In April, Victoria’s Secret launched their Very Sexy Beauty Collection, which included Diamond Eye Duos ($14.00), Diamond Lip Glimmers ($12.00), and a Diamond Luster Face Powder ($22.00).

I really, really, really LOVED the Diamond Luster Face Powder! It has such a gorgeous design, but when you apply the color to your face, it goes on so smoothly and has just the right pop of pink and peach to add glow to your face. I feel like this is a great product for those who love blush or bronzer or even anyone who is looking for something that is a face pick-me-up. I’m all over anything that gives me a sexy summer glow, and the Luster Face Powder does it flawlessly. The Diamond Lip Glimmers come in three shades, and they’re all lightweight, semi-sheer, and non-sticky. They also have an incredible shimmer to them–not a chunky glitter, but a subtle sheen much like Chanel Glossimers (but way cheaper).  I found that the wear-time for the lip glimmers alone was a respectable three hours or more of normal usage (which does not include eating/drinking).

Get yours at www.victoriassecret.com.

Colored Big Fatty Mascara ($17.00) is Urban Decay’s colored version of their famous Big Fatty mascara.  Colored mascara can be a great way to pop open peepers on lazy days or minimalist days (especially blues/purples).  Wende Zomnir, Urban Decay’s Creative Director, says “A colored mascara is the perfect summer beauty uniform.”  Big Fatty mascara adds decent volume and length to lashes–it’s probably not my favorite mascara formula (Plushlash, love ya!), but I did use it for many months in the past, so obviously it caught my fancy!

• Electric Blue Add a jolt to brown eyes, or light your blue eyes on fire. And against bronzed skin? Mesmerizing.
• Indigo This inky blue, a free-spirited alternative to black, brings a mischievous edge to eyes of any
  shade.
• Purple Haze Lend a violet aura to eyes of every shade, adds richness to brown eyes, or intensifies blues and greens.
• Black Cherry Sexier than basic black, Black Cherry creates a bit of studied mystery to eyes of any color.

Big Buddha Body Brush ($36.00) is a silky soft brush that’s enormous!  It’s one of those brushes that feels so soft to the touch that all you want to do is pet it.  While MAC’s 179 is ridiculously soft, it is also ridiculously expensive.  At $36, the Big Buddha is both the answer to my body brush needs, and the limits of my wallet.  Plus, Good Karma brushes is a cruelty-free line where bristles are synthetic and 100% animal-friendly. 

Want to know what I thought of the rest of Urban Decay’s Summer Launch?  Read the rest of this entry »

Dior’s Goldfever Quint | I love Dior quints for their versatility and how the colors pair so well together.  I’m a sucker for golds, so this quint is especially (well, hell, the whole collection) to my taste.  Subtle summer shimmers will work well for easy day time looks and even for subdued evening eyes.  The gray-mauve and berry-mauve are both deep and dark enough to work as crease colors or to create smoky eyes.  My only complaint is that the level of frost in the finish is a bit high to be universally appealing–I’m okay with it, but I do find that sometimes I’ll opt to use a different color (not from the quint) for highlighting my brow.

See details for Dior’s summer launch here.

Guerlain’s Meteorites Pressed Powder |

See details about Guerlain’s summer launch here.

 Givenchy’s Prismissime Mat & Glow in Harmony #72 | A small compact palette in checkboard style that features nine squares of color.  The first and third columns are matte colors, while the second column consists of shimmery choices.  For summer, Givenchy offers Harmony #71 for fairer complexions, while #72 is for warmer/tanner complexions (like mine).  I like that they’re separated, because it gives you the opportunity to use them alone, rather than together, but because they are also close together, you could also gently sweep a blush brush over it for an all-over color.  The palette can be used on eyes, cheeks, face, or even your decolletage, making it very versatile and multi-tasking.  This gives me a nice light bronze on cheeks, and the shimmer lets me highilght cheekbones precisely or lighten up a deeper summer bronze.

See details about Givenchy’s summer launch here.

