Wednesday, November 4, 2015

L.A. Girl Matte Pigment Gloss

L.A. Girl has been producing high quality, budget friendly cosmetics since 1985.  Their product line offers a diverse array of products to meet any woman's need.  Their products are very pocket book friendly and made to high standards.

L.A. Girl offers a wide variety of products for the face (i.e. face primers, blushes, setting powders, BB creams), eyes (eyeshadows, eyeliners, eyeshadow sticks, mascaras), lips (matte glosses, matte lipsticks, lipliners, glosses) and nails (3D effect polishes, nail art kits, nail treatments).  A variety of product displays can also be purchased on their website.

Products can be purchased from a vast number of websites like drugstore.com, amazon.com and lagirlusa.com and from a number of beauty supply stores and Rite Aids.  I was able to purchase three of these glosses from my local beauty supply store for $3.99 each.  I have owned the glosses for over three weeks now and have been wearing them at least three times a week for the three weeks in order to be able to provide an honest, tested opinion.

Let's get into the product-:




Color featured here is Rebel.  It is a beautiful mauve color that applies very evenly and pigmented to the lips.  There was no bleeding with or without a lip liner.




Frisky is a bright, true red.  This color also applied evenly and very pigmented and is a perfect color for a night on the town.  It is a very sexy, sultry red.


Bazaar is a beautiful soft pink.  There was no blotchiness or bleeding however it did take two coats of this one to get a nice even color application.

My overall opinion-:
The description of this product on the website is that the shades are bold, rich and intense with a flat finish for all day wear.  I have to totally AGREE with this description of these lip glosses.  

Let me start with the two cons that I have. One of the glosses I bought, the packaging was defective.  The color in question was Bazaar, on opening the product the second time to use, a piece of the inside of the wand top became separated which makes the tube a bit difficult to close.  This causes a small issue with using the product as there is not that piece to limit the amount of product that comes out when the wand is engaged.  

The second con is that these are hard to find in stores.  There are no Rite Aid stores in my area and I was lucky to finally find them at one of the beauty supply stores close to my home.  You can purchase them online with ease, but if you are like me I rather purchase in the store as I can see the true color of the product rather than a picture online.  It would be nice to start seeing these in stores like CVS, Walgreens, Target and Walmart.

I am a huge fan of the formula.  There are 16 colors to choose from and the colors are amazing.  All of the glosses that I own applied evenly to the lips and are very pigmented.  The applicator picks up enough product for you to get full pigmentation in one swipe, with the exception as mentioned for Bazaar, this one took two swipes.

The gloss dried down to a matte finish very quickly and lasted for approximately 6 hours before I had to touch up a bit.  There was no bleeding or blotchiness.  As I mentioned in my previous blogs on the Milani mattes and the Ulta brand mattes, I am not a big fan of the matte fad, but these made me a true believer.  I will certainly be purchasing a few more of these to add to my collection.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

BH Cosmetics - 28 Color Eyeshadow Palettes

BH Cosmetics was founded in 2009 and has it's headquarters in Los Angeles California. Their products are developed to professional standards and are very pocket book friendly, so you can purchase the vast array of products they offer without breaking the piggy bank.

The product line offers a variety of products ranging from products for the eyes (eyeshadow palettes/primers/eye lashes/liners etc.), face (blush/concealers/bronzers etc.), lips (lipsticks/balms/lip gloss etc.), brows (brow palettes/brow pencils/brow gel etc.), brushes (brush sets/individual brushes) and various accessories (makeup organizers/mirrors/makeup wipes etc.).  Products range in price from $1.95 to approximately $50.00. 

Products can be purchased from amazon.com or directly from their website at www.bhcosmetics.com (there is currently a sale going on the site).  I have also been able to locate certain products at my local Ross; TJ Maxx or Marshalls.  The products I am going to be discussing were both purchased from my local Ross for $9.99 each.  They can be purchased now on the website for $12.00 (regular price $19.00) at 37% off sale.

I have owned both of these palettes now for about a month and have been using them both for about the length of time that I have owned them, so that I can honestly share my opinion on them with you so let us jump in.

Neutral Eyes - 28 Color Eyeshadow Palette

This is a beautiful palette containing 28 neutral eyeshadow colors.  The colors in this palette can be used by persons of every complextion and are very flattering.  The palette contains a mixture of shimmer and matte shades and range in colors from nudes to deeper browns.

