NARS New Order Highlighting Blush

One of my greatest makeup joys is trying out a new purchase from NARS. Opening one of those bold black boxes is a heady experience for me. My pulse still quickens at the sight of a NARS counter or the NARS section at Sephora! Maybe you think I’m nuts at this point, but that’s just the way it is for me. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not that I love only NARS - I’ll never be a one brand girl. I just can’t swear loyalty when there are so many gorgeous little things out there calling my name. Nonetheless, NARS will always be one of many honored favorites. 

In the Spring I happened upon a new highlighting blush from NARS called New Order. I’ve loved NARS blush for years - especially Sin. (Yes I know, that’s not the one everybody thinks of when they think NARS blush...) Somehow I managed to resist and I left it on the shelf at Sephora. For the next week I obsessed over this little item and visited it several times online. I simply couldn’t get it out of my head. (At the same time I was daydreaming about 3 other NARS items... more on that later!) As fate would have it, Beauty.com emailed about a 20% off promotion at just the right time! I was so thrilled to rip open that package when it arrived. (Does anyone else get this excited over makeup or am I the only one?)

New Order is absolutely intoxicatingly beautiful to me. The gentle pink shade infused with gold and silver shimmer particles is just so pretty. I am quite fair and the cool pink hue works with my skin tone. It may be too pale on darker complexions. Now, about the shimmer: I adore shimmer and even glitter, though I know I’m probably a bit mature to pull it off. It does verge on glittery and that may be a deal breaker for you. I’ve also used it on my eyes as a highlighter on the inner corner and the brow bone. It’s pretty, but be prepared for fall out. (My daughter asked me why I had glitter “all over my face.”) If you can handle the movement of the shimmer, you may adore this blush, as I do.

I’ve got a couple more NARS goodies and I’ll tackle them soon, so check back. 

Do you have a NARS fascination, like I do? What NARS products do you go weak in the knees for?

Josie Maran Haul - Lip products

The past couple of days I've been sharing my thoughts on several Josie Maran products I purchased several months ago from Sephora. Be sure to check out my earlier posts if you missed any.

I’ll continue the haul with lip products and I’ll start with the least positive and move on to the real winners. Argan Lip Treatment, $18, is a fairly decent basic lip balm. The container is the cutest ever, but I still don't love balms you apply with your finger.  Even though it contains Argan Oil, I noticed no real conditioning effect at all. Have you ever applied a lip balm that just seems to sit on top of your lips, without really making your lips feel any more hydrated? Think Vaseline and you’ll know what I mean. So, it’ll keep your lips from drying out any further, but it’s not going to condition them in any way. 

Next is Argan Mini Color Stick, $14, in Petal Pink. While I love, love, love the beautiful bronzy pink hue, I’m not crazy about the ingredients and their unintended effect on my lips. Kudos to Josie Maran for including some fabulous conditioning ingredients like mango seed butter, avocado butter, and cocoa seed butter, but the inclusion of rosemary extract, lemon tea tree oil, and menthol was a misstep. All three of those ingredients can cause skin irritation and inflammation. You know that tingly feeling you get when you apply some lip balms? Well, rosemary, lemon tea tree and menthol are three of the chief culprits. And while some really like that tingly feeling, it is not a good thing for your skin. Companies use these ingredients partly because of the inflammation response they induce. Swelling of the lips induces a temporary plumping effect. A much safer way to induce natural, healthy plumping is to include peptides which build collagen and rehydrate for a full, healthy look that’s good for your skin. 

A good rule of thumb: any lip product that makes your lips burn or tingle (all the time and not just when chapped)  is not good for your lips.

A very positive note in my Josie Maran Haul: the lip glosses and stain! I purchased Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stain in Quickstep, $19. Marker style lip stains appeal to me for their ease of use, but finding a good one can be a challenge. This one is a keeper, for sure! There’s not too much to say other than it works. It has a great pigment that’s not garish and it really lasts - just like it should.  Also very important in a stain, it doesn’t dry out your lips. The marker itself stays moist and doesn’t dry out either. Perfect! 

I also purchased Natural Volume Lip Gloss, $20, in Optimism and Voluptuous. These lip glosses actually have great ingredients like argan and jojoba oils and coconut cream all of which are natural moisturizing factors and will hydrate and condition lips. The Natural Volume part of the name initially worried me since it could mean it’s full of natural irritants (see Mini Color Stick review). I was pleasantly surprised to see that the plumping is due to a tripeptide complex that, with continued use, will build collagen and enhance lip fullness! 

