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Musings of a Muse | Makeup Reviews, Beauty Blog, and Swatches
October 12, 2007

Bare Escentuals Smoky "V" Eye Kit Review

You may remember my prior post a week or two ago about this kit. If not click on over here to have a peek!

Bare Escentuals Smoky “V” Eye Kit

I just got this in the mail today so I thought I’d review it all for you. Originally I was excited about the very interesting little brush this came with but after trying it for myself I’m up in arms about how I feel about the entire kit, including the brush.

I’m very confused whether I like this or find it useless. Mixed emotions here and it’s very difficult to say whether I can recommend this or say don’t bother. At this point I’m sort of leaning towards don’t bother but I am also feeling like this is a kinda sorta ok kit for people that find application difficult.

Hell I’m clueless when it comes to doing makeup application but I think I do ok and my blending isn’t all that bad.

Um..wow this is a tough one.

I guess I should start by saying that the eyeshadow this came with, pacific heights, is boring as sin and not very pigmented. You really have to work this bad boy in to get some color payment on your lid. The glimmer it came with, 1990’s, is a very nice shimmering shade of purple and pretty pigmented. I guess this evens out the score because to achieve the look you need a good light shade (pacific heights in this case) and a nice darker shade (1990’s).

1990’s Glimmer and Pacific Heights Eyeshadow

The instructions are perfect on this. I really, really give them props for good presentation on the packaging with the instructions being simple and easy to follow and very detailed!

The brush doesn’t work exactly the way I thought it would. It’s a bit difficult to use and it makes my completed smoky eye look more like a bruised eye. Maybe I need a bit of practice with the brush. Overall I’d say the brush could be a handy tool with a bit of practice.

The look it creates is similar to the picture of the girl on the cover which is a purple slanted upwards eye look. However, I’m not really getting a smoked out look to my eye after completing all the steps and using what was provided in the kit.

At least not my idea of a smoky eye look.

Can you achieve this with another brush in your collection? Yes. Do you need the kit and brush to do it? No.

I guess I’d say I recommend this for people who haven’t quite mastered eyeshadow application correctly. The instructions are a pure treat and explain in simple terms exactly how to achieve the look! The brush is good and I think it may have the potential to be great with a little practice using it. The glimmer is nice but I’m not so impressed with the shadow.

Nay or Yay?

Nay. I’d skip it. Unless, like I said, you want to learn more about shadow application and have the bucks to lay out!

Only digging the brush?

No problem! Check E-bay! Dozens around for sale!

7 Comments

October 12, 2007

"I Love Dior" Deluxe Holiday Palette

Wait a second….

The Muse decided to get the keys to her beauty vault and pull out her Dior D’Trick palette to compare it to the new “I Love Dior” Deluxe Holiday Palette. Upon originally seeing the deluxe holiday palette I was racing around in circles in excitement but today I wandered onto Nordstrom to see a close up picture of it and to my shock it appears that the “I Love Dior” palette is the Dior D’Trick palette in new clothes!

Hey stop the train I wanna get off!

This is so not right! How could they crush my desire for this so easily?

What the hell?

Everything looks exactly the same right down to the lipgloss!!!!!!!

I purchased my Dior D’Trick palette from the YesAsia beauty section one year ago sometime in July or August.

Granted stateside we get none of the special bits that Asia and Europe get. I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised that the palette is identical to the D’Trick.

I have to say I actually like the D’Trick’s pretty pink packaging better anyway!

I believe I paid $72 for the D’Trick and I’m curious to see what the “I Love Dior” will cost.

I also have one other palette similar in style that was purchased in a UK airport at a Duty Free shop. That has entirely different colors than these two thankfully.

Hmmmmm…interesting….

Maybe I’m wrong but it appears these are one and the same. Which is good news because I have a few dollars extra to add to my growing MAC wish list but it’s also crushingly disappointing as I adore Dior.

Le sigh.

Count the Muse heartbroken!

Back to the vault to stow away the D’Trick palette!

“I Love Dior” Deluxe Holiday Palette as seen on Nordstrom

Dior D’Trick Palette

4 Comments

October 12, 2007

Tarte We Wish You Wealth Palette

Hello There!

Well it’s quite dark out and quite cold (38 degrees) and the Muse thinks that Friday night is best spent home in her warm, cozy bed with her powerbook tucked safely on her lap and Torchwood playing on her telly (God Bless the man that made Tivo otherwise the Muse would be unable to rewind and hit pause on scenes that contain John Barrowman in all his glory).

While the Muse catches up on episodes she missed what better way to spend some of her time then blogging about her favorite topic…..Cosmetics 😉

I had mentioned I ordered the Tarte We Wish You Wealth Palette for a friend this week and it arrived just today tucked safely in a Sephora box with a bright red ribbon tied around it!

Many of you asked after this palette and wondered if it was worth purchasing and if I was going to purchase it, etc…

This is not on my wish list and I won’t be purchasing it however I can give you my first impression from viewing my friend’s palette and let you know if I think you should or should not get it.

First of all obviously if you’re a Tarte fan this is of course on your wish list and by default you’re in want mode. If you’re not a Tarte fan or never purchased Tarte prior to this I’d say here’s your really big chance to nab something that Tarte is virtually giving away for free (it’s that cheap! In price not quality!).

