Swatches: Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows! Part 3

Bright Pinks & Purples!

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a great day! :-) As promised here's the third post regarding the NEW Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows, brights edition! I can't stress enough how amazing these shadows are! I've been ignoring my palettes a bit and strictly using these shadows and I'm still in love! Just as a reminder, these are only $3.99 each so make sure to pick some up at your local drugstore or order directly from milanicosmetics.com. Make sure to also check out my previous posts on these for more swatches on a bunch of other gorgeous colors! :-)

There's a bunch of beautiful bright shades in this line from blues to greens but I knew I wanted some of the purples and pinks as soon as I saw them! They pair really well together or with the neutrals I featured on my previous post. The dark purple shade on the top was the only one that needed some building up, the rest worked amazingly!

The top left shade is Bella Purple which is a satin matte finish. The one next to it is called Bella Fuchsia which is also a satin matte. My favorite one of the bunch is the bottom shade called Bella Rouge which is described as a metallic red but it's more of a magenta. It looks amazing all over the lid or mixed with a bit of Bella Copper... love it!! Here are the swatches over primer:

 

I can truly say that this eyeshadow line is addicting! I'm slowly adding more and more colors to my collection, I just cant get enough haha. I guess it's not too bad since they're so inexpensive. I recently picked up 3 more colors that I've been using non stop. Stay tuned for a possible part 4 of swatches! :-)





Review: Covergirl Colorlicious Lipgloss in Melted Toffee!

New From Covergirl!

These Covergirl Colorlicious Lipglosses have been out for a little while now and I was debating if I should give them a try. I heard some mixed reviews on these which kinda made me hesitant to purchase. But you know me, I love to try things out for myself because what may not work for someone might be life changing for me haha. I found this color called Melted Toffee that spoke to me so I immediately purchased it at my local Rite Aid! At the time they were on sale for $5.99 but normally they retail for about $7.99. The packing is really simple which I enjoy. It has a sponge tip applicator for easy application.

These have a very delicious vanilla scent that makes me want a cupcake! haha. The scent doesn't linger so no worries if scents tend to bother you. The color range was great, lots of bright colors but for some reason I was attracted to this nude beige color. Once I tried it on I knew that it was completely different than the recent glosses that have hit the market like the Maybelline Elixirs for instance. These are super lightweight on the lips and are non sticky. This means that they are not long wearing at all, I had to reapply about every 2 hours just to maintain the high shine. The color itself is beautiful though! This nude is perfect to wear over lipsticks that you want to slightly tone down.

This is what it looks like by itself. It does leave your lips looking really glossy without leaving a tacky feeling behind. I don't find the gloss to be super moisturizing by any means but nor does it dry out my lips.

 

Bottom line: I wasn't too impressed with the formula but the color I really liked! These don't last at all and the color payoff is really sheer. So really... it doesn't do much as a stand alone gloss. This nude color works great as a topper; with that said I wouldn't repurchase anymore. For the price I rather stick with my Maybelline Color Elixirs that are an A+! :-)





Must Haves: Jordana Cosmetics Powder Blushes!

Inexpensive & Amazing!

My heart has a soft spot for the Jordana Powder Blushes! They were the first blushes I ever owned and part of my daily routine when I first started using makeup :-) They're priced at $2.49 each and can be found on jordanacosmetics.com, Kmart and Walgreens. Jordana recently had a 25% off sale and I took advantage to purchase these plus a few others things, everything was dirt cheap! Milani and Jordana are sister companies so their products are very similar. Their blush line has a huge range of colors and few newly added shades that are gorgeous. If you're looking for a specific blush color you're sure to find it!

Four out of the five blushes I purchased are matte and we all know how difficult it is to find a good matte blush at the drugstore! They are super smooth and pigmented which I love. They are not powdery at all and the color is buildable. Packaging is just a twist off cap, simple but still sleek. Here are the blush names(click to enlarge!):

Here's a closeup of the blushes plus swatches:

*Hot Raspberry- A bright magenta with a matte finish, would look great on deeper skin tones!

*Passion Rose- A light rosey pink with a matte finish,  perfect for everyday.

