Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24-H foundation in 460 Suede!

      This is without a doubt, my mother's makeup. Not a bad thing, just I'm not usually very preferential when it comes to foundation because of the highly selective nature of my skin; Usually I scour the internet for detailed reviews before I let a new foundation touch my skin. My poor mother has had a worse journey through skin care than I have and even dermatologist recommended items have served her skin poorly. I was surprised that she even wanted to try this one because of some of the things listed in it, but nonetheless she bought both mine and one for herself. I've been very sparing in using it because it's been such a wonderful experience, but I realized something: come Spring, this isn't going to match my skin anymore and I'll really have to toss it come next December (when my skin will be back to a relatively similar coloring), so it's probably a good idea to use and review it in the meantime!

Packaging.
   The packaging scares me. This is why: it's a glass vile inside a silver foiled, slender paper-cartridge. Do not drop it; there's nothing to buffer impact in this cartridge and very little thought was left to the ease of use of the vial itself. It will break. One thing that I did like about the container is that the vile is frosted; nothing the serves (or speaks to) the functionality of the body, just a nice, subtle touch of design. As for the dispenser, it's a vacuum pump.

Application.

   This is one of the nicest foundations that I've ever used. Not only does it just blend right into my skin, but it feels weightless even hours after applying it and gives my a dewy (but ever so subtle) glow. Nowadays that feat has been near impossible for any foundation/bb/tinted moisturizer to accomplish without crossing the border into greasy-halo country. In terms of coverage, it covers dis-coloration quite well and with the proper technique can lessen the appearance of minor acne.

Scent.

   There isn't one. I'm so pleasantly surprised every time I use this, it has no smell. That's wonderful, and it's wonderful because I have a really pointed sense of smell and too much perfume in my makeup can cause me to develop a migraine.

Durability.

   It will last for twenty four hours without fading if  you leave it on that long; I have. I didn't even use setting spray when I did, just a foundation powder and nothing else. When I do use it with setting spray I notice that it makes my skin look even smoother and gives me a very nice finish even in flash photos.

Price.

  It's somewhere in the mid-forties price wise; about 44.00 if you choose to buy from lancome (which since it's worth mentioning, is having a 20% off promotion; buy anything and get 20% off with the promo code HEARTS. Free ship with orders 49.00USD+. that means buying one of these foundations would be about 35.00 before S+H; don't forget that they do free samples with your order when you become a member or if you subscribe to a certain product).

Tips.

   If you have oily skin do not forget to set with a light powder and very, very fluffy brush. This foundation is meant to give a dewy finish but can overdo it  depending upon the reaction your skin exhibits after first exposure. Always use clean brushes, and clean your pump frequently!

Overall. 

   5/5 stars. Though I've never mentioned how I've had a hard time finding a replacement for the discontinued Smashbox foundation, I really hadn't until now; I'm completely in love with this foundation for Winter (Nars is my Summer love; matte finish New Orleans for the hot season ahead!) Maybe I'll do a Face shot with it on for Sundays segments, but not before we get the verdict on E.l.f.'s line of tinted moisturizers (that's this Sunday, don't miss it!)

'D-up': Your vitamin D Supplement may be Going to Waste this Winter.

      In the colder seasons it can be hard to want to go out in the cold weather for fifteen minutes, much less a whole day. Our bodies tend to pack on a little extra at this time of year and require a more dense diet that consists of carbs and proteins from meat in a higher proportion than we'd usually need. This is our body's natural way of compensating for a sudden change in external climate, and it's done to maintain the natural processes that they need to sustain to keep us healthy. The change in diet usually brings a different set of vitamins and minerals into the picture and affects the way our immune system fight infection, but one vitamin that is absolutely necessary for overall health year-round declines in abundance due to the change in climate.

      Vitamin D is an extremely important component in a healthy and fully functional person's diet. It can improve the ability to fight off infections, clear toxins from the body passively, and serve as a barrier between us and the elements. However, statistics indicate that more than half of U.S. citizens suffer from a vitamin D deficiency and 60% percent of pregnant women taken from that sample are deficient, which can effect the health of their unborn children. Many people are unware that they may have this deficiency, or those that do are unsure of what preventative steps to take to improve the levels of vitamin D in their bodies. Many think that just taking a supplement will correct this problem, but without some additional precautions, they could just be wasting their time and money:

Go Outside.