So, the lip glosses feel great on the lips - moisturizing and not at all sticky. They really meld with your lips so that they look great and are very comfortable to wear. Optimism is a gorgeous pink gold iridescent that layers beautifully as a highlighter over other lipsticks or looks fabulous and festive all by itself.  Voluptuous is a lovely sheer berry shade that layers into full color coverage, if that’s what you want. 

Usually I’m  a stickler for unscented lip products, but for this one I’ll make an exception! These lip glosses have a decidedly noticeable scent, but it’s so delicious I have to let ‘em off the hook for it. To me they smell just like my mom’s fabulous burnt sugar cake when I was a little kid! Like caramelized sugar.... oh so yummy. I love it, but it may not be your cup of tea - trust me I understand scent hang ups! Be sure and give the testers a sniff, just in case my idea of nirvanna is not yours. 

Some hits and some misses is the way I see it with the Josie Maran products. One bright, shining high note I want to emphasize is the company’s environmentally and socially progressive identity. Raising money to save polar bears is definitely cool, but helping to support economic growth in third world countries takes it up a notch. Most impressive, Josie Maran!

If you've tried any of the Josie Maran line I'd love to hear how you liked them. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that's just as true with beauty products! What I like, you might not, and vice versa. Let me know what you think!

Josie Maran Haul: Cleansing Oil and Wipes

Moving on to the cleansing products in my Josie Maran shopping spree, Argan Cleansing Oil, $32 for 6oz., and Bear Naked Wipes, $12 for 30 wipes. I’ve been a fan of DHC Cleansing Oil for years and this one works about as well. The biggest difference is the fragrance - this one from Josie Maran is loaded with it and that’s not such a great thing where your skin is concerned. The fragrance comes from grapefruit peel oil and not from synthetic fragrance which sounds like a good thing. Problem is that grapefruit peel oil can be extremely irritating and can cause inflammation. Lots of people have sensitivities to any citrus essential oils. Just because it’s natural doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good thing - think poison ivy! 

Unfortunately, the Bear Naked Wipes have the same potentially irritating ingredient - and in large quantities. The result is that both products smell great, but can really do a number on your skin. I had no problem with the cleansing oil, but the wipes made my lips swell and my eyes burn. The following day I awoke with itching, flaking and peeling - especially around my eyes and lips. Much as I applaud the company’s progressive consciousness (Bear Naked Wipes raise money for endangered wild life), I just can’t recommend these cleansing products. 

Keep checking back for more on Josie Maran products.

Josie Maran Haul

This spring while making one of my treasured sojourns to Sephora, I decided it was time I investigated the much hyped argan oil. I ended up purchasing quite a few Josie Maran Argan Oil products - I have trouble resisting much at Sephora. Anyway, I’ve used the products for several months now because I really wanted to give them a fair shot. 

All in all, it was a mixed bag. Some products I enjoyed, others I really disliked, but most I just found myself wondering what the big deal was. My haul included 100% Pure Argan Oil, Argan Cleansing Oil, Mini Color Stick, Argan Lip Treatment, Bear Naked Wipes, Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stain, and Natural Volume Lip Gloss. 

I was most curious about the Argan Oil (MSRP $48 for 1.7oz) itself, due to the company’s claims about its supposed anti-aging and conditioning properties and the really cool fact that it is a fair trade product “purchased from women’s cooperatives in Morocco to support their social and economic welfare.” The company also claims that it is “clinically proven to improve hydration and elasticity in four weeks.” Sadly I found the argan oil to be nothing all that special. I don’t dispute that it will improve hydration and elasticity - any oil will do that because they are all Natural Moisturizing Factors and will halt trans-epidermal water loss leading to improved hydration. I just didn’t see any particularly impressive changes in my skin at all.  It did not cause any breakouts, though, so that’s certainly a plus.

The bottom line is that you could get the same benefits from Jojoba or Sweet Almond or Grapeseed oil purchased at a health food store for a whole lot less money.

Read more of my Josie Maran haul in upcoming posts...

NARS Easy Lover

I've found a new summer love: NARS lip gloss in Easy Lover! What a gorgeous shade - when I saw it, I knew we were a perfect match. When the temperature starts to rise, I'm less inclined to reach for my favorite lipsticks, but I still want to look cute.  Easy Lover is the perfect mix of easy to wear weightlessness and a just-so-summer-worthy pop of color.

