Becca Cosmetics Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation Swatches

If you follow my blog you will know that I love Becca Cosmetics.  I love their beauty philosophy which focuses on enhancing the natural beauty of skin, and not just covering it up.  Therefore, their cosmetics focus on enhancing the look of skin with sheer washes of color and meld to the skin color formulations.  I have been hoping for Becca Cosmetics to come out with a fuller coverage foundation that could be used on oily skin, but which wasn’t too opaque.  So, I was crazy excited when I saw how they snuck in their release for their Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation out of nowhere.  Sadly, it was not to be…

1. Becca Cosmetics Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Buff, Nude, Olive, Noisette (order of sample pots), Buttercream (not shown), 1.35 oz for $42.00

When I received my box of the foundations, I was so excited I didn’t even wait for daylight to use them.  I smacked them on immediately and marvelled at the shades in Olive and Nude.  Both were very close in color and appeared to match my skin.  Oh, how I should have waited for daylight.  in daylight I was able to see that both Nude and Olive were actually too noticeably dark on me which was very surprising.  I also noted that both left a distinct olivey-orange cast on my skin.  Buff and Buttercream were both too light, high yellow-creamy for my skin.  Noisette was just a bad undertone match overall being a more neutral shade that showed more pinkish-peach in it.

Becca Cosmetics’ official website describes the following foundations shades thusly:

1. Buff – Light Beige (neutral to yellow)

2. Buttercup – Light/Medium Beige (yellow)* /not shown above in sample pots/

3. Nude – Medium Beige (yellow)

4. Noisette – Medium Beige (neutral)

5. Olive – Medium Olive (yellow)

If you are trying to match yourself according to the shade you use in Becca’s Luminous Skin Colour Foundation you will find that the Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation shades appear to be almost a level deeper in color.  If you look at Becca’s Foundation Finder Guide (you really should download it, it is very helpful) you will see that this is indeed the case with the light-medium range.  Luminour Skin Colour in Nude is considered a light depth shade, but in the Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation it is now a level deeper and very much a true medium depth shade.  It was much too dark on my light-medium tanned skin.  But I wanted a second opinion so I went to Sephora to be matched.  The beauty associate was pretty adament that Nude and Olive were much too dark on me after I asked if it could still work sheered out with moisturizer.  Unfortunately, he thought Buff or Buttercream were better options.  But there is no way the light high-yellow of these shades could ever be worn because it is NOT my color and I would look like one of those women walking around with a too pale mask.

Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation is meant for oily skin and it has a “sophisticated silicone emulsion [that] contains sebum-absorbing properties” to control shine, while creating a “subtle radiance” on to the skin in a “medium, buildable coverage” foundation.  Becca Cosmetics added Ejitsu Rose which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps with improving elasticity to the skin and Vitamin E for “enhance[d] moisture retention while protecting against pollution and free radical damage.”

Now, here is my take on the texture and feel of the foundation.  While these apply creamy, as soon as it starts setting – rather quickly – it takes on a strange teeny bit dry-grainy texture to it similar to Smashbox’s Camera Ready BB Cream.   I can only assume that this may be the ingredient that assists with sebum reduction on the skin.  The foundation spread easily as I blended it on my skin.  I will say it seemed to set on my skin in to a satin-matte finish.  It also seemed to oxidize a bit, but not as much much compared to other bigger offenders like MAC or Giorgio Armani foundations.   I did not test this foundation on for long so I cannot say what happens to it after more than 15 minutes of use.  The shades I had were all wrong for me. 

Now, here are the swatches.  Don’t be fooled by how the liquid foundation appear in the sample pots, particularily for Nude and Olive.  Both of these turned a distinct orangey-olive that was deeper in depth than Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Foundation  in 4.0, which I can still use and look natural in.  How I wish the shade in the pot was what it stayed on my skin.  Although, you can still see based on the swatch below that it is too dark even in liquid form.

Here are the swatches with Buttercream, Nude and Olive.  These swatches were taken earlier after I received my order of foundations, which I returned.  Unfortunately, I forgot to ask for a sample of Buttercream at Sephora, which is why it is not included in the swatches above but it is VERY close to Buff, just a touch darker with more yellow.

