Pixi Succulent Lip Twin...is a tempting two-some

Hello:
Today I tried Pixi's Succulent Lip Twin in #3 Pink Peony.

The "balm" on the bottom can be used on the lips or as a cheek stain, and although the color looks quite intense in the package it's a very wearable rosy pink. 


The gloss is on the left and the balm on the right.

I tried the balm on my cheeks by putting a small streak ocross my cheek where I normally apply my blush and then blending it in with my fingers.  It leaves behind a subtle rosy sheen.  However, it fades after an hour or two.  A more dense application may make it last longer, but I'm worried it would look very harsh intially to be worth the extra wear time.  But as it is also lip product that you might want to carry anyway you could easily re-apply.

Intitial Swipe

Blended

The balm is also very nice on the lips moisturizing and a hint of color.

Bare Lips

Balm

The ratio of gloss to balm seems uneven, but you need quite a bit of gloss to pump up the color.

with gloss

Overall, i like this product quite a bit, it is compact, dual purpose, and a pretty color to boot.  It retails for $18 at Target.

Jasmine

NYC 16 hour Smooch Proof Lip Stain...lasts about 6

Hello:
Today I tried out NYC's 16 Hour Smooch Proof Lip Stain in color #494 Smooch Proof.  It comes in packaging much like Revlon's lip stain but without the balm. 

It goes on just like you are putting a marker to your lips, it's definitely a product you would want to put on moisturized lips. 

bare lips

Initial application

It definitely looks "brighter" in real life, and I added lip balm over it after an hour and it looked its best during my wear.

After 2.5 hours, no eating or drinking

After 5.5 hours, ate a salad and drank thru a straw...no more lip stain for me!

I probably could have kept it on longer by reapplying a lip balm every half hour or so, but I wanted to see how long it would last.  3 hours of color seems to be the limit.  I am shocked that they say 16... there is no way.  But it's an inexpensive stain and easy to carry in the purse so I may try another color and keep the balm handy.

Jasmine

Another Blog Hop...By Blog Love Therapy

Hello:
I am doing a new blog hop this week hosted by Blog Love Therapy (check it out HERE).  I have found several of my favorite blogs by using their site and you can also email them to have them do a critique of YOUR site with constructive advice on how to improve!  I know I need some blog minded feedback!  So check it out!
 Also I got some fun new nailpoishes - Yeah!

From Left to Right:  Revlon Colorstay in Bonsai, Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Barely Blue Bell, Revlon in Chic, Orly  in After Party, China Glaze in Full Spectrum and NYC Long Wearing in Pink Promenade

Next up Pixi Lip and Cheek Stain...

Jasmine



Garnier Skin Renew dark spot Corrector & Peel - Inital Review

Hello:
So as I have mentioned many a time...I am pale...really pale.  Like people think they are paler than me and than they put their arm next to mine and say "I have never met any one paler than me!"  But I own it, and I love it!  But It also means the sun and I are sworn enemies.  I have always used sunscreen but I still have freckling on my face that I want to get rid of.  If I'm going to be pale, I'm going to be evenly pale!  So I tried using Lancome's Bright Expert for six weeks (read Week One review here), and it worked ok, but not quite what I was hoping for.  I had microdermabrasion and a Kjoic acid peel and that was GOOD but pricey.  So I was on the hunt for a new solution and I came across the Garnier Skin Renew Line.

I was intrigued by the Dark Spot Overnight Peel as you know you have to take the skin down to get the deep, dark spots.

You only need about 3/4 of a pump so this will definetly last a few months, even with nightly use. 
And I must add it's a little odd to put on a basically a thin mask and then mosturize.  I was worried, but after 3 nights of waking up to super soft skin that doesn't feel dry I'm feeling much more comfortable.

Then in the morning I pop on about a dime size of the dark spot corrector and then my morning moisturizer with SPF 30 over that.  The important thing when using these products is you MUST use sunscreen. I can't tell you how many people say "it didn't work" but use no sun protection.  How is it supposed to break up the melonin when you are creating it in overdrive? 
 So far my skin seems to like it a lot!  So follow me on my 4 week journey to uber-paleness!  Updates weekly!

Jasmine

Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation...is well done!

Hello:
Today I had a chance to try Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation which they describe as:

- Flawless ultra definition finish
- Natural radiance without shine
- Weightless buildable coverage
- Packed with nourishing ingredients

They have 18 different shades and the cool undertones end in .5, it also starts at .5 and goes up to 12 (after 7.5) they don't have anymore cool undertones.  I normally would say I have a neutral/warm undertone but .5 ACTUALLY suited me marvelously as you can see from the swatch below.

