Saturday, March 27, 2010

Enter to win a Beautyblender gift set #in

Over time, I've raved about Beautyblender.  I use the rounded bottom to blend liquid foundation and the pointed end for detail work like blending concealer around the eye. Koren Zander of EnKore makeup even demonstrated how to apply loose powder mineral makeup with Beautyblender.  I've tried cheaper knockoffs from Sonia Kashuk and Sephora, but they can't compare to Beautyblender, especially for detail work.

I balked at buying Beautyblender for the longest time: $20.00 for a makeup sponge??? Curiosity, however, got the better of me, and I plunked down $20.00 to buy Beautyblender.  It's since become one of my favorite tools in my makeup closet.

The prize: One Beautyblender gift set

Have you also balked at buying Beautyblender?   Here's your opportunity to win a set containing not one, but two, Beautyblenders and 10 sachets containing its plant-based cleanser:

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Acqua di Parma Bergamotto di Calabria

Bergamot is best known for giving Earl Grey tea its fragrance. It is actually a citrus fruit.

Bergamot from Franz Eugen Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen via Wikipedia

Bergamot is the fragrance that characterizes Bergamotto di Calabria, one of the fragrances in Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo collection. Bergamotto di Calabria uses two varieties of bergamot, one from Calabria’s Ionian coast and the other from Reggio Calabria. The quality of the bergamot used in Bergamotto di Calabria is guaranteed by a Protected Denomination of Origin.


Bergamotto di Calabria from Acqua di Parma's Blu Meditarraneo

Olfactory notes for Bergamotto di Calabria:

Top notes: bergamot and citrus
Heart notes: bergamot, cedar wood, and red ginger
Base notes: vetiver, Benzoin, and musk

Cedar wood, vetiver, Benzoin, and musk give Bergamotto di Calabria warmth and depth that one might not expect in a citrusy fragrance.

Other fragrances in Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo collection are:

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss

Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Lip Gloss

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss is long-lasting lip color that comes in a dual-end tube. One end contains lip color with a self-contained sponge wand applicator, while the other end contains lip gloss with a self-contained brush applicator.

The lip color works similarly to L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lipcolour. You apply the color and wait two minutes for the color to dry down and set. I noticed a numbing sensation once the color had set.

After the lip color has set, you may apply the lip gloss. The lip gloss is a tinted crystal lip gloss that is sticky and very thick in consistency.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss performs as well as L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lipcolour, but I like L’Oreal Paris’s product better for its standout packaging and untinted lip balm.

A representative for Rimmel London sent me Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss for review. Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss comes in 12 shades: I received Enduring Love, a shade of rose.