February Favorites

It's the end of February, so I thought I would do a favorites and most used items post.

Josie Maran Argan Oil -- This is so luxurious and a great moisture boost for the dry winter weather.

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 -- It has a beautiful lightweight texture, but gives lots of hydration and has a high SPF.

Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation -- This has such an elegant formula with beautiful coverage and finish.  It's mattifying without being flat, and feels wonderful on the skin.

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush -- Pink and coral colors in one blush, and cute packaging to boot!

Urban Decay Lip Junkies -- Minty, super shiny lip-plumping goodness.

Mally Poreless Face Defender -- This is an amazing skin perfecting finishing product that mattifies the skin and minimizes the look of pores.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment Concealer -- I love the non-cakey coverage and the little puff applicator which makes applying the concealer so easy.

Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer -- I love this for easy daily coverage with SPF.

Maybelline Full ' N Soft Mascara -- This is a most used item for me since it lengthens and volumizes pretty well, but I kind of want to try the Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Mascara next to see if it gives more volume.

I do seem to have a lot of favorites, don't I?

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Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Eye Shadow

Elizabeth Arden recently (last fall, I think) introduced a new line of eyeshadows that are formulated with anti-aging ingredients that are (according to Elizabeth Arden) supposed to give the eyes a more youthful appearance.

Elizabeth Arden says:  "Our crease-free formula helps improve the appearance of signs of aging while protecting your skin from environmental damage."

The packaging for these eyeshadows is beautiful.  They are housed in a silver and gold compact with a Red Door emblem on the front.  The powder is embossed with the shape of a Red Door also.  It comes with a rather tiny sponge applicator that is a little hard to grip, but is still usable.

(That is a green wall reflected in the silver of the compact!)

The eyeshadows come in 32 singles and 7 duos.  I chose 3 singles:  Amethyst, a rich, shimmering blue-based purple; Golden Orchid, a plum with lots of gold shimmer; and Romance, a shimmery dusty rose.

Amethyst

Golden Orchid

Romance

From left: Amethyst, Golden Orchid, Romance (without flash)

From left: Amethyst, Golden orchid, Romance (with flash)

The formula is buttery and soft without any powderiness.  I do get a little creasing on my somewhat oily eyelids after a few hours, but these last all day with a primer underneath.  The colors are also intensified with a primer and can be sheerer without one.  They kind of give a watercolor effect when worn sheer.

One of my favorite combinations is Amethyst on the lid and Romance in the crease.  They make a soft, pretty purple and pink look.

Of note:  One would have to wear this eyeshadow everyday to see any anti-aging effects.  Furthermore, because the packaging is not light or air tight, the anti-oxidants will degrade quickly.  However, that's not to say some of the other anti-aging ingredients can't make a difference to the skin.

I think these shadows are beautiful, not only to use, but to look at on your vanity, too!  Definitely luxurious makeup!

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder

One of my favorite bronzers is Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder in Milk Chocolate.  It is a lighter color than many bronzers, so it works well on fair skin like mine.  It is great for a year-round bronzer, and it also works well as a contour color since it is completely matte.  It contains real cocoa powder, which Too Faced claims has "natural detoxifying effects" (whatever that means).  It does smell like chocolate, and it always makes me crave hot chocolate when I use it!  It also comes in a darker color simply called Chocolate which would work better on less fair skin tones.

It is packaged in a bronze, round compact with Too Faced written in cursive with a border around the edges.  It has a mirror inside the compact, but it doesn't come with a brush.

The powder is finely milled and very silky.  It is sheer but, because of it's texture, you can easily build up the color, and yet it also allows your own skin to show through.  There is no muddiness or orange look to this bronzer.  It just gives a lovely natural tan color to the skin.

I like to use this on my face where the sun would naturally give me color (on the tops of cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose) rather than as an over over face powder, or underneath the cheekbones to give a little contour.

If you are looking for a truly matte silky smooth bronzer, you might want to check out this one!

Pixi Palette FOTD

Last spring, the brand Pixi collaborated with Disney to create a Tinkerbell collection. There were bunch of different things in the collection (eye pencil, eye crayon, lip tint, etc), and I decided to pick up the palette.  It has turned out to be one of my favorite palettes, and I decided to pull it out and use it today.

Face:  Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer in Bare
           Sephora Mattifying Foundation in Light
           Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in Fair
           Pixi Glow Palette blush
Eyes:  Urban Decay Primer Potion
           Pixi Glow Palette--pink on lid, medium brown in crease, dark brown as liner
           Lorac Creamy Brow Pencil in Auburn
           Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara in Very Black
Lips:  Maybelline Color Whisper Lipstick in Rose of Attraction

Pixi  Glow Fairy Face Palette

The Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks are really lovely.  They feel light and balm-like on the lips and a little slick, but give a good amount of color and shine.  The packaging is great because the cap that fits over the entire tube of lipstick matches the color of the lipstick, so it's easy to to tell what color you are grabbing.  