You can barely see the blended foundation under the dot, but it does give medium coverage and it left a slightly dewy finish on me that dried down to almost matte.  It's a natural looking finish - you but better :) It is definitely buildable which is nice, if you want more coverage.  It's $35 for 1oz. so it's less than a most high end foundations but significantly more than a drug store brand, but you can get matched up at Ulta or Sephora so it might be worth the extra $$.  Plus you get points at both Ulta and Sephora so it's totally worth it...right?  I would put this foundation in my top 5.  Which are in case you were dying to know:
1) Lancome Teint Idole 24h in 100 (perfect match, full coverage, 24hour wear...love)Lancome review
2) Chanel Perfection Lumiere (natural coverage)Chanel Review
3) Clarins Skin Illusion (moderate coverage)Clarins Review
4) Urbany Decay Naked Skin (Natural/Buildable coverage)
5) Elizabeth Arden's Flawless Finish (full coverage) Elizabeth Arden Review

What are your fav foundations?

Jasmine

Tone your way to gorgeous...with RE9 Regenerating Toner

Hello:


I know people often wonder if they need a toner in their skincare routine...I mean what does it do?  Quite a bit actually.

image courtesy of www.gracenglamour.com

It helps your skin return to it's natural PH balance after cleansing. It should enhance your skincare routine by giving you a cleaner more balanced "palette" for your moisturizer or serum.  Now that may not seem like much, but if you want to see the effect there's an easy way to see how effective a toner can be.  Just wash the tops of both of your hands, dry, tone one and not the other, and then put on bit of moisturizer on each.  The hand you tone: A) should have been cleaner (look at the cotton ball you used, did it get off more debris than cleansing alone?), and your moisturizer should sink in faster as well and whenyour moisturizing or serum products can sink in further - they work better, giving you the results you are paying for.
Toner should not "dry out" your skin in any way, if it does check the alcohol content, you really don't want any, even for oily skin (stripping your face is not usually a good idea).
I personally have never found a drugstore brand toner that wasn't either full of alcohol, or just practically perfumed water. I gave up on toners after countless bottles that seemed they just weren't quite right. Until, I literally stumbled upon an Arbonne rep (A sister of a friend asked me if I'd have a beauty product party at my house,and who am I to say no to beauty products) who introduced me to their RE9 line of anti-aging products, and their Regenerating Toner.  " An antioxidant-rich, pH-balanced mist with Vitamins A, C and E regenerates skin tone and firmness to deliver younger-looking skin." is how it's described by Arbonne.

I describe it as Love, Love, Love.  I just mist this onto a cotton pad and swipe after cleaning, and my face feels refreshed and not "tight".  My moisturizer sinks right in and I have better skin now than I did in my 20's.  I have cheated on this toner with Lancome and Clarins, but I always come back because it just works the best.  It's probably because it has all natural ingredients, and 1.7 oz bottle will last you months.  It's $35.00 but finding the right product for me is (nearly) priceless.

Jasmine

Upcoming products for review

Hello:
Today I picked up some items at Target that looked interesting and that I haven't seen much buzz on so we will see how they work...

I should have the 2 lips products up by this weekend.

Jasmine

Maybelline'sDream Fresh BB Cream...is a successful surprise!

Hello:

Today I tried Maybelline's Bream Fresh BB cream in Light Sheer.

It is an 8-in-1 Skin Perfector...8!  What are these 8 wonders?

1) Blurs Imperfections
2) Enhances  (I'm a little confused...it just enhances? That's not always a good thing).
3) Brightens
4) Adjusts to skin tone
5) Smoothes
6) Hydrates
7) SPF 30 protects
8) 0% oils and other heavy ingredients

Sooo...basically it's just like the 5 in 1 creams but they just used extras adjectives to get to 8.

But they had a tester at the store and the color was actually very light so I had to try it.

You can see it's a thinner consistency than so of the other balm's I've shown, but it blends in wonderfully.


Here I am with it on my face and nothing else.  It matches really well, and I am so glad there's SPF 30.  You can still see the blemish on my chin, but it looks super natural and it is definetly my new summer go to!  For $7.99 (Walgreens) I'm very glad I found this.

  Jasmine

The A to Z's of Me

Hello:

Whenever I come across a new blog that I think I might want to subscribe to (which is a big decision for me, as I ACTUALLY read the blogs I'm subscribed to everyday)  I always check out the "About Me" section on their blog.  Which got me thinking about my About Me section and how it really doesn't describe me at all!  So I decided to do an About me post.  Here are my A to Z's ~

A - Age : 33 (and I'm having a hard time with it, I want a 20's Do Over)

B-  Bed Size: Queen

C - Chore I dislike: Mowing the Lawn

D- Day: I don't like Tuesday's at work

F - Favorite Color: Black with a punch white, or pink, or turquoise

G - Gold or Silver: both?  It's the design of the piece that matters.

