Review: L’Occitane en Provence’s NEW Shea Face Comforting Oil for Help in Winterizing Your Face!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L’Occitane en Provence’s NEW Shea Face Comforting Oil ($42)

Winter and its frigid temperatures can be the worst offenders to skin, especially if you have a dry, sensitive complexion like mine.  Though I have no control over what is going on outside, I tried a new skin care product from L’Occitane en Provence with their Shea Face Comforting Oil that can at least give your face a fighting chance against those elements!

The formula has plenty of antioxidants with 5 percent of vitamin E rich shea along with deeply-absorbing marula oils to encourage renewal as well as protect the skin’s natural moisture barrier with its intense hydration. 

A few drops of this non-greasy feeling oil will be all you need to do your entire face.  Dismiss the notion that being an oil it will linger on top of your face.  On the contrary, it is fairly fast absorbing and sinks into the skin before you know it.  

My dry skin can make my face feel tight after washing. This oil, however, soothed and made my complexion as soft as velvet accompanied by a healthy glow.

To be honest, I haven’t been using this product all that long to report on what it did for me on the wrinkle front.  Yet, I was just so thrilled with the radiance that it brought to my skin and how wonderfully it moisturized my dry skin that I had to share it with you now, especially with the severe winter storm about to hit the East coast.

Take it from me, if you’re looking to improve the health and look of your dry skin to survive this season’s harsh weather, then I would head to your closest L’Occitane boutique or visit their website online to order because this Shea Face Comforting Oil ($42) really does the trick to calm, abused winter skin and make it happy again!

Review: Garnier Fructis *NEW* Triple Nutrition Curl Nourish Collection!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Garnier Fructis *NEW* Triple Nutrition Curl Nourish Collection

Recently, I was gifted with a big box of the latest hair products from Garnier.  To my pleasant surprise, I found their new Triple Nutrition Curl Nourish Collection inside that just hit store shelves earlier this month. Since I have some natural curl to my hair, I was eager to see how these five products would work.

I started off with the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Curl Nourish Shampoo ($3.99).  If you want to linger with fragrant suds on your head, then this is what you might do once you start lathering with this gentle, delicious coconut smelling, sulfate-free and moisture-rich formula due to its coconut oil.  

The Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Curl Nourish Conditioner ($3.99) that I followed with was just as enticing with all that coconut coming out of that bottle.  This daily conditioner helped start smoothing out some tangles my hair always has after shampooing.

The next step after I rinsed was applying the Garnier Fructis Nutrition Curl Nourish Butter Cream ($5.99).  I squeezed about a quarter size amount of this deep leave-in conditioner.  This stuff quickly got rid any last remaining knots before I sampled the Garnier Fructis Nutrition Curl Nourish Loosening Pudding ($4.29).

Review: Beauty Box 5 January 2016

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Beauty Box 5 January 2016 is all about hair, hands and nail care.

Beauty Box 5 starts the new year with a focus on six beauty products for giving us impeccably styled hair and nails.  Ev’rythang Done is the theme because feeling perfectly groomed empowers a woman enough so any task or problem seems solvable!

If this beauty box subscription is new to you, then you really need to give it a shot because it is a fun and inexpensive way to shop for beauty.  The cost is only $12 a month with free shipping.  Each green box arrives usually with five full and sample size cosmetics, skin care, hair care to nail products. 

Are you ready to check out the contents of what this month brought?  Then get comfortable because here come the beauty goodies that you may expect.

Review: Lavanila Vanilla Snowberry Healthy Deodorant Mini

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

 Lavanila Vanilla Snowberry Healthy Deodorant Mini 

If you’re trying to steer clear of aluminum-based antiperspirants and deodorants, then I am happy to report Lavanila released a new scent in their Healthy Deodorant line called Vanilla Snowberry that will take the worry out of underarm protection.

This is a hard scent to describe once you take a whiff since I never smelled a snowberry.  However, this has sort of a peppermint aroma along with its other notes of iced raspberry, woodland rose, and Madagascar vanilla that give it a Wintery feel that either sex would be comfortable wearing.

This little stick has essential oils and a special beta glucan technology that did help keep me fresh longer than I thought possible for just a deodorant compared to what I normally used to wear with an antiperspirant.

