Musings of a Muse

As requested by a reader here are picture comparisons of the Urban Decay Primer Potions which include Sin, Eden, and the original formula.

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Please see my original Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows review for more info but a reader requested close up shots of the shadows so I did them.

Hopefully you’ll find these helpful.

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On days like today I do so fear I have a teenage boy trapped inside my very chick-y body. I’ve been playing around with Soap and Glory One Pit Wonder Deodorant and the bloody thing gives me a case of the giggles everything I use it. Much like saying fart in a room full of teenage boys I simply laugh when I say the word pits or in this case read the label which says “for really peachy pits…”

I’ve no idea why but I burst out laughing when I read that. Could be I’m thinking of fuzzy under arms? Or maybe I’m remembering Julie Roberts stunt at that awards ceremony a few years ago…gawd how does one forget to shave under their arms at such an important event? I dunno…but I do admit to laughing myself into a little bit of a fit when I use this.

Easily amused? Perhaps or maybe just that teenage boy trapped inside my body.

Jump ahead to hear my review on Soap and Glory’s first ever deodorant stick.

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Jolie in Illinois wrote me recently and asked please could I review the new Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Makeup.

Well Jolie that’s not a great chore as I was liking the looks of it anyway!

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Sorry…someone had requested a review of Lancome Photogenic Skin Illuminating Concealer a little while back ago and I’m just now getting to it. Apologies!

Today I give to you the Lancome Photogenic Skin Illuminating as requested.

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The Muse apologies this review is a long time coming. Many of you asked and asked for a review of Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer but other things got ahead of me so I never did bring you that review.

I recently ran out of the concealer so the perfect opportunity arose to remind myself to get the review written and presented to my patient readers.

Jump ahead to read my take on Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer.

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You know what the number one problem is when it comes to fine lines under your eyes? Dry skin.

The delicate area under your eyes can occasionally become very dry especially as you age this in fact causes fine lines to look worst than they actually are. At least that’s been the case for me.

Your best possible defense against dry skin and fine lines is keeping things as moist and hydrated as possible. Believe me I used just about everything and the kitchen sink to keep the delicate skin under my eyes as moisturized as possible but sometimes even that isn’t it enough.

Solution?

Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Balm…miracle in a glass jar.

Check it after the jump!

What is it?

It’s a herbal scented balm that resembles vaseline but with a harder texture.

What’s it do?

Depuffs, moisturizers, hydrates, soothes, protects, and erases signs of fatigue such as dark circles.

Does it work?

Hells to the yes!

Trust me I’m a Doctor, I think David Tennant said that at one point…but anyway….here’s the scoop. Yes, it depuffs, yes it moisturizes, yes it hydrates, yes it improves fine lines (due to dryness) under your eyes, and yes it fights the signs of fatigue but no it doesn’t erase dark circles.

So…..

I gave up everything I normally slather under my eyes aside from my AM eye cream to use this for a week and a half. Honestly, that’s too short a time to really test it out but the fact is I seen such a dramatic difference since I started might as well tell you the good word now.

It sports a consistency of a balm or a salve hence the name eye balm doh. All you need to do is gently pat it under your eyes and go to bed. Next morning you’ll be singing in praise how great you look. It gives an intense shot of good moisture to my dry skin, hydrates it, and does a slight depuff action, LOVE! It also makes me look quite refreshed. Actually when I wake up the following morning it isn’t totally absorbed into my skin, it kinda sits around and moisturizes all through the night as I sleep. It’s rather ideal if you have some serious dry skin going on. Fact of the matter is if I don’t moisture well my fine lines look incredibly bad but when I do get proper moisture you can barely see them and thus the case with this balm. It gives me so much moisture that my fine lines virtually disappear making me look younger, fresher, and flawless.

It’s not for everyone.

Thing is I love it but I know that people will likely feel it’s like slathering vaseline under your eyes. Not the case as it’s a balm and it has a harder texture with a bit of a tacky formula. It could prove to be uncomfortable for some or you may get an “ick” factor after use as it never fully absorbs. As for me I could care less since it gives me all the moisture I crave and than some. I can suffer through a little stickiness for that.

It comes housed in a heavy glass jar and yes sadly you’ll have to be dipping your fingers around in there…hello bacteria…only thing I can suggest is to be sure to always use clean hands prior to use. I find that swirling my finger in it with gentle pressure will make the product easier to use as first try it is quite hard and feels like you’re not using anything at all. A pressured swirl will get it “worked” up so to speak.

