Sher's Shopping Blog

J. Mundo designs- "In the Clouds" Earrings

2009-08-30T00:06:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love these vintage brass filigree earrings by etsy jewelry designer J. Mundo!

You can try to win a pair from Spearmint Baby's site here:

http://www.spearmintbaby.com/2009/08/etsy-contest-in-clouds-earrings.html

Good Luck!!

Dr.Hauschka Skin Care

2009-06-30T23:24:00.005-05:00

I came across this product at Whole Foods about a month ago. Seeing that the prices were a bit steep, especially not knowing if they worked, I was hesitant on purchasing. After coming home and doing a little research, I found that there were some good reviews, and I was lucky to find that Dr. Hauschka sells a trial size of their most popular skin care products. Score! For $24.95, you get miniatures of Cleansing Cream, Clarifying Toner, Normalizing Day Oil, Facial Steam bath (which I can't wait to try), and the Cleansing Clay/Rejuvenating masks. I was attracted to these products because there was something different that I haven't tried before--a holistic approach to skincare. I checked out Dr. Hauschka's book from the library, and so far there are some pretty interesting points made. I'm going to try the products for a week, and come back and let you all know what I think. And by all means, if you or anyone you know has tried any of the Dr. Hauschka's line...please comment!!

-S

Sally Hansen's Lipnotic Lipgloss

2009-04-09T19:50:00.005-05:00

This stuff is great! I rank it number three on my top ten list. I like it better than lipstick these days. It's so pretty...it's like it has diamond sparkles in it ...

OOOOH......AHHH!
I have to admit, I have tons of lipglosses. I know I can only use one at a time... but I'm addicted to them.

My top ten faves:

1. Bath and Body Work Liplicious Lipgloss - OMG... love! They come in nice sheer colors, and they taste yummy (hint, hint). My favorite flavors are fruit punch and cherry vanilla. My least favorite: cranberry cocktail and pineapple (it smells funny). You can get them on sale for as low as five dollars.

2. Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soothers: I like that it has an spf 20. That's more than my facial moisturizer has. They come in pretty sheer colors, and has a cute, small tube that will fit in the smallest purse if need be. My only caveat would be that there are not enough darker colors...they are all in the pinky orangy family.

3. Sally Hansen Lipnotic Gem Lipgloss: I came across these by accident; Ulta had a 'bogo' coupon and I took advantage of it, and I was surprised. Very glittery and not thick, so you can layer it on top of lipstick or a lip stain if needed.

4. MAC Tinted Lipglass: I like these for the variety colors and the consistency. I like red devil (not too red, not too brown), prrr (light pinky, peach) and c-thru (clear). I also like that it as a doe foot applicator as opposed to a squeeze tube like they they used to make. Some people don't like it because it's thicker than most. NYX has a good lipglass alternative that is cheaper.

5. Lancome Juicy Tubes: I also came across these years ago (like 1997 maybe?) when a friend of mine gave me her free sample that she didn't want. These also have a sheer color and taste good. I don't think they taste as good as the Liplicious ones though and they are almost twenty dollars... good, but not worth it, in my opinion.

6. American Girl Lipgloss: It was nice.. I liked the Strawberry Creme one, it had a hint of mint, so it was tingly on your lips and moisturized well. Unfortunately I found out that Bath & Body works discontinued it :( Boo hoo!

7: Revlon Super Lustrious Lipgloss:Pretty colors, good price, and moisturizes lips well.

8. Avon Glazewear lipgloss - Nice, but too opaque for me, and too thick and creamy.

9. Milani Glamour gloss- Didn't like it. They come in pretty colors, but it felt chalky on my lips. I like Milani's other products though.

10. Covergirl Wetslicks- good for drugstore variety.

What's in your makeup bag?

2009-04-09T19:26:00.004-05:00

Okay, so... I got tagged by one of YouTube buddies. For those of you who live under a rock and don't know what a 'tag' is...basically it's your turn to answer any question that one of your subscirbers or readers ask. So, the question was "What's in your makeup bag?" Well, here goes: From left to right, two hello kitty mirrors (the smaller one I use on my keychain on days that I don't take a purse), Avon hand lotion (skin so soft), a hair clip, a sample of Tabasco sauce (don't ask), two lipglosses (the MAC hello kitty orange one, and the pink Sally Hansen one I blogged about) a purse sized Gucci II au de parfum, clear nail polish (Sally Hansen Hard as nails) and a Sony HDNA pen that I got from one of my vendors at my former job. Not exciting, I know... but I got tagged. lol The makeup bag was on sale at Victoria's Secret... you can get it here:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Policy Palette

