Wild Orchid

I love lipstick.  I honestly think I'm addicted to them.  Where I find fault with myself for buying a multitude of eyeshadows and palettes, I deem myself beyond reproach when it comes to accumulating lippies.  It's an indulgence that I don't think will ever be abated.  So, here's another beauty from the ever-growing collection: Wild Orchid from Revlon.

Wild Orchid is a deep, violet-fuchsia with obvious blue undertones.  It's from Revlon's Super Lustrous line of lipsticks, which boasts "mega-moisturizers" that help seal in color and softness.  It has a pearl finish.

Much like the other shades in the line, Wild Orchid applied smoothly and felt moisturizing on the lips.  A full blast of opaque color can be achieved in one swipe and it lasted all day on me with very little wear.  Fabu, I tell you!

I mean, seriously... Is it possible to have too many lipsticks?  I don't think so!  And just so that you know, I've already spotted another pretty lippie that may be coming home with me very soon.  Hey, that's just how I roll.  I'm about that lipstick life.  Another day, another dollar... another lipstick to make me holla. 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wild Orchid is available at various drugstores, Target and Ulta, and retails for $8.99.

A Splash of Dragon Dust

Ooh, this one's a pretty one for sure.  You've heard of pixie dust, right?  Well, I've got something that's even better.  Bolder.  More enchanting.  It's a beautiful offering that's going to get quite the workout during the upcoming holidays.  It's Dragon Dust from LA Splash.

Dragon Dust is a black-based, loose mineral eyeshadow of metallic gold.  It comes in a small, hard plastic jar with a black stopper and screw on/off lid.  It is from LA Splash's Diamond Dust line of shadows, which are mineral pigments formulated to bring sparkle and shimmer to the eye (or body).

Dragon Dust is classified as a "glitter", but it is too finely milled and does not possess glitter "chips", if you will.  The shadow is light and smooth to the touch and the gold is more like airy, flaxen flecks that easily take flight and disperse upon application...

 
which is why it is highly recommended to use a base that has a little tack to it like their Splash Proof Sealer/Base.

Outfitted with a doe-foot applicator, this off-white base dries down to a clear coat and helps to keep the loose shadow uniformed and intact on the eye as well as intensify the color.

Dragon Dust without base (top), Dragon Dust with base (bottom)

As you can see from the swatches above, a good base can make quite an impact on the final look and partnering their Sealer with the mineral shadow will only help to promote a better performance.

So, even though this dust - when sprinkled - won't have you soaring through the skies like a fairy, it will give you a starry-eyed brilliance that will have you looking like a golden goddess.  And I don't know about you, but I'll take the beauty of a goddess over the flight of a fairy any day of the week.

LA Splash Dragon Dust and Splash Proof Sealer can be found at Ulta.  They retail for $8.99 and $6.99, respectively.

Cucumber Coolness

I got another sample, y'all.  And, yes, it's a skin care product.  I know!  I know!  I know I said that I was going to slow down on trying things for my skin after the last debacle, but this one has a bunch of natural goodies in it so I'm going to give it a go.  It's Peter Thomas Roth's Cucumber Gel Mask.

Created to address an array of skin issues, Peter Thomas Roth is a skin care line that caters to both men and women.  The Cucumber Gel Mask is a calming, cooling gel that addresses irritated and/or dry skin.  It may be used to soothe skin after facials, waxings and peels as well as under the eyes to reduce puffiness.  In addressing the latter, you can refrigerate it to intensify the cooling factor.

Despite an intoxicating mix of cucumber, papaya, chamomile and pineapple extracts, plus sugar maple and aloe, it smells surprisingly un-exotic.  In fact, it barely has a scent; it has a very faint "gel" smell that dissipates quickly after applying.  It is very lightweight and not sticky at all.  It glides on the skin and has no glossy or slick/oily residue or feel to it.  Therefore, a heavyweight moisturizer it is NOT.  So if you're looking for a slathering of serious moisture for the upcoming cold months... this ain't it.

But I'm intrigued enough to try it.  I'm going to try it tonight.  For intense therapy, they say to leave a thin layer on overnight.  Otherwise, I can apply and leave it on for ten minutes then rinse.  Hmm... I may opt for the former just to see what happens and if I notice a difference.

