Do you know what yesterday was? If you said “Thursday” then you get partial credit and a warning that nobody likes a smart aleck What “it”was in my neck of the woods was the counter launch for MAC’s To The Beach collection.

I went in about a week ago asking about the collection, since Karla at TNBTTGSY swatched them and made me want them SO BAD. Seriously, she swatches like nobody’s business. Anyhow, I was just dying for some of the collection and I hopped in to see if it was out yet. It wasn’t on the counter but my gal Jessica let me sift through the spanking new testers and pre-order what I wanted. You can bet your buns I went straight down after work yesterday to pick up my new babies. Good thing too, 3 of the 5 items I picked were already gone and the store had only been open for 3 hours! This is a really fun , not too bright(imho) collection and I will get tons of use out of my purchases.

For a full selection of swatches visit Karlas posts here and here. And click through at the end for my pictures as well

I nabbed Sweet & Punchy and Humid($14.50), two gorgeous shadows and Float on By($14.50), which is a beautiful dark green/turquoise eye pencil. Since no purchase is complete without lip color I also grabbed Lipglass in Splashing($14), a pretty pink, and a lipstick in Funbathing($14), a bronzed plum color. Funbathing is almost exactly a more sheer version of my favorite lipstick ever, MAC’s O. It’s a perfect way to wear my favorite color through summer and I’m so tickled that I just might have to go buy another one before it sells out. I highly suggest you run to your nearest MAC counter ASAP and give this collection a whirl, I love it. And hurry, some of these products are already sold out online! (more…)

For those who love Lancome lipsticks and would like a chance to name a new shade, read on!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing back the Pout- à-Porter Lipstick series! The previous four lipsticks in this collection were collaborations with celebrated designers Behnaz Sarafpour, Proenza Schouler, Peter Som and Thakoon. All four of the lipsticks sold out and one Proenza Pink lipstick even sold for $122.50 on eBay. So many of you have been incredibly supportive of this project and it would not have been such a huge success without you. (more…)

To be honest, I was floored when Avon asked if I wanted to be part of their first ever lipcast. I know Jen sent them my info for consideration, but I still feel like just a teeny tiny part of the coolest beauty blog on the web most of the time and it’s cool to swim with the big fish every now and then. This was such a cool thing to be a part of. It was a real pleasure to listen to the minds behind the product share the long hours an extensive thought that went into the newest additions to their collection. I was excited to hear the thoughts of creative color director Jillian Dempsey, and it did no disappoint.
Full disclosure here, I used to be a cosmetics snob. It’s true, in my pre-kid days I would look down my nose at drugstore brands or direct sales brands like Avon. Funny how the addition of kids to an already tight household budget makes you consider everything in an entirely different light yeah? Instead of looking at the brand name I began to focus on quality and ingredients and I soon found that there are a LOT of great products out there that don’t require your firstborn as a down payment to afford them. So it was with this fresh open mind that I gave 3 new Avon lip products a try. (more…)

It’s how you know I’m all grown up and stuff.

So if you use this basic layout and just swap colors around you can run through your entire shadow collection without getting bored OR having to think too hard. And colors that you wouldn’t normally put together can be quite fetching once you start toying with them. For instance, this is green and pink and I have some blue right at the lash line.  A couple key points for something like this are: (more…)

Based solely on the items most beloved by my 20 month old daughter. No matter what I do or where I stash these she always manages to find them. She takes great delight in gouging her fingers through her favorites and smearing them in all sorts of wonderful places…generally involving freshly cleaned laundry. And so I bring you “Mira’s picks for Spring 2009″:
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Like a lot of women out there, I’ve often toyed with the idea of creating my own cosmetics line. There are a couple problems with this though. First, I have no money. Second, I’d have no idea where to start. And third, there are already a lot of good products out there so creating something exceptional would be hard. I like to take the easy way out and just buy what I like rather than creating it. I admit it, I’m kinda lazy. So when somebody new comes along and they’ve created something good, I’m all the more amazed and impressed. Finding a section of the market can be hard, but here at MBB we love watching our favorite little companies blossom and grow. Our favorite finds like tarte, Lush, and Alison Raffaele have gotten HUGE and companies like Purely Cosmetics, Sally B’s, and Aromaleigh are on their way to the top. It’s always fun to feel like you’re one of the first to discover something fun and fantastic….

Well discover this my friends…Vis-a-Vis Cosmetics.
So what makes them different from everyone else, you ask? There are a few things. First, instead of trying to do a little of everything they’ve really taken the time and focused on specific products. Lipglaze, lipstick, blush, and face powder are their four product selections. Simple, basic, and definitely not confusing. But don’t let the seeming lack of selection fool you, because the other thing they’ve done really well is create versatile, multi-use products. (more…)

In Alaska we call this time of year breakup. That’s because, after a long winter trapped inside together, couples are so sick of one another that they break up. Okay, I admit it, that’s just one of the things we tell ousiders for a quick laugh. It’s actually called breakup because that’s when the snow and ice starts to melt and recede. All the dirt and yuck buried under the snow starts to surface and keeping your car/pants/shoes clean is an impossible task. Yet through the grime and the sludge, signs of spring begin to appear. A hint of greenery, a tiny bud on a branch, a little bit of hope for brighter things in the future. And so, in honor of the huge mud puddle in my driveway, I give you “Breakup”: (more…)

Here is a mention of DecoDiva’s experience with two cosmetic brands:  Purely Cosmetics and Vis-a-Vis.

The sweet Jen from MythBuster Beauty sent me some mineral makeup to check out. She sent me the Pearlescent Coral blush that I’m wearing from Purely Cosmetics.  I really like this color!  I feel like it adds warmth and depth to my cheeks without being overpowering.  I don’t think I own any coral blushes, either, so this is a really nice addition to my collection.

The lipstick I’m wearing is from Vis-a-vis Cosmetics and it’s a neutral pink color. I didn’t care for the exact shade, but it did feel very nice and moisturizing on my lips.

To read DecoDiva’s complete review visit her article at:   Green Eyed Jealousy Valentine’s Day FOTD.

So much makeup, so little time. 

Here is a list of my favorite cosmetic products for 2008, no small endeavor!  This past year I have  sampled more makeup than I have tried cumulatively in my entire life.  All of these beauty products passed my A+++ big cosmetic love status!

HD Invisible Cover Foundation ($40) - leaves my skin feeling natural, flawless and works well with my sensitive, break-out prone skin

I know that everyone and their mom covered Spring collections already, but I just HAD to give my two cents. I don’t think it’s physically possible for me to keep my opinion to myself, especially when everyone is going gaga for things I’m not really impressed by. Time to give my thoughts instead of press kit snippets!

The Dior Lady Dior collection is beige, taupe, pink, brown. Excuse me, New Look beige, Elegant taupe, Couture pink, and Actress chestnut. But look, they added shimmer to a couple of them! Same old, same old, this isn’t really collection material. Yawn.

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