Beauty Squared Round-Up - October 5, 2014

Hello and Happy Sunday! It's time for our weekly round-up of interesting links from all over the web, all related to beauty. Let's get started!

• The beauty brands are gearing up for the holiday season and well, chances are that a lot of the gift sets will sell out before we even get to December. One of these is the Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot O' Blushes which Temptalia has a sneak peek preview of up right now.
  
• Some makeup organization tips and ideas here, if you're in need of them (aren't we all?).
  
• Vintage beauty tips using cucumber, rose water and petroleum jelly, among others.
  
• I saw this post on fashionable New Yorkers age 60 and up, and it reminded me of the three ladies I photographed at the Met Museum in NYC a few years ago (click here to see).
  
• Small Canadian makeup brand Pandora's Box has been fighting Pandora Jewelry over the name Pandora and has made their battle public in the hopes that it will help fight corporate bullying. Have a watch and share?
  
• MUA Kristen Arnett talks about the 10 things she does to make models runway-ready. There's some great information in this. Think it's just a bit of powder and lipgloss on those 20 year olds? Think again.
  
• A video from MAC showing some of the looks they were a part of for the Spring/Summer 2015 NY Fashion Week this year. Yet-to-be-released products and gorgeous looks to look forward to!

Pandora's Box Blush Review and Swatches

Pandora's Box is a Canadian cosmetics brand founded by Susan Kirsch, professional makeup artist and founder of Kirsch Cosmetic Studio in Toronto. The line is made up of "skin-tone friendly palettes and product that look great and last on youthful or mature skin."

Ebeauty.ca carries Pandora's Box products and they kindly sent me one of  Pandora's Box blushes to try out. The blush retails for $18 CDN and is available on the Pandora's Box website or on Ebeauty.ca.

Pandora's Box uses eco-friendly, refillable, retro-inspired packaging. The blush I received came with a little "belt" that hooks in front. This is disposable laminated cardboard but pretty and it adds to the look of the packaging. It's all a little too girly for my taste.

Underneath the belt is the blush palette, also made with laminated cardboard. There's a daisy-shaped window adorned with a plastic gem that shows you what's inside. 

Inside is the blush palette, with a little notch so you can remove it when it's empty. The palettes for the blushes are magnetized so they're completely refillable. 

The shade I received is Wine and described on the Pandora's Box website as a deeper pink for darker skin. Here it is swatched on my finger tip. Despite the fact this is apparently meant for darker skintones, it's still wearable on my skin. I found Wine to be quite sheer and in swatching it, I needed to do a few swipes to get a discernible amount of product. Even though this is recommended for darker skin, it's so sheer, it can be worn by most skintones.

See? Here's me wearing it. I applied it quite lightly with a full-bristled blush brush and got this effect. It's a sheer plum shade and gives me a sophisticated look. It's a good shade for fall but quite sheer for my liking.

I should note that while the eco-friendly cardboard packaging of Pandora's Box is admirable, it may not stand up well in a bathroom with humidity and excess moisture.

Pandora's Box also carries customizable, refillable 4x eyeshadow palettes which are worth a look.

Have you tried any Pandora's Box products?

C.