Petaluma Cosmetics Company Outlet Store

Must more of a note to myself than anything - there were some great deals to be had at the Petaluma CCO! They had an assortment of last year's Lancome Holiday palettes for only $15. I had to snatch one up. They also had the Lancome limited edition holiday shimmer powder, the one with the embossed cupid, for something like $20. And last year's holiday blockbuster for about $32. And last year's Juicy Tubes gift set.

At these prices, I may just have to give up Revlon Colorstay and wait it out for the CCO. I just need to test drive those Lancome shadows!

Lancome Juicy Tubes: Pink Precious & Lavender Zen Reviews

This is one of their Naturals line. The naturals line wears very differently than original. The original formulation is "goopier". It is longer lasting and it sits on top of the skin more. The naturals have more honey in them. They do not last as long, but they absorb and condition the lips more. Classic juicy tubes, on my lips, will protect and wear for hours and moisturize a little bit. They are quite sticky and tacky but this is probably why they outlast just about any other lipgloss as far as wear time is concerned. And I prefer not to reaply too often. My dry lips require constant application of most lip products. But not original formulation Juicy Tubes! These last for hours per application. This is with a lot of talking that I do at work.

However, Juicy Tubes Naturals, of which I have 2 different ones now, are more moisturizing. They will recondition and re-moisturize lips that are already too dry. However, since they are absorbed by the skin, their wear time is shorter. They do not dry out my lips and require that another layer be put on, like many other lip products will do, but they do fade away. They are less tacky and thinner than original formula.

I prefer actually to use both at different points in the day. I like to use the naturals formulation in the morning. This means that by the time that I am done putting my make up on and making breakfast, there have been at least a few minutes for it to absorb a bit before I eat breakfast. If I use original formula in the morning, the taste and scent of it will linger through eating my breakfast food. It's also sticker so some food bits sometimes stick to my lips. This is distracting, and leaves a lot of lipgloss on my morning tea mug that needs to be scrubbed off. However, with the naturals formula, I use Rose Bliss in the morning and the scent and flavor have significantly faded and do not distract me from my food.

Pink Precious is lightly honey scented and lightly honey flavored. It's great for the mornings before breakfast. I know that it absorbs and serves to soften my lips.

Lavender Zen is also honey based, thinner in consistency than original formulation. However, it's Lavender scented. This is ok with me during the day, so its my daytime lipgloss for now. Although, I think for convenience of less application, I will switch it out for an original formulation some time soon. But for now it's new, and I'm enjoying the scent.

I didn't think that the formulation would differ so much, but it really does. I still love both the original and naturals formulations.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Bare Honey & Pink Horizon Reviews

I was so very looking forward to receiving my tube of Bare Honey. I love the taste and scent of honey, and I thought this would smell & taste like honey, but have the original Juicy Tubes formulation. My version of a holy grail lipgloss. Unfortunately, this actually smells like Cherry Icee, not honey. I don't like synthetic cherry scents or flavors. So, I'm on the fence about this one. It's glittery, but Juicy Tubes do not overdo glitter so I am not uncomfortable wearing their glittery shades to work.

Pink Horizon is a pink with a gold metallic chrome gleam to it. It supplies a very subtle sheer gold flash to the lips. It's scented: pink bubblegum. So, it's kind of fun, and the color is very versatile and wearable at work. I keep my pink horizon at work right now. Sometimes I get a little tired of the bubblegum scent, but I can always switch it out with some other less obvious candy scented Juicy Tubes. It's not a huge deal.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Maharani Jewels

Nice candy sweet scent, and one of the few pigmented Juicy Tubes. I like this one very much, it's limited edition and I'm considering buying a full size to keep in my stash. Not that I need any in stash right now, and I've recently been on quite the binge.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Simmer

A lovely golden-pink, with metallic flash. Nice neutral candy scent. This is a standby for me. Right now, I use it at nighttime to condition my lips. Love, love, love.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Review: Spring Daze

Original formula, major props for this. However, the scent: candy watermelon. It's not something that I enjoy while pregnant. I think it would be ok if I were not, but as it is, this one is not a keeper right now. But I know just the person who would use it and enjoy it! :)

Juicy Tubes Miracle Review

A decent shade of pink and an ok candy scent. I like it fine but do not love it. Original formulation means it is sticky and long lasting.