2009-03-20T18:29:00.006-05:00

I left the office early today (don't tell my boss) ... and stopped by Sephora to swatch some eyshadows. I tried several different brands/palettes, and I must say that the one I like the most was the Shadow Insurance Policy High Impact Shadow Colletion (say that ten times fast...lol) I use their shadow primer and really like it, and the shadows are great. They have a smooth, velvety texture, and are very pigmented. Hands down, this was the best of the five brands I tried (in this order):

1. Too-Faced (pretty colors, smooth texture, stays on, and not too pricey)

2. Nars - (gorgeous color choices, velvety texture, good natural looking colors)

3. Urban Decay (not a big fan, good for color choices, but not enough neutrals, IMO)

4. Makeup Forever (okay, but Nars is better)

5. Stila (chalky, ashy colors, don't stay on well, costs too much for the quality of product).

I swatched the Too Faced colors to give you an idea of what they would look like (on darker skin) in order from left to right: Full Frontal, Lucky Charms, Skinny Dip, Glamazon and Socialite. (I didn't swatch Boy Toy, because I didn't really like the color for me... but it was pretty for a lighter skin tone. Do you have this palette? I would love to see different techniques for wearing these colors. There are a million ways to wear them!

MAC eyeshadows (natural browns...)

2009-03-08T00:50:00.018-06:00

Well, I made a trip to the MAC store in the Domain today to check out the new Hello Kitty Kouture compacts with the Sheer Mystery Powder in them. They were pretty, but I spent my money on some shadow colors that I needed instead. I've found that I gravitate towards frosts and shimmers rather than mattes. I'm not sure why...but I really need to work on getting more matte colors in my palette. I picked up these four, in hopes that they can be something I would wear daily (to

work). I actually really like the colors I chose; The highlight color I can

really do without, because I have a similar color in my palette already, but I'll keep it... just because :)

Colors :

Embark (matte)- Intense reddish brown - I used in the outer corners of the lid and crease.

Antiqued (veluxe pearl)- Ash brown w/bronze - (used for inner crease color)

Honey Lust (lustre) - bronze dipped peach - (highlight color)

Tempting (lustre)- Sinfuly rich cocoa (lid color)

Sephora 15% off sale!

2009-03-05T16:22:00.001-06:00

FYI ladies, 15% off sale going on at Sephora now through March 7th. The discount code is J89LM

NARS blushes!

2009-02-27T00:13:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned previously, I frequent YouTube for new tips, tutorials and trends in makeup artistry and beauty products. One of my favorite channels I subscribe to is Ateya Richard's "Smuve Completions". She is not only entertaining, but informative, and I like the makeup tips she likes to share. She favors NARS products and uses some blushes and eyeshadows in most of her videos. I read in a magazine that alot of celebrities were wearing "Exhibit A" NARS blush...and it has alot of women of color talking about it. Well, after various reviews, I decided to check NARS blushes out.

I went to Sephora, just to put some on to see how the color worked out. A very flamboyant and super nice SA in the store, comes up to me, and I ask him about NARS blush.

SA: "Oh honey!!! You are gonna luuuuvee Exhibit A!!" He then takes me to the NARS section. . .

Me: "Ummmm that's like florescent orange!!!...not my color"

SA: "Just try it"

Me: "Okay (I'm too nice.)"

So he puts some of the blush on me, and I look in the mirror, and I'm shocked at how pretty the color looks! I really can't explain it... it's like a natural flush of color that complements my skin so well!.

Me: "Wow... I'm speechless".

SA: "Told you girl!"

I grab Exhibit A, and Albatross (see below). That color scared me as well, until I put it on and liked it. It's a cheekbone hightlight with a subtle, sheer, golden overlay. I love it, and think they were both worth the money. They are highly pigmented, so you just have to use a tiny bit.

Here is a picture (courtesy of Indian Makeup Diva ) of Exhibit A and Albatross together.

Ateya's NARS review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hSX4T2I0ac&feature=channel_page

Scandalous Beauty's NARS review:

I will try to post a photo of myself with these colors on later!

Do you have NARS blushes? Which colors do you like? Let me know!

~Sher

MAC mini haul- HK, Mineralize and Studio Sculpt

2009-02-26T23:57:00.005-06:00

I was so excited when the Hello Kitty for MAC line came out a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't able to go to the premier, becaause I was a at work... so my husband (he's so sweet) volunteered to go for me. I ended up getting the purse mirror, and a blush ("Tippy") from the line. I wanted the keychain/mirror combo, but they were out. After getting the blush home, I tried it, and thought it looked too much like another blush I had, so I returned it yesterday and got a Hello Kitty lipglass in "Nice to Be Nice"-(It's the last one on the right in the picture below) It's a bright sheer, pearly-orange color, but it's VERY sheer and actually looks pretty once you put it on. While I was there, I got a Mineralize powder an a sample of the new MAC Studio Sculpt foundation (in NW43 and NW45, because I have to mix them to get the right shade to match my skin). I'll post a review here when I try it out for a few days. If you have any of these products, please post a comment and let me know your thoughts.

