Bare Escentuals

There are a few things I wanted to talk about regarding Bare Escentuals. Instead of giving each one its own post, I figured I would just lump them all together.

First, I wanted to mention this awhile ago, I am so happy about the new Get Started Kits. I have given more of the original Get Started Kits as gifts than any other beauty product. It was always such a great way to introduce a friend to one of my favorite brands because they were super affordable and came with many products. That being said, most of the products were solely face products. Don't get me wrong, the Foundation and Mineral Veil put Bare Escentuals on the map, but what about eye shadows and lip colors??? That is why I love the new Get Started Kits. These new kits include 2 eye shadows, 1 eye liner, 1 blush, a Buxom lip gloss, a Heavenly Brush, a Double-Ended Contour & Define Brush, and a Angeled Blush Brush all for only $49. And just like the original Get Started Kits, these versions come in different sets for different skin tones.

Next, Bare Escentuals has created a new form of the Buxom Lips line. Buxom Lips Full Color is packed full of color for more full coverage than its Buxom Lips counterpart. The brush applicator (as opposed to the sponge tip applicator of the original Buxom Lips) allows you to pile on as much of the color as you desire. Although it is a gloss, it has the coverage ability of a lip stick.

I've tried this product and will say that it absolutely does deliver where full coverage color is concerned. However, I am disappointed because all of the colors available in this product are just too dark. Add Bare Escentuals to the list of cosmetics companies jumping on the dark lip band wagon. Perhaps they will introduce lighter colors in the Spring/Summer lines. Until then, I will pass. But I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a darker lip. You will not be disappointed.

Finally, if you are looking for some purplely eye shadows, the Face Fashion - The Look of Now Kit is a must have. This limited edition kit includes The limited-edition collection includes a Metallic Lavender Eyecolor (gray lavender), a Plush Purple Eyecolor (mulberry plum), a Smoky Sequins Liner Shadow (gunmetal gray), a Vintage Peach Blush (peach poppy), and a Mini Jessica Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish (copper pink). The eye colors make a beautiful smoky eye...much more subtler than the traditional black smokey eye, but just as powerful. The Jessica Buxom Lip Polish is a perfect compliment to the shadows as well. Just a hint of color so as not to distract from the eyes. This is a $55 value priced at just $34.

Don't forget to use coupon / promo code 10DAY to get a FREE 10 DAY SAMPLE OF BARE MINERALS SPF15 FOUNDATION AND BABY KABUKI BRUSH WITH ANY ORDER!!! Happy Shopping!

Let's Do Lunch Thursday At Smashbox

Time for another Let's Do Lunch Thursday at Smashbox.com. Today's free with purchase product is an Blush Soft Lights Duo in Sunbeam/Glimmer. This is a great product to give you a little sunkissed glow on your cheeks, especially as summer starts to wind down. Don't forget, you also get FREE SHIPPING with any order. Happy Shopping!

Let's Do Lunch Tuesday At Smashbox

It's Tuesday so that means it's time for another Let's Do Lunch Tuesday at Smashbox.com. Today's free with purchase product is an Eye Shadow Duo in Golden/Egg Plant. Great product. I especially love the Egg Plant color. A beautiful plummy shade that will be perfect for the Fall season. Don't forget, you also get FREE SHIPPING with any order.

Smashbox.com also has a new look. I personally think that the new layout is a little easier to maneuver. Check it out!

Free Shipping On Sephora Brands On HSN

It's a Sephora day today on the Home Shopping Network. A quick look at HSN.com shows that there are a ton of FREE SHIPPING deals as well as many EASY PAY deals. Plus, there is the Beauty-Full Buy and today it is a goodie. The show stopper is the Korres Natural Products Love Your Lips Gift Pouch. It's funny because I almost picked up this product directly from Sephora.com for $29, but for today only (well actually, it may be for tomorrow too because Sephora also has a few shows on HSN tomorrow as well) it's available for $24.95 plus FREE SHIPPING!!!

The Korres gift set contains 3 Cherry Full Color Glosses in Nude, Beige Pink, and Light Pink as well as a Pomegranate Lip Butter in a sheer coral color. All of these lip products from Korres are packed full of vitamins and moisturizing agents. The Lip Butter is especially moisturizing and is so smooth it does feel like butter!

The HSN price, like I said, is for a limited time, but the kit itself is also a limited edition so get it while you can. Happy Shopping!

Philosophy The Haunted House Gift Set

Can you believe that it's almost September??? Summer has just flown by this year. As I sit at my computer, I see the school bus stopping to pick up kids across the street. I can't believe that it's back to school time already. Halloween is also quickly approaching as I found out yesterday during a quick run to Menards. They already had all of their Halloween decorations out. And I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Target takes down their back to school displays and replaces it with aisles upon aisles of Halloween candy and costumes! Crazyness.

