Musings of a Muse

A few weeks ago a friend of mine and business associate mentioned the Lipstick Index while we were out for dinner. In all my economic courses I’ve never heard a reference to the Lipstick Index prior to this but turns out if you Google you’ll find a ton of extremely interesting articles on this. It’s referred to in many terms one of which is the Lipstick Index but it’s also been called Lipstick Economy, Leading Lipstick Indicator, etc…

What the hell are you on about anyway Muse?

Well….

I’m referring to the fact that their is some theory and fact that lipstick and cosmetic sales actually rise during tough economy times because women tend to turn in smaller indulgences when money is tighter.

The term Leading Lipstick Indicator was actually coined by Leonard Lauder (chairman of Estee Lauder). The theory turns into fact as Estee Lauder reported sales go up during tougher times and during the September 11th terrorist attacks, lipstick sales were twice as much.

Interesting eh?

Target seems to have done it’s homework and realized now would be a great time to introduce three brand new line ups to their cosmetic selection. I’m betting Target has done some research and realized right now would be a great time to extend it’s line to include some higher end products that might sell very well.

It still remains a gamble for me however.

A few things about Target if you’re not within the US. It’s a large scale department store that sells cheaper lines of everything from clothes, to accessories, to home goods. Generally the cosmetic department consists of low end lines such as Covergirl, Almay, Etc…

Now I admire Target for being way ahead of the game by importing such brands as Boots (both skincare and cosmetics) and Soap and Glory. I feel further interest and admiration to Target for paving the way for a rather interesting import of posh cosmetics. Selling high end cosmetics in drugstores or larger scale department stores such as Target is rather unheard of. If you seek Dior, Smashbox, Urban Decay, Etc…you’ll have to head to a counter, Sephora, Ulta, or find some place online to buy however walking into common drugstores will not greet you with high end cosmetics but cheaper brands a plenty.

Bringing together Pixi, Jemma Kidd, and Napoleon Perdis seems like a very interesting venture by Target however as I mentioned I see it as a gamble. Since the lines are on the kawaii side it may not be as appealing to the masses as one would hope for. I’m always all over cute packaging and shimmery shades however I do believe those of us who enjoy these styles of cosmetic may just be in the majority and women my own age and older may not see the appeal of the “cuteness” of these brands.

I wandered into Target last night to see for myself what the hype was all about and I was wow’ed by the selection of cosmetics and I indulged in far too much of it for my own good but tempted I was.

First off I found it rather fantastic they had actual testers available which is unheard of in drugstores and department stores. I swatched to my little heart’s delight without any MA’s to interrupt me and try to sell me something I didn’t want, a girl could get used to this!

I find myself curious what audience Target hopes to well..target….with these brands. Are they hoping the failing economy will shoot sales of these brands through the roof? Are they gearing it towards teens who are seeking funky, fun cosmetics for back to school? Do they hope to get a glance from the 20 something year old who loves cute packaging?

I know I’m 30 and absolutely love the lines! Sadly, my Target did not yet have the Jemma Kid line up however I have seen it online and it’s simply stunning.

Interestingly enough Pixi is basically the same line up that Sephora used to carry and that Pixi itself now carries within the UK. I was quite surprised and delighted when I noticed Pixi now sells online where as before it was an exclusive UK site. Click to visit the Pixi site.

I was pretty shocked at the prices a teeny tiny bit as I’m not used to venturing into places like Target and being faced with price tags that read $18, $22, $38, etc….that’s MAJOR wow for cosmetics when it comes to such a department store as this. People are generally not used to these prices for makeup and it tickles my curiosity to see how people will react to it. Funny story…as I was browsing, swatching, and happily smiling to myself at the array of goodies, two girls walked up to the displays and began browsing. They were about to try a shadow or something when they noticed it read $18, one turned to the other and said, “$18? Hell no!” and both proceeded to walk away. I found this interesting and wonder if this will set the scene for how most women will feel about the prices.

I was hopeful the prices would be a little bit cheaper and I can’t help but feel slightly shocked when I did noticed that the cheapest item was around $15 USD. Pixi’s price range was around the following:

Palettes $28 USD
Blushes $20 USD
Various Lip Items $18 USD
Larger Kits $35-$38 USD

As you can see the prices are WAY up there.

