China Glaze Holiday 2010 Part 3 - 'Tis The Season To Be Naughty And Nice

Mistletoe Kisses

Merry Christmas!  I can't believe it's already almost the end of the year.  Where did the year go?  Here is the last part of our China Glaze Holiday collection coverage.  Overall, I really have to applaud China Glaze on making a holiday collection with something for everyone.  Classic reds, super funky glitters, interesting greens and blues, high quality foil metallics!  Keep up the good work! 

Now onto the colors, Mistletoe Kisses is a delicious mint apple jelly glitter.  A few shades lighter than pine but not really a classic holiday green.  A really festive color on the nail that draws a lot of attention, in a good way. 

 Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus is a vibrant punch pink jelly with pink glitter.  When did Mrs. Claus get so flirty?  This shade is so playful and fun.  I would wear this to a holiday party and well into the spring.


Peace on Earth


Peace on Earth is a golden olive green metallic.  I think this is such a lovely, grown-up take on Christmas green. 

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, click on the following links:
Here for Part 1.
Here for Part 2.

My picks from this collection:
Jolly Holly
Mistletoe Kisses
Mrs. Claus
Frosty
Mom Kissing Santa
Party Hearty (stock up)

China Glaze is available at Ulta, Sally Beauty and online at Transdesign.com and Victoria's Nail Supply.

I hope everyone has a really good holiday!  Here is some holiday cheer from me and Marlowe!

"I was a really good elf this year."

"This is one tree I won't pee on... promise."

"I'm Santa's right hand man, dog, elf.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!" 

MAC Cham Pale Paint Pots - Swatches and Review

New Paint Pots from MAC's Cham Pale collection.

I have had an on again off again relationship with Paint Pots.  When they first came out, I LOVED them.  Finally, a color base for eyes that didn't crease!  But then I started to become disenchanted with the overall texture.  Newer, smoother textured products came across on the market, and my Paint Pots sat in a drawer unloved.

When I initially saw this collection, I wasn't that interested in revisiting Paint Pots, but I'm really glad I did!  I can't confirm if anything really changed, but I feel that the texture of these are so much smoother and really glide on versus some of my other PPs (Soft Ochre, Painterly, Bare Study... talking to you).  These limited edition shades are perfect as wear alone eyeshadows or as bases for powder eyeshadow.  I found them rather pigmented and not as "sheer" as other PPs.  Overall, I'm really satisfied with them and happy that I got all four.  I will definitely be using them all!



 
Right to left: Vintage Selection, Let Me Pop, Chilled on Ice, Dangerous Cuvée

 Dangerous Cuvée

Dangerous Cuvée is a soft pale silver grey that is almost taupe-y.  This reminds me of how Shu Uemura ME 945 would be really silvery in certain lights.  It's hard to pick a favorite out of these four, but Dangerous Cuvée is unlike anything I current own.  It's not just silver or just taupe or just grey.  A beautiful foundation for soft, smoky eyes. 


Vintage Selection

Vintage Selection is a soft, shimmery dusty rose.  I know most of you are serious beauty junkies, but for anyone that is a little eye makeup timid, this color is for you (junkies it's for you too).  You could easily sweep this over your lid and set with a soft color over the lid for a very natural look. 

 Let Me Pop


Let Me Pop is a light coppery rose.  This to me is the most versatile out of the four.  I could use this to seriously pack on some seriously vibrant colors or create a soft romantic metallic look.  There are a lot of possibilities with this color!  I'm excited to try them.





Chilled on Ice

Chilled on Ice - soft peachy ecru with gold shimmer.  A basic slightly fleshy off-white.  If you don't have something like this, get this one.  It's a good one.

To Review: 
Pro: Glides on.  Very blendable.  Pigmented and not too sheer. Can be worn alone or as base. 
Con: Limited edition (act fast!).
Overall Beautyburg Rating: A-

Cham Pale launches in stores December 26th.
These Paint Pots are limited edition and $16.50 for 6.5 grams 0.23oz.

Hello Kitty by Sephora - Sneak Peak First Look- Swatches and Review Coming Soon!

