Naked 2 palette PLUS Essie, shoes and other goodies!!!

It may be cold outside but I've been getting ready for spring!  Since I've been doing a little shopping lately, I wanted to share some things I've picked up that I am currently impressed with.  I could not hold out any longer on the Naked 2 palette and I just HAD to have two new shades from Essie's Spring 2012 collection.  Of course I also picked up some more leopard print items...I can't get enough of leopard print lately! 

When the last Naked palette came out I ordered it immediately online via www.sephora.com and I probably was one of the first to get it.  Even the Urban Decay rep at my local Ulta didn't have one yet, lol.  This time when the Naked 2 palette came out I decided to wait.  Well...last week I broke down and purchased it.  I purchased it as a reward for surviving a stressful week at work and I'm glad I did.  It's really a great palette with 5 brand new shades and yes I do believe there is enough room in everyone's collection to have both palettes.

Each Naked 2 palette comes with a sample size of Lip Junkie gloss in Naked and a double ended brush.

If you are not familiar with the first Naked palette, please read my review and tutorial here.

The first difference you will notice about the two palettes is the packaging.  The first palette is a velvet covered box with a magnetic closure.  The Naked 2 palette is made of metal and securely closes by snapping shut.  I personally like the packaging on the first palette since I have found the Naked 2 harder to open and close.  The metal packaging however does protect the eyeshadows better.

The only repeat shade is from the first palette is Half Baked (which happens to be one of my favorites!).  Half Baked is a warm toned gold with an incredible sheen.  The 5 new shades are Booty Call, Tease, Snakebite, Pistol and Busted.  I have found that the Naked 2 palette has more "cool toned" shades whereas the first Naked palette has warmer shades.  I personally love Booty Call, Suspect, Pistol and Busted.  I actually based my decision to purchase the Naked 2 palette on the swatch I made of Pistol in the store.  You can purchase the Naked 2 palette (and the original Naked palette) at Ulta, Sephora or www.urbandecay.com for $50 each.  Pictured below are some close-ups and swatches of each color.

#1- FOXY- a warm, vanilla colored matte shade

#2- HALF BAKED- a warm, golden shimmer

#3- BOOTY CALL- shimmery champagne shade

#4- CHOPPER- shimmer based bronze with slight glitter

#5- TEASE- cool toned, matte brown

#6- SNAKEBITE- cool toned brown with bronze and gold

#7- SUSPECT- golden beige with shimmer

#8- PISTOL- cool toned shimmery gray

#9- VERVE- shimmery "mother of pearl" shade

#10- YDK- cool toned bronze, similar to rose gold

#11- BUSTED- deep brown with a sheen finish

#12- BLACKOUT- black with a matte finish

~~~~~~~Swatches~~~~~~~

Booty Call, Chopper, Tease and Snakebite

Suspect, Pistol, Verve and YDK

Foxy, Half Baked (repeat from 1st Naked palette), Busted and Blackout

Close-Up Shots of the Shadows

L-R- Foxy, Half Baked, Booty Call & Chopper

L-R- Tease, Snakebite & Suspect

L-R- Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted & Blackout

Swatch of Lip Junkie gloss in "Naked"

~~~~~~~Spring Nail Polish Picks~~~~~~~

L-R- Essie's A Crewed Interest, Sally Hansen's Gem Crush in Be-Jeweled and Essie's Ole' Caliente

In addition to the Naked 2 palette, I picked up two shades from Essie's Spring 2012 collection plus a lovely polish by Sally Hansen.  A Crewed Interest is a creamy, peach shade that is really unique.  Ole' Caliente is a bold, orange-red that would look phenomenal against tan skin.  Sally Hansen's Be-Jeweled is currently on my toes and it sparkles very nicely.  If you are a purple lover like myself, you will love this shade!  Essie costs $8 each and Sally Hansen's Gem Crush shades are about $6.50 each.  You can find Essie and Sally Hansen at Ulta or your local CVS.

