Napoleon Perdis Luxe Lipgloss Collection + Luminous Lip Veil

It's been a while since I posted due to a few life changes, but I'm back and have some new things to review!  First up, Napoleon Perdis Luxe Lipgloss collection!

The holidays always bring lots of lovely kits, sets, and limited edition items for makeup lovers to drool over.  Every year I look forward to picking up a few sets for myself, and this year I started with the Tarte Lip Service Limited Edition collection containing 5 LipSurgence pencils - 2 lip tints and 3 lip lusters.  I used this set for a few weeks before I realized that the formula was horribly drying on me and the colors just didn't quite do it for me.  When I returned it I noticed the Napoleon Perdis collection of 5 lip glosses (which came out to be about $8 for .4 oz of gloss vs $6 for .1 oz of lip pencil - a much better value!) so I did a quick exchange and am much happier with these.


The Napoleon gloss comes in 5 unnamed shades.  There's a milky nude, darker berry purple, bright golden coral, pearly beige peach, and a golden peach/pink.  All the shades are very flattering on my light complexion.  The nude is great for a smokey eye look and the purple, if worn lightly and smudged with a finger, is a perfect winter/fall shade.  These glosses are lightweight, smooth, and not at all sticky or tacky.  The tubes are chic and sturdy with a luxe gold cap and I have not had any problems with them leaking or breaking.  The applicator is a thin precise brush so you can put the color exactly where you want it.  This is especially helpful for the berry shade so you can control where it goes - it is the most pigmented of all of them so careful application is a must.  The glosses apply smoothly, have a pleasant slightly fruity smell and taste (lychee extract), and are moderately moisturizing.  These are not the longest lasting glosses, I'd say they last about an hour on me, but I do drink a lot of water so I never expect a gloss to last too long.   I always have one of the peach shades in my purse and have been using these a lot since I got them.  Overall this is a home run from Napoleon Perdis! 

Another fantastic lip product that I recently received from Meg's Makeup is the Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil in Sugar Plum.  This is an absolutely gorgeous medium blue-based plum shade with iridescent sparkle.  The formula is heavier than the glosses and it's touted as a sheer liquid lipstick.  The shade itself is gorgeous and I can see it working for a variety of skin tones.  The texture is stickier than his super smooth glosses so it lasts longer on the lips.  I love the chic square tube and the applicator brush is very precise.  The lip veil provides a super glossy finish, gorgeous shimmer, and moderate staying power.  I like to use this shade when I want a more polished look that will last longer.  The glosses are great for me when I'm on the go on and don't have a mirror handy.  


Overall: A+
Pros: Beautiful shades, precise applicators, smooth texture, hydrating formula
Cons: Doesn't last too long, limited edition
Get it: QVC

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette Review

I have previously reviewed the Naked, Wallpaper, Foreshadow, and Show Pony palettes here on my blog and today I am reviewing the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette.  Although I love UD at first I didn't have much interest in the 15th palette because I already own enough eyeshadow to last me a lifetime.  Then I went to Ulta to swatch it and fell in love!  These are all new shades that UD came out with just for this palette, and honestly I am a bit of a sucker knowing that once this palette is gone it's possible these shades will never show up again.  So let's get to it!

The packaging:

The palette packaging is a square sturdy plastic box that looks like metal and has UD upraised in fake purple jewels on the cover.  The top is not magnetic so this is not a travel-friendly palette, but it is nice to keep on the counter and since the top lifts of easily it provides quick access to the shadows.  The inside also has a high-quality mirror on the inside top which I don't use often but is nice to have.  The top of the box picks up fingerprints like mad so be prepared to wipe it off to keep it looking pretty.  The pan with the shadows in it lifts up to expose a tiny faux velvet-lined compartment that you could put flat things in, but I don't because you need a pen to lift the corner and I don't want to stab a shadow on accident.  My shadows were glued in a bit haphazardly, with one of them so barely glued in it smudged against the top.  For $55 I guess I expected the shadows to be at least glued in securely, but the shadow quality is amazing so I can forgive this :)

The shades:

Midnight Rodeo - mid tone beige/brown with silver and gold glitter, has fallout but not as bad as with Midnight Cowboy especially if you tap your brush off before applying

Midnight 15 - champagne pearl with fine silver glitter, the fallout is not bad at all and this makes a lovely highlighter shade

Vanilla - pale yellow-gold shimmer, great as a highlighter or all-over lid shade, sheers out easily to a nice pale gold wash

