Happy Holidays!

 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Many Blessings to all my honey bees out there! I will be taking a brief blogging hiatus to enjoy a little rest and relaxation in beautiful and sunny Mexico! Warmest wishes to all my blog friends out there and have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Love from the Hive,

The Honey B

Buzzworthy News: Hello Kitty for Sephora

Who would have guessed that a cartoon cat would be such a beauty icon? Ms. Kitty does it again with the launch of her own Sephora cosmetic line to hit stores in January 2011. Sephora Beauty Insiders got a sneak peak at the new makeup line with a private online sale this past weekend, showcasing some of the line's products like lipsticks, lipglosses, a brush kit (which sold out quite quickly), a bedazzled mirror and even a shower cap. If you couldn't tell, I happen to be a big fan of Hello Kitty and got a quick in-person preview of the tools (including the brushes and mirrors) at the Hello Kitty Sanrio Convention in Santa Monica last month. With the huge success of Hello Kitty for MAC, I think the Sephora line will do very well. I picked up a few items during the presale and if the quality lives up to the Kitty hype, I'll have to pick up more! Are you excited for Hello Kitty for Sephora? What will you be picking up? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

image courtesy of Sephora.com

Buzzworthy: Chanel Glossimer in Star

I may be on the verge of being obsessed with these Chanel Glossimers. I have not met a gloss with better shine, consistency or color payoff than these and Chanel Glossimer in Star is a gloss worthy of its name. Sold as a part of Chanel's Soho Story, Star is a  slightly pink shimmery gloss with just a dash of glitter. The color is a nice subtle pink on lips and leans on the cooler side but would still look great on warm tones as well. The best part of this gloss is the high glamor shine that it packs onto your lips without it feeling gritty or heavy. Lips feel smooth with a shine so brilliant a disco ball would be jealous. The color is on the sheer side so don't expect a lot of pigmentation. What makes this gloss stand out is its incomparable shine. The pictures don't really do this gloss justice. I've seen a Soho Story displays in a few Bloomingdale's and a few Nordstroms but I have heard that this lip gloss is a little hard to come by. Try it on if you can find it, honey bees. Bottom line? This Star is a star!

Face of the Night: Mara

Name: Mara

Location: Sheboygan, WI

Blog: He Calls Me "Mara"... 

Products Used:

• Face: Monistat chaf gel as primer, Makeup Forever HD foundation #128, Benefit's Boi-ing concealor, Eve Pearl salmon concealor, and MAC's studio fix powder in NC25, Rock and Republic blushes in Shameless and X-rated, and Benefit's Hoola Bronzer as contour
• Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, ELF cream liner in Black as base, MACs Carbon e/s, Revlon's matte eyeshadow in Rich Sable and MAC's Nylon as a highlighter. Trucco brow pencil, Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero, Makeup Forever Smokey Lash mascara in Black,  Darkness false lashes
• Lips: Wet N Wild's lipstick in #508A 

To see more fabulousness, follow Mara's amazing blog at He Calls me "Mara"... ! Check out product reviews, giveaways and other beautiful looks from the talented and beautiful Mara! And thank you, Mara, for the amazing Face of the Night!

Cold Nights, HOT Pink

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't be hot! A nice way to warm up these chilly winter nights is to break out the hot pinks! This is an attention-grabbing shade and when worn right, can bang out versatile looks from flirty to punk rock to all out glamorous! My favorite shade of lipstick to wear on nights out is hands down bright pink. And who doesn't feel just a tad more confident rocking a shade like this? Listed below is a list of some of my favorite hot pink shades. Do you wear hot pink? What's your favorite hot pink product? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

• Eyes: MAC's Sushi Flower, MAC pigment in Fuschia
• Face: Rock & Republic Kinky, Smashbox Radiance
• Lips: Chanel Glossimer in Pink Pulsion, MAC's Gladiola, NARS Schiap, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Anime

