Kat Von D: Spring 2011

I've been doing a lot of collection posts lately, because I haven't had the sunlight or the time for anything else. I promise I am trying to change that and will have a large haul, two valentines nail art looks, and a few other fun things. Let me know what you wanna see first. Or request something else!

I love Kat Von D's makeup, I think its really great quality and I seem to be getting almost everything in her line. As of right now I have every palette but two, the permanent one and a new one from the spring collection! This line is exclusive to sephora as far as I know.

As you probley all have seen, there was some new romance pigment that came out a little while ago. If you haven't seen it, then here's a look.

True Romance Pigments
What it is:
A longwearing eyeshadow pigment that provides intense color payoff.

What it does:
Nothing gets an eye bolder than the pure color in Kat's True Romance loose powder eyeshadows. Made with smart ingredients and concentrated pigments, each shade blends easily to create pure color lids. With Kat's sifter dispenser, the perfect application amount pours each time, helping you avoid the mess of some loose eyeshadows.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Phthalates
- GMOs

Colors:

Johnette (royal blue shimmer)
Ladyhawke (reddish plum shimmer)
Meditation (copper rose shimmer)
Rapture (golden peach shimmer)
Starcrossed (golden beige shimmer)
Torment (iridescent medium purple shimmer)

These have not yet been put in stock on sephora.com, so these are quite new. They are $16 USD each.

Lock 'N Load Makeup Setting Mist
What it is:
A mist that sets makeup to extend its wear.

What it does:
Lock n' Load is a weightless mist that locks down your look for up to 16 hours, so makeup stays rockin' all day and night long. Its Temperature Control Technology prevents makeup from melting down when it's warm and avoids dehydration and cracking when it's cold. Ideal for all skin types, it won't leave your skin feeling sticky or tight. It also works to prevent blush, eyeshadow and lip color from fading, sliding, caking, or becoming excessively shiny.

This comes in a 3.4 oz size and is in stock on sephora.com! It is $24 USD.

True Romance Eyeshadow Palette - Truth
What it is:
A palette of richly pigmented eyeshadows, for extended wear.

What it does:
A smoky eye adds an instant air of mystery. Create your own or try a rocker chick look with this True Romance Eyeshadow Palette. Designed especially for Sephora by tattoo artist and reality television star Kat Von D, this artistic spectrum of shades brings a sense of edgy-glam to your look.

This True Romance palette includes eight shades:
- Sugar Skull (vanilla)
- Long Distance (citron)
- Snake Eyes (lime)
- Finland (aqua, cream formula)
- Prague (plum)
- Galeano (pale lilac)
- Rehab (golden tan)
- Sister (peach)

What else you need to know:
The illustration on the cover of this palette features a stylized pattern made up of vintage keys. "The keys are displayed above my desk. I collect them because I love what they signify: romantic, classic, Victorian, antique, access to an old castle, fairy tales, or a secret compartment. Locks and keys fit together and symbolize love. A key feels like a special way to unlock what's otherwise forbidden….in the case of my palette it's about unlocking the soul and redefining beauty." —Kat Von D, tattoo artist and reality television star.

** Two colors have been in other palettes: Sugar skull (in memento mori ) and Galeano (In Beethoven). This is $34 USD and is out of stock on sephora.com

Aryn
Are you loving this, what are you getting... what are you not getting... Let me know!

REVIEW: Almay Smart Shade Foundation

Almay Smart shade Makeup in light

Almay Smart Shade Makeup ($20 CND for 1 fl oz.) is a breakthrough shade-sensing technology starts out white and adjusts to right. Finally a makeup that takes the guesswork out of finding your perfect shade - instantly adjusting to the color of your skin. Antioxidant blend of grape seed, ginseng, and Ginkgo biloba nurtures your skin. For a beautiful, natural finish every time. They also have a age one for older women.

It is a very light foundation that stays light and weightless on your face. It doesnt have very much coverage and I say your lucky to hide some of those post acne scars with it. Inless you have almost perfect skin, I would suggest that you find something else to use.

