Buxom Or Bust

For Black Friday, I picked up another promo item from another brand I had never tried before.  Well, I have an eyeshadow duo from Bare Minerals that I love, but I've never tried anything from Buxom, another offshoot of the brand.  To be honest, it was a last minute grab to round up my total purchase so I could qualify for free shipping.  It's an eye/lip duo from Buxom called Curtain Call.

First out the box is a miniature version of their Sculpted Lash Mascara in Blackest Black.  Now if you read my last post, you know that I need another mini mascara like I need a hole in my head.  But, alas, I have another to add to my ever-growing collection.

Sculpted Lash is a vitamin-rich, eyelash indulgence that boasts an "S" shaped wand covered in nylon/rubber bristles.  I don't fuss over mascaras, therefore, I haven't tried this out yet.  However, I do kinda prefer rubber bristles over the bushy variety because of their associated formulas and because the rubber ones tend to define my lashes more, whereas the bushy bristles leave my lashes looking... well, bushier.  It's like using a comb vs. a brush.  So, just judging from the bristles, I think this will fare well in my book.

And then there's the full-size sampling of their Full-On Lip Stick in Amsterdam, which is a soft, rosy nude.  It is a chrome-y, twist-up lip pencil complete with a removable sharpener tucked into its base.  It is infused with lip-softening vitamins and is paraben-free.

Okay, I'm going to start with the good first.  It has a light, sweet smell to it that I found to be pleasant and not overwhelming.  It applied smoothly and left a slightly tingly, cooling sensation on my lips that I believe is all a part of the "plumping" aspect of the lipstick.  Again, it wasn't unpleasant.

Okay, now the not-so-good.  On my lips and complexion, it was semi-opaque and required several passes to even update my pout to a "barely there" look.  Although the formula glides on and has a hint of shine like a satin, it settled into the lines on my lips like a matte, so prepping your mouth ahead of time is essential.  Only after applying a complementing lip gloss did this end up looking acceptable on me, at least by my standards.  And Amsterdam totally did a disappearing act by midday, leaving hardly any evidence of color after I ate.

So, I have a few more items I'm going to share with you later on down the line, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this one.  I mean, I'm going to make it work... but this will be my last and final Curtain Call; my curiosity has been quelled with Buxom for now, so I think I'll just stick to the eyeshadows on the Bare Minerals side until further notice.

A Big Fan of Fan Favorite

Sooooo, did any of you guys indulge in any sales during the Black Friday weekend?  Well, I did.  Yes, yours truly did a little bit of damage... but just a teeny-weenie bit.  I mean, there were some things that were just too good to pass up.  Case in point: the Fan Favorite Duo from LORAC that Sephora was offering for only ten bucks!  Yes, yes, y'all!  Diez dineros!

LORAC's Fan Favorite Duo is a limited edition find that combines the most coveted shade from their PRO Palette with a 3-In-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil.  Both items are full-size, which makes this a definite steal of a deal in my book.

First up, neatly tucked away in tissue paper, is the 3-In-1 Waterproof Eyeliner in Ultra Black.  It is a twist-up, mechanical pencil that comes equipped with a removable smudger/sharpener at its base.

The liner applied smoothly across my skin with no skipping or tugging whatsoever while leaving a ribbon of full-on, opaque color in its wake.  Now, I know some people tend to be consumed with the idea of getting the blackest of the black when it comes to eye products.  Me?  Not so much.  But for those concerned, I will say that while it is a dark black and certainly not grayish, it is not an inky blackity-black.  I loved the formula, found that it had great staying power and, yes, was indeed waterproof on my eyes.  

Alongside the liner, ensconced in a bubble wrap pocket for good measure, is Pewter eyeshadow.  The single shadow comes in a hard, plastic pot with a screw on/off lid.

Those who are acquainted with LORAC's PRO Palette already know this shade intimately.  But for the uninitiated, Pewter is a gorgeous, ruddy-tinged taupe and it is ab fab - hence it being voted the fan favorite from the palette (which is saying a lot because all of the colors in the PRO palette are beautiful)!  Pewter is buttery soft, yields opaque color with minimum effort and can be used wet or dry.  It has a pearl finish.

