27 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba

The Wednesday Question

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What tricks do you use to keep your makeup from sliding off/disappearing in hot weather?
June is when I traditionally start to wear my Holy Grail face primer on a more consistent basis. I also switch to a lighter moisturizer and tend to use powder foundation instead of liquids, mousses or creams. I also try to be more consistent with oil-blotting sheets and applying powder touch-ups throughout the day.

Avon Summer 2012 Hawaiian Shores Collection (press release & photos)

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Want to see what Avon has on tap for Summer 2012? I've got all the details for you today and, as of the time of this post, the items in this collection are currently on sale for anywhere from 10% to 50% off on the Avon website. Plus, throughout the month of June, all orders ship for $0.99, no code required.
Avon is bringing the tropics to you this summer with the new Hawaiian Shores Collection. Featuring a warm, rich color palette to give you that island glow, and scents to whisk you away on a sun-drenched getaway, the Hawaiian Shores Collection adds sizzle to your summertime beauty routine. Infused with sweet coral hues, deep blues and shimmering copper colors, the Hawaiian Shores Collection makes creating a sultry summer beauty look a breeze.
The Hawaiian Shores Collection includes:Color:
Glazewear Lip Gloss in Mirage, Peach Fizz, Mauve Sequin, Coral Reef, $6Nailwear Pro + Nail Enamel in Coral Reef and Venus, $6Hawaiian Shores Bronzing Petals, $10True Color Eyeshadow Duo in Hawaiian Glow and Ocean Shores, $7Glimmersticks Diamonds Eye Liner in Glow and Ocean Shores, $7
Fragrance:
Hawaiian Shores Eau de Toilette Spray, $15
Hawaiian Shores Body Mist, $10
Hawaiian Shores Moisture Gel, $8
All products are available exclusively through Avon representatives and Avon.com. 
PS: According to the Avon site, Hawaiian Shores is described as follows:
"Exhilarating and adventurous, the beauty of Hawaiian beaches lives on in this lush fantasy of sparkling starfruit and exotic island plumeria."

25 Haziran 2012 Pazartesi

Cult Nails: Nevermore One-Coat Black Creme Polish

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Give me a creme polish and I'll, eventually, look for a way to get glitter on it...
This is a one coat black creme....seriously!!! Maria, owner and creator of, Cult Nails has done what no one else could; make a one-coat black creme. Kari, from Once Bitten Blog, came up with the PERFECT name too: 'Nevermore'. I wore 'Nevermore' for two days before playing with glitter. So, as you may notice, there is hardly any tip wear. 'Nevermore' is so shiny that I didn't even need a top coat either.

Before I removed 'Nevermore', I did four glitter effects on each hand...
  On my right hand, I used: NK Nail Enamel in 'Magical' (thumb); Orly in 'It's A Meteor' (index finger); Cult Nails in 'Captivated' (middle finger); Wet 'n Wild in 'Bow In My Presence' (ring finger); and my pinky is bare.


Now on my left hand...


Starting with my thumb: Cult Nails in 'Happy Ending' (thumb); Orly in 'Be Brave' (index finger); China Glaze in 'Luxe and Lush' (middle finger); ring finger is bare; love & beauty in 'Clear/Silver' (pinky). I like how the sunlight bounced off 'Happy Ending'. 

Years ago, when I wore black nail polish, I was so 'goth' about it. It seemed deviant. But today, I don't think anyone thinks twice about seeing it or wearing it. At least for me, I didn't notice anyone pulling their children away from being around me. 

Want to wear a one-coat black creme proudly? You can order yours at Cult Nails. And you can order 'Happy Ending' and 'Captivated', that I used, as well.

Do you take a walk on the wild side...wear black nail polish?

Laura Mercier: Full Blown Volume Mascara

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Last month, Neiman Marcus invited the Beauty Bloggers of Central Florida, which I am a founding member, to a breakfast where the various beauty lines shared information about their particular products. One of those lines was Laura Mercier. I am familiar to the name but have never had the opportunity to try one of her products, until now.


I received a trial size mascara. I was very excited to get this to finally experience a Laura Mercier product! This is the Full Blown Volume mascara and it is in black...
 Mascara has always been a beauty staple for me. However, I never owned more than two at a time. To say I have expanded my horizons is putting it nicely. And though I am not fluent in knowing all that there is to know about mascara, like my friend, Clumps of Mascara, does, I'm having a great time learning!