Napoleon Perdis did a few things different with his line which surprised me. As I mentioned Pixi is the standard line and nothing is new so if you’re familiar with Pixi Beauty this isn’t anything new to you however Napoleon Perdis took a new route. Napoleon Perdis’s line is entitled NP Set and introduces both old and new items. The NP Set line happens to be much cheaper compared to Pixi as well which I was quite happy to see. Prices vary as follows:

Lip Items $15 USD
Blushes $20 USD
Foundation/Primer $15 USD
Eye Shadows $15-$26 USD

Although still priced high the items are considerably lower costing then Pixi.

I wasn’t able to see the Jemma Kidd items for myself however they look amazing online. The price range are the following:

Eye Shadows $18 USD
Lip Items $18 USD
Palettes $36 USD
Foundation/TM’s $28 USD and up

As you can see Jemma Kidd follows along the lines of Pixi Beauty with the price selection available.

Out of the two collections I did see and purchase from I’m happy to report the items are wonderful. Pigmented, good quality, beautiful packaging, all the things you’d expect from items you’d purchase at a counter or your local Sephora.

Although I was a bit disappointed dishing out $144 USD for my little stash of goodies as I really didn’t expect to pay as much in Target of all places. Aside from this minor rant I’m happy I did indulge and yes I’ll definately be going back for more.

I hope that the introduction of brands such as these will start a chain reaction and we’ll begin seeing other brands offered in drugstores and low end department stores soon! Who knows this could be like the mineral/organic range that’s swept the drugstore beauty world!

I’ll be reviewing items from both the NP Set and Pixi Beauty collections very soon so stay tuned! Tomorrow I’ll bring you pictures of the items I purchased.

Above are only some of the selections available. I was very impressed with the amount of product covered face, eyes, lips, etc…I was also quite loving the vast color selection for items available. It was quite like walking into Sephora to have a nosy at the latest collections!

If you’d like to see more from NP Set, Pixi Beauty, and Jemma Kidd see the links below! Happy Surfing!

Jemma Kidd
NP Set
Pixi Beauty

Are you excited about these collections?

Want anything from ‘em?

Does the introduction of high end cosmetics into lower end stores excite you?

Tell the Muse!

Did you know Target sold Philosophy?

Holy cow! Target sells Philosophy now?

When did this happen and why wasn’t I sent the memo?

So far it’s only the 3-1 Shower Gels but it’s kinda neat that Target is carrying the selections!

Nab some now plus free shipping and here’s a coupon from your dear old Muse to use while you’re shopping!

10% Off plus Free Shipping using promo code EVW6WK7W

I’ve been thinking about it really hard I think Josie Maran must know alot about cosmetics after being Maybelline’s promo model for so long. It’s probably pretty fitting that she now has her own line of cosmetics available from Sephora than dontcha think?

I admit I’m tempted.

Her new line isn’t only quite nice to look at but it’s also organic. The line contains botanical ingredients and sports recyclable and biodegradable packaging. Go Josie Go!

I think I’ll be picking up a few items for review shortly as I’m totally digging the packaging and the looks of everything!

Want to try it?

Tell the Muse!

Check out more about the line at Josie Maran Cosmetics.

Your Muse hasn’t blogged BB Creams as of yet since her experiences with them haven’t really been the greatest however since I mentioned them once or twice I ended up getting many e-mails and comments about them. I recently reviewed Kevyn Aucoin’s Sensual Skin Enhancer which reminded me of BB Cream so much in texture and formula that I was kinda of inspired to write about BB’s soon after!

What’s a BB Cream? How do I use a BB Cream? Where can I purchase BB Creams? These are some of the daily questions I get in my inbox!

The US market, as far as I know, has not yet been exposed to BB Creams. I imagine we are all somewhat obsessed with our skin within the US but I personally feel like the Asian population is more so and that obsession accounts for the mass amount of products released within Asian countries. For me and other skincare junkies this is pure nirvana!

One of the latest, greatest, popular, and hyped products to hit Korea are BB Creams which is short for Blemish Balm Cream. The craze began in Korea but has since hit Japan, China, Etc…

So what is a BB Cream anyway?

