Deborah Lippmann sets at HSN - hurry and buy them!!

Hello, Beautiful!

About two weeks ago (or so) Deborah Lippmann was on HSN and featured a bunch of products, but two things were these really awesome kits. I couldn't believe the prices and ordered one of each. Well, the one kit completely sold out that same day and the other kit I believe sold out but they re-stocked it fast.

Well just today I found both kits back in stock, still at amazing prices and on Flex Pay if you have an HSN card.

I would jump on these kits now if you can because they'll be gone before you know it! I just ordered a second set of the Runway 6-piece Nail Care Set because with the $5 coupon it was just under $40 for all that Deborah Lippmann goodness. Of course I don't need the two polish colors from this set, so I will likely sell them in my blog sale for cheap.



The first set is the Deborah Lippmann Collection Runway 6-piece Nail Care Set

• HSN Item # 135-533
• Price: $44.50  -- or 2 flex pays of $22.25 with your HSN card
• Shipping is $6.21
• Retail value of this kit is $104.00!!
• Save $5 on $25 or more beauty purchase at HSN using the code C50121

This kit includes:

• .5 fl. oz. Cuticle Remover
• .5 fl. oz. Cuticle Oil
• .5 fl. oz. 2-Second Primer
• .5 fl. oz. Nail Lacquer - Lara's Theme (double dutch orange)
• .5 fl. oz. Nail Lacquer - Supermodel (modern sheerish-red orange)
• .5 fl. oz. Hard Rock Nail Hardener Base and Top Coat
• Black roll-up bag

The second set is the Deborah Lippmann Collection Polished 5-piece Nail Care Set

• HSN Item # 127-242
• Price: $49.50 -- or 2 flex pays of $24.75 with your HSN card
• Shipping is $6.21
• Retail value of this kit is $88.00
• Save $5 on $25 or more beauty purchase at HSN using the code C50121

This kit includes:

• .5 fl. oz. Ridge Filler Base Coat
• .5 fl. oz. Nail Lacquer - Happy Birthday (party in a bottle glitter)
• .5 fl. oz Nail Lacquer - Naked (clean bare beige sheer)
• .5 fl. oz Nail Lacquer - Waking Up in Vegas (putty-liscious gray creme)
• .5 fl. oz. Addicted to Speed Ultra Quick-Dry Top Coat
• Black roll-up bag

 

I love home shopping networks...

Hello, Beautiful!

Lately I've been addicted to QVC and HSN. I'm a sucker for home shopping networks. I love seeing the live demo of beauty products, but I'd be lying if I said that's why I tune in. I tune in because it can be entertaining to watch.

I love the bloopers that can happen (although those are pretty rare, but they're great when they happen). I love watching the hosts get so excited over the most simple items, and hearing them talk in awe at every product. But I shamelessly look forward to the insane callers. Sure, there are plenty of normal callers, but there are some pretty bat-sh*t crazy people out there. They'll tell you their life story, their cat's name, and ask the host to say hello to their cat (who is, of course watching right along with them in their animal sized Snuggie).

Yes, I have way better things to do, but when I'm stuck on the computer working I like to have the TV on. QVC and HSN have been my entertainment of choice lately. I usually only watch during any beauty related presentation.

QVC in particular has caused a dent in my budget lately. There were items I needed to buy (like my DDF facial cleanser), items I semi-needed/wanted (like the St. Tropez Tanning Mousse I wanted to use before a wedding I had to go to), and then there are the items I didn't need but just had to try out.

I already blogged about the Laura Geller concealer - which I'm still very much in love with and still very much recommend. Now I am going to blog about my latest QVC purchase. I really should have waited and posted this blog post tomorrow (Tuesday) because that's when the kit will likely arrive at my house and I can show swatches, but I'll just update this post or make a new post when I do make swatches.

Did you tune into QVC on Friday when they had Smashbox on? They had a beautiful kit, which was priced just under $70 as their "Today's Special Value" (it's now priced at $76.38 and they're sold out of 'Fair' and 'Light').

The value of the kit is a really good one. The Halo powder alone retails for $59 by itself, and I was in the market to buy a new Halo in the Medium shade (I have it in the Light shade - which no longer works for my skintone). I like using Halo combined with concealer for a quick and easy morning routine on the days I take my son to school. He'll be in kindergarten (I can't believe I can even say that; the years go by too quickly), and I'll be driving him to school most of the time. I don't have great skin, so I can't leave the house without makeup on (well, I can, but I don't want to). So I will likely be using the Halo a lot (but I may try using Bare Escentuals in the morning).

