Musings of a Muse

If you’re a beauty junkie you probably already knew that QVC had an all day beauty event on Saturday. As tempting as it was to stay inside and just watch beauty on the tube, the weather was too nice to resist the temptation of outdoor play so this Muse Tivo’ed up everything that was on this Saturday and fast forwarded through it early this morning to get a peep at what she missed!

After fast forwarding briefly I came across two or three items I had to have but was somewhat relieved that it wasn’t a ton of must have items.

Here’s what I hauled:

I’m not sure why but I got a bit crazy with all the Laura Geller items offered. It seemed like such a good deal and the Kiss and Bake set. The few times I’ve tried Laura’s baked goodies they have always been a tad chalky but I decided what the heck, might as well re-try ‘em!

As for the Bobbi Brown, obviously you can see why I love these shadows plus I thought it wasn’t too bad a deal for all three.

I’m looking forward to scrolling through the rest of my Tivo’ed recordings to see what else was offered on Saturday!

What did you haul?

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It’s not Friday but I thought I’d share some more Etsy love with you! This is a follow up post from my original Bead Passion from a few weeks ago as I wanted to share with you some of the brand new pendants that arrived in my mail box!

Jump ahead for a peep!

By now I hope that you too got your package if you ordered from Helen. I got my order yesterday and was thrilled to bits and pieces with it.

Helen has gotten way more detail orientated since my first purchase hehe! The new cuppycakes are simply gorgeous and so life like!

I love the new chains she’s shipping the pendants with as well. They are so nice and long so the pendant is really displayed nicely around your neck!

My free goodies!

In my original Bead Passion post Helen offered free earrings, a free cell phone charm, and stickers to anyone who made a purchase! The above are what I got ;D I’m loving the cell phone charms! Cutes!

Curious minds did anyone order?

If so what did you get?

Feel free to share pics! musings.of.a.muse@gmail.com

I had to go to CVS yesterday to hunt and peck through scary drugstore makeup to locate the Maybelline foundation I was babbling about yesterday. On my quest I couldn’t resist plopping some more Essence of Beauty Brushes in my cart.

Jump ahead for haulage pics!

I don’t normally like cheap brushes but I must say that these always impress. I ended up picking up the travel size kit and a two brush shadow duo set. I think both sets cost me $15 USD or so? Not too bad a price for seven brushes total. Hi cheap brushes the Muse likey you very much.

Although I wasn’t as pleased with the travel set as I was with the shadow duo set. The brushes seemed a bit more dense and harder than the normal Essence brushes I’ve picked up but none the less they were good aside from that. If you’re looking for some inexpensive, budget friendly brushes I’d totally recommend these as they are the best I’ve personally come across. I’m a MAC brush girl all the way but I can’t deny that the next best thing if I’m looking to save a buck or two would be snagging yourself some of these bad boys.

Check your local CVS for the selection.

Loves ‘em and even slapping a Muse Approval on ‘em for purchase!

Last week I was wandering around Pursebuzz when I noticed she had posted a Free Shipping coupon code for FaceFront Cosmetics. After visiting the site I kinda got all hyped up from the really nice promo images and decided to order.

Hey, free shipping plus cool makeup pictures gets me excited what can I say?

Upon visiting Face Front’s site I kinda got hyped over the lack of variety. I know, weird right? The Muse excited about a small amount of product…what’s the world coming too?

Read on to hear more about my haul and impressions!

The lack of variety at FaceFront did relieve me somehow. Whenever I log onto some of these mineral sites I’m presented with an obscene amount of product which causes me to quickly close my browser. The Muse knows her compulsive nature and she’ll end up adding one of each color available when presented with THAT much variety.

Hold me, I’m scared.

Seriously, all that selection is sincerely awesome but it’s just a little bit too much sometimes. So relief was definitely one emotion I was feeling when I seen that FaceFront had a nice selection of product but not every single shade known to man (and some unknown). Phew! After exploring a bit I was impressed with the bolder shades of blushes and shadows and felt like they were quite unique from other e-tailers so I decided I might as well order.

