Makeup Product Review!!!

 

 

In today's post I will be doing some makeup product reviews! Yay! I love makeup product reviews - I am actually a tad obsessed with the ones on Youtube. My favorite gurus, as you may already know, are leighannsays, hollyannaeree, and nguerriero19. Holly actually reviewed one of the lipsticks I am going to review, which is why I decided to buy it, and I love love love it. If you have never seen any reviews, I highly recommend these three gurus as well as others, just search for makeup reviews on Youtube.

 

~LIPS~

I am starting with these three lip products. I found the first two at Wal-Mart and the last at Dollar Tree. You may be able to find the L.A. Colors brand at Wal-Marts and other drugstores in your area, but sadly, only Dollar Tree and Family Dollar carry L.A. Colors in my town. :-(

 

Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick by Kate Moss in #14

 

This lipstick was recommended by Youtube guru, alovetart. I watched one of her videos where she reviewed a bunch of nude lipsticks, and this one really caught my eye. It is Lasting Finish by Kate Moss for Rimmel in #14. Odd that this line does not have actual names, just numbers. This is a smooth formula that goes on amazing and looks amazing. It's not extremely creamy and my lips tend to be on the dry side, so I like to put a coat of clear lip gloss on top. The best thing about this lipstick is the smell! OMG, it smells like cinnamon or some kind of holiday spice...I really like it, and it also tastes a little like the same holiday-ish sweet spice. I don't know, I'm just nuts, I guess. But it's a sweet smell and taste, whatever it is.The packaging is also a plus. Very professional and "high-end" in a sleek black tube. Like I said before, I found this at Wal-Mart for $4 and some change.

 

 

This is a great "my lips but better" color, great for everyday (work, school), and even with a night time look. I can't wait to try a really sultry smokey eye with this great nude. This photo is #14 with a coat of clear gloss on top. This lipstick claims to have up to 8 hours of staying power, but I haven't worn it that much, so I can't comment on that.

 

Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour lipcolor in Perpetual Peony

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite lipstick right now, and what a shock, it's by my favorite drugstore brand, Maybelline! This lipstick was recommended by Youtube guru, hollyannaeree. (Side note: Go check out her videos, they are great! She gives great tutorials and reviews and has lots of giveaways!). I loved how this pink looked on her lips, and she has said that her lips are pretty pigmented naturally, as are mine, so I figured this would look the same on my lips. And I was right. This is such a pretty pink color. I was SO lucky because my Wal-Mart had ONE Perpetual Peony color left. And of course, I grabbed it! It was a little over $7, which I never spend on lipsticks. But it was definitely worth it, and I am needing to purchase a back-up tube just in case. I always have a fear that something I really really love is going to be discontinued! This lipstick is said to have up to 24 hours of staying power, which I definitely cannot comment on because I don't know WHO would wear their lipstick for 24 hours. On me, it has lasted about 4-5 hours, and that is just because I wipe it off before eating lunch. So it definitely could possibly last longer. This is one lipstick I can wear with or without a clear coat of gloss on top. It goes on very creamy and smooth! Worth the price, but I wish it were a little less pricey.

 

L.A. Colors Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Romance

 

 

Like I said before, I got this lip gloss at Dollar Tree. I am almost 100% sure it is in the color Romance ( I threw the packaging away immediately and it doesn't have the color on the tube). This is a pretty mauve-y color that looks so pretty. It says it has moisturizing Vitamin E and Aloe Vera, so that's a nice benefit. It is not a greasy, oily formula, nor is it sticky and gross. It probably falls somewhere between that, which is perfect, because it stays on your lips, but won't glue your lips together LOL. I like this gloss for the price, which was $1.

 

 

The next three are a few items that I already posted on, but didn't give too much of a review on. So here it is. From left to right: Wet N Wild lipstick in 903C, Wet N Wild Megashield lipcolor with SPF 15 in Within These Adobe Walls, and Rimmel Stay Glossy lip gloss in Fuschia Fever.

 

 

While these three colors are very pretty, I did not like the first one. Wet N Wild lipstick in 903C is not a creamy or smooth formula at all( I have yet to try other colors in this line, so I don't know if the entire line is like this). It is very drying and shows all the lines in my lips. I already have very dry lips, so this did not help. Also putting gloss on top seemed to make it worse. It does not go on opaque ( I have very pigmented lips naturally, and it looked terrible!); color in places and none in others, very spotty. I want to say that maybe it would work better on someone with less pigmented lips - I am going to keep this in my artist kit to use on other people and I'll see how it works on them. Overall, very disappointed because I love Wet N Wild, but I only spent about $2 on this.

