The Beauty Pirate: Yeas And Nays

What am I gonna talk about today? Hmmmmm...... How about stuff I used today! Shocking, I know.

I'll get my bad news out of the way first. Luzern Labarotories is a major disappointment. I received a set of their Purifying Cleansing Gelee, Force De Vie Oxygen Eye Contour Creme, and Pure Oxygen Creme. The products have had decent reviews, but I can only tell you what I thought. The cleanser felt watery and I felt like my Clarisonic did all the heavy lifting to get my skin clean. The eye cream burned my eyes- they watered for about 45 minutes after using it, and no, I did not actually get it into my eyes. The creme also felt watery and after using it, my skin felt dry and I would up putting another moisturizer on top of it. This for stuff that runs $75-$150? No thanks. I'll praise to high heaven pricey stuff that actually works, but after a week of use I can still not ascertain why this actually gets good reviews. TO each his own.....

Luckily, some stuff did please me.

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Madrid makes my heart (and lips) tingle. My lips actually feel like they did after marathon high school snogging sessions :-) I honestly don't think I can describe it better than they can:

"What it is:
Silky, moisturizing lip color for a smooth, plump lip line.

What it's used for:
Just Kissed Lip Plumper is designed to provide a sexy tint of color while plumping and softening the lips. Formulated with highly moisturizing shea butter, Just Kissed Lip Plumper hydrates and smoothes the lips, leaving them silky and perfectly kissable. A proven peptide encourages collagen production and stimulates natural hydration, resulting in a youthful, supple texture. Mint and ginger invigorate the lips and support circulation, plumping the lips while refreshing and creating a tingling sensation. The lip line is left gorgeously smooth and plump with a soft tint and sexy shimmer. Madrid is a soft plum shade."

Yeah, what they said. Seriously!

Available at

Face Cotz is a sunscreen and makeup primer in one, specifically designed for the face. It's made with titanium and zinc which provides full spectrum UVA AND UVB protection (one causes wrinkles, the other skin cancer) but it's in a matte silicone base so it isn't shiny or greasy and actually provides a smooth even surface for makeup application that rivals many high end primer brands! It's extremely water resistant and perfect for sensitive skin, including those with rosacea. Unscented and makes your skin feel like baby butts! Oh so many exclamation points! Whee!!! Also Available at

I've been having some hit or miss experiences with Bath & Body Works lately, but the Festive Vanilla Fig body lotion from their holiday collection has restored my faith. Of course it has their luxurious feel, but it's the scent that I love. Some of their vanillas smell a bit sickly and 'off' to me, but this one is mingled with the earthy fig just perfectly. The vanilla sweetens up the fig and the fig tones down the vanilla. A brilliant combination. I can't believe they don't have this as a regularly available scent, it's already become my bottle of purse lotion. Luckily you can still get it on Amazon for freaky cheap!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Zero is a perfect basic black. It's soft enough to go on creamily and I can even use it in my waterline- something I almost never do because it irritates my eyes. It's extremely gentle and keeps in place most of the day (I work 2 jobs, so my day is extremely long). The pencils sharpen cleanly and easily without becoming splintery, which I find to be a huge plus- nothing more irritating than losing half your freakin' pencil every time you try to sharpen it! Urban Decay knocks it out of the park with their eye products.
Available at Ulta , Free shipping on $25+ with code 51532

I've raved about Overall Beauty's mineral line before, and the Bronze Turquoise minerals is no exception.
I love that they have sampler packs that you can play around with, and the colors are generally pretty eye popping, especially if you do a wet application. They have a number of metallics that I'm quite fond of and they specialize in a lot of "gothy" colors that are really lovely. The minerals can be applied just about anywhere, even mixed with clear polish for nail color! Silly as it may seem, I like to use some of the blues and greens as lip shimmers when I feel like really standing out- though granted this is a look that I tend to not wear to work at the library.....A little goes a long way so they last forever- I have sample jars from them that lasted longer than some full sized pans. Go check out some of their awesome sparkly colors like Flash and Imagine! And let me reiterate, for $1.50 you can a generous sample jar of any color!

Route Du The Eau de Toilette made in France exclusively for Barney's NewYork is one of their signature blends, a crisp eau de toilette of citrus, muguet and amber that is amazingly affordable considering that it's a Barney's signature (Barney's of the fiddy dollar eyeliner pencils...). A 3.4 oz bottle is only $55! It's a super duper light scent, like subtle breeze. This is a new work favorite because if I put it on before leaving the house it's a quiet enough scent that my co-worker who hates even the light coconut oil used in my unscented hand lotion can't figure out where it's coming from (GRIN) When I'm on the floor I sneak little sniffs of my wrist and feel like a rebel.....I'm a naughty naughty girl!