Please move your bookmarks over to http://abeautyfulsentiment.com - look forward to seeing you there!
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Things Are in Flux
Good morning! So today is the day that we'll be working out the kinks for that move over to Wordpress I've been telling you about all this time - meaning things will probably get a little crazy here on ABS. In the interim I just have one little request - I'd appreciate it if you could hold off on the comments until Thursday morning, purely because I don't want to lose any in the move! Older comments are being transferred over as we speak, but I don't the newer comments to get lost in the time it takes to shift from blogger to wordpress (which is why I haven't posted any of my giveaways yet - clever me, huh? =P). Thanks for all your support and hopefully you'll see a new and improved ABS within the next 24 hours or so!
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Korres Love Your Lips Set Review & Swatches
Korres Love Your Lips
($63.00 value for $34.50)
I happen to love products that come packaged together - palettes, GWP makeup bags, face in a box sets, etc. - as they just make life so much easier, and lucky for us Korres has brought us all the essentials to whip your lips into prime-puckering shape with minimal effort in the form of the Korres Love Your Lips
Your $34.50 gets you two of Korres' Cherry Oil Lip Glosses in Naked Rose 22 and Naked Beige 30, a Lip Butter in Jasmine (LOVE their Lip Butters - see my review HERE), and their Lemon Lip Scrub - a great value considering that each and every one of these products is one I'd use regularly.
I'd actually planned on purchased Naked Beige (a sheer neutral beige shimmer) at some point prior to receiving this set from Korres as it's a great neutral shade that can pull together any dramatic eye look, but what really tugged at my heartstrings was the gorgeous golden shimmer in Naked Rose (a golden rose shimmer with light to medium pigmentation). I'm a sucker for gold in my glosses, and so of course I proceeded to spend a good ten minutes or so just admiring the shade in the sunlight (weird I know).
Korres' Cherry Full Color glosses have an addictive light cherry scent and nice color pay-off (although some shades are definitely sheerer than others), but what I really love about them is that they stay put remarkably well despite the fact that they're not sticky or tacky. Admittedly the shade range is rather limited, but I like to think that the selection is well-edited and hope that Korres will bring us more shades in the future!
As for the Lip Butter, well you need only read my initial review of Korres' Lip Butter in Quince for my thoughts. The Lip Butters are smooth, creamy, delicious, and slip right on like butter. On me Jasmine is pretty much invisible making it much more of a balm than a tint, but it does make a great lipstick underlayer.
So having been continually disappointed by Lip Scrubs that don't actually scrub over the years (I've tried so so many and they really don't do much of anything for me), I was expecting more of the same from Korres' Lemon Lip Scrub, but lo and behold this product actually leaves my lips feeling soft, supple and exfoliated. I was a little disappointed at the lack of lemony scent and the fact that it didn't get rid of all of my lip flakies, but I did love how fine the exfoliating granules were, which I'm pretty sure is what made this so much more effective than products I've tried in the past.
Swatches (from L to R): Jasmine Lip Butter, Naked Rose, Naked Beige
And a close up of Naked Rose and Naked Beige for your viewing pleasure (you know you love the shimmer as much as I do!).
And lip swatches as promised! Naked Rose on top, Naked Beige down below.
The Verdict: All in all I'd have to say that the handy little package that is Korres' Love Your Lips set is pretty great value and would make somebody a nice, simple all-in-one gift. Next time your lips are in need of a little pick-me-up, definitely check this out!
This review contains a press sample sent to ABS by the brand's PR representative for blog consideration. If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.
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The Body Shop Lemonade Giveaway Winner!
It's that time again - time to announce our Body Shop Lemonade Giveaway winner that is! So without further ado (considering that I'm two days late on this) here she is - Stormie of Bite Size Baker!!! Stormie will be receiving the Sweet Lemon Body Butter, Sweet Lemon Lip Butter, Sweet Lemon Whip Body Lotion, Sweet Lemon Shower Gel and Sweet Lemon Body Scrub - so much lemony goodness in one package :).
Thanks again to The Body Shop for sponsoring such a generous giveaway, and for those of you who didn't win this time around, don't despair as I have several more amazing giveaways that'll be posted throughout the next two weeks in celebration of ABS' two year anniversary!
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ABS Turns Two!
