Natural & Easy Sunday - FOTD

My First FOTD! 

(Face of the Day)

It's Lazy-Day-Sunday around here, so I went with a natural, romantic look. No eye liner, no HACing, no brow wax/powder & no lipstick. It was nice!

Tarte Smooth Operator BB Tinted Moisturizer in Agent 00 • Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer in Fair • Korres Mineral Foundation in Porcelain 

Korres Blush in 16 Pink/Rose with e.l.f. Blush in Pink Passion stippled on over it on just the apples • Benefit HighBeam on top of my cheek bones

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Espresso • e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in  Pink Lemonade

LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer • Lorac Pro Palette CREAM as a wash, LT. BRONZE all over bottom of lid, PEWTER in the crease, GOLD lining the bottom lash line & WHITE in the corners and under the brows

Merle Norman Lash Lift Waterproof Mascara

This was my first time wearing a BB cream. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm used to foundation coverage, but I think with a primer and the mineral foundation it works well!

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January Beauty Favourites

It's that time again! Time to rave on and on about a few things I just couldn't do without in the month of January.

AND I made a video, again. I'm not sure I'm turning out to be a great YouTuber, but I'm proud that I learned how to add music to a video in iMovie. If that's all I get out of this, than good! (Along with learning that I use the word "um" entirely too much! I need to fix that.

Sorry it's so yellow looking... Again, me trying to use a different camera in different lighting. Fail. 

Bag Balm - $9
I've had this for years. It comes in a fun green tin with an udder on it. 'Nuff said, right? This is a great all-around ointment I use on my lips, feet and other rough skin. Only issue I've had was when it caused my nail polish to bubble up when I used it on my cuticles. It happened twice, so I know it was due to the bag balm. I'm not sure what chemically happens for a balm to do that, but it did. I don't use it on my cuticles any more if I have polish on. I use my Josie Maran Argan Oil instead.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - $17
I've used Murad & the Pro Activ mask as spot treatments many times, and this is, by far, what has worked the best for me. If you watch the video, you'll see better how the ingredients separate. You're not to shake it up but use a Q-tip to dip it all the way in and apply to the spot. I wouldn't get it anywhere near your eyes. It puts off a stinging vapor-like feeling/smell. It's most likely the isopropyl alcohol. It sort of looks like calamine lotion you used on your chicken pox as a kid, so you can definitely not wear this with your makeup like you can the Murad spot treatment.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - $10

 I'd never used a stippling brush before, but after hearing all about it by Estee at Essie-Button, I thought I'd give it a shot! If you want to avoid mussing up your foundation and powder coverage by dragging a blush brush across it, this is the perfect fix. The white bristles stick out past the darker ones and help to grab the product. I believe these are mostly recommended for use with cream blushes, bronzers, highlighters, etc, but I love it for just my plain ol' fuschia blush.

Burt's Bees Nourishing Baby Oil - $9

 It smells sweet and yummy and makes for some super soft and smooth skin! I specifically love it for after shaving my legs, but it works for cuticles, too. I also love that it's natural and won't deliver any toxins into a baby's blood stream (or mine!). If you ever use baby oils, definitely switch to this one.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer in Fair - $22

I'm on my third one, and that's a massive deal. I'm hardly loyal to products, always hoping to find something better. True to form, I left this concealer - my one true concealing love - to use another (won't name names, but the brand starts with a B and ends with -enefit) and came back! It's super smooth, creamy and great coverage. Only down side is I use it up pretty quickly. It opens like a lipstick but is so creamy you don't have to swipe or drag under your eyes. You can just dab or dot. I've found the best way to apply is to dab it on, do your eyes or foundation, etc and come back to it with a concealer brush after your skin has warmed it.

LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer - $21

Free shipping until 2/28/13 on everything!

I know I've talked about this a lot in my Pro Palette review & Sephora.com Haul when I got the Unzipped Palette. It's amazing!! Bottom line.

WoodWick Fireside Candle - $25

Who knew a lovely smell could come with a soothing sound! These candles crackle like a real fire, and it smells like one, too! It's not too masculine, but it leans more that way. If your hubs or better half isn't all about the floral, beachy scents - try this one. I burn it for hours and hours, and it last a long time. This is our second one along with several car air fresheners, too.

Have I convinced you to try any of these? If so, which ones and why? 

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Sephora.com Haul

One of my biggest guilty pleasures is Sephora.com. I like it much better than the store... don't ask me why. Maybe because no one asks me if I need help. And when I'm still there 3 hours later, no one suspects me of shop lifting...

I had considered a spending ban for the new year, but eff that. Minus nail polishes - those are out of control.

