New Makeup, Product Review, Swatch Comparison, Swatches

e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer!

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e.l.f. Cosmetics Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer! $6

I’ve said it before and I will say it again…e.l.f. Cosmetics is hands down one of my all-time fave drugstore makeup brands! This new product caught my eye the other day and I just had to have it (I know ya’ll know the feeling). I get excited whenever I see any new e.l.f.products come out and because of the affordable price point, I usually don’t have to second guess purchasing it even it’s just for curiosity’s sake.

The blush and bronzer duo that I’m featuring today is part of e.l.f.’s Aqua Beauty line, which includes a new mist primer, liquid eyeshadows and lipstains that you can check out here!

This blush & bronzer duo comes in 3 different shade combos. The one I bought was Bronzed Violet. The new teal packaging of these products mixed in with the black and white packaging of the other e.l.f. products caught my attention right away, but what really kept my attention was the super bright hot pink shade of the blush! I mean look at it! That is one heck of a pink! Check out the rest of the shades here.

Quick facts about the product:
-Super creamy formula. The texture and feel of the product is similar to how Colour Pop products feel.

-The packaging says that this “cushiony color” is “infused with purified water and vitamin E.”  Fancy!

-The directions recommend applying this product with your fingertips or a small stipple brush. I found that using my fingers to swatch this product worked well, but I would recommend a small stipple brush when applying to your cheeks to blend.

-Definitely has a dewy, hydrating finish when swatched.

-A very important thing to note… after this product dries on your skin, it stays put. I tried smearing the product after swatching it on my wrists once it dried and it didn’t smudge away at all. Impressive staying power! However, this also means that you have to blend it right away to the amount of sheerness you want before it dries, or it will be difficult to fix after the fact.

Swatches!

Overall, I thought this product swatched very nicely! The product is easy to apply and is blendable. The pigmentation applies on lightly at first but is buildable, as promised on the packaging. There is a light shimmer in the shades as well which gives the product a dewy & hydrated look.

Here are some swatches on 2 different skintones. Overall, the brightness of the pink definitely toned down once applied to both skintones. This shade looked like a bubblegum pink on a lighter skin tone and rosey pink with hints of coral on the tanner skintone. The bronzer, which looked like a dark chocolate shade in the pan, applied on as lighter tan shade on both skintones. The color is buildable and you can add more layers of both for a more intense or bright look.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this purchase and will definitely be checking out more of Elf’s Aqua Beauty products! Even though this shade of blush is a little darker and brighter than I typically use for my tanner skintone, the product blends out nicely and gives a sheer, flushed look when I apply just a little bit of product to the apples of my cheeks. The bronzer works well to use as a cream contour shade for my skin tone.

Have you tried this product?? What are your thoughts??

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New Makeup, Product Review, Swatch Comparison, Swatches

Absolute New York Matte Lipstick Review!

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Hi everyone! I received this little beauty in my November Ipsy Glam Bag! As I do every month, I’ll be posting my first impressions of everything I received in my Glam Bag soon!  But in the meantime, I wanted to share a quick review and some swatches of Absolute New York Cosmetic’s Matte Stick in Dark Red. This is the first time I’ve tried any products from this brand…actually now that I think about it, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of this brand before!  As soon as I opened this lipstick and swatched it, it easily became the MVP and highlight of my November Ipsy bag.

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The name of this shade gets right to the point- Dark Red. If I could rename this shade I’d name it Snow White Kiss, Candy Apple Red, or Rudolf… ok so maybe I shouldn’t quit my dayjob and become a make up shade namer. But really, if you wanted my opinion, I think this is more a bright red than it is a dark red.

One of my favorite things about this lipstick is that it is super creamy and feels soft and silky on the lips. This matte lipstick didn’t make my lips feel overly dry like matte liquid lipsticks tend to do. It doesn’t necessarily feel hydrating, but definitely not drying. This lipstick has a slightly shiny finish at first, and then dries matte.

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Here is this lipstick swatched on 2 different skin tones! As you can see from the swatches below, the pigmentation of the shade is thick enough that it stays a true beautiful red shade on both skin tones. On my tan-ish skin tone, the shade looks like a darker hued hot pink when the light hits it in certain angles. But overall, this shade stays a true red!

