SEPHORA - Collector's Edition Fragrance...LOVE!!!

As Sephora friends and Family sale nears to its end days, I couldn’t stop myself from ordering this amazing Collector's Edition Fragrance Sampler For Her.
Usually I am not a fan of any sampler sets, be it make-up or fragrance. Fragrance samples come mostly in vials, and though they are useful to try on a scent, they are not CUTE and the amount is teeny…tiny.
But this particular sampler set is totally different, because most of the fragrances that are included in this kit are miniature versions of the original bottle and are pretty good sized. The sample selection also wonderful. It includes some of the best selling fragrances.
These are actually deluxe sized samples, in cute bottles. They are not spray bottles.


Collector's Edition Fragrance Sampler For Her

This boxed ensemble is the perfect gift of fragrance when you're not sure
which one to choose. This set includes seven samples of our top-selling women's
fragrances to try, a gift voucher that can be redeemed at any Sephora store for
a full-sized bottle of any one of the samples included, and a fragrance
guide.

This set contains:-
0.17 oz Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum
0.25 oz Ralph Lauren Romance Eau de Parfum
0.13 oz Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette
Dior Addict Shine Eau de Toilette
Givenchy Very Irresistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette
0.16 oz Stella McCartney Stella Eau de Parfum
0.24 oz DKNY BE DELICIOUS Eau de Toilette
Fragrance guide

CUTE LITTLE BOTTLES

After trying and testing all these scents, a voucher inside the pack enables you to choose and pick one favorite fragrance from the samples in full size. The voucher is redeemable only in store. This is good for bigger "full sized" bottles. Dior, Juicy couture are 1.7 oz. DKNY, Ralph lauren, and Marc Jacobs are for 3.4 oz. Givenchy is for 2.4 oz and Stella is for 1.6 oz.

This is such an awesome deal…and a great way to decorate the vanity area. I love love the CUTE LITTLE BOTTLES….

Halloween SpongeBob Magazine Cover Painting

(Click on the image above for a bigger version)

Submitted for your Pumpkin-Day viewing is the painting I did for last year's Halloween issue of SpongeBob SquarePants Magazine...a special Halloween themed portrait of SpongeBob and Patrick as seen from inside a Jack-o-Lantern pumpkin.

Here are a few thumbnails of the work in progress:

(Click on the cover above for a bigger version)

...and here's the published version with all the word-balloons, headlines and logos.This was painted digitally using the fantastic (and cheap) graphics program, ArtRage 2.5

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Here's a whole series of ArtRage Tutorial Videos:
ArtRage #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5
ArtRage #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas
ArtRage #3 Painting Reflective Light
ArtRage #4 - More Reflective Light & Colors
ArtRage #5 – Bump Modes & Finishing Patrick

ArtRage #6 Painting SpongeBob

Ugly Stickers by Basil Wolverton, Wally Wood and Norman Saunders

In 1965 Topps created a series of Ugly Stickers featuring the art of Basil Wolverton, Wally Wood and Norman Saunders. Check out the beautifully hideous artwork at:

http://www.bubblegumcards.org/Ugly_Stickers.html

…and a video presentation courtesy of the “Hooray for Wally Wood” blog:

Painter Norman Saunders shares some goodies, too!

Have an ugly time!

Illamasqua - Cream Blusher in Rude (Review, swatch)

ILLAMASQUA CREAM BLUSH -- RUDE

Highlight your cheekbones, shape your face, and build and blend with fingers or
a brush to create the color intensity you desire. Use over foundation for impact
or under for a captivating glow. However you apply it, be daring.

ILLAMASQUA CREAM BLUSH -- RUDE

I really wish I would have bought it earlier.
The Illamasqua cream blusher is possibly the creamiest cheek product I own. It is soo very moist and smooth. Its just like butter!!


SWATCH OF ILLAMASQUA BLUSH -- RUDE

Its very easy to apply, highly pigmented, easily blendable and obviously light weight. Its light in weight just like NARS multiple, but its waaaay softer and moist than the NARS multiple or MAC Just a pinch gel blush. The Illamasqua blush gives a dewy look and it does not dries to a matte finish. This is a great product for people with dry skin. Its not that it won’t work on people with oily skin, but I personally feel it would work awesome on people with dry or flakey skin. This is great for winter months. Some people would prefer drier texture of NARS products, but again it’s a matter personal preferance.


BLUSH SHEERED OUT

The color I have is in Rude. As the site describes, it’s a warm coral color. I really wanted to play safe by buying colors that work on my skin tone. Online shopping for make-up products can be complicated.
Anyways, the color looks scary dark in pan, but gives a warm, soft glow, natural flush when sheered out and blended. It has NO trace of shimmer/glitter whatsoever. A perfect cream blush for work.
Blend it with fingers and you are good to go!! No brush needed.
The packaging is compact and perfect to travel with…Its a wonderful product. I would love to buy another shade…maybe in next Sephora sale...

