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Product Reviews

Meet Tender Veronica Malibu Seaweed & Pineapple Body Scrub

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I love a good meat tenderizer as much as the next gal, but I didn’t expect to find one — make that two in my new body scrub!

No, indie skin care line Veronica Malibu does not have quality control issues at their manufacturing plant. The meat tenderizers I found in this jar of Seaweed & Pineapple Body Scrub ($28 for a 2-oz. jar) were added deliberately, and they make the product stand out in the crowded field of skin scrubs.

Lately, I haven’t been in the mood for abrasive or painful scrubs; I want something kinder and gentler, so when I found out that water, aloe vera gel and seaweed were the top three ingredients in Veronica Malibu’s new scrub, it piqued my interest.

I love aloe and always have. I had a plant once, but I left it in my dad’s care when I moved away to college. Bad move… Let’s just say, his thumbs weren’t vera green at that time. 🙂

This scrub’s a gel, so it has that slimy feel to it (which you’ll probably either love or hate), but I find it strangely refreshing. Among other things, the gel contains jojoba beads, papain (from papaya) and bromelain enzymes (compounds derived from pineapples); along with papain, bromelain is one of the most popular substances to use for meat tenderizing.
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Stila Long Wear Lip Color Lipsticks: The Long and Short of It

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stila long wear lip color swatches review

Things I wish were shorter:

  • Winter and the annual rainy season
  • The line at the DMV
  • Titanic (seriously, we already know how the story ends)

Things I wish were longer:

  • Summer
  • Cat lifespans (I might clone Tabs)
  • The wear time of these $20 Stila Long Wear Lip Color Lipsticks

It would make sense for the 16 permanent collection members of Stila’s Long Wear Lip Color Lipstick team to last a long time, wouldn’t it? I mean, Stila went out of their way to include the words “Long Wear” in the name, and they even wrote about wear time in the official product description…

“The next revolution in lip wear is here! A lipstick and lip gloss all in one that boasts extended wear while keeping lips feeling soft and smooth – never dry. The secret is a blend of patent-pending polymers that provide long-lasting wear with rich pigment that glides on like your favorite gloss. The tip of the pen is contoured to provide easy, precise application – hugging every curve of your lip.”

With that kind of pomp and circumstance, I expected at least 5-6 hours from these — but that’s about two hours longer than they actually last. 🙁

stila long wear lip color shades

I’ve tried three of the shades so far — Outrageous (a matte Mad Men reddish orange), Lover (a creamy deep red) and In the Nude (a creamy beige).

My eyes lit up the first time I saw them swatched on the back of my hand. “OOH!” I cried, “Look at how opaque and pigmented they are!”
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A Few Reasons to Fall in Love with Sonia Kashuk Fall 2010

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Clockwise from bottom right: Nail Colour in Tauped, Nail Colour in Stop Whining, Nail Color in Taunting Teal, Nail Colour in Rock Star, Nail Colour in Starry Night, Eye Shadow Quad in Brown Eyed Girl (yes, that pan in the upper left is broken!) and Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude

Think about it: there was a time before Sonia Kashuk (B.S.K.). Dark days, those were. We had to apply our makeup by torchlight in caves and used reflective pools of rainwater instead of mirrors.

Okay, no, that’s not how it was, but the drugstore beauty landscape did dramatically improve when Target started carrying Ms. Kashuk’s stuff.

She made drugstore beauty cool again, and judging by her massive 22-piece winter/fall 2010 collection of makeup bags (the majority of the collection) and makeup for eyes, lips and nails, she’s still going strong.

Let’s pretend we’re walking through Target together, and we stop in the beauty aisle. Ooh! Look at those Nail Colours, that Brown Eyed Girl Eyeshadow Quad and the Velvety Matte Lip Pencil in Rosey Nude (available at Target stores now).

What do ya think? 🙂

NAIL COLOUR IN TAUPED, STARRY NIGHT, TAUNTING TEAL, ROCK STAR AND STOP WHINING ($5)

These polishes feel even better than they look with a thin, cooperative texture that’s easy to apply. They pack a lot of pigment, too, requiring just two layers to reach opaque. While the colors themselves aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, I think they’re very pretty overall. Starry Night, a shimmery silver glitter polish in a smokey black base, has, however, been speaking to my soul. It’s saying, “You’re a rock star, baby.” I haven’t been wearing these long enough to gauge wear time, but based on ease of use, price and pigmentation, these are big time bargain stars.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-

EYE SHADOW QUAD in BROWN EYED GIRL ($11)