BB Cream is pretty much the end all of foundation, concealer, moisturizer, etc….It’s a combined product that eliminates many products from your daily makeup routine and not only simplifies foundation but also offers key ingredients that we all look for in makeup and skin care.

BB Creams are highly moisturizing, contain SPF, have acne fighting and anti-aging ingredients, plus conceal and lay a foundation for your other makeup.

What BB Cream Eliminates from your daily routine:

• Moisturizer

BB Creams are so highly moisturizing you may or may not wish to apply a moisturizer prior to using!

• SPF

BB Creams contain doses of 25+ SPF so you don’t need an extra SPF product to protect your skin from harmless sun rays!

• Acne Treatments, Lotions, Etc…

BB Creams contain active ingredients for fighting off problem areas!

• Anti-Aging Lotions, Potions, Etc…

BB Creams contain anti-aging ingredients to prevent wrinkles and also treat any fine lines you may already have!

• Concealer

BB Creams act as a concealer for concealing under eye circles, baggage, etc…It also concealsr acne, blemishes, red areas, etc…

• Foundation

BB Creams act as a foundation for prepping the skin for makeup and creating a flawless finish to skin!

• Whitening Lotions, Fluids, Etc….

BB Creams contain whitening agents to lighten the skin!

You can see why everyone is so hyper and excited about BB Creams. They are virtually the superman of foundation however they are not without their flaws.

Your Muse has tried about 8-10 brands of BB Creams now and I’ve been disappointed about 95% of the time. BB Creams are NOT without one major problem.

My god Muse what do you mean?! They sound like skin care perfection!

The problem with BB Creams is color selection. BB Creams are not like foundation where you walk in and have an array of colors to choose from. Most BB Creams offer one color option only or sometimes, if you’re lucky, two color selections.

Right off the bat I’ll say if you’re a deeper, darker skin tone I’m highly doubtful that BB Creams will work for you although I can’t be sure as I don’t have experience with application on such a skin tone.

I’m fascinated with the excitement over a product that only comes in a dull beige color. Many Asian girls do have a yellow tone to skin and beige is not only unflattering on yellow tones but just, in my opinion, unflattering on ALL skin tones. Thus my amazement over the hype that surrounds the product in Asian countries. BB Creams are so pigmented that the color will look very unnatural on any and all skin tones at least this has been my experience with the brands I’ve tried.

Another surprising thing about BB Creams is the fact that they seem to be best suited to dry skin. I have many, many Asian friends and about 95% of them have oily skin. BB Creams do not dry matte in my personal opinion and they feel very moisturizing when on so I’m curious how those with oily skin feel about the formula and texture of such a product.

I was recently contacted by a reader who recommended me a few brands I hadn’t tried before that made some high end BB Creams. After discussing it with her I decided to give BB Creams a much needed revisit.

You won’t be hearing about the bad. When it comes to Asian cosmetics and skincare it’s difficult for the Muse to trash it. It’s simply too high quality to snark at which accounts for my lack of posts regarding BB Creams. However, I have decided I’ll start reviewing brands I have tried and the pros and cons of each. I’ll also have an upcoming review on a brand of BB that I do LOVE and again this is thanks to the reader that recommended it! That review is coming shortly so thank the gods we finally have a good BB Cream to rave about.

BB Creams are a welcome edition to the makeup world and an innovation in skin care and makeup that needs a bit of tweaking. The potential for greatness is already there and with a little work we’ll have pure perfection.

It’s hard not to notice that I littered my blog entry with difference adverts of BB Creams. As you can see many, many, many companies in Korea have out various brands of the popular product so sometimes it’s difficult to weed through the bad to get to the good! However, that’s what you have the Muse for! I’ll be sharing the best and not so great with you very soon!

Do you use BB Creams?

Love ‘em?

Got questions about BB Creams?

Tell the Muse!

Love Korean Cosmetics? Wanting to know more about Korean Brands? Try a daily dose of past posts!

Etude House Moistfull Mask Review

Etude House Spring Collection Review

An Introduction to Korean Cosmetic Brands

Banila Co “Blue” Summer Collection

If you need information about how BB Creams are different from Tinted Moisturizers please click here.

