Businesses & Social Networking Sites

The internet has drastically changed how we interact with each other. I remember when only a select few were able to access the "world wide web". I remember when my parents bought their first computer in the mid 90s and I played games that were pixels. My, how things have changed. The internet has also changed how businesses interact with their customers. Before interfaces like Twitter, Facebook and Blogger, many companies were impersonal conglomerates: now they have human faces. You, the consumer can now discuss lipstick with a VP and they'll actually listen and respond to your input. To get your voice heard, you don't have to incessantly press 0 on the company phone tree to finally talk to a "live person".

But just like the fear of consumers putting too much information out there (do you really want your employer seeing those photos from Mardi Gras?), some businesses aren't putting their best foot forward on the web. I have both been encouraged to buy from companies based on their interactions on these social networking sites and have been put off. It's a delicate balance. Sure, you want the customers to see the "real you", that you are accessible to them, that you feel and think the same things that they do. But in the end, you are running a business, and ultimately the customer is picky, easily offended and even sometimes a bitch. And whether or not you or anyone likes it, it's part of being a successful business. It's part of the "yes, m'am not a problem" when someone is cursing at you from the other end and it's part of not posting about that customer on Twitter or Facebook.

Although it would be easier for these companies to avoid social networking sites, it is essential for them to be involved, so they need to be careful about their approach to this new media.
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I've been thinking of posting this for quite a while but wanted to make sure this was a fair and impartial commentary. This is my first "editorial" post and I'll admit it's pretty nerve wrecking to post my opinions on here!

I'd like to thank DH for editing this for me.

Korres' Response to "Let's Do Lunch" ... Tea Time!

'

Many of you probably know that Smashbox has a special deal every Tuesday and Thursday (if not, now you do!). With every purchase during the lunch hours of 9am-2pm PST, orders receive a free gift (sometimes deluxe samples and other times full sized items). Well, Korres has jumped on board, with "Tea & Treats in the Afternoon". I actually started yesterday March 30th but the gift tomorrow is much better, so don't feel as though you are missing out. The Korres does seem to have a minimum purchase amount, unlike Smashbox; and unlike Smashbox they don't always have free shipping (love that about Smashbox!), but still a nice Tuesday/Thursday deal.

Free full sized items? And free shipping? Yes, please! Hopefully the gifts in coming weeks will be just as good!

Review: One Cherry Pie Lip Balm

One products have a survey on their site and their thank you for filling out said survey is one of their lipbalms (and you even get to pick!). I chose the Mom's Cherry Pie Shea Butter Lip Balm. 

These lip balms (and the entire One line for that matter) come in the most adorable packaging ever. The brand tries to keep sustainability at the forefront of their design philosophy and does not use any plastic products in their packaging. The cardboard and twine packaging is simple and natural but it still looks nice. Unlike LUSH that sometimes uses no packaging in its products (and then I have absolutely no clue how to use half of their stuff) there are actual directions on these and you don't feel gross picking them up or using them wondering where someone else's hands that "played" in store had been. Even though the scent is described as "cherry pie", I don't detect any foodie scent from this, it's just a very tart juicy scent, which is great for me.

How darn cute is the back?

"Directions: Place a little on your finger tip and smooth over your lips. Natural, moisturizing lip balms are so yummy to smell, you'll never want to be without them on your lips."

The balm comes in a tin (my only concern with this is that it has more of a chance of coming open in my purse because it doesn't seem to 'snap' on). The texture is slightly hard and firm but creamy. It actually reminds me of my dear Woody's lip balm. Even though the balm is colored pink, there is no tint. I put this on my lips about a half hour ago and ate dinner and my lips are still smooth and I can detect a tiny bit of balm still on them.

Rubbing my finger over the product several times only produced a smear, no dip.

My only complaint about this product is the fact that it comes in a tin (I prefer tube balms but I understand that it probably wasn't possible without using some sort of plastic in the packaging). I'm looking forward to when my Target gets some more of their products in so I can try some more!

JT Wants: Clinique Brandied Bronze Collection

I'm only sometimes interested in Clinique's new Limited Edition collections, though I love some of their permanent products (creamshapers most notably). An e-mail arrived about their new Brandied Bronze Collection and who else is loving the shades in the new palette? Jewel tones are my favorite (surprised?) and if the colors show up anywhere near to the colors in the "pot", I'm sold.

Tarte Sale @ Sephora

There are a bunch of Tarte goodies that have made their way onto the sale page on Sephora.com - definitely worthy of a pick up if you've been wanting them.

Spring Greening Reusable Straw Palette $38.50 $19.50 - I actually reviewed this early on in my blog here and wasn't a fan, but different strokes for different folks. Beware the crappy out of focus pictures!

