Origins Brightening Musts Skincare Kit Review

 Hey! Another half-finished draft post! Woo! I bought this set from beauty.com ages ago, but I've already repurchased two of the three products since then.  I bought my first Origins skincare item back in Fall of 2011 and I've been a huge fan ever since.

This kit consisted of a full-size VitaZing SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer, a travel-size Modern Friction dermabrasion creme and a travel-size GinZing eye creme.

What I liked:

• VitaZing is great.  It's hydrating, tinted and it smells good.  It doesn't make me break out or otherwise irritate my skin.  I've repurchased this.
• GinZing is also hydrating and it has a little bit of peachy tint when applied so it brightens the eye area.  Works well and doesn't sting my eyes.  I've repurchased this as well.
• The kit as a whole was a good price, but it's now sold out.  

What I didn't like:

• VitaZing only came in one shade when I bought this.  The tint is good in the summertime when my face is a little more tan, but a bit dark and obvious when I'm paler.
• Modern Friction burns like hell.  It stung my skin, my nose, my eyes, my lips, everything.  To add insult to injury, it didn't even do a good job of exfoliating.  I don't intend to ever experience that again.  Bleh.
• GinZing in a jar dries out way faster than GinZing in a tube. 

My Origins holy grail is the Mega Mushroom line, but I love the "zing" things just as much.  I suppose the mushroom products are better for winter and these are better for summer.  Really, out of all the Origins stuff I've tried since 2011, Modern Friction is the only thing I haven't liked, and when it comes to me and skincare items, that's really rare.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio for Blue Eyes

 Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio for Blue Eyes

press sample

 Hey... look what I found hanging out in my drafts folder.  Eyeliner! Pretty ones, too. All this time just waiting for me to do some eye looks and swatches with them.  But, hey, I took pictures, might as well post them, swatches or not.

What I liked:

• Pretty packaging
• Good, basic, very wearable colors
• Easy application
• Smudges nicely
• Reasonable price
• It's for blue eyes, but all three shades look especially nice on dark brown eyes like mine

What I didn't like:

• Not as pigmented or intense as any other kohl I've used
• Breaks very easily
• Grittier than other kohls I've used

Not bad, but not great either.  I wish they were more pigmented because I like how easily they apply, especially if I feel like doing a smudged liner smoky eye thing.  At least they're cheap! About $10 for the trio.

(sample provided for review)

China Glaze Texture Collection Summer 2013 Swatches and Review

China Glaze Texture Textured Polish Collection

(press sample)

Here's China Glaze's entry into the textured polish arena.  So far I've mostly worn glitter-based textured polish, but I gotta say, the texture really stands out on matte creme colors like these. I've grown to like the glittery kind, sure, but some of them just look like you forgot to put on topcoat. These are not like that.

China Glaze Bump and Grind.  

Bright fuchsia-coral creme base with sandy texture.

China Glaze In The Rough.  

Light yellow-toned green creme base with sandy texture. Reminds me of really cheap guacamole, the kind that's probably only 2% avocado. 

China Glaze Itty, Bitty and Gritty.

Bright pink coral creme base with sandy texture.
p.s. itty bitty gritty committee 

China Glaze Of Coarse!

Medium sky blue creme base with sandy texture.

China Glaze Toe-Tally Textured.

Light yellow-toned orange creme base with sandy texture.

China Glaze Unrefined.

Light pink creme base with sandy texture.

The formula on these is gritty (obviously).  There are two things to be mindful of when applying this formula: One, the grit can clump together, so you may need to brush over it a few times to get it evenly distributed across the nail.  Two, if the base to grit ratio is wrong, some spots will look smooth and shiny instead of evenly textured.  Thin, even coats are a must if you want a uniform look.  Other than the grit (think of it like glitter), it applies like a normal polish.  These are opaque in two coats (what I'm using here) and dry to a semi-matte finish.

I gave each of these about 15 minutes to dry before photographing them and they all seem to retain a slight amount of gloss rather than drying to a true matte finish.

If you're looking for something unique, unusual, and hell, even flat-out weird, this is it.  The textured look is odd enough, but combined with the unexpected base colors (spring green??) in the collection they're just completely bizarre.  I like bizarre.  Toe-Tally Textured is my favorite here (I just really like orange), but if you want to go all out crazy... In The Rough.  Such a strange polish.

These are available now!

(Samples provided for review.)

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic Lip Tar in Yaoi and Clockwork

Currently digging these two new(ish) shades of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar (sent for review):

OCC Lip Tar in Clockwork.  OCC calls it a "burnished orange creme," but I think it leans a little bright against my skin tone for me to think of it as burnished.  On me it looks like a pink-toned, white-base orange, almost more of a salmon or coral color. 

OCC Lip Tar in Yaoi.  I'll admit it, I mostly like this one for the name.  Doesn't hurt that it's also a wicked cool color, though.  It's a bright neon fuchsia, and since it's one of their "metallic" shades, it has a silvery shimmer overlay.  It's not really sparkly; the shimmer texture is like the shimmer in a foil nail polish, but it's not reflective or metallic either.  More like a frost. 

Yaoi does bleed and feather on me after a while so I try to remember to carry lipliner with me when I wear it.  I like clear lip liners like Urban Decay Ozone, that way I don't have to try to find a matching color.  I don't seem to have a bleeding problem with Clockwork.

Like all the other Lip Tars, these are insanely pigmented.  If you try to apply one like you'd apply a normal lipgloss, you'll be in for a shock.  You only need a tiny, tiny amount for complete coverage.  I have the best results when applying them with a lip brush, but you can apply straight from the tube if you're careful and don't mind getting your fingers dirty.

These are available directly from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, $18 for a 0.33 oz tube. 

(Sent for review.)