NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione - swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I've lusted after the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in the shade Dione since I first swatched it in Sephora when they launched. It was such a gorgeous shade and I knew one day it had to be mine. The reason I waited to purchase is because for just this one shadow the cost is $29 - which is certainly the most I've ever paid for a single shadow. Even though it is $29, to me, it's worth every penny because the shade is gorgeous and my perfect shade.

It looks more champagne in the pan and in the photos, but it swatches and applies more taupe - which is why I love this shadow. It's just so gorgeous and has a shimmer/dimension to it that is eye catching. It's a great one lid color, which is how I've been wearing it (and I find myself reaching for it every single day because I am just that much in love with it).

Check out all the product info, along with my full review, after the pics!

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow
Shade: Dione

 

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Info & Review

Cost: $29.00 (0.05 oz full size)
Availability: Available on the NARS website, at Sephora, and everywhere else NARS is sold.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

PRODUCT DETAILS...

A crease-less, eight-hour wear eye shadow with a transformative texture for wet or dry application.

The Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow has smooth, versatile texture that goes on dry for a sheer soft touch of sensual color, or wet for a high-impact finish. A lasting shadow, it achieves elevated eye looks that range from romantic to bold.

Currently available in 12 shades.


MY REVIEW...

When NARS first launched the Dual Intensity Eyeshadows, I knew I wanted them before I ever swatched them in person. When swatching them, I fell in love because I'm attracted to shimmering, gorgeous shadow colors and these completely fit that bill. But the $29 price tag made me hesitate to buy these... for months actually.

I finally went for it and chose the shade I was most in love with, Dione. This is described as a metallic champagne beige... and while it does appear that way in the pan, when swatched and when on my eyes, it takes on a more gray taupe shade that is really beautiful. This is my new favorite shade of life and I know I don't have anything to dupe it because of the dimension it gives when applied on your eyes.

Applying it wet or dry doesn't make a huge difference with this shade... just a bit more metallic intense-ness when applied wet, but I do know other shades have a bolder difference when applied wet. The shade Dione makes a great all-over lid color and would be flattering on just about everyone!

At $29 a piece, I don't think I'll be purchasing any more at the moment, but I would absolutely recommend this shade! For me, it's worth every penny because this is a go-to shade I can easily wear every day, day to night.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this eyeshadow? Have you tried this, or would you consider adding this to your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below!

xoxo with love & beauty,
Crystal Valentine

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter - HOLY GRAIL! - pics, swatches, review!

Hello, Beautiful!

I have to admit that I'm the worst when it comes to apply body lotion/body butter on a regular basis - especially to any area other than my arms. I'm just really lazy. However, there is one body butter that is truly a holy grail product for me that makes me want to apply it, and that product is the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter! This stuff has the most amazing lightweight, silky whipped texture that just sinks into skin so beautifully.

I have the Vanilla Apricot scent, which is yummy, but she also has a pure vanilla scent that I really want to try in the future (it's just exclusive to her website right now, and recently made available in one QVC kit). Check out all the product info, along with my full review, after the pics!

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter
Scent: Vanilla Apricot

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $35.00 (8 fl oz full size). Available on the Josie Maran website, Sephora's website, QVC's website, and everywhere else Josie Maran products are sold. Sephora's website also has a larger size, 13.5 oz, for $48.00 (which will likely be the one I buy next).

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

Product Info...

Silky, intensely hydrating body butter. Packed with luscious oils and whipped to a feather-light texture, it sinks in instantly for velvety soft skin in a flash. Spread the love and feel the difference.

Josie Maran's signature ingredient, argan oil, is spun into a unique creamy butter to easily revitalize skin and restore softness while improving skin's texture. Powerful antioxidants enrich and nourish your skin as you indulge your senses with a subtle all-natural aroma.

A powerhouse of more than 10 plant oils and extracts, plus the star of the show, 100% pure argan oil. No parabens or harsh artificial fragrances.



My Review...

I originally fell in love with the Josie Maran hand cream - which is my holy grail hand cream and the moment and I also have a full sized tube of that (which will last for such a long time; it's a huge tube!). It also has the Vanilla Apricot scent. Seeing how as much I loved the hand cream, I knew I'd have to love her body butter. And I was right!

I don't always take price into consideration - I buy everything from drugstore to low-end to high-end and luxury products - but I did hesitate for a long while to buy this body butter soley because of the price. I mean $35 for 8 ounces of body butter seems pretty pricey, but wow do I love this stuff!

I can justify for the price tag when it's a product that I use daily, a product that works, and a product that I actually look forward to using!

This texture is really something unlike any other body butter I've ever used, and even unlike any other body lotion I've used. It has such a lightweight silky whipped texture that spreads and melts into the skin so beautifully. A little will go a long way -- you'll find you need far less of this.

Most body butters are thick, which makes them a bit more hydrating than a body lotion. But this is so lightweight and you need so much less than typical body butters (at least, I find I need less).