And so goes the awesome twosome that was available during Sephora's B-Fri online sale blitz.  If you're like me and joined Fan Favorite's fan club two weekends ago then fantastic!  But if you missed the initial meeting, keep your eyes peeled; there may be some batches floating around at their brick n' mortars (hey, you never know!).  So, if you happen upon this dynamic duo, GRAB IT and don't hesitate!  You'll be getting two phenomenal products at a pauper's price... as well as entrance into the ultimate Fan club.  Trust me, it's a club worth being a member of.

*Secret handshakes and eye-blinks will be given out later...

Dramatically Different Moisturizer

Well, here's a classic I'm sure a lot of you guys are already familiar with.  You know how it goes with me: I ran out of my beloved Ole moisturizer about a week and a half ago so I decided to revisit an "oldie" via a sampler I had tucked away in a bag.  I call it an oldie because I had originally tried this moisturizer years ago, long before I grew serious about my skin regimen; I was pretty indifferent towards it back then and quickly dismissed it.  But now that I'm a bit wiser and more discerning, I can honestly gauge the tangible effects Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ is having on my skin.  And I must say that I'm loving it, which is why I had to indulge in a full-size bottle of the stuff!

The Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ is actually a slightly tweaked version - improved, if you will - of the original.  The classic yellow, fragrance-free formula is virtually the same except it now has a strengthening complex that helps to maintain a barrier of moisture on the skin for all-day protection and hydration.  The lotion is a component of their 3-step skin care program that caters to both normal/dry and combo/oily skin types, the latter of which has an oil-free, gel version that has not been enhanced with the strengthening complex.

I love the fact that the bottle comes with a pump.  I love the way it feels on my skin and how it seems to permeate and penetrate so easily.  No greasiness, just softness.  Smooth and supple is how my face feels after each use.  And with absolutely no dermatological tantrums in sight, I can safely say that I am loving everything about this lotion.  Everythang!

So, for all those who've tried it and loved it, I am now a proud member of your sorority.  And for all those who are still on the lookout for a suitable moisturizer, this may be one you'll want to put on your must-try list.  It really is a wonderful elixir that warrants at least a look-see.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ is available at Clinique.com as well as Macy's and Sephora, and retails for $38/6.78oz bottle; $26/4.2oz bottle; $14.50/1.7oz tube.

Birthday Benefits

Hey!  I got another birthday gift that I'd like to share with you guys.  I almost didn't get it on account of me being a good girl and not burning down the store with makeup purchases last month.  But I eventually caved for Black Friday and saw that as a Sephora B.I. (Beauty Insider) my complimentary b'day gift was still available.  I loved the one offered last year (which I wrote about here) and I'm getting good vibes from their petite perk this time around.  So, you wanna see what I got?  OK, cool!

This year, Sephora had a gift set from benefit that included a mini version of their Watt's Up! highlighter as well as They're Real! mascara.  And I'm excited to try out both.

For all those not already familiar, They're Real! is one of benefit's best selling products.  It's a mascara that boasts lash-volumizing and lash-lengthening powers, so much so that they'll have people wondering... well, wondering whether your lashes are real or not.  It has rubber/nylon bristles that extend the entire length of the brush as well as engulf the tip.  Hmm... I wonder how they'll fare on my peeper sweepers...

And then there's Watt's Up! - a champagne colored, cream-to-powder highlighter.  It comes in a screw-up tube with painted light bulbs adorning its sides.  How cute is that?

I have to say that this felt good going on.  And since it's cream-to-powder, it dispensed nicely across my skin and had great staying power.  I am really looking forward to incorporating this one into some looks.  Very lovely, indeed.

Now, benefit products have caught my eye before, especially their popular box blushes.  But after swatching a catalogue of them at Ulta one afternoon, my interest waned; I didn't find them to be very WOC (women of color) friendly since every blush from the display failed to show up on my brown skin.  And so that was pretty much a wrap - no benefit for me.  But these two samples prove to be promising.  I mean, I probably won't be buying the full-scale versions, but at least I was able to discover something from the brand that may end up working well for me and my skin tone.

benefit They're Real! comes in two sizes: 0.14oz/$10; 0.3oz/$23.  Watt's Up! (full-size, 0.33oz) retails for $30.  Both can be found at Ulta and Sephora. 