It could be too could to do it for at least a half hour. Instead go for at least fifteen to twenty minutes a day. Do this after you've had your supplement and a proper meal. This will help your body to metabolize the tablet/sub-lingual drops more quickly and not waste as much of it. Remember, the body produces/takes only what it needs!

 Don't wear sunscreen.

That sounds foolish and dangerous, doesn't it?? Well, unbeknownst to us sunscreen and skincare enthusiasts, even the weakest SPF still blocks out the naturally occurring radiation in UV rays (i.e. that ones needed to tell our bodies to produces vitamin D) by up to 95 percent, making it more difficult for our bodies to get that trigger without an additional supplement in our diets.

No Cheating.

 Sitting in your house, at the gym, or directly in your car window does not 'count'. This is why: Sun rays are incapable of passing through most glass structures. So, even if you do gain two or more shades to your skin from this, or get all toasty, your body may not be reaping the benefits.

Take a supplement.

Most people are wasting their money on vitamins, are you one of them?

If you live in an area further away from the equator with long Cold Seasons, taking a D supplement may help you to counteract any of the negative effects of deprivation in the colder weather. You'll still have to get some kind of exposure to direct sunlight, but the addition of a supplement can lessen the time that you'd normally have to spend in the cold weather. There are many other factors to take into consideration when starting a supplement; people in countries further away from the sun may have to stay out twice as long as those living right at the equatorial line. The caveat here is that even with that being said, people who live in equatorial areas for centuries and have gained a slightly improved resistance to the harmful effect of sun radiation/are descendant of such people may have a harder time producing D than other people.

A Word About the 'diet'

If you have inhibitions about going out into the sunlight without sunscreen in the cold it's completely understandable because at this time it is also much easier to get a sun burn for many people. Others have a long history of cancers in their family and they don't want to over-exert themselves and that's fine too: Just remember to wrap up, but have at least your face out and exposed, an arm, a leg, the palms of your hands, just get some exposure somewhere on your body! AND, eat a lot of food that are high in antioxidants; they've be found to help the body fight of damages from free radical and radiation from the sun, and they can be attained from foods like apples, cherries, pomegranates, cranberries, green tea, black berries, e.t.c..

      To learn more about how your body interacts with vitamins or specifically about the importance of D, seek assistance from a medical professional or licensed dietician, especially if you plan to begin a vitamin supplement or have a history of health problems in your family such as cancer of the skin, breasts, eyes, or diabetes. Never begin a supplement without knowing how it will effect you or if it will!

photo credit: sxc.hu

E.L.F. Essential Foundation Brush!

This is my first experience with a foundation brush. I wanted to go for a brand that I already had a history with liking the products, so when I found this brush at a dollar general on a chance, I had to have it! I've been using it for about three weeks, and I've learned that I do not like it at all. But I'm going to let you guys be the decider in this bout, because I don't know the first thing about a foundation brush.

Durability.

       I've washed it about five times already and it still hasn't begun to shed. Not even a little bit. In terms of durability this brush is without a doubt a safe bet because the bristles don't fall too quickly and they won't get misshaped from abuse, but they're almost to stiff to use properly.

Price.

       I paid one dollar for it, but I believe the msrp is something like one dollar on their e-shop as well, so things pan out.

Performance.

Well, here's where the problems ensued for me. Let's have a look at the product description:

"e.l.f. Essential Foundation Brush

Achieve an ultra smooth, poreless finish when applying foundation, tinted moisturizer, or other creamy face product. The tapered bristles are designed to contour your face for a seamless, flawless finish. Makeup Artist Pro Tip: For best results use upward brush strokes.

All e.l.f. professional makeup brushes have been designed and tested by our professional team of makeup artists. Each brush has been ergonomically designed to fit perfectly into your hand and facilitate a flawless finish with every application."

