Pangea Organics & tarte Maracuja Oil.....LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

My sincerest apologies everyone......due to some personal circumstances it has been quite some time since my last post. My intentions were there as I have a LOT of catch up to do but have not been able to sit down to even put a few sentences together. So starting with this post, here we go! Please do enjoy my frazzled attempt to post all the fabulous and not so fabulous products I've come across and tried, have come to love or have puzzled thoughts as to why they are still occupying space on store shelves and being sold, ha! As of late I've been searching for my latest OMG! I LOVE this stuff in the facial care product range. Having turned 34 at the end of August and constantly being mistaken for someone in their mid to late 20's, all those dollars spent and years of being borderline obsessed and anal retentive with taking care of my skin since I was in my teens that friends scoffed, or teased or chided me over paid off. Now I'm the one laughing and they're the ones begging to know my secret. In H.S. I saved up my lunch money, birthday money, allowance, even held a part-time job after school as a porcelain doll maker's apprentice to pamper my facial skin with Origins and Christian Dior, I dabbled in Lancome but decided I DID NOT have an affinity for it. Chanel of course was the Holy Grail but didn't really cater to young skin back in the early nineties. After H.S. earning more money while working and attending school full-time, I moved onto certain counters at Neiman's and to the world of Bliss in which the Remede line was in it's infancy stages and Bliss was still just a high-end spa for celebrities, not yet the wonderful brand name some of us have come to know and love, even covet. I also was a fan and still am of Peter Thomas Roth and DDF. You could only imagine my delight when Sephora opened it's doors! As I always like to try different lines I've heard rave reviews over, I'm quite pleased to announce I've found a few noteworthy lines and products. One of these dynamo companies is Pangea Organics. These products not only do their intended job very well, the sensory delight that comes with using these gems is a divine added bonus. Also please take note that these sensory delights all serve a purpose to nurture the skin and are not just fillers or there to smell pretty. Along with facial care Pangea offers up to us personal care gods and goddesses, a body care line to pamper ourselves from head to toe. For the body they offer body washes for those who prefer that cleansing format as well as my personal favorite, bar soaps. Not the kind most are familiar with that come from the supermarket that barely weigh anything and are filled with a bunch of junk you can't even pronounce when taking a peek at the ingredients. Those are cleansing bars, the labels don't even say soap! No.......I'm talking about good, time honored, real old fashioned........yet sophisticated, with modern day raw material availability and advances in technology & recipes kinda soap. Little bars of exotic luxury where art and science meet and what a beautiful marriage! The link at the bottom of the page will take you to soaphope.com where you will find superb brands, I mean top notch product lines at insane discounts. The particular link I attached is for the bar soap collection from Pangea Organics that contains one of each formulation, six in total to experience the complete range of fragrances and botanical properties offered. As for the facial care I was torn between the lines for Normal to Combination or Oily to Blemish Prone skin. Since my skin was acting skittish from the change of seasons with the occasional blemish trying to rear it's ugly head around that time of the month, I went with the Oily line. The Australian Wild Plum and Willow facial cleanser is formulated for both Combination and Oily skin so there wasn't much worry there. Also their Adzuki Bean & Cranberry Scrub is formulated for all skin types. Now here's where the difference lies in how to use the cleanser and the scrub as well. If you have Combo skin use the cleanser alone and use the scrub up to 3 times a week. If you have oily skin you are advised to add/mix The Australian Wild Plum & Willow Facial Cleanser to The Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean & Cranberry Scrub. This scrumptious award winning scrub is dual action, exfoliating mechanically with the adzuki beans while enzymes also go to work dissolving dead skin cells. For those w/oily skin wash the face with the cleanser and scrub combined for a detoxifying, skin cell regenerating, skin with a clean slate experience. Another essential product to be used by all skins is the award winning Japanese Matcha Tea With Acai & Goji Berry Mask with a difference in frequency of use depending on skin type. Another award winning product meant for all skins in the line is the Turkish Rose and White Tea Eye Cream. Now the last two steps are where the products really differ due to skin type.  The toner is Argentinean Tangerine & Thyme and superb when you breathe it in after misting on your face. To control oily skin with this toner you may also mist and blot throughout the day to rid  the skin of excess oil. After patting the toner into my skin I apply 3 pumps of the Moroccan Argan With Willow & Rosemary Facial Cream into the palm of my hand and pat onto my face until absorbed, and this particular cream absorbs rather quickly. Ta-Da! My skin is radiant and the earth is much better off as well due to Pangea's amazing eco-awareness practices, positively cutting edge. So not only are you caring for your skin with remarkable products, the ingredients all serve a purpose and your carbon footprint is teeny tiny.
Now I was going to do this post just about Pangea but I would be leaving out an important component my skin utilizes to keep in top shape. Maracuja Oil by tarte. I found out about this important gem on of all places QVC.com For some reason it is not available anywhere else much like another great product of theirs which is their Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation w/application brush. Now the great thing about this oil is that it benefits all skin types. I have read reviews about it helping people with dry skin all the way to helping diminish acne problems for others. As for my skin it helps brighten and balance it. Also take note this product is to be used at night before bedtime. This divine oil is derived from the Amazonian Passion Flower and is cold pressed. This pure maracuja oil is a powerful and intuitive elixir that instantly absorbs into the skin, delivering a high dose of essential fatty acids and vitamin C to hydrate.

