Victoria's Secret Diamond Collection Review

Last year Victoria's Secret had introduced a collection entitled Sparkling Diamond. The collection was limited edition and the Muse was quite happy about her purchases from the Collection. This year the collection is back and simply entitled "Diamonds Collection". Both collections have made the hefty promise that each palette contains crushed diamonds. Call me skeptical but I fail to believe these palettes actually contain crushed up diamonds but hey you never know right?



Last year the collection was quite a deal larger and included a face palette, various shadows, and glosses. This year the collection is a good deal smaller with a new face palette, three duo eyeshadows, and re-releases of the glosses from last year.

Although the collection is lovely I felt like it's previous release was much, much better and I only ended up with one shadow duo and the face palette both of which didn't wow me too much but I had to have them for a simple a reason that sometimes a drug addict needs a fix and so it goes for a beauty addict!

Here's the palette from this year:







The palette quite reminds me of Dior's Blossom Face Palette. It's lovely but I'd have really enjoyed something pink or something with more gold. This appears mostly bronze for me and I'm not thrilled with the color selection. It can be used on your face or your eyes to create various looks!

Below you'll see the difference in size between last years palette and this years! I really liked the pink version much better than the bronze/peach version. The size was much nicer as well plus the enclosed brush was lovely!





Last Year's Release




The shadows available for this collection are duos. Last year they had released a loose eyeshadow powder where as this year the duos are pressed shadows. The shadow is nice and shimmery but a bit on the sheer side sadly!

Other color options available for the duos were a black/purple and a pink/gold I believe. I wasn't paying too much attention but I remember not liking the other versions and settling on the teal/gold palette!







Here are a few pictures from last year's release:





I'm a bit disappointed that a loose powder wasn't released with the collection. Last year a gorgeous sparkling pink Diamond powder was released with the collection but this year we didn't get one!

Here's a photo of it:



Beautiful right?

I wish they had released something similar this year!

As you can probably tell from my lukewarm review I'm not entirely thrilled or as excited as I was last year about this particular collection! Oh well! I am kinda sorta pleased with the palette but aside from that I think you can safely skip! Word to the wise these tend to sell out super fast so head out to Victoria's Secrets as soon as you can to cure your lemmings!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

See you Monday!



Click here to read my ravings about last year's Victoria's Secret Sparkling Diamond Collection!

Want some more? Click here to read my latest review about Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Eyeshadows!

Click here to read why I disliked Victoria's Secret Brilliant Lip Shine Lipgloss!

Click here to read my ravings about the Victoria's Secret Heavenly Face Palettes from the Fall Collection!

Urban Decay Summer Collection 2008 Sneak Peak

Here's a sneak peak at the Urban Decay Summer Collection 2008!

I'll be reviewing these shortly for you!





Craving the Urban Decay Summer Releases?

Loving it?

Hating it?

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Summmer Collections 2008: Bourjois Paris Shimmer Shine Liquid Eye Shadow Review

I'm trying to cover as many as the Summer releases as I can get my hands on. I know many of you trust my opinion and come here prior to doing your purchasing so I want to say thanks for putting SO much faith in my reviews!

Here's some sneak peeks of upcoming reviews:

Tarte's Spring and Summer Collections
Urban Decay's Summer Collection
Benefit Posietint (I know you're eagerly awaiting this...!)
La Mer Reviews (Many, many e-mails about this! I'm reviewing a few of the items! In particular I was asked about the powder! It's coming shortly!)
Dior Extreme Fix Powder (Lots of questions and emails! Review is upcoming!)
Lavshuca Summer Palettes
KATE Eyeshadow Palettes
Aube Fruitina Glosses
and much, much, more!

Don't see something you want reviewed? Yell at me!

P.S. If you wrote me an e-mail I'll get back to you as soon as possible! It may take a while but I do my best to write everyone back! I get flooded with e-mails daily and it's sometimes very difficult for me to write back in a timely manner but I do appreciate every single one of your emails and promise to get to you all shortly :)

Now on with today's review of Bourjois Paris Shimmer Liquid Eyes Shadow. This is a first for Bourjois Paris as far as I know. They have never had liquid or cream shadows prior to this release and it's an interesting release for sure.



