Beauty Blog Link Love - 7/31/10 - #15

Vote NOW on what Makeup Series you'd like to see next on Betty Girl Makeup. Poll closes Friday, August 6th @ 11:59pm.

Jellyminx shows a summery golden pink look and features a surprise guest!

Kim Porter swatches products from the MAC In The Groove Collection to show you what it looks like on NC50 skin.

Krasey Beauty has exclusive swatches of the new Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Collection.

Rachel's been trying out new mineral makeup from Lily Lolo over at Queen of Turquoise.

Hot Beauty Health shares a list of the top 10 virtual hairstyle and makeover sites to try out a new look!

Musicalhouses makes Illamasqua's Beg blush wearable in her latest FOTD.

Find out everything about Summer 2010 makeup trends in the Makeup4All on-line beauty magazine.

Joeybunny over at the PinkSith blog tells us what worked and what didn't during her testing of Raw Minerals Makeup and Brushes. Did you know she's a Team Jacob and not a Team Cullen?

Jolie Laide Girl gets all hot and bothered playing with the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

Check out what makes Guerlain's Meteorites Perles primer so special on Beauty Addict.

Fed up of struggling to access your new makeup? Yeah... Lipglossiping is, too!

Christelle from Beauty Crazed learns that multiple X's are not always inappropriate... sometimes they mean mascara!

I Heart Cosmetics has become totally obsessed with the Clarisonic.

***

Retrodiva is giving away the brand new Sampar's Good Weekend Kit, a new travel-friendly kit for urban skin survival.

Win an Infiniti by Conair You Curl curling iron from Audrey Dao.

There's still time to enter the Summer Smooth Skin Giveaway at The Gloss Menagerie!

Got troublesome skin? Enter Hellcandy's skincare giveaway for the chance to win some B-Liv products!

Do you want a new traincase? CSN stores is giving one Spiced Beauty reader a $40 gift card!

Review: Models Own Lip Cheek & Face Paint in Neon Pink

When Models Own was having their World Cup special, I couldn't resist picking up this cream product, since I'm apparently addicted to cream blushes. While this is advertised as a face paint, working in the real world doesn't really lend itself to face paint in the traditional circus stand sense. I bought the neon pink color as I felt that would be the "safest" option (though the product also comes in blue, orange and neon yellow - woah nelly!).

Housed in a little 6gram glass jar, Models Own face paints promise to "make you stand out in a crowd". No thanks, how do they work as blush?

Well, they weren't kidding around when they called this neon pink. It's very pink. Neon, even! Though, thankfully as far as I know not black-light reflective. Because it's advertised and formulated to be a face paint, this stuff is super duper pigmented. Seriously, I learned that if I'm the least bit blearly-eyed and not fully awake, I shouldn't even attempt to apply this stuff. You only need to gently tap your finger in the jar and that will produce enough product for both cheeks! Don't even rub it, just tap.

That's more than enough, seriously!

This picture washes out the color a little, it's even brighter. However, thankfully for my unassuming 5am cheeks, it blends well on top of foundation. I just have to make sure my cheeks aren't super dry so they don't suck up the product. After being blended, it can create a very natural pretty pink flush which I swatched but doesn't look like I swatched thanks to my crappy camera. You'll just have to trust me on that one.

I found this lasted all day but I don't have oily skin. For £5 I think it's a bargain since you wind up using so little product. It'll probably dry out before I use it all. 

9-5-er approved! Oh who am I kidding, I work 9 hour days... but you get the picture. Definitely work appropriate.

I'm tempted to try the neon orange option, might be the perfect coral cheek?

The Cosmetics Safe Act 2010 H. R. 5786

Twitter has been a buzz regarding a petition opposing legislation that was introduced on July 20th 2010. Honestly, I didn't take the time to read about it till a link was posted on twitter and from what I've seen so far, this could have a major impact (and not one that looks positive) on not only the small businesses it may affect, but also us, consumers.

Not to be political, but considering all the other crap going on in the United States, it seems silly that anyone is putting any effort into something like cosmetics. It seems trivial compared to the economy and other issues this nation faces.

Anyway, I'm doing my part in raising awareness about this issue.

http://www.opposesca.com/
The Alabu Skin Care Blog
The Petitition

You can read the entire bill if you go to the first link - I've only skimmed it mysef.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Vincent Longo @ RueLaLa Today!

