Review: NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Eye Powder

I did not have high hopes for NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Eye Powder in Brown Eyed Girl. Luckily, I was wrong. The color wheel (pictured in Beyond the Sea) is a mix of 4 colors divided into 6 different sections in a 2 inch diameter circle. The idea is to use them together to make one color, but I like to use each color separately to make a complete eye look. If you do attempt to use it as one color, the sections tend to mush together. The colors in Brown Eyed Girl are beautiful and iridescent, almost frosty. The powders go on smoothly and are easy to blend. At first swatch the browns are vivid, but without a base, they tend to fade and leave just sparkle. Though the staying power (without base) is a little disappointing, the colors in this wheel are gorgeous. What I like the best is that these colors would make the perfect neutral eye for me and all I have to carry around is a little circle instead of 4 different shadows. I would recommend this product for the colors, the ease of use and the price, only $3.99 at Longs. You can check out this color and the others it comes in at the NYC website.

Web Tour: 4/25/08

The Muse shares her first impressions of MAC DressCamp with Product Photos and Swatches of this sold out Collection!

Laurie at Beauty's Spot gets an amazing massage and energy healing session from a San Francisco-based massage therapist and healer.

Monique at beauty girl musings shares how to save your hair from everyday heat styling.

Girl Gloss finds a great new lipstick from the new Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Cosmetics line

Tink at Casual Lavish talks about At home remedies for whitening your fingernails.

Beauty Anonymous invites you to the springtime nail colors of OPI 2008 Beyond Chic Collection .

Beauty411 shares her review of Klean Bath + Body's Blue Hawaii Sugar Body Polish, which smells like a tropical island and exfoliates your skin, too!

Forget virgin daiquiris, The Beauty of Life is all about the gorgeous polishes from the new Extra Virgin Collection from Dashing Diva!

Periodic Style's Jeanne goes back to school at Sephora University!

Toya of The Life of A Ladybug asks "What's your 'thing' right now?"

Find out which organic shower gel, leaves Christine's hubby in a woodsy lather...at Beauty in Real Life.

Answering the complicated question, "What does organic mean?", A Mom in Red High Heels helps clear away the confusion.

Makeup Junkie finds a new best friend in Chi's Pink Flat Iron!

Kitiya of Mischo Beauty has a reader who shares her favorite organic conditioner!

Daily Dose of Coffee features Lush as a green company profile.

Review: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Foundation and Primer

Sally Hansen, a brand I've only tried for their hair removers, came out with a new makeup line inspired by Carmindy, the makeup artist on TLC's What Not To Wear. After hearing good things about the foundation, I decided to buy it along with the face primer (they were buy one get one 50% off at Ulta). The following is what I discovered.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Your Skin Makeup: This is the foundation, which I bought in Warm Beige. First off, I love the packaging. It is a glass bottle with a pump, which makes it more hygienic than some other foundations. The glass also looks more like a high-end brand. The foundation inside I did not love too much. When I first applied this I used a MAC 187 and it went on too thick. It left a kind of stickiness to my skin. When I applied it with a wet Beauty Blender sponge, the coverage was a lot better, still medium to heavy, but not cakey. The color was great, it blended well and disappeared while still giving me coverage. The problem with this foundation seems to be my oily skin. Though it did not oxidize (turn darker) on me, it did leave me with an oily T-Zone as the day wore on. When I looked up close in a mirror, I saw that the foundation had settled into my pores, making them look larger, even with the primer. This foundation would probably be great if you had dry or normal skin, but if you are oily, I would make sure where you get it from a place that has a great return policy in case the same thing happens to you. This cost $12.99 for 1 0z. at Ulta.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Luminizing Face Primer: I was so excited when I found this because drugstore have very little when it comes to primers. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This primer did not help my foundation stay on as long as I would have hoped. It has the same feel as a Smashbox Primer, that sort of slippery feel, but does not work as well. My foundation stayed put on my T-zone for less than half a day. What is worse, instead of making you less shiny it makes you glittery. Yes, there are visible chunks of shimmer in the primer. I guess thats why it is called 'luminizing'. If you are the type who needs an extra shine to your skin then this is for you. If you are like me and shiny enough, save your money. The bottle, made the same way as the foundation one (glass with a pump) only has about half an ounce in it, and it costs $9.99. I expected better product and more of it for that price. You can find this at Ulta.

