Even though I find the tv series Man Men a little too depressing for my taste (although OMG I love Joan's outfits!), I loved the idea of a Mad Men makeup collection and was so excited when I first heard that Estee Lauder would come out with one in Spring 2012. Unfortunately, none of the products released in the 2012 collection were ones that I would wear (I don't usually wear lipstick or cream blush, don't like to shell out that kind of money on nail polish). BUT this year's collection features a powder blush, and I was determined to get my hands on it! Spendy, yes, but I decided it was time for a " treat yo self" sort of purchase (if you haven't seen that episode of Parks and Rec, you need to).
Just soak in all of it's vintage-y glory...
Estee Lauder See-Thru Blush in Light Show $50.00 for 0.26 oz
Limited Edition Turn on your cheeks to this limited edition powder blush inspired by the Award Winning AMC Drama MadMen.® Creates a daringly sheer, natural look.
• Light Show shade captures the cheeky, fresh-faced, Sixties look perfectly.
• Add extra to your forehead, temples and chin for more rosy lights.
Inspired by the rock concert light shows and see-through, cut-out fashions that made the Sixties swing. Compact case and carton are replicas of actual designs from Estée Lauder's Sixties-era collections.
Product description (color/dupes): Light Show is a moderately pigmented, medium pink with a pretty sheen to it. Just a bit more delicate than shimmer, but not matte. The promo photos for this were misleading in terms of the color, so I'm glad I saw it in person before buying. In person, I thought it might be too cool toned for my NC20/25 skin, but I think it's one of those shades that could work on most people. It's not too cool, and because it's kind of sheer, it melds well with my skintone.
Pigmentation: As the name implies, it's a little bit "see-thru." It's more like a wash of color than straight pigment. It is easy to build up the color though!
Texture: The texture is very rich and smooth.
Application: It comes with a little powder puff, but I like using my It Cosmetics blush brush. It applies beautifully.
Length of Wear: This wore all day long for me. Looked great even after a workout.
Packaging: This is really the highlight of the product. The packaging is beautiful and great quality. I love that it has a sturdy cardboard box, AND a leather pouch, and THEN the sturdy metal compact with the enclosed plastic protective sheet and powder puff. I especially LOVE that they replicated actual designs that Estee Lauder used in the sixties. The compact itself is quite heavy, with a push-button release. It is absolutely a work of art.
Value: This blush is a bit on the higher end in terms of price per ounce, even compared to other department store brands. While it is a fantastic blush, the extra expense is due to the packaging (the value of the packaging is personal preference).
Love it or leave it? I love it. I'm glad I bought it--it's a pretty product, and it looks great on. I'm especially glad I got one since it's limited edition! Fifty bucks is wayyyy more than I usually spend on a single blush, but this one is worth it. Pretty and practical! I'm definitely going to keep the compact after I've used up all of the product. Treat yo self :)
Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
I feel so fortunate that lately I've been receiving some amazing skincare products that target acne. Skinetica is a really unique acne product, and I'm so excited to tell you about it! $17.20 for 80ml (incl P&P) Soothes, Calms, Clears. Fast acting, kind to skin, dermatologist tested, no side effects, non greasy, no harsh chemicals, non-toxic. | | About: Skinetica promises to help quickly clear up acne-prone skin. Unlike many acne treatments, it does not contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or sulfur. I wouldn't call it a toner exactly, because it doesn't have the characteristic burn from a high alcohol content. I would call this more of a treatment, but in liquid form.
Ingredients: Ammonium Chloride compound combined with a Sylyl base, highly purified deionised water, fragrance and ethyl alcohol.
Texture/feel: Skinetica is a colorless liquid with a very slight clean/medicinal scent to it.
Application: I applied this twice a day to clean skin, once in the morning, and once at night. I allowed it to air dry before applying other products. I tried two methods--using a cotton ball and also just pouring a little onto my hands and wiping it onto my face (I felt like it wasted less product?). It dried quickly and worked well under makeup, because there was no residue.
