Eve Pearl HD Dual Pressed Powder Review and New Video on Our YouTube Channel!


You have heard me rave about the Eve Pearl's HD Foundation, click this link if you haven't seen this review! It's a luxurious cream foundation that feels like skincare, photographs beautifully and creates a flawless finish. As much as I love this foundation, sometimes I need to just apply something fast and run. In this type of situation, I have typically reached for powder foundations formulas. However, I confess, I have never been a huge fan of them.  I find that powder foundations to be a necessary evil when you are in a pinch, and I had never found a powder foundation that gave a real "skin" finish until I found Eve Pearl's Dual Pressed Powder.





Eve Pearl's Dual Pressed Powder is a dual color compact powder foundation that works gorgeously with their cream foundation, but it also works on its own. Check out my video (above) and Eve Pearl's video (below) on how to apply.  With the two shades, it's easy to blend to get a color match.  The compact that I purchased at the end of November and received in December already has hit the pan from tons of usage.  Whether it's setting my foundation or using on its own, I love how this powder looks on my face!

In the video, I'm also using some other products by Eve Pearl that I've loving.  The Eye Palette in Au Natural is a handy set of warmer neutrals.   Click this link to see my review and swatches of Au Natural and Diva Eyes (not in the video).  I also use the Salmon Concealer and Treatment, which is an amazing undereye corrector.  The Photo Finish Press Powder in Neutral sets everything to look picture perfect.



HD Dual Pressed Powder is $42 for 9g, 0.3oz and available at www.evepearl.com.

How do you feel about powder foundation?  Is it a necessary evil or necessity?

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil The Look and The Fragrance for Summer 2011

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soliel Summer 2011
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Island Oasis EyeShadow Palette, $42.00.
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush, $34.00.

NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche 100ml, $55.00.
Estée Lauder launches Bronze Goddess Soleil for Summer 2011, available early March.  The collection consists of looks for eyes, lips, face and nails and a new limited edition version of Bronze Goddess Soleil the fragrance.  

EYES:
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Island Oasis EyeShadow Palette, $42.00.
NEW, Limited Edition ShadowStick Duo in Gold Bronze, $20.00.
NEW, Limited Edition ShadowStick Duo in Pink Teal, $20.00.

LIPS: 
Pure Color Gloss in NEW, Limited Edition Sun Burst Sparkle, $20.00.
Pure Color Gloss in Blazing Coral Sparkle, $20.00.
Pure Color Gloss in Plum Divine Shimmer, $24.00.
Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Tiramisu, $20.00.

NAILS: 
Pure Color Nail Lacquer in NEW, Limited Edition Shimmering Bronze, $19.00.

FACE:
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush, $34.00.
Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer, $30.00.
Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer, $30.00
Bronze Goddess Soft Duo Bronzer in Amber Bronze Medium and Amber Bronze Rich, $30.00.
Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Luminous Liquid Bronzer, $28.50.

FRAGRANCE: 
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche 100ml, $55.00.  (available early February)

I'm exited to try the Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche fragrance.  I picked up a previous year's edition and wore it that entire summer.  It was light and effervescent.  This year's editions boasts notes of Sicilian citron, Provençal lavender flowers, neroli Tunisia, Moroccan orange blossom, grapefruit tree blossom and pink lily nectar.  It finishes with warm elements of blonde woods, iris notes, ambrette seed and crystalline musks.  Sounds really pretty for warm summer nights!  

Are you ready for summer yet? 

Sinful Colors Pretty In Pink Collection for Valentine's Day - Swatches and Photos

 Scandal from Sinful Colors Pretty In Pink Collection.

Valentine's Day, whether you love it or hate it, is a day for pinks, whether you love or hate those.  Me, I love pink blush, pink lipgloss, pink eyeshadow, but pink nail polish?  I never really got excited about pink as a nail lacquer shade.  Nails tends to allow more room to be a little different or unusual, so I don't find myself reaching for pink all that often.  However, there are times when you just want to be pretty and girly, whether it's for V-Day or any other day.


Sinful Colors has launched Pretty In Pink, a collection of pink shades for Valentines Day.  The collection consists of 8 colors, all ranging in pink sweetness.  Here are the color names and descriptions from the press release:
Pink Forever: Bazooka meets Bam-Bam to equal beautiful.
Beautiful Girl: Classic ballerina with a flirty finish.
Glass Pink: Sheer, shiny, shimmer-happy bliss.
Boom Boom: Magenta-infused pink, which pops on toes and tips alike.
Scandal: No-nonsense neon, slick and sensational.
Soul Mate: Muted peachy pink with a melon twist.
Here are three colors from the collection: Scandal, Glass Pink and Beautiful Girl. 

