Musings of a Muse

I haven’t seen Get Smart yet starring Steve Carrel and Anne Hathaway but supposedly this little compact by Peter Thomas Roth is playing a starring role in the film! Anne Hathaway’s character, Agent 99, whips this slick little compact out mid-movie!

That alone made me want to have the compact for all my own. I want to be as cool, slick, and stealth-like as a secret agent with my awesome Un-Wrinkle Pressed Powder!

Yay baby!

In all seriousness if I randomly whipped this out on a busy street in Manhattan do you think anyone would take notice of my awesomeness?

Probably not…..le sigh…..but a girl can dream! Maybe if I take the next step and slip it out while I’m leaping tall buildings….

Oh well we can’t all be as wonderfully super agent-like as Orlando Bloom can we? Come to think about it maybe he’s not being super-agent wonderful maybe he’s bi-polar! Hmmm the possibilities are endless!

Ok, ok as much as I know how much you absolutely adore my ramblings prior to a review…the show…or in this case the review…must go on……………..

For starters I can’t say this helps on wrinkles as I have none aside from small lines under my eyes however this little guy promises to reduce the appearance of deep wrinkles, expression lines, and fine lines so if you’re sporting any of those you might want to pick this compact up!

At first glance I was horrified at the dull beige color it was! The powder is available in one shade suits all and honestly looking at it makes you wonder about that. I was really scared to even attempt slipping it on my face as it was really dark. Turns out the color is translucent yet it somehow manages to offer awesome coverage at the same time.

I was prepared to be disappointed but I honestly like this stuff. One key point that deserves to be mentioned is the fact that I used it under my eyes with no problem. At one point in my life I was able to apply powder under my eyes without a problem but this past year or so I’ve noticed that if I do I age myself by about 10 years. This is simply because the powder gets trapped in the fine lines under my eyes making them appear older!

When I applied this I experienced no such problem. The formula is surprisingly light and feels like I have nothing on. That simple fact made me fall in love with this.

This promises to retain moisture as well as set makeup. I haven’t yet worn it out but I’m curious how much longer my makeup will less with it on! Since the weather is hot the last thing I want to do is have dewy skin but the “retain moisture” sounds like absolute perfection to my ears for the Winter!

Here’s a simple FOTD using the Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Pressed Powder, MAC Beauty Powder in Alpha Girl from the Heatherette release, and some lipglass! That’s all!

The packaging isn’t anything to get too excited about as it’s just a simple, slick black compact but it does have a compartment underneath for stowing away your powder puff which for me is always a plus!

The puff this comes with is extremely thin and cheap however it did do a good job applying the product lightly to my face but I’d have liked a bit of a better quality puff for the price of $31 USD.

The contains all sorts of anti-aging peptides as well! Hmm a powder with peptides? Cool!

I’m honestly pretty impressed with this guy. If I can smooth this under my eyes without problems it’s definately worth purchasing a second one!

The Muse is definately liking it! Actually it might even have the potential for Muse Approval for purchase…must test more and get back to you on that!

The powder is available exclusively via QVC at the moment so if you want it head on over and type in Item Number A85040 to grab it for yourself!

Tried this?

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Am I using the wrong Tinted Moisturizer or are these things WAY overrated?

I don’t see the point.

Even though I’m going to give Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer an ok review I still feel like the entire idea behind tinted moisturizer has escaped my feeble little mind.

I don’t really feel like I can leave the house wearing a tinted moisturizer and some blush. It kinda feels like leaving the house in pants without underwear on (unless of course that’s your thing!). Am I making sense?

I guess the general idea of using a tinted moisturizer is to even out your complexion while giving you the benefits of SPF but seriously do you feel like you’re looking your flawless best with just the moisturizer and some blusher thrown on?

I don’t.

A reader e-mailed me yesterday and asked me have I tried the latest craze in the Korean market, BB Creams (Hi Jing!). I promptly replied explaining I had indeed and how I never understood the hype about tinted moisturizers or BB Creams. Neither does anything for me. After some discussions she convinced me that I should not make my final decision on BB Creams until I try a few brands she recommended! After a bit of chatter I’ve decided to reinvest my cash flow into some of these brands to see if they are worth my time! So expect a review from me very soon on some BB Creams. If you have no idea what BB Creams are I’ll explain further in my upcoming review.

All the tinted moisturizers (and BB Creams) have always had a few major flaws in my opinion. coverage, color, and formula. In this case Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer has a range of problems with it. I got the lightest shade available which was Fair to Light but like all tinted moisturizers it turns out it’s a rather ugly beige color that does nothing to flatter my medium fair skin tone. The color is a really dull beige which as you’ll notice on my arm, which happens to be a shade darker than my face, looks very off and unflattering.

I don’t need a whole lot of coverage as my skin is perfectly fine without it and if I so choose I can walk out of the house with a bit of cheek stain and some gloss however I feel very naked without product on my face which is a reason this doesn’t work well for me. This doesn’t cover much of anything. My face is occasionally dull so I depend on my foundation to brighten my face up and make it go from tired to flawless however I can’t depend on a simple tinted moisturizer to do that especially one in an unflattering shade of beige!

Two strikes against Physicians Formula Organic Tinted Moisturizer so far!

So far I’m not loving the color or the coverage options on this and you might be wondering if the formula and texture can redeem my poor opinion of this. Sadly, no go. The formula is very runny and watery. Obviously, since it’s Summer, we are looking for lighter coverage however a thicker consistency would make me feel like I was not only gaining more coverage and longer wear but also more moisture. The watery formula fails to make me feel like I have applied moisturizer at all!

