Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Review: Milani Rose Powdered Blushes in Lady Rouge and Coral Cove
When I first saw these Milani rose powdered blushes, I knew I had to have them. I spent nearly a month searching endlessly for the product. I was really wanting the pink shade, Tea Rose. I never found it though. Instead, I found these two - Lady Rouge and Coral Cove. I had read some mixed reviews on these Rose blushes, so I thought I should take a leap of faith and see what they were all about.
Lady Rouge (pictured above) is a pretty deep color for my skintone. It's a bright pink that leans somewhat red on my NC15 face. Lady Rouge is incredibly pigmented both in swatches and on the face. When I swatched this shade, it was pigmented but seemed a little patchy almost. I had to really work it into my arm to get a good looking swatch. I did not have this problem on my face though.
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Here's how Lady Rouge looks when applied to the face with a duo fiber brush. You can see the color goes on very smoothly and isn't patchy at all. The color lasted on me for over 12 hours with very minimal fading.
Coral Cove was the second Milani Rose blush shade that I picked up. The color seemed a lot more suited to my skin tone. Coral Cove, just like Lady Rouge, was very pigmented. It also swatched kind of patchy, but went on very smoothly on the cheeks. I wore Coral Cove for over 8 hours with minimal fading.
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Swatches of both shades taken with two different cameras.
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All of the Milani Rose blushes are available through Milani's website for $7.99.
Overall thoughts:
Great Pigmentation
Fantastic Staying Power
Good Blendability
Affordable
Would I recommend these? Definitely.
xoxo,
Shelly
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review
Review: Wet n Wild Powder Play 5 Pan Coloricon Eyeshadow
Wet n Wild has always been known for being one of the better drugstore brands. Their products have always been a great bang for the buck. I was always a fan of the pigmentation on their eyeshadows. So, it was no surprise when I caught sight of the new Wet n Wild 5 pan eyeshadows at my local CVS that I had to have them. They were around $4 if I remember right, so it was pretty affordable as usual.
Tunnel Vision, the gray WnW Powder Play Coloricon palette really jumped out at me. It looked like the colors would be really great for a smokey eye. I also like the way the shadows look in the small palette. It would be a great one to travel with.
These swatches of Tunnel Vision were taken on bare skin without any primer. I found that Tunnel Vision had OK pigmentation. It definitely is less pigmented than the older Wet n Wild formula. It took a little more to buildup the colors on my eyes. I also found that Tunnel Vision had a tendency to fade throughout the day, even when over primer.
The Naked Truth palette also jumped out at me. I figured it would be really great as a back up palette to keep in my purse for those makeup emergencies. I especially loved the color marked "crease".
The Naked Truth was less pigmented than Tunnel Vision. I was really disappointed with the pigmentation. The shadows out of The Naked Truth were very muddy on the eyes. The colors all seemed to come out about the same once applied. The shadows also faded considerably on me.
Overall, I would not recommend either of these two palettes. The pigmentation is weak in my opinion. If you can get your hands on Wet n Wild Comfort Zone, do so. It has superior pigmentation and staying power.
xoxo,
Shelly
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review
Review: Tarte Mattenificent Palette
Awhile back I purchased the Tarte Mattenficent Palette. I honestly thought that I had already done the review for you all, but I just realized that I hadn't actually finished writing it up. Now seems like a great time since this palette is Limited Edition and will probably be sold out before too long.
The palette comes in this purple packaging that has a very colorfuly but earthy vibe to me. The outside box was nothing special or interesting and I promptly discarded it.
The actual palette is square and features that same purple design on it with the Tarte logo printed in Gold. I really like the gold touch of both the Tarte logo and the outside edge of the palette. I am really a fan of the packaging because it feels sturdy and would be ideal for traveling. That being said, I'm still not too crazy about the coloring. I'm not really a purple kind of person, so that may be why. The palette itself is very compact and features a large mirror that can stand up on its own. I find this very convenient!
The Tarte Mattenificent Palette features 6 eyeshadows, 1 blush, and 2 eyeshadow setting powders - all of which are matte. It's super rare for me to be attracted to mattes. I'm more of a shimmer girl myself, but these colors really stood out to me as something I could use for a lot of looks. This palette makes a great companion to the Laura Mercier Artist Palette due to the purpley undertones.
