Just a quick Thank you.

   I had a reader message me about posting pictures of before, during and after while using moisturizers and creams.  I have no idea why I had never thought of this before. Since I do prefer to try most products for a period of at least two weeks, I will do a three photo set.

   Thank you Rebecca for the advice and for reading.

Josie Maran Argan Balm

   This is another one of those products I bought and was hoping to love, and I do for some things.  There are several items I absolutely love in the Josie Maran Line, but there are others I just like and some I just can't handle.

   The Argan balm is not greasy like the Argan whipped butter.  It is a bit more on the waxy side, but it doesn't feel like my pores are filled.  When I use stuff that does that all I want to do is crawl back in the shower.

   This actually makes my skin feel soft, but in all the uses it hasn't done anything to repair or actually make it soft.  I suffer from SEVERELY  dry skin.  I buy all kinds of different lotions, creams, oils and so far nothing is helping.  I exfoliate, even gone so far as to use avocado oil and aloe vera gel in a wrap.  So, I have to just take what I can get with it feeling soft for a little while.

   What I use this for, mainly my ankles and lips.  Those are the driest spots, and I really like how soft my lips feel with it.  For someone that just needs a bit of light softening of the skin I would think this would be perfect.  There isn't a strong fragrance and the bit it does have, come from the ingredients I believe.  It smells a bit like raw coco-butter and bees wax to me.

   Overall a definite A on the Argan Balm, you can purchase this product from Sephora for $42.00.  Or check out Joise Maran's site to learn more and they are currently offering free shipping on any orders over $25.00.

   If you have any suggestions on products that alleviate dry skin, please let me know.  As well any products that you are curious about or some you absolutely love that I may need to try.  Feel free to leave your comments below or use my contact  page.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating

   If you have read my past blog reviews then you know where I stand with oil on the skin.  Moderation is fine but if you are using to much you are not helping your skin.  It has to breath and yes you want moisture in but sealing it shut with an inch of oil will not make it better.

   With the Josie Maran products I threw all my dislikes and doubts out the window and decided to give it a try.  I liked the Light Argan Oil that I tried so went crazy buying up many of the products.

   I got the Vanilla Apricot Whipped Argan Oil, the fragrance was nice but did not mix well with another perfume I had.  So I used it for a night time cream.  I really wanted to love this product sadly I did not.  I don't hate it but it really did not do much to help in softening my skin.  It may just be my rough spots need a sand blaster to help, heck I don't know but this did not do the trick.

   It as well felt really greasy, I tried using smaller amounts to see if my skin would absorb it better but always the slippery hands afterwards.  For those of you who do not like this feel I would avoid the product, but for those of you that enjoy the way the oil gives you that silky sensation... Jump on it.


   Sephora carries this product for $35.00.

Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette - In the Dark

   I bought this palette for the blue and I have no idea why but I seen it and had to have it.  I love each of the shadows on this palette but use the Lavender and Nude more than any others.  The colors go on smoothly and are colorful but not as vibrant as I thought they would be.  It takes a few applications for me to get a bold eye with these.

   The pictures I am posting are proof and reason why I do not do cosmetic tutorials.  They are just for reference to the product and by no means a suggested way of applying cosmetics.  I have tried watching tutorials and I still couldn't figure out a smoky eye if my life depended on it.

   Sephora Carries this item for $27.00  worth every bit.

  Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette - In the Dark

NYX Strawberry Milk Extra Creamy Round Lipstick

   Let me start off saying I love light pink lipsticks and gloss,  I have probably 50 to 60 tubes of different light pinks and always on the hunt for a new one.  I loved the look of the NYX  Strawberry Milk, in the tube.

    I ran out of Ulta extremely excited about my new little treasure.  When I got to the car I used my lip balm so it could glide across with ease.   As I was applying it I noticed it looked like I had been sucking on a creamy piece of chalk.  The color did not distribute evenly without the help of a lip brush and to get it to look more than just pasty I had to use other lip-gloss with it.

   I want to try a few more colors and see how well the pigments look, once tested I will post those as well.

NYX Strawberry Milk

Voluminous Miss Manga by L'Oreal

   This mascara is not something I would normally buy.  In fact I seen it thought the packaging was cute and kept going.  I felt it was targeted more for a younger crowd and not a 36 year old woman.  Granted, my age rarely keeps me from purchasing things that I like.

   I purchased this not because I really wanted to try it, but because I took my husband to Ulta with me.  Do you remember the old Bugs Bunny cartoon characters when they would slide say past a doorway and  you could still see their heads but their bodies kept going?  Yeah, he did that.  I try not to drag him into places like Ulta and Sephora,  it may be fun for me but not so much for him.  This time I was on a mission and had him searching for the It Cosmetics display.

   I want to try their products but had to see them in person first.  If you don't know but are interested in trying them if you sign up online you will get 20% off your first online order.  

   So, as I am going through the NYX products "again 25% off first order through their site for signing up to receive e-mails."  He comes running past the aisle I am at, when he finds me his eyes are huge and he starts babbling about "Pandas" and I can have "Panda eyes".   I follow him to see what he is going on about and when I see it I just smile and look at him like the special kind of person he really is.

   He kept asking if I wanted it and my repeated "No's" somehow did not sink in.  The next week at CVS we pass another display of the Miss Manga mascara and all I hear is "Honey, honey the Panda eyes they have the mascara you want to try!"

