Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: March 30


Friday, March 29, 2013

Spring Beauty Essentials Giveaway


Hey all - Just a reminder that this is still going on! Another week to go...

Quite a few of the Beauty Blogazons got together and decided to put together a giveaway! This is very exciting as I just finished my first giveaway.


Just to go over some of the more important rules:
  • Giveaway open from March 21st to April 4th 12:00 am EST
  • Open to US residents only
  • 23 winners, 1 prize to each winner, 23 bloggers participating.
  • Must be 18 or older to enter or have a legal guardians permission
  • All winners are picked at random
Here is a collage of all the prizes. Can you guess which is the prize I contributed?

You can click this to enlarge it.

List of the contributors:

Lipgloss Break, LozLosa, Manicurity, InTruBeauty, Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom, Harajuku Girl FL, Lani Loves, Justina's Gems, (POREfessional) Beauty Info Zone, 10 Fickle Fingers, Polish Etc., The Fabzilla, Manicurator, Rachel's Makeup and Skincare, Sincerely Stephanie, Beyond Beauty Lounge, Lisa's Nail Obsession, Valiantly Varnished, Darling Girl Cosmetics, Midnight Manicures, Beauty and Fashion Tech, Beauty With a Twist.

And finally the widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

Tom Ford Cheek Color in Flush


Alright, I promise this is the last Tom Ford post for awhile. I just wanted to get all of these out of the way at once. The last of the set of Tom Ford items I found worthwhile was the blush. This blush rivals my love for Burberry blush. It is so incredibly soft and finally milled and it is incredibly pigmented. The color I purchased, Flush, is a serious orange color. It does not mess around and is perfect for the season.

Without Flash

With Flash

Tom Ford states that "symmetrical, sculpted cheekbones are vital to creating the Tom Ford look. This sumptuous powder blush delivers layers of possibility, from a sultry glow to a more dramatic, color-rich look. Formulated with spherical pearls and rich emollients, it glides onto the skin with the comfort of a cream, achieving outstanding luminosity and a velvety transparency."

This blush is an amazing texture and incredible color. I fell in love with it the instant I saw it. It was perfect. It has this shine to it that really creates luminosity on the cheeks without emphasizing pores. It is truly a remarkable blush. I love pairing this blush with the Le Metier gloss in Coral Rose to truly bring out the orange tones in both. 

Other than brushes (like all of them) and maybe other blush colors (love lust), I am most likely done with Tom Ford. Like I have said in my other posts, I was really not specifically thrilled with this line. The eyeshadows actually creased and faded within 3 hours of wear...seriously? My ulta brand eyeshadow is better than that and its an 1/8th of the price! 

This blush can be purchased from Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, or any of these retailers online. 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor


I figured while I was here I might as well continue on my Tom Ford reviews. The brow sculptor is another unique Tom Ford item that I don't really see other bloggers giving much love to. Why is it such a unique brow pencil you might ask?


Why it's the shape of the pencil that makes it so unique. It is a calligraphy tip and so it makes a much less harsh line when you use it properly to fill in your brows. I use the flat angle tip against my brow and push it up to create a smooth line almost like powder and a brush. The pen itself is also incredibly soft making it super easy to blend and give a natural look.


The other end of the pencil has a "grooming brush" that allows you to brush your brows after to keep them looking spiffy. Are there any other hidden goodies included in this pencil? Why yes there is! If you twist the cap counterclockwise there is a hidden pencil sharpener!

"To Tom Ford, the eyebrows are one of the most important elements of the face. A perfectly groomed and shaped brow is the most powerful noninvasive way to define and enhance your features. The unique calligraphy tip allows a tailor-made stroke, from thine to wide. Remove the opposite-end cap to uncover a grooming brush; twist the cap counterclockwise to reveal the sharpener."


And of course this comes in Tom Ford's standard brown and gold.

It's funny, I am not a huge fan of Tom Ford products as I feel that many of the products (highlighter, primer, eyeshadows, lipsticks, etc) are incredibly over hyped and expensive, but there are select products that are so unique that they do require some love.

