Brand Spotlight 2014 - Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment

I am starting my Brand Spotlight products of this month with the eye cream that I have been lovng for the past few weeks.  I made a large Kiehl's order early last month and I have been testing all new skincare products to review this month.  I really do love trying and reviewing new skincare products and my skin has been improving over the past few weeks with use all of the new Kiehl's items.  I have decided to start with the Creamy Eye Treatment as I started using this product a few days before any others.  I know that opinion is divided as to the overall need for a separate eye cream but I do enjoy using a separate product to help hydrate this delicate undereye skin and to help reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.

"This nourishing under eye cream offers creamy hydration suitable for all skin types.  Gently moisturizes the delicate under-eye area.  Uniquely concentrated formula does not migrate into the eyes.  Infused with efficacious ingredients including Beta-Carotene, Shea Butter, and Avocado Oil.  Ophthalmologist- and dermatologist-tested for safety.  For all skin types, including sensitive.  Our top-rated eye cream beloved by Kiehl's customers.", states the Kiehl's website.

The Kiehl's website provides more details on the three key ingredients contined in the Creamy Eye Treatment.

Avocado Oil - Derived from the beloved Avocado Fruit, Avocado Oil has a rich, emollient texture and contains a balance of lipids including omega essential fatty acids.  Within our formula, Avocado Oil is known to moisturize, nourish, and soften skin.

Beta-Carotene - Beta-Carotene is a naturally-derived antioxidant predominantly found in many orange and red vegetables such as carrots.  It is used in Vitamin A production and can give an orange tint when used in skincare products.

Shea Butter - Shea Butter is the natural fat obtained from the fruit of the African Karate tree and is widely used in lotions and cleansing products.  Within our formulas, Shea Butter is known to help defend dehydration, restore suppleness, and improve the appearance of dry skin.

This product can be used day and night and is designed for the undereye area.  I started by using this at both times during the day but I quickly decided that this cream is too thick to use before undereye concealer.  The texture of the Cream Eye Treatment is a very thick, rich cream and needs to be warmed up before application.  I tried to use this product dotted right onto my undereye area and then pat it in but it wasn't fully absorbing when I tried to use in this manner.  After a few applications, I found that I have to get it onto the pad of my ring finger and then rub both of my ring fingers together until I melt the product down.  Once I melt it down, I can easily apply it to the undereye area and it will absorb in quickly.  I found several reviews on this products and nearly everyone recommends using it in this manner.

I love the hydrating properties of this eye cream and I would recommend it to anyone with a dry under eye area.  I am glad that I tried it in the winter months as I am not sure if this would be too heavy in the summer months.  This is a great night eye cream and a great introduction to the Kiehl's brand.  I love that the ingredients in this product are more natural and I can see how this is one of the best selling products that Kiehl's carries.

I have more work to do with the rest of the products that I ordered from this company but this eye cream was a great introduction to the brand and I am looking forward to working more with the rest of my order.

photo courtesy of Kiehl's

Brand Spotlight February 2014: Kiehl's

I started my Brand Spotlight series with a very popular makeup company last month and this month I will be focusing on a skincare brand.  I first started reading about the Kiehl's brand in Allure several years ago and I have been interested in trying their skincare products ever since.  This is one of the oldest skincare companies that I am aware of and it reminded me of what I used to love about the C.O. Bigelow skincare line.  That company has discontinued tons of their products and I have been looking for another line to fill the void, I fully believe that products from this line will be among my new favorites and I see myself ordering a good amount from this brand.

I had to order all of my products from the Kiehl's website, they are not carried at Sephora or Ulta and the closest store to me is over an hour away.  I made one huge order from them several weeks ago and I would love to visit one of their stores in the coming months.  I ordered a whole range of skincare products and a hydrating lip balm and I decided that winter would be the best time for me to put many of these new products to the test.  I think that is the reason that I didn't want any new skincare in my Most Wanted for this month...

