Review: Revlon Color Stay Shadow Palette in Inspire

Yet another of my spontaneous purchases, I got this on Clearance at my local drugstore. I love blues and greens, so I jumped on the chance to pick this up for a measly $2.

I’m glad that I got it so cheap, though!

 At first glance, the colors are great. Upon swatching, however, the colors are pretty washed out. In fact, I didn’t even bother with a first picture because it was hard to tell there was even anything on my arm. The colors were pale and barely there, which is a shame.

However, and that is a big however, with a primer, these colors suddenly come to life. After applying my base, everything was much more noticeable. The blue was blue, the green was green. The shimmer showed up nicely.

These are nice colors for  starting a collection, I have to say. The colors really pop once there is a base of primer, and they blend really easily.

Wear time on these is pretty standard for a shadow. About ¾ of the way through my day, I had the urge to reapply. By the time I got home, the colors were a little muddied and little wan. Still there, just not as poppy. But after a day of working around hot steam and coffee, that’s pretty good. I’m sure without the primer, I would have gotten zilch for wear time.

These colors look funky together, though, I have to say. I attempted the look on the back of the palette and I looked like I was trying too hard to be from the 80s. They are great when mixed with other palettes, though, and used as accents to darker blues and blacks.

The highlight color is nice, though. It almost perfectly matches the color of my the skin just under my brow bone. It adds a touch of shimmer and smoothes out the primer.

Not a bad deal for $2. I would have paid a little more for it, just for the versatility. By itself, though, it has a little lacking. Especially without a solid foundation.

By all means, snag his palette if you have others that you want to use with it. It’s going to get use from me just on that factor alone.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Vaseline Lip Therapy

So, this was one of those impulse buys as I was walking AWAY from the makeup section of Target. I saw a sign with a price I couldn't resist ($1.99, for those who are curious) and I felt the pull of gravity.

Before I knew it, I was walking out of the door with this little godsend:

Y'see, I always knew about how awesome Vaseline is for lips. You put on a little at night, wake up in the morning, and voila! All of your lip woes are solved.

There's just one problem. I bite my lips. A lot. My lips are usually scabbed or bleeding or in pain, and that's if they're not just cracked into oblivion. And I can't put Vaseline on my war-torn lips because I'll bite them, or lick them, and Vaseline tastes like awful. And desperation. And awful.

This stuff is so much better! It's similar to the Rose Salve that you can buy, only with a less hefty price tag. Petroleum based, rose scented, and vaguely rose flavored. But the key part? It doesn't taste like death and chemicals!

Vaseline hit the nail on the head with this product. It keeps my lips soft all day long without much assistance from that awesome Chapstick I got in my last Birchbox.

As far as the pink goes, it's a little unipmressive. I notice the slightest hint of sheer pink on my lips after application, but it's nothing to write home about. In fact, most people won't even notice it at all. But instead of using this for any sort of color, it's going to become my companion at work and before bed to make sure my lips don't suffer this winter.

Thanks for reading!

Review: e.l.f. Beauty Book in Warm

I’m a huge fan of saving money. And if that means testing out super cheap, drugstore makeup, I’m all for it. Especially when you come across a brand like e.l.f.

I hadn’t really paid any attention to the brand until joining a makeup subreddit. Then, they all started recommending these super affordable products. I was blown away at how much these folks seemed to love this budget makeup. So one day, I took a dive and went for it. I found this beauty book of eyeshadow in the clearance section and figured that if anything was worth five bucks, it was hopefully finding a new brand affair.

Sure enough, this is some awesome shadow. The colors are nice and professional, with some hints of shimmer throughout to keep it young and fresh. The pigmentation is nice, especially over the e.l.f. primer. They are all very solid colors that work well together. And they are grouped according to what works well with what. I like that. It makes my morning routine a little easier.

Also, I love that with such a good selection, I can take this with me while I’m travelling. Then I don’t have to worry about not having a certain shade for a certain look. This covers a lot of my bases at once.

Wear time is also good. On top of primer, I got a whole day’s worth of wear without any sign of creasing or fading. They are also easy to remove, which is nice considering how often I’ve taken to wearing a color or  three from the book.

Definitely a worthwhile investment. 100%.

Thanks for reading!

Korean BB Cream Mass Sample Review

About a month ago, I purchased a large selection of BB Cream samples from Cosmetic-Love. Over time, I have been testing each and every one of those twelve samples extensively, plus the two free samples they included in my purchase.

First off, let me state that Cosmetic-Love is awesome. I loved the samples I got, shipping was free, and the selection was amazing. Their store is easily one of my new favorite places to buy Korean cosmetics. Especially because they include tons of free samples with each purchase.

