Musings of a Muse

Allow me, if I may, to introduce you to two of the four new shades of Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils.

Ohhhh greens and aquas just make me shiver in excitement! Urban Decay Spring 2009 is really shaping up to be something special as I’m testing it out this week and of course I was quite happy about new shades of the 24/7 liner! We all know how I feel about them don’t we?

I think there was some general confusion afoot about the release of two of the shades that this Muse happened to fall in love with instantly. The two shades I’m speaking about are Flipside and Graffiti but before I get into details allow me to give a brief rave about Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils.

Variety people, tis the spice of life. I really haven’t come across a better variety of awesome colors in an eye pencil like these particular eyeliners! They have a dreamy, creamy, formula that wears so amazingly well and literally melts onto your eye! I’m particularly thrilled about the selection of bolder, brighter colors to pair up with my vibrant eye shadows for a stunning look! I can go on all day about the incredible formula but if you’re wanting more deets do check out my review on Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencils by clicking here!

As I mentioned earlier on in the post I did hear some general confusion about the new color selections as people felt they were comparable to two colors previously released and available in the general catalog at the moment. Covet and Electric are the colors I am speaking about. I thought I’d clear up that Flipside and Graffiti are nothing like either Covet or Electric. Indeed the shades are somewhat similar but not an exact dupe of each other and in saying as such I do believe that picking up the newer shades, Flipside and Graffiti, is well worth your time.

Comparing Flipside to Electric you’ll notice that Flipside is a deeper teal blue shade heavy on the aqua base where as Electric is a more true aqua that’s brighter and lighter. Comparing Covet to Graffiti it’s easy enough to see that Covet is a deeper, smokier forest green where as Graffiti is bright true green.

As you can see from my swatches below the shades each have distinct personality and are quite individually unique.

If you’re want the best eye pencil around, look no further. Waterproof, creamy, dreamy, and simply gorgeous! The Muse Approves in a major way!

I’m absolutely loving Graffiti and Flipside at the moment and looking forward to creating some stunningly loud Spring looks with both!

Visit Urban Decay to check out the entire 24/7 line up and don’t forget to check out Ransom and Underground, the other two shades released for Spring ’09!

Are these on your Spring wishy list?

Tell the Muse!

It’s a little over a month now since New Year’s has rung in but the Muse is all about a New Year, a New Me or in this case a New Year, a New You!

To celebrate the New Year the Muse wants to help you along your path to creating a brand new you and what better way to do it than creating some makeup resolutions!

You may have made a resolution to downsize this year, or you might have said you’ll organize better, or perhaps you promised yourself that you’d rid yourself of the old and get yourself some new items that needed replacing!

Whatever the case may be I’d love to be of service!

How about I help with replacing some of those old makeup brushes that you’ve been meaning to toss out? The Muse has a 5 piece set of Eco-Tool Brushes to give away and a full size, retractable Kabuki Brush. Want ‘em?

It’s easy! Simply submit your name in the widget below (not in the comment field as you won’t be entered to win if you put your information in the comment box) and you’ll be entered to win one of the two prizes I just listed!

Sweet right? What better way to start on your resolution then with a new set of brushes!

EcoTools are 100% Cruelty Free makeup brushes made from synthetic bristles (so soft and lovely on the face!). The handles of the brushes are made of quality bamboo plant which has a low impact on the earth’s resources as it is a highly sustainable plant. EcoTools is a pretty nice way to improve your stash of makeup brushes and help your planet.

You can learn more about EcoTools by visiting my EcoTools5 Piece Brush Set Review or visit www.parispresents.com for furhter information about the EcoTools brush collection and where to buy EcoTools.

As always this contest is open to both US and International readers.

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!

If you’re feeling tired of Urban Decay Primer Potion or you just don’t like MAC Paint Pots (like me!) you might want to check out the new Guerlain Ombre Eclat Eyeshadow Primer for your priming needs.

It’s a bit expensive but well worth your time.

As far as I know this is the first time that Guerlain has ventured into the primer waters. Not many brands jumped on board the eye shadow primer hype prior to Urban Decay’s release of Primer Potion so most people were left using MAC Fluidline or MAC Shadesticks as a prep and prime prior to shadow. Hey, this worked well for years and still does but I won’t say I don’t have some sincerely major love for my Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Upon Guerlain releasing a primer though I did have to try it for myself as I simply adore Guerlain and I suppose with the release of a shadow primer I was expecting the gates of heaven to flood open…most of the time that happens with every Guerlain release that the Muse is privy to so it’s no great surprise that indeed she was touched by an angel after trying out Guerlain Ombre Eclat Eyeshadow Primer.

