Splurge Vs. Steal

Wow, this is really amazing.

I just saw this on the front page of Etsy:


The price tag on the above necklace is $1350. Below is a watermelon tourmaline and sterling silver necklace I have had in my shop for $50. I know there are some differences. The watermelon tourmalines seen above are thicker, but they have tons of fissures (cracks), not just flecks, full on cracks across the stones. My necklace only has 6 stones, hers has 7. She has also set them in 14K gold and the chain is gold. But $1300 more?? Watermelon tourmalines are expensive stones and I'm sure that bezel-setting each one in gold was time consuming. Although it will also be harder to repair should one of the rings on the bezel break. Anyway, my mind is just boggling over this and I'm thinking out loud.

Essence Beauty...I NEED MORE!

I am currently in the midst of a trade with another beauty blogger from Slovenia. I came across some cool nail stamping plates by the German company Essence (US site here), but they are not sold here in the US. Some friends of mine reminded me that Ulta sells Essence. And I recalled writing about them in my blog entry about Konad nail stamps. So, I went to my local Ulta to check it out.

Just my luck, my local Ulta is being renovated and everything was moved around. I looked and looked. Finally got to see a good selection of NYX products up close. Came across another line I had never seen/heard of before. But I couldn't find any Essence. I was on my way out the door when I noticed the display on the end of an aisle.

It was a little overwhelming because the line offers so many different types of products. Fortunately, there were no nail stamping products, so my international trade is still justified! But there were nail polishes, lip stuff, eye colors and liners, face products...you name it! And the prices are BEYOND reasonable! If there isn't an Ulta near you, the products are online too! And right now there is a coupon for free shipping on a $25 purchase!

Here's the breakdown of what I got:

• Quattro Eyeshadow Quad - Chic-ify and To Die For $2.99 (Not on Ulta's site)
  
• Color and Shine Eyeshadow - Bling Bling $2.99
• All Eyes On Me Mascara - $1.99
• 2-In-1 Kajal Pencil $1.49
• Black Mania Eyeliner Pen $2.49
• Lip Liner - Honey Bun $0.99
• Smokey Eyes Set - So What? $2.49
• Nail Art Freestyle & Tip Painter - Silver Surfer $1.99

I am really impressed with ALL of it! The prices are better than Wet and Wild. The packaging is cooler! I was so overwhelmed, I forgot to pick up a lipstick and a gloss! I really like the double-ended eyeliners. And the nail art polish is SUPER-metallic...chrome-like, even!! The shadows aren't insanely pigmented, but are fine for everyday use! I can't wait to try out more stuff. I just wish there were more places to find Essence in the US. Their European site doesn't even list places in England where it's sold. I mean, they have magnetic nail polish that has designs depending on where you wave the magnet over your nails!! How cool is that??

After I swatched my colors and washed them off, the Smoky Eye Set is STILL on my arm! You should definitely check this line out. It's fun and inexpensive!

Monday Means I Can't Live Without...

This week, I am going to tell you about my favorite facial scrub. It's Olay's Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel System. You can get it at pretty much any drug store or big box store, the price varies from $20 to $26.

It's a two-part system. The first part comes in a jar. It's the scrub. It's bright yellow/orange and smells very pleasant and goes on with a very warm sensation. You scrub it on your face (I do my neck too) for around a minute. Then you grab the bottle that has the activator serum and you squeeze out enough to put a layer on your face. You scrub around for another minute, you'll feel the crystals of the scrub dissolving. Then you rinse your face with warm water.

Once I get out of the shower, dry my face and apply moisturizer, my skin feels so soft and amazing. I haven't really noticed that this does much for little acne scars or anything, but it really makes my skin feel vibrant. I use it around two times a week or whenever my skin feels a little dry or dull.

I highly recommend this!!

I Can't Live Without...

I've decided to add a new feature where I showcase I product that I love, even though it may not be new.

For this first installment, I'd like to talk about Vichy's After Sun Lotion. I got my first sunburn of the year this week and I was really wishing I had some of this!

