The Life of A Ladybug

Ladybug Loves, 07/03/09

 

Urban Decay Get Baked Eyeshadow Palette

Bobbi Brown Golden Orange Pressed Powder

CoverGirl Lash Exact and Volume Exact mascaras

Bobbi Brown blush in Brown Berry

MAC Colour Craft collection

Oooh, y'all!  The MAC Colour Craft collection will be on counters and in stores on July 9th and I WANT!  Looka here, looka here!  (My lemmings in bold!)

Lipstick

Madly Creative: pink neutral with white pearl

Ever Embellish: plum brown with red pearl

Made With Love: bright coral pink

Colour Crafted: milky pink

Trimming Talk: bright fuschia

Most Popular: purple with yellow undertone

Lipglass (three shades swirled together to create a one-of-a-kind marble finish

Pretty Pattern: warm dirty beige

Crazy Haute: blue pink

Nice Mix Up: burnt ginger

Funky Fusion: pink coral

Eclectic Edge: cool violet

Miss Marble: muted pink

More on Mineralize Shadows, Blushes, and Skinfinishes after the cut!

MAC Just A Pinch Gel Blush

 

MAC Just A Pinch Gel Blush came out with MAC's recent "A Rose Romance" collection.  I really enjoyed that collection - I'm a romantic at heart and all things pink and pretty make me very, very happy.

One of the products that made me happiest in this collection?  Just A Pinch Gel Blush.  The name is perfect because this gel blush leaves you with "just pinched" cheeks.  Your cheeks will take on a faint, sheer red tint that's immensely flattering and wearable.  I wouldn't suggest it for hardcore glam looks, but if you're going for "naturally beautiful", this is the stuff for you.

When I wear this and Lipstick Queen Medieval, I feel like a Jane Austen heroine!

MAC Just A Pinch Gel Blush is still available - get it now!

Ladybug Loves ...

• BareEscentuals Foundation in Warm Tan
• Pacifica solid perfumes
• tarte eyeliner in ballet dancers
• Too Faced "The Bronzed & The Beautiful" Bronzing Powder Collection

Ladybug Loves this week ...

 

• Mally Beauty Mascara
• MAC Naked Honey Salve
• Carol's Daughter Pearls eau de toilette
• LORAC Tantalizer
• Prescriptives Cheek Blossom in Melon Warm

Ladybug Loves this week!

 

• Stila eyeshadow in Golightly
• MAC Naked Honey Skin Salve
• tarte emphaseyes in green
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead

MAC Naked Honey

 

MAC's Naked Honey collection has me salivating and I've only tried one of the products!  My loves/lemmings in bold.

MAC Style Warrior

 

The MAC Style Warrior collection is hot as fire!  Look at that packaging!  I am in love with animal prints, so having makeup in my purse covered in animal print makes me unbelievably happy.  My loves/lemmings will be in bold!

Total Beauty's Favorite Blushes!

When I'm asked what my #1 beauty tip is, I always say, "Wear blush ... every day."  I think blush is the one thing that goes the farthest toward making you look healthy, wide awake and beautiful.  The folks at Total Beauty concur.  Read on to find out what TB readers think are the best blushes!

Readers' Favorite Blushes

Was Nars Orgasm blush no. 1? Or did another blush beat it? Find out!

A good blush gives a lit-from-within, healthy-looking glow, something we all strive for with our makeup. A bad blush gives a streaky, sparkly, clownish look -- not attractive. Luckily, TotalBeauty.com readers have tried tons of blushes, and here we share their favorites. Give them a try, they guarantee you wont look like you're auditioning for the circus. See blushes

No. 19: Paula Dorf Cheek Color, $21

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9

It "was perfect for that just-in-from-the-cold flush" and the blushes "last all day."

No. 18: Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher, $18.50

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9

Readers say this blush is "very natural looking... it's nearly impossible to make yourself look clownish with it."

No. 17: Revlon Powder Blush, $9.79

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9.1

This blush's greatest asset: its staying power. "I apply it at 5 a.m. and it still looks great at 8 p.m.," one reader says.

Want to see what's no. 1? Click here!

Freeze 24-7 Minerals

 

In the last few weeks, I have had the chance to try out Freeze 24-7's new Mineral Collection.  According to the brand, the collection is a "fusion of ground-breaking skincare and pure color makeup, powered with revolutionary Vita-Nutriplex Technology to provide a 96% reduction in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pore size, discoloration and sun spots."  Well, I can't attest to most of those claims.  The only issue I have is large pores on the area near my nose.  In that regard, yes, this product does work.  When brushed on, the appearance of the pores are reduced - they're almost unnoticeable.  If I didn't know to look there, I wouldn't notice it.  So, yay!

The included face brush is kind of scratchy and doesn't offer the fuller coverage of, say, BareMinerals' brushes.  However, the two included shades of foundation (I have the Medium/Tan collection) work well for my skin.  If you don't need much coverage and you're a medium brown complexion, I think this set is good.  You are instructed to use the lighter of the two foundation shades as a concealer for undereye darkness and any redness.  It does not work well at lightening dark undereye circles, but it does do well at covering redness.  I would suggest that you stick with whatever concealer you're already using for your undereye region.  You can use the two foundation shades to mix and match a shade that would work best for you.  You also could use the included Bronze-to-Glow as a way of darkening the shade a bit, if necessary.  The Bronze-to-Glow is a great bronzer/cheek color that looks wonderful alone or layered under your chosen blush shade.  I like it much better than BE's Warmth.  Also included in the collection is a Cheeky Highlighter, but I was underwhelmed.  It didn't add much light to my face, at all.  It could have been left out, in my opinion.

I'm quite pleased with this collection overall and will continue to use it regularly.  Still, at $85, I find it a bit pricey.