Archived Post
Temptalia's Summer Temptations for July Part II
A week or so ago, I posted twelve items that were threatening to empty my wallet. It seems like we both had a lot of fun discussing our latest lemmings (plus, some of you killed a few for me–thanks, ladies!!). It’s great to hear about products I’m lusting after from those who have already tried them! So here are my twelve latest obsessions, and let me know if something is totally worth it (or is so totally pass worthy). Plus, share your cravings with us, too!
First row…
- Benefit’s Boo Boo Zap! Skin Corrector
($20.00) seems to work like an on-the-spot acne treatment to reduce blemishes when they appear. I’m always up to try something that claims to reduce the healing time of a pimple! Is it any better than the drugstore versions (Neutrogena’s comes to mind), which are already pricey, but still less than Benefit’s? - Bliss Vanilla + Bergamot Body Buff ($36.00) is an item from Bliss I’m wanting right now. I’m looking to add a couple more body scrubs/buffs to my life, and I adore this scent.
- Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Color ($29.50) is just so darling to look at, and it has been catching my eye throughout the past few months. Still haven’t purchased it, though. I don’t know if I’m holding back because I won’t want to use it because of the design.
- Electroflash has me all in a tizzy, because I really don’t know what I’m going to do. I know I don’t like mineralize eyeshadows very much, and even the few I own, I never reach for. But Fresh Green Mix and Sea & Sky call to me. You can shop for your MAC needs at Macys, Nordstrom’s, and of course, MAC Cosmetics. You know me, I’ll be there first thing Thursday morning to get y’all swatches, so I’ll be resisting and hopefully not caving in then!
Second row…
- MAC Dainty Mineralize Blush ($21.00) has me a bit worried. I love blush–I am a self-admitting blush addict! With MAC releasing not one, not two, but NINE brand new blushes in their mineralize form… well, it does not bode well for my wallet. I am going to try VERY hard to pick up only one or two, so I can see how they wear in practice. I have no doubt I will want all of them by swatch alone!
- Laura Mercier Eye Colour Trio in Mauve Sunset ($38.00)
Laura Mercier Eye Colour Trio compliments the mood of the fall season with colors of the sun and sky as the day unwinds and twilight sets in. Each trio contains a highlight, mid-tone and definer shade that together express the essence of the final daylight hour. Combining shimmer and matte shades, the color glides on smoothly and evenly to provide rich pigment and glamorous shine. Crease-resistant and extremely long-wearing, each shade can be used wet or dry to achieve the dusky, subtle smoke that is just right for you. - Estee Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Caramel Truffle ($35.00) comes from Estee Lauder’s Chocolate Decadence collection for Fall (don’t you love how fall launches are available in July?). I think I mentioned that these were compelling! I actually think their caramel swirl powder and glosses look kind of fun, too. I think I will be able to resist this particular temptation, but we shall see!
- MAC Brush Roll ($45.00) is something I need desperately when I travel. My poor brushes get stuffed into my various makeup bags, and sometimes one or two make it so I can’t zip them in, so they dangle out. I’m sure that’s pretty awful for my brushes’ health, so I may need to head out and get a brush roll. I wish I had the sewing prowess to create my own brush roll, but unfortunately, it is not within my skill range.
Third row…
- NARS Aqua Gel Hydrator ($76.00) is pricey, but I adore, ADORE NARS’ Hydrating Moisture Cream (which I am well-behind on raving about in a real review). I really want to try the rest of NARS’ skincare line, because I am so satisfied with the one product I’ve tried thus far. Anyone plunk down the change for this baby find it well worth the pennies?
- Chanel Facettes d’Or in Gold Fever ($50.00) is so gorgeous in person and just to look at. I think I might need to try it on at the counter, rather than purchase and hope to ward off any buyer’s remorse. It’s quite lovely, but I’m not exactly sure if it’ll be nearly so pretty on my cheeks (well, more like, whether it’ll show up and add anything to them).
- MAC Select Tint SPF 15 ($25.00) sounds perfect for my upcoming beach vacation (I think… I get so homesick when I leave, LOL). I’d like to try out some lighter weight foundations for easy application and when I really don’t need to wear Studio Fix Fluid (though I’ll probably end up doing so anyway). Do you have a favorite tinted moisturizer?
- Kiehl’s Brightening Botanical Hydrating Mask ($40.00) was recently launched, and it does seem to have good reviews so far. I’m very interested to see how it will improve my skin, and I hope to get my hands on it soon!
Oh, the MAC Select Tint is my biggest summer temptation! I think about it for weeks now, though I already have a tinted moisturizer that works very good for me, the Clinique sheer tint. It feels lightweight, gives the right amount of coverage and the longer I use it, the better my skin becomes. Maybe the Select tint is even better! Dainty is my favorite of the mineralized blushes, Gentle and Nuance are very nice too.
