You drooled over the promotional images and product shots of Dior’s Impression Cuir collection, slated for Fall 2008.  How about some actual product photos?  Swatches?  Even a bit of a review?  Thought you might be interested!  I was fortunate enough to be able to try out the Impression Cuir Eye Palette, Earth Tones #673 Quint, Pink Drama #559 Rouge Dior Lip Color, and Delicious Plum #675 Creme de Gloss.  But let me preface this review with:  DO NOT MISS IMPRESSION CUIR!  Make sure you give yourself a chance to at least go to your Dior counter and play and test and swatch some products for this fall line.

Impression Cuir Eye Palette (pictured above) is gorgeous.  It is a palette that allures you in with the cool, animal-print texture and its shimmery hues.  While it says it is an eye palette, all I want to do is use this on my cheeks (which I probably will do).  The colors are gorgeous when swirled together, but you could feasibly use them as three separate colors.  I love the way the shades fade subtly into each other.  This is one star product that definitely grabbed my attention and kept it.  The animal-print texture does go in pretty deep, so you’ll see some of it remain for awhile, though it doesn’t go all the way through (but the color does, which is, ultimately, what matters). 

You know you want to see more!  Read the rest of this entry »

In Bobbi Brown’s Fall Mauve palette, it contains three shadows, three lip colors, and one blush.  I’m much more pleased with this palette than say Bobbi Brown’s Nude palette, because the colors show up on me a lot better.  The eyeshadows include Navajo, which seems to make regular appearances in her palettes, and I find it can be a chalky color on my skintone if I don’t use it right (which generally means using it lightly and blending/fading it moreso than normal); Vintage, a gray with mauve undertones color; and Chocolate Mauve, which is like a subdued chocolate shade.  The blush is simply called Mauve, and it is a pinky-mauve tone.  I imagine this particular shade of pinky-mauve is fairly universal.  As for the lip colors, Dusty Mauve is a creamy lip color that goes on incredibly sheer for me; Mauve lip sheer is a little more pigmented, but not too much; and Vintage Mauve is the most pigmented, though still quite creamy and sheer.  If you go heavier with the shadows, these included lip colors will work out, since you can pair the heavy eyes with softer lips.

I much preferred the individual lip colors for this launch, though admittedly, I’ve only tried Heather Mauve (a truly pale, toned down mauve with gray-pink).  I also tried Black Pearl Shimmer Lip Gloss, which is a deep purplish-brown with icy pearl.  Mauve Lip Gloss is a pale, low-sheen purple-mauve.  It’s very opaque, which I like for this particular color.  But the most stunning item from the launch was Bobbi’s Black Mauve Shimmer Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner!  It’s like a black-brown-purple.  I suppose it reminds me of a deeper, darker MAC Nice Vice Paint Pot (which was LE, anyway), but this formula is great for when you need eyeliner that sticks around all day long!

Overall, in my limited experience with Bobbi Brown as a brand, I found this collection more impressive than some of the others (like the Nude Collection).  I feel like these offer pops of color and fun, while still being subtle and appropriate.  I hope that you, like me, will look at Bobbi Brown through a different lens than you would a MAC collection–because the brands are distinctly different and separate!

Anything from Bobbi’s Mauve Collection inspire you?  Will you at least check it out or will you let it pass you by?

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Schick Quattro For Women Razor ($9.19 @ Drugstore.com) puts the disposable razor to shame. The head of the razor has two conditioning strips that contain aloe and vitamin E, and it is probably one of my favorite parts about this genre of razors. You just know your legs will feel just that much smoother when you’re done. I’m sure you figured out that “Quattro” refers to its four blades, which are positioned closely together. But you know why I really liked this razor? Because it comes with a shower hanging doo-dad. There’s a suction cup on one side that you attach to your shower wall, and then the razor hangs in it. Awesome, so awesome. No more razor on the tub sides, precariously positioned! I use this kind of razor on my legs, underarms, etc. (I save disposables for bikini area–only because you want to have a super sharp, brand-new edge all of the time, so disposable is way cheaper). My legs are lovin’ it. By the by, that $9.19 price includes two replacement cartridges, so it’s not a bad deal at all. If you’re a tech geky, check out www.quattroforwomen.com for all the goodness on it.

What razor do you use? Do you just wax? How do you keep your legs smooth and non-Chewbacca-like?

