BSB: Beauty news, makeup swatches and pictures, nail polish articles, makeup tutorials, product reviews, and how-to's from a MAC-trained makeup artist.

LOTD - Thursday, 2/28

Stare into my crazy eye! I surely look wide-eyed here, no!?

I kind of slapped on some Urban Decay colors today. I primed the eye with MAC Paint Pot - Painterly, as always, and topped it with Urban Cowboy on the lid and above the crease. In the crease: Stray Dog. I was bored with that look, so I tossed some Flipside around the lashline, top and bottom.

I'm still messing around with Make Up For Ever's Aqua Liner, so that's on the waterlines - top and bottom. Lashes: Clinique 's Lash Power. Brows are MAC's Brow Shader in Porcelaine/Browning.

Cheeks were MAC Dame and Belightful to highlight. Foundation was MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Light) topped with Fix+.

Lips were simple today: Prep + Prime Lip, then Plum liner and Pleasing Slimshine.

That's all, folks!

ERASE PASTE

It's a day of great names - we just reviewed Pure Cloud Cream, and now we're talking about Erase Paste. What a fun day!

Erase Paste is the newest product in the fabulous Benefit arsenal.  This company already offers several different concealers, but here's another one! It's concentrated but blendable and creamy and it's meant to hide all signs of stress and fatigue. It's actually brightening in addition to concealing. Typical of the cuteness that is Benefit, the product comes with a neat little spatula to apply the product and a lesson on how to apply it to best hide your flaws.

I love the hokey 80's infomerical packaging!

It's $26 USD and it comes in 3 different shades.

Review: Skyn Iceland - Pure Cloud Cream

Pure Cloud Cream sounds dreamy, doesn't it? Ah... I'd love to slick some soft, soothing cloud on my skin, especially when it's all irritated and acting obnoxious, right!? Oy. Keep dreaming, 'cause this product won't give you that feeling you're looking for, unfortunately.

One of the privileges of working with TotalBeauty is getting to test products that may never have come across my radar, and this is one of them. Made by Skyn Iceland, a great company aiming to soothe stressed skin with products that are free of mineral oil, heavy fragrance and parabens. I can get behind that! Check out Skyn Iceland  on TotalBeauty here.

By the way, the word "Skyn" in the name is actually a pun of sorts: Skyn looks like a marketing version of "skin" made Icelandic, right? But in the Icelandic language the work means "senses," reflecting the company's focus on linking the senses and the skin, relieving the stress on your skin. Neat!

But let's get to the matter at hand: Pure Cloud Cream. Billed as Skyn Iceland's "most moisturizing moisturizer," this cream is meant to soothe post-procedure skin or weather-beaten skin. Aloe and wheat extracts are supposed to calm the skin; peptides release endorphins to control the release of neuro-transmitters causing stress; sodium hyaluronate pulls moisture in - deep in!- to the skin; almond oil moisturizes. Also inside: "Biospheric Complex," Skyn Iceland's proprietary ingredient that claims to "deliver the unmatched purity and vital nutrients of Iceland's natural resources (water, earth and air) to restore and rebalance stressed-out skin..." using Iceland's glacial water, which is full of wonderful minerals; artic berries; butterfly bush and thyme extracts; and whatever "oxygentated liposomes" are.

Let's break it down: It's good for skin that's damaged by weather or the elements. It's good for skin that's just had some dermatological procedures. It's good for irritated and stressed skin.

I used this for a little less than a week (the sample was small) and I will admit that my skin is not weatherbeaten, post-procedure, or irritated and stressed. Maybe that was the problem!? 'Cause something was the problem...

Sure, this cream was lightweight (which I like) and I couldn't really smell anything (I have a near-dead nose). Those are good things! But I didn't feel moisturized when I used this product. In fact, I felt a bit dry in places. BUMMER.

On the upside, halfway through the week it occurred to me to try this on my dry, somewhat chapped lips. Amazingly, this worked fantastically! However, I'm not forking over $75 for a lip balm, no matter how large the container is.

Pure Cloud Cream is $75 USD for 1.7oz   

Love Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer?

