cosmetics – Page 22 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Essie’s Spring 2009 Collection

For this spring, Essie has released a fun collection of six colors to suit every mood. The season’s fresh, flowy fashions (I do love alliteration!) were the inspiration for this line and it “captures the femininity of the season with a fresh, hopeful attitude”.

Here is Essie’s description of each color:

One of a Kind — poppy red kiss

Eternal Optimist — spiced tea rose

Mesmerize — royal va-va blue

Status Symbol — feisty hot pink

Flawless — cherry blossom pink

Lacquered Up — red hot crimson

My favorites are the Eternal Optimist which is a very lovely pinky-beige and One of a Kind which is a really bright red-orange. My 13 year-old daughter of course loves Mesmerize, which I wore the other day and she said it was cool on me! Awesome!

These polishes sell for $9.00 USD each. Essie’s website is www.essie.com. You can visit it to find a store that carries the products or purchase online. Have fun!

Tarte ReCreate™ Foundation

I love liquid foundation. I know that mineral powder foundations are all the rage these days, but I for me nothing beats the perfect smoothing foundation that is a perfect match to my skin color. It hides my pores and makes the rest of my makeup look flawless.

Tarte’s ReCreate™ Foundation ($37.00 USD) is a natural anti-aging foundation with Wrinkle Rewind™ Technology. What’s that, you ask? Tarte’s website explains it as, “proprietary re-hydrating complex restores moisture, tone, and elasticity to the skin, effectively reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles”. They also claim the micronized minerals in the formula help brighten the skin and provide an SPF 15.

Other ingredients also include goji berry extract, peat extract, and wheat extract and its paraben, sulfate, and phthalate free. To find out all of the ingredients, visit Tarte’s website at www.tartecosmetics.com.

I think that the price of this foundation is good for the great coverage and glow it gives you. I have noticed that it doesn’t settle in my fine lines and makes my pores (a big problem) less noticeable. I am yet to get a lot of lines (yay sunscreen!), but it seems to make the ones I have less noticeable. All in all, a great liquid foundation!

Makeup Innovations from CARGO

CARGO cosmetics creates extremely innovative products. They are always coming out with high-tech but beautiful makeup. I was intrigued by their blu ray collection, PlantLove and the very cool The Reverse Lip Liner and was lucky enough to try these fun products!

blu ray, is “a revolutionary collection developed for make-up artists filming in high-definition, as well as all women who want to achieve a flawless face. Ideal for filming, photography, weddings, special events and for everyday beauty because life happens in high-definition.” This collection includes a pressed powder, blush/highlighter, mascara, lip gloss palette, and a high definition mattifier. I have the blu ray Blush/Highlighter ($28.00 USD). This peachy blush has a little sparkle and brings a warmth to my face. I brush it on my cheekbones, forehead, nose and chin and gives a healthy glow. It contains, “photochromatic pigments that adjust with ambient lighting to provide a natural finish day or night. For perfectly glowing skin, the irregular particle size diffuses light and creates an optical blurring that gives the look of a softer, more refined complexion. This ultra-soft formula is oil-free and suitable for all skin types and complexions.”

The Reverse Lip Liner ($14.00 USD) is my favorite product of the three. This is a natural colored pencil that comes in two shades; light and medium dark. You line the outer edges of your lips, and blend. Then apply your favorite lip gloss or lipstick and the color stays in place! Really! Lipstick has always moved to underneath my lower lip as my day progressed, and this liner has helped tremendously. This can also be used in the inner lower eyelid to brighten the eye. Just line the inside of your lower lids and you don’t look as sleepy. Very nice!

The PlantLove Botanical Lipstick ($20.00 USD) is infused with Orchid Complex™ and meadowfoam seed oil as well as jojoba and shea butter. Not only that, but it’s environmentally friendly, containing no mineral oils or petroleums. It comes in wide variety of shades. I have Sagamaratha a sheer rosy-beige cream. The lipstick tube is “made entirely out of corn – a renewable and abundant resource. This environmentally-friendly innovation also emits less greenhouse gases, which many scientists believe to be the major cause of global warming. The outer carton is made of flower paper embedded with real flower seeds. Simply moisten, plant, and wait for a bouquet of wild flowers to grow!” That is very cool, but what also is cool is that the lipstick is moisturizing and fairly long-lasting, especially with the Reverse Lip Liner underneath.