Actually, this brush sucked up more makeup than any brush I own and left me with a bit of a streaky finish each time that I used it. I generally found myself going back over this work this a blender and powdering it. One thing I really did like about it was that the bristles were very smooth and didn't stab my face. But the brush felt like a big acrylic paint brush to be honest; I'm sure that there isn't really a difference, except that perhaps I can acheive better coverage with the paint brush (granted I'd pay about six dollars more..)

Packaging.

Voila.

It comes in a transparent, plastic envelope with a paper tucked neatly inside. Not at all intricate.

Overall.

   Overall I'm slapping this product with three stars. It's probably very good to someone else but for me I just don't like it that much. I think that generally, they make very good tools; I'm using their tweezers right now and oh my gosh they're the best! But this brush will just be one of those things that I'm glad I didn't spend like 50 dollars on and ended up hating it.

20121125 Sunday FOTD!

I wanted to show a more preferential look this week; I'm no fan of heavy makeup personally, but it's fine for other people. As long as it doesn't look to outrageous I suppose.
What I used:
FACE
MAYBELLINE DREAM FRESH BB IN DEEP SHEER TINT
MINERAL VEIL BY BARE ESCENTUALS
MATTIFYING POWDER BY SEPHORA IN D50

EYES
FALSE LASHES FROM C-TECH
SMASHBOX FULL EXPOSURE MASCARA

LIPS
BENEFIT'S BENETINT, ROSY CHEEK AND LIP TINT

Surprisingly enough, I'm really not wearing any eye shadow; that's my eyelid's natural coloring! don't like it for when I want to wear certain colors becase it may distort their vivacity or tone them down, but I can always use primer or get surgery to fix it (not something I want to do, I just don't want my lids to be so dark). I learned somethings when I went in post to pick a picture for today: I am hereby banishing that bb cream to the back of my makeup basket. It's too dark. I noticed this initially when I'd put only the bb cream on and my face was two tones darker than my neck and well, I tried to fix it with the mineral veil but I just made it worse! Oh well, maybe I just use the lighter shade after all. I like using the benetint but I don't think I'll be able to use it all by time it expires; it's less than a half ounce and it really did turn out to be too much.

Next week I'm doing an FOTD featuring all of my recent e.l.f. buys; want to know the verdict on the cruelty-free cosmetic line? Tune in next Sunday!

 

Cloud Nine Kollektiv: Weekly Roundup!

It's time for the weekly roundup again! I've been a busy bee with all these blog hops and new favorite blogs. One thing I'm certain you'll notice is that I'm a sucker for swatches! I really do love swatches more than writing itself; it makes no sense. A swatch of a product is to me better than writing (and I am infamous I'm sure for my lack of swatches), but videos is better than both put together! Anyway, these are blogs that you can count on for swatches (and good content):

Liz Earle Signature Lip Colour- A / W picks

My Revlon Lip Butter Collection!! + SWATCHES!

What I Bought - Primark Shirt

Physicians Formula Happy Glow & Mood Boosting Bronzer, Powder & Blush

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer

      This is one of my favorite primers! I am so glad to see other reviews of it. I like it because it has a peach color to it and I can use it to correct and prime my skin at once (instead of indulging in a stash of Koh Gen Do, which can be expensive for daily use!)

Review: Kawayii Eyelashes from Uniqso.com

Review || Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

American Apparel Disco Pants: Tall Girls

This is an obvi disco pant appreciation post. They just do the body good! If you've got the extra dough on hand (even after black Friday), then snatch a pair of these from American Apparel!

Autumn Beauty DIY: Cranberry Toner- 

Loving this toner pictorial as an essential part of the beauty regimen! Cranberries are packed with vitamins that aid in overall wellness.

Review and Swatch: Vapour Organic Beauty Siren Lipstick in Coquette (424)-

 Treading the waters of the organic beauty world; good colors (not the standard reds in other words) are hard to find for an organic beauty line; I'm impressed with the colour that this line has to offer, and fishing for more colours/swatches in posts to come!