*Peach Blossom- A peachy coral with a matte finish, gorgeous!

*Sweet Honey- A light terracotta with a matte finish, one of my favorites + perfect for the summer!

*Tender Tearose- A medium rose with silver shimmers, a great fall shade.

 

Bottom line- I'm so in love with these blushes and highly recommend them! They are so affordable yet don't lack on quality because they are long wearing. The colors are gorgeous and for the price you don't feel guilty owning more than one haha. If you're looking to add some diversity into your blush collection make sure to pick some of these up! :-)

Review: Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation!

New From Maybelline!

With a drugstore foundation like this one there's no need to even glance at the higher end ones! :-) I guess you can tell I'm a bit obsessed huh? haha. Maybelline recently launched this new foundation called the Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation and it's amazing! It retails for about $10 at your local drugstores and Ulta. It's said to leave a flawless yet natural finish that fuses with your skin so it's undetectable... and I must agree! I wasn't expecting to like it at first but his foundation is one I highly recommend!

The packaging is a glass bottle in a unique design! The applicator is very different to say the least. It looks like a dropper at first but it's actually a plastic applicator meant to place the product on your fingers and then on your face. It's not the most sanitary... which is my only con.

Now the product itself is a liquid consistency, super runny! Once on your skin it blends so seamlessly and evenly with barely any effort! With just one layer you get more of a medium coverage with a semi-matte but not flat finish. It looks super natural and the best part is you don't need to set it with powder! The consistency is very unique, once on it melts into the skin and sets to a powder finish. Even though the bottle says to use your fingers I use a flat top kabuki brush (the $3 Powder Brush from ELF works perfectly!) and application was so easy and fast!

 

Bottom line: I'm loving this foundation! Even in this hot weather it held up pretty well! I wore it to work and at the end of my 8 hour shift it still looked amazing. I did notice the slightest bit of shine in my T-Zone (mainly my nose area) but not much compared to other foundations. I love how this feels on the skin, almost like you're not wearing anything. When it claims to be undetectable its very true. If you're looking for a comfortable and natural foundation this is the one for you! Its a must have, even for you oily skin gals! :-) 

 

*Ever since I purchased this foundation I've been using it everyday! I love it!





Review: Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duos!

A Taste Of Bite Beauty!

Bite Beauty is a fairly new brand sold at Sephora that's been getting alot of recognition! It's very well deserved because all their products are made with natural and organic ingredients that makes them good enough to eat... literally! I was really intrigued by the brand but since its a higher end  brand their full size products retail between $22-$28 which is a bit expensive. For the price of one product I decided to purchase these two Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks Duos, only $12 each! It's a pretty good deal and the perfect way to try out their lippies before investing. This is a Sephora Exclusive and its also Limited Edition so make sure to pick them up before they're gone! :-)

There's two duos available right now, a more neutral one and the bolder one. All four colors are gorgeous! I'm super excited about the brighter one because I love me a bold lip! The formula is super creamy and opaque, you don't need to pile it on to see the color. These duos come with just a bite size of each shade but it should last you a good while. Here is the first duo:

This is the neutral duo with the colors Lychee and Musk! The colors are so wearable and the perfect shades of nude for just about anyone. Here are the swatches:

These have a nice glossy finish to them that looks beautiful!

*Lychee- a light neutral pink, I love that its not too light so it doesn't wash me out! This one isn't sold separately.

*Musk- a pink brown, my favorite from this duo! It's the perfect "my lips but better" color and you can purchase it separately in the Luminous Crème line for $24.

This is the vivid duo with the colors Violet and Palomino! This duo is so pretty and perfect for you bright lovers... like myself! Here are the swatches:

Both duos last pretty well and keep your lips moisturized throughout the day!

*Violet- a vibrant purple and looks amazing on! Makes your lips look so juicy! You can purchase this one separately.

*Palomino- a vibrant magenta, love it! With this one being so bright and rich I would recommend to use a lip liner with it to prevent any feathering. You can also purchase this one separately!

