I know with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays and spending in this economy can be a mess in its self! So I know everyone wants to look good, but not able to splurge all the time on professional brand products. Here are some that I recommend that are budget friendly especially for you out there for under $20.00!

*Not in any particular order*

1.  NYX – 5 Color Palette Eyeshadow/5 in one  (Shown as 7.99)

2.  Maybelline – Lip Liner (Shown as 1.99)

3.  Cover Girl -  Loose Powder (Shown as 5.89)

4.  L’Oreal – Colour Juice Lipgloss (Shown as 7.99)

5.  Revlon – Smoothing Primer (Shown as 11.99)

6.  Neutrogena- Blot Sheets (Shown as 7.19)

7.  Almay – Makeup Remover Pads (Shown Travel Size as .99)

8.  Ulta – Cheek Color (Shown as 6.99)

9.  Physicians Formula- 100% Natural Origin Bronzer (Shown as 13.99)

10. Studio Gear – Hidden Agenda Concealer (Shown as 15.00)

You should be able to find with these brands on a budget everything you need for your face. Just make sure if you have questions about the right color for you, ask someone at the makeup counter. In the case, of example if you go to Ulta (where I found these prices, but subject to change at all times) or Sephora make sure to ask an associate because that is what they get paid to do. So there is no excuse not to take care of your appearance, even if you just have to throw on a little powder and a little gloss on the go!

Until next time! Stay warm! Happy New Years!

MakeupByLaVelle

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Review

Check Price Now!

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Feature

• Design House: Revlon
• Type: Eau De Toilette Spray
• Recommended Use: Casual Wear
• Fragrance Family: Flowery, Musk and Woody Fragrance
• Fragrance Notes: This feminine scent possesses a blend of florals geranium, jasmine, and rose, moss

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Overview

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Womens Perfume Design House: Revlon Type: Eau De Toilette Spray Size: 100 ml Recommended Wear: Casual Wear Gender: Female Fragrance Family: Flowery, Musk and Woody Fragrance Fragrance Notes: Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon, Launched by the design house of revlon in 1973, charlie blue is classified as a luxurious, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of florals geranium, jasmine, and rose, mossy woods, sandalwood, oakmoss, and musk. 100% Genuine Brand Names

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 25, 2009 11:20:21

Enjoli by Revlon for Women 2.5 oz Cologne Spray Review

Check Price Now!

YEARS AGO I FOUND THIS FRAGRANCE AND IT IS NOW MY SIGNATURE PERFUME. I HAVE TRIED THE MOST NEW AND EXPENSIVE PERFUMES BUT ALWAYS GET THE MOST COMPLIMENTS WHEN I WEAR ENJOLIE. PEOPLE WILL STOP ME AND ASK WHAT ARE YOU WEARING. THE FRAGRANCE IS CLEAN AND NOT TO FLOWEREY OR FRUITY. I LOVE IT. IF THEY EVER DISCONTINUE IT I WILL BUY ALL I CAN GET MY HANDS ON. TRY IT YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT A INEXPENSIVE FRAGRANCE CAN SMELL SO GOOD.

Enjoli by Revlon for Women 2.5 oz Cologne Spray Feature

• Size: 2.5 OZ

Enjoli by Revlon for Women 2.5 oz Cologne Spray Overview

Enjoli by Revlon is the 8-hour fragrance for the 24-hr woman. Enjoli captures your many dimensions – all the roles, all the goals you fit into your day. To keep you going – the lingering, day-unto-night luxury of Enjoli. A feminine floral intricately woven with warm, woodsy undertones. A triumphant fragrance that salutes the wonders of being a woman today.

Enjoli by Revlon for Women 2.5 oz Cologne Spray Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 25, 2009 02:15:03

Enjoli – J. Mackenzie –
Enjoli (known in some quarters as “Push Me In The Bushes” ) is a great product and attacks the senses in a big way . My partner loves it and wears it every day, and when my normal source (WalMart) dried up, I had a heart attack, and then went online and found it through Amazon.

It arrived in good condition and as advertised.

Jody
fast service but a basic packing – Franck – France (Europe)
received my parcel in less than 6 days, contrary to 16 as indicated on my order fast service. However never answer the mail by mall, and the packing of the product not being hermetically correct.

Product: Revlon Doubletwistt Volumizing Mascara (in “Blackest Black”)

Price: $5 at Walmart

General Information: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=12519704&sourceid=28046481514098126525

Review:

Rating: 1.5/5

WOW – what an absolutely amazing week!

