Blush -Bobbi Brown - Tawny Powder Blush
DivineFemme 11/25/2008 8:32:00 PM
Tawny is my HG natural blush- the closest I've come to replicating my natural cheek color when I blush. I would describe Tawny as a rosy-brown color, with a bit more pink than brown in it.
Price is decent, around $22 for .11oz/3.2g. What really makes this blush worth it to me is not just that it's pretty on, but that it really lasts! Before trying Bobbi Brown's powder blushes, my favorite was Nars. I still love my Nars blushes (esp. b/c of the unique shades), but I have to say that I'm more impressed with the staying power of BB. I might freshen up my blush once during the day, but it's usually not even necessary.
Because Tawny is so close to my natural blush, I pair this with pretty much any shade of lippie and it works. I tend to use it on days when I want to do very little m/u, or when I'm doing a strong lippie. Some of my fave lippies to pair with it are Nars Stolen Kisses, Bobbi Brown Brownie Pink and also her Brown l/s. Love this blush and will repurchase again and again when needed!
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Blush -Bobbi Brown - Powder Blush - Sand Pink
DivineFemme 11/25/2008 8:23:00 PM
I bought this blush thinking it would be a bit too cool-toned for my NC37 skin, but I was happy to find that I was wrong! Sand Pink is a mauve berry shade, and on me it's the perfect "just in from the cold" blush. I could wear nothing but this blush, and it still brightens up my entire face and just makes me look and feel pretty. It's become a staple in my stash!
Price is decent, around $22 for .11oz/3.2g. What really makes this blush worth it to me is not just that it's pretty on, but that it really lasts! Before trying Bobbi Brown's powder blushes, my favorite was Nars. I still love my Nars blushes (esp. b/c of the unique shades), but I have to say that I'm more impressed with the staying power of BB. I might freshen up my blush once during the day, but it's usually not even necessary.
I love to pair Sand Pink with berry or plum lippies. Some of my faves to wear with it are Nars Captiva l/s, Clinique Black Plum or Black Raspberry l/s, MAC Pop Mode l/g, MAC 5N l/s, and Cover Girl Parfait Shine (from the Queen Latifah collection).
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Concealers -Clinique - All About Eyes Concealer
DivineFemme 11/25/2008 7:46:00 PM
I've been on the concealer HG hunt for ages, and I think I've finally found it! It seems like everything I've tried- Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, MAC, Maybelline Age Rewind, Mary Kay- was just a little bit off. Either the texture was too creamy or too dry, or the coverage was too little or too cakey, or the color wasn't quite right.
But after 2 months of using All About Eyes, I'm very pleased with the product. The Medium Petal shade is a fabulous match for my NC37 skintone. I'm currently using Laura Mercier's Oil-free Tinted Moisturizer in Sand as my daily foundation, and I use it first. Then I use the AAE concealer on my undereye area, and my face looks flawless.
I like that this concealer is thick enough that I don't have to use a ton, but it never gets dry or cakey on me. It stays well throughout the day, and I don't have to reapply, which is a complaint I had about other concealers I've tried.
So my quest has ended! I'm thrilled with this concealer and I find the price- about $15 for .33 fluid oz./10ml- very reasonable. I also like this concealer comes in a squeeze tube vs. a pot or a wanded tube, b/c it's more hygenic. I will def. be re-buying this concealer!
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Blush -Clinique - Blushwear Cream Stick Shy Blush
DivineFemme 8/8/2008 4:23:00 AM
I had no interest in buying a blush stick when I went to the Clinique counter last week; I went in for something else. But I got distracted by all the new goodies, and ended up swatching this out of curiousity. I actually gasped when I did...it was so creamy and was the loveliest shade of pinky-brown! I didn't even bother trying it on. I bought it right then and there!
Having played with it for the last week, I can safely say that my impulse buy was a good one! I'm 100% impressed by this product. It is so creamy, but not at all greasy. It goes on smoothly and blends like a dream. The SA recommended that I either put a bit on the back of my hand and then apply it with my fingers, or take a brush directly to the stick. Instead, I apply the stick directly to my cheek and then blend with my MAC 188. It doesn't even take a lot of blending to get this blush to look natural; it almost seems to blend itself!
As for the color, it's a pinkish-brown and with the teensiest bit of gold shimmer. I actually thought it was matte, for the whole week that I've been using it, until I just now looked closely at the tube in good lighting. I see the gold shimmer in the tube and when I do a swatch on my arm, but when it's on my cheeks, I don't notice the shimmer at all.