I swear I must be the only girl alive that loves wandering down the aisles of Staples and thinking up strange and unusual ways to use office supplies for beauty storage purposes. At the moment I’m using various desk top organizers that I purchased online and in office shops as storage for cosmetics (I happen to do the same thing with kitchen draw organizers too!). Oh well I never claimed to be normal!

I needed a few items for my office this week so I hurried down to Staples in excitement in what I’d find in the Back to School aisle that I could use for beauty purposes. I love Back to School! It’s the best time of the year for locating little pencil boxes, small plastic bins, and other awesome little compartments and boxes that I can use for stowing away lipsticks, shadows, and the likes!

Sadly, I didn’t find too much in Staples Back to School aisle aside from three kids bawling there eyes out and one frantic mum trying to quiet them. I suspect they didn’t like the idea of shopping for school supplies in July but that’s just my theory of course.

However, I did find one cheap and cheesy find that I am loving for travel storage! A rather cute plastic pencil case that snaps open to reveal a little pull out draw. Obviously it’s used for stowing away pencils and such but I find it particularly nice for stowing brushes when I’m traveling!

Great idea right?

It has enough room to hold a ton of your eye brushes and you can neatly hold at least five or six face brushes inside maybe more if you don’t mind them being squished up.

At 79 cents I’d say it’s a steal and a deal plus convenient! The Muse highly recommends heading down to your local office supply store and looking at Back to School pencil boxes in a new light! Consider your makeup collection inside instead of a buncha pencils, pens, and erasers.

Simple ideas from your silly, old Muse!

How the Muse stores her stash!

Sephora Metro Traincase

Lori Griener Cosmetic Storage Solutions

Kawaii Storage

MuseTV: Revisiting My Storage Solutions

I swear I’m a magnet for lint and hair!

I have two tiny dogs at home and I love them something fierce however although they are short haired I still find little pieces of stray hair hanging out all over my clothes especially in the Winter when I’m wearing darker colors.

I read about Lint-On-The-Go-Sheets a few months ago on another blog and thought how awesome they were so I’m happy to have gotten a chance to test them out for myself.

I normally sit with a lint a roller in my hand wheeling it across the fabric of my slacks and such. I actually found out that wrapping tape around my hand just works better than a roller does! And here you go the perfect solution to lint and stray hairs would be these Lint On The Go Sheets.

It’s like a big, old piece of sticky tape on the back of you hand that you pat over your shirt, slacks, etc…to swipe up all those evil lint pieces and hair!

These are simple to use. Just slip over your hand, peel away the protective layer of the adhesive, and go to town patting away all the gook that collects on your clothes!

Presto! You’re look perfectly posh again!

The Muse likey!

If you work in an office environment you can really appreciate slipping these in your desk draw and having them handy for touch ups!

It’s $12 bucks for a pack of 20 or go wild and get the triple pack for $26! Plus it’s Free Shipping! Don’t we love Free Shipping?

Click on over and have a peek at the Lint-On-The-Go-Sheets website and grab some for yourself! Truly these are handy to carry around with you! The Muse should know, as she mentioned, she’s a magnet for lint!

Lint Roller be gone! Yay!

A few months ago I did a review on Boots No7 Cleanse and Care Eye Makeup Remover that wasn’t exactly a raving one however let me direct you to your local Target or CVS to pick up a bottle of it for yourself.

Seriously.

Go.

It’ll put you back about $7-$8 USD but it’s prob the best amount of money you’ll spend on an Eye Makeup Remover once I tell you the greatest way to use it.

Here’s what you should do:

Go and grab a bottle, go home, unscrew the top, and dump the entire contents of the bottle down the drain.

Don’t worry, don’t worry! Have I ever lead you astray?

Now fill it back up with your favorite brand of eye makeup remover (in my case I filled it with Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover).

Presto! You have an awesome bottle for your eye makeup remover now. Ok, ok so it seems really wasteful to dump out the entire contents of a bottle but honestly the bottle alone is worth more than the remover inside!