Rose of Attraction is a cool, medium pink with a little silver sparkle.  The sparkle isn't really apparent when on the lips, though.  No worries about this being a glittery lipstick.

Maybelline Color Whisper Lipstick in Rose of Attraction

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Navy Smokey Eye

I decided to do a navy smokey eye for tonight's date night.  I used the Dangerous palette from Urban Decay, which is one of my favorite palettes for dark, mysterious looks.

Products:  Sephora Jumbo Liner 12 Hour Wear Waterproof pencil in Marine as base
                 Urban Decay Dangerous Palette in Evidence (dark navy) on lid
                 Urban Decay Naked Palette in Naked to blend out the navy blue
                 Wet 'n' Wild Eyeshadow single on Creme Brulee under the brow
                 Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Binge on lower lashline
                 Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara in Very Black
                 Benefit Browzings in Medium

Urban Decay Dangerous Palette

From left:  Urban Decay Binge, Sephora Jumbo pencil in Marine, Urban Decay Evidence, Urban Decay Naked, Wet 'n' Wild Creme Brulee

The Urban Decay pencil in Binge and the Sephora Jumbo pencil in Marine are very similar in color, but Binge is a thin liner and Marine is a chubby pencil.  

Have a wonderful Friday!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss Swatches

Some Revlon Colorburst lipgloss swatches today.

Revlon says: A pop of weightless color with vivid, mirror-like shine. Outshines everything but you! 
• Micro-crystal formula for 5X the shine of patent leather
• Plush applicator shaped to curves of your lips for smooth, even application of colour
• ColorBurst's Elasticolor™ technology for rich color with a weightless feel
• Moisturizers and anti-oxidants such as sweet almond oil and vitamin E conditions and improves lip texture

These are housed in a see-through plastic tube with a black plastic cap that has the name Revlon in silver and some cross-hatches that makes the cap look kind of quilted.   They has a doe-foot applicator which is sort of flat on one side.

They are non-sticky, decently pigmented, medium weight, shiny glosses.  They have no discernable scent or taste on the lips.  I detect a little smell as I'm applying them though (I can't quite put my finger on what it is--maybe vanilla?).

These last for about 3 hours on me before I see some fading.  

The two colors I have are Orchid (number 12), a cool lavender pink with silver shimmer, and Peony (number 3), a peachy coral with gold shimmer.  

From top:  Orchid and Peony

Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses in Orchid and Peony

Orchid

Peony

Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses are $7-8.  

Have any favorite Revlon lip glosses?

JinSoon Nostalgia

Celebrity manicurist Jin Soon Choi recently created a line of nail lacquers.  They come in 12 colors, ranging from light pink and nude to red, purple, and teal.  Since I don't have any true nudes in my nail polish collection, I decided to try Nostalgia, which is described as a pink beige.

Sephora says:  "A high-gloss, long-lasting nail lacquer with a chip-proof finish and a rapid drying time."

I have to agree with this description.  This nail polish is so glossy you don't even need a top coat.  Nostalgia gives opaque coverage in three coats, and dries quickly (three coats dries completely in about 15 minutes).  It comes in a square bottle with a pull-off top that reveals the screw-off top underneath.  The brush is wide and flat on one side, which makes it easy to get coverage on the whole nail with about three strokes.

You can see the brush is flat on one side

On me, it is a nude with a little pink to keep it from looking grey or overly beige.  I had a little difficulty capturing the color because there was no direct sunlight for the photos.  This is a cream finish with no shimmer.
I love this nail polish.  It elongates the look of my fingers and is a very elegant color.  Brights may be the trend for spring, but there is something to be said for wearing an understated nude every now and then.

Without flash

With flash

JinSoon nail lacquers are a "five-free" formula, meaning they are formaldehyde, toluene, DPB, and camphor free.  They are $18 and can be found at Sephora.

NYX FOTD

I felt like using NYX colors for todays look.

Face:  Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer in Bare
           Sephora Mattifying Foundation in Light
           NYX Blush in Desert Rose
           Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in Fair
Eyes:  Urban Decay Primer Potion
           NYX Love in Florence Eyeshadow Palette in Ciao Bella
           Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara in Very Black
           Benefit Speed Brow
Lips:  NYX in Rose Bud

Nyx Palette in Ciao Bella, Blush  in Desert Rose, Lipstick in Rose Bud

I used the cream color in the eyeshadow palette all over the eye up to the brow, and the black color as eyeliner that I winged out a little.

The blush is a highly pigmented, matte dark rose that blends into a medium rose on the skin.

NYX Desert Rose unblended, blended

The lipstick is a beautiful shimmery pink rose that has a golden metallic touch to it.