http://store.soaphope.com/Every-Aroma-Collection-p/shb3118.htm

Urban Decay Palette Preen Shadow Box

I have been in love with Urban Decay since it's debut 15 years ago......back when I was a skater girl, a raver, you can see where I am going with this, and Urban Decay was the perfect cosmetic line for me. Fast forward to today and I still absolutely love this line as I have grown up with it. They have the most beautiful yet edgy colors. The perfect makeup line to make whatever statement I wish. I love the loud, shimmery duo chrome colors. Silky, blendable, and lasting. I was lucky enough to obtain the Preen Shadow Box on sale. Beautiful packaging that comes with a travel sized primer, which I consider essential to prep the eyes to really make the shadows pop. This palette also comes with a 24/7 eye pencil in Zero which is a black that glides onto the eyelid like no other pencil before. The color combinations are also endless. The shadows in this box contain Snatch, an iridescent golden peach.

To complement Snatch is Painkiller, a beautiful peacock teal blue

Next on the palette is Mildew, a medium/dark shimmering green that is one of my favorites!

To complement Mildew is Smog, a coppery bronze which pairs beautifully with Mildew!

Being a freak for purple colors, to my excitement is Flash, which I am crazy over, I also like to pair Flash with Mildew. Flash is a medium iridescent purple.

Lastly the palette contains Toasted, a coppery, golden brown, peach color which coordinates with Flash.

Here is a picture of the palette as a whole..........

Now here are the swatches which I used Urban Decay primer with......

Snatch & Painkiller

The eyeliner down the middle is in Zero which I cannot get over how it just glides over the skin and has staying power from hell! I would love to play with them on my eyes and post pictures but am recovering from major back surgery and cannot stand in front of a mirror to do my makeup :o( When I am better though I promise to play around, take pictures and share them with all of you! XOXO Stay beautiful my darlings ;o)

The pictures I promised using Preen after being able to move after surgery :D

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Vs. Dior Addict

Chanel Coco Rouge Shine in Royallieu

Bon Jour darlings. Whew, time flies! I intended on posting this entry much earlier but life had other plans, lol. Now I was going to speak solely about Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine, however, Dior makes quite a similar product. Dior Addict. Now here's the debate, which to splurge on. I must admit I am in love with both......however Dior offers more colors. The romance of of Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine appeals because each color was created by her life and loves. My personal favorites are Boy, a beige tinged pink, and Royallieu, a cooler fuchsia tinged pink, tres lovely! Also only available online. This is a color to stock up on ladies, flattering on both warm, cool, and neutral skin tones. Gorgeous with Safari Ombre Essentielle soft touch eyeshadow, which is how I prefer to wear it. I also bought Fetiche, the color samples below. Now don't be scared off by bright or dark colors as this is a sheer lipshine. Moisterising as well, yes! There are 19 available shades, bulk of them in the pink family and retail for $32.00, a good investment as they leave the lips soft. Romance and Chance are also lovely universal colors.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Royallieu

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Boy

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche

 Now onto Dior Addict which comes in a dizzying, wonderful array of 54 luscious colors. Now again with the Dior line, these are sheer colors, don't be intimidated. When I initially looked at the color L.A. I thought "wow, bright" then I tested it and it was just the right punch of color. I fell in love immediately! As per Dior's website, Addict was created with 25% less wax then traditional lipsticks. The formula containing an extraordinary reflecting gel resulting in modern transparency, intense plumping hydration, and a magnifying glass effect which intensifies shine, plumps the lips and enhances color. Literally couture for the lips. Colors names after famed locations like New York, L.A., Tokyo, Miami, Gibraltar.....you get the idea. Aside from L.A. on my little haul, I also picked up Basic, a pinkish nude. Baby Rose which looks bright in the tube but perfect on the lips, nice punch of color. Lastly, Rose Deshabille.....a warmer rose than Baby Rose. I'm so sorry I don't have swatches right now as I need to get a new memory card for my camera and I must admit the colors on the site are a tad different then in your hands. Dior Addict retails at $28.00I really can't decide on a favorite! Color selection wise, Dior wins hands down, but Chanel feels absolutely divine on the lips, it has more slip and dare I say a bit more shine. XOXO

