Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Cream for Dry Skin: Swatches, Before & After, Review

Hello, Beautiful!

Ever since my surgery my skin has been extra dry and peeling... especially on my nose and chin. Even though I have combo dry/oily skin, and have active adult acne, I still need a moisturizer that really works. I don't always like a thick moisturizer for day, but I like a thicker moisturizer for night.

Not long ago on QVC I saw an on air presentation of the Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Cream for Dry Skin. They had it in a 3-pc set that came with a cleanser and neck cream. I didn't pick up the set, but a few weeks later I decided to buy the moisturizer by itself from Sephora. Up until now, I've been using either Patricia Wexler or Korres moisturizers, and they work, but not as good as the Bare Minerals one I just received.

How do I use it and what do I think?
I take a little out and swirl it in the palm of my hand, then apply to my face. It melts in so nicely... it feel luxurious! I can feel my skin getting the hydration it needs. It has a light fragrance to it, but not over powering and it goes away quickly. After I apply this my skin looks hydrated and feels hydrated. One of my new favorite moisturizers!!

You can pick up this moisturizer for $28 on Sephora's website.

I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a moisturizer to really work. If you have oily skin then I'd recommend only using this at night, or very sparingly during the daytime.

Here is what it looks like:

My Before & After:

Have questions about this moisturizer? Just leave a comment on this blog post or send an email (kisses@valentinekisses.com). I'll try and answer all questions asked.

February Birchbox!

Hello, Beautiful!

This month's Birchbox shipment is more my style (compared to January's shipment).

*** Before I continue, if you don't know what Birchbox is then you really should check out their website. You pay $10 a month (or you can sign up for a year and get a slight discount). Each month you're sent between 4 and 6 deluxe samples of various products from various brands. You do not receive any full sized products, but you can buy the full sized versions from Birchbox (you earn points for doing so).

*** And by the way, ValentineKisses.com offers a similar program - Treasure Box Kisses - which is $14.95 a month (including shipping) and you receive all full sized products. Our Treasure Box Kisses shipments go on sale around the 1st of each new month and remain on sale through the 10th of the month. They're available only during that time and only a certain number are available each month. March's shipment is just around the corner!

Okay, back to February's Birchbox shipment...

For February 2011, Birchbox says this month is the "Indulgence" month. That seems pretty appropriate for February, as I think everyone should indulgence this month - especially indulge in love.

* click on photos to view them larger *

Here is what February's box looks like:

The included info card:

Now I'll break it down, product by product...

Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara

Sample Size: 0.16 fl oz / 5 ml

Full Size: 0.33 fl oz @ $18

Sample Size Value: $8.74

NARS Orgasm Illuminator

Sample Size: 0.29 oz / 8 ml

Full Size: 1.1 fl oz @ $29

Sample Size Value: $7.65

Befine Exfoliating Brown Sugar Cleanser

Sample Size: 1.5 fl oz / 44ml

Full Size: 4 fl oz @ $25

Sample Size Value: $9.36

Pomega5 Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer

Sample Size: ? not listed, but I'd guess it's about 0.25 fl oz

Full Size: 1.7 fl oz @ $58

Sample Size Value: $8.53 (based on my guess of sample size)

Sweetriot Chocolate-Covered Cacoa Nibs

This is not a sample, but a bonus from Birchbox.

Retails for $3.25

Total Sample Size Value of Februay 2011 Birchbox shipment: $37.53!

A great value (more than January's shipment), considering you only pay $10!

Based on the items I received, which ones will I actually use? Probably all - minus the
candy (it has espresso and I'm not a coffee person, but who knows, maybe I'll try one).
 
I was really excited to see a NARS product. I love NARS! Although I do already own the Orgasm Illuminator (I just haven't used it yet, and now that I have a mini I may sell my full sized Orgasm Illuminator).
 
Everything else looks great and I can't wait to try them all out and swatch them!
 
 

September 2010 Favorites & Not-So-Favorites

Hello, Beautiful!

Before I begin my September favorites list, I want to remind you to enter our daily contest for a chance to win $5 to spend at ValentineKisses.com!


Click here to read our contest blog post and to enter the contest!

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Now onto my September favorites!

September is more than half way over and I've fallen in like, lust and love with many beauty products this month. I've also come to dis-like a few beauty products.

My September Favorites:

Makeup Sponges

I've fallen in like with using makeup sponges again. I know, there is nothing special or fancy or magic about makeup sponges. It's almost kind of pointless to even list them. But I went months without using them; I was hooked on using my 187 MAC Stippling Brush to stipple on my foundation. And although I still prefer using a brush over a sponge any day, the sponges have been such a time saver in the mornings. For that reason alone they are on my September favorites list!