So, has anyone else tried this or anything else from this line?  If so, any thoughts?  Well, I'm going in.  I'm taking the plunge and trying it tonight and I'll follow up with any pertinent info soon enough.  Hope my skin doesn't rebel like last time!  Cross your fingers... and toes!

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask is available at Sephora and retails for $45/5oz.

Blushing Over 63

I own a fair share of Inglot eye products, including eyeshadows and eyeliners.  I even have a few of their jumbo lip pencils.  But I've never tried any of their face products... until now.  I got my hands on one of their powder blushes and there will be no suspense-filled cliffhanger here: the blush is as awesome as the rest of their products.   So let's get right into it and chew the fat a bit about Inglot's #63.

#63 is a deep, scarlet-magenta colored blush that, unlike the eyeshadows, comes in a rectangular pan.  It is potently pigmented, has a wonderfully soft texture and a matte finish.

Full swatch (L), Blended out (R)

I merely needed to lightly tap the blush to get an avalanche of color on my fingertip.  It applied like a dream and blended out just as easily.  I welcomed this particular shade into my cosmetic cache because I have nothing that even comes close to it color-wise.  It is a dark mulberry that will work well with darker complexions, while those who are more fair will have to apply with care so as to avoid looking "feverish" or possibly even bruised.  A severely light hand is all that's needed for this beauty.  L-I-G-H-T.

So, there you have it.  A gorgeous, rich-colored blush just in time for fall.  And if #63 is not exactly rockin' your boat, there are a host of other shades available to choose from.  If you're a fan of Inglot shadows then the blushes will definitely be worth your while to check out.

Inglot #63 is available at their boutique stores, online and at select Macy's, and retails for $10.

Weekend Report: Summer's Final Curtain Call

Summer's about to take her final bow soon, but not quite yet... at least not around these parts.  That's why I'm going to take full advantage of her slow departure this weekend and squeeze in one more short-sleeved, toe revealing ensemble before the ol' switcheroo.  

For my makeup, I'm going to have a little fun with my eyes this weekend.  In addition to a primer, I'll be using one of Revlon's cream shadow palettes, Electric Pop, as a base.

I'll be recruiting the two blues and the chartreuse to boost the color of the shadows I'll be wearing.

And the palette I've chosen to rock this weekend is none other than Stila's Countless Color Pigment in Light Show, which I reviewed here.

In addition to Arena as my brow highlight, my eye should end up looking like this and I must say that Light Show was so much fun to use and play with.  Since Stila recommends applying the shadows with your fingers, you literally end up finger painting the colors on your lid!  Fun!  I applied the colors straight across the eye, starting with the green-yellow in the inner corner, the lighter blue in the middle of the lid and ended with the dark teal.  I repeated the pattern on the lower lid as well.

To finish my face, I'll be wearing Format blush by MAC and lacquer my lips with one of my favorite nude combos: MAC's Hug Me lipstick and C-Thru Lipglass.

Oh, and what shall I be wearing, you ask?  Well, I'm going slide in one more chance to show off the gams and wear a navy blue dress with a striped bodice and drawstring waist.  I think I'll keep the adventurous streak going by possibly pairing it with a straw hat.

And, yes, my toes will make one last appearance before the change in weather in a pair of caramel-tan leather wedges.

So that's my full report for this weekend!  The weather is going to be absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to frolic and play!  Well, I probably won't be frolicking, but I am going to enjoy myself nonetheless.  I've got to get out and enjoy the sun while it's still at its strongest and bid a final, heartfelt adieu to what was for me a fabulous summer...

Hair Love: Fiendin' For Phyto, Part Deux

Okay, I had to do it.  If you read my first Phyto post then you know that I instantly fell in love with their Intense Hydrating Shampoo.  So, with that being said, I simply could not wait any longer and had to buy the full-size version AND try out their Phytojoba conditioner, too.  I just had to.  Curiosity, you know.

It feels so good to have Phytojoba shampoo back in my life again.  Its pleasant smell of coconuts was truly missed and I can't wait to put this into heavy rotation so I can give my final judgement on this baby.  The sample had me singing its praises, but will it continue to do so?  Time will only tell.