I can’t recall the exact amount I paid for this but it’s somewhere between $7 USD and $10 USD. I think it’s safe to say that you can skip this although I will mention the cons of the product which could change your mind about investing your money in it.

Even though coverage, color, and formula wasn’t what I’d have liked to see in this it still has many redeeming qualities.

The formula is 100% paraben free, organic, cruelty free, and has an SPF of 15. It’s a very green makeup product and since many have jumped on board environmental and organic ranges of cosmetics this might be something you may want to consider investing in. I admit, sadly, that I’m not always attentive to what exactly is going on my face and I definately hand out props to Physicians Formula for breaking into this market and offering a range for those of you that are Vegan friendly.

All in all I just wasn’t loving this and can’t recommend it for purchase!

How about you?

Tried and Loved it?

Love Tinted Moisturizers? Which are your favorites?

Tell the Muse!

I blogged about the NARS Summer Collection a few weeks ago and I recall one of the first items that grabbed my attention when I saw the releases was the lip gloss in Misbehave!

I got my hands on Misbehave recently and it has turned into one of my Summer Must Have Makeup items for sure!

It’s advertised as a sheer shimmering red but it’s so much more to me than a simple red color! On my lips it looks like a cross between a fiery brick red with hints of copper and orange and a shimmer of gold! It’s not a true red but more a cross between several colors that looks simply stunning on!

I brought this with me when I was on my holiday and it rarely left my lips! I’m all for variety you know me another day, another color however I sincerely loved Misbehave so much I found myself pairing it up with many of my looks!

It goes amazing with Urban Decay Baked Bronzer! I normally don’t like pairing up reds with peachy, gold shades but in this case I felt like NARS Lipgloss in Misbehave complimented those shades wonderfully!

When paired up with simple pinks it looks wonderful but when cocktailed with warmer shades you’ll get a popping Summer look from a simple gloss!

The formula contains a shimmer of gold which reflects wonderfully off of golds, corals, peaches, etc….

This color is on my Summer Makeup Must Have list! You have to give it a whirl for yourself! NARS Lipgloss in Misbehave gets a big seal of Muse Approval for purchase!

Tried it already?

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Want more NARS?

Click here to read my review on the NARS Orgasm Nail Polish and Lipgloss Set!

Click here to read my NARS Roundup Review featuring the Spring Collection eyeshadow, Abyssinia!

Click here to read my raving first impressions about the NARS Night Series Palette!

Click here to find out my I love my NARS Dolce Vita Set!

Before I begin my review today I think it deserves a mention that I have a serious love affair with Physicians Formula cosmetics. I’ve been using the line since I was a wee teenager and have always felt they have released many products that pack a mighty fine bang for your buck! One of my favorite powders by Physicians Formula made it into my Year End Review for 2007. The line contains some seriously superior products with a really great price tag and it’s probably one of the very few drugstore brands that I trust with my money!

On to the review……

Physicians Formula has been very busy lately releasing all sorts of interesting products such as mineral wear and an organic range of cosmetics. I’ve neglected the line for a bit as I have a few staples that I normally stock up on and as I run low I always have a back up so it’s rare I need to venture into a drugstore to purchase any of the line.

Imagine my delight when I came across a big old display of Physicians Formula at the Walmart empire while shopping with my sister!

One of the first items that caught my eye was the Mineral Wear Cream Foundation. Why did that catch my eye first? It had a free gift attached. The Muse likey free gifts.

I’ve been searching for a new foundation for a while now. I use Morgen Schick Hide and Highlight palette as my main foundation but for some reason I haven’t been able to achieve the flawlessness that the palette normally gives me. My search has taken me on an endless stream of trying and ditching products rapidly as of late.

When I noticed this foundation I figured it was worth trying out for the price plus…did I mention..it came with a free gift!

This foundation is awesome. Oh my god the Muse loves it. It MAY be a tiny bit drying to some but I found it pure perfection. Silky, smooth, easy to blend, amazing coverage and takes my skin from dull to flawless in a snap! Plus did I mention it came with a free gift and it’s cheap as a day chips too? Are you in love with it yet?

One of the main things to love about this foundation is the uber awesome packaging. It comes in a squeeze style tube that has an attached sponge applicator. Squeeze a little bit of product on to the sponge and begin application by running the sponge across your face. I found that the sponge worked great at applying the product evenly and I didn’t have to touch my face a single time to blend! Coverage is amazingly good and my dull skin takes on a very nice smooth, radiant appearance in preparation for my blush. You can apply a very sheer amount if you desire or build up coverage as you see fit. The sponge applicator makes the coverage you seek easy to apply and blend.

The formula is very creamy but does feel somewhat dry once applied this could be because it dries matte but this didn’t sway my good opinion. The product is Talc-Free and claims to be fantastic for extra sensitive skin that are prone to break-outs.

Coverage lasted all day and I had no oily eruptions in the humid weather. The foundation felt weightless and breathable in the warm weather plus I looked put together and gorgeous all day!

The shade I tried was Creamy Natural which is a nice fair shade that will compliment medium fair skin tones. I stupidly didn’t pay close attention to the other colors available so I can’t say for sure if any shades are available for yellow skin tones or darker skin tones. The entire collection always appeared to cater to the fairer skin tone but maybe I haven’t paid enough attention when making my color selections.

The prepackaged foundation had a free gift as I mentioned earlier on which was a concealer click pen. I’ve tried Physicians Formula concealers prior to this and loved them but I’ve never tried this particular concealer. Turns out it’s a very good concealer. My favorite packaging for concealer is a click pen so of course I’m all on board when it comes to that style packaging! The concealer comes in a small pen, click a few times to get the product following, swipe on, pat into place and you’re dark circles are covered up and you appear awake and well rested once again! The formula is creamy and moisturizing plus it blends beautifully so minimal tugging is involved during application. All in all a very nice little concealer for the price!

