Musings of a Muse

A Blog of Musings from a Cosmetic Whore

Dec 15, 2007

The Weekly Beauty Read

Dead tired *yawn* here's a quick post to see what the Muse's friends are up to at the Beauty Blog Network this week!

Elke looks back at her first trip to NY and how it changed her.

Anchor
Temptalia shares nine beauty-themed gift guides for all your friends and family for the holiday season!

Savvy Skin has a Freeze 24/7 Review And Contest

SugarShock is craving beauty treats that smell good enough to eat.

makeup loves me is giving away two limited edition prescriptives illuminator all over face color bricks! head on over to leave a comment and win!

A Touch of Blusher loves lilac!

Do you want MARC JACOBS fragrance sets for a steal? Kyle at Face Candy has the scoop.

Beauty Anonymous reviews Roxy Fragrance and Delicate Shower Gel

Because good things come in small packages, Makeup Moxie's got the ultimate guide to beauty stocking stuffers that are almost too pretty to part with.

The Glitterati feels pretty... oh so pretty... in West Side.

Beauty and Personality Grooming -
Chilblains:a skin affliction that occurs in winter

All Lacquered Up previews the spring polish collections from Chanel, China Glaze, CND and Zoya

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Dec 14, 2007

Total Beauty: Elle Article

Total Beauty is featured in Elle this month!



Wahoo!

Click to view the article!

Click here to see Total Beauty on Allure!

Just a reminder that The Muse is on Total Beauty's Blogs To Love Hit List have a look by clicking here.

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Bourjois Paris Ombre A Paupieres UK Colors: The Sequel

I'm still digging through my box of goodies from the UK! I happened across ANOTHER Bourjois Paris eyeshadow in Prune Intense. It's a gorgeous deep purple that reminds me of MAC's Entremauve Pigment but this is far more wearable for me as it shows a tad bit lighter and has some more shimmer to it!

Just beautiful!

You can see my other post with other colors of Bourjois Paris Ombre A Paupieres UK colors by clicking here!

I can't wait to do an FOTD with this color!




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philosophy Bubbly Three in One Shower Gel

An item that is making an appearance under my tree this year would be Philosophy's QVC Exclusive Bubbly Three in One Shower Gel!

Philosophy Bubbly Sold Exclusively at QVC


I've been disenchanted with Philosophy's Three in One's for a while now and I find myself reaching for the Bath and Body Works Temptation shower gels more than the Philosophy ones lately!

However, about a year ago Philosophy had introduced a trio of gels in a gift pack that was labeled the Wedding Party or the Wedding or something of that nature and in it was a small bottle of a shower gel that I had fallen in love with entitled Bubbly!

My tiny little bottle of Bubbly that I've been cherishing for the past few months! But now I have my massive bottle to take it's place!


QVC, and Philosophy for that matter, would have you believe that Bubbly is a BRAND NEW, never released product but that's not the case! It had made it's appearance for a very short, limited time and the Muse just happens to own a small bottle of it!

When I seen Bubbly pop up again on QVC's site in a massive 24oz bottle (Normally the Three in One Shower Gel's are 16oz) I knew I must have it! I was especially delighted by not only it's size but it's $15USD price tag (It's now since gone back to being $20 on the site as the $15 was a special of the day or some such thing)!!! You may remember my posts about Philosophy changing it's packaging and this bottle you see is in the new bigger size! Previous posts about Philosophy's big change of clothes can seen by clicking here, here and here!

The New 24oz bottle beside the old 16oz bottle! Plus a little baby 6oz of Bubbly at the end!


I snagged five bottles (one for myself of course) and the rest I'll be wrapping up as extra stocking stuffers for some friends this year!

This delightful shower gel lives up to it's name! It's bubbly and effervescent with a tiny touch of sweet citrus champagne scent and just perfect all around! It Pops, Fizzes, and just lights up your shower with such a great scent! The Muse highly recommends nabbing an ultra inexpensive bottle for yourself and maybe several more as gifts!



I don't know how long Bubbly is going to be around for but you can purchase it now from QVC ONLY by using Item Number A74742.

Toast yourself in the shower with a bit of Bubbly!

Bubbly is most definately Muse Approved!

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Dec 13, 2007

Majolook Eyeshadow Palettes in SV801 FOTD with a Bit of a Tutorial

I imagine many of you have the Shiseido Majorca Majolica's Holiday Majolook palettes on your Christmas and Holiday Wish Lists!

