Hey, Dollface!

Abs in a Box kit makes the gym redundant. Maybe.

Now, we all want to look like we have super-defined, washboard abs on the beach, am I right? But if you're anything like me, the thought of having to sweat it out in the gym to actually achieve those abs is slightly less than appealing. Or you don't have time. Or you've been trying for months, but you still don't seem to be seeing any results. Whatever. The fact is, you want the abs, and you want them now. Preferably in a box.

Well, here they are, folks, your complete abs-in-a-box kit. I had to rub my eyes a couple of times to make sure I was seeing this right, but yup, it really is what it looks like - a makeup kit that allows you to shade and colour your abdomen to create the appearance of toned abs when they don't actually exist. Don't worry, it comes with a manual to tell you how to get it. You'll also get:

* waterproof and sweatproof abs shadows and highlighters
* abs primer
* setting spray
* semi-permanent abs stain, that lasts two to three days
* mini kabuki brush
* dual-Sided Body Contouring and Defining Brush

Oh, and here's what it'll apparently do for you:

Of course, it doesn't tell you what it'll look like if your're NOT starting out with the figure of a model, but if you hand over $69 to IT Cosmetics, I guess you'll soon find out. Oh, and there's also a version for men...

What do you think, folks? Worth a go, or just plain weird?

Buy: Abs In a Box, $69 

Lancôme’s Maharani Jewels collection for Fall 08

Can it really be time for the fall makeup collections to start coming out already? It is, you know, and as depressing as the thought of autumn is for me, at least it gives us all more makeup to lust after, including these pieces from Lancôme’s Maharani Jewels collection.

Take a look under the jump to read more about the collection, and view some larger images of the bronzer and Juicy Tube...

Dollface's Beauty Secrets

This beauty meme has been doing the rounds on the web recently, and even although no one tagged me (Sob! No one loves me!) I thought I'd do it anyway, as a kind of snapshot of my current beauty loves...

My Foundation: Currently using Max Factor's Lasting Performance Foundation which I loved when I first started using it about a month ago, but which I'm finding a little too thick now that the sun's finally come out. I'm not loyal to any particular foundation, though, and have yet to find my Holy Grail!

My Mascara: Lancome L'Extreme Waterproof Mascara in black. I talk about this mascara way too much here, but I love it, and even although I'll still try any mascara once, it's the one I always have "in stock" and it's the one I use every day.

My Blush: Benefit Benetint.

My Eye Shadow: I actually hardly ever wear eyeshadow. On the rare occassion that I decide to put some on, usually for a night out, I'll normally go for a sparkly gold one by BarryM which I don't know the name of offhand.

Too Faced 'Decade of Glamour' Kit

Are you a "Too Faced" girl? (I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course!) If so, Christmas has just come early for you, in the shape of Too Faced's Decade of Glamour Kit, which contains everything the brand is best known for, including:

6 eye shadows
Ooh La Rouge blush duo
Sun Bunny Bronzer Bronzer Duo
Illuminating Powder
Lash Injection
Mini Lava Gloss Eyeliner
Lip Injection
Juicy Jewel Double sided Gloss Stick
Glamour Gloss
2 Gossip Glosses
2 Lipsticks
Beauty Balm

You get all of this for $40, which, at just £20 GBP, sounds like a pretty good deal to me. If only they still have it in stock when I head to the States in June...

Buy: Too Faced Decade of Glamour Kit, $40

Sephora's Blockbuster Palette for Eyes, Face & Lips

All too often when you see big-ass makeup palettes like this, they contain maybe three shades you'll actually wear (if you're lucky), and the rest is just padding. So, from this you can probably tell that I'm not a huge fan of palettes. This one, though... this one I could be tempted by. For one, it's by Sephora, fount of all that is wonderful in the world of makeup, and for two ... well, look at it! 64 eyeshadows, 32 lip colors, seven cheek colors, a translucent shimmer powder and more brushes than you could shake a lipstick tube at, and there just has to be more than three colours here that you'll wear. And even if there isn't, well, $48 isn't too much to pay to find out, is it?

Buy: Sephora Blockbuster Palette

Do you wear makeup to the gym?

