Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer Review

I can sum up this product in one word. Perfect. So I won't drone on with a long review.

This is a dense, cream formula and it's really easy to apply and blend. It has a light beige tint when it comes out of the tube, but sheers out completely. This primer has intensified the finish of every shadow I have tried with it so far.  And there is no creasing, smudging or fading for a full 12 hours. Step One Primer has given new life to shadows that I had given up on, due to their tendency to majorly crease. Even my super cheap Dollar Store shadow lasts all day long with this primer underneath.

I also apply it on my under eye area before my concealer which gives me a better finish from the very start and gives me several more hours of wear time before I need any touch ups.

This tube is $9.95, and I think it's totally worth that, but Coastal Scents has frequent sales so you can probably get it for less.

Covergirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil Reivew and Swatch

As soon as I heard about these jumbo eyeshadow pencils I knew I had to try them. I wasn't really expecting to be very impressed but I loved the idea of a drugstore shadow pencil and I was curious to see if they could deliver. So I grabbed one in Melted Caramel.

I love shadow pencils for their ease of application. I can get a much more precise application with these than I can with brushes.

These pencils come in 10 shades. None of them appear to be matte - they seem to range from shimmery to glittery depending on the shade. These are not twist up chubbies, but true pencils that you will have to sharpen. The formula is creamy - not as creamy as Laura Mercier Caviar sticks or Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow Sticks - but they are still easy to blend. The stick feels really cool on the lid which was unexpected and the wear time if fantastic! Without primer it still looked completely perfect, as if I had just applied it, after 6 hours and after 9 hours there was only the tiniest bit of creasing that you wouldn't even notice without a close inspection.

Melted Caramel

 

Melted Caramel is a beautiful chocolatey brown shade, with golden shimmers. It's basically the perfect shade for just about everyone. You can apply it with a light touch as a base shade or build it a bit for a beautiful crease. I like to use it alone or to create a neutral smokey eye. It does require a couple sweeps to get more than a sheer color, but it is easy to build so that doesn't bother me.

I will definitely be purchasing more shades as they are all really wearable and pairable with other shades to create depth and dimension. Overall I think these shadow pencils  are a great addition to drugstore offerings. 



Lancome Maquicomplet Concealer Review and Swatches

As my quest for the perfect product to conceal my dark circles continued, I ventured over to the Lancôme counter to see what I could find. Lancôme's Maquicomplet Concealer is not a new product by any means, but you can definitely file it under "oldie but goodie." This concealer performs on every level.

The Maquicomplet Concealer comes in a whopping 14 shades, which includes one yellow corrector. So there's a high probability that you will be able to find the right shade for you. Below are the 4 lightest shades. (the quality of the photo isn't great but you can still get a pretty good idea of the shades)

(R to L)  Porcelaine, Ivoire, Camee, Claire II

As you can see, Porcelaine is really pink. Saying it's got pink undertones doesn't do it justice. This stuff is straight up ballet slipper pink, so I passed and went with Camee, which looks somewhat beigey in the tube, but once applied it's actually a nice, light, yellow-undertoned shade that is somewhat brightening, without being overwhelmingly so.

The formula is a velvety, creamy, liquid and it's a dream to blend under the eyes. It dries down to a powdery matte finish, which can and will look cakey if you over do it. Unless you've got super oily skin, I don't suggest that you set this with any powders. You won't need to anyway as this wears well for at least 6 hours on me and then only light touching up is needed.

Coverage is medium. Lancôme says it's full but I've got some serious dark circles and while this seriously diminishes their appearance, it doesn't conceal them completely.  However I do think this will provide enough coverage for most people. It's certainly more pigmented than most concealers. The most impressive thing about this concealer is that it doesn't start creasing until after my work day is over.  Yep, I said it. So many concealers begin to crease within the first 2 hours of application but this is still crease free when I get home! Having said that, if you leave this on for 10+ hours, things are going to start looking cakey and it will start to crease.

This is currently retailing for $30. You might suffer a bit of sticker shock from that, but to me this formula is worth it, if you're having trouble finding something with enough coverage to hide really dark circles. Of course, I'll keep looking for one that performs just as well for less ;)

Living Proof Full Thickening Cream

I was really excited about this product when I first got it. A cream that makes your hair look thicker all over? Count me in! Plus I'm a pretty big fan of the Living Proof Full products that I've tried so far, so I had really high hopes.  So let's jump right in.

Living Proof Full Thickening Cream is meant to create "beautiful, natural fullness and touchable body that lasts throughout the day. Because it's a completely felxible technology your hair won't collapse or become stiff and crunchy."

Living Proof says that finding the right amount of product to use can take some experimentation and I've read some reviews that said their hair looked greasy after applying this stuff, so the first time I used it I decided to play it safe. I used about a dime sized amount (which is what the directions suggest) Actually I may have used slightly more. But it turned out that I had played it too safe as this wasn't enough for my long, medium thickness hair. The results were still nice - it had an obvious smoothing effect and my hair was definitely shinier than usual as well! but it didn't look any thicker than usual. Having said that, my hair looked and felt super smooth and shiney for a couple of days, so I was pleased.

