Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Winter Skincare Staple–Josie Maran Argan Oil

It’s cold outside.  And this Florida girl is not pleased.  Well, to be honest, I do appreciate the changing seasons.  For instance, watching the leaves change is still something I get excited about!  You don’t see these types of colors in Florida. 

I’ve been in VA for over six years and I’ve slowly learned that products that worked for me in FL, don’t necessarily cut the mustard now; (bonus points to anyone who understood that saying).

bonus

When it comes to the drier season, skin hydration is very important.  Now I always make the disclaimer, skincare is a very personal thing.  Most of it is trial and error.  Sometimes it takes a while to figure out the balance.  But if you feel you have skin similar to mine, here's what works for me.  

I have oily skin.  In a very short time, my t-zone is a veritable oil slick.  I’m always on the hunt for products that mattify my skin (more on that later).  What I’ve discovered in my search was surprising.  Although my skin is oily, I still need a fair amount of products that hydrate the skin.  I would typically look for oil free products; but I’ve found that my skin would only produce more oil.  I must keep my skin properly hydrated to decrease it’s natural oil production.  Here is a product I’ve found that works very well for me an my oily skin.


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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

My Favorite Lip Balms

Hi friends!  Tis the season for dry lips.  Alas the colder months are among us and with that brings dry skin.  My moisture routine changes in the winter; everything from my hair care to body lotion.  I'm always on the hunt for a great moisturizing lip balm.  I've heard recommendations for many that are far to pricey for me to even contemplate.

My search led me to Sally beauty.  I was doing my regular perusing of the shelves and near the front counter there were lip balms... on sale even.  I thought, why not?  I'll give them a try.  AND I LOVE THEM!!!!!

They are the Palladio herbal lip balms.


These lip balms are amazing.  They are truly moisturizing AND they have a great deal of pigment for most of the shades.  I swatched them below.

(l to r: rosey, brownie, cotton candy)

(l to r: rosey, brownie, cotton candy)

I like that I can get great moisture and a bit of color too.  I keep one in my purse and car so I can have the color and moisture on the go.  The best part??? They retail for under $5; but truth be told they are ALWAYS on sale.  Keep your eye out for these and grab a deal on them.  You can find these in Sally Beauty or online if one isn't near you.  I highly recommend these.  

xoxoxo 
Ja'Nelle 

Friday, November 15, 2013

Golden Girl - FOTD

Hi Friends!  Today's look was centered around one product.  I'm absolutely in love with the Maybelline color Tattoos.  They are really impressive and you cannot beat the price point.  I don't compare them to MAC paint pots.  While they have a similar idea behind them - a long wear shadow base - they have different consistencies.  I do find they perform pretty much the same on my lids; so I love them both.  For today's look I wanted to use the Gold Rush color tattoo.


The color is truly gold and has a glittery shimmer.  It's pretty intense - and I LOVE it!!  Let me know what you think!

(left with flash; right no flash)

Here are the details of what I used for this look:


On Lid:

Mascara : Tarte lash primer and Lights Camera Flashes 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Tried and Tested: Rimmel Show off Lip Lacquer

Hi friends.  This is the first installment of my "Tried and Tested" series.  I plan to review various products and the company's claim and let you know if I think it lives up to the claim and if you need to try it.  The first product I'll be reviewing is the Rimmel show off lip lip lacquers.



Rimmel describes these as "intense rich lip color, enhanced by a satin shine."  The claim is that it gives you the best of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss.  I am quite picky about my lip colors.  I like them to feel moisturizing but still be opaque.  I do like some shine, unless I'm going for a complete mat look.  That's why I was so curious about these when I heard about them.

I swatched the three shades above so you can see the pigmentation of them.
(l to r: celestial, apocalyptic, nova)

As you can see from the swatches above, they are extremely opaque.  The pigmentation is seriously strong.  They have a doe foot applicator which makes applying the color very easy.  When you pull the applicator out of the tube, there is PLENTY of product to easily cover both your top and bottom lip.  You won't need to dip the wand more than once.  I do find that these have a slightly smell to them; but it fades and doesn't linger on your lips. Although the product doesn't claim to be plumping, I find these have a slight tingle on my  lips; nothing uncomfortable, but just wanted to let you know that.

