Blaq Vixen Beauty

Before this moment can get any more awkward than it already has, I'm well aware that I was supposed to review this many moons ago - like back in March or April (at the very latest) of 2010. So yeah - I can be a little absent-minded at times. It just so happened that I was cleaning/updating my makeup bag when I suddenly remembered.

The Smashbox Untamed High Lights Cheek Luminizer in Aglow ($24 but $14.99 on BeautyTicket) was a part of Smashbox's Untamed Summer 2009 collection. Jill from BeautyTicket sent it over editorial consideration since I wanted to incorporate some "glow" into my makeup routine.

Had I researched this product beforehand, I would've requested another product instead. As a creamy luminizer, you can use it to highlight the high part underneath your eyebrows, on your cheekbones, inner corners of the eyes and on the tip (not bridge) of your nose.

With the skin issues that I have (large pores, uneven skintone, acne scarring, texture), I had no business with this product because it illuminates all my flaws! First of all, I have combination skin so I should've opted for a powder, not cream, luminizer. When I apply it, it comes off more like "shimmery but oily" than "effortless glow," especially in pictures. It lasts around 2 to 3 hours on me.

In the compact, it's a iridescent lilac with icy pink and silver undertones. Since I have warm undertones,  a gold luminizer would look best on me. This particular luminizer would work for people with cool undertones though, granted if you have dry skin.

I'm not too sure if I could still use this but I'm thinking maybe I could use it as a cream eyeshadow or maybe even as an eyeshadow base. Other than that, I can't use this at all.

Have you ever tried a cream luminizer before? Which ones are your favorite?

Shortly after I noticed that I hadn't bought a new fragrance in a while, I immediately went out and purchased Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna ($49 for 1.7 oz ; $59 for 3.4 oz). I don't purchase too many celebrity scents (last one I bought was by Jennifer Lopez) because after a while, they all seem to follow the same "formula" - different celebrity, different name, different bottle but same fragrance.

Rated Right...or Rated Fail?

Editor's note: The following products were sent for editorial consideration.

This past weekend, I had such a fun time experimenting with some of the China Glaze Crackle polishes I received a couple of weeks ago. I picked up a package of nail wheels from Sally Beauty and swatched away. I used China Glaze's Poolside Collection (from Summer 2010) as the base colors:

From left: Sun Worshipper, Kiwi Cool-ada, Flip Flop Fantasy, Towel Toy Boy, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and Pool Party. These definitely look better with a shiny topcoat like Seche Vite. I used three coats for each one. Click to enlarge.

Crackle, snap...shatter?

Updated 28 February 2011: My contact over at Kiss shared some quick tips that I thought would be helpful just in case you find yourself in the same predicament that I was in:

Mascara is completely optional - you do not have to apply it beforehand as it can be applied after.

Let the lash glue set and dry for a few minutes before applying mascara. This is to make sure that you don't accidentally move your lashes in the process.

When removing the strings, pinch your eyelids and push in to create tension between the string and the lash. Make sure you're only grabbing one side of the string because if you try to pull out both sides at the same time, it will cause your lashes to come off.

Make sure not to get any glue on the strings as this could cause difficulty in removing the strings.

Let me tell you how "special" I am. For the past few weeks, I've been playing around with the two sets of the new Kiss Premium Eyelashes with Application Strings. I've been struggling with them for the longest unfortunately! The above image is my final and most successful attempt. Not only did I remember one crucial detail (apply mascara first!) but my lashes looked really good! I used Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express to merge both my lashes and the Kiss lashes together. Who knew we would see lashes with "training wheels" so to speak?

Lashes, lashes...we're all glam now!

Photo courtesy of For the Love of Free.

I had to take a break from buying more lipstick from Maybelline and Revlon to shop my stash. I discovered that I had three red shades from the CoverGirl Queen Collection Vibrant Hue Lipstick range in Cherry Bomb, Shiny Port Wine and Bordeaux (disclosure). Let's take a look at them, shall we?

Say you love me in my red lipstick...

I promptly bought some of the new Caress body washes after reading the tweets about the Caress Event hosted at Sweetiepie Restaurant on March 23rd. You see, I may buy a variety of body washes but I always come back to Caress. Overall, it is my favorite body wash brand to buy because they always come out with the most addictive scents and formulas. Case in point: the new Caress Cream Whipped Souffle Body Wash in Blackberry and Caress Cream Whipped Souffle Body Wash in White Peach.

