Viktor & Rolf for Shu Uemura

Two of my favorite designers, Viktor & Rolf, have teamed up with Shu Uemura to design three amazing lash designs for the Tokyo Lash Bar this year.

The Couture Collection makes the Muse simply quiver in delight while drool drips from her mouth!

Have you seen these lashes?

Is it terrible to admit that I want to buy at least two pairs just because they are so stunning!?

Each lash set is encased in a gorgeous white box complete with a masquerade eye mask and costs $95 USD.

I can't think of a more wicked and indulgence purchase than these.

At first I had two sets in my cart but I've since decided that I should show some control and just purchase one! Now it's all about firguring out which pair to buy!

It's a toss up between the Wing and Swirl versions....I'm thinking the Swirl is very Muse-like!

Ugh having such a hard time not buying both! Ahhhhhh!


And yes, before you say it, these are an utterly extravagant, spoiled, and self-indulged purchase! But the Muse has decided she deserves it and no one can change her mind!

Expect ridiculous amounts of pictures soon and possible...if I'm so inclined...a Face of the Day sporting these...it'll have to be a special occasion...hmm...New Year's? My Birthday? Just because?

Stay tuned! Can't wait? Check out Erika's haul at Makeup Bag!

For now I leave you with promo pictures:

Swirl Couture


Rhombus Couture


Wing Couture


Gagging for these?

Want a pair for yourself?

Loving 'em?

Tell the Muse!

See more stunning lashes from the this year's Tokyo Lash Bar by clicking here. Pssttt guess which ones I am lemming at the moment!

Learn more about the Viktor & Rolf Couture Collection by clicking here.



Shu Uemura Brightening Cleansing Oil Review Coming Soon....

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine Review

Shu Uemura Mini Lash Eyelash Curler Review

Shu Uemura Fleur de Source Eyeshadow Palette Review

Josie Maran Cosmetics

I've been thinking about it really hard I think Josie Maran must know alot about cosmetics after being Maybelline's promo model for so long. It's probably pretty fitting that she now has her own line of cosmetics available from Sephora than dontcha think?

I admit I'm tempted.

Her new line isn't only quite nice to look at but it's also organic. The line contains botanical ingredients and sports recyclable and biodegradable packaging. Go Josie Go!

I think I'll be picking up a few items for review shortly as I'm totally digging the packaging and the looks of everything!

Want to try it?

Tell the Muse!

Check out more about the line at Josie Maran Cosmetics.

Philosophy Fall Collection 2008

Plenty of items to get excited about this Fall Season from Philosophy!

My little eyes did spy several new shower gels and lip glosses that I'm simply dying to get my greedy little hands on!

Philosophy Lip Shines $12 USD


Available in three new flavors! Fruit Punch, Root Beer, and Cherry Cola

Love 'em all? Buy a boxful for $28 USD!



Match up some shower gels with those lip shines! Root Beer, Cherry Cola, and Coming Soon Fruit Punch!



Can't decide between all three? No problem! Get 'em all!



What better way to ring in Halloween then with Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Caramel Apples! Available now from Sephora for $16 USD each.



You might want fill your haunted house with Black Licorice to go with those apples and muffins! In that case buy the entire lot in a gift set for $30 USD!



These are SO Muse Approved for Purchase! I want 'em all! Especially Root Beer and Fruit Punch Shower Gel! Yummie!

Visit www.philosophy.com to grab yours!



Want these?

Love 'em?

Any favorite Three in One Shower Gels from Philosophy you adore?

Tell the Muse!



Philosophy Green Apple 3 in 1 Shower Gel Review

Patricia Wexler M.D. Instant Airbrush Concealer Pen Review

Today I'll be reviewing Patricia Wexler M.D. Instant Airbrush Concealer in continuing with my spotlight on Good, Bad, and Great Concealers!

Patricia Wexler M.D. is one of those brands that I end up buying due to all the fancy stuff I read on the packaging. I buy into all that hype that's written all over the boxes, packaging, and adverts.



Wrinkles gone in an instant, dark circles concealed forever, a newer, fresher face awaits you!

Um yeah...right...sure.

I've purchased three products by Patricia Wexler M.D. so far and all have been a major disappointment one of which happens to be the Instant Airbrush Concealer.



The packaging is simply awesome as it's a click style pen concealer which I absolutely love and lust after when it comes to concealers. I love pens simply because they make concealer application so easy, hygienic, and simple!