The colors at first sight are beautiful and very pigmented.  They are soft in texture and very creamy.  When applying the colors you get great color payoff with one swipe.  The product is also very buildable and very easy to work with.  The colors in the palette can take you from your work life to your party life.  

Look accomplished using the neutral palette.






Smokey Eyes - 28 Color Eyeshadow Palette

This is a beautiful palette with a very nice broad range of 28 colors ranging in colors from pinks, to blues to greys and blacks.  The palette has all of the colors needed to create very seductive smokey eye looks.

Like the neutral palette, this palette also contains from shimmer to mattes.  These colors are also highly pigmented and the color payoff with one swipe is simply delicious. The product is smooth and creamy to the touch and applies and blends with ease.  The colors in this palette are also buildable, however there is little need to have to build these colors like you would need to with the neutral palette.




Pictures of the product courtesy the BH Cosmetics website.

My overall opinion:

The one thing I did notice is there is a bit of fall out in the pan (not on the skin) when using a brush to pick up the product, however a little tap of the brush resolves this issue. I have used the product with both an eyeshadow primer and without a primer and as mentioned in my previous blogs I live in Florida with the heat and humidity most of the year round, and I did not experience any creasing or fading when using this product.  

The packaging is sturdy and very easy to open and close.  The product is also sleek and although on the wider side, it is thin and very easy to travel with.  As previously mention their products are budget friendly

I was very extremely happy with both palettes and I am happy to report that I am in love with them both.  I give the palettes a B+ for the product, the product appearance and the packaging.  I will MOST CERTAINLY purchase more from this brand.

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Monday, October 5, 2015

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave in Conditioner

Ouidad products are specifically designed for us curly girls.  Part of their mission is to empower us curlies to understand, enhance and love our hair.   Ouidad has been around for the past 30 years and have committed to "pioneering new innovations to meet the needs of our curl community".

This is the first time I have invested in this line.  I am an "It's a 10" or DevaCurl girl, but when I went shopping to replace my very empty DevaCurl Styling Cream, Ulta was out of the product so.......... I saw the Ouidad display and have heard a great deal about their products so I figured why not.  I went ahead and purchased the Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave in Conditioner and was not disappointed.


This product is created to infuse moisture into every strand of the hair.  The Moisture Lock In provides protein to the hair which helps to create healthy curls.  The product also contains Prickly Pear Cactus Extract, Antioxidants Green Tea and Vitamin B5 to protect the hair, promote shine and provide ongoing conditioning.  What interested me the most was that this Leave In Conditioner also contained Arnica Extract, "which is a healing agent and also helps to promotes long-lasting hydration which seals the hair cuticle layer to prevent frizz and encourage healthier hair and scalp".

I purchased this product from Ulta for $26.00 for an 8.5 ozs/250ml bottle.  Currently Ulta has two promotions for Ouidad products purchased - FREE sample Moisture Lock Leave-In with any $25 Ouidad purchase (offer valid 10/4/15-10/24/15 or while supplies last) or FREE Pink Travel Pouch with any $25 Ouidad purchase (offer valid 10/4/15-10/24/15 or while supplies last).

 
I am in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE with this product.   I have been using this product for approximately 2 months now.  I live in Florida where we have very high humidity most of the year round and this product helped to tame the frizz and helped me maintain control of my curls.  I was also able to get 3 days of my style without frizz.  My curls were defined, soft and smooth and my hair felt very healthy and shiney.


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Sunday, September 20, 2015

Hard Candy Fierce Effects Lipsticks

Hard Candy is an American cosmetics company, founded in 1995. In 2009, Hard Candy announced a partnership with Wal-Mart and premiered it's new line in the fall of 2009, which consisted of 261 products that caters to persons of all race and complexions. 

Hard Candy products range from face products, to eye products, to lip products to nail products.  Hard Candy also offers a fashion line that ranges in sizes from S to XXL, and an eyewear accessory line.  Hard Candy can be purchased from Wal-Mart stores and the prices are purse friendly.

About these Fierce Effects Lipsticks:
  • Part of Hard Candy Fall 2015 collection
  • Great color pay off
  • Nice formula that glides on smooth
This product sells for $5.00 a pop at Wal-Mart and comes with3.2g/0.11 ozs
of product in the lipstick bullet.

There are 10 colors in the collection and I picked up 4 of the colors to share with you and give my opinion on the line.

