Urban Decay Deluxe Shadows

Note: Picture shows Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow in Shag
One of the first brands I really got into when I started collecting big-girl makeup, as I like to call it, was Urban Decay. I love the name of the company and the names of the items, but we all know the name means nothing when the product is crap. Luckily for all of us, Urban Decay is the real deal.

The deluxe shadows from the brand are fabulous. They come in adorable flip-top containers and, though I've had slight functional problems with them, it's nothing to complain about, so I won't.

Urban Decay's regular shadows usually (though not always) have glitter and as much as I love glitter, I can't always deal with it in my eyeshadow. The deluxe shadows are like a grown-up version, think shimmer not glitter.

Every single one of these colors is wearable and the collectible containers make me want to have them all. Currently in my collection are Scratch (light pinky peach with silver shimmer), Ransom (vibrant iridescent purple), Fishnet (bright purply fuchsia), Graffiti (bright green), Peace (turquoise) and Adore (bright blue). I don't see Adore on Sephora.com, I wonder if they discontinued it. I've also had Honey but found the shimmery gold too yellow for my taste and passed it on to someone who would find it more flattering with their skintone.

As usual, all of the shadows I own are cooler in tone, although Scratch is a little warmer than I normally wear. Used over Urban Decay Primer Potion (even without), these last for hours with no smudging or creasing. The Primer Potion really brings out the color and results in an exact match between your eyelids and the pan color. Now that, I love! I'd highly recommend these for special occasion wear like prom or a wedding.

They retail for $18 and the deluxe size is really generous. Honestly, I don't see me ever wearing one of these until the package is empty. Next time you're in Sephora or Ulta, check them out and let me know what you think.

If you'd like to try them out but don't need a full size product many of the shades are available in Urban Decays Palettes and, since I own a few of those, I can attest to how wonderful the palettes themselves are as well. Who out there owns UD palettes and which ones? I have the Skull palette and Shadow Pony set and I couldn't love them more if I tried.

Charlotte Ronson Lolita Makeup Bag

I'm a sucker for samples. They're so cute and lovable in all their tininess. The problem is I have tons of them that I'm never going to use. One use just isn't going to tell me if I like an item or not. Unless it's a single use item like eyeshadow cards or perfume samples I can't really tell if I'm getting something I'll like for the long haul but... I still can't resist them.

Beauty.com has a great deal going on right now. With a $100 purchase you can get a free Lolita makeup bag designed by Charlotte Ronson stuffed with $125 worth of samples (how they calculate that I'll never know)! If you look at it that way, your $100 was very well spent. The samples include...

* Bliss Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk
* PHYTO Phytodefrissant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm
* NUXE Tonific Fermete Intensive Firming Cream
* Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Volumizing Extra Hold Hairspray
* Smashbox Photo Finish Targeted Pore and Line Primer
* Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss, Wallflower
* Stila Eye Shadow in Illimani
* Dr. Brandt Collagen Booster
* L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Ultra Rich Face Cream
* ARCONA Peptide Hydrating Complex, Hydrate AM/PM
* It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores HD Silk Micro-Powder
* Oscar Blandi Olio di Jasmine - Hair Serum
* Lavanila Assorted favorites


If you're already going to shop there or a comparable site you should check out this great deal before it's too late. Supplies are limited. If you get it let me know if you love it.

Buxom Love

Wow! Sephora, I'm really beginning to hate you!

Today, I visited the sight again (I know, I know, I should just stay away if I don't want to be tempted, but it's too damn hard) and I fell in love. With a Saint Bernard. I know what you're thinking but follow along on my puppy loving journey.

I stumbled upon Bare Escentuals Buxom Stay-There Shadows when the default picture immediately caught my eye, teal, my favorite color. I cannot resist teal anything, tops, shoes, bags, and especially eye shadows and liners. Take a look at this...



After reading the reviews for these beauties I was even more intrigued. How could I say no to that? These shadows are a Sephora exclusive and with no Sephora within shopping distance of me (huge bummer, I know) I can't check them out in person. They're cream formulas which I've only had touch and go success with (Love Bobbi Brown's, so-so on Stila). They're all named after dog breeds, which is where the Saint Bernard comes in, a gorgeous teal green. I MUST have it.

Bare Escentuals will make a charitable donation to Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit that provides disabled people with assistance dogs. What a wonderful charity! Another great reason to pick up this product.

For $17 you are getting a fairly small pot but the reviews speak for themselves, the best cream shadow users have ever tried, great sponge-y like consistency, most vibrant, etc. I can't live without these in my life. I'm going to have to spring for Saint Bernard, Pug (a pewter shimmer), Bull Dog (deep blue), Schnauzer (royal purple), and Chihuahua (silver). Can you tell I love bright, cool-toned shadows? On my fair, cool skin and light eyes it's the best combination. What color would you pick up?

*Update* I sprang for Saint Bernard and I will review it as soon as I've had enough time to accurately try it out. Can't wait to see the others.