Staying power is pretty good. I reapply this once, maybe twice, if it's a long day. (I often put on my m/u before 9am and don't take it off until after midnight!) A few days ago, I put this on and then layered just a wee bit of Nars Dolce Vita blush on top, and it was simply gorgeous!
This little blush stick has the potential to knock all of my others out of the water! I wear cream blushes fairly often, maybe 4 days a week. I have BB pot rouges and Stila Convertible Colors, as well as Becca and Nars cream blushes. I like the others, but the creaminess and blendability of this blush stick is better. I'm dying to go back to try the other colors now!
For reference, I have NC37 skin.
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Lipstick -MAC - Slimshine in Ultra-Elegant
DivineFemme 8/8/2008 4:00:00 AM
I just love the Slimshine formula! They are incredibly moisturizing, to the point that I don't even have to use a lip balm before I use it. Of course the downfall to this creaminess is that you have to reapply often. For me, it's worth the effort for a lippie that feels and looks this great.
On me, Ultra-Elegant is a peachy nude with a bit of glowiness to it. I love that this l/s is so foolproof on me, I can apply it without even looking in the mirror. I had a hard time finding a nude lippie that worked on my lips that didn't make me look drab. I have NC37 skin and pigmented lips, and many of the suggestions I got on the boards just didn't work for me- Hue, Jubilee, Freckletone, etc. I was thrilled to find UE and it is the first lippie I've "hit tube" on, ever!
I will continue to buy this; it's become a staple in my stash!
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Palettes -Cat Cosmetics - Adopt Me
DivineFemme 8/8/2008 3:53:00 AM
Overall, this is a great little palette, with a few caveats. But first, the positive...b/c, to me, what I love about the Adopt Me palette far outweighs my complaints.
As the other reviewers described, this palette is made up of a blush duo, a full-sized e/s that can also be used as a blush, and an e/s duo. The blush duo is my favorite part of the kit. I like to use Lucy (the brown/peach) blush as a light bronzer with a bit of Cally (the coral blush) as a blush. Both of these are very well-pigmented, esp. Cally!
The full-sized color called Tiffany works best on my NC37 skin as an e/s. I use it as a wash for a very simple but pretty eye. I also use Tiffany to tone down a blush that I've applied too heavily; it works great for this! (On my skintone, it doesn't show up well as a blush on its own.)
The e/s duo is one of my disapointments with this palette. I find the shades a bit too sheer for my liking. I actually like sheer e/s, but these just aren't pigmented enough, esp. considering how pigmented, soft, and blendable the e/s in the Hello Gorgeous palette are. I was expecting the same quality from these, and while the Tiffany e/s lived up to my expectation, the duo did not.
My other complaint- a minor one- is that it's very hard to use the duo blushes separately, b/c the pan is so small. So I use my travel-sized blush brush with these. Not a huge deal, but def. something you want to consider before you buy this!
Despite these 2 issues, I still consider this palette among my favorites. It's such a quick and easy look to pull together, and the price (currently $25) is well worth it to me. I will probably replace the duo e/s with another Cat e/s or blush in the future.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Stila - Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer
DivineFemme 8/8/2008 3:29:00 AM
I can't believe I've been using this for almost 6 months and have just gotten around to reviewing it! I got this in the Best of Stila set from Ulta, which was an amazing deal in which you got 5 or 6 full-sized products for $40. But even if I had paid full price for this t/m (currently $32 at Sephora), it would've been worth it.
This is *the*perfect t/m if you want very sheer, glowy coverage. But def. be sure that sheer is what you're going for, b/c this is the ultimate in sheer coverage. I use this on days when my skin looks fantastic, and I just don't need extra coverage, or on the weekends when I want to look pulled together but not overly done. It's become my Saturday no-brainer to use this t/m, concealer, a cream blush, a matte shadow, and a tinted lip balm. I can do that FOTD in 5 minutes and look fabulous.
Despite the sheerness of this product, you def. get a great glow. It's not overly shimmery or OTT at all; it's a very pretty, natural effect. I use either Laura Mercier's Mineralized Finishing powder or MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish Natural to set my m/u when I use this t/m.
