Review: L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation & Concealer!

New From L'Oreal!

So let me start off by saying that recently I looked in the mirror and noticed a gray hair...I freaked out! haha. My whole mentality has changed ( just a bit) and I've been looking for makeup with some anti-aging qualities. It's never too early to take preventive measures and that gray hair was a wake up call, haha. I purchased the L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation about a month back, close to the time I purchased the new Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation (which is amazing btw!). I then purchased the concealer about 2 weeks ago and here are my thoughts!

The packaging for both the foundation and concealer is the same squeeze tube style. The foundation comes in many different colors which is awesome! But, there wasn't any testers so picked the one that seemed to match, 206 Natural Beige, but it turned out to be a tad too dark. I made it work with a lighter powder ;-) L'Oreal claims that the foundation instantly blurs lines and uneven texture for younger looking skin in seconds, which is pretty accurate! It goes on so smooth and has a medium yet natural coverage so you don't get the "cakey" look. My skin looked silky smooth and felt smooth too! It has kinda like a silicone feeling to it but isn't slippery on the skin like other foundations. I do recommend to set it with powder for longer lasting power.

The formula is great! Now the price tag is a bit scary, $14.99... good thing I had a coupon at the time haha. It has a SPF of 18 which is a plus. I noticed the foundation continued to look amazing for about 4-5 hours. Even in the hot weather it held up pretty well but I do have to say it wasn't the best at oil control. I had to touch up my t-zone many times throughout the day which was a bummer. The rest of my face looked great but my t-zone was a big problem area, maybe a better primer can fix it.

Now onto the concealer! This retails for $12.99... again pretty pricey for a drugstore product. It comes in three shades, I purchased 302 Light. One of my favorite concealers is the Mac Pro Longwear but I tend to push it aside because you have no control over how much you pump out. I thought this concealer would be the perfect solution because of the squeeze tube but boy was I wrong! No matter how lightly you squeeze the product just gushes out. The concealer itself is OK, not the best coverage and I think its due to its consistency. It's so creamy that it creases like crazy, so you definitely need to set it with powder.

This is what the squeeze tubes look like.

 

Bottom line: I feel like both the products are way too pricey! I don't recommend the foundation for oily skin girls, other than that its a great foundation! So if you're willing to pay the price I would recommend it, but I really believe the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation is a better formula if you're looking for a flawless finish but also something that keeps you matte throughout the day. Plus, it's under $10! As far as the concealer, I wasn't a fan because it easily creased. I was hoping to really love both of these products but it just didn't work out. Have you given either the foundation or concealer a try? If you have leave your thoughts down below! :-)

Must Haves: Too Faced Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Fig!

Perfect Fall Shade!

I'm so ready for fall! Plum and berry lips... my favorite look of all time! When I saw that Too Faced released new colors to their Melted line I knew I needed this one in Melted Fig. These retail for $21 at Sephora, Ulta and toofaced.com so it's kinda up there in price but it's completely worth it! I first purchased Melted Fuchsia a few months ago and loved it. It's the perfect spring/summer shade but... I was eyeing the deeper more fall appropriate shades. I was debating between this one and Melted Berry but Melted fig won my heart! :-)

What I love about the Melted Lipsticks is their sponge-tip applicator! It's so easy to apply and so comfortable on the lips. I little of the lippie goes a long way so this will last you a long while. I guess $21 in the long run isn't too bad right? haha. The color goes on with a shine at first but then dries to a matte finish. My lips felt really moisturized throughout the day despite the matte finish. It doesn't dry out your lips at all and the color stays looking amazing for a good 5 hours before you have to touch up. Once it sets it doesn't transfer which is a plus! Here's the swatch:

It's a gorgeous midtone plummy pink. This is just one swipe so the pigmentation is amazing. I did notice that once it dried it turned a bit darker but that wasn't an issue, I still loved it! Here's a lip swatch:

This is going to be my staple fall shade! I just can't get enough! ;-)

Bottom line: From the Melted line I think this color would look amazing on so many skin tones so I highly recommend it! The formula is perfection: creamy, opaque and moisturizing so it's a must have. I actually found some affordable alternatives that I will be posting soon so stay tuned for that! But if you're looking for a long lasting matte lipstick this is the one for you! :-)

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Palette!

Gorgeous Warm Tones!

