A Vision in Velvet Review

Was this holiday edition of eyeshadows from bareMinerals worth the $79.00 price tag? Click the "Read more" link to find out!

Benefit High Beam Review

 

Looking to add a glow to your winter routine for the holidays?

Click the "Read more" link to see my review!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Oh boy, the naked craze begins again with Urban Decay's launch of the Naked 2 palette. I've seen a million reviews and I'm sorry to say that I just don't feel the same as other reviewers. When I ordered the palette, I was beyond excited as I do not own the first so naked 2 would have been my first, coveted  Urban Decay palette. Besides, every beauty blogger was raving over the palette, how could I not have been excited to lay my hands on it? Well, I've got news for you guys. After playing with the palette, I'm sorry to say I'm less than pleased. Click the "Read More" link to know why!

Hello Milani Liquif'eye Liners

For as long as I can remember, I've loved MAC's Powerpoint Liners. In fact, I have the liner in three different colors (duck, engraved, and industry), but with the holiday season coming up, not to mention MAC's steep prices, I decided to check out a drugstore alternative. I've read numerous reviews and looked at many swatches of Milani's Liquif'eye liners and decided to finally give it a go and....

I can't even begin to tell you how completely satisfied I am with this product, not to mention the low price! Click the Read More link for my in-depth review.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

If you're looking for a gentle facial cleanser for the winter months, Clinique's liquid facial soap has got you covered! It's almost like luxury simplified. Sounds too good to be true? Let me explain in the extended product review. Click the "Read More" link to continue. 

Olay Definity Color Recapture

Have you been in the market for a drugstore tinted moisturizer? A few weeks ago, I found myself at a local drugstore face to face with an intriguing product: Olay Definity Color Recapture. I remembered a friend of mine told me she uses this and trust me, that girl's skin looked like it was airbrushed. So, hoping to create a flawless base, I bought the product. Was it a total fail or did it win me over? Click the "Read More" link for a full product review.

Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil

Does the sound of an OIL-anything scare you oily beauties? It certainly scares me! I don't exactly try to avoid products that contain oil, but I definitely don't jump for joy when I hear the word oil in skincare/makeup items. But Josie Maran's Argan Cleansing Oil is different. Argan oil has been pretty popular lately. It's touted as an oil that can be used for both your face and hair. Furthermore, it'll moisturize but not clog pores. Josie Maran even says it heals the skin. So does argan oil really do anything when it's in the form of a cleanser? Click the "Read More" link to find out.

Laura Mercier Eye Liner (Cake)

A few weeks ago, I was watching a YouTube video that focused on Laura Mercier's Eye Liner, and the guru made it sound so nice that I immediately purchased. Boy, I wish I would have done a little more research before I forked over the cash for this thing. Want to know why I regret this purchase? Click the "Read More" link.

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

There are so many gel eyeliners on the market today. How do you know which one is good and which is so-so? Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner has been toted as a favorite by many makeup artists and beauty bloggers. I decided to give it a try after my MAC Fluidline ran out. Want to know what I think about this eyeliner and whether it's lives up to the hype? Click the "Read More" link below

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream

Bobbi Brown launched a moisturizing set of products awhile back. Part of the line included a moisturizer, called the "Hydrating Face Cream." It's a bit on the pricey side for a moisturizer so before you go out and buy it, get the 411 on the product by clicking the "Read More" link below. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Review

Have you tried any Chanel foundations? Are you interested in the new Vitalumiere Aqua foundation launch this spring by Chanel? Want to know the pros and cons of this foundation? I've just spent the past week trying this foundation out and I'm breaking it down for you so you know exactly what it's like! Click the "Read More" link below to continue reading.

EXTEN-10 Youth Boosting Moisturizer SPF 15

If you're a fan of Kohl's or have even just strolled Kohl's, you know that there are certain beauty products and lines that are exclusively sold there. Just like Target, Kohl's has branched out in a major way to feature good quality brands at reasonable prices. One of the more popular skin care lines at Kohl's is GoodSkin Labs. I was recently contacted back in the fall of 2010 concerning the launch of EXTEN-10 Youth Boosting Moisturizer with SPF 15. I've never tried out any beauty items sold exclusively at Kohl's or from this particular company before so I was excited to receive a sample. The following is my honest, non-commissioned review of the product I was sent. Should I mention, as a hint, that my mother loves the product so much we just bought her a second tube at Kohl's last weekend?! Click the "Read More" link to continue this review.

Bobbi Brown EXTRA SPF 25 Moisturizing Balm

Do you suffer from dry and itchy skin because of the harsh winter weather? Does your normal, everyday moisturizer still leave your skin parched? Perhaps it's time you looked into Bobbi Brown's EXTRA Moisturizing Balm! Click the "Read More" link below to continue this review.

