Musings of a Muse

I get a tiny bit excited when Boots releases a limited edition collection. Granted Boots No7 isn’t the best cosmetic brand in the world but I tend to veer towards it when I hear the words “limited” and “edition” in the same sentence. I’ve been collecting Boots No7 LE items for as long as the sky is blue so of course when I noticed they had a new Spring Collection I kinda did my little happy dance!

Yes, Yes you can diss on it all you like but I’m still kinda sorta loving it!

Remember kids it’s the little things that makes the Muse happy!

The collection consists of the Boots No7 Petal Lip Tint, Boots No7 Eye Palette, and Boots No7 Petal Blusher. All of the palettes are available in two shade selections aside from the eye palette. The collection allows for a warm or cool look if you so please. I’m quite smitten with the No7 Petal Blusher although I’m not feeling the price range on most of the line which is topping in at £8 to nearly £11 hmmmm….can it be cheaper now please?

Aside from the price the line up is quite nice and keeping with the Spring theme of things. I’m considering picking it up just because I like collecting these particular palettes but we shall see as I’ve already used up a majority of my Spring Collection budget.

It’s ok, I give you leave to rant over the shat quality of Boots No7 now.

Comment box is open!

Yes, well, I have a ton of things to do today as it’s a super busy time of the year at my offices but I’ve been sucked into the procrastination vortex when I visited Rimmel London’s website this morning and started playing around with the new Rimmel London Virtual Makeover Tool.

I didn’t have a photo sans makeup aside from the one I uploaded last night with my Yes to Tomatoes review so I ended up using that one and although I’m looking mighty ridiculous I couldn’t help but enjoy my visit with Rimmel London Virtual Makeover Tool.

It’s kinda cool! Likey!

The site allows you to upload your photo (or use a model’s photo that’s provided by Rimmel) and use it to try out virtually all the products in the Rimmel London library from glosses, to blushes, and beyond! Granted I looked a bit ridiculous with Rimmel London Sexy Curves Mascara on (can you say exaggerated lashes?) but I was still loving trying on the glosses and blushes! Coolness!

Need some help procrastinating today?

Check it out at www.rimmellondon.com

Tell me whatcha think!

I’m wasting away the better part of 20 minutes with this today!

Oooooo I do believe I spy with my little eye something new from Bourjois Paris!

I was excited to see that Bourjois Paris has updated the master portal of it’s website with a new page! Aside from the French portal nothing else has much changed upon clicking through all the country portals but it doesn’t leave me without hope that maybe, just maybe, we’ll finally see some sort of update on the US portal!

Please Bourjois? Pretty please.

I’m not really counting on it with the economy the way it is but it sure would be delightful to hear about some new tid bit or another. Or even a page change from the Bourjois Paris Clubbing selection that’s been up on the US portal for over a year now.

Le sigh!

The French portal has completely updated the look and feel of their site so I’m hopeful these changes will relay back to the other country portals, of course, in particular, the US one!

Here’s to hoping! I long for some small bone from Bourjois Paris US! Your fans are out here, the Muse happens to be one!

Missing Bourjois Paris?

Tell the Muse!

Remember my lemming for the Marcelle Concealer Palette? Well I decided to act on that lemming and purchased the Marcelle Concealer Palette after very little debate.

Overall, I actually really loved it aside from one or two rantings!

Read ahead to find out what I loved and what I didn’t!

Marcelle is a Canadian based beauty brand that has an array of affordable cosmetics available within Canada. Actually, “affordable” is the key word of the day. At $15.95 USD the Marcelle Concealer Palette isn’t exactly affordable in the Muse’s humble opinion. Affordable for Canadians yes but affordable in terms of USD? No. Taking into consideration many high end cosmetic brands within the US have a price range of $15 USD to around $25 USD (some higher of course) for a concealer this isn’t really a cheap product. Taking CDN (Canadian Dollar) into consideration than yes indeed this would be cheap. The product is a bit too small to be considered a beauty budget purchase in my opinion as it contains very little product for nearly $16 plus the cost of airmail to have it shipped over makes it equally costly (Marcelle is exclusive to Canada and is not available for purchase within the US). Aside from my rant on the cost I must say it’s a decent product overall.

