Musings of a Muse

After many years of avoiding the Bobbi Brown counter I decided to dive in and make a little bitty purchase during my trip to purchase the Strange Hybrid Collection from MAC.
I was feeling spontaneous so Bobbi Brown here I come!

I’ve never purchased any prior Bobbi Brown products before this. I’m not even entirely sure why that is. I think it just didn’t appeal to me. Normally my taste runs to bolder, bright colors or sweet pastels and light pinks! Bobbi Brown seemed….older….more for someone in their 40′s maybe. No offense at all to older women!

When I strutted my way up to the counter I already had in mind exactly what I wanted as I had had gotten a Nordie e-mail alerting me to it’s arrival (Ok Ok Ok so maybe it wasn’t as spontaneous as I originally mentioned! Gimme a Break!)!

Avast Ye and Behold!

The Sand and Surf Palette!

Mind you this was appealing because those special, magic words appeared after it. You remember what the special words are don’t you? If not, allow me, to remind you! Limited Edition!

Now prior to actually going to Nordies I wandered aimlessly around the website viewing Bobbi Brown products and the only thing that caught my eye from the line was the Sand and Surf palette and the shimmer bricks! I knew I MUST have some shimmer bricks! After all they were 1. Pretty 2. Well reviewed by girls everywhere far and wide!

The magic words (Limited Edition) popped out at me during my surf around the Nordie’s website and I came across another item that I MUST have!

Now that I had my shopping list I was ever prepared to buy buy buy buy buy and be enabled to the wonders of Bobbi Brown make-up!

$100 or more odd dollars later I happily left with two shimmer bricks (one gold, one rose) and the sand and surf palette! I rushed home with my treasures but never did get a chance to wear any of ‘em as other items took president during my morning face routine!

This morning I felt for sure it was a good day to BREAK out the Sand and the Surf palette! And hell I should go ahead and give the Rose Shimmer Brick a try too! Truly this would be a great make-up day!!!!!!!!!!!

And today’s face of the day consists of this:

I dunno. I’m so disappointed. My eyes didn’t pop! My cheeks were blah! It wasn’t what I expected at all!

The colors in the eye palette are highly difficult to work with. Blending is impossible even with your best brushes. I used a total of three colors but it looks like I used one color. The palette has a baked feel too which could account for the difficult time with blending!

The shimmer brick was just blah for me. It gave me no color which It’s not really what it is supposed to do anyway but I applied it over my normal blush and used it to contour…but..again..just blah….I expect some sort of shimmer!

Overall I’m not impressed at all. Really disappointed. I haven’t yet tried the gold shimmer brick and I have hopes it’ll be the one great purchase out of the three items I got! I won’t be doing another Bobbi Brown purchase in the future

Sorry girls! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Questions, Comments, Suggestions are always welcome! My ears are open!

One good turn deserves another or so some wise man told me…hmm maybe it was a wise woman! Either way to add to my Asian inspired blog of yesterday I decided to bring to you today a higher end brand of product!

Jill Stuart!

My oh my it just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? Now Jill Stuart is quite well known for gorgeous couture! However, sadly, this girl is unable to squeeze my wobbly bits into anything Jill Stuart designs! Like all good couture, Jill Stuart’s entire line is not meant for short, round, and average. It ranges towards slim, leggy, and gorgeous! I can lovingly admire from afar but the general idea of actually purchasing anything from the line is but a dream! I imagine when they design these things they aren’t picturing small and round and really who can blame them?

Just for the fun of it let’s have a little lookee at what the line looks like shall we? I promise to get back to cosmetics shortly!

Winter 2006

Winter 2006

Hmmm I wonder if we can find cheap knock offs in bigger sizes?!? Doubt it! A girl can keep hope alive can’t she?

Everyone still with me? I know it’s hard to keep your train of thought after viewing such astounding pieces but please try to keep from falling off your chair and let’s get back to what the original topic of conversation was!

Now, you may or may not be in a similar situation as me and if you are I do indeed have good news for you! Situation being that you too are in the short and round pond!

The good news is that Jill Stuart has put out an entire line of drop dead amazing beauty items! These are probably some of the most amazing products in my collection! And I don’t have to be a size zero to indulge!!!!! HOORAY!

Jill Stuart is a virgin to the beauty world but this doesn’t mean that they have failed in putting out such a line of product that your eyes will roll back into your head and you may feel the effects of orgasmic delight when you see some of the amazing items they have in store for the avid beauty fan!

Jill Stuart is in no way a mainstream line of make-up! Prices range along the lines of Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy. And how very dare I say it but these exceptional pieces steal much of my love away from some of my very favorite posh brand of beauty products!