I also picked up a new blue polish by Milani in honor of my son's recent blue belt in karate and a new bronzer.  Bolting Blue is a nice bold, blue shade that goes on smoothly.  You can find Milani nail polish at Target, CVS and Walmart.  Park Ave Princess is a smooth, medium toned bronzer that has no shimmer.  I really like this bronzer since it goes on smoothly, doesn't fade throughout the day and gives me a nice glow.  You can find this bronzer at Ulta for $29.00.  Did I mention it is waterproof too?! 

Milani's Bolting Blue nail polish and Tarte's Park Ave Princess bronzer

Close-up of Tarte's Park Ave Princess (notice I am wearing Ole' Caliente by Essie on my nails).

~~~~~~~Shoes & Dresses~~~~~~~

I've been hunting down some leopard flats and look at what I found at Target!  Run...don't walk to Target for these super-cute leopard flats!!!  They are only $14.99!

I needed some nude pumps for a new suit I bought recently...how about these?  I found them at Target for only $29.99!  They are comfortable too!  Nude pumps go with everything!

Since I've been on such a leopard print kick lately, how about this scarf that I found for $14.99 at World Market?  I also picked up these earrings and bracelet which were both $4.99 (plus 20% off).

Finally I want to share two dresses I picked up this weekend at my favorite store...Belk!  Belk always has incredible clearance racks and these dresses were a steal!  The black dress was originally $110.00 and I got it for $26.00!  The purple print dress was originally $98.00 and I got it for $11.99!  I plan to wear the black dress to an evening wedding I am going to in March.  It has a tiered skirt (hard to see in this picture) with a bodice lined in nude under lace.  The purple dress will be perfect for work! 

Black lace dress-$26!

Purple print dress-$11.99!

As a side note...I've been playing this song on repeat this past week :) 

Favorite Winter Polish Picks PLUS Essie's New Luxeffects Topcoats

If there is one thing I do differently in the winter versus the summer, its that I wear darker nail polish.  In the spring and summer I usually stick with bright colors like hot pink, pastels and corals.  In the winter I tend to gravitate towards metallic polish, berry colors and deep shades. 

Last summer I blogged about my favorite summer nail polish colors with an entry you can read here.  I thought it would be appropriate to mention my favorite winter polish shades since we are right in the middle of cold weather.  So without further ado, here are my favorite nail polish picks for the winter months.  If the polish I chose was from a special collection and/or is not available, I've listed that below.  Most of the polishes are still available online and/or in stores.

~~~~~Red~~~~~

Sultry, sexy and just a tad sinful.  Red polish is a great choice for a girls night out or even the office.  Make a statement with a classy, creme shade or steal some looks with red glitter that is perfect for next Christmas!

L-R- Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Lava Red, Milani Nail Lacquer in Hot Flash, Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Stiletto Red, Essie in Size Matters, OPI in Color So Hot It Berns, Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Burgundy Frost and Milani One Coat Glitter in Red Sparkle.

 

• Lava Red is a deep, almost black shade with slight red shimmer throughout.
• Hot Flash is a shimmery orange/red shade that can even appear gold in some light.  Hot Flash seems to be discontinued but is still available at different retailers online.
• Stiletto Red and Color So Hot It Berns are creamy, classic red shades with blue undertones.  Color So Hot It Berns was part of OPI's Swiss collection but is still available online.
• Size Matters is a deep, purple red with a creamy finish.
• Burgundy Frost is a shimmery cherry shade and Red Sparkle is a fine, red glitter polish.

 

~~~~~Pink~~~~~

Girly, fun and playful, you can't go wrong with pink nail polish.  Here are a few choices that cover the many different shades of pink that are frosty enough for cooler weather.  I've even thrown in a pearly white shade that would look great paired with pink polish!

L-R-OPI in A Rose at Dawn, Broke by Noon, Revlon Scented Polish in Coconut Crush, Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Hot Cocoa, Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Pop the Cork, OPI in The One the Got Away and Loreal polish in Whimsical.

 

• A Rose at Dawn, Broke by Noon is a frosty pink that is definitely in the mauve family.  It was part of the OPI Las Vegas collection but can be found on Amazon still.
• Coconut Crush is a pearly white and Hot Cocoa is a brown-based pink that appears mauve too.
• Pop the Cork is a super-glittery polish which incorporates silver and pink glitter.  It was part of the Holiday 2011 collection but is still available.
• The One that Got Away is a deep berry shade that has gold and berry shimmer throughout.  It was part of the Katy Perry collection but it's still available online.
• Lastly, Whimsical is a super-shimmery shell pink that also has subtle silver shimmer.

 

