Review: Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir in Enthralling Nude!

A Graceful Shimmer!

When the new year comes I become the giddiest person alive because all you see at the drugstores are NEW products! That's when you have to have the will power to just pick and choose the ones worth trying (very difficult I must add!) This year I'm getting into glosses, it hasn't been my most reached for item before but all the new releases tempted me to try them! Maybelline has anaddition to their Elixir line with a bunch of pretty shades. I only picked up one *pats herself on the back* and it's amazing! They were $7.99 at my local Walgreens.

These are called the Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixirs and I have the color Enthralling Nude. Just a little background on my taste: I prefer opaque, colorful glosses. With that being said I wanted something different, more of a topper and this one is perfect! Now, the name says it's iridescent but honestly I didn't notice much of anything. The color is still really pretty, has a slight micro-shimmer but other than that it's no different from the original elixirs.

Being a gloss it actually has pretty descent lasting power! Your lips stay shiny for a good 4-5 hours depending on what you're doing of course.It's such a comfortable formula, thick but not sticky! The packaging is just the same as the original line, sleek and utterly adorable!

 The wand makes the application so easy, I'm a huge fan of these tear drop wands!

Here's what the color looks like! It's a lovely nude, leans more peachy and the shimmer adds a little something special to the gloss. I've used it alone and over lipsticks and trust me when I say it looks exceptional both ways!

Here's what it looks like on! Kinda hard to get a picture but I did my best haha. 

Bottom line: The Elixir formula is one of my favorites, so I highly recommend you give them a try if you haven't already! If you're expecting some cool duo chrome action from these, sadly it's not gonna happen, at least not with the nude shade haha. But it's still a beautiful color and when paired with a smokey eye even better! :-)

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+! :-)





Review: Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains!

Gloss + Stains!

Revlon is my go to brand for lippies from the drugstore so when these new Moisture Stains released I was super excited! I came across the display at CVS and they were $9.99 each... pretty pricey but understandable for a new release. They had many shades to choose from but they all seemed to be in the same color family. You'll find lots of reds, berries and pinks in this line for the most part. I purchased two shades (for now! haha) and here are my thoughts!

First off, the packaging is really different! When I think of these "gloss stains" I think of the Maybelline Elixirs and the L'Oreal Extraordinaire which have a more rounded packaging. These are sleek and squared off which makes it look more expensive than it really is! Here's what the applicator looks like:

The applicator provides a smooth application and some precision too. The formula is more of a pigmented gloss when you first apply it. It takes a few swipes to build up the color and to make sure it looks even but once its on it looks amazing! The glossy finish lasts about 3 hours without eating or drinking. Once the glossy finish diminishes you're left with a nice stain. Now... the stain is not going to be as bright as the tube but its definitely noticeable. Once you start reapplying you'll notice that you end up using less product each time since the stain acts more like a base. I was pleasantly surprised by these and I really like them! Here are the swatches:

*Barcelona Nights- a bright magenta, a gorgeous color!

*Parisian Passion- a deeper berry color. This one would look gorgeous during the fall/winter time. Kinda reminds me of a liquid form of Mac's Rebel!

Here are the lip swatches! This is with just one swipe around the lips so you can tell that it would take a few more swipes to build up the color. The formula is on the thinner side and non sticky so you won't have any issues trying to build up the color.

They are really moisturizing so the name fits them perfectly! Even when the gloss fades the stain doesn't leave my lips feeling dry so overall these are great! I couldn't find any claims on these, Revlon doesn't have any information up on their site yet. So based on my personal experience these are lovely. They kinda feel like a combination of the pigmentation of the L'Oreal Extraordinaires with the hydrating aspects of the Maybelline Elixirs.

 

Bottom line: As far as liquid stains go these are pretty good! I would recommend these if you're looking for a smooth pigmented gloss with decent staining capabilities. The price is kinda high for me though so I won't be purchasing anymore until they're on sale haha. I'm curious to try out some of the lighter shades for the summer time. I'll be keeping an eye on those! ;-)

 

Have you tried these yet? If so, what are your favorite colors? Leave a comment down below to see which one I should try next!