This is an inventive little product that deserves some raves. You might be wondering why I've dubbed this inventive considering it's not really anything we haven't seen before right? Well...the formula is a very interesting thing and the packaging.

I'll start by mentioning the texture, formula, etc....The name is fitting as this is a liquid shadow and not so much a cream. Cream shadows are dense and this is more of a liquid texture. The formula blends beautifully and it's quite an interesting and unique experience applying this. You may (or may not) notice from my pictures of the product and in the pictures of me wearing this that the color morphs slightly. It goes from a lighter to darker. Within the packaging it appears almost as if it's swirling around from a lighter shade to a darker shade. This carries out the same effect during application. I applied on my lid and smoothed it into place and what I came up with was an interesting lighter to darker effect on my lids. It almost seems as if I am wearing a lighter shade of shadow on my inner lid and on my outer lid it appears like I applied a darker shade. Very interesting. The finish has some shimmer but it carries more of a metallic look that's very shiny on.





Now the packaging deserves a mention too. In a similar vein as it's loose eyeshadows Bourjois Paris decided to go pretty much the same route with these. It's a cute plastic container with a screw top. Open it up and you'll have another enclosure with the wand applicator. The brush is nice and large and captures the product wonderfully so you end up with a nice loaded brush ready to go for application! One application should do the trick as the product is pretty pigmented however if you prefer a darker look go ahead and apply another shade or two (I only did one application in my FOTD's). The product dries pretty quickly so blending should take place as soon as you've swiped the brush on your eye! I did find if I applied a second coat on top of a dry coat it didn't cause any flaking or smudging which was great!





These are definately worth heading to Sephora to have a look at. Honestly, it's probably the easiest liquid/cream shadow I've ever worked with. If you read my blog daily you might know I really hate cream shadows but lately I've found some great ones and this is turning into a great one! These are $16 USD each and sadly only available in six shades at the moment! Let's hope they extend the line and add a few more color selections!

The colors I got were Rose Electron which is a soft rose pink and Beige Metallique which is a beautiful, neutral beige with tiny hints of gold!







Ok so here's some Face of the Day pics using both colors! Hopefully you aren't too tired of my mug! I just think it's cool to do the review with FOTD's because you can see how the product looks on!

I think you can see how well the eyeshadow morphs in this photo! See how it looks pale pink in the middle of my lid and grows darker on the outer lid?










If you're loving my blush do catch my article on Aromaleigh Rocks! Mineral Powder Blush! They are my latest obsession!





All in all I think these cute little shadows are worth a look at! I'm going to go ahead and slap them with a big Muse Approval for purchase! The Muse likey!

Have these?

Want 'em?

Do tell the Muse! I'm listening!





Discover my hate for Bourjois Paris Clubbing Mascara by clicking here!

Enjoy my raves for Bourjois Paris Minis by visiting here!

Click here to see more of the Bourjois Paris Summer Collection at the website!

DuWop Cheek Venom Review

I really love DuWop. They do some fantastic products especially their Lip Venom Lipgloss! Some hate it and some love it! I happen to fall into the love group! When I heard that DuWop was coming out with a Cheek Venom I knew I had to try it!



The concept behind Cheek Venom is supposedly the same "technology" as Lip Venom. What the hell does that exactly mean?

Well.....

Lip Venom contains a tingly spicy mix of ingredients to get the blood flowing in your lips which causes one of two things: plumping and a reddening!

In steps Cheek Venom which does almost the same thing but this time around you'll won't get the plumping effects but the reddening or pinkening of your cheeks! The ingredients in Cheek Venom are almost identical to what can be found in the gloss version and in turn this cocktail creates a slight sting when applied and BOOM! You're blushing!

