Buxom Mutt Stay There Eye Shadow

I'm always tempted by cream eye shadows. There's something about the texture, smooth finish and the promise of superb blending that get my money every time. Then there's reality where I find out that 4 out of five times all these good qualities come at the high price of creasing, smudging and melting. Primers help, though, and some brands are starting to get it right (Laura Mercier is a good example), so I'm optimistic.

This summer Buxom by Bare Escentuals released the gimmicky-named Stay There eye shadow. It has a cute canine theme, the eye shadows are named after dog breeds and a tie-in with Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs. All that and some gorgeous colors certainly added to the irresistibility factor. After a thorough look at the shades, I chose the predictable taupe: Mutt. Since these shadows are so shiny and shimmery, a classic neutral is a better fit for me.

The texture of this Buxom cream is wonderful. It's soft, airy and almost whipped. As a germaphobe I prefer to use makeup brushes, but I admit Stay There makes it tempting to dip your fingers in the pot. The cream applies easily, and blends as smoothly as I hoped. It's very pigmented and one can create pretty effects and a glamorous but sophisticated look. I prefer to keep it low on the lid and closer to the lash line so the iridescence doesn't take over the entire eye area and I don't look like a disco queen.

As promised, the mutt stayed in place with no creasing or migrating. However, after only a couple of hours it started fading, losing the pretty finish and a lot of the pigment. Within three hours it faded to only a hint of color on my eyelids. I got the same results no matter which primer I used, so that's a real disappointment.

Bottom Line: Pretty, but plan on touch ups every couple of hours .

Buxom Stay There Eye Shadow ($17) is a Sephora exclusive.

All photos are mine.

Buxom Lash Mascara Special Effects Blue Noir

The blue mascara obsession continues.

The black Buxom Lash from Bare Escentuals has been a favorite of mine for nearly a year because of its great tenacity and the superb separating abilities of the brush. It was reason enough to get over my fear of too bright colors and give Blue Noir a try (what's with the hybrid English/French name?)

The blue shade looks scary on the brush and is much brighter than many modern blue mascaras: see the photo comparison to Givenchy PhenomenEyes (review coming next week). On dark lashes, though, it becomes a demure navy. Still, if you're pale and your lashes are very light, I'd advise you proceed with caution, as this Buxom mascara has the potential to give you a serious pop of color. I find it very wearable and it works well with both summer and early fall colors.

Performance and texture-wise, Blue Noir is close to the original Buxom Black. It gives an even coating, enhances both volume and length without looking exaggerated and holds a curl nicely. It is much more prone to smudging, though, and on occasion I found myself with an unintentional deep blue smoky eye, so I'd suggest finding another alternative for super humid days or if you tend to rub your eyes.

Bottom Line: Decent, but not as good as I hoped.

Buxom Lash Mascara Special Effects Blue Noir ($18) is a Sephora exclusive.

All photos are mine.

Is This What We do Now?

Maybe I'm showing my age. Maybe I'm a prude and have lost my sense of humor. But is this really how we sell lip gloss now? I don't know about anyone else, but I just want to feel pretty when I buy and wear makeup.

And don't even get me started on the barely single use sample size. It's not Sephora's fault and they're being more than generous with their VIB and Beauty Insiders perks, but do brands (Buxom by Bare Escentuals and Urban Decay in this case) really think a smeared foil is enough to make us run and buy their glosses? When I'm testing something I like to give it at least 2-3 tries. In the case of lip gloss one usually needs to reapply after a couple of hours, so if the original sample is already gone I will just reach for whatever else is in my bag, and forget all about these ridiculous samples.

Photo by me.

Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries- Bare Skin

Bare Skin from Leslie Blodgett, the creator of the mineral makeup sensation Bare Escentuals, was a mostly positive surprise for me. Their mineral foundation doesn't agree with my skin, and I had very low expectation from a(nother) Sephora-exclusive fragrance. But Bare Skin escapes all the pitfalls and clichés you usually find in a perfume accompanied by beachy-tropical marketing prose.

I was fearing a fruity white floral with a pink umbrella on top and a side of coconut tanning oil, but instead got an almost introverted soft musky wood with a peppery opening and a creamy core. There's a very prominent anise note that at some point battles my skin and becomes too minty/spicy for me to enjoy (It can actually turn my stomach on the wrong day). The drydown is all wood with some soft labdanum. It's very pleasant, warm and dry, and can really feel like sun-soaked skin. The floral note is very elusive and pale. There's no tropical lushness, only a whisper of things that will happen come summer.

While the theme isn't very original and creamy woods seem to be everywhere, I prefer Bare Skin to Lancome Magnifique, DSquared SheWood or Lauder's Sensuous. Not bad for a mainstream scent for Sephora shoppers.

Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries- Bare Skin ($55, 1.7 oz) is a limited edition and exclusive to Sephora, online and in store. My samples came with several other Sephora purchases.

Art: Island Muse by Charles Dwyer

Bare Escentuals Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick

Everyone likes a good multitasking product and Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick from Bare Escentuals promises to line, color and plump your lips. It's an interesting concept and format, since all of the above is packaged as a thick retractable pencil. I had to give it a try.

The pencil is a bit too thick to really work as a liner for other lip products, unless you're using a color that perfectly matches your lips and is basically nude, which can't be said about any of the current Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick shades. Since I bought Barcelona, a very dramatic deep red, I'd rather not risk it. As a lipstick, the pencil is quite impressive in its coverage, pigment and performance. While normally I'd rather apply a dark lipstick using a brush, after minimal practice I managed to get a solid and precise result (very important for dark reds).

The texture is very light and matte. While it doesn't make the lips feel dry, after about an hour there is some tightening and every line (and in my case scar) is enhanced. Topping the Lip Stick with a clear gloss takes care of the problem, though.

My biggest issue is with the plumping. I don't like the minty-tingly sensation which doesn't go away for more than an hour. I feel that lip plumping by causing irritation to a sensitive tissue is not a good idea. High quality glosses show better results by adding moisture and actually making lips feel good, so that alone is reason enough for me not to buy another Buxom Lip Stick crayon. Also, swatching the pencil on my wrist made my skin itch for a while. Take this into consideration if you're sensitive.

Bottom Line: An overambitious product.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick ($18) is a Sephora exclusive. I ordered it online.

All photos are mine.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara

At a certain point of your mascara life you might think you've seen it all. You have a Holy Grail or two (or three), you've adjusted your expectations, made fun of battery operated mascaras, formed an opinion about certain lines and no longer expect any surprises. Then comes something like Buxom Lash Mascara from Bare Escentuals.

I wasn't expecting much. I'm not a fan of mineral foundation and wasn't impressed with what the Bare Escentuals makeup artists have done to my face on a couple of occasions. But since the brush looked interesting enough I was happy to try.I'm glad I did. Buxom Lash, an $18 product, performs better than many mascaras twice its price. It's probably not so much the formula as it is the brush that separates the lashes and applies an even coat from base to tip, adding body and length without any of the pitfalls of the false lashes look.

Buxom Lash Mascara performs wonderfully- no smearing, smudging, dotting, clumping, cooning or flaking. It stays perfect from morning to night and is easy to remove with all the usual suspects.

Bottom line: Big love.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara ($18) is available from Sephora, in store and online and several department stores. I got the travel size as a GWP.

Photos by me.