The palette also features a small brush, one side is flat for packing shadows and the other side is a blending brush. The blending brush does actually work in a pinch. It's not my favorite, but I did find that it worked for blending detailed areas due to its small size. The other end of the brush is not very dense, so I don't find it particularly useful.
Let me just leave a disclaimer here on the shadows: they have some weird overlay thing on them when you first use them. You have to get past that overly in order to get pigment!
That being said, once you bust in past that, the shadows are very pigmented both on the arm for swatches and on the eye. They do feel very smooth and buttery. They do tend to kick up a little bit of powder in the pan, but it did not lead to any fallout problems for me. The shadows are less powdery than Lorac in my opinion.
I used both the shadows, blush, and black setting powder to create this look. I had no issues with blending any of them. The blush is definitely geared at lighter skin tones. I do not think it would show up on anyone who is too much darker than me (NC15). The blush color is very buildable, similar to other Tarte blushes. I do find the blush in this palette to be more powdery than other Tarte blushes. The formula of it almost seems softer than regular Tarte blushes.
Overall thoughts, I love this palette. I find myself wanting to use it a lot. I think that it is worth snagging up because it is all matte, is very pigmented, and is great for travel.
I give this palette an A -
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
review
Review: Maybelline Color Elixirs
Today I have a review on the new Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Lipsticks. I picked up the three shades that jumped out at me the most - Vision in Violet, Mauve Mystique, and Caramel Infused.
Maybelline's Website has this to say about the Color Elixir line:
"Fall under the spell of the elixir effect
Hyper-saturated color, ultra cushiony feel
The new hypnotic lip sensation."
This line features 20 different shades, ranging from deep reds to nudes. I was actually quite pleased and shocked at the color range. It's usually hard for me to find shades that I like in collections. I didn't have that struggle this time around.
Swatches:
These three swatches were done on bare skin using the applicator from the tubes. Swatches are over NC15 skin and were taken inside in natural light without a flash. Pigmentation was quite impressive on the Color Elixirs. I didn't have any issues getting the product to show up on my lips.
Caramel Infused
The first shade that I want to talk about is caramel infused. This pinky shade makes a great everyday color. It has a glossy finish that really seems to brighten up the face.
Here's a lip swatch of the color.
As you can tell, the color did not go on patchy at all. It was very smooth and surprisingly easy to apply. The color saturated my lips and did not bleed out of the lines at all.
I've included a full face shot of the color so you can get a better idea of how it looks. Caramel Infused is definitely a color that I find myself reaching for a lot. It just looks good with so many different eyeshadow looks.
Vision in Violet
I saw this shade on a girl on a makeup forum and I was blown away by how vivid the color was. It just really stood out to me as a unique shade.
Vision in Violet isn't a color that I'd use a lot, but it's a color I want in my collection. The application was easy and the shade was pigmented. That being said, it did take more swipes to get the full saturation compared to Caramel Infused.
Vision in Violet also lasts the longest of any of the shades. I was able to eat and drink with just a little bit of fading. The color stayed on my lips and didn't bleed onto the rest of my face. That's always a fear of mine when I'm wearing bold lips. I don't want my entire face stained purple.
Mauve Mystique
The final color that I picked up was Mauve Mystique. I have been really into mauves lately, so I thought it would be a good addition to my growing mauve collection.
Here's what Mauve Mystique looks like on the lips. You can tell it looks only slightly different than Caramel Infused. The color has a slight purple/mauvey undertone compared to Caramel Infused. The difference is hardly detectable once on my lips though.
Review:
Pigmentation: 9.5/10
These are incredibly pigmented for being a liquid. It doesn't take many swipes to get the pigmentation that you want. The colors are fairly true to tube as well.
Formula: 8/10
One thing I really love about the Color Elixirs is that they are not sticky like a gloss would be. They do become a little sticky after you eat and drink a lot. I'm not really sure why that happens though.
Lasting Power: 6/10
As with most liquid products, the staying power on these is nothing magical. They last longer than a lip gloss would on me, but they aren't crazy good at staying on. Vision in Violet definitely lasts longer than the other two, though.
