Alima Pure Limited-Edition Holiday 2011 Collections: Cold Outside and Warm Inside

I love Alima Pure! They have two limited-edition Holiday Collections that are definitely worth your immediate attention. Cold Outside (shown above) and Warm Inside are $36 each, and $2 of that price goes to The Global Fund for Women.

I've mentioned before that I'm not the world's biggest fan of loose mineral pigments. Many of them are hard for me to apply evenly and use correctly. I'm often a slap-dash makeup artist. Alima Pure's powders are glorious. They apply evenly with ease with a brush, and they don't travel on my face. The Alima Pure colors always light up my face. Who could ask for more?

When Alima Pure sent me samples of the holiday colors, I was so excited, I put them someplace special, drawing in my breath with delight. The package had a message, Baby, it's Cold Outside. But lucky you, it's Warm Inside." It certainly was. Unfortunately, I stowed the collections so safely I "lost them." Seriously, I've been looking for them for at least two weeks so that I could swatch them and show you. As I mentioned Friday, I need a "system." Anyhow, without further ado, let's look at these gorgeous colors. Whether you are inspired by strolling through the snow or snuggling by the fire, Alima Pure's got you covered.

Cold Outside features three full-sized eye shadows and a full-sized blush in crisp, cool colors just right for a winter party. Warm Inside is filled with three stunning, sparkling eye shadows and a full-sized shimmer powder in warm shades perfect for a dinner by candlelight. Both sets come in a gorgeous white gift box. My photos show my sample pots.

Cold Outside offers the following icy-cool colors.

• Snowdrift, off-white shimmer with a hint of silvery blue
• Snow Angel, light-to-medium blue with silver sparkle
• Jack Frost, deep blue-toned purple shimmer
• Rosy Cheeks, a "just-in-from-the-cold" matte pink blush
  

Warm Inside offers these knock-em-dead colors every neutral lover is going to adore.

• Candlelight, pale gold shimmer
• Mulled Cider, medium rose-gold sparkle
• Hot Toddy, deep, shimmering bronze
• Firelight, warm gold luminous shimmer powder

The shades are going to wow you. I applied each with a sponge-tipped applicator and took my photos in full sun. I applied them relatively heavily - in the case of the Rosy Cheeks blush, much too heavily (sorry).

The Cool Outside swatches are shown above. Even though I thought I had applied Snowdrift (second down on my arm) fairly evenly, I didn't: user error. You get the idea, I'm sure, that it's a semi-transparent, shimmering white. Snow Angel and Jack Frost literally jump off the skin and shout, "Look at me, I'm gorgeous!" The matte blush is pretty on the cheeks. It's a warm color that counterbalances the icy shades for the eyes.

Here's a look Alima Pure used to illustrate Cool Outside. Snowdrift was applied from crease to brow. Snow Angel was applied with a dry brush on the outer 2/3 of the lid and with a damp brush to line the lower lash line. Jack Frost was overlaid on the outer 1/3 of the lid and lightly blended into the crease. Rosy Cheeks was lightly swirled on the cheeks. The lips were finished with Organic Nourishing Lip Balm in Cranberry.

Warm Inside is swatched above. These are colors to make a neutral lover's day. Candlelight is shown at the top, with Firelight, the shimmer powder, below it. Actually, you could use either as a shimmer powder.

The Alima Pure look features Candlelight from lash to brow. Mulled Cider was added to the lid. Hot Toddy was applied into the crease and at the outer corner of the lid. It was also applied with a damp brush as a liner. The cheekbones and temples were accented with Firelight. You can use any blush. Rosy Cheeks was used for this look, and it was also finished with Organic Nourishing Lip Balm in Cranberry.

It doesn't get much prettier! Alima Pure's Holiday Collections are available at the Alima Pure Web site. The sets include full-sized products, not the little pots I showed you. Even if you don't need more eye shadow for yourself, these sets make fantastic gifts. I can't wait to wear the golds!

Photos courtesy of Alima Pure and by Best Things in Beauty