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2010

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Lipstick Queen Big Bang Theory Illusion Gloss, Butterfly Ball & 15 Minutes of Fame

January 10, 2010
I have a love/obsession with brands I do not have immediate access to and Lipstick Queen is no exception. I purchased a few items back in May of last year from Barneys in Beverly Hills and love everything (see Infinite, Creation & Pink Saint here).

Lipstick Queen recently released a few new products to her line and I blame the drool-inducing swatches and photos from Karlasugar, Just Makeup, London Makeup Girl and Beauty Moogle Zone for making me break my resolve to wait and see these products in person. From LipstickQueen.com, I ordered the following, left to right:

  • Butterfly Ball Lipstick in Trance & Float
  • 15 Minutes of Fame Lipglosses in 1, 4 and 5 minutes
  • Big Bang Illusion Gloss in Expansion

I did a few swatches of the Butterfly Ball lipsticks and Big Bang lipgloss but I highly recommend you check out the other links to the other listed blogs above for better swatches! I hope this will show you why I don’t usually do lip-swatches, they just don’t turn out well with the flash 🙁

Trance: sheer raspberry with a slight greenish shimmer


Float: very sheer natural pink, doesn’t give much color, this is pretty much my natural lip color with a bit of shine (also has greenish shimmer which you can’t see in the photo)


Expansion Lipgloss: pigmented iridescent peachy-pink, the flash washed this out in the photo so it looks very natural, but in real life it does show up pretty well on the lips


One more view of the lot where you can see the greenish tinge in the Butterfly Ball Lipsticks. No swatches of the 15 Minutes of Fame lipglosses. Karlasugar and Beauty Moogle have *awesome* swatches though!

Overall thoughts: I haven’t been able to test out the 15 Minutes glosses yet, but the colors look very natural and light. I love the Big Bang Lipglosses because they are pigmented but not sticky or slimy and have no scent. The Butterfly Balls are sheer and glossy with a greenish tint in the shimmer (like MAC’s Lollipop Lovin Lipstick). I knew there would be a chance Float might not show up well on the lips, but it didn’t stop me from wanting it. (I’m a sucker for light pinks.) I think it will work well layered over a creamy pencil or chubby stick to add shine. Trance gives a pinkish-raspberry stained look on my lips.

Have you tried these yet? What are your Lipstick Queen faves?

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Get a Soft Glow with Benefit Luminizers & Bronzers

January 9, 2010
This is a post for those who have requested photos and swatches of more affordable brands, particularly Benefit. (See below after photos for additional commentary.)

To date, I’ve accumulated 6 of their luminizing and bronzing powders which come in a wide variety of soft pretty shades. The lighter shades like Dandelion, Thrrrob & Georgia (not featured) are on the sheerer side. Some might find they won’t show up on your skin. Dandelion & Thrrrob give a soft pink glow for me, Georgia didn’t show up on my face at the store so I didn’t purchase it. Coralista, Dallas, 10 and Sugarbomb are more pigmented but not overly shimmer or frosty which is nice.




My descriptions:

  • Coralista – a softer version of Nars Deep Throat/Torrid, nice and peachy with pearl
  • Dandelion – soft powder pink, this is pretty sheer, but gives a nice pink warm pink glow
  • 10 – SHOUT OUT to Jojoba from My Makeup Reviews for making me buy this (see her review here), a very pretty soft bronzey color and pale champagne
  • Dallas – bronzey brown-pink, might look borderline muddy on light skintones
  • Sugarbomb – four shades of soft sugary candy colors in peach and pinks
  • Thrrrob – pale cool pink, similar to Dandelion, but cooler

I usually try to avoid this brand because I really don’t like the high pressure sales tactics that I typically experience from associates representing this line. While I understand it might be required of them to use this approach (based on training or corporate culture), I don’t like super pushy sales associates and I’ve found it to be an extreme turn-off. I try to shop for this line at Sephora where I find a much friendlier staff.

*UPDATE* In response to one of the comments below, these retail for $28 USD each which I agree isn’t exactly more affordable. The request for “more affordable brands like Benefit” came directly from several readers (quote on quote). I perceive Benefit as a mid-end brand, but I agree the pricing isn’t quite mid-end. You do get 10-12g of product for these boxed powders depending on color. They are comparable in price to MAC MSFs where you get 10g of product for $27 USD. Benefit also has powder eyeshadows at $18 each for .11 oz (compared to MAC priced at $14.50 for .05 oz) and cream eyeshadows at $19 each for .16 oz (compared to MAC priced at $16.50 for .17 oz).

The pricing of Benefit doesn’t exactly reflect my perception that line is a mid-end brand. While in some cases you get a better deal for your dollar, the prices are as high as brands like MAC and Bobbi Brown (like back in the day before price increases). Is the line priced correctly? Some might argue that something is worth what someone is willing to pay but since us consumers have no bargaining power with big corporate brands/stores, perhaps this isn’t the best justification of price or worth.