I am a little disappointed with the products I picked up, but others seem to love them. Maybe if you are not oily, the products would work better on you. Still, I am tempted to try other things from this line in hope that there are a few gems. Maybe the eye base next? I'll keep you posted.

Try This: More Makeup Discounts

Thanks to everyone who wished me well on my trip, I had a blast. I got to do a little shopping and see my new favorite musical Wicked! Anyways, this week there are some great online codes out for high-end makeup.

If you are into Urban Decay or Hard Candy Cosmetics, they are having a 30% off friends and family sale going on right now until the 30th of April (2008) all you have to do is use the code FFA30. I plan on ordering the Hard Candy Fragrance I've been wanting for a while.

If Tarte Cosmetics are more your thing, use the code EARTH08 until May 2nd (2008) for 20% off. I love their Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer and their Cheekstains.

Julie Hewett has 25% off with the code luckybreaks5, though I am not sure when this one expires, most likely at the end of April (2008). Try one of her palettes, they are rumored to be fabulous!

Don't feel like spending money? Well, for Earth Day 2008 Physician's Formula (not high end, but still great) is giving away a sample of their Organic Wear Bronzer. You can win it here. Hurry up though, it is good for today only.

And happy Earth Day everyone!

Note From Me: Getaway Weekend

Hi everyone! Just letting you know that I will be gone from this Friday until Monday, on a trip to Los Angeles. I will not be able to do a web tour or update this weekend, but stay tuned for next weeks. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

About Me: Tag!

The gorgeous Tink at Casual Lavish tagged me! So without further ado:

Six Unimportant things/habits/quirks about myself:

1. I sleep a lot, from about 12:30am-1:00pm (about 12 hours) every night. I know it probably isn't good for me, but I can't help it :(

2. As much as I rave about finding places with good return policies, I've only returned/exchanged two pieces of makeup in my entire life.

3. If I could be any person or animal (or person/animal), I'd want to be a mermaid.

4. One of my favorite types of food is Dim Sum, so much so that I named my cat after one of the dumplings, Shumai.

5. I don't ever really dream about winning the lottery for some reason.

6. The one item I can't be without at all times is my cell phone. Even when I'm at home I keep it by my side, just in case.

And I tag the blogs: Daily Dose of Coffee, Beauty Girl Musings, Fabu-Less Beauty, Some Dance to Remember Some Dance to Forget, Beauty's Spot, and Phantom Goddess's Beauty Obsessions.

Review: Wet n Wild Beauty Unblemished Oil-Free Foundation

I was so excited when I finally tracked down Wet n Wild's Beauty Benefits line. I have heard about it before and wanted to try out some of their products. The products were more expensive than Wet n Wild usually is, products in this line ran about $5-$9 on average. The blushes I was looking at were around $7 each! They were pretty, but not $7 for Wet n Wild pretty. Maybe if it goes on sale...Anyway, I ended up buying a foundation, Wet n Wild Beauty Benefits Beauty Unblemished Oil-Free Foundation. When I used it, I found many things I didn't like. It was thicker in consistency than I imagined, which made it hard to put on and blend. It had an awful sour smell to it as well, I guess it is the salicylic acid (used to treat breakouts). The worst part is that the color was off and looked ashy on me. I picked out Warm Natural because Honey looked way to dark for me. I'm assuming I'm in between shades, which I'm sure a lot of people are considering there are only six shades. It is a shame because you can really build the coverage to what you want, from a sheerer medium to heavy and it makes your skin feel super smooth when it is on. It has a matte finish in my opinion and doesn't transfer everywhere. It also did not break me out, though I cannot say if this alone is actually clearing up my breakouts. It would have been an all around good foundation if there was more color choices and it didn't stink. Sadly, because of those two reasons, I will not recommend it to most people (only to those few who have a matching color). It was around $9 for me, and I would not buy it for that (or any) price again. If you are interested in the line, check out their website and use the finder to get a location near you.

Try This: ecoTOOLS Bamboo 5 Piece Brush Set

Looking for a good synthetic drugstore makeup brush? Look no further than Walgreens! The ecoTOOLS Bamboo brushes are all made with synthetic hairs, bamboo handles, and recycled aluminum can ferrules. Plus, they're super soft on the skin. Want to get the best deal on these? Go for the ecoTOOLS Bamboo 5 Piece Brush Set which includes a blush brush, an eye shading brush, an eyeliner brush, a concealer brush and a brow and lash groomer all in a canvas brush roll. The whole set only costs $10.99! Individually, brushes range from $2.99-$7.99 which is pretty good for brushes. You can check them out here, on the Walgreens website.