Miss Fix-It Palette $44 $22 - I haven't reviewed this but I do own it and it is adorable! Makes a cute gift too.

t5 Super Fruit Lipgloss Set $30 $15 - Liking the 50% discount and also makes a cute gift.

There's also your typical sale offerings on the page and Sephora has finally started clearancing the Dylan Candy Bar line, it's about time!

NOTD: Nina Ulta Pro Velvet Underground

I picked a few Nina Pro shades when Sally's was having their 50% off clearance and after probably over a week, I have finally polished my nails again (my last manicure was the Borghese brown and it was seeing better days). This color is so gorgeous. It's one of those chameleon purples and was opaque in 2 coats.  These are my very first Nina Pro colors and I'm anxious to get my hands on some more. The formula on these is great, I hope they wear well. I believe retail is $3.99 but I paid $1.50-

sunlight

shade

slightly different angle

It is a slightly more purple version of Sally Hansen's Opulent Cloud, which of course, is gorgeous.

Greasy Goodness

On my favorite budgeting blog, there was a link that intrigued me. Well, first of, the man doesn't really write about beauty so when I noticed the words, "La Mer" on my screen, I had to investigate.

What is this fabulous product that rivals the super pricey La Mer?

I'll give you one guess.

Two? Three? Four?

Don't believe me? Read this. And then read some reviews on makeupalley. Crisco has a user rating of 85%!

It's not just for pie. And it's probably the only thing you'll put on your body with the following warning:

WARNING: Oil will catch fire if overheated. Damage or serious burns may result. DO heat shortening carefully, uncovered, on medium heat. DO reduce heat if smoking occurs. DO NOT leave unattended while heating. DO NOT refill bottle with hot shortening. IF SHORTENING CATCHES FIRE: DO turn off heat. DO cover pot until cooled to room temperature to avoid reignition. DO NOT carry pot until cool. DO NOT put water in hot or flaming shortening. 

I'm actually tempted to try the stuff, at the very least on my cuticles and horribly dry legs. Have you ever used Crisco as a moisturizer? Share your thoughts!

Review: Garnier Fructis Smoothing Milk

Ok, by the way, that's not the full name. The title was getting ridiculously long so I shortened it. The item name is actually...

"Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Smoothing Milk"

When I met Jasmine for drinks, she asked me what products I love. So I started listing pretty much everything I was wearing that day: Woody's lip balm, Stila eyeshadow, Sue Devitt Starlights eyeshadow and some things I had in my purse (like the L'oreal Colour Riche that was empty that I still hadn't taken out - oops!) and then I got to my hair. "Oh, what's the name..." I said. I could not remember what product I used on my hair, but that it was great.

Jasmine probably thought that I had consumed a little too much caffiene and not water, the drink of champions, me? A beauty blogger? I couldn't even remember the name of my... smoothing milk? I might as well have shut down my blog entirely due to sheer embarassment (I'm kidding of course).

I'm sure there are plenty of us, blogger and non-bloggers alike that have things that we use, sometimes daily, because we need to use them and they are, for lack of better terms, useful. But really, am I going to yell from the streets that my hair is so frizzy that I get a 2nd layer of fuzz on top anytime there's a touch of humidity? Or that the only way my hair looks halfway decent is to put something on it. I want the world to think I was blessed with perfect hair, which I obviously am (I do actually get complimented on my hair the most - my husband is sad every time I chose to cut it). Back on the subject, I never really thought to review this hair stuff. Jasmine was intrigued, "it doesn't look like you're wearing anything" which I hope didn't mean that I looked like an electrocuted cat. I told her that this is some of the only stuff I've tried that doesn't get my hair crunchy but still works.

Now that I've written a novel...

I picked this up on a whim when it was on sale and have no doubts, it sat under my sink for quite awhile before I popped the clever top, think water bottle. I was pleasantly surprised. I don't really follow the instructions to a T. This is reserved for the top of my head only and I apply it when my hair is a tiny bit damp - after I've put my hair in it's usual state - a bun or pony tail (and I never blow dry my hair). It cuts down on frizz without the crunch and I'll be replacing my bottle when it runs out.

The texture is a slightly thick and milky colored gel, not runny like you would think a "milk" was.  It will run you only about $4.50 at CVS which I think is a steal (and Garnier often goes on sale). All in all, it's something I use when I need to, and it does the job very well and you can't beat the fruity smell.

Laura Geller Sale

Laura Geller is currently having a sale on their site for only a day! Take 30% off your entire purchase. I won't be taking part because I have more than enough makeup and Laura Geller (hello QVC TSVs - Today's Special Value).

