Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

Sometimes it's a bit shocking how things turn out.  I have what I would consider rather oily skin.   Specifically, I am very oily in the T-zone with the most oil on my nose and the areas just next to my nose.  I find that I have to use a setting powder and I have to blot several times throughout the day.

So believe me when I tell you that I am in love with using the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil on my face.  Yeah, you heard me.  I love using this oil on my oily face.  This oil was the centerpiece of The Miracle of Maracuja kit ($59.96) that I purchased from QVC which you can read about here.  This oil is full size at 1.7 ounces and retails for $46.

HG Status :: Enjoy Conditioning Spray

I use a lot of products but there are only a few products that I consider my holy grail products.  My Enjoy Conditioning Spray is one of those products.  I think I am on my fourth or fifth bottle and I have been faithfully using it for almost two years now.

I was first introduced to it from my dear friend RC who mentioned that the Enjoy line of hair products were amazing and so good for your hair.  I purchased my first bottle at a local beauty supply shop with a Groupon.  For a 10.1 fluid ounce bottle it was $22 which is a lot in my book.  But since I had my Groupon I figured it was worth a try.

The reason why I love this conditioning spray so so much is that it does an amazing job at detangling my long and very knotty hair after my shower.   It conditions effectively too and leaves my hair so soft.  I don't think I would want to comb my wet hair without this stuff.  I feel because it makes combing through my hair so easy that it minimizes breakage which as we all know is important when you are trying to grow out your hair.  My wide-toothed comb literally glides through the jungle of knots that is my hair.

It is touted to also help hold on to hair color longer and it can be used as a heat protectant as well as a light skin moisturizer.

It has a pleasant scent that definitely lingers in your hair for several hours after using it.  I love love this stuff so much that it makes me a bit uneasy to be without a back-up at all times.  I would definitely recommend this product without hesitation.

Please note that Enjoy also makes another leave-in conditioner with a pink Enjoy star logo (as oppose to the gray star logo of the conditioning spray) that is in a similar bottle but without a pump but rather a squeeze dispenser.  I do not recommend this leave-in conditioner.  It does not condition as well and does not detangle my hair as effectively.

Overall Grade:   A+

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadows

Wet n Wild products never ceases to impress me.  I am in love with their Color Icon Blushers (I own all four colors).  You can read my review of them here.

I must say I am equally impressed with their eyeshadow trios.  I purchased six of their palettes, which retails for $3.   The consistency of these eyeshadows are super creamy and buttery.  Most of them are heavily pigmented and glide on the lids so smoothly.  I cannot tell you how much I love these eyeshadows.  They rival my Urban Decay Naked palette and my Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow palette in 754 Rosy Tan, which I have reviewed here.

Now lets take a look at each palette.

Tarte The Miracle of Maracuja :: A QVC Exclusive Today's Special Value

I'm not one to shop on QVC but I saw that they were having a Today's Special Value on this Tarte The Miracle of Maracuja oil set through Allthatglitters21 on youtube at such an amazing price that I purchased the set without doing prior research or even hearing about maracuja oil before.  This is highly uncharacteristic of me.  Usually, I will read blogs, consult youtube or read magazine articles before making my purchases.  Lets just say I took a leap of faith with this purchase.  So for one day this set was $59.96 (full retail value is $203) for this eight piece collection of full size items.

Here is the product insert showing all 8 items.

This is how they came in the mail.

The set included the following (from left to right) with full retail price:

• Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara $19
• Cashmere Waterproof Gliding Eyeliner in Black Magic $18
• Beauty & the Box Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Quad in Envoke the Smoke $22
• 100% Pure Maracuja Oil, 1.7 ounces $46 (reviewed here)
• Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Medium $24
• Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Peaceful $21 (reviewed here)
• Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blush in Shimmering Poppy $25 (reviewed here)
• Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush $28 (reviewed here)

Also included were two samples of the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Eye Base and the Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanner.

 

I have not used any of the items yet so this is only an overview of the items in this collection.  Reviews and swatches to follow.  This item is still available on QVC's website  for $65.94 if anyone is interested.   Overall, if the items perform well than this would have been an amazing deal.

Please also consult Tarte's website for detailed product information.

Overall Grade:  A+ (for value and initial impression of products)

L'Oreal Nail Polishes :: The Rest of My Collection

As promised, I have swatches of the rest of the L'Oreal Nail Polishes from my small collection.  I might pick up more colors if there is a future sale on these.  But first here is 400 Tangerine Crush on my nails.

This is a bright, orange, cream shade with no shimmers.

Here is my entire collection.

