Because I was so impressed with my first OCC Lip Tar in Memento, a second choice was going to be a sure fire purchase.  During my April visit to NYC for IMATS I got to visit the OCC booth and play around a bit… Melange came home with me.

What Sephora says about OCC Lip Tar:

What it is:
A high-opacity lipstick concentrate with unprecedented longevity.

What it does:
Flash a fabulous smile and a stunning splash of color with this lip formula that combines the longevity of a lipstick with the breezy application of a gloss. The rich pigment will drench your pout and the blend of essential oils, including hemp and peppermint, will soothe and soften the skin for a supremely comfortable finish. For easy travel and application, each Lip Tar comes with a vinyl carrying case and mini lip brush.

This set contains:
- 0.33 oz Lip Tar
- Mini lip brush
- Vinyl pouch

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens

What else you need to know:
This straight-forward formula does not contain petroleum or silicone and is 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free.

Melange (terracotta neutral) is the perfect medium peach to wear for any season.  Like Memento, Melange spreads on evenly even with a small amount and provides a ton of pigment.  I didn’t put it on too thickly, because who IRL would actually wear it that way just walking down the street, and was happy to notice that it felt almost moisturizing and wasn’t sticky at all.  Wear time was maybe a bit longer than a normal lipstick, but it still comes off if you eat or drink.

Normally, the Lip Tars come with a brush applicator and how-to card, but since I purchased this one discounted at IMATS I only got the tube of tar.

OCC Lip Tar retails for $18.00 and they are available on the OCC website and Sephora.

1. Beautisol. Seriously.  This has to be number one for glow.  Everyone who touches a Beautisol product turns to gold… I mean bronze.  A natural bronze! I’ve reviewed the Summer Glow Lotion here and have the Self-Tanning Mousse on deck for this week.
   
2. Jergens.  This is your drugstore answer to a gorgeous and natural glow.  I love that there are separate tubes for face and body and that the color is gradual.  In the past I did a three post campaign for them, so you can check out all of my ramblings there.
   
3. Chanel.  How could we not include Chanel in something glowy and bronzy?!  This past Summer they didn’t release a similar product, but the two Summer’s before they released the Soleil Tan de Chanel Luminous Bronzing Powder – in 2012 I picked up Sable Rose and in 2011 I grabbed Bronze Corail.  I also threw in Lucky Stripes for good measure!
   
4. Dior.  This Summer Dior came out with amazing Nude Tan Paradise Blush & Bronzer Duo.  I picked up the shade Coral Glow 2 and love how it’s pigmented, yet blendable and can work with any tone.
   
5. Le Metier de Beaute.  This brand does amazing Blushing Bronzed Duets with a gorgeous cheek hue paired with the perfect bronzer.  I reach for either Romeo & Juliet or Traviata when I need a quick, every day glow!
   
6. MAC.  They do make some excellent bronzers, but when I was doing this post the first products that came to mind were the lipsticks from this Summers Temperature Rising collection, most specifically in Sheer Seduction & Caliente.  These hot lip colors will accentuate the glow on your skin.
   
7. NARS.  Everyone loves NARS Laguna for a bronzer… but for my glow I like the new multiple in Puerto Vallarta.  Peachy, cheeky, glowy perfection!
   
8. NARS.  Again.  I thought of eyes and immediately thought of this gold and bronzed eye duo in Paramaribo!  It’s glowy and gorgeous making it an absolute must have on my top 10 list!
   
9. L’Oreal.  Keeping with the eyes I had to mention the L’Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe.  The perfect wash of color over your eye if you need to be quick, plus it’s waterproof!
   
10. Tarte.  Finally, the end all be all of what you need this Summer… the Aqualillies For Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye And Cheek Palette.  You have excellent glowy shades for eyes and cheeks and it’s going to last all day!

I hope you enjoyed my Top 10 Products to Bronze Yourself With!  Check out what the other bloggers love and get inspired to get your glow on!

Tarte has a new product that will have fans breathless this Summer – the Park Ave Princess Bronze & Glow Matte Bronzer & Cheek Tint!  Yes, folks, an easy to use liquid version of the beloved Park Ave Princess and a coordinating cheek tint.  Two in one… perfect for the beach bag, travel bag… whatever you wish!

What Sephora says about Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronze & Glow Matte Bronzer & Cheek Tint:

What it is:
An innovative two-in-one matte bronzer and cheek tint in Park Ave Princess.

