Review: NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color!

Intense Color At A Great Price!

New York Color or NYC came out with a new lip product that I had to try! You know me... I'm a lipstick/ lip gloss hoarder so as soon as I saw the display at Kmart I wanted to take some home. These are called the NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Colors (Wow... what a mouth full! haha) but like the name claims they are full of pigment! I only purchased two colors but I'm going back for more. These are only $3.99 and for that price you definitely need to try them!
The packaging is simple but still cute. The color of the tube is the color you get for the lip color which is typical with these chubby sticks. Now, I wanted to check on the site for the product claims and what it comes down to is: intense color, long lasting and stay-put finish. I do agree with the first and last claim but not so much the second. I find that it holds its shine for about 2 hours max and then then it starts to fade a bit. Personally I don't mind reapplying this once that happens but I wanted to point it out in case someone finds that a bit tedious. Don't get me wrong, the shine fades but the color stays put! They don't claim to be a stain but I do feel like after a few hours it does leave a stain behind which is just as pretty. They go on super smooth and are very moisturizing the first few hours. They get a bit drying once the shine starts to fade but that's normal. They have a sweet/fruity smell to them... kinda like cherries!
Here are the colors I chose swatched on my lips.

From left to right:

*Metropolitan Mauve- A bright medium pink. Very wearable and pretty!

*Gramercy Park Plum- A deep burgundy/berry shade. My favorite! I got many compliments when I wore this to work!

 





Bottom line: I would recommend these! For the price it's a great lip color to just throw in your purse and go. You get intense color and the color range is awesome. They have everything from nudes to reds. I wouldn't say these are anything like the Revlon Balm Stains since those are balms. These just promise great color pay off and they keep that promise. The application is super easy with the pen format and they feel silky smooth on the lips! I never had great expectations for NYC products since they are so inexpensive but these are amazing and I can't wait to try out more spring appropriate shades! :-)

 

Review: Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers!

New Liquid Lipstick!

Judging by the picture you might think I went a bit crazy this time around... and I did! I was so excited to find out that the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers were being released in the United States! All the hype they got in the UK made me want them so bad. So... I decided to purchase all of these beautiful shades! Keep in mind... I don't enjoy shimmer nor glitter in my lip products so I only purchased the ones with a cream finish. I always gravitate towards bright colors but this time I wanted to add some more muted colors to the mix just to see how good they were. Alright so lets talk prices! I purchased these on Walgreens.com for $4.99 + BOGO! I couldn't pass up that deal! They came in the mail very quickly, no more than 5 days.

The packaging on these is very original! The caps look like a meteor or crater haha and all the names are galaxy themed. I love the gradient effect it has and how the color of the tube is also the color you'll be getting. Speaking of the colors... they are amazing! I do have to say, the brighter colors have a better application than the nudes. I find that the more muted colors come off a bit patchy and streaky. But the brighter colors are opaque in one swipe and the color is as vibrant as the tube. I really enjoy the formula! It doesn't feel thick on the lips and once it dries the color stays on all day without settling or flaking off. My only con is the smell. I honestly can't describe it and that's probably why I'm not a fan of it haha. It smells a bit sweet yet floral. Once its on the lips for a bit you can't detect it but for me it's still kinda unpleasant.

Here are the lip swatches:

From left to right:

*Apocaliptic- A fuchsia red, so pretty on!!

*Stellar- A bright coral with red tones

*Aurora- A light coral, will be great for spring! :-)

 



From left to right:

*Celestial- A pinky mauve, one of my favorites for everyday!

*Luna- A peachy nude. Leans towards the orange side on my lips... not a fan.

*Nude Eclipse- A nude beige. My least favorite... looks like concealer on my lips haha.

