Fragrances -Pacifica - Tuscan Blood Orange 
ccmadamoiselle 1/18/2008 6:15:00 PM
Pacifica's website describes Tuscan Blood Orange perfume with the following: "Blood orange is loved for it's absence of bitterness with rich, juicy flavor and bright raspberry and strawberry notes. Italian sweet oranges and mandarins flesh out this naturally beautiful essence." Somehow, Pacific has created a fruity fragrance that doesn't smell like bathroom air freshener or a sugary confection like Escada's latest perfumes. (Don't get me wrong - I love Ibiza Hippie, but the rest are a bit cloying.) With first spritz, I get the softness of the raspberry more than the orange. As it dries down, the blood orange comes through more with tanginess. My mouth is watering! Funny that the reviews for the Tuscan Blood Orange candles say it's good for people in a funk. Maybe that's why I'm reaching for it in the dead of winter! :) Lasting power is good, but not great. At $20 for 1.2 oz., I'm happy with Tuscan Blood Orange. The bottle is short and slim enough to put in my purse for touch-ups. I took 1 lippie off because it has no cap!
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Lip Gloss -Bath and Body Works - Colorfill
ccmadamoiselle 1/15/2008 11:35:00 PM
Grabbed Miami Peach at BBW sale. Not very pigmented, but effective. Lips look noticably fuller. I got mine on sale 75% off for $3. I can see myself using this regularly under lipstick or alone for a nude peach lip. Colorfill rocks!!!
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Polishes -Chanel - Blue Satin
ccmadamoiselle 12/22/2007 2:25:00 PM
Just one coat of Chanel Blue Satin will give you a metallic navy blue. Two coats is too much and makes nails look almost flat. I find that one coat of Chanel Azur's twinkly sky blue and iridescent sparkle brings out the best in Blue Satin. Finish with a top coat. I've received many compliments on the combination!
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Palettes -Stila - Glamour Galore Set
ccmadamoiselle 12/21/2007 11:30:00 PM
Would I buy Stila Glamour Galore Set again? Yes, but with a warning. Here's a description from Sephora website of what's supposed to be in the set: The set contains five fab .08 fl oz Lip Glazes in Spiced Cider, Spiced Ginger, Praline, Gingerbread, and Spiced Pumpkin, two clear color .07 oz Moisturizing Lip Tints SPF 8 in Mocha and Sugar, two .13 oz cream Lip Colors in Billie and Cynthia, three award-winning .09 oz Eye Shadows in Golightly, Moonlight, and Twig, two .007 Convertible Eye Colors in Forest and Port, six .03 oz All Over Shimmer Eye Colors in *4, *5, *7, *10, *11, *13, and two .30 oz All Over Shimmer Powders in #6 and #9. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, my order arrived without a lipglaze and my All Over Shimmer #9 fell out of the compact because the glue was old and runny. Sephora replaced my set... and the replacement set was again missing a lipglaze! Strange, huh? The set is valued at $400 and costs $150. It's a fabulous deal for a Stila fan... but please check the contents before gifting this set to someone. FYI, my sets were not tampered with - all the items were bubblewrapped and then wrapped in pink tissue paper inside the tote bag. If you are missing an item, call Sephora CS. They will help you.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powders -Smashbox - Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder
ccmadamoiselle 12/21/2007 11:51:00 AM
