Cyber Monday Sales

So as most of you know, today is the day the internet gives something back and gives us Cyber Monday in repayment for sucking the lives out of us the rest of the year. I've scooped out the best beauty deals for you and thoroughly researched the web for deals. You will want to take advantage of these sales because cosmetics products only go on sale when an item is being discontinued, is old, or a store will no longer be carrying that brand... it is very rare that they just have a great sale, usually the sales are fairly bogus. The best deals I can find thus far are:

- Stila's warehouse sale where things are up to 80% off can be found here. They make fabulous eyeshadow and lipgloss

- E.L.F. has a 50% off any purchase over $25 (code 50wide) offer or you can get free shipping over $25 (SHIP25) at their site here - it's unfortunate that you can't have both offers, though

- Cherryculture has 20% off your entire purchase on their website, they have great NYX products and most of their stock is inexpensive to begin with

-  Clinique gives you 3 deluxe sized samples (which means bigger than sample size but smaller than the full product) for any purchase on their website, this is a great deal because the items they have as samples can be amazing: such as blush, eye creams, lipsticks. So I suggest you pick up something you love by them and would use up even if there was no free offer (I get the De-Puffing Eye Massage Serum).

- Elizabeth Arden has 25% off any order and free shipping with code BF2 here and a free 9 piece deluxe gift set with any order over $40.

- Tarte has a pretty lame deal of 20% off up to $100 and then you get $30 off, the code is CYBER and you get a free full-sized gift here

- Shiseido (which almost never has a sale on anything) has a gift of deluxe samples including a primer, translucent powder and satin face color in a cosmetic pouch for purachases of over $50.

- Bath&BodyWorks has an amazing deal of 25% off your entire order with the code CYBER2011 and when you check out anything in the Holiday Traditions Body Care selection you get buy 1, get 1 free for double your order!

- The Body Shop has any 3 single items in the online store for $30... that's right, even if the one item you chose was over the total price, it will still only be charged as 3 for $30. You also get free shipping with any purchase. If you add the code JOY10, you also get 10% off your order. So 3 items end up being $27, when usually just one would run you higher than that. Plus you get the free shipping... this is an amazing deal for night-cream and moisturizers.

Happy hunting everybody!!!!

Tarte for True Blood eyeshadow palette review

If you know me you know that I have a very profound love affair with eyeshadow palettes, whether they be Urban Decay, Estee Lauder, Tokidoki, or any other brand under the sun. Just the concept of so many brilliant color combinations with endless customization and room for individuality makes me a giddy girl. I've never purchased anything else from Tarte so I didn't know the quality of their products beforehand, this review is going to be completely unbiased, I don't have stock in the company and I'm not a long-term lover of their products. Truth be told, I bought the Tarte for True Blood palette because it had beautiful shades that I wanted for my wedding day and I'm a huge fan of HBO's hit True Blood!!!

First glamoured impressions
I was thrilled with the packaging, the cutesy miniature drawer that slides out to reveal a miniature mascara, eye primer and black eye liner (which is remarkably amazing and slides on as smooth and easily as butter) and the fact that you're getting 17 eyeshadows for $52. While the mascara and primer are nothing to write home about, they're great filler bonuses that are much appreciated, the company could have just given 17 eyeshadows and not included that adorable drawer with its perks.


Upon further fanged inspection
The colors that you find in this palette are anything but the radical tones you would expect from this goth-inspired packaging. The pigments are surprisingly neutral and very blendable, they are silky in texture and very smooth on the skin. Some have matte finishes, others have a mild sheen, and a few even have sparkles inside!

I have swatched the shadows so you can get a clear view of the color payoff on the skin of my hand, but keep in mind that this is without a primer or base and the photos were taken with a flash on because the lighting was poor. Therefore, the colors are far less saturated in reality. I particularly love the most neutral shades from the top two rows of the first swatch set (such as Fairy, The Light, Dusk, Dawn, and Waitress). 'The True Death' is a medium silver tone that is one of the most accomplished shades of gray I've seen in any makeup line.

The true death-verdict
I would recommend this palette to anyone who is considering starting an eyeshadow collection because it covers a lot of the basics (neutrals, blacks, matte.shimmer... you get base, highlight as well as contour shades). You also won't be making too many mistakes because the formula is very forgiving and easily blendable. If you are a collector, then definitely do not miss out on this limited-edition beauty. It has made me consider Tarte as one of the makeup brands to watch.