Vampires Need Skincare, Too: Josie Maran Haul and Overview

For a while, I've noticed that just about every Sephora "Favorites" kit has come with a Josie Maran Argan Color Stick, and I've been intrigued. Then, a couple of months ago, Thomas and I were in Sephora and he noticed the Josie Maran display.

Thomas: Is that the vampire chick from Van Helsing?
Me: What?
Thomas: On that sign over there--is that the vampire chick from Van Helsing? Does she do makeup now?
Me: No! That's Josie Maran. She's got a makeup company that does a lot of stuff with argan oil. It's supposed to be really good. She probably just looks like that girl from Van Helsing.
Thomas: I'm pretty sure that's the vampire chick.
Me: I doubt it, but you have IMDb on your phone. Look it up.

She is totally the vampire chick from Van Helsing. I'm not ashamed to admit that I freaking love that movie, so the fancy argan oil makeup instantly became exponentially cooler. That said, I've never been one to buy a product simply because it's hawked by someone I think is nifty. I decided to ask around to find out if any of my beauty junkie friends had tried the line (found some absolute devotees), and also watched Ms. Maran and her cosmetics in action on QVC. (In my defense, I'd just spent the night in the ER and was in no mood for daytime television. I also couldn't focus enough to read, so it was home shopping or staring at the wall.) All in all, what I could see of the line impressed me, and I decided to place an order for some products I felt were representative of the collection. Now, I'm here to share my thoughts on my "haul". Hopefully, some of you who have been interested in trying some of these products will find this helpful.

The first thing I had to try was the travel set of Argan Bear Naked Wipes. As you may have noticed, I do love a good facial cleansing wipe. Actually, pretty much anything in a wipe is tops in my book: lotion, sunscreen, Chlorox...I'm a sucker for a wipe. Anyhoo, here's the good and the bad:

The Good
To start with, a portion of each sale goes toward saving the polar bear. In fact, all of Josie Maran's products are cruelty free, and several items help fund charities. I'm a big fan of this, because it's not right to be pretty only on the outside. Inner beauty is far more important. Pretty is as pretty does, as my Mom and Grandma always said.

The wipes smell fresh and clean, and have a lovely dry texture. You don't feel like you're going to drip all over the place. They also leave your skin feeling very moisturized and silky. You can tell you've done something good to your face.

The Bad
They don't remove makeup worth a flip. Eventually, with enough scrubbing, you might see where your eyeshadow has moved around a bit, but these are not going to clean the makeup from your face.

The Bottom Line
I recommend these. Seriously. I recommend them not for makeup removal, but for touch ups on car or plane rides, and even trips to the beach; anytime you're going to be in a dry and dirty climate. These will remove dirt and oil (just not makeup), and leave your skin very moisturized (that argan oil is ah-maze-ing), without your having to bring along both a facial cleanser and a bottle of face cream. $6 for 8 wipes, or $12 for 30.

The rest of my order consisted of the Power of Argan Oil Skincare Collection--a four-piece set that includes a travel-sized cleanser, multi-use argan oil, argan color stick, and whipped argan oil body butter. Basically, it's a little bit of everything. I was planning to discuss stand-outs and disappointments...but I didn't have any disappointments. These are all fantastic products! Here's the lowdown on each one:

Argan Cleansing Oil
This removes makeup! Just pour a few drops in your hand and apply to your face. Let it sit for a few seconds to break up the makeup, rub in a bit, and rinse off. It's wonderful. Plus, it smells like oranges.

100% Pure Argan Oil
I really love this stuff. It's a complete multi-tasker! I've used it as a facial moisturizer, as an "in a pinch" undereye moisturizer, rubbed it on dry patches of skin, tamed frizzies, and repaired my cuticles. I haven't tried it on linoleum yet, but I bet it would shine up my floors. Awesomesauce.

Argan Color Stick in Love (Rose)
This made my January Favorites, and will probably make February's, too. It's a quick, blendable, natural blush with enough of a glow to make highlighter unnecessary. You can also use it on lips for a subtle flush. It's fairly long-lasting, but if you wanted to bring it along for touch-ups, the packaging is completely travel-friendly. There's pretty much nothing I don't adore about this cosmetic. It's gorgeous.

Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Be Loved (Jasmine)
This feels amazing and smells heavenly. Oddly, the butter has a very dry feel, but leaves your skin feeling super soft, with just the lightest sheen. Again, it's an amazing product. $28 for the entire set.