Flow - soft peachy pink shimmer, works well as a base shade or all-over color

Chase - metallic bright gold/bronze, can be a bit intense for daytime looks but is great for fun summery looks

Deeper - darker version of Chase, a shimmering mid-tone brown with gold

M.I.A. - dark brown with gold shimmer but tends to look a bit more matte than the other shimmers in this palette, wonderful for a liner shade or to blend in the crease

Ace - gunmetal shimmer, dark and pigmented with silver highlights

Blackout - true matte black, works great smudged into the upper lash line or to deepen up a colorful look

Half Truth - Gorgeous deep gray-plum with shimmer, makes a sexy smoky eye look and looks particularly pretty with Omen

Tainted - lilac with gold flecks, sits somewhere between a matte and a shimmer, good color payoff if layered but can look chalky

Junkshow - bright pink with fuschia shift, a lot more sheer than I'd anticipated and easy to blend into a look for a pop of color, looks great with Flow

Omen - metallic shimmery purple with blue shift, one of my favorites - it's like Asphyxia but much more pigmented

Evidence - Deep metallic blue, plays well with Deep End as a liner shade or to add depth to the outer eye

Deep End - true teal shimmer, neither blue nor green, great as a liner shade or to use for a pop of color above the crease and easy to sheer out or build up for impact

The shadows:

These shadows stay true to Urban Decay's well known creamy consistency and are extremely easy to blend.  The only one I have trouble blending is Tainted but it just takes a bit longer than normal.  These shadows seem a bit softer than normal UD shadows, so you definitely want to use a brush and not finger-apply.  They also have a little bit more fallout than other UD shadows but it's not too bad once you get used to how much you need on your brush, which isn't much.  With primer these shadows have lasted 12 hours on me - that's one of the main reasons I love UD shadows!  The standouts for me are Omen, Deep End, Half Truth, and Midnight 15 which are like no other colors I own.  Blackout is also great because I'd rather use eyeshadow as a liner so I can control it better and this shade is perfect for that.  I was so happy to see that Omen is like a slightly darker, brighter, more pigmented version of Asphyxia, which although I love is so sheer it takes layering to get the color payoff.  Deep End is a great true teal and I love how easy it is to sheer out or build up.  Junkshow surprised me with applying rather sheer, but it looks so great with Flow and is actually very wearable - for a fuchsia pink!

The (possible) bad:

I actually almost returned this palette after I bought it because there are a few shades similar to ones in the Naked palette.  These are: Chase (Half Baked), Ace (Gunmetal), Blackout (Creep), Midnight Rodeo (Sidecar), M.I.A. (Darkhorse), and Deeper (Smog).  They are not exact dupes, but pretty close with just some color variation.  Once I started to play around with the palette I realized that the more colorful shades I don't have anything similar to so that is enough to make me keep it, and the similar shades have enough variation to still feel different.  Also the shades Vanilla, Flow, and Midnight 15 have already become staples to me as base and highlighter shades and I'd hate to be without them.  My only other complaint with this palette is that Blackout is really the only matte shade.  UD makes amazing matte shadows (Shakedown, Naked, and Buck are 3 of my favorites) and sometimes you want a matte base to tone down a daytime look.  If they had included a few more matte shades then this palette, to me, would have been absolutely perfect.

Bottom line:

I highly suggest this palette if you don't already own Naked or a lot of UD palettes, and if you do own Naked then I'd suggest checking this one out before it's gone to see if you fall in love with the brighter shades like I did.  If this had come out before Naked I probably wouldn't have gotten that one, but overall there is enough variation between the two that I'm very happy having both.  I feel like any look I want, from bright and bold to neutral day-appropriate to vampy and smoked out, can be made between the two palettes and even just with this one.  I love that there are great highlighter shades, bright colors, and deeper shades and there's not one shade that I won't use.  The formula is fantastic and although they might have skimped a bit on the quality of the packaging the shadows themselves are high quality and worth every penny - in fact at $55 for 15 shades these cost less than most drug store brands! I had almost been in a bit of a color rut from using the Naked palette daily but this is a great addition to my collection and has really brought out my inner artist.  UD shadows are like lovely paint for the eyes, and I've been having fun getting out of my neutral rut and really playing with some beautiful wearable colors again.

Get it:
http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P292011&categoryId=B70

$55

Lumiere d'hiver Clarifying Shampoo No. 4

A new earth-friendly product that's been taking up space in my shower is No. 4 Lumiere d'hiver Clarifying Shampoo.  It is a weekly deep cleansing therapy that is nourishing to hair and scalp and the unique formula wont strip moisture or color.  The packaging is green, using soy ink and FSC certified paper and it uses plant based ingredients that strengthen, preserve color and purify.  The ingredients inside the fun Number 4 bottle excludes all potentially toxic ingredients to humans, clothing and the environment.  They don’t do animal testing either.