The Hello Kitty Kouture line is coming out March 5th!!!! I can't wait...the Sheer Mystery Powder compact is so cute! $90 is stretching it... but it does come with a refill powder. The dazzleglass lipgloss will be around $30. Gorgeous!

Review : March 5, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D1Tsj66Vnw

Hugs,

~Sher

Birthday Gift from Sephora

2009-02-26T23:45:00.003-06:00

I've been a Sephora Beauty Insider club member for about three years and one of the many little "perks" to being a member is getting a free gift in the month of your birthday (2 weeks before or after your birthdate). A couple of weeks ago, I went in to Sephora to purchase some NARS blushes, and got a cute little set of Sephora lipglosses for my birthday gift! The colors are very pretty, and the lipgloss is sheer, so you can wear it alone or with a lipliner (or on top of lipstick, if you prefer). Colors are: Precious Pink (barely-there sheer pink shimmer), Rosy Glow (golden pink) and Bronzed Beauty (red with gold shimmer)

If you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider memeber, go sign up. Unfortunately, you can't redeem your bday gift at the Sephora's in JCPenney stores. Booooo!

Milani Eyeshadows

2009-02-26T22:35:00.002-06:00

I recently discovered these eyesshadows by Milani - the Runway collection. Very shimmery and vibrant colors. I must say that I still like my MAC pigments and shadows better, but these are good for drugstore quality. They come in a very cute, clear, domed container and each has it's own brush (which if you're like me, and very anal about getting the colors mixed up with differen't brushes, you'll appreciate that.)

Colors I bought: Coffee Shop , Beach Sand and Black Out

My Review: Coffee Shop is a good crease/lid color for me and Beach Sand is a great color for a highlight. Black Out is one that I'm not impressed with, and would return it if I could find the reciept. It's more of a charcoal grey than it is black. I kinda like how it looked in the packaging because, as with the other colors in this collection, it has a pretty shimmer to it. But nonetheless, it didn't work out and way to 'grey' looking. I also noticed that after using these colors for a week, they've lost their initial "shimmer". Apparently, its only on the top :( I'm a little disappointed about this, but it's okay. Here are few close-ups...

See how the first two photo are 'glittery'....yeah.. this one is not? That's because I've used it more than the other two.

And here is a swatch: (click for enlarged image)

Excuse the indentation on my arm from my camera strap..lol

Over all I like the colors and will definately use them and if you're looking for some less expensive colors to play with, I recommed these :) And it's a natural look for everyday.

The Face Shop Masks

2009-02-26T21:47:00.006-06:00

So hubby's out of town right now, and I decide to have some 'me' time. I run to Walgreens to get some icecream (Haagen-Daz mango is my weapon of choice tonight- LUV!). The lady that works at the cosmetics counter at my Walgreens is sweet and always so helpful, but tonight I really hoped I didn't see her because I was trying to make this quick so I could run back home to watch Oprah on my DVR...lol. Yeeeah... sooooo she's there; Darn!

SA: "Hey! [In her southern and oh-so-charming voice]"

Me: "Heeeey."

SA: "We ghowt sum ov those mayusks you lak!"

Me: "oh really?--...Well, I really stopped in for icecream tonight"

SA: "Well purfikt! And you kin do a mayusk after yur ah-scream!"

Me: "Ok, I'll take a look at them."

So, not wanting my "ah-scream" to melt, I decided to go look at the masks (mayusks) she was talking about first. See, she got me hooked on these a few months back, and I liked them. They are by The Face Shop (search the site for "mask sheet") and are sold exclusively at Walgreens. My favorite ones are the Vita sheets (K,A,E,C and B) , The Fresh Fruit sheets (Pomegranite, Lemon and Aloe) and tonight I'm trying the Pearl mask sheet in the Essential collection---as we speak (what can I say?...I'm a multi-tasker :) ) This particular one is for clean skin, and usually your skin feels so refreshed afterwards. I picked up a couple of masks, my icecream, and a few eyeshadows (that she also told me about) and came home. You guys should definately go check them out if you haven't already. Back to Oprah and icecream... ~Sher

Here's basically how the mask works:

No shopping today.

2005-07-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

Haven't purchased anything today; I am thinking about going to Victoria's secret and getting some "Pink" perfume. I have a free panty coupon with purchase that I got in the mail. Last week, I got my down pillows and featherbed from Overstock.com. Very poor quality, and the box arrived in horrid condition. Don't think I'll be ordering anything from them again. I decided to keep the items. Oh..Cherrios...I found out that honey nut are the sweet ones... made a mistake and bought the regular ones... Yuck...no sugar! Talk to you laters... ~

Sher