This post over at Fashionista.com today got me thinking about how different people's opinions can be about what is and isn't acceptable in the world of beauty.

I have to admit, you see, that I'm one of "those" girls who wears makeup to the gym. Now, this isn't totally deliberate: I always go to the gym in the afternoon, by which point I'm already wearing makeup anyway, and it feels like too much of a faff to remove it all only to have to reapply it again as soon as my workout is over. There just isn't enough time in the day for two makeup sessions, I'm afraid, and I'm dammed if I'm going to spend most of the day bare-faced, just so I'm not accused of vanity at the gym.

The thing is, though: I AM vain at the gym. In fact, let's be honest: I'm vain almost all the time. As well as being one of those girls who wears makeup to the gym, I'm also one of those girls who won't leave the house without at least putting on a slick of mascara. I have see-through eyelashes: I look really odd without it (yes, odd enough for people to comment any time I've tried it), so seeing as we're being honest I will hold my hands up and admit that even if I did get out of bed and go straight to the gym first thing in the morning, I'd probably stop to slick on some waterproof mascara on the way.

Now, I don't take this to ridiculous extremes. I don't wear makeup on the beach, or at the pool for instance, so I'm not a totally lost cause, but I'm wondering what everyone else thinks. Do you wear makeup to the gym, or is it strictly au natural?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Bobbi Brown's Exclusive Pink Quartz Deluxe Trunk - more makeup than you'll ever need! (Well, maybe...)

I'm drooling here. No, literally. I mean, look at it! It's Bobbi Brown's luxury beauty case, created exclusivly for Neiman Marcus, and I think it has to qualify as the ultimate beauty-junkie gift, don't you think? The pink leather train case alone would be oh, so desirable, but the fact that it's stuffed full of beautiful Bobbi Brown products just makes it even better.

The product list here is so long I've put it under the jump, but suffice to say that there's $2000 worth of beauty products and cosmetics in here, which justifies the $2500 price tag. Do you think Father Christmas could be persuaded to drop this off at my house on Christmas Eve? No, probably not, but a girl can always dream. Read on to see what's inside...

Stila has a warehouse sale!

Eeek! I just did a little dance of joy after reading about this over at Bella Sugar. Yes, Stila is having a virtual warehouse sale, and if you're thinking it's going to be one of those sales where the discounts aren't so great and only a few products are available, well, think again, because this sale has been sent to taunt me, given that they don't ship outside of the US. (WHY?)

Those of you who can benefit from the Stila Warehouse Sale, though, will find bargains galore, including eye-shadow palettes from $9.60, lip glaze for $8 and body wash for just $5. Swoon.

Shop here.

3 for 2 on GOSH cosmetics at Superdrug

  GOSH is a brand I've been meaning to try more of, ever since their £4.49 kohl eyeliner became a permanent fixture in my Sephora train case back at the start of this year.

Well, it looks like now might be a good time to test drive some more of the line, as Superdrug is currently running a 3 for 2 offer on all GOSH cosmetics. I've heard good things about the eyeshadows in particular, and the Quattro Eye Shadow seems like a good place to start, for £7.49. - although maybe not in this particular colour palette - I don't think bright yellow and green would be a good idea in the hands of an eyeshadow novice like myself!

Browse the GOSH line at Superdrug.

M.A.C unveil their Royal Assets for their Holiday 07 Collection

It's products like this that the holiday collections were made for. I mean, who could resist these gorgeous, antique-look compacts from M.A.C? Not me, that's for sure. They're the Royal Assets collection, and they really look like makeup fit for Queens. Or princesses, at the very least.

There are lots of different colour combinations to tempt you here, including Warm Eyes, Cool Eyes, Smoky Eyes, Metallic Eyes, Tan Lips, Red Lips, Pink Lips... well, you get the picture.

Price is $36 for the eye colour sets, $22.50 for the lips.

Sonia Kashuk to launch Sheer Magic Mineral Face Palette for Target next month

Once again I find myself stamping my little feet on the floor and exclaiming that it's JUST. NOT. FAIR. that we don't have Target in the UK. The news that Sonia Kashuk is to sell her Sheer Magic Mineral Face Palette through the chain from November has done nothing to improve my mood.

