DAZZLE-n-SPARKLE

MISSONI for Target Haul (decade old, new for me)

2012-01-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

What?? I know its a decade old news... but I managed to find some good stuff without paying the insane prices on Evil Bay. In fact, I managed to get them on sale! (Proud smile smiley inserted)

When I saw the promos of this collection past year, I was not too excited. Too much of zig zag pattern and loud colors just made it look too over the top. Also I am not one of those creative people who can just spot an outfit piece and then create wonders.

We all know the frenzy it created.... like super crazy frenzy!!! Needless to say, I didn't get to see ANYTHING at my local Target. I had never anticipated anything like this for a Target collection, so I didn't even bother to order anything online.

The only things that I was keen on were Candles, A huge Glass Bowl (as I had recently moved, home decor was my priority). Maybe some sweater or dress. Not sure.

The more and more I saw the hauls, the more and more I wished I I had seen something...

Fast Forward to November- December, I spotted this beautiful Soy Candle in Pair at my local Target in the Clearance section. At 12.99 a piece, I picked both of them and I must say I LOVE them. They look Beautiful and the Quality is amazing!!! They Smell sooo Good!!!!

Also at the clearance was this Note Book, which I don't even know why I picked. It was for $2 and I was like "OMG, Missoni for $2.."...lol!!!

Recently Target Website re-stocked some of their stuff and luckily I could manage to get this Beautiful Open Cardigan. Its Freakin Gorgeous!! Looks so good with Leggings! The quality is amazing. The fabric is soft, has the cardigan weight and not at all Flimsy. Its thick and for the price I paid, around 10% less than the original price of $49.99, it is Awesome! I myself cannot believe its a Target Product! Not that Target is any bad...but with huge collections, things might be bit crapy sometimes...

Next I picked this I-phone case from the same collection online and I tell you its a crapy piece of junk! Made of light weight, cheap plastic with a poor print at the back....Not at all worth even at the sale price of $20. This one is going back!!!

I am super impressed with the Cardigan. It is that one product, which I think is worth buying from that Evil Bay, paying a little more than the original price. The Candle is cute and unique...but not all the prints/patterns released. The zig-zag ones are common kinds. I liked the Blue one and the Pink one (shown above). I would buy the blue floral one, if I get it at a decent price.

The Newest designer Collaboration Target is going to have is the Jason Wu. I saw the promos and the Look Book. Not very impressed. Except a shirt and few purses and bags, nothing as of now has caught my eye. It releases February 5th 2012. (or may be 6th...I have to re check)

Anything you guys are planning to buy from the new Collaboration?? Is it YAY or NAY???

P.S: The whole point of sharing this post? Try to get that Cardigan if you can. Bonanza, Ebay, Craigslist....Anywhere. It is a good piece.

BEAUTY BUYS: Kate Somerville, Caudalie

2012-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just the list of things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review 'about in next few posts!!! Call this a 'Preview'...

Recently picked a few goodies from Sephora. Non of them are any Color Cosmetics, so probably not the most interesting HAUL.

In the past few months (6 months) I tried a bunch of Skincare products. Aveda, Sibu Beauty, Philosophy, Shiseido to be precise. I will review these products soon, so that I can share my experience with you all.

Products I picked recently:

1. Kate Somerville Quench Hydrating Face Serum

2. Kate Somerville Total Vitamin Antioxidant Face Serum

3. Kate Somerville Complexion Correction™ Daily Discoloration Perfector

4. Caudale Anti-Dark Spot & Radiance Set

This is my first time trying products from both these brands. They have a vast range of skincare products and I was totally confused and a bit over-whelmed at the store.
I knew I wanted something for skin Hydration, some Serum and something that would work on my hyper-pigmentation. I have these shadow like patches around my chin area.

Lets see how these work and I will review them once I have used them enough to give my opinion.

Now onto some ramble...

1. I have been saving some money to buy nice bags (few of you know that...)

2. I am super sad and annoyed that CHANEL FLAP BAG (my ultimate dream bag) will be $4400 come February, making it more of a DREAM BAG!!! (again, few of you know...I constantly crib on Twitter)

3. Had been to Miami for a vacation in November 2011. It was a very nice one and I picked some random jewelry here and there (will share them in some post, even if no one whats to see them)

4. Oh, yes.... added a few more charms to my Pandora Bracelet and picked a few Lagos Pieces for layering. Have been very much into layering Bracelets since past 6-7 months.

5. I am NOT liking Chicago much, since I moved. Not that Chicago is bad...Its just that we move so often, it is difficult to make new friends and right now, I don't have many. Totally rely on virtual Social Life and you guys as friends. Hence this ramble... and desperation to share what I shop.

Hope you all are doing good and I have decided as I am not buying much make up, I will keep posting random Jewelry Hauls, some Clothing stuff (my style is pretty meh..) and some other things here and there.

Enjoy your Weekend...

JOSIE MARAN ARGAN OIL HAIR SERUM

2012-01-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

JOSIE MARAN ARGAN OIL HAIR SERUM

I typed this whole blog post and then it got lost!! How?? I don't know...

These type of reviews might be the most boring ones. I mean we all love to hear and read about the latest collections. All of us enjoy those 'HAULS' that has some amazing new products. But...but trust me, when you are out to search for some skincare or hair care or products like that, these boring reviews on random blogs really help!!

Ok, enough with the ramble...On to the review.

This is one of those silicon based hair styling product. I personally call it Hair styling product, because for me products that actually help in nourishing the skin/hair from within fall into the category of serum. The ones that help in merely improving the appearance of skin/hair is not a serum and falls into the category of styling product.
Its pretty much like the difference between Eye Cream/serum that heals and Eye Brighteners that brightens or improves the appearance temporarily.
(I don't know if any of this interpretation makes sense, but you all get the point...right?)

Information and Claims (as per website)

Argan Oil Hair Serum

An anti-frizz treatment that creates exceptional shine.

What it does:
It's the shine of the times! Argan Oil Hair Serum delivers instant shine and long-lasting rejuvenation. Argan Oil naturally penetrates the hair to help moisturize each layer of the hair strand for long-term hair repair so your hair actually looks and feels healthier, silkier, and extraordinarily shiny. Subtly scented with geranium and bergamot fruit oils, the ultra-light, never-greasy, non-alcoholic formula penetrates the hair shaft to seal split ends and deliver intense moisture to each layer of the hair strand. All hair types will instantly look and feel healthier, silkier, and shinier.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:
Argan Oil is a superior source of antioxidants, vitamin E, and moisture as it nourishes and protects skin and hair from the environment. This organic ingredient prevents dehydration, inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and sebum production. It is your answer to naturally healthy, youthful, radiant, clear skin and hair.

Texture:

This is slightly thick, colorless liquid which is not too watery nor too thick n goopy. Feels super silky to touch and is very light weight (plus point). The product is not sticky at all.

Fragrance:

Mild, pleasant perfume'y' fragrance. It is not offensive or over powering.

Color:

Colorless

My Hair type:

I have thin, silky hair. They are not thin in volume, but every single hair strand is very thin. They are on drier side and are prone to breakage. My hair tangles very easily. The length is slightly below the shoulder and I color them occasionally once in 4-6 months. I rarely use hair styling products and hot tools are used sparingly. I towel dry them after wash.

How I Use it:

I just use a little more than Pea size maybe Peanut size. Spread it on my palms and apply it on the lower half of my hair, avoiding the scalp area or the roots of the hair. Dry or damp, this coats my hair well and makes it look piece'y'.

Results:

Firstly, it spreads well and coats my hair nicely, making it look soft, moisturized and shiny. It does not weighs down my hair, unlike other products that I have tried in the past with similar concept. The key is to avoid applying it on the hair roots. Also the quantity used is to be controlled. Anything more than needed will make the hair greasy. There is a thin line between greasy, oily hair and shiny, moisturized hair.
This does not tames my frizzes much.

Packaging:

Comes in a glass bottle with a pump. Easy to dispense and travel with. I have read people complaining about the product getting clumpy and thick, making dispensing a difficult task. I personally have not experienced any such problem.

Its a good product to have, especially on days when the hair just refuses to listen and is all poofy and weird. This is a little expensive in comparison to many other similar kind of product, but in my personal experience, this is comparatively light weight. Also, as very little amount is needed, this may last for long time, again depending on how frequently it is used.

Any one of have tried this or Moroccan oil or any such kind of 'serum'?? Do share your experience in the comment below and do suggest if you know of something Awesome for hair.

Welcome 2012!!!

2012-01-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

To another chance n a fresh start... Wishing all of you Health, Happiness and Prosperity in the New Year. Cheers!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

2011-12-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

The best gifts in life will never be found under a Christmas tree! Those gifts are friends, family, kids and the one you love!!

Happy Holidays!!

Josie Maran Argan Oil

2011-12-24T11:31:00.001-08:00

Organic Argan Oil is a lightweight oil that can be used as a daily moisturizer or treatment for skin, hair, and nails.

What it does:

This 100% Pure Argan Oil is a legendary oil that's rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and grown organically in Morocco. With its multitasking benefits, Argan Oil can be used for many areas including hydrating and nourishing skin, as a daily moisturizer, skin treatment, treating spilt ends, and softening cuticles. It's gentle enough to use on all skin types and is believed to help with skin conditions including acne. Argan Oil easily absorbs into skin to give you a youthful, dewy glow, and has astonishing healing, conditioning, and antiaging properties to keep your skin and hair nourished and revitalized and to keep you looking beautiful from head to toe.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

This is like that one MIRACLE product that changed my skin completely over night!!! Well, not over night…but definitely over a period of 2 weeks, I could notice great changes in my skin.

It all started last year in winter. I started using this particular product on my face as a night time moisturizer.

Skin Type : Dry and leaves patchy dry spots in winters.

Usage: PM (once during night time)

Color: Colorless

Texture: Light weight, easy to spread n easily absorbed by the skin.

Application: Just few drops (3-4 drops) were enough to cover my entire face n neck.

Feel on skin: It is very light weight and does not feels heavy on skin. Does not leaves the skin greasy at all. It did not clog my pores nor there were any ugly bumps. I use it only at night, but have tried using it under my make up. If you intend to do so, I would suggest using just 2 drops and not more.

Difference in Skin: I noticed that it made my skin very smooth and soft. There were absolutely no dry patches at all. Also over a period of time, it made my skin very glowy, healthy, supple and just great from within.
The facial skin appears very nourished and makes me look younger than I actually am...
I have many people asking me the secret of my good skin. This MAY have helped with lightening the mild Pigmentation on my skin, but I am not sure, because I have been using other serum in conjugation.

It is definitely worth giving a try. A small bottle costs around $15 and it will last for more than 6 weeks if used once a day religiously. Maybe even more depending upon the quantity used.

Argan Oil from different Brand: I have seen Whole Foods carrying argan Oil as well. I have not tried them. I just thought it would be great idea to try a known brand over totally unknown one.

I don’t use this at all in summer. I start the usage from Fall and continue till Spring. This is my Second year using the Argan Oil and I have yet to get a single dry patch on my face.

Try it and do let me know in the comment section if it worked or not. This sure is a Holy Grail product for me. Also do ask me any questions if you have, because I know I am not a good review writer and at times it may be complicated for me to tell what I actually want to.

NARS MULTIPLE - MAUI

2011-12-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

The Multiple:
An all-in-one, cream-to-powder, multipurpose makeup stick.

What it does:
NARS The Multiple beautifully highlights, sculpts, and warms the eyes, cheeks, lips, and body in an array of shades, from sheer accents to mauve and bronze.

NARS Multiple in MAUI

The Color:

MAUI multiple is described as a Dusty Rose Color. It is a non- shimmery, non- glittery, cream product. Its like Pink, Bronze, Rose all color mix. Difficult to describe.

Swatch of NARS Multiple in MAUI

The Texture:

This is a bit dry in comparison to other Multiples I own. Its a cream to powder finish.

The application:

I apply it using my fingers, because the product is on drier side and I find it difficult to use brush with this particular color. The heat of my fingers warm the product and it just blends in beautifully to give a winter flush on cheeks. It looks very natural as it blends into thye skin. It does not gives that Barbie Pink color. Its gives warm, rosy flush. Looks very Chic n Elegant.

The finish is matte. Not Flat Matte, but not dewy either. The color is buildable.

The Packaging:

Sturdy, Black NARS tube package. Loads of Product and has no noticeable scent or fragrance.

Lasting Power:

It lasts for a long time but not forever kinds. I need to re-apply it after 6 hours or so. If used as base for some other powder blush, then I can easily live it for 8-10 hours, without touch up. It depends on how you apply and weather of the place you live.

Like when I was in Miami, touring the whole day, it used to vanish in 5 hours, but here in Chicago, it lasts easily upto 8 hours!

Multiple Usage:

I used it on lips as well, but not a fan due to its texture. The color on the other hand is very lovely and natural for mildly pigmented lips like mine.

Swatches of NARS Multiple in Portofino, Riviera and Maui

I recently carried this product to my Vacation in MIAMI and I must tell you, it is such a wonderful, user friendly product!! I could re-apply it just anywhere, as I wanted to look all fresh in my pictures/photos all the time. A little touch up with this made me achieve my goal!!! (of looking good I mean...:)) No fuss, no mess and no brush needed.

LOVE IT!!!

URBAN DECAY - NAKED 2 Eye shadow Palette

2011-12-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

The most anticipated sequel of the decade.

Naked2 has 12 pigment-rich, taupe and greige neutral eyeshadows, including FIVE NEW shades. Our palette proves once again, neutral is anything but boring, (and is downright sexy when worn Naked). Feast your eyes on our shades ranging from pale to deep, matte to sparkly. This collection lets you achieve lots of neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. Let's just say there's a whole new way to get Naked!

Yeah!!! Neutral Colors, Sleek Palette n loads of Hysteria!! This was enough for me to jump and buy this palette in the first round of release.

The Packaging:

The Palette itself is lovely, strong and sturdy. In terms of packaging, its way better than the original release. A tad heavy, but snaps shut well and is not prone to get any dirty. Its not velvet, so easy to wipe of with a tissue and keep it clean.

The Brush:

The Palette comes with a dual ended synthetic brush. Its a decent brush, but not one of my favorites. The brush appeared a bit stiff to me. Its soft, but stiff.

The Shadows:

The colors are a good mix of matte and shimmery shades. There is a matte nude and a matte black, which I think is the best thing about the palette. Half-Baked is a repeat color and Chopper has Micro-glitter. Apart from that all the other colors look pretty dupe able to me. Snakebite reminded me of Smog.

If you have many Urban Decay Palette, I don't think the colors in this palette will look very different. As far as the color pay off goes, I have not even swatched one color. This particular palette will be gifted to my very good friend, who missed buying this one and I really want to surprise her for the holidays (yeah, she NEVER reads my Blog!!!)

I personally for myself think that the colors are a bit cool, though technically the colors fall into warm category. Its a great value for money. At $50 a bunch of 12 colors neatly stacked with dual ended brush is surely a great deal!

I don't think its a must have palette, if you already own a dozen of Neutral, Naked palettes from various brands. I tend to gravitate towards such colors and cannot stop myself from buying them. I even picked the DIOR Mitzah Palette recently and that too is untouched, admirable piece in my collection.....

So how many of you have managed to get this one?? Do you plan to buy one?

UPDATE....

2011-08-20T09:53:00.001-07:00

Long time.....No updates on this Blog...Busy...Busy...Busy...with loads of packing and moving.
We were supposed to move to another country and at last moment everything was cancelled and now we have moved to CHICAGO...So in all this chaos and tension, my beauty purchases took a back seat and so did beauty blogging and updates.

I did get a chance to try some SKINCARE products, like Serums, Moisturizers, Mask etc. So in near future the Journal will see some in depth reviews of Skincare products and my experience with them.

Yeah, in general missed the Beauty Blogging and all the fun. Very excited to get back in touch with all of you beauty lovers.

Thanks to all those who sent me private mails and messages on Twitter asking about me and my Blog.

See you all soon...:)

MAC - My Paradise (Comparison/Photos)

2011-06-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

I simply picked this particular product because it was sold out everywhere and I thought I will miss on something cool and repent later.

I have not been buying much make up. I am not even following all collections. I do read some of my favorite blogs though. It may sound weird, but I didn't even knew the name of this product when I purchased. I just went in MAC to see the collections and the display, which holded this product was SOLD OUT everywhere. It made me curious to know what it was!!

My Paradise is pretty much a collector item. The beautiful pattern is to die for. The color itself is very summery.

I swatched it at store and it is very pigmented. It stays put I believe because it was there on the back of my hand like a 'stain' till late evening.
The Golden flower is a over spray and it is very chunky and glittery.

I didn't use the one I have. I don't intend to. My experience with highly pigmented product is that it requires a lot of blending and patience. I just don't get much use out of them. No point ruining a product (a beautiful looking one) if I am not going to use it.

A stippling brush is a MUST if you want to apply this. It is really pigmented and if not worn properly might give an illusion of sun burnt cheek. The color would work beautifully on Medium to Darker skin tone. Not that lighter skin tones cannot rock it, but it would be AMAZING for medium to dark skin tone lovelies.

I find it to be similar to Cargo Rome Blush. It is not similar to NARS Taj Mahal, which is very Orange.

Enjoy swatches and comparisons on The Beauty Look Book website.

Diorskin Nude Glow - Healthy Glow Summer Powder in Aurora 001

2011-05-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

ME Loves DIOR. I have not tried many Very High End Brands, but whatever I have tried, I like Dior the Best. Not that CHANEL is bad, but I could justify Dior Prices and Quality over Chanel's Price and Quality. This is just a personal preference.

I was really looking forward to the Diorskin Nude Glow - Healthy Glow Summer Powders. These are Limited Edition Summer releases by DIOR and they come in two shades. Aurora 001 and Sunset 002. There is another color in number 003 which is an exclusive Asia release.(Information Source: The Beauty Look Book)

I got mine in the Lighter shade (Aurora), which is meant for light to medium skintones. I consider myself in the category of Medium to Dark. The other color, in Sunset looked very Orange on me. The SA at Nordstrom initially suggested Sunset, but then on application, she was sure Aurora is the one for me.

The Packaging: Chic, Silver compact. It is not in the regular Blue or Brown container. So I choose to believe it is not a Blush nor a Bronzer. It is a Beauty Powder. Comes in a Blue Velvet Pouch, with a slot for Brush. I personally like the fact, that the brush is not in the compact. It has a mirror. The packaging is Functional, Chic and Durable.

The Applicator: The brush is nice and Soft. Not the most functional one, but it would still come handy someday. It is not scratchy. I have not washed it or anything, so I have no clue about the brush shedding hair. Also, I will never wash it. Its just for all that fancy look.

The Color: Aurora has a weaved pattern of Pink, Bronze and Brown. Not as flat as I have written here. The Pink has slight Golden shimmer, the Brown is Medium brown, not a dirty Brown and The bronze is a lighter Bronze with some Gold shimmers again. These shimmers just disappear when applied on the skin. It is not something OTT.

The Texture: "I cannot Believe, its NOT butter"....Such a lovely, smooth, soft and buttery Formula. Its not powdery or Chalky. Its not frosty and is not drying at all.

The Application: The color pay off is fine. On lighter skin tones, it will give the needed flush of color. On my skin tone, I had to layer. 2-3 swipes. It gives the needed color and glow on the cheeks. It makes my face looks pretty and lovely, like I am not wearing any obvious make up, but still has the depth due to the color imparted.

This may be a lousy explaination, but it gives that 'something' to the face and it works.

I have even layered it over Melba and Charm Blushes. Works on top of Blushes too. (Similar color Family). The pink is not so obvious, nor is the brown. The whole blend is what speaks.

The Feel: It looks nice. The shimmers are not noticeable on skin, which is great. The finely milled shimmers provide the Glow...So much for the Glow...:)

The Cost: $46 USD.

The Swatches: My Camera could not pick good swatches. The colors blended with my skintone. You can see amazing swatches and Comparison on The Beauty Look Book and NaturalnChic Make Up. Two great Blogs/Websites for High end Make up reviews and Photos.

Availability: This is available at all major department stores and Dior Website. I tried the testers myself at Sephora and the Nordstrom SA tried it on my cheeks. Both places were sold out of them though. I managed to get mine at Neiman Marcus (she said it was the last one...they always say that). I picked mine almost 3 weeks back. In short, if you want...RUN!

NARS BLUSH - AMOUR

2011-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

NARS Blushes are pure LOVE!! The way these melt into the skin is just Phenomenal. I would call them MAGIC in Sleek Pots.

NARS has some amazing shades of Blushes in their permanent line. From super Pigmented Exhibit A and Taj Mahal to ultra Subtle Madly and Penny Lane. Be it cream or Powder, they excel in their job of providing the needed life on your face.

Many Brands are matching upto the quality of NARS these days. Illamasqua is a close cousin when it comes to crazy pigmented colors out there. I love MAC and CARGO Blushes too.