If you love one of the moisturizers in the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer line, you're going to love what I'm about to tell you! Kiehl's is expanding the line - which already includes a moisturizer, an SPF 15 moisturizer, an SPF 15 tinted moisturizer, and moisturizing cream - and it's going to be great. As we know, these products are softening and moisturizing and the effects are lasting.

Welcome these two nifty products to that Ultra family:

The Ultra Facial Cleanser and Ultra Facial Toner promise to be tough on undesirables but gentle on your skin -which is always a nice promise.

Like the moisturizing products, the Ultra Facial Cleanser and Ultra Facial Toner are both great for all skin types.  And all of the products in this line contain Squalane, Apricot Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil and Vitamins C and E and are pH-balanced.

Ultra Facial Cleanser

           Ultra-mild, non-stripping cleanser

• Gentle, yet effective   gel formula
• Made with a unique,   non-stripping, sugar-derived foaming agent
• Cleanses without   drying
• Dissolves excess   oil, dirt and debris without over-drying or stripping
• pH-balanced to maintain   skin’s natural protective barrier

         

Size: 5 oz./150 ml              Suggested Retail Price: $17.50

Ultra Facial Toner

        Ultra-mild toner to hydrate and comfort skin

• Non-astringent,   unique milky texture
• Emulsified formula   with moisturizing properties
• Alcohol-free toner   hydrates and refines skin
• Removes surface   debris and any remaining residue
• Does not strip skin   of natural oils
• pH-balanced for   optimal comfort

        Size: 8.4 oz./250 ml              Suggested Retail Price: $15.00

 

 

As always, Kiehl's is not tested on animals. YAY!

Lancome Pixel Pink Video

Lancóme's Pixel Pink lipstick, the 4th and final in the Pout-à-Porter collection, is still available - kinda. It's a collaboration between designer Thakoon Panichgul and Lancóme featured in Thakoon's Spring 2008 and you can only get it at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus counters and the five Lancôme boutiques: Manhattan (212.362.4858), The Mall at Short Hills, NJ (973.258.0790), Northpark Mall in Dallas, TX (214.750.9364), Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, CA (408.244.8334), and Brea Mall in Brea, CA (714.671.0267).  It's already sold out online, sadly.

Below you can view a video created by Grant Greenberg, a filmmaker who created a video for the Peter Som- Lancóme collaboration last year.In the video you'll see artwork by Jeff Scher, a painter and experimental filmmaker.

According to information given to me by Lancóme :

Greenberg is a graduate of the world-renowned filmmaking program at New York University, where his thesis film “Cricket Head” won the Wasserman prize for best graduate film. “Cricket Head” has since screened at festivals around the world, winning prizes at the Palm Springs, Clermont-Ferrand, Edinburgh and Monte Carlo film festivals. His most recent film, “Sick Sex,” which he produced and shot, was an official selection of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Scher’s work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Hirshhorn Museum, and has been screened at the Guggenheim Museum, the Pompidou Center in Paris, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and at many film festivals around the world, including opening night at the New York Film Festival.

The Usual Suspects - My HG or everyday beauty products

I wanted to list my favorite products and give a quick overview of my normal routine - it will streamline the LOTD ("look of the day") process and also give a nice and easy reference for anyone who wants to know what I reach for most often. And so, without further ado...

MY HG ("Holy Grail") OR EVERYDAY BEAUTY PRODUCTS!

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MY DAILY ROUTINE: Most mornings will find me doing the following (exceptions to the pattern due to random whims or product testing will be noted on LOTDs)

• FACE:
  • Cleansing - my HG cleanser is La Mer The Cleansing Foam.
  • Moisturizer - as of now, this changes, though my current HG is Creme de La Mer.
  • Eye treatment - Patricia Wexler Intensive 3-in-1 Eye Cream
• HAIR:
  
