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Check out Part I of the swatches HERE.
I finally got my order from TransDesign, and I am very happy with the shipping time. I got these pretties quickly and they were very well packaged. I oohed an aahhed over the cute pastels and amazing brights. As always, I am impressed with the formula of the Up and Away polishes. These are some of the best China Glazes I've tried. They glide dreamily on the nails and although some of the lighter ones can be streaky if you are not used to applying creams, an extra layer of product will even out the streakies. I can't wait to wear each one!
Light As Air is one of my faves since I love anything purple or lilac. I love the extra-light color of the lilac as I've never had any lilac in this shade yet. I usually don't like pastels, but this one really beckons.
Something Sweet is a lovely pale cotton candy pink but is not a very bright light pink. It is pastel and I just love the lightness, this will be a staple when I need to have a clean, pink polish. The light creme pink would also make a great canvas for Konad nail art.
If Flyin' High is more on the blue side, Four Leaf Clover is a definite green, and it is bright in person. I love this shade, very summery and perky. And as I said, since I love cremes, this is totally up my alley.
Peachy Keen- so melon-y! I love the peachy pastel. Can't wait to wear this. This is also one of my faves. This didn't streak as much as the other light colors.
Lemon Fizz is a very light pastel yellow. It reminds me of Finger Paints polish in Yellow Bikini, but Lemon Fizz is a tad lighter than Yellow Bikini. I like that it's light enough to be not too in-your-face yellow. Pretty!
Sugar High is a very attractive medium pink creme. It is on the warm side of the spectrum, but it doesn't look hideous on my skintone. I like this a lot better than Heli-Yum.
OMG, the perfect purple creme ever! Grape Pop is a dream come true for me. I've always wanted a purple cream this deep but not eggplant-esque, this easy to apply, and basically as gorgeous as this polish. This is hands-down my top favorite. It was also the easiest to apply, and I finished swatching this quicker than the other colors. Grape Pop is a few shades deeper than my other favorite China Glaze purple cream in Spontaneous, and is just as perfect as can be.
High Hopes is a bright watermelon creme, I guess. I am not too fond of this; after I've fallen head over heels in love with Grape Pop, everything else paled in comparison. I might change my mind in the future when I wear it with Konad or nail art. We'll see.
All in all, though, this is a fantastic collection and all the praises and raves are true. These are all cremes, and since I love cremes, this is my dream collection. Give me lovely creme nail polish shades and I'll be content and happy. I honestly can't wait to wear these!
See how to rock their straight styles with these how-tos |
 Are you tired of your straight hair just hangin' there? All you need are some tips and celebrity inspiration to bring your flat hair to life. |
Here's some Valentine nails for y'all! This is the first time for me to try Zoya in Jacy, a lovely fuschia or wine colored nail polish. I LOVE the formula of Zoya. I haven't met a Zoya polish that I didn't love. It was very easy for me to apply the polish, the product had the perfect consistency: neither too goopy nor too runny, never streaky. I love all of my Zoyas and I really feel they are amazing, high-quality nail lacquers.
I used m35 and Konad special polish in White. I am getting really addicted to Konads, haha! I am getting some more plates from the mail, but they are not the real ones, a.k.a "fauxnads" but they are not dupes of the Konad plates. I buy only authentic Konad plates for Konad designs. I buy fauxnads for designs that Konad doesn't carry. I got some off eBay and can't wait to get them. I also got some water tattoos that are really pretty.
Anyways, I hope you liked the Valentine nails, but I think I will be too chicken to wear them on Valentine's Day (I don't like wearing red or any Valentine-inspired outfit or accessory on VD).
| Say au revoir to stress with these relaxing products |
 TotalBeauty.com readers found so many too-good-to-be-true-yet-they-really-exist bath goodies that we just had to share them with you. |
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 "Your mother used it, her mother, her mother, and, ok, you get it! And over the years, it has only gotten better …" |
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 "The smell is so perfect. It's a light and calming scent that's not overbearing in any way …" |
| No. 10: Victoria's Secret Secret Garden Collection Sumptuous Bath Bubbles, $7.99 |
| TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9 |
 "Just a dollop in a tubful of water makes for a sweet-smelling, bubble-filled escape …" |
| If you have curly hair, these treatments might be your new best friend |
 Wondering if treatments like the Brazilian Blowout are the best way to smooth out your hair? To make your decision easier, see answers to your burning questions and get honest feedback on some of the big-name treatments here. |
L-R: Gilty Pleasure, Commander in Chic, Plum's the Word
I posted this haul on Twitter last week, but it's only now that I've come to blog about it. I made a quick trip to the Walgreens on my lunch hour to check on these babies. I bought my first Sally Hansen nail polish two weeks before, and it was on sale for less than two bucks at CVS. When I saw the regular price at Walgreens, I balked. Almost eight freakin' bucks for drugstore nail polish?? You gotta be kiddin' me! I also bought some other items along with this haul like Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, and even the cashier was aghast. "Wow, $30 for 5 items?". Yes, sad, isn't it? It is sadder to think that I couldn't wait for the sale to come again, since the colors are so damn pretty.
