Musings of a Muse

MAC’s newest color story, Strobe, is up and available at MAC if you’re interested!

Strobe is actually a color story that’s somewhat near and dear to my heart because it contains the Tinted Lip Conditioner Sticks.

A little history…..

My first venture into MAC was during the Sweetie Cake release and at the time they had offered Lip Conditioner Sticks and I had purchased one in the color pink resort. It had become a true favorite of mine and I toted it around everywhere. I’ve had to replace it three times since purchasing it by seeking it out on E-bay and paying way above retail for it.

My faithful friend, Pink Resort!

When MAC released Strobe I was over the moon at the prospect of getting my hands on new Lip Conditioners. I know a few people have ranted that they are sheer and just not worth the price and such but for me they are gold. I really love the natural look they give plus the moisturizing benefit alone is well worth the cost.

As you can see the packaging differs slightly from the previous release of lip conditioners! I’m really liking the new packaging which is on the right hand side!

I must admit that this year’s releases aren’t nearly as pigmented as my Pink Resort but I’m still loving the colors and the formula!

Strobe Current, Strobe Rays, and Strobe Kiss

If you’re a big lover of smoothing your lips down with balms, chapstick, or just one for loving a very smooth, moisturizing lip treatment this may very well be what you seek! I seriously have a bad habit of not touching up lipstick and gloss so I throw one of these in my purse for quick touch ups. They make my lips feel great plus I’m not completely bare lipped!

Strobe is definately something you might want to check out! I’m pretty curious about the cream which promises to revive and refresh dull, tired skin!

Strobe is available now at MAC!

Want anything from this color collection?

Love lip conditioners?

Tell the Muse!

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I’m very, very wary of trying new skincare items. I’m sort of stuck in my normal routine rut and since it works so well for me it’s very rare I try anything else on my face. I’m a Lushie for life as you probably already know from reading my blog. If you’re not familiar with my daily skincare routine click over here for the details.

I’ve been happily testing out two of Kiehl’s skincare products last week which were the Ultra Facial Cleaner and the Ultra Facial Toner.

The first thing that shocked me about Kiehl’s was that it’s affordable skincare. Seriously how often can you find affordable skincare that works? Tis a rare occurrence for me!

I normally take my makeup off with one of three products that I use. Lush Ultra Bland for hardcore makeup that’s tough to get off (liquid eyeliner, heavy eyemakeup etc…), Kose Airy Whip (for lighter makeup removal! This is sadly not available in the US.), and Philosophy Purity (I use this daily for all types of makeup).

All of the above products work fantastic for me so there isn’t any reason for me to change however I’m vaguely surprised, with being so picky the way I am, that I really enjoyed using Kiehl’s Facial Cleaner for the past week. I’ve been using this from Monday until Sunday evening and I must say it works a treat and I’m considering adding it to my current skincare routine!

For some reason I get a weird feeling of “you missed a spot” when using Philosophy Purity. I normally use this daily, more so then my other cleansers and it always leaves me feeling like maybe I didn’t get off everything that was on my face. However, I felt truly, deeply cleansed with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser. Even looking in the mirror after cleansing, my face looked really refreshed!

A little of this goes a long way as it’s a thick gel that foams up for a good deep clean. The cleanser is good for all skin types. At the moment my skin chooses to be dry because of the cold winter weather. It’s quite a gentle wash that is not drying to my skin! Believe me I’m already dry enough if I used anything that was drying I’d definately know!

I ended up wandering over to Kiehl’s website as using the cleanser had made me curious about the rest of the line and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the cleanser is $17.50USD for 5oz! I thought for sure something that worked this good would be $30-$40!

All in all I was very pleased with the Ultra Facial Cleanser! Well done Kiehl’s it’s on the Muse’s list for repurchase as soon as I get through the sample!

I also got my hands on the Ultra Facial Toner but this sadly wasn’t as wonderful as the cleanser. This is a very thick toner in comparison to my normal toner. I normally use Lush’s Tea Tree Oil (for oily days) or Breath of Fresh Air (for dryer days). My toner choices are very light and are spray on where as the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner is a thicker formula that’s meant to be swiped on with a cotton ball! The formula is comparable to Guerlain’s Issima Success Model Smoothing Toner, the texture for me is spot on the same as the Guerlain but the Kiehl’s has a nice price tag! Happy Days! I really liked the consistency of this toner and it felt wonderfully cool and moisturizing when I swiped it on. Sadly, it dried me out a bit. This is for all skin types but for me it was a bit drying. I felt like my skin was very tight minutes after applying it. I used it for seven days straight just to see if I’d see an improvement but sadly nothing changed. I’d highly recommend this if you’re oily because it may very well dry your skin up a bit. My Asian readers that suffer from oily skin and humid weather (my lovely Singaporean readers) may find this an excellent toner for your skin! I think I’ll try this again in the Summer when my forehead decides to become a mirror!

