New! Almay Bold Nudes For Hazel Eyes Swatches and First Impressions

So I took advantage of a stellar coupon deal at CVS this week (comment if you'd like details) and I decided to pick up a couple Almay products. Now, Almay is not typically a brand that I usually gravitate towards. The packaging is very practical and nothing fancy or colored or girly and the products are advertised as hypoallergenic which is great but it reminds me of geriatrics and "I dont really like makeup" types of girls (no offense!). Lately, however, I have been seeing advertisements featuring Kate Hudson applying the "Magic Smart Shade" mousse Foundation as well as the eye-color-enhancing Bold Nudes eyeshadow . So thanks to our friends at CVS I was able to try a new product that I might not have ever tried before.

I bought the Bold Nudes Eyeshadow Trio for Hazel Eyes. I do not have hazel eyes. I have brown eyes, however, I don't believe that you have to limit what set you buy by your eye color. Additionally, I have a little blue-green ring around my brown eyes and figured, why not try and enhance this? The trio includes 3 (duh!) colors: a shimmery light coral shade, a semi-matte medium navy shade, and a shimmery light buttercream shade. The packaging features a cute little set of eyelashes and an eyelid on the front with the back of the packaging featuring an eye map. The map gives you a starting point on where to place each shade if you're a beginner.

I swatched the shades on the inner part of my (very) white arm. The first swatch picture is without any eyeshadow primer. The second swatch picture is the shadows over Urban Decay primer potion eyeshadow primer.

The shadows are medium pigmented and feel pretty nice in quality and are not chalky!

Overall: Nice job, Almay! I can't wait to try these on my lids with a good primer! I might actually look twice at Almay now.

Rave Review!: L'Oreal Couleur Riche Caresse Aqua Lip Lacquer

Oh my goodness!!! I found a product that I absolutely love and that is a dupe for an über high-end YSL product!

The L'Oreal Couleur Riche Caresse Aqua Lip Lacquer is a new product that has hit the shelves for Spring 2013! I got the color #184 Rose On and On. The color in the packaging looks like a sweet rose baby-pink with a tad bit of sparkle. The applicator looks like an arrow head. The formula has a slight floral smell and when first applied the formula feels slightly watery and glides on very quickly and easily. I applied two coats and after the color set for at least 5 minutes it became a little "tacky". The initial lighter pink color blooms to a slightly more rose-color that is absolutely lovely.

As stated previously the product becomes a little "tacky" or "sticky" on the lips after about 5 minutes. I believe this is due to the polymer that is in the formula that keeps the gloss so shiny on the lips for so long (more on that in a moment). The following picture is two coats that I have been wearing for 2 and a half hours. I also drank an Icee out of a straw on my way home from the store!

I believe that these products are exact duplicates of the Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stains. YSL is owned by L'oreal after all! I have tried many of the colors of the YSL Glossy Stains at Sephora and have noticed many similarities. The two products have virtually the same floral scent when applied. Both products feel slightly "tacky" after 5 minutes of wear and they wear for many hours after application. Both products even have similar colors (I will be looking for exact dupes soon)!

The YSL Glossy Stains contain a polymer that is the same polymer that is used in gel-coatings of pills or vitamins (ever seen the shiny outside of a fish oil supplement?). This polymer is what keeps that glossy shine on your lips for hours after application and what makes the lip color last so long. And it is obviously safe for ingestion since we swallow these gel pills all of the time! To me, once I found out about the polymers in the YSL Glossy Stains the stickiness feeling of the gloss made sense! It feels exactly like I have a gel capsule on my lips if I rub them together!

My advice would be to apply and leave your lips alone and don't rub them together if stickiness bothers you at all. This stickiness in both the YSL and the L'Oreal products is what makes them so shiny and so long-wearing and beautiful. If stickiness doesn't bother you, rub away and the product stays gorgeous!