Next, let me say that Korean BB Creams are, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever tried. They were all amazing. Some were better than others, obviously, but they were all excellent. My American foundation just didn't stand a chance.

So what follows is my review for 14 different Korean cosmetics, in no particular order.

Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer

I still can't tell you what a "volumer" is, but I can say that this product didn't really do it to me. It left my skin oily and smeared with a fake floral scent that stuck around for far too long. It did, however, give my skin a nice, pink, dewy finish. I can see this product being more useful during the dry spells of winter. 

Skin Food Platinum Grape Cell Essential BB Cream

This was one of my favorites. It smelled excellent, blended frighteningly well, and provided moisture without being oily. It had sheer-ish coverage that made my skin look naturally flawless. 

Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB Cream

This startled me at first because it was white, not tinted. Basically, it worked like and HD powder, but in a cream. It was soft, moisturizing, and perfecting. It gave my skin a natural glow and a soft finish.

Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream

This was a very thin, moderately fragranced BB cream with sheer coverage. It felt revitalizing, and I can only imagine that it would feel more so after a day spent in the sun. 

InnisFree Eco Natural Green Tea BB Cream

While this cream wasn't as moisturizing at was implied, it was delightfully blendable and color smart. It was thick, but didn't look like I had just layered on tons and tons of makeup. The fragrance was similar to the German cosmetics that I use. Very natural and earthy, but pleasing. 

Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream

This was a very thick BB cream with excellent coverage. The smell was hardly noticeable and the color looked natural. 

Skin 79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream

This one surprised me. I was scared to put snail ick on my face at first, but it turned out to be an awesome idea. It was very blendable, sheer, and moisturizing. It made my skin feel amazing the day after and every one noticed that I looked like I was glowing and gorgeous. 

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

This was the only thing in my package that I wouldn't use again, and it's the only thing that can't be classified as a BB cream. This lip stain came out more as a gloss, which is fine. But it was heavily fragranced like the fakest cherry imaginable. Like cough syrup gone south. It lasted a decent amount of time, but not as much as I would expect from a lip tint. But the nail in the coffin was the taste. It was like chemicals and sugar and cleaning supplies. I don't know how people stand it. Definitely not a winner. 

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream

This stuff, I kid you not, smells like sunscreen. Not overwhelming, but just summery. It's a little on the darker side, so it looked odd on me, but it had good coverage. It was a little difficult to remove at the end of the day, however. 

Lioele Triple Solution BB Cream

This was a very dark BB cream. It had very solid coverage and was difficult to remove. Excellent for those who are trying to cover up any sort of scarring. 

Skin 79 Super+ BB Cream

This BB cream was thick, but easy to apply. It blended very well and provided sheer-ish coverage. It just gave a flawless finish. It is worth noting that this product gave my makeup extreme lasting power. I had zero fading the whole day through. And when I applied my blush on top of it, it stuck like crazy. I actually had to wash a little bit off because it showed up so well. 

Skin 79 Super+ Triple Functions BB Cream

This, like the one above, was thick but smooth. It provided heavier coverage than the above BB cream. There was no fragrance to speak of. Just nice, clean feeling skin. 

Tony Molly Expert Triple BB Cream

This was very thick. Almost clay like when coming out of the tube. It looked darker, was much less so when applied. Kind of threw me for a loop, to be perfectly honest. It has a strong chemical smell at first, but  that fades relatively quickly. Again, my makeup had amazing wear time. 

Skin 79 Super+ VIP BB Cream

This was very, very thick when applied. It felt a bit heavy, but then soaked in a bit and was tolerable. It had great coverage and was dewy and moisturizing. This was another that made my makeup apply better and stay longer. 

Over all, these BB Creams are all excellent. For anyone who is new to the world of Korean cosmetics, I say that you should visit the Cosmetic-Love site. Get some samples and play around. I know I've found a few favorites, and I can't wait to try out some more. 

Thanks for reading!

Review: Coastal Scents Go Palettes

Alright, everyone. I have a new makeup love affair. And it’s the brand Coastal Scents.

I heard about this brand through Eat Your Kimchi, a blog I’ve been following for years about Korea. Martina swears by Coastal Scents, so it’s always been in the back of my mind.

Well, recently I discovered that their products are for sale on Amazon….and they’re super affordable. Especially the ultra portable Go Palettes, each themed after a country. So I was gifted one palette (Cairo) and bought another (Sydney).

And it really is true love. Deep, passionate, heart wrenching love. The love where you hate being apart from the object of your affections.

