Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip color: Review

As matte lips become more and more on trend, I am still searching for the perfect matte lip.  In my searching I have come across many good ones and bad ones but here is one that I am still a little unsure about- the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color. 

Makeup MAYhem Day 22: Top 5 Lipsticks

Hello Stars! Welcome back to the beginning of the end- of Makeup MAYhem that is, less than ten days left now and today is day 22 and along with it my top five favorite lipsticks of the moment.

Let's get started shall we? :D

1. Flower beauty by Drew Barrymore in Classic Red.  This is one of my favorite reds and I actually picked it up in a rush  before a show because I didn't have red lipstick.  I wasn't expecting much from it; I knew nothing about the brand, was in a rush, and hadn't researched what their formulas were like.  I was so wonderfully surprised with this lipstick.  It is very creamy, smooth, and long lasting, it's absolutely amazing.

2. City Color City Chic lipstick in Pinky Promise- this is my perfect pink nude.  It is super pigmented and very creamy- all of the City Chic lipsticks are, it was hard to pick my favorite!  This pink is absolutely stunning on people with pale skin like me, it compliments the skin tone without being too 'out there', ya know? An amazing lipstick AND company!

3. Bite Beauty in Lingonberry- you can only get this shade in the mini duo with Tangerine (I believe) and it's a beautiful shade.  At first I was afraid because of how purple/magenta-y it was but once it's on, it looks absolutely lovely! The color doesn't wash me out and if you're looking for a bold lip, this is definitely one to go for.  It's a purple tone, even though it's more magenta pinkish, that paler people can wear without looking strange.  Or at least that's how I feel about the whole situation.  This goes on super creamy and stays that way, it would never dry your lips out.  The one downside is that you do have to reapply it often because of it being so creamy and you can't leave it anywhere it's going to get super hot or else you'll have a, err, hot mess on your hands and a ruined lipstick to boot.

4. Gerard Cosmetics in Tequila Sunrise- this is a very nice nude color, but it does err to the side of more orange than nude but I'm okay with that.  The one thing I would have to say I don't like about this lipstick is that it is very dry going on and makes it very hard to get a smooth application. The color payoff on the other hand is absolutely amazing.  I love the color of this lipstick and I want to try more Gerard Cosmetic lipsticks in the future because they are absolutely amazing and the staying power is great.  

5. MAC Cremesheen in Crosswires- this was my very first MAC lipstick and I still love it to this day.  It's a gorgeous pinky brown but more pink color with a little hint of shimmer and shine.  It doesn't dry my lips out nor does it sink into the lines of my lips.  The color payoff is what you would expect of a MAC lipstick, so, amazing! I love this lipstick and when I don't know what lipstick to wear, this is the one I reach for nine times out of ten.

What are some of your favorite lipsticks? XOXO

Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be YOU!

E.L.F. Studio Blush Collection and Review!

About a month ago, I made a huge order from ELF because most of what I ordered was going into my professional kit but there were some pieces that were for my personal collection and one, or four, of those products were the Studio Blushes.  I got the colors Twinkle Pink, Tickled Pink, Candid Coral, and Peachy Keen.  Sadly, none of the pictures I took for this post do the blushes any justice in color.  While they are close in color they are all very different in formula and finish so let's go over each one!

This is my favorite one, Twinkle Pink.  It is a mid-toned pink with a tone of sparkle and by sparkle, I mean glitter which is why I love it.  The glitter though is not chunky, it's pretty fine, which means there is little fall out and it gives the cheeks the perfect hint of sparkle and glow.  The color is perfect for every day and for a night out.  It's a very versatile blush and that's why I love it so much.

This is actually one of my very few matte blushes in Tickled Pink.  It's a medium pink, with no sheen or sparkle.  It's the perfect blush for going to meetings or when you want to go heavier on the highlighting of your cheeks and face.  This blush allows me to feel professional but if I want a tiny bit of sheen I can use a blush topper so that there is a sheen there while still being matte.  The best thing is that even though this blush is matte, it's not chalky which is always a worry when buying light matte blushes for me.

This picture is making the blush look a lot more yellow than it is, this blush is in Candid Coral.  This blush is on the deeper side (I know, the picture really does it NO JUSTICE) which will be really pretty in the fall.  It's not matte, there is a nice sheen to it but it doesn't have glitter like Twinkle Pink does.  This is probably the softest of all the blushes, even though all of them a very soft in feel, but is pretty pigmented.  It gives you a nice deep flush with just a hint of shine when you turn towards the light.

