PHOTO OP - Smashbox's Photo Op Eyeshadow Palette Softbox II

When I first started wearing higher end make-up (makeup not in a drug store) I wore Smashbox.  It was my favorite brand for a long time until I discovered Too Faced and Urban Decay.  Smashbox fell to the waste side because it seemed as if they were not evolving with the change of makeup.  Fast forward to the current year.  I have come across a couple of palettes by Smashbox that I found worthy of blogging about.  The one I want to talk about today is Smashbox's Photo Op Eyeshadow Palette Softbox II.

The palette comes in six neutral shades, includes a double ended brush and full sized mirror.  The back of the Smashbox container includes a QR code and a "peel here" label which gives tutorials on how to achieve certain looks.

As I mentioned there are six neutral shades: russet, truffle bare, juniper and sumatra.

 Colors from left to right: russet, truffle, bare juniper and sumatra

I found the shadows to be creamy, very pigmented and they had long wear; especially when worn with a primer.  The colors are a mixture of shimmer and matte.  I can easily see how these colors can be taken from day to night very easily. 

If I had to pick a favorite color, it would a a toss up between Juniper and Sandstorm.  I especially liked using Sumatra in the crease area and as a liner.  If you are wondering if I had a least favorite I would say no.  I found all the colors to be usable in their own right.  So basically all of the colors are fantastic and will make you pretty either day or night.

Smashbox Photo Op Eyeshadow Palette Softbox II retails for $39.00.  It may be purchased at Nordstroms, www.beauty.com and www.smashbox.com.

EYE PERFECTION - Stila Portrait Of A Perfect Eye

This past holiday season, Stila came out with an eye palette in neutral colors called "Portrait Of A Perfect Eye."  I have always been a huge fan of Stila's lip glosses, but never really ventured into their eyeshadows.  But when I was shopping and saw this palette, I decided it was time to try something new.

Shades from left to right: Rosewood; Antique; Linen: Vintage; Organza; Parchment

I really like all of the colors that come in the palette. I found that the colors had very nice pigmentation, and had a great creamy consistency. I would use caution when using the darkest brown. I found that the color appeared muddy when I applied it.  The shimmery shades were not too shimmery. I tried using these eye colors without a primer and did not have any problems with creasing!  The colors in this palette would be great to travel with, especially if you need a quick look.

However, the eyeshadows are the size of a dime and with regular everyday use this palette may not last long.  I wish Stila would have provided everyone with larger eyeshadows.

The case is a little funky too.  I like that it is magnetic, but I feel it might not hold as well as it should.

Overall, this palette is just okay.  If you have the Naked Basics palette then you may want to pass on this palette, unless you love the colors in this Stila, Portrait Of A Perfect Eye.  Together these palettes would create a ton of beautiful looks.

The Stila, Portrait Of A Perfect Eye retails for $16.00  It may be purchased at Ulta, www.birchbox.com and www.stilacosmetics.com.

SHIMMER SHIMMER - bareMinerals Show Me The Shimmer

Before we begin the review of the lip glosses I wanted to apologize to all viewers for the lack of blogs last week.  I was involved in s serious car accident wherein I re-injured by back.  I was in a lot if pain and I didn't feel well enough to write.  But I am feeling a little better and ready to get back in action.

I love holiday makeup sets.  I get so excited about the lip sets.  You get so much bang for your buck.  BareMinerals came out with Show Me the Shimmer.  It is a set of six mini moxie lip glosses with tons of shimmer.

From Left to Right: Scene Stealer, Head Turner, Femme Fatale, Crowd Pleaser, Super Star and Icon

When it comes to lip gloss I want shine.  There is a range of colors that is great for any occasion.  The glosses look fantastic by themselves or over your favorite lipstick.

I love the shimmer in the lip glosses, and this set is much better when it comes to sparkle.  The peppermint oil in the ingredients gives a peppermint scent along with a cooling sensation when you apply it.  The glosses wear comfortably on the lips because of the Shea Butter and Avocado Butter.  As each gloss fades with wear, you are left with some sparkle.

If you were to ask me if I had a favorite, I would have to say it is a tie between Crowd Pleaser and Super Star.  So shimmer lovers of the world rejoice!  These marvelous lip glosses will satisfy your cravings for sparkle.

bareMinerals Show Me The Shimmer retails for $25.00.  It may be purchased at Sephora, Nordstrom, and www.bareescentuals.com.

SMASHBOX PHOTO FINISH vs. LAURA GELLER'S SPACKLE TINTED UNDER MAKE-UP PRIMER ETHEREAL

Laura Geller's Spackle Tinted Under Make-Up Primer Ethereal and Smashbox Photo Finish. Both are good in their own right, but which one is better than than the other?