WonderWorm IV: “The Battle” – Funny Animal Comics from the Golden Age

 

Welcome to the fourth part in the story of Wiggles the Wonderworm from 1945's Taffy Comics #1. If you missed the first three chapters of this golden age funny animal comic book adventure, you can find them here:

Part 1: Wiggles meets the Professor 
Part 2: Casanova's Rescue Party 

Part 3: Death From The Sun 


 

Click on any image to open up
a full-sized vintage comic book scan

 

Next chapter: The Monster’s Cave!

BENEFIT - MOONBEAM (Review n Swatch)

BENEFIT : MOONBEAM

What it is:An iridescent complexion enhancer

What it does:Enchant under any light with Benefit Moon Beam—a highlighter with a romantically golden sheen. It's like a 40-watt light bulb for your face!


THE APPLICATOR

This is a lovely product, just not the one I wanted. My plan was to own a liquid product that I can use both as highlighter and to get that dewy look by mixing it with moisturizer or foundation. Something similar to Strobe Liquid.


SWATCH

Moonbeam is a beige/tan liquid in the bottle that blends to an apricot/pink color when sheered and blended. The texture is smooth, light and can be easily blended. It does gives a nice sheen, but due to its apricot shimmers it would look weird when mixed with a foundation and applied over the whole face. The liquid in the bottle appears to have some gold shimmers as well but the golden sheen hardly appears on the cheeks. More of pink color is visible, just like the petticoat MSF. Well, not as dark as petticoat but pretty much pink.



SHEERED OUT

The packaging is just like nail polish. The product is to be applied with the applicator by dotting it and them blending out with the fingers or a brush. I preferred fingers.
If left on for long time, it can become difficult to blend and the product will just ‘sit’ and not fully absorbed.
I think I should have opted for Highbeam which is more frosty and is pink based. Maybe that could have worked, but I am not sure.


COMPLETELY SHEERED OUT

I really don’t know how I feel about this product as of now, may be in near future when I figure out some more ways to work with it…I might have an opinion.

Should i return it? Please share your experiances with this product.

NARS MULTIPLE - RIVIERA (Swatch, Review)

NARS MULTIPLE IN RIVIERA

NARS MULTIPLE STICKS…AWESOME!!!

I bought my first NARS multiple in Portofino after waiting endlessly…and not to mention it was an instant HIT in my make-up stash…
Any multi-purpose, easy to use product is always welcome in my collection.
So during this Sephora FF sale I ordered a NARS multiple duo in Orgasm/South Beach and one single stick in Riviera.


SWATCH OF NARS MULTIPLE IN RIVIERA

Its such a lovely PINK color!! I am hunting high and low for the MAC Pink Vivid paint stick, which was a Pro item and is discontinued…and this Riviera multiple looks pretty similar to me. I may be completely wrong, because I have never seen pink vivid in person, but whatever swatche are available on the net, it seems I could replicate the same pink cheek with Riviera too.

SHEERED OUT

Like Portofino multiple, this too is not overly shimmery. Infact it has no glitter, shimmer whatsoever. Easy to apply, easy to blend, light weigh, absorbs itself into skin perfectly giving it a natural rosy glow. Even though it’s a pink, its not a very cool, blue under toned pink. I am positive it would work on almost all skin tones. The pigmentation is amazing like any other NARS product.
Packaging is sturdy…a great product..worth trying. Watch this space for the swatches and review of NARS multiple duo in Orgasm/South Beach.

Death From the Sun – Taffy Comics Part 3

Welcome to the third part in the story of Wiggles the Wonderworm from 1945's Taffy Comics #1. If you missed the first two chapters of this golden age funny animal comic book adventure, you can find them here:

Part 1: Wiggles meets the Professor 
Part 2: Casanova's Rescue Party

Next Chapter: Wonderworm in “The Battle”

TWITTER TRIAL..

Everyone seems to use 'Twitter' these days. Every single blog, website has this cute little "BIRD" icon. I really wanted to 'ADD' that cute birdie on my blog, but honestly I am not sure what i would do with the twitter account...If my 'friends' follow me, what am I gona "TWEET".

This funny video below echoes the same sentiment....lol!!!



Enjoy and follow me on Twitter...LOL!!