I have many NARS Blushes, but very few of them are Matte. Most of the Blushes I own have their generous dose of Shimmers. The only Matte Blushes I have tried so far are Desire and Dolce Vita. I was very keen to try AMOUR and GILDA, but Sephora does not carries Gilda or Gina (both matte shades).

Amour is described as Peachy Pink. I may sound like a broken record saying the same thing, but its so difficult to describe a shade of Blush!! We are talking about minute details here. Peachy Pink, Pinky Peach, Coral Peach, Pinky Coral, Peachy Coral, Pinky Coral....by the time this ends, I am seriously in need of basic colors...Red, Blue, Yellow...Life can get simple...and I Ramble!!!!

Jokes apart, the shade captured by my lens is pretty true to color (I think). Computer Screens may alter the shades. These pics are taken near a window, with filtered light and Flash on.

The color has obvious Red/Coral undertones to it. I use a MAC 188 Stippling blush which is sparse and picks just the needed amount of color. On my NC40/42 Skintone, just a dab and good blend is all that is needed. Its very easy to over do, if I am not careful. It has the potential to make the cheeks ruddy.

I had similar problem with Dolce Vita. The RED undertones were not helping. I do love Dolce Vita, but these kind of colors really need some work to get it right on the cheeks. Also, such heavily pigmented blushes are not useful when it comes to touch ups. Blending is the key.

The staying power is super Awesome. Its not a difficult to blend and the texture is buttery smooth. Not powdery. Right Brush is a MUST!

Comparisons:

When I bought this home, it reminded me of Illamasqua Hussy. On comparison, I found Hussy was more 'Tame' in terms of undertones. The Warm Pink undertone was more flattering on my skintone than the Coral Red of Amour.

Some people say NARS Amour is a matte version of NARS Torrid. I politely disagree. On comparing the two, Amour clearly appears to be more pink and Torrid true Coral, with no Pink and more of Orange'y' tones to it (here we go again!!!!)

If I have to choose between Illamasqua Hussy and NARS Amour, I would prefer Hussy, SIMPLY because Hussy has the needed Pink tones that look good on me. Its all about the perfect color. Both Hussy and Amour Blushes do not lack in quality. They are Amazing!!!

Disclosure: All items are personal purchases.

Beauty Buys: Clarisonic, NARS, Benefit, UD

2011-04-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just the list of things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review 'about in next few posts!!! Call this a 'Preview'...

I had accumulated some Sephora GCs and the 15% off sale really helped me to buy something new and stock up on few things old.

Goodies I picked:

Clarisonic Skin care System: I really wanted this since very long time, but was not sure if its worth investing so much. I was not sure if I would religiously use it or if it would break me out etc. A little trial test using OLAY Pro-X system made me sure that I wanted to introduce this as a part of my daily skincare routine. A detailed review to follow in next month after a good use.

NARS Blush in AMOUR: A lovely color in pot. I have tried many NARS Blushes in the past, though most of the ones I own have a dose of shimmer. Apart from Desire, Dolce Vita everything else I have has some amount of shimmer. Amour is a good matte and I am excited to try it.

NARS Multiple in MAUI: A color that always attracted me whenever I passed the NARS section at Sephora. I tried this one the day I purchased it and the texture is very different from the other Multiples I have. I am liking the color, but not very sure of the texture. My thoughts might change by the time I fully review this beauty.

Back ups:

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencils in STASH and ROCKSTAR and a Sephora Nail Polish in Gray color made their way in my basket.

I enjoyed this fun Haul and I really hope everything works well without me having to return any of these. Its just so annoying to return stuff!!!

What did you all buy from the Sale??

MAC - PLUSH LASH MASCARA

2011-04-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Plumps, curls and volumizes. Builds thickness smoothly and evenly, delivering a full fan of lashes. Rich, hydrating formula. No smudging or clumping. A patented brush wraps lashes one luxurious layer at a time for immediate, intense drama

I have tried only 2 Mascaras from MAC. Plush Lash and Zoom Lash. Out of these two, I do like the Plush Lash better. In fact, I totally dislike Zoom Lash.

With Mascaras, its a hit or miss. Also, Mascara is a make up product for eye lashes, which is hair. So obviously, its going to be pretty subjective. I mean like Hair Care Products.

This review is my personal experience with the product.

Applicator: A sturdy, strong wand which is not too long and wiggly. Its Medium sized, easy to hold. The size gives a good control.

Brush: Brush head is thick, dense and pretty large. It needs a bit practice to work with it, without poking or staining the other areas around the eye.

Color: The color is rich Black.

Clump Factor: No clumping for the initial two coats. From third coat onwards, it did clump a bit. I used my MAC 205 Fan Brush for separating. The clumps were not too difficult to get rid of.

The Effects:

Length: It did give good length to the lashes. They appeared long, but not spidery.

Curl: It didn't curl much, neither did it helped in holding the curl that I achieved using my eye lash curler.

Volume: It did give a good Volume.

Thickening: Plush lash gave good thickening effect. This coated the lashed very well.

The lasting power: It lasted pretty well. Did not smudge for me, but then I never wore it near water or cried. It did not smudge on its own though. Also it didn't dry or crack up (if thats how you describe).

Removing the Mascara: It is easily removed by eye make up remover. Does not leaves much work behind.

Verdict: Its an OK Mascara. I think Drugstores have better Mascaras. They would perform like Plush Lash or maybe even better. It would not cost as much as MAC. Only good thing with MAC Mascaras is you can B2M the empties to get some freebie.

MAC - GREEN EYE SHADOWS

2011-04-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

MAC Green Eye shadows

A bunch of Green Eye shadows that I have and love.

Mink and Sable (Limited Edition): This is a STARFLASH finish eye shadow. Super soft and smooth. This has a great color pay off and is pretty easy to work with. I won't be talking much about this, as it was a Limited Edition color. The closest color to this one is Sumptuous Olive, which is a Permanent Color. I find this has more Mossy Green to it than Sumptuous Olive.

A good Green to have.

Scarrab: (Limited Edition): This again was in a Quad that was Limited Edition. This is a lovely Green color, with a subtle sheen to it. Another color, which has a great buttery texture and is easy to work with. Its a shame that MAC didn't repeat this color ever. The same Quad had another of my favorite 'Rye' in it.

MAC Sharp Eye Shadow from Tempting Quad (Amazing quad in 2008)

Henna: (Limited Edition): I really hate to include another color, which is Limited Edition. MAC had some of its best Greens for Limited Time. This is a complex blend of Gold and Henna. A very unusual color. I don't follow very many brands for eye shadows, but all I remember is this is different and unique. It is a Veluxe Pearl finish and true to its nature, smooth finish and great pay off. If you ever get this in a swap, do go for it.

MAC Humid vs Urban Decay Mildew

Humid: This is permanent MAC Green. Its a nice, intense green, with good color pay off. It has a good sheen to it, but is not at all sparkly or glittery. No fallouts at all. I like how all the greens I have are easy to work with. The finish is Frost, but the color is not overly frosty.

Urban Decay has this green color in Mildew and if I have to choose between Mildew and Humid, Mildew would win any day. I like the depth and darkness of Mildew more than Humid. Its a color with good pay off and intensity. Works well with my eye colors and skin tone.

Gorgeous Gold: This is a color, which technically is a Gold color. Its more like a Duo chrome and has strong hints of Yellow Green. A complex color (Gold/Yellow/Green) and personally not my favorite, because I don't have very many combinations in my head to rock this. It reminds me of straw color liquid in a test tube, I once made in my chemistry class. The finish is Veluxe Pearl and true to its nature, lovely sheen, soft and buttery color.

Sharp: (Limited Edition): This was in my Tempting Quad. The quad was released in 2008 Fall and as far as I remember, that Fall release by the name Cult of Cherry was one of the best releases by MAC. The promo pics had the model wearing this color as her eye make up teamed with Rich, Bold Lips....Beautifully Stunning!!

The color is very similar to Bitter by MAC, which is a permanent color. Sharp has excellent pay off and is easy to work. Rated 'R' was similar color like this one, but with sheen. It was better than Sharp, but I ended up swapping it.

I would strongly recommend owning any or all of the three quads from the Cult of Cherry Collection.

Swatches of MAC Green Eye shadows

These are all the greens I have. MAC does has many more greens in their permanent collection. They are different from whatever I own. It would be great to see some of the above Limited Edition Greens to be re-released by MAC in future.

p.s: I missed adding 'Wondergrass' and 'One-off' eye shadow to the above list, but they were also Limited Edition, so forget it.

You can see some more Greens in this POST

Update....

2011-04-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

Pic Source: Web/Google Images

I have never neglected my blog for so long!! Almost 3 weeks plus! There is no good reason for this. I have not been buying much make-up. A few skincare and essentials here and there. I doubt anyone would be interested in a blog that provides nothing new, apart from a few reviews of Skincare stuff. I am trying to build a decent Jewelry collection. All the money I saved goes towards another LOVE.

My husband, who has always supported this make-up love of mine, was probably bugged by my constant nagging as I had plenty of time in hand. He suggested, I should continue blogging and if I was totally not interested, I should at least have the courtesy of updating those lovely people who occasionally visit my blog.

Also, I received some mails from readers of my blog. They were kind enough to ask me why I was not updating? Some missed my Pigment/Eyeshadow posts and two of them clearly mentioned they would like to see more of in-store swatches. This made me feel more loved and I was humbled by the fact that people still love me and my blog.

With a collective motivation again, I am here with some simple posts….nothing fancy…Just your regular Dazzle 'n' Sparkle…

BENEFIT - POWDERFLAGE

2011-03-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

Benefit Powderflage is a lightweight powder that camouflages fine lines, dark circles, or spots. It can be worn alone for light concealing or layered over a cream concealer for extra coverage. The powder ball and brush are small enough to pop into your purse, so you can touch up anywhere.

This set contains:

- 0.11 oz Light-Diffusing Powder Concealer

- Mini Fantail Brush

- An application lesson

I love Benefit Products, well most of them. This unfortunately is not the best product they have in their line (at least for me). The concept of the product is cool, so is the nifty, little packaging. The inside content of the packaging is not so good.

I have been using this product since past many months. It didn't do the job for me since day one, but I was biased as I love the brand and kept giving Powderflage trial after trial in hope that it would work.

Over to the review:

The Color: Pale Pinkish White

The Texture: Finely milled, silky soft Powder

The Application Technique:

I apply it over concealer as setting powder, using a fluffy brush like MAC 224. Any fluffy eye brush would work. Just a tiny amount of product on brush, tap it to get rid of the excess and then dab dab dab.

The Feel: The powder feels soft and is not heavy at all. It makes the under eye area white, which is something I don't like. Also, it did settle in my fine lines. If I use a little extra product, it just gives a very unnatural cake'y' effect. If I use less, it does nothing.

It did help the corrector-concealer combo set well, but did not help in longevity of the duo.

The Packaging: This comes in a funky, ball kind of packaging, which I must admit is cute. Along with it comes a little fan brush, which is crapy in quality, but size wise it is pretty precise. I wish the bristles were a bit on softer side. The brush picks up right amount of product and deposits the powder perfectly.

This whole thing, along with instruction chart is nested inside a barrel kind of cardboard packaging, which I think is totally unnecessary.

The Verdict: I expected a lot more from this product. A little brightening effect was something I was hoping for, obviously along with setting the concealer and making it last long. It performed very little. It was just like any other white setting powder, just a tad light in weight.

I have been using Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder and in comparison to that, this one pales and fails.

Not a Happy Consumer here...Sorry Benefit!

KORRES - Evening Primerose Eye Cream

2011-03-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

Evening Primrose Eye Cream helps instantly reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles. The unique formula diffuses the light with a brightening, concealer-like effect. SPF 6.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates
- GMO
- Triclosan

Properties:

Evening Primrose triple action eye cream that reduces fine lines and dark circles while shielding from the sun’s damaging rays

• Evening Primrose oil rich in linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid, provides hydration and nourishes the delicate skin around the eyes.

• Ruscus extracts work synergistically to increase blood microcirculation, quickly and visibly diminishing dark circles while also moisturizing the skin.

• Zinc oxide, a natural sunscreen, prevents premature aging by providing sun protection

I got a really good and decent size sample of Evening Primerose eye cream, when I placed product order for my mom at the Korres website (Korres is very generous with their freebies!!) I was already using another eye cream, so I didn't get a chance to try this right away. Now, that I have been using it from past 4 weeks, I am definately in a position to talk about it and share in my experience.

Duration: 4 weeks plus

Usage: Twice a day AM and PM

Texture: Thick, Heavy and Dense Cream. Not a very light weight cream.

Color: Yellowish white.

Fragrance: Nothing specific

Application Technique:

I use my ring finger to gently tap in the cream under the eye and then massage slightly with the balls of my fingers in tiny circular motion, till the cream disappears.

I use ring finger, because it provides adequate amount of pressure and there is no tugging or pulling.

Feel:

The cream does moisturizes the area well. It is hydrating and soothing, but being thick in consistency, it takes a long time to sink in the skin. In fact it is not fully absorbed. The eye area does feels a bit heavy. It does not stings or itches when it gets into the eye.

It leaves a waxy film like thing under the eye. I think this is what they mean by "concealer like effect" in their claims. This is kind of annoying, because I cannot wear it under any make up. It looks weird! Also, it left the eye area bit heavy.

Result:

This did moisturize, but I did not notice any difference under my eye for dark circles. Also, as the claims said, it did not Brighten at all. The waxy thing that it left behind was the concealer effect and it was annoying. My mom did notice some difference for her wrinkles n fine lines, but nothing for the puffiness. This does has SPF, so it can be a protective cream for day time.

Packaging:

The cream comes in a tube. Mine is a sample tube, so it looks a bit different from the original big tube. The quantity of full size is very affordable. You get a lot of product for the money paid.

Verdict:

I didn't like the product at all. It did not work for me. It did not perform as it claimed. I do like Korres Products, but this one was a miss.

Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Masque

2011-03-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

This product was the second of the two products sent to me by the Cellnique Company for consideration. This was months ago. I did review the Serum, but the Masque did undergo some testing.

Its very difficult to actually see or pin point on any long term results or benefit using JUST a product like Masque. Face Packs or Masques are more a part of collective skincare regime.

This unparalleled scrub masque is formulated with bio-captured fresh fruit enzymes and acids complex. It works effectively in exfoliating dead cells, optimizing cellular renewal performance and deep pore cleansing, thus revealing a softer, fresher and healthier skin.

The Claims:

Exfoliates dead skin cells and deep pore cleansing

Optimizes cell renewal performance

Slows down aging process

Instant lightening, brightening and whitening effects

The Color and Consistency:

This is a Grayish White, fluffy Cream.

The Scent:

A very Obvious, strong Fruity Scent. Pineapple to be precise.

The Texture:

A Grainy, Light weight, Fluffy, Clay like Cream texture.

The Application:

Duration: Once a Week for 15 minutes

Technique: I apply it on Dry skin, using my fingers. It is very light weight and spreads very easily. Not too much of product is needed, as it is very spreadable. I leave it for 15 to 20 minutes undisturbed. The masque does not dries completely. I remove it off by moistening my face with water and then by scrubbing it gently and lightly using circular motions of my fingers. Later I rinse with tepid water and pat dry.

The Feel:

Mild Tingling Sensation. I noticed it during initial two applications. Then I believe my skin got used to it. Its very mild and lasts for just 30-60 seconds. Also, as mentioned above, the masque does not dries completely like any clay mask, even though it has Kaolin as a part of ingredient. As a result, the skin does not feels itchy, dry or stretched after removing it off.

The Effect:

There is no redness or dry patchy spots after removing the mask. No Itchy, Dry or Stretched Skin. It feels soft and smooth. The skin looks fresh and clean. It looks Plump.

The Contents and Active Ingredients:

BioCELL eL

Advanced Bio Renewal Masque contains 20% BioCELL eL, Cellnique’s exclusive acid complex formulation that uses AHAs to accelerate cell renewal rates, enzymes and vitamins to neutralize and prevent possible irritation by the acids.

Alpha Hydroxyl Acids (AHAs)

AHAs are known to have the ability to rejuvenate skin by exfoliating dead cells from the skin,this further causes the skin to grow new cells to replace the damaged cells. AHAs also helps in wrinkles and photo-aging.

Enzyme

Papaya enzyme + Bromelain from pineapple fruit extract
Bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple plant, Bromelain helps digest keratin protein and promote exfoliation effectively. Skin appears smooth and brightens after the dead skin cells being removed.
Papain, an enzyme derived from papaya, helps exfoliate damaged and dead skin cells to prevent clogged pores that can result in skin eruptions. It is able to whiten and soften the skin, heal wounds and prevent the subsequent development of pimples.

Full Ingredients List

Purified Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Kaolin, Glycolic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol,

C12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Papaya (Carica papaya) Enzyme (Papain),

Phenoxyethanol, Trithanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Pomelo (Citrus grandis) Peel Extract,

Pineapple (Ananas sativus) Fruit Extract, Acrylate / C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer,

The above Ingredient Information is totally from the Cellnique website. I do know one thing for sure. Products that contain AHA and enzymes are usually the ones that are not always suitable for sensitive skin. Many experience Redness and Peeling. In fact, AHA are a part of peeling treatments.

This masque did not leave my skin red at all. It was great, because I could get the benefits of AHA without actually suffering the issue of AHA. I could get a clean, fresh and glowy skin without the actual itchy or red patches.

The Packaging:

This comes in a sturdy, wide mouthed jar. The lid is like a mirror, but is actually not a mirror. A handy tool. I would have preferred a squeezy tube packaging any day over the jar, simply because this whole jar concept is a bit un-hygenic.

The Cost:

This costs $51 for a jar. A bit on the pricey side for a masque. I would prefer spending the extra bucks on some serums rather than on a jar of Masque. It does lasts for a very long time. Being used only once weekly, would make it last for almost 6 months of not more.

Will I buy Again?

Usually, when we all read product reviews on many blogs and sites that are sent for free, our first reaction is "Yeah, its free...you sure will like it" or "Its pricey!!, but for you its free..." "will you buy it spending your own money...."

Even I have reacted so many times saying " I would love this Guerlain product, if they were free....". Its a basic Human reaction. No issues with that.

Back to Answering the question. I would not buy the product again. I would prefer spending the extra bucks on some serums or stuff that would give me results to sustain in the longer run. Me not being able to afford the product, cannot deny the fact that the product itself is a nice and is of good quality.

More information can be found on the company website.

www.cellnique.com

Disclaimer: The product was sent to me free, for consideration. As always, honest opinions, based on my personal experience. I am not affiliated to the company in anyway. This is not a paid review.

Beauty Buys: Sephora Spring 2011

2011-03-03T05:18:00.001-08:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just the list
of things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review'about
in next few posts!!! Lets call this a 'Preview'...

A fresh start to buying products for Spring-Summer, but in Winter!
Just a dumb start to this post...:)

Recently I picked a few Goodies from Sephora. None of them were in the I NEED LIST, but definately were in I WANT TO TRY LIST....

Illamasqua Bronzing Duo. The shade is in Glint & Burnish. This Brand has some AMAZING Blushes and I am positive that this Bronzing duo will be pretty good too!! I am really sure about the shade, but we will see. Its just too soon to comment.

Smashbox Bronzer in Sunkissed Matte. This is just too light for me. Infact, this is just too light for anyone! It does not looks like a Bronzer at all! Let me tell you, it is working beautifully for my skintone...How? I will share in a review soon.

The Balm Highlighter, Shimmer and Shadow in Mary-Lou Manizer. I never knew this product existed. One review from Temptalia and I was drooling over the stuff! Looks very Beautifully!

As usual excited to try them all and share my thoughts with all of you.

The new SEPHORA SPRING CATALOGUE is lovely! I am curious to try the Hello Kitty line from them. I honestly admit that I am not a huge fan of Hello Kitty. She is cute, but I guess I am old enough to get attracted to these cutesly stuff. Would Love to try the Fragrance though.

Enjoy the Lovely, Fresh Looks from the Catalogue. I am sure, you guys must have all received this.

Disclaimer: None of the Pictures/photos of the looks are my own. They are from the Sephora Catalogue and is the property of Sephora.com

Comparison photos: URBAN DECAY - NAKED PALETTE and few others

2011-03-01T13:17:00.001-08:00

These are some similar looking Neutrals that I was reminded of when I saw the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

I don't say that these are dupes. Infact, some of these are not even remotely similar to the colors of the Naked Palette.

They just look pretty all in a group. They scream at me...."You don't need any Neutrals!!!!"

1. Stila It Girl Trio with Shades Lame, Chloe, Kitten

2. NARS Cordura Duo

3. NARS Brumes Duo

4. LORAC Snake Charmer Palette

5. NARS Brousse Duo

6. Urban Decay NAKED Palette

7. NYX The Runway Collection (Champagne n Caviar)

8. Maybelline Chai Latte Quad

9. Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette

1. Stila It Girl Trio with Shades Lame, Chloe, Kitten

2. NARS Cordura Duo

3. NARS Brumes Duo

4. Maybelline Enchanted Forest Quad

5. NARS Brousse Duo

6. Urban Decay NAKED Palette

7. NYX The Runway Collection (Champagne n Caviar)

8. Maybelline Chai Latte Quad

9. Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette

I hope you guys enjoyed looking at this little Neutral Family.