This product can be purchased from Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom, or any of these retailers online.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

MAC Matters (March 2013): Build A Core Collection with $21 per month


Hey there. This is  new blog series that was originally started by Pammy Blogs Beauty. I decided to jump on this bandwagon and do this series with her. You can see her original post here and follow her series as well. You can check out my January purchase here.

The idea of this series is to take the $21 a month one would spend on a beauty subscription service (Pammy chose to cancel her current subscription, I am choosing to opt into this as a "new subscription") and instead use it to buy Mac products in an effort to build a core collection of Mac items.

These are the rules (borrowed with thanks from Pammy):

Goal: Build my core MAC Collection using an average of $21.00 per month.


  • Purchase at least one item a month: If the item is under $20, I can save the remainder for the next month. While there are many items priced under $20, there are plenty that are over the $20 range that I can save for. 
  • Do a monthly blog post to share what I got! My goal is to continue this series for 12 months to see what kind of core collection I can build! 
  • To coordinate with my "Build a Core MAC Collection" purchases, I will also be posting "MAC Matters: From the Stash" reviews! These "stash" items are MAC items that I love that are already in my makeup collection. Some months, I will be "saving" my $21 to go towards a bigger MAC purchase. This is when you will likely see the "stash" posts. Or, I might include a "stash" item mini review within my "Build a Core MAC Collection" posts because if you are reading this because you want to build your own MAC collection, you might enjoy reading about what I am already using and loving! 
  • If this series is popular, I will repeat the series with another brand upon completion of 12 months with MAC.
You can see Pammy's last installment (February) here.

 Check out what I got for March! 


It's the Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter! I have been wanting this for awhile and I'm not exactly sure what held me back. It is a lot like the other pen highlighters on the market right now (such as YSL Touch Eclat), but it is much cheaper and in my opinion it doesn't crease under the eyes like I think the YSL does. 

Mac says this is "a pen-style highlighter that efficiently brings a soft sheet wash of color to the skin. With its precision application, adds radiance just where you want it. Goes on smoothly for cushion-soft wear. Use over makeup for highlights, touch-ups or under makeup to brighten and prime."


This comes in three different shades: Bright Forecast, Light Boost, and Radiant Rose. I bought this in the lightest shade, bright forecast. I had a Mac makeover done in December and the makeup artist used this under my eyes and I have wanted it ever since. It looks fantastic and when set with a little powder, lasts all day without creasing. It just really adds a brightness to your eyes. I have used it every day since purchasing and I am in love with it! I think anyone who loves any of those under-eye pens will love this too, and it is so much cheaper than many of those currently on the market!

This was $24 and I had $37.50 left over from February so that leaves me with $34.50 for April.

Anyone have any cool suggestions on what to buy in March or other future months? Feel free to share in the comments.

Mac cosmetics can be bough in a Mac boutique, Mac in Macey's or on http://www.maccosmetics.com.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: March 23


Friday, March 22, 2013

USA March Glossybox



My gloss box came today, and I have to say I'm not as excited for these boxes as I used to be. Not to say that this box's contents didn't excite me (in my opinion it is a way better box than February and I will actually use these products), I'm just not as excited about the whole subscription box idea in general anymore. Anyway, here are the contents:

Elite Models: Liner (brown)
Koh Gen Do Cosmetics: Oriental Plants Emollient Cream
Modelco: Cheek and Lip Tint (red)
Prestiche: Essential Oil Bar Soap (Lemoncella)
Sebastian Professional: Shaper Fierce

This box also came with a Prestiche gift certificate. 

Glossybox is a monthly subscription service for $21 a month and can be purchased from glossybox.com.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Use Supplements Instead of Beauty Products

This is going to be the first guest post featured on my blog! How cool is that? Healthline.com emailed me to ask if they could write an article as a guest post. This is written by Valerie Johnston.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

Many people know that supplements are good for filling in the gaps in the diet. After all, it can be tough to ingest the essential quantities of certain minerals, vitamins, and nutrients through food alone. This leaves many with the question of whether or not they should use cosmetic products to enhance the look of their skin or hair, or if supplementation is the best path?