This Lavanila Vanilla Snowberry Healthy Deodorant Mini  sells for ($8), but they also have a larger size ($14).  Do check it out. 

Review: Mineral Fusion Eye Shadows (Raw and Flash)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Mineral Fusion Eye Shadows (Flash on the left and Raw on the the right)

Your eyes are very expressive and can say a lot about you. Using vegan makeup is a great way to accent them with beautiful color while also keeping them healthy without risking them to any potential toxins.  

Mineral Fusion is a brand that I really am fond of from my experiences with their cosmetics, skin and hair care products that I have already reviewed.  If you have color staples that are always in your makeup bag, then you definitely would be interested in this company’s line of powder eye shadow singles ($14.99).

I got a chance to try two shades from that line.  Raw is a matte dark espresso brown.  Flash is the highlight shade, a pale matte pink with a touch of beige.  On the company's website, Flash looks pinker almost with some violet to it.  My photo captured more beige than it is, but the color does have some pale pink to it off.

These gentle eye shadows glided on smoothly, blended well and made my brown eyes look even browner with this particular hue of brown. I do have my share of allergies, but this formula left my sensitive eyes free of redness or itching as some brands can do to me at times.

I didn’t have a problem with creasing, but I do always like to prime, which probably does help. These shadows wore until I took them off later after dinner with just my water-rinsing cleanser.

I do recommend stopping by Mineral Fusion or Whole Foods and trying these eye shadows for yourself. You will love them.  I promise!

Flower by Drew Barrymore Eau de Parfum Rollerball Trio Gift Set Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Flower by Drew Barrymore Eau de Parfum Rollerball Trio Gift Set 

Those perfumistas on your holiday gift list would no doubt be pleased with some Flower power such as what I discovered when exploring this enchanting fragrance trio that recently arrived at my door.  Drew Barrymore’s Flower Love the Way You Feel trio of Eau de Parfum Rollerball Set features fresh to spicy floral notes in each of these romantic scents of Cherished, Radiant and Sultry. 

Cherished is a very feminine and graceful floral in the soft approach this fragrance takes.  The scent opens brightly with chords of morning dew, cassis and Italian lemon like an ode to the perfect Summer morning after a long Winter’s nap.  It is a fresh, innocent awakening in how those notes play off of each other. As the floral notes of iris petals, cabbage rose and lily of the valley warm in the heart, you are immediately taken in by the beauty of this fragrance that wants to romantically sweep you away with its hidden promises.  By the time it dries down in the base with Tahitian vanilla, cotton-musk and sandalwood, it becomes creamy and softly seductive.  The result is a powdery, intriguing floral that is quite alluring. 

Radiant is a light burst of fresh floral with woodsy notes that can fill your heart with joy.  The fragrance opens with sparkling notes of dewy greens against crisper, watery notes of calone and Italian bergamot. As it further develops in the heart with the notes of cabbage rose, pink peony and magnolia, the floral becomes sharper, almost frosted over with ice by the calone. Then it slowly melts in the base with crystal musk, pink amber and white wood to do the job.  At this stage, the notes smoke deliciously together, adding both velvety warmth and a hint mystery to this memorable bouquet.

The last is Sultry, a fruity-floral mix brimming with berries, woods and bit of spice and vanilla to give it a magnetic hold over the senses.  With top notes of plum, pink pepper and cranberry, there is a sweet excitement that seems to shake the blend to life. From how this fragrance warms in the heart with notes of night-blooming jasmine, cashmeran and blackberry, it becomes wickedly enticing. Yet as it dries down in the base with notes of Madagascar vanilla, musk and heady patchouli, this fragrance is haunting and sexy appeal.

Take it from Mary, do look into these fragrances because they really will surprise you in their complexity. You can find all three of these Flower fragrances are Walmart or learn more at Flower Beauty.  

June Jacobs Spa Collection Sparkling Citrus Body Care Essentials Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

June Jacobs Spa Collection Sparkling Citrus Body Care Essentials ($49)

For all the last-minute holiday shoppers out there with no idea what to buy, let me offer you a wonderful suggestion with June Jacobs Spa Collection Sparkling Citrus Body Care Essentials that PR surprised me with.  This is a luxurious way to pamper and replicate a true, relaxing spa experience while delicately caring for the skin.

