:Beautylicious Mondays:

For today's post, I'm doing reviews on two products... MAC's Surf, Baby! Skinsheen Bronzer Stick and Dr. Brandt Flaws No More r3p cream.

MAC recently debuted its Surf, Baby! collection, and though I was underwhelmed by the product offering, I decided to give one of the bronzers a whirl.

Surf, Baby! Skinsheen Bronzer Stick

The bronzer comes in three colors--Gilty Bronze, Tan-Tint and Billionaire Bronze, and it feels pretty good when applied--kind of creamy.  However, if you are going to use the stick directly on your face, use it sparingly--if you don't you might look a little cray cray aka crazy. Streaky makeup is never a good look. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that these bronzers will necessarily work well for some brown/darker skinned ladies. I'm an NC50 in the MAC world, and I purchased the Gilty Bronze. Though I was hoping to use it as a highlighter due to the shimmer factor (though it is bronzer), I soon realized it was too dark for such utilization, and it actually blended into my skin as though it were foundation when I used it. Once I had applied, I checked to see how it looked in various places under different types of light (in my house, at the mall...), and I couldn't really tell any difference between the product and my actual skin. I returned it the next day.  Myself and one of my favorite MAC store associates joked that the Billionaire Bronze could actually double as a foundation stick for us NC50 girls. I've posted a pic of the trio of colors below, but MAC's online colors are often not comparable to the actual colors in person, so if you want to look into this product, it might be best to get yourself to a store. :-) This product is packaged in a twist-up container and retails for $29.50.

from left to right:

Gilty Bronze, Tan-Tint, Billionaire Bronze

Hope this review helps anyone looking to purchase this product!

For my next trick, I'll be reviewing the Dr. Brandt facial moisturizer referenced above.

This cream, rich in peptides and other hydrating nutrients, alleges to diminish deep lines and improve the skin's texture.

A full size of this product is a bit pricey, retailing at $125 for 1.7 oz (I had a sample), but I have to tell you--after one use, I was wowed! I put it on before going to bed Saturday night (ok, ok--Sunday morning, lol) but when I woke up, it was as if the skincare gods had rained down refinement! :-) You know how your face looks all crunchy when you first wake up...because you slept so good/hard OR b/c you did something else so good/hard (teehee)--well, THIS may be your answer to obtaining that non-crunchy look. When I woke up on Sunday and looked in the mirror, it didn't even look like I needed to wash my face. I mean, it looked that good. I was really impressed, for my skin's texture did appear to be improved. One thing to watch out for is that there may be a slight stinging when you apply it. Now, I don't know if I had this problem due to other things I had used on my face prior, (cleansers/exfoliating products and a very mild, non-irritating toner--Mario Badescu Seaweed Cleansing Lotion) but the stinging only lasted for a few seconds. The second time I used, I experienced no stinging or tingling sensation at all. All in all, I liked the product. Oh, and I almost forgot to add--it has a pretty pleasant smell, so that shouldn't be an issue.

If you're willing to spend this much on a product, give it a try--but definitely stop by your local Sephora first to obtain a sample!