Musings of a Muse

If you’re a student and want to take advantage of 20% Off at Ulta skip ahead for the details!

Ulta obviously understands what it’s like being a student who’s strapped for cash! To help a friend in need they are offering 20% Skincare, Haircare, and Makeup every first Tuesday of the month.

Gee, I wish I was back in school to take advantage of this promo! No fair Ulta! Can we has a 20% off coupon code for the working class American too please? K, thanks! Love ya!

Learn more about the Ulta College Day Discount by visiting Ulta’s Facebook!

Now the Muse can’t speak for herself, as she’s practically perfect in every way al la Mary Poppins, but there happens to me a brand new facial filling serum from Avon that our mum’s can take advantage of!

What? I really am perfect in all ways that excludes wrinkles…well ok I admit maybe I have one two under my eyes……

Jump ahead for the deets on Avon Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum….I dare you to say that three time’s really fast!

Avon steps up it’s game YET again in the skincare department with a brand new injectable-grade facial filler in serum form. Avon is all postal on the skincare world lately with all these interesting high tech wrinkle serums, lotions, and potions! Am I the only one that noticed this!? Yay revenge again the wrinkles!

This super concentrated serum has 3 times the level of an injectable-grade hyluronic acid for dramatic filling! Whoa dude. Erase those fine wrinkles and lines with this pistol! Oh by the way it’s not only good at filling lines but it comes in this sweet swirly design that’s kinda prettys.

Honestly, it’s a bit useless for me as I don’t have much in the way of deep lines to fill but I tried it out anyway. The formula is smooth and feels almost silicon-like. If nothing else it makes a fine prep and prime for makeup for me.

It promises that within 3 days you’ll see a visible reduction in deep folds and within two weeks a more youthful fullness to cheeks. And finally within four weeks you’ll see dramatically reduces the look of deep facial folds and hollowness.

Hyaluronic Acid is naturally produced by skin. It provides moisture and fullness but it’s production decreases with age which is where Avon Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum comes into play. The serum is formulated to stimulate filling fiber and helps restore a youthful fullness to face.

Hopefully this is around when the Muse’s face starts to catch up to her age! For now you don’t have to take my word for it, check out the Avon site for the raving reviews from users! Click!

Avon Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum is available now from shop.avon.com Check it our for your mum or yourself!

Tried it before?

Interested in trying it?

Tell the Muse!

Although the Muse is anything but a sun goddess she can’t help herself from falling helplessly in love and lust with the IsaDora early Summer release, IsaDora Bronzing Trend.

The Muse is loving the beautiful lips and eyes in this promo image. The sun kissed, bronzy lips are gorgeous and the seductive bronzes and golds on the eyes is truly a stunning look for Summer! These are the days I don’t mind all that tanned skin so much as it looks so yummy for the warm weather!

All of the details for the items releasing are in the promo image below:

The Muse is on board with that shadow palette, blushing bronzer, and gorgeous shade of lipgloss!

Likey!

IsaDora Bronzing Trend could get me on board with a tan yet! One never knows when presented with a collection like this.

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Stila’s website being down for two weeks or so now had us all worried about it’s future! But have no fear, Stila’s on the mend!

Jump ahead for the beauty news!

Trading News and WWD reports that Stila has been acquired by Patriarch Partners, the deal is supposed to be finalized today. Troubled Stila was taken over from Sun Capital in a foreclosure sale.

See? We may still yet get that awesome Stila Summer Collection!

Happy?

I know I am.

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The Muse recently discovered The Body Bakery and couldn’t help but be suckered in by the allure of various skincare and haircare goodes that were customized in scents of her own choosing like Cookie Dough, Bubblegum Ice Cream, and Vanilla Cupcake!

Take a trip with the Muse through a bakery for your body in this edition of Beauty Discoveries!

The Body Bakery pretty much has everything one could want for their haircare, skincare, and beauty regime but with a little bit of a sweet, bakery twist! Cupcake Conditioner? Check. Whipped Cream? Check. Pat-a-Cake Hand Cream? The bakery has that too! With sweet little names and even sweeter scents, The Body Bakery offers a range of product like no other with plenty of customizable options and over 40 scents to choose from. Want your Cupcake Conditioner scented like a Butterscotch Brownie? No problem The Body Bakery will serve that right up for you! How about some hand cream that smells like Strawberry Taffy? They got that too!

