SEPHORA Exclusive- Origins Skincare Must Haves!

This set is my FIRST experience with Origins...
 ... and I am overjoyed! :-D My skin looks (and feels!) five years younger, after only two weeks!

It comes with 1.7 oz. each of :
Checks and Balances Frothy FaceWash
Modern Friction- Nature's gentle dermabrasion
Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask
Plus:
A full-size (.5 oz.) GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
1 oz. of GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer

Sephora's exclusive 5-piece Origins kit.

Contents of Sephora's Origins Skincare Must Haves kit.

   I received my kit almost two weeks ago, but wanted to use it enough to know if it was a hit or a miss.
WHOA!!! BIG HIT!!
I don't need to wait a second longer to share how ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS this set is! Incredible value, plus products that complement eachother? Yes, PLEASE! :-D
  
I have used Checks and Balances morning and evening. I will admit at first I did not like the feel of my skin after washing with this cleanser. Not the first time, not the second time. Around the third use, I realized that the strange feeling my face had after washing was a GOOD thing! :-P Instead of feeling not fully cleansed, it felt cleansed and PROTECTED. Plus, only a tiny bit is needed (think pea-sized dollop- REALLY!). Not to mention, no break-out from use. WIN!

   The Charcoal Mask was the second product I tried. I did as the instructions said, held moist heat to my face to open pores, then "layered" it on...
Sooo, I applied and let dry. :-) 
It felt awesome on! Plus, I looked really ridiculous, which made my husband and son smile (Meaning, laughing until they couldn't breathe...). When I rinsed it off, oh. My. GOODNESS! My skin not only looked amazing, it FELT amazing! I had to consciously remind myself to keep from just stroking my cheeks- lol- THAT amazing!

   GinZing™ Energy-Boosting Moisturizer was Love At First Application! It barely take any of this gorgeous-smelling product to smooth across your entire face! In fact, I ended up being able to smooth the excess down my neck, which I probably better start caring for, before it's too late! haha ;-) So, the scent is somewhat like Olé Henricksen's Vitamin C serum, kind of dreamsicle-y. Not overpowering, just soft, subtle, pretty. Scent fades upon drying/soaking in. I have used this A.M. and P.M., with pretty astonishing results. Not only did I not break out, but my skin has the suppleness restored! I LITERALLY woke up the first morning after using this, smiled at myself in the mirror, and about passed out! My skin just looked so... so... YOUNG! This moisturizer is a HIT!

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

   On to the GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream. This stuff is intended for morning use. I'm only using it in the A.M., and it DOES de-puff my under-eye area pretty quickly. I read in other review that some gals thought this had shimmer... and it may. I don't notice any shimmer, but I DO notice my eye area improving in appearance AND texture! I can see a significant improvement in my dark under eye area already, and I fully expect to continue seeing improvement. Another Hit for me!

   Modern Friction. I just LOVE the name! :-P This is an insanely good exfoliater! It is meant to be applied to a clean, dry face. FYI, TOTALLY AVOID THE EYE AREA! Omg just do as I say... No need to exfoliate our eyeballs, right, ladies? :-) 

So, another amazing product. My skin now looks improved in texture, "glow", radiance (is that the same as "glow"?), moisture, and altogether tone!

  Am I glad I bought this? UNDERSTATEMENT EXTRAORDINAIRE! OMG I've been looking for a good skincare line for eons. I've been through everything from Neutrogena to Preváge (oh dear, I must share my experience with Preváge!) with nothing improving my skin like I had hoped. In fact, as was the case with Preváge, my skin was far WORSE after use... So, imagine my joy to find a brand that is more natural than most, that is WAYYY more effective than most!

   

Overall, Origins Skincare Must Haves are just that- MUST HAVES!!! Skin clearing, moisturizing, youth-restoring little MIRACLES. Not to mention, the price point on these products is totally do-able, so... If you're looking for a new skincare line, I HIGHLY recommend this little set. The sizes are VERY generous, and should last at least a month or two. I plan on using the Charcoal 1-2x/week, and Modern Friction 1-2x/week as well. Checks and Balances every A.M. and P.M., followed by the GinZing™ Energy-Boosting Moisturizer, and in the A.M. the eye cream. 