My second attempt was more succesful. This time I used about two nickle sized amounts, spread it evenly throughout my damp hair. The results were smooth and shiney, just like the first time, but this time my hair had a thicker appearance, while maintaining a lightweight feel and plenty of bounce. It looked so good, I didn't feel the need to style it any more! To be sure, this product does not provide a va-va-voom Dolly Parton-esque type look, but a you've-got-naturally-thick-and-beautiful-hair look. If you want something really dramtic you'll have to continue styling.

I expected things to be limp the next morning when I took my hair down from its nightly pony tail, but to my surprise everything was looking just as full and bouncy as the day before! cutting the time I had to spend on my hair down to about a minute. Perfect!

When using this product, keep in mind that it is not a lifter. So if you're wanting lift at the roots you need to use a root lifting product before applying this thickening cream.

Overall I like this product and recommend it to anyone troubled with flat, lifeless hair. I think Living Proof's Full Shampoo and Conditioner do just as good a job at providing lightweight body and bounce though, so I'm not sure that I will be purchasing this cream in the future for myself. (I don't see the need to use both) This thickening cream does have the added bonus of providing beautiful smoothness and shine, which I loved.

This product retails for $26 for a 3.7 oz bottle.

Clinique - A Different Nail Enamel For Sensitive Skins Fall 2013

I've never had sensitivity issues from nail polish, but I was drawn to the new beige shades sitting atop the Clinique counter so I decided to test some out today while doing some shopping.

My plan: Paint my nails with the testers at the counter. Walk around the mall, window shopping while I decide which shades I have to have, go back and purchase some beautiful polish.

The short story is. I didn't purchase any of them. While I love all of the shades - they are flattering, beautiful and classy for all - this formula took forever to dry! I tried to be super careful for a good 10 minutes after applying the enamel but I sill ended up with smudges and scrapes everywhere! I really don't remember touching anything. It was really frustrating. I'm not sure what changes were made to make this "For Sensitive Skins" but I cannot recommend these to anyone who doesn't have at least 20 minutes to sit still, not moving their hands at all, while their nails dry.

If you're used to having reactions from nail polishes then maybe the $12.50 price tag is worth it to you. But I can get the same shades from Zoya for $8 and those suckers dry fast!

Edited to add: This stuff chipped like crazy about 24 hours after application. Definitely not worth $12.50.

Farm House Fresh Sugar Sugar Gift Set Review

If you're looking for a sweet gift to give, this just might be it. This was given to me as a thank you gift, and I love it so much I feel like I should give a thank you gift for the thank you gift!
This gift set, comes with a tub of Sweet Cream Fine Body Scrub, a tube of Whoopie! Shea Butter Hand Cream - in white velvet buttercream - and a cute little wooden spoon you can use to easily scoop out the sugar scrub.

The butterceam hand cream smells unbelievably good! It is absolutely my new favorite hand cream. It smells so sweet, yet soft. It doesn't make you smell like frosting or anything. It smells better, if you can believe it.  And it leaves my hands smelling delicious for hours! Seriously, this stuff lasts. A lot of popular vanilla and baked goods-type scents kind of have a fake, chemical fragrance to them. Like they just couldn't get it quite right, but Farm House Fresh found the secret recipe with this one.
The forumla is creamy, hydrating and not greasy.

The Sweet Cream Fine Body Scrub is almost as yummy smelling (nothing can equal the whoopie cream though) The sugar granules are a nice small size and not too abrasive on the skin. It has a creamy vanilla scent that leaves your skin smelling sweet for hours. After I used it last night, I kept wondering which lotion I used to make my skin smell so great. It took a while to convince myself that I had indeed used a fragrance free lotion and that the scent was actually left by this scrub.

I definitely recommend this gift set. I love it more every time I use it.
You can buy it online for $36.

I'm loving the Whoopie! Cream so much I think I'm going to have to buy the Body Cream in the same scent for $30.

FREE Sample of Pond's Luminous Finish BB + Cream

At Target.com.  http://samples.target.com/
It looks like it only comes in Light and Medium, and you don't get to choose which sample Target sends you. Oh well.

I'm definitely trying this one out. I'm interested in anything "luminous" since my skin gets so dry and dull in the winter, but more often than not "luminous" just means that they threw in some crazy shimmer. I would love it if this BB Cream turned out to be something really amazing.
I'll let you know what I think!

Pixi Illuminating Tint and Conceal Review and Swatches

Pixi's Illuminating Tint and Conceal has been calling out to me every time I walk by the display in Target. I was initially drawn to the packaging, which includes a dome-shaped cream concealer inside the lid of a tinted moisturizer, making it easy to travel and just convenient.  I don't usually bother with tinted moisturizers but decided to give this a try.

The concealer is a full coverage creme-to-powder finish. It's really creamy upon application and easy to blend out but it turned a little cakey after a while. The three lighter shades are practically identical once applied even though they look different in the cap.

(L to R)  1, 2 and 3 concealer

The tinted moisturizer was a pleasant surprise to me. This formula isn't too runny and it felt nice and hydrating, yet lightweight (I couldn't feel it on my skin at all) and silky on the skin. It blends out smoothly and easily and it does a beautiful job of evening out my skin tone and masking redness. This is an illuminating product so it contains some shimmer. I think the amount of shimmer is nice. It adds a fresh faced overall glow. Definitely not overkill, but the shimmer is there. So if you're against all-over shimmer you'll want to avoid this. Overall this gives the apperance of naturally beautiful skin and with spf 20 you'll be helping your skin stay beautiful.

