Review: L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve

You know what one of my favorite things is? Getting makeup from other people, particularly lipstick. A friend of mine bought this and decide it wasn't her color (She's a tad paler then I am and a ash blonde). I would have never picked this shade for myself, but it turned out to be a win for me. So off to my lip drawer it went! I decided to review it for y'all today because frankly I've been lazy and needed to review something.

 So first off color, this is a sheer pinky mauve neutral with a glossy finish. I have slightly more pigmented lips than your average white girl and it showed up fine on me, which means thats its not too sheer. It feels nice on the lips, however I don't find that it actually moisturizes at all. In fact after wearing this all day my lips are a tad dry it the center. It has a yummy scent- reminds me of B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar, but the taste is bit weird if you put too much on. Almost soapy? I'm not a big fan of that. The packaging is pretty cute, I like that the cap is the color matched to the shade. I should start giving ratings so I'd give this.... 3.5/5.

Have you tried any of the Colour Riche Balms? Tell me in the comments!

MyGlam April '13 Bag Review!

Hey there lovelies! Today I have a review of this month's Glam Bag. In case you don't know what A Glam Bag is, MyGlam is a beauty subscription service run through Ipsy Michelle Phan's online beauty community. Its ten dollars per month, and beginning of every month you get sent a small bag of deluxe samples and/or full sized products. So lets see what we got this month!

This month has a pretty broad range of products that go along with the theme 'Pretty in Pink'. First is a nail polish by Sation called Love at First Byte, then a Big Sexy Hair Powder Play volumizing and texturizing powder, a Two Cosmetics Eyeshadow Duo in Heartache, and a blush from Be a Bombshell in the color Sweet Cheeks.

Lets talk about the nail polish! I got Love a First Byte, a peachy pink neutral. I'm happy to report that its not as sheer as I feared it to be, you can get it pretty opaque in two coats! Nothing too exciting but a fine polish. This retails for $5 USD.

Next up is the Power Play hair powder. I was honestly the most excited for this product. To use you sprinkle on dry hair a tousle for volume. I used this on second day hair that I'd sleept with french braided. It gave the curls really nice texture for a beachy-casual sort of look. The full size of this retails for around $15 USD.

At first I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get the other eyeshadow option, but after using the eyeshadow duo I was consoled. This duo in the shade Heartache comes with a shimmery baby pink, and a matte mauvey-rose color. They're very soft and the pigmentation of the light pink is very good. The mauve rose color isn't quite as pigmented but can be built up nicely. The packaging of this reminded me a lot of MAC's, though even though they look quite similar the MAC is heavier and more expensive feeling.  These retail for $7.50 USD.

LR: Two Heartbreak vs. MAC Free to Be

Finally our Sweet Cheeks blush from Be a Bombshell, this was the winner of this bag IMO! Which I found a bit surprising since the last Be a Bombshell product I tried ( Hot Mess Lipgloss from Dec's Bag) left quite a bit to be desired. Its a super pigmented bright pink blush, in the pan and swatched it seems very frosty but fortunately the shimmer doesn't translate on your face. The packaging pretty flimsy but the blush it self is fantastic! This retails for $16 USD.

Worth the ten bucks? I'd say yes. ;D What did you guys think? 

Maybelline Color Vivid Review: Vibrant Mandarin

The Maybelline Color Vivids have been talked about a lot lately and I thought I'd check out what the hype was all about. Particularly because the shade I bought,  885 Vibrant Mandarin, was said to be a dupe for MAC's Sail Le Vie Lipstick from last years Hey Sailor! collection. I loved that lipstick, and was completely heartbroken when I lost it. So you guys know I had to check this out!

Sorry not the best light, pretty color accurate for the lippie though!

So lets start with packaging. It comes in a very shiny red semi-transparent tube, (easy to find in a purse!) and doesn't have any brand marking on the tube itself. If you flip it to the bottom it has a color coordinated sticker with the name and number of the lipstick. I personally think it looks and feels a little cheap, but that really not the point now is it. ;D It doesn't say how much is in the tube on the packaging, but for the record its .15 oz or 4.2 grams of lipstick.

Formula? This lipstick is pretty comfortable on the lips, though hardly 'creamy'. Maybelline talks about it having 'honey nectar' to add creaminess but I don't buy it. It wears pretty well, about four hours on me, but it will kiss off at any point in the wear. Thats a problem for me, and I wish it did dry a little more.

