Jill Stuart Mix blush - Milky Strawberry Review

Every princess needs a decent arsenal of vanity-worthy prettiness.

If you are that type of girl, you need some Jill Stuart in your life! I don't understand why American cosmetic companies don't put much thought into developing a product that *looks* nice...I guess it's all about makeup-on-the-go or the whole fast food mentality or whatnot.

I like feeling spoiled. I LOVE Jill Stuart.

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Jill Stuart Mix Blush Review

*Milky Strawberry*

Milky Strawberry is the newest blush in the Mix Blush series launched in the Spring Collection for 2011, Innocent Sexy.

Official description

"sweet and fluffy milky pink, reminiscent of strawberry milk"

It being a brand new release, I went on pure chance, hoping the color would suit my skintone.

Like all Jill Stuart cosmetics, the compacts are princess-y and ornate albeit plastic. The little goat hair brush is attached on a metal-link chain but can be removed. The brush is retractable with a pink crystal tab!



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The blush itself with and without flash

The upper left corner is a pearly light pink highlighter, the upper right corner, a dusty rose. The bottom two colors are my favorite and add a nice punch to the entire palette - the lower left is hot pink fuchsia and the lower right is a bright pinky peach

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The brush after swirling in all 4 colors

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The blush on my cheeks with and without flash

*Also sporting Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color N in Jewel Flash, a gorgeous shimmery light purple*

Like the collection's namesake, it really gives you an innocent pink flush of color on the cheeks - I think the peachy pink made it wearable on my Texas-tanned complexion! The shimmer is sophisticated and subtle - a great everyday blush! I was surprised that it showed up so well and am dying to try out Little Bouquet for a more peachy Summer blush.

The product is scented - a very light, pretty floral that is not at all overbearing


Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (5/5)

If it weren't for the hefty price tag, I would own them all!!!

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On a side note, I saw the color OPI's Italian Love Affair on a co-worker and now am on a mission to purchase and share. It is the perfect dolly pearl pink! Will share soon :)

Hope you all are having a good week - very excited to meet up with fellow bloggers this weekend!!!

Jill Stuart haul and site review

Hi Beauties -

HAPPY **belated** CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Happy year of the Rabbit - wishing you all luck and fortune in 2011! :)

Just thought I would quickly share my Jill Stuart Haul & thoughts on my purchase with Gooddealer.com (review of site and my experience posted below) plus a few bonus teaser swatches!

First the goodies! I received 2 pretty pink bags with the order and a plethora of samples (Lunasol modeling water?, Jill Stuart Cleansing oil and Paul & Joe foundation samples)

Love the attention to detail - the Jill Stuart logo on the ribbon - simple and classy!

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♥ -Below are my purchases- ♥

Jelly Eye Color N in 07, Jewel Flash
*Also purchased in Vintage Decor*
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Pink eyelash curler adorned with a rhinestone charm
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Fruit Lip Balm in Tint 01
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Softening Fluid
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Jill Stuart Mix Blush compact in Milky Strawberry
*Spring 2011 collection*
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Jill Stuart Blush Blossom in Little Anemone
*Spring 2011 collection*
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Little pink crystal on the included retractable goat-hair brush
*Comes with all compact blushes*



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I gave the Blush Blossom Duo in Little Anemone a try - and was subsequently blown away!

Apologies for the mega blurry picture, but I thought it turned out kind of neat - you can really see the pop of color on the cheeks!

I used the lighter color as a highlighter and the darker color on the apples of my cheeks



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Although the blush didn't swatch well, it has decent pigmentation, is finely milled, and has a soft shimmer (no glitter) once applied resulting in a look that is lovely and natural when dusted on the cheeks!

The good part: I love every single purchase! The bad part: everything seems too pretty to use. I know it's utterly ridiculous, but I am having a hard time dipping my brushes into anything at all because everything looks so perfect and pristine. *sigh* I'll get over it and I promise I will get around to reviewing and swatching products soon! :)

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...About Gooddealer.com...

I thought I would share my personal experience with this site so just FYI if you intend on using Gooddealer for your Jill Stuart Cosmetics purchases!

