Swatch: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple

As promised- photos and a swatch of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple! 

I loved Sweet Tart so much that I had to pick up another one of the Lip Butters. I've never been one for bold red lips but I've always wanted to try it so this time I went for the warm toned red in Candy Apple. There's another red in the line if you're interested- Cherry Tart- which I think would be better suited for cool-tone complexions.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart and Candy Apple

The color of the packaging matches the shade of the lip butters. 

Candy Apple has the same smooth texture that I've reviewed Sweet Tart as having. The shade looks intense in the tube and in the swatch but you'd be surprised at how wearable it really is. It reminds me of Snow White and even though my skin isn't as fair, the contrast makes my skin look brighter and cleaner. I think I could create a great look for fall and/or a festive look for the holidays with this gorgeous yet approachable red.

Swatch: NEW! Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart on Right
Maybelline ColorSensational PopStick in Citrus Slice on Left for Comparison Only

I think there should be a warning on all things hot pink. Something along the lines of "Caution: May cause racing heartbeat, impaired judgment and/or impulse purchases."  

But the new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart is so much more than just a hot pink beauty. It's  a magical combination of lipstick, lip gloss and lip balm and the way it applies reminds me of the smooth application of the Dior Addict Lipsticks. I love these!!- and for someone who rarely wears lipsticks that's saying a lot :)

The top is clear so you can take a look at the actual color- big improvement from the original Colorburst lipstick packaging which doesn't have this nifty little window. The packaging also corresponds with the shade so each shade has a different color tube. Sweet Tart is a nice fruit punch type pink color (no shimmer) that is surprisingly wearable- and it's one of those colors that brightens up your face giving you a youthful look. The Lip Butters have a subtle sweet scent- barely noticeable unless you're really trying to sniff it out.

I picked out a couple I thought would compare for the swatch shot but they ended up being all very different. As you can see the Fresh Lip Treatment (one of my favorites) is more sheer and glossy- you can't really build the color up on this- it's meant to give your lips more of a slight tint rather than a full-on lipstick look. The Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm is sheer but less glossy. I actually dislike this formula as it dries out my lips even though it's a lip balm. The Colorburst Lip Butter is not as glossy as the Fresh Lip Treatment but has more of a smooth texture (something between the Dior Addict Lipsticks and the buttery YSL Rouge Voluptes) and can be sheerly applied or built up for bolder look. I also like the fact that my lips don't feel like they have lipstick on. I love these!


* Purchased at Bed, Bath & Beyond. A shout out to BentleyBlonde who gave us the heads up to be on the lookout for these!

** Update: Just picked up the Lip Butter in Candy Apple too so I'll be doing a swatch and review of that soon :)

Collective Haul: Lush, Shiseido, The Body Shop, more Candles and other randomness.

The Dorothy Bubble Bar in all its earthy goodness is back! Some say that this smells like the Figs & Leaves soap but to my untrained nose, Dorothy smells much better : ) I usually separate the rainbow section and the blue "skies" section to use in separate baths because my bathwater looks prettier that way. I also picked up Love Lettuce- my all-time favorite fresh face mask. Lush face masks require refrigeration and expires pretty quickly but that just means that they are super fresh while they last!

 

Having observed that I love sweet scents, the girl who helped me offered me a sample of the Almond & Coconut Smoothie Soap- she was sure I would be back for more :) It works like any other soap- it's just in a smooth buttery form. Smells divine. Haven't tried it yet though.

Next, I spied the new Shiseido Urban Environment sunscreen out on display @ Bloomingdale's and had to pick one up to take home with me. The Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 (the one in the blue tube-see below) is my go-to, everyday, love of my life sunscreen and so a new/different version was a must-try for me. I love the new sleek white/silvergrey tube but the lighter SPF is slightly worrying as I like my sunscreen to be on the stronger side. Still I'm excited!

I don't know if you can tell but the Urban Environment (top) sunscreen is slightly more watery than the regular Shiseido sunscreen. I don't notice a big difference on the face but I haven't been using it for long so we'll see :)

Next, my little loot from The Body Shop. I had stepped into the store to just get the Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub but once in the store I was lured in by the ubiquitous "buy however many get however many free" promotion and I ended up with more than just the foot scrub. (An after-shave I got for my cousin, who was shopping with me is not photographed.) So here's what I got:

1. Cotton Rounds: So much better than the CVS ones.. argh! I hate those.

2. Vitamin E Face Mist: Kind of random but seemed like a good idea. Spraying vitamin E on my skin seems easy enough. Plus the rose scent is really nice.