Another great thing about the PlantLove Botanical Lipstick is that CARGO is donating two dollars from the sale of every shade to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Visit their website at www.cargocosmetics.com to find out more and to locate a retailer.

Foundation Flummoxed? Stila Gives Great Choices!

Looking for a good quality foundation? Take a stroll through your local Sephora or Ulta (or go online at http://www.stilacosmetics.com), and check out Stila foundations. The three that I have are all flawless, but vary in coverage and finish.

Illuminating tinted moisturizer SPF 15 — $32.00 USD — This lovely foundation is perfect when you need a little coverage and a lot of glow! This delivers a very youthful shimmer to the face that is not glittery at all. It comes in two shades a light (01) and a medium (02). For day, a bit of powder over it tones the shimmer down, but at night, glow on ladies!

Illuminating Liquid Foundation — $38.00 USD — This one is my favorite right now. It covers my skin imperfections but doesn’t look heavy. It has a bit of glow to it as well, but is not as shimmery as the Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer. In 8 different shades there is sure to be a color that matches most skin tones.

Sheer Color tinted moisturizer spf 15 — $32.00 SPF 15 — This tinted moisturizer gives the face a dewy look with just a hint of coverage. I think it will be great in the summer when I get a little tan. I have the shade “Medium”, which is a nice neutral beige. As this product is available in 10 shades, there is one for almost everyone!

The coverage and clarity of all of these foundations can be intensified by Stila’s Hydrating Primer SPF 15 ($34.00 USD). Wearing this moisturizing primer will even out the skin tone and even hide your pores! This is not for someone for very oily skin, but will work for almost everyone else.

So check out the stores or Stila’s website if you are looking for new ways to make your skin look youthful and smooth!

Want Long, Glossy Lashes? That’s the Claim of Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto

I love the commercials for Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Mascara ($7.49 USD). The claim is, “The only mascara that does for lashes what stilettos do for legs. ” Sexy lashes, all right! The advertised features of this product are:

The Grip & Extend brush grasps each lash and coats from every angle
Elastic formula stretches lashes for provocative length
Pro-Vitamin B-5 formula conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine
Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested

Hmm. Well my lashes were a little longer, but not stiletto-long and definitely not glossy. They were well defined, although not thickened. Maybe a few more coats and they would have been longer.

The one reason I would not buy this is that it flaked so badly that by the end of the day it looked like I didn’t have any mascara on at all!

I think that if you are going to call a mascara “Lash Stiletto” it needs to be fabulous. That’s why I can’t recommend this product.

Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain

Sure, I am into serious skin care and high quality products, but I do love a good novelty, too. I was very intrigued by a review of Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain on my favorite podcast, Lipgloss and Laptops (www.lipglossandlaptops.com). The ladies on the podcast remarked on what a neat little product this is, and I have to say I agree.

This very fun lip stain in a pen form. When you remove the cap, you see a felt tip marker. “Am I supposed to use that on my lips? I’m not 5 years old!”, you’ll say to yourselves. But trust me. Go for it!

This pen creates a great line around your lips, then just color in the lines for a perfect lip stain. And it tastes like berry candy. Yum!

The lip stain comes in 10 shades. I have color 420, Sassy Mauve. This is a medium plum color on my lips. It is very pretty, but does not last long like it claims. I have to reapply it quite often to keep the stained look.

All in all, for $7.99 at your local drugstore, this is a pretty fun product to own.

Hey All! Enter my 100th Blog Post Giveaways! I will be giving away products from It Cosmetics, Yes to Carrots and EcoTools! To enter, just leave a comment on ANY of my posts between 4/26 – 5/2. I will draw 3 names on Sunday 5/3/09 and notify the winners! To see exactly what I am giving away, check out my post http://tinyurl.com/dgnxda. Good Luck!

Brighten Your Look This Winter with Stila’s Convertible Color

I recently received some wonderful Stila products. Once of the standouts is Convertible Color ($25.00 USD), a creamy compact that can be used on cheeks and lips.

The colors look dark in the compact, but go on sheer and are very blendable. I think this product works well for winter because of its creamy texture. Also, it probably would be good for most seasons because it is not at all greasy.

The two shades that I own are Rose, a pinky-red that leaves a naturally rosy lip stain as well as a complexion brightening blush; and Camellia, a neutral beige color that looks wonderful on my pale skin.

If you visit Stila’s website (www.stilacosmetics.com) you will find a great variety of nine colors for sale. You can also find these products at Ulta and Sephora. The quality of Stila’s products are fantastic, so have fun trying out the brand!

