Jill Stuart Spring 2011 Cosmetics Collection

Jill Stuart's Spring 2011 Collection - Innocent Sexy

Jill Stuart sure knows how to make super girly, sweet, and princess-y products - This upcoming Spring, she's rolling out a line that is lovely & elegant with colors that are feminine and delicate.

♥ New Blush Blossom duo* - Blush Blossom in Little Anemone ♥
(Anemone is a type of flower as well as the type you find underwater :D)

Image from http://www.fiftyflowers.com

I absolutely ♥ the ornate detailing on the compact casing and the included goat-hair brush with the PINK Swarovski crystal and little bow charm!

It comes as a loose powder that can be swirled together or used separately to create depth

This color is described as a "cute foggy pink combined with a girly anemone pink"

"Like the gentle blossoming of a wreath of pink flowers.
Loose powder cheek color that brings both innocence and luster to your cheeks"

***

♥ New Mix blush in Milky Strawberry ♥

"Quad powder blush with pure luster. Blends smoothly and adds a touch of soft color to your cheeks"

I'm excited to try this - I have actually heard that Jill Stuart blushes are very subtle with buildable color - I'm trying to prep myself for initial shock as I know they are not nearly as pigmented as MAC or NARS. If this one works out, I think I may try the Baby blush (01) and Fresh Apricot (06)

Top two colors look like a pinky highlighter & bottom two are a warm pinky-peach

Described as a "sweet and fluffy milky pink, reminiscent of strawberry milk"
(I like that...fluffy pink!)

***

♥ New Lip Jewel in ???* 12 New Colors! ♥

"For full and pure lips, as though decorated with the glittering dust of gems.
A liquid rouge for fresh and clear color"



***

♥ New Jewel Crystal Eyes Palette in Angelic Topaz and Sweet Amethyst ♥

"Genuine jewel-like shine...
Eye color palette that enables eyes with deep lustrous colors and glorious shine"




***

♥ New Nail Laquer colors include Dolly Bloom, Marshmallow Bonbon and Petal Shower ♥

***
Oooooh I wish I could be back in Hong Kong! If you spend over $5000 HK you get a free gift. ($5000 HK Dollars = $643.31 USD and $639.06 Canadian) ;_;

It reminds me of a fancy tea set of sorts. What a perfect (and Princess-y) way to display your makeup collection!



・Tray（W:31.9cm D:13.8cm H:2.1cm）
・Cotton box（W:10cm D:10cm H:8.7cm）
・Cosmetic item holder （Φ:8cm H:8.5cm）
・Petit tray（W:10.6cm D:10.6cm H:4.5cm）

***
I found a lot of these blogs helpful when looking for swatches/reviews of various products:

• Magical Complexion's blog has someswatches up from the Spring Collection!
• Eki of A Little bit of Eki also has a lot of Jill Stuart looks, hauls & reviews!
• Lisa of Makeupandlife.com has a ton of swatches and reviews of Jill Stuart products on her blog
• MusingsofaMuse has a great blog including a ton of Jill Stuart love!
• Cosmetic Candy is also a good place to find reviews & swatches
• Tummycake has a good video review and also some honest reviews/swatches
• Autumn Masquerade - *update*A GREAT blog - just found! Has side-by-side comparisons and descriptions of Jill Stuart products
  
• Lotus Palace always has a ton of Japanese makeup reviews, including Jill Stuart

***

It's hard (if not impossible) to find Jill Stuart cosmetics in the States but relatively easy to find online...a few retailers:

iMomoko
Yesstyle
Ebay
Gooddealer

***

I'm so excited for my first Jill Stuart Experience! I will be doing some reviews/swatches once I receive my order. (I picked up the blushes!) :)

In Hong Kong, the line will officially launch on January 10th, 2011

Are you planning on picking up anything from the Spring Collection?

Review: Maybelline Colossal Mascara Review (diamonds) and Sinful Colors Purple Diamond Polish +

Happy Saturday everybody! :)

Thought I would share my thoughts on a few products that I have been meaning to review for awhile. :)

♥ *~REVIEWS~* ♥

First, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara - This one in particular is Limited Edition and includes "diamond sparkle"!
With the included $1 coupon, it was about $6-7 after tax

I usually prefer falsies over mascara most days, but this looked like a fun one to try out (diamonds? sparkle? I'm there!) plus Maybelline is pretty well known for their mascaras.

First, I had to use the usual tools



Revlon Colorstay eyeliner (for lining and "tightlining"), Sonia Kashuk lash brush and separator, Shiseido The Makeup eyelash primer, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express mascara, Shiseido lash curler

***
Here is the brush with and without flash

You can see hints of *sparkle* without flash


And you can *definitely* see the sparkle with flash!