I’ve searched a few places to find a similar style empty bottle but haven’t had much success locating one so when I reviewed the Boots a few months ago and ended up hating it with a passion the next logical thing to do was dump out the contents and reuse the sincerely awesome bottle.

Muse, what’s so awesome about the bottle anyway?

The bottle has a pump style applicator similar to those you’d see on some face creams or eye creams. This simply makes an awesome, easy, simple, and mess free way to pump a few squirts of eye makeup remover onto a cotton square and go to work removing your makeup!

I’ve noticed my bottle of remover lasts longer now that I’m not tipping the contents on a square and spilling it all over the place!

Why the hell hasn’t anyone else thought of this great bottle for removers? It sincerely works a treat and is money well spent in my humblest of humble opinions. Plus you can just keep topping the bottle off as you run low. Unscrew, fill, and Bob’s your Uncle!

The Muse likey a simple way to use her eye makeup remover and although Boots remover sucks the bottle gets a big old Muse Approval for purchase!

Try it out! Promise you’ll love it!

P.S. If you’re feeling major guilty about dumping the contents of the bottle out just use the remover! When it’s finished pour in your own remover!

Making the Most of Your Urban Decay Primer Potion

It’s that special time of the year again kids!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Wahoo!

That means you can head into your local Nordies starting July 18th to nab yourself some seriously awesome, unique beauty finds!

Over 100 brands are participating this year including MAC, NARS, Juicy Couture, Dior, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Philosophy, and many more!

These brands all offer up some Nordstrom Exclusive beauty finds that won’t be available elsewhere so it’s a perfect time to nab yourself a unique beauty find and some are even a Steal and a Deal!

Here’s some items that caught my eye that I might be indulging in this Thursday (you could have begun pre-booking these items as early as June 23rd but I normally like to wander into Nordies and see them for myself on the date of release!):

Bobbi Brown Cocoa Mauve Collection

A really fab collection of awesome Bobbi Brown finds can be found within the Cocoa Mauve Collection that is exclusive to Nordstrom. This kit is $65 USD and comes with a Travel Case, Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Cocoa Mauve Ink, Creamy Lip Color in Berry Mauve, Metallic Eye Shadow in Iced Mauve, and Blush in Sand Pink.

The total cost is a considerable discount from what you’d pay by purchasing each item separately as Bobbi Brown is far from inexpensive!

As you can see below the model is sporting the entire look and looking very posh! I particularly like this collection as the look created is very similar to what you can get using the Bobbi Brown Mauve Face palette I recently review. At $55 USD it’s a bit pricey for the palette so this is rather a nice deal at $65 USD where you get quite a good deal more to do a complete look including a gel liner!

This one is on my wish list!

Dior has released a special limited edition palette for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale which is entitled Dior Gaucho. I’ve VERY tempted by this but I have so many Dior palettes in my beauty arsenal collecting dust it would be a shame to indulge my inner demon of need. However, I am tempted. The colors are simply yummie for the upcoming Fall and at $55 USD the price is not bad at all!

Dior Gaucho Palette

If you’re wanting the palette I’d highly recommend doing your ordering from Nordstrom as you can get a free deluxe sample of Dior Black Out Mascara with your $50 purchase!

Now here’s one we have all been waiting on! Nordstrom’s Exclusive MAC Collection entitled Color Forms! Don’t lie to your Muse and say you aren’t excited about this collection because I’ll call your bluff! Ok, ok maybe it’s not THAT exciting! I’m actually kinda sorta excited about it. I’m very interested in the eye palettes as they are a design we haven’t yet seen from MAC and I’m intrigued by the lipstick as well! And I do so admit that the piggies get me hyper enough to warrant the use of a paper bag to catch back my breath after have a mild case of hyperventilation. It’s definately unique and I’m positive I’ll score a few items from this release!

As always this is a great time to nab some killer deals on brushes! I’ve always raved about how fab the brush sets are and now is a good time as any to nab some fine brushes at 75% off the original prices. Yes, some people do rant that the mini size aren’t as great as the full size but the Muse says don’t listen! The smaller size is just as good as the full size plus it’ll only cost you about $10 USD per a brush in these kits! That’s a sweet steal and a deal in my opinion!

