Buxom

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.

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.

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.

Stila Holiday Lip glaze Set - Limited Edition - $33 - contains the bestselling classics: Kitten, Grapefruit, Apricot and Guava, as well as four new shades: Blush - creamy rose, Majesty - deep berry, Merry Merry - sparkling red and Seashell - shimmering lilac - I have a soft spot for Stila lip glazes, the Grapefruit lip glaze is the first piece of high end makeup that my now husband ever gave me as a gift - I know, awwwwwwww... What I like about this years set is that they've included some brighter colours and still kept the best sheerer ones (kitten and grapefruit)!  Available at Sephora and select Shoppers Drug Mart stores.
Benefit All You Need Is Gloss - $30 - includes 3 double ended glosses in: I'm with the band - golden pink shimmer, Almost famous - copper penny, Life on the A list - bubble gum pink, Who are you wearing? - passion fruit pink, Back to the Fuchsia - sparkling fuchsia, 24K - sexy gold - I'm a big fan of double ended glosses for the whole saving space in the purse aspect!  Available at Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques, Murale and select Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.
- 0.14 oz Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Tease
- 0.1 oz Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Sex Pot
- 0.23 oz Sephora Collection Super Shimmer in Pink Ballerina
- 0.23 oz Sephora Collection Super Shimmer in Rusted Rose
- 0.09 oz Tarte Vitamin-Infused Lipgloss in 40 Winks
- 0.10 oz Cover FX Mint Glaze Lip Gloss
- 0.11 oz Lorac Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss in Cliché
- 0.14 oz Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Radiant
- 0.1 oz/0.11 oz Tarte Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Cherry
- 0.15 oz Buxom Lips in Roxanne