"*FOR A VERY LIMITED TIME ONLY
30% Off Everything for 1 Day Only!
Plus, FREE Standard Shipping when you spend $50 or more. Hurry!

Shop Now >

**While supplies last. No offer code necessary. Offer valid from today through 3/25/10 9 AM ET. Offer valid at LauraGeller.com and Laura Geller Studio in-store only. In-store sale includes 30% off all makeup; 15% off skincare by Dr. Eckstein, Stephanie Johnson Cosmetics Bags, Votivo Candles. Online sale includes 30% off all LauraGeller.com merchandise."

I'd recommend getting one of the sets. They are already a great value alone, but with 30% off, it's even moreso. Discount is automatically applied once you add the item to your cart.

If you've never tried Laura's baked products before, I'd recommend the Baked Indulgences kit which includes Balance N Brighten, Bronze N Bronze, Ethereal Rose Baked Powder (blush and awesome!), Baked Marble Eyeshadow Duo in Amethyst/Lagoon (and 2 brushes & a bag). With the discount it's only $29.05.

An Update

One of my resolutions was posting on Jeweled Thumb everyday. Obviously I forgot about allergy season and the lengthy exams during the semester that I would have to deal with. This week is midterm week at JT Headquarters which means that I haven't done my nails in a week (they look awful) and I don't have a ton of time to think up awesome and witty posts for you guys. You don't think my posts are witty? OFF WITH YOUR RED HEAD! I also haven't gone to see Alice in Wonderland yet which I am dying to do.

Posts in the works:
- finally a NOTD
- a post about the new skin routine I've recently started (with mini reviews)
- a post (thanks to Jasmine) about a hair product I keep coming back to - though I didn't remember the name!
- any other deals that I think are awesome that present themselves

Thank you for your patience as it's taken me a bit to respond to comments (I do read them all - and they make me happy!).

What's going on in your worlds? In the beauty world?

Meet The Reader Day

Today I had the pleasure of meeting one of my very first readers (I think she said she was #14) as she was in the area for a conference. Even though there were some issues in me getting into downtown DC (Metro is fairly unreliable and I stupidly (?) thought it couldn't take me over an hour to get there - oh wait, think 2.5), we finally met up, I grabbed a coffee as I was parched and we sat down to talk. I had a great time and my husband was super thrilled when I returned home with a bag full of Hawaiian treats (which he soon hid out of view from my parents who were arriving shortly).

Anyway, first some link love for her. Go read her blog. It's awesome.
Wait, what?
HER BLOG! Click now.
Moi? Obnoxious?

And I'll leave you with what she was drinking while I inhaled my caffeinated beverage. 

Yup, good 'ol Deer Park! I really should follow suite.

Anyway, even though she won't be reading this for a few days, Jasmine, it was absolutely fantastic to meet you and I had so much fun today, even with the public transit issues.

Stila Deal & Code

It shouldn't be a secret that Stila is one of my favorite brands and right now they are currently having a deal I think is worthy of a post on Jeweled Thumb. You can buy 3 of their full sized smudge pots for $20, which normally retail for $20 individually. Yup, that's right. 3 for 1.

Included are:
Little Black Dress - black with pink shimmer
Purple Pumps - purple with pink shimmer
Cobalt Clutch - vibrant blue with intense shimmer


And there's also a free shipping code with no minimum order amount with code MARCHMADNESS (good through tomorrow). The smudge pot deal was only supposed to last till Friday at midnight but it's still marked $20 on the site, so if you're interested I'd grab it before it's gone!

Chanel Glossimers

One of the my first loves was lip gloss. Well, lip balm really, but for someone like me that suffers from extremely dry lips they are a necessity and what's more fun than lip gloss? Shh - you're not allowed to answer that! I've tried my fair share of different brands and types, sticky ones, sheer ones, glossy ones, ones that make my lips look enormous and glassy. There are some that I keep coming back to. For those of us on a budget, I adore L'oreal Colour Riches and when I feel like being spendy, I get Chanel Glossimers.

I had heard so many great things about this product but I ignored it because I promised myself I would never spend $27 on a lip gloss. Well, obviously I didn't keep my promise. I have 2 and I love them both.

Coral Reef and Unity. Coral Reef is a sheer peachy color with gold shimmer and Unity is on the mauvey side. What I love about them is they manage to be slightly thick but still moisturizing and not sticky. You also can't feel any shimmer between your lips which is sometimes an issue with other brands.

Do you have any Chanel Glossimers? What do you think?