From Your Hive to Mine: Greece

Recently, I had the pleasure in taking part in a makeup swap with my friend from across the globe, the lovely Blushingloves!  She hails from beautiful Greece, a place I hope to find myself vacationing one day. She was in search of the elusive Wet N'Wild holiday palette in Sugar Plum Fairy, so we arranged a swap. In exchange for a few items only found here in the States, including the Sugar Plum Fairy Palette, I asked her to pick me up some items from Greece's premiere makeup brand, Korres- which is manufactured in Athens. Korres is actually available in the US, but since it is based out of Athens, it is far less expensive there than it is here. The contents of her amazing package included the Korres Red Bouquet set which contains the Sunflower and Evening Primrose Eyeshadow, the Guava Lipstick in Wine Red, the Mango Lipstick in Orange Red, the Lip Butter in Guava and a lip pencil #4. The beautiful thing about Korres is that the products are as natural as they are beautiful! You can read my review for the Korres lip butters here.

The Mango Lipstick in Orange Red is a sheer and creamy lipstick that walks the line between a lipstick and a lipgloss. It is precisely the kind of red that is beautiful on girls with yellow and warm undertones. While it does lean a little more towards a Coral-like red, it was more translucent and lighter than Viva Glam Cyndi. This lipstick was incredibly moisturizing and flattering. Bottom line? I just found my new favorite red to wear.

Interestingly enough, the Wine Red Guava lipstick is the creamiest most moisturizing MATTE lipstick I have ever had on my lips. Not once did the formula crack or feel dry on my lips and it still managed to have a gorgeous matte finish. The color is a deep berry that is sophisticated and classic at the same time. Bottom line?  This is the best matte lip formula I have ever tried.

For more from the Greecian goddess herself, visit my beautiful friend at Blushingloves! Thank you again!!!

Face of the Night: Arabian Eyes

Name: Nada

Location: Jordan

Blog: Arabian Eyes

Products Used:

• Face: Radiant Matte base, Kryolan ultrafoundation B, Maybelline 05 Honey blush
• Eyes: No7 eyeshadow no16 electric purple (lid),  Bloom eyeshadow Night Sky (crease), L'oreal colour Appeal pure gold (highlight), MAC fluidline Blacktrack (eyeliner), Ardell demi wispies lashes
• Lips: Gosh lipliner Anemone, Revlon lipstick Pearl 424

Thank you, Nada, for sending in your gorgeous Face of the Night, and honey bees- please swing by Arabian Eyes to check out more stunning looks from a lovely and talented blogger!

Buzzworthy: Nars Lipgloss in All Night Long

In another amazing sale from Sephora.com, I stumbled upon this lucky find! At just $10, I was able to snatch up Nars Lipgloss in All Night Long. Not only does this happen to be the title of an amazing Lionel Richie song, it happens to be a really beautiful lipgloss! Don't let the deep red tube fool you, this lipgloss goes on sheer and gives off a luminous berry glow! Orginially released as a part of the Holiday 2008 collection, this is a wonderful winter lip to wear alone or on top of your favorite berry lipstick. Not too shimmery, not too shiny- just a beautifully soft shine that is not tacky or smelly. The weartime on this gloss is about your average 3-5 hours and is not heavy or gritty. Bottom line? Find this lipgloss and BUY it. It would even be a steal at full price!

Drugstore Spotlight: Revlon One-Step Complexion Compact

I'm not big on foundations so it is rare when I actually pick one up from the store. I don't like to spend a lot of money on foundations and powders because I use so little of it on myself most of the time but while at CVS, I thought I'd give Revlon's Complexion One-Step compact a try! Retailing at just $13, I smoothed on the foundation (in the medium tan shade) using the sponge applicator it came with. It did a beautiful job of evening my skin tone out as well as not looking or feeling heavy. It's important for me to feel like my skin can breathe and this foundation to powder did a nice job of not feeling like a mask. It blended very easily with my skin and looked very natural on! This cream to powder foundation will give you medium coverage with great staying power. For best results, try buffing it in with a Beauty Blender. A WARNING to my fair skinned honey bees out there: the lightest shade may still be too dark for you, as it does not come in very light shades. Bottom line? With awesome coverage and longwear, this is great for all those looking for a more wallet friendly alternative to Mac's Studio Fix.

