Find Me On Social Media

Showing posts with label Favorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Favorites. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

June Favorites: Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadows!

*If you're on mobile, click images for higher resolution :)*

Hi, beauties!!

I'm back with a new feature on my blog! "Favorites" will now be once a month, featuring a product that has been my absolute favorite for that month! What better way to kick off this new feature than with the amazing Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadows!


It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the entire Josie Maran Cosmetics line.  I wish I could own every single product she makes. The very first piece I wrote for this blog was dedicated to her 100% pure Argan Oil. (You can read that post HERE ), and I have featured various products from her line 
on my blog countless times. Josie Maran Cosmetics is one half of my top two favorite cosmetics/skincare lines, and that's why I felt I should kick off my new feature with her! 

I first saw these unique eyeshadows being featured on one of the Josie Maran Cosmetics shows on QVC. I loved the simplicity of these shadows, and the benefits that came along with them!

Eyeshadows can contain some wonky ingredients. Cosmetics/skincare in general can contain some wonky ingredients. We have to be careful what we put on our skin, especially such a sensitive/vulnerable area like our eyes. This is why I love Josie Maran Cosmetics so much. The slogan is "Luxury with a Conscience." We can look beautiful while still using all natural/organic ingredients. All of the ingredients in these eyeshadows, and all of her products for that matter, are all-natural and organic. 

The two main ingredients, obviously being Argan Oil and Coconut Water, are extremely beneficial to the skin. You can read an in-depth post about ALL of the benefits of Argan Oil in the post I shared a link to in the first paragraph, but essentially, the Argan Oil will moisturize and nourish your lids while the 50% of coconut water will hydrate your lids- leaving your eyes looking awake, juicy, and bright!

The eyeshadows are so refreshing! Due to their being liquid, they leave a slight cooling affect when you first swipe the doe-foot applicator over your lid, and you feel instant hydration! There are two layers to these liquid eyeshadows that you can see through the bottle itself. The first layer delivers refreshing coconut water, while the second delivers the Argan-infused pigments that diminish fine lines. You can see the two layers here:



I LOVE how pigmented these shadows are! They're so fun to play with because they're so versatile. The doe-foot applicator, and blend-ability of the shadows provide so many options! You can use one shadow on its own, mix two on your lid, mix three on your lid, swipe one above your lash line as a liner, and so on! Play with these shadows and mix it up! Just swipe the shadow on your lid wherever you wish, and blend it out with your fingertip. You have about 30 seconds of playtime before the shadow begins to dry, but that's plenty of time!

I wanted to show you all the shadows in different lighting so you can see how beautifully pigmented and bright they are! I paired the shadows with the new Josie Maran Argan Illuminizing Wand because I like to pop that under my brow as a highlighter when using these shadows. You can read more about my feelings on the Illuminizing wand HERE ! 

From left to right: Rio De Rose Gold/ Polynesian Purple/ Bora Bora Bronze/ Illuminizing Wand




As you can see, no matter what the lighting situation is, all of these shadows POP! 

There are a handful of gorgeous colors! I currently own three, and hope to get more as time goes on. They're $18.00 a piece, which is a great deal. You only need one quick swipe each use, so these shadows last you a long while! You can only find great deals such as duos and kits that will get you these shadows along with other Josie Maran products on QVC.com, so shop around there and try out these shadows with a great deal!

I hope I've convinced you to purchase some of the Josie Maran Coconut Water Eyeshadows! They're perfect for the Summer months when we want a pop of color on our eyes, but we don't necessarily want to go through with creating an entire eye look, or if you decided to sleep in late one morning and you need to get out the door in a flash. Pair these shadows with the Josie Maran Argan Black Oil Mascara (another fav of mine) and run out the door! 

I'll be back with a post on Friday! I have an order from Sephora.com that is expected to arrive that day with new goodies! :)

Until then, stay beautiful! 
Christina Bracco

For PR inquiries, questions, comments, suggestions, please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com or please fill out a Contact Form in the sidebar. Thank you. 

INSTAGRAM  <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!

TWITTER  <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!


Thursday, April 2, 2015

March Beauty Favorites!!

Welcome back, beauties!

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a few days. What a slacker! That's why I wanted today's post to be a collection of products that I can talk about. This is my first time doing a monthly favorites blog, and we'll see how it goes. If it does well, I will certainly do one at the end of every month!

I cannot believe March is already over, I feel like it was just March first! Needless to say, there have been so many products that I've purchased and tested throughout this month. Here are my favorites that I have been obsessed with, and using consistently throughout this entire month!