  • Washing - Rene Furterer Okara Protect Color Protective Radiance shampoo
  • Conditioning - Rene Furterer Okara Protect Color 2-phase leave-in protective conditioner 
  • Mousse - Frederic Fekkai Full Volume Mousse
  • Gel - Frederic Fekkai Styling Gel
• MAKEUP - not much is standard, but there are a few things! All are unless otherwise noted on a LOTD:
  • Face makeup primer - MAC Prep + Prime Skin or FaceTimNew Page | Post | Fifty-cent Head | Your Weblogs | TypePade Velvet Veil
  • Eye makeup primer - unless otherwise noted, I always use MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly
  • Always, always, always Bobbi Brown Corrector is under my eyes!
  • Brows are either MAC's Brow Shader or MAC's Brown Pencils in a shade that matches the haircolor du jour.
  • Mascara is always Clinique's Lash Power
  • Contouring: MAC's Emote blush (LE)
  • Highlighting: MAC's Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish (LE)
  • Makeup is always set with (and refreshed with throughout the day): MAC's Fix+!

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MY HOLY GRAIL PRODUCTS: After searching high and low, these are the best products I've found for me, though naturally your HG items are probably different

• Probably the best product in the industry, Bobbi Brown's Corrector will cancel out under eye circles - I wish I got commission on this stuff for all of the people I send to the Bobbi counter! :)
• Skin stuff I'm quite picky about, and here are the best of the best...
  
  • As I mentioned, Creme de La Mer is my HG moisturizer but sadly is not very "doable" for me due to the price point. Still, it's amazing!
  • I may be able to occasionally rationalize this one: La Mer The Cleansing Foam, especially because it's the only thing outside of a facial that gets rid of my skin woes (even a facial doesn't quite do it on its own!).
• My HGs for lips are...
  • Prep -
    
    • MAC Prep + Prime Lip - fills, greatly improves wear, feels great! Make sure to let it set 'til it feels fairly dry before putting your lip products on top.
    • For moisturizing and prepping - FACE atelier's Lip Putty - so soothing, much more so than the MAC product, but it has more slip and so isn't as good for lippie longevity in my opinion. I haven't found a better product for lip hydration than this!
  • Pencils -
    • MAC Plum - most fabulous with the most of my lippies
    • MAC Whirl - A+ nude liner that doesn't turn orange on me
    • Cargo Reverse Liner
  • Lipsticks -
    • MAC Gleam - most excellent nudey-mauve
    • MAC Sophisto - best mid-tone but sheerish
    • MAC O - best mid-tone frosty
    • MAC Diva - best red
  • Lipglosses -
    • NARS Sweet Charity- AMAZING - I've been searching for the perfect mauvey nude lip for years and this is it!
    • MAC Lusterwhite Lustreglass - best shimmery topper
    • MAC VivaGlam VI Lipglass - best overall lipgloss; best feel-good charity donation
• My HG eye products are...
  • MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly - great for fair, cool skins; crease-proof and long-lasting.
  • MAC's Melon Pigment, Violet Pigment - simply the best colors ever invented.
  • MAC's Paradisco, Soba, Mylar, Jest, Tempting, Club and Trax
• My HG Foundations are...
  • Armani Designer Shaping Foundation
  • Lumiere's Fairly Light Cool Luminesse Mineral Makeup Foundation
  • And for on-set as a makeup artist: FACE atelier Ultra Foundation

• FRAGRANCE - what I wear changes on a daily basis, but here are my HG fragrances:
  • Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's O
  • Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Morocco
  
  

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  I am still searching for my HG of the following products:
• Blush
• Budge-proof Black Liner
• Brow color for redheads

Parfums Givenchy and Justin Timberlake ink fragrance deal

In a move that turns my stomach, Justin Timberlake and Parfums Givenchy make a deal to distribute a fragrance using Timberlake as the face of the product. Why does that distrurb me so? I've mentioned other celeb fragrances before and not felt so heated, and if you know me you know I don't object to Justin Timberlake.

According to Alain Lorenzo, President of Parfums Givenchy, "We're not into just signing yet another celebrity... We wanted someone that would be in tune with the story of the new perfume and also in tune with the timeless values of elegance that the brand stands for."

