Product Review: Embryolisse

Hello fellow beauty junkies. Just a quick review today of a new-to-me product called Embryolisse. I was introduced to this product while I attended The Artist Summit in Chicago last October; just about every makeup artist that I took a class with recommended this product as THE moisturizer to include in a pro kit. I finally decided to order a tube from the Alcone Company to try for myself. All I can say is "WOW!" I love this moisturizer: a VERY small amount is more than enough to cover your entire face, it's non-greasy, it absorbs into the skin quickly, it's odorless...I could go on and on. My face feels silky smooth after application. I especially love the fact that within seconds of application it's been absorbed completely, thereby letting me move on to the makeup application quickly. From Alcone's website:

"Immediately provides skin with essential nourishing components to replenish lipids and rapidly repair it. Its formula, which has been used for decades, remains extremely simple and effective. The nourishing ingredients can be absorbed by the skin to restore its barrier function and smooth away imperfections caused by cutaneous dryness.

The 24-Hour Miracle Cream cleans, moisturizes, and reduces irritation."

This rich cream seems to work well on any complexion type, although it may be just a tad too rich for us oily girls during the warmer months; I'll have to let you know once the weather around here gets a little warmer. At $25.00 for a 2.6 oz. tube, it was a little pricey for this struggling MUA, but since you only use a half-pea-size amount, the tube should last for quite a while. Shipping was quick; I think this product has definitely earned a spot in my professional kit!

What Is the Difference...?

Hello fellow beauty junkies! How is ya today? Today I was working at my store and a customer was talking with me as I cut her fabric. She was noticing and complimenting my eye makeup and asking me what I'd used. I told her the colors and the brands that I was wearing and then she asked me what type of finishes the shadows were. When I replied "matte" and "satin", she gave me a kind of blank look and then asked me, "what is a satin finish eyeshadow?" Now, this girl had on beautiful eye work herself, so her question was a little bit of a jolt to me. I'm thinking "your eyes are made up beautifully, so why don't you know what I mean by a 'satin finish' shadow?"

I guess we are all guilty of assuming that everyone knows what we know, at least once in a while. And after I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I assume that anyone reading this blog would just know the differences between eyeshadow finishes, blushes vs. bronzers, lipsticks vs. lip glosses, etc. As I pondered a while longer, I decided that I would start a new series of posts that would attempt to explain the differences between similar, but different products in the makeup world. And the first entry into this "what is the difference" category is about...you guessed it...eyeshadows!

A MATTE finish shadow has a finish that is...well, matte. There is no shine, glimmer, gleam or sparkle. Light is not reflected, it is completely absorbed. A SATIN finish shadow has a very subtle gleam. The texture is akin to subtle shading in a painting--the shading gives depth and dimension to the painting, but it doesn't scream "CONTRAST HERE!" An eyeshadow with a FROST finish will reflect A LOT of light. Frost eyeshadows are great...in small doses. Frosted eyeshadow from the lashline to the brow can look harsh, particularly in photographs, so if you are going to use frost finish eyeshadows, use with discretion. If you have very oily skin, keep frost use to a minimum, as this particular finish can make your skin appear even more oily; if you have very dry skin be sure to moisturize and use a primer to help frosted eye products disperse evenly over the skin. GLITTER finishes are the BIG KAHUNA attention getters! There's certainly nothing subtle about the sparkle that they impart! Glitter adds drama and high shine to anything. A word of caution: if you are going to be using glitter around your eye, make sure that you are using a cosmetic grade glitter and not a craft glitter. Also, be very careful when applying--loose glitter in the eye can cause scratched corneas, eye infections and sometimes worse. Be sure to pack your glitter on over a very sticky base and/or use a sealer over it to be sure that the glitter stays on your eye and not in it!

That's it in a nutshell, Lovlies. Hope this helps to demystify eyeshadow finishes. Blessings to you!