Perhaps the sample sale site with the silliest name RueLaLa, is holding a Vincent Longo sale today starting at 11am EST. They are currently running a deal where you get a $10 credit right away and I would get one if you made a purchase which it seems a lot of the more popular sample sites are doing away with. Vincent Longo is a lovely brand that I own quite a few items from, but it doesn't seem to get a lot of love in the blogosphere especially after Sephora and ULTA got rid of the brand. I think you can still get it at Beauty360 but it's much nicer discounted, right?

Disclosure: Obviously this entry includes a referral link.

NOTD: Nicole Peas & Qs

I'm actually kind of amazed I've managed to use polishes that I've recently hauled! Usually polishes, will sit in my untried for weeks, oh who am I kidding, months before I try them out.

A lot of nail bloggers aren't a fan of the Nicole by OPI bottle, but I actually really like it. It reminds me of an old style inkwell and well, I have an affinity for old artsy things as my primary concentration in Architecture school was Historic Preservation. I also like that the base of the bottle is large (like an inkwell) so even though I'm clumsy, I haven't managed to nearly knock it over like some other bottles of polish.

Peas & Qs reminds me of something else from Architecture school: our studio fridge, an ancient avocado green fridge. This is more minty but with the bottle and the color combined, I get pangs of memories from school.

This was 2 coats. And yes I managed to score this for just under $2.

ELF Giveaway Winner! (Second Try)

The first winner to the ELF giveaway winner hasn't contacted me, so I'm "pulling" another number, or rather, random.org is...

(skipping Lillian (UK) and myself)

superwoolu said...
name: superwoolu
blog: http://www.superwoolu.blogspot.com/
fav blush: dandelion from benefit!

Congratulations superwoolu! You have 48 hours to contact me with your mailing address to redeem your prize!

Me Being Verbose: Topic Lipgloss

Ever since I've been on a medication regimen that has left my dry lips even drier (if that was even possible, oh, it is), I've been slathering my lips with a few lip products that I'm anxious to use up. Not only because they are nearly finished but because I don't even remember when they were bought except as a glimmer of a thought relating to college. This means they are, or should be, way past their prime.

No matter, that certainly hasn't stopped me before in using products that many magazine editors would have suggested I bin ages ago.

And because of my sudden urge to use and use up products, I've uncovered some favorites and realized what I'm not really a fan of.

Also, just for the record, I wanted to disclose that I bought 2 Revlon Super Lustrous lipglosses yesterday at CVS. It's a sickness.

First realization, I dislike minty lip products.

I shudder to think how many lipglosses that I have with a mint scent because after slathering my lips in the CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint (in #1137 which is a nice neutral pink - possible discontinued or renamed) I found I really could do without the mint scent. My biggiest qualm with it is that it makes fruity flavored water beverages taste absolutely disgusting and then I don't drink enough and get dehydrated. I can even do without the fresh breath, I'm married after all, my husband has smelled my morning breath and we're still together (unusual!). Texture is ok, goes non-glossy a bit faster than other glosses but then looks like I have on a mauvey lipstick instead, so not horrible. I seriously get this urge to grumble everytime I reapply because the tube doesn't seem to want to end, but I swear, it will end up in an Empties post soon. And one last irk, the packaging is like a little magnet for dirt. I have no idea why but there's a reason this post includes a stock image and not a photo of my tube.

Second realization, MAC lipgelees are amazing and rather undervalued in the MAC line (in my humble opinion of course). I have 2 of these little gems that I swapped for ages ago that are close to being done and they are just so pleasant. Thick but not too thick, moisturizing, not sticky, light pigment which is great for my pigmented lips (I prefer the ones without any shimmer or glitter). Unoffensive vanilla scent, fairly inexpensive for the size. I find them similar to the Cremeglass formula except a heck of a lot less expensive! But I have no issue with being one of few to love and post about how wonderful they are; more for me (but come on MAC, did you have to go and discontinue most of the colors of these? Ugh)!

And the obvious third assessment in this little unplanned project is I have too many lip products, but this was something both you and I already knew.

Tarte Cosmetics @ Gilt Today!