These products include a Citrus Shower Gel and Citrus Body Balm, which are both 6.7 oz. as well as free of parabens, preservatives, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, and sulfates to keep the skin healthy. At the same time, this formula is vitamin rich and infused with rice and soy extracts along with a host of oils such as squalene, jojoba, sunflower and sesame for gentle cleansing that also deeply moisturizes.

June Jacobs Spa Collection Sparkling Citrus Body Care Essentials products 

With all the skin benefits found in this $49 kit, there is even more that I love.  The natural citrus scent is so pure and fresh once you open the cap that you will want to linger in the tub or apply more of that lovely, fast-absorbing lotion.  Trust me, it makes the skin so silky smooth when you emerge and continues to renew your spirit.   

Have you tried any of June Jacobs Spa Collection yet?  If not, then you really are in for a treat as are those that you’re buying for once they receive this Sparkling Citrus Body Care Essential kit!

Not Your Mother’s Whip It Up Cream Styling Mousse Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Not Your Mother’s Whip It Up Cream Styling Mousse 

I was chosen by Influenster as one of the people that received the Spice VoxBox of beauty and food products to review.  Among the group was one hair styling aid from Not Your Mother’s brand called Whip It Up Cream Styling Mousse.

Before finding it in this box, I had never heard of the brand before.  However, I thought this Whip It Up Cream Styling Mousse made for a wonderful introduction.  

I do use a lot of mousse products to pump up my curls when styling.  This one came out with the most delectable vanilla cake scent ever.  It also had a different texture of being a thicker, whipped cream consistency than a typical puffy handful of mousse.  

I do have thick hair with some layers through it.  This mousse did help build up my curls and provided some decent control, but I did have to use a bit more than my current brand.  Nonetheless, I really thought it did a great job on my hair at an inexpensive drugstore price.

You can find Not Your Mother’s Whip It Cream Styling Mousse at the company’s website, Target, Walgreen’s or Amazon.

Review + Swatches: Mehron Precious Gem Powders for Dazzling Up Your Holiday Look

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Mehron Precious Gem Powders

With all the holiday partying that is in your near future, you might want to add more sparkle and shine to your normal makeup, fitting this festive season.  Let me show you some quick ways from Mehron, a long-established brand known for their theatrical makeup and beauty products for movies and fashion, because when it comes to beautiful effects their Precious Gem Powders can be the solution for providing a luminescent jewel-like luster to wherever area you want!

These are highly pigmented, loose glowing powders that come in a shaker jar. I received three from the line in Black Onyx (smoky deep gray), Garnet (rusty-rose) and Topaz (golden glow).  

From left to right is  Black Onyx, Garnet with Topaz on the right.

These sparkling powders have a fine, silky consistency and blend well.  This trio did create a pretty eye, but it also was fun to play with the Garnet and Topaz on my cheeks.  However, if you do prefer to use these powders just on your eyes, then do prime your lids first to extend the wear.

Do visit the Mehron website and check their Precious Gem Powders line out.

Review + Swatches: Laura Geller Iconic Baked Sculpting Lipsticks - Ideal for Holiday Glamour!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Laura Geller

When you’re thinking how to up your appeal for those holiday parties, you need lip products that can go the distance if you want all eyes riveted to you.  With Laura Geller’s Iconic Baked Sculpting Lipsticks ($21), you can have your bases covered with coverage that can keep up with you through a long night.  These are gorgeous, well-pigmented shades that are complete with creamy feeling color from what I have observed.

From left to right:  Lexington Ave. Coral, Madison Ave. Pink, Big Apple Red, Fifth Ave. Ruby and ending with Tribecca Tan on the right.

PR graciously sent five of the twelve from this line for me to sample.  Madison Avenue Pink is flirty, bright fuchsia pink that has just enough of the violet in the pink to liven up the color wonderfully instead of being over the top bold on the lips.  Lexington Coral has striking tones of strawberry and orange for a bright, medium coral that can be universally flattering. Big Apple Red is a soft true red that is a classic for any woman’s makeup bag.  However, if you want to give your lips a more seductive edge to them, then you might prefer Fifth Ave. Ruby.  This is a deeper crimson red for full-out glamour.  Tribecca Tan is a medium, orange-beige nude that is great for every day with how neutral it is.  

