Makeup By Kim Porter

Beauty

Brighten Your Look with the Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Lipsticks

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Although the weather doesn’t really seem like it, but believe it or not, spring is here. Usually, when people think of spring they think of spring-cleaning, but for myself and others in the beauty world spring means new looks using colors that pop! Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick line makes it easy to add that perfect pop of color while keeping your lips moisturized.

Elizabeth Arden Grand Entrance Mascara

I’ve set aside my vampy lips in exchange for a fresh-faced look with just a pop of color using the Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick along with their Grand Entrance Mascara.

Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Pink Pink

First up, we have the Beautiful Moisturizing Lipstick in Pink Pink. Normally, I am not a fan of shimmer in lipsticks, I’m either a satin or matte type of girl, but Pink Pink looks nice on me. The blue-toned pink goes well with my skintone.

Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Wild Berry

Wild Berry, when applied looked a lot brighter than what I thought. I love bright lip colors, so that didn’t bother me. This one is actually my favorite.

Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Valentine

Valentine is so pretty! I’ve deemed it one of my favorite red lipsticks. My lips look so full and plump when wearing it. I see myself sporting it daily, whether to work or casually on the weekends.

Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Marigold

I love wearing orange shades of lipsticks, especially during the summer. I was happy to have received Marigold. It’s a red with more of an orange tone; however, when applied, it looks a bit redder, and not as opaque as the other shades. It’s pretty, but I prefer my lipsticks to have a bit more color.

Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Swatches brown skin

I love the look and feel of the Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipsticks. They do exactly what they say they will do: keep my lips moisturized and soft. The lipstick has pretty decent staying power, even after drinking a beverage. I also like that Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick, aside from Marigold, applies with full, almost opaque color with one swipe.

How do you update your look for spring?

Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Giveaway

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick Giveaway

Top 5 Fragrances I’ve Worn this Past Fall & Winter

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Top 5 Fragrances I’ve Worn this Past Fall & Winter

Top 5 Fragrance for Fall winter

Spring is here, but the weather hasn’t been warm enough for me to ditch some of the fragrances I’ve had on heavy rotation during the fall and winter months. So before it gets too warm, and I have to switch out the warmer fragrances for something lighter and crisp for the spring and summer, I wanted to share my Top 5 Fragrances worn during this past fall and winter. Maybe you’ll get some inspiration for fragrances to add to your collection for next fall and winter.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Bottle

Tom Ford Black Orchid (review)

Tom Ford Black Orchid makes a comeback every fall and winter season. I love this scent, especially how delectable is the dry-down into chocolate and berries, and then spice with a little smoke. It’s a very sexy fragrance that’s suitable for a romantic night out on the town.

Top Notes: French jasmine, black truffle, ylang-ylang, black currant and effervescent citrus.

Middle Notes: floral, and spice, Tom Ford’s black orchid

Base Notes: Woodsy notes (patchouli and sandalwood), dark chocolate, incense, amber, vetiver, vanilla and balsam.

Atkinsons Oud Save the King

Atkinsons Atkinsons Oud Save The King

Atkinsons Oud Save the King was a new addition to my fragrance collection; it was an anniversary present from my husband. First, I love the bottle! How pretty is the gold finish? Although this Oud is a masculine fragrance, a woman who loves masculine scents can definitely wear it. It’s a smooth woody fragrance with a hint of vanilla that is both warm and inviting. I’ve worn this during the day while working my 9-5, and found that it isn’t too heavy for the office. It is also the perfect fragrance for an evening out that will for sure last for hours.
Top Notes: A fusion of earl gray tea and bergamot.

Middle Notes: Orrisroot absolute and suede accords.

Base Notes: Woody mixture of sandalwood and oud.

 

Serge Lutens La Relgieuse

Serge Lutens La Religieuse

La Religieuse, a unisex fragrance is perfect for the jasmine lover. The dark purple parfum is lush and pleasant. It is a unique, and well-balanced fragrance that does a good job at balancing both light and dark notes that make it an alluring and mysterious scent. The vanilla dry-down make it perfect for wear during winter. It’s both classy enough for work and sexy enough for late night outings. My only riff with this fragrance is the sillage and longevity; Serge Lutens LA RELIGIEUSE doesn’t last very long post spray. I’d say I’d get 2-3 hours of wear before I would have to reapply it.

Notes: Jasmine, Incense, Civet, and Musk

Flora by Gucci Eau De Parfum

Flora by Gucci Eau de Parfum 

Flora by Gucci is one of my favorite feminine scents. Although a floral fragrance, I find that wearing it during the warmer months can morph the fragrance from beautiful to cloying and overwhelming. I think that’s due to the blend of patchouli and sandalwood, which add a bit more depth to the fragrance than what’s needed during the spring and summer. Therefore, I reserve it as my spring to fall transition scent.

Notes: Citrus Accord, Peony, Rose, Osmanthus Flower, Pink Pepper, and Sandalwood.

Odin 09 Posala Odin

Odin 09 Posala Odin (Review)

Odin 09 Posala Odin is a beautifully executed floral unisex fragrance. It has the perfect balance of fruitiness, spice and smoke, and becomes warmer at dry-down – think vanilla and amber. Doesn’t it sound yummy? This cozy, comforting and yet sexy fragrance has me reaching for it every fall/winter.

Top notes: Pear blossom and peach.

Middle notes: Jasmine, bourbon vanilla and orange blossom.

Base notes: tobacco, benzoin, black iris and amber.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my favorite fragrances for fall/winter. What were yours? Do you have suggestions for spring/summer fragrances?

