OCC Skin Conceal Review

Website claims: More than just a concealer, OCC SKIN:CONCEAL may be the only product you’ll ever need for complexion perfection! Tested behind-the-scenes by the artists at OCC for over two years prior to its release, it’s passed the pro’s test for ease of use, coverage and endurance. Formulated from the finest vegan ingredients available, OCC SKIN: CONCEAL also nourishes and hydrates the skin with Cocoa Extract, Aloe Leaf Extract and Vitamin E for coverage that feels as good as it looks! Perfect for any medium from Digital Photography and Hi-Definition TV to everyday use and wear!

• An opaque but adjustable coverage, best applied with our #003 Concealer Brush
• Available in 12 multi-ethnic, internationally calibrated skin-tone shades.
• Paraben-Free and also free of Silicone, Petroleum and Fragrance

 $20 (8.5g)

I bought this concealer quite a while back, and I do like it. However, my skin is far too dry to wear it right now. It does not have a strong scent, nor has it caused me to break out. I got the shade Y0, which is the lightest yellow toned shade available. This color is a dead on match to my skin, and that is a rare find. It's so difficult to find a very light yellow-toned concealer. Most companies assume someone as pale as myself would be pink toned. 

The coverage this concealer gives is phenomenal. I would definitely say that this is a full coverage product. It blends right into my skin whilst covering what I need to be covered. I used this concealer both under my eyes and on blemishes and redness without experiencing any creasing or budging.  It gives a very natural. skin like texture. 

The ONLY qualm I have with this concealer is that it's not moisturizing on the skin. Keep in mind that my skin is very dry, and I was using this concealer with a full coverage foundation. I have not tested this concealer with the more moisturizing foundation that I have since purchased. I think that this concealer will be a fantastic one for me in the summer, and I do intend to try it with my Cowgirl Dirt Creme foundation. I think that this concealer would work wonders for people with normal and oily skin. People with oily skin should set with a powder.

 I really do think this concealer is worth trying, and I will keep you all updated as I try this concealer over a moisturizing foundation. I have also started using the 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream, and that has been doing a fantastic job of moisturizing my under eye area so, I feel that should also improve the wear of the concealer. 

I hope all of you had happy holidays and that you all have a fantastic new year.

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends this holiday! I hope that you get to eat lots of yummy food and get lots of great gifts! 

Some of my family is here from out of town, and we have been going non-stop! It's been a blast, and I'm so glad they got to come stay this year. 

I have some great stuff coming up as soon as I get some free time! I can't wait to see what next year has to bring, and I hope to improve my blog. I also hope to post more regularly. 

Again, I hope everyone has a fantastic, safe holiday!

Pumpkin and Poppy Ice Dance Collection swatches

Veggie Beauty's 2012 winter collection is inspired by Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands which came out in 1990. This movie is one of my personal favorites, and I think this collection definitely does it justice. As the name suggests this collection is full of some beautiful, icy colors as well as some dark colors that represent Edward's misunderstood imagination. This collection consists of four pigment eyeshadows, three cream eyeshadows, and one cream blush. The entire collection can be purchased for $55, or you can purchase individual items. 

With every collection, Veggie Beauty improves her products. I have been really pleased and impressed with her cream products she has come out with recently, and I have always loved her pigment eyeshadows. I always look forward to her newest collection and ideas, and I know she will continue to grow and improve. I have not purchased a single item that I have been disappointed with. 

Kim cream blush $9.75

Kim is a hot, warm toned coral tinged pink. This color is inspired by the blush that Kim wears throughout the movie.This color represents young love and the rosy glow of dancing without a care in the snow.

Ice Dance cream eyeshadow $8

Ice Dance is a semi-sheer silver/white with blue shimmer. This color is inspired by a scene in the movie in which Edward is carving an ice sculpture of Kim as she dances and the snowflakes created from Edward's carving. It represents Kim's and Edward's forbidden love and the hope they find in a peaceful moment together away from the judgements and criticism of the neighborhood. (I am getting chills as I am reading and typing Veggie Beauty's descriptions of these colors.)