Again, the price is very nice on this! $15USD gets you 8.4oz! That’s a great price and a great size! Total props for an interesting formula and texture but I can’t recommend this for people with dry skin! You might want to avoid it as I experienced further drying when using it.

Overall, the new lineup in the skincare collection is most definately interesting! For further information about the new additions to Kiehl’s Skincare click here!

Have you tried any of Kiehl’s Skincare?

Love it?

Favorite product?

Speak to the Muse!

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I’ve come to the realization that I don’t include nearly enough budget beauty finds in my blog! Many of my readers are quite young and spending $70-$100 or more on skincare is beyond their reach at the moment (at least that was the case for me when I was that age!).

In order to redeem myself I’ll occasionally make a mad dash to the local drugstore and see what’s to be had, what I try, what I like, and above all in keeping with an inexpensive price tag!

I was able to test out the new Wave Power Cleaner from Neutrogena and this is definately fitting in with Beauty on a Budget. This costs all of $10.49 USD at Drugstore.com or $12 USD at Target. The price, in my opinion, is so right! Plus if you head over to Neutrogena’s website you can print out a $2 coupon so that cuts the cost down to $8.49 or $10! Hell that’s a deal! Click to get your coupon!

I’ve wanted to purchase a power cleaner for a while now, in particular I crave the Clarisonic Skincare Brush but seriously I don’t see myself dishing out $200 for that thing. As lovely as it looks I can’t bring myself to pay that much for a cleaning brush.

I haven’t tried the Clarisonic so I can’t compare it to the Wave however I will say at the bargain price the Wave works bloody well for it’s tiny price tag with a few minor pitfalls!

The entire package comes with the power cleaner, a battery (sweet! I didn’t have to go to the store to get one!), 14 cleaning pads, plus a $1 off coupon for refill pads!

I’ve used the Wave three times so far. Once in the shower and once out of the shower. My first run with this was out of the shower and it was a bit of a disappointing run. First of all this isn’t brain surgery to operate. The cleaner has a ridged surface that you plop on the pads on. No special tools needed to hold it in place, no snap ons, or anything like that. Just slap a pad on and go.

Once your pad is on you run the unit under water, press the on button, and start working in on your face. This doesn’t rotate, there aren’t any brushes that rotate, the pad doesn’t rotate, none of that. The Wave simply vibrates which causes the pad to foam up and begins the deep cleaning of your face. Sadly that was my main beef with the unit. The pads didn’t foam up at all. For someone who wears a face full of makeup daily this is NOT going to remove your makeup so well. Absolutely not. However, after using it and rinsing with my regular cleanser my moisturizer did sink in very nicely so obviously the unit is working well enough!

That’s a minor rant as I found a few better ways to use the Wave. One was in the shower which I believe will be my main place to use it. I think if you have a clean face already and you’ve just woken up in the AM and you’re stepping into the shower this is perfect for doing a nice deep clean. The foaming won’t matter so much as your face is pretty much makeup less. I found that the unit worked wonderfully in the shower and it’s completely waterproof so no probs at all. I decided to get crazy and plop a bit of Philosophy’s Microdelivery Wash on the pad and that’s when I experienced nirvana! This made a huge difference and worked wonders for getting a nice deep exfoliating facial while in the shower! I came out of the shower refreshed and my moisturizer and makeup went on so much smoother!

Cheers for that!

The formula of the pads is a tingly, cool pleasant sensation and the smell is quite nice as well but as I said I seen little foaming from these so that does need a bit of work!

The unit is very tiny which I found fantastic for travel plus it runs on one double AA battery which means I’m not having to tug around a recharger with me when I travel. The entire thing is smaller then the palm of my hand. Really great for storage, travel, and it’s just nice to have a small unit that works well!

You might be curious about the refills and the price. It’s safe to say they are pretty inexpensive at $8 for 30! You know you’ll be able to score these on sell though and maybe even cheaper in Walmart!