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As far as how long this lipstick lasts, I tried to blot it away on the back of my hand and after 4 or 5 pats, my lipstick print on the back of my hand started getting lighter and lighter, but surprisingly, the shade still looked bright on my lips. Even though the shade stayed on my lips, it is definitely NOT smear proof. A couple of good rubs and the lipstick turned into a hot mess. I don’t anticipate this lipstick to stay put during a meal. When it was time to take this lipstick off, I tried my very hardest to wipe it off with a tissue and the shade noticeably stained my lips and I was left with a light pink tint.

Overall, I was super impressed with this lipstick! Because this lipstick is such good quality, I assumed that this would be around $30. To my surprise, this lipstick is only $4.99! And there are 18 shades to choose from! Check em out here!

Have you tried this lipstick? Let me know what you think!!

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Product Review, Shopping, Swatch with me, Swatches

Lip Product That Lasts Up to 18 Hours?? I Put That to the Test!

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Yup! A lip color that is said to last anywhere from 4-18 hours! Dream come true or just wishful thinking?

Here is my review of Lipsense Liquid Lipstick in shade Praline Rose! ($25)

This product was sent to me by The Lipstick Guru! Check out her website and IG page for more Lipsense products!

I wanted to share with you all a breakdown of my first day using Lipsense to show how this product lasted throughout a typical day. Here we go!

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November 6th 2016!

10AM: First Impression! Woke up on this beautiful Sunday morning sans alarm clocks (gotta love that feeling) and got ready for the day!  I applied 3 layers of the Lipsense color, waiting 3-5 seconds in between each layer to let it dry, as advised on the directions. Not gonna lie, when I first read that I need to apply 3 layers and wait for them to dry in between applications, the impatient lazy girl in me cringed a little. But 3-5 seconds goes quick and the layers dry fast! Heres a swatch of 1 layer of shade on my wrist. You can see how light the formula is. Notice the lovely, subtle shimmer as well.

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The formula felt watery & light when I applied it and immediately made my lips feel sticky. On a random note, I thought that it smelled really good!  Warning- the first layer definitely stings when you apply it.  The stinging feeling is similar to how it feels when you use a lip plumper. The stinging stopped when I applied the next 2 layers. With each layer I could feel the product cling onto my lips and sink into every crevice and fine line. It felt like the product was actually seeping into my lips instead of just layering on top of it. And finally, after the 3 layers of color, I sealed the lip color with the clear glossy gloss ($20).

10:01AM: Praline Rose in particular matched my natural lipcolor almost to the tee. The shade of the lipstick looked matte and dry by itself and then looked glossy after applying the clear gloss top coat. Little traces of sparkle shined in the lipcolor which I really liked. One thing is that I had to get used to was the way the product made my lips feeling so dry and sticky.

See the swatches below of the Praline Rose under inside light and under natural light!

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11AM- Coffee and Breakfast at Starbucks! See my lipstick mark on my Pumpkin Spice Latte? Me either! I was extremely impressed at the staying power and that I didn’t see any trace of my lipcolor on my cup or on my sandwich while I ate. I typically avoid putting on lipstick or lipgloss if I know I’m going to be eating soon or I have to spend a couple minutes blotting my lipstick away on a napkin before eating a meal. So overall, the fact that the lipcolor stayed where it should (on my lips) even after drinking and eating was super exciting to me.

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1PM/2PM:   In between grocery shopping, running errands, and basic adulting, I checked a mirror and noticed that the lip color was slightly faded in the inner parts of my lips. Not noticeably, just enough for me to notice if I was really paying attention. But overall, the lipcolor was still in tact.

4PMish: Wasn’t hungry for lunch this day so I snacked on a granola bar & triscuits and checked my lipcolor after. By this point, my lipcolor was noticeably faced in the inner parts of my lips. I tried rubbing my lips with my hand to see if the rest of the color would smear, and it stayed put! I also noticed that the lip color was less shiny as it was before.

5PM:  The product completely disappeared in the inner part of my lips and only a ring of color on the outline of my lips was still there.

7PM:  After dinner, the lipcolor was completely gone.

Overall thoughts:

This lipcolor is said to last anywhere from 4-18 hours. I can personally vouch for the first 4 hours. Overall I was impressed to find a lipstick that lasts through a meal without having to reapply, which immediately categorized this product as a winner… even if it didn’t last the entire 18 hours.

The day that I wrote about in this post was a pretty light eating day (very rare for me), so this may have been a reason the color lasted as long as it did. I wore Lipsense today to a party where I ate (a lot), and after about an hour or two, I felt the lipcolor flaking off my lips.