Juicy Tubes: Ginger Palace, Sun Bronze Reviews

Of course I love the formulation of Juicy Tubes, but it has come to my attention that I do not necessarily like all of the flavors. Also, although mostly sheer, some of these colors are not flattering on me.

Ginger Palace: Not a good shade for me. Also not digging the scent of ginger. Too gingery for my liking.

Sun Bronze: A bad color for me. It's a shame, since it's golden metallic shade is actually quite pretty on its own. Just not with my coloring. The scent on this one is ok, but not one that I particularly like.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Sun Comes Out Lipgloss Review

Oh, my undying love for Juicy Tubes. This is the only lipgloss that is capable of keeping my poor lips hydrated and soft during pregnancy. I recently bought a set once I realized this.

Unfortunately, the scent of Sun Comes out is a very fake candy peach. I don't like it while I'm pregnant. So I will put it away and wait for the day when I am not longer expecting, and try it again then. I know that I am much more sensitive to scents than usual. The hydration power is still there, it still keeps my lips soft. But I would rather avoid this scent at this point in time.

Burt's Bee's Lipbalm: Pomegranate, Honey, Mint

I am in search of a lip balm that will protect my poor, poor lips. Being pregnant and using a water bottle constantly takes it's toll on my poor naturally already dry lips. I bought a variety pack of Burt's Bees to see if they would help.

Alas, no. The formula is ok - it's kind of waxy, and kind of chapsticky. It has decent staying power. I must say I do not care for the scent. It's subtle, but kind of plasticy. Especially the pomogranate one. And although pomegranate is tinted red in the tube, it does nothing for the color of your lips.

I usually go gaga for anything honey scented and or flavored, but not this time. I have even higher demands than usual on the moisturization of my lips, and this just did not cut it. The only thing that is working for me is Juicy Tubes!

NYX Cosmetics Purple Smokey Look Kit Eye Shadow Lip Color Palette Review

I thought that this would be a cute little palette for travel. And, I was craving some new purple eyeshadow. The shadow quality is generally pretty good. Most of them are smooth and apply evenly. One of the dark purples applies patchy and is dark blue-purple streaky when applied. Most of the others are ok. There are two with glitter, which I feel I am really too old for. In general, color payoff is good with these purples.

The glosses underneath are frosty, with medium pigmentation. I generally do not go for frosty glosses, but it works out ok with a purple smokey eye.

I have to say that I found that this palette is not good for traveling. For me, one purple smokey eye is not significantly different and another purple smokey eye. Well, there are probably 2 looks that are possible. A dramatic dark purple smokey eye and a lighter purple smokey eye. There are in between options, but when I'm on the road, I'd prefer a larger color selection to choose from. I travel light, so my wardrobe is already limited, so I do not like that my eyeshadow selections are limited as well.

Let's hope this quells my need for more purple eyeshadow. I think that it has. At least for 6 months. Purple is still my favorite color, after all!

Update... (11/5/10) this palette is not a keeper for me - most of the shades of purple are warm and not cool. Not good for my coloring. There are maybe 3 shades that are not warm, so I'm giving this to one of my warm skin toned friends. She loves purple too, so I hope that she enjoys it!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick: Ripe Papaya Review

I would never have picked out this color on my own. Thank goodness for gifts with purchase! I would never venture to wear an orange lipstick, which is what a name of ripe papaya would imply to me. However, this color looks great! It's a subtly brightening color. And it doesn't look orange, just a bit brighter than my natural lip color. It also has a bit of sparkle to it. It's not drying, very comfortable to wear. Average staying power for a lipstick, which would be 3 hours with the lots of talking that I do at work.

