Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Review (Winter Skin)

For years I have watched YouTube videos about skin care.  One thing that kept coming up was the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré.  I have to admit, I was very skeptical.  It was mostly because many of the videos I was watching were of women in England.  England and my dry, cold, then suddenly warm, then beyond cold Colorado in the winter and dry and hot in the summer, are two very different climates.  I realize the popular conception is that American women go gaga for French cosmetics because we see the French as being mysterious and gorgeous.  I won't say they aren't, but it was actually one of my concerns (being formulated in France for their skin concerns).  Colorado is so freaking dry.

 So, I thought that there was a high chance would not love this moisturizer as much as the legendary Pixiwoo sisters did.    Even the amazing Lisa Eldridge mentioned this her menopause video.  The glorious Fleur DeForce did a haul video with this.  The hilarious Essie Button (Estée), who is Canadian, but lives in England mentioned this in an empties video.

Teni Panosian, also did this in a favorites video.  I wanted to try it, but I didn't have high thoughts for it.  Different conditions, you know?  Remind me one of these days to tell you about the change in my skin when I lived in Texas....

But the name sounded like embryos and that freaked me out.  Note: it doesn't contain embryos.  It's just named thus because it's supposed to make your skin soft like a baby.  It's also supposed to prime your face, which I didn't know before lots of reading.

Getting my feet wet...(Note: I did not apply to my feet)

Birchbox had the 1 oz for about $16.00.  Yes, I know, that's tiny and the math follows getting the bigger one, but I was scared! $16.00 is easier to reason than $28.00 for something you don't know if you'll like.

According to Embryolisse they were created in the 50's when a "Paris hospital dermatologist specializing in skin diseases"  created this formula.

The container is like a foil tube rather than a plastic one.

"Ingredients

Aqua. Paraffinum Liquidum. Stearic Acid. Glyceryl Stearate. Triethanolamine. Cera Alba. Cetyl Palmitate. Butyrospermum Parkii. Steareth-10. Polyacrylamide C13-14 Isoparaffin. Laureth-7. Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Aloe Barbadensis. 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol. Tropolone. Parfum.

Note: Paraben Free and Not Tested on Animals"

I used this after an exfoliating mask to try and it felt as though my skin was drinking this in.  It is quite thick, nearly unscented, and my winter skin adores this.  I think I heard it cry the few nights I tried to wear something else. 

Can you see how thick and luscious that is?

It's supposed to be great for all skin types, I'm not 100% sure about it being good for oily skin, but then again, oils are good for oily skin, maybe it helps the skin produce less oil because it's already quite moisturized.

 I've been using it mostly morning and nightly since purchasing.  I have used it to remove my makeup, it does fairly well.  It won't remove cosmetics quite as well as my avocado oil, but it doesn't clog my sink as far as I know, either.  So...umm, maybe Embryolisse wins there (if we count my sink's vote)! 

65th Year Anniversary Packaging.

I had already made my Sephora order (contents coming soon in various blog posts) and then I saw this.  Gold packaging.  Okay, I've come to realize I'm a little more cool than warm, doesn't mean that I don't love gold.  

This is 2.5 oz.

This formula is very rich.  It is perfect at night.  During the day, as I have mentioned, I use the Wayne Goss foundation over powder routine.  Seriously, if you don't do this, at least give it a whirl.  The Lait-Crème works beautifully with this method.  I finish up with an Hourglass Ambient Powder and it's perfect for my normal skin.  If you don't, this might be a little rich to wear under make-up.

My skin feels deliciously soft and supple with this stuff.  I keep having to resist touching my face because it feels so soft! I had an eye cream I was trying that made my under eye burn and this saved me.  I have also put it on my lips when they were ubër dry (like after doing a ton of those lippie swatches lol) and it helped!

I'm not going to kid you, it's not the cheapest moisturizer out there.  I'm not sure it will be the best in the summer when I will want SPF (yes, I know, SPF is still important in the winter, yes, I'm still wearing sunscreen in the day) and it's 90 degrees Fahrenheit and makeup melts from my face in gross oily trails.  But for the winter this is wonderful.  It's also not the Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow, which I want so bad but $55.00 for 1.4 oz.  Ouchies!

