MAC Holiday 2012 - Review

I know I promised to do a review of the MAC Holiday 2012 sets earlier this month and sadly I am just getting to this now. I realize that MAC has a couple of new collections out now so I am very tardy on this review....sorry! Better late than never though! MAC stores and their website are still selling these products at present so my review isn't all for nothing.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I have to say that I have never in my life been this underwhelmed by a MAC Holiday collection. This is probably why I haven't rushed to do this review. The colours were boring and the sets were expensive. Usually, I look for good repromoted eyeshadow colours which were limited edition or to get some colours that I don't have in my collection from the permanent line. There were very few repromote items and not much from the permanent line. Normally, I snap up at least one or two MAC Holiday kits because they tend to be a good deal and have some really cool colours. I thought when I looked at this collection that I was going mad and that I just couldn't see what was exciting. I checked out a bunch of bloggers and no one seemed excited either. So it wasn't just me.

Price aside, and MAC jacked the prices this year, I think some of these kits would be good to give as gifts to your friends and family who don't have much makeup from MAC. While I will always more than happily receive any MAC product as a gift from anyone, I didn't find that there was anything exciting here. So let's start with the 2 Exclusive Face Kits which were $85 Canadian. Yes, I said $85!!!! They are $70 U.S. and with the dollar at par right now....okay don't get me started. These sets have a powder blush, lipstick, lipglass, technakohl liner and a 129SE brush. There are two sets, Paramour Pink and Quite Coral. The cases this year are darn cute I have to say so I guess you are paying for the case. I think you would need to seriously want each and every item in these face kits to justify the price. Usually, that is not the way it works though. You don't "love" every item in the kit.

Okay, moving on, there are 4 All for Glamour Holiday Face Kits. One of them is $59.50 Canadian and $49.50 U.S. and includes bronzer (Golden, I already have it), 3 eyeshadows (I already have one, Shadowy Lady) and 2 LE lipsticks. The other three kits are blot powders with 1 Sheen Supreme lipstick in each. Each kit has a different shade. The price for the blot powder sets are $47.50 Canadian or $39.50 U.S. I think this is the biggest rip off of all in the holiday kits.

Holiday Eye Kits. $47.50 Canadian and $39.50 U.S. There are 3 kits (please see top photo of this blog) and they all contain 5 eyeshadows in the most boring array of colours ever. Theses kits are so small, my palm is bigger. I could not believe my eyes when I saw them in person. The packaging is once again so cute that it is misleading online. You think you are getting more than you really are.  

There is a cute lace roll-up travel bag for $48 Canadian. It is nice but you can get the same thing (not as cute) at any drug store for $10-$20.

Then there are the mini kits which contain 4 mini pigments or 4 lip glosses (please see the 2nd photo of this blog). They are all $38.50 Canadian or $32.50 U.S. These would make great gifts. For me, these colours are just not very exciting and I already own a bunch of more exciting pigments. As for the glosses, I would have use for these but I just couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm to make a purchase. The Lavish Rose lip gloss set was by far the nicest I thought. For the lip kits there was a coral set too (which was nice) and a neutral nude set (kind of boring).

Now for the Primped Out Eye, Lip and Brush kits (please see photo above). There are 3 brush kits with either 4 or 5 brushes in them. I remember when 5 brushes was standard for these kits MAC......They are $59.50 Canadian (say what for SE coloured brushes!) and $49.50 U.S. There are two lip kits, one in a coral theme and one in pink which was very nice. The lip kits contain a lipstick, a lip pencil and a lip gloss. They are $47.50 Canadian (yowsa!) and $39.50 U.S. I'm thinking this is pricey for what you get. Finally, the eye kits contain a duo eyeshadow set, a mascara, a power point eye pencil, and a 275SE pencil. Oh, you also get a leopard pouch bag thingy. These eye kits are $55.50 Canadian and $46.50 U.S. I usually buy one of these each year but once again the colours didn't wow me and those 275SE brushes are a dime a dozen in my collection. The eye kits would make a nice gift though. Think of your friends with January birthdays......

Once again, I am so sorry this is so late but I hope this has been helpful. If you missed out on this collection, you can sleep tight knowing that you didn't miss much.

Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil - Review

I can't believe 2012 is almost over! Crazy!

I was hoping to do a best of and worst of 2012 beauty products for all of you, but when I started looking over my beauty products I couldn't believe how much bad stuff there was and also how much good stuff! It was overwhelming. I will take another look tomorrow and see if I can pare things down into a reasonable list.