I know I did!

I got my collection a little bit ago and finally got around to blogging about it, you can see that blog post by clicking here.

I'm about to show you what I created with this and I thought I'd do a bit of a written tutorial as well. I'm about to babble a bit so be prepared to be enlightened or bored silly if it's the latter I'll wake you when I'm done.

I cracked open SV801 today and did a very neat, pretty, and simple FOTD with it. You have to keep in mind a few things when you purchase and finally work with Majolook Palettes. For one thing these palettes aren't top quality pigment they aren't nearly as nice as the single shadows MJ has in the general catalog plus the texture of the shadows is completely different. Don't expect eye popping looks when using this because that's not what you're going to get. These ARE going to give you a beautiful, simple look. Single shadows from MJ are far more pigmented and have a completely different texture while these palettes are more about layering for intensity. This isn't a rant, it's simply a truth.

Secondly, I find that the Majolook work best on Asian eyes. Dunno why but I think the colors in the palettes look divine on Asian eyes. My eyes are extremely big, buggy, and dominate my entire face and I hate it. Asian eyes are delicate, exotic, and unique and the shimmer in these shadows works very, very well with that. These are so light and pretty on that style of eye in comparison to my large set eye. So really while I'm layering this and layering it some more someone of Asian descent can simply sweep this on maybe twice and get a really subtle yet awe aspiring look while I need much more to get the awe part. Personally I think it'll work beautifully with double lid or single lid eyes (if you're Asian you know what I mean or if you have many Asian friends you already know what I am talking about!). Sometimes it's difficult to wear the latest trend in eyeshadow when you have a single lid but these will work perfectly with either as they are soft shimmering shades that are just perfect for double or single lids (some girls have surgery to get a double lid! My god! Scary!).

So now that I've babbled a bit...on with the tutorial.

I'm working my palette from left to right which would be lightest to darkest shades. As I said earlier you're not going to have to build this up too much if you're Asian because it'll look cakey as opposed to if you have huge eyes like mine and need lots of color to get that "pop".

Sadly, this tutorial isn't exactly going to work well if you're Asian as it's working the darker shade into the crease. And unfortunately I couldn't do a good tutorial on how to work this particular palette on an Asian eye because I have no experience applying any eye looks onto anyone other then myself. Sorry guys :( It's especially crummy considering most of my gorgeous readers are of some Asian descent! I wish I could offer some sort of tutorial on the best way to apply this so hey if anyone wants to contribute that do give a yell! I'd be happy to post it!

I'm taking this in steps and I'm assuming you've already completely prepped your eye area with your cover-up, foundation, and primer of choice.

I find that working with the sponge applicator included with this palette is the best way to apply because the color just slips right off regular brushes plus you'll be there all day packing on color with a regular brush so just use the sponge applicator and you'll be done quicker and the color packs on really well with it. Dip the applicator in the first color, which is a sparkling white, and apply from your lid to your crease. You're going to have to do this a few times to build the color up so keep going until your lid has a nice, healthy dose of shimmering white on the lid and crease area.

Now you want to move all the way over to your right and take the deepest silver color and apply it to your crease. Again, use the sponge applicator for application as it works best. Work the silver into your crease but refrain from getting any on your lid. Deepen the color as desired. I normally use about 3-4 strokes and that packs it on well. At this point you want to blend a bit so grab your blending brush of choice, mine happens to be the MAC 224, very lightly blend the colors. I normally blend the silver first working it back and fourth like a window wiper. Do it ever so gently. Why? Because the colors are delicate and not particularly pigmented which means they'll slide right off before they have a sec to set properly. At this point you might want to pick up the same colors (white and darkest silver) and reapply a bit more color, again if you're Asian you won't need this much color.

Ok so you should have a nice contrasting eye at this point with a beautiful white on the bottom lid and a gorgeous dark silver in the crease. Pick up the middle silver color and work it gently into your lid on top of the white. Don't overpower the white but accent it with the silver. You can use your blending brush if you want or use the sponge applicator.

Ok you're almost done now!