This week has just flown by and of course with the holidays right around the corner I can only assume that next week will as well!

My instructor has been trying to figure out how we can have a Student Council for the evening classes since we have one for daytime or if its all the same – so far, we still don’t know – but i REALLY want to be a part of Student Council!

This week we learned about the Uniformly Layered Form and the Graduated Form, we learned about cross checking our work (always check the opposite way of the part) and the big one – SECTIONING…lol.

We were shown how to section in 4, 5, 6, & 8 sections… personally, I like the 8 section way the best.  Sectioning is what allows you to work on smaller areas of the head – and within each section, you create subsections which allows you to have CONTROL over the hair.  Never let the hair control you.

Other things we covered this week included finger/shear positions (parallel and non-parallel) and partings – horizontal, vertical, diagonal forward, and diagonal back – PLEASE dont ever confuse partings with sectioning…lol, the instructors don’t like that.

The biggest and probably most important thing we learned, and I say most important because it seems everyone is having a hard time with it for some reason, is DISTRIBUTION.  Distribution is the way the hair is positioned according to the part.  There is Natural (or ZERO) distribution which means the way the hair falls naturally from its part – usually straight down.  There is Perpendicular - which means you are holding the hair at a 90 degree angle from the part – STRAIGHT OUT from the part – but remember the head is ROUND.   Perpendicular is THE MOST IMPORTANT one because it is what is used for our State Board Haircut – which I must say, is a pretty easy haircut.  Shifted distribution is when the hair is combed/brushed any way BUT 90 degrees and is usually used to blend the areas between layers.  Last, but not least is Directional distribution, which is when the hair is combed straight out FROM THE HEAD (not from the part which is perpendicular) in either vertical or horizontal directions.

We also got to begin moving into Thermal Styling – kind of – and used the Marcel Irons – for those of you who don’t know what Marcel irons are – think about your curling iron – now, remove the awesome spring that shuts the clamp around the barrel and replace it with a non-spring loaded clamp that you have to use your hands to keep closed.  Now, also remove the awesome electrical cord that gives you a steady heat – and all plastic bits and pieces that tell you when the iron is ready to use – so now you have a metal rod with two pieces and a handle right?  Now, let me give you a miniature oven to stick it in in order to heat it…

UGH – let me just say that I’ll take my Clairol curling iron or my Chi Flat iron or my Revlon crimper over these Marcel Irons ANY TIME!   LOL, a lot of salons use Marcel Irons that are heated in the mini-stove, so I’m REALLY trying to learn it, but gosh dang it those things get HOT.

I burned my doll’s hair. not too bad, but still – burning hair is never a good thing. and it stinks.

Also, i was at a slight disadvantage because the “older” students have already taken hair styling and kind of knew how to decide on styling a head based on its hair form- we haven’t taken that yet, and since i’m not a girly girl, i know how to straighten it or flip it out – that’s it…lol.  my poor Kim – burned hair and all – she still looks good!

On a brighter note!  I cut my husband’s hair Friday night – and did a damn fine job I must say!  I like his hair a certain way, but when he goes to get it cut, they always cut off way too much – he likes it super short on the sides and then leaves some of his curls on top – well, Friday, he had a head FULL of puffy hair – and I told him I was ready to cut it…lol.  We used the clippers to cut the back and sides (3/8 guard) and then I used horizontal partings and perpendicular distribution to cut the top, cutting off about 1 1/2 inches – leaving enough for his curls to activate when he gels it.

it was AWESOME!  I’ll post pictures as soon as I can.

THEN, my daughter wanted HER hair cut – and she has SUPER long hair for a 6 year old, which I LOVE, but I agreed she needed a TRIM – nothing more.  But to make her feel like we had really done something, I did a graduated layer in the front and now it just bevels towards the front and frames her face so nicely.

When my husband picked me up from school on Saturday, I made him get out so my instructor could look at his hair…lol.  I was told I did an excellent job for never having cut a man’s hair before – YAY!

I’m really “getting” the hair thing – its still not my passion – but I like it and I think I’ll eventually REALLY like it.  Our next section is Thermal Styling and we’re also going to be working on the Square Form and Combination Form haircuts.  We’ll also be getting in to braiding which is part of Thermal Styling for some reason – not quite sure why yet, but I’m sure they’ll explain it to us.