I find it odd that they paired a full coverage foundation with a tinted moisturizer. The moisturizer gives such a light and natural finish while the concealer is pretty serious business. Applied with care it's not a horrible combination but it is an odd one, in my opinion.

At $30 this seems a bit pricey for a tinted moisturizer, but it does come with a decent concealer so it's kinda worth it.

Coastal Scents Warm 88 Palette Review Revisted

About 2 months ago, I reviewed the Coastal Scents Warm 88 Palette. The review was fairly positive, and while I still enjoy using several colors in this palette, after having used it for over 2 months now, my overall opinion has gone down a bit.

My chief complaints are these:

There are too many shades that are nearly identical. In the pot they look different enough, but once applied they look the exact same. Particularly the orangey/coral-esque shades, but also the shimmery blues, purples and whites. This palette could definitely be condensed and you wouldn't lose anything in terms of shade selection.

The quality of each pot is quite variable. Many are much more chalky than I'd like. Some have barely visible pigmentation and are very difficult to build. And several of the shades crease like crazy without a primer.

Having said all that, I do really love several of the shades in this palette. There are some really nice taupes, shimmery caramel type shades, and some deep browns and plums that are really fantastic to play with, especially for the Fall season. I just wish I could eliminate all those shimmery, silvery blues and replace with them golden .... well golden anything really.

In the future when I'm jonesing for some awesome shadows I'm going to stick with Coastal Scents' Hot Pots. You can pick and choose the individual shades that you want and the quality is WAY better than even the best shadow in a CS palette. The dud shades in these large palettes cry out "I am money wasted!" every time I open it up.

Living Proof Full Shampoo and Conditioner Review

The short of this review is, I think I've found the shampoo and conditioner I never knew I was always looking for. Seriously, I'm in love with these products and my hair!

I've never put too much thought into my shampoo or conditioner and to be honest I didn't know much about Living Proof products, but then a few months ago a friend started raving about them, so I decided to give them a try. And let me tell you, I'm SO glad I did!

The Living Proof Full Shampoo is sulfate-free and is formulated for daily use. It is apparently safe for color treated hair, but my hair is not color treated so I can't attest to that. What I CAN tell you is this stuff delivers on every other level. I used it with their Full Conditioner - an oil and silicone free product -  and my hair was left feeling super clean and had way more volume than usual. Honestly I didn't even think that was possible, especially not from just shampooing and conditioning. I didn't use any styling products at all and my hair had so much body! What was equally impressive was the fact that it felt so light and SO clean while still feeling healthy - not stripped. And that feeling lasted for about 3 days. I don't wash my hair every day. It's not necessary and it's such a pain to dry it! And usually by day three, things are looking really limp and just sad. But with Living Proof my hair still looked great on day three. Crazy, huh?
Crazy good!

Another thing I love about these products is the fragrance. It's a nice, soft, kind of herbal scent and it leaves my hair smelling amazingly fresh for days.

In the past, if I wanted voluminous hair I had to slather on a bunch of mousse, or spray my roots and massage  and apply heat to activate. But with the Living Proof Full Shampoo and Conditioner I don't have to do anything extra, if I don't want to.
I recommend these to anyone who wants extra bounce without the extra work!

You can buy Living Proof products in the US at Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta and QVC. In Canada at Sephora. In Europe at SPACE.NK.apothecary. In Australia at Mecca Cosmetica. And of course you can buy from their website which offers free shipping on every order. How awesome is that?

I will be reviewing more Living Proof products in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

NP Set It Takes Two Concealer and Foundation Pot Review and Swatches

I love getting a concealer and foundation in one package. It means I only have to reach for one product, it's easy to travel with and I only have to make one purchase. So I was automatically drawn to this dual-purpose product.

While we're on the packaging ... The cream concealer is house in the lid of the foundation. The top flips up to reveal not only the concealer but a nice little mirror as well, which is a really nice touch. There is a white star in the center of the concealer pot, which according to NP SET is a bonus highlighter, but honestly it's more a gimmick, if you ask me. In order to access ONLY the highlighter you have would have to use a small brush and avoid mixing the pigmented concealer into the star every time you use it and I can't be bothered with that.  Anyway, to access the foundation you screw off the lid which has a small spatula attached to it for you to dip into the foundation. People will either love or hate that feature. I think it's fine for now, but when there's not much foundation left I predict that it will be difficult to get the rest out since the opening is quite small.

Okay, on to the good stuff. The formula.
The foundation applies really smooth and is creamy easy to blend without being greasy or shiny. The finish is semi-matte and coverage is light-medium. This won't be right for anyone with serious imperfections that need to be covered, but it's very nice for evening skin tone and brightening things up a bit.

Unfortunately the shade selection really let me down and makes this unwearable for me.  It only comes in three shades - light, medium and dark - and light was way too orangey for me. It makes no sense to me to only offer a foundation in only three shades, since very few people will be lucky enough to find a nice fit.