The palette contains four shades of concealer in a slim circle compact with a tiny brush for application. Indeed, some may rant that the brush is too small to do anything but I quite liked the brush as it fits quite nicely under my eye, applies and blends the concealer nicely, and fits snugly back into the compact with little fanfare. The concealer shades all work well on me aside from one shade that’s a bit darker but that’s why I have three other shades…just mix a bit of the dark with the light and it’ll work fine! Colors range from a pale light beige, to a darker beige, a yellow corrector with hints of beige, and medium set beige. You can use colors individually or mix them up to create the perfect shade that’s suitable for your dark circles. I simply mix the lighter and medium shade and apply it on top of the yellow corrector. The yellow corrector erases my dark circles and the two beige shades brighten the eye area up.

The formula of the concealer is nice creamy base that dries to a powder finish. It doesn’t have amazing pigmentation but it’s enough to cover up many of my under eye problems such as dark circles, puffiness, fine lines, and tiredness. I found that the formula was a tiny bit drying since it dries to a powder finish but it’s nothing too bad and my eyes seemed to like the product overall considering it didn’t crease, fade, or cake up.

I probably wouldn’t purchase the product again solely due to it’s price tag as I can find much better at around the same price range. However, I do think it’s not too bad a product and well worth picking up if you have easy access. Remembering that MAC and many other cheaper brands that we take for granted in the US are quite costly within Canada I do think that the Marcelle Concealer Palette is a nice budget friendly option for those who are within Canada. If it was a tad bit cheaper I’d probably pick it up again.

Have you tried Marcelle?

Which are some of your fav products?

Loving this concealer palette?

Tell the Muse!

Remember when I told you the solution to life, the universe, and everything was held within a tin of Smith’s Rosebud Salve?

The Muse has decided that although she loves Smith’s Rosebud Salve she might have been wrong about it being the solution to life, the universe, and everything.

In actuality she’s come to the conclusion that the secret and solution to life, the universe, and everything is actually SteamCream.

Got ya curious now right? Wondering what SteamCream is? Jump ahead you’ll see!

A few months ago the Muse discovered a little product called SteamCream. Steamcream happens to be a multipurpose cream that can be used on your face or your body.

I know, I know you’re screaming in agonizing pain at the idea of using one cream for your face AND your body. How horrifying right? How can one single product be used on the delicate skin of your face plus the rough parts of your body like elbows and knees? Rest assured the Muse promises it’s a miracle in a cute little tin.

SteamCream is a unique formula that uses pure steam to create a moisturizing treatment that absorbs easily and without any effort leaving behind soft, silky skin that’s instantly soothed and healed. This is currently my staple facial moisturizer as it’s made my face smooth, soft, and flake free. I’ve NEVER in all my years of using skincare came across a moisturizer that absorbs this easily into skin. It literally melts into your skin and absorbs in a snap. Strangely enough the formula is quite thick for something that absorbs so easily. The texture is that of a gel almost with a slightly cool feeling that makes my skin say “ahhhhh” in appreciation once I apply. It’s quite like pouring a cup of cool water onto my skin. I’m absolutely in love with it for my face but it also happens to do an amazing job of soothing my dry, rough elbows and knees and my legs simply love how easily it smooths on and goes to work instantly smoothing and moisturizing. Absolutely zero effort goes into getting this applied as almost on contact with my skin it absorbs. Quite like a magnet really as the skin literally sucks it up.

The scent of the cream quite reminds me of Lush Dream Cream as it carries an herbal smell that’s quite pleasant. The formula includes good for you ingredients such as soothing oatmeal, orange flower water and healing lavender oil.

Around this time of the year normally the skin on my face has a few problem areas. My cheeks begin to have a patchy dry feeling and the space between my eyebrows normally has gross flaky dry skin. After using Steamcream a single time I noticed an improvement on both areas instantly. My dry patchy cheeks were smooth and soft and the flakes between my eyebrows were gone.