Beauty Blog Link Love - 3/20/10 - #6

Over at theNotice, Rae shares an amazingly pigmented bright blue eye -- done with shadows from the drugstore!

This week, Louise gets an (almost!) exclusive look at a Lancome mascara that has them queuing down the aisles in Harrods, and promises better lashes in a month.

Yinnie Dances with the fairies with her fairy inspired EOTD.

Phyrra dishes with Britton from Haus of Gloi for this month's Indie Spotlight at Fresco Phyrra.

Blaq Vixen Beauty decides to treat her skin to a Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector Regimen!

Retrodiva checks out three new innovative drugstore foundations. See which ones she would recommend!

Krasey Beauty takes a trip across the pond to bring you complete swatches and a review of MAC's newest, Give Me Liberty of London.

Looking for a great cream eyeliner that won't break the bank? Lipglossiping may have just the thing...

Sophie from melovemakeup talks about how much she loves Trilogy's Everything Balm.

TheLipPrint adds a little more Allure to her life with Chanel.

Michelle at Lipstick Rules laments her Liberty Of London lipstick purchases... but then finds a way to make it work!

Check out the swatches of Yummy Mummy by butter LONDON at Makeup4All.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed falls in love with the 10 year anniverary editions of Lancôme Juicy Tubes!

Follow Jellyminx's step-by-step tutorial for a pinky-coral look for Spring.

Over at Music and Make Up, Jo celebrates her birthday with a purple smokey eye courtesy of MAC's Violet Pigment.


***

Beautywoome has a giveaway with Europe's coolest new beauty brand. Win 1 of 10 Ellis Faas Ellis Red lipsticks.

Audrey Dao is giving away $89 worth of Napolean Perdis makeup as part of her 1 year blog anniversary.

Mz More at The Glamorous Gleam is having a giveaway in honor of her 200+ Followers. Check out the goodies galore!

Cindy from Prime Beauty gives you the Golden Ticket to win a Bliss "Best of Bliss Set".


Hope you enjoyed this week's Link Love! See you soon :)

Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil(s)

There's no real review here, though the swatches on my hand are not budging. I picked up Brown and Black. Both are decidedly matte (or really more of a satin as the colors are not completely flat) and not metallic like they claim but rather nice, creamy, smooth and very pigmented.

I'll write a proper review when I've tested them on both the lid and waterline.

Go To CVS Now!

Well, it just goes to show, I should write blog posts and not watch reruns of My So Called Life on Hulu.com because none other than the (awesome) lady that reminded me of how much I love(d) My So Called Life posted about this before I had the chance!

Milani cosmetics are Buy 1 get 1 50% off this week and if you go scan your Extracare card at the red scanner thingy, it may just spit out a BOGO Milani cosmetics coupon. I discovered this when I went to CVS on Monday. I was planning on buying the new Liquif Eye Milani eyeliners anyway (especially after seeing the Muse's review), but I'm super glad I made a trip to the scanner.

Not only that, but the cashier took off the more expensive priced product, not the one I was getting 50% off, so I got 2 of the new Milani eyeliners for just under $3.

Go scan your card and see if you get this awesome coupon (you likely will)! And let me know what you pick up!

Review: ELF Face Products

During one of my recent ELF orders, I picked up a few of the face products since I noticed that they came out with some lighter colors. I bought the regular line tinted moisturizer SPF 15 in ivory, the regular line tone correcting concealer in ivory and the studio stick concealer in (you guessed it) ivory.

First of all, the packaging.

I admit that the packaging is a little bulky, however, I understand why especially since the line is in the process of being carried at Target. I think it's great that ELF has tried to prevent tampering.

The actual containers are on the small side (the tinted moisturizer is teeny tiny - only .42oz). Though for the price I can't really complain.

Regular Line Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - .42oz - $1
Benzophenone-3, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Aqua(Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide, Talc, Mica, Octyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, DEA-Cetyl, Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Aluminum, Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Fragrance(Aroma), Disodium EDTA, Iron Oxides(CI 77491 , CI 7492 , CI 77499)
Regular Line Tone Correcting Concealer - .08oz - $1
Aqua(Water), Paraffinium Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Octyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ceresin Wax, PEG-30, Dipolyhydroxystearate, Mica, Microcrystalline Wax, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Ascorbyl Palmitate , Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Iron Oxides(CI 77891 , CI 77892 , CI 77899)
Studio Line Concealer - .11oz - $3
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Kaolin, Barium Sulfate, Cera Carnauba (Carnauba) Wax, Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Titanium Dioxide, Polyglycerly-4 Isostearate, Propylene Carbonate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

The first thing I noticed is that the regular line products are scented like orange, which means that the minute I put them on, I felt like I was slathering myself in Sunkist Orange soda. I suppose I could be slathering worst things on my face (I happen to like orange soda), but it was not entirely pleasant. I might be able to get used to it, but I really wish they would at the very least keep the face products in the regular line unscented. They manage to make unscented products in the studio line, so I'm sure it's possible. Anyway, otherwise, I felt all of the products matched my skin fairly well and I was impressed by the coverage I got with the tinted moisturizer (though I needed extra moisturizer underneath as always). I have heard others have some issues with the studio concealer breaking off from the base and could see that happening as it's fairly soft and creamy. But all in all, I'm fairly pleased with a) the price point and b) the quality of the products.

