MAJOR Giveaway!!

It's that time! Time to win some goodies!!

I have put together the greatest collection of goodies, with the help of SauceBox Cosmetics (http://www.sauceboxcosmetics.com) and Jesse's Girl Cosmetics (http://www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com) So far, the prize package includes:

6 of Jesse's Girl new lipsticks
7 Jesse's Girl loose pigment eyeshadows
1 Jesse's Girl brush roll (no brushes included)
1 Jesse's Girl eyeshadow primer
6 Jesse's Girl Frosted Gumdrop Nail Polishes (The full set! I don't even have those!)

1 Temptation palette by SauceBox Cosmetics

**The new UK goodies have been added to the giveaway!**

So, what do you have to do to enter? It's easy: follow my blog, like my Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/iamglamourpuss), like/comment about what product you're most excited about/share my giveaway announcement on my FB page. I will be checking to make sure all criteria are met.

You have until April the 14th at 12:00/midnight EST. Winner will be announced on April 15th.

Blooper Sale at SauceBox Cosmetics!!

You may have read my review on SauceBox Cosmetics a little while back.  If not, check it out HERE!

In any event, now is a FANTASTIC time to try SauceBox at a great price!  If you like the berry color scheme, then they have a palette for you called Forbidden Fruits!   It usually retails for $35.00.  But they've gotten a batch from the factory that has slight imperfections.  By that, I mean small scratches or smudges.  And because of this, they are selling them for only $20!!!

http://www.sauceboxcosmetics.com/sbpage/store/products/forbidden-fruits-production-bloopers

Jewel Box Eyeshadows by Kleancolor

I recently made a quick visit to a local, independent beauty supply store. I came across a treasure trove of pretty eyeshadow palettes that were inexpensive too!

One of the ones that caught my eye was this sparkly palette by Kleancolor. I got palette 01, which has lovely greens and purples. The color pigmentation isn't the best I've seen, but the shimmer is gorgeous. And for $1.99, I think it's a great find.

Amazingly Lush Shadows

If you follow me on Facebook, then you have seen the "sneak preview" photos I have posted of the eye shadows I am reviewing.  I came across these while I was looking for more of the 88- and 120-colored eye shadow palettes.  What caught my attention were the claims that these eye shadows are better than MAC's and "flight attendants swear by them" (whatever that sort of thing means).  Anyway, I came across a palette that was pretty inexpensive compared to other ones I found online.

The brand is called Miss Rose. It is sold in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.  The palette I got is the "Shiny 24-Color Wet Eye Shadow."  The colors look amazing in the photos, but when my package arrived, I was lost for words when I opened the palette.  These shadows have SO much shimmer and sparkle!  The colors are beautiful!   And some of the colors are quite similar, but I don't mind since I got this palette just to dip my toes in the Miss Rose water.  In fact, it gives me a reason to try out other palettes!  For now, I will let the product photos speak for themselves.

When I played with these eye shadows, I found that they are extremely soft.  My gut instinct was to use my fingers to apply them.  But I am a tactile person, if something looks like it has a rich texture, then I have to touch it.  Although, the shadows applied best with fingers, a sponge applicator would be my next choice and lastly, I would use a brush.  Since the shadows are so soft, you would really have to dig into it with a brush to load some shadow onto it.  And while I know fingers and sponge applicators are frowned upon, it's just my two cents.  Feel free to apply your shadows how you wish!

I have also found palettes that look identical to the Miss Rose brand.  Some brand names to keep an eye out for are Miss Beauty, Lijindie, Oumeidie, Angel Cosmetics and Angel London.

Wholesalers and Discounters: Do or Don't?

I've been lurking around various cosmetics discount and wholesale stores that sell to the general public.  I've done my research and read blogs and reviews of sites.  I've taken into consideration that most of the time, products are dead stock or testers.  Sometimes the products may be sold because they are "scratch and dent" products or they may have the wrong label, be not quite the color they should be, there are any number of reasons products end up in the hands of these discount sites.  Does this mean they are not usable?  No.  Does this mean they are beyond their shelf-life?  Maybe.

I took a chance and ordered from AllCosmeticsWholesale.com.  I came across their site and they have an incredible selection of stuff on clearance, there are like 47 pages of it!  (I always check sale stuff first.)     Some brands you may have heard of like Stila, Lola, Pop Beauty, Pixi and MAC.  Other ones, like Gaultier's Le Male line (I am guessing it's make-up for men?), you may not have ever seen before.  But with the great prices they have to offer, it's worth it (to me) to try something out.  Nothing I ordered was over $6.99!!

I read some reviews about AllCosmeticsWholesale.com and the thing that worried me the most is that if you have any problems and need to deal with customer service, apparently it is a huge hassle and their customer service is sub-par.  And if any of you are regular followers of my blog, then you know I am a magnet for problems when I place orders!  So, I hoped Murphy's Law may kick in and I placed a small order.  That way if there were any problems, I wouldn't be out a lot of money. 

