NOTD: I Only Shop Vintage Sephora by OPI

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Gold in all it's many variations seems appropriate for this time of year, so I Only Shop Vintage was my polish selection this week. It's from the now discontinued Sephora by OPI line, which I really liked.  The new Sephora line of polishes haven't really tempted me, as I think I've only bought one and have yet to try it out.

I really don't even need the excuse of Christmas holidays to break out a gold polish, as it's a color that I think looks good year round.  This one is more of golden amber and I love the glass flecks which give it a glowing shimmer that is not over the top but still plenty festive.

Today is my last day of work before my "Christmas sabbatical" of 2 weeks off.  Joy to the Earth :-)

Loving Your Unloved v. 5: EmphasEYES Cream Shadows by Tarte

Here is something I don't understand:  why do cosmetic companies discontinue good products?  Because the emphasEYES cream shadows by Tarte were really good.

I was able to accumulate five of them a few years back, and sadly they are starting to get hard and dry.  I was still able to create a couple of really pretty eye looks with them, but it took a stiff brush and some digging into the pots, so these lovelies are gasping their last breath, sadly, and will be tossed after this series.

My favorites were Champagne Pink, Shimmering Taupe, and Shimmering Golden Beige.  Plum Smoke saw the least amount of love from me, but I'm just not a purple shadow wearer in general.  I try every once and a while, though.

Shimmering Taupe

 Champagne Pink made for an effortless nude eye look.

Pink Champagne (flash)

Champagne Pink + Plum Smoke

Rest in peace, EmphasEYES cream shadows.  I probably should have loved you more, but you will be missed.

Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book Volume II

Kevyn Aucoin's Contour Book Volume II was my big ticket VIB sale item, and after using it for the past few weeks I thought I would share my impressions. Here we go!

This compact contour palette packs a surprising amount of the Candlelight and Contour shades - much larger than the first version with .17 oz of the Candlelight and Contour powders and .16 oz of the Candlelight and Contour creams. Considering the single compact of Candlelight contains .11 oz and costs $44, it made the price of the palette ($65) seem like much more of a deal.

Candlelight was the main draw for me, having read such positive reviews on it, and it lives up to it's reputation.  It's actually quite a subtle highlighter, with finely milled powder that gives a soft pale champagne shimmer.  There is a slight difference in color between the powder and cream versions of Candlelight, with the cream running slightly cooler in tone.  I did a comparison of other similarly toned powder highlighters in my collection, and Becca's Moonstone is very close, albeit with slightly more intense shimmer.

The four eyeshadow shades were a bonus for me, but also where the palette started to get a bit lackluster.  The Brighten and Starlight shimmer shades are very nice, but the matte Cool Tan and Ruddy Earth have some sticking points. Literally.  They have a tendency to "grab" the skin and are difficult to blend out. At first I thought it was just that my less than smooth lids were contributing to the problem, but the arm swatches showed me that nope, it's the shadows.

With the exception of the two matte eyeshadows, this palette is a winner for me. I've been using the cream Contour shade under my cheek bones and along the sides of my nose and find it very easy to work with.  I use the powder Contour shade on top of the cream to set it, and find that they are both hard to overdo. Pigmentation is definitely there, they just blend so nicely and look quite natural on.

Sadly, this Sephora exlusive appears to be sold out, but I'm glad I focused in on it during the VIB sale, it was worth it!

All Night Long and All Done Up: Julep December Maven Box

All Done Up

I'm still on the $19.99 Julep subscription plan, which means I don't have the ability to customize my box as much as those who opted for the $24.99 plan.  In general I don't mind, although occasionally I waver regarding which box to select.  This month I opted for the "All Done Up" box, which featured new makeup as opposed to nail polish. The overall theme for December is "All Night Long", a la Lionel Ritchie.  Yep, there were a few snippets of the lyrics on an enclosed card.

The featured makeup item this month is a new matte lip mousse, and I was able to chose the color I wanted.  I went back and forth before deciding on the fuschia pink hued Pucker Up ($20), which is described as a "Violet Verve" on Julep's site.  I'm wondering if it darkens on the lips, as the Julep site pictures make it look darker.  Regardless, I think I made a good choice, and I'm super impressed with the container.  It has nice heft and feels and looks like a high end product.  The cap clicks shut, another nice detail.  Now, I just need to try it out:-)

Pucker Up

There were 4 new shades of the Multidimensional Orbital eyeshadow, but they are all new to me as I skipped these when they first came out.  I chose the pale gold Luna ($18), thinking it was be a nice eye brightener/inner eye highlighter.  After swatching it I'm also wondering how Luna would look as a cheek/face highlighter.  We shall see.

Last, but not least is a new Gel Eye Glider called Smoky Taupe Shimmer ($16).  Julep has really nice gel pencils - as good as any I've tried.  And I've got quite the eye pencil stash.

Here are swatches of all three products, and I think the colors really work well together.  I'll be playing with these pronto.