So let's talk about everything included in the kit (and a photo below from QVC):

• Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder (I chose the Medium shade)
• Quick Fix Eye Shadow Palette #1 - which includes five shades (champagne, navy, shimmering purple taupe, merlot, and shimmering peach nude)
• Creamy Lip Crayon in Pink Fig (a brown-pink)
• Lip Enhancing Gloss in Sweet (a sparkling pink champagne)
• Waterproof Shadow Liner in Graphite (a metallic gray)
• Cheek Duo, which includes a Satin Blush and Loose Powder in Candle-Lit Pink
• Plus you receive a Baby Buki Brush (to use with Halo) and a #30 Shadow Liner Brush (to use the Waterproof Shadow Liner or the powder shadows)

I love buying Smashbox kits from QVC because they often have colors and products that are exclusive to QVC for a period of time. In this kit the shadow palette, lip crayon, lip gloss shade, and shadow liner shade are exclusive to QVC until March 2011. The shadow palette and creamy lip crayon are world-wide launches.

The shadow palette has some pretty shades, but I think only three of them will get a lot of use. The navy shade I'll likely use as a liner, or when doing a blue smoky eye. But the merlot color (that matte looking burgundy) is a shade I won't put near my eye. I know what looks good on me and that color does not. Seven years ago I had my wedding makeup trial at MAC and the lady went by a color chart. The color chart apparently told her that using a burgundy shadow on both top and bottom lids would look great as a wedding day look. It made me look like I was on drugs and was the least flattering thing possible. Just because my wedding was in February, and my colors were red, black and white, doesn't mean I want red shades on my face! It was so bizzare and she was so stuck on that shade. She tried so hard to get me to buy it, even after telling her no at least a dozen times. The rest of the makeup she did was awful too. I ended up picking my own shades out for my wedding and refused to buy anything she put on my face. It was that bad. I've had better MAC experiences, but that was by far the worst!

Anyways, back to the Smashbox Kit...

The blush looks really pretty and very wearable. I go through phases where I won't leave the house without blush and then I go through phases where I wouldn't think of putting blush on. It all depends on my skin. If I'm having a lot of breakouts on my cheeks I will avoid blush. And at this very moment my skin is having issues, but I will be trying this blush out anyway! The little highlighter color that comes in the bottom of the blush compact looks very pretty. I hope it looks as pretty in person.

The lip pencil looks like a nice wearable shade on its own, but looks really pretty with the gloss on top. I hope I fall in love with the colors when I see them.

The Waterproof Shadow Liner is a product I've wanted to try from Smashbox for awhile now. I've heard great things about it. The color included in this kit is really pretty. I love grays and blacks for my eyes. I use them very often (I use gray a lot), so I look forward to trying it out!

All in all I'm very excited to get this kit. I hope it shows up at my doorstep tomorrow! I will post swatches and maybe even a photo of me wearing the full kit.

If you also ordered this kit I'd be interested in hearing your review after you get it and try it all out!


xoxo with love & beauty,

Crystal Valentine B.
- The woman who runs ValentineKisses.com

Five Favorites: December 2009 Edition

Hello, Beautiful!

These are my current five favorite beauty products for December 2009:

1. The Dior holiday eyeshadow palette
This is a beautiful palette to have! I received this as a Christmas gift from my mom (thanks mom!). I was giddy upon receiving it, as I am upon meeting any new beauty product for the first time.

This palette contains four beautiful iridescent shadows that I would describe as the perfect neutral palette. It contains a dark brown/plum, a light pink, a taupe and a champagne gold. The champagne gold color is more of a highlight color than it is a shadow, but it's beautiful in its own.

The pigmentation does not disappoint. I've tested these out with and without shadow primer. Of course they lasted longer with the shadow primer but they still held up for hours without it. The colors also show up beautifully, with or without shadow primer.

Pics & Swatches:

[no shadow primer beneath]

You can purchase this palette at Sephora for $42. They just took it off their website on December 22, so I guess they no longer carry it online. You may still have luck at your store but it's evident that this palette will be gone before we know it!