H - Height: 5'8

I - Instrument: Piano

J - Job Title: Creative Experience Manager

K - Kids: no thanks

L - Live: Chicago

M - Mom's Name: Lisa

N - Nicknames: Jazz, J-lo

O - Overnight stay at hospital: No, thank goodness

P - Pet Peeve: I have a lot...

Q - Quote from a Movie/TV show: Ron Burgundy: Brian, I'm gonna be honest with you, that smells like pure gasoline. Brian Fantana: They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time. - From Anchorman

R- Right or left-handed: right-handed

S - Siblings: 3 younger brothers

T - Time you wake up: between 9am and 11am (but I work crazy late!)

U - Underwear: plain and comfortable

V - Vegetable you hate: I don't like red or yellow peppers

W - What makes you run late: not much unless, I oversleep 

X - X-rays you've had: my teeth and chest

Y - Yummy food you make: Comfort food - Lasagna, Enchiladas, Meatloaf...

Z - Zoo: I've been to many!  San Diego, Minnesota, Brookfield, St. Louis, North Eastern Wisconsin...

Ok... so that's me...Let me know about you!  Pick a letter any letter to comment on.

Jasmine

NP Set's Memory Foundation...is a just another name for tinted moisturizer.

Hello:

Last week I was strolling down the Target aisles and I came across NP Set's Memory Foundation and I was excited because they have a few different shades including "Extra Light", which you don't see often.  There were no testers, so I had to hope for the best.

Now, on the front of the box it says Memory Foundation, but as soon as you turn it around it says "A tinted moisturizer that recreates younger, dewier skin."  WHAT?  You can't call it one thing and then another.  I have very different expectations for a foundation vs. a tinted moisturizer.  But I'm going to go with it being a tinted moisturizer, as NP Set describes it as "Set 1 is an extra light shade, ideal for fair skin tones. Memory Foundation is a hydrating, nourishing tinted moisturizer that smooths the appearance of imperfections while promoting suppleness and radiance. Vitamins E and C condition, brighten and supply antioxidant protection while seaweed extract thoroughly nourishes. Skin is smooth, hydrated and flawless in appearance."

I like the plain bottle

Even "Extra light" is still a bit darker than my lovely skin - notice how close in color I am to a white wall.

It is very creamy in texture, as you would expect from a tinted moisturizer, and a little goes a long way.  I doesn't feel heavy on, and it blended nicely.  I'll agree it smooths imperfections, and gives the skin a dewy glow. 

After - I'm not "perfected" but smoothed out a bit and less shiny.

Here I am before a bit shiny.



Overall, it's the best tinted moisturizer I've come across froma non-speciality store an at $28 a bottle it better be :)  But you get 1.76 oz.   I wore it on a hot, humid day with a little powder and I didn't have any seperation or oil splotches.  It's probably best for those with combination to dry skin as it is definetly a moisturizer and not a foundation per se.  Just wish it had some SPF!

Jasmine



Today I tried a "blog hop" !

Hello:

Lately I've realized I can't hope that people will randomly find my blog thru Google and just like it.  If I want people to read I have to network...just like "real" life.  So I linked up with This Girl's Life's Wednesday Blog Hop
Check it out Here!

I have looked a lots of blog hops and actully follow about 10 new blogs because I found site's I would have never found any other way!  So go find something good to read :)

Jasmine

Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain... Kiss-a-licious but misses out on the Stain

Hello:

Recently I tried Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous, a fun wearable coral. 

You can see some gold fleck in this photo, but I really didn't see it once it was on.

The product goes on smoothly, and has a slight minty smell.  It did not feel as rich and creamy as the Pixi Balm stain I tried recently (see review here).  To me it seemed more like a tinted chapstick, not a stain.  It  came off quite easily with eating and drinking and just...wearing.  It's a lovely color though, and definetly hydrating, so I would wear it just for that.  But I was hoping for the long lasting performance of a stain.

Bare lips

With Rendezvous

Overall, I'm glad I got this color, it will be great to throw in the purse.  But if I'm looking for a stain, I'll have to go elsewhere :(

Jasmine

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm...is brilliant

Hello:

Today I am reviewing Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in #7 Rosy Red, which I got at Target for $16.00. 