I find the glossy layer does fade if you're drinking or just regular conversation.  And while they don't bleed outside the lips, they are not kiss proof ladies (ask my husband).  After the color starts to fade - which is about 3-4 hours - I find a nice stain on the lips.  This is particularly true in the red/pink shades; which I like.

The one con I have is wearing these out in the harsh winter wind, I noticed that they dried in that weird way when a lip product creates that funky line of color.  That was no cool.  But when I wear a good lip balm underneath I find that is not an issue; just something to be aware of.

My final thoughts?  This is definitely a try it product!  The opacity of the color rivals many high end lip products.  They wear nicely on the lips and lives up the claim of the richness of a lipstick with a nice shine! They retail for around $6 and you can find these at most drugstores.  Be on the lookout for a BOGO 1/2 off sale; CVS and Walgreens frequently run these. Tried and Tested Approved!

Let me know if you've tried these products and what you think.

xoxoxo
Ja'Nelle

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Neutral Glam - FOTD

Hi friends.  I absolutely LOVED this look I put together.  It's a basic neutral look, but I added a twist with a plum highlighter instead of a black.




Here are the product details:



On Lids:

Eyeliner:  Mally evercolor waterproof eye liner in Dusky Plum (no longer available, but something similar here

On Lips





Let me know what you think or if you attempt to recreate it.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Monthly Favorites - October 2013

Hi friends!  At the end of each month, I hope to tell you about the products I've been loving and reaching for throughout the month.  I'm hoping this will give you some ideas of new products to try.  Plus I hope you share with me what products you've been loving.

This month I've been absolutely in love with my Tarte BB cream in Tan.  The consistency of this product is very thin.  It's not a silicone feeling, but it's very sheer feeling.  This BB cream really does mesh well with my skin and gives me an even tone and texture.  On busy days, I've applied this over my moisturizer and a thin layer of setting powder and off I went.  Other times, I've used it under my foundation.  I've found it's truly helped in controlling my oily skin.




Another product I've been loving this month, is my Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer.  When I initially tried this product over a year ago, I found it to be a bit too greasy for my lids.  It didn't seem to work well for me.  However, my lids have been dry this past month and my usual primers just weren't cutting it.  I reached into my makeup drawer and decided to give this another shot. And I LOVE it!! I do still feel it's oilier than other eye primers, it's absorbing into my lid quite nicely.



My favorite lipstick of the month has to go to Buxom Full bodies lipstick in Menace .  Maybe it's the season, but I'm in love with this deep wine/oxblood color.  The consistency of this lipstick is amazing.  It's incredibly moisturizing and the staying power is phenomenal.  I highly recommend this lippy!










Finally my favorite hair care product of the month is Shea Moisture Organic Yucca & Aloe Thickening Growth Milk.  I picked this up from CVS at the start of the month.  There was actually a sale for buy one get one free.  Of course I was all over that!!! I specifically picked the fine hair option.  While I have a lot of hair, it's very fine and heavier products tend to weigh it down.  This product has enough slip it in to give me a great deal of moisture, but it's not too heavy that it weighs my hair down.  It's a nice addition to my hair care routine.  I look forward to trying more products from the brand.



Well, that's it folks.  These are just a few of my standouts for the month.  I hope you found some new things to try!  Please let me know in the comments below what products you're loving and what you think I should try next!

XOXO
Ja'Nelle

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Welcome!

Hello there!  Thank you so much for stopping by.  I created this site to talk about all things beauty.  Throughout these pages you'll find information about some of my favorite products.  I'll tell you about products that worked well for me and how I created various looks.  The topics will range from makeup, skincare and hair care.  I look forward to sharing with you and learning from you!  I appreciate you visiting and hope you'll look around.