Scandal is a cheeky devil!  It's a pink jelly!! Surprise surprise! :)  I don't own many jellies, so I was happy to see that this medium neon pink had that yummy jelly finish.  I think this would look tasty for summer.  I applied 3 coats to get to my desired finish.
 Scandal with Glass Pink.
Glass Pink is extremely sheer faintly pink shimmer sparkle.  This definitely works better as an effect vs on its own.
Beautiful Girl is a soft ballerina pink creme.  I found the formula a little thin, but with three coats, I got a nice opaque finish.  As generic, as a pink pastel polish maybe, I actually discovered that I don't one!  I do own about 50 blackened blues with shimmer, but no regular pinks. 
Beautiful Girl with Glass Pink.
This is the girliest combination!  It maybe too sacarine for some, but I think it's fun to take a break from all my greens, blues and browns and get a little prissy. 
Sinful Colors Pretty in Pink Collection is available at major drugstores like Walgreens across the US and at www.sinfulcolors.com for $1.99.

What are your feelings about V-Day?  Do you love it or hate it?  Are you a pink polish person? 

Full disclosure: These products were sent to me for review.  I was not obligated to leave a positive review.  The above is my honest impression of the products.  See our disclosure page for full details.

MAC Wonder Woman Collection Lipglass in Wonder Woman

Glamazon sized lipglass in Wonder Woman.  Super-sized doe foot applicator.

Have you gotten your girl power on yet?  I am feeling pretty powerful with MAC's Wonder Woman collection.  I like how it encompasses everything I love about makeup: it's fun, playful, empowering and pretty!  I purchased the collection's namesake lipglass.  Wonder Woman, the lipglass, is a pretty semi-sheer pretty cherry red with golden micro sparkly micro glitter. 

These gigantor lipglasses have some positive and negatives.  Let's start positive.  This jumbo lipglass offers a super size value.  Regular MAC Lipglasses are $14.50 for 4.8g, 0.17oz, $85.29 per oz. MAC Wonder Woman Lipglasses are $20 for 10.5g, 0.37oz, $54.05 per oz.  If you love the color, you will get a lot of gloss for less money.  Now for the negative, even though it's a better value, you are still paying more for lipgloss.  The giant size also lends to be a disadvantage for these glosses.  The huge doe foot applicator makes application a little tricky.  If you have thinner lips, applying these glosses may take a really steady hand.  I also found that removing the wand required more than usual effort.  You definitely had to tug to get it out of the tube.  Also, when pulling out the wand, gloss flings during removal.  Be careful not get drop gloss on your clothes or floor.

Overall, I'm glad I picked up the color that I liked most.  There is a ton of excitement for this collection, and I'm sure that many things will sell out quickly.  However, I don't think I will be picking up any other glosses from this collection.  I found the glamazon-sized doe foot applicator difficult to maneuver. 

My haul.  See my review of the powder blushes.
Do you like, love or hate the packaging?
Wonder Woman swatched.  See the tiny golden glitter.
On lips. I think this color is so pretty, but I did find it physically hard to apply.
 
 Wonder Woman launches February 10th in the US.

To Review:
MAC Wonder Woman Lipglass in Wonder Woman is available at maccosmetics.com now and at stores February 10th.
Pro: Big (literally) value.  You get a lot more gloss for your money.
Con: BIG applicator.  Those with thinner lips may find application difficult.  Takes a good heave-ho to pull out the applicator from the tube.  Watch for flying gloss when you're pulling out the applicator.  Limited edition.
Overall Beautyburg Rating: B

MAC Wonder Woman Powder Blush - Mighty Aphrodite and Amazon Princess - Swatches, Photos and Review

Mighty Aphrodite and Amazon Princess powder blush duos.

Pa-pa-POW!  Here are the two blushes from MAC's Wonder Woman collection.  These glamazon size blushes were among my picks from the collection.  The value of the size, and the overall pigmentation and application were standouts for me.  I still would like to pick up one of those big Mineralized Skinfish trios, but Pink Power has been sold out for some time already online and wasn't available at my local MAC's store preview party.  I hope to pick it up later this week when the collection launches in stores. 

The larger sizes of some of the products from this collection offers a chance for a better bang for your buck, if you like the colors.  Take a look at some of the math below: 

Powder blushes from the Wonder Woman collection are $24 12.3g, 0.43oz  $55.81 per oz.
- vs -
Regular powder blushes from MAC are $19.50 6g, 0.23oz $84.78 per oz.