This is the first time I've also provided you all with direct links to purchase these products. I used links from Ulta Beauty and Sephora, but you can shop around and find them in other places as well! 

First, I'll start with the most used product: The It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Luxe Transforming Eye Shadow Palette! 

I just love this palette. I've owned it for about a year now. It's always been a go-to palette, and especially within the last month, I've pretty much used this every day. I love the colors. They're very fresh and spring-like to me. It's a beautiful mix of pinks, brows, mauves, taupes, and your little pops of color like the Violet and the Noir. The palette itself is SO versatile. I cannot even begin to tell you how many looks you can create using these 14 shades+ Transforming Pearl. 

The shadows themselves are anti-aging silk-infused matte shadows, but the fun thing is, you can mix the Transforming Pearl shadow with any of the mattes, and it turns the shadow into a soft pearl! The shadows are Talc-free, Paraben-free, fragrance-free, Sulfate-free, and cruelty-free! 

They hold Hydrating Age Reverse and Prevent Complex. They're infused with Peptides, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Silk, Anti-Oxidents, and Drops of Light Technology. They do not crease, they do not crack, and they do not settle into fine lines! That's quite a bit of goodness, right?! :) 


I just truly love it! The colors are beautiful. The photo does not do them justice. It's a bright, fresh look for any eye color. Perfect for Spring and Summer time! 

The palette runs for $48.00 at Ulta Beauty. A little pricey, but I definitely stand by this product. I've used some of these colors daily for a year now, and I'm not close to hitting pan on any shade!

Next up, I'll talk about the Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Poreless Primer, from my fav makeup guru, Mally Roncal! 


I just love this primer! My aunt had gifted this to me in September for my birthday, so I've obviously owned it prior to shooting the Rachael Ray show with Mally in December. I use this product daily. I own a few different primers from different brands, but I'd say this primer is definitely my every day go-to buddy. 

It's so weightless, so smooth, and I love that it doesn't turn me into a greased chicken! I have a strong dislike for greasy, slimy, slippery face primers. Yuck! That's why I was so happy when I discovered Mally's! 

It minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. It has the slightest, slightest shimmer to it that gives you a brightened glow-from-within look. Another aspect of it that I love: it doesn't dry you out! I hate primers that suck the life and moisture out of your skin. this primer is actually hydrating. It definitely keeps my makeup in place all day. 

Bonus secret: You can apply this primer after you perform your nightly skin routine to lock all of the moisture and products in! This is definitely a great primer to use as your beginning step in your makeup routine, and as the final step after your skincare routine. I love it! 

It runs for $35.00 for 1 oz. at Ulta Beauty! 

Next up, we have the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye!
(For whatever reason, my tube flattens on the side. In order to allow you see see the tube, I had to hold it for you! Ignore my un-manicured nails)


I was also gifted this product from my aunt about three weeks ago and I've been loving it ever since! 
I had always seen this product being sold on QVC, and it's always received rave-reviews. I wanted to give it a try! I couldn't be happier. I use the shade Neutral Medium, definitely a forgiving shade. 

This concealer is heavenly. I have struggled for SO long with concealers that crease and crack. I'd set them, I'd apply less, I'd apply more, I'd blend like crazy, and they always creased! Until I found the Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer, that is! This product does not crease on me. At. All.

It's completely full coverage, with a beautifully hydrating and creamy consistency. Not only is it great at concealing dark under-eyes, but it's also great for concealing any blemishes, dark spots, and imperfections. You could even use it as an all over foundation if you want! It's award-winning, anti-aging, infused with Hydrolyzed Collagen, vitamins C and K, and diffuses the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I also just HAVE to rave about the lifespan of the product. For $24.00 at Ulta Beauty, you get a .28 fl.oz. tube. The tube is huge! You only need such a small amount, it blows my mind every time. I only squeeze a teeny tiny, freckle-size amount on the back of my hand, and I can conceal my under eyes, and blemishes with just that little squeeze. This... I cannot rave about it enough. It amazes me. It gives a whole new meaning to "a little goes a long way." It's well worth $24.00 to me! I think I'll own this forever! 

Next up, the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation! 


I only purchased this product about a week ago after seeing a beauty vlogger talk about it, but I've been loving it so much, I decided to throw it into my favorites post! 