Other Notes:
These do have a scent that is mild. They smell somewhat sweet and I find the scent to be enjoyable when I'm applying the product. The Color Elixirs are easy to reapply, which makes me reach for them quite often. They fade evenly and don't create a nasty patty mess on my face.
Would I recommend these?
Yes! I think they are a good product and for the price they are worth it. If you like the shine of a gloss but hate the sticky texture, these are worth looking into.
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review
Review: Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
We all have a color family that we tend to gravitate towards - whether it is greens, golds, pinks, purples, or whatever else really. That color family for me are rose golds. I'm a huge sucker for them, as I find that they really compliment both my NC15 skin and my brown eyes. When I found out that there was going to be a rose gold palette, I immediately felt the urge to buy it. I was hesitant at first because Urban Decay does not always make the best eyeshadows. I tend to get fallout a lot, which is something I prefer to avoid at all costs. The fallout aspect made me shy away from the palette on launch day.
I would say I was a little slower to warm up to this palette, I even pondered returning it at times. I'm really glad that I didn't because I actually find myself reaching for Naked 3 a lot. Let me just show you what I mean.
Outside Packaging: 9/10
I found the little box that the palette come in to be cute. It features the Naked 3 logo printed in a shiny gold. It also shows the shadow colors on the box, which I think is pretty helpful. Nothing more to really say about the box, I'm afraid.
Palette Packaging 10/10
I've always been a big fan of tin packaging that snaps closed. I think it's more secure and durable than any of the other palettes I own (other than Naked 2 of course!). The packaging gives me peace of mind with traveling, which means that this puppy will travel with me on probably every single trip that I go on. I like that there is room to put a brush, even if you choose not to use the brush from the palette. I'm not super crazy about the waves in the packaging. I wish it was just flat, but that's more of a nitpicky thing.
The shadows:
Naked 3 features 12 shadows that all have a rosey undertone to them. Some are more rosey than others, such as Buzz and Burnout. Other shades like Factory are less rosey. The palette only features 2 mattes, which I find a little disappointing. I think UD makes good mattes, but they never want to put them into palettes. If they made a matte rose gold palette, I'd scoop that up so fast.
It is important to point out that there is one complete dud shadow in this palette, which would be Dust. I get little to no actual color pay off from that shadow. I will get some glittery fallout, but the actual color is lost. I have heard that some other people are able to get color pay off, so I'm not sure if I just received a dud palette or not.
Swatches:
I've decided to show off three different photos of the swatches to make sure that you all get a good idea of what the colors actually look like.
Let's start with this photo taken inside of the swatches. All of these swatches were taken on bare skin without any base or primer. I swiped my finger 2x in each of the shadows. It's interesting that you can see some color pay off with dust in the swatch because it does not transfer well to the eyes at all. Only the glitter really transfers.
This set of swatches were taken outside with no flash. I like this photo because I feel like it actually shows off the undertones of the shadows really well. You can really capture the shine to the shadows as well.
And last but not least, this photo was taken indoors with flash. I think taking one with flash is a good idea because it shows how well the shine will pick up on camera. Mugshot (third from the right) has a really good shine to it that this photo really captures.
Pigmentation: 9/10
The reason why Naked 3 loses one point for pigmentation is that Dust is really a dud color for me. The actually shadow has very little colored pigment to it once applied to the eyes. The rest of the colors are incredibly pigmented and transfer very well to the eyes for me.
Blendability: 9/10
I think that these shadows all blend pretty well. Sometimes when I blend Blackheart, it can really get messy fast and not show up as vibrantly. The rest of the colors have no blending issues for me.
The Bottom Line:
If you want a rose toned palette with good color payoff that you will reach for a lot, I'd highly recommend this palette. The colors are gorgeous on pale skin and really allow you to create a gorgeous everyday look.
xoxo,
Shelly
Swatches:
I've decided to show off three different photos of the swatches to make sure that you all get a good idea of what the colors actually look like.