Price

I found the prices for Jill Stuart cosmetics are cheaper in Hong Kong vs Japan and the exchange rate is a bit better in terms of USD/HKD vs the USD/Yen. Gooddealer.com was one of the options that I found (see my previous JS post for a larger list of internet options) They should ship to most countries though you might want to send an e-mail if you are unsure about their shipping policy or have questions about customs/duties.

The site -at first glance- looks incredibly shady and the website design could be a bit more user-friendly (they have a tutorial on how to shop the site!) - that being said, I found this site to have the largest selection of products as well as decent pricing*.

*BUT don't be entirely fooled by the too-good-to-be-true pricing - the shipping AND handling fees (yes, they charge you for shipping separate from handling) really add up - they calculate pricing based on weight so the more you buy, the higher the cost. (so much for incentive to buy more, I was trimming down my cart to keep at a reasonable weight!)

Postal fees per weight here

Delivery time/packaging

Overview of their mailing & tracking

I placed my order on January 9th and received my package around January 28th so expect a bit of a wait if you end up ordering.

It came wrapped in green postal wrap (no box) and was securely suspended in what seemed like 10 billion layers of bubble wrap.

Pros

♥ Accepts major credit cards and paypal
♥ Large variety of products
♥ Decent pricing* (see cons for caveat)
♥ Quick access to the latest releases/collections
♥ Securely wrapped - product fully intact
♥ A few product sample 'freebies' & JS bag

Cons

X Package takes awhile to ship
X Website is difficult to navigate
X High Shipping AND handling fees
X No easy way to check tracking of order
X No guarantee that items will actually be in stock (one of my items was canceled after placing the order)
X Long wait time

Would I buy from the site again? Maybe. Still checking out different sites/options. If anyone knows of a good alternative, please share :)

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BTW Ice apocalypse 2011 here in North Texas needs to end! I think this past week has turned me into a workaholic (60 hour work week!) and I am itching to get back to normality.

Review - Cosmagic Sweet Deco Cheek in peach pink with swatches

Hey Lovelies!

I hope everybody has been having a great new year so far! It tends to be relatively busy during the first month of the year at work, so I have been putting in extra hours every week to keep afloat. -_-

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That being said, I am glad to be back with reviews aplenty! Today, I'll be reviewing Kose's Cosmagic Sweet Deco Cheek in 02 or pink peach.

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Backside:

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The packaging is super cute as expected - just check out the built-in adorable plastic jeweled heart!

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The lid is cut like a giant diamond and screws off easily. So princess-y!!!

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The set contains a minuscule blush brush which feels soft but doesn't serve any real purpose. Perhaps it might be good for contouring? There really is no place in the blush packaging itself that holds the brush securely so I stuffed it into my knick-knacks box where it will probably remain.

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...Finally, a big dandelion-like puffball on a stick...

...Much like the Puffy bird on my windowsill :) ...

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If you open up the inner insert, there are some instructions on how to use the blush to achieve different looks...

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The blush itself in different lighting. The heart-shaped area is a shimmery coral cream blush, and the lower two compartments house a peachy-pink blush with golden shimmer and a lighter pink highlighter.

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*Swatches* With an without flash

The cream blush reminds me a lot of NARS "Torrid" while the darker blush shade reminds me of a pinkier NARS "Orgasm"! Needless to say, very pretty colors and universally flattering IMO! I was surprised that the blush wasn't super shimmery and if used with a light hand, you could wear this to work on a Summer's day.

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The other color is perhaps the more popular blush of the two - 01 in Strawberry pink. I can see the strawberry color looking great on fair-skinned beauties, but I am willing to give it a a whirl in the future sometime!

Price is $145 HK dollars or around $18.61 USD at Adambeauty.com
(Both colors are in-stock)

Overall

Pros
♥ Pigmented and pretty color
♥ Lovely packaging
♥ 3-in-1 blush - versatile!
♥ Extras = 2 freebie brushes
♥ Universally flattering colors

Cons

♥ Must be used with a light hand otherwise can be too shimmery/bright
♥ Hard to find - overseas orders or e-bay


Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (4.5/5)

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My LOTD

...Some randomness from this past week...

Wore my H&M sweater dress with leggings and F21 "Love" necklace





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I wanted to share the beautiful Hello Kitty purse from Loungefly that I won as a giveaway prize from the ever-sweet RINA!