SteamCream has alot going for it in the ways of being a moisturizing miracle but it also happens to make the Muse happy with it’s uber cute packaging. SteamCream comes packaged in cute little tins that feature various designs. The tins are fun collectible pieces! I actually keep one tin of SteamCream for my body and one for my face as I prefer a pot to be solely for different areas and it’s especially important for me to keep my facial moisturizer away from my body parts…kinda weird to use a body cream and proceed to slather on my face. The cute designs make it easy for me to tell which tin is my body tin and which is for my face. At the price you can honestly afford getting two for the different places you’ll be using the cream! Steamcream introduces new tins every few months which is always particularly fun for a fan of the product. The cream is absolutely a deal at �9.95 per a tin. A little goes a long way so the pot should last you quite a long while. Steamcream’s website kindly ships worldwide and shipping is very reasonable.

Like Lush, Steamcream has a shelf life of a little over a year so one tin should get you through an entire year for your face and I’d say a tin for your body should last about 5-6 months.

One of Steamcream’s team players, Allison, was kind enough to answer a few questions for me and I thought I’d past them on here as much of what she said was quite interesting. So sit back, grab your cuppa, and read what Allison and the Muse discussed!

Where did the idea for SteamCream come from? Who’s the man or woman behind the Steamcream idea?

Andrew Gerrie (CEO for Lush) is the man behind the STEAMCREAM idea. For a long time, he wanted to create one cream that uses high quality ingredients, is effective and is honestly priced. A cream that didn’t promise the world but really delivered.

Was the concept for SteamCream born in the UK or Japan? Created by the British or the Japanese?

The cream was formulated in the UK and the tins designed in Japan. Getting onto the shelf was a joint collaboration with our team in Japan.

What sort of process is invovled to create SteamCream?

STEAMCREAM uses hot bubbling steam to fuse ingredients together at a speed that defies most traditional cream making methods. This process produces a beautifully textured, light and glossy cream. The emulsion is held together very loosely and gently, allowing the cream to break down immediately on contact with the skin and nourish the skin more effectively. It is steam process – thus the name!

What sort of skin types can benefit the most using SteamCream? Any skin types that should avoid it?

STEAMCREAM is suitable for all skin types. No skin types need avoid it and all can benefit from it!

Does SteamCream contain parabens? How about mineral oil? (Remember Lush also contains small traces of parabens in their products as well)

No to mineral oil but yes to two parabens – methylparaben and propylparaben.

And to answer any possible questions as to why…? I have taken the liberty to provide a little explanation. Sit back and fasten your seat belt… it’s a little long!

You may already know that Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as anti-microbial preservatives in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics products. They occur naturally in many plant sources, such as blueberries and carrots. Methyl and propyl parabens are synthetically produced because it would be too expensive to extract them from food, but they are 100% nature – identical molecularly, structurally and biochemically.

STEAMCREAM currently uses two preservatives – propyl paraben and methyl paraben. Propyl paraben and methyl paraben have a long history of safe use and are highly effective. Parabens are some of the oldest of cosmetic preservatives and have been used since the 1920s. They are used globally and are permitted by every world health authority (500 independent safety studies have been carried out over the decades). They are considered safe because of their low toxicity and how our bodies process them when eaten in foods. They don�t accumulate or get stored in the body and are eliminated normally.
A combination of mis-interpretation and flawed studies has caused a lot of worry associated with the use of parabens in cosmetics. The main sound bite often quoted: �parabens were found in breast cancer tissue� comes from a study that has been completely discredited by scientists. No causal link between parabens and cancer has been proven. You may also have heard that parabens show weak oestrogenic (oestrogen = female hormone) activity. This is true, but the effect is so weak that it is not significant. By comparison, whole grains, hops, soy beans and many other common foods show high oestrogenic activity.

Paraben-free products

Nevertheless, paraben scare-stories have spread via mass-emails, websites and the media, and several companies have started to sell their products by specifically promoting that they are �paraben-free�. The fact is that methyl paraben and propyl paraben are the safest cosmetic preservatives around � and using alternatives which may not have been proved to be safe or effective could be more dangerous than simply sticking to parabens.

Many companies are promoting �paraben-free� products as if this is a good thing. This demonstrates the danger of companies supporting unsubstantiated rumours. If a cosmetic product that contains water is declared to be �paraben-free� it will contain another preservative.

If it doesn�t contain an effective, proven preservative it is dangerous in itself as it provides a breeding ground for bacteria.

