MAC Glamour Daze Holiday 2012 Collection Preview (Part 1)

MAC Glamour Daze Holiday 2012 Collection

There are so many things I love about the holidays - Fall Fashion (scarves, long sleeves and boots), the cold weather (and good hair days - see ya next year humidity!), pumpkin spice lattes, fun-size candy bars, the Christmas lights that light up Chicago, wrapping myself in my self-made cocoon of comforters at night.. and of course, the holiday makeup collections.

We're beginning to see a ton of previews for the new holiday collections and I'm already anticipating October/November so I can go on a swatching rampage at Macy's (Chanel and Dior, I'm coming for you!).

The MAC Holiday Collection is as usual in two parts - the Colour Collection (below) and the Sets (brush and makeup sets).

If you missed out on the highlighters from MAC's Extra Dimension Spring 2012 Collection, don't worry! They are being re-released (the most popular ones, anyway).

Extra Dimension Eyeshadow

• A Natural Flirt – soft peachy nude
• Divine Blue – midtone aqua
• Ready to Party – pale lilac
• Stylish Merry – midtone dusty violet
• Tall Dark and Handsome – black with pearl
• Evening Grey – steel silver
• Round Midnight – dark burgundy
• Stolen Moment – dark taupe

Fluidline

• Catch My Eye – cool taupe grey with dazzle pearl
• Little Black Bow – charcoal with dazzle pearl
• Feminine Edge – pink mauve with dazzle pearl

Kohl Power Eye Pencil

• Raven – intense black with red pearl
• Orpheus – intense black with gold pearl
• Mystery – intense black with green pearl
• Feline – intense black with black pearl

Extra Dimension Skinfinish

• Superb (Repromote)
• Whisper of Gilt (Repromote)

Powder Blush

• I’m the One – midtone blue pink
• Easy Manner – light dirty peach
• Small Vanity – dusty rose tan

Lipstick

• Beauty – pale cool pink (Glaze)
• Dramatic Encounter – deep purple (Amplified)
• Glamourdaze – midtone creamy plum (Cremesheen)
• Innocence – soft coral (Frost)
• Outrageously Fun – midtone magenta violet (Cremesheen)

Lipglass

• Deliciously Demure – soft cool brown with pearl
• Flight of Fancy – rich purple
• Impossibly Sweet – sheer soft pink with multi-dimensional pearl
• Pink Fade – light creamy pink
• Talk Softly To Me – light creamy coral pink

Nail Lacquer

• Endless Night
• Girl Trouble
• In the Limelight
• Everything that Glitters

Availability: Late October/Early November 2012. Although, I don't have the confirmed date yet.

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes Review, Photos and Swatches!

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes ($12.99) are a small range of cream blushes that were released with Revlon's Summer 2012 Collection. They are now part of Revlon PhotoReady's permanent range, so if you've been curious to try them, don't worry, they aren't going anywhere (for now at least).

There are (3) colors to choose from: Flushed (cool pink), Coral Reef (vibrant coral) and Pinched (natural peach).

If cream blushes scare the wits out of you (because some formulas can be tricky to work with), the Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes are a good place to start. It's silicone-based (the first ingredient in the blush is dimethicone), so the very smooth texture allows the product to glide easily across the skin. 

The cream is firm  - somewhat like the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, but they aren't tacky, and they aren't as sticky/greasy as a lip balm. They offer sheer pigmentation with one layer, but are buildable. I find that Coral Reef builds much better than Flushed. Even after several layers Flushed remains quite sheer.

I don't tend to use my fingers much for application of cream blush, but you can literally use anything without messing up. I still prefer using a brush, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a duo-fiber, because of the texture, you can use any blush brush.

They are cased in small, plastic containers with a glossy black screw-top lid, very reminiscent of the older style Bobbi Brown Pot Rouges. They are compact and lightweight, so you can toss them in your bag without weighing down your bag or taking up too much space.

Revlon Coral Reef on my cheeks

A Few Tips on How to Avoid Razor Burn when Shaving your Legs.

How to Avoid Razor Burn when Shaving your Legs

Why does razor burn happen in the first place? Well, razor burn is simply a sign of irritation. Many just deem it as having sensitive skin, but there are many factors that can cause you to experience "the burn".

Think about it for a second. A razor doesn't have a brain, and it doesn't have the smart technology to avoid the skin and only slice the hairs. Each time you run your razor across your skin, you are shaving your skin along with it. More on this later.

I've had a problem with razor burn ever since the beginning of time. I have sensitive skin and my hair is coarse and grows quick. It's the recipe for disaster with a razor. It wasn't until recently I started pinpointing things that could be linked with my frequent irritation.

Here's the story of my life - Day 1 of shaving is baby smooth. Still running pretty good on day 2. Then BAM. Irritation and fine grit sandpaper on day 3. Time to shave again! But wait!? Can't do it, because my skin is inflamed. After waiting for the irritation to subside after a couple of days, I'm left with prickly legs that are in dire need of a shave. All for the vicious circle to start up again.

Now let me go over some of the common mistakes and the solutions.

Your Water Is Too HOT

I bet this is one you've never thought of. I like my water to be as hot as I can tolerate before it burns. But guess what that does? It causes your skin to become sensitive (temporarily) so before you even start shaving, your skin is already red and irritated. Hot water softens the skin, making it easy to slouch off all of the dead skin cells, exposing your new, fresh and sensitive skin cells that lie underneath. It also opens up the pores, which some believe will give them a closer shave. Since we've already established that a razor not only shaves your hair, but your uppermost layer of skin - it all makes sense that using hot water isn't the best when shaving. Another important factor is that hot water actually strips the moisture from your skin, causing your skin to be dry, which will lead to itch and further irritation.

The solution: Use lukewarm water. You want to be comfortable, but you don't want the water to be cold (shaving goosebumps won't get you anywhere either).

Exfoliation

We all love exfoliation. Exfoliating the legs with a good scrub or sponge will expose all of those stubborn in-growns/trapped hair follicles and will make your skin feel smooth. But since exfoliation removes the dead skin cells, you are left with squeaky clean skin and fresh, sensitive cells that are lacking the protective barrier you just removed. Your skin is very sensitive and shaving over it will only cause irritation. 

The solution: If you are known to have issues with razor burn, keep your exfoliation to the days you are not shaving.

OCC Lip Tars Now Available at Sephora.com!

OCC Lip Tars Now @ Sephora.com

OCC at Sephora!? What a lovely surprise! And what is that pictured next to the tube? A lip brush? Sweet!

For all of you Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics lovers out there, starting at the beginning of this week, Sephora is now carrying the full line of Lip Tars on the Sephora website and in-store at select Sephora locations. Now you can gain some Beauty Insider points each time you purchase a Lip Tar!

For those of you that don't know what Lip Tars are, they are the most pigmented lip colors on the market. They combine the color and longevity of a lipstick with the application of a gloss. They dry down to a matte finish (which I find a bit drying, so I always mix them with some clear gloss). They are highly popular among the online makeup community as well as makeup artists all over the world.

OCC Lip Tars have come a long way since their original launch a few years back in 2009 starting out with a range of 12 fairly basic colors, to the now selection of 40 amazing shades.

OCC Lip Tars have had a few packaging makeovers over the years, and a price increase along with them. Originally, the lip tars were 10 ml for $12.50. Then the tubes were downsized to 8 ml with the same $12.50 price tag, then they increased slightly to $13, and now with their new packaging design they are back to the original 10 ml, but are now $16 each.