Summer Collections 2008: Vincent Longo Liquid Shadow Review

Lately I've been daring enough to try out various cream eyeshadows. I'm normally not a big fan of cream shadows but I've run across some really good ones and this has turned my Nay into a Yay when it comes to them.

I recently blogged about Vincent Longo's Beautiful Dreamer Summer Collection and one of the main items released with it were some new liquid shadows. Of course, I had to go out and buy them for myself so I could review them here!





I was pretty excited about these as they appeared to be a shimmering liquid shadow plus the colors looked very Summer friendly. I do so admit that product gets sold to me very quickly when the promo images of the model sporting the makeup looks posh, put together, and simply gorgeous. This may stem from some unconscious need to look that flawless, that gorgeous, or it could be I'm hoping to attempt the same eye, lip, or cheek look. Who knows really but I do automatically hunt out a product if I'm liking the way it appears on a model pimping the collection out. The model was looking simply stunning in this particular advert.





The collection, aside from the liquid shadow, wasn't anything to get too excited about so I ended up purchasing just two colors of the shadow and leaving the rest. The liquid shadow only comes in four shades which is both good news and bad. Bad, if I ended up loving the product and not being able to get my hands on more colors of a great product. Good, because I actually didn't end up loving Vincent Longo Liquid Shadow as much as I had hoped I would.

I was expecting a shimmering cream shadow but sadly that's not the case. The lack of shimmer in these lead to the downward spiral that will slowly become my poor review on the product.

Did I miss the trendy boat that said metallics are so in this season? I never got the memo. This goes to show you how much of a non-trendy person I am. I tend to march to a different drum then the rest of the cosmetic society because I had no idea that metallics were so huge this Summer. I guess I should have gotten a hint when Bobbi Brown released it's Metallic Single Eyeshadows or when Bourjois Paris came out with it's Shimmer Shine Liquid Eye Shadow.

Which brings me to the fact that these do in fact dry down to a high metallic sheen. Although I don't mind metallics, I just don't find I reach for them first thing. These have some good key factors so it's not all bad. They dry down very slowly giving you plenty of time to build up color and blend as much or as little as you like. I think this is key with liquid shadows and I really appreciate this type of formula when I buy a cream shadow! One of the main reasons I avoid cream shadow is the incredibly quick dry down time which makes blending such a bitch. The fact that these dry down so slowly and give plenty of time for both blending and adding additional product to build up the color is a big plus. They are also very long wearing and have pretty good pigmentation but you do have to slather color on to see a good pop of color. One brush stroke will definately not create a dramatic eye so be prepared to saturate your eye area with cream shadow.

The colors I got were Supple Rose which is a warm pink and Liquid Desire which is a golden peach. Guess what? They look exactly the same on my eye. I couldn't really tell too much of a difference between the colors once they were on. Swatches appeared really gorgeous and shimmering and you can distinctively tell a difference in color. However, once applied the color melded on and both looked identical. I was particularly taken with the look of Liquid Desire when I swatched it but it ended up just being blah when it was on my eye!







Supple Rose




Liquid Kiss




As you can see from my FOTD's it looks like I'm wearing the same exact shade of shadow in both photos.

Aside from the drama of color I just didn't get the wow factor at all. The payoff in the end is very natural, neutral, and dare I say boring? Although you can't see it in my pictures the effect is that of a high sheen of metallic. The shadow dries down but it still appears somewhat shiny and wet. You'd think this alone would give some sort of dramatic effect. Nope. Not really. Yawn.

I really can't pinpoint exactly what it is that I'm disliking about these. I'm not thrilled about the price either. $24 USD per shadow isn't exactly cheap chips and it seems even more expensive when I am not loving the product! Have no fear I imagine I'd be a real sport about the $24 bucks if I was loving these!

When it's all is said and done I think you can safely skip these. Nice to play with, nice to try, but don't be fooled by the swatches you might do while in Sephora. As pretty and shimmering as they look on your hand you just won't get the same effect once the product is on your eyes.

Although the formula is excellent in regards to blending and pigmentation in the end it fails at creating any wow or excitement.

The Muse no likey.

Skip it and buy something else.

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Stila Hydrating Powder and Primer

Stila jumps on board the cool, refreshing band wagon and releases it's new Hydrating Powder and Primer.