I had a totally smashing experience with this little gadget and it’s definately part of my skincare regime from now on!

You can’t really beat the price plus it works great! If you don’t take my word for it check on MUA for the rave reviews! The unit is up to a 4.1 rating!

To learn more about the Wave Powder Clean have a click over here and check it out at Neutrogena’s website!

Did I mention you can choose your favorite color? The Wave is available in blue, pink, and green!

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Yea, yea, just call me a regular drugstore whore.

I’m quite a freak lately and have been making the rounds into drugstores far and wide. I’d normally never venture within the realms of a US Drugstore however I’ve had to get a few things for our mate, Rows, at Mostly Makeup thus I’ve seen the inside of one too many drugstores lately and I find…I’m sorta liking it!

I ran across Rimmel’s Spring Collection while rolling around the floor at Harmon’s searching out Milani Wet/Dry Eyeshadows that weren’t to be had or seen!

The collection consists of 6 cream shadow trios, 5 sparkling eye pencils, and 6 potted lipglosses.

Rimmel is far from my favorite brand of cosmetics even though my sister swears by it like it’s God’s given gift to the mortal soul.

I’ve only tried one item from the entire line and that was enough to set me off it for good. I can’t recall exactly but it was a mascara and that stuff flaked, ran, smudged, and just made me scream in agonizing pain at the unjustness of cheap mascara! WHY GOD WHY!

However, the Rimmel Spring display did tempt me. It was all bold and bright and the eye pencils called my name and said “Buy us! Buy us! We’re only $3.99 Each!”

So…I brought ‘em.

The eyeshadows held little appeal as I’m not much for creams and the idea of having three creams in one pot with no dividers made me shudder in fear! Imagine the mess?

The glosses weren’t exactly that fab either!

However, the idea of a sparkling pencil did get me slightly excited and the price was $3.99 so I got four of the five colors (I’d have gotten five but they sold out of the black shade!).

I purchased these because they reminded me of MAC’s sparkler pencil yet in deeper, darker, funkier colors!

Well…..the verdict is in and they go on smooth enough with a bit of tugging but I dunno I’m not thrilled. The formula could be a bit softer for easier application but it’s not completely bad either!

$3.99 USD isn’t too bad a price and the color selection is quite gorgeous however I didn’t see so much sparkle but as just an eyeliner they did an ok job!

The colors I got were Peridot which is a cold dark blue, Tiger’s Eye which is a gold based brown, Ultra Violet which is a sea green, and Lapis which is a brownish copper.

The good news is these have fabulous staying power. These babies aren’t going anywhere once on! I seriously had to do some major tugging to get them off with oil based makeup remover! No fading, no smudging, and lasted all damn day and night!

Tiger’s Eye, Ultra Violet, Peridot, and Lapis

Sorry guys the swatches all kinda look the same! New cam is on the way soonish!

As I said for the price you can’t really beat ‘em! I can’t Muse Approve these but I’d definately recommend heading to your local drugstore and having a peek!

You can see more of the collection at Lipstick, Powder, n’ Paint! Click!

Have these?

Want ‘em?

Love Rimmel?

Tell the Muse!

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Here’s one for the trash kids!

I was in Target a few days ago because my sister enjoys dragging me around that bloody store like nobody’s business!

As she oohhhh’ed and ahhhhhh’ed over her finds I wandered over to the Boots section to have a peek. I generally like Boots line of products and I haven’t really purchased anything that I didn’t love however the eye makeover remover gets my big old “don’t buy” stamp.

I normally get Sephora’s remover for $8 or when I’m feeling lucky I look through E-bay to score some cheap Bi-Facil (you seriously don’t think I’d spend $26 on that stuff did you? Sometimes the Muse is cheap!). However, I was feeling adventurous so I decided to grab some of the No7 Cleanse & Care remover and call it a day!

I was thinking somehow this would become a staple as soon as I noticed that it had a pump! W00t! Awesome! Instead of having to dip my cleaner onto my cotton pad I could now pump the cleaner on! Wow how techy!

The coolness ends right there my friends. Aside from the ultra awesome pump this does absolutely nothing in the way of removing hardcore eye makeup!

I didn’t have much on but it was a whole lot of tugging to get it to remove anything. A few swipes later and about half a bottle I had successfully removed about 60% of my eyeshadow and none of my mascara.

Sigh.

Well that chalks this up as heading right into the trash can! $8 bucks down the drain and still a load of eye makeup on!