Pretty in pink - Might Aphrodite duo.
Left to right: light portion, dark portion, mixed of Mighty Aphrodite.
Amazon Princess - a blue based pink with darker plum with gold shimmer.
Left to right: Light portion, dark portion, mixed of Amazon Princess.
Love this packaging.  Do you keep boxes when it's this fun?
My haul.  See my post on Wonder Woman Lipglass.
 
Collection will be in stores in the US February 10th, 2011.

To Review:
MAC Wonder Woman Powder Blush in Mighty Aphrodite and Amazon Princess are $24 each for 12.3g, 0.43oz and limited edition.
Pro: Big (literally) value.  Very pigmented colors.  Will last a very long time.
Con: Love it or hate it on the packaging.  Limited edition.  Bigger value calls for bigger price.
Overall Beautyburg Rating: A-

Have you done any Wonder Woman haulage?  Do you plan on getting anything?  Are you loving this or letting it go?

Sunday Funday! Link to My Guest Post!

Do you find the taste of snow as yummy as Marlowe?

Happy Sunday everyone!  Week is winding down, and we're getting ready to start a new one.  Today is a big day in America.   Probably a holiday that some people look forward to more than any other all year, and that's Super Bowl Sunday.  Yes, it's a day of binge drinking, eating and loafing.  All fun in moderation!

If you feel like doing something good for you instead, check out my guest post for one of my favorite blogs, Makeup and Beauty Blog.  I wrote about trying cold compressed coconut oil as a hair mask.  Read it here.  Coconut oil is also extremely beneficial as a food, not just as a moisturizer or hair mask.  It's full of good for you fats and has all sorts of health benefits.   Here is a photo that I saved for you guys!   You can use coconut on your pets too!  Rub some on your hands and let them lick it off of you, or use the oil as a conditioner when you give them a bath.

Read my guest post at Makeup and Beauty Blog.

R U RCR? Red Carpet Ready? Stila E! Live From The Red Carpet Glamour Goddess Palette - Photos, Review and Swatches

Stila E! Live from the Red Carpet set in Glamour Goddess.

Want to be red carpet ready?  Whether it's for a party, a night out, a night in or just doing errands, we always want to look beautiful and glamorous.  But to be red carpet ready (RCR from now on), most celebs have an entire entourage to look good, but people like you and me have a team of me, myself and I.  However, in the famous words of Tim Gunn, we make it work. 

Stila E! Live from the Red Carpet Collection consists of three limited edition palettes exclusively for Ulta.  Each set is valued at over $100 but retails for $25.  Not a bad price considering what you get.  Glamour Goddess comes with a full sized Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Lionfish, a bronze brown with copper shimmer, which is normally $20.

Getting RCR is pretty easy with these shimmery neutrals.  The eyeshadows are pretty and smooth in texture.  I think they would work with most skin tones and for natural or dramatic looks.  The eyeliner helps take the look from day to night.  Kitten, all over shimmer, is a pretty shimmer, but a little too frosty for me.   Glamour is one of Stila's famous convertible colors for lips and cheeks in a pretty azalea shade.  I have never been a fan of palettes that mix powders and creams in the same area.  Powder gets stuck in the cream, and it gets all gunky.  But overall, the value outweighs that minor fault. 

Are you red carpet ready?

6 eyeshadows, 1 shimmer powder, 1 convertible color and 1 eyeliner. 

Inside.
Eyeshadows, a mix of shimmer and matte shades.
Swatches.

Eye Shadow shades include:
- Glitz - pale golden beige, base shade
- On the List - pearly beige, lid shade
- Golden - warm gold, liner shade
- Flash - light peach with shimmer, base shade
- Star - bronzy peach, lid shade
- Glam - deep bronze, liner shade

Getting radiant.
Getting cheeky.
Swatches.

The palette also includes:
- All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten
- Convertible Color in Glamour
- Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Lionfish


Get RCR!
Love this liner.
Super pigmented.  I will review this in Stingray (the black shade) later.
 These are super long lasting.  Look for an upcoming review.

So if you want to get, RCR on a budget, you may want to check these out Stila E! Live From The Red Carpet sets for $25.  They are available at www.stilacosmetics.com and at Ulta stores.

L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara in Black Quartz for Brown Eyes - Before and After, Swatches and Photos

 Double Extend Mascara Eye Illuminator in Black Quartz for Brown Eyes.