Long story short…. Lipsense has impressed me enough that I will most definitely be purchasing more products! I’ve found it pretty difficult to find a lipstick that stays put throughout the day without reapplying, even with lipcolors that are said to be “long lasting”. Each lipcolor is $25, which is typically a little more than I spend on lipstick. But, the fact that I can eat and drink without worrying that my lipstick is going to get everywhere, makes it easy for me to justify the cost. Praline Rose is a subtle shade against my skintone and natural lipcolor, so I am looking forward to trying more shades!

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Let me know what you think! Have you tried Lipsense before? How long has the product lasted for you? What are your favorite shades?

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Product Review, Swatch Comparison, Swatch with me, Swatches

Perfect Drugstore Palette for Daytime to Nighttime!

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Wet n Wild 10 Pan Studio Eye Shadow Palette in Quartz Center $6.99

There’s something so nostalgic for me when I think of Wet n Wild. I remember their 99 cent lip gloss and nail polish that I used to love as a kid! And here I am, at 27 years old, revisiting one of the very first makeup brands that I ever tried in my life, and finding that I still love it! With an exception of their Glitter Eyeshadow (see one of my previous posts with my open letter to this eye shadow explaining how disappointed I was with it and that it just was not going to work out between us), every Wet n Wild product that I’ve tried lately has received a major thumbs up from me. This palette below is no exception!

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Swatches:  Natural light (in the shade) vs in direct sunlight

My favorite part about this palette is that the colors range from lighter daytime shades to dark sultry shades, which makes it just as perfect for spring/summer as it is for fall/winter!

On the lighter end of the palette, you get 2 shimmery lighter neutral colors, plus 3 different variations of purple. On the darker end of the palette, you get 1 chocolately brown, and 4 variations of sparkly grays. The one thing I will point out is that the 4 shades of gray are very similar to one another.

The pigmentation and color payout of these eye shadows is pretty impressive. Check out the gorgeous swatches below! These swatches were applied by using my fingers.

In natural light (in the shade), the eye shadows look matte with a little bit of sparkle. In direct sunlight, you can really see the multi colored glitter flecks mixed in throughout the shades. You can also see that the colors change depending on the light source both in the pan and swatched on my arm.

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Overall I highly recommend this palette! There is also a neutral version of this palette, Coming in Latte. We can only hope that Wet n Wild will come out with more palettes with additional colors! Palettes like these are perfect for traveling because it is super compact and lightweight and you get a range of  light to dark shadows in 1 palette!

Let me know what you think! Have you tried this palette?

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Product Review, Swatch with me, Swatches

Wet n Wild Color Icon Glitter Singles

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Dear Wet N Wild Color Icon Singles,

You were so enticing in the store, looking stunningly glittery in the pan. Apparently I am easily distracted by pretty little sparkly things, and with you being a pretty little sparkly thing for only 99 cents? I couldn’t really pass you up now could I? I mean, look at you!!

Please note that even though I’m speaking specifically to the Brass shade (pictured below), this could easily be applicable to all 7 of your shades– yes including the red, purple, pink, blue, white and silver shades!

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The Wet n Wild website had wonderful things to say about you! Crease resistant, no fallout, infused with aloe and coconut oil, moisturizing, easy to apply, long wearing… all super positive things!

All I wanted was to try the glitter trend I’ve been seeing all over Instagram and Youtube, and sadly, looks like I won’t be able to try this trend with you. Overall, you were not at all what I expected after I first swatched you on my wrist.

In the pan, your solid brick of glitter looked absolutely gorgeous. But when I swatched you on my wrist, it looked like a clear base layer with random clumps of glitter…a messy flurry of gold, white, silver, and bronze glitter flakes on top of a sticky layer of clear film. Your glitter flakes were very difficult to spread evenly. I had some luck applying this product with my finger, and had absolutely zero luck trying to apply it with a brush.

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One of the biggest things that worries me about you, is that there is so much fallout, which means your beautiful glittery particles could easily make their way inside my eyes and potentially scratch them- ouch!!

Wet n Wild Color Icon Glitter Single, I feel like I’ve been a little harsh, but I promise I won’t completely count you out. With Halloween and the Holidays coming up, adding a little bit of sparkle and glitter to my makeup looks would be really fun! If I applied you with some type of adhesive like glitter glue or a thin layer of eyelash glue, this could help you stick to my eyelids better!