 

Bottom line: I would really recommend the brighter colors in the line. Celestial is one of the nude colors that I would also recommend because it leans pink and is perfect for everyday. As far as the nudes... I really don't like them. They don't apply as well as the others and the colors are not flattering at all... at least not on me. Overall the formula is great! It leaves a pretty shine on yours lips. Once it fades the color is still as vibrant but you can always reapply to get the shine back. It does require some precision to put on so it doesn't bleed. So if you want something you can put on in the car without a mirror this is not the product for you. Other than that I do think they are worth a try and the price isn't bad. Keep an eye out next time you go to the drugstore! :-)

 



 

Review: Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm!

Matte Without Being Drying!

Lip Balms are everywhere nowadays! I'm not complaining because these products are quickly becoming my favorite. I've tried so many lip balm/ stains but never one that claimed to be matte yet moisturizing. They claim to offer velvety color with balm-like moisture. I completely agree with how moisturizing they are. When I first applied them I didn't have to tug, on the contrary it was super smooth and a delight to apply. The color only took a few swipes to be as vibrant as the tube. Oh! speaking of the tube, I really like the packaging. I love how it represents what you get, it's matte just like the lip balm. As you may know, just like the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains these are a chubby crayon that don't require sharpening. I purchased mine at Walgreens for $8.99 each but I was able to get them on a BOGO sale.

They have 10 colors in the line. I only picked up two just to see how I would like them. I picked a more neutral color and the most unique color in my opinion. These have a peppermint smell and taste to them which I don't find overpowering. It's actually perfect for those moments when you don't have gum... surprisingly it actually helps with your breath! haha. I love how these do have a matte finish but don't settle into the fine lines on your lips or dry out throughout the day. Revlon definitely hit the mark on the formula. Now, there's also another type of balm called the Lacquered Balms but I didn't find any colors I liked. I prefer a cream finish and some of the lacquer balms had glitter in the them. I'll go ahead and show you some lip swatches and talk about the colors I chose.

From left to right:

*Sultry- It's a pink brown color. I think this color is great for everyday and will complement any eye look. I did a heavier application on my lips just to show the true color so it may look a bit cakey.

*Shameless- It's a medium purple color. I was so surprised to see a color like this in the drugstore. It's so bold and unique that I just had to have it. It did apply a bit uneven at first so you do need to go over it a bit to get the perfect color. It quickly reminded me of Mac Heroine. I'll have to test them out side by side soon to see if they're a match. This color is great for a night out, it's definitely for the daring!

 

Bottom line: I love the formula of these! I would recommend these if you're looking for something matte that is not drying. I wish I would've picked more brighter colors... maybe a pink or a red just to test them out. I like the ones I chose but they seem a bit dark than what I tend to go for. But other than that these are a great addition to anyone's makeup collection. Go ahead and give them a try! :-)





Review: NYX Butter Lipsticks!

Smooth Delights!

You guys know I'm in love with the NYX Butter Glosses (check out that review!) so I just had to try the NYX Butter Lipsticks! The glosses are amazing so I kinda purchased these with high expectations. The line has 22 shades ranging from nudes to brighter colors (my favorite!). Based on other reviews it was clear that the lighter shades weren't the best. They seem to be inconsistent in pigmentation and application so I stayed away from those. I love the colors that I chose, I didn't have any problems with them and they look beautiful on. These cost $6 each and can be found on Nyxcosmetics.com or Ulta.com.

So there's a lot of things that make these lipsticks amazing. First off the packaging is super cute! The color of the tube is exactly what you get. I love how bright and festive they look, it's just something that you want to take with you everyday haha. Another great thing about these is that they are ridiculously smooth! Just like the name, they feel like butter. The pigmentation is awesome and formula of these just makes your lips look juicy... and who wouldn't want that?! I also enjoy the way the lipstick is shaped. It looks like any other lipstick but the point makes it so easy to fill in the shape of your lip perfectly without bleeding out the lines.  Here are some lip swatches and I'll go ahead and list the names below.

 





From left to right:

*Sweet Tart- Medium pink, perfect for spring!

