Clinique Black Tie Violets Holiday 2009

Clinique's Limited Edition Black Tie Violets collection is so soft and pretty. It looks very sugar plum fairy to me. Clinique consistently has high quality, on-trend products at reasonable prices. I like everything from this collection!

This collection includes:

Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher ($29.50) in Tuxedo Plums. Long-wearing multitoned powder blends together to create a sheer, subtle radiance. Sweep over face for an allover, luminous glow or brush on cheekbones to highlight.


Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad ($25) in Black Tie Violets. A gorgeous limited edition grouping of four shimmery eye shadows contained in a sleek, mirrored compact.

Brush-On Cream Liner ($14.50) in Violet Luxe. Creamy eyeliner brushes on deep, smoky, eye-defining colour. Long-wearing, waterproof formula comes complete with a mini Eye Liner Brush. Ophthalmologist tested.


Different Lipstick ($14) in A Different Grape. Different because of its smooth, comfortable feel. One of the best, from our wide range of shades. Sheer, glossy, smile-rewarding lipstick.


Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine ($17.50) in Bloomberry (limited edition), Double Plum (limited edition) and Luscious Lilac. Triple-action plumping lip gloss instantly and gently creates a fuller, lusher look. The plush effect lingers up to 6 hours. With continued use, peptides prompt skin's natural collagen production to foster a smoother, more defined look. Builds moisture cushion and comforts lips, too.


High Impact Lip Colour SPF 15 ($14) in Extreme Pink. High on colour, long on comfort. Dressed-up colour wears beautifully for 8 hours. And lips enjoy every minute. In highly moisturizing shades that continually smooth, soften, comfort. Protects from UVA/UVB, too.


Clinique Holiday 2009 Black Tie Violets is currently available at Clinique.com.

Click here to see a tutorial on Black Tie Violets from Karen @ Makeupand beautyblog.

REVIEW: Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder

A common problem we older women face is redness of the skin. I know I have a bit of redness around my nose and chin. My redness is caused from past sun damage. When I was a teen, my friends and I slathered on baby oil and literally fried in the sun. We thought we had to get a sunburn in order to tan and I had some killer sunburns—ouch! Of course the truly stupid thing about it was that I never did get what would be considered a 'good tan'. Stupid, stupid girl!!

Anywho, a common side effect of sun damaged skin are the tiny, burst capillaries that crop up on and around the nose. These ‘spider veins’ are harmless, but visible enough to bother many women who have them, including vain 'ol me.  Laser treatments are available in a dermatologist's office and usually take 2 or 3 treatments to correct. I don’t know for sure, but I imagine they are pricy.

It bears mention that if your nose turns red frequently or the redness persists, you may have rosacea—a common skin disorder which usually becomes noticeable around age 30-40 and affects approximately five percent of the population. In this condition, the blood vessels leak, causing a low-grade inflammation that makes the nose, chin, cheeks and forehead look like you spent too much time in the sun.

The good news is I’ve a found an easy and affordable solution! Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder. I recieved a sample of this with a Sephora order and I liked it enough to try the full size. The finely milled yellow powder is loose, comes in a sifter jar and includes a retractable fluffy brush. When trying the sample I put my makeup on as usual and then brushed on the powder over my foundation which gave me very sheer coverage. After purchasing the full size, I asked the Clinique sales associate the best way to apply it. She said to press the powder into the red areas of yur face with your fingers and then use the brush to brush off the excess and to apply under foundation. This application technique worked much better and made the powder a great deal more effective.

I really like this powder; this is a product that truly delivers on its promise! It totally eliminates the redness around my nose and chin and lasts all day. The consistency is very, very fine, kinda like powdered sugar but yellow. I can see how this would be a lifesaver for those with rosacea and acne. My only complaint is that the jar is so large—there is so much product it will probably take me a couple of years to use it up, but that’s just being picky. Clinique’s Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder retails for $32.50, is oil-free, talc-free, non-irritating and non-acnegenic. Available at Clinique counters nationwide and Clinique.com

Overall: Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder gets high marks for doing what it claims—“visible redness and broken capillaries virtually disappear—instantly and for hours under the care and cover of this unique mineral treatment”.  I say---an affordable and effective treatment for redness.

Grade: A-Recommended

Best For: Anyone who has slight to moderate redness from rosacea or reactive redness.

Check out more of Clinique's Redness Solutions online at Clinique.com

A word & then...Pink Beauty - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This blog is my hobby. I love talking about makeup, skincare, haircare and all that stuff. But let's face it, that's superficial stuff, I'm deeper than that and so are you. So I'd like to take a few minutes to remind everyone that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is 25 years old this year? Proceeds from the sales of eveything from coffee pots to makeup to yogurt are donated by hundreds of companies big and small. But it's the stories of real people that truly bring home the message. Please indulge me while I tell you about some women I know and a woman I knew.

Karen was like us; she worked, was a busy mom, drove her kids to all their sports practices and attended every game. In addition, she volunteered at her church and she and I had a Camp Fire Girls troop. Karen was the one you called on to get something done and when no one else would volunteer, she would. She left behind 3 children, the youngest 8 years old. Karen lived for 2 years after her diagnosis but went through hell. A mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, stem cell replacement, she did anything it took to stay with her family as long as she could. To say it was hard on her is a colossal understatement-- it was horrid and debilitating and humiliating and every other horrible adjective you can think of.  I miss her.