Has anyone else tried the ELF face products? As you guys know, I am a huge fan of the studio under eye concealer (which thankfully isn't scented like oranges).

NOTD: Borghese Espresso Brown F

It's been a very sad couple of weeks here at JT HQ. My nails keep on snagging on things and breaking off completely. So I finally gave up and cut all of them short so I could paint them without them looking very uneven and weird. Since they are short, I decided to do a dark manicure. I dislike having really short nails, and only partially because putting polish on them is so difficult.

Anyway, this is 2 coats of Borghese Espresso Brown F (plus top coat). I'm starting to get used to the brush and I think it was actually kind of helpful for the short nails unlike other brands with the super long somewhat floppy brushes.

I

I miss my long nails! Hopefully they'll grow back soon. Even though patience is a virtue, I have none of it.

Cherry Culture Sale

Save 20% off at Cherry Culture now till the 15th of March (Monday) using code MMM2010! Free shipping over $40. Some of their brands include NYX, Milani, LA Splash, Jelly Pong Pong, Girlactik among others.

Will you be picking anything up? I'm passing since I hauled big during the NYX sale a couple months ago.

Review: Revlon PhotoReady Makeup #001

I've been test driving Revlon PhotoReady for about a week now. After picking up, testing and returning #002, I finally found shade #001 and picked it up a few weeks ago. And even though I told myself that I wouldn't open up another foundation till I finished one, I cracked this one open anyway since I was dying to try it! And I'm glad I did. I actually really like this foundation.

I've already sang my praises of the packaging when I "tested" shade #002. The bottle is sturdy and the pump is a great addition! It does make a little noise when you actually pump it but I don't mind.

Shade #001 Ivory is a fairly good match for my skin. Here it is on my hand in natural overcast light. On the left of the swatch, it's rubbed in. I also didn't find that this shade (or bottle) had any shimmer particles in it like others have noted with the darker shades.

What I like about this foundation is that I can get medium to full coverage with just using my hands to apply. It also doesn't go on streaky. When you first apply it, it feels light and creamy. It does eventually set and after putting this on at 6am it was still there to take off around 9pm. That's pretty excellent wear time.

Now, for me, I really need to overdo it on the moisturizer in the morning. I can't say it looks great by 9pm. It tends to settle into dry areas if I don't moisturize well. Initially after application, if I don't moisturize, it quickly goes very dry and feels tight (like right now since I swatched on my face on unmoisturized skin - oops!).

I can't say whether this will or will not work on oily skin, but my guess is that it would perform fairly well on normal skin. On dry skin, the key is to moisturize very well and make sure you exfoliate any dry patches before application.

Does this cause breakouts? To be quite honest, I pretty much always have spots on my face, not of acne, but my dermatitis. The only thing that has actually worked in the past to clear that up has been going on a course of antibiotics for months. Well, since I'm not on antibiotics, I get things that resemble acne. But, after a week of testing this, I can safely say that I have not experienced any acne (though my face is still a mess).

Here it is on my skin. For reference, my skin is red and angry all around my mouth and on my cheeks too and this is just the foundation, no extra concealer! This is also swatched on unmoisturized skin, so I'm sure you can see that my skin looks a little dry (it is!). This is just to show the fairly good color match (also I think I forgot to put some near my nose so please disregard the crappy application job).

So, for $13.99 (and please don't pay full price - sale rotations mean you can probably get this for much less) I'd say I'm fairly pleased with this foundation. I can see this being a great summer foundation since it sticks around during the day. Since most (US) drugstores have excellent return policies, I'd recommend picking it up just to try.

Review: Murad Essential Day C Moisture SPF 30

Some of you probably remember that in my Empties post, I mentioned that I had started using Murad Essential-C Day Moisture since I had recently used up another Murad moisturizer. Well, I've been using it now for a couple of weeks and I wanted to share my thoughts.