I will say that I was a little taken aback that the bottle has a screw on/off lid instead of being equipped with some type of dispenser built into the cap to better control the flow of the product since it has a very thin, milk-like consistency that could easily be mishandled during use.  So I will have to be on my P's and Q's, and stay mindful of this so as to not pour half the bottle down the drain by accident. 

And since the Phytojoba poo worked out so well for me, it was only natural that I would bite the bullet and take the companion conditioner for a spin.  Actually, it is a hair mask - Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Brilliance Mask.

Phytojoba's Hair Mask comes in a hard plastic jar with a screw top lid and foiled seal to help keep the product contained as well as preserve its integrity.  This hair treatment recruits the benefits of jojoba oil as well as other natural ingredients to help promote shine while encouraging softness and moisture in parched tresses.

The mask itself is like a white, creamy custard.  It is thick and has a light lemon-y smell.  If you have an aversion to smells and certain scents, you may want to do a sniff test before buying.  I, on the other hand, have no problem with the fragrance at all and found it to be pleasant and not overwhelming.

So there you have it!  I will be trying this dynamic duo out this weekend and will be sure to follow up if there are any hiccups or snags during trial, but I am SOOO excited to be trying something new for my hair.  And like I intimated in my previous post, there just may be a "Phyto, Part Trois" and "Quatre" in the works if everything goes right so stay tuned, y'all!

Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Brilliance Shampoo and Hair Mask can be found at Sephora and beauty.com, and retail for $19/6.7oz & $39/6.8oz, respectively.

I Have Finally Seen the Light

When I first saw these online they looked like regular ol' baked shadows to me, so I wasn't really interested.  Oh, their description clearly stated that they weren't... but they LOOKED like they were.  And at the very least, with my convoluted thinking, if they looked like baked shadows then they must perform like a lot of baked shadows do (i.e., they must be dry, dusty and hard to work with).  But au contraire, mon frére!  Stila's Countless Color Pigments are true to their name as they are a pressed pan of potently pigmented possibilities!  I picked up the blue/green version called Light Show.

Light Show is a combination of blue, dark teal and green-yellow.  I want to say that the pan contains three distinct colors, but it doesn't quite; the pigments kinda bleed and overlap in certain places while staying solid in others, much like a pan of tie-dye.  This beautiful configuration allows your imagination to be the guide to either play the field and create various shades via swirling or layering or stay monogamous to one color at a time.  

The two blues gave off an excellent amount of color when swatched; I only needed a light tap for it to yield an eyeful!  However, I did find the green-yellow to be a bit lacking in comparison.  The pressed pigments overall were very smooth to the touch and although they are listed as pearls, to me they looked and felt a lot more like they had a satin finish.

It is recommended to apply the pigments with a finger or sponge tip applicator and while the former worked well in the swatches above regarding the blues, neither worked well for the green-yellow.  It was only after I enlisted the help of an eyeshadow (shader) brush that I saw more payoff.  The fluff of the brush worked better in gathering more of the pigment and then I simply dabbed it on to distribute the color.  It still didn't yield an opaque layer so I probably wouldn't wear this solo, but it will be sufficient for blending and creating shades with the blues.

And when they are all combined and layered, a lovely mid-tone teal is created.  As a side note, I always swatch everything au naturel, sans base and/or primer, because I like to see how well shadows/products perform without any influence.  So with that being said, this shade will ultimately turn out to be a lot bolder and brighter once the proper base is applied prior to. 

Another thing worth mentioning, no two products will be exactly alike.  As you can see, my Light Show differs slightly even from the colors listed on the box it came in.  Mine has but a slither of yellow, unlike its packaging which seems to have an explosion of yellow in the bottom corner.  If you are extra particular about what colors you want and how much of it you get in your pan then please save yourself the heartache of ordering online and buy these in person.  For me, I wasn't that concerned so I ordered online.  And I'm cool with what I ended up with.

So, outside of the ailing green-yellow, I am pretty pleasantly surprised by this eyeshadow.  The colors are pretty and the payoff was pretty good.  But don't call it a baked shadow!  It is more like a gathering of three pigments that were pressed together and went through a baking process... Yes, that's more like it.  It's SO not your typical baked eyeshadow.  And it was only after I saw, felt and tried it out for myself that I realized this and finally saw the light.

Stila Countless Color Pigments in Light Show can be found at Sephora, Ulta and stila.com, and retails for $22.