Totally Obsessed ::: Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF47

Photos by {accordingtoame}, Review updated to include ingredients

Last Fall, I went to replenish my beloved Josie Maran moisturizer (previously called Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40+ and previously blogged about here, here, here) to find it had been pulled from stock everywhere awaiting reformulation. 

I had a meltdown. Reformulations and I are not friends.

Tech Time ::: Easy-Macro

All photos by {accordingtoame} including my rings and diamond!

So I am a bit of a macro nerd, and after backing the new Easy Macro on Kickstarter, I actually own multiple "macro for smartphone options." This past few days, the weather was amazing (yay for 60 in January!), so I played with the Easy Macro while I was doing some photos for upcoming blog posts. 

Tech Time ::: Gadget Wipes

All photos by {accordingtoame}

A clean phone is a happy phone.  And a while back I wrote about my love for Zagg's wipes, which is what I would regularly use to keep my phone and my husband's iPad clean and disinfected. I still do use them.  However, a newer brand called Well-Kept came to my attention not long ago, and I decided to give them a try, and do a little comparison to see if, besides their super cute packaging, they were a better choice for me and my needs.

PRODUCT REVIEW: VanityMark UltraBrow in Gingerella

So after discovering and confirming that Covermark changed the formula on my beloved Brow Markers, I started looking for a replacement that was not in a goofy ass purply color that makes no sense with a coppery red head of hair.  I had been using my fallback powder from BareMinerals, a mix of Redhead and Strawberry, more Strawberry than Redhead. But the looseness is a mess, so I was hoping I'd find similar in a pressed format.  I wanted the Urban Decay Brow Box, but they no longer cater to redheads, which is an annoying trend with cosmetics and hair companies.

I read about Vanitymark's UltraBrow on Phyrra's site a while back, and saw that they carry TWO redhead options, one for lighter and copperier heads, and one for auburn and darker/cooler reds. I went with Gingerella, for the coppertops.  I ordered it from Brett Friedman's site directly on a Monday and had it by Thursday. I see now that they have a nice special too, 2/25 so I might order a couple backups.

PRODUCT REVIEW: TARTE SmolderEYES Waterproof Clay Eye Liner & TARTE EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Eyeliner

While at ULTA picking up something I actually was out of and did "need", I checked these out and ended up buying one of each in Bronze. The color was nice for each though they are slightly different in tone, one is slightly warmer than the other.

PRODUCT REVIEW/COMPARISON: Smashbox Waterproof Shadowliner Pencils

As you probably read in my original reviews, way back when, I am a lover of the Smashbox Waterproof Shadowliner. Well, I love the real stuff, not these new imposters in pencil form.

In this image below, See: IMPOSTER!

IMPOSTER!

PRODUCT REVIEW: It Cosmetics Vitality Cheek Stain in Pretty in Peony

After reading a few reviews on this around the internet, and seeing a few QVC presentations on it, I finally bit the bullet and picked it up in "Pretty in Peony" because it looked close to my Nars TORRID blush, slightly brighter maybe. And my assessment was really close.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics "OCC Skin: Conceal"

After reading about this line of Vegan cosmetics around the net called Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC), I was pretty excited to finally suck it up and try it.  I was most interested in what was supposedly their amazing concealer, and based on the fact that the Skin Tint supposedly was quite pigment rich, I was excited to try that also.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Tweezerman ProCurl Eyelash Curler

I was needing some replacement pads and or a replacement lash curler, to replace my slightly wobbly one.  Presently, I have an old Shu Uemura that I haven't used in about 4 years probably now, and currently have been using a Shiseido that has since been changed in the last probably 2 years, as I went to get more pads and saw that it was a new shape on the curler--much flatter now.  So I decided that before I reorder a new Shu, since you can't even get that at Sephora anymore and have to buy from the Shu website, I started looking around for a new one. I have a few Tweezerman implements, namely a lash comb (metal pointy things, hooray!) and tweezers, among others, that it might be worth checking out their curler.  As I was buying things on Nordstrom's site with giftcards already (cough BURBERRY CONCEALER!) I decided to toss this into the mix.

PRODUCT REVIEW/COMPARE: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer VS Loreal Magic Lumi Concealer

I am a glutton for punishment. Seriously.  Short answer: IF I had to choose one, Maybelline. But they both mostly blow chunks.

Loreal: Super sheer. I get irrationally angry reading the word concealer on this thing. The damn thing doesn't cover anything. It's seriously see through completely.