An Unexpected LOVE- UD's Glinda Palette!

   I don't know how many times I saw the Glinda palette, and paid it no mind. Only when I found it in the Sale section did I give it a second thought, so, I did what I do... I researched it! Then I purchased it.
   Boy, oh, boy am I glad I did! :-D Here is the "Glinda look", exactly as the enclosed "look card" instructed.
What do you think? :-)

I'm GLINDA!

This palette is SO BEAUTIFUL! I'm truly blown away by the perfection that is Glinda. I cannot BELIEVE I almost missed out on this- I didn't think it was all that special... Could NOT have been more WRONG!
I seem to be having issues arranging my pictures, please bear with me, I'm blogging on my Nexus 7, as my laptops are out of commission ATM.

Glinda (daylight)

Glinda (artificial light)

OK, first the Super-Saturated Jumbo lip pencil. I already know and love this formula, and this shade, Glinda (a.k.a. Naked;-) ) did NOT disappoint! Out of the shades I own, I think Glinda (Naked) is one of the longer-lasting colors in this form. I do believe this will be my most-used Super Saturated! It has a sheen to it, unlike the other pencils I have. Not glittery/metallic like Adrenaline, yet not the cream finish of Lovechild, Glinda has a finish all her own! To be honest, I was reminded of my Momma's 80's frosted lipsticks at first! :-P Undeterred, I applied it, let it "set", and it didn't budge ALL DAY! The finish really grew on me, and it is SO not transferrable! 

Rockstar (artificial light)

Rock star (daylight)

The 24/7 Eye Pencil in Rockstar is beautiful. I had heard it was good for green-eyed gals, and I oh-so-agree! However, I think this is a beautiful liner that will enhance any eye color, especially when used in conjunction with the shadows in this palette.  

Ahhh... The shadows. Dear Lord, the SHADOWS! :-D 

Aaand, I am TOTALLY disappointed with my swatch pictures. All apologies, I will replace these pics with better ones as soon as I have my camera to use again. However, I will post the swatches anyways, just KNOW that they aren't showing the beauty of the colors as they should. 

Tornado, Aura(violet iridescent), Aura(peachy-rose iridescent), and Magic.

Illusion, Oz(silver w/ silver sparkle), Oz(gold w/ gold sparkle), and South.

This shot shows the iridescence of the Aura shadows pretty well. :-) 

SOOO, I'm in love. :-)  I think I need a backup Glinda! :-D Every color is amazing. 
The only issue I have had is a tiny bit of fallout. The beautiful results of Urban Decay's shadows have turned me into an eyes-before-face kind of gal- I used to do my face makeup first, but I must be honest and let you know fallout may be an issue with Glinda, so you may want to do your eyes first, or use loose powder that you can sweep away after you finish your eyes. I find it easiest to just do eyes first. :-) 

Glinda is my idea of perfection!

Well, friends, I know this review is late in the game, but Glinda is on sale for $24 at urbandecay.com right now! Take advantage- I did!
Love y'all!
Xoxoxox! -Beez

The BEST BB Cream! (that isn't even a BB cream!)

Okay, I have found a new Holy Grail product!

   I have searched high and low for a BB cream that WORKS for me. The closest I came was UD's Naked BB, and it was a tad too orange. :-(  It also had much too sheer of coverage, even for a BB. I liked Too Faced, Tarte, and Ole Henricksen, but none of them were the greatest match, colour-wise or coverage-wise, and they tended to gather in my fine lines and wrinkles.

   Coincidentally, I also happened to be on the hunt for my perfect SPF. I had no way of knowing that in finding my perfect SPF, I would be discovering a facial miracle. I am not exaggerating. Not one bit!