    Needless to say I bought it,  just to shut him up.  I had a coupon on my CVS card for mascara so it worked out.  All I have to say is their packaging works but for peat sake he is a 36 year old man-child.

   Though I wasn't going to try it does work better than I had expected. I find the brush a bit odd but like the flexibility to get in to the corner lashes.  I did not have any issues with this clumping. I am posting a picture with one lash done and another picture with both lashes done with it.  If you are wondering I cut my hand out of the picture my nails are looking pretty bad :(.

   Voluminous Miss Manga  The link is to L'Oreal's webpage for Miss Manga

Josie Maran Argan MatchMaker Serum Foundation

   This is a product I have been using for some time, and one I actually like.  I have read other reviews that complain about it going orange.  The only time I have had this happen is when I had a bit to much product, but everyone's skin is different.  It is a bit expensive with a price of $42.00 at Sephora but well worth it I have used this many times and only about a dime size of product at a time and still have more than half the bottle.

   I like using this in the summer months, it is a light coverage and even with the red uneven tones in my face it seems to give me the decent coverage with out being to heavy.  I do not use primer with this product, I am just weird and feel if it is supposed to blend to match my skin-tone it can't do that properly with a layer of other stuff.  Plus it just adds that much more time to my routine when I would rather be out the door.


Josie Maran Argan MatchMaker Serum Foundation, Sephora.

This comes in three shades.
Fair/Light
Light/Medium
Medium/Dark

I am using the Light/Medium.   I applied it to my face with the flat fluffy brush pictured and then smoothed it out with a wedge sponge.  I am posting a picture without the product, one with half my face and then a full coverage photo.  Ignore the crows feet and any visible wrinkles.

Review Dump

  Starting this week I am going to be doing a review dump.  I have let myself get backed up and have not been doing reviews on products as I said I would be which is why there will be a massive amount done and then I will be doing reviews at the very least once a week.

   If there are any products that you would like to know about that I have not reviewed let me know and I will do one.  As always if you have any questions or comments leave them down below or go to my contact me page.  Thanks for reading and if you find these reviews helpful please share them with your friends.

The finale of the Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash Mascara Review.

   It took me a bit longer to do this than I wanted it to.  The reason behind this is I wanted to make sure I tried EVERYTHING to get this to work.  I talked to my up-line and found out that the fibers will sometimes stick to the inside of the container if they get really cold.  I keep my room extremely cold due to my cosmetics and perfume oils.  I was told to let the container sit in hot water for a few minutes and it would help release them.  I have to say that my first opinion has been changed.

   The fibers did release and it seems to be working better than it did in the beginning.  I think with a bit more time that I will be able to pull this off with a bit less time, but I still see it as time consuming.  No worse than false lashes, and I have to say I would rather stab myself in the eye repeatedly than try to apply false lashes daily.  Those of you who can and make it look so easy... I hate you.  Not really but I couldn't even keep the one I applied for the picture to stay glued down.

   I have decided not to give up on the Younique 3D Fiber Lash,  I think it could be a lot of fun for those special nights out or just for the days I want to take a bit of time to fix myself up.  If you don't mind the time it takes or are quick at learning then definitely give it a try.

   Make sure you use your curler BEFORE using this product.  I made a mistake with that myself,  I have been curling my lashes after applying mascara for years.  My lashes are long and mascara always seems to straighten them back out afterwards.  With this product use a spool brush to push them back up and curl them, I lost the tips of my lashes on my right eye.

   The fibers will fall onto your face and the setting gel and fibers can easily get on the eyelid.  I use primer under and on my eye before applying this so it easily comes off with a cotton swab.

   If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below or go to my contact page and send me a message.

   In the pictures I am using:

MAC's Paint Pots in Chrome Angel and Let's Skate on my lids. The rest is in the description of the comparison picture.

Younique

Younique's Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash

I finally received my presenters kit,  I of course tore into it and began playing with the 3D fiber lash.  It was the one reason I joined the Younique family.

I am going to be honest, my first experience with it brought me near tears.  The more I played with it though the better I liked it.  I am still not 100% sold that it beats out false lashes or just mascara alone, because this is no slam it on and walk out the door mascara.

Here are a couple of pictures of me with the 3D lash on I will post some in a couple of days showing my bare lashes, with my normal mascara, falsies and the 3D fiber lash for comparison.

If you are curious about the product check out my Younique presenters page.

These pics are also with Younique's  pigment powder in "Irresistible" and their 3D Fiber Lash.

Foundation is NYX HD Studio in "Nude" with their Blotting Powder in "Light".

Blush is "Cheekies Cream Blush" by Benefit.

Lips in the order I used them. Stila's "Yumberry Crush" Lip & Cheek Stain, NYX "Strawberry Milk" then Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss in "Clear, Chocolate, Orange" by Soap and Glory.



My Younique Page

Be Younique!

I have just become a new presenter for Younique cosmetics, their 3D Mascara is AMAZING!!! I will be posting pictures, reviews and video's in a few days, here, on Youtube and my other website.

If you would be interested in hosting your own online or home party to earn rewards for Younique products let me know!  The online parties are great for those on the go or don't want a crowd in the house, they are 100% online and you still earn the same amount of reward points for items purchased.  Just post the event online invite your friends and family to check it out and you are on your way!

I have started my own online party you are welcome to check out and see what Younique has to offer.  If interested in becoming a Younique Presenter or learning more about it send me a message and I will get back you asap.

All products are gluten free, hypo-allergenic and they do have vegan friendly options as well.

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/MariahLong/party/247789/view