Going from right to left is Lexington Ave, Coral, Madison Ave. Pink, Big Apple Red, Fifth Ave. Ruby and ending with Tribecca Tan on the left.

These lipsticks feature fancy patterned bullets and have a magnetic sort of closure for the cap.  Though those things are nice, they are not the reason why I like them.  The formula makes your lips feel comfortable with its almond oil, apricot butter and sunflower oil even after hours later when it starts to fade or you eat some off, your lips will still feel good while you’re left with more of a vivid stain.

I label it vivid because even when you try to remove it with water-rinsing makeup cleanser, it will doesn’t budge easily.  It took two applications before I could get rid of the color off of my arm.   Now that is what I call a long-wearing, but comfortable lipstick!

Head over to Laura Geller’s website, ULTA beauty or QVC. com and do look into the Iconic Baked Sculpting Lipsticks!

Review: Rimmel London's Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation (Classic Ivory)–New Version

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation (Classic Ivory)

Drugstore foundation shopping can be difficult when trying to find your ideal complexion color match.  Unlike department and beauty stores, you don’t have access to samples or as many shades as higher end brands to help narrow down your decision, which can even be more challenging if the store is missing product tester displays.  However, if you’re prowling the aisles now in search of a new foundation, you might want to stop by Rimmel London’s section to check out their new formula of the Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation with comfort serum that I just tried.

PR sent along a bottle in Classic Ivory from among the 11 shades.  I’m talking about the one with the red cap.  This foundation is thicker and almost like a cream-gel sort of liquid instead of a looser, watery consistency.   I found that this formula, even with my dry skin, felt quite lightweight and smoothed out the complexion with wonderful medium, satin-like coverage that did hold up from morning when I first applied to late afternoon when I removed it.  This amount of wear is good enough for me since I don’t ever plan to need one for every moment of an entire day.  The only way that I would allow any makeup to remain on my skin for 24 hours is if I suddenly took ill, caught in a disaster or result of an accident.   

I really was pleasantly surprised at how well this new Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation looked and felt on my skin.  My only disappointment was the color was slightly too dark for my fair skin.  I think Ivory would have been a closer match.

Do visit Rimmel London’s website and your drugstore or wherever you buy their products to check this long-wearing foundation out.  I think you will be happy with it.

Review: L’Occitane en Provence’s Pamplemousse Rhubarbe and Jasmin Immortelle Neroli Eau de Toilettes

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Pamplemousse Rhubarbe Eau de Toilette

What a refreshing way to treat yourself or those on your holiday gift list than indulging in something sinfully delicious like  L’Occitane’s two newly launched limited edition fragrance and body care collections inspired by pastry chef, Pierre Herme and his recollections of summers in Corsica.

Pamplemousse Rhubarbe Eau de Toilette ($62) is not your typical fruity-citrus, but a heavenly aromatic fragrance with a crisp, yet sparkling citrus and herbal zing to it with top notes of grapefruit, rhubarb, lemon, and cypress.  As it warms in the heart, this light blast of freshness is curbed by notes of spicy clove, nutmeg and lavender, which beautifully gives the blend its intriguing sensual appeal.  The fragrance deliberately taunts, flaunting its confidence in its daring invitation until it dries down in the base with heated promises of what is yet to come with its notes of cedar and vetiver.

Jasmin Immortelle Neroli Eau de Toilette

The Jasmin Immortelle Neroli Eau de Toilette ($62) is  luminous floral with baked in lemony sweetness that smells so delectable and yet elegant.  It opens with bright top notes of lemon, pink pepper and petit grain before it warms in the heart with jasmine, immortelle and neroli to sprinkle the floral with more juicy freshness.  As it dries down in the base with notes of amber, white woods and musk, it becomes softly seductive.   

If you love sweets and don’t want to worry about calories, you should try these two new L’Occitane fragrances of Pamplemousse Rhubarbe and Jasmin Immortelle Neroli because they would make a wonderful gift for yourself or those on your holiday gift list!  