Pixi's website describes this product as:

"Super-nourishing, lip-staining balm that keeps lips in optimum condition while giving them lush colour.
What it is formulated to do:
Packed with lip-loving ingredients, this glossy gel balm protects & hydates lips instantly. After the balm wears off, lips are left tinted with a flattering, personalized hue just for you (colour & intensity depends on pH level of lips).
Twist-up crayon requires no sharpening."

I wanted to see how this compares to the other tinted balm "lipsticks" like Revlon and Tarte have out.  I really like the color first of all, it's not as much coverage as full on red lipstick, but not a 'GLOSSY' gloss.  It feels GREAT on!  Just like I'm wearing my favorite lip balm.  It does settle into dry spots though...you can only really notice it up close, but a good exfoilliation would have probably helped.  It felt moisturizing for a good few hours, and is definetly perfect to throw in the purse because touch ups would be a breeze.  

Bare lips

2 swipes of tinted balm

 I think I got lucky that I like the color so much, as there are not tester to see what the colors "actually" look like (at least not at my Target).  However I never met a red lipstick I didn't like so the $16 choice wasn't such a gamble, I really like the formula so I may just HAVE to try the others :)

Jasmine

L'Oreal's Youth Code BB Cream... is not "fair" friendly

Hello:

I'm not sure I've ever mentioned why my blog is @ formosacandidus.blogspot.com, it is because formosa candidus means beautiful pale in Latin and as a very pale individual I have a hard time finding beauty products that are light enough or have enough sunscreen.  When all these Beauty Balms started coming on the market I was excited because a true Asian Beauty Balm is protective form the sun and aims to give more even, "whiter" skin.  And of course most Americans do not find pale well, pretty.  So I have tried 5 BB creams with little success and L'oreal's Youth Code is no different. 

As you can see from the box it claims 5 main benefits:

• Evens
• Illuminates
• Perfects
• Moistuizes
• Corrects 

 I got mine at Walgreen's for $17.99 plus tax (Which is 9.75%) here so it is like $20 when you are said and done.  It does have a small amount of sunscreen but not the SPF 35 it needs to have to not just be another tinted moisturizer.  Also it only comes in Light and Medium and as you can see from my swatch below on a truly "light" person it is quite dark.

 The consistancy is thick and a little goes a long way.  It did feel moisturizing and it claims the "perfecting" part comes from a week of use, but if it's not a good color for me, so no way I'm looking like an oompa loompa to see results.  I buried my vanity for the pictures below to show that it does NOT correct you can see the small blemish on my chin fully before and after.

before

After

I think in fact I look worse after becuase as you can see on my neck I look orange and I BUFFED that stuff in.  I also look very shiny which is not my cup of tea. After a bit it "soaked in" and I will have to store this for use as a possible primer for dry, winter days.  I said I wasn't going to review any more BB's but at this point I just need to order the "real" deal from oversees and save myself some $. 

Jasmine

Revlon's Just Bitten lip stain is... Just Right

Hello:
Happy 4th of July to anyone in the U.S!  It is HOT, HOT, HOT here so the idea of wearing lipstick for a night out was not appealing, but a stain that lasts?  Now here was the perfect opportunity to try out Revlon's Just Bitten stain (in Mystical) that I got a week or so ago.

So here are my lips with no color :

I swear my lips are not this thin - I was smiling "tightly"

And then here I am with just one "swipe" of the "marker like" stain tip.  It is super easy to put on and I normally have very dry lips, but amazingly this did not feel drying even before I put on the balm.

You can see on my lower lip I missed a bit of the upper part - but it's a very easy color to wear.

 I really like the color, it's the same tone as my lips, just a bit darker.  And here I am with the stain and the balm over it:

It kind of dulled the color, but added shine.  I think next time I would put more stain on first.  Overall I really like the product, and am looking forward to trying other colors.

What is your favorite lip stain?

Jasmine

My Go To Mascara - Lancome Oscillation Intensity

Hello:

I have tried many Mascaras in my time and I have one true love.

Lancome's Oscillation Intensity Mascara is a vibrating mascara (which I always thought was hokey - but this WORKS like none other!)  The formula is just right for me.  It makes my lashes look WAY fuller and longer.

So as you can see my lashes on the right are thin and short, but on the right Defined and LOOOONG!  I wear contacts and mascara is one thing I'm actually pretty sensitive to, so flaking mascara drives me bananas, I have no problems with flaking or smearing during the day and it comes off easily at night, which again is important because if I have any mascara residue I wake up with crazy itchy eyes.  At $35 dollars a tube it's not cheap, but because it WORKS so well for me, I'll pay the price :)

What's your favorite mascara?

Jasmine