 

The concealer is pretty meh, for me. It's smooth and emollient which made it a dream to blend, but the coverage is sheer and that just won't cut it for my under eye circles. It should work for anyone needing only to conceal light discoloration, but anything significant will need a product with more coverage.

 

Overall this product is a disappointment. I wanted to love it and I really do love the formula of the foundation but the shade selection is horrible and the concealer just won't conceal much of anything.

NP Set Pre-Foundation Pore Perfecting Primer

Ah, primers. They come in so many varieties these day, and make so many claims. I don't enjoy trying new primers nearly as much as other products, but I was really interested to see if NP Set could really perfect my pores, so I made the plunge and picked up this primer for $28 at Target.

To be honest, I was skeptical. A lot of "perfecting" primers have left me disappointed, so I wasn't expecting this to do much for the unfortunately large pores on my cheeks. Lucky for, and my wallet, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this actually does deliver! My pores were instantly blurred. They didn't totally disappear but they were hardly noticeable for my entire 10 hour day. Count me impressed!

This is a silicone based primer. When it comes out of the tube it looks slightly pink, but it goes on totally sheer. It had a nice mattifying effect on my skin, although I don't have incredibly oily skin to begin with. I don't usually have problems with foundations sliding off my face as most decent foundations stay put on me, but I still noticed that the overall finish of my foundation looks fresher and more even all day long.

This will cost you close to $30, depending on where you get it, for 1.01 fl oz. That's seems a bit high for people doing their cosmetic shopping at Target. However it does a great job at blurring my pores so I will probably repurchase, unless I can find a better one for less.

FREE Fat Hair product of your choice

I don't see where/if it says what size product they are giving away. It might only be a sample, but hey, it's free! And you get to try something new :)

Just go to this site http://www.fat-hair.com/fh-survey2.php choose between

• Thickening Shampoo
• Thickening Conditioner
• Amplifying Hair Spray
• Amplifying Hair Mousse
• Thickening Spray
• Thickening Creme
• Root Lifter Spray
• Thickening Pomade

Fill in the form and you're done! In 6-8 weeks you should have your sample. I chose Thickening Creme and of course, I'll be reviewing it :)

Coastal Scents Hot Pot Review and Swatches

Coastal Scents has a ton of shadows that can be purchased individually, for $1.95 each. They come in all shades and finishes. In my opinion their Hot Pots tend to be of a higher quality than the shadows included in the palettes. Hot Pots tend to have a smoother formula and are less likely to crease, from my experience.
I'll be reviewing and swatching a lot of these shadows in batches as I try them.

Today's review includes Ice Ballet, Bombay, Peachy Keen and Raisin Berry.

Ice Ballet -  A beautiful shade of frosty violet. It can go on sheer, leaving a satin finish, if applied with a light touch. Or you can build it up to a semi-opaque, shimmer finish. I lovely feminine shade for any skin tone, this shade brings Winter to mind and will be the perfect touch of color for those frosty days. Violets are also a beautiful shade for any bride!

Bombay - A total dud for me. This is a light, dusky grey, with a matte finish. Zombies come to mind with this shade, and it's hard for me to think of any good use for it or anything skin tone that this would compliment. I suppose it could be used when creating multi-depth smokey eye, but there are plenty of other, more versatile shades for that. The pot that I got looks nothing like the one shown on the CS website.

Raisin Berry - I LOVE this shadow! A wonderfully deep berry shade with warm undertones and a shimmer finish. This shadow is richly pigmented and goes on opaque even without a primer! Once applied, it takes on more of a brown tone than it appears in the pot (not quite as cranberry as I had expected.  It's almost identical to MAC's "Sweet Chestnut."
This shade is perfect for the Fall and Winter seasons.

Peachy Keen - A sweet peachy-pink shade with a flattering, satin finish.  Depending on the light, it can appear quite pink or peachy. Application is only  a little heavier than sheer, but it can be built up to semi-opaque.



(L to R) Rainsin Berry, Bombay, Ice Ballet, Peachy Keen

FREE Sample of Lifeline Skin Care Recovery Night Moisture Serum

Just fill out the form. http://www.lifelineskincare.com/free-sample-no-snh

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm Review

I'm a sucker for new lip balms. It doesn't matter how many I have, if I see one that looks good or different I'll grab it! And so I have found myself in the possession of an EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm.

Mine is in Pomegranet Raspberry, one of the limited edition holiday offerings.

The packaging is the most noticable thing about this product. It's obviously nothing like your run-ofthe-mill lip balm twist up tube. The sphere is about the size of a golf ball, which doesn't make it convenient to carry around in a little purse, but it IS easy to find in a big one! The top half twists off to reveal a dome of product. Pretty cute, huh?

 

This EOS Balm is 100% natural and the formula is nice and rich without being too heavy or thick on the lips. It contains shea butter, vitaimin E and has NO parabens or patrolatum. I'm trying to stay away from products containing patroleum, but it's difficult since they seem to be in everything! The scent is subtle and fruity and it has a slightly sweet flavor. I seem to have a difficult time finding natural lip balms that really do the job. They tend to be thin and slippery, but this balm instantly soothed my chapped lips and kept them protected for hours.
 This might end up being my go-to this Winter.

