Canmake's Summer Collection 2008

Canmake is a drugstore brand available in Japan that's low in cost and high on the cute scale. I personally love many of the items they put out. Quality is pretty good and the price can't be beat! And the selection of items is VAST!

Canmake's Summer Collection 2008 is now available on the website and should hit stores soon in Japan (or may already be in stores).



It's not a huge collection but the items released have a bit of an impact as they are new to the Canmake line.

The first item that catches my eye straight away are the new eye palettes. This is the first time I've seen Canmake do an eye palette like this and it's quite exciting! The palette is a quad of three shimmer shades (base shadow, eyelid shadow, and contrasting shade) and one liner. It's a typical Japanese palette setup and has been done and redone but I still want them all!

The color selections available are a rose, blue, and brown variation. The price is 680 yen and as the yen is so strong at the moment which is setting it at under the mark of $6.73 USD but for the sake of it you might as well say it evens out to the same cost.





If you have access you might consider shopping in Taiwan at this point since it's cheaper by at least $1 (or more if you're lucky).

The collection also includes four new nail varnish colors available for 300 yen each. These aren't new just updated colors to the general catalog.



It's a tiny collection of goodies but I think the palettes make a big impact and I'm excited to try them out for myself!

Want any of this?

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Click here to enjoy my spotlight on Canmake featuring a MuseTV video and the Muse's Collection of Canmake goodies!

Pink Clarisonic Back in Stock @ Sephora

Ok kids if you were wanting it I'm here to tell you it's back!

The Pink Clarisonic is available at Sephora once again!

CLICK!

How long it'll be around remains to be seen! I believe they felt it was a good idea to have a few around for Mother's Day!

I admit I'm lemming it a bit and trying not to cave because I sincerely do not need a $200 cleaning brush!

Tell me how wrong it is to purchase this thing!

Go on convince me!

Want it?
Need it?
Have to have it?

Tell me all about it! I feel your lems!

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine Collection Review and Swatches

Don't you love Shu's Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks? Pigmented, Amazing Formula, and Beautiful Packaging.

I sincerely adore them.

Shu's taken the original Rouge Unlimited and amped it up a bit for the Spring/Summer. We now have Shu Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine which is simply amazing!





I tested out two of these and I'm dying to get my hands on a few more colors as they are truly great!

It's like having a lipstick and a gloss all in one stick. This is a glossy, slick, emollient formula that simply glides onto your lips leaving behind beautiful color and shine!



I'm loving the simplicity of a single stick of gloss and lipcolor in one tube. The color is pigmented enough to act as a lipstick while also offering your lips a moisturizing glossy, shimmering effect that's absolutely stunning.

These are perfect for days you want a natural, glossy feel without feeling heavily made up with lipstick.

WN254S and BG 950S




The two colors I got are BG 950S which is a pretty shimmering beige and the second color was WN 254S which is a shimmering purple wine color but it looks very pink on!

WN 254S


BG 950S


WN 254S


BG 950S (Hey, L@@K I'm wearing Visee's Aqua Shining Eyes! Pretty Right? Click to read my review on Aqua Shining Eyes!)


The only thing I can rant about is they only come in 17 Shades. We wants more please! And secondly can we please, please, please have names we can remember? B45644578ST is too difficult to remember!

Each Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine is $23 USD and well worth it as the quality is near perfection for me.

I have at least 5 other colors on my wish list at the moment!

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine Collection is available now at Shu Uemura's website!

These are most definately Muse Approved! I love the texture, the shine, the glossy feel, and the beautiful color and effect of these! They are well worth purchasing at least one (although you'll want more once you've tried 'em!).



Perfection!

Love 'em?

Want 'em?

Tell the Muse!



Click here to travel into the past and read my Shu Uemura Summer Prism Collection Review!

Click here to read my ravings and review for Shu Uemura's New Mini Lash Curler!

Click here to read about the exclusive Fact Chart Shu Uemura created exclusively for readers of Musings of a Muse!

