Makeup Adventure Failure

I had grand plans for this weekend. Okay not grand, but definitely plans. I was going to take pictures of some of the new lines and collections that have recently been released, and I remembered to put my camera in my bag and everything! I started out with the new Bobbi Brown palettes and discovered, much to my surprise, that taking pictures is apparently tantamount to kicking puppies or something, so strong was the reaction of the store staff. I was immediately scolded and told that taking pictures is absolutely prohibited. For a minute I thought someone was going to take my camera away! You'd have thought that I was stealing merchandise, not inconspicuously photographing it! I later experienced the same thing at Sephora, trying to capture the Tarina Tarantino line. I can't explain why taking pictures is so frowned upon and when I asked why I was told "we're being watched." Oookay.
Luckily I got a few shots in before Camera-gate 2010 went down.

Bobbi Brown Bonfire, Aquamarine and Orchid Palettes:

Tarina Tarantino Eye Shadows:


I was decidedly unimpressed with the Tarina shadows. They are called Eye Dream Hypershadows as they supposedly have "high intensity pigment payoff" but I did not find them highly pigmented at all. It took several swipes for decent color to show up on my hand. The packaging is also too juvenile for both my tastes and the price tag.

Upcoming Hautelook Beauty-Related Sales

Hautelook has some pretty exciting beauty related sales this week! Some weeks there's not much on there to look forward to and then all of a sudden there will be several in a row I eagerly anticipate! This week we have:

Monday-
Rock and Republic Cosmetics! One of my favorite lines. You can read about some of m favorites here.
KROIA Beauty

Tuesday-
Evis MD Light Therapy- designed to resurface skin and combat signs of aging and acne

Wednesday-
blinc

Thursday-
Emjoi Beauty
Hand Perfection Beauty
Modern Alchemy by D.L. & Co.

Friday-
Pure Minerals

Sales start at 11 AM EST/8 AM PST and it's first come, first serve! Rock and Republic, here I come! Hautelook also has daily sales on clothing, jewelry, accessories, home items and sometimes even food! It's both fun and annoying trying to beat out other shoppers and score the best items for yourself!

Chantecaille Raffia Lips of the Day

So the weather today in NYC was just beyond abhorrent. Beyond. It was the worst of all worlds--snowflakes the size of golf balls combined with sleet, slush, and rain to ensure that the sidewalks were slick, the subways flooded, and I spent the majority of my day wet from the knees down with matted hair. Add in wind gusting strongly enough to turn an umbrella inside out and prevent any sort of lip gloss from being worn and all you want to do is crawl under the covers and watch Dirty Dancing with a cup of hot chocolate. Unfortunately for those of us who have to do the whole work thing to support ourselves (read: makeup addiction) this was not an option, and so I resorted to "cozy" makeup--warm cheeks, soft eyes, warm nude brown lips, courtesy of Chantecaille Raffia. I've only worn Raffia once previously, generally finding it a bit too warm and too brown (Space NK lighting is quite deceptive and I'm convinced the tester had a pink shimmer in the store), but today it was just right. Not so brown that it evoked the Revlon Coffee Bean of my teen years, but enough to read spicy winter lips.

Testing Testing 123: Eye Creams (Part 2)

After a month spent getting to know Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream with Biospheric Complex, I moved on to REN Active 7 Radiant Eye Maintenance Gel ($45). Apparently when it comes to eye creams, the longer the name the better. This is a clear, viscous fluid that is a bit more watery then a typical gel. It is "formulated with mucilages from Fig to cool, refresh and revive tired eyes. Other bio actives include gypenoside (source Jiaogulan), gingenoside (source Ginseng), laminaria and arnica to enhance circulation and reduce puffiness. Tyrosinase inhibitor from Wild Rumex and vitamin P address dark circles under the eyes, while pectins from Sea Grass and natural hyaluronic acid from Corn smooth and tone the eye contour whilst providing lasting hydration."

I used the Radiant Eye Maintenance Gel for about 3 weeks and while I'm nowhere close to tossing my concealer (or even leaving the house without it), this product did work on morning puffiness not just under my eyes by on the lids as well. If I don't sleep somewhat propped up I find my eyes almost swollen looking in the morning, and this alleviated that after a few minutes. While I can't say it worked on my dark circles, it did feel light and refreshing. It did not provide enough moisture to keep my concealer fresh looking all day, but considering it is a gel and not a cream I really wasn't expecting it to, despite the packaging claims. It is your typical .5 oz eye cream size.

I picked up my sample of this from Space NK and would actually consider purchasing a full size, though I would layer it under a more moisturizing cream when using it under makeup. Like all REN products, it is free of parabens, sulfates, pthalates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances and petrochemicals. It's not a holy grail, but it is a good basic product for puffy eyes at a non-exorbitant price.