Spot it & Buy it: Maybelline Bleached Neons Summer 2014 Collection!

Limited Edition Shades!

Limited Edition collections are quickly becoming an obsession for me! As soon as I see those two words my mind automatically thinks "I NEED IT!" haha. But I've learned to be selective and to only purchase products that I know I will use. This time around I was more than excited to give these a try because out of all the products I've only tried the nail polishes before. The Elixirs and Glazes are completely new to me but I must say... I love them!

Let's start off with the nail polishes!

All of these products were purchased at Walgreens. They had a BOGO deal going on when I purchased them so check out your local store to see if you can catch them on sale! Ok... back to the polishes. These retailed for about $4 each. They had a lot of shades too choose from but out of the bunch these three stood out to me the most. The formula is good, not the most long wearing but many of the shades are opaque in one coat! These chipped within 2-3 days but what I do enjoy is that it's easy to remove. They tend to chip in one piece so that's a plus = there's no fuss involved. The colors I purchased are:

*Ultra Violet- it's really bright lilac shade, super beautiful! It's opaque in one coat but out of habit I use two. I love how Maybelline incorporated pastel-like shades but made them into bold and vivid colors!

*Day Glow Teal- its a true bright teal blue shade. This color is also opaque in one coat and makes your hands look extra tan haha. So... I can see how it's perfect for the summer! ;-)

*Lime Accent- a bright yellow-green shade. I was disappointed with this shade because it was very sheer. Even with 3 coats it looked streaky so I don't recommend this one at all. I really loved the color but the formula wasn't comparable to the others.

Next up is the Maybelline Color Elixirs! (click on the image to enlarge!)

OMG... I don't know why it took me so long to give these a try! These glosses are amazing! It's like a balm, lipstick and gloss all in one! These retailed for about $7 each and well worth it. They are smooth and moisturizing. They look amazing alone or as lipstick toppers. I'm completely in love! For being a gloss formula they are really long wearing. They last about 5 hours without having to touch up. Here are the two colors I chose:

*Orange Aglow-  a true bright orange, looks amazing over coral lipsticks!

*Luxe in Lilac- a bright lilac, really beautiful!

The packaging is so petite and adorable, I really think that it contributes to my love for these haha. I heard that people had complaints about the scent, they smell sweet with a faint floral scent but nothing overpowering.

Last but not least is the Maybelline Face Studio Master Glaze in Enchanting Apricot!

I believe there were four limited edition shades from this line but this one was the only blush shade out of the bunch. The others were more of highlighters and bronzers but I didn't care for them so I skipped on those. Now... this blush retails for $8, the price is a little hefty for the amount of product you get but overall the shade is gorgeous! It's a highly pigmented coral-pink shade with a gold sheen that sorta reminds me of Nars Orgasm blush! So this would be an affordable alternative!

 

Bottom line: Overall this collection is a must have! It's up to you to determine the colors or products that intrigue you the most but I'm super ecstatic about the ones that I chose! I've worn the polishes many times already and the Elixirs are in rotation on a daily basis since I purchased them. The blush is also amazing and would look great on tan skin in the summer time. So make sure to visit your local drugstore while the line is available. It's limited edition so hunt it down! :-) 





Review: L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints! + Swatches!

A Little Goes A Long Way!

Recently Too Faced launched their Melted Liquid Lipsticks and I was super intrigued! I only purchased one because they were so pricey at $21 a pop so I began to hunt for something similar. I came across these L.A Girl Glazed Lip Paints online and thought they looked like twins! The packaging was almost identical and the best part was...these were only $4 each! I'll be reviewing the Too Faced liquid lipstick really soon so stay tuned for that! :-)

So here's what the packaging looks like compared to the Too Faced one:

The font is really similar, the tube, the cap... everything! But after giving both of them a try I must say that they are different products. So...if you were hoping for a dupe I can't really say it is. Each product is amazing in its own way but just wanted to point out that the formulas are opposites.