*Razzle- Bright Fuchsia

*Hunk- Berry violet, perfect for transitioning from winter to spring!

*Mary Janes- True red

 

Bottom line: I love these lipstick and would definitely recommend them! They are very moisturizing and have wonderful color payoff. My only complaint is that they don't have a smell. One of the things I loved about the Butter Glosses was the frosting cupcake smell but these don't have that. I was a little bummed but it's not a deal breaker. I personally would recommend the brighter, more vibrant colors because the lighter nudes didn't get the best reviews. Try them out, you will love them! :-)



Review: NYX Butter Gloss!

Smells Good Enough To Eat!

Today I have an exciting review for you guys! I heard so many great things about the NYX Butter Glosses and I had to try them out. I purchased four colors (seen above) and let me tell you... these smell amazing! I know I know, I should worry about the color payoff but once you smell it you'll understand haha. These smell like cupcakes and frosting, makes me hungry just thinking about it. The packaging is also super adorable. The color of the tube matches the color of the gloss. On top of that they have really cute names, relating to sweets. The have a nice color selection and they actually came out with brand new colors recently that I'm excited to try. The gloss itself is super smooth and not tacky at all. Tackiness is one thing I avoid when buying lip glosses, I just don't like the feeling. The colors are all creamy (my favorite finish) with no shimmers. The formula is lightweight so you barely feel it on your lips once it's on!

When you first apply the lip gloss you get a sheer wash of color. It is buildable though so you can apply more until you get the desired look. For me it lasts about 2-3 hours before you feel the need to reapply. It's super moisturizing and looks great layered over any lipstick. I'll leave the names below of the ones that I own and according to how they are swatched above.

*Crème Brulee- A natural/nude color (one of my favorites!)

*Cherry Pie- A true red

*Strawberry Parfait- A fuchsia

*Apple Strudel- A creamy peach

 

Bottom line: I'm a huge fan of these glosses! They are not the most pigmented glosses but they don't claim to be. The are definitely not liquid lipsticks that are now becoming popular in the drugstores so don't expect something like that. But if you're looking for the perfect gloss to layer over your favorite lipsticks I recommend these! You can find them on Nyxcosmetics.com or Ulta.com for $5. Ulta tends to have BOGO sales and the $3.50 off $10 coupon so if you wait you can get a really awesome deal! I recently ordered the Butter Lipsticks from the NYX website and I can't wait to try them out! Stay tuned for that review. :-)

Review: L.A Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer!

Hide Those Dark Circles ;-)

Sleep... what is that!? Haha, if you're like me you spend most of your nights (and early mornings) catching up on your favorite show on Netflix. Without my beauty sleep I look like a zombie. So I was in the market for a great concealer to take care of those dark under eye circles and I found it! The L.A Girl Pro HD Concealer is amazing! On the company's site they claim that it's crease-resistant with opaque coverage in a creamy yet lightweight texture. The long-wearing formula camouflages darkness under the eyes, redness and skin imperfections. Provides complete, natural-looking coverage, evens skin tone, covers dark circles and minimizes fine lines around the eyes. I definitely agree with the claims. This concealer is super creamy and works great to cover up those dark circles. It's actually compared to a more higher end concealer, the Make Up For Ever Full Coverage Concealer which is $32. The LA Girl concealer is $5 on their website but you can find for only $2.50 on Beautyjoint.com.

I love the packaging too, it has a brush tip applicator which makes it super easy to apply around your nose to cover redness, under your eyes and even around your eyes to clean up any mistakes. The line offers 18 shades ranging from light to deep so its universal. I do have to say that it's a bit tough to determine your shade from the online swatches. I ordered two, natural and creamy beige just to be safe and natural was the one! So I would recommend to do the same when ordering just to ensure you're getting your perfect match. For the price you have nothing to lose. You only need the smallest bit to cover your under eye circles but if you feel like you need more you can build it up. It's definitely a medium coverage off the bat. I always apply powder to make sure it last all day. A great thing about it is that even if you apply powder it never looks cakey.