Hello Kitty by Sephora Say Hello Palette
I couldn't wait to post a preview of this collection.  Recently Sephora did a 2 day shopping preview for VIBs for their new Hello Kitty collection.  It's full of whimsical packaging and some cute looking shades.  Much of the collection sold out quickly, but I was able to snag a couple items.  The collection officially launches in January!
Say Hello Palette eyeshadow layer (there is a lipgloss one too!)

 Classic Icon Nail Decals!

 Liquid Nail Art in Minty and Blueberry


Are you excited about this line?  Do you still love Hello Kitty?!  Who are your favorite Sanrio characters?

Beautyburg's New Year's Giveaway! Start Off the New Year With A BANG!

Win Us!!

We are starting off the New Year with some fun new stuff for you to win!  We are giving away some hits of 2010!   For a full list, see below.  

Rules are simple.  You just need to fill out the form below.  Start with your email for 1 point and then keep going to earn additional points if you so desire.
A special bonus **five additional points** if you like us on Facebook!

The giveaway ends January 31, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.  This giveaway is open worldwide so please enter.  Winner will be selected at random on February 1, 2011 and will have 48 hours to claim their prize once the winner is announced.


What we're giving away!!!! 

Benefit Coralista blush
China Glaze Party Hearty Nail Polish
China Glaze Oh, Ruby Deer set - with Ruby Deer, Sugar Plums nail polishes
China Glaze Rejoice! Set - Mistletoe Kisses and Mrs. Claus lacquer with holiday candle
Milani Jewel FX in 530 Gems
MAC Blue Ming Nail Lacquer
OPI Burlesque Glimmer & Shimmer Set - Let Me Entertain You and Show It & Glow It lacquers with 1 Body Shimmer
OPI Couture Color 3 Mini Set
OPI Ulta Exclusive in Gift of Gold
OPI Ulta Exclusive in Plum Full of Cheer
Orly Space Cadet
Nars Zulu Nail Polish
Nars Mash Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Xtreme Beauty Kit - with Night Lights
Sephora by OPI 18 Minis Collection
Wet n' Wild Wild Shine in Confetti
Wet n' Wild Megalast Nail Color in Blackmail

Now closed! 
 



Eve Pearl - HD Foundation Review - Before and After

HD Foundation Trio A (Light/Medium)

Unless you are addicted to YouTube channels or you have been to IMATS recently, you most probably have never heard of Eve Pearl.  Eve Pearl, the person, is a five time Emmy award winning makeup artist who has worked on numerous celebrities and personalities for TV and movies.  Eve Pearl, the line, produces some amazingly high quality products with serious skincare ingredients that are made to work for photography and help you look your best.

I was really interested in trying this line after seeing the foundation and concealer pop up again and again on YouTube.  Eve Pearl has her own extensive channel on YouTube.  I highly recommend watching it for pointers and instructions on the products.  There are lots of tutorials that you can benefit from even if you weren't interested in the products. 


I am NC35 (on the MAC shade scale), and from the videos, I felt that I was possibly in between a medium and light in foundations.  I chose this particular trio because I thought it would suit my skin.  HD Foundation Trio A - Light Medium comes with foundations Light 1, Medium 1 and Medium 2.  Price is $50.

If you aren't sure what shade would work for you, Eve Pearl staffers will match you if you email them of photo of yourself.  Here is a link to their contact page.  The line prides itself on having a shade for every face.  Women of color will definitely be happy to see a wide variety of shades in this collection.

Swatches: Light 1, Medium 1, Medium 2.

The foundation literally ***glided*** on my skin.  From watching the videos, I feared that this foundation would be cakey or dry, but I was absolutely wrong.  It applies like a luxurious face cream.  It soaks into the skin, and it doesn't feel heavy at all.  The formula contains anti-oxidants and is free of parabens, mineral oil and petrolatum. I applied with a foundation brush and wet sponge after the methods used by Eve Pearl in her videos.  See my before and after below. 

My Before and After!  Click to enlarge the photo.

Eve Pearl fully understands the blemishes, dark circles and all those things that we would like to keep secret when we show our faces to the world.

