ProductWhores

The Crown Jewels

Wow, do I love Stila's new Jewel Eye Shadows.  They're so pretty in their little containers, I almost didn't want to even open them, but I'm so glad that I did.  Continuing my obsession with all things sparkly and glittery, these fit right into my repertoire right now.  (Someday soon, I'll get over that, I promise.  Mostly because I don't even think there's anything sparkly left out there to buy).  The shadows are available in eight different shades and I've tried out four of them, all highly covetable.  I can't even pick a favorite, that's how much I like them.  (Although I have to admit, I gravitate towards Black Diamond because who doesn't love a shadow that's black with silver pearl?  That's a no-brainer).  The shadows do have a little sparkly fallout, but that's to be expected with glittery shadows, so it doesn't bother me a ton.  I've been using them wet for a more dramatic, pigmented look, but I also like using Citrine dry for a more subtle, work day sparkle (don't worry, my co-workers are used to it by now).  These almost make up for the fact that I've somehow managed to misplace (I'm not going to use the word "lose" because I'm convinced it's hiding somewhere in my apartment mocking me) Stila's Jewel Eye Shadow Palette from a few years ago.  Remember how awesome that was?  These are just as fabulous, only in single shades instead of a palette.  I must own them all!

Note: Samples of this product were sent to me by a PR representative working with Stila

Hop On The Venom Carousel

 

You guys, I really want DuWop's new Venom Carousel.  (Or at least, it's new to me since I just stumbled on it online).  I was OBSESSED with Lip Venom back in the day and I still am whenever I find it in my stash of way too many lip products, but since all the stores I go to stopped carrying DuWop, I tend to forget about it until I randomly come across it in my bag or bathroom.  (Apparently, I'm one of those "out of sight, out of mind" product whores).  But now that I've seen the Venom Carousel, I totally want it.  It's  six of the Lip Venoms available - Original, Moon Venom, Pink Shimmer, Venom Flash Gold, Venom Flash Silver and the new one, Blue Venom - and they're all full-sized.  That's a lot of Venom!  Also, it's only $49, which makes each tube a little over $8, basically a 50% (or more, in some cases) discount over buying them all separately.  Totally worth it, especially when I almost bought a $30 Chanel nail polish this weekend before I came to my sense and made myself walk away.  (Not that I haven't caved in that situation before, because I totally have no willpower when it comes to Chanel polishes, but this one I REALLY didn't need, so I'm kinda proud of myself).  Now I need to make it my mission to find a store around me that carries DuWop so I can just go pick it up instead of ordering online because that's always more fun.  Instant gratification!

 

Day & Night Neutral

Sue Devitt's Day & Night Neutral Palette is a definite thing of beauty.  I mean, she's actually chosen totally wearable shades and it comes in a lovely sleek silver case.  You get two blushes (one a pale peach and the other a deep rose), three eye shadows (light pink with a hint of shimmer, chocolate brown and a matte taupe) and three lip glosses (coral, mauve and nude).  You also get a small blush brush, and double-ended lip/eyeshadow brush.  I adore the colors (a perfect mix of colors for any skintone) and price is great ($37.50) but I do have a complaint.  I wish it came with a deep black or deep brown shadow (that you could line with) or a small eyeliner so you could really get a nice smokey eye for evening.  As this is limited edition (I hate when they do that!) I'm hoping they'll add a deep liner shade to the next palette and then it will be total perfection.

Feelin' Blue

I am completely obsessed at the moment with one of the new polishes from Zoya's Feel Winter Collection.  Kristen is a gray polish with a bluish hue to it that I've been sporting all week (and getting many compliments on!)  I like that it's not just a traditional gray - the blue definitely sets it apart from the other 15 bottles of gray polish I already owned - and it's a nice neutral without being boring.  I was actually over the gray shades after about a year of wearing them constantly, but Kristen's gotten me back on the bandwagon.  Now I wish my ULTA would get their new shades in so I could start loving some of those too...

Stila Rolls Out The Red Carpet

 

I was one of those people who loved Stila's last collaboration with E! and all of their Live From The Red Carpet fun, so I'm excited that they're doing it all over again.  This year, there are four products in the new collection - a Solar Lighted Compact W/All Over Shimmer Duo, a Bring Out Your Glam Eye Shadow Palette, a Smudge Stick Duo + Forever Your Curl Mascara and a Lip Glaze Trio.  They all look really fun, don't they?  I especially think I need the eye palette and the Lip Glaze Trio (because clearly, I need MORE Lip Glazes even though I already have a ridiculous amount of them).  And how cute is the eye palette, with the stars in the middle of the shadows?  E! and Stila have sucked me in once again!

