Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion

Here is Urban Decay's new addition to eye priming fun! Meet Sin Primer Potion for $17 currently available at Sephora.

Sin is a champagne toned primer that shares the same texture as UDPP but with a bit of color and pearl. If you own or have seen MAC's Bare Study Paint Pot then you are on the right track for comparison.

I am of two minds when it comes to this new primer. First I love UDPP for its anti-crease and fade properties as well as its oil controlling abilities. Eyeshadow pays off better and lasts longer with UDPP and the added color is nice.

On the other hand I detest the bottle for this product which by now is a well known product trapper and I would hope that Urban Decay would have addressed this issue when bringing a new primer to market. The curves on this bottle may be cute but they hide a lot product and while you can cut it open and store the rest in a jar I just think that is lame.

Put this otherwise fab primer in a better package already!

Kings & Queens

Kings & Queens is made by Korres, one of my favorite producers of body and hand lotions. Korres is known for being natural and the lotions are rich and hydrating. My only issue is that I am very picky about fragrances and there are only a few I like.

I had read about Kings & Queens but had never run across any products until stumbling on them at Nordstrom. The scents are exotic and smell real if that makes since.

My example would be peach scented products that smell so intensely of artificial peach that they are saccharine and awful. It is rare to find fragrance is beauty products that smells like it should and not a synthetic approximation.

My first purchase was the Honey body butter which is unbelievable. I love honey on buttered hot toast and can't decide if its the smell of the warm oozing honey or the taste that is better. The body butter smells EXACTLY like warm honey on buttered toast!

My second purchase was Mango and it too has all the sweet but sharp aspects of the real fruit and never strays into that overly sugary version of Mango that I can't stand.

Bobbi Brown - Makeup Manual

Like any self respecting makeup junkie I not only spend my fun money on makeup, makeup and more makeup, I also keep abreast of the latest makeup related publications.

If there is anything that competes with shopping for, playing with, and taking home my brand new makeup goodies it has to be reading about makeup in glossy magazines (Allure being the winner) or books.

As I have mentioned I am a HUGE Kevyn Aucoin fan and was heartbroken when he passed away. His books are regular perusal material and I love studying his technique and picking up tips and tricks.

Bobbi Brown has to be a close second for me and I have been waiting for this kind of book from her for a long time. According to Amazon.com this is the book her fans have been waiting for and lord knows I am a fan! It is supposed to be chalk full of tips and techniques from her 25 years of experience.

I am here to report that this book is a good read for both makeup novices and junkies like myself. I really enjoyed her advice on putting together a working makeup kit a lot and her advice on breaking into the business was specific and right on the money.

My only gripe was I wanted more instruction and application tips and tricks. Unfortunately that part of the book was a little lean.

Overall I still think think this is a worth while purchase and read.

Stila - Precious Pearl Palette

I have been trying very hard to be controlled about my makeup spending these days. There are two reasons and so far I have been doing pretty good but not great. Reason #1 is the economy in general and I think with things being so uncertain and companies laying people off or just plain going out of business it is wise to save more than I usually do. Reason #2 MAC Hello Kitty is coming out soon and I have been petrified that I will want every last piece of the collection which will be major cash!

So while I am trying hard to be better about my makeup shopping I can't help but cruise the cosmetics department or Sephora and gaze at the makeup gems. Perhaps you might say this is like taking an alcoholic to the corner bar but I just can't help it and I do have pretty good self control.

During my recent cruise of Sephora I remembered I had a Sephora gift card that had a $38 balance and this palette was a must have so my guilt was practically erased!

Stila's Precious Pearl Palette is not only gorgeous eyeshadow but the mother of pearl palette case is oh so pretty at $40. There are six shades that all have crushed pearl in them for a beautiful shimmery smooth application that is super pigmented and like all Stila shadows, easy to blend.

From left is a white gold, soft pink, mid-tone pink, blackened deep blue, mermaid green, and burnished gold.

This is worth breaking your piggy bank open for!