We will start with Laura Geller. This oil-free primer prepares the skin for make-up application by smoothing and perfecting your skin's texture.  It helps makeup last longer, keeps color true and gives an opulent glow.  It can be used alone for an opulent glow and a brighter complexion.  Laura Geller's primer made my skin feel silky.  This primer also has a brightening complex that makes my complexion glow.  It turns your face from blah to amazing!  It goes on smoothly and dries silky soft.

Let's move on to Smahbox's Photo Finish .  "Worn alone or under foundation to increase it's longevity, this unique, vitamin packed formula helps to reduce the fine appearance of lines and pores for visibly softer skin with a velvety smooth finish."  I personally am not a fan of Smashbox's Photo Finish.  It makes many people break out, so if you are prone to break-outs I would not use this product.  For me, during the winter my skin becomes dehydrated.  It did nothing to make my makeup look better.  The makeup ended up creasing around my eyes and nose.  It looked horrible!  I cannot recommend this product. It is just not a good performer.

My vote is for the Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Make-Up Primer Ethereal.  I love this primer because it brightens my dull, dry skin, and I like the texture and consistency.  So go out and get some Laura Geller today.

Laura Geller's Spackle Tinted Under Make-Up Primer Ethereal retails for $30.00.  You can purchase Laura Geller's Spackle Tinted Under Make-Up Primer Ethereal at Ulta, www.qvc.com and www.laurageller.com.

X MARKS THE SPOT - Murad Acne Spot Treatment

The other day someone pointed out I have not done a blog for those people with oily skin.  For that I apologize.  It was purely unintentional.  So to make up for that error, I am going to talk about acne spot treatments.

Now even though I have dry skin, I do get the occasional pimple.  When that happens the first thing I reach for is Murad Acne Spot Treatment.  It is a 3.0% sulfur acne treatment, and is truly fantastic.

While I was using it I found that it worked best on pimples that were not too big, but already had come to a head. I would dab it with the Murad Acne Spot Treatment first thing in the morning and then in the evening.  It took three to five days for the pimple to disappear.  Now while the sulfur is the reason why the pimples disappear, the smell is tolerable for me and not too invasive.  One gets the occasional hint of a whiff of sulfur, but it doesn't linger.

The Murad Acne Spot Treatment is a brilliant product!  It is shockingly one of the few acne treatments that I actually notice makes difference.  If you are looking for a product to get rid of pimples fast, then try Murad Acne Spot Treatment.

Murad Acne Spot Treatment retails for $18.00.  It may be purchased at Sephora, Ulta, and www.skinstore.com.

MAKE-UP ALL DAY LONG

Wouldn't it be great if there was a foundation which lasted all day?  Well, there is....Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h make up will wear all day without any retouches.  The foundation is divine!

As you know I have dry skin, and not oily.  Therefore, I don't have to worry about the makeup melting/running off.  I do have to worry about caking.  With this foundation I did not have this problem, nor did the foundation settle into fine lines.  Lancome's 24h foundation does not settle into pores and allowed for buildable coverage.  When you first put on the foundation, it is about a medium coverage.  From there the makeup can be built to full coverage without looking cakey.

I have some freckles.  I enjoy the fact that Lancome's 24h does not mask them.  It just evens out the skintone all the while still looking great under my eyes.  It is not too dry and doesn't settle into any fine lines.

The color of the foundation is a perfect match for me.  It was easy to apply and blends in like a dream.  It dries quickly, so I don't have to wait around to complete my look.  I have a little redness around my nose and the Lancome 24h foundation covered it perfectly.

Lancome Teint Idole Ulta 24h Makeup is one of the best foundations I have tried.  I wore it for 12+ hours and it still looked amazing!  In fact, it stayed on until I took it off.  So this is one highly recommended product.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h foundation retails for $45.00.  It may be purchased at Macy's, Sephora and all other Lancome counters.

KISS & TELL

I was taught to never kiss and tell, but with  BareMinerals' Kiss & Tell lipstick set now I can.  The Marvelous Moxie lipstick smoothes on a vibrant surge of creamy, pigment-packed color for fiercely fully, ultra-hydrated lips that wont' quit.  This collection of bold, beautiful hues includes five shades of sass to match your every Moxie mood.

So far I am loving this lip set.  The lipsticks are small and so tiny that you feel you wasted your money.  This is entirely NOT true.  The lipsticks are what they claim to be - creamy, pigment packed in color and ultra hydrating.  They were not greasy, but more velvety in texture.

As for the colors,  it ranges from a nude pink to a hot pink.  The color wore four to five hours before I had to reapply.  So they wear well, just not super great.  The colors, in my opinion, are universally appealing, and anyone with any skin tone can wear the set of lipsticks.  My favorite shade is Be Bold, a beautiful reddish-maroon.