URBAN DECAY - NAKED PALETTE

2011-02-22T08:07:00.001-08:00

I am enjoying my Urban Decay NAKED Palette, that I managed to get after a long wait in January 2011. We all have seen gazillion swatches of this palette, so I was not very keen on swatching them all.
My Blog did feel NAKED without the pictures of NAKED Palette. So I decided to click a series of pics and some comparisons with other Neutral Palettes that I own.

A universally flattering palette that features 12 eyeshadows with a distinctly Urban look.
This long, lean, and seductive case comes packed with 12 gorgeous neutrals that work for absolutely everyone. Shades range from delicate champagne to gritty gunmetal, and feature five stunning new shades. A variety of textures, including glitter, shimmer, and matte, ensure that you'll never get bored. This versatile palette can go from office appropriate to a night on the town.

The colors of the shadows are:

Virgin: Nude satin
Sin: Champagne shimmer
Naked: Buff matte
Sidecar: Beige sparkle
Buck: Brown matte
Half Baked: Bronze
Smog: Golden brown shimmer
Darkhorse: Bronze-plum shimmer
Toasted: Taupe-bronze
Hustle: Mocha shimmer
Creep: Near-black metallic
Gunmetal: Dark grey metallic

The palette comes with a mini Primer Potion (original) and it is my Holy Grail eye primer. Its always handy to have a cute, mini bottle of one. Mine came with a dual ended eye liner in Zero and Whiskey. I loved the color Whiskey. Its a fantastic Chocolate brown, with absolutely no Shimmers or Glitter. Personally, I don't like Bourbon liner from Urban Decay much. I hope Urban Decay makes Whiskey in full size in the near future.

The palette will come with a full size eyeshadow Brush from now onwards and the price has increased by few dollars, which is fine too. I mean a full size, quality eyeshadow Brush is always welcome.

The colors in the palette are every Neutral shadow lovers dream. I like almost all the colors. The texture is smooth and no problem with the color pay off, Pigmentation or blending. It can get a bit shimmery at times. A bit over load of shimmer if I dare say.

The packaging though sleek and compact is a bit mess to clean. The velvet packaging gets dirty in the very first week of use itself and its absolutely impossible to clean it. Not a fan of Velvet at all.

Its a nice palette to own, especially if you are a Neutral Eyeshadow lover. Some colors are repeats from other palettes and a few are permanent too. There are very good chances that many cosmetic junkies like us will have repeats.

The very fact that all these full sized, neutral colors are nested in one sleek, Compact palette along with a mini primer potion and a liner duo (now, a brush in new palettes) at a good price are reasons good enough to own one.

I would not prefer paying whopping, insane amounts on ebay or other sites, simply because its a permanent palette and sooner or later will be available more easily.

p.s: Comparison Pictures to follow the next post.

NYX - The Runway Collection Palette

2011-02-18T04:14:00.000-08:00

I was having real hard time finding the URBAN DECAY NAKED Palette. So in January, I ended up picking this NYX Palette from their RUNWAY Collection. This Palette is supposed to be good dupe for Naked Palette. I thought as it was not very expensive and had good Neutral Colors, lets give it a try.

The palette is called Champagne and Caviar Palette. It has a set of 10 Neutral shade eyeshadows with some basic highlighter, Lid and Crease color.
I really didn't try the palette for almost 2-3 weeks initially, with the hopes of finding the Naked Palette in new year. I did manage to the palette I wanted, but ended up trying this one anyways..

The colors look very pretty in pan, but unfortunately it did not perform as well as I expected. The NYX Single eye shadows that I have tried in the past were really good, but the colors in this palette were not as amazing as the singles.

With exception of 2 dark colors in second row and one color in first row, most of them had very sheer pay off. They required some good work to actually show up on me.

Some colors were actually chalky and difficult to work with. There was no fall out, except the pinkish color in second row. It was a bit on powdery side.

There were no Sparkles or chunks of glitter, which is actually a good thing for me (personal preference)

The palette has a good mix of textures. Some are shimmery, frosty and some of them are satiny and matte. Its a good thing to have a decent balance of finishes in a palette. It makes any palette more versatile and user friendly.

I really wanted to like the palette, especially because its Neutral, affordable n compact. There is a lovely mirror too. The size of that mirror is decently big and I could actually use the mirror to do my whole eye make-up. I wear glasses, so I need the mirror to be really close to see what all is going on in and around my eye.

I ended up giving the palette to a teenage daughter of my friend (sorry, no swatches). I also ended up buying one for her friend too. This pretty much shows young, teenage girls like this palette a lot. Its absolutely fine palette if you are starting with make up and do not want to shell out loads of money.

p.s: As a blogger, I end up buying many eye shadows from various brands. Most of the time the colors I pick are pretty much similar to each other, as I lean towards neutral shades a lot. This may have made me a bit picky with what I choose. I am by no means a Brand Snob..:)

Thank You!!

2011-02-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your kind comments on my update post. This is what I like about Blogging. Everyone cares so much! I honestly know that most of my Blog posts are not of very use. I mean who needs any other blog when we have Temptalia!! Still all of us care to read each others likings and ramblings and comment...:)

I am doing very well now and will resume back to my Blog Ramblings soon. Will start with some past pending posts and then move on to sharing some new hauls and stuff that I picked in past few weeks.

I will see you all around.

xoxo,

dazzling....sparkling...me!!!

An Update...

2011-02-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

hey my Friends,

A little update from my end. I am having a little health issue. Nothing serious, but gross...I have a bloody nose. Apparently the heating system in my house messed up with the capillaries inside my nostrils and they have cracked. Every time I look down for more than 10 minutes at a stretch, it starts to bleed. Gross, right?

I had Doctor's appointment yesterday, but due to bad Phili weather, my doc couldn't come to his clinic. Now, I have to wait another week, as the nearest date I got was next week.

To cut long story short, my blogging has to wait for a few more days. I miss talking and writing make up. Miss the chats with you all.

I will talk to you soon.

Stay good

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!!

Benefit - Girl Meets Pearl (Review)

2011-01-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

Nothing attracts me like Highlighters, Gold Eye shadows and Neutral Palettes. No wonder I named my Blog Dazzle n Sparkle…
The newest Liquid Highlighter/Illuminator that I picked recently is from Benefit Cosmetics. Girl meets Pearl…the name itself is so GORGEOUS!

Girl Meets Pearl is a soft, golden pink, liquid-pearl highlighter.
This
sheer, light-reflecting formula glides on smoothly for a breathtakingly luminous
complexion.
Includes skin-soothing raspberry and chamomile.

The Color: Golden Pink with slight pearly finish, exactly as a described by Benefit guys.

The Texture: Light weight, non-sticky Liquid. It is not watery thin nor it is thick and goopy.

The Fragrance: Its smells so good. Not overly fruity or annoying, it smells nice.

Swatches of Benefit Girl Meets Pearl and Chanel Sunkissed

The Application: I have used this for highlighting my cheek bones and all over the face mixing with foundation. It makes me look dewy all over when mixed with foundation. I personally enjoy using this as cheek bone highlighter, on bridge of nose and cupids bow, all the high points/planes on face.

The Technique: I have tried using it both with MAC 188 Brush and with fingers as well. I find the brush head of 188 a bit large for liquid Highlighter. I think flat topped, duo fiber brush in #130 would be just perfect. Its next on my ’To Buy’ list. Fingers work fine too. I just dab 2 -3 dots, gently spread it out by patting/tapping motion. Rubbing motion will just ruin the pearly effect and instead give a sparkly effect.
The liquid does not sets immediately. It gives enough time to spread and blend.

Sheered Out

The Effect: The product imparts a luminous, pearly glow, which is not Shimmery or Sparkly. Its not Frosty at all. The pink hue in the highlighter does not imparts any color and it does not alters the color of the blush as well. I used it over powder products too and it does not gives the patchy look. The product does not accentuates any pores or fine lines which is just Fantastic. The end result is very natural.

Face Highlighter Comparisons: Benefit Highbeam, Moon Beam, Girl Meets Pearl
Chanel Sunkissed, NARS Copacabana

The Comparisons: The texture reminds me a lot of my favorite CHANEL Soliel Tan De Chanel in Sunkissed. The color is different though. The Chanel one has more Tan/Golden touch, while this one has Pink hues. On cheeks though the difference is not so noticeable.
Other Liquid Highlighters/Luminizers from Benefit that I have tried are Highbeam and Moonbeam. Moonbeam had distinct pinkish color on cheeks while Highbeam had more of Silvery tones. Highbeam is a bit difficult to work with, especially over powder products. I love Highbeam, but I am not a fan of Moonbeam.
Other Highlighter that I have is NARS Copacabana. It is totally different from Girl meets Pearl in terms of Color. Infact, it’s a totally different Product.

The Packaging: The Packaging as always is typical Benefit! Unique and Fun. It is similar to That Gal Primer, but in a shiny metallic finish. The casing is Plastic. It takes a few twists (a lot actually) to get product up on top. A hygienic packaging, but no way to figure out how much product is left, when its nearing its end.

A very good product by BENEFIT. Its worth giving a try, if you are looking for a light weight, non shimmery Liquid Highlighter.

If you are someone who LOVE highlighters, I am sure you own this. Do let me know how you like it.

Make Up Forever - Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick

2011-01-18T14:06:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to swatch a few shades of Make Up Forever - Rouge Artist Intense Lipsticks at Sephora. These are all in-store swatches and I had really hard time to remember the numbers of lipsticks. I prefer lipsticks or for that matter any product to have actual names.

Rouge Artist Intense is a highly pigmented, long-lasting lipstick that delivers rich color in one stroke.

Formulated with 50% more pigment than the traditional lipstick, Rouge Artist Intense gives an immediate true-to-color result. A blend of three natural waxes, the creamy texture glides on effortlessly for a long-lasting hold. The extensive color and texture range provides unlimited creativity.

It is formulated WITHOUT Parabens

Available in 3 finishes—matte, pearly, and satin—for varying effects.

Swatches of Make Up Forever - Rouge Artist Intense Lipsticks -Satin Finish

These are all in SATIN Finish

31 - Satin Mauve Pink
30 - Satin Light Rosewood
29 - Satin Rosewood
33 - Satin Fresh Pink
27 - Satin Dark Rosewood
28 -Satin Light Taupe
32 - Satin Soft Pink
23 - Satin Beige

Different Lighting

These Lipsticks were very soft and creamy when I swatched them on my hand.

Make Up Forever - Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick

38 - Satin Coral
35 - Satin Blue Raspberry
36 - Satin Fuchsia
22 - Satin Nude
24 - Satin Orange Beige
25 - Satin Caramel
26 - Satin Brown Beige

Different Lighting

p.s: These swatches are in-store swatches and I have clicked the photos at Mall. The lighting and Flash may alter the actual color. I am somewhere in between NC40/42, warm, Olive toned. Please use these swatches as reference.

BEAUTY BUYS - NYX, Wet and Wild

2011-01-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just the list
of things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review'about
in next few posts!!! Lets call this a 'Preview'...

A quick trip to Drugstore and Ulta...

Goodies I picked:

NYX Eyeshadow Palette: My constant failed attempt to get my hands on Urban Decay NAKED palette left me very desperate to buy something similar. Many say NYX palette is the drugstore Naked Palette. We will see that...

Wet n Wild Blusher: These looked soo AMAZING!! I had good experience with the brand before. I remember I had the Catwalk Pink Blush and it was cool. I later ended up giving it to a friend. Very curious to try these new ones.

Essence of Beauty Crease Brush Duo: I had this and during the Holidays, my good friend took it. So I needed to buy a new set ASAP..

Redken Anti-Frizz Polishing Milk: Just a random thing to try on hair. Most of these just weigh down my hair. But my quest to find something for my hair continues..

Very excited to try on these things. Will review most of them as and when I am fully convinced to talk about them.

NEUTROGENA HAND CREAMS

2011-01-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

These hand creams too were a part of my gift basket that I made for myself and a Friend. I tell you its soo fun to pick out things and make a lovely gift Baskets! I am secretly so proud of myself (BIG GRIN)

I stuck to one Brand for most skincare stuff and I am glad I chose Neutrogena. The Brand didn’t disappoint me with any of their products.

Neutrogena® Fast Absorbing Hand Cream

Neutrogena® Fast Absorbing Hand Cream instantly delivers the moisture your hands need without any greasy after feel. This lightweight formula was developed with dermatologists and intensely moisturizes and nourishes skin as well as helps
repair skin's moisture barrier to keep hands softer and smoother, longer.

Fast Absorbing Hand Cream instantly absorbs into skin and leaves behind
only the comfort of perfectly soft, supple, smooth hands.

Non-greasy, Lightweight Fast-absorbing Dermatologist developed.

Surprisingly I agree with all the claims by the company. The product does not fails to deliver.

Texture: Light weight, Non- Greasy, Non-sticky

Fragrance: It has a slight scent of ‘something’. I couldn’t figure out what. It is a Pleasant one and not at all annoying.

Color: White

Feel on Skin: It hydrates and moisturizes the hands very well. The cream spreads easily and gets absorbed quickly and completely. The skin feels silky soft. It even performs dual task of hydrating and moisturizing the cuticles.

Application: I apply it 2-3 times a day. It lasts for a long time. You might need a few more applications if your job require washing hands more frequently. This is a light cream, so very less amount is needed, like two pea size. I noticed that if I apply too much, the hands feel sweaty and slippery. That whole sweaty, greasy kind of feeling is not nice.

This is a good cream to keep in car and purse, especially because its Non-greasy, handy and effective.

NEUTOGENA HAND CREAM

Neutrogena® Hand Cream delivers effective relief for dry, chapped hands.

This clinically proven, highly concentrated formula rapidly heals dry
hands. It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin.
Hands feel soft and smooth after just one application.

Long-lasting Glycerin-rich
Concentrated Available in Original and Fragrance-free

I picked this one especially for my husband. He has ultra dry hands and though they are not
cracked, they still are super dry and chapped.

Texture: Slightly thick, Waxy and Creamy

Color: White

Fragrance: None

Application and Feel on Skin: This feels slightly greasy on skin. It is more like a night
time treatment for hands. This cream helps in repairing the dry hands and peeling cuticles. Me and my husband prefer to use it at night, because of the slight greasy nature. It is a little thick and waxy cream, so it takes some time to absorb into the skin.
A very little amount of product is needed as it is very concentrated.

It can also be used during the day, but the quantity of cream used should be just a pea size.

The results are good, because the hands feel super soft in the morning. It has helped to improve the texture of my Hubby’s hands. He noticed some good difference.

If you are looking for a night time hand care treatment, this Neutrogena
cream is a good choice at an affordable price. For the daytime, I would go with
the Fast Absorbing light weight Formula.

Prices vary from place to
place. I picked mine from Nordstroms Rack and it costed me $5 and $4
respectively.

Do you have a Favorite Hand Cream?

NEUTROGENA BODY LOTION - Review

2011-01-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

This year I purposely stayed away from Bath and Body Works Products. Their Body Lotion, Candles, Body Wash etc. just for a change. I totally like the brand for their Candles and other Bath Products.

I picked Neutrogena Body Lotion as the lotion of choice for the winter. This is by far the lightest body lotions, I have used.

Neutrogena Body Lotion is a sheer moisturizer that is part lotion, part sesame
oil.

This whisper-light lotion glides on easily and allows skin to
breathe, leaving it irresistibly soft and supple. Its luxurious formula is
enriched with sesame oil to soften and smooth.

Skin feels silky and moisturized. Lightweight Absorbs quickly.

Texture: Light weight

Color: Snow white

Fragrance: A mild Fragrance of Sesame Oil

Feel on the Skin: This being light weight, spreads easily and totally absorbs into the skin, leaving it all soft and smooth. Its totally non-greasy and non-sticky. It lasts for a long hours, but I have to re-apply it on my hands (the part that is exposed or washed often). The skin is super Moisturized.

Allergies: None. Nobody in my Family experienced any adverse reaction to any ingredient or scent of this Lotion.

Packaging: Comes with a Convenient Pump.

I gifted this to a friend as well and her family is enjoying it too. I received positive reports from the family. They too had the same thing to say, that the lotion is so light weight, yet it hydrates so well.

I don’t have very many words to review a lotion. I mean how many new words can I build up to rave about a daily moisturizer or lotion. This goes very well with the Neutrogena Body Oil that I have been using. The combination is pure Bliss for my Skin!

Which Body Lotion is ruling your Skin this Winter?

NEUTROGENA BODY OIL - Review

2011-01-05T03:17:00.000-08:00

Body Oil is a delicately light sesame formula that instantly vanishes into the
skin, sealing in moisture. Skin feels moisturized, soft, silky and looks
radiant.

Lightweight
Absorbs quickly
Available in Original and Fragrance-free
Original Scent available in 8.5 oz. and 16 oz

This NEUTROGENA Body Oil along with a Body lotion (same Brand) and few other Spa essentials were all packed in a gift basket for my dear friend by me. It looked so nice and Beautiful that I ended up making one similar basket for myself. I didn't put it under the tree, because my husband and son were making fun of me and teasing me for decorating my own gift Baskets....Whatever...But, don't people gift themselves?? I was just trying to make my own basket Pretty!!

Anyways, on to the review.

This oil is one of the lightest body oils I have tried. The one that I have is the Light Sesame Formula. The oil of Sesame seeds are considered to be one of the best oils for maintaining smooth, healthy skin. In ancient medicines, sesame oil is considered to have many medicinal properties. Regular massage with Sesame oils helps in maintaining strong bones and flexible joints. It is also anti-aging and regular usage helps reduce fine lines. If used since early years, delays the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Texture: Light, Non-Greasy. Obviously, it being an oil does has some oil like qualities, but its not thick and sticky and greasy.

Fragrance: It smells lovely! There is this hint of Sesame scent along with some faint perfume. Its good.

Color: Its Pale Yellow liquid.

Application and Usage: I use it before shower 2-3 times a week. I apply it 15 minutes before actually showering. This makes the skin really soft and after the bath, there is still some good moisture retained in the skin. There is no Stretched, Itchy feeling. On days, when I have some good time in hand, I apply the oil and enjoy the luxury of soaking in tub with warm water. PURE BLISS!

I don't apply it after the shower, though it is recommended to use it on slightly damp skin to lock in the moisture for optimim benefit. I just apply Neutrogena Moisturizing Lotion from the same line of skincare and it too has the light Sesame Formula. They both compliment each other super well.

During Night time, before going to bed I use this on my legs and hands. It does not stains the sheet or my clothes. The oil is absorbed quickly and lasts for long time. The skin is all soft and does not feels parched by the indoor heating system. This will leave a noticeable scent on your sheets though. It may be annoying for you or your partner.

This has helped me a lot since I have started using it. 10 days to be precise. My son has very, very dry skin and this has helped him a lot too. I must admit that the bottle does get messy and you may need to wash your bedsheets more frequently if the scent bothers you.
But with all the protection this oil has been giving to our skin in this harsh, windy and cold weather, I don't mind the extra washing of bed sheets.

Pros:

Light Weight
Quick Absorbing
Non- Greasy
Moisturizing
Spreads easily
Non- Staining

Cons:

Bottle can get messy
Fragrant (People allergic to fragrance can try the fragrant free version)
Hurts the eyes (burning sensation) if it accidently goes in.

The next review will be of the Neutrogena Lotion that I use in combination with this oil.

Do you use Body Oils? Any tips for Keeping the Skin super soft in this harsh weather?

BEAUTY BUYS - BENEFIT, UD, ULTA

2011-01-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just thelistof
things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review'aboutin
next few posts!!! Call this a 'Preview'...

This is my First Beauty Purchase for the New Year. I used one of my ULTA Gift Cards. I have decided that this year I will buy Cosmetics in small batches. This means I will get to visit the Beauty Stores more often and enjoy the whole experience of Make Up Shopping. Also, I saw that the last 2 months of the year are filled with huge deals, sales and gift packs. Amongst all the Holiday gifting and decorations and parties, the Beauty Purchases just add up!!! My last 2 month bills were sky rocketing!!!
Anyways, I figured slow shopping using my Gift cards will help me curb my shopping appetite for initial months and help me save enough for mega purchases during the year end.

Goodies I picked:

1. BENEFIT Girl Meets Pearl, a product that has been in market since last year. I am pretty excited to see how it works for me.

2. URBAN DECAY 24/7 Lipliner: I am a self confessed lover of Drugstore Lipliners. They are really good and I see no reason to spend much on High end lipliners. But thats just my Personal Opinion. The SA at ULTA convinced me to buy this one. I was lurking around the counter in search for UD Naked Palette. Lets see how this one works.