Maybelline: Less sheer, but at least has a little something going on in the pigment department. Where this one beats Loreal, and not by a lot, there is some kind of shimmery business in it. That actually does make a difference, hence why I plaster my whole eye area in ten pounds of champagne shimmer eyeshadow.  In photos it seems decent when compared to the Loreal, but not by a lot.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Tom Ford Illuminating Highlight Pen

The Tom Ford Illuminating Highlight Pen, masquerading as a concealer, is another of the items I got while in Chicago, and another "concealer" that needs to not be marketed as such.  I should note that I accidently typed suck instead of such.  It's appropriate.

PRODUCT REVIEW: By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer

This might be a record for me to actually DO the review within a week of the purchase...

While on a weekend in Chicago, I was on a mission to obtain and test out a few new products, especially concealers, as I think you are aware by now I have a fixation on.  I know that's a bigger shopping market with significantly better and bigger selections of products to choose from. And I was correct.  One of my first stops was at the Barneys on Oak at Rush, where I knew they sold Kevyn Aucoin, By Terry, and Malin+Goetz.  I have a review on a Malin+Goetz product coming soon, I am trying to get a little more use from it before I decide one way or another--though so far good.

PRODUCT REVIEW/Faceoff: Chanel Corrector Perfector VS Maybelline Fit Me

So before I took the Chanel back, I attempted a side-by-side with the Maybelline. Similar consistencies, though for $6 and change the coverage of the Maybelline was MUCH better. Bear in mind that the color of this Maybelline is not right, though even the right shade (20 in pics 10 is better though), its still requiring a few coats. But for $6 and change that trumps $40 a tube in a second.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Too-Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer

It's awfully hard to come back to this and talk about makeup and frivolous stuff when the last entry is about Mr. Wyatt....But I must heal and keep going.

My first post back will be a review about yet another concealer trying to cover my ridiculous circles.  I picked up this TOO-FACED one on Beauty.com though I've seen it at Ulta and Sephora.  I was buying something for the next review so I decided to lump it all together.

Contrary to the name, this is not my idea of flawless coverage, let alone ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS as the name implies....

PRODUCT REVIEW: Cover Girl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Brown

Photo: Covergirl.com

I think the color actually has a real name but BROWN is really what it is. A really deep dark chocolate brown.

Usually I line my eyes with just the Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner that I got from QVC, but lately I have been trying to oomph it a little, possibly in part due to my Kim Kardashian makeup love. So I started lining my eyes with a dark brown pencil along the lashes before adding the Smashbox. Though some days I go a little beyond and look like a hooker. But that's not exactly a terrible thing. 

Product Review: OPI Axxium

Photo: OPI.com

Since I have given Shellac a review, I figured I better go do a real OPI Axxium one. They are similar products, though the way they go on is entirely different.  I truly hope this version lasts on me better than the Shellac, though I don't recall my initial Axxium experience being too positive. My mom gets Axxium done on her hands and feet and loves it. I keep wanting to make my hands look less like gross, but the upkeep tends to be too much for me. I am not a lotion person, at all. Hate it, makes me feel gross. Kind of like sweat...I feel trapped in a shell or something.

Hopefully this experience is nice, and lasts a little longer. I need to make sure my photos work again this time. My Shellac ones have not been showing up for me on here.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Cleansing Oils -- Shu Uemura and DHC

Photo: ShuUemura.com

Cleansing Oils are cropping up everywhere these days...

Photo: DHCCare.com

I bought my first bottle of Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil (green) in San Francisco at the Nordstrom Westfield while we were driving the West Coast Hwy 1 in 2006. I have been using either the Shu or the DHC since. I know when I first heard of it, I thought "what oily skinned human would slather oil over their face to clean it?" and after trying it, apparently *this* oily skinned human would. Except that I mostly use it to take off the 8lbs of eye makeup I slap on every morning. For the most part it helps remove that, though I have to really let it sit for 30 seconds before I start really working it all off and then rinsing. Then I use the Alien Deathray Laser Gun with a regular foaming cleaser to clean up the rest.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Loreal Serie Expert Vitamino Color Shampoo vs. Kerastase Bain Miroir

I started using the Kerastase Bain Miroir (hot pink bottle, not see through) in September of 2006ish, after seeing it on a shelf in a pretty swanky salon in Santa Monica, California.  I didn't buy it then because it would have been a pain to travel with, especially considering all the crap I already bought out there.  I used it for the most part all of the last 3 and a half years, only occasionally skipping it for either WEN or something cheaper and saving it for the first week or so after I did my roots and touchups.  I always told myself it was just Color Vive with a way steep pricetag, and while it is REALLY expensive for Shampoo, it might be worth it.  All $34 a bottle of it.   Now there is one that is even more ridiculously priced that I am dying to try since Jean Godfrey-June reviewed it in Lucky a couple months ago, (even the sample travel size is like $50!) but I haven't quite given into that. I came very close a few weeks ago to doing it but I rushed myself away from the site in favor of Perez Hilton.