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Deep Thoughts with Caress Sheer Twilight Fine Fragrance Elixir Body Wash in Black Orchid and Juniper Oil…

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Deep thoughts I have in the shower while using the new Caress Sheer Twilight Fine Fragrance Elixir Body Wash in Black Orchid and Juniper Oil…

Caress Sheer Twilight

  • Who would win in a fight between Twilight’s Vampire Edward and True Blood’s Vampire Bill? How about the same fight between Vampire Edward and Vampire Eric?
  • What if Vampire Bill fought Angel from Buffy?
  • Would the Cullen family, self-professed “vegetarian vampires,” drink True Blood? And if so, would they buy it in cases from Costco?
  • Is it possible for vampires to turn their pets, and if so, should they? If I had to live for eternity as a member of the undead, I’m sorry, Tabs, you’re coming with me.
  • If you’re human and the sight of blood makes you queasy, does that queasiness carry over if you’re turned?
  • Would Vampire Eric use this new Caress body wash (in the shower, naked)? How would he feel about warm, cozy scents?

LOL! All it takes is the word “twilight” on the bottle to get me thinking about hot vampire dudes… 🙂 I wonder if that’s what Caress wanted when they chose the product’s name.

As far as affordable drugstore shower gels go (THREE BUCKS!), this one’s not half bad. It uses something Caress calls their “silky fragrance infusion,” which for me basically translates into the scent lasting and lingering on my skin long after I step out of the shower. Officially, the fragrance is described as black orchid and juniper oil, but it reminds my nose of Pottery Barn potpourri.

It’s not the kind of scent I’m usually drawn to — I tend to prefer fresher, brighter, more citrusy florals or scents with watery notes — but I like the execution here. I can see gals who love spicy, cozy fragrances and scents like warm amber and vanilla liking it, too.


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Wow, This Is Big: Flirt! Big Flirt Sheer and Shiny Lipgloss

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These new Flirt! Big Flirt Sheer and Shiny Lipglosses ($15.50) are like the Big Gulps of the gloss world. They come in super-size tubes with big@ss doe-foot applicators similar to the ones on the large-and-in-charge Lipglasses from the MAC Wonder Woman collection.

Flirt claims their massive “megatip applicator” helps them cover up to 170% more surface area than a standard doe foot…

That’s a lot of lip! I don’t know how practical it is for someone with small lips (like me), but I think the big applicator looks kinda cool. The trick, however, is using it without getting gloss all over the place.


Berry Bombshell, Big on Beige, Big Blush, Big Pink Kisses, Big Time Nude, Bigger than Rose, Big Pink Sunshine and Coral-Me Fabulous


With a regular MAC Lipglass for size


With a MAC Lipglass doe foot for scale
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Today My Eyes Wanna Be Blue, and They Can with the Benefit Eye Wanna! Kit

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benefit eye wanna the maggie collection fotd

Some people keep their favorite book on their bed stand, others a bottle of holy water (My mom totally does! It’s in a bottle shaped like the Virgin Mary!). Me? — I have a space dedicated to whichever piece of makeup I’m currently crushing on. That way, it’s one of the first things I see when I get up in the morning. 🙂 Nerdy, I know, but it’s also true.

benefit eye wanna the maggie collection

Right now the space is reserved for the new Eye Wanna! kit from Benefit, which, last night, slept right beside my lamp. Perfect, because when my eyelids fluttered open this morning and my eyes adjusted to the light, the cute kit was there to greet me.

As I lay in bed contemplating the artwork on the packaging, I felt a familiar rustling under the covers and pulled them back to confirm my suspicions.

Tabs immediatlely grumbled a hello, raising his head. “Mrow.”

“Oh, good morning,” I said. “How did you sleep?”

He flashed me his usual disinterested stare.

“You think I should do a look today inspired by the artwork on this beautiful palette?”

He issued a purr-chirp in reply, which I usually take to mean, “I don’t care, woman. Get up and feed me some gravy, already!” But today’s I interpreted as a resounding “Yes.”

I chose this blue, taupe, pink and plum eye — a little out of my comfort zone, but I thought it might be fun to wear to the farmer’s market tonight.

benefit eye wanna the maggie collection fotd eye

benefit eye wanna the maggie collection fotd
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What’s the First Thing You Look for in a Mascara?

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What's the first thing you look for in a mascara?

I was thinking about priorities yesterday while testing the new Cover Girl NatureLuxe Mascara ($9).

For the mascara’s mousse formula, CG says they used beeswax instead of the synthetic polymers they would have normally used. The wax is supposed to thicken lashes but keep them feeling light at the same time.

Sounds great, right? My lashes are naturally thin and mousy, so volume is my top priority when it comes to mascaras (with length coming in a close second).
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It Takes You to Make the New Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune Palette Go Right

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Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune

One thing Givenchy limited edition makeup releases have never been lacking is style. Whether it’s a pan of powder embossed with an intricate floral pattern or a palette with clean, understated lines, Givenchy understands the words “special” and “fancy.”

Whenever I see Givenchy on a counter or dressing table, I’m almost guaranteed to utter “oohs” and “aahs.” Just like when Alcide bares his chest on True Blood, the visuals are just too dang good. 🙂

Performance-wise, the products may hit or miss, but they are quite capable of knocking it out of the park. When it comes to their two new Les Ombres de Lune Shadow & Light Eyes palettes ($58 each) for fall, color my smokey eyes impressed.

Each of the two new face and eye palettes comes with two powder products — a darker eyeshadow for use as a shadow or liner, and a shimmery highlighting powder for the eyes, cheeks and face. I’ve been alternating between the two of them, Les Lune Mysterieuse and Les Lune Mordoree, for the past week, and both have been fantastic for giving skin a glow and creating quick smokey eyes.

Lune Mordoree palette

  • A shimmery, cool-toned lemony chiffon gold
  • A cool sapphire blue with black undertones and subtle shimmer

Lune Mysterieuse palette

  • A frosty neutral beige
  • An ebony black with a subtle shimmer

Shoot, I thought the Velvet Eyeshadows from Benefit’s Maggie and Annie kits were soft, but these powders are even softer. They’re like snuggling with silky, blue-eyed, baby ragdoll kittens (awww).

And they’re right on point when it comes to performance, too, flawlessly blending with intense pigments, but no creasing, fading or fallout to hold them back.

Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune

Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune
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