The Patricia Wexler M.D. Instant Concealer is a tad bit of a high price at $19.50 USD. It is considered a Beauty on a Budget find however since it doesn't work too well that's a bit of a high price to pay for it.

The concealer is lightly pigmented and offers ok coverage plus the pen style applicator as I mentioned is an added bonus however the formula is lacking in this concealer.



The concealer is not only drying to the delicate eye area but it also creases into fine lines plus the texture is extremely watery which makes it a delightful mess to apply. Instead of brushing it on and blending you'll find it dripping down your cheek before you have the chance to pat it into place, the formula is that watery!



Contrary to reviews I've read once you've successfully blended your eyes will look quite well rested and your dark circles will be quite concealed however any fine lines under your eyes will be displayed a bit more prominently due to how drying the formula is. I've read that the coverage is ultra light and doesn't conceal well and those reviews would be correct however on days I was awake and had a good solid 8 hours of rest the coverage was enough to make my eyes look good. My main problems lay with the fact that the product was not long wearing, crept into my fine lines, and dried my eye area terribly.



Major rant for the fact that this comes in only three shades so anyone with darker skin than a medium will have trouble finding a good match for their skin tone.

Although the packaging is brilliant and the formula is wonderfully light yet pigmented it has too many flaws to be a truly great concealer! I've seen better budget finds that are cheaper and work better! I can recommend it if you're seeking lighter coverage and aren't concealing a ton of extra baggage. It's also pretty good if you're not sporting dryness under your eyes however I think it might be safer just to spend your $20 on a better concealer!

Tried this?

Love it?

Tell the Muse!



Make Up Forever Lift Concealer Review

L'Oreal Visible Lift Concealer Review

It's The Daily Cookie's Birthday!

One thing about blogging that's awesome would be the people you meet and become friends with. I can't begin to tell you how many wonderful people I've met and became friends with simply because we share a common interest of blogging!

Blogging just wouldn't be the same without these people. Friends that don't blog can't always understand the entire concept behind it. Sometimes when I speak to certain friends they just scratch their heads and shrug because they just don't get it. That's when you turn to your blogging friends. Your blogging friends listen to everything about life and blogging which makes them extra special.

One such blogging mate of the Muse's would be the very cute and beautiful Lilan from The Daily Cookie.

Help the Muse out by celebrating Lilan's First Blogging Birthday by clicking over to her site and reading all about her latest contest in celebration of her year of blogging!

On Saturday, August 30th, our favorite Cookie is inviting a dozen ladies out for a day of pampering with a mani/pedi party, appetizers, and refreshments at Lavande Nail Spa in San Fransisco.

Each guess attending will end their afternoon with a goodie bag full of makeup! Whoa! Makeup, food, pedicures.....hmmm do you think they'll be cookies too? The Muse is seriously upset she's all the way in New York when this is happening hmmm I might need to fly on for the occasion hehe!

For those of you who live in the San Fran area you and a friend will have a chance to nab a spot and celebrate in style with Lilan and her friends! Head on over to The Daily Cookie and enter for your chance to win! Entries will be accepted through August 24th at 11:55pm and the winner will be announced on Monday the 25th!

Hurry! You can't possibly want to miss your chance to meet Miss Cookie!

Click!

Physicians Formula Plump Potion Review

Although I normally favor Lip Venom for my lip plumping needs I couldn't resist picking up some Physicians Formula Plump Potion Lip Gloss while I was in Harmons recently.





Not a bad Beauty on a Budget find here guys! Total cost for two large size glosses was $8.95 USD and they are seriously big glosses with tons of product inside.

The box promises instant results and plumped up lips of up to 3 times...question is does it really work?





Kinda.

I never ran across a gloss that actually plumped. Most just offer a bite or sting and a formula that's so thick it gives the appearance of fuller lips which is just the case for Physicians Formula Plump Potion. The formula is extremely thick thus the illusion of larger, plumped up lips comes into play. So physically you're not obtaining a Angelina Jolie pucker! Sorry 'bout that!



The formula is very thick, dense, and sports a rather weird perfume smell and taste I wasn't loving. Once it's on you won't feel any painful bite or sting however you will notice a rather strange little tightening around your lips that lasts for a few seconds and quickly disappears. The original application is a sticky, tacky mess however the dry down feels very nice, natural, and you'll barely notice you're wearing gloss which is an absolute plus for the Muse.

