Walgreens Haul: Elizabeth Arden and other stuff (w/swatches)

I went to Walgreens to pick up some things for my husband and, pain in my back and everything, I just had to see if there was anything new on the makeup aisle and they did have new stuff. Revlon's new Double Twist Mascara, new Colorstay Mineral Mousse Makeup SPF20 and Mineral Finishing Powder (that look pretty similar to MAC MSFs). Click HERE to go to NouveauCheap Blog to see pics of the products. Btw, her blog is really cool.

I bought the new Revlon mascara ($6.99, reg. $8.99) and right of the bat I will tell I wish I hadn't. But I will post a separate review on that thing later on. I will wait for a BOGOfree sale on Revlon cosmetics to get the new foundation--I read it doesn't have Bismuth, which I'm a little allergic to (that's one of the downsides of my beloved Colorstay Makeup for Normal/Dry skin). Probably won't get the Finishing powder because it has that ingredient--I remember I loved the MAC MSF Natural I got sometime ago, but had to stop using it because my face wouldn't stop itching. It was so pretty, great as foundation... =(

Anyway, let's continue. To my surprise, I checked the makeup clearance bin they always have around and found 6 Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue E/S, mostly neutral colors, in perfect condition---just $3 USD each! (they normally retail for $15 USD each). I am always a little skeptical when I see high end products at such low prices, but I took a chance with these e/s, since the package was completely sealed and they appeared to be in good condition. I thought that maybe these e/s were manufactured more than a year ago. I took all six and paid less than $20 bucks, including tax. I am so glad I did!

The shadows I got were:
1. Sparkle--soft shimmery peachy beige pink (yeah, I know, hell of a description haha). Reminds me of MAC's Shroom.
2. Mingle--shimmery brown, well more satin finish than frosty. Looks like Retrospeck? Not sure, but I love it.
3. Teak--soft reddish matte brown, looks like a darker version of MACs Wedge.
4. Lucky--very similar to MACs Beautiful Iris e/s, bit more glittery.
5. Shadow--Dark gray/olive green with gold flecks, like mixing MAC's Mink&Sable with Smoke&Diamonds (I actually did that to verify).
6. Urban- Off black, matte. Similar to MAC's Typographic e/s.

I just took some pics of this haul, including the mascara and eyeshadows. Hope this swatches are helpful to you.

REVLON DOUBLE TWIST MASCARA

IN BLACKEST BLACK

The wand w/product: this little mess is
Revlon's way to provide a volumizing mascara, yuck


ELIZABETH ARDEN COLOR INTRIGUE E/S


Sparkle reminds me of Shroom

That's all for now boys and girls.


¡Vivan, amen y rían!
(Live, love & laugh!)

TotalBeauty.com: Looking sexy after 40

**Sighs**I'll be there in about 3 years, but some of these tips are always helpful, even for young ladies my age, hahaha.

Top Tips to Looking Sexy Over 40

Try the makeover tricks we used on TotalBeauty.com reader Kim to help spice up her dating life.

New to the Internet dating scene at age 50, Kim turned to our makeover dream team for beauty tips to help in showing off her sexy, independent self. Follow their steps to see whether their advice worked, and how you can recreate her look on your next date. See makeover

LOOK: Before and After---What a difference foundation makes

I like to compare from time to time b4 and after pics, to see what I'm doing wrong/right. I know I have come a long way since I started dealing with makeup almost 1.5 yrs ago. One of those things I have worked on, and still always trying to be better at, is evening out my complexion. I like my skin, it behaves most of the time. What I don't like are the dark/sun spots that cover most of my cheeks and forehead. This is one of the reasons I am always looking for good foundation. I need to have more than one product that works for my skin and meet my demands (great coverage, water/sweat resistant, not cakey, easy to work with).

Right now I'm testing the MAC foundation samples I got the last week (gonna try them for another week b4 reviewing) but I find myself missing my Revlon Colorstay. Yes, I wrote missing. Honestly, I think the only product that could come near my Revlon CS is the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation--for what I have read and seen. Gonna be checking that one soon.

I did this simple look about two weeks ago, just to take some pics and make a comparison. Ah, I love my Colorstay, you could say it really makes miracles.

FACE
MAC Prep+Prime for Face SPF50
REVLON CS in Natural Tan (Normal/Dry Skin)--Best applied with Stippling Brush
NO CONCEALER
L'ORÉAL Translucide Loose Powder
MAC Frankly Scarlet Powder Blush
LAURA MERCIER Stardust Loose Powder as highlight
MAC BLUNT Powder Blush to contour

EYES
MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot as base
LAURA MERCIER Stardust loose powder to set (and add some shimmer!)
MAC Plushlash Mascara in black
MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud

LIPS
CARMEX Lipbalm SPF15
REVLON Super Lustrous L/S in Certainly Red (applied with a light hand)

****BY THE WAY, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I TOOK THESE

PICS HOURS AFTER APPLYING MY MAKEUP****

BEFORE

Gorgeous me!