In four words: Go for the supplements.

The reasoning is quite simple; just like the best way to get vitamins for purely nutritional purposes is to eat the food sources, and then the supplements - the best way to get beauty benefits is to use an internal source first and then an external one. In other words - you can get beauty benefits from many cosmetic products, but you will enjoy some more immediate results if you actually fill your cells with natural beautifying compounds.

Also, don't forget that some dubious cosmetic makers take advantage of the lack of FDA monitoring on some materials.

For example, some poor quality cosmetic makers use tricky wording to make products seem more effective than others. You can buy a high quality beauty cream, for example, that explains itself accurately or you can buy a product that sounds like a miracle cure and can do so because it doesn't have to "walk the talk".

Just consider that these types of products may claim to be:

● Alcohol free - but just might be free only of the compound known ethanol.

● All natural - this is not the same as organic and can be misleading.

● Clinically proven - some companies design their own tests and this can be unfair.

● Dermatologist recommended - this can be a product that has a single endorsement from a single provider!



This means that someone who wanted to make their skin glow or to truly strengthen their hair or nails may have to become a very detailed label reader. Instead, they could just use a combination of high quality products with clear labeling and the best supplements for the results desired.

The Supplement Path

This means that the smartest choices would be to use compounds that would improve and enhance looks from the inside out. And the following list of supplements includes those that will do many of the things that the cosmetic products promise, but with guaranteed effects and results.

They include:

● GLA - Gamma linoleic acid is a healthy fat that is going to work wonders for the skin, hair, and nails. It is tough to get naturally in the diet, though it does have higher concentrations in black currant and primrose oils. You can safely consume 500mg of GLA twice per day, and in around six weeks you can begin to see radiant skin and extremely healthy hair and nails.

● Fish oil - with its Omega-3 fatty acids, it is a wonderful supplement for strong nails and cellular repair. You can consume it in food sources such as walnuts, flax seeds, and salmon, but a 3 gram capsule each day is an ideal way to improve the nails and hair.

● Vitamin E - this is the classic antioxidant that will help to make repairs by combatting any free radicals and restoring cellular membranes. A daily dose of 200 I.U. can often do the trick.

● L-Lysine - the same protein that hair, skin, and nails are actually made from, this supplement will rebuild any damaged cells and form new collagen to give skin a plumper and younger look.

Now that you know that basic labeling can be misleading and that supplementation is the most efficient way to improve the looks of your hair, nails, and skin, you can make the best choices possible.

If you would like to read more on this subject you can visit http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/reading-cosmetic-labels.

Spring Beauty Essentials Giveaway


Quite a few of the Beauty Blogazons got together and decided to put together a giveaway! This is very exciting as I just finished my first giveaway.


Just to go over some of the more important rules:
  • Giveaway open from March 21st to April 4th 12:00 am EST
  • Open to US residents only
  • 23 winners, 1 prize to each winner, 23 bloggers participating.
  • Must be 18 or older to enter or have a legal guardians permission
  • All winners are picked at random
Here is a collage of all the prizes. Can you guess which is the prize I contributed?

You can click this to enlarge it.

List of the contributors:

Lipgloss Break, LozLosa, Manicurity, InTruBeauty, Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom, Harajuku Girl FL, Lani Loves, Justina's Gems, (POREfessional) Beauty Info Zone, 10 Fickle Fingers, Polish Etc., The Fabzilla, Manicurator, Rachel's Makeup and Skincare, Sincerely Stephanie, Beyond Beauty Lounge, Lisa's Nail Obsession, Valiantly Varnished, Darling Girl Cosmetics, Midnight Manicures, Beauty and Fashion Tech, Beauty With a Twist.

