Chanel Holiday 2011: Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eye Shadow #417, Beige Lame

Chanel's Holiday 2011 Collection is all about golden tones. From the shimmering Lumiere Sculptee de Chanel Highlighting Powder to the gorgeous gold-infused red of the Rouge Allure #207, Famous, the entire collection is designed to give the effect of being lit from within. Beige Lame Soft Touch Eye Shadow is no exception. 

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Beauty Spotlight Team 10/29/11

Our makeup mavens have more exciting beauty news this week; giveaways, reviews and a new website with a weekly podcast to discuss makeup and trends!

Is your makeup doing a disappearing act in the middle of day? Keep your makeup fresh and glowing all day long with Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray. Prime Beauty is giving away two, enter now!

Beauty, Bacon and Bunnies warns us it's getting cold outside and soon the holidays will be upon us. Always in the know, Joey brings us Part 1 of the 2011 Limited Edition Collections

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, talks about her new site "It's Just Lipstick", where she and Meredith, from Retrodiva's Beauty, discuss makeup & trends in their own irreverent way in their weekly podcast & Spreecast.

Modesty Brown shares her small but perfectly formed collection of NARS eyeshadow duos. Well, perfectly formed if you're a fan of taupe!

Have you found the L’Oreal Paris Project Runway displays yet? Beauty Info Zone wants to you to see some of the gorgeous Watchful Owl products available. They are worth a search.

Can pale people wear gold lipstick? Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed sadly finds out that the answer to that is "no" but feel free to come and mock her anyhow!

Have you had a chance to try any Kiehl's products yet? If not (or even if you're already a fan!), stop by Lipstick Musings to enter the giveaway for a Kiehl's "Favorites" Kit. It's got something for everyone!

Visionary beauty takes a look at the Perle delight of the Guerlain ombre-eclat-4-shade palette in Les Perles.

Juicy! Juicy! Juicy! See what gorgeous Rouge Bunny Rouge lipstick has Perilously Pale drooling.

London Makeup Girl has a weakness for Chantecaille Lip Chics, and succumbed to one of the new shades from the Autumn collection. Have a look at it on her here: Chantecaille Calla Lily Lip Chic applied.

Looking for great quality professional brushes at a good price? You might be interested in Kim Professional Makeup Brushes. Pammy Blogs Beauty scopes them out!


Everyday Beauty reviewed Glazed Lips L301, the final red in the "Ellis Red" trio.

On the Cheap: Stila "Empowered in Pink" Palette + EOTD

Have you ever visited Bloom.com? It's a great little makeup and skin care site that offers a wide selection of brands with plenty of perks. One is the 10% back you get on each purchase via "Bloom Bucks," which function as real dollars on your next purchase. There's also free shipping on orders over $49, personalized recommendations based on information you give them regarding your skin type and coloring, and tons of free samples, including a full-size product, with each purchase. What's not to like?

I purchased a Clarisonic last month at Bloom.com when they had a 30% Bloom Bucks event and I earned over 50 (!) Bloom Bucks, so of course I returned. One of my purchases was Stila's new "Empowered in Pink" palette, a gorgeous collection of pinks and purples.

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Chanel Holiday 2011: Lumiére Sculptée de Chanel Highlighting Powder

The Holiday Collection from Chanel this year, Collection Les Scintillances de Chanel, is all about luminosity. From satiny lipsticks with a hint of sheen to glowing gold eyeliner and pearlescent eye shadow, the entire collection literally shines. Lumiére Sculptée de Chanel Highlighting Powder is no exception. Although it has its drawbacks, overall it's a lovely highlighter and worth the effort. 

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My First GIVEAWAY!!!!! Kiehl's "Favorites" Kit

As you all know, I've been LOVING every Kiehl's product I've tried lately--and I've been trying a lot of them! So I got to thinking about how all of you would probably love to try some, too. So when I saw the kits Kiehl's is currently offering at Nordstrom, each with a unique array of large deluxe samples of some of their most popular products, I couldn't resist picking one up for one of you!

The kit is called "Kiehl's Favorites" and comes packaged in a cute red box. Here's a shot of the contents:

Included are the following:

• A full 2.5-ounce tube of Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, a thick, remarkably potent overnight cream for the hands. 
• A 2.5-ounce Creme de Corps body lotion. This lotion is incredibly hydrating, lasts forever, and is packaged in an adorable plastic bottle perfect for your purse or travel. 
• A 2.5-ounce Amino Acid Shampoo for all hair types. It contains Amino Acid cleansers that gently but effectively clean the hair. 
• A 2.5-ounce Amino Acid Conditioner for all hair types. Contains Amino Acids and wheat protein to condition and shine the hair. 
• 0.25-ounce Ultimate Facial Cream, a deeply hydrating cream moisturizer that works wonders overnight. 