Don't, I repeat, don't use the liner brush that this palette came with. Why? Because it's rubbish and doesn't work well. Use your own liner brush to apply the liner and you'll find you won't sit there triple dipping. I find the liner brush included smears instead of applies and I'm working hard to intensify the liner on my eyes when I could have just used my own brush and did maybe two coats without dipping 3-4 times to get a bold line. If you have the liner brush from the KATE gel eyeliner pack use that! It works a treat on the Majolook liner! Line your upper lash line, now your bottom lash liner and waterline. Don't use it on your waterline without testing first. I personally don't have sensitive eyes and have no problem using it on my waterline but if you're sensitive or wear contacts maybe test first.

Ok one more step and you're done!

Take your MJ Snow Carat Powder and remove the powder puff applicator as you won't need it right now. Place your pointer finger on the stopper in the middle of the powder and tip it upside down an shake a little. Remove your finger and it should be nicely coated with some shimmer. Take the shimmer and pat it onto your complete eye look. Pat, Pat, Pat and keep building up the shimmer. Finally take a slim brush and dip it in the powder and work the shimmer onto your highbrow as a highlighter. I use my MAC 213 for this.

Spray your lash curler with stay, curl your lashes, apply your mascara, and you're done! Silly me forgot to apply the Lash Freeze! But definately don't forgot to apply your Lash Freeze after your mascara!

That's a really, really long tutorial for such a little palette I know but many people always ask me how to best apply the Majolook palettes and which colors go where and I found that this is the system that work best for me!

Hope it helps!

Soooooooooooo I'm asking a big favor now! I want your MJ Majolook looks! Send 'em to me and I'll feature them on an upcoming blog entry!

I love seeing what others create using these palettes!

You can e-mail them to me at Musings.of.a.Muse@gmail.com

And finally here's my completed SV801 Look (I look like an idiot in most of these! I guess I was tired and doing my Zoolander Magnum Looks this morning!):

















What I Used:

Eyes
Majorca Majolica's Majolook Palette in SV801
Majorca Majolica's Snow Carat Powder
Bourjois Paris Yes to Volume No to Clumps Mascara

Face
Bourjois Paris Blush in Lilas D'or 33

Lips
Aube Gloss Fruitina in Frozen Berry 14

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Battling Dry Winter Skin: The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash Review

My skin never behaves in the Winter. Ever. I get patchy dry skin between my eyebrows, on my cheeks, and just general gross, flaky skin all over the place! Yuk! I moisturize and moisturize and I moisturize some more but it doesn't completely help my problem!

However this does:


I use this in the evenings prior to applying my night cream and it works absolute wonders on my skin. For one thing it really helps my night cream sink into my skin when my cheeks are feeling tight, dry, and chapped from the cold, cold weather! It also removes any flaky, dry skin I have on my face and just makes my face feel like a clean slate! With the combination of using this and When Hope is Not Enough in the evenings I wake up in the morning to a very soft face that's ready for the world!

Blackheads? Nasty little buggers aren't they! I love scrubbing this on my nose to wipe clean any clogged pores!

The texture of this is very silky. It has a slightly watery, soapy base with the perfect amount of crystals in the mix. The crystals are not abrasive or scratchy but if you're skin is sensitive I highly recommend treating the back of your hand or a small part of your face prior to doing the full treatment just in case it breaks you out!

Many people automatically assume that since it has "wash" in the title that means you're supposed to use it with water. No. Not the case. No water is involved when treating your skin with this. Basically you squeeze about a quarter (or less if you please!) size amount into one of the Microdelivery cloths and scrub gently on your face in a circular motion. You can do it without the cloths but I prefer using them and I'll tell you why in a brief second. I normally work this into my skin for a few minutes and rinse. I had previously used this on my damp skin, which if you want you can do too, but stopped doing so when I seen an interview with Christina Carlino (founder of Philosophy) recommending it be used sans water! After trying it I found it works twice as better on a dry face! Either wet or dry this will foam up a little as you scrub which I find great as you can feel like it working. There are so many crystals in the tiny squeeze that you used that you can easily distribute all over your face and work the product into your skin sloshing away dead skin cells and dry bits and pieces right off your face! You can get this guy in one of two sizes, 8oz or 16oz. Respectively you can get about 6 months or more out of the smaller bottle which will cost you $25 and you can probably nab a full year or more out of the big 16oz which is $37. The price is justified and inexpensive in my opinion since you're using a tiny amount of product to achieve a fantastic finish to your skin!