3. Banana Conditioner: I loved my first bottle so much that I had pick up another.

4. Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray: Premature but I had summer on my mind that day...

5. and of course the Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub.

This is what the foot scrub looks like inside: I love this stuff for summer when foot exposure is rampant.

Next, I picked up two new candles from Bath & Body Works, Lemon Gelatto (pictured with a sparklicious yellow infinity scarf I picked up from Charlotte Russe) & Cotton Candy (pictured with the Hello Kitty shower cap available at Sephora). I have to say Slatkin & Co. is really on a roll these days with their awesome candles! I have been burning Cotton Candy nonstop: the scent is sweet but clean cut.

Finally, some random items from here and there (and everywhere).

1. Anastasia Mini Brow Kit: Worst pair of tweezers in the history of tweezers...
2. OPI Teenage Dream: I don't know what I was thinking. It's really sparkly. Not very lawyer-ly... but I think I was mesmerized by all the glitter.
3. Revlon Totally Toffee: Love. It's red. It's brown. It's toffee. who knows what it is. Love.
4. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Blossom: I've never gotten into Burts Bees lip balms but the fact that the new tinted lip balms have no shimmer and no SPF really appealed to me. (My lips tend to react badly to lip products with SPF...not all the time but lots of times.)

I was kind of worried that Pink Blossom would be a paler pink (better with cooler skin tones) but it wasn't as pale as I imagined and the sheer factor makes it an easy shade to pull off. It's nothing spectacular but it's good for a casual touch up. Texture-wise I prefer something like the Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment.

And that's all for now! That was a picture-heavy post, but I wanted to include as much as I could because if I didn't procrastination will inevitably come knocking at my door threatening to huff and puff and blow mah house down... ; ) You know what I'm talking about.

Haul: Bed, Bath & Beyond and Bath & Body Works

Hey guys! So this is going to be a quick little drugstore haul-- from Bed, Bath & Beyond!! Am I late on this or did everyone know that some Bed, Bath & Beyonds actually have a drugstore section?! And not like those pseudo-beauty corners in grocery stores but an actual very much legit drugstore- the kind that derails you from your original purpose of bringing home a sturdy cutting board (preferably made of bamboo) and has you wandering through aisles of beauty gadgets and goodies with crazy lady eyes, unaware that the husband has left the store in search of some stronger coffee. Ahem...

... onto the haul.

Here's the shortlist of what I got:
Physicians Formula Eye Boosting Eyeliner + Serum
Maybelline Eyeshadow in Apricot Aura
Maybelline Volum' Express On by One Mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

Here are the initial impressions of each:
1. Physician's Formula Eye Boosting Eyeliner & Serum- I use the Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die For at night but this new item is an eyeliner and eyelash serum in one, so you can use it during the daytime too! Nifty.
2. Maybelline Eyeshadow in Apricot Aura (Limited Edition) - I swatched this already and found the pigmentation to be quite poor. All three shades are frosty and although the frost is not overpowering (you could even call it a sheen) it still manages to overshadow the actual colors. That being said I think it still has the potential of creating a pretty look- just don't expect that coral to show up on your eyelids.
3. Maybelline Volum' Express One by One Mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof - I almost bought the non-waterproof kind because I liked the green lettering of that one better (with the coral tube) than the blue letters on this one. Then I reminded myself that taking chances with undereye smudges was unwise especially when the reward at stake is simply cuter color-coordination.
4. Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black- I'm on my third Urban Decay Liquid Eyeliner but I think it's time to go back to gel eyeliner. My first instinct (and most obvious choice) is to go back to Bobbi Brown but I'm really interested in all the new alternatives that have surfaced recently, so I picked this one out on a whim :)

Next, I headed over to Bath & Body Works to pick up some three-wick candles and check out the Carried Away release (I've been hearing good things!) I picked out two candles: Pineapple Mango, and Pink Sangria. I also picked up the baby versions of the Carried Away shower gel, body lotion and fragrance mist. Argh the packaging is absolutely the cutest! The collection smells like plums- and I love plums.

I've already started burning Pineapple Mango and although it doesn't fill the room with an authentic pineapple (or mango) scent it's still a very agreeable fragrance. Fruity and slightly sweet- it's a great candle for spring. Pink Sangria I haven't burned yet but it smells so tangy and delightful I would stick a paper parasol in it and drink it if I could. Don't worry, I won't.
(*Update: I burned Pink Sangria yesterday and I seriously love it!)