So, yeah, the vampire chick from Van Helsing has her line of makeup and skincare...and it's unbelievable. Now I understand why there's always a Josie Maran item in every Sephora Favorites kit, and why my friends are raving about the line. The prices for full-sized items are definitely high-end, but the travel-sized items are much more reasonable, and will last for a long while--long enough for you decide if the full-sized is worth the price tag. My advice: if you're on the fence over the argan oil fad, give the minis a chance to wow you. I'm glad I did.

Smoky, Spooky, Vamp Eyes: Featuring E.L.F. Maleficent Palette

I know a lot of you were interested in the E.L.F. Disney Villains palettes, so I decided to put together a Halloween eye look incorporating the Maleficent palette products with some others I had lying around. Okay, truth be told, I did this accidentally. Today was actually "Favorite Sports Team" day at work, so I needed something with University of Alabama crimson. As I started putting on my makeup, I realized that this would work really well with a Devil or Vampire costume. You could go more dramatic than I did, but honestly, I like it just the way it is. I paired it with a nude lip for a 60s mod vibe, but a blood red lip would look amazing. (I didn't take pictures of the whole look, since it wasn't really Halloweeny.)

If you would like to see the full , more dramaticVampire/Devil look, please let me know in the comments. I'm working on a few costume looks, and appreciate suggestions. Now, does anyone know how to make time stop so I can take a break and do them?

Here 'tis:

I hate cameras. In person, that crimson is CRIMSON. Oh well, it's still pretty.

Alrighty! I started by priming all over the lid, up to the brow. Then I used a fluffy shader brush to wash the "Misfortune" shade (silver) from the Maleficent palette all over the lid and in the crease. Then, for the crimson, I dipped a denser, shorter shader brush into "Cranberry" by MAC*. It's a permanent color, and just a gorgeous almost metallic rusty berry. It just screams Fall. I placed the color from the outer corner just to the edge of my eyeball. Then, I dipped the same brush into "Forest of Thorns" (dark charcoal with multicolored micro-glitter) from the Maleficent palette, and, holding a tissue from the corner of my eye to the end of my brows, created a sharp angle at the outer corner and blended it in. Then, I used a blending brush to blur all my edges for a smoky look.

We're just doing eyes, so you can ignore the lip and cheek color.
We'll be using the first two shades from the left, as well as the liquid eyeliner. It's sparkly!

Next, I grabbed the liquid liner from the NYX Dark Shadows palette (Crimson Amulet...whatever you want to call it) and created a medium-thick, slightly winged line on my upper lashline. I used a tiny, flat liner brush to run "Forest of Thorns" over the liquid line, then from outer corner of the lower lashline to about halfway in, then used the same brush to place "Misfortune" in the inner corner and run it under the lashes to about halfway in, meeting "Forest of Thorns" in the middle, and overlapping slightly. I finished the look by running the glitter liquid liner from the Maleficent palette over the upper lashline, then adding black mascara to top and bottom lashes, and dusting a little of the highlighter from the NYX palette onto the brow bone.

Basically, the key to this is precise edges, but no harsh lines. False eyelashes would look amazing with this, as would either a nude or blood red lip.

I hope you've enjoyed this! Again, if you would like to see this amped up a bit (vamped up a bit?) as a full-on costume look, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

*MAC shows it as darn near purple, and classifies it as a plum, but mine (bought from the store, so definitely not a fake) doesn't even come close to fitting that description. (Pixiwoo did a stunning tutorial with Cranberry, and theirs didn't look purple, either, if that makes any sense. In other words: IGNORE THE DESCRIPTION ON THE MAC SITE!)

NYX Crimson Amulet/Dark Shadows Part II: In-Depth Review and Look

Sit back, relax, maybe go get a snack, 'cause this is a long one, folks! A few weeks ago, Ulta gave away little $5 off coupons that would be good this week. I used mine yesterday to purchase the NYX Crimson Amulet Palette, inspired by the movie Dark Shadows. Let me tell you, I am so excited I could spit. Here is an in-depth look at the palette, along with my review and a look (told you this would be long). Spoiler Alert: I like the palette. A lot. You should run and get one. Now. Like, yesterday. Go.

Outer packaging (Not terribly important, but here it is)

Closed palette. Looks kind of like a fancy DVD case with a snap button closure. It's heavy cardboard, and can definitely stand up to travel and some wear and tear.

Inside, you have 24 shadows and a large mirror. I've not tried using the mirror, and am not entirely sure how to best hold the palette to do so, but it sure beats nothing.