For reference, I am NC37 and am using shade #1 b/c that's what came in the Ulta kit. I probably should be using shade #2, but this t/m is so sheer that I honestly don't think it would make a huge difference. When it's time to re-buy (and I will def. be re-buying!), I will check out shade #2 to see if there's any difference. Highly recommend this t/m!
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Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Baked Earth
DivineFemme 6/26/2008 6:55:00 PM
This is a lovely terracotta blush that gives a sunkissed look to my NC37 skin.I have been pleased with all of the WnW blushes, but this is my fave of the lot. I am loving this blush for summer, or used very lightly in the winter for a bit of color. I've also used it as a bronzer and it works beautifully. I'm impressed with the staying power as well. Okay, the packaging does leave a little to be desired, but for $1.99 I can't complain. If it breaks, I'll just go buy another!
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Lip Gloss -MAC - c-thru lipglass
DivineFemme 5/30/2008 12:31:00 PM
C-Thru is a very pale, milky-beige/cream gloss. It looks lovely over many of my lippies, when I want to tone down the color a bit, but I especially like C-Thru on its own. I have pigmented lips and this color is very flattering, though not quite nude. I'm generally pleased with MAC lipglasses and find them reasonably priced. However, I will not be buying C-Thru again simply because its drugstore dupe, Milani Crystal gloss in Secret, is a overall a better l/g than C-Thru and is only about $3.50 a pop! I liked C-Thru just fine until I tried Secret, which goes on more smoothly and evenly, has the same nice vanilla scent, and is quite a bit more moisturizing. I'm forcing myself to use up C-Thru, however, since I did pay $14 for it! ;)
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Lipstick -MAC - Matte - Taupe
DivineFemme 5/30/2008 12:22:00 PM
I had just about given up on finding a MLBB lippie from MAC. I had posted for recs numerous times, and had tried at least a dozen lippies that were either too light, too brown, too pink, or made me look ill. I was disappointed, b/c I have a handful of other MAC l/s and was very pleased with them, but I wanted something that would be a fail-safe, grab-and-go daily l/s.
I swapped for Taupe sight unseen, based on the description on MAC's site. What a find for me! Applied lightly, this is MLBB. Layered on a bit more, it's my lips taken up a notch. Gorgeous!
I have mixed feelings, however, on the texture of Taupe. It's a Matte formula, and it's my first time trying a Matte from MAC. The plus is that the color payoff is terrific; most of my MAC lippies are lustres, and sometimes you just want a little more color. The downside is that this formula is more drying...not quite as badly as Bobbi Brown lippies, but I def. notice the difference b/w a Lustre or a Glaze from MAC versus the Matte formula. But it's easy to deal with; I just put on a moisturizing lip balm first and I'm good to go.
Overall, I'm happy with Taupe and will buy again! For reference, I am NC37 with pigmented lips.
Update 8.8.08- I swapped this one. It just wasn't moisturizing enough for me. Amazing color, though, and I'd still rec it if you don't mind MAC's matte formula.
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Blush -NARS - Sin
DivineFemme 5/25/2008 10:55:00 PM
Ah, what can I say about Sin that hasn't already been said by over 500 reviewers before me? Probably not much, but I just had to add my praise to the heap. When I first started using Nars blushes and began a mission to acquire all of the ones that I thought would work for me, Sin wasn't even on the list. I didn't think it would show up on my NC37 skin, and honestly, it didn't look all that appealing in the pan. But I was offered it in a swap, so I decided to take a chance, knowing that Nars blushes are pretty easy to unload if I needed to re-list it for swap. And it arrived, and I fell in love! This is probably the most subtle and natural blush that I own, and it's super-flattering. I actually have to force myself to move on and use some of my others, it's that good. And as always, I'm impressed with the pigmentation of Nars blushes, as well as the staying power.
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Lip Gloss -NARS - Greek Holiday
DivineFemme 5/25/2008 10:49:00 PM
Nars glosses aren't cheap, but I love each one that I have. Greek Holiday is no exception. This peachy/nude-gold gloss has quite a bit of glitter in it, so beware if glitter is not your thing. However, it never seems OTT to me, and I'm not even a glitter fan. Occasionally I wear this alone, but what I really love is to layer just a bit of this gloss over lipstick. It gives you that bit of shine, esp. over matte lippies, and a hint of shimmer. I probably use this gloss 4 days a week, and love how it makes my favorite lipsticks look even prettier! Big yay for Greek Holiday, which I will definitely buy again!