Eye Poppin’ Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Mascara

Reading about Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Eye-brightening Mascara (8.49 USD), I was really intrigued. It claims to make the eyes 4 times brighter than without wearing mascara. It’s available in four shades to match eye color: Black Pearl for brown eyes, Black Sapphire for blue eyes, Black Ruby for greens eyes and Black Gold for hazel eyes.

Each shade has a metallic sheen and a bit of a color to it. I purchased the Black Pearl, hoping to enhance my dark brown eyes. When you swipe this shade on a tissue, it is a metallic black.

On my eyes, you can’t really see the metallic, but it is very dark and really does make my eyes pop. I don’t know if they are brighter, but the thickening and lengthening mascara brings attention to my eyes. This mascara separates my lashes nicely and doesn’t clump. This is a great product.

I kind of wish my eyes were a different color, so I could try the shades that are tinted. Oh well, since the price is reasonable, maybe I will try the others, too !

Lots of Looks in a Little Package — Too Faced Glamour To Go

I treated myself to this wonderful little makeup kit with a gift card I received for Christmas. It is always fun to try out new makeup colors. I have been using this palette all week and have been creating great eyeshadow and lip gloss combinations.

The Too Faced Glamour to Go kit ($19.50 USD) includes 8 eye shadows, four lip colors and a blush. It comes in a little mirrored compact with the eye shadows on top, and the blush and glosses sliding out on the bottom.

The eye shadows contain shimmer, but aren’t too glittery which is perfect for me. Their pigments are okay, but not the most concentrated. I find if I use an eye shadow base or concealer under it, then layer the shadow, it will last me all day. The colors come in cool grays and pinks and warm golds and browns for a variety of looks.

The blush is a lovely peachy-pink with just a hint of shimmer. I only need a little of this because it is a bit bright on my pale winter skin. I really like it, though because the shade matches the cool and warm eye and lip looks.

The lip glosses are almost the consistency of a soft lipstick. They are a little sticky, but not too bad. They are very shiny and shimmery, so it might be more of an evening look if you work in a conservative office. I work in a non-profit, so a little glitz is fine!

The best part of Glamour to Go is that it is so small. I do my face in the morning, then toss it in my purse. I then have it on hand for touch ups at work. It does not come with applicators, so I just use my fingers or bring a brush or two along. Fun!

Polish Your Look on New Year’s Eve With a New Lip Plumper

I was skeptical of lip plumpers for a long time. I have decent lips, why would I need to make them fat. Even worse is the fact that many lip plumpers contain irritants and make your lips sting. Ouch!

Now that they are more popular (and much less ouchier), I have been hearing very good things about some plumpers. One of the claims is that they smooth out fine lines in your lips and make your lips appear smoother.

So I began my research with the queen of all lip plumpers — LipFusion Lip Plumper ($38.00 USD). This lip plumping color shine is formulated with marine collagen micro-spheres that are absorbed by lips and then absorb moisture causing mild-swelling which gives lip a full, plump look. They say results can last for up to 48 hours. I don’t know about that but it did instantly plump and smooth my lips and didn’t sting at all. It left me with a little numbness, but it wasn’t unpleasant, and there are many shades to choose from. If you have $38.00 for lip gloss, I’ll be your friend! And try this gloss, it does live up to the hype!

Another great gloss is bareMinerals Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish ($18.00 USD). Sephora’s site states, “This mineral-infused polish imparts a luminous high shine with no sticky or tacky feeling. A deep infusion of antioxidant vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, smooth, and protected, while the tingly and cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are getting an immediate increase in fullness.” This does tingle but doesn’t sting (thank goodness). There are about eleven soft shades of this gloss and half the price of the LipFusion, its a pretty good buy.

But if you aren’t quite convinced about this lip plumping craze, try a drugstore brand. A really good one is the Maybelline Volume XL Seduction Lip Plumper ($8.99 USD). This one touts, “Make your lips up to 30% bigger with Maybelline Volume Seduction Lip Plumper. Feel a tingling effect as active amplifiers instantly plump lips for a visibly fuller pout. Available in 10 seductive shades. Not recommended for sensitive lips.” I guess my lips aren’t too sensitive, because it does tingle, but doesn’t sting me. Definitely a good gloss for plumping beginners.

So have fun with your gloss on New Year’s Eve! Go ahead and try something new.