~~~~~Purple~~~~~

From the deepest shade to a cheerful purple, winter doesn't have to be boring at all!  If you love purple like I do, then these may be for you too!

L-R-OPI in Lincoln Park after Dark, OPI in Purple with a Purpose and Milani Nail Lacquer in Black Cherry.

 

• Lincoln Park after Dark is a very deep purple that almost appears black.  It's similar to eggplant but darker.
• Purple with a Purpose is a shimmery purple that has blue undertones.
• Black Cherry lives up to its name.  It is a shade lighter than Lincoln Park after Dark and has more brown undertones as well.

~~~~~Metallics~~~~~

I love metallic polish year-round.  Silver and gold are perfect for the holidays and New Years Eve.  Gunmetal stands out and is edgy enough to make a statement no matter what time of the year!

L-R-Loreal polish in Valiant, Orly polish in Shine, OPI in Glitzerland and OPI in Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous.

 

• Valiant is a gunmetal shimmer with silver flecks. 
• Shine has super-fine shimmer and appears to look similar to tin foil in the bottle.  Shine was part of Orly's Foil FX collection and can still be found online.
• Glitzerland is a gorgeous gold that has fine glitter like Shine.  Both appear to be similar in texture, the only difference being the color.  Glitzerland was part of OPI's Swiss collection and can be found easily online.
• Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous is a deep gunmetal with shimmer.  Its more black than Valiant (which appears more brown).  It was part of OPI's Swiss collection and can be found on Amazon.

 

~~~~~Wild Card Colors~~~~~

Rusty orange, pale neutrals, deep browns and multi-colored shades define the different choices and creativity you can express.

L-R-Wet n Wild nail color in Rustic, Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Gold Silk, Milani Nail Lacquer in Ms Milani, Essie in Mink Muffs and Hard Candy nail color in Beetle.

 

• Rustic is a glittery orange/brown shade which reminds me of fall leaves :)  It does appear to be discontinued and you might can find it on ebay.
• Gold Silk is similar to rose gold but is lighter and more neutral.
• Ms. Milani is a pewter, champagne color.  I can't find it on their website but I still see it in stores.
• Mink Muffs is a creamy, purple-brown that has cool undertones.
• Beetle is a multi-dimensional shade that changes colors depending on how the light hits it.  Sometimes Beetle appears purple, green, pink, blue, yellow or orange.  It's really a fun color to wear.