Mineral Fad Over?

Do you guys remember when Bare Minerals (Escentuals) first came out?  I remember everyone was going crazy about mineral makeup because it was the IN thing, not to mention it was advertised as being good for your skin. So my question, a few years after the debut of BM, are you still on the mineral bandwagon or have you fallen off?

I personally was never a big mineral fan. Not that I didn't like it but finding my color and making it look non-powdery was always a problem for me. But recently, my skin has been too dry for my MUFE Velvet gel foundation so I decided to try mineral makeup again. I started off purchasing Revlon's Colorstay Mineral Foundation. It was quite nice as far as color match as I blended 020 and 030, but it didn't really last on my skin. By the 6th hour, I definitely saw fading, which makes me sad as I want to give it high marks. It is also very matte when you first put it on so you can not layer too much, otherwise you look like you're wearing a powder mask. After wearing Revlon's mineral foundation for about 3 weeks, I busted out my Laura Mercier mineral foundation from awhile ago. I used to not use it because it was darker than my skin color at the time but I now mix it with Revlon's 020, half and half, and get a perfect color as well as texture. The Laura Mercier formula definitely has more shine/glimmer to it than Revlon's matte formula but the LM one also lasts quite a bit longer than the Revlon one. I should mention though, neither prevent shine so if you tend to get oily, I would bring powder or blotting sheets on the side to touch up. I should also mention if you have acne scars or facial blemishes, the LM one is a lot more buildable and covers more than the Revlon. However, if you have nice skin already, I would go with the Revlon one as it will give you lighter, more natural coverage.

Overall, I think both mineral foundations are great...which makes me conclude that I'm back on the mineral bandwagon. Is one better than the other? It depends on what you're looking for. If you have good skin, need light coverage, and like a somewhat matte texture with a great price I'd definitely go for Revlon. If you need more coverage, don't mind paying more, and like somewhat of a sheen in your foundation, then Laura Mercier is the way to go.

Has your interest in mineral makeup waned recently? How about giving it another go? I'm glad I did!


FTC regulation information:
*I purchased these products myself.
*I have no affiliations with these companies.
*I am not being paid or earning any commission.

**According to FTC guidelines, products that are given or donated for review by a company or brand must be stated as such. Products that were purchased by the beauty blogger/reviewer will be stated as such.

Chanel Tweed Fuchsia

Have you tried any Chanel blushes before? Maybe you should start with Chanel's limited edition "Tweed Fuchsia" from their holiday collection. Click the "Read More" link to find out why!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow

Is Bobbi Brown's long-wear cream shadow worth $22.00? Click the "Read More" link to find out.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Does your eyeshadow ever crease on you? Do you find that the beautiful eye-look you created gets destroyed in a matter of hours because you have oily eyelids? Boy have I got a product for you ladies (or gents!)! Click the "Read More" link to read my Urban Decay Primer Potion review and reasons why you should buy it STAT!

Josie Maran Protect SPF 40+

Does this all natural sunscreen by Josie Maran live up to the hype surrounding all natural products or is this a complete gimmick? Click the "Read More" link to read my complete review on this sunscreen!

Fusion Beauty SculptDiva Blush

Ampli-what? Fusion Beauty's latest release of beauty products includes a line of cream blushes toted as having amplifat. What's amplifat? I have no idea but because the word has "fat" in it, I'm guessing it's something like a lip plumper except for the cheeks. And indeed, that's what Sephora says amplifat is, "plumps the skin for visibly firmer, more supple looking cheeks." I don't know if this amplifat really plumps up my cheeks because a) I'm young so my cheeks are naturally plump and b) I won't be using this product every day for 28 days like it says to to benefit from the amplifat. However, what I can tell you is what I think of this product as a normal cream blusher. I'm not really sure if others are buying the amplifat claim either, so it's best to look at this product as just another blush and thus, it shall be reviewed as such!

Click the "Read More" link for a full product review on this and swatches of this blush!

Move Over MAC Wipes, Neutrogena Has Me Covered

I've always loved MAC's makeup remover wipes because they just work so darn well! It is like no matter how many eyeshadows or liners I swatch on my hand in the store, as soon as I pick up a wipe it is like magic! All that makeup is gone in just a few seconds. Considering the amount of makeup the wipe removes, I consider it a beauty-must but surely for $18.00 it is a bit much for the average beauty gal! I mean, yes you get 45 wipes for that much money but no one wants to shell out that much at one time when there are plenty of drugstore alternatives. So, I went on a hunt to find a drugstore makeup wipe with similar fantastic characteristics as the MAC wipes I love. Guess what?! I found one that rivals MAC's wipes and have actually replaced my MAC wipes with this because...IT'S CHEAPER!

To read the rest of this entry, click the "Read More" link.