ProductWhores

Extragalactic Color

Oooh, I love Urban Decay's Moondust Eyeshadows.  They're so bright and sparkly and perfect for a night out (not so much for daily use, but if you work in a creative field, you could probably pull it off).  So needless to say, I get very excited when new Moondust shades are released, because I know I'll be all set for all my weekend plans.  (Is it sad to sometimes put them on only to watch TV on the couch?  Nope!)  The two new shades that just came out are Midnight Blast, a dark, sparkly copper, and Extragalactic, a deep, sparkly purply-burgundy. Now I can't deny that the brown is gorgeous, but Extragalactic makes me swoon a little every time I open it.  (It's that easy!) It's just so, so pretty and sparkly and totally different from anything else I already have in my stash.  It's very pigmented, so even dry you get great coverage, but I almost always apply Moondusts wet because they're SO prettier that way (and they stick around longer).  It's always smart to wear a primer under any shadow, these included, because it helps minimize fallout and make them longer lasting.  You'll be able to dance all night still sparkling away!  Love, love, love these as much as ever and especially Extragalactic.  Don't let them pass you by!

Note: A sample of this post was sent to me by a PR representative working with Urban Decay

ColorStay Alllll Night

Ohhhh, I'm OBSESSED with Revlon's new ColorStay Creme Eyeshadows.  Love love love these.  I stumbled on the displays several times before I bought a few (because why start with one if they're on sale, right?) and now I seriously need to have them all.  They're like little pots of fun color that are under ten dollars each.  (Sometimes WAY under - they're normally around $8.50 each, but they go on sale a lot and if you play your CVS Extra Bucks right, well, the sky's the limit!)  They have a smooth, easily blendable formula that actually does stay in place for about eight hours or so layered over primer, and they even come with a handy little brush that slides right into the cap.  I wouldn't say it's a "great" brush, but it totally does the job for these creme shadows and it makes it even easier to toss one of the pots in your bag and go.  I'm also a big fan of the shades they chose to put out in what I'm (optimistically) choosing to believe is just the first set of releases.  There are twelve of them ranging from neutrals to greens and pinks, but my absolute favorite is the one pictured above, Black Currant.  It's this gorgeous frosty purplish-grey and it looks soooo good on.  I seriously reach for it every time I want to create a purple eye look now and if you could see the amount of purple shadows I have, you would know that that means something.  I also really like that you have a little time after you apply the shadows before they set so you can blend them (I'd estimate 30 seconds to a minute).  Gives you time to fix any mistakes before your look is set.  These are just all around great and it is now my mission in life to own the other six of them (yes, I already own half the shades).  Get yourself to a CVS immediately (also, while you're there, pick up one of these Chuao Baconluxious Chocolate Bars that they carry now. Sounds gross, couldn't be more amazing.  Trust me).

It's Pixi Time!

I love when brands do collaborations with social media stars.  I mean, who better to design makeup than the people who love makeup enough to talk about it constantly?  Judy Travis is a YouTube staple with her super popular beauty channels, so it only makes sense that Pixi would want to work with her.  She designed two palettes, each for a different use - one for lips and one for eyes - but I myself am not a lover of lip palettes (mainly just because it's hard to take them with you for touch ups on the go) so i haven't played around with that one much. But the eye palette?  That is delightful.  First of all, it's called ItsEyeTime, which I love.  And for $24, it's a great multi-purpose palette because while it's all nude based, the shadows themselves range from super light shades to super dark ones, so you can easily create everything from a neutral daytime look to a smoky eye for a night out.  I especially love the shimmer shades in it - they're sooo pretty.  All the shadows are really pigmented and blend easily, and on me, they last about 6-7 hours before they start to crease and fade.  All in all, a big success from someone who definitely knows what she's doing. I hope she creates another palette with Pixi.  May I suggest jewel tones this time?