Well, that sounds nice, huh? The problem? Apparently Mister Timberlake had nothing to do with the creation of the fragrance or the choice of scent. "When he smelled it, his only words were 'It's cool,' Lorenzo recounted to WWD.

That is just depressing. Let's see how it develops, but if he's the "face" of the product I'm displeased. If he's simply the spokesperson then I've no problem with it.

Source

LOTD - look of the day 2/23

Saturday was Old Favorites Day for me. I wanted to wear some products that I adore but that haven't been getting the love lately. Testing products is great and a privilege, but sometimes you just miss the ones you love!

Read on to learn more about my Old Favorites...

If I were pressed to list my favorite products, a no-brainer is MAC's Melon Pigment. It's a soft cantalope-y shade that makes me happy. I pair it with a lot of different shades, but this look is one of my favorites- Melon and an olive green. Here's what I wore:

Eyes-

• Prepped with MAC's Painterly Paint Pot.
• MAC's Melon Pigment used with MAC Mixing Medium - Waterbased and applied to the inner 1/2 of the eye above and below the lash line. I also brushed it all above the crease, but not all of the way to the brow.
• Using the Mixing Medium again, I put MAC's Night Light Pigment on the outer 1/2 of the lid and lower lashline.
• Because I'm never 100% free of testing, rather than using Blacktrack Fluidline, I tried OL -Matte Black Aqua Eyes waterproof liner from Make Up For Ever on the waterlines, top and bottom.
• Clinique's Lash Power Mascara - two coats.

Skin -

• La Mer to moisturize the skin and eyes.
• Face Time Primer all about the face.
• Armani Designer Shaping Foundation applied with my MAC 190 brush.
• Cheeks were contoured with Emote blush (LE), highlighted with Belightful Iridescent Powder (has been a favorite for YEARS!), and blushed with Dame. (All products here were MAC)
• A spritz of MAC's Fix+ finished it all off.

Lip -

• MAC Prep + Prime Lip was applied to keep the lip products on.
• MAC Plum lip liner.
• NARS Sweet Charity Lip Lacquer - look for a review soon, it's my new HG nude lip color!

The rest of the package -

• Fragrance - Bond No. 9 Silver Factory.
• Nails - Toes are OPI Lunch at the Delhi; fingers are MAC's Gee Whiz.

Review: Urban Decay Loose Pigments

Urban Decay packaging always draws me in, as do the promises of loose pigments. Am I alone in this? I doubt it.

I am a ginormous fan of MAC pigments, and I think they are amazing - the versatility, the colors, the intensity, the range of looks one can achieve! They're fabulous.

So, I try to experiment to see if other pigments can stand up. I'm a new convert to Urban Decay, so when I heard they had loose pigments in a great little container that even comes with a brush- well I couldn't wait to see them!

Sadly, that's as far as the excitement took me. These pigments are so pretty to look at, but left me quite disappointed otherwise.

I was sorry to see that there were only a few choice of colors and many were shades I already had in pressed form - I'm not completely stupid and I know these are the same products, I don't need them in both loose and pressed. If you know how to work with makeup, you can use the pressed products as well as the loose for most applications. STRIKE ONE

Before I move on, I want to share something with you: I have a love-hate relationship with Urban Decay Primer Potion, the product that so many people rave about. I love how it works, but hate how hard it is to get product out of the container. When I took a look at this, I knew immediately that I was going to run into the same problem here with the Loose Pigments.

When you open the Loose Pigments, the top has a brush attached that is meant to pull pigment out of the well in the base. When I look, though, it's pretty clear the brush is never going to get all of the pigment out of the bottom- and I loathe wasting product. STRIKE TWO

When I brushed the pigment on my skin, I got very unpredictable and streaky results. STRIKE THREE

On the upside, Goddess and Yeyo were just amazing shades!

Want to try them yourself? You can buy Loose Pigment on UrbandDecay.com for $20 a tube.

Here are the colors of the Urban Decay Loose Pigments:

Have you seen the new Shu???

So amazing, the new Shu! I love my Shu Uemura curler, and adding this new smaller version to the arsenal just seems sensible. Able to reach smaller lashes, including the stubborn tiny ones in the corner, this Shu is incredible!