 

Bottom line: These duos are a great value! I highly recommend them if you've been wanting to try out some Bite Beauty products but don't want to fork out too much money at once. After trying these I do think the Bite Beauty lippies are worth the price! I'm planning on adding some of their lippies to my collection in the future... one at a time haha. Its nice to know that they aren't made with any bad ingredients! Its such a great idea and overall I love these! :-)



























Review: Maybelline The Nudes Palette!

NEW Drugstore Palette!

When I first heard about this new Maybelline The Nudes Palette I was super excited! :-) Technically it's the first drugstore palette if we're not including NYX. It's only $10 so for the price I wanted to give it a try. I purchased mine at my local Rite Aid after searching for it at Ulta and Walgreens. Word on the street is that there's two more palettes that will be available later on, a smokes and brights palette. Can't wait for those to launch! I was really surprised with the finishes in this palette, normally drugstore palettes or quads are full of shimmers and glitters but this one had a great selection of matte shades.

I owned a few of the Maybelline trios and quads before but I got rid of them because they weren't the best. After giving these a try, I feel like the pigmentation is a lot better! Now, it's not consistent throughout the palette because there's a few misses, but as a whole it's actually pretty good. The mattes are super smooth and buildable and the metallics (specially that bronze-olive shade!) are really pretty! I also enjoy the illustration on the back that shows you how to pair the colors by duos, trios and quads.

The packaging is also pretty sturdy and perfect for travel. It's nice and compact which higher end palettes don't have in common sometimes haha. I'm loving the color selection because instead of just plain browns and golds it also has beautiful taupes and grays! Here are the swatches by row:

First row:

I'm a bit disappointed by the first shade, its a creamy white with a satin finish that doesn't show up at all. The rest are pretty good, the last two are matte shades so you can see that are decently pigmented. That bronze shade is amazing!

Second row:

This row is all around great! The shadows were pigmented and smooth. I wish the gold shade was a bit richer like the gold in the Lorac Pro Palette but it still worked.

 

Bottom line: As a whole this palette is great! I don't think it's the best out there but for someone who doesn't want to invest in the higher end palettes like Urban Decay or Lorac this would a great alternative. Some of the shadows are not as pigmented as I would like them to be but over one of the color tattoos you won't have an issue! I wore these shadows to work and they lasted all day. All it takes is a great base and primer to make them work. If you come across this palette I would say to give it a try because the colors are perfect for everyday so you will definitely get some use out of it! :-)

Review: L'Oreal Color Riche Glossy Balm in Ginger Candy!

NEW In The Lip Balm World!

I thought the Jumbo Lip Balms trend was over... until I spotted these new L'Oreal Color Riche Glossy Balms at Walgreens haha. The display was full of beautiful colors and normally I would pick up a few shades to try out (hoarder status!) but I tried to limit myself to the one that stood out the most... Ginger Candy! These retail for $8 at the drugstore, pretty good price. Just like the other Jumbo Lip Balms that have recently hit the market these are twist up so no sharpening is necessary. The packaging on these is pretty cute! I'm loving the silver caps and the color of the tube is the color of the product.

These don't have much of a scent at first but once on the lips they have a typical "makeup" smell and taste so that's my only con. They are pretty creamy so I do give them that. They kinda remind of the NYX Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippies but with more opaque color. They glide on pretty smooth and last a decent 4 hours before having to reapply. These have hydrating qualities so they feel amazing on! The color that I chose might not seem like much once you see all the bright colors they have to offer. But I was so intrigued by this color, such a gorgeous pinky nude and it didn't disappoint! I'm so happy with this choice since it's the perfect color for everyday.

Here's how it looks on:

I'm loving the glossy finish, it doesn't feel greasy or slippery by any means! This balm has been in my purse ever since I purchased it! ;-)

 

Bottom line: I really like the formula of these! I love the color payoff and how moisturizing they feel. I've tried so many of these Jumbo Lip Balms and these are pretty good compared to the rest. It's just easy to put on and forget about it. If you're looking for a low maintenance product make sure to pick some of these up! :-)



 





Swatches: Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows! Part 2

Everyday Neutrals!

