Josie Maran Holiday Gift Sets

I'm getting into the Christmas Spirit! I see it everywhere, so I was thinking about christmas gifts to give to my family and friends. I got two gift sets from Sephora that I have been testing out and I think they will make great gifts! They are from Josie Maran. I really like Josie Maran products because they are made from mostly natural ingredients. Her main ingredient is Argan Oil. I really like Argan oil especially in the the winter when it gets really dry and my skin starts getting some dry patches.

From Sephora.com

The first set I got is the Escape to Morocco Holiday Lights and Brights Set $29. It comes with
100% Pure Argan Oil Light: I really liked this one as a night time moisturizer because it's lighter than the original which caused me to break out.
Argan Illuminizer: I mix this with my foundation to give my skin a really pretty glow or you can use as a highlighter to the high points of your face.
Argan Color Stick (Spice): I was always intrigued my this product so i was deligthed to see this in the kit. It a very nice natural flush to the skin and doesn't feel tacky, but i like to use it more as a lipstick. It feels very nice on the lips.
Argan High Gloss Lip Quench (Pink Honey): This is a pretty recent product from the line. They sell the it in a clear color, but the kit came with a color that matches very well to the color stick. This gloss is very moisturizing and not sticky at all. It pairs great with any lipstick.

From Sephora.com

The second set I got is the Escape to Morocco Holiday Hair & Body Beautifiers $39. It comes with 

Argan Cleansing Oil: This oil removes makeup very well. The only issue I had is that it's pretty thick so you have to rub a lot. It's not my favorite cleansing oil but its a good one overall.

Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil: This by far has been my favorite product of the kit. I use it anywhere I have dry skin. I use it mostly on my feet as a foot cream and then I put some socks and I wake up with the softest feet ever! 

Argan Oil Hair Serum

100% Pure Argan Oil: This is not a favorite for moisturizing my skin because it's too heavy for my skin and I breakout, but I found another use for it. I use it as a  hair oil and for my cuticles and for that it's a great product!

Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream in Vanilla Apricot: This is one of best hand creams I have tried, it's very moisturizing and skins in really quick. No greasy residue.  I already finished it and will be buying a full size one very soon!This scent is amazing!!

Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter: I love the feel of this body butter and it moisturizes really well for this time of year.

Overall these kits make a great Holiday gift for a love one or even for yourself! What do you guys think of this set and Josie Maran Products? Next on my list is to try some of her makeup products. 

Recent Haul: Target, Sephora & Lord and Taylor

Sorry the Pictures are not of great quality. Still working on that, but I had to show your guys my new recent haul. I've been very bad. All of the holiday collections are coming out and I needed to buy some things at target and ended up buying more then what I went in for!! Isn't that always the case!!

I needed to replace my Nars Yachiyo brush because I have come to detest using it. The brush has become so scratchy that I decided I can't use it any longer! I saw this Sonia Kashuk domed blusher brush and it look very similar to the Nars Yachiyo brush, but this brush is so soft and a fraction of the price. I also picked up one of her shine luxe lip color in sheer pink lust which I saw Tiffany blog about. I really love the formula. It may come as a shock but I don't own a nude lip liner so I had to pick up No 7 Precision nude lip liner that Lisa Eldridge raves about!

At Sephora I had to get the new Laura Mercier Artist's Palette that everyone has been raving about. I have the one from last year but this one is very different. It contains more purple eyeshadows which I don't have! I will be comparing both palettes soon. I also picked up the new limited edition Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. I've always wanted to try the powders so this is a great way to try them and get 3 different colors and one of them is limited edition.

Now on to Lord and Taylor. They are having their friends and family sale which ends tomorrow! Great time to stock up on some items you have been lusting over!! I picked up a few weeks ago the Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Palette, and I adore this palette. Very travel friendly, pigmented and better then the naked basics palette in my opinion. I had to get it after lusting at it when Amelia posted a blog about it! This is my first Bobbi Brown palette and i'm not disappointed at all. Thank you Amelia!! ;) I recently picked up at my favorite Laura Mercier counter a christmas gift set of the mini caviar eye sticks which I think are the best eye sticks out of the market. They require no primer and last all day without bugging!! I swatched some on my hand and it didn't come off easily. I had to wash my hands a few time and still some of it was left over. With that purchase I got a gift with purchase. I got a makeup bag with a mini blush, the radiance primer, a mascara, and one of her new baked highlighters. Great minis to try out!