As I mentioned the other day, ABS officially turns two day - that's 728 days of blogging behind me, and hopefully many more years of posts and reviews to come. The two years have flown by and I can't even say how much fun I've had sharing random bits of my life along with my musings on products over the years.
Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck by my humble little blog throughout the past two years, and of course a warm welcome to my newer readers who may have just discovered ABS - I hope you'll be with me for my next blogiversary! In honor of my blogiversary, I'll be hosting a two-week long celebration here on ABS replete with giveaways, discount codes, a move to Wordpress, and my forum launch. Please do stay tuned for it all!
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TGIF!
The weekend is nearly upon us, and all I can really say is - thank goodness! I don't know how much more of the work week I could've handled, and while this weekend is going to be insane for me (I'm cooking a 7 course formal dinner for a party of eight) I'm definitely looking forward to the reprieve from work.
Plus just last night I realized that the 2 year anniversary of ABS is nearly upon us! Can you believe that come Sunday, I'll have been blogging for a full two years? Despite the fact that I almost missed it, I've got some great things planned for next week (this was actually most by coincidence lol) including a new look for the blog (this may actually be mid-next week), the launch of my forum (finally!) and a bunch of fantastic giveaways, plus an ABS-exclusive Korres discount code. Hope you're all as excited for this as I am!
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L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Color Correcting Primers
I've been waiting for L'Oreal's Studio Secrets collection to be brought stateside ever since I heard about its launch in the UK, and while it doesn't look like we'll be getting the entire collection, I'm more than happy to settle for these Professional Color Correcting Primers. Available in three shades - green to counteract redness, pink to illuminate and add warmth to light complexions, and apricot to lend a radiant, healthy glow to medium/dark skintones - these primers are infused with moisturizing agents to ensure smooth, even foundation application.
Check out more details and photos after the jump!
L'Oreal's Studio Secrets Professional Color Correcting Primers not only come packaged in sleek tubes reminiscent of Make Up For Ever's HD Primers, but they're also contain SPF 15 to provide sun protection on a daily basis. The pink and apricot shades contain mother-of-pearl particles to provide you with a radiant complexion and I'm really hoping for great things. I'd usually go for the anti-redness, but I'm dying to see just how prominent the mother-of-pearl is in the anti-dull ones, so should I be lucky enough to happen upon these at one of my local drugstores (just checked Walgrees today with no luck) I'll be picking up the pink.
Have you tried these? Got your eye on them? Share in the comments!
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Urban Decay Friends & Family: Save 30%
I love the frequency and regularity with which Urban Decay brings us their always celebration-worthy 30% off F&F events - if there's one thing I love more than makeup, it's buying makeup at a discount! Now through April 19, 2010, use code: 1SFNF at checkout to save 30% on your total Urban Decay purchase (and as always, automatically get free-shipping on all orders over $50).
This time around I've got my eye on the All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($29), De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray ($29), and of course the De-Slick in a Tube ($28). Be sure to pop back to ABS to share your hauls!
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Giveaway: The Body Shop LemonAid Collection
To celebrate this wonderfully balmy weather we've been having (at least today), ABS will be giving away a complete set of The Body Shop's LemonAid collection - a great line that refreshed body & soul! This campaign has enabled The Body Shop to donate $15,000.00 to EPCAT-USA and The Somaly Mam Foundation to help stop sex trafficking. So how did they do it? Well people simply had to:
- Fan The Body Shop USA on Facebook = $2 donation
- Follow us on Twitter = $2 donation
- Use the hashtag #LemonAid on Twitter = $.50 donation
- Enter the sweepstakes to win a Sweet Lemon gift pack by entering your email = $1 donation
- Visit the “Squeeze Me!” widget and either squeeze a lemon or install the widget below. Every lemon squeeze = $.50 and each widget install = $1 donation
While the campaign has now ended, I'd say fan The Body Shop USA on Facebook and follow them on Twitter anyway for all the good that they've done! And of course, enter to win your very own LemonAid Collection - check out the deets after the jump!
The giveaway package is comprised of:
- Sweet Lemon Body Butter
- Sweet Lemon Lip Butter
- Sweet Lemon Whip Body Lotion
- Sweet Lemon Shower Gel
- Sweet Lemon Body Scrub
To enter just leave me a comment down below - the winner will be chosen at random. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only (sorry!) and ends midnight E.S.T. April 10th. Good luck!