It appears that decorations are not the only Halloween themed items available. Philosophy has gotten on the Halloween bandwagon and has released The Haunted House Gift Set. This set inclues three 6 oz bottles of 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath in the spooky scents of Black Licorice, Caramel Apple, and Pumpkin Spice Muffin. The bottles are housed in a cute box made to look like a haunted house.

One of my dear friends has a Halloween party every year. I think this would make a fabulous hostess gift for her.

How To Get Cosmo Cover Hair

There is a great "how to" article on MSN.com that shows you how to achieve "Cosmo Cover Hair." You know what hair I'm talking about. Soft and flowing but with the toussled "I just got out of bed" look that every guy loves. Hair styling guru Oribe walks us through the step by step process he uses to achieve the longed for look of the Cosmo cover models. Enjoy!

Limited Edition Lancome Juicy Tube In Rose Fishnets

Speaking of Lancome, have you guys seen the new Juicy Tube shade at Sephora??? Rose Fishnets is a new LIMITED EDITION shade that's "only at Sephora." It is gorgeous. I'm so excited that there is finally a new lip color that I am excited about. Although, I will admit that I was kind of looking forward to saving some money on lippies this Fall since I am not buying into the Goth look. Rose Fishnets is a rosey-nude shade that has a hint of gold sparkle to it and it packs great shine. I love it! It's a very universal shade that should compliment everyone's skintone. I've already picked up my tube, but I think I may need to get another one because I love this shade and don't want to run out anytime soon. It's available for $18.

Lancome At TJ Maxx

Hey girls. I was at TJ Maxx yesterday and was shocked to find more Lancome products there than at a Lancome counter! Eye shadows, mascaras, nail polishes, bronzers, creams and so much more filled shelves and shelves...Most priced from $3.99 to $7.99.

Lancome wasn't the only big beauty name on the shelves of the discount store. I came across many bottles from Bliss, Ahava, and Joey New York. Most were priced $9.99 and under and all still had expiration dates that didn't expire for at least 6 months. I picked up some Butter Scrubs from Ahava. There is nothing better than using a scrub to exfoliate your skin in a hot bath. I love the Butter Scrubs because they have a creamy feel to them and not just the gritty sand paper feel. It's as if your moisturizing while your stripping the dead skin away.

Just thought I'd give you all a heads up in case you haven't been to your TJ Maxx lately! Happy Shopping!

Free Socks From Bath & Body Works

Someone just forwarded me a coupon for a free gift with purchase at Bath & Body Works. With any $15 or more purchase get a free pair of the "sweetest, softest socks on Earth." I have never tried a pair of socks from Bath & Body, but I will say that they do look pretty comfy in that picture. Click here to print out a copy of the coupon. It's valid in stores only through September 2nd. If anyone has a pair of these, feel free to post about them in the comments. Let us know how good of a deal this is or isn't. Hey, if it's free then that's already a pretty good deal in my book!

Bath & Body is having a sale on their Anti-bacterial Hand Soaps (5 for $15) right now. They also have some really cute gift sets that they are marketing for college students. I guess that would be a pretty nice gift to give someone who's going away for school. Especially if they are having to share a bathroom in a dorm! Happy Shopping!

Smashbox Wicked Lovely Collection

The "Goth" look continues to be featured in many new fall collections. The latest collection from Smashbox, Wicked Lovely, looks like it should be featured on the shelves of Hot Topic. While the collection seems to be all about a smokey eye, the lack of lip color options turns me off. You have your choice of a very light lip or a very dark lip.

Wicked Lovely is sort of a unique line. The concept features 2 different looks: a "Wicked" look is more sexy and sultry, while a "Lovely" look is more feminine and soft. I personally think this concept fails. While there are plenty of options for the Wicked look, I think there is a lack of options for the Lovely side. To pull of the Lovely look, you simply down play the eye.

The Wicked Lovely Lip Glosses are my least favorite items in the collection. You have your choice of three shades: Coy (a sheer nude), Sultry (a sheer black cherry), and Sweet (a sheer apricot). When I tried on Coy and Sweet, I really didn't see much of a difference other than the fact that Coy seemed to have a little more shimmer to it. I thought that both shades were kind of boring and weren't anything new and exciting.

Sultry, on the other hand, seems very new, but not very exciting. As I looked in the mirror I was horrified at what I saw. The dark black cherry shade was very overpowering. I looked like I was getting dressed up for Halloween. I've heard other people talk about how much they like this shade and how it will work for everyone, including those with fair skin tones. I have no idea how that is even possible. Really, I don't understand why they are offering a dark lip gloss when everyone knows that when you play up your eyes you should definately understate your lips. Maybe it's supposed to be for the Lovely look since the eyes are down played in that look, but I really don't think anyone who is trying to achieve a soft feminine look would want these Elvira like lips.