The nearly transparent bright pink hue is right on trend with summer's most wanted looks. The gloss goes on sheer and can be layered to build a bit more color. It's modern and feminine without a hint of syrupy sweetness and the texture is livable, too - just enough grab to give it staying power, but no tacky stickiness that'd leave your hair stuck to your lips.

One thing that gripes me about a lot of glosses is the smell. So often your nose is assaulted with cloying, artificial fragrance that tend to turn my stomach. NARS lip gloss is scent neutral which I find highly preferable.

I love the sheer look of Easy Lover on its own for day. For evening, it layers beautifully over any number of lipsticks - especially more opaque pinks and plums.

If you've tried Easy Lover or other NARS glosses, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Lancome Definicils Dupe

Many years ago, I fell in love with Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara. I love the neat, clean and perfectly separated, yet dramatic, intense black look of Definicils but I've never been in love with the $26.00 price tag. As an esthetician, I'm an absolute stickler for tossing out and replacing mascara every three months if not sooner. That's a lot of money for an essentially disposable item!

Enter Maybelline One by One Volum' Express. Gorgeous black pigment, beautifully separated lashes with just enough volume to give it a more dramatic look, and at $6.49 (at Target) it's quite a bargain! It has one of those rubber bristled applicators that has a lot of give to it, but it works surprisingly well. The only thing that might be a bit weird for some is the smell. It has a lot of fragrance added to it which normally would bug me, but this one is actually kind of pleasant in my opinion.  I'm sure the company added this much fragrance to mask the inherent smell of the ingredients - you know, mascaras do tend to smell kind of odd - so you may find it tolerable as I do, or it could be a deal breaker. If I had to describe it, I'd say it reminds me of honeysuckle - sweet, but not too cloying.

I'm telling you, though, this mascara performs well enough that's it's definitely worth a shot - fragrance or no. And if you happen to be a big fan of Lancome Definicils, you may find yourself a new fave!

Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara

Ok, so today I'm going to continue to talk about one of my absolute favorite topics - mascara! I'm not crowning this mascara the best of all time, but I must say, Cover Girl Lash Exact has a lot going for it.

The Very Black shade has a good punch of pigment to it. It's not crazy volumizing but it does beef up lashes enough to give a bit of a wow. Definition is where this stuff really shines - it really emphasizes length while keeping your lashes nice and separated and beautifully defined. The application is easy and very neat which is important if you're a mascara klutz like me.

 I'm way too obsessed with mascara to ever stop trying new ones, but this is one I reach for time and again.

NYC Mascaras

I admit it: as a general rule I'm drawn like a moth to a flame to higher end makeup products. However, when it comes to mascara, I've found some amazing drugstore products that perform as well - or better than - the high priced competitors.

Mascara is one of the few beauty products that must be replaced often - like every three months, so it can get very expensive if you're buying high end brands. (If you're not sure why you need to replace it check out my Squidoo lens on the subject www.squidoo.com/drugstore-mascaras-save-you-money - you can also vote for your favorite mascara brand and shop for amazing deals on mascara right from this page!)  Luckily the quality of many drugstore brands is amazing!

Today I'm going to focus on several choices from NYC (New York Color)....

NYC Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara

NYC brand is a wonderful find for mascara lovers! They have lots of good options and I'll start with Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara which has an MSRP of $1.99. I like for my mascara to be really black and this one has a satisfactory color pay off. It's not the inkiest black I've ever seen, but it's certainly acceptable. Sky Rise has a fairly long, slim brush that grabs every lash and applies the product fairly neatly with no clumping. Lashes look long and thick so I felt it was volumizing as well as lengthening. Sky Rise wears very well and lasts for more than 12 hours with no flaking, smudging or smearing. Another plus is the ease of removal - just regular cleanser, no makeup remover needed.

My bottom line: Tiny price tag, well above average performance, amazing deal!

NYC High Definition Volume Mascara

NYC High Definition Volume Mascara (in the orange tube) has an MSRP of $4.99. It has a noticeably stiff, spiky brush that really grabs your lash line, so much so that it can hurt - so be careful. This one is intensely black and is more wet than Sky Rise, so it can be a bit messy to apply. It is more thickening and gives a decidedly more dramatic look. It also lasts more than 12 hours with no smudging or smearing but does have some minor flaking late in the day.