Short Hair on Girls (a not-so expert opinion)

I'm no expert. I'm a beauty school dropout, I never learned how to cut short hair on ladies and having only my one (really bad) experience with short hair, I have to say I don't know my stuff, I only know my opinion. Please feel free to prove me wrong, I'd love to hear your feedback.

First of all, I have to say that I admire woman who have the balls to give short hair a go and, in the right hands, it can look very beautiful. But, in the wrong hands? Watch out. There's this beauty school phenomenon where every girl comes out with shorter and shorter hair each week she's there, until, there's no hair left. I've seen girls start out with nearly waist long hair and end up with a cute little pixie, a crime if you ask me. As a girl with LONG hair, we're talking mid back and, before I got it cut a month or so ago, the longest layer was to my butt, I love the way it looks on everyone as long as you take care of it (but that's another post entirely).

This whole topic was sparked by the Marie Claire that landed in my mailbox today and the lovely Emma Watson on the cover sporting what I can only assume is her little brother's haircut. I'm sure you've all see her with short hair but this was just shocking. One should not have to wear so much mascara to not look like a little boy. Check it out....



Now, I'm not saying that it's impossible to look good with short hair, look at Halle Berry, I just think that certain adjustments have to be made to avoid looking like a little boy. First of all, if you're pin thin, with no chest or butt, you're going to look like a little boy unless you wear tons of makeup, hair accessories and jewelry. End of story. Secondly, if you keep a little length on top to spike, swoosh to the side, etc., it makes a world of difference. Also, in my not-so expert opinion as I said earlier, showing a little cleavage with a short haircut never hurt anyone.

Agree? Disagree? Please let me know and feel free to send me pictures to prove me wrong. I'd love to hear from anyone with an opinion. Drugofchoicebeauty@yahoo.com

Face-off Friday Christina Hendricks

Every Friday Drug of Choice brings to you Face-off Fridays. And not the John Travolta/Nicholas Cage movie!!! Each week I'm pinning a celebrity beauty against (for the most part) HERSELF! Vote for your favorite look for the starlet. Occasionally, just to mix things up on you, I'll show you two pictures of girls wearing similar (or not so similar depending on my mood) makeup and you tell me which LOOK you prefer. Now, I know, it's hard not to vote for your favorite celeb in that situation but it's all about the look. TGIF, indeed!

Confession! I have never seen an episode of Mad Men. It's not really my thing. That being said, I have taken notice of a beautiful redhead named Christina Hendricks and really, how could you not?

The gorgeous, buxom ginger stands out from the crowd of rail thin blondes and her features make her more beautiful than 10 cookie-cutter starlets put together. Now, with such flaming red hair you'd think Christina would stick to a more neutral look, something tried and true that she could do with her eyes closed. Not so, my dears, not so. Christina always looks fabulous by taking risks and that's what I love about her. Now, I want your opinion on how you think she looks in each of these looks and which you'd pick for her if you had to choose.


or


Do you prefer Christina Hendricks with bold, berry lips and lightly lined eyes or a black cat's eye with neutral lips? Both are equally gorgeous but I really love the way the berry lips off-set her gorgeous pale skin. If I had skin like this, I'd never wear foundation, what about you?

MAC Me Over

Calling all MAC girls! The cosmetics giant is giving you (yes, you) a chance to be the face of a Fall 2011 line. You can submit a video or a picture at the website macmeover.com. The contest runs from now until December 20th and what better way to get in the holiday spirit than brushing up on your makeup skills and entering a once in a lifetime contest?

All you have to do is head over to the website, submit your video or picture and complete the sentence "MAC me over because...." It's that easy. MAC Pro Artists will make you over and you'll be shot by celebrity photographers in what's sure to be a glamorous NYC setting. Round trip ticket to New York anyone?

This contest is open to U.S. Residents 18 years old or older as of date of entry. All ages, all races, all sexes will be included just like MAC proclaims as their slogan.

Let me know if you enter. Can't wait to see the winners in Fall 2011.

Korres Abyssinia Oil Mascara

I've always been a drugstore mascara kind of girl. I never saw the point in spending money on Lancome or Dior when I could get a great value and the same results from Cover Girl or Maybelline. That is, until I tried Korre's Abyssinia Oil mascara.

This mascara contains Abyssinia Oil to condition lashes and leave them in better than original condition. The natural vegetable oil has a high concentration of fatty acids to soften and condition your lashes, giving you natural results with each use. Unlike traditional lash conditioners this is a one step process, not a primer and mascara in separate tubes, cutting application time in half and not giving your lashes the white cast left by other serums and creams.

Korres Abyssinia Oil Mascara gives all day color and hold and I found that, even without a lash curler, my lashes had a slight upward slant that I couldn't stop admiring in the mirror. The brush has a cool no-pattern/pattern that gives lashes a really natural appearance and the bristles are soft enough that should you hit skin, you won't leave a hideous scratch on your eye. And it does all this without parabens, sulfates and synthetic fragrances and dyes. What more could you ask for?

It retails for $20 (more than double my drugstore brands but worth it for a nice splurge) at Sephora and Korres and is available in black, brown, purple and dark blue. The sample sized tube I tried is half the size of the normal tube and I've gotten tons of use out of it.