Recipe: My ALDI Inspired Chewy Oatmeal Delights

*Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post.

ALDI

My Chewy Oatmeal Delights

Now is probably the time that you’re thinking about what holiday cookies that you’re planning to bake this year.  The recipe that I have is for a chewy, oatmeal cookie packing hidden goodness with semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate and butterscotch chips to set off its rich buttery flavor for a decadent combination of ultimate sweetness.

I use three different varieties of morsels for this drop cookie.  Though you can use regular semi-sweet chips, I prefer the mini ones because it distributes the chocolate more evenly to get maximum enjoyment out of every luscious bite.

Baker's Corner Mini Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Baker's Corner Butterscotch Morsels

You can use a tablespoon to drop these cookies onto your greased baking sheets.  However, an easier way is to use a mini ice cream scoop to deposit the dough.  What I do is have a cup of water handy to immerse my scoop after dropping to keep the dough from sticking.  This little tool really speeds up the cooking baking process for me.

Baker's Corner White Morsels

For all my baking essentials that went into this recipe, I went to my favorite grocery store, ALDI  since they have the best prices in my opinion, especially for ingredients like the chips, oatmeal, flour and even the dairy products. Look over their holiday catalog first because this store has what you will need from unsweetened cocoa, coconut, nuts, candied fruit, evaporated milk, raisins, etc. more reasonably than their competitors, especially if you keep up with their weekly specials!

You get a great chew with my Chewy Oatmeal Delights!

If you ask me, the quality of the ALDI products is just as good as name brands.  The only thing that you might miss is the fancy packaging of name brands–but that is basically it.  

Hopefully, you’ll want to print out my recipe and take it with you when you pick up all those baking essentials where I shop–ALDI.  

Happy Holidays!

My Chewy Oatmeal Delights

1 cup (2 sticks) of ALDI Countryside Creamery butter
1 cup of firmly packed ALDI Baker’s Corner Light Brown sugar       
1-2/3 cups ALDI Baker’s Corner All-Purpose flour
1 cup of ALDI Baker’s Corner sugar
3 cups of ALIDI Millville Quick Rolled Oats
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of baking soda, leveled
½ teaspoon of baking powder, leveled
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of ALDI Baker’s Corner Real Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup of ALDI Baker’s Corner Butterscotch Chips
1/3 cup of ALDI Baker’s Corner White Chocolate Chips


Cream your butter with the sugars until well combined in a large mixing bowl.

Next, beat in the eggs to the creamed mixture, one at a time before adding the vanilla extract.

Sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt and slowly beat into the creamed ingredients until the flour mixture is incorporated into the butter mixture.

Stir in the oats and chips last.

Drop by tablespoons or using a mini ice cream scoop on your greased cookie sheet.  Try to keep each one about two inches apart.

Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 9-10 minutes or until lightly golden.  

Give the baked cookies a few minutes to set before attempting to remove.  

ENJOY!

Review: Renovo Beauty Natural Hair Care Kickoff Kit + Coupon Code and GIVEAWAY!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Renovo Beauty Natural Hair Care Kickoff Kit

With the holiday season, you need your hair to look great.  Sometimes though, it doesn’t always do that. However, if you treat your hair with the ideal diet of all-natural ingredients instead of feed it chemicals, you may be surprised at what you will see.  

I was in the dark about Renovo Beauty until this Pittsburgh-based company of all-natural hair and skin care products reached out.  Now that I tried a few of their shampoos and conditioners, I am so glad that my eyes are now open to what their fine sulfate free hair care line can do for beautiful hair.

What the company sent was their Natural Hair Care Kickoff Kit ($29.95) that included 4 oz. bottles of their Natural Basil Honey Lemongrass Cleansing Detox Shampoo Y1, Natural Cinnamon Oatmeal Molasses Moisturizing Shampoo X1, Natural Eucalyptus Spearmint Leave-In Conditioner X1, and Natural Quinoa Blood Orange Repairing Protein Conditioner Z1.

Though it’s not stated on the label, these natural hair care products are safe for color-treated hair.  This includes their Y1 Cleansing Detox Shampoo, which is geared for those with fine or oily hair.  Normally, deep cleansing formulas can strip the color, but my recently colored hair was fine. 