And finally the widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tom Ford Cheek Brush


I have recently found a sick love for the Tom Ford Brush line. Seriously. They are incredibly soft and luxurious and are such a pleasure to use every day. It just looks incredible as well. (That is something I will absolutely give Tom Ford  - he knows how to make a presentation!) 

"Tom Ford's brush collection is designed to bring ease and luxury to the process of creating your look - they make expert makeup application completely effortless.

Achieve concise and effortless cheek color application with this ultra-soft brush developed with natural hair. It allows complete versatility: layer color to desired intensity or sheer it down to transparency. Handle is designed for true comfort and balance."

These bristles are very densely packed and as such pick up a large amount of pigment. If you choose to use this with a highly pigmented blush, I would suggest application with a very light hand. Its quite easy to master and you will soon find application of blush to be an effortless and very enjoyable experience! I love touching this brush head as it is so darn soft. I tried checking online and unfortunately cannot find what exactly the brush head is made of. If anyone has any information on this please leave in the comments. 

This brush head is quite white and has gone back to white after washing. It also has maintained its shape (which is very important to me). It cleans easily and dries within 24 hours. When I wash it in the morning it is dry by the next morning.

This brush has everything I look for in a brush and it has quickly become my favorite face brush and it makes me want to own the entire collection. I just wish they were a bit cheaper.

You can purchase this product at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, or any of these retailers online. 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate


I had heard many good things about the Tom Ford makeup line, but had yet to try it and as such could only pine over others pictures. Finally, I made my way to a Tom Ford counter and found that, in my opinion, it was quite over-hyped. That said, there were many products that were worth the exorbitant price tag. The Shade and Illuminate was one of them, if only because it was truly a unique product.


Tom Ford says that the "first step to beauty is understanding the architecture of your face and bringing balance and symmetry to your features. This duet of highlighting and shading creams is designed to make sculpting and contouring the face remarkably simple. The super-sheer, light shade can be used to draw light onto the skin to brighten and lift the face. The dark side defines and contours bones while staying invisible to the naked eye."

Originally, I was skeptical about this product as the dark color is really quite intimidating (I bought the intensity one by the way, number two is even darker), but it actually blends in remarkably well and looks quite good on. I quickly replaced my regular, powder bronzer with this. It really does make contouring the face quick, yet effective. Theres a brush that you can buy separately, but considering you only used the brush to apply and had to use a cream foundation brush to blend anyway, I decided to forgo this brush in favor of using my fingers to apply, which works just as well.

You use the dark side to sculpt out your cheeks (right on the underside of the cheek bone), a bit on the forehead and chin, and then blend it out. You would place the highlighter side where you regularly place your highlighter.

The product and case both feel incredibly luxe. The case is brown with gold lining (typical of the line) and has quite a bit of heft to it. It also comes in a brown protective pouch.

I love this product. It's uniqueness makes it well worth the spend. Do I recommend the whole line? Absolutely not (especially the eyeshadows, they are quite powdery and crease really fast), but this product in particular is a plus. I also find their brush line to be quite incredible. I will be reviewing one tomorrow as a matter of fact!

This product can be found at  Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue or any of these retailers online.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: March 16


Thursday, March 14, 2013

January USA Glossybox Review


Sorry for this review being so late, but I didn't actually receive my January glossybox till February and I wanted to pump out those Barney's reviews. Here it is:

Estee Lauder: Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara

Three different high-volume fibers create audacious, false lash effects. Lustrous color leaves eyes brighter, wider, more seductive then ever. Build bigger, bolder, more extreme lashes at the Estee Lauder counter today.


I was not completely in love with this mascara, however my friend (who got my spare glossybox) loved this formula. We went to that convention I told you about a few weeks ago together and she brought this mascara with her to use she loved it that much, So although it wasn't my favorite, it is more likely worth trying.

Fresh: Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum

Umbrian Clay, Fresh's proprietary ingredient, has a uniquely high-mineral content that works to neutralize acidity, purifying the complexion. this treatment formula tones and hydrates while controlling shine and minimizing the appearance of pores.

