Musings of a Muse

A Blog of Musings from a Cosmetic Whore

Jul 18, 2008

Bare Minerals Tutorials Rocker Eye Kit Review

I'm a vintage rocker geek. I really adore vintage rock I also happen to love heavy metal, hair bands, etc...etc....

The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Iron Maiden, The Eagles, Triumph, Metallic, Sammy Hagar, Guns n' Roses circa the 80's, (seriously have you seen Axl Rose lately? Not pretty! Let's remain in the 80's shall we?), The Ramones, Led Zeppelin, just to name a few are all loaded up on my iPhone and iPod for my head banging pleasure.

I'm off to see The Eagles at Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center in Alantic City this weekend! Yay! I can barely wait.

Sadly, The Eagles aren't what they were back in the 70's:

During Acid

After Acid

I think they got old and stuff somehow. I wonder how the hell that happened! Hmmm...! They also happened to lose and gain a few members along the route but the sound is sorta kinda still the same although it'll never truly be as wonderful as when the entire band was tripping out on acid but hey we can't have it all right?

So why am I telling you all this anyway?

Because right now would be the perfect time to review the new bareMinerals Tutorial Kit entitled Rocker Eye!

What better time to sport a rocked out eye look then at The Eagles concert right?

Right! \m/!

Ok, before we get to the rave I must rant. Sorry that's the order of business today!

I will go right ahead and rant at the price yet again (How many times have I gone on about the price jack on BE lately?) I cannot believe how high in price Bare Escentuals has gone lately. I truly like some of the items they put out but the prices have taken a considerable raise very quickly in the last year or so! Rocker Eye is particularly expensive at $38 USD....ok...ok...let's go ahead and give this the benefit of the doubt and say hey we get two shadows, a liner, and a brush! Awesome! But guess what? Another rant coming on....! The size of the shadows and liner have reduced in a MAJOR way! I was SHOCKED! Simply shocked! Fall off my chair shocked when I seen the ridiculously small size of the eye shadows and liner within the box! I've purchased many kits similiar to this and always the size of the shadows and or liners included are 0.02oz in size. The size has been decreased to 0.28 grams! Basically it's about the size of a pigment sample now or a quarter!

Is that surreal or what?

Just last year I purchased the Foiled Eye Kit for around $28 bucks I believe and it came with a brush plus three eye shadows that were 0.02oz. This year I'm purchasing almost an identical kit thats $10 bucks more plus has took a big hit in size! I can never get through an entire jar of Bare Escentuals eye shadow because they are such a wonderfully large size but I think I can honestly say that getting through the colors in the Rocker Eye kit shouldn't be a problem they are so small!

Normal size eye shadows compared to the Rocker Eye Kit eye shadows

Ok..I guess enough of ranting. I do have some major raves!

After getting over my initial shock at the size and price I was actually happy I got this kit and I admit that I may even indulge in a back up of this if it is LE (not sure if it is or isn't!). It has some wicked fine colors in it plus an amazing, I mean amazing brush!

Let me tell you more about the brush....

It's good. It's really good.

The brush is possibly one of the best ones BE has put out to date. Normally I'm on the fence about the brushes they put in kits but this is a fantastic piece of beauty tool awesome. It's a dual ended brush with super soft, dense bristles that has a liner brush on one side and a dome shaped smudged on the other side. The brush is all you'll need to create an outstanding smoked out shimmering rocking eye! Pure perfection says the Muse! It works like a charm blending in the colors, smudging them up, and lining! Props to the brush! Hint: the Muse suggests hopping on E-bay to see if anyone has taken the kit apart and is selling the brush separately! Well worth $10-$20 for the brush alone!

Second rave for the Muse is the outstanding, pigmented liner called Black Leather. It's a really dark, true black color that lends pop and drama to your eye look! It has a very tiny, smidge of silver shimmer but it's barely noticeable once on. I love lining with powder for some reason. It's just easier to work with in my opinion! You can wet this or use it dry. I prefer lining with it dry as it works a treat and is easier to manage in my humblest! Great solid black color!

The two shadows included are 1980's which is a silver grey shade and Rock Star which is this beautiful amazing off black shimmering silver cocktail! I already have a full size of 1980's and honestly it's a boring shade but paired with Rock Star and Black Leather...WOW...awesome!

Combining all three shades you'll get a gorgeous smoked eye, shimmering eye look that's both dramatic and elegant!

The packaging on this is great as well since it makes creating a unique eye look quite simple. Look kids no prior brain surgery training required! You don't have to be a master makeup artist to follow the simple steps included in the fold out box! It's easy as 1-2-3! Very idiot proof and perfect for those that struggle with a smokey eye look!

