ProductWhores

Love at First Blush

I have a ton of pink blushes, but far be it from me to resist one as good as Stila's new Love at First Blush.  (See?  Even the name is cute!)  I didn't even have any intention of buying it, but I was picking up something else at Sephora this weekend and it was right there in those little bins they put by the register to tempt you to buy more stuff and I saw it and knew it was coming home with me.  (So well done, Sephora marketing team!)  It's a gorgeous blush with three different shades of pink and a little shimmer to it in certain places, but the best part about it is the design on the powder.  Seriously, how adorable are the overlapping hearts?  It's almost too cute to use because I don't want them to go away.  I feel like for $14 it was an easily justifiable purchase since I use a lot of pink blush and when I'm putting on makeup at 8am all tired and annoyed that I have to work for a living (because I'm terrible at picking lottery numbers) seeing the cute design will make me moderately more cheerful.  (Well, that and the jumbo-sized Cafe Mocha that comes out of my Keurig every morning.  God bless that hard-working machine).  Do you think if I asked nicely, Stila would make these in a few other shades?  Maybe a nice plum, coral and light red?  Pretty please?

Ultimate Beauty Kit

'Tis the season for holiday palettes to start making their way into stores and Pixi's Ultimate Beauty Kit is definitely one to get excited over.  It has 32 eye shadows, 16 lip colors, and 8 blushes, so you get a ton of different shades to choose from.  Everything from cool to warm, matte to shimmery, neutral to dramatic...  It's like a full makeup wardrobe in one $40 package.  The only drawback is that it's a little too big to be easily portable, so I probably wouldn't pack it for a weekend away, but I would tuck it in my bag for a longer vacation since it would replace a lot of other palettes I usually drag with me.  I can't wait to play around with it and try out some of the color combos.  And as all good Product Whores know, Pixi is not only available at pixibeauty.com, but also at Target stores everywhere and on target.com.  How much do I love that I can get toilet paper, TGI Fridays Potato Skins AND this palette at one single store?  So much!

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

Stila Loves Roxy

I'm so glad that Stila continues to put out these palettes because, well, I'm enjoying continuing to buy them!  Despite the fact that I live in Los Angeles and have never surfed (because I'm clumsy and I know I'd knock myself out somehow, and also, uhm, sharks) this latest palette appeals to the hidden athlete in me.  (Hidden way, way down deep).  The Stila Loves Roxy palette has the same $14 price tag as the earlier summer palettes and it has four eyeshadows (Beach, Bikini, Bronzed, Water), a Cheek Color in Gold Coast, and a Highlighter/Bronzer in Swim.  Don't the shades look really pretty?  The colors are perfect for the end of summer here in Southern California, where it's still 100+ degrees.  Now if only I could rock that little bikini as well as the girl on the cover... 

Love And Empower Yourself

I can't wait to see "The Help" when it comes out this weekend.  How good does it look?  In honor of the movie, Stila is releasing a new Love and Empower Yourself Set available exclusively on their website.  The palette was inspired by the novel and it meant to flatter all skin tones, with its combination of plums and neutrals. The set also comes with a deluxe size Lip Glaze in the best-selling Apricot shade.  It looks really pretty, right?  I'm a little curious about the $29 price tag since it seems to be the same size as the Beach Palettes and those are only $14, but I guess the Lip Glaze is in there too, so maybe that's why?  Oh Stila, why can't I quit you?

Tarte Takes On True Blood

Okay, I admit it.  I don't watch True Blood.  I think I got a little vampired-out after so many years of "Buffy," because I don't like the "Twilight" series either.  (I know, I know, blasphemy!)  I do, however, highly covet all three pieces in Tarte's new True Blood collection.  The Tarte for True Blood Limited-Edition Palette is so fun.  I love the fantastic packaging, and for $52, you get 17 shadows, a full-size emphasEYES Aqua-Gel Eyeliner in black, a deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara, and a deluxe Lifted Natural Eye Primer.  It must be mine ASAP. 

The collection also includes a Tarte for True Blood Limited-Edition Natural Cheek Stain in a sparkling red shade and a Tarte for True Blood Limited-Edition LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint in an iridescent red shade. 

I already love Tarte's Lip Tints, but I'm all about red lips right now, so I definitely feel the need to add this shade to my collection.  It looks fabulous, right?  It's exactly the shade I would wear if I was meeting Angel for a late night date.  (Just typing the word "Buffy" has made me remember exactly how much I loved them as a couple.  Sigh...)