 

~~~~~New Essie Luxeffects Topcoats~~~~~

I adore Essie nail polish.  Almost every color is smooth, doesn't bubble and dries to a creamy finish.  At $8 a bottle, it's still .50 cheaper than OPI and I personally think Essie's brush works better for me.  Essie may not have the color range that OPI has but when it comes to creaminess, brush size and pastel shades, Essie has OPI beat hands down.

Recently Essie came out with five different glitter top coats.  Usually Essie shies away from glitter polish but the brand is now branching out to help Essie lovers get that glitter effect whenever they want.  I personally like glitter nails but there is a HUGE difference between obnoxious glitter and tasteful glitter.  Essie hit the mark with their topcoats because each one has just the right amount of sparkle without looking like you experimented with the your moms nail polish at 10 years old.  Below you will see two of the five that are part of the new Luxeffects collection.

Pictured here is Essie's topcoat in Shine of the Times.  It is one of five new glitter topcoats that Essie has recently released.  It is full of glitter flakes that reflect light and appear red, orange, pink and even blue.  Shine of the Times is applied in this picture on top of a pink polish called Viva Pink by Avon.  Unfortunately the camera does not do the look justice.

Pictured above is Avon Nailwear Pro in Viva Pink and Essie's Shine of the Times

The second member of the Luxeffects topcoat line is Pure Pearlfection which is pictured above.  Just a touch of this great topcoat over almost any polish looks amazing.  It gives a pearly glow to pastels and an edgy sparkle to jewel tones.  I really liked trying this color over purple and periwinkle blue.  This topcoat would also look amazing over white nail polish similar to Coconut Crush by Revlon mentioned earlier in this post.

Both topcoats can be found at your local drugstore or Ulta for $8.00/bottle.

Favorites of 2011!

Favorites of 2011!

Here is a quick listing of my favorite accessories, shoes, makeup, skin care, nail polish and hair care products that I purchased in 2011.  I've tried to pick items that I've used consistently throughout 2011 and that I thought...

1. Did what they were designed to do

2. Was worth the money I spent

3. Made me happy :)

ACCESSORIES

Nothing completes an outfit quite like a good pair of shoes, handbag or jewelry.  Here are a few of my favorites from 2011.

It was hard for me to narrow down to one favorite handbag so I chose two! 

L-R- Urban Expressions tote (I don't know the style however I picked up mine at a boutique called Persona for $80) and Michael Kors Leopard tote.  Both are eye catching and roomy enough for all the junk I carry around each day!

These boots have been fabulous all year!  They are the Alfani "Bernie" boot.  I picked them up at Macy's but this style now appears to be discontinued.  I really could recommend any black, heeled boot though.  You can dress them up or down.  Alfani makes great boots and I can walk in these all day without my feet hurting.  They look great over a pair of skinny jeans or dressed up with tights and a dress.  Macy's always has great shoe sales and now is the time to buy winter boots!

I LOVE jewelry and scarves but these three items were worn practically every week in 2011 at least once.  I'm still in love with my Swatch watch (FULL-BLOODED - SVCK4032G) which is available for $160.00 at www.store.swatch.com  It's a great oversized watch that I get compliments on each time I wear it.  It's less expensive and less common than Michael Kors watches which makes me love it even more.  My bracelet is the silver bead bracelet by Tiffany & Co.  A lot of people don't realize that Tiffany's sterling silver collections are affordable.  This bracelet can be purchased at www.tiffany.com for $200.  I wear this bracelet almost everyday and it has held up nicely.  My last accessory I couldn't stop wearing in 2011 was my gray scarf.  It's super soft and long which is a rare thing since I hate short scarves!  I picked it up for $9 at World Market.

Makeup

I found some great products this year.  Some I blogged about and others were discovered recently. 

Pictured above are all my favorite beauty products from 2011!

A good face needs color and what better way to get it than bronzer, blush and eyeshadow?  My favorite bronzer is still Laura Geller's Bronze n Brighten.  It goes on smoothly and gives a natural glow.  Bronze n Brighten can be picked up at Ulta for $31. If you want to see a swatch, click here.  My favorite eyeshadow was a tie between Wet n Wild's Dancing in the Clouds palette and Urban Decay's Naked palette.  Both offered unique shades.  I love Dancing in the Clouds because its affordable (costs only $2.99) and provides a unique mix of color.  You can see a swatch and a review I did of this palette and other Wet n Wild palettes here.   I love the Naked palette because of its versatility and quality.  You can find the Naked palette at Ulta for $48 and you can read my review here.  My favorite blush is Lovejoy by NARS.  It has been my go-to color that accents my cheekbones without being too "over the top".  It looks great when applied and is a really nice contour color too.  You can find NARS blushes ($27) and other NARS products at www.sephora.com

