Monday, December 28, 2015

NARS #NARSissist Spring 2016 Cheek Studio Palette



Did you get money , how about a Sephora gift card for Christmas ? Looking for new beauty to spend it on? NARS can help you with that. Along with a new color collection, coming soon are both a new blush and eyeshadow palette .


The new  #NARSissist Cheek Studio Palette houses the Paloma Contour Blush duo, Laguna bronzer and 3 new numbered shades I-III along with Goulue.

I've swatched the four bottom shades . Two are very shimmery with visible sparkle, the others have a more subtle glow with rich pigment. All will get a lot of use over here.


NARS  #NARSissist Cheek Studio Palette is $65 and available at NARScosmetics.com/boutiques on Dec. 31st and at Sephora Feb. 1, 2016.






Tuesday, December 22, 2015

LIT NYC Holiday Lights Lighted Nail Polish/Lipgloss Duo

 


Looking for a great last minute gift?  NYC Lit has something we've long needed- a nail polish with a built in LED light in the cap. There's also a coordinating lipgloss.


It's such a great idea and sure to be a hit with giftees.  This literally hit my desk today so I haven't had time to test the polish  and see what it's like but I love the light. It's very bright and right in the cap with a button on the bottle top .


The sets retail for $ 15 at CVS and singles are also available for $ 7.50 each.

Color shown is Winter Wonderland.







Sunday, December 20, 2015

Proganix BOGO Free @ CVS



Proganix has quickly become one of my fab haircare lines .Their Quench duo is one I use often and it really moisturizes my hair  but doesn't weigh it down. If you're hair is  dry , it's a great choice.


For color treated hair there's Anti-Fade which helps keep color true longer while also adding moisture.

This week at CVS the line is buy one get one free .






Thursday, December 17, 2015

Cover Girl Colorlicious Oh Sugar Lip Balm- Winter 2016


Cover Girl has some great new launches coming this Winter.  You may see them pop up in stores now, after the New Year they should be everywhere.

Here's a sneak peek at new Oh Sugar , a new lip balm that the brand says easily compares to a $ 20 product. Ingredients include  grapeseed oil, avocado butter and Vitamins C & E . There will be 10 shades and retail is $ 6.99-$8.99

As a huge lip balm fan , as I expect many of you are, I am definitely going to try these. Look for a review soon.




Tuesday, December 15, 2015

MAC Foiled Eyeshadow - Enchanted Forest



New with the Faerie Whispers collection coming soon are Foiled Eyeshadows. If you love metallic as I do , these are worth a look.

Foiled Shadows are a new formula that can be used wet or dry.  Either way they go on very metallic with the wet adding extra shine and metal. These apply smoothly and had little to no fallout. The coverage is medium/full as is the pigment and they have good wear time.



The shade I have Enchanted Forest is a rich golden brown and it's a beauty. (Shown with also new Cheek Pollen Blush)


There are eight Foiled shades in all and Faerie Whispers hits stores on Dec. 26, Dec. 23 online.

MAC Foiled Eyeshadows are $ 20 .



Monday, December 14, 2015

Burt's Bees Seasonal Lip Balms & Gift Sets- Holiday 2015


Looking for perfect stocking stuffers, gift card add ons or a nice small size gift? How about Burt's Bee lip balms? Every year I mention their gift sets because they are a value, such good quality and easy to find.

And everyone can use them- kids, men and the ladies.  I have a handful of people including aunts, friends and co-workers who'll be getting one of these tucked into their gifts.


New for Fall/Winter are three seasonal flavors- Mint Cocoa , Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple. All of them smell and taste really good with no tint having and the same moisture you're used to from regular Burt's. Mint Cocoa is the official holiday flavor .

If you're looking to gift a set , how about Beeswax Bounty? This set of four classic lip balms will keep your giftee's lips tip top all Winter . Of course you can buy this and break it up, giving the four individually or keep one for yourself.


Burt's Bees Lip Balms are sugg. retail $ 3.30 each
Burt's Bees Beeswax Bounty is $ 9.99

You can find these at Ulta, Target , Walgreens and more.




Friday, December 11, 2015

mark Ready To Pounce Panther Ring


Jeweled Panthers are my fashion spirit animal. I love them . And while I haven't yet been able to afford a Cartier version, I have quite a few others of my own.


Added to them is this new ring from mark. As with most jewelry from the brand, this is well made and a fairly heavy piece. It doesn't weigh down your hand but isn't bendy light metal either.

The ring is large and goes across two fingers. It has a lot of presence and will up the ante  on your LBD this Christmas  , New Year's and any other celebrations.


Tail to nose it comes in about 1 3/4 inches. Bottom to top is about 1/4 inch.  The band at the bottom is wide to give it stabilization.

For $ 20 this is a lot of look .


mark Ready To Pounce Panther Ring is $ 20 at www.meetmark.com 

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Redken Triple Take 32 Hairspray


I have an older  Redken hairspray, Headset 25  and it's one of the strongest hold sprays I've ever used. Like sleep in it , keep the style hold. The high number 25 indicates strong hold. ( All Redken styling products have a number showing soft , medium or strong hold).  Control Addict comes in at 28 but I haven't tried that one.