Here are the swatches of the L.A Girl Lip Paints:

The pigmentation is outstanding! You just need the tiniest bit to get the impact you want! There's six shades total, I decided not to purchase the red one because I prefer matte reds instead of glossy ones. But the colors I did get didn't disappoint. These feel really nice on the lips, they have vitamin E and peppermint oil that leaves a soothing feeling on your lips! The Too Faced ones have a sponge tip applicator and this one doesn't, it's just your typical squeeze tube gloss. That actually would be my only con about these. I wish it had a better applicator because with something so pigmented you need precision. But overall, I really like them!

Here are the lip swatches:

From left to right (click to enlarge!):

*Babydoll- a Barbie baby pink, really pretty but not something I would wear everyday.

*Blushing- a medium mauve, the most neutral shade of the bunch and one of my favorites!

*Bombshell- a bright fuchsia pink, gorgeous color and will be perfect for a night out!

*Hot Mess- a bright orange, online it looked more coral but its a true orange. It's different but I think I can make it work! ;-)

*Coy- a bright purple, this color is becoming really popular this year so it was a must have!

 

Bottom line: If compared to the Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipsticks these won't be a dupe but as a stand alone product they are really good! I like the fact that you don't need too much to get the color you want. The price point is also amazing! They feel and look nice on the lips so L.A Girl did a great job with these. The applicator is my only con. You have to be super careful when applying these. Since it doesn't have a sponge to soak up the product once you squeeze, it gushes out and it can get messy. I'm not sure if these are in store at your local Rite Aid yet but if you're wanting to try them out check out www.lagirlusa.com ! :-)

Need it Or Leave it: Buxom Full-Bodied Lip Gloss Collection- Nudes & Brights!

Great Collection Of Colors!

Sephora released this Buxom lip gloss set recently and I knew immediately that I needed it in my life! I tried one Buxom gloss prior to owning this set and fell in love. So what better way to try out a bunch of colors right?! ;-)

This set retails for $32, while one full size Buxom gloss will set you back $19. So money wise it's worth it because you're getting a total of six beautiful shades to try out. I love the combination of nudes and brights! It compliments anyone and everyone! For the days you feel extra special you can wear one of the brights and on the days you just want to be a natural beauty you can wear the nudes. It's an amazing value!

Here's what the mini glosses look like compared to a full size Buxom gloss:

Ugh... I wish the packaging wasn't so prone to fingerprints. It's definitely a pet peeve of mine haha but what can you do?!

On the Sephora site the glosses are described as sheer, shimmering lip colors but I must disagree! These gloss pack a punch, even the nudes. They are really creamy and full of color, exactly what I look for in a gloss! These aren't plumping like the Buxom Lip Creams, so if you're worried about having your lips tingle just know these won't do that. Here's a close up of the colors:

And here are the swatches:

From left to right:

*Yes You- a creamy beige with gold micro shimmer, looks amazing over a nude lipstick like L'Oreal's Fairest Nude!

*Mwah- a mauve-nude with gold micro shimmer

*Dolly- a deeper mauve/pink with gold micro shimmer

*Strut it- a fuchsia pink with silver micro shimmer... super pretty!

*Pucker Up- a violet pink with silver micro shimmer, perfect to go over "radiant orchid" lipsticks so you can be on trend!

*Cha Cha Cha- a bright coral-orange with silver micro shimmer. This one was more sheer than the rest and the shimmers are less visible.

 

Most of these colors are unique to the set and are not sold separately so when you have a chance head over to your Sephora and purchase it! This set is a must have if your a Buxom fan like myself. These glosses aren't sticky and don't have a strong scent. The shades are gorgeous and at the end of the day... you need it! ;-)



Review: Milani Power Lip Gloss Stains!

Perfect Lightweight Formula!

It took me a bit to review these new Milani Power Lip Gloss Stains but here it is! I ordered these a while ago ($6.49 on milanicosmetics.com) with a bunch of other new items from Milani so make sure to check out those reviews too! The Power Lip Gloss Stains come in a nice range of colors but you know me, I stick to my basics: pink, berry and coral. The colors all turned out to be really beautiful!

It's a huge plus to have the color of the tube match the gloss, specially when you have dozens of glosses to sort through (bittersweet haha!). It's a cute, petite tube of gloss so fits perfectly in your pocket or purse. It's a twist up mechanism that takes a while to gush out the product so make sure to take your time. I didn't... and it was overflowing!

