I went to Atlantic City this weekend so of course I had to hit up the Lancome Outlet to see what they had in stock.
They had a ton of items however I was actually quite relieved that it wasn’t anything I absolutely needed (I’ve been known to get crazy at the Lancome Outlet) however one item did catch my eye which was Lancome Absolue Makeup and for the ridiculous price of $10 USD (this normally retails for $57 USD) I firgured I might as well try it.
Honestly, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I purchased it because aside from being great for dry skin it’s really not what I’d typical look for in a foundation. It’s meant for dry/mature skin…ummm dry yes but I’m not quite that mature yet..at least I don’t think I am. It’s pretty heavy and super pigmented for covering up everything and anything….again not what I’d normally reach for as I like a lighter foundation for my face.
Turns out that it works amazingly well and is actually well worth it’s originally $57 USD price tag. I can see myself purchasing another if I ever actually use all of this one as the jar is freaking huge and should last me till the apocalypse (Dontcha just love Misha?).
I do not recommend this for oily skin this is strictly for dry skin in my humble opinion. It’s extremely heavy foundation and a little tiny bit goes a very, very, very long wear. At the moment I can’t make proper use of it but as soon as the colder weather settles in my skin will be falling to it’s knees and thanking the Lancome gods for such a perfectly, moisturizing foundation that offers beautiful, airbrushed coverage and helps keep my dry skin dewy and moist!
I originally purchased this since I became slightly obsessed with foundations in a jar after falling in love with Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation and CoverGirl TRUblend Whipped Foundation plus the price couldn’t be beat at $10 bucks! I know, I know, pot foundations breed bacteria and germs but this does come with a handy little scoop so my fingers are never actually touching the foundation! And get this….the scoop comes with this handy little plastic pocket to store it in….sue me, I get excited about the little things! I was reading My Makeup Reviews (best site evers) a few days ago and Jojoba was saying how she hated the fact she had no where to store the little scoop from Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation so here in lays a little bit of a solution! A little plastic sleeve for my scoop! Yay!
A little bit more information about the formula…..
As I mentioned the formula is extra moisturizing and extremely pigmented. You can do light coverage but it does take a bit of work to figure out exactly how much you’ll need for a thinner layer of coverage as it always seems I’m just using too much! But after working with the product for a bit I finally got it down to the perfect amount for a nice, sheer layer of coverage that lightens my complextion, erases dullness, and leaves my skin looking airbrushed and perfect.
I was particularly thrilled with how great it worked under my eyes. It’s thick yes but it works well at concealing dark circles and just general under eye woes without drying the area out so it takes on the task of foundation and concealer in one product.
There are 12 color selections available and from looking at the site it appears they have pretty much all tones covered but I do find that when I am selecting color ranges from Lancome for foundation and concealers it’s best to head to your local counter to purchase so you can swatch it out and see what is best suited to your skin tone.
The wear is particularly good and you can easily get eight hours of wear out of this with proper prepping. I started out my day with it as of 5 am and it lasted till around 3 pm before it started fading and needing touch up. Not bad in my opinion plus it didn’t turn ashy on me as foundations sometimes have been known to do after long wear on my face.
I recommend this for the following skin:
Those who seek an extra moisturizing foundation especially if your skin is dry in the Winter.
Fantastic foundation for those who have the beginings or full effect of lines on their face as this will erase fine lines and create a smoother, fresher appearance.
Those who seek extra coverage
Those who want a foundation that can multitask as a concealer.
This one I’m approving for purchase. I’d indulge in $57 USD for it considering how much coverage and moisture if offers plus it’s a very large that will last over a year. Taking all the positives into consideration with absolutely zero negatives I’d say it’s well worth checking out for yourself. Pricey yes, but does exactly what it promises and more!
Likey!
Check out more of the color selections and further information at Lancome.
I’m such a geek, put together batteries and mascara and I get quite hyper and excited! I was testing out my Estee Lauder TurboLash All Effect Motion Mascara this weekend and it’s interesting to say the least.
The wand on this mascara is vibrating, it is NOT rotating. You may have read some details or descriptions of it and got as confused as I did, I had assumed that the wand rotated. The mascara wand handle actually vibrates as you apply which is supposed to mimic the movement moving your wand back and fourth, which we all know adds extra volume to lashes.
The final look, after using the product, is one of fuller, volumized lashes however I was somewhat torn if the vibration of the mascara actually helped to achieve that look or not and I’m unable to turn the vibrations off to try it out. Aside from this minor rant I’m very pleased with the product on a whole. The formula is smudge proof and long wearing with a nice inky black finish that makes me lashes look full and fat. I did notice that I got incredible lenght with this compared to some other mascaras I used and was able to build up some serious volume to my lashes which gave me that false lash look that I crave. The brush applicator is a nice full brush that grabs every lash with one stroke coating them in mascara.