 Dior Addict in Basic

 Dior Addict Rose Deshabille

 Dior Addict in Baby Rose

Unfortunately a color sample for L.A. was not available on the website, however what I do love about the site is that there are quite a few shades that are available exclusively online only.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

Dior Addict in Basic

Summer Makeup Haul Pt. 1

Lillium Quad

Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Lillium

Bronzing Palette in Rose

Chanel Moisturizing Bronzing Palette in Rose

The economy stinks, money is tight, but me being me, I just had to have what was hot in cosmetics for the summer. A naughty girl I was having most of my summer color goodies come from the darlings at Chanel. My first purchase for the warmer weather months was Chanel's eyeshadow quad in Lilium. After having seen the model wearing the summer colors on the website I just HAD to get that look, which was inspired by flowers according to the site. Lilium just screams summer! Fresh, dainty colors, glimmering and screaming at me to give it a go. As I viewed all the new items in the collection I had a total Golem from Lord of the Rings moment......."my precious".........I just had to have them all! The base and/or highlighting shade in Lilium is a shimmery light peach/pink. The star of the show, to be applied on the eyelid however is a gorgeous almost pastel lime color absolutely smashing all on it's own if you wished. The other two crease/contour/liner shades are a shimmering green that's almost a medium forest green that of course complements it's elegant subdued lime counterpart. Lastly a dark grayish taupe that completes the summer gem. Now in the makeup tutorial on the website the gorgeous woman applies the lighter green shade wet to increase color intensity all over the lid just into the crease then lines her lash lines with the dark taupe then comes back into the inner corner of the eye with the light green to brighten and freshen up the eye. A coat of Inimitable Intense mascara multi-dimensional Sophistique in Noir and ta-da! Fresh summer ready peepers! Also demonstrated in the tutorial is one of two new moisturizing bronzing palettes, and one of three limited edition lipglosses of the season in Pink Peony. All of which I had to get my grubby hands on. For the eyes there is also the Ombres Contraste Eyeshadow Duo in Khaki Discret once again in fresh shimmery summer green tones, a medium green with gold sparkles and to complement it a VERY light shimmery green both colors nod to the warm side. The eyeliner of the season also limited edition and sold out quick, Stylo Yeux Waterproof Rose Platine a rosey, golden, bronze/khaki color. I'll put swatches up soon as I am brand spanking new to this :o) Now for the Moisturizing Bronzing palettes, they come in rose or coral, since I'm fair I got the rose for those with skin like mine, the coral has darker tones. The rose or coral colors also serve as complementing blush to the three accompanying bronzing colors which can also be used individually to highlight, contour and shape, or all together like I do and apply like a sideways w to the face where the sun naturally hits along with the bridge of my nose. Start out light and gradually build up because while you can deepen it remember you can't go back so remember to build up! Also by all means don't forget it's makeup, play around! Get creative! Try it out on your eyes, go nuts :o) Now as for the 3 limited edition lipglosses, the first that I mentioned before Pink Peony a beautiful, shimmery baby pink/rose with the iridescence of both silver and gold. Then there is Pensee' Glossimer which specifically goes along with the coral color bronzing palette because.......drum roll, lol, it's a light coral shade with gold sparkles. The final summer shade of Glossimer Aurore is a very light shimmery baby pink with golden rainbow highlights. Now when I do my eyes, I personally like my liner a bit darker for a more dramatic, deeper night look and like to line my eyes with Chanel's intense eye pencil in Black Jade along with the Rose Platine, I layer the Black Jade over the Rose Platine very close to the lashes and it's absolutely gorgeous! Also, when I use the Lilium palette and want a more dramatic look I use every shade in the quad. I like to reverse contour using the taupe shade on the inner half of my crease and the darker green on the outer part of my crease and blend into the corners and blend, blend, blend!!!! The finished look is what I'm wearing in the pictures although I'm not wearing my Glossimer lipgloss, I'm actually wearing Dior Addict lipstick :o) In the last picture, I'm wearing the Ombres Contraste Duo in Khaki Discret and  went heavier with the bronzing. Thanks for reading and my next post part 2 will be about Chanel's new Rouge Coco Shine that debuted earlier in the summer and a few more limited edition summer shades. XOXO