I recently ordered some Pure Luxe Eye Shadow samples and a Soothing Calamine Facial Bar (rec'd by Vanessa of Nessasary Makeup) from the Pure Luxe website. My goodies arrived today so I took some pictures and swatches to share with you all!

Here is my Pure Luxe Haul:


Shadow swatches (the combination reminds me of NYX's Hippie Chic Trio!) applied wet, with flash:

Earrings from Amuse:


What do you think of the new site layout, by the way? Are there any categories you would like to see more of, or less of? Let me know!

Tonight at Target I hauled a few new goodies, including a cute hoodie (can't beat $22), Pure & Natural hand soap, and some facial buff puffs.

Most excitingly though, I snatched up NP Set's Pasarella Powder Foundation (in Light)... which is simply amazing. I wasn't even looking for a new powder foundation when I found this little baby. I swatched the tester and applied it sparingly to a blemished area that was troubling me. Under the fluorescent Target makeup test area, which is new by the way, I expected to see a very unattractive face in the mirror. I was shocked to see this foundation had smoothed over my blemish without highlighting any flakiness, and without looking caked on. It even appeared about 80% concealed. It was a miracle!!!

NP Set Pasarella Powder Foundation comes in a cute white compact that has a separate area to hold the powder puff it comes with. I prefer applying my powder foundation with a Kabuki brush, but for a quick touch up, this puff isn't so bad. There are some cute star designs on the powder itself. The powder is layerable, so you can get medium to maximum coverage. This is awesome on all skin types because it does not highlight dry areas, and it seems to moderately soak up oil. Apparently, there is shea butter and pomegranate in here as well to moisturize and deliver antioxidants. Score!

Anyway, considering I bought this foundation quite recently, I know it isn't quite fair to review it without giving it a little time to see how my skin likes it. That being said, I like it so far. The $30 price tag is definite steep for the discriminating drugstore shopper... but if you are a drugstore/cosmetics counter drifter like myself, it could certainly be worth the price.

My only concern is that the NP Set line could be a flop entirely and then Target will be getting rid of it. But, if that happened, I could just stock up at a discounted price! So, no biggie.

Give it a shot :)

Check out NP Set by Napoleon Perdis at Target.com or at your local Target store!

Well, well, well... what have we here? Looks like I'm resurrecting an old and neglected category: SWAV Props!

Today I'd like to feature actress, singer, model, etc., Miss Claudia Lynx! I had never even heard of Claudia until tonight, when I saw a website comparing her to Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls.

I think Claudia Lynx is absolutely stunning. So gorgeous, in fact, that I just had to give her "props" on her amazing look! It seems that she keeps her makeup natural, with an emphasis on her full lashes and black, smoky eyeliner. The result? An amazingly exotic and breathtaking style! Oh my gosh, and those eyebrows are just perfection. She resembles Angelina Jolie a little bit too, no?

Are you familiar with Claudia's work? Have you heard of her before? What do you think? Let me know!

Carol at Mineral Concepts was nice enough to send me a preview of her Java Collection Eye Shadows! These babies are amazing!!!

If you haven't noticed already, fall trends this year are forecasting a bronze, brown, or nude eye paired with a deep lip shade. The entire Java Collection (Latte, Mocha, Coffeebean, Cappuccino, Chocolate, Java Gold, and Tiger Spice) is absolutely perfect for making those dramatic, yet neutral, looks fall into place.


I am posting some swatches of the collection. The shadows are all in loose mineral form, and were applied wet (foiled) with no primer for these photos. Also, I used flash to pick up the shimmer and detail in each shadow.



Mineral Concepts Eye Shadows feel very lightweight and blendable on. If you are wearing mineral powder foundation, you might as well be wearing mineral eye shadow as well! These gorgeous shades look like they stepped right out of a coffeehouse on to the runway! The pigmentation is awesome, and they last very well also. I usually prime my lids with Urban Decay Primer Potion before applying shadows, so I suggest you do the same to get the most life out of all your eyeshadows.