Mario Badescu Silver Powder

Silver Powder.

What's it do? Who's it for? How do I use it?

Sounds like something you might find in a jewelry showcase eh?





My skin is fairly clear and I doesn't really give me too much woe. I take super good care of it and that could be the reason that I'm not crying over it at night.

I suffer from one main problem that I've had for years and nothing really helps it. Blackheads. On my nose.

I don't have a ton of blackheads but I have about two stubborn ones that won't go anywhere. I've tried just about everything even having them professionally extracted only to have them pop back up over and over and over again!

Nose strips. Don't work.

Various lotions and potions. Don't work.

Extracting them? Works temporarily but they pop back up like an ugly penny!

They bug me really bad. I guess you can't really see them unless you have a 10X zoom but I know they are there and for me that's enough!

I was busy blabbering about blackheads in my Biore PJ Party post a few weeks ago remember?

And a lovely reader and friend, Gezebel, had suggested Silver Powder.

Hmm....a solution maybe????

I rushed to Mario Badescu's site to check this out!

I happily ordered it as it's only $12 bucks USD so what's the harm right? I also crawled the internet for a coupon so I saved $1.80 USD with a coupon code I found! YAY me!

I got this super fast. Within a day it was on my door step! Go Mario Go! Props for awesome shipping time.

More props for the awesome freebies my box came with. They included a mini slew of all sorts of skincare wonder that I've never tried. I got a Cucumber Tonic Mask, some Enzyme Cleaning Gel, Moisturizer, Cucumber Cleansing Oil and some Eye Cream! Wahooooo for freebies! The Muse likey samples!



Anyway about that Silver Powder I mentioned....

Well. The verdict is in and I like it.

It didn't work the 1st time or the 2nd time for that matter. It was however successful at turning my nose a strange pale white color temporarily.

However, that 1st and 2nd use did "fade" the blackheads. I know weird but the effect was interesting. I really had to look to see them. So I went from viewing them in my 10X mirror to hauling out the big guns and peering at them with my 12X! Yup sadly those two evil suckers were deeply embedded in my nose.

But I wasn't giving up!

Last night I attempted a 3rd run with Silver Powder. It deserves to be mentioned that several people around the internetz mentioned that using silver powder and proceeding to use a nose strip seemed to pick up more blackheads and that's what I did the first two times without too much success!

However, this third run I just applied, waited 10 minutes, and washed off with a wash cloth.

And....mmm..pretty successfully this time around!

My nose is looking pretty darn good. I do see a tiny bit of one blackhead that's sorting hanging on but I think I can successfully wash him away with a final run of Silver Powder!

So how do you use Silver Powder anyway?

Basically Silver Powder is just a white loose powder sorry to disappoint but no silver here. Basically you take a dampened cotton ball and dab it into the loose powder. You proceed to take the cotton ball with the now damp Silver Powder and pat it on your nose (I rubbed it a bit as well). This creates a bit of a mask over your nose (or if you prefer you can of course use it on any clogged pores you have on your face! I only have blackheads on my nose so that's where I used it!). You live this on for 10 minutes and wash with cold water after the time is up! Some folk like to use a nose strip afterwards as I mentioned above and that works very well but I found just washing it off works just as well!



The verdict?

The Muse Approves of Mario Badescu Silver Powder! It takes a bit of elbow grease but with a little patience you can happily kiss your Blackheads goodbye plus it's $12 bucks for a HUGE supply! This stuff will last you a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers to that!

Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes Lip Tints

Sephora is super busy updating it's site with new little bits and bobs for Summer. I ran across this kit from Bare Escentuals while browsing around. This particular kit contains four lip plumping lipglosses for $28 USD.

First of all I'd like to be the first one to say I find the packaging completely degrading and the name. Seriously this looks like pr0n. Buxom Babes? Bikini clad chicks on the packaging? Who are we trying to sell this to anyway?