P.S. I know it’s “Friday” for a lot of people, so if you’ve got the Friday jitters, send a friend (or yourself) a dream date courtesy of Shick.  Just head over to www.schickdreamdate.com.  Or enter to win their Dream Date II Sweepstakes!

I recently tried a few products from Verikira Naturals, a new brand I recently learned about. First, let me give you a background on the brand. Verikira Naturals was founded by Kira Peterson with a vision for being an advocate of healthy choices. Founder Kira was diagnosed with a complex muscle illness, and through her journey of learning to manage her health, what she discovered is what she shares in Verikira Naturals. Verikira “never uses synthetic fragrances, unnecessary chemicals, or animal byproducts and only the purest essential oils are used to create the most pleasing of natural aromas and the deepest of therapeutic values.” Every sale of Verikira Naturals results in a donation of a portion of all profits to various non-profit organizations throughout the world.

I tried three products in particular, two of which I enjoyed, but the third I didn’t like in the least bit. The one I liked a lot was their Cucumber Hand & Body Wash, Sink-side ($16.00). The last time I tried anything with Cucumber in the title, it was B&BW Cucumber Melon, which I detested (the scent, at least). However, this is strictly cucumber, and it smells just like it–the scent I tend to associate with salad. So every time I use it in the shower, I feel like I’m making a salad, LOL. Which isn’t a bad thing! What I like about the Sink-side version is that it has a pump, so you can easily get the amount you need. One pump onto a loofah is plenty to keep you cleansed from head to toe. I don’t want my boyfriend stealing this, so I told him it was an exfoliator! (The word “exfoliator” will keep him far, far away.)

The next product I tried from this line was their Soothing Muscle Gel ($16.00). When I am able to con my boyfriend into giving me a massage, I love it when I get a little added bonus through using oils, bars, etc. In the past, we’ve often opted for Lush’s massage bars (love them!). Since I had this on hand, we decided to try it out on some achy muscles. It kind of does this thing where it feels warm, but then not… I know this thing is filled to the brim with essential oils, which presumably are good for you.

The final product I tried was their Honey Bath Body Polish ($38.00), and it is something that will never find a place in my shower. What turned me off of this product was its smell–it reminds me of Chinese Sesame-Honey-Something-Rather Chicken. It’s not really a sweet smell, it’s tangier, and it just doesn’t work for me. I felt like I was in the back of a kitchen over a hot stove. My second issue with this product, which may or may not be consistent across the board, was that the salt (Dead Sea Salt, to be precise!) was stuck and hardened at the bottom. It was more work than I anticipated, because it was a pain in the butt to attempt to mix the honey mixture with the salt whilst showering. Perhaps, if I mixed it in the kitchen using a spoon, it would have gone easier. To be honest, the scent is not one I can jive with, so I didn’t even bother. I do feel that perhaps the salt falling to the bottom may be the result of the product I was sent being too old or something. The texture of the salt, the grit of it, is fine, and I think would work well as a body exfoliator. But give me a different scent, please! (They do, for reference, have two other scrubs, Peppermint & Grapefruit Coffee and Spicy Citrus Walnut.)

Despite my bad experience with the body polish, the other two products I tried keep me having faith in the brand.  Like I said, I’m hoarding my Cucumber Body Wash away from my boyfriend!

For more information, visit www.Verikira.com.

It took me awhile before I was swayed by the abilities of higher end hair dryers. I mean, I had survived for years off of a travel-size hair dryer from some random brand. Granted, I also loathed to dry my super thick and too long hair, so I seldomly did so. Enter the T3 Featherweight. Fell in love with the concept that I could actually blow dry my hair in a whopping five minutes–yes, five minutes!

Eager to try out other brands, I tested out FHI Heat’s Nano Salon Pro 2000 ($270.00), which is a bit more heavy duty than my Featherweight. What I disliked about the Featherweight (mostly the placement of the buttons) is not present in the Nano Salon Pro. I love that there were two speed and three heat settings you could change (plus the cool shot button). Also, unlike the Featherweight, the Nano Salon Pro comes with a diffuser already, which is great. No extra shopping around or trying to find one that works and fits well… (I never bothered to find one, as I’m hair-stupid anyway!)

It dried my hair about as fast as the Featherweight (perhaps a minute or two more), but it definitely impressed me as much as I remember the Featherweight did when I first used it, compared to old school blow dryers. The handle on the Nano Salon Pro is more ergonomic, which is good for my carpal tunnel ridden wrists!