Who doesn't love bling?  I love the theory of shimmering lashes, but seriously, with dark lashes, it's usually a better idea in theory than in execution.  I had purchased sparkle top coats before, and unfortunately, most of the time they were from pricier brands like Guerlain!  What resulted was a barely there hint, next to nothing hint of shimmer.  What that translates into is a big ol' waste of money!

With that I was pretty skeptical when I saw L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator mascara.  How "illuminating" could this be?  And to boot I had another prejudice against the fact that it was a double-ended mascara.  Every time I've ever tried a dual ended mascara, it always ended in epic fail.  There is pressure for not just 1 brush to work well but for 2!  Just too much to lose!

 Before - wimpy lashes.  Can we bling these babies out?

 Directions - apply the mascara for lengthening then the top coat to accent.
 Ingredients.
 Swatches of Black Quartz, option for Brown Eyes. 
The black has a hint of shimmer, and the top coat is a shimmering aubergine. 

 The black wand.
The short handle made application a little difficult.  I would have preferred a longer wand.  I liked this a lot on its own.

Even the black has a slight shimmering effect.

 Illuminating top coat.

The dome-ended brush makes it easier if you just want to highlight the tips. Use the entire length of the wand for full on shine.

The shimmering top coat applied over the mascara.

So ignore the lower lash smudgies, but here are the results of the shimmering effects.  Going over the black mascara with the top coat, before it had fully dried, thins the application and takes away some of the volume-building effects.  But I found that waiting until after it dried wasn't optimal for application. 

Now this is a sparkling eye!  The shimmering top coat actually showed up on my dark lashes.  The sparkle did bring light to my eye!  However, this mascara with top coat was probably too much for day to day wear.  If you work in a conservative office or don't really like dramatic makeup in the day time, you may want to skip the top coat.  The tiny amount of shimmer in the basic mascara may be a good option if you just want something slightly more intriguing than the flat black or brown for your day to day.  Then kick it up a notch at night with the top coat.

If anyone tries the other colors, let me know what you think of them.  Out of any other mascara top coats I've tried, this one is shiniest!  The sparkle was noticeable (and not just when I was looking into a magnified mirror).  I also liked that it was about $10.   Not bad considering you get two products in one.

L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara is available for $10.49 and available at drugstores nationwide and in four shades to compliment different eye colors.

Win A Legend! Shu Uemura ME SILVER 945 Pressed Eye Shadow Giveaway!


I am beyond thrilled to bring you Beautyburg's next giveaway contest.  Our last giveaway was epic in size, but this one is one for the books.  I am giving away something that some makeup fanatics would never ever dream of giving up.  Here is your chance to win Shu Uemura's ME SILVER 945 Pressed Eye Shadow.  Yes, that Shu ME SILVER 945.  Yes, the original one that was discontinued when Shu introduced their new packaging.  Yes, that silvery taupe beige that looks brown, silver, grey depending on the light.  Yes, that ME Silver 945 eyeshadow that would go on Evilbay for hundreds of dollars after it disappeared off the shelves.  Yes, that one and only Shu Uemura ME Silver 945 that has now become a legend.

Now is your chance to win a new, never used piece of makeup history......  Fill out the form below to enter!  All you need to do is enter your email.  There are other options you can do to spread the word to increase your chances to win.  I hope you have fun with it and good luck to everyone! 

Why do companies always discontinue the best stuff?

As always, open to international friends.  You must be 18 to enter.  1 entry per person.  Please try to only fill out the form once.

Contest runs through February 28th, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.  Winner will be announced March 1, 2011 and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

I hope you guys are as excited about this as me!  What's your favorite discontinued item?  Have you ever tried this eyeshadow before?  Or have you just heard the myth?

CLOSED!!! 




MAC Wonder Woman Preview Party - Photos!

 The displays!

Hey everyone!  Just a quick post for you today.  Last night I went to a preview event at my local MAC store for the new Wonder Woman collection.  If last night showed me anything, it's that people are extremely excited about this collection.  There was a line out the door or this preview party, and many of the items sold out quickly!  I even arrived 30 minutes early, and I was still maybe the 20th person in.  Coming from NYC, where people queue up for any and everything, I wasn't really expecting this type of reaction in the South SF Bay Area.  Well, if last night was an indicator of the anticipation for this collection, I can safely predict that this collection will be something that will sell out.  Maybe not everything, but I think there is enough hype about some of the products that you may want to act quickly.  

