Rodin Olio Lusso: Does Vogue Hype Make This Face Oil Amazing?

I've been experiencing more problems than usual with the shift in weather this year. My skin is usually combination, which is an upgrade from the oily all over that I had in high school. I have an oily t-zone and my cheeks are pretty much normal, though can be a tad dry on occasion. Except for this fall, when the shift from hot and humid to cool and dry has just wreaked major havoc on my skin. I'm suddenly parched, with dry flakes on my cheeks that are rapidly progressing toward my nose! I especially had issues earlier this month when I was testing out MAC Matchmaster Foundation. It was settling into those cracks and looked horrid.

So, I've been reaching for every product that I think might impart a bit more moisture to my parched skin. Given my recent success using Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, I decided to pull Rodin's Olio Lusso face oil out of my testing queue early. It was sent to me this summer by the nice people over at Beauty Works West, and it's been patiently waiting its turn to be tested ever since.

So, another face oil? And one that was recently highly recommended in a recent Vogue article for the amazing (and non-oily) hydration that is fast becoming a go-to product amongst the fashion elite? Sign me up!

Rodin in Vogue
(click to enlarge)

So, if you squint enough to read the Vogue article above (from August 2011, I found this image of it on-line), you'll see that really this oil blend was born of a personal need. Linda Rodin didn't set out to make an amazingly popular and exclusive skin care line. She was looking to streamline her own skin care routine when she blended 11 essential oils in her bathroom.

This oil looks a bit like olive oil in its sleek little bottle. It is yellow in color and smells faintly like Jasmine and Neroli, which I love. I use about 4 drops from my entire face. I drop them into a palm, rub both palms together to spread and then pat it on to my face and neck, concentrating my application on to dry areas.

The oil takes about 2 minutes to sink in to my skin, but once it does you can't tell that it was an oil that made me moisturized and glowy. There is no residue left behind, no oily sheen and nothing to interfere with makeup application.

I'm sure that someone will ask me to compare this to my recent testing of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I found that they both work equally well in the morning under makeup. However, I do think that the Kiehl's is a bit more hydrating, so I prefer using that one at night.

Ingredients:
Jasmine, Rose Hip See, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, Evening Primrose, Apricot, Arnica, Calendula, Neroli, Sunflower, Argan, Juniper, Rosemary

My sample was provided by Beauty Works West

Buxom Lash Review

With my newly lengthened (via Revitalash) eyelashes, I've been having some extra problems due to clumping and just tangled lashes. Yes, I just said tangled. I know, I know, I should be counting my lucky stars lashes, right? Well, I am, but I'll just say that I'm much more appreciative of molded plastic mascara wands that I ever was before. They really do help to separate out my lashes and prevent them from becoming a big tangled mess.

The brush on this Buxom mascara is a perfect example of a great molded brush: the bristles are spaced a little bit further apart, they do vary a little in length (which helps to pick up a few little stragglers on either end of my lash line) and it holds just the right amount of product. I don't have to really work to get the mascara on my lashes, nor do I have to fight to keep my lashes separated. I think it adds great length and volume.

The thing that I'm not quite as happy about is the staying power of this mascara. While I have no smudging or flaking issues, somehow it does just seem to disappear at the end of a long day. I didn't mess up and accidentally put a no mascara picture above in the "that night" spot. It seems as if the mascara disappears when worn over about the 12 hour mark. I still have some length but definitely lose definition and volume.

Buxom Lash

Lippie Love: MAC Cockney

Lippie Love: Bite Beauty Lip Rouge in Geranium

So, I'm showing this as a lippie because, duh, this is a Lippie Love post. And Bite Beauty only makes "lip products", but really Lip Rouge is an all inclusive product. It would be amazing as a blush. I'm just saying.

Bite Beauty Lip Rouge, is a Sephora exclusive

Lippie Love: MAC Delectable