Next week we only have class on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because Thursday is Christmas Eve, Friday is Christmas Day and Saturday is….the day after Christmas i guess is a holiday now..lol.  We’ll be back the next week for Mon-Wed – then off that Thursday for New Years Eve.  Friday we don’t have class then on January 2 we come back to test out of the hair cutting workshop – WOW!

These next two weeks are going to be BUSY BUSY BUSY!! There is a lot of stuff to cover, and I hope they adjusted the teaching plan for the holidays, because when I just looked at our curriculum calendar, it doesn’t look like they realized we would be missing 5 whole class days (which is like a whole week of class time) before we test out of this section!

But, whatever – we’re smart and we’re fabulous – so we can totally handle this!

Let me know that you’re reading this – I love getting comments & seeing people subscribe & tell me why they’re excited about joining Regency’s team of awesome students!

Pop music star Rihanna’s luck seemed to get worse after she was assaulted by her boyfriend, and fellow music star Chris Brown in early 2009. Once signed to lucrative marketing deals, Rihanna’s image was researched by Revlon, which later dropped her from its marketing campaign after she appeared to reconcile with Brown.

According to Advertising Age’s Andrew Hampp, Rihanna has experienced a resurgence thanks to Steve Stoute, the founder-CEO of music marketing agency Translation. Hampp attributes Stoute’s efforts to rebrand Rihanna, to improve her image for marketers, as the reason why she now has a string of No. 1 hits, is appearing on the covers of many magazines, has a new long-term contract with Cover Girl, and touts her own line of umbrellas. Stoute supposedly figured that Rihanna’s problems meant that she could better identify with certain audiences. So, he recommended that she come clean about her abusive relationship with Brown, which she did in a number of televised interviews, and become a spokesperson for victims of domestic abuse.

See Rihanna in a recent backstage interview for a new Cover Girl commercial in the video below:

Discussion Questions:

1.  What was it about Rihanna’s involvement in an abusive relationship that made her a controversial spokesperson for Revlon and other companies?

2.  Why might it have easier for Stoute to repair Rihanna’s image, versus the image of the average troubled celebrity?

3.  What lesson could somebody like Tiger Woods learn from Rihanna’s triumphant return?

Like John Garfield in The Postman Always Rings Twice or Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity, we at Beauty Bombshells have fallen, like suckers, for Revlon’s latest seductive offering.

With the brilliant, film noir name of Double Twist, this new mascara(£8.99)  is like Viagra for eyelashes. You’ll find the lamest of lashes completely transformed in the wave of a wand thanks to its volume-boosting formula.

If you like a bit of drama about the eyes, and your favourite bombshells are the femmes fatales of the 1940s, this is your must-have product for December…

Hey, my lovelies. I’ve been studying for finals all week and my brain feels like it’s about to explode. Time for a beauty break!

I bought these Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quads ($7) ages ago when Rite Aid was having a BOGO. I got two quads for the price of one, woot!

I’ve been playing around with them and like I said in the title, I like ‘em. I’m not head over heels over them, but they’re solid sets of eyeshadows that coordinate well with each other. See?

Neutral Khakis

Priceless Metals

The colors are pretty, but much more vibrant in the pans than they are on my lids. I swatched these with a sponge tip applicator to show you more color saturation. They aren’t this pigmented when blended on the lids with a brush.

These don’t live up to claim of lasting up to 12 hours, but they do stay on a good 6-8 hours without creasing when worn over eyeshadow primer.

Overall, these shadows are nice, but nothing to write home about. I think they’re a good buy for the gal (or guy) who is just starting to wear makeup. They’d be more forgiving when not properly blended as they aren’t as pigmented as pricier shadows.

Have you tried Revlon eyeshadows? What do you think of them?

Are you going through finals too? Good luck!

Oh, and Happy Friday!

UPDATE: Revlon is currently buy one get one free at CVS! If you want to give these eyeshadow quads a try, head on over there. You’re welcome.

In last week’s ‘Cause She’s A Lady post on how to get the look of Christian Dior’s party-on-the-top, business-on-the-bottom (or vice versa) ensembles from the Fall 2009 Couture collection, I promised to bring you the makeup finds on how to create the beauty looks. There were really two different looks in this collection. The first was a strong, classic retro beauty look with silver eyes, sharp black winged eyeliner and bright red lips.

