Teeny Manolo

The last product I’m going to review for this summer of Stila is the Eyeshadow Quad in Marrakesh.

And I can sum it up neatly in one word- beautiful!

Now as I age (ahem) gracefully, my ability to wear super-shimmery colors is getting a bit tenuous. Nothing shows up crepey eyelids like a bit of shine. The shadows in this quad have a teensy bit of shimmer, just enough to look awesome, yet not enough to highlight any signs of advancing closer to forty, or uh, (cough, cough) thirty-seven.

The colors can be worn together, alone, or in any combination. They would be extremely flattering to pretty much any skin tone. I love this quad, and I think you would, too!

As for the Super Fantastic Stila Giveaway Part Deux, we are going to carefully judge the haiku over the next week, and the winners will be announced on Sept. 6, 2008. Thank you to all those that entered, it’s going to be a tough decision! You all blew me away with your creativity!

Our summer of Stila continues, and if you haven’t yet submitted your haiku, I have one question for you. Why not? Ten minutes worth of exercising the brain cells could net you almost $200 in FREE MAKEUP! Do. The. Math. And, even if you don’t win, you are creating ART, and art is priceless, is it not? As well as good for the soul.

Now, onto things that are good for our face.

Another product I got to review was Stila’s Color Push-Up in Berry Flash. It also comes in Rose Flash and Blush Flash. It is a compact, moisturizing blush that you simply sweep on. No brushes, and a minimum of blending with your fingers. It is light in texture, quite sheer, and did I mention extremely blendable?

Its compact size makes it perfect for sticking in your purse. Going out to dinner after work? Use it for an instant, easy bit of color. Because we all know that even with carefully applied powder in the morning, the blush is one of the first things to go, right after the lipstick.

Good stuff, my friends. Good stuff.

As I mentioned before, Stila was ever so generous with me, and even though I am giving away a ton of makeup, I also got to keep some for myself!

You may or may not know that I love lipstick.  Actually, I have a confession to make. I am a complete lipstick whore.  At this moment, I have approximately twenty liptsicks.  And it isn’t enough.  I will never have enough, I tell you!

Ahem… Back to the review.

When I saw the High Shine Lip Color, I knew I had to try it.  The packaging (as always) is so pretty, with little vines and leaves etched onto the inner tube. 

The lipstick itself goes on fairly lightly, it isn’t greasy or heavy.  Stila describes it as buttery, and I would have to agree. And I have to point out that there is a large difference between “shiny” and “glittery” and this has a lot of shine with not a lot of glitter.  Which is fine with me, because my days of nightclubbing are a thing of the past.  It wears well, and it has now become my favorite everyday lip color.

If you think you might want one for yourself, go and enter the Super Fantastic Stila Giveaway, for the High Shine Lip Color is just one of the many goodies in the first prize package. 

The wonderful folks at Stila were kind enough to send me an impressively large package filled with goodies. Now, I thought for a minute of leaving the country, changing my name, and being forever happy with my fabulous stash.

But then guilt got the better of me, and I decided to play nice and share.

The sacrifices I make for you. Really.

I have two prize packages worth over $100 apiece, and a Grand Prize worth over $150 in glorious Stila products to make you look even prettier than you already are.

Today I am giving away the first prize package, which includes such lovelies as: Eye Shadow Trio, Lip Glaze, Lip Glaze Stick, High Shine Lip Color, Eye Shadow Duo, and a Smoky Eye Palette.

Seriously, are you not just delirious at the thought of all that?

Here are the rules:
1. Enter the contest by commenting on this post.
2. Contest open only to Canadian and United States residents.
3. Contest deadline is midnight (Pacific) August 15, 2008.
4. Only one entry per person. Duplicate entries will be deleted.

The winner will be chosen by a random number generator, but it never hurts to compliment people shoving free things at you.

Good luck!

Makeup should be fun.

It should look good, make me feel good, and as a bonus, smell good.

These lip balms by on10 do just that.  Playing with a retro vibe and using high quality natural and organic ingredients, they will provide much olfactory pleasure, and they also have a pleasant taste.  I have the Hershey’s Almond, which I bought because almond is actually one of my all-time favorite scents, but it fell out of favor with makeup/perfume manufacturers for quite a while.   And now I get to smell it every time I slather it on my lips, so that can only be a good thing.

These balms are not heavy or greasy, but go on lightly, at least for a balm.  With scents inspired by Schweppe’s and Hershey’s, how much more fun could you possibly have?

on10 Schweppes Lip Balm Ultra-Moisturizing Trio SPF 15 This trio of retro tins contains Schweppes Pink Grapefruit Seltzer, Tonic Water, and Lime soda flavors.

on10 Hershey’s Lip Balm Ultra-Moisturizing Trio SPF 15 Includes three cute tins of Hershey’s Vanilla Creme, Milk Chocolate, and Almond flavors. 