Pictured above is my top choices for lipstick, concealer, makeup brush, foundation, nail polish and perfume.  I couldn't choose one lipstick shade so I want to share them both.  I loved MAC's High Tea lipstick and L'oreals Fairest Nude.  Both offered great coverage and a natural finish.  If you want the perfect "my lips but better" look, then these lipsticks are for you!  You can find MAC lipsticks at your local MAC counter for $14.50 each.  L'oreals Fairest Nude is usually priced around $5.99 at your local drugstore, Walmart or Target.

My favorite concealer was one I "rediscovered" this year.  I've enjoyed Maybelline's Super Stay concealer almost everyday.  It works hard and does a good job brightening my undereye area without caking.  You can find Super Stay concealer at your local drugstore for around $7.  My favorite makeup brush this year would no doubt be my Ecotools Bamboo bronzer brush.  It's amazing at applying foundation quickly and evenly.  Just buff into your skin and you are set!  It's soft and doesn't shed.  You can find it at Ulta for $12.59.  My favorite foundation is another drugstore find.  I have gone through many tubes of Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation but I never posted a review about it.  It goes on smoothly, provides full coverage, costs under $8 and stays on ALL DAY LONG.  If you love Estee' Lauder's Double Wear, then you must try this!  You can find this foundation at any drugstore, Walmart, Target or Ulta.

My favorite nail polish this year wasn't very bright or fancy.  I loved OPI's Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous and wore it many times in 2011.  It's a charcoal grey with silver shimmer.  It's perfect to wear when going out or even to work.  I found my bottle at Ulta for $8 and you can see my original thoughts and swatches here.

My favorite perfume was discovered late in the year but I've enjoyed it since the day I bought it.  I discovered it during one of my Ulta "spray and sniff" outings.  I love going there and trying out new scents.  When I tried Oh Lola! by Marc Jacobs I thought it was perfect.  I picked up my bottle for $48. 

Top-bottom- My favorite pencil eyeliner is Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Baked.  My favorite liquid liner is Jordana's Fabuliner in Black (can be purchased at Walgreens for $1.99).  My favorite mascara is Lorac's Multiplex 3D-it really lengthens and separates my lashes.  You can get a tube at Ulta for $22.  My favorite lip gloss is Beige by NYX.  This shade looks great over so many lipstick colors and on any skin tone.  NYX lip gloss costs around $6.  Last but not least is my favorite brow product.  Milani's Easybrow in Natural Taupe is a great buy.  On one end is a great eye pencil that is retractable.  The other end has a "spoolie" brush which is perfect for brushing unruly eyebrows!  It works great!  I picked up my Easybrow at CVS for around $5.

Skincare

The older I get (I turned 30 this year!) the more interested I become in skincare products.  I try each night to adhere to my skincare routine and I always try to go to bed with clean skin.  I've tried some great products in 2011 but I am still searching for a great moisturizer. 

L-R- Ahava's Body Sorbet Caress in Mandarin Cedarwood, Boscia's Enlivening Amino Eye Treatment, Clinique's All About Eyes Serum, Elemis' Soothing Apricot Toner, Sun Labs Self Tanning Lotion and the Clarisonic Mia 2.

If you want a body lotion that absorbs quickly, is not greasy and has a great smell, then check out Ahava's Body Sorbet.  It's a great lotion and is worth every penny.  You can find it on www.amazon.com for $34 for 12.3oz.  Boscia's eye treatment has been a recent find but I am loving how it moisturizes my eye area without irritation.  It goes on smooth and is not greasy like some eye creams.  I picked up my bottle at Ulta for $38.  I couldn't leave out Clinique's All About Eyes serum.  I apply this each morning to help reduce puffiness.  It applies with a rollerball applicator and it works!  You can find it at your local Clinique counter for $26.  Elemis' Apricot toner has been a great way to soothe my skin after cleansing.  It is not irritating nor does it use alcohol like most toners which can be drying.  It smells lovely and is extremely gentle.  I recommend Elemis products because of their quality.  You can find the Soothing Apricot toner at www.timetospa.com for $33.  You can also read my thoughts on Elemis skincare here. 