This fantastic giveaway is sponsored by the wonderful people over at The Body Shop - while I do try to buy most of the products I giveaway myself, it gets rather expensive so I always appreciate PR companies offering fun giveaway opportunities for my readers! If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.
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Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow Primer Review & Swatches
TARINA TARANTINO Pearl Glow Primer
($32 for 1 oz.)
If you're in the market for a fantastic luminizing product that will give you a beautiful, youthful look, Pearl Glow is your product, but if you're still on the hunt for that perfect primer I've got some better suggestions coming your way sometime soon so stay tuned!
Since spotting Nicci Nix's seriously glowing complexion on American Idol, I've been a little obsessed with achieving that perfectly dewy, glowy look without looking greasy or like I have gigantor pores (which sadly I actually do), and to that end I've been playing around with a million different primers and highlighters that have promised me that healthy, luminescent glow. So how does the TARINA TARANTINO Pearl Glow Primer stack up? Click on after the jump for the review!
The Science: Pearl Glow Primer contains actual pearl powder, which from what I've heard is not only ideal for giving skin that glowly look, but is also pretty great for softening your complexion and reducing skin pigmentation. Yay for a multi-tasking product!
The Review: I've actually been using the Pearl Glow Primer in two different ways: (1) as a primer, and (2) as a highlighter, either blended right into my foundation or patted on top, and so of course you'll be getting a review of how the product performs in both respects.
As a primer Pearl Glow is decent - it doesn't rock my world and make me do a happy dance in the morning, but it does absorb quickly without leaving behind that somewhat greasy, slick feel so prevalent in primers heavy on the silicones (it has a sort of light moisturizer feel to it) . So why wasn't it love for me? Well here's the thing - if you've got nearly perfect skin and don't wear foundation, Pearl Glow applied over your usual skincare regimen will give you the most beautiful, luminescent, glowing looking skin without any of the strange multi-hued shine that a lot of luminzers can give, but if you're like me and need to apply a good amount of foundation over your primer, the luminosity pretty much disappears under it all. Why bother with a luminizing primer that disappears when you use it as primer?
As for how it looks and wears, I will say that it really helps my foundation shades to stay true all day long which I'm thrilled with, and it does a pretty good job of controlling my oilies all day long. So all in all it makes a solid primer, I guess I'm just a little disappointed that I don't get more luminosity out of it.
Swatches below!
The Review: I've actually been using the Pearl Glow Primer in two different ways: (1) as a primer, and (2) as a highlighter, either blended right into my foundation or patted on top, and so of course you'll be getting a review of how the product performs in both respects.
As a primer Pearl Glow is decent - it doesn't rock my world and make me do a happy dance in the morning, but it does absorb quickly without leaving behind that somewhat greasy, slick feel so prevalent in primers heavy on the silicones (it has a sort of light moisturizer feel to it) . So why wasn't it love for me? Well here's the thing - if you've got nearly perfect skin and don't wear foundation, Pearl Glow applied over your usual skincare regimen will give you the most beautiful, luminescent, glowing looking skin without any of the strange multi-hued shine that a lot of luminzers can give, but if you're like me and need to apply a good amount of foundation over your primer, the luminosity pretty much disappears under it all. Why bother with a luminizing primer that disappears when you use it as primer?
As for how it looks and wears, I will say that it really helps my foundation shades to stay true all day long which I'm thrilled with, and it does a pretty good job of controlling my oilies all day long. So all in all it makes a solid primer, I guess I'm just a little disappointed that I don't get more luminosity out of it.
Swatches below!
But while I do have my complaints about this as a primer, as a luminizer it's really second to none. Every other luminizer I've ever tried has emphasized my pores and given me a sort of odd pink luminescent glow that's not very flattering on my skintone, but Pearl Glow somehow manages to give all the glow without any of the accompanying weirdness. I like to mix a pump of it into my foundation pre-application, then to top it all off by patting small dots onto the tops of my cheekbones, along the bridge of my nose and just a tiny bit on my forehead (basically all the sports the sun would naturally reflect off of).
If you're in the market for a fantastic luminizing product that will give you a beautiful, youthful look, Pearl Glow is your product, but if you're still on the hunt for that perfect primer I've got some better suggestions coming your way sometime soon so stay tuned!
