Earth to Earth, Grand Duo, Hot Planet
Swatches for the new Grand Duos Mineralize Blush Duos! All swatches are of marbelized side first, then the solid side next to it on the right. If you want to see photos, please refer to this post.
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Earth to Earth
Close-ups of the Grand Duos mineralized blushes 
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Earth to Earth
MAC Grand Duos Collection debuts tomorrow in-store, but it was launched online just yesterday. Looks like lots of you are heading to stores tomorrow to check the collection out, while a few will be passing in lieu of Sugarsweet on March 19th. Here are some product photos to get you thinkin’ 
Next up will be product close-ups and swatches. Review tonight or tomorrow!
You know the first taste of summer you get, how it’s just so sweet? California’s been having a few of those days lately–sun’s shining, skies are blue, and there’s just enough warmth to make you forget about spring. (Though technically, spring has only just begun… but shh!) China Glaze’s Summer Days polish collection is very much like a bright, sunny day to bring you warmth during your winter-spillover-into-spring.
The colors are all glittering, shimmering specimens of colors that represent lazy days by the pool, flip flops, and having some fun in the sun. All of them apply well and have good color pigmentation–none requiring more than two coats for even, opaque color. With all that shimmer, you won’t even feel it; nails are left smooth to the touch but they just sparkle, especially in the sun.
Watermelon Rind is a green-based teal, with softer teal glittering shimmer. Though the name is fitting for the season, it’s really not the color that comes to mind when I think of watermelon rinds (which is a brighter pop of green).
Grape Juice is a light purple-lilac kind of color. It has almost silvery-shimmer, which makes the color a little more spunky than if it was more similarly colored.
Strawberry Fields is a gorgeous shade of medium-to-dark pink base with gold shimmer. This is THE color to get out of the six (in my opinion!). It’s SO summer, and the way the gold shimmer reflects and dances in the light is phenomenal.
Cherry Pie is an orangey-red color with shimmer. This color didn’t strike me like the others; it’s pretty, but it didn’t do anything for me, you know?
Orange Marmalade is very much like its name: an orangey base with orangey-gold shimmer sparkles. Very pigmented and bold.
Raspberry Festival is a deeper red, seems blue-based to me. It’s not quite as berry as a true raspberry color, but I do like this more than Cherry Pie. (I actually would have thought this one would be named Cherry Pie.)
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Marco Santini pictured on the right (in blue)
Marco Santini is the co-founder of Ion Studio, and he has been in the beauty industry since 1986 (that’s the year I was born!). Ion Studio recently opened up in 2008, and it is Manhattan’s first green salon–it used recycled and eco-friendly building materials and it is powered by wind.
“There is magic behind a good haircut,” says Marco of the switch. “Very few things can make a person feel as beautiful and confident, and I have yet to find something more rewarding than styling.”
Marco shared these awesome how-tos on getting the best curls at home for Temptalia readers:
Hair How-to: Waves
To create Botticelli waves, prep damp hair with a product like Davines Defining Texturizer to help hold the curl. Dry hair completely. Facing the mirror, hold a one inch medium-sized curling iron with the tip of the iron facing down. Take large sections and twist hair around the iron, rolling the sections of hair perfectly down to the end. Hold each section around the iron for 20 seconds. After each section, use a mild hairspray like Davines Defining Invisible Hairspray. When all of the sections are complete, use a soft brush to brush out the curls. This will soften curls, achieving a more natural wave.
Hair How-to: Spiral Curls
To create spiral curls, make sure to have hair pins close by. Separate hair in large sections from the hairline at the neck to the middle of the ear and from temple to temple. Hold the curling iron with the tip facing upwards towards your head, take a small piece of hair from one of the sections. Use the blade of the iron to hold the hair in place while you wrap each section around the iron. Let the hair set on the iron for 20 seconds. When it is done, keep the curl intact by pinning the section close to the scalp. Repeat this technique until all sections are complete. When you’re finished with all of the sections, remove the pins. Run your fingers through the tights spirals to loosen them up. Flip your head upside down while shaking the curls. This will add volume to the top and defined spiral curls throughout the head.
Kitty Kouture is a short but sweet collection, and it will rob you blind after you take one look at all of the Swarovski crystals on the blinged out compact. For those wondering, the bling-bling kitty chain on the dazzleglasses is removable. The packaging for the dazzleglasses is well-done with black box packaging with a glittery kitty on the outside (not Swarovski crystals!). The kitty charm has a clear plastic sheet overlayed on the front and back, to only be removed if you want to reduce the value ;P
The compact is silver with plenty of Swarovski crystals, and inside is the sheer mystery powder. I’m not a big fan of the sheer mystery powder; it just doesn’t do anything for me. It’s like a subpar to average pressed powder. I also find the shade range very limiting–Medium Plus is too dark but Light Medium is too light! I overheard a lot of people are getting Dark Secret–I’m thinking maybe people are going to contour with it instead. I really see this compact as a collector’s item, and by that, I do mean Hello Kitty collector’s item.
Kitty Kouture is a sheer, glittery/shimmery milky pink shade. It’s really not going to give you a ton of color, but it is pretty and catches the eye. I would say of the two dazzleglasses from KK, this is the one that dazzled me the most. (Oh, punny.)
Dazzlepuss is a slightly darker, deeper pink–kind of like a medium pink–with just as much glitter in it. It has more color to it in the swatch, but it’s still very sheer on the lips. This one may show up as a light pink tint if your lips aren’t too pigmented.
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