I did note that it said that it was not tested on animals vs cruelty free and it did not have leaping bunny logo.  I don't know if that means the individual ingredients were not tested, but the final product was?  Or what?  So, grain of salt with that but some what happy.

So, since winter is winding down, you may find the small size suits your budget and your needs better.  $16.00 for a moisturizer is pretty good.  If you find that you want to try to use it to remove your makeup, buy the larger size, it should last you until spring.

I like this product and found it to be good for winter.  If you would like, I will let you know how I feel about it for spring and summer.  But I'm placing my bets now; too heavy for day in summer, great over a sun burn, good for removal of makeup, and once a week for night mask or more frequently if tanning or burned.

*Embryolisse does not know je parle français, nor do they care.  They do not care about Americanized idolization of French skin care and did not send me any for free.  I bought my small size from Birchbox without use of points (I have very few and am saving) and then my larger size from Sephora, using Ebates (that's my link and I get points when people use it).

February 2015 ipsy First Look

Birchbox set the bar for subscription boxes high this month.  But I totally sneaked a peak and I was excited about ipsy as well.

ipsy is also a monthly subscription that gives you roughly five samples a month.  It comes in a cute bag.  It is also $10.00 and allows you to refer friends.

The bag.

The bag this month was okay, it feels like a coated canvas.  It feels easy to clean.

The first item I was received was a blush.  Once upon a time, I was the woman who lived with one blush.  It was the Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick in Rose.  With my YouTube obsession and with my subscription services, that is thing of the past.  ModelCo is an Australian brand I've been able to try through said services.  There were two blushes that one could have received.  A peach one and this candy pink one.  It's ModelCo Blush Cheek Powder in the color Cosmopolitan.  As usual, blush swatches kinda...erm...are not the best.  But it's a pretty color, has a soft texture, and on the skin looks like a natural flush.  Perfect for Valentine's.  It's $22.00 for the full size.

My next product was a lipgloss that goes well with the blush.  If you watch From Head to Toe on YouTube, you'd know that she feels that it's good to match your blush to your lipstick.

So, I can totally zoom in more with my phone and focus than I thought.  Who knew?

The color I received was the Cargo Cosmetics in the color Anguilla. I love this sort of color.  It's a milky baby pink.  It's sort of odd on its own unless you really like a pale nude.  But over a lip color?  It's not bad.  I wore it over Frida today and it toned it to a cooler pinky peach that was very spring!  It smells remotely of petroleum jelly.  It is a little sticky but not highly so.  It contains vitamin e and jojoba oil.  The full size is $16.00.  It's supposed to be long wearing but I didn't find it to be.  It is comfortable and feels like it might be moisturizing.

My next item was a Rob Scheppy for 'tini beauty in the color pearl fizz.  Rob Scheppy is a professional make-up artist and paints the faces of the oft imitated Kardashians.  This is a color from the 'tini beauty palette.  It has eight shadows and is $39.50.  It is soft and very well pigmented.  The color on the site is called a pearly white.  It's more of a pearly champagne.  This is a staple color, but one I feel you can find in nearly every good palette.  If you love the Kardashians this might be something to own just because of him.  I think if I lived when Marilyn was alive and Whitey did a palette, I would own it, just because.  Not so much because of Marilyn because I'm more Audrey, but because Whitey was a make-up god.

As I've said many times over, I love masks.  There is something kid fun with glue and your hand about a peel off mask.  Hey Honey is brand started by a woman who wanted to simplify her beauty and felt that honey is a miracle item.  I completely follow that train of thought!   I'm looking forward to trying this mask.  Hey Honey Take it Off is loaded with AHAs but in small concentrations, meant to be worn on the face for about 20 minutes.  It's $35.00 for the full size, which is fairly normal for a mid range face product.

I don't like pink and I think this is gorgeous.

My last item was the item I was the most excited about.  I was also nervous about it.  I love make-up brushes.  But I went through my share of cheap brushes.  I'm ready to graduate to...investment brushes.  I received the Luxie Large Angled Face Brush 504.  I thought it might be flimsy and not apply blush well.  I was wrong.  It applied my blush in a natural way but not as pigmented as my Bobbi Brown that I've been using. It is vegan.