I got my order within a few days all wrapped up tight. I selected two blushes and three shadows to start my journey and was pleased when they arrived in generous size jars. The blushes were $16 USD each and the shadows were $10 USD. The blushes are 0.03 gram jars and have a healthy amount of product inside so I didn’t think $16 was too bad a deal. I was disappointed though upon seeing my order that the swatches were terribly inaccurate on the site but I was happy how vibrant the shades were. I suppose this line isn’t for everyone as the shades are bright and quite bold but I do think quite workable with a lighter hand. I was quite pleased with both blushes, although they are easily duped from the Aromaleigh Rocks Collection that I indulged in a few months ago. But regardless I still liked them and I think I’ll consider ordering a few other shades. The colors I choose were Buenos Aires and Full of Ferocity. Buenos Aires is a bright orange that appears peach on my cheeks and Full of Ferocity is a coral red, dominant on the red please which gives my cheeks a just pinched look.

FaceFront and Aromaleigh Blush Comparison

Being quite pleased with the blushes I was excited about trying the shadows out but sadly they aren’t as up to par with other minerals I’ve tried. You may like these if you like a sheer shadow wash otherwise I don’t suggest them as they aren’t too pigmented and color rubs off quite easily. The formula is a very fine powder which could be why the powder fails to adhere to the eyelid well. I got three total colors and all of these were quite sheer when applied and not as pigmented as I was hoping for. The colors I tried were Ice Melt, Razzle, and Blushing. All three are stunning in the packaging just not so great formula wise. Ice Melt is a golden shimmer which morphs into an icy iridescent pearl, Razzle is a shimmering cranberry shade, and Blushing is pink with touches of peach shimmer.

All in all the company does have some nice items, in particular the blushes, I’m pretty interested in returning for a second order to see if the other shadows are of better formulation than the ones I ended up selecting. I am considering more blushes as well since these were a nice item. It wasn’t the best mineral e-tailer I’ve tried but it had a few items worth looking at.

I’ll be doing some FOTD’s shortly with these items so you can see what they look like on.

How about you?

Ever tried FaceFront Cosmetics?

What mineral e-tailers do you love?

Tell the Muse!

The Muse is kinda down that Lush NA didn’t really do much in regards to a sale this year. Normally Lush does a Clean Slate sale which entitled the masses to major free goodies however this year they had a clearance sale on Christmas goodies only and from what I’ve heard and seen so far that’s about it.

It doesn’t bug me overmuch because I rarely order anything from Lush NA as most of the time I do my ordering from Lush UK so I’m not really too upset that the sale was off this year however I do know many a Lush lover who really missed it.

However, as I mentioned I did indulge in the clearance sale….

The Muse happens to be a very big fan of Lush’s sister company, Be Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful and one of her very favorite scents from the company is Keep It Fluffy.

This year as part of the Holiday Collection Lush introduced Keep It Fluffy in a guest soap! Bless be! The Muse overindulged in mass quantities of the soap and happily indulged further when Lush had it’s Holiday sale.

Behold, Keep It Fluffy Haul:

I already had quite a few bars of Keep It Fluffy stashed away but I ended up purchasing five from Lush NA and getting five for free during the sale. That was 10 bars for under $50 USD! Score!

I won’t go into great detail about how Keep It Fluffy smells since it’s quite complex and unique but this Muse did want to share her haul with you!

Anyone else haul during the sale?

What did you get?

Tell the Muse!

I wanted to do one big post about Vincent Longo Eye Shimmer Souffles with a review, swatches, and an FOTD for each color but I knew by the time I actually get around to doing an FOTD in every color that they’ll long be gone from Sephora for the price I paid! So I decided to do the review, swatches, and the haul pictures for you and sometime in the future I’ll do a few FOTD’s using the product.

Anyway….the moral of today’s story is….

You may have noticed right after Christmas or maybe a bit before Vincent Longo was cut from the Sephora line up and reduced to 50% Off. Later on it was reduced further to 75% off but by the time I actually got around to looking into what was available (I was trying to be good you see) it was all blessedly gone. I seriously didn’t need anything at the moment and it seemed pointless to bother looking, sometimes the Muse plays it safe.