Wet N Wild really restored my faith in them with the next one: Megashield with SPF 15 in Within These Adobe Walls. It's a similar color (as you can tell in the swatches) to 903C, but it is so much better! It goes on smooth and creamy, and is pretty shiny. I am planning on trying out more lipsticks from this "Megashield" line. I believe these are $2 as well.

 

I am loving Rimmel lip products lately! I thought this bright fuschia pink was going to be too much for me, but it is a very pretty color. Very sultry and sexy, not very school/work appropriate. This goes on extremely smooth with a very cool flat lip applicator (something I have not seen before in a gloss applicator). I like to put this on liberally for a night out, and for other days, dab a little on my lips and rub in with a finger for a bright lip stain look. My Wal-Mart was not stocked very well on these, but I am still wanting to try other colors in this line. These are $3 and some change.

 

 

The last lip product is from Elf. You can get Elf online at eyeslipsface.com or at Target stores. This gloss came with a huge online purchase I made last month. It is the Elf Glitter Gloss in Bronze Bling. This is a very pretty going-out color, and it's not too overpowering or crazy. I have to admit that "glitter" scares me a little, but the glitter in this gloss is not overwhelming at all, and I cannot feel any gritty gross-ness on my lips. The gloss is not too sticky, and it isn't oily or greasy either. It's the perfect medium that will stick to your lips. I've gotta say, I love the packaging as well. Looks very simple and sleek. I paid about $3 for this.

 

**I recommend looking up other swatches on Google, because the swatches on the company websites are usually not true to color. You can find alot of swatches and reviews of any product you are looking to purchase!**

 

~FACE~

Moving on to face products. Here are a few products that I have been using this month.

 

CoverGirl CGSmoothers BB Cream

 

 

I had heard many good things about BB creams, so I knew I had to try one. I didn't want to spend a fortune, so I figured I would start with the inexpensive Cover Girl CGSmoothers BB cream in light to medium. I can't remember how much this was at Target. Less than $6, I'm sure. I have actually been using this longer than a month, and I'm happy with it. Right now, I have pretty clear skin, and while it is a sheer coverage, I don't feel completely naked. It is extremely moisturizing, and I believe it adds some glow to my complexion. I think this tube has 1.3 ounces, and I don't use a ton on my face, so it's lasting a pretty long time. But I think I will probably repurchase this, or maybe try out the Garnier version depending on how much money I feel like spending at the time. While this does not say oil-free on the tube, I do not get any extra unwanted oil from this product, so that makes me happy, too.

 

Maybelline Shine Free Pressed Powder

 

This claims to have matte finish and oil control. I love Maybelline, and I truly believe that it lives up to what it's supposed to do. I think it's pretty cool that it actually has oil-blotting ingredients to keep your face oil-free. I find it does keep me oil-free and matte for 5-6 hours, which is pretty good in my opinion. It comes with a powder pad thing, but I like to use a powder brush. I want to say this was at Wal-Mart for less than $5.

 

Wet N Wild Blush in Heather Silk

 

 

 

This blush was also a recommendation from Youtube guru, hollyannaeree. She has mentioned it quite a bit, so I had to try it myself. And for $2, why not? It is a very gorgeous pink, and is surprisingly highly pigmented! This is great, but you have to be very careful to blend it out because it's easy to put too much of this on and look like a baby doll or clown LOL. Of course, the brush isn't the greatest - somewhat hard and stiff (which doesn't make it easy to blend), but that's expected with most products, so I use a softer blush brush.

 

Palladio Rice Powder Oil-Absorbing Blotting Tissues

 

 

I was never really into blotting papers - I actually didn't really believe the "oil-absorbing" quality about them. I read alot of great reviews about this particular product, and decided I would try it. I got them at Sally's for $2-$3 with my Sally Beauty Club card. I love these! I don't get a ton of oil (mainly my nose and a little between my eyebrows), and blotting with these makes me look as if I refreshed my powder makeup. It's faster and much easier to use these than taking my compact and a brush in my purse everywhere - especially since it's so easy to break makeup and compacts in a big purse filled with junk LOL. I also like the fact that since I don't have to constantly reapply powder from my compact, I'm not adding alot of my facial oil back into it. These papers are amazing! Maybe the one con is that the papers are a little large, but I tear them in half (which makes them last longer, too). Be careful with these papers though, especially if you have to tear them, because you can get the powder on your clothes, but it's not a big deal at all.

