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 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: 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!









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! :-)





Review: Cargo "Let's Meet in Paris" Eye Palette

So many beautiful colors!

I stumbled upon an amazing eye shadow palette and couldn't wait to let you guys know! I have many Urban Decay palettes but this is my first Cargo one. I have to say... the quality is extraordinary! The name of the palette is "Cargo: Let's Meet in Paris" and the palette embodies the name entirely. The pigmentation is great and the color selection complements each other very well. This palette is limited edition so if you like what you see make sure to buy it soon! :-)

The packaging is baroque style which makes it look more expensive. The price of the palette is $39. I found mine at Ulta on sale for $20 and I also had a 20% off coupon which made it a great deal. You can also find the palette at Macys or Macys.com. Last I checked it's sold out on Ulta.com. You get 12 metallic/shimmer eye shadows. The amount of product you get is great for the price. I find that this is the perfect holiday palette because its very versatile. You can create beautiful smoky looks or more day appropriate looks too. I love the theme of the palette too, its adorable! The theme is Paris and the eye shadow names reflect that! I'll list the names below with a brief description.

Here are some swatches!

From left to right:

* Macaron- Metallic cream/gold shimmer

* Eiffel Tower- Metallic gold

* Louvre- Metallic silver

* Crème Brulee- Metallic Copper (My favorite!)

* Bonjour- Dark brown with gold shimmer

* Café- Medium brown with gold shimmer

 

 

From left to right:

* Baguette- Matte creamy beige

* Croissant- Duo chrome brown to green (Amazing color!)

*Versailles- Metallic hunter green with silver micro glitter

* Madame- Metallic purple with silver micro glitter

* Bastille- Metallic gunmetal with micro silver glitter

* Beret- Metallic black with micro silver glitter

 

Bottom line: Even though most of the colors are more of a metallic finish I would definitely recommend this palette. I love the colors and they are perfect for the holidays! I have two cons: it does have lots of fall out but that's nothing to worry about if you use a great primer and I wished it had more matte colors. Hopefully you can still find it in store! :-)