So today I am going to review the Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil. There are 3 ways that you can use this product and I have only used one method so please take what I am saying with a grain of salt. You can apply this in the shower (that's what I have done) and rinse off the product, or you can rub a few drops over your freshly washed damp skin, or you can add a few drops to your bath water. I am not keen on using this in the shower so I would suggest using one of the other two methods that I haven't tried yet.

Why is it not so hot in the shower you ask? A couple of reasons. It's cold outside right now here in the Toronto area and my skin is DRY. I need help. I find that when you apply this in the shower and then rinse it off, obviously, you are rinsing some of the product down the drain. My skin does feel more comfortable throughout the day after I have used this, but I still have dry patches of skin within a couple of hours. I still need to use cream. So to me this isn't doing the job I need it to do.

Secondly, using this in the shower is a serious safety hazard. There is even a waring on the bottle that it may cause your tub or shower to be slippery. That is the understatement of the century. My shower tile floor is like a slip and slide after I use this. It's like someone emptied bottles of canola oil all over the place. I can barely get out of the tub without taking a flip. I rinse the hell out of the tile floor after I use this. I am so worried my husband is going to break his neck or his ass that I stopped using this after a few times. Seriously, if you don't live alone, and especially if you live with kids or an elderly person, I would not use this in your bathtub or shower.

I think this might work a lot better if it is applied to damp skin out of the shower. I will try it and update this review. Hope you are all having a nice holiday if you are off for a few days like me!

Rating to follow.

Origins High-Potency Night- A-Mins - Review

I have been using this night cream for several months and I very pleased with the results. It is not exactly what I expected though. I am used to night creams being very thick and rich and when you wake up, you skin feels like it was swaddled in moisture and/or grease. This is more of a gel-like product. A little goes a long way and as it is absorbing, your skin feels comfortable, but not overly moisturized. It took a good couple of weeks or more using this to see results and get comfortable with it.

Origins says this product is supposed to (as taken from their website):

Put dullness to rest. Wake up radiant & refreshed. Now nature's famed night cream is newly fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers plus Vitamins C, E & H, minerals & moisture-rich replenishers. While relaxing aromas lull you to sleep, skin sloughs away dry, dead layers. Deletes dullness. 98% of those who tested it agreed - skin was renewed and refreshed in the AM. Helps the slumber deprived wake up on the bright side of the bed. So why face dull skin. Sleep it off tonight. Best for combination/oily skin

 

It has a nice smell - kind of like oranges but in a different way. The smell doesn't wake you up, it relaxes you. It doesn't lull me to sleep though. Nice try Origins. After using this, in the morning, my skin feels so soft and happy. It glows a bit and my pores look smaller. I do feel that new skin has been revealed overnight. My skin feels more moisturized in the morning than it does when I am applying it, going to bed. Strange, I know. My makeup glides on so easily in the morning after I wash my face. This product has made me a bit lazy about exfoliating my skin. Overall, I think this is a gem. It is $49 Canadian, but I can tell you that the product lasts forever. I have not even used up half of the jar and I have been using this every night for at least 8 months or more. Well worth the money.

 

Rating: 9.5/10

What the hell is in my bag?

What the hell is in my bag? Search me. I haven't checked in a little while myself and it is about time that I did. Specifically, I am talking about beauty products mind you. I am sure you are not interested in my receipts, gum and coupons. Now, I am not suggesting that you buy or put into your bag or purse what I have in mine. In fact, I have a lot of "duplicate-ish" products in there that I really should remove and I am missing some of the stuff that I should have in my purse. I did not add or remove anything from my purse when I did this. I just dumped out my little black Shiseido makeup bag that I carry. I have had this makeup bag for over 8 years and it still looks great. It's wipe-able too!

Some things don't change. I have always carried mainly lip products since I was a teenager and here we are again. I do my lipstick on the commuter train and I like to have a variety, hence this mess. I stopped carrying face powder years ago (too many ruined purses). Even if I put it in a Ziploc bag, a hole gets in it and it is a DISASTER....

Okay here is the list, with a few excuses and explanations:

Tissue (not shown in picture as it is in a crumpled case - too embarrassing to share lol)

Maybelline Eyestudio 400 Olive Martini Eyeshadow Palette (unused - bought this weeks ago and forgot to take it out of my purse and try it.....)