Efficacy: I was very surprised to find that this really worked! I felt like my skin began to clear up not long after using it. It was gentle on my skin, but it really helped with my breakouts. It didn't eliminate them, but it drastically reduced the amount and severity.
Packaging: Nothing fancy here, but it does the job and doesn't leak!
Value: Since this is coming from the UK, postage makes it a little expensive. However, this is a really unique product and it actually worked for me.
Love it or leave it? Love it. If you have moderate acne, Skinetica is worth a shot, especially if you have sensitive skin that doesn't tolerate traditional acne treatments well.
Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
I had a hankering for ice cream the other night. I'm somewhat lactose intolerant--I can have the real stuff, but it wreaks havoc on my tummy. I decided to peruse the frozen treats section to see if I could find any low/no-lactose goodies to satisfy me. | These Weight Watchers Frozen Greek Yogurt pops have only 80 calories per bar, and 5g protein! They didn't upset my tummy (Greek yogurt has less lactose than regular yogurt, and yogurt in general has less lactose than milk). It tasted creamy and a bit tangy at the same time--healthy but still like "real" food because there's plenty of FLAVOR going on. The swirl was overly concentrated in the middle of the bar, and the peach flavor was average. Basically, it tastes like peach yogurt. Also available in blueberry swirl. I would definitely try these again, especially if they came out with berry or pomegranate flavors (peach and blueberry are not my fave yogurt flavors...).
| This little pint was very disappointing. The texture is smooth and creamy (kind of like a more solid version of fro yo), but it's kind of grey in color, which isn't very appetizing. And then I took a bite... There wasn't a lot of sweetness, or flavor, or really anything else going on. It tasted like some science experiment diet food, not like real food AT ALL. I wanted to like this because of the low cal content, and the low lactose content, but it ended up going in the trash after a few spoonfuls. It's available in other flavors, like Chocolate Peanut Butter, but I'm done wasting my money on this product. Hungry Girl recommends it--maybe a different flavor would be better? | What are your favorite frozen treats? Are they high calorie or low calorie?
Click on any of the photos to jump over to my review on We Heart This! Left to right: MAC eyeshadow in Daydreaming, MAC lipstick in Sounds Like Noise, MAC nail polish in Riot Girl, MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Lightscapade [photo from We Heart This] [photos from Marilyn @ Lipgloss+Spandex]
This spring, Hard Candy released 45 brand-spankin'-new shades of nail polish ( see them all here). I was very excited to receive a PR sample of Pixie Pink, which is part of the "Candy Sprinkles" collection/formula. $3.97 for 0.26 fl oz
Walmart and Walmart.com Suspended in a clear topcoat, shimmery flecks sparkle brilliantly with different shapes of tiny glitter. Candy Sprinkles is a fabulous top coat over any color. About the product: Hard Candy is re-establishing their presence as a brand with a wide array of colors and formulas, as demonstrated by their spring 2013 collection, particularly polishes. And this pretty pastel polish is so on trend! Product description (color/dupes): Pixie Pink is a pastel pink/lavender with pink, silver and teal hex glitter. Pixie Pink and the other Candy Sprinkles polishes from Hard Candy seem to be inspired by the Illamasqua Imperfection/Speckled collection and the Deborah Lippmann Staccato collection. Pigmentation/Application: One coat will give you a decent amount of glitter, but a very sheer milky wash of color that's a little streaky. It took about three coats to get it opaque/less streaky. Texture: It has a slightly gritty feel to it, due to the glitter. A little bit of Gelous and Seche Vite helps to smooth it out. Length of Wear: Unfortunately, this only lasted one day ( less than 24 hours) before it started chipping like crazy. Packaging: The packaging is pretty basic. Taller than your average polish, but a smaller base. Value: Four bucks is okay for a smaller than average bottle. Love it or leave it? The fact that it chips in less than 24 hours makes this polish a real bummer. I tried different base coats and top coats and just didn't have any luck. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it looks, but I'm going to have to say leave it. Lipgloss+Spandex Rating:
Madd Style Cosmetics is a cruelty-free line of hand-made, richly pigmented vegan cosmetics for animal lovers, glitter junkies, and everyone in between. From "Classic Chic" to "Bold and Unique", we strive to give you "Madd Style".