Products used:
Eve Pearl HD Foundation Trio - A
Eve Pearl Dual Salmon Concealer and Treatment in Light/Medium
Eve Pearl Au Natural Eye Palette
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow base
Cover Girl Liquiline Blast eyeliner in Brown Blaze
Dior Diorshow mascara in black
MAC Venomous Villains Bite of Apple blush
Dolce and Gabbana lipgloss in Seduction

Happy customer!

To Review:
Eve Pearl HD Foundation
Pros: Luxurious, gliding texture.  Weightless on the skin. Medium to full coverage depending on application method. Paraben, mineral oil and petrolatum free.

Cons: Pricey, but a little goes a LONG way.  Packing on the trio isn't as nice as the standard duo.  Only available online and at a few select retail locations.
Overall Beautyburg Rating: A


 
 My Eve Pearl haul!  More reviews to come!

Eve Pearl Foundations start at $42 and can be found on Eve Pearl's site.

Have you tried this line?  Do you like cream foundations? 

Sugarpill ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadows - Swatches and Review

Open wide - Sugarpill time!

Shouldn't all medicine be this sweet?  I was really excited to place my first Sugarpill order recently.  I have been hearing only amazing things about the quality of their products, and I needed to try for myself.  Sugarpill Cosmetics is an indie line started by Amy Doan early this year.  You may recognize her as Shrinkle from Ebay or Twitter and have seen her really fun Etsy boutique where she sells vintage clothes and handmade, unique items!  Sugarpill is an extension of the aesthetic that Amy brings to the world with her funky vintage finds and designs.  Everything about it makes me happy and  smile.  This stuff is definitely NOT placebo!

My haul (more swatches to come).

I have been on a loose eyeshadow/pigment kick recently, so I will be review Sugarpill's ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadows first.  I purchased 4 shades, and I also got 1 free sample (sorry didn't swatch it).  Most of the color offerings from Sugarpill are vibrant, shimmery and pigmented.  This isn't a line for those that are looking for a "neutral" or "no makeup look," though I do think a lot of these products can be used for both extreme and natural beauty.

Click to enlarge and see ingredients.


Goldilux, dry (left) and wet (right) applied with MAC Mixing Medium.

Goldilux is a delicious gilded anitque warm gold.  Considering that I own literally hundreds, if not thousands, of eyeshadows, I think it's rather telling of how much I like something if I reach for more than 1x a week.  Well, I have used Goldilux several times since I received it.  Applied wet, it makes a gorgeous base for holiday gold looks. 


Magpie


Magpie, dry (left) and wet (right) applied with MAC Mixing Medium.

Magpie is a shimmering cold prussian blue with a steel cast of silver.  This makes a really dramatic and interesting smoky eye. I have also been using this as a simple eyeliner.


Paperdoll

Paperdoll, dry (left) and wet (right) applied with MAC Mixing Medium.


Paperdoll is a soft powdery shimmery lavender when applied dry, but wet, it turns into a deeper lilac purple.  Both are gorgeous!


Weekender, dry (left) and wet (right) applied with MAC Mixing Medium

Weekender is a cool joker purple with tons of shimmer.  I absolutely adore this applied wet!

Overall, I can see what everyone is gushing about.  The pigmentation, texture, application of these loose eyeshadows is definitely on par (or better than) many high end brands.  When I applied wet, I had absolutely no smudging or fading on my super greasy lids.

Let's geek out for a sec and do the math.
MAC Pigments $19.50 for 0.15 oz 4.5 grams = $130 per oz
Sugarpill Cosmetics $12.00 for 0.176oz 5 grams = $ 68.18 per oz

What I also appreciate is the detail that goes into each product design.  Notice how each shade has its own little symbol.  It's small details like this that make this line even more lovable to me.  I am not a doctor, but I think taking Sugarpill once daily definitely couldn't hurt!

ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadows are $12 each and you can purchase them on Sugarpill's site.  

What are your thoughts on this line?  Have you tried it? 



Can't Believe It! I won The Polishaholic's Giveaway! Christmas Comes Early!

 
Wow!!! I can't believe I won!
 
