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…)

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

 Tarte’s Vitamin Infused Lipstick ($22) was formulated to nourish, moisturize and rejuvenate lips while helping to protect against environment attack.  No longer just for color; tarte’s vitamin infused lipstick is a beauty wonder!  This lipstick contains: (more…)

Absolu Rouge Lipstick – Advanced Replenishing & Reshaping Lipcolor Pro-Xylaneâ„¢ SPF 12 Sunscreen ($29)

Absolutely Voluptuous Lips. Pamper your lips with this creamy and luscious formula. Lancôme brings Pro-Xylane™; its complete and powerful replenishing molecule, to a lip color for visibly fuller and smoother lips. (shade in picture:  Absolute Rouge)

Rich, satiny, saturated color wraps lips in luxury. Lasting color precisely defines contours.

To start off, I love this lipstick container.  Classic black, streamlined and functional.  The lid has a slight magnetic pull to keep it on securely.  How smart is that!? 

The lipstick formula is smooth, moisturizing, offers true color that has pretty decent staying power.  Everything that I want from a lipstick. (more…)

Raging Rouge recently wrote a post about many beautiful purples being featured in cosmetics as a trend this season.   The six spectacular nail shades shown at her post are worth your time alone, and I have to add my blessing to the purple trend! 

Here’s a fact, I love purple.  My birthstone, amethyst.  My favorite flower, lilac.  Favorite Tootsie Roll Pop flavor, grape.  My passion for things purple could go on and on, and Urban Decay must have sensed this because they created the most decadent purple shades this season.

Urban Decay’s Matte Eyeshadow in Heist ($16):  a dusty purple that adds a subtle gorgeous matte purple to your lids.  And if you wanted a more bold purple color, you could always opt for Purple Haze or Eggplant.

Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Vinyl ($22):  How on earth did I miss hearing about this shade?   An incredibly multi-dimensional dark purply-plum lipstick.  This is on my must get list. (more…)

While discussing the dark blood burgundy lip look in a recent post, “Dark Lips:  Va-va-Voom or Vampiress?” almost all agreed.  They love the color, but feel that not all can wear a dark matte liptick successfully.  I would classify myself as an example of one that “cannot.”

I love the idea of the dark lip shade; love the deep beautiful Bing cherry color. This weekend I was able to visit a local beauty boutique in Park City called the Splendor Beauty Emporium, and perused the counters for a shade that could satisfy my desire for the dark lip look. I opted for the NARS lip gloss in Rose Birman, a sheer cranberry (worn in this picture by Amanda).  I almost went for the next darker shade, Rose Gitane, which is classified as a sheer sangria.

My friend Bionic Beauty has fallen in love with NARS Lipstick shade in Captiva, which offers a sheer tint of currant, and would be perfect for those who are looking for a more sheer dark lip option. If you are fan of Clinque, the immensely popular “Almost Lipstick” in Black Honey is a deeper sheer color that I would recommend trying.

Now, that I have found a happy medium on the dark lip look I would like to find a gorgeous gray eye shadow palette. I have been looking at Stila’s Backstage Beauty Eye Shadow Palette- The Red Carpet Look. The three pan grey palette along with a Smokey Quartz Kajal eyeliner looks ideal.

What beautiful fall trends are captivating your interest?

Prompted by a Bionic Beauty post last week called, “What makeup are you wearing today?”  I was also inspired by DecoDiva’s great going out post and pics last week on her blogsite.  I wanted to ask MBB readers a similar question.  When you go out for the evening, how do you “kick it up a notch?”

Evening makeup deserves a more intense lip color, a richly pigmented black mascara, and some fabulous glow.   On a recent evening out with my hubby, I went with a bolder berry look, inspired by two of Urban Decay’s new lip products, their 24/7 Lip Pencil and Lipstick. 

• Hair:  Jessicurl’s Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion, and Confident Coils Styling Solution, set with hair clips, scrunched with a microfiber towel and allowed to air dry.
• Skin prep:  SK1N Probiotics Daily Moisturizing Cream
• Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit:  Defines and tames my brows
• Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation in Rose, applied with a foundation brush and fingers
• Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Bleu Marine, appliled with flat eyeliner brush
• Profaces mineral eyeshadow in a rosy gold glimmer
• Sugar’s Bronzer/Blush Duo, blush on apples of cheeks and bronzer around face and jawline
• Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer
• Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Wicked, creamy and lasts, truly lives up to its glide on name.
• Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Hotpants, luxuriously creamy and beautiful medium pink shade.
• Napoleon Perdis, Long Black Mascara, one coat
• Light dusting of Aromaleigh’s Illuminator Finishing Powder, a translucent, sheer loose mineral cosmetic powder, that contains reflective minerals to give your skin a radiant appearance.  Apply on brow bones, above cheeks and lightly around forehead, chin, and decollete.
• Finish by lightly tapping around face with soft clean towel to set in makeup (tip from Alyson Hoag, makeup artist at Authentic Beauty).