Let's get into the product:

 
Color featured here is 1047 Glisten To Me.  Glisten To Me is a frosty bronze color.  The color is very light and took several swipes to get it to a nice pigmentation.  The good thing about this color is it is buildable, so you can use it for a touch of color, or you can build it to be a more show stopping bronze.


 
 
1051 Prowler is a vampy berry that applies evenly to the lips and required very little building.  This color would be perfect for a night out on the town.  This color will stand out on any complextion.
 


 
1052 Show Off is a pinkish red that also applied very evenly and did not require much building up.  This color is the perfect color to compliment many skin tones and is perfect for that day or night look.  We know that the perfect red is a must have in our lipstick collection, and this is very close to perfect in that red category.
 

1054 Black Diamond is a frosty black.  I stepped a little out of my comfort zone in picking up this color, but was happy I did as the color is a beautiful black.  It did take a little work to get the color to apply perfectly on the lips.  This formula was not as smooth as the other three from the line that I tried and the formula did leave a bit to be desired.
 
My overall opinion-:
We will start with the cons as I did have a few on this product - as mentioned above the color Black Diamond, the formula was not smooth and the color did apply a bit patchy and took some work to build and get it to look perfect on the lips. 


The lipsticks were purchased new, but on opening and dispensing the lipstick from the tube, the shaft of the product looked used as it did not have that smooth appearance of a brand new lipstick that we have grown so use to.

Not that I really expected it to as there was no claim to this on the packaging, but the lipstick did not last very long on the lips.  I got about an hour of wear time before having to reapply.

As mentioned before these are new to Wal-Mart and to the Hard Candy line, which I assume is the reason I could not find any information about the product, even on the Hard Candy website.

The packaging was a very nice pleasant surprise to me for a $5.00 drug store makeup item.  The packaging is a matte black tube with tiny embedded clear gems on the top part of the lipstick bullet.  The bullet is made out of a nice sturdy plastic that feels heavy in the hand, and there is a true to color indicator on the top, which is always really nice to have when purchasing cosmetics.  The biggest thrill for me was that the product came with a seal.  This is a love, love, love, love for me on drug store products as it screams to me "buy me as I have not been tampered or played with by others".

I give this product an A+ for the outside packaging, a B+ for product formula, and a C+ for actual product appearance.  Would I purchase more from this particular Fierce Effects Lipstick product line - for the formula and price - yes, however in this time a girl needs a lipstick that she will not need to be re-applying every hour, so over all - unfortunately no.
  
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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Ulta Matte Lip Creams

Ulta Lip Creams are an in-house Ulta brand product.  This line of lip creams is designed for women of all color and age.  The lip creams can be purchased from Ulta stores or from Ulta.com.

About these lip creams-:
- they are velvety smooth
- mousse like cream (almost like the Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks)
- bold intense color and very pigmented with one swipe of the applicator
- dries to a matte finish
- rich and creamy formula
- light and non-drying product
- doe foot applicator
- reds, pinks, purples and nudes to choose from

The product sells for $9.00 a pop and carries .12 fl ozs or 3.7 ml of product.  Matte Lip Cream lovers - exciting news currently (09/13/2015) the lip creams are on sale buy two get two free.

There are 10 colors in the collection and I picked up 3 of the colors to share with you and give my opinion on the line.

Let's get into the product-:
Color featured here is Striking.  It is a beautiful bright pink color.  The color applies very evenly to the lips.  There is no blotchiness or bleeding.  I wore this product both with and without a lip liner.

 

Passionate is a bright, beautiful red.  This color also applies very evenly to the lips with no bleeding or feathering.  This color is perfect for day or night.  This was hands down my favorite color purchased and my favorite color offered in the collection.

Stirring is a deeper mauve/red.  This color also applies very evenly and pigmented.  This color was on the vampy side of the collection and can also work well for day or night wear.

My overall opinion-:

We will start with the con as I did have one on this product - the product once applied takes about 10 to 15 minutes to dry completely kiss proof.  This was no biggie for me as I do not apply and then jump into eating or drinking so I did not mind waiting the dry time and below you will see why.

I am a huge fan of the product and the formula.  The color selection is also amazing and of all three that I purchased, the product applied evenly to the lips.  These lip creams are very pigmented and the applicator picks up enough product for one swipe of precise color application.