Christian Dior Fall 2009 Couture

How to get this look:

1. Urban Decay Cream Shadow in Moonshine, $22 at Sephora
2. Estee Lauder Gel Eyeliner in Black, $23 at select The Bay counters across Canada for a limited time
3. Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Absolute Rouge as part of the Gold Fascination Collection, $35 at The Bay counters starting January 1

The second was a softer, though no less stronger,  sugary look with with lilac on the eyes, black winged eyeliner and pale pink or fuchsia lips. Both of these are perfect looks for your holiday parties, depending on whether you want to go more tough vixen or bad-girl-next door.

Christian Dior Fall 2009 Couture

How to get this look:

1. MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Devil-May-Care, $23.50 at MAC counters and stores
2. Estee Lauder Gel Eyeliner in Black, $23 at select The Bay counters across Canada for a limited time
3. Revlon Creme Gloss in Fiercely Fuchsia,  $11.95 at drugstores and select department stores

— Jodi Goulart

So I was over at the ex-flat-mate’s pad the other night. I made sure I was there at around supper time and kept going on about how hungry I was. Sure enough he caved and offered me some free supper… score!

Whilst we were enjoying our mac n cheese, some Revlon ad came on with Doutzen Kroes. I was like: “Damn!” The ex-flat-mate responded: “Yeah, she’s hot, but she looks too much like Barbie doll.” I almost gagged on my mouthful of mac n cheese. I spat it out & threw down my fork (mostly for dramatic effect, but also coz the mouthful was hotter than expected).

I retorted: “Look, if you came home and she was lying on your bed, would you or wouldn’t you?! Quick, I want an answer!” He replied: “Yeah, I guess you’re right, I’d tap that…”

So, I thought it only fitting that this lovely lady make The Lank Tank list.  She normally has blonde hair, but I think she’s smoking hot with dark hair… and those blue eyes… oh baby!

I found this pic of her graduating… no doubt she majored in hotness!

Doutzen Kroes celebrity profile

One of my readers asked about making requests to Konad for a full-plate of a design of one of the existing French tip plates. I decided to take a stab at making the French tip design to a full design by applying the ‘nad in layers. Here’s how it turned out:

China Glaze Secret Peri-wink-le with Konad m56 and Revlon Petal Chrome

It definitely wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but it’s definitely do-able.

Thanks for looking!

(Click image to enlarge)

Clockwise from top left: D&G La Lune gift set £34.35 debenhams.com, Coastal Scents matt 88 palette $18.95 coastalscents.com, Kiehl’s ultra facial cleanser £15.66 spacenk.co.uk, Lulu Guiness large London print flat pouch £35 luluguinness.com, Revlon Cherries in the Snow nail enamel £6.29, lipstick £7.29 boots.com, Philosophy Amazing Grace shower gel £18 hqhair.com

The party season is fast approaching and any girl worth her pearls needs a pair of Revlon Fantasy Length lashes to top off that amazing dress. And don’t even bother using gloopy glue as an excuse – these babies are self-adhesive, meaning no mess and no fuss. Lovely.

photo via F21 The Skinny

No look is complete without a fabulous set of lashes! Although quite a few of us are a little terrified of them in fear of looking like RuPaul – there’s actually quite a selection out there to meet a variety of needs. Some of us just need our lashes to be thicker while some are in need of a thicker and longer look. No matter the look you need, there are a pair of lashes out there for you. The fun part about makeup is that you can experiment at an affordable price.

While there are funky and extreme lashes as the one pictured above, there are also more wearable looks that are suitable whether for the office or a night on the town. If you are interested in giving lashes a try, to start out perhaps you can try Revlon recently launched self adhesive Fantasy lashes that are available in drugstores everywhere! Yes, self adhesive – no glue – no mess!

Like any product out there, some girls rave about it and some think that you might as well stick to regular lashes using glue.  The only way to really know is to try them yourselves.

Remember the rules? Strong eyes or lips but never both?

Well, rules are meant to be broken. I really like the bold, polished look.

Glamour noir + glorious rouge =  Stunning

For notoriously fierce, noticeable lips, I prefer M.A.C’s Russian Red ( matte intense bluish red ), Lady Danger ( matte vivid bright coral ) or NARS’s Shanghai Express ( semi-matte warm brick red ), Fire Down Below ( semi-matte pure blood red ), Lancome’s L’absolu Rouge Radiance,  Guerlain’s Rouge G Jewel Geisha, Armani’s rouge d’armani 401.

If you haven’t wear bold red lips before and keen to try this look, Revlon’s matte Strawberry Suede or Really Red is great for beginners as its cheap & cheerful, readily available in drug stores.