NARS Lip Gloss in Strawberry Fields (limited edition and I get a lot of compliments on this one)

Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick in Lush Red (one of the best matte reds out there)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer 02 Light Medium (haven't really had a chance to use this much yet)

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (mini size)

Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment (full size - my fave)

Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment (mini size)

L'Occitane En Provence Dry Skin Hand Cream with Shea (mini size - will repurchase)

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 07 Super Strawberry (perfect stuff for your purse when you want just a little colour)

theBalm Balm Shelter Lip Gloss in Material Girl (love this)

Cargo Plant Love Lipstick in Killarney (newly acquired good product)

MAC Viva Glam V Lipstick (don't love it but it's good to have a nude lip product on hand)

Revlon Colourstay Lip Liner in Plum (one of the best lip liners ever)

Benefit They're Real Mascara (mini size - works well)

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in 01 Extreme Black (mini size - works well)

Mini Bobby Pins by Goody

Generic Lip Brush (no clue why people spend a lot of money on something as simple as this)

Clinique Quickliner for Lips 12 Deep Red (works awesome with Elizabeth Arden Lush Red)

Clinique Quickliner for Lips in 29 Sky Violet (gorgeous colour)

MAC Lipstick in Plumful (it's almost gone - back to MAC soon yeehaw!)

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Positively Dashing (great colour)



I hope that was interesting for some of you. I love to hear what is in other people's purses. What's in yours? Anything strange?

Merry Christmas!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Thank you to all of my readers this past year! I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas and all of the best for the New Year! New posts coming later this week! Stay tuned. 

Top 10 Beauty Products I Can't Live Without

 

Hello!

I am sorry I have been missing in action a bit the last few days. I have been busy with Christmas celebrations and I got the flu. Yuck! Since we are all busy this time of year, and everyday for that matter, I thought it would be appropriate for me to give all of you a concise list of my Top 10 Can't Live Without Products. These are the products that I love and if they ever discontinued them, I would have a hissy fit. These are the products that no dupes or substitutions will cut it.

Since I have done blog reviews on almost all of these products, I won't be long winded about each and every one of them here. What might be interesting to note is that out of this top 10 list I see I grabbed 4 MAC products and 2 Origins. Food for thought. Okay, let's get to it in no particular order...

1. theBalm BalmShelter SPF 17 Tinted Gloss in Material Girl

Not everyone will love this gloss, but I do. It is a sheer tinted berry lip gloss. I hate most lip gloss because they smell nasty, taste nasty, are goopy, tacky feeling, burn or irritate my lips. This is the gloss for the sensitive skinned gal and this colour goes with everything. It isn't too shiny and it just adds a bit of something, something to any lipstick or liner.

2. Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum

Since I am now in my 30's (ahem) I have noticed a couple of small, fine laugh lines around my mouth. I don't like them. Thank God I don't have any lines around my eyes yet. Anyway, this stuff chased those lines away and they are barely noticeable now. No new lines have popped up and I have been using this for 3 years. Nuff' said.

3. Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner

This takes off all left over makeup off of your face after washing and it helps keep your pores clean. It softens and is not drying. This really has helped my skin. Love it.

4. Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream

Sephora has stopped selling it. Shoppers Drug Mart has stopped selling it. The Bay is always sold out of it. This is an award winner and it is in great demand. My skin has never looked so good. It is calming and moisturizing. It keeps my skin balanced and keeps the blemishes at bay. I am lost without it. I have jumped through hoops and ordered it online, put myself on waiting lists etc. when all else has failed to get my hands on it. My skin screams when I run out of it. It ain't cheap, and it is worth every penny.

5. Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-hr smoothing Eye Primer

This is not as good as its predecessor, Tarte's Lifted. It is the next best thing. It is the only eyeshadow primer that really lasts all day and all night on me and the ingredients are not scary.

6. MAC Shroom Eyeshadow

This is the second MAC eyeshadow that I ever bought. It is the perfect lid wash colour for me and I have gone through countless pans. I have never found a colour that matched up and I own a crapload of eyeshadow.

7. MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Perhaps this was one of the first cream eyeshadow bases. It is still the best minus the fact that it creases. It makes bad eyeshadow look ok and good eyeshadow look amazing.

8. MAC Blushbaby Blush

A universally flattering colour. Looks great on me. My go to. It's always on my vanity table and when I travel it's in my makeup bag. If you only ever buy one MAC blush, get this one.

9. MAC Select Cover-Up NC20

This may sound strange, but I only use this on my face occasionally. I tend to be a bit pink and splotchy by nature. This is a great product for covering up minor scars and red patches on your face, body, neck and chest. It does not wear off easily and remains on all day.

10. Clinique 02 True Black Brush-On Cream Liner

Hands down, the best black cream/gel liner on the market. Every time I try another brand, there is just no comparison. Very black, very true, never looks dry, wears all day like nobodies business.