Look at all these goodies! I bet you'd be surprised if I told you I'd only paid for two of them... Well, be surprised!

Another reason I lurve shopping on Sephora.com is the free shipping for over $50, plus my points (had over 600), plus my VIB code (see my breakdown of the new VIB kit here) "2013" for two deluxe samples.

Here's what I've got:

- Lorac Unzipped Eyeshadow Palette - $40

- Buxom Shimmer Shine and Smoke set - 500 points

- Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores - 100 points

- Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil - "2013" deluxe sample

- Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum - "2013" deluxe sample

- Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind On the Spot Treatment - $12

- Lancome Trevor perfume sample

- YSL L'Homme sample

- Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y. sample

I just got all this stuff TODAY. Literally couldn't wait a minute to talk about it. When I walked in and saw the box on the counter I got super excited  demonstratively giddy, and the hubs just laughed at me. Since I just got it today I don't have a lot of comments on the product (that's relative to what you think is a lot... let's be honest. I'm long winded), but I will give you some great images and details. Here goes!

Packaging is cool. Not as grippy as the Pro (should stay cleaner), but it's magnetic! I like that & the large mirror, too. 

 Look at that! Shimmer AND matte! So glad they kept with their tradition of combining the two. After being so extremely pleased with the Pro Palette I didn't expect anything less!

I actually really like that there isn't a black shade. Almost every palette ever made has a black for liner, but I don't need that. I'd rather have the extra shade to play with. I also don't have any brown eye liners, so this UNTAMED is perfect.

I love the names of these shades! The Pro Palette was a simple "White, Taupe, Nude, Mauve..." but these are fun and sexy... like it's title of Unzipped!

And now for the REAL reason I bought this whole thing. One of my *Beauty Library* items is the Behind the Scenes primer. It's the BEST I've used. Yes, better than UDPP & Too Faced. I'm getting low on my small size from the Pro Palette. So, while on Sephora.com about to put the $21 primer in my shopping cart I thought: Well, heck... for $19 more I can get my primer AND a new Lorac palette. You can't argue with that logic, can you? (Don't try...) 

I always wait so long to cash in my Beauty Insider points, because I'm not thrilled with the options time and time again. When I saw this one I thought Finally! A perk I will use! (I think a lot, huh?) 

The gloss might be a bit too warm for me and the luminizer (or whatever they call it... too lazy to go look at the box) is really gold. I tend to gravitate towards silver and cool tones, so these will be interesting to try. The liner which has goes on with a fine point and is water proof. I think we'll be good friends. Just a heads up - it has "silver" in the title, and the packaging is navy, but it really looked black on my skin. I'm a little confused by it.

I've already used this mascara before and really like it. It works well for every day lashes. I wouldn't say it gives huge volume or amazing, dramatic results. However, that brush is da bomb at keeping it clump-free. It's also the least flaky mascara I've used.

Having acne and oily prone skin I'm always down for trying a new mask. I'm a fan of origins because of their natural leanings and chemical consciousness. Again, I was impressed with this being a 100 point perk.

Look how thick that goes on! And I didn't dispense very much. This sample will last a LONG time, Folks!

If you read my January Ipsy glam bag review, you know how much I love Josie Maran's 100% Argan Oil for so many reasons. It's friendly to acne prone skin and hasn't even broken me out. So, when this was offered as a deluxe sample, I thought (shocking, I know...) Sah-weet!

It's a cleansing oil. Is that even possible? I guess so! I'll be trying it tonight to remove my makeup (while simultaneously crossing my fingers that I won't have 15 huge blemishes in the morning). 

I'm a HUGE Tarte fan! Like Origins (or Korres or Fresh) they work hard to eliminate ingredients like Propylene Glycol, SLS, and parabens. So, I've always been curious about their illuminating serum. So far I'm a little surprised. It came out really watery. I would recommend shaking it up first. 

You can see how it's thicker than many illuminizers, etc. 

This albino gal would rather call it a bronzer. So, if you're a tanner person than me (which means anything darker than a piece of paper) it will probably serve its purpose. If you are as fair as I am, then welcome to your new bronzer... I'm not sure how I feel about that. It looks pretty orange, huh?

Another Origins item I have been interested in for years but never purchased is their Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind. You just take a spot of it and put it on your ear lobes, temples, back of your neck or on your forehead and it helps relieve headaches and stress. I've actually read so many reviews of migraine sufferers who have had success with this goodness. 

I love anything with essential oils! It took me forever to spend $12 on this little bitty bottle, but who wouldn't spend that and more for a real peace of mind?