I also made the mistake of assuming that I could use you a solid glitter eye shadow, when it looks like you would be better layered on top of a base eye shadow instead!

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Overall, for 99 cents, I don’t regret purchasing you. I’ve seen a few beauty gurus use all of your shades in their make looks, and they look gorgeous!  With a little extra effort and a little creativity, I think I could make you work! 😉

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See the glitter trend in action below:

Vogue-10 Make Up Trends for Fall/Winter 2016-2017

Marie Claire-Summer Makeup Trends 2016

You Tube Tutorials using this product:

 

Check out a couple of my favorite metallic/glittery eye shadow shades:

ColourPop Eye Shadow in Get Lucky. ($5)

Colourpop Eye Shadow in Nillionaire. ($5)

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Favorites, Product Review

Friday Favorite: Sephora Rouge Balm!

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Sephora Rouge Balm in Delicate Pink $12.50

Guys! It’s fall already! FALL. Where did the year go??

I live in California and it hasn’t quite hit me that it’s fall yet. It has been slightly colder these last couple days (and when I say cold, I mean “California cold” so like…70 degrees) but I heard that it’s going to be in the hundreds this weekend!

So before I completely transition into fall mode, I wanted to share one of my favorites from this past summer!!

Sephora Rouge Balm

I saw this baby from the corner of my eye while I was already at the check out counter at Sephora and yes, I was one of those customers who held up the line while I went to go grab one!  #noregrets because I love this product!

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Quick facts about this product:

  • Comes in 8 shades- a mix of pinks, peaches, oranges and reds. The one I purchased was Delicate Pink. Check out the rest of the shades here.
  • SPF 20
  • Hydrating
  • Creamy, slightly thick texture (Sephora’s website describes it as a creamy gel texture)
  • Shiny finish
  • Has a subtle tint of color

Here’s a swatch of how this shade looked on my skin tone. I tested this shade out on different skin tones and did not see a significant difference or changes in the shade. This product is definitely meant to be a very subtle & light tint instead of a solid shade.

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Reasons I personally love this product:

  • Smells amazing- like strawberries! Kind of reminds me of pink Starbursts! I’m not sure how the other shades of this lipstick smell or tastes, but I can definitely vouch for Delicate Pink.
  • SPF 20!! I took this with me on my trip house boating for an entire week and it was nice to have lightly tinted and protected lips.
  • The packaging is adorable! The tube matches the shade of the lipstick.
  • Super creamy and hydrating! Instantly makes your lips feel soft.

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Downside:

  • This product is labeled as a lipstick but I would personally categorize it as a tinted chap stick.  Which means that at $12.50 a tube, this is little on the pricier side. I’m used to spending about $4.00 for 3 Blistex chap sticks and having those last me for a couple months (or until I lose them all).
  • Although the formula is super creamy, the texture and consistency may be too slippery to add another lipstick on top of it. I would not use this chap stick as a base layer for other lip colors or products. I personally feel like it’s a stand alone product if you want a light layer of color on your lips.

 

What other people are saying about this product:

  • Overall, the comment section on the Sephora regarding this product is pretty positive! Here are some of the things people are listing as the positives of this product: hydrating, casual tint, SPF protection, comfortable to wear, smooth texture and easy to apply.
  • I did notice a lot of comments mentioning that this product isn’t long wearing and that their lips ended up drying out after a couple hours. Because this lip balm is so creamy, it tends to wipe off easily. The formula is similar to the texture of Vaseline. If your lips are incredibly dry, cracking or sun burnt, chap sticks such as Blistex, Burt’s Bees or Carmex would be a much better option to help with the pain and heal your lips. This product makes your lips feel soft and hydrated, but the formula does not seem strong enough to heal damaged or cracked lips.

Now I want to hear from you!

Have you tried this product? What do you think? Send me pics of your swatches!

What are some of your favorite lip balms or chap sticks?

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Ipsy, Lists, Product Review

September Ipsy Glam Bag!

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Happy Wednesday, everyone! I wanted to share with you my first impressions of the products I received from my Ipsy September Glam Bag!

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Theme for this month’s Glam Bag: Glamazon… Too glam to give a damn. Adorable! Ipsy is encouraging us to be “through with lazy beauty” and to “put away your sweatpants, let down your ponytail and get glammed up just for the hell of it”.

