NOTD: Joanna by Julep

I was in the mood for a lilac polish this week, and Joanna leans in that direction enough that it was my choice to wear.  Unfortuantely, I also used Julep's Freedom topcoat that was on it's last legs and experienced major tip shrinkage as a result.  That's not usually the case when I use Freedom, so I can only assume it's thickened condition contributed to the unfortunate outcome.  The marred finish bothered me enough to remove the polish after two days and move on to something else.

I've also been favoring really short nails lately for their no fuss, no muss appearance.  Now, if I could just get my cuticles/hangnails under control:-)

YSL Cherry my Cherie #5 Volupté Tint-In-Oil: Sample Series #9

Disclaimer:  Sample received with purchase.

I was pleasantly surprised by YSL's Volupté Tint-In-Oil in the shade Cherry my Cherie.  I say pleasantly, as I'd remembered reviews being on the mixed side for these innovative lip tints.

I say innovative, as this spring is the first time I can remember seeing lip tints arrive in the form of an oil (Clarins has a version as well).  The color of the oil before applying is a bit deceiving, as the color deepens after it's been on the skin a while.  Cherry my Cherie is one of the more vibrant shades with it's strawberry pink hue, although it appears that several of the tints morph into similar colors.

The formula features apricot kernel, coriander fruit, jojoba seed and passiflora edulis seed oils, which did indeed translate to comfortable wear and moisturized lips for a good 3-4 hours.  After the oil and sheen have worn off, my lips still had a nice pink stain to them and applying a good balm took me through the day without feeling the need to reapply color.

The price is a bit steep at $32, although I'd consider buying Cherry My Cherie during a sale or to get a good GWP offer.

Gunmetal Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner by Mally

Disclaimer:  This was a GWP.

I've gotten to the point where I rarely buy pencil eyeliners anymore, because let's face it, I have a glut of them.  However, every once in a while a new one enters my collection, such as Mally's Gunmetal, which was part of a recent 7-piece mystery set GWP from Ulta. 

Initially I was a bit ho hum, but once I swatched Gunmetal, I realized it was slightly different in tone from the other charcoal/steel gray pencil liners I own.  Plus, it has a lovely formula that is super easy to apply and yet stays for all day, smudge free wear.  I had zero transfer to my upper lid, which is a hazard with my hooded eyes.

Gunmetal has a blue leaning tone to it's deep gray that makes it a bit unique to my collection.  If you think of the term "cold blue steel" which refers to a process where steel is partially protected from rust (I associate it with guns, for some reason) and gives metal a blue cast, you get the idea.  Well done, Mally!

Above you can see comparison with other charcoal gray eye pencils that I own:  Urban Decay's Gunmetal (discontinued, and it was giving me problems when swatching, as the tip broke off), Butter London's Earl Grey (review here), Urban Decay's Uzi, Ulta's Clay (review here), and Tarte's Slate (review here).  Mally has 25 different shades of the Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners ($15), and based on Gunmetal at least, I'm a fan and happy to have it in my ridiculously large collection of pencil eyeliners.

May Birchbox: Elevate Everyday

I've been a Birchbox posting no show for the past two months (where's April?).  May was a bear in general for posting due to work demands, which is why April's box fell by the wayside.  But here's a picture of it, for posterity's sake, and a link to the Honeypot Laqa & Co. pencil that did get reviewed.

April's Birchbox

But I will do justice to May's box, which was curated by Cashmere & Cupcake's founder Emily Schuman.  I don't know about you, but I take the whole "curated by" thing with a grain of salt, as the products in rotation would no doubt show up in my box regardless of whose on board that month.  Pretty box and nice theme, though.  Four of the items get a thumbs up and one, well, it's a tosser.

So let's start with the tosser:  Dr. Jart+ Night BB Beauty Balm.  I wanted to have an open mind regarding this lightly tinted BB cream that can be worn all night, should you chose to do so.  But I just can't.  Why would I need a tinted product to sleep in and potentially stain my pillowcase?  Then I considered wearing it during the day, but reviews online convinced me otherwise.

More than a few people talked about skin irritation from rubbing too hard trying to blend it in (see the pigment beads?) and others said it caused their skin to break out.  Plus, it doesn't have a SPF because it's for night time use, which makes it impractical for day use. No, just no.  I've yet to find a Dr. Jart+ BB cream that I did like, but that's just me.  I tried one that actually melted the plastic tray I had mixed it on.  That can't be a good sign, can it?

The Cailyn Spa It Foaming O2 Scrub looks promising, however.  I used it in the shower and initial impressions are positive.  There should be enough in the pot for 5-6 uses, enough to form a solid yea or nay decision on it's merits.