The entire package cost me $9.48 USD and that’s probably the least amount I’ve ever paid for foundation and concealer in my life. I normally spend close to $30 USD for concealer alone and an additional $40-$50 for foundation. Imagine my surprise and delight that I got both a great foundation and concealer packaged together at least 80% lower to what I’m normally shelling out for product.

In all seriousness if you’re currently on a budget or you’re just looking for a cheaper solution for foundation and concealer this little package can’t be beat! I’m unsure how long they will package the two items together but even purchased separately you’re still saving yourself some serious cash!

I’ve a big supporter and believer in purchasing high end concealers and foundations. I truly support designer brands when it comes to both considering that I get better results, longer wear, and excellent coverage from counter brands! However, Physicians Formula gets a big Muse Approval for purchase as it sports all of the following bang for your buck:

• Long-Wearing
• Creamy, Moisturizing Formula
• Ridiculously Cheap Price Tag
• Excellent Packaging (Sponge Applicator, Click style pen)
• Perfect Matte Finish for Summer when skin tends to become oily

All in all I’m very happy I picked this up and I recommend trying it out for yourself! You can’t break the bank by at the very least testing it out for yourself!

The Muse is all over Mineral Wear Cream Foundation and Concealer from Physicians Formula! We have a winner here!

Use this already?

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Click here to join in on the discussion of what your Beauty on a Budget finds are!

Lately I’ve been daring enough to try out various cream eyeshadows. I’m normally not a big fan of cream shadows but I’ve run across some really good ones and this has turned my Nay into a Yay when it comes to them.

I recently blogged about Vincent Longo’s Beautiful Dreamer Summer Collection and one of the main items released with it were some new liquid shadows. Of course, I had to go out and buy them for myself so I could review them here!

I was pretty excited about these as they appeared to be a shimmering liquid shadow plus the colors looked very Summer friendly. I do so admit that product gets sold to me very quickly when the promo images of the model sporting the makeup looks posh, put together, and simply gorgeous. This may stem from some unconscious need to look that flawless, that gorgeous, or it could be I’m hoping to attempt the same eye, lip, or cheek look. Who knows really but I do automatically hunt out a product if I’m liking the way it appears on a model pimping the collection out. The model was looking simply stunning in this particular advert.

The collection, aside from the liquid shadow, wasn’t anything to get too excited about so I ended up purchasing just two colors of the shadow and leaving the rest. The liquid shadow only comes in four shades which is both good news and bad. Bad, if I ended up loving the product and not being able to get my hands on more colors of a great product. Good, because I actually didn’t end up loving Vincent Longo Liquid Shadow as much as I had hoped I would.

I was expecting a shimmering cream shadow but sadly that’s not the case. The lack of shimmer in these lead to the downward spiral that will slowly become my poor review on the product.

Did I miss the trendy boat that said metallics are so in this season? I never got the memo. This goes to show you how much of a non-trendy person I am. I tend to march to a different drum then the rest of the cosmetic society because I had no idea that metallics were so huge this Summer. I guess I should have gotten a hint when Bobbi Brown released it’s Metallic Single Eyeshadows or when Bourjois Paris came out with it’s Shimmer Shine Liquid Eye Shadow.

Which brings me to the fact that these do in fact dry down to a high metallic sheen. Although I don’t mind metallics, I just don’t find I reach for them first thing. These have some good key factors so it’s not all bad. They dry down very slowly giving you plenty of time to build up color and blend as much or as little as you like. I think this is key with liquid shadows and I really appreciate this type of formula when I buy a cream shadow! One of the main reasons I avoid cream shadow is the incredibly quick dry down time which makes blending such a bitch. The fact that these dry down so slowly and give plenty of time for both blending and adding additional product to build up the color is a big plus. They are also very long wearing and have pretty good pigmentation but you do have to slather color on to see a good pop of color. One brush stroke will definately not create a dramatic eye so be prepared to saturate your eye area with cream shadow.

The colors I got were Supple Rose which is a warm pink and Liquid Desire which is a golden peach. Guess what? They look exactly the same on my eye. I couldn’t really tell too much of a difference between the colors once they were on. Swatches appeared really gorgeous and shimmering and you can distinctively tell a difference in color. However, once applied the color melded on and both looked identical. I was particularly taken with the look of Liquid Desire when I swatched it but it ended up just being blah when it was on my eye!

Supple Rose

Liquid Kiss

As you can see from my FOTD’s it looks like I’m wearing the same exact shade of shadow in both photos.

Aside from the drama of color I just didn’t get the wow factor at all. The payoff in the end is very natural, neutral, and dare I say boring? Although you can’t see it in my pictures the effect is that of a high sheen of metallic. The shadow dries down but it still appears somewhat shiny and wet. You’d think this alone would give some sort of dramatic effect. Nope. Not really. Yawn.

I really can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that I’m disliking about these. I’m not thrilled about the price either. $24 USD per shadow isn’t exactly cheap chips and it seems even more expensive when I am not loving the product! Have no fear I imagine I’d be a real sport about the $24 bucks if I was loving these!

When it’s all is said and done I think you can safely skip these. Nice to play with, nice to try, but don’t be fooled by the swatches you might do while in Sephora. As pretty and shimmering as they look on your hand you just won’t get the same effect once the product is on your eyes.

Although the formula is excellent in regards to blending and pigmentation in the end it fails at creating any wow or excitement.