You can get it for about $3.20 for 0.25 oz at CVS or your local grocery.

Bzz Agent Review - Curel Intensive Healing Cream

As a BzzAgent I received this product free of charge for review



Cold, dry weather is setting in and that means it's time to pull out the heavy duty creams to help combat or maybe even prevent! the dry, itchy, irritated winter skin. That's Curel's cue!


This stuff means business,  I can tell you. The formula is thick and creamy, it absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn't feel greasy. And there is no fragrance! Thank goodness! I noticed an immediate improvement in the look and feel of my skin. It takes the itchiness out right away. Winter itch drives me crazy and I definitely think if I use this consistently I'll be able to prevent it all together.

Here are the ingredients:
Water, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Wax, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Paraffin, Dimethicone, Cetyl PG Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Magnesium Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Magnesium Sulfate, Glyceryl Oleate, Ethoxydiglycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Butylene Glycol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Propylparaben

Nothing too scary, nothing mind blowing. If you don't like using petroleum products (quite frankly I'm not a huge fan but I sometimes use them anyway) then you won't be wanting to buy this cream.

Overall I'm pleased with this product. I recommend it to anyone who wants to heal or just avoid super dry skin this Winter. I've been using this for a weeks and it has helped to keep my skin looking and feeling moisturized and well taken care of. At one point my hands were looking pretty ragged after some last minute gardening and DIY home projects and I was really glad to have this around. It's done a great job at moisturizing my dry and cracked cuticles as well. 

Revlon Lacquer and Matte Balms Review

Revlon recently added Colorburst Lacquers and Balms to their chubby lip pencil offerings. They look almost identical to the Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stains, but their performance is definitely different.

First, I should say that I could not find these anywhere! I paid a friend to mail me some. Yeah. That's how curious I was. I was really pleased with the Kissable Lip Stain formulas and excited that I might find a super shiny version in the Lacquers. I'm not really into matte lip colors, but I got one of those too for the sake of comparison.

They both smell identical to the Kissable Stains. Minty, with a hint of plastic. Pleasant enough. Both the Lacquer and the Matte feel smooth on the lip as they are applied but the pigmentation of the Matte, shade Mischievous, was uneven and patchy. I used my finger to smooth it out and that took some effort. Even then, it majorly accentuated the slightly dry patches I currently have. It's a lovely light peachy shade, so I hate that I don't think I will be able to wear it. It doesn't feel dry on the lips but unfortunately it make my lips look pretty bad.

I had better luck with the Lacquer Balm, but it's still not a home run for me. With a name like Lacquer I was hoping for and expecting something with high shine. This has a nice sheen, but nothing spectacular. The finish isn't much different from the Kissable Lip Stain. It glides on the lips, and feels a bit more silky than the Matte and it doesn't catch on any dryness.

Wear time on these is about 3 hours, if you don't eat anything.  Oh, and though the packaging is virtually identical, these are NOT stains.

Overall, I'm indifferent to these balms. There's hardly enough of a difference in these, from the Kissable Stains, to warrant a new launch. Those who prefer a matte lip will probably be really pleased with the addition. I wasn't impressed enough with them to rush out and purchase any more. Although, from what I'm seeing online, there are a few more lacquer shades that look fairly nice, so I might be eating my word in a few weeks.

.... If they ever show up here, that is.

I need the JuveRest Pillow!

Okay, so once I got passed the fact that it looks like some sort of New Age torture device, I have decided that I need this pillow.

I've known for a while that at least some of my fine lines are caused from shoving my face into my pillow. That's my favorite position, what can I say? I've tried adjusting my sleeping position and it just doesn't work.  So, I can only assume that these lines will keep getting deeper, until they become full on wrinkles!

This pillow looks like serious business though. Like it won't take "no" for an answer. Like it will FORCE you to sleep in the perfect Sleeping Beauty Pose.
It also looks like you might wake up with a huge crick in the neck! But, hey. I'd try it.

...probably not for $180 though.

**This has been a totally random rambling session**

Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream

BB Creams have got to be the most over-hyped beauty products of this decade. Honestly, I'm sick of hearing about them.

....But I'm going to review one anyway :)

I picked up a sample of Jane Iredale's Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream at a spa recently. I didn't want to like it.

While this isn't quite full coverage, it does give a solid medium coverage. Considering most BB Creams on the American market are watered down tinted moisturizers that's saying something! You could probably build it to full coverage but I wouldn't recommend it, since it would likely leave your skin feeling quite heavy.

The formula is thick with an almost gel-like consistency and has a light, sweet, fresh scent. Like orange jello. Yum! It's dense and very pigmented so a little bit goes a long way. Apply it sparingly to begin with to avoid a cakey look. You can easily sheer it out some by mixing it with a moisturizer.

This BB Cream dries to a satin finish which only improves throughout the day. Seriously. Every time I looked in the mirror my skin looked better. I didn't want to wash this stuff off! It does a decent job of blurring my pores. It doesn't make them disappear or anything but it definitely makes them less noticeable. My skin looked healthier and I suppose a little glowy. (there is no shimmer)  I think this will be best for me in the summer, when my skin isn't screaming out for hydration! Glow Time isn't drying, but I don't think it's going to be moisturizing enough for me in the dead of Winter. We'll see.