 

~EYES~

 

Elf Eyelid Primer

 

 

I have never used any kind of primer before, but the world of Youtube made me curious! I know a lot of people use the Tarte brand or other expensive brand. I actually got this tube in an eyeshadow palette from Elf, and I was happy to try it out! It is also sold individually for $3 on eyeslipsface.com. I have not tried any other primer, so I honestly do not know how this stacks up against them. But I do know that I like this product a lot, and I will be repurchasing!!! A little goes a long way, which is great. It has an applicator similar to a lip gloss, which makes for easy application. I dab a bit on each lid, then rub it in all the way up to under the brow and under my eye along the lash line. It helps my eye makeup last more than 8 hours (and that's while I'm running around at work all day) and keeps my eye makeup looking exactly the way it does after I apply it in the morning. I highly recommend this product. While I will be repurchasing, I think I will probably try the Tarte brand as well, just to see if it's any better.

 

Elf Flawless Eyeshadow in Golden Goddess

 

 

I have been using this mini-palette for over a month. It's been the only palette I have been using on my eyes this summer. I love that this little kit is all I need to create great gold summery look that has been great for work. Used with the primer above, this lasts all day long. As I said before, this is the Flawless Eyeshadow palette in Golden Goddess, but it has other colors as well. You can get this on eyeslipsface.com for $2!!! I believe you can probably find it at Target, too. Here's the look I create with this palette.

 

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions are comments please leave them below!!!

 

 

L.A. Colors teeny haul...Where are you???

Unfortunately, I am still not settled into my new job, but I'm hoping for this week. With that said, I still have not been on any extravagant makeup shopping trips lately, and will not for at least a few more weeks. I did stop into Dollar Tree to pick up some odds and ends, and of course, I had to browse the makeup aisle. You wouldn't think I'd have found anything, which I wasn't expecting to, but I did.

Excuse the extreme brightness of my iPhone's flash. I picked up 3 products by the brand L.A. Colors, and I guess I've been living under a rock, because I had only seen nail polish by this brand (which I'm a huge fan of). Sadly, my little town had the teeniest collection of makeup by this brand, but I made sure to pick up a few things to try out. I got 2 of the loose eyeshadow pigments in Lollipop and Sunshine, and an All-In-One stick meant for eyes, lips, and cheeks, in the color Pink Satin. I knew I had to pick one of these up because it's a jumbo crayon like the lip balm stains that are out now. I have been wanting something like this in my collection, but I wasn't about to pay $8 for one Revlon balm, especially when I didn't know if I'd like it or not. So for $1, I picked this L.A. Colors version up, and I love it so far. It's literally a pink satin color, very creamy and pretty. I wore this for most of the morning (before lunch), and it stayed on and didn't dry out my lips! Unfortunately, this was the only color my store carried, so I am really confused as where to buy this brand. I have not seen it at my town's Wal-Mart. I looked up the website, but I'm not sure you can purchase on there.

This loose eyeshadow product amazed me. Pardon me if I'm a little late, but I haven't seen anything like this. I expected just a little pot of loose shimmery pigment, but was very surprised that it came with a cute little brush, and a little pot that prevents messes (because I'm very messy, let me tell ya). I brushed this pink pigment across my eyes and it gave me a very pretty pop of pink. If you rub it in a little with your fingers, it remains a shimmery look with a little tint of pink. Either way, these can create some great looks. I cannot wait to try it with some eyeshadow primer underneath to create an exaggerated going-out statement look. At $1 each, I'm in love already with the quality, but a couple of more things made me love this brand even more.

This is printed on every product packaging. Not only is the bunny simply adorable, but it's fantastic to know that these products are not tested on animals. How awesome is that??? The last thing is the company itself. I was so happy that I found such amazing products for so little money, that I had to drop an email to L.A. Colors. I didn't expect anything back, but I got a thank you email for my support. I truly feel like this company has their consumers in mind at all times. So lastly, thanks to L.A. Colors for coming up with inexpensive, great quality products, and being so customer-oriented.

*All products were purchased by me with my own money, and the reviews are all my opinion. I'm not affiliated with the company mentioned, I'm just a consumer like you :)*



Small haul....tiny haul...

I am currently in the midst of changing jobs, so I'm not going to have very many hauls for awhile. But in good news, I will be making up for it once I'm situated at my new job. And for now, we have the small haul. Just a few things that I've been wanting to try and I've heard good reviews on.

This tiny haul I got a couple of days ago. I got Maybelline Shine Free Matte Finish pressed powder in natural beige. I've been looking for something that really absorbs oil and shine during the day. Of course, I live in Texas, which means, I will be oily and shiny at some point during the day, but I'm hoping this helps a lot anyway. I've heard really good reviews about this product and the Maybelline Shine Free loose powder as well. I didn't get the loose powder because I heard about it being messy...and I tend to be pretty messy anyway. I figured the pressed powder was the way to go. This was $4.79 at Wal-Mart, which was surprising because I expected it to be in the $6-$7 range. 