   My requirements for SPF are high, and after reading up on the downside of chemical SPF's, I knew I needed a sunscreen that was free of this type of chemical cocktail sun "protection". So, I did what I always do- I scoured reviews! Created a line-up of "to-try's" and went to tryin'. :-)

   When I found an obscure, chemical-free facial sunscreen that had 4.8 out of five stars, I knew it was a must try. However, there were only 40 reviews on this product.  Still, the review were SO good! I went for it!
OH. MY. STARS. (!) I found Cōtz Sunscreen SPF 40 for face. This is THE BEST SPF I have ever used. It is matte, tinted, evens out my skin tone, basically does EVERYTHING a BB claims to do, BETTER than any BB I've tried. Yes. THAT good! It is $19.99, and worth EVERY PENNY!

    Cōtz applies beautifully, leaves a gorgeous matte finish, evens and improves skintone, and is BEAUTIFUL on its own! The only caveat (for me) is that Cōtz leaves my skin the tiniest bit... "tacky" feeling? Only a tiny bit, though. I tried powder over top (Tarte's Amazonian Clay setting powder), and honestly liked the look better without. Blusher and bronzer work perfectly on top of this product, also, and they stay all day! I've been using this miracle product for about a week/week and a half, and my skin has dramatically improved! 

   If you have been on the lookout for a BB, one that doesn't exaggerate dryness nor increase oiliness, one that appears matte yet not "dead", try Cōtz SPF 40 sunscreen!!! It is perfection in a tube!!

It is INCREDIBLY waterproof, also. Stays on through blood, sweat, and tears. (Okay, tears and sweat at least, I didn't test out blood... :-P ) Give Cōtz a try, I know I love it enough to forgive it's minimal "tacky" feeling, and once you see the results, I believe you may be able to look past that small issue as well. Because this stuff just LOOKS LIKE SKIN! Fresh, beautiful, pore-minimizing, non-chemical, aaaaaannnndddd... DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED!

   What are you waiting for? Grab it! Tell me what you think! :-)

Why I HEART Sephora's Point Perk System!

Hey there, friends! 

   This post is a VERY happy post for me, because these awesome little "perks" are, essentially, FREE! :-) I have been saving my perk points until the absolute perfect, made-for-me perks came around... So, if you are trying to decide if you should hang onto your points, or GO FOR IT!  You may find this post helpful.

My 500 pt. Bobbi perk, 250 pt. Miss Dior perk, and 100 pt. Urban Decay perk!

   Okay, so I've saved my points for three years (!) and finally figured I needed to splurge! I saw the UD Revolution baby-size lippie, and promptly fell in looooove! I picked it up because I'd hit 600 points, and wanted to keep 500 for that perfect 500 pt. perk. I wore this shade, Catfight, to the fair. This color LASTS! I'm not kidding. Funnel cakes, corndogs, soda... This little lippie has some SERIOUS staying power PLUS beautiful bold bright color that refuses to budge. Love, love, love...

Urban Decays Revolution Lipstick in Catfight. This was my first perk. :-) 

   Now, Miss Dior. This was my most recent perk, I had received a sample of this with my last Sephora order. I love it because it is WAY different than my "usual" fragrance choices. I'll have to dedicate a post to my favorite fragrances! I like a full wardrobe of scent. Ok, back to the subject. Miss Dior almost reminds me of a Men's cologne, but for women. It's softer. A little flowery-er. Yet I still associate its scent with Men's cologne, in a GOOD way! Like, you know the 80's woman's power suit? THIS is the fragrance version. :-)

Ohhhhh, Miss Dior! 250 points that I will NEVER regret parting with!