The product held up for approximately 6 hours through eating and drinking and did not bleed.  As mentioned in my previous piece on the Milani Amore Matte Lip Creams, I have never been a big fan of the matte lipstick fad, however these Ulta Lip Creams have made a believer out of me.  They wore comfortably on the lips and the color payoff is BEAUTIFUL.

I have to admit that I am a bigger fan of these over the Milani Amore Matte Lip Creams.  Ulta pleasantly surprised me with this product and I am looking forward to purchasing a few more in the line.  I give this product two very big thumbs up :-)

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Monday, August 31, 2015

Milani Amore Matte Lip Cremes

Milani is a cruelty free brand that does not test on animals which is a HUGE plus in my book.  They are certified by both PETA and The Leaping Bunny Program (CCIC).  The company was started in 2002 and is family owned and operated.  The line is designed for women of all races and ages and is pocket friendly .

Milani is drug store available and can be purchased online from milanicosmetics.com.  The line can also be purchased from Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and Kmart in most areas.  There are a variety of products for the eyes, lips, face and nails. 

About the matte lip crèmes:
  • They are highly saturated
  • Liquid to matte finish
  • Dries down completely matte
  • Gives the appearance of fuller lips
  • Double sided flexible applicator
  • Opaque color
  • Non-sticky
  • Smudge and kiss proof

Price for the product ranges from $5.49 to $8.99.  Note to all matte lip product lovers, these are only available for a limited time and they are on sale this week (8/31/2015) at CVS for $2.99.

There are 8 colors in the collection and I was able to find and purchase 7 of the colors to test and give my opinion of the line.

Let's get into the product:

01 Crush - this is described as a warm brick brown with very warm undertones.  This color applied evenly to the lips and will work for any complexion.

02 Adore - this is described as a pinkish nude.  This color applied very patchy and was very, very drying on the lips.  After wearing for a few hours the product would begin to flake off the lips.



03 Beloved - this is described as a brown rose with warm undertones.  This color applied very evenly.  This color is beautiful and is suitable for every day wear.  The color was not patchy and also was not drying.

05 Embrace - this is described as a deep reddish plum.  This color applied a bit patchy.  The patchiness is not noticeable from a distance, but is noticeable up close. 



06 Desire -  this is described as a bright red.  This color applied very evenly and is a beautiful vibrant red.  This was my favorite color in the collection.  It can work for any skin tone.

07 Romance - this is described as a deep red.  This color also applied very evenly and is my second favorite color (and you tell a theme here with me and the reds :-).

08 Flirt - this is described as a deep vampy wine.  This color applied very, very patchy.  This formula was the worst of all of the 7 colors that I purchased and tried, and as this is a deep color the patchiness is very noticeable.

My overall opinion:

I am a fan of the product and the formula.  There are a few that did not apply smoothly and were patchy and there were other colors that once dried, were drier on the lips than others and due to this dryness the product after a few hours would flake.

The formula held up for the majority of the day.  I wore most of the colors for approximately 8 hours and most held up through eating and drinking throughout the day. 

I am a huge fan of the Milani brand but have never been a fan of the matte lipstick fad, however  overall I was very impressed with the product and price.  I enjoyed wearing the formula as most of the colors were comfortable on the lips and wore beautifully.

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Sunday, August 23, 2015

Makeup Revolution Cosmetics

Makeup Revolution is a cosmetic line that started in London in March of 2014.  Their products are developed to professional standards but are pocket book friendly for the makeup lover.  What this means for someone one like me who loves to try different cosmetics and different brands, is that I can purchase these products without breaking the piggy bank. 

The product line offers approximately 300 various products ranging from lip lacquers/glosses/lipsticks, to face and eye palettes to highlighters and to match a range of skin colors.  The highlight for us in the USA is that we can now purchase products from this line at Ulta and at Ulta.com.

As previously mentioned the products are very reasonably priced ranging from $3.00 to $15.00.  I was able to acquire a number of products from Ulta.com and had a few week to test the products to be able to form and share an opinion of them so let us jump in and discuss.

Ultra Bronze Palette:
This is an on the go palette for the bronzing/contouring makeup lover.  The palette offers 8 matte and shimmer bronzing and contouring colors two of which are baked colors.  The colors offer a summery, warm glow.  The colors range in lighter to warmer colors and can work for basically and skin tone.

