.:: CybeleSays ::.

SMASHBOX just came out with their Spring 2012 – BE DISCOVERED Makeup Collection and I have a few items for review and swatch here – one for the cheeks and one for the eyes.

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What’s totally right about this picture of Taylor Momsen?

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These are really helping me enjoy summer this year! Have you made any adjustments due to the heat and humidity? Give these ones some consideration.

ELIZABETH ARDEN Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor in Sunkissed Coral ($28 @ elizabetharden.com) – If this one could talk, it would say, "I am the color of the decade!" Coral again is a big summer color and it's so gorg on the skin and really enhances a nice tan.

ORLANE Super-Moisturizing Tinted Cream ($75/1.7oz @ neimanmarcus.com) – it’s way too hot to put on a full mask of foundation so why not use a two-fer like this? It combines a deeply moisturizing face cream with a slight tint. Available in 3 shades.

NYX COSMETICS Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Sky Blue and Extreme Green ($4.50 @ nyxcosmetics.com) – colored liquid liners are hot these days and these do like the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney duo and “Stay, Stay, Stay.” (I know it’s Say, Say, Say but Stay works better for this piece!).

LUSH 'Dirty' Springwash Shower Gel ($9.95/3.3oz, $17.95/8.8oz, $26.95/16.9oz @ lushusa.com) – I really wasn’t feeling their Dirty collection of products but this shower gel seems like a lighter version of the rest, according to my nose and it has a hint of spearmint oil in it.

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer ($17 @ smashbox.com) – who wants their makeup to slide after applying? Summertime is great for this one as it gives a nice sheen, whilst helping makeup stay, stay, stay! And this one has some good-for-skin ingredients like grape seed extract and vitamins A, C and E.

VICTORIA’S SECRET Sheer Love Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream from the VS Fantasies Collection ($12/6.7oz @ victoriassecret.com) – a scented cream is the perfect way to kiss the skin with fragrance without overdoing it. This one is a mix of fresh white cotton and luminous pink lily and contains avocado, zsweet almond oil and my favorite ingredient, honey.

The Victoria's Secret item contains mineral oil, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. The Lush product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more about these and other ingredients here.

Read my ingredient disclaimer here.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

What’s the best thing you can give a girl who loves makeup? A cute gift set of quality products. That’s why I’m recommending SMASHBOX’s The Gold List ($49 only @ sephora.com) as a Gift Pick. It’s travel-sizes of their Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer, Photo Op Under Eye Brightener and full sizes of the O-Gloss Gold and Fusion Soft Lights eye and cheek luminizer in Baked Starburst and they’re all packed in a really cute 8 ½” by 4” gold metallic cosmetic case. I’d buy it just for the case!!

And since this is from their WISH collection, Smashbox will donate $1 from every purchase of this to the Children’s Miracle Network.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I love a new way of doing something or rather a new idea when it comes to packaging and that’s just what  this product gives us when it comes to blush. When it comes to cream blushes, I’m so used to using my fingers to blend it in but when it comes to SMASHBOX’s new Creamy Cheek Color & Brush ($29 @ smashbox.com) from the Masquerade Collection, one side is your color and the other side is the brush to blend it into the skin. I really thought the bristles would be too firm and make the process uncomfortable but they are actually pretty soft but not so soft that they don’t do a good job working the color in nicely.

It’s only available in Intrigue (warm pink) but hopefully they will continue this packaging trend.

And this is a great one to tote along in your purse!

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Makeup primers are all the rage and more lines are coming out with them for the face and eyelids. And now that’s it’s starting to get hotter around the globe, there’s no time like the present to try one out to keep your makeup where you put it. Here are two that are sticking around my face these days.

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Lid Primer in Golden Nude ($20 @ sephora.com) from the Naked Beauty Collection is beautifully tinted in a shimmering nude shade. And this one is not just about helping your shadow stay on the lid longer. It also has ingredients to keep the skin moisturized and to help diminish lines on the lid. How do they fit all of that into this little tube?

L’OREAL Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base ($12.95/.5oz @ drugstore.com) has got quite a buzz on it and it seems to be moving to the top of a lot of beauty buff’s must have list. And I think I pretty much agree. It really creates a smooth canvas on the skin prepping it for foundation or powder and makes my skin oh-so-soft.
The only improvement is that I am not really partial to sticking my looks-clean-but-is-probably-not finger into the jar every time to get some. Yes, I could use a little scoop but I really seem to like mine in a tube or wand.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

The Makeup Show just came through LA the last two days and this show is always pretty fun to walk. The people and their done up faces and the body art that some showcase. It's really a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

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Remember a few weeks ago when I found this liquid liner that didn’t sting my inner eyelid? Well I found another one to add to that list! It’s from SMASHBOX’s new Heartbreaker Collection and is called Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black ($24 @ sephora.com).

There’s something about this pen form that makes it easier to apply then the regular liquid liner applicators. I think it’s because the tip doesn’t move as much as others and it’s pointed. Are you familiar with ones like that? I just hope this one doesn’t dry out like a different one I had a few months ago. Will keep you posted!

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I have to echo a reader’s recent comment that they are, “sick of every brand promising longer fuller lashes and then failing to deliver.” I mean, instead of bugging us bloggers to state where we get a product from when reviewing something, maybe they should focus on the products and the claims they make. It’s a well known fact that a lot of the ads in magazines for mascaras have the models wearing false lashes. Why is this ok to do? It’s completely misleading. So when it comes to mascara, my flag is also up but two new ones are getting my stamp of approval here.

BOBBI BROWN Extreme Party Mascara ($22 @ bobbibrown.com) is one is you can layer. As in let a coat dry and then add another one to get le volume. Have you ever been able to do that before? Not to my knowledge. Just make sure you use a lash comb to comb through each coat. (I’m a big fan of this one to comb through lashes). And just how many coats? I tried three and then four and decided three looked the best.

SMASHBOX Lash DNA Mascara ($19 @ smashbox.com) uses a, get this, Double Helix Brush to get every single lash, no matter how short, lengthened and defined. And this has such a cute tag line, “Defy genetics with Lash DNA.”

We’re at the half-way point of summer and there are still loads of products to talk about. Here are some favorites right now.

TOO FACED Lip Bronzer in Pink Leopard ($17 @ sephora.com)
PHILOSOPHY When Hope Is Not Enough Omega 3-6-9 Hydrating Body Scrub ($30/8oz @ sephora.com)
ORIGINS Gloomaway Grapefruit Body Wash/Bubble Bath ($21/8.5oz @ origins.com)
ONE WITH NATURE Dead Sea Mineral Soap in Lemon Verbena ($3.79/7oz @ onewithnature.com)
ALIMA PURE Eye Shadow in the indigo purple, sparked with silver of Andromeda ($9/2.5g, $1 sample @ alimapure.com) from the Stargazer Collection.
RODIAL Skinny Beach SPF 15 ($49/5.1oz) and Skinny Beach Sticks ($60/14-5grams). Both @ blissworld.com.
SMASHBOX Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Savage ($29 @ sephora.com)
KOHGENDO Fresh Face Blush in Apricot Peach ($38 @ kohgendocosmetics.com)