Hello everyone! I'm super excited about today's post! I recently reviewed the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows and included swatches of the three colors that I first found at CVS. Since then I placed an order on the Milani website and picked up a few more colors. These shadows are amazing, specially when worn wet! I wanted to swatch a few more to make your decision process easier if you're looking into picking some up. Today I have the neutrals edition and the color edition will be coming up soon so stay tuned! :-) Here are the ones I chose:

After trying some more of these shadows I'm convinced that the Satin Mattes are my favorite! They blend so easily! The Metallics are gorgeous when worn wet but when dry they don't show up too well. Here are the names and finishes of these four:

I created a look for my engagement photo shoot using these and it was breathtaking! I used Bella Copper all over the lid with a wet brush for a more foiled look, Bella Bronze on the outer corner also with a wet brush, Bella Cappuccino as my transition color and Bella Taupe blended into the crease. I was so happy with how it turned out, these colors pair so well together!



Here are the swatches over primer:

On the left is Bella Cappuccino and on the right is Bella Taupe, both Satin Mattes and really pretty! :-)

On the left is Bella Copper and on the right is Bella Bronze, both Metallics and look amazing when used wet!

 

Out of all the Bella Shadows I own these are my favorites, neutrals always have a special place in my heart. haha! I highly recommend these four because you can easily incorporate all of these colors into your everyday eye look. They're so inexpensive at $3.99 each so I'm really enjoying these shadows! :-)

Make sure to check out my previous post if you're interested in seeing Bella Navy, Bella Teal and Bella Espresso!

Review: NYX Baked Blushes!

Glowing Cheeks!

Yes... more blush! haha but these are baked so I had to try them out! ;-) I'm a blush fanatic so I love purchasing different colors and finishes to add to my collection. The NYX Baked Blushes retail for $7 but I purchased them during a 30% off sale so it was the perfect time to try them out! There's a total of 12 colors in the line from lighter shades that can be used as highlighters and darker ones that serve as blushes. The color range is pretty nice too!

When I first received these I was surprised by how tiny they were! For some reason I thought the packaging would be bulkier but they are very compact. Plus they have the cute little bow as a clasp, just adorable! The NYX site claims that these are baked to sheer perfection to provide a natural glow and I must agree! If you're expecting a really pigmented blush like the Milani Baked Blushes then these aren't for you. They give your cheeks a subtle color and luminous sheen that looks really pretty. Now, the site does say you can use these wet for a more intense color but I haven't tried them that way. I just recommend to apply these before your foundation fully sets so it has something to adhere to thus providing more color. Here are the swatches:

*Journey- a soft pink, very muted but still provides that pretty glow!

*Foreplay- a brighter pink with gold shimmer, really pretty! It actually leans more coral on the cheeks.

*Ignite- a muted orange and my favorite from the bunch! Looks gorgeous on the cheeks and since its sheer it's fool proof to apply.

 

Bottom line: I think these blushes are great! When wearing these you can skip a highlight since they are baked so it's dual purpose product. They blend really well on the skin and the color is buildable but not as opaque as the Milani ones( but... sometimes you don't want a super pigmented blush!) The price point is great so overall I really like these! These would be perfect to wear when you go all out on your eye look because they don't compete with the rest of your look. If you've been wanting to give them a try I say go for it! :-)









Review: Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Cosmeceutical Youth-Boosting Spotless Foundation SPF 15!

New From Physicians Formula!

Let's start off by acknowledging how long of a name this product has! haha. OK, lets continue. This is my first time trying out a foundation by Physicians Formula. I was pretty excited about this one since its fairly new and different from others that are out in the market. The packaging is also what caught my attention... look how cute it is! This foundation claims to be a weightless foundation serum that would instantly make you look 10 years younger. It's also has a spot correction formulation that helps reduce the appearance of spots. The claims make me think that it's meant for mature skin but I wanted to try it anyways because of the serum aspect. It retails anywhere between $12-$15 at your local drugstore. Here are my thoughts!

Packaging gets an A+ from me! I love how it has a dropper that allows application to be super easy! It's convenient since it's a serum consistency it prevents a mess from happening.

The formula is really runny which I'm not use to, but once on the skin it feels (and looks) amazing! It has a noticeable scent at first but it doesn't linger. It comes with a small synthetic brush that actually isn't bad!