Back in 1999, I traveled to Europe by myself. My plans were to go to Ireland and Italy. The most affordable destination for me to land was Paris. From there I had to take a train to the coast and get a ferry to Ireland. Turns out my book about the EuroRail had some outdated information. I missed my ferry at Calais and ended up losing a day to trek almost all the way back to Paris so I could get another train to Cherbourg. Once I got to Cherbourg, I had like 8 hours to kill before the ferry left. So I wandered around, drew pictures, did some vacation accounting and sat...for a long time! I got scorched!! Being a fair redhead, I am sure you can imagine that I don't do well in the sun.

When I finally got to Ireland, caught a bus to Dublin and finally found a place to stay, I was in serious pain. I was red, like a lobster! I immediately set out for the nearest chemist to see if there was something to help. After they gawked at me and couldn't believe I wasn't in hospital, they recommended Vichy's After Sun Lotion.

I LOVE this stuff. It smells good and is lightweight. It moisturizes well and doesn't make me feel all sticky and gross like aloe gel does. It's also suitable for faces. I have managed to keep some of this on hand over the years, but I'm currently out. So guess what I'll be buying when I go to London in April!?!

Shop For A GOOD Cause

I have a friend, Kim, who is an amazing artist. She does "Día de los Muertos"-style pieces. I've seen her makeover dolls, pez dispensers, you name it. She rocks. And not only is she a wonderful artist, she is a really sweet and kind person too. We met on Facebook in a group because we shared a common interest and I have really enjoyed learning more about her.

One thing that has broken my heart though, was to find out that she has uterine cancer. At this point, her oncologist appointment is scheduled for the 22nd. They aren't sure if it has spread to her lymph nodes or not, but her case is labeled "urgent." There is a history of cancer in her family. And Kim, like so many people, does not have insurance. I've spent most of my life without insurance, neither of my parents have insurance and my Dad was just in the hospital for 3 weeks recently, so this comes very VERY close to home for me. Currently, I'm a struggling artist and the only reason I have insurance is because I'm married.

So what can you do? Well, I'm glad you asked, there are a few things. Kim is part of a nifty group of artists known as the Glitter Bitches. I know a good many of them and they are all feisty, kind and wonderful. They have put some items up in their Artfire shop to help raise funds for Kim or as it is known, the "Teal Ribbon Fund." CLICK HERE!

Become a fan of the Glitter Bitches on Facebook. CLICK HERE.

Kim has a great shop on Artfire, you can buy one of her pieces directly from her! CLICK HERE!
You can also "like" Kim's page on Facebook. CLICK HERE.

And I am going to add one of my own jewelry pieces (see below) into the mix to raise money for the "Teal Ribbon Fund." I will donate 100% of the proceeds to Kim. I will even show you the receipt of payment if you need verification. CLICK HERE.


This is something I feel passionately about and cannot just sit and watch happen. I have been touched by cancer too many times in my life...I've lost friends, family and pets to this insidious disease. So, I am truly asking you, from the bottom of my heart, please help. Just look at some of the pretty things you can pick up:

Revlon Colorstay Aqua Mineral Foundation

I am a huge fan of mineral make-up. I haven't used a liquid foundation since I was in my teens. I've gone through a few brands, both department store and drug store varieties. I like Bare Minerals just fine. Most recently I used MAC's mineral foundation, since they finally added an "extra light" shade that works for me. I've also used Physician's Formula, but while it looks good at first, it doesn't last very long.

So, once I heard about Revlon's new Colorstay Aqua Mineral Foundation (retails around $13), I knew I had to try it. Ages ago, Prescriptives came out with an illuminating powder that was water-based and had the cooling effect. It was very cool, so I figured I would like this.

First of all, the brush included is superior to any drugstore brush I've encountered. It's soft, tapered, applies the powder well and provides decent coverage.

