Origins... Here to Save the Day!

 Drink It Up Overnight Mask  //  Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask  //  Active Charcoal Mask

Origins is a great skin care brand that I have tried a few products from and love! In December, I picked up this Mini Mask Marvels value set but threw it into my drawer of face cleansers/masks. I fished this trio out a few weeks ago and am kicking myself for not busting this out right away!!! The set includes 3 - 1 oz face masks, one for helping very dehydrated skin, one for helping clear up breakouts, and another to help remove everyday impurities. There is definitely enough product in here to get at least 6-8 uses! 

Collection & Review: BITE Beauty

BITE has officially become my favorite line for lipstick. The lipstick crayons are so smooth and creamy, the color options are very on-trend and wearable, and the staying power is realistic for the working woman. I don't have time to be touching up my lips every hour during the workday let alone pull out a lipstick, a liner, and a gloss so these crayons are a perfect standalone product! What's even better, these pencils twist up so no sharpener is needed.

Best BITE Remix: Rhubard (plum rose), Sable* (peachy nude), Winterberry* (deep raspberry), Pomegranate (rich red)

*limited edition

Collection & Review: Buxom Lip Glosses

Buxom Winner-Takes-All Lip Set (left to right): white russian, berry blast, creamsicle, trixie, chloe, sophia

Lip Creams: mudslide, white russian, berry blast, creamsicle Lip Polishes: dolly, trixie, chloe, sophia, nicole (sample) Lip Gloss: sweet thing (sample)

During Sephora's VIB Sale I picked up a gift set from Buxom that included 6 deluxe sized lip glosses: 3 of the Lip Polish & 3 of the Lip Cream formulas (those w/ the gold tops). I already knew I liked Buxom lip gloss, as I have 1 of each formula and was curious to try out a few other colors. Buxom Cream formulas are my favorite, they aren't sticky, they have that warming tingle to them, and the smell delicious. I'm not a fan of glittery lip glosses so I tend to shy away from the Lip Polish formula since they range from having small micro-shimmers to chunkier glitter, but I do like all of the ones that came in this set. Yes, they are pricier than a drugstore gloss but they last on the lips and have a nice finish. I much prefer them to MAC or Stila glosses. 

Collection & Review: NARS Audacious Lipsticks

Bottom: Anita  Middle: Audrey  Top: Brigette 

The packaging of these NARS Audacious lipsticks makes pulling out this lipstick feel like a luxury - it better at $32 a pop!!! The metal bullet has a lovely weight, the lid secures on with a magnetic closure, and "NARS" is embossed on the lipstick itself. The satin formula is more forgiving than any matte lipstick, but I still prep with a lip balm beforehand. 

Left: Anita  Center: Audrey  Right: Brigette 

Anita is described as "antique rose" which is an interesting word choice but somehow works; it is less beige/brown than Barbara and less pink than Anna. I think it's a PERFECT mauvey-nude shade for the Autumn and Winter months. I love pairing this with a comfy white sweater, dark jeans, and brown boots. 

Audrey is described as "red current", but I think it wears more as a dark raspberry and is more wearable than the classic red lip. I would definitely recommend using a lip liner to prevent (minimal) feathering with this one - I use MAC's Half-Red ($16). To dress this down, I wear this color with a high bun, my dark-rimmed glasses and a loose, comfy cardigan. 

Brigette is described as a "nude rose"... when I think of rose I think of a much warmer pink, so I would say this is a more coral-pink with blue undertones running through it. VERY Brigitte Bardot! This isn't a shade I am typically drawn to, but I think it will be an easy way to work corals into my lip collection.

While NARS' Audacious Lipstick line has 40 colors, I feel like there are several tones within each shade so there is bound to be a nude, pink, and red that complements every skin tone... with some wild colors mixed in too. The quality of this lipstick is definitely worth the splurge but I'd recommend going into a Sephora or Nordstrom to try a few on and pick a go-to color that you'll get lots of wear out of.

XoXo, Be Beautiful.

