Mally Sneak Peek: Easy on the Eyes

In just a few hours, everyone's favorite make-up maven Mally Roncal will be unveiling her new TSV for QVC- her Easy on the Eyes Collection. I have been chomping at the bit to get my hands on the In the Buff 2 option shown above.  Featuring 11 neutral eyeshadows & eye primer in the scene stealing palette, the kit also in includes a dual ended shadow brush, 3 Evercolor Starlight Waterproof eyeliners (Midnight, Dark Chocolate & Dusty Plum), her Perfect Prep Under Eye Brightener in Lighter & the beloved mascara I wear every day- her Volumizing Mascara in Black.

For those more adventurous, the I Love Color option, featuring a bolder shadow palette is right up your alley. If you haven't tried Mally Beauty, this is a great sampler set to experiment with. Making its debut tonight at midnight for under $50, it's a steal of a deal when comparing it to the well known Urban Decay Nakeds palette that's $50 on its own. Will you let your eyes have it? I think you deserve it!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Fabulous Finds Friday

Urban Decay's Naked I & II palettes have quite the cult following. They're often imitated in the prestige market. That means most I've seen come in at well over $30- with the original from Urban Decay coming in at $50.

10 eyeshadows, 5 matte & 5 shimmer are nestled into this homage to Urban Decay. Though the pigments aren't prestige in terms payoff intensity- it's still a great selection of neutrals.

While my original Naked Palette does boost 2 more eyeshadows than this steal & deal version- my Fabulous Find Friday comes in at a tenth of the cost! That's right- $5 will get you this pretty palette at your local Five & Below store.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Beauty Deals

I'm back from my travels abroad Beauties & oh how I have missed you! I can't wait to tell you all about it, but first I had to let you know of 2 great beauty deals happening today. First it's Urban Decay's Friends & Family Event. The holidays are closer than you think (I hate to be the bearer of bad news.) Get a head start with 20% off all purchases & be sure to take advantage of the free shipping with purchases over $50 with coupon code: FFHolday12 .

Second, have you all heard of Coterie?  It's like my beloved Gilt & Rue La La shopping sites, but dedicated to all things BEAUTY! *Swoon* Today starting at noon, this Stila collection is up for grabs for $60. This collection which has four full sized products & retails for $100 includes: One Step Bronze, Prime Pot Eye Shadow Primer, Stay All Day Liquid Liner and Coconut Crush Lip & Cheek Stain. It will help you keep your glow as we head into colder months. Hop over to the site to check it out. It's causing quite a stir in Beauty Bloggerland! I'm always here to get you the scoop on the latest & greatest deals!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Fabulous Finds Friday: Nyx

NYX is a cosmetics line that is slowly, but surely gaining a spot in my heart.  In my neck of the woods, I can only find it in Ulta & they don't even carry the entire line.  However, what I've been able to get my hands on has been prestige quality pigment at a mass price point.

So I did a little happy dance when Movie Girl got me this Nyx collection for my birthday.  The Nude on Nude collection boasts 20 neutral shadows that easily give Urban Decay's Naked Palettes a run for their money. 10 shades of lip cremes round out this extensive collection for $25. Yes, half the cost of the Naked Palettes.

This collection houses an entire wardrobe of color at your fingertips.  One end of the spectrum is covered with neutrals & the other end offers intense smokey options.  The lip cremes are great soft colors to match whatever eye look you come up with. This collection is a fabulous basic to have if you're just starting out building your kit, but it has the power to make a seasoned artist like myself swoon.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday

I have been a fan of Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliners & lipliners forever- they've even won spots in my Glammie Awards. Urban Decay has now added a new collection of Glide-On Shadow Pencils to the mix. This discovery had me doing a little dance at Ulta.
I scooped up their cult favorite shade Midnight Cowboy. It's the perfect little pick me up if you're headed to happy hour from work & want a little more somethin' somethin'. Here it is placed on my lid on top of my existing shadow. What I am so happy to report, is that I have very little fall off of glitter onto my face- the stick really helps it stay in place. Nothing annoys me more than when I want a little sparkle just on my eyes & it ends up all over!

I also gravitated to shades that I thought would make a sexy, summer bronzed smokey eye. From the top: Lit, Midnight Cowboy, Sin, Rehab & Barracuda. {Love the names!}I wanted them all, but what can you do- mama has a budget!

Movie Girl who was with me leaned much more to the greens & aquas. She scooped up three to take home & play with. Top left was Mercury, bottom color was Clinic.

These shadows stay put, here's my hand after vigorously rubbing with a tissue for at least 20 passes. I'm also thrilled that there was no need for a brillo pad to get them off, however- which is normally the case for a lot of long wearing make-up. My normal cleanser did just fine.
So go ahead & get your sparkle on, these shadow pencils will be a great go to in hot summer months.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Lately, I am surprised to say I have been rather unimpressed with gifts with purchase. {Check out the window for pigs flying!} Yes Clinique & Lancome & all the big brands have theirs down, but I'm often uninspired. Though this make up case is not really my style, I'm sure my 7 year old niece will swoon over it!{Bonus points for favorite Aunt will also accrue.} But it's always inside that counts- yes? This latest offer from Beauty.com is jammed packed with deluxe sized samples, just how mama likes them! Stila, Tarte, Urban Decay & It Cosmetics just to name a few of the brands! If you know you need to stock up on your essentials- now's the time to do it as this gift is yours with any $100 purchase.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

In the Blink of an Eye

I have been somewhat obsessed with lid primers lately... I had never really used them very much before, but now I turn to them to keep my shadow vibrant throughout the day. I love intense eyes & nude glossy lips! I've tried quite a few lately, & here are my thoughts... Too Faced's Shadow insurance definitely offers more longevity than without. You can also use it to secure some glitter on your lid( you know mama loves her sparkle!)

