Review: Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipsticks!

On Clearance!

Sale alert!! If you've been wanting to try the Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipsticks now is the time because they are on clearance at most drugstores! I previously skipped them because they retailed for about $7 but now that they are being repackaged and coming out with new colors they are on clearance for $3! I found these at Walgreens and I'm so happy I gave them a chance. Just like their name states they are super moisturizing and your lips feel hydrated the entire day!

They have a nice color range, granted that when I picked these up most of the colors were gone haha. I wasn't too upset because these two turned out to be amazing colors! I love the packaging and the new one is pretty similar from the pictures I've seen. I haven't spotted the new display yet but once I do I will be picking up some of the new colors. Now... these do have an oldschool lipstick scent to them, so if you're sensitive to scents then you should skip these. I don't find it lingers but its definetly noticebale at first. Overall, they are super creamy and hydrating! Here are the swatches:

*Let's Get Naked- a peachy pink nude, a beautiful color!

*Vintage Pink- a mauve toned pink... gorgeous! I love this one and received many compliments when I wore to work. It's a keeper!

 

Bottom line: These are amazing lipsticks and overlooked in the drugstore! I'm excited that they are being repackaged that way they can get some recognition because they are amazing. Vintage Pink is such a pretty color and I highly recommend that one. Since they are on clearance make sure to visit your local drugstores to see if they're still available. :-)

Review: Revealed 2 Palette By Coastal Scents! + Lorac Unzipped Dupes!

Rose, Coppers and Golds Oh My!

I immediately fell in love with the Revealed Palette so when I received an email about the release of the Revealed 2 Palette I didn't hesitate to place my order! Just like the original this palette retails for $19.95 but at the time it was on sale for only $9.95! Such an amazing deal, I couldn't pass it up. This palette is full of beautiful bronze and rose shades, similar to the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. I don't own that palette but from comparing swatches I found online... there's so many dupes of the Naked 3 in this palette!

Here's what the palette looks like! It's the same packaging as the first... still no mirror but that's beside the point haha. The color selection is gorgeous! The first row of shades is full of rose golds and coppers. The bottom row is the deeper bronze and plum shades... amazing! There's a nice amount of matte shades to blend out your looks which is a huge plus. The formulation of these shadows is so smooth and rich, very comparable to high end shadows.

When I first glanced at the palette I thought about my Lorac Unzipped palette. I found a few dupes from that palette so this one would make a great alternative! The Unzipped palette retails for $40 while this one has more colors and its less... need I say more? ;-)

Here are the swatches by row:

First row

Second row

Look how pigmented they are! I'm truly impressed with the quality of the palette. I did want to include the dupes that I found and to make it easier I decided to number the shadows so they can be distinguished.

The Lorac shadow will be on the left and the Revealed 2 shadow on the right.

*Lorac Undercover and #2

*Lorac Unbelievable and #9

*Lorac Unattainable and #10

*Lorac Unconditional and #11

*Lorac Unbridled and #13

*Lorac Undiscovered and #3

 

Bottom line: This palette is amazing! If you've been lusting over the Naked 3 or the Unzipped palette you'll definitely love this palette because its the best of both worlds! You can sign up for price alerts on coastalscents.com so you can order it once it's back on sale. The shadows are long wearing and perform very well! I'm so happy I own both the Revealed and Revealed 2, both are A+ palettes! If you want more information on the first Revealed palette (which is comparable to the Naked 1 & 2) make sure to check out my full review by clicking here! :-)















Review: Milani Color Statement Lipsticks + Swatches!

Simply Amazing!

Milani lipsticks always get great reviews so I knew I had to try them! These Color Statement Lipsticks retail for $5.49 each but I managed to get a great deal on them at 30% off when they were having their memorial day sale! I took advantage and ordered five beautiful colors and here are my thoughts!

The packaging is so sleek! I've never been a huge fan of gold because I feel like it ages products but these are eye catching. Milani has an outstanding color selection from nudes to pinks to berries to even out of the box colors like oranges and bright purples. It was extremely hard to narrow done my selection but I think I picked out some great colors that embodies a little bit of everything! The formulation on these is great, granted I stuck with cream finishes. They are really smooth and wear for about 4-5 hours before you have to reapply. Within the first hours they keep your lips moisturized but closer to the 5th hour is when you can feel your lips getting drier. That's my cue to reapply haha.