Tarte Cosmetics will be at Gilt today starting at 12pm EST. I'm a pretty big fan of the Tarte line. I love the eyeshadows and they tend to put out some great sets that tend to be good deals! However, their constant stream of 20-40% sales makes Gilt ones somehow less exciting for me. Will you be taking part?
disclosure: This post includes a referral link.

ELF Giveaway Winner!

The (late announced) winner of the ELF blush giveaway is...

JammingJen said...
Name: JammingJen
Blog: n/a
Blush: Milani's Mai Tai or the pink blush in ELF's blush/contour duo. :]


Thanks for hosting a giveaway!

Congratulations JammingJen! Please e-mail me at jeweledthumb@gmail.com to claim your prize. I'll give you till this Sunday since the announcement was a bit delayed. =)

Review: Youngblood Eyeshadow Quad in Purple Majesty

I've been meaning to try this brand for quite awhile, so when it made its way into this year's Allure Beauty Box/Bag, I was excited to finally get to try the brand. Youngblood is a fairly luxe mineral makeup brand but unlike some of its indie counterparts, the line offers pressed eyeshadows. As much as I love the creativity that comes along with loose mineral (and otherwise) pigments, my eyesight prefers them pressed, or rather, my lack of eyesight.

Youngblood offers individual pressed and loose shadows for $19 and $18 and pressed eyeshadow quads for $39.

The quad comes in a metal palette, with a mirror in the interior and the names of the shadows and some other information on the back of the quad. It comes with sponge tip applicators as well.

Purple Majesty comes with 4 different shades, ranging from pale white to a plummy shade. All the shadows in this quad have a bit of shimmery glow to them. None of what I would call glitter.

I wore two different combinations of the shadows for 2 days, one of those days I was lounging around the house and didn't really do much of anything so I didn't really "count" that, but yesterday I went ahead and wore the shadows to work with Urban Decay Primer Potion and they lasted all day. Now, they lasted all day, but the pigment of these is very soft. These are purple, yes, but they are very work-safe purple shades.

Moonstone, the pale white shade, instantly gives a glow to the lids. I found this shade a touch powdery but it created a really pretty brightening look. However, again, the pigment is soft.
Lilac Bouquet, the 2nd shade, is a very very pale lavender. I couldn't really tell a huge difference between this and Moonstone once applied on the lids.
Heather Smoke is a deeper purple shade. I used this shade in the crease, this shade did have more pigment than the two lighter in the quad
Wild Orchid is a plummy shade that has quite a bit of a red undertone. I used this shade in the crease and this was my least favorite shade in the quad since it can kind of look bruisey once applied. 

I'd call these shades more of a satin texture, none were matte, none had tons of sparkle or shimmer, but they did have a glow. As I said, I found this quad very work appropriate and I really like the glow Moonstone gives to my lids but all in all, I wasn't terribly impressed with this quad. I even took a FOTD picture, but you can't really tell I'm wearing eyeshadow in it.

While Moonstone is a great shade and I'll think I'll wear it frequently, there are tons of pale shimmery whites on the market at all different price points. I'm glad I got the chance to try these at the price I did, but I wouldn't rebuy and/or pay full price.

Review: MAC Microfine Refinisher

As I mentioned in my Empties post, I had recently finished the 24.7 facial scrub which did a decent job of removing any dry bits on my skin. However, I must say now having used the MAC scrub, I'd rather rebuy this than the 24.7. While the price at $28 is higher than I usually like to spend on a facial scrub, I recently bought this at one of the Cosmetic Company Outlets aka CCO so it was 30% or so off.

sorry for the stock picture - mine is in the shower & a bit wet!

I've used this for about a week now (about 3 separate times) and here are my thoughts.

First of all, the consistency is quite thick and comes out of the tube looking like a white cream. It is very hard to see if there are any scrubby bits, unlike the 24.7 where the granules are quite large and have a tendency of almost falling off your face as you apply the scrub, this is more like a mask. The cream has within it lots of tiny little micro-particles that feel a bit like sand, but it doesn't hurt as you apply and rub it over your face. I feel with this I can cover all parts of my face without having to worry about the scrub getting into my eyes (as I tend to apply my scrubs in the shower as I'm a bit messy) since the scrub remains cream-like and doesn't instantly dissolve in water.