I've heard complaints that the powder is shimmery, but it's not like night club glitter. And I find that once I powder over it to set it, I don't see the shimmer at all. The foundation feels great going on and looks nice too.

Now, here are a couple things I noticed. First of all, your skin has to be in good condition to wear this. If it is not, it accentuates every pore, blemish and flaw. Secondly, in the past, when I have used mineral foundation, I put on my concealer afterward so it the powder foundation doesn't get dark where it is applied. This foundation is different. You have to apply your concealer first. It is next to impossible to do it after.

All in all, I am quite pleased with this product and as long as my skin stays nice, I will totally use it.

I Am Still A Glossaholic!

So, I FORGOT to post swatches when I picked up Fireball and Tipsy! So, here they are! Neither one are heavily pigmented. I like that Tipsy has the sparkly glitter in addition to the opalescent flecks. I could just look at it all day! And for $5 a pop, you really can't go wrong if you're looking for a tasty gloss! If you would like to read a more in depth review of these glosses, please refer to my previous post: http://iamglamourpuss.blogspot.com/2011/03/hard-candy-glossaholic.html

Hard Candy Glossaholic!!

Here's the shade line up: (l-r) Fabulous, Lush, Gorgeous, Fireball, Fairy, Tipsy, Chill Out, Rise & Shine.

I am not usually a fan of glosses. Sure they are pretty, but they are often sticky, my hair gets stuck in them, my lips feel goopy and it is just a high maintenance item. There are only a few glosses that I really love. Most recently added to the list: Hard Candy Glossaholic ($5).

Here's the description from their site:

"SUPER HUGE MEGA WATT LIPS - One dip covers your lips! Ginormous applicator with gloss cup deposits gloss to your whole mouth in one swipe! These super lustrous lip glosses are infused with prisms of color that make lips appear fuller and plumper. Out of this world hyper-reflective prisms of pearl make lips sparkle like crazy! Feeling tired or wired? Two Glossaholic sparkling clear top coats are infused with mood altering elixirs to help you Chill Out or Rise & Shine! – You can wear alone or as a top coat."

I got two of them, Chill Out and Fabulous. Chill Out is vanilla-flavored and infused with things that are supposed to relax you. I have to admit, I've been pretty mellow today, but not sure that it's as a result of the gloss! Fabulous is a deep, muted red color. It's nice because it's not screaming bright. With that said, I do think I want Fireball, the bright red and Tipsy, the bright pink!


The first thing you notice when you open them is that the applicator is HUGE, they weren't kidding when they said "GINORMOUS!" It is. And it does have the nifty recessed area on top that holds the gloss. Now, for why they call it Glossaholic...it tastes WONDERFUL! It is like cake icing or marshmallows. I prefer the regular Glossaholic flavor over the vanilla flavor of the Chill Out. I can't stop licking my lips...so there you go...my name is Courtney and I'm a Glossaholic.


The colors are lovely. There's glitter of varying sizes in them. The Chill Out looks like an opal and the Fabulous gloss looks like a fire opal. Mesmerizing.


Out of the new Spring 2011 products I have tried from Hard Candy, these are my favorite!

Molten Metal by Sleek

Yes, I had issues with Sleek. Have they been resolved? Eh, not so much. Their idea of making amends was to send me the Molten Metal compact. It retails for $10.50. I consider that to be a tiny token, but whatever, let's get to the product.






You have to admit, it's pretty cool. The gold isn't too yellow and while it would make sense for the other color to be a silver, the lighter gold shade is quite nice for all skin tones and not too cool or blue, like a silver could be.

As for Sleek...what can I say? I ADORE their products. I have a stash waiting at my mother-in-law's house for me to get when I go to London in April. I plan on buying from Superdrug while I am over. Will I order from them again, I can't say I will. I'd rather give Superdrug a cut of the money than hand it all over to Sleek. And that will just have to tide me over until next year...when I go to London again. I have half a mind to take the box with the drawing in it to their offices, which are only a few subway stops from where I'll be staying.