I am surprised Smashbox's QVC exclusive Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder has such mixed reviews. My HG foundation was recently discontinued and my Stila IPF powder was good, but getting $$$ for the small refill pan. So when I saw the QVC special - Halo + #29 powder brush, I had to have it! I used it for the first time today and if the Halo product was available separate, I'd seriously have it delivered monthly. This is like Stila IPF - beautiful satiny finish - but more pigmented and longlasting. No wonder it's called Halo - it really gives skin a refined finish. The #29 powder brush is super soft and dense, comparable to Alima's famous #25 brush but with longer bristles. EDIT: I am a MAC C3 and ordered Halo in Fair. Perfect match! I should note that I have rather dry skin, so don't mind the way Halo absorbs up the oil and looks "dewy" throughout the day. (Dewy is better than becoming shiny in my T-zone and dry in some spots as the day wears on.) I loved that it was a powder foundation that didn't accentuate my dry skin (BE!). Seemed to smooth out my skin. The coverage lasted all day. A++++
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Eye Shadow -Becca - Eye Tint in Baroque
ccmadamoiselle 12/14/2007 10:37:00 PM
Baroque is a waterproof, liquid-creme eye color. It's the color of gray sand, but surprisingly beautiful and adds the illusion of depth to my eyes. Not thrilled with the tube packaging necessarily: When I opened my tube, there was an oily residue that had leaked from the product into the cap. Then the product came out the way mustard does when it separates. Eek! Still, it didn't crease and made a nice base for my eyeshadow. As a word of caution, however, apply your eyeshadow carefully over it once it sets - otherwise, you'll see every streak and spot even if you use your MAC 224 blender brush!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Besame - Vanity Case
ccmadamoiselle 12/14/2007 10:29:00 PM
After hearing that the Besame Cosmetics Vanity Case would be limited (due to increase in price of metal), I had to grab one during the GWP. I expected the case to small, thin, almost cassette-like. When I received it, I was blown away! Besame Vanity Case comes with almost full-sized amounts of the products featured: concealor, powder, blush, and three eye shadows. Shades are described well by other reviewers below. I'm just chiming in to say the quality of the Vanity Case - inside and out - is worth the price tag. I purchased the Vanity Case in Light and I'm a MAC C3 for reference. I took one lippie away for the difficulty in opening the case - you do have to push the button down and then crack the lid open. EDIT: The concealor and pigmented powder foundation totally rock. Concealor didn't crease all day. Besame CS said it'll be available next year individually. I've uploaded a pic to this review. HTH!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Besame - Boudoir Rouge in Sun Kissed
ccmadamoiselle 12/14/2007 10:23:00 PM
I received Besame Boudoir Rouge in Sun Kissed with my Warm Trio GWP. The compact is the size of a silver dollar, but you get 3g of finely milled product and the pigmentation is awesome. The metal compact is precious! Comes with a tiny puff that's basically just for show. Sun Kissed is matte, peachy and adds a subtle definition to my cheeks - not pink like Cargo's The Big Easy or as brown-tinged as NARS Amour. Goes beautiful with the Chocolate Kiss lipstick in the Warm Trio set. I am a MAC C3 for reference.
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Hyper Chic
ccmadamoiselle 12/1/2007 12:09:00 AM
Hyper Chic (Stylistics 2007) looks like a pink-tinged caramel with gold shimmer in the tube. Swoon! On lips, it is a warm caramel nude with a hint of shimmer. Gorgeous. Hyper Chic doesn't look orange/brown on my C3 skin. The gloss texture reminds me of Victoria's Secret lipglosses- not as sticky or thick as regular MAC lipglasses, but slightly slick and moisturizing. The fine gold shimmer is not noticeable and just adds dimension to the shade. There's no frost. The cap has the pearl/crystal/black Stylistics motif. Very pretty. Hyper Chic is almost as expensive as Chanel Glossimer, but the lasting power is not as great.Still, I want to try the rest of the Stylistics lipglosses now!
