Hubby Update and Urban Decay Goodies

First off - my husband had surgery yesterday and is doing well. I will still not be able to post as often, so my hiatus is being extended. lol. You prolly get tired of all my yapping anyway right? :)

Second, Urban Decay has put together an awesome little eye make-up set. Genius really, and just in time for the holidays.

Yes, it's gaudy and a little blinding to look at, but it's what's on the inside that counts. ;) In two color choices, "Spandex" (black) or "Baked" (gold), this Best of Urban set contains a liner pencil, liquid glitter liner, eyeshadow, (and they have the cutest shadow pots out of anyone!) and a travel sized bottle of primer potion! The potion bottle isn't as cute as the original genie bottle, but it's great to have travel sizes of all your goods, for your handbag, or for, well, TRAVELING! It sells for $32 bucks, and as always, if you spend $75 or more on their site, you get free shipping.

With the country in a financial crisis, i'm all about pinching my pennies, believe me. But sometimes i need a pick me up when times are tough, and for a little over $30 bucks, this set lifts my spirits just looking at it. LOL!

Review: Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer

Well, this past week, Target had Revlon's new "Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer" foundation primer on sale for $10.89 down from the usual $12-ish. I had Target & Revlon coupons so in the end, i spent $5.89 + tax for a .85 fl. oz. tube of the stuff.

I compared the primer to Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

Side by side my initial impression was that Revlon goes on "wetter" than Smashbox. So I would venture to say that if you have dry skin, or if Smashbox ever felt drying to you, Revlon may feel more comfortable on your skin.

Perhaps because of whatever makes it "wetter", this product also seems much more noticeable on. As in, I am aware of it being on my face for some time after I apply it, like it is thicker or heavier... I've never noticed that with Smashbox.

Second, Revlon's primer is scented, & this feature really bugs me. It is a faint fresh scent, but the idea of adding fragrance to something that you put on your face, RIGHT NEAR YOUR NOSE, strikes me as a bad idea. It's so unnecessary. I wonder if the fragrance will cause any negative effect for sensitive skin users. I would caution you to try it in a small inconspicuous area first, if you have sensitivity to such things.

The first time i ever used Smashbox, i rubbed a bit on the back of my hand at the store. I was like WOW! because instantly, my skin looked smoother, my pores looked way smaller and the effect was dramatic. (Not to mention it felt good on, and wasn't SCENTED!) When i tried the same thing with Revlon, it didn't have that wow factor.

So then I wore the Revlon primer under my minerals yesterday and i just wasn't impressed. My make up stayed put, but Bare Minerals have a way of doing that on their own. The reason i like using the Smashbox primer is because of how great it makes my skin look before and after i apply the mineral foundation. I just didn't notice the same effect with the Revlon primer.

Perhaps Revlon's primer would be better reviewed by someone who uses liquid foundation. It has, after all, premiered along with an entire line of Beyond Natural Skin Matching liquid make up. It's possible that i don't see a dramatic result because it isn't meant to be used with mineral foundation. Then again, neither is Smashbox's primer, yet i love the combo.

So I'm at a loss. I hate to say don't buy it if i just haven't used it in conjunction with the correct products. But i hate to say GO GET IT! when i'm not really impressed by it. I'll say for the price, it isn't a bad product to keep in your arsenal. Especially if you don't want to shell out $36 for the other. If you are simply in the market for something just like Smashbox but with a lower price tag, this isn't it.

Is it what's on the inside that counts?

No, I'm not about to get all deep on you here. We all know the old saying about beauty being on the inside. (For the record, i totally believe it's what is on the inside that counts most. I am only slightly vain, and make-up is my hobby, not my identity. *end of PSA*)

No, today, i'm talking about packaging. Cosmetic packaging. How often do you buy something just because the packaging was cute or caught your eye? Like i said on the Posh Brush review, i like not only the purpose and quality of products, but the color scheme used to decorate it, the font used to brand it, and on occasion, the packaging.

Take for example, the Urban Decay Brow Box. When i had my brows waxed, Eyebrow Genius used Benefit Browzings on me. And hello, Browzings? Hecka cute name. (That's right, I said "hecka".) I put a Browzing compact into my basket, but quickly ditched it for the Urban Decay Brow Box, because i was IN LOVE with the box it came in, the purple tin decoration on top, the little pop out drawer of brow wax, the miniature brush and tweezers... It was a must have!

Even in the drugstore, i barely glance at Revlon cosmetics, because the packaging is so plain, it looks almost generic or something. But Loreal H.I.P. draws me like a magnet to a refrigerator. When i first ever discovered NYX cosmetics, i loved the presentation. The display was so me - a metal freestanding shelf with swirly accents, everything perfectly lined up and organized, the eyeshadow colors going in order from green to blue to purple to pink to red. I loved the single shadow pots and the fact that the lid was see thru so that when i look into my makeup drawer i can grab just the color i want. All of my Clinique shadows come in slide out or mirrored compact type garb, and it never failed that i grabbed at 3 before finding the one i was looking for. So yeah, I'm a sucker for presentation and function.

What about you dear readers? Do you pay attention to such things? Or am i simply a marketing directors dream come true? A sheeple that blindly follows whatever appears pink and purple before me? Do you have some fave cosmetics that i may miss because the display isn't swirly? Tell me about them. I want to know what else I've been missing out on just because it wasn't shiny or flashy or blinking at me. ;)

How to Apply Bare Minerals

My version of how to apply Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals. Good music too!

