Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star Review with Photos & Swatches!

Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: A light-filled pressed powder enriched with Jeweled Microdust™. These five micro-shimmering tones set off sparks of brilliance, highlighting your complexion. The ultra-fine, super-blendable formula virtually fuses with your skin for a sheer, radiant luminosity. (SEPHORA)

Dior Diorskin Shimmer Star is available in two shades: Amber Diamond and Rose Diamond. They are both highlighting shades, but because Rose Diamond contains pink tones, it can also be considered a blush.

Amber Diamond contains five stripes of warm frosty shades: An ivory with golden-yellow frost, champagne, tan, bronze and golden peach. When all of the shades are swirled together, it creates a beautiful warm, champagne/tan glow.

I tried comparing it to other highlighters of mine, but it's actually very different than anything I own. The only thing I could compare is the first strip of color is almost identical to Nars Albatross or MAC Vanilla Pigment. From the looks of it, it may be comparable to Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips or Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick, but from swatches I've seen, Amber Diamond seems a little less frosty & subtle. To be honest, at first I figured this highlighter was overrated. To me, it didn't look like anything special I should go run out and buy - but after trying it, I see what all of the hype is about. It is frosty - but when applied to the cheeks, it's so subtle and it almost becomes one with your skin. It's easy to blend and gives the prettiest glow that's not overpowering. (No disco ball, here!)

Yesterday my Mom had asked me what I have on my cheeks that's so glowy, so I handed her the highlighter to test out herself and she loved it. Right after, we went grocery shopping and this woman stopped us in the middle of the aisle and was like "Is this your daughter!?" Caught completely off guard, we nodded and smiled politely, and she was like "No wonder! She has your glowing skin!" She actually went on for a couple minutes and mentioned how nice it must be to go to Wal-mart and get complimented. As we walked off, I mentioned to my Mom that it must be the Dior. It was kinda funny.

Covergirl Lash Perfection Volumizing Mascara Review!

Covergirl Lash Perfection Volumizing Mascara

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: 
Volumizing mascara that individually wraps each lash for perfectly plumped lashes that resist clumping. Up to 3x the volume vs. bare lashes.

FEATURES:

• Innovative brush surrounds each lash with our amazing conditioning formula so each lash is individualized and volumized
• Hypoallergenic
• Removes easily with soap and water
• Ophthalmology tested 

Lash Perfection is one of Covergirl's newest mascaras. Covergirl Lash Blast has been my favorite mascara for the past couple of years, and there have only been a small handful of mascaras I've tested out during that time. Why? Because every other mascara I use ends up under my eyes in a couple of hours - I've pretty much stopped trying out new mascaras unless they claim to be smudgeproof/transfer resistant. Considering I've had pretty good luck with Covergirl Mascara's, I decided to try out Lash Perfection as I was in desperate need of a new tube of mascara and Lash Blast wasn't on sale ($9?! No thanks.)

First off, the wand is pretty similar to the Covergirl Lash Blast, Lash Blast Length and Volume Exact mascaras as the wand is rubber/plastic, as opposed to the standard wire/fiber wand. It's thinner than the Last Blast wand and a little fatter than the Lash Blast Length wand. Everyone has their own preference to the type of wands they like, and I have always really liked large, fluffy wands. I'm not really sure why, considering they are more likely to create a mess, but I've always found that they build volume better.Well, after two years of using Lash Blast, I'm getting really sick of that large wand. This wand works really well at coating the lashes and getting the smallest lashes in the inner and outer corners. Once applied, it's really easy to build volume with continued swiping of the lashes. This mascara doesn't claim to "lengthen", but I did find that it slightly lengthened my lashes. When the mascara dries, it dries slightly crispy - this is a good and bad thing. It's good because if you have thin, sparse lashes, it will hold a curl much better than a mascara that dries soft. It can be a bad thing because it's not very pleasant combing through crispy lashes. I do think this mascara holds a curl better than most mascaras I've tried. It actually keeps my lashes fairly curled all day without having to curl them myself with a curler. Throughout the day it doesn't flake, smudge or transfer. Lastly, it's simple to remove with baby oil and a cotton ball.

*Based on reviews, some have compared this to the recently discontinued MaxFactor Lash Perfection Mascara. So if you loved that one, this may be worth a try. (Makeupalley)

PROS: Slightly lengthens, Builds volume well, Minimal to no clumping, Separates well, Doesn't smudge, flake or transfer. Can look natural or a little more dramatic based on how much you apply. The price is great. It's a couple of dollars cheaper than Lash Blast ($5.99 at Target).

CONS: Makes the lashes a little crispy - which can be a good or bad thing based on individual preference.

PACKAGING: I think the packaging is nice. It comes in a sleek, charcoal tube and has a pretty good brush.

OVERALL: Overall, I think this is a great mascara and I will definitely re-purchase!

G'adore G'taime Feather-Rose Fascinator GIVEAWAY!

RULES TO ENTER:  

• You must be a follower of my blog. In case some of you don't have Blogger or a Google account, you can also enter by following me on Twitter here or by liking my new Facebook page here.
• Post a comment stating what kind of items you would like to see or see more of in Gerry's shop! Your feedback is greatly appreciated! (Click here to be re-directed to G'adore G'taime)  

THE PRIZE:

• A beautiful, hand-made Feather-Rose Fascinator Clip made by Gerry of G'adore G'taime. (Seen in the photos below. You'll be receiving it in the adorable box it is shown with!)

TERMS & CONDITIONS: 

•  Giveaway is open internationally!! Anyone can enter!
  
•  Entrants must be at the legal age according to their local laws. If you are under the legal age, you must have permission from a parent or guardian to enter (18 years old in the USA w/ the exception of Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21)
• The deadline will be in one week from today; Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. 
• There will be one winner, announced within 48 hours of the deadline. 

READ MORE FOR MORE INFO & A SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE!

Check out this adorable Etsy Shop: G'adore G'taime!

G'adore G'taime is a small Etsy shop featuring trendy clothing & accessory items, handmade by the absolutely stunning Beauty/Style Blogger and YouTube Guru Gerry (also known as "The Bunnie" or "pbunniep".)

Each of the items in her shop are carefully handmade with her own self-picked fabrics and trimmings. Because all of her items are handmade of her own design, each item is unique and surely to be one of a kind.

A little about the Creator:

"Changing the world one craft at a time!

We all need a little bit of handmade love in our life; whether it is a cute notebook, a coffee mug holder or a fancy hair accessory. These little tokens of love brighten up our lives and foster new creative ideas.

I love a fabulous print and small details that set an item apart from everybody else. One of my favourite things to do is hunting down one of a kind vintage patterns and digging the bin for that unique button or trim.

I see myself as an image maker and sewing is just one of the ways where I can let out my creativity, I hope you enjoy these crafts as much as I enjoy making them!" -Gerry Xun

Visit G'adore G'taime HERE.

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