3. CHINA GLAZE and ULTA Nail Polish: Same old dirty colors. China Glaze 'Ingrid' is a fantastic shade. It is from Vixen Collection or something by the similar name. I ended up buying two. The ULTA shade is just a point freebie.

I will be reviewing the products as an when I try them. Will keep you all posted, like always!

HAPPY NEW YEAR -2011

2010-12-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL MY LOVELIES....

THE SUPERHIT LIST - 2010

2010-12-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

Like every year, this year too I learnt few new things about myself, my likings and life in general. This being a Beauty and Accessory kind of fun blog, I would mention a things related to Make up and Skincare that worked for me in 2010. The products mentioned here are my favorites, in no particular order though. Few of these have been a part of Beauty Community since ages...I discovered them in 2010!

Bobbi Brown Corrector: This product (corrector) did miracles for my under eyes. All these years I was struggling to find the right shade of Concealer. Unfortunately many of them used to either turn ashy and light or way too dark. Corrector helped me big time. It helped me to cancel out all the blue undertones and totally changed the way my whole eye area looks. (Review)

MAC 188 Small Stippling Face Brush: This was definately not LOVE at FIRST USE. I had to figure out some way for it to work for me. With some good practice, this brush has become a staple in my Vanity. I use it a lot and it has made the application of Bright Cheek products like NARS Desire, Taj Mahal etc Super easy and quick, which were actually very difficult to apply with a regular Blush Brush. (Review)

Laura Mercier Brightening Powder: This Brightening powder had all the 3 Qualities that I always wanted. It sets my concealer and makes it stay longer, Brightens the under eye area without turning it white and does not settles in my fine lines. This just ROCKS! I could notice the obvious difference using both Corrector and Brightener and so did others! (Review)

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat: This one is just PERFECT!!! I was enjoying the OPI Drip Dry until I tried this one. OPI Drip Dry, though a good product, tends to vanish in thin air if kept for long time. Sheer wastage!! This product on the other hand has made WAITING FOREVER to dry the Nail Polish GONE FOREVER!! (Review)

Illuminating Fluid: All I had ever used (Liquid Product) in the past to Achieve "that Glow" was Benefit High Beam and Moon Beam. One was Frosty and other was Crappy. After saving some, I picked this CHANEL Product and let me tell you, it seems as if it was custom made for me. The color Sunkissed worked so well with my skintone and now I totally enjoy "that glow"!! It is worth every single penny spent!!! (Review)

Highlighters: I loved MAC MSFs, but they were accentuating my pores if not applied correctly. After finding DIOR Shimmer Powder and one shade of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond, I need not worry about open pores anymore. Surprisingly these don't turn frosty or ashy on me. Hit the Jackpot!!!

Colored Eye liners: I was a Black and Brown eyeliner user. I slowly branched out in using colors. Deep dark rich colors like Forest green and Eggplant made my eyes look sultry and totally changed the way my whole face appeared in real life and in Photographs. I could manage to smudge these dark colors and look sexy, without looking harsh and Cruel....Now, I doubt I would ever go back to Black Liners.

Nail Polish: I never followed any Nail color collection. My main aim always was to just have 'some color' on my nails. This year though I followed what other blogs were talking about Nail Polishes. I did follow some collections and releases. Obviously, I didn't get crazy with buying the whole collections, but certain family of neutral colors rocked my nails and I was able to take good care of my nails aswell.

NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream: This was a product sent to me for consideration. An avid user of eye creams, I found this one wearable for both day and night time. It hydrated, was non greasy and did not hurt the eye at all. Also, it managed to reduce the dark circles. A product I would love to buy again. (Review)

These were a bunch of things that really stood out for me in the year 2010. Not that I don't love other stuff that I have. These just had that something special...

p.s: These have managed to work for me. It may or may not work for you.

I say Good Bye to this lovely 2010 and Thank you all for visiting Dazzle-n- Sparkle and showing support. See you next year...With Loads of Luck, Love and Best Wishes..
xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!!

Its all SO FESTIVE....

2010-12-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAYS are the best time of the year...My Favorite Winter and all the Festive Spirit is something I wait for the whole year. For me the Holiday is NO HOLIDAY without...

Beautiful Christmas tree: Fake or Real, choice is personal. Though I love real trees, I have a fake one decorated for ease and convenience. Probably next year, I will install a real one again. (The tree skirt is missing, because I know its somewhere in the house, but I could not locate it!)

Swarovski Annual Ornaments

Swarovski Poinsettia

Ornaments for the tree: I LOVE the Keepsake Ornaments and Collectibles. They just give your tree that special, personal and emotional touch. Along with the regular stuff, I have been buying Swarovski Annual releases since the year my son was born. 2005 to be precise. Swarovski has been releasing a star Ornament every odd year and a Snowflake every even year since 1991. These look amazing when the sunlight hits on them. They look stunning both on the tree or as a separate display on a table top tree. They make great collectibles as well as an elegant gift item.

Chocolates and MORE Chocolates: I am biased to anything Chocolate. Rich, smooth, Dark Chocolate. The HOT CHOCOLATE MIX from William Sonoma is a great tasting one. A bit expensive considering the fact that its just chocolate shavings and only 8 servings for $20, it still is a luxury indulgence during the Holidays!

Ferrero Rocher and Ferrero Rondnoir are another of my absolute favorite. This one is an all time hit in my family. I end up giving one box to almost everyone I gift (whether they like it or not).

Candles: Fragrant Candles gives that warm feeling when lit. Especially, with it becoming dark by 4 pm, the best way for me to distinguish between evening and Night for my 5 yr old is LIGHTING the candle and filling the house with lovely scent. My personal favorite is Cinammon, Pine, Cedar, Balsamic, Christmas wreath. All festive and fun.
I am not a fan of anything Vanilla, Coconut, Cupcake frosting and similar.

Gifts UNDER the Christmas tree: This year in the past one month, amongst me, my husband and my son we bought things that were good enough to qualify for a decent Holiday gift. An I-pad and Macro camera lens for my Husband, Nintendo-DS XL and some games to go with it for my son and all those jewelry for me. All of these gifts have been opened and are actually in USE. Now, there is nothing substantial under our tree. This makes everything a bit un-festive and un-enthusiastic for us.
I still ended up buying some essential as stocking stuffers for my son and Gift cards for hubby, but its not the same. The surprise element will be missing for sure.
I realized its not the gifts, its GIFT UNDER THE TREE that made me happy…Oh, well…

Family: Yes, though I mentioned this point at last, in reality this is what everyone wants for the Holidaya. To be with Family and everyone else you love or mean most to you. Lucky and Blessed are all those people who have family with them to celebrate the festivities.

I wish you all have a Great, Healthy and Happy Holidays and a Fantastic,Successful New Year ahead…..

MAC-BROWN/NEUTRAL EYESHADOWS (Set 1)

2010-12-17T03:37:00.000-08:00

This is a blogpost that was pending for a very long time and I just forgot to post it! Here we see a few Neutral Brown eyeshadows from MAC, that are mostly warm and have some sort of red undertones. They may seem to be totally different when you apply on eyes, but to my naked eye they did appear to fall in one category and I have these nested in one palette.

TWINKS: This is a permanent shade and it is a Veluxe Pearl Finish. A very Beautiful, wearable shade of brown with some Burgundy/Plum hues to it. This one is decently pigmented and buildable. Needless to say has a soft, smooth texture. Very Blendable too. There is some subtle sheen to it, a characteristic of Veluxe Pearl finish. Over a Black Base this just transforms into a unique color. The Burgundy undertones of Twinks might be difficult to wear by someone who has Dark under eye circles with bluish tones to it. I still find it would work for both warm and cool toned person.

GLAMOUR CHECK: This is a Starflash finish and it was Limited Edition color, though released twice. Many sites say its similar to Twinks, though I think it has no Plum/Purple undertones at all. It is more of a Warm, Red based Brown. There is more of Brown to it. Thanks to the Starflash finish, the texture is buttery smooth and the color is pigmented aswell. Its not at all frosty or metallic. I personally find it looks more flattering on me than Twinks, because it has no Pluminess to it.

SABLE: MAC describes this color as Gold-plum with bronze pearl. In simple language call it Pink/Plum Brown. It has a Velvet Finish and I am not a fan of that finish. I does not applied evenly and is not smooth or pigmented. It is not as bad as Lustre formula, but again it does not has the ebst formula. This color has the potential to give you a tired look if not combined carefully with other color. It leans on the cooler side of Spectrum and me not a fan!

ANTIQUED: The color is Antiqued and not Antique as I have mis-spelled in the Photo below. Its a Veluxe Pearl finish and true to its nature, the color is richly Pigmented and smooth. The subtle gold sheen is flattering and the color is easy to work with. MAC described the color as Ash Brown with Bronze. I don't see Ash anywhere in the color. I would call it Coppery Brown with Red undertones. It is a beautiful color and warm toned people will enjoy pairing it with Golds.

Swatches of MAC Eyeshadows in Twinks, Glamour Check, Sable, Antiqued,
Swiss Chocolate, Folie, Brown Down and Embark

SWISS CHOCOLATE: I love the sound of this shadow. So tasty! Unfortunately, this Matte Reddish Brown color has a poor pay off and it takes very long to build the actual color. Its a good crease color, but again its difficult to blend. Well, most of the Mattes are certainly not a dream to work with, but this dude lacks both in pigmentation and Blendability. A bunch of other Brands carry similar Brown and a little research will help you to get a better one.

FOLIE: This is a Satin Finish and the description MAC site gives is pretty accurate. It is a Reddish - Plum Brown. Its non Shimmery, semi-pigmented color. Does not applies very well on the lid, but a stiff, dense brush and patting motion would help deposit the color more evenly as opposed to regular, fluffy shadow brush. It is pretty similar to another Satin Color I have called Haux, which is more Pink Brown and poorly pigmented.
The color can give you tired effect, if the lids and the eye area is pigmented. A base would help the color to pop and adhere well.

BROWN DOWN: The MAC description says its a Teddy bear brown. What does this means anyways?? Teddy Bear are of so many colors...lol! It is a Veluxe Finish. MAC has only 3 colors in this Finish. Its soft, but not super Pigmented. This does takes some time to blend, but its not a hopeless case like MAC Mattes. It has no sheen or shimmer. Not a Unique color and being on warm side, some cool skintones might not enjoy using this.

EMBARK: The color is Nice, the texture is Crap! I mean, if you are going to pay $14.50 for a pot of eye shadow, it better be something good, right? Just saying that it's a Matte and hence the crapy texture is no excuse! This is described as Intense Reddish Brown and it sure is intense. The problem is, I have a hard time getting any of that intensity depositted on my lids. Again, a very dense and stiff brush would help deposit the color. I personally use it to darken the crease or as a liner. It takes time and patience to work with MAC Mattes. The color is pretty warm too.

MAC Eyeshadow swatches: Bold n Brazen and Brown Script

BOLD N BRAZEN: This was a Limited Edition color, released during the Starflash collection and has the same Starflash finish. It actually is not supposed to be in this Brown category. It is more of a peachy/coppery color. In pot though, it looked like coppery Brown to me. Hence it is in the Brown palette. I like the finish. It is smooth, soft with mild sheen (no glitters) and is not too Frosty. The color is Peachy/Coppery Brown with hints of Gold. Its a lovely color when paired with Glamour Check from the same series.

BROWN SCRIPT: This is Matte 2 Formula and I don't understand why MAC does not makes more color in this formula. It has all the features of a Matte shadow (no glitter, no sheen, no shimmer) without actually the pain of a matte shadow (Blending issues, Patchy application).
The color is described as Warm Chestnut Brown. It has Obvious hints of Orange and is very unique compared to other stuff I have. It may look like a crap color, but I like to use it in crease with other browns and the results are lovely. It is a good Fall color and if you find MAC Rule eyeshadow to be too Orange, try this and it should work.

These area bunch of MAC Brown shadows that I have. MAC has many more. I will post a Part 2 with the remaining MAC Browns in my collection. I would suggest trying Urban Decay Shadows in Matte texture. They have a better pay off and are easy to work with. I have tried only Two myself and they are pretty impressive.

Hope you found this Old Post a bit interesting and useful...

Philosophy Purity Made Simple (Review)

2010-12-14T08:13:00.001-08:00

A highly effective one-step facial cleanser.
Philosophy Purity Made Simple
is a ph-balanced formula that rapidly dissolves dirt and makeup while deep
cleaning pores. The best-selling cleanser contains infusions of sage, chamomile,
and carrot.

Purity Made Simple is part of a collection of Philosophy
products designed to soothe even the most dry and sensitive skin.

Currently I am using this Cleaner as a part of my daily skincare routine.
I have been meaning to try this since a very long time, but it really takes a long time to finish an old bottle of cleanser, to start with a new one.

Philosophy cleanser has been getting rave reviews and many girls in the beauty community seem to love the product. At times, things like these fall into the OVER HYPED product category!

Anyways, personally I find it to be a good cleanser, but definitely not an Amazing one.

Lets dissect the product!

Fragrance: I personally didn’t like the fragrance. Its not something super annoying or irritating, its just not me. There is something in it that bugs me. I didn’t like it. In any case, it just vanishes after sometime, so not something to be bothered about.

Consistency: It is a very soft and has a creamy lotion like consistency. It reminds me of Cetaphil cleanser.

Color: Light Creamish color.

Application: I apply a dime size or maybe a little more on damp face and it spreads easily without foaming. Feels like I am rubbing lotion all over my face. After a minute of mild scrubbing, I wash it off with tepid water.

Feel on the skin: The skin feels soft. This is probably the best part of the cleanser. It does not dries the skin at all. Also, I have dry skin, so usually a mild cleanser like Clinique (Mild) gives me that stretched feeling in winter (not in summer). This totally keeps the skin soft and gives that Hydrated feeling. Also I did not experience any tingling or itching sensation after using this. Unlike some creamy cleansers, it does not leaves the skin feeling unclean and soapy.

This one did not break me out and also I am having less dry, flakey patches this winter. I am also using serums, so I would not give the whole credit to this cleanser alone.
Oh, did I mention, this did not hurt/burn my eyes at all, which at times is a problem with some skincare products.

As far as removing the make-up goes, it does not helps completely. I usually prefer cleaning my make-up with make up removers and then use a cleanser. For the sake of review, I did try removing my make up directly with this cleanser and it didn’t do the job completely. There was a good lot of make up residue left, especially the eye make up.

I would not blame the cleanser though. We apply so much things on the eye, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Long wearing eyeliners, Mascara etc. The poor cleanser is really helpless!
It helps to get rid of basic make-up though (tinted Moisturizer, lip gloss etc).

At $18 it’s a good cleanser, but not something that you won’t be able to achieve from a good quality Drugstore cleanser from brands like Neutrogena or Cetaphil to name a few. It is a decent product, but not exceptionally different or Amazing, as I had heard You Tube Gurus rave.

What is your experience with this Cleanser? Any AMAZING cleanser you would like suggest?

MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush - Review

2010-12-09T04:08:00.000-08:00

I could not use this brush with multi-texture products as described by MAC.

This is a MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush that retails for around $34. A pretty pricey brush to begin with.

A flat-topped, full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending
of any formula colour – fluid, cream, powder or pigment. Ideal for creating soft
layers or adding textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres

I can use this brush only for applying very pigmented Powder Blushes like NARS Taj Mahal or Desire. The brush is not dense, so the tips pick only very small amount of color, exactly as we need with a pigmented blush. The brush head is small, so it deposits the color exactly on the areas I intend to.
The blending part though takes some time, patience and practice. I swirl the brush in small, short circular motions and it helps in buffing the color. Its always advisable to layer on very pigmented blushes, to avoid patchy appearance. This brush helps achieve that flawless look. The entire end result looks soft and natural.

Now on to the boo part. I failed badly in using this brush with cream, gel and Fluid Products. Firstly, my 'stippling' skills are not so good and secondly, the brush is not dense enough to pick a good amount of cream/gel product. The end part of the bristles that pick product is very flimsy. Also, the brush head is small, so I don't think its a great choice for applying Foundation quicker. I found it was difficult to blend cream blushes and it just didn't work for me. The result was uneven and patchy. I blame my application skills and brush for that.

At $34 I would have enjoyed if I could use it in more ways. I do enjoy it for Pigmented powder blushes though.

Do suggest any tips or tricks you know to use this brush with cream products.

Make Up For Ever - HD Blush #6 Quickie

2010-12-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

Make Up For Ever - HD Blush #6 Quickie

HD Microfinish Blush is a cream blush that naturally sculpts and highlights the
cheeks for a healthy glow. It combines mattifying and reflecting powders to
create a soft-focus effect for a radiant complexion. Its ultra-fine, second-skin
texture blends seamlessly, imparting a healthy glow that's hard not to notice.

What else you need to know:
Formulated with evaporating oils, HD Microfinish Blush has a long-lasting result. Dermatologist tested. Paraben free.

Swatch of Make Up For Ever - HD Blush #6 Quickie

This is a FANTASTIC product and this comes as a shocking, but pleasant surprise to me, simply because I had tried this in the past and back then it had not worked for me.

Rewinding back, when this was released few months ago, I got a tiny sample of this from my local Sephora in a small sample jar. When I tried it, I found that it was drying quickly without giving me much time to blend properly. The consistency was thick. I think, the sample in jar from tester bottle was not a good choice. It altered the consistency of the blush making it dry.

Recently, Sephora gave tiny sample bottles of the blush as their 100 point perk (the deluxe sample) thing. I got it in Number 6 Quickie.

Make Up For Ever - HD Blush #6 Quickie and Illamasqua Rude

The Color:
It is a lovely Salmon Pink or Coral Pink, a shade which is warm and perfectly a good color for my NC40/42 warm skin tone. Infact, I can see this working on many skin tones as it can be sheered out or layered on for extra pop of color. The color is buildable. It has absolutely no shimmers or glitters and looks creamy/milky in the bottle.

The consistency:
It is a thick liquid, but not goopy. It is not sticky or oily to touch. It slips and slides easily.

The Application and Finish:
I dot it on my cheeks with fingers and it spreads and blends easily, without leaving any patchy spots. This does dry to a matte finish. It imparts a beautiful healthy flush of color and is not dewy. This does not looks fake at all. This does not accentuates any pores at all.

I don’t have a stiff flat top brush like MAC 130, which I think will do a great and maybe better job. I tried using my MAC 188 stippling brush and absolutely hated the way it worked. It is not a good brush for this liquid product.

The end result is very natural.

In my experience it takes a bit of practice in layering the color to avoid patchy application. A little quickness is needed. The color is highly pigmented and a little goes a long way. Also it is advisable to do one cheek at a time and shake the bottle well before use.

The product has no Fragrance at all.

The staying power is good. It lasted the whole day for me. Again I would point out that its winter and I don’t sweat at all. The real ‘staying power’ test of any product is in a place like Florida. If a product lasts the humidity of that place, it would last anywhere! Topping the color with a matching/complimenting powder blush will also help the product stay longer on the skin.

The Packaging:
The tiny bottle comes with a pump. This though is a good, hygienic option for a cream, gel or liquid products, does not works well for a pigmented Blush. Too much product is actually wasted. There is no way to control the amount of product dispensed. It is also difficult for touch ups.

Comparison:
Illamasqua Cream Blusher in RUDE is a very close color, but the end results are different. Illamasqua blush is more dewy and this one is more matte.

Personally, I am enjoying this product. I am glad that I got this original sample. I would have never spent $25 for trying the product especially after my first experience. Would love to try some more colors. Any suggestions?

p.s: Not tried it in front of camera, nor have seen any pictures of myself sporting this. Cannot comment on the whole HD part.

Cellnique: Derma Brightening Complex- Review

2010-11-30T18:31:00.001-08:00

Few weeks back I was sent two products by Cellnique.

1. Brightening Serum
2. Face Masque

It seems the companies know I am sucker for trying skin care products. They gave me a chance to pick 3 products, according to my skin condition, use them and review them.

Before we begin talking about this, I would like to briefly tell you about my skin condition and issues.

1. My skin tends to get dry and flakey in Winters. There are these flakey patches.

2. I am prone to hyper-pigmentation and Dullness. I never tan evenly. I just end up with dark, uneven patches that is not so good.

I was using Clinique Even better skin tone corrector and honestly, it was working and I had absolutely no complains.
When the Cellinique people gave me a chance to try their product, the curious Blogger in me agreed to become a Guinea pig.

Some Basics of Serum that I have read and know (Courtesy: The Internet)

What is a Serum?

A face serum is a clear, thick, liquid beauty product applied to the face and neck area. Face serums come in many different varieties and are often meant to target a specific problem.

Serum Vs Moisturizer

Facial serums give you added moisture. The main reason to use a facial serum is to get added nutrients into deeper layers of skin that a regular moisturizer is not able to reach.
While serums deposit nutrients, moisturizers are meant to deposit moisture and hydration to the skin.

How does the Serum Exactly works?