I feel like there is too big a jump in depth and color between Buttercream and Nude.  This is where a true light-medium shade would be.   While anyone who was swatched to Nude, could easily wear Olive.  These two shades are VERY CLOSE with Nude having a touch more pink in it.  Noisette is a good light-medium shade option for those with peachy-pink undertones.  I hope Becca Cosmetics decides to create an in between shade between Buttercream and Nude that is truly more reflective of light-medium skintones with an olivey base.  For now, I really can’t use this foundation range.

😦

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Titanium Dioxide, Hydrogenated Didecene, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Nylon-12, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Butyl Acrylate/Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Acrylate Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Polysilicone-11, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, HDI/Trimethylol, Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tropolone, Methicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Mannitol, Butylene Glycol, Yeast Extract, Glycogen, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract. May contain [+/-]: Iron Oxide (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI77499).

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0: Winter Florals

Noticing a trend in eyeshadows?  Well, I can’t help it.  I like lilac, lavenders, and any other soft purple blend based shadows.  It is one of the few floral-type colors that look good on my skintone, and doesn’t make me look like a drag queen. 

1.  bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Phenomenon, 0.1 oz for $20.00

I have to say I really like the creamy, blendable textures of bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 palettes.  I played with all of the mini palettes at Sephora, and found two palettes with shades that were not reminiscent of what I already have.  The Phenomenon is one of them.

The Phenomenon comes with two complementary shades that work fantastically together, or alone, your call.  Azure Iris is a lavender color, while Golden Iris is a muted yet shimmery golden-bronze color.  These colors would look great on the palest skintones, as well as the darkest/deepest skintones.  It looks great on yellow-olive tones, too! 🙂  Medium skintones with red undertones should probably stay far, far away. 

I was lucky to find a fashion/beauty editorial with a model wearing similar shades as eyeshadow.  The editorial reads more winter floral to me than spring floral because of the massive over exposure of the colors (which makes them more color malleable visually) from the sunlight (or photographer studio lights), which I imagined bouncing off a blinding snowy, winter wonderland.  Granted, this could work as a spring palette, too.  But it’s way too literal!  I like the winter wonderland imagery.  Think Tim Burton’s representation of the White Queen’s home in Alice in Wonderland…with less acid.  🙂

Here is a closeup.

These eyeshadows contain bareMinerals proprietary “SeaNutritive Mineral™ Complex” comprised of powerful antioxidants, cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber.”  These eyeshadows are supposed to have an anti-aging benefit, but I think we all know where I stand on most “skincare” benefit cosmetic products.  Check here.  Regardless, these are one of the nicest feeling powder eyeshadows I have.  I likey!

Here are the swatches.  I am not sure why I forgot to add the swatches!

I hope that bareMinerals comes out with more palettes!

P.S. – Did you notice how the flowers in her hair also seem to fit the color palette?  🙂  That was a double bonus! 

GREEN

While autumn is my favorite season, I love the idea of spring.  The problem with spring in the temperate mid-atlantic is that it doesn’t last very long.  It starts out too wintery, snowy, slushy, gloomy and rainy.  For a few weeks, you might get bright beautiful  weather.  Soon enough though you are smacked upside the head with heat and humidity. In the city.  ICK! 

The reality of spring can never really compete with the idea of spring.  Even smack dab in the center of perfect spring weather, surrounded by the vegetation of spring.  Ideals in the abstract are always more powerful than the actuality, or realization.  Spring is powerful because of the idea of rebirth, newness, coming out.  Especially, if you are in the middle of a dark and dreary winter. 

It is still autumn, but winter is around the corner and I am not a fan of winter.  Being extremely light sensitive, I hate how winter seems like never ending darkness.  Even during the day time, the days seem overcast.  I crave natural light and artifical light doesn’t cut it.  I am definitely a little S.A.D.

Green is one of my favorite colors because it symbolizes light to me – and spring!  When everything is so dark, black, gray, overcast, cold, and suffocative – green symbolizes the opposite.

That’s why I have a particular affinity for things the color of green.  Containers, packaging, liquids, creams, accessories…I love me some green.  I am more inclined to buy skincare products if the coloring is green (cream, lotion, liquid, serum, vial, flask  – does not matter.  FACT!

But bright, lush, fertile green is not an easy color to wear in any season, let alone winter.  Partcularily because of the association with Christmas and cheesy holiday sweaters.  At all cost, AVOID the color RED!  Or plaids with green! 

I prefer the green accessory route.  Especially, if it is a little irreverant, but not disrespectful – more humorous.  Quirky, but not cheesy. 

Green in small doses. 

I once lost my blackberry on a commuter train.   I had to buy a new one, but I was still in contract and was not going to pay full retail for a new phone.  I decided to I check out ebay resellers and fell in love with a bright green blackberry.  The casing had been changed.  It didn’t matter that it was an outdated version of the phone I had lost.  This was a GREEN phone!  I loved my green, super slow, super crappy blackberry so much, I held out for a very long time before I got an iPhone.

However, I will not part with my dead green blackberry.  I keep it because it is a pretty, happy, shiny green!

When I finally got the iPhone, I got a cute green little monster case.  (Please note, I do not use my little green monster case in inappropriate professional settings.  As a matter of fact, I need a case for professional settings because I just end up removing the casing and let the iPhone go naked.  But that’s something else altogether.)

This is my ode to green.  Let it remind me of brightness, freshness, fertile ideas and openness on the darkest, coldest, most barren of days.

*I don’t remember the exact name of the Rebecca Minkoff M.A.C. bag, but I have a feeling it may have been as simple as “green.”

Update 12/12: Ha!  Pantone just chose the color of 2013 and it is Emerald: 17-5641

Pantone says: “Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.”

I may have started early thinking about GREEN but apparently great minds think alike.

Magazine Weekends

I love me some magazines.   Even when they kind of stink.  Well, actually, no.  Then I will stop buying them and will rely on other methods to get my color saturation fix.

For me, they are a quick, easy and inexpensive (sometimes) way to explore the colorful and shiny.  I love beauty in any of its forms.  Being visually inclined but artistically challenged means I have to rely on others to feed my desire for form and color.

Flipping through the November issue of British Vogue with Jennifer Lawrence, I got a wonderful surprise as it featured two editorial spreads featuring Daphne Groenvald and Joan Smalls – separately – in not exactly the best use of each of their individual respective physical charms, but I was satisfied none the less.

I got to see a gorgeous beauty shot of Arizona Muse with her magnificent eyebrows.  My model brows.

An extra plus was the really awesome horoscope for december.  Do I believe?  Not generally, but in this case, I’ll go all “THE SECRET” ’til the end of the year! 🙂

From the December issue of the most improved magazine, American Harpers Bazaar with Taylor Swift on the cover, I enjoyed their color inspiration fashion/beauty boards, which I almost always tear out (dependent on the color choice, of course).  My current favorite was the deep vibrant red.

My absolute favorite feature in all magazines are the beauty inspiration, or backstage beauty shots.  I absolutely love neon bright lips and the custom shade featured on Joan Smalls for Missoni’s Spring/Summer 2013 Collection was gorgeous.  Here are more beauty shots.

American luxury department stores continue their editorial worthy advertisements that are increasingly besting magazine editorial spreads.  I suppose these luxury department stores are focusing on the fact that they want people to BUY what they are featuring and not using pieces as visual philosophical expositions on something completely irrelevant, or completely UNFLATTERING, in relation to the clothes used.  Or in American Vogue’s case – mid jump shots of startled models against a white or black backdrop taken at various angles…BORING!!!! 

American Vogue is so NOT being renewed.

While I certainly can’t afford anything these editorials features, I do want to be inspired.  The Saks Fifth Avenue advert shot of the black leather wristband watch is GORGEOUS and gives me ideas on how to stylize black leather (whether in a bag, shoe) around hyper/neon bluish-purple.

As far as color inspiration, JCrew is my favorite catalogue to flip through.  I am inspired by the color stories they feature.  Like magazine editorials, advertisements, or features, I rip certain pages out to be stored in a large binder with the rest of my tear sheets. 

I have a pretty large collection of tear sheets that I occasionally go through to cull tears that no longer interest me.  The goal is to have a collection and reference of some of the best beauty/fashion/color editorials that I can flip through for ideas or just plain pleasure.

Lazy weekends flipping through my current editions of fashion magazines are the best.

*All shots taken with an iPhone.  Until I can safely restore and transfer my old files to the new computer, there won’t be any new photos/posts of products once the pre-scheduled ones post that were completed before my old computer died.

Becca Cosmetics Creme Blushes

1. Becca Cosmetics Creme Blushes in Byzantine and Turkish Rose, 0.1 for $30.00

Becca’s powder blushes are amazingly blendable and creamy, while Becca’s Creme Blushes are dewy flushes on the cheeks.  This is a rather late blog for the Creme Blushes.  I had actually misplaced my first Becca Creme Blush in Turkish Rose for a while, so I decided to hold off until I found it…behind some books in my bookcase! Even though these are called Creme Blushes, these are actually dual purpose pots of color.  You can blend this on to your lips for a shot of color.  I haven’t tried it like this, but hope to eventually.  Texture, pigmentation, and shade wise these remind me A LOT of Edward Bess’s Compact Rouge for Lips and Cheeks.  The only difference is that Edward Bess’ Compact Rouge feels thinner and more slippery compared to Becca’s Creme Blushes which feel a bit creamier and tackier.  Both impart a dewy, melded to the skin flush of color, though.

Turkish Rose was my first choice, a while ago, and I then later picked up Byzantine.  Turkish Rose is described as a rosy nude shade. while Byzantine is described as a peachy gold shimmer.

Turkish Rose is a traditional blush color that I like to use after I have cleaned up at the gym.  It gives the same flush of color I would get during a workout.  No matter how hard I pushed myself, I always walk out of the gym with a healthy, post-exercise flush of natural color.

Byzantine, on the otherhand, is more of a shimmer/bronzing color.  I don’t have a problem using non-traditional shades on my cheeks.  On me, this shade looks like a burnished, suntanned metallic color.  I could imagine this as a shaping bronzer for lighter toned women and as a subtle accent of nude-muted bronzey shimmer on darker skintones.  This color is easily layerable with other shades to add more color depth and uniqueness.

Here are the swatches.

Infinitely pretty, layerable, and natural.  I hope that Becca Cosmetics comes out with additional shades that are just as nuanced.  I may have to give another look to a few shades I may have overlooked because of bad lighting. 

Another huge plus for this line is the incredibly sturdy packaging, that is reminscent of Nars Cosmetics rubber packaging.  However, I find the casing less dirt embedding and practically indestructable, easily pocketable and perfectly stowable.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), Kaolin, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Tocopherol, Parfum (Fragrance) and may contain: [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Carmine CI 75470, Red 21 Lake CI 45380, Yellow 5 Lake CI 19140, Red 7 CI 15850, Ultramarines CI 77007, Red 40 CI 16035, Yellow 6 Lake CI 15985, Bismuth Oxychloride CI 77163, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090, Red 36 CI 12085, Ferric Ferrocyanide CI 77510, Mica].

Hmmmm Mondays

Couple of things:

1.  I didn’t go to the gym like I was supposed to.  Oh well.

2. Going out to an org event tomorrow.  Too bad I don’t know what kind of attire is appropriate.  Or that other than showing up to check it out, I will want to leave after 15 minutes but the commute will be a massive pain in the butt to get back home.

3. Came across one of those me too Dylan Candy type stores and could not resist buying a bag of selected candies.  Too bad they didn’t have Boston Baked Bean Candies….but they did have Runts banana candies in a separate bin for the discerning sugarholic.  Yummm.

4. Two days after I entered into a weight loss competition with two grad school friends…but at least I picked up a few items from the Barnes & Nobles store!

5.  The cravings have begun…and why is there no butter around?!  I must have butter now that I don’t have any.

6. Discovered Becca’s new radiant foundation release is available in a Sephora retail store after I ordered online trying to find my match.  Burn.  Neither Olive or  Nude were appropriate for me despite early positive signs…at night.  Double Burn.  And sadness.   😦

7.  But I discovered that I absolutely love Becca Tints Watermelon and Raspberry.  Is it bad that I don’t remember which one I ordered from Becca’s F&F sale because I haven’t cracked it open yet.  Nor have I tried, or peeped, at the two highlighters I ordered. 

8.  Ditto for the Rouge Bunny Rouge bronzer…

9. I trekked to two different magazine stores and could not find a single British Elle or British Marie Claire.  This makes me sad.  But I did find British Vogue and Bazaar….my least favorite of the British mags.

10. Got a manicure because my nails/cuticles looked scraggly from nailbiting.  Got an impromptu eyebrow tweeze at same place and now have the BEST natural brows in years. Trust in Korean women spa techs understanding clean up and not mauling of the brow area.  Love!

11.  Found out I will have to shell minimum $99 bucks to have my Lenovo’s hard drive transferred so I don’t lose my documents, music, pictures, tex returns, and budgets. 

12.  They told me if it doesn’t work, they can ship it out to have it extracted for $400…I told them nothing on there is worth that!  Truth!

13. Debating whether I will call someone out on their UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE behavior to a higher up.  Professionally, of course.

14.  That didn’t work out so well the last time I did that when it was the higher up who was covering for them (and sanctioning it).

15.  This is why it is important to have friends in high places who will allow you to be a total unprofessional, abrasive, insecure, sabotaging, toxic employee – and reward you for it!

16.  At this point, I am just waiting for 2013 to get here.  2012 is done for me as far as I am concerned.

17.  But in the meantime, I absolutely love hiding underneath my soft and silky teddy bear, fluffy shimmer grey fleece blanket.  Oh, how I wish you could feel the silky, warm softness of it!  LOVE!!!!  Not even going to bother taking down my down comforter from the closet.  Convenient, lightweight warm comfort…hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Afterpost: blech, sugar nausea!

Lumene Vitamin C+ Dry Skin Comfort Radiance Cocktail

1. Lumene Vitamin C Plus Dry Skin Comfort Radiance Cocktail, 1.0 oz for $21.99

Awesome drugstore finds are just plain AWESOME.  I was in a tazorac, salicylic acid treatment induced peeling phase.  I was trying to throw in Obagi’s Professional C Serum 20%, but that was just too much!  But I didn’t want to use up my more expensive oils to moisturize/protect my skin when it wasn’t that raw, and I had given away my Dessert Essence Jojoba Oil to a sister’s friend who was interested in trying it out.  What to do, what to do?

I saw this box in the drugstore and was curious so I picked it up.  Lumene is a finnish brand I had seen often but wasn’t too interested because it just seemed more focused on mature, drier skin.  However, essential oil blend products are not common in drugstores.  Particularily when they are comprised of two different substances that do not easily mix and separate in two different colored substances.  The majority of the serum is water and various essential oils, mostly jojoba oil.  Oil and water, as we know do not mix easily because of the polarity of the molecules.  Although, there is the difference of density, as well. 

This serum is meant for dry skin types.  It has tons of moisturizing, skin plumping ingredients like jojoba oil, avocado oil, sea buckthorn oil, cranberry seed oil, and the key ingredient in this cocktail, Cloudberry seed oil, as well as low amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin c), ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin c derivative) and cloudberry seed extract, which has radiance enhancing and antioxidant properties.  I also love the fact there is a bit of lactic acid in here.

In order to use this properly you have to shake the bottle so that the ingredients are evenly mixed.  Pump once, or twice – your preference.  Warm it up between your hands and pat – in my case, SLAP – it all around.  My skin feels protected, moisturized, but not greasy.  Due to the low amount of vitamin c and lactic acid, I do not think this will have a strong as brightening effect on the skin.  The vitamin c derivatives are listed 24th and 28th in the list of ingredients!  This is probably a weaker vitamin c serum than even the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster, which has – at least – TWO vitamin c derivative ingredient as the second and third ingredient. 

I love this stuff so much that I immediately purchased another bottle, as well as the oily skin version to eventually try out because they were on sale.  This isn’t a replacement for my Decleor serums, but when it is not necessary to use those rather expensive vials, why not just use this?