Inventor cream eyeshadow $8

Inventor is a medium charcoal grey with brown undertones. This color is inspired by the cameo of Vincent Prince in the film as Edward's creator. The inventor lived alone in his mansion on the hill, making cookies with this robots until one day he decided to breathe humanity into one of his creations. The color is inspired by the industrial feel of the tarnished iron of the machines that would form the basis for the creation of Edward.

Unrequited cream eyeshadow $8

Unrequited is a dark navy with violet and silver duochrome. This color is inspired by the isolated imagination and dreamland of Edward and his mansion on the hill. He loves Kim, but he realizes that their love can never be as he will always consider himself unfinished and unable to function in Suburbia. So, he creates his own magical world in his mind and through his magical ice sculptures...keeping his love forever pure and timeless through his creativity.

Not Finished pigment eyeshadow $5

Not Finished is a satin, plum toned brown/taupe. This color is inspired by the haunted and sad beauty of Edward Scissorhands. He's not conventionally handsome like Kim's jock boyfriend, but his innocence and idealism shine through in his expressive eyes, eyes that are also haunted by the darkness found in human nature. Edward's only wish is to be as gentle on the outside as he is on the inside. For those he loves not to run in terror from his sharp scissors...to be able hold his love without hurting her.

Suburbanite pigment eyeshadow $5

Suburbanite is a seafoam green with multicolored glitter. This color is inspired by the 60's meets 80's fashion of the housewives in Edward Scissorhands with their bright, pastel shades, loud makeup, and teased hair-styles. The basis for this color was inspired by Joyce (played brilliantly by Kathy Baker) as a Mrs. Robinson type of seductress. The color is based on the jumpsuit she wears in the beauty parlor when she tries to seduce Edward.

Rebel pigment eyeshadow $5

 Rebel is a dirty chartreuse matte with gold shimmer. This color is a bright, cocky color inspired by Jim, the bully and nemesis of Edward in Edward Scissorhands. The idea for the color came from his short sleeved turtle-neck shirt. The bright, in your face, yellow green combines with a bit of dark olive brown to make things a bit more complicated, like the love triangle between Edward, Kim, and Jim. 

Pillbox pigment eyeshadow $5

 Pillbox is a semi-matte lavender with grey undertones. This color was inspired by the sweet, warm-hearted matriarch Peg Bogs. Veggie Beauty matched the color to her retro 1960's style Pillbox hat towards the very beginning of Edward Scissorhands, when she first discovers Edward and brings him to her home. No matter how naive Peg was to bring Edward into her suburban neighborhood, her heart was in the right place and open to accepting Edward for who he was. 

Top to bottom: Unrequited, Inventor, Ice Dance

Left to Right: Rebel, Suburbanite, Pillbox, Not Finished

Left: Kim cream blush swatched heavily; Right: Kim cream blush blended out

 This is another fantastic collection from Pumpkin and Poppy, and I highly recommend everyone check it out.

A very aggravated, slightly disappointed ELF haul

I've had this stuff for a while now, but the weather has been too cloudy to take decent photos. I made an order when the Cyber Monday sale was going on. It was a fantastic deal, but most of the things I wanted were sold out. I also experienced some rather annoying technical difficulties as well as some terrible customer service. 

I placed my order and noticed that I got two confirmation emails. I sent ELF an email telling them that I had gotten two emails and that I wanted to double check and make sure that I was not charged twice for the order. I was told that I had an order processing and that it would ship soon. So, I check my bank account, and they had charged me for the order that I had just made, which is for $19.45. They had also charged another $20 and some change. I checked my order history on the website to see what might have gone wrong, and the only order that was showing up was the one I had just made. I emailed them again explaining that I had been charged for something I did not order. I was told that I would be given a refund. I was given a $3 refund. To say the least, this aggravated me. 

When I received my package, I open it to find they they sent me two of everything I ordered and that the main thing I was placing an order for had gone out of stock and that they would be sending me a refund for those items. I still have not received a refund for the items that went out of stock. 

Not only did I receive two of everything, but some of the items were not what I expected. I ordered three of the waterproof eyeliner crayons thinking that they were going to be thinner like most eyeliners. They are between the size of a jumbo eyeshadow pencil and normal eyeliner. They also contain shimmer, which means I cannot use them on my waterline. One of the colors I got also contains rather chunky glitter and does not apply well to the eyelid or when swatched. The other two colors perform fine, but I will have to use a brush if I want to use them as an eyeliner. 

