I hardly ever write negative reviews. It’s because I try to select products to try that I have a good likelihood of actually LIKING. I just tend to avoid products that I’m quite confident aren’t going to work with my skin, or that have a formula I know I don’t like (I rarely review cream eyeshadow, for example). But sometimes I try something, expecting to LOVE it, and it’s a major FAIL. This is what today’s report is all about!

Urban Decay’s regular Primer Potion for eyeshadow is one of my Holy Grail products. I don’t apply eyeshadow without it, ever. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. So it was with no small amount of anticipation that I purchased a tube of Urban Decay’s newest, Primer Potion Eden. Eden is supposed to be Primer Potion with the addition of yellow pigment, to brighten the eye area and correct any purplish discoloration. And I quote:

An eye prep product that provides smoother, longer-lasting, and absolutely crease-proof eyeshadow—and is now offered in a very-wearable, tawny, matte hue.

And thus begins my tale of woe. Regular Primer Potion ROCKS MY SOCKS. My eyeshadow will stay crease-free for up to 12 hours, more if I don’t sweat much. Last time I flew to New York City I had applied eyeshadow the morning before the flight, for work, and it only needed light retouching when I landed, 24 hours later. It’s THAT GOOD. But Eden…

I want to love this product. I like the color-correcting effect, and my shadow looked lovely on top of it this morning. BUT! It barely made it past my lunch break for it all devolved into crease city on my eyelids! SOB! Yep, not even six hours later… Whatever they did to the formula, it definitely doesn’t have the same anti-crease magic of regular Primer Potion.

I may give it another try, or perhaps try it on my dark circles instead. But it was a FAIL at performing its primary function, keeping my eyeshadow in place. Perhaps someone whose lids don’t get as oily as mine do will find it ok.

I am such a sucker for perfume. I love trying new perfume, even if I don’t always like what I try. When I was browsing in The Body Shop the other day, I gave their new perfume Love Etc. a sniff and was favorably impressed! It also happened to be one of their special extra discount days for their club card holders, so it seemed like a good time to buy the new perfume!

Love Etc. is a floral oriental with hints of fruits. The notes are pear, neroli, bergamot, jasmine, heliotrope, lily of the valley, vanilla, sandalwood, and musk cream. Jasmine, vanilla, and sandalwood are the major players in the scent, although I definitely get the pear and bergamot in the opening. The perfume opens on a rush of pear and bergamot and shares a sharp note with fragrances claiming to have “pink pepper,” so I’d say it probably has that too. Luckily, that sharpness lifts pretty quickly, because I’m not a fan. I do like the pear a lot. The jasmine is sweet but not cloying, and blends well with the vanilla and sandalwood. It drys down to a mellow scent, with the vanilla, sandalwood, and musk lingering for a long time. It has great lasting power on skin!

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I like this new perfume. It’s been a while since The Body Shop introduced something I REALLY liked, and I think they did a really good job with Love Etc. It’s very wearable, is unlikely to offend anyone, and is nice for day or evening. Also, the price is very reasonable for a long-lasting eau de parfum.

Two Thumbs Up!

I love interesting new perfumes, and L’Occitane recently introduced two new fragrances that are both quite nice! Labdanum and Mimosa join the five other fragrances in their Eau de Parfum lineup.

According to Wikipedia:

Labdanum is a sticky brown resin obtained from the shrubs Cistus ladanifer (western Mediterranean) and Cistus creticus (eastern Mediterranean), species of rockrose.

The Labdanum Eau de Parfum has a labdanum note, as well as citrus fruits, spices, benzoin, and vanilla. It starts off with an almost smoky note to my nose, and the spices are quite strong. In fact, on my skin it smells a lot like a chipotle chile pepper (a smoked jalapeno). It’s disconcerting, but in a good way, which is one of the things I really like about it. After a while, the vanilla comes forward and it becomes sweeter and more ambery. Lasting power is excellent!

The Mimosa is much more floral, but still quite interesting as well. It has notes of violet leaf, and almonds, and has a powdery aspect to it as well. It’s not a nose-tickling soft of powdery though, nor is it too “old lady.” It’s quite fresh, actually, and has a lot of green notes to it. It isn’t as long lasting on the skin, but for a fresh floral fragrance, it’s nice!

Overall, I think these  two Eau de Parfums make a very good addition to the line at L’Occitane.

In Bloom is the new perfume developed by Avon with the actress Reese Witherspoon. It is inspired by Ms. Witherspoon’s childhood memories of gardenia and magnolia trees in her yard. I was interested in reviewing it, since I’ve been on the hunt for a white floral perfume that I really liked.