The Java collection from Mineral Concepts is your best bet for shimmering, sultry browns, golds, and bronze shades. "Mocha" is a perfect nude shade with the finest, most slight shimmer. I personally love "Latte", a deliciously cold, shimmering taupe, and "Chocolate", a decadent dark brownie-batter brown with hints of copper. Mmm... all this talk is making me hungry!

Check out Mineral Concepts NOW to get these shadows for yourself! At $4 each for a 3g size, these little sweeties are a steal. I promise, you'll love them!

Perhaps this snarky of a post is against my character, but for some reason, I was really feeling it today! Browsing Celebutopia, my favorite celebrity candid/photoshoot forum site, I happened to spot this recent image of Lindsay Lohan:

Umm... what is going on with the breakouts, Linds? If I were rich and famous, I would certainly be able to afford flawless skin.

Oh, and lest we forget this little number....

I have taken the liberty of opening up my own E-crater store so that my readers can have an opportunity to shop my stash! Most of the items here are used 1x or just swatched for blog purposes, and then wound up in my product graveyard... so I've decided to bring 'em out to find a new home.

There are also a few new, untouched products available for your enjoyment as well! I've got a bit of everything so head on over!

Also, for a limited time (until they run out) you will receive two free samples with each order.

Most shipping is $1. each except on certain, rare, items. If you have any questions, let me know. Please take a look, and happy shopping!

Can't get enough of Make Up For Ever's HD line? Love Cargo Blu-Ray? Well, then I have some great news for you! Kryolan has just introduced it's very own High Definition Micro Foundation line!

That's right, Kyrolan has formulated new liquid, cream, and powder foundations to be flattering even in high-definition, such as photos or tv. I had the opportunity to try some samples, and I was pleased with the results. Check out the images below!


I am an avid mineral makeup wearer, so liquid foundation is not usually my cup of tea. Although Kryolan Mattifying Mirco Foundation was slightly fragranced, I did not experience any breakouts or problems on the areas I applied it. It felt very lightweight on, and seemed to provide excellent coverage. I did notice a slight settling in to fine lines when I tested this product on my hand, however it was very minimal. The color match looked like it would not blend in as seamlessly as it did. All in all, I was pleased with this liquid foundation.

The Kryolan Micro Foundation Cream I tried was a good medium to full coverage base. The cream foundation was also fragranced, and seemed to be oil based. I, of course, would not dream of trying this on my oily skin, but if you are looking for a nicely blendable moisturizing cream for full coverage, definitely check this out.

Lastly, but certainly not least, was the Kryolan Micro Silk Powder. This powder is meant to be used as a finishing touch to your makeup to allow it to set and remain beautiful throughout the day. This powder is awesome. It is super-finely milled so it does not look cakey or powdery at all once it is on. It has no fragrance and felt extremely light and airy on my skin. This product provides no coverage, but over your existing foundation it will make you look airbrushed and lovely. I highly recommend it!

For more information, check out Kryolan's website!

What do you think of Kryolan's new line? Do you think High Definition cosmetics are just a fad, or the next big thing? Let me know!

Here we have miss Mila Kunis at the Comic Con convention! She looks uber-dressed down, and seems to even have a Dawson's Creek Katie Holmes air about her. I, personally, like it.


I think she looks great natural, and that it is refreshing to see a celebrity look like a real person, but still gorgeous, in event photos.

Want to nab Mila's look for yourself? Keep it natural! Just do a simple base with some light concealer or tinted moisturizer, and eliminate shine with a matte powder, like MAC Blot Powder. Keep your eyebrows well groomed, like Mila's, and fill in with powder or brow wax as needed. Messy eyebrows will make this look appear grungy, in a bad way. Add a little smudgey brown liner and mascara, and you're good to go!

What do you think of Mila's natural make up look?

Image Credits:
Celebutopia Forum - User "Terminator"
http://www.celebutopia.net/forum/showthread.php/mila-kunis-poses-comic-con-2008-convention-san-82461.html

Here is a candid shot of Kim Kardashian at Coco Deville Nightclub. I am completely in awe at the amazing-ness that is this girl's eyelashes. I mean, come on. Her eyelashes must not be really that long, right? Does Kim have eyelash extensions?