Spoiler:

The Muse says don’t feel too special when you pick up MAC Colour Forms for yourself. Although it’s advertised as a Nordstrom Exclusive it does make its way across the board and ends up in Singapore, Japan, and other locations outside of the US so definately don’t buy into the “exclusive” keyword with this collection.

I spy with my little eye a giant bottle of Philosophy Purity! My all time favorite size of Philosophy Purity is making it’s way to Nordstrom!

This little guy (I use the term little loosely) was only every available from QVC and sadly for the longest time it’s been MIA but now Nordstrom has gone and slapped an exclusive on it, jacked up the price by $10 USD or so dollars, and has made the Muse a happy Muse! I love this size. I go through gallons of this stuff anyway so why not grab the 32oz size! Hey, the economy isn’t doing so well right now why not indulge in a larger size cleanser right?

Philosophy Purity: The Massive Size

Wish list anyone?

Bare Escentuals never fails to make me gasp in absolute horror lately at it’s jacked up prices. But hey it’s the brand that I love to hate (price wise only of course). I love BE like I would a younger sibling, I like to talk down to it but that doesn’t mean I don’t care very deeply for it! Bare Escentuals In Fashion Nordstrom Exclusive is by far the most overpriced set I’ve seen to date from BE at $75 USD. I’m truly shocked. The price tag makes me cry out in pain however it doesn’t stop me from saying “ohhhhh look at the pretty colors” as drool drips from my mouth! The set looks quite breathtaking! This is an 8 piece set that includes Radiance All Over Face Color, Eye Shadow in Bahamas, Liner Shadow in Caviar, Blush in Escape, Lipcolor in Bavarian Cream, a Flawless Radiance Brush, Double Ended Precious Eye Brush, and a gorgeous clutch bag to store it all in!

Bare Escentuals In Fashion 8 Piece Set

Got $10 bucks? Nab a cool steal with the Evian Facial Water Spray Set! Get 1 Full Size Evian Facial Water Spray and a second mini travel size one for $10 USD!

Evian Facial Water Spray Set

The Muse likes the price! Definately on the wish list!

All in all I see some really great buys from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and plenty of ways to get more for less! I’ll be indulging this Thursday when all of these items hit stores (do check with your counter as they may already be available)!

Click on over and have a look at items that I didn’t mention in my post available during the sale!

Are you shopping for Nordies Exlusives?

What are you hoarding, hauling, and stashing away?

Excited about MAC?

Loving the Bobbi Brown set?

Wanting something I didn’t mention here?

Tell the Muse!

NARS has introduced a few new brushes to it’s line up that have most definately caught my eye!

One in particular that I’ve been lemming for a while now is the NARS Ita Brush 28. This brush looks superb for a light dusting of shimmery bronzer, powder, or blush!

Although the Ita Brush has been around for a while it deserved a mention since it’s just now popping up in Sephora stores around here.

If you’re seeking the latest, greatest, and brand new you might want to reach for the new NARS Botan Brush which looks simply lovely. This is an ultra large kabuki brush that’s made for buffing powder into the skin! Since I’m currently trying to convince myself that I should be loving minerals this brush appeals big time! At $75 USD the price makes me wince so the possibility of actually buying this are slim but one never knows as the Muse has been known to shell out as much as $50 for a good brush, sometimes its just worth it!

And finally if you’re looking to tote it all along with you or you’re just a fiend for NARS you might want to get your greedy hands on the new NARS Travel Brush Set. For a mere $170 USD you can do up your makeup in style with six brushes from NARS and a travel case.

I’m not particularly enamored with this kit’s price or the brush roll but if you’re a NARS fan it might very well be on your wish list!

All in all a nice selection of new brushes from NARS to keep your face happy and your makeup skills hone.

Want ‘em?

Loving one in particular?

Too expensive?

Tell the Muse!

Check out more NARS news and reviews by clicking on some popular posts below!

Click here to find out why NARS Nail Polish in Schiap is my Summer Must Have color!

Check out more Summer Must Have makeup with my review and rave for NARS Lipgloss in Misbehave!

Click here to discover why I am loving the Sephora Exclusive NARS Orgasm Nail Polish and Lipgloss Set!