I was talking about The Microdelivery cloths a little bit ago. Cloths are sadly sold separately and you might not be be able to justify the cost as they are $15 for 20 clothes tiny bit expensive but I love them! The good news is you can buy a duo of the wash and cloths on QVC for $35 (Item Number A72557) or you can scour E-bay and nab packs of 20 for $5-$10 depending on how lucky you are while bidding! The clothes just make the wash easier to distribute and work around my face and aid me in getting a nice proper scrub. You slip your hand into the one end and slide your thumb into the hole on top. Squeeze a bit of the wash onto your hand and scrub, scrub, scrub with the cloth! Presto! Beautiful Skin!

Microdelivery Face Cloths


The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash is possibly your best defense against dry Winter Skin!

If you're looking for a Steal and a Deal grab 32oz's of this wash for $49.98 from QVC using Item Number A74085. I have this in the large size and I use it to refill my little 8oz bottle! Perfect and a value!!!!!!

The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash and Cloths are very Muse Approved!

Do you use this?
Love it?
Hate it?

Tell me!


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Stila's Virtual Warehouse Restock



Got an e-mail last night announcing Stila's Restock for the Virtual Warehouse Sale!

I'm not sure if you'll be able to order or not unless you received the e-mail. For some reason when I posted the link last time a few problems had occurred but here it is anyway!

Click!

Nothing of great interest to me. Maybe I just have too much Stila but definately a few deals to be had here!

Happy Shopping!

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The Muse Working Her Magic on Specktra This Week

This week I bring you a tale of a wonderful NARS Orgasm dup!

Come visit me on Specktra Blog to read all about it! CLICK!

Don't forget to browse around and see all the new exciting collections upcoming from MAC that Janice takes the time to update us about!

The Muse has Janice on her "to be thanked" list for always keeping me informed and organized about what MAC Collections are upcoming and release dates!

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A Great Honor Bestowed Upon The Muse

The Muse's mates at Kiss and Makeup have bestowed a great honor upon the Muse by picking her as one of their Top Ten Beauty Blogs they love!

*blush*

The Muse loves Kiss and Makeup and can't begin to say how wonderful she feels they choose her as a blog they read daily!

Thanks to the lovely folk at Kiss and Makeup the Muse is tickled pink!

You can read more about the top ten blogs by clicking here! I see Christine from Temptalia made the list, PJ from A Touch of Blusher, and Bjooti from Sweden plus 7 other great blogs! This is a great way to discover some new blogs you may not have read before!

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Sephora's Too Faced Make Over

I found this while browsing around Sephora:


I'm not makeup artist and I just dabble a bit and try to create nice looks but I'm far from an expert but the look you see above was created by a Too Faced Makeup Artist.

um...

well...

How does one state one's opinion without being rude?

But....

This kinda looks crummy.

Her lips and cheeks are nice but the eye makeup is so sloppy plus it appears they aged the girl about 20 years with that bronze color!

Am I being too harsh?

Click here for details on what was used.

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Dec 12, 2007

Total Beauty: Blogs We Love

Ooooo I'm totally chuffed today! I've made it onto Total Beauty's Blogs We Love Spotlight with my mark Glossblossom Ripening Lip Tint Review!

Fun! Fun!

Click here to view plus you might find some other great Blogs to Love!

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L'occitane en Provence Verbena Collection Review

One brand that probably doesn't get nearly enough love from the Muse on her blog would be L'occitane. Weirdly enough I don't think I've ever done a single blog about this amazing brand!

I'm a big lover of L'occitane and it justly deserves it's own special entry! Sadly, it's not all about L'occitane as this blog was inspired by Lush's new hair gel King of Mods.

I just wrote a rather delightful review about King of Mods (You can read my review of King of Mods by clicking here) and was hinting at some products that would go well with it and I can think of nothing else that would be go fantastically with it then none other then L'occitane's Lemon Verbena collection!

I have the biggest love affair with lemons. I love the wicked combination of the scent of lemons. It's a tart sweetness that's the perfect contradiction. It's fruity and it's slightly sweet but it has a wicked tartness that's eye opening! And what better way to wake up in the morning than with some yummie Lemon scented products?!

Nothing captures the essense of lemons like L'occitane's Lemon Verbena collection! Four of my absolutely must have Verbena items are the Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap, The Verbena Shampoo and Conditioner, and the Verbena Shower Gel!



