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Sabrina

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Recent Sephora Haulings: Urban Decay, Lorac, Benefit, MUFE, Dior

August 13, 2009

I occasionally stop by Sephora and a couple days ago went to check out the new fall collections and saw they had the new Urban Decay/Dior fall items and picked up Ruthless Eyeshadow and Naked Lipstick and Red Dahlia Nail Polish.

The haul along with some other items I have picked up over the past few months:

Close ups of the items, Lorac Baked Matte Satin Blushes in Velvet Rope & Exposed:

Benefit Coralista & Rich Beach Eyeshadow (also featured HERE):

Benefit Lipsticks in Swoonderful, Lady’s Choice & Good to Go – all great neutrals:

Benefit/Urban Decay Lipsticks (no flash, L to R Jailbait, Naked, Swoonderful, Lady’s Choice & Good to Go):

Urban Decay Lipsticks in Jailbait & Naked:

Urban Decay Eyeshadows in Ruthless (deluxe), Shakedown & Naked (mattes):

Make Up For Ever Super Lipgloss + swatches in 20, 21, 30:

Dior Nail Polish in Red Dahlia (Sephora Exclusive) compared with some other fushia-pink-red shades – this is pulling more red in all the photos I’ve taken. It’s most similar to OPI Miami Beet, so you might want to try googling/searching for pics and swatches of that shade to get a better idea:

1. Dior Red Dahlia (bottle shown)
2. OPI Miami Beet (bottle shown)
3. Essie Private Bash
4. Essie Very Cranberry
5. Chanel Shangahi Red

Will be updated soon with comparisons to some true/classic reds so you can see the fuschia tones.

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Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Preview

August 10, 2009

I just received my September Issue of THE BOOK from Neiman Marcus. Inside their beauty spot feature this month they have revealed the names of the long-awaited upcoming Eyes To Kill Palettes: Steel Black, Gunmetal Gray, Rouge Iron, and Brown Copper. Each retail for $58.

Scan from September’s Beauty Spot:

Picture from the July 2009 Instyle:

Scan from Biteki’s Beauty Book Cover (featuring the red palette):

Scan from Biteki’s September Issue:

I’ve also seen the pictures of the red palette in last month’s Marie Claire. Based on the above scans, I’m not quite sure what to make of the purple palette. InStyle’s photo definitely makes the purple look more on the deep/plum side while Neiman’s promo photo shows a lighter more vibrant purple.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see when it comes out.

Currently, Armani has their Manta Ray Collection out for fall. For pics, check out this post Giorgio Armani Fall 2009: Manta Ray Collection. One of my favorite beauty bloggers, Karen, has also posted a review and pics of some of the items she purchased at Makeup and Beauty Blog, Armani Beauty Manta Ray Fall 2009: Like a Gray of Light.

Also new out for Armani is their Eyes to Kill Mascara, and New Maestro Single Eyeshadows have been trickling in stores, but have yet to be seen online anywhere. As far as I know, not all stores have received the new shades, and different stores have different shades in their stock. Armani is in the process of discontinuing their original formula eyeshadow and has replaced them with their Maestro Formula. For more details, check out these articles:

All About Armani: New Maestro Eye Shadows

Update on New Giorgio Armani Maestro Eye Shadows

Giorgio Armani New Maestro Eye Shadows vs. Armani’s Original Eye Shadows

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Beauty Items In My Travel Bag

August 10, 2009

I’m finally back home after a week on the road. One of my favorite articles to read are the “What’s In My Makeup Bag” features in magazines, I thought I’d do a twist on this and share what I brought with me on my trip. I’m usually tend to over-pack but managed to limit my skincare and makeup items to one small carry-all by Bobbi Brown.