This foundation is so lightweight and feathery, yet it gives such great/beautiful coverage. It doesn't even feel like you have foundation on, but I can definitely see a major difference in my skin! It comes with a little sponge (I personally never use those sponges that come with powder foundations, I use a Kabuki brush to buff it into the skin.) I feel buffing it in gives you a more natural/even/your-skin-but-better look. There are a tone of shades to choose from! I am in Fair Neutral because we remember that I am Casper's sister. 

It's a demi-matte full coverage foundation. And it definitely, definitely lasts all day! The long wear is amazing with this product! It has a velvety formula that allows it to be build able. This foundation can be applied wet or dry using the sponge, though I'm satisfied with applying it dry, I don't believe I'll ever try applying it wet. It doesn't leave your skin looking dusty or cakey, it just lays beautifully on the skin. I'm so pleased! 

It is formulated with coated micro-milled powders, and it diffuses light to blur the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And also, it's Paraben-free!
This product runs for $36.00 at Sephora. It also comes with a full-size mirror as well as a protective pouch! (Shown in photo above.)

We're almost done here, haha! Three more products to rave about. Annnnnnd GO!

The Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon! 



In my latest haul , I talked about how I had purchased two different shades of these concealer crayons as a part of Josie Maran's new contouring campaign. I admit that I haven't really been using the lighter shade for any concealing or highlighting duties (I promise I will start), but I have been LOVING the darker shade for some quick contouring on the cheek bones! 

I purchased Medium 2 as my contour shade, and it works beautifully. All I do is draw one line right on the cheek bone, and simply blend out with my fingers! It's so quick and easy. Be on the lookout for a contour and highlighting post using the Argan Creamy Concealers. Once I start using the lighter crayon again, I'm going to make a post about that within the next few weeks! 

The Argan Creamy Concealer Crayons are $20.00 at Sephora. It's a great price for the product. Since the crayon is infused with %100 pure Argan Oil, you're receiving essential amino acids, fatty acids, hydration, and benefits galore! Plus, the product itself will last you a very long time.

Next up, I wanted to mention a perfume that I've just been loving. Philosophy Loveswept!


I mean, let's just talk about the bottle itself. Is that not gorgeous? I love it! 

I just love this scent. It's very fresh and light, and very romantic. I guess that's why it was named Loveswept, haha! I think it's just a beautiful scent, and I've really been loving it. I received two compliments while wearing it just yesterday! 

I own the 2fl.oz. bottle that runs for $48.00 at Sephora. They have several different sizes, smaller and larger, and you can definitely find this perfume in a gift set at QVC! 

It is described as "sparkling lightness meets a beautiful spring bouquet." It has warm, sensual notes of Bergamot, Blue Violet, Lotus Blossom, Pink Jasmine, Purple Passion Fruit, Skin Musk, Creamy Amber, and White Cedarwood. 

It's just a sparkling, dazzling, and romantic scent! I really love this scent, as well as many other Philosophy scents, so I wanted to share with my fellow fragrance lovers looking for a new scent for Spring!

Finally, I wanted to share a little nail care product that I've been loving this past month. The Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat!

This is a nail strengthener and brightener with tint of pink that gives your nails a beautiful natural glow, shine, and pink tint, while strengthening them and providing them with essential vitamins and nutrients that help your nails to grow healthy and happy! This is a Protein- rich and Keratin-rich formula, infused with an optical brightener that filters out the dull-yellow appearance of nails. It brings out the natural color of your nail beds (hence, the pink tint) and it makes the whites of your nails appear whiter. 

I love this product! It's really helped my nails grow tremendously, and I know that they will not break when I have this product on keeping them strong and beautiful! It's worked wonders for my nails, and I highly recommend this for anyone with weak, dull, short nails!

It's Paraben-free, Sulfate-free, Synthetic Fragrance-free, Phthalates-free, GMO-free, and Triclosan-free! Not only is it amazingly beneficial for your nails, it's also free of all of those icky chemicals that are present in most nail polishes. 

This product runs for $30.00 at Sephora for a 0.6fl. oz. bottle, but can be found in gift sets at QVC!

So there you have it, my March Favorites! I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you'll give one of two products a try. Let me know if you will! And share with me YOUR March favorites! :)

Until next time, stay beautiful!
Christina Bracco
xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, comments, questions, suggestions, please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com or fill out a Contact Form in the sidebar!

This post was not sponsored.

INSTAGRAM <---- CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW!!

TWITTER <---- CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW!!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Sephora Favorites Perfume Sampler

Hello, beauties!!

