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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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Lancome Pop N’ Cheeks in Coral Flirt from Spring 2010

January 3, 2010

I haven’t tried much from Lancome with the exception of their blushes and Bifacil makeup remover, so I’m not really familiar with the line. I assume their product launches are similar to Dior where they release different items in different countries. I know for holiday, Asia got that pretty pink cherub highlighter while the US only got the golden bronzey one. It appears there are 2 versions of the Pop N’Cheeks Gentle & Lasting Color Powder Blush as well, I only saw 01 Coral Flirt at Nordstrom, but the Asian catalogs show another pretty peach/pink blush 02. I believe I saw a few different glosses that are not shown in these previews as well (the ones in the round tubes).



Someone please correct me if I’m am wrong. I would be THRILLED to know if the 02 blush is available in the US anywhere! (There’s one more scan a few posts down from January 1.)

The new tester unit caught my eye as I was browsing through Nordstrom. I am sorry to say I can’t remember anything else I saw, although I wish I had paid more attention. I only remember looking at the glosses thinking they were too sparkley for my taste and then moved on.

The Coral Flirt Blush is designed in an abstract rose pattern. The gold is only an overspray. The tester I saw had no gold left on the product, so I got to swirl it with my fingers. It gives a very sheer soft peach blush. If you’re familiar with Benefit Coralista & Georgia, I would say the new Lancome is in between those 2 shades once brushed on your cheeks.

Close up with flash

Close up in natural sunlight
Since I know many of you insist on swatches, even though I hate mine, here it is swatched on three fingers. The first finger has the gold sparkle, the second and third have progressively less overspray-sparkle, but it’s a bit hard to see. I highly recommend testing in person.


Overall a nice soft and sheer peach. You’d probably get more pigment with MAC Pinch O Peach (also more pink) or Laura Mercier Orange Blossom blush. It’s good for a natural cheek and the bonus for me is that there is no detectable scent on the product.

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What Products Have You Purchased From Samples You Loved?

January 3, 2010

I rarely need an incentive to purchase something pretty, but I am always thrilled to get extra samples whether it’s with a gift-with-purchase or a voluntary throw-in from a friendly sales associate. It allows me to try something out before purchasing to see if it works for me and also opens me up to a number of lines and products I never would have given a second thought.


My favorite discovery was for Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara. I have tried a few other GA mascaras in the past and was not at all impressed. After a few pricey splurges with mediocre results I thought I had sworn off buying any mascara launched by the brand. This was until I got a mini size from a GWP at Neimans and I was immediately smitten. I’ve also come to love Diorshow’s Mascara as well because of a mini size. I just got a YSL Faux Cils miniature and am excited to try that one out as well since it seems to have been very difficult to come by.

I made a list of my favorite items that I’ve purchased from an actual sample I received and was surprised to find how many there were (in alphabetical order, not necessarily included in the photo above):

  • Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara
  • Chanel Imaginaire Glossimer
  • Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser
  • Dior Diorshow Mascara
  • Kiehl’s Shower Gel (Grapefruit, Cucumber, Mango) & Body Scrubs
  • Laura Mercier Brown Copper Kohl Eye Pencil
  • Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipstick
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer
  • Nars Mud Mask
  • Paul & Joe Refreshing Skin Toner

Sometimes I find a sample isn’t large enough to test the actual results. I am still on the hunt for a good eye cream – but at this point in my life, no sample will be large enough to see the “full effect.” I’m in my late 20’s and am lucky to not have any wrinkles yet, so I can’t really see what difference an eye cream makes since at this point it’s more of a preventative treatment than a corrective one. I have been told by just about every woman over 30 that they wish they had started using eye cream sooner – sales associates put on the heavy-duty sales tactics when trying to sell me scientific eye creams and being the skeptic I am, I’m convinced they are simply trying to get me hooked for life.

Given this perspective, I find it both understandable and somewhat justified that so many bloggers receive free “press samples” from a number of cosmetic companies. It opens up doors to new products and lines that don’t get much press and allows people to try new things and tell others about their thoughts and experiences.

I still find the whole concept of free press samples a bit touchy and controversial at times. I have my own personal concerns and thoughts about this issue, but I think it’s an ingenious way of advertising socially, and blogging or showing things on YouTube in any form is hard work and time consuming. I personally don’t always need a review of a product to find a post or article interesting, sometimes just the info is enough to make me happy to have something to look forward to.

To get back on subject of samples/freebies/GWPs:

Tell me what samples or product minis have you loved so much it made you go out and purchase the full size?

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