Musings of a Muse

Say the Muse gives you $150 virtual dollars to spend on Illamasqua today. What would you haul?

Jump ahead to hear what I’d blow my virtual moola on!

My hauling would start with concealer. Indeed, some people love eye shadow, some love foundation, some are obsessed with skincare…as for me I’m addicted to finding the perfect concealer.

Count me in for a pot of Illamasqua Concealer although I’m unsure which shade I’d want…this needs a swatch!

$22 bucks down $128 to go!

The Illamasqua Color Blushes I’ve seen so far look lush. Sign me up for Hussy, Tweak, and Beg…but that’s not my final list so don’t quote me there!

Uh oh $59 left…not much left now…!

Some people would say the heart of a brand would be it’s foundation so of course, by all means, sign me up for Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation.

And finally I have just enough change left over to buy myself a Vanilla Frappachino and some Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Incite please.

How about you?

What are you hauling with your virtual cash?

Or should I say what have you hauled from the brand already?

Share it!

If you’re looking for a gentle flush of color this Summer that mimics that of NARS Orgasm do check out Susan Posnick ColorMe Blush in Camelia.

Click it for the review!

Susan Posnick ColorMe Blush is an easy to apply face color for cheeks or eyes. It comes in a cute travel friendly self-dispensing pot with attached puff and a mirror for application!

This mineral blush isn’t richly pigmented but it has enough of a peachy, pink glow to leave cheeks gently flushed with a hint of color that’s both natural and pretty. Application is a breeze with the puff which distributes just enough product on cheeks. The finish of the blush has a tiny bit of a golden sparkle that’s very flattering for fresher, Summer color. The color Camelia is a pinky, peach blend that’s much like NARS Orgasm minus the slightly iridescence of the NARS version. The shade was inspired by Nicole Kidman and it’s easy to see that it would be an ideal and flattering shade for those who sport as creamy a complexion as hers.

The plus side of the packaging is it allows for easy application of a loose, mineral blush minus the tapping, swirling, and buffing drama. Simply tap the attached puff onto cheeks for application and done! Simple! The product is enclosed inside it’s jar without every having to touch a brush.

Although the finish result isn’t dramatic it’s the simplicity that captures the eye. With an every so slight sparkle and a pinch of pink and peach it makes for an ideal natural, fresh makeup look for Summer.

Likey!

Susan Posnick ColorMe Blush is available in seven shades on her website.

I can’t be the only one alive that runs across a shade of lipstick or gloss that just doesn’t apply correctly. I find that darker shades are incredibly difficult to apply sometimes and end up feathering, or smudging, or just ending up everywhere around my mouth just not on my lips. On these days I seriously need something to prep my lips to accept bolder shades something that creates a barrier before my slightly damp lips and the darker shade of lippie I’m applying. Something that helps the application to go smoother.

In comes Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion to save the day!

Loves it!

Click for the full review.

Although Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion is meant as a primer to allow lipstick to stay around a little longer without fading or feathering I think the true joy of the product is how it aids in application. Prepping lips prior to with this primer will allow for a smoother, even finish. I find it’s especially helpful for darker shades which always apply very messy for me.

The formula is a soft, smooth, velvet finish which doesn’t dry lips out but builds an invisible barrier that sets the foundation for lipstick. The formula also has a moisturizing blend of vitamins and an SPF 15.

With lipstick I noticed a few more hours of wear however with gloss I didn’t notice too much difference from my normal wear. Truly for me the real joy of the product is as I mentioned above, easy of application for bolder, darker shades of lipstick. The product also manages to slightly “white” out pigmented lips to allow colors to be truer.

I’m really loving this at the moment and think it’s rather an ingenious product. I haven’t really been privy to many lip primers in the past but this will happily become part of my daily makeup regime.

Loves it!

Total Muse Approval for purchase.

Works a treat and keeps my lipstick wearing long and fresh all day plus makes application a snap!

I’ve gotten a fair few request to do more reviews on Burt’s Bees products. One particularly item that pops up again and again when asked for reviews would be Burt’s Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream. Considering it’s price of $7.99 and 97% natural ingredients it’s understandable why it appeals but the real question is does it work?

Click ahead to hear more.

Although it promises a gentle, effective cleaning I got more of a drying, tightness from it after use. Cleansing soap bark and healing aloe vera are promised to moisturize and soften my skin while removing makeup and dirt but for the most part it ended up drying my face out further than it already was and making it uncomfortably tight.

