Nars Limited Edition Lipgloss at Sephora

On July 29th, NARS will roll out five limited edition lip glosses at Sephora. Each will retail for $24 and is named after one of their most popular blushes.

Oasis - plummy mauve with gold shimmer.

Luster - sheer muted tangerine-peach with copper-gold shimmer.

Super Orgasm - sheer played down pink with gold shimmer.

Angelika  - semi-sheer brightened blue-based pink with very subtle silver shimmer.

Albatross - sheer white-gold with pale gold shimmer.

Nars lip glosses are hit or miss for me.  Some are amazing, and some are so sheer, that I don't think they are work the money.  My favorites right now are Sweet Revenge (a sheer pink grapefruit) Sunset Strip (tangerine with gold shimmer) and Sweet Dreams (pink grapefruit with gold shimmer) Hmmm see a pattern here? I will have to get some of the new glosses just to change things up!  I am curious to try Luster, Super Orgasm, and Angelika.  I will be sure to post swatches and my review when I get them!  Cant wait for them to arrive at Sephora!

What are your favorite lip glosses for the summer? 

Nars Fall 2010 Haul!

I am so excited I got my Nars Fall 2010 makeup in the mail! 
I ordered Tzarine and Rajasthan Eyeshadow Duo, Strawberry Fields Lipgoss, Daphne Eyeshadow, Douceor Blush.

My favorites of the collection are definitely Rajasthan and Douceor.

Daphne is very chalky, and doesn't have almost any color payoff. You have to mix it with a primer to get it to stick.  How they got the vivid color in the campaign photo I have no idea!

Here's the pictures and swatches!

Tzarine - a very pretty color, but I prefer darker blue/greens

Rajasthan - a metallic beigeish and a midnight blue/green 

Ive used it for a simple eye using the gold as an all over wash, and the darker color as liner.

Its also great for a smokey eye

Daphne (must have gotten other eyeshadow on it during swatching)

I thought this would be my favorite, but it was actually very disappointing.  Its completely chalky, and doesn't "stick" to your skin if you understand what I mean.  You would have to use it wet (I mixed it with Nars Eyeshadow Primer) to get any color payoff, but it would most likely be hard to blend then.  I will keep playing with it and report back.

Douceor - a very pretty non shimmery blush.  This is a great color for probably all skin tones, but is especially flatter on pinker skintones, because it balances out the pink with the brown tones in the blush.  Its definitely going to be one of my favorites!

Strawberry Fields

Very pretty and pigmented lipgloss. Scares me a bit becuse it is a little darker than  I had expected, but its the most perfect bright pink.   Hopefully I will have the guts to wear it!

left -Strawberry Fields, Daphne,

top right - Rajasthan, Tzarine under it

Here I have on Rajasthan Eyeshadow and Douceor Blush. The blush is a great color anyone with a pink undertone. It tones down the pink in your skin

And here is Strawberry Fields Lipgloss

I would love to hear from other people that got items from the Nars Fall 2010 Collection! please comment with your experiences!

More Mac Into the Groove! and Chanel Swatches

So I went back to Mac and ended up getting Style Influencer Mineralize Eyeshadow!

When I went in the day Into the Groove came out, the only eyeshadow I got was Soften the Mood, but I kept thinking back to Style Influencer and the great dark blue (reminded me of Nars Night Flight).

It is a GREAT trio!  the brownish shade I thought was goign to be to reddish, and I am not a fan of reddish eyeshadows, I think they make you look sick. but I was wrong about this one! its a great crease color for blending a smokey eye, then the white is a great highlight.

And I also got two Chanel Eyeshadows, Vert Khaki, and Taupe Gris, i havent had enough time to play with them yet, so I am sure there will be some upcoming posts about them!

here are the swatches!

left to right -  3 Style Influencer shades, Chanel Vert Khaki, Chanel Taupe Gris

My puppies!

I figured I would do a more personal post about a subject that is very important to me... my PUPPIES!!!! The two dogs to the left are Scotty(the black one basking in the sun) and Libby (tan one). Both of them were adopted from animal shelters. Scotty is from St. Huberts, which is an amazing animal shelter in NJ. They have two locations, one in Madison, and one in North Branch. I run in a 5k race every year with Scotty that raises money for St. Huberts. Its called Hounds and Harriers 5k. This year will be my 6th year running with Scotty! I've raised over $2000 for St. Huberts from peoples generous donations to sponsor me in the race.  St. Huberts takes a lot of dogs from the south, where there are not as many shelters, and MANY more strays.  Scotty was originally from West Virginia before he came to us.  Libby was from a small shelter run by a few people in New Paltz NY.  I cannot stress how important it is to rescue animals from shelters! there are so many animals that need homes!  and as you can see we got some cute ones!  I will be posting more about the race I am in as it gets closer.