The weird part is the applicator. It's a brush tip applicator that's really firm. The bristles leave just enough room for the gloss to come, otherwise they're tightly compressed. It's a bit rough when you apply it which is my only con. It makes it hard to outline your lips with precision so it does feather out. I would recommend to use a clear lip liner to prevent that.

The gloss stain itself is pretty darn amazing! It's a lightweight formula that packs a punch. The pigmentation is great, really works like a liquid lipstick. It's creamy and vivid; best combo! The shine lasts for about 4-5 hours depending on your activities but it leaves a nice stain behind. I love the glossy finish so once the shine is gone I reapply. Here the swatches:

From left to right:

*Macaroon- A creamy pink, perfect for everyday!

*Raspberry Tart- A creamy berry. This color is great year round.

*Mango Tango- A bright creamy coral, my favorite!

 

Bottom line: These are great glosses! I wouldn't call them stains because the shine does last. When I think of a stain I think of a matte finish. These are moisturizing and crazy pigmented which is always great. They are decently priced too. My only complaint is the brush tip, it's not my favorite. It makes it really difficult to get precision and it's too rough on my lips. Other than that I would recommend to give these a try! The colors are beautiful and I'm sure you'll find one that's perfect for you! :-)







Review: Be a Bombshell Cosmetics! + Coupon Code!

Haul + Review!

Be a Bombshell is a brand that shows up once in a while in my Ipsy bags. I was super impressed with what I tried so far that I decided to place an order to try some more! I got a great deal with a coupon code that I found on the Ipsy website so if anything you see interests you make sure to use IPSY40 at checkout for 40% off your entire order plus a Free Lip Crayon! (Awesome, right?) The line is pricier than what I expected so I would take advantage of the coupon code, it's good until April 14th.

After having some time to give these products a try I must say that I love them! They were all amazing quality and if I had to I don't think I would be able to pick a favorite. The first thing that caught my eye was the packaging, it's really cute and resembles the Mac Cosmetics packaging a lot! It's sleek and pretty sturdy just like Mac...pretty much identical. They have a great range of products and colors that would suite almost everyone. On their site beabombshellcosmetics.com you can read more about how the brand started. It's refreshing to know that there's meaning behind the name and that a fellow beauty junkie created such an amazing brand!

Here are the products that I tried:

*Eyeshadow Quad in Madrid- I ordered this on whim because I'm picky with my shadows but this ended being really good! The colors are beautiful and really pigmented. They are smooth and work very well together. There's 3 satin/shimmer shades and 1 matte shade. It's a well rounded palette, my only con is that it retails for $16. I think that's a bit up there but with the 40% off it was $9.60 which wasn't too bad.

*Blush in Glowing Goddess- This blush is a beautiful shade, the site describes it as a medium peach with a hint of shimmer and that is spot on. It leaves your cheeks glowing, I love it! Now...this is the first product that reminded me of Mac, it's the exact size of a Mac blush... twins! haha. Here's a picture so you can see what I mean:

I guess there must be someone out there that would complain about the packaging being identical to Mac but I like it! If you have a Mac palette I'm sure you can depot the Be a Bombshell blushes and shadows and add them to the palettes. The blush retails for $16 which isn't a bad price for a quality product.

*Lip Gloss in Caliente- Being Hispanic I was quickly drawn to the name of the gloss (which means Hot in English!) plus the color was gorgeous! It's a very opaque coral shade that goes on with the color payoff of a liquid lipstick but the shine of a gloss. It's really pigmented so you don't need too much to get the color in the tube. It's not sticky at all and very long lasting! I love love love the formula! The glosses retail for $14 and with the code it would end up being $8.40.

*Eye Shadow in Clover- I thought I was getting a free Lip Crayon when I used the coupon code but somehow this eyeshadow made it in my order haha. No complaints since its free and its a pretty color. It's out of my comfort zone so I won't use it too much but its nicely pigmented. It does retail for $14 each so I don't think I would purchase any of them myself, it's too pricey.

