Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle Review & Swatches

Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle ($27 at Sephora) is an air-whipped blush and highlighter in one with a soft, mousse-like texture. This actually came out last Spring, but I just spotted it recently because my local Sephora finally got the Becca line a few weeks ago. For me, Becca is most well known for their Shimmering Skin Perfectors and their Beach Tint...well, this product fuses both of them together for perfect, glowing cheeks. Let's take a look...

New Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask Smashed

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask is my holy grail lip product.  I've been wearing it to bed every night since I bought it last January (see my review here).  Then over the summer, they made it even better by releasing a Champagne pink, rose-gold tinted version (see my review here) which I wear it all the time when I want just a hint of color. As a stay-at-home Mom, I don't really wear lip products with much color to them on a daily basis so the Champagne is my go-to when I'm just out running errands or around the house. Still, I always thought it would be nice if they'd make a darker tinted version for those days when I do want a little more color.

Well, I was just browsing the Sephora website last night and freaked out when I saw Smashed, the newest Agave Lip Mask shade!

                                
"The leave-on Bite Beauty Smashed Agave Lip Mask imparts a universal red-wine tint while healing and softening lips with its blend of lanolin, vanilla extract, natural olive fruit, and jojoba oil. Its infusion of the powerful antioxidant resveratrol improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, banishes dryness, and lets you achieve irresistible lips". 

I love that all the lip masks are petroleum free and made with all food grade ingredients.  It's pricey, but definitely a splurge that's worth it for me.  You only need a tiny bit and it lasts forever.  The original clear version I bought last January is only a little over half gone!

I ordered one last night as soon as I saw it so I'll be posting a review soon!

The Balm Cindy-Lou Manizer Review and Swatches

Cindy-Lou Manizer ($24) is an all-in-one blush, eyeshadow and highlighter that was a total surprise purchase for me. A few months ago, one of my readers asked me if I had ever tried a highlighter from The Balm called Mary Lou-Manizer. She described it as a honey-gold colored powder that had a major cult following. I had never heard of it or come across it before, especially since my local Sephora stopped carrying The Balm.  

Then I went to my local Kohls and saw that they had recently started stocking some more upscale cosmetic lines including The Balm, and after trying the tester, I decided I had to splurge. The woman who rang me up said, "wow, that's a lot of money for a piece of makeup!" I told her I hoped it would be worth it!

When I got home, I realized that I had picked up Cindy-Lou Manizer instead of Mary-Lou Manizer. Someone must have put the box back in the wrong spot. Still, when I opened it and saw the beautiful rose-gold color, I decided to keep it.

The packaging on these Lou-Manizers is so cute! Cindy-Lou is known as a Con-tour artist and her rap sheet, mug shot, and fingerprints are on the box.

The product itself comes in a round pan with a mirror, and the size is very generous and should last quite a while.

The photo below shows the compact, but the lighting is making the product look more pink than it actually is. The close up and swatches below are accurate but I kept this next photo just so you could see what the compact looks like.

This close up shows the true color of Cindy-Lou- Manizer. The Balm describes it as a peachy pink, and I would also call it rose gold- it's such a gorgeous shade!

This powder is so super soft and pigmented, you don't have to rub it with your finger or swirl a brush around- all you have to do is tap it lightly into the powder.  Below, all I did was press my finger into it lightly and this is how much came up. So this will last such a long time, it really makes it worth the price.

Here it is on my skin- the swatch is heavier than how I would normally apply it, but I wanted it to show up on camera. This can be used as a subtle blush, but my favorite way to apply it is to take a fluffy powder brush and brush a 3 on each side of my face. I'll explain- start at the outer corner of your forehead, and sweep the brush in an arc around to the temple and down to the cheekbone, then another arc around to the chin. So it's in the shape of a 3 on the side of your face. Repeat on the other side. This way, it gives you a glow in all the right spots without brushing it all over which would be too much.