Boo Boots! I’m disappointed in you!

Have you used this?

Love it?

Hate it?

Tell the Muse!

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I was shocked to hear that Heath Ledger has a total of $100,000 to his name. I’m left wondering how the hell that’s possible?

According to a news article on Yahoo the Brokeback Mountain star has a total of $100,000 in various bank accounts, a $25,000 car, and about $20,000 in furniture and home fixtures. He’s not in dept but he wasn’t exactly doing so great.

Click!

The man’s mad 23 films or so and he only squirreled away $100,000? Granted many of the films he’s starred in are Indie however he has been in some seriously silly Hollywood flicks…he had to be paid something for those right?

Wow.

Shocked here.

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My tastes in cosmetics varies from day to day, week to week, and month to month. What was my favorite last month is most likely not my favorite this month. I have such a variety of product that I am constantly rotating what I have and finding new favorites each day!

I thought I’d do a post that examined some of my favorite items at the moment!

• Givenchy Prism Again! Blush in Arty (Click to see more of the Arty Collection)

I love the look of the Arty Blush on my cheeks. It’s a cross between a very soft pink and a gorgeous peach. The mix of colors gives my face such a beautiful glow! This has been on my list of favorites since it’s release and probably will remain a favorite for a good while!

• Shu Uemura Blush in P Orange 58D (Click to see me wearing it!)

Shu’s P Orange 58D is one of my favorite colors in the line! It’s a beautiful peach that just looks so natural and lovely on! Anytime I wear it I get a ton of compliments!

• Bobbi Brown Rouge Pot for Cheeks and Lips in Raspberry (Click here to see more of the Bobbi Brown Pink Raspberry Collection!)

Bobbi’s got my vote for awesome when it comes to the potted rouge for cheeks and lips! Simplicity is sometimes best and this gives me just flushed cheeks in a flash with little effort!

• MJ Blush in PK333

MJ has such a beautiful range of products at such an affordable price you can’t help but want to collect them all! Most of the MJ blushes are on my hit list of favorites and PK333 is most definately a fav for flushed cheeks!

• Pop Lid Neon Palette (Click to read my review of this palette!)

You know the Muse and bold! Pop’s Lid Neon Palette satifies my need for bold, vibrant shades and will work well into the Summer! Most definately a fav!

• Bobbi Brown Metallics Palette in Burnt Sugar (Click here to read a review about the Metallics Collection! Click here to see my FOTD using Burnt Sugar.)

The Metallics Collection was definately a fav of mine but Burnt Sugar ended up on my hit list for a great looking, natural look!

• Aube Jewelry Shower Palette in EX02 (Click to see more of the Aube Holiday Collection! Click here to read a review on Aube’s Jewelry Shower Eyes!)

Aube’s LE palette in EX02 was part of the Holiday Collection and is definately a fav of mine at the moment! It creates a beautiful shimmering look that’s natural yet elegant!

• KATE Glamtrick Palette in GN1 (Click here to see me wearing GN1 and click here to see more of the KATE Spring Collection)

GN-1 is my absolute favorite palette of the year! Outstandingly awesome pigmentation and creates thee most flattering and gorgeous smokey green eye!

• Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black (Click for an FOTD using Gel Eyeliner! Click for a review on this great liner)

This little gem has become a fast favorite for the Muse and I can’t stop myself from reaching for it daily! It’s true love for sure!

• KATE’s Power Gel Liner in GD1 (Click to read more about KATE’s Spring Collection)

I adored the metallic shades that KATE came out with this season and GD1 is definately on my favorite hit list!

• Milani Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Beach Sand (Click to read my review on Milani’s new Wet/Dry Shadows!)

What’s not to love? It shimmers, it sparkles, it shines, I can pair it up with everything, the Muse likey ALOT!

• Visee Aqua Shining Eyes in BE300

The Muse loves this color! It’s natural, shimmery, and beautiful! It’s been on my favorite list for a few months now and I see no end in site for it’s ability to wow me!

• Fairy Drops Mascara (Click for a review on this awesome little mascara!)

The Muse’s reader and mate, Taryn, hooked me up with this and I’ve been a true user every since! I reach for this about 4-5 times a week! It gives me the perfect natural curl!

• Maquillage Mascara Combing Glamour

At the moment Maquillage Combing Glamour seems to be what I reach for daily when I’m not grabbing Fairy Drops! I love the ultra slim comb that reaches all my lashes and curls! curls! curls them up and out!