Flash forward a few days (like Monday of this week) and I was at Sephora and allllllllll the Vincent Longo I could possibly want was on display and reduced by 75% which means that each of the Vincent Longo Eye Shimmer Souffles I hauled were $6 USD each! w00t super deal! I couldn’t resist. I own a few of these already but at $6 bucks who could resist stashing up on some more so I hauled six!

You should really get over to Sephora and see what you can snag because these are truly a deal in a half. A little products goes a long way as they are richly pigmented and have a nice shimmer finish without the disco ball effect. The formula is silky, smooth, blends easily and dries down to a powder-like finish. On the eye they are stunning to say the least. I’m wondering how they’ll work as a base for pigment. Must try that out! Plus they are amazingly long wearing! No creasing, fading, and they stick around for ages…you really have to get serious remover to get everything off your lid after use.

All in all I suggest heading to Sephora to see of you can score some for the rock bottom price. I nailed six in total! Well worth it and cheap to boot.

If anyone is interested I did mistakenly pick up an extra color, Copperleif, for my sister however when I got home she informed me she already had it. If you’d like it it’s $10 USD which includes shipping, confirmation, and paypal fees without the US and for non-US it’s $11 USD which includes first class airmail shipping and paypal but sadly no confirmation or tracking.

Did you grab anything from the Vincent Longo clearance at Sephora?

What did you get?

Tell the Muse!

The Muse hearts Bath and Body Works Lambie in a major way! Last year she hauled Bath and Body Works Lambie Slippers but was a tad disappointed that they wore out so quickly! This year she decided to wait for the Bath and Body Semi Annual sale before indulging and she’s glad she did because she got three pairs of Lambie Slippers for $12 USD each yay!

Make the jump to see my haul!

I was quite happy that this year they made the Lambie Slippers a bit more stronger plus this year’s version encases the entire foot so you’re tootsies will remain nice and warm! This new style also prevents the slipper from wearing down the way the old version did. Likey!

At $12 USD the Muse thinks it’s worth hauling it.

Snag yours at Bath and Body Works!

Hey guys!

When I originally indulged in the Fafi for MAC Collection I didn’t bother much with the Paint Pots released as I’m not a big fan. After many of you commented telling me what I was missing out on I felt rather bad I didn’t indulge however it was too late as many items had sold out!

Last week I ended up scoring at my local CCO which had all the Fafi for MAC Paint Pots available for $11.75 USD!

W00t!

So I hauled a few shades for myself.

Check out your local CCO as they are stocking up on tons of last year’s holiday collection, loads of paint pots (including the ones from Fafi), and MSF galore!

What’s the best score you had at your CCO?

Tell the Muse!

Fafi for MAC Review

Bobbi Brown CCO Haul

MAC Antiquitease CCO Haul

Woodbury Commons Steals and Deals

Before I fell in love with Bobbi Brown there was a limited edition shimmer brick released called Peony.

Now I’ve lemmed Peony for a while in particular the lemming got strong when my good friend Iris was staying in New York and had gone to Woodbury and scored Peony for herself. I remember soon after her trip I headed up to the CCO but I think Iris might have purchased all the Peony for herself, you never know she’s as obssessed with makeup as I am and it’s a logical conclusion. I only ever seen the one compact she got but what’s she not telling us right? I bet she has a few of ‘em stocked in a makeup cabinet just waiting to be used! Dontcha Iris? Tell us!

Anyway. I had seen some pics of Peony and it was honestly the darkest most vibrant shade I’ve seen released in a shimmer brick. It was a deep pink rosy color that looked simply divine and the Muse had to have it for her very self.

Sadly, after much begging and pleading on MUA I was unable to get anyone to swap it away (damn people are always so hard to convince on MUA aren’t they? Why put it up for swap if you don’t want to part with the bloody thing!).