Jen from The Polishaholic had a giveaway a couple weeks ago!  And... to my absolute SHOCK, I won!  When I received the package, I was seriously squealing with glee.  My husband even commented something along the lines of..., "Wow, now that's a nice giveaway."  lol  I really felt that Christmas had come early.  Jen even personalized the package and sent Marlowe some Christmas presents too!  Each gift was wrapped, so I really did feel like it was Christmas morning.  She also included an adorable ornament resembling her dog Degen, who is the yummiest hot dog ever. 

I am so appreciative of the wonderful bloggers who take their time to post and put so much love and effort into their blogs.  I can't believe that they give away stuff to their readers when they give so much of themselves day in and day out on the blog. 

Thank you Jen!  You have really made my and Marlowe's holiday so much brighter this year!

A Degen card and toy for Marlowe.

The boot-tay!

How lucky am I?!  I won - E.L.F. Holiday Trio, Ulta Wicked Wonderland Holiday Mini-Set,
Nicole By OPI Tinsel Tips Mini Set (yay so happy because I didn't have any of these!),
4 Snowman polishes (1 I forgot to photograph.  It was hiding), 1 China Glaze Frosty, 2 adorable ornaments, candy and gifts for Marlowe!!!!!! 

"How did she know I LOVE these!"


"....Love to eat them up that is!!!  Thanks Jen!!!!!!"

Make sure to check out and follow Jen's blog, The Polishaholic!

I am not sure if I can come close to this awesomeness, but I will be having a giveaway soon.... be on the look out!




Your Nails Are Like Buttah - Butter London All Hail The Queen

Butter London - All Hail The Queen

Butter!  I can't think of the combination of butter + nails without bringing to mind one of my favorite Mike Meyers SNL characters Linda Richman, host of Coffee Talk.  Sigh, they just don't make them like that anymore.

Recently, I did a little Butter London haulage of some colors I've been dying to try.  The first I've swatched is All Hail The Queen, a neutral beige taupe with silver holographic shimmer.  This falls into the very difficult and elite category of  interesting yet work appropriate.  I was impressed by the smooth (yes, almost butter-y) application of the polish.  Two coats and I had full coverage.

Butter London nail polishes are $14 each, available at beauty.com and on Butter London's website. 


My recent Butter haul, more swatches to come!



I'm a little faklempt... talk amongst yourselves.

Butter London is neither a spread nor a city... discuss.



China Glaze Holiday 2010 'Tis The Season To Be Naughty And Nice - Part 2 Swatches


Jingle Bells


I know most of you are probably done and done with holiday collections by now, but I had been waiting to get a little closer to the actual holidays to post these.  Moving to the West coast recently, I am finding it difficult to deal with the lack of seasonality here!  I keep waiting for snow to fall, but I will probably have to travel to see that.  So... since the weather won't put me in the holiday spirit, I will have to leave it up to holiday collections!

One of my favorite this year has definitely been by China Glaze.  If you've missed Part 1 of this collection, click here.  I love how they've taken classic Christmas palette of red, green, gold and metallics and turned them into just excellent polishes that exemplify the season.

Jingle Bells - is a warm classic gold.  This is the color of brass jingle bells with their jingle-all-the-way shake, shake, shake.  It's the perfect backdrop for Party Hearty, my official glitter of this holiday season!

Jingle Bells + Party Hearty

Cheers to You

Cheers to You - is a cool frostbite silver metallic.  The application on this and the other metallics of this collection is just superb.  Two coats and you have a smooth opaque finish. 

Cheers to You + Party Hearty

Midnight Kiss


Midnight Kiss - is a lighter, paler gold.  It's less warm than Jingle Bells.  It reminds me more of champagne than brass. I could see this as being more universally flattering on most skintones (vs. Jingle Bells). 

Midnight Kiss + Party Hearty

Mom Kissing Santa


Mom Kissing Santa - is a shimmery cool poinsettia red.  Initially, I was confused and from the promo pics thought that this and Sugar Plums were the same color.  Vastly different!  Sugar Plum is different a cool plum tone with glitter where as Mom Kissing Santa is a striking holiday shimmery red.  I didn't think much of it in the bottle, but I loved it on the nail.  If you are someone that loves holiday shades but finds glitter and metallic frosts too much, I highly recommend this. 