• Cynthia Rowley for Avon Blush Brush (Click to see the Cynthia Rowley Collection)

This brush has been a fav of mine since I got it. Dirt cheap but works a charm! It’s large and perfect for dusting on powder and blushes!

• MAC 227 (Click to read my drama with MAC’s 227!)

MAC’s 227 is something that you’d have to pry from my cold dead hands. This brush is my absolute holy grail! It blends cleanly and brilliantly! I get little to no fall out when using this! It highlights and packs on color like a pro! I sweat this brush so hard! It is presently on my favorite list and there it shall remain ever more!

• Canmake Cheek Gradation in Chocolate

One of Canmake’s most pigmented Cheek Gradations in my opinion! Gives a healthy dose of beautiful color! Has been on my favorite list for ages and shall remain ever after!

• Gransebon Gran Brush in 10

Highlights, Shimmers, Sparkles, and makes me look killer! My absolute favorite in the line of Gran Brushes!

• DiorShow Powder in Porcelain Pink

The perfect shimmer to add to my cheeks!

• Jillian Dempsey Horizon Blush in Apricot Horizon (Click to hear my mad raves about this new blush!)

What’s not to love? It’s beautiful, it’s bold, and it makes me look like I just stepped in from the cold! Pure perfection a blush!

• MJ Spice Blush in Sensual Spice

Who doesn’t just love the ultra cute Spice Blushers? So sweet! Packaging wise they are adorable plus they give just the right amount of color to cheeks, eyes, anywhere! Sensual Spice has been a favorite this past month for me as it goes fantastic with some of my MAC Fafi looks I’ve been creating!

• Stila Lipglaze in Raspberry (Click to see me wearing this!)

I adore this color. It’s been on my favorite list for the past few weeks! It’s such a fresh, juicy pink!

• MJ Honey Plump Gloss in Pink

I love toting this around with me for touch ups! Although it’s unflavored it still is a favorite for quick touch ups minus any sticky, tacky feelings!

• Esprique Precious Lipstick in BR300

This was recommend to me by my most gorgeous mate Iris and it remains on my hit list from the day I purchased it a year ago! It’s the perfect, natural shade of brown that looks elegant paired with a cool peach blush!

• Fafi for MAC Lipstick in Flash n Dash (Click to see me wearing Flash n Dash! Click to see my haul and review of Fafi for MAC)

Flash n Dash is one of those lipshades that can be worn bright and bold or toned down for a more natural look! Flash n Dash is one shade I may need a back up of! A beautiful shade!

• Dior Long Wearing Moisturizing Concealer

One of my must have concealers at the moment! Works well with my dry under eye area and covers everything up making me look fresh and awake!

• Dior Radiance Booster Pen

A favorite for touch ups as well as day to day wear! This is another of my absolute favorite concealers that reflects just enough light around my eye area to make me look awake and refreshed!

• Clean Shower Fresh Parfum

One of my favorite scents of the moment! Smells just like you stepped from a shower! Love that soap and water scent!

• Lush’s Lily Savon Parfum

I’m not much for florals but the smell of Lily Savon totally makes me swoon! A hit for me in February it’s still going strong as a favorite in March!

• Fresh Lemon Sugar Parfum

This rarely gets taken down from my fav list! It’s wonderful light yet strong enough to last throughout the day! Beautiful!

• Lush’s Skin Shangra La Facial Moisturizer

It’s cold. Which means my face is dry and flakey! Skin Shangra La is my life saver during the winter for beautiful, flawless skin!

• Lush’s Ultra Bland Cleanser

I’m normally a big lover of Philosophy Purity and it’s what I use most days but when the weather is cold and my skin is suffering from dryness I reach for Ultra Bland to remove my makeup! It’s absolutely perfect for removing stubborn mascara and eye makeup plus it leaves my face feeling as smooth as a baby’s behind!

• Boot’s Ultimate Lift Eye Gel

I cannot live without this stuff. Seriously. It’s been on my favorite list since my lovely mate Rows from Mostly Makeup gifted it to me! It works amazingly well at waking my eyes up, keeping them from puffying up, and just generally making my eyes behave like that of a 19 year old! Thanks Rows the Muse hearts you for getting her hooked on this stuff!

• Dr Denese Hydroshield Eye Serum

I can’t live without this stuff either. It’s been on my favorite list for about two months now. It’s the perfect night eye treatment! Keeps my dry under eye moisturized to the max plus reduces fine lines in a major way from what I seen! Review coming soon!