First of all it’s not comparable to paint pots, nor is it anything like Urban Decay Primer Potion. The formulas are vastly different in my opinion and I will do the comparison babbling for you. Obviously Guerlain Eye Shadow Primer is a nice creamy base which could be compared to MAC Paint Pots however it blends easier, isn’t as thick as a paint pot’s formula, allows better blending for pigments and shadow in my opinion, and intensifies color, all while holding my shadow in place. It’s un-comparable to Urban Decay Primer Potion as well considering it’s a cream base and not as runny a formula as Primer Potion.

Guerlain Eye Shadow Primer is a nice creamy base that blends easily onto the lid. It comes with it’s own mini brush which honestly I find somewhat useless as I’d rather spread it around with my finger however if you’re a germ-a-phobe (hey the Muse is! No shame in that!) you’ll think the little brush is a life saver. A little bit of product goes a long way at freshening the eye area up a la Benefit Lemon Aid plus prepping for shadow or pigment. It has a hard beige edge which intensifies the color of shadow while it adheres. I don’t think any of my primers successfully intensify a color quite like this does. Greens look brighter, purples look deeper, and it just generally makes my shadow pop a fair bit. I think this has to do with the deeper beige of the product as it darkens shadows a fair bit which I find interesting.

I suppose it’s debatable that this could perform the same function as a MAC Paint Pot which is much cheaper but honestly I have no real love for MAC Paint Pots so this is ideal for someone like me who wanted something that was easier to blend and helped my shadow remain creaseless for hours at a time. I like the formula much better when compared to a paint pot.

Overall, I will definitely repurchase when I’m finished with this as it’s superior in terms of keeping my shadow fresh and long wearing plus offering some concealing benefits as well, allowing my lids to look fresher and less dull. It also blends beautifully well which makes application a snap. Well worth trying out if you’re anything like the Muse and not a lover of MAC Paint Pots.

All in all well done on this one Guerlain. The Muse likey!

As part of the Bobbi Brown Brights Collection, several new shades of Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color were released. I’ve reviewed Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color briefly in my Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Collection post but I thought they did deserve a revisit and an article of their own considering what a lovely formula and product they are.

Four new shades of Creamy Lip Color were introduced with the Bobbi Brights Collection, two of which are making a spotlight appearance here on Musings for my review. Today I’ll be discussing, reviewing, and showing you the shades Retro Pink and Rose Brown.

Skip ahead to hear what I think about these lippies!

I’m a big fan of emollient lip products! Shiny, glossy, moisturizing, I’m all over that. Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color brings all those great qualities to the table with a rich pigmented base that’s sure to please makeup lovers far and wide.

The formula of the lip colors is a nice glossy, moisturizing lip treatment. It’s a cross between a lipstick, a gloss, and a lip balm, all rolled into one product. Who doesn’t love all those qualities cocktailed together? I know I do. The product glides onto the lips beautifully leaving behind pigmented, glossy color. I’m a particularly fond fan of applying a dab or two of lipstain on my lips and following up with a few strokes of the creamy lip color for a lovely pout!

I have two of the four new shades released which are Retro Pink (a bubblegum pink) and Rose Brown (a muted brown with a hint of brown).

Rose Brown makes me think of my friend Iris as I know she’d completely love this shade because it would remind her of one of her favorite lipstick shades from Esprique Precious, BR300….actually on me, as you’ll see below, the color came out as a coral because I paired it up with a touch of an orange lipstain under it prior to use. The effect of the stain and the lip color on top is interesting to say the least.

Retro Pink is a great Spring shade considering how light and fun it is. If you enjoy Bubble Gum pink shades this will surely please.

There aren’t a good deal of creamy lip colors on the market like this at the moment. I try ALOT of different brands as you know and I really never ran across a product like this outside of the Asian market. I enjoy how lightweight it is and absolutely love that it still remains a good deal pigmented even though the formula would seem sheer when applying. Color is buildable and lips are left feeling glossy, shiny, and lovely.

What’s not to love?

Who would love this?

• Anyone who likes a lightweight lip color with plenty of pigmentation and a super gloss finish!
• Those who aren’t too big a fan heavier lipsticks but still desire a bite of color on their lips!
• Anyone who enjoys a glossy, moisturizing lip treatment.