I used this palette for about a week and although the colors at first sight are absolutely beautiful, I found them to be lacking in pigmentation.  When applying the product it took several layers for me to start seeing that warm glowing effect that the palette boasts.  The really nice thing about this palette is that it comes with a full size mirror for that on the go gal and retails for $10.00.

The Matte Blush:
These blushes come in 6 colors and are very pigmented.  The powder itself is ultra-fine and offers that "pow" of color that can be applied lightly or for that makeup diva can be built up to maximum opacity. 

I purchased the color New Rules, which is described on the Ulta website as a "blood orange", once the blush was received it did not look the same as it did on the website.  The color leaned more to a pink than blood orange.  Although a little disappointed in the color, my disappointment quickly disappeared once I used the product.  As mentioned the powder is ultra-fine and was very easy to work with and highly pigmented.  It added the right pop of color to my checks and left me falling in love with it.  This blush retains for $5.00.
 
Salvation Velvet and Intense Lip Lacquer:
Velvet Lip Lacquer - This product offers 7 colors to choose from ranging from your light to your darker colors.  The product is a velvet texture that offers perfect color and finish for fall.  The benefits as outlined on the Ulta website is that they:
  • Go on as a liquid and dries matte
  • Touch proof and long-wearing
  • Intense color
Intense Lip Lacquer - This line also offers 7 colors to choose from, ranging from your lights, to your pinks to your reds. As the name boosts, this is an intense lip lacquer that offers very bold, pigmented color with a glossy finish.  It is a non sticky formula with a long lasting finish.

I purchased the Velvet Lip Lacquer in Attract a classic red with blue undertones and the Intense Lip Lacquer in Nothing Like Anything.a brownish color with a berry hint.  After alternating between these two products for a week, I found that I preferred the Intense Lip Lacquer to the Velvet Lip Lacquer but only because the Velvet Lip Lacquer once dried to the matte finish made my lips feel a bit dried out and emphasized the fine lines of my lips.  To resolve this issue I added a touch of lip gloss over the product once dry.  Both products retail for $5.00 each.


Vivid Baked Highlighter;
This line offers a choice of 3 colors to choose from.  I purchased two of the three colors to try.  Golden Lights which is a yellow golden color and Radiant Lights which is a lilac shade.

After alternating between these two colors for a week I have nothing to say but they are amazing.  They are a "drop the mike walk off the stage" product.   They were very pigmented and a little goes a long way.  They offered a nice glow to the cheeks and the glow lasted all day.  The product is a finely milled powder that is easy to apply.  A tip that the Ulta website offers is the utilize a wet brush to apply the product for a more dramatic look.  I tried both a wet (for night time look) and dry brush and was not disappointed in either look.  These retail for $6.00 each.
My overall opinion of the products that I purchased and was able to test is, I am very happy with the product line.  Other than my disappointment in the Ultra Bronze Palette, I was happy with everything else and especially the price for the products.  The products are overall high quality and does offer a range of choices for almost everyone.  I am going to purchase some of the eye palettes and more of the blushes and lip products to try as this girl is happy.

Thank you for stopping by, have a great day and until we speak again don't forget to live and play in color.
 
 


Monday, August 17, 2015

Wet n Wild Velevt Matte Lip Color Fergie Collection

On a visit to Walgreens this weekend I picked up the new Wet n Wild Velvet Matte Lip Color from their Fergie Collection.  I was very excited an hopeful to purchase and try these.  I purchased a total of seven (7) of the nine colors in the line and they cost $3.49 each.

The product is a chunky twist up lip crayon that does not need sharpening.  It is easy to choose your product as the cap and bottom twist up part of the lip crayon match the color of the product and are very true to color.    

Let us talk about the product:
* The formula is very smooth when applied
* Although it is a matte lip product, it does not dry out the lips

Other than the two positives listed above, the product left a lot to be desired.  They go on very sheer and lack pigmentation when applied and there were a few colors the took layer upon layer before the color actually started to show up on my lips.  The product I found also bleed on the lips, even when applied with a lip liner, and/or anti-feathering lip pencil.  Many of the shades also look very similar when applied and some of the lighter shades applied very blotchy.  

One of my biggest disappointments was the actual packaging of the product.  Out of the seven (7) purchased, on opening the package of three of the colors and removing the cover, the product immediately fell out of the tube.  I returned the product to Walgreens and picked excahanged it for the same color, and two out of the three had the same thing occur with the product falling completely out of the tube.