I soon after turned to E-bay but I suddenly grew a consious when it comes to cosmetics and I was counting my pennies and realized hells I don’t want to pay that much when I know the CCO had it for heaps and heaps less!

Noooooooooo!

I pushed Peony to the furtherest corner of my mind and I tried hard not to begurdge my friend her lucky purchase (I’d never begrudge her anything as she’s a true darling but for the sake of my story I’ll add that in for drama purposes only hehe!).

About two weeks or more ago I wandered up to Woodbury and low and behold what I came across:

HA! Say it with me people…SCOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I ended up snatching up one of many Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Peony for the sweet price of $26.75 USD! w00t!

It’s all that I hoped for! It’s one of the better Shimmer Bricks I’ve come across and I’m very eager to try it out with a bronzing powder as I think it’ll give my bronzing powder an extra pop and sizzle of both shimmer and a beautiful flush of color!

It’s probably one of the few shimmer bricks you can wear on bare skin and still look fabulous. Very pigmented and with just the right amount of shimmer this is a solid gold find for the Muse!

I also picked up a Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot while I was there for $14 USD and it’s simply a stunning shade. I have a funny feeling this will be making a guest starring appearance on my next Beauty Addictions list!

Dontcha love scoring an awesome steal?

Count the Muse a happy girl on these purchases!

What was your latest haul that made you do a little jig?

What are your lemmings that you’re having a hard time finding?

Tell the Muse!

Grrr I’m so peeved with myself! Last night as soon as I got off work I picked up my best mate Jai and we took our fabulous selves off to Nordies to get the low down on the Nordstrom Exclusive MAC Colour Forms Collection (plus see the other exclusive bits and bobs)!

When we got there we headed to the MAC counter first and I was told that the pressed powder was sold out! UGH! I was so disappointed as this was the item I was the most excited about! My MA told me virtually everything was gone aside from two or so each of the new pigment shades, a few palettes, three shades of the highlighters (the rest were gone, gone, gone!) and the brush sets. Can you believe it? Who knew it would go this quickly!!!!!!!

I normally pre-book everything in advance but since I’m always seen these exclusives pop up at my local CCO a few months later at killer deals I was playing it safe by waiting until the date of release but sadly I got turned out in the cold! Can you believe it? The Muse missing out on MAC! Don’t they know who I am?

It’s not all bad as I can get it online but still! Damnit!

On top of that horror story I thought that the new green pigment was a re-promote of “Golders Green” so I skipped it…I got home and realized it’s called Glided Green! Someone shoot me please?

So the Muse is only bringing you part of my haul and the rest will come next week after my order ships from Nordies website!

Jai ended up with zero which is very unlike him as he’s like me and collects all the palettes. He was either suffering from some unknown disease last night or he just wasn’t too thrilled with MAC Color Forms. I can’t blame him too much as it really wasn’t too much to get excited about.

Do not get me wrong. There are some sincerely beautiful things in this collection but I just felt a little tiny bit meh about it. I ended up hauling one palette (very unlike me), one lipstick, and three piggies! $126 USD later I left swinging my bag and humming a happy tune!

Again, very unlike me but I only picked up one of the two palettes. I’d normally grab both but the Cool Eye palette was just blah. Not great colors at all! However, the Warm Eye palette was simply divine and well worth grabbing. It’s a perfect selection of great Fall colors plus it’s a design I haven’t personally seen from MAC before so that alone makes it unique!

The compact design is pretty much identical to last year’s Novel Twist. It’s a solid rectangle box with a flip lid, magnetic closure, and fabric cover. Aside from it’s bright green material cover it’s virtually the same exact compact style as last year’s design. Unlike last year’s five shadow line up this is a tiny bit different. Yes, it does contain five shadow shades but instead of a straight line placement they now have three shadows facing the standard upwards position and two shades that are laying on the side.

It’s an interesting set up for the palette and as I said I’ve never seen MAC do a palette like this. They choose to make the two shadows on the left hand side bigger sizes or at least they look bigger to me. The two lightest shades that you’d use as a base and highlighter are the shades that they give you more of (or it appears to be more but it could be just the set up!).