Both the powder and primer are available for pre-order at Stila's site and are supposed to be officially released in 2-3 weeks but you can order now! I'm unsure exactly when the items will ship but it's safe to say it'll be before the official release of both!

I'm actually curious about both and leaning towards investing my hard earned cash into buying them! I have my doubts about the price but it may well be worth it!

I've been searching for a good primer for a while now and "hydrating" primer sounds quite interesting. Stila's hydrating primer has an SPF 15 which is a big plus and anti-aging ingredients. The price at $34 USD does make me shudder but as I always say, "whoever said being beautiful was cheap?"

Stila Hydrating Primer


The powder also has my eye and I'm curious of it's a cooling, "wet" feeling powder but again at $32 USD I am raising my eyebrows! At this price I can just dive in and purchase the Awake powder I've had my eye on for ages! But I'm not totally crossing this off the list as of yet! Must test this out and see for myself!

Stila Hydrating Powder


This is proof that certain words will trigger off that "need" for product! As soon as I heard hydrating I was ready to jump on the site, whip my credit card out, and begin the buying spree!

Will I review these? Depends! Stay tuned and they might pop up around here soon!

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Banila Co Sun Blessed Collection

Another Summer Collection for Banila Co has been released entitled Sun Blessed. This is the 2nd release for Summer from Banila Co and is much warmer than it's previous release entitled "Blue".

Releasing with the Sun Blessed Collection are the following items:

Face Blusher for 18,000 won which is a shimmering bronzer blush, Bronzer Highlighter for 12,000 won which is a shimmering cream bronzer for face and body, Bronzing Body Liner for 8,800 won, two new shades of the marble eyeshadows in a shimmering bronzy gold and a blue for 8,500 won each, two shades of shimmering lipstick for 12,000 won each, and several new shades of polish for 4,000 won each.

Sun Blessed Face Blusher


Sun Blessed Bronzing Highlighter



Sun Blessed Marbled Eyeshadows, Shimmer Lipstick, and Nail Polish


The collection looks lovely but I doubt I'll be partaking as a few other items such as Etude House's Sherbet Cool Party Collection has caught my eye!

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Click to read about Banila Co's cooler Summer Collection!

Click to read why I'm lusting after the new Etude House Summer Skincare line up!

Craving more Korean cosmetics? Click to read my rave review for Etude House Pore Erasing Peach Base and Peach Pact Powder!

Get the scoop on Laneige's Summer Collection by clicking here!

Summer Collection 2008: Susie N.Y. Website Update

One of my very favorite brands from Japan has updated it's website with the latest Summer Collection. Susie N.Y. is a drugstore brand available in Japan that has a nice selection of cosmetics that really appeal to my sense of simplicity. I really enjoy the funky, fun colors released in the Summer!

Last Summer they released three dual eye color palettes in beautiful Summer shades that I really adored. Each palette contained a shimmering gold/silver glittery base and one solid, bold color. There was some debate over the fact that each palette contained the same exact base shade and how wasteful it was to purchase all three palettes for this reason. Even after the grave argument of whether it was worth shelling out cash for all three palettes with the same single base I ended up diving right in and purchasing all three (did you think I'd do anything different!? Come on now you know me!). The base is a really stunning shade and not only compliments the secondary color in the palette but other single colors I have! I'm actually happy I have three of the same shade as it's become a staple for me when I prep my eye area for a deeper, darker, shade of shadow!

Summer 2007 Releases










Gorgeous Base Color


As you can see from the above photos Susie N.Y. takes a note from Shu's simple, classic packaging. The Summer releases always seem to pop up in the same clear, plastic palette style which I adore (most of the other line sports the same packaging but larger forms such as the eye quads). The simplicity of the packaging is both practical and pretty to my eye and make for great storage as they are tiny and easy to stock in a bin!

This year Susie N.Y. has spiced things up with it's Summer offerings and is offering two different palettes. A few new nail colors were introduced as well but what really caught my eye were the new dual eyeshadow palettes. From what I can see on the site it appears the base this year is a cream and the main color is powder! The combination of a cream and powder shadow should be an interesting combo!