I got shade BB3, which is the second lightest shade (They only have odd numbers)

Shade BB 3

BB3 was a little too light for my skin tone, which suprises me because I'm pretty light.

Other notable facts: It's got water resistant spf 25 AND it's vegan/cruelty free! That alone makes me a fan.

*Sigh* I really like this BB Cream. But at $48 I'm going to have to wait a while if I'm going to purchase it. Maybe I'll pay for it with my Christmas bonus. lol Christmas bonus! FAT CHANCE of getting one!

Glam Natural Cream Blush Review and Swatch

It's hard for me to get excited about blush. Really hard. So, I'm honestly not sure why I was interested in Glam Natural's Cream Blush, but I was and now .... well, I'm kind of excited. Kind of.

Let's start with the formula. It's called a cream but if I had to pick a word to describe this blush it would be gel. This is fantastically emollient, making it easy as pie to blend out and it gives those cheeks a fresh dewy finish. If you've got dull dry skin, this will do wonders for you! However if your skin is oily, this might turn into a big mess. It felt a big heavy on my skin at first, but after giving it time to soak in a bit that heaviness went away.

Shade Ashley, Ashley

I got this in the shade Ashley, Ashley and when I first swatched it on my hand I had a moment of "Oh, no! This is not going to be pretty" It looked way too Bleach Blonde Barbie for my taste. Luckily though, there was nothing artificial about my finished look. This cream/gel/whatever gave my cheeks a lovely, naturally youthful glow, with no shimmers! Yay!

I highly recommend this blush for anyone looking for a natural, dewy finish, especially those with dry skin.

NP Set Concealer Review and Swatches

This liquid concealer looks like a Sharpie marker from the outside a bit cheap looking for a $22 dollar product, if you ask me. Inside, the product is revealed in little dots on a fuzzy applicator by twisting the bottom. The formula is thin and smells like paint, but the scent goes away after application. It felt creamier than I expected from a liquid concealer and is easy to blend out.

(L to R) Look 1, 2 and 3

There are only three shades to choose from, but those with light to medium skin tones should be able to find a good match. Darker skin tones are out of luck.

These are light coverage concealers and unfortunately I need more coverage to conceal my dark circles. It also began to crease within 30 minutes of wear time. For these reasons I can't recommend this to anyone needing real coverage under their eyes or for anyone with any fine lines whatsoever. If you only have slight discoloration that needs concealing and if you're quite young (no fine lines!) then this might work well for you.

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Paul Mitchell's Extra Body Daily Boost Review

My hair tends to be a bit limp, especially up at the roots, so I'm always willing to try anything that will help give me some lift and volume. Paul Mitchell's Extra Body Daily Boost does just that.

This is a light weight root spray that also provides some protection again damage caused by heat styling - Which is a good thing, because to get the best results, you'll need to use a blow drier.

What I love about this product is that it gives a natural looking boost to the roots. You won't look like you just stepped out of an 80's rock music video, with super high and crunchy hair! The effect is a soft lift and it makes your hair smell great! And the best part about it is, it's not sticky or stiff.  I don't feel it in my hair at all.

For the best results, I towel try my hair, then spray 3-5 pumps into my roots (the sprayer on the bottle makes it really easy to access the roots) then I lightly massage it around my roots to help spread it out, flip my head over and blow dry. Be carefull not to apply too much or you will definitely be able to feel the product in your hair. If you have thinner hair you will probably only need 2-3 pumps.

I recommend this to anyone who has limp, lifeless hair and wants an easy fix.

Garnier Fructis Surf Hair Texture Paste Review

I'm always looking for easy ways to style my hair. Something you can just put in your hair and go, for those hectic days when you just don't have the time. I love that easy, textured, beachy look that doesn't seem to be going out of style any time soon, so on a whim I picked up a tub of Garnier Fructis' Surf Hair Texture Paste. It was less than 5 bucks for a decent amount of product at Walmart, so I figured I had little to lose.

Turns out I did lose that $5, as this was  big dud for me.
This Texture Paste is thick and creamy, but it's also really sticky. My hair was all but glued to my palms as I applied it, making it difficult to style. It did add texture to my hair, but it also really weighed it down after about 15 minutes. It looked great at first - even more volumious than I expected and I was willing to forgive the sticky formula, but then everything went flat. It also made my hair feel a bit crunchy which is something I really try to avoid.

It has that familiar Garnier frangrance, but it seemed much stronger than most of their products. My fiance even noticed it and said it smell strongly of chemicals. Ouch!

Those with short hair might have better luck with this product, if the smell and stickiness doesn't bother you,  but I can't recommend it to anyone with medium to long hair. It will leave your hair looking dull, flat and unmanagable.

Giovanni Shine of the Times Finishing Hair Mist

I'm a natural medium -blonde,  and while I love my hair, it lacks that shine and luster that darker hair colors achieve. So I picked up some of Giovanni's Shine of the Times Finishing Hair Mist to see if I could get that glossy look that I secretly envy.