Left to right: Elf Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Midnight Rendezvous, ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Crayons in Champagne, Gunmetal, and Moss

Champagne is the color that contains the chunky glitter and has less than satisfactory color pay off. Moss has a sheen to it, and Gunmetal seems to have a slight sheen to it. Midnight Rendezvous contains rainbow shimmer. 

I don't know if I will be placing anymore orders with ELF since their customer service so poor that I am out more than $20 dollars. My guess is that the site probably glitched during the sale and charged me the extra money, but more should have been done to fix it. The fact that I have still not received the refund for the items that went out of stock is also unacceptable.

CosmeticCouturier's Silver, Glittery, and Plum Eyes Recreate

Grace, or cosmeticcouturier on YouTube, did a BEAUTIFUL smokey eye using a Sugarpill pigment and the Too Faced Romantic Eye Collection. I have the latter, but I though I could substitute Pumpkin and Poppy's Melanie for the former. I am going out with my family today so, I decided to recreate Grace's gorgeous look. I hope I did it justice!

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion **NOT cruelty free**

Too Faced I Do (crease, lower lashline)

Too Faced First Dance (outer corner, outer lower lash line)

Pumpkin and Poppy Melanie (lid)

Too Faced Bouquet Toss (brow, inner corner)

 Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Black(upper lashline)

Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara **NOT cruelty free**

Face:

Bodyography Foundation Primer in Clear

Cowgirl Dirt Creme Foundation in Warm Three

Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light

Pumpkin and Poppy cream blush in Debutante

Pumpkin and Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil 

Lips: 

Haven't decided yet >.< 

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. 

FOTD

I'm going out to eat and grocery shopping tonight. (Exciting, I know.) So, I've decided that I will start paying attention to my other shadows more. I know people are going to get tired of seeing Pumpkin and Poppy ALL the time, and I need to use all the other things that I have. As I said in my last FOTD post, I will be including Urban Decay products in some posts. I hate throwing away perfectly good makeup, and they were cruelty free when I bought it so, I'll be using it up. I will always make sure to state when a product is not cruelty free. I hope you guys are having a great Monday and that your week is amazing.

Also, I have gotten some samples of the Cow Girl Dirt Southern Belle Creme Foundation, and I ordered the full size last night. I will have a review of it when I've had enough time to test it. I love my 100% Pure, but it's just too dry out where I am for it. I think that's going to be my summer foundation. I also have been testing out the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer. I haven't decided about whether or not I will get the full size of this product yet.

Eyes:

ELF Eyebrow kit in Ash

Elf Mineral Eye Shadow Primer

Nyx Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Milk (from lid to brow)

Makeup Geek eye shadow in Moon Dust (crease, lower lash line)

Urban Decay eye shadow in Lost (Outer corner) ***NOT cruelty free***

Makeup Geek eye shadow in Shimma Shimma (lid)

Urban Decay eye shadow in Skimp (brow)***NOT cruelty free***

Urban Decay eye shadow in Zephyr (brow) ***NOT cruelty free***

Urban Decay Super Curl Curling Mascara ***NOT cruelty free**

 Face:

Bodyography Foundation Primer in Clear

Cowgirl Dirt Southern Belle Creme Foundation in WarmThree

Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light

Pumpkin and Poppy Contouring Powder in Oak Bark

Wet N' Wild Color Icon blush in Pearlescent Pink

Pumpkin and Poppy cream highlighter in Lady of Light

Lips:

Lip Balm

November 2012 Favorites

It's time for favorites again, and I have a few things to show you have I have been really happy with this month. I hope you enjoy! 

Alba Botanica Even Advanced Day and Night Cream

I believe I have found the skin care items I am going to be sticking to. I still use the Yes to Cucumbers Gentle Milk Cleanser, but I have needed some extreme moisture in my skin. I also was very interested in these items, because they are supposed to even out your skin tone. I can honestly say that since I have started using these items (I have the toner as well, but I de-potted it into a different container) I have noticed a huge difference in the amount of redness in my skin. They have a pleasant scent, provide the moisture I need, and they have improved the appearance of my skin. I am very impressed.