I might be in the minority, but I perceive Benefit lower on the brand scale compared to Clinique and MAC, but the prices indicate otherwise. I admit I did not really notice the prices much until a couple months ago when my receipt total was over $50 for 1 blush + 1 eyeshadow from the line. It was when I checked my receipt breakdown that I realized Benefit isn’t quite as “mid-end” as I assumed with regards to price.

Overall, I like the quality of Benefit blushes and eyeshadows, but there are some products from the line I refuse to try out mainly because of my prejudiced perception of the brand such as their mascara or foundation. Will I purchase anymore Benefit? Most likely yes, but I will be thinking out purchases more carefully knowing that I’m not really saving money like I thought I was by picking products from this line over my other favorite high end brands.

Do you have any Benefit Cheek Colors? What are your thoughts?

(Updated with edits, I apologize for the spelling errors!)

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Recent Bargain Beauty Finds

January 8, 2010
Yes, I am a high-end beauty snob for so many reasons, but finding good products at a bargain or cheap price is always good! Finding cheaper products that I end up keeping and liking is another story.

I ventured to Walmart and my local outlet to check out what was available and this is the loot over the past couple months:

From the CCO: MAC Flower Mist Dew Beauty Powder, Strada Blush, Gentle Shimmer Slimshine, Warming Trend Eyeshadow, Smoke & Diamonds Eyeshadow, Goldmode Pigment, Silverstuck Nail Polish
NYX Finds: Red Blush, Stone Blush, Nude Eyeshadow, Iced Mocha Eyeshadow, Nutmeg Eyeshadow, Deep Bronze Eyeshadow, Utopia Gold Eyeshadow
Walmart Hard Candy Picks: Envy Nail Polish, Hypnotic Nail Polish, Hula Hula Baked Bronzer

This was my first experience with the NYX brand. I’ve been intrigued by the raves for these products and the fragrance outlet was having a special for certain 5 items at $9.95, so of course I couldn’t resist. The eyeshadows are indeed decently pigmented and soft – along the lines of MAC Starflash eyeshadows but softer but not quite as pigmented in my opinion. They are almost too soft for my taste, but at the cheap price I’m not complaining. I’ve contemplated ordering some more of the taupey shades online, but the problem with lower priced items is that more often than not, I end up neglecting them, so in the end, the fact that I spent $4 on an eyeshadow is $4 wasted.

The Hard Candy nailpolishes are pretty nice for $5. Be warned that Envy needs 2-3 coats since the formula is pretty thin. In natural light, it’s so dark it looks black. You can only see the shimmer in sunlight or with a flash. Hypnotic is a pretty sparkley pink with a foiled finish. The Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula has decent pigment for a drugstore brand. On my MAC NC30ish skin, it doesn’t seem like a bronzer, but gives a pretty nude shimmer blush. I did have to pack it on to get it to show because it’s lighter.

Do you have any recent bargain finds that you like?

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Can Beauty Rituals Banish the Winter Blues? What Else Brightens Your Mood?

January 7, 2010
Since I live in Southern California where it rains maybe 5 times per year, it may seem illogical that anyone living here can experience the winter blues. Yes, we get sun most of the year – but I attribute my bluesy mood to the fact that the DH and I have spent most of our free time cooped up in my house the past 4 months because of projects and homework. One of our New Year’s Resolutions is to get out of the house more often, go biking, walk more, stress less, worry less and focus more on the bright side of life.

Do you have any beauty rituals you do on a regular or occasional basis to brighten your mood? I have been to the spa at Four Seasons about 3 times now and have ventured to a couple other resorts with the girl-friends and while I totally agree it’s a luxurious, uplifting, and renewing experience, I think there are better and cheaper ways to banish the winter blues. Although I won’t complain if my DH gets me another gift certificate! For something beauty related I find getting a pedicure or putting on a face mask is always fun and usually make me feel better.

Any other activities you have to brighten your mood? (For the sake of this blog, please keep it G rated, lol.) For me:

  • Baking – comforting smells & warmth from the oven keep my mind focused on the task at hand rather than worrying about other things
  • Going to the petstore – I love my Jack Russells & cat but, am the biggest sucker for other baby animals
  • Comedy TV – I love The Office, 30Rock, Community
  • Drama TV – I’m also addicted to Fringe, Bones, The Closer, NCIS and Warehouse13 (yes, cheesy I know, but still fun)
  • And of course shopping, depending on what mood I’m in, I love shopping with friends, but sometimes I like going alone since my schedule is different from most of my friends these days
Tell me yours!
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Guerlain Cherry Blossom, Beatrix & Blondie for Spring 2010

January 7, 2010
Guerlain’s Spring Cherry Blossom collection arrived at Saks a little over a week ago featuring the gorgeous Natalia Vodianova in soft shades of pink and rose.