Gilty Pleasure is the kind of old matte gold I'd like to have wear to pair up with my matte gold strappy heels. Love this color, and the metallic finish is very festive. Commander in Chic is an almost dupe (albeit this one is a bit darker) of Sephora by OPI in Metro Chic. Lastly, Plum's The Word had to be mine, as I love purples and plums. I also like the flat head of the brush, as you can control the amount of product in the brush so you don't get too much. This prevents product pooling around the cuticles.
I can't wait to swatch these. Stay tuned!
Here's a heads-up on what's in store from Bobbi Brown! I love the summery, fun colors. As always, the highlighters or shimmer bricks are beckoning me! This is a palette of colors that I am very at home with. Beautiful, chic, and fun.
Love the color, but worry it’ll look too bright or chalky? Bobbi’s modern formulas and juicy colors take an old-fashioned favorite for a fresh, modern spin.
NEW Cabo Coral Pot Rouge
Bobbi’s purse-friendly Pot Rouge is now available in a new sunny shade of coral. Creamy and easy to blend, pat on lips and cheeks for a beachy pop of color.
Available: February 2010
Price: $22.00
Shimmer Bricks
Bobbi’s iconic Shimmer Brick Compacts are hand-made in Italy and have five bars of luxe, pearlized pigment for a shimmering glow. Run the Face Blender Brush across all five bars and lightly dust over cheeks and forehead, or brush on eyes for subtle glimmer. Available in two new shades: Nectar and Pink Quartz.
Available: February 2010
Price: $38.00
Metallic Lip Color
Made with a unique combination of high-shine emollients and light-reflective pearls, this formula offers medium coverage with multi-dimensional shimmer. Introducing three new shades: Coral Reef, Coral Glaze, and Calypso Glaze.
Available: February 2010
Price: $22.00
Lip Color
Bobbi’s classic lipstick— rich, full coverage with a soft matte finish in two new shades: Cabo Coral and Guava.
Available: February 2010
Price: $22.00
Shimmer Lip Gloss
Infused with subtle sparkle, Shimmer Lip Gloss is perfect worn on its own or over your favorite lipstick. Aloe extract soothes, Vitamins C and E offer anti-oxidant protection, and Jojoba and Avocado Oils keep lips soft and moisturized. Available in three new colors: Sunset Beach , Golden Nectar, and Coral Sand.
Available: February 2010
Price: $20.00
Vellum crumbled because I did a bad de-quad-ing. I used Tempting as a substitute.
Let me repeat what I wrote about MAC's Inventive Eyes Quad over two years ago, and these words ring true even to this day"
If I were to pick a favorite among MAC's limited edition eyeshadow quads, it would be Inventive Eyes hands-down. The colors are truly gorgeous but can be made dramatic or subtle, depending on the application. My favorite eyeshadow in the quad is Twillery. It is just the perfect wash for me; it really brightens up the eye area but is still very much office-friendly and neutral. I love this so much that I quickly acquired another one when I saw a girl sell it online. I am also beginning to love Vellum. I used to hate it with a passion and was about to dispose of it, but I realized that MAC included an otherwise boring, ugly color in the quad as a blender; this eyeshadow actually makes the entire look so seamless and blended to perfection. I now see tepid-colored shadows in this light now - they are supposed to be boring in order for the other colors to really stand out. These shadows make it their job to fade into the backdrop for the other stellar colors to shine. They are like back-up singers in a beautifully-sung ballad.
Yes, Twillery is still one of my favorite MAC eyeshadows, so much so that I have two of these. Here's a step by step using MAC's Inventive Eyes quad. I kept the entire look neutral. All products MAC unless otherwise noted.
Using a stiff shader brush or the 239, apply Twillery on the lid. Pack it on.
Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Tempting on crease.
DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE BOTANICAL BUTTER SCRUB, $32
Made of extra fine dead sea salts and certified organic raw cacao beans and organic cocoa butter, this scrub polishes skin and leaves a delicious aroma
Pure, all-natural therapeutic essential oils are used to impart the healing essence of true aromatherapy on the skin
The Body Deli recommends using the scrub on wet skin 2-3 times per week to achieve the best results
The Body Deli products are made of fresh, natural ingredients and packaged in recyclable containers. All products contain an expiration date to showcase when they lose their max. potency.