Shine of the Times is a silicone misting spray, several certified organic ingredients including rosemary leaf extract, soyben protein, wild beramot extract, poppy and rose hip extract. This product claims to give hair a smooth and shiny finish. The directions say to apply it to your hair, by walking underneath a veil of mist, after you have finished styling. I like that you can apply it as sort of an afterthought, when you're just about ready to walk out the door. There's not much skill involved here.

My hair was instantly shiny after application. It wasn't just-stepped-off-the-pages-of-a-magazine-shiny, but I definitely noticed a difference. It also brought out the golden tones in my hair which was an awesome and unexpected bonus! The shine factor did wear off after a few hours, but you can reapply as needed, although the bottle isn't exactly convenient to throw in your purse.

There is a very strong fragrance when I first apply this, which I could personally do without, but it begins to dissipate fairly quickly, so it doesn't put me off the product.

Overall I like this product. I picked mine up for about $8 and you get a full 4 fl oz, which should last quite a while.

Simply Vera Vera Wang Naturally Radiant Hydrating Makeup Review and Swatches

We all know Vera Wang for her beautiful wedding dresses, but it turns out her makeup line at Kohl's is pretty fab too! So, now we can grab some designer makeup when we hit up one of the never-ending Kohl's super sales.  I recently picked up a couple tubes of the Naturally Radiant Hydrating Makeup and I'm really excited by the results. Is it for you? Read on :)

Let's get right to it.
This is a liquid foundation, with a thick, yet luxurious and velvety consistency and  it blends out beautifully to a light-medium coverage. The formula is emollient which makes is perfect for drier skin and the finish is natural, fresh and really gives the skin a radiant glow.  There is some shimmer hidden within this foundation. I say "hidden" because the shimmer is super fine and I didn't even notice it until about halfway through the day when I was examining the foundation's performance in a different light. I'm usually hesitant to wear shimmery foundation but Vera has managed to incorporate it perfectly into this formula.  The wear time is 8 hours +.
I haven't noticed any weird fading.

This foundation is available in 10 shades. The first three, 101, 102 and 103 are very similar. This is awesome for those with lighter skin tones beacause it means you're pretty much guaranteed to find a perfect match. To test things out I wore 101 on one side of my face and 103 (I skipped shade 102) and I loved the way both looked! I'm thinking I'll either wear 101 in Winter and 103 in Summer. Or I'll just go get 102 and wear it all year.  Once you get into the darker shades, there are some gaps but nothing outrageous. I think most people will be able to find a shade that works for them.

(L to R) 101, 103, 105, 107

This is a great product for those dull-skin days, when you really need a boost of radiance. You'll love this if you want a moisturizing foundation with a natural finish. If you're totally against shimmer or you need a full coverage foundation this might not be for you.

It retails for $39.50 for a 1 oz tube of product. So, while I'll probably never have my very own Vera Wang wedding dress, I can indulge in some designer foundation every day :)

DIY Sugar and Honey Face and Body Scrub

I love using scrubs. They come is such great scents and I always feel a little pampered when I'm done. But you don't have to buy a fancy scrub to get that freshly exfoliated, smooth skin. You can make it at home with ingredients you probably have sitting in your kitchen right now!

The most basic recipe only has two ingredients. Honey and Sugar. Yep that's it! Both of these
ingredients are found in beauty products already - Sugar for it's ability to exfoliate and Honey for it's naturally moisturizing and antimicrobial properties - But why waste the money when you can make your own?  You don't even have to measure things out. Just combine them until you get a consistency that you like. I usually add a little more honey than sugar. You don't want the scrub to be runny but you don't want it to be one big ball of sugar either. Just add and mix until you get something you like. If you're only using
it on your face you will only need about 1/4 cup of total scrub. If you're using it all over your body you should make 1/2-1 cup.

Wet your body in the shower, turn off the water, and rub that scrub all over using light pressure in circular motions. Rinse it all off and you'll find you have super smooth skin, ready for self-tanner, wax (wait a little while before waxing to avoid irritation) or to just show off to the world!

I use this on my body, face and even on my lips! Be sure, especially when you scrubbing your face, that you use a light touch. Sugar can be abrasive if you rub too hard.

If you want to get fancy you can add a little bit of your favorite oil too. I recommend virgin coconut oil, almond oil or extra virgin olive oil. Again, add as much or as little as you want. I recommend a teaspoon per cup of scrub. Oils will boost the moisturising factor and, depending on which oil you choose, may leave behind a nice natural scent when you're done.

You can also try using brown sugar for an especially fragrant sweet treat!

FREE Sample of Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum

This offer has come and gone before and I didn't get in in time but today I did!!!! So, I thought I'd give a heads up to those who want to try today.

Copy and paste this into your browser -  Murad.com/marieclaire8 - to get this offer.

Cover Girl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation

Cover Girl Natureluxe, a.k.a. my Holy Grail of drugstore foundations. Seriously, I have nothing but good things to say about this foundation. I reach for it when I need an inexpesive sure thing.

Let's start with the boring stuff - the packaging. It's perfect, as far as I'm concerned. It's a thin, lightweight, plastic tube housing 1 fl liquid oz. It's super squeezable which means you can easily control how much product you squirt out. And when you get down to those final drops, you can just snip off the top with some scissors and dip your finger in there so you don't waste any product. It's also great for traveling, since it's not clunky. 