After leaving the shower, my skin doesn't feel a bit tight like with the 24.7 scrub, it feels really soft! I feel like the top layer of skin that may have been dry/dead has been removed but it hasn't gone and sucked out all the moisture out either and I haven't broken out from the product either so my sensitive skin gives this a thumbs up.

It's weird as I've been using MAC products for a good 5 years now but only just now tried this facial scrub, or shall I say, refinisher - and whether or not I'm the last person alive to do so, I really like it!

Have you tried the MAC Microfine Refinisher? What are your thoughts?

NOTD: L'oreal Sand Castle

I picked up a few things a couple weeks ago at Target. One of which was this L'oreal nail polish for a mere 98 cents. The color looks a bit different in different lighting. In natural lighting, it's more of a straight nude and in yellow-ish lighting, it looks like more of a salmon color. L'oreal nail polishes have the tendency of being a bit thick and this one is no exception. In fact, I think I gouged my pinky and I painted my nails over 30 minutes ago with Seche Vite! And yes, I have some bubbling, but hopefully you guys won't really be able to tell.

I guess this is what you would call mannequin hands? Not very exciting but very work appropriate.

MAC Jazzed

So there's been a bit of a to-do lately with a new lipstick from MAC - Jazzed recently came out with the In The Groove collection and sold out rather quickly on the MAC site as well as many counters. Now, I have been on a bit of a lipstick buying diet. I have so many that it is really silly for me to buy others, but after hearing and looking at swatches of Jazzed, I bought it. Do corals tend to look good on my fair cool skin, nope! But that didn't stop me. After wearing it for a few days, I do feel it morphs a bit when it's on the lips and becomes a bit more wearable since my lips are pigmented.

I did a bit of a swatch test today and thought I would share my findings. Now, none of these are clear dupes of the product, but honestly, minor differences between lipsticks that all fall within the same color family are nearly indistinguishable and I feel as though all of these apply a bit differently than the swatches. The YSL ones for instance, are much more wearable than they appear here!

I do really like the MAC Cremesheen formula and this is my first. If I ever finish another lipstick, I'll go back for some more of these. They are very pleasant to wear.

Swatches are (in left to right order):
MAC Jazzed Cremesheen
YSL Rouge Volupte in #13 Peach Passion
YSL Rouge Pur #144 Silky Apricot
Revlon Colorburst Peach
Rimmel Rich Moisture Rose Sorbet

I think if you added a tiny bit of white to the Revlon or the Rouge Volupte you'd wind up with Jazzed or if the Rouge Volupte and the Rouge Pur had a baby. Revlon is pretty close if you are aiming for a more affordable price point. Well, let me put it this way, do I need all of these colors? No.

But has that ever stopped me before? No.

Beauty Blog Link Love - 7/17/10 - #14

Have you tried Ellis Faas yet? Rae's reviewing a few of these super-luxe, super-chic products, starting with Ellis' Milky Lips line!

Armani Blushing Fabric Second Skin Blushers have caught Louise's eye.

No bruises here! Check out Maggie's soft pink & purple face of the day over at The Polka-Dotted Apple.

When do Lego's and cosmetics have something in common? When Jouer comes to town, that's when. Watch Jeweled Thumb act 5 and play with a recent haul!

Butter LONDON has some fabulous new nail shades for Autumn 2010 - come check them out on Lipglossiping!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets up close and personal with the Burberry Beauty line!

Hell Candy attends the Edward Bess UK launch and is blown away by the beauty of everything (the make up AND the man!)

Jolie Laide Girl gets silky soft with Kiehls Lightweight Body Lotion.

Sarah from IHeartCosmetics shows you how to get rid of spots,simply and easily.

Dry skinned and on a budget? Eyelining thinks Boots may have a bargain solution!

Looking for a perfect red nail polish for summer? Take a look at Illamasqua's Alarm at Makeup4All.

Lipgloss86 conquers all fears and grabs for the epilator in a bid for fuzz free legs.

The Lip Print discovers the sweetest nail shades for spring and has a chat with Orly's Creative Director about what's hot for nails!

There’s a new mascara in town! Check out Tsahi’s review on Revlon’s new Luscious Grow Mascara.

