Testing IO Beauty Skincare

I have been very mean to my face lately. Between trying to use up different moisturizers and the sudden change in weather from summer to winter, my skin has taken a beating. Two weeks ago I started using my ol' faithful MAC Lightful Deep Ultramoisture Creme. Within 3 days of using this moisturizer I noticed a HUGE difference in my skin...it was hydrated, the sallowness had faded, my skin with brighter, and it felt super soft and smooth. This stuff is the only moisturizer that really moisturizes my skin without feeling greasy, absorbs quicly, and brings life back in to my skin. At any moment in time, I ALWAYS have a jar of this moisturizer on my dresser.

So that lasted a week.

Until, I was sent a moisturizer and booster product from IO Beauty, a new skincare line from Beauty Expert Sue Devitt and Nutrition Expert Tanya Zuckerbrot. They have a 4 product regimen they are promoting, which includes a treatment concentrate serum, moisturizer and eye cream, and a Beauty Booster concentrate that you apply to your skin AND ingest. Basically, this system is supposed to provide good skin care from the inside and outside.

Finished in October

I am not going to do a monthly favorites post for October because there was really only one product I kept using, MAC's Face and Body Foundation, so I will do a separate review of that. But I did manage to finish 3 products last month:

1. Philosophy Purity Made Simple - My Holy Grail (HG) cleanser. This is the only cleanser that removes ALL traces of my face makeup, doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or like it has a film on it, and it just works. I professed my love for it here.



2. Phyto Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm - The last time I got my hair cut my stylist gave this to me to try out saying it is the best for calming frizzy hair. She is African American and swears by this product, and I thought if it works for her hair, it will definitely work for my hair! Wrong. My hair is really dry and this stripped all moisture from my hair, and it didn't add any softness. I didn't notice my hair being any straighter with this compared to my beloved Moroccan Oil, so back to the oil it is!

My Halloween Devil Look

I don't like Halloween.

There, I said it.

I know most beauty fanatics love this spooky holiday because it gives them the freedom to go cra-zay with makeup, and don't get me wrong, I like that too, but I hate the build-up around Halloween parties. Everyone always has such high expectations over Halloween party and inevitably, the party ends up being just ok. I did go to one really good Halloween party last year, and I think it was great because we didn't have any expectations and it was at my cousin's house so I was just excited to see my cousins.

In any case, I did end up going to a Halloween party this weekend and I wore my standard issue devil costume. This year I decided to do more of a beauty look with a little funky twist. 

Happy Diwali!!!

To all my lovely readers who celebrate Indian holidays, HAPPY DIWALI and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Wishing you a year of good health, happiness, and prosperity!

MAC Holiday 2011 Faves

It's that time again....MAC Holiday time!!

I recently stopped by my local MAC to check out the holiday collection and I was drooling over the new face kits. These kits are exclusive to MAC stores and online, but I hear that Nordstrom has an exclusive kit too but with different shades. Each kit includes a full size lipstick, full size lipgloss, 3 special edition brushes - 129 SE cheek brush, 275 SE shadow brush, and 266 SE brow/liner brush - and a palette that has 4 shadows and a blush, all for $59.50.



Here are swatches of the warm kit:

L-R: Seasonal Appeal blush, Mellowarm lipstick (top), Join the Party lipglass (bottom), shadows top-bottom: Golden Flurry, Soft Brown, Omega, Carbon

Here are swatches of the cool kit:

L-R: Mocha blush, Hot Gossip lipstick (top), Emancipation Lipgloss (bottom), shadows top-bottom: Phloof!, Dance in the Dark, Quarry, Brun

My MAC didn't have all the kits on display, but they did have the color collection out. I swatched the mineralize shadows, and though they were the smoothest mineralize shadows I have swtached, the colors weren't amazing and nothing I couldn't dupe. I did like Let's Skate Paint Pot, but it was more glitter than color, so I doubt I will be picking it up. 

New Blog Domain

For all my lovely readers, in case you were having trouble with the auto-direct, I wanted to leave a post letting you know that I moved my blog to www.kajalcoutureblog.com. I have been blogging there since September and will be using that domain from now on. Please remember to bookmark www.kajalcoutureblog.com and keep up to date with my beauty happenings. I'd love to see you there!

MAC Must-Haves: Party Line Lipstick

With fall in full-swing, I have been reaching for a reliable old-fave to ease in to the fall dark lip trend: MAC Party Line Lipstick:

This lipstick is perfect for transitioning from summer's light and bright lip colors to fall's deep, dark reds and plums. Or, as in my case, since I rarely wear reds and plums this is my go-to fall and winter shade. It is not too dark, so perfect for those who are hesitant about trying out bold, dark lip colors. I also love that this is a cremesheen formula, so it keeps my lips hydrated....a necessity when the weather cools and the air sucks the moisture from my skin.

For my Indian gals out there, this is also a great shade to wear with Indian clothes. It adds enough color so that you don't look washed out, but it isn't that typical "aunty" shade of lipstick where you notice the lips before the person.

Have you tried Party Line?

Beauty Blog Link Love

Polish Insomniac shows off her favorite manicure to date!

Can you believe that Fall is already here! Check out Spiced Beauty's favorite red fall lipsticks!

Midnight Violets gives us the low-down on some of the great nude palettes available at the moment - comparison included!

Being bored watching Loxy play Shooty-Town led Gouldylox to this helpful discovery. It'll all make sense and help your super-short nailed ladies look amazing when you click here.

Want big Bambi lashes? Amy Antoinette reviews Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara.

Miss Beauty Nerd features a lovely blusher from Iman for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Get full lashes that last throughout the day with L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara, as reviewed by My Lips But Better.

Being an international jet-setter just became a little easier. See how on the Perfectly Imperfect Beauty Blog.

Phyrra shares her Hacks! Cheats for blending eye shadows.

Krasey Beauty has the scoop on the new, the awesome, Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit!

K from Beautifully Addicted To gives you her opinion on MAC's Purple Majesty nail polish.

Kajal Couture reveals whether the $35 Boscia Black Mask is better than a $2 face mask.

Anita compares the new Mac Lighstcapade MSF with the old, prettier version over at Pleasureflush.

---theNotice is still celebrating it's four-year blogiversary! Enter Rae's Pink Giveaway now, and keep your eyes peeled for something big on the 24th ;)