What do you think? They look so natural! But they could be fake, I guess. If not, those are some awesome lashes. Maybe Kim wears individual false lashes, and/or fiber enhanced mascara.

For long lashes, well, as long as mine will let them naturally go without falsies, I like to use NYX Doll Eye Mascara or Imju Fiberwig.

What are your favorite long lash tricks? Let me know!

Image Credits:
Celebutopia Forum - User "Terminator"
http://www.celebutopia.net/forum/showthread.php/kim-kardashian-arrives-coco-deville-nightclub-west-hollywood-85231.html

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Heroes star Hayden Panettiere looks amazing here! The short new 'do really looks great, and she definitely looks more mature with those wine red lips. Gorgeous :)


Wanna glow like Hayden? You should try a shimmer-infused gold/pink highlighter like Benefit's Moonbeam or Milani Blush in Luminous. Both will give you an awesome glow that is subtle, yet shimmering.

Now, for those deep and rich lips! I am thinking that the color Hayden has on is a wine based shade, with a slightly shimmery gloss over top. One of MAC's new Lustre Twins, such as "Red Reflection" with "Mirror" over top could recreate this look. Or, for a budget-beauty look, a shade such as "Wine Shimmer" from Almay's Ideal Lipgloss line could work as well.

What do you think of Hayden's make up look? Any additional suggestions?

Image Credits:
Celebutopia Forum - User "Xenobyte"
http://www.celebutopia.net/forum/showthread.php/hayden-panettiere-netflix-live-location-concert-and-screening-84115.html

Sephora.com is once again keeping our beauty in check by offering some lovely cosmetics kits of our favorite brands. I love kits because they often come in cute bags that you can always reuse for your staple makeup, and because they introduce you to products that you otherwise might not have thought twice about. Also, they are great because you are usually getting a steal in buying more products for less. Here are a few picks that I pulled from the "Just Arrived" section on Sephora's website:

Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Kit ($89. value for $46) -- How cute is this bag!

Smashbox Master's Class Vol. 3 Complexion Perfection ($176. value for $59.) -- Great for skin perfecting on the go... this kit has everything you need for flawlessness... love the brushes, and it ships for free!

Shiseido Dick Page Summer Collection Kit ($132. value for $126.) -- Handpicked by Shiseido artistic director Dick Page... featuring a little bit of everything in bright and wearable shades. Also, ships for free!

So, if you are in the market to try some new products, use up a Sephora gift card, or give a cool makeup gift... check out these awesome sets that are sure to please!

What do you think? Anything you wanna try?

Estee Lauder Maximum Cover is a concealer/foundation that has been around quite a while. I have heard good things about this product so I decided to check it out at Lord and Taylor one day. I purchased it in "Creamy Vanilla" and was on my way. For the first day, I was thrilled with this product. It lived up to all of its claims and completely covered any flaws I was currently having. It was fragrance free, nontransferable, had an SPF of 15, and you only needed the tiniest amount -- it was just perfect.

However, the next day I noticed that with all that coverage, came extreme pore-clogging. Now, the tube says "non-acnegenic", not "non-comedogenic" so ok it won't cause acne, but it will clog up your pores and cause whiteheads and painful bumps that take weeks to go away... aka "acne". Awesome.

I took this product back ASAP. My boyfriend says I love to return things because I do it so often, but I mean come on... why keep something that doesn't work for you!? It only made sense to take it back. The saleslady proceeded to tell me that it did not suit my skin type at all and give me a 10-day sample of Estee Lauder Individualist (which was ok, but I am off liquid foundations again anyway).

I feel bad saying negative things about this product because for the short time that my skin could handle it, my face looked pretty damn good. So, if you have a tattoo, birthmark, scar, or other non-acne-related flaw you would like to cover up... PLEASE buy this product. But only if your skin is not sensitive or breakout prone. If you have even the slightest inkling of breakouts in your past, this baby is a no-no.

I am now just back to using my CoverBlend concealer with mineral foundation. Works for me!

What is your favorite full-coverage foundation?