 

First Impressions: Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H

First Impressions: Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H

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Do you know the feeling you get when not one, but two of your favorite foundations are on its last leg? That feeling of desperation, working diligently to make each drop count – that was me just a few days ago. My husband helped to fix my problem by picking up for me the Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H.

Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H is the brand’s first ultra-longwear foundation. Lancôme says:

“With its new EternalSoft technology, Teint Idole Ultra 24H defeats all challenges. Complexion stays perfectly flawless and unified. Never cakey.”

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H is a moderate to full-coverage foundation with a matte finish. On me, it seems more of a velvety matte texture; it’s not so matte where my skin doesn’t look like skin.

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H include is not your ordinary foundation. You know how your skin can sometimes feel tight when using a matte foundation? You won’t experience that when using the Teinte Idole thanks to the Eternalsoft Polymer. You also don’t have to worry about your color changing throughout the day due to oxidation or what have you since the Teinte Idole contains specially coated NAI pigments that help maintain consistent pH levels with your skin. Lastly, if you’re an oily girl like me, you will love that it contains perlite and silica, two of the most effective oil-absorbing ingredients.

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H comes in five intensity levels, and four colors (Ivoire for porcelain skin, Buff for light skin, Bisque for medium skin, and Suede for darker brown complexions) in neutral (N), Cool (C), and warm (w) tones. I wasn’t able to first test the foundations in-person before having my husband pick them up for me, but he was able to buy for me the following shades:

  • 460 Suede (W)
  • 470 Suede (C)
  • 500 Suede (W)

After swatching and testing out all three of the foundations, I found that 460 Suede (W) was the perfect match for the summer, but I would need to purchase 450 Suede (N) for the cooler months when my skin starts to lose its tan.

Once the summer hits, the Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H will become my go-to foundation. It applies easily, it feels light on the skin, and makes my skin look like my skin but better. My skin doesn’t look like an oil-slick at the end of the day when using this foundation. I also love that even though it is a matte formula, it doesn’t give off the cake face look.

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H Makeup is oil-free, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic, and has SPF 15. It comes in 28 shades, with 10 of them specifically for brown skin, which is a great thing for other brown girls like me. The Teinte Idole  retails for $47, and is worth every single penny. Check here for the foundation chart to see which shade is best for you.

Have you tried Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H foundation?

How I Learned How to Make Argan Oil at Assaisse Ouzeka Women’s Cooperative in Essaouira

When I booked my trip to Morocco, I immediately began doing research to book excursions. One of the places that was at the top of my list to visit was Essaouira. Why was it Essaouira? Because that’s where the magic grows. If you don’t know what magic I’m talking about, it’s the Argan tree where we get the infamous argan oil or as some may call it, Moroccan oil.

7 Benefits of Argan Oil or Moroccan Oil:

  1. Skin moisturizer- great for hydrating and softening skin
  2. Hair conditioner- softer and silkier hair
  3. Anti-aging properties- to slow down the process of visible aging lines
  4. Acne Treatment- helps treat and prevent acne
  5. Treatment for feet, hands, and nails- softens and conditions feet, hands, and cuticles.
  6. Prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
  7. Lip moisturizer- great to prevent chapped lips

You can find argan oil pretty much anywhere in Morocco, but I wanted to visit one of the women’s cooperative to learn about the different types of oils. On our way to the coast of Essaouira, and after we stopped to see the goats in the tree we made our way to Assaisse Ouzeka (Argane Tichka) women’s cooperative.

Before we get to Assaisse Ouzeka I have to tell you about the goats in the argan trees. I’ve heard about these particular goats and I’ve seen pictures online, but it was a site to see in person. People kept asking me why the goats were in the tree and it is to eat the argan fruit. When goats eat the argan fruit and passes through them, people would collect the feces of the poop to get the argan fruit seed to make argan oil.

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Yes you read that correctly….people would take goat poop to get the seed to make argan oil. Although that is not as common of a practice today, at Assaisse Ouzeka, I learned more about argan oil, its uses and how it is made.

Upon entering we saw three women hard at work. It was like an assembly line for creating the different argan products. Here are the steps:

1. Remove the seed from the ripe fruit

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2. Break seed to get the kernel. The kernel is then roasted and then cooled.

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3. Grind the cooled kernel using a hand mill.

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4. The product from the hand mill creates a paste and the oil is extracted from the paste.

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This is the same process for the cosmetic oil, but skip the roasting step. The roasting helps bring out the nutty flavor in the argan cooking oil.

This was extremely hard work. After a few churns my arm was killing me!
This was extremely hard work. After a few churns my arm was killing me!

We all know that argan oil and products with argan oil is extremely expensive. I must say after seeing how hard those women work it is worth every penny. This oil is not manufactured in some large factory. You only see a group of women working with their bare hands to help produce a product that we love.

At the cooperative we got test all types of argan products. We had argan oil honey, argan nut butter, and pure argan oil with bread. We also tested cosmetic products like face creams, scented argan oil, and argan masks. They guides were extremely helpful (of course they wanted us to buy things) and knowledgeable about the production and benefits of the products.

There was a plethora of products and options. I purchased cosmetic argan oil, lavender scent cosmetic argan oil, night cream with argan oil for wrinkles (you have to prevent them before they show up), and an argan oil clay mask.

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Visiting Assaisse Ouzeka was definitely one of the highlights from my trip. If you are ever in Morocco, visit Essaouira and Assaisse Ouzeka. You won’t be disappointed.