Darling Nicki

Happy Pink Friday Barbie & Ken Dolls!

M·A·C Cosmetics and Nicki Minaj created a limited edition lipstick that is called Pink Friday. Pink Friday is also the name of Nicki's first album that launches today!
I was going to use one of Nicki's lyrics for this post but...she is fairly naughty. Nicki is an impish "girly girl" with great skills and style.

Nicki Minaj is one of us.
A hardcore MAC fan who laments the demise of the discontinued and the great. Her passion was Pink Nouveau lipstick. I will have to dig through my archives and see if I can locate a tube. MAC Pink lippies have always been my weakness.
Pink Friday is slightly deceiving. In the tube it looks like a breathtakingly lovely, blue based pink.
On the lips it transforms to a Pepto Bismol shade.
This is a baby pink on acid.

I brought my tube into work for the girls to try. They love and adore Nicki Minaj. Our intern, Ebony, is going to a Pink Friday themed party. I thought the lippie would make her the belle of the ball. One swipe and she was making a face. Ebbie thought it was too intense. She actually handed the lippie back to me. I was crushed but I had to agree with her assessment.

My co-worker Gela tested it and thought Pink Friday "enhanced her lips and butt".
Gela is my jokester!

If you are gun shy on pinks...this is not your kind of lippie. It has a spotlight intensity. The satin formula is creamy but enhances any lip issues such as dryness or creases.

Before you think this is a thumbs down review...I am loving this lippie. Pink Friday is bright yet wearable on me. I am pale as snow and wear pink lippies on a regular basis.

The Pink Friday lippie is limited edition.
Nicki’s ultra exclusive shade will only be available for purchase four Fridays beginning Friday, November 26, 2010, while supplies last, ONLY at http://www.maccosmetics.com/
Available FRIDAYS November 26, December 3, December 10, and December 17, 2010

Disclosure: A press sample of the lippie was provided by MAC Cosmetics
Credits: MAC Cosmetics

La Mer Saved My Life Tonight

La Mer The Eye Balm Intense

A grateful gush by Annie

I have disappeared from blogging for over a month. Life managed to get in the way with some heartbreak and stress. Just when you think life can not get any worse, it quickly rivals your nightmares.

Stress is hard on the body. It effects everything. Your skin becomes lackluster. You gain weight. You lose sleep. You wake up in the morning looking haggard and decades older. This sends you on a whole new path on the "downward spiral".

I felt like I could not catch a break.

My eyes suffered the most. The dark circles and pillowy bags grew worse with each passing day. It was remarkable that the eye bags were not impairing my eye sight. They were puffy like a parka jacket. Every day brought comments from co-workers and friends that ranged from "You look beat down" to "Have you thought about sleeping pills"?
I did not end up going to a dermatologist. I did not take up Bikram Yoga. I did not do any narcotics. I did what a beauty blogger does best.
I did La Mer.

La Mer plopped three tiny sample jars of The Eye Balm Intense into my lap. The formula is a thick, green tinged cream that soothes the delicate skin surrounding the eye. The "de-puffing"action is ridiculously good. I swear that you could almost see the eye bags deflate. I know this sounds like a silly gush. The Eye Balm Intense is everything it says it is. It is a balm that manages to hydrate and firm up the eye skin. It is like a drill sergeant taking over. Your eye area is lifted and whipped into shape. This balm really had its work cut out for it. It was waging a war against high levels of stress.

The science behind La Mer is pretty intensive. Keeping track of all the exotic ingredients and the processes created to harness their special talents takes a quiet mind.

My mind is unable to tackle this.

Here is my best shot with help from the La Mer press release.

The Eye Balm Intense is a "triple concentration of La Mer Miracle Broth". The three forms range from the "original formula, a concentrated hardcore version and an encapsulated, time release form".

The original Miracle Broth is like a fine wine. The sea kelp broth gets better with age. It is bio-fermented with other ingredients over the course of 3-4 months. The concentrated broth helps with hydration and softening. The time released, powdered form of The Miracle Broth helps keep the hydration process keep going. The skin feels lovely after a full work day. No afternoon dryness.
Besides the magical broth, the Eye Balm Intense is joined by some energy rich ingredients and some clever La Mer fermentation processes.

The Marine De-Puff Ferment is derived of Deep Sea Red Algae. This grows in the darkest depths of the sea and manages to thrive. It absorbs light in an unique way. The algae undergoes a fermentation process and is combined with other pixie magic to create Smart Sea Gel. This delivers ingredients deep into the skin surface. This makes chronic fatigued skin look re-energized. This is also responsible for the depuffery!

The Lifting Ferment is a mixture of essential marine algae and minerals, plant derived ingredients and peptides. Together these strengthen the "thin under-eye architecture".
It helps skin boost its natural production of collagen and elastin.

Results were immediate. The puffs were gone. The extreme dryness from all the tears was soothed and hydrated. I tricked everyone into thinking I was well rested and in good spirits.

The Eye Balm Intense is available at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and http://www.lamer.com/

It retails for $145.

Disclosure: 3 sample jars were provided by La Mer
Credit: La Mer

I am weak as water...

Nars Bento Box came home with me!

A love fest and all kinds of gushing will be coming soon.

Drugstore Deals and Steals

For November 7th Through November 13th 2010

Rite Aid

Maybelline: 40% off cosmetics with Rite Aid card Neutrogena: Buy 1, get 1 50% off all cosmetics, Triple Moisture or Renewal Hair Care,and bath & skin care with Rite Aid card
*Spend $30 and get $15 +UpReward on Neutrogena bath and skin care, hair care and cosmetics with Rite Aid card
L'Oreal: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on all cosmetics, skin care, hair color with Rite Aid card
Sally Hansen: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics with Rite Aid card
Revlon: $2.00 off on eye makeup with Rite Aid card

KMart

L'Oreal: Moisturizers are priced at $10.99
20% off all other L'Oreal skincare
Revlon: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics
Almay: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics
Maybelline: Buy 1, get 1 50% off face or lip cosmetics
Aveeno: Buy 1, get 1 50% off selected skincare or haircare

Walgreens

RoC: Buy 1, get 1 50% off skin care
Garnier Nutritioniste: Buy 1, get 1 50% off skin care
Neutrogena: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics
Cover Girl: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics
Rimmel: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics
L'Oreal: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics or hair care

CVS

Revlon: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics or beauty tools with CVS card
limit is 6
Maybelline: Great Lash is priced at $4 with CVS card
Expert Wear Shadow Trio i spriced at $5 with CVS card
Instant Age Rewind Eraser Foundation i spriced at $10 with CVS card
Falsies Volum'Express mascara is priced at $6 with CVS card
Spend $10 and get $3 extra CVS bucks when you purchase any Maybelline cosmetics with CVS card
Sally Hansen: Buy 1, get 1 50% off cosmetics with CVS card
RoC: Save $3 on skin care with CVS card
L'Oreal: Age Perfect moisturizer(excludes Pro-Calcium) or Collagen moisture filler is priced at $11.99 with CVS card
Advanced Revitalift (excludes Deep Set Wrinkle) is priced at $11.99 with CVS card