Ingredients:
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Glycerin (Source Coconut Oil), Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Zostera Marina Pectin (source Sea Grass), Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans (source Corn), Gynostemma Pentaphyllum (Jiaogulan) Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Rumex occidentalis Extract, Faex (Yeast) Extract, Phenoxyethanol (source Aromatic Ehter), Sodium Carbomer (Source Polymer), Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (Source Amino Acids).

Tres Simple Face of the Day

Oh, insomnia. How I wish I could quit you. I've slept about 4 hours over the last few dates which necessitated a simple face today that would make me look alive! I find it easiest to put together a look in a hurry if I stick mainly to one brand, and since I wanted to retry an Origins blush I had previously put in the 'discard' pile (I love to set aside items that I think I no longer want and revisit them down the line, sort of like shopping in my own collection), I went with that line.

My eyes are Laura Mercier Metallic Cream Shadow in Gold, a taupey gold metallic cream that lasts all day, even through copious eye rubbing (thank goodness), with Laura Geller Key Lime/Dark Green Apple Baked Cake liner. I used Origins Sugar Cookie blush, a healthy sunburned kind of color, atop my new Jouer Tint in Whisper. Origins Rose Gold Creamy Lip Color and Caramel Candy Liquid Lip Gloss. (Fragrance was the delicious Ginestet Botrytis with hints of honey, candied fruit, quince and gingerbread for comfort).

With my Senna powder peeking out, and having forgot the lip gloss (it's that kind of day):

Sugar Cookie and Key Lime/Dark Green Apple:
Jouer and Laura Mercier:
Lips:

My Dermstore.com Order Featuring Paul and Joe and Julie Hewett

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dermstore, the site is a beauty junkie's playground! It features a huge array of skincare, carrying the more clinical lines like VMV Hypoallergenics, the mainstream likes of Murad, spa lines like Elemis to natural brands such as Raw and Luzern Laboratories. They also stock some great makeup brands like Sue Devitt, Jane Iredale, LORAC, Becca, Paul and Joe, Laura Geller and more. I'm not affiliated with the site, just a happy customer thanks to free shipping on all orders and a 10% discount when you add an item to your Favorites list before purchasing.

When I had my Paul and Joe mini makeover a few weeks ago, the makeup artist used Eye Color Palette CS Ingenue 001 on my eyes and I loved the look. I didn't buy the palette at the time thinking I could easily replicate the shades, but regretted the decision afterward. Not only did Doermstore have the palette, but I could get 10% off, making it slightly more, well, palatable!
Ingenue 001 ($38) features a shimmery ecru, shimmery taupe, and shimmery deep charcoal. All of the colors are smooth and pigmented. The palette is neutral and can be worn by all skin tones. It's just a good, versatile palette of high quality basics that would be great for travel or a quick eye in the morning that can easily be smoked out for nighttime. The charcoal shade is densely pigmented and would work well as a liner too.
Also, the case is just too darn cute! The flower pattern is so Spring-like and happy.Julie Hewett was on sale at the time I was placing the palette order, and so I had to throw in a couple of her items as well! I ordered the Shimmy in Goldie ($18 in palette form) and Camellia Balm in Rose ($18 in palette form).

The Shimmy is a cream-based highlighter that is incredibly luminescent. I've been on a highlighter kick lately for some reason and wanted a product that would work equally well on my cheeks and browbone and this definitely fits the bill. Goldie is a beigey champagne shade with twinkling shimmer--it's not glitter and it's not teenybopper, but it's definitely noticeable shimmer. Shimmys have a good amount of slip to them and a thin consistency. I have all of the shades now except the bronze!
I'd been wanting to try the Camellia Balm for a while now, and when I saw that it was released in two tints I was excited! I ordered the Rose, which according to Dermstore is a subtle, warm toned pink and is described by Julie as a bouquet of pink petals. Both descriptions are apt when looking at the balm in the pan, but applied, unfortunately, this is completely, 100% colorless, a big disappointment to me. I expected the balm to be sheer (it is a balm after all) but provide at least a hint of a tint. The texture is nice--very thin and not at all waxy. Some would find it too oily but I don't mind the added slip and it smells strongly of fresh oranges, which I like. I'm definitely not a big cosmetic returner but am considering sending this product back since it really is just an $18 clear balm, and not the pretty "bouquet" the descriptions imply. I guess the hunt goes on for the perfect sheer pink lip balm! I had such high hopes for this one!

15% Off Trish McEvoy

You can save 15% off your next purchase at Trish McEvoy if you become a fan of the brand on Facebook by February 28th. Trish is one of my favorite brands so of course I had to do it as soon as I received the email! Now I just have to decide what to buy...