Hello, my name is Reina and I'm a palette junkie! haha. I just can't say no to palettes! Initially I wasn't going to purchase the Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Palette but then I saw so many amazing looks via instagram that I gave in. I purchased my palette at Ulta for only $29 which is super affordable compared to other higher-end palettes such as Lorac or Urban Decay. This is my first Anastasia palette and I love it! I'm so happy I purchased it and can't wait to tell you guys about it!

It comes with a great size mirror and a double ended brush which I haven't used yet. The packaging is a magnetic closure made of a sturdy cardboard, so not the most luxurious but for the price I can't complain! The top row is all shimmers and the bottom is all mattes, gorgeous mattes I might add! I wasn't too impressed with the Lorac 2 Palette which has the same concept and kinda turned me off to this one. But once I gave it a try... I had a Herbal Essence moment haha. These colors are so perfect for fall which is my favorite season. I feel so inspired when I see the color selection and I can't put it down.

At first I thought I had a palette similar to it and I searched through my makeup and couldn't find anything close to it... in palette form. The shimmer colors can be duped with single shadows like the Milani Bella Eyes Shadows which are amazing quality too. The mattes, to me, is what makes this palette so unique. Those brown, reddish tones are so difficult to come by. These are so buttery and pigmented and most importantly super blendable!

I feel like this is a complete palette, it has beautiful blending and crease shades and amazing lid shades. It will for sure please the neutral lovers (like me!) while still having pops of colors for those "think outside the box" days.  Here are the swatches by row:

*Legend- a white-gold shimmer, perfect as an inner corner highlight!

*Glisten- a peachy gold shimmer, looks amazing all over the lid to make you look awake!

*Topaz- a golden-taupe shimmer, love it all over the lid too!

*Iridescent Purple- just like the name, it's a bright iridescent purple that would be great on the bottom lash line for a pop of color!

*Emerald- a forest green shimmer, can't wait to use it closer to the fall time!

*Vanilla- a buttery cream matte, perfect for a browbone highlight!

*Caramel- a medium-orange brown matte, the color I'm lusting over and use on the daily in the crease!

*Morocco- a reddish medium brown matte, another unique, gorgeous shade for the crease!

*Deep plum- a dark reddish-plum matte, one of my favorites! I use it in the outer third of my lid for a more smokey look. I love that it leans more plum than red because it's like no other shade I have!

*LBD- a black matte, it's not the deepest black I've seen but still gets the job done.

Here's a close up at the brush that comes with the palette!

Bottom line: I'm loving this palette! Out of the new releases in the palette market I would skip them all and pick up this one! It has the cutest animal print packaging and all the shades work so well together. When I'm not using my Milani shadows I use this palette for work and get so many compliments. Those warm matte shades are amazing so based on that alone I highly recommend this palette. Ten shadows, mattes and shimmers, for only $29? I think its a no brainer! :-)





Review: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal!

Best Highlight For All Seasons!

I always wondered why this product was always sold out on Sephora.com! I heard so many great things about it through the YouTube world but I just couldn't believe it would be worth the hefty $38 price tag... but it is and more! I've come to the conclusion that if I could only have one highlight for the rest of my life this would be the one. It's such a gorgeous shade plus a little goes along way! This is described as a golden opal pearl on the Sephora site, I'd say its a beautiful champagne highlight.

The packaging definitely feels luxurious! It's similar to the Nars packaging which the only downfall is that it gets dirty fairly easy.

Here's a closeup! It's breathtakingly gorgeous! The powder is so smooth to the point of feeling creamy. It doesn't have any chunks of glitter but it leaves a beautiful shimmering glow on the face! You barely need any product on your brush to achieve the perfect glow. It's pretty long wearing as well, I'd say a good 5 hours before its not as noticeable as the initial application.  Here's a swatch:

The one on the left is just one swipe across, you can tell how pigmented it is. I blended it out on the right side which it blends like a dream by the way!

 

Bottom line: I definitely believe this highlighter is worth the investment! I wouldn't purchase more than one because it's pretty pricey but for something that you will use everyday you will get your money's worth. There's more shades to the line so there's something for everyone. I found that this color was perfect for me on my tan-ish days and days where I look white as snow haha. I'm loving this product and if you've been on the fence about it I say go for it! You have to treat yourself every now and then, you deserve it! :-)









Review: bh Cosmetics Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder!

My New Daily Powder!