I liked this blow dryer, and it is less expensive than the Featherweight (plus, on sale at Misikko!)–all positives in my book! With the buttons in a place where you’re not always in danger of accidentally turning your dryer off, I think this one is a bit better than the Featherweight. I ended up passing this on to my mom, though, because she blow dries her hair more often and could actually utilize the different heat/speed settings. (Hey, like I said, I’m totally a dunce about hair, so simple is all I really need!)

Find FHI Nano Salon Pro 2000 at www.misikko.com.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a toner person. In fact, I didn’t even know what toner did until I started this blog! Since then, I have learned that adding a toner to your skincare system can be more beneficial than you think. Toners are used to help balance the pH level of your skin after you’ve cleansed it. They also help add moisture so long as they are alcohol-free, when used before applying your moisturizer.

If you’ve been a long-time reader, one of my favorite products is Renee Rouleau’s AHA/BHA Cleanser–it is an absolute staple in my skincare routine, and I would not give this up! (And gah!, I’m almost out!) I recently tried out Renee Rouleau’s Balancing Skin Tonic ($30.50), which is designed for oily/problem skin. RR has six different types of toners formulated for various skin types, which is great because it lets you customize your skincare system a bit more (who doesn’t want that?). The Balancing Skin Tonic helps to reduce acne-related bacteria, manage oiliness, and calm the skin–plus, it’s alcohol-free, so it shouldn’t dry out your skin like some other toners might.

I’ve been trying to include toner in my morning and evening routine, especially when I’ve been wearing a lot of makeup. So far so good. I’m really enjoying the Balancing Skin Tonic after I’ve used my AHA/BHA Cleanser, because it helps make my skin feel moist and refreshed. I also like that it helps take off any last bits of makeup I might have missed during the cleansing process. Best of all? This toner doesn’t dry out my skin (which, now that I’m more beauty-smart, I know is the result of its alcohol-free-ness!).

Now, while I adore my RR cleanser to bits, I can’t say that the toner has miraculously changed my skin or anything. It feels lighter than some other toners I’ve tried, and it does work well when I’ve applied moisturizer while this is still damp on my face (it’s a tip they give you). Maybe I’m not experienced enough in the vast world of toners to determine what makes an amazing toner stand out amongst the rest. What I can say is I think this is a good product, and it does its job–restores my skin’s pH level (assumedly, lol, no pH testing strips here…) and reduces acne-related bacteria.

Find your perfect Renee Realeau Toner at www.reneerouleau.com!

In a world of technology, and being a bit of a product geek myself, when bliss/philips sent over Bikini Perfect (Deluxe Spa Edition) ($59.99), I admired it first in awe, because it looked sleek and practical. Then I admired it because it looked like it could quite easily be a modern day torture device. Seriously, some of those attachments will leave the less hair removal savvy running!

The Bikini Perfect is an at-home grooming system. It features a cordless, rechargeable, shower-friendly trimmer with six attachments. The kit also comes with trial sizes of their body butter & an ingrown-hair exfoliating pad.

• Precision Trimmer: grooms bikini ilne
• Precision Comb: ensures even grooming results (5 length settings)
• Eyebrow Comb: trims entire eyebrow to a uniform length
• Micro Trimmer: shapes/defines/removes brows or a single hair
• Micro Shaver: extra smooth and safe shaver
• Epilator: removes hair by the root

So what did I do? Being the not-so-hair-down-there savvy (hey, I don’t mind the disposable razor technique–gives me the results I want and keeps me bump free!), I went straight for the Epilator attachment. Now, let me tell you that I imagine the epilator attachment is the most painful of the six, because let’s face it, it’s plucking hair entirely, not just trimming or shaving it.

When you first turn the device on, the speed it is spinning/whirring at is downright frightening. I was like, “OH GOD!” when I turned it on, and I looked at myself in the mirror thinking, “Can I really do this? Aww, what the hell!” For as daunting as it seemed, it wasn’t that bad when I was going around the bikini line and whatnot. This is not to say that it was painless. I think my pain tolerance is decent for down there, so the epilator and I got along fine. However, there were a few hairs that got pulled out that made me go, “GOOD GOD!” The pain is akin to plucking out the hair with tweezers–just not as painstakingly slow. I’m trying to build up some courage to try the eyebrow comb, but we’ll see!