Am I Glowing With Glam? (w/ BIG DEAL)

 

Bloggers, YouTubers, and just us Normals have our heads spinning with all this talk about GLAMGLOW -  "...designed for exclusive professional backstage use in Hollywood", "'no name' magic mud", "a product just for their actor friends, not for sale to anyone, not for retail to anyone"... Oooo fancy! So you're tell me if I smear this mud on my face I'll be as pretty as those Hollywood starlets with perfect skin ready for an closeup in HD?! 

So is it worth all the hype? I can tell you I have seen some less-than-miracle-level results... but I have seen results! I have dry-to-combo skin that generally has patches of flaky skin but also blackheads, mild breakouts, and the occasional cystic acne (those terribly painful under the skin, sore, swollen lumps that you can never pop and seem to take forever to disappear). Because of that, I have steered away from the YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment since I read in reviews about how drying it was and some people felt the tingling experience to be intense and uncomfortable. Even when I've taken a whiff of it in Sephora, the smell is just not pleasant to me. 

First mission, tackle dryness. My GLAMGLOW cherry was taken by the THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment. I use this as an overnight mask (as opposed to the recommended 20 min. mask) and wake up with very moisturized, fresh, and plumper skin and LOVE IT!  It doesn't harden like a typical "mask" would do, the smell is devine, and the color of the product soaks into your skin and essentially disappears, making you not so scary looking to whomever you share your bed with. The packaging seems small, but it will last you several dozen treatments, worth your money!  Mission complete!

Since I had such great experience with the hydrating treatment, I figured I'd leave it up to GLAMGLOW to help me with my clogged pores so I emptied my wallet on the POWERMUD Dual-Cleanse Treatment. My skin just must not be a good candidate for this product, because I have not noticed much of a difference after using this product after nearly a dozen times - at least not $69 worth of results. Call me a tough sell, but I'm just not blown away by the mud-to-oil formula like many of the reviews rave about - it hardens like a mask and then you wet it and it gets melty and oily, what's so magical about that?  I can think of lots of other things that change states when wet as well (e.g. cotton candy, dirt, marshmallows, cats). I find myself reaching for my ORIGINS Charcoal Mask much more. Perhaps I need a more focused treatment that can stand up to my problem skin. I'm going to trust that GLAMGLOW knows their stuff and pick up a sample of the SUPER-MUD Clearing Treatment next time I'm in Sephora. Mission incomplete!  

BIG DEAL! If you are interested in trying GLAMGLOW products and also like to save money, check out Costco.com.  I just saw they have the Eye Treatment and the Tinglexfoliate Treatment available at a highly decreased price! [takes a bow]

Products mentioned in this post:

THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment - $69  $37.99 @ costco.com - currently sold out

SUPER-MUD Clearing Treatment - $69

YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment - $69  $36.99 @ costco.com

ORIGINS Charcoal Mask (1.7oz) - $17

BRIGHTMUD Eye Treatment - $69 $37.99 @ coscto.com

Disappointing Products:

POWERMUD Dual-Cleanse Treatment - $69 

Hey There Sugar Lips!

I can't hold it in anymore... I have to share my favorite lippy with you! First, let me just put it out there early and say I had a mini anxiety attack in the store over the price tag. I can give you the over-used "it's totally worth the money, trust me" line but instead, I'll just dare you to go into Sephora tomorrow and swatch one. I'm warning you now, you will get addicted - you'll want MORE! Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on.

These Sugar Lip Treatments are the only Fresh products I've tried so far and I'm extremely pleased with the quality - of both the formula and the packaging. I love how the cap screws on so I can throw it in my purse and not worry about it ruining my bag. I can just sweep this across my lips and get great moisturization, a nice sheen, and fabulous pigmentation for a lip balm!

Left to Right:  Honey, Petal, Tulip, Coral, Passion, Berry

I took out a lone and got 6 of the 10 colors Fresh has available and the untinted Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment (not shown). Tulip and Passion are my favorites, both give a pop of color without looking overdone. Honey and Petal both have warmer brownish undertones, so I find myself grabbing these for when I want a nude lip in the cooler months. Coral makes your lips looks like you just finished eating a popsicle, a very on-trend color for this summer. I was surprised by how wearable Berry is, with my light complexion I usually can't pull of these richer colors (or at least I'm scared to try), but it is gorgeous! Come Fall, this will be my go-to color.  I find the formula to be a little softer in the Coral and Honey tubes (perhaps I just got some lemons), so be careful and spin it up just a wee bit to apply or else your whole tip with pop off (that's what she said?!). Has anyone else seemed to experience this? 

