MAC Haul: Heavenly Creatures Collection

Hi everyone!

A very nice delivery arrived on my doorstep from FedEx this morning: my items from MAC's latest collection, Heavenly Creatures. The collection's official release date is July 5th, 2012, but it was released online earlier this week. On the US site, I know Super Nova mineralize blush and Cut A Caper lipstick have definitely sold out. On the Canadian site, Star Wonder and Light Year mineralize skinfinishes have sold out. So, that may give you an idea of what the hot items are so far. If you missed out on any of those, you can always head to your MAC store or counter, or your local department store if you're in the US.

To be honest, if I could have, I probably would have purchased almost the entire collection. But, as you all know, most of the time that's just not possible financially. So, I opted to purchase the mineralize skinfinishes from the collection. There are four: Earthshine, Light Year, Centre of the Universe, and Star Wonder. 

 

MAC describes these MSFs the following ways:

Earthshine: Tarnished bronze with gold pearl and pink reflects

Centre of the Universe: Coral with gold shimmer

Light Year: Peachy pink with gold shimmer

Star Wonder: Plummy pink with multidimensional shimmer

Each of the MSFs retails for $29.00US/34.00 CDN

The collection also has 5 lipsticks, 5 cremesheen glasses, 4 mineralize blushes, 9 mineralize eyeshadows, 3 brushes, volcanic ash exfoliator, and multiple skincare items. You can view the entire collection at www.maccosmetics.com or .ca.

To be honest, I don't have much interest in the skincare items in this collection. For me, the standouts were the MSFs and some of the eyeshadows. I really love the planetary promo image as well. This is the first MAC collection I've really loved in awhile. I sort of feel as though they are losing their touch a bit compared to past years.

I haven't had time to play with these MSFs yet, but if I had to pick a favourite right now, I'd say it's Star Wonder. It's just so pretty! Take a look at these pictures below. Which one is a must have for you? Or are you someone who hates MAC's mineralize products?

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Thanks for visiting!

Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Haul

I am in love.. with a cosmetics brand!

A couple of years ago, my friend tried Dolce & Gabbana's perfume in "Light Blue", and it was exquisite. I own the fragrance myself now, and it's the perfect feminine scent that is fresh with a trace of orange. I will do a fragrance round up soon, but on to the Dolce & Grabbana beauty products I picked up!

Dolce & Gabbana beauty products are available at Saks Fifth Avenue, so I went ahead and decided to order a couple of things from www.saksfifthavenue.com. I decided to try one of their nail colors in "Stromboli", and one of their Shine lipsticks in "Fascination." Stromboli is a black polish with gold glitter, similar in a way to MAC's "Seriously Hip" polish.



I just love this packaging, and definitely intend to purchase more from this line, though I wish there were more shades. I would say the formula of this polish is similar to Chanel's Le Vernis polishes.



I can't stress enough that Dolce & Gabbana beauty products are now among my favourites. Especially Stromboli.. the packaging and colour are so luxe.

The Shine lipstick I picked up was in the shade "Fascination", which is a beautiful bright medium tone pink.






The consistency is beautiful and creamy yet sheer- perfect and long wearing. The one thing that is different about this lipstick is the smell. It has a strong scent which is exactly like Guerlain's meteorite perles. The scent fades once you apply it to your lips, but if scents bother you, you may not be a fan. I love the embossed DG on the lipstick. It almost ..ALMOST..makes me not want to use it!





I will be asking for a backup for Christmas! (If I don't use this up by then!)

I've placed another Saks order for Petal nail color, and Emotion Shine lipstick. I will do a post in the future about those items once they arrive.

If I could recommend only one item from D&G beauty, it would be Stromboli nail color! It's a must have in my opinion- 5 out of 5. Fascination, though my new favourite shade, gets a 4 out of 5 because of the strong smell.

Thanks for your time everyone! Please comment, and check out my youtube channel, and me on youtube- screen name- dvsdawl!
Brynn

Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color Review

My credit card is in recovery mode.

Last week, I discovered that Neiman Marcus ships to Canada! And, it just so happens that designer Tom Ford's new lipstick collection is being carried at - gasp- Neiman Marcus! So, I went ahead and placed my order for one of the lipsticks.

There are 12 shades, and intially, I wanted Pink Dusk, but it was sold out. So, I ventured where I have never ventured before- nude lipsticks. MAC's Creme D'Nude lipstick was repromoted with the "In the Groove" collection, and got me thinking about nude lips. I've been hesitant to go there in the past, because I'm not sure if I can pull it off. But, I am less scared of nudes than bright shades, so I opted for the Tom Ford shade "Blush Nude". Now, the shade is definitely more nude than blush, but it is a beautiful colour if you are a fan of nude lips.


Blush nude without flash/with flash


The packaging is absolutely gorgeous.



The white is perfect for summer, and unlike anything else in my collection.