On another note, I ordered some Hello Kitty items from Sephora weeks ago but I'm having trouble photographing them properly... if anyone's wondering and I never get the pictures up, I got the shower cap and the rollerball perfume and I'm pretty happy with both of them. Also, my Dermstore.com order should be arriving soon so I'll share that once it gets here.

So that's that! I hoped you're enjoying your week as I am mine :)

A Drugstore Haul & NOTD

Last weekend I had a chance to stop by my favorite CVS location, the one in Harbor East, Baltimore! It may be silly to say I have memories about a drugstore but... I have memories about this drugstore. Harbor East was the first neighborhood K and I lived in as a married couple so we made many random (and often late night) runs to this 24-hour CVS for ice cream or advil or laundry detergent. Of course I would stop by after school and browse its abundant beauty aisle. This location always received THE quickest shipment of new limited item displays and helped me rediscover the potential of drugstore makeup.

Anyways, enough with the babble. Here's what I picked up!

1. Revlon Multi-Use Palette: Nine times out of ten I arrive at the office with a virtually naked face because apparently there are infinite ways of convincing your half-asleep self that a couple minutes extra snooze is worth looking like a zombie at work. This compact palette looked like a good thing to keep at the office as an emergency kit.

2. Revlon Nail Polish in Perplex: I didn't feel obligated to get Chanel's Paradoxal but that doesn't mean I'll skip on a dupe this good! (See Pink Sith's awesome comparison)

3. Milani Baked Eyeshadow in Intermix: I got this for its name; it reminded me of the Intermix in Georgetown, which I always find to be a stylish little thing.

4. Milani Nail Polish in Gold Glitz:

Glitter nail polish is often disappointing because what you see in the bottle is rarely what ends up on your nails. But this Milani One Coat Glitter polish is packed with gold glitter and looks incredible on the nails. I've never received so many compliments on my nails in my life- love it!

Review: Biore Triple Action Astringent

So I was strolling down the magical aisles of Target the other day with the purpose of picking up some Biore nose strips (and checking out the Sonia Kashuk holiday stuff- which by the way I couldn't find), when this little light green concoction caught my eye.

I took it home with me, washed my face, dabbed a little of it on a cotton pad, swirled it around my t-zone and voila,

my life took a turn for the better.

See, I was at a point where I felt like I just couldn't win the battle against my badass blackheads (and whiteheads argh!) anymore. Even though I was fully armed with a boatload of facial scrubs, peels, pore strips and of course my Clarisonic, I was seriously getting beat up and down the block. And while I wish I could say that I coaxed and persuaded my pores to behave with love and understanding, in the end a badass foe calls for a badass ally.

Also known as salicylic acid.

I'm not a big fan of harsh chemicals (I can't use benzoyl peroxide at all- another infamous acne treatment ingredient) and I've never been very acne-prone so I never had to use any but what I love about the Biore Triple Action Astringent is that even though it has salicylic acid in it, it's not as drying or harsh as some other products I've tried. It also has a cooling sensation without any stinging usually a signature of most products with anti-acne ingredients. Most importantly, I've noticed a major difference in my nose area as to the amount of blackheads and the size of my pores. It's still a work in progress but I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I would not however, recommend this to someone without blackheads or acne as I don't see the point, nor would I recommend to anyone with dry skin as it will probably dry out your skin even more. I have combination skin (t-zone is oily/ cheeks are dry) so I avoid applying this on the dry areas of face (but I kinda end up applying it anyway because I like the squeaky clean feeling..)

New: Sonia Kashuk 2010 Holiday Collection

Have you stopped by Target lately? I've been meaning to check out the Sonia Kashuk 2010 Holiday Collection (especially the brush sets) but haven't gotten to it quite yet- hope they're not all sold out already!

Haul: e.l.f. Cosmetics (Overview of Complexion Perfection, Corrective Concealer, Mineral Powder Brush, Eyeshadow Primer, Shine Eraser)

Ah.. the old adage.. "you get what you pay for" is something I agree with more often than not. But who could assert that its always true with the likes of e.l.f. cosmetics running around town?

I've ordered from eyeslipsface.com once before and while their shipping is painfully slow, their Studio products weren't half-bad. I was especially impressed with the Complexion Perfection Powder and managed to hit pan on that one. So in ordering a new one, I decided to try out some other things.

Here's what I got, along with my overall impression of each.

1. Complexion Perfection Powder (Studio)- I initially got this to see if the yellow/green side could be a dupe of the Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder (hello ridiculously long name?). I don't have a lot of redness in my skin but I do have enough to care.