Here is a brief history of this brand...

In 1851, the original Kiehl's apothecary opened at the corner of Thirteenth St and Third Avenue in New York City.  Then in 1894, John Kiehl completed his training as a pharmacist and began operations under the name "Kiehl Pharmacy", growing the business and expanding on the Kiehl's name.  The business grew the most in the early 1920s, the business was taken over by John Kiehl's apprentice and he then turned the apothecary into a full service pharmacy.  In 1921, the first-ever Kiehl's brand product was introduced.  This product is the Original Musk Oil, a product that is now considered the brand's signature fragrance.  This is also the when the brand started to grow it's customer service skills and became known for their great products and one-on-one apothecary customer service.

In 1924, Kiehl's became the first company to list the ingredients of their products right on the label, this practice soon became commonplace and grew the level of transparency needed in the cosmetics industry.  The next period of big growth for this company started in 1962, this is the year that many of the best selling products for this brand were introduced.  I have ordered and used several of these best selling products and I look forward to trying even more of them.

photo courtesy of Google

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Beach

We are starting off this year with the last product that is to be featured in this month's Brand Spotlight series, I have been enjoying collecting all kinds of items from a specific brand and I hope you all have been enjoying this series too.  I have found a few new gems from Bobbi Brown and I am really excited to keep ordering and trying more products from this brand, I have a feeling that this series is going to try into a very expensive habit...

We are going to wrap up this month's Brand Spotlight with a review of the iconic Bobbi Brown Beach fragrance, I ordered a bottle of this fragrance at the very beginning of the month and I have been eagerly awaiting the summer months so that I can wear this fragrance as much as possible.  I first smelled this fragrance late last summer and quickly fell in love with it but I forced myself to put off purchasing it until I started to collect products for the warmer weather.  This fragrance smells exactly like the beach and it makes me so excited for the summer!

The Bobbi Brown website provides the following fragrance description, "An eau de parfum inspired by the beach, this best-selling fragrance captures the atmosphere and essence of summer.  Designed with a lightly intoxicating blend of sand jasmine, sea spray, and mandarin; this fragrance is wearable anytime, anywhere."

I cannot put into words how much I love this perfume, it smells exactly like stepping on the beach and it makes me crave summer (even more than usual).  The main note is sand jasmine, this is the "beachy" note in this fragrance and in most of the "beachy" fragrances on the market.  I first smelled this note in the Suntan candle from Bath and Body Works a few summers ago and I have been obsessed with it ever since.  This perfume is exactly like that candle and somehow combines the smells of the sand jasmine with those of suntan lotion and ocean air and turns it into a fragrance I could wear every single day.

Beach is not a fragrance that I would wear for the office but it is perfect for casual summer weekends and warm date nights, it is a light beachy floral perfume and would pair perfectly with a sundress.  I think that this will become one of my new summer perfume staples!

My biggest issue with this fragrance is that it doesn't seem to last any longer than two or three hours when applied to my skin, this could be an issue with my skin chemistry however I have read several reviews that complain about the lack of lasting power.  I have resigned myself to using the EDP in the morning and then carrying the matching Rollerball in my bag with me.  I started by owning just the EDP but I quickly realized that I needed to purchase the Rollerball and I would need to be able to touch this fragrance up throughout the day.  This fragrance is also available in a lotion but I would love to see it in more body products and home fragrance products.  I do believe that I did see limited edition products in this fragrance last summer and I will be looking for more this summer.

My first Brand Spotlight is in the books and we will be switching gears for next month's brand.  This month we focused on one of the top brands in the makeup industry and I will be featuring a primarily skincare-based brand next month.  Any guesses?!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15

We are back on my Brand Spotlight series today and we are looking at my last makeup product from Bobbi Brown for the month.  I have already tried out their lip and eye products and I decided that I wanted to try one of the face products and then finish out my shopping with a new fragrance from this line.  Today we are looking at the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15, I have been testing out this foundation for about three weeks now and it has given me a handle on the quality of their face products.  This foundation has been a great choice for me and I will be trying more face and skin products from this brand.