Just like the larger version, the silicone pads will be gentle on the lashes. The handles are easy to use and there's no risk of tugging or ripping the lashes because the curler will never clutch or stick like some others do.

Check it out for only $17 at shuuemura.com.

Spring Rebirth at Shu Uemura

In Spring, the world is reborn- the plants start blooming after a winterlong rest. The beautiful colors of Spring are the focus of this sophisticated and beautiful collection by Shu Uemura. The collection, the last one that Mr. Uemura worked on before his death, is entitled Rebirth . Just looking at the products makes me think of a pretty, stunning bouquet of tulips!

Shu Uemura principle makeup artists Jason Hoffman and Misumi Kitano created the following looks for Shu Uemura using the Rebirth collection. Take a look!

This look is called Natural Beauty.

This is Playful Beauty.

This is Spring Beauty. (This look is also shown in the photograph at the top of this post)

The makings of these looks is available at ShuUemora.com.

 

Wanna look like this girl?! Bobbi Brown can show you how...

I wouldn't mind looking like her! She's amazing. And she's rocking that natural-nude-type makeup (or is she really just the most perfectly genetically-blessed person in the world?).

This Spring/Summer at Bobbi Brown is all about nude shades. And really, for the most part isn't that usually the case at Bobbi Brown!? At any rate, this collection is sexy, lovely rich nudes and they're perfect for that whole-face nude look or adapted to include a bright pop of color as we saw in many of the Spring/Summer fashion shows.

In the set you'll find a eye-lip palette and a collection of glitter glosses, too. Take a look! 

Win a one-on-one consult with Dr. Murad!

Have you ever wanted to ask one of those famous skincare gurus to give you solutions to your skin questions? I know I have!

Well, now you have a chance to do that very thing. Simply log on to Total Beauty and find a product you love/like/loathe that hasn't been reviewed yet by anyone. Post the first review, and you're entered to win!

Feel free to then search for another un-reviewed product and post your opinions. You will be entered into the contest once per every 1st review you do!

GRAND PRIZE (two winners!) Receive a one-on-one telephone consultation with top dermatologist Dr. Murad and a basket containing all the products comprising the day and night Murad product regimen he recommends.

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Visit TotalBeauty.com ASAP for this amazing opportunity to vie for these prizes.

 

REVIEW: FACE atelier - eyeshadows

I recently had the opportunity to test some FACE atelier product, and boy did I have fun! I have posted the review of the Ultra Foundations, and now it's time for the eyeshadows. YAY! I love eyeshadows!

The sort of crazy eye look posted above was done with a great palette of FACE atelier shadows that was sent to me. I really loved testing them! Keep reading to find out more, and how they compare to MAC shadows...

The shades here are beautiful - and they wore very well throughout the day. The pans are exactly the same size as MAC pans, so would fit in the MAC palettes, and vice-versa. That was not the only similarity, as I found the consistency of the shadows to be very similar. I will say that I found the FACE atelier colors a skosh harder to work with - they muddied quickly each time I have tried using them. If you have a pure, distinct eye you want to work with, they'll be great. Otherwise work with care.

For the look above, I had kind of a mish-mosh approach, but I wanted to get all 4 colors on the eye. I'm not thrilled with the end result, but you never know 'til you try, right!?

The pink shade, Pink Chill, was applied to the inner corner of both the lid and the entire crease over MAC's Painterly Paint Pot.
The brown shade, Antique Gold, was brushed onto the lid from the center to the outer corner.
The blue shade, Sapphire, was swept into the crease on the outer 1/2, and was also brushed along the lashlines on both the top and the bottom.
I went back and put a bit more of the Pink Chill on the inner corner - both top and bottom.
The black shade, Carbon, was put in the outer corner of the lid for extra dimension.
I emphasized the top lashline with MAC's Indigo pencil, then swept on two coats of Clinique Lash Power mascara.

For the curious, I paired it with MAC's Viva Glam VI LE lipglass and MAC's Plum liner (feathered out before the lipglass was put on)...