The pit of my week and the peak of my week #2 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter: Peach Parfait

I love how shimmery this color turned out to be! Not a colour I would choose for myself, but it looks wonderful on the editor!

Throwback Thursday: Loreal Super Liner

That's it for this week's round up! I hope you all enjoy these blogs as much as I do~

Shop Love: Today We're Thankful for the Deals, Steals, and Reveals of the Holiday Season!

ThanksGiving is coming to a close and now the next big candid 'Holiday' is in it eve (or, if you're going for somewhere like Walmart or Target, it started about twenty-something minutes ago): Black Friday. A day of deals, steals, and product reveals. For those of us that burnt off the extra turkey waiting in line for these doorbusting savings that come just once a year, that means, a whole new wardrobe; bagged just as soon as we could get our wallets out in the wind. But say you want to finds something like this:

 "Strapless lace dress with bronze studs along the neckline. High low cut with a nude lining underneath. Zipper closure at the back."

"Pretty cocktail dress with a peplum skirt and a metallic golden lace bodice. Light cup at the bust. Single button closure at the back with a deep slit down the center to expose back. Tuxedo tail at the back of skirt."

"Chiffon maxi dress with an intricate lace upper bodice. High halter neck-line that ties at the back. Mini lining under skirt with sheer chiffon slit panels at the bottom. Super sexy!"

For styles this enticing, you'll have to stop in on none other than pinkicestore.com

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara!

Oh my goodness, ladies. Ladies, if you're having trouble finding your new 'go-to' mascara, you may want to give Smashbox's Full Exposure Mascara! Next to my e.l.f. mascara, (I'm currently testing it, and I've got to admit, I'm pleasantly surprised!) this is my second go to! I use it to blend my lashes into my darkness falsies because I find that it give me a more natural finish! But before I go on with this gush fest, I'll continue with the review~

[PICTORAL] About a Perfume.

     A while ago, I remember covering this lovely perfume, but my camera at the time did it naught product justice! Since I can't really share the scent with you, why not show a few pictures that capture the likeness of the product more accurately than I can describe? A picture is, afterall, worth 1,000 words; for you, I've got a set of five!

Purederm Nose Pore Strips!

I didn't necessarily need to try this product ( sounds silly, but my nose skin is one of the more comedone free areas of my skin), but I acquired it from our editor in charge of media (thanks!) and I decided I wanted to do a review of it so let's get started:

The ELF Shipment has Arrived!

      Hello! Sorry for the hiatus between posting; I got really busy in the middle of last week and wasn't able to log on! Anyways, I am here now, and so is my e.l.f. shipment! I've always been very enthusiastic about e.l.f. products and I wanted to sample a bit of everything they've go to offer. They had a free shipping sale for the week of election day so I invested of course, and bought about twelve things that included:

• Makeup setting mist
• Lip stain pen in Crimson Crush
• Waterproof eyeliner in Black
• Automatic eyeliner in Black
• Tinted Moisturizer in Tone 3
• Zit Zapper Stick
• E.l.f. custom elements eyeshadow pan
• Lengthening an Defining Mascara in Black
• Eye widener pencil in White
• Professional Tweezers
• Natural Lash Kit
• Dramatic Lash Kit

This experience has definitely helped me decide what my favorite products from elf are, and which ones to personally avoid (if something doesn't work for you, then what's the point in continuing to use it???) If you want to know what my favorites are, you'll have to stick around for another week-full  of reviews; Happy reading!

FOTD: 20121118 Featuring Admin A!

 

This is our first FOTD so I wanted to start out using some products that have been reviewed by us already! It doesn't look I put on much, right?? Truthfully, a lot of makeup went into this picture (and the other 60 that were taken). As you may have noticed, I didn't bother to tame my eyebrows! Sorry haha. Anyway, let's have a look at all the items used for this look~

CloudNineKollektiv: Weekly Blog Hop Roundup!

      We've been surfing the web all week and catching up on our own favorite blogs. Eighty-eight hours and several teacups later, we've pulled together a roster of our favorite reads from this past week to share with you! They come from beauty blogs and we thought that their content was so good that it couldn't hurt to share it a second (or third) time!:

Style 411: If the Shoe Fits.