The rich, opaque cream lathers up nicely has a soothing, herbal scent and removes makeup well enough (just the standard fair such as foundation, a bit of blush, etc…) but sadly doesn’t do much for my dry skin. If you’re oily this may be an ideal cleanser for you especially considering it did wonders for my shiny forehead but sadly if you sport dry skin best skip this one as it won’t lend any favors to those that already sport dryness.

Although it’s healthy ingredients and inexpensive price tag appeals I can’t say the results were worth either. Those who have oily skin may appreciate the drying element of the formula and it’s cheap price tag but anyone with dry skin would probably do best seeking something else.

Check out this week’s steals and deals at your local drugstore!

All Rimmel Cosmetics
40% Off

Neutrogena Cosmetics
Buy 1, Get 1 Free 3 Days Only Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday

N.Y.C. Cosmetics
Buy 1, Get 1 Free

Neutrogena Wave Duo Power Cleanser $14.99

All Noxzema Skin Care
$3.99

All St Ives Skin Care
$3.99

Maybelline Mascara
Buy 1, Get 1 Free

L’Oreal Face Cosmetics
$2 Off

Max Factor Color Genius Face Products
$8.99

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
$2 Off

Almay Eye Liners
$5.99

Revlon Lip and Nail
Buy 1, Get 1 Free

Maybelline Lip or Face
Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off

Buy Any Boire Pore Strip and Get Any Other Biore Product Free

Revlon Lip and Nail
Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off

Wet n’ Wild Cosmetics
Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear and Organic Wear Cosmetics
Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off

Covergirl Lip and Eye
Buy 1, Get 1 Free

Neutrogena Cosmetics
40% Off

Almay Face Cosmetics
30% off

Maybelline Pulse Mascara
$11.99

Happy Shopping!

Call me a beauty junkie but I can’t help but be excited about the new line of Victoria’s Secret Makeup coming out in August. Most every Victoria’s Secret you’ve walked into lately probably has the same sign up as seen below.

Most of the line was hit with a 50-75% off sale during the semi-annual and in some cases even before that. This big discount was to make room for the new line do out in stores August. Of course, much of it will probably be the regular line up of blushes, shadows, and lip products however the excitement for me would be the reinvention of the packaging.

This is the second time that Victoria’s Secret is revamping it’s packaging. I admit that I long since missed the silver and pink standard from yesteryear and was never fully on board with the newer, chic black packaging. Out with the black and in with the new, this Muse hopes it’s a good one.

What do you think the new packaging will look like?

What do you want it to look like?

Hoping for something new to be added to the current selection?

Tell it!

Mondays are soooo dull. Especially after a really long weekend. That’s why I love sitting down to sort through tweets, e-mail, and my RSS to see what’s going on around the Internet after being away from my computer for a bit.

The best part is when I sort through and found a cool steal and deal. Retail therapy makes Monday all the better.

Today I was sorting through tweets and noticed that the Urban Decay Best of Urban Sets are $15.99!

W00t score for a blue Monday!

Click it to hear the deets!

The sets were $32 bucks during the Holiday season but Urban Decay has axed ‘em to a mere $15.99.

Each set includes a full size Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner and Eyeshadow plus an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in mini size. Considering shadows are $16 each and liners are $18 you’ll be getting the entire set for the price of one eye shadow. Sweet!

I reviewed the Urban Decay Best of Urban Baked Set a few months ago if you’d like do click the enclosed link to see swatches, an fotd, and my review.

The sets are on sale now at Urban Decay so grab ‘em while the grabbing is good.

Since I’ve been so busy scoring left and right with awesome eye makeup removers at my drugstore I thought, “heyz let’s go ahead and try something else new…” Pushing my luck I purchased Wet n’ Wild Beauty Benefits Beyond Eye Makeover Remover and proceeded to have my head examined.

I’m such a dope. I should know lightening never strikes twice. I was lucky with Clean & Clear and again lucky with L’Oreal but this…this is utter rubbish.

Le sigh.

Jump for it!

Wet n’ Wild is going all green and organic or whatever you want to call the current craze of hippie loving cosmetics out there (no offense green friendly peeps but the market is getting a little too saturated with this stuff that it’s getting on my nerves by now!).

Along with cosmetics in the new Wet n’ Wild Beauty Benefits Collection they released a $4.99, 3.8oz size of eye make remover. It claims to remove waterproof mascara but I don’t think so.

First off it burns like acid. OW! It hurts something fierce. It also has the consistency of water mixed with dish soap, not good, not good at all. Oh and it also smells like dish soap mixed with gasoline, pretties (insert sarcasm there).