Let's start with this photo taken inside of the swatches. All of these swatches were taken on bare skin without any base or primer. I swiped my finger 2x in each of the shadows. It's interesting that you can see some color pay off with dust in the swatch because it does not transfer well to the eyes at all. Only the glitter really transfers.
This set of swatches were taken outside with no flash. I like this photo because I feel like it actually shows off the undertones of the shadows really well. You can really capture the shine to the shadows as well.
And last but not least, this photo was taken indoors with flash. I think taking one with flash is a good idea because it shows how well the shine will pick up on camera. Mugshot (third from the right) has a really good shine to it that this photo really captures.
Pigmentation: 9/10
The reason why Naked 3 loses one point for pigmentation is that Dust is really a dud color for me. The actually shadow has very little colored pigment to it once applied to the eyes. The rest of the colors are incredibly pigmented and transfer very well to the eyes for me.
Blendability: 9/10
I think that these shadows all blend pretty well. Sometimes when I blend Blackheart, it can really get messy fast and not show up as vibrantly. The rest of the colors have no blending issues for me.
The Bottom Line:
If you want a rose toned palette with good color payoff that you will reach for a lot, I'd highly recommend this palette. The colors are gorgeous on pale skin and really allow you to create a gorgeous everyday look.
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
review
Review: Violet Voxbox from Influenster
Today I have a review featuring the Violet Voxbox from Influenster. The box was sent for me for free to review. All of the thoughts below are still my own. I will give you an honest idea of what I think of each product.
Goody Athletique Hair Band:
This is a hairband that is supposed to be geared towards athletes. The hairband claims to not slide in your hair. The back of the hairband is velcro, so you can adjust it to fit your head. I thought this was a nice feature, as my head is a tad bit on the smaller side. When I tightened the headwrap, I noticed that the velcro would stick out very unflattering, so if you have a smaller head you might not want to wear your hair up with it.
The Good Athletique hair band did not slide in my hair for the most part. I would occasionally need to adjust it, but it wasn't nearly to the same extent as other hairbands I have tried. It was comfortable to wear and I find myself reaching for it a lot on cold days. I would recommend this hairband.
SoyJoy
Influenster also included this SoyJoy snack bar. I have to say that this bar was really good. It reminded me of a healthier Fig Newton. It didn't have any chalky taste or anything. I think it would make a really nice pre or post workout snack.
The SoyJoy bar is only 140 calories. I don't think that's too bad, since the bar tastes good and is healthier for you compared to a candy bar. I would definitely purchase these for snacks to eat at work.
Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spay Mask
The next item I received in the Violet Voxbox was a red earth clay spa mask. Let me leave a disclaimer here saying that I never use masks. I'm probably not that good at describing what the mask is like.
The mask came in this adorable little package. Inside the package was a mask that looked like the photo below. I really felt like the clay man from that super hero show when I was younger. The mask had a nice feeling on the skin. It felt soothing.
The instructions said to apply the mask onto clean skin and to let it sit for awhile. I let it sit for about 20 minutes before I rubbed it into my skin. I really felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
When I rinsed off the Red Clay mask, my skin felt soft and smooth. It did not irritate my skin. That being said, I didn't really notice any other benefits other than the softness. I'm not that into skincare, so maybe there are other benefits that I'm just not that aware of.
Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish
The next product I received was the Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish in the shade Vanity Flare. I used two coats to achieve this level of opacity. I really LOVE how shiny the polish is. It was super shiny before I even put on a top coat. I received numerous compliments on my nails. The polish applied easily and dried easily. The only issue I had came with the wear time. After less than 2 days, I noticed chipping even with my top coat on it. I do use my finger nails a lot at work, but this polish didn't hold up as well as my ORLY or Zoya polishes. I was very sad to see how much it had chipped so quickly. I think this polish would be good for just a night out, but I wouldn't count on it to hold up during the week.
Not Your Mothers Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo
I normally stray from dry shampoos because they tend to over dry my hair out. It was nice to get to try out another dry shampoo. I really enjoy the fresh, airy scent of this shampoo. I do notice that it dries the ends of my hair out, but it does a great job at controlling oil near my scalp. I think that if you aren't happy with your dry shampoo, you should give this one a go. I love it for the days when I just want to freshen up my hair.
