I have been mad about Rock & Republic since they first rolled onto the cosmetic scene and I was bitterly disappointed when they left Nordstrom....Fortunately I can still get my fix at the R&R website and it does frequently pop up on various "sale sites"....The one thing the chick at Nordstom always suggested was the tinted primer and even though I thought it was pretty fantastic, I could never bring myself to buy it when there was all the glorious color to be had...The Rock & Republic site recently had a 50% off code and since they offer a combo set of the tinted primer and tinted illuminizer, I figured why not? I also picked up a blush I had been wanting and another eyeshadow....
The primer was all that I remembered it to be and the illuminizer is pretty fantastic as well. I think Bedroom now completes my collection of R&R blushes, there are a few I don't have but they really do not send me over the moon...I love the Snakeskin shadow it is a lovely lovely taupey greeney greyey color and I am so happy I finally bought it...There are a few more eyeshadows I would like but they are not invading my dreams...
I have heard about the fabled CCO but since I loathe outlet malls I had never been before....Til this past weekend, The Beast had a soccer game down south and since it was entirely too hot I ventured over to Ellenton and the CCO....It was rather lovely except for the waves of perfume that hit you when you enter...I tooled around the MAC displays and chose these....
I have never tried the pigments before so I thought this little set ( Haute High Jinks) was a great way to start, I am not too sure what I think is cuter the little vials or the cube they came in....I also chose the infamous Smoke & Diamonds, it truly is a lovely color.
They ladies that worked there were perfectly lovely and I have found a place to hang when we travel over the Skyway for soccer...
Thanks to the lovely members of MUA, I was turned on to some UK companies that ship to the USA without charging an outrageous fee...
From ASOS, I was finally able to try Steam Cream which is a lovely white cream that has a divine scent as well as being madly moisturizing. The fact that the product is packaged in the loveliest little tins only adds to my love. Also from ASOS a set from Jelly Pong Pong....That name alone makes me happy and the packaging is just as cute as can be. I admit the flower puff is rather useless but how cute is it? The Hawaiian Sun is a sheer golden bronzer that just brings my face to life. The Cherry Surprise is the lipgloss in the tube it is a lovely rosy color and very moisturizing, The Plush Pumps palette is meant to be a cream shadow and lipgloss, however pink on my eyes is a little to rabbit like so I layer both on my lips for a glowing baby pink lip. The double-ended wand contains Lemon Truffle one side meant for the cheeks and the other for the lips. But layering the gloss over the cheek tint creates the most amazing coral lip that I have been wearing non-stop.
From GlamR I received the new Sleek Circus palette, chock full of lovely vibrant colors that will give a neutral eye just the pop it needs. I adore the packaging it came in, it is so colorful and very circus like. I also received the Sleek Kajal Eyeliner in Nocturnal, which is awesome for lining the inside of my eyes as well as using it as a black base.
I am so pleased with all my purchases and look forward to trying more products from the UK...
Last Friday The Beast Child and I journeyed over to International in order to get his back to school shoes at Nordstrom. He gets more excited about the anniversary sale than I do about new color stories. Anyways after the skips were purchased we had to tool around the Dior counter (my reward) and happened upon two of the make-up artists that were at the Dillard's event last week...They were awesome and so much fun...Brittany (I think that was her name) spent so much time playing with colors with me and I am now in love with Night Dust...I have usually just passed right over it, but wow! It does create an amazing smoky eye....They said they too felt the whole "icky" vibe at the event and agreed that that Petal Shine was indeed a hideous choice on me...Anyways I bought the new Silver Screen duo and the Spectacular Mauve lipstick....
How awesome is it that M. the counter chick gave me the gwp too? I love the bag.....
I think the duo will look just lovely with the Lancome cherry shadow....
We stopped by Dillard's to see T. at Lancome where we ohhed and ahhed over the pictures of the fall collection and then went over to the Guerlain counter to look at the fall palettes, they are beyond lovely.
T. told The Beast he should buy me one for my birthday since he has a summer job...That would be so awesome as B(?). told The Beast the same thing about Dior, I really would fall over if he delivers!
I am such a fool for Lancome....Last weekend was a rainy mess so I decided to go up to Countryside since I had not seen my Lancome chicks for forever. The lovely M. showed me the book for fall and what awesomeness there was to behold...I have to have the rose blush for it's loveliness alone and the cherry shadow because it is just too cool. I can't wait for her to call when it all arrives, I'm not sure on what lip so that will wait til we can play. I then headed out into the mall to spend some money on the ungrateful Beast when my eye was caught by this...
I usually just say no to PWP's but seriously how lovely is this? The shimmering bag is too cute and you could really toss your wet bikini in the bag, it has a waterproof lining...And even though I don't like to layer lip products the Natural Beauty lipstick with Shimmer Juicy Tube looks just like the color of the bag. I love it all and M. was so great she was like just buy a pencil sharpener, so I didn't have to buy something I really did not need in order to buy something I really wanted. Cool!
There was a Dior event at International last night with Vincent a Dior Make-up Artist that J. had talked me into attending and in two words.........Dior Devastation!
Uggh, first I find out J. is gone and I am heartbroken, her replacement is one of those hard sell types that I am so not into...Then I had to go through the whole skincare spiel and try as they may I will never be convinced that all that layering of products is in any way going to improve or correct the invariable signs of aging...Then my face was coated with foundation and I was presented to V. for color...
He scolded me for not using Dior skincare and asked me how I liked the foundation, I was like "I don't like it, it looks like a mask and my skin feels like it is coated" and when he questioned my skincare routine I was like "I am of the kiss school of thought" and he was like ? and I was "keep it simple stupid". Oh indeed we bonded, especially when he told me that I was not a true Dior diva because there wasn't even a Dior perfume I like.....
He worked his magic and we chatted and he was continuously amazed what I knew about the upcoming collections and launches while I am continuously amazed by people who work in the beauty field and act like they know nothing other than the particular line they are affiliated with...Anyways after using two different mascaras, multiple cheek products, I lost count of the shadows and liners and finally lipliner, two lipsticks and one lipgloss he presented me with the mirror and I was like "oh he** no" to myself of course.....
Yes, I know my eyes are blue and how much MA's love to use purple on blue eyes BUT Petal Shine is not a flattering look for me and yes, the lips looked great but I could get the same look with Lancome's Electric Pink. I just felt so generic and I did not feel the Dior magic at all...
Wow, I sound really bitter and hateful but I am really just disappointed. I feel like my face was done to reflect the local clientele and not so much the individual.
Fortunately Carey a local Dior make-up artist was on hand and with her knowing me so well she suggested all these products...
Love.Love.Love
I was telling her how much I love Golden Spotlight and she was like check this out and took Queen of the Green eye show shadow then layered the Gold Touch shadow over the top, it is amazing! She told me to line under my eye with the Golden Spotlight using it wet. I can't wait to try it, there was just no way I was doing anything but bronzer and gloss today, since I can still feel all that gunk from yesterday...She told me I had to have the Black Tie Plum gloss and told me to use a black eyeliner as a lipliner with it for extreme drama. I got Sari Pink just because it is such a lovely color... I told Carey how much I love that she gets me and that I will see her when fall comes to the counter....I have high hopes for all the mauvey loveliness...