The biggest difference of their fragrant shampoos is that they don’t really foam up as you might be used to. These have a feel of lathering with more of a conditioning product.  Regardless, the results are what matters like counting on shiny, well-behaved hair due to all the nourishing vitamins and natural oils within. 

I did happen to favor the XI Moisturizing Shampoo and XI Conditioner with my dry hair, which gave the strands a healthier softness to them. This formula did add extra gloss from its macadamia nut extracts as well as bounce while protecting against damaging heat from my dryer and styling tools.

If you’re curious about what Renova Beauty can do for your own hair, then now through December 31 is a good time to try their products out since you will receive 5% off your order using coupon code F1GTRTCY8T58 at checkout.  

While you're ordering, check out their giveaway below to win this set.  Hurry both that code and giveaway end soon!

Review: Korres Best of Body Butter Collection Gift Set!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Korres Best of Body Butter Collection Gift Set

Sometimes, the stress of holidays with all the shopping and preparation seems overwhelming.  Instead of neglecting yourself because of all that you have to do, the Korres products that I have just sampled in their Best of Body Butter Collection ($42) can be exactly what you need to feel like your beautiful self again.  

The Korres body butters in this set can be a quick fix to restore your sense of well-being through the use of natural fragrance in each of the three 7.95 oz. tubes of Jasmine, Basil Lemon and Guava. At the same time, they also soften and moisturize your body with sunflower, almond, shea butter, and avocado oils to treat your skin right.  

Jasmine is romantic, feminine and quite lovely of a floral fragrance that blooms against the skin.   Basil Lemon is a fresh breath of summer on this herb and lemon mix.  Guava is sweet and full of the warmth of tropical paradise.

Your skin will appreciate how nourishing these body butters are.  They don’t just sit on the skin and leave you feeling slick, but hydrate very well while leaving smoothness and a pleasing scent behind.  

This Korres Best of Body Butter Collection would make an awesome holiday gift as well so do visit their website and check it out!  

Review: IT Cosmetics Holiday Gift Sets 2015

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Your Je Ne Said Quoi Lip set

The holidays season happens to be one of the best times of the year to get great deals on some of your favorite leading brands of cosmetics.  IT Cosmetics sent along three of their 2015 gift sets that I want to share with you to help get your glam on or for gift-giving.

The first one that I want to tell you about is their Your Je Ne Sais Quoi Two-Piece Lip set ($28).  This has a value of $44 and features two full size products with their award-winning Vitality Lip Flush 4-in-1 Reviver Lipstick Stain and Vitality Lip Blush Hydrating Gloss Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi in a girly pink, zippered leatherette pouch.  This lipstick shade gives your lips a delicate wash of a natural becoming pink.  If you want to pump up the shine, layering some of the matching Vitality Lip Blush Hydrating Gloss Stain and voila, you have a beautiful moisturizing finish to keep that color going for all those hours of partying! 

XOXO, IT Girl! Three-Piece Eye-Enhancing set

Next, there is the XOXO, IT Girl! Three-Piece Eye-Enhancing ($28) set to consider.  We all know how often you need to replace eye products like mascaras so this really is a sweet grouping (valued at $46) that comes inside a black leatherette, zippered pouch.  Inside, you will find:
-Full-size No-Tug Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Black
-Travel-Size Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe
-Travel-size Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Volumizing Mascara in Black
-Three sample packettes: No. 50 Serum Primer, CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ and Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer

Your IT Girl Lips Perfect Red Lip Duo

Finally, there is the Your IT Girl Lips Perfect Red Lip Duo set ($24).  You get a full-sized Blurred Lines Smooth-Fill Lipstick in IT Girl and a travel-size YLBB Your Lips But Better Waterproof Lip Liner Stain in Cherry Flush. This is a notice-me shade of festive, shiny red that is perfect for the season along with one of the best lip liners around in my opinion.

Do visit IT Cosmetics website or QVC.com to find these limited edition sets while they last because they will go fast!  

Review: Borghese Cosmetics and Skincare’s Vision of Winter Beauty 2015!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Borghese seven products

Even before I ever knew that I would find myself writing about beauty, I was enthralled by the artistry of Borghese’s cosmetics years ago.  Their unabashed use of bold, rich color always used to give me a thrill when I would gaze admiringly at their new collections because they were true masters.   Their deep appreciation of color was why I first became a Borghese customer from early on and still count them as one of my regular brands.