I will say that these glosses to pack alot of shine, so that's a plus. I did not, however, like the packaging. The little leather tassles on the top of the tubes reminded me of some type of S&M club.

I really liked the Wicked Lovely Blush Rush in Charm. The soft warm pink shade is a perfect fall shade. It has a dusty look to it. Subtle enough in color to work with the dark eyes of the collection, but noticable enough that you won't wonder, "where is my blush?" I also love the packaging of this product. There is a swivel mirror attached to it so you can bring it with you on the go without having to tote around a mirror compact.

The collection also features 2 Wicked Lovely Eye Shadow Duo: Sexy/Demure (shimmering charcoal/shimmering peach) and Sinful/Pure (shimmering dark brown/shimmering ivory). While both of these are very pretty duos, I personally think that they are very similar. It would be a waste of money to get both duos when they look so much alike. I would think that since they are going for the two distinct looks they would have made at least one duo have a softer dark shade. Like possibly a light gray or even a light brown.

The line also features a Wicked Lovely Cream Liner Trio And Loose Shimmer set. Is it just me or does anyone else think that Smashbox needs to offer some new shades of cream liner. 2 years ago in their Holiday collection they had some very unique cream liners in shades of white and silver. Ever since then it seems that every kit or collection that comes with cream liners features shades of black, brown, and blue. This collection is no exception. The unique aspect of this product is the attached loose shimmer. I really like this idea. However, I will be passing on this item because I have quite a few Smashbox Cream Liners in the shades offered.

So there you are. Some of the highlights of Smashbox's new Wicked Lovely collection. The products are all limited editions.

Borba Free Samples

While writing my review post on Borba Fiber Knit products below, I discovered that Sephora is no longer carrying Borba products. A Google search led me to discover that a lot of sites are no longer carrying Borba products. Maybe there are others like me who just can't take the smell! Just kidding. This is surprising since Borba was teaming up with Tarte so frequently lately, even teaming up to bring a Today's Special Value for QVC that featured both Tarte and Borba products.

Borba.com is still up and running though. I'm glad that I went to that site because there is a free sample section! I can't believe I have never heard of this free sample offer before. While I just wrote a not so great review for the Fiber Knit products, I'm still up for trying some not so stinky Borba products. Even better, when you click the free sample section it states that you may also receive free samples from companies like Tarte! I definately am not turning down free samples from Tarte Cosmetics. If you're interested in signing up too (I know you are!), just go to Borba.com and give them your address and you're set.

Borba Fiber Knit Reviews

Ahh...another review. A few months ago I posted about some beauty deals that I had found at TJ Maxx. Two of those products were from Borba: Fiber Knit Night Repair Emulsion and Fiber Knit Emulsion SPF 15. I had never tried either of these products and at only $10 I figured this was the perfect time to try it. I now know why it is I have never tried these products before.

Let me just tell you, both of these products stunk to high heaven. When I first applied the Repair Emulsion I thought I was going to throw up. The next day when I applied the SPF 15 I was shocked to find that it stunk even worse than the other product. Unfortunately, because of the nasty smell factor, I could not continue to use either one of these products. I have, however, been able to use the Night Repair Emulsion as a foot cream. It has made my feet feel really smooth and nice. The SPF 15, however, still has a highly potent odor even when that far away from my nose so I just shucked that one into the trash.

I will disclaim this post by also telling everyone that I have an extremely high powered sense of smell. It's absolute crazyness. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I pick up on the faintest of scents. There are actually things that I will not let people eat around me because the smell is so strong to me that it makes me sick. So, if you're lucky enough to have a normal sense of smell then maybe you will be able to use these products. If anyone has, feel free to post in the comments and share your thoughts. I feel bad that I couldn't use them enough on my face to give a review.

Smashbox On The Waterfront Kit Review

It's finally time for my review of Smashbox On The Waterfront. I know it's taken me awhile, but I wanted to try this product out enough to give it a full and fair review. As I told you before the kit contains a #4 mini-brush and a lip gloss pot in Melt, a skin tint stick in Heat, a sheer watermelon shade, and a Limitless Lid Shadow in Hermosa, a shimmery rose shade and was available for only $24.38.

Let me just tell you, the best part of this kit was the #4 mini-brush and the eye shadow. I knew that these were outstanding products because I have a #4 brush and a few different shades of the Limitless Lid Shadow. As the kit promised, the shadow is definately waterproof and crease-free. I was, however, extremely disappointed with the skin tint stick and the lip gloss pot.