 I enlisted my boyfriend for some impartial judgement.  I picked three brushes that were very similar in shape for the softness test.  The contenders were; MAC 168 ($35.00), Sigma large Angled Contour - F40 ($22.00), and the Luxie Large Angled Face Brush 504 ($16.00).  Because of density, my MAC is my contour and the Sigma is my highlight/concealer setting powder.  He found that the MAC was the roughest, the other two were close but the Luxie was the softest!  For $16.00 this is a not a bad brush.  Plus, it's pretty.  It's more my sister, (Hi Sara!) than me, but I like this for blush, so far.  I'll probably try it for other things too.

The clear winner of this bag was the brush.  I think it gave my very good Birchbox a run for the money, but I know that I will use this long after I've used everything else.  I might even buy more Luxie Brushes!  So, I think, (by a narrow margin) ipsy wins again this month.

I've got some exciting blogs coming.  My Christmas/Valentine's gifts are coming and I based them on monthly favorites on YouTube.  I have Marlena March coming.  Marlena is the woman behind Make Up Geek and I thought that it was about time I tried that band wagon.  Do you have products from MUG you want me to try?  Let me know!

February 2015 Birchbox First Look

So, this month I wasn't tickled rosy by the sample first picks in my Birchbox and I just knew that it would be the lavender lotion all over again (I'm shuddering violently at the memory).  I'd end up with the item I wanted the least.  This month there was a guest box by Rent the Runway.  Rent the Runway is a company that rents dresses and accessories for about a quarter of the price of purchasing.  It's a pretty nifty idea.

Even though it wouldn't be a surprise, I was a lot more excited about the things in the box.  Plus, super cute box.

I just love the flower details on the side.

In case you were unaware, Birchbox is a $10.00 a month subscription box that gives you five samples.  It can be a great way to find products you love, like, or hate.  You can refer friends for points.

As usual it's packaged very well.

I was so excited for this box to come.  I wasn't waiting by the mailbox or anything, but I might have been stalking the tracking.

I love the packaging on the container.

This was one of the products I wasn't jumping up and down for, but hey, I can't remember the last time I paid for dry shampoo.  I've also been wanting to try Fekkai.  The Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher is $10.00 for a 1.7 oz and $40.00 for 4.9 oz.  It smells like fresh shampoo.  It seems to volumize well.

I adore scrubs.

Another brand I've been wanting to try is derma e.  In the winter a good scrub is about as important as a good pair of gloves.  So, I was excited to try this as well.  The derma e Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Gly colic Scrub is for normal to oily skin.  It has a very faint scent.  When I first squeezed it out and saw the little brown flecks I was worried it was like a certain scrub I loved in my youth but have learned with age is actually a harsh scrub.  It wasn't harsh at all.  It feels creamy and is leaves your skin glowing.  It's 100% vegan, cruelty free, and paraben free.  It has a Broke Woman friendly price point.  It's $12.75 for 4 oz.  

Mine kinda leaked a little.

Sadly, this was the thing that sold me on the box.  I have tried the Not Soap Radio body wash in the lemon scent (When Life Gives You too many Lemons....).  I was excited about that because I've been wanting lemon scented things that don't smell like Fruit Loops.  Lemon Sugar.  That's the smell.  

A little off track?  Okay!  Well, I've seen this on the Birchbox site and I was thinking of using my points to purchase it.  I have a whopping $30.00 worth right now!  I've seen the Not Soap Radio The Stuff Cupid Dips His Arrows In before and I keep thinking about purchasing it.  But I had no idea what it smelled like!

 It is a glorious blackberry and vanilla scent that's mild, it doesn't last very long on the skin.  Some people have found it to be drying, but since I do so much junk for my skin, I haven't found it to be.  This has a decent price of $16.00 for 13 oz.  It is high priced if you use drug store, but cheap for people who buy higher end.

My cat kept sending this rolling.  This pic took forever to get lol!

I kept wondering which color of the eyeliner I would get.  I have a purple of theirs which was nice.  I saw a lime green and I was kinda nervous I would get that.  Then I started imagining makeup looks with lime green.

I received Sumita in the color Raina.   I like navy liners.  They're great for tired eyes and making them look a little less red.  I wear contacts and my eyes are pretty much always a little red.  It is sort of creamy but a little crumbly.  It looks brighter in the water line and needs a few coats.  It doesn't last long there.  It is $11.00 for the full size.