Lastly I've enjoyed my self tanner and Clarisonic.  Sun Labs self tanning lotion is a great product!  It doesn't smell like all self tanners I've tried.  The product itself is the color of chocolate which helps you see where the product is going when you apply it.  It absorbs quickly and in no time your "tan" appears.  I find that my tan lasts 3-4 days and doesn't become spotty like some self tanners will.  You can find it at Ulta for $36.50 but I found my bottle at TJ Maxx for $16.99.  I also want to mention my Clarisonic.  It really has helped my skin become clearer, cleaner and brighter.  I use it every night with my favorite cleanser for 1 minute and my skin hasn't looked better.  It was definately an item I thought long and hard about before I purchased but I'm glad I did.  You can purchase the Clarisonic Mia 2 at www.clarisonic.com for $149.00.

Wild Card Item of 2011

There's always that one thing you bought that you thought you would probably use but you didn't realize how much you liked it (or needed it) until after you started to use it.

I didn't realize how much my luggage was in bad shape until this set arrived.  My old set had been with me during many travels and had lasted me all through college and the first 8 years of marriage.  When I saw this set on QVC, I thought I would pick it up.  It wasn't until the luggage arrived that I realized how cool it really was (and how useful).  My old set did not have spinner wheels, hard sides or handles that worked properly.  It was a boring black set that was heavy and REALLY dirty!  I have enjoyed this set and I recommend it to anyone looking for a super cute way to travel in style.  I promise you won't miss this luggage in baggage claim (that is of course if the airline doesn't lose your bags first, lol)!  I found my set at www.qvc.com  It is the Heys 3 piece Hardside Spinner Luggage set (F09494).  It sells for $186.90.

Stereo Rose and Rose D'Oro Comparison

If you enjoy makeup you might have heard a little about a very coveted and hard to find MAC product called Stereo Rose.  Stereo Rose is a Mineralize Skin Finish or better known as an "MSF".  It's as if a blush and a highlighter got together and had a baby!    Some MSF's are glittery and others have slight shimmer or frost.  MSF's are baked on top of a clay base which stays at the bottom of the compact.  The good thing about MSF's are that they are versatile and easy to apply.  They not only can act like a blush and a highlighter but they can be bronzers or eyeshadows.

I may be late with this review considering that MAC's Stereo Rose came out last summer but since I recently picked up Milani's Rose D'Oro which was rumored to be a dupe, I thought I would go ahead and compare the two.

I was able to purchase my Stereo Rose MSF new last summer.  I wanted one so bad that I made my husband pick one up for me right when the MAC counter opened the day that the In the Groove collection was released.  Stereo Rose had been originally released back in 2005 in the Goldplay collection.  What makes Stereo Rose stand out is its ability to look good on all skin tones. When I recently heard that Milani (a drugstore brand) came out with a baked blush that rivaled Stereo Rose, I knew I had to try it. 

I enjoy MSF's however I also love Milani blushes and I was excited to try the baked blushes too.  Rose D'Oro is a gorgeous color but it is not an exact dupe for Stereo Rose.  Rose D'Oro is more of a coral shade when applied despite it appearing very close to Stereo Rose when in the packaging.  Also Milani's blush has fine gold glitter flecks throughout whereas MAC's MSF has no gold at all.  Rose D'Oro has more shimmer and Stereo Rose has more frost.  I also noticed that the MSF is much more pigmented and smoother when applied to the skin.  Milani's Rose D'Oro is also smooth but it doesn't apply quite as smooth as Stereo Rose does. 

If you are looking for a Stereo Rose dupe, keep in mind that Rose D'Oro isn't an exact one but does offer a beautiful blush that gives a lot of bang for very little bucks. I find that both products can find a place in anyone's collection and both make excellent blush choices.  You can find Milani's baked blushes at Kmart, Target and CVS for around $7.00.  MAC' s Mineralize Skin Finishes can be found at www.maccosmetics.com or at your local MAC counter for $28.00.

MAC's Stereo Rose Mineralize Skin Finish

Milani's Rose D'Oro-notice the difference in the veining.  Rose D'Oro has gold veining whereas Stereo Rose has deeper, copper veining. 

Milani's Rose D'Oro on the left and MAC's Stereo Rose on the right.  Rose D'Oro is much more coral and Stereo Rose is much more pink.

Notice the difference in the sheen of both products.  Rose D'Oro (left) has more of a glitter effect whereas Stereo Rose has an all over sheen.

Close up of the swatches.



Foundation update and a few drugstore goodies.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had bought Neutrogena's Healthy Skin foundation (click here to see my post on this foundation).  I tried the foundation for a few weeks and I must admit I'm very mixed on how I feel about it.  It's lightweight, safe for sensitive skin and blends fairly easily.  The drawbacks I found were that it was almost too lightweight, had minimal coverage and poor staying power.  I really liked the application but at the end of the day I noticed most had been rubbed away.