Face of the Night: The Honey B

Products Used:

•  Eyes: Two Face Shadow Insurance, Urban Decay Naked Palette in Creep, Gunmetal, & Sin. MAC eyeshadow in Black Tied, NYX Brow Kit in Medium, MAC fluidline in Blacktrack, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, Ardell Falsies in Demi- Wispies
• Face: Mark Get a Tint Tinted Moisturizer, MAC Refined Golden Bronzer, MAC Mineralized SkinFinish in Light Flush, Rock & Republic in Seduce
• Lips: MAC's The Faerie Glen Lipstick, Chanel Glossimer in Pink Pulsion

 

Send YOUR Face of the Night to me at HoneyBBeauty@gmail.com! Include a photo, a product list and a link to your blog (if you have one) and I will post a different FOTN on my blog each week! SO LET ME SEE YOUR FACE OF THE NIGHT!

Buzzworthy: Marcel Wanders for MAC in Mary

Starting November 24th, Marcel Wanders for MAC has launched in freestanding MAC stores and select MAC counters in Nordstroms. The packaging is unique and beautiful, but I cannot say the same for the colors chosen for this collection. Marcel Wanders, a Dutch industrial designer, collaborated with MAC to release this limited edition set of beautifully packaged, average-colored cosmetic line. The collection includes 4 lipsticks, 4 lipglosses, 2 mystery powders, mascara, false lashes, a brush and brush clutch, and a perfume charm. While the collection is undeniably beautiful (Wanders is a true artist) the makeup part of line is in quite dupable colors including a fuchsia pinks, nude golds, reds and deep plums. These aren't new or exciting colors, honey bees. The only thing I could bring myself to purchase was the only unique looking product in the line- the gold shimmered lipgloss Mary. Worn alone, the lipgloss is an average at best, gold flecked gloss. But that is  not why I bought this. Layered on top of any lipstick, especially golden warm toned colors (like MAC's Bomb Shell, Shy Girl or Curtsy), this gloss makes lips look extraordinary.  Pictured below is the Mary lipgloss swatched, then worn alone, and then on top of MAC's Heartless.  The picture of Mary + Heartless does not do the combination justice. It is a beautiful pairing and would look radiant with any red lipstick. At $22 a tube, this lipgloss is NOT cheap. Bottom line? I'd stay away if you aren't wowed by anything here.  What, if anything,  did you pick up from the Marcel Wanders for MAC?

Buzzworthy: Tarte's Ring it In Cheek Stain Set

For my birthday this past week, my lovely best friend from San Fransisco was nice enough to come to dinner and even brought me a little birthday surprise! While others may now her as theCityGirlNextDoor, I just know her as my sweet friend Roxy! Check out her fashion blog for trends, tips and all things fashion- because every good makeup maven has to know an awesome fashionista!

 

Roxy was nice enough to pick up this Tarte Ring It In Cheek Stain set from Sephora. The gift set comes with 3 cheek stains in Lustre, Flawless and Vivid, as well as a cute golden mesh ring. This is my first time using the Tarte Cheek Stains, so I was very excited to give these a go. The three colors lean warm, staying in a peachy/golden/pink family and are packaged in gold and black mini tubes. I applied directly onto my cheek and then buffed in using my MAC 188 skunk brush.  I also lighty dusted a transulcent powder on top to set it. The consistency of these is very creamy and all three colors give off a beautiful glow. The staying power of these stains are outrageously great, giving you a good 8 hours of wear time (mine stayed put through my whole work day). Bottom line? This set of 3 is a great holiday gift. The products are beautiful and the quality is wonderful... and I am definitley wearing this ring the next time I go out.

Be sure to swing by Roxy's fashion blog, theCityGirlNextDoor!