Total Beauty Web Tour: 4/11/08

Laurie at Beauty's Spot finally dishes on meeting Lauren Conrad at Fashion week and gives you the details on Mark. Cosmetics' makeup backstage!

Want long, lush lashes? The Beauty of Life offers you the chance to win some with an amazingly lash-tastic contest, courtesy of Ardell Fashion Lashes!

Monique at beauty girl musings shares her timesaving discovery that you are sure to love!

Tink at Casual Lavish shares her newest creations with you. Check out her Delusions of Alice nail polish "frankening" collection.

The Muse reviews the Kiss Spring 2008 Collection directly from Japan!

A Mom in Red High Heels shares about her consultation with makeup artist lebec of lebec cosmetics. Check out all that she learned!

Tea, anyone? Jeanne of Periodic Style spills on some green tea goodies!

Jennifer, from Beauty in Real Life, gives you the tips to avoid the dreaded mascara smudgies!

Beauty411 reviews the Kate Somerville skin care line. Learn how you can get your own Red Carpet glow!

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee spots something new at Sephora: Cargo Melt-Proof Collection,! Now the summer isn't looking so humid.

Joy from Makeup Junkie gets our skin prepped for summer with Beauty 101: Beauty Prep For Summer Part 1!

Mischo Beauty is pleasantly surprised after using natural skincare and mineral makeup by Erth.

Toya is looking for makeup artists and beauty mavens of color who'd like to be featured on her site!

Check Out The Beauty of Life!

I'm so excited to be featured on one of my favorite blogs, The Beauty of Life. Jamie is super sweet and put an interview with me on First Look Fridays. Check out the interview here! And please don't forget to keep reading The Beauty of Life, it is a great blog with tons of tips, first looks, and even a section called Wallet-Friendly Wednesdays (my favorite).

Try This: Drugstore Surprises

Though I heard a lot about the following liquids used for beauty reasons, I never really gave them a try. Luckily I was able to pick glycerin and jojoba oil and try them out in my beauty routine.

Glycerin: The hardest part about dealing with this liquid is finding it. I found mine at a Rite Aid, but I'm sure there are some available online or at select local drugstores*. It is usually found in the first aid area of the store. What to do with it? Well, you can make an awesome mixing medium to use with your dry shadows and pigments. Just make a small batch of one part glycerin to three parts purified water and wet your brush with it. Dry it on a tissue slightly and dip in to your pigment/shadow. It will help your shadow look like liquid liner and stay on better than if you uses water alone. You can also use this as a hydrating facial spray. Just mix about one part glycerin to eight parts purified water in a spray bottle and mist where you are dry. Be sure when using glycerin to always dilute it because the pure stuff can hurt your eyes. Also, never make a large batch of anything using this stuff, it can go bad quick because there are no preservatives. Make sure your skin is not irritated by glycerin by doing a patch test first.

*It has been brought to my attention by the wonderful Tammy that you can also find this in the cake decorating section of some craft stores, like Michaels. You might want to check there!

100% Jojoba Oil: This can be used to take off makeup. I know what you are thinking, oily skin, this stuff will make me a grease pit, but actually jojoba oil closely mimics human sebum. When you deprive your skin of moisture, it over compensates by producing a lot of sebum and oils creating oily skin. So how do you use this? To take off makeup, you can just add a few drops of it on a cotton ball and swipe. Cleanse with a damp washcloth after. It works wonders on waterproof mascara. It can also be used to moisturize cuticles, hands, and lips, just rub on. Some people are allergic to jojoba oil, so make sure you do a patch test first. I was able to find this at my local Whole Foods (ok, not a drugstore) and it is organic and 100% jojoba oil.

There are many more uses for the above liquids that can help you in your beauty routine. If you have any other tips, just let me know, I'm excited to find out more of what these wonder-liquids can do!

Get the Look: Cleopatra Eye

Recently I reviewed the book Eye Candy by Linda Mason and found this great Cleopatra Inspired eye. I decided to do my own take of the look, with different colors, different textures, and a little different lower lid. It is over the top, yes, but fun. Here is how to get my Linda Mason Cleopatra inspired eye.