I have grown up with dogs my entire life, and when I was little, we did get our pups from breeders.   We used to have dalmatians, Jessie, who we had before I was born, then Patches who we got when I was around 13.  To me, life is not complete without a dog! 

Me (in moms belly) Mom and Jessie!

Me, Mom and Jessie!!

Patches

Scotty and Patches

scotty playing in snow

Scotty loves to swim!

Scotty is a Steelers fan!

Libby!

Scotty and libby

Libby is so tired!

Scotty sitting up

Hounds and Harriers Race

Before the race

Scotty's "paris hilton" pose

Scottys doing downward facing dog

Scotty as a puppy with our old dog Patches

At the shelter!

Gisele Bündchen's Sejaa Skincare- Review

First of all, how can you not love Giselle?  She is one of my all time favorite models.   I have a specific love for Victorias Secret models (especially Marissa Miller) because they aren't these tiny twigs.  I think Giselle is beyond gorgeous.  So when I heard she was coming out with a skin care line, I was curious to start.  THEN I heard it was eco-friendly, 100% natural (the manufacturing process is wind power!) and I knew I  had to give it a try.

Gisele, who was recently named the UN's Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment Program, decided upon the brand's name as a play on the word seja, meaning "to be" in Portuguese, her first language. The extra "a" was added at the end because "words have a vibration, and aaah! is an exhalation, what you feel when you let go," she told Vogue.

The three-product line, which is sold only on sejaa.com, consists of a Day Cream, Night Cream ($70), and Mud Mask ($56). It also features a Pure Skincare Kit ($120), which includes a two-ounce jar of each product, a spa towel, and a mud applicator. Here is what Giselle had to say in Vogue about her new line.

Gisele told Vogue:

On developing the line: "I wanted to teach girls to love themselves and take care of their bodies. What is the first thing you see every morning? Your face! What do you put every day on your face? Cream! I have made the simplest, purest cream — an everyday cream — but it comes with an affirmation."

On why she wanted a mud mask: "When I was a teenager, I had pimples — oh, God, every time someone looked at my face I thought they were looking at my pimples. I put mud on my face to dry them out, and it worked."

On why Sejaa will be sold online to create a community: "So I can give my little tips, and it's not me telling anyone to have an awakening."

On her secrets: "The first is wake up in the morning and be grateful you are here, alive and healthy. And the second is: Give."

 
 
I ordered the kit the day it came out, I had to wait a bit for shipping because it was back ordered due to a large demand I suppose.  The customer service was great and they refunded the shipping cost since I had to wait two weeks.  When I finally got it I was BEYOND excited. 

The day cream had ingredients like purified water and aloe barbadensis leaf juice as the two FIRST ingredients, and other ingredients including algae extract, argan oil, and jojoba oil.

The night cream has similar ingredients but also included green tea leaf extract, royal jelly, and ginseng root extract.

( full ingredients listed below)


Sounds great right? Unfortunately the products did not live up to my expectations (sorry Gisele!)  The day cream was not moisturizing enough for me (which was surprising considering I have combination skin) and my skin ended up over producing oil by the end of the day.   The night cream was ok, nothing spectacular.   It didn't hurt my skin, but I wouldn't say it really improved it either.  The mud mask was good, but similar to other mud masks I have used. I usually use the Nars Mud Mask which is $45 for 3.6oz, as opposed to the Sejaa mud mask which is $56 for 2oz.

So here are the ingredients, so you can all make your own decisions.  The ingredients sound great, and I love that its organic and eco friendly.  I wish it just worked better for me!

 

Day Cream

Nourish skin and protect against free radical damage. This daytime moisturizer provides protective antioxidants and skin-softening active botanicals, including aloe vera, shea butter, jojoba and argan oils. Use Sejaa Day Cream in the morning as the final step in your skincare routine.

Ingredients:
Purified Water,  Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice,  Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Glycerin,  Cetyl Alcohol , Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes,  Cetearyl Alcohol,  Vegetable Oil , Tocopherol Ascorbyl Palmitate Ascorbyl Glucoside,  Rosa Canina Seed Extract,  Algae Extract,  Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract , Ascophyllum Nodosum Extractm  Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter,  Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil,  Seawater , Chitosan Succinamide,  Isostearic Acid Hydrolyzed Algin Sodium Citrate Dicetyl Phosphate Ceteth-10 Phosphate Citric Acid,  Xanthan Gum,  Phenoxyethanol Ethylhexylglycerin Fragrance which contains Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Essential Oil,  Olibanum (Frankincense) Essential Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Essential Oil.

Night Cream

Enhance the skin's natural ability to produce collagen and repair itself. Hydrating jojoba and safflower seed oils work with potent botanical extracts of green tea and ginseng to help restore radiance overnight. Use Sejaa Night Cream in the evening as the final step in your skincare routine.