The Muse recently tried out two of the offerings from The Body Bakery and couldn’t help but get quickly addicted. Cupcake Conditioner in Sparkling Fruit Punch has been detangling my hair all week and making me smell fruity and sweet (so much so that I get many a compliment of, “what is that sweet smell?!). Packed in a large tube with a pump this luxurious conditioner contains plenty of softening oils to add shine to my hair and volume. I can even multitask and use it as a shaving cream! As I mentioned above, Body Bakery offers a customized option for scenting any of their products in a scent of your choosing! Cool, likey! I choose Sparkling Fruit Punch which is an overly sweet (just like the Muse), fruity affair. The scent of lingers long time and gives off plenty of throw. This Muse couldn’t help but sniff her hair every two secs just to enjoy the smell! The formula is nice and thick but doesn’t weight my hair down thankfully.

I also tried out The Body Bakery’s Soap Cake in Orange Chiffon Cake….mmmm so yummie. Cake and orange go so well together. This chunky soap is made from shea butter and silk foam so it gives an extra moisturizing, soft cleaning to skin! My shower was smelling like Orange Chiffon Cake this morning and I was loving it all the way. Nothing like waking up to the smell of cake in the morning!

The Body Bakery caters to just about anything you might be looking for including cosmetics! Lip Butters, Mineral Powders, and glosses are all available in shop plus plenty of options for haircare including shampoos, conditioners! Truly it’s a one stop shop for all your beauty purchases plus the customizing options make it all the more appealing.

If you’re looking for something a little bit different I suggest checking out The Body Bakery, the Muse thinks it’s a fine Beauty Discovery. Special thanks to Lia at The Body Bakery for offering readers of the Muse’s blog 20% Off your total purchase by entering promo code MUSE at checkout! Yay!

So head on over and experience a little slice of heaven!

Visit www.thebodybakery.com to take advantage of the sale.

Who said Urban Decay doesn’t listen to us bitch and moan?

Jump ahead for the deets on a revamped version of UDPP!

First off both Urban Decay Primer Potion original and Urban Decay Primer Potion Sin are both Vegan peeps! Also the best news of all, there will be a new angled wand making it easier to get product out of the tube! Any orders placed as of now on urban Decay will feature this brand new wand and will slowly trickle into stores in the next few weeks as shelves are restocked. The new primer will be easily identifiable in a brand new clear box!

W00t! Yay! I’m excited! I sure do hope this new wand allows us to dig out all the goodness from a bottle of UDPP! Likey!

See? Urban Decay heard our moaning and groaning!

Whatta ya think?

Tell the Muse!

The Muse knows you’ve been patiently awaiting swatches and a review of Too Faced Lockdown Cream Shadow. And finally here I am with a review, swatches, and a few FOTD’s!

Excited? I am.

Click your heels and jump ahead for the good word!

The Muse really loved Urban Decay for bring back their cream shadows but she had general woe with application, loved them yes but hated the irritating way they applied. When she seen the brand new Too Faced LockDown Cream Shadows she was thinking how great they looked but was a bit worried about application. Turns out that they apply amazingly well, have a great long lasting formula, and make an incredible base. Likey!

Combining it’s awesome Shadow Insurance with metallic pigments, Too Faced created a long wearing vibrant shadow that lends a nice pop of color to lids. Since it’s technically a primer (with a bit of pigment thrown in for good measure) it applies easily and blends flawlessly. And again taking into consideration it’s a shadow primer it makes a great base for regular powder shadow so you can amp up a look and intensify your powder shadow while keeping it locked on your eye all day long. The Muse says multitask with Too Faced Lockdown by taking advantage of it as a base and a primer or use it on it’s own as a cream shadow.

The formula dries down fairly quickly but not so fast you won’t have a chance to blend a fair bit and also layer on more color if you choose. The formula is considerably less shimmer/glitter laden than Urban Decay’s Cream Shadows plus the texture is considerably lighter and easier to blend and dries down nicely without remaining wet for a long period of time making blending an impossible task. Overall, the shadow just applies easier and leaves behind nice pigmented color. Although color isn’t as pigmented unless you layer a bit. A small dot will get you a nice dose of color but the Muse suggests blending one layer on and go for a second layer before dry down to get a more intense color payoff!

