAC Brow Set - Clear
~ Mary Kay Eyeliner in Black
~ Mary Kay Waterproof Mascara in Black
~ MAC Mouth Off Lipliner
~ Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Pearl #436 Apricot Cloche
~ Brushes - MAC 168, MAC 219, MAC 213 (the mini that came with the Trip Palette), Mary Kay Mini mascara wand (to brush up the brows)



I must say. I'm loving the Mary Kay products. Obviously this was my first run with them, but I found the mascara to go on easily and not clump or flake, and the eyeliner went on smoothly without any tugging.

Now, let me tell you about my brows. I used to fill them in with a powder from Anastasia. Which was fine, but the color was off and you could really tell in pics. Plus, now that it's hot out, it would wear off. I went to Nordies MAC and screamed for help *ok that's dramatic* and they hooked me up with the Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe. Totally matches my hair, stays on great... well... I left Nordies and came home and realized I really have no idea how to fill my brows in with a pencil. It always looked (pardon the 90's term) whack. Finally, with my free time today - lol - I watched Temptalias how to and I think they look MUCH better. With a little bit of practice I should be more spot on with them. I'm missing part of my eyebrow on my left side so it's a little harder to work with.

Please excuse the slight blur of the photos. I was working with the natural light in my kitchen to get a true imaging of the brows to see how I did.



Do any of you have to or like to fill in your brows? Any secret tips? ;)

Marine Life FAIL

Oh man.... such hype... it's seriously pretty to look at and that's about it. It's extremely pigmented and more pinkish than anything I own. My skin is NW25 and it just does NOT work. I'm pretty happy I got it for free.

Here is a funny pic of me and my kids... goofing off, as usual! I just noticed in the pic it looks like my son Owen is strangling my daughter Lydia lol eek!



I can't in good conscious post a serious FOTD today. I'm completely disenchanted. I have Thrills on my lips too... not all in love with that either. Everything I've tried from this line has been a total bust. I should have went with my first instincts when I saw swatches and just passed on all of it.

Making The Grade:
Marine Life - D+
Thrills Lipstick - C
Flurry Of Fun Lipglass - C

I tried Flurry Of Fun last night over Thrills and it looked like crap. Then I washed my face and had the green glitter from Flurry all over my face... like a green disco ball. No thanks.

I also bought Life's A Breeze lipliner and Easy Lounger lipglass... I'll rate them later when I get a chance to try them.

Let's put it this way... even if I feel like my makeup looks like crap I never wash my face because i'm too lazy... I'm washing my face today.

Now the question is... do I swap Marine Life or do I keep it just because?!