ORIGINS GinZing

ORIGINS GinZing Eye Cream
Retail Price: $29.50
Where To Find: Macy's Origins counter, Origins retail stores, www.origins.com

I love using Clinique's Eye Serum, but these past few months, I have been so busy that I often wake up with tired puffy eyes.  And now that it's winter, the skin around my eyes gets a little dry from time to time.  I researched online on what eye creams help reduce puffiness and are available at a reasonable price.  I decided to try the Origins brand.  What I like about Origins is their commitment to using all-natural ingredients.  Origins GinZing contains caffeine from coffee beans, Panax Ginseng, and Magnolia extracts.

What I love about this product is how instantly I saw the difference!  I just needed a few dabs under each eye, and in a few seconds, I noticed how much brighter my eyes are.  The formula also contains a little shimmer, which I think adds to the brightness results.  The retail price might seem steep, especially for 0.5 oz bottle, but you really only need a very tiny amount.  Like the saying goes, good things come in small packages :)

A good night's sleep is always good the mind and body, so always aim to get enough sleep.  But this product sure helps when you've had a late night or a long flight.

You don't need to look tired and exhausted from the holiday shopping.  So, before you head to the stores or sit in front of your computer to cyber-shop, wake up your eyes with Origins GinZing :)

(Look out for posts on the other items I ended up buying on my Origins trip!)

A Nail Color for the Winter Season

Metro Chic Nail Color  - Sephora by OPI

Retail Price: $9.00

Where to find: Exclusively made for Sephora, so only at Sephora stores or www.sephora.com

During Sephora's VIB insider party, I decided to use my exclusive discount to find a nail color of the holiday season.  I normally stick to my array of reds and one of my OPI favorites, Black Cherry Chutney, but I was really drawn to this gray-purple shade called Metro Chic made by OPI for Sephora.  Metro Chic is one many colors only made exclusively for Sephora. When I tested it, it looks gray, but at a different angle or against my dark purple Longchamp bag, it had a hint of purple/violet.  Since purple is one of the season's colors this year, I thought this color was a great way to compliment the different shades of purple.  From what I've read of reviews on Sephora and fashion magazines, this shade is one this year's trends!

So, go ahead join the trend, or add this to your Christmas/Holiday wish list ;)

A Concealer, a Highlighter, a Blender...Oh My! :)

Lorac Double Feature
Retail Price: $24.00
Where to Find: Sephora, Sephora.com

Not all makeup products are going to be perfect to a tee, but for a concealer/highlighter/blender all-in-one, this comes pretty close!  The concealer is a fairly thick, but hydrating, stick, which is great for under the eyes.  Too much of it, though, it will be cakey.  The nice thing about this product is that it comes with a hygienic blender roller ball that helps even out the concealer.  This enables you to apply a little bit of concealer, then spread it out with the ball; and if you need to apply more, then repeat!  This prevents you from "over-concealing" and the concealer becoming too cakey on your face.

Now, the highlighter is the extra treat.  I don't always use it, but when I do it does add a little shimmer right where it would meet your blush.  I suggest applying three 3-5 tiny dabs along the outside of the eye, forming a "C" around the eye (I sometimes put a dab just right underneath the arch of my eyebrow).  Then, use the blender roller ball to blend it.  The motion should be like connecting the dots!

This product comes in five shades.

Tips:
-Apply a little bit of concealer, then use the rollerball to even it out; if you need more, then repeat this step.
-Just use 3-5 "light" dabs of the highlighter, then blend with the roller ball
-If a shade does not complete/y match your tone, have a foundation powder handy to apply on top.  Actually it's always good to have a foundation powder for touching up in general :)





Photo credit:
Sephora Lorac Double Feature http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P217806&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4144#BVRRWidgetID