My bottom line: Excellent mascara, especially when you want an intensely black, well defined, dramatic lash look

NYC City Curls Curling Brush Mascara

NYC City Curls retails for $2.99 and has a slightly curved, yet fairly small brush. The color is not as dark a black as I normally like, but it'll do in a pinch! Although I did not see any discernible curling, it does wear flawlessly with absolutely no flaking, smearing or smudging. It applies easily and is not messy but you will need to apply several coats in order to get any drama out of this one. If you happen to be looking for an "everyday" or "office" type look, then this may be excellent for you.

My bottom line: No curl and no drama, but good daytime look, especially for the price

NYC Show Time Volumizing Mascara

NYC Show Time Volumizing Mascara retails for $3.99 and is the only NYC mascara that genuinely disappointed me. With a name like Show Time, I guess I was expecting a "Wow" factor, and there's nothing "showy" or wow about this one, unfortunately. First of all, the formulation is pretty dry which makes for a neat application but, in this case, very little color pay off. It does give you a fair bit of definition, but does not lengthen or volumize at all. If you tend to be a klutz like me, you might like it because it's not messy to apply, but you need multiple coats to get anything out of it. Personally, there are plenty of others I'd rather use.

My bottom line: Dry, disappointing texture with definition, but no volume or lengthening.

NYC Big Bold Ultra Volume Mascara

NYC Big Bold Ultra Volume Mascara has an MSRP of 4.99, although you can sometimes find it for as low as 2.99 at Rite Aid and Target. I must admit, when I first saw the HUGE brush I thought I would hate this mascara. The enormous brush led me to believe the application would be messy but it's not at all. It has a wonderfully dark black color with just enough moisture so that it applies easily. This mascara gives excellent definition and length, not really what I would call "ultra volume" though. It does not clump at all, even if you apply multiple coats. It wears beautifully with absolutely no flaking, smudging, or smearing.

My bottom line: Great jet black color with admirable definition and length, though not much volume.

I will be sharing more affordable mascara reviews soon, so keep an eye out... 

Drug Store Lipstick Duel

As I’ve already confessed in my bio, I am a person obsessed with makeup products! Some of my absolute favorite indulgences are lip products. Whether it be lipstick, stain, gloss, or balm - you name it, I love it. It’s also important to note that I am certainly not brand loyal. I’m all over the map when it comes to my makeup affection. I own lip colors of every description from such companies as Clinique, Kevyn Aucoin, Lancome, MAC, Prescriptives, Origins, NARS, Dior, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, and Make Up For Ever....well, you get the idea. Ok, so it’s clear that I’m a makeup junkie, but I’m also a bit of a brand snob - at least when it comes to most beauty products. My usual MO involves a trip to Sephora - or a couple of clicks online to purchase a high end  lip product. So, after hearing a lot of excitement about some drug store lip product brands, I decided to check ‘em out!

I’ve spent the last few weeks comparing several shades from L’oreal Color Riche Balm, Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lip Color, and Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter. Overall I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of all three brands. I’ll review each brand separately, beginning with the lightest weight product and moving to the most intense.

L’Oreal Color Riche Balm, with SPF 15, sells for $5.99 at Target (varies by location), and is aptly named a balm since it is hydrating and has a low color pay off by lipstick standards. This is the type of product I could see wearing to the pool or beach, especially since it has sun protection, or on a day when you don’t want to wear a full face of makeup. It goes on smooth and adds moisture to the lips but very little noticeable color. It just sort of perks up your natural lip color. Like any balm, it needs frequent reapplication to maintain a good level of hydration. The company claims that it “Instantly smoothes and nurtures lips, providing 8 hours of continuous hydration. Lips feel softer and more supple all day long. Even when removed it leaves lips feeling conditioned for an additional 2.5 hours.”   Ok, so my experience with the product didn’t quite bear that out.  As I said, reapplication was necessary and a lot sooner than 8 hours, but it’s still quite a nice tinted lip balm. Oh, and the packaging is quite lovely - looks to me a lot like a Dior lip balm case which is great! The other really positive note is the absence of any cloying scent! So many drug store brands in years past have peddled lip colors that reek of fake fruit or smell like a box of artificially flavored cake mix! (One of the main things that chased me away from drug store brands in the first place!) This one smells, mercifully, like not much of anything which I vastly prefer over the aforementioned train wrecks!

Below are listed the shades I purchased and tested:

219 Plush Plum:  sheer, cool plum 

318 Heavenly Berry:  extremely sheer lilac

518 Tender Mauve: creamy pale mauve 

Of these three, Plush Plum and Tender Mauve show up on lips pretty true to what you see in the tube.  Heavenly Berry did not show up on my lips much at all and I’m fair skinned with fair lips. It’s funny because what you see in the tube looks almost like a cool red but when swatched on skin it shows up a sheer lilac and on lips not at all. 