I’m writing this as I’m wearing my comfiest sweatpants and messiest ponytail- ha. ironic. But yes! I agree, getting glammed up just cuz can be fun!! The bag is super cute. I like the gold tones and metallic colors!

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1) Coastal Scents Limited Edition Elite Medium Shadow Brush

I LOVE when I receive brushes in my Ipsy bag! I’ve heard positive things about Coastal Scents brushes, so I’m excited to add this to my brush collection. Extra bonus that Ipsters get 30% off on any individual brush set! The bristles are soft and tapered and the handle is made of bamboo. Overall feels like a good quality brush!

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2) Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5 in 1 Styling Treatment (4 oz for $27, 2 oz for $15)

Confession: I know very little about hair products, which is why I enjoy receiving hair products from Ipsy! Gives me a chance to try products without spending too much money or over committing to a brand/product if I end up not liking it.  Hair products intimidate me a little, but the instructions for this product is pretty self explanatory: Apply to damp hair. Blow dry.  Ok, I think I can handle that!

This product is said to deliver 5 benefits that will result in a perfect hair day- “smoothness, volume, conditioning, strength and polish”. Plus it smells really good, another plus!

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3) TreStique Highlight Stick 

Yay a highlighter!! This product looked like a bright, sparkly, white shade when swatched I swatched it on my wrist. I expected the shade to have more of a gold/beige tone based on the packaging and how the product looked in the tube. The product is very pigmented and is easy to blend. I’m looking forward to trying this product as both a highlighter on my cheekbones and as an eye shadow as well! The full size version of this highlight stick retails for $34.00 on their website.

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4) Naked Advanced Aloe Cream

The packaging on this product didn’t give a recommendation on what this cream should be used for or provide any directions for its use. I sampled a small drop of this lotion on my hand and this is what I found! It has a very subtle scent… sort of like vanilla or shea butter. Not sure if it’s supposed to have a scent or if it’s just my imagination. The formula is thick and feels a slightly frothy.  A small drop made my skin look smoother and shinier, but didn’t necessarily make my skin feel hydrated or soft.  A single pack of Naked Advanced Skin Cream retails for $60.00. Check out their website for more products!

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5) Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme

Not gonna lie, Lip Injection Extreme sounds a little intense! I was excited to see a product from Too Faced in my glam bag because I love this brand. This product is said to have long-term effects so a first impression of this product wouldn’t do it justice. But a few of the first things I did notice about this product were that it received excellent results from a consumer study (as shown on the packaging), the consistency is thick and gel like, and it smells like cherries. I have yet to try a lip plumper so I’m looking forward to trying this product and seeing if it works!

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MVP of my Glam Bag this month: This was a toughie because realistically I liked everything I received this month! But I have to award the MVP to (drumroll please)… Too Faced Lip Injection!  I’ve been a big fan of Too Faced Products for a while now and I’m super intrigued about this product! The packaging states that this product delivers instant results, makes your lips feel moisturized and makes your lips look fuller and more plump! All bold statements! I’m excited to put this product to the test (future post possibly??)

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And there ya go! 5 more beauty products to add to my collection!

What did you receive in your Ipsy Glam Bag this month??
What was your favorite item you received? Your least favorite?

Have you tried any of these products that I discussed in this post? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear!!

 

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Personal, Product Review, Swatch Comparison, Swatch with me

ColourPop Ultra Satin Lip in Alyssa!

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Colour Pop Ultra Satin Lip in shade Alyssa

For this week’s Sunday Swatches, I’m giving you a little combo platter: a product review of a favorite makeup product, plus a personal story, AND a swatch comparison!

This shade is part of Kathleen Light’s most recent collaboration with ColourPop. This is one of my favorite cosmetic brands working with one of my favorite makeup gurus!

The biggest reason I wanted this shade was because we’re name twinsies! Alyssa! 

One of my best friends came to visit me a couple weekends ago with her little family (including my adorable baby nephew!) It only felt right to wait for her to swatch this lip color because her name is Alyssa as well! Yup, we are two best friends both named Alyssa. If we had a dollar for every time a bartender checked both of our ID’s and said “hey both of your names are Alyssa??” we’d have…a lot of dollars. 😉

Product Review:
The product feels like a light and wet formula when you first apply it, with a little bit of shine. After about 2-3 minutes, the formula starts to dry out and becomes a flat matte shade. Like most matte liquid lipsticks, the formula feels a little dry on your lips, but I found that this lipstick wasn’t overly drying and didn’t made your lips feel tight. So that’s a definite plus for me personally. This product is super pigmented, so you only need to apply a thin layer, which makes it feel light on your lips, although a little dry. I have tried using a base layer of chap stick with no tint which makes the formula feel a little more moisturizing but unfortunately, this makes the lip color much easier to smudge and wipe off.  The website recommends using Lippie Primer ($5.00) as a base.