These are really fab in the Muse’s opinion and a tried and true favorite. I look forward to new color releases and I’ll continue buying since the formula is outstanding.

All in all Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color are Muse Approved for purchase. The Muse thinks they should be on your beauty radar! Loves it!

Mildew…hmm sounds unappealing but eyeshadow in Mildew…likey!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Mildew is an army green shadow, and like all green shadows, lends a certain mystery to the Muse’s eyes. It seems that dark brown eyes and green eye shadow are a marriage most divine!

Mildew is pretty fantastic considering it doesn’t have the heavy duty shimmer overload many Urban Decay shadows have. Hey, the Muse is all about tons of glitter but sometimes it’s difficult to clean up! Mildew is deeply pigmented, silky smooth, blends like a dream, and doesn’t contain any glitter, always a plus for the glitter haters of the world!

Pair it up with a lighter shade of green for a contrasting, popping eye look or use it on it’s own with a bit of black liner on your bottom and lower lash line for a mysterious, alluring look!

However, you use it you’ll be happy you hauled it as it’s truly a great shade!

Do you have Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Mildew in your stash?

Love it?

What are some of your absolutely favorite Urban Decay Shadow shades?

Tell the Muse!

NARS Spring Collection 2009 had my heart pounding in excitement and I was quite hyper to get my greedy hands all over it!

I have a few pieces of the collection to share with you today and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this exciting Spring Collection!

Jump ahead to read my impressions, see photos, and swatches of NARS Spring ’09!

I should mention that above anything else I’m really, really, really want to try out the new NARS Duo Concealer in a major way. Hopefully I’ll bring you a review of that soon.

Today I have NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Hula Hula to show you and two of the new NARS Single Shadows in Night Sun and Baby Girl. I haven’t yet had a chance to do FOTD’s with these and normally, you know the Muse, I like to include my FOTD’s with all my reviews but I was so excited to finally have pieces from NARS Spring 2009 in my hands that I just felt like sharing right away. I’ll work on FOTD’s soon so expect them to be posted sometime next week.

The new NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Hula Hula is, in my opinion, the best of the two new duos released. It has two shades of shimmering shadow that will make up a rather nice, natural bronzy pink look. I’ll use Sephora’s description for the two shades as they made it sound heavenly. The first shade in the duo is a frosty strawberry with fine gold shimmer (yum right?) and the second is a hazelnut with golden shimmer. The two shadows contrast wonderfully well and I think they’ll make a fine Spring look that’ll work well into Summer!

Although it’s not pimped in the promo image NARS released a new single eyeshadow shade in Night Sun. It deserves to be mentioned that all of the NARS “night” series shadows are always something special and Night Sun is no different in that aspect. It’s a bright true yellow shade with plenty of gold sparkle which will be ideal for pairing up with red, orange, or other warmer shades. Of course, by itself it looks stunning as well. Think MAC Pigment in Golden Lemon and you’ll pretty much have a great dupe (in press format) with NARS Night Sun. Gorgeous and I’m sure a favorite soon.

Finally I got NARS single shadow in Baby Girl. Baby Girl a nice, soft baby pink with soft golden shimmers. It’s quite a sheer shade but for lightening up the eye area it’s ideal.

So far, NARS Spring Collection 2009 is shaping up quite nicely and I look forward to exploring it further (especially that concealer). NARS rarely disappoints and Spring ’09 is far from disappointing! Fab job NARS the Muse loves it so far!

How about you?

Loving NARS Spring Collection?

Which pieces have you through about hauling?

Tell the Muse!

The entire Spring Collection is up and available for purchase @ www.narscosmetics.com

Anyone up for a little bit more of the Smashbox Muse Collection? The Muse is all about “her” collection and is loving it so far! Today I’m bringing you a review of the Smashbox Muse Lip Paint in Luminary.

Check it…..

A new gloss line was introduced with the Smashbox Muse collection which are the limited edition Lip Paints. These glosses offer a tiny hint of color while delivering shine to the lips. The lack of color variety does somewhat disappoint but taking into consideration that these are limited edition I think it’s safe to say that three color selections are a plenty.

The color I was busy testing out this week was Luminary which is a shimmering nude peach shade. Mmm slightly scared of those nudes shades but test I did and I came up with a few takes on the gloss.