The first time I ever used this I definitely used way too much and it was really hot outside, so I was turning into a slippery mess (but never greasy). Then I realized I didn't need nearly as much as I had used, and starting using less and less until I find the right balance for my skin. This hydrates so well - even rough spots like elbows, knees and heels! I use this whenever I do a pedicure and I use her hand cream as a cuticle cream (and I've even used it on my feet and heels - works great there too).

I find the hand cream and her body butter have a very similar texture and feel, but I find this to be just a little more lightweight and softer in texture (if softer is even a way to describe a product like a body butter).

My only complaint, if any complaint, is it's not very travel friendly. It's not something I'd want to throw in my purse, as it's pretty big. I do know QVC sells this body butter with a travel sized one, but I purchased mine from Sephora.

As far as scents go, there are several and what scents are available will depend on where you shop from. Some places only carry a few scents, while places like QVC has even more.

Here is a list of all the scents I could find:

• Vanilla Apricot
• Vanilla Fig
• Sweet Citrus
• Lavender Citrus
• Lavender
• Vanilla Bean
• Unscented
• Be Loved (a jasmine scent)
• Be Strong (a ginger scent)
• Be Comforted (like a warm apple crisp baking in the oven)

If you couldn't tell already by my review, this is a body butter that I would highly recommend! If you are in a Sephora and they carry Josie Maran, stop by and just feel the texture of this body butter.... although with the amount of people that stick their hands in tester products I wonder if it would still feel and smell the same. Either way, this is an amazing body butter. Simply the best I've used, and that's why it's a holy grail product for me!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this body butter? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

Sephora Waterproof Retractable Brow Pencil: before & after, pics, swatch, review

Hello, Beautiful!

My son has finally started school again; fourth grade! He started on Monday and I've spent the past three days deeply cleaning my house, running errands, and relaxing a bit (since I feel like I'm getting sick), and I totally neglected my blog work - but I also was having issues with my wifi connecting so I technically couldn't get on the computer very much at all. This morning I thought I better get some blog work done and get back into the swing of things! I have SO MANY products I've taken photos of and tested out that I want to share with you all. I just need to take the time to process those photos and write up the blog posts. Expect 1 to 2 blog posts a day once I finally get back into the swing of things.

I'm also going to start filming YouTube videos, starting with an updated makeup collection & storage! I'll likely do a beauty room tour too, since I'm in a new house and everything is very different from the old set-up. Give me a week or two to get back into the swing of things, as I'm still working on deep cleaning & organizing my house, and then I'll be making blog posts and YouTube videos on a regular schedule!

Enough gibber gabber, let's get into this blog post!

In this blog post I have yet another brow product review for you! If you know me, I love trying new foundations and new brow products more than any other product (although I love my lippies too). I'm actually really excited about this blog post because the brow product I'm featuring is the closest dupe to the Anastasia Brow Wiz that I have yet to find, and it's $8 cheaper than the Anastasia. And by the way, why have I not done a blog post about the Brow Wiz from Anastasia?! It's my holy grail brow pencil, yet I've never talked about it here before. I guess I'll add that to my list of blog posts to do (I do have her Brow Pomade and Brow Powder coming up in future posts, just FYI).

The brow product in this post is the Sephora Waterproof Retractable Brow Pencil! I have the shade 04 Midnight Brown, but of course just shortly after I made my purchase online they added three new shades (one of which I think I would have liked to try out as well). This retails for $13, which is a decent price point for how great the product is!

Check out all the product info and my full review below, after the pics!

Sephora Waterproof Retractable Brow Pencil
Shade: 04 Midnight Brown

Sephora Waterproof Retractable Brow Pencil Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $13.00 (0.003 oz full size). Available at Sephora.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Kisses

Product Info...

These retractable pencils create fuller looking, perfectly-defined eyebrows. To dispense color, twist the pencil and the always-sharp tip comes up. Easy-to-hold, it give you perfect control to create precise hair-like strokes. Use the comb tip to brush brows and blend. Long-wearing formula stays put without smudging.

Now available in 7 shades (shades 05, 06, and 07 are the three newest shades):

• 01 Honey Blonde
• 02 Nutmeg Brown
• 03 Rich Chestnut
• 04 Midnight Brown
• 05 Neutral Gray Brown
• 06 Soft Charcoal
• 07 Auburn

My Review...

I had purchased this brow pencil when Sephora only had 4 shades available; of course they now offer 7 shades (which went live on their website shortly after I made my purchase). I chose the shade 04 Midnight Brown, but seeing the new shades available I may have gotten 05 Neutral Gray Brown also to try, as I need an ashy brown shade.

I am in a constant search for an Anastasia Brow Wiz dupe, since $21 can add up when I can easily go through one Brow Wiz every 4 to 6 weeks (with daily use), and I have yet to find an exact dupe in the size, formula, performance and most importantly, the color match. In Anastasia I am Medium Brown (formerly called Ash Brown), and it's the best match to my brows that I've ever found (out of the 30 to 40+ brow products I've tried in just recent years). The Sephora brow pencil is a great dupe to the Anastasia in terms of size, application and performance - although the shade I have isn't an exact match to the Medium Brown shade from Anastasia (but maybe one of the other new shades would match?). Plus, this is $13 compared to $21, saving me $8 -- and they contain the same amount of product.