Overall, I am in love with Cindy-Lou Manizer! It gives my face a perfect candlelit glow without being sparkly or obnoxious. The peachy pink warms my fair complexion without being too dark like a bronzer. I still really want to try Mary-Lou, but I better wait until it's in the budget. For now, I'm calling Cindy-Lou Splurgeworthy.
You can find Cindy-Lou Manizer at The Balm, or at your local Kohls and Kohls.com.

BareMinerals Well-Rested Eye and Face Brightener Review and Swatches

BareMinerals Well-Rested ($22) is an eye and face brightener that comes in a twist-up pen with a brush applicator. It's not a new product- it's been around a while but the other day, I was playing in Sephora (did I mention that's always a bad idea for me?) and I happened to try this. Once I did, I was hooked and had to have it! Have a look...

Bite Beauty BB For Lips Review and Swatches

Bit Beauty BB For Lips is a new product that just came out for Spring 2014.  I'm pretty much obsessed with Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Mask (read my review here), so when I found out they had just released the BB for lips $24, I had to splurge on it and see what it was all about. 

I purchased the shade Flush, which is light pink, but there are 5 shades in all, one of which is clear. I swatched the other 4 shades so you can see what they look like. I have to say, they go on way more sheer than what they look like in the tube! 

Left to right: Flush (light pink), Tawny (dusty pink), Dolce (deep purple) and Suede (light pink brown).

I chose Flush because I have pale pink lips naturally and just wanted something to enhance and give that My-Lips-But-Better color. 

 The packaging is sleek and black. The box is very similar to the Agave Lip Mask but the product itself comes in a matte black twist up tube. I love that its not bulky and slips nicely into a small bag or clutch.

 As I said above, the color looks way darker in the tube. This goes on sheer and feels ultra moisturizing and emollient. It melts into the lips, but still has a firmness to it, so its not as soft as Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment for example. But in the summertime that's a good thing! It tastes like vanilla with a slight hint of citrus.

 Here is Flush swatched on my arm- its a sheer, pretty pink and tints my lips just enough. I don't even really need a mirror to apply this which I love!

 Here's my before and after:

I'm just in love with this subtle color for summer! But since the other shades are sheer, I'm betting I would like them all. The only downside to this balm is that it doesn't have lasting power...an hour or two tops, but that's expected with balms and its easy enough to reapply.

Overall, let's look at the claims:

Repairs- YES, moisturizes and minimizes lines

Primes- SORT OF, it depends what you mean by prime- this as a base helped lipstick go on smoothly but didn't seem to extend wear time.

Protects- YES, with SPF 15!

Mimics the lips natural surface to revitalize, repair and restore texture for the ultimate softness-  YES, this feels so smooth going on, melts into the lips and looks so natural. After using it for a week now, my lips look healthier and less dry. 

Have you tried Bite Beauty's BB for Lips yet or do you want to? Which shade looks good to you?

To read more about this, see other reviews or to purchase, visit Sephora below:

Bite Beauty BB For Lips

Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Review

I was in Sephora today and almost squealed out loud when I saw the new Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creams, $18.I'm pretty much obsessed with my Argan Infinity Cream and a version with color is too good to be true! 

Take a peek!

It comes in 6 shades:

Everlasting Honey- Rosy Nude

Limitless Pink- Medium Pink

Timeless Coral- Warm Vibrant Coral

Endless Guava- Vibrant Poppy Pink

Always Cherry- Vibrant Cool Red

Boundless Berry- Rich Cool Wine

I decided to try Limitless Pink. I usually go for nude shades but when I swatched this on my hand it looked very pretty and subtle.

It comes in a squeeze tube just like the original version, only smaller.

Here's the description:

What it is:
A natural, hydrating lip and cheek formula infused with argan oil and color. 