This spring was a landmark for the company as they introduced 4 new eyeshadow palettes and much to the delight of myself and fans everywhere a 5th for the summer collection (I have mine currently on order! It will ship June 1! Squeal with me would you?)!

The palettes are the type of item that take center stage on your vanity! The packaging is like nothing you can find on our shores!

I guess I should stop babbling and bring you on to the climax of the actual product!

Without further words from me, I’ll go ahead and let the products speak for themselves!

From my collection to your eyes, I bring you the masterpieces of Jill Stuart Beauty! (I did my best to keep as much light and flash on the product as possible when I took the pictures so you wouldn’t miss one tiny bit of detail!)

Spring 2007 Blush

Sparkle Powder

A majority of the color collections are difficult to get and expensive to ship over! But if you are lucky enough to nab these beautiful pieces you won’t regret it!

The shadows are highly pigmented, the blushes are smooth and flawless looking, and the powders are pure perfection!

This girl gives them her highest rating of approval!

The boy hmmm wait erase that let’s start over again. The man I have found myself falling love with asked me if I could choose 5 people to have dinner with who would they be and why?

I was sure to fit into the top 5 Bettie Page and Fay Wray! Who would not want to meet the epitome of class, elegance, and glamour! The two above ladies define all those adjectives and more!

Much to my surprise and amazement he asked me who Fay Wray is (or was)? God lord how could he ask such a thing! Blasphemy! I guess we will have to forgive him this time as he is British and mayhap the wonder of Fay has not reached his shoreline! I shouldn’t give him that much leeway considering Tim Curry (it always fascinates me when some brit or another has no idea who Tim Curry is! I have many a fine British friend who have no idea who this wonderful man is! My god what is wrong with you people?! Do you live under a rock? How can it be you don’t know your fellow man! But ado, I guess that is neither here nor there! I imagine Tim Curry deserves his own blog entry! Someday soon!) sung about her in Rocky Horror Picture show but I GUESS I’ll have to educate him further on the virtues of Hollywood stars of yesteryear (mind you the poor boy has been bored to tears with far less popping out of my mouth but I suspect that he’s too nice to tell me I’m making him yawn!)!

Which brings me to my post for today! Where has glamour gone pray tell? Glamour today is stick skinny girls with hair extensions that cost more than my car! Glamour consists of short skirts that are level with your…erm..well you know. Glamour today is bubblegum pop. Glamour is…Paris Hilton? NAY! Say it isn’t so! Please tell me that glamour isn’t defined as Paris Hilton like celebs!!!

I give you my definition of Glamour (and if you are nearly as smart as I think you are, you’ll agree with the way I define true elegance and beauty):

Fay Wray

Vivien Leigh


Bettie Page (Glamorous and Kinky! A marriage most wonderful!)

Audrey Hepburn

I may rightly have been born a few years too late to enjoy all the wonders of true glamour and now I’m subjected to conformed society who believe glamour comes in 100 pound packages and boy like shapes. Not that I am against such wonderful cut figures just that I am sad to see the glam of yesteryear so lost and gone from the looks of today!

Dita Von Teese keeps my hope alive that true glamour lives on in some girls! I, for one, try to glam it up as much as possible!

Remember it’s not always about what you look like but how you work what you were given! So work it baby! Work it!

Dita Von Teese

Today I thought I’d post a previous entry from my myspace blog! This is worth a repost as you’ll hear me talking about many different Japanese brands and this is somewhat of an introduction to Asian cosmetics, particularly Japanese ones!

I hope you enjoy this repeat of an old blog!

I have come to the conclusion that it is my job to enable the female population to the joys of undiscovered make-up brands!

Yes, indeed, you read that correctly!

If you know me, you know that my obssession with make-up runs to the extreme! I am an avid collector of MAC, Urban Decay, and other bits and bobs that run towards the insane!

Now my obssession has progressed over the years and I found that I could not be happy with american brands alone! I had to branch off into uncharted waters! Discover new and exciting items that have yet to be discovered by the american female population! I needed to bring these items back and introduce them to my fellow sick, twisted, and addicted female friends!

In my many travels I had discovered plenty of interesting bits and bobs but none impressed me as much as the ones I discovered while living in Japan! I was introduced to an entire array of wonderful items that were unavailable in the states! Oh joy! Nirvana!

The japanese mainstream cosmetic is an ambrosia! It’s rich and varied! It can only be enjoyed by savoring it! Awe is the only noun that comes to mind when I think of the variety that awaits the eager female in Japan!

If you’re familiar with make-up and you’re as much a snob as I am you already realize that anything you’d purchase in a common drugstore would be an awful experience to say the least. Many american mainstream brands such as Covergirl, Maybelline, Etc….suck. Oh my I guess that’s one way of putting it isn’t it? Sucks? They do. I’m sorry but it’s been quite a many a year since this girl has purchased any drugstore make-up brands! My tastes run to what I can buy at Nordstrom, Sephora, or Neiman Marcus! NOT CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart!

