Emily Johnson

For over 37 years Mary Beth Roe has been a QVC host that has sold us everything from faux diamond necklaces to the latest Bare Minerals launch but on March 21st Mary Beth hug up host cloak and retiredf rom QVC. There was a Retirement Celebration that aired on Friday but I actually didn’t catch it as I was out. I remember the days I’d record episodes of QVC on my Tivo if there was some sort of Today’s Special Value I wanted to purchase. In true, Mary Beth Rose fashion, her last show was a mix of beauty, food, jewelry, and accessories. She attributes part of the reason as retiring because she has four grandkids and was missing out on so much of their lives.

QVC has changed so much over the last several years and I sadly, find myself not shopping there as often as I once did. I miss the amazing Bare Minerals, It Cosmetics, Mally, and Laura Geller Today’s Special Value Sets. They just don’t do sets as good anymore. Regardless, QVC is still a premium source for deals on beauty, clothing, home goods, and more. Mary Beth joins team members like Lisa Robertson who also left QVC a few years ago. I still miss Lisa and I’ll miss Mary Beth as well.

Are you a QVC shopper still? Or do you miss the way it used to be?

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Remember that discussion we had yesterday about shameful makeup purchases? Well, I did a think. I ordered every single shade of the Sephora Colorful Blush and Highlighter Glaze and I regret NOTHING. Nothing, I tell you!

Sephora Colorful Blush and Highlighter Glaze ($14) is a new blush and highlighter hybrid that provides beautiful color and a gorgeous light-reflecting radiant finish in one formula. This new blush features a luminous finish that combines the pigment of a blush with the gorgeous glow of a highlighter and a silky formula that seamlessly applies on skin. Available in five shades this new formula is part of the Sephora Summer 2025 Collection and each shade is $14 each.

“But Muse, the Sephora Spring Savings Event is around the corner and these will be 30% off why didn’t you wait?” True! Sephora’s Spring Savings Event starts the first week of April but I fear these will sell out before that or sell out during the sale never to be seen again. The promo images are looking quite amazing and at $14 each I couldn’t resist. I did overindulge but I find the market is sadly lacking for blush slash highlighter formulas so when I see one I jump on it. I’m a massive fan of the long gone Melt Cosmetics Digital Dust Duos. Those were the perfect combination of a blush and highlighter that lit up cheeks with the most gorgeous glow. I’m always looking for other blushes that will perform exactly like that formula and I have hopes the new Sephora Colorful Blush and Highlighter Glaze might do the trick.

What’s the shade line up looking like? Pretty nice especially since there are a two peachy, orange corals in the mix!

Shades include:

• Pink Sunset (peachy pink shimmer)
• Morning Blaze (poppy pink shimmer)
• Sunrise (orangey coral shimmer)
• Moon O’Clock (deep plum shimmer)
• Golden Hour (intense tangerine shimmer)

Did I need these? Probably not. Did I want them? Oh yes! I just hope the formula doesn’t disappoint me! We’ll see! Review coming soon! I’ll let you know what I think!

Where to buy

Sephora

About the Muse

Isabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

Wakey, wakey friends! I hope you had the best weekend ever! I hope you were the best people I know you are. And I hope, above all else, you’re doing well over there.

Today’s love letter goes out to my weird mentality that if I just put on my mascara with absolutely no other makeup I look good. The other day my sister called me and she was like, “hey, I need you at the office, can you stop by and help me with something”. And I’ve oddly entered this phase in my life where I don’t need to put on a full face of makeup to leave the house. I ended up putting on mascara (which totally smudged on my lower lash because I overused eye cream) and left the house in a bare face. I later regretted this realizing how my puffy eyes were making me crazy insecure. I’m also weirdly convinced that mascara actually makes me look semi-made up. Or even just curling my lashes quickly! Does anyone do this or am I alone? No makeup, just curl the lashes, and go. It’s super liberating to just leave the house without a stitch on but also, there’s that moment where someone talks to you face to face and you’re sort of overthinking things with the though of “oh god they must think I look so tired!” running through your head. Which P.S. is sort of the worst thing to say to someone. You ever have that person that tells you, “Oh you look tired today!” Thanks, a lot now I can really overthink things. I went in for a selfie that day and later I looked at it and realized how silly I was being worried about how badly I looked when in reality I should have been worried about the smudged mascara on my lower lash line haha! Moral of the story is, don’t be scared to walk out of the house without makeup. It sounds cliché but you’re beautiful without makeup! Makeup is fun and it can make us feel more confident but just remind yourself that even without it you’re still stunning! Stop being your biggest critic!