Madd Style Cosmetics loose shadow $5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight) - Poison Berry: shimmery royal navy blue with *lots* of aqua sparkle.
A little underwhelming when used dry, but intense and gorgeous when used wet. - Golightly: pale baby blue tone with color-shifting rainbow shimmer.
Subtle, a nice highlight or sheer lid color - Vortex: navy blue with a green iridescence and pink glitz.
I felt that this was more of a darkened teal than navy color. Really pretty. - Andraste's Grace: beautiful sky blue with a snowy shimmer.
A pretty, bright color when used dry or wet.
As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar. I LOVE these gorgeous blues. Poison Berry and Vortex really showcase how pretty indie loose shadows can be! Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
Madd Style Cosmetics is a cruelty-free line of hand-made, richly pigmented vegan cosmetics for animal lovers, glitter junkies, and everyone in between. From "Classic Chic" to "Bold and Unique", we strive to give you "Madd Style".
Madd Style Cosmetics loose shadow $5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight) - Desert Punk: a shimmery silver-brown that seems to change its color in the sun.
A good basic neutral shimmery/frosty shade. Good when you just want to sweep a single shade over your eyes to look more awake! - Mystery Meat: a shimmery brown with a blue duo-chrome. Is it brown? Is it blue? Is it purple? Yes.
The duo-chrome makes this a really hard to describe color! It's so pretty/weird! - Birf'day Suit: a light toned matte nude.
A great basic matte for lids or browbone, depending on your skintone. Very subtle.
As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar. Desert Punk and Birf-day Suit are pretty basic shades (they might bore true indie makeup lovers), but they're done well. Mystery Meat is a really fun color to add a little bit of interest to your eye makeup look. It's versatile--you could probably downplay it for work, or go wild for a night out. These Madd Style Cosmetics browns are good stuff. Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
Madd Style Cosmetics is a cruelty-free line of hand-made, richly pigmented vegan cosmetics for animal lovers, glitter junkies, and everyone in between. From "Classic Chic" to "Bold and Unique", we strive to give you "Madd Style".
Madd Style Cosmetics loose shadow $5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight) - Psychobilly Freakout: eye-catching green filled with aqua sparkle.
Bright with sparkle when used wet, and even better when used wet! - Misfits & Moonbeams: black base with green and blue overlaying hues & TONS of green glitz.
Subtle when used dry, but gorgeous metallic darkened teal when used wet. - Pisces: light aquamarine with a warm gold duo chrome
It looks seafoam green in the pot, but is a silvery blue with gold shift. Gorgeous. - Final Fantasy: soft grey with a heavy gold duo chrome that changes from grey to gold to green depending on the light
A great neutral but better shade.
As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar. I LOVE Madd Style Cosmetics--they really do indie loose shadows to the MAX. The greenish shades are especially lovely. All of four of these were quite pigmented even when used dry. Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
Even though it's 2013, people (advertisers in particular) don't seem to know how to address strong, beautiful women. If a woman doesn't meet the cultural (but unrealistic and unhealthy) ideal of a thin, tall, fashionable, waif-like model, she's told that she need to change so that she's more perfect and more desirable, even if they are currently healthy and fit and beautiful. How would you feel in the following situations?Situation #1: How would you feel if you're working out at the gym and a guy comments on your appearance? Maybe something like, "You look hot in those workout clothes." While a little flattered, it makes me feel a little uncomfortable and objectified. My purpose at the gym is to get my workout in, not to be eye candy. Situation #2: How would you feel if you're running a race, and a spectator yells, "Lookin' good! Keep it up! You're doing great!"? This makes me feel GREAT. While I know I'm sweaty and huffing and puffing, and it's not "sexy," neither I nor the spectator think I'm out there to put on a show. It's encouraging to feel that my effort is acknowledged, respected, maybe even admired. Now let's take a look at two advertisements:Advertisement #1: The Bare Minerals #GoBare campaign (I first read about it yesterday, on TheGloss). Some local DC frat boys held up some signs at the Nike's Women Marathon DC: Like Situation #1 with the guy at the gym, the Bare Minerals' ad campaign suggests that it is necessary or desirable for women to have male approval regarding their workout and their workout clothes. That's a little degrading, isn't it?