WEN
I've fallen in lust with the WEN hair care line! The reason it's lust and not love is because I'm not sure it's really a system I can keep up with. It requires a lot of time to do it correctly, you need a lot of product, and I can't stand the Fig smell (in fact, I'm sending it back to get a different scent). If you haven't tried WEN yet both you and your hair are really missing out! After just one application, my hair was completely transformed; not only in how it looked, but how it felt too! I did a big blog post about my experience using WEN, including pics, which you can check out here.


L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base
I've absolutely fallen in love with this primer! It is for sure my favorite primer, probably of all time! I even like it more than my Make Up For Ever HD Primer (which is a beautiful primer that works amazingly). It's just the perfect primer for me! I did a blog post about this primer, including swatches, which you can check out here.


Ikea GISLEV Rug!

This rug is just $19.99 at Ikea. I absolutely love it. It goes beautifully in my bedroom (which is themed out in black, white and gray tones). It's also the rug you'll see on Project Runway (in the girls' bedroom). In fact, I'm thinking of going back to Ikea just to pick up a second (for my office). Although I was worried it would feel really awful since it's only $20 and it's 6'x5' in length. It's not a  luxurious rug at all, but it does its job (at least in my house) and it's a really affordable way to change up your room space.



Jason Mraz Concert!!!!!!!!!!

Only a few days left (10) until the Jason Mraz concert! I am super excited and I'm already thinking of what makeup and hair look I'll choose. I have no idea actually, and I'll probably try out several over the next ten days. Any suggestions??



My September Dis-Likes:

My recent purse purchase from Target:

Okay, I'll start by saying I generally love the purses I get from Target (I actually get a lot of compliments on my purse and people are usually surprised when I say I got it at Target). Sure, they're no Kate Spade, but they allow me to change out my purse often without breaking the bank. I recently picked up a pretty deep plum hued purse (with black and white zebra print inside). I loved the way it looked, it was big enough to carry all my crap (like my coupon organizer thingy), and it was under $30. BUT every time I wear this it bugs me. Only one strap will stay on my shoulder. The other falls off right away. I have to keep pulling it back up... over and over again. The only way the straps will stay up is if I hold them up! It's frustrating, but yet for some reason I continue to use this purse everyday (I don't want to waste my money and it's far past the return policy - plus it's used). This is the first purse from Target that has given me these issues.

Bare Escentuals Natural Lip Gloss

I have this in "Sugar Cookie", which is a pretty shade and the gloss actually smells/kind of tastes like a sugar cookie. But it's so freakin' sticky!!! The kind of sticky gloss where you talk and your lips stick together. The kind of sticky gloss where your hair will surely get stuck in it not once, but 100 times. If this gloss wasn't so sticky I would really love it, but it's just too sticky for me (and that's saying a lot, considering I love the Stila Lip Glazes - which are slightly sticky)!

Body Wash - almost all of them!

I don't know what it is this month. I just can't stand the way any of my body washes smell anymore (well, that's not completely true - I still love my Korres Bitter Almond body wash). I get an instant headache from my body washes and I'm forced to use the "back ups" because I'm out of my Korres body wash. Maybe it's the changing of the seasons that's making my nose change the way it picks up smells, or maybe it's not. Whatever the case, I want to throw all my body washes out at this very moment (but I won't, I'm too cheap for that, so instead they will go into the guest bathroom where most of my beauty product cast-off's end up).

My Neighbor's Dog(s)

I doubt my neighbors read this blog, but I secretly hope they do because maybe they aren't aware of this situation (and the fact that all the surrounding houses can't stand your dog(s) barking). EVERY NIGHT their dog(s) bark... and bark... and bark... and bark... and FREAKIN' BARK. I have dogs - I have two right now, but I've had five at one time - I can tolerate dog barking and I understand that dogs are going to bark. If anyone in my neighborhood could tolerate dogs barking, it's me. But their dog(s) bark a lot - especially during normal sleeping hours. I don't really mind the dog going bark-crazy during the day. I can even tolerate it going bark-crazy at 9pm (despite my son hearing your dog(s) barking and not being able to sleep). But I can no longer tolerate the midnight, 1am, 2am, 3am, and even the 4am barking!! It has got to stop! It's making me crazy! You better believe the moment I get pregnant is the moment your 9 month countdown begins to get that dog barking under control. Because once I have a newborn in the house sleep is precious - both to me and the new baby. If your dog even once wakes my baby up, or me up, I will become that mean neighbor. I don't want to become that neighbor - you know, the one that calls the cops because your dog is making too much noise - but I'm not the only neighbor that can't stand your dog(s) barking, and probably by the time I actually get pregnant someone else will have called the cops on you anyway. This was a nice and quiet neighborhood before you moved in. Now you have the most annoying house in the neighborhood. I'm so lucky to be your neighbor.