What it does:
Transform into a glowing, bronze goddess. Infused with Amazonian clay and maracuja, this innovative double-agent complexion enhancer in Tarte’s signature Park Ave Princess shade will give you the perfect balance of sunkissed bronze and natural flush. Apply the weightless, mousse bronzer over foundation or smooth onto bare skin for an all-over matte radiance. Using the convenient blush tip, invigorate your complexion by applying the tint directly to cheeks and blending with fingertips for a subtle peachy pink glow. Maracuja instantly absorbs into the skin, delivering a high dose of essential fatty acids and vitamin C to hydrate the skin while imparting a beautiful pop of sheer color. By fusing two products into one, the recyclable component prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, making it the most eco-friendly and convenient bronzer and blush choice for the girl on the go.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
Amazonian clay is nature’s most perfect ingredient providing total skin balance for better, longer, truer wear. Maracuja oil is rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) known to replenish, rebuild, and enliven the look of skin for a firmer, brighter, smoother appearance. High doses of pure vitamin C gives the appearance of brighter skin, while a powerful antiaging elixir promotes active skin recovery and rejuvenation and maximum hydration quenches dry skin. Vitamin E is a natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage. Mineral pigments are colors and dyes derived from natural minerals that have been known to sooth and soften the skin.

This Bronze & Glow smooths on easily and evenly and isn’t patchy looking or greasy feeling.  There’s no shimmer involved with the bronzing part, which people will love, and it doesn’t go on heavy so it doesn’t feel like you have mountains of product on your face.

The pigment of the bronzer is very mild, and if your skin-tone leans medium to dark you may want to consider a darker bronzer or maybe adding a bit of the powder formula of Park Ave Princess over this.

Below I applied the liquid bronze over my cheeks blending up and placed the golden pink tint on just the apples of my cheeks, blending it in to the bronze.

Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronze & Glow Matte Bronzer & Cheek Tint retails for $32.00 and is available at Sephora, Ulta and tartecosmetics.com.

Ever wonder why Scandinavians are so beautiful?  Their skincare!  Native Lea A.C. Fulton has created L.A. Christine No. 3 Berry Face Oil to save dry faces worldwide and enrich everyone with radiant and glowing skin using key ingredients like the Scandinavian Lingonberry, the Brazilian Açai Berry and the Raspberry.

Not only is this oil said to save your skin from feeling painful and dry, it’s also great as an anti-aging and anti-inflammatory product.

I’m always nervous to try out new skincare, since my skin is finally under a decent amount of control… but on the L.A. Christine website, Lea’s bio stated she had sensitive skin.  At first I tested this just on one area of my face.  Normally after a few days I’ll have a reaction, but with this… nada.  I now put this on my face every night in place of my night cream and my skin looks almost supple!  That’s right, I said I’m in my 30′s and my skin is supple, y’all!

L.A. Christine No. 3 Berry Face Oil says “face” but it can also be used on the hair, body, hands and feet – my favorite place being, surprisingly, my feet!  I love it so much I put it on morning and night and my feet have never looked smoother.  Who’d have thought?!  Just pop it anywhere that’s dry… elbows, knees…. anywhere scaly and nasty!  Win!

L.A. Christine No. 3 Berry Face Oil retails for $78.00 and can be found on their website.

Quietly Motivated wasn’t one of the three shades that came up in my color reading, but it was definitely the one that called to me the most.

What the LUSH website says about Quietly Motivated:

Get motivation from your inner self today. You don’t have to rely on others to motivate you! Wear Quietly Motivated, our deep shimmery chocolate brown cream eyeliner to tap into your inner inspiration. The rich, earthy metallic tone compliments all eye colors and glides on easily with a nourishing base of rose petal infusion, jojoba oil and almond oil. This creamy base allows a little time to perfect your look before the shadow sets. Once it’s set, you’ll be motivated all day long! Quietly Motivated; keep steadfast.

Quietly Motivated is a bronzed chocolate shade with golden multi-dimensional shimmer.  It’s such a gorgeous shade… neutral but better and can work with so many looks!  The liner was super easy to glide on (I was worried about it being awkward with the applicator) and stuck around all day long until I hit it with makeup remover in the evening.

I did apply it to the eye rather thickly because I thought it looked patchy on first pass, and by the end of it the look below is what I ended up with lol I still think it’s gorgeous like that, though.  It can also be used as an eye base (but I haven’t tried that myself, yet).

LUSH Quietly Motivated Liquid Eyeliner retails for $18.95 and can be purchased at your local LUSH retailer (find US locations here) or online at lushusa.com.

After several extremely disappointing Birchbox shipments, the April box saved my affiliation with Birchbox by the skin of it’s teeth while May had me second guessing myself again.  The theme of the June Birchbox is Wanderlust (which is defined as strong longing for or impulse toward wandering).  Let’s see if June was any better….

As you open the box the card resting on top gives you a little explanation and greeting on one side and a run down of what is in your box on the other side.

Let’s see what’s going on for June!

Up first, from Furlesse, Elevens Frown Line Reducing Patches.  The “elevens” are those two lines between your eyes that make an 11.  These patches are similar to Frownies, in that they prevent frowning (and line-forming) as you sleep.  You might think you don’t frown as you sleep, but as I tested the Frownies I found that you totally do.  How do I know this?  Because every time my brow would furrow I would feel the Frownie and wake up lol So, products like that and the Furlesse do work, but hopefully if you need to use them you’re a heavier sleeper than I am.