   Now, I saved the BEST for last! I was lucky enough to pick up Bobbi to Go. Having had my eye on the Laura Mercier perk for complexion, I only had to hesitate a moment before I made my decision! I ordered a random, non-necessary hair tie in order to redeem this perk- and boy, am I glad I did! Everything about this adorable, baby-sized palette is perfect for me! I will enjoy this little treasure immensely. The shadows are sooo pretty, I especially love the shimmer wash one, it makes my green eyes SO green! Another plus is this tiny palette comes with an ACTUAL BRUSH for the shadows, not a sponge! So appreciated, and it is totally functional! :-)  The blush looks like such a bright pink, and it definitely is pink, but it is very, very wearable. I will add a swatch picture to this post soon, that way you can see the colors (on skin) for yourself. The mascara is an amazing mascara for a natural look. It has a VERY tiny brush- think Lash Discovery size meets Great Lash shape, and this is what you get. The eye cream I have been using nightly since I received the kit, and I can tell you one thing, this is the first eye cream that has lived up to its promises! Which, in all likelihood, is due to the fact that it ONLY CLAIMS TO BE HYDRATING. And guess what? It IS. I love it!

The contents of my 500 pt. Bobbi to Go perk!

The beautiful neutral eye-shadow, and the beautiful blush that may LOOK bam-kapow bright, but suits me PERFECTLY, it is softer that in appears in the pan.

 
   If you've had your eye on any of these perks, grab'em up! They are FABULOUS!

Hope you've enjoyed my li'l review of Sephora's recent perks! Have a great, God-blessed day, fellow beauty lovers! Xoxoxox! -Beezy

The BEST Make-up Removers!

Hi LadyFriends!

   Thought I'd give you a little feedback on some EXCELLENT makeup removers! I love waterproof makeup, but as you know, even non-waterproof makeup can sometimes be difficult to remove! I have tried everything, from wipes to pads to gels to liquids. You name it, I've probably tried it! The two removers I will be discussing I have found to be the most effective, AND very gentle- important to me, since I am 35 and like to be delicate with my eye area. I don't like having to tug and pull and rub at my eye area.

   The two removers that are my Holy Grail are Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover, and Maybelline's Flash Clean.

   They are both creamy, lotion-based removers. I must be honest, there are very few differences in these two removers. I purchased Meltdown in desperation the day after I bought UD's Cannonball Mascara, and if you are familiar with Cannonball, you probably know how incredibly waterproof it actually is. I wore it (Cannonball) through a day of swimming and activity, and come evening, I went to wash my face aaaaaannnnddd... Cannonball stayed put. I even used my oil-based remover pads, to no avail. So, I slept in my mascara and first thing in the morning went and purchased Meltdown- I HAD to get it off somehow! However, I suffered severe sticker shock, as $24.00 is a LOT for a remover.

   Meltdown is lovely. For one thing, is smells FAN-TABULOUS! It does not sting my eyes, and just a very gentle massage pulls all of the black mascara into the lotion, which is then easily wiped off with a soft tissue.

   Flash Clean is also lovely. It also does not sting my eyes. A gentle massaging motion also pulls the black mascara into the lotion, and it is also easily wiped off with a soft tissue. However, Flash Clean has no Fantabulous smell. It actually seems to have NO scent at all.

   Between the two, there is one drastic difference- the PRICE POINT! Maybelline Flash Clean is $4.97 at Walmart, and you get 4 ounces of product. UD's Meltdown is $24.00 before taxes, for 2.5 ounces of product. I don't like spending unnecessary money on a product. I would rather pay the $5.00 for remover, and use my money for things such as sunscreen, eye-shadow, eyeliners, blushes, lippies... I mean, nobody sees your remover except you. Meltdown smells nice, but do you really need your eye makeup remover to smell like flowers?

   Between these two awesome products, I prefer Flash Clean. I DO adore UD's Meltdown, but I just can't justify the cost, especially considering you get significant more product with Flash Clean. If you've money coming out your ears, by all means, Meltdown is FAB! However, if you are like me, and prefer to use your money for "the pretties", Maybelline's Flash Clean is cheap and effective.

Have a great day! :-)
<3-Beezy

Soft Pretty Fall Eye Look w/ Vice 2 and Cargo!

Hi there!