Now my point in discussing mainstream make-up would be because when I lived in Tokyo the defination of drug store make-up takes on a new meaning! Many of Japanese mainstream make-up brands look like something you’d have purchased in a posh, upscale shop!

Get your google ready girls and let me show you an entire new way of looking at make-up!

Kanebo is one of the major cosmetics companies that distrbutes in Asia (Kanebo doesn’t only distrubte make-up but that’s another story for another day!). Under Kanebo’s main name they offer several make-up brands. Some of my favorites are T’estimo and Lavshuca.

T’estimo does a line of wonderful eye palettes that are unique to my collection of insanity!

Lavshuca is very new to the Kanebo line and also, like T’estimo, does a lovely range of shadows and other bits and bobs!

Now one of my biggest obssessions falls from the graceful hands of Shiseido! Shiseido created it’s little sister a few years ago and entitled her Majolica Majorca or to her fans MJ. She’s pretty and sweet and utterly lovely! She’s also quite inexpensive for such a gorgeous line of products!

Now you may be curious about the status of these wonderful products so I will go right ahead and tell you, much to every girls delight, all these items are almost always limited edition! Ahhh how my heart sings to say it! Limited Edition! Limited Edition! Limited Edition! Don’t we, as the female race, love those two little words? Doesn’t it make us want to whip our credit cards out and go on a buying spree!? After all these are limited edition, we may, very well, NEVER see these items again in this lifetime! My god the horror of it all! Ok, so I’m being overdramatic and completely materialistic…sue me!

The point of my rather large tale is to tell you think outside the box and begin to discover an entire new world of cosmetics! Bring up E-bay, Head over to Make-up Alley, or start googling! Imagine all the lovely new bits you could discover!

And if you ever have any questions your resident addict is here to help anyway I can!

Oh Happy Days!! Shiseido has updated the Majolica Majorca Website with a new pop-up book!

Do have a look! It’s absolutely adorable this time around! They have outdone themselves with the newest pop-up! Even if you can’t read Japanese it’s still a joy to browse through! I’m so happy I ordered almost all of this color story!

Just brilliant! Can’t wait till it comes in the mail! For now I will amuse myself with the new pop-up book!

Helpful Hint: Just click on Majolica Majorca to be magically transported to the website! Enjoy!

OooOoOOo!!!!!! The New Raycious Compact is pretty! I want it! Now!!!!!!!!!!

My
God!

This has to be the next best thing to carbs! I can’t believe they are doing this in a duo now! $25 bucks for two!? That’s such a freaking steal! Plus it makes life ten times easier considering I’m always left with the last drop and sometimes I don’t have a backup stashed around! Now I can just buy duos!

Yay Urban Decay! You’ve made my day!

Was quite the little cam whore Tuesday! I reverted back to using some Urban Decay today! It’s been a while since I used UD!

This is what I’ve come up with:

What I Used:
Urban Decay Shadow in Mary Jane
Urban Decay Shadow in Goddess
Vincent Longo Wet Diamond Shadow in Mermaid Blue
T’estimo Layered Impact Eyeshadow in Blue
Kiss Glamorous Volumizing Mascara
MAC Technakohl in Black

I know at least two people had asked me for a Face of the Day with the new T’estimo Grande Impact Eyes and I’ll get to it shortly! Was planning on it today but I just felt like blue! Forgive me

Just noticed I have gloss on my chin, sheesh how embarressing LOL! Well at least it’s not food or something equally terrible!

Sorta a rushed Face of the Day since my mate dropped her baby off super early on Monday morning and I didn’t really have time to put on my face correctly!

Trying to put on a face and watch a three year run around a washroom is difficult times my friends!

If you recall I had previously blogged about Black and White and the Summer Season! This is what I came up with this Monday morning:

What I Used:
KATE Loose Shimmering Powder in White
MAC Black Tied
KATE Dual Carat Eyeshadow in SV1
KATE Glamtrick Eye Palette in BK1
Tony & Tiny Eye Glitter Pencils in Black and Silver
MAC Technakohl in Black
Kose Mascara
Canmake Metallic Eyes in 01
K-Palette Star Tears Mascara
MJ Single Shadow in WT963

Comments, Suggestions, Friendly Criticism are Always Welcome!

Benefithas gone and stolen money from me again! I’ve been conned, I’ve been had, I’ve been hoodwinked (a little drama never hurt anyone)!

Benefitis such a hit or miss company that it never fails to fascinate me how they can make some seriously awesome products and in the blink of an eye come out with a piece of shit product that has absolutely no use!