I did find that the color swatches on the Milani website were a bit off. Some of the colors were darker than I expected but nonetheless I still love them. I did want to point out that they do have a watermelon fruity scent to them that can be overpowering at first, but once on the lips you can't tell. Here are the swatches:

This is just one swipe so you can tell that these a rich in pigment! Here are some lip swatches:

Cabaret Blend-  a deep wine red, a really gorgeous shade for the fall and winter! I feel like I would need to use a lip liner with this one for a more even application but overall its a beautiful shade.

Uptown Mauve- a bright violet mauve, this color will be so flattering on many skin tones! I love how it looks with minimal makeup. It's bold and beautiful for the summer!

Flamingo Pose- a bright hot pink with coral tones... gorgeous! I love coral lipsticks and this one has the perfect amount of pink to make it more wearable.

Rose Amour- a rosey pink, one of my favorites! It's has blue undertones so it's also very wearable. There's so many pinks to choose from in the line but this one is a must have!

Nude Crème-  a pinky nude and the one I've worn the most! This color is the perfect nude for everyday and completes any makeup look. I love that it doesn't wash me out too.

 

Bottom line: I highly recommend these lippies! They are super affordable and have a great formula. I'm super excited to play with these and hopefully purchase some new colors in the future. I'm loving them so make sure to pick some up at the drugstore or order from the Milani website. :-)



















Review: Maybelline Master Hi-Light Blushes!

Highlight + Blush!

Maybelline released these highlighting blushes a few months ago and I'm now getting around to reviewing them haha. I know I know... but initially I had mixed feelings about these and needed to test them out for a bit longer before posting a review. These retail for about $7-$10 depending on where you go. I was super curious to give these a try because of the highlighting aspects, its really convenient to have a one stop product that can both add color to the cheeks and illuminate. These get the job done but depending on your taste you will love these or hate them.

These are a bit powdery but nothing that would stray me away from using them. The color selection includes all the basics and they are all beautiful shades. Once you swirl your brush around the color payoff is amazing! There's no chunky glitters in these which is refreshing... the last thing you want is to look like a disco ball haha. Now, I find that some of the colors work with this formula but others don't.

Nude- this is the lighter of the bunch and my favorite! Out of the ones I have I highly recommend this one because it's gorgeous on the cheeks! The color leans more of a rosey beige. It's perfect for just a highlight or for some subtle color on the cheeks that won't battle with the rest of your makeup. Love this one! :-)

Coral- this shade is also really pretty. If you love coral blush then this is the one for you. I don't find it to be super unique or a must have but it still performs well.

Pink Rose- this is one is my least favorite. I find that the formula isn't as flattering as the others. This color accentuates my pores and I can't find a way to make it work which is always a sad day in my world haha. Here are the swatches:

Bottom line: these blushes were a hit and miss for me but in my honest opinion I highly recommend the nude one! I find that its amazing and truly a gem from the drugstore. The rest for me are not must haves and you can pass on. I think the price point is great, you get a mirror on the bottom and a brush too. I was hoping to love them all but such is life. :-)

Review: NYX Cosmetics Dream Catcher Palette in Dusk Til Dawn!

Another Neutral Palette?

I love NYX lip products but I've never given their shadows a chance. I've heard great things about their single shadows but you know my love for palettes haha. The NYX site has many palettes to choose from. From the Dream Catcher line I decided to test out the one called Dusk Til Dawn. It retails for $15 which is a great price for the amount of shadows that you get! The colors were more in the rose and bronze color family which initially reminded me of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I don't own that one but this seems to be a great alternative! :-)

I'm really impressed with the quality of this palette! All the shadows were super smooth to the touch and had great pigmentation! I love how quick and simple it is to come up with a look. There's certain palettes that you just stare at with "???" in your eyes because the colors just don't work well together but this palette is the complete opposite. It took one glance and I knew exactly the look I wanted! Here's a close up of the colors:

These colors remind me so much of the Naked 3 palette especially the first color! Its a dark brown/violet shade with pink shimmers just like the shade in the Naked 3. All the shades are beautiful and will leave you looking like a bronzed goddess! I've used these both wet and dry and had no issues. Here are the swatches with primer:

Gorgeous! The last shades in each row are matte which is great! The third shade on the first row makes a great highlight. It's a well rounded palette! Oh btw: I had no idea that you can slide the shadow tray to the right and a mirror plus applicator appears underneath! Such a cool idea without making the palette too bulky.