The bad news?

I have a winner for the Stila Lip Glaze Sticks, and of course it is only one person. So that means all the rest of you did not win.

The good news?

More giveaways are in the works, so be sure to check back next week for even more goodies!

And now, drumroll please…

Bellamama! Come on down!

Just click on my name up there in the orange so that I can get your information.

So the rest of you, remember to come back next Saturday for the details on what will hopefully be even more free stuff!

The winner of this week’s Stylin’ Summer Giveaway will win two fabulous and shimmery Stila Lip Glaze Sticks (shades of grapefruit and blackberry, go check them out here). The value of this prize is over thirty dollars! I mean, how often does someone say to you, here, let me give you a bunch of free stuff? Just because I like you so much? I’m betting not all that often.

So, leave a comment telling me what your favorite Stila product is, and you will be entered. Contest ends at midnight Friday July 18, 2008. Unfortunately, this contest is open only to residents of Canada and the United States.

Good luck!

Forgive the Glinda for this late post.

Glinda had a long, long, week topped off by a physical ailment that hit her last night at 2am. And no, it was not due to the overimbibing of alcoholic beverages. Then I had a dream where I somehow became the nanny for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I will spare you the details of both the ailment and the dream.

But!

I will tell you the details of our second Stila Giveaway, and the lucky winner of last week’s contest!

This week’s contest involves answering a question on your blog to win. You must tell me all about your can’t-live-without beauty product. Post the answer on your blog and link to it in the comment section. Entries can be submitted until midnight (Pacific) July 11, 2008. Unfortunately, this contest is limited to participants living in the United States or Canada only.

And now, the winner!

My handy-dandy random number generator came up with the number 1, and gamma, that means you! Because you are the first to win, you have first choice of the three colors, so email me (just click on my name up there in the orange) for the details!

Oh lotion, how do I love thee!

I admit, I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with lotion. Especially scented ones, although I do have a few unscented staples that I rely on as well.

I am so obsessive that my lotion must match several criteria. One, it must fit the weather. No heavy French Vanilla on a warm summer day! No, it must be coconut or pomegranate or something equally light and frothy.

Secondly, it must NEVER clash with my perfume. I am not one of those matchy-matchy with the lotion and perfume people. I understand that layering a scent makes it last longer, but I prefer a more mix and match strategy. A scent mixologist, if you will.

Thirdly, the scent must last a reasonably long time. I mean, if it doesn’t, why did I waste my money on it? I should be able to lift my arm up to my nose a couple hours after application and still be able to smell it.

So, what are the lotions I have an undying affetion for?

Kiehls Creme de Corps

This is a fairly heavy, very rich lotion. I don’t necessarily use it all over, but it works wonders for rough patches and dry areas such as the elbows. Unbeatable moisture.

AmLactin Moisturizing Lotion

This is my go-to lotion. Due to the whole lotta lactic acid it contains, it softens everything up, including elbows and feet. It isn’t as heavy as the Kiehls, though. I tend to mix this with scented lotions if they don’t quite measure up in the moisturizing department.

Bath & Body Works Pleasures Plumeria Body Lotion

I like my lotions like I like my drinks- fruity. Especially in warm weather. Plumeria is a nice scent that goes with most of my summer-weight perfumes. And who doesn’t like to pick up some Bath and Body Works lotion when it’s on sale?

Today we are going to tackle bronzers. I have mixed feelings about bronzers. I totally lurve the concept, but sometimes the execution worries me. I mean, bronzers have to be applied fairly carefully, and my big problem is when people who are fair everywhere (including their faces) want to try and look sun-kissed and wind up with a face that is much darker than the rest of them. Maybe a good look in a dimly lit bar, but not so hot anywhere else.

I do have to say that the bronzers of today are much better than the orange-y ones of yesteryear. Gotta love technology. If you have oily skin, definitely go for a poweder. Dry skin can use either a liquid or powder, depending on your preference.

If you are into bronzers, which can also be useful for contouring, here are a few you might want to consider.

Laura Geller Bronze - N - Brighten

Not only is this a bronzer, but it can also be used as blusher, eyeshadow, and a light foundation as well since it contains color-correcting pigments. This product is actually baked to create a nice matte finish. Glinda likes. Glinda always likes multi-use products!

BeneFit Hoola

For lighter skin tones, Hoola will give you a nice, natural glow. Upon application, the color is a subtle, matte brown, with no shimmer. For darker skin tones, go for Dallas.

Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights Shimmering Powder

What I like about this product is the color versatility it gives. With the different shades, you can pick exactly how light or dark you want to go.

And, key to a good bronzer application is a nice, big brush. Something like this, perhaps.

Unless, of course, you want to look like this: