Product 411 -- New(ish) ColourPop Releases

I've been such a slacker lately that I've got a pile of products to review that's about waist-high at this point. In particular, I've got a ton of ColourPop stuff that I've bought over the past few months and haven't gotten around to writing about yet.

(Because seriously, they seem to put out a new collection every single week -- in fact, at the time I'm writing this, they're releasing a new collection tomorrow or the day after, and I know I'll probably buy some stuff from it... I just can't help myself.)

To get through my backlog a little more quickly, I figured I'd do an overview of all of these new-ish ColourPop items in one post. I also don't feel like there's a need to do an in-depth review of the items because the quality and formula is pretty consistent across the board and I've already reviewed most ColourPop product categories, so it just seems redundant.

So here's just a general rundown with some swatches. I'll be sure to point out my favorites, though.

Review -- Em Cosmetics Holiday Life: New Year's Countdown Edition Life Palette & Winter Life: Ice Bunny Edition Life Palette

I've been curious about Em Cosmetics since the line launched a few months back.

I didn't make a purchase right away, though, because I was kind of taken aback by the $75 price tag on the Life Palettes that were some of the first products introduced.

I like the concept of those large palettes, and you get quite a bit of product, but I wasn't willing to shell out that kind of money on a brand that I was entirely sure of the quality of.

When the website recently had a buy one-get one sale, I decided it was as good a time as any to finally give Em Cosmetics a try.

So I picked up the Holiday Life: New Year's Countdown Edition Life Palette and the Winter Life: Ice Bunny Edition Life Palette, both of which are limited edition. They are both currently still available and retail for $29 each.

Product Alert -- Upcoming bareMinerals Glamour Now Holiday TSV from QVC

As I mentioned yesterday, QVC always has the best beauty TSVs right around the holidays.

It makes sense, of course -- they make ideal gifts for all those makeup lovers on your list... or yourself.

There's nothing wrong with treating yourself, I always say.

The upcoming bareMinerals Glamour Now TSV that will air on November 25th is definitely a treat in my book.

New QVC TSV AD Installment -- BE Beautifully Brilliant Holiday #4

It's really starting to feel like Christmas around here these days -- I had two AD installments of QVC beauty TSVs show up on my doorstep this past week.

And having new makeup to play always feels like a holiday to me.

The fourth (and final) installment of the bareMinerals Beautifully Brilliant TSV, Chic Mystique, is an interesting collection of shades that I'm definitely excited to experiment with.

The kit contains:

• Perfect Light Mineral Veil Finishing Powder
• Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 in The Fantasy
• Ready Liner Shadow The Night Is Young
• Spellbound Blush
• Marvelous Moxie Lipsgloss in Rule Breaker
• Contour Blush Brush
• Double-Ended Shaping Eye Brush
• Gunmetal Clutch

BE Beautifully Brillant Holiday Collection A/D #3 from QVC

Note: I apologize in advance for the poor lighting in these photos. It's been raining for at least some part of the day here all week, so I had to contend with dark, cloudy skies every time that I wanted to take pictures. You know, it wasn't until I started this blog that I realized just how terrible the lighting in my house is... I really should do something about that. I'm planning on getting a photo tent and light kit so if anyone has suggestions, feel free to share.

I’m always happy when the UPS man shows up at my door with the latest installment of a QVC TSV. 

This week, he delivered the latest kit in the bareMinerals Beautifully Brilliant Holiday Collection, which is called Fortune Found. While I get a lot of beauty-related TSVs, it always seems like the bareMinerals (and Tarte) ones are my favorites.  This one is another hit for me, though I do have a somewhat serious problem with it that I mentioned in my review of the second installment.

But let’s get on to the good stuff first, namely what’s in this kit.

Review -- NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches and Cream & Cherry Pie

When it comes to lipgloss, I don't mind a sticky formula.

That's because a sticky gloss usually has pretty good staying power -- and I don't mind putting with some stickiness if it means I won't have to keep applying my gloss all day long.

(Well, I don't mind the stickiness until the wind picks up and keeps throwing my hair in face so it sticks to my lips like glue.  Then I absolutely, completely hate it.)

However, if there's a gloss that isn't at all sticky *and* can last a good long while, then I'm all over it. 

That's exactly what you get with the NYX Butter Glosses.

March 2013 Favorites

In a lot of ways, March felt like a really long month. 