How cute is this packaging?

I was excited to get this lip-gloss.  I like theBalm products in general.  I received theBalm Read My Lips in the color Bam!  It's supposed to be a rose pink.  As others have said it's more peachy pink.

It is infused with ginseng and I guess since we ingest so much lip products a year, it might be mentally stimulating.  I liked the formula, but it's not really my color (guess what you'll be getting tomorrow Misty?).  Just too warm for me.  It's $15.00 for the full size.  It's supposed to be paraben and cruelty free.

I was happy with my Birchbox.  I would have loved the lip-gloss if it wasn't so warm.  The eye-liner is okay, but I use Urban Decay and it's a tough bar to touch.  I really liked the dry shampoo, the scrub and the body wash.  I think Rent the Runway has great taste.  

Birchbox set a high bar.  Will ipsy manage to meet or beat it?  Or will it fall short?

ColourPop Brills Lippie Stix and Pencil

I've really been wanting to try a purple lipstick.  I've seen other people wearing it and it looks so cool!  I see Shaaanxo wearing it sometimes (is there a look she can't pull off)?  I wanted to get my feet wet, but I'm scared to take the purple plunge.

I decided that for my last color in my ColourPop order, I would try a purple but not a full on scary purple.  I chose ColourPop Brills Lippie Stix and Pencil.  I was a little apprehensive after my order.  Maybe I should have bought Fetch instead.  It was safer.

Wanted you to see the pop of color inside.

For $5.00 each, I knew that even if it wasn't my thing, I wouldn't hate myself.  I mean could you imagine buying a Tom Ford lipstick and hating it?  I hate returning things, but for $50.00, I so would!  One day...

Brills is a pretty lilac color to me.  I know other people call that lavender, but the lilacs that grew by the house where I grew up were that color.  When I see lavender, it's a darker color.

It has some pink in it, which tones down the color.

 I really loved the color in a swatch and was excited and nervous to try it.  How spring is that color?!

That's a birthmark.

I do really like this lipstick.  It's a great way to try purple without having a BAM! purple.  I will be wearing this frequently.  I think that this would be good on many skin tones.  I think this will lead me into the world of purple lip.

This is a satin finish that mattes down, it has a decent lasting time, is pigmented, and is comfortable to wear.

Bouquet for you!

As much as I adore ColourPop, I have had sooooo many posts on these lately and I'm sure people have had enough.  So, I will make sure that my next blogs won't be about ColourPop.  However, if you are on a budget and want to try a new lip color, I have found ColourPop to be a really great brand.  Not only is there a lot of quality, especially for the price point, but their customer service is great.

*ColourPop didn't fund my trip into the purple abyss.  I paid for this myself.

ColourPop Dahlia Lippie Stix and Pencil

When I saw Manny MUA's December favorites he was wearing this color on his lips that was so beautiful I wanted.  It's another ColourPop color, this time in Dahlia Lippie Stix and Pencil.  I know, you're probably sick of me and ColourPop.  I promise, I'll slow my roll on this shortly.

This is another collaboration color.  This time by Megan Naik.  It's matte, it's warm toned but not unwearable for me, and a pretty burgundy color.

I haven't mentioned yet, but ColourPop doesn't contain parabens or sulfates, so if you're trying to avoid those in your life, this is another reason to try ColourPop.  They do contain Vitamin E, mango, avocado, and shea butter.  Again, they do not test on animals and they are made in the US.

It looks scary, I know.  But the vampy colors have been rocking on YouTube fall and winter and this is right there for that.  It was there last year too, so maybe it'll be good next year.

All my swatches are taken in natural light.  Otherwise they look bad!

This color probably again, not going to be for everyone, but it's very pretty.  I will wear this through the winter, but this would be a shade that I retire in the spring and summer.

ColourPop did recently start shipping to Australia and New Zealand, autumn is right around the corner for you ladies, so you may be thinking this color for that!

Whoa over-lined much?

I'm moderately happy with this buy.  I wish I had started using ColourPop back in September, because this color would have been amazing in the autumn, but I'll just have to make the most out of what's left of the winter.