Both Propyl Paraben and Methyl Paraben are used to control the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. We use less than half the maximum permitted level to ensure the product is as mild as possible and the skin�s natural micro flora is not affected. This low level of use also helps with the bio-degradability of our product and any waste material created during manufacture.
We constantly review cosmetic preservatives and consider any good sound scientific evidence. However, we believe that these Parabens are still the safest and mildest we can find. They are safe when used during manufacture and they guarantee the quality and safety of the product we want our customers to enjoy.

We are able to use such low levels of preservatives because:

Our product is made to order with ingredients that are really fresh, of the finest quality, and where possible organic and locally sourced.

We use top quality ingredients, like essential oils and herbs, which have the power to control the quality of the product.

We use minimal amounts of water.

STEAMCREAM has a shelf life of 14 months – considerably shorter than conventional cosmetics which are typically 30 months.

We assessed the need for a preservative by considering many factors. The type of product, its structure, manufacturing process, ingredients and application. Using this information and microbiological tests during the products� development, we then chose an appropriate preservative. At this point , we chose to use Methyl and Propyl Paraben in STEAMCREAM , which in combination increases the protection from microbial growth.

So if you’re still with me, that’s our view on why we use Parabens!

Does SteamCream expire?

Answered Above.

How long has Steamcream been in business? Was it available in Japan first or England?

STEAMCREAM launch in Japan in April 2007 and we launched it in Liberty here in the UK in October 2008

How is it I can use SteamCream not only on rough elbows and knees but also the skin on my face?

STEAMCREAM uses high quality ingredients to provide a long-lasting, effective form of skincare – first and foremost for the face. However, because its unique formula allows the cream to breakdown on contact with the skin it can penetrate the skin where needed – so it works on the face as well as dry, rough elbows. The gentle and loose emulsion works equally effectively as a body cream and because we kept our packaging to a minimum, we were able to invest in high-quality raw materials and still keep our price affordable. I’m sure you’ll agree that many face creams would be lovely on the body too but are just too pricey to use…we wanted to produce one cream that was good enough to use from your head to your toes AND affordable!

SteamCream’s packaging is part of it’s appeal, how often will you release new versions of the SteamCream tins?

Once our sales volume increases we hope to launch at least one new tin per month (on average) – maybe more!. Japan is currently releasing about two per month and we have just released three new tins for Valentines Day/Spring 2009 so we have a total of 12 designs now available in the UK. We’re quite excited though as we only have a few tins of Secret left in the UK which means we would have sold out of our first limited edition design!

Do you consider the tins somewhat collectible? Will some designs be re-released at a later date?

The tins are absolutely collectible as they are limited edition designs. Just recently I had an order from Japan for two designs that have now sold out in Japan!
The plan is to continue to release new designs but maybe one day we will run a retro promotion and bring back a few of the golden oldies. No plans for that just yet though!

Are some tins exclusive to Japan and while others are exclusive to the UK? I noticed a sequined tin was this a special release?

At this stage Japan is designing the tins and we are choosing to release works from their collection. We will be running our own 1st anniversary design competition so if all goes to plan we will have a UK designed tin this year. The sequined tin was a very limited edition tin decorated by a nail artist in Japan using Swarovski crystals. We are currently in discussions with Swarovski to do a promotion of some sort but it is very early days yet…. suffice is to say though we would love to do something with them because the tins look just fantastic. We hope one day to have limited edition designs from artists all over the world.

What is the price per a tin in Japan (yen is fine as I have many Japanese readers)? (I think I read 1500 yen is that right?)

Yes it’s 1500 yen and so follows the original concept of being ‘affordable’ for Japanese customers too.

Do you plan on opening a portal for US shoppers anytime soon (Please keep in mind that SteamCream UK ships worldwide)?

Yes, we’re in very early discussions at the moment so watch this space! Until then though please use our website. for your steamy purchases!

Is Steamcream UK and Steamcream Japan the same entity?

Not entirely as local management in both markets hold shares making it a slightly different entity.

Is there anything more you can tell us about SteamCream that hasn’t been answered in the above questions?