You simply apply 1980's all over the lid up to the crease, follow with Black Leather liner on the lower and upper lash line, and finish it off with some Rock Star eye color that you smudge on the V of the eye or within the crease if you want a little bit more shimmer and drama! Simple! Done! Awesomeness awaits you!

I sincerely love the kit. Although the price and size of product included is a big boo I'm still going ahead and slapping the Muse Approval on this one! It's worth checking out! It's worth buying! Grab it, seriously! Good stuff and well worth the chunk of change! The Muse may need a back up of this bad boy!

Here's an FOTD I did using the kit a few days ago!

Love this kit?

Want it?

Any kits you use for a smokey eye that are awesome?

Tell the Muse!

Bare Escentuals Tutorials Smokey "V" Eye Kit Review

Bare Escentuals Pure Platinum Collection Review

Bare Escentuals Tutorials Foiled Eye Kit

Bare Escentuals Classic Rock Collection Review

Labels: Bare Escentuals, Face of the Day, Fall Collections 2008, Pieces of Life, Reviews

MAC Colour Forms Swatches and Review

Grrr I'm so peeved with myself! Last night as soon as I got off work I picked up my best mate Jai and we took our fabulous selves off to Nordies to get the low down on the Nordstrom Exclusive MAC Colour Forms Collection (plus see the other exclusive bits and bobs)!

When we got there we headed to the MAC counter first and I was told that the pressed powder was sold out! UGH! I was so disappointed as this was the item I was the most excited about! My MA told me virtually everything was gone aside from two or so each of the new pigment shades, a few palettes, three shades of the highlighters (the rest were gone, gone, gone!) and the brush sets. Can you believe it? Who knew it would go this quickly!!!!!!!

I normally pre-book everything in advance but since I'm always seen these exclusives pop up at my local CCO a few months later at killer deals I was playing it safe by waiting until the date of release but sadly I got turned out in the cold! Can you believe it? The Muse missing out on MAC! Don't they know who I am?

It's not all bad as I can get it online but still! Damnit!

On top of that horror story I thought that the new green pigment was a re-promote of "Golders Green" so I skipped it...I got home and realized it's called Glided Green! Someone shoot me please?

So the Muse is only bringing you part of my haul and the rest will come next week after my order ships from Nordies website!

Jai ended up with zero which is very unlike him as he's like me and collects all the palettes. He was either suffering from some unknown disease last night or he just wasn't too thrilled with MAC Color Forms. I can't blame him too much as it really wasn't too much to get excited about.

Do not get me wrong. There are some sincerely beautiful things in this collection but I just felt a little tiny bit meh about it. I ended up hauling one palette (very unlike me), one lipstick, and three piggies! $126 USD later I left swinging my bag and humming a happy tune!

Again, very unlike me but I only picked up one of the two palettes. I'd normally grab both but the Cool Eye palette was just blah. Not great colors at all! However, the Warm Eye palette was simply divine and well worth grabbing. It's a perfect selection of great Fall colors plus it's a design I haven't personally seen from MAC before so that alone makes it unique!

The compact design is pretty much identical to last year's Novel Twist. It's a solid rectangle box with a flip lid, magnetic closure, and fabric cover. Aside from it's bright green material cover it's virtually the same exact compact style as last year's design. Unlike last year's five shadow line up this is a tiny bit different. Yes, it does contain five shadow shades but instead of a straight line placement they now have three shadows facing the standard upwards position and two shades that are laying on the side.

It's an interesting set up for the palette and as I said I've never seen MAC do a palette like this. They choose to make the two shadows on the left hand side bigger sizes or at least they look bigger to me. The two lightest shades that you'd use as a base and highlighter are the shades that they give you more of (or it appears to be more but it could be just the set up!).

The color selection is pretty much a very nice array of Fall colors. Granted it's probably very similar to past MAC palettes but I really like it anyway. I might be bias because I just enjoy MAC palettes but this seems really pretty to me.

MAC Colour Forms Warm Eye Palette versus Novel Twist Warm Eye Palette

Colors included are:

Chillproof-Creamy white comparable MAC Eyeshadow in Mylar or Nyon
Tancentric- Pale Rose
Rolled Gold-Smoky Khaki Green
Rustic-Cranberryish Shade comparable to MAC Eyeshadow in Cranberry
Fertile-Matte Chocolate Brown

Personally I like the palette and I think it's worth picking up! It has a nice healthy array of Fall colors plus if you're a collector you're going to want one!