Available on-line at www.thebodydeli.com. A 16oz. scrub is $32.00.
I want to try this since I'm a real chocoholic; it looks scrumptious!
Wish you had commercial-worthy hair? It's possible with these secrets |
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Natural light
Natural light
My Nubar nail lacquer haul finally arrived at my doorstep last week. These are my first Nubars, and I have to say I really didn't feel like shelling almost eight bucks for each of these. I couldn't wait for a sale though (and I believe Nubar doesn't go on sale very often), because I'd been lemming for these colors for a while now. I must have these because it will be spring before I know it, and as you can see, most of these are fall-winter shades. However, that won't stop me from wearing them in the summer time! Can you see how gorgeous the shades are?
I love browns and Milk Chocolate Creme is no exception. I like that it's not TOO dark of a brown. I also like that it is in the creme formula, because as I said before, it's my favorite nail polish formula. I really love this, and can't wait to use it.
Chocolate Caramel, like Milk Chocolate Creme, is from the Chocolate Truffles collection. I love, love, love the gold highlights in this baby. It has a brown base with goldish green specks. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about this polish that's hypnotizing.
Gawd, I love this polish. Raspberry Truffle is an amazing, dark base of a polish with shimmery red specks glowing throughout. I honestly love this, especially when light hits it. I am so happy with my choices, not one of them is a dud. I can't wait to wear this as well and show off the red sparkles!
Treasure is from the Prisms collection. Since I like purples and lilacs, I just had to have this. However, I feel like the other nail lacquers I got with this haul seem to attract me more than this one. It's beautiful, though, but I may fully appreciate it when spring comes.
Spark is also from the Prisms collection. I love how clean it looks on the fingers. It may look boring as a color, but the multi-dimensional holo amps up the look. I can't wait to wear it.
Wildlife is what I am wearing right now. It is a beautiful, beautiful green-based duochrome that I'm going crazy about. I love how it changes its look at every angle. I used my Konad special polish in Black to stamp over it using m39 image plate. I love the outcome. It's understated yet edgy.
All in all, I am very happy with my Nubar purchases. If only these weren't a bit steep in price, I'd probably get a basket-full of these babies. Being free from ingredients that are carcinogenic (the Big 3) is also a major plus in any nail polish enthusiast's book.
The Office’s Jenna Fischer looked gorgeous on the red carpet at Saturday’s SAG Awards, didn’t she? Jenna wore a purple, jeweled, strapless Marchesa gown and beautiful silver accessories. She had her hair pulled in a low, side bun. For makeup, she and her makeup artist Jennifer Pitt wanted to keep makeup fresh and natural looking, with an element of surprise. “Jenna likes to let her real skin show through,” said Jennifer. “With this colorful, glamorous dress, we felt a touch of drama to the eyes would be fun.”
Jennifer’s Tips for Jenna’s Sultry Look:
FACE: To keep her skin fresh looking, I started out with shu uemura’s Depsea Hydrabilty Moisturizing Emulsion. I then applied a bit of shu uemura’s UV Under Base Fluid on her cheek bones, under her eyes and on her brow bones. I wanted to take advantage of the product’s smoothing effect and the light-reflecting particles to give her skin a flawless finish. For her foundation, I used the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. They have the amazing ability to be used either for light-weight coverage. Peachy tones look great with Jenna’s skin and went really well with her purple dress, so I used shu uemura’s Glow On blush in M Peach 44.
EYES: To get the look for her eyes, I used shu uemura’s new Eye Shimmer Duo in Glint Blue. The brown base and the blue silver seemed to complement her look and coloring perfectly. I used a dark plum eyeliner along the lash line for deeper definition. To keep the smoky eye fresh, and not too heavy, I decided to line the bottom lid with a soft taupe liner.
LIPS: On her lips I used the shu uemura’s Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine lip colors. They have great pigments with a nice sheer coverage. I blended two colors to get the perfect shade for Jenna. I started with a base of Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in BG 943 (a pretty nude color) to define and moisturize her lips, and then I added a bit of Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in OR 520 (a peachy shade) to give her lips a pop of color.
BODY: To complete the look, we moisturized her arms, chest and back and applied Fluid Sheer #5 by Armani to give her skin the same radiant look that her makeup had.
Shu Uemura Products Used:
Depsea Hydrabilty Moisturizing Emulsion (NEW!)
UV Under Base (NEW!)
Eye Shimmer Duo in Glint Blue – from Égérie, our Spring 2010 color collection! (NEW!)
Glow On Blush in M Peach 44
Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in BG 943 and OR 520
Where to Buy: http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/