There is ALOT of hype around this palette and if you happen to spend every waking moment (or some waking moments) on MUA you know how crazed people are about this. It’s gathering a cult following and it’s reaching Sephora Blockbuster Palette heights (you remember that drama last year don’t you?! No? E-mail I’ll happily provide you with the delightful details).

Now the hype is there for obvious reasons and that would be price, quality, quantity, and of course obsessive compulsive cosmetic collector’s NEED (I have this disease).

First of all price. The palette is $52 and with that amount you get yourself quite a stash of delightful goodies to play with. Let’s discuss quantity and what you’re getting for your $52 bucks.

Here’s what’s inside the palette:
16 brand-new eyeshadows (Full Size)
16 brand-new lipglosses
4 gel eyeliners
4 cheek stains
3 24/7 lip sheers
Eyelid primer
Luminizer
Eyeshadow & eyelining brushes

Now if you take 16 and you multiply it by $17 each per a shadow you come out with the grand old total of $272. Tarte is basically giving you $272 worth of shadows in this palette. They want to be nice to you this holiday season it seems. The colors aren’t particularly eye popping but they are soft and shimmering shades that can create a perfectly elegant look. So you’re getting 16 eyeshadows plus they decided to throw in a buncha of other awesome stuff.

Ok so the thing that caught my eye was the lipglosses they are perfectly wearable and quite gorgeous shades. Can you count to 16? That’s what they slapped in here. 16 glosses to go with those 16 shadows I just mentioned!

The rest my friends is just bonus material. Cheek Stains, Eye Liners, and more await you in this palette.

I’d say you can create quite a nice group of looks just using the one palette all year long! I have tried Tarte shadows and I can report they are pigmented, I’ve tried their glosses as well and can say those too are of high quality. I’ve tried many Tarte products and all are good solid products so the quality is there in this palette for sure!

Overall this is a sweet palette however it does have it’s faults. I’m not loving how it opens.

It slides open on a slant and folds back. And I think this has the potential to make a major mess sadly. All I can say is if you get it use caution when opening and closing it.

The design of the case is pretty gorgeous. It’s quilted and deep, dark purple in color. Beautiful really. I’m duly impressed at the small size and all that’s tucked inside of it.

One tiny stupid pet peeve would be that they only included one sponge applicator for the eyeshadows. Sheesh couldn’t they throw in like 6? 3 on either side or something? What the heck can you do with one?

I also picked up the We Wish You Happiness Mini Cheek Stain Kit with this (Again, not mine for a friend) and I’m so chuffed at the cute box these come in. It’s purple and quilted too and goes fantastic with the We Wish You Wealth palette! It has a gold snap, large mirror, and will be a perfect little case for carrying around makeup and other bits! This is the best case they have done with the minis! I’m really loving this guy.

Overall, I’d say this is a perfect gift for someone or for yourself. It’s ALOT of bang for your buck and well worth a purchase.

I’m personally not getting one because it’s not something I’ll make proper use of. My eyeshadow tastes run to the more extreme and as much as I am loving the glosses it’s not worth the price for me to just use the glosses! If you’re a great lover of highly shimmering shades of color than this isn’t for you. The eyeshadows do contain some shimmer but not enough to make me want them!

If you’re wanting this I highly suggest nabbing it now because if the hype continues I imagine you’ll wake up sometime at the end of the month or middle of November and see it out of stock, never to make a reappearance! Gone, disappeared, finished. And you’ll sadly hang your head and cry that you have to fulfill your need by purchasing it on E-bay for triple the price! Personally everyone is going to be reaching for this during the Sephora Friends and Family discount or at least a majority of the masses will be so don’t expect to wait till then to get it. If you’re REALLY wanting it, get it now before it’s too late.

The Muse most definately recommends it for purchase!

Enjoy the pics (apologies but I kept the protective film on the palette as this isn’t mine and I need to take special care of it for the special person I ordered it for!)

Tarte’s We Wish You Wealth Palette and We Wish You Happiness Mini Cheek Stain Set

16 Full Size Eyeshadows

16 Luscious Lipglosses (My Favorite Part of the Palette)

4 gel eyeliners, 4 cheek stains, 3 24/7 lip sheers, Eyelid primer, Luminizer, and eyeshadow & eyelining brushes

Palette Fully Opened

Tarte’s We Wish You Happiness Mini Cheek Stain Collection

4 Comments

October 12, 2007

Bit o’ Brown FOTD

How to make big brown eyes pop? Get your copperclast pigment out 😉 I guarantee you’ll be singing Brown Eyed Girl while applying!

What I Used:
MAC Copperclast Pigment
MAC Rushmetal Pigment
MAC Paintpot in Constructivist
MAC Eyeshadow in Goldbit
MAC Eyeshadow in Cosmic
MAC Eyeshadow in Beauty Burst
MAC Technakohl in Black
MAC Technakohl in Plank

2 Comments

October 12, 2007

Army Green FOTD

A bit of green on a cold October Day!



BONUS:

L@@K! It’s the Muse in her makeup room!

What I Used:
MAC Copperized Pigment
MAC Olive Green Pigment
Bare Escentuals Glimmer in Envy
Bare Escentuals Glimmer in Sunshine
MAC Quick Frost Pigment
MAC Technakohl in Black
Vincent Longo Wet Diamond Eyeshadow in Verite

6 Comments