I just picked up a sample today! I hope it works wlel.
i didnt know that You are such a big fan of blushes Christine 🙂
how did this addiction come around?
i think You are just as crazy about blushes as i am about eyeshadows 🙂
sometimes i feel i HAVE TO own all the shades of grayish blue for example 🙂
there are some days when i am crazy about a color….
Oh, definitely! Not sure how, I just love them very much, even though I tend to stick with the same few and own way too many!
I know MACs brush roll gets horrible reviews on MUA, I don’t remember why but you may want to read that and it may kill your lemming. 🙂
As for electroflash..
You know how some people go shot-for-shot at parties or clubs? We can go.. NO MES for no MES.. lol. I don’t care for any MES either, but I worry that I will end up buying one for whatever reason. I rarely use my eyeshadows that arent in a palette, so I need to remind myself that. We’ll both be good! NO MES!
Oh, I’ll have to check those reviews out, thanks!
I didn’t do so well, two MES 🙁
I feel exactly the same way about Electroflash Christine. I know I didn’t like MES last time they came out but I am exteremly tempted by Sea and Sky and Fresh Green coz they’re so freakin pretty in the pics! I’m also trying very hard to get only one thing from Sonic Chic (but we will see!)
My biggest summer lemmin right now is to collect all the UD 24/7 pencils. I have two of them and really want them all.
Sigh, I caved, got two 🙁
I want more of the 24/7 pencils, too!!
Well in response to your temptations… I’m pretty satisfied with Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, even thought the pricetag is a bit steep. Its lightweight, doesn’t feel greasy, gives minimal coverage (if that’s what you are looking for) & a little goes a long way (which makes the pricetag not so bad). My best friend LOVES MAC’s Select Tint though – its her HG “foundation” actually. You should pick up a sample next time to see if you like it. Or mix your SFF with a little bit of your daily moisturizer & wahlah – you have a lightweight version of SFF.
My current temptations:
– Laura Mercier Brilliant Eye Liner in Violette
– Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Black Mauve Shimmer Ink
– Electro Flash and Sonic Chic (can’t wait to see your swatches tomorrow!!)
– Givenchy Very Irresistable Summer Coctail edp
– UD Big Fatty Colored Mascara in Purple Haze
Thanks for the LM rec 🙂
Big Fatty mascara is cool for colors, though not my fave mascara ever.
I want that Clinique all over bloom too! SOOO pretty!
I know, gah!
The MAC brush roll is a waste of money. The slots are not big enough for the brushes to fit. You have to really jam the brushes into the slots and who wants to do that and take a chance of breaking one. Totally pass on this…
Oh no, that’s terrible!!
a thought on the brush roll…
I bought a plain canvas one from my local craft store for about $8.00…it even came with some brushes in it already (crappy quality brushes, but good for swatching at least). It isn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but has held up fine for light travel and holds even my biggest/thickest handled brushes (187 and badger buffer) fine.
I am going to make myself one someday, but for now, this one works 🙂
Oh, interesting – will have to check into this! Thanks!
I love the Clinique all over contour. It has really nice colors. I use it everyday! I can live without it. 🙂
Oh, thanks 😀 Good to know!
Here’s a review on the things I’ve tried:
Benefit’s Boo Boo Zap: It’s the bomb, pretty much…keep it in your pocket and dab it on periodically through the day and voila! By dinner with your hunny, the boo boo is gone.
Chanel’s Gold Fever: I wore it today…it’s beautiful to look at, and that’s about it. I put it on today in fact and couldn’t see a thing. My fairer skinned friends also put it on and didn’t see anything on their skin either. Perhaps it’s supposed to add warmth to your existing blush or something, I dunno..but I did try and LOVE the new gold Chanel polish. However, it has a pretty hot price tag as well. That mug is 30 bucks. The ‘normal priced’ (19 bucks) silver polish, Kalidescope, in their fall collection is the perfect metallic. The new glossimers in the Chanel fall collection is hot too…check out “Amberlites.” It’s great alone, but adds a warm kick to anything you mix it with.
The Kiehl’s Bright Mask is wonderful…I’m a darker olive tone and at times my skin gets nearly grey looking when dull. The entire Bright Treatment regimen is worth checking out.
Oh, Latia! You are always so helpful 🙂 Thank you for sharing your reviews. I guess I will have to pass on Chanel’s Gold Fever!!
Oh jeeze, I have soooo many beauty lemmings, it’s hard to even remember the names of them all! Plus, in addition to being a beauty addict, I’m also quite a bibliophile AND I’m absolutely obsessed with stationery and paper products. I just spent $150 on a big Borders/Barnes and Noble haul, so I won’t be indulging in any beauty buys for quite some time, but I thought I would throw in my two cents!
I have used Boo-Boo Zap in the past when I was plagued with constant acne in middle/high school. For me, it worked better on blemishes that I had “extracted” (yes, it’s gross and a total beauty sin, but sometimes you just HAVE to pick a blemish in order for it to go away) The Boo-Boo Zap seemed to help the blemish to “dry up” and not scab/scar as badly…but on “fresh” pimples, it didn’t seem to do much for me.