One of the first things I'd like to mention is this stuff smells sincerely heavenly. It smells like a piece of Red Hot chewing gum! It's spicy with a slight sweetness to it! I wanted to take a spoon and eat it! Yum! I was really hoping for an awesome product but it failed that mark sadly. It does what it promises! After application you'll feel a slightly warming and maybe a bit of a sting (almost like someone slapped you lightly or pinched your cheeks) and you'll have a gorgeous flush soon after however the glow is too sheer for me!



The product itself is not nearly pigmented enough for me and it gives a more natural pay off which I'm not completely loving! I'd have liked something a bit more when it comes to the color. The effect doesn't last in regards to the "flush" you get when using this so you're left with a very nice yet sheer hint of color from the actually cosmetic side of the product! At first use it looks pretty nice on and your face looks as if you had just worked out, stepped in from the cold, or had been pinched! However, as I said, the results don't last very long and the blush itself isn't pigmented enough to keep the effect all day long.

Each pot is $24 USD and comes in two shades. I ended up testing both colors but I'm not completely happy with the results! Colors available are Diamondback and Sidewinder. Diamondback is a peachy coral with hints of pink while Sidewinder is a muted neutral rose.

Sidewinder




Diamondback




All in all I love the concept and idea of Cheek Venom but a bit more pigmentation would have made this perfect. If you're sensitive you might want to skip this! If you've used Lip Venom before and found it was too powerful and stung too much than chances are you won't like the feeling of Cheek Venom!

With a little work DuWop can have a hit on their hands here but for now it's just average for the Muse! If it's natural you seek these be for you! If you're more of a loud person that likes bolder looks you'll want to skip these!



Click here to read about some of DuWop's Spring Collection for 2008!

Click here to read my review on DuWop's Moon Venom!

Stila SPF 20 Shine Lip Color Review

Don't you love when products combine SPF into the mix of things?



I've been very conscious of my skin lately and sun damage which makes me shop "smarter" for items that contain healthy amounts of SPF. I was pretty thrilled to see Stila combine SPF 20 with it's Shine Lip Colors for it's Summer Collection 2008.

Stila makes some great lipsticks, glosses, etc....and I'm currently in love with the Stila Shine Lip Colors. They are light weight, emollient, moisturizing, and pigmented! What more could a girl want?

I love a lipstick that not only combines the benefit of good solid color but also one that wears as if I have gloss on my lips, this being the case with this particular release of lip colors from Stila. The formula is a beautifully moisturizing lip color with plenty of good for you ingredients packed in plus SPF 20!

I think we all prefer lighter makeup in the Summer and these are the perfect solution for kissable, soft lips with a beautiful hint of color. Being beautiful and protecting my skin is always in style.

Although the collection is small, with only eight colors to choose from, I think that the line is a welcome addition to Stila's Summer Collection. The colors I got are Sarah, a nude beige, and Anna, a beautiful sheer, pouting red!









Stila Shine Lip Colors with SPF 20 are most definately Muse Approved for purchase! I heart these!



Love 'em?

Want 'em?

Share with the Muse!

Psssttt.........Stay Tuned to hear more about the Stila Summer Collection including reviews on Kitten Eye Wash, Kitten Lipgloss, and the popular, selling out fast, Kitten Eye Palette! Coming Soon!



Enjoy my rave review about Stila's Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain by clicking here!

Read through my babblings about Stila's Look Book Palettes by clicking here!

Click here to read about Stila's "Asia" Only Exclusive Palettes featuring the Stila Girls!

Beauty on a Budget: Caress Exotic Oil Infusion Cream Oil Body Wash Review

Isn't it nice to sometimes run across a product that not only works but is inexpensive as well?

And let it be so for Caress's New Line of Exotic Oil Infused Cream Body Washes. Each 15oz bottle is a mere $4.29 USD (or cheaper in some cases if it's on sale!) and totally spoils you in the shower! That's good pickings to the Muse!



I'm an absolute addict when it comes to shower gels. I have many, many, many brands and types that are rotating in my shower constantly. I honestly can't say I use the same product everyday since my shower is loaded up with options as if it's a drugstore!

