Reviva Labs Organic Cleansing Milk

I've converted to Reviva Labs for all of my skin care products over the last year, with the exception of my facial cleanser. That is, until I started using their Organic Cleansing Milk. I have always believed that cleansing lotions didn't get my face as clean as a granular or exfoliating face wash did. I used Neutrogena Foaming Face Wash for years, until it disappeared from the shelves. Since then, I've been buying similar products such as Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, L'Oreal Skin Genesis Foaming Cream Cleanser, and RoC Pore Minimizing Cleanser. They all seemed to get the job done--my face felt clean and refreshed, but my skin felt tight until I put my moisturizer on. The RoC product only lasted a few days because if I didn't rinse and rinse, it caused a terrible burning in my eyes. I honestly didn't think I would prefer this type of formula, but I definitely do.

The first time I used it, I squirted out the same amount that I always have with previous cleansers, and I found that I only need to use half that amount to end up with a very clean face. I don't generally use eye make up remover before washing my face, and the Organic Cleansing Milk easily removes all traces of my waterproof mascara. Not only does it clean thoroughly, but my face doesn't feel tight at all when I get out of the shower. The white cream formula is fairly thick--again, I made an assumption, thinking it would be thin because it had the word "milk" in its name. It has a scent that reminds me of sweetened herbs. Here's a look at all of the ingredients in this Certified Organic product:


My skin is somewhat oily, and I find this product makes it feel very clean without causing it to get more oily throughout the day. In hindsight, the cleansers with exfoliating action probably caused my skin to produce more oil, which in turn did indeed make my face start to look oily later on in the day.

My bathroom shelf is a testament to my love of Reviva's products, and it looks like I'll be adding this one to the line-up as well. I continue to order more of their products after reviewing them and they have such a wide range of items, I might just have to find a larger shelf system! This 4 oz. bottle retails for $9.50, so it's more expensive than most of my previous cleansers, which ran around $7.99 for a 5 oz. tube, although the RoC cleanser was $10.49. Organic products generally cost more, and since I'm using less of the product to accomplish the same task as the others, I don't feel that it costs more in the long run.

Reviva has recently introduced a "write a review" element to their web site which allows customers to share their thoughts on each product. Now that this feature is available (directly under each product, along with the complete ingredients list), I expect more reviews will show up to give you additional information about their products.

*Product featured was furnished by the manufacturer for review.

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

It's bright and sunny here today--still cold though! We're bracing for 18-24" of snow coupled with 55 mph winds starting tomorrow, so yeah, I'm really looking forward to that!

In nail news, VNS now has the Color Club Alter Ego Collection available to order, Butter London has a brand new Spring collection, and singer Monica Brown just signed a deal with Orly for a line of polishes. I ordered 3 of the Butter London shades because I don't have any Butter London polishes in my collection, so I'm looking forward to receiving those. I'm debating if I want to order a couple of the Misa shades from their new Wishes Collection, but I'm not really clear on what type of finish they have.

Estee Lauder is coming out with 16 new nail shades that are scheduled to hit the counters in the States around February 28. I'm excited about these new shades because they're not your typical EL shades. There's a green one called Wicked Cypress that looks like something I need, and some of the other shades look tempting also. 8 of these shades will be LE.

I can't believe it's already January 31! My daughter's birthday is tomorrow, so we'll be celebrating that, and my blog's anniversary is in February! I'm still all over the place with what I'm doing to celebrate that, so I'll be finalizing some things today in hopes of being able to start that party tomorrow. I'll be having a number of giveaways, and I'll be offering some of them on the blog, some on Facebook, and some on Twitter. I've been picking prizes up for the past couple of months and I hope you'll enjoy the festivities!

A Trio of Lynderella Originals

My dear friend Lynn, otherwise known as Lynderella from MUA, is a true visionary when it comes to her Frankening. From the creative and sometimes whimsical names, to the shades and finishes, she is an inspiration to many of us. Lynn has graciously agreed to do an interview for us, and I hope to have that posted in the next day or two. In the meantime, here are a few more of her creations.

Above & Below: Angel Fire is a stunning deep lavender holo-filled glitter masterpiece, and it's also a one-coat wonder!

Below: Earth Sign is a glitter/shimmer mix of earthy shades that is surely one of my more blingy brown tones.

Below: Sleepy Holo is a black-based creme with a galaxy of both large and small holographic glitter.