Probably the most well known shadow primer is Urban Decay's Shadow Potion. It has gotten rave reviews, so what did I do? I went out and bought, in the XL or super sized version no less. Alas, the love affair wasn't there for me. It's not that it didn't work in holding the shadow in place, the issue was I actually thought that it made my lids look more 'crepey' than in reality. Anyone who knows me has heard me say that I'm allergic to aging, so no thank you to crinkly texture!

Trish McEvoy's is still by far, my favorite. It offers smooth coverage, with opaque coverage so you can wear it all by itself. I have it in 5 different shades- need I say more?The only tip, is that it sets quickly, so you need to work quickly to blend it!

Peace. Love. Primer. M

What Are You Trying to Hide?

From the looks of my concealer collection girleens- quite a lot! Today in particular, it's my red nose from allergies! When clients come in to the spa -they ask all the time, what do you use? What have you tried? I'm going to go over what resides in my make-up drawer at the moment, what's good for what & where! Touche Eclat has earned a cult following, but this is strictly a luminizer- not to hide or conceal. It brightens & gives a candle lit effect where you place it.

The newest launch from Benefit offers a lot of coverage & is dense in texture- it's great for larger areas . However, it's thicker consistency makes it a little more difficult to control and manipulate if you're trying to hide a pimple.

Ditto in terms of consistency with the master, Kevyn Aucoin's, the sensuous touch concealer. This little pot will last you forever! A tiny drop is all you need to pat over a blemish. Overuse and you'll struggle a bit with maneuvering it around. I would always recommend using this product with a brush. (stay tuned for a review on his Airbrush foundation)

Another winner from Urban Decay's 24/7 line, this pencil lets you literally draw over the imperfections on your face! A great all in one product in terms of versatility, this one is great to have in your purse for touch-ups wherever they may pop up.

A client turned me on to yet another impressive Lancome concealer. Though, I wouldn't say it's waterproof, this product offers nice coverage without having a pancakey feel. For my acne prone skin, it's also worth mentioning that it's never broken me out!

The new buzz word is HD everything-yes? So why not make-up? Cargo launched this Blu-Ray concealer with promises of skin being ready for high def close-ups. Is it any different from any other concealer? Not that I've noticed...it's swivel up sponge tip applicator also makes it a smidge difficult to control where you're placing it if it's a tiny area...

Being True's concealer offers a trifecta of options. Though I'm usually a little lazy when it comes to concealers in compacts or pots, being able to custom blend is a huge plus as our skin tone usually varies throughout the year. Infused with my beloved antioxidant idebenone, this concealer also helps fade blemish marks and discoloration over time. Two thumbs up! To help any concealer's staying power, lightly dust over it with translucent powder. Hope this helps you gals with going under cover!

Peace. Love. Conceal. M

Concealers available here

The Glammies!

Happy New Year's Eve my beauties! Are my gorgeous girleens getting gussied up for this evening's festivities? What are your go to products for glamming it up? Welcome to the 1st annual Glammies, my glamour awards featuring products that I couldn't live without this year! I try a LOT of beauty products, I just can't stop myself! This year's top honors go to:

Urban Decay's 24/7 liners(above). At last count I had over a dozen of these lip & eyeliners known for their amazing staying power. Perfect for lining the inner rim or waterline of your eye, which I feel is a must in creating the perfect smokey eye.

J'adore Illamasqua's cake liner- it's rich & decadent. I get the most fabulous jet black cat eye ever from this line from the U.K. that recently made its debut stateside. I am tapping my foot impatiently waiting for the launch of new colors, as I have all 3.

Being True Mineral Foundation (above) for it's natural gorgeous coverage, SPF 17 & anti-aging anitoxidants that are infused with the minerals. My go to for each & every day!

Being True Blush in Apricot- this imparts the most perfect peachy glow, while the esthetician in me loves that it's mineral makeup & good for my skin!

I recently discovered this finishing powder due to its rave reviews across the board from fellow make-up artists. It glides on, reduces the appearance of your pores, fine line & wrinkles- all while leaving your skin touchably soft!

Don't let the bright yellow of the Correcteur shade fool you. This Lancome concealer is perfect for neutralizing the redness resulting from pimples or broken capillaries, while having the sheerest of texture. I always have a few tubes on hand.

After recently trying several shadow primers(stay tuned for my review), I am sold on Trish McEvoys. It leaves the lid smooth while offering enough coverage to use it without shadow. On my days off I throw this & mascara on...it makes such a difference.

This undereye concealer from Clinique packs a lot of coverage in a tiny tube. Even the most stubborn undereye circles are no match! Added bonus? It moisturizes while helping with puffiness. Woo hoo!

This lip lacquer from Paul & Joe is our latest obsession at the spa. It brightens the face instantly with a super glossy, yet sheer wash of color. It is delicious & a best seller.

The Matte side of this highlighting pencil is heaven. Use it on the brow bone to wake up your eyes or on the lid as a shadow base. I heart this pencil so! Tell me gals...what is your most favorite product? What deserves a Glammie in your book? Comment & be entered to win a mini brow kit from Anastasia that includes a mini of my beloved Camilla Highlighting Pencil. Have fun tonight Gorgeous Girls!

Peace. Love. Glammies. M