As stated many times in the past, I have dry skin. So this isn't really the product for me. I did try it once though, so I could review it for you all, and I will say that it does exactly what it says it does: it mattifies, tones, and minimizes the appearance of pores.

Le Metier de Beaute: Replenishing Daily Solution

This rich, emollient formula protects, conditions and hydrates while it nourishes, rejuvenates and detoxifies skin, restoring a healthy suppleness to your skin. Paraben-free.

I absolutely love this product and was incredibly excited to find out it would be in this months box. I refuse to spend the $225 price tag for this product, but instead have managed to get samples every time I am at a Le Metier counter. This product hydrates my poor dry skin and makes it feel smooth and supple. If ever I would spend this ridiculous price tag for a product, it would be on this.

Narciso Rodriguez: for her Eau de Toilette spray

A fragrant harmony of music, intimately refined with a floral facet developing gently and slowly, rounding out into the feminine warm tones of sun-kissed skin, dusted in soft, velvet-like sensuality.

I feel like at this point I am being very repetitive when I say that I hate finding fragrance samples in my sample boxes, now with that said, however, I found this to be not the worst of them. It was actually quite a sweet and pleasant fragrance.

OPI: Can't Let Go Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer

A unique matte purple shade with subtle accents of reflective shimmer. This long wearing liquid sand lacquer dries to a matter finish which means no top coat is necessary! Apply base coat and two coats of color for full capacity.

I just went through my pictures and cannot believe I didn't take one when I had this on. I love this color and will absolutely use it again and again. I actually really want to get the other sand colors. It is one of the coolest colors I have ever seen. It literally looks like sand on your nails. Too cool!!! =)

Sebastian Professional: Potion 9

The ultimate versatile styling cream infused with nine botanical extracts to help restore lost moisture and rejuvenate the healthy look of your hair. Perfect for styling your wet or dry hair into multiple looks with flexible hold.

I am a big fan of this product. I would more call this a leave in conditioner than a styling cream, although I haven't actually used it in my dry hair. I use this in my wet hair and it leaves my hair soft, shiny, and manageable with tamed and frizz free hair. Glossybox definitely knows how to pick hair products.

Tarte: glamazon pure performance 12-hour lipstick

Achieve vivid long-lasting color with a superb blend of emollient-rich butters (mango,avocado, and shea) encapsulated in tart's 12-hour power formula. Helps to minimize the appearance of fine lines leaving your lips with a perfect, plumped-up appearance. 


I received this lipstick in fierce, which is a very orange based red. I'm not sure if my picture fully captures how much orange is in this (you can really see this in a comparison with a blue-based red). I absolutely love this formula. It is incredibly long lasting (I had trouble removing the swatch) and is really quite moisturizing. I can't wear this color without looking like a clown, but I will absolutely be investing some time in checking out the other colors available in this formula.

Glossybox is a monthly subscription service that is $21 a month and can be purchased from http://www.glossybox.com

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Le Metier de Beaute Fashion Eye Palette for Spring 2014


This palette was a limited edition palette for Spring 2013. From what I understand only 75 of these were delivered to each Le Metier location and they mostly sold out on pre-sales. These are no longer available (except maybe a few on ebay), so this review is more so that you can appreciate the Le Metier brand (and so I can gloat a little). As such, I have decided not to swatch all of the colors (the pans are so small I didn't want to use a drop of it not on my eye anyway).

With Flash

Without Flash

First, I'm going to give a review of the palette itself, which is a negative review. The palette doesn't quite have that heft that I expect from a Le Metier product. I love the design and weight of their kaleidoscopes, this left me less than impressed. It also arrived pretty scratched up, again not impressed. Lastly the pans of eyeshadows aren't really glued down well and they are wobbly in the palette. For the price of this palette, it really isn't an exceptional quality palette.