Madame B Fatale talks about a product that supports a great cause!


***

Be sure to enter Phyrra's Summer Giveaway! Two winners, great prizes, open worldwide!

It's Pink Diva Beauty's birthday and you receive the presents! Have you entered?

Ever wanted to try LA's Prtty Peaushun? Now you can - Beautywoome is giving it away this month!

Reviva Labs wants to protect and prettify you with their Summer Skincare Giveaway on Prime Beauty.

The Pink Sith is celebrating her second Blog Anniversary with a Purple and Silver giveaway!

Stila Friday Happy Hour

This week Stila give a pretty awesome Happy Hour deal again! As much as I love you, Stila, you're going to make me broke!

Receive 3 free Jewel Lip Glazes and free shipping with code JEWELUP! Code is good on orders over $40. And, I just discovered that Stila is on Mr. Rebates, 5% cash back! Pretty nifty, eh?

Disclosure: This post includes a referral link.

Not Really An Update But A Reminder

I haven't been around lately, due to medical stuff, but I wanted to remind all of you that my ELF giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 EST and I only have around 20 or so entries. So please enter? Pretty blushes may be yours. US & Canada only.

I'll hopefully be posting a bit more this weekend and one of these days, I'll catch up on comments!

Review: Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Daily Sunblock

I recently received a sample of the Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock in the mail to try out.

My first reaction was that the bottle was awfully small! I wondered how it was going to last past the first couple of days given that I had heard that one needs to apply a lot of sunscreen to get the desired sun protection. With this, you only need to apply a few drops per application.

While the smell isn't entirely pleasant (it's sunscreen plus what appears to be a little floral scent), it's not impossible to deal with and it seems to disappear once layered under makeup.

It doesn't sink in immediately but since the texture is thin and liquid-like, it has an easier time of absorbing into the skin unlike thicker sunscreen products and once it dries it isn't sticky.

"swatch"

It does leave a slight film on the skin, but it feels like liquid to powder face products and dries matte and does not cause my foundation to ball up on my face. I've found it does provide a decent base for my makeup but since my skin is on the drier side, I still need to moisturize well before applying this product. Since my skin is fair, I have not had a problem with a white cast on my skin but darker skin tones might have that problem if the product doesn't sink in fully.

 rubbed in

All in all, I really like this sunscreen though with the price tag of nearly $12, I will have to use it longer to see how long the little bottle lasts and whether or not it breaks me out since my skin is sensitive.

A side note: I apologize at how blurry these photos are. They were taken a few days ago and I haven't had the energy to retake as I've been in bed, but you guys get the point, right? Of course right!

Would you like to review UltraSheer®, too? Then go to http://www.giantwavepool.com/ultrasheer!

Or get $2 off your UltraSheer® purchase at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Rock & Republic @ Hautelook Today!

Rock & Republic Beauty will be on Hautelook today! The latest word from Hautelook is that the discount will be 50% - not too shabby! Will you be "tuning" in at 11am EST?

Disclosure: This post includes a referral link.

Review: Yves Rocher Watercolor effect blush

A few weeks ago Yves Rocher was 25% cash back on Ebates (it's now 9%) and was also having a clearance sale and on top of that, a discount, so even though it's not really talked about in the blogosphere, I decided to give a shot. Yves Rocher is a french brand but their website ships to most countries and they offer free shipping with a $35 or more purchase which tends to be unusual for international sites. Anyway, my last run-in with Yves Rocher was several years ago when I ordered their Vanilla Bourbon perfume (which looks to be discontinued), which is a cheap favorite among vanilla perfume enthusiasts. I had never tried their makeup but at 50% or more off with all the promotions, I figured it was worth a shot.

Since I'm apparently obsessed with cream or gel blushes these days, when I found the Watercolor Effects blush on the Yves Rocher website, I added it to my basket.

The tube is really tiny. I honestly didn't take the website seriously when it said "Its irresistible mini format!" - it truly is small, only holding .23floz - but considering the $5 price tag, it isn't what you would call expensive.