Tom Ford is beyond sexy. You can just imagine hanging out with his posse and whipping out one of these beauties. It really is luxe packaging.. I'll just grab it and go hop in my beemer and... oh, wait.. ya.. don't have one! Anyway..

The scent of the lipstick is absolutely perfect. It's similar to the vanilla scent of MAC lipsticks, but more subtle and sophisticated. I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of scented lip products, with a couple of exceptions that I will mention in my next post! The lipstick also has the smallest click ever.. You close it, and it's not a noisy click at all. Only other beauty addicts will understand the significance of that last sentence.

I've heard from others that the consistency of this lipstick varies depending on the shade. I think the consistency of Blush Nude is exquisite. It's like a cremesheen lipstick, and it wears beautifully. The big question is, is it worth 45 dollars?
Honestly, are designer brands ever worth the high price? Let's admit it, we're paying for the brand name, and the little piece of luxury that we get to take home with us. And don't forget as well, that with luxury brands, part of the price is for the nicer, more luxurious packaging. My overall rating out of 5 would be a 4. I wish there was a pink shade a little more baby pink than Pink Dusk, but not as bright as the Pure Pink lipstick. If you'd like to check out the lip colors for yourself, check out www.TomFord.com or www.NeimanMarcus.com.

Oh, and for everyone in Canada, coloUr. Haha. Have a great day everyone! More to come.. any requests, let me know! Please comment, and feel free to ask me anything you like!
Brynn

Guerlain Meteorites Perles photos- Teinte Dore

Today I visited my local Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique to pick up Guerlain's Meteorites Perles. The product comes in 3 shades, and is available at Sephora as well as SDBB, but I live in Saskatchewan, and we don't have a Sephora location here. (If you do, you're lucky! No shiping charges for you!)

This product retails for about $56 USD, which works out to more than $60 before tax in Canada. I had some Shoppers Optimum points saved up, and used them on this purchase. If you're also a Shoppers Optimum member, I would recommend you do the same thing. My shade is in 03- Teinte Dore. It has bronze and cream coloured pearls which give off a golden sheen. Blue and purple pearls are underneath the lighter pearls.

The way to apply this face powder is by swirling a brush in the product. Guerlain does sell a brush specifically for this, but you can use any face brush that you like. The Guerlain brush does NOT come with the meteorite pearls. Below are some pictures of the product. I will post a follow up review after I try this out. If you'd like me to do swatches, let me know! The packaging is quite nice for this product. It's one of those you'll need to display on your counter!

UPDATE:

UP took home the Academy Award this year for Best Animated Feature. The film also won Best Original Score.
UP was nominated for Best Picture. It was only film since Beauty and the Beast to be nominated in that category.

UP- Not "just" a cartoon

SQUIRREL!!

If you've seen Up, you just smiled. And, that is what the newest release from Disney/Pixar is really all about. You'll laugh, and possibly even tear up with this one. It's the sort of movie that proves "cartoons" can be just as realistic as live action films. In fact, film critic Roger Ebert gave it four stars- the same rating he gave to both Slumdog Millionaire,and Milk, starring Sean Penn.

"Up" is written and directed by Bob Peterson, and Pete Docter. Peterson wrote the screenplay for Finding Nemo, Docter wrote a few little movies you may have heard of: Toy Story, Toy Story 2,and Wall-E.

Based on the resumes of the writers, I was excited to see this movie. The premise, an old man who attaches balloons to his house to make it fly, seems as bit silly on the surface. Let me tell you, it's so much more than that. In fact, throughout the movie, I found myself hoping those balloons would just hold out a little bit longer. It adds an element of suspense to the movie.

Up portrays a man in the twilight of his life, wondering what to do next. Ever since he was a child, he dreamed of being an adventurer in South America. However, his life takes a different path. He meets an unlikely sidekick, and the movie deals with some themes we'll all face someday, like how our idols may turn out to be less than the perfect person we made them out to be. It's definitely one for all ages, and if you're an adult, let me tell you. It's not just a kid's movie. All of the adults in the theatre errupted into laughter numerous times throughout.

This film is offered at theatres in both 2D, and 3D. I saw it in 3D. I personally don't find it a rip off to pay the extra 3 dollars to see it in 3D. I went on Tuesday, the "cheap" night at the theatre. I hadn't seen a 3D movie before, and was pretty impressed with the effect, though Pixar didn't go overboard with 3D effects. For me, it was just a more exciting/enhanced movie experience. If you don't want to pay more for it, don't.

For me, if a movie stirs emotions, and makes me laugh, it's a winner. For that reason, I give it a solid 9/10. Go see this one. You won't regret it.

:) B

Who Should Win, Who Will Win- Oscars 2009

I've heard a lot of people say this year's Academy Awards are yawn-worthy. Apparently "There Will Be Blood," and "No Country For Old Men" got people going last year, and this year's contenders just don't compare. I'd disagree with that. That's the beauty of film after all, isn't it? We all have our own tastes. Sort of like, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So, even though some people may be missing the powerful performance of Daniel Day Lewis, others are feeling good about Heath Ledger's performance as the joker, or Mickey Rourke's turn as "The Wrestler." The downside of everyone having different tastes, is that inevitably, there is disappointment on Oscar night. Among those of us as home, and surely, for those in the seats at the Kodak Theatre. I'm afraid my favourite film of the year may be one of those overlooked this year.