[Just to clarify: I do like our neighbors, I just hate their dogs. Also, I'm not pregnant now, but my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant again for years. Eventually it will happen... I hope!]

xoxo with love & beauty,

Crystal Valentine B.

- The woman who runs ValentineKisses.com

Another QVC Haul

Hello, Beautiful!

Damn... QVC has drained my wallet again! Beginning last night at 10pm, and through the end of the day today, it's all beauty - all day! My husband cringed when he heard, knowing it would be near impossible for me to not buy something. Of course I did buy something... a few things acutally.

First, I purchased the Bare Minerals Makeup Revolution 6-Piece Collection in Medium Beige - which is $39.50 on QVC.

I actually ordered this back on August 22. I'm a little irritated that it hasn't even shipped yet (especially since it said it would be here on August 27). I haven't been a fan of Bare Escentuals in the past, I'm a liquid foundation lover, but I thought I'd give it another try. If anything, it might work for those mornings I take my son to school and I'm rushing. We'll see if I still prefer liquid foundation after I try this kit out for a little.

The kit itself includes their foundation (I selected the Medium Beige shade), Bisque (which is their concealer and I have zero faith in it - I just don't see how a powder concealer can mask my flaws.), Mineral Veil, a mini Sugar Cookie Natural Lip Gloss, and two brushes.


The next purchase I picked up yesterday and I'm super excited to receive and test out! It's one of the most unique nail art products I've seen. It's the 10-Piece Nail Ritz Professional Nail Art Kit - which costs $22.32 at QVC. I picked this up in Matte - which includes all your basic shades to get you started. They also have this kit in jewel tones and in shimmer tones - but they were sold out. Even if they weren't sold out I think I still would have chosen the matte set.

This set is really amazing because of the fine point application tip to give you precision control over doing nail art. You can almost barely see it in the photo below:

It also has a regular nail polish brush too so you can paint your nails like normal if you wanted to (although that is not why I purchased this kit and not how I intend to use it). I don't normally do nail art on my nails, but I used to way back in the day when I did "professional nails". No, I wasn't a professional working in a salon. I was around 10 years old when I started doing nails and by the time I was 12/13 I was doing acrylic nails on myself and friends. That's when I started "Krystal's Pro Nails" (yes, I spelled my name with a 'K' back then because I thought it was cooler than a 'C'). That eventually lead to learning how to apply fiberglass wrap nails and gel nails too - which lead to me charging people for my service. I was as good, if not better, than any real salon worker. Back then I didn't have a fancy system for nail art like the one I ordered from QVC. I had to use thin tipped paint brushes. So as a nail lover at heart, I'm excited to play around with this. It has shipped, so I should have it next week and will be able to do a full review soon!

Then today I picked up two Mally Beauty products. I only have one Mally product (which is a double ended eyeliner that I picked up during the QVC Super Saturday Sale for $7.99). Her products always seem so amazing on TV, her energy gets you excited over the products, and the models always look beautiful. But for the longest time I held off on purchasing her products because they get such mixed reviews. But what I've come to find is a lot of QVC shoppers don't know a whole lot about makeup, or how to apply it (of course not all QVC revievers are makeup challanged, but there are reviews that clearly state they can't use the product, or state how they are using it and it's completely wrong). Because of that there are a lot of bad reviews on otherwise amazing products. So I dove head first, ignored all reviews, and picked up two items:

The first item is Mally's Ultimate Performance Full Coverage Foundation - $36.48. I picked the Medium shade. The thing that sold me on this foundation is one of the models had massive amounts of hyperpigmentation - either that or sun damange or just something that left her face with lots of flaws and after they applied the foundation her face looked absolutely flawless! Since my skin is awful too, I thought this may be a great product. I hope it works just as good as I'm picturing in my mind!

The second item is Mally's Poreless Perfection Skin Finisher & Brush - $40.92. This is supposed to be better than traslucent powder. I don't even know why I got this. It was an impulse buy I guess. If I hate it I'll just send it back to QVC, but I will try it out and hope for the best!

And finally, the last item I ordered was the Smashbox Finishing Touches 3-Piece Collection - $29.16.

The kit includes a Brow Tech To Go (I got Brunette), Soft Focus powder eyeliner in Gunmetal (which is a new product), and a Lip Enhancing Gloss in Allure (named after the magazine). I needed more Brow Tech, and I thought the to-go version would be perfect. That alone sells for around $24, so for just a few bucks more I got their brand new powder eyeliner and a beautiful gloss!

Once I receive all these great items in the mail I will report back with reviews and swatches!

So, tell me, did you buy anything on QVC today during their amazing all-day beauty event? If so, what did you pick up? What item did you not pick up but wish you did?

xoxo with love & beauty,

Crystal Valentine B.

- The woman who runs ValentineKisses.com