Start by applying a base all over the eye area, from lash line to browbone and a little under the eye on the lower lid. Take a light blue shadow and apply with an eyeshadow brush from crease to browbone, taking it into the inner corner a bit.

Take a royal blue shimmer shadow and apply from lash line to above the crease using an eyeshadow brush. Blend well into the light blue.

This next step is optional. If you feel confident enough with liquid liner skip to the next step. If not, take a teal eye pencil and draw on eyeliner as shown above. If you make a mistake or the line gets to think, go over it with a wet q-tip and try again.

Take a teal liquid eyeliner (the one shown is by Wet n Wild) and go over the teal pencil. If you skipped over the last step, just free hand the above design on your eyes with liquid liner. Wait for it to dry.

Take a silver shadow and apply with a small blender brush underneath your eye in the inner half, staying above the teal line.

Take a purple or violet eyeshadow and brush with the small blender brush on the outer half of your eye, taking it out to the wing of the liner. Do not go under the teal line.

Take a black pencil liner and line your bottom waterline, winging it out to directly under the upper teal line (as shown). Apply mascara and you are done! If you would like, apply false eyelashes for a more dramatic look.

Finished product without falsies.

Try This: Wet n Wild's Wild Shine Lip Lacquer

I just discovered a cheap lipstick that I absolutely love. It is Wet n Wild's Wild Shine Lip Lacquer. The lipstick is moist and not drying at all like some cheaper lipsticks. They have a shine to them, though not glass-like like some lip glosses. The best part is the colors are gorgeous. You can see for yourself swatches of the 4 I have (sloppily applied) below. The colors don't go on too thick, so you can wear these sheer, or you can build up the color. The problem with them is that they stick out unprotected which makes it is easy to nick their tops (see picture to get what I mean). Though they are not long wearing, they last just as long as my other regular lipsticks. These cost $2.99, and this week at Walgreens they are buy one get one free! Though it is applied the worst because I was in a hurry, the last color is my favorite. Check out all the colors at Wet n Wild's Website.

Fling

Passionate

Rapture

Lustful

About Me: Tag!

One of my favorite people tagged me with this wonderful survey!

Things I’m passionate about:
Well, makeup is one thing I'm very passionate about, so much so that I want to write about it as a career. I'm in college with a major in journalism and I hope to write for a great fashion/beauty magazine someday! I am also passionate about finding super great deals, so much so that I can't pass up a really great sale.

Books I’ve recently read:
Wow, I need to read more books. The last book I read was the Eye Candy book I reviewed, but that doesn't really count I guess. Hmm...I read The Life of Pi a little while ago and loved it. It is about a boy from India who has to survive in a lifeboat with a huge tiger. I recommend it, it really makes you think.

Songs I could listen to over and over:
I like rock music a lot, but not the typical boring stuff. I could listen to The Matches song called Salty Eyes over and over again. It is a rock-waltz that really makes me feel better. I'm also loving semi-local band called Gillmor and their song California Summer. You must go listen to it on their Myspace. It is the second song on the player. Last but not least, I'll never get sick of Blue October and their song Into the Ocean. It is so descriptive and beautiful and calming I could listen to it forever.

Traits I’m attracted to in my best friends:
This is a difficult one. I guess I'm attracted to open mindedness, loyalty, persistence, and sense of humor. Other things are a plus, I just cant think of them right now!

Things I say often:
I don't really know what I say that often. I say a lot of 'I picked up...' or 'I bought....' and I finish that sentence with something makeup related. I also say 'love you' to a lot of people, mostly because the people close to me I love. Huh, I don't know what else...

Things I’d like to do before I die:
I would like to get married and have a daughter before I die for sure. I would also like to try my hand at a career and travel around the world. Learning to drive and finishing college are more goals I have for sooner rather than later. I also want to feel like my makeup stash is complete for a little while!

I tag Aya, Phantom Goddess, and Beauty PopStar. Have fun!

Web Tour: 4/4/08

Lilan from The Daily Cookie contributes to The Beauty Ideal web magazine this month and gives you the skinny on lip plumpers!

Find out why HoT Scent Boutique body scrub is now a top fave for Casual Lavish.

A Mom in Red High Heels tries a cosmetic line that leaves her looking and feeling less than perfect. Find out which products she won't be trying again.

Makeup2Beauty shares tips on how to wear silver and gray eyeshadow. And shows you how you can try on your favorite stars "Hollywood Hair Styles".

