Striking Oil with Josie Maran

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Josie Maran, Queen of Argan Oil, recently released Argan Black Oil Mascara. Normally, I pick up mascara at the drugstore but have somehow amassed a rather large collection of sample tubes and this was no exception.

From Sephora’s website:
A mascara that never sleeps: a highly-effective and natural, argan oil treatment mascara that nourishes, lengthens, volumizes, lifts, and curls lashes for 24 hours. 

Treat your lashes to the nourishing lash-softening effect of 100 percent pure argan oil mixed with blackest-black iron mineral pigments, and infused with the lash strengthening properties of bamboo. Creamy and 91 percent natural, Argan Black Oil Mascara conditions as it coats, lengthens, volumizes, lifts, and curls, for eyes that sparkle and invite the world in. The unique formula is delivered by an innovative five-ball brush that reaches every lash. 

This brush has curves.

This brush has curves.

The tube is pretty, turquoise with a black and orange chevron type design. The brush is really cool, too. They aren’t lying about the five-ball brush either. It looks kind of twisty  and it really picks up the right amount of product. The formula itself is not super thick but it has a good consistency that coats lashes nicely. I find it to really lengthen and volumize each lash, making my peepers pop. Drying time is good. You have time to build up application but don’t have to worry about it ending up all over your eyes (I’m talking to you, Rimmel!) or giving you clumps. It lasts a long time, though I don’t think it could make 24 hours. After a decent day of running around, it does smudge a bit. I can say that I don’t channel a raccoon. I also have sensitive eyes and it didn’t irritate them at all.

 

Top- scary eye, no mascara. Bottom- scary eye, one coat of mascara

Top- scary eye, no mascara.
Bottom- scary eye, one coat of mascara

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I always curl my lashes and then apply one coat to top and bottom lashes. It really works, no? My only gripe- the price. Though I love some of Josie’s cosmetics, at $22 USD you’re talking a lot of dough for three months use, if you’re lucky.

One Direction Up All Night 4+1 Eye Shadow Palette

Product provided by BrandBacker. All opinions are my own.

In my last post, I wrote about the new One Direction cosmetic line. Due out in Macy’s stores across the USA on August 11th, the line consists of three kits. (You can check out my post here.) I received a complimentary  “Up All Night” kit to try out. I was away with some friends this week on an overnight trip, and decided to try out the 4+1 Eye Shadow palette.

Clockwise from bottm left: Another World, Gotta Be You, Save You Tonight, More Than This Center: Up All Night

Clockwise from bottm left: Another World, Gotta Be You, Save You Tonight, More Than This Center: Up All Night

 

The palette includes four eye shadows and a glitter creme shadow for a playful look. The “Up All Night” eye shadows are a taupe with light shimmer, a very shimmery navy, another very shimmery light blue, a light pink with a bit of shimmer, and a deep glittery blue. To be honest, I was a little afraid. With the exception of the taupe, these are not colors I normally use (I wore teal eye shadow once. My husband, who could really not care about my eye make-up, said to me that he wasn’t a fan.) I brought the palette with me on the girlfriend getaway and gave it a try.

Swatches! From left: Another World, More Than This, Gotta Be You, Save You Tonight Center: Up All Night

Swatches! From left: Another World, More Than This, Gotta Be You, Save You Tonight Center (top): Up All Night

I put on some Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden- the matte nude. (I usually use the NYX HD Primer. I prefer it and it’s a lot cheaper.) I started by applying “More Than This” (the taupe shade and a wonderful song by Roxy Music) all over from lashes to my brow bone. I found it took a few dips of my brush to really get color payout. I then added “Another World” (that sparkly navy) to the corner of my eye into the crease. “Another World” was more pigmented, so I really blended and then fluffed the light pink “Gotta Be You” over everything. Then I blended. (Blend, baby, blend!)

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Pardon the lack of picture quality- I didn’t have my real camera.

In all honesty, I was not overly thrilled with the look. The taupe wasn’t very pigmented and the blue was super blue so I had to soften it. After I blended, I just felt that everything really faded out and turned just to a shimmery white. Since I was feeling pale, I then added blue liner to the bottom lashes and about a quarter of the top lash line to give more definition.

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Though there wasn’t a lot of fallout, I did not find the eye shadows to be anything spectacular. I also am not comfortable with this color palette- maybe if they were colors I felt were more user friendly, I would be a bit happier. One good thing is I did not have any eye irritation using the eye shadow, deeming it pretty safe for the tween and teen set.

I’m trying out the lipstick from the kit today. I’ll keep you posted.

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO

#makeupby1D

#thelookscollection

#markwins

 

One Direction Cosmetic Line?!

1D-Tour

You may (or may not) hear it first here, peeps, but One Direction is joining the world of make-up. The line consists of three keepsake tins. Each tin is inspired by the One Direction albums. I won’t lie- “Story of My Life” is so catchy but I am disappointed there is no tin for that song. Anyway…

634.One-Direction.jc.090512

Housed in their collectible tins, each set contains an eye shadow palette, lipstick, lip gloss, eye/body crayon + stencils for your eyes or body (maybe not for me), mascara, and nail polish.

First up is the “Midnight Memories” Kit. This kit seems to be the more glamorous of the three, featuring gray and pink eye shadow, red lipstick , a blackest black eye/ body crayon, and a poppy lip gloss that glows under UV light. To top off the look is a metallic steel nail polish.

The “Take Me Home” kit is is more of a neutral palette, including peach and taupe eye shadow, nude lipstick, a warm chocolate brown eye/body crayon, and yes, UV glow in the dark lip gloss, with a gold glitter nail polish.

The “Taken” kit is the most playful of the bunch, with a shimmery blue and taupe eye shadow palette, bubblegum pink lipstick, a dark denim eye/body crayon, and a glitter pink UV lip gloss, along with a teal metallic nail polish.

All kits contain Little Black Dress Volumizing Mascara in in Perfectly Black.

Make some "Midnight Memories"

Make some “Midnight Memories”

 

"Take Me Home"

“Take Me Home”

"Up All Night"

“Up All Night”

The release dates are as follows:

datesoned

I received a complimentary kit to try out the products, so stay tuned!

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