I chose the Skin Foundation SPF 15 to start exploring the face products in this brand as this is considered a hydrating foundation formula and my winter skin needs any extra hydration possible this time of the year.  This formula is a good choice from fall to early spring and I would like to look for more formulas to use as my skin changes in the warm weather.

The Bobbi Brown website describes this foundation as follows, "This water-based, oil-free formula delivers undetectable coverage and a fresh, hydrated glow for the most natural skin-like finish.  In addition to weightless, long-wearing coverage and hydration, the formula minimizes the appearance of pores, conceals imperfections, and delivers broad spectrum UV protection.  Buildable formula goes easily from light to medium and is available in a wide range of shades for all skin tones."

The website continues with a few more details about why this formula is unique in the range of Bobbi Brown.  "The lightweight water-based foundation sinks into skin, instantly helping to plump, moisturize, boost skin's glow.  Sustained hydration keeps skin looking and feeling fresh, and ensures that color stays true all day.  The oil-free formula is enhanced with light-reflective optic ingredients to give skin natural luminosity."  I ordered this product in Alabaster 00, "the lightest beige with a white hint and pink undertone, for palest skin".  This is the palest shade in the range and the only shade that would work my skin tone.

Bobbi Brown's website states that this products is designed for normal to oily skin types but I have no issues with it on my combination dry skin.  The formula is water-based so it sinks easily into the skin and helps to moisturize any dry patches that are on my face right now.  I can't say that I have seen a huge difference in the luminosity of my skin however I have been using this product with the Caudalie brightening products that I always use.  My skin looks wonderful with this foundation however I think that it is the combination of the foundation and the skincare products.  The combination of this product not sticking to the dry patches on my skin and the natural glow that it gives my skin make this product a great choice for me to use between fall and spring (I prefer BB Creams and tinted moisturizers during the summer) and I know that I will be repurchasing another bottle of this once I run through this one.

The shade Alabaster is a nearly perfect match for my skin this time of the year, I like that the undertones don't lean too pink and it helps to camouflage the redness in my skintone.  This product does not noticeably change colors as it dries down and I have no other issues with it darkening throughout the day.  This foundation lasts about eight to ten hours on my skin and I do have to blot my T-Zone once or twice during the day, I always set this product with powder and I'm not sure how long this product would last on my skin without setting it with a powder.

I really like this foundation and I think that I will be buying more products from the Bobbi Brown face product range.  I have been very happy with everything that I have tried so far from this company and I know that I will end up buying a ton more products from this brand in the coming months...

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick

I wanted to return to my Brand Spotlight slightly earlier than I had planned on, I was going to look at more spring collections today however this blog series is rapidly becoming one of my favorite topics.  Today we are going to look at one of my new favorite products and one that I already know will be on my list of top favorite products of the entire year.  I loved the Smokey Eye Mascara that I reviewed the other day and I have already decided that this brand has some of the best eye makeup products that I have ever used.  

I started my shopping of Bobbi Brown eye makeup products last summer when I tried out a few of their cream eye shadow formulas and now I am in love with their stick cream eye shadow formula.  I have been playing around the Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks for the past few weeks and I needed to force myself to put these down so that I could start working with the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette.  I am going to review these shadow sticks today so that I can get back to working on my thoughts of that palette.  

"A long-lasting, do-it-all eye shadow that's a stroke of genius - just swipe and go.  This budge-proof formula stays put for 8 hours.  Glides on lids tug-free and can be used to shade, define, smoke up, and highlight eyes.  Comes in subtle to eye-popping shades that last for up to 8 hours without creasing, flaking, or fading (and its completely water-resistant).", states the Bobbi Brown website.

The colors available on this product are...