                                      
Finally is Peachy Keen and, no, it is not yellow the lighting just would not cooperate with me. This is probably the most bronze-y looking one out of all four but it still is pink-ish.  I've used this blush as both a bronzer and a blush, so it does double duty which I absolutely LOVE.  There is a very nice sheen with a very subtle sparkle in this blush that I really love.  This is probably the second most pigmented one in the bunch, next to Twinkle Pink as well as being my second favorite, again, next to Twinkle Pink.
Do you like the Studio Blushes by ELF? What colors are your favorite? XOXO

Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be YOU!

Maybelline Matte Lipstick: REVIEW

This post is not part of Makeup MAYhem, it's just a normal everyday post because I wanted to share this product with you.
A few weeks ago, I picked up one of the new (or maybe they're not 'new' but they're new to me) Maybelline Creamy Matte lipsticks in the color 670 'Ravishing Rose'.  I picked this up because I've been LOVING their Rebel Bloom and Vivids collection so I figured I would give one of these a try and I was not disappointed.
I don't usually use matte lip products unless they are the Revlon Matte lip crayons because I was having trouble getting into this new fad but not anymore! I absolutely adore this lipstick; the color, the texture, the non-existent scent, everything about it is wonderful.  I don't find it drying my lips out even though it is a matte lipstick, which is unlike most mattes out there.  I do find that it can sink into the tiny lines in my lips if I don't leave a lip balm on for a few minutes beforehand but even if I don't do that it doesn't deter me from wearing the lipstick.  The color is the perfect pinky-nude on me, and anyone else who is pretty fair like I am.  The consistency is very creamy and the lipstick just glides onto the lips instead of having a dragging feeling like some other matte products I have tried.  I also like that the packaging is matte so that I can easily spot it in my collection.  That's actually one of the things I love about the Maybelline lipsticks in general- the packaging goes with the type of product in the tube.  Otherwise the packaging is like that of any other Maybelline lipstick, silver base with the color and name sticker on the bottom with the product in a silver bullet.  I picked this product up at Walmart where the Maybelline Creamy Matte's collection runs about $6 which, for a lipstick, isn't too bad when L'Oreal and Revlon can run $4-$8 so it's right there in the middle ground.  Have you tried this lipstick? What do you think of it? XOXO

YouTube//Twitter//Facebook//Instagram//Professional Website

Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be YOU!

Maybelline Vivids lipstick: REVIEW!

Good morning Stars! I hope you had a wonderful night's sleep.  Why am I posting at 6AM California time? Because I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I figured I would blog :)  This post is going to be about, as you can probably tell, is the Maybelline Vivids lipsticks I own.  While I don't own very many, I absolutely love them! They're so bright and creamy and vibrant that I just have to tell you all about it in case you are on the fence about buying some.  As you will see in the pictures, the package is bright clear-ish red cover and a silver base and tube. Enough rambling, onto the pictures!

 This is all of the Maybelline Vivids I own, only four, but I'm very happy with it.  The colors I have, in the order from the picture above: #895 On Fire Red is a really true red that isn't too blue toned or orange toned which made me really happy when I got home and tested it, #885 Vibrant Mandarin is an coral like orange which is why I can pull it off and not look weird wearing orange lipstick, #875 Vivid Rose okay so I didn't expect to love this color as much as I do because I swore Shocking Coral would always be my favorite but it's not fuschia and it's not bright pink and it's such a pretty darker than dusty rose color, the last lipstick I own is #870 Shocking Coral this one is special because it's the first one I bought at Target and this is a really true bright pink which I love because, hey, I love my pinks!

 All of my little soldiers lined up in a row.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and maybe helped you decide to go and pick up some Vivids of your own.  What are your favorite colors of the collection? Do you have any lipstick products or colors you think I should try? Leave it down in the comments below! <3

Be Beautiful, Be Bold, Be You. And remember I love you!

