Oxymoron

I first mentioned Lipstick Queen's Oxymoron last May.  

I purchased the shade Honest Politician a few months ago  and I'm not sure what surprised me more, the color depth or texture.

As promised it glided on like a gloss and looked like freshly applied lipstick.  The color depth took me by surprise and had real staying power.  And my lips never felt dry (occasional lipstick effect) and the color didn't disappear (often a lipgloss effect) after an hour.

Poppy King has indeed done it again and created an innovative lip product every woman can use.  

Stila Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain

I was intrigued when I found out Stila's new Cherry Crush & Lip Stain reacts to the pH levels in your cheeks and lips to create a personalized look.

Sephora touts it as a "multi-tasking lip and cheek stain".

I liked the convenience of this product being in a click pen.  I used this on my lips and it turned my lips too red.  I would not use this daily because every time I looked in the mirror all I saw was bright red lips.

I admit that I didn't try it on my cheeks because I was afraid it would also turn too red on my face. 

When I went to give the pen a second try, some of the product had leaked through and it was a little "goopy".  

I really like a lot of Stila products, but give this one a thumbs down.  The innovation was a cool idea but didn't deliver for me.  

Any one else try this?

    

Catalog Choice

Yes, I'm still around.  

I am working on new product reviews and other fun stuff.  But I discovered something fabulous and out of the ordinary last week and just had to let you know.

It's called catalogchoice.org.  It's a free service that helps you clean up your mailbox.  How?  All you do is create an account, then you get to opt-out of catalogs you no longer wish to receive.  It's really that easy and think of all the paper you'll save.  

I joined because I was fed up with getting a new Pottery Barn catalog every month that just worked it's way into the recycling bin after sitting on the counter for  a week.  Catalogchoice.org helps me get to the source so I don't even get the catalog.  

Check it out and help take a baby step in cutting out the clutter (not to mention helping the environment).  

Holiday shopping

I enjoy giving gifts and if you haven't figured this out yet, I really like shopping. The only time I don't like shopping is during the holiday season. Too many people are shopping because they think they have to, not because they want to.

While in Dallas this past weekend, I decided mall parking might be the biggest obstacle a shopper has to overcome. My friends parents' had to leave the swanky North Park Shopping Center because after 20 minutes of searching they couldn't find parking, while a friend and I had a stress-free jaunt at the Galleria where we had been dropped off.

Check out my tips from a previous blog that will make your gift-giving easier: http://divacheck.blogspot.com/2006/10/holiday-considerations.html.

Happy Holidays!

worth the mention

The Laundress knows how to kick off the holiday season.

They are offering a very generous 20% off all products until December 5th with the code holiday (just enter at check-out). This is a great opportunity to stock up on your favorites and to do a little holiday shopping.

Laundry detergent as a gift? Here's a few ideas.

Treat your friend who always has the latest and greatest pair of designer denim to The Laundress Denim Wash. She might already know about it, but she'll thank you for re-stocking her supply or be excited to find out about this great product. Either way, you both win.

For your sister who travels every other week, introduce her to The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar. It's airplane friendly (it's like a bar of soap, so it doesn't take up valuable space in the quart sized "liquid" bag) and easy to use. You might also want to pick up a box of the Wool & Cashmere Shampoo pacquettes for her so she can take care of her sweaters when travelling too.

Your friend who has a High Effiency or front loading washing machine will be eternally grateful that you found her this great low-sudsing, yummy-smelling laundry detergent she can use with her delicates and her everyday clothes.

Just don't forget to stock up on all your favs.