green beauty: 100% Pure Color Cosmetics

there's nothing i love better than knowing products i use are natural and good for my skin. while i realize that my fondness obsession love of beauty products means i won't always be using natural ingredients, i am always thrilled when i either find and purchase or am given the opportunity to try new green beauty goodies {in this case, the brand sent me products}.

the items i refer to are from 100% Pure, and let me say darlings, they are yummy, yummy.

i have reviewed the Tinted Moisturizer in the past, and this time i was able to try all the gorgeousness that came along with the luminous primer, fruit pigmented pot rouge {Rosy}, satin eye shadow {Halo} and flawless skin foundation {Toffee}.

by now, you've probably guessed that i am loving these products...

truly, it amazes me that these products are so incredibly pigmented and work as well, if not even better than a lot of chemical-filled products. i love that the primer left my skin feeling silky soft and the foundation is buildable, providing the coverage i wanted, where i wanted it. the shadow is as soft as satin, just at the name suggests and the pot rouge {isn't that such a fabulous, classic word? rouge...love it!} gave my cheeks the perfect flush of color right where i applied it.

another fabulous thing about 100% Pure products is that they're loaded with antioxidants and skin-loving ingredients {fruits, teas, vitamins} that help skin on a deeper level, hence the smile on my face! ;)

visit their website, 100percentpure.com, and discover for yourself these, and many other {like their body lotions!!} gems...

pics taken by me :)

Revlon ColorStay Sophisticated Grays Eye Collection

happy monday, beauties! hope you enjoyed a fabulous holiday weekend. did you get any yummy makeup and beauty goodies?

i received a few gems, but the one shadow palette i have been using a lot these days comes by way of a trip to Target i took a few weeks ago.



this Revlon ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Sterling Rose came with a ColorStay Eyeliner and was packaged as the Sophisticated Grays Collection. i was drawn to the classic shades because they're perfect for this season and beyond. three of the shades are pretty light, and all of the shades have a sheen to them, but i love mixing and matching the colors-- day to night looks are effortless!



i'm a huge fan of Revlon ColorStay eyeshadows and these didn't disappoint. the pigments of each shadow are good with fab blendability and wear. each color is classic and will easily transition into spring. the liner is mechanical (perfect for waterline application), and stays put all day!

Revlon is available at your favorite drug and mass retailers. be sure to visit revlon.com for more info.

xo
pics taken by me :)

MAC 'Going Bananas' Eyeshadow from the Dare to Wear Collection

a little over a month ago, i took the plunge and bought an eyeshadow color i never thought i'd wear. i had heard some good things about it, and, being the makeup junkie i am, was content with the idea of just collecting another LE eyeshadow from MAC if i didn't like the way it looked on me. the great thing is, it actually does look good and i love wearing it!

the color i'm talking about is called Going Bananas and it was one of many funky, bright shades in the Dare to Wear collection. this bright yellow isn't as bold on the eye as i thought it would be. it's finish is a frost, but not glittery and definitely not matte. on my eyes, it adds a nice pop of color and looks good with any other shade i choose to pair it with (who knew?)



the whole collection:

Dare to Wear Lipglass shades:

Dare to Dare-- light blue pink with multi-pearl
Bold & Brash-- bright red with multi-pearl
Ban This!-- deep purple with multi-pearl
Gimme That!-- bright fuchsia pink with pink pearl
So Bad-- mid-tone coral orange with pink and gold pearl
Wind Me Up-- dirty bronze with pink and gold pearl

Eyeshadows:

Louder, Please-- bright fuchsia (matte)
Free to Be-- creamy true coral (matte)
Going Bananas-- soft lemon yellow (frost)
Lime-- lime green (matte)
Sassy Grass-- bright grass green (matte)
Atlantic Blue-- bright violet blue (matte)
Crazy Cool-- pale frosty lavender (veluxe pearl)
Shock-a-holic-- deep purple (matte)
Aqua-- subdued, pale greyed aqua (matte)
Sky Blue-- robin's egg blue (frost)
Winkle-- mid-tone cornflower blue (satin)
Zingy-- bright sky blue (matte)

Dare to Wear is still available online (maccosmetics.com), but not much longer. if you're like me and sometimes procrastinate, you'll be happy to know that there still just maight be products left in stock at your local MAC even if there isn't a display out (trust me, i've done this many times in the past). :)

xo
pics taken by me :)

product craving: Urban Decay Naked Palette

i know i'm not the only one who wants the new Urban Decay Naked Palette. why? because it keeps selling out within seconds of becoming available again!

