Lipstick Queen - Big Bang Theory Lip Gloss

Poppy King the creator of Lipstick Queen just never fails to delight me. To date there is only one product she has ever released that I just couldn't recommend wholeheartedly. (Shine gloss with the yucky plasticy smell I am looking at you)

Her latest offering is Big Bang Theory Lip Gloss for $20 that comes in all the lovely shades pictured and in that cute little test tube package. These glosses were designed to give the look of plump lips with fine particle shimmer instead of the lip searing effects of some plumpers out there.

I tested all the colors at Barneys and my fav's are Creation, Energy, Cosmos, and Black Hole. Energy is just this amazing deep shimmery red that looks like a nail polish on the lips....and yes that is a good thing. Thankfully these do not have any fragrance and are just dang good shiny and shimmery gloss fun.

These can be found at Barneys or Lipstick Queen.

Givenchy Sari Glow

Am I the only one newly obsessed with Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto? She is just gorgeous and I have loved every red carpet look she has done. She has a kind of exotic beauty that makes me drool with envy.

While cruising Sephora I noticed Givenchy's Spring 09 collection that is inspired by the sensual and refined beauty of Indian women with lots of bright orange and pink in the mix. Well I am all about getting a little piece of that sensual and refined beauty and Sari Glow Iridescent Blush was a real stand out product.

Maharani Pink is a luminous rosy pink and is super glowy on skin. It has that red carpet radiance that I always notice on the cheeks of celebrities but is hard to create in real life. Sari Glow makes that look easy to achieve. It combines the best of a blush and highlighter.

Givenchy Sari Glow is $42 and comes with a little brush.

Lorac Couture Shine Liquid Lipstick

Lorac's new Couture Shine Lipstick is dreamy. I tried on a few today and fell in love with the shade Glam a neutral rose shimmer. Glam is great for everyday or as a neutral lip with a more dramatic eye.

What I really liked though is the formula! This is a highly pigmented gloss-like lippie and smells like vanilla which is alright by me. The texture is smooth and creamy not sticky and is super moisturizing.

Couture shine has mother of pearl for shine, almond oil for smooth lips, and hyaluronic acid for hydrating which is dandy. The truth is it a dang fine gloss or liquid lipstick and warrants a look see from you!

Tubes can be found at Sephora for $22 and it currently comes in 7 shades.

Karl Lagerfeld Kapsules

These 3 fragrances are Karl Lagerfeld's interpretation of the 3 major fragrance families. Each Kapsule is $110 or you can get a set of 3 smaller bottles for $150 at Neiman Marcus.

I received a sample pack of all 3 to try and it took me a while to actually break these open. However I am a new fan of Floriental which features black tea, violet, and ivy leaves. It is the right blend of sweetness and warmth and is a real winner in my book.

Woody is cedarwood, plum and moss. I am normally a real woody fan and while I like this fragrance I would not buy it. The cedar gives a nice opening and that slightly pencil shaving scent with plum swirling around nicely. Moss is there but in the background. Woody is nice but just doesn't have the ompf of the woody fragrances I really love....think Bois de Paradis.

Light is a blend of bitter orange, jasmine and musk. The bitter orange is front and center at first with the jasmine and musk showing up later. For some reason it is the most masculine smelling of the 3 to me.

Floriential is far and away my pick and will be a future purchase for sure!

MAC - Grand Duos

Crap, crap, crap! Doesn't MAC know there is an economic recession going on and that we poor makeup junkies are feeling the pinch in our makeup allowance! Seriously these folks need to either keep their pricing low or stop releasing collections where I want every last thing. Naturally I vote for option #1.

Say hello to MAC's Grand Duo blushes and the cause of all my consternation. These gorgeous babies are $22.50 and so lovely I can not stand it!