Revlon's Colorstay Foundation (Normal/Dry) in Natural Beige

After dealing with Neutrogena's disappearing coverage, I decided to find a foundation that was short on price but long on wear.  Colorstay by Revlon has been noted in the past to be a good choice for those who are looking for all day wear.

First I would like to mention that Revlon's color selection is much better than Neutrogena's.  I was able to find a shade that matched me and Revlon offers their Colorstay foundations for Normal/Dry and Oily skin types.  I know it's not completely fair to compare Neutrogena's Healthy Skin to Colorstay since Neutrogena doesn't claim to be a long wearing option but I must say that Revlon's Colorstay performed well.  I noticed my makeup didn't fade or rub off.  I also noticed my skin was less "greasy" and the coverage was much better.  The one drawback to Colorstay is that it seems to be absorbed very quickly into my skin so I use more foundation than I would normally.  I also feel that Revlon's Colorstay is harder to blend than Neutrogena.  You can find Colorstay at your local drugstore for around $8.00

Of course when I picked up the foundation I just HAD to pick up a few more goodies.  I had been eyeing Milani's baked blushes for quite some time.  I love Milani's regular blush line so I knew the baked blush collection would be a good fit.  Currently at my local CVS Milani only offers 3 different shades.  I decided to pick up Rose D'Oro which is a beautiful berry/coral color with gold veining throughout.  When swatched the blush appears more pink/coral with gold shimmer.  Many people compare Rose D'Oro with the rare and much lusted after Stereo Rose by MAC.  I plan to do a comparisson between the two for my next blog entry.

Close-up of Rose D'Oro

Rose D'Oro swatched with a flash.

Picture taken without a flash.

I find that all the Milani blushes I own are smooth, pigmented and affordable.  You can find Milani at CVS, Kmart and Target.  Rose D'Oro was purchased for around $6.50. 

Aside from enjoying Milani's blushes, I also LOVE their 3D Glamour Glitzy gloss line.  I now own almost all of the shades and I love each one.  The most recent color I purchased was In Vogue which is a gorgeous, bright magenta with pink sparkle.  The glitter is not gritty on the lips when worn.  3D Glitzy Glamour gloss has been compared to MAC's Dazzleglass but personally I think Milani is better (and cheaper!).  MAC's Dazzleglass is notoriously sticky.  I'm not going to say that Milani's Glitzy gloss is 100% better but it is less sticky.  The one drawback for Milani is staying power.  MAC Dazzleglass does last longer when worn.

Close-up of In Vogue-notice the glitter.

Swatch with no flash to show true color and pigmentation.

Milani's In Vogue worn on my lips alone.

  If you want a gloss that is packed with sparkle and doesn't break the bank, consider Milani's 3D Glitzy gloss which can be found for around $7.00 versus MAC's Dazzleglass which is priced at $18.50.

I've been on a nail polish kick for a while now and two more bottles surely don't help my addiction any!  Revlon makes great nail polish for cheap and I took advantage of the buy one get one 1/2 off deal recently.  I picked up Coconut Crush and Gold Coin.  Coconut Crush is a pearly white shade with super-fine shimmer.  When dried it resembles mother of pearl and is scented.  Currently it's on my toes and I really like the way it compliments almost any outfit.  Gold Coin is a gold polish with fine shimmer.  I was hoping this polish would be a winner but with it's slow drying time compared to other Revlon polishes I own, I find this one to be a dud. 

Lastly I want to highlight a recent mascara purchase that I am pretty excited about.  I really enjoy Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara.  It's volumizing, doesn't smudge, has a great wand and makes my itty bitty lashes look great.  What I don't like is the huge price tag.  I think I've solved my problem (somewhat).

Prestige makes a mascara called My Blackest Lashes.  I found my tube at Ulta for around $6.00.  In my opinion My Blackest Lashes is a close dupe to Lancome's Hypnose Drama.  It's super black, volumizing, has a great wand and makes my lashes look amazing.  There is almost a $20 price difference and I was happy to discover this mascara.  The only drawback was that at the end of the day I noticed some slight smudging under my eyes.  I've used this mascara for almost two weeks and the smudging does not occur every day.  I'm even beginning to wonder if the smudging is heat related considering the 100 plus degree weather lately!  I cannot say that My Blackest Lashes is completely smudge proof like Lancome or Covergirl's Lash Blast but it's benefits outweigh any negatives at this point.  If you want your lashes to appear longer and thicker, consider Prestige's My Blackest Lashes.