The True Blood collection is online at sephora.com now and will be available in Sephora stores and at ULTA in the middle of July. 

Striking In South Beach

The newest Stila Girl Travel Palette is up now on stilacosmetics.com.  I'm really digging this one with its blue and purple shades.  (And as always, the $14 price tag is fantastic).  Also, I really want to go to South Beach.  Why have I never been there?  This seems like something that must be fixed immediately.  Someone get on that!     

Lose Yourself

I am totally coveting NARS' Lose Yourself set.  I'm loving all bright shades right now, especially pinks and corals, and this set has some great ones.  For $49, you get a Blush/Bronzer Duo in Angelika/Laguna (cotton candy pink with gold flecks/brown with golden shimmer) and an Angelika Lip Gloss (cotton candy pink with gold and silver sparkle).  The set's exclusive to Sephora, where I saw it yesterday, and I was dying to walk out with it (but I very maturely restrained myself).  I'm trying to convince myself that I have enough blushes and bronzers and should just buy the gloss on its own, but seeing as how I have about 500 lipsticks, that argument isn't very convincing...    

Do the Cha Cha

Benefit's lip and cheek stains are legendary, so it's always exciting when they launch a new one.  Chachatint is the next shade to join their cult line.  Available starting in June, it's a mango tint that's a juicy coral shade perfect for summer.  (I'm so into the corals right now).  I've been trying it out for the past couple days and I'm totally loving it.  It stays put on my skin a crazy long time and I'm totally into the mango shade.  I know the product isn't available in stores for two months, but those of you who are already fans of Benefit should start the countdown now...

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

Cremeblend Blush

For every contour control freak, for every persistent perfectionist comes this wondrous way to play with blush that gives you the most magnificent flexibility you’ve ever had…  Starts creamy, stays creamy and proves once and for all that powder is NOT your only prerogative.  You can get back to a new build for that retro “rouge” look – Old Hollywood Glamour made modern – or stop at subtle and natural; it’s all in your hands.  In three aspects, two shades of each: One matched to skin, one for a brighter glow and one darker for cream contouring, it’s perfect for all skin colours, minus the silicone, particularly adept at preventing ashiness on darker complexions.  Make powdery a thing of the past.

Here are the shades in the collection:

• So Sweet, So Easy - Bright yellow pink
• Something Special - Light coral
• Posey - Warm peach
• Ladyblush - Warm neutral coral
• Brit Wit - Dusty rosey mauve
• Tea Petal - Mid-tone reddish brown

How cute are their names?  I totally want to buy Brit Wit and Tea Petal for the names alone!

The Cremeblend Blushes retail for $19.50 and are on MAC counters and at maccosmetics.com starting today.

Lip Twins

On any given moment, I have about 47 products at the bottom of my purse, making it heavier than most people's carry-on luggage.  (I can't help it!  What if I wear a nude gloss to work and then go out after work?  I'd be missing my new red gloss and that would just be tragic).  Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be one of those little old women you see walking around all hunched over, and it's not even going to be because I don't drink enough milk, it's going to be because I can't stop buying lipsticks.  That's why any time I can find a product that multitasks, I'm all over it.  Pixi's Succulent Lip Twins (awesome name, by the way) is a fun combo of lip balm and cheek tint, all in one small little package.  (I actually didn't even realize that it was a combo product when I first looked at it because of the way it's packaged.  Or because I'm not very smart.  One or the other).  When you uncap the lid, you'll find a lip balm that's full of ingredients to nurture your skin, like shea butter and aloe vera.  Then when you unscrew the cap, you'll reveal a cheek tint in a matching shade to brighten up your complexion.  Two products for the price of one - it's the perfect multitasker!  It's available in four different shades (I tried out No. 2 Coral Camellia, a bright coral shade) and it's a great deal for only $18.  (My only issue with the product is that I found the lip balm a tad drying, but since I really like the shade, I just used one of my many Chapsticks over it).  The cheek stain wasn't drying at all though and it lasted a good part of the day on me, so that was a definite plus. 

You can buy Pixi products at Target (in fact, it's a perfect excuse for a Target run!) but you can also order them on their newly redesigned website, pixibeauty.com.  It has a lot of cool new features, like a complexion-matching tool to get expert advice on shade selection, and a Pixi Rewards Program to collect points towards future purchases.  Definitely worth checking out!

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