So there is my long post of my recent hauls! Are you guys getting anything from the holiday collections?

Recent Haul: MAC RiRi X Collection

So of course I had to get the new Mac RiRi collection just because of the rose gold packaging!! I can't keep up with MAC coming out with a new collection every few months but then I was surprised that I actually liked the eyeshadows in the Her Cocoa palette. This quad is right up my street with warm bronzing golds and browns. I found very odd that the palette didn't contain any color names, but from what I heard the palette contains colors from the permanent line. It contains Retrospeck, Whisper Peach, Woodwinked, and Mulch. The Shadows are very creamy and blend beautifully! If you can get your hands on it I would really recommend this quad. 

Next I got the bronzer/blush duo in Hibiscus Kiss. This is a repromote from a previous collection. I wasn't able to get it last time because it sold out so quickly. This time when I went to the counter it was sold out as well, but I was able to get a hold of it on Nordstrom.com. I love the packaging and that it contains a nice mirror so I can reuse it when the product runs out. The bronzer is a matte bronzer which I think is best for getting a natural bronzed look. It looks very natural on me and not orangey at all. The blush is a bright coral pink which is my favorite kind of blush color. This type of color brightens my complexion very well. This duo is well pigmented and blends easily. 

Another product I had to try out was the Extended Play Lash mascara. I have never tried a MAC mascara So I wanted to test one out and I was a bit disappointed with this mascara. It gave me length but not enough volume and after applying a second coat it stuck my eyelashes together making it look like I had less lashes. So I will not be repurchasing this mascara again. 

Overall I was happy with the collection! What did you guys think of this collections? Were you able to get your hands on any of the items??

Base Duo of the Moment

I'm Loving this base duo at the moment! It makes my skin look flawless and dewy with a satin finish as the same time. A good kind of dewy, the I just have a natural glow kind of dewy!! Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is one of my holy grail foundation, but add to the mix the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and you have perfection! Every product I try from Hourglass I fall more in love with this brand! 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is a water based foundation that gives a light to medium coverage if you add a couple of layers, but it feels like you have nothing on your skin! This foundation is great all year round especially in the fall/winter when your skin is feeling a little parched. I use shade B30 which I can get away with in the summer and winter. 

Now on for the really good part! Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.  I have the mini size 0.33 oz., which is great for trying out the product and it had actually lasted me quite a long time. Now I feel that it won't last me too long since I discovered this gem of a duo. This is one of the only primers that doesn't make me break out because it doesn't contain any silicones. It's mineral base and water resistant with SPF 15. It minimizes shine and creates a smooth surface for your foundation, as well as absorbing any excess oil. I think that's one of the reasons it works so well with the Vitalumiere Aqua because when I used the foundation on it's own it made me look a bit greasy (especially in the summer). 

I've fallen back in love with this foundation just because of the primer I paired it with!

Have you guys tried this base duo? What are your thoughts?

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo

I really love a good Nude! I was ecstatic when Hourglass came out with their Nude lipstick/jumbo crayon collection I had to go and check it out! There are 6 colors to choose from after debating on which color to choose I decided on No 4. This lip crayon is a pink beige nude with a tiny hint of a rose color. The other colors were either too pale or too dark on my skin, No 4 was just a perfect nude for me! These lip crayons come in Hourglass very luxurious packaging and it has a good weight to it. It's a screw up type of lip crayon which means its travel friendly no need to sharpen these bad boys. When I first applied this on my lips, it was a little drying but I took Tammie's suggestion and applied a lip balm underneath and it felt more comfortable on the lips. It's a great shade to pair with a smokey eye or your everyday makeup. It's more of an opaque nude not glossy whatsoever! It's more of a satin/matte finish. Staying power is pretty good but it's not long lasting; which it's not meant to be long lasting. overall it's a great nude color that I know I will get a lot of use from.


What do you think of these new lip crayons? Do you think it's worth the splurge?