Who should win? Who will win? Here are my picks.

Best Supporting Actress

WSW: Viola Davis for her performance in Doubt. She didn't have many scenes in this movie, but when she did, she stole them from Meryl Streep. The Meryl Streep whom Oscar loves. Davis should take the statue.

WWW: Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. For some reason, this seems like Oscar bait to me. It's a movie not many people saw, and Cruz gives one of the better performances of her career. I see Oscar giving her the little gold man.

Best Supporting Actor

WSW: The late Heath Ledger. Though Josh Brolin comes in second here for me. He did a great job as Dan White. But Ledger's performance was both convincing, and unique- perfect for the Oscars.


WWW: This is the easiest category in years to call. Who will win, is Heath Ledger. I'm not the biggest fan of super hero movies, Spiderman was so-so, and, dare I say it, Christian Bale was not my favourite actor to step into Batman's cape. (Even though I used to LOVE him.. He's too dark as Bruce Wayne, in my opinion.) Ledger's performance was incredible. He was strangely alluring. I don't know if I was scared of him, but I believed he was nuts. The only question is, who will accept on his behalf?

Best Actress

WSW: This category is difficult this year. I loved Changeling, but it was more the story and directing I loved, rather than Angelina. (Clint Eastwood is amazing, as usual.) Angie was great, but I don't know if it's Oscar worthy. So I'll pick Kate Winslet, for the Reader, as the woman who should win this year. I've loved her acting chops since she almost went down with the ship!

WWW: Kate Winslet. She had two nominations at the Golden Globes. The Oscars gave her one.. but this just may be her year. But, I must mention she's up against Oscar favourite Meryl Streep. So you never know.

Best Actor

WSW: Sean Penn, Sean Penn, SEAN PENN! He was absolutely miraculous as Harvey Milk, the gay rights activist from the 1970s. If you haven't seen this movie, you must. And, if you don't see why it's great.. you probably haven't given much thought to human rights causes. That's fine.. but maybe now is the time to do so? Penn BECOMES Milk. And, he doesn't overdo it. He kisses James Franco as convincingly as any woman would, and brings a sense of hopefulness and courage to the role that can only make you smile along with him. When Prop 6 fails, how can you not beam at the sight of him beaming?? They say this one's a horse race, and I hope Penn wins it by a nose. In a time where Prop 8 passed, this film is R-E-L-E-V-A-N-T.

WWW: Mickey Rourke for the Wrestler. Call me pessimistic, but I see him taking home the statue. The whole unconventional thing he has going on, mixed with the fact that the Wrestler's story is strikingly like his own.. It seems he has more than a shot in hell. He did, after all, get the Golden Globe.

Best Picture

WSW: Milk. Hands down, end of sentence. It brings a very important issue to the forefront of our minds: human rights. Laws protecting gays from discrimination in housing and work were REPEALED.. and not put back into place until 1998! That's unacceptable. Gay director Gus Van Sant puts all the ingredients together perfectly in this film. You feel joy, sadness, anger.. all of it. And watching Penn feels like you're watching Milk himself. This is what I was talking about before.. disappointment. In my eyes, this movie is Best Picture.

WWW: Slumdog Millionaire. It is the odds-on favourite and I would never be so stupid as to bet against it. But, I do not think it is deserving. Oh why oh why couldn't a movie like Forrest Gump have come along this year to blow it out of the water?? Oh wait... haha but NO Benjamin Button is NO Forrest Gump. I do not see what you all love about this movie sent in Mumbai.. but I give up. Give it the statue, and let's be on our way to next year. You can quote me as saying Slumdog is mediocre, and forgettable at best. Sorry Jamal.. I wasn't as enthralled by your story as everyone else seems to be.

Best Director

WSW: Gus Van Sant. Like I said, he takes all the ingredients for Milk, and puts them together to make one heck of a biopic.

WWW: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. I'll concede that he did a good job here. The movie is put together really well, and the story is told well. Boyle will will the Oscar, and I hope he enjoys it.. because it may not ever come around again.

Best Animated Featute Film:

WSW: WALL-E! Amazing.

WWW: WALL-E! Bet your house and kids on this one folks. Haha.

Well, those are my picks this year. Obviously, things won't go as I'd like, but do they ever? (Yep! In 1994- Forrest Gump RULED). The Academy has made some weird choices over the years.. I mean.. Halle Berry as Best Actress in Monster's Ball over Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones, and Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge? My point exactly.

Anyway, sit back and relax tonight, and hope one of the categories goes your way!

P.S. Shame on the Golden Globes this year.. not even nominating Milk as a contender for Best Picture Drama? What is that?
Haha.