I am trying out a new lip color as well from Wet N Wild, called....well, I ripped the packaging off, so all I see is 903C lol. It's a pretty pinky peach color, and I don't usually wear any lip color other than plums or mauves, so I wanted to try a pink without spending a lot. I believe this was around $2.

I also got the Palladio rice paper oil-absorbing blotting tissues with rice powder in translucent- I know they also sell the regular blotting tissues without the rice powder. I found some good reviews on this particular product at sallybeauty.com, saying that they absorb oil for hours on end, so I had to try them out. I got them in store for 2.99 with my Sally's card. I have only used these once, and I have to say I love them so far. They really absorb the oil and give a nice matte finish, as if I retouched with actual powder makeup. I am not sure how the ones without rice powder fair, so if anyone has tried those, let me know! I do know that they come in different skintones like makeup, such as translucent, natural beige, etc. I have heard many good things about the Palladio makeup line from one of my favorite You Tube gurus, Holly Ann-Aeree. So when I do get to splurge again on makeup, I'll be going back to Sally's to try more.

The last things from Sally's that I got were these two mini baked eyeshadows. I have been wanting to try baked makeup for awhile, and have heard good things about them from You Tube, but I didn't want to spend too much without being completely sure. I spent 94 cents each on these, which is pretty good for the amount of product. I haven't tried these a whole lot, just swatched them on my hand, then put a little of the blue-green turquoise color on the outer-V of my eyelids. So far, they are pretty good! The turquoise is a little bit sheerer, but it's fine because I don't wear a lot of bright colors and this is perfect to start out with. The silver swatches pretty pigmented, and I'm excited to try it out. I have also heard you can use baked products wet for a more pigmented look, so I'll have to try that out as well.

Oh! And I forgot to include these babies on my e.l.f. haul! I got them on my 2nd order, and I'm loving the distinction in colors between these palettes. The palettes I got were Pretty Picnic, Happy Hour, and Night on the Town. They come with 10 eyeshadows, 2 lip colors, and either a blush or bronzer. What's cool about these is that you can buy separate little mirrored cases for them and take one or two on the go. I'm guessing that's why they are called Beauty-On-The-Go, right? Well, yeah, that's just a heads up that the pallettes are SOLD SEPARATELY from the cases, so make sure when you buy them, you don't forget the cases to put them in.

And lastly, I thought I would just throw in these heels I just got from Charlotte Russe. Most of the heels I own are from Charlotte Russe, and I've never had issues with any of them (i.e, broken, falling apart, etc). I got these Butterfly-Side Wooden heels in Coral and of course since they had a buy 1, get 1 for $12, I had to get a black pair, too. I can't wait to wear these, and I will be wearing them into the fall...because I can. lol.

Until next time....



e.l.f. Haul

I have become addicted to e.l.f. cosmetics since I started watching youtube videos. So inexpensive, but good quality makeup. Everything is under $5 except for some of the sets and palettes which run $10-$30. I love it! I recently received my purchases in the mail, so I am here to show you my haul!

This is the 100 Eyeshadow Palette! I got it free with a $30 purchase, which is still available for $10, I believe. I don't have much eyeshadow, so this was a great gift for myself. It comes with neutrals, brights, and smoky colors. I can't wait to use these!

This cute little book is the Neutral Beauty Book. There's also a smoky version, too. I like these because they are shimmery neutrals, which are my favorite. This book also contains a tube of eyelid primer, an eyeliner, and applicator. I'm glad it came with an eyelid primer because I wanted to try it out! I've heard many good things about eyelid primers.

I wanted to try a few of the lip products that they sell. I got a matte color in tea rose (which is the middle swatch on my hand), a lip stain in nude nectar (bottom swatch), and glitter gloss in bronze bling (top swatch). They are all very different in color from each other, but they are all different on the lips, too. I haven't tried them enough to be certain if I like them or not, but I'm sure they'll be great.

I got another small eyeshadow palette in Golden Goddess because I'm obsessed with these shimmery neutral-gold colors, especially for the summer! And I swear, you will go crazy buying things on that website, the prices are amazing. I also got an All Over Color Stick in pink lemonade (upper right). I tried a little on my cheeks, and I love the pinkyness it adds. I have tried only one other tinted moisturizer (from Cover Girl), and I like it, but I wanted to check out a less pricey version to see if I could save a few bucks! (tinted moisturizer, lower right).

I desperately needed some new brushes, and at $1 each, I couldn't resist! I got a couple of eye brushes (1st and 3rd), a powder brush (2nd), and a fan brush (last). I can't wait to use these!

I also got a couple of liquid eyeliners and some false lashes to try out. I am absolutely addicted to this brand thanks to some youtube gurus - leighannsays and nguerriero19. Check them out for some great product reviews and cool makeup tutorials - they are so funny and cute, too!