Here's a close up of the shadows. There's a nice variety of satin, shimmer, glitter, and matte finishes. The top twelve are colors, and the bottom are neutrals. Just go ahead and toss the applicators.

Flipping over the mirror, here's the other side. The inspiration looks aren't super helpful. I'd rather have had another mirror, or even just a cool graphic. Here you see an HD shadow primer, black eyeliner, five blushes (some matte, some shimmer), a highlighter, and four glosses.

Close-up of the products.

Top twelve shadows.

  

Top Row



Middle Row



Bottom Row

Bottom twelve shadows.

Top Row

Middle Row

Bottom Row

Reminder of blush/gloss side.

Highlighter and Blushes

Glosses

Primer and Liner

I love this palette. Love, love, love it. It's one of--no, it's the most complete palette I've ever seen. Honestly, all you need is a little foundation, powder, and mascara and you're good to go. You could fancy it up with bronzer and a brow kit, but they're not necessary. On top of that, everything's good. There's not a clunker product in the bunch. The shadows are all creamy and well-pigmented. Sure, the mattes are a little dry at first, but once you get through the top layer, they're lovely (mattes can be like that sometimes). The blushes are varied and gorgeous, and I'm dying to figure out how to wear that unbelievable red. The primer has held my glittery eyeshadow in place with no fallout, and the liner is a surprisingly easy to work with jet black. I say surprisingly easy because I suck at liquid liner. Absolutely suck at it. I blink, my hand shakes...it's not pretty. I still can't get a straight line, but I was able to get it straighter than usual, then finished cleaning it up with a little black shadow. The glosses are a little stiff at first, but once you get in there, they're opaque and have plenty of color payoff. The one thing that other reviewers have complained the most about is the highlighter, and I have to say, I don't get that. I mean, it's not the most remarkable highlighter I've ever used, but it's more than serviceable. It actually reminds me a lot of one that came in a Sephora palette I took on the road with me for Beauty & the Beast, only I like this one better. Go figure.

I needed another palette like a hole in the head. I have an entire bathroom drawer full of them, and those are only the ones I use regularly. However, I do, on occasion, find myself doing someone else's makeup. I'm not a professional makeup artist, and don't pretend to be, but sometimes my Mom will have something fancy to go to and wants a little help. Maybe a friend's getting married and needs someone to help a younger bridesmaid with her makeup. Those sorts of things come up from time to time, and this is a terrific almost-all-in-one palette to grab.*

So, here's the look I came up with. I did this running out the door this morning, so please bear that in mind. You can do cool stuff very quickly with this palette because it's all there. You don't even have to think. I love that. I'm not very good at thinking in the mornings.

Poorly photographed look. I really need to get someone else to take these pictures. A cameraphone aimed by looking in the mirror really isn't cutting it. I'll list all the products used below.

Primer: Included HD Eyeshadow Primer. Lid/All Over Color: Champagne found on top row, second over. Blending Color: Lavender on second row, first shade. Crease and Lower Lash Line: Royal Blue Glitter on second row, last shade. Liner: Included black liner, cleaned up with Black found on top row, first shade. Blush is the largest blush in the palette, with Highlighter dusted over the tops of cheekbones.

I just can't take a picture when my brows are cleaned up, can I?
Other Products Used:
Too Faced Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow
E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium
Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in Light
Urban Decay Razor Sharp HD Powder
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Mascara (I really don't care for this. See the flakes?)
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
  

Seriously, that's it. That's a heckuva lot easier to toss into a travel bag than my usual stash. I hope this has been helpful, and I can't recommend this enough.

Final Verdict: 10 out of 10. It's just plain awesomesauce, and a steal at under $25.

*Obviously, if you're doing someone else's makeup, you'll need to use a different eyeliner (one that's never been used, or one belonging to the person who's makeup you're doing). You'll also want to make sure that you've never double-dipped into the lipgloss. Safety first, guys. 

Do Vampires Need Illuminating Powder? Dark Shadows-Inspired NYX Palette

***Read my full review here!***

One of the last times I played around in Ulta (because, really, how is that shopping? It's like a grown-up girl playground in there), I ran across this palette from NYX that even made Thomas stop and say, "Oh, that's cool!"

Photo Credit: Musings of a Muse

It's the NYX Crimson Amulet palette, inspired by the upcoming Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie, Dark Shadows, and it is stunning.