It’s a fairly straight forward product really……one cream, many designs, honest pricing. We hope that customers will try it, realize they can enjoy a high quality product at a sensible price and then come back for more!

Thank you Allison for a great interview and I couldn’t agree more, high quality with an awesome price tag.

Finding out that Andrew was the brain behind SteamCream really made the Muse’s spirits lift as she’s such a big Lushie. Knowing that someone who works with Lush has created a brand new product that’s innovative and unique really pleased me and made me an instant SteamCream fan girl.

I think Allison did a great job of answering pretty much any questions you might have about SteamCream. The Muse thinks it’s simply and amazing and it comes with my highest seal of Muse Approval and recommendation for purchase.

If you’re looking for a miracle, SteamCream brings it to the table.

Visit SteamCream at www.steamcream.co.uk

All in all the Muse has decided that the solution to life, the universe, and everything is now packaged up in a cute tin and slapped with the SteamCream label!

Loves it! Loves it! Loves it!

What about you?

Tried SteamCream?

Want to?

Tell the Muse, I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this one!

If you have any questions for Allison do let me know and I’ll forward them along.

Disclosure: The following item was purchased by me for review purposes (and because I like flinging my money at makeup products of any kind) on Musings of a Muse. For further information please see my FTC Guidelines or my Disclosure/Disclaimer posts.

September there was quite a roar of excitement at the possibility of Jill Stuart Cosmetics making their way to the US however a recent article in Elle says that may not be the case!

Jump ahead for the sad news….

According to Emily Hebert of Elle News Blog the Jill Stuart Cosmetic Line will not be launching at a counter near you anytime soon but instead will debut at the Jill Stuart flagship store in Soho.

“……the beauty products—which were used by makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury at Jill Stuart’s spring 2009 show—will debut in late spring/early summer at Stuart’s flagship store in Manhattan’s SoHo district (no exact date is set).”

Well so much for all the excitement that maybe Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, and other fine department stores would have the makeup collection on sale!

Bummer.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about lovers! Spoil yourself a little bit too!

Jump ahead for some cheap budget beauty options to make you feel extra special and loved this season!

Jelly Belly Bath Fizzers £3 (Set Includes Cherry, Tangerine, and Blueberry)
Jelly Belly 7 Day Shower Set £5 (Set Includes Blueberry, Cotton Candy, Watermelon, Tutti- Frutti, Licorice, Tangerine, and Very Cherry)
Jelly Belly Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss Set £3 (Set Includes Cotton Candy, Blueberry, and Very Cherry)

Rose & Co Bath Fancies Gift Box £5

Sephora Brand Lip Gloss Pencil $5 USD

mark Twinklebelle $9 USD

Bonnie Bell M&M’s Sweet Spring Collection $3.50 USD (Buy 1 Get 1 Free!)

Milani Runway Eye Shadows $4.99 USD

NYX Eyeshadow $3.50 USD

Clio Art Shadow $8.20 USD

Bath and Body Works Radiant Powder $9.75 USD

Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath in Wacky Watermelon $2.55 USD

Lush Luverly Bath Bomb $5.95 USD

The Muse carefully selected little beauty purchases that all had an ickle price tag so you aren’t breaking the bank indulging in a little something sweet for your very sweet self this Valentine’s Day!

What are your favorite small indulgences for yourself?

Tell the Muse!

Phew still hauling out the Holiday Collections and trying to get them all reviewed! How sad is it that the holidays are fully over and I’m still working my way through the makeup pile trying to pump out reviews?

Wanna visit Laneige Holiday 2008 with me today?

I’ve already wrote a review on the Laneige The Snow Eye Palette 02 and today I’m bringing you the 01 version. Yes, yes a bit out of sequence there but I was feeling the love for the 02 palette a little more than the 01 version.

02 was a cool, frosty pink looking affair with hints of golden shimmer and 01 is a bit darker, still cool none the less, with blues, golds, and a tiny hint of frosty silver white. I’m not going to go into great detail about the formula of the shadow or the texture as you can gleen most of that from the review I did prior to this on the other palette however I will say that I felt like these shades blended a little bit crummy when compared to the 02 palette. I had a harder time coming up with a good look using the navy blue and ended up just lining my lower lash line with the shade as it was too dark to really do anything else with. I find I like navy blue less and less lately, I’ve never had much of a problem with it in the past but as of late it just makes my eyes look old and tired. For the most part I believe they created the blue to use solely as a liner but I like to be a bit inventive and use the liner as a shadow and in some cases that works out well for me but for the most part I felt like the navy in this palette was just drowning my eyes out.