The Muse no likey.

Skip it and buy something else.

Own ‘em already?

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Aren’t random acts of kindness awesome?

I was discussing Bourjois Paris’s New Rouge Hi-Tech a few weeks ago and one of my readers in England kindly e-mailed me soon after asking if I’d like a CP for it!

A big thanks goes out to Laura for helping the Muse out! Laura sent over my stain with a beautiful card that is now gracing my desk!

You can thank her for this review since this new stain is not yet available within the US as of yet!

At first glance the packaging misleads you into believing this is a creamy lip color however its very much a stain! I couldn’t be more thrilled with this as my very favorite product from Bourjous Paris, Bons Baisers de Paris, has long since been gone from our shelves!

The packaging is identical to the Bourjois Paris Shimmer Shine Liquid Eye Shadow. Unscrew to reveal the top of the wand applicator, pop the applicator out, and you’re ready to rock.

The formula is your typical gel like stain that’s a deep rose pigment. These come in a few shade options and I got the deeper shade of pink available. I didn’t find the formula drying in the least. Since this is a gel-like texture it goes on very moist and wet and leaves behind beautiful, pink lips. I love the look of “just bitten” lips or lips that look like I just had a cherry ice pop and this indeed gives me that look!

This is an ideal item for Summer and definately makes its way onto my Summer Makeup Must Have list simply because it’s refreshing, light, extremely long wearing and gives a beautiful burst of color to my lips without being heavy!

I went ahead and got really random by applying it to my cheeks as well as my lips. I’m happy to report it doubles up as a killer cheek stain. Although I’m somewhat grossed out by using one product on my lips and cheeks (as you may have already read my distaste for this from my Stila Cherry Crush Review) I couldn’t resist trying this out. It gave my cheeks a lovely blushing color! I was so taken with it on my cheeks that I may just need a back up bottle to use as a cheek stain!

Un-blended

Blended

I’m thinking at this price you can easily use it as a Benefit Benetint or Posietint dupe! You get almost identical results plus it’s much, much cheaper! This was available on sale at Boots for £5.75 and will likely cost between $12 and $16 USD when it arrives on our side of the pond.

All in all Bourjois Paris has another winner on it’s hands! Rouge Hi-Tech definately gets a hearty Muse Approval!

The Muse is loving the cost, loving the fresh look it creates, and really loving the packaging! What’s not to like!

This morning I did a quickie FOTD using Bourjois Paris Hi-Tech Rouge on both my lips and my cheeks. I did two versions of the photo which shows me wearing the stain with and without gloss. I think the gloss really makes the color of the stain pop!

Without Gloss

With Gloss

The Muse is loving this stain!

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I got my hands on a pot of RedPoint Airbrush Effects BlushWhip recently which is turning into my Summer Must Have Makeup item!

RedPoint Beauty has a score of products I’m highly interested in getting my hands on and truly I can’t resist all that shiny red packaging so I imagine my credit card is jumping out of my wallet in excitement as the prospect of a new line of cosmetics.

My first peek at RedPoint Airbrush Effects BlushWhip had me gagging to try it out and all its promises of a bright, fresh complexion had me hyper to test it out.

The product offers a whole lot of everything! Think of the perfect cream blush now think of a cream blush that will diminish the appearance of large pores, add moisture to dry skin, and diminish lines and wrinkles.

Does it do all this?

I’m not sure. I don’t have very large pores so whether or not this erases pesky pores is lost on my skin sadly. Does it add moisture? Yes! I’m quite happy about this as my skin is dry and the product glides on wonderfully well leaving a beautiful sheen of color in its wake! Are my lines and wrinkles gone? Not sure on this either as I don’t yet sport any lines or wrinkles on my face but the blush does contain peptide so it’s claim of smoothing out annoying lines may be quite true!

The product advertises itself as a “just pinched” blush but I felt like it gave me more of a sunkissed, healthy glow rather than the “pinched” look I’m known for! Granted, I tried the color Glow which is a peachy bronze color and the other color available is Vida which is a rosy shade. Vida may likely give me a “pinched” look but I definately ended up with a healthy, sunny look when sporting Glow!

When I read the description and seen the promo images I automatically assumed that the blush was a gel like substance. It isn’t really a gel but more of a very creamy blush. It’s quite thick and a little bit goes a long way! I highly suggest using a smidge to start and slowly adding more to build the color up. It glides on wonderfully well for those with dry skin however it does take a second or so to dry which brought up my concern for those with oily skin. I’m not entirely sure if I recommend this to those of you with oily skin as the texture and finish of the product is not quite matte. I felt like the finish of the product was a “sheen” of color comparably to what you’d see Jennifer Lopez looking like on a hot, humid night. I’m positive you know what I mean? That burst of color on her cheeks with a bit of sweat mingled on her skin to give her that very sexy, touched by the sun glow. Warning: I DID not look like JLo after application so don’t get your hopes up! I haven’t yet tried it but the product can be used on eyes and lips as well as cheeks. I felt like my cheeks were “bouncy” and “cheeky” after use if that makes any sense!

Some of you may be slightly turned off by the fact that this comes in a jar and its all about dipping your fingers in. As you know I’m utterly anal about this so I’d totally appreciate a squeeze type bottle or tube for this bad boy as I fear the angry gods of cosmetic bacteria and germs! Aside from the fact I’m dipping my fingers in I do love the bright red packaging and heavy plastic jar! Quite a nice little display item for your vanity.

The product is very pigmented and the color lasts pretty much all day. I wasn’t out in the sun too long today but it is pretty humid out and the color stayed intact until about 6:30 in the evening or so after being applied at 7 this morning! Not bad. I didn’t touch up at all and once I got home I took a quickie “after” picture and I was still looking quite healthy and glowy!