The perfume includes notes of peach tea leaves and crisp greens, magnolia, gardena, jasmine, cashmere woods and amber woods. It has a wonderful freshness that is often missing from other white florals, and never gets too heavy or cloying. I love the peachy top note. The drydown is subtle, and mostly just gets softer and warmer, due to the amber.

I’m very pleased with In Bloom! I love the bottle too, even if the shape is strongly reminiscent of Guerlain’s Insolence. The lid is very pretty, shaped like a gardenia flower. I think it’s one of the prettiest bottles I’ve seen in a while.

This would be an ideal gift for a woman, especially if she likes feminine floral scents. I especially like that it is a more mature fragrance, and seems intended for an adult instead of a teenager like so many mainstream perfumes today. It’s a very romantic perfume. If this perfume were a woman, she’d love wearing cashmere sweaters and delicate jewelry, and would be sweet and kind.

I give In Bloom two thumbs up!

I’m in love. Again. I know, it seems like I fall in love with a new mascara every time I try one. But this time I really mean it! (At least until next time…) The dearly beloved in question is L’Oreal’s Extra Volume Collagen mascara.

Extra Volume Collagen is a volumizing mascara (duh!) that promises “extreme volume” and “12x More Impact Instantly.” Now, I’ve mentioned this a time or two before, but tossing numbers out in relation to something like lash volume fails to impress me. 12x more impact? Than what? No mascara? How does one go about measuring that? Ehhhhh? Anyway, I’m definitely all about ACTUAL RESULTS, and that can only be achieved by putting the mascara to the test.

Let’s recap my ideal mascara: volume without clumping, smooth formula with no globs, not too wet or sticky, and I crave lots of lash definition. I want each lash to stand out! Does L’Oreal Extra Volume Collagen pass the test! Yes!

It features a brush that is soft, but designed to grab each of your lashes to coat them evenly and separate them. Supposedly, something called hydra-collagen is responsible for “plumping” your lashes. I personally think it gets the job done because of the super-smooth formula that glides over my lashes, evenly coating them and drawing them out with fabulous separation!

Sadly, there is a tiny fly in my ointment. I’ve noticed with some brushes I’m more likely to end up getting the mascara dabbed on my eyelids just above the lashline – I think it happens with longer-bristled brushes that poke past the lashes to the eyelids. This is one of those brushes. However, having figured this out, I just take a little more care with application to avoid the problem. It’s definitely NOT a deal-breaker for me.

Two thumbs up for L’Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara!

I’ve been using Avon’s Smooth Minerals Foundation for a few days now, and it compares well with other foundations I’ve tried. The foundation has its pros and cons, but overall it’s a fine product.

It’s important to note that I’m not particularly a fan of mineral powder foundations. Talc doesn’t bother me, and I prefer the silkier feel of talc-based powders. I’ve tried more than a few mineral foundations, by a variety of companies, and I haven’t found one yet that I was willing to trade for a good liquid foundation. With that said, there have been a few that I’d be willing to use if someone took away my liquids and left me with a mineral powder foundation instead. This Avon product is one of them.

It comes in a wide-mouth jar, with a powder sifter. The brush is sold separately. I’m using a Tarte kabuki brush to apply, but Avon does sell their own kabuki brush as well. Available in 10 shades, I imagine most skin tones will find one to suit them. I find powder foundations are usually a little more forgiving with skin tone, and this Avon formula is no exception. The shade I’m using, Sand Beige, is a bit on the dark side for my complexion, but blends so easily that it still looks okay.

The foundation features a 100% naturally derived formula containing a mineral blend (zinc, calcium, copper) with nutrients and enriched with vitamins. The makeup is supposed to help nourish and comfort your skin, so it looks better after you’ve been using for a while – even when you aren’t wearing makeup.

You apply using the same “swirl, tap, buff” method popularized by other mineral makeup companies. How does it compare? Other products give a funky shiny finish I dislike, make my pores look larger, look chalky, feel chalky, and generally just displease me. Some products will look and feel fine, and I still won’t be pleased because application is more time-consuming than my “squirt on fingers, spread on skin” method for applying tinted moisturizer. This is where Avon Smooth Minerals Foundation loses me. That’s the con I find with all mineral powder foundations – you can’t rush the application process. You have to take the time to buff it on and really blend it, or it just won’t look good. That smooth natural finish can only be achieved when proper care is taken in application. I just prefer the slap-it-on-and-go products, probably because I’m always in a hurry to get ready in the morning. This is definitely an issue with me, and not because the product isn’t quality.

The foundation feels fine on the skin, not too chalky or dry-feeling, no annoying shiny finish, no chalky texture. The coverage falls into a medium to full category, depending on how many layers you want to buff on. I prefer the medium coverage, and find I can achieve that pretty easily. It blends nicely, even if it is a smidge dark for me, because I can take it down past my jawline and it looks natural. It wears all day, and because it’s a powder, does help control oil and shine. That is probably what I like best about mineral powder foundations – if you’re oily, they do help keep the oil in check. Powder blushes, loose and pressed, blend nicely on top of the foundation, for an even, natural look.