First off I was slightly unhappy with the formula of the gloss as it wasn’t particularly glossy and had a tiny bit of a dryness to it. Hmmm, I know..dryness you say Muse? But I can’t think of another way to describe the formula, it’s simply very dry without the normal glossiness one assosicates with lipgloss. After all that’s why it’s called gloss right? Because it’s glossy. This isn’t so very glossy sadly however it is a rather nice shade which adds a touch of golden, peachy shimmer to lips. It’s not pigmented enough to work on it’s own so I do suggest prepping with a bit of stain or lipstick prior to use and topping with this for a nice sparkly finish.

For the most part I do think the name is slightly misleading because I was thinking that these would be a pigmented gloss with a brush applicator however turns out it’s a sponge tip applicator and a very sheer gloss. I dunno, I just associate paint with pigment I suppose?

Overall I do think the gloss had a fab finish and I can’t deny it looks mighty nice on my lips when paired with a warmer makeup look but I was just slightly disappointed with the overall formula and lack of pigmentation. The Muse thinks she might try indulging in one more shade before deciding if it’s a hit with her or a miss!

Sportin’ Smashbox Lip Paint in Luminary

Have you tried any of the Smashbox Muse Collection yet?

Tell the Muse!

The Muse was thinking about it and she decided that she might contact the great Glen Campbell to revise “Like a Rhinestone Cowboy” temporarily to “Like a Midnight Cowboy…”

Has a nice ring to it dontcha think?

The Muse is celebrating the release of the newest color added to the Urban Decay Lipstick lineup by singing all about “Midnight Cowboys” today!

Fun fact: Did you know the first shimmery shade of gold shadow that the Muse ever purchased was Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy?

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy remains a tried and true favorite for the Muse for over 10 years so you can imagine her excitement when she heard that Urban Decay was releasing a shade of it in lipstick form with it Spring Collection.

I had my worries about the leap of Midnight Cowboy from eye shadow formula to lipstick. The shade is a cross between champagne and gold with heavy duty shimmer so the idea of wearing such a shade on my lips had me slightly worried how it would work out. Now I do think that the lipstick color is actually a good deal more beige when compared to the shadow which again had me worried because I don’t do nudes too well at all. Normally nude shades of lipstick make my full face even fuller so I avoid them at all costs. But bless be! Urban Decay Lipstick in Midnight Cowboy works out beautifully on the Muse!

I think part of the reason that the color works out so well for me is partially due to the fact that the lipstick formula has a moisturizing base and a beautiful glossy finish. Upon application it almost feels like I’m applying gloss as the lipstick simply glides on and has a wonderful buttery texture. The color isn’t as pigmented as other shades in the collection but it manages to give a nice champagne nude finish with a hint of golden shimmer.

The awesome packaging of the product goes without saying I’m sure but if you’d like to hear the Muse rave on and on about it do check out her full review of Urban Decay Lipsticks.

Sportin’ Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Lipstick

Although Urban Decay Lipstick Midnight Cowboy is probably more suitable for Summer due to it’s warm base the Muse still thinks it’s a rather nice shade to release in the Spring to pair with a golden eye look! It’s truly stunning on the lips, has a wonderful glossy formula, beautiful packaging, and of course bears the Urban Decay brand name (that along should make you want it).

All in all I really enjoyed Urban Decay Lipstick in Midnight Cowboy and I highly recommend snagging one as it’s Muse Approved for purchase! This Muse loves it.

“Like a Midnight Cowboy…………….”

Is it on your Spring Collection wish list?

Already got it?

Tell the Muse!

Grab ‘em at www.urbandecay.com

The Muse is still musing over whether she loves Too Faced Smurfette Collection or if she isn’t quite feeling it.

She’s had her stash of the Too Faced Smurfette Collection since it’s release a few weeks ago and has been busily playing around with it, testing it, swatching it, and musing over it for the better part of a week and a half. I didn’t want to post my first impressions before actually using the items so today I’m doing a full review of the entire collection.

Sit back, grab a cuppa tea, and read on…..

To begin I will say I simply adore the packaging. I’m a child of the 80′s so I can completely appreciate “smurf” themed makeup. Call it childish, immature, whatever you will but the fact of the matter is that I simply adore kawaii cosmetics and Too Faced Smurfette Collection brings cuteness to the table.

The collection consists of an eye quad, glitter liners, a highlighter powder, and a new lipgloss. I indulged in everything aside from the glitter liners as I have a ton already which I hardly make use of as is.