All I can say is the Complexion Perfection held its own. I was tempted to believe that because of its low price, it would break me out or something horrible like that but I have to say, after having used one whole compact (the yellow/green side only), I'm fine and my skin, which is on the sensitive side, is fine. (Note however, that this does have a boatload of talc in it- for those of you who wish to avoid the ingredient.)

2. Corrective Concealer (Studio)- I can't say I cared for this one.. I wish I could say that it 'surprised' me or it was better than I expected and all that jazz but to be honest it kinda sucked. The colors, for one, are neither here nor there. All four of them run a little dark and I am unsure of what to make of the pink one. It seems a little too dark to perk up my skin tone which pinks are usually meant to do but it's too light to use as a blush or other. The skin-toned ones are just as confusing. The green is not that bad but here's the real problem.

The texture is very.. strange. It's not completely ineffective but it's dry and the consistency is uneven. It's almost as if the oil content of the product decided to separate from the color content. It's very difficult to get onto a brush. Additionally, the brush it comes with is all but useless.

* The photos run a little dark. The colors are a bit lighter in real life.

3. Powder Brush (Mineral)- Of the things I ordered I was most excited about this new powder brush for the mineral line because it looked like it could what this Sephora powder brush I've been wanting could do. And apart from the bit of glue that was on the lower part of the brush right above the handle (see if you can find it) I really like this brush! It's nice and large and the bristles are so much softer than the regular Studio line brushes, making it perfect for applying loose powder all over the face.

The brush is slightly cinched meaning it looks more similar to the complexion brush in the Studio line than the Powder brush shown in the last photo.

4. Eyeshadow Primer (Mineral)- This one, like the corrective concealer, I'm a little iffy about. Iffy because it looks.. old. Or like there's something bad in there. Something that could hurt my eyes. Or my eyelids. Or my nose. Okay not my nose. But I don't think I'll be putting it near my face anytime soon so apologies in advance. I'm not sure if there'll ever be a review on this one...

5. Shine Eraser- I don't know about you, but for me and my leave-no-shine-behind policy, oil blotting linens/films are definitely one of man's better inventions. e.l.f.'s Shine Erasers pack 50 sheets and are eerily reminiscent of the Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens. The texture and size is obviously different but considering that one is ten dollars for 100 sheets and the other is one dollar for 50 sheets, I think the Shine Eraser deserves extra points.

6. Blush in Candid Coral (Studio)- This one will be in a separate post soon to follow. So that's it for now. Good night everyone!

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara

Me and drugstore mascara, we don't get along. For one, my lashes need a lot of coaxing and love and most drugstore mascaras I've tried are A. clumpy, B. incapable of holding a curl and C. just not for me...

That was until now. 

Maybelline Define-A-Lash is A-mazing. I don't think I've ever been so satisfied with a drugstore mascara before. In fact the only other time I've been this satisfied with a mascara at all (and it still remains my HG mascara) was with my Chanel Inimitable waterproof in black- the original one (not the Inimitable Intense.)

Before I go on, let me explain what I look for in a mascara because everyone's opinion of what constitutes a "good" mascara may vary. For me, a mascara should look like an extension of my natural lashes. I hate clumps! Therefore I prefer lengthening over volume (synonym for clumpy in my mascara dictionary) and while there are mascaras out there that purport to deliver both, I have yet to find any that actually lives up to that word.

Another critical aspect of mascara is it's ability to hold a curl. Let me rephrase: Mascara MUST be able to hold a curl! Sometimes I'm not sure if makeup companies get this.. What's the point of mascara if it will only straighten out lashes that I have just tediously curled?

So here's why I think the Define-A-Lash is a good (and by good I mean great!) mascara

i. It looks natural. It lengthens and does not clump!
ii. It holds my curls very nicely.
iii. It really is waterproof= No panda eyes.
iv. Even though it's natural-looking it is still very black and darkens my lashes significantly.
v. I like the soft brush (I always prefer rubber brushes to regular bristles) shaped to fit your lashes.
vi. And of course, let's not forget that it's a fraction of the cost of lots of mascaras out there!

   

So here's to you Define-A-Lash, the 8 dollar mascara that made me eat my words.

Rimmel London Royal Gloss in Peach Crush & Bubble Blush

Oh the sweet comfort of squeeze tube glosses. I picked up the Rimmel London Royal Glosses a couple weeks back and have been using them quite often. I don't really use these as a going-out lip gloss on their own though. They have no lasting power nor do they add much color to my lips. However, I've noticed they moisturize nicely so I use them when I'm just lounging around the house or want to add a little glossiness to lipsticks or lip tints.