To my delight, the company surprised me with a package of their new season’s products.  With what I found in this box is just what any woman needs for looking effortlessly chic in time for the holidays.

Take their Eclissare Color Eclipse Shadow and Light Luminous Eye Palette ($55) of 12 haunting neutrals that also came with its own double-sided brush.  These silky, shimmery pearls and glowing metallics as well as its matte powders do an excellent job to make eyes look sensational with their fashion forward treatment of highly-pigmented color from the light to dark shades. I love how easily these vibrant shadows respond to blending.  They flatter each other, allowing me to create a myriad of new looks that won’t crease or fade for hours on end.

Eclissare Color Eclipse Shadow and Light Luminous Eye Palette

Now that I got your attention, let me delve into those 12 amazing colors of: 

Bask - a light, warm-toned creamy-beige with a satin-matte finish 

Afterglow - a warm-toned , highly metallized medium-beige

Pulse - a warm, highly metallized soft-peach

Veil - a cool neutral soft-brown with a satin-matte finish

Muse - a burnished gold with brown shade glows with lots of metal

Ascend - a light tan with a satin-matte finish

Wane - a rich warm medium brown with a satin-matte finish

Impact - a highly metallized, medium rose-copper

Downfall - a dark matte brown

Out There - a heavily metallized medium pewter.

Shroud - a deep charcoal-grey with blue undertones, highly metallized.

Immortal - a charcoal-black with subtle silver glitter through its mysterious depths

To pull off further eye drama, Borghese provided a mini size Superiore State-of-the Art Mascara in Black. This is easy to apply, a non-clumping, non-flaking formula in true rich black that does a fine job of lengthening lashes to incredible new lengths without piling on layer after layer.  My short lashes looked naturally longer with softness to the touch instead of fake and spidery-looking with hardness to them from a mascara overload.  However, if volumizing is more your thing, then this product won’t wow you in that respect.

I also got an Eclissare Color Eclipse Coloredge Pitch Black Eye Liner pencil ($21.50) to bring out my eyes. This pencil is softer spreading, besides being a very rich black formula that won’t pull on that fragile skin while adding a smoldering intensity as it rings eyes with deep black color.

For lips, I got a B Moisture Advanced Care Lipcolour ($24) in Grappa, a creamy red-wine shade with a slight sheen to it. The feel is so hydrating with a lot of high impact color to it that can keep your lips beautiful and comfortable for at least four or five hours.  However, it can migrate outside the lip line with all that lush creaminess so wear a lip liner, which solves that issue.

I also received two Eclissare Color Eclipse Colorglass Lip Glosses ($21.50) in Simmer and Spark.  These are thick, highly moisturizing with an unbeatable shine.  Simmer is a luminous sort of clear color with silver and pink fine sparkles radiating throughout.  Spark is more of a shimmery taupe-champagne shade that makes for inviting luscious lips.

Eclissare Color Eclipse Colorglass Spark Lip Gloss

Eclissare Color Eclipse Colorglass Simmer Lip Gloss

This was the first time I tried the Prima Viso Face Primer ($27).  My goodness, what I missed with how this smoothed with its botanical extracts and left my complexion practically flawless after I finished my foundation.  It really hydrates and keeps your complexion perfect without feeling greasy or sticky until you need to take it off.  This is one you need to try!

Finally, I found a Fango Purificante Purifying Clay Cleanser ($30) for deep-cleaning pores among the products.  When I saw it was clay-based, I worried that this mask-like cleanser, which rinses off with water might be too harsh with my dry skin.  Nonetheless, I was wrong.  This nourishing cleanser has phytic acid and polyphenol-rich plant extracts and antioxidants to tackle the hidden grime of pore-buildup, leaving your skin feeling invigorated as it deep cleans.  I plan on using this twice a week to make sure all that remaining, but trapped grime is gone.

Take my word on this.  These Borghese cosmetics are luminous and rich colors to make you the center of attention of those holiday parties.  If you intend to shine, then go for it and visit their website!