First off, the lip gloss pot. It had to be one of the nastier ones I have tried as of lately. It tasted so waxy and was not very spreadable. I felt like I took a crayon and wiped it on my lips. Horrible. On top of it, although it was a very nice watermelon shade in the pot, once it was applied to my lips there was no color at all. There wasn't even any shine. I couldn't tell you if it was crease-free because since I couldn't see it on my lips I wouldn't be able to see if there were creases.

Second, the skin tint stick. This one also had a heavy, waxy feeling to it. Now a days, women are looking for light make-up that goes on creamy and makes you feel like you're wearing nothing. So not the case here. I felt like I was wearing clown make-up. It was sooooo heavy. And while there was some color on my cheeks, I don't think it was enough. To say that there was a hint of color would be too generous. Finally, this product was not water proof. I wore it out on a warm day and just a little sweat caused the color to disappear.

Overall, I was very disappointed with this kit. I was very surprised that this was a Smashbox kit as I am usually a fan on their products. At least I only paid $24 dollars for it I guess.

Magazine Deals At Amazon

I am obsessed with magazines. Really, it doesn't even matter what topic and genre they cover, I will read anything. Obviously, my favorite magazine genre is fashion/make-up magazines. When I lived at home I never signed up for subscriptions because my little sister would steal the magazine from the mailbox and thus I was never able to read it. I quickly learned that I would have to wait to be in my own place before a subscription was ever placed again. It's amazing how cheap you can get magazine subscriptions for compared to the newstand prices.

Back in December/January Amazon had a great deal on magazine subscriptions. I signed up for a few for only $3 each! That's less than one issue at the store. Of course, as usual, I didn't come across this deal until the end of the run and thus there was no time to post about it here. Ever since then I periodically check Amazon to see if there are any magazine deals to post about. Today I received a notice from Amazon trying to entice me to renew early and it made me think to check the site out again.

There are a few really good deals to be had. They have a 1 year subscription to Marie Claire Magazine for only $8 (or 2 years for $15) which comes out to $0.67 an issue! There's also a 1 year subscription to Harper's Bazaar for only $10 (or 2 years for $15) which comes out to $0.83 an issue! If the world of entertainment is more your style then you might want to pick up Entertainment Weekly for only $38.95 (or 2 years for $60) a year which comes out to $0.68 an issue. This is a steal for a magazine that comes out every week as opposed to every month. I may have to get this one for my Sweetie because he's always trying to read a friend's copy at work.

If none of these sound appealing to you, take a gander at the complete selection that Amazon.com has to offer. I don't know if I've mentioned it here before or not, but I personally think that a magazine subscription is a great gift idea. I like to buy the current issue and then wrap it up with a note telling the lucky recipient that they'll be receiving it in their mail box for the next year. Happy Reading!

It's A Boy!

Just as I announce that I'm trying to get back into the swing of things a huge wrench has been thrown into my life. Yes, my Sweetie and I finally got a dog. An unexpected dog that is. My birthday was just a few weeks ago and a friend finally gave me my gift...a Jack Russell puppy. And while he is extremely cute, he is also extremely time consuming. Let me just tell you, I've only had him for a little over a day and he's already made me rethink having kids. My day today consisted of mostly chasing after him to stop him from chewing anything and everything in the house and then taking him outside to do his business. Oh, and in case you're wondering his name is AJ. I'll post pictures when I get them.

Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadow

***Blogger is being a pain right now and not letting me upload any pictures. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon and I can add some later!***

I am so excited to post about Bobbi Brown's new Metallic Eye Shadows. Anyone who has read this blog before knows that I became obsessed with Bobbi's Metallic Eye Shadows last Fall when her Metallic Eye Shadow Palettes were released. Since then, I have been hoping and praying that they would make their way into the full time line. Finally, they have arrived! These high-shimmer, high-pigmented shadows are now available in single compacts in a wide range of 18 different shades. Everything from pastels to bold colors are featured in this line. I am in love. It may take me a little while, but getting every color is my ultimate goal.

These shadows go on your eyelids like butter. They feel so smooth and creamy that you won't even believe that they are powder. And their staying power is outstanding. I put it on in the morning and at night when I go to wash my make-up off I am amazed that the color is still there and, even better, no creasing! These shadows are available at BobbiBrown.com and retail for $20 each.

No More Studying!!!

Things are finally starting to get back to normal. No more round the clock studying, thank God! I just got back from a quick little vacation and am ready to get back into normal life. That means that I finally will be able to start posting more regularly again. Forgive me if it takes me a few days to get back into the swing of things, but I'm sure you all know how that goes!