The color I tried out was Rose Potion which is a nice rosy shade that has a metallic finish which looked very nice on. The package also included a free Plump Potion in clear which was great for layering on top of lipstick.



Rocking Out with my Tarte Peaches & Cream Foundation




For the price it was a rather nice deal and the formula is pretty good too plus the color is extremely pigmented.

If you're looking for a good plumping gloss that offers the benefits of fuller lips, great color selection, and an inexpensive price Physicians Formula Plump Potion is worth checking out!

The Muse thought it was pretty great for it's $9 buck price tag!

Definitely a Muse Approved Beauty on a Budget find!





Cure your gloss cravings with past posts and reviews on lip gloss I've either stashed or trashed....

L'Oreal Infallible Lipgloss Review

MAC Dazzleglass

DuWop Moon Venom Review

Smashbox O-Gloss Review

L'Oreal Visble Lift Eye Concealer Review

My Best of Concealer round up continues today with a review of L'Oreal's Visble Lift Eye Concealer.

If it's cheap you seek L'Oreal Visible Lift Eye Concealer may be an ok Beauty on a Budget find for you at around $9 USD or so.



L'Oreal's Visible Lift Eye Concealer isn't the best of the best however it's the best of it's kind for the price. Available in a good deal of color selections you're pretty much guaranteed to run into at least one shade that should suit your skin type.

When it comes to concealers I prefer splurging rather than skimping however I realize not everyone has the same mind set as I do which accounts for me looking for a good concealer at a decent price to do a review on. I've found two concealers in the drugstore beauty world that work well, one of which is L'Oreal Visible Lift Eye Concealer.



I find the formula a teeny, tiny bit drying but aside from that overall the concealer performed excellent for a drugstore purchase.

It's pigmented enough to conceal the worst dark circles plus any fine lines or wrinkles you may sport. It also does a fine job of tucking into baggage and giving the illusion of a fresh, awake eye.

The texture is absolutely perfect and blends very well. It's not watery and has just enough density to spread evenly across the eye without making a mushy mess that some concealers have a knack for do to how watery they are.

It sports a few minor problems that I find unforgivable, sadly. One such problem is the fact that it creeps into fine lines after a few hours and gives my eyes a tired appearance it's also a tiny bit drying even though when it's first applied it feels quite moisturizing.



I did notice if I'm very careful in my prep prior to use the product won't seep into fine lines however if I apply in a rush and I haven't prepped my eye area enough for the concealer I will end up with a rather sad, crusty crease of concealer under my eyes. Yuck!

Although the color is a very unusual pale white combined with touches of both gray and beige it actually blends seamlessly under my eyes and works very well at waking my eyes up and giving me the look of 12 hours of sleep rather than the 6 I probably had!

The wear on this isn't so great and around 2 hours or less you'll end up with creasing, fading, and a general need for big time touch up so that kinda stinks. You might be able to get longer wear out of this if you choose to wear a primer under your eyes prior to use!

For the price it's actually pretty good however I've definately come across better. The price is right, the coverage is good however problems with creasing and length of wear creates a huge problem for me.



Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer Review

Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer Review

To start off my review of concealers I thought I'd go with Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer since I use it often!

ALOT of hype surrounds Make Up For Ever's Lift Concealer.

I couldn't count the numerous reviews raving about this particular concealer that I've read all over the internet. I'm hear to say it lives up to most of the hype and does a damn fine job of concealing all your under eye woes.



The concealer comes in five shades and although that's not a big selection I think it's safe to say you'll find a match for your tone in the five available options. I use Pink Beige 1 which is the lightest shade available. One thing I don't particularly like about the color is the fact that it's a very fleshy shade with a tiny bit of unflattering beige to it, thankfully the color works well on my skin tone.



Now the formula is pimped out as having skin-firming benefits however I haven't experienced that. It also contains vitamins A and E which regenerate the skin but again I really haven't noticed much of a difference in my eye area since using it other than the fact that it does a wonderful job of making me appear awake and fresh!

It virtually conceals all problem areas under my eyes. Dark circles, fine lines, and extra baggage literally disappear creating a flawless, wonderful finish for my makeup. The formula is extremely moisturizing however I don't like how watery the product is and I'd have prefer a bit of a denser product. This blends easily and beautifully and as I said the color goes perfectly wonderful with my skin tone.

