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MAKE UP FOR EVER doesn’t have a ton of gift sets out for the holidays, but one of them deserves a shout out because it’s one of my favorite kind of sets.  The Wild & Chic Best of MAKE UP FOR EVER Kit is a collection of six different MAKE UP FOR EVER favorites.  I love these sets because they’re an economical way to build up your product collection, but they’re also a great way to try products you’ve heard a lot about but never tested too.

The set has six items in it – a Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara, an HD Microfinish Powder, a travel Aqua Eyes liner in Mat Black, an HD Microperfecting Primer, a Lab Shine gloss in a pearly pink beige shade, and an Aqua Cream in Warm Beige, a champagne shimmer.  I’ve tried all of the products in here and they’re all great, so it’s a fabulous deal to take them all home for $55.  I especially love the Aqua Cream (I’m obsessed with them and have every single shade) and the HD Microfinish Powder, which makes skin look practically poreless.  Why can’t ever brand do a “Best of” set?  It would make my life so much easier!

How much do we love Benefit product names?  So much, right?  They’re all so damn cute and catchy!  I’m Glam… Therefore I Am is one of their new holiday palettes and it’s chock full of products you can use to glam up for a big night out.  In the kit, you’ll find four different shadows, in shades of pinks, purples and grays, a face powder with a mixture of peach and rose shades, a miniature Girl Meets Pearl highlighter, a mini Bad Gal Lash, and a travel-sized gloss in a bubble gum pink shade. The thing I love about Benefit’s sets is they’re always so complete – you can pack this palette in your bag and have enough products to create an entire look, which always makes things easier.  It’s also great how coordinated the colors all are – they go together perfectly on my fair skin with green eyes complexion.  Plus, you can always slip the mini products out of the kit and throw them into your bag individually, always nice when you travel.  I love getting glammed up with this fun palette!

Benefit also has a new highlighter, Watt’s Up, out for the holidays.  (Well, technically it came out a little while ago, but I’m just now getting around to trying it, so it’s new to me!)  It’s a cream to powder highlighter in a champagne shade that conveniently comes in a tube with the highlighter in stick form at one end and a blending sponge at the other.  (Ingenius packaging, by the way).  I like using it underneath my brows as a highlighter on my eyes or on the top of my cheekbones to let them stand out a little.  It’s a fun way to glimmer a little or add a little glow to your look, especially at night.  Also, I just love that it’s a highlighter called Watt’s Up.  Adorable!  In my next life, I really want to come back as the person who names Benefit’s products.  How fun would that be?

This year’s holiday collections are my downfall because so far, I haven’t seen a single one that I don’t love.  I’ve spent WAY too much money already picking up one more thing that I “need” and it’s not even December yet.  This does not bode well for my Christmas present budget (sorry, family!)  The latest collection to get my seal of approval is NARS’ Holiday 2011 collection.  I got a chance to test out a few of the products and they’re all fabulous. (more…)

I feel like the holiday sets I’ve played around with this year so far have all been fabulous.  I can’t remember another year when I walked into Sephora and literally oohed and aahed my way from aisle to aisle.  So much fun stuff!  Now that I’ve played around with some of LORAC‘s holiday offerings, I can add my obsession with them to the list.  (more…)

As much as I love walking into a store and picking up beauty products, there’s something so fun about making them up yourself and customizing them exactly how you’d like them.  That’s the vision behind the new Truth Art Beauty brand from creators Caron Proschan and Emily Graham.  The two women were Harvard Business School classmates and share the belief that beauty products should be like food – natural, unprocessed, fresh and seasonal.  Making products this way is not only healthier, but it allows for better results because the maximum concentration of antioxidants and nutrients can be delivered to skin cells. (more…)

My new favorite look is gold eyes paired with a bold red lip.  It’s just classic and festive and all around pretty.  Dior’s new Couture Golds 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette is an easy way to get yourself familiar with gold shadow and play around with different looks.  The palette has five different shades in it – a dark sparkly brown, a light beige, a shimmery vanilla, a bronze, and a glittery gold in the middle.  The shades are soft and blend easily and they all go together really well, so you can use them in different combos.  I really like the dark brown as a liner because it’s not an overwhelming glitter, it’s just a nice, understated sparkle.  It’s always fun to have a neutral palette that can be used at night too, and Dior’s shadows are some of the best out there.  I can’t wait to see the rest of their Holiday 2011 collection!

Target is one of my favorite weekend destinations (sad, I know…) so whenever they add to their greatness, I’m always excited.  They’ve just introduced a new line of face and body products called NIP + FAB and so far, I’m loving the three products I got a chance to preview.  The line was created by Maria Hatzistefanis to fill a gap that she saw in the marketplace for a serious, affordable mass-market range of products for both men and women and has already been a smashing success in the UK.  There are nineteen products in the line and out of those, I was able to try the Dry Leg Fix, the Eye Fix and the Scrub Fix.  (more…)

How much do I love Stila’s new Dream in Full Color Palette?  So much!  It’s a HUGE palette in a design that was inspired by the shape of a dreamcatcher and the colorful burst of a kaleidoscope and it just looks so pretty.  It has a crazy big selection of eye shadows in it – a total of 29 different colors ranging from neutrals to bold greens and blues.  Basically, once you have this, there aren’t too many eye looks you couldn’t create with it.  Along the outside of the palette, there are seven different cheek colors as well to go with the shadows.  I’m very happy about this because blushes are the makeup product I least like spending money on, so to have so many new ones in one place is fabulous.  The palette also comes with a Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Stingray, a deep black.  (If you haven’t tried their Smudge Sticks, you need to.  They’re great). 

Plus, in the box, you’ll also get a 12 page lookbook to help you create tons of fabulous looks yourself – great if you’re someone who likes to follow instructions or benefits from a visual aid.  At $39, the palette would also make a great gift (maybe a Secret Santa present for a friend at work?)  Or you could just do what I’ve been doing with most of the holiday makeup so far, keep it for yourself.  (I know, I know, I have so much already.  But it’s all so pretty.  I can’t help myself!)

It officially started feeling like the holiday season was within reach on my last trip to the mall when I saw the display of all of Bobbi Brown‘s new holiday palettes.  I adore Bobbi’s holiday offerings every year and this one is no exception.  I was lucky enough to get to play around with three of the palettes and it’s all out Bobbi love from me.  (more…)

I consider myself somewhat of an expert on drugstore lipstick, mainly because I’m incapable of going into one without walking out with at least one or two new lipsticks.  My new favorite is L’Oreal’s Infallible Le Rouge.  It’s a recent addition to their already impressive line of products, and I’m really loving it.  The formula is great – for a mass-market brand (actually, for any brand), the shades are super moisturizing and don’t dry out my lips at all, which is my number one most important desire in a lipstick.  (Because, really, who wants to have to moisturize your lips AFTER you put on your color?  It’s a whole extra step).  The colors last for a really long time – I’d say I get a good 4-5 hours or so of wear out of the darker shades, which for me is great since I drink water constantly and so a lot of times my color wears off on my glass.   (more…)