From Left to Right:  Go All Out; Be Bold; Get Ready; Break Away and Speak Your Mind

I have never worried about the quality of BareMinerals.  They have done a great job of maintaining a standard of quality in their makeup.  It appears the same can be said about the BareMinerals Kiss & Tell collection.

BareMinerals Kiss & Tell collection retails for $29.00.  It may be purchased at Ulta, Sephora and http://www.bareescentuals.com.

TIS' THE SEASON TO BE SMOKEY

Bobbi Brown has come out with a new palette that will take you from day to night; the 2013 Holiday Smokey Warm eye palette.  It comes with six warm shades in a mirrored compact with a mini dual ended brush.  There are three matte and three shimmer shades.

The Smokey Warm Eye palette provides you with everything that you need for a gorgeous smokey eye or a neutral everyday eye.  The sparkle shadow is just sparkly enough to create a holiday look.

The quality of the eyeshadows are very good; however, some are more pigmented than others.  There is also a difference in their softness.  Some are more harsh than others but there is just a minimal difference.

From Left to Right:  Ivory; Antique Gold Metallic; Blonde; Chiffon Sparkle; Golden Chocolate Metallic and Espresso

I am going to go out on a limb and state that this palette is my favorite palette of neutral shades.  Yes, I even like it better than the Naked II palette.  It was of equal shimmer and matte shadows.  But!  The Naked II palette us a very close second!

I really like the 2013 Bobbi Brown Holiday Smokey Warm Eye palette.  All of the colors for everyday and night are there in one convenient case, and can take you from daytime to an evening look in minutes.

So be glamorous this holiday and get your Bobbi Brown Smokey Warm Eye palette!

The 2013 Bobbi Brown Holiday Smokey Warm Eye palette retails for $48.50.  It may be purchased Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

GO BROW!

My brows are a little sparse, and I am always looking for products that make my brows look fuller.  Anastasia Beverly Hills has an excellent reputation for this.  When I saw the Go Brow kit, I grabbed it.  The Go Brow kit includes a trio of tools.  It includes mini tweezers, a mini brow pencil, and mini clear gel.

The pencil is a little difficult to use. You need a little pressure for the color to come out.  But once it does, it blended into my brows wonderfully.  The gel was excellent and helped shape my brows.  I have to admit I was not a big fan of the size of the tweezers.  They did do the job however.

Well shaped eyebrows lighten the face and open the eyes.  When I used the brow kit I noticed that my newly enhanced eyebrows appeared more prominent and seemed to help frame my face a little better. 

The Go Brow kit is a good buy if you are looking for something to take with you on the go.  It is an inexpensive tool to keep you beautiful on the road.

The Go Brow kit retails for $16.00.  It can be purchased at www.sephora.com and www.amazon.com.

MY FIRST BITE

As sad as it is, I have never tried Bite lip pencils up until now.  Yes, I know it has been on the market for a while, and I am supposed to be up to date on the beauty products out there.  I just completely dropped the ball.  So when the 2013 Bite Beauty Best Bite Set came out, I took a leap of faith and gave it a try.  And boy am I glad I did!  The Best Bite Set is a set of four festive lip pencils that will not only color your lips but also hydrate your lips.  And the fact that these lip pencils are retractable, makes it ideal for an application on the go, and you do not have to sharpen them.

There are four different matte shades:  Quince (rose-berry color), Rhubarb (plum-rose color), Cranberry (festive holiday red color) and Madeira (nude-pink color).  The lip pencils come in a great little tin box with a mirror.

By far, these lip pencils are one of my favorite formulas.  Made with Resveratrol, they provide antioxidant benefits.

Made with a double-dose of premium micronized pigments, this lip pencil

delivers a modern matte look.  This lip color super antioxidant Resveratrol, which fights

free radicals with potent long-term anti-aging benefits.  Each full sized lip pencil contains

the amount of Resveratrol found in five glasses of wine.

The pigmentation of the Bite lip pencils are unreal!  The Bite Beauty lip pencils are highly pigmented but manage to feel lightweight and extremely soft on the lips at the same time.  This feeling was consistent during the entire time I wore it (4-6 hours).  With the more pigmented shades there was a stain left behind which I did not mind.

From Left to Right:  Cranberry, Quince, Rhubarb and Madeira

The pencils are twist up which makes them easy to work with.  When I applied the more pigmented lip pencils, I found I needed to take care when going around the edges of the lips because of the soft formula.  Once I applied the lip pencils, I tasted a sweet flavor.  This flavor stayed on my lips during the entire wear time.

I cannot say enough about The Bite Best Bite Set.  I am very pleased with it and glad I chose it for my first try of the lip pencils.  I definitely suggest trying these lip pencils.

Bite Best Bite Set retails for $25.00 and may be purchased at www.sephora.com.

BEHIND THOSE HAZEL EYES

Before I had my sinus infection, I ordered the Smashbox Hazel Eyes Photo Op Enhancing Palette.  To be honest, I almost forgot I had it until I was digging through my haul and came across it.

