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.

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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.