It is without a doubt I tell you that I really, really like this mascara. It does exactly as it says it does: full blown volume. I've got lots of lashes and they are long. However, they don't have volume. Laura Mercier...to the rescue!
You know that mascara brushes make or break the product. You can have the best durn formula of mascara in the world, but if your brush isn't worth a hoot, it will not matter. Laura Mercier has taken great care, obviously, in making a brush that allows it to be one of the best ones in the industry...
  This brush has a little bit of flexibility to it. And, just enough that it will move through your lashes and not just bend them. That is going to allow each lash to get coated. And this mascara builds nicely. I didn't have any flakes, follow out or smudges during the day. It stayed put until I was ready to remove it.

Now, at $24 a tube, that's pricey for the Vanity's wallet. But, there is no doubt, at all, that this is a quality mascara. And, I can wholeheartedly recommend this mascara. If I wasn't a beauty blogger, where I try a variety of beauty products, I would strongly regard this one as the staple mascara at the Vanity.

Have you tried any Laura Mercier products? Which one do you like?

Cult Nails: Princess From The Fairy Tale Collection

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Every little girl wants to grow up and be a princess. Except for me. I wanted to be a scientist and look through microscopes. However, now, I think it is OK to say I would like to be a princess. A rich princess. With lots of makeup and nail polish. And a huge closet full of Princess clothing.

In the meantime, I can have the nails of a princess with Cult Nails 'Princess' from the new Fairy Tale collection...
 
Princesses are stereo-typed as being spoiled. I did have to spoil this 'Princess' a bit. This polish dries very quickly. She isn't one to fuss around. Applying the polish is your job and you must get right to it.


I have three coats here because I was working on smoothing out the look. I still ended up with making patchy areas. Don't let this turn you away from 'Princess', however. This is a beautiful polish! No top coat needed for this one...
  

What looks like an innocent, soft blue, there is a pleasant surprise of magenta shimmer to this one. The blue doesn't seem to have a high gloss itself, however, the magenta shimmer gives it a reflective glimmer.
 You can not only be a Princess, but you can have 'Princess' nails by ordering your Fairy Tale collection from Cult Nails.This is the last polish from the collection for me to review. If you'd like you can click the names and see my reviews of the rest of the collection: Evil Queen with Happy Ending; Feelin' Froggy; Charming with Happy Ending.

If you are a long-time reader, you will know that Libby is the real Princess at the Vanity. But, her new 'sister' is quite a sweetie as well. Kayla has NO pretentious airs at all. After I took these photos of Kayla, she got her tummy 'nom nom'ed...
 

Product was provided to me for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Kleancolor: Multi-Tasking Stick

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Like the multi-functioning black jacket, I can't resist multi-use makeup. Kleancolor makeup has a Multi-Use Stick collection and I picked one up...
This one is called 'Poppy'. It is a glittery, brick shade in the tube...

I like the packaging because I get a better sense of the shade color as well as how much is left once I start using it. However, as you read on, you'll see how I was deceived, somewhat, on the color...
 I have started experimenting using a creme blush before I put on mineral foundation. It just seems more logical to do it in that order rather than the other way around. But, I'm working on laying a foundation of color on my cheeks to see if it adds anything to the look.

Some cremes are better than others. I picked 'Poppy' because I don't have any cremes quite this color. It seems I have a lot of pinks, as they work better with my skin tone. But, I thought 'Poppy" would be a nice difference for a creme shadow and lipstick as well.

This swatch illustrates how 'Poppy' looks with my skin color...
 Interesting that once is it on me, it looks more peachy in color. Still, it is a pretty color.

What I discovered is that Kleancolor's Multi-Stick works best for me just as a creme blush. As a shadow, it creased and I wasn't surprised. Not only am I having issues with shadows creasing on me, this product is super creamy, and it creased in no time. Even as a lipstick, it was just too creamy for any staying power. It did OK as a lipstick only when I used it with a lip primer. And then, that only gave it a couple more hours of hanging around. I think the reason this product worked on my cheeks is because I have normal to dry skin on the apples of my cheeks.

Kleancolor has a total of 12 shades to the Multi-Stick collection. You can see them all on their website. I got mine at Red Lips Cosmetics store, here in Orlando. At $2.99, it's a rather small investment. 

Do you like multi-tasking makeup products?

Cellnique Skincare: Advanced Bio Renewal Serum & Reversal Platinum Cream

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I have a preference. I bet you do too. In fact, I bet we have very strong preferences when it comes to beauty and cosmetic products. My strong preference deals with skincare. Back in March, I had a birthday. A BIG one. No, not thirty (that's not big, sorry), and not forty either (that's getting a big bigger), but BIG...5-0. Even though the 'fight' has been on for sometime, I will not allow my face to reveal my age. That's what I have a driver's license for.