2. NARS Oil-Free Foundation
This is the only foundation that I've ever purchased more than one bottle of in a row. I normally try out a foundation and half way through buy a different one because I've become bored or just aren't satisfied. I have terrible skin due to my health issues so I need a full coverage foundation. Not many pass my test, but this one makes the grade!

It gives you a near flawless face with a beautiful matte finish. I don't always need to use concealer with this foundation, which I love. It is fast drying, which seems to be the main complaint from some women who have tried this. I actually find that to be a good thing.

I prefer to apply this with a foundation brush (I use MAC's 190 foundation brush), but I also get great results using a sponge or even my fingers (which is the method NARS endorses).

 

Sephora no longer carries this product on their website but you can still purchase it directly from narscosmetics.com for $40.

TIP: When selecting your shade go by the shade description and not what it looks like on your computer screen. My perfect shade (Budapest) looked too dark on the screen but the description matched my skintone perfectly. I'm also mostly Hungarian so it's not a big surprise that Budapest matches my Hungarian skintone so well.


3. NARS "I Want You" Lipgloss Set
This was my first introduction to NARS lip glosses and I gotta say I'm impressed! This set features five mini lip glosses in these popular shades: Turkish Delight, Greek Holiday, Orgasm, Striptease, and Dolce Vita.

It may say "mini" but they're not very mini at all. In fact, if you've ever owned an original Smashbox lipgloss they are the exact same size. What I love best about these glosses is they're nicely pigmented, feel comfortable on your lips and aren't sticky at all. They last a good length of time, considering they are a gloss.

Because you receive five beautiful shades it's hard to pick a favorite, but I think I like Dolce Vita the best. It's one of those "must have" colors that every girl should have in her collection.

Pics & Swatches:

[Colors from left to right: Turkish Delight, Greek Holiday, Orgasm, Striptease, and Dolce Vita]

[Colors from left to right: Turkish Delight, Greek Holiday, Orgasm, Striptease, and Dolce Vita]

[SIZE COMPARISON BELOW: (pic 1) Smashbox original next to NARS "mini" -- (pic 2) NARS "mini" next to NARS full sized]

[The NARS full sized gloss above in pic 2 is the color Tempest]

You can buy this set at Sephora.com for $45 - that's less than $10 per gloss!! NARS also has a 5-piece lip gloss collection on their website for $40, but I don't like the color selection as much as the one I have.


4. "Best of Make Up For Ever" Value Set
This is one set I couldn't pass up... in fact, I purchased it twice! It's a "beauty insider only" set at Sephora (although I've recently seen it at HSN too). It's a limited edition set so you better buy it now while it's around.

If you've never tried Make Up For Ever's brand this is a great introduction into some of their best products. If you're a fan of Make Up For Ever's brand then you must have this set! The value is amazing considering what you receive:

• A full sized Smokey Lash ($22 if purchased separately)
• A full sized Aqua Eyes liner ($17 if purchased separately)
• A full sized HD Microfinish Powder ($30 if purchased separately)
• A travel-sized HD Microperfecting Primer ($15 if purchased separately)
• A travel-sized Sens'Eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser

[Keep in mind the pics below show the products used... and I forget to get a close up of the primer]

Get it now at Sephora for just $49!! That's an AMAZING value ($91.50 to be exact)


5. My $2.99 "makeup brushes"
I have a mix of brushes in my makeup brush collection. Some from Victoria's Secret, a few from MAC, some from IMAN, and then there are non makeup-makeup brushes. I usually go to Michael's craft store (or any craft store for that matter) and browse their paint brush section. Usually you can find some good brushes at great prices.

I recently picked up two brushes that were $2.99 each. One I use for a concealer brush (although applying cream shadow would be another use). The handle isn't super long like some paint brushes and the bristles are soft, yet dense enough to handle the application of concealer.

The second one I use as a liner brush. Like the other brush, the handle is still short enough to handle the brush with ease. The bristles aren't as dense as some of my other liner brushes, but this will create delicate, soft lines. I don't think this will be an everyday brush, but it will definitely come in handy. I have also tried this brush when applying brow powder and I actually prefer using it for that method.

 

So those are my five favorite beauty products for the month of December. Check back in January for my January favs!!

Until next time....

xoxo with love & beauty,

Crystal Valentine B.
- The woman who runs ValentineKisses.com