Only rant the Muse has is Too Faced Lockdown is only available in six shades. Aw shucks can’t we have more colors? The colors I tried were I’m Guilty (Shimmering Aqua), Bedroom Eyes, my favorite! (Smoky Brown), and JailBait (Baby Pink).

All in all the Muse is liking Too Faced LockDown Cream Shadows! Good stuff. Long-wearing, multitasking, and easy to blend makes them a great treat for hot Spring eye looks.

Too Faced LockDown is available now from Sephora and Too Faced.

Tried ‘em yet?

Loves ‘em?

Tell the Muse!

Another week, another Etsy Musing! This week the Muse is all about the cool baked powders she can find at Funky Monkey Company and I’m positive after you read my review you’ll want one.

Jump ahead for the good word!

One day while randomly searching through Etsy’s beauty listings I came across a really awesome powder that looked super similar to my beloved Physicians Formula Pressed Powder but much prettier!

After clicking I discovered that the powder was a liquid mineral foundation that was baked into the beautiful marbleized creation on my screen. Reading further I learned it had no artificial preservatives, harmful chemicals, or added fragrances…hm likey! I quickly purchased one and waited eagerly for it to arrive.

When it arrived I was absolutely delighted how pretty it was. It comes housed in a silver compact with mirror. The powder is a domed, baked marble powder reminiscent of a MAC Skinfinish.

I got the lightest shade she had available and it suited my skin tone perfectly. It’s ideal as a light foundation that offers sheer to medium coverage. You can buff it gently onto your skin or use a puff to apply it for heavier coverage. It wakes up dull skin, evens it out, and creates a nice, flawless finish for makeup. It made my skin light up with a gorgeous glow! I actually felt like it was better quality than my favorite Physicians Formula palette. The formula is a smooth, silky powder. The texture of the powder doesn’t flake on my dry skin which is always a plus.

The artist of this fine palette, Myra, was kind enough to grant me an interview! Check out below what she has to say about her powders and how they are made!

What’s your name and where are you from?

Myra Roldan, I’m from Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico but currently living in Milford, CT. I’ve been in the States for about 20 years.

What made you start selling on Etsy?

I started with Etsy about 2 years ago but didn’t actively pursue it because I had lots going on. About two months ago I rebranded my Etsy page and began actively selling.

Have you sold on any other sites prior to Etsy?

Yes, I own a mineral makeup company, Beautiful Diva (http://www.beautifuldiva.com). I currently have approximately 500 representatives in the US, Canada and Australia who distribute my products. My Esty page is a test market of sorts, where customers who purchase directly from me can get products created by me without the need of a sales rep.

Do you do any other makeup items aside from pressed powder?

My Kiln Baked Minerals aren’t really pressed, they start off as a liquid and then are baked in a kiln. I also offer loose mineral foundations, blushes and pigment shadows. I also offer mineral mascara, gel liners, eye liners, lip glosses and lipsticks. I’m also working on a Mineral Mousse Foundation which I will offer only on Etsy.

How long does it take to make one pressed powder?

The Kiln Baked Mineral formulation takes about 20 to 30 minutes to make, it then must bake in a Kiln for 24 hours. The formula is a combination of iron oxides and liquid botanicals. The liquid is poured into molds and once baked it hardens.

What’s the procedure for making the powder? What sort of ingredients go into it?

I start with my basic pigment blend for the color, this is the same blend I used in created loose minerals. I usually create the pigment (color) blend made from Iron Oxides and Micas first then work on the base whether it is liquid for my baked minerals or powder for my loose minerals. In the case of Baked Minerals, the pigment blend is added to a liquid base which is a combination of different botanical extracts. For Loose Minerals, I have started substituting my traditional base for a more herbal base made up of Arrowroot Powder, Oat Starch and vegetable based Magnesium Stearate. I also add a few drops of jojoba which contains a natural anti-inflammatory and is a natural antixodant and helps extend the shelf life of the product. I also use tea tree oil which is a natural germ killer. This is actually my grandmother’s original formula.

What’s the hardest part when making a pressed powder like this?

Getting the color match every single time.