 

Bottom line: This concealer is my favorite at the moment, I use it everyday! I love the consistency and coverage. Before I used the Covergirl and Olay concealer in a pot ( with the swirls!) because it was so moisturizing but it got discontinued. I was desperately looking for something to replace it and I think I'm gonna stick with this one! Go ahead and try it out. :-)



Review: ELF Studio HD Mattifying Cream Foundation!

Say Bye To The Shine!

Eyes Lips Face recently came out with a new mattifying foundation and I had to get my hands on it! I have combination skin so I have some dry patches and I typically get oily around my T zone ( forehead, nose and chin). I needed something to put a stop to the oils and this did the trick! This retails for only $6 ( $3 when there's a sale) which is a great price. The site claims that its oil free so it won't clog your pores and seems to work great for all skin types. It's a cream to powder formula so it doesn't leave a tacky feeling on your face. I still tend to set my foundation with powder lightly. The color I chose is called Sand, it's the second to lightest shade. The picture is a bit watched out so definitely check out the six colors they offer on Eyeslipsface.com. The foundation offers a few things that I love! It has great coverage, I'd say medium coverage but it can be buildable for people who have problem skin. It's super smooth and blends like a dream which also means that it doesn't settle into fine lines. It has great lasting power, about 4-6 hours which is normally what I need on a daily basis. Plus it didn't oxidize. The compact includes a sponge which I think its perfect for application. I personally wouldn't dip a brush into it because it wont grab too much product but I after applying it with the sponge I tend to use the brush to make sure its evenly distributed on my face. The compact is a great size and it has a large mirror.

Bottom line:  Overall I love this foundation. Before this I used powder foundations since all I have to cover are red spots. After trying this I was impressed. My fear was that it would leave a cakey look to my face but that was not the case. It looked really natural and kept me matte for a while. To help with the application I applied the ELF Studio Poreless Face Primer under my makeup. I think it actually helped a lot but that will be whole different review (stay tuned!) As far as the foundation, it lives up to its claims so make sure to try it out if you've been in the market for something like it! :-)

Review: Revealed Palette By Coastal Scents!

Is It Similar To The Naked Palettes?

 It seems like nowadays everyone is coming out with similar palettes to the Urban Decay Naked Palettes! The Revealed Palette was the first one to catch my attention so I gave it a shot to see if it was close to the originals. I only have the Naked 2 Palette and the Naked Basics so that's what I will be basing my comparison on. I wanna start off by talking about the palette itself! It has really cute packaging but I do wish it had a mirror on the inside. It's also very slim so it's perfect to put in your bag or to stack in your makeup collection. The palette contains 20 shadows for only $19.95! One dollar per shadow? That's amazing! It has a range of beautiful metallics and mattes just like the Naked palettes. The shadows are actually wonderful quality, very smooth and pigmented... some more than others. I'm loving everything about the palette and it's definitely a close dupe to the originals! It doesn't come with a brush like most Urban Decay palettes do but that's not an issue. I rather it not have one than to include a crappy one.

So here's a close-up of the eye shadows! I'm gonna include some dupes from the Naked 2 palette below so I thought it would be easier to number them. Click on the picture to get a close look of the eye shadows. The naked palettes are $52 for 12 eye shadows while this one is less than half the price so that's something to think about. I feel like the top row of this palette resembles the Naked 2 and the second row resembles the original Naked palette.

So here is the Revealed Palette swatches. As you can see they swatch beautifully! Just like the originals, you can get many day and night looks from this palette. I'll go ahead and include the dupes that I found! All the dupes are from the Naked 2 palette. I tried to compare the Naked Basics but didn't find any of the mattes to match. The swatched pairs below will have the Urban Decay shadow first and then the one from the Revealed palette.