This will be my 'go to' work color for the spring, and likely the summer as well. I much prefer it to the Clinique Raspberry Glacee - just a color preference. The Glace is a very bright color for me and I prefer to be more subdued at work.

Clinique Allover Colour Mixed Berries Review 29.50

The full name for this product is Fresh Picked Allover Colour Limited Edition Mixed Berries. This palette has powder in shades of slightly browned pink. There are 3 tones, and they can be swiped to your preference for a more dramatic or more subtle cheek hue, or even for a highlighter, if you choose to only use the lightest shade.

I decided to spoil myself for my birthday and get this. I got it at Bloomingdale's gift time, so I also got a very cute little gift set with it, which is proving very useful.

I wanted a blush that was also pretty to look at. My Laura Geller in raspberry sugarfree is beautiful with great staying power, but it's very pigmented and I wanted a light option. So I love that I can choose to go lighter or darker on the same gorgeous palette. The embossed berry pattern will not last forever, but I love it nonetheless. Also, I figure if I'm going to be using the same blush for years, It's ok to pay a little more if it will make me smile.

I was a little disappointed to see that I had paid $30 for a blush that had talc as it's first ingredient. The staying powder is moderate, not as good as the Laura Geller, but better than most drugstore brands. Clinique eyeshadow slides right off of me, so I was happy to see that this, while it fades a little, does last all day.

Review: Ambi Even & Clear Targeted Mark Minimizer $11

I got this because I was curious to see if it would hold up to its claims. It says it "Visibly reduces dark marks and discolorations." It took about 4 months of usage. (1 oz. lasted me that long, and I used it as my facial moisturizer), and I say, yes!

Surprised? Me, too! I didn't think that it would actually work, but it does. On one unfortunate incident, excessive picking led to a new dark spot, that was just about gone 3 weeks later. I don't know if it works on everything. I have since developed new marks. So, I am on an embankment to fix my diet so as not to develop new marks. In the meanwhile, I've just started on tube #2, and I hope to be even skinned at the end of it.

ELF Studio C Eyeshadow Brush

I got this in my most recent ELF haul, curious to see if it would replace my current favorite eyeshadow favorite, the Crown Luna (deluxe oval shadow?). It has only been a few days, and it just might. I like the Crown for being dense and picking up a lot of color. The ELF is also dense and picks up a lot of shadow. However, the ELF has a thinner profile than the Crown. This makes for more precise shadow application. I find that I can use this brush to line and shade the eye, which saves me time. I like that alot. (Be forewarned, I use a pretty thick line at the base.) Having this precision is allowing for me to play with different shadow placement, which is not something I had considered with the Crown. I'm really excited I chose to take a chance on this brush. I'm very satisfied with it.

To compare this with the regular eyeshadow brush, which I have plenty of... The regular one has longer bristles, which means it can cover a larger area of the eye at once. It also makes for less control. The color will not go exactly where you put the brush. Also, the color may spray off of the brush a bit. I find sometimes I have a problem with shadow ending up on the side of my nose. Maybe that's just me? I prefer the Studio C over the regular for it's precision, but if you don't do complicated looks, I think that regular shadow brush would do just fine.

Laura Geller Sugar free Blush N brighten in Sugar Free Raspberry

So Gorgeous! Super pigmented, and great staying power. I can still see this on at the end of the day, which I can't say for any other blush, really.

ELF Studio Complexion Brush

Super soft, not too dense. I use this as a blush brush with my super pigmented Laura Geller blush and it works great for that. It is very airy and does not pick up very much powder. It also does have a flat shape, similar to the C eyeshadow brush. I don't mind, as this allows for me to have more control over my color. The price is great, as well. It definitely picks up less blush than my MAC blush brush, but I actually prefer it that way. I get more control and can layer on more for color if I wish, and it makes blending much easier as well. I imagine I can even use my super dark ruby Revlon blush that I put into storage because I considered it too dark for spring. That's a happy thought!

With this brush, I can use all of my blushes year round, and use only as much as I need to.

