NEW Catalog from Benefit.

bene_catalog.jpgSo what does appear in my mail today? The latest Benefit catalog, that's what!

In the back of the cute catalog, there is this special little holiday section gleaming with pictures of their 6 holiday sets.

Here is a quick rundown.

Valley of the Stars. $28
A mini iridescence kit containing High Beam, Moon Beam, Her Glossiness and 2 eye shadows.

Benetint $28 & Pocket Pal $18.
The perfect little stocking stuffers to help bring our one's natural beauty.

Dallas Palette $28.
For the perfect Dallas look all in one, this palette features the following: 2 eye shadows, 2 lip creams, Dallas -the powder, and 3 brushes to put it all on.

V.I.P. Glosses $26.
3 double-ended high-shine lip glosses,making 6 shades. All packed together in a cute box.

Show Offs! $28.
A trio of Show Offs eye powder - shimmery fun, full of pigment. Sparkling in a gold box, great for giving.

Best of Benefit $42.
This is the perfect gift to give any Benefit lover, or to give a makeup lover that you need to introduce to the great line. This gift set includes: Benetint, Dandelion, and BADgal Lash.

Look for this and more from Benefit in our Holiday Gift Guide premiering November 23rd.

Back to MAC - Formal Black, that is.

I have been using a few of the new goodies from MAC's Holiday Collection.

mac_holiday_lips.jpgI am totally in love with the Fishnet Warm Lip Collection.

It features two pearly glosses - Peach Lame and By Moonlight - the type that look great over just about any lip color, and 4 lipsticks. The lipstick colors range from Fetish, a deep brown with a copper shimmer-like seen, to Expensivo, a very light pearly nude color - the perfect nude lip color, in my opinion. Mellowarm, a pure coral, and So Romantic, a medium silvery finished pink, round out the palette.

 

 

mac_holiday_eyes.jpgThe other palette that no one - do you hear me - no one should be without is the Velvet 6 Smoked Eyes palette.

Don't be frightened by the dark shades and high amount of sparkle that appears in the shades in person. I was sort of scared when I first saw them, but they go on like a dream. The shades, Malt, Vex, Club, Black Tied, Satin Taupe and Gentle Fume, are the perfect shades to create the ultimate, deep and dark, super hot, smoky eye. I am totally addicted to using Malt, Vex, and Satin Taupe with a touch of Club for a brown smoky look and using Malt, Black Tied and Gentle Fume for a rich black and gray smoky look. The variations are possibly endless. Get one before it sells out!

 

Once again, MAC did not dissapoint, and you really can't go wrong with any of the palettes they premiered. There is something for everyone based on coloring and favorites. These two just happen to be my faves!

Spray it Your Way.

I toyed with whether or not to post about the following product, as I am no expert on anything medical - whatsoever. But cosmeceuticals are making a market in themselves, and I feel it is time to begin to explore a few.

Wikipedia explains cosmeceuticals as this:
     "Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products that are claimed, primarily by those within the cosmetic industry, to have drug-like benefits. The word is a portmanteau of the words "cosmetic" and "pharmaceutical" Cosmeceuticals may contain purported active ingredients such as vitamins, phytochemicals,enzymes, antioxidants, and essential oils."

I think they are just more medically based health & beauty products.

With that said, I have given a few cosmeceuticals a recent try. Today, I wiill tell you about the first one.

stress_less.jpgThis one I tried was a daily oral spray from Sprayology. Sprayology is a brand with homeopathic & vitamin sprays. These are sprays that you spray in your mouth, under your tongue. By spraying it where the product is immediately absorbed into your body, it bypasses the finicky digestive system. This makes the results of the product come to fruition much quicker providing more immediate and beneficial results.

Sprayology has formulas in the following categories:

Rejuvenates - "The oral sprays in this beauty group replenish the body's supply of energy to relieve temporarily the symptoms of aging and burnout and help to give back youthful energy, muscle tone and a fresh complexion."
Products include:
BoneBuilder
BrainPower
DietPower
ManPower
MenoPower
RejuvenationPlus
WomanPower

Restores - "Sprayology works at the deepest levels to restore order and balance to the complex interplay of systems within the human body. These modern living sprays help restore those vital nutrients that a hectic lifestyle can deplete."
Acne Tonic
Body Balance
Body Skin Tonic
City Life Detoxer
Hair & Nail Tonic
ImmunoBooster
PMSupport
StressLess

Rebuilds - "Sprayology reinvents the vitamin as it reinvigorate a generation of time deprived professionals."
AgeWell Anti-Ox
B-12 + Folic Acid
C + Z
Daily Multi

Relieves - "Common ailments are the focus of the relief sprays. They are a veritable cocktail of natural ingredients that have been formulated to alleviate the symptoms of everyday ailments. These new formulations draw on natural ingredients with therapeutic benefits, which are documented in the major materia medicas of homeopathic testing."
AllergEase
Cold & Flu Relief
DigestiveEase
PartyRelief
SleepEase
TravelEase

The sprays range in price from $20 - $32, making them affordable for the amount of benefits yo get. And when used daily, a single vial is good for a one-month supply.

So I tested out StressLess to help "restore calm". With 4 kids, and a house under major re-construction, I need all the help I can get. And drinking a glass of wine and soaking in a long, hot bubble bath doesn't always do the trick... nor is it recommended.

So I sprayed the recommended daily dose, 2 sprays under my tongue, 3 times a day. There is virtually no taste to the product, just a feeling of coldness when I sprayed it, and it left a bit of a chalky feeling under my toungue which barely lasted a minute. Seriously, within half an hour of spraying, I felt a sense of calm over me. The banging and drilling sounds accompanied by the dog barking and kids fighting didn't phase me a bit. REALLY! I felt toally in control, but totally at ease.

Hmmm. It makes me wonder. How long will the effects last - and it is really ok to feel like this? I have just used it for a day, and am happy with the results. I don't think I would use it every day, only on the more stressful days - well, come to think of it, I will probably be using it everyday (lol).

I just ordered ImmunoBooster, as I am a great lover of the ward off air-borne type products, and I am hoping it works just as well for me. I will let you know what I think about that one soon.

Take a look at Sprayology's website, and see what they might have to offer you.