Super cute dustbag



The pattern is crazy kawaii with bows & hello kitty's face printed all over



The details on the purse are amazing! Even the hardware is Hello-Kittied out!



Delicious hot-pink lining



Thank you so much Rina! Your gift really made my month! :)




Giveaway, reviews and more coming soon!

♥ Irene

Jill Stuart Spring 2011 Cosmetics Collection

Jill Stuart's Spring 2011 Collection - Innocent Sexy

Jill Stuart sure knows how to make super girly, sweet, and princess-y products - This upcoming Spring, she's rolling out a line that is lovely & elegant with colors that are feminine and delicate.

♥ New Blush Blossom duo* - Blush Blossom in Little Anemone ♥
(Anemone is a type of flower as well as the type you find underwater :D)

Image from http://www.fiftyflowers.com

I absolutely ♥ the ornate detailing on the compact casing and the included goat-hair brush with the PINK Swarovski crystal and little bow charm!

It comes as a loose powder that can be swirled together or used separately to create depth

This color is described as a "cute foggy pink combined with a girly anemone pink"

"Like the gentle blossoming of a wreath of pink flowers.
Loose powder cheek color that brings both innocence and luster to your cheeks"

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♥ New Mix blush in Milky Strawberry ♥

"Quad powder blush with pure luster. Blends smoothly and adds a touch of soft color to your cheeks"

I'm excited to try this - I have actually heard that Jill Stuart blushes are very subtle with buildable color - I'm trying to prep myself for initial shock as I know they are not nearly as pigmented as MAC or NARS. If this one works out, I think I may try the Baby blush (01) and Fresh Apricot (06)

Top two colors look like a pinky highlighter & bottom two are a warm pinky-peach

Described as a "sweet and fluffy milky pink, reminiscent of strawberry milk"
(I like that...fluffy pink!)

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♥ New Lip Jewel in ???* 12 New Colors! ♥

"For full and pure lips, as though decorated with the glittering dust of gems.
A liquid rouge for fresh and clear color"



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♥ New Jewel Crystal Eyes Palette in Angelic Topaz and Sweet Amethyst ♥

"Genuine jewel-like shine...
Eye color palette that enables eyes with deep lustrous colors and glorious shine"




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♥ New Nail Laquer colors include Dolly Bloom, Marshmallow Bonbon and Petal Shower ♥

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Oooooh I wish I could be back in Hong Kong! If you spend over $5000 HK you get a free gift. ($5000 HK Dollars = $643.31 USD and $639.06 Canadian) ;_;

It reminds me of a fancy tea set of sorts. What a perfect (and Princess-y) way to display your makeup collection!



・Tray（W:31.9cm D:13.8cm H:2.1cm）
・Cotton box（W:10cm D:10cm H:8.7cm）
・Cosmetic item holder （Φ:8cm H:8.5cm）
・Petit tray（W:10.6cm D:10.6cm H:4.5cm）

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I found a lot of these blogs helpful when looking for swatches/reviews of various products:

• Magical Complexion's blog has someswatches up from the Spring Collection!
• Eki of A Little bit of Eki also has a lot of Jill Stuart looks, hauls & reviews!
• Lisa of Makeupandlife.com has a ton of swatches and reviews of Jill Stuart products on her blog
• MusingsofaMuse has a great blog including a ton of Jill Stuart love!
• Cosmetic Candy is also a good place to find reviews & swatches
• Tummycake has a good video review and also some honest reviews/swatches
• Autumn Masquerade - *update*A GREAT blog - just found! Has side-by-side comparisons and descriptions of Jill Stuart products
  
• Lotus Palace always has a ton of Japanese makeup reviews, including Jill Stuart

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It's hard (if not impossible) to find Jill Stuart cosmetics in the States but relatively easy to find online...a few retailers:

iMomoko
Yesstyle
Ebay
Gooddealer

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I'm so excited for my first Jill Stuart Experience! I will be doing some reviews/swatches once I receive my order. (I picked up the blushes!) :)

In Hong Kong, the line will officially launch on January 10th, 2011

Are you planning on picking up anything from the Spring Collection?