So, now for the rules: 

• To gain an entry, leave me a comment telling me what you're most wanting to try in the kit, or if you've already tried everything, which product you love best. 
• To gain a second entry, follow my blog via Google. 
• To gain a third entry, retweet this contest on Twitter. 
• Finally, to gain 3 additional entries, add my badge to your blog or site! 

If you like, you may email me at lipstickdiva at comcast.net to let me know which entry is yours, or you can post your email in your comment. In any case, be sure I can contact you if you win! 

Contest ends on Halloween, at which point I'll use a random number generator to choose the lucky winner. You'll be notified via email and/or Twitter. 

Finally, in the event that I hit 150 or more followers before the end of the contest, I have a second, different kit for a second lucky winner! More about that in an upcoming post (I like to tempt you). :)

Good luck to everyone! 

From the Chanel Holiday 2011 Collection: Rouge Allure Lipstick #207, Famous

Well, it's Wednesday, so it must be time for another lovely red lipstick review! This time, I'm singing the praises of the standout red from Chanel's Holiday Collection, the Collection Les Scintillances de Chanel. I was drawn to it immediately and couldn't resist the purchase. Let my weak will be your gain!

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Wonder Concealer: Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer

I'm going to be honest: up until the other day, I'd never heard of Amazing Cosmetics. Apparently it's a pretty good line, but I'd never read anything about it and certainly hadn't tried it. But when I went into Ulta a week or so ago looking for a good concealer for my undereye circles, the SA told me theirs was the best. I have a long and rocky history with concealers (they never cover enough and always look cakey on me), so I figured it was worth a shot. To make my decision easier was the fact that they had a great little kit on sale for 50% off. The Perfectly Amazing kit contains Amazing Concealer, Velvet Mineral Powder Foundation, and Amazing Powderset finisher.

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EOTD with Givenchy Le Prism Eyeshadow Quad,#74 Khaki

 A couple of months ago, I did a review on Givenchy's Le Prism Quad in Khaki. I'm still loving it, and I've been amazed at how versatile it is. The vibrant greens and yellows offer a wonderful, colorful eye, while the bronze lid/crease accent color can be used to tone things down a bit for a more neutral eye. That's the direction I went with today's Eye of the Day.

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Beauty Spotlight Team 10/22/11: Mystery Makeup Bag Time!!

It's time for a look inside another Beauty Spotlight Team member's makeup bag, and this week it is Grace London's turn to dish the dirt and show us the stuff. Is she a minimalist, or does she carry everything but the kitchen sink inside her daily essentials kit? What secrets are hiding inside London Makeup Girl's bag? 

Check out her bag here!

On the Cheap: NYX "Lip Smacking Fun Colors" Lipstick in Gardenia and Milan

Since I'm a lipstick-aholic and the economy pretty much sucks right now, I've been trying to branch out into new and exciting but less expensive brands. I've tried quite a few now, including the drugstore giants like Revlon, Maybelline, and L'Oreal, but I have to say I was thrilled to get the chance to check out the NYX lipsticks. At only $5.99, they're even more affordable than their (increasingly expensive) drugstore counterparts, and the quality is as good or better. 

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More Amazing Body Care: L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream

The other day I stopped by the L'Occitane shop and found a great little set for sale. It includes the limited edition Cocoa Flower Lip Balm with 10% shea butter, the Cocoa Flower Ultra Rich Body Cream wiht 25% shea butter (also limited edition), and the famous Dry Skin Hand Cream with 20% shea butter. I love all three, but today I'm going to limit myself to extolling the virtues of the Dry Skin Hand Cream, one of the best I've tried. 

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Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick, Fatale

A week or two ago I got a makeover at my Chanel counter. I was thrilled with the eyes, I wasn't thrilled with the lips, which they for some reason (despite my telling them I favor reds and deep berries) decided to use a pale, very frosty  pink-beige shade on me. They covered it with lip gloss (probably to hide the awfulness beneath), so I bought the lipstick and the gloss with the shadow and went on my merry way. It wasn't until I got home and put on the lipstick that I realized just how WRONG it was for me, so back it went. And when I went to return it, one of my regular SA's was there and she helped me choose a much more "Shannon" color, Fatale. 

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Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Whipped Body Butter

Since I've fallen so in love with Kiehl's facial skin care products recently, I decided to take a leap of faith and test out some body products as well. My first foray into the body line was with the Creme de Corps lotion, which is fantastic. However, as dry as my skin gets in the winter, I decided I might need to amp things up a bit soon, so I headed back to the counter for the Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Whipped Body Butter. I haven't looked back since. 