When I use it with my Guerlain pearl highlighter, it seems to work fine for that as well. I previously used the Ecotools kabuki with a handle brush - that was fine as well. It is more subtle, definitely. I find Guerlain's highlighter to be difficult to overdo.

Sephora Favorites Glitz & Glam $38

I'm loving this fabulous little kit as I unfortunately have not managed to outgrown my love of glitter and sparkle!

Laura Geller Blush: Sunswept; I was actually contemplating purchasing a blush from LG. This shade is very pigmented but still wearable. It wears a dark pink with a golden sheen overlay that catches the light. It's very pretty. It was GREAT lasting power, and is still fresh at the end of the day! For this reason, I think I will purchase a full size, lighter colored blush from LG, even thought I promised myself that I would wait until I used up a blush before buying another one. It's also gorgeous to look at, with it's multicolor swirls. It is a bit loose, and there will be powder on the black case inside, but I am so impressed with the staying power that I don't mind

Guerlain Meteorites: Beige Chic 03; This was my reason for purchasing the kit. I wanted to try Meteorites. The little box is adorable, but the balls are a little annoying. It does give me a lit from within, candle light glow when I put it on. The pearls will sometimes fall out when I am trying to apply. This is not something I want to worry about when I'm working on my morning make up. It also does have a scent to it. I don't particularly care for it, but it's not too overpowering. You will smell it each time you open the box. I need to work with this a little more before deciding if I will purchase the full size.

Smashbox Eyeshadow: 24K; I was surprised to find that this gold is very... orange. I am a cool skinned girl, and so I don't think this goes with my personal coloring very well. I look better in silvery golds. But, this shadow is super smooth and very easy to work with; the texture is divine. I may purchase Smashbox shadow in the future - but I don't think this shade is for me. I'll play with it a few more times before deciding.

Laura Geller Lip Shiners Lip Gloss Review

No price on this - I got it as a part of the Sephora Favorites Kit in Glitz & Glam.

This gloss is clear and has large clear glitter particles in it. The formula is super thick and moderately sticky, but very smooth. It comes in a wand container with a brush applicator.

I couldn't properly test drive this product because the scent is one that I cannot stand. It smells like a berry flavored lollipop. I am ok with berry flavored lollipops, but not with having my lipgloss sport that fake a scent. I am also feeling a bit of ... not quite sting. I am not sure if this product contains lip plumper - those tend to irritate my lip too much for their lackluster performance. Sorry, I love glitter but this product is a fail for me. I'd recommend you take a sniff of this if you have a friend with one before you purchase! I do have this problem with some juicy tubes. I may just be a gloss scent snob.

CVS Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover 6.4 oz

I was out of remover and felt like gambling. Lucky for me, this time it turned out pretty well. This remover is effective. (But I do not use mascara.) It leaves a slightly greasy residue, which I am not used to. It also has 2 different liquids so it needs to be shaken before use. I wasn't used to that, either. I think those with dry skin around their eyes may like the slightly oily after effects. I, with oily skin, did not. So, I chose to move on. But it's a great price and an effective product.

Review: Mary Kay Nourishine Lip Gloss in Berry Sparkle $13

I got this lip gloss as something to keep in my car. So, while I am not usually a fan of glosses with a wand applicator, this applicator works better while driving. Previously I had used a Revlon lip gloss for this purpose, and I've found that the square top is much more convenient for this. The round profile of this tube makes it more difficult to grip.

The actual product inside? It is very smooth and moderately long lasting. Not sticky at all and imparts a bit of color, just the right amount to show through but not look funny if you didn't apply with a mirror. However, this formula does not really moisturize. If I am having a dry lip day, the gloss does not seem to penetrate my lips to really moisturize them. It does a fine job of creating a protective layer, but does not do much beyond that. I do love the color with a bit, not over the top noticeable, sparkle. However, since the formulation does not penetrate, I do not plan to rebuy. I would recommend this if you do not have dry lips and want a gloss or just want a gloss for a bit of pop over your lipstick. It's just not moisturizing enough for me, and at this price point, there are many other options.