A moisturizer has larger molecules than a serum. Due to their large molecules, moisturizers can only penetrate the first layer of the skin, allowing them to hydrate and seal in moisture. A face serum is able to penetrate into all three layers of the skin because it is made of smaller molecules. The serums ability to go deeper into the skin is what allows it to help combat many common beauty complaints.

Types of Serums:

You can get many types of serums such as anti-aging serums, skin brightening serums and acne preventative serums. They can be used to help fight the signs of aging such as lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. They can also be used to help prevent acne and brighten the skin. You apply the serum after your toner and before your moisturizer, on a slightly damp face.

Ingredients in a Serum:

Depending on its specific purpose, a serum can contain a wide variety of ingredients, including vitamin C, amino acids, mushrooms, glycerin, cucumber, and aloe.

The whole segment has been copied from Various web sources.

Over to the reviews of Derma Brightening Complex

Formulated with liposamal Willow Bark Extract and Vitamin C, this
strongly-effective yet gentle formulation works excellent on skin discoloration,
dull and uneven skin tone, restores skin’s luminous glow without provoking any
skin irritation or peeling. Unprecedented clarity radiates from within.

The Claims:

Works on skin discoloration, dull and uneven skin tone
Exfoliates dead skin cells without provoking skin irritation
Rich moisturizing arributes for skin softening
Promoting a firmer skin texture
Antioxidant protection for the skin

The color:

Light Yellow/Straw color.

The consistency:

Thick but light.

The smell:

No fruity or Floral smell. The smell reminds me of my visit to Homeopathy clinic.

The applicator:

Clear Dropper.

The Contents:

It has 3 contents that are very potent and work well for Discolored patches and Hyper-pigmentation. Lactic Acid, Kojic Acid and L-A ascorbic acid. Kojic Acid has amazing results on dark blemishes and spots.

The application:

Duration: 5 weeks AM and PM

Technique: I use my fingers to dot the product all over the face and neck and then gently massage it into my skin till it is completely disappeared.
Initially, the product feels slightly sticky when spread on skin, but within a minute it dries up. The face is very well moisturized and it would be absolutely fine if I don’t use a moisturizer. The product does not has SPFSo, I end up using some SPF based Moisturizer. The serum gets completely absorbed into the skin and is not greasy at all. I can wear my regular make-up over this one.

The consistency is not thick or goopy, so just 3 to 4 drops are enough to cover the whole face. It feels soft on skin and makes it feel really hydrated. It gives the skin a silky smooth texture and the pores are less visible. In my case, I don’t have huge pores, so my facial skin appears perfectly refined and smooth.

The effects:

I noticed decent change in skin tone and texture. I would have loved to add a before and after picture of myself, but my camera and my photography techniques just failed to capture any noticeable change in the pictures. Personally, I feel the product helped in reducing some uneven patchy spots, making the face appear more brighter and clear. All dullness gone!! It works well on my uneven, patchy skin. There is a visible radiant glow.
I didn’t notice much change in the initial 2 weeks, but from 3rd week onwards, I could see this working.

Reaction to the Product:

I had absolutely no adverse reaction to this product. No breakouts or itching whatsoever. The product claims that it Exfoliates dead skin cells without provoking skin irritation and this is absolutely true. I didn’t feel and tingling sensation at all.

The Cost:

$45 for 30 ml of product. It is on pricier side, but its not very steep in comparison to other SERUMS in the market. Its worth giving a try. A little goes a long way and a bottle should last for at least 6 weeks or more if used twice daily.

Verdit: The product is good. It did show some significant change on my skin texture and appearance.

Disclaimer: The product was sent to me for consideration. This is my honest opinion. The effectivity of a product varies from person to person. Please use any skincare product at your own discretion. Refer the policy section for more details and feel free to ask any question if needed.

http://www.cellnique.com/

NARS - ETRUSQUE EYESHADOW

2010-11-26T05:17:00.001-08:00

Question: Have I ever resisted a Gold Eyeshadow??
Answer: NO...Never!

Question: Do I use Gold Shadow often?
Answer: Nah...Not Often, but I do use them sometimes.

Question: Then why do I buy so many Gold Shades?
Answer: Because I suffer from OGD - Obsessive Gold Disorder...lol!!

I enjoy collecting them...thats all!

NARS came out with this Lovely Gold color Eyeshadow in Etrusque for the Holidays. In the past they had released one more gold, but it was full of chunky glitters. This one is really superb and beautiful. Its a pot of PURE GOLD!

The shadow falls into the category of Yellow Gold. It is not as Yellow as MAC Goldmine and Urban Decay Honey. Etrusque has some hint of Brown to it. It is more wearable I think.

The finish is Metallic and not frosty. It has a lovely sheen and the pigmentation is rich. The texture is buttery smooth and there is no Fallout at all. Its easy to blend as well.

Urban Decay Honey, Baked Eyeshadow, MAC Goldmine, Amberlights Eyeshadow MAC Rose Gold Pigment, NARS Etrusque Eyeshadow

I did compare it to a few Golds I have, just to make sure its not same. I definately don't have anything exact similar to this. It is way different to Amberlights (Coppery Gold) and Rose Gold (Rose Gold).

It is also not similar to Urban Decay Baked, Half-Baked, MAC Flip, Cosmic Eyeshadows, Gold Mode or Blonde's Gold Pigment. All these are different categories of Gold and Etrusque definately falls into the category of Yellow Gold.

The closest color would be Urban Decay Honey or MAC Goldmine. Thise colors are similar, but not Dupes for sure.

Is this Color a part of your HOLIDAY WISH list?

Bobbi Brown Day to Night (Warm Eye)

2010-11-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

I have a soft corner for 3 things (in Make up):

1. Warm Neutral eye shadows
2. Gold eye shadows (I don’t use these often)
3. Sleek, Long Palette.

Holiday season is the best time to buy good quality eye shadows from reputable brand at an affordable price. Most of these Cosmetic Brands come out with lovely Holiday Palettes and they are a great way to try some amazing shades and Brand aswell.

This year a few Neutral Palettes caught my eye.

The Urban Decay NAKED Palette, which I have yet to see in person, because its always Out of Stock.
There is a neutral palette by Estee Lauder, which looked good to me.

Dior came out with a Palette called 'Five Golds Eyeshadow Quint'. I was immediately attracted to it, but the two silvery cool shades were something that I didn’t really see myself using a lot.

Too Faced Naked Palette was too pale for my liking and their Neutral palette which has been around for a while is too Bulky.

Then we have a CHANEL palette, which always looks good in pan, but I find them not too pigmented. Maybe I have pigmented eyelids and these colors fail to show up well on me.

MAC has Tartan Tales as their Holiday release and even though the palettes looked nice, I have a feeling that all of these palettes will hit my local CCO for sure.

Bobbi Brown has a huge Collection aswell and it is very difficult to keep track, simply because I don’t follow her brand much. In the past though I have used 3 products from her brand and they all have been pretty impressive.

I chose the Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eyes Palette as my Holiday Palette.

It is a beautiful, sleek and wearable palette with all warm neutrals. Some of the shades are permanent and very popular. These colors are warm, but not too warm and hence I think it will work well on Cooler skin toned girls aswell. We all know Bobbi Brown is an expert when it comes to Neutrals. Infact, people who enjoy colors find her line very Boring!

This palette has a lovely mix of Matte, satin, Frost, metallic colors. All the colors can work in harmony. The mixed finishes helps in creating eye looks from one single palette itself. It comes with a mirror and a double ended brush, which surprisingly is really useful. Its not tiny like the MAC brushes that come in the palette, nor it is crapy like those sponge applicator which come in Dior or Chanel Palettes (really hate those applicators in expensive palettes).

The palette is sleek and is really good to travel with. It can work as THE PALETTE for anyone who is always on business trips. A very work friendly, Office friendly Palette. As much as I want the Urban Decay NAKED palette, I can confidently say, I will be using this more than the Naked one.

I have some comparison pictures and you can see that none of the colors are unique or different. They are very basic, warm Neutrals. That’s it. Even though I have many neutrals, I am surprised to see that I don’t have actual/exact dupes for any color in the palette, which is good.

Same Comparisons in Different light Settings.

As far as swatches go, I have yet to swatch them. I am sorry, but I will share the swatches later. This is one of my gifts for myself that will go under the Christmas Tree. I really want to enjoy opening this gift with everyone in the family. No, this is not a ritual, just something fun. I love the whole feel, ambience of the Holidays.

Some of my "skinny, sleek Palattes" that I love!

P.S: This palette was sold out at my 2 Nordstroms. I got mine at Bloomingdales. The SA told me that she had just 2 left and that this palette did really well. If it catches your fancy, do grab it ASAP. I don’t see this hitting CCO anytime soon. It will be a Sold Out Palette.

Do you buy Gift for Yourself during the Holidays??

One 'n Only Argan Oil Treatment (Review)

2010-11-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

One of the world's rarest oils, argan oil is derived from the Moroccan Argan
Tree. Rich in essential fatty acids, Omega 6 and Vitamin E, it is valued for its
ability to regenerate and nourish dry and damaged hair.

I was a big fool to even imagine that I can get ARGAN OIL like the 'real oil' for $9!! When I went to buy this above Product from Sally Beauty Supply, I was totally under impression that I am buying Real Oil...Like the Josie Maran Oil, which retails for like 48 bucks or something (depending on the quantity).

I have been badly loosing a lot of hair. Now, this thinning of hair is definately not due to major illness or any drug side effects, because by God's Grace, I don't fall into anyone of those categories. I don't have dandruff nor I use too much of hair styling Products or hot tools.

I take my Biotin, Multi-Vitamins, Anti-Oxidants, Fish Oils...you name it and I take it very regularly. I am not seeing any difference. This is nerve wrecking and now I am started to get Paranoid.
Someone suggested Argan Oil. Oil in its pure form, but I ended up accidently buying this above product, which though has some percent of Argan Oil is actually a Styling product.

Now onto the reveiw for this 'One-n Only' Argan Oil (Available at Sally's Beauty Supply)

One 'n Only Argan Oil is a non-greasy, alcohol-free formula that is instantly
absorbed into the hair, creating brilliant shine without leaving an oily
residue. Smoothes cuticle for the silky, conditioned and healthy looking hair.
This precious oil helps protect against damage caused by the environment,
chemicals, or excessive heat from stylers, and provides long-term conditioning
while reducing frizz, split ends and breakage.

The Claims:

•Premium finishing, smoothing and conditioning product
•Non-greasy, alcohol-free formula
•Instantly absorbs into the hair
•Creates brilliant shine without leaving an oil residue
•Reduces drying time and speeds up styling time
•Smoothes cuticle for silky, conditioned and healthy looking hair
•Eliminates frizz and leaves hair more manageable
•Helps protect against damage caused by the environment or heat styling
•Mix with color/chemical processes for enhanced results and added depth to color
•For all hair types
•UV protection
•Compare to Moroccan Oil

Ideal for all hair types, One 'n Only Argan Oil is a premium styling finishing, smoothing and conditioning product that produces consistently silky smooth results.

My Experience with the Product.

The Scent: Its AMAZING! Usually hair care products either have offensive scent or annoying scent. This surprisingly has a pleasant scent. Infact, I felt like smelling my hair all the time.

The Texture: It has a slippery texture. Obviously, due to the presence of Dimethicone. It is a Silicone based product.

The consistency: Its liquid, a silky, smooth, slippery liquid which is not very thick or goopy. I had reviewed a similar Silicone Based Product in the Past. It was called Hana Shine Shield. The consistency of that Product was thinner and more Oily than this one.

The Color: It is Colorless.

The Usage: I have thin hair, each strand is very very thin and now with hair fall, I am having the worst hair Nightmare of my lifetime. It is dull, lifeless and hopelessly ugly! Using this in very little amount, may be a 2 pea size gives a very nice sheen to my hair. Its manageable and less frizzy. It coats the hair stands and makes them appear thick. I can smooth it easily and at least give an illusion of healthy hair.

Like I have said in the past, Silicone based product make my hair limp. This is no exception. Using in large quantity makes my hair oily and limp. Applying the right amount is key. I prefer using it on dry hair and not wet hair. I also avoid using it on roots.

The company claims that the product is Ideal for all hair types. I think people who have Thick hair or Coarse Hair will really enjoy the product.

This is my third trial with a Silicone based Hair product. I have used Biosilk and Hana Shine Shield in the past. I would say, this one is by far the best one. It has a good scent and the Shine imparted is Superb. The Sheen looks like real healthy Shine and not oily, if this line makes any sense.

My Request: Please suggest some tips, remedies for Hair Fall/Thinning hair. I am really worried.

CHANEL JOUES CONTRASTE BLUSH

2010-11-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

CHANEL TURBULENT BLUSH

Unique powder blusher imparts a flattering radiance to cheeks. Remarkably silky
texture for easy application and subtle shading. Accentuate cheekbones for a
youthful look. Softer tones around the eyes soften expression and rejuvenate.

Nope! Never ever purchased a CHANEL Blush. This Blush is a part of my swap with a friend. I am not really updated with all the CHANEL Limited Edition stuff. I know they come out with collections, but I am not the best person to know all about their US and Asia releases, let alone the differences between them.
So my Friend who gave me this said its LE,but I could still see them on Neiman Marcus website.

On to my Ramble about CHANEL JOUES CONTRASTE POWDER BLUSH. Yep, make-up lovers call it Chanel JC Blush. Cool!

The first thing that came to my mind when I opened the Blush was this is HOT PINK like my NARS Desire. But these two are Wayyy Different.

The packaging: Classic CHANEL Black container, comes with a good size mirror and a tiny Blush Brush. The casing is all Plastic, with some sheen. Its Light weight.

The Color: The Chanel JC Turbulent is very cool, blue based Pink color. A pretty color and even though its cool, it surprisingly worked very well on my yellow based, warm skin tone and looked very Natural. Not at all garish or Clown kinds.

The texture: It is very Powdery. Its soft and smooth, finely milled with no glittery or Sparkly Particles. It is not Flat, Matte either. There is a sheen, but the sheen is provided by some finely milled Silvery thing. On cheeks, none of this Silvery particle or powder is imparted. Just lovely, healthy cheeks, with flush of color. It also has a mild Scent. The Scent is a Pleasant one.

The Feel: Its smooth and soft. On application, this melts into the skin. Even though its powdery, it just does not sits on the cheeks. Blends in very beautifully and is very natural looking.

I am really enjoying the blush. My very first experience with CHANEL JC Blush is very satisfying one. At $45 I still think its steep. Blushes are required in very small quantity and if you have around 2-3 blushes of different shades, it will take real long time for any blush to hit the pan. I would not say that its a must have Blush, but definately worth trying. I would love to own another one too, but at $45, it better be a Perfect, Flattering Shade!

Any Color suggestions for a CHANEL JC Blush?

EYELINER PENCILS - GREEN

2010-11-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

Very recently I tried my first Victoria's Secret Eyeliner. Now this brand has some real nice cosmetic products. I have used their lipsticks in the past and they were really nice. Also, I have one of their Lipliners and its working good too. In the store, the sale lady helped me wipe my eyeliner swatches with their Eye Make-up Remover and let me tell you, it was Fantastic!
I will definately buy it, once I am done with my current remover.

The eyeliner is Great! I chose the color Dark Forest, which is a rich Forest green Color. the pigmentation is Amazing and Rich. It does not has any shimmers or glitters, yet it is not a flat matte, dull color. There is a tiny bit of metallic sheen.

The color applies smoothly both on my lashline and waterline, stays put for real long hours and does not smudge or budge. It didn't hurt my eye, there was no watering or buring sensation that I have experienced in the past with some eyeliners.

It takes around 20 seconds to set completely. If you intend to smudge, do it within those 20 seconds. It comes with a sponge tipped smudger on one end and liner at the other.

I also picked full size Urban Decay liners in Mildew and Stash. I thought Mildew was a very dark color, but ion comparison to Victoria's Secret liner, it just pales.

Above swatches are a bunch of Green and Golden Green eyeliners that I have. I do have a Stila Eyeliner pencil in Forest, that I believe is a discontinued product. It has the darkness and richness of Victoria Secret's liner, but that one smudges and is not a long lasting one. Its more like a Kohl.

I personally enjoy Deep, Dark Green Liners. What are your Favorite colored liners?

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-11-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

pic: web

hi all my friends...

Hope you all doing well...Just now I was fooled by the lovely, clear sky and bright sunshine. I went out to drop my son at the bus-stop and now I am back with hurting and aching ears. It is so freakin cold!!! That wind...OMG...I can't even tell ya, how bad it was...

I had been to my Holy Place yesterday...THE MALL...They have put on the Christmas tree! People have started with their Holiday Purchases. Am I the only one who feels that that everything starts so early..I mean, Halloween was just last week and we still have the Thanks giving pending..lol!! Anyways, too much rambly stuff...

Nothing much to share, except that I am currently a Guinea Pig for 3 products. Trying on the Philosophy Cleanser, Cellinique Face Mask and a Serum. The last two products were sent by this Company almost 4 weeks ago and they looked good enough to try. Will let you know how it goes.

Me signing off with all my good wishes for a happy week ahead.

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!!

BEAUTY BUYS -- NARS, BENEFIT, UD, LM

2010-11-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

A bunch of Products I picked from Sephora Store as I had some Store Credits and a Gift Card. It really sucked to pay full price, especially when Sephora was having a FF sale online. Anyways, at least I am happy, I didn't miss out completely!!!

Goodies I picked

1. PHILOSOPHY Purity made Simple Cleanser. I had so many good things about this product and really wanted to see what the hype was all about.

2. BENEFIT POWDERFLAGE: This packaging and the hype sucked me in. I always set my concealer with a powder and even though I am happy with my current Laura Mercier one, I just needed to try this (Beauty Blogger's Problem)

3. URBAN DECAY 24/7 Eyeliner Pencils in STASH and MILDEW. Stash is my all time favorite and Mildew looked really pretty.

4. NARS Eyeshadow duo in BRUMES: I definately will use this as a liner, more than as an eyeshadow. Love the way it looks in the pan. Yet to check on lids though.

5. DIOR Miss Dior Cherie: This cute, mini fragrance bottle was a Deluxe sample and this was the one that started all of the above purchases. I love to collect cute mini fragrance bottles and as this was one of the deluxe samples, I thought of spending all my store credits and GC. I still have 15 bucks left though...

The above Purchases are from Nordstroms, Victoria Secret and Neiman Marcus. Nordstrom was having this Beauty Event and they were giving 4 Lipgloss minis for free. I went in to pick that and ended up using some of my Beauty Notes (A reward Programme of Nordstrom) for buying Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, that I use often and was running low.

The free Lip glosses are from Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Clinique and Smashbox. These are tiny samples, but good enough to try and experience the product. I have never used a LM or Trish McEvoy Lipgloss, so this is a good way to try.

I picked this eyeliner from Victoria Secret, a deep, dark Green color. It has Fantastic Pigmentation and I love Green Eyeliners. I don't know how good or bad it is on the waterline and the staying power, but the color is GORGEOUS!!! We will see if this is a YAY or NAY for me.

NAR Rajasthan Eyeshadow Duo: This is something I just couldn't resist. When I saw the swatches on various Beauty Blogs, I knew its pretty and it would be a great addition for the collection, but I passed. Later while going through Specktra NARS Forum, I saw these Huge swatches and I thought I cannot leave the country without this Beauty. HTH...Needless to say, a sold out product everywhere, the Neiman Marcus staff (from other make-up counters, not NARS) helped me to locate one in California (she called 5 stores!!). A week later I had this Beauty at home. It is AMAZING and I have no dupes for it.

I am excited to try all these goodies and report back to you all.

Share in your Latest Beauty Buy in the comments below.

MAC - Stubborn Brown Liner

2010-11-02T02:18:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to say about this product. This didn't work...Period! It refuses to impart any color on my water line. Does not wants to stay there at all, if I some how manage to apply it.

I have used MAC Power Point Pencil in Engraved, which is a Black color. Even though, it is not the best Eyeliner out there, it still is nice. This color in Stubborn Brown is my first "colored liner pencil" from MAC.

Do all the colored Power points lack Pigmentation? Does anyone else had any difficulty with colored liners from this brand? Please share in your suggestions. How do I use this?

I threw my Bill and I have this Unsharpened, Like new Pencil.....

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-11-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Star Wars DARK VADER wishes you HAPPY HALLOWEEN....

Hola Friends...

Hope you all had a really fun and Spooky Halloween. We sure had some good time!! Right now, I am feasting on yummy candies, that my son collected from literally Everywhere... Luckily, most of them gave some "good quality, edible Candies".
We didn't had any scary Wild Parties though...

With Halloween all done, Leaves all dry, Trees almost Bare and Weather all Cold, its all Official Winter at my home. We Switched on our Heating systems today...

On Make-up front, I did buy something from Sephora over the weekend, not from the FF SALE though. I had some store credits. Will share my goodies soon. Now I don't feel left out, when everyone is enjoying the sales.

Me signing off...You all have a great and lovely week ahead..

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!