I recently heard some buzz about the new BH Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder from BH Cosmetics so I knew I needed to give it a try ASAP! This powder retails for $11.95 but per usual they were having a great sale so I managed to get it for $6.95. The price is amazing, even a bit more affordable than some of the drugstore powders. There's a total of 7 shades ranging from the fairest to the darkest. I wasn't truly sure which color would match me best so I decided to order two, #230 and #235. Here are the two colors side by side for a reference:

On the left is #230 which is a light-medium shade and the one I've been using since I haven't been getting much sun haha. Next to it is #235 which is more of a medium shade. I wish they actually had shade names to make the selection easier, but that is my only con because the powder is amazing! These are paraben and oil free with is great for you sensitive skin gals. Also helps with the mattifying qualities the powder has. I use this powder to set my foundation (or BB cream!) and it leaves a flawless finish to my face! I've noticed that I do stay matte for about 6 hours before I start noticing any shine, so that deserves 2 thumbs up! I do get oily quicker around my nose but that's with every powder.

It comes with a washable sponge that is stored under the powder. I use it on days when I just wear concealer and powder for more coverage. On days when I wear liquid foundation or bb cream I lightly dust it with my kabuki brush and I love it!

The powder is silky smooth! It works amazing for setting your concealer too.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this powder for all skin types because of what its formulated without. I'm obsessed with the matte packaging, looks so beautiful and high-end. The price is unbeatable and since the day I received it in the mail I can't put it down! Make sure to try it out if you're in the market for a great powder! :-)

Review: L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners!

Smooth like Butter!

If you've been searching for a pigmented, smooth and long lasting eyeliner look no further! L'Oreal released these new Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners and they are amazing! They retail for $8.99 at your local drugstores and they are worth every penny. I managed to get these on a BOGO sale and I'm super happy with the color selection. They do have your typical black and silver but I wanted all the bright, bold colors. The L'Oreal site claims that these glide like silk and feel like silk which is really the best way to describe them!

I first purchased the rose gold shade called "highlighter" and fell in love instantly! I initially wanted to use it for the waterline but it ended working better as an inner corner highlight. It stays on all day and makes your eyes pop! I've used it down the bridge of my nose and on my cupids bow...love the outcome!

There's been some talk about the eyeliner being difficult to sharpen due to the gold rim. I haven't sharpened mine yet but I'll keep you posted ;-) I have a feeling that the product is too creamy to the point that it might not be able to stay pointy as I'd like... but we'll see. These liners are the most long wearing I've tried thus far! They don't budge or smudge which is surprising since they are really creamy. These glide on with barely any effort. Here are the swatches:

*Highlighter- a rose gold color, like the name states its perfect for highlighting

*Pure Purple- a bright purple without shimmers, perfect for bringing out brown eyes

*Cobalt Blue- a bright cobalt blue without shimmers, super rich in color, one of my favorites!

*True Teal- a bright metallic turquoise, the brightest within my selection

*Green Ivy- an olive base liner with gold micro shimmers, a great alternative to your typical brown liner!

So after I was done swatching I tried to remove the swatches with a makeup remover wipe but it didn't work. I had to scrub with some soap and water and I still had some residue! That's how you know how long wearing a product is haha.

Bottom line: These are amazing liners and I highly recommend them! They last so long and don't smudge under the waterline which is a huge plus. Lately some of the new liners I've been trying out have been making my eyes water throughout the day. With these I don't experience that at all so if you have sensitive eyes these are perfect for you. They're also a great alternative to liquid liners! Make sure to give these a try because you'll be amazed by this formula! :-)













Review: Jordana Cosmetics Lipsticks! (New Shades!)

Opaque Lipsticks!

Recently Jordana Cosmetics had an amazing sale site wide and I decided to finally give some of their lipsticks a try! I love their blushes and reviewed them in July so make sure to check out that post! Jordana offers two types of lipticks, shines and mattes. Today I'll be reviewing the shines so stay tuned for the mattes :-)

Within the shines there's a few different finishes like pearl, shimmer and frost. I decided to choose all cream finishes because honestly... its the only finish I like haha. There's so many shades to choose on jordanacosmetics.com so definitely check out the site! Jordana is also sold at some drugstores, like Walgreens.

These lipsticks retail for only $1.49 which is a steal! Now, the packaging isn't the best, it definitely feels cheap but... the formula of these lipsticks makes me overlook that! These lipsticks are super creamy and opaque in one swipe. They don't tug or drag on the lips; its actually the complete opposite! They glide on so smooth, just perfect. The formula is very similar to the Milani Color Statement Lipsticks which I kinda expected since they are sister companies. You're getting the same quality with simplistic packaging. They smell really yummy too, kinda fruity!