***Please Note: This is not a review. I don't own this, and my entire experience with it was while standing around in a store. This is more of a heads up that this exists, just in case you want to check it out further yourself. ***

Okay, disclaimer's out of the way, so here are my initial thoughts:

The shadow colors I was able to swatch (and not photograph. Sorry) were very soft, creamy, and pigmented. NYX is known for having quality makeup, so I wasn't surprised. There's also a nice variety of hues to choose from.

The packaging is cute, if a little confusing. I'm not keen on the mirror's placement (you can't see it in this picture, but it, along with a "get the look" card, is placed between the shadow side and the blush/lip color side). I can only see it getting very dirty and difficult to use. The cardboard palette does seem sturdy, though. I think it'd be fine in an organized makeup bag.

I love that this comes with a eyelid primer and liner. Really, all you need is some foundation, powder, mascara and concealer, and you are completely set. It's one of the most complete palettes I've seen, and would be great for travel. In fact, if you prefer using shadow for liner, you could pop a deluxe sample size of mascara in the liner section.

All in all, I like it, and would recommend checking it out in person at your local Ulta. It's $24.99, and contains 24 shadows, 5 blushes, 4 glosses, 1 illuminating powder, 1 eyeliner, and 1 HD eyelid primer. I'd say that  has the potential to be a phenomenal deal.

Ghost Rider 2 Artwork? I'll Bite!

The new Ghost Rider movie comes out this weekend!!! WOOOO!!!

Oh...you're less than excited? Huh. Um...well, then. Awkward...

My ticket was free!!! WOOOO!!!

That work better for you? Thought so.

Thomas managed to score us some free passes to an advance screening of the movie, so we're treating the little brother to a (God, I hope) fun movie tonight. I won't lie; I'm not stoked. See, I was really excited for the first one, and ended up disappointed. That said, Nicholas Cage* on fire is kind of a hard thing to pass up, so I'm willing to give the skeletal biker another chance.

*I adore you, Nicholas Cage. Just so you know. Raising Arizona is a favorite, and I actually really enjoyed The Sorcerer's Apprentice. You were not the problem with the first GR movie, trust me. Also, if you say you're not a vampire, I'll totally believe you. Please don't bite me.

Photo Credit: Paranormal Pop Culture



What did excite me on the GR front, however, was this mind-blowingly amazing artwork my friend Jon Pinto put together for his blog. Jon, as you may recall, is the insanely talented artist behind the 'toon versions of Rue, Claire and Herb from The Night Shift. There are multiple posts dedicated to the making of several of his pieces, and they make for really interesting reading. If you've ever been curious about the artist's process, or just would like to spend a few minutes looking at some awesome pop culture artwork, breeze on over to his site and set a spell. I highly recommend it. 

Photo Credit: Jon Pinto

And now, I'm off to watch a flaming skeleton ride around on a gas-powered motorcycle. Somehow, I think bad guys might be the least of his worries. I'll let you know how it turns out. 

13 Ghosts...and Ghouls, and Zombies, and Vampires...

"Seven more days till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween! Seven more days till Halloween (Silver Shamrock)!"*

We're in the final countdown, folks (and now that song is going to be stuck in my head...)! I don't know about you, but I love to play Halloween-themed movies while my family gets ready for Trick-or-Treating. It really adds to the atmosphere (and gives candy-hander-outers something to do in-between doorbell rings), but given the variety of age ranges running through the room at any one time, it can be difficult to find something appropriate for everyone.

With that in mind, I compiled this list of thirteen of my favorite Halloween night movies. Now, they're not entirely all-ages movies, but there should be something on the list to suit every possible grouping of ages. Some are more appropriate for especially young kids, while others are more fitting to the tween and above crowd, but it really all depends on the child and their parents. To help you out, I've listed them in order from most to least appropriate for very young children. (I hope that made some semblance of sense...)

Anyway, here you go, starting with my pick for families with young children.

Hocus Pocus (PG)
This cute and creepy outing from Disney stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as three recently resurrected Salem witches with a score to settle. Not scary enough for nightmares, but filled with enough ghoulish delights to make this a perennial favorite. Don't miss the musical number!

Monster House (PG)
Three tweens figure out that the house across the street isn't just haunted, but is actually eating people! Smart, funny, and never pandering, this rollercoaster of a thriller will keep the kiddies--and adults--on the edges of their seats.

The Monster Squad (PG-13)
Middle-Schoolers battle the Universal monsters to stop Dracula from taking over the world. What's not to love about that?! (P.S. Wolfman's got 'nards!)