- Vanilla - white cream

- Truffle - creamy beige

- Sunlight Gold - beige gold

- Malted Pink - deep nude pink

- Taupe - medium caramel

- Stone - medium gray brown

- Nude Beach - grayish taupe with a hint of shimmer

- Pink Sparkle - light pink sparkle

- Dusty Mauve - shimmering lavender
- Soft Peach - pastel peach
- Sand Dune - medium beige tan
- Golden Pink - shimmering peach pink
- Goldstone - shimmering brown gold
- Golden Bronze - deep bronze sugar
- Shadow - smokey blue gray
- Heather Steel - deep gray purple
- Bark - rich brown
- Violet Plum - deep shimmer eggplant

I purchased a few of the neutral shades in this product and now would like to order even more shades.  I didn't see all the shades at the counter in Sephora so I will need to visit the counter to find more of these shades.  I purchased the following shades: Vanilla, Truffle, Sunlight Gold, Sand Dune, and Golden Pink.  These shades have either a satin or a shimmer finish and I use each finish a different way.  My favorite finish is the shimmer finish but every shade that I have used is very high quality and pigmented.

The satin finish shades I use right over a primer, I draw them right onto my lid and then buff the edges out with a MAC 224 brush.  I will one shade all over my lid or I will combine two shades to create more definition on my lid.  The shimmer finishes can be used in exactly the same way but I do set down a matte bone colored shadow and a subtle transition shade before applying the shadow sticks.

Bobbi Brown has always preferred a more natural, polished beauty look and enjoys creating products that are effortless to use and last all throughout the day.  These Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks certainly fit the bill and I love that they take very little time to apply in the morning and then last on my lids all throughout the day.  The neutrals are very easy to work with and Golden Peach is my favorite shade of the group.

I want to grab a few more of these shadow sticks, I am hoping that some of the deeper shades will work to quickly add drama to an eye look or to create the gradient needed for a smoky eye.  I want to order the following shades to round out my collection of this product: Nude Beach, Goldstone, Golden Bronze, Bark, and Violet Plum.  I would like to see these in a deep charcoal hue or a pale gray hue, most of these shades trend to warmer or neutral hues.  I would love to see more cool shades offered in this product.

We will be picking back up on my Brand Spotlight series next week, I will be picking back up with a face product and then rounding out this month's spotlight with a new fragrance!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara

We are going back to the Brand Spotlight today and I have been enjoying testing out all kinds of new products for this series.  Today we are looking at the Smokey Eye Mascara from Bobbi Brown, everyone knows that I love to try new mascaras.  I am sure that I will trying new versions from all different brands in the coming months and will be adding quite a few new formulas to my list of favorites.  I have always seen Bobbi Brown mascara formulas recommended in Allure magazine and I have been wanting to try one for quite a few months now.  I decided to visit the Bobbi Brown counter for my mascara purchase in order to make sure that I could see and choose from every single formula.  I have found that my Sephora doesn't have all of the products in the Bobbi Brown brand and I have to visit the counter for the best selection.

Bobbi Brown is well known for having a mascara to suit every single need and makeup look.  The company's website has a "Mascara Finder" and I took this quiz before visiting the counter.  I have always preferred volumizing mascara formulas and the quiz decided that I should try the best-selling Smokey Eye Mascara.  This is actually one of the formulas that I was the most interested in from the beginning so I was more than happy to head to the counter and pick up a tube of this.  The makeup artist working at the counter assured me that I had made a great choice and this Smokey Eye is a favorite formula of hers.

"The perfect complement to a smokey eye look, this kohl-pigmented mascara delivers high drama by creating extremely black, stretched-out lashes in an instant.  Plus, the long-wearing formula holds its own against flaking, smudging, sweat, and humidity.  Builds volume lash by lash as opposed to traditional volumizing formulas that create the appearance of volume by clumping lashes together.  Plus, a thicker brush base evenly combs through eyelashes from roots to ends, while a tapered tip grabs those small, hard-to-reach lashes.", states the Bobbi Brown website.