First of all, the price is absolutely ridiculous, even more so than the pricing on the rest of the Murad moisturizer range (which at $33 for 1.7oz isn't exactly cheap either). This will set you back $60 for a measly 1.7oz of product. What I like about this is that it has SPF without the smell of what you get in a normal sunscreen. This has a light citrus scent which is really quite pleasant.

Unfortunately, the good things stop there. Since it's still cool here, my skin is still dry which means that in the morning it needs more moisture that this can provide. I mean, sure, I could slather it on, but it doesn't really sink in and then balls up on your face (this is very frustrating when you notice it in the middle of putting on your foundation which forces you to remove everything and start back over). For me, I need to use a separate moisturizer underneath this which kind of defeats the purpose of a 2-in-1 product. That being said, this is probably great for the oily gals out there that don't need a super moisturizing product, and I'd recommend it if not for the insane price tag.

Have you tried the Murad Essential Day C Moisturizer? What did you think?

Zoya Promo

As a special thank you to all our customers and online followers, we would like to give you an 8oz Zoya Remove+ (award winning 3-in1 remover) FREE with any online purchase of $10 or more at www.zoya.com, www.qtica.com or www.artofbeauty.com

Use code: BF5 at check out. Offer expires Monday 2/15/2010. Not valid with any other coupons or offers. Limit one per order."

Zoya Remove+ usually retails for $9.99 so if you've been planning on ordering any Zoya, now would be a prime time to. I'm not sure I'm going to partake only because I am definitely not going to be spending $55+ to get the free ship and so then most of the Remove+ discount is eaten up by shipping. I am also not dying for more polish remover, though I have heard excellent things about Remove+. Shipping from Zoya usually runs me $6.95-

I Won? I Won!

Missha recently had a contest for anyone that bought their Deluxe Sampler or received it free with their order. The contest was linking to a review that you had written of the sampler. I submitted my review and I recently found out that I won! I was one of 5.

So one of these days, I'll be receiving this set! Of course, I recently ordered a bunch of these products when they were doing the $20 off coupon in February but at least I'll have backups (yes yes, reviews forthcoming)?

Still, I'm fairly psyched that I was one of the winners! Even DH was impressed, though he's less happy that I'll be getting another package shortly.

Review: Cover Girl Lash Exact

Oh Dollar Dollar Tree
Do have you a deal for me?
I've been good and you'll agree
Bet you have some pretties.

Wow, I'm apparently the biggest dork in the world because randomly, I'll start thinking of a song or jingle about quite random stuff. It amuses my husband but not sure how it'll go over here. Anyway, I'm sure by now you've figured out what this post is about.

I try to stop by at least 1 of the maybe 5 or so Dollar Trees or dollar stores around me a week. They usually get new stock on a weekly basis and you never know what you might find. In this case, I almost couldn't believe it when I encountered probably 40 tubes of Lash Exact mascara.

A side note: I'm well aware that the stock carried in dollar stores might be old. I'm willing to risk the $1 plus tax to try them out for myself and usually I stick to buying nail polish, which can be easily thinned out. 

Back to the fun stuff. I was so excited, I didn't really read the packaging and grabbed a few tubes for myself. I've never tried Lash Exact but I've heard fairly decent things about it and in the worst case scenario I'm out a couple of dollars and still about half the price that I'd be out at a regular drugstore.

 

Even though packaging can make me spend more money than I really should on other products, I tend to keep it simple with mascara. I generally only buy drugstore mascara and I really don't have a HG (holy grail) product. I use what's on sale. I do enjoy the simple, yet sturdy and lovely purple tube that Lash Exact comes in and I do really like the rubber brush. While I found Maybelline's Define a Lash (green tube) rubber brush a bit too floppy (it bended as it combed through the lashes which didn't yield me the most control), this one is pretty firm. It gives you quite a bit of control as you brush the mascara through your lashes and it does a great job of separating them while still giving them a bit of volume.

I was really pleased with the way this performed. Even though it's not marketed as a waterproof formula, for the week I've worn it, it didn't flake on me even when worn for upwards of 10 hours. I didn't get raccoon eyes even though my eyes are prone to watering thanks to allergies or the cold. I was quite pleased with the dollar or so I spent.

It also came off easily with makeup remover and I didn't wind up with little smudges of mascara around the base of my lash line the next morning (I sometimes have this problem with other waterproof mascara no matter what remover I use!).

Anyway, everything was great. I didn't even bat an eye(lash) when the cotton square I used to remove it was blue.

Then I looked at the wand.

Oh, I exclaimed! The wand just must be blue (after I had noted the wand was black when I first opened up the packaging - the wand comes separate from the mascara). 