Here are some swatches! Instantly you can tell how smooth and pigmented these lippies are. Three out of the four (the brighter shades) are brand new colors to the line. These colors are perfect for the summer time and if you're a bright lip lover like me its perfect year round ;-)

Here are the lip swatches:

*Mauve- a pink-brown, perfect color for everyday! It actually reminds me of the lip color Kylie Jenner has been rocking that everyone is raving about. She uses Mac but you can get the same look for under $2!

*Coral Flame- a bright coral- pink, stunning color for this time of year. It slightly gathered on the inside of my lips where they were beginning to peel but that's just my lips not cooperating haha. I love this color and this is one of the new shades!

*Creamy Berries- a violet mauve, it looked darker in the tube but still a gorgeous color!

*Red Volt- a red with orange tones, its perfect for the holidays or a night out! It's really bright and pretty!

 

Bottom line: These lippies are amazing! They keep your lips moisturized throughout the day and they are pretty long wearing as well. I wore Mauve to work recently and it lasted all day. Even after eating the color stayed on pretty well. My only con is just the packaging. I don't gravitate towards lipsticks that don't twist down all the way because they are prone to nicking. Also, some actually didn't click when you twist them down so they ended moving around in the tube, causing them to crash into the cap. Since they are so inexpensive it doesn't bother me too much. Now... if a $25 product did that I would go crazy! haha. I'm really loving these and the color selection Jordana has to offer. I actually placed a new order with a bunch of fall shades that I can't wait to receive! :-)

Must Haves: L'Oreal Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadows!

Best Pressed Pigment!

If you haven't tried these L'Oreal Infallible 24 HR Eye shadows then you must stop what you're doing and run to your nearest drugstore! These are the best pressed pigments in the market! They last all day and the color range is great. They retail for about $8 depending on where you go which is a reasonable price. I would personally wait for a sale to pick them up, like the one Ulta recently had; 40% off the entire line! They can be worn wet or dry and either way you get an effortless look. These are must haves!

These come with a plastic stopper that you can use to keep the pigment compact and stop it from drying out. These feel like cream but on the eyes they set like a powder. I haven't worn them for 24 hours haha but I can say that they are long wearing. They don't fade throughout the day and that's a huge plus!

These are the only shades I have... right now at least! haha. I've worn the magenta and rose gold as lid colors and it looks gorgeous! Here are the swatches:

*Burst into Bloom- a light lilac-purple, really pretty!

*Glistening Garnet- a reddish pink-magenta color, love this one!

*Amber Rush- a rose gold and the most wearable of the bunch. If you could only pick one I would recommend this one!

 

Bottom line: These are the best pressed pigments! I've tried some other ones that are good but not great like these. Nothing really compares so I highly recommend you pick some up! They're not too messy and since its not a loose formula you wont have any fall out. L'Oreal knocked it out of the park with these so don't overlook them next time you're at the drugstore! :-)





Dupe Alert: Drugstore Version of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish in Stereo Rose!

Favorite Dupe So Far!

I've missed out on the release of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish in Stereo Rose multiple times in the past! Everytime it launched with a collection I would tell myself "Buy it!!" but... $30... I couldn't bring myself to do it haha. Granted, I've splurged on higher end blushes in the past within the same price range but Stereo Rose seemed the most dupe-able. I first heard about the Milani Baked Blush in Rose D' Oro being a dupe on youtube and since then I've been hunting it down! I finally purchased it at my CVS for about $8 which is a fraction of the price of the Mac one! Skinfinishes cost $30, plus Stereo Rose is limited edition so once its gone its gone. I'm super excited about this dupe and the fact that its so accessible!

Since I don't own Stereo Rose I did my research and compared swatches online, and let me tell you... it's pretty much identical! Milani describes the blush as a pink & gold shimmer which is completely true! It has a beautiful gold veining with a bronze-pink base that looks gorgeous on the cheeks. I fell in love instantly when I tried it and haven't been able to put it down since. Just like the rest of the Milani baked blushes the formula is amazing! It's longwearing, pigmented and even though it has shimmers it doesn't emphasize your pores.