I'm all for cute packaging but for some reason this deeply disturbs me. Could be because I'm in a bad mood!

Sorry but I'll have to expose you to my ranting about Bare Escentuals pricing again! As you may know from my previous posts I'm quite appalled at the prices of Bare Escentuals kits lately and this particular peeves me. No I don't want 4 MINI glosses for $28 dollars thanks very much! Lipglosses that in fact suck formula wise anyway!

Seriously, have you tried the original Buxom Lips? It stinks.

Ok rant over.

BE got my vote for NO on this particular kit.

Love it?

Hate it?

Rave or Rant with the Muse! Comment box is open!

Battling Dry Skin: Artistry Essentials Moisture Plus Review

Don't ask me why I'm purchasing skincare products from Quixtar/Amway because I really won't have an answer for you.

The good news is even though this particular product I am about to review for you is possibly made by and disturbed by a subdivision of Amway it still really does work.

Unreal right?

Who would have thought skincare from Amway had the potential for greatness!

Gasp!

Anyway what am I going on about?

I purchased a tiny bottle of Artistry Essentials Moisture Plus from Quixtar.com after reading a review about it on another blog (I'd give credit to that blogger but god knows where I read about it! Sorry 'bout that).





The review raved about how great this was for refreshing dry skin and it couldn't be more right! It's pretty darn amazing at making my skin sigh in delight!

What exactly is it?

It's a moisturizing oil that comes in a tiny bottle with a dropper. You simply take the dropper out and squeeze about 5-10 drops in your hand and pat this gently onto your face. I don't actually pat. Sounds weird but I give myself a little bit of a facial massage with this rubbing it in nicely. The formula is pretty oily so if you're skin is oily/combo stay AWAY! If you happen to suffer from dry patchy cheeks or dryness on your forehead this be for you! It virtually cleared up my the dry patchy problem on my cheeks and my forehead is no longer flaking up. Yay!

I must warn you if you're sensitive this may cause a breakout so beware prior to use. I started out with about 2 drops and I instantly experienced a little bit of a breakout but I gradually introduced my face to it and after a while my skin was loving the added moisture this gave to it.





This advertises as a product you can use over makeup but they must have been delirious when they wrote that because unless you want to look like a beacher babe tanning with baby oil on Venice beach I'd say don't attempt applying during the day over your makeup.

I use this as PM treatment ONLY and would not attempt it during the day as a touch up nor as an AM treatment simply because it stays oily and wet a little bit before drying down. Unless you like going around with an oily face I'd avoid using it during your AM skincare regime.

I'm not using this regularly but only when I feel my skin may need a bit of a pick up and feels a size or two tighter due to the cold weather. At the moment Spring is upon us and Summer to come shortly so I'm doubtful I'll make much use of this but it's an excellent treatment for the cold Winter weather months!

I've been using about 10 drops or so a night after using my regular night cream and I've noticed that I wake up with a very beautiful, soft completion!

This is .49oz in size and costs $19.50 USD. The price is a bit off for a size so small but the bottle should last a good long time since you need so very little of the product!

All and all I'm enjoying this for the days my skin is whining about how it needs a bit more moisture to be on it's best behavior!

Writer's Block

Hey Guys!

I'm a bit off my game this week as you may have noticed. I have a ton of new posts up my sleeve but I haven't typed any of them out as I haven't really had the will to do so.

It's been a bit of a crummy week to say the very least which could account for my lack of posts and my general "I'm not up for it" attitude.

Do forgive me?

I'll be back in writing force soon!

I did two new reviews for you though! See below. They aren't my best but hopefully they'll tide you over until I'm feel a bit more myself!

Cheers!

MAC Prep & Prime Review

I had to pick up some MAC lipsticks for a swap a few weeks ago and of course being the junkie I am I couldn't leave the counter without getting at least one item for myself!

What did I end up with? MAC Prep & Prime.