The Wonder Woman collection is already available online if you are a MAC PRO, and Pink Power, the glamazon sized Mineralized Skinfish Trio, is already sold out.  Yes, you heard me..... sold out!  Already!  It's not even launched yet!  It's PRO only now, and it's STILL sold out?! 

Of course, I was really excited about this particular item, and at the preview party today, they said that they had only received 4 in their shipment that weren't for the displays.  However, they did assure that there were more coming.  Phew!  I hope I can get my hands on one.

 Wonder Woman making her presence known!

 Lots of MAC fans!

POW!  Can't wait for this collection to launch.

I will be covering an in-store event later when the line launches.  The sales associates at MAC were really pumped about it!  They said there would be a photobooth or something where you can take your picture and it turns you into a comic.  I am officially intrigued! 

MAC Wonder Woman officially launches in MAC stores and counters across the US February 10th, 2011.  As usual, it will probably be online at maccosmetics.com the Tuesday before.  For PROs, it is available online now. 

Are you interested in this collection at all?  If so, what are you thinking about getting?  If you had a super power, what would it be and why?!  :) 

Winner of Beautyburg's New Year's Giveaway!!!

This is going home to one reader!

Thank you so much everyone for participating in our New Year's Giveaway!  Over 1300 people entered and total entries were over 8000.  Thank you all for spreading the word about this giveaway.  The next one will be REALLY fun!  It's going to be an iconic, very hard to find vintage makeup item.  WOW!

What I loved most about this giveaway was reading the new year's resolutions!  It was inspiring to see so many of you wanting to improve yourselves, whether it's eating better, working out, losing weight, having a more positive attitude, increasing your makeup skills, building your stash, whatever.  You guys really are totally inspiring me!  I really want to thank you for sharing those with me.  Sooooo... let's get to the winner.




Congrats Zoe P.!  You have won our New Year's Giveaway!  You will have 48 hours to respond to your email.  Enjoy your package and have fun playing with this stuff!

Thank you everyone and be on the look out for our next giveaway!  I'm VERY excited about it.

Batiste Coloured Dry Shampoo in Black - Review, Before and After and Video! Check Out Our YouTube Channel!

Batiste Coloured Dry Shampoo in Black.

Happy Tuesday everyone!  I have been looking forward to Tuesday all week.  There was a cliffhanger on a favorite show of mine last week, and I can't wait to see the next episode.  Also I'm going  to check out a viewing party for MAC's Wonder Woman collection tonight.  I will report back ASAP. 

I'm also excited to share with you Beautyburg's second video on our YouTube channel.  I wanted to share a new product that I'm really enjoying with you guys.  Batiste Coloured Dry Shampoo in Black is my new favorite product to freshen my hair after the gym or between washes.  Prior to trying this, my go-to for dry shampoo was either Ojon ($24 for 4.5oz) or Oscar Blandi ($23 for 5oz).  Both are excellent, smell fantastic and perform well.  However, both are over $20 and spray on white.  My blonde or fair haired friends swear by both brands, but me with my dark hair, I always ran into the danger of overdosing and ending up with chalky head.  I had tried other drugstore brands like, Pssst! and TRESemmé, but I didn't think either worked as well as the expensive brands.  Pssst! was way too white and not finely milled at all.  It also smelled like baby diaper.  The TRESemmé had a nice mist and fragrance, but it left the hair with a tacky finish.

I saw Batiste on another blog and decided to give it a try.  At about $8 for 5.05z, it already was at an advantage from the two O brands.  But what really intrigued me was that it came in two colored versions, Black and Brunette.  I picked up the Black option from www.folica.com.   When testing it on my hand, I was surprised at how powerful the sprayer was.  The scent was light and fresh without being over the top or overwhelming.  This dry shampoo is tinted a grey color.  On the hair it still looks almost white.  I was worried initially that I was still going to end up with chalky head, but after rubbing the product in with my fingers, I was happy to see that that the white part had dissepated and I was left with fresh, non-greasy hair. 

Cheap.  Good performance.  Nice scent.  Better than high-end.  What's not to like.  If you have dark hair, definitely check out the Black or Brunette versions.  If you have lighter hair, I would try one of the many other options from Batiste.  They have an arsenal of fragrances.  See our video below to see me spray it on.

Day old hair.
Greasy bangs. 
Even though it's colored for black hair, it applies greyish-white.

After!  Refreshed!  Byebye greasy bangs!

Here's a video demonstrating how to use Batiste Dry Shampoo.