The color I bought is Light Poppy which is an orangey red that winds up more of a coral when you rub it into the skin. The texture is very liquidy and with the rounded lip gloss like tip delivery system, has a tendency of spurting out a bit more than you would need for 1 application. I feel this is a pretty goof proof gel blush though. Because it is watery, it takes awhile to set on the skin (though it does eventually set after a few seconds so I would advise against applying to each cheek before blending - blend upon application) and also goes on rather sheer for the first application but can be built up. It blends into the skin pretty easily and creates a nice glow of color.

This particular swatch looks a bit more orange than it looks in natural lighting. It does have a hint of red to it which makes it a very wearable shade.

The above swatch rubbed in. Notice that where the majority of the product was placed has the outline but the rest is fairly even.

I'm pretty impressed with this miniature blush. My only concern is how quickly it will be used up (which I guess isn't so bad for someone like myself with plenty of makeup to finish) as the tube feels a bit empty now having used the product only 3 times however it did survive through my grocery trip today outside in the heat so no immediate concerns of needing to reapply throughout the day (and even if you do the packaging makes it very portable).

The Yves Rocher site says there is another color of this formulation but it doesn't appear to be available for sale yet. I think this color would suit most skin tones, barring the most dark ones. It's very subtle yet gives a nice glow to my NW10 (or thereabouts) cheeks.

Disclosure: This site includes a referral link (Ebates).

NOTD: Zoya Nova

Since my nails are currently nubbins, I figured I could get away with slightly crazier polish: enter Zoya Nova which is utterly bling-tastic. I do have a slightly harder time painting my nails when they are short but I don't think I did too horrible of a job with these.

Anyway, Zoya is a gorgeous dense pinky glitter suspended in what appears to be a more purple-y base which makes the nails look purple in different lighting. In the sun it looks fairly fuschia-y pink.

 This was 2 coats. Yay glitter!

Empties

Yes, I am back with more used up products and this time I even have some makeup items other than mascara and lip balm that I've finished (this is a momentous occasion)!

24.7 Skincare Daily Purifying Facial Scrub - I bought this at CVS (I believe this is a CVS only brand) on sale quite awhile ago - maybe a year (?) - and it has lasted forever. I haven't used this everyday, more like 2x a week or so and it does a really good job of getting rid of flaky skin on my face. I use in infrequently because it tends to be a little drying since it has something in it that makes your skin tingle after application. However, it doesn't break me out and as long as I moisturize after showering, it works really well. I won't repurchase right away because I have a few other scrubs to use (I didn't expect this to last so long!) but I imagine this would be good for oily to combination skin. People with totally dry skin might want to stay away or use more infrequently.

The Body Shop Seaweed Night Treatment - I've already sang the praises for this product here. I really like this night treatment and I used it religiously for nearly 2 months - maybe closer to 3 - before it was finished (so that's a decent deal for the price tag). I'm currently testing some other skincare items so unless I fall in love with them, I'll definitely be repurchasing this in the future.

Exuviance Skin Caring Foundation in Ivory - I already talked about this here. I can't believe I've finished a foundation! This one still has some product in it but I've even opened it even to get every last bit I could out so I've deemed it finished. I really like this foundation and I'll rebuy when I've used up a few others. Not thrilled that Exuviance has increased the price on this sucker since the last time I've bought it but it's a good foundation, lasts on the face in the summer, doesn't break me out and has added sun protection. For me though I consider this more a summer foundation because it tends to get sucked up around dry patches in the winter. 

MAC Powerpoint in Forever Green - It dawned on me that I don't mention MAC a lot on this blog. I just feel that MAC is really saturated out there but it doesn't stop me from loving and using the products. The powerpoints are by far my favorite eye liner formulation from MAC. They go on easy, they last all day and the colors are great too. I have a swatch of Forever Green here. And yes, I have a back up at the ready for this shade.

Bioinfusion Tea Tree Shampoo - This was in a previous Empties post. Yes, I finished another bottle of shampoo. Truly ground breaking. =)

Have you used up anything recently? Would you repurchase?

Stila Deal

So, this Stila "Deal" post is two-fold. First of all, you can now get a free Creme Bouquet Hair Refresher with code BOUQUET with any $40 or more purchase at Stila.com and the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection Artist's Palette is now on sale for $19.99 - the Creme Bouquet code expires tomorrow at midnight so there is still time to mull over what else to get.