I have some really mega staples from Benefit in my train case that if I was thrown on a desert island and they said I could only have a few cosmetics, these items would be with me!

I continue to buy Benefit cosmetics because I enjoy the emotional lottery! Sometimes I buy it and it’s freaking amazing and I can’t live without it and sometimes I buy it and I feel like I should have taken my money and lit a match to it!

In all seriousness Benefit makes some amazing items! I can’t live without (I’m talking about throwing myself off the Empire State Building if I can’t get these products!!!!) Bo-ing, Dandelion, Lemon-Aid, Maybe Baby, and Get Even!

Some items I’ve thrown away cash on and almost (not quite but almost) wanted to slit my wrists over were Dr. Feelgood(Can you say acne in a cute compact? This makes me break out like I’m 14 again!), Not On My Pillow Which I don’t even think they make anymore! One season and it’s not in the catalog anymore! That shows you how hard it sucks!), Badgal Lash (OH MY GOD! Worse Mascara EVER!), Dallas (If you enjoy looking like you played in the mud this is the blush for you!), High Beam….oh my word this list is huge!

I guess I should say that even though my list of items I don’t like is long, I do believe that my list of loves makes up for the crummy products I’ve tried from Benefit!

Weirdly enough some or even most of the ones I don’t like appear on their best seller list so I guess I’m a nit picker and everyone else is really digging them! Who knows really?!

Last week I read on Make-Up Bag about the newest addition to Benefit’s family!

Behold! Another shit product from Benefit! I applaud your efforts Benefit but this stuff SUCKS! I want my money back damnit!

Benefit Says:
Go from dull to darling with “that gal.” It’s a silky pink primer that makes skin appear smoother & brighter. Wear alone for clear complexion radiance or apply before makeup for smooth, effortless application. Re-brighten during the day with “that gal.” It’s the “that gal” perfection for a happy complexion.

Excitement doesn’t even begin to explain what I felt when I read this little blurb about “That Gal” from Benefit! I was racing around in circles at the prospect of something that would give me the appearance of brighter, healthier looking skin! Honestly I had put this product up with possibly being as great as Get Even or Bo-ing!!!!

I couldn’t race to the website fast enough to order me some!

And I got it….

And it sucks….

Sigh…..

I used it several ways upon receiving it! First time I tried it on a clean, foundation free face! I got absolutely no brighness, nothing. It’s pale pink in color but it goes on completely sheer. It was almost like using High Beam minus the shimmer!

That’s ok. I’d do it a different way! It would work if I tried it with foundation! Yes, that’s the key! Fast forward to the next morning!

I applied my foundation and proceeded to apply “That Gal”….um…ya….nothing. No brightness, no visble change what so ever to my face.

It’s ok! I knew if I packed it in my make-up case and used it as a touch up tool it would work then for sure!

Fast forward some more……..

Noon Time Make-Up Touch Up.

I got out my Mineral Veil Compact and was just about to apply when it struck me that I’d forgotten about “That Gal!”

I’d use it for a touch up as recommend by Benefit!

So I shoved my compact back into my purse and proceeded to touch up using “That Gal”….

Umm….

Hmm….

Ya…..

I think I mentioned this before….

Nothing.

So the moral of today’s story kids is that Benefit has created yet another product that has absolutely no use to me! I know Benefit will gladly take it back and give me my money but I don’t have the time to bother shipping it back so I just slapped it on MUAfor some poor soul to experience!

This one is another miss for Benefit!

When I originally started Musings of a Muse it was older blogs that I had snatched from my Live Journal account and placed on myspace!

I’m in a similiar situation right now with this new blog! Which means I’m tempted to move some of my older blogs from myspace and add them up here on Blogger!

What are your thoughts? Would you like some repeats? Reruns? Or shall I start fresh!

Would love your input on this!

Hello There!

Welcome to my nice new home!

The original home of my blog is located at myspace and although I will still be posting there I thought I’d start a little something here on a Blogger and see what becomes of it!

I also started doing videos on youtube which became quite popular all of a sudden so by all means pop over and say hello!

A little about me:

I’m 29 years old, quite the definition of kawaii I guess (or so the world tells me)! I’m an avid collector of cosmetics and although I am quite passionate about it I also adore couture, accessories, and general girly things that are not limited in anyway to one topic!

I’m a general geek which means I can take apart your computer and rebuild it in under an hour! I like to muck about with systems and such!

So…ya…I’m quite boring basically

I am, however, a great shopaholic which means I have tons of products that I’ll be reviewing, discussing, taking pics, etc..just for you!

So if you LOVE endless babble about all things girly, you are in the right place!

I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I love typing them up!

Looking forward to hearing from you all!