If you happen to pick up a jar of King of Mods I can tell you that washing your hair with L'occitane's Verbea Shampoo and Conditioner and finishing with King of Mods will leave your hair delightfully scented in a beautiful array of fresh smelling citrus that will last all day long!

Sadly, L'occitane's products are not cheap by any means but they are well worth the price tag in my humblest opinion!

The Shea Extra Gentle Soap is delicately scented with Verbena and is extra moisturizing. The only quirk I have with L'occitane's soaps are they are so monstrously big and over sized! These are 8.8oz which is about triple the size of your normal soap. It's good because it's a large chunk of soap for $10 bucks but it's quite bulky to use when in the shower! It most definately gets my seal of approval for the smell and skin benefits but the size is definately something that turns me off!

Lucky You! I just started a new bar this morning! Here's a chunk all yummie and awaiting my use!


Verbena Shower Gel is probably one of my favorite in the line! It's a bit pricy at $20 for 8.4oz but I must say it's one of my guilty pleasures that I just adore. Nothing gets me awake in the morning like a burst of yummy tart lemons and this shower gel most definately tantalizes with the smell of lemons! It suds very nicely and the smell actually does linger sometime on the skin which is always a plus! It doesn't dry my skin out which I do have a problem with when using shower gels so it gets an A+ for that!

Last but not least would be the perfect companion to King of Mods so as promised I bring you Verbena Shampoo and Conditioner which are equally as gorgeous and lemony smelling as the soap and shower gel! Perfect for layering all together to create a beautiful fresh scent! Both are very light so you don't have to worry about build up!

A few items I use and haven't mentioned would be the Verbena Eau de Toilette and Verbena Lotion. The lotion is lovely and very moisturizing and it layers well after using the Shower Gel! As for the Eau de Toilette it's sadly something that fails to linger. The throw is a bit weak and you really have to spray yourself down for it to have any lasting quality. It's quite disappointing as the fresh smell of lemons is beautiful in this spray but it just doesn't last long enough to justify it's cost. I wish they'd consider doing a strong Eau de Parfum!



Overall, the collection is beautiful and is very Muse approved and of course perfect for layering with the new love of my life King of Mods however I must say that if L'occitane can capture the essence and freshness as well as Lush they'd most definately have me throwing a ton more money at them but until that day I definately approve of the Verbena Collection they do have available!

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Lush's King of Mods Hair Gel Review

Remember all my hoopla about King of Mods and Goth Juice? No? Click here to read up! My original blog post about King of Mods and Goth Juice was quite popular and many of you had bits to say so today I bring you a blog of review!

I got my package from Lush UK last week and inside was my new favorite product King of Mods! Lush introduced it's hair gels in the Summer I believe or maybe it was the Spring but either way for some reason or another I never really got around to buying or trying any!

I'm happy to say that King of Mods is fantastic! What's so fab about King of Mods? For one thing the smell is amazing! It's this uber bright cocktail of lemon, lime and grapefruit (real deal here!). It's tart and fresh and just beautiful! Words can't really describe how yummy this smells and when it's in your hair the scent just lasts and lasts all day long!



If you happen to be a long time Lush user you'll remember a lovely little product by the name of Back for Breakfast which is sadly gone. King of Mods smells almost identical to Back for Breakfast! I'm actually currently, with much sadness, using my last bottle of Back for Breakfast and the scent of both King of Mods and it in my hair is just too gorgeous!

King of Mods also quite reminds me of the smell of Ocean Salt but the lime is a bit more prominent in Ocean Salt while in King of Mods the lime takes a back seat to the tart sweetness of the lemon!

A little goes a long way. Don't say I didn't warn you. A tiny drop rubbed between the palms of your hairs and smoothed into wet hair is plenty to get you through the day! I personally wouldn't attempt this on dry hair but from what I've read people have had great results using it like that. Lush promotes this as a soft hold hair gel but I get more of a strong hold from it. It eases the frizz that my heavy, wavy hair is quite known for and also makes my hair feel quite soft and of course nicely scented! The scent just lingers and lingers and lingers and believe you me I've had many compliments about how fresh smelling my hair is!

This is a very light gel contrary to it's texture. The texture is a bit sticky and dense and it takes some work smoothing it between your hands for application but when it's in your hair it's very light so you won't end up feeling like a helmet head or having a greased up look. I use it on my wet hair and I'm not one for blowing dry so when my hair finally dries it feels very fluffy while easing my frizzes!