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Review

Check Price Now!

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Feature

• Design House: Revlon
• Type: Eau De Toilette Spray
• Recommended Use: Casual Wear
• Fragrance Family: Flowery, Musk and Woody Fragrance
• Fragrance Notes: This feminine scent possesses a blend of florals geranium, jasmine, and rose, moss

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Overview

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Womens Perfume Design House: Revlon Type: Eau De Toilette Spray Size: 100 ml Recommended Wear: Casual Wear Gender: Female Fragrance Family: Flowery, Musk and Woody Fragrance Fragrance Notes: Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon, Launched by the design house of revlon in 1973, charlie blue is classified as a luxurious, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of florals geranium, jasmine, and rose, mossy woods, sandalwood, oakmoss, and musk. 100% Genuine Brand Names

Charlie Blue Perfume by Revlon 100 ml / 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Women Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 03, 2009 21:05:03

Asus EEE PC Seashell 1105 HA

Visit : Play Guitar Hero server computer case

Went to Bandung. Browsed around Sogo. Passed Revlon counter. Took a look. Spotted their new matte series. Fell in love. Went frenzy. Got home broke. =))

Here’s the damage I caused my wallet:

Swatches: Revlon Matte Series Lipsticks

Lovely aren’t they?

Pink Pout is a cool toned baby pink with a tinge of purple
Mauve It Over is a subtle peachy nude colour
Pink About It is a watermelon pink with some splashes of coral
Really Red is a really, really red but still wearable lipstick
In The Red is a deep berry red

My fave of the bunch is Pink About It, it gives me that fresh look without shouting ‘I’m trying to look younger!’ Mauve It Over has my vote also, it’s a great nude, very natural, and doesn’t wash me off. I use it to tone down strong coloured lipsticks on my traincase, and am loving the end results.

My general review:

The lipsticks come in a sleek packaging. It’s a sturdy black dove tube, with dove silver inning. Definitely far from cheap look. The top of the tube is a transparent plastic, allowing you to peek in to the colour inside, that way you don’t have to turn the tube over to read tha label, or opening each one to find the desired color trough your collection.

The product itself is unscented, which is always an extra yay for me. It’s not as creamy as NYX’s round lipstick, not as moisturizing also, but I don’t find this drying either. The colour payoffs are great, you don’t have to glide it over and over to get an opaque colour. Lasting power is also not dissapointing. Me likey.

Price are also reasonable, it retails around IDR 50000 each here. What I don’t like is that not every colour in this series is available in Indonesia. Nude Attitude, which is their most raved shade, is not avail here, along with some other shades. Grh.

What I like about this product:

• Decent price.
• Not drying my lips.
• Colour payoffs are great
• Long lasting power

What I don’t like about this product:

• Colour selection is limited
• Not every colour is available in Indonesia

Will I repurchase: If they have some new colours here, I gotta say yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

Statement nails are one of the most attention-grabbing accessories this season and one  manicure that’s come full-circle is the half-moon manicure. This style  first became popular in the 1940s and has most recently been on the Fall 2009 runways at Christian Dior, Ruffian and Thakoon. Burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese has been flashing her lunar nails for years.

Dita Von Teese

Best described as a reverse French manicure, the half-moon manicure is surprisingly easy to replicate on your own as long as you have the right tools. To prep, you need strong nails. I regularly use a nail strengthener because frequent abuse of nail polish and remover makes my nails weak. One of my favourites right now is Sally Hansen’s Quick Care Pen Strength Treatment, which is easily applied with it’s click-and-brush pen. You can have a painted half-moon or not, but if you want the full effect I’d go for the former. Beige and bordeaux were paired at Ruffian; white and navy at Thakoon and cream and purple at Dior.

Christian Dior Fall 2009

I chose white and a deep metallic blue with Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Colours in Whirlwind White and Blazing Blue. After painting my entire nail white I used Nailene’s Perfect Tips & Toes French Polish Guides adhesive stickers to make a perfect half-moon while painting on the blue polish. And voila! — the perfect half-moon manicure. Although it did take some time and patience, the end result is well worth it — just think of how great it will look while lifting a glass during the holiday party season!