Swatch Comparison: 2 different skin tones!

Here are swatches of the product that my best friend and I took at our favorite Wine Bar in San Francisco on both of our skin tones! This shade is described on ColourPop’s website as a “neutral dusty pink”. I found that this shade was slightly darker in person than the picture on the website.

When swatched on our wrists, the shade looked slightly different on our skin tones. The shade looked like a lighter, neutral pink on the lighter skin tone, and a slightly darker mauve shade on the tanner skin tone.

Alyssa D (my bff) on the left, and Alyssa P on the right (me!)

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Swatch Comparison: Swatched on wrist vs on the lips & indoor lighting vs outdoor lighting!

The shade looked different after applying it on my lips than it did when swatched on my wrist. When I applied this shade on my lips, the shade looks more of a nude with a hint of light pink under indoor lighting, and more of a mauvey, dusty light pink in natural light.

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Overall Impression:

Overall, I love this shade! This does go to show that the true shade of a makeup product can change from how it looks on the website, in the package, swatched on your wrist, applied on your lips, under different light sources, and on different skin tones. I highly recommend ColourPop’s Ultra Satin lipsticks!! Good quality, amazing range of shades, and for only $6!

Check out more Ultra Satin lip colors here.

Check out more from Kathleen Lights Collection here.

Now I want to hear from you!

Have your tried ColourPop’s Ultra Satin Lip Colors? Which one is your favorite?

Send me swatches of you wearing Alyssa! I’d love to see!

Do you wear chap stick as a base when using liquid lipstick?

Bonus story!

Fun fact- my bff featured in this article and I are both named after Alyssa Milano! A few years ago on a magical day in Los Angeles, we both got to meet the one and only Alyssa Milano and tell her that we are a couple of best friends both named Alyssa because of her!! This will always be one of the biggest highlights of my life. 🙂

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Lists, Product Review, Swatch Comparison, Swatch with me

3 Universally Flattering Drugstore Lipstick Colors!

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I think any makeup lover like myself has gone through this exact situation or something incredibly similar: you see a GORGEOUS makeup shade on someone else but then when you try it on yourself, you quickly realize the shade looks completely different!  For the last few months I’ve been researching and collecting a list of make up shades that are said to be universally flattering on every skin tone. This past week I had a little swatch party with two of my friends to test 3 drug store lipsticks to see how they looked on each of our different skin tones!  (Thank you Angela and Tie for swatching with me!)

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1) Revlon Color Stay Ultimate Suede in Muse ($9.99)

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How the shade looks in the package: Hot, bright pink!

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Overall impression: The swatches of this shade looked completely different on all 3 skin tones! The shade was bright wine purple with a hot pink undertone when applied on the lighter skin tone. On a tan skin tone, this shade looked more purple/fuchsia.  The shade looked the most like it does in the package when swatched on a darker skin tone-bright pink!  All these shades were different, but all beautiful! Definitely recommend this lipstick. It’s creamy, pigmented and the color is buildable.  Click here to see pictures of this lip color applied on women of different skin tones on Revlon’s website!

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2)Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Red Revival ($7.49) 

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How the shade looks in the package: Deep, true red.

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Overall impression: This lipstick is extremely pigmented and took on different variations of deep red on all of our skin tones. The shade was a bright red on the lightest skin tone compared to the darker skin tones. The shade takes on a more maroon shade when applied on the darker skin tones. Overall, I was very impressed with this lipstick! Definitely a high quality drug store product.

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3) L’Oréal Infallible 8 Hour Pro Gloss in Sangria ($9.99)

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How the shade looks in the package: Orangey-brown with hint of mauvey red with glitter

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Overall impression: There is a huge difference between how this shade looks in the tube as it does swatched. The shade looks more orangey-brown with a red/mauve undertone in the tube, and it surprisingly transformed to a pink/mauve shade when swatched. Overall, this shade is lightly pigmented and applies on very sheer. The shade would serve more as a tint for your lips instead of a solid color. This lipgloss comes with a soft bristled, triangle shaped brush.

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In conclusion!: There is an endless amount of different skin tones in the world- every single one of them beautiful!  It’s amazing to think about how a make up shade can completely transform when applied on different skin tones. Overall, I think that sometimes it’s good to have some guidance on what shades look flattering on your skin tone, but overall- there shouldn’t be any rules on what shades you should wear! If you try on a shade that makes you feel confident, beautiful, and HAPPY, that’s all that matters.

Now I want to hear from you! :

Have you tried any of these shades? Send me your swatches!

Are there any shades that you believe are universally flattering?

What are your favorite shades to wear?

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Product Review

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick Review!

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Happy Friday, everyone!! I’m excited to review this product for you today!

Here are my thoughts on Hourglass Cosmetics Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (wow that was a mouthful)!

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One of the biggest reasons I was enticed by this product was the impressive range of shades that are available (26 total!).  I’ve been seeing more and more cosmetic companies expanding their range of foundation and concealer shades to accommodate more skin tones and I’m LOVING it. Kudos to Hourglass Cosmetics for embracing the diversity of their customers! Check out all of the shades here.

Here are swatches of the lightest shade (Blanc), medium shade (Golden), and darkest shade (Espresso). At first swatch, this foundation felt super creamy and was impressively pigmented!

(Outside in natural light)

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First Impression

I have to admit, it was intimidating finding the right shade for myself because there were so many to choose from.  One thing I like the most about the shades is that they take into consideration not just skintone but also undertone. For example, shade Ivory is described as “light medium, with a cool undertone” and shade Nude is a “light medium, with a neutral undertone”.

After receiving some advice from a Sephora beauty expert, I chose the shade Golden Tan (medium beige, warm undertone) which blended perfectly with my neck after we swatched it on my chin.

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The product comes in shiny a triangle shaped tube and this is how much product you get (about 2-2.5 inches).

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Application

You can use the Vanish Foundation Blush ($46) which is a soft bristled, tapered brush, about the size of a half dollar, or a damp beauty blender to apply this product.

Overall, this foundation was super easy to apply and I found that a little bit of product goes a long way!

I drew 2 lines across both my cheeks, one across my forehead, one down the bridge of my nose, and little dot on top of my lips, and a small line on my chin. And then blended this all out with a damp beauty blender.

My first impression after applying this on my face was a positive one!  This foundation felt light, sheer, and really did seem to “vanish” as it blended in with my natural skintone.  A lot of bloggers have mentioned that this foundation made their skin look airbrushed and flawless. 

Lasting Impression

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This product is said to be a long wearing and waterproof foundation, lasting 12 hours. I’ve been using this foundation for about a week now and have been testing out it’s durability througout a mellow day (mostly indoors around the office and lounging at home), and it’s durability throughout a more hectic day (5 hours outdoors in the hot sun and the rest indoors).

Overall, the staying power of this foundation is impressive! The foundation unfortunately did start to fade on the oilier parts of my face (such as my nose) after about 5 hours. But any part of my face that I set with powder stayed pretty well throughout the day and upheld it’s seamless, satin finish.

However (yes unfortunately there is a “however”), I felt like the satin finish of the foundation made my skintone look flat and almost dry. I typically like a more of a dewy, hydrating look for all over my face.

I also found that this foundation was not buildable. It started to get a little cakey after I tried applying 2-3 more layers. I personally believe this would be best used as 1 sheer layer.

Conclusions

Pros

  • Range of 26 shades
  • Considers undertone
  • Easy to blend
  • Little product goes a long way
  • Seamless, airbrushed look
  • Lasts throughout the day when set with powder

Cons

  • A little pricey at $46
  • Not a lot of product
  • Not buildable
  • Product doesn’t last on oily parts of your face
  • Velvety finish can make your skin look flat

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Would I buy it again?

Overall, the seamless look that you can achieve when using this product is really impressive, but I still prefer using liquid foundation over stick foundation. I personally think that this product would be great for contouring instead of applying it on your entire face. I would love to eventually buy a darker shade and use it to contour!

You can also use a hydrating liquid serum or primer like Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot to mix with the product to change it’s consistency to feel more like a liquid foundation.

Now I want to hear from you!

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think?

Do you prefer liquid foundation or stick foundation? Why?

Are there any other foundations or concealers that you’ve seen have impressive range of shades?

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