The lipsticks released with MAC Colour Forms are unique and again, not something I have seen from MAC prior to this. They contain a lip color that surrounds a core pearl finished core. Let me tell you it looks really pretty but it does nothing. The color I selected was Rose Go Around and it's a gorgeous maroon red while the inside houses a peachy, gold shimmering core. It's lovely, truly it is but that core doesn't really do much that I see? Once I apply I just get beautiful, pigmented off red lips. I'm not really noticing any gold shimmer to my lips....I'm not even noticing that the lipstick applies easier or has some sort of moisturizing benefits due to the new core. Nada. Very nice to look at and definately worth picking up as the shades available are very nice but don't get it because you're thinking that the core will give your lips a slick look. That's not the case, it applies as any other MAC lipstick would.

And finally, something I think everyone always gets excited about, the piggies! It's always very exciting when MAC does some new pigments. It's not something they do often and I think it makes everyone very happy when they do release new shades! I had two of the shades already so I ended up with three total and a fourth that I thought I had as I mentioned but didn't get. Damnit! Review for that one later.

Repromotes are Steel Blue and Jardin Aires. Steel Blue shouldn't even be a repromote actually..I believe Pro sales it or at the very least MAC's website carries it or stores. Unsure but it's definately available around somewhere! Jardin Aires was released with a collection that the name escapes me at the moment but it's a color you'll definately want to grab up if you missed it the first time around. It's a creamy beige, peachy shade!

Now new colors that have never been released prior to Colour Forms are Royal Flush, Tea Time, and Circa Plum. Get all three if you have the spare cash as they are very nice shades for Fall. They aren't very Muse-like but they are very pretty especially Royal Flush which is kinda like a lighter shade of MAC Cranberry in pigment form! Cool!

Royal Flush-Cranberry Shade
Tea Time-Simply a light brown
Circa Plum-Plummy purple

I guess that's pretty much it! All in all it's a pretty nice selection of items from MAC. I'm not really jumping around doing cartwheels over it but I think it's worth checking out for yourself because there are a few items in the collection that you might want to see, swatch, or buy! And as always I highly recommend the brush sets, these are such a killer deal and it works out to like $10 USD per a brush if you do indulge! Good one!

Head on into Nordstrom to check out MAC Colour Forms for yourself or click on over to Nordies site and see it for yourself!

Expect a review of the highlighter/blush powders and Glided Green pigment shortly!

Here's a simple Face of the Day using MAC Colour Forms Warm Eye Palette. I used Chillproof as a highlighter, Tancentric all over the and creaase, Rustic on the crease and V, and finished off with Rolled Gold on the lower lash line. On my lips I'm wearing the MAC Color Forms Lipstick in Rose Go Around.

So tell me.......

What did you haul?

What did you stash? What did you trash?

Love MAC Color Forms?

Not for you?

Tell the Muse!

Get your MAC cravings filled by clicking through past posts!

Check out what I hauled from Nordstrom's Exclusive MAC Collection Novel Twist from last year!

MAC Sonic Chic Review

MAC Neo Sci-Fi Review

MAC Dazzleglass Review

MAC Naughty Nauticals Review

MAC Dress Camp Review

Fafi for MAC Review

MAC C-Shock Review

Labels: Face of the Day, Fall Collections 2008, First Impressions, Hauls, MAC, Nordstrom, Reviews, Swatches

Philosophy Green Apple 3 in 1 Shower Gel Review

Mmmmm look what I found hanging out at my local Nordies:

I had blogged about Philosophy Green Apple 3 in 1 Shower Gel a few weeks ago but I hadn't been around Nordstrom for a while to get my hands on it. Last night I hopped into Nordies to have a look at MAC Colour Forms and the bright, neon color of Green Apple lured me to the display.

I didn't order this online because I was a bit worried I'd be disappointed. Philosophy makes great shower gels but sometimes they are lacking and scents are really hit and miss! However, we have a total winner with the new Green Apple scent!

The Muse loves it! I used it this morning and I can't rave enough about the delicious smell. It's very true to it's name and smells like a crunchy green apple but the best part of all is the cocktail of sweet versus sour. It smells like a sour apple jolly rancher candy! Mmmmm! It has that sweet scent with a nice sour edge and kick. They captured the essence of a sour candy beautifully!

I have to say I have had my share of disappointments with Philosophy Shower Gels and I am slightly choosy when I purchase a new one. But they really did an outstanding job with this one. I felt like the scent was more pronounced and stronger in comparison to older releases. I also noticed that it seemed to sud up more and offered tons and tons of luxurious foam!

If you like sweet scents with a bit of a kick this one is for you!

The Muse gives it a big Muse Approval for purchase!