Batiste Coloured Dry Shampoo is $7.50 for 5.05oz at www.folica.com.

Do you wash your hair everyday?  Have you tried dry shampoo?

Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case - Swatches, Photos and Review - Do You Have An Inner Artist?

Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case
This is a carte blanche on makeup artistry imagination.

Whether you are a serious makeup artist or just a makeup lover who likes to play, you need this.  Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case is a kit of 12 cream color bases that virtually leaves you with an open invitation into explore your makeup imagination.  Even if it's something simple like darkening a lipgloss or creating an eyeshadow base, this kit empowers me to feel creative and inspires me to dig deep into my artist side.

This isn't a kit that you use for a five minute face.  While the posibilities for what can be done with these 12 little colors is almost limitless, you will need to allow yourself time to play with this.  The products here require mixing, blending, thinning, sheering, sealing, etc.  If you feel stumped as to how to use this, here are some simple examples: eyeliner, eye shadow base, cream blush, lipstick, foundation corrector, face painting,  lipgloss corrector, highlighter, etc.  Please leave a comment below if you would like to see posts on different ways to use this kit.  I would definitely be up for the challenge!

Some may not use the value in something that you can't just grab to put a look together.  Yes, this is a pricey product, but I see the value of this kit in two places.  First, the cream color bases themselves are superb.  Thick, extremely pigmented, soft and creamy in texture.  These creams are extremely smooth upon application and rich in color.   I would be surprised if someone, other than a very active pro, could use this whole thing.  A little goes a super long way.  This is high quality stuff here!  Everything is blendable, layerable, mixable.  The second reason for value is the infinite number of uses for these colors.  Lips, eyes, face, cheeks, body.  Dream it and with time, tools and maybe a little water or mixing mediums, it can happen.

There is a reason that this falls out of stock so often at Sephora.  MUFE 12 Flash Color Case is an amazing and inspiring product for any makeup lover.

These metallic shades are intense!
Need to color correct a lipstick?  Try adding some of these.
The black is insanely dark.
Notice that some colors are not meant to be used on lips or eyes.  Patch test! 
 
Swatched on NC35.  Utterly pigmented.
 Two looks I created with MUFE's 12 Flash Color Case based on Black Swan.  For full detail on the looks, click here.

To Review:
Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color Case is $95 for 70g, 2.46oz at Sephora.com and the MUFE studio in NYC, (212) 925-9548.
Pro: The possibilities are limitless.  High quality products that have unlimited uses.  Can offer quick fixes for everyday makeup needs.
Con: Pricey.  Often OOS at Sephora and a wait to get it.  More of an artist tool.  May be a little intimidating (but seriously get over and get this product.  You will have so much fun playing with it.)
Overall Beautyburg Rating: A

What would you do with the 12 Flash Color Case? Would you like to see some posts on how to use this product? 

Snowy Sunday - 1000+ Followers! 850+ Facebook Fans! You Guys ROCK!


Happy Sunday y'all!  Is it wrong to say that I really miss the snow?  Moving to California has been such a trip.  I am actually envious when I hear weather reports about the East being slammed with snow.  I guess maybe it makes me homesick.  Marlowe's favorite treat is eating snow.  He loves being dropped in a snowbank above his head and bulldozing his way out by eating the delicious white powder.  Nom nom nom nom! 

A couple of amazing milestones this week.  We hit over 1000 followers on the blog, and we are almost at 900 Facebook fans!  I ***never*** thought that we would get here, and especially so fast.  I really want to thank you for making this happen.  Doing this blog gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning.  I love writing entries and I love interacting via Twitter, comments with you guys and getting to know the blogging community. 

On another less happy note, another milestone that happened this week was that I had some photos stolen by another blogger.  Shame.  However, I do not have it nearly as bad as some of my other blogger friends.  Recently, they have had entire blog entries (pictures, writing, etc) all lifted from their sites and regurgitated to a hack blog.   Read more about here.

Here are posts you may have missed this week. 

 We said Yes To Cucumbers!

I attempted to talk about perfume and about my journey finding out of the world of perfume.  Writing about fragrance is so much tougher than nail polish or makeup.  There are less visuals to work with, so you really have to be able to express what you want to say with words. 

 
 We had a fun Facebook Fans only contest!  Annette F. won a personalized set of fragrance samples from my collection.  Congrats Annette!


NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker

 Tomorrow is the last day to enter for our New Year's Giveaway.  It's been our biggest ever, but I'm so ready for our next one.  It's going to be legend.  Hint, what's silver, taupe, brown and discontinued.  Hit me on Twitter if you think you know the answer!