I failed to mention one exciting thing about the blush, for shame Muse! The blush contains light diffusing pigments which caused a beautiful sparkle on my cheeks. It almost looked like a very faint shimmer of silver! It really lit my face up! I took some swatches but sadly you can’t really see the faint gleam of the blush! The swatches aren’t on this post but I’ll upload them shortly.

I did a very simple Face of the Day which consisted of Benefit’s Rebel Light Tinted Moisturizer, curling my lashes (no mascara), a swipe of MAC Tendertone lip balm, and this blush on my cheeks.

All in all I really am enjoying this blush and it’s made my Summer Makeup Must Have list! It’s simple to apply, blends evenly and smoothly, it’s very long wearing and pigmented, and it’s moisturizing for my dry skin (perfect Winter blush anyone?).

RedPoint Airbrush Effects BlushWhip is available now for $28 USD from RedPoint Beauty!

Tried it before?

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I love color. When I was 4 years old I told my mother I was going to be a famous artist needless to say it didn’t happen.

But I can play at being an artist with every color in the rainbow in my cosmetic wardrobe so of course I was happy to add Urban Decay’s New Big Fatty “Color” Mascara to my beauty arsenal!

Like all good things Urban Decay puts out these mascaras are packed full of funky shades to turn your lashes from blah to WOW! I was excited to test these out as not many brands put out such gorgeous hues of color when it comes to mascara!

These are a mini version of the original Big Fatty Mascara which I think is perfectly suited because who can seriously polish off a tube of bright aqua mascara? Not likely. A mini version is the perfect size for those days you’re feeling a bit daring! At a price tag of $17 USD each you might wince slightly but no one ever said it was cheap to be gorgeous!

The formula isn’t the best I’ve come across and I had to do quite a bit of work to get this evenly applied onto my lashes. As I find with all colored mascaras it’s a chore to get it on correctly. Application consists of swiping the color on, clumping some of the color on using the tip of the applicator, brushing it through with a lash comb, and finally applying another layer.

This is no fault of the product but just the general drama of colored mascara! I’ve tried a few colored mascaras and aside from Majorca Majolica Splashing Blue Mascara I’ve never had a successful application without having to go through several steps to get the product evenly onto my lashes! The brush is a nice big chunky one which could attest to it’s name “Big Fatty”.

I tested out all the colors that were released and Black Cherry is by far my favorite. It’s a deep maroon that goes perfectly with cranberry, pink, browns, and even bronze colors! Below I created a look using Urban Decay Big Fatty in Black Cherry.

Other colors available are Purple Haze which is a deep purple, Electric Blue which borders aqua and blue, and Indigo which is an off color blue with tiny touches of purple.

If you’re purchasing these or already own these I came up with some killer combinations to match up with Urban Decay eye shadows that I already own. You may have some of these or maybe wanting some after seeing my combos! Enjoy!

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Indigo Combos

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Purple Haze Combos

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Electric Blue Combos

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Black Cherry Combos

All in all these are a fun way to spice up your Summer eye makeup! Definitely worth checking out and swatching for yourself. I recommend checking out Black Cherry and Electric Blue as they are my fav of the four released!

Loving these?

Wanting ‘em?

What colors are you thinking of pairing up with ‘em?

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Check below for some other Urban Decay reviews and posts you may have missed out on!

Rediscover why Matte is where it’s at with Urban Decay’s Matte Eye Shadow Collection!

Click here to find out why I’m suddenly loving bronzer thanks to Urban Decay Baked Bronzer!

Click here to see what reviews are upcoming from Urban Decay’s Summer 2008 Collection with my sneak peek!

Oily Summer skin blues? Click here to hear my review on on Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder!

I haven’t had too much experience with spring eye lash curlers but the one experience I did have wasn’t a great one. Honestly, I think I was scarred for life after trying out the Sana Excel Spring Curler. Can you say ouch?

I’m not talking about a season. When I mention “spring” I’m talking about the spring action of the curler. Tarte’s curler isn’t a traditional manual curler that you press and hold down. The Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler has a spring back handle which you press to curl and it slowly springs back when you release.

Holy cow that sounded technical and stuff!

Honestly, I’ve never understood the concept of the”spring” action so don’t ask me to explain it! My brain might explode if I attempt an explanation!

I do admit to having a deep fondness and possible love affair with my Shu curler but I will go so far as to say that I’m digging the Tarte curler.

For $15 USD I’d say this is definately worth peeking at as the price is nice and right.

First of all the packaging of course got me. I love that the handles are a beautiful light lilac shade. What can I say I’m a sucker for stuff that’s purple!

The curler fits very comfortable in my hand and I like the forward design of the handles. Press forward and your lashes curl up beautifully! Very easy to operate and none of the drama of stick your fingers into the handle! Just press the first handle forward until it touches the other and Bob’s your Uncle!

The curler is a nice small size as well for easy storage and travel. It’s quite tiny and compact which I really love! It fits the contour of my eye perfectly and I experienced no pinching which was a relief considering my bad experience with the Sana Curler!

I’m slightly concerned about the size and the generous curve of the curler. Although it fits my eye perfectly well I think this isn’t such a great option for Asian girls (or guys).

My Shu curler has a very generous and straight line (with a slight tilt upward) which I think fits an Asian eye very well and pulls shorter lashes up and out where as the Tarte curler doesn’t have a straight line. It curves upwards and has a smaller size which doesn’t cover a “straighter” eye area if that makes sense.