Here is what I used to create a half-moon manicure:

• Sally Hansen Quick Care Pen Strength Treatment, $9.95 at select drug stores and mass retailers
• Nailene Perfect Tips & Toes French Polish Guides, $2.99 at Shopper’s Drug Mart
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Colour in Whirlwind White and Blazing Blue, $5.95 at select drug stores and mass retailers

Here are some other colour combinations inspired by the Fall runways:

• Revlon Nail Enamel in No Shrinking Violet with Sheer Petal, $5.50 at select drug stores and mass retailers
• Essie Nail Color in A-List with Not Just A Pretty Face, $9.99 at select salons
• Maybelline Salon Expert Nail Colour in Hot Pink with Eternal Snow, $5.49 at select drug stores

— Jodi Goulart

I give up trying to resist the word Haul. I can’t think of what else to call it!

Anyway how are you all? To all my new subscribers, welcome! Thanking for liking my blog!!

Mother dearest was visiting over the weekend. And well she’ll be going home for Christmas so these are my presents for this year. Happy days!

Urban Decay Preen Eyeshadow Box
Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Foundation
MAC Cool Capers Pigment set
Barry M Lipliner in 11
MAC Dazzleglass in She Zam
MAC Dazzleglass in Blackfire
Revlon Va Va Violet Lipstick

I finally got my hands on the Urban Decay Preen Eyeshadow palette. I half expected it to be sold out when I went to Boots but suprisingly there were plenty of palettes left. I have to say that I am not a fan of the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils. The last tester that I got from my Book of Shadows II smudged like something you have never seen. No lie. I was EXTREMELY annoyed at the whole affair. However. I am willing to give it another go. Last change UD. Make it happen.

The Bobbi Brown foundation is my first ever Bobbi Brown item. I hold my hands up. I have never been attracted by their stuff. I think it’s because I am a colour addict and Bobbi Brown has always come across to me as very “neutral”. You know…all the nice and beautiful, flawless but natural looking kinda make-up. I’m too wild for such. But I hope one day to give them a good look. In fact I take that back. I DID have a good look at them but it still failed to catch my eye. Forgive me!

The two lipglosses from MAC are another first for me. I’ve never really thought about the lipglosses from MAC until Blackfire and Amourous came out with Style Black and Dazzle Creme [I think?!] I’ve been wanting Blackfire since Style Black came out but I was temporarily broke and it wasn’t the top of my list. However I caved and I got it now. It’s pretty. ButI suspect I shall not be repurchasing anything with lipgloss type products from MAC anytime soon. I used it twice and a 5th of the gloss is gone. A rip off if I ever did see one.

I confess that I bought the MAC Cool Capers Mini Pigment/Glitter box because of Grape and Reflects Transparent Teal. I’m a magpie really. Bright and sparkly gets me all the time! I remember there being some buzz about Kitchmas pigment but I ain’t gonna lie to you, for me, it’s the least attractive one of the lot. Am I wrong? If I am please break it down for a sister cause I have not seen the light…!

The Revlon lipstick is another first. I only realised after I bought it that I just don’t have Revlon lipsticks. Nothing against them because I love Va Va Violet. I just never seem to pick them up. Oh well! We can start a collection now The Barry M Lipgloss was one of those spontaneous buys. It works perfectly with Va Va Violet. But I didn’t plan it that way. Not on purpose anyway! Subconscience behave! I’ve worn it twice. Very soft. We shall see how it works out.

Look out for a few looks with these pretty little things. Always exciting. One of these days I might try and do a picture tutorial. Hmmm. Might being the operative word.

Stay Blessed lovelies. xxx

Forgive the iPhone photo and lack of proper coloring, but these are the nail products that I’ve been using lately. First is Revlon Gold Get ‘Em polish. Cute name, not so amazing color. I wanted a really deep golden polish, but since I was in a hurry, I just had my mom go pick one up for me and told her it had to be Revlon since that was the only drugstore brand that I could think of off the top of my head that doesn’t test on animals. This was the only one they had and while it’s not awful, it’s just a little too light on my fair skin. Plus, it was still relatively sheer after four coats. The OPI mini merries set is really a good way to sample out some of their best holiday 2009 colors without having to buy four full bottles for a lot more money. The set includes Comet Loves Cupid, All Bordeaux The Sled, Holiday Glow, and Shim-Merry Chic. Holiday Glow is my absolute favorite from it and one of my favorite new polishes in general. It looks so, so pretty on. Comet Loves Cupid is a really vibrant red with a slight pinkish tinge to it. Also really pretty. All Bordeaux The Sled is a deep burgundy, almost black color that resembles the darkest part of a candy apple. Shim-Merry chic is a mix of brown, green, and gold with (go figure) quite a bit of shimmer to it. It’s a nice color, but not really my taste. And last but not least, Burt’s Bees Lemon Cuticle Creme is a MUST this time of year. I have dry skin so it helps keep my cuticles and the skin around my nails soft and not cracked.