Mom Kissing Santa with Party Hearty 

 
Party Hearty bottle shot.
Do holiday collections put you in a festive mood?  Which are your favorites from this collection?  If you missed Part 1, click here.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Wet Clay - Possibly The World's Most Work Appropriate Color?

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Wet Clay

I had a meeting and wanted to wear something that was rather neutral.  But being a nail junkie, it's hard to get psyched about semi-sheer "your-nail-but-better" shades (e.g. Essie Mademoiselle).   Snoozer!

While going through my neutral shades, I came across Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Wet Clay.  I purchased this earlier this fall (see display below), but it remained untried.  This was one of the colors featured in Tracy Reese's fall runway show, but I have been slow to get to all these shades (more reviews to come).  Wet Clay is a buttery hybrid of gray, nude, mauve and pink.  Two coats and I had a sophisticated neutral mani perfect for the office, business meeting and any situation where you don't want crazy attention on your nails.

Being in a pinch, I actually ended up keeping this mani for my trip to New York.  I was impressed that I basically only suffered minimal tippage after 6 days of wear.  You go Sally Hansen!  You've definitely impressed me once again. 


 
Wet Clay (bottom row, third from the left).
Would you wear this to work?  Do you have favorite work appropriate colors?

Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster Palette - SWATCHED! - Part 5: Pencils, Blushes and Cream Eyeliners! OVERALL REVIEW


Phew!  Can I catch my breath for  second?!  Swatching this entire mother ship of a palette has been exhausting but super fun!  I really wanted to bring you a comprehensive look at this year's Blockbuster offering from Sephora.  These palettes have become somewhat of a holiday tradition and have even started to inspire copycat "blockbusters" from places like Saks and Ulta.

Before I get to my final swatches, I wanted to take a second to review the palette as a whole.

As a product, the value is phenomenal.  You get a lot of makeup, tons of variety and many different kinds of products all for a relatively small price ($48).  But the key words to remember of Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster palette is that it's QUANTITY over quality.

With that in mind, I wouldn't recommend this as a gift or as a purchase for someone who already owns a lot of makeup.  They will be disappointed with the overall quality of products (though I do admit I notice significant improvement from version 1.0 and some earlier models).  However, I was quite impressed with some products, namely the cute iconic tote design, the cream eyeliners, some lip colors, bright cool toned eyeshadows.  While other things, such as the pencils, neutral eyeshadows, applicators and extremely flimsy packaging, were disappointments.  Overall, year of year, serious improvements, though it may not be enough for a makeup junkie like me.

Another positive, that I haven't mentioned before, is that with each purchase comes a lottery ticket for Sephora's Silver Ticket Sweepstakes, a chance to win $1,000 Sephora shopping spree, a one year supply of Sephora Collection products and a $1,000 donation to the Arbor Day Foundation in the winner's name (there are some 2nd prizes too).  However, you don't have to buy a Blockbuster palette to enter.  Click here for details.

What's in the Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster, one last time:

This set contains:
- 98 eyeshadows
- 70 lipglosses
- 6 cream eyeliners
- 2 lip liners
- 3 pencil eyeliners
- 1 mascara
- 3 blushes (one could be used as a bronzer)
- 4 applicators
Limited Edition, $48 at Sephora.

Now, here are the final swatches and see below for a recap of my review:


The pencils - two eyeliners and two lipliners.
These were hard but still somewhat creamy.  Not terrible, but again not great.

3 Blushes - surprisingly pigment, though the texture was chalky and hard.

Cream eyeliners - can also be used as an eyeshadow base color.
These were actually pretty impressive!
Sephora will you make a kit of just these?!