***
My naked eyes w/o mascara


And after 1, 2, & 3 coats!

Side profile
...You can really see the sparkle up close...

Finally, a comparison

Being a volumizing mascara, the formula is quite thick. My lashes, however, are kind of thin & sparse so it's hard to build volume without getting too clumpy or spidery! I had to give my eyelash brush a workout between coats otherwise I would have ended up with a big clumpy mess! :( You can still tell it makes a difference though AND it held a curl for well over 6 hours!

Overall, I felt like the mascara was OK - definitely not HG material. The formula might have been a bit dry since my lashes felt kind of stiff. The sparkle? Well. Unless people are standing THISCLOSE to your face, it really wasn't all that noticeable. People even might think you have lash-druff if they didn't know any better LOL!

Pros: Cheap, big fat brush, holds a curl well, builds volume/length easily
Cons: Requires lots of combing/separating, a bit drying, sparkle is barely noticeable, time consuming process.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (3/5)

***

2nd Review is Sinful Colors Professional Nail Polish in PURPLE DIAMOND. Purchased at Walgreens for $1.50!

Here it is in natural lighting


And with/without flash


I really don't think pictures do it justice. You have to see it glimmering & shimmering in person to really appreciate how pretty the polish is! It really feels like I am wearing diamonds on my nails! The glitter is superfine and catches the light in the prettiest way - I couldn't stop admiring my nails lol!

It's pretty, princess-y and subtle enough to wear at work - or anywhere for that matter! The perfect pastel-y spring-time color!

The pigmentation in this whole line is so-so, it really depends on the color you purchase. (The Neons apparently don't have any color payoff though they look nice in the bottle) I'm a bigger fan of more subtle colors, so this line works well for me. No problems with chipping yet, usually with a good top coat, this polish will last for weeks!

Pros: Smooth application, gorgeous shimmer/sparkle, CHEAP, lasts at least a week
Cons: Pigmentation isn't like the bottle color, requires around 3 thin coats for the best results, careful with the brush (picks up a lot of polish at a time and can be goopy if you don't wipe the excess off!)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5)

***

Katie Ngo's Giveaway(s)!!!

Finally, the lovely Katie Ngo is having an AWESOME giveaway with not only one, but TWO winners! This includes either the items below OR a $40 MAC giftcard!

***
Also thought I would try out this headband from my aunt. Initially, I secretly thought it was kinda fug - but after trying it on, I really like it!



***

YUM ALERT!

Had the best BEST catfish I have ever had in my life!!! This Vietnamese place in Dallas is DELICIOUS ~ their signature dish is catfish - surprisingly, not even a hint of fishiness - super fresh and sooooo tasty!

You take fresh veggies...

...Add them to DIY Spring rolls + special fish sauce...



And then pile on tender, flaky, delicious pieces of fish, green onions, and fried shallots



The Vietnamese style "Fish Taco" lol

***

Lots of blogger love for Marissa, luckyfinds, Surge, Edwina, Sassy J'adore, Amasiah, & Cornelio!

Have a great weekend, enjoy the fresh spring air (smells like grass and flowers outside!) & stay safe!

♥ Irene

Quickie Review: Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Social Ladder

Quick review of Sinful Colors (Professional) Nail polish in "Social Ladder." I really didn't expect much from this line...it is sold at Walgreens and possibly other drug stores. The bottles look classy and the prices are surprisingly low. I picked up a few colors at 2/$3 and sometimes they have buy one get one sales which make them only 99 cents! (Cheaper than N.Y.C. & Wet & Wild!)

I tried on Glass Pink first -- but it was too sheer and not very impressive. I have heard that the consistency is so-so and these polishes apparently chip easily without a top coat. However, for some reason, Social Ladder looks AMAZING and requires only 2 coats (or more depending on how opaque you want it to be). I was lazy and didn't apply a base or top coat and my nails still look great after 3 days. (No chips, still shiny, etc.) The color is subtle -- almost pearly, but with shimmer. A very girly, versatile, shimmery nude. It would look great as an alternative french!

If you're looking for a wide selection of fun colors with no commitment, I would highly recommend this line -- you can experiment for cheap (some colors tend to be better quality than other though -- the neon colors for example, look great in the bottle but apparently don't look so great when applied) without the regret of spending $6+ on something that will end up buried in your makeup drawer.

So I've been promising myself that I need to sleep earlier... :) Good night once again! ♥