Eyes

Even the packaging of these Hard Candy eyeshadows look etible.  The candy-colored shades offered by the Hard Candy Eye Candy Shadow Collection are a great way to add some subtle color to your lids this summer.  Peachy bronzes, shimmering pinks, periwinkle blues and sea green shades will really make your eyes pop.  The slide open lid is an unexpectedly cool packaging twist. 

Available in 14 shades, these shadows retail for $12.50 each (though they can be found for 75% off at the time I’m writing this), and can be found at Sephora.com or Hard Candy.

Bright, vibrant colors have slowly infiltrated the black and white dominated world of eyeshadow. MAC has recently launched a new collection that’s a great entry into the world of color. 

MAC has launched the Electro Flash collection, complete with four new Lipstick shades, four new Lipglass shades, nine Mineralize Eye Shadow duos and a Large Fluff brush.

I’ve been dabbling with samples of Mineralize Eye Shadow Duos in Odd Couple (pictured left: a bright purple shade coupled with a marbled golden lavender) and Sea & Sky (an electric blue coupled with a marbled robin’s egg blue).  One side of each compact is a deep, dark, extremely rich shadow ideal for lining the eyes or to use as a base shade for a jewel-toned smokey eye.  The other side is a marbled-effect coordinating color that can be blended for a multi-dimensional effect. 

This mineral formula can be used either wet or dry, and the high-pigment shades–when blended with a fingertip–become subtle.  Who knew such versatility could be found in one little compact?  There is no doubt in this beauty blogger’s mind…  Electro Flash is a collection that makeup enthusiasts will choose to buy in its entirety.

The Electro Flash Collection by MAC contains:

LIPSTICK
Vanity’s Child: Sheer pale beige with pearl (Lustre)
Fast Thrill: Frosty clean mid-tone pink with pearl (Frost)
Mellow Mood: Glossy mid-tone dirty pink with pearl (Lustre)
Dangerously Hot: Creamy deep brown red (Amplified)
Suggested Retail Price: $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

LIPGLASS
Cultureclash Frosty clear baby pink with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost)
Major Minor Frosty mid-tone beige with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost)
Sonic Vibe Frosty mid-tone pink with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost)
Li’ Hot Pepper Frosty burnt red with multi-dimensional pearl (Frost)
Suggested Retail Price: $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW (DUO)
Play on Plums: Mélange/Mono Peachy gold with pink and bronze veining/Bronzed burgundy mono
Sea & Sky: Mélange/Mono Silvery pale blue with deep blue and silver veining/Bright blue mono
Hot Contrast: Mélange/Mono Dirty red with silver and black veining/Black mono
Love Connection: Mélange/Mono Pale beige with gold and blue veining/Warm gold mono
Two to Glow: Mélange/Mono Dirty bronze with pink and orange veining/Orange mono
Odd Couple: Mélange/Mono Warm gold with lavender and bronze veining/Purple mono
Polar Opposites: Mélange/Mono Dirty purple with silver, indigo and pink veining/True silver mono
Fresh Green Mix: Mélange/Mono Golden olive with blue, gold and aqua veining/Lime mono
Pink Split: Mélange/Mono Dirty rose with bronze and pale blue veining/Pink with gold pearl mono
Suggested Retail Price: $17.50 U.S./$22.00 CDN

BRUSH
227 Large Fluff Large size paddle with fluffed double chiseled, rounded tip Suggested Retail Price: $30.00 U.S./$36.00 CDN

I know a few women who need nothing more than mascara to look picture-perfect.  Lucky them!  Their incredibly easy beauty routine is about to get even easier.  For summer 2008, tarte has launched 4 day stay, a mascara formulated with tarte PolyFlex technology, enabling this extremely black mascara to adhere to the lashes for a whopping 4 days!

Ever the skeptic, this product really wowed me.  I can see endless ways it can improve the lives of women.  You can get in bed with lashes looking perfect, and look great all night!  This mascara does not smudge, so you’ll wake with a fringe as impressive as the one you fell asleep with.

Free of synthetic dye, mineral oil and petro chemicals.  Phthatate, sulfate and fragrance free!  Retail price is $18.

Click HERE to buy tarte 4 day stay lash stain from tarte cosmetics.

Click HERE to buy tarte 4 Day Stay Lash Stain from Sephora.

I’m always looking for great deals to pass along to my readers, and here’s one of them!  If you’re in the market for a mascara, but looking to steer away from your usual product, Sephora is selling the Lash Stash (a $50 value, retailing for only $28).

This set contains seven deluxe-sized samples of Sephora’s best selling mascaras, so you can test a new one each day of the week until you find the perfect formula for you!

Mascaras included are:  a 0.14 oz Benefit A Little Bit BADgal Lash in Black, a 0.02 oz Blinc Kiss Me Mascara in Black, a 0.15 oz LORAC Publicity Stunt Lashes in Black, a 0.12 oz Smashbox Bionic Mascara in Black, a 0.24 oz Stila Multi-Effect Mascara in Black, a 1.0 oz Sephora Brand Lash Plumper in Black, and a 0.17 oz Too Faced Lash Injection in Black.

While you’re shopping Sephora, be sure to check out the SALE section, where great train cases and makeup brushes can be found for 50% off of their original prices (including that white Marc Jacobs train case I’ve been lusting over for so long).

Click HERE to buy The Lash Stash ($50 Value) for only $28!

I hadn’t been to a fast-food restaurant in years… but several months ago, I stumbled upon the fact that a local fast-food joint had an incredible indoor play structure where my toddler could safely play on a rainy day.  Ever since, a friend and I periodically meet there so our sons can burn off some steam and conspire (they’re thick as thieves) while we sip coffee and catch up.

During one recent trip, I noticed new technology in use that I had never seen before.  Apparently, preparing drinks for drive-through customers is no longer done by humans in some restaurants.  A machine selects the appropriate cup size, drops a cup into a round cup holder, follows a conveyor to get filled and is finally covered with a lid.  I marveled at just how lazy we had become, needing to automate such a simple task.  But then I realized that this new process likely reduced error, and ensured results are the same for every customer.  Upon first glance, I thought… useless technology.  But after some reflection, I realized it was quite genius!

I feel the same way about SPINLASH.  When I first heard about this product, I thought it was quite unnecessary.  After all, applying mascara is just about the simplest part of your morning routine, right?  I was amazed at how much this rotating brush benefits the application process.  The SpinLash mascara wand slowly revolves as you apply your mascara, separating every lash and applying product in a thin, even coat.  Clumps are non-existent, and lashes look long and voluminous.  The rotating brush can operate in either direction, making it easy to use with either hand, or to apply mascara to both the top and bottom lashes.  SpinLash comes with mascara housed in the storage cap, but you can easily use this brush with your favorite formula as well. 

Click HERE to check out SPINLASH online, where it retails for $14.95 + s&h.  SpinLash can also be found at online retailers like drugstore.com.  In the works by the same company are other cosmetics, such as: eyeshadow (EYEPODZ), blush (SPINBLUSH), foundation (LUXFINISH), lipstick (LIPPODZ) and gloss (JUICYPODZ).  I’m dying to see how the creators of SpinLash continue to improve our beauty routine!