There you have it! I hope this has been helpful! I think I will do some more Top 10 and Top 5 blogs soon. I love it when other people do them! Drop me a comment or email if you like these.

Marcelle Waterproof Lip Definition Liner in Perfect Rose - Review and Swatch

I have had this lip liner for awhile. I was literally looking for a "perfect rose" lip liner. There is nothing perfect, nor rose, about this product. I find this colour to be a tad orange on which is not what I had in mind. Normally, I am not a big fan of Marcelle products, but at the time, in the florescent lights of the drug store, this looked decent. I don't like Marcelle products in general because they tend to be boring, pricey for what they are, and unexceptional. My Mom uses their face powder religiously, but I have never found a product of theirs that impressed me.

Despite the fact that I think this colour is unsavoury, the quality of the pencil itself is crap. It sharpens terribly. The lip liner product is constantly snapping off and crumbling. The pencil itself peels in between uses. It's a basic, poorly made lip liner. I have had $1 lip liners that were better. Never again. The colour does stay on, once you are able to get some on, for a reasonable length of time.

Here is the swatch:

Rating: 3/10

Tiffany D Defining Eyes for Sigma Beauty - Show and Tell and Ingredients!

Hello everyone! I just got the new Tiffany D Defining Eyes for Sigma Beauty palette in the mail tonight. I was so psyched that I couldn't wait to rip it open and I had to show you guys asap. This will only be a show and tell today because, hey, I haven't used it yet. I promise to do swatches as soon as I have used the product. I plan on using this palette all weekend so it will not be long before I do a review, I assure you. I ordered this just over 2 weeks ago. I hee'd and haw'd about whether to buy this for weeks before it was even released. The fact is that I own colours and products just like what is in here. There is nothing earth shattering in this palette, but it does come with a handy dandy guide where Tiffany D explains her best defining eyes looks, tips and tricks.

This product was pre-released nearly two months ago when Tiffany D did a roadshow in Minnesota for a Sigma release party thing for those that could make it to The Mall of America. I believe it was released for online purchase the end of November. I prowled the web like a demon looking for reviews and information. Although I found a lot people saying they loved it and showing the swatches, I didn't feel I got all of the information that I was looking for. I wanted to know how big the products were inside the palette and what the ingredients were etc. So I am going to show you a couple of things where those reviews were lacking. First, this product did come with a free gift, a Sigma eyeliner pencil brush. Good to have.

The ingredients were not half as scary as I was imaging. No parabens! Yeah! There are one or two questionable ingredients here but honestly nothing totally disturbing. I took a picture of the ingredients for you. No one else online seems to have bothered to do it! So I did! Here it is!

Lastly, I wanted to say a couple of things. The eyeliner pencil is smaller than I thought it was once you take the caps off. I imagine if you were to use this palette daily, you would run out in no time. I think I have some dupes though! I will keep you posted and throw that into my review when I do it. Also, the gel eyeliners are tiny!!!!! The two of them together are 3.3g or 0.1 oz. so that is 1.65g or 0.05oz. each! They look much bigger in Tiffany D's videos. MAC's Blacktrack gel liner is 2.5g or 0.08oz. The gel liners are also in the cheapest plastic jars ever! No glass here. I was not impressed with that. This palette is $55 U.S. but I got mine for $49 U.S. with a coupon from Tiffany D's blog. For my American readers, I took the liberty of taking a picture of the palette with a U.S. nickel on top of the gel liner to illustrate my point. I also put MAC's Blacktrack next to them in the picture to drive my point home. The eyeshadows are 1.5g each which is decent. Also you get a dual-sided makeup brush which are Sigma's version of MAC's 219 and 239. I am still totally psyched to try this palette though! Full review coming soon!

Tarte for True Blood Collector's Palette - Review and Swatches

This is likely my most overdue blog ever! I bought this last year and I love it. I have never seen one episode of True Blood in my life (how embarrassing). Is the TV show any good? I have always liked vampires (before they were cool) and I think deep down there is a little goth in me. My husband says he has seen my dressed all in black pictures from high school....ahem.

Anyway, I bought this palette because I thought it looked cool, the eyeshadows swatched wonderfully and I thought it was an all around good deal. I think I paid $68 Canadian maybe? I think it was around $56 U.S. at the time Sephora was peddling it. I swear to all of you, Tarte's website had this palette on clearance just a few days ago (I was trying to decide whether it was relevant to do this blog post now). Tarte's website is a nightmare to navigate. Their search function is total crap. I found this palette on there by accident, maybe you will too. I think they had it on for $45 U.S. which is a blazing steal people! If they don't have it anymore, I apologize profusely for psyching you all up in vain. I checked amazon.com and they have one for sale for $105 U.S. Is that crazy or what?

There are 17 eyeshadows in this palette. I love the colours and I can honestly say this is the best "colourful" palette that I own. The palette also comes with Tarte's now discontinued Deluxe Lifted natural eye primer with firmatol. I got addicted to that product because of this palette. The palette also contains a Deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara and a Full-Sized EmphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner. Sorry, but I used the mascara and chucked it a while back so I can't show it to you in the picture above. The mascara wand was bushy and scratchy. I would say it was a 4/10 product at best. Will not repurchase. Bloggers go on about how wonderful the EmphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner is. I don't like it. That's just my personal opinion, you might think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It is very black, very pigmented and it goes on thick, rich and dark. It stays on super dark all day long. It does tend to smear or run on me and when it gets in your eye....ahhhhhhh. I have read from other bloggers that if you wear contacts (like me) or you have sensitive eyes (like me), this may not be a good product to use. Since it is a flat twist up pen, I find that the product comes out too thick and it is hard to control. There is no fine point to this pen. It is thick lines or nothing. Not for me.

The eyeshadow colours have neat names. They are from left to right, top to bottom, in the picture above and the swatches below, The Light, Fairy, Dusk, Dawn, Werewolf, Waitress, Nocturnal, Charmer, Glamour Me, Stake, Bayou, Telepath, The True Death, Immortal, Moss, Legend and "V". They are all really pigmented and I can not stress how gorgeous they are. They are not at all chalky. They blend like a dream and are soft and silky. They wear well all day and do not fade. Some are a little glittery, but I don't mind. They are not obnoxiously glittery.

My favourite eyeshadows are The Light (nice eyelid sheer wash colour or highlighter), Dusk (gorgeous pinky nude brown), Werewolf (one of the best browns I have ever seen), Nocturnal (the swatch does not do it justice fabulous navy), Glamour Me (sweet dark plum - one the best I have ever seen), Stake (fantastic out of this world dark grey), Telepath (sparkling rose to die for), The True Death (just look at that silver swatch!!!!), Moss (emerald green from heaven), and "V' (neat colour). Um I think I just named most of them....

This guide comes with it and contains some suggested "looks". I have tried the "looks" and they are just okay. I can put better looks together with this palette myself. The information says that this product is formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate and synthetic fragrance. Each eyeshadow is 2g or 0.07 oz. which is bigger than a one MAC eyeshadow. Bargain city!

Rating: 9/10 (I don't like the mascara or the eyeliner but otherwise this is an easy 10/10)

MAC Wedge vs. Cork Eyeshadow - Smackdown and Swatches

                                    Left Wedge, Right Cork


Ever since I started to get into MAC eyeshadows big time, I was plagued with the ongoing debate - Wedge or Cork??? So I bought both. That was unnecessary. A lot of online bloggers will tell you that you don't need both just get one or the other. I see their point, but it's not as simple as rolling the dice and picking one. This duo, although they look similar, are different. I would say that depending on your colouring, you should pick the one that is more suited to you and not bother with the other one. Figuring out which one is better for you is the slightly tricky part.

Personally, for my colouring, I prefer Wedge. It's a personal choice. Wedge is Cork's cooler toned cousin. MAC describes Wedge as a soft muted beige taupe (matte). Wedge is a bit pinky/purple in its undertones. Cork is described by MAC as a muted golden brown (satin). When I wear Cork I do see a yellow undertone and it is not as flattering on me as it could be. Cork is best for you ladies who have warm undertones. Cork would be great on redhead. Hence, Cork, Ireland I guess....

Just for the sake of argument, I took the liberty of also swatching MAC's Malt and Kid for all of you as they are considered similar colours and some of you might be interested in the difference.

                                    Malt, Kid, Wedge and Cork

The swatch on the farthest left is Malt as you can see. MAC describes it as a soft pinkish beige (matte). I do like this colour. MAC used this as a crease colour for the Dita Von Teese look they did years ago. It does show up on me and if used properly, does a wonderful classic 40's eye. This colour does not show up on everyone so be warned.

Kid, which a MAC salesperson talked me into buying (and I don't need it), is described by them as a beige cashmere (veluxe). It's a bit orange for my taste. It is MAC's Soft Brown's lighter cousin.

I hope this has been helpful for some of you. You seriously don't need all of these colours, as they are all similar as natural crease colours or as colours to blend out bold creases, just try to pick a colour and degree of darkness which compliments your skin tone and looks natural on you. I hope this saves you a few bucks. MAC's eyeshadows are $14.50 Canadian for the pro palette refill and $18 in the single compact. They are $12.00 U.S. for the pro palette refill and $15.00 U.S. for the single compact. They are 1.5g or 0.05 oz. each.

L'Occitane En Provence Shea Butter Dry Skin Hand Cream - Review

I got a free 10ml sample of this from Sephora several weeks ago. Until then, I had never tried a L'Occitane En Provence product before in my life. I always saw the stores around, but I was never tempted to go inside one and purchase anything. Anyway, I tossed this in my purse since it was the perfect size for carrying around. This stuff is fantastic. I don't get excited about hand cream very often, but this is truly magnificent hand cream. Some of my fingers are cracked peeling (it's getting cold here) and this soothes, moisturizes and repairs them. There is no need to reapply until you wash your hands again. This is definitely in my top 3 hand creams of all time. This product, has 20% shea butter in it. The ingredients are pretty good but it does have propylene glycol in it and some people don't like that. I am just putting it out there. The propylene glycol though is more than half way through the ingredient list so hopefully there isn't tons in there.

There is a very strong smell to this product, but I actually like it. It reminds me of a cream or something my Grandmother used to keep on her dresser when I was little. Some people might not like the smell if they are sensitive to smells or don't like the old fashioned or old world French scents. This is quality stuff though, the likes of which I am no longer use to seeing in stores. This is a definite repurchase. I love the packaging. You can get different sizes of this product to suit your needs. Now I am curious about L'Occitane's other products.....has anyone tried them? I would love your opinion!

A 30ml tube is $12 Canadian and 150ml is $30 Canadian.

Rating: 9/10 (shame about the propylene glycol and it is not cheap)

Sephora Disney Cinderella Midnight Hour Eyeshadow Palette - Review and Swatches

I have a stack of old and new eyeshadow palettes that I am planning to review for you guys, so please bear with me! I thought I better get to this review though today stat because it is limited edition for Christmas and the Holidays I believe so it will be gone off of the shelves at Sephora soon. If you are interested in picking up one of these, act fast!

I have owned a couple of other Sephora makeup products before and was not wowed. This product wowed me. I swatched the colours and my first thought was "wow, this is gorgeous". So I had to have it. Sephora also has a larger eyeshadow palette out right now which is also from the Disney Cinderella collection which contains 20 eyeshadows. I was not impressed with the quality of the bright coloured eyeshadows in that palette and the neutrals were so so and not very exciting. I have read a bunch of reviews online for it and no one seemed blown away so I passed. In case anyone is interested, the large 20 shade palette is called the Storylook Eyeshadow Palette and it retails for $55 U.S. or $66 Canadian.

Okay, on to the topic at hand. So this palette that I am reviewing contains 4 eyeshadows and is called the Midnight Hour Eyeshadow Palette. Each eyeshadow is 1.4g or 0.049 oz. Pretty close to a single MAC eyeshadow. This palette is $30 U.S. and $36 Canadian. I waited to get my end of year V.I.B. $20 off coupon from Sephora before I bought mine so I got it for a really good price. The packaging looks cheap as all hell but to the touch it is pretty solid. The mirror inside says "it's the exit he'll remember". How cute is that?

Yes, I already own a million eyeshadows that are similar in colour to these, but these are really nice and good quality. They are super soft and are a bit crumbly, but I personally did not have any fallout issues. The pigmentation is phenomenal. They blend like a dream. The colours stay true and last forever. The combination of colours is excellent. This would be great for a New Years' look. If you are in the market for a really nice small eyeshadow palette this Christmas, this is a good bet. The individual eyeshadows do not have names but the swatches are below. Aren't they beautiful? What Christmas and Holiday palettes are you buying this year?

Rating: 9/10 (I think for a "Sephora" product they should be at a lower price point)

EOS Giveway Contest Winners Are In!