I’m still going to hunt down the perfect gold to wear for Christmas, mark my words!

Revlon Gold Get ‘Em.
OPI Mini-Merries.
Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme.

If you have read my past blog entries than you must know that I am a caffeine addict. I drink Starbucks, 7-11, and Dunkin Donuts ice coffees when I get the chance.

My addiction for this fix has gotten to the point where I have to wear this specific shade of nail polish–”Caffeine Fix” by O.P.I.–just because it reminds me of decadent coffee in the morning.

I’ve worn Sally Hansen, Revlon, NYC, and even dabbled in the knock-off brands from several hole in the wall beauty supply stores but nothing really cuts it like O.P.I for me.

I wear this  O.P.I nail polish shade  like  I drink  my coffee feverishly.  I have to wear a color that’s dark but fiesty enough yet have to have the color  subdued enough to not raise any eye brows.  When I drink my coffee, it has to be slightly strong but not too strong since I don’t want to raise any eye brows by acting a little extra.

Even though “Caffeine fix” is $9.00 at your local Sephora and you may have to drive all the way out to the mall, it’s worth the effort since all the other drug store nail polish brands tend to produce flaky, gloopy colors that thin over your nails: Does anyone really want that?

I hope not. I know I don’t which is why I am an avid fan of this brand and shade.  If there is any other brand that beats O.P.I and even beats this shade of mauve red, please comment below.

Bem, queridas, estou de volta e estou fervendo! Huehuehue Cheguei de viagem ontem e, com aquele calor todo, não perdi a oportunidade e tomei meu primeiro banho de sol desta estação. Estava tão branca que brilhava como o Edward (alguém seguiu a dica pro findi e entendeu a piadinha interna? hehehe), mas acho que a horinha e meia de ontem já deve ajudar alguma coisa.

Quanto à viagem, foi o seguinte: nesse final de semana recebemos aqui em Santa Maria uns amigos dos meus pais de Floripa, e eles estavam a fim de conhecer Rivera pra fazer aquelas comprinhas confirmadas. Nós fomos com eles, e claro, também fizemos nossas aquisições.

Quem é gaúcho aqui desta região provavelmente já conheça a cidade uruguaia, que faz fronteira com Santana do Livramento, e que é um pólo de compras, por causa de seus inúmeros free shops, que vendem produtos de alta qualidade, com preços muuuuito mais baixos do que os que a gente paga no Brasil.

Tenho um sem-número de amigos que vai à Rivera freqüentemente fazer seus ranchos de perfumes, cosméticos, queijos, bebidas, doces e aparelhos eletrônicos, e que estão habituados a ir desde a infância. Eu, porém, só fui lá pela primeira vez há uns três, quatro anos e desde então estive lá meia dúzia de vezes. Não sou, portanto, tão entendida no assunto e talvez não tenha tantas dicas espertas sobre as compras por lá, mas sei o básico. Quem tiver mais dicas imperdíveis de lá, deixa nos comentários, hein!

Pois bem. Primeira dica (talvez a mais importante): existe uma cota, de US$ 300,00 a serem gastos no nome de uma mesma pessoa nos free shops. Ou seja, você não pode comprar além desse valor.

No momento da compra os free shops sempre pedem a identidade, e o seu nome vai na nota fiscal. Se você somar mais do que US$ 300,00 em notas no seu nome, você ultrapassou a cota. Guarde sempre a nota fiscal, porque ela é exigida na aduana.

Se você ultrapassar a cota, cuidado! A fiscalização está grande nos últimos tempos, em função do dólar baixo. Ela é feita na saída da cidade de Santana do Livramento, pela polícia federal. Quem está mais habituado sabe inclusive quais são os horários em que eles costumam estar pegando, e tem até quem mande amigos na frente pra ver se está livre a passagem, pra depois seguir.