The wear isnt very much, I put it on about 8 in the morning and when I get home from school (about 4), its already sliding off my face (summer), or has faded (winter). I also use primer and powder to set it, just for the record. I found when I put it on, it clung to every dry spot it could find, even after lotion. So I would think exessive dryness on the face would be horrible to think about the results. Best leave this foundation to some of the oilyer skin types.

The consistency is a watery liquid foundation, not thick at all. I use my ecotools kabuki to apply this to try and get some coverage. It takes a few minutes for it to be fully dry on the skin, so you have some time to blend it. I find it takes time to blend it quite right, and its one of those foundations if its the slightest off color, and you dont blend it, you will see it in natural light. I found warm lights do like this, florencent and natual light make it look horrible.

It dries to a matte finish and looks very natural if done right. Its hard to get this though, they dont have much of a color range (light, light/medium, and medium), so darker skin tones might have some troubles with this. Almay didnt think very hard when creating this foundation as far as color range goes thats for sure. Even the light for me is to dark, I find in the winter I will look quite orange with this on and my neck doesnt ever match my face if I use this by itself. It also seemed to break me out even though it said it wouldnt clog pores and I dont have that sensitive skin that foundations normally do that.

The packaging is a ok design, where you squeese and some comes out. Now in theory this is good because your not sticking your fingers in right? Wrong, now all the foundation comes spilling out and you have absoultly no control. You end up using to much or wasting some every application.

Pretty pricey for a drugstore foundation, although pretty easy to find. You can buy at almost every drugstore. Sometimes there is deals on this, if you wish to try it I sugest buying it when there is a discount.

Overall I didnt really like this foundation, and barly reached for it. It does not photograph well as it has SPF 15 in it, making me look even more paler then I am. Who wants that? If you put to much on, it becomes cakey and orange which is not flattering for anybody. It clings to dry patches, and breaks me out. It doesnt give me good coverage and is gone before the end of the day. Wish it came with a pump for more control. As a higher end priced drugstore foundation I would expect a little more. Its more on the expensive side of the drugstore foundations and alot of people had high hopes.

• Product: 5/10
• Value: 1/5
• Ease of Use: 3/5
• Packaging: 3/5

Grade: C



The packaging



Not blended light color



Blended light color (looks a little orange in real life)

 I have alabaster or very very pale skin. The light shade was still to dark for me. :( I wanted to love this foundation but just couldnt, off to search for a different one.

Stay Beautiful,
Aryn

Contact info: TotallyPolishedBeauty@yahoo.com

Makeup Alley.com ??

Have you all tried this wonderful website? www. makeupalley.com ? If not you should go check it out. I have been a member for a while now but lately have been getting into it more and more. They have boards where you can talk about everything under the sun, they have a review page where you can write reviews and read others so that you can make sure the product you want is good. They even have a swap section, you put in what you want and what you have and you and others contact each other and set up a swap. Of course you have to be careful because of some people in this world. There is swaplifters but if you follow all the rules I will give you in the next bit you should be fine. Its a great way to get rid of products that you didnt like, or that just didnt work for you. Maybe there is something you cant get anywhere in your country and you really want to try it. It can track your recent purchases and be a wonderful site. And if your like me you WILL get addicted.

Some guidelines and rules that you should follow on makeup alley:

According to makeup alley:

Q: What are the guidelines for what can and can't be posted in the swap section?

A: Prescription items are not allowed on MakeupAlley swap board Listing prices (selling, retail, reference, etc.) is not allowed ANYWHERE on the swap board including the Item Title Line, Item Description and Notepad. Links to selling on Ebay or any affiliate programs are not allowed. Swapping burned CDs/DVDs is not allowed. The Swap Board is ONLY for posting Swap items (not Custom Purchases, Other Arrangements or any other notices). Violators may be removed/suspended without notice.

Q: Can I post a gift card in the swap section or ask for a gift card in my wish list?

