I love OPI Ulta exclusives. Usually, they're super pretty and easy to find since I have a ton of Ultas nearby. Last year's holiday Ulta exclusives were absolutely gorgeous. OPI went with the same color scheme for this year.

Just wanted to share some quick swatches of this adorable mini set from Color Club!

All the polishes were swatched over (l-r): OPI Alpine Snow, nothing, AA Hassid

This is the perfect holiday set! Together, the set screams Christmas, but Phat Sant and Jolly Holly could definitely be worn year round. They're worth every penny because you won't just be using them during the month of December. Of course, if you are in love with Part Hearty and want to wear it everyday, go for it! There are no rules.

This quint was released with the Addicted to Dior Summer 2010 collection along with Ready To Glow. It's available at Dior counters and dior.com, and retails for $58. I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed with this quint.









The colors in this quint are gorgeous. I love the warm (but not too warm) shades as well as the random plummy mauve. Surprisingly, the mauve color (bottom left) is my favorite of the quint. The texture is nice, and the shadows blend very easily together. The shimmer factor is high, but that should be expected with an iridescent quint.







The trouble started when I wore the quint. The shadows were not as pigmented as I'd hoped, so they didn't show up true to pan on my skin. This quint would look great on lighter skintones, but it was a bit too sheer for mine. Also, I experienced some creasing. I've never had a problem with and of my other quints creasing, so I thought maybe it was user error. I wore nothing but Crush Glow for a week straight, and I creased regardless of the primer I chose. So weird!



It's pretty much a quint of lid colors and highlighters for. The bronze color is not deep or complex enough to use in the crease, so this isn't a very versatile quint.



Overall, I do like the quint, but it's not the go-to summer quint I was hoping for. I've found myself reaching for Beige Massai much more often lately.



You'll love this if: you love shimmer, warm to neutral colors, or semi-sheer shadows.



You'll leave this if: you're a matte kinda girl, you're very cool toned (check out Ready to Glow!), or you like a very versatile quint.

Lately, I've heard a few people suggest that Sunset Cafe and Crush Glow are similar. I don't see it at all, so I figured I'd post my swatches and let you decide for yourself. The only thing they have in common is the fact that they're my two least favorite quints....but I'll save my reviews for another post.

I'm loving my Dior duos. They come with a heavily pigmented matte shade and a contrasting iridescent shade.  I can't wait to get more after Easter! My favorite is definitely the pink side of Purple look. It's so gorgeously interesting and iridescent...I wish I could explain. Just trust me, it's so much more than just a frosty pink.







Flash:





 No flash:





 Hopefully you can see a bit of the iridescence of that pink in the no flash picture. They're both gorgeous duos that are crazy pigmented, extremely blendable, and just a pleasure to own.





These are $37 at Sephora, $35 if you order directly from Dior.

I applied my eyeshadow over the primer alone, just to test it out, and the eyeshadows blended very easily. The colors didn't pop as much as they would've over UDPP, but it honestly isn't a very noticeable difference. I still creased in about 7 or 8 hours, but that's really, really, really great for me considering I usually crease within the first few hours after application, even with a base. I can only imagine the longevity people with normal lids would experience.



I also love the packaging. It's just like the Too Faced Shadow Insurance tube, but what's inside is way better. The price is very reasonable for the amount of product you get, and it's sure to last a very long time.





Try it out! Behind the Scenes retails for $20 and is available for purchase at Ulta, Sephora, as well as loraccosmetics.com

I picked this up from Sephora recently and have been wearing it pretty much everyday since. I like it a lot. Do I think there are other alternatives to this? Yes, and there are some that work better, but I'll save that for another post.

Here's what Sephora has to say about this product:

Orgasm Illuminator What it is: A complexion enhancer that makes skin look instantly refreshed, radiant, and glowing. What it does: NARS Orgasm Illuminator lights your skin from within! Deceptively sheer and decidedly luminous, it magically transforms lackluster skin into a remember-me, luscious complexion. Flirt with foundation, go it alone, or go neck-and-neck with your décolleté. The effect is, well, orgasmic.

I totally agree. For me, this does everything it claims to do. I have yet to mix this with foundation, so I don't know if my opinion will differ any, but wearing it alone definitely gives a healthy glow. I would definitely recommend stopping by a NARS counter or Sephora and testing this out. Hand and face swatches:

It really picks up in the sunlight. I let a bit of shade into the swatch to show how it completely disappears. Just don't stand in the shade all day and you'll have that glow you want!

Nothing but the illuminator on my face. My cheek combo is La Femme Russet and NARS Orgam Multiple. This was taken in artificial lighting, with the flash. You get 1.1oz, which is actually quite a bit since a little goes a long way. If you're not sure how much 1.1oz is, check your liquid foundation, most are 1oz.