   First off, I'd just like to warn you this is my very first post, as I am new to the world of blog. That being said, please bear with me as I learn to link websites and arrange pictures and do all of the little handy details that make following blogs extra awesome.

Now, on to the fun stuff!

I created a soft, pretty look for my eyes today, and it is so easy! I used colors from Urban Decay's Vice 2 palette and a couple colors from the Cargo Vintage Escape Fall Eye-Shadow Palette. If you only have Vice 2, you can probably easily sub out similar colors for the Cargo ones, and Vice-versa (ha ha)...

Okay. To begin with, I used Urban Decay's Anti-Aging Primer Potion. This is awesome to help Toxic really STICK. Oh, by the way, Toxic, from Vice 2, is the first color you use. ;-) 

Apply Toxic to the inner 2/3's of the eyelid. Really pat 'er on there, too, get it nice and opaque, in all its beautiful glory. (Toxic is one of my FAVES!) I use my angled, fluffy shadow brush from Sephora's Color Capsule brush set, but you can use your favorite color-packing-on brush. :-)

Next, grab your Cargo Vintage Escapes Palette, and pick up a bit of Frolic on your brush. I used the small, angled brush from the Cargo palette, you can use any shading brush you like. You want to be able to be a little more precise with this, so pat it on (where the blue line shows) creating the "outer 'V'", then run your brush across the top of your eye socket/bottom of browbone (where the red line shows).

 

Blend slightly. Pick up some Stash from Vice 2, applying a small amount directly where Frolic and Toxic meet, (area in green) and blend softly. 

   Now for the little details that make it perfect. Grab a brush and blend some Habit (Vice 2) above the Frolic, softening it into your browbone.

   Then, I used my angled liner brush to line the outer ⅓ of my lower lashline with Damaged from Vice 2. Then, I went over that line with a bit of Mars from the Ocho Loco 24/7 eye pencil set. This isn't necessary, but it does add a pretty flash to the already pretty green of Damaged. ;-) Use the same angled liner brush and press Chestnut (also Cargo) into the outer ⅔ of your upper lashline. (Green=Damaged, Purple = Chestnut)

   Take your littlest smudge brush to add a bit of Crisp (Cargo) to your inner tear duct area, dragging the pretty brightness of it along your lower lashline until it meets Damaged/Mars. (Placement shown in yellow below). Use a light hand, this shade (Crisp) is more intense than it appears. At night it REALLY catches light, VERY reflective, yet it looks soft during the day. Pretty cool! 

Use this same little brush to add Crisp RIGHT below your eyebrows. Add a pretty lengthening mascara (I used Buxom Amplified) and your finished! Voilá! :-D 

Add a pretty lengthening mascara to your lashes (I used Buxom Amplified) and your finished! Voilá! :-D 

Well, there it is! :-D 

I hope you gals like this look, I sure do! Plus, this eye look looks soft and amazing in the day, yet as night approached, I noticed that Frolic appeared deeper, Crisp more reflective and noticeable- I guess what I'm trying to say is, this look transforms itself from a day look to a night look all by itself! Love, love, LOVE! :-D 

Okay, I'm gonna do it. Gonna post this, right now! :-) 

Have a great day, and please give me feedback with what you find helpful or not, what I may want to change for future posts, etc. because, as I've said, I'm totally new to this. I DO think I have a lot to offer, so subscribe, and I'll do my best to keep you entertained and informed. 

 -Brianne (aka Beezy) <3

New Beauty Blogger Here!

Hey Ladies! 
   I'm new at this, but I have a LOT to contribute! I'm a lover of all things beautiful, and I almost always end up creating pretty looks. Sometimes I do fail, but overall my looks are very pretty and wearable. I'm looking forward to both creating tutorials for you to follow, and reviewing products that I have used.
Not to mention meeting like-minded individuals (emphasis on "individuals" ;-) ).

Random photo of myself and my TomTom! :-) 

 Sooo, I hope to see you around! XOXOXOX!

-Brianne