I really like it. Actually I like it so much I’m going to slap a hearty Muse Approve for purchase on it! However, if you’re of some Asian descent I think checking this out in person at your local Sephora would be a good idea. Take a look at the design and see if you feel it will fit your eye correctly!

All in all I really liked this curler! Of course I have a hidden motive for doing a review on this curler! You can get a free Tarte Eyelash Curler when you spend $40 USD at Tarte! Wahoooooo! Use Coupon Code: May08 and score yourself a free curler with your purchase!

Check out the Tarte Summer Collection by clicking here and add some to your cart to grab your free curler!

Happy Shopping!

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Take a walk through my past and read all about the Tarte Wish You Wealth Palette from the Holiday Collection! Click!

All eyes on you! Click here to read my review on Tarte’s EmphasEyes High Definition Pencil!

As per my original sneak peek post at Bobbi Brown’s Bronzed Pink Collection today I am bringing you my complete review of the items I snagged from the collection.

The collection consists of a variety of beautiful bronze powders, shadows, and lip colors. I think this collection would be appealing to those of you that enjoy a sun kissed look for the Summer. I’m not particularly a big fan of bronzers myself but I’ve been experimenting a bit which is shocking! I’m brave enough to go out of the house wearing bright pink eyeshadow but when it comes to natural, neutral shades or in this case bronzers I find that I’m not so courageous.

I was lucky enough to get a chance to test out the metallic eyeshadows and tinted lip balm. I’ve been yearning to try out the tinted lip balm for a while now!

The tinted lip balms are a moisture rich lip treatment with a tiny touch of metallic shimmer. Three new colors were released with the Bronzed Pink Collection and I tested out two in the shades Golden Pink and Bronzed Pink.

Golden Pink is a rosy pink color with touches of gold while Bronzed Pink is a chocolate metallic shade. Both shades will look smashing with your Summer tan. I enjoyed the formula of these as they slick on wonderfully and leave beautiful, glossy color on the lips without being heavy, sticky, or tacky.

Although the swatches are bit sheer I am happy to report on my lips they were quite pigmented. If you desire a lighter look simply swipe the balm across your lips once. If you prefer a darker look just layer the color on for a heavier pop of color!

I got so happy and hyper about the Metallic eye shadows that I completely forgot to look closely at them to see if I could pop them out and use them in the Bobbi Brown Custom Palettes. Well duh!

Anyway.

I got two shade selections to review for you. Bronzed Pink which is a dusty nude rose and Penny which is a light chocolate copper shade.

Both shades have a satiny metallic finish. Don’t confuse the look of metallic with shimmer as these have no heavy shimmer or glitter. They blend beautifully and pigmentation is excellent. You can go really heavy with these if you please or do a light color wash. I haven’t tried them wet and it doesn’t mention wetting them but I’m curious how they’d look if I attempted that!

Again my swatches came out very sheer but when you see my FOTD you’ll notice how pigmented these are considering what a heavy hand I used during application.

I decided to contrast the shades when I did my looks. I paired up Penny eye shadow with Golden Pink lip tint and Bronzed Pink eye shadow with Bronzed Pink lip tint. Instead of pairing up the bronze colors together and the pink colors together I mixed it up a bit. I also tried my hand at creating a bronzy look on my cheeks instead of my normal “blushing” pink cheeks I’m known for.

Below I am wearing Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadow in Penny on my eyes and Bobbi Brown Tinted Lip Balm in Bronzed Pink on my lips.

Below I am wearing Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadow in Bronzed Pink on my eyes and Bobbi Brown Tinted Lip Balm in Bronzed Pink on my lips!

All in all a very nice collection of goodies from Bobbi this Summer! I’m still dying to get my hands on the Pink Metallic eye shadow palette! I’m sure a review for it is coming soonish from the Muse!

Check out more of the Bobbi Brown Summer Collection including bronzing powders by clicking here!

Loving this collection?

Wanting it for your Summer look?

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Click here to step back into Spring and listen to me rave about the Bobbi Brown Pink Raspberry Collection!

Click here to see my FOTD using the Bobbi Brown Metallics eye shadow palette in Forest!

Click here to see why I heart the Bobbi Brown Moisturizing Cream Foundation compact!

Here me rave on and on about Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner by clicking here!

Click here to read why I’m wishing, wanting, and drooling over the Bobbi Brown Pink Satin Collection!

Stila’s bestselling, popular Kitten eyeshadow took on new and exciting forms this year for Summer.

A few weeks ago I blogged about one of Stila’s Summer Collections which included a ton of “Kitten” themed goodies. I ended up hauling the entire collection and I’ll be reviewing for you today the Kitten Silk Eyeshadow Wash and the Kitten Silk Shimmer Gloss. Later on this week I’ll be reviewing the Kitten Eyeshadow palette so stay tuned for that!

Kitten is a universally flattering shade of shadow that works on all skin tones. It’s a subdued, nude shimmering pink with golden undertones. Personally I find it to be a bit of a beige color. It’s truly a lovely shade and packs plenty of sparkle and shimmer in it’s power form however in the new cream version it fails by a mile to maintain the beautiful shimmering color I’ve fallen in love with.

Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten

The Kitten Family: Gloss, Shadow Wash, and Eyeshadow Powder

Stila’s Kitten Silk Eyeshadow Wash is morphed into an entire new color for me. It does appear to be a similar shade to the powder but it looks a bit darker on and it’s more of a metallic wet look than a fine shimmer.

The formula doesn’t blend as well as I would like and it dries pretty quickly which means you have to work fast and apply enough product your first try or you’ll be in trouble. If you’re looking to layer after, I highly recommend not doing so as it makes a bit of a mess since the shadow dries so quickly it’s basically like applying something wet onto something dry…think mud.