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Palettes -Bobbi Brown - Nude Eye and Lip Palette
DivineFemme 5/25/2008 10:40:00 PM
I bought this back in early March, after the SA gave me a mini-makeover using it. I fell in love with it pretty quickly, and still use it as much now as I did when it was shiny and new, which is not typical for me. (I often use a product a lot when I first purchase it, then move on to the next exciting purchase!) But this palette is a no-brainer for me when I want to look good, but not overdone. Being a stay-at-home-mom, I usually do simple makeup with neutral colors and I can create a pretty, polished, natural look with this palette in no time flat. I am NC37 and yes, the eyeshadows are very subtle. This is definitely not a "ka-pow! look at my m/u!" sort of palette. My favorite of the 4 e/s is Buff, which is a pale taupey-plum with a hint of shimmer. I like to use Naked as an all over wash, then one of the other 2 colors (Bare or Nude) on my lids, with Buff in the crease. But sometimes I switch it up and use Buff on my lids, with one of the other e/s softly blended just above it. I would def. buy Buff e/s again if it were available as a single, and I will probably buy Naked. The lippies are beautiful colors are very flattering on my pigmented lips. Bare is very subtle, so I usually mix it with one of the other colors. Brownie Pink is MLBB, and I liked it well enough that I bought a tube of it. Cocoa is a bit more of a pop of color on me, but still very natural and doable for daytime. Beige is my least favorite of the 4, but still a wearable color to mix with any of the others. (I esp. like to mix these with BB's Brown l/s, which is not part of the kit.) My only complaint about this palette is that BB's l/s is notoriously drying. I had read this before I got the palette but I hoped they wouldn't be as bad as others said. Well, unfortunately, they are! As much as I love the lippies, I can't wear them 2 days in a row or my lips get seriously chapped. It's too bad, b/c BB has great colors and they would be my HG if they weren't so drying. Otherwise, big raves for this palette! Love the packaging that keeps the e/s and lippies seperate and love that the kit includes a mini lip and e/s brush.
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Blush -MAC - Hipness- fafi collection
DivineFemme 5/25/2008 10:15:00 PM
This blush barely showed up on my NC37 skin. I loved the color in the pan, but it didn't show up coral on me at all. It was a barely-there pink, and the staying power wasn't impressive in the least. I had to reapply this blush 4 or 5 times a day, a problem that I never have with my Nars blushes (which I usually don't have to reapply at all, other than Orgasm which I think is due to my skintone). However, the texture of MAC blushes is nice and the price is good, so I'm going ahead and giving this blush 3 lippies. I think it was just the wrong color for my skin.
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Blush -Stila - Peony Convertible Color
DivineFemme 3/16/2008 11:59:00 PM
I got this in the Best of Stila kit from Ulta, and have been very happy with it! It's a lovely, pinky brown shade that is very subtle and flattering on my NC37 olive skin. It's a nice, natural color that I can wear pretty much daily. The texture is nice and it blends very easily on the skin. It's hard to mess this up, IMO. Very useable. The staying powder is okay, but not as great as other cream blushes I've used (BB, Nars). I have to reapp this a few times during the day. I don't wear it on my lips, however, b/c it looks a little too pale and chalky. I have pigmented lips, so it might be more flattering on someone with less pigmentation. I like the packaging; the mirrored compact is both cute and functional. It's slim enough to fit in my tiny m/u bag for touch-ups during the day. I do think it's a little pricey, but it's not outrageous. My fave is Bobbi Brown's pot rouge, and those are the same price with more product. I also noticed that Peony is very, very similar to BB's Stonewashed Pink, which is my HG blush! So I probably won't buy this again. But I answered "yes" to the buy again question, b/c I prob. will spring for a different color at some point! There are a few unique ones!
UPDATE 6/26/08- I had to come back and rave about Peony; now that summer is in full swing, this has become my go-to cream blush! It's such an easy blush to swipe on when I'm in a hurry, b/c it always looks great. I love it with a barely-there neutral e/s and Bobbi Brown tinted lip balm in Brown. I've even grown to appreciate the packaging. B/c it's plastic (unlike the BB pot rouges), I can toss it in my m/u bag in my purse and not worry that it will break in transit. Very happy with my Peony! :) I'm still leaving it at 4 lippies, though, b/c the staying power isn't quite as good as other cream blushes, IMO.
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