Dark and Stormy Night (not rated)
Lovingly crafted spoof of a 1930s "dark house" mystery. A will reading brings together a group of stock characters, who are then killed off one by one. No blood, no gore, and no scary images. Just tons of laughs in this family friendly comedy from the people who brought you The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra.

The Night Shift (not rated)
You didn't think I'd leave off my own movie, did you? Cemetery caretaker, Rue Morgan, and his skeletal buddy, Herb, fight off supernatural baddies in this rollicking adventure-comedy.

13 Ghosts (original) (not rated)
A family inherits more than a house in this kid-friendly "thriller" from horror legend, William Castle. These ghosts are no scarier than what you'd find on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney, but the sweetly cheesy "special effects" and suspenseful plot will keep older kids interested.

Ghostbusters (PG)
The perfect Halloween movie for tweens on up! Thrills, chills, great special effects (they still hold up!), and more laughs than should be legal! Kids and grown-ups alike will be shouting, "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" The few mildly adult humor and situations should go over tiny heads.

The Wolf Man (original) (PG)
A normal man finds himself on the wrong end of a gypsy curse. Unrelenting suspense and a decent body count, but no graphic images, language or adult situations in this granddaddy of werewolf movies.

Beetlejuice (PG)
A "newly deceased" couple find themselves with an infestation of humans and hire an unconventional exterminator to rid the pests from their home. Check out some of Tim Burton's wackiest and most colorful creations in this comically-grotesque ghost story. Some images might be too scary for tiny-mites, but older kids will crack up at the "Ghost With the Most".

Plan 9 From Outer Space (not rated)
Ed Wood's masterpiece of schlock, and Bela Lugosi's final role. Widely considered one of the worst movies in history, Plan 9 is so laughably horrible you won't be able to look away. Zombies, vampires, and aliens have all converged on Earth...just don't try to figure out why. Absolutely nothing scary about this movie, and older kids will enjoy pointing out wires on spaceships and other technical uh-ohs.

Young Frankenstein (PG)
Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, and company hilariously re-animate the Monster. Tons of adult humor and situations, but smartly written so as to go over young heads. Older kids will love the Brooks' signature brand of slapstick comedy and a singing and dancing Frankenstein monster.

Clue (PG)
Was it Miss Scarlet in the Library with the Candlestick? Find out in this wild and wooly comedy, based on the Parker Brothers board game. With a cast that includes Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Tim Curry, you're sure to die laughing! (groan, I know...) Mild language, adult situations, and some slightly scary images, but should be fine for teens.

Army of Darkness (R)
Action star, Bruce Campbell, takes on hordes of Medieval undead in the frighteningly funny final film of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy. Think of it as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with zombies. Rated R, yes, for "violence and horror", but all cartoonish and comedic in an homage to the Three Stooges and Warner Bros.' animated shorts. "Scary images" are akin to the skeletons in Pirates of the Carribbean. Had it been rated in today's society, the film probably wouldn't have scored higher than PG-13. Teens should be fine watching, but parents may want to screen first.


*Magical, invisible Internet points to whoever can tell me what that refers to.

Doctor Who: Vampire Slayer

This weekend, a remake of one of my favorite 80s movies hits the screen. I didn't see the original Fright Night until I was grown (okay, so like, two, maybe three years ago), but I immediately fell in love with the story of a goofy kid who enlists a washed-up horror host (remember those?) to help him battle the fearsome vampire that just moved in next door. It was silly, sweet, and just scary enough.

Now, normally, I'm not one for wanting to fix unbroken things, but this remake has me interested for a number of reasons: 1) Anton Yelchin is an enormously talented actor, and just as cute as a little bug. 2) Colin Farrell as a sexy vampire. 'Nuff said. 3) David Tennant.

That third reason should actually be number one. Fellow Who fans will recognize Tennant as the incredibly popular Tenth Doctor. He has an enormous dramatic range, spanning from slapstick comedy (see: Casanova) all the way to tragic intensity (the RSC's Hamlet), so I'm really excited to see what he does with the updated role of the horror host--a cheesy, Criss Angel-esque, Vegas magician.

Honestly, I have no clue if this movie is going to be any good, or not. Thus far, reviews have been awesome, but until I see it, I can't give you a fair assessment. However, because I'm really super-excited, and because it's Friday and I feel like being silly, I'm going to link you to a cute essay on how to kill a vampire. Then, I'm going to let Mr. Tennant tell you how it's done.

*Warning! This movie is rated R. Please bear that in mind while viewing this clip.*