What it does:
This creamy, colorful product adds a pop of dewy, natural color to lips and cheeks. The tinted treatment starts as a cream and melts into an oil, promoting hydration and nourishment without a greasy finish. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates 
- Phthalates 

What else you need to know:

“I love putting my Argan Infinity Intensive Creamy Oil on my lips and cheeks to battle dryness and keep them soft. So I thought, why not make a tinted version to add a kiss of color? I’m in love with these cute color wonders. The tint is transparent, so it looks natural, but the popping pigment brightens up lips and cheeks instantly!”—Josie Maran

Ingredients:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil**, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*, Beeswax**, Jojoba Esters**, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed)/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer**, Acacia Decurrens (Mimosa) Flower Wax**, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax**, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil**, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil**, Glyceryl Behenate**, Sorbitan Oleate**, Tocopherol, Polyglycerin-3**, Phenethyl Alcohol**, Water**, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane. May Contain: Mica**, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891)**, Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 33 (Ci 17200), Red 7 (Ci 15850), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499). *Organic **Natural.

I love, love, love the feel of this balm! It is so soft and just melts into the lips, leaving behind a gorgeous sheer tint of color with a hint of glossiness. This isn't waxy like a lip balm or sticky like a gloss. The texture is just amazing. The color is sheer going on, but buildable and it definitely stains the lips a little so you'll see some color even after the glossy finish wears off. It feels incredibly hydrating and comfortable on the lips.

The only downside is that it can melt into an oil if you store it in a warm environment, so make sure it's kept in a cool place! Also, I've seen other reviews that said that this can sometimes have a gritty feel. I haven't experienced that myself yet but I wonder if it varies from tube to tube depending on how they're stored. 

I also find it to be too dewy for cheeks. This cream melts into an oil which is a great feeling on the lips but is a little weird on the cheeks...its not matte like other cream blushes. 

In the swatch,the color looks heavy but it's not at all...this gives a beautiful My Lips But Better effect for me.

Here it is next to the original Infinity Cream. It's actually a huge tube considering you only need a tiny bit. It costs $18, but right now this week, Sephora is giving 15% off to Beauty Insiders in the stores, plus you get a free clutch with samples! So I paid $16 and change for this.

So is this Splurgeworthy? Yes! Go and get this now, seriously!

Purchase at Sephora:

Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip And Cheek Creamy Oil

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream Review

Remember the Crypt Keeper- the host of "Tales from the Crypt"?  Well my hands look kinda like his most of the time.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit, but they have been compared to an 80 year old woman's before. So far, there's not a whole lot I can do about it. Part of the problem, aside from heredity, is that I wash my hands a lot- but it's flu season, plus I'm handling an infant all day, so I'm not gonna stop.  Hand creams work temporarily, but by the next washing these hands are right back to splitsville.

While in line at Sephora recently, I saw a tube of Yu-Be cream in those impulse bins by the register.  I used the tester and rubbed some into my hands, thinking it couldn't hurt, and OMG I bought some right then. It was not a large tube and cost $16 but did I care?  Nope.  A miracle had just been performed on my hands.

Okay, there I go exaggerating again.  But when you have hands so dry that they often hurt, anything that makes them feel better seems pretty miraculous.  Pretty soon, my little tube was getting used up fast, so I put the larger sized jar ($25) on my Christmas list and retired the tube to my purse.

Yu-Be is a skincare brand that was created in 1957 by a Japanese Pharmacist and is the #1 selling skincare cream in Japan.  Here's some info on the box:

This cream has an incredibly high glycerin content, which draws moisture out of the air and into the skin.  You can use Yu-Be head to toe, even on your face and lips!  A few weeks ago I was outside a lot and it was windy and bitter cold.  Later that night my face felt chapped so even though I worried about putting something this rich on my face, I slathered it on instead of my regular moisturizer and woke up to soft, plump, glowing skin with no breakouts.  I use this once a week now as an overnight treatment on my face.  

It's a thick cream that's light yellow in color.  A little bit goes a long way and once absorbed, it's not greasy at all!

Now for the scary part...a picture of my super-dry hand. I went several washings without applying hand cream to get this before shot.  I wanted to show you what an amazing difference Yu-Be makes  but to do it, I had to get my hands nice and dry. Don't say I didn't warn you-yuck.

Actually, they've been much worse than that, but anyway, the next picture is 5 min later after applying Yu-Be.  

Yu-Be makes an amazing difference in my skin, and it's such a versatile product!  My only complaint is the smell- it's very medicinal due to the camphor, but like the package says, the scent completely disappears within a few minutes.  The first time I used it, I thought, "gross, this smell isn't going to go away" but it absolutely does.  So even though it isn't the best scent while applying, it's totally gone shortly after, so it's ok.  

