Musings of a Muse

The Muse has been fiddling about with Tarte ReCreate Foundation for a few months now. It’s chock full of interesting features one of which is very important, anti-aging. Can’t say there are a slew of anti-aging foundations on the market that I know of. The novelty of a foundation that would aid me in keeping my skin youthful and fresh sounded incredible.

Jump ahead for the deets and review.

Like many foundation, Tarte ReCreate Foundation has plenty of good points and a few bad.

It’s paraben-free, natural formula is a very good point particularly if you’re super conscious of what goes into your makeup. The fact that it contains an SPF 15 is another good point but I do think that’s a tad low in the sun protection department. And most important of all it’s interesting “wrinkle rewind” technology which holds a claim of being clinically proven to decrease fine lines and wrinkles while increasing moisture, toning, and firming the skin.

All this is very appealing however I may not be getting the full benefit of it as I don’t have fine lines or wrinkles on my face as of yet so I can’t speak for whether it’s improving any of that. I also can’t say if it’s working at keeping my skin youthful as a few short months of use would never be enough time to judge that however that doesn’t stop me from loving the idea that it could very well be protecting my skin and preventing wrinkles.

The formula is creamy, moisturizing and blends flawlessly onto my skin. It’s a tad on the runny side but not in a bad way as that allows it to easily absorb into my dry skin. It’s not incredibly pigmented but it’s rich enough to allow light to medium coverage but if you have major skin care woes you’re wanting to cover it probably won’t completely help that case (even though it says full coverage I felt it wasn’t pigmented enough for total coverage). I’ve heard it tends to sink and settle into pores but I don’t have large pores so it sits comfortable on my skin and almost feels like a glove…it’s not a silicon feel but it feels interesting during first application.

I’m also a big lover of the packaging. It comes in a pump style tube that dispenses just the right amount of product. Fantastically clean, mess-free distribution makes it a winner in the packaging department!

Now my main problem with it…

The shades.

All the colors have an incredible amount of unflattering beige to them. Even the very lightest ivory looks like a muddy beige shade. This in itself was a deal breaker for me as it made me look terribly old and uneven. The shade was just wrong. I did do a ton of swatches of other shades and all of them were just sadly wrong for my tone. MAC seems to have a similar problem when it comes to foundation as many of their shades have incredible amounts of either orange or beige and of course drugstore brands as well.

Overall, if the interesting concept of an anti-aging foundation appeals to me in a major way and I like the formula of the foundation as well as it’s light and feels nice on my face. However, the shade selection does need considerably improvement and I can’t say I’d indulge again once I’m done with this one.

Anyone try Tarte ReCreate?

Love it?

Not so much?

Tell the Muse!

Dontcha just love products with “intense” in the name. Golly, that must mean they are really special. Intense gloss..oooooo! So important!

Ilamasqua Intense Lipgloss has made it’s way to US shores recently and the Muse must say indeed it’s intense. Intensely rich, intensely pigmented, intensely thick and creamy….yup, intense for shiz.

Jump for it!

All though I’m not a lover of matte gloss I can’t help but be slightly tickled over the new Ilamasqua Intense Lipgloss.

Housed in an ultra slim line tube this gloss is unlike anything I’ve had the pleasure of trying to date. It’s more like a lip enamel as it gives lips a patent leather shine.

I’ve never had the pleasure of using anything like it in all my beauty days. It’s quite like a thick, creamy, ooey gooey lip cream. The gloss is incredibly pigmented and extremely thick in consistency. You’d think the combination of those two traits would make it a mess to deal with but so not the case. The gloss fairly glides onto lips without having to go back over it (you can if you want to get an extra, extra bold look) as it’s rich pigmentation covers lips completely in a thick layer of beautiful gloss. Although thick it feels quite comfortable on without being sticky, tacky, or overwhelmingly heavy. It’s quite lightweight for such a formula and feels natural and pleasant on my lips.

I’m actually pleased with the applicator as well which is a simple squeeze tube with a narrow, thin slant. The slant fits the curve of my lips quite well and aids in getting the gloss in place minus mess or drama. The gloss itself also has a fresh fruity taste and scent. It also manages to wear very long.

The color I tried was Indulge which is a hot neon pink. Not exactly my shade of choice but surprisingly works well with a minimal makeup look!

If you’re a lover of very thick glosses with super pigmentation Illamasqua Intense Lip Gloss is bound to please.

Likey!

Have you tried Illamasqua gloss yet?

Loving it?

Do share!

For those of us who desire a little less coverage, something lighter, something barely there, I give to you Dianne Brill Fresh Water Foundation. Incredibly lightweight and long wearing this foundation is for the rest of the population that doesn’t have need of heavy coverage.

Jump ahead for it.

The appeal of most all Dianne Brill cosmetics lies in the pretty, girlish packaging. Dianne Brill Fresh Water Foundation comes housed in a flip top box which resembles that of a tiny box of chocolates and inside the foundation is wrapped up in a lace dollie. Unlike traditional pump foundations this resembles that of a mini travel size toothpaste. I absolutely adore the packaging plus I find the squeeze style tube rather ideal for getting your use out of all the product. The foundation also comes with a mini foundation brush that’s quite decent for application as it doesn’t shed and for such a mini size it has a nice size brush head.

The formula of the foundation is loose and very runny. It almost resembles a tinted moisturizer in some aspects as it lacks pigmentation and is quite sheer. It applies and blends very nicely however it’s extremely light coverage so if you have lots of little or larger woes you’re wanting to hide this isn’t going to help you along your way.