Enjoy your what's left of your weekend!  Can't wait to start a new week!

Are You As Cool As a Cucumber? Yes To Cucumbers - Cool Conditioning Hand Cream

 Do you say Yes (Yes To Cucumbers)?

Do you say yes or no?  I say why not?!  Yes To Cucumbers is part of the Yes To family of natural skincare, bodycare, hair care products.  What I like about this line is that natural or organic used to always translate into "expensive."  This line is affordable and easily available at drugstores, supermarkets (which is wear I bought this) and Target stores.  There isn't skimping on the quality.  And they are socially conscious, a portion of proceeds go to Yes To Carrots Seed Fund, a charity helping people through sustainable agriculture.

Now let's get the the product at hand.  (Yes to puns).  Yes To Cucumbers Cool Conditioning Hand Cream is one of 3 hand cream products from the Yes To family.  I picked this formulation particularly because I wanted something to keep close to my desk that was light yet moisturizing but not greasy or oily.  What I was looking for was a hand cream that soaked into my skin and retained moisture.  Well, I found that and a bag of chips.  This cream just sinks below the surface and hydrates my hands, but I don't have a waxy or slippery build up on my hands.  The cooling sensation is a nice and invigorating bonus.  I was concerned slightly about the cucumber scent, but it's extremely mild and rather aromatic.  No Bath & Body Works cucumber melon sweetness overload here.  Just a fresh, crisp hint of cucumber fragrance.

What I like about this most about this is that you are not missing anything. You don't feel that you are settling on performance because it doesn't have parabens, petroleum or SLS.  And you don't feel like you are overpaying because of the natural and organic ingredients.

So say yes, yes, YES!

 Cucumber coolness.
 99.6% natural ingredients looks like this.


Ingredients.

So do you say yes?  I did and I might say yes again.  I definitely want to try more of this line.

Say Yes To Cucumbers Cool Conditioning Hand Cream 100ml, 3.38oz for $9.99 and is available at Target stores, drugstores nationwide and www.yestocarrots.com.  Check the Yes To Carrots website for special deals.

Do you go for natural products?  Do you tend to skip them because you are afraid you are either missing out or overpaying?  Have you tried anything from the Yes To Carrots line?

Wet n' Wild Megalast Nail Color in Blackmail - Swatches and Photos

 Have you ever been blackmailed?

I don't think I've ever been blackmailed, but Marlowe's sad eyes have totally guilted me to giving him some carrot or apple when he looks especially cute and pathetic.

Wet n' Wild Megalast Nail Color in Blackmail is a black jelly with itsy bitsy tiny orange and green micro glitter.  In the bottle, I thought it had the potential to be interesting in the bottle and fantastic on the nail.  It turns out that it's just really meh on both.  I think I had high hopes that this would be a hidden drugstore gem, but it turns out that it's just ok.  However, the price tag of $1.99 doesn't hurt. 
 This was 3 coats.
Click to enlarge the multi-colored micro glitter.

What are your drugstore hidden gems?  When do you know when you see a beauty product diamond in the rough?  

P.S. Happy Friday!

Let's Talk Fragrance - Don't Forget to Enter Our Facebook Fragrance Giveaway!

 Guerlains at Bergdorfs.

Happy Friday everyone!  Just a quick reminder that our Facebook Fragrance giveaway closes today Friday January 28th at 3:00PM PST.  So please make sure leave a comment on this thread to enter.  One winner will win a personalized selection of fragrance samples from my stash.  They will be unmarked, and after the winner picks their favorite (about a month after today), the "identities" of the perfumes will be revealed on our Facebook page.  It's a great chance for 1 lucky winner to try a lot of different perfumes blindly.  Should be fun!  Click here to enter.

I just want to take a moment to gush about perfume for a bit.  Long before I was ever into nails, I really loved perfume.  The olfactory senses have such a strong effect on your overall presence.  A bad smell can damper the mood, make you upset or even sick!  But something pleasant can being uplifting, seductive, inviting, refreshing... just really positive. 

Before I had really educated myself on fragrance, I was a little overwhelmed with the saturation of fragrances on the market and how little I knew about notes, composition, ingredients, etc.  The wonderful men and women at Makeupalley's fragrance board opened my eyes to an entire world of perfumistas!  Of course the beauty junkie in me immediately became immersed in the world of perfume.  I enjoyed reading blogs like Perfume Shrine and Now Smell This and attended fragrance events (yes, they exist) like Sniffapalooza in New York.  Along the way, I met a lot of fabulous people and sniffed a lot beautiful scents.  I am so excited to have the chance to share some of my collection with you guys!  So go enter our Facebook Fragrance Giveaway!