I don't own the Artist's palette myself but from what I've seen in stores, it's quite large. Cardboard packaging but didn't seem too beat up sitting in a store display. Anyone have it and want to share their thoughts? Worthy of a haul at $20?

Review: LUSH Sugar Scrub

I love scrubs! I love scrubby soap, scrubs in tubes and pots, so when LUSH came out with these sugar scrubs a little while ago, I bought a few to try out. The green scrub is an earthy scent that is bordering on chemical, but it doesn't really stick around that much so it's not a huge concern of mine. The major issue I have this product is the delivery system. I applaud LUSH for trying to cut down on consumer waste by not using packaging in their products, but this one would benefit considerably by being placed in a jar. The major issue is you can't cut this up into individual uses and I found it too scrubby and harsh without some added water, which dissolves the product, creating a green slime on my white shower and also makes the floor very slippery, more so than any other scrub that I've used. The scrub itself disintegrates almost immediately when it comes in contact with water and becomes fairly pleasant to use, aside from the slime and the slickness and the fact that soon you have your green money (to the tune of $4.95) slipping down the drain.

If you do manage to conserve some of the product, the question is where to put it. I didn't automatically think to keep a container in my shower for this to be saved in, so I was forced to keep it on my soap dish which created a line of green ooze down my shower wall (isn't talking about this product pleasant?).

I was able to squeeze out 2 uses from my little ball, but I think after I'm done with my little sugar scrub stash (why on earth did I buy more than 1 of these prior to trying it?), I'll be switching to a different scrub.

Aromaleigh Lost In Faerie Collection

I'm sure everyone knows by now that Aromaleigh is shutting down after 12 years. While I haven't been able to test these shadows as much as I wanted to, I want to get them up before they dissapear for good. That being said, unlike some other bloggers who have swatches of the entire collection, I really don't feel my swatches are that good and instead want to share my top 6 picks from the collection. If you want to see amazing swatches, check out (among others) Phyrra.

My top 6 in no particular order...

Elodie - This shade is gorgeous! It is basically an olive green with an almost duochrome effect with gold shimmer. I did find that a lot of the shades in this collection had more glitter than shimmer and I do prefer the shimmer as it gives the shadows (especially this one) a metallic quality where they just glow.

Naida - This is another shade that has mostly refined shimmer. It is a soft lilac but appears pink or gray in some lighting.This and Elodie are probably my top two faves of the collection.

Calista - I honestly couldn't nail down a color when I swatched this one. This is a not quite grey, not quite blue, not quite brown blackened shade with gold glitter. I don't think I'd even call it a taupe. A mystery!

Zanna - A blackened plum with gold shimmer. Very pretty and would be great to line.

Donella - The first thing I thought of this shade was chocolate mousse. A soft mousey brown with a little shimmer for pizazz.

Xylia - This is what I'd call blurple. Not quite blue, not quite purple.

Swatches in the same order, see how Elodie and Naida just glow?! These swatches were done without a base. I did however, pat the shadows onto the skin instead of sweeping or rubbing them on as that helps with loose powder shadows. There are also plenty of great bases out that suit mineral eyeshadows.

You can still find the Aromaleigh Lost in Faerie Collection at Dormant Dreams while stock lasts for $8 a jar (free shipping in the US). And until Aromaleigh runs out of stock completely, you can still buy their products at their website and get 35% off with code ADIEU35. It looks like they will be open till at least the beginning of August (the coupon expires on the 10th). If you've been wanting to try (or stock up on) their products, I wouldn't wait too long.

Disclosure: These products were sent by Aromaleigh for review purposes. 

ELF Deal

Pretty decent discount at ELF from 12pm-6pm only! Take 60% off everything in the whole online store with code SIXTY.

JT Wants

Since I'm not up to much this weekend, I've been surfing the internet finding way more stuff than I can afford to put on my wishlist, including a ton of new arrivals at Sephora and of course the MAC In The Grove collection.

 MUFE Beauty in a Box $69
This set contains:
- 2 x 0.21 oz Aqua Cream in 13 Warm Beige (champagne shimmer) and 15 Taupe (taupe brown shimmer)
- 2 x 0.04 oz Aqua Eyes in Mat Black 0L (black) and Dark Grey 21L (dark metallic grey)
- 0.23 oz Aqua Smoky Lash in Extra Black
- 0.04 oz Aqua Lip in Nude Beige 1C (light neutral beige)
- 0.84 oz Sens'Eyes
 A bunch of full sized MUFE stuff, including the aqua creams which I am so wanting to try! Great price too.

