Bobbi Brown Ivy League Collection for Fall

“Pencils are back in a big way for fall. They’re quick, mistake-proof and can go from subtle to bold in one easy stroke.” – Bobbi Brown

I agree with Bobbi. I love pencil eyeliners. They are the easiest form of liner for me to maneuver. Bobbi Brown’s Ivy League Collection contains pencil eyeliners — as well as pencil lip colors — as the focus of a classic fall look.  

I recently tried a few items from Bobbi Brown’s fall collection including her new and improved Creamy Eye Pencil ($20.00) — It is  designed to go on smoothly and evenly and features a built-in smudger for a softer, smoky effect. Available in 9 shades including: Jet, Walnut, Caviar, Midnight, Hunter, Brown Plum, Dusk, Charcoal and Mahogany. I tried Mahogany. This is a soft taupey brown with a dash of warmth to it. It is creamy, but it takes a few swipes across my lids for the color to be intense enough to show; it’s quite a subtle brown.  I like the look it gave me and I think it will be great for fall.

Bobbi also adds two new pearlized eye shadows, Autumn Shimmer Wash, a warm bronze and Bash Metallic, which a forest green for lining and defining ($22.00). I have the Bash Metallic and I like using it in my crease when I’m wearing beige shadow on my lids and the Mahogany Creamy Eye Pencil as liner. It’s a fun way to wear a pop of color. You can use the Bobbi Brown Angle Eye Shadow Brush ($28.00) which is ideal for applying shadow in the corner, in the crease or all over the lid. 

The Ivy League Collection also includes a fresh, new spin on fall’s strong eye: Forest Shimmer Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner ($21.00). To create the shade, Bobbi blended deepest green with golden pearls to create a liner that really makes eyes pop.

By far, my favorite product of the line is Bobbi’s Lip Crayons ($22.00). This awesome pencil “combines the luxurious feel of a lipstick with the ease and convenience of a jumbo, crayon-inspired pencil.” Including a custom-sized sharpener, the Lip Crayon is available in six shades: Honeysuckle, Coral Pink, Raisin Berry, Posey, Dusty Nude, Wild Rose. I have Dusty Nude, which is a medium beige that is so pretty on. It’s a lovely natural that will go with all my autumn outfits!

Visit www.bobbibrown.com to learn more and to purchase this collection before the first leave falls.

Redpoint Cosmetics

Being forty, flirty and fabulous, I enjoy trying anti-aging cosmetics. So I was very interested in Redpoint. The website states,  “it’s a revolutionary line of color cosmetics infused with breakthrough anti-aging and skin transforming complexes, to make you look and feel better than you ever have.”

I tried a few products from this brand, but my three favorites are:

Transformative Duel Foundation ($42.00 USD) — Redpoint’s new foundation is packaged in a glamorous red compact. The website claims, “Get full coverage in a foundation so weightless, it’s almost like you have nothing on at all! Unique Liquacreme formula glides on like silk, and leaves your skin with a flawless matte finish. Elastimide Amino AC, a proven peptide blend and light diffusing pigments combine to help fill in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, so skin looks and feels more youthful.” Like it promises, this foundation gives a smooth, matte finish. It comes in 3 color combinations; Light, Medium and Dark with two shades in each compact. Right now I am using the lightest of my Light compact, but in the summer when I get a bit darker (in spite of my sunscreen), I can combine both of the shades or even use the the darker of the two.

DermaLift Foundation ($42.00 USD) — If you would like a dewier look, this liquid foundation could be right for you. “Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with this sheer, all-in-one foundation, enriched with a proven combination of powerful peptides and moisturizers. The lightweight blend is easily layered, and contains unique light diffusing pigments that create the illusion of younger looking skin. The mineral oil-free, stay put blend is perfect for all skin types.” This is also available in Light, Medium and Dark. It may be lightweight, but it does have great coverage. My skin looks luminous with it on, but for daytime a little powder over if creates a natural, office-appropriate look.

StayPut Eyeliner ($21.00 USD) — “StayPut Eyeliner has a long-wearing, water-resistant, never-smudge formula that features our anti-aging TriPeptide complex to help your eye area appear firmer, smoother and more hydrated.” I LOVE this liner. It goes on extremely smoothly and stays on all day. One end has a sponge on it to use for a smudgey, smokey look. It comes in one color, Conga, which is a lovely, shimmery bronze. It is a beautiful color, but I would love it if they would make more shades!

I definitely recommend this brand to ladies of all ages who wants a little youthful magic in their make up. Visit the website at www.redpointbeauty.com.