Using my points, I chose one add on this month, a box of the One-Step Polish Remover pads ($8).  That brought the total value of my box to $62, and considering I only paid $20, quite the value. There was also a cinnamon candy stick in the box, which you'll never hear me saying no to.  I see I had a smudge of Pucker Up on my fingers which transferred to the box top.  Side note:  Pucker Up smudges out beautifully, which has got me thinking it could be a nice cheek tint....

Lastly, my apologies for the pictures only post up earlier.  I've been swamped at work (end of semester stuff plus wrapping things up before my 2 week (!!!) Christmas break, and thought I'd have time to write up the post last night.  But I forgot, including that I'd already scheduled the post. Whoops. 

Sugar Plum Revitalizing Masque by Eminence Organics

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I've been trying to up my skin care game, which includes using facial masks on a more regular basis.  Eminence Organics has long be a favorite brand of mine when it comes to masks, so I dug out the two remaining products I still have. Today I'll be showing you the holiday appropriate Sugar Plum Revitalizing Masque ($54).

Disclaimer:  these have been living unopened in my refrigerator for quite a while, so I wasn't even sure if they were still good.  Fortunately, they smell and look okay, but it was a toss up considering these are made predominately with all natural/organic ingredients and no preservatives. I'm not sure why I've been hoarding these for so long, I need to stop that!

You can see previous reviews of Eminence products here and here so I won't go into great detail about the company, but I do like their aesthetic and the broad range of products that addresses pretty much every skin care issue you can think of.

The Sugar Plum masque is designed to rejuvenate, plump, and bring oxygen to the skin and features the following ingredients:

• Plum: high in phytonutrients to help ease the signs the aging

• Red Clover: high in antioxidants to improve texture of skin

• Raspberry Leaf: high in vitamins and antioxidants to fight the visible signs of aging

• Honey: supports the skin with moisture

• Biocomplex™: a booster of antioxidants, vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve the appearance of skin

The consistency is very much like a plum puree or jam, and it even tastes slightly sweet.  Many of Eminence's masks are what I would call "active", in that you can feel them doing things to your skin.  I could feel a slight tingling for the 10 minutes I had Sugar Plum on my face.

Notice how the box label said Sugar Plum would leave you with a rosy glow? Well, there is definitely something in the mask that reddened the sides of my face. Whether that is irritation or by design I'm not really sure, but I had no long lasting irritation and the redness faded in about 15 minutes.  I've experienced this to a much greater degree with one other Eminence masque, but that was expected as it was the Lime Stimulating Masque that is designed to improve circulation and the instructions warn you that redness can last up to 2 hours.  It was probably one of my favorites.

I'm pretty sure the people at Beautypedia (Paula's Choice) would do nothing but poo poo Eminence Organics - I  could swear I've read some reviews of Eminence on her site before but I can't find them now, hmm.   Eminence products are pricey without a doubt, but I remain a fan.

NOTD: Kerry by Julep

Let me start off by saying that Kerry is a pleasant surprise.  Even as much as I love gold/browns/neutrals on my nails, I wasn't completely sure if this color would be flattering on.  But both the color and finish are really doing it for me.

Kerry is described as a "matte metallic" finish, and it looks suspiciously similar to the "suede" finish that Julep came out with back in November of 2012.  I think they're the same, but that's okay with me as I liked the two I have, Amber and Nora.

I used two coats but I think you could get by with one thick coat.  It dries quickly but be aware that even though it feels dry, it's still soft underneath (at least with two coats it was).  I managed to ding one nail, so that's how I know:-)

I love how Kerry has a glow from within quality even with it's non-glossy finish. It looks really cool on my toes as well, a neutral with a bit of flash look.

Clean Face Oil Control Essence by The Face Shop

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

The Face Shop's Oil Control Essence was part of Memebox's Korean Beauty Starter Set for Oily/Combination Skin that I purchased back in August.  I've been using it since then and thought it was time to post a review with my impressions.

I'll start with a description of my skin:  oily, congested, aging and with occasional breakouts.  I've been an oil slick ever since puberty, to the point where I would wash my face as soon as I got home from school and reapply my makeup before I went to my after school job.  My skin is not quite that oily now but I'd still describe it as oily.  I've tried a plethora of products described as being able to control or cut down on oil production and have been disappointed with most.

I keep trying though, and Clean Face Oil Control Essence has not left me completely disappointed.  I realize that's not a glowing endorsement, but hear me out, because I'm really enjoying it as a daytime essence under my makeup.  It's actually a really nice primer for oily skin!

No doubt that's at least partially due to cyclomethicone being the second ingredient on the list, which acts as a conditioning and carrying agent as well as a humectant.  Cyclomethicone also gives the skin a silky feel and can fill in wrinkles, giving the skin a more plump appearance.  It does not feel like other silicone based primers I've tried (in a positive way), and in general I'm liking the ingredient list.  My skin seems to like it as well, as I've had no unusual breakouts since incorporating this into my routine.

Overall, I'd say I like this enough that I'm two thirds of the way through my bottle, which is pretty good for a fickle skincare product user like me.  Is my skin less oily as a result?  I think so, although it's not a dramatic transformation. Every little bit helps, though.  It doesn't look like Memebox carries this in their regular lineup of products, but you can get it on Amazon for under $12.  There's that as well :-)