Lately I've sorta been on the hunt for a good primer. I don't normally prime prior to foundation aside from the regular toner and moisturizer regime. But after reading some rave reviews about various primers I decided I should incorporate the step into my makeup routine.

What I read that turned me onto primers:

• They make your foundation last longer.
• They minimize the appearance of pores (I don't have this problem as my pores are really tiny) but hey that didn't stop me from wanting to buy a primer!
  
• They are a good base for your foundation and it applies easier and smoother when a primer is used.

All this sounded like I seriously needed to start using a primer. The promise of long wearing foundation and foundation that applied easier and smoother sounded fantastic!



Who else but MAC would have a great primer right?

Well...

Not really.

I've been using Prep & Prime for about two weeks now and I seriously haven't seen much of a difference in my foundation wear and tear. My foundation fails to last through the day sadly and I have to touch up at least twice with powder or a highlighting pen since I begin to look dull around the 4th hour or so of wear. Sadly, MAC Prep & Prime failed the test of making my foundation last longer.



Did my foundation go on smoother?

No. Not really.

It felt about the same going on after using Prep & Prime. I'm not sure what I was expecting from it but I thought maybe it would give my face a sort of wet moisturizing feel that would allow my foundation to glide on flawlessly. This it did not do.

The texture is pretty thick and if you look close enough it has tiny particles that pick up and reflect the light but that trick doesn't apply when it's on. At least for me it didn't. Someone had mentioned on MUA that one pump will do it. Well no. I need at least two pumps to do my entire face.

It glides on rather smooth and soft in contrast with it's thick texture. It feels wonderful really however I don't feel like it's moisturizing my face but then again that's not really what it's supposed to do anyway.

All in all it just doesn't appear to work for me. It doesn't make my foundation last longer and it doesn't do a brilliant job of prepping my skin for foundation so basically it's $22 USD of thick cream that doesn't do much of anything.

Sadly, as much as I love MAC, this one gets a big thumb down!

Have you used it? Love it? Hate it?

Any recs for a good primer?

Tell the Muse!

Beauty on a Budget: NYX Mosaic Powder Review

Yay for the Muse jumping back on board the Beauty on a Budget bandwagon!

This time I'm raving about NYX (kinda, sorta, maybe!).

Since it's Summer it appears that NYX is busy pimping some of their older line up. Which basically means they have cute little pop up displays all over the place that have separate collections of makeup they are whorin' out to the masses. I've run across two displays like this so far. One was the glitter eyeliners and the second was the Mosiac Powders. Both items are old news and nothing really new about 'em but NYX just revamped the display I guess to catch new buyer eyes. They caught my eye recently when I was at Harmon's drugstore picking some items up for my lovely friend Aya at Irodori.







These particular blush powders from NYX looked outstanding so I thought I might as well grab 'em while the grabbing was good.

They only cost $5.99 USD so really I couldn't go bankrupt buying these. Many months ago NYX had contacted me with a discount to do a review on their products and honestly I never got around to actually purchasing anything or doing the review for that matter! Damn the Muse to hell for not getting around to doing these important things!

The powders are gorgeous. The packaging is simple yet elegant and quite reminds me of MAC. Why I never purchased NYX prior to this can only be blamed on my snotty nature when it comes to cosmetics.

I purchased two colors but there are quite a few color selections available that range from lighter to darker. I got the Pinkish Red and the Orange color. I don't particularly love either one sadly. The pink goes on way to red and the orange makes my face look very dull.






The powder formula is good. Silky, blends well, and lasts long however I think the color combinations are just not working well for me. I'm normally a very big fan of vibrant shades but neither color seems to suit me.

The orange color seems way too orange! And the pink color seems to just not pick up enough of the lighter shades in the palette and it grabs up more of the red which causes me to look like a clown! Ugh!

Awwww moan! I really wanted to love these! I'm going to keep trying with the pink powder but the orange after swatching is a big no!