A: No. The swap section is not intended for selling. Posting a gift card is equivalent to offering cash and asking for a gift card in your wish list or in a swap item is equivalent to asking for cash. The swap section is intended for swapping items, not buying them. We understand that in certain situations individuals might come to work out a different agreement privately, and we leave that between the two parties, however we ask that the posted swap items, notepads, and wish lists respect the guidelines and the intention of the MUA swap section.

Q: I know that listing prices anywhere in a swap item listing is not allowed, not even just for reference. My question is, if I'm listing a coupon that is $10 off a $35 purchase, am I allowed to list that?

A: No, please do not list coupons as swap items.

NOTEPAD RULES:

• Personal information (real name, addresses, ect) of other MakeupAlley members MAY NOT be put in the Notepad.
• Any account containing this may be removed without notice.
• Advertising is also strictly prohibited.

1. Register or Login. Register for a free MakeupAlley account to participate in the Swap, Beauty Board, Chat 'n Chill Board, Productville and other activities. If you are already registered, just login.
2. Read Disclaimer. By participating in the MakeupAlley swap, you agree to the Disclaimer and Terms of Use stated below..
3. Browse swap sections. If you find to swap, send an email to the person displaying the item informing them you would like to swap. You can place your items up for swap on the swap board by using the Swap Items link in your swap info section.
4. Ask questions. When inquiring about a swap item, ask about the condition, color and ingredients of the item. Remember, it is up to you to determine the quality of the swap item. Ask what the person would like to swap for it. Enclose your swap list or link to your swap list on MakeupAlley.
5. Check references. Before swapping, look at the other persons Swap Tokens and read comments written by other swappers. If the person has many Negative Tokens, that may indicate problems with previous swap transactions. Decide if you want to swap with this person. Swapping is done at your own risk and MakeupAlley is not responsible for swap misunderstandings or failed agreements.
6. Reach an agreement. Both parties must agree on the terms of the swap and what will be traded within one week of the original communication. Until this is done, either party has the right to cancel the swap.
7. Exchange addresses. Each party should send out their end of the swap within 3-5 days of the agreement unless otherwise discussed. If there is a delay, inform the other party immediately.
8. Clean/pack items carefully. Clean your swap items with alcohol before sending them out--sharpen pencils, wipe down packaging and clean off lipstick tips. Use bubble wrap to pack items to prevent shipping damage. Most swappers send via US Mail, unless otherwise discussed. Each party is responsible for paying the shipping cost for their end of the swap. Many swappers use insured mail to prevent against loss. If swapping internationally, be aware of shipping requirements (check with your local post office).
9. Update your Swap Items List. Send an email to the other person indicating that their package arrived. The swap is complete when both parties receive their end of the swap.
10. After receiving a swap package. Send an email to the other person indicating that the package arrived. The swap is complete when both parties receive their end of the swap.
11. Award token. After a swap is complete, issue a Positive, Neutral, or Negative Token to the other party. A Positive Token indicates a successful transaction, a Neutral Token indicates a satisfactory transaction and a Negative Token indicates there were problems with the swap. There is a waiting period of two weeks before new members may award tokens.

Those are all the main rules and then below and some of the links will have other rules that people have kinda made to suit that way this website goes.
Some good things to read to get you all prepared:

http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/haloinrverse/FAQ.html
http://www.thebroadroom.net/tech/html/notepad.html
http://makeupalley.com/user/notepad/mspicky2


Its really quite fun once you get into it. You can ask me questions at any time about it, Im not that established on their but thats only cause I started swapping lately on there. But I have swapped elsewhere.

Me on makeup alley: http://www.makeupalley.com/p_dolphin101

 Please check me and my notepad out, and swap with me please. I dont have everything listed on both my wishlist and swap list so def let me know.

I think thats it for this post, I just wanted to let everyone know my experiance and what I have learned being on there. If you have any more tips, or feel I left something out. Please let me know. Also if you have questions ask away.

Aryn =)

Contact: TotallyPolishedBeauty@yahoo.com