For the pricetag, this is a worth-it purchase if you’re into at-home shaving. If you’re a little terrified of having someone else see (or muck around with) your naughty bits, this is a less embarrassing method. If you’re into Brazilians, you’re probably better off getting a wax, since it’s faster (and the pain is probably about the same as with the epilator in THOSE areas). But for those who just want to trim, neaten, and take care of the bikini line–this does a fine job of keeping you looking your swimsuit best!

Learn more about the kit at blissworld.com.

Red by Kiss Perfect Pair ($5.99) is a tweezer and nail clipper set. Prior to trying these delightfully pink tweezers, I have been Tweezerman-snob. I think I have about three pairs of Tweezermans around my house, in various pockets of the apartment. However, Tweezerman tweezers don’t come cheap (I think all of mine were $10 or more). These tweezers look and feel a lot like my more expensive Tweezerman ones, surprisingly enough. I’ve found myself using these for the past few weeks regularly (they’re sitting on my desk, beside my 10x magnifying mirror, ha!), and I haven’t felt the urge to go locate my Tweezerman tweezers either. The nail clipper is kind of cool, because it’ll trap your nail clippings in it, so it creates less of a mess. I felt that the clippers felt a bit flimsy compared to the tweezers, which were sturdy. I’d probably opt just for the tweezers over these particular clippers.

Who do you trust when it comes to your tweezers?

Jane Iredale is a full-line of mineral-based cosmetics. It first was introduced back in 1994, which makes it one of the more established mineral makeup brands available today.

Some products I enjoyed:

Amazing Base SPF 20 ($42.00) is one of Jane Iredale’s signature and best-selling products. It is a loose mineral foundation that gives a good amount of coverage without having oil, talc, dyes, or parabens. It is considered a water-resistant formula. I like that it has a lot of range in the colors it offers, which is always ideal so customers can choose the appropriate tone for themselves. If you’re not so keen on loose powder, think about trying Liquid Minerals ($46.00), which definitely caught my eye (and I hope to try sometime!).

In Touch Cream Blush ($26.00) comes in five shades, all equally gorgeous. I really enjoyed Charisma for its subtle raspberry color. These mineral cream blushes come in a stick form, which makes application incredibly easy, even on the go.

Active Light ($25.00) is an undereye concealer that comes in liquid form–which I think is great. I find that powder concealers never work quite as well as liquid does for me, though I couldn’t really tell you why. I also like that it comes in the form of a pen, which makes it even easier to apply and really get into the areas I need.

Other products you may be interested in: Jane Iredale Sample Kit ($28.00), Moonglow Bronzer ($46.00), 24K Gold Dust Powder ($34.00), Eye Gloss ($15.00), and LipColour SPF 18 ($19.00).

What could they improve on? Their prices seem a bit all over the map–their foundations are $40 or higher, while they have several lip products and staples under $20. I do feel the foundation seems a bit pricey, but I do like Jane Iredale’s overall quality and feel it may be worth it to those who can afford.

Learn more about the brand at www.janeiredale.com.

gloMinerals was founded by Robin silver-McGee, and their mission is to develop mineral makeup using the best quality pharmaceutical-grade ingredients to create excellent makeup that’s good for the skin. gloMinerals is a full line of mineral makeup, from basics to blush to shadows, to even their own skincare range.

Some products I enjoyed:

gloPressed base ($39.00) comes in a bunch of different skin tones, which makes it great for those who need variety and really want to get a good match. This particular product is one of their bestsellers, as it is a pressed foundation with a matte finish. You can also use the gloMatte finishing powder ($33.50) for longer lasting matte coverage or touch-ups.

gloPerfecting Powder ($33.50) is a translucent powder that acts to absorb oil buildup to keep your finish looking matte, rather than shiny or oily throughout the day. Again, it is a pressed powder, which makes it a convenient tool to carry around with you.

gloShimmer brick ($31.50) is a compact that has four different colors that can easily be used individually or together. What I like about the Shimmer brick is that there is a low level of shimmer, so you get more of a subtle sheen than a glitter mess when used to highlight or add depth to cheeks.

Other products you may be interested in: gloBlemish Stick ($18.00), gloLoose base ($37.00), gloFace Primer ($23.00), gloProtective Liquid Foundation ($30.50), gloDust 24K ($36.50), and gloMoist Lip Treatment ($16.00).

What could they improve on? Their prices are steeper than other popular mineral makeup brands, though they do offer a lot of pressed variations in their mineral makeup line. They also do not seem to have any sample kits available, which can make it difficult to purchase online.

Learn more about the brand at www.glominerals.com.

Have you ever used gloMinerals?  What did you think of the brand?