First, let's talk about looks. This is a thin, retractable brow pencil. It has a similar shape & size to the Brow Wiz and also the tip is similar in size -- although I think the Anastasia one is just a teeny tiny bit smaller. The major difference in looks is the Brow Wiz has a spooley and the Sephora brow pencil has a comb. I'm not a fan of the comb on the Sephora brow pencil, but it works a lot better than the comb on the Maybelline Define-a-Brow. I still prefer a spooley every single time.

The color choices are good. There are now 7 shades to choose from, which means you will likely find a great match for your brows. The shade I have, 04 Dark Brown, is actually a tad too warm toned but only by a little. In the photos it shows up more warm in tone than how it appears in person, as the studio lights tend to make everything more noticeable. It's a good enough match, and I'd definitely recommend it if you have brow hairs similar to me or are the Medium Brown shade from Anastasia.

The consistency of this pencil is a bit drier and less waxy than some other brow pencils, which I like because I find waxy pencils don't stick around and tend to smudge off very easily. They can also clump up in your brow hairs and make things look more unnatural. The comb that comes with this brow pencil will work to comb the product through, but I still prefer to use a spooley because I feel a spooley distributes the product easier and more evenly. Although the comb can make it look like brow hairs, depending on how you work it.

As far as how this performs, I find this brow pencil to really go the distance! Because it's waterproof, I find it sticks around all day on my brows - even in the summer heat. I didn't go swimming with it, so I can't comment on how waterproof it would hold up through swimming or the beach, but for my everyday life this pencil is morning to night wear.

I do use it as the only brow product for my brows, but I often will combine it with other products. For example, I'll use the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade from mid to tail of my brows to outline and fill in, then I'll take the Sephora brow pencil for the inner third of my brow to outline and fill in - which gives me a softer look at the front of my brows but still defined.

I think this is a great brow pencil at a reasonable price point. Sure it's not drugstore pricing, but some of these drugstore products are right around the same price anyway - you just can't use coupons on the Sephora one as easily as you can for drugstore products. If you do like this brow pencil, I'd recommend using your 15% or 20% off coupon codes that Sephora sends out a few times a year and stock up on few; I know I plan to get one or two when I get my 20% off code!

If you couldn't already tell by my glowing review, I'd for sure recommend this brow pencil. The Anastasia Brow Wiz is still my holy grail but this Sephora brow pencil has been the closest dupe to date.

I think this is a great brow pencil at a good price. It's not drugstore pricing, but compared to higher end brow pencils this product at $13 comes in at a good price point. Certainly one to check out if you love the Anastaisa Brow Wiz but need a budget friendly option, or if you just want a thinner brow pencil that will make your brows look great and last all day!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this brow pencil? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

#sephora #brows #browpencil #dupe #beforeandafter

Sephora + Pantone Universe Strokes of Nature Brush Set

Hello, Beautiful!

The other day UPS dropped off a package at my door and I was confused considering I hadn't ordered anything lately. To my delight, when I opened the package it was from Sephora and inside was a special gift just for me from Sephora for being a VIB and valuable contributor to the Sephora Ratings & Reviews. What was the special gift? The brand new, not even out in stores yet, Sephora + Pantone Universe Strokes of Nature Brush Set! I did a happy dance and then knew I had to get this photographed so I could begin using these beautiful brushes right away.

First, I'll show you pics of this beautiful brush set, then read my review after.

Sephora + Pantone Universe

Strokes of Nature Brush Set

 

 

 

 

 

Sephora + Pantone Universe Strokes of Nature Brush Set Info & Review:

As stated at the beginning of this post, this brush set was sent to me from Sephora (thank you Sephora!). I had no idea it was coming, or that they even did that sort of thing, so it was such a great surprise! The Sephora + Pantone Universe Strokes of Nature Brush Set is so new that you can't buy it in stores until June 7th.

I'm not sure how much this brush set will cost, since the letter didn't mention any price, but whatever the cost I can tell you it's worth it! This brush set is GORGEOUS. The brushes come in a really nice case that opens up to reveal spaces for each brush and a nice large mirror that would come in handy for travel.

The brush set includes 5 brushes: Shadow, Shader, Crease, Smudge, and Liner. The brush heads are really nice quality.. soft and durable. The brush handles are soooooo pretty! They're duo chrome, changing from purple to blue to green. These are the prettiest brushes I have, and I have a lot of brushes.

Even though I haven't had this set for long, I can say that so far I am in love with these brushes. They are the perfect set for your eye makeup.

I highly recommend checking these out when they launch at Sephora on June 7, 2012!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this brush set? Will you be checking this out when it launches? Discuss in the comments below.