Seriously though between the burning sensation, the gross smell, and the fact that it doesn’t do all that great a job removing my shadow never mind my waterproof mascara, this one is a very safe skip.

Stay clear people, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Final word, no likey, at all.

Why can’t I have a cosmetic line like that? Now you can…!

Jesse’s Girl cosmetics are sold in Duane Reade drugstores here in the NY area. Personally I’ve never seen them outside of Duane Reade but I’ll take your word for it if you have had the pleasure of seeing the line sold elsewhere.

Gratuity video of Rick Springfield looking all kinds of hot!

Duane Reade doesn’t carry a whole lot of the line, at least not in my experience, and only ever get a shadow set here and there but not much else.

The good news?

Buy Jesse’s Girl cosmetics online! They’ll ship it all over the world too!

Click it for some details, pictures, and some great prices on the line.

Best part about ordering from the site is the fact they bundle collections together. For example they have the Jesse’s Girl Color My World Eyeshadow for $17 as a set of four (normally these are $4.99 each) and also the Jesse’s Girl Startdust Powder Eye Shadow in a set of six for $24 (regular $4.49 each).

Of course if you’re not wanting to indulge in sets you can pick and choose single products as well. Much of the Jesse’s Girl line is quite good quality and pigmented for it’s inexpensive price tag.

The company offers a flat rate shipping in the US for $5.95 and flat worldwide shipping $8.95.

If you have a difficult time locating the line in your area this is a great way to indulge.

Visit www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com to shop it!

As per a reader’s request I snagged a bottle of L’Oreal Eye Makeup Remover for review. Um dear reader you owe me $8.99 dude (e-mail me I’ll tell you where to send the check! hehe). This stuff is expensive. 4oz for $9 bucks? Shut up!

I’m such a cheese that I totally can adjust to splurging $10 bucks on Sephora Waterproof Mascara in the same size but walk me into a drugstore and tell me to buy eye makeup remover for almost the same price and I’ll bulk, kick my feet up, and possibly throw myself on the floor in a tantrum. What? It’s been known to happen, I bet my best friend Jai has pictures of said events.

Important question here is the fact of whether it’s worth that price?

Click it for the review.

Poor Lancome so many brands adapting it’s dual phase remover and trying to dupe it, Clean & Clear comes close, watch your back Lancome. L’Oreal Eye Makeup Remover has been tried by the Muse…they have those two blue versions one for regular eye makeup and one for waterproof…no freaking likey. Hates both. Now we have this new version which is an oil free, dual phase remover a la the Clean & Clear I recently reviewed for you.

First off, hello expensive I’m so snubbing you for the price alone. $8.99 for 4oz is just too much. As always I have no problem shelling it out for a posh brand but drugstore..come on…9 bucks? Dude, for serious? You wound me. Ok, let’s give it the benefit of the doubt and say that the super store that shall not be named (Pssttt Walmart) probably has it cheaper. Soo…what are we looking at maybe $2 bucks off? $3 if I’m lucky. Brings it down to around $5.99 or $6 bucks…that price I can deal with and that’s about what it’s worth.

The formula…it works well. It works really well. I begrudgingly admit that it removes eye makeup including waterproof mascara very well. However, it does suffer the same problem as the Clean & Clear remover being that you really have to saturated the cotton pad to get everything off your eye. This isn’t like Lancome Bi-Facil, it’s not going to be one swipe and everything is gone. It’s more along the lines of a two to three cotton pad job.

Overall, the remover is quite good but I won’t recommend because of it’s price, it’s small size, and the fact that I’m using a ton of product to get all my makeup off (if I have to use a ton of product that’s not exactly saving myself money now is it?). Would I buy it again? Yes, for sure if it’s cheap or buy 1, get 1 50% off or some such deal arises. As with Clean & Clear it’s not going to take over my Sephora remover but it’s a hell of a good runner up. Good stuff but needs a few tweaks to make it perfect!

Anyone try?

Loves?

Leaves?

Tell it!

I’m not trying to get anyone’s hopes up and please don’t quote me on this but today I visited the Hard Candy site and came across this.

This could be one of two things. 1. It’s likely the URL was sold and a new site called “Hard Candy” is coming and maybe it will be nothing to do with makeup OR 2. (This is where you can get your hopes up) is Hard Candy coming back with a new line of cosmetics?

In this trying times one does doubt that they are redoing the entire line of cosmetics but how cool would it be if that was the case?

Here’s to hoping!