Before Use
After Use
After Use
In order to turn this on you just twist the cap out and pull the wand out. It begins vibrating almost as soon as you twist the upper cap off and vibrates straight through application. Slide the wand back into the tube, twist shut, and the vibrations stop. Simple!
Although the battery is not replaceable it should last until you’re ready for a new mascara which should be about six months or so (the battery will probably out last 6 months in my opinion however I don’t keep mascaras over six months due to bacteria, germs, etc…). At $30 USD it’s not entirely cheap but I do think it’s worth the price as it does what it promises, fuller, longer lashes.
I recommend it for the following:
Those with short, stubby lashes as the applicator does a good job of grabbing lashes and pulling them up and out while curling them upwards.
Those who want fuller, fatter lashes with a false lash-like finish.
Anyone who loves the novelty of a geeky product…!
All in all I really liked this one and I do recommend checking it out for yourself!
As my blog grows, my taste in cosmetics grows as well and I realized something very important this Fall. I realized trying something new works out for the best in the long run.
Nudes, neutrals, and natural shades are outside my norm but I’ve been testing out so many lately that I’ve grown to love a few. Although I was slightly scared of the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette I knew I needed to try it out for myself.
Guess what?
I ended up loving i!
Go figure right?
The palette retails for $50 USD and includes a total of seven shades that range from soft shimmers to metallics and even mattes. The palette includes a dual ended applicator as well, one side of which is a shadow brush and the other side a flat liner brush.
Since I’m self employed if I want to head in to my office wearing blue eye shadow I do just that and my clients aren’t too surprised by my wacky choice in colors however if you’re in a working environment where color matters the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes palette offers the ability to create various soft, sophisticated looks that are actually very, very flattering! I know it’s strange to be surprised at how well nudes work but I can’t help but be slightly shocked at how beautiful they look on my eye.
I think the reason I loved the palette so much is due to the array of softer, shimmering shades. I’m big on shimmer so give me a palette full of shimmery shades I’ll end up loving it by default. Although the shadows contain shimmer it’s nothing to be too scared of since the colors are very soft and the finish is a very sheer layer of shimmer that lightens up a nude, natural eye look.
You get a total of 7 shadows with the palette and at $50 USD for the entire palette you’re paying around $7 USD per a shadow. When you break the cost down I think it’s a considerably good deal considering each regular size Bobbi Brown Metallic Shadows are $20 USD each and you’re getting 7 smaller sizes for a nice deal! Considering the palette has such an array of shades you can easily create a number of looks with one palette which makes this a very nice deal.
The shades included in the palette are: Nude Beach (Metallic Shadow) Nude Mist (Shimmering Shadow) Naked Eye (Matte Shadow) Nude Glow (Metallic Shadow) Mica Shimmer (Matte Shadow) Nude Spice (Metallic Shadow) Espresso (Matte Shadow)
I’m somewhat scared of mattes so I was happy many of the finishes in the palette were of a shimmer base however I was delighted to discover that when I did venture into using the Mattes they blended extremely well and worked wonderful as a base for adding a bit of the shimmery shadows on top. The only shade I had a bit of a problem working with was Espresso which is a chocolate like brown shade with a matte finish. However, as per the instructions on the box I ended up using this as a liner and it worked a treat!
I created three looks for you using the palette but could have gotten many more but ado the Muse only has one face so she had to stop at three as she has other collections to get to!
The look below I’m using Espresso as a liner. I thought this came out interesting as using it as a liner was far easier than using it as a shadow.
With the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Collection a few other items were released which included a few new shades of Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color. I’ve been pairing up the shade Pink Sequin with all my nude looks this week and I must say it’s an absolutely awesome shade and a great formula. This is my first experience with Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color and I’m quite impressed. Pink Sequin has a range of shades in it including gold, pink, and a bit of peach! The shade on lips is nude however it gives lips just a sparkle of color that’s very flattering. I thought the best way to use it was over a little bit of peach lip stain. My first set of photos I have peach stain on under it and my second set of photos I have it on over bare lips. The texture of the product is a creamy balm that’s very soothing on the lips. It has a slight lemony taste which is quite pleasant.
All in all I really liked both trying out both the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette and Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color. I’ll be indulging in further colors of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color and without a doubt I’ll definately take advantage of further palettes that come out as I’ve really had a soft spot for Bobbi’s line lately!