Eye Stand Out on New Years Eve! — Flashy Eye Looks to Try

New Year’s Eve is a great time to try out a sparkly look that we wouldn’t wear everyday. As a 40 year old (yes, I own it) I usually don’t wear glitter, I leave that to my 13 year old daughter. But I am drawn to the sparkly around party time!

There are a lot of fun products to try at stores like Sephora and Ulta. The Sephora brand itself has a lot of party options that are fairly affordable. I really like the sparkly Sephora Glitter Eyeliner ($12.00 USD).  The eyeliner is just the right amount of glam. Applied to the upper lid over a neutral shadow, you can get away with almost any of the seven shades if comes in; Gold, Silver, Opal, Black, Teal, Purple and Blue.

Make Up For ever is another fun brand found at Sephora. Their false eyelashes ($14.00 USD) come in many varieties. From different textures and colors to the one above with glitter at the base, you can find the look you want to achieve. Talk about instant glamour!

Another bold choice is Max Factor’s Vivid Impact Highlighting Mascara ($9.99 USD). This is a dual color mascara that combines a traditional solid color base coat with an iridescent highlighting top coat to add a hint of color to lashes.

Remember if you do decide to go glitzy on the eyes, keep the rest of your look neutral. Maybe a nice nude or pink plumping lip gloss? Have fun!

Well Hello, Bright Eyes…Almay’s New Line

Almay Bright Eyes Eye Base + Concealer
Almay Bright Eyes Eye Base + Concealer
Almay Bright Eyes Liner/Highlighter Duo
Almay Bright Eyes Liner/Highlighter Duo

With my kids and husband back in school, I am getting less sleep doing more work. So my eyes are looking kind of tired. At forty, I do not want to look tired. That’s why I was drawn to Almay’s new Bright Eyes line.

The claim for this line is that it, “instantly refreshes and enhances your eyes. Now, you can always have the natural radiance that comes with a great night’s sleep.” The main brightening ingredients in the line are white tea and marine extract, whatever that is. 
 There are three products in the line, the Liner/Highlighter Duo, the Eye Base + Concealer and the Eye Shadow. I purchased the Liner/Highlighter Duo in Dark Chocolate/Shell and the Eye Base + Concealer in Light.

I usually wear black, purple or navy eyeliner and I usually wear eye shadow as liner. I haven’t purchased a dark brown eyeliner in years. It’s nice, though. The eye liner is a little hard and tugs at my eye lids a bit, but I like the color, it’s a rich dark brown.

The highlighter on the other end is very soft.  On my first use, I didn’t see any color when I used it. Then I looked at myself in natural light and noticed a soft, light pink shimmer. Very nice. I use the highlighter below my browbones, in the inner corners of my eyes and on my cheekbones. Can we say youthful glow?!       

The concealer is wonderful. You sqeeze the tube and the product comes out through the brush on top. I dab it on then rub it in gently with my finger. It instantly brightens up my eyes. I also use it as an eye shadow base and I have to say, my shadow seems to stay on longer.

If you are looking for a youthful eye look at a reasonable price (both were $8.99 at Walgreens), check this line out.

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!  

Ulta — My New Fun Find

I’m so excited! Imagine my delight last month when I discovered that a new Ulta store had opened 5 minutes away from my house. This must be like when a junkie finds out his dealer has moved into his neighborhood! I am very addicted to beauty products!

Before this, I have only been to one Ulta store, which wasn’t nearly as nice as mine (oh, yes, it’s mine!). I love the mix of high end products with ones you would find at your neighborhood drugstore. It’s so much fun to dream of splurges why you are buying more affordable treasures.

On a recent trip to Ulta, I decided to check out their own cosmetics brand. These items are very affordable, ranging from the regular price of $6.50 US for an eye or lip liner to $14.00 US for mineral powders. But be on the lookout for sales, they often price their cosmetics for much cheaper.

I found myself intrigued by their eye shadows and eye liners. I’ve been recently into shadows with a bit of a sheen to them. The colors I chose are Gold Leaf, a shimmery medium antique gold and Pearl, an shimmery ivory shade. I used the Gold Leaf on my upper lid with the Pearl under my brow bone. I find that this is a nice day look. The only down side is that the end of the day, the colors faded quite a bit. I bet with primer underneath, they would last longer.

I also purchased Ulta’s Kohl Eye LIner in black. This is a very creamy liner that glides on easily. I used it on my upper lash line for my day look. Although this is a nice liner, like the shadow it was almost completely gone at the end of the day.

For the price of the shadows and liners, especially on sale, these are good products and I would recommend them.