Beauty's Spot has the secret on Clarisonic by mailorder!

The Muse features her very favorite, holy grail mascara from Japan (Nope, not Fiberwig!)!

Mischo Beauty has a fabulous reader who wrote in to share why she loves Sunsilk’s De-Frizz 24/7 Crème.

The Beauty of Life hearkens back to her childhood with Bonne Bell LipSmackers. Check out her favorites!

Christine from Beauty in Real Life, gives us the lowdown on her favorite perfume. Can you guess what it is?

Joy from Makeup Junkie is doing a Three Custom Color Specialists Promo for April! Don't forget to check it out and check out her new online store Makeup Junkie Online Beauty Shop!

Monique at beauty girl musings recalls how her beauty addiction began ...and still continues today.

Toya from The Life of A Ladybug tries 100% Pure Cosmetics - with real fruit pigments!

Review: Eye Candy by Linda Mason

If you are stuck in an eyeshadow rut or looking for inspiration, pick up this book. Eye Candy by Linda Mason came out recently and I rushed to go buy it. I'm super glad I did because this book is full of funky and fun eyeshadow designs. It even gives you step by step instructions on how to achieve those looks.

My dislikes of the book are minimal. The step by step instructions, though easy to follow were not very detailed. It showed what kind of shadow needed, what brushes to use, and a few steps. I wish it had gone a little deeper on some of those steps, but there is an eye right next to the steps with the shadow placement drawn on if you get lost. I was not thrilled by the first part of the eye makeup, the everyday looks, because they weren't dramatic enough for me. If you like natural makeup, I guess there is a little something for you in this book.

I liked the fact that she did not push a certain brand of makeup. Though all the looks were done from her line of cosmetics, she stated that any similar colors from your own collection would work. If you absolutely have to know what she used it is in the back of the book. I also loved that she showed different eyeshadow shapes to make the eyes look different. That part was interesting and informative. She also did a whole page on different eyeshadow shapes for eyes with heavy folds. The variety of the book is amazing. There are 55 different eyeshadow looks, each one different, not only in color but in design.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to explore the world of bright and fun eyeshadow. It is not too expensive, $14.95 here in the States, but cheaper on Amazon.com. I will definitely use this book for some looks to show you guys later on.

FOTD: Outlet Haul Look

Of course I have hair all over my face, but this was the best pic I could get. I took millions and I'm about to break my camera, so this is whats going up. This is a FOTD using some of the stuff I bought on my outlet trip(Things I bought have a * next to them).

Eyes:
Anastasia Brow Gel
Maybelline Define a Lash
MAC Fluidline Royal Wink*
Stila Kitten
Shu Uemura P Yellow Green 415*
Shu Uemura M Yellow 326*
Shu P Uemura Orange 240*
Urban Decay Primer Potion

Face:
N.Y.C Mosaic Color Wheel Pink Glow
Revlon Custom Creations Medium/Deep 3

Lips:
MAC Sashimi Mimi *
Shu Uemura Sweet Lipgloss Cherry*

Haul: 3/28/08

I'm finally posting the haul from the Gilroy Estee Lauder and Lancome Outlets! Check out the picture above while I go over what I got.

The first stop was the Estee Lauder Cosmetic Company Outlet. There were many MAC items there like brush sets, fluidlines, lipglasses, lipsticks, and one or two pigments and an eyeshadow. There was tons of Estee Lauder, with some Clinique and Bobbi Brown (I almost bought the two shimmerbricks there). Nothing much caught my eye there besides two MAC lipsticks, one in Lure and one in Sashimi Mimi, and a fluidline in Royal Wink (a gorgeous royal blue). I bought those three items and paid $10 for each lipstick and $10.25 for the fluidline.

When I got to the Lancome outlet, I was amazed. The prices were so good there! They had sale tables of things for only $15, like an 8 pan palette full of coordinating shadow or the Lancome Destiny Cube thing that everyone raved about in the fall. I got a three pack of Juicy Tubes for $15, which comes out to $5 a Juicy Tube! I also bought my first Shu Uemura makeup items. The shadows were 2 for $10, which is like $5 for a shadow that was originally $20! I bought 6 of them. Also, for $7.50 with purchase I got a Shu Uemura makeup bag packed with full sized lipstick, lipgloss, and lip liner. Totally worth the trip, and lucky for me there is a Lancome outlet closer to home that I might go back and visit! If you have any cosmetics outlets near you, go!