It's not the softest brush in the world but I do feel like it works better that way. It does a great job at blending. I just place a few drops on the bush and blend away! Now, my only con about this product is that it only comes in 3 colors! There's light, medium and medium-beige... not even a deep shade. I purchased mine in medium but it ended up being a hair too dark and slightly orange. I managed to make it work but I really hope they work on their color selection. It covered my sun spots and discoloration around my cheeks so I really enjoyed this foundation!

 

Bottom line: I really like this foundation! I wont say its the most longwearing but it will look amazing for a good 5 hours. Being a serum formula I thought my skin would end up feeling really oily but I was pleasantly surprised! My skin was moisturized throughout the day without getting more oily than usual. It was breathable and still looked natural while providing the coverage I wanted. The price is a bit high but I'm happy that it comes with a brush that works. Give this a try! :-)







Review: The Suede Shadow Palette By NYX! ( Limited Edition!)

Limited Edition Palette!

I'm a huge fan of the NYX Cosmetics shadows! While looking around on their site I noticed they had a new palette called The Suede Shadow Palette and the colors seemed so beautiful...kinda reminded me of fall which is my favorite season. I then noticed it was limited edition so I placed my order immediately haha. I love how affordable it was at $12, plus I used the coupon code Welcome25 for 25% off! Here's a close up of the colors:

The colors are simply gorgeous! Lots of jewel tones and cool toned neutrals, a great mix of colors! Now most of these colors are metallic and a few have some flecks of shimmer in them, so no mattes which is a con. Its not a complete palette in that sense but the colors are worth it! Another con is the packaging... is a super lightweight cardboard that honestly feels cheap. But... the product is great so I guess I can overlook that haha. All the shades are smooth and highly pigmented. Here are the swatches:

I wished the colors were named to make it easier to pick it up in single form so that's a bummer. My favorite colors are the 2nd and 4th one on the top row and the 3rd one on the bottom row. They would all make amazing lid shades! There wasn't much fallout and the colors didn't fade throughout the day.

Here's a look that I came up with! It's wearable smokey eye for the daytime. 

Bottom line: If you're a metallic lover than this palette is a must have! I have the Cargo "Let's Meet in Paris" Eye Palette which was released during the holiday season and was also limited edition, this one seems to be dupe for it! It has many similar colors and finishes so if that was a palette you couldn't get before this one would be a great alternative!  If you're interested make sure to pick it up asap before its gone! :-)



Review: bh Cosmetics Creme Luxe Lipsticks!

Smooth, Pigmented Colors!

BH Cosmetics seems to be the "underdog" brand that always intrigues me! I feel like they don't get noticed as much as other affordable brands and they do have amazing products! So far everything I've tried has been pretty impressive and most importantly...really affordable haha. I love their palettes and I've done many reviews on them so make sure to check those out! :-) But today is all about the lips so lets get started!

There's so many reasons why I think these are amazing! First off is the price; it's said to retail for $7.95on the site but they are normally on sale for a lot less. I purchased mine for about $3 each so really great prices. They have a few shades, some with shimmer which I skip and the rest cream finishes like these. I'm loving the shape of the actual lipstick! It makes a huge difference when applying because it provides a lot of precision. Most high end lipsticks have that same shape so that's exciting!  These don't have a scent which I prefer over something overpowering. They are pigmented and super creamy... so nothing but great things!

These lippies remind me of a lot of the Wet n Wild Fergie Lipsticks which are one of my favorite drugstore lipsticks! They are very similar formulas; both really pigmented and creamy. The WnW ones have more of a matte finish while these have a beautiful gloss to them. These are both long wearing and never drying. Here are the lip swatches:

*Pop Cultured- a mid tone pink, really beautiful! I wore it work and got many compliments!

*Coral Escape- a bright coral-pink, really wearable because it leans more pink! Can't wait to plan a look with this one.

Bottom line:  I highly recommend these! If you're looking for a creamy, long lasting lipstick these are amazing! The price point is unbeatable, the only issue is that bh cosmetics very rarely offers free shipping. So I tend to look through the site, make a list of a few things I want so its enough to get free shipping. Make sure to give these a try! :-)