I told myself that I would wait until I finished my Exchange Select Extra Moisturizing Body Wash with Shea Butter (which is a way better buy than Olay Ultra Moisture with Shea Butter Body Wash) to use one of my Caress body washes but I couldn't resist. I just had to know if these new products would be worth buying again. So I popped the lid on the Blackberry Cream - not sure if this is my favorite smell out of the two but it definitely smells delicious.

I am so glad that I didn't either -- these new body washes are such a delectable treat for the body, especially now that the weather is warmer. They leave the skin lightly fragrance and moisturized, thanks to the Silky Fragrance Infusion technology. You can expect these qualities from any of the Caress body washes.

Sometimes, I want to take one of my mom's crystal champagne glasses, fill it up with this body wash and stick a straw in the middle. The texture, color and smell is so convincing that if it were served in a goblet, you'd seriously think it was some type of outlandish dessert, like the second coming of the Golden Opulence Sundae.

Clearly that's an exaggeration but I'm just excited that I bought them as quickly as I did instead of waiting until I completely ran out of body wash to stock up. Walmart had these on sale for $4 along with my other Caress favorites -- Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash, Caress Body Wash in Tahitian Renewal and Caress Silkening Body Wash in Glowing Touch.

Are you a Caress Skin fan too? If so, which ones are your favorites?

I started swatching the bronzer and the powder foundation last night but they weren't showing up on camera. So I decided to take swatches outside while the sun was still up. This post features the liquid and cream foundation swatches I managed to take. Taking photos of swatches shouldn't be hard, right? Tell me why I was out there for almost two hours!!  I swatched these before but I couldn't find those pictures so I just went outside and swatched them again.

From left: CoverGirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation in Q525 Golden Honey, Q505 Amber Glow and Q500 Rich Sand.

CoverGirl Queen Collection Foundation

From left: CoverGirl Queen Collection Oil-Free Moisturizing Makeup in Q720 Toffee, Q725 Golden Honey and Q715 Almond Glow.

From left: CoverGirl Queen Collection Oil-Free Moisturizing Makeup in Q720 Toffee, Q725 Golden Honey and Q715 Almond Glow.

CoverGirl Queen Collection Oil-Free Moisturizing Makeup

Editor's note: The product mentioned in this article was sent for editorial consideration.

Formulated to help correct the most visible signs of aging (wrinkles, loss of smoothness, enlarged pores, dryness, redness, loss of radiance, discoloration, uneven skin tone, impurities, and loss of firmness) it seems as if "plasma-ready skin" is truly a jar of Perricone MD Cold Plasma away.

Honestly, I am on the fence about this product. I received it back in February. I find it hard to use consistently because of the smell. You know that "sardines in a can" smell? It smells like that when you open the jar and apply it on the face. It has a liquid texture that sinks into the face. It does moisturizes and makes the skin feel soft but I haven't really seen any spectacular results in my skin that suggests that this product is a must have.

Should you buy Perricone MD Cold Plasma? Read on to find out!

Editor's note: The product mentioned in this article was sent for editorial consideration.

I'm a fan of both the original LashBlast and LashBlast Length so I was eager to try CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion. Fusion has a "fiber-stretch lengthening formula" to provide length while the massive brush provides volume. Let's see how this mascara performed...

As you can see (hopefully), I'm wearing LashBlast Fusion in Black Brown. It was difficult for me to see the results but Fusion has provided my lashes some curl and a little bit of fanning action. I'm sure I'm not the only one but when I wear or buy mascara, "Very Black" or any variation of the darkest shade that a brand has is the only one I'm buying.

I did experience some clumping, particularly on my inner lashes and my middle lashes but if you experience the same, just comb them out. However, in these set of photos, you can see the curl and how dramatically thick my lashes appear. I attribute this to the lash plumping particles and fibers in the mascara.

Also, in these sets of photos, you can see how LashBlast Fusion separated my lashes and provided definition.

Around 8 hours later, I took these trio of photos to see how the mascara held up. Unfortunately, there's some flaking but not too bad, in my opinion. The curl hasn't wilted and I still have separation and definition. Wonderful!! I really wish I had received it in Very Black so that you clearly see how pronounced my lashes are in my "After" photos.

Overall, CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion is smudgeproof but if you rub your eyes, you might end up with flakes. The formula was buildable but if you apply multiple coats (more than 4+), clumping might occur. I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed with LashBlast Fusion at first but I'm glad that I gave it another try.

Have you tried LashBlast Fusion yet? If so, how did it measure up to you?