 From left to right:
*Foxy and #1 ( Foxy has more of a yellow tone)
*Tease and #5
*Chopper and #8 ( Chopper is a bit more copper)
*Suspect and #9
*Verve and #10



 From left to right:

*Snakebite and #14

*YDK and #17

*Busted and #18

*Blackout and #20

 

Bottom line: I really like this palette! Personally I believe its a great dupe as far as colors and quality. Urban Decay is still the king of pigmentation but coastal scents came really close. I actually don't feel the need to purchase the original Naked palette now that I have this one. Go check out www.coastalscents.com and place your order, you wont regret it! Oh! I also recommend signing up for the price alerts, I did and managed to get mine for only $11.95 + shipping. This palette sells out quickly so go now. :-)











Review: Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color!

Great Spring Colors For Less Than $3!

I decided to get ready for spring early this year! I went through my lipsticks and noticed that I was lacking in the color department. I wanted to buy a few bright, spring worthy colors so I ordered these Wet n Wild Megalast lipsticks! I heard a lot of great things about them and the best part.... they're only $2.75!! ( even cheaper at drugstores!) I purchased mine on Beautyjoint.com so I can save on shipping. ;-) They have a large color selection, so it's easy to go crazy and order them all but I stuck with the six that stood out to me. The packaging is pretty simple, nothing too special. I love how you can easily see the colors through the cap. It does have a con though. The lipstick doesn't turn all the way down so it can get a little messy when putting the cap back on.  But other than that its great. The lipstick itself feels a bit drying at first but once you put it on it starts to melt and become creamy. It's like... magic! haha . It has great color payoff and they tend to last about 4 hours which isn't bad. For the price these are great. I'll go ahead and show you the colors I chose.



 

From left to right:

*In the Flesh- A pinky nude, great for everyday!

*Mauve Outta Here- A medium pink/mauve ( very creamy!)

*Smokin' Hot Pink- A warm pink/fuchsia, not too bright so it's very wearable.

From left to right:

*Coraline-  A coral with red tones... will quickly become my spring lipstick!

*Purty Persimmon-  A true orange. Looks kinda scary but can be toned down with gloss haha.

*Cherry Picking- A red with pink tones, one of my favorites!

 

Bottom line: These are a great buy! Great texture and I can see them being very flattering on different skin tones. The price is awesome and I'm pretty sure most of these colors are dupes for Mac lipsticks. Now, I won't say they smell as good or that they are as smooth as Mac but they are pretty darn close! ;-)

 

 





Review: Lorac Unzipped Eye Shadow Palette!

A Palette With Beautiful Rose Hues!

As soon as I saw this palette I knew I had to have it! The colors were totally different from my other palettes like the Urban Decay Naked 2 so took a leap and purchased it! I'm so happy I did, the colors work so well with each other and there's a nice mix of shimmers and matte eye shadows. The packaging is adorable too! It's nice and thin and has a magnetic closure to keep your eye shadows safe. Once you open it you can see a nice sized mirror and the 10 supercalifragilisticexpialidocious eye shadows! ;-) I know that the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette is now in stores but when comparing the two I figured I would get more use out of the Unzipped. It has the pink tones, gold and copper tones too so I feel that this palette is universally flattering. And those matte shadows are perfect for definition and adding color to the crease!

Lorac produces great quality eye shadows. They are super smooth and buttery. Blending is also a breeze with these eyes shadows. I'm so excited to create some looks with this palette! It's perfect for work environments and even for a night out. Now with Valentines Day approaching this is the perfect palette to create that romantic date night look. Below I'll include some swatches and descriptions of each shadow.

First row from left to right:

*Undercover-  A semi matte cream (has a slight sheen)

*Unbelievable-  A rosy metallic

*Unattainable- A copper metallic

*Unconditional- A matte mauve (great crease color!)

*Unbridled- A matte brown with red tones

 

Second row from left to right:

*Undiscovered- A metallic light gold

*Unreal- A metallic pale pink (very pretty!)