BENEFIT - SOME KIND-A GORGEOUS - REVIEW

2010-10-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

A sheer, oil-free, cream-to-powder complexion perfector. This is lightweight,
translucent, foundation-like product smoothes out imperfections and evens skin
tone with a silky, smooth finish that's super natural and super gorgeous.

First I got it as a mini in those Travel kits released by Benefit, a great way to try those sample size product before committing on a full size one. Initially I had like this product, but my only issue was the color match. I went ahead and bought the Deep color and unfortunately that color too didn’t work.

On to the review:

Benefit calls it “Foundation Faker”, which obviously means something that you can apply to get a look like Foundation, but is not really one…duh!

Some Kind-A Gorgeous in Deep

The Packaging: The Packaging is cute, like most of the Benefit products. It looks like a record and comes with a good size mirror and a sponge, securely nested in lower compartment. It is white in color and as the product is a cream, after a couple of uses the Plastic container tends to get dirty and looks ugly.

The texture: This is a light weight, cream to powder product. It has no smell and is not too greasy or oily to touch. Infact it turns into powder form almost instantly on rubbing. Its pretty easy to blend.

The application: This being a foundation faker, does not really has the coverage of a foundation. It is pretty much light coverage cream and all it will do is give an even look to the skin. It turns to a powdery finish on application, without actually looking cakey. It comes with a sponge, but I personally prefer using my fingers. The sponge soaks up too much product and there is a lot of wastage. Also, its just gross. I could never apply any cream product on my face with that Skunk Brush. Fingers are my best friend.

The color: Benefit has this in 3 colors. Lite, Medium (Original), Deep. Apparently, it is supposed to be self adjusting and these 3 colors would almost work for anyone. I think that’s dumb. The lightest color will probably work on very light skin tone person and may be one or two shade before and after. Same is applicable for other shade in medium. At the most the product will cater to one shade lighter or darker than the actual color of the cream. This one did turn ashy on me and was totally light and unnatural. The darkest shade which is Deep, is just so dirty, muddy and Orange/Yellow. I don’t really see it working for many dark skin tone people, including myself. Its just Dirty!

The feel and Finish: When I tried the sample size in summer, I liked how it felt on my skin. Apart from the mis-matched color, nothing was wrong with it. I am more of a tinted Moisturizer person, so I personally liked the whole concept of giving the face an even look, without all the caking and heaviness.
In colder months, now that my skin is drying, I find this product too drying and it just sits on the skin and makes those flaky patches more noticeable. This would not be a great choice for people with dry skin or with many issues.

If your skin is in a condition, where you need to apply a lot of Concealer, this product will be useless, because you will end up seeing Concealed Patches beneath this!

Size Comparison of a mini with MAC Eyeshadow

I personally feel, that this a product more apt for someone with really good, healthy skin with minimum issues. Someone with Normal and Oily skin will enjoy this product. The color match would still be an issue though. I strongly believe with my experience, that those 3 colors DO NOT work for almost all the skin tones.

Swatches of Foundation Faker in shade Medium (Its so Ashy)

Did you ever try this Product? Share your thoughts...

A cute little Wishlist!!

2010-10-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

I do this every year. Its an old trick, but it works! I make sure that my Wishlist reaches all those people who will be gifting me with something for the Holidays or all the other especial days that come during the last months and Initial 3 months of new year.

Also I make sure that I keep bringing the topic of what things I am 'lemming' or 'missing' or 'wishing' etc etc. It may be dumb, rude, foolish or whatever, but it helps me in getting what I want and it also helps the giver to decide. Also saves the hassle of "returning".

Honestly, there is two list in my mind. A "Practical wish list" and an "Impractical Dream list". The dreamlist is Obviously a list of products that I can only Dream of...I will post that for fun someday, but right now...

On to the Practical Wish list:

I love Ceramic Watches. I have the above two models, but the FENDI in white color and the MARC JACOB in Black. I find myself using them a lot. So I wish to get the above two again in the colors shown. Is it a good decision to buy same models of watches in Different colors??

MOVADO, an all time classic piece, affordable kinds and still work with many outfits. I have one, exactly same as the one pictured above that pink dial watch. I wish to own two more. One in dual tone, an Esparanza Model and a 100% Gold tone, in a model that is undecided.

Swarovski Desert Parallel

I have a similar one in Silver and Clear Crystal. It looks beautiful, but I think the gold one would work still better on my skintone, especially during summer months. Those parties are cool and this would go well with the natural tan that I get. I am kind of weird! If I like a piece in one color, I wish to own them in other colors available too. I do this often with my clothes.

David Smallcombe Jewelry

I like the work of this artist. His website just shows the pieces, but not the price. Its difficult to choose something without its price listed. I do love the way his jewelry looks though.

PANDORA

Pandora/Chamilia Beads for my Charm Bracelets. This will always be a part of my wishlist. There is nothing called as 'too much beads'. The permutation-combinations are endless! The more beads you have, more unique creations are created!

I was searching for Authentic Gemstone beads, for making Bracelets to go with 2 Gemstone bead bracelets that I already owned. My idea was to stack them like the picture shown below. Those are a bunch of woodbead bracelets, by a Youtuber named Dara. I am not sure if this name is correct. I stumbled upon this Blog Eightseventeen jewelry, and the blogger makes these lovely bracelets with real Gemstones and a silver charm. Its so cute, I just can't stop thinking about them!Definately wish to own a black and White one.

WOOD BEAD BRACELET

CHANN LUU WRAP BRACELET

This is very much in fashion and insanely expensive. Well, not insanely...but considering the fact that its just leather and nuggets, I don't want to spend so much on it. A gift is always welcome..lol!

As much as I love Accessories, I just can't keep myself away from make-up. There sure is a wishlist, though I am pretty much not in a position to buy more, for reasons many of you know.

JUICY COUTURE

The new Fragrance Peace, Love or something like that. I personally liked the smell. Fragrances are subjective, so it may be Yuck! for someone, its a Wishlist Item for me!!

CHANEL TWEED BLUSH

I recently got chance to experience a CHANEL Blush (the round one). Want to try this one aswell. The pattern itself is GORGEOUS!!

URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE

It SUCKS that this palette is always Sold Out. I have many similar colors, but the whole idea of these nested in one palette is great! I love the fact that its SLEEK and NOT BULKY like the BOOK OF SHADOWS. Definately, tops my Wishlist.

ESTEE LAUDER EYESHADOW PALETTE

I don't remember the name of this Estee Lauder Palatte, but me being a sucker for neutrals, I just need this in my life.

So this concludes some of the materialistic things that I wish to get or buy. I hope I manage to own at least 25% of the list.

DO YOU HAVE A LIST IN MIND...PLEASE SHARE..I would love to add more to my list, by Copying yours!!!

Disclaimer: I am not Affiliated with any of the brands or Blogs mentioned above. This is just a wishlist!

MILANI LIQUIF'EYE LINER -BLACK

2010-10-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

MILANI LIQUIF'EYE LINER

Seriously? This is a Drug Store Product? I mean comeon...Its FANTASTIC!!

This literally proves "All that Glitters is not Gold"!!

I am a self confessed ardent eyeliners user. I always always waterline and tightline. I have tried numerous Brands from Makeup Forever to MAC to Smashbox and Urban Decay. Also, in-between brands like Ulta, Covergirl, Stila, Prestige...and so on.

I obviously had heard that this product was good, but for some reasons my nearby CVS and Giant stores never had it in stock. Now I know why it was always 'Out of Stock'!

I can confidently say, nothing is as rich, soft and long lasting as this one. Consider my past reviews as Out-dated. Urban Decay though is long lasting, its still not as rich in color nor is this smooth. Milani Liquif'eye liner is like Liquid liner. It has this shine and intensity of a liquid liner and not to mention the richness and darkness of the color.

I have Black color, so I am talking about that one color. Its long lasting and once it dries within 30 seconds, its sets and then nothing can budge it.

I use a make-up remover to get rid of it at night. So very impressed with this one. Its a new Favorite and I know its going to be in my good books for very long time.

Disclaimer: I am raving about this product, it was purchased by me. Not sent in for consideration.

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-10-25T07:14:00.001-07:00

Hi my friends..

I am back again, with another weekly update of my life. I can't help for this Monday Morning post appearing in quick succession...The weeks are passing by Super Speedy...

Anyways, last week we went to see the beautiful Fall trees and colors, but my son was really mad at us as he didn't get any chance to see Pumpkins, which is what HE associates with Fall/Autumn. So this weekend, we went to show him Pumpkins. This Garden had a display of over 300 varieteis of Pumpkins all big and small... He got chance to play in the hay and take pictures with Scare-crows and all the silly stuff.

I too did my little shopping. I added a few Pandora Charms to my Bracelet. I have yet not ordered from Sephora FF sale, which is really giving me restless nights..lol!! Due to my self impossed restriction to buy much stuff, I didn't order any Fragrance. Fragrance bottles are heavy and it will be difficult for me to move across the globe with heavier luggages. I will have to pay more...which I really want to avoid now. I am sad that I am missing this sale, as I love adding Fragrances to my collection during sale times.
Will order for some Urban Decay Eye Pencils though (esp the Color Stash). Its one of my favorite Colored eye liners.

Rest all fine. I will be around, posting something that might interest you, but honestly nothing very new, because I am not buying much.

Have a great and Lovely week ahead.

xoxo,
dazzling..sparkling...me!!

NARS Sin and MAC Gentle Blushes = Winter Love!!

2010-10-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

NARS SIN AND MAC GENTLE

I picked MAC Gentle Mineralized blush , just because it looked so pretty in pan and also my MAC was out of Warm Soul blush. When I came home, it instantly reminded me of a similar shade, SIN by NARS. Both these colors fall into the Plum Category and are lovely colors for Fall and Winter.

NARS SIN AND MAC GENTLE (Swatches)

NARS Sin is pretty much a dirty-mauve color, with some Gold Sparkles. It looks very sexy in pan. The color has much needed warmth in it and it is not as pigmented as other NARS Blushes. It still has amazing pigmentation of its own. The color blends in beautifully and after blushing the Gold shimmeres just give a glow and do not look Obvious OTT sparkles. I like to pair it with a very neutral eye make-up. Colors like Satin Taupe on eye, with some Pinky nude lips and Sin Blush on cheeks really give a lovely sexy look. It would work very nicely on many skin tones and depending on the application, the intensity can be controlled.

MAC Gentle Mineralize blush is a plumy Pink color. It does not has the muddy mauviness of NARS Sin and that’s what makes it more wearable for Day time in winters.
Mineralize blushes from MAC, that were released during the Sonic Chic Collection (part of which is permanent) is probably the best Mineralize blush released to date. MAC gave us tons of Mineralize blushes later, but most of them were very chunky and glittery.
Gentle is very smooth and it blends so nicely. It has no visible shimmer or sparkle, but it gives this amazing glow on cheeks which is natural and makes the face look healthy and happy.

Many girls I know don’t enjoy Plum cheek colors. But none of the above colors are flat Plum or Purple. The blend with mauve or Pink dusted with some Gold shimmers makes these colors complex, but wearable.

If you are in search of a good Fall Winter color, do give these two pretty colors a look. Try them on. Go to the store with bare cheeks. You might fall in Love…

Accessory buys - James Avery Jewelry

2010-10-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting jewelry from this brand since past 2 years or so. Apparently, JA is a brand of Jewelry, that is very well known and famous, especially for their Charm Bracelets and Religious Christian Jewelry.

I had never seen any of their pieces in person, simply because they have all their outlets/retail stores in Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Tennesse area. They have close to 60 stores, but none of them in New York or California or Chicago, which are some of the major cities in the world (little strange, right?)

I liked the mantra of the brand "Keep it Simple"
The company philosophy is "Each piece of jewelry should pass the tests of Simplicity, Integrity, Meaning and Universality". These four “founding values”

Finally I did picked a few stuff online. I avoided the charm bracelet, because I was not sure of the quality, weight, finish, size etc.

They came packed beautifully in these kind of coral mesh bag and coral boxes.

Pendants:

Lover's Knot Pendant: This is a very heavy piece and Beautifully crafted. It is supposed to be worn on a thick cord. I tried it on a thick silver chain. it’s a fantastic piece, but there is an issue. It flips over. The hole at the back is huge. Very huge. A really thick Cord would work, but then I don’t want a thick rope like thing. Yet have to figure out how to work with it though.

Mariposa Pendant: This is another, well made sturdy piece of sterling silver jewelry. It has tons of oxidation and shading. No shiny stuff. I personally feel very shiny silver goes pretty much in contrast with my dark, olive skin tone. Shaded silver looks much better. This is more like a casual piece of jewelry. Simple Jeans and t-shirt.

Earrings:

Mariposa Earrings: I picked this one to go with my Mariposa Pendant. The earring is pretty and Beautiful, but whats with that hook?? Its endlessly long and looks just like a dagger!!! I have never seen a hook this long! Does any body really needs such long hooks for earrings. I will get my jeweler cut it for me.

Lover's Knot Earpost: I love this post. Its big, its decently heavy and stays in place. Usually heavy and big posts work for me, because my earlobes are big and the piercing is exactly in the middle. The back lever is strong and the rubber guard or whatever it is called is nice and will provide support, if you have small ear lobes.

Heart Knot Earpost: This is comparatively lighter than the original Knot post and stays in place. Its more like an everyday wear. Not very high shine.

Over all the pieces are good and well made, WITH SOME ISSUES as mentioned above. They are strong and sturdy and you get some real Sterling Silver. They are not insanely priced like the Tiffanys. I chose all the pieces that had some level of Oxidation or shading. My husband thought that most of them looked like steel. I would say, all the pieces I showed above are more casual everyday wear, not party wear. Its obviously not like Swarovski, no bling or shine.

Am I happy with my purchase?

Well, if I had got the chance to try them at store, I would probably have not picked some of the pieces. Seeing a piece in Catalogue and seeing them in person against skin tone is very different. I have no complains with the quality, but I would not be buying any more pieces online. I would love to try them in person before I buy.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this Brand. Non of the item mentioned above is free. I paid for them. The whole purpose of this post is to share my thoughts on this brand and the pieces I own. When I was hunting for the information for this brand, all I could find on the net was lovely pictures and Emotional stories of people who own them. Very little description of the product by owner was found. I hope this information will help some.

http://www.jamesavery.com/

MONDAY MORNING....

2010-10-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hi friends...

Hope this Post finds you in all good health! Me? Fine...

I had a great weekend. We went to the Poconos Mountains, Bushkill Falls to be precise. My eyes are all relaxed with the beautiful colors of the fall leaves. The weather was beautiful...so was the day!

I finally got a chance to see the MAC Disney Collection after so many days. Its OK. I just didn't find anything ubber unique to spend on. I should say, I am just being picky.
With all the anticipation of moving, I just need to cut down on accumulating any stuff now.
Moving to another city is fine. You can take as much as you want, thanks to the local, ground Transportation. Moving to a different country, is hell of a task. There are luggage limits and not to mention the amount of stuff that gets broken or stolen during the big move.

Anyways, I just need to stop complaining about my family issues. By the way, my friend and a cousin agreed to do a swap with me for some of my make-up against Gift Cards and some other stuff that I have been wanting and that I can carry easily. So thats a very good thing and I am thankful to them.

Nothing much to share. I have a little jewelry haul coming up. I can carry jewelry both fine and fashion pieces easily in much less space. So I am happy hauling for them and that way it curbs my shopping craving.

Signing off now. I will be around.

Have a colorful week...

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!!

Beauty Obsessions - August-September 2010

2010-10-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Question: Anybody still interested in reading a Beauty Favorite post, at this time of the month??
Ans: No!!!! No!!!

Ok..Ok…I hear ya all…The collective answer…

But I will post anyways…I have the pics ready!

This is a collective Aug/Sept Beauty Obsession. In August I didn’t had any specific Favorite product worth mentioning. Most of them were repeats of the past month. No new Discovery in my own stash.

In September though I had few experiences that I would like to share.

I had been to Florida (Disney World Resort, to be precise). I had packed my lovely blushes, Eyeliners and some neutral shadows. Not that I intended to slap on full make-up, but I did plan on a light make-up with some pretty liner and gloss. Little did I knew that Florida heat and humidity was something different!!

Nothing stayed on my face. It was so hot and humid, that everything just melted off right away. There was no question of make-up staying put or long Lasting, it just melted and vanished in thin air!

Lesson learnt on day 1 of my trip, I did experiment with other basics that I had and its there, I discovered or rather realized the importance of some old products and stuff.

Bored?? The Rambling was too Rambly (????)

Ok, I will start.

Sunscreen: The ultimate savior!! I don’t need to tell you why. I used the Neutrogena one. Its not ubber sticky and has a decent SPF of 45.

Tinted Moisturizer: Laura Mercier was the one I used. It obviously was sticky for that Humid Florida weather, but I needed it to even out the skin tone.

Benefit Posietint: I had tiny samples of these. I used them, because I felt naked without cheek color. Something was missing on my face, when I looked in the mirror. The product is good. Worked for me (not pictured here).

Cargo Blu-ray Mattifier: I usually use this stuff as base. During my vacation I used it above the SPF layers I wore. It helped to reduce the shine for at least initial hours.

Eyelash Curler and Mascara: This was something that saved me and my face in pictures. With everything practically melting off, this did make the eyes look good and happy the whole day.

Brown Eyeliner was the color of choice for liners. MAC Stubborn Brown Liner sucks!! I will review it soon.

Lipstick: Light Pink colors like Bobbi Brown and Benefit La La Land. It gave me some color on the lips. Bobbi Brown is a stiff lipstick, but Benefit one is very creamy and it melted. Now that tube is messy. I have used my back-up for the picture.

Lip Balm with SPF 20 really gave a protective covering. I used the Soft Lips one.

Water: I purchased this travel spray bottle and it worked like Evian Spray for me. I cannot even tell you, what a blissful thing it was to feel that cold spray of water on hot skin.

Aloe Vera Gel: After the whole day of torturous sun, this soothing gel saved my A**, Face and every area that was just sunburnt! it’s a miraculous product. I don’t care what brand it is, Aloevera gel in general is a soothing savior.

Back from Vacation, while the whole Beauty community had started talking and using Fall Make up, Poor me was so badly tanned, that I had to stick to my old summery stuff which included the Warmed MSF, Luster and Miami Beach Blush and Chanel Sunkissed Illuminator/Bronzer.

I must say there is no MSF like Warmed MSF. Its just FANTASTIC!!!! Luster blush is another Gem that I have loved since the day I bought it. It just works beautifully on Tanned skin.

Also, I never fill in my eye-brows as I think they are thick enough, but this NYC Brow kit was lying in my make-up drawers and I just used it for fun. What a difference it made!!! It just framed my face in a very pretty way. It was something that was always missing in my routine and just a tiny bit color made a noticeable difference. The brown color is a perfect match too. Its similar to MAC Brun.

During my holiday trip, what bugged me the most was that inspite of having loads of nice, good quality make-up, my pictures turned out all Crappy and Happy, thanks to the SPF I had piled on. In trips like Disney, you are out in the sun from sunrise to visible moonrise and I was not prepared to face that kind of harshness on face, with make-up on.

Good thing was some nice, random people commented on my Jewelry and Watch. They said it was nice. Even I was noticing other people’s unique jewelry and accessories. Its when I realized, its better to have a good collection of accessories, rather than having 10 shades of Peachy Pink and Pinky Peach Blushes.

I should Sign off now…Thank you for sticking till the end…

Hello…You guys there???? Hello….I knew, everyone would be gone…

KORRES: BODY BUTTER - GUAVA

2010-10-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

KORRES: BODY BUTTER - GUAVA

If I remember correctly, last year many Gurus on You Tube were raving about this Product. Few months back I got a generous sample of this tube along with my Korres Order and I got a chance to try this. I have been using it from past 2 weeks or so.

Guava Body Butter
A divinely rich, smoothing cream infused with aninvigorating Blend of Tropical Fruits.
Korres Guava Body Butter is a true moisturizing must-have. Its skin-pampering
formula is enriched with shea butter to soften, moisturize, and restructure the
skin; a proprietary blend of sunflower, almond, and avocado oils to restore
elasticity and smoothness; and quince extract to heal and nourish.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:
Korres Body Butters are 93% natural and free of PPGs, MEA, DEA, TEA, formaldehyde donors, ethanolomine, and propylene glycol. A convenient, generously sized tube makes for easy use and fabulous value. Enjoy your indulgently healthy treat!

My two cents on this raved product.

The texture: Its soft, creamy and smooth just like butter, just like the name! Its Light weight, but slightly Greasy.

The Smell: It has some Coconut smell going on. Even though its Guava, I smell Coconut. The scent does not stays on for long time. After 10 minutes or so, I cannot smell anything.

The Feel: It is pretty Greasy. Its light weight, so it gets absorbed quickly in the skin, but leaves this slight sheen. It moisturizes very well and the skin feels soft and supple the whole day. The like the fact that the cream does not just 'sits' on the skin, but is well absorbed. I actually like the slight greasiness which this cream has. Its a body butter, and I just like the richness of this butter on my body (This was such a lame sentence, but you guys got what I want to say).