Congratulations to the winners of my EOS Alice and Wonderland Giveaway!!! You have each won 2 of these limited edition lip balms in Sweet Vanilla Nonsense and Watermelon Wonderland! I will be contacting each of tonight to make arrangements to send them to you. The winners are, in order of the 5 names that my husband pulled out of the hat:

Michelle LuckyBlue13
RosiPosi
JoJo
Nancy Valdez
Marvelle

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

I will be mailing these out over the next day or two so hopefully you will have them for Christmas. Thank you all for participating and following my blog!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer - Review

I know some people have been raving about this product online. So much so that I had to buy one. I normally have an aversion to most drug store makeup, but I thought for a few bucks, hey, I had to satisfy my curiousity. My curiousity has now been satisfied. This will not be a repurchase for me. My skin can be sensitive, and drug store makeup and my skin are usually not the best of friends. I bought this on sale for about $5.99 Canadian I believe. I think at full price this can cost you up to $10.99. Which is  a decent price for concealer. I bought mine in the shade 20 Light. The colour selection is abysmal. They only have Fair, Light and Medium. They also sell a Neutralizer and a Brightener. Since Medium was the darkest colour, and my skin is not medium toned, I bought Light. I think Light may have been too light for my dark circles. Maybelline's website says that the Neutralizer should be used on really dark circles. Maybe that is what I should have bought, but we will never know since I won't be buying it. If you are on a budget, don't have super dark circles, aren't fussed about ingredients and do not have sensitive skin, this may be ok for you.

All of this being said, the product blends well and the Light did not look too light on when blended, but I found the coverage to be average at best. It was not out of this world. Please. After a few hours, the product does start feeling dry and itchy on. It also starts to crease after a few hours on me. This is good for a quick swipe and blend, out the door for 3 or 4 hours for coffee type of deal. The product does not feel dry to the touch but it feels that way on the skin, to me at least, after you have been wearing it for awhile. I would imagine that you would blast through a tube of this stuff in no time. I have used this product 3 times and you can tell from my picture above how much the product has already gone down. That's scary.

The tube has a sponge applicator and it says it contains Goji Berry + Haloxyl. Now I hope you are sitting down while reading this. The ingredients in the product are SCARY. I did not feel good about putting this on my skin. I took a picture of the list because it was too long to type. Do you blame me? Hope you can read this.

 

Rating: 5/10 (and this is being generous due to good price and it will work well or ok for some)

EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream in Pomegranate Raspberry - Review

I got some free samples of this a couple of weeks ago, so I tried it out. I got the Pomegranate Raspberry scent. It is not overpowering and is really pleasant. I quite like eos products in general, so I was not surprised that I like this product too. Goodbye aerosol can! This is like a cream that you spread on. It says you can use it wet or dry. I only tried using it wet. I was too scared to try it dry, but it probably works just fine. It makes your legs very soft and smooth. Since it is full on pants season right now here in Canada, I have been neglectful about shaving lately. So I needed a really good shave and this product did the trick. You probably don't need to apply lotion afterwards, but I did because I am anal like that.

I copied this word for word from the eos website:

• So moisturizing, you can shave wet or dry, leaving skin soft and smooth.
• Non-foaming cream enriched with natural aloe, oat, and shea butter soothes while boosting skin's moisture level.
•  Antioxidant vitamins E & C help skin look radiantly healthy.
• Comes in a soft-touch recyclable bottle that won't leave a rust ring in your tub.

      

A  delightful shave starts with deep, long-lasting moisture. Rich, non-foaming eos shave cream is packed with natural conditioning oils, shea butter and antioxidant vitamins E and C to provide 24 hours of ultra-soothing moisture. It’s so moisturizing, you can shave wet or dry. Plus, it’s enriched with skin protectants to help prevent nicks and razor bumps.

• 24 hours of deep moisture
• Natural shea butter and aloe
• Nourishes and softens skin
• Paraben-free
• Phthalate-free

There are three other scents - Lavender Jasmine, Vanilla Bliss and Sensitive - Fragrance Free. The ingredients look pretty good (better than the shave gel they peddle at the drug store usually), however, the product does contain at least one preservative that I see and propylene glycol. That being said, propylene glycol is practically the last ingredient so it can't contain much. I would definitely purchase this and use it. I confess I went back to plain old soap to shave my legs years ago (not so good I know) but I think if I am in need of a good shave, I would use this. It smells great and the scent lingers! In the U.S. I believe it is $3.49 but I swear I saw it in Shoppers Drug Mart for $6.99 Canadian a couple of months back. Insane! I'll get it when it goes on sale. I am tempted to try the other scents.

Rating: 9/10 (if it is $6.99 Canadian, that is getting a little crazy)

Speaking of EOS, don't forget to enter my giveaway which ends on Sunday!

http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/11/contest-time-big-eos-disney-alice-in.html

OPI Skyfall James Bond 007 Collection Nail Polishes in GoldenEye, Live and Let Die and The Living Daylights - Show and Tell

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't done many blogs lately. I have a ton of eyeshadow palettes piling up too which I have to do reviews on. I've just been super busy.