Mas seguramente, a maneira mais simples de resolver se você ultrapassar a cota é passar, antes de sair de Livramento, na receita federal que fica pertinho dos free shops bem na divisa entre Uruguai e Brasil. Na receita federal você vai pagar o imposto sobre aquele valor que ultrapassou a cota. Se não me engano, a taxa é de 16%. É bem mais tranqüilo. Você vai acabar gastando um pouco mais nas compras que excederam a cota, mas não chega a ser tão caro quanto comprar no Brasil. E evita o transtorno de perder todas as compras (e eles levam mesmo, todas as compras, inclusive as que estão na cota) se você for parado na aduana e eles virem o excesso. Perder tudo o que comprou e todo o dinheiro que gastou não é legal, né, gente? Heuhehe

Outra dica importante (que nós aprendemos nessa última viagem): esta cota não é multiplicável pelo número de pessoas no veículo, tipo: “nós estamos entre quatro pessoas, então a cota é US$ 1.200,00”. Não é bem assim. A cota não é por veículo, é individual. Portanto, é o seguinte: cada um dos quatro pode gastar US$ 300,00 no seu nome, mas a cota é intransferível, por mais que estejam juntos. Se você estiver entre quatro pessoas, realmente vai poder gastar US$ 1.200,00 no total, mas tem que estar dividido em no máximo US$ 300,00 no nome de cada um. Em resumo, na hora de comprar, cuide pra dividir em nomes diferentes as compras, pra distribuir entre as pessoas, e não ultrapassar a cota de nenhuma.

Certo, minha gente? Quanto às cotas é isso. Vamos às compras.

Eu não comprei uma enormidade de coisas, apenas o que estava na minha listinha, e que eu estava realmente precisando.

Por exemplo, estou fazendo academia direto agora, e comecei a correr na esteira. Porém eu comecei a ler sobre o assunto e vi que meus tênis não eram apropriados pra isso. Como eu gosto de corrida, e quero correr mais e melhor, decidi procurar um mais apropriado pra evitar dores e lesões (porque eu sou muuuuito dada às dores e lesões.. Huehuehe). Lá em Rivera os tênis e artigos esportivos em geral são muito mais baratos. Eu comprei este Adidas AdiSTAR Salvation por R$ 175,00 já convertidos para o dólar do dia, na Neutral. Aqui em Santa Maria não se encontra ele por menos de R$ 250,00.

Outro item da minha lista era o rímel da Lancôme, o L’Extreme, que é pra alongar os cílios. Faz séculos que eu uso e é o meu preferido. Lá sai por US$ 21,00, cerca de R$ 40,00. Comprei na Zebra, onde ele vinha com dois brindes: um lápis preto e uma miniatura do famoso demaquilante Bi-facil. Esse brinde é ótimo pra carregar em viagens.

Além disso, trouxe também um gel spray bronzeador da Australian Gold, que muito vi minha cunhada usando ano passado na praia, e muito quis um pra mim! Huheuheu Já experimentei e ajuda mesmo no bronzeado. Mas não dá pra usar só ele, tem que usar um protetor por cima, porque ele praticamente não tem proteção solar. Paguei US$ 12,00, um pouco mais de R$ 20,00, na Neutral.

Comprei também um esfoliante de pêssego da St. Ives, uma marca de cosméticos que tem produtos ótimos a preços muito bons. Paguei US$ 3,50 na Mallorca, pouco mais de R$ 5,00. Os esmaltes Revlon são as mesmas cores que eu já tinha, mas que estão acabando. Comprei para substituir. As cores são 006 Sheer Pink e 721 Raven Red. Paguei US$ 5,50 cada uma, cerca de R$ 10,00.

Os lencinhos demaquilantes da Preven’s são perfeitos pra carregar na bolsa e custaram US$ 2,30, ou seja, algo em torno de R$ 4,00, no The Place. O perfume, que eu vinha namorando desde o ano passado, é o Eternity Summer, da Calvin Klein, e saiu R$ 95,00 (não lembro quanto em dólares) na Mega.

Já o mini spray corporal So Pink, da GAP, custou US$ 5,35, cerca de R$ 10,00. E o desodorante Nike custou US$ 4,00 na Neutral, menos de R$ 8,00.

Viu, só? Bons produtos, de marcas famosas, a um preço muito baixo. Pra quem gosta de comprar, vale a pena ir a Rivera.

E mais uma dica pra finalizar: prefira ir em dias de semana. Sábado enche de filas, e nos feriados Santa Maria inteira vai pra lá e as filas ficam muuuuito maiores. Heuheue

Quem mais tem dicas legais pra dividir com a gente? Vou aguardar muitos comentários!

Beijos

Lu Merten