Ingredients: Aqua (Water); Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil; Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride; Hydrogenated Polydecene; Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil; Squalane; Glycerin; Tocopheryl Acetate; Phenoxyethanol; Panthenol; Butylene Glycol, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil; Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil; Hydroxyethylcellulose; PEG-8; Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil; Ethylhexylglycerin,  Tocopherol; Sodium Lactate; Lactic Acid; Serine; Sorbitol; TEA-Lactate; Urea;  Ascorbyl Palmitate; Sodium Hydroxide; Sodium Chloride; Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract; Ascorbic Acid; Citric Acid; Allantoin; CI 17200 (Red 33), CI 19140 (Yellow 5); Citral; Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional; Parfum (Fragrance).

Sephora’s Birthday Gift: Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Duo

I recently celebrated (or mourned) another birthday and I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Sephora noting my birthday and making me aware I could pick up a mini sample gift.  AWESOME!!!  If you are not a V.I.B. member, you need to join now!  You get SOOOO many freebies because of it and you get to pre-try products before buying it.

In this case, I had already previously purchased fresh’s original Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 a while ago and disposed of it because it was destroyed/smushed into unuseable mush.  Funny (or idiotic) story.  I didn’t know how to open the tube!  I tried for a long time to open it.  Push, pull, click.  Nothing.  I was like  “what the hell! I bought a busted tube!”  Except, it was a screw in tube casing.  One of my many spacey moments.

Fresh’s Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 uses a blend of real sugar, waxes and oils to create this smooth and rich balm.  It has black currant oil, grapeseed polyphenols, as well as vitamins A, C, and E to provide antioxidant protection.  It also has SPF.

The texture is very similar to some of my face balms.  I actually want to spread it all over my face.  As far as lip nourishment, it feels nice but it doesn’t exactly absorb into the skin and it feels like a coating you will lick off requiring more swipes.  I bet this would absorb better all over my face.  But I won’t do that!

The mini set includes the original clear shade in the brown casing, as well as a Rose tint.  The shade is very sheer.  I think this is a neat sample gift set that is great to have.  However, I do not think I would purchase this again unless they reformulated it so that I don’t lick it off my lips, which dries out the lips even more!

Ingredients: Cera Alba (Beeswax), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Limnanthes Alba, (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Passiflora Incarnata Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Persea Gratissima, (Avocado) Oil , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Vanillin, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Propyl Gallate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ci 15850 (Red 7 Lake), Ci 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), Ci 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, BHT.

Technology Break Down

Technology is supposed to make things more convenient, faster, better.  When it starts to break downs, it becomes aggravating and maddening.

I purchased the laptop you see above in April 2010.  It is a Lenovo Y460.  I believe I received it sometime early May.  I have had this laptop for two and a half years now.  It is still useable but it is incredibly frustrating breaking down for the past year and a half.  It started acting up literally a year after I purchased it.  Since then it has been a slow death.  It overheats like crazy and it shuts off frequently while in the middle of use because of the overheating.  The charging port is now loose and I have to shove the adaptor prong and hold it for a while to make sure my laptop charges. The hard drive makes really unusual clicking sounds from time to time.  The keys stick or don’t function properly.  Plus, I have so many issues with clicking on any link on any website.  My computer won’t acknowledge it.  Plus, I am sure my computer is so virus laden that its a good thing other tech toys can’t catch it by mere proximity.  My Lenovo’s a cheap hooker letting anyone in.  I wish it had standards!

My previous laptop had been a portable, feature maxed out Dell Inspiron 700m, (bought near the end of it’s cycle – lucky me right? NOT!) I picked up for graduate school.  That computer looks like a heavy brick compared to the new thin and lights you see everywhere.  However, for a PC it was awesome and lasted nearly 5 YEARS!  Sure, the last year it was dropping functionality code left and right.  Of course, my biggest issue with the Dell was all the viruses I was picking up.  I easily parted with about $600 for virus removal and desktop cleaning over the course of the 5 years. 

When I decided it was time to pick up a new laptop I was shopping for something different and value packed.  Macs are nice but SOOOOOOO expensive. I couldn’t justify the cost.  I didn’t really need the computing power or theatrics especially when you are on your office computer most of the day anyway.  So, I went back to a PC but tried something different with Lenovo. 