This is going on my Splurgeworthy list!  If you have dry skin, you will love this.

Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask Review

Ever since I tired Carol's Daughter Monoi Anti-Breakage Spray (see my review here), I've been dying to try the rest of the Monoi line.  I had a Macy's gift card from Christmas, so I decided to get the sample kit ($26) to try it out before I decided to spring for the full sizes. 

The kit includes Monoi Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Mask.

Here are the claims:

• Using the Shampoo & Hair Mask, only once, studies showed:

• Prevent breakage by 96%
• Hair lives 13X longer
• Condition of hair was improved by 86%

• Using the Shampoo & Conditioner, only once, studies showed:

• Prevents breakage by 92%
• Hair lives 5.5X longer
• Condition of hair was improved by 84%
• When used with the Monoi Repairing Conditioner:
• 92% less breakage after only 1 use
• 5.5X longer hair life after only 1 use
• 82% better conditioning and detangling after only 1 use
• Monoi Oil gently conditions your hair all over
• Hibiscus Extract help quickly detangle any hair type, but especially delicate, damaged hair
• Coconut-derived cleansers are gentle enough for even the most fragile, distressed hair

 Ever since I had the baby, my hair has been a mess...falling out everywhere and damaged from going back to blonde and heat styling.  

The directions say to use all three products, which I did.

The shampoo is sulfate free, so it didn't lather that much, but it also didn't dry out my hair, which is what I was going for.  The conditioner was nice, but I liked the Repairing Hair Mask the best- it was buttery and thick and when I rinsed it out, my hair felt like silk. 

This also has that Tahitian Monoi scent (Gardenias and Coconut)  that makes you long to be on a tropical island somewhere.

After using this set, my hair felt so soft and my split ends were all but hidden!  My hair actually had shine, and here's the proof.  The pictures below show my hair the day before, where I used John Frieda's Go Blonder Shampoo and Garnier's Damage Eraser Mask.  I didn't use any other styling products- just blow-dried my hair.  

It looks pretty awful, but I wanted this to be a true test, without any styling products to add shine or softness to my hair.

Here's what it looked like after using the Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo, Conditioner and Repairing Hair Mask.  Again, no styling products were added- I just blow-dried afterwards.  Oh, and the color looks different, only because the above picture was taken in daylight and the other at night, so my hair looks a little darker.

It's still not perfect, but it's so much smoother and healthier looking!  I actually didn't need to use any additonal styling products, such as split-end repair or shine serums!

Unfortunately, this is so amazing, I'm going to have to find room in the budget for the full sizes ($20, $22, and $32...yikes!).  But they're worth it, if they save my hair from falling out and allow me to keep growing it.  At the very least, I'll make it last by using it only a few times a week.  As a new mom, I don't do my hair everyday anyway! :)

This is definitely splurgeworthy!  If you want to try it, I highly recommend the sample kit.

Strivectin CC Lip Tint Pink Review and Swatches

I've been using the Strivectin AR line for the face for the past few months, and I love it. So the prospect of an anti-aging lip treatment from Strivectin was too good to pass up!  I purchased mine at Ulta for $19.  There are two shades, pink and plum and since I'm more of a neutral lip girl, I chose the pink.

Here are some box shots:

It comes in a tube that you squeeze to apply...pretty standard.

Here's a swatch of the pink on my hand:

This lip treatment is thick and moisturizing without being sticky, which is really important to me. It has a very faint mint scent that isn't overpowering at all. It makes my lips feel hydrated right away and I love that it not only has instant effects, but has Strivectin's NIA-114 molecule to correct the lips over time.  Most lip treatments only work temporarily, so I look at this as an investment to correct the fine lines permanently, rather than just fill them in. 

 Here's a swatch on my lips...you can see how they already look smoother and a little more plumped up.  

I'm really liking this new lip treatment!  The color is so pretty- it's a very subtle my-lips-but-better shade that's perfect for every day.