The colors purchased are as follows:
* A351 Trendscendence - which is a medium brownish pink color
* A352 Nude Muse - which is a very pale nude color
* A353 DJ Doll - which is a pinkish orange color
* A354 Timeless Chick - which is a medium brown color
* A355 Fashion Darling - which is a pinky red color (featured color)
* A356 Plumgenue - which is a very light plum color
* A357 Pink Candy - which is a very light pink color

My final opinion on the product is that I will not be purchasing the other colors in the line neither will I re-purchase or recommend this product.  I will be taking the products back to Walgreens.  I give these lip crayons 😻 (1 out of 5 kittens).
 
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Saturday, August 8, 2015

Covergirl Colorlicious Lip Lava Lip Gloss

Covergirl came out with a fabulous line of lip glosses called Lip Lava. There are 9 glosses in the line ranging from pinks, to gold, to orange to reds.  I purchased these from Target where they sell for $5.99 each.  These colorful glosses can also be purchased from Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and in Ulta stores. 

The colors that I currently own are Ooh La Lava, Mango Lava, Live Love Lava and Mauva Lava.  First off let us talk about the packaging.  The products comes is a very sleek, hard plastic clear tube, which has a very high end product appearance and which is wonderful as it allows you to see the actual color of the product you are purchasing. 

The colors are HIGHLY pigmented with amazing color payoff.  The applicator is very soft and pliable, each dip into the tube with the applicator produces enough color for your lips.  The texture is smooth and gloss applies very smoothly and the colors are beautiful and sexy.  I have been playing with these for a few weeks now and find that they will last a few hours on the lips even through eating and drinking.  The formula is not sticky or tacky.  They feel very creamy on the lips.  I have applied these with a lip liner and without a lip liner and either way they have not shifted or bled outside of the lips.

Downside to these glosses - is the brush applicator as for anyone who has never worked with this type of applicator before will find it a bit difficult to apply product. 

Overall, I was very impressed with these glosses.  Would I buy anymore of these?  Yes I will.  In my opinion they are worth the price just for color pigmentation and the texture.

Gloss pictured in Mauva Lava.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

The claims for this product is that it create a perfect canvas for foundation application with this silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea. The product can be worn alone or under your foundation.  It is an oil-free primer that helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety-smooth finish.  This primer diffuses the light hitting your skin to blur out imperfections for an even, soft-focus look while also making your makeup last all day long.

Business to get out of the way:
💄I received a sample size of is product in my Ipsy bag

Final opinion:
I used this product a few times since receiving it last week.  I tried it with different foundations to see if the consistency would change based on the foundation used (matte vs satin finish) and I will say, regardless of the foundation used the primer acted the same.  I was very impressed with the way it felt on the skin and the way it made my skin feel.  My makeup glided on smoothly and stayed put all day.  My makeup looked and felt flawless.  The product can be purchased from the Smashbox website or from Ulta stores or website.  A 1oz tube cost about $36.00.

I give this product 😻😻😻😻😻 (5 kitty cats out of 5)

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Coastal Scents Hot Pots

While browsing online last week Coastal Scents had a week long sale of their hot pots so figured why not and picked up 28 different individual colors along with a magnetic storage case. 

Business to get out of the way:
💵 $0.99 each individual color during the sale and $9.95 for the interchangeable magnetic palette case
💄 over 300 individual colors to choose from in shimmer, satin and matte.

I have to start off by saying I was very impressed with how quickly the products came.   My order was placed on a Friday night and I had my order in hand by the following Wednesday.   Everything was safely packaged with no damaged items received.  All 28 shadows were packaged in a mesh draw string bag and then all the items were wrapped in paper and bubble wrap.

Each color was packaged in its own plastic case,  with each item promenently displaying the name of the shadow at the back of each hot pot.  Once received, I removed each shadow hot pot from it's plastic case, and arranged the colors into the interchangeable case.

I got the chance to play around with the shadows this weekend and here is my final opinion-: the individual pots were a bit bigger than I expected (1 inch metal pan) so this was a pleasant surprise.  The colors were highly pigmented and applied very smoothly with or without an eyeshadow primer.  After wearing the product for 5 hours one day and 10 hours the second day, there was no fall out, shifting or breakdown of the product. 