I can’t pinpoint exactly why I wasn’t loving this but I guess some of it accounts to the lack of shimmer, the problem with blending, and the fact that it’s not exactly as gorgeous as my beloved Kitten Eyeshadow.

Here are two swatch photos of Kitten Shadow Wash versus Kitten Powder Eyeshadow. As you can see the wash is a tad bit darker than the powder! I must say that the wash looks quite a good deal shimmery on my arm than it does on my eye.

I had little success with the Kitten Silk Shimmer Gloss and was just as disappointed with it’s performance as I was with the Stila Kitten Silk Eyeshadow Wash!

The gloss is absolutely stunning and appears to be packed with sparkle, shimmer, glitter, and shine. That’s a big YAY for the Muse of course however the product isn’t as nearly nice on as it appears in it’s gorgeous packaging.

I was stunned upon applying this to have a very sheer layer of clear gloss with a tiny bit of sparkle instead of the gorgeous pink shimmer that was in the bottle and on the applicator. I thought for sure this would be amazing on my lips but its a complete miss for me.

The formula isn’t so wonderful and has little staying power. It’s not sticky or tacky which could account for the fact that it virtually slides right off after application. The color and shimmer you see doesn’t come through once the product is on your lips so you’re left with a rather natural glossy look that can be achieved with a far cheaper gloss.

If this was a bit more pigmented and packed some shimmer we’d have a solid gold winner on our hands to pair up with Kitten eyeshadow. Sadly, none of that applies to this gloss and it’s a big disappointment for me.

I do have to rave about the cute packaging. I really dig the kitten script on the simple brown packaging! Really cutes! The palette features the same cute “Kitten” script! Loves it!

All in all these two particular items in the Stila Summer Collection haven’t thrilled me but I have high hopes for the Kitten Eye Palette! It’s simply gorgeous and packed full of beautiful shades for the Summer! My review is upcoming on it and I think it’ll be a glowing one so stayed tuned!

In my FOTD today I’m wearing the Stila Kitten Silk Eye Shadow Wash, Kitten Silk Shimmer Gloss, and some Urban Decay Baked Bronzer!

Check out more of the Stila Summer releases by clicking here!

Have you purchased any of these Stila items?

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Lip color with SPF? The Muse has you covered with her review of Stila’s SPF 20 Shine Lip Color! Click to read up!

Click to nab some Steals and Deals from Stila!

Find out why I’m raving about Stila Cherry Crush by clicking here!

Illuminate yourself by checking out my review on Stila’s Illuminating Finishing Powder!

Pssttt…Check on my Spring Cleaning Sale and nab a Steal and maybe a Deal on some Stila that’s unwanted by the Muse! Click!

You’ve all been eagerly awaiting this review haven’t you? Tis my review of Benefit Posietint!

I know, I know you’re waiting for me to trash it aren’t you? I’m so sorry to disappoint my dears but be prepared to be $28 USD poorer. Come on shell it out. Time to make your donation to Benefit.

Benefit Posietint trumps Benetint in spades and I’m here to give you a raving review. I’m in love. Finally, after much disappointment lately, Benefit has scored and we have a winner!

Posietint is a completely new formula compared to Benetint. It’s not creamy as I had originally suspected. It’s still very much a liquid stain however it’s a tiny bit thicker than Benetint which makes blending a very dreamy experience. Benetint has this uncanny ability to apply streaky and it’s a mess to blend at times. I used to have the sincerest love for it but you have to take into consideration that at the time of it’s release it was probably one of the only stains on the market which made it a staple product for me. However, as time passed stains began to flood the cosmetic market and much better options (and cheaper at times) were made available so my beloved Benetint got pushed into the cosmetic graveyard on the bottom of my closet where all good cosmetics go to pass away and possibly wither away and die or maybe, if they are lucky, get some love from me in the distant future.

Without Flash: Posietint vs Benetint

Posietint

Posietint vs Benetint

Now we have Posietint and a skeptical Muse purchased it hoping for the best but preparing herself for the very worst. The worst hasn’t come. Posietint is everything it promises to be and more.

The Muse hearts Benefit’s cute instructions that they include with all their products lately!

As I mentioned above it blends beautifully and it’s a very natural pink color. The general idea of the pink had people hyper considering that Benetint applies more red than pink. Rest assured that the pink is much more natural than the reddish tinge of Benetint. The color applies sheer at first but can be quickly built up to a deeper color should you desire it. In my FOTD below I used three stripes across each cheek, blended and reapplied again with the same amount to achieve the deeper pink you see.

I think that Benetint applies much better on the lip area than Posietint does. I wasn’t thrilled with the results of Posietint on my lips at all as it appears too sheer. My lips are already a pink hue so placing the stain on top didn’t do much. I felt like Benetint definately wins in the lip staining department.

Possibly the best part of the product is of course the fantastic staying power. It’s not going anywhere until you remove it. Once it’s on, it’s on. For good.

All in all Benefit Posietint is a BIG winner. I love Benefit and I’m constantly on a roller coaster ride of ranting and raving about their products but in this case, Benefit Posietint gets a big Muse Approval for purchase! I love it and think it’s worth purchasing for yourself!

For my below FOTD I tried to be as minimal as possible. I skipped foundation and concealer so be gentle. I was trying to do the really natural look.

I’m basically using Posietint on my cheeks and lips plus a hint of mascara and a very light touch of Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lumnious Eyeshadow in Miami Ice on my eyes!

I did two versions of the FOTD one of which was without gloss and one with gloss.