One particular product that's cheap and inexpensive that I use a plenty of is simple baby oil. I keep baby oil on hand after using my shower gel to smooth on my legs, elbows, knees, etc....it's a simple way of keeping my skin nice and soft (it's also a good way to slip in the shower and fall on your arse but that's a story for another day).



The good news is I no longer need my baby oil! I can get the same effects with Caress Exotic Oil Infusion Body Washes as they contain a nice healthy load of skin softening oil combined with a gorgeous body wash!

These body washes come in Brazilian, Japanese, and Moroccan blends. I was testing out the Brazilian version this morning which is a mix of passion flower and fruit oil. It smells floral but has that crisp, clean feeling that most Caress products have. It's difficult to explain exactly but it's a very nice smell! I especially love the fact that even after stepping out of the shower the scent does linger for a good while later and you're carrying that "clean" smell around with you for part of the day! I have to say some of my more expensive shower gels don't do that!

I'm liking the combination of not only a creamy body wash but also an oil body wash. It's a very different texture from a standard body wash. It's not as thick and not as creamy and has more of an oily, soft feel. On your skin it feels amazing! Especially so if your skin is as dry as mine! My skin literally soaks this up!



For under $5 bucks you seriously can't go wrong purchasing one of these or all three! They are most definately worth popping in your cart during your normal drugstore run. If you're skin is craving a bit of moisture after a long Winter and it's ready to be soft, silky, and smooth this might be something you want to try out!

The Muse likey Caress Exotic Oil Infusion Body Washes!

Check out more great Caress products by having a click over here and learn how to beautify yourself at a nice inexpensive cost!

Etude Moistfull Mask Review

I love Asian brands.

Here in the US we aren't privy to many popular products available within various Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. One such product that isn't as popular here as it is abroad are facial masks. Face masks are a very popular item that come in a number of different formulas and are available from many popular brands such as Kose, Kanebo, and in the case of my review, Etude House.

What exactly is a face mask?

I think here in the US we are pretty much conditioned to associate a face mask with something you'd get in a tube. Something you'd apply and either peel off, scrub off, or wash off. The most popular form of facial masks from Asia are actual masks! As in a mask with holes cut into it for your mouth and eyes. The masks are pre-soaked in different skin treatments such as whitening agents, lotions for dry skin, moisturizers for wrinkles, etc....different masks cater to different skin problems! Each mask is made of a linen like paper that is shaped and contoured to your face. You leave the mask on for anywhere from 5-10 minutes and allow the contents of the mask to sink into your face. It's a beautifully relaxing experience that's also very beneficial to your face. I've found masks are very helpful for my dry skin in the winter!



You might recognize the brand Etude House if you're from Korea or you might remember it from a blog entry I did recently! Etude House makes a line of skincare entitled Moistfull. It's a rather wonderful line of product with a nice, inexpensive price tag!







I'm particularly in love with the masks! The masks are packed full of a moisturizing lotion that makes your skin feel positively spoiled for 5 to 10 minutes with long term benefits! The mask is heavily saturated with a combination of lotion and serum that will make any dry, flaky patches on your face disappear!

I can't begin to describe to you how amazing the mask feels when it's on and how wonderful your skin feels after use! The mask fits perfectly over your face and I adore how it contours the shape of my under eye perfectly. Why is that important? This is the perfect solution for getting more moisture under my very dry eyes!

After 10 minutes of leaving the mask on my skin feels cool, refreshed, wonderfully soft, and moisturized! I normally do this treatment before bed while reading a few chapters of a book. The best part is when I wake up in the morning my face is literally glowing and I feel like I can go without makeup!

Etude House Moistfull Facial Masks definately get a hearty Muse Approval for purchase if you can find them! But fear not if you're unable to locate them you can always use any number of the facial masks available from different brands such as Kose, Kanebo, Sofina, and more!

Facial Masks are a wonderful, and for me, essential part of good skin care!

Do you use facial masks?

What are you favorite brands?

Tell the Muse!