This is the second product from Coastalscents.com (see previous review on the Revealed 2 Palette) that I am trying, and I have to say I am truly impressed with quality of the products for the prices.  Shipping can be a little bit much based on your selection, however with the quick turn around time from order to delivery, it was worth it.

I cannot wait for another hot pots sale so I can purchase more colors.  This makeup junkie gives these hot pots and the case 😻😻😻😻😻 (5 out of 5 kitty cats).  LOVE THEM ALL.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette

Hubby saw this pallet online and purchased it for me.

First let us get some business out of the way:
🏢 Purchased from Amazon.com but can also be purchased from coastalscents.com
💵 Purchase price $19.95 same price on coastalscents.com
✉ Hard cardboard packaging with snap closure.  Sleek and travel ready.

Color desciption:
💄 Colors vary from pinks, to plums, to browns and shimmer to mattes.

Final opinion:
The shadows are creamy and easy to apply and blend.  There is very, very little fall out.  The colors are very vibrant and pigmented and did not shift with or without primer use.
I love everything about theses shadows and packaging as they are easy to travel with.  I give these shadows 😻😻😻😻 (4 out of 5 kitty cats).

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Maybelline 100 Year Celebration Limited Edition Lipsticks

To celebrate 100 years of providing beauty, Maybelline has released the "Queen of New York limited edition collection.  There are 5 Color Sensational lipsticks in the collection and I have 3 to chat about. 

First let us get some business out of the way:
🏢 Purchased From: Bed, Bath and Beyond.  They can also be purchase from Ulta, Target Walmart, Walgreens or CVS Stores.
💵 Purchase Price: I paid $5.59 each but have seen the prices vary from $5.50 to $7.49.  Look out for sales as Ulta sometimes has Maybelline products on 
      sale buy 1 get 1 at 50% off
✉ it is the same packaging in a lipstick twist up tube

Color description:
💄 Berry Chic - a berry color with a luster shiny finish
💄 Magenta-Bulous - a fuchsia color that has a blue shift.  This is the color I am wearing in the pictures below
💄 Strike A Rose - a frosty peachy pink with a golden sheen.  I would compare this color to NARS Orgasm for those of you who know this
      NARS color

Final opinion:
These are creamy, hydrating and highly pigmented lipsticks.  They glide on smoothly and do not shift or bleed throughout the day.  The color lasted a great deal of hours, and even after eating and drinking the color was still there due to minor staining of the lips.

I am a Maybelline Color Sensational self professed junkie so I would highly recommend purchasing the lipsticks in this collection.
I give these lipsticks 😻😻😻😻😻 (5 kitty cats).

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Ruby Kisses Color Design Lipsticks

I purchased these lipsticks from my drugstore for $0.99, they can also be purchased from Rubykisses.com for the same price.  There are 23 colors in the collection to choose from and I was able to acquire 5 for my collection, as this is what was in stock at the time.  The colors that I have are Shiny Bronze, Shiny Copper, Shiny Orange, Ice Princess and Fuchsia.  
The claims on the website for this product are that they:
Have a rich and creamy formula
Are long lasting with intense color
Have a semi matte finish
I have been working with these for the past week and my final opinion on the product is they are creamy with no drying effect.  The color lasted about three hours even thru eating and drinking before I had to re-apply.  The color is very intense, and did not bleed.  Some of the colors had a metallic like finish that I loved.  I give the product and formula  out of 5 kitty cats.  I will be purchasing more colors to add to my collection as for $0.99 these did exactly what they promised.

Until we meet again don't forget to live and play in color. 

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Just Fab

Received these shoes as a gift from a really good friend who soooooooo knows my addiction to heels.  The shoes were purchased from justfab.com.

Just Fab is a website that offers:
* Free exchanges and shipping
* 20% off your first item
* The hottest styles only $39.95
* Personal styling by professional stylist
* New style every month

The website offers personal matching, having you take a quiz that helps narrow down your likes in order for you to be personally styled and matched with hand picked shoes from their stylists.  The site also sells handbags and jewlery.  Currently the site is having a site wide sale 2 pairs for $39.95.

My opinion of the shoes - they are very well made and came carefully packed.  The material is soft and the shoe fits weĺl.  The shoes run true to size, and were very comfortable after wearing them for about 4 hours. 

My final opinion is a thumbs up 👍.  I will definitely become a member of the site and will be shopping there often.

Thanks for your time and don't forget to live and play in color.