Illamasqua - Powder Blusher in Lover (Review, swatch)

Illamasqua - Powder Blusher in Lover

Illuminate and enliven your complexion with the color and drama of Illamasqua
Powder Blusher. Color intense and highly pigmented, it can be used to shade,
brighten, enhance, and define the shape of your face. Be bold, be daring, and be
the center of attention

llamasqua - Powder Blusher in Lover (Apricot)

I literally waited ages to buy Illamasqua product. Usually I never buy make-up without seeing them in person. Illamasqua though made positive reviews in the cosmetic world, I was not sure what to order and what not to pick.
After reading several reveiws, I realised blushes were liked a lot by make-up lovers, so I ordered a powder blush from the brand as my first ever Illamasqua product to try.
I must say, I am impressed with the product, but not with the packaging.



Swatch of Illamasqua - Powder Blusher in Lover

To begin with the packaging, it’s a decent size, fancy plastic case with clear top, which is neat. The shape is bit different, but that’s ok. Now, I like make-up packaging to be a bit heavy, like NARS…NARS though gets dirty on the outside, still its strong, compact and the rubber casing provides some sort of cushion to the blush and prevents it from breaking to some extent. Also, NARS blush comes with a mirror, Illamasqua doesn’t. The reason I keep comparing this to NARS is simply because I pay amount close to NARS for this product.


Swatch of Illamasqua - Powder Blusher in Lover

Anyways, on to the product itself.
The color I chose is a very safe one. APRICOT color! Peach/Apricot blushes work well on my NC 40 skin tone. Without seeing the blush in person I thought the shade in Lover (vibrant apricot) is a safe bet.
It’s a matte blush. Soft, smooth, silky easily blendable and has rich pigmentation. It lasts for a long time and is buildable. I must say it is comparable to NARS blushes. As of now, I don’t remember what colour I have similar to this one, but luckily I don’t have any NARS blush that is true peach like Illamasqua’s lover, so it’s a bonus to have this one.

I would love to try other shades too, but would prefer seeing them in person before investing. I did order a cream blush today. Last time when I placed the order they were out of stock. With the quality of Illamasqua’s powder blush, I am positive the cream blush would be great too.

Gold Key Comics Treasures - Another Fine Comic Book Blog

The last time I wrote about Gold Key comics, I talked about the huge contrast between the gorgeous painted covers and the often-boring-as-cardboard interiors. Although a LOT of great stuff appeared in the Gold Key line, it's a lot of work to find the treasures among the drek.

Fortunately, there's a new comic book blog on the block that features the best of the hidden Gold Key gems. The Gold Key Comics! blog has lots of high-quality, high resolution scans of cherry-picked content from comics like Boris Karloff's Tales of Mystery and Grimm's Ghost Stories. I'm sure many more will follow, so I suggest you get in on the ground floor of this new blog; Click here: Gold Key Comics! at http://www.goldkeystories.com/

Read...Enjoy...Bookmark that sucker!

Smashbox - WISH For The Perfect Pout

Smashbox - WISH For The Perfect Pout

What it is:
A limited-edition set of lip glosses that contains best sellers and exclusive holiday shades so you can create the perfect pout.

What it does:
This six-pack of glossiness is all you need to get your lips primed to pucker perfection. And, for the first time ever, this set features two full-size lip glosses.

This set contains:-
0.20 oz Pout (baby doll pink)
0.20 oz Luster (sheer golden pink)
0.14 oz Tease (juicy raspberry)
0.14 oz Candy (cotton candy pink)
0.14 oz Aura (shimmering pink nude)
0.14 oz Radiant (shimmering pink plum)

Lovely Colors...Cruelty Free

I got this particular set for the pink gloss called POUT. It’s a full size gloss and retails alone for $18. In this kit there are 2 full size and 4 mini size glosses. At $29 with 20% discount, a pretty affordable gift for the Holidays.


Swatches of Smashbox lipgloss in Pout, Luster, Aura, Tease, Radiant, Candy

I never had any milky, pale kind of lipgloss. Always wanted to try NARS Turkish Delight Lipgloss, but that stuff is insanely expensive in my book. This colour in Pout is pretty close to NARS Turkish Delight and sale price made it even cheaper, closer to Drugstore price.

I like Smashbox lip glosses. They are less sticky and last for a long time. Pigmentation is also pretty decent, depending on the true or sheer color.

Pout is a lovely, milky lavender pink color. It is pretty and natural. It does not has any sparkles or glitter. It does not has any frostiness to it. I like that it gives the needed pink color and is not OTT and kiddie, Barbie types.

Luster is a sheer pink color, with some golden shimmers. It gives a lovely sheen on lips and can be applied over any lipstick, as the pink is hardly noticeable.

Radiant is a shimmery, plumy pink color and it has some golden shimmers as well. I find it on the lines of MAC Nymphette.

Aura is a pinkish nude color and its pretty shimmery, but the shimmers are not golden. Its not frosty, nor is it gawdy.