These palettes are stunning. The colors are rich and dramatic, each one heavily pigmented. They are complimentary and beautiful, unique and yet still harmonizing.

 Cairo is a neutral palette with deep purples, luxurious tans, and earth tones. There are mattes, satins, and shimmers in this palette, so it is exceptionally versatile.

Sydney is a palette of bright pinks, yellows, greens, and blues. These are the happiest of colors, perfect for a warm summer. Again, there are mattes, satins, and shimmers. And again, the pigments are intense without the need for anything extra.

This brand is standing out because the colors are high quality without being expensive.

My only complaint is the lasting time. Even with primer, I got about 6 hours of wear before I noticed some creasing. But still…six hours with no need for reapplication? That’s still pretty amazing. Especially with the richness of these colors. I’ve also noticed that they last longer if I’m careful about touching my eyes. Duh moment, I know, but I have contacts, so I’m always rubbing at my eyes through the day.

Overall, this is a brand I’m going to be coming back to again and again. In fact, I’m longing for the Ultimate Palette with a whopping 252 colors. Soon….Very soon….

Thanks for reading!

Review: Covergirl Lash Blast Length

This was one of my necessity buys once I hit the beach a while back. I had left the house with absolutely zero mascara, let alone waterproof mascara to last me through a day of frolicking in the sun and sand. So late that first night, I ran over to a nearby CVS to grab some essentials. This was one of those products.

To be perfectly honest, I was looking for something super cheap. I wasn’t planning on using it past the week and thoroughly expected to just dump it. I’m not a fan of waterproof mascaras because they usually irritate my eyes to no end. Red, runny, painful eyes is just not a great experience.

Enter, LashBlast. It was cheap, it was “water resistant,” and it came from a brand I know. I opted for the brown/black color in the hopes that it would look more natural at the beach.

Well, this stuff exceeded my wildest expectations. I’m still using. And when I run out, I’m probably going to buy some more.

For something so inexpensive, it gives great length. No clumping, no “spidery” lashes. Just nice, soft color. I love wearing this on days when I’m opting for a more natural look. You know, that no-makeup makeup look. Or when I just don't want to have anything super dramatic to take away from my lips, cheeks, or shadow. 

The wear time is a little less than I was expecting, but that’s ok for me. By the time I get home, it’s not as noticeable. It’s a breeze to remove. And there are no raccoon eyes when I wash my face.

Overall, a very good purchase for being so inexpensive.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple and Juicy Papaya

I’ve been hearing about Lip Butters for a while now. Supposedly, they’re rich colors AND hydration. The best of both worlds! A lot of brands have been coming out with their own versions, like Baby Lips and Burt’s Bees. But in the end, I went with Revlon.

Why? Their color selection was much better than any other brand I’ve seen thus far. They may all be along the lines of pinks and reds, but I would rather have that than have to choose between one pink and one purple. Baby Lips, I’m lookin’ at you!

When I dropped by my local Target to pick up some goodies, I saw these bad boys and couldn’t turn them down. I went from zero lipsticks to 7 within a week. When you want it, you want it.

 First up is Candy Apple, an appropriately named…candy apple red. It’s rich and bright and sexy, which is awesome. It’s pretty pigmented for a balm, although it’s still technically on the sheerer side.

Then I grabbed Juicy Papaya, which is a smooth, barely there peach shade. It’s very natural looking on my skin tone. It looks like I just have healthy, beautiful lips. This picture makes it a touch more orangey than it actually is. 

Both shades are extremely flattering.

The hydration is amazing, though. The softness of this product easily rivals some of my most expensive lip balms, like Savannah Bee Company and Burt’s Bees. The hydration easily lasts several hours without reapplication, as well. I was super impressed. Normally, I have the urge to reapply every hour or so. But with this, I could rub my lips together frequently and still feel the slip and slide that the Revlon was still working.

I did have a slight issue with the pigment working its way into some nooks and crannies of my lips at first, but that went away after several minutes, once the softening began. Then it smoothed out.

I’m so happy with this product. It is easily worth more than the drug store price tag, and I just know that I will be buying them again and again. Not to mention these have turned into my go-to lip color. A swipe in the morning, one after lunch, and I'm good for the day. Super simple for when I'm on the clock!

Thanks for reading!

June Birchbox 2013: Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lipstick

I'm going to tell you right off the bat, this product has become my go-to lip color now. I didn't know what to expect when I opened my box, but boy, did they hit this nail on the head.