 
The brown was quite nice.
Links to other swatches:
First Look
Warm Eyeshadows
Cool Eyeshadows
Cool Lips
Warm Lips


Summarize the review (the quick and dirty):
Pros: HUGE value. Cute packaging.  Tons of colors. Sweepstakes ticket.  Some pigmented and nice colors.  Better than previous years.
Cons: Flimsy packaging (albeit adorable).  Quantity over quality (some may see this as a PRO).  Mostly soso pigmentation on most colors with hard, chalky texture. 
Overall Rating: B-

Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster Palette - SWATCHED! - Part 4: Warm Lips

 
Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster Palette - Warm Lips

I have to say... swatching this entire palette is a TON of work!  Oh so many colors to go through.  But I knew that this was the gutbuster of all holiday palettes, which probably explains why it's growing popularity as a holiday gift offering from Sephora.  Each year they just seem to get bigger and better.

UPDATE: for swatches of the palette!
Links to other swatches:
First Look
Warm Eyeshadows
Cool Eyeshadows
Cool Lips
Warm Lips
    Again, here is what's inside the Endless Color Blockbuster Palette.  Limited Edition.  $48 at Sephora.
    This set contains:
    - 98 eyeshadows
    - 70 lipglosses
    - 6 cream eyeliners
    - 2 lip liners
    - 3 pencil eyeliners
    - 1 mascara
    - 3 blushes
    - 4 applicators

    Now to the swatches!  There was a nice mix of frost, shimmer, gloss, glitter, metallic, balm and creme finishes.   Many of the lip colors were surprisingly pigmented.  Plenty of room for experimenting.  I liked using some of the colors from Row 1 to give other shades a warm holiday shimmer.  Definitely, feel free to mix up your custom color.  Overall, a good variety, but I wish there had been a few more nude lip shades.

     Row 1

     Row 2

     Row 3

     Row 4

     Row 5

     Row 6

    Row 7

    This palette is all about *quantity* over quality, though the quality isn't terrible.  If you want a show-stopper of a present for someone who likes makeup but doesn't already have a significant stash... this may be the gift to give.

    Are you giving away makeup gifts this season?

    Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster Palette - SWATCHED! - Part 3: Cool Lips

    Cool lip shades from Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster Palette

    It's the palette that doesn't end.  Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster Palette contains 70, they say lip glosses/I say lip colors.  Here is the cool side swatched for you.

    I was pleasantly surprised how pigmented most of these shades were.  Definitely more lipstick than lipgloss.  All of the swatches below were swiped with a q-tip.  The pot itself doesn't allow for much product, but with 70 little pots... that can be a whole lotta lip.

    The textures varied from thick lipstick, satin finish, matte creme, balmy gloss, clear gel-like top coat.  Definitely something for everyone in here.  I loved that there were even some "artist" shades (e.g. the very violet purple and milky white baby pink).

    If you missed the eyeshadow swatches, click here for WARM and click here for COOL.

    Row 1

     Row 2

     Row 3

     Row 4

     Row 5
     Row 6

    Row 7 - mostly clear glosses


    UPDATE: for swatches of the palette!
    Links to other swatches:
    First Look
    Warm Eyeshadows
    Cool Eyeshadows
    Cool Lips
    Warm Lips

    Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster Palette - SWATCHED! - Part 2: Cool Eyeshadows


    If you missed Part 1: Warm Eyeshadows, click here!


    The cool eyeshadows close up.

    So many shades!!

    Sephora's Endless Color Blockbuster Palette is a makeup kit busting at the gut!  For $48, 180 colors seems isn't a bad deal.  Real makeup gurus maybe disappointed with the overall quality (which is okay not good, great, amazing), but those who love makeup but who may not own that many colors will probably love this.  The packaging and design is also hard to turn down.

    When swatching each and every eyeshadow, I really got to test the quality of all 98 colors.  If you want variety, this palette has every shade under the sun.  Mathematically, you could have millions of eyeshadow combinations!  I was actually impressed that some of them had such good color pay-off (especially on the cool side) from the bright shades, but overall, I would say that I wouldn't jump to this palette to be impressive on quality.  The texture of the shadows were hard and sometimes chalky.  The lighter shades were disappointing in texture and

    This is about quantity, not quality, people.  So just keep that in mind.

    Review (Eyeshadows only):
    Pros: A lot of colors and makeup for yo' money.  Bright colors had good color pay-off. 
    Cons: Hard texture.  Washed out neutral shades.

    These two rows were surprisingly pigmented!