Candy is a cotton candy pink as described and its very pretty. It looked pretty all by itself.

Tease is a dark, magenta pink color. Raspberry kinds. This is the darkest of the lot.

The best thing that I liked about this set is, ALL the colors are wearable. Unlike some other kits that have only one or two colors that are lovely, rest all are crapy...
This is a great, great gift for Holidays.

Stila - Gift of Appreciation Kit/Set

Stila - Gift of Appreciation Kit/Set

Stila always comes out with decent size affordable kits. This one is just amazing and great value for money.

What it is:
A must-have set that features top sellers that will make every Stila fan swoon.

What it does:
Stila thanks you for all your love and loyalty with this stunning set of bestsellers! From glossy lips to luminous skin (and all things in between), this collection contains everything you need to create countless signature Stila looks.

This set contains:-
0.17 oz Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow (gold/ bronze/ ivory)
0.32 oz Illuminating Finishing Powder in Rose Gold (peachy pink sheen)
0.31 oz Sheer Pressed Powder in Medium
0.04 oz Lip Rouge Liquid Lip Satin in Pucker (bright pink red)
0.04 oz Long Wear Lip Color in Flushed (deep rose sheen)
0.28 oz Lash Visor in Black
.08 oz Plumping Lip Glaze in Minty Mint (soft gold)
0.04 oz Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz (apricot nude)
Pencil Sharpener

The goodies

The only reason I picked this kit was because of the eyeliner in Topaz. I had been eyeing this for quite sometime. The liner alone costs $18.



Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz (apricot nude)

Topaz liner is an apricot nude color and its great to line the waterline and brighten the eyes. A white liner does the same job, but it is very noticeable. Topaz is just so natural!!
Its pretty soft like all other Stila Kajal liners. I just needed it….



Natural eyeliner

Another Stila product that I use and like is their Long wear lip color. These are very moisturizing lip products retailing for $18. Usually when lipsticks are long wearing they are on drying side, which is not the case with this one. I already had shades in Rendezvous and Exquisite (swatches here).


Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Flushed and Stila lip rouge

The kit has full size product in shade Flushed and its a gorgeous Deep Rose color…just soo perfect for the fall!! The packaging is super cute and the lipstick smells AMAZING!!
I am not a lip stain person. I just don't like any kind of stains (cheek or lip). This one is pretty long lasting when I swatched on my hand, because it just refused to come out after numerous washes and I had hard time swatching other stuff.


Swatches of Stila Lip color in Flushed, Lip stain in Pucker and Kajal Liner in
Topaz

The kit also came with this Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow (gold/ bronze/ ivory)Again something in GOLD…how could I pass?? The packaging is not cardboard casing, but its some kind of metal. The eye shadow dome does looks fragile.

Stila Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow (gold/ bronze/ ivory)

The colors are fantastic! Very smooth and blendable. Not very flaky or powdery. The colors in trio go together beautifully. The gold complements my brown eyes and my skin tone. It is perfect for everyday look.

Swatches of Stila eyeshadow trio in Gold

The colors can be layered for more intensified look and when used with deep Burgundy or similar color can create such a great fall look…

Stila Illuminating Finishing Powder in Rose Gold

Another product that sounded attractive was this Illuminating Finishing Powder in Rose Gold….(What a lovely gold name….lol!!)
I never knew much about this product until I read the contents of this kit. As I am not a huge fan of shimmery, MSF kind of products for my face, I was not sure how I would like this. I have used it just once, at home…My first impression with the product is OK…

Swatch of Stila Illuminating Finishing powder in Rose Gold

Its a pretty, shimmery highlighter, not very finely milled like Sonic Chic blushes but still better than Chunky MSFs (New Vegas). The color is just Champagne kinds with a slight rosy tint, which is not very bright to use it as a blush alone. I am still unsure how much I like this product or what to do with it. One thing is for sure, I would use it as highlighter on my cheeks, but I doubt using it all over my face as illuminating finishing powder.

Stila Pressed powder in Medium

The Pressed Powder comes with a mirror and an applicator. Though its a medium shade, i think its bit lighter for my NC40 skintone. maybe in winters, when i get a bit lighter....not sure.

Stila plumping lip glaze in Minty Mint

This is yet to open and I will do a full review once i try this.

Stila Lash Visor in Black

I have many open Mascaras that are in current use and I don’t want this new one to dry out. So its unopened. This one is a water proof Mascara.


Sharpner

The sharpner works well as i already have one from same brand.
This is one of the best gift set put together by Stila in terms of value for money. Its worth buying if someone wants to try out the brand or as a gift for someone during the Holidays.
Oh, I forgot to mention All products are FULL size!!