Ingredients: Water, Octyldodecanol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, Glycerin, Alumina, Manganese Dioxide, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Sodium Hydroxide, Pearl Powder, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)
I obsessively checked the Sephora stores to see if the Tarina Tarantino line had launched and when I saw this I snatched it up - I mean if I don't spoil myself, who's going to spoil me, right? ;)
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Sensai Cellular Performance Hydrachange Cream Review & Swatches
Thank you so much to all of you who've reached out to let me know that my daily posts have been missed - I love hearing from you amidst all the craziness of work, it really brightens my day. So given all the stress I've been under (and the massive sleep-deprivation I've been experiencing) you'd think that my skin would be going haywire, but thanks to the soothing, hydrating gentleness that is Sensai's new Hydrachange Cream, my skin hasn't been betraying the chaos that happens to be my life. Check out the full review after the jump!
The Science: Hydrachange Cream is an uber-gentle gel cream that imparts a refreshing moist sensation upon application. Sensai's unique Hyaluronic Acid Supporting Network evenly distributes Hydrachange Complex, (made up of a marine monosaccharide to improve firmness and smoothness, beta-carotene to promote hyaluronic acid synthesis and a hyaluronate to boost collagen) with water and emollient oils to clam the skin while sealing in moisture for constant hydration.
The Good: My simultaneously super oily and super dry (and always super-irritated) skin loves loves LOVES Hydrachange Cream. Over the nearly three months that I've been using this cream (never have I stuck with a single moisturizer this long) my pores have noticeably decreased in sizes, my skin is balanced and happy, and I've experienced nary a dry flake during the cold winter months. This gel cream has a wonderfully light, almost watery texture that makes moisturizing such a pleasure in the morning (I hate struggling with a super thick cream) and is infused with the fresh, feminine, comforting fragrance of plum blossoms blended with notes of sandalwood, rose and jasmine (which are also supposed to boost hyaluronic acid synthesis in the dermis). Have I also mentioned that I haven't experienced a single major breakout since I started using this cream? It's heaven I tell you, pure heaven!
The Bad: I do have to say that there was one small hitch in the ABS/Hydrachange Cream love story - stickiness. If there's one thing I hate, it's a sticky skincare product, and Hydrachange doesn't dry to a completely matte finish, but rather remains slightly sticky to the touch throughout the day. I do, however, think that this is why this particular product moisturizes so well and is so incredibly hydrating, so I really shouldn't complain. PLUS happily I've found that perfect skincare combination that makes for happy skin and a nice, smooth feel - I layer Hydrachange over my ever-trusty Estee Lauder Idealist (I've been using this stuff for years) and it settles into a nice and smooth, non-tacky finish that foundation just glides right over.
As promised, here are the ingredients!
The Verdict: While my wallet cringes (just a little) at the $160 for 1.4 oz. price, to be honest I'd pay pretty much any price for beautiful, happy skin, and so when sample jar (generously provided to me by the wonderful Sensai PR people) goes empty, I'll be dragging myself over to the Kanebo counter at Bergdorf to restock.
Availability: Sensai's Hydrachange Series is available at Bergdorf Goodman, BergdorfGoodman.com and NeimanMarcus.com (online only). Do check out the line, it's one of my favorite brands ever!
This review contains a press sample sent to ABS by the brand's PR representative for blog consideration. If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.
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Lipstick Queen Mystery Chinatown Pencil Review & Swatches
Some weeks back Gilt had a Lipstick Queen sample sale, so naturally I hauled a few items including this Lipstick Queen Chinatown pencil. This line isn't too widely carried (I've pretty much only seen it at Barney's), which is a small tragedy considering all the fun items they make, but I was more than happy to pick up this pencil for only $12!
Lipstick Queen's Chinatown pencils are sheer, moisturizing glosses in an easy-to-use draw-on pencil form and Mystery was love at first swipe for me. Check out the full review and more photos after the jump!
So what's to love? Well pretty much everything - my inner child loves cosmetics that come in big fat pencil form - maybe I feel like I'm being naughty and drawing on my face, maybe it makes me think of coloring books and crayons - either way, there's just something so pure and innocent about it all :). And to top it all off, the Chinatown pencils come boxed with their own fat pencil-appropriate sharpener, meaning you won't have to go hunting all over the place for something that'll be the perfect fit. Gotta love it when cosmetics companies take practicalities into consideration for us!
The formula is sheer so if you're looking for color that'll pack a punch, look away. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a lightweight, semi-sheer kiss of color with a glossy finish minus the stickiness of a conventional gloss, you've found your product.