Couple more photos… Read the rest of this entry »

DuWop Doubleglow7 ($25.00) is a balm that is made to add a “glow” to your face either under, over, or instead of foundation. It contains vitamins A, E, and F, as well as jojoba and aloe vera. DuWop says that you can use this as a primer by using it underneath makeup or to over to add additional luminousness. I prefer wearing it under makeup rather than over, because I found it was quite solid in the jar, which makes it hard to blend when you have already put your foundation and/or powder on. When used before adding foundation, you can easily blend it into the skin and decide where you want it. I also liked using it on the inner tearducts for a very natural look for everyday wear when I’m just sporting mascara, because it helped to open up and brighten my eyes. I do feel the product is a little pricey, though you certainly won’t run through your product jar quickly–just that I don’t find myself using this everywhere and anywhere. I could never imagine using this instead of foundation with my skin, so maybe if you naturally blessed with flawless or near-flawless skin… you can get away with it.

Clinique’s Long Last Bronze Collection is gorgeous in the colors and hues, but so innovative with new formulations and products that I know you’ll fall in love with.

In April, Clinique will launch 18–yes, EIGHTEEN!–shades of their latest gloss formula Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 ($14.00). The science behind it says that there are “film-formers” that help create a seal to help your gloss stay on for up to eight hours. And you read it right, these glosses contain SPF 15, which means even your lips will be protected by the harmful rays of the sun.

• Nudes: Goldspun, Brandy Twist, Knockout Nude, Sunset
• Taupes: Cabana Crush, Juicy Apple, Bonfire, Guavagold
• Pinks: Clearly Pink, Fireberry, Bamboo Pink, Air Kiss, Kissyfit
• Violets: Mystic, Whisper, Tenderheart, Stellar Plum, Rock Violet

What I love about this new formula is that I can wear this gloss and go through a cup of coffee without much disturbance to my lips. I’m fascinated by how well the gloss does adhere to your lips throughout the day. If you don’t eat/drink, I have no doubt that this gloss will be rockin’ for at least eight hours, if not more. Color pay off will depend on the hue and shade you get, as some are more opaque and others are quite sheer. The glossy sheen you get is amazing, and I just really enjoyed how high-gloss it was. I tried Clearly Pink, Guavagold, Juicy Apple, and Tenderheart, and I really did like all of them. I was actually sporting Juicy Apple to school without a lipstick underneath, because it gave me these lovely pinky lips.

Quick Eyes Cream Shadow ($15.00) is another new product launched this summer that is purported to be a cream shadow that will give you all-day wear without creasing or smudging. Using a combination of water and silicones, it is supposed to dry to a powdery finish to last up to ten hours. It is water resistant, transfer resistant, and crease proof according to Clinique. There will be 9 shades launching this summer: Cocoa Shimmer, Sparkling Nude, Sunlit Palm, Lucky Penny, Starlit Pink, Muffin, Rock Vioilet, Truffle, and Sea Shell.

I used Muffin in a recent look, and I didn’t experience any creasing whatsoever throughout the day. I was honestly a little worried it might, because it is truly like applying a liquid on your eye lid (reminds me of a liquid liner’s viscosity). I do recommend that you go lighter and then build up the color to minimize your chance of overdoing it (which will hinder the product’s effectiveness a bit). The doe-foot applicator does make it easy to get the initial product on your eye, but you’ll need a brush, sponge, or [if you have to] your fingers to blend it out.

But you know what I LOVED from this launch? The Shimmering Tones Golden Bronze powder quad. I didn’t even expect to like this, but it gives me this gorgeous bronzy flush. One quare is a raspberryish red color, which helps give a little bit of color to cheeks while still adding a little bit of bronze. Just absolutely gorgeous on the skin!

Will you be heading to the Clinique counter in April to check these out? I think you should! I know I will be so I can see the other shades of the new glosses and cream shadows since I’ve only had a preview myself.

Find Clinique products at www.clinique.com or at a Clinique counter near you.