I find such simple pleasure in just looking at all of my polishes and as strange as this may sound, they remind me of an art gallery--all of the different colors and finishes, the architectural designs of the different bottles--some are expensive, some are unique, some are very inexpensive and still very beautiful. Lynn's polishes fall into my rare and beautiful category because they are true originals, and she puts so much of herself and her imagination into them. So thank you Lynn for adding these beauties to my gallery! There are a couple of other posts featuring Lynn's polishes here and here. You can also view some bottle photos here.

Jessica Spring 2011 Runway Style: Seductress (Jelly!) & Alluring Creature

Jessica is offering 6 new shades in their Spring 2011 Collection called Runway Style, and I have a couple of them to share with you today.

Below: Seductress totally won me over once I opened the bottle and realized it was a jelly! This shade is described as a Ruby Pink, and I'll add to that by calling it a vivid watermelon shade. I used two coats with no top coat, and in typical Jessica fashion, the formula excels and makes for an easy application.

Below: When I first saw the bottle, I jumped to the "it's just a red/pink creme" conclusion...that was before I opened it and saw the translucent jelly formula!

Below: Alluring Creature is described as a Baby Pink, and this creme shade has just the slightest hint of lilac to it. Again, I used 2 coats and no top coat, and the application was smooth and even in color. This is not a terribly unique shade, but because I love the Jessica formula, I'll be more likely to reach for this one when I'm wanting a soft, neutral pink shade with great coverage and no streaking.

Below: You can view the promo ad here for this collection, and below shows all six of the shades.

Here is what the press release says about the Runway Style Collection:

Strike A Pose With Jessica Spring 2011 Nail Colours Runway Style Collection

Named after the Sirens Sea Goddesses, the mythical beauties whose enchanting voices seduce passing sailors to shipwrecks, the collection features a color palette of bold corals, shimmering nudes and fresh grays that are designed to compliment frothy chiffons, georgettes and velvet devoré that mimic the waves of the sea.

The six Runway Style nail colours include:

Enchantress - Orange Coral

Alluring Creature - Baby Pink

Seductress - Ruby Pink

Coquette - Iridescent Grey

Goddess - Shimmering White

Temptress of the Sea - Glistening Beige

The Runway Style Collection will be available Spring 2011 and each color retails for $7.50 at Jessica Cosmetics.

I'm definitely going to buy Coquette when these become available, because an iridescent grey sounds like something I must have! I have purchased many of my Jessica polishes from Hello-Gorgeous, and while they never have the most recent collections, they do have a nice selection of shades for $4.95. You can usually find a coupon code for them by doing a little searching.

*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.

Misa Wishes Spring 2011 Collection

Misa Spring 2011: Wishes Collection

Never Say Never: All you have to do is believe—in this frosted ice-princess silvery white, that is—and your nails will transform as you never thought possible. Never say never; just enjoy the cool effect of painting your nails the color of falling snow in moonlight.

Pixie Princess: Fairies are known for their playful, mischievous demeanors, and you won’t find a shade more naughty-but-nice than this soft beige with the subtlest sheen of glitter. It’s no folklore—this delicate hue instantly gets your nails ready to soar above the earth.

Touch the Rainbow: Like a sky after a rainstorm, this baby blue suggests a sense of peace, tranquility and calm. And, just as a rainbow shows off its spectrum of colors, this shade offers an ever-changing opalescent sheen that takes nails to unbelievable heights. Forget the pot of gold; grab this lacquer instead.

Fountain of Youth: We’d all love the ability to renounce the effects of aging, but this shimmering pastel will never grow old on your nails. With a hint of the sheerest springtime green, this polish makes any look brand-new again. Drink in the color and indulge in lasting longevity.

Genie in This Bottle: Do you dream of genies? Once you unleash the fairytale wish-granter from his magic lamp, you’ll never experience life in the same way again. But as you contemplate your three wishes, you might want to make one of them a request for this glittering lilac—it’s one wish that will never backfire!

Whimsical Wish: Blow out the candles, wish upon a star or toss a penny in the fountain. Whatever your method of securing your greatest desires, ensure that your nails are eminently wish-worthy with this pearl shade shot through with pink iridescent undertones.

*Source: Misa's Facebook Page

3 Shades from Essie French Affair Spring 2011 Collection

I received three of the six shades from Essie's Spring 2011 Collection, French Affair, so let's have a look at them!

Below: Coat Azure is a medium blue creme with delicate hidden shimmer. I love this shade and I always love a polish with hidden shimmer, but what's even more amazing is that I only used one coat! In a word, love!