The Too Faced So Smurfy Eye Shadow Palette is probably my least favorite item in the collection because it was simply too difficult to work with in terms of formula, texture, and colors. I guess I shouldn’t expect too much from a “smurfy” eye palette right? This was a strange cocktail that the Muse had a hard time trying to figure out what goes where and what sort of look would come out of it. In the end I created a “smurfy” look and a more natural, shimmering look by using separate color combos (I actually liked the shimmering look the best!). I’m not sure what they were thinking exactly but it was seriously brain surgery for me to think up some way to use the shades in the palette. The colors included were a bright matte pink, a bold navy blue, a shimmering, glittery gold, and a glittery deeper pink almost brown shade. After much thought I decided to wear the pink on my lid and the navy blue as a liner for the bottom lash line…I honestly wasn’t sure how else to pair the two up? Was I supposed to wear the blue on my lid? Should I have applied the blue in my crease and the pink on my lid? I haven’t a clue but after much playing around the best possible look (which isn’t even that fab anyway) was applying the blue as a liner on my bottom lash line.

Behold:

The full Smurf look using the palette, lipgloss, and highlighter!


A partial smurfy look using the gold glitter shadow and highlighter!


The pink and blue shades were difficult to blend for me but this probably isn’t at any fault of the formula, the Muse just happens to be a retard when it comes to blending matte shades.

My second look was FAR from “smurfy”! I ended up simply applying the gold shade to my lid for a little bit of a sparkling, gold look. I loved the two shimmering shadows best however they are extremely gritty and fall out is of epic proportions which makes them an epic fail for application. After applying concealer on top, wiping with a tissue, using shadow shields, and just generally doing alot of clean up I still ended up having glitter just about everywhere on my face. Sad sigh.

Now the packaging of the palette is super! It’s pink and black with a rather cute Smurfette image on it! It’s a flip top palette with a nice size mirror. I generally like this style of palette because it cleans up fairly well and stores quite nicely. However, packaging aside, I felt like the quad just wasn’t exactly what I expected.

A difficult time applying the shadows due to formula and problems with a mix match of strange colors left the Muse feeling a little less love for the Too Faced So Smurfy Eyeshadow Palette.

After all the woe of the shadow palette at least I can happily say that the Too Faced So Smurfy Illumination Face Powder was quite lovely! This palette contains soft pastel blues, yellow, white, and pink which created a soft focused look when applied on the face. The palette is embedded with Smurfette’s smiling mug and is just too sweet! I’m positive the first thing you’ll be wondering about is Smurfette’s smiling little face….in answer to your concerns about whether or not the emblem wipes away with one brush stroke…no, it does not. You’ll be happy to know that I’ve used it a total of 7 times and Smurfette is still smiling happily away inside although please do take into consideration that I was quite careful when stroking my brush across it plus given time she will wipe away completely considering that the emblem is very lightly sketched into the palette and not fully embedded in so to speak.

The palette is a strange mix match of pastel shades and when swatched almost appears white…however don’t let that sway you. The finished result is quite lovely. I didn’t feel like it was shimmer overload and thought it gave more of a soft focused look that was metallic like and frosty. Quite pretty really. Again, the packaging is a flip top mimicking that of the quad which makes both a nice little set.

Finally I picked up the Too Faced Mood Swing Emotionally Activated Lipgloss which I really liked alot. I’m not a huge fan of Smashbox O-Gloss so I was slightly wary of picking up another “color changing gloss”. The gloss is supposed to change to a suitable smurfy shade for your lips! Gotta love it. It starts out a shimmering blue shade but on my lips it ended up turning a super bright pink! Likey! The formula isn’t nearly as nice as my beloved Too Faced Mirror Mirror gloss but it has plenty of shine and lovely glossy finish! I simply adored the novelty of it starting out blue and later changing pink. So cutes! Works quite well at giving a deeper shade of pink when compared to Smashbox O-Gloss and also lasts a good deal longer with a glossier finish. The gloss has a nice, fresh berry flavor! Yummy!

Overall, I think the collection is a great little collector’s item but I did find the palette lacking a tad bit although it is unquestionably pigmented, I just ended up having a hard time using it, blending with it, and having other general woes. Aside from that I absolutely loved the highlighter and the new gloss and think they are well worth picking up!

Did you indulge already?

Wanting to?

Tell the Muse!

