MAC Rose Romance

I am a bit late to the game on mentioning Rose Romance. I can't say why exactly because there is a lot to love about this collection. Maybe it is because I was very selective about what I bought or perhaps it was because I already own both pigments and I really want some new ones to appear already!

Okay small tantrum over.

Here is what I loved and bought:

Silverthorn, Of Summer, and Et Tu Bouquet eyeshadows. Steal My Heart Lipglass. All of the See Thru Lipcolors and Blush of Youth Beauty Powder which is pictured.

I am IN LOVE with the Beauty Powder. Everyone has commented that the embossed design is hard to take a brush to and I agree but Blush of Youth is afreakin-mazing! MAC describes it as a clean pink with gold pearl and that is about right except I don't see any pearl, just glow. Blush of Youth is a soft healthy pink that you can build to your hearts content and you won't ever leave the house looking like a clown.

The two pigments offered are Mutiny and Circa Plum. Mutiny is a bright sky blue and Circa Plum is a dirty lavender with quite a bit of gray to my eye. As I said I own both and love them and if they are not a part of your pigment collection I highly suggest picking them up.

All in all there is a lot to love but the Beauty Powder just stole my heart!

Shiseido Perfect Rouge

I buy lipstick but I rarely wear it. I often find myself reaching for one of a dozen or so glosses rattling around the bottom of my purse rather than a tube of lipstick.

I used to wear red lipstick almost exclusively and then for some reason I started to wear gloss....all colors and usually the brighter the better. It was a personal makeup revolution for me that has left my many tubes of lipstick, both new and old, collecting dust.

Still I love a lipstick tube a lot. Something about an actual tube is so satisfying. I am always willing to try new lipstick formulas that come onto the market and look for one that is color true, won't bleed, and is moisturizing.

Shideido is one of those brands that I only pay attention to because of the creative director, makeup artist Dick Page. His runway work is some of my favorite to watch and so when Perfect Rouge hit counters I ran on down to the mall to check out Mr. Page's creation.

Perfect Rouge comes in 20 shades and is $25 a tube. My favorite SA at the local Nordstrom gave me a sample card with 4 shades on it to try and I was instantly hooked. The colors are rich yet clear, almost jelly like. Jelly is rich in color yet ultimately transparent and this lipstick captures that perfectly. This combo is a favorite whether it is nail polish or jelly.

I bought both Salon and Sweet Pea in the red family with Sweet Pea being a pink red and Salon a softer true red.

Estee Lauder Double Wear ShadowCreme

If it looks like a Paint Pot, feels like a Paint Pot, and is packaged just like a Paint Pot, then it must be a Paint Pot....right?

You would be mostly correct and let me introduce you to Estee Lauder Double Wear ShadowCreme for $17.50 which is exactly one dollar more than a MAC Paint Pot.

So other than the gold lid and the dollar price difference I was wondering if these are indeed the same product and the short answer is yes, they are.

I bought a Paint Pot recently and still had the box so I naturally compared the ingredient lists and you guessed it, they are identical.

EL's ShadowCreme comes in 10 shades and just like MAC Paint Pot this doesn't crease or fade and layers beautifully with pressed shadow or pigment. The color selection is mostly a complete copy of MAC with a few exceptions. Silver Leaf is a mid-tone silver, Lilac Petals is a lavender grey pearl, and Golden Apricot is a warm gold with apricot overtones.

The main difference between the EL versions and MAC is the pigment payoff. EL's are lighter and more sheer but they can be built up nicely and the added color selection make these worth a look if you are a Paint Pot lover.

MAC - Double Dazzle

Oh man! Double Dazzle has come to town with 18 shades to choose from. My understanding is that most of the shades are joining the permanent line except for 2 but none of my local MAC ladies knew which 2 weren't.

For the uninitiated Double Dazzle is all about Dazzleglass which is basically MAC's answer to lipgloss nirvana. I have written before about my love of Dazzleglass and so I will try and keep my enthusing to a minimum. Dazzleglass is a gloss that is thicker than most and contains large particle shimmer. Between the actual gloss formula and the shimmer this gloss is uber shiny and utterly gorgeous.

The color payoff on these varies from barely there to near neon shades with just about everything in between. The thicker consistency allows Dazzleglass to be a bit hardier and stay in place and really dang shiny when other glosses would have wimped out and gone home. The original collection came out in 2008 and I bought nearly all of the shades. The 6 new shades to choose from in Double Dazzle give me the opportunity to refill on favorites and to fall in love with some new beauties.

Dazzleglass is $18 and worth every shimmery penny!

Shu Uemura - Pink Collection

I am a daily reader of Annie's blog, Blogdorf Goodman. I read this blog religiously when I will skip all others. She is currently doing her 40 days of all things lippie related and I eat it up with a spoon!

A few days ago she posted about Shu Uemura's Pink collection that features 9 new lipsticks and 5 new shades of gloss in various shades of, you guessed it, PINK.

Now I love pink lippies and there is hardly a pink I won't consider. I like bright fuchsia pink, soft brown pinks that are about my lip color, sparkly baby pinks, and everything in between. I will even try warm pinks and I generally avoid warm lip colors most of the time.

The Pink Collection is all about a new pink hybrid pigment that is supposed to bring unprecedented pink pureness to these lippies. Well I don't know about you but the looks of the gloss pictured here is darn magnificent to me and if it is achieved through some new fangled pigment science I say yipee! Bring on the pink!

The gloss can be had for $22 and the lipstick for $23. If you are a pink lover this collection should not be missed.

Dior Addict Lipstick

I was tempted to try Dior Addict lipstick because of the latest Sephora ads. One of the models has a bright pink but still transparent lip and I just had to get my paws on the shades.

Well apparently Sephora knew this lippie would be a sought after item because they have a display right at the entrance of my local store with the products they used to achieve the model's look.

Pink Lust is the shade of Dior Addict lipstick responsible for my quest and it lives up to the hype my friends. Pink lust is a shimmering bold fuchsia that is super pigmented but not opaque. It is the perfect balance of color and shine while still being transparent.

There are many shades to choose from and while $26 isn't chump change for a lippie these are worth the extra cash.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper

Now you all know how I am with mascara. Bluntly put I am a mascara tramp. I will go out and try any mascara once and this new one from Max Factor is no exception.

After seeing all the artists use this on Blush I just had to try it. I am here to tell you that this mascara and Lash Blast are twins. If you like Cover Girl's Lash Blast you will like Lash Plumper.

Everything from the tube to the wand to the formula are a dead ringer for each other which is not a bad thing. I like Lash Blast and my only complaint is that the big fat wand can be difficult to maneuver and has a tendency to get mascara on my eyelid.

That aside this mascara, like Lash Blast, separates lashes beautifully and does not clump and is a great affordable mascara option. I found this at Ulta for $8.

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.