Below: While not particularly unique, Sand Tropez is a trendy pale taupe or khaki shade that applied nicely using 2 coats.

Below: Kisses and Bisses is a sheer pearly milky shade laced with tiny iridescent pink shimmer. This is shown using 2 coats, and the photo was taken with no flash. I love layering polishes, and this one will see much more use from me that way, than on its own. I'm just not a big fan of sheer polishes, although you will catch me wearing them every now and again.

Below: Here are a few looks to show you how Kisses and Bisses works when layered, and a comparison to another favorite layering polish that's similar, Revlon Sweet Nothings #725 Nude Nightie.

Color-wise, this is a fairly subtle array of shades with the exception of Coat Azure. My favorites based on these three and having seen the other three shades in promo pictures, are Coat Azure and Kisses and Bisses. The formula on all three of these was perfection--pigmented on the blue and taupe shades, smooth and even coverage on all three, and a glossy finish without using a top coat.

Essie's been coming out with some great fashion-forward shades over this past year (Sew Psyched, Mint Candy Apple, and Pretty Edgy, to name a few--do you think I have an affinity for all things green?!!), so I'll accept a more subtle collection from them every now and again!

*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.

Katy Perry Black Shatter Is Very Entertaining!

My OPI Katy Perry Collection arrived yesterday, and I've been Black Shattering everything in sight! This crackle polish is by far the best one I've ever used, and it makes me look forward to the China Glaze Crackle Glaze Collection even more!

One Night Cosmetics Complete Palette

One Night Cosmetics recently sent me their compact-sized complete make up palette to try out, and I have a review of it today. This little palette is the size of a credit card and considering how small it is, it still manages to contain just about everything you'd need for a complete look. I find that it's a perfect alternative to a much larger make up pouch in my bag, and it would also be ideal for travel because you can carry this in your bag while checking your large train case or suitcase--which yes, I travel with a lot of cosmetics products because I never know what I might need!

Below: The palette, which retails for $24.95, comes boxed and includes both a fabric (shown below) carrying pouch and a leather-look pouch which is a little thicker. These both fit perfectly into my smaller purses/clutches without taking up very much space.

Below: The back of the box gives a very complete ingredient list. This product is made in the U.S.A.

Below: This is the leather-look pouch and both pouches have a snap closure.

Below: The complete kit, which includes the palette, brushes, mascara and lash tint, all fit comfortably inside.

Below: I received the Medium kit, and they are also available in Fair, Neutral, Medium Tan, and Tan. You can view the shades contained in each color complexion set on their web site.

Below: I love this gloss!

This is a great little kit for portability, and the quality of the products is excellent. The lip gloss and lip color are both subtle shades, which is what I generally wear, and they're pigmented and non-drying. The only thing missing from this kit is a blush, but I've been using the lip stick shade as a cream blush with no problems. My go-to eye shadow color is always a taupe shimmer, so you've got to know that this is a perfect shadow for my preferences. The pigment level on the shadow is extremely high, and a little product goes a long way.

I find myself reaching for this palette not only for a touch up, but also first thing in the morning when I apply my make up. I do prefer to use my full-sized brushes for the full face application, but the mini brushes will work for a touch up. The mascara mini tube is small, but it gets the job done. I wish this was available in a full-sized product, because the formula applies so nicely with zero clumping and perfect separation. The shine control powder works very well also, and at first I thought that the palette needed a powder with color. After using this over my existing powder foundation, I'm glad this is included! It does a great job of cutting down the shine later in the day, and freshening up my look.

If you've been looking for a complete palette that "does it all" and fits effortlessly into your bag, this is a great one to check out.

*Product featured was furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.

The Painted Nail (by Nubar) No Place Like Home

A while back I made mention of a new reality show that's scheduled to air on the TV Guide Network later this year called The Nail Files. I don't watch too much television, but I know I'm going to want to check this show out! The show will take place at The Painted Nail in Sherman Oaks, CA, and features the owner, Katie Cazorla. I ordered three of their polishes--which are manufactured by Nubar--and here's a look at one of them called No Place Like Home. I have a very small collection of Nubar polishes, so I can't compare this to any of their other shades.

Below: No Place Like Home was nearly opaque using one coat, but I used two coats for good measure. This red glitter bomb of a polish is filled to the max with tiny red foil glitter that reflects some gold as well. The finish is a little bit rough and dries to a semi-matte finish, but I imagine a clear top coat would take care of that. It's shown below with no top coat under indoor lighting and an Ott lamp.