Another suggestion, though. Go to the website SASA.com and look for the Nexcare Acne Dressing patches. It’s a Japanese (I think?) website, so the shipping definitely takes a while, but these little patches are miracles (at least for me!) I don’t know what they’re made of or how they work, but I put one on a big, under-the-skin PMS blemish for two nights in a row and it was dramatically reduced in size and soreness – much more so than it would have been if I had just continued my usual skincare routine.
The best part about the patches is that they’re super cheap and come in a variety of sizes.
I know that Neutrogena used to make “acne patches,” but those are complete jokes compared to the Nexcare ones. I really wish they sold them in the states!
Anywho, just a friendly suggestion! : )
Hey Jessica!
I appreciate the reviews 🙂 I will definitely look into those Nexcare patches!
The Estee Lauder palette looks really awesome to me, too! I saw it the other day and thought “oooh!”
I’m currently lemming:
**Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette
**Mac Powder Blush in Pink Swoon (way, waaaay pinker than any blush I have ever owned, but apparently InStyle mag thinks my coloring would look nice with it, LOL)
**Olay Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Replenishing Night Cream
**Bobbi Brown’s Mauve palette at Nordstrom’s
**New foundation (either Laura Mercier Creme Silk or MUFE’s Matte Velvet)
**Bliss The Youth as We Know It collection
**Some longwearing lipgloss . . . I’ve read good things about MAC Pro longwear, Lorac Co-Stars and the new Clinique longwear gloss (anyone tried them???)
**Redken blue bottle hair care (anti-snap)
Hi AmyLou –
I know I’m not Christine, but yes, the Pink Swoon blush is gorgeous and really sheer, so you can have just a hint of color or build it up for more of a bright “pop.” Definitely worthy of a lemming/splurge!
I adore MAC Pro longwear. Its great for those days when I don’t have time to reapply lipstick. I just do it once and then I can do the clear lipgloss without a mirror anywhere. The only problem I have with any longwear products is they can really dry out the lips, so I try not to use them everyday.
Me too, KyaLyn! They’re so great 🙂 I often wear them when I vacation with my boyfriend – so I can still look pretty in pictures AND kiss him.
I saw it in person yesterday, and it didn’t look as alluring to me, LOL.
Nice list of lemmings!! I love the Clinique longwear glosses!
i cannot stop looking at reviews for mac’s sonic chic, new view and electroflash. i know i don’t want a whole bunch of shimmery stuff so i might skip new view and electroflash but those blushes look soooo pretty, if they have like a satin finish to them, i’m in trouble. christine, i can’t wait for your review, waiting it killing me. i mean i love pictures but describing them is so much helpful as i tend to get the same colors. oh and the stila brush roll isn’t bad at beautycrunch, i think it’s quite cheap. i own one, fits my mac brushes very nicely and i think it looks better than the mac one cause it’s faux leather, easy to clean.
The blushes are amazing!!
My mom has Benefit’s Boo Boo Zap! Skin Corrector, and i tried it on a zit before. It stung, but reduced the zit by a little bit by the next day.
I have a totally better idea for you which is so much cheaper as well. Nexcare has these little acne patches placed directly on the pimple for 8 hours or more. The longer, the better! Obviously for that reason, it’s smart to put it on before you sleep and peel off when you wake up.
Even better, when you peel it off you can see a white spot on the translucent patch where the oil has been absorbed out and feel all weirdly satisfied. 😀
Thanks! Seems like Nexcare is the way to go 🙂
I LOVE NARSskin care line! I love the aqua gel hydrator, it like water that soaks into your skin. If you have any dryness at all this stuff will kill it. I also love the hydrating freshinging lotion, its like a toner, but in gel form, so you feel like its getting to your face instead of being soaked up by the cottonball. When I am in a hurry in the AM, I use this instead of washing my entire face.
I’m glad to hear that there is another NARS skincare fan 😀
BooBooZap is amazing. I swear by it. AndI’ve worked for Benefit Cosmetics for years, so I know the products inside and out 🙂
Thanks, Kate! I will have to look at it. Do they make samples, by any chance?
I’m leaving for a trip soon and I wish I would have thought of purchasing the MAC brush roll sooner!! I’ll be adding it to my wishlist.
I think the vanilla + bergamot scent of the Bliss Body Buff is nice, however I think you’d be better off purchasing the body butter instead because if you’re purchasing it for the scent, the moisturizer’s lingers so much longer. While scrubs are nice, the scent lasts pretty much just for your shower. You can find excellent scrubs (The Body Shop’s come to mind) for less $$ and use those savings to indulge in something that’ll “last” (okay, that pun was kind of intended.)
Thanks for the heads up! I do have their moisturizer, actually 🙂 That’s a great tip, though, for those who want to save some money!