Pumpkin and Poppy cream eye shadows in Lockbearer and My Precious; Pumpkin and Poppy pigment eye shadows in Archer and Shire

I have been pretty much using these colors non-stop this month. They are BEAUTIFUL, and they're perfect for fall. All of these colors really bring out the blue in my eyes, and I have just really been enjoying putting looks together with them.You can view swatches of these colors in my Pumpkin and Poppy One Ring Collection Overview.

ELF Mineral Powder Brush, ELF Flawless Concealer Brush, and Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush

I use the mineral powder brush for my foundation. It blends it out beautifully, and doesn't cause my skin to flake up. The flawless concealer brush applies my OCC Skin Conceal really well underneath my eyes as well as on any redness I have. It makes it really easy to blend, and I also use it to set my concealer with powder. I have never had any problems with any of my ELF brushes shedding, and I wash my brushes after every use. The base shadow brush is just so versatile. I have used to for my crease color, lid color, and to sweep a shadow all over my lid. It's fantastic. I have washed it several times, and it has not shed at all. 

Pumpkin and Poppy Lady of Light Cream Highlighter and Debutante Cream Blush/Highlighter

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I just adore these products. They formula is fantastic, the colors are fantastic, and they just work really well for me. For my skin tone, Debutante is a very natural blush color. Lady of light is the perfect highlighter for me. You can view swatches of these products in my Pumpkin and Poppy One Ring Collection Overview and my Pumpkin and Poppy Color Face Products Collection.

Wet N' Wild Color Icon blush in Pearlescent Pink

I have been getting a lot of use out of this lately. It's very affordable, it's a lovely color, and it doesn't bring out the redness in my face like a lot of blushes can tend to do. 

Wet N' Wild Matte Lipstick in 907C

This is just a beautiful color. It's bold without being extremely bold, and it's a good color for fall. The formula of this lipstick in phenomenal, and it leaves a lovely stain as it fades. 

Left to Right: Wet N' Wild matte lipstick on 907C, Wet N' Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink swatched heavily, Wet N' Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink blended out

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Friday and that you all have a wonderful weekend! I would love for you to leave your favorites in the comments or send me a link to your blog post of YouTube video. 

Purple People FOTD

Today, I'm going to the mall with a friend and our kids. I didn't feel like doing a complicated eye look, because I feel like I've been wearing nothing but dark, complicated eye looks. I just want a change of pace for today so, I'm keeping it simple. I have been itching to wear Purple People, and today is a great opportunity to do that. 

Also, as I'm sure most of you have heard, Urban Decay has been purchased by L'Oreal. I will not be purchasing anymore of their products, but some of them may appear in FOTD posts since I will using up what I have.

I hope you enjoy!

Eyes:

Elf Mineral Eye Primer

Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin (all over lid) **NOT cruelty free**

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeliner Trio for Blue Eyes (I used the brown liner on the upper and lower lash line) 

Face:

 Bodyography Foundation Primer in Clear 

100% Pure Healthy Skin Foundation with super fruits in Creme

OCC Skin Conceal in Y0

Pumpkin and Poppy contouring powder in Oak Bark

Pumpkin and Poppy cream blush in Debutante

Pumpkin and Poppy beauty powder in Cave of Wonders

Pumpkin and Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil 

Lips:

Pumpkin and Poppy lip pencil in Purple People

Update on Nyx and Project Get it Out

I have been iffy on Nyx's cruelty free status for a while now because of the mixed feed back some of my fellow cruelty free consumers were getting from their customer service. However, they have recently made it very clear that they will not be selling in China. This means that I will be taking the Nyx products that I own out of my Project Get it Out box, and I will be listing any products I use from them in FOTD posts and whatnot. 

Nyx Article

Pumpkin and Poppy Funny Lip Shape: Purple People and Never Was a Cornflake Girl Swatches

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their families! 

I finally got around to ordering a couple of the newer lip pencils I wanted from the Funny Lip Shape line. I wanted Datura, but it was out of stock so, I got Purple People and Never Was a Cornflake Girl. I am thrilled with both of these colors and the formula of Pumpkin and Poppy Lip Pencils. They're very pigmented and moisturizing, and they have great lasting power. I hope you enjoy!