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The Balm Has It: Korres Plum Lip Butter

Last time I was at Ulta, I came across the Korres display and decided to take a good, long look. I really don't need any skin care right now, as I've hauled myself some serious Kiehl's lately (both for face and body), but my lips need some help. It's getting cooler and drier outside, and they're starting to show it. So when I caught sight of Korre's Plum Lip Butter, it seemed a perfect match!

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Beauty Spotlight Team 10/15-10/16

This week the Beauty Spotlight Team is in a wild mood. Not only are there some gorgeous cosmetics for you to drool over but there are giveaways galore. Check out all of our teams posts, you won’t regret it.


Beauty, Bacon, Bunnies investigates the Real Techniques Starter brush set to see how it compares to other brands. Find out what she discovered.

Beauty Crazed loves the Maybelline fall collection so much they feel compelled to share it – come visit them for a chance to win it!

Beauty Info Zone has a one of a kind giveaway from Dan Read Cosmetics. The winner will have a phone consultation with Dan Read who will help her pick out a customized look to win from his brand. You’ll want to check this one out.

At Everyday Beauty, Zuzu’s Petals was surprised by how much she liked Alima Pure’s loose mineral eyeshadows.

This week, Shannon at Lipstick Musings finally got around to checking out one of the Chanel Illusion d’Ombre shadows in #86, Ebloui. Better late than never, right? See what she thought and take a look at her EOTD!

This week, London Makeup Girl decided that rules are made to be broken and used sparkle everywhere with Kose Addiction. See how it turned out here:Kose Addiction Sparkly Face.

Makeup Merriment shares three new treasures from Le Metier de Beaute that are sure to make you blush!

Modesty Brown talks about her makeup hoarding habits and set herself a weekly challenge to get those neglected items back in circulation.

My Beauty Bunny is giving away a cooling Polar Pillow ($99 value)!

It’s time for Monthly Favorites again! Check out what made Pammy Blogs Beauty’s list for September 2011 Star Products.

Perilously Pale has been seduced by the stunning, natural beauty of this Edward Bess Highlighter .

Styrch at Pretty in Dayton indulges in Chanel once again and is not dissapointed.

The leaves are changing color, the air is crisp and Prime Beauty tells us about her 5 must-have beauty products are for fall…..so far.

Visionary Beauty has a look at the mostly matte, bold Vol. 6 Neo-Classic eye palette from Hourglass.

Have you heard about the Halloween Mega Beauty Blogger Giveaway? If you haven’t you are missing out on the chance to win a $500 e gift card to Sephora. Several of our Beauty Spotlight Team members are participants in this so visit one of their blogs to enter: Beauty Info Zone, Makeup Merriment, My Beauty Bunny and Prime Beauty. 

Lovely Lips Review: Senna Cream Lip Color in Valentina

It's Friday, so technically it's time for another On the Cheap review, but my camera is giving me fits and I'm working from stockpiled photos. So you're going to get an "On the Mid-Price Range Lipstick" review instead. Plus, I got this on Beautyticket.com for only $7.99 instead of the normal $18, so it's actually an On the Cheap after all. Today's review is for Senna's Lip Cream in Valentina. 

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Tarte EmphasEYES for Brows

I am all about the brow pencil. Since I'm a natural blonde with blonde eyebrows, I really have no choice but to pencil them in every day or I look a little freakish. Since brows are such a necessary part of my routine, I'm always on the lookout for a good brow pencil. Although brow pencils are not exactly glamorous, they are vital to any beauty routine. Brows frame the eyes and the face, and done correctly they can make a world of difference in your finished look. Tarte's EmphasEYES Waterproof Brow Pencil is probably the best I've ever tried. 

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Foundation Review: Cargo Foundation, Oil-Free

A week or so ago, I did a lukewarm review for Cargo's Metallico liners, so this week I'm going to give credit where credit is due and show you one of my all-time favorite foundations, Cargo's Foundation, Oil-Free. It's a versatile, very wearable product, and I'm on my second tube--which must be a record for me. I've been remiss in not reviewing it before now, so it's time to set the record straight. 

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Eye Shadow Review: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #86, Ebloui

Chanel's introduction of the Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow took the blogging world by storm this Fall. I abstained, largely because there were other Fall releases I was more immediately interested in, as well as the fact that these are permanent additions to the lineup so there was no need to rush out and get any of them. 