This line of polishes has some very cute names (Stalkarazzi, Love My Loubys, and Betty, named after everyone's favorite Betty White) and they retail for $12.50 each. I received my order very quickly--3 days from California, so I have no complaints on their service. The few Nubar polishes I do have all apply wonderfully, and this one is no exception.

Are you going to be tuning in to The Nail Files?

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

I finally finished going through all of the entries for the Zoya Intimate Giveaway and the China Glaze Crackle Giveaway. Remind me never to have 2 contests with the level of popularity that those two collections seem to have, end on the same day! The winner of the Zoya Intimate Collection is Aveaifos, and the winner of the China Glaze Crackle Collection is Shala_Darkstone. Congratulations to both winners, and many thanks to all who entered.

Below: I did a post this past Saturday showing swatches of Lancome's LE 54 polish from their Spring 2011 collection, and this is the photo in Lucky Magazine that convinced me to buy it. My bottle is pictured to the right, and I'd say that Lucky did a good job with their photography as far as getting the image to look like the actual product...

...unlike Vogue Magazine. This is a picture that I posted last week of their depiction of Chanel's Black Pearl. Harper's Bazaar also ran a small piece on Black Pearl, but hmm, look at the difference!

Below: What I want this week! Some of my favorite bags are from Michael Kors and here's one I spotted from their Spring collection that is high on my wish list. Sadly, the $995.00 price tag will prohibit me from getting it this week...or this year, for that matter!

In nail news, Misa tells me that their next release called Wishes, is hopefully going to debut later this week. They also mentioned that this is a satin matte collection, so I'll be looking forward to what that looks like. They also said that their Summer Collection--I'm not sure what the name of the collection is--will be "very glittery".

Many of you have probably seen the early promo photos for China Glaze's Holiday 2011 Collection...well, it's much to early for me to be getting excited about holiday collections, but here's a quick look at the colors on a nail wheel.

That's all I've got for you today! I've been reading quite a bit about how Rite Aid is trying to turn things around sales-wise, and many stock analysts are hinting that Rite Aid has been positioning itself for a good year. They've struggled in the past to meet sales expectations, so I thought now would be a good time to buy some stock in the company. At $1.00 a share, I thought it was worth taking a chance on. I know I buy quite a bit of polish from them anyway, so maybe if their stock goes up enough, I'll be able to take my profits and buy that Michael Kors bags after all~ha-ha-ha!

Button London to Release Kate Middleton-themed Polish

Butter London will be releasing a Limited Edition nail polish to commemorate the engagement and marriage of Kate Middleton to Prince William. The polish will be available in March and it sounds like a lovely shade!

The limited-edition nail laquer is grayish-blue and glitter-infused, according to Nonie Créme, Butter London's creative director. And of course, it gives a cheeky nod to Kate's pre-engagement nickname, "Waity Katie."

You can read more about this polish at People Magazine here.

Lancome Ultra Lavande LE 54 Le Vernis Swatches

I wasn't planning on swatching anything today because I'm not feeling well, but I received this beauty in the mail today and I needed to have a look at it! Every now and again Lancome comes out with a unique nail polish shade, and this is one of them. LE 54 is one of two shades offered in their Spring 2011 Ultra Lavande Collection.

Below: The macro shot shows the medium lavender base color, and it's filled with an abundant amount of tiny pale turquoise foil glitter.

Below: This covers fairly well with one coat (shown in the first picture), but as you can see, there are still some bald areas. The first coats leaves the base looking like a watery lavender color, and the glitter is fairly evenly dispersed.

Below: This photo shows a 2-coat application, which allows the base to become more of a medium lavender creme. It's not perfectly opaque with 2 coats, but I'm satisfied with the look that the second coat gives.

I found the formula to be easy enough to work with, although it is a little different. It's like a cross between a creme and the Color Club Glitters--a little jelly-like in texture, but not enough so that it gets too thick or uneven during the application. The glitter is very sparkly and because it's so dense, the entire nail can take on a very foil-like finish in brighter lighting.

My local counter doesn't have this collection in yet, so I ordered it from Lancome's web site earlier this week. I applaud Lancome for stepping out of their generally safe zone when it comes to the majority of their polishes, because this one is gorgeous! The base color is subtle enough with one coat that I think it would work nicely as a layering polish over other colors as well.