Mystery looks to be a dark, vampy, kinda scary shade of deep purpley brown, but on the lips it's this gorgeous berry stain reminiscent of the "I just had a popsicle" look. It's a subtle look with buildable pigmentation, and a great option for those who've to add a little non-scary color to their makeup arsenals.
Please ignore the splotchiness in the lip swatch - these photos were taken awhile back and I'd actually just burned my lip (long story short I bit into an extremely hot dumpling that dripped scalding liquid onto my lip, resulting in several raised welts).
So while the Lipstick Queen Chinatown pencils aren't the longest lasting (non-sticky = not too long wearing) as I'd say they disappears in about an hour or two, they really do make for some good clean fun and are definitely a nice addition to my lippie collection.
I purchased this product myself as I've been dying to own some Lipstick Queen for years now. Next on my list of things to do - to meet Lipstick Queen creator Poppy King, who I've heard as absolutely AMAZING and seriously just a gem of a person.
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ABS' Five: New & Noteworthy
HD Microfinish Blush combines mattifying and reflecting powders to create a soft-focus effect for a radiant complexion. Its ultra-fine, second-skin texture blends seamlessly, imparting a healthy glow that's hard not to notice.
I'm not big on the non-powder blushes, but this is the first HD blush I've ever seen, and so of course I'm insanely curious and lemming this like crazy! I've got my eye on Truth or Dare (an eye-popping hot pink) and Walk of Shame (a sweet bubblegum pink).
This powerful treatment and skin-perfecting face primer in one instantly fills wrinkles and produces a smooth and perfected skin surface—ensuring long-lasting make up application. The formula is enriched with powerful antioxidant Quercetin and Oak extracts, which improve skin cell functioning, repair fine lines and wrinkles, and improve skin texture and elasticity. The revolutionary, breakthrough Quercetin & Oak Age-reversing Primer is clinically proven to improve skin texture by 97% and significantly increase skin elasticity by 88%.
I'm on a pretty major primer kick lately (trust me you'll see - I have a million primer reviews headed your way), and just today I whipped out the Korres Quercetin & Oak Age-Reversing Primer for a test-run. Love that it's -cone free (silicones without fail break me out, no matter how fabulous they make my complexion look) and this stuff feels heavenly on the skin. Review to come!
Enriched with Vitamin E, Prodigy hydrates the lips with a silky and non-tacky formula, while offering superior water-resistant color.
Hourglass suckered me in with the packaging on this one, but it was the light, silky smooth formula that won me over. Available in six subtle shimmering shades, these Prodigy Hydrating Lip Glosses are not only darling in all their squat pudginess, but also pack a healthy dose of moisture and lip-soothing comfort. Not the most practical (or inexpensive) little things, but certainly lemming-worthy.
This innovative, medium-coverage formula is energized with Stila's exclusive Ionic Mineral Complex™ that reads and reacts to skin zone-by-zone, visibly priming, balancing, correcting, and optimizing for a supremely flawless finish. Achieve a beautifully smooth look with this buildable, blendable, hydrating essential that minimizes pores, regulates oil, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
I honestly don't know why I want this, but the fact remains that I do. I have yet to try a Stila foundation (other than this one horribly dark sample packet I got from Sephora once) but this one just appeals to me. I'm thinking it's the words "One Step" in the name - I'm all about ease and simplicity in my makeup routine.
Korres Love Your Lips Collection brings you all the products you need to get your lips in prime-puckering condition. The two delectable cherry oil lip glosses come in natural shades and glide smoothly onto the lips for a shiny look, and are rich in cherry oil to moisturize and smooth. The gentle-yet-effective Lemon exfoliating scrub prepares lips for long-lasting lip color. Lips are left soft and nourished due to the proprietary blend of coconut flour, jojoba seed oil, and beeswax moisturize and condition lips. Also included is a Jasmine Lip Butter, which contains natural ingredients that melt onto the lips, leaving a shiny, tinted finish. The combination of shea butter and rice wax offers deep hydration and softness, making the formula ideal for chapped lips.
I've got Korres on the brain lately, and if you've been following me for the past few months, you'll know that I absolutely adore their Lip Butters - these are right up there with my Sara Happ Lip Slip and Lisa Hoffman Lip Moisturizer. This kit is not only a great value but guaranteed to get that pout into pucker-worthy shape!
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