As you already know my uniform is placing my hair in a bun and smoothing my hair back with a headband. My hair is wavy and full of curl and placing it back keeps it away from my face while I'm working. By the end of the day my emaculate hair ends up spiraling out of it's bun and I have a case of the frizz on the halo of my head! Lucky enough I now have King of Mods which pretty much holds it all together.

The price tag on King of Mods could make you wince. Stateside a small jar costs $15.95 but I'm here to tell you it's cash well spent. This jar will last you ages because as I said before a tiny drop is all you need. I figure I could get at least 6 months or more from this jar so at $15.95 that's not too bad a deal!

If you're yearning for some Back for Breakfast now and you're wondering what would go well with the fresh smell of King of Mods have no fear your Muse has several products that'll go perfectly with the amazing scent of King of Mods that she'll bring to you in her next blog post!

I can't say enough good things about this cute little pot of gel especially can't stop raving about it's gorgeous smell.

King of Mods is most definately Muse Approved for purchase!



Got it?
Love it?
Tell me!

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Bath and Body Works Sassy Strawberry Three in One Shower Gel Review

I was doing some Christmas shopping last night so I happened to drop into Bath and Body Works of course! I promised myself this year I would NOT get sucked into the evil lure of Bath and Body Works simply because I was feeling quite cheap! Yes, I said cheap. I know cheap and the Muse are something that don't go well together but indeed I was being cheap and if you may I was also being...frugal!

Indeed. Tis true.

So why was I being cheap and frugal?

Bath and Body Works has the biggest array of awesome Holiday gifts and they are all so pretty and sweet and I want everything (for myself) however the evil lure of all these goodies did not even phase me! I didn't even blink a little eyelash upon viewing all those wonderful, bright packages and colorful shower gels!

Are you screaming blasphemy yet?!

When it comes to gift giving for friends and family I truly have no problem shelling out cash however I would not be tempted by all this wonderful bath candy last night simply because the past few years I've given into the temptation to buy tons and tons of Bath and Body Works all to have it be given away practically for FREE on Boxing Day and the entire week after Christmas!

I'm talking major deals! $6, $5, $4, even a $1! Items are normally price tagged at $12 and upwards! being reduced to $4 and $3 totally makes me fall on the floor and convulse in anger that I paid the original price tag for these things! MY GOD It's a CRIME!

So what did I do last night?

I boycotted Bath and Body Works and told myself I'd not spend a dime for anyone in that shop simply to avoid the drama of tears and anger (ok maybe not tears but I love the drama don't you?) later when it was all reduced and placed on clearance.

A few items that most definately tempted me to spend, spend, spend was of course all the new Temptation 3 in 1's! I adore Twisted Peppermint and really wanted to stock up but I was being a smart shopper (pat, pat on the back for this Muse) knowing that these $12 bottles would be $6-$4 after the Holiday was over!

However, the force and lure of Bath and Body Works is strong and I did spot a sign that simply red 50% off in big red letters. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest at this point so I slowly went over to investigate (my best mate Jen was with me at time and she can vouch that I was literally tiptoeing over to see what the sign was all about! She calls me the "passionate shopper" and says I should have my own show amply named that)!

And to my utter delight it was Sassy Strawberry that was on sale! That meant it was $6! I was nabbing a real steal here! I had to have it immediately at this price! So I snatched up two bottles (one for me and one for my sister who loves the Temptation line as well)! I made sure to be quick because there was about 5000 bottles there and god knows at any second a big crowd might wander in and grab them all before I got my chance to get a bottle for my very self (drama kids drama).

Bath and Body Works Sassy Strawberry Three in One Shower Gel on Sale for $6


I mistakenly didn't bother smelling Sassy Strawberry before purchasing it. I have this system where I avoid smelling things because I know I'll want them. So when I stopped into the shop last night I encouraged myself NOT to smell any of the Temptations because I'd definately want them as soon as my nose tickled with the aroma of Mint Chocolate, Peppermint, and Gumdrops!

When I seen Sassy Strawberry on sale I just assumed that Strawberry and Mint would be a lovely marriage so I didn't smell it prior to buying.

Big.
Mistake.

You know cheap shampoo? Suave Strawberry Shampoo, V05 Strawberry Shampoo, and hell if you're as old as me dare I say White Rain Strawberry Shampoo.