i'm totally kicking myself: i had my chance to order it via sephora.com** a little over a week ago (my local store sold out and won't be getting any replacements-- see the photo below, LOL!), but missed it-- now i have to wait again...



in any case, you'll find in this palette 12 full size eyeshadows in shades ranging from a pale champagne to a gorgeous deep charcoal. you'll also find a double-ended 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black) and Whiskey (brown), as well as a mini Primer Potion.

shadows include:

Virgin-- nude satin
Sin-- champagne shimmer
Naked-- buff matte
Sidecar-- beige sparkle
Buck-- nutmeg matte
Half Baked-- bronze
Smog-- golden brown shimmer
Darkhorse-- bronze-plum shimmer
Toasted-- taupe-bronze
Hustle-- mocha shimmer
Creep-- near-black metallic
Gunmetal-- dark grey metallic


tell me: are you craving this fabulous product like me, or do you already own it?

xo
**i'll keep checking the site daily. as soon as i have it, you'll be the first to know! ;)

My New Beauty Obsessions from Benefit Cosmetics

like you, any new beauty product is so exciting to have and use, but every once and awhile you get your hands on a product and you can't get enough of it. i just happen to have two new products that i am loving from Benefit: Creaseless Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit, and their newest gloss, Ultra Shines Lip Shine in Wild Child.

i can't tell you how happy i am to have these in my beauty life!

i was introduced to these, and other goodies (see the pic above of her train case), by an old friend who just happens to be a makeup artist for Benefit! i was thrilled when i found this out because, while i have some experience with the brand, i always like to learn about products from someone who uses them all the time. so, needless to say, i was able to play with the products, ask lots of questions, and buy what i really liked (there were some other gems i picked too, so you'll be hearing about those soon).



these shadows are fab for the summer season-- the cream formula is super blendable, quickly transforms into a powder finish after being applied, and doesn't budge as the day goes on. they'll also definitely work to take me into the fall/winter season. i'm thinking Birthday Suit will keep my smokey eye looks looking fresh and radiant. :)




the Ultra Shines lippies are so lush and yummy on my lips. they aren't sticky and moisturize fabulously. the Wild Child shade is described as a glimmering amethyst and definitely not a color i would have chosen for myself. in its tube it looks so pretty-- not pink, not purple-- and quite bold, but on my lips is a great sheer-but-bright color. love!


me, wearing Wild Child-- excuse the up-the-nose shot, LOL!

of course, you don't have take my word for it-- discover these for yourself. visit your local Benefit beauty counter and have some fun! you can also find the Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner (available in 12 shades) and Ultra Shines Lip Shines (available in 5 gorgeous colors) online at benefitcosmetics.com and sephora.com.

xo
pics taken by me :)

bareMinerals Liner Shadow in Black Emerald

i was in Macy's with my mom earlier this week and saw the most gorgeous eyeshadow shade. it was bareMinerals Liner Shadow in Black Emerald (as the name implies, it can be used as an eyeliner or worn as an eyeshadow), and wowza! i loved it.

but i didn't buy it.

at least not that day...

since i'm trying not to be such an impulse shopper, i held off on the purchase. but i thought about it all week, so that was my sign that would use it. i have done the same thing in the past and forgotten about a product, so this doesn't always happen.

in any case, you guessed it, i bought it. so here are some pics of me wearing it (well, at least my one eye, LOL). :)


as a liner (applied with a wet liner brush)



with a bit of shadow over the liner (applied with a different, dry brush)



the dramatic eye (i also added black liner to inner rim of my eye)

so pretty, right? i think the results look better in person, but hopefully these are good enough to pique your interest. there are over 45 shades of this versitile product, so i know i'll be adding more of these to my stash.

while we're on the subject of bareMinerals, the brand will be on QVC to debut their "I love BE" set. it's on right now as i type this (sorry, i know i'm late!), but also will be featured at 11am, 3pm and 9pm (eastern) on 1/30/10. this is a huge collection that includes full size products, some exclusive to QVC, so be sure to check it out!

if you have a BE retailer near you, i recommend checking out the Liner Shadows in person, but if you can't, visit sephora.com and bareescentuals.com for more info.

xo