War of the Empty Palettes: UNII vs Coastal Scents + WIN IT!

Some time ago, I got into a de-potting phase. I'd sit in my living room, holding MAC shadows with tongs, over a candle flame. Well, once you de-pot, you obviously need somewhere to store the shadows. All of the ones pictured above are MAC. Here are two options.

UNII PALETTE:
-$29
-Magnetic- contains adhesive magnetic sheets
-Holds one pan less than the other one
-Has a mirror
-Nice snap-shut closure
-Ability to store brushes and differently shaped pans
-Comes in different colors: pink, blue, yellow, purple and silver
-Contains a small, movable thumb grip- a little square magnet with a little plasticy flower
-Brands that sell refills:
Avon
Aveda
Boots
Chantecaille
Laura Mercier
MAC (At MAC stores only)
Make-Up Designory (MUD)
Mary Kay
Mod Cosmetics
Prescriptives
Stila
Trish McEvoy

face candy grade: A-

*A sample was provided by a PR Company for review. It did not change my opinion in any way.

COASTAL SCENTS EMPTY MAGNETIC PALETTE:
-$7.95
-Not magnetic with MAC products, only Coastal Scents. (I actually tried to put magnetic strips on the back of these but it made the pan taller and the lid would not close.)
-A tiny bit bigger in size
-Holds one shadow more than the UNII
-Flimsy easy to open closure. (I keep them together with rubber bands to ensure they don't all fall out in transit. Because that happened. And it was not cool.)
-Only comes in matte black

face candy grade: B-

Overall, both of these palettes have their high points. The Coastal Scents one is good if you need a quick fix. And at $7.95, you can't really beat that price, IMO. The UNII is your high end option. While it's more expensive, the plastic is harder and more durable and I feel safer knowing the delicate pans won't fall out. I also like its versatility- you can store blushes or face powders alongside your eye shadows. And of course the fact that it has a large mirror.

WIN a UNII PALETTE in TWILIGHT!

Comment here, telling me what you'd put in yours and why you want one. Open to US residents only. Multiple entries will be ignored. You must leave your email address. Contest ends February 25th, 2010.

Review: Hard Candy - Just Nails Nail Polish in Teal

In case you don't know, Hard Candy is now only available at Walmart. Crazy right? My husband discourages me from shopping at Walmart and Target because he thinks they're bad for the economy, etc. But maybe I could go to check out the makeup. One of my favorite colors right now is their Just Nails Nail Polish in Teal ($5). Two coats is enough for opaque coverage. Plus you get the cute little ring.

face candy grade: A

*A press sample was provided by a PR company for review. That did not affect my judgment in any way.

GET IT: Le Couvent Des Minimes Lavender & Acacia

For the commenter searching for the Le Couvents Des Minimes Lavender & Acacia Collection, this is the best I could find, click here: www.fragranceup.com

They have a pillow mist. That's the best I could do. Sorry!

MAC Obsessions

I recently bought these things from MAC and LOVE them.

Joie-De-Vivre Cremeblend Blush ($18.50) This is a BRIGHT pink in the pot (described as peachy coral), but seriously gorgeous when tapped on with your finger or stippling brush. Just a tiny bit will do you. The color is universal, so it's bound to look good on everybody. If you don't have it, what are you waiting for? Lately, it's one of the main staples in my purse. Great for cheeks and lips in a pinch.

face candy grade: A

Care Blends Essential Oils, Grapefruit & Chamomile ($19.50) A rich blend of 4 botanical oils derived from the essences of grapefruit and chamomile. This face oil is awesome. It's a little on the small side (0.27 fl. oz.) but comparatively... Bobbi Brown's EXTRA Face Oil costs $60 for 1 fl. oz. So... you do the math. I'll also add that Bobbi's is in a pot form- no dropper. I like the dropper. Much less mess. I use 3-4 drops all over my face at night, sometimes before cream moisturizer, sometimes on its own. When I wake up, I'm glowing. For real. In the morning I like to mix 2 drops with my Bobbi Brown Protective Face Lotion with SPF 15. It really moisturizes when I step outside into the frigid air. I hear Dita Von Tesse is a fan. I'm on an oil kick right now, more to come.

face candy grade: A

Coconut Ice Nail Lacquer ($12) A light yellow peach pink. I love this color, but was disappointed with how streaky the application was. I had to use 3 coats for it to be opaque. Oh well.

face candy grade: B

Jouer Sale @ Gilt Groupe Today!

GiltGroupe.com is having a Jouer Cosmetics Sale starting today at noon, EST.

Not a member? Join by clicking here.

Review: Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Polish

A while ago there was a half off sale at Rescuebeauty.com and I picked up some polishes to review. For some reason when I make these little collages in Photoshop, the colors don't come out as brilliant as they do on my screen. For that I apologize, because they are much brighter and prettier than they look here.

Bikini Bottom ($18)- A watery pale blue. I was very excited about this one, but disappointed when I tried it. Why? I needed 4-5 coats to get the opaque blue I wanted. I read a reader's comment saying to use a white base underneath. I'll have to try that.

Starfish-Patrick ($18)- Sheer peachy coral. LOVE this one. Peachy but just orange enough.

Coral ($18)- Bright coral. This deep pink coral is perfect for toes.

Mimsas ($18)- Deep purple creme. I of course had to try out Michelle Mimsas' signature color (which is also a perfect Ravens purple) of the nail blog, All Lacquered Up. This does NOT disappoint. One coat is almost completely opaque. Love the brightness and opacity.

Overall, I think that $18 is too much to pay for one polish. However for the $9 I paid for them, I think it was still a bit pricey but much more reasonable. I really want to try the glitter polishes now. You know how I love my glitter. I like the packaging design and the wide array of colors.

face candy grade: B