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Blush -NARS - Lovejoy
ccmadamoiselle 11/30/2007 9:35:00 PM
I've long neglected NARS Lovejoy, which came in my Warm palette with Deep Throat. Lovejoy was way too muddy and turned blotchy red-brown on my cheeks. BUT thank goodness for MAC 187 brush! Sheered out, Lovejoy is perfect with peachy pinks like Deep Throat. It just deepens and enhances the peach glow without seeming obvious as a contour/bronzer. I am surprised to be wearing it in winter. Now I understand why it's in a Sephora set with Albatross and Dolce Vita l/g. NARS is always so well-coordinated! :)
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Makeup Brushes -NARS - 27 - Yachiyo
ccmadamoiselle 11/27/2007 9:14:00 PM
The newest addition to the NARS Kabuki Artisan Brush series is #27 Yachiyo (pic in profile). From the box: "Designed for application of powder and color. Excellent for defining cheekbones, highlighting the complexion, and blending color around the eye area." The flexible handle is beautifully handbound with wisteria. It's an interesting brush: the brush head is more full than a MAC 116 blush brush, but the brush hairs are tightly bound near the handle, making the brush hairs disperse outward like a fan brush. As a result, I do get better control over blush and highlighters: I don't pick up too much product, and I can place it exactly where it needs to go. It is exactly the length of a pen. As for the price, I grabbed it from the Sephora FF sale, but otherwise not sure anyone "needs" it in their brush kit at $50 a pop. Then again, if you collect brushes like me, you may love it as much as I do...With Yachiyo and Botan (see my other review), I am becomming a fan of the Nars Kabuki Artisan brush series! UPDATE: I have to up it to a 5. I love this brush. It's so fluffy, soft, yet small enough to apply color where I need it.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Prada - Infusion d'iris edp
ccmadamoiselle 11/22/2007 3:48:00 PM
Whenever I think of Prada, I think of the heavy patchouli musk of Prada EDP. Prada's Infusion D'Iris has different notes, but is similarly bold and forward-thinking in that it's not a fruit cocktail, a flower garden, or a muffin. (No offense - I own fragrances in those categories, too! lol) I am told that what sets this perfume apart is the Iris. Whatever it is, it sparkles. Love it! I also got the body lotion, which is very moisturizing and is a perfect match for the perfume.
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Fragrances -Fendi - Palazzo
ccmadamoiselle 11/20/2007 10:19:00 PM
I normally alternate between a sparkling, clean scent (Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Prada Infusion D'Iris) or warm, wintery confection (Flowerbomb, Hanae Mori) scent. Fendi Palazzo is one of these. It's soft, floral and soapy without being sharp. Very comforting and nostalgic- old-world elegance with understated sophistication. ? UPDATE: Okay, I definitely smell the "sour candy" at first spritz But the drydown is more mellow, less sweet/sour. About 10-15 minutes later, the scent matches the Fendi Palazzo fragrance strips in the magazines - warm, enveloping. This is a perfume I'd spritz and walk through, or spritz on my hair brush and brush through, but not spray directly on my skin. Excellent lasting power on me. Glad I got to try it from Neiman Marcus Ooh La Luxe GWP event. :)
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Lipstick -Giorgio Armani - Black Gem Shine Lipstick 2007 - #39
ccmadamoiselle 11/18/2007 9:02:00 PM
Armani's Black Gem Shine lipstick in sahde #39, released for Winter/Holiday 2007, is a gorgeous glossy pink nude with a silvery sheen. When I saw the silvery overspray, I was concerned that this lippie would wipe me out. But, because of the high shine, creamy formula, my natural lip color shows through as a pearly pink nude. The finish is "wet" and feels weightless. This LE lipstick tube comes with the black embossed flowers on the tube and black crystals on the base. A black velvet sleeve is included. The quality of this lipstick is outstanding.
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Palettes -Giorgio Armani - Black Gem Palette for Face 2007 - Dark
ccmadamoiselle 11/18/2007 8:46:00 PM
Armani's Black Gem Palette for Face, released for Winter/Holiday 2007, should be renamed Luxe in a Box! When I first heard about the $95 price tag, I thought you'd have to be crazy to buy it. But, the two-tiered sturdy compact has the pretty black flower design and little black crystals on the lid. You get three products. I'll describe the shades in the "Dark" palette: Cream-to-powder blush (0.24 oz): *Pale* rose pink with fine iridescent shimmer (think less pink version of Nars Penny Lane-- and glowy). I love that this cream blush dries to a powder so it blends seamlessly with the powder bronzer and highlight in the compact. Bronzer+Highlight (0.35 oz): The cool bronzer (dead-ringer for BECCA Odette Pressed Shimmer Powder) and sandy highlight is beautiful swirled together or used separately. The overall look is naturally sculpted and glowy. Very pretty for winter, when you don't necessarily want to look orangey tan. Is it HG? Probably not at $95. But if you are new to Armani and want to try their cream blushes, bronzers and highlight, this is a pretty nice splurge-worthy place to start. (I am a MAC C3 and would not recommend this "Dark" palette for deeper skin tones.)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No