 

March 2012 Birchbox | First Impressions

I received my first Birchbox today and I must say I am mostly pleased with what I received.   Birchbox for those that don't know is a subscription service whereby you receive monthly boxes filled with 4-5 deluxe samples of premium products for $10 a month.  When you set up the service, the website asks you to take a survey so that it can send you products that you would be interested in.

If you like any of the products you can order the full size version on the Birchbox site.  So now onto what I received for the TeenVogue March Birchbox.

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Blusher

Color me very impressed.  Wet n' Wild makes four shades of their Color Icon ($3) line of blushes and these have got to be one of the most pigmented blushes I own be it drugstore or high-end.  If I thought I was impressed with the Milani Baked Blushes, reviewed here I was mistaken.

These Color Icon blushes are wonderfully soft and buttery in texture and incredibly saturated with pigments.  I love these so much.  Do practice caution though since they are so pigmented.  Use a light hand and build up the color if needed otherwise you might end up looking like a clown.

Milani Illuminating Face Powder :: 01 Amber Nectar, 02 Hermosa Rose & 03 Beauty's Touch

Warning:  this will be a very picture heavy post.

Please note all of the images were taken late in the afternoon with the sun starting to set.  I've tried to correct the tone to closely reflect the true coloring of these powders.

Notice the pretty raised embossment of the rosettes.

I've always been a sucker for pretty packaging and novel presentation of beauty products.  Usually, high end brands like Chanel and Dior are genius at not only producing amazing quality products but they devote a lot of time to how the products look.  

You can see my review of the Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Blush in Brun Rose here  which showcases the intricate embossing of the powder.   Because these prestigious brands command a hefty price tag, it is expected that they also look very unique and very expensive.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

For those times when you don't have the time to shampoo your hair there is dry shampoo.  Not only do I use the Batiste Dry Shampoo ($8) for days when I am short on time, I also use it because I want to prolong the time between shampoos.

Cheap & Cheerful | Essence Colour & Shine Eyeshadows

I love finding unexpected treasures where I least expect to.  Several months ago, I stumbled upon Essence makeup products at my local Ulta.  I must have passed the display many times during previous visits but for whatever reason, the display made me stop and take a closer look that day.

I first read about Essence from a fellow blogger who was from Germany which lead me to believe that Essence was sold in Germany or at the very least in Europe.  She raved about the quality for such an inexpensive price.  So imagine my surprise when I came across an Essence display at Ulta.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

For anybody who suffers from dry, parched, thirsty hair, a good hair mask can help bring your hair back from the brink of disaster.  I've been growing out my hair and to help it along I've layed off the hot tools, made sure to not wash my hair too often (which can accelerate color fading and dry out the hair shaft) and invested in good quality, moisturizing shampoos and conditioners.

I've been loving and still using my Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle shampoo and conditioners which I've reviewed here.   Even though the conditioner is excellent, sometimes my hair needs an extra boost of moisture.  For those times, I reach for my Macadamia Natural Oil Repair Masque ($30/ 8.5 oz).

L'Oreal Nail Polish :: 310 Versailles Romance

With spring coming, somewhat early in some parts of the country than others, I find that I am drawn to very spring-y colors of nail polish.  This is a gorgeous peach shade with a slight pearly finish consisting of very subtle micro-fine shimmers. 

L'Oreal recently acquired Essie nail polish and it shows in their packaging.   Similar to Essie, some of the lighter shades tend to be streaky if not applied very carefully.  I applied two coats here and had some trouble keeping the streakiness at bay.  These polishes are $6 at any drugstores compared to Essie's being $8-$9.  So not much cheaper but, unlike Essie, the L'Oreals do regularly go on sale. 

I bought six of these babies during a BOGO half off sale at Rite-Aid.  So if you want to give these a go, I would wait for a sale.  Overall, I've only worn this shade but I'm impressed.  I will do a later post with swatches of the other colors.  For now, here is a glimpse of the other colors in my collection.

Overall Grade:   B+

Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette :: 754 Rosy Tan

When I was in the market for my first Dior eyeshadow quint during last fall's Friends & Family Sale at Sephora, I deliberated quite a long time before choosing the 754 in Rosy Tan ($59).  Mind you Sephora does not carry the full range of Dior's eyeshadow quints but from the offerings that I saw on their website, I went with the most wearable and neutral palette that I felt I would get the most use out of.

New, out of the box.  Notice the gorgeous quilted embossing on the powder.  Taken indoors near a window.

I am a professed neutrals girl and this quint spoke to my pragmatic side.  There are five shades that do not have their own individual names so I took the liberty of arbitrarily numbering them to make discussion easier.