ETA: I should mention that my left eye looks extra dark, and has a big lump on my brow bone because i smacked it against the front door. *sigh* Have you ever read my blogger profile? The worst part of it was i tripped walking up to the front door after jamming to starbucks, and while falling FACE FIRST, i also managed to dump $10 worth of coffee all over the front step. As much as my face hurt, i was crying for my mocha.

Review: Boots No7 Mattifying Make-Up Base

I recently received a sample of Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer. It never dawned on me to use a primer with my minerals, (even though Bare Minerals markets one, duh). so i tried my Smashbox sample and loved it, and used it until it was all gone. A few days later I was making the usual HBA rounds at Target and found a foundation primer by Boots No. 7. I heart Boots, so i snatched it up. Mattifying Make-Up Base, priced just right at $6.99, comes in regular and GREEN, for those needing to neutralize a red face. I chose the regular one and excitedly tried it the next day.

~*~*~*Sound the GONG! We have a LOSER! *~*~*~

This stuff is awful. Plain and simple. Forget trying to BLEND it. It is "Matte" in every way and can't be smoothed on no matter which way you try. It actually freaks me out because it feels like my skin is being tugged and pulled while trying to blend it in. HELLO FUTURE WRINKLES! I didn't see any significant difference in my make up while using this, but i DID flip down the visor mirror in time to see a smear of this stuff that hadn't blended in and was CRUSTY AND WHITE on my face. Take it from me, learn from my wasted $6.99 + tax - it's worthless. Don't buy it.

Similar in appearance to Smashbox's primer is a newbie by Revlon called Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer. It is SO going into my cart next time. Stay tuned!

Foundation Primer

So I was just working on a product review about a foundation primer, and I decided to first write a quickie about what the stuff is for. I, for one, had no clue this was another thing i "needed" as a part of my make up routine. And need is used extremely loosely here, since I of all people know that busy mommies can't be all willy~nilly adding EXTRA "to-do's" to their days. It has to be worth it.

I wouldn't say this needs to be a part of your daily make-up prep, but for outings, extra hot and humid days, special events, date night, etc. foundation primer is a great tool. What it does is, PRIMES your face by reducing the look of large pores & fine lines, and overall smooths your skin before you apply your foundation. So your foundation goes on better, looks more even, and lasts much longer. Clinique makes a product meant specifically for helping to control excessively oily areas on your face, such as your T-Zone.

I recently tried a few products and liked one by Smashbox a lot. That one was definitely "worth it" because besides paving the perfect way for my foundation, it actually felt very good going onto my skin. It's not a lotion, but not a typical gel. Almost like it would be greasy, except it isn't. Does that make sense? :)

There are a few other's I plan to try. A new one by Revlon, and another by Rimmel that I've yet to see in person. There is a rumor floating around, that a particular product made by MONISTAT is an excellent foundation primer! LOL! Supposedly Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel is a surprise foundation primer and women everywhere love it so much, they are overcoming their personal embarrassment to purchase it. I haven't tried it yet, but if you are brave enough to purchase it from the teenaged BOY working the register, print the coupon at the bottom of the linked page to save $2.00 on it!

Urban Decay Product Reviews

Urban Decay Primer Potion:
I recently purchased the Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP) eyeshadow base and I'm in LOVE with it. If you frequent many beauty blogs or forums, you know that this stuff is a MUST HAVE. (I purchased mine for $16 at ULTA, but it's also available at Sephora or Urban Decay's website.)
This stuff is so awesome that one night i went to bed without washing my face and the next morning i STILL had most of my eyeshadow on. LOL! One bit of caution - it works so well, that blending can be hard with the first shadow that you apply over it. So if you plan to do a lot of blending to the first layers, you may want to lightly sweep a neutral shadow on your lid first. This stuff is like an eyeshadow magnet! If you haven't already heard, the bottle that holds this miracle potion can be a little tricky to completely empty. There are many tutorials out there on this, but here is one that is short and sweet. Just be careful! *Rating ~ 4 & 1/2 STARRS*.

Urban Decay Brow Box:
When I had my brows waxed, Stephanie, (AKA Eyebrow Genius) recommended the Benefit brow kit "Browzings" and it was a great little kit. However, when i was shopping the Urban Decay Aisle, i saw this UD Brow Box and fell in love with it. It is adorable and has everything you need to touch up and perfectly style your brows, and it's available in 4 color combinations. I got mine for $29 at Ulta in "Brown Sugar". I take the little brush and dab it - NOT swipe it - in the darkest color, then one dab in the lighter color, then apply. I follow up with the wax to keep my brows groomed all day. The box has a mirror and tweezers if you need to do any small touch ups, and it's small enough to carry in your purse if you want! (This kit is also available for $29 at Sephora and UrbanDecay.com.) *Rating ~ 5 STARRS*


You may remember from the videos during my trip that i desperately wanted a particular eyeshadow color and couldn't find it in stock. I ended up purchasing a similar shadow by Urban Decay called "Last Call". I LOVE IT TO BITS. It is gorgeous and seriously, it's worth a little extra because UD's shadows glide on perfectly. Well, there is a fantastic deal available at ULTA or Sephora, where you can get the UDPP AND an eyeshadow palette that includes Last Call - all for only $39! (I spent $32 on just my primer and ONE eyeshadow.) The Eyeshadow Ammo kit is $34 by itself! This way you get a full sized Primer Potion and an Eyeshadow Ammo palette of 10 shadows for $11 LESS than if you purchased separately. PLEASE BUY IT! Please someone buy it and tell me all about it. I'd buy it but I recently got BUSTED for my last ULTA shopping spree and am on a NO SHOP until the year 2025. :)