However, I recently broke down and purchased Mirifique, a lovely sparkly black that I use primarily as a liner, so last time I went to my Chanel counter, I decided to branch out and try another one. I was there for a makeover for an event, and the color the artist chose for me was #86, Ebloui.  Ebloui translates to "dazzled," and although I can't say that's exactly how I feel about it, I do find it to be a nice addition to my collection. 

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Skin Care Review: Bobbi Brown EXTRA Balm Rinse

Those of you who know me at all know I'm a huge fan of the 2-step cleansing process, especially for those who wear makeup (which, presumably, would be everyone reading this). Starting with an oil-based cleanser followed by a regular lotion or foaming cleanser is, in my opinion, the absolute best way to ensure that your skin is truly pristine before you continue with your skin care routine. I already love Clinique's Take the Day Off Balm and Bobbi Brown's Cleansing Oil, but being the junkie I am, I'm always on the lookout for something new. So when I was introduced to Bobbi's EXTRA Balm Rinse cleanser, I couldn't resist giving it a try. 

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Beauty Spotlight Team: Check out Prime Beauty's Mystery Bag!

It's a mystery....is Prime Beauty a high maintenance gal with a makeup and beauty gadgets galore spilling out of her makeup bag? Or is she a minimalist and only carries the basics? Find out if you guessed correctly in this week's (cue scary music)......Mystery Makeup Bag!

Prime Beauty's Makeup Bag

Beautiful Neutrals: The Dior Celebration Collection Eye Palette

Well, it seems it's been more than a couple of days since I've brought you anything new from Dior, so I thought it might be time to rectify that little issue. This time, I'm going to show you Dior's new Celebration Collection Eye Palette. It's gorgeous, sophisticated, and very wearable, and the packaging is oh-so-fabulous!

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Cargo Metallico Eye Liner

I'm a fan of Cargo products, from their Oil-Free foundation to their eye shadow quads, and everything in between. So even though I don't normally go too much for sparkle, I couldn't resist giving the Metallico Eye Liner collection a shot, and I've been pretty pleased. 

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Foundation Review: Tarte ReCreate

Over the past several months, Tarte has become one of my favorite lines. I adore their brow pencil, have fallen hard for the Lipsurgence lip tints (reviews coming soon), and find that generally speaking, every Tarte product I try is high-quality and does what it says it will do. ReCreate foundation is no exception. 

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Skin Care Review: Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

I'm a recent convert to Kiehl's skin care, and it's been doing wonders for my skin. I'm loving the amazing Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, a super-powerful Vitamin-C based antioxidant serum, as well as the fabulous Abyssine Cream for day. While I start my skin care each morning and evening with the PSLRC and during the day follow with the Abyssine Cream, at night I need a bit more. That's where Midnight Recovery Concentrate comes in. 

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Beauty Spotlight Team 10/1/11

It's hard to believe how quickly September flew by and that October is upon us. It must be because the ladies from the Beauty Spotlight Team were having so much fun testing all these amazing products that they didn't notice that 30 days fled. Read to find out what's been kept them so busy in September.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed goes glittery with the OPI Muppet Show inspired line of polishes - come check out her swatches!

The bloggers from Beauty Info Zone are fighting again. In the ring with them are Napoleon Mascaras. Read to find out whether Mesmer-Eyes or Peep Show Madame Fantasia wins this battle.

Everyday Beauty tested a couple red blushes to see if her cheeks could stand the heat.

Have you heard about Dior's new trio eye shadow palettes? Well, Shannon over at Lipstick Musings had to see them, and has discovered that smoky eyes aren't just for evening anymore with the 3 Couleurs Smoky Eye Palette in Smoky Khaki. Plus, the packaging is to die for!

London Makeup Girl pulled out some of her favourite products for an Old Hollywood red lip look. You can see what she used here in her Julie Hewett Face of the Day.

Makeup Merriment has fallen in love once again with the Rouge Bunny Rouge line. This time it's the eye liners that have her enamored.

Modesty Brown shares new pretty, Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting eye pencil in Lola and ponders the merits of automatic versus regular liners.

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, had breakfast with Mally Roncal, from Mally Beauty, and tells us about Mally's latest bulletproof kit available on QVC.

Ever wondered what skincare is safe for use in pregnancy? Be sure to check out Pammy Blogs Beauty's review of Belli Skincare!


Do your eyes suffer from fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles? Perilously Pale thinks this eye treatment is worth checking out!

Styrch from Pretty in Dayton visits her local Benefit Brow Bar and learns all about "brow mapping".

Prime Beauty discovers that Hard Candy isn't just for kids and it's low calorie too!

Visionary beauty shows us the earthy toned nude palette from the fall Becca Lost Weekend collection.