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Product Swatches

Review: tarte LipSurgence Lip Glosses Come in Perfect Spring/Summer Shades

April 25, 2014 by Kim S. / blog, Product Swatches, Reviews / 31 Comments

Disclosure: Product was provided for free for review consideration. All opinions are my own, and are honest. Affiliate Links.

I am a lip stick/lip gloss junkie. Whether it’s something nude and natural, bright or bold, my lips are always donned in something that will either make them shine, stay moisturized or just stand out. I love tarte products, especially their lip products. I am happy to share with you the New tarte LipSurgence Lip Glosses tarte released as part their Summer Collection.

What are the tarte LipSurgence Lip Glosses?

Tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss is inspired by tarte’s award-winning lip tints. The tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss provides the benefits of a gloss and tint without being sticky on the lips. Infused with vitamin E, jojoba seed oil and flower extract, this multi-tasking formula helps smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles while moisturizing dry lips for a healthy, plumped-up appearance that lasts. The applicator tip of the LipSurgence Lip Gloss features an ergonomic tip to provide easy application of the gloss.

Ingredients: vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient & antioxidant; jojoba seed oil: natural soothing extract that leaves lips soft, supple & smooth; flower extract: moisturizes for healthy, hydrated lips.

My Thoughts on the tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss

I love the variety of shades the tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss comes in; there’s literally a shade for everyone. The shade range has your brights and neutrals, but nothing overpowering since they go on pretty sheer, which makes them perfect to wear alone or over your favorite lipstick.

The tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss is not as sticky as some other lip glosses that I have in my stash, which is great. They also have amazing shine. However, I did not find that they were long lasting. I found myself re-applying after drinking my morning tea or eating.

The ergonomic tip definitely allowed for easier application of the gloss. It went on smoothly, and I was able to apply the tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss as close to the edge and corners of my lips as possible without it becoming messy.

The tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss has a vanilla scent that dissipates after a few minutes. I don’t care for vanilla scents at all, but this doesn’t bother me too much.

The tarte LipSurgence glosses come in nine natural-looking, glossy shades: flush, blushing bride, tipsy, blissful, fearless, natural beauty, exposed, true love, and limited edition shade: Park Avenue Princess.

Flush, Blushing Bride, Fearless and Bissful are my favorite shades from this collection. I found that the creamier shades (Blushing Bride, Blissful & Tipsy) applied streaky, but after some manipulation, it looked good. I also found that True Love settled into the lines on my lips, which didn’t look well, in my opinion.

If you’re looking for a tinted lip gloss, that is non-sticky, hydrates and moisturizes, I’d recommend picking up at least one of the tarte Lipsurgence Lip Gloss. Tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss costs $19.00 /0.27 fl oz and can be purchased from tartecosmetics.com or Sephora/Sephora.com

What do you think of the tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss?

Disclosure: Product was provided for free for review consideration. All opinions are my own, and are honest. Afiliate Links.

Sponsored: BB Goes Body with the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream

April 2, 2014 by Kim S. / blog, Product Swatches, Reviews / 42 Comments

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Jergens BB Body Cream through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Jergens BB Body Cream, all opinions are my own.

Over the last week or so I’ve incorporated the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream in the Medium to Deep Skin tone formula into my daily skincare for body routine. Yes, you’ve read correctly, it’s a BB Cream specifically for use on your body! Since using a moisturizer is an important part of my daily routine, using the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream seemed like the perfect product for me to try. It’s important for my moisturizers to not only make my skin feel better, but to make it look better, too, which is exactly what the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream does.

What is the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream?

Your BB goes body with the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream. Just think of your favorite BB Cream, an all-in-one skincare moisturizer except this one is for the body. The Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream differs from facial BB Creams in that it delivers benefits both immediately and over time. The Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream promises to immediately hydrate and illuminate, and after 5 days of use it evens, firms and minimizes the appearance of imperfections.

My thoughts

I love the soft, fruity floral scent of the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream. The scent isn’t overpowering and would not compete with whatever fragrance you choose to wear for the day, and it’s also great to use right before bed since the scent is so light. My husband actually loves the smell of it, too.

The Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream is rich and creamy, but doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. Thanks to the silicone, and the moisturizing effects of Shea butter and glycerin, my skin, especially on my thighs and buttocks have never looked or felt smoother and better.

Please don’t let the description “illuminating” scare you away because there’s no glittery or shimmery effects; you’ll just experience healthier looking skin. Within the week that I’ve used it, I noticed my skin has recovered from being dry due to it being exposed to the cold we’ve been experiencing in New York City these last few months.

The Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream quickly absorbs and dries fast so you do not have to worry about the product transferring onto your clothes; however, just to be safe apply the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream and let it set for about 2 minutes before putting on any light clothing.

Even though the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream is tinted, the coverage is sheer. As you can see from the demo in my video, you can’t see anything after rubbing it in – no streaks, nothing, which is great.