Got any opinions on Estee Lauder's assortment?

Leave a comment and let me know!

I recently had the opportunity to try out brushes from adesign, a fabulous makeup brush company!

I honestly have to say, I love these makeup brushes! I have never felt a softer brush, ever. They are super professional looking, as they are all black so they never look "dirty", and they feel amazing to the touch. Also, I have not had any problems with them shedding on me.

Adesign brushes are a great bet for high quality, user-friendly, sturdy makeup application. I know they will definitely be a staple in my traincase for years to come!

To get your own adesign brushes, check out their website, here.

Hey all! Hope you like the new layout :)

So, today I have some swatches straight from my stash! These are my blushes. It's a small, but sweet, collection of just the basic colors.


Clockwise, from top:

• Benefit "Thrrrob!" Powder
• Sonia Kashuk "Beach Bum" Cheek Sheer
• Milani "Sweet Cheeks" Powder Mosaics
• Jane "Blushing Plum" Blushing Cheeks
• NYX "Pinky" Blush
• Milani "Luminous" Powder Blush
• Stila "Lillium" Convertible Color
• NYX "Peach" Blush

I think people sometimes underestimate the value of a blush to brighten up the face. I really love these shades and use most all of them, except the cream/gel ones because my they don't flatter my skin type so much.

My favorites are the Milani Luminous shade, Benefit Thrrrob (which didn't show up too well in the photo, but I love the scent), and NYX Peach.

I would like to add Benefit's PosieTint to my collection in the future.

What do you think? What are your favorite blushes from your stash? Any recommendations? Let me know!

Last night, I caught an episode of "Brooke Knows Best", the reality TV spinoff of Hogan Knows Best. As most of us know, Brooke Hogan (or Brooke Bollea) is the daughter of Hulk Hogan. She seems to be pursuing this reality TV career as well as attempting a music career.

I seem to alternate between thinking Brooke Hogan is cute, trashy, manly, and pretty. I can't seem to make up my mind about this one!

Here is Brooke Hogan with and without makeup:


Want Brooke's bronzed makeup look? Try dusting a powder bronzer like MAC Solar Field Bronzing Powder or Benefit's HOOLA all over!

[Oh, also, I decided to get rid of the poll function on these Magic Of Makeup posts because for a while they were down and making my posts have a bunch of bad-looking code. Plus, this will allow people to really speak their mind, if they are so inclined!]

So, tell me, what do you think of Brooke Hogan?

"Sometimes my liquid foundation becomes lighter or darker than my face. What's the deal?"

Shop With a Vengeance Response:

Hi Apple! I believe this phenomenon you speak of is called "oxidation". There are many theories on why it occurs, and to be honest I'm not 100% sure as to the reason. In researching, I have found that it can happen because of changes that occur within the foundation after it touches and mingles with the air, oils, or the acidity of your skin.

There are many theories on what happens when your foundation changes color, one of which claims that the oils on your skin will intensify pigments in the foundation. So, if you are noticing that the foundation changes color well into the day, perhaps this is occuring.

Another theory claims that liquid foundation, when exposed to air, begins to break down. If you think about it, if you look at an old bottle of foundation that has been opened and closed a lot, it tends to appear broken up and discolored. So, that kind of makes sense.

The acidity theory I'm not really too sure on, but apparently if your skin has a more acidic pH than most other skins, you could find your foundation oxidizing a bit more often.

Back when I used liquid foundations, I found that L'Oreal's True Match Liquid Foundation would turn orange on me within a few hours, whereas Revlon's Colorstay would never change color. Some foundation formulas now will claim to have anti-oxidizing agents, so that this color change can be prevented. All in all, if your foundation is consistantly doing this to you, I'd suggest getting a new foundation!

I hope that helped somewhat!

So, I am not the biggest Amy Winehouse fan, but I thought it was quite interesting how different she looks without her trademark winged eyeliner!

Take a look at the before and after photos:


Of course, this is her looking completely barefaced in comparison to her looking made up nicely. I neglected to include her looking a hot mess as she normally does. You know, makeup smeared, cut up, diaper wearing... the usual. So, this time, I was hoping we could compare makeup-less Amy to made up properly Amy.

