Thoughts: Clarins UV Plus HP SPF 40

This is truly a sunscreen for people who (like myself) do not like typical sunscreens.  I personally find traditional creamy sunscreens to be too heavy (especially for my face).  I will use them on my body [ahem when i remember to] and that's pretty much it.

The difference for myself for the Clarins one is that it's liquid and lighter than most foundations - almost watery!  Give it a good shake, drop out a few drops onto your palms, emulsify, apply, and you're off!  

Clarins says this sunscreen has 100% mineral filters for UVA/UVB protection (SPF of 40) and includes an anti-pollution complex.  Cantaloupe extract is the antioxidant of choice in this particular product.

At $38 it is pricey for a sunscreen but it performs fabulously and I'll never go back to thick creams for my face.

Head past the jump to see more product photos!

Subtle Smokey ft: Urban Decay NAKED Palette

This is a great look not only for people like myself who want to wear neutrals but have it be a little more dramatic without being overkill...but it's also a great look for events like prom and weddings!

Head past the jump for the video :)

Makeup Memories: MAC Shell Pearl Beauty Powder

 I'm sure that many of you, like myself, have fond memories associated with makeup!  Yes?  yeah?  No?  Oh.  Ok, so I'm weird!  SO WHAT?!  Haha!

This is a different kind of post because not only do you get a review, you get a story of my life...and if that bores you...please just skip and click on the jump to go to the review (don't worry, I don't blame you if you don't care haha)

So when I first started watching videos on YouTube, one of the original "guru's" I watched was MakeupbyRisa (pretty sure she went by SonRisa on Specktra or the MAC Community on livejournal? Yes?  Wow that was a long time ago...) and I clearly remember her mentioning a beauty powder that MAC made called Shell Pearl.

Shell Pearl was originally launched in 2006 as part of MAC's summer collection SUNDRESSING and it was a hit back then too!  Relaunched in 2010 with MAC's Liberty of London collection, I recalled how much I adored the finished looks I'd seen with it and was convinced it had to be mine.

 So the release date comes, and at 10am I phone MAC (and 5 minutes later called MAC PRO) to place an order with my PRO card.  No can do...it sold out online from both the PRO site and the regular site (remember that time when they were 2 different sites?)

So I dialed my local counter (since where I live we only have ONE counter for the whole state).  They only had received a couple and they were on hold.  *breathe* ok...I dialed the store I used to go to when I lived in Florida (I had moved back home in October, it's now March) Nope..they didn't have any available either.  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!?  And this was a time before people were literally INSANE about limited release collections...and I could ALWAYS find things that were sold out at my counter because COME ON, IT'S MAINE.  Haha...if you live here you'll get it.

So I had been on twitter and posted a tweet about how frustrated I was because I literally couldn't get my hands on the one item I'd been talking about since I'd heard rumours that they were bringing it back.

An at-reply came back fairly soon after from someone I'd only known through Irene, Naomi, and Chris' blogtv chat days (when I lived in Florida I got heavily into makeup communities via youtube and we used to do blogTV chat nights weekly.  It was so much fun!  At any rate...)

I got that at-reply from someone I barely knew offering to pick me up a Shell Pearl because he'd already put one on hold at his local counter that he was picking up later that week and did I want one?  DID I WANT ONE?!  UM....YES!

Who is this kind stranger you ask?
You may know him.  I may have mentioned him a few times.
He may just be the Will Truman to my Grace Adler.
He's my favorite Canadian ;)

Em Wyllie and I in Jasper, Alberta

And the story and shenanigans never end...We became best friends in about 5 seconds and to this day, two years later...we owe our friendship to Shell Pearl Beauty Powder (I wonder if MAC would ever print this as a story?  Bahahaha!)

Of note, Em will be back in America visiting me exactly 2 weeks from today!  YAY! :)

Head past the jump to see my thoughts on Shell Pearl :)