Way too much from the In The Groove collection!
Jazzed Lipstick Bright coral pink
I Like It Like That Lipstick
By Candlelight MSF Golden Pink
Stereo Rose MSF Coral with golden bronze shimmering nuances
Petticoat MSF Pale rose with gold and amber veining

Oy, I think I'm definitely going to get Jazzed & Stereo Rose, I think.

NARS LE Multiple Tints - I have a feeling these are all gone by now but as I've seen them featured on other blogs, I've been wanting them even more, though I have more than enough cream blushes!

What have you been lemming?

Target Haul

I had a fairly successful outing. I bought some skinny black jeans at Kohls that are non-jean enough for work and found some awesome cosmetic deals at Target!

My Target almost always has a little basket of cosmetic items on clearance but this time it was hidden on the lowest shelf in the middle of another display. I made out like a bandit though!

Nicole Peas & Qs polish $1.84 (reg. $7.39)
L'oreal polish in Sand Castle $.98 (reg. $3.94)
Maybelline The Colossal WP $1.24 (reg. $4.99)
Maybelline Lash Stiletto WP $1.48 (reg. $5.99)

And I used 2 $1/1 coupons on the Maybelline, making them only $.24 and $.48 a piece! It totally pays to carry around coupons with you.

The only sad thing about this expedition is I broke a nail down to a nubbin trying on jeans, so I may have to get them all down to a shorter length. They'll grow back, right? *tear*

FOTD & Chatter

If you've been following me on twitter, you may know that I've been feeling less than spectacular for a bit of time, so the fact that I am actually leaving the house on my own that's not a place I can't get out of going (work for example) is cause for a bit of a celebration. In short, back issues.

Anyway, since I am about to go to Target & CVS (exciting, I know) and perhaps Kohls, too, I decided to put on a bit of makeup.

Face
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA+++ #21
N.Y.C Blushable Creme Stick in Pink Flash

Eyes
UDPP
L'Oreal Bare Naturale eyeshadow in Bare Nude
Urban Decay 24/7 Rockstar smudged into lower lashline
Cover Girl Lash Exact mascara in blue

Lips
Korres Quince lip butter

Just something simple and easy for my outing. Please ignore the fact that my eyebrows are in dire need of a plucking/waxing.

Also to my US followers, happy 4th of July!

Beauty Blog Link Love - 7/03/10 - #13

Rae has a sneek peek (with swatches and reviews!) of The Body Shop's fall collection over at theNotice.

Phyrra compares ten eye shadow primers. Find out which ones are her favorites!

The Pink Sith performs a public service by warning you about the new Sephora: Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer.

Jellyminx creates a pictorial showing the look she wore in her first "live" Youtube video.

Hot Beauty Health shares a simple trick for soft and beautiful feet in 4 easy steps!

LilBiuty shares her first colorful look using only Sugarpill makeup!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed wonders if there are any sweeter words then "Limited Edition Dior"!

Kim Porter shares advice given directly from celebrity MUA Sam Fine on how to become a makeup artist.

Retrodiva has discovered a great new hair treatment by Brazilian Blowout that she is anxious to try. Best part? No hair downtime!

See what Madame B Fatale thinks about Clarins Everlasting Foundation.

No need to struggle with frizz. Lipgloss86 has the perfect product to sort you out.

Glitter Geek has MAC alice + olivia on her mind with this turquoise and purple look. So. much. fun!

Pretty, pink, and sparkly? Yes, please! The Lip Print discovers a new favourite gloss

The Gloss Menagerie urges you to say NO to uni-taskers with Cover FX primers!

Jenn rocks blue eyeshadow which will make brown eyes pop over at Spiced Beauty.

***
Want to look 'red carpet ready' without spending a fortune? Learn how in Babushka's Beauty Secrets, because Prime Beauty is giving away a copy!

Mz. More of The Glamorous Gleam is celebrating her move to Wordpress. Enter her Housewarming Giveaway to win some goodies from MAC!