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Review: Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Creme Eyeshadows in Moonstone and Quartz

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Adie

Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Creme in Moonstone and Quartz and Eye Definer in Plummy Bronze

Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Creme in Moonstone and Quartz, Eye Definer in Plummy Bronze

Well, well. I have never considered myself a huge fan of Sonia Kashuk, until now. In the past, I’ve picked up some of her products and brushes but never really thought about the brand overall until purchasing the Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Powerful Pout Lip Palette and Bristle Hair Brush.

A couple of weeks ago I grabbed one of her Pearlescence Longwear Creme Eyeshadows in Moonstone. Now, I am not someone who loves glitter. In truth, I prefer matte eyeshadows almost exclusively these days but there is something about a single-color wash of shimmer on the lid, blended into the crease, that I can’t resist.

Moonstone is gorgeous. Gorgeous. It reminds me of MAC’s Patina eyeshadow but amplified in terms of shimmer. I can’t explain why the glitter doesn’t bother me. Maybe it’s the season? I can’t be sure, but I loved Moonstone from the start. I loved it so much that I went back and picked up Quartz, which reminded me of another MAC favorite: Sable.

I’ve been using the shadows in conjunction with yet another Sonia Kashuk product, the Eye Definer in Plummy Bronze, that I already had in my makeup bag (pictured above). I’m sorry to say that this Eye Definer no longer seems to be available. The closest color match is the: Twist Up Longwear Liner in Black Amber.

The shadows come with a doe-foot applicator that is a breeze to use, and blend easily (I use my ring fingers to blend with light patting motions, though a synthetic blending brush would do just as well). I use a pretty thin wash of color because that’s my own preference for daytime but the shadows are definitely buildable if you like a more intense pop of color. They also set quickly and get this– I haven’t had either crease on me even when skipping my eyelid primer. So, yes, I am loving these eyeshadows. A+

Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Creme in Moonstone and Quartz

Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Creme Eyeshadows in Diamond, Moonstone and Quartz (added January 2015)

Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Creme Eyeshadows in Diamond, Moonstone and Quartz Swatches (January 2015)

Posted in Beauty | Tagged beauty, makeup, product review, sonia kashuk | 1 Comment

Fall 2014 Skincare Haul: tarte Maracuja Oil Rollerball, Bliss Fabulous Every Day Eye Cream, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, Crabtree and Evelyn Summer Hill Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Adie

tarte Maracuja Oil Rollerball, Bliss Fabulous Every Day Eye Cream, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, and Crabtree and Evelyn Summer Hill Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy

tarte Maracuja Oil Rollerball, Bliss Fabulous Every Day Eye Cream, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, and Crabtree & Evelyn Summer Hill Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy

I spent this past Saturday shopping for skincare products. The weather is finally starting to cool here and so now it’s finally time for me to get extra serious about moisturizing and protecting my skin. FYI: some of these products in this haul are holy grail status and some are brand new to me.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Rollerball

tarte: Pure Maracuja Oil Rollerball
This first product is one I’ve been wanting to try since falling in love with tarte’s Away Oui Go Portable Palette and Collector’s Set, and their Amazonian Clay Foundation. I tried it out last night, which won’t make for a proper review but I will say that in order to get a decent amount of oil out of the rollerball– I had to tilt my head back and then apply the rollerball to my forehead, cheeks and chin before using my fingertips to gently massage the oil into my skin. I also added small dabs to both eyelids.

When I woke up after using it the previous night, my skin felt moisturized but, again, it is too soon to really draw an opinion. The only other thing I can say is that I am thrilled about the oil being infused with Vitamin C. So, high hopes but we’ll see after a few weeks.

Bliss Fabulous Every Day Eye Cream

Bliss Fabulous Every Day Eye Cream
I am a fan of Bliss skincare and have used their eye creams before, though they were infused with age-defying acids. Right now, I am still using the Korres Black Pine Antiwrinkle and Firming Eye Cream at night but needed a new cream for daytime. After testing this cream yesterday, I believe this will do better than fine. The texture is actually thinner than I anticipated but had staying power– when gently tapping the area I applied it to many hours later, my skin still felt surprisingly moisturized which is exactly what I am looking for in a daytime eye cream.

Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash

Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash
This face wash is holy grail status for me and I buy it for less than $5 at Target. I’ve used it daily since I had a horrendous cystic acne in my early 20s. Despite having the worst breakout of my life at the time, the areas of my skin not breaking out were dry and peeling. My dermatologist recommended Cetaphil but that left a greasy film on my skin that I found extremely unappealing, so I grabbed this off the shelf after remembering seeing it on my mother’s bathroom counter (she has awesome taste in skincare products!). This cleanser, along with M2 Skin Refinish, got me through the cystic acne breakout and while I have used different cleansers here and there, I always have a bottle of Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash on my counter. Always.

Crabtree and Evelyn Summer Hill Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy

Crabtree & Evelyn Summer Hill Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy

With summer now quickly fading away, I couldn’t help but grab this while out shopping. Like all of the Crabtree & Evelyn hand creams I’ve ever tried, the scent is great but be warned that it is also powerful. I plan to keep this on my desk, in full view as a reminder, because I tend to wash my hands so often during the day that they dry out extra fast. Actually, I got quite the scolding while visiting my mother last month for not moisturizing my hands after washing. Yes, it is important. Actually, I have a hand cream that I keep in my purse that is an absolute favorite, so maybe I’ll put together a post on hand creams with winter coming soon.