Advertisement #2
One of four print ads from Nike's 2011 campaign. These Nike ads celebrate women who are healthy and fit, and tell all of the haters that they can shove it--these strong badass ladies don't need your approval. Like Situation #2, you're being encouraged for your effort, for what you can DO, for going out there and kicking ass (no matter what place you're finishing).
I know that ads are meant to sell product, but that profit shouldn't come at the price of someone's self-esteem. I think it's important to tell companies when they're being out of line, and I feel that Bare Minerals needs to go back to it's core principles.
Readers--what do you think? Was the Bare Minerals campaign cute, or disrespectful?
Quick and Simple Makeup Tips for Spring These days, many people rely on plastic surgery to improve their looks, but it’s amazing what a touch of makeup can do! If lead a busy lifestyle, you might not have hours to spend in front of the mirror, so how can you perfect your appearance in a flash this season? Use a tinted moisturizer
With so much to do on a daily basis, it can be easy to slap on a bit of concealer and run out the door. This could leave you with ugly brown streaks and clumpy patches if you’re not careful, so why not invest in some tinted moisturizer instead? There are a variety of products available on the market these days, but the right cream will even out your skin tone and disguise your flaws! It’s quick and easy to apply and can be mixed with your original foundation for a more natural effect. Make the most of mascara If you have little ones to wash, feed and dress before leaving the house, you might not have time for a full makeover. Every minute counts in the mornings, so reduce your stress levels by brushing some neutral eye shadow over your lids (lighter colours require slightly less accuracy) and finish with some extra volume mascara ( Lipgloss+Spandex loves Urban Decay Naked palettes 1 & 2, and the Naked Basics palette; Essence get BIG! lashes mascara). This will help you look more awake in seconds and ensure your lashes look as good as they can for that business meeting or working lunch. Sharpen that eyeliner
A blunt eyeliner pencil is both scratchy and time consuming to apply. The product won’t glide on accurately and you could end up with blotchy, irritated eyes for no reason. To avoid this, make sure the pencil is nice and sharp before gently moving it underneath your waterline ( Lipgloss+Spandex loves Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencils). If you prefer liquid liner, dab the applicator onto a bit of tissue to remove excess product and rest your elbow on a table to steady your hand. Keep wet wipes nearby in case you make a mistake and you should be good to go in no time! Bring your cheeks to life If you’ve been feeling a little run down over the winter months, a bit of blusher will help bring your face to life. While many makeup artists use two different shades to help slim down the face, a single colour can be just effective if used properly. Always find a product to complement your skin tone and apply in natural light to avoid a makeup faux pas. Suck in your lips to highlight your cheekbones and use a high quality blusher brush for a smooth application ( Lipgloss+Spandex recommends It Cosmetics Matte Sweet Apple blush and french boutique blush brush). Brighten up your lips If you don’t get round to applying eye shadow or concealer – fear not! It’s amazing what a bit of lipstick can do, so keep your favourite shade nearby and use it to brighten up your lips. Bright reds are ideal for spring 2013, but if you don’t feel comfortable wearing them, stick to more subtle shades. Alternatively, apply a little lip gloss in the mornings to perfect your pout and keep it in your bag to use throughout the day ( Lipgloss+Spandex loves MAC Lipglass).
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