The palettes are entitled "Attracting Eye" and are available in two shades for 1,400 yen each (around $12 USD each or "£6 GBP) but it's safe to say they will be a bit discounted within drugstores.

The shades available are Miss No. 1 which is a deep rose pink powder and a complimenting lighter pink cream base and Daring which is a deep gold powder and a lighter shimmering cream base. The basic idea of each palette is to use the cream as a base and to line your eye with the powder but I think you can definately get creative with how you do up your eye with these! Who says we can't have fun right?





The model appears to be sporting Miss No. 1 and I'm really liking the fresh, rosy look they have created with this palette!



All in all this collection has shaped out rather well. I love smaller collections for the Summer as I have time to save money for the soon to be released Fall collections! Expect a review on these palettes from me shortly as they have made their way onto my wishy list!

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Etude House Summer Collection 2008: Sherbet Cool Party

Etude House's website has been updated with the Summer Collection. The collection does not contain any makeup items but concentrates solely on skincare! I was slightly disappointed to see that no cosmetics were included but after viewing the items released I was intrigued by a few so I'll be picking these up shortly and reviewing them as soon as I can!



The skincare is relatively good and I'm actually seriously considered ditching Lush for it. I've tried a toner and a moisturizer and both were fantastic plus the price is ridiculously cheap! Sadly, I'm unsure of what the products contain as I can't read the bottle but I've had no oily spots as I sometimes get with certain moisturizers. I imagine the alcohol content is relatively low or non existent in the products as I've had no problem with dry patches either!

Just the name of the new Collection has me giddy to try it out! Sherbet Cool Party! Wahoo sounds rather refreshing doesn't it?

The products are range in price from 9,000 to 12,000 won which is a ridiculous low cost of $9-$12 USD and these are GOOD size products mind you!

I'm purchasing the entire line which includes a toner, a gel moisturizer, serum, and a few other bits!

With the promo images pimping out cool, refreshing images, icy pictures, and just general snowy pictures here and there I'm picturing each item to actually have some sort of "cooling" benefits for the hot, humid weather!







The Muse is all over this collection! I normally don't get so hyper about skincare but this has me positively enthralled!

Expect a review as soon as I can airmail this my way!

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Summer Must Have Makeup: Bourjois Paris Rouge Hi-Tech Review

Aren't random acts of kindness awesome?

I was discussing Bourjois Paris's New Rouge Hi-Tech a few weeks ago and one of my readers in England kindly e-mailed me soon after asking if I'd like a CP for it!

A big thanks goes out to Laura for helping the Muse out! Laura sent over my stain with a beautiful card that is now gracing my desk!





You can thank her for this review since this new stain is not yet available within the US as of yet!

At first glance the packaging misleads you into believing this is a creamy lip color however its very much a stain! I couldn't be more thrilled with this as my very favorite product from Bourjous Paris, Bons Baisers de Paris, has long since been gone from our shelves!





The packaging is identical to the Bourjois Paris Shimmer Shine Liquid Eye Shadow. Unscrew to reveal the top of the wand applicator, pop the applicator out, and you're ready to rock.





The formula is your typical gel like stain that's a deep rose pigment. These come in a few shade options and I got the deeper shade of pink available. I didn't find the formula drying in the least. Since this is a gel-like texture it goes on very moist and wet and leaves behind beautiful, pink lips. I love the look of "just bitten" lips or lips that look like I just had a cherry ice pop and this indeed gives me that look!



This is an ideal item for Summer and definately makes its way onto my Summer Makeup Must Have list simply because it's refreshing, light, extremely long wearing and gives a beautiful burst of color to my lips without being heavy!

I went ahead and got really random by applying it to my cheeks as well as my lips. I'm happy to report it doubles up as a killer cheek stain. Although I'm somewhat grossed out by using one product on my lips and cheeks (as you may have already read my distaste for this from my Stila Cherry Crush Review) I couldn't resist trying this out. It gave my cheeks a lovely blushing color! I was so taken with it on my cheeks that I may just need a back up bottle to use as a cheek stain!

Un-blended


Blended


I'm thinking at this price you can easily use it as a Benefit Benetint or Posietint dupe! You get almost identical results plus it's much, much cheaper! This was available on sale at Boots for £5.75 and will likely cost between $12 and $16 USD when it arrives on our side of the pond.