The Cynthia Rowley Lip Tint in Poppy was the one cosmetic item this month, and the color is perfect for hot weather and my skin tone.  I've received this product in another shade called Heartthrob (review here) from Birchbox before, and I like the formula on these a lot.  The mousse like texture wells well without being heavy or sticky, and my lips feel hydrated for a good 3-4 hours post application.  Poppy looks like a more vibrant version of Heartthrob, plus it's got some gold shimmer in the mix.

Next is a tried and true favorite, Beauty Protector's leave-in Spray Conditioner.  I've received this in the past (Birchbox doesn't repeat items, but I cancelled my first subscription and resubscribed, hence the repeats) and liked it quite a bit, so I'm happy to have another one.

The last item looks promising as a warm weather moisturizer.  I prefer gel moisturizers in the summer and this one has an interesting ingredient list that looks like it will do the job of providing moisture without contributing to my skin's oiliness.  I've been wearing it for the past few days and I'm liking the texture and how easily it sinks into the skin without adding sheen, something my skin provides plenty of on it's on.

Okay, I'm caught up now:-)

Melted Peony Liquified Long Lasting Lipstick by Too Faced

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I've been slow to warm up to the Too Faced Melted lipsticks, and only took the plunge when I saw swatches of the newer Melted Metals.  So why am I showing you Peony, one of the cream Melteds?  Well, it's part of the Melt Your Heart Out set at Sephora that includes a deluxe sampled of Melted Metallic Dreamhouse, and because I like it :-)  More than I was expecting to.

Peony is a soft camellia pink with strong pigmentation, making this definitely more of a liquid lipstick than a gloss.  Not to say that it doesn't have a glossy finish initially, because it does, but it does dry down a bit to a more matte finish the longer you wear it.

The plush tip worked well to apply Peony, but I imagine darker colors would benefit from the precision of a brush. 

I like smoothing with my finger to get a thinner and more realistic (to me) finish.  One of the reasons I did not originally like the Melted lipsticks is because the pictures I saw in blog reviews featured a heavier application, which didn't look natural to me.  Just a matter of personal preference, I guess. 

I also like patting Peony down and then wearing another lipgloss on top for a more luminous look, such as below with Le Metier de Beaute's Creme de la Creme.

Peony wears comfortably for 3-4 hours and I did not notice any bleeding or bunching of color.  Too Faced has been steadily adding new shades to the Melted range, which is now up to 18 colors.  I need to get busy and play with the Metal Melteds I've acquired and see if my attraction to them was warranted.  Have you tried the Melteds or Metal Melteds yet?  Any favorites?

NOTD: Nude Parisienne by Alessandro International

I had never heard of the brand Alessandro International prior to receiving Nude Parisienne in a GWP bag from beauty.com.  Have I mentioned before how much I like brown polishes?  I'm pretty sure I have, but in case you missed it - I love brown nail polish!  So I was quite excited about the medium taupe brown Nude Parisienne, and after having worn it, I'm even more excited.

Here's why:  these pictures were taken 6 days into wear.  I added another layer of top coat prior to taking pictures, but I've got zero chips and minimal tip wear with the original 2 coats of Nude Parisienne plus base/top coat.  Seriously impressed.

If you are as unfamiliar with Alessandro International as I was, the polishes are $9.50 and they have an impressive range of colors (99 to be exact).  Here is how they describe their line of polishes:

"designed to make the heart of any nail polish freak beat faster. And now with a new patented formula for even more brilliance on nails: Incredible long durability, Fast drying, No chipping, Smooth & streak free application, High color intensiveness due to UV absorber, Protects nails, High gloss shine."

From what I can gather, Alessandro International has been developing products for nail salons since 1989.  I'm not seeing anything about being 3, 4 or 5 free (of harmful ingredients), so I can't speak to that.  Performance wise, however, Nude Parisienne delivered and has made my brown polish Hall of Fame :-)  Linking up with The Nail Files hosted by Jennie Shaw:

Renewing AHA Cream by DHC

The mark of a high performing skincare product for me is if I repurchase it.  I've got a glut of skincare items that are just waiting to be used, so if I repurchase something, it stands out from the sea of other products on hand.  DHC's Renewing AHA Cream falls into that category, as this is my 3rd bottle.

Exfoliation is key for healthy and glowing skin, and this formula contains a powerful 10% concentration of lactic acid which manages to do the job for me.  I've got very oily skin with multiple under the skin bumps, known as sebaceous hyperplasia.  Sebaceous hyperplasia is extremely hard to treat, but some specific skincare ingredients do help, such as salicylic acid, Retin A, and lactic acid. 

The Renewing AHA Cream is strong enough that my skin tingles after I apply it.  If you've got sensitive skin, it may be too strong for you, but it does have some skin soothing ingredients in the mix as well.  I use it about once or twice a week at night, but never two nights in a row.   Consequently, a bottle lasts me about 2 years, making the $42.50 price quite reasonable.  Bottom line, it's effective and improves the texture of my skin, which I'm all about :-)