For the most part those who desire light coverage that evens out skin tone and creates a nice even canvas for makeup will absolutely adore this. The foundation is incredibly light and lovely on the face and creates a beautiful glow on my skin. I don’t need a ton of coverage anyway so this is a great one for Summer.

Overall, anyone who doesn’t like heavy makeup or doesn’t have need of heavy coverage will enjoy using this one.

You can purchase Dianne Brill Cosmetics at BeautyHabit and learn more about the brand by visiting www.diannebrill.com

More babblings about the elusive cat eye that the Muse has been trying to perfect for Fall. In my quest for obtaining the perfect cat eye I’ve been trying my hand at liquid liners and of course epically failing but try I will!

To make my life easier I found Pop Beauty Cat Eyes Eye Liner. Could this be the key to my success at creating a great cat eye?

Jump for it!

Meet Pop Beauty Cat Eyes Eye Liner the solution to your cat eye dilemma. This square cut liner supposedly makes it easy to complete a cat eye. But does it?

Ok let’s see….

KATE makes a square cut eye liner as well so it’s pretty much the same concept. The liner is considerably thicker than what you’d normally want to use to line eyes. As we are always looking for a thin, precise point to line this is a unique thicker size, slanted, and square cut. It’s design is supposed to make the “flicking” involved in a cat eye easier. First off it does a fine job of creating a thick, dramatically lined look. The formula is creamy and glides fairly well across the lash line without skipping. I like the way the square cut fits the contour of my eye.

Now it’s the flicking part that confuses me. The square cut is supposed to make the flick or upwards slant that’s associated with a cat eye easier. However, I had a hard time with it. Although the drama of a thicker line makes my eyes look very nice, I’m unable to pull off the slant upwards towards the outer corner of my eye without creating a messy thick line. I think the square cut and the thickness of the liner creates a rather messy line that looks nothing like a cat eye.

Overall, the product is a fine liner for achieving a bolder, thicker lined eye look but in regards to making a cat eye easier, I had a little trouble in that department. I won’t blame the liner as it could be I just stink at perfecting the look but I did think the thickness presented a little problem.

What do you think?

Thicker, square cut liner for cat eye lining?

Yay or Nay?

Share it!

With the Fall quickly approaching it’s become my duty to get my cat eye on which I epically fail out by the way.

That’s why I want to practice with something cheap but that’s of decent quality.

No worries got me some Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner and working my way to a dramatically lined look for Fall!

Check ‘em after the jump!

All my adventures with liquid lining have always been a tad bit of a problem, I haven’t yet given up and I’m well on my way to performing amazing feats of dramatic eye lining tricks…or maybe that’s my imagination running away with itself.

Either way, I wasn’t really interested in spending about $20-$25 bucks on a liquid liner when I suck so hard at application. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to hear about the new Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liners available in a rainbow of cool shades at a budget price.

This is a great little liquid liner with a thin precise tip for application. Although a brush application it’s nicely dense so it won’t wobble around as you apply. The colors are all richly pigmented and application is a snap without skipping or having to go back and reline. I blame the rich pigment on the fact you won’t have problems with skipping as it simply lines straight across without having to go over it or start again to cover any skips. The shades are all really vibrant so if you’re not wanting to do a traditional black liner look you can pick any number of cool colors to work with to make your look unique and fun!

The colors I tried out were Everlast (Black), Infinite (Sapphire Blue), Endless (Rich Royal Purple), and Eternal (Olive Green). Out of the four I absolutely adore Eternal as I’m all about green on my big brown eyes as it lends a certain mystery to my looks.

The formula is pretty much smudge proof and lasts all day without fading or creasing. It says 24 hour wear but I’m honestly not up for testing those number out (I will not sleep in my makeup for the sake of Musings, somethings I simply will not do) but just rest assured it’ll stick around for a good long while. It’s fairly easy to remove as well with oil based cleanser.

Overall, if you’re looking for an inexpensive richly hued shade of liquid liner do check out the new Milani Infinite range, I’m positive liquid liners fans will love ‘em and brand new folks can take advantage of an inexpensive liquid liner that’s not hard on the wallet.

Even though I stink at lining with this medium I’m sticking a Muse Approval on ‘em for purchase, good stuff!

P.S. I’m ever so tempted to try them as an all over lid color, is that terribly weird?

The Muse wonders does she need any excuse at all to discuss pink gloss with you? Naaaa. Pink glosses are the root of my girlish good nature. My new favorite shade? Clinique Long Last Glosswear in Cabana Crush.

I heart you so.

Jump ahead to muse it with me!

This is my first whirl with Clinique Long Last Glosswear and I likey so far. The formula isn’t tacky or sticky and glides on rather nicely plus it’s heaps pigmented so you can easily get away with gloss alone minus stains or lipstick under it. It’s formula is fragrant free so those sensitive to flavors or scents in their glosses can rest assured this won’t break you out. At $14 it’s also fairly inexpensive!

Now that we got pass it’s good features let me tell you about Cabana Crush!

Oh my!

Cabana Crush is a lively pink shade with golden shimmer. It has a glossy, shiny finish with a hint of fine sparkle. The shade is quite complimenting with Summer and great to pair up with a warm bronze look for a pop of pink on lips. If you’re a lover of pink this should appeal.

Overall, Musings of cool colors of pink aside, Clinique Long Last Glosswear is a rather ideal pick for a small price tag. It’s in the range of a MAC Lipglass but with a large size. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to get glossy, shiny, pigmented lips here’s your ticket to ride.

Likey!