If you’re looking for a softer, elegant looking palette that’s extremely work friendly I highly recommend nabbing this new palette! It can easily create a slew of looks plus work well into the evening due to the shimmer finish on a majority of the colors.
The Muse recommends this for purchase! Beautiful palette and a gorgeous collection overall!
Check out more of the Shimmering Nudes Collection including other releases I didn’t review at Bobbi Brown.
Indeed, that’s exactly how I feel about Vincent Longo Diamante Quad in Aquila! Who wouldn’t love all that shimmery, glittery, gorgeous goodness?
Last year two colors of these fantastic quads were introduced and I brought each rather quickly as soon as seen them pop up on Sephora’s website! I was quite happy to see the introduction of these palettes as they combine four great colors of my very favorite eyeshadow, Vincent Longo Wet Diamond Eyeshadow, into one cute, chic little quad. Loves it! Plus at $40 USD the colors are broken down to around $10 USD each which is considerably cheaper than purchasing one color at $25 USD.
This year Vincent Longo extended the color line up to include Aquila which contains an array of vibrant, shimmering shades that are ideal for Fall. I’ve collected a majority of the Vincent Longo’s Wet Diamond shadows and the shades in the Aquila quad are far different from anything available in the line which makes the palette extra special in my opinion.
The shades included are a subdued aqua that looks almost like a blue/gray shade, a deep, dark purple, a peach shade with touches of cream, and a brighter, true peach. Although the shades don’t directly go well together (at least I don’t think they do) the two peach shades paired together make a rather great Fall look and pairing the purple and aquaish shade looks great together as well!
The shadows are wonderfully pigmented and have an almost baked feel to them. They contain a good, healthy dose of fine shimmer so if you’re not a big lover of shimmery shadows you may want to avoid this quad like the plague. However, if you’re like the Muse and simply adore shadow with tons of shimmer, glitter, and sparkle this will likely appeal in a major way! The effects of the shadow creates a super soft, silky finish while adding beautiful diamond-like sparkle. Fall out is a problem during applicaton but I find with proper prepping the shadows adhere great and fall out woes are minimal!
All in all I truly love the colors in this quad and find them beautiful for the Fall and well into the Winter and even the Summer and Spring. The palette is truly beautiful to add to your collection or to get you started, as these tend to be like chips, just can’t eat one or in this case just can’t own one!
I look forward to possibly seeing another shade pop up soon as last year they first introduced Roja I believe and Cassini popped up a few weeks later so the possibility of seeing another color selection prop up shortly is definately there. I haven’t heard too much in regards to Vincent Longo’s Fall Collection but I am particularly excited about the release of Aquila so I look forward to seeing what else is introduced after!
Vincent Longo Diamante Quad in Aquila is very Muse Approved as are all the Diamante Quads!
Guerlain Parure Aqua Liquid Foundation is a spoiled indulgence at $55 USD but well worth the hefty price tag for a delightfully wonderful foundation.
I had a difficult time deciding between purchasing Guerlain Parure Aqua or Guerlain Parure Extreme. In the end I decided to spoil myself with both as each performs a different function and both are beautiful pieces to add to my daily makeup routine.
Today I’m reviewing Guerlain Parure Aqua and later next week I’ll be bringing you a review of the Guerlain Parure Extreme.
Guerlain Parure Aqua combines good for your skin ingredients that are mineral rich and moisturizing. Parure Aqua takes it name from the fact that it combines sea water and natural spring water to create a cocktail of intense hydration for the skin. The hydrating factor of the foundation brought me to purchase it because as the colder weather sets in my skin will be aided and thankful for any extra moisture my foundation and other products can provide.
Parure Aqua is, as promised, a highly moisturizing foundation. It smooths on beautifully well, absorbs quickly, and leaves behind a radiant, flawless finish. Honestly, did you expect anything else from Guerlain?
The formula is nicely pigmented and I’d say coverage is medium. The texture is creamy and highly moisturizing and absorbs easily into the skin. I liked how well this absorbed quickly into my skin without much effort on my part bringing both a dewiness to my skin and a nice even finish. One pump of foundation should cover your entire face so this should last you a good long while.
The bottle is quite glam and reminiscent of Guerlain Forever Gold from the Holiday Collection in 2007. I love how pretty and gold the bottle is and it looks truly lovely on my vanity.
Although the price tag is hefty, I think the product speaks for itself if you’re a lover of posh cosmetics that do exactly what they promise. Radiant feel-good foundation, moisturizing and mineral enriched with SPF 20…the Muse likey!
I’m going to Muse Approve this one for purchase, I like it, alot.
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