No Flash

AFTER

SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON

You see why I love my foundation right? By evening out the skin, you will instantly look younger and yes, feel better! LOL. Do your homework, find the foundation that works for you and look fabulous--Oh, but remember, you do need to have a good skin care regimen and eat healthy...I am still working on that last part...

Talk to you later lovelies!

¡Vivan, amen y rían!
(Live, love and laugh!)

1st time BACK-TO-MAC! PLUS Swatches

Sorry for the lack of posts guys, last week I took a mini break with my husband. We spent almost 5 days completely alone and it was good! LOL

Anyway, last Thurday I went to my nearest MAC free standing store to participate, for the first time, in the BACK-TO-MAC recycling program. It consists of returning 6 empty containers (those identified by MAC as returnables) and you get a free lipstick, lipglass or eyeshadow of your choice as a "thank you". Learn more about this program by clicking HERE. Please note, if you return your empty pots or containers to a MAC counter at Macy's or MACCosmeticsOnline, you will only get to choose a lipstick. So yes, it's better to go to the store if you have the chance.

Now, incredibly, I have read many people saying the program is a hoax, a way of MAC to keep people buying their products, etc... Well, of course the company benefits from it. For me (and I know many others who love their products) it is a good choice. I know the packaging containers are recycled and I get an incentive to keep doing it. Really, why complaining about it? I disagree a little when MAC states they are giving you a free product, when in reality, you paid good money for 6 of them. But come on! They could just say no, no way we are giving you free stuff.

That said, what did I get? Well, I returned 12 containers (mostly depoted e/s or blushes) and I got to choose 2 goodies. I got Gesso E/S and Nymphette lipglass, two products I've been wanting for a while now. Also, I bought a new bottle of Cleanse-Off Oil (best makeup remover ever!) and "Texture" e/s.

I also asked for samples of Select SPF15 Foundation (NC35) and the new Studio Sculpt SPF15 Foundation (got 2: one in NC35 and the other in NC37).

Here are swatches of all the products, reviews will be posted as I test them. If you want to read a review of anything in particular first, just let me know.

QUICK DESCRIPTION ABOUT PRODUCTS:
Gesso E/S: Super mega pigmented vivid matte white (lol)
Texture E/S: Described by MAC as a peachy brown with light shimmer. That's just about right. This is of a "velvet" finish, which means it will only provide a hint/wash of color.
Nymphette L/G: Beautiful Pink gloss with gold shimmer, Love it!

ABOUT THE FOUNDATIONS:

*Select SPF15 in NC35--very watery and runny foundation, not water resistant. Matte medium Coverage.

*Studio Sculpt SPF15 in NC35 and NC37-- I wanted to try what I consider my lightest shades because I'm still pale...well, what I consider to be pale anyways...)---First impression: Waterproof, very soft, creamy but not to creamy, no horrible fragance, semi-matte (but no so) finish. PLEASE NOTE: I think the MA at the store made a mistake identifying the samples, because I can swear what is marked as NC35 looks more intense/more yellow than NC37. It is my understanding NC37 IS darker.

CLICK EACH PICTURE TO SEE A LARGER VERSION =)

My mini haul =)

Gesso e/s under natural light

Gesso e/s under natural light

Gesso e/s under natural light

Texture e/s under natural light

Texture e/s under natural light

Texture e/s under natural light

Gesso Texture e/s under natural light

Nymphette l/g under natural light

Nymphette l/g under natural light

Nymphette l/g under natural light

Select SPF15 Found in NC35 under natural light

Select SPF15 Found in NC35 under natural light

Select SPF15 Found in NC35 under natural light
(different camera setting)

Studio Sculpt SPF15 Found. in NC35 under natural light

Studio Sculpt SPF15 Found. in NC35 under natural light
Studio Sculpt SPF15 Found. in NC35 under natural light

Studio Sculpt SPF15 Found. in NC37 under natural light

Studio Sculpt SPF15 Found. in NC37 under natural light

Studio Sculpt SPF15 Found. in NC37 under natural light

Select NC35, Studio Sculpt NC35 and NC37 foundations

Since I thought the samples were wrongly identified, I took some pics under fluorescent lighting too:

SS Foundation in NC35 and NC37

SS Foundation in NC35 and NC37

SS Foundation in NC35 and NC37

SS Foundation in NC35 and NC37

I still think NC35 is a bit darker, just a tad.

UPDATE: I did went to the a MAC store and verfied if the shades were as described here : yes they are...NC 37 is a bit lighter than the NC 35. Don't ask me why.  In fact, I checked this website (Karla Sugar) and you can also see the small difference between these two shades. =/

Later.


¡Vivan, amen y rían!
(Live, love & laugh!)