While my experiments with mineral makeup haven't been too successful so far, I'm ready to try again, and have been casting around for a brand to experiment with. Given that this one will be priced at around $14.99, it sounds like as good a place as any to start - aside from the small fact that I won't be able to buy it over here, of course.

Never mind - you'll be able to buy it if you live Stateside, and I know I can rely on you to pop back and tell me what you thought of it. Can't I?

Benefit Launch Powder Pop, Justine Case and the Ten Palette

Ah, some new product launches from Benefit! My cup runneth over! These are actually palettes containing some of the line's best sellers. Powder Pop contains Dallas, Dandelion and Hula powders, and has just gone to the top of my beauty wish list because I want to try all three, but tend to stick to good ol' Georgia.

The Ten Palette, meanwhile is for lips, cheeks and eyes and gives you two lip colours plus matching eye colours. Finally, Justine Case is described as "a mini beautifier kit" and contains tiny versions of EyeCon, California Kissin', Benetint and Some Kind-a Gorgeous. Sigh.

US-only at the moment, but rest assured that the very moment they hit our shores here in the UK, I will be all over them like a rash...

[via Kiss and Makeup]

Dollface Reviews: Benefit 'That Gal' brightening face primer

Regular readers will remember my excitement at the launch of Benefit's 'That Gal' and will probably not be the slightest bit surprised to find that it was the very first thing to go into my Sephora shopping bag a couple of weeks ago.

I'm a big fan of Benefit's existing primer, Doctor Feelgood, which I use most days, so I had high hopes of this one. Sadly, it doesn't look like I'll be giving up the good Doctor anytime soon: That Gal looks good, feels good and smells good, but, unfortunately it didn't do an awful lot for my skin. D'oh.

At first glance, I was really pleased with it. You twist the bottom of the tube to make the liquid come out of the holes at the top: it comes out looking and smelling very much like Angel Delight, which makes it delicious to use (note: not literally. I didn't try eating it, and I don't recommend you do, either). It's light and lovely, and it goes on like a dream (peaches and cream... Oh no, wait - that's Benefit Georgia, isn't it?)

Urban Decay celebrate their 10th birthday with the Urban Ammo Eye Palette

Urban Decay is 10 years old (say aww!) and, to celebrate, they've brought out this collection of ten of their best selling eyeshadows. There's something here to suit everyone, and at $34 it's a good way to try out some shades you perhaps wouldn't have thought of. The packaging is pretty cute, too, with velvety flocking on matt black paper.

Shades included are: Smog (deep coppery bronze), Maui Wowie (sandy sheen), Mildew (shimmering metallic green), Shattered (bright iridescent aquamarine), Oil Slick (black with rainbow glitter), Polyester Bride (sheer white shimmer), Last Call (iridescent plummy purple), Grifter (sparkling pale purple), Chopper (shimmering fawn with glitter), and Sin (light shimmering champagne).

Summer Beauty Buys: Two Faced Quickie Chronicles' The Beach Bunny palette

As much as I hate seeing women lying on the beach and touching up their makeup, there's no denying that summer calls for a slightly different approach to cosmetics. You're going to want to pare it down a little, and maybe go for something a little more dewy and natural than you'd wear during winter. The Beach Bunny by Too Faced is the ideal palette for summer, with two lip glosses, two eye shadows and a blusher. It's reduced to £7.70 at PrettyCow.co.uk , and it comes in a pretty little box, too. You know how we love the packaging.

Hard Candy's 'Mix Tape' makeup palette

I should probably be embarrassed to admit this, but I'm a complete sucker for packaging. Show me a piece of makeup in a funky box, and I'll probably be reaching for my credit card and getting ready to buy it. The latest thing on my beauty wish list? Hard Candy's Mix Tap palette. No, I haven't tried it, but yes, I probably will - and it's not because of the combination of three eye shadows and three lip glosses which it contains. No, it's because it looks like an old cassette tape. Just call me "shallow".

Being from a generation that actually used to make mix tapes on a regular basis, though, this is a nice blast from the past for me. Choose from the Breakup Mix, the Workout Mix and the Party Mix - $15 each.