Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need...

The Stila Makeup Player

It is part makeup case and part media player docking station with speakers. It is a portable vanity where you can play your favorite music and receive makeup tutorials.

Simply download tutorials from http://www.stilabeautytube.com/ onto the mobile device of your choice, dock it into the Makeup Player, and unleash your inner artist with the press of a button. Once your look is complete, pull up a playlist and let the Makeup Player blast out your favorite tunes while you finish getting ready. Right now there are lessons for natural look, smokey eye and many more to come- perfect leading up to the holidays when you want to be your own pro makeup artist and try out some new looks.

The docking station makeup case with Stila products retails for $69.90. This is a great gift for a beauty junkie or your favorite makeupalley regular.

Beauty and technology going hand in hand!

Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss

Estee Lauder's Ultimate Red Holiday 2009 Lip Glosses

Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Gold is a shimmery, glittery, glimmery gold. The pigment is on the sheer side. The shimmer beads are a mixture of gold and opal.

Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Cranberry is a muted orange red. There is no pink cast. The shimmer is golden.

These glosses are heavily scented with fig. The scent is pretty powerful and is strong straight from the tube. The texture is smooth like silicon yet light. No grit from the shimmer.

These lip glosses are sold out online. You might find some stragglers at your local Estee Lauder counter. They retail for $18.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder

Title from:
http://www.kyradavis.com/

Some Holiday Savings with Sephora

Beauty-full Black Friday bonus you won’t want to miss for Beauty Insiders only… *Free Kat Von D Tote* Get a limited edition tote adorned with studs and sketches of celebrity tattoo artist, Kat Von D’s, with a purchase of $25. Valid online with promotional code TOTE09 and at checkout in stores with printed page.

*CyberMonday* Enter code SHIP4FREE in the promotion code box at checkout to receive free standard shipping on your online merchandise order. Not valid in Canada, retail stores, or on previous purchases. Cannot be used in conjunction with other promotion codes. Sephora reserves the right to rescind or change this offer at its sole discretion at any time. This offer is valid from November 28th through November 30, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST/PDT.

*Holiday News Alert* Beginning November 18th, just in time for the holidays, Sephora Claus is taking over Sephora’s Twitter (www.twitter.com/sephora), giving away beauty products everyday for 31 days until December 18th. For beauty buffs who would like to enter, simply tweet on Twitter an @Sephora message and tag your wish with a #sephoraclaus “hashtag.”

Plus, you can “share” your wish on Facebook and receive one of three deluxe samples, including YSL Black Mascara, Philosophy Inner Grace Body Lotion or Mini Nars Duo Lipgloss. To get your glamorous goodie, enter any of these gift with purchase codes: WISHME, Claus, or Clause. For more Sephora Claus details, visit http://www.sephoraclaus.com/. You must be 18 or older and a US citizen to win. Prizes must be found on Sephora.com and less than $150.

Circle of Friends

Lancome online Friends & Family ends November 30th 2009.
20% off and FREE SHIPPING is magnificent. The checkout code is HOLIDAYJOY2.

Let us know if you cave and happy shopping!

Credit: Lancome's twitter.

Friends and Family: Shu Uemura

“Black Friday” November 27th through Tuesday, December 1st
Enjoy free shipping and 20% off purchases of $50 or more made at www.shuuemura-usa.com.
Enter the promotion code WISH09 upon checkout.

“Cyber Monday” November 30th
For an extra special treat, shu uemura will give 7 deluxe samples to customers who spend $125 or more plus free shipping and the 20% discount! The deluxe items include (see picture attached):
mesh bag
mini-gloss
brightening cream
red:juvenus intense vitalizing concentrate
pleasure of Japanese bath – hinoki
cleansing beauty oil premium A/O
depsea water mist in chamomile
powder foundation
Enter the promotion code WISHDELUXE09 upon checkout.

Some Like It Hot

MAC's Magic, Mirth and Mischief Palettes

I'm Mister White Christmas
I'm Mister Snow
I'm Mister Icicle
I'm Mister Ten Below
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch
I'm too much!

There is a thunder in my heart for the Sorceress palette.
As a snow miser and Erika F fan girl, this palette was the one for me.

White Rabbit is a frosted white shade.
Hold My Gaze is sort of an Erika F dupe. (Yep...I said it. The pigment power and oomph is superior with the original...but beggers can not be choosers!)
Edge of Dark is a silverish heather gray.
Magnetized is a cold lavender. It is hauntingly beaultiful. This is the shade that I lost my mind over.
Hypnotizing is a mouse-like taupe with a mauve cast. Very cool.
Altered State is a blue violet. Heavy on the violets.