When you open the palette you see six eyeshadows.  One set is described as "soft trio" and the other is described as "smoky trio".  The pigment for both sets of eyeshadows are excellent.  The lightest shades can be used as a lid color and a highlighter.  The darkest color, Obsidian, can be used as a liner too.

The double ended brush, which comes with the palette seems to be good.  It is nothing to write home about, but then again I almost never have good things to say about about the brushes that come with palettes.  I always seem to be using a brush in my arsenal to apply eyeshadows.

The colors were all chosen for those people with hazel eyes, and they deliver smokey and sultry looks.  The palette even comes with instructions (which I somehow lost) for effortless application.  There is even a large mirror under the lid which is perfect when traveling.

The colors are smooth and easy to blend.  The top row on the "soft trio" is set up for creating a beautiful day look, and the smokey trio on the bottom is made for a sultry, night look.  The color lasts a long time.  I tried wearing the soft shadows with a combo of the night shadows for a fun day look.  I wore the shadows with a primer, and they lasted about 12 hours.  I found the colors to be blendable.  Out of all the colors in this kit, my favorite color has to be Sage (a pretty olive green with tiny gold flecks).

From Left to Right (Soft Trio): Bliss; Fortune and Sage

From Left to Right (Smoky Trio): Pastel; Majestic and Obsidian

Would I buy this kit again? Yes indeed.  Would I recommend the kit?  Yes indeed.

The Smashbox Hazel Eyes Photo Op Eye Enhancing Palette retails for $39.00.  It may be purchased at Sephora, Amazon and www.smashbox.com.

SUPER GLOSSY LIP SHINE

First I apologize for my absence the past couple of days.  I came down with a sinus infection and was not able to get out of bed.  Now that I am feel better, I am ready to blog about some cosmetics.  So let's start out with the ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15.

It is getting cold outside, real cold.  And lip gloss and/or lip chap is needed.  I would suggest the ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15.  So what about the ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine?  One reviewer stated that while the texture of the lip gloss was thick and sticky, it lasts and does not feather and settle into her fine lines.

I found the consistency to be sticky but not to the point where it was unbearable.  Normally I hate sticky glosses, but this gloss is not bad, and the staying power was very good.  The coverage is super pigmented and smells great.  All I do is dab about three dots on my bottom lip and upper lip together to get the coverage I want.  The amount of glitter is just right and doesn't irritate my lips when using because of the amount of glitter.

From Left to Right: Malt Shake; Pink Pop and Goddess

*TIP:  For those who suffer from dry, chapped lips, wear medicated lip balm underneath and re-apply a few times throughout the day.

For a dollar, this lip gloss is pretty cool.  The glosses come in every range of color. The three that I chose were Pink Pop, Goddess and Malt Shake.  Pink Pop was a little too pink for my complexion, but the other colors I really enjoyed.  One reviewer complained of a scent, but I did not experience a scent.  Others complained of the lip gloss being too sticky.  As I said above, it was a little sticky but not insurmountable, especially for $1.00.  I like to layer the lip gloss on top of my lipstick.

The ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine has good color payoff, and you get a lot of gloss for your dollar.  However, the gloss can be a little on the sticky side, which can be annoying to some people.

The ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine retails for $1.00.  It may be purchased at www.eyeslipsface.com.

READY, SET...MIST!

A couple of weeks ago I purchased the ELF Makeup Mist and Set.  It is thought to be a dupe for MAC's Fix Plus.  ELF claims it will keep your makeup staying in place all day with a radiance boosting invisible hold. This invigorating mist moisturizes and soothes the skin with key ingredients aloe, green tea, cucumber and vitamins A, C & E.  The lightweight and alcohol free formula promises to improve upon makeup wearability and prevents color from running or fading.

Some reviews have stated that this product is great for oily skin.  Unfortunately I cannot tell you is this is true or not because I have dry skin.

I find this product to be a smidge better than the Urban Decay makeup setting sprays.  It is cheaper, makes my makeup last significantly longer and lasts in humid temperatures.

In addition to making your makeup last longer, the ELF Makeup Mist & Set provides a dewy look to your face and provides a pick me up throughout the day.  It can also help de-cake your face when you have applied too much powder.  It is refreshing and feels great in the morning.  Also, if you pair it with ELF's eye primer, it extends the eyeshadow life.

The only bad thing that I can say about ELF's Makeup Mist & Set is that it is more of a spray than a mist, which can sometimes hinder application .  I have used MAC's Fix Plus and Urban Decay's setting sprays.  All of them helped my makeup last longer.  So be smart and save some money for the holidays.  Get the ELF Makeup Mist & Set today!

ELF's Makeup Mist & Set retails for $3.00.  It may be purchased at www.eyeslipsface.com.