Here are the colors swatched on my NW15 skin:

Pink Freeze - This is a nice color: a mid-tone pink with fairly high frost, though it isn't chunky at all. It's almost exactly the same shade as MAC's Pen 'n Pink, but with frost. I also swatched the other mid-tone pink in my palettes, but much to my dismay it didn't have a name on it when I flipped it over. OOPS!

Antique Gold - Also nice, in fact I may be adding it to the routine fairly regularly. It's similar to MAC's Tempting, but a touch cooler. Tempting is one of the best colors in the MAC line because it's so neutral - it can be paired with ANYTHING! This is a good color, but just a bit more green (not overtly so, however). You can see that slight greenness in the image of my eye just above - it shows better there than on the swatch here. 

Ah, The Blues. Sapphire is a very pretty color, a nice, rich blue some might call "navy" but it's actually just what the name says it is: a sapphire blue. It's got a decent frost to it without going to the icy side. I compared it to Contrast and Deep Truth - you see below that it falls a bit deeper than Deep Truth (does that make it the Deepest Truth?) which is a bit more royal blue, and it's not quite as dark as Contrast, which has a bit more purple.

Carbon. Funny how they both have the same name. Hmm...  At any rate, the MAC color seems darker in the pan, with the FACE atelier shade looking to be more of a deep slate gray. Once swatched, however, they could have been the same color. They both have the same consistency and depth, and both are slightly dusty.

Side-by-side swatches - MAC's VG VI LE lipglass vs. VG VI lipglass vs. Nico Now

For all of you who live in my area, I was the crazy lady in the grocery store parking lot taking pictures of her arm! It occurred to me on the way home to swatch the new Limited Edition Viva Glam VI lipglass against Nico Now and Viva Glam VI (the original) lipglass.  What a great idea, I thought, however the sun was going down and the lighting at home isn't great for swatching. So, since I had the shades in question in my over-stuffed cosmetics bag, I decided to swatch it where I was: the parking lot of the Food Lion. Odd, but effective! Anyway, the swatches are below.

You see that VG VI (the original) is more of a deep neutral pink with lots of visible but fine multicolor glitter-shimmer. VG VI LE is softer mauvey-pink, with a sheen rather than a glitter, and it's definitely a cool color. Nico Now is more pinky-mauve with a multi-color glitter-shimmer, and it's a cool color. I also swatched Luminary for no reason other than I mentioned the opalescence in it was similar to that of VG VI LE - though the colors are clearly not similar. 

Next up, Viva Glam VI LE on the lips:

vs. Nico Now on the lips:

REVIEW: MAC 217 brush

Remember that scene from Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts' character said "Big Mistake. Big. Huge!"? That's how I would feel if MAC stopped making this brush.

While classified as a 200-series brush, which at MAC usually implies the purpose is for eye makeup, I use this brush for many things. It's great for creams, for which it was designed, and even nice with powders. I have three of these for personal use: 1 I use to apply my Painterly Paint Pot as a base for most eye looks I do; 1 I use to apply my concealer; 1 I use for dry, powder products (great to contour smaller areas like the nose and the area under the top lip). That third one gets less use than the others.  I have several of this brush for my professional kit, too, and it is a favorite go-to brush.

I love it because it doesn't absorb creamy products, nor does it streak them up. It simply deposits the color exactly where I want it to go. What more can you ask of a brush!?

The curved flower tip of the brush is perfect for light applications, but you can press a bit more firmly and get more coverage.

As with most MAC brushes, this holds up nicely and doesn't shed hairs all over the place. This is a required brush, in my humble opinion, for anyone who is serious about makeup!

$22.50 USD at MAC locations or online.

Check out my lips dressed in Viva Glam VI Limited Edition!

PLEASE NOTE: This picture was just for this purpose: swatching. The application is not ideal, and I didn't use lipliner (if I had, I'd have chosen Buerre for those who are keeping track)!

This is the Limited Edition version of Viva Glam VI. Do I look like Fergie!? ;) Read on for more images and my review...