 

Bottom line: The products are great! I would recommend giving them a try while they are on sale. Personally I do think they should lower their prices, certain items are just too pricey. I don't want that to take away from the product itself because they are amazing. But for a brand that is marketed to be inexpensive compared to the higher end brands they should make some price adjustments. Take advantage of the coupon code while it's available! :-)

Review: E.L.F Essential EX-tra Lip Gloss!

New Glosses For Only $2!

The Essential's line from Eyes Lips Face is stepping up their game! This line is coming out with new products that are turning out to be really great, comparable to the their Studio Line. The Essential EX-tra Lip Gloss comes in six beautiful shades, each priced at $2. I ordered three of them and I really enjoyed these!

ELF claims that these are ultra smooth and rich in color which is actually the best way to describe them! The are loaded with so many ingredients like Vitamin A&E, Cocoa Butter, Avocado and Grape to keep your lips moisturized throughout the day. These feel really nice on, very smooth and hydrating without lacking on the color payoff. With just two swipes the color you see in the tube is exactly the color you'll have on. For the most part these are all cream finishes, they do have micro shimmers infused in them but they're barely visible. They add just a little "umph" to make your lips look fuller! I really stray sway from lip products with shimmers but these don't bother me at all, you can't feel the shimmers when you wear it. Here are the swatches:

From left to right:

*Marc- a neutral pink, really wearable!

*Joe- a coral, this one was a bit patchy but still a beautiful color.

*Michael- a wine, my favorite color! Looks great and its not too vampy.

Now lets take a moment to acknowledge the cute names! They all have guy names, so unique! And the brush is also really great. It's not your typical brush, in the first pic above you can see what the brush looks like. It's perfect for applying the gloss and for precision! Out of the colors that chose I would for sure recommend Michael! I've been wearing it non stop and I've received so many compliments!

Bottom line: Make sure to give these a try! They're not in store yet since its a brand new product but you can always order from eyeslipsface.com. They're not sticky at all and they feel amazing on! The lasting power is about 3 hours which is about average for a gloss. I like these better than the ELF Studio Glosses. I plan on purchasing the rest of the colors. :-)

Review: Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss!

New And Full Of Shine!

I don't know about you but when I see something that's NEW I just have to try it! It screams "buy me now!" haha. I hauled a few things from milanicosmetics.com recently so make sure to check out my previous post for some reviews. I was most skeptical about trying these glosses because I already have a preference and I wasn't sure if I was going to like these. I love glosses that aren't sticky and that don't have a strong scent, like the NYX Butter Glosses. Those are my favorite; they are super creamy with great color payoff! I wanted to give the Milani glosses a try and here are my thoughts!

 

The site claims that these glosses have rich color with extreme shine and comfortable lasting wear. They also claim to be non-tacky and moisturizing. I tried the nude shade a few days ago and my initial impression was that it was really sticky. I was turned off by that because sticky glosses aren't my favorite. Most glosses sink in to the lips to keep them moisturized but these felt like they stayed on the surface so they transferred onto anything you ate...or kissed! ;-) They didn't dry out my lips by any means. I just don't agree with the claim of comfort. I felt the gloss on my lips throughout the day and I'm not a fan of that feeling. Now, they are really shiny so the name fits it perfectly! Cream formulas are my favorite so that's the finish I chose when I placed my order. Overall I loved the look these glosses gave. Your lips just look full and juicy! They do have really nice color payoff and a nice range of colors on their site. Here are the swatches:

From left to right:

*Bare Secret- Nude Brown with a cream finish

*Ravish Raspberry- Berry with a cream finish

These glosses retail for $5.49 so the price isn't too bad. The applicator is a doe foot with flat sides so its really easy to apply.

 

Bottom line: If you don't mind a sticky gloss than give these a try! I personally don't find myself repurchasing them because that tacky feeling is just not for me. But I love the shine and the sheer wash of color you get. I wish the formula wasn't as sticky but what can you do. The line has shimmer, frost and cream finishes so you have variety. They don't have a strong scent like other Milani products, just a subtle sweet one. Check out your local drugstore or place an order on the Milani website if you want to give these a try! :-)

 

Check out my review on the Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color by clicking here!





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. :-)