Grand Duos are available in 7 shades and feature a tri-color marble half and a solid color shimmer other half that is glowy rather than glitter-tastic. Here is the lineup:

Light Over Dark - Yellow orange with brown
Moon River - Blue pink melange with pale yellow pink
Love Rock - Gold violet melange with bright blue pink
Grand Duo - Copper pink with plum
Earth to Earth - Purple bronze with yellow brown
Intenso - Pink gold with terracotta rose
Hot Planet - Copper yellow with midtone plum

My picks after pre-selling are Moon River, Love Rock, Grand Duo, and Intenso. Earth to Earth is very intriguing but I am a bit worried about wearability so I am very interested to see how this one does. Intenso is amazing and I am not a huge warm tone fan but Intenso is nuts in a good way!

Shiseido Hydro Power

After writing my mostly scathing review of Urban Decay's cream shadow I went in search of another purple cream shadow that could serve as a base for all my purple shadows and really give them some umpf! I am here to tell you that there just aren't that many good options when it comes to purple.

MAC had a paint pot called Nice Vice that was a limited edition with Fafi but that now goes for close to $50 on Ebay and I just won't pony up that kind of cash for a paint pot that could very well be a dried up mess. I have haunted my local CCO's looking for this shade but have struck out.

Bobbi Brown cream shadows are great bases and resist creasing nicely but there isn't a true purple in the bunch. That was when I stumbled on Shiseido's Violet Vision which seemed like the answer to my prayers! After my Urban Decay let down I was skeptical and saved my receipt!

I am here to tell you that Violet Vision is a winner and was tested over a full day at work and into the night. After leaving my house at 8:30 and returning after 9 there was not a crease in sight and my shadow was looking good. If you are hunting for a base to prevent creasing and make purples really pop this is the real deal.

Urban Decay Cream Shadow

This is not a favorable review....let's just get that out of the way right off the bat. I had such high hopes for Urban Decay's new Cream Shadow. Normally I am a MAC Paint Pot fan with MAC Paint, Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow and Shiseido Hyrdo Power being my favorite alternatives.

But there are always colors I am looking for to use as a base for eyeshadows or pigments that my favorite brands just don't have.

Urban Decay's Delinquent Cream Shadow is a deep purple metallic that is gorgeous in the tube and when tested on your hand but the trouble begins when you actually start to use this product for it's intended purpose....on your eyes!

Application is streaky and patchy and takes forever to dry. Heaven forbid you should open your eyes before this stuff fully drys because then it will crease instantly. If you have the patience to apply a few layers with care AND allow sufficient drying time of a minute or so (who has time for that!) then the cream shadow is mostly set and you can apply shadow over it. The color payoff is great but that isn't the end of my story.

I managed to get a layer of Delinquent on and then carefully patted on Plum eyeshadow (MAC Pro shade) with a 239 brush and I even applied a layer of UDPP before to try and ensure a crease free day of wear. At first the result was great. The color was beautiful and rich but after about an hour trouble started and I was noticing some serious creasing. After a full day the shadow was just a mess and was gathered in the crease in what I refer to as makeup soup....not pretty!

I wish this had been a product I could recommend due to the shades offered but unless you have very dry lids that things don't normally crease on I just wouldn't waste the $17.

La Vanila - Vanilla Lavender

I have a soft spot in my heart for La Vanila fragrances and body butters. There is just something about the yummy warm slightly foody scent of vanilla in general and La Vanila's creations in specific.

I am a closet fan of Vanilla Grapefruit but have never actually bought a bottle. I have purchased the body butters and the body wash and loved them both but for some reason I have never wanted to commit to a whole bottle of perfume.

I was very eager to sniff La Vanila's latest scent in Vanilla Lavender but after sniffing I could have waited....a long time.

I am sorry to report that this is just a turn in the wrong direction for La Vanila. I know that all fragrance preferences are subjective but this one is just yucky. The smell is somewhat old lady smelling and lacks the sweetness that all the other scents in this line have in common. It seems that the vanilla and lavender do not play well together.

You can get your paws on this for $56 but I strongly suggest sniffing and wearing it for a bit before purchasing.