Monday, November 18, 2013

SEPHORA Exclusive- Origins Skincare Must Haves!

This set is my FIRST experience with Origins...
 ... and I am overjoyed! :-D My skin looks (and feels!) five years younger, after only two weeks!

It comes with 1.7 oz. each of :
Checks and Balances Frothy FaceWash
Modern Friction- Nature's gentle dermabrasion
Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask
Plus:
A full-size (.5 oz.) GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
1 oz. of GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer


Sephora's exclusive 5-piece Origins kit.
Contents of Sephora's Origins Skincare Must Haves kit.

   I received my kit almost two weeks ago, but wanted to use it enough to know if it was a hit or a miss.
WHOA!!! BIG HIT!!
I don't need to wait a second longer to share how ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS this set is! Incredible value, plus products that complement eachother? Yes, PLEASE! :-D
  
I have used Checks and Balances morning and evening. I will admit at first I did not like the feel of my skin after washing with this cleanser. Not the first time, not the second time. Around the third use, I realized that the strange feeling my face had after washing was a GOOD thing! :-P Instead of feeling not fully cleansed, it felt cleansed and PROTECTED. Plus, only a tiny bit is needed (think pea-sized dollop- REALLY!). Not to mention, no break-out from use. WIN!



   The Charcoal Mask was the second product I tried. I did as the instructions said, held moist heat to my face to open pores, then "layered" it on...
Sooo, I applied and let dry. :-) 
It felt awesome on! Plus, I looked really ridiculous, which made my husband and son smile (Meaning, laughing until they couldn't breathe...). When I rinsed it off, oh. My. GOODNESS! My skin not only looked amazing, it FELT amazing! I had to consciously remind myself to keep from just stroking my cheeks- lol- THAT amazing!



   GinZing™ Energy-Boosting Moisturizer was Love At First Application! It barely take any of this gorgeous-smelling product to smooth across your entire face! In fact, I ended up being able to smooth the excess down my neck, which I probably better start caring for, before it's too late! haha ;-) So, the scent is somewhat like Olé Henricksen's Vitamin C serum, kind of dreamsicle-y. Not overpowering, just soft, subtle, pretty. Scent fades upon drying/soaking in. I have used this A.M. and P.M., with pretty astonishing results. Not only did I not break out, but my skin has the suppleness restored! I LITERALLY woke up the first morning after using this, smiled at myself in the mirror, and about passed out! My skin just looked so... so... YOUNG! This moisturizer is a HIT!

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream


   On to the GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream. This stuff is intended for morning use. I'm only using it in the A.M., and it DOES de-puff my under-eye area pretty quickly. I read in other review that some gals thought this had shimmer... and it may. I don't notice any shimmer, but I DO notice my eye area improving in appearance AND texture! I can see a significant improvement in my dark under eye area already, and I fully expect to continue seeing improvement. Another Hit for me!


   Modern Friction. I just LOVE the name! :-P This is an insanely good exfoliater! It is meant to be applied to a clean, dry face. FYI, TOTALLY AVOID THE EYE AREA! Omg just do as I say... No need to exfoliate our eyeballs, right, ladies? :-) 
So, another amazing product. My skin now looks improved in texture, "glow", radiance (is that the same as "glow"?), moisture, and altogether tone!


  Am I glad I bought this? UNDERSTATEMENT EXTRAORDINAIRE! OMG I've been looking for a good skincare line for eons. I've been through everything from Neutrogena to Preváge (oh dear, I must share my experience with Preváge!) with nothing improving my skin like I had hoped. In fact, as was the case with Preváge, my skin was far WORSE after use... So, imagine my joy to find a brand that is more natural than most, that is WAYYY more effective than most!

   
Overall, Origins Skincare Must Haves are just that- MUST HAVES!!! Skin clearing, moisturizing, youth-restoring little MIRACLES. Not to mention, the price point on these products is totally do-able, so... If you're looking for a new skincare line, I HIGHLY recommend this little set. The sizes are VERY generous, and should last at least a month or two. I plan on using the Charcoal 1-2x/week, and Modern Friction 1-2x/week as well. Checks and Balances every A.M. and P.M., followed by the GinZing™ Energy-Boosting Moisturizer, and in the A.M. the eye cream. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

An Unexpected LOVE- UD's Glinda Palette!


   I don't know how many times I saw the Glinda palette, and paid it no mind. Only when I found it in the Sale section did I give it a second thought, so, I did what I do... I researched it! Then I purchased it.
   Boy, oh, boy am I glad I did! :-D Here is the "Glinda look", exactly as the enclosed "look card" instructed.
What do you think? :-)

I'm GLINDA!

This palette is SO BEAUTIFUL! I'm truly blown away by the perfection that is Glinda. I cannot BELIEVE I almost missed out on this- I didn't think it was all that special... Could NOT have been more WRONG!
I seem to be having issues arranging my pictures, please bear with me, I'm blogging on my Nexus 7, as my laptops are out of commission ATM.


Glinda (daylight)

Glinda (artificial light)
OK, first the Super-Saturated Jumbo lip pencil. I already know and love this formula, and this shade, Glinda (a.k.a. Naked;-) ) did NOT disappoint! Out of the shades I own, I think Glinda (Naked) is one of the longer-lasting colors in this form. I do believe this will be my most-used Super Saturated! It has a sheen to it, unlike the other pencils I have. Not glittery/metallic like Adrenaline, yet not the cream finish of Lovechild, Glinda has a finish all her own! To be honest, I was reminded of my Momma's 80's frosted lipsticks at first! :-P Undeterred, I applied it, let it "set", and it didn't budge ALL DAY! The finish really grew on me, and it is SO not transferrable! 


Rockstar (artificial light)
Rock star (daylight)

The 24/7 Eye Pencil in Rockstar is beautiful. I had heard it was good for green-eyed gals, and I oh-so-agree! However, I think this is a beautiful liner that will enhance any eye color, especially when used in conjunction with the shadows in this palette.  

Ahhh... The shadows. Dear Lord, the SHADOWS! :-D 

Aaand, I am TOTALLY disappointed with my swatch pictures. All apologies, I will replace these pics with better ones as soon as I have my camera to use again. However, I will post the swatches anyways, just KNOW that they aren't showing the beauty of the colors as they should. 

Tornado, Aura(violet iridescent), Aura(peachy-rose iridescent), and Magic.

Illusion, Oz(silver w/ silver sparkle), Oz(gold w/ gold sparkle), and South.

This shot shows the iridescence of the Aura shadows pretty well. :-) 

SOOO, I'm in love. :-)  I think I need a backup Glinda! :-D Every color is amazing. 
The only issue I have had is a tiny bit of fallout. The beautiful results of Urban Decay's shadows have turned me into an eyes-before-face kind of gal- I used to do my face makeup first, but I must be honest and let you know fallout may be an issue with Glinda, so you may want to do your eyes first, or use loose powder that you can sweep away after you finish your eyes. I find it easiest to just do eyes first. :-) 


Glinda is my idea of perfection!

Well, friends, I know this review is late in the game, but Glinda is on sale for $24 at urbandecay.com right now! Take advantage- I did!
Love y'all!
Xoxoxox! -Beez