One of the key points I'd like to make with my blog is, take.care.of.your.skin. And I'm talking predominantly, your face. That's my secret, that's not really a secret but, has been good, common sense.

I have been using two skincare products for the last month that are new to me. I figured a month would give me a pretty good idea on whether I would give a thumbs up or down on these two items.  Before I go on and on about them, I want to say right off the bat, I loved using these!!

Here is what I got...

First is Advanced Bio Renewal Serum. And the other is Reversal Platinum Cream. Both of these are for skin that is, how should I put it...just past peak. That still makes me wince but, it is true. My skin is less than peak. :/ However, I don't have to give up hope, for cryin' out loud! I found two products to put into my corner.

As you can see, the packaging is simple but very elegant. These are not flimsy boxes. And that is a positive because these products were shipped from Asia. And, don't let the thought of ordering from overseas (if you don't live in Asia) detour you. Cellnique offers free shipping and a 100% refund if you do not like the products.

Their prices are in line with what I would expect from comparable department store brands. But, I was first bug-eyed when I saw these price stickers on the box...
Oh, my goodness!! But, if you go to Cellnique's website, you'll find the US dollar amount. The Serum is $51 and the Cream is $103.

Let's exam the products...here is the Advanced Bio Renewal Serum...
It is in a pump bottle nestled into a sturdy box. Even though the product is labeled a 'serum' it isn't what I expected. This is a lotion, in my opinion. However, it went on smoothly and my skin absorbed it easily. The resume' for this serum is impressive: it stimulates cell renewal, helps keep pores unclogged, improves skin texture and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And there was barely a fragrance which wasn't unpleasant at all.

After the serum absorbed, I followed with the Reversal Platinum Cream...

This, definitely, is a cream. The jar has a bluish hue to it but that's just the color of the jar. Both products where opaque white. And, the cream was a denser consistency than the serum, which is what I would expect. This cream is meant for skin that is drier and focusing on keeping wrinkles and fine lines at bay. This cream didn't have hardly any fragrance either. It deeply moisturized my skin without making it shiny later on in the day. I could feel that my skin was moisturized and, after using it for a month, my skin is now softer. One of the benefits the website mentions for this cream is that it provides a firming and lifting effect. I didn't feel that is something I achieved. But, I'm not disappointed one bit.



On Cellnique's site, they have very extensive information on the products they sell and it points you in the best direction for choosing items that suit your skincare needs.  But, again, if you should not like anything you order, you get a 100% refund.


Cellnique has won me over. I really, really like these two products. And, if the price does put you off some, after using these two for a month and, using them both in the morning before makeup and at night before bed, I am almost half-way through them. Using it twice a day, they will last me at least 2 months. My choice would be to use them just in the morning and use another, specific night cream at bedtime. Then, that would lengthen the usage even more. That is most assuredly my preference.


This product was provided to me for my honest review. These opinions are my own.

24 Haziran 2012 Pazar

Wet n Wild Coloricon: Bow in My Presence

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This is the 2nd color I purchased in the Be Jeweled collection, it's called Bow in My Presence. BIMP is a very light teal that flashes pink. The duochrome on this one isn't as strong as Speak When Spoken To, but I only used one coat here, so that may have something to do with it. This is one coat overtop yesterday's Studio M On the Hunt.You can start to see the pink flash around the edges although it's very subtle:Thanks for looking!

Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure over a mystery red

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Yikes, I'm so bad! I took these picks last week, and I totally cannot remember what color of red polish I used! Because of that, I wasn't sure if I should post this, but it's so pretty, I just had to. The flakies are Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, which I'm sure you can tell by the bottle 8-) I adore the look of HT overtop a red color, the shift of orange, gold and green...ugh. ♥♥♥







Thanks for looking!

Layla: Ocean Rush

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I've been stalking my local Ulta for the Layla holo display for a couple of months, and all they have are still the magnetics. And there are a lot left in the display, so I don't think they're going anywhere for a while. I finally couldn't take it anymore, so I just bought some online.

This is two coats of Ocean Rush. I love everything about these polishes, but they are a bitch to apply (bald spots!) and the price is steep ($15.50 for a 10ml bottle)....but when you see them in the proper lighting, all that goes away. I mean, wow! Unfortunately, we haven't had any sunlight yet, so I had to make due with indoor lighting.





Thanks for looking!

Layla: Flash Black

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Flash Black is another one of the Layla's that I ordered from Ulta online. It's a silvery grayish black holo. The rainbow effect of this polish is just so intense, I seriously can't stop looking down at my nails whenever I pass by a bright light. Like I don't think I should be allowed to wear this polish while driving! LOL.



Now here's that super holo rainbow....swoon!




Thanks for looking!