 

Bottom line: I really like this palette! I can see myself using this on a daily basis because of its simplicity. I love palettes that bring out my creative side and I feel like this palette does that. With one glance... BOOM! I know exactly the look I want to go for. These shadows are so silky and provide great color payoff. I really have no complaints... well it is hard to open haha but other than that its amazing! :-)











Must Haves: Ulta Color Pure Eye Shadows!

Pigments Without The Mess!

When I think of pigments I think of shadows that are super messy and difficult to work with. It was a breath of fresh air when I came across these Ulta Color Pure Eye Shadow Pigments! The packaging is designed to be mess free plus the product is amazing! Now... I'm sure that we all tend to skip on the Ulta Collection products because they're not so raved about but I highly recommend to purchase some (if not all haha) of these! They retail for $10 but normally the Ulta line is on sale plus you can use the $3.50 off $10 coupon too. A new Ulta opened right across the street from  me and they were having their Grand Opening! They had coupons for the first 100 customers and I managed to get a $15 off my purchase which explains all of these pigments haha. In addition to the coupon these were 2 for $8 so I couldn't pass them up! (They are still on sale until 06/28/2014 online and instore!)

So this is what makes this product unique! It has a mechanism that releases the right amount of pigment every time you open the packaging. If you happen to need more just close the cap and tap the bottom... super simple! I'm loving how its a mess free application and they store away easily. The outside packaging is also really cute with the mirrored cap! There's a total of 12 shades in the line, many neutrals and brights too. Here's the shades I picked up! (Click on image to enlarge!)

The shades are gorgeous and the pigmentation is pretty amazing! The pigment is so finely milled and free of chunky glitters. I find that they can work alone for a more muted look but to use them to their full capacity I would recommend a base like the Maybelline Color Tattoos! These can be used both wet or dry depending on the look that you're going for. Here are the swatches:

*Henna- a taupe brown

*Mesa- a copper brown

*Icing- a milky pink

*Olive- a golden olive

*Riviera- a bronze brown

*Aloha- a bright blue... truly amazing! One of my favorites!

*Wildflower- a bright purple, another beautiful shade!

 

Bottom line: These were a dream to work with and for pigments they are unlike anything else I've tried! They were all consistent in performance, over a base they lasted all day. The colors are so rich too! I love these and highly recommend them. Make sure to take advantage of the sales Ulta has and coupons, that way you can purchase a bunch at a time! haha :-)

















Tips: How To Save Money At The Drugstore- Walgreens Edition!

Find The Best Deals!

Today I have a very exciting (and informative) post for you guys! We all love to save money and probably think we're getting the best deal out there right now. But I've learned a thing or two from shopping at my local Walgreens that I'm hoping will show you how much you can really save! Out of all the drugstores I love me some Walgreens haha. It's right around the corner plus I have my prescription there too... super convenient! Walgreens always has some great deals on beauty and skincare products. Here are the ways you can save:

I'm sure we've all heard of the Balance Rewards card...if you haven't signed up yet I highly recommend to do so! It's free and all the deals like the BOGOs require for you to have the card to honor the deal. It's quick and simple! Plus if you ever leave your card at home you can always input your phone number and the deals still apply! You earn points fairly quick and once you reach 5000 points you can redeem it as $5 on your next purchase. The Balance Rewards Card pairs perfectly with the next option.

Wahlaaa! Here you have the Walgreens Monthly Savings book! You can find this as soon as you enter your walgreens and also throughout the store. Every month you'll find a bunch of coupons for all of your favorite products that is specific to Walgreens. You can't use these outside of the store but wait for it...it's free! It's as if they're handing you free money every month! haha. So these coupons work in conjunction with the balance rewards card. Another great thing about these coupons is that they can be used on products on sale, such as BOGOs, and it applies to each product! On top of that you can use manufacturer coupons that you can find online or in your Sunday paper. I love the idea of the savings book and at the end of the day you're getting an amazing deal! Now... next up is my favorite tip.

The Walgreens app is a must have! There's so many things you can do with it like: request a refill for your prescription, search through the weekly ad, look at the monthly savings book, create a shopping list and clip coupons that are automatically loaded to you balance rewards card. I'm sure there's more things I haven't discovered yet but those are my top uses for the app! The clipless coupons are additional coupons to the ones in the monthly savings book so there's another little bit of savings. I love how you can just load them to your card in seconds.

If you love to be organized like me (for the most part haha) you'll find super handy the fact that you can glance through the weekly ad before going to the store. That way you can create a list of the things you want and prepare for the sales! Every Sunday the weekly ad updates on the app and that's when all the new sales start in store so its a very convenient tool. You can also keep track of the points that you've earned.