This gorgeous color applies like butter. Soft and silky, there is absolutely zero dragging. It's hydrating without being sticky. It doesn't sink in the nooks and crannies of my lips. Just an all over shimmer of beautiful peachy red with a touch of golden shimmer. 

To me, this is the lip version of theBalm's Hot Mama. 

Lasting power isn't super awesome as far as gloss goes, but the matte stain has lasted me all day at work with hardly any wear off. And with the format of the color (in a nice pencil), reapplication is a breeze. I can easily run into the bathroom at work, glide some on, and be just as refreshed as ever.

Between this and the Baby Lips I just got, I'm as happy as a clam. 

Thanks for reading!

Review: Simple Eye Makeup Remover Wipes

**This product was provided to me by Birchbox and Simple to review. My opinions are unaffected.**

You guys know that I just got hooked on Burt’s Bee’s wipes. They clean up nice, they smell good, and they don’t make my skin dry out like the Sahara in midsummer.

Well, ladies and gents, those have been blown out of the water. My new addiction comes in the form of something that is roughly the same price.

Luckily, I had just run out of the makeup remover wipes when these showed up in my mailbox.

The ingredients are pretty simple (as the name of the brand implies). Most of the long names in the ingredients list are just alternative names for soaps and vitamins. No sulfates, here!

These remove makeup (primer, mascara, liner, and all) in one fell swoop. There is no obnoxious rubbing at all. Despite the simple ingredients, these are still extremely effective. And honestly, I think a lot of brands could learn more from Simple.

But honestly, my favorite part is how my skin feels after using these wipes. There is no tingling, no burning, no itching. Even Burt’s Bees made my eyes feel a little sunburned after use.

These have no such issues. They’re calming and soothing, not at all harsh. They don’t make me want to claw out my eyes. They don’t leave my skin red and tender.

Effective AND not damaging? I’m sensing a win-win here. These are absolutely becoming a new staple on my makeup battlestation. These wipes are perfect after a long day of wearing makeup and working retail.

 Like a little spa wrapped in a cotton.

Thanks for reading!

June Birchbox 2013: Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo

I already have the Serge Normant dry shampoo, and while I like it, I don't usually very often. I shower every other day, and that's rarely much of a hassle. Usually, I time my showers around my work schedule. So in the even when I open and in the morning when I close.

However, every now and then, I don't want to shower. Today? I'm heading to the river park and didn't want to shower only to slather on sunscreen. And then shower again when I get home.

It was the perfect opportunity to test out this product by Klorane that I received in my Birchbox.

Overall, this is a decent product. 

The spray is really intense, so when I first used it, there was white everywhere that I couldn't get rid of. However, if you hold really far away from your head, it is a little better. The white powder brushes out easily enough. 

This isn't as volumizing as the Serge Normant one, and the fragrance really isn't as great. This smells more like clean. Just that. Nothing really noticeable. Just clean, fresh air. 

It required a little more product to dry out the oils in my hair, but it did work. 

As far as the "gentle" goes....well, I don't know what they mean by that. Isn't going to harm my hair? Well, neither has any other dry shampoo I've ever tried. Albeit, I haven't cornered the market on them, but still. It did seem to make my hair a little bit softer and a good bit less greasy.

In those aspects, this product is a decent dry shampoo. I still prefer Serge Normant's because it requires less product, has a good fragrance, and doesn't have an intense spray that makes me feel like I'm in the midst of a tornado. Still good, though. 

Thanks for reading!

Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow

**This product was provided to me by someone on reddit. My review is unaffected.**

First off, I think I’m noticing a trend. All of my favorite lip colors are Revlon. Hmmm…

As for this one, I’m so in love!

This buttery smooth lipstick is a rich red. Super flattering, even on someone with my skin tone. It’s sexy and sultry, but mature about it. Like a perfectly fitted red dress on a bombshell drinking the best tasting red wine at the bar.

There are slightly blue/purple undertones in the lipstick that help bring it down to earth, to keep it grown up. Like fresh picked bing cherries.

I love love love this lipstick. The staying power is pretty typical for Revlon, lasting about two hours and a meal, as long as I’m careful.

I can’t wait to wear this lipstick on a date night.

Thanks for reading!

Review: NYX Lip Color in Eros

**This product was provided to me by a friend on reddit. My review is unaffected.**

I never thought I would be able to pull off a sexy red lip. I thought that I looked too sweet, my skin color wasn’t right, it would look weird.

Boy was I wrong!

This lipstick by NYX is a super sexy Ferrari red that dries to a satiny finish. The texture is smooth and soft, but not overly hydrating. You can definitely feel it on your lips, and while it’s not troubling, it’s just…odd.