I’ll keep using my jar, and see if I can’t figure out some tips to speed up the application process. If I do, I’ll definitely share with you!

The price is right – and right now it’s on sale at Avon.com. In you are a fan of mineral foundations, I recommend you take a look at Avon Smooth Minerals Foundation.

Milani, probably my MOST FAVORITE drugstore brand, is launching new liquid eye liners! The new Infinite Eye Liquid Liners are a lightweight liquid liner with 24-hour wear and intense color. I’m in love!

Available in five shades (blue, purple, green, brown, and black) the formula is seriously smudgeproof once dry, and NO KIDDING waterproof. The product actually forms an elastic film with INTENSE color. The liner comes with its own brush, which is thin and quite precise. You will need makeup remover to get it off! As an experiment, I drew a line on my hand, let it dry, and then tried washing it off first with water, and then water and liquid soap. It was STILL there (although a smidgen lighter after the soap). A silicone-based remover like Sephora Brand Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover will do the trick nicely.

Today I wore the purple shade (called Endless) and I really loved the intensity of the color and the metallic finish. I’m wearing it with Cupcake Sprinkles from Fyrinnae in the crease and Cat Got Your Tongue from Meow Cosmetics on the lid, and Hard Candy Techno under the browbone. I took the picture early tonight, after an 8-hour workday, so the eyeshadow is a little faded (but not much, thanks to Urban Decay Primer Potion) but the liner is still going strong. I left it alone on the upper eyelid, but did press some more Cupcake Sprinkles onto the line on the lower lashline.

These new liners from Milani are brilliant! If you need stay-put makeup, definitely check them out! I can’t wait to try all the colors.

When I visited Fez Studios the other day, one of the things I was most interested in checking out were the Tauer Perfumes. Very few places in the entire United States carry these wonderful scents, so it was with no small amount of glee that I discovered them here in my hometown!

When I gave each perfume an initial sniff, I zeroed in on Incense Rose first. I gave it a spray on my arm and was enchanted. Indeed it is a beautiful perfume! I almost bought that one, in which case this review would be all about it, but at the last minute I decided to give Lonestar Memories a real sniff and a spray on my arm.

Oh Mama Mia! First, I must confess to having a deep love of all things with a smoky aspect. Campfires, lapsang souchong tea, and unrefined shea butter all have a smoky scent that I really love. I’m also a sucker for a nice leathery scent, like the leather of a nice saddle or purse. Both of these combine into something that most people would definitely call “masculine” but I refuse to be pigeonholed by stereotypes. My only criteria for perfume is that it must smell good!

The first reaction to the fragrance is to swoon over the smokiness of it. It has that same scent that makes me nuts when I open a can of lapsang souchong tea (which is my favorite black tea). In fact, I have mentioned on more than one occasion that I’d like to bottle that scent! There is geranium, carrot seed, and clary sage in the top notes, but honestly all I really pick up is the sage. The other notes probably do keep things from drifting too far into the smoke and I suspect are also responsible for the fresh air aspect of the fragrance.

The jasmine note is strong to my nose, but really brings back that tea comparison – this time the jasmine from jasmine green tea. It’s floral, but not really. I guess now we have jasmine-scented lapsang souchong tea? The perfume dries down sweet on me, but maintains that smokiness all the way through. I suppose there is a leathery smell to it, but I don’t have enough experience with what perfumers call leather to really say. Altogether, the notes are geranium, carrot seed, clary sage, birch tar, cistus, jasmine, cedar wood, myrrh, tonka, vetiver and sandalwood.

The perfume is hugely evocative. It’s interesting the reactions others have to it – it seems to be a fragrance that is either loved or hated, if other reviews are to be trusted. To me, this perfume sums up everything I love about Eastern Oregon – the sagebrush, the clean air, the junipers, the red dust. It’s the High Desert, with a campfire and the stars shining so brightly because there are no city lights to interfere. Did you know I first saw the Milky Way while camping in Eastern Oregon? It’s so visible when you take away all the lights, so beautiful. I do drink tea while camping, so it’s my tea too, and that slightly unwashed scent you get after not having bathed for a few days, but in a good way. Its even the shower when I get home, watching the red dirt run off me in rivulets and smelling smoke because it’s in my hair, being released by the water and steam, mixed with my sweet  soap.

Lonestar Memories (and Incense Rose too) was a revelation to me. This is what perfume can be, this is what is meant by “bottled intelligence,” a scent that almost seems to speak to you with its own voice. Andy Tauer is an artist, and perfume is his medium. I believe that.