It's a long lasting color and does wear well, although does feel drying through out the day.  It has a more dry application on both the pencil and the lipstick.  It can be a little messy so if you're like me and a makeup lover not an artist, you may need to practice to get this on without looking weird.  It does feel a little more sticky than the other colors.  It really does need the pencil underneath, without the pencil the application was patchy.

If you want to try the vampy lip, this is a great color to experiment with for only $5.00 for the lipstick and $5.00 for the pencil.  It has the downside of being patchy and messy so that can be a slight turn off for this lip.

*I bought and paid for this myself.  ColourPop didn't think I needed to try their products for free.

ColourPop Scandy Lippie Pencil and Stix

The day after my issue with ColourPop's Heart On had been fixed, was pay day.  It was a rent check, so you know I was broke.  But I wanted to have things to post.  So, I spent $30.00 to get more lippies!  Really, the sacrifices I have to make for this blog ;) Okay, maybe I wanted more Lippie Stix and Pencils.

As I've already mentioned, I love a bright lipstick.  I think they're fun!  It has been an in the last year sort of thing.  So, when I saw Scandy Lippie Stix and Pencil, I knew this was where it was at.  It reminded me of Mac's Candy Yum Yum, which I don't own, so I'm not 100% that it's a dupe, but I have a feeling it might be close.

Scandy is in a satin finish, it's a bright neon pink.  This is summer in a roll up tube.

Yup, making messes again lol!

I love this color and while I like it on me, do you know how pretty this will be on a tanned person?  Oh yeah.  You know it too.  At $5.00 per product, this is a steal!  It has a creamy application and could be a little messy.  The color does transfer, but it will last roughly 5+ hours.  It is fairly comfortable but does tend to dry down.

From Left to Right: MAC Pink Nouveau, MAC Show Orchid, ColourPop Scandy, ColourPop Heart On

For some reason I always want to call MAC's Show Orchid, "Snow Orchid."  No idea why lol.  I love this color too.  Yes, it's pretty similar to Heart On, but as you can see it's not the same!  If you like bright pinks, this will be your new buddy.  If you want to try a bright pink, it's $10.00 for the Lippie Stix and the Lippie Pencil, so it won't break your bank if you aren't a fan.  It's cheaper than MAC and they don't test on animals!  Yay!

This color probably won't be for everyone.  It is fun though and I am already imagining this in the summer!

* Colourpop didn't think I should brighten my life with free lippies.  I bought and paid for this with my own nearly empty bank account.

ColourPop Heart On Lippie Stix and Pencil

So, I know I told you I had another Colour Pop Lippie Stix and Pencil, but that there would be a story with that.

To start with I ordered it with Frida and Bound.  But I am a genius.  I accidentally ordered two Heart On Lippie Pencils and no Stix.  My heart sank!  I used the "Contact Us" button and explained how stupid I was.  Within minutes Kelsi from ColourPop messaged me and told me that she had fixed my issue.

When I received the package, there was no Heart On for me.  I again contacted them and Kelsi was super nice again and fixed it (again within minutes of my message).  So, even though their products are $5.00 a pop, their customer service is not.  Thanks Kelsi for being awesome!

First of all, Heart On.  What a name!  If you don't get it yet, say it out loud and run it together.  Get it?  Okay, now that that's out of the way, I totally fell in love with this color when I saw it on their site.  It's stunning!  

You better believe I killed the bag it came in.  That thing was ripped open and as the dust from the padding material settled, I had my long awaited Lippie Stix and Pencil in the color Heart On.

As you can tell it is a little messy.  

What a color!  It is a cool toned popping magenta, the formula is matte.  Boy is this long wearing.  It lasted from when I put it on until I washed my face before bed, with zero touch ups.  It was drying and a little messy to apply.  It did transfer at first, my morning coffee cup looked as though I had left it in a bordello.

It does stain, you wouldn't believe how hard it was to get off my arm.

The swatches on the site show it on light and medium dark skin and it's pretty on both.

Sorry for the messy application.

This is definitely a color I'm excited to have.  It will be great for spring and summer.  Who am I kidding?  I'll wear it year round, because I love a bright lip.

* I was sent this one only because I paid for it and didn't receive it.  Kelsi might be the only one at ColourPop who knows me, but she probably responds to so many people that she doesn't remember my emails.