Now for color which is honestly the most important part. Its a bright orange-red (not just warm or orange leaning red) with a semi matte finish. Its bright, but a little on the sheer side. Though it builds quickly, and goes on smooth no weird patches. I don't have Sail Le Vie anymore, but the color does seem pretty similar. 

Yay or Nay? I'd go with Yay on this one. However I don't think I'd repurchase or buy more from this line because of how much they kiss off.

What do you guys think of the Vivids? Let me know in the comments! =)

March Favorites! '13

Hey guys, sorry I'm a little late for this. I normally try to do it the first of second, but that just wasn't happening this week! So anyway these are my favorite for the month of March, I hope you enjoy them!

So lets start with makeup favorites, since there actually aren't a ton this month.

1.) NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk. I've had this baby for awhile now, but it really shined on a day to day level for me this month. I normally only use it for making very bright colors pop (which it does very well!) but lately I've been using it to make pastels show up more true to color to great success. You can by the at Ulta for around $6 USD but be warned these are often out of stock.

2.) Sleek Rose Gold Blush. Ughhhh this is so beautiful! I can't get over it, this is a must have especially for light skinned girls. Its a beautiful warm pink/coral with a golden sheen. It has great pigmentation, but can be played up or down. I've had this awhile, and sort of neglected it over the winter. But now its back in heavy rotation for spring.

3.) Sugarpill Burning Heart Palette. Just did a review on this so I won't go on about it too much, but its worth every penny.

Now on to some misc. favorites!

4.) Sally Hansen Nail Polish in Sun Kissed. This is such a pretty Dreamsicle color! A lovely light orange cream finish. I find this line to be pretty long lasting, and also this one is opaque in about two coats. Always a plus!

5.) B&BW Country Chic Shower Gel. This actually the second favorites post this has wiggled its way into. Its such a great spring scent, its a warm yummy floral that not overwhelming. I have this in shower gel and body butter form, they're great layered together but bath and body works lotion breaks me out it I use too much of my back or shoulders. :(

6.) Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock. I know I should use this all year, but I forget in the winter. :p But I've started to get in the habit of using this everyday again. It doesn't break me out or make my makeup go on weird so its a win-win for me.

7.) Wallet from Charlotte Russe. Isn't in cute? The other side has a holder for my iphone which is very handy, especially when I don't want to carry a purse. I've seen ones with the same concept, but they all looked really cheap. This one was really cheap, but looks much classier. Yay! ;D

8.) Sunglasses from Target. Nothing too special but they're really cute and do their job. I'm very light sensitive so I always need a pair with me. Plus they were only $12 at target! I love the sort of retro vibe they have.

9.) (Not Pictured) Fovever 21. I've seriously considered moving there a few times this last month. Their plus size section is a godsend for curvy girls! This dress in particular is one of my favorite things this month!

So non-beauty favorites? That would have Caribou Sparkling Lemon Ginger Pomegranate Juice! Omg that stuff is like crack, I need to stop.... or not. But for music this month I've really loved Regina Spektor's most recent album What We Saw From the Cheap Seats, and the song Safari Disco Club by Yelle.

What were your faves from March? Let me know in the comments, and check out my twitter for more!

Sugarpill Burning Heart Palette/ Look

Ugh I'm such a slacker! I've had these pictures for a week and I've been so preoccupied by other stuff that I kept putting off posting. :P

Anyway! Sugarpill has been one of my favorite brands for awhile and I've wanted this palette for a long time. But when ever I had extra cash it was sold out! But thankfully the makeup stars were aligned the other day. So heres my new baby!

(LR: Outside, Inside)

 (LR: Flamepoint, Buttercupcake, Love +, Poison Plum)

Ughhh look at those colors! They're so fantastic! Buttercupcake the yellow shade I found extra impressive, because there are so few well pigmented yellows on the market. They're all matte, although Poison Plum and Buttercupcake have shimmer in the pan. They're so smooth and blendable, especially for matte colors. Very impressed! So I decided to do a look with all the colors to show them off.