The palette is made up of a shimmering silver white shade which is used as a base, a sparkling gold which can be used to contrast the silver, and finally a navy blue liner shade. All the shades have a shimmer finish and are quite lovely however blending is a bit of a pain as the silver and gold just don’t go well together. Two shades I avoid mixing are silver and gold for some reason they seem like apples and oranges to me. I finally decided on using the silver as a base, the gold on my lid, and the blue as a liner for my bottom lash line. As you can see below it didn’t come out too badly but does kind of look messy.

I’m actually quite pleased with the palette overall so long as I don’t actually have to use the colors together to create a look. I think they’ll look great alone or maybe with other shades in my collection but together I wasn’t feeling the love.

Props for the awesome packaging and snowflake design. I loved the dual flip compact which has the shadows on top and a mirror and a compartment below to house the sponge and brush applicators. I’m also a big lover of the snowflake design which was extra pretty for the Holidays and even for just now during our deep winter.

All in all I love Laneige and aside from my rants here and there I was happy to add the Laneige The Snow Eye Palettes to my collection.

Love Laneige?

Love these palettes?

Tell the Muse!

I have a serious disease when it comes to collecting, hoarding, and stashing away crazy amounts of Majolica Majorca Majolook Palettes.

Even the ones that suck somehow end up in my arsenal of insanity. Is it a sin to collect palettes I don’t even use? Am I going to hell?

I think I pretty much have ever Majolica Majorca Majolook Palette released over the course of the past few years. Many people will beg to to say that Majolook palettes aren’t as good as Majorca Majolica singles or not as great as many other releases but honestly about 85% of the ones I have, I absolutely adore.

The colors always work well together, the liner that comes with some of them is pretty decent quality, and I kinda dig the compact palettes!

Hope you enjoy the photos of my sickness! I even included some of the Majolica Majorca Majewel Palettes, my flavorites!

How about you?

Love MJ?

Love the palettes?

Tell the Muse!

Are you tired of powder washes yet? The Muse has featured three already in review and today she’ll bore you further with her very favorite powder wash.

Now do keep in mind the only reason she loves this one is because it’s called Happy Syu Wa Wa, seriously does the name not alone make you giddy or is it only me?

Happy Syu Wa Wa is created by B&C and runs around $4-$5 USD or sometimes higher depending on where you purchase. It’s a basic powder wash for removing makeup, simply add a small amount to water, rub together and wash your face.

One good plus side of this particular powder was is it produces a rather rich, almost carbonated lather that looks like a foam and really does a good job of moisturizing my face as well as removing my makeup.

It boasts that it can boost blood circulation for softer, smoother skin but count me not believing that much, let’s not get crazy now!

It’s perfectly good for all skin types as it doesn’t strip skin or leave it dry plus if you happen to have oily skin it does a good job of mattifying skin but no fear for dry skin types as you won’t experience dryness. It’s completely unscented so if you like your cleansers sans scent you’ll be all the happier with this.

For the price it’s a rather good, basic powder wash without any bells or whistles. I’m a particular fan of the foaming action which is why I tend to buy it when I run low but aside from that it doesn’t have anything huge going for it that makes me want to urge you to go out and grab it for yourself.

If you can find it cheap I highly recommend trying it out as it’s a nice basic powder plus who can’t love that name, Happy Syu Wa Wa, makes me want to dance!

Questions?

Comments?

Leave ‘em below!

The Muse loves the fact she can bring you a review for a BB Cream that’s 1. easily available online for purchase and 2. quite an inexpensive beauty budget find.

Which BB Cream am I talking about?

InnisFree Trouble Care BB Cream, available at Sasa and quite an inexpensive beauty find at $15.30 USD.

If you’re unfamiliar with BB Creams please read my introduction of BB Creams here.