I have been using this product once a week for the past month or so and I really love it.  The directions specify to use a few pumps, wash hair, then make sure your hair is really saturated with water and wash again.  It might sound like that is a waste of product but the second wash really feels like it's stripping all the buildup in the hair.  The first wash seems to prep the hair for deep clarifying and the second wash really foams up but washes out easily.  I follow it with my regular conditioner or a deeply hydrating masque.  The scent is light, fresh-smelling, and pleasant.  When my hair is dry following this product is has a lot more volume and feels silky smooth, not at all dry or brittle.  

If you're looking for a good earth-friendly clarifying shampoo from a company that seems to really care about the environment I'd definitely suggest this one.  Also, the bottle is pretty cute, sits well in the shower/tub, and easily pumps out the product.  

Overall: A+

Pros: Earth-friendly ingredients and packaging, well designed bottle, product really clarifies hair, doesn't strip moisture

Cons: None!

Get it: http://www.thompsonchemists.com/index.php/number-4-lumiere-d-hiver-clarifying-shampoo.html , $32 for 8.5 oz.

Lancome Visionnaire Initial Review

Lancome Visionnaire is a new product recently launched and I was given the opportunity to sample it before it became available on the market.  This is my first experience with a Lancome face product besides their eye makeup remover, which I really like.  It's been 12 years in the making and the science behind it is really quite interesting, plus they have 20 international patents!  This molecule can go 5 layers deep into the epidermis, making it a completely new and different formula from any other company.  From their website, "Much more than a wrinkle-corrector, our 1st skincare capable of fundamentally re-creating more beautiful skin. The first skincare with LR 2412, a molecule designed to propel through skin layers. On its path, it triggers a cascading series of micro-transformations.  The result: on the surface, wrinkles and pores are visibly corrected, imperfections like signs of UV damage and acne marks appear diminished.'
Sounds like a miracle in a bottle!  Even though I'm into natural skin care I was too tempted by this product to not give it a shot.   It comes in a 1 oz sleek pump bottle and retails for $84.


The pump disperses about a pea sized amount and I have been using 2 pumps for my entire face.  They suggest using it morning and evening and you can follow it with a cream if needed.  It's safe for use around the eye area and with products containing SPF, and you can wear it in the sun without diminishing its effectiveness.  It claims that with twice daily use, wrinkles, pores, and sun/acne damage will be diminished in about 6 weeks and continue to get better with prolonged use.  The product has the silky texture of a thick serum and is a pearly white shade.  It does take a few minutes to absorb but once it does it does not leave a sticky or shiny residue and you really can't tell that you have anything on. The first few times I used it it made my face slightly red but not feeling tight or uncomfortable.  I easily layered my face serum and daily lotion over it and the products absorbed well on top of the Visionnaire.  The only thing I don't like about it so far is the scent which is kind of flowery and, for lack of a better description, girly.  It does linger on the skin for a few minutes after applying the product but it's not enough to make me not want to use it.  I've been using it for five days and so far I have not had any breakouts but I have experienced very slight dryness around my nose/chin, but that's normal for me when I start using a new product.  I have seen a difference in my skin tone and texture, which is looking very healthy, smooth, and even-toned.  I had a blemish when I first started and I noticed it went away a lot faster than normal and the redness of it was reduced.  So far I have not noticed a change in wrinkles/pores, but I will do a full update when I've been using it twice a day for the recommended six weeks.  I am only going to stop use if I notice any breakouts as I did with Estee Lauder's Even Skin Tone Illuminator, which is basically touted as the same type of product. Overall so far I'm very impressed with it and if it does what it says it will, I'm looking forward to smoothed out wrinkles, small pores, and a more even skin tone.

Update - I have been using this twice a day for almost two weeks and my results are excellent!  I have experienced no breakouts and my skin is much more clear and even toned than it was before I started.  My pores do appear smaller, but it's too soon to tell on the minor wrinkles I have.  This product absorbs well and once it sets in after about a minute it feels like you have nothing on.  It's very easy to layer other products or makeup on top of it.  It seems to gently exfoliate when you put it on and has been keeping pore blockages at bay.  I use it around my eyes and have experienced no irritation.  When I wake up in the morning my skin looks even, bright, and overall very healthy.  I am excited to keep using it and see how my skin looks after 6 weeks!


**Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a Desert Essence Throughly Clean Oil Control Lotion!! : http://prettylightsbeauty.blogspot.com/2011/07/desert-essence-throughly-clean-oil.html **

My Summer Essentials

I am definitely the type of girl who changes up my makeup and products depending on the season.  In the winter I like jewel tones and matte skin, in the summer I prefer shimmery bronzes and and a healthy glow.  Now that summer's here, I want to share with you my favorite summer beauty essentials and the products I've been reaching for lately.


1. Napoleon Perdis Protege Lip Gloss 
This gloss is a limited edition item and was gifted to me through Meg's Makeup.  After getting it, I bought another off eBay because I loved it so much!  It's a beautiful perfect sheer peach that's gorgeous on any complexion.  It has a pleasant minty flavor and a light, non-sticky texture.  This works perfect with a peachy blush or bronzer and shimmery nude eyes and although it's a gloss it does have some staying power.


2. Origins Sunkissed Color Kit
This adorable kit contains Rose Dust Brush-On color (matte bronzey-rose), eyeshadows in Twinkle (shimmering white) and Copper Penny (shimmering sandy copper), and a Mini Lip gloss Duo: Caramel Candy Liquid Lip Color & Mangotini Liquid Lip Shimmer.  Lately I've been reaching for this daily because the shades compliment each other beautifully and I love the look of the brush-on color on my tanner complexion.  The shade doubles as a bronzer/blush in my opinion and is on the sheer side, so it's very versatile. The shadows also go well together and are sheer with a very summery shimmer.  


3. Fekkai Beach Waves and Zero Humidity Frizz Control 
Both of these Fekkai products are absolutely perfect for the sticky months.  Beach Waves is the first product I've used that gives me pretty, imperfect waves without being sticky or heavy.  I just spray it in when my hair is dry or almost dry, scrunch and twist a few sections and away I go.  The Frizz Control is fantastic for particularly humid days and really helps control flyaways and frizz while adding shine.  By far my two favorite summer hair products.


4. Circle of Friends Leilani's Halakahiki Lotion 
This natural lotion is actually made for children as after-sun care and I love it for its soothing ingredients including Grape seed oil, Vitamins A, D, and E, and Aloe Leaf.  It also helps that it has a fantastic smell - think tropical grape kool aid!  This lotion is light, non greasy, soothes skin and absorbs quickly.  It comes in a pump bottle which makes it easy to quickly apply as needed.  I keep it on my nightstand and when I put it on before bed I love falling asleep to the smell. Perfect for little kids and big kids, like me!


5. Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 
This is a great sunscreen for delicate areas like the face, neck, and chest where you need protection but don't want to wear anything heavy and pore-clogging.  The ingredients are activated by shaking the bottle so they are evenly distributed.  The lotion itself is very lightweight, absorbs quickly, leaves no residue, and provides a matte finish.  In addition, it offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection - what could be more perfect than that in the summer!

6. Tarte Park Avenue Princess Mineral Powder Bronzer 
I've had this for over a year and it still looks brand new - I must admit that I love how pigmented Tarte's products are and that they last forever.  This is a perfect matte waterproof bronzer and works great on fair skin without giving  the dreaded Snooki vibe.  I use the '3' method on both sides of my face for the perfect bronzed look, then apply a bit of blush on the apples of my cheeks for a healthy summer glow.  I really love that the coverage is very buildable depending on your bronzing needs. For a cheaper alternative but that has less natural ingredients, check out Mark's Bronze Pro bronzing powder.


What are your favorite summer essentials??

Review - Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator

Through a sampling promotion I received a full-sized bottle of Estee Lauder's new Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator to test out and was so excited - a product that in just 2 weeks can fade acne scars, sunspots, discolorations and redness and leaves skin clear and bright?!  Sounds right up my alley because every time I get a blemish it takes forever to heal on my fair skin and the marks make me self conscious.  I recently switched to Natural Bliss skin care so I was a bit worried to use this non-natural product after the great results I've been getting from a natural line, but for the sake of beauty (and you!) I decided to give it a shot.  