Ok, well, in my excitement, I didn't realize that Dollar Tree had about 40 tubes of BLUE Lash Exact. Probably overstock that doesn't sell quite well from a drugstore. Or maybe Cover Girl has discontinued the color.

Not as though I'm complaining. It turns to a deep navy when it dries and you can barely tell it's blue (it's not electric blue or anything) and navy brings out my brown eyes. 

So even though I didn't realize what color I was actually wearing until 5 days into wearing this mascara, I'm still quite happy with it and would repurchase. Though next time I'll read the packaging a bit more carefully.

Rite Aid Paid Me To Shop Today

How? Well, I'm sure some of you drugstore divas are aware of the "drugstore game". Basically, with a mixture of coupons, sales and rebates, you can either break even (get things free) or even make money on drugstore purchases. I've often mentioned that before I entered the beauty blog world, I was a big fan of the budget blog world. Ladies (and some men) all over the country posted the best deals, coupon match ups, etc. Between work, school and Jeweled Thumb, I don't have the time to devote to finding the very best deals, but at the supermarket I aim for 50% or more savings between sales and coupons and often I succeed.

Anyway, while the Rite Aid circular might not look super exciting for this week, it is if you have the proper coupon match ups.

Almay eye makeup is buy 1 get 1 free
Cover Girl makeup is buy 1 get 1 free
Various Proctor & Gamble (PG) products are on sale and you can get a $10 Rite Aid gift card when you buy $30 worth of products

Let's start with Almay,
Almay has some new eye sets that I've been wanting to try priced at $7.49 each
Because Almay eye makeup is on sale this week, I got 2 sets for $7.49
In recent papers there have been $1/1 and $2/1 coupons. Since you have 2 different items, you can use both!
Of course I used both of them.
That brings the price down to $4.49 for both products
And this month there is a $5 rebate when you buy 2 Almay products.
Rite Aid/Almay is ultimately paying me 51 cents to bring these 2 items home with me!

Then Cover Girl,
This one is fairly easy and a warning that it might not work at all locations.
Cover Girl makeup is buy 1 get 1 free.
There was a coupon in last month's PG insert for Cover Girl BOGO face makeup
Combine that with the BOGO weekly deal and you may be able to walk away with 2 free foundations or powder.
I picked up 2 of the new Clean Makeup for sensitive skin to try, for free!

Just two of many deals you can get at Rite Aid this week. Some of them don't involve makeup so I didn't break them down. The PG gift card deal is great if you need tampons, DayQuil and other not so exciting stuff.

Run Do Not Walk To Your CVS*

Back around Christmas time, I noticed that the Christmas fragrance sets went on sale a couple times but they never really got clearanced. First they were 50%, then they were BOGO 50% and then they went back to full price for the few weeks before Valentine's Day. I really forgot about them until I went to CVS today to get some of the Softsoap body wash/scrub, which netted me 50 cents after Extrabucks and my $1 off coupon. Out of curiousity, I picked up one of the sets I had my eyes on (the Harajuku Lovers G fragrance set) and went over to the scanner to see what the price was this week. $3.74! $3.74! I actually made an audible "oh my gosh" - I hope no one heard me and ran back to grab another.

Anyway, if your store has any holiday fragrance sets, I would highly recommend checking the price at the scanner machine. My store also had the Harajuku Lovers Love fragrance ($3.74) and Nina Ricci L'eau du Temps set for $4.75 or thereabouts.

*Jeweled Thumb is not responsible for any serious medical issues that may be a result of running to your CVS, especially if it is across major roadways and you follow my advice to a T and actually run there. No puppies were harmed in the making of this entry.

Beauty Blog Link Love - 3/6/10 - #5

 

Over at theNotice, Rae talks about the "LOL Scarf" (aka the MAC Liberty of London scarf) and wonders why the heck anyone would spend $115 on it!

Head over to Beautifully Glossy to read what GlossQueen has to say about Diorshow's Iconic Mascara.

Curious to see how the Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation measures up? Blaq Vixen Beauty has the scoop!

Arianne of Glitter Geek is still in a makeup rut, so she tries to fight back with smoky blue eyeshadows!

Krasey Beauty gets acquainted with the new Chanel Rouge Coco lipsticks, and promptly falls in love.

Hot Beauty Health shares hot hair color trends to wear in 2010.

Jeweled Thumb asks the age old question: "Would you like some lip gloss with those oysters?" - Wait, what?

Jellyminx Thinks is featured on Makeup.com, thanks to the lovely people at Lancome.

Lights...Camera...Action! Mz. More at The Glamorous Gleam gets ready for her close up as she reviews the new HD foundation from Revlon.

Vex in the City unveils swatches in all their pastel glory from Revlon Spring 2010.