Now the formula? It's a dream. This is a thin, silky liquid.  It's lightweight (I can't even feel it on my face) and it makes my skin feel super smooth to the touch. It looks good pretty much all day - It's a light coverage to begin with so if does fade you hardly notice. I've tried applying it with brushes and sponges but honestly I get the best results just using my fingers, which I love because it makes things that much easier.

L to R - Alabaster 305 and Flax 310

This is definitely a light coverage foundation. So, if you need or want a heavier coverage, just look elsewhere. This product is for those who want a naturally flawless look. It doesn't cover moles, freckles or any of that. It does a beautiful job of evening skin tone and giving you an overall smooth, healthy look. This looks like skin, not foundation.

When this foundation first came about a couple years ago it had SPF 10, but it seems that CoverGirl has taken that out. I liked the little bit of SPF. I'll take protection from the sun wherever I can get it, so I'm a bit disappointed about that.

It does contain fragrance, which in general I'm not a fan of, but this happens to be a relatively nice fragrance, so I don't let it get in the way of my love for the product. The formula contains cucumber water and jojoba extract and they definitely play up the former. The cucumber scent is kind of strong, but it's a fresh one and not perfumey in any way.

This retails for $11-$12 depending on where you live. Not bad for such a nice foundation!

FREE Sample - Origins

Just thought I'd pass this offer along. Origins is giving away free samples of their Plantscriptions Youth Renewing Night Cream and Face Oil.

Offer Expires Oct 31 2013
Available in stores (Macy's, Dillards, BonTon and Belk. NOT available at Sephora)

No purchase necessary.
You can also get a mini facial for free, but you can turn that down and still get the sample.

Cover Girl's Invisible Concealer

Straight to the point.

I've got dark circles under my eyes. Bad ones. So I'm always on a quest for the perfect concealer. This quest has lead me to purchase more concealer than any one woman could use in a lifetime, in the hopes that I will one day find THE ONE. And so a few weeks ago, while perusing the make up aisle at target, I decided on a whim to pick up Cover Girls's Invisible Concealer.

... and yet again I was disappointed.

When I first dotted the concealer on, I felt upbeat. The light beige tone is perfect for those days when you want minimal and natural looking makeup without that "tah dah!" look that many brightening concealers give. (I love brightening concealers but sometime they're just too much) Then I started blending those dots out and in doing so ended my upbeat mood.

Fair - 115

When applying concealer I like to dab my finger back and forth around my under eye area. Sweeping or rubbing it in usually just pushes the product around. But as I dabbed, it started looking really cakey, and it kept getting worse! So I had to start sweeping. This definitely helped eliminate the cakey look or the finish, but it totally sheered the concealer out to a light, at best, coverage, and light coverage just won't cut if for my dark circles. Also, the thick formula really tugged at that delicate under eye skin. Cover Girl says that this is a light cream formula, but it was a little to too thick for my liking, especially for under the eye.


So, I tried it on a red spot left over from a nasty pimple a couple weeks ago and got similar results. It was quite cakey at first and was difficult to blend out to a seamless look without completely sheering it out and if it's sheer, it's not concealing.

I tend to really like liquid and cream concealers so I had high hopes for this one. The packaging looks nice, the doe foot applicator is ideal and the price is right. Unfortunately the formula just doesn't work for me. I won't be throwing it out or anything. It's usable, if I work with it (and I'm planing on wearing my glasses for the day) but it's certainly not the end all be all of concealers I'm looking for.

For now I'm still liking ELF's concealer end of the Studio conceaing and highlighter duo.  So, I'll be sticking with it while I continue my quest.


More concealer reviews
Elf's Professional Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter
Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer


 

Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Serum Review

I had been in the market for something with retinol in it for a while. It's an ingredient that's hyped heavily, but it's actually got some science behind it. Anyway, I decided on Neutrogena's Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Serum (Whew! what a name!) While I don't have any deep wrinkles I do have fine lines and this product claims to "reduced appearance of wrinkles such as crows feet, under eye and laugh lines." Did it deliver? Read on :)


This product comes in a sturdy container with a pump (that actually works), contains 1 fl oz and retails for about $19. The directions say to apply one drop, once a day,  onto finger tips and massage it into the skin. I use more than that though, to thoroughly cover my entire face. I usually use a full pump. This thick yellow serum has a slippery consistency and takes a while to absorb so I only use it before bed. It has an odd smell too. I can't quite describe it. It's not horrible, but a bit medicinal.

I didn't keep track of exactly how long I had been using it before I saw results, but I did and still do see results. My skin looks more even, bright and just overall healthier. The fine crows feet I had just begun to notice seem to have disappeared as well, which seems way too good to be true even though I'm seeing it with my own eyes. I don't apply it under my eyes, since that area is so delicate, but I do put some on the sides of my eyes, where those crows feet appear.

If you have really sensitive skin it suggests (as all retinol products do) that you only use it once every other day for a week or two to build up your skins tolerance level to it, then start using it daily. I felt some tingly stuff going on the first few times I used it, but never had any redness or irritation from it.

I've been really impressed with the results from this product. So many anti-aging products don't even come close to living up to their claims, but this one really delivers.

I recommend this product to just about anyone, because who doesn't want better looking skin?