I've read many raves about how long the concealer holds out but I felt that I needed touching up after at least 3-4 hours or so. I'd have loved for it to last longer in all honesty but I guess we can't expect miracles from a concealer but I did somewhat expect more from Make Up For Ever as a majority of their products are unstoppable, smudge-proof, waterproof, last all day items but I didn't find that the case with the lift concealer.

Props to the great packaging that keeps your hands and fingertips away from the majority of the product. I actually don't bother touching the tube at all. I simply dot some on with the long tipped applicator and blend with my fingers! This makes bacteria and germ obsessions a little bit less of a problem for the Muse.



The concealer is $21 USD and for some that may be a bit of a high cost but personally I think the quality is brilliant and since the product is so pigmented a very little goes a long way which means you'll be working on a tube for about 6 months to a year without having to replenish your supply.

I experienced no problem with the concealer creasing or becoming cakey. I also never noticed the product creeping into my fine lines which is a total plus for me as I always feel that as soon as concealer begins to crease into the fine lines it makes me appear older! The formula pretty much blends in perfectly well and does a very good job of actually concealing fine lines without settling into them.



Although it's not pure perfection the good outweighs the bad with Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer and I find I reach for it daily to make myself appear fresh, awake, and gorgeous.

I like it and I definately approve it for purchase! It's definately part of my daily beauty ritual and does what it promises!



Not holy grail material but definately good stuff!

The Muse likes it! Alot.



L'Oreal Visible Lift Concealer Review

Sugar Cosmetics Sweet Cheeks Baked Blush

Oooo look what I came across!



Since I've grown rather fond of bronzing powders this new compact from Sugar Cosmetics has caught my eye!

Sugar Cosmetics Sweet Cheeks Baked Blush is available in two shades Cupcake and Gingerbread for $24 USD each.

I'm wondering if these are those massive compacts that Sugar puts out! Know the ones?

I'm dead curious about how shimmery they are! Looks rather gorgeous from what I can see!

Cupcake seems more pinky while Gingerbread is a warmer shade!

I feel a strange lemming for both!

Anyone with me?

Almost Fall but the force is strong for these compacts! Expect some sort of review shortly I imagine!



Urban Decay Baked Bronzer Review

Napoleon Perdis The French Riviera Gift Set Review

Lancome Maharani Elephant Bronzer Review

Banila Co Sun Blessed Collection

Jelly Pong Pong Round Up Review Featuring a Review of Jelly Pong Pong Omnibronze

Blinc Lash Primer Review

Although Blinc is virtually a no name by some it doesn't fail at creating an amazing lash primer that I simply love!



Personally I don't see Blinc as playing ball with the big league mascaras out there however they make a solid line of products that deliver on their promises.

One such product would be the Blinc Lash Primer. I've been using Blinc Lash Primer for over a year now and I simply haven't found a better primer and I've tried alot!

I noticed in my primer travels that most cause spiky lashes, cake my mascara, and just generally make a mess and by the way what the hell is the point of a lash primer anyway! Seems like another endless step in the beauty routine!



Blinc's Lash Primer has changed my mind completely about lash primers and made me realize how beneficial it is to use one prior to to mascara. As I said most primers have just created a mess for me however this one succeeds at making lashes longer while conditioning them and causing less breakage.



One key benefit to the primer is the fact that it adds both length and volume to my lashes. Yes, I can achieve both with a curler and a good mascara however the primer does add at least 2 to 3 times the amount of volume and length I'd get by solely using my curler and mascara plus it offers protection against breakage. I find I lose alot less lashes in the eye makeup and mascara removel when I've used a primer prior to my mascara. I felt like this would be extremely beneficial if you're Asian as Asian girls tend to have smaller lashes with alot of breakage and this might protect against breakage and also offer extra length and volume for short, stubbier lashes!



The formula is simply wonderful as well. Unlike other primers I tried it doesn't sport that strange elmer glue style texture that makes my lashes clumpy and spiky. Although the formula is white it goes on clear and smooths on as if I'm just using simple water on my lashes!

All in all it's become a part of my daily beauty routine and a real staple product. The primer is $16 USD and used to be available from Sephora however they have since stopped carrying the primer but you can find it on the Blinc website.

I'm on my 2nd tube of this since discovering it over a year ago so it definately gets a Muse Approval for purchase!



Works a treat and does what it promises makes it a staple product for the Muse! Try it out the Muse thinks you'll love it as much as I do!

If you wanna nab a steal and a deal head over to Dermstore to purchase it and using code TOTALBEAUTY92 to get 10% off your purchase!