The directions say to use it twice a a day for the first 12 weeks after cleansing and follow with a moisturizer, then once in the morning after that.  The first week I started using it I had just returned from camping and had a few blemishes from not doing my regular skin care routine so it was a perfect time to test this to see if it faded the spots more quickly.  I started using it morning and night followed by an application of passion fruit oil (I use that instead of a regular moisturizer nightly) and during the day I followed it with a facial serum.  It has a thicker texture, less of a serum and more like a light moisturizer, and instantly has a brightening and shimmering effect on the skin - something you may not like if you don't wear foundation, as it's not a natural look at all.  For the first week or so I really liked it.  I was waking up to a more even skin tone, my red spots seemed to be fading more quickly, and my pores appeared smaller.  Then I started to notice that I was breaking out - including an acne cyst on my cheek, which I rarely get - and had more clogged pores than usual.  Thinking it was still just from not following my regular routine the week before, I kept using it.  Suddenly it seemed like every day I had a new blemish, then I would apply the Illuminator to fade the spot, and then I'd get another blemish somewhere else!  The rest of my skin looked great though - very even, and yes, illuminated and bright just as promised.  After giving it another week, about 3 total, I finally stopped using it.  I went back to my usual routine and my skin is finally getting back to normal and I have had no new blemishes since I stopped using it.  The clogged pores have also cleared up.  So sadly although I really wanted this product to work for me, it didn't - so there it sits 1/4 empty in my cabinet with my other chemical-filled castoffs.  I think that on someone who isn't used to natural skin care only and has normal/not sensitive skin this product would work great, but with my recent natural obsession my skin is used to gentler ingredients.  I'm going to stick with my passion fruit oil nightly because it does about the same thing as far as reducing pore size/fading spots/brightening as this but is also organic, doesn't break me out, and costs a lot less.


Overall:B-
Pros: Instantly brightens, makes skin even toned, reduced pore size, helped fade spots more quickly
Cons: Breakouts and clogged pores!  May not be good for those with sensitive skin or who use more natural skin care
Get it: 
http://www.esteelauder.com/product/689/14025/Idealist/index.tmpl , $58/1 oz., $85/1.7 oz.


**Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a Desert Essence Throughly Clean Oil Control Lotion!! : http://prettylightsbeauty.blogspot.com/2011/07/desert-essence-throughly-clean-oil.html **

Review & Giveaway - Desert Essence Throughly Clean Oil Control Lotion

Recently I was able to sample Desert Essence Throughly Clean Oil Control Lotion which is an all-natural moisturizer containing organic chamomile and lavender oil and tea tree oil, as well as other great natural ingredients .  The description says it:


• Hydrates oily/combination skin without clogging pores
• Helps reduce oil and blemishes
• Leaves skin velvety smooth shine-free

Before trying this lotion I was using Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturizer at night as needed but no moisturizer during the day.  While I like Kiehls I feel like it is a bit too greasy for daytime use, particularly under makeup.  This Desert Essence lotion was a refreshing product to try during the daytime.  It has a pleasant natural smell that doesn't bother me at all, but if you don't like the smell of tea tree oil then you might not like it.  The lotion itself is a bit thicker than what I'm used to in a facial moisturizer but absorbs/dries very quickly and a dime sized amount is all you need.  After applying it left my skin with an almost 'sticky' matte finish that was very smooth.  The lotion also doubles as a makeup primer - when I use this, I do not feel the need to wear a separate primer as this smooths skin and the slightly sticky texture helps adhere foundation and keep it in place.  Since it's summer my skin does have a tendency to get oilier in the heat and throughout the day this does a good job of keeping shine and oil at bay.  I think this is also a great moisturizer for women who don't wear makeup because it provides a matte finish and also helps even out the skin tone.  Since I've used it I have not had any blemishes or pore blockages that I can attribute to it so it does what it says it will in reducing oil and blemishes.

Overall: A

Pros: All natural, tea tree oil aids in making this a calming and soothing lotion, doubles as a primer, controls oil and shine, does not block pores

Cons: Possibly the smell if tea tree oil bothers you

Get it: http://www.desertessence.com/skin-type/oilycombination/thoroughly-clean-oil-control-lotion , $12.99 for 4 oz.

I am giving away 1 bottle of this to a lucky follower!  
To win you must:
1. Google friend connect me
2. Leave a comment with your favorite skin care product
3. Send an email to: prettylights2 @ hotmail . com with the name you left the comment as as the subject




4. For an extra entry, invite a friend to enter the contest too and leave another comment!
5. For another entry, tweet the following and comment again with your Twitter username: ' prettylights beauty blog is giving away a Desert Essence Oil Control Moisturizer, enter here! http://tinyurl.com/3ky4mal Pls RT! #giveaway #free ' and leave another comment



The winner will be chosen using random.org, then I will reply to your email for your address.  The contest runs until 12:00 am on August 30th.  Thanks for entering and good luck!