 A fragrance basket at Bergdorfs.
 More Guerlains.
 Bond No. 9
Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere

Do you like perfume as much as you like nails or makeup?  If you don't like perfume, why do you think that is?  What are some of your favorite perfumes for the season?

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker - Photos and Swatches - Is Eyeliner Essential To You?

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker

There was a time, back when I first started wearing eye makeup (this is high school but if mom asks, it was college), when I never even considered eyeliner.  Then I started learning more about makeup, experimenting with makeup techniques.  I learned that eyeliner is **essential**!  Eyeliner can make you look more awake.  Eyeliner can make your eyelashes look thicker.  I need to wear eyeliner, and now, it's unfathomable that there was a time I wasn't wearing eyeliner everyday.

Today to me, nothing is as dramatic and elegant as a beautiful lined eye.  Gel, pencils, kohls, cake, powders... I love them all.  One of my favorite types of eyeliner are pens.  The reason why I like them is that you can get a super fine point and get really close to the lash line.

NYX  has recently released two new felt tip eye liner markers.  I purchased NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker to get close to my lashes and for more control.   I purchased this to see how it would match up with my MAC version, MAC Penultimate Eye Liner, $16.50 1.0g, 0.03oz.  I was slightly disappointed with the MAC version.  At first, I had a nice line, but after a couple applications, the MAC one dried out and lost the intensity.  It was a pleasant surprised when I first swiped the NYX SSEM; it was SO inky black!  It was so completely pigmented and black blackest black.  I have had this eyeliner for over a month and no dry out so far.  It's still as dark and dramatic as the day I took it out of box.  Also it's almost half of the price of the MAC.

Super Skinny Eye Marker, a felt tip liquid eyeliner pencil. 
The fine point.
 Inky black line.

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker is $9 for  0.036fl.oz, 1.1ml and is available at www.nyxcosmetics.com.  

Is eyeliner essential to you?  Do you have to wear eyeliner when you wear eye makeup?  

Fun Facebook Fans Only Fragrance Contest - Ends Friday!


I know you guys love nail polish, makeup and skincare.... but how do you feel about perfume?  I'm a non-discriminating beauty junkie, and I was actually into perfume long before I ever painted my nails on a regular basis. 

Recently, I did a really fun thing for a close friend of mine.  She has trouble finding the right scents for herself, so I sent her a mystery care package with 27 unmarked perfume samples from my collection.  I have the "answer key," and she has been giving me progress reports on which one she likes the best.  I can't wait to see what's her favorite.

I had so much fun doing this for her that I wanted to extend the same chance to my readers!  Go to Beautyburg's Facebook page and leave a comment under this thread to enter.  A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, 1/28/11, at 3:00pm PST.  The winner will have 1 month to test and try the samples, and winner will must post on Beautyburg's Facebook page which one they like the best! Then the answer key will be revealed!


Click here to enter!  You must be a fan of Beautyburg on Facebook!  Have fun! :)

Do you have a favorite perfume?  Are you not into fragrance?

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Park Avenue Peach 535 - Swatches and Photos

Park Ave. Peach

I have been having so much fun reviewing some drugstore lipcolors the past couple of weeks.  The bar being set by drugstore products has been set really high!  I have been really impressed by the overall quality of everything I've been trying.

This product has been on the market the longest of my recent reviews (L'Oreal Infalliable, Covergirl Lip Perfection).  Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lipcolor comes in 48 shades.  Park Ave. Peach is actually categorized in the "Reds" shades.  It's red-based for sure, but is it an actual red?  No.  But it is very, very pretty.  Park Ave. Peach is a pigmented soft creamy mid-toned peachy pink.  I appreciated that it was so opaque.  The color went on smoothly and covered my naturally dark pink, blue-based lips.  It was a pleasant surprise!  I was expecting this shade to be sheer, but I was really about how fully pigmented it was.  I would definitely wear this to the office.  It doesn't feel like spring with pretty pinks does it?!

The tube.  Unfortunately, there is no way to see the color without opening the tube.
Swatched.  The texture was creamy and moisturizing.  No tugging on application.
 
On lips.  I like the full coverage and the slight shine.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor  in Park Ave. Pink 535 is $7 and available nationwide at drugstores.

What are some of your favorite drugstore lippies?