My deepest, sincerest apologies for being off the MAC bandwagon lately. Hate me much? Please don’t. Your Muse was one for collecting everything and anything MAC related but lately I haven’t really been thrilled with much of anything but I am slowly gaining ground and MAC Dame Edna appealed greatly.

It was probably the lilac packaging that first caught my attention. All that light purple packaging just thrills me to bits and pieces which is why when I originally seen the MAC Dame Edna promo images I nearly fell off my chair. But I do ask myself…will MAC ever learn? Turns out the packaging is indeed gorgeous but again with the freaking stickers! Grrrrrrrr! Upon opening the glosses and lipsticks for the first time and simply sliding them out of their boxes, the stickers are already peeling off! MAC, have we learned nothing at all from Fafi’s release!?

Ok, rant over. I shall say no more.

Aside from my beef with the peeling stickers I do so believe that Dame Edna has alot of nice items and plenty that are must haves in my humble of humblest opinions although two items I think are avoidable are the eye palettes. I got my eye palette in Royal Tour and it’s nothing to get to hyper about. The colors in both palettes are quite the same o’, same o’ reruns. Royal Tour contains a soft pinkish purple shade, a lilac shade, and a deep almost periwinkle blue shade. I’m honestly at a lost how to use the palette as the shades are a mix match of colors. At this point I’m thinking of using the lightest shade as a base, the lilac as a contrasting shade for my crease and outer v, and the periwinkle as a liner. I’ll have to take a peek at the face charts for ideas on the best way to use this. I personally think, aside from the uber fabulous packaging, you can skip both palettes unless you’d just like one to add to your collection.

Now the beauty powders I was quite excited about and disappointed all in the same breath. The powders are truly gorgeous at first glance and I’m quite pleased MAC went out of their way to include a matching lilac sponge to apply the powder, nice work guys! Likey! However, the powders are sprayed with a fine shimmer over top under which lays a chalkier formula powder. I guess I was somewhat disappointed that the shimmer wasn’t straight through the powder however I honestly don’t mind that the powder is the standard MAC beauty powder formula as I do enjoy these. I got both shades which are Spectacle! a soft pink and What a Dame! a pale orange. These are quite nice to carry around for a bit of a touch up and to add a nice glow to cheeks. I liked both and think they are well worth picking up.

Finally the glosses and lippies in the collection are super and all are well worth snatching up as they are some sincerely unique shades. In particular I felt like the MAC lipglasses released with Dame Edna were particularly lovely shades. I ended up getting all three lipglasses released which were Possum Nose a bright coral (my favorite of the three), Splendid a lovely coral with hints of pink, and Hot Frost a light fuchsia shade.

I stupidly hauled only two of the three lipsticks but never mind I guess that means I’ll have extra money for MAC Hello Kitty. The two shades I got were Kanga-Rouge a lovely blue based red (My fav!) and Coral Polyp a nice shade of coral that appears almost orange.

All in all the MAC Dame Edna Collection is a nice selection of bolder, louder shades. Out of all the items I do think that the Lipglasses are the star of the show in this case and well worth picking up as I found them unique and quite nice shades for the Spring. Everything else is a bit of a hit and miss for me. I loved the Beauty Powders but again it’s nothing you absolutely have to have unless you want it for the packaging alone.

The collection doesn’t fully get me back on board the MAC train but I’m slowly gaining speed!

How about you?

What did you haul from MAC Dame Edna?

Any favs?

Tell the Muse!

Clarins Nature Temptation Collection for Spring 2009 is currently topping my favorite list! I just got my hands on a majority of the collection yesterday and I have to say it’s turning out to be something seriously special. I’ve decided to do separate reviews for each product in the release because I can concentrate more on each review and offer more details etc….

One item that’s currently topping my latest obsession list is the Clarins Instant Gloss which was released with the Spring Collection.

Read more why I love it and think you need it after the jump!

So what’s Instant Gloss?

Well, you’ve seen the concept before so it’s nothing new but Clarins Instant Gloss is a transparent gloss that creates an instant shade of unique pink to suit your skin tone. We’ve been introduced to this concept alot lately with Smashbox O-Gloss, Tricia Sawyer Clearly Pretty, and as of recent Too Faced Mood Swing Gloss.

Ok, I did groan when I heard about yet another gloss changing formula…it’s sorta old news and a majority of the time I really don’t even like the shade it turns my lips however so NOT the case with Clarins Instant Gloss. This particular gloss happens to be quite unique and different when compared to the competition.