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a light weight, comfortable tinted balm with an SPF bonus and you’re not concerned with a lot of color, L’Oreal Color Riche Balm is an excellent choice. The key here is to understand the product and have accurate expectations.

What it is? A balm

What it isn’t? A lipstick

So maybe what you want is something soft and hydrating with a lot more color pay off? Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter may be just the thing! Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter retails for $6.49 at Target (varies by location) and comes in 20 gorgeous shades. It’s called a lip butter and feels exactly as you would hope - buttery, plush, and smooth. The company states that “[h]ydrating mango, shea, and coconut butter formula boosts lip moisture by 156%.” Yummy! Seriously though, as an esthetician, I can tell you that mango, shea, and coconut butters are all excellent natural moisturizing factors that protect skin from transepidermal water loss (TEWL) which is a great thing for your lips which are super prone to dehydration through TEWL. 

I tested 6 shades and found they all wore comfortably, didn’t settle into lines, or become cakey, and lasted about 3 hours with no eating or drinking. The color pay off is amazing! Even the pale shades really show up on lips. The fun thing is that these lip butters are a great way to wade into the waters of brighter or more intense colors than you may be used to. Intrigued by the pop of color trend for summer but intimidated by the matte or velvet texture of a traditional lipstick? Try Tutti Frutti or Lollipop - both bright-ish shades but in this hydrating and light weight texture they’re so much more wearable! Imagine hot pink but in a creamy, glossy-yet-not-sticky texture.... it’s so doable. How about a white-based shade without looking like death? Also doable with these lip butters.

Another plus would be the barely there (thank goodness!) scent. They’re not scent-free, but the slight, almost “buttery” scent is not unpleasant. My one gripe, and it’s a little one, would have to be the packaging which I think is a little cheesy looking. The “quilted-look” plastic just doesn’t do it for me. 

The 6 shades I purchased and tested:

001 Pink Truffle: warm pinky beige

015 Tutti Frutti: sheer melon with light shimmer

050 Berry Smoothie: pinky mauve brown with barely there irridescent shimmer

060 Gumdrop: milky lavender

075 Lollipop: wearable hot pink with barest hint of shimmer

085 Sugar Plum: mid tone creamy mauve

Bottom line: Comfortable, versatile lipstick/gloss hybrid with excellent color pay-off at a reasonable price. 

One other quick heads up about these lip butters - like butter, they are very heat sensitive! On warm days they become very soft and could easily be squashed inside the tube if not handled and stored carefully!

If you are looking for a more traditional lipstick, you may be more pleased with Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lip Color. These highly pigmented lipsticks retail for $5.94 at Target, which of course could vary by location - it just happens to be the best price I’ve found. Cover Girl gives this description: “[e]nriched with a silk moisturizing complex, our formula helps sustain moisture levels and helps creat soft, smooth, beautiful lips in just 7 days.”

Well, on a positive note, they do glide onto the lips quite smoothly, but that’s about it. The colors are amazing and intense, but I found them to be intensely drying and uncomfortable to wear.  They seem to drain moisture from the lips and, at least on me, they become more and more caked and settled into every line, nook and cranny of your lips which isn’t cute at all. My other big beef with these lipsticks is the smell. It’s hard to describe but it’s something like synthetic cake batter. At first it’s not too bad but the smell lasts throughout the day and becomes borderline obnoxious. I even felt like I was breathing it in after a while and it was very unpleasant. As far as packaging goes, well I’m not a big fan. The base of the tube, with its cube of product showing, is attractive, but they ruined it with the cheaply made top which scratches easily. I hate to sound so negative because I really do love the colors and rich pigmentation. I just can’t get past the dryness and the smell. 

The colors I purchased and tested:

265 Romance:  creamy browny pink mauve

270 Rush:  neutral reddish brown

285 Temptation:  coppery finished tangerine with a warm red base

330 Divine:  cool toned magenta

335 Embrace:  fuchsia purple

340 Entwined: deep winey mauve

So, if I had to pick a “winner” of the three products, I’d have to say Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter due to the lovely colors and comfortable texture. However, the L’Oreal balm is also a good option - just for different reasons. Whenever you want a hydrating balm with a subtle color boost, it’s a great choice. 

So come on, I know you’ve tried some of these products. What do you think? Everyone’s lips are different and yours may have a totally different opinion, which I’d love to hear!