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2013 Readers’ Choice Awards – Nominations
NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN! Starting today, you can nominate your favorite brands and products for our annual Readers’ Choice Awards here. These awards are 100% decided by readers, as readers honor and recognize the best beauty brands and products. The nomination process allows readers to write-in their favorites, and the top 10-15 in each category move to the short list. I can’t emphasize how important it is to send in your nominations, because often the difference between making the short list and not is a handful of votes. You may nominate for as many or as few categories as you feel comfortable with but you can only make one nomination per category. 
Nominations will be collected through December 26th, 2012. Voting will open on December 29th, 2012 (approximately). You can check out last year’s winners here.
Long-time readers may remember that from time to time, I would hold “Ask Temptalia” sessions, which were open Q&A sessions where I would take questions from readers about all sorts of things–from blogging to recommendations to dupes to education and everything in-between. It’s a great way for me to interact with readers on one-on-one basis, answer any questions you may have, and the like. I’ll keep this post open and answer any questions for a few hours tonight I also encourage readers to chime in with an answer of their own!
Edit at 9:47 AM PST: Thanks for an amazing Q&A session! I’ve answered all outstanding questions and have closed the post to comments, but you can still read them!
Celebrate 31 Days of Caudalie Cheer!
Caudalie is hosting the 31 Days of Caudalie Cheer Sweepstakes, which kicked off on December 2nd and will last through December 31st. Throughout December, Caudalie will reveal the prize for the day, and there will be two winners for each daily prize. So far, prizes up for grabs have included Hand and Nail Cream ($19), Fresh Fragrance Gift Set ($36), and Fresh Fragrance Zeste de Vigne ($36), and today’s giveaway is for Vine Body Butter ($26). There are many more prizes to be given away over the next few weeks!
To be eligible to enter, you must be a legal resident of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 or older on date of entry. To enter, simply go to Caudalie, click on the current date on the holiday calendar, which will reveal the prize for the day and entry form. For full rules, see them here.
A little birdie said you’ll want to be sure to stop by and check out December 10th’s prize, which is sure to be exciting! Here’s hoping they’ll be giving away their Divine Oil–I have heard fantastic things about it! (Did you know that for every Divine Oil purchased, one tree is planted?)
EXCLUSIVE! Caudalie is giving Temptalia readers 15% off ANY order now through December 9th with code TEMPT12!
Caudalie began in 1993 after Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas met Dr. Vercauteren, a global expert on grapevine Polyphenols. Together, they learned about the power of antioxidants found on grapevines, and then worked to develop a skincare range that took advantage of the beneficial effects of Grape-seed Polyphenols. One of the brand’s philosophies is to create products that use the maximum amount of natural ingredients while respecting the environment and minimizing the use of preservatives (you’ll find no jars at Caudalie!). They’re also committed to such initiatives as 1% for the planet and reduction of waste by using recycled materials for their packaging and sales materials.
bareMinerals The Rare Find Eyeshadow Quad
A Dream in Earth Tones
bareMinerals The Rare Find Eyeshadow Quad ($30.00 for 0.20 oz.) includes four shades: Lost for Words (neutral beige), Surreal (shimmering pale gold), Eureka (metallic moss), and Frisson (rusty auburn).
Lost for Words is a neutral medium beige with a mostly matte finish. It had good color payoff, and while finely-milled and soft to the touch, it was a smidgen powdery. MAC Arena is darker, warmer, and shimmery. Urban Decay Naked is darker, browner. MAC Brule is lighter.
Surreal is a yellowed gold with a metallic, frosted finish. The shade had lovely, full coverage color, and it was very soft, buttery, and smooth. L’Oreal Gold Imperial is less orange. L’Oreal Eternal Sunshine is comparable. Tarina Tarantino Mr. Gold is similar. Bare Minerals Remix is less orange. Chanel Blazing Gold is yellower.
Eureka is an olive green with a frosted finish. It was insanely pigmented–so much lush color–and was soft, smooth, and buttery. theBalm Lead Zeppelin is darker, less frosted. theBalm Wocka, Wocka is more olive. bareMinerals Spectacular is lighter and has more of a sheen. MAC Sumptuous Olive is lighter. Inglot #433 is more golden. Inglot #419 is darker, greener.
Frisson is a rusted brown-red with orange undertones and a satiny-matte finish. The pigmentation was out of this world, so a little goes a long way. theBalm Racy Kacy is darker and shimmery. MAC Soft Brown is lighter, less red-toned. Guerlain Les Fauves is more orange. Guerlain Turandot is very similar, less matte.
If you’ve been on the hunt for an earthy palette of colors, The Rare Find is an excellent option! It’s a very warm-toned set of shades, so it will be particularly flattering on complexions with yellow undertones. All four shades had stellar color payoff, and the only downside was that Lost for Words was just a tiny bit powdery in texture, which did not inhibit the wear or pigmentation. I wore the four shades together, and they lasted eight hours without a primer–no creasing or fading at all!
The texture of bareMinerals’ Ready formula is incredibly soft, finely-milled, and dense. It feels like butter, because it’s so smooth. Every time a new palette comes out and I try it, I’m impressed all over again, which is a very, very rare find indeed.
The Glossover
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bareMinerals The Rare Find Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos, Swatches
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| If you've been on the hunt for an earthy palette of colors, The Rare Find is an excellent option! It's a very warm-toned set of shades, so it will be particularly flattering on complexions with yellow undertones. | |
Product9.5/10 Pigmentation10/10 Texture9.5/10 Longevity10/10 Application5/5 |
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| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
See more photos & swatches! Continue reading →
Zoya Storm Nail Lacquer
A Galaxy of Color
Zoya Storm Nail Lacquer ($8.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “full coverage, holiday black with a high concentration of micro-fine diamond holographic glitter.” It’s a rich, inky black cream with holographic sparkle. The shimmer and sparkle look multi-sized to me, and almost like flecks for some of the colors. While it seems similar to Illamasqua Creator, this shade doesn’t have any of the holographic shimmer, so it is just silver sparkle and shimmer–the effect is similar but if you really want the holographic aspect, you won’t find it there. The same is true with NARS Night Breed. Cult Nails I Got Distracted is closer, but it has large green-teal flecks as well.
This shade was fully opaque after two coats, and it applied beautifully! The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, so I didn’t experience any bubbling or pooling of the polish along the edges of my nails. There’s plenty of shimmer, and it disperses and spreads evenly. I typically get a week of wear with Zoya’s polish with no chipping and just minor tip wear.
The Glossover
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Zoya Storm Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches
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| I think it's actually the richness and depth of the black base that really makes the holographic shimmer and flecks sing! | |
Product10/10 Pigmentation10/10 Texture10/10 Longevity9/10 Application5/5 |
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| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