I think the main problem with these is that fact that they contain five separate shades of color which could be a little too much. I guess it's a form of graduation but it just doesn't work so well. When I applied the pink the color went on splotchy and my brush was picking up more of the vibrant red and not mixing correctly with the lighter shades in the powder.

I can't give these too poor a rating simply because they are very pigmented blushes and good quality! However, I just didn't like them and they didn't work well for me.

Yes, they are nicely pigmented. Yes, the price is more than alright. But they don't exactly do what I want them too!

NYX Mosaic Powders get a big thumbs down from the Muse!

Love these?

Hate 'em?

Tell the Muse!

NeoCeuticals Problem Dry Skin Gel Review

Tis still a bit Wintery outside my window but Spring is slowly making it's way across the board!

Come the Winter my skin suffers in a major way! Dry, itchy skin on my elbows, knees, and legs! Ugh I hate it so, so much!

I've tried so many moisturizers to relieve it but nothing really works! I find that my dry skin worsens since I shower twice daily and the hard water in New York rough houses my skin and makes it all chalky and yuck! Which also means I am moisturizing double duty!

I was lucky enough to test out some NeoCeutical Dry Skin Gel the past two weeks or so and I must say I'm quite liking it. It's an interesting little product.



It's basically a cooling gel that softens my rough, dry skin. The tube itself promises to hydrate and exfoliate. The exfloliate part confuses me but it does soften my skin beautifully!

The product is slightly sticky and there is a dry down period so don't expect to slip right into your clothes after using this on say your legs! I found it takes a few minutes to fully sink in and go from wet to dry!

I've been using it for about 14 days now and I actually did notice that the skin my elbows is much smoother and less rough then when I use my normal moisturizer!

This retails for $24 USD for a 4oz tube. The price does slightly make me cringe however you only need a small amount so I see it lasting me for a good few months!

This is available now from Ulta.com or Neostrata.

If you suffer from the Dry Skin blues in the Winter (or anytime) this might be something you want to check out!

Benefit Lust Dusters

Mmmm look at these! These are Benefit's new loose shimmering powders for face, eyes, and body!

Even though Benefit fails to wow me lately this isn't one of those times!

I'm loving these! Especially the colors Moon Doggie and Jelly Roll! These look very beautiful for the Spring!

Go Go Girl


Boom Boom


Punk Royalty


Goldilocks


Jelly Roll


Snow Bunny


Moon Doggie


Nugget


The price is $18 USD per a pot which is somewhat high but I think these have the potential to be a hit for me!

Want 'em?

Love 'em?

Tell the Muse!



Click to read about the release of Talk to the Tan from Benefit!

Click here to read a review of Benefit's newest powder, Thrrrob!

Click to read why I love Benefit's Dandelion!

Click here to read my review on Benefit's New Erase Paste!

Bath and Body Works Hello Sugar! Collection

I check up on Bath and Body Works daily to see if any new Temptations have been released and during my regular visit I noticed they had a new line available. I could be wrong but maybe this new line will be replacing the regular Temptation Collection that we've been seeing for the past few years!

The new collection is entitled Hello Sugar! and looks very promising. I'm hoping that this smells like a sweetened, fruity, sour combination of lemon and sugar but I'm fearful this will be some sort of Fresh Lemon Sugar dupe (not that I don't love Fresh Lemon but something different would be lovely) I'm very much in favor of the fruity, sweet version please!

The collection includes a three in one shower gel, a body spray, a shimmer body lotion, a body meringue, and a lipgloss. It's only available in the Hello Sugar! fragrance but I'm hopeful they'll extend the line to include other scents! I love the Tempation line but I don't mind seeing something new like this pop up either!

Wanna try it?

Tell the Muse!

Click to read about my review on the Fall and Winter Temptations Collection from Bath and Body Works!

Click here to discover a review on Bath and Body Works Sassy Strawberry Three in One Shower Gel!

Click here to see a sneak peek of Bath and Body Works Spring Collection 2008!

Click here to see some of the Holiday Temptations Collection from Bath and Body Works this past season!