Summary: Please get to your local drugstore and pick up one or more of these lacquers as soon as you can before your favorite color sells out! If you like the YSL glossy stains you will love these because they are the same product just in different packaging. There is a slight floral scent and taste to these lacquers only if you hold your tongue on them. They are tacky and shiny enough to hold on your lips for hours. The color and shine are beautiful and long-lasting and long-wearing. The L'oreal Couleur Riche Caresse Aqua Lip Lacquers are a huge win in my book, and only around $8 vs. the $32 YSL dupes!

Tell me if you like them too!

~Claire~

Eclose Plant Stem Cell Eye Cream Review

I was at Walgreens the other day when I came across the Eclose skin care brand in the skin care aisle. I decided to take a closer look at their Plant Stem Cell Restorative Eye Cream. This eye cream uses plant stem cells derived from labs in Switzerland to help firm the skin around the eye area and help the skin around the eyes keep up their own stem cells while reducing the signs of aging and smoothing wrinkles around the eyes. The product box contains a lot of helpful information about the product. And the formula is paraben-free!

When I first tried to dispense the product it took about 9-10 pumps before the product pumped out. The product consistency is creamy without being heavy. A generous pea-size amount was easily pat into my under eye area and absorbed after minimal patting effort. The product went on white and absorbed clear. I did not experience a strong product scent and I did not experience any eye irritation or greasy-ness. I applied the product over my serum and moisturizer as my final skin care step. The product box says it is safe for use in the morning and evening.

So far the verdict is good on this eye cream! I'll keep you updated on the results of this cream on my dry and sensitive winter-time under eye area!

Merry Christmas Eve!

~Claire

Spotted: Target, CVS, and Walgreens Beauty Deals week of 12/10

If you're a fan of Sally Hansen Salon Effects then check your local Target for a clearance! I spotted a couple snakeskin patterns for $4.38 each!

CVS beauty clearance is continuing this week. TONS of Revlon and Milani 75% off. I have checked multiple CVS locations in the Chicago city area (downtown and south side) and not everything on the nouveaucheap list is on sale but it's worth a try! Scan the items listed on nouveaucheap.com 's post at the savings kiosk to check the price of items. Good luck!

Also, forthemommas.com posted an amazing deal for free Simple brand makeup wipes that I plan to take advantage of. More details are in the photo screen shot from forthemommas.com. Thanks Shannon!

Happy Shopping!

CVS and Sephora Hauls for Review

Today was my day off and what better to do when I'm not making money but to spend money??? I spent today couponing and shopping! I found a great deal today at CVS! First off, I have been dying to try the new Clear line of shampoos and conditioners. This week I saw Walgreens was having a 2/$10 deal with $2 register rewards and 4,000 points. I planned on using this deal and a couple coupons from coupons.com before I scanned my Extra Care card at the CVS savings kiosk at CVS today. Behold; holiday magic! A $3 off one Clear shampoo or conditioner printed out! So I picked up a conditioner since I am still trying to use up a couple shampoo samples I have left from Birchbox. I combined the CVS printable with a $2 off one coupons.com manufacturer printable coupon and ended up getting the conditioner for $0.99! I plan on going back for a second print out and getting the Men's scalp therapy from Clear. There's an Ibotta deal for $1.75 off the scalp therapy. That will make it a $0.75 money-maker!!!

At Sephora I purchased the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation in shade 1.0 and the new Bare Minerals Ready foundation in Fairly Light as a setting powder or light coverage. I can't wait to test and review these products!!!

Walgreens Haul Swatches!

Hey Ya'll!  A few weeks ago I recorded a Walgreens "Haul" video:

Here are the promised pictures and swatches of the $0.99 eyeshadow palette and lipstick and eyeliner!

 The following picture is swatches of the above palette on my forearm with no primer and using my finger lightly to apply:

Not too shabby for a WAY CHEAP price, huh?

xoxox

Love,

Claire

Spring/Summer Haul, Ya'll!

It's time to "Haul" Ya'll! :-)  I picked up some first-timers at LUSH and MAC and some amazing fragrances and facial care at Sephora as well as some tidbits at Target, Walgreens, and Victoria's Secret!

Enjoy! 

MMM This video makes me want a blue popcicle!

xoxox

Love,

Claire