A Very Merry (dogcentric) Christmas

As soon as I put Jingle Bell collars and bows on the dogs, it was on.  They knew Santa's arrival was imminent.  It went from this.....

to this....

and this...

with the dogs doing most of the opening of presents.

Merry Christmas from Lily Raisin....

and Maggie the Cat, who hopes you have as happy a Christmas as they did:-)

NOTD: Gilded Lacquer Look with JINsoon's Coquette

My Christmas NOTD features some traditional colors for the season:  red and gold.  Coquette by JINsoon provides the red, with Keep Me On My Mistletoes by Sephora by OPI (now discontinued) providing the champagne gold foil background.

Nostalgia, Coquette

Coquette has enough of a jelly finish to give some translucence, and the finished look reminds me of of a gilded red lacquer.  JINsoon polishes are on the pricier side at $18, but I've liked every single one I've tried. 

I don't know if it's because it's no longer available, but Keep Me on My Mistletoes (second from left) is my favorite gold foil polish.  It was the first Sephora by OPI polish I ever bought, back when paying $9.50 for a bottle of polish was a splurge. 

I hope everyone who celebrates is having a lovely Christmas :-)

Complete Moisturizing Cream with 4 Beneficial Roses by Le Couvent des Minimes

I picked up the Complete Moisturizing Cream by Le Couvent des Minimes last December, after having tried a sample and liking it.  Fast forward a year and I'm still liking this facial moisturizer made with 4 different roses.  It's my go to night time moisturizer once the weather starts to turn cold, which is when I switch to something a bit more moisturizing.

Now, I've got oily skin, which means I look for a moisturizer that hydrates without feeling heavy or greasy, and this paraben and colorant free cream does a good job in that area.  Key ingredients include (complete list below):

• Gallica Rose and Wild Rose seed lotion: hydrates
• Damascena Rose floral water: refreshes and softens
• Musk Rose Oil: promotes cell renewal
• Wild Rosehip polyphenols: restore radiance and protect against free radicals

There is a slight rose scent, but nothing overwhelming or that lingers long.  At $33, it's also relatively reasonably priced.  The whole backstory of Le Couvent des Minimes really appeals to me, what with it's rich history and botanical emphasis. I also recently picked up two of their fragrances, which has further impressed me.  Lots to like here!

Ingredients:  Aqua/Water, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water - Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Parfum /Fragrance, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Chlorphenesin, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, Tetrasodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Glycolate, Trisodium Nta, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Formate, Sodium Phytate.

Rapture Revolution Lipstick by Urban Decay

Ulta has been offering some tempting little samplers as GWP's lately, including this set of 5 travel sized items from Urban Decay back in November.  I've become a fan of the Revolution lipsticks, so was happy to pick up another mini, this time in the cream pink/plum/mauve Rapture.

Rapture has cool undertones but is still very wearable color with my warmer toned complexion.  I find the Revolution lip formula is creamy, comfortable to wear, and leaves my lips feeling moisturized.

I've enjoyed trying out some of the colors I wasn't tempted to buy (Catfight, anyone?) in these mini lipsticks, and I've yet to try one that hasn't looked and felt good on.  These are quite glossy, but I've also enjoyed mattifying them with my MAKE Super Matte Pencil , which is how I'm wearing it below.

Today begins my almost 2 week hiatus from work, yippee!  I'm all done with Christmas shopping, although I may have to venture to the grocery store for some last minute ingredients for red beans and rice, which is what I'm making for Christmas dinner.  Yum :-)

Easy Eye Looks with Too Faced Candlelight and Champagne Shadow Insurance

Disclaimer:  I purchased these.  Links for convenience only.

Too Faced's regular Shadow Insurance ($20) has been a go to eye primer for me for quite a while, but for some reason their tinted versions flew under the radar for me.  I acquired Candlelight last year with a palette, and this year I picked up Champagne in one of Sephora's Black Friday $10 deals.  Having both prompted me to put them use, and I'm glad I did!

Candlelight, Champagne

Candlelight is a soft but bright light gold shimmer, and Champagne is a pinky beige shimmer.  Both blend out easily and give smooth coverage that can work as a primer under shadow or as a cream eyeshadow on their own.  I've got super oily lids and I find that these extend the wear of shadows for me, but I do get creasing starting around the 7-8 hour mark.  For reference, if I didn't use primer, I'd get creasing at about the 2-3 hour mark.

Combine either with a bit of eyeliner, mascara, and perhaps a matte shadow for contouring, and you've got a super easy but finished look I've been wearing a couple of times a week recently. 

Candlelight

Champagne

These are perfect for days I want to pare down my morning routine, but still want to look like I put some effort in.

VIP Shadows by Le Métier de Beauté: Shimmery Sand-White and Deep Emerald Green

Le Métier de Beauté's (LMdB) December offering for their VIP subscription program were two single eye shadows:  Shimmery Sand-White and Deep Emerald Green.  They're both lovely and seasonally appropriate :-)

Shimmery Sand-White is an apt name, as it is indeed a shimmery oyster white that is great as a highlighter, an all over wash of color, or blended with Deep Emerald Green as a soft grayish-green.  It applies easily and smoothly.

Deep Emerald Green is a blackened green that looks charcoal in some light, although direct light brings out it's emerald shimmer.  Gorgeous color, but a bit more tempermental than Shimmery Sand-White.  It can be a bit patchy if not carefully blended (indeed, almost buffed out) with a brush.  A primer was necessary with both of these, as the pigment is looser and needs something to adhere for color impact. 

The shadows are soft, and just touching my brush to the pan picks up color easily.  I did notice fading after about 7-8 hours of wear, even over primer.  In some ways these remind me of baked shadows in how they wore.

Blurry to see the shimmer

Shimmery Sand-White and Deep Emerald Green blended

LMdB single shadows are $30 each, and I'm happy to have both of these in my collection.  The VIP program has been superb this year, truly, and I'm glad there is more to come:-)

Pür Minerals' Universal Marble Mineral Powder in Pink

Disclaimer:  This was a gift with purchase.

This multitasking pressed powder features a mosaic blend of light and dark pink tones than can be used on cheeks, eyes or lips, although I use it primarily as a blush.  My favorite things about the Pür Minerals' powders (including their eyeshadows) that I've tried are that they are talc free, apply smoothly, are nicely pigmented, and contain quality ingredients like vitamins, minerals, shea butter, and Vitamin E.

Pink is a soft pink shimmer that brightens while providing a nice flush of color.  It's almost outside of my shimmer comfort zone, as I prefer a more satin finish.  It slightly emphasizes my skin imperfections, so I may end up using it as more of a highlighter than a blush. 

The Marble Minerals Powders ($23.50) are also available in Spice (copper, cinnamon and pearl) for darker complexions and in Bronze for a sun kissed look.