Here’s what I came up with:

With Gloss

Without Gloss:

I’ve been having fun since last week testing out Urban Decay’s Summer Collection for 2008! Weeeeeeeeee! I love new makeup don’t you?

The good news is I’m loving it all! The bad news is the review is coming in several parts since I’m slowing testing it all out!

You might remember in my previous sneak peek of the Urban Decay Summer Collection 2008 post that I had almost all of the latest releases however in this post I am only reviewing the eyeshadows and the bronzers! Have no fear I’ll definately bring you up to date information about the other items released as soon as I’ve tested them all out fully!

You might already know by reading my blog that I hate bronzers with a serious passion! I don’t like a tan, I don’t like the sun, I don’t like bronzers, or bronzing or whatever you want to call it. I enjoy my pale skin thanks very much! I SPF myself to death in the Summer months in hopes I’ll keep a nice fresh, milky complexion!

However, Urban Decay has changed my mind about bronzers in a major way! Oh my I can’t believe I’m admitting this!

I’ve been using Urban Decay’s Baked Bronzer for about two weeks now, almost every day! I’ve been creating look after look after look using it and I sincerely cannot get enough of it! I’m really in love and I’m about to slap a hearty Muse Approval on this fantastic little compact in two seconds!

I’m shocked to say that I actually like a bronzer but this is seriously like no other bronzed powder I’ve tried before. It doesn’t give me that bad orange glow nor does it give me a dark tanned look! The looks I achieved with it are more a golden peachy glow that I think looks amazing on my skin! My skin didn’t change color when I used this. I’m not sporting a bad tan at the moment which is total plus for me as I hate looking tanned ugh (brings out my double chin yuk!).

The color of the bronzer is more of a gold shimmer that blends beautifully on the cheeks to create a glowing, healthy look that I’ve just fallen madly in love with! It’s enough color to look sun kissed but it’s not over done to the point I looked “baked”. I think my main reason for falling so deeply in love with this is it quite reminds me of a MAC MSF but without the chunky glitter.

The first few times I used this it was over a peachy blush but I proceeded to use it by itself the past few days and I noticed that the effect remains the same! I keep getting this beautiful glowing shimmer to my skin that’s gold with hints of peach.

I think I may have overdone it in some of my FOTD’s in all honesty as it looks like I stepped into the sun and stayed there a bit too long but I honestly dug the look. You’ll have to tell me what you think!

The compact is $24 USD and well worth your hard earned cash since the powder doubles up as an eyeshadow! I’ve used this both on my face and my lids to create a beautiful “touch of gold” look!

Here’s an FOTD of me using Urban Decay Baked Bronzer on both my face and my eyes! I didn’t use anything else on my face just the bronzer so you can get a general idea of the color and how it looks on!

Definitely a love for the Muse!

If you hate bronzers please for the love of god try this one! It’s amazing! The Muse Approves in a major way (and you know I don’t stick the Muse Seal of Approval on anything! Try this! Now!).

It’s been a while since Urban Decay has released any eyeshadows. They did come out with the Matte shadows in the Fall but they failed to interest me as you know I’m a shimmer girl! They also came out with the loose pigment shadows but I have most of the colors in the Deluxe eyeshadows so it seemed pointless to indulge in these! I own almost every color Urban Decay has put out! If you watched my “Stash Video” you know that I have every single color known to man and some that aren’t even around anymore! I’m a big time fan of the shadows! Of course when I heard two new eyeshadow colors were being released I was all over it like wildfire!

The two newest colors are Rush and Blaze. Honestly, you might be thinking how shimmery these are or how glittery but good news for the glitter haters they aren’t overloaded with shimmer or glitter. They blend perfectly with minimal to no fall out!

One color that could be an interesting, cheaper dupe of NARS Galapagos Eyeshadow would be Rush. Rush is described as a coppery bronze where as Galapagos is a chocolate brown with gold infusion! Both appear similar colors but I haven’t yet seen Galapagos in person so I’m unsure!

As you can see from the pictures they look quite similar but the Urban Decay version is much cheaper! I haven’t gotten my hands on Galapagos yet but as soon as I do I’ll be sure to do swatch comparisons!

I was wary of Rush at first as it just appears sorta blah in the pot but after application I was delighted at how well it went with the Baked Bronzer!

Here’s an FOTD of me using Urban Decay Baked Bronzer and Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Rush:

I might have been slightly wary of trying out Rush but I had no problems jumping in with two feet when it came to Blaze. Blaze is such a beautiful shimmery golden peach that looks so amazing on! I fell deeply in love just by swatching but once I had it on my lids it was most definately true love!

Here’s an FOTD of me using Urban Decay Baked Bronzer yet again and Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Blaze:

I’m extremely pleased so far with Urban Decay’s Summer Collection. I have to say that I wouldn’t normally purchase these particularly shades for myself so I’m very happy I had the chance to test something a little bit different! I’m delighted with both shadows and the bronzer and I definately give them a go ahead for purchase!

Here’s a few swatches to help you out with your purchasing (do ignore the fact that I labeled the Baked Bronzer wrong! It’s not “Half Baked” it’s just “Baked”):

Without Flash


With Flash

So far Urban Decay’s Summer Collection is fast turning into a favorite release for me this season!

Urban Baked Bronzer and Urban Decay Eyeshadows in Rush and Blaze get a big Muse Approval for purchase!

Do have a click over to the Urban Decay website for more information on the Summer releases plus face charts!

Love Urban Decay?

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My ears (and eyes) are open! Speak to the Muse!

Stop back soon to hear about the rest of the Urban Decay Summer Collection including the new colored Big Fatty Mascaras!