With that said, the eyeshadows are amazing. They are all the high quality shadows you find in the Le Metier singles and kaleidoscopes. Some companies skimp on quality when they come out with these massive palettes thinking that the savings the consumer finds in the great expanse of colors in the palette is worth the less quality in the eyeshadows. This is not the case in this palette. They are all very good quality shadows and the vast array of colors more than makes up for the crappy palette. I have used this palette every day since receiving it and I am totally in love with it. 

There were also cards associated with this palette that gave ideas on what colors to use together. I'm not going to post images as I never saw these in person and only found them on other people's blogs. I will give you a link to where you can find these if interested: Best Things in Beauty. I have tried all of these looks and a few of my own and find I like mine better.

I purchased this palette at Berdgdorf Goodman, but these have been sold out for awhile.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Rodin Olio Lusso Lip Balm


The last item from my Barney's haul was this Rodin Lip Balm. I was very excited about this product as I am a hoarder of lip balms. My current favorite is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment and as this product was only slightly more expensive than my favorite lip balm, I decided to take the plunge.



Has this become my new favorite? Does this rival my current favorite? The answer is simply no. Do I like this product? Yes, I do. To start with, you have to work off a few layers before it really starts getting moisturizing. When I first started using this, I was incredibly disappointed. It was only after about a week of use that I started to appreciate it more. Once you get the first few layers off it starts to get really very shiny (though this doesn't transfer to your lips) and the compact becomes much softer so that you can get more product off and onto your lips. In the beginning it was very hard and it was hard to really get any of the product to transfer onto my finger. 

Ultimately, this is a very moisturizing little product. "Now that Rodin Olio Lusso has successfully made your skin as supple and smooth as it can possibly be, it can work the same magic on your lips. Linda Rodin, New York Fashion Stylist and Beauty Entrepreneur, has done it again by incorporating her famous floral scent in a delightfully moisturizing, all natural, sheer lip balm. The blush colored balm combines jasmine, orange flower oil, shea butter, beeswax and castor seed oil. Packaged beautifully in a chic lucite square compact, this lip balm is perfect for your pocket or purse!"

I also love that this contains oils and beeswax instead of the usual petroleum based lip balms that can be more detrimental then helpful. This product does impart a very slight rosy color to your lips and does contain a sparkle in the compact that I don't believe transfers to your lips. 

All in all I would recommend this product. I especially like that it is in a compact and therefore I can just dab a bit on my lips with my finger tip without disrupting my lipstick during the day (I have a harder time doing that with the standard tube product). I just love my Fresh lip balm for super moisturizing at night.

This product can be purchased from Barney's or http://www.barneys.com or http://oliolusso.com.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: March 9


Friday, March 8, 2013

Kevyn Aucoin Curling Mascara


This was one of the free, full sized gifts with purchase available from the Barney's Love Yourself Bag Event. I have to say, this mascara is quite top notch. As much as I love my Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara, what ultimately happens is I end up with raccoon eyes by the end of the night. I might try the waterproof version next time, but I prefer a mascara that can be taken off with water. This mascara, although it doesn't give you the same oomph as my Armani mascara, it lasts all day without any smudging under the eyes. It almost seems to form tubes around the lashes that only come off at the end of the day if you soak them in water and gently pull them off; they come off as little spiders. It's almost like the blinc mascara (if you have ever tried it), but you don't have the tubes fall off during the day. It is quite an impressive mascara.


This mascara is described as: "Get volumized, curled lashes for awe-worthy eyes. This curling mascara wraps lashes in a pitch black, shrink-wrapping formula that pulls lashes apart and up for a separated, thick and curled finish. Packaged in a sleek tube with a traditional application brush, this exceptional product leaves lashes with a dramatic curl without weighing them down or leaving them feeling brittle and dry."

I can't say I agree with all of that. It is a great mascara, don't get me wrong, but my lashes weren't incredibly thickened or curled and I definitely wouldn't call them awe-worthy. I did like the wand though, it was smaller than most and really was able to grab every lash. For what it does, though, I would say its a great product. I love using it for those no makeup days as it keeps my eyes looking fresh and bright as it doesn't leave my under eyes dark by the end of the day. This also makes me interested in other Kevyn Aucoin mascaras.