Next, from Klorane, the Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk.  The blast from this is no joke, so spray with care.  It works very well for my very oily roots and has a sweet fragrant scent.  A little strong but thankfully didn’t give me a headache.

From Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, the Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder.  This is meant to set your foundation and keep shine at bay.  It works well for that, though, for the money (full size is $36) I like my NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder better.

Finally, a mini Color Club Nail Polish in London Calling.  This polish is part of an exclusive collaboration collection (called Wanderlust) between Birchbox and Color Club.  The shade I received is a bright mint cream that applied pretty well, though I did need three coats for full and even coverage.

As a “Lifestyle Extra” from Twistband, the Birchbox Nautical Hair Tie Collection.  I imagine other color combos are floating around but mine is a cutesy pink band with green anchors.  I love to get the Twistbands in my Birchbox.  They hold my hair well and don’t pull out strands.

Finally, there are postcards.  When is the last time you sent a postcard?  I buy them for my scrapbook sometimes, which is likely where these will go… and they fit with the theme… but I was kind of like… “why”?  They technically weren’t part of the box, so I can’t really complain.

This Birchbox was pretty decent.  I definitely needed a new dry shampoo and always love getting the hair ties and polish minis… but it’s all just starting to feel redundant, making me undecided on if I want to keep my subscription.  ipsy is really pulling out all the stops with their Glam Bag, which is making Birchbox (what was once my favorite $10 subscription) seem kind of junky.

Wanna sign up for Birchbox?  (Click for referral) If you like what you see go to the website and fill out the form.  It’s just $10 a month (free shipping too!) and you get some cool stuff, tho I will warn you, you’re going to get stuff you hate as well.

***Disclosure – I buy my own Birchbox, but the links posted here do give me referral points which I can use towards product on the site.  Once you sign up for your own Birchbox, you’ll also get a referral code to send out to others and get some points of your own!

The Etude House Dear My Blooming Eyes Palette comes in several gorgeous combinations, but I don’t think any of the others would quite suit my style and taste like PK001 Heart Fluttering Pink.

The Heart Fluttering Pink Eye Shadow Palette is a quad of ivory shimmer, dark chocolate brown, bronzed copper shimmer and a pale pink shimmer.  The pigment is amazing on these shades and they’re swatched above dry with no primer.

As you’ll see below, the shadows don’t show up too shimmery on the eye and they wear and blend like a dream.  The color lasted all day over top of primer and shades can be easily converted from day to night.

The packaging is decorative pink plastic with a mirror placed at the interior.  Girly and adorable, which Etude House does very, very well!

For the EOTD I started off with a thin layer of UDPP.  The bronzed copper shade is all over the lid with the dark chocolate brown shade in the crease and outer V.  The ivory shade is used to blend out the crease and also at the inner corners of the eyes, while the pink shade was used as a highlight.  The liner is Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes 2L.  The mascara is Missha Signature Vibrating.

You can purchase Etude House Dear My Blooming Eyes at KollectionK for $14.32.

LIPSTICK – $15.00 US/$18.00 CDN
RiRi Woo matte cool red (retro matte)
RiRi Boy matte vivid lavender (retro matte)
Heaux matte berry (retro matte)

POWDER BLUSH DUO – $26.00 US/$30.00 CDN
Hibiscus Kiss cool coral blush and matte neutral bronze duo

LUSTRE DROP – $20.00 US/$24.00 CDN
Barbados Girl rose gold bronzer

Available North America June 18, 2013 at www.maccosmetics.com, 1.800.588.0070  International June 2013 at www.maccosmetics.com, 1.800.588.0070

With the popularity of Raindrops (to be reviewed), Illamasqua would have been crazy not to release a sister Nail Varnish in Pink Raindrops, for those that want  a more girly approach to their drops.

What Sephora says about Illamasqua Nail Varnish:

What it is:
A vivacious nail varnish.

What it does:
Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out. The formula is long-wearing and chip-resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high gloss. Apply two coats for high intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish. Make a statement and talk with your hands!

Pink Rain Drops is a light, almost vintage pink with a bit of iridescence in the base and silver glitters.  It’s really different and breathtaking to look at in the light.  This painted on well and was a nice take on your usual neutral pink.  Two coats were needed for full and even opacity.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish retails for $17.00 and can be purchased at Sephora and Illamasqua.com.

There are a couple of Friends & Family sales this week as well as some other awesome deals.  Don’t forget to shop using EBATES and get cash back on all of your purchases!  I’ve been a member since 2008!

NOW through 6/16/13, 11:59pm EST – Buy ANY Color From the ZOYA Summer Flashback Page  And Get One FREE*!- see full details on their blog zoyanailpolish.blogspot.com

The Butter London Friends & Family event starts today, Thursday, June 13th! Snag the best butter LONDON products for summer at 30% off your entire order.

Kiehl’s Friends & Family begins! 20% off, June 13-June 17

At BaubleBar – Start building the perfect summer stack of bracelets, and for 5 days only, build a set of 3 bracelets for only $38.