Anyway, let’s not get too mushy around here. What else do I love this week? I said it last week, I’ll say it again this week, Experiment’s new Molecular Mesh is my bestest friend lately. Did you order a tube? New York weather is being odd lately. We’re getting some beautiful Spring days some weeks and others it’s cold and rain. I heard snow this week. Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to the weather. I do know it’s creating chaos on my face. Molecular Mesh definitely keeps my skin dewy, juicy, and well hydrated. I realized it’s promoted as Barrier Cream but it’s just become my daily moisturizer (and sometimes my nightly one too!). It’s super hydrating with a great texture that doesn’t leave me shiny or greasy looking!

Speaking of moisturizer, can we just get Marcus Chang to stop in for a second and spill his skincare techniques? I’m in my Marcus Chang era because of Lost Romance (Watch it, thank me later! The storyline is chef’s kiss!) and of course, the first thing I do when I’m fangirling out is wonder what everyone is using on their skin. He’s 41 and he looks 18. Like, dude, tell us your anti-aging tricks. Speaking of anti-aging, someone asked me today, “do you use retinol?” and the answer would be yes and no. I’m actually a really late bloomer when it comes to retinol. I absolutely use it but sometimes I’ll have a love affair with it where I’m using it daily and other times I’ll stop start favoring highly moisturizing products instead (especially in the Winter). Do you use it daily or are you in and on again off again relationship with it?

Share your love list with me! What are you loving on this month? Any new skincare? A TV show? Something else? I’d love to hear!

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Have you ever hit submit on some massive makeup purchase? One you can’t even believe you’re buying? Or maybe there was a time where you purchased every single shade of an eyeshadow formula you loved? Did you ever feel a little ashamed and maybe guilty after doing it? I’ve read threads on Reddit where girls are dropping like $2,000 when the Sephora Sales Event happens. Have you ever went that overboard with a purchase?

I sadly, have a lot of shameful makeup purchasing moments. For example, when I started this blog I was buying most of every shade of a new release so I could swatch each shade. Some shades I didn’t even like but I felt obligated to grab them so I could have a concise post featuring all the shade swatches for my readers. I also, feel like occasionally formulas can vary from color to color and I’d grab all the shades to ensure my review was as accurate as possible. Thankfully, this was mostly drugstore purchases but still, it was a bit absurd.

I always felt a bit wasteful doing this and even guilty. In recent years, I’ve stopped doing that. Sure, it isn’t beneficial to you if I don’t have all the shades of a particular color makeup product to swatch. But I do think that I’m being a lot more wasteful by just trying a shade or perhaps two shades versus buying ten of them.

On a personal level I’ve had many shameful makeup purchasing moments here’s my most embarrassing one.

This isn’t even a makeup moment but more a skincare one. I am guilty of dropping money on La Mer The Eye Concentrate as well as Sisley Sisleya L’Integral Anti-Age Eye & Lip Contour Cream. I think the worst part of those purchases is the fact I actually really love the formula however, I feel incredibly guilty splurging on a small eye cream at the price they charge. Thank god for Heimish Marine Care　Algae + Peptide Eye Cream as that totally replaced my need to replenish La Mer’s The Eye Concentrate!

It’s also not makeup but I’m also somewhat ashamed of my candle collection. I won’t even admit to you how many I own but it’s a lot. But thankfully, not as many as some of the people I come across online. There’s one guy on Tiktok who has like twenty each of the same scent and I’m sitting here like, “ok, you’re good girl! You aren’t that insane!”. I mean, sure, I hate to fall in love with a fragrance but I haven’t reached a stage in my life where I have fifty of the same scent hanging around.

One thing, I can’t be remorseful about is my fragrance collection. It’s an area I’m also, an overachiever in. I have A LOT of bottles and I just can’t be sorry about that because I adore them all so much. Do I another perfume? Not for a million lifetimes. Do I continue to buy? Yes. That being said, I have started to be a lot more selective of the fragrances I do add to my collection.

What are some of your more shameful or embarrassing makeup moments?

Time to save! Nordstrom has 15% makeup, fragrance, and skincare! No code required, discount taken at checkout, plus enjoy ree shipping on all orders! Enjoy 15% on a variety of brands including Pat Mcgrath, YSL Beauty, Jo Malone, Diptyque, and much more. Even grab some of the new, limited-edition Pat Mcgrath Candy Crush Lipsticks and Lipglosses! And if you’re a Nordy Club member (free to join) earn 5X Bonus Points on your beauty purchase! The sale is from now through March 30th!

Enjoy!

Where to buy

Nordstrom

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Do you think Urban Decay and Too Faced just have spies in each other offices? First we had the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Stick drop and now Too Faced is giving us another cream shadow stick for Spring in the form of the form of the new Quickie Queen Eyeshadow Stick. Hey, I’m not complaining. I love a cream shadow stick moment. I wasn’t truly into the shade range that Urban Decay gave us with the Naked Eyeshadow Stick Collection but I can get on board with the Too Faced Quickie Queen Eyeshadow Stick shades.