Although the idea of another “perfect pink” gloss held little appeal I knew that Clarins, if anyone, would perfect the idea and make it it’s own. And indeed they have excelled at making Clarins Instant Gloss a truly great product. Clarins took Instant Gloss and made it into a semi-glossy formula with the perfect amount of pink to make lips natural, shiny, and truly gorgeous looking. I think natural is the key word here. I do so associate Clarins with sophistication and they take that element and make this gloss completely wearable for those seeking a more mature look. Please don’t be scared when I say “mature” as the gloss is truly a flattering shade of pink when it does turn. I suppose what I am getting at here is the fact that the shade of pink happens to be very subdued, natural, and in keeping with flattering your lips while not overpowering them with a loud burst of color.

The formula of the gloss isn’t particularly glossy but it does offer just the right amount of shine and mirror-like finish for a nice, quiet look. The shade of pink it turns my lips enhanced the color of my natural lips while keeping a nice sweet pink color.

All in all I was very, very pleased with the product and will repurchase it again. I’m unsure if this is limited edition or not and truly if it is I may need to go back and grab another one because it’s currently topping my latest obsession list.

When swatching I noticed that the gloss barely changed color but on my lips it changes quite nicely!

As you can see from my pics below the gloss gives me just the right bite of color without appearing out of place or unnaturally pink.

Truly the gloss is a great introduction to Spring and will go wonderfully well with cool shades of shadow, softly blushing cheeks, and a more natural, fresh look.

The Muse loves it and recommends checking it out for yourself. It comes with the highest form of Muse Approval for purchase.

Clarins Instant Gloss is available now at Clarins website or your local Clarins counter for $22 USD.

The Muse kinda sorta thinks that Smashbox was thinking all about her when they created the Smashbox Muse Collection.

Indeed, I think they got the creative energy flowing and had a mental image of the Muse as they mixed up, created, and finally released the Smashbox Muse Collection.

Oh well at least I’d like to think that’s how it went. What? A girl can dream.

When I originally blogged Smashbox Muse I didn’t even realize a blush was being released with the collection! Well duh and hello gorgeous! Smashbox Muse Blush Rush in Masterpiece was obviously made exclusively for me because it’s most flattering on this Muse’s chubby little cheeks…although it’s exclusive for the Muse she’ll share and let you buy one of your own..if you must….teehee!

The packaging on Smashbox Muse Blush Rush is quite cute as it has a flip top lid with little paint spatters all over the compact and the outer box packaging, flip it up to reveal the blush and a nice size mirror! I was slightly scared of the shade which they have entitled Masterpiece in keeping with the “arty” theme of things, as it appears to be a warmer, muddier orange shade and normally that’s not quite flattering on my face. To look at it one would never know how pigmented it is as the formula, upon first glance, appears quite chalky however it blends seamlessly and offers a nice warm peachy pop of color to my cheeks! Likey! See? I told you they had me in mind when they created this collection.

In keeping with Spring I do think that the shade would go perfectly with greens, golds, and browns for a warm, fresh look. It’s suggested on the website to prep and prime with the new Smashbox Hybrid Luminizing Primer (review coming shortly) and apply Smashbox Blush Rush in Masterpiece on top. I haven’t yet tried this but I will do so shortly as I’m curious what the finished results will look like.

All in all I’m quite pleased with the blush and I was finding myself wishing that they had released other shades. The blush is $24 USD and available now at www.smashbox.com

A Muse sporting Blush Rush in Masterpiece

The Muse is all about Muse Approving it for purchase! Go get yours as it’s not only good for this Muse but all Muses out there. For soft, glowing cheeks for the Spring, Masterpiece has you covered.

What do you think of the Smashbox Muse Collection?

Are you hauling any of it for yourself?

The mighty gods (or should I say girls?) of Specktra are dishing on the new MAC SugarSweet Collection and boy does it have the Muse hyper!

With names like Cakeshop and Butternutty can you blame me?

Not much is known about the collection so far but they do have images up of three new MAC Shadesticks being released entitled Butternutty, Red Velvet, and Cakeshop. The Muse wants ‘em for the name alone! Loves it.

Looking at the swatches this actually makes me want to hold off on purchasing Shu’s new Spring Collection, Mirage as this collection looks like it’s going to be loaded with beautiful shades of pastels with hints of shimmer.

Gorgeous!

What do you think?

Tell the Muse!

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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!