Left: Never Was a Cornflake Girl; Right: Purple People

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Project Get it Out!

I am lucky enough to have learned about animal testing early on when my interest in makeup started, but I still have some things in my collection that I do not consider to be cruelty free. As a cruelty free consumer, my goal is to only have cruelty free items in my collection, but this can be difficult as companies change their policies often. I am now more careful about where I choose to spend my money. I try to invest in companies that I am more certain won't sell in China or change any other policy that means that their products will be tested on animals.

I have gone through my collection and given away the items that are not cruelty free (and some that are) that I know I just won't be able to use up. I am a very impatient person, and I know that I won't be able to use up items that I just don't like. However, I would feel bad throwing them in the trash and wasting them so, I feel better giving them to someone who will use them. The products that I will be mentioning today are products that I think I can use up. 

You will see that these products are mostly lip products. I am one that tends to neglect lip products. I often will just use a lip balm. This is not to say that I don't have items in other categories that are not cruelty free. I have some eyeliners, a blush, and a couple of eye shadows that I have been working on using up, but I have been making progress on those. The point of this project is for me to put these products where I will have to look at them every time I open the drawer in my desk where I keep all my most used items.

You'll see that I have some Loreal, Revlon, and Nyx products. Hopefully by putting them in this drawer, I will be reminded to use them and make some progress. I am not allowing myself to give these away, because this is punishment! I need to learn to think more about what I decide to add to my collection. I am a person that hates clutter, and I want my collection contain only things that are cruelty free. 

I hope that you enjoyed! Do you have any items you want to use up?

FOTD: Two Year Anniversary

I'm really not sure what we're going to do this evening, but I wanted to continue to play with my new products from Pumpkin and Poppy. Her products are a staple in my collection. I use at least a few things from her line every single time I do my makeup, and I do find that I neglect my other eyeshadows, because I love hers so much. She has released her new Ice Dance collection so, expect a review and swatches of that coming up hopefully in the near future. 

Eyes:

Elf Mineral Eye Shadow Primer

Pumpkin and Poppy cream shadow in My Precious (all over lid and into crease)

Pumpkin and Poppy eye shadow in Three Wishes (lightly dusted onto lid, inner portion of lower lash line)

Pumpkin and Poppy eye shadow in Shire (crease, outer portion of lower lash line)

Too Faced eye shadow in Bouquet Toss (inner corner, brow bone)

I used a matte black shadow to line the upper lash line

Urban Decay Super Curl Mascara

Face:

Elf Mineral Infused Primer

100% Pure Healthy Skin Foundation with super fruits in Creme

Pumpkin and Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil

Pumpkin and Poppy contouring powder in Oak Bark

Wet N' Wild blush in Pearlescent Pink

Lips:

Lip balm

I hope you enjoyed and that you are having a wonderful day.

 

ELF Haul and First Impressions

ELF was having a free shipping on orders 15 dollars and up so, I decided to take advantage since I needed another mineral powder brush. I hope you enjoy!

Elf Jumbo Eyeshadow Stick in Rock

The consistency of this is very creamy. It's goes on very easily and is nicely pigmented. I haven't worn it on my eyes yet so, I'll have to let you know how that goes. I love the color.

Elf  Eyebrow Kit in Ash

The brow powder is really soft and silky, and the wax has a nice consistency, too. I've never been interested in eyebrow things, but I figured I'd give this a shot. I hear many good things about it. 

Elf Eyebrow Lifter and Filler in Ash and Ivory

Since I'm exploring my eyebrow options, I wanted to try a pencil, too. I thought this would be a good one to get since it's cheap and also comes with a lifter side. The filler side is a very good color for my eyebrows, but the lifter is too dark for me to use as a highlighter. I will be using that side on my waterline instead to brighten that up. Both sides are pretty soft and creamy.

I decided to pick up three brushes: the mineral powder brush (which is my holy grail foundation brush, thanks to Veggie Beauty), the flawless concealer brush, and the lash and brow comb. I really enjoy the studio brushes, and I think they are amazing quality. I wash all my brushes after each use, and I have never had a problem with shedding or anything like that. 

I hope you enjoyed my haul! Let me know what your favorite ELF products are.