Oh, come on, what's an Amy Winehouse post without a little jab?

Hope you have a lovely weekend, ladies!

Happy Fourth Of July, Ladies!

Kat Von D, reality star and tattoo artist extraordinaire looks fabulous here with her varying color eyeshadows and amped up neutral lip! I really like her creativity and unique style that she exudes, so I figured I would break down this beauty look for my readers.


Here is how to get this makeup look on a beauty budget:

• Start off with a good primer to reduce the look of pores and fine lines. This is also useful to help your makeup stay on longer. I like Monistat's Chafing Relief Gel as a facial base on a budget, but you can use whatever primer you like.
  
  
• Apply your foundation and/or concealer of choice. A great option for a long lasting drugstore foundation is Revlon's Colorstay Liquid or Milani's Compact Mineral Makeup. For dark circles, L'Oreal Air Wear Concealer offers lightweight coverage.
  
  
• For this look, the focus is on Kat's eyes and lips, so no blush or bronzer is necessary here.
• Fill in your brows with a pencil or brown shadow. Revlon's Brow Fantasy has a pencil on one end and a brow-controlling gel on the other, which is useful for taming unruly brows. This will frame the face nicely.
  
  
• In this look, Kat is wearing shades of blue shadows on one eye, and shades of bronzey brown on the other. You could recreate this if you wish, or tone it down by using the same color schemes on both eyes.
  
  
• A great option for her shades of blue shadows would be Milani's Runway Eyes Shadow Palette in "Beauty in Blues" which offers a gradient of six fashionable blue shades.
• For the brown side, you could use NYX's Ultra Pearl Mania loose shadow in "Walnut", which offers a rich, shimmering brown.
  
  
• Kat Von D uses a soft black smudged liner on both her eyes, and a liquid liner to create that winged cat-eye look. Almay's Liquid Eyeliner is easy to use with a small felt tip applicator, and lasts all day.
  
  
• NYX Doll Eye Mascara is now available in a Waterproof formula that lengthens and volumizes. I love this mascara and applied to your top and bottom lashes, it will easily help you recreate this look.
  
  
• And, to finish it all off, a soft, shiny lip color to smooth over your lips. For an opaque shade like Kat's try L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Toasted Almond. For a sheer shade, I love NYX's Tinted Lip Spa, perhaps in the color Hush.

What do you think of Kat Von D's makeup look? Have you tried her new makeup line yet? Let me know!

Hey there gals! Hope you are all off to a great start this week.

I recently stopped by my local outlet center and took a gander and what they had in the Lancôme-Designer Fragrance & Cosmetic Outlet. I was super excited to see a bunch of Shu Uemura goodies, so I picked up some eye shadows (for the RIDICULOUSLY low price of $4 each) and a Shu Uemura Depsea Treatment Lip Balm for around $13.

Yay! Here are some photos so you can share in my joy :)

This is my first experience with Shu Uemura makeup, although I do cherish their coveted eyelash curler. I am pleased to report that the eyeshadows are EXCELLENT quality. They have awesome staying power even without a primer. I am in love with the bright yellow color (boringly named ME YELLOW 300). The shadows are super blend-able and feel great to the touch, very soft and almost creamy, although they are pressed powder. They are made in Japan, which is pretty cool.

The lip balm seems to be good quality as well, and I'm glad that it has SPF 15 so I can wear it out in the sun. The only thing I dislike about the lip balm is that the tube is solid white so you can't see how much you have left, and it is slightly hard to squeeze out. It has no real fragrance, which can be good, and there is a slight sweetness to the flavor. Also, there are minimal ingredients according to the package, which I like, and NO petroleum.

Next time I am in the area, I will definitely be heading back in hopes that these eyeshadows are still priced so low! I will be STOCKING UP. I might even venture into the Shu Uemura lipsticks. If you have one of these cosmetic outlets near you, I'd highly suggest checking them out. You never know what amazing bargains you can find!!!

Any Shu fans out there? Got any recommendations of Shu Uemura products for me to try out? Let me know!