Hello, glitter! If you like the Urban Decay Stardust Shadows, then here’s a quad for you. Each of its four shades — a taupe, an espresso brown, a mahogany brown and a moss green — scream “I LOVE GLITTER!” followed by a whisper of color. I like how well the glitter adheres to the skin on my eyes without any annoying fallout, but I do wish these weren’t so sheer. A little more pigment wouldn’t hurt.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

VELVETY MATTE LIP CRAYON IN ROSEY NUDE ($8)

This matte pencil is like the love child of a lipstick and a crayon. Its shape makes it easy to wield, but I’m not quite sure why SK named it Rosey Nude, since I think it’s more of a bold rosey red, but I’m not complaining; the color’s hawt! It’s also a wee bit drying on my lips, but at least the formula lasts all day long.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B


Nail Colour swatches clockwise from lower left: Tauped, Starry Night, Taunting Teal, Rock Star, Stop Whining


Swatches from left on NC35 Skin: Eyeshadow Quad in Brown Eyed Girl (first four swatches), Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude (fifth swatch)
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Chanel Les Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection: Holiday Is the New Spring

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chanel les tentations de chanel holiday 2010 makeup collection swatches review photos

In case you didn’t get the memo, Holiday is the new Spring. Well, at least it is according to Chanel. To the traditionalists out there, the new Les Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection isn’t your typical holiday fare — you know, reds, golds and plums — but this isn’t the first time Chanel’s decided to mix it up.

CHANEL MEMO: From Tabs to Karl

Last year they celebrated summer for Christmas with blues, greens, golds and corals over the holidays. With a mix of pinks, fuchsias, browns and beige, this year they’re all about spring.

Like last year, lips are again light and carefree, shimmering and sheer. Rouge Coco in Magnolia ($30) looked like a pigmented shimmery pink in her tube but applies surprisingly sheer; even the Glossimers get in on the act, with the exception of Pleasing ($27), which does look opaque.

Cheeks are bright this time around (they were more golden last year) with the release of the super pigmented Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Fuchsia ($45), which, I’m happy to report, packs enough pigment and shine to show up on light AND brown-skinned babes (unlike the Too Faced powders we looked at yesterday), but lighter lovelies will only have to apply a little.

The eye products are kinda blowing my mind, particularly Ombres de’Eau in Splash ($32), a liquid shadow. It’s a shimmery pewter — a perfect combination of brown, gray and taupe. I’m also moved by the pink, beige, medium brown and dark brown shades in the Tentation Cuivree eyeshadow quad ($56). The colors lean toward the warmer end of the spectrum, and if you get a chance to check it out in person, take a close look at the medium brown (LOVE!). It’s got the cutest little bits of gold and pink glitter!

Chanel may have rewritten the traditional holiday color story again, but they certainly aren’t repeating themselves. Les Tentations de Chanel feels quite different from last year’s holiday release. It’s still Chanel, but where last year they took us to a fancy five-star resort, this year it’s a black-tie benefit all the way downtown.

Here’s are pics of 10 of the 16 items in the collection. Take a look, and let me know what you think. 🙂

chanel les tentations de chanel holiday 2010 makeup collection swatches review photos les tissages de chanel tweed fuchsia
Les Tissages de Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Fuchsia, $45

chanel les tentations de chanel holiday 2010 makeup swatches review photos collection tentation cuivre quadra eyeshadow
Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Tentation Cuivree, $56
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Will Your Lips Love $31 Guerlain KissKiss Strass in Rose de la Reine?

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guerlain collection les ors kisskiss strass rose de la reine review

Please tell me there’s room in the Lovely-Luxury-Lipsticks-That-Don’t-Last-Long-But-Have-Kick-Ass-Packaging Hall of Fame (or LLLTDLLBHKAPHOF for short), because I may have found their next inductee.

Llimited edition KissKiss Strass in Rose de la Reine ($31) is one of nine luxe ladies in the new Guerlain Les Ors holiday collection, pricey products from a line that’s been all about the bling since 1853.

Napoleon III’s wife loved Guerlain, so, ya know, budget’s not exactly their thang.

Like their $84 Écrin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette, this KissKiss (there are other shades in the KissKiss line) won’t break any records for bargain beauty, but compared to some of the other products in the collection — namely the $73 Midnight Star Extraordinary Radiance Treatment and $85 Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder for Face & Body — it’s a total steal!

Too bad it disappears quicker than a $20 bill on the sidewalk (lasts about three hours on the lips), but dayum — at least while it lasts it makes me feel like a million bucks.

A sheer and shimmery beige pink, Rose de la Reine reminds me of the Chanel Aqualumieres and Dior Addict High Shines. It has a similar mirror-like finish, smooth texture, a hydrating formula and, yes, suffers from a limited wear time, too.