Now, to the good stuff.  I placed my order on the 12th and it arrived on the 14th.  Two days from Washington State to North Carolina is pretty darn good!  It was packaged well, in a USPS Priority box which was inside a USPS Priority envelope.  Once I opened the box, I found all the products securely wrapped in bubble wrap.  It was great.  Now, one gripe I have is that the shipping is EXPENSIVE.  I paid over $10 in shipping and the small flat rate box mails for $5.25.  And since they used USPS packaging, the only separate shipping expense they had was the bubble wrap, gas and time to take it to the post office.  So, when you think about it, it's not THAT bad.

  I got two mini Pixi eyeshadow palettes, a Pixi blush, three pots of Stila Barbie stuff, two Pop Beauty eyeliners and the Tokidoki eyeshadow Smashbox put out.  Everything was pristine.  The Pixi blush was labeled "tester", so it did not come with a brush in the little tray that slides out underneath.  That bummed me out a little, but it's no biggie, it's not like I don't have any brushes of my own!

Overall, I had no issues with AllCosmeticsWholesale.com.  The shipping was fast and packed well.  The items were pristine.  I think as long as you stick to powder products and some pencils, you really won't have to worry that they are going to expire.  I would worry a little more about lipsticks and lip glosses.  When they go rancid, you will know it and it won't be usable.   When looking at these sites and reading reviews, I'd say go with your gut.  I know ACW was very clear about if something was damaged or mislabeled, not all sites may be like that.  If you feel like it's too much of a gamble, don't do it.  But I tend to be adventurous when looking for deals. 

Have you purchased from any discount site before?  What sorts of experiences did you have?  Please comment below.

A Palette Is A Palette Is A Palette?

Are all palettes created equal?

I know that in the wide world of make-up, the answer is no. Not all palettes are created equal, but some are. But for the past few months, I've been hearing a lot of buzz about companies like BH Cosmetics, Crown Brush and Coastal Scents. These companies specialize in HUGE palettes. I had initially shied away because these reminded me of the large palettes I would buy as a teenager. They were cheap, not that pigmented and in my formative years, I had a knack for making myself look like a clown with these sorts of products.

With so many great holiday sales going on, I managed to snag a Crown Brush palette on HauteLook and a BH palette on sale. I am still waiting on the Crown palette to arrive, but I can say that the BH palette has great pigmentation. The colors are lovely and bright. It really surprised me.

Whilst shopping around online, it's easy to see that many of these companies offer palettes that are similar, if not identical. The main difference is the price. And then you have to factor in that these products are sold on Amazon and eBay too! I saw one 120-color palette for like $14 total on one site and over $50 on another. Same palette.

So, I decided to make a collage of what I found while surfing. What's funny is that most of these companies don't even try to make their product stand out. They simply call a collection "Palette #1" or "1st Edition." "Metallic Madness" is another palette I couldn't help but notice a few companies had. Basically, these people buy from manufacturers and wholesalers in Asia and slap their name across it and that's it. But enough of my rambling, let's see some photos.

Here's "Palette #1" or "1st Edition":

Here's "Palette #2" or "2nd Edition":

Then there's the 66-color lipgloss palette:

And last, but not least, here's a 180-color palette/set:

I threw the last one in for the fun of it. Crown Brush has this 180-color set coming out in January, but it only took me a couple of minutes to find multiple places that are already selling the same thing. It certainly does pay to spend some time and research when you are shopping around. Now the ONE thing I cannot find is a palette similar to the pink "Cosmo" palette shown in the Crown Brush photo above. :\ **Please note, little is shown from Crown or Coastal scents because they mostly sell 88-color palettes and smaller.**

And if you think some of these palettes are not the same, they are. Simply pick a row of colors and you will find it, identically laid out, in all of the palettes. Yes, some have different lighting and yes, some are turned around but I swear, these are the same palettes.

Do with this information what you will. I know my BH palette was made in China. Almost all of the sellers with identical products on eBay are from Hong Kong. I am willing to bet that all of the palettes shown in this blog came from China. So, I think I'm going to pass on names for now and shop around by price. I'll let you know what I turn up! (And of course, I feel compelled to own most of these now.)

What do you think? Do you have palettes from any of these companies? How do you like them? Have you noticed a difference between brands? Would you recommend these to friends? What are you looking for in a palette?

On a totally UNRELATED note, I'd like to add that I have a sale going on in my Etsy shop, Jewelry by Glamourpuss. Use the coupon code: NEWYEAR and get 25% off your order!

And I have posted quite a few goodies on eBay, just click ----> HERE!

I know it's shameless self-promotion, but I'd really appreciate it if you took a look, spread the word or picked a little somethin'-somethin' up! Thanks!