I won't go into grave detail re: the perfumes. I do have a mini rant. Why is perfume the ONLY sample that's been available lately? I want makeup samples - lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow? Or what about primers? Any of you received any great samples from the 3 free in every order?

Are you interested in any of these things? Let me know, and I'll do a more in depth review after I've used them!

Are any of these going on your "To Get" or "To Get After this Dumb Spending Ban" list?

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Is LORAC Underrated? The LORAC PRO Palette Reviewed.

Is LORAC Underrated?

The LORAC PRO Palette Reviewed 

I've always been curious about Lorac's eye shadows after becoming addicted to the Behind the Scenes primer. But, after I purchased this relatively affordable palette ($42) I wondered why there wasn't more hype on the beauty blogosphere. I see so much about UD's Naked palettes (which is not paraben, sulfate, GMO & petrochemical free - all VERY important things to me), but not much on this one. So... here goes!

The packaging is sleek and compact. It's great for tossing in a makeup bag. (I'm definitely no MUA, so I do have most of my products in a bag thanks to my small detested pedestal sink with zero room on it). Packaging is smooth but sturdy and tends to get dirty. You'll see in just a sec... And I've used mine for months, so this is after much use. I also LURV how it comes with a large mirror! A lot of times these sleek palettes lack one, so it's definitely a huge perk!

Here you can see the relatively large mirror.

I REALLY appreciate so much about this palette besides the packaging. Here are my favourite (& not so) things about it!

16 shades!! I mean... WT(glorious)F? I spent more on the Tarte Femme Naturale Eye Palette & only got 12. (Not to mention they're chalky & not as pigmented/long lasting. You don't know how much it hurts me to say that, as Tarte is probably my #1 (or #2) go-to brand @ Sephora).

See the dirty?

Thank You, Lorac! It has shimmer AND matte! PTL!! (If you don't know what that means, you didn't go to enough church camps... :)). CHAMPAGNE is the only shade I'm not thrilled about... It's the one "glittery" shadow in the palette, and it goes on more like loose glitter than the rest of the shimmers. I don't have time for all the pixie dust fallout on my face, so I don't hardly use it.

Let's be honest, sometimes using ONLY shimmery shadows can be annoying. I'd like to be taken more seriously at work (I manage 32 people at an institute of higher learning... come on now!) Soooo, the matte options are perfect! They ARE ultra pigmented and last ALL day (especially with the primer, which is one of my "library*" items).

{Side bar: I looooooove reading & books - hence "Bibliophile." You'll learn... So, if I say something's in my library, it's because I don't buy the full size or have a 2nd go until it's been tested & really impresses me. I'm not typically loyal to many products, but there are a few... I'll do a post on that in the future. Same goes w/ my books. If I say it's library-worthy, than you know it's d*mn good, and the only allowed copy is hard back copy.}

Ok... 'nough of that. Let's continue:

I love (Xs 3) to use NUDE as a brow and inner eye highlighter. It goes on soooo creamy (as do all the colors) & pops! If I'm not in a shimmer mood I use WHITE for the same purpose. I started doing that after Essie @ Essie-Button raved about how much she loved her depotted (brand forgotten) white shadow.

For a while I didn't use TAUPE, but a life changing (ok.. exaggerating) video MaskCARA did here helped me see new ways to use it (as a contour along my nose and under my lip!) and almost the whole palette. If you're like me, you get stuck in a rut, using the same shades over and over, and I'm gad she shook it up for me! I love using GOLD as a liner & PEWTER is my favourite crease color. I layer it over Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadow in Tough as Taupe.

(Yes... I like Taupe. I also have the NYX blush in Taupe as a contour powder. When you're as albino pale and cool toned as me, you can't use normal bronzers to contour.)

Time for the dark end. I'm super pale, as I mentioned already, and I don't typically use dark shadows for anything. But this stuff is awesome as a liner; I never used to use shadows as liners, but Lorac converted me! I actually haven't used a real liner in weeks. And that's crazy talk. 

I also didn't use GARNET once until watching MaskCARA's video. Now I do. I sometimes feel like having such pink undertones warm colors like garnet, coppers, etc don't work on me, but it does if done right! I also use SLATE all the time. LOVE it.

To wrap up - GET THIS PALETTE. It's creamy, pigmented, paraben free, affordable, has MANY colors, texture and function options and sets like super glue on the Behind the Scenes primer that comes along. 

Any other palettes you gals love? Anyone converted to Lorac now? :)

***Edit on 12/30: Since posting this I had a wonderful recommendation come to me via @AimeeJAdore on twitter that I should try the CHAMPAGNE wet. I did just that, and it worked GREAT and stayed on all day long! No fall out and deep, rich pigment. Thanks, Aimee!***

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