Slanted tips + caps matching the color
Some caution is needed because the formula is watery- things can get goopy!

Peach Crush, which looks coral in the tube, is a kind-of-milky, kind-of-watery very sheer peach shade. I had hoped it would still give my lips a hint of peach but it really is basically a clear gloss on my lips. Peach Crush has a peachy scent but I find the scent less appealing than the sweet bubblegum of Bubble Blush. I think it's because there's a slight waxy scent mixed in somewhere- although I can't really pinpoint it. 

Bubble Blush is a lavender pink with slight shimmer (I could have done without the shimmer) This shows up on the lips more than Peach Crush but is still on the sheer side. It gives a slight pinky lavender tone to the lips. I love how this one smells- like bubblegum! I know I'm not exactly twelve but who says a grown woman can't enjoy some bubblegum smelling lipgloss?

True to its word! "Sweet tasting non-sticky lipgloss"
It really has a sweet taste :)

Click HERE for a review of Sweet Lust and Candy Rush (two other shades of the Royal Gloss) by the Makeup and Beauty Blog!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop & Coral Reef (Chanel Sirop)

Coral Reef is lighter in real life

Finding a drugstore lipgloss without glitter, or even shimmer is darn-near impossible, so when a nice creamy lipgloss is introduced I am immediately intrigued. Case in point: Revlon Super Lustrous in Pink Pop and Coral Reef. These were released with three other colors in the "collection," a lilac, peach and a red one which you probably may have seen photos of.

Overall, I like these even though they didn't exactly meet my expectations.

Expectation #1: I thought these would be more sheer. I was sort of hoping for a MAC Cremesheen type of consistency. Nice, soft and light on the lips. These are much more opaque and thicker in consistency. (This may actually be a good thing for most people)

Expectation #2: I expected the colors to look more natural on me. Now that's a very personal expectation but usually coral and bright pinks suit me nicely so I thought these would be more wearable. I'm sad to say that Pop Pink makes me look a little fake. I like Coral Reef better but it does end up on my lips looking borderline red than the pretty coral I was expecting from the tube. I'm still trying to make it work  it's just not the coral I was looking for.

Another swatch: Left: Coral Reef/ Right: Pop Pink

Doe foot/sponge tip applicators

Reason I still like these #1. They are good versions of what they are- An budget-friendly easily-accessible drugstore lipgloss without any shimmer but full of color. No they aren't sheer but they never advertised themselves to be sheer- that was just a personal expectation (and preference!). And the colors are still quite pretty.

Reason I still like these #2. External stuff like the scent which to me smells like a mix between creme brulee+ orange creamsicle+ cotton candy+ bubblegum. Yum... I think. (There is no flavor) I also like the packaging: A shorter stouter cousin of the Chanel Glossimers if you will. 

That reminds me- I initially thought Coral Reef looked similar in the tube to my beloved Chanel Sirop, now discontinued (WHY!!) so I took a couple of pictures and swatched them only to find that both the consistency and colors were very different. Bummer.

I didn't include any swatch comparison photos with Sirop because it didn't show up accurately.

Sirop is more pink-coral and lighter in texture

*Update 10/26/10: See Coral Reef with other coral swatches

NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Pink Flash

A nice drugstore find!

You and I were meant to be. You're smooth, you blend like a dream (although you feel slightly dry to the touch) and you're a creamy coral (even though your name is Pink Flash).

I was initially introduced to you by Citrine's Blog in May this year and shortly thereafter spotted you sitting side by side with your Wild Berry sister at my local CVS. But because I was convinced that you wouldn't amount to much, I ignored you. At 3 bucks, you must be flimsy, cheaply made and/or be horrible for my skin. For weeks, I passed you by as I picked up cotton swabs or toothpaste or chips. I watched as all your Shock Value companions got sold out and the little coupons attached for one dollar off dwindled.

It kind of surprised me that you stayed so long- to me you seemed the most desirable of them all- if one were to get anything from that collection. By the time I finally decided to pick you up, it seemed everyone in the beauty world was talking about how you were sold out. It's like you were meant for me. I even picked up the very last dollar off coupon attached to the display.

Now I find myself reaching for you every morning. It's lurve :)

Limited edition

No shimmer just pretty color- its does look a bit pink on the cheeks even though its very coral in the tube.
Lasting power is pretty good. I personally think it lasts longer than the Stila convertible colors.