NYX Rose Bud

NYX Rose Bud lip swatch

This lipstick as a creamy, thin, lightweight consistency, but I find that because of the slipperiness I need to reapply to freshen up the color after about 2 hours.  My lips begin to feel a little dry after about 3 hours without a reapplication.  

Have a beautiful day!

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12 Hour Waterproof Pencil Swatches

Hiya!  I have some swatches of three Sephora Jumbo Liner 12 Hour Waterproof Pencils to show you!

Sephora says: These jumbo pencils create a range of effects, from bold lines and blended effects to thin, defined lines. Resistant to water, heat, and humidity, their creamy, high-pigment formulas apply smoothly. From deep blacks to rich and shimmery shades, each is formulated with exclusive waxes and pigments to assure maximum color intensity that stays put for 12-hours.

These are very creamy and you barely have to touch them to the skin to deposit a good amount of color. You have a little time to blend out the color, but once this sets it's not going anywhere.  I experience no creasing but a little fading after about 8 hours of wear without a primer, but no problems with fading with a primer.

These have black packaging with silver writing.  They are a large crayon type pencil that have a colored end so you can see the color in the pencil.

These are not self-sharpening, so you need a jumbo-sized sharpener.  They are fairly wide, so it is hard to get a thin line, and they work better as an all over lid color.

Green Shimmer (number 25) is a very shimmery forest green.  Marine (number 13) is a royal blue with a navy base and a little shimmer.  Kaki (number 9) is an olive green with a lot of gold in it.

From Left:  Kaki, Green Shimmer, Marine

The pencils work well as a base to intensify the color of shadow worn over it or on their own.  My favorite way to use them is to apply a thick line and then blend it out with my finger.

These for $14 for 0.1 oz at Sephora stores.

Thanks for checking out my swatches!

Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation

So, I have been in the market for a new foundation.  I decided that there were times when I wanted a little more coverage than what my Stila tinted moisturizer gave me.  I had been considering purchasing the new Benefit "Hello Flawless" Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation, but after using a sample of it for about a week I realized it wasn't for me.  It seemed to make my skin oilier and separated a good deal by the end of the day.  I had also thought about trying the new Urban Decay Naked foundation, but I read some reviews that said it started out nice and semi-matte, but slipped quite a bit after a few hours of wear.   Then I saw a new Becca foundation on Sephora's website.

 I read up on it on the website which says: This sophisticated silicone emulsion contains sebum-absorbing properties that provide a perfectly natural look and even complexion all day. The soft, smooth texture glides on seamlessly, reducing imperfections with buildable coverage that easily blends over the skin for a radiant finish. The formula contains Ejitsu Rose, which helps to improve elasticity and radiance while providing anti-inflammatory properties; mineral pigments that help color stay true on the skin; and vitamin E to enhance moisture retention while protecting against pollution and free-radical damage.

And: This non-drying, water-resistant foundation won’t settle into fine lines or pores and is suitable for normal, combination, and oily skin. It is hypoallergenic and free of alcohol and fragrance.

Sounds good!  I was looking for a foundation that helped to control oil without being a matte foundation because sometimes they can be a little heavy and have more coverage than I want.   Well, the Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation is fantastic.  It smooths over skin beautifully and sets to a semi-matte/satin finish.  Hence the name, I suppose!  It doesn't look flat like many truly matte finish foundations can look.  You need just a few dots on the face to get medium coverage, and can sheer it out if desired.  It doesn't settle into fine liness or pores.  In fact, it seems to blur the look of them.  I do get a little break through oil on my forehead and nose when I wear this alone after about 4 hours (without a setting powder, which I almost always wear), but with a setting powder (like Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish Powder) I get about 8 hours of wear.  I do wish it had some sunscreen, but I think that the lack of sunscreen is one of the reasons it has such a nice texture.

The packaging is a simple brown squeeze tube with a silver screw-off top, and a see-through stripe so you can see the color of the foundation inside.

The other great thing is that it comes in 18 different shades ranging from very light to deep with various different undertones.  I got mine from Sephora.com since, unfortunately, my local Sephora in JCPenney's  didn't carry Becca in the store, so I kind of had to guess at the color (I chose Shell, which is the second lightest color and is described as "fair beige with neutral undertones").  Luckily, I think I picked the right one (the descriptions of the colors on the website help).  I think probably most stand alone Sephora's carry Becca though, so it might be worth a trip to find one to get properly matched.

Pros:  Many shades to choose from
          Minimizes the look of pores and fine lines
          Smooth texture
          Anti-aging and anti-inflammatory ingredients
       
Cons:  Expensive

It is pricey at $42 a tube, but it seems like it will last a long time since so little is needed to get good coverage and a nice finish.  You can find it at Sephora and Beccacosmetics.com.