These are all of the products I received from Influenster to try out. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions down below!
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review
Review: Mac Heroine Lipstick
I'm super excited about today's post - it is all about Mac's lipstick in Heroine. This lipstick has been released into the permanent collection. Since it's not limited edition, we actually have some time to see if it is worth purchasing. Keep reading down below for swatches and my thoughts!
Heroine comes in the standard Mac lipstick bullet. The name Heroine and the matte finish are written on the bottom of the container. All standard for Mac lipsticks.
When you open up the lipstick, this is what you see. The lipstick is a bright purple that Mac describes as a, “bright violet/purple.” I would say this is a pretty accurate description. Although the finish is considered a matte, I find that the formula feels more like a satin. It's not as drying or matte as the other lipsticks in Mac's matte line. The lipstick glides easily onto the lips, without tugging. It's very comfortable to wear.
Here is a swatch of Heroine over NC 15 skin. My tone tends to be fairly neutral if that helps you get an idea how warm or cool the color leans. The lipstick has somewhat reddish undertones. When the lipstick starts to wear off, it pulls more pink on me. I think Heroine would be flattering on a variety of skin tones, from light to dark.
Now, let's get onto how it looks on my lips. Above is a photo of my lips without anything on them. They are fairly pigmented on their own.
Here's Mac's Heroine freshly applied onto my lips. I have to say that the lipstick swatches pigmented but takes several swipes to get an even application. I noticed that I had to build it up more on the very inner part of my lips (near my teeth). It seemed to have more trouble sticking there. That being said, it wasn't that big of a deal, it just took me longer to apply the lipstick.
I really liked how this lipstick made my teeth look whiter. It was a nice surprise. I didn't notice the lipstick settling into lines or looking bad as a wore it. It continued to look vibrant, but I did notice fading in the middle of my lips.
This photo was taken about 3 hours later.I noticed fading on the lips after about 3 hours when I drank some water. The rest of the lipstick did stay on for about 3 more hours before I felt like it looked bad enough to remove. That was about 6 hours without eating that it lasted for. It didn't hold up that well to liquids. I have better staying power with some of Mac's other mattes like Russian Red or Diva. It is probably due to the more satin-y nature of Heroine.
Application:
8/10 - takes awhile to build it up
Longevity:
9/10 - loses a point for not holding up as well to water
Settling into lines:
10/10 - no issues there
Feathering:
10/10 - didn't feather at all even without a lip liner
Color:
10/10 - the color remains vibrant and is flattering
The bottom line:
I would recommend this lipstick. It is comfortable to wear, looks great, and holds up fairly well throughout the day. For $15, I'd say Mac's Heroine is worth it!
Have you purchased Heroine? Let me know down below!
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review
Review: Mac Pro Palette Single/Large
Empty magnetic palettes. It seems like everyone has had them except for me. I've never really been into the whole depotting thing to be honest. It always seemed like too much work and seemed clunky with having all of these Z-palettes or whatever laying around. That being said, I did once get the crazy idea to depot some Wet n Wild shadows. It was a disaster.
I broke so many of the shadows and created a big mess. I stuffed them inside a wallet palette that I stuck some magnets inside. With the top part not being clear, my WnW shadows became neglected and forgotten.
Now cue my birthday giftcard that I got from Mac. As most of you probably know, I love Mac products and have a lot of them. I had been eyeing this Pro Palette Single/Large for awhile. It looked classier than the Z palettes and only retailed for $8. I thought to myself, WHAT A STEAL! I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the empty palette, hoping my Wet n Wild shadows could find a new home.
As you can see from the above photo, they did indeed find a new home. Now, onto the review. This palette feels sturdy to me. It allows magnets to stick to it, but you have to attach a magnetic strip to your shadows. Thankfully, I had already done that with my Wet n Wild shadows. The Mac single pan shadows come with magnets on them, so that is a time saver for me. The top of the palette is clear, while the rest is a matte black and features the "Mac" logo in the center. I really think this palette looks classier than a Z-palette.
I can see myself traveling with this palette. It seems sturdy and looks adorable with all of my colorful eyeshadows inside. For $8, this is practically a steal. I would recommend.
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review
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