That's what this smells like. Really, really cheap shampoo.

Wow.

So disappointed.

I can't believe it. To be honest when I originally read about this on the site I literally we'ed myself in excitement at the thought of Strawberries mixed with delightful mint! I thought for sure this would take over my love affair with Twisted Peppermint and make it onto my "must have at all costs" list!

However, I don't get any mint I simply get a very plastic, fake Strawberry smell. I've never met a bottle of Temptation 3 in 1 that I didn't love but this would make it on my "do not want", "do not love" list.

Sorry Bath and Body you missed the boat on this one.

Who in the world thought this was a good idea? I'm just wondering where the mint went?!?!?!

I convinced myself that my batch must have went off so I opened my sister's bottle to smell and again just a strange plastic strawberry smell.

I'm so disappointed I may just spit or cry (or neither but it sure sounded good!).

I'm really somewhat shocked as I've truly had great experiences with the line up until this catastrophe! I've even went so far as to say the line was better than Philosophy.

The Muse says avoid the Sassy Strawberry and spend your hard earned $6 bucks on something else!

I'm going to go meditate to make myself stronger against the lure of Bath and Body Works!

Don't give in people! It'll be on sale before you know it! Be strong!

Have this?
Hate it too?
Loved it?

Tell me! Your Muse is curious what you thought about Sassy Strawberry!

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Some News On the Philosophy Front

Sephora.com is sold out of a majority of the Philosophy goodies they previously had however I can report that a majority of Manhattan's Sephora stores have many of the products on sale and available for purchase!

As per my discussion (click here and here for details) before Philosophy has completely revamped the line and the bottles are no longer 16oz in size nor $16 in price they are now officially jumbo sized 24oz at a price tag of $20 per a bottle (The Muse approves! Good Deal!). I love the larger size and the lovely price tag but I have to say the new bottles are a bit clumsy for your shower. These aren't going to fit in any caddy or shelf you might have in your stall so that might be a problem for storage. Also when you're all wet and soapy in the shower I'm picturing many people dropping these as they are heavy and with your hands wet the potential for drama is huge!

The shelves at Sephora were lined with the new bottles. I can't do a comparison now but I have a little something, something that I'll show you soon! It's a steal, a deal, and it comes in the new jumbo packaging! I've ordered it and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival and will of course post my review soon!

I've seen Philosophy on sale at the following Sephora stores:
Sephora SOHO
Sephora on West 34th
Sephora at the Westchester Mall
Sephora 42nd & Madison

And what's left online can be found by clicking here (maybe they'll restock)!

I haven't checked Nordies. I actually went in last night but completely forgot to drop by the Philosophy counter! But maybe they are reducing the prices at Nordies as well!

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Shu's "Simple" Gift Sets

The lovely Mr Uemura has granted us three Holiday Wishes with some lovely gift sets in Simple Sophistication, Simple Glamour, and Simple Drama!

Ok..so...hate to say it....total snore for me. These aren't exactly something I need or want. Colors are really washed out and the price is a little tiny bit scary (wouldn't be that scary if the colors were a bit more vibrant).

I guess if you love really natural looks this is a great palette for you. As for me, I'm skipping 'em.

I see only four brushes pictured but I think you're getting six total brushes (ok so this is starting to sound like it's worth the price tag now!) plus you'll get a compact holding two shadows and one blush and finally a pouch to hold it all in. I might have to take back my earlier comment about it being a bit too pricey maybe this isn't so bad after all! But colors oh god the colors....can't we get something with a bit more sparkle and something more festive for the season!? I heart you Mr Uemura but I'm not so keen on washed out browns, grays, and blacks!

Simple Sophistication


Simple Glamour (Hmmm the green looks nice!)


Simple Drama


Want 'em?
Love 'em?
Tell your Muse all about it!

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Dec 11, 2007

$1 Shipping at Urban Decay




$1 Shipping on orders great and small at Urban Decay!

Sweet! If you need to stock up on some primer or just one shadow or even do a larger order the price can't be beat!

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Majolica Majorca Holiday 2007 Collection

I'm so utterly guilty of calling MJ Majorca Majolica sometimes! I utterly reverse the name! If you see me do that call me out on it as I'm bloody confused most days of my life!

Anyway!