I went to Vegas, came home sick, had a ton of work to catch up on, and took a quick weekend trip for Easter -- it just seemed to go on and on.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. 

Besides being sick and all the work, it was a pretty great month.

And there were a few pretty great products that I definitely relied on in March.

bareMinerals Return to Radiance AD Shipment 3

I'm sorry that I've been MIA this week - I've been fighting off a cold, so I've been really tired and cranky.

But few things make me feel better than some new makeup, so it was perfect timing when my UPS guy showed up with the third installment of the bareMinerals Return to Radiance TSV from QVC on Monday.

Well, the Nyquil definitely helped too.

QVC Bare Escentuals Bare Luxury TSV AD Shipment #3

QVC Bare Escentuals' Bare Luxury TSV AD Shipment #3

I love it when I totally forget that I've got another QVC TSV AD shipment coming my way until the e-mail pops up in my inbox. 

It's like a gift I forgot that I bought for myself. 

That's what happened last week when the third shipment of the Bare Escentuals' Bare Luxury arrived my doorstep - and this was one I was dying to get my hands on all because of the Ready Eyeshadow Duo in the kit.

Brand Spotlight: Tarte

Tarte goodies

I tried Tarte for the first time about ten years ago when their best-known product was their unique gel cheek stain. I had several of the stains, which they still make, and liked them quite a bit, though I guess they didn’t make a huge impression on me since I was really tempted to try any other items from the line.

Fast forward several years when a friend from work was cleaning out her makeup collection and gifted me with a Tarte eye shadow palette. The colors were gorgeous, and the shadows were super smooth and easy to blend. That palette definitely got me excited about the brand, and I immediately began stalking their website and trying to figure out what items I’d try next.

A couple dozen purchases and several fabulous TSV kits from QVC later, and I am a full-blown Tarte addict.  I love that they put an emphasis on natural ingredients, don’t test on animals, and keep parabens, phthalates and other nasty chemicals out of their products. But mostly, I adore the way that their makeup performs and the adorable packaging that it comes in. 

Bare Escentuals' Return to Radiance TSV

Bare Escentuals Return to Radiance TSV

My UPS man made another visit to my doorstep yesterday to deliver yet another beauty related TSV from QVC.

I seriously cannot resist these deals.  It’s a major weakness of mine.

This time, my friendly UPS guy dropped off the Bare Escentuals’ Return to Radiance kit that is scheduled to be the TSV this Saturday, March 3. Again, I couldn’t wait and ordered early. Still, it was a somewhat impulsive buy. I knew that the kit came with a foundation and Bisque concealer, both of which I have plenty of, so it didn’t seem like a good fit for me. The fact that it did contain one of Bare Escentuals’ new Ready Pressed Blushes did have me slightly on the fence because I’ve been interested to see if the pressed blushes are as good as their pressed eye shadows.  Still, I figured I could wait until the blushes were available on their own and pick one up.

Tarte's Miracle of Maracuja TSV from QVC

Tarte's Miracle of Maracuja TSV

I have a subscription to QVC’s InsideQ  magazine– but not for the articles.  Each month, you get a sneak peek at upcoming TSVs so you can pre-order, and while there’s really no risk of missing out on any of these values, I guess I just like getting my beauty specials early.

I don’t have much patience.

I knew that there was a Tarte TSV coming up in March, and I knew that I was going to order even without seeing it. When my InsideQ arrived earlier this week and I actually saw it, I ordered without hesitation. I didn’t expect it to come so quickly, but I was giddy when the UPS truck stopped in front of the house yesterday. 

QVC & TSVs (Tarte Glow Your Way to Gorgeous #3 Swatches)

There's nothing better than having a brand new box of beauty goodies to open.

As any savvy makeup junkie knows, buying a kit that includes several products is a surefire way to save a little money. 

Sure, there’s some risk – you might not like all of the products included or some of the shades might not work with your coloring – but if you can get five full size products for the price of two and a half, it’s a good gamble to make.

While you can find kits at Sephora, Ulta, and brand websites, I find that the best values usually come from QVC – if you happen to shop the Today’s Special Value (TSV). If you’re not familiar with QVC, a TSV is either a single item or – in the case of most beauty TSVs – a kit of products that is on sale for a 24 hour period at a lower price that the network typically sells it. In most cases, when you purchase a beauty TSV, you also have an auto-delivery option, which means that you lock in the TSV price for a series of two or three future kits containing the same products in different colors.

Depending on the brand and the kit, it can really be a great deal.