 

So there you have it! These are my tips and tricks on saving money at your local Walgreens. Hopefully this was helpful and if you have any other money saving tips make sure to leave a comment down below! :-)



Review: bh Cosmetics Eyes On The 70's Eyeshadow Palette!

Spice Up Your Look!

Palettes are becoming my weakness! Now that we're getting into summer I want to experiment with some color in an affordable way. I recently ordered the 70's eyeshadow palette from bhcosmetics.com and love it! Bh Cosmetics is a very affordable brand with great quality products. This palette is said to retail for $21.95 but I got it on sale for only $9.95 (still available at that price). I feel like they have all their products on sale everyday so if you like it you'll definitely get a great deal! :-) Here's what the palette looks like:

The color selection is gorgeous! You have your brights but I love how they decided to also include some neutral colors too. I'm a 90's baby so I find it so fun to be able to travel back in time with these palettes! They have a 80's one and also a 60's one too. The packaging is adorable but a bit tricky. There's a plastic transparent cover attached to the palette to protect the shadows. It can get a bit annoying to work with it but its necessary due to the cut out stars. If you're not careful (like me) you'll poke the shadows with your nails if they're not covered haha. But other than that, the packaging is nice and slim, perfect for storage. Here's a closeup on the colors:

My favorite rows are the last two because of those beautiful browns and oranges! There's a nice mix of glitters, shimmers, mattes and metallics. But... I do have to mention that the glitter shadows are a bit gritty and on the rougher side. The matte shades are the rockstars in this palette! They are slightly powdery but the pigmentation is amazing. The metallics are pretty awesome too. The amount of looks you can achieve with this palette is endless! Here are the swatches by rows:

Wow! Just look at that last row... they definitely saved the best for last! haha. I can't wait to create a look with those colors!

Bottom line: With primer these colors go on really well! I love the color selection and the price point is great! If you love brighter colors check out the rest of the palettes bh cosmetics offers. I think this one was the most wearable of the bunch. Plus... I know there's alot of talk about the Urban Decay Electric Palette but I just can't commit to something that pricey when I know I wont use those colors everyday. This palette on the other hand is affordable and perfect for those days that you want to step out of your comfort zone! :-)

Must Haves: Julie G Nail Polishes!

Great Formula!

Hello, my name is Reina and I'm a nail polish addict! haha now that we've established that I have a great post for you guys today. I finally decided to give the Julie G nail polishes a try after hearing so many wonderful things about them lately. I ordered mine from www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com, $3.99 each and they offer free shipping over $20 so really great prices! The bottle initially reminded me of Essie nail polishes which are a hit or miss for me. But these... are superb! The formula is on point and the color range is amazing. I'm so happy I gave these a try! :-)

These can be worn with just one coat which is what I love! I hate nail polishes that takes a lot of building up because they take forever to dry. These are opaque in one coat so on days that you're on the run these would be perfect. Another great thing about these is that they are long lasting. Normally my nails would chip in 2-3 days with other nail polishes but with these they last a week! I also noticed somewhat of hardening effect that I'm digging. My nails just feel stronger when I use these polishes!

Another great thing about the company itself is their customer service. Initially there was a mix up with my order where I ended up with a color I didn't order. I sent them an email and by the next day they had my nail polish in the mail, no questions asked! I was so impressed and happy! I work in the customer service industry and I get excited when other companies do everything they can to provide excellent customer service. Plus, I got to keep the extra color! ;-) haha.

Here are the colors that I purchased:

*Tahiti- a mint green with teal micro shimmers, on the nails the shimmers aren't noticeable.

*Old San Juan- a peachy coral with a cream finish, one of my favorites from the order! This color is dear to my heart because of the name (since I'm from Puerto Rico). This was the one that inspired my order! :-)

*Cabana Boy- a bright royal blue with a cream finish, another awesome color for the summer.

*Birthday Suit- a nude baby pink with a cream finish, can't wait to try this one!

*You-niverse- a duo chrome of bronze, blue and green... stunning! Most duo chromes don't translate well on the nails but this one was gorgeous on! Highly recommend this color! :-)

Bottom line- I'm loving these polishes, hopefully you can give them a try if you haven't yet! I haven't seen them at my local drugstores although I heard that some Rite Aids carry the Julie G line. Ordering online is still a great deal. The colors are unique and the formula is on point! Shipping is fairly quick too. I can't wait to order some other colors! :-)