      You don't have to be a shoe fanatic, or even very invested in the fashion industry to understand the importance of a good pair of kicks. they can be the maker or breaker of your mood and even affect your overall health. This infographic titled, 'comfort shoes for men and women history' delves into the history of the shoe and provides some very interesting blips about their evolutionary path up to modern times. As you may have already noted, things get pretty interesting by the roaring twenties. Chuck Taylor's converse have become a preferred household brand and expanded to have an internationally prominent presence.

     Among the other big brands, Adidas, Nike, New Balance, and Reebok have had similar success to report, expanding their product repository to include more designs, different products, and even some popular offshoots. They went from offering shoes that had fundamentally basic support and design to shoes that now accommodate every size, shape and width in a period of less than a century. All that innovation has been noted, not only by consumers such as ourselves, but by our friends at Schuler's Shoe, who carry a broad assortment of shoes for men, women, and children's shoes. They even have in house services for local that include a free foot screening. It really doesn't matter what type of shoe you fancy because they've got a bit of everything here (seriously, when is the last time that you heard someone use the word clogs to refer to their shoes? It's magnificent, the proper pseudonyms in tact and all, we're eye's a very lovely pair right now that would match up nicely with my birthday sweater in taupe). Before I talk you out of visiting for yourself, I'll stop here; In the mean time, check them out and feel free to share your finds by commenting!

-C9K

Shop Love: Teaser 4/5.

"Short trendy skirt with pleats by the waist for a billowy look. Zipper closure at the back."

Looks like they didn't have much to say about the skirt this time. That's alright, we've got 'em covered! First, and we think you all knew this one was coming:

That's right, they go with every season and their not a bad idea. Complete the look with a nice royal plum colored cashmere sweater pulled over a crisp button up, oxford toe booties optional and hair worn half up; natural finish makeup colors called for this look. Stick to nude and earth tones or, if you're feeling daring (and the timing in appropriate) opt for a brown smoky eye. If you wear earrings, here's an outfit that wouldn't be complete without them. That's it for teaser four, the end is nearly upon us! These segments go quicker than we realized~ Oh, and in case you were curious about that zipper closure:

Find us In Mimika's Beauty Blog Hop!

      It's official: we've joined our first external blog hop and we've already learned so much and fallen in love with some very nice beauty blogs to boot! You can add yourself to the blog hop by clicking on the link above or in our side bar (we'll be adding it shortly). Please be respectful of mimika's guidelines and remember to comment after you submit! Hope to see you all there!

Shop Love: Teaser 3/5!

"Houndstooth pattern coat with a wavy front opening. Comes with a faux leather strap that can be tied to the front or back. Pockets on the side and has a satin lining inside."

      We're already dreaming up the perfect out of office coordinate for this coat.  If it sounds like we've got work on the brain, that's because we do! Absolutely swamped with it; and if there's one thing that goes over sour for us with a full schedule, it's going even one day with a bad coordinate.. Anyway! We recommend wearing this coat over are dark colored turtleneck and pleated, knee length skirt; stocking preferred but optional. Complete the look with a smart up-done ponytail and your favorite round-toed boots from Nine West! When the weather gets to it's height in terms of chill, the addition of a scarf draped once over and tucked into your coat completes the look, yet again. We're done puppy-gaurding this pretty preview; indulge to your heart's content fellow fashionistas!

Why you Shouldn't take all Product Reviews at Face Value.

We read about as many critical reviews as the next person but we do have our cut off point - it's when the reviews start to sound like these guys.

     There comes a time in every fashionista's life when she must abandon the world of 'rumor has it' when it comes to researching prospective additions to her faceted collection of beauty buys (and steals), and it is indicated by the start what we're going to refer to herein as ' the review rut'. It's that period in of time where one runs into nothing but negative, non-constructive reviews (and unintentionally too). It is at this time that we often lose quite a bit of insight into why we read reviews in the first place, and what we should be getting out of them:

Shop Love: Teaser 1&2/5

 "Faux leather ankle boots with gold square pyramid studs decorating the front. Two buckles at the outter sides with a zipper closure on the inside."