This can be purchased at Barney's, Nordstom, Neiman Marcus - or anywhere else Kevyn Aucoin is sold or on their website https://www.kevynaucoin.com/

Rachel's First Giveaway

Hey all. Just wanted to give a reminder to everyone to enter the giveaway. There is only one week left!

I also thought I would include a few spoilers to keep you all interested. I will edit this post every day up until the end of the giveaway with a new spoiler, however I will not reveal the box until the winner has received it and notifies me that they have received it (I do want it to be a surprise!) =).

1. There will be 6 items in the box.
2. There will be 4 full sized products.
3. There will be a mixture of different types of products. (hair, makeup, skincare, etc)
4. The box contains a Nars brand item.




Last Friday I allowed everyone to comment what ideas they had for a giveaway. Well, one was emailed to me and I LOVED the idea. So congratulations Jilliann, I am using your idea. Her idea was to create a sample box, much like Glossybox or Birchbox, with my favorite items in it. I love this idea so much. The box will be a surprise, however I promise there will be a few full sized items in there and the box will be worth at least $50.

This is only open to residents of the United States...sorry.

For your chance to win, just fill out the rafflecopter form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer


I had been coveting this product for quite awhile, mostly due to much of the hype surrounding this product. For those not in the loop, this one the Allure Best Of Beauty award and has a very large fan base. Some believe this is an overhyped product, others believe it is with every penny. I decided to include this in my Barney's Bag Haul. Ivory was perfect for my coloring. (As a side note I always feel bad when a product only comes in 4 shades and they are mostly for lighter skinned people)


This product is described as, "A perennial makeup-artist favorite, Cle de Peau Beaute concealer is highly editorialized and continues to win major awards every year. This is enhanced with Revitalizing Moisture Complex to lock in moisture and smooth out texture. It blends sublimely to expertly conceal dark circles, spots, and imperfections. High-performance powders ensure flawless skin in any light, providing maximum coverage with a smooth, even finish that does not crease."

And now for the million dollar question, is it worth it? My answer - I have no idea. I know that isn't very helpful, but I really have a hard time answering that. As stated on Tuesday when discussing the Nars concealer, this has a hard time covering the seriously angry blemish. It is incredibly light and creamy and does an amazing job at covering miner imperfections (and I love this on my good days), but I find that it is just not as pigmented as I would like it to be. I tend to use more of the really light coverage foundations and tinted moisturizers and therefore need something with a bit more oomph. This does last all day without creasing and is really quite creamy and luxurious and those who have skin that doesn't need major coverage will find this product to be incredible. I find that I still need a heavier concealer in conjunction with this. So would I purchase this again? Probably not. I found my Bobby Brown concealer to pretty much do what  this does, although it is a bit more drying. I have, however, heard amazing things about Edward Bess' stick concealer and will most likely try this when this is finished (though it will most definitely take me awhile). 

If any of you has tried this or the Edward Bess concealer stick I would love to hear your thoughts on them!

This can be purchased at a many locations including Barney's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman (or any of these locations online). 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Le Metier de Beaute Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Coral Rose


Le Metier de Beaute came out with 5 new lip glosses for their Spring 2013 collection. Two new Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses (Coral Rose and Pink-e-promise) and 3 new Lip Cremes (Pink Berry, Moroccan Sunset, and Dulce de Leche). I had a very tough time deciding between Coral Rose and Pink Berry, but finally settled on the Coral Rose as I thought it was the more unique of the two and would be more unique in my stash.

Without Flash

With Flash

This color goes on much more sheer than my heavy swatches show, but as you can see it is an amazing color. It is a coral pink with golden sparkle running through it. I do love lip glosses that contain golden sparkle. This gloss is never sticky and has a wonderful silky texture. This gloss doesn't last very long (maybe an hour or two) before creating a white film on the lips (my only caveat with Le Metier glosses), but it is such a wonderful color I love and wear it anyway.