First, the full disclosure: my completely favorite lipgloss of all time is Viva Glam VI, so it was very hard for me to accept the idea of there being another version of it. I thought "are they going to tweak the first one?" - how could they change it and make it better!? Sigh...

Today, my MAC counter finally got the Limited Edition "Fergie version" of Viva Glam VI, and I held my breath as I walked towards the displayer to check it out. I'm just completely enamored with this little limited edition lipglass! It won't replace my lovely Viva Glam VI the 1st, but it's a great gloss in its own right!

It's a soft pink with a touch of mauve and a really neat and unusual opalescence that I don't know I've seen a lot before. Trifle had that same pearl: I liked it there and I like it here.

This gloss slicks on nicely with a great shiny sheen, typical of MAC lipglasses. It's fairly sheer, so some of the lip can been seen through when applied lightly. I can see this will be nice layered - Sweetie, Capricious, Masque, Twig... quite a few different types of shades will look nice with this.

I definitely love the way the light hits this shade and confess I will be picking up a few of these - after all, 100% of the proceeds for all Viva Glam products goes directly to the MAC AIDS Fund!

$14 USD, as are all MAC lipglasses. Hurry and pick yours up - this is a Limited Edition product and I'm not clear on how long it will be available ('til it sells out? will there be a reorder?).

Want to recreate the hair at the Jenni Kayne Fall '08 show?

The video below is courtesy of Oscar Blandi. Take a look to recreate the looks seen on the Jenni Kayne runway - hot, sexy bedhead; touseled night-after low updos, and just all around sex appeal!

REVIEW: MAC 217 brush

Remember that scene from Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts' character said "Big Mistake. Big. Huge!"? That's how I would feel if MAC stopped making this brush.

While classified as a 200-series brush, which at MAC usually implies the purpose is for eye makeup, I use this brush for many things. It's great for creams, for which it was designed, and even nice with powders. I have three of these for personal use: 1 I use to apply my Painterly Paint Pot as a base for most eye looks I do; 1 I use to apply my concealer; 1 I use for dry, powder products (great to contour smaller areas like the nose and the area under the top lip). That third one gets less use than the others.  I have several of this brush for my professional kit, too, and it is a favorite go-to brush.

I love it because it doesn't absorb creamy products, nor does it streak them up. It simply deposits the color exactly where I want it to go. What more can you ask of a brush!?

The curved flower tip of the brush is perfect for light applications, but you can press a bit more firmly and get more coverage.

As with most MAC brushes, this holds up nicely and doesn't shed hairs all over the place. This is a required brush, in my humble opinion, for anyone who is serious about makeup!

$22.50 USD at MAC locations or online.

Want a lovely NY makeover?!?

I don't know if I want to tell you about this. That may sound stingy, but hell: I want the daggone prize!

But I want to be a good blogger and a good beauty friend, so I will tell you about this anyway. If you win- I need to be one of your prize-sharing friends! ;)

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Have you been over to TotalBeauty.com, yet? If not, you're really missing out. It's a great community-type site that offers beauty tips, product reviews, customized product suggestions, and CONTESTS! (It also has a link area to guide you towards great beauty blogs like this one!)

This contest is amazing. Simply join TotalBeauty.com as a member, write three (3 isn't a lot!) reviews of products you love, like, or loathe, and you're entered to win!

Oh, wait. I haven't told you what you'll win, have I?

1. GRAND PRIZE WINNER (1): You and TWO FRIENDS (me?) will spend a weekend in NY city, touring the hottest beauty spots in the town. You'll also get head-to-toe makeovers! You'll be the recipient of round-trip airfare, two nights' hotel accommodations in a three-person "girlfriend suite" and the makeover which includes hair styling, makeup, and a mani/pedi and an astounding $1000-worth of beauty products!
2. FIRST PRIZE WINNERS (3): You get an all-inclusive four-day, three-night trip to a spa resort for you and a friend. And your airfare is taken care of for you, too!
3. Runners-up (100): Not too shabby- you'll get a $50 gift certificate to Sephora.com!

Now seriously, don't you have some reviews to write!? I know I do...