    This is where the color started to get more washed-out.

     

      

    UPDATE: for swatches of rest of the palette!
    Links to other swatches:
    First Look
    Warm Eyeshadows
    Cool Eyeshadows
    Cool Lips
    Warm Lips


    Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster Palette - SWATCHED! - Part 1: Warm Eyeshadows

    Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster Palette 2010

    As part of our Holiday Gift Guide, I had done a First Look at this year's Blockbuster Palette offering by Sephora.  For the past few years, this set has become somewhat of staple in the array of beauty holiday gifts.  Year over year the design, colors, packaging and, in my experience, quality has greatly improved.  I'm head over heels for this year's iconic tote bag design, and the cream eyeliners.

    To help with your holiday shopping decisions, I will be swatching this entire palette, all 180 colors!  A reminder of what's in this jumbo palette:

    This set contains:
    - 98 eyeshadows
    - 70 lipglosses
    - 6 cream eyeliners
    - 2 lip liners
    - 3 pencil eyeliners
    - 1 mascara
    - 3 blushes
    - 4 applicators

    Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster Palette, $48 at Sephora stores and Sephora.com

     
    Cool and Warm Eyeshadows.  98 total!






    I will review these eyeshadows when I post the swatches of the cool shades.

     
    The palette is designed to look like the iconic Sephora shopping bag.


    Would you like this as a gift?  Have you ever given it as one?  What do you think about this year's version?

    UPDATE: for swatches of rest of the palette!
    Links to other swatches:
    First Look
    Warm Eyeshadows
    Cool Eyeshadows
    Cool Lips
    Warm Lips


    Our Nars Vintage Nail Polish 200 Follower Giveaway Winner Is......



    Thank you everyone who entered!  There were 485 entries!  A new record for Beautyburg!  Thank you so much for helping us grow this blog a little bit everyday! 



    Congratulations to VeryBecca!  You may know her from Makeupalley.com where she frequents the Makeup board.  She's the lucky winner of our Nars giveaway.

    Also, don't feel bad if you missed out on this giveaway.  I will be posting an end of the year giveaway that is really going to send off the year with a bang!  So keep checking back!!! 

    Black and White Swans - Makeup Looks Inspired by Natalie Portman in The Black Swan

    White and Black Swans - Inspired by the movie, The Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman.

    Last week while back in NYC, two of my beautiful friends volunteered to let me transform them into beautiful swans!  G, White Swan, and E, Black Swan, had just seen the movie and were psyched about recreating looks inspired by the film.

    Swans side view.

    E as the Black Swan.

    Products used for the Black Swan look:
    Most of this look was created with Make Up For Ever's 12 Flash Color Palette.  It's a great staple to have in your kit.  The shades are super pigmented.  It seems cliched to say that you can do anything with it, but it truly is a great product to have.  $95 at Sephora.
    Eyes: MUFE 12 Flash Color Palette, black and silver.  The black was first drawn on and filled in (use tape to get clean lines, I did the winged part free-hand).  Then set with a matte black eyeshadow (I used one from Inglot).  Then I used the silver in the 12 Flash to create the feathered look.  Set with powder if you are going out in this look.
    Lashes:  MUFE 25120
    Foundation: lotion mixed with the white from MUFE 12 Flash, set with E.L.F. HD Powder.
    Cheeks: Lancome Miel Glace
    Lips: Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Terre de Feu

    The Black Swan Eye.
    The colors here were entirely from MUFE's 12 Flash Color Case.

    Lashes are from Make Up For Ever.

    Beautiful White Swan.

    In the movie, Natalie Portman's character is much more comfortable playing the angelic, virginal white swan.  I wanted to create a soft, innocent look on G's gorgeous face with soft pale colors and dramatic, but not heavy eyes.  Her skin was taken a few shades paler for more of an angel look.


    Products used for the White Swan look:
    Foundation: Cinema Secrets Foundation - Kit #7
    Face powder: E.L.F. HD Powder
    Eye base: Nars Smudgeproof eyeshadow base
    Eyeshadow and brows: Beauties Factory 120 Palette
    Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 in Zero
    Blush: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Chased
    Lips: Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case, coral shade mixed with gloss


    These eyelashes are to DIE for.