I see a noticeable change in my skin, which was getting pretty dry and rough due to the weather change. Personally I am not a fan of this coconutty scent, but I can live with it, because the scent disappears after sometime.

It is devoid of any harsh chemicals, which is a good thing, but then again it comes with an expiry date. I am not very picky about the chemical contents that goes into my body creams or lotions, but Korres having many things natural in them is always a bonus.

I have used Body Butters in the past. Bath and Body Work Butters are the thickest and the greasiest. This was a pretty light and creamy. It was a welcome change for my body.

Disclaimer: This was a deluxe sample with my order. It was not sent to me by the company for consideration. Its a sample, so obviously I didn't pay for it.

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-10-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Pic: Mikelens

Hi all you Beautiful People...

Hope everyone is doing good. Me and my Coffee, both are smiling..:)

Our week was pretty much the same as last week. I don't think I did anything different worth mentioning.

I did visit Specktra site for long hours and OMG! The new upcoming collections from MAC looks great! There are some new products and the swatches of Tartan Tale collection, I believe its called look just AMAZING!!! There is one quad, that has my name written all over it.

Also I am lusting over DIOR collection swatches on The Beauty Look Book and Fab Over Forty Beauty Websites. They are just wonderful.

Its difficult to choose from many of these Holiday/Winter Collection. All the brands I love are coming out with exceptionally good color selection. To top it all, I am so on a restricted Make-up buy! This SUCKS!

Budgeting is really a hard task during Fall/Winter Seasons. Oh, well....This Phase too shall pass..

Oh, there is the most awaited SEPHORA FF Sale coming this month end. I don't know what will I do...but I will try to keep strong..lol!!!

Have you decided on anything that you are going to buy 100%, for sure?? Share..Share..:)

Wish you all have a great and Healthy week ahead..

xoxo,

dazzling...sparkling...me!!!

BEAUTY BUYS -- NAIL POLISH

2010-10-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge Nail Polish collector. I love to paint my nails and I make sure that my nails are never 'Naked' but I am not into following the collections and stuff. Infact, till last year I used to paint even Turquoise color in Fall, but now I kind of try to restrict that to summer and wear more season appropriate colors, thanks to all the Nail Blogs!

I picked a few colors in the past 2 months and they are just random colors. Nothing new or unheard of.

Some comparisons of the above colors, with the colors I already had.

I love Grey on my nails. MAC released a Grey Nail polish called 'On the Prowl' with their Hello Kitty Collection. It was one of the best Greys I had. My mom loved it and I gave it to her. I could never duplicate that grey though.

Its my first time trying 'Barielle' Brand Nail Polish. It is good. The consistency is not too thin and I get the decent bottle color in two coats.

Mink Muffs is my typical Brown Color, a type that I usually like to apply on my nails. They just work with everything, I mean with all the outfits. I had seen people enjoying a beautiful color by CHANEL called Particulier or something like that. As much as I love that color, paying $23 for a nail polish kinda sucks! I can go over budget with a Skincare stuff, but for some reasons, Nail Polish, No!

Purples, Mauves are my all time Favorites. They just look too good on my hands..:)

All the four colors above are Obviously different from each other. Parlez-vous OPI and Call your Mother look close in bottle, but on Application they are different and I enjoy them both.

Recently Essie came out with a lovely Fall Collection. Merino Cool and one more greenish shade were just amazing! My ULTA didn't had these colors. They were Sold Out! I would like to own them though, as they are pretty much my kind of colors and luckily Affordable (thanks to ULTA discounts)

I didn't swatch any of these, simply because non of these are any new colors. Infact, I myself have picked them after lusting over Fabulous Swatches on various Nail Blogs. If you want to see any of these colors on nails, just let me know and I will share them on my nails.

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-10-04T05:09:00.000-07:00

Pic: Web

Hi my dear friends,

Hope everyone is doing well. Things at my end are a little rough. There are tons of things going on in my life with me and my family. There are loads of changes expected in coming months ranging from change of job to moving again. Nothing is concrete as yet but since last week anxiety, uncertanity and anticipation are the only emotions I have and let me tell ya, its one hell of a bad set of emotions!

As much as I feel guilty for neglecting my blog, I still do love it to bits. I just don't have the mind focused on this blogging and make-up thing right now. I have some rough drafts for posts and I will try to fine tune them and publish them in the coming week. The new collections are exciting and I do wish to buy few things, but right now...It total full-stop to purchases. I am trying to save some for rainy days ahead.

Hope you all understand and yes, please keep visiting.

Have a great, wonderful week ahead. We here in Philly are going to have a cold, rainy week.

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling..me!!

NEOSTRATA BIONIC EYE CREAM - REVIEW

2010-09-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream

NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream is an antioxidant cream that targets dark eye
circles, puffiness and reduces the visible signs of aging in the delicate eye
area. Also contains Green Tea extract and Cucumber extract. Ophthalmologist
tested and Fragrance-Free. Formulated with 3% Gluconolactone, 1% Lactobionic
acid, Vitamin K, Pro-Vitamin A and Vitamin E.

How I used it

Twice a day AM and PM
Duration: 10 weeks plus

This eye cream was sent to me by the Neostarta company for consideration in June. I have been using it religiously since then and it even was one of my favorite products in July. It is still going strong. I have used it for a decent amount of time and I think I am in position to give my opinions and share my experience.

I have dark under circles as you all know by now. I always use eye creams. They are a part of my everyday skin care routine since ages and I am habituated to them now. I have tried many brands. Clinique, Philosophy, Korres, Revlon, Neutrogena, Origins etc. Origins is my all time Favorite, Clinique being close second.

I must say this new cream is AMAZING!! I am not saying this because its free. It sure is amazing and I have good reasons to back my statement.

Firstly this cream has few things as a part of their ingredients which have not used in the past. Vitamin K and Lactobionic Acid are two things which non of the creams or serums had that I used.

This has reduced my dark under eye circles considerably. The under eye area feels soft and smooth. It moisturizes the area so well. It is very light weight and not at all greasy. It sinks in beautifully and leaves on oiliness whatsoever.

Also, unlike many eye creams that I had used in the past, this does not stings, burns or irritate my eyes. This is great because I can use it under my concealer, without actually hurting my eye.

I cannot comment on its capability to reduce wrinkles or Puffiness, because I don’t have any of those issues as of now.

I use my ring finger to pat the cream, by gently massaging the area applying feather light pressure, in circular motion till the cream sinks in and disappears.

It also has Gluconolactone, as a part of its Key Ingredients, that helps in reparing damage and provides protection with its Anit-oxidant properties. Now, even though we don’t know the clinical terms or the way these ingredients work, but we all know Anti-oxidants are great for skin, hair and health in general.

It is fragrance free and comes in a soft, squeeze tube with a nozzle. This is sanitary and the nozzle size is small enough to prevent wastage.

There might be few questions you want to ask.

Ques: Would you have bought this product on your own, if the company didn’t send it to you for free?
Ans: No. I didn’t knew about this brand at all. I am glad that the company sent it to me.

Ques: How does this cream differ from others that you have used in past?
Ans: I think this is a very multi-purpose eye cream. It reduces darkness, moisturizes, does not stings, is not heavy and does not leaves the under eye area oily! My old creams and serums lacked in one or two departments always.

Ques: What is the USP of this eye cream according to you?
Ans: The very fact that I can wear it all day, keeping my eye area protected and moisturized, without disturbing my Makeup routine is something which is good. Also it does not stings!

Ques: Will you buy this product again?
Ans: Yes. Its $50 for a tube, which is expensive. But then most of the eye creams or serums come with a higher price tag. This works and I am glad its not $150!

If you are seriously looking for an eye cream for dark circles, this is something worth trying. Please fell free to ask questions if you have any. I was sent this product for consideration and I have tried my level best to give an honest opinion. I am not affiliated with the brand and this is no paid review. Like always, skincare products may vary in their effectiveness from person to person.

Visit www.neostrata.com for more information.

MONDAY MORNING....

2010-09-27T05:34:00.001-07:00

PIC: Web

Hello Friends,

Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the weather. I am so happy to say good bye to Sun and Heat! There is something beautiful about the cloudy weather, Rains and changing colors of the trees. Some find this Gloomy...I find this Romantic..

Anyways, last week in Dazzle 'n' Sparkle you saw some posts on products that were technically boring, but definately Essentials. There are a few more such skin and eye care reveiws coming soon. I also have a little Nail Polish buys to Share and a small Beauty Buy from Sephora aswell.
The new collection from MAC (Disney), is very huge and though many people are enjoying the goodies, I am just finding it Juvenile. I had said the same thing about Hello Kitty, but ended up liking 2 products, so maybe its a pre-mature Statement. The colors in the collection are not Unique, nor are any products. Honestly, I have passed that 'Phase' of having something from every collection. I guess it happens when you have been into collecting make up stuff since long.

I am Rambling...I know!! Wish you all have a Great day and week ahead. I will see ya around.

xoxo,
dazzling....sparkling..me!!!

LAURA MERCIER - Secret Brightening Powder

2010-09-25T04:20:00.000-07:00

Secret Brightening Powder

Laura Mercier created Secret Brightening Powder to set Secret Brightener, Secret
Concealer, and Secret Camouflage. Formulated for all skin types, the powder
contains micronized pigments that will not settle in fine lines or accentuate
shadows and instantly delivers a soft, weightless finish.

Very few Products that carry the "Brightening" tag work for me. As I have mentioned in some of my past reviews, that most of the Brightening products are actually Whitening Products. They just make the area White!!!! It has been my experience with many products, though its not a Thumb Rule.

This Powder by Laura Mercier is a slight Beige/Creamish colored Loose Powder, which is to be used over Corrector and Concealer for Under eye areas, so as to prevent creasing and melting of Concealers.

The powder is very finely milled. It is very light weight and does a great job in getting rid of the oiliness. It is very light and does not settles in the fine lines, even if I over do it.
The best part is, it DOES NOT dries the undereye area, which unfortunately Makeup Forever HD powder did. Also, it looks very natural and does not makes the under eye area white like Brody Jenner. The powder is invisible, but it manages to give that brightening effect. It works well with Dark Circles. It is not sparkly nor has any distracting shimmery stuff.

I have the shade 2, meant for medium to Dark complexion and I use MAC 224 brush to apply this, but any Fluffy Brush will work. The only annoying part is the container. I just hate the way it is made. It has a sifter, which has million big holes. I don't know why we need so many of them. Its so difficut to travel with!!! There is so much powder wasted, just by accumulating in the lids!

I have used the tape method, where you secure some holes with a clear tape, leaving only few open holes available for use. It is kind of working, but I would still prefer a different kind of packaging.

The product works. I don't know how exactly it works, but it works. Trust me!!! I just love it!
At $22, I find it to be slightly over priced.

I want to Try Benefit's Powderflage. Have heard good things about that one.

Do you use Powders for setting the Concealer? Do you think this is an extra, unnecesary step? Does this Works for you?

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer - Golden

2010-09-23T04:45:00.000-07:00

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer - Golden

I was pretty impressed by Bobbi Brown Corrector (Review) and decided to give their Creamy Concealer a try. The MUA at store matched me to color Golden, which I think is bit dark, but I apply it over the corrector, so it kinda blends in well and evens out everything.

Bobbi Brown Concealer (Golden) and Corrector (Dark Peach)

The concealer is definately creamy and light weight, which obviously means its more oil based. I use to apply this under my eye using a stiff flat, synthetic concealer brush. I have one from Coastal Scents, that fits in the undereye area perfectly well and does the job.

I avoid using my fingers with this product, because I noticed that when I apply it with my fingers, the under eye area gets more oily and the concealer settles into the fine lines. Also less is more with concealers always...

Using a brush avoids this and then I set the whole thing with Laura Mercier Secret Brightenting powder. This makes the Concealer last longer. If I don't use the powder, the concealer just melts and disappears after few hours. SETTING WITH POWDER IS MUST.

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Golden and Corrector in Dark Peach

The coverage is opaque, not very thick though. It looks very natural, not like an artificial pastey or cakey. I mainly use it for under eye area and it does a good job of hiding those circles.

The best thing about the Bobbi Brown Brand is that it has good shade range and has yellow'ness' or warmth in it. They match yellow undertones very well. This is something that not many brands boast of. I find many brands have concealers and foundations with more Pink undertones in it. MAC has a good color range aswell, but the pot concealers are too heavy and thick.

The container is compact and comes with a mirror, which is good. Its difficult to open at times because it ruins my nail polish. Its not tight or something, just the placement of the snap closure is such that it ruins my nail polish.

Good product, but if you have very oily lids or under eye area, you might want to try it at store before spending $22, which is kinda steep for a product that is to be used everyday.

What is your HOLY GRAIL Concealer?

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Dark Peach (Review)

2010-09-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR - DARK PEACH

This is a product that I was very skeptical about before buying. Do correctors really work? Are they just gimmick? Is it worth buying? Which Color to choose? I had tons of questions as usual.

Well, to begin with I have bluish, Purplish under eye circle, which are pretty noticeable. It is something I am born with. I can’t help it…it’s a little family thing that has been passed through generations…Unfortunately.

I have tried many concealers, from various brands and different textures, but most of them used to leave a ‘grey cast’. I thought my color selection of concealer was wrong and I kept spending money on buying different shades. Nothing was working 100% perfect! I also tried the under eye brightening products, which helped in the evenings, but for day time they still would be a bit shiny/shimmery and again not exactly the product I was looking for my issue.

Other day, I found this tiny sample of Everyday Mineral Peach concealer in my stash, which was in powder form. I thought why not try? I dabbed a little on my dark circles and even though the color was light, it didn’t turn ashy or grey. This made me think, I should try Bobbi Brown Correctors. So I got myself color matched at a counter and the MUA selected Dark Peach for my coloring of NC40 in MAC foundation.

The product itself is very thick, but creamy. Its not the best consistency, as I would have personally preferred. The coverage is very opaque. The key to get the job done is a good color match and application technique. The application technique plays a vital role.

This is how the MUA used it on me.

1. Heavily moisturized the under eye area with a cream.
2. Started from inner corner with a brush, then used her fingers to dab the product.
3. She later set it with a loose yellowish powder, with a fluffy brush.

BB CONCEALER (GOLDEN) and BB CORRECTOR (DARK PEACH)

I had hard time to apply this initially. It would sink in my fine lines if I swiped or used a large amount. The motion used is the 'patting' one and not the 'swiping' one. Just a Dab of Corrector, with MAC 194 Synthetic Brush and then patting it with fingers is what I do. The Synthetic brush helps in less wastage. MAC 194 is a firm and flat brush and the size fits perfectly in my inner corners.

Also, the color of corrector matters. I was color matched to Dark Peach and its always better to get an expert do this for you. The corrector being Peach in color, if applied on any other area where there is no Blue/Purple darkness will stand out exactly the shade it is PEACH!!

How does this corrector works?
Well, it’s a simple color theory. Concealers with Yellow or Neutral color base can not cover blue/purplish dark circles, but Peach or Salmon color base masks the Blue/Purplish tones.

It does a fantastic job and many times I just don’t need Concealer at all! It is a must to set the whole under eye area with a loose Powder and I use Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in Shade 2. This prevents melting or creasing of the under product used, and stays put the whole day.

The corrector retails for $22 a piece and comes with a mirror. It’s in a tiny, compact container. Sephora has started carrying BB products, which is great, because now I can stock it up during FF sale.

It’s a lovely product and definitely lives up to its expectations. I have heard very good things about Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer or something like that. Would love to try that some day.

What are your thoughts on Correctors? Did you ever Try any one of them? Did they work for you?

MONDAY MORNING....

2010-09-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all my Friends,

Hope you all are enjoying the weather change. Me too, but not my son. Now he got sick. Its really bad, because now he has to miss school Again! Doctor advised Rest and some basic Medication. So thats fine. I just have to do formalities and paperwork for school and then attend him the till feel better.

Last week was pretty jampacked with work. Not to mention the initial weeks at school are hectic aswell (as a parent). Those Back to School Nights, PTO Meeting, Welcome famillies etc etc.

Will resume back in full swing, with full fledged blogging soon. This week will see a few pending posts for Bobbi Brown Corrector, Concealer and LM Brightening powder. All very amazing products.

I am sure you will enjoy them. They are essentials!!

Have a great and happy week ahead.

xoxo,

dazzling...sparkling...me!!

BEAUTY BUYS -- MAC

2010-09-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just
thelistof things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab',
'review'aboutin next few posts!!! Call this a 'Preview'...

I picked afew things from MAC before going on my Vacation. Actually I just went to pick a Brown Eye Liner, but then ended up buying a few more stuff.

Goodies I picked:

1. MAC Power Point Pencil in Stubborn Brown. (This is not as amazing as I had expected)
2. MAC Mineralize Blush in Gentle. (Total impulse buy)
3. MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup (Creemsheen Formula)
4. MAC 188 Brush. (I hardly buy brushes from MAC stores, prefer CCOs, but my CCO was not getting this one since long time. Finally I spent...I hope it works as I have expected!!)

Did pick a few Nail polishes from Sephora, but I will do a collective Nail and Foot care stuff Haul.

LORAC - Behind The Scenes Eye Primer

2010-09-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

LORAC - Behind The Scenes Eye Primer

Behind The Scenes Eye Primer is a gentle, lightweight eyeshadow primer that
is free of oil, fragrance, and parabens. It is a crease-resistant formula
that holds pigment in place for long-lasting, stay-true color. It easily glides
on the eye lid and the silky-smooth finish minimizes flaws and imperfections on
the lid.

Formulated WITHOUT

Parabens
Sulfates
Synthetic Fragrances
Synthetic Dyes
Phthalates
GMOs

I had no idea that something like this existed. It came with my LORAC Little Black Palette. Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original) is my HG Primer and I never felt the need to try any other eye primer. I had tried Too Faced Shadow Insurance and unfortunatley it didn't work for me.
This on the other hand was a pleasant surprise!! Its light weight, spreads easily and does not leaves the lid oily. The shadows stay put and does not creases after long hours of wear. Its not drying either. Pretty balanced I should say.

This comes in a tube, which is good. No wastage business. There is no fragrance and it does not changes the color of the lids, though evens out the lid skintone.

Its a good alternative to my UDPP and I would not mind buying a full tube next time, I run out of UDPP. Loving LORAC as a Brand...

What do you think of LORAC as a Cosmetic Brand? Any Favorites from this Brand?

MONDAY MORNING....

2010-09-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks...

Hope you all doing well. I am back from my Vacation from Florida, all tired and Tanned!! I seriously need another vacation from this one. The place is freakin hot and humid. It was fun though.

I have loads to ramble and I need free ears. A random rambling post to follow soon. Please lend me your ears...lol!!
I did miss blogging though. The posts that kept appearing on the journal were scheduled one. I will be answering the comments and reading my blogroll soon.

No Cosmetic purchases at this trip, though I did buy some silly Disney stuff. You know how those are. I have an old Beauty Buys to share and have my August Favs to post. Would you like to see the favorite post now?? I usually don't have the most amazing finds, but I do have some cute jewelry to share. Just let me know if interested and I can post that one.

Ok, need to sign off. I will be bugging you around asusual. Have a great week ahead.

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!!

NARS BLUSH - MADLY

2010-09-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

NARS BLUSH - MADLY

I knew this would never work for me, but one of my favorite YOU TUBE GURU raved and raved about this and you all know it can be very impressive at times the way these GURUs talk. I HAD TO HAVE it. I bought and as expected MADLY didn't show up at all on me!!

NARS BLUSH - MADLY (different light setting)

Its a pretty color and the NARS describe it as Sea-Shell Pink. Even though the name has pink in it, the blush looks very much neutral brownish, greyish with a hint of Mauve/Pink.
It is not aflat matte blush, but does has some micro shimmer thing going on. Not OTT glitter, so that can be excused. The end result is just sheen, no sparkles.

Like all NARS blush, no complains with the finish or blending. The texture is soft and smooth. Not chalky at all. It blends in very nicely.

This is one of those colors, that will make your cheeks, 'my cheek, but better', if you are anywhere near NC25. NC 30 might find it OK, depending on the skin undertone. NC35 might get a hint of 'something' on their cheek, but I doubt any color. I am pretty sure it would not show up on NC40 plus girls.

The color would surely be Amazing for light skintones. The blush is Nice, but not for me.

What was I thinking when I picked this? Hot Pinks like DESIRE show up on me, not something like Seashell pink!!!!

What is your Favorite Blush from NARS?

TARTE CLEAN SLATE FACE PRIMER

2010-09-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

TARTE CLEAN SLATE FACE PRIMER

A lightweight, emollient face primer that helps makeup stay in place
longer while preventing creasing in fine lines and wrinkles. Unlike other
primers, Clean Slate™ contains natural fruit- and plant-derived extracts to
treat, protect, sooth, and hydrate the skin.