When I first got my Lenovo I was so impressed with the audio and the images.  I had a discount and paid about a $1000 for a mid-tier laptop with two year warranty.  But looking at this jollopy now, I know  next time I either need to go for quality or dirt cheap.  First, Lenovo is infamous for BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE AFTER you have purchased the computer.  I purchased  a two year warranty and looked into getting my laptop checked out but it was near impossible to find information for how to go about the process.  Plus, it also meant being without my computer for a while.  Lastly, a google search of many other customers and the evasiveness of Lenovo to address issues, made me realize it wasn’t worth the hassle. 

That’s right – I didn’t even bother to use the extended warranty I had purchased because it wasn’t worth the trouble or the aggravation for something that was not going to be addressed satisfactorily.  So, it expired.

But my laptop is on a countdown to extinction.  Starting now (but this will post some days later!)  🙂

So, now I am stuck between getting a new Mac or some rock bottom cheap PC that I could hold on to for at least two years before I needed to buy a new one.  Decisions, decisions.  I need to think about what will give me the best value.  Sometimes, a cheap PC that only needs to be swapped out every two years could be more fiscally responsible than an expensive Mac. 

Financially, it is just really bad timing but I am gonna ride this jollopy ’til the bitter code dropping, intermittent charging end.

Update: Crud!  My computer can no longer charge.   I think it’s a mechanical issue, but there are too many blue-screen crashes, as well.   Good thing this is a prescheduled post, but I haven’t backed up anything in months.   By the time this posts, I should have a new computer, an HP Envy Spectre XT 13 ultrabook.  Basically, it is a Mac Air dupe that costs about $400 less. 

Update:  I do not suggest anyone buy a computer from the Microsoft store unless you want value added software programs WIPED from the drive.  Now hoping HP will fix the issue as original manufacturer.

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face and Cheeks Crème Colour

Blushes, highlighters and bronzer – OH MY!

Buying this was a given.  I actually have the old version.  Laura Mercier came out with a new version a few months ago that has different packaging – pale silvery metallic – that will benefit the Laura Mercier Ovarian Cancer Fund.  100% of the profits will be donated to the fund.   Basically, you are getting your inner and outer beauty taken care of, while practicing good value shopping, all at the same time.

1. Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face & Cheeks Crème Colour, $48.00

This palette comes with 1 large sized cream-matte bronzer (over double the size of the other shades), two creamy, non-shimmer based blushes and two shimmery highlighters.  I love all of the shades in this palette, including the bronzer and I don’t like to use bronzer as bronzer!

The colors are very pigmented, but definitely on the drier side of creamy.  Texturally, I would call this a creamy-matte feel, if that makes sense.  The formulation is similar to NARS The Multiple.  These dry very quickly to the skin and offers opaque coverage that can be blended out with a little roughness.  It is best to apply these shades with your fingers, although you can certainly buff out the hard edges with a short bristled, compact brush.  My only caution for this product is more for the dry-skinned girls.  You should moisturize pretty well before you use this.  It may accentuate dryness in your cheeks.  As an oily skinned girl, I am perfectly happy with the texture and feel.

I love the fact that this palette offers five very distinct shades that can still work harmoniously with each other.  Most of the shades are universal shades that work on all skintones, with the exception of the bronzer that can probably be skipped on the deepest skintones, and used with extreme caution by the palest, blue undertoned.

This palette also comes with built-in visual instructions in the form of pull down tabbed note cards sheathed in a slot within the cover.  There are three steps: Bronzer Veil, Cheek Veil, and Glow Veil.  Here are the steps.

Step 1: Bronzer Veil

Step 2: Cheek Veil

Step 3: Glow Veil

This comes in a neat hard cardboard and plastic packaging that is quite durable.  My only issue is that it does fall about around the weaker sections, such as the glued porton of the cover, which becomes unsticks rather easily.

Finally, here are the swatches.

This is a great palette and if you are looking for value, variety, and supporting a good cause at the same time then you should pick these up!

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica (Ci 77019), Isononyl Isononanoate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera), Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyethylene, Synthetic Beeswax, 1,2-Hexanediol, Simethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tropolone.  May Contain (+/-):  Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), Ci 75470 (Carmine).