This gloss is describes by Le Metier as, "drenching lips in total luxury - sumptuous, punchy color saturates lips in a unique, ultra-lightweight formula enriched with emollients and antioxidants for beautiful, supply lips."

This can be purchased from Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman (as the Sheer Brilliance gloss range is apparently exclusive to them). 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

New at Nars: Light Reflecting Setting Powder, Radiant Creamy Concealer, New Tinted Moisturizer Colors


Nars has recently come out with some amazing new products. They came out with a new setting powder, concealer, and 2 new shades in their Tinted Moisturizer line! I managed to get ahold of all of these guys for you and have found them all well worth it.



This powder is incredibly finely milled and goes on without caking or looking like I am wearing white powder on my face. It just mattifies and helps to blur out imperfections. It lasts all day and makes my makeup last all day. The only pitfall is that it has a weird odor to it. I can't even describe it, its like a wet cardboard smell I suppose. You don't smell it once it is applied, but you do smell it while applying.

Nars description of this product: "Enhances the look of foundation without a trace of color and prolongs makeup wear. This invisible silky powder is infused with Photocromic Technology to diffuse light and adjust to new sources of light throughout the day. Fine lines, wrinkles, and pores optically fade as skin is visibly smoothed. Soft, silky and luxurious to the touch, this weightless formula applies evenly and blends effortlessly. Ideal for touch-ups, it helps regulate shine and seamlessly set foundation."

I have not tried to pressed powder version, however I purchased this because my sa, Sasha from Barney's, told me that the pressed powder version was harder to pick up with a brush and left traces of white on your face. I have also heard from others that the pressed powder version has a more radiant quality to it. I cannot speak from experience as I haven't tried this product yet, but those are some opinions I have heard.


I would just like to begin by stating that Sasha from the Nars counter at Barney's has literally been going on about these since January. She kept telling me how she couldn't really talk about them, but they were going to be awesome! Finally, once the press release came out, she very quickly emailed it to me:


She literally emailed me the day these came into the store, she was that excited. Her words were "150% love these." So, I needed to own one. I have NC15 skin and I purchased Vanilla, which is the perfect shade for me. 

I find that I must agree with her. I own the Cle de Peau Concealer (will be reviewed Thursday), and my problem with that concealer was that it only seemed to work to cover minor breakouts. On the days that I have major breakouts, it just didn't do the trick. This is a life savior. It literally covers everything. It is incredibly opaque while still remaining light in texture; not too thick. You really don't need a lot as it is highly pigmented. I also absolutely LOVE the does foot applicator. It allows for precise application and it allows for very easy transport if I want to throw this in my purse. This also last pretty much all day (especially when set with the setting powder) and doesn't crease under the eyes. Very well done Nars.

Nars description of this product: "Coveted by artists for its luxurious and luminous finish, new radiant creamy concealer evens skin with lightweight medium to high buildable coverage. Enriched with hydrating, multi-action skincare benefits and light diffusing technology, it creates a softer, smoother complexion while instantly obscuring imperfections and diminishing fine lines and signs of fatigue."



Last, but absolutely not least, I received samples of Nars' new colors in their Tinted Moisturizer Line. The one on the right is Terre Neuve and the left is Groenland. I am so excited they released these as I could never wear the Tinted Moisturizers as they were simply too yellow for my skin tone. These are both a bit more pink and therefore now bring in a whole new range of skin tones. Terre Neuve is perfect for me and in conjunction with the Light Reflecting Setting Powder, it lasts all day and makes my skin positively glow!

Without Flash

With Flash

A comparison of finland (left) and Terre-Neuve (right)

Photo Credit goes to the ever wonderful Sasha

These can all be purchased anywhere that sells Nars including http://www.narscosmetics.com/. These can all also be purchased from my girl Sasha at Barney's in NYC and if you tell her I sent you she will throw in a few extra samples for you to play with! - 212-833-2008

Friday, March 1, 2013

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: March 2