How do you get those amazing swirls and twirls throughout the powder? The marbleized effect is so pretty!

The swirls are created by the product it self during baking. The ingredients start to separate and creates the cool looking swirls.

What made you start making pressed powder?

Loose powders are messy. I tend to make a HUGE mess when mixing. I’ve been using mineral makeup for years and I can tell you the it’s messy stuff. I wanted something that was less mess.

Are your product vegan friendly or organic?

Yes they are. I try to use vegetable based ingredients staying away from animal by-products.

Overall, I thought the powder was incredible and I’ll definitely be purchasing more from Funky Monkey Company. Loves it! Truly a great Etsy find! I’ve included some pictures of other items that Myra sells on Etsy below. I’m quite excited about the mineral mousse she was discussing in the interview, let’s hope we get to see that soon!

Here’s me using my powder as a full foundation:

Visit with Myra and discover her amazing line of minerals at FunkeyMonkeyCompany.etsy.com

Oh hai super cheap light and bright for my eyes!

IsaDora Eye Brow Lift & Define is a dual ended pencil that multitasks the job of defining and filling brows and highlighting them. One end of the pencil has a dark brown brown filler whole the other has a soft matte pink highlighter on the other end.

My brows are full already that I’m not making as much use out of the filler as I should but I am seriously in lust with the highlighter side of the pencil. It’s kinda a cheaper version of Benefit Lemon Aid. It works great at simply highlighting the upper brow area, giving eyes an arch and illusion of a lift. Or use it all over your eye to mattify it (particularly great if you have oily lids) and waken up your eyes. It’s ideal as a prep and prime for eyes and acts as a concealer for your lid area. My lids tend to be a bit red and dull unless I use a yellow base on them prior to applying shadow so this is ideal as a little pick me up for my lids. Even though it’s a pale pink shade it still manages to freshen up my lids and make me look wide awake and fresh. Likey! At $13 USD it’s a rather nice little steal and deal.

Who might like this:

• Anyone who has oily lids and wants to mattify them prior to shadow to prevent creasing and fading.
• Those who need to fill in brows for a fuller look!
• Anyone who has a touch of sagging around the eye area and desires a lifted look.
• Those who need a wake up call for their eyes!

All in all I really liked the price on this and can def see myself purchasing again in the future. I like the convenience of a dual product but I’d actually like to see them do the highlighter separately as I made more use of it.

You can purchase IsaDora at Amazon and Cosmetic Mall.

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As requested swatches from what I hauled so far from MAC Rose Romance.

The Muse can’t begin to tell you how much she misses and mourns T’estimo. It was one of her very favorite Japanese brands of all times. I can’t look at most of my collection without sobbing in grief that it was discontinued. Why, god, why!

What in the world were they thinking when they axed T’estimo from the Kanebo line up? Insanity.

The Muse yanked out a few of her T’estimo palettes for a little stash spotlight!

Jump ahead for a peep!

The Muse wanted to pull out her entire T’estimo collection but she started sobbing as soon as she seen the T’estimo logo….so you’ll have to settle for a few pictures of her beloved palettes.

Oh the agony…why Kanebo? Why!?

Are you a T’estimo lover?

Missing it?

Mourning it?

Hold me.

We all have certain ways and quirks of applying our makeup. What are some of yours? Do you apply concealer first and follow with foundation? Blusher before shadow? Shadow before blusher? Do you curl your lashes after mascara or before?

Tell me how your makeup regime takes place!

Skip ahead to read how I do mine.

Although many of my friends swear to the gods that it’s a good idea to always apply full eye makeup first, the Muse doesn’t, nor does she understand how people accomplish this. Since I’m so hands on with my foundation/concealer the idea of applying a full shadow look before either strikes me as terribly out of order.

After SPF, moisturizer, eye cream, etc…this is how my makeup routine normally goes:

• Conceal under my eyes
• Conceal my lids (‘ello Benefit Lemon Aid!)
• Prime my lids
• Apply my face primer
• Apply liquid or cream foundation
• Light dusting of powder sometimes but not always (depends how my skin is behaving)
• Apply shadow
• Curl lashes
• Apply mascara
• Apply blush
• Oops almost forget lipstick and gloss!

Done!

How do you apply your makeup?