Here’s what I brought:

* Chanel Teint Innocence Shell 1.5
* Chanel Double Perfection Compact Tender Bisque 2.0
* Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer Bare
* Laura Mercier Undercover Pot
* MAC Prep+Prime Skin
* Aquaphor
* Laura Mercier Eye Basics Wheat
* MAC Paint Pot Groundwork
* Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow Beach Honey
* MAC Eyeshadows Evening Aura, Femme Fi, Magnetic Fields, Time & Space
* Nars Best Palette with Bellisima, All About Eve, Kalahari, Bali
* Nars Essential Palette with Unconditional Love, Nepal, Night Star, Ondine, Galapagos, Thunderball
*Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Bronze Shimmer
* Trish McEvoy Luminizer in Luminous Bronze & Liquid Face Color Shade 1 (Peachy Shimmer)

* MAC Sunny by Nature MSF
* MAC Well Dressed Blush
* Nars Orgasm Blush
* Bobbi Brown Blushes in Desert Rose & Pale Pink
* Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Soft Blush & Rosebud
* Bobbi Brown Lipgloss in Rose Gold, Almost Bare (glitter)
* MAC Slimshine in Bare & Gentle Shimmer
* MAC Lipglass in 3D & Fast Friends
* MAC Cremestick Lipliner in Honey B. & Sublime Culture

Mini/travel samples of:
* Nars Makeup Primer with SPF20
* Laura Mercier Face Polish
* MAC Fix+ (travel size)
* Paul & Joe Skin Toner
* Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser
* Chanel Makeup Remover
* Mini brushes

Did I overpack? Yes – but I did end up using everything I brought with me.

FYI – I don’t think the black Bobbi Brown carry case is available anymore, but she has released other variations with beauty products such as the Chocolate Faux Croc case & Rose Gold set (both were Neiman Marcus Exclusives). I’ve seen quite a few floating around e-bay with just the cases.

She also released a single case with her Copper Diamond Collection which is still available for $95. Click to check out her Copper Diamond Beauty Kit. She often releases these kits and cases for her holiday collections.

You also might be able to find one at your local Cosmetics Company Outlet.

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Mini YSL Fall 2009 Haul + Review

July 31, 2009

YSL fall was a disappointment for me – I checked out the new colors (except the gloss volupte which they did not have yet) and came home with 2 items, and then returned the eyeshadow duo the next day. The remaining colors just weren’t me, and didn’t seem coordinated at all.

Pictured below Ombres Duolumières #23 Pearly Peach-Mink Brown and Crème de Blush #02 Powdery Rose:

Swatches, #02 Blush on bare skin, #23 Eyeshadow Duo over Laura Mercier Eye Basics

The blush while a pretty pink is extremely tiny for the price of $39 USD. The eyeshadow duo was chalky and had very little pigment, the swatches were applied very heavily over a cream eyeshadow base while it was still moist. When applied to the eyes with the same technique, it barely showed up.

I also checked out the new Rouge Volupté Lipsticks which weren’t my style either. The lightest one was #19 Frivolous Pink which looked like a neon powdery pink, extremely unflattering in my opinion. The others were very brown/plum.

Unless you’re a die hard YSL fan, I’d suggest you save your $$$ for other items.

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Day 5 of Beauty Essentials: Natural Lipliner

July 31, 2009

I’m one of those people who always uses lipliner with lipstick & gloss. I find that it can enhance certain tones and define the lips nicely especially with natural or nude looking shades. Therefore I find it’s one of my beauty essentials. I’ve swatched (on bare arm, equivalent of MAC NC30) all my natural lipliners, hopefully this will help you make a list of what to check out and try in stores!

1. MAC Oak
2. MAC Honey B.
3. MAC Whirl
4. MAC Gingerroot
5. MAC Subculture
6. MAC Sublime Culture
7. Giorgio Armani #1
8. Giorgio Armani #10
9. Giorgio Armani #13

****************************************************************

1. Bobbi Brown Beige
2. Bobbi Brown Heather Beige
3. Bobbi Brown Blush
4. Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink
5. Bobbi Brown Pale Pink
6. Bobbi Brown Naked
7. Bobbi Brown Cocoa
8. Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink
9. Bobbi Brown Sandwash Pink
10. Bobbi Brown Brownie Pink
11. Bobbi Brown Mauve (now named Pink Mauve)
12. Bobbi Brown Slopes

* Note that Bobbi Brown has reformulated her lipliners at least 3 times, the shades swatched are from her current collection of lipliners

****************************************************************

1. Dior Natural Beige #213
2. NARS Tonga
3. NARS Morocco
4. NARS Papua
5. NARS Rosebud
6. Trish McEvoy Bare
7. Shiseido Soft Sepia #15
8. Make Up Forever 1C
9. Chanel Natural
10. Chanel Praline D’or
11. Laura Mercier Natural Lips

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