Today is my birthday and I’m 21! Yay! Ok just joking, my 21st birthday is far behind me but I still love to celebrate. So I thought instead of expecting gifts, I thought that maybe I should be giving gifts because it’s always nice to give back. My last post talked about the new makeup line by Tarina Tarantino, so I decided to give away her Conditioning Lip Sheen in the shade Cameo (medium rosy pink).

Cameo

The rules are pretty simple, just add my Facebook Fan page and leave a comment on the FB Fan Page stating why you would like to try this product and you will automatically be entered to win this glamorous new lipstick. This con­test is open to all US res­i­dents and ends on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 10 PM EST. One winner will be chosen at random and announced on my blog the next day. Good Luck!

***UPDATE*** ~ The winner of our giveaway is Mindee L. from Utah! Thank you all for participating!

Accessory designer Tarina Tarantino “The Queen of Irreverent Luxury” has delved into the beauty world with her new line of glamorous makeup and luxe packaging. Tarina is a former makeup artist so it was no surprise that she would eventually come up with a makeup line of her own. When I passed by the Sephora store on Madison Avenue and saw the huge sign in the window announcing that Tarina’s line would be sold exclusively at Sephora I walked right in to check it out. The displays inside the store were eye catching and most of the makeup had already been sold out but beauty the product junkie that I am I still wanted a little something for myself. I picked up the conditioning lip sheen in Cameo because I loved the nude shade and because you can never have enough makeup!

The packaging on the products is just gorgeous, I especially loved the high intensity eye shadows, the cases are encrusted with crystal gems, purty! I adore the names of her products:

• Sparklicity Pure (a highlighter for eyes, cheeks and lips)
• Dollskin Cheeks (High definition blush in 5 colors)
• Eye Dream Hyperliner (shimmery waterproof eyeliner)
• Sparklicity Shimmer Dust (hair/body glitter)
• Conditioning Lip Sheen Paramour (medium pigment lip color)

These are some of the items that I was able to try out at Sephora and I absolutely loved them. I’d be curious to see if anyone was able to snag a few of her products and what they thought of them. I’m a fan of Tarina’s makeup already and I will be coming back to pick up a goody of five of her new line. Perhaps I’ll  even have a little giveaway…

Sparklicity Pure $19

Dollskin Cheeks $25

Eye Dream Hyperliner $17

Sparklicity Shimmer Dust $39

Conditioning Lip Sheen Paramour $22

All items are available exclusively at Sephora.

Editor’s Note: This product was given to me as a gift by Purple Lab NYC

Giving back in any way possible is always important to the spirit. When I read that SWAC (Sealed with a Cure) lip gloss by Purple Lab NYC was created in the name of breast cancer awareness I was really looking forward to trying this product. I lost an aunt to breast cancer and two of my other aunts battled breast cancer in recent years so this is a cause that really hits home for me.

The color of this gloss is called Nancy which was inspired by Nancy Block-Zenna who suffered from Triple Negative Breast Cancer. The shade is a pale pink with real gold flecks in it, glamorous! This gloss is a bit richer that Huge Lips, Skinny Hips and that’s one of the things that I like best about it. The color is very sheer on my complexion so it really gives my lips a subtle shiny tone. What I also like about this gloss is that it’s vanilla scented and I found myself often opening up the tube just to take a whiff. The scent is incredibly intoxicating and you will love it on your lips, it smells delicious. The Vitamin E & C really kept my lips supple and smooth which is important to me since my lips can get really chapped.

Overall I really liked this gloss, even more than Huge Lips, Skinny Hips. You can purchase this gloss on the Purple Lab website for $18.50 and 20% of the proceeds go to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. What a beautiful way to give back!

Editor’s Note: This product was given to me as a gift by Purple Lab NYC

I was given a tube of a new lip gloss called Huge Lips Skinny Hips by creatrix Karen Robinovitz of Purple Lab NYC. Immediately I loved the name, I mean what woman doesn’t want full lips and a slim waistline! This gloss is a lip plumper and it also contains Hoodia (an appetite suppressant). The shade that I got to sample was Red Sole which is named after Karen’s love of Christian Louboutin shoes, it’s a sheer red color with a little bit of sparkle.

Red Sole

The other shades are called Kitty Pole Dancer (Pink), No Panty Lines (Clear) and Worship Kate (Mauve), tres chic! Like the beauty junkie that I am, I was intrigued…how could I not try it out? The names were catchy, the packaging was sexy and the tube design was clean and sleek.  I am not a red lip kind of gal but this red was very subtle, in fact I had to swipe the gloss on a few times to get a rich color. The formula is pretty thin, not thick like most glosses on the market. However what I found different about this gloss was that it smelled phenomenal and tasted even better and this is what makes it stand apart from other similar products.

I do not use lip plumpers because I was blessed with naturally full lips but I would still buy this product because it made my lips super soft and luxurious. I have tried other lip plumpers in the past if I liked the color but most of them stung my lips, this one didn’t.  However I did not notice that my lips were not any fuller but they were a lot softer. Also as I mentioned earlier, the product contains Hoodia which is known as an appetite suppressant, I can’t say that this actually works because the tiny amount ingested would not be enough to curb your appetite and plus the product is so yummy that it made me want to lick my lips! Overall it’s a pretty good product and worth the dough especially if you have dry lips. You can get your taste of beauty and purchase your very own gloss on the HSN website for $22.

shu uemura introduces us to their Spring 2010 Égérie line, Égérie means a rebellious and daring spirit who never loses her sense of elegance and sophistication. This collection has truly captured what it was going for, it’s edgy enough for night and but can be soft enough for the day.  The colors are a celebration of beauty, take a peak!

I must say that I love this collection, the colors are stunning. Take a look at the égérie Rouge Unlimited Nude Beige:

The nude beige color would work well for so many complexions and this lip color may be one of my favorite Spring/Summer 2010 picks. Isn’t the packaging fun? When I buy a product I want the entire experience, I want great packaging with an even greater product. Shu Uemura continues to deliver unique, clean packaging with quality makeup.

Take a look at the Satin Radiant Stick appropriately named “blush”

And last but not least is my fav shadow from this line,it’s an eye shadow duo called “starry violet”:

Experience a behind the scenes look of the égérie video shoot:

The cold of winter can sure wreck havoc on your skin including your lips. So to keep your pucker plump you need just the right lip balm or moisturizer to make sure that your lips remain kissably smooth. Our next giveaway is a daily lip nourisher from pur~lisse, this product contains yummy moisturizers like Mango Butter, Shea butter, Vitamin E oil and Jojoba oil. Pur-lisse prides themselves on creating products made without artificial colors or harsh chemicals, this product is not different and it does not contain Petroleum.

To win this full size lip nourisher valued at $22 simply leave a comment below on why you would like to try this product. This contest is open to all US residents and ends on Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 11 PM EST. I’ll be picking the winner randomly and announcing them on my blog the next day!

***UPDATE***

The winner of our contest is Paula T from Washington, DC. Congrats Paula!

Paula T.  says I would like to win your product; my lips are dry and cracked from our severe weather we have experienced in the Washington, DC area. Thank you.