Formulated WITHOUT:

Parabens
Sulfates
Synthetic Fragrances
Synthetic Dyes
Petro-Chemicals
Phthalates

This primer contains Skinvigorating™ ingredients such as avocado oil, which is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, D, and E, and safflower seed oil, a vegetable-derived oil with moisturizing capabilities. Echinacea root extract has anti-bacterial properties that have been known to decrease inflammation, and rosemary leaf extract is known to increase blood circulation. Hibiscus flower extract contains antioxidant properties that help to restore skin's elasticity.

This was a little Deluxe Sample that I had got sometime back from Sephora. It is pretty similar to those Silicone based primers. It has the same slippery, silky feel on skin after application. The product is Light weight and is absorbed nicely by the skin. It does not dries to a powder finish, but does leaves the skin slightly matified.

The foundation applies well and stays put, without looking patchy or greasy by end of the day. I tried it under Foundation just twice in very hot and Humid climate, but used a lot with my tinted Moisturizer. It does not leaves skin greasy at all.

The product is a Translucent, white gel with absolutely no fragrance.

I like this better than my Smashbox Primer, the one with Dermaxyl Complex. That one used to get bit oily by end of the end. I would not compare it to Benefit Bad Gal, because its a Brightening Primer. Cargo Blu-Ray one is cream to powder finish and Urban Decay Pore Perfecting one targets the pores.

The best thing is this primer contains many natural ingredients and has no SPF like NARS one, because the SPF, even though protective, just leaves the skin too sticky and the stickiness doubles up if you are using moisturizers or foundation that has SPF aswell.

Happy with the sample...Definately on list for full size purchase!

Have you tried Tarte Clean Slate Primer? What is your Favorite Primer for face?

MAC Purple/Plum (Red Tone) Eyeshadows

2010-09-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

These are a few MAC Purple/Violet/Plum eyeshadows that has Red Undertones to them. I had clicked these pics long time ago, just totally forgot to post them.

Colors I have are:

Star Violet: This is a Veluxe Pearl Finish and MAC describes it as Pinky Brown Plum. It is pretty true to its description. The blend of Plum with Brown is lovely and the redness imparts the needed warmth. The color is warm toned and does not looks bruised at all on my skintone. I love to pair it with the obvious Golds. It would look good with Orange and Greens too, but I just never wore it that way. A lovely color, if you want to avoid a very reddish color like MAC Cranberry eyeshadow.

Hepcat: The MAC people describe it as Jazzy deep blue Wine. I don't see much Blue in it though. I find its a complex mix of Magenta, Pink and Purple. It is pretty close to another color Plum Dressing in pan, but on swatching Hepcat has more Pink and Purple, with more metallic finish. Its a frost finish and has an amazing shine. This sheen turns into netallic sheen when applied wet with fixed plus. It has cool tones and works beautifully with Greys like Silver Ring and Knight Divine.

Stars and Rockets: I like this funky name and the color is funky aswell. Its a Veluxe Pearl finish and is Duochrome. Sometimes it look pink, sometimes Purple. I do see some blue in it. The color is pretty complex to categorize. I do see lot of pink, so its here. Its a cool toned shade and I find its not much flattering on me. A lovely Unique color for sure, with amazing pigmentation.

Nocturnelle: This is a frost finish and looks stunning in pan. It lacks in pigmentation department. I like to layer is over Black base and that base makes such a difference. Its one of my favorite way to use this color. The color is a deep purple with Pink tones. Along with all the other shadows here it appears to have blue tones, which is true to some extent, but in comparison with Parfait Amour and Satellite Dreams, this appears to be leaning on Pink side. The color makes nice combination with Golds.

Plum Dressing: This is a Veluxe Pearl finish and is Pinky Purple. The pigmentation is not amazing, but still good. The texture makes it easy to work with. This is close to Hepcat, but is more warmer than Hepcat, which has more of Pink going on. This does not has too much of sheen or metallic finish. Plum Dressing is comparitively closer to Cranberry shade. Looks great with Golds and Oranges.

Sketch: This is a Velvet. Not the best finish in my book. Its hard to blend. The color is Gorgeous. Its a Burgundy with red shimmers. Pretty much on the same lines as Shadowy Lady, which I have in a quad. It is a good color to darken the outer 'V' area in an eye look and makes a rich eyeliner color. It has a slight hint of Plum somewhere.

These are a few Purples in my Palette that stay next to each other. These colors are very complex and the Categorization of color is mostly based on their appearance to my Naked eye.

MAC 249 Brush - Review

2010-09-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

'Tool Talk' is a fancy name for posts where I would talk about Beauty Tools,Hair
Tools or for that matter any 'Tool' that we 'humans' use to groom ourselvesand
make life easier and prettier!

A flat, firm, Paddle shaped shader brush with Synthetic Bristles. This brush is a bit big for my eyes though.

Its a good brush for using Cream or gel based products. I like to use this for my Benefit Creasless Creme shadows and Paint pots. Its firmly packed and is flat without ant fluffiness, so it picks good amount of product without any wastage.

It can double up as a concealer brush for a thin concealer application, but does not works well under the eyes because of its size.
I like the firmness of this brush and I wish it came in size like the MAC 242.

Retails: USD 28.50

WET N WILD CREME LINER

2010-09-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

A drugstore creme liner, that really made headlines in the Beauty Community. I too went ahead and Picked a jar. This is the best thing about Drugstore products. They are affordable enough to just TRY a hyped product without actually repenting if it turns out 'meh'.

For me, this one didn't do the trick. Sorry!!! I have heard that people disliked this product once, but then liked it again when bought the second time. Bad Batch theory....I won't spend another $3.50 for sure.

OK, so enough rambling....Lets dissect the product.

The Container: A plastic container, with a lid. Its not a good lid. The screw caps, not fitting the grooves well. My experience says, Gel or Creme Liners dry quickly in plastic containers and last longer in Glass Containers. Just my Opinion. I may be wrong...

The Brush: It comes with a Crapy Brush and I could never understand, why the liners come with this kind of brush, that is so harsh like a broom and so thick!!

The Color: Perfect Jet Black. Love Love the color. Real Black. This freakin thing stays forever. It does not budge at all.

The texture: This is a Creme liner. It was bit thick and I had to rub the brush back and forth to get a good amount of product. I could draw an even line easily for first 5 to 6 uses, but then later it started behaving funny. I believe the product is drying. Now I can't get an even application and the line edges are broken (I hope I am making sense)

I would prefer GEL LINER over Creme Liners any day. By gel liner, I mean the brush should sink in easily, pick good amount of color and draw a line easily.

For the staying power alone, it gets full mark, but I am sure it would dry again if I plan to get a new one, simply because the packaging is not good.

What are your Favorite Drugstore Eye Liner?

E.L.F SHIMMERING WHIP

2010-09-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

E.L.F Shimmering Whip

E.L.F does makes make-up affordable. My target does not carries E.L.F Products, but this was just an extra in one of my swaps.

Just like the name suggests, its a Shimmery product, a Highlighter, Illuminator kind of product.

E.L.F Shimmering Whip in Lilac Petal

This comes in Variety of shades, which is something that not many Brands have. Usually I have seen liquid Highlighter either in cool, silvery finish or Warm Gold Finish, but never in Multiple shades.

The Texture: Its pretty thick, not goopy. Its light weight, but slightly sticky, which is good. Good because the thickness and stickiness makes the product stick well to the skin and last for a decently long time.
It dries in fast, Superfast. It hardly gives anytime to spread and blend the product. Infact, the product is difficult to blend due to its Sticky'ness' and quick drying. It just 'sits' on the skin and looks very unnatural. Once dried, its even difficult to move or correct the mistakes. It looks like a frosty mess when unblended. This was the major Drawback.

The Scent: It has a fruity, citrusy scent. Its ok, not too Overwhelming.

The Color: I have the one that goes by the name Lilac Petal.
It is a Champagne, Pinkish color which has Silvery finish and is too frosty. I think it will work better for Lighter or Cooler Skintones. This stuff is not Sparkly at all.

It retails for $1.25, which is very affordable and I think a makeup artist will find good use for this product. It is great for spot Highlighting. It sticks well. I personally didn't find the product working for me at all. I wish it gave me some more time to blend and not dry so quickly. For the price, it is a good one though.

Did you try E.L.F Shimmering Whip? Which Colors are worth Trying?

Clinique: Even Better Skintone Corrector - Review

2010-08-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Clinique as a brand hardly disappoints me with their skin care line. I have used and liked many of their Products and this EVEN BETTER SKINTONE CORRECTOR is no different.

I have been using this product since past 13 weeks or more and the results have been pretty satisfying.

If you have been reading my posts for sometime, you probably know that my main skin concern is uneven skin tone, Hyperpigmentation, Dark Spots. I have no issues with Acne, Scarings etc, but the over all skin tone is very uneven.

Ironically the name of the product is EXACT answer to my problem.

Application: AM and PM
Duration: 13 weeks plus

The Texture: The texture is soft, liquidy lotion (not watery nor thick as cream or gel). It is very light weight Serum, that spreads very easily, which is why not a lot of product is needed. The product gets fully absorbed in the skin and does not leaves the skin greasy or sticky. It does leaves a moisturized feel. If you are someone with oily skin, you might not want to use this under your makeup, but my skin leaning towards drier side, I enjoy its moisturized feel that it leaves.

The Fragrance: It has a mild fragrance, but nothing that would bother. I can’t even pin point what exactly it smells like, but whatever it is, its non bothering.

The Effect: My regular use of this as an AM and PM routine has shown decent difference in my skin tone. It appears more even. If I pick one particular hyper pigmented spot or area on my skin, I would not say its completely gone, but the over all appearance of the skin is good. It appears very clean and Bright. I would not compare it to fading creams, that has Hydroquinone which targets on the Melanine Production of a Hyper pigmented spot.

I also noticed my skin has not developed any new uneven patch or darkness around my mouth area. I must also admit, I didn’t see much difference for the first 4 weeks, but around 6th week the face was telling a different story. I was pretty religious too with using the product.
For the first 3 weeks I was using Philosophy Hope in Jar too, but then I stopped using it because it was difficult to understand which one was working and how.

The Packaging: It comes in a bottle, with a pump. The best thing is, the bottle can be opened and is not sealed. This is good, because it gives me the option of checking the product status when I am running low.

It’s a good product to try if you have a skin condition similar to mine. Regularity and Patience are needed the most, so is liberal use of Sunscreen.

What are your Favorite products for Hyper pigmentation and Uneven Skin tone condition? Have you used this Product? Did you like it?

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-08-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hello my Dear Friends...

Let me begin by saying, I am not Lazy and I am not neglecting the blog and I do love Make-up and this Cosmetic Journal...but I am just busy being Mommy and Back to School stuff, Bus Adventure rides and Parents- Student Oriendation.....Phew!!!!

Just had a busy week and expect a busier week ahead, with a pre-planned Vacation in the week to follow. Will try and update the blog with some pre-scheduled posts. I really hope you guys stick with me...

Had a chance to see the MAC Nail Polishes, that are released. Nice Colors!! Obvioulsy I like the one that was a dirty muddy kinds. Its called Earthy something. I had already hauled a few nail polishes from Sephora a day before I saw these. It looked pretty close to the Under my Trenchcoat from OPI Sephora that I picked. I may not be sure, but they did look same...

Also lemming the Lithe Pigment, but I will wait till it hits my CCO. From MAC I did haul a bit for a Brush and some regular stuff. Will try and share the pics soon. VOGUE FALL issue came in mail and its really really heavy!! Nice boots and Coats...

Enough Rambling from me...Hope you guys doing good as always..

Have a great week Ahead

xoxo,
dazzling...sparkling...me!!

Finally!!!

2010-08-25T14:48:00.001-07:00

NEW PACKAGING FOR UDPP a.k.a URBAN DECAY PRIMER POTION.

No idea if this is a Permanent change or LE stuff, but isn't it COOL???

SHOWER POWER!!

2010-08-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me why 'THAT' Title for the blog post. I was just trying to be CREATIVE...lol!!

These are a few goodies from HomeGoods. I like that store a lot. Especially, the Stationaries and bath products they carry. Also I enjoy to 'look', 'read' food products that they have. The homemade Jams, the spices in cute jars and all the other stuff. Never did buy any food products/edible stuff from that store though (freshness issues/expiry dates)

Packaging is always very important for me, when I go to buy bath products. Surprisingly Modern Packaging is something that never attracts me when it comes to Bath Products. Obviously, they are funcational, hygenic and easy, but somehow the SPA like things are more attractive.

The crisp paper packs, the wooden scoop, the old fashioned tins, Ropes tied around a ceramic pot and everything 'old style' looks very attractive to me. Not to mention the words like "Exotic", "Enriched", "Natural Oils" all add to the 'Purity and Freshness' of the product. Also when I read the names of Herbs and Flowers and stuff that are printed on the pack, it takes me to the Mountain ranges, makes me Virtually Visualise the serenity and Beauty of some amazing places.

Candles is something that is equally soothing in Shower and around Bathtubs, but Unfortunately my Apartment Bathtub is tiny. So Candle territory is not so well explored by me in Bathroom.

As much as I enjoy these stuff, I still feel LUSH is a bit to Heavy on Scents!

Totally excuse the lack of words....I am no writer and these are the only basic words I know to express, but you get the idea... A totally Random Rambling...Obviously!!

Do you enjoy EXOTIC Bath Products, HERBAL Shower Goodies?? Any Brand Suggestions?

BEAUTY BUYS: BENEFIT

2010-08-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

'BEAUTY BUYS' is another term coined for the infamous 'HAUL'. Its just thelistof
things I buy and the ones you will hear me 'yak', 'blab', 'review'aboutin next
few posts!!! Call this a 'Preview'...

A totally unplanned purchase! Then again, when is a Beauty Buy planned anyways!!
BENEFIT counter at Sephora was having this CUTE GWP. A Bag (small) and a Luster Duster (full size) neatly nested inside a CUTE paper Bag, on purchase of 2 Items from the Brand. Well, CUTNESS killed me. No seriously!

What is the whole point of having a cute, small paper bag? I didn't care least for Luster Duster, because the color is a pale Pink one, something that Lighter skintones would enjoy (In my opinion, though I have yet to open it)

So for that Tiny Make Up Bag alone, the Goodies I picked:

1. BENEFIT Some Kind A Gorgeous (Deep)
2. BENEFIT Creaseless Creme Shadow (Busy Signal)

I like these H&M seasonal Catalogue/Magazines. The quality of paper is good, something that you don't get for free. So yes, apart from the fact that there are some nice funky outfits combos, that I won't wear, I enjoy looking at them and also its FREE!!

MONDAY MORNING...

2010-08-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hi my lovelies...

Like always, I start with the same obvious line....Hope you all doing well...

My weekend was good, but Hectic. I was busy hunting was some "summer accessories" and "Beach and Water Related" Product. Let me tell you, it was like searching Pearls in the Ocean..

The thing is, we are going to Disney Resort, Florida during the coming long weekend. I had totally forgot to stock up on the needed summer stuff in summer (Technically, its still summer...but for stores its Halloween)

Anyways, I managed to get some crapy footwear for water parks in Florida and some how managed to get Capris and Cargos...

I had to return the NARS Blush in Madly...It just didn't show up on me at all. I should have learnt the lesson by now, that colors like baby pink and Sea Shell Pink are no good for me...Oh well!

My Sephora stores didn't had the MUFE Metal powder in Golds. I have been excited about this product since ages. Just need to see them in person, before spending. The MUFE lipsticks though were pretty stunning. The texture was ok, kinda appeared on dry side though. I think because the testers are kept open all day, it felt dry to me. As usual UD Naked palette was "Sold out". Did haul something from Benefit, simply because they had a "cute" bag as GWP.

Last week my posts had some comments and that really made me smile. Keep them coming friends....I thank you all from my heart for visiting and leaving the suggestions. Some of them were really very helpful.

Signing off now...Have a great day and week Ahead...

xoxo,

dazzling...sparkling...me!!

LAURA MERCIER - TINTED MOISTURIZER

2010-08-21T02:55:00.000-07:00

Tinted Moisturizer

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is a sheer, lightweight formula with a hint of
color you can use in place of foundation for a natural finish and a healthy
glowing complexion. It contains a SPF 20 for the ultimate in anti-aging
prevention.

Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - Illuminating

A moisturizer with a hint of shimmering color.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating is a lightweight, buildable sheer
foundation formula that delivers a youthful, radiant finish.
Protecting skin from the damaging rays of the sun with SPF 20 protection, this skin-friendly formula contains a unique Dewy Complex that is proven to keep the skin
moisturized and better equipped to combat external aggressors and irritants.
Layer with other foundations for a custom blend and radiant finish. It's
dermatologist-tested.

Tinted Moisturizer is one of those products that either you love or hate. People who prefer heavy coverage, usually stay away from Tinted Moisturizers.

These are just like their name. TINTED MOISTURIZER! Duh! No Brainer…

Laura Mercier’s range of Tinted Moisturizers are most talked about. They come in 3 types.

1. Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
2. Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 -- Oil Free

3. Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 -- Illuminating

This can be a bit confusing, as the tube of primers and moisturizers all appear same. More Choice..More Confusion!
I chose the regular version.

Now, personally for me, my main issue with my facial skin is the uneven skin tone. I don’t have major acne marks or things like that to hide, but my chin is little darker than the rest of my face. My cheeks are pretty light. I tend to tan uneven and all I need is something to make my skintone appear even.
Foundations tend to give heavier coverage and I don’t like the all over feel of it. I prefer to restrict the use of foundations for special occasion.

Laura Mercier Tinted moisturizer is more of a sheer foundation. It does provides very sheer coverage, which is enough to make my skin appear even.
The product spreads easily and blends well. I use it by doting the product all over the face and then blend it with Sonia Kashuk’s Blending Sponge, which is damp. Sometimes I use my fingers too.
These have an SPF of 20, which is awesome for everyday use.

It does not appears patchy and lasts whole day. It has SPF, so by end of the day, the my face becomes bit sticky, but that ok. Its end of the day. The best thing is, the brand has good color selection. The MA at Laura Mercier Color matched me to shade Caramel, which appears very dark in tube. She said, its tinted moisturizer, so it will spread and blend sheer. It is a perfect match for summer, though I feel maybe in winter, I might need a shade lighter.

LAURA MERCIER TINTED MOISTURIZER -- ILLUMINATING VERSION

This is another of their Moisturizer, that has Illuminating Property. These come in 4shades and I have 2 shades, both as part of samples the MA gave me.

These too like the original version, spreads and blends well. They leave a lovely Luminous sheen. The sheen is not OTT glittery. It gives me a dewy look, but I am pretty positive, it will make oily skin people look more greasy. Also the SPF part makes the whole product a tiny bit sticky.

The MA told me, that the Illuminating part aka fine shimmers may reflect light and make me appear lighter if photographed. This did make sense because, even the color golden radiance which is so dark appears light on skin. The difference was noticeable. Even though the color matched me, it made me look Dirty. I would prefer the Original formula.

These come in Convenient, slim, easy to carry, lightweight squeeze tube, but it sometimes dispenses a lot more product than needed. Shaking the tube before use is advisable. Also setting the face with Loose Powder or setting powder is a must. I use MAC Mineralize Skin finish Natural to set the Moisturizer.

Cost wise its expensive. I mean $42 for something that I use everyday. …. I need to find dupes!!

A good product, if you are looking for light coverage and daily use.

NARS BLUSH -- TAJ MAHAL

2010-08-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

NARS BLUSH in TAJ MAHAL

This is one blush that I always heard was a good choice for warm toned ladies. It is supposed to be a 'Summer Blush' because of its warm tone.
It’s a burnt Orange, very Vibrant, Pigmented blush with micro gold shimmer. It is such a Beautiful color in the Pan. I don’t have anything like this in my Blush Collection. The only Orange cheek Product that I own is MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblend blush.

Swatch of NARS Blush in Taj Mahal

The texture of the blush is soft and fine. Like all NARS blushes it has an amazing Pigmentation. Taj Mahal Blush is true to its color. It does not turns red, pink, peach or for that matter to any other color on blending. It blends in well and lasts for long hours.

The application is kind of tricky. The color is Burnt Orange, so on my skin tone, if I apply more, it makes me look sun burnt. If I apply too less, it looks like a warm, orange bronzer (like Pumpkin) , which is not very flattering. If you are lighter skin tone, the ‘orange’ part of the blush is visible, but on my skin tone of NC42, which is really tanned now, it does not gives the flush that I was expecting. Even though this is a summer blush, I think it would be more flattering on me when I am a bit less tanned.

The blush looks beautiful in the evenings though. The shimmers are gold toned and they are soo micro fine that the glow imparted is beautiful.

I need to figure out a better tool to apply this. Also, how much quantity I pick matters too. I am liking the blush but Honestly I am not soo crazy about this now.
Its too early to just say that its not working. I need to spend some more time with it and try out various brushes.

Do you have NARS Taj Mahal or any Orange toned Blush? What do you feel about it? Any tips you guys can share?