"One of a kind chiffon dress with a one a drape over the right side and faux leather buckle strap on the opposite. Faux leather patch on the side and has an underlining inside."

A combination too perfect to break up: It may not be the best choice in terms of warmth this season, but it is one of the best in terms of style! We're all in favor for a pair of Ray Bans' finest, a nice hooded mantle, and a classy, upscale up-do to complete the look! As all good things come to an end, this concludes the first of this week's shop love teaser! More on that next day~

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Certainly Red!

     This lipstick I actually stole from my mother.. It's the perfect shade for my skin and I often find that it ties any evening ensemble together effortlessly (then again, I am a member of the chic boutique when it comes to black tie affairs). I have a hard time finding shade of red that aren't too outrageous in my book, for my skin tone, so I have been quite pleased to happen across this lipstick in the midst of my red-lippie debacle.

Cloud Nine Kollektiv: Weekly Blog Hop!

It's time for the next of our weekly beauty blog hops; we're sticking with the pseudo-roster style throught February of next year as a heads up. We've included each of these domains because we  love their content (and they've mentioned some products that we're keen on obtaining in the next couple of weeks!)

! Black Pearl UK Beauty Blog!

Lip Glossiping

Yuki-Lui Style

The Best Beauty Blog

Adna Cosmetic

Makeup For Life

Weekend Ramblings

Brandy Rich Makeup Artist Blog

Lovely CosmeBlog

Makeup by Kim Porter

Jing-ai Natural Beauty

       As usual, it's near impossible to include emerging beauty blogs without submission from our readers; we read over 100 beauty blogs already and that number expands daily, we want to hear from you! If you have, or know of any beauty blogs that are newer with good content but need an extra little push, submit them here, okay? This is the end of another blog hop, but you should be on the lookout for a newsletter in the next couple of days! Happy reading.

-C9K

Shop Love: Final Teaser + the big Reveal!

"The epitome of class, the boucle jacket is a timeless piece that will remain stylish and chic for ages. Features include a thick woven boucle body with contrast piped trim, long length sleeves, two front chest pockets with striped trim detail and button embellishment, and an open front construction. Jacket is heavy in weight and fully lined. "

This cozy (and undoubtedly coveted) outerwear item in daring red has won our favor. Wear over a little black dress for an unforgettable entrance to the most anticipate soiree of the year or for a sizzling night out!

Okay, we've been dropping hints all week, it's time to reveal this week's featured shop!

And the nominee is here:

SALE ALERT: Half off all Mineral Selections at E.L.F. + Half off Holiday Sale at Fredericks of Hollywood!

I'm a huge fan of sales, and I'm a huge fan of both of these shops: wouldn't you know it? Their both having sales just in time for the holidays (for the early-bird who want to get in before the holiday hype, this is probably only a prelude to the black Friday spending spreee)!

HERE'S HOW THESE SALES WILL WORK: 

FOR E.L.F.

1.  Place an order worth 25.00USD or more (Limited to a max. of 100.00USD)
2.  Add code 50MIN to the coupon code box at checkout to get 50% off the Mineral items.
3. Smile :).

FOR FREDERICK'S:

1. Buy what you'd like. 
2. Proceed to checkout for half off discount to be applied to SUB-TOTAL of order (Excludes Charles David, Gina Alexander, Tarina Tarantino). 
3. This sale is also valid on Fredericks.com, Harriett.com and FindByFredericks.com.

  It's easy to get a lot of things from e.l.f. for just a little bit of money, so a sales minimum of twenty-five dollar actually works to your advantage; you could buy items from any department on their site and still end up getting more than you need/wanted. Fredericks is a different story.. Their things lean toward the expensive side of things and a half off sale is the difference between paying 60USD for a dress, and paying 30.. Whichever sale you decide to go with, you'll be getting some nice items! Or, you could do what we do and wait for the black Friday sales.. You move!