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

Infallible Coverage

You know what's a great thing to find?  A good drugstore foundation.  Don't get me wrong, I love a fancy, high-end one as much as the next women, but when I'm on a budget and have to choose my spending carefully, I'd much rather have other makeup (or, you know, shoes) than a bottle of foundation for $50.  So when I find a good drugstore one that I would buy at double the price, well, it makes me very happy. Very, very happy.  L'Oreal's Infallible Total Cover Foundation is a scant $11 (or so - it depends on where you get it and what sales are going on, but in that general area) and performs so much better than half the foundations from Sephora I have in my bathroom.  The formula has a light texture and you only need a little to cover your entire face, so use it sparingly. (Making the price even MORE attractive, since the tube will last you a long time).  The coverage you'll get from it is medium to full, definitely not sheer, but not heavy enough to give you a mask-like look that some of the heavier foundations result in.  In fact, I would say that it looks totally natural on. It didn't dry out my skin at all either, which is key for a long-lasting foundation.  I will say that I didn't wear it for twenty-four straight hours to test their claims of it lasting that long (who would need that??) but I did wear it for about ten and it really only started to fade after about eight or so, which is definitely decent.  Overall, I'm really digging this one, especially at its price point.  I have to say, L'Oreal's really been my drugstore obsession lately and it's kind of nice getting excited to buy drugstore makeup again (I mean, not that I ever wasn't, but now I "really" am).  Super happy about this find. Highly recommend!

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

Drops Of Youth

Ohhhh, this stuff is really fun!  Which is not something I normally say about face products because, let's face it, they're mostly kind of boring.  Usually the most exciting they get is whether you pat or rub them on.  If a product I use comes with one of those little spatulas, I get all excited because it's something different (which is a sad glimpse into my world, but whatever).  But then along comes The Body Shop's Drops of Youth Liquid Peel and suddenly, skin care is fun again!  First of all, I can't even remember the last time I used a Body Shop face product, so that alone makes it unique.  I "think" I did when I was younger, but no specific products are jumping out at me, so I can't even swear to that with any certainty.  But they've had quite a renaissance and makeover recently and I'm really enjoying all the products I'm testing out from them lately.  So - Drops of Youth.  It's a liquid peel that you use by smoothing the gel onto your clean, dry skin, then massaging it in until all the dead skin clumps up and comes off in little balls.  It sounds gross, but it's actually really cool because you can see (and feel) it working, but it's not harsh or chemical-y at all - it's a totally soothing and relaxing experience.  I really like the feel of my skin after I use it - it's smooth and clean and it's helping to get rid of the dry, flaky skin I've somehow acquired in the past month or so.  And for a facial peel, it's very affordable at only $25 for 4.9 ounces.  That's a fairly big bottle, especially considering you're only supposed to use a little bit at a time and apply it at most twice a week. Definitely a good investment both monetarily and results-wise.  Get thee to a Body Shop and snatch this one up!  

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

Detox Your Eyes

So.  I don't know about the rest of you, but for various reasons (chief among them being politics) I haven't been sleeping well lately.  So of course, the dark circles underneath my eyes are even worse than normal.  And I hatttteee the way that looks. So anything at all that can help that is on my wish list.  So far, one of the best I've tried is Peter Thomas Roth's Cucumber De-tox Hydra-Gel Eye Patches.  The container comes with 30 pairs (60 patches) and a little spatula that lets you scoop them out and separate them from each other (surprisingly harder than you would think).  Once you put them on, they "stick" in place so you can walk around with them if you want to - although I recommend lying on the couch because why not, you deserve some relaxation!)  They smell vaguely cucumber-ish, not so strong that it's overwhelming or headache-y, but it's definitely there.  They're cool to the touch and feel gel-like, so they're fairly soothing, which is a nice side effect.  They stay on for ten to fifteen minutes and when you take them off, you're supposed to rub the leftover serum into your skin, but I never seem to have much to rub in (but that may be because I like the feeling of them on so much that I usually leave them for a half hour or so, so that may affect it).  Over time, the patches are supposed to help reduce puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles.  I haven't been using them long enough to judge all of them, but it's definitely reduced puffiness and I "think" my dark circles are getting a little less noticeable.  (I always find that so hard to tell because mine get worse if I don't sleep even one night, so it's really flexible).  But I do love the process of using them and how relaxing it feels so this'll definitely be one of those jars that gets used up.  Maybe my eyes will look twenty-five again by then!

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