Would I recommend?

The Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream is a product I would re-purchase, especially to keep my skin in top shape for the summer. Can we say “Short, shorts and miniskirts?” If you enjoy having healthier looking, supple and smooth skin, then the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream is right for you. The Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream comes in two formulas: Light (peachy beige) and Medium to Deep (rosy caramel), so you’re sure to find the shade that works best for you. Trust me, “Your body will never BB the same!”

Source: Jergens.com — **Source:** Jergens.com

Visit Jergens.com for more information.

What do you think of the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream?

Will you try it?

LUSH Haul Featuring Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, Fresh Face Masks & More

March 7, 2014 by Kim S. / blog, Hauls, Product Swatches / 22 Comments

The other day, my husband surprised me with a bag full of LUSH goodies! Some things were old favorites like the Sultana of Soap (read about it here) and Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner (review). But, there were also three newbies to try: LUSH Neon Love Soap, LUSH Ayesha Fresh Face Mask ($6.95), and LUSH BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask ($6.95). With the goodies, he also brought some bad news – LUSH got rid of one of my other favorites, Alkmaar soap! I’m sure I’ll find something else to replace.

LUSH Neon Love Soap

When my husband handed me my bag of LUSH goodies, he said “There’s soap in there to help moisturize your skin. It has yogurt in it.” The LUSH Neon Love Soap was created especially for Valentine’s Day. It includes fresh passion fruit to cleanse, and soya yogurt to nourish.

It smells really nice; it’s a combination of fruity and citrus if that makes sense. Neon Love soap lathers well, too. The lather feels creamy and smooth. My skin, after using it did not feel dry. If you look closely enough you’re able to see the fig seeds, which softly exfoliate your skin.

Ingredients: Water , Propylene Glycol , Rapeseed Oil , Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera) , Soya Yoghurt ,Fresh Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) , Cornflour (Zea mays) , Sodium Stearate , Fresh Figs (Ficus carica) ,Fragrance , Cinnamon Leaf Oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) , Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora) ,Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia) , Titanium Dioxide , Glycerine , Sodium Chloride , EDTA ,Tetrasodium Editronate , Sodium Hydroxide , *Citral ,*Coumarin , *Eugenol , Geraniol , *Linalool ,*Limonene , FD&C Yellow No. 8 , D&C Green No. 8 ,D&C Red No. 27

LUSH Ayesha Fresh Face Mask

I have no clue why my husband picked this up for me because it’s clearly for mature skin, and people with wrinkles. I am not even thirty yet! Maybe the LUSH salesperson didn’t explain that to him. I definitely do not have wrinkles, but, maybe this mask can be used as a preventive measure? We’ll see. Since it has ingredients to brighten dull spots and help hydrate skin, it wouldn’t hurt me to use it.

“Ayesha is a blend of tightening and toning ingredients to refresh tired-looking skin.” Ayesha Fresh Face Mask contains Vitamin C-rich kiwi, which helps brighten dull spots, asparagus to aid in nourishing and to absorb excess oils, and honey to hydrate the skin. “This fresh mask is named after the fictional priestess who discovered the secret to immortality – ten minutes with it on and you’ll see why! Dull, tired and mature skin transforms for a bright, youthful glow.” – LUSH

Ingredients: Fullers Earth , Honey (Mel) , Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) , Lime Tree Flowers (Tilia europaea) , Glycerine ,Fresh Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) , Fresh Organic Kiwi Fruit (Actinidia chinensis) , Kaolin , Witch Hazel Extract (Hamamelis virginiana) , Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena) , Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) , Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin) ,Elderflower Vinegar , Bentonite Gel , *Geraniol ,*Limonene , *Linalool , Perfume

LUSH BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask

The LUSH BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask is a mask created for people with sensitive skin. Lately, any and everything has been breaking me out. My husband pays attention! Since receiving this mask, I’ve used it once. After using it, my skin felt smooth for a few days, moisturized, and not tight. It rinsed clean, too, and I had no irritation afterward.

The BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask contains locally-harvested, nutrient-rich seaweed to help nourish the skin. Finely ground almonds help to gently exfoliate the skin leaving it nice and smooth. There’s also aloe vera gel and rose absolute which aid in calming and soothing sensitive spots, as well as honey and olive oil to moisturize.

Ingredients: Lime Tree Flowers (Tilia europaea) , Sweet Violet Leaf Infusion (Viola Odorata) , Kaolin , Honey (Mel) , Glycerine , Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis) , Bladderwrack Seaweed (Fucus gardneri) , Organic Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis) , Millet Flakes (Panicum miliaceum) , Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea) , Bentonite Gel , Fresh Rose Petal (Rosa centifolia) , Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena) , Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin) , Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) , Seaweed Absolute (Fucus vesiculosus) , *Citral , *Geraniol , *Benzyl Benzoate , *Limonene , *Linalool , Perfume

I’m happy with all of the LUSH items that I received, especially the LUSH Fresh Face Masks because I’ve wanted to try a few of them for some time now. After I use these up, I will trade in my canisters and try another mask.