However, despite the rich color, this sits nicely on top of even my chapped lips. There is no sinking or settling here.

My cat, though, isn’t a big fan. This color, since it so heavily pigmented, leaves red everywhere. And while I think it’s hilarious, my cat doesn’t like licking a kiss mark from his white fur.

This is a really brave, daring red, and I’m glad I got it! I wouldn’t have been confident enough to try it before. But now I know that if I can look good with a bold red lip, so can anyone! And talk about a confidence booster!

Thanks for reading!

May Birchbox 2013: Amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask

I’m a huge fan of hair masks. I feel like they’re great for when I have a day off and want to make myself feel awesome. I’ll thrown on a face mask, a hair mask, and watch some Lost Girl. Maybe wash my makeup brushes or something like that while I’m relaxing.

                                 

Not to mention, most of the hair masks I’ve tried lately have been awesome. There were some duds, but the macadamia oil mask? Glorious. I’m still using that sample of macadamia oil treatment and it always makes my hair look like I just stepped away from a photoshoot.

So when I saw a hair mask in my box, I was super excited. I was already planning a spa day at home!

In the end, though, this mask was kind of a let down.

I felt like it was just a hyped up conditioner. I didn’t notice as much of a difference with this as I did with my other masks.

Sure, it made my hair soft and smooth, but no more so than the Suave Naturals that I have sitting in my shower. It smelled nice, but that smell didn’t last long at all.

About the only good thing about this product was the adorable packaging.

I honestly don’t think I could shell out so much money for this product when I can just buy a super high quality conditioner that does the same thing.

It’s a shame, but I think this Birchbox was my biggest let down thus far. The Coola sunscreen was good, the Sumita eyeliner was decent. The Runa tea (which isn’t getting its own dedicated post) was delicious and pumped me up. But the Marvis toothpaste and the Amika mask were both a little on the underwhelming side. Hopefully my next box will be better.

Thanks for reading!

Review: e.l.f. 2-in-1 Eye Primer and Liner Sealer

This is one of the products I picked up on my congratulatory makeup binges.

I already have a primer that came with one of my eye shadow palettes, but I figured that having a dedicated primer couldn’t be a bad idea. I picked up this, the lightest shade available at my Target. Needless to say, my Target was pretty wiped out of e.l.f. products.

However, despite the shade disparity, this is a pretty decent eye primer. It feels pretty thick and stays on for ages. In fact, removing it is a bit of a hassle.

It has completely solved the issues of staying power with my eyeshadows. I can apply an eyeshadow over this and it will stay put for 12 hours. No creasing, no fading, nothing. Just great color that lasts and lasts. No complaints on that end!

Application is a bit…difficult. The consistency is decent, but a little waxy. It makes putting it on just this side of painful. It’s also a little tough to got uniform coverage. Because really, it all depends on how hard you press where. It can also be a bit painful to rub this all over your eyeball.

I discovered that the best way to apply this was to basically outline my eye. Then, I do a line along the crease. Then I blend it all in with my fingertips. That way, I get smooth coverage and it’s not so thick that it feels sticky.

You could also use a sponge eyeshadow applicator to apply this, which is how I apply my other primer.

Overall, this isn’t a terrible product. It does its job to a tee. It’s just the application that makes this a pain. But for the price of $6, I’m super satisfied..

Thanks for reading!

Review: e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer

I bought this little tube on one of my “I have a new job” makeup binges. I figured that it was a dollar, and I was willing to put my concerns about finding a perfect shade aside for that price.

I’m pretty glad I invested in this product!

 

At a dollar, the tube is relatively small and it’s not filled with a lot of product. But that’s perfectly fine, because I don’t need much to cover up my under-eye circles and blemishes. A little, for this concealer, goes a very long way.

This was one of the lightest colors available at my Target and it’s still a tad on the dark side. To be fair, though, pretty much everything is do dark on my skin. Once blended, it’s pretty seamless, but I could probably drop a shade or two.

This is a nice concealer for the price, though. It has pretty decent coverage. It won’t cover up my freckles, so it’s not as heavy duty as I know some people like, but it can help even skin tone and make your skin look even more flawless. It’s good at reducing the appearance of blemishes and dark circles. And really, that’s only what I use it for. The dark circles, especially.

It’s a little on the thick side, formula wise, despite the light coverage. You can definitely feel that it’s there for about half an hour after application. After that, the sensation fades, and it’s just like normal skin.

This also does well with a tiny bit of foundation on top and a touch of powder to help mattify it.

Other than that, for a dollar, it really can’t be beat.

Thanks for reading!