Zuzu Luxe (Gabriel Cosmetics, Inc.) : Dual Powder Foundation, Fascination Blush & Cosmopolitan Lip Gloss + $130 Cosmetic Giveaway!

When I think about vegan cosmetics, natural cosmetics or even just great cosmetics in general, Zuzu Luxe is one of the first things to come to mind. I have always been super picky about my cosmetics and a few Zuzu Luxe products have been absolute staples of mine for the past 5+ years. While I have yet to try many of their products, their foundation, gloss and blush are some of my favorite beauty products yet.

Courtesy of Zuzu Luxe, I'm featuring their Dual Powder Foundation ($28.30), Lip Gloss ($18.15), Blush ($21.50) here today!

Dual Powder Foundation in D-14



This powder foundation is silky, breathable and can easily be worn sheer or matte and applied either wet or dry. Since the foundation is comprised mostly of minerals, it is oil free and has a natural SPF 8. My skin is super oily and finding products that ward off shine can be difficult; this one, as well as the Gabriel Color Dual foundation, have been excellent for oil absorption. I absolutely LOVE how matte this foundation keeps my skin! The product also isn't drying which which makes it excellent for those with dry skin as well! The D-14 color is wonderful for medium skin tones or as a bronzer for lighter skin.

I am also a huge fan of the design of the compact. The compact comes with a top compartment that houses the foundation and a bottom compartment that holds the mirror + applicator/sponge. I love this design because I typically apply my powder foundation with a brush and can simply flip up the top lid to access the foundation without having to touch the applicator or flip up the bottom compartment. Because the mirror is separated from the foundation your compact doesn't suffer from "dusty mirror syndrome". In some other designs the foundation and mirror are in the same compartment and this makes the mirror super dusty, however, this design really cuts down on that issue.


Blush in Fascination

Arm swatches of the lip gloss in Cosmopolitan (left) and the blush in Fascination (right):

The "Fascination" blush shade is a soft, slightly burnished rose color which is absolutely wonderful for everyday wear. My skin is slightly tan and this blush gives me a great looking glow! The blush has a very subtle shimmer which helps to brighten the face. However, the shimmer is so subtle and fine that it does creates a healthy looking "glow" rather than just functioning as a sea of sparkles.

The color itself is great for a natural, minimal look. One that makes me look in the mirror and say "Oh hey, I do look pretty alright without makeup after all! Oh wait, I am wearing makeup. Womp womp." After applying the blush my face looks just like it has a very nice, natural flush. Because it looks so natural, I especially like this blush for professional environments or those times when I need a little bit of a toned down look. With smooth application and great staying power, this is definitely a keeper!

Lip Gloss in Cosmopolitan



Zuzu Luxe's lip gloss has the perfect amount of shine, consistency and color. It glides onto the lips smoothly and is non-sticky, it also has excellent staying power! What more can you ask for? Oh that's right, an amazing color, and yes, it has that too!

I tested out the lip gloss in Zuzu Luxe's "Cosmopolitan" shade and the finish is gorgeous, as is the color! My lips are quite pigmented so its difficult to find pale colored lip glosses that will mask the natural shade of my lips, however, this gloss definitely does the trick. I especially love that this lip gloss is shimmer free and is not too glossy so it works well for most occasions. While many pink lip glosses are either too pale, too pink, too pearly, too shimmery or too bright, this shade had none of those issues for me, my absolute favorite pink gloss!

Zuzu Luxe products are naturally based, vegan, and gluten free. For all of August, Gabriel Cosmetics is donating 5% of all of its online sales to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

How would you like to try out these products for yourself? Well, thanks to Gabriel Cosmetics, you CAN and free to boot!

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Gabriel Cosmetics is generously providing one lucky reader with a gift basket containing all the cosmetics seen here and in my Gabriel Color post! The gift basket will include $130 worth of makeup including:

• Zuzu Luxe Dual Powder Foundation D-14 ($28.30)
• Zuzu Luxe Lip Gloss Cosmopolitan ($18.15)
• Zuzu Luxe Blush Fascination ($21.50)
• Gabriel Color Powder Foundation Medium Beige ($26.35)
• Gabriel Lipstick Clay ($16.75)
• Gabriel Blush Apricot ($18.35)
  

To enter all you need to do is visit the Gabriel Cosmetics Inc. website and leave a comment with something you learned about their company or products.

For one extra entry each you can:
* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS or via email (post your email address)
* Sign up for Gabriel Cosmetics email updates (bottom right of the page)
* Follow both The Wide World Of via Twitter & Gabriel Cosmetics on Twitter + tweet about the giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day)
* Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on September 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Deb

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Others experiences with these products may differ from mine. **