Innifree Trouble Care BB Cream is actually quickly turning into HG (holy grail) material for me and that’s saying something as I’m quite picky with BB Creams. Strangely enough it’s not even made for my skin type as it’s for oily, acne skin types. Taking into account it was made for oily skin I was worried about using it on my dry skin but it turned out it worked like it absolute dream!

One of the first things I loved about the formula was the perfect shade of milky beige cream it was, this was a perfect fit for my skin and once I applied it was equally as light on as it adjusted to my tone perfectly. On top of the perfect shade selection it also had a beautiful formula that glided onto my skin, absorbed easily, and made my skin feel dewy and fresh. I was surprised as being made for oily skin I feared it would dry me out but it was wonderfully refreshing on and created a flawless canvas for my makeup. Everyone always raves to me about the benefits of using their BB Cream as a fabulous concealer but honestly I’ve never had success using BB Creams as an under eye concealer. However, Innisfree Trouble Care BB Cream worked perfectly as both a foundation and a concealer! It really did a rather fab job of covering up all my woes including puffiness, fine lines, and dark circles.

This comes in a pump style bottle just like Etude House Magic BB Cream but I’m not loving this at the moment since the depressor has a bit of a problem where the slightest pressure distributes way too much product. You don’t need a ton of the cream to cover your face as it’s richly pigmented and sadly I find it amazingly wasteful that I can’t get it working correctly to pump out only a tiny amount. Each time I use it a big dollop comes flying out! Aside from this minor rant I absolutely love this one and Muse Approve it for purchase!

Why I loved it:

• Richly pigmented, a little dab will do my entire face
• Leaves me with a flawless, even complexion that’s younger, fresher, and healthier
• Creates a perfect working canvas for my makeup
• Acts as both a concealer and a foundation
• Feels natural and breathable on my face
• Formula is moisturizing and absorbs easily into my skin

Who I think would love it:

• Anyone who wants a beautiful, fresh complexion
• Anyone with Fair, Medium Fair, and Lighter Skin Tones
• Those who have a certain dullness to their skin and want a bit of freshening up
• Anyone who likes a multitasking product that gets you out the door faster!

I do think this is a near perfect product however it seemed to be quite rich for anyone with oily or acne skin even though the formula is made exactly for that skin type. Once it’s on your skin it’s quite light and natural feeling however during application it has a bit of a thick, creamy formula which worries me for people who fear clogged pores.

I used the Innisfree Trouble Care BB Cream in my latest review FOTD for Prescriptives, I’ve included one picture below of me wearing it but if you’d like to see more do visit that post. Over the course of the next few days you’ll see me wearing it in other FOTD’s and I’ll def post to say as such.

Overall, it’s probably one of the better BB’s I’ve tried and I absolutely adore it and highly recommend picking one up. I’m thrilled I can offer an easily accessible BB Cream that’s available as an online purchase as normally BB’s I’ve featured in the past aren’t available stateside or online and if they are online it’s for a crazy amount of money.

All in all I loved this one and it’s definitely staying close by for daily cosmetic rituals.

The Muse loves it!

How about you?

Have you tried this?

Love it?

What are your fav BB Creams?

Questions about BB Creams?

Tell the Muse!

Although I’m not a fan of Sephora Brand cosmetics I can’t deny that the Palette Green Idyll from Sephora France is très assez!

Palette Green Idyll contains cream blushes you can use for cheeks or lips and four shimmer cream shadows for 19,90€. I like the fresh green shades mixed with golds and coppers! Quite lovely for Spring might I say. Euro is converting particularly well at the moment so I decided to order this palette as I’m really loving the design and colors, unsure if I’ll be disappointed or not but I decided what the heck!

Expect a review shortly!

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Oh lovely Lip Cushion how I love thee let me count the ways!

You keep my lips moist and glossy all Winter long! Tint them with a berry beautiful shade of beautiful! You taste like strawberry jam and make me want eat you up with my cuppa tea and toast!

Bless be Jelly Pong Pong keeps you around as the Muse fears insanity should they axe you from their catalog!

Truly a fabulous gloss, lip treatment, and balm would be Lip Cushion by Jelly Pong Pong!

The Muse thinks you need it! It’s her very flavorite!

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Read all about it by clicking here!