I'm sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, I took the day off! :) (Really, I was busy running errands. So NOT exciting.)

I wanted to share with my lovely readers, a gift set that I recieved this past Christmas:

The Sephora Favorites Perfume Sampler!! 



This is an annual gift set created by Sephora for the holiday season. The set contains 14 samples of fragrances sold at Sephora. 

The best thing about this gift set, is that it contains one voucher for a free FULL SIZED bottle of whatever fragrance in the set you choose. 

The gift set sells for $60.00 but has a value of $105.00. That sounds like a pretty jazzy deal if you ask me!

So, what scents does this set contain? In this gift set, there is:


  • Burberry Brit Sheer: .06 fl oz 
  • Chloé: .04 fl oz
  • Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black: .06 fl oz
  • Elizabeth and James Nirvana White .06 fl oz
  • Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioia: .05 fl oz
  • Gucci Flora by Gucci: .06 fl oz
  • Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy: .05 fl oz
  • Lancôme La Vie Est Belle: .05 fl oz
  • Marc Jacobs Daisy: .04 fl oz
  • Narcisco Rodriguez For Her: .03 fl oz
  • Prada Candy: .05 fl oz
  • Thierry Mugler Alien: .04 fl oz
  • Tom Ford Black Orchid: .05 fl oz
  • Versace Bright Crystal: .03 fl oz

This set also contains a Perfume Sampler Booklet For Her, which contains all the details about each scent: Their notes, impressions, full size bottle amounts, inspirations, etc. As well as the voucher for the free full size fragrance of your choice.

There is also a Sephora Cologne Sampler For Men, but I don not own it, so I feel it is not my place to talk about it, haha!

Now, I have to say, there were many surprises in this gift set for me. I won't go into a detailed review of each scent, but I will give my top 3 favorite scents, and 1 or 2 I'm disappointed in. I'm finding it so hard to choose a favorite! But I think that's a good thing. It means that the set is a worthy investment.



Top 3 Favorites:

  1. Marc Jacobs Daisy: This scent is very light and very feminine. It's both sophisticated and playful. I feel it can be worn all throughout the year. The Notes: Wild Strawberry, violet leaves, and ruby red grapefruit. 
  2. Lancôme La Vie Est Belle: I was very surprised with how much I liked this scent. It is a bit heavier than Daisy. It's a bit muskier, and very sophisticated. But I feel you could still get away with wearing this scent all year round. The Notes: Iris palladia, patchouli, orange blossom, and jasmine, with a sweet gourmand blend.
  3. Elizabeth and James Nirvana White: (I also love Nirvana Black, but I vowed to only pick 3 favorites, haha.) This is another lighter scent, but it does contain hints of musk, and when it settles onto your skin, I think it smells lovely. It's a floral scent. I'm a sucker for a floral scent. I really enjoy it. The Notes: A captivating  blend of peony, muguet, and musk for a sophisticated, feminine scent.  
3 Least Favorite:

(I never want to completely bash a product, so I will just list them.
  1. Tom Ford Black Orchid
  2. Versace Bright Crystal 
  3. Aqua Di Gioia 

Now, what I also find great about this gift set is its convenience. Yes, you receive a voucher for a free full size perfume of your choosing, but you're also getting 14 scent samplers to take with you on the go!

I had received this kit for Christmas years ago, and while I loved the concept, I wasn't pleased (and asked to never receive it again) due to the fact that the samplers were not spray, or even roll-on, samples. They were just regular bottles that you poor the product out of and have to awkwardly dab onto your skin. I hate that. It doesn't work to get the scent out, and it's a pain in the butt. When I found out that these were sprayable samples, it immediately went on my Christmas list. Yes, please.

It's so convenient to have the sprayable perfume samples because you can keep them in your purse, keep them in your car, keep them in your locker at work, etc. They're so easy! The Aqua Di Gioia scent does not have a spray top, but since the other 13 do, I'll let it go. But get with the program, Aqua!

I really suggest this gift set to my perfume loving beauties out there. It's still available at Sephora and Sephora.com, and it's really fun to play with!

If you've tried it, let me know your favorite and least favorite scents. And if you're going to give it a try, let me know!

I'll be back on Friday with a favorites post about trends/products I've been loving this week.

Until then, stay beautiful!
Christina Bracco
xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, questions, comments, suggestions, etc. Please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com

INSTAGRAM  <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!

TWITTER<---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!

FACEBOOK  <---- ADD ME HERE!!