cream eyeshadows for summer 08 - clinique and stila swatches.

along with temperatures, cream shadow releases are on the rise. and with good reason. the new cream shadows dry to a long wear finish, which can make the difference between wearing your powder eyeshadow for an hour on a humid summer day, and still having it on when you get home that night.

the top nine swatches are all of clinique's quick eyes cream shadows - $15 each (don't you love muffin?!). the bottom swatch is stila's kitten silk eyeshadow wash $22 (kitten is their best-selling powder shadow shade which they've turned cream!). but be warned, beauties, all these shimmering neutrals can really make a girl look gorgeous!

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clinique's challenge to brides!

wedding season is coming (am i starting to sound like owen wilson/vince vaughn or what?!) and clinique has an offer for the brides-to-be amongst us.

remember my fave new mascara, clinique's lash power long wearing formula (if not, see here)? well, clinique wants to give you betrothed beauties a free sample to test it's waterproof-ability. once you receive your sample, submit a video where you put the mascara on waterproof trial - chopping onions, watching a sad movie, jumping in the pool - be creative! all videos must be submitted by june 20th, 2008.

and the prizes are unreal! one bride will win platinum and 1.5 carat diamond earrings designed by a. jaffe and three runners-up will get a free clinique makeup artist for their wedding to prepare themselves and two friends! not bad, huh?

learn more and enter at http://clinique.brides.com/.

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at long-last, summer bronze.

popping up alongside the spring tulips are the summer collections! it seems like every time i turn my head (towards sephora.com) i catch a glimpse of a new one, and i'm not complaining because summer 2008 looks very good.

you don't want to look overdone in the summer, but the heat and humidity seems to melt your look instantly. clinique's long-last bronze summer 2008 collection brings you light, summery shades with extra long lasting formulas.


in addition to the mascara i already waxed poetic about (here), the collection includes:

shimmering tones powder quad (limited edition) - $28.50

(new) quick eyes cream shadow - $15
in: sparkling nude, rock violet, sea shell, cocoa shimmer, starlit pink, sunlit palm, truffle, lucky penny and muffin

(new) long last glosswear spf 15 - $14
in: goldspun, knockout nude, guavagold, whisper, bamboo pink, sunset, bonfire, juicy apple, tenderheart, brandy twist, air kiss, clearly pink, kissyfit, cabana crush, rock violet, fireberry, stellar plum and mystic

(new) touch of bronze moisturizing body lotion - $18.50

brush-on cream liner - $14.50
in: limited bronze

collection currently available at clinique.com, sephora.com and clinique counters.

ps - quick eyes cream shadow is my new favorite (thing ever). all nine shades are shimmery neutrals. this is the crease-free, long wear shadow i have dreamed of and i am very seriously considering getting it in every color that matches my coloring.

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lash power.

i am not of the philosophy that mascara choice should be taken lightly. i have tried 6 mascaras since the last one i recommended to you. there was nothing wrong with the others, per say. there just wasn't anything extra right about them. i need my mascara to shout to the whole room, "my lashes are seducing you!" my friend amber's lashes do this on their own, but mine need some serious help.

clinique's new lash power mascara long wearing formula is my next big mascara find. i put it on first thing in the am and it lasted all day and into the evening. very curling and blackening, which really makes the blue of my eyes pop (i have the black onyx shade. it is also available in chocolate brown). it's also supposed to be extra waterproof, though i haven't gotten a chance to try this aspect yet. $14 on clinique.com, at clinique counters and sephora.

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march showers bring spring powders.

soon it's going to be spring (i just keep telling myself that...)! and in the spring i like to switch to powder to for my overall face coverage. it's lighter and it helps to absorb oil. for spring 2008 two new fabulous powders are on the market and i've been lucky enough to try both.


clinique's almost powder makeup spf 15 is a very lightweight formula. it comes with it's own sponge, but please use a powder brush to apply! available in 9 easily matchable shades ( i have neutral fair), with a large variety for fair skin tones - $22.50




urban decay's surreal skin universal mineral powder is buildable. you can quickly swipe around your face for light coverage or work it with a brush for a more thorough flawless look. great mineral glow in 8 shades (i have dream) for $29.00

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clinique's beauty boot camp.

im in beauty boot camp! mom, please send me a care package! oh wait, clinique already did. after registering for their online beauty boot camp contest, i got their acne solutions clear skin system - which includes cleansing foam, clarifying lotion and clearing moisturizer.

the cleanser is a basic foam cleanser with salicylic acid, if you need to reduce grease and acne-causing bacteria this wash would certainly help. the "lotion" is pretty much a toner, it is liquid and meant to be used after the wash and before the moisturizer. im not really sure why it is called lotion, but i really like it as a toner. the moisturizer is oil-free and is very light. it is nice for summer because it doesn't make skin feel heavy.

i like each of the three products individually, but as a skincare regimen, it may be a bit over-drying for my skin. none of the products provide any moisture and all are focused solely on combating acne. Though breakouts are one of my main skin concerns, my skin is not super-oily like a teen. i think using these three products together would work great someone whose skin is in the midst of adolescent turmoil. which is fair, considering i think this beauty boot camp is actually for teenagers... for me, ill stick with the clarifying "lotion". but, the attractive green-and-blue bottles do match perfectly with the color scheme of my new bathroom.

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