Now we have a 32  , Triple Take Extreme High Hold Hairspray. This one is an aerosol with a more directed spray nozzle that emits a semi fine mist.  What's different here, is the softer feel hold. Usually hard holding sprays are hard, crunchy feeling on hair. This leaves a slightly stiff feeling but not rock hard. You do need to aim more at a specific area. A fine mist all over doesn't hold that well, as that nozzle keeps it from covering a lot of hair.

 Using it on my bangs and front hair, it  stayed in place just about all day while looking soft like there wasn't spray there.  It's also humidity resistant and doesn't have a strong scent, something I can't have in  a hairspray.


Redken Triple Take 32 is $ 22 at Ulta and wherever Redken is sold.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

MAC Cheek Pollen Blush - Faerie Whispers


 
Ready to see what MAC has in store for after Christmas? Get your gift cards ready for Faerie Whispers. The new collection features metallics ( new Foiled Shadows) and burnished nudes and peaches.


One of the two new blushes is Cheek Pollen. While I think of this as a little more of warm weather color, it's a very me color and I love it. It gives me  a golden flush that brightens and warms me up. It's a light  nude that isn't bronze-y or too tan.  The finish is satin and while there isn't super visible shimmer, there's just enough for it to not look flat. It's a great push back to pale winter pallor.


MAC Cheek Pollen Blush and Faerie Whispers are available on Dec. 26 - February 6.



Monday, December 7, 2015

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine


Aside from a smokin' eye  there was something to look for at the Chanel Paris in Rome Métiers d'Art Show last week- a new lipstick.


Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine is a new lip formula coming in March of next year. This looks to be a long tube lipstick and they name implies plenty of moisture and shine.  Shown is shade Script. Looks fantastic, doesn't it ?


PS- That green eyeshadow is new too, this January. It's Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Griffith Green .




Photos: Benoît Peverelli


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Polo Ralph Lauren Supreme Oud




For Polo fans, and they are legion (It's a staple for my Dad)  there's a new version out just in time for gifting. Supreme Oud brings the smoky and deep fragrance of oud to the brand .

This is a rich scent with a smokiness that has good sillage  and lasting power. It's not for those who want something light but at the same time it's not heavy or too much. It will stand up nicely to the chilly temps as it dries down to a  warm  and spicy scent with notes of cinnamon and guaiac wood alongside the oud.


If the men you know love Polo but you want to buy them something besides the same green bottle set or scent again, give Supreme Oud  a  sniff.


4.2 oz is $ 125, 1.3 oz is $ 74, .34 oz is $ 30 at Sephora






Wednesday, December 2, 2015

MAC Velvetease Lip Pencil


 
MAC Winter launches are coming and there's a lot of awesome there.  First up let's look at new Velvetease Lip Pencils.

Velvetease as you might guess from the name are matte. They are a creamy matte and feel nice on lips, not dry.  I often have issues with matte formulas, they're not my favorite but these I see myself wearing a lot.  The coverage is medium to full with full pigment and I got no drag with them. The glided right over lips.


They are self sharpening with a twist base. They aren't a chunky pencil, circumference is just under 1/4 inch and are smaller than Patent Polish, MAC's chubbier lipcolor stick.

Velvetease comes in a wide range of 12 shades from pale like one of my shades- Promise Me to deep wine shades.  I have to say I think I should have gone for dark colors as these are going to rock in a wine or rich brown.


Shades shown are Promise Me, a pale nude with the barest hint of peach and Frolic a medium peachy pink .

MAC Velvetease Lip Pencils are $ 20 and available Dec. 10 online and Dec. 17 in store. They are permanent.





Dove Winter Care



I've mentioned more than once how much I love Dove's body washes. They keep skin so much more moisturized than most and take the brrrr off skin. Now that it's December , it's time again for Winter Care.


I'll admit that part of what I love here is the snowflakes on the bottle. Give me a little winter decor anytime. Otherwise you get the Dove Nutrium super creamy body wash in a thick, even creamier formula that works wonders . The scent here has been hard for me to pin down , it's not standard issue Dove . It has a bit of a musky feel to it but is still soft and doesn't linger.


You can grab Dove Winter Care wherever Dove is sold in body wash and six packs of bar soap.




Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Caudalie Moisture Essentials Set




While I'm generally not a fan of giving skincare as a holiday gift, this set from Caudalie which includes their wonderful lip balm makes the grade. It doesn't say "fix your fine lines" ,  but more like " here's something to help keep you moisturized all the cold winter".


The set includes Lip Conditioner, a clear, shea butter infused balm , Micellar Cleansing Water and Moisturizing Sorbet. All things that will make dry , wind worn skin feel a lot better. Micellar water is easy to use and doesn't dry out skin while cleansing and the Moisturizing Sorbet also has shea butter in a  gel /cream that works on all skins including sensitive.


Caudalie Moisture Essentials Set is $ 39 at Sephora and more.