The color selection is pretty much a very nice array of Fall colors. Granted it’s probably very similar to past MAC palettes but I really like it anyway. I might be bias because I just enjoy MAC palettes but this seems really pretty to me.

MAC Colour Forms Warm Eye Palette versus Novel Twist Warm Eye Palette

Colors included are:

Chillproof-Creamy white comparable MAC Eyeshadow in Mylar or Nyon
Tancentric- Pale Rose
Rolled Gold-Smoky Khaki Green
Rustic-Cranberryish Shade comparable to MAC Eyeshadow in Cranberry
Fertile-Matte Chocolate Brown

Personally I like the palette and I think it’s worth picking up! It has a nice healthy array of Fall colors plus if you’re a collector you’re going to want one!

The lipsticks released with MAC Colour Forms are unique and again, not something I have seen from MAC prior to this. They contain a lip color that surrounds a core pearl finished core. Let me tell you it looks really pretty but it does nothing. The color I selected was Rose Go Around and it’s a gorgeous maroon red while the inside houses a peachy, gold shimmering core. It’s lovely, truly it is but that core doesn’t really do much that I see? Once I apply I just get beautiful, pigmented off red lips. I’m not really noticing any gold shimmer to my lips….I’m not even noticing that the lipstick applies easier or has some sort of moisturizing benefits due to the new core. Nada. Very nice to look at and definately worth picking up as the shades available are very nice but don’t get it because you’re thinking that the core will give your lips a slick look. That’s not the case, it applies as any other MAC lipstick would.

And finally, something I think everyone always gets excited about, the piggies! It’s always very exciting when MAC does some new pigments. It’s not something they do often and I think it makes everyone very happy when they do release new shades! I had two of the shades already so I ended up with three total and a fourth that I thought I had as I mentioned but didn’t get. Damnit! Review for that one later.

Repromotes are Steel Blue and Jardin Aires. Steel Blue shouldn’t even be a repromote actually..I believe Pro sales it or at the very least MAC’s website carries it or stores. Unsure but it’s definately available around somewhere! Jardin Aires was released with a collection that the name escapes me at the moment but it’s a color you’ll definately want to grab up if you missed it the first time around. It’s a creamy beige, peachy shade!

Now new colors that have never been released prior to Colour Forms are Royal Flush, Tea Time, and Circa Plum. Get all three if you have the spare cash as they are very nice shades for Fall. They aren’t very Muse-like but they are very pretty especially Royal Flush which is kinda like a lighter shade of MAC Cranberry in pigment form! Cool!

Royal Flush-Cranberry Shade
Tea Time-Simply a light brown
Circa Plum-Plummy purple

I guess that’s pretty much it! All in all it’s a pretty nice selection of items from MAC. I’m not really jumping around doing cartwheels over it but I think it’s worth checking out for yourself because there are a few items in the collection that you might want to see, swatch, or buy! And as always I highly recommend the brush sets, these are such a killer deal and it works out to like $10 USD per a brush if you do indulge! Good one!

Head on into Nordstrom to check out MAC Colour Forms for yourself or click on over to Nordies site and see it for yourself!

Expect a review of the highlighter/blush powders and Glided Green pigment shortly!

Here’s a simple Face of the Day using MAC Colour Forms Warm Eye Palette. I used Chillproof as a highlighter, Tancentric all over the and creaase, Rustic on the crease and V, and finished off with Rolled Gold on the lower lash line. On my lips I’m wearing the MAC Color Forms Lipstick in Rose Go Around.

So tell me…….

What did you haul?

What did you stash? What did you trash?

Love MAC Color Forms?

Not for you?

Tell the Muse!

Get your MAC cravings filled by clicking through past posts!

Check out what I hauled from Nordstrom’s Exclusive MAC Collection Novel Twist from last year!

MAC Sonic Chic Review

MAC Neo Sci-Fi Review

MAC Dazzleglass Review

MAC Naughty Nauticals Review

MAC Dress Camp Review

Fafi for MAC Review

MAC C-Shock Review