I have two co-workers currently struggling with breast cancer. They both have been through surgery and chemo, infusions and have completed their treatment.  D is the most amazing person you will ever meet. She is smart, beautiful and witty, but perhaps the most striking thing about D is her positive attitude--you cannot help but be happy in her presence. She is grateful for the experience of having cancer, not that she would have asked for it or wanted it, but she's learned about herself and others and as usual she has tried to make the best of of a bad situation. When I was going through my divorce, D would send me cards with notes of encouragement--the woman has cancer and she's concerned about me? That's who she is, like I said---amazing.

I can only think of one word to describe V and that is GOOD. She is just a good, good, kind person. I will never reach that level of goodness. She never has a bad word to say about anyone, is always willing to help and is sympathic and understanding. I swear there are days when I catch a glimpse of something shiny hanging just above her head.

Both women are blessed with wonderful husbands, friends and supporters from their churches. Both women are of great faith which I'm sure helps to sustain them through these difficult times.

I'm only telling you this in the hope that you will make your health a priority. Karen's doctor told her to slow down and take care of herself, he said that chronic illness and disease is more common in women who have busy schedules and are givers. Hey doc, that describes all women! Did you know that one in every 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer? Now that's scary! We 'mature' women have taken care of our spouses, children, friends, parents, grandchildren, etc. and put everyone before ourselves. Now it's time to take care of yourself. Your family needs you to stay healthy and active! We mature women also know that the world is a sweeter, calmer, more compassionate place because of US.

On a lighter note, let's take a look at some of the beauty products that have offerings for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can help just by buying products that donate in some way and thanks for indugling me.

Smooth the way to finding a cure for breast cancer. Buy this limited-edition Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion and help the Breast Cancer Research Foundation with its mission to prevent and cure this disease. Comes with a Clinique bracelet with dangling charms: a Clinique “C” and Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon.  $10.00 from your purchase helps support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. $35

Limited-edition trio of Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 minis on a keychain. Comes with 2 charms: a Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon and a Clinique 'C." In Air Kiss, Kissyfit &Whisper. $10 from your purchase helps support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. $18.50

Bonus: For every Clinique.com order placed in October, receive 3 gifts, no code necessary. Pink ribbon pin, pink ribbon charm and a bookmark featuring "7 tips for a healthier lifestyle".

Imagine a world without breast cancer. Your purchase of any product from the Pink Ribbon Collection will help Estée Lauder donate $500,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. BCRF is dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime by funding clinical and translational research worldwide. To learn more about BCRF, call toll-free 1-866-FIND.A.CURE or visit www.bcrfcure.org

Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Collection: 

This twinkling collectible pin is a simple, elegant way to show your support of Breast Cancer Awareness. $12.50

Golden Ribbons Mirror Compact. This elegant mirror compact is a gleaming way to show your support of Breast Cancer Awareness. On the cover, a subtle golden ribbon design catches the eye. Open the compact to reveal a dual mirror (one side has 5X magnification). Compact is approximately 3' in diameter. $55

Give your lips a world of pinks and show your support of Breast Cancer Awareness with the Elizabeth Hurley Lip Design Collection. $22

Elizabeth Hurley hand-picked the shades for this exclusive set:


Pure Color Lipstick in Elizabeth Pink


High Gloss in Pink Lady


Artist's Lip Pencil in Pink Writer


Pink Case with Mirror

Give your lips a world of pinks and show your support of Breast Cancer Awareness with the Evelyn Lauder Lip Design Collection. $22

Evelyn H. Lauder hand-picked the shades for this exclusive set:

Pure Color Lipstick in Bois de Rose


High Gloss in Blush


Artist's Lip Pencil in Spice Writer


Pink Case with Mirror

Bobbi Brown's Limited Edition Pink Ribbon collection features a limited edition pink glitter lip balm and an exclusive new shade, Creamy Pink lipcolor.  $40

During the month of October, Tarte will donate 20% of the proceeds of the Think Pink natural collection to the Young Survival Coalition, a support network for women under 40 living with breast cancer. See the Think Pink natural collection here  Get a free pink clutch with a $40 purchase from the Think Pink natural collection, use code PinkOct9.

More Pink Beauty products will be featured throughout the week so make sure to check back . Be healthy and God Bless!

New from Clinique!

Clinique introduces Superbalanced Powder Makeup SPF 15 foundation. I'm so glad cosmetics companies have gone to this "grater" type packaging--no more mess and spills or wasted powder! Superbalanced Powder Foundation adjusts to dry and oily areas to balance combination skin and last up to 8 hours. Available in 8 shades for $34.50

Clinique Most Wanted - Limited Edition

While perusing the cosmetics counters in my local Macy’s, I spotted this darling palette from Clinique. Aptly named “Most Wanted” it is inspired by the most popular Clinique lipstick shades; Blushing Nude, Black Honey and Raspberry Glace. Each silvery zippered compact features a Colour Surge Eye Shadow Trio and Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher. The Most Wanted Compact is Limited Edition and available in Most Wanted Nudes, Berries and Deep. It’s the perfect size for your handbag and great for touch ups or travel. $36