This mascara is only available in a black shade and this is one of the most pigmented black shades that I have used.  I prefer volumizing formulas over lengthening formulas and my mascara formulas tend to be wetter and then cause clumpy lashes.  I am used to this type of formula so I was a bit disappointed when I first worked with this formula and it didn't instantly volumize my lashes.  I had to get used to building this formula up a bit more than I would with the Too Faced Better Than Sex formula but the extra effort turned out to be worth it.  Many traditional volumizing mascara formulas tend to work in one coat but then the second coat will then start clumping up (until the formula begins to dry out with usage).  The first coat of this formula will provide natural-looking volume and definition and then the second coat is needed to build up the volume.  The second coat doesn't clump up like many other formulas do but it takes slightly longer to apply and perfect.

I feel that Smokey Lash Mascara is one of the "updated" volumizing mascara formulas.  Brands have been alternating traditional volumizing formulas with ones that can be used to create natural-looking volume but can be built up to create much more volume.  One coat of this product works very well for work but then a second coat can be applied to build up the look for going out at night.  I have also found that this is one of the few volumizing formulas that can be used successfully over a primer.

This is my first Bobbi Brown mascara and I am very impressed with this formula, I will be purchasing more tubes of this product and then trying even more formulas from this brand.  I think my next Bobbi Brown product to review will be another eye makeup product before I start moving onto other categories.

photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Lip Gloss

We are looking at the first product that I will be featuring in my Brand Spotlight 2014, it only makes sense that I would start with a lip gloss as I am always looking to add more lip products to my collection.  I thought that I should start with the Bobbi Brown Lip Glosses as I first got the idea for spotlighting new brands when I received a Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss sample from Sephora.  I still have not yet tried that product enough to review for my blog and I will be putting that product review on the back burner until I can order a few more shades of this product.  I contemplated ordering more of the shimmer formula first but I decided that I needed to add more lip glosses to my collection that I could wear in a more professional environment.  Bobbi Brown has been known for her nude lipstick shades and she has a great lip gloss formula with all kinds of wearable shades.

"This high-shine formula gives lips a sultry sheen for a fuller look.  Formulated with jojoba and avocado oils for immediate hydration, plus Vitamins C and E.  Aloe extract soothes lips and helps keep them feeling comfortable.", states the Bobbi Brown website.  I ordered my shades off the Sephora website but I see a few more shades available on company's website and now I will be needing to head over to counter to add even more shades of this gloss to my collection.

The Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss shades...

- Buff - beige pink
- Nougat - light beige
- Nude - medium pink brown
- Pink Beige - light pink beige
- Petal - soft pink
- Hot Pink - strawberry pink
- Bright Pink - watermelon pink
- Rosy - sheer bright rose
- Tangerine - sheer bright coral
- Hollywood Red - bright candy red
- Aubergine - deep grapey plum
- Pink Lily - bubblegum pink
- Scarlet - deep red

This formula is one of the best lip glosses that I have ever used, if not the absolute best formula.  The applicator is a traditional doe-foot, I think that the applicator is slightly smaller than that of the MAC Lipglass and this allows a more precise application.  The formula is hydrating without being sticky, it feels smooth and soft upon application and does not become sticky throughout the day.  I have had some issues with other lip gloss formulas that start off smoothly but become patchy and sticky with wear.  I have had absolutely no issues with any of the shades that I have bought and I doubt that I will have issues with any others that I will be buying.  The wear time is similar to that of any other lip gloss and it will needed to be reapplied after eating or drinking.