Let’s take a look!

Available in eight shades the new Too Faced Too Faced Quickie Queen Eyeshadow Stick Collection is available in eight shade selections for $26 each (I’m not sure big these are but Urban Decay’s formula is a smidge cheaper at $25). As per Too Faced these are a sparkly cream eyeshadow that promises 12 hours of wear with a smooth, creamy texture that glides easily onto lids.

Shades include:

• Twinkle (soft champagne with pearl)
• Sunset Sizzle (cool bronze sparkle)
• Pure Magic (copper pink with gold duochrome sparkle)
• Love Stone (warm copper with red sparkle)
• Lilac Lust (lilac sparkle)
• Fairy Dust (baby pink sparkle)
• Chocolate Sprinkles (gunmetal with mulit-colored sparkle)
• Charmed (bronze with gold sparkle)

I have to say these swatches look amazing! I was pretty unimpressed with the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Stick shade range but the Quickie Queen Eyeshadow Sticks are looking stunning. Of course, I’ll have to see them in person as promo photos can be misleading. But if these are as pigmented and sparkly as the pictures I can get on board with this formula. I don’t really need another cream shadow stick but I can tempted to try one or shades out.

What are your thoughts on the Too Faced Quickie Queen Eyeshadow Sticks? Too Faced Quickie Queen Eyeshadow Sticks are available now.

Where to buy

Sephora Ulta Too Faced

RMS Beauty Cashmere Matte Eyelights have arrived and I’m so here for this launch! RMS Beauty bestselling Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow is now available in a brand new finish! Matte! Yes, we are getting eight silky matte cream eyeshadows to play with this Spring.

It’s the same great Eyelights formula you know and love but now in a cashmere-soft, silky matte finish that promises crease-proof wear and easy application in the form of a cream shadow. These shadows have a skincare-infused formula that conains Organic Green Tea and Natural Peptide Quinoa Extract that nourish, smooth, and firm the delicate eyelid. They come in a squeeze tube just like the original but with a new needle nose applicator that releases just the right amount of shadow.

Shades include:

• Canyon Clay (rustic brown red)
• Mossy Stone (earthy saddle brown)
• Mountain Mist (silver gray)
• Tundra Taupe (light desert sand)
• Dusty Trail (tawny caramel brown)
• Desert Rose (vintage pink)
• Mallo Coast (dusty rose mauve)
• Wildflower (delicate pale lavender)

I need a few of these shades ASAP. Canyon Clay, Dusty Trail, and Desert Rose to start should do the trick. I have a feeling I’m going to adore these as I do love the original formula and if this new matte version is just as good I’ll be the happiest girl. There are to few matte cream shadow formulas around so I’m happy to see such a nice selection from RMS Beauty. You can snag 20% off your total at rmsbeauty.com my code ISABELLAM20. Thank you if you use the code as it earns me a small commission which helps to maintain Musings of a Muse and makes it possible to keep the website going.

Let me know if you pick these up!

Where to buy

RMS Beauty

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So, I’ve entered this interesting time in my makeup life and I’m wondering would it be considered the wrong way to apply my makeup by doing what I am doing?

Here’s where I may or may not be makeuping up wrong.

I’m a lady of a particular age ahem…! And I do everything in my power to ensure I’m not looking terribly old when I wear makeup. Listen, makeup is fun, makeup gives us confidence, makeup can completely change what we look like, but also, makeup can also age the wearer terribly when it’s applied too heavily or incorrectly. The last few years I’ve noticed I’ve adjusted how I do my makeup because as I’ve gotten older. I’m realized that with age makeup application changes. What worked for you at twenty won’t work for you at thirty and what worked for you at forty won’t work for you at sixty. I actually hate change. I’m a creature of habit and I tend to not like anything changing but change is unavoidable in life and we have to adjust and sometimes even teach ourselves something new so we can evolve. Makeup and even skincare is one of those things that won’t remain consistent in your life.

One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older is I don’t like applying eyeshadow or even heavy liner on my lower lash line. I tend to apply it all over my lid but when I’m using lighter, more neutral shades I tend to avoid applying it on the lower lash line. Hell, if I’m being honest, even if I’m doing a more colorful look I tend to avoid applying it here. I’m prone to more puffier eyes and sometimes when I apply shadow or liner in that particular area it ends up making my eyes look older. I will say a little bit of shimmery shadow can work but if I’m doing some sort of bold olive green eye look I may just avoid applying makeup in that area. Am I doing it wrong? Yes, I guess, most would agree this isn’t proper eyeshadow application. But hey, it works for me and that’s what matters right?

What do you think? Do you avoid applying eyeshadow on your lower lash line? Do you think it’s wrong to not apply it in that area?