The packaging is a 10! I love the gold packaging with the mirror underneath the product. Another great thing about Milani Baked Blushes is how unique they are, no two blushes are alike because of the veining. Here's a closeup:

Gorgeous! Here is the swatch:

The shimmer is noticeable but its not chunky glitters. On the cheeks it leaves a stunning glow, looks sunkissed! I've been pairing this blush with my Milani Baked Matte Bronzer in Sunset and it's the best combo!

 

Bottom line: I'm so in love with this blush! It's a must have and the quality is awesome, but what else do you expect from Milani? I'm looking forward to adding more of the baked blushes to my collection because the shades look so pretty! If you've been searching for Stereo Rose look no further, just pick up this blush because from the swatches I can't tell a difference. I'm sure Stereo Rose must be selling on ebay for $50+ but why pay anywhere near that if you can have this for less than $10! :-)





Review: Lorac Pro Palette 2 + Swatches!

The Cool Toned Palette!

I love when companies release palettes that are unexpected! Lorac did this when they came out with the Lorac Pro Palette 2. They slowly got us excited with sneak peaks and then BOOM! it was released at Ulta! The palette retails for $42 just like the first Lorac Pro Palette and comes with a mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer which is pretty good! This is a more cool toned palette with more jewel tones when compared to the first palette. I was pretty excited when I started playing with it and here are my thoughts:

The top row is all mattes and the bottom is all shimmer/metallics. The left half is more on the neutral side and then you have all the darker, jewel tones on the right side. I was so intrigued by the plum and navy shades, specially now that fall is sneaking up on us!

The left side is full of a bunch of beautiful neutral colors, perfect for everyday use. The light brown shade looks amazing in the crease, so does cool gray. Rose and Mocha looks really pretty all over the lid. I found myself using that side of the palette more than the right side because sadly... the darker mattes are very difficult to blend.

I've tried using plum to add dimension but it's really difficult to work with. Plus, when you try to blend it you just end up blending it away with all the work you have to do. The same goes for the navy shade. Those colors are suppose to be the stars of the palette, in my opinion, and they aren't as good as the rest. It's a bit disappointing because without those you just have a regular neutral palette which you can find elsewhere for less. Granted, the Lorac shadows are an amazing formula as far as pigmentation! So the colors are buttery smooth and gorgeous but... some colors work better than others. Here are the swatches:

This is just one swipe over primer so the color payoff is great! But as far as performance there's an inconsistency.

 Bottom line: If compared to the first Lorac Pro Palette I would prefer it over this one. I don't have any problems with the first one and all the colors are consistently good! I was really excited about the color selection is this one but it just didn't WOW me. I won't return it because the neutral colors are stunning and different from the first one. But the palette as a whole is just lacking a tiny bit. At the end of the day I don't feel inspired to use it because of the outcome. Do you have the Lorac Pro Palette 2? If so leave your thoughts down below! :-)



Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams!

Matte But Never Drying!

Ulta recently had an awesome sale on their NYX products, 40% off the entire line and I took advantage! I had my eye on these NYX Soft Mate Lip Creams for a while now so I picked up these two for an amazing price! These normally retail for $6 and come in 22 beautiful shades. The NYX site claims that these are neither a lipstick nor a gloss which is right on point. I couldn't come up with a way to describe them because its such a unique formula! Its truly a creamy consistency with great pigmentation that dries to a completely matte finish.

Application is super smooth and easy with the doe foot applicator. The formula seems to be on the thicker side at first glance but it's really a thin consistency once on. It's super comfortable and what really surprised me is that it doesn't dry out your lips one bit! Your lips stay moisturized and feeling amazing throughout the day. They do emphasize fine lines and such (not too much though!) but the formula doesn't make it worse like other lip products do. Another great thing about these is once they set they don't move! That makes them last a good 4 hours before you need to touch up.

These smell so yummy and sweet like... cheesecake! haha. It's definitely more noticeable than the NYX Butter Glosses so if you're sensitive to sweet scents you've been warned! Here are the lip swatches:

*Antwerp-  a midtone pink with a hint of coral, really pretty!

*Prague- a bright magenta/berry color, reminds me of a more wearable version of Mac's Rebel!

 

Bottom line: This is an amazing product! The formula is an A+ and the color range is gorgeous! For a night out this would be perfect because it stays on. I'm cant wait for another sale to pick up some other colors! The selling point for me is the fact that your lips stay moisturized throughout the day. So if you've been wanting to try out the matte look this product is the way to go! :-)