I got my MJ haul a while ago and haven't had a sec to blog about it. My most beautiful friend Iris has already gotten her haul from Japan and reviewed it. If you missed out click here to visit with Iris and read her impressions and review on the new Holiday set!



For me this is a must have set. It's inexpensive plus it's cute as a button so go you, now, get it!

First in the line up are the Limited Edition Majolook Eyeshadow Palettes in SV801 and PK122. Both are quite gorgeous!

SV801 and PK122


SV801 contains a shimmering white, a shimmering light silver, a darker silver, and an eyeliner. These are of medium pigmentation so really you can create a beautiful natural look with the palette but nothing too dramatic!

PK122 contains a shimmering cream white, a shimmering light pink, a shimmering darker pink, and an eyeliner. These colors are also of medium pigment and can create a very nice frosty winter look!

Both palettes are very pretty and I'm excited to try them out for a look!

Up next the MJ Snow Carat Powder which is very pretty! It's a beautiful white sparkling powder that's inexpensive and perfect for giving you a touch of sparkle on your cheeks and eyes! However, I'm not too thrilled that this has a rather large opening for distribution. It would be easier if it had a siffer style with tiny holes instead of a big large hole which will cause a ton of waste for me. I like to slowly build up sparkle not have a ton dumped on the puff! But overall it's really cute and sweet! This quite reminds me of the Kesho Wakusei highlighter powder I got a few months ago! Click here to view the powder and compare!

Snow Carat Powder




And finally last but never least as this is my favorite item would be the MJ Lash Freeze. I was going to get two of these but decided one was plenty but now I'm wondering if I should have grabbed some more. This is a sparkling silver glitter base for your lashes. Apply your mascara as you normally would and add Lash Freeze on top to make your lashes sparkle and shimmer with little bits of Silver!

Lash Freeze


I really love Japanese overcoats and this is soon making an appearance on my favorite list as I love the easy comb applicator and the effect is brilliant! Quite an inexpensive version of Givenchy's Lash Sparkles!

Overall, in my humblest opinion this is most definately a must have collection! It's cheap, pigmented, and sweet! If you're a grand collector of Japanese cosmetics you're going to want all of this rather badly!

Got it already?
Want it?
Tell the Muse!

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NARS Dolce Vita Set

I did a CP order for a mate when the Friends and Family Event was taking place at Sephora and of course I couldn't just go in and buy her stuff I had to dig around for me so I ended up nabbing the NARS Dolce Vita Set.

It's quite a nice set! I'm in love with the blush and highlighter included with the set and I'm slowly liking the gloss as it's a bit too natural looking for me!

Overall, it's a fab set at a nice value $40 ($32 for me as I got 20% off) so if you're looking for a nice posh gift for a friend this would be something she'd love!







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Bourjois Paris Ombre A Paupieres UK Colors

Yesterday I was telling you about an obscenely large package my mate Shaz sent me! Here's something that was inside!

LOOK!

Bourjois Paris Ombre A Paupieres in Jaune Pepite 21, Orange Pepite 23, and Ocre Pepite 24




GASP! How gorgeous are these!? They are so much more vibrant than the colors we have here in the US! We have NONE of these colors available to us here and I'm just loving every single one!

Shhh don't tell anyone I even tried the lighter and dark oranges for a blush (instead of a shadow) and they look great!

My eyes literally popped with the color when I tried these and they'll be wonderful in the Summer! As much as I love Bourjois Paris their shadows are sometimes light but these are mega pigmented!

I'm so properly chuffed I may just squeal in excitement!

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Simple Green FOTD



What I Used:

Eyes
Technakohl in Antiquity
Technakohl in Graphblack
Sparkle Pencil in Mint and Olive
Too Faced Starry Eyed Glitter Eyeliner in Obsessed Fan
MAC Plushlash in Black
MAC Pigment in Olive Green
MAC Pigment in Copperized
MAC Pigment in Golden Lemon
MAC Pigment in Night Light
MAC Pigment in Emerald Green
Bare Minerals Glimmer in True Gold

Face
The Body Shop Solar Duo in 02

Lips
Maquillage Glossy Gloss in 74

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Reader's Request: Purple FOTD

A lovely girl, Kitty, asked that I do some purple looks!

So........... here you go Kitty!

Just don't ask me what I used as I can't remember! I believe a little MAC Viz-a-Violet is in here, some MAC Kitshmas, some Urban Decay Grifter and some other bits and pieces!















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