Everything about it says, “luxury,” even the light rosy lavender taste and scent.

guerlain collection les ors kisskiss strass rose de la reine product photo cap detail
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Fred Farrugia Makeup Is Driving Me Matte!

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Wearing Fred Farrugia Semi Matte Lipstick/Matte Lip Powder Duo in 06 in lips and Pearlized Creme Eyeshadow/Twinkle Cream Eyeshadow Duo in 02 on eyes

Heya, princess of power. Who needs a He-Man when we’ve got Fred Farrugia? Here’s a closer look at a few of his products, including the modular makeup we talked about the other day.

Shout it with me now, “I HAVE THE POWER!!!”

SEMI MATTE LIPSTICK/MATTE LIP POWDER DUOS

The Semi Matte Lipstick/Matte Lip Powder Duos in 04 (a matte red) and 06 (a matte hot pink) are really rocking my world. This probably won’t come as a surprise, but each one comes with a creamy semi-matte lipstick and a pigmented lip powder. 🙂 Fred designed them to be used together. Using either fingers or a lip brush, apply a layer of the cream lipstick first, patting the matching lip powder directly on top. The result? A vibrant, highly pigmented, long-wearing matte lip look.

I can’t believe how easy these are to apply (I used my fingers in these pics). They’re non-drying and hang around all day long, even withstanding She-Ra sized meals! I just wish they weren’t so blasted tough to remove (not a big problem, though)… Good ol’ Kirkland wipes can’t take ’em down, but Clinique Take the Day Off Balm can.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

POWDER BLUSH IN 07

Another standout: Powder Blush in 07. It’s like a darker, more intense NARS Orgasm (a shimmery golden peach). The pigment in this peach does NOT mess around. The color leaps onto brushes that get anywhere near it, and even a small amount delivers a pretty flush. Skin also agrees with it, lapping it up like a sponge. But a word of caution: it’s so intense, SO VIVID, that it can be a little tough to control. My mantra’s been dilute, dilute, dilute!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-

PEARLIZED CREAM EYESHADOW/TWINKLE CREAM EYESHADOW DUO IN 02

If you like the way you look wearing glossy eye creams, you might really dig the Pearlized Creme Eyeshadow/Twinkle Cream Eyeshadow Duo in 02. It comes with a shimmery purple and a glittery gray, both of which deposit lots of pigment and shine. I must say, I love how easy they are to blend and apply, but neither one lasts very long on my skin. And they move around A LOT, making their way into creases almost as soon as they’re applied. I see them probably working better as bases for powder shadows than as standalone eyeshadows. I guess they just like having company. 🙂
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

fred farrugia makeup review lip pink closeup
Semi Matte Lipstick/Matte Lip Powder Duo in 06
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I Can See Right Through the Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit (And I Like What I See)

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too faced leopard love palette review

I swear, this is just the coolest thing ever. As people, we get a lot of great makeup released specifically for us, so it’s refreshing to finally see a major cosmetics company like Too Faced release a palette designed specifically for cats! — BIG cats no less.

Okay, not really. To clarify, you do not have to be a leopard or even a cat lady who loves leopards to love the Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Palette ($30). You do, however, probably have to be a girl who likes super sheer color.

Too Faced released it a while back with some other goodies for fall, but I only recently started wearing it out.

It comes with three different powder products — a bronzer, a blush and a brightener — and one of them’s already a star. The brightener, which goes by the name Pink Leopard, happens to be a big bestseller from the brand as a member of the permanent line, but the other two products are new — otherwise known as “previously undiscovered species of cats.”

Pink Leopard: a shimmery golden brown with the faintest hint of pink
Candy Leopard: a shimmery pink
Peach Leopard: a semi-matte peachy brown

The palette’s designed to be a one-stop color/contouring/highlighting shop for girl cats of all skin tones.

too faced leopard love palette review back

too faced leopard love palette review box
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These New Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners Live Exclusively at Sephora

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benefit creaseless cream shadow swatches review purple snap tidal wave silver spoon

I feel like I’ve been robbed of a Tuesday afternoon. Seriously, where’d it go? One minute I’m playing with a few of the new Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners ($19 each; exclusive to Sephora), and the next minute it’s dark and I hear crickets outside!

benefit creaseless cream shadow swatches review purple snap tidal wave silver spoon back

Maybe I was just having so much fun finger painting my lids that time got away from me.

I know I’ve gushed over Benefit’s Creaseless Creams many times before. I’m like a broken record with them, “Benefit Creaseless Creams! Benefit Creaseless Creams!” Sorry. It’s just that I like ’em that much.

More on the Benefit Creaseless Creams…

And now with Purple Snap, Tidal Rave, Silver Spoon and Icy White showing up at Sephora, I better warn you — I’m going to do it again!
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