With that said, if you’ve tried any of these products or have any tips, let me know in the comments!

Posted in Beauty | Tagged grooming, skincare, tarte | Leave a comment

Review: Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Adie

Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush with box.

It seems like everyone who has bought a Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush did it for the same reason I did; it’s a dead ringer for a Mason Pearson. Though, in all truthfulness, I’m not someone who spends a ton of time brushing their hair. In fact, there are plenty of days when I use a wide-tooth comb right out of the shower and that’s it because my hair is pretty much the easiest thing I have to deal with in the morning. It’s straight, of medium thickness, doesn’t tangle or frizz, and when properly trimmed, it takes care of itself. So, no. I don’t spend a lot of time styling my hair. The Mason Pearson brush and its price tag are definitely not for me. However, at $14.99– the Sonia Kashuk hair brush is an entirely different story.

For those who truly style their hair, the Sonia Kashuk brush will work wonders. A friend of mine likes to set her hair in vintage styles overnight, literally wearing a set to bed, and then tames the curls into magnificent shapes with a brush alone the next morning. It’s very likely that this friend will receive one of these brushes over the holidays as I would love to get her opinion on it and see what magic she can work with it.

That said, my friend keeps her hair shoulder length and brushing it vigorously everyday doesn’t seem to do much damage, as the tips of her hair are never more than a year old. I would warn those with longer hair that is multiple years old at the ends from going crazy with this brush. While many people believe using a bristle brush will distribute oil from the scalp down the hair shaft, I can’t promise this brush will do that for you.

For me and those who share my hair texture, the Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush will brush your hair. Thoroughly. More thoroughly than I think a brush has any right to. If your hair is even a little dry, or you have trouble with fly aways, you’ll be reminded of it after using this brush. Years ago, when I kept my hair past the center of my back, which I did for more than a decade, I would often run a paddle brush through it every now and then. Brushing too often is asking for breakage in my opinion and it’s an unnecessary step many of my long-haired friends admit to doing out of habit; I much prefer, and recommend, a gentle combing, if possible.

All in all, I would definitely make the purchase again even if it isn’t a brush I plan to use everyday. It will be great for those times when I want to truly style my hair and it’s also a looker that I don’t mind having around.

Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush

Posted in Beauty | Tagged beauty, grooming, product review, sonia kashuk | 1 Comment

Fall Plums, Part Two: MAC Hepcat eyeshadow, Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in Sweet Violet, E.L.F. HD Blush in Showstopper, Essie nail polish in Wild Thing and Revlon nail polish in Scandalous

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Adie

MAC Hepcat eyeshadow, Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in Sweet Violet, E.L.F. HD Blush in Showstopper, Essie nail polish in Wild Thing and Revlon nail polish in Scandalous

It has been nothing but sheer pleasure going through my makeup collection and pulling out my favorite plums and purples (you can see part 1 here). As it turns out, there will actually be a part 3 to this series next week. If you would like to see swatches or have questions about any of the products, let me know.

Burt’s Bees lip balm in Sweet Violet

Essie Wild Thing nail polish

MAC Hepcat eyeshadow

E.L.F. HD blush in Showstopper

Posted in Beauty | Tagged beauty, Essie, makeup | 1 Comment

THE LIMITED: Adie attempts to style the Contrast Cuff Sweater

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Adie

THE LIMITED: Contrast Cuff Sweaters in purple and red.

I’ve never had the nerve to ask anyone if they notice exactly how many pieces of clothing I own in multiple colors. I can’t help myself. When I find something I like, it’s easier just to buy it in multiples or I inevitably end up regretting it. THE LIMITED is pretty much always having a perpetual sale, no exaggeration, whether in store or online, and so I found these contrast sweaters for a buy 1, get 1 free deal last week and grabbed both purple and red.

The sweaters themselves are a thin blend of wool and acrylic, have 3/4 length sleeves and are rather plain. I like plain as, for me, that usually translates to versatile, and I like being able to dress a piece up or down without giving it too much thought. The sweater looks good on its own but could also easily be worn under a suit jacket (though the cute little sleeve cuff wouldn’t show).

Also, before I forget, it’s worth noting that I’m not sensitive to wool and therefore did not find this sweater to be even a bit itchy. Unfortunately, there are likely some people who will find the wool uncomfortable against their skin.

I don’t pop my collar very often, but I also don’t button it all the way up unless I’m having a crazy day.

I do roll my cuffs halfway back.

Necklacke purchased at World Market for $14.99 though I am tempted to lie and say I beaded it myself.

Hello, red. Hop on and I’ll take you to work with me.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment. If you have a suggestion for styling these sweaters, I beg you to do the same.

EDIT: This is how I actually wore the red sweater, with a polka dot cardigan by Cupio over the top.

THE LIMITED Contrast Cuff Sweater in red with Cupio black and tan cardigan over the top.

THE LIMITED Contrast Cuff Sweater in red with Cupio black and tan polka dot cardigan over the top.

Posted in Clothes | Tagged jewelry, sweaters | Leave a comment