How about you guys?

What are some of your absolute favorite Beauty Addictions of the moment?

Any of my favorites match up with yours?

Tell your Muse!

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If you can believe it Tiffa has updated it’s website!

Whoa.

Big news here.

I can’t recall the last time Tiffa bothered updating it’s site and not only have they updated but they have a new Spring Collection up and available!

I’m not sure when this new line hits shops in Japan but I’d say shortly.

Tiffa is a sub-company of Kanebo and carries a small but lovely line of products that are inexpensive. The updates to the line seem very interesting and I may add a few to my wish list!

Three Glitter Liners have been introduced in pink, silver, and black for 1000 yen each.

Also available are three “fragrant waters”. I’m not sure if these are body sprays or spray toners!

And finally three cologne sprays! The introduction of these leads me to believe that the above could be spray toners! I sure hope so because they look interesting if they are!

The new site is far easier to navigate if you are unable to read characters. The original site was cute but annoying as you had to unlock doors and such to see products. The new site offers a range of categories to find exactly what you are looking for quickly plus the pink theme is so sweet!

Not really any major releases for Tiffa but it’s nice to see the brand isn’t forgotten as it’s been a while inbetween releases! I’m holding onto the hope that they do some more of the dual shadow shimmers! The gold and silver is gorgeous! Love to see more!

Want these?

Love Tiffa?

Tell the Muse!

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I was wandering around the Visee website this morning and it’s pretty much official that Kodi Kumi is a goner from the champaign.

The new site is updated with a face chart when you click “What’s New?”

Here’s what you used to get when clicking “What’s New?” As you can see Kodi Kumi has been replaced with a cutesy face chart!

I believe the site went live again about a week or two ago and the images have been revamped to exclude Kodi Kumi from the ads. I’m not sure if she’s completely gone or this is temporary while the fire cools. I’m betting she’s gone completely and the Summer Collection will feature a new spokesperson! But we shall see! I’ll miss her actually as she has that edge that really brought Visee alive for me and I’m curious who they’ll replace her with!

Below is the new Make-Up theme, again Kodi Kumi has been replaced by the cute face chart image!

If you’re not up to date on the drama click here to read why Kodi Kumi is under fire at the moment!

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Benefit’s released a Sephora exclusive kit that includes it’s popular oil free foundation Some Kind of Gorgeous along with some other interesting bits and pieces.

The kit also includes Eye Bright, Get Bent Lash Mascara, Benetint, a Mousepad, a carrying case.

The kit is $48 USD and available from Sephora now.

I’m personally not partaking of this particular kit but for you Benefit lovers this might be something you want to snatch up!

I’ve always been curious about Some Kind of Gorgeous but each time I test it on the back of my hand in the store it just feels so wrong and the color is so beige and unflattering!!

Love this?

Want it?

Tell the Muse!

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Happy Monday girls (and guys)!

Sadly, no new updates for the Muse today. I have about 5 good entries to post but sadly Blogger is still in weekend mode and refuses to work for me.

Dunno what’s going on but I’m unable to upload pictures. It’s definately not a problem on my side but nothing on the maintenance page from Blogger either. Sigh.

How very irritating!

I’ve tried in several browses including Safari and no joy! So sadly, updates have to wait a while until this is fixed up!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I needed to get my mind off a few things so I really kept myself busy this weekend! I ended up going to two movies with friends, shopping with some friends, brunch with some friends I haven’t seen in a while, helped my mum get her Easter dinner shopping done, went to visit my cousin, did Spring closet and makeup cleaning, went to a poetry reading, went to a book signing, and a bunch of other stuff. All this excluding sleep lol! I’m kidding

How about you?

What did you do this weekend?

It was major cold here. Strong winds about 26 degrees out! Brrrr! But it felt good walking along in a warm jacket and gloves. Sometimes it just feels nice to be out in the cold weather!

Anyway!

Updates to come as soon as Blogger decides to cooperate! This little problem should get my arse in gear to get my own website up and rolling and do away with Blogger completely!

Back to work with my lazy self!

Cheers!

PS Good news. I was able to locate the Horizon Blush in Pink! w00t! I’ll be reviewing it shortly

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I was browsing around the Laneige site a few weeks ago and I came across the The Secret of the Snow Crystal Snow Radiant Blushers. Sounds like an epic motion picture! Now playing The Secret of the Snow Crystal starring Bai Ling!

