SpinLash is a battery operated rotating mascara brush. It comes with its own adequate mascara, but it really shines when used with your favorite brand. It doesn’t really “spin” in the sense of fast rotation. Instead, it very slowly rotates, so all those fears of flying mascara can be erased. The bristles of the brush are quite fine and rubbery, something that I think works particularly well. The result for me using SpinLash was very evenly applied mascara and lashes with great definition.

One downside is that SpinLash doesn’t appear to have a replaceable battery, so when it dies, a new purchase is required. But I suppose that unless religiously cleaned, it would be ready to be replaced by then anyway.

Spinlash retails at around $15 and can be found in various drugstores, big box retailers, and online.

Below are some of the items before I got started (I supplied the larger measuring spoons and larger baggie). The entire kit contains: Titanium Dioxide, Dry Flo, Kaolin Clay, Sericite Mica, Super Pearly White, and the following pigments: Gold Sparkle, Bronze, Honeyed Beige, Sparkle Copper, Cappucino, Heavy Metal Gold, Vintage Grey, Patina Sheen, & Luster Black Mica. There are also 2 eyeshadow brushes, 5 mini measuring scoops, and 10 black containers to fill with your creations.

To get started, I followed the directions for a matte base and then added color from the included pigments according to recommendations in the book. It is fairly easy to increase or decrease shimmer by changing the mix of the base. The kit also contained a light brown sample. I didn’t end up matching that, but I liked what I got. My attempt at light was more of a neutral beige and my medium and dark turned out to be differing shades of taupe. Then I decided to make a darker brown/gray by adding a bunch of the darkest pigment. Mixing is pretty easy. Simply measure into a ziplock baggie, seal it, and shake! However, for mineral foundation, using a food processor or coffee blender to thoroughly mix the makeup is recommended.

Below are my finished eye shadows, the one on the far left is the light brown sample that came with the kit:

Bramble and Berry actually specializes in soap making supplies, so if you have an interest in that, also take a look at the rest of their site. In addition, they have a lip balm kit, that I just might have to try for Girl Gloss!

Comparison Shop for Mineral Makeup

L’Oreal Skin Genesis Daily Moisturizer is an oil-free light lotion with Pro-xylane (don’t ask me what that really is, because I don’t know and L’Oreal doesn’t clearly say) and Hyaluronic Spheres. I found it to have a nice light feel and it absorbed very quickly, but because it lacks SPF, it won’t be my everyday moisturizer. I actually have used it some at night, and primarily tested it during that time.

The Skin Genesis Daily treatment is a lotion-like serum, also with Pro-xylane and Concentrated Hyaluronic. I found it similar to the lotion in terms of a light feel and quick absorption.  

After a few weeks of use, both products left my skin looking good and I had no issues with breakouts. I rate them as above average items in terms of drugstore moisturizing and anti-aging skin care products.  So these certainly are some decent value items.

Comparison Shop for L’Oreal Skin Care Products

I gave it a try and interestingly, I liked the old version better. This one came out more orange on me than the one I tried last year. With that said, I got perfectly acceptable results and I will happily use up the can. Streaking was minimal, and I like the spray at any angle feature.

Shop for L’Oreal Skin Care Products

A highly effective, dual-purpose, foaming and exfoliating scrub blending natural Volcanic Ash with fine sugar crystals from the islands of Vanuatu. Adds moisture: leaves skin feeling soft and comfortably clean. Mineral-rich. Good for absorbing skin’s natural oils. May be used on any part of face or body. Rinses off with warm water.

The scrub is pretty coarse, which I like, but the foaming action tones it down a bit, It also leaves the skin feeling moisturized–something I find pretty impressive for a scrub. The one odd point though is that it is black in color. So it seems a bit weird scrubbing this jet black goo all over your face. I suggest avoiding use of it while wearing white or with white washcloths. I don’t know if it would stain and I wasn’t keen to test that! Personally, I use it in the shower.

Comparison shop for MAC Cosmetics

On July 18th through August 3rd, shoppers nationwide will rise with the sun and rush to their nearest Nordstrom. This ritual signifies the beginning of the two week period where the limited supply of coveted Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusive items become available. So, what is the best way to guarantee a successful shopping mission? The answer is easy: PRE-ORDER!

Beginning June 23rd, Nordstrom is pre-selling your favorite exclusives both in stores and online at Nordstrom.com, allowing consumers to reserve these limited-edition offerings from their favorite brands. On July 18th the race to the cosmetic department will begin, as devoted beauty junkies can seize the opportunity to get a hold of these unique items.

This year, over 100 beauty brands are participating. Some highlights include MAC, Chanel, Juicy Couture, NARS, Kiehl’s, Laura Mercier, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Bobbi Brown and Philosophy.

Personally I have my eye on the Dior Gaucho Palette that is pictured. It looks amazing! There is also a neat looking Trish McEvoy palette, some nice looking items from Bobbie Brown, the highly anticipated MAC Colorforms collection, and much more.

The diet chapter contains some great information and chart of antioxidant foods that I found quite handy. There is also neat list of various ethnic anti-aging foods. But what really shines are the multitude of recipes in this book. There is a section on Ayervedic recipes and then additional chapters coving cleansers, toners, masks, exfoliators, serums and more. There is even a recipe for lip balm and a chapter dedicated to an eyebrow and eyelash booster.

Throughout the book, Leon explains the purpose of the ingredients and provide clear direction for each recipe. For the do-it-yourself makeup and skin care fanatic, this book is a must have.

The e-book is 60 pages in color pdf format and is now available for $15—a great price for the wealth of information provided. Visit the purchase page to view chapter summaries and order.

Clinique will be selecting 20 women from the submitted applications to be “Clinique Insiders.” As “Insiders” the women will get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest Clinique Skincare, and Makeup products and will have the opportunity to give product reviews and opinions which will be seen, heard and read on Clinique.com! Insiders will also have access to special upcoming events and will receive a special welcome kit which includes full-size Clinique products and a Flip Video digital camcorder!

All interested candidates should apply here.

The DermaLift Foundation is formulated with peptides and moisturizers for anti-aging and is mineral oil-free. The addition of such things is always welcome to me, but what really impresses me about this foundation is how light it feels–yet it still provides sheer to medium coverage.

Dermalift Foundation feels quite a bit like a light tinted moisturizer. This stuff is so lightweight that it simply feels great and blends very well. There are only three shades available though, which is a bit of a downside. But when a foundation is as blendable as this one is, fewer shades are needed because the makeup is more versatile. Nonetheless, I would like to see a few more shades, even though the light shade worked just fine with my fair skin.

Redpoint Transformative Dual Foundation is listed as a full coverage foundation, but I found it to be more medium in coverage. The foundation comes in a compact with two shades for a custom blend. Application is with a sponge. I liked the dual shade option because it allowed me to customize coverage a bit based on areas of pigmentation. It also allows for some use of the foundation as a highlight or contour color. I also found that it was nicely buildable. So,while overall coverage is medium, it can be closer to full with extra application. This is a good one for people who want some flexibility in their makeup.

The HydraBoost Firming Powder is good way to top off your foundation, or wear it alone for some light coverage and shine control. The powder is formulated to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and feels quite nice. I loved it both as a finishing powder and as a stand alone product. For some reason, this one seemed to help tone down reddness for me a bit better than other powders, so rosacea sufferers might be particularly interested in it.

Redpoint cosmetics are available through the links above and at other online sources.

Want to learn about Redpoint’s lipgloss? Take a look at my review on Girl Gloss.

Shop for Redpoint Cosmetics