*Uncensored- A metallic bronze

*Unspoken- A neutral matte brown

*Untamed- A metallic rich brown

 

Bottom line: If you want a twist to the typical neutral palette I definitely recommend this one! The rose tones makes the palette unique and perfect for everyday. You can create so many looks with this palette and that is one the things I love about it. These colors look awesome on the lid and those color names are just too cute! This palette is $40 and can be found at Ulta (or Ulta.com) and www.loraccosmetics.com. It comes with a mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer which is great. So for the price I think this palette is a must have!









Review: ELF Moisturizing Lipsticks!

My New Favorite Lipsticks!

Lipsticks are one of my favorite beauty products! My go-to makeup look is a natural face with a pop of color on the lips. I always say "I collect them" but that's my excuse for buying every color out there! I was excited to see that Eyeslipsface.com had new lipsticks for their studio line ( my favorite!). The site also had a 50% off sale one everything so I made sure to grab a few things that I will later review. I'm a little bummed that I only ordered three because these are AMAZING! Lets start off with packaging: it's sturdy, sleeker looking than the other lipsticks elf sells and the color on the packaging matches the tube. My only complaint is that one of my lipsticks got ruined because they don't tend to lock when twisted all the way down like most other lipsticks. So it twisted right back up and got smashed into the cap. Other than that I have no complaints with packaging. Now as far as the formula: it's super creamy, has great color payoff and smell good too! They have a vanilla scent which kinda reminds me of Mac lipsticks. The claim for these lipsticks is that they have a velvety, satin texture that glides on the lips but still leaves a nice shine. I completely agree with the feel of these lipsticks. The glide on super smooth and its practically opaque in one swipe. The color selection they offer is great, it covers from the nudes to the reds and everything in between. They are also long wearing, I don't find myself having to reapply as much throughout the day.

Here are some swatches of the colors that I have. From left to right: Wink Pink, Flirty & Fabulous and Rosy-Go-Round. ( Click to enlarge ) You can for sure notice the shine it leaves on the lips!

Bottom line: For only $3 each ($1.50 if you catch them on sale!) these lipsticks are amazing! Definitely my new favorite lipsticks. I can't wait to start using the brighter colors in the Spring and Summer time. And.... yes, I will be buying all the colors! I'm not a fan of the $1 lipsticks they sell nor the mineral lipsticks. I recommend to pass on those and spend your money on these because the quality is there. :-)

Dupe Alert: $1 Mac Rebel Lipstick!!

Get The Color For A Dollar!

I love collecting Mac lipsticks! But it can get a tad expensive to repurchase the same color at $15 a tube. So my new obsession has been finding a cheaper alternative for my favorite Mac lipsticks. My most used fall/winter color is Rebel. It's opaque in one swipe and the color is beautiful! So when looking for my dupe I wanted it to be similar in many aspects like color and texture. I was surprised to find the perfect match at my local Dollar Tree ( yes, Dollar Tree!). I was just looking through the make up section and came across the Milani HD Advanced Lip Color in Premiere Plum. I noticed that like the name states its a plum color so I wanted to try it out. As soon as I swatched it I noticed how similar it was to Rebel. The color was spot on, the only difference was the texture. Rebel is a satin finish so it doesn't have high intensity shine like the Milani one does. It has a glossy finish which at times I prefer! :-) The fruity smell is also a plus. I tested both colors out on different dates to compare the longevity. The results were the following: Rebel has a better lasting power but it's a bit drying after a while. Premiere Plum tends to fade away after 2 hours so I did have to reapply.

In the picture below you can see the similarities and finishes. Premiere Plum is on top and Rebel on the bottom.

Bottom line: You can't go wrong for just $1! I find that it's very comparable and the most inexpensive dupe out there. The only problem would be availability since the make up section at Dollar Tree changes constantly. The packaging for the Milani one is also super cute and compact. It's something you can easily keep in your makeup bag for those days that you want to spice it up. So if have a local Dollar Tree definitely give it a try! :-)