What are your favorite LUSH products?

My Most Used Ben Nye Powders for Brown Skin: Banana, Sienna & Dark Cocoa

March 6, 2014 by Kim S. / blog, Product Swatches / 27 Comments

First, before I get into why I chose Ben Nye Powders for my personal use and for my professional makeup kit, I think you should know that Ben Nye was one of the first to design natural foundation colors for African-American, Hispanic and Asian performers. Needless to say, the Ben Nye brand has been around for years, and the products have been a staple in many Hollywood makeup artists’ kits for T.V. and theatrical makeup – and let us not forget the drag queens.

While looking for affordable items to build my professional makeup kit, I came across Ben Nye Powders, more specifically the Ben Nye Banana Visage Poudre Luxury Powder. My first Ben Nye Powder Purchase was the Banana Powder. For one, through my research I’ve found that it has many uses and it works well on most skintones. Listen, I said most, that doesn’t mean I will use it on the darkest shade of brown because I know better. Secondly, I knew I was onto something when I had a lunch date one summer with Sam Fine (this was while he still lived in Brooklyn) who asked me what products I had in my kit. After listing the items I had, including the Ben Nye Banana Powder, he stopped me and asked “How did you find out about it? That’s a great choice.” Whoop Whoop!

After using the Banana Powder in my kit, I longed to try the other Ben Nye Powders, especially the shades for darker skintones, so I picked up the following Ben Nye Powders: Classic Translucent Face Powder ($7) in Sienna and Topaz; Mojave Luxury Powder ($12-$14) in Dark Cocoa and Cocoa Tan; Bella Luxury Powder ($12-$28) in Cameo and Beige Suede.

I’ve swatched the three most used Ben Nye Powders I use personally. Even though I left it out, I do use Topaz, too. I will swatch that one for you later. To set my makeup, Sienna works best. As a highlight I switch between the Banana Powder or Topaz; Topaz is a great highlight shade for deeper brown skintones. Dark Cocoa I use as my contour.

Ben Nye Bella Luxury Powders

Bella Luxury Powders are a silky-fine, mattifying translucent setting powder with just a hint of color, you won’t miss the white cast in your photos that often comes with other finishing powders. The versatile Banana shade suits just about any skin tone as it softly and subtly color corrects surface redness and pink undertones, as well as neutralizes bluish undereye circles. The powder is specially formulated to absorb excess oil and soften the appearance of pores and texture. Enhance your fair-skinned, youthful glow with Cameo, balance out light to medium skin tones with Buff, and warm up tan to deeper skin tones with Beige Suede. With more product for the price, it’s as beautiful on your wallet as it is on your skin! This Ben Nye Powder is available in 4 shades: Banana, Beige Suede, Buff, and Cameo. Source: CRC Makeup

Ben Nye Classic Translucent Powder

Ben Nye’s Classic Translucent Face powder sets creme makeup for a durable, soft matte finish. Neutral Set Translucent Powder is a colorless powder that blends with all skin tones without diminishing the natural glow of your complexion. The special formula also controls perspiration. This Ben Nye Powder is available in 9 shades ranging from fair to cool, to the rich, deep brown: Neutral Set (TP-5); Super White (TP-7); Fair (TP-1); Pretty Pink (TP-89); Topaz (TP-3); Sienna (TP-47); Chestnut (TP-42); Ebony (TP-52); Coco Tan (TP-44). Super White Powder is Ben Nye’s only non-translucent powder that contains a bright white pigment good for White, Geisha, Porcelain, and other very fair shades. Source: CRC Makeup

Ben Nye Mojave Luxury Powder

This set of Ben Nye Powders was formulated for those with rich and warm skintones (olive and brown). Ben Nye’s Mojave Luxury Powders are gently tinted to enhance your natural glow, not wash it out. This Ben Nye Powder is velvety to the touch, is lightweight, blends easily, thus softening the look of fine lines and pores as well as absorbs excess oil to keep your skin looking fresh and flawless all day long. This powder comes in six shades: Camel (true golden olive), Dolce (softer golden), Olive Sand (tan golden), Clay (muted terracotta), Nutmeg (ruddy spice) and Dark Cocoa (rich chocolate). Source: CRC Makeup

Ben Nye Powders Uses

Setting Makeup
Highlight
Contour
Catch fallout from eyeshadow

The best part about these Ben Nye Powders is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. You receive a lot of product for an affordable price. It’s hard for one person to use it all up, too! It’s a great idea to buy one bottle and split it with some friends. Sharing is caring.

Where to purchase

I purchased my Ben Nye Powders from Camera Ready Cosmetics, but you can also find them on Amazon, Alcone Co, Naimies and even Ricky’s NYC.

Have you tried any of the Ben Nye Powders?

What are your thoughts on them?

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