The Muse is an official member of the Anglophile support group, actually she’s the president. I’m quite British (even though in my next life I plan on being Asian) so of course I love all good things Brit-related.

Being all British-like I have a special fondness for the Soap & Glory Collection available at Boots so of course I’m all excited about the release of the Soap & Glory Skincare line up!

Soap & Glory has already established itself in the bath and body world with it’s quirky collection of fun, fabulous scrubs, body washes, lotions, and potions. Soap & Glory has even breached some of the cosmetic world with interesting little products deemed with funky names like “mother pucker” (gotta love that one right?). Now Soap & Glory branches out and pushes the line to add a skincare collection to it’s fantastic collection!

Count me intrigued!

I imagine I’ll be much more British if I start using Soap & Glory Skincare dontcha think?

Jump ahead to read more!

Although we are privy to Soap & Glory in the states courtesy of our friends at Target, don’t expect to see Soap & Glory Skincare pop up in store anytime soon. One can hope it’ll arrive on our shores soon but the Muse suspects it’ll be months before it pops up around here!

The good news, if you happen to be British (Lucky you!), you can pop over to Boots and start spending your hard earned cash on the entire line. Soap & Glory is typical buy two get one free and this sale is extended to some of the skincare line up so that’s always a nice little extra when purchasing!

Soap & Glory Glow Job Daily Radiance Moisture Lotion is an everyday moisturizier with bronzeburst beads built in. What the hell are Bronzeburst beads? Whoa sounds awesome! Maybe that means it acts as a tinted moisturizer for skin? I wants to try this!

Soap & Glory Dr Spot Invisible Spot Fighting Gel will get your face back into the game with clog clearing salicylic and lactic acids!

Soap & Glory Clean Mary Cleansing Milk is a creamy cleanser for whisking away makeup!

Soap & Glory Catch a Wrinkle in Time Age Avoiding Day Moisturizer will erase all those pesky little lines and make you look fabulous again!

Soap & Glory A Change of Face Skincare Starter Kit has a little bit of this and a little bit of that so you can test the waters before diving into the entire line!

Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub of All Self-Activating Facial Smoother Exfoliator will refine all those pesky little pores!

Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub of All Self-Activating Facial Smoother Exfoliator will scrub it all away and polish skin to perfection!

Soap & Glory Supereyes, Supereyes Moisturising Eye Gel contains a kick of caffeine to depuff eyes while reducing fine lines.

Grab some Soap & Glory Off Your Face Cleansing Cloths when you want it all off in a hurry!

Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Super Rejuvenating Face Serum will rejuvenate that tired face and make it glow!

Soap and Glory Mighty Mouth Lipcare & Plumping Kit has it all to plump that pout up and bring sexy back!

As you can see the line up is quite extensive which really pleases me to no end as the economy is under such distress lately that variety in stores is disappearing quickly so it’s nice to see that Soap & Glory has taken the effort to extend it’s line and introduce something new for us all to enjoy!

I’ll be picking up a few pieces from the line myself so I’ll have a review up shortly about them. The exchange rate is currently quite good on sterling and prices are ranging from $6-$17 USD with the gift set topping at around $28 USD. As you can sterling is converting considerably better and the prices aren’t much different (or even cheaper in some cases) from what you’d pay here in the US for the Soap & Glory line but of course airmail costs factor in as well.

As I mentioned Soap & Glory Skincare isn’t currently available yet stateside but hopefully we’ll see it soon! For now if you’d like the collection visit your local Boots or www.boots.com if you’re a UK residence. If you happen to live outside the UK, as the Muse does, you’ll have to find a friendly Brit to do your purchasing for you!

Any Brits try this collection yet?

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Anyone wanting to try it?

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Meet Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes, their first ever mascara!

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes is a waterproof mascara designed to make lashes longer, thicker, and curvier while giving them a light, fluffy, natural feeling! Hmmmm Majolica Majorca Gorgeous Wings may have competition!

This is formulated with cotton seed extract which restructures eyelashes while hydrating them and allowing flexibility. I have no idea what that means but it sounds like it’s really important!

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes is available now for $18.50 USD or £15 from jellypongpong.com

Expect the good word from the Muse soonish!

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