My Favorite Longwear Lipsticks

 I have four favorite longwear lipsticks/ lipglosses.  Two are from the Sephora cream lip stain line and the other two are the Rimmel London Provocalips.  The Sephora colors I have are #1 Always Red and #2 Strawberry Kissed, both colors of which are sold out online but you will probably be able to find them in the store.  The Rimmel Provocalips colors are #200 I'll Call You and #310 Little Minx.  Of the swatches below we have (top to bottom) #200 I'll Call You, #1 Always Red, #310 Little Minx, and #2 Strawberry Kissed.  Each of these colors is super pigmented and lasts for a long time without budging.  The ones by Rimmel London, though, you do have to put a clear sealant lacquer over the gloss to make it stay but the ones from Sephora stay all on their own. Why do I love them so much? I tend to lick my lops which always wipes off the product I am wearing which is a big bummer but with these I can lick my lips and not have the product completely rub off and leave a gross color ring around my lips.
So which do I prefer? I would have to say that I prefer is, in all honesty, both! The Rimmel ones run about $8 a pop and the Sephora cream lip stains run at $13 each, so they are both pretty budget friendly and they both have a pretty good color range, with Sephora having a bit more of the unique colors like Orange and Purple but the Rimmel line has a good amount of pinks, reds, and nudes which the Sephora line lacks.  It all comes down to personal preference and if you want to go all the way to Sephora or the website to get them or to CVS or Wallgreens to get the Rimmel ones. They are both non sticky and long wearing, which ticks two boxes in my lip wear category. XOXO
Have you tried any of these products or products similar that you would suggest or like to give me your opinions on? I would love to hear what you have to say!

City Color Dual Lip Wand: Review!

Another AMAZING City Color Cosmetics product, the Dual Lip Wand in Pink.  I actually got this initially just for the lipstick because it's a gorgeous rosy/baby/gorgeous pink.   I was in no way interested in the lipgloss but when I put the lipstick on, I just felt the growing want to try the lipgloss, so I did! See picture above.  This gloss/lipstick duo is currently on sale $3.99 on citycolorcosmetics.com. Go check them out. Seriously. Great prices, great products, just great.

City Color Cosmetics City Chic lipstick Review!

One of the booths I went a little crazy over at IMATS was the City Color Cosmetics booth.  Everything was so fairly priced and the color and product selection was amazing!  I hadn't heard about this cosmetic company  until I saw their booth so, naturally, I was intrigued and my mom and I went to go and investigate.  There we found so many goodies, we almost picked one of everything (don't worry, I said ALMOST).  Me being the lip product junky I am, I immediately gravitated towards the lippy section and boy was I happy with what I found! Lipgloss/lipstick duos, matte lipsticks, regular lipsticks, great lip pencils, and lipglosses- I was practically in heaven.  Below I'll tell you what I got, the retail price of the City Chic lipsticks, and what I think of each product- so let's get started!

 Two of the lipsticks I picked out were from their City Chic collection, which is your typical lipstick but when I wore it I noticed a great moisturizing property about it.  Above is what the packaging looks like; it's a hard, black, plastic case that is square and then a clear acrylic type bottom so you can see what the product looks like which is a major bonus in my book.  I love when companies do something like this because you can store the lipstick upside down and know exactly what the color is that you're looking is without having to take the cap off.  The retail price of each lipstick is $4.99 for each lipstick which is a great price for their quality.

 I, of course, picked a pink and a red but this time the pink was not fuschia or hot pink it's actually a nice baby, tea rose sort of pink- almost nude in a way.  The pink one I got is in P1 'Pinky Promise' and the red I got is in R3 'Lady in Red'.  These lipsticks are super pigmented and they're quite moisturizing.  These lipsticks don't dry out your lips, in fact they do the opposite.

 Just from these swatches you can see how pigmented they are.  I am really really beyond pleased with this product and would love to try more colors of the City Chic lipstick line as well as their other products, with the ones I have being reviewed soon.  Their website is here so go and check them out and get some goodies for yourself.  There are quite a few great items on special right now, so it's an even better time to check them out! XOXOX

YouTube//Facebook//Twitter

NEW Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquers: REVIEW

I picked up three colors of Revlon's new lip lacquers called the Ultra HD Lacquers from Ulta and I couldn't be more happy with my selection of colors and of the consistency of these lip glosses.  They have a painters brush instead of a doe foot applicator, which I find as a nice change.  I find that with the paint brush applicator I get more precision and can outline my lips easier than with a doe foot applicator.  Another nice thing is that it's not super sticky or tacky, it just glides on and doesn't  take a lot of effort.  My favorite color out of the ones that I purchased is Garnet which is the darkest color in the picture.  They definitely live up to the Ultra HD title.  These lip glosses are highly pigmented and are true to the color you see in the tube. They also have lipsticks in the same line but I haven't tried them yet.  Have you tried these? What do you think of them? XOXO

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain: Review

I love Revlon products, because they always have a great range of lip colors and they hold my favorite drugstore brand foundation.  The last time I went into the drugstore these beauties were on sale for buy one get one half off, and I have been wanting to try them since they came out, so I figured why in the world not?