       

 So to start out I primed my eyes and laid out a white base all over my lid, but not into the outer V.
I took Buttercupcake on a flat brush and packed it into my inner corner and wiggled what was left on the brush toward the center of my lid. Then with Flamepoint I first worked on building the intensity in the center and then blended out gently into the yellow and out into the unfilled space. I then took Love + and blended it into my crease. I really like this bit because it disappears, but really stands out when I blink, or close my eyes. And then I blended Poison Plum into V in a sort of faux cut crease fashion, and took it under my eye in a continuation of the V. After that I added a teeny bit of liner and some mascara, nothin' special. However to finish off the look I put on some bright magenta lipstick (Covergirl LipPerfection in Embrace) and then patted Poison Plum in the outer corners for some matchy gradient action.

Final verdict? This is a perfection, a must have for anyone who likes colorful makeup or MUAs.

This slice of heaven in $34 USD at Sugarpill's website.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Hello lovelies, how's everyone today? I'm pretty alright myself. =) I must admit, I'm not super into St. Patrick's day. Just not my thing, even though I am actually super Irish. But I wanted to do a fun look for  you guys today because its one of the few days you can get away with this kind of stuff! If you'd like a more grown up/ normal green look I have a few here.

I started on the rainbow and I recommend doing the same. (That way you can just take that off if you mess up!) First put down eye shadow primer all over the area that you'll be using. Then take a white pencil of white base and map out the area for your rainbow and cloud. I took a picture of this for you.

Like that! I changed the shape of the bottom a little afterward.

Then you want to go in with your rainbow colors with small flat liner brushes. You don't need a brush for each color, but I do recommend having at least two. One for warm colors, the other for cool. Take your time and try to get the stripes even. Don't blend too much and stop at the top of the cloud. Once your done with the rainbow set your white cloud base with matte white eyeshadow. This'll keep it from smearing, and makes it look fluffier. To add a little more definition  to my cloud I took a pale blue on a small brush and added some detail. That wasn't so hard! =)

Now for the lids. You could go all out but I didn't want to overpower the cloud. If you have green eyeliner just use that and make a nice cat eye shape. I used that same white base and green eyeshadow on an angled brush. It works out fine but takes a little extra time. After that I took gold glitter eyeliner and took it right under the green eyeliner. Because hell yeah gold glitter. Then I added black eyeliner to my waterline. On my lower lashline I added a bit of gold eyeliner, but its not showing up too well. Then I finished off with lots of mascara. You could also add some falsies, I think winged ones would be fun.

For lips I just added some pink tinted lip balm, I didn't want too much going on there with out being nude. and Now your done!

Products Used:

Rainbow: Nyx Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk, Sugarpill Love + Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Flamepoint Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Buttercupcake Eyeshadow, Kiss my Sass Poison Ivy Eyeshadow, Sleek Blue Eyeshadow (Original Palette), Sugarpill Poison Plum Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Tako Eyeshadow, Lime Crime Parasol Eyeshadow (Chinadoll Palette).

Eyes: Urdan Decay Primer Potion, Nyx Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk, Lime Crime Jade o Lade Eyeshadow (Chinadoll), Nyx Liquid Crystal Eyeliner in Crystal Gold, Urban Decay Zero Eyeliner Pencil, Benefit They're Real! Mascara.

Face: Kat Von D Tattoo Lock It Foundation in Light 48, Tarte Smooth Operator Loose Powder.

Lips: Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Balm.

Hope you liked the look! Any St. Patrick's Day plans? =)

Mini Lush Haul

Hey there lovely readers! The sun is shining, and its made my mood much much better! Also on the list of things that make my mood better, Lush! I stopped by and picked a couple things up.

First I got Dark Angels which is a great exfoliator for oily skin. It has a charcoal/mud base so its a bit messy, but it works really well. To use I just take a pinch, and mix with a tiny it of water to make a paste. Then I spread it on my face, and gently rub (I mean gently! Its very scrubby.) Then I leave it on for a little it and normally wash off in the shower. It has a lovely earthy scent that I'm super addicted to, but it might not suit everyone. It definitely grew on me though, so if you don't love or hate it keep using!

Then I got the You Snap the Whip Body Butter. The Lush Body Butters are an interesting product, most because the aren't 'body butters' in the slightest. They're exfoliator bars with lots of oils to nourish your skin. This one is the most hard core one of the bunch, and I really love it! You just slide it on your wet body in the shower, and it exfoliates for you. Also it smells like blackberry pie, if you've ever used Lush Sweetie Pie jelly its the same scent. =)

I really recommend both of these products, they can be purchased at Lush online or in stores.