I bought the following shades; Buff, Petal, and Rosy.  Buff and Petal are my two favorite shades, these neutrals can be worn with any makeup look and in any environment.  Rosy is a brighter pink shade and I will be saving this shade for next spring/summer.  I really want the Nude shade now, as it will work just like the other nudes that I have already bought.  I thought that several of the pink shades looked very similar when I swatched them on my hand so I only bought one pink shade but now I want more of them since I love this formula so much.  Pink Beige, Hot Pink, and Bright Pink are on my shopping list for pink glosses for the upcoming spring season.  I think that I want to pick up Scarlet and Hollywood Red for next fall and I am tempted by Aubergine too.

Bobbi Brown has always been known for her lip products and she started her whole brand with ten nude lipstick shades.  I have started my love of Bobbi Brown lip products already and I would love to feature four more lip formulas this month but I will hold back on the temptation to scoop up the whole lip area of the Bobbi Brown counter.  I am not sure which lip formula from this company that I will try next to review but I know that I will be trying more lipsticks and glosses from this brand!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Brand Spotlight January 2014: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Brand Introduction

Today is the first day of my Brand Spotlight series and I decided that I wanted to start this series off with a brand that I recently starting ordering more and more products from and that I am very excited to try even more from!  I started using Bobbi Brown Cosmetics sometime last summer and I started to realize that I really needed to branch out more in my beauty product shopping.  Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is a brand that has created some of the highest quality products on the market and Bobbi Brown herself was one of the pioneers of the makeup industry in the early 1990s.  Today we will do a general introduction to the brand and some of the background behind the brand and its creator.

I am pulling most of my information from Wikipedia, I was a bit disappointed to see that the company's website did not have a section about the creator and background of the brand but we will make due.

Bobbi Brown was born in 1957 and is an American professional makeup artist and CCO of her namesake brand, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.  She has written multiple books and articles about beauty and skincare and is well known throughout the industry as a proponent of natural beauty.

"In 1990, Brown worked with a chemist to come up with ten natural lipstick shades.In 1991, the ten shades debuted under the name Bobbi Brown Essentials at Bergdorf Goodman. The following year, she released yellow-toned foundation sticks.  Estée Lauder Companies Inc. bought Bobbi Brown Essentials in 1995; Brown retained complete creative control of the makeup line. In 2007, the first freestanding Bobbi Brown Cosmetics retail store opened in Montclair, New Jersey with a makeup school in the back.  In 2012, Bobbi Brown’s cosmetics were estimated to represent approximately ten percent of Estée Lauder Companies’ total sales.", states the Wikipedia profile on this brand.

This brand is sold in Sephora and nearly every major department store in the world, I have purchased most of the products from Sephora but I do believe that some of the major department stores receive exclusive, limited edition products during the holiday season.  This is brand that sometimes puts out more than one limited edition, seasonal collection and tailors them to more than one big trend of the season.  This line has a larger than usual range of foundation and face product shades and suits nearly every skintone.  Bobbi Brown Cosmetics are more conservative than MAC in their product and shade selections and I tend to wear these makeup products in a more professional environment.

Bobbi Brown started her brand with lipsticks and I will be starting my product reviews with her Lip Gloss formula, I will be puting my first review up in the coming days and we will see how my Brand Spotlight series comes to life!

photo courtesy of Google

The Year Ahead...

Merry Christmas everyone!  I have decided to take some time today and look to the future of this blog.  We have already started to look at the collections for next spring and we will keep this coverage up over the next few weeks.  In addition to my traditional product reviews and collection posts, I will be featuring some different brands this year on my blog.

Earlier this month, I made a list of brands that I feel that I don't own many products from and want to learn more about.  I will pick one brand for each month and we will look at some background on the brand and highlight a few of their best selling products.  In addition, I will be ordering five of their best-selling/top rated products each month and I will be reviewing them on the blog.  I feel that I have been using and loving the same brands over the past few years and I want to see what I have been missing.  As much as I love MAC and Urban Decay, I need to expand my horizons for my makeup and skincare and discover new loves.

First in the Brand of the Month series is...Bobbi Brown!