All in all Bourjois Paris has another winner on it's hands! Rouge Hi-Tech definately gets a hearty Muse Approval!



The Muse is loving the cost, loving the fresh look it creates, and really loving the packaging! What's not to like!

This morning I did a quickie FOTD using Bourjois Paris Hi-Tech Rouge on both my lips and my cheeks. I did two versions of the photo which shows me wearing the stain with and without gloss. I think the gloss really makes the color of the stain pop!

Without Gloss


With Gloss


The Muse is loving this stain!

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Summer Collection 2008: Shu Uemura Fleur de Source Eyeshadow Palette Review

Oh how I love me some Shu.

Shu Uemura's ridiculously gorgeous Summer Collection is available now for purchase and I can't help but drool over all the yummie palettes released! I wants them all!

This collection isn't actually a Summer Collection but the Birthday Collection. Each year a special Birthday Collection of LE items is released to celebrate the anniversary of Shu Uemura! They went all out with the collection this year and I'm yearning for everything released!

Three palettes were released, two shades of limited edition shimmer eyeliner, and three Eau de Toillete Sprays. It's quite a luxurious selection of goodies as you might tell from the price tags on both the palettes and the sprays!

Each spray is $85 USD each for 1.7 oz bottle! Ouchie! I haven't yet smelled these but I have a feeling they are probably worth the hefty price tag! Hey, sometimes you have to pay the big bucks for beauty!



Each palette is $65 USD and contains a serious array of awesome colors. Personally I think the price is justified as the palette contains quite a few shades and you can get plenty of different looks out of each!



As I mentioned each Eau de Toillete is available in three separate scents and is made from natural origin fragrance and pure deep sea water. The fragrance selection is as follows:

Fleur de Rose

Fresh Floral Amber

Fleur de Source

Refreshing Floral with Spicy Notes

Fleur de Terre

Fresh Floral with Woodsy Notes



Each bottle is 1.7oz and $85 USD each and available now at your local Shu counter or Shu Uemura's website!

As interesting as the Eau de Toillete's sound the real gems for me are the palettes! They are simply gorgeous and I'm dreaming up different ways to use mine! I only got one so far but I plan on purchasing the other two shortly! Each palette contains seven shades in a slim yet elegant compact.



The palette I'm testing out is the Fleur de Source which contains many a fine blue shade. From left to right the shades included are as follows:

A khaki dark green and oceany teal shade


Cherry brown shade and light lime green


Creamy beige and true aqua blue shade


Grayish sky blue shade




All the shades are paired up aside from the grayish sky blue shade which sits alone. I think it's safe to say that this shade can be combined with any of the shades as a base or color wash to prep the eye prior to using the other deeper shades. The colors are all very vibrant aside from the one creamy, beige color which is light. The colors have a hint of shimmer and have excellent pigmentation.

The palette contains a dual tipped sponge applicator which I appreciate greatly as I prefer a sponge applicator for packing on such pigmented shades! Some people may be disappointed at the lack of a brush but I'm all for a sponge!

The compact is really small and slim but still manages to sport versatility and plenty of product for creating tons of different looks! Seven shades alone will get you seven separate looks just imagine when you start combing the colors? A slew of looks and one slim palette! Cool!





I haven't seen the other two palettes in person but I think Fleur de Source contains the most vibrant, bolder shades of the three. You know how I adore bolder shades!

The palettes, as I said earlier, are available in three color shade selections which are identically named as the fragrances. They are as follows:

Fleur de Rose

Contains golds, browns, and more smokey shades

Fleur de Source

Contains blues, greens, and bolder shades

Fleur de Terre

Contains browns, pinks, and golden shades

Each palette is $65 USD and although it seems a high cost it's actually a pretty good deal considering what good quality the shadows are and the amount of looks you can get from the one palette. Of course my opinion may just be bias as I love me some Shu!

All in all the Birthday Collection is truly smashing! Definitely head on over to your counter for a peek! I'm sure once you see the palettes you'll want to take at least ONE home!

I did a really simple FOTD using the brightest aqua in the palette and the lime green! Fun right? I'm looking forward to creating other combos with this palette!



The palettes are definately Muse Approved for purchase!



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