Ingredients:Purified Water,  Glycerin,  Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,  Octyldodecyl Myristate,  Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil,  Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters,  Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil,  Microcrystalline Cellulose,  Glyceryl Stearate,  Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice,  Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil,  Cetyl Alcohol,  Ascorbic Acid,  Tocopheryl Acetatem  Retinyl Palmitate,  Panax Ginseng Root Extract,  Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract , Royal Jelly,  Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate,  Butylene Glycol, Carnosine Cellulose Gum,  Xanthan Gum,  Phenoxyethanol Ethylhexylglycerin Fragrance which contains Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Essential Oil Olibanum (Frankincense) Essential Oil Rosa Damascena (Rose) Essential Oil

Mud Mask

Detoxify skin and maintain a clear, fresh complexion with Sejaa Mud Mask. This treatment's unique combination of natural clays draws impurities from deep within the skin, while glycerin helps skin retain its natural moisture. Follow the suggested use for your individual skin type.

Ingredients: Purified Water , Bentonite,  Montmorillonite,  Glycerin,  Ethylhexylglycerin , Caprylyl Glycol , Phenoxyethanol Hexylene Glycol

Nars Fall 2010 Collection

As I've mentioned before, I LOVE Nars!  I always get so excited when I start seeing info on the new collections.   Nars has new collections ever season, but they are relatively small (compared to Mac at least). 

From the pictures I've seen I will most definitely be getting the blush, the purple eyeshadow single, both eyeshadow duos, and the lipgloss.   In my experience, Nars eyeshadow duos are sheerer than the singles, which I prefer.  Some of the singles lately have been chalky, and hard to blend.   I will be getting the purple anyway just because I LOVE purple!  The rest I will have to see in person before I can decide! 

The Nars 2010 Fall Collection will be available on July 15 online, and in August in stores.  

(Usually its available at department stores a few weeks before it hits Sephora, so it wouldn't be available at Sephora until mid to late August)

Here's pictures and descriptions of the collection!



Douceur Blush ($26.00)-soft pink brown


A soft pink-brown hue that lightly imparts a honeyed brown kiss of innocence on cheeks. Unique to the Fall 2010 collection, the powder is lightly etched with the NARS logo. Use to contour from the apple of the cheek upward; warm forehead, jaw line and nose.

Daphne Eyeshadow ($23.00)– royal purple


Style icon. Designer. Model. Heiress of haute couture. Named after Daphne Guinness herself—François Nars’ inimitable muse—this hypnotizing matte, deep-violet single eyeshadow exudes excitement. Apply liberally across the lid up to the brow, blending outward. Head-turning.

Mangrove Eyeshadow ($23.00) (Limited Edition)– rich lemon yellow -green

The magnificence of this tropical tree, captured in the softest, mellow yellow laced with lime. Richly pigmented and crease-resistant, use this single eyeshadow to highlight the inner corner of the eye, as a bright base shade for the lid or to diffuse a deeper shade by sweeping it into the bridge.

Coconut Grove Eyeshadow ($23.00)– chocolate brown

Grooving in the Grove—Miami’s magical neighborhood on Biscayne Bay—has attracted musicians, artists, and writers for decades. Dense, dramatic, and daring, this dark chocolate-cum-taupe confection increases depth on the lid and doubles as a lash liner when used wet.

Rouge Basque Lipstick ($24.00) (Limited Edition)– a quintessential red

Inspired by the inside cover of a book from the famed French countryside, François Nars envisioned the quintessential red from the Basque region. The result is lipstick with a luminous satin finish. It is as deeply pigmented as the region’s history and as bold as the wine for which the area is known. Pair with NARS pencils, or apply with a NARS lip brush.

Strawberry Fields Lip Gloss ($24.00) (Limited Edition) strawberry purple shade

Imagine juicy, mouthwatering strawberries, just picked. Then delight in the serious, yet sexy shine of this bright pink confection. Worn alone or over NARS lip products, the gloss’ Vitamin-E enriched formula seals in moisture. Lips feel supple and hydrated.

Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($24.00) (Limited Edition)

Once the NYC hot-spot, characterized by glamour, glitz, and decadence. This sparkling turquoise soft touch shadow pencil rocks with all the vibrancy and sex appeal of its namesake. Layer it with other NARS eye products—or go it alone—to line, accent, highlight or illuminate unforgettable eyes.

Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo ($32.00)(Russia inspired) – bright yellow and bold gold gray

Love, sex and power. Russia’s empresses had it all. Inspired by royalty, the eyeshadow duo pairs the majesty of platinum gold infused with silver reflections with a bold, steel grey. Swipe and shadow along the upper lid or smudge along the lower. Positively regal.

Rajasthan Eyeshadow Duo ($32.00) Limited Edition(Indian inspired) – golden light and cool blue ink


Sacred temples and scorching deserts. Bengalese tigers and Bagaru prints. India’s largest state fascinates and tantalizes. Like its namesake, the Rajasthan Eyeshadow duo is an exotic palette, playing glazed almond against cool charcoal. Worn solo, blended or layered, the look signals drama.