It’s $60…honestly, that could be a bit much to drop on a simple balm considering for that chunk of change you can invest in a good quality eye cream. For me it’s priceless since it simply works and hey that’s what I’m paying for right?

So far, it’s on my incredible list. After I’m through with this (which won’t be anytime soon as the jar is huge with a ton of product since a little goes a long way) I’ll be running to the store for another.

Very good stuff, Muse Approval for purchase.

Overall, if you need to tame the puff, erase the fine lines, and get a super dose of moisture under those tired, dry eyes, Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Balm does the deed and does it well.

Loves it.

A few months ago I fell in with Kenzo Belle de Jour which is so above my budget but I can’t help it, it’s love people.

After writing my review I got a few e-mails asking me further about Kenzo Belle de Jour and I found a few fellow fans of the moisturizer. It was a relief knowing I wasn’t the only one in love with such an incredible cream, after all it is kinda expensive and I wasn’t sure if anyone out in Internet-land was loving it as much as I was.

Now recently I got a few more e-mails thanking me for recommending Belle de Jour. This warms my heart. It always makes me so terribly excited when someone takes a chance on my recommendation, purchases the product, and ends up loving it. It’s such a joy to hear success stories about people reading my review and enjoying the product as much as I do. Along with these kind words of thanks these fans told me, “But Muse if you loved Belle de Jour why haven’t your brought us a review of Kenzoko Fresh Lotus Water…” I even had two readers telling me they must hear about it from me prior to purchasing it..blush..thanks guys!

Well, here, for your pleasure, is a review of Kenzoki Fresh Lotus Water which indeed, for fans of Belle de Jour, smells just as incredible.

Jump for it.

If you’re not a lover of scented products look away dears, look away. But if you absolutely adore your skin care to have a beautiful scent stay close at hand while I tell you the joys of Fresh Lotus Water.

For a burst of cooling mist with the light, fresh scent of lotus this is your go to product for toning, hydrating, and waking up tired skin. This fresh water mist can be sprayed directly on face to prep skin prior to moisturizer or to end a hard night as a soothing toner.

The mist comes in a can and allows for a very fine cooling mist to be sprayed on skin. It’s refreshing, cooling, and ever so slightly moisturizing. I found it’s the perfect prep prior to applying Belle de Jour as it allows the moisturizer to absorb easily into my skin. Or it’s rather perfect after removing my makeup to tone my face.

The formula key element is dew grass which is used in many Chinese medicine for it’s reconstructing properties to promote and improve hydration in the skin.

I use alot of different mists on my face from Asia most of which are fairly cheap however one of the more expensive ones I lean towards will be replaced by this. It’s price is a tiny bit higher at $28 but I can’t forsake it’s incredible scent and moisturizing benefits.

Overall, Kenzoki Fresh Lotus Water is a fabulous mister for restoring moisture to your face. During the long humid days of Summer I’ll be using this to give my skin the hydration it needs minus my normal moisturizer which can prove to heavy for the heat. It’s a fine mist for getting my face moist, refreshing tired skin, and working as a light moisturizer for Summer wearin’ and tearin’!

Loves it!

Muse Approval for purchase!

You fancy a smooth, creamy, dreamy, moisturizing, easy to blend, long wearing concealer to brighten up your eye area and make you look well rested and pretties all day long?

What you need is Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Eye Concealer!

Click it for the review.

A lovely reader asked me for a few reviews on Kevin Beautymaker cosmetics and I’m happy to bring them to her (and you) as I have a ton in my beauty arsenal.

Time and time again it’s proven that Asian brands are far superior at creating unique, inexpensive cosmetics that are high quality and positively brilliant in all aspects.

Taiwanese brand Kevin Beautymaker is an extremely inexpensive cosmetic brand that’s rich in some seriously great products one of which is the Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Eye Concealer.

Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Eye Concealer is specifically designed for use around the eyes as it contains light brightening particles to conceal dark circles and uneven skin tone and I promise it does just that. When I originally got this concealer I was terribly disappointed as it was very dark for a shade 1. It’s only available in three shades so I went with the lightest and it appeared way to beige in the container. But blended in it’s a near perfect color match and manages to conceal dark circles while creating a beautiful airbrush finish. It’s highly moisturizing and blends a treat so it won’t creep into fine lines, cake or crease and wears incredibly long for such a moist concealer. Honestly, it would make a fine dupe for another Taiwanese concealer I love which is Shills Eletric Eye Concealer. The formulas are nearly identical. Strangely enough you’d think that such a moisturizing concealer wouldn’t wear so well and or wear long. For the most part Aqua Eye Concealer is quite like Bobbi Brown Concealer in many aspects but it’s a little denser which makes it beautiful to work with and blend. As mentioned I thought that this would quickly wear a way as the formula is very moist but it actually stands the test of humidity and warm weather and will stay on pretty much all day without touch ups in between.

The concealer can be used on it’s own but for added brightening and concealing you can prep prior with Kevin Beautymaker Color Correcting Eyelid Primer. This can be used to conceal dark circles or used as a prep above the eye a la Benefit Lemon Aid.

I got this concealer off of Payeasy but it’s on E-bay and also Imomoko for around $13.99 or so. Although that’s almost over a 50% mark up I still think it’s a very good deal as the concealer simply works incredibly!

If you like your concealers highly moisturizing and pigmented enough to create a good flawless finish under your eyes, Kevin Beautymaker Aqua Eye Concealer is a fabulous choice. Try it, the Muse knows you’ll love it! It’s so good it qualifies for HG material.

Muse Approval for purchase!

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.

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!

As requested from a few readers here are shots comparing Stila 24K Smudge Pot Golden Noir to Stila Black Cat Smudge Pot.

As you know I recently hauled a few bits at The Body Shop one item of which was The Body Shop RoseFlower Blush 02 which was on sale. A few readers requested a review to see what it looked like on.

Here you go chicas!

As you can see it’s a very pretty flush of color. Do look around your local Body Shop as there many be some to haul or I’ve seen a few on Evil-bay that aren’t badly priced.

Anyone haul it?

Loving it?

We should all be worried about sun protection as the Summer approaches and the sun becomes stronger. Honestly, you should be worried about it 365 days of the year and obsess over it as much as the Muse does. Not only because you want to keep your skin looking beautiful but also because the harmful rays of the sun has the potential to cause some major havoc.

A kindly reader asked about inexpensive SPF and where she could get something that wouldn’t break her beauty budget bank. If you’re looking for an inexpensive, effective SPF for your face do check out Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sun Block SPF 85+.

Jump it for the review!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sun Block SPF 85+ manages to bundle together everything I want in an SPF into a cheap, inexpensive package. I’m reviewing this SPF as a facial SPF only, I’ll be doing a follow up post on SPF’s I use on my body sometime soon but today I am focusing on my face. My reader did state she was seeking something light with a high SPF for her face and I couldn’t think of a better SPF than this Neutrogena one as I’ve been using it a while now and really like it.

It deserves to be mentioned that I really love Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 but it’s $34 USD for 2 oz. Since I use SPF so often and I run out fairly quickly I was searching for something that could offer me the benefits of good sun protection with a cheap price check.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sun Block has a high level of sun protection and offers protection from UVA and UVB rays. The formula is not greasy in the least thus it’s name “dry-touch”. It doesn’t sink in or absorb as quickly as I would like but I can’t deny that the formula is extremely good since it’s not greasy or oily on my skin and feels quite matte and nice. I can forsake a quick absorbing formula if it means the SPF won’t be oily and gross on my face as many SPF’s are. As you know by now my skin is dry but thankfully it doesn’t mind the dry feeling of this lotion. It has a nice floral scent (nothing overwhelming, don’t worry!) which adds to it’s appeal in my opinion.

Considering how widely available Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sun Block SPF 85+ plus it’s inexpensive price tag I think it makes an ideal facial SPF for use everyday. This retails for $9.99 USD or less in drugstores.

If you’re looking for something cheap and effective I highly suggest snagging one! Muse Approval for purchase.

I know, I know you didn’t believe the Muse when she said Diane Keaton had a collection out from L’Oreal. Even after seeing the proof of a primer from the collection, still you had your doubts.

After many an email asking the Muse, “Please Muse, for the love of god and all good things beauty show us more from this collection!” Here is in fact, proof that the L’Oreal Beauty Confidential Inspired by Diane Keaton Collection is real!