Share it!

Ok, so you don’t like Benetint because it’s simply too red. And you’re not too keen on Posietint because it’s too pink….but you’re still wanting a nice, natural cheek stain.

No problem.

You really need MAC Just a Pinch Gel Blush!

Introduced as a limited edition product with MAC Rose Romance Collection this sweet little blush gives cheeks just the right amount of flush without being too red, too pink, or too bold!

The gel comes in the standard paint pot jar which contains a healthy amount of product but since I’m loving it so much I feel like I need a back up before it’s gone EEP! I suppose it’s not really a stain per say but more of a gel blush. The formula is a cool, moist gel with a subtle touch of color that can be built up in intensity. Going natural or loud is completely optional just layer the product for a more bolder look or use a tiny touch for a more natural look.

Since it doesn’t have the standard formula of a liquid stain it’s easier to blend on to cheeks. You won’t be left with little dots of red on your cheeks since it absorbs and blends easily for a smooth finish. The impact is a very natural, simple flush to cheeks, nothing dramatic, very subtle and fresh. Ideal for Spring I’d say. You might recall a few years back when MAC had gel blushes in a tube. This is kinda the same concept but more of a solid base.

Personally I love the look it gives to my face. If you’re a big lover of stains you’ll probably fall for MAC Just A Pinch Gel Blush instantly! Although it’s a rather bold shade of red in the pot, I thought it looked very natural and sweet on my cheeks.

Definately Muse Approving this one for purchase! Loves it so much I think I’ll snag a back up!

Did you nab one?

Want one?

Loving it?

Tell the Muse!

For further pictures of this product please see my MAC Rose Romance First Impressions post.

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Speaking of exfoliation….we were talking about it a few posts up and since the Muse has a one track mind, might as well stick to the topic she was on earlier….what was I saying?

Oh ya!

Speaking of exfoliation Cargo Blu_Ray Polishing Clothes kinda butter my toast lately!

Jump ahead for a review, a babble, and some pictures!

Cargo Blu_Ray Polishing Clothes are a box of 20 facial exfoliating clothes that are meant to shrub away dead skin and polish your face up to a baby smooth finish.

And they don’t work….

At first anyway.

They do promise the world in a small box like removing makeup, preventing blackheads and ache, and reducing the signs of sun damage and honestly I can’t really say they do ALL that but they do actually make my skin buttery soft but first I had to learn how to use them.

First try they do nothing. I really seen no results at all but than….slowly…I noticed my skin becoming smooth, softer, and my moisturizer was sinking in hells quicker. If you’re as impatient as I am and want to see results double quick you’ll be disappointed as these definately do not give results right away. With patience and proper use you’ll notice a certain smoothness to your skin in about two weeks of use. I’m lucky I didn’t give up right away on them otherwise I’d have not noticed how properly soft my skin was after I used them well over a month.

The clothes are reusable so you can get plenty of use from one package although it is slightly gross to reuse considering bacteria and the likes. I got about 4 uses total from one cloth before I was feeling the need to ditch them. The best results I noticed were when I used these on a already clean, damp skin with a drop of Philosophy Microdelivery squeezed on the cloth.

I was quite frustrated not seeing results right away and I was on the verge of simply tossing the box but I was stubborn and kept at it and now I’m done with my first box and ready for a new one as I’m loving the results. One of my main problems with exfoliating products is the fact that they make my dry skin even more dry and tight. If I choose I can use these on clean, damp skin minus product so it’s a natural way to remove my dry, flaky skin without adding product to an already dry face that will in turn make it feel even worst.

All in all I think they are a fine deal and worth trying out. I liked the results and noticed a grave improvement when applying foundation and moisturizer!

Likey!

Anyone try?

Loves ‘em?

Leaves ‘em?

Tell the Muse!

Say hello to my new little friend!

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Balm! Wants it!

What is it? It’s a sheer lip balm that responds to the color chemistry of your lips to a create a uniquely “you” shade of lip color! Oh my I likey you so much Dior for creating this!

We’ve been through all the color changing glosses we can get through but I deem this one cool…hmmm maybe I’m bias because it has Dior printed on it? Whatever, I wants it, like yesterday.

Whatta ya think?

Loves it?

Leaves it?

Tell your Muse!