If you are going to get an untinted one, I would recommend spending the few extra dollars and getting Advanced Therapy vs. "normal" Lip Treatment. I was using the Advance Therapy every night before going to bed and was loving it. Then I switch to try using a sample size I had of the standard one and I was instantly missing that extra oomph.

I've heard Fresh offers some top rated skin care products. If I were going to try one, which should it be?

Products mentioned in this post: 

Fresh Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment - $25

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 - $22.50

I'm an IT girl?!

Last September, the Ulta near me began carrying IT Cosmetics in-store. While this brand was available for sale from their website and on QVC prior to this, I don't like ordering products online until I am familiar with a brand just because I find returning products by mail such an unnecessary hassle. I saw the tester of this GOREGOUS Ombre Bronzer, once I swatched it on the back of my hand I knew I had to take it home with me. I gives a natural warmth with a subtle amount of sheen. I apply it to my cheeks and around the edges of my face with a fan brush and it just brings such life to my skin.  I find myself reaching for the Matte Bronzer more-so in the cooler months when I don't want the glow of the other one.

My IT Cosmetics collection has grown since.  Next was the CC cream, while it's "pricey for a CC cream", the coverage it provides is more like a medium coverage foundation. I have dry skin and find that this is super easy to use (apply with my fingers), provides enough coverage for every day, and doesn't accentuate my dry, flakey patches. The only negative thing I have to say about this is I wish the packaging didn't rub off so easily; I noticed the label rubbing off within the first 2 weeks of use.

I will never travel without the next two products again.  I love having my highlighter, bronzer, and blush all in one convenient palette - the Face Disc and Shadow Trio help create the perfect every look. If you like to have more shadow options even when traveling, the Eye Shadow palette offers 12 velvety, super-blendable colors with a good mix of matte and satin finishes. While the palette doesn't lock shut, I think there is plenty of padding/structure that would protect it enough to throw it in a travel bag. This standard neutral-eye girl is still working on building up the courage to use the purple and blue shadows. :)

The two products I will definitely not be repurchasing are the Liquid Oxygen Foundation and the Radiance Illuminator. There's nothing super wrong with the highlighter, but there's nothing really right about it either. It isn't a powder, it isn't a creme... it does offer a subtle highlight but there are other brands I prefer much more. On the other hand, I HAD to return the foundation. I had high expectations for it to be moisturizing for my dry skin based on it's name and claims, but the formula just didn't impress me... especially for the whopping price tag!

The most recent additions include an Under Eye Corrector (I have a feeling this will match, if not replace my beloved Bobbi Brown corrector), Celebration Foundation Illuminator (seems like a good compact that I'll throw in my purse for on-the-go touch-ups), and Vitality Lip Blush Hydrating Gloss Stain (a long name for an over-priced lip gloss). Supposedly the lip gloss color I got is a color changing one that looks different on everyone. I'm thinking this will be similar to my current obsession, Dior Addict Lip Glow. < I'm hoping one of these products will give me the lip color I want for my wedding day with staying power and, since it's a "clear color", won't transfer. I haven't had these products long enough to give a good review - I'll post an update later.

Have you tried any IT products? Which are your favorites?

Hey IT Cosmetics, what's up with the excessively long names by the way?!

Products mentioned in this post: 

CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer - $34
Vitality Glow Anti-Aging Matte Bronzer - $34
Your Skin But Better CC Cream with SPF 50+ - light - $38
Vitality Face Disc - $38
Eye Shadow Trio - pearl luxe - $24
Luxe Anti-Aging High Performance Eye Shadow Palette w/Dual Brush - $38
Under Eye Corrector - light - $29
Celebration Foundation Illuminator - light - $35
Vitality Lip Blush Hydrating Gloss Stain - je ne sais quoi - $24
Dior Addict Lip Glow - $33

Disappointing products:

IT-O2 Ultra Repair Liquid Oxygen Foundation - light - $38
Hello Light Anti-Aging Creme Radiance Illuminator - $24