Christelle at Beauty Crazed uses Mary Kay to shut down her shine!

Beauty Woo Me wants you to stop making that Duckface!

Ever wanted to know the differences between the Beauty Blender and it's dupes? Hell Candy Make Up did! Read her reviews here.

On her hunt for the perfect scent, TheLipPrint discovers an indie gem - Sonoma Scent Studio's Opal and Vintage Rose.

Coral is the hottest colour for Spring and Summer. Discover the perfect coral lipstick in Over by Illamasqua with Makeup4All!



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Help Audrey Dao celebrate her 1 year blog anniversary with giveaways all month long!

Prime Beauty asks "What's your favorite eyeliner?" and gives away a Stila Mini Smudge Pot Collection.



Hope you enjoyed this week's Link Love! See you soon :)

Review: Sleek Palettes

I've been meaning to do this review forever. I've had these palettes for quite awhile, but I hadn't had the proper chance to play with them and share my thoughts. Today I woke up feeling awful, so after letting my boss know I wouldn't be in and sleeping for a total of 15 (!) hours, I decided to actually get something accomplished, other than lounging around the house and watching tv in my PJs.

Sleek palettes have been taking the blogging world by storm. For the price £5.00 or around $10 USD they are inexpensive palettes with an array of color choices. After a few infamous bloggers and you-tubers sang their praises, everyone has been trying to get their hands on them.

I ordered my 3 Sleek palettes from glamr.co.uk/shop and they arrived quickly and wrapped well. For the 3 including shipping to the US, the cost was only about $33, each palette is £5.00 and then shipping is an additional £5.00. Obviously, if you were to order it would depend entirely on the current exchange rate.

 

The palettes come in fairly flimsy plastic boxes, but the actual packaging is quite sturdy. I was honestly a bit surprised at the size of them. Each is a little black compact, with Sleek somewhat etched into the top (it may be a sticker but it doesn't come off easily). 

The back of each palette indicates which one it is, along with the ingredient list, size and the website for the brand. Each individual shadow is 1.1gram and there are 12 in each so we're looking at about 13 grams of product which is quite generous for the price.

Here is the original palette compared to a MAC 4pan. As you can see, the individual pans in each of the palettes is quite small, but definitely big enough to properly pick up color.

 

Here they are all lined up. Aren't they pretty? From the left we have Chaos (all matte), Original and Safari. The Original and Safari palettes have mostly pearl shades and a few odd matte colors.

I'm not going to swatch all three palettes as there are plenty of swatches out there, however, I am going to swatch a few of the shades so you can get an idea of the color payoff and how the shades perform. First, here are a few swatches of the Safari palette.

These are the first 3 in the top row. As you can tell from the top palette pictures, these shadows are quite crumbly, and that's really my only complaint about them. They are quite pigmented and soft and are easily picked up with a brush or the included sponge-tip applicator, but you can't apply too much pressure on the shades or else they will crumble. I'm fairly surprised that the palettes made their way across the ocean with no causalities. The black in this palette is one of the matte shades and I believe there is a black matte shade in nearly every palette that Sleek makes, maybe provided as a liner?

 

  

Next are the top 3 shades in the Chaos (matte) palette. As you can see, these are also fairly pigmented, though they don't have quite as much payoff as the pearl shades. And they don't have that great sheen that the pearl shades have, but they are quite nice especially if you shy away from frosty colors. Now, I don't know about you, but I never used bright pink on my lids (the 1st color), so I did some experimenting. What I found out? This color makes a beautiful lip and cheek color!

I took a bit of clear gloss and put a little on my hand and then picked up some of the pink color from the Chaos palette with a clean lip brush.

Then I mixed it up, adding a bit more of the pink color as necessary till I got the depth of color that I wanted.

 

And then I applied that to my lips with a lip brush.

Not too bad! I kind of like it. Please excuse my skin. I'm not wearing any foundation and I didn't prep my lips with some balm first.

I also think the eyeshadow would look great as a blush, so I sheered it out a bit on my hand...

 

So all in all, I do really like these palettes. My only complaint is that the shadows are a bit powdery but that only lends itself to being a bit creative and seeking out new ways to use colors you wouldn't ordinarily use. I went ahead and ordered a few of the other palettes available recently and I should get them soon, but of course like everyone, I am dying for the Graphite palette which was limited edition. Wish I would have discovered these sooner when it was still widely available (and not a rip off on Ebay!).

Ingredients (from Original): Mica, Talc, Kaolin, Magnesium, Stearate, Dimethicone, Paraffinum Liquid, Ethylhexyl, Palmitate, Propylparaben, Methylparaben