The pattern on the new Blush Éclat Cherry Blossom blush is stunning, but the product itself is a bit of a disappointment since the gorgeous rose, peach and pink shimmers that you see on the top are merely an overspray. I am happy to say that the packaging is a sleek black compact instead of the usual chrome or metallic looking case. The good news is that if you liked Armani’s Sheer 12 Blush, you will probably like this one too – it’s a warmer glowy version of GA #12 (in my opinion). It’s pretty pricey at $49 USD, you might want to consider a cheaper alternative for a pale pink highlighter blush.

There were a bunch of new lipsticks in new formulas, the KissKiss Strass (too sparkley looking) & the Rouge G de Guerlain Le Brilliant (pretty, but pricey). I’m not exactly sure how the original Rouge G compares to the new Le Brilliant formula, but the ones I tested from this new line seemed glossier and a bit sheerer in finish. I ended up buying Beatrix (B60) a cherry blossom pink and Blondie (B01) a neutral pinky-beige.

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Mani/Pedi with OPI Hollywood Blonde, OPI YDKJ + UD Gunmetal

January 6, 2010

I brought my OPI Hollywood Blonde & Urban Decay Gunmetal to the salon for a mani/pedi color change. I had forgotten how sheer the UD Gunmetal was – with one swipe we saw how transparent it was. I asked for 3 coats and she was skeptical it would show even with 3 coats, so she suggested to use another color as a base with the UD on top for the shimmer. She picked OPI’s You Don’t Know Jacques which is a darker version of the new Chanel Particuliere click the link for more pics/comparisons. It was pure genius!

The 3 colors used: OPI Hollywood Blonde, OPI YDKJ, Urban Decay Gunmetal

Mani/Pedi Results:

Close up of Hollywood Blonde (3 coats and still sheer looking, but very sparkley)

Close Up of OPI YDKJ 2 coats + UD Gunmetal 1 coat
(to spare you from a close up of my unsightly toes)

One more view


Those who have UD Gunmetal and are worried about what happens when the product runs out of that tiny bottle, I definitely recommend using a darker taupe grey cream color first in 1-2 coats, then applying the UD on top. You’ll definitely be able to stretch out the lifespan of that uber-tiny bottle by doing so since it’s so sheer you’d need at least 3 coats to get what you see in the bottle anyways.

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Eyeshadow Comparisons For Marina, Lakshmi & Josie

January 5, 2010

I have been procrastinating on a few comparison requests and thought I’d post this in case anyone else had the same questions. I plan to be a better blogger this upcoming year and be more on top of things!

Comparison Project #1: How does Edward Bess Intimate compare to other shades, particularly Chantecaille Pyrite & Benefit Fawn Over Me?


Chantecaille Pyrite has more gold while Edward Bess is definitely more taupe/brown. Benefit Fawn Over Me might look like a close dupe at first glance, but looking more closely will show that it’s more of a paler sandy champagne compared to the Edward Bess. Here it is compared to similar shades.

Top: Chantecaille Pyrite, Edward Bess Intimate, Laura Mercier Bamboo
Middle: Scott Barnes Sable, Benefit Fawn Over Me, Guerlain Sable Blonde
Bottom: Becca Mermaid, Nars Cyprus, Benefit Fawn Over Me


1) Chantecaille Pyrite
2) Edward Bess Intimate
3) Laura Mercier Bamboo
4) Scott Barnes Sable
5) Benefit Birthday Suit
6) Guerlain Sable Blonde
7) Becca Mermaid
8) Nars Cyprus
9) Benefit Fawn Over Me


Bottom line: In my opinion, there is nothing like Edward Bess Intimate and I find it different enough to justify owning even if you have any of the above shades. This post will be updated later this afternoon with swatches.

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Comparison Project #2: Is Bobbi Brown Java Metallic similar to the brown shade in Nars Brousse?


Bobbi Brown Java is a cooler mouse-grey when compared to Nars Brousse which seems to have a tinge of red. By itself you would barely be able to detect any red tones to Nars Brousse. I’ve also compared it to a few other medium-dark cool-toned browns.

Top: Edward Bess Mystery, Bobbi Brown Java Metallic, Nars Brousse
Bottom: Cle de Peau Satin 106, MAC Magnetic Fields, Jouer Espresso


1) Edward Bess Mystery
2) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic
3) Nars Brousse
4) CdP 106
5) MAC Magnetic Fields
6) Jouer Espresso


What’s the verdict? Are these different enough to justify owning all? Probably not unless you are a brown eyeshadow fanatic like me. This section will also be updated with swatches if my camera will cooperate with me later today. While I love the Cle de Peau 106, it can look a bit bruisey on my Chanel Shell (equals MAC NC30-35) skin and it’s the least shimmery.

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