I recently purchased 3 nail polishes from the OPI James Bond collection. I bought them all on separate occasions. A couple I was lucky to snag when some salons had Black Friday sales so I got one for $6, one for $8 and another for $9.99. Normally, they are between $9.99-$16.95 each Canadian. I haven't tried any of them! Hence, this is only a show and tell. I keep hearing wonderful things online about these three colours. Live and Let Die, the bottle in the middle, is supposed to be fabulous and you can do your nails with one coat! We will see about that. TiffanyD has done some gorgeous things with GoldenEye (above on the left) in a Ruffian look and The Living Daylights (far right above) to add some holiday sparkle to your nails. Here are the links:

http://makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.ca/2012/11/nail-art-tutorial-navygold-ruffian.html

http://makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.ca/2012/11/manicure-tutorial-how-i-get-salon.html

Based on her tutorials, I had to get these two colours since they seemed so packed full of glitter which is hard to come by. These three names/titles aren't even any of my favourite James Bond movies! Oh well. The collection has some really gorgeous reds, but I have so many red polishes already, so I passed. There is also a grey blue one called On Her Majesty's Secret Service that looks really cool. Casino Royale is a really neat purple, but I have similar colours already. If you haven't done so already, check out the colours at your local salon, Trade Secrets or the the OPI website. This collection has great holiday colours.

Don't forget to enter my Eos Alice in Wonderland Giveaway! I am choosing five winners. The contest closes in 4 days!!!!! Here is the link:

http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/11/contest-time-big-eos-disney-alice-in.html

Estee Lauder Art of Eyes Subtle Smoky Set - Review and Swatches

I have been using Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light foundation for the past several months. Review is coming soon, I promise. Since I have been liking that foundation so much, I was itching to try the concealer. I am always in the market for a decent concealer. I saw this set on the Sears website and thought this looked like a good deal. I think it is out for Christmas, but maybe they have had it awhile, I am not sure. The cost is $42.50 Canadian. Considering that the mascara is $25 Canadian on its own (and this is a full sized tube) and the concealer is $26 Canadian on its own as well, this is a pretty snappy bargain. I am not sure if the concealer is full sized though - it is 0.06 fl. oz. or 1.9 ml. I also think the eye pencil is not full size.

In this set you get a cute, bright small makeup bag, Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara, Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in 01 Onyx, Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer 02 Light Medium and a Pure Color Eyeshadow Compact with 5 of their regular line eyeshadows. The eyeshadows are 60 Sugar Biscuit in Satin, 64 Newport Blue in Matte, 62 Intense Violet in Matte, 35 Hot Cinnamon in Shimmer and 13 Tranquil Moon in Satin.

The eyeshadows are very nice. I don't have many Estee Lauder eye shadows so this was nice to have. The total net weight of the eyeshadows are 4g or 0.14 oz. which isn't too shabby. I think the Hot Cinnamon is the best colour followed by Newport Blue and Intense Violet. Sugar Biscuit is not very pigmented and you hardly get any Tranquil Moon in this compact. Tranquil Moon is my least favourite colour in here, so it all works out. The swatches below are left to right 60 Sugar Biscuit Satin, 35 Hot Cinnamon Shimmer, 13 Tranquil Moon Satin, 64 Newport Blue Matte and 62 Intense Violet Matte.

These eyeshadows are not the most pigmented in the world, but they are nice, subtle colours. Hence the name of this set I suppose, "Subtle Smoky". There is also a card in the box which gives you a link to Estee Lauder's You Tube page which gives you a tutorial on doing a smoky eye with this kit. I warn you, I watched it and it keeps freezing. I actually think I can do a better look with these colours than the video, but that's just my lowly opinion.

I will update this blog post soon with a proper review of all of the products in this set. I have used all of them once, but I really feel I need to road test them before I can pass judgement. I will say though that something I wore did smudge badly. I suspect it is the eye pencil, as I already own one and I have had smudging issues with it in the past which I why I never wear it. If it is the mascara, and it says "zero-smudge" I will not be impressed. The concealer seems good, but like I said, I need to road test it.

All in all, I think this is a great value if you are thinking of acquiring some Estee Lauder gems or if you are looking for a Christmas gift for your friends or family.

If you haven't already done so, enter my blog giveaway!!! Contest closes December 9th! Here's the link:

http://mymakeupissues.blogspot.ca/2012/11/contest-time-big-eos-disney-alice-in.html