Friday, April 3, 2015

NYX Intense Butter Gloss

Like the NYX prismatic eyeshadows in my previous post,  these intense glosses were also hard to get a hold of.  After several store searches I ended up also ordering these on the ULTA website.  There are 12 glosses in the intense butter gloss range and they sell for $6 each online at Ulta.com or NYX.com, and in Ulta stores.  At the time of my purchase Ulta had them on sale for buy 1 get 1 50% off so I purchased 4 colors.

The colors that I currently own are Spice Cake, Tres Leches,  Chocolate Crepe and Toasted Marshmallow.  First off I have to say that all of these colors are HIGHLY pigmented with amazing color payoff.  The applicator is very soft and each dip into the tube with the applicator produces enough color for your lips.  The texture is smooth and gloss applies very smoothly and the colors are beautiful and sexy.

Downside to these glosses - there is no staying power.  After eating a meal the color was gone.  There was some staining of the lips with the darker colors, but it was very patchy.  The color also bleeds outside of your lips even when a colored lip liner or anti feathering liner was used.  When worn if not eating or drinking, the glosses would last at least two hours before they started to fade.  When eating or drinking they did not hold up to the perssures.

Overall, I was not very impressed with the lasting, staying power or the fact that there was bleeding of there colors.  I was however impressed with the pigmentation and the texture.  Would I buy anymore of these?  No I will not.  In my opinion they are not worth the $6 just for color pigmentation or texture.

Gloss pictured in Spice Cake.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

NYX Prismatic Shadows

So first off I have to say I have been trying to get my hands on these shadows since January 2015.  I have been to Ulta stores here in West Palm Beach, Miami and in Orlando and have not been able to locate them as they have always been sold out.   This should tell you how popular these shadows are.  Finally I gave in and purchased them on Ulta.com and the waiting game began.  I received the shadows in the mail on Friday and could not wait to give them a try.

My opinion........... I absolutely love, love them.  The shadows are highly pigmented, smooth and I encountered no fall out.   The colors transfer beautifully with a brush and when I used my finger.  They were easily blendable and the staying power is amazing.  I wore the colors for about 7 hours and there was no fading or shifting.

I currently own 6 of the 12 colors.  The colors I own are Tin, Frostbite, Smoke and Mirrors, Girl Talk, Fireball and Golden Peach. I purchased these as mentioned from Ulta.com.  Regular price is $6.00 a pot, however Ulta does have a sale currently underway buy 1 get 1 50% off. I fully intend to purchase the remaining colors in the collection.

One word to the wise, be careful not to drop the pots as the shadows  can shatter.  If this does happen do not fear they are still very usable and gives the same effect.

Have fun and don't be afraid to play with color.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Shany Bold and Bright Collection in Vivid

Shany Bold and Bright Collection in Vivid contains 120 vibrant colors.  The palette comes with a mixture of matte and shimmer colors that are long lasting and smudge resistant.  The colors can be used both wet and dry.  When used wet the shadows present in a more dramatic way and the colors are more pigmented.  When used dry the colors are also dramatic but present is a softer manner.  The colors can be used to create casual, formal or dramatic funky looks. 

The palette includes pinks, oranges, yellows, blues, greens and more.  The half inch square eye shadow palette contain two pans with 60 colors in each pan.  The pans are seperated by a plastic film to protect the product.  There is a ribbon on the end of each pan for easily removal of each pan from the case.  The case is sturdy and built for easy travel.

The shadows were easy to apply with either a brush or your finger and I found them to be very rich and creamy.  I used the shadows to create the look below, and incorporated a total of six different  colors in to my look.  I wore this look for approximately six hours and did not notice any shifting of the shadow or smudging.

The product is of high quality and very easy to work with.  There was very very minimum fall out and clean up was a breeze.  Removing the shadows was also a snap.  One swipe of a make-up remover cloth and bye bye product.

Overall I was very highly impressed with the product and would recommend the palette to someone who loves to play with color.  The palette can be purchased fromm the Shany Cosmetics website for $18.00.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Urban Decay Palette and Wet n Wild Walking on Eggshells Pallet

Loving the blend of color from these two palettes together.  Happy kind of Friday full of color.
Honorable mention to Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Brownberry.  Loving the shine.

BH Cosmetics Zodiac Eyeshadow Palette

BH Cosmetics was founded in 2009 and has it's headquarters in Los Angeles California. Their products are developed to professional stand...