Yves Saint Laurent Gloss in #15 Golden: Review

Here's another brand I've been dying to try because they are raved about by every beauty blogger I read and they have such pretty colors in their range.  I had been on the fence about buying myself one because I'm trying to save up for a car BUT my best guy friend is amazeballs and let me pick out one thing from Sephora as my graduation gift so needless to say, I picked a YSL lipgloss.  I chose the color #15 Golden which is actually more of a bright pink than gold but it does have gold shimmer running through it.

Go Bold or Go Home

I love crazy bright colors, especially when it comes to makeup but the other day I went to Lawrence, Kansas to see Combichrist (headliner) and William Control (one of the opening acts).  The only concerts I had been to were rock and roll, i.e. The Who, so wild and crazy makeup was never needed and for everyday I like to go for a more natural, glittery look.  So, when this metal concert came up and I decided to go, I knew I wanted to wear some crazy bright eyeshadows and luckily the clothes I borrowed from my friend was my favorite color combination.  Here's what I did!

 Everything minus the shorts is my best friend's clothes.  But I did pink and green through my hair and on my eyes.  I, luckily, happened to have pink and green hair clip ins and so that worked out perfectly.  The biggest thing about me pulling off this look was confidence and bravery so if you want to try bold colors, just go for it!

The Bold, the Trendy, and the Natural

Since my spending ban started, I had been wanting to try the new orange lip phase (the trendy), a new red lipgloss or stick of some sort (the bold), and a sheer natural pink shade (the natural).  I picked these up at CVS while waiting to pick up my prescription.

February 2014 Favorites

As another month comes to a close, another favorites post is born.  So without much 'ta-da', here is my February 2014 favorites!

A Valentine's Day Look

Happy Valentine's Day, or Singles Awareness Day, whichever you celebrate.  Either way, it's a time when I can wear pink, pink, and more pink.  Please excuse the sad state of my hair in this photo.

Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color: Review

When I was at Ulta the other day, I picked up something that had been on my Christmas list- Benefit's Hydra-Smooth lip color lipstick in Tutti Cutie.

 I really love the packaging of this- It's elegant, sturdy, and practical.  I have a thing for Grecian Columns and that is what first drew me to this lipstick, the packaging.  I also love that it came in a cylinder container so it wasn't just a loose lipstick.  The applicator is not your typical slant tip lipstick, it looks more like a chisel.  I have found in applying this, that it makes it easier.  Because of how the top is shaped, it makes it really easy to do my cupids bow.

 This lipstick is more of a balm than a lipstick in texture and goes on pretty sheer on the lips.  The swatch below is four swipes of the lipstick.  It's a nice pink color that, on me, is one of those "my lips but better" colors.  I like the lipstick but I do wish it was a bit more opaque on my lips.  All in all, a really nice product and I'm glad that I purchased it.  Have you tried this new lipstick from Benefit? XOXO

NOTD: Color Block!

Color blocking has become big in fashion this year, and I saw this nail design in my aunt's In Style magazine and wanted to try it.  This was so super easy to do!! I used a Sinful Colors lilac purple as the base, I painted the whole nail this color and then built upon it.  I didn't use any tape or special brushes to do the horizontal stripes, it was really easy to do it with the brush provided with the polish.  I used a coral-y pink from the Nicole OPI collection, sadly I don't think they carry the color anymore, and I picked an angle and painted the polish over top the purple at an angle from one side to the other.  As you can see it doesn't have to be corner to corner- it can be how large of a block, or how sharp of an angle you choose.  I just did whatever happened with each nail!  Once that dried I took what I call Tardis Blue, and did the other angles the same way.  The blue is by Essie and is called Mesmerized if I can recall correctly.  This is a really easy design to do, and if you mess up it still looks really cool!

Have you tried this trend yet? XOXO