A Kinky Pinky

Well, it's more of a fuchsia... which still makes it a part of the pink familia, so it's all good.  I like it because it's a great alternative this season to wearing the conventional Christmas reds.  Incredibly pretty, it reminds me of one of the press-on, adhesive bows that you put on wrapped gifts.  Let me share with you this wonderful color from OPI called Kinky In Helsinki.

Kinky In Helsinki is a jewel-toned fuchsia with undeniable violet undertones.  It has a high gloss and great coverage; I was able to achieve suitable opacity in two applications.  It also wore well on my busy hands, showing minor chipping on the edges of my nails after about five days.

Now, I am aware that Kinky is from one of OPI's past collections and may not be readily available everywhere or that easy to find.  However, the color is not that unique that it hasn't shown up in lineups from other brands.  In fact, I've seen the same shade from Revlon, Sally Hansen and Wet 'n' Wild, the latter of which I actually own.  Therefore, it's not the brand nor the title from the brand that I'm particularly impressed with, but the beauty of this spectacular shade o' pink that I really wanted to impress upon you.  It's just that lovely. 

So, if you're able to pick up the OPI version - great!  Do so.  But if not, reward yourself by finding its doppelganger in another brand.  It's a gorgeous, festive fuchsia that would be perfect to don for the holidays.  And beyond. 

In the Clear

For those of you who do your own nails, do you use a base coat?  How about a top coat as a finish?  What about both?  I've been pretty religious in using a glossy top coat when trying to protect, preserve and prolong a nail art design or finicky polish.  When it comes to a base coat, however, I just haven't found it to be as necessary or advantageous.

I bought this China Glaze base coat on a whim along with another China Glaze product.  My thinking was that if I sandwiched my nail color between both a base and a top coat then my nail polish would last extra long with minimum to no chipping.  Well, this didn't exactly pan out the way I had thought; it works OK under a China Glaze polish, but totally detaches from my nails (lifting and taking the entire coat of color with it, reminiscent of a press-on nail) after only a few days with any other brand.  Needless to say, I haven't found it to be all that helpful.  Perhaps I should try a different brand?

Moving on to top coats, this one I've had for a while.  And it's cool.  It does provide gloss and shine, but it's not quick drying and not especially diligent in keeping chips and nicks at bay.  But it does shine.

Which leads me to almost everyone's fave: Seche Vite.  When I heard about how excellent this top coat was I rushed to my nearest drug store to snatch up a bottle for myself.  And an excellent top coat it is; it completely lives up to its reputation for being extremely fast drying and imparting incredible shine.  It truly does "coat" the nails and, therefore, lengthen the wear of your color/design.

My only issue with Seche is that after a few uses the already thick gloss started to thicken even more until it began to congeal and get gloppy.  As of right now, what I have left is pretty much a dense, stiff, translucent syrup sticking to the bottom half of the bottle.

And just like maple syrup in the cold, my remaining Seche clings to the brush in sticky globes of glob.  I was kinda surprised that it conked out on me like that, but I do still consider it a fave and will probably purchase another.

Until then, I have found the perfect substitute: Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry.  It, too, is incredibly fast drying and imparts remarkable shine to the nails.  I really was impressed with this one.

But what I really like about it is the wide brush.  The broad build on this baby practically covers your entire nail within the first stroke, which makes it quick in applying as well as quick drying.  And that makes it absolutely awesome to work with. 

So, for me the verdict is still out when it comes to using a base coat.  Like I said, maybe I should try a different brand if someone can recommend a good one.  It's not a huge deal, but I'm open to trying another if it'll make a significant difference as far as wear is concerned.  But the clear winner in my book is the top coat!  I believe the right top coat can make all the difference in "polishing" up your nail color/design and giving it a longer life.  And for those still debating the need for either in your DIY nail endeavors, I hope you found this post somewhat helpful in your journey!