July/August Favorites

Recently I have been very minimalist with my makeup, just doing my base and not that much color on my eyes. The heat was so unbearable that the makeup just slide off your face. One of the best things i did was invest in a good tinted moisturizer and for that I went with one of the blogger fav's Laura Mercier oil-free tinted Moisturizer. This is a great products if you want your skin to feel like you have no makeup but has great coverage with an added bonus of broad spectrum SPF 20! Oil free is always best to keep skin free of those pesky pimples and blackheads. I can see this product being used well into fall. Thanks Anna for the recommendation! I still want to try other tinted moisturizer because I have become a big fan of the look and feel it gives my skin. Jouer is next on my list! ;)

To give my skin some extra glow I have been loving the Laura Mercier Spellbound highlighter. As you can see I can't get enough of Laura Mercier recently! To give some color to my cheeks I use Frat Boy by The Balm. It's a great peachy pink color for the summer! To add definition to the eyes since I wasn't using eyeshadow I applied MAC Teddy Eye Kohl;  and to my bottom waterline to make my eyes look awake I used Rimmel ScandalEyes in Nude. Another Anna inpired purchase is the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector (what a mouthful) in 5 Candy Shimmer. I love this lip product it gives the best hydration to your lips. It's a hybrid between a balm and a lipgloss. I will never be without this product and I don't think I want to use anything else!!! ;)

Last but not least I had to add a skincare product. I'm loving the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream. This is the best eye cream, it has helped immensely with my dry under eyes. It reduces puffiness and dark circle, which the latter is my concern with under eye issues.

So there you have it my verrrryyy late July/August Favorites. What can I say life has been hectic, but I will try my best to post more often!
What were your August fav's??

Skincare: Cleansers

As you can see I love cleanser. Nothing makes me happier then washing off my makeup at the end of the day! It's the best feeling in the world! Don't get me wrong I love applying makeup as well, but nothing beats that clean feeling. It's like going to bed with clean sheets!! Anyhow.. getting off track. I always have at least two cleansers in my stash to rotate within the week. I believe in double cleansing. I usually use a balm or oil to remove my makeup and they I use a cream cleanser to wash my face. I like using cream cleanser because my skin is combination to dry and I don't want to strip my skin by using a foaming cleanser.

Soap & Glory The Fab Hot Cloth Cleanser $20. This cleanser comes with a muslin cloth and it's great for removing makeup and it helps with clogged pores. I usually use this cleanser when I am having some breakouts. You can use it as a mask as well.

FAB Face Cleanser $20. This cleanser has a whipped texture, and when mixed with water it becomes a rich cream; which I really like. This is the cleanser I gravitate towards on a daily bases. It's more of a natural cleanser with no parabens, sulfates, and synthetic dyes. It also claims to have a blend of antioxidants. It's great for sensitive skin and helps with redness.  I really love this cleanser and it's one that I keep repurchasing!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish $15.75. I got the smaller size to try this cleanser out since I heard so many rave reviews on it. I really love it for removing makeup. It takes everything off and bonus it's all natural ingredients! I will definitely be repurchasing. The only downfall is that you have to wait quite a while for it to be shipped because it comes from the UK.

Elemental Herbology Purify & Soothe Cleansing Balm  $46. This cleanser is quite pricey and it's a new in my stash. I wanted to try this out as I heard it great for purifying the skin. I really don't like the smell, but I really like the way it makes my skin feel. It has omega 3 and 6 and some plant oils to improve hydration. I think this would be perfect for the winter time when my skin is a little drier. It does not remove makeup as well as the Liz Earle. Which I was disappointed in because it more of a balm texture.

Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser $26. I also got the smaller size in this cleanser because I wanted to try it out since I heard Sandra rave about this cleanser. It's quite expensive as well for a cleanser but it has all natural ingredients. It's a very gentle cleanser with a lotion feel to it. I use a muslin cloth to wipe it off. It does remove some makeup but not everything. I would use this more in the winter to hydrate my skin. It contains Vitamin A, and E and Omega 3. It good for the second cleanse in your cleansing routine.

Clinique  Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm $28.50. I have finally found my holy grail makeup remover! This balm takes every trace of makeup off without leaving any kind of film or residue behind. It transform from a balm into an oil when you apply it onto your skin. It feels like using coconut oil but without the oily film that coconut oil leaves on your skin. I think I will never go without this makeup remover! It has no fragrance which is great for sensitive skin. 

So there you have it some of my favorite cleanser! Have you tried any of these cleanser? Do you use one that you think I need to try?