    I love how etheral these lashes look.

    I used two sets of lashes: 1 just a regular but wispy false eyelash to add density to G's already lush lashes; and 2 were Inglot 26F, which gave this dramatic feathery effect.


    For the eye look: I used soft pinks and greys from the 120 palette.  
    Bottom lashes were Inglot 48S.

    Thanks again to E and G for helping me recreate this really fun makeup look!

    Have you seen the movie yet?  Would you wear this look out?  Would you like to see Beautyburg post more makeup looks?

    Nars Vintage Nail Polish Swatches - Giveaway Reminder!!! Zulu, Full Metal Jacket and Midnight Express

    Click here to enter my Nars Vintage Nail Polish Giveaway!
    Ends tonight, December 10, 2010 - 11:59pm PST!

    Win Zulu, Full Metal Jacket and Midnight Express!

    Here are swatches of the polishes in case you weren't sure if you wanted to enter.  But seriously, why wouldn't you!  Takes 1 sec!  Just need your email.. you can fill in the rest of the form for extra points.. but all you need to enter is an email address!


    Zulu - dark jungle green jelly.

     
    Full Metal Jacket - If Blue Steel were a nail polish... this would be it.
    Silvery, blue toned, dark grey metallic.

     
    Midnight Express - Prussian blue jelly.
    I can definitely see why everyone went gaga for these polishes when they were re-released.  The colors are gorgeous, unique and have that understated, edgy glamor that is so Nars.  I used three coats on the swatches above.  The formulation on the jelly was slightly thick (but I kinda liked that) and on the metallic was thinner, which worked well for smooth brushstrokes.
    Are you still reading this post?!  Go and enter the giveaway!


    OPI Burlesque Part 3 - Collection Summary - Don't Judge a Polish from Its Bottle....

     
    Rising Star

    Originally, I wasn't going to review the entire collection since I purchase all the polishes myself.  But as I began swatching and seeing more swatches posted on other blogs, I really wanted to do a comprehensive review.  Rising Star was a polish that I had passed on initially.  Something about this orange gold seemed unappealing to me from the bottle.  However, when I finally got around doing a mani with it, I thought it was so absolutely flattering.  I could see this antique gold color looking great on a lot of warmer based skintones.

     
    Take The Stage 

    Take The Stage was another polish that I initially wasn't drawn to at all.  I would like to think that I'm not afraid of color.  I love blue, green, purple, pink, red, anything weird and duochrome-y, but something about this yam color was really off-putting to me from the bottle.... and I was actually really afraid to to try it!  In my mind, I insisted that it would be ugly, but I'm happy to report that I was just plain wrong wrong wrong.  I was too quick to decide that I hated it without even trying it.  Look at how luminous and lovely it is!  I actually really liked this so much more than Let Me Entertain You, which I loved from the bottle and still like on the nail.  Take The Stage is so different from anything that I own.  I want to apologize to this beautiful polish for judging it by the bottle! :P  Do you have any nail color prejudices?

     
    Teasy Does It
    A yummy chocolate cherry with red and golden shimmer.  This looked so blah in the bottle, but I loved it on.  If the Burlesque collection is a little too glitz for you, Teasy Does It is an easy way to be glam without being too bling.  I would even wear this in a conservative office.


    Teasy Does It!  Pretty isn't it?

    For the rest of collection, find these links:
    The Show Must Go On! vs MAC's Bad Fairy - /www.beautyburg.com/autyburg.com/2010/10/opi-show-must-go-on-from-burlesque-vs.html
    Ali's Big Break & Let Me Entertain You - /www.beautyburg.com/autyburg.com/2010/11/opi-burlesque-part-1-alis-big-break-and.html
    The Glitters in Pairings - http://www.beautyburg.com/2010/11/opi-burlesque-part-2-glitters-4.html

    It was hard to come up with a shortlist for this collection, as I really liked everything!, but here are my favorites:
    - Ali's Big Break
    - Teasy Does It
    - Sparkle-licious
    - Take The Stage

    Which were your favorites?  Do you ever have nail polish prejudice?