I’m not entirely sure if these were from the Holiday Collection or not and after much discussion and debate with a friend we decided that maybe they were something available from the Korean side of Laneige only!

Anyway!

I ended up getting the entire three that were released because they simply reminded me of MAC Mineralized Skinfinish and I rock Mineralized Skinfinish so that meant I’d be sure to shower love all over these!

These were about the same cost as an MSF and honestly they have the potential for converting non MSF users. Some folk hate Mineralized Skinfinish because they are glittery and shimmery. A wide range of the colors released thus far have contained chunky bits of glitter and not everyone likes to hose themselves down with glitter the way the Muse does!

Those of you who may have ranted that MAC’s powders have some major shimmer will be delighted to know that these perform the way you probably hoped for from MAC. They highlight, create a soft glow on your face, and enhance your blush minus the shimmer and glitter.

The powder is soft and silky and easy to blend. The effect that these create is what I call a sort of photo finish glow. You can use these on natural bare skin or over your blush. I personally like to use them over my blush. You can also contour areas of your face for extra highlighting if you prefer.

Laneige Snow Radiant Blusher in Snow

Laneige Snow Radiant Blusher in Gold

Laneige Snow Radiant Blusher in Pink Prism

I think they are quite a nifty powder to add to your beauty arsenal and a wonderful alternative if you’re not loving the amount of shimmer you get from a MAC Mineralized Skinfinish!

MAC Shimpage vs Laneige Gold

MAC Glissade vs Laneige Pink Prism

MAC Lightscape Vs Laneige Snow

Click here to read my review on Laneige’s Darling Big Eyes Palette!

Click here to read about Laneige’s Snow Bloom Collection!

Click here to read about Laneige’s Slick Sliding Foundation Compact!

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I adore stains! Big time ! I love the natural, flushed look you can get from a stain. I’ve been a big time user of Benetint for ages but in all honesty I’ve found far better alternatives. Benetint is a bit sheer for me and I can get a deeper color from other brands. Good quality stains don’t come cheap however I’m about to show you an inexpensive, high quality one!

I got this off of JPmon but believe it or not I’ve also seen it in various Asian supermarkets in the US. Fact is I never knew what it was prior to seeing it on JPmon. When you’re in an Asian supermarket surrounded by stuff you aren’t familiar with you practice caution when making your selections. My main reason for not purchasing it was the fact that I wasn’t sure what it was for. Sure it has a beautiful geisha-like girl on the cover but that doesn’t mean anything! This could be dip for chicken or something how could I know it was cosmetic? Seriously have you been to an Asian market before? EVERYTHING has cute labels! Packages of Baby Star (this is a snack) have really cute images on it! The US is not yet exposed to the kawaii packaging of food and just about everything else. Hell, the only thing cute about our food packages would be cereal. America wants to shove cereal down the throats of babes so they showcase cute tigers, tucans, and three strange little elf like chefs named Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Hey, I never claimed we were creative in the US!

Anyway!

I was ordering some Kose Airy Whip on JpMon as the shipping is a bit cheaper for a few cans in comparison to my friends buying it and shipping it over (because you have to stock up on Airy Whip like it’s the end of the world as we know it) when I noticed that this same cheek stain that was available in my local Asian market was here at JpMon! Hmm! After being hypnotized by the delightful animation of the cute girl applying this I knew I must have!

So on with the review after all that babbling…!

I can’t recall how much I paid for this on JpMon but it was cheaper in the store I believe at $6 bucks or something like that. I just added it to my cart at JpMon as I was doing an order anyway so why not!

This is a bit thicker then Benetint but easy enough to blend. Three dots across your cheeks, smile, blend, and perfect flushed cheeks. A tiny bit lasts all day, literally. As with all cheek stains it’s virtually waterproof, smudge-proof, and atomic bomb proof! This stuff isn’t going anywhere unless you take it off!

This will work well enough on medium light skin tones like my own and it’ll also flatter a medium dark skin tone. My sister is what I call a coffee skin tone and it looks beautiful on her and even more flattering then on my own paler skin!

This is something you might want to nosy around your own markets or small shops for if you have any local ones! If I can find it here I’m positive you’ll be able to find it in similar markets! Who doesn’t have a local Asian market around?

If anything it’s probably the best cheapest brand of tint I’ve come across and I’ve tried them all! Works way better then Benetint that’s for sure!

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