iO Beauty

I swear I've tried about a million different skincare products - some I've loved and some I've hated and some, well, I've just been on the fence about.  I can't remember the last time, however, that I used a new skincare line and had other people comment on my complexion!  iO Beauty, the skincare line behind make-up guru Sue Devitt and nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot, has completely changed my skin, and all for the better.  I've been using their entine line for a few weeks and the results have been incredible.  Their Eye Concentrate is super-hydrating and sinks in quickly which I love (so many eye creams I've used are super greasy, but not this one), their Moisture Concentrate is brilliant-  uber-moisturizing and leaves skin so fantastically soft, but the true stand-outs for me are the Treatment Concentrate and Beauty Booster.  I use a few pumps of the Concentrate, mix it with a few drops of the Beauty Booster (which has all these fabulous antioxidants) and put on my skin before the moisturizer.  It smells lovely and really gives my skin a healthy glow.  I can't remember the last time my skin looked this with so little effort.  Love this line so much and am so excited to let you all know that on Feb 17 iO Beauty is launching on QVC!  So excited to see the amazing deals they will be able to offer.

Note: Samples of the above products were sent to me by a PR representative working with iO Beauty

True Hue

I've said it here a bunch of times before, but I normally think that blush is the most boring makeup item to buy.  I don't know why, but I do.  It's just... there.  But recently I've sort of softened my stance on that because I've tried a bunch of different blushes that I like a lot, so picking up more shades of them has been (dare I say it?) almost fun.  (I know!  Who am I?!)  The latest one I've tried out is Buxom's new True Hue Blush.  Available exclusively at Sephora, there are eight shades ranging from Seduction, a bright pink, to Tryst, a shimmering clay.  I tried out four different colors - Seduction and Tryst, plus Shangri La-La, a deep berry, and Breathless, a bright peach, and I'm really liking them.  The color is easily buildable, so you can use a light touch for a natural look or go heavy for a more diva-like appearance, and they last a good 8 hours or so on me before I notice them fading.  They're kind of expensive at $24 apiece, but you do get a lot of product in the pan for that amount, so it's not as much of a splurge as it seems like at first.  I may turn into a blush convert yet!   

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Buxom

Bouncy Blush

When I started seeing the advertisements for Maybelline's new Dream Bouncy Blush I got super excited - who wouldn't want a blush named "dream bouncy?"  I quickly ran out and had to hit up three Rite Aids to even find one (geez, must already be popular!)  I did manage to grab Rose Petal (a delicately irridescent light pink) and Orchid Hush (light lilac).  First of all, the blush has an awesome creamy texture that goes on so smooth it's ridiculous.  Both of the colors I have are pretty, but honestly, I wish I had one of the darker ones because these are both so light I have to layer on a few swipes before I can see it on my pale skin.  My recommendation - go out and buy Dream Bouncy but opt for one of the darker hues (there is a beautiful vibrant coral, but I can't seem to get my hands on it... yet!)

Join L'Oreal's FIrst Ever Twitter Chat!

This is very exciting!  L'Oreal Paris is going to have their first ever live Twitter chat next week!  Leading the chat will be their Consulting Dermatologist Dr. Gervaise Gerstner and she'll be chatting about all things skin care.  (Her first L'Oreal Paris ad for the new Youth Code Dark Spot Correcting & Illuminating Line has just started airing, so it's the perfect time to pick her brain).  She'll be talking about everything from hyper-pigmentation to acne and rosacea and what types of products are perfect for different skin types.  It'll be like having your very own expert right at your fingertips!  The chat will take place on Friday, January 27th from 3-4pm Eastern time and all you have to do to join is follow @LorealParisUSA on Twitter and tweet your questions for Dr. Gerstner to answer.  They'll even be giving away 25 Youth Code Dark Spot & Illuminating Serum samples over the course of the hour, so you might even win something.  Mark it in your calendars! 

Get Yourself Camera Ready

 

BB Creams are the hot new product in the makeup world, but Smashbox's new Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 is the first one I've tried.  Basically, they're sort of a hybrid of skin care and foundation, with Smashbox's version promising to "hydrate, prime, perfect, control oil and protect" skin.  What I like about is that it's an all in one formula, perfect for weekends or mornings when you only want to put one thing on your skin instead of going through all the steps of your routine.  I also like it as a primer - it definitely keeps my skin smooth and oil-free all day, which I kind of consider a bonus.  As far as a foundation, it leans more towards being lighter coverage - I would almost compare it to a tinted moisturizer - but it does get a little less sheer the more you put on, so you can build up more coverage.  I also love that it has an SPF 35 in it.  I'm militant about always wearing sunscreen and most makeup has (at best) an SPF of 15 or so in it, so to get one with more protection makes me very happy.  (Especially if I layer it over my actual sunscreen that has an SPF 50 - total overkill, but like I said, militant).  It's also fragrance-free, dermatologist tested and non-acnegenic, so anyone can use it and it's perfect for my sensitive skin.  Overall, I don't know if this'll replace my actual foundation every day, but it's awesome for the weekends and I'll definitely take it when I travel since it'll mean packing one tube instead of at least three or four.  More room for another pair of shoes!  I love beauty innovations!  

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Smashbox