This is the warm "heat miser" palette. This is aptly named Devil May Dare. It is all toast and peachy.

Oh My Darling is straight up cream. It photographed with a pink cast...but that is not the case.
Dare Ya! is peachy pink. Heavy on the pink.
Sorcery is a rich blackened burgundy
Gold Tease is a muted, non metallic, low wattage frosty gold. Highly wearable.
Prankster is a muted olive with a gold cast.
Devilishly Dark is a rich hazelnut brown with some gold shimmer.

The palettes retail for $36 and are currently at your local MAC counter. I have found that palettes are actually a great gift for the holiday season. Giftees react in a positive way. My nail tech still raves about her MAC palette from two years ago. These 2009 palettes feature useful and stunning colors for various skin tones. The packaging is festive and has a cool factor.

I'm Mister Green Christmas
I'm Mister Sun
I'm Mister Heat Blister
I'm Mister Hundred and One
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
I'm too much!

Disclaimer: A press sample was provided by MAC Cosmetics

Credit: Youtube and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Year_Without_a_Santa_Claus

Mischief Makers

MAC's Magic, Mirth and Mischief! Collection

I love the name for this latest MAC collection. It makes me think of the television series Bewitched. You can just see Elizabeth Montgomery riding a broom at midnight with MAC pigment particles trailing and twinkling behind her.
The collection is all about twinkles and shimmer. The standouts are my beloved dazzleglasses. Those glimmer tubes of greatness bring me so much joy in my life.

She-Zam is a sheer murky silver with pink shimmer. It goes on sheer and instantly tones down pigmented lips. I have worn it successfully alone and layered over nude and pink lip shades. I love it layered over MAC's Lavender Whip.


Phiff is an aged,yellowed pink with high wattage shimmer that reflects gold and sapphire. It is thoroughly odd and wonderfully flattering.


These dazzleglasses along with a gem named Jingle Jangle(a sheer yellow peach shade) are available at your local MAC counter. Also visit www.maccosmetics.com
for ordering or more details.


Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by MAC Cosmetics.

Hearting Chrome

Bobbi Brown's Chrome Collection

Holiday 2009

The Chrome Palette Review

Chrome is cool and icy-it's a very modern but still pretty way to illuminate the skin.

quote from Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown palettes are like trading cards in the beauty junkie set. They are often drooled over, dissed, debated and doted on. The palettes sell out and become a thing of legend.

I do not doubt that this limited edition palette will join the ranks of palettes past.

This is a beautiful and useful palette. It is heavy on the shimmers with colors that lean toward a more cool toned complexion. The stand out shades are Polar Ice, Thunder, Cyber Grey and Chrome. Cyber Grey alone...is worth spending $75.

The palette is bento-like with a mirrored top. The shadows are in a hidden pocket. This keeps the shadow crumbles from contaminating the lip gloss pockets. The palette includes a mini eye shadow and lip brush.


I enjoyed the shadows both dry and wet. I used a mixing medium for the wet swatches.

The Shadows

1. White Eye Shadow: A very chalky white. Standard.
2. Polar Ice Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow: A violet casted silver. High smitten status! Stunning with dry or wet application.
3. Storm Cloud Sparkle Eye Shadow: Shimmery coco puff.

4. Iron Eye Shadow: A taupe based charcoal soot.
5. Thunder Metallic Eye Shadow: With a wet application, a green cast is evident.
6. Moonlight Sparkle Eye Shadow: A penny copper with a rose cast.
7. Cyber Grey Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow: Serious gorgeous factor. A silver based taupe.
8. Foil Metallic Eye shadow: High shimmer(fallout occurs) with a dry application. Did not swatch wet.

9. Chrome Metallic Eye Shadow: An Erika F dupe with more green cast. Both applications very similar.
10. Charcoal Haze Eye Shadow: A sooty brown black. Wet application is a true charcoal color.

The lip section of this palette boasts 4 glosses.



The Lippies

1. Pink Mist Shimmer Lip Gloss: Mist is the perfection description. A cloud of baby pink. It does not show up on my pigmented lips. It disappears on my skin.
2. Winter Bronze Glitter Lip Gloss: This is a caramel shade with low wattage shimmer. Great for warm tones.
3. Berry Glitter Lip Gloss: This is "your lips but better" shade. More low wattage glimmer.
4. Chrome Pink Shimmer Lip Gloss: Metallic misty Pink. High shine. Wattage is significant.

The Limited Edition palette retails for $75 and is available at your Bobbi Brown counter in November.
Visit http://www.bobbibrown.com/

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.