GlossyBox Unboxing!

First of all, shout out to my BFF and reader Jessica because today is her BIRTHDAY!!! Happy Birthday girl! xoxoxox!



image credit: google.com

This is my second GlossyBox and I am head over heels IN LOVE. The theme for September's box is Fall Forward with items that are considered the most current. The first thing I noticed was no magazine- only the little card with tell you about your items.

The first thing I noticed was the Juvexin products- pretty big samples- now that's what I'm talkin' about. The front of the bottle says the shampoo has Keratin in it and its supposed to keep your hair shiny, manageable, and frizz free for up to 5 months. That's a big claim , but I'm really excited to try this one out. Full sizes of the shampoo and conditioner are $20 each.

Next is the Kryolan for GlossyBox Moisture Rich lipstick in GLOSSY pink. I kind of really like this pink. Its not usually a color I would reach for as I'm all about the nude lip, but this color is a really nice neutral which is perfect for fall. I also like that it would look really great on a wide variety of skin tones. Love the GloosyBox symbol on the lid also! Full size is $14

When I saw this product I literally wanted to rip all my hair out of my head I was THAT excited. Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I just didn't even know what to do for like a whole minute. I've been wanting to try a different BB cream (a non-American one!) and just haven't bitten the bullet to do ahead and order it. After my extreme excitement (lol) I was slightly crestfallen. I know that many BB creams are very light- especially Asian ones and can leave a grey cast to the skin. I pumped out some of the product and I swear I almost passed out when I saw that it was my skin tone. O.M.G. Full size is $29.99

 

Last product is the OC 8 Professional Mattifying Gel. This is something I can always use as I have combination skin and my t-zone can get oily. Full size is $30.

Overall, I really loved this box. I really feel like I'm getting more than my money's worth with all of the full size or near full size products they include. Definitely looking forward to next month's box!

What did you think of this month's GlossyBox?

September Birchbox- Unboxing!

The September Birchbox theme is fall fashion- how exciting is that???

The first thing I noticed when I opened my box is the magazine. I really like that Birchbox is making its service more "luxurious" by including this little magazine. On one hand, I'd rather get more deluxe samples, but I did like the magazine.

The first sample is a deluxe POREfessional by Benefit. If you've read my blog in the past, you'll know this didn't work out for me, but I know I can give it to a friend whom this will work for, so this one was "meh". Full size is $29

Next was the Color Club Custom Polish. I received "Insta-this" , a beautiful bright cobalt blue. This reminds me a lot of the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Pacific Blue that everyone's been raving about. I kept eyeballing it at the drugstore, but I'm definitely happy with this ColorClub version! Full size is $8

This little perfume sample is of Kate Spade's Twirl. I like it. Its very fruity with a bit of floral but I don't think I'll be running out to get it. Full size is $18-80

 

Next we have foil packet samples of the Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Treatment System. I'm not the hugest fan of packet-type samples as I much prefer deluxe sizes, but I've heard good things about this line, so I am excited to try it. Full sizes range from $9.99-$14.99

Last is the twistband hair tie, I received the red one. I had purchased a pack of these in jeweltones in the Sephora version forever ago, so its nice to have received a different color one. I'm liking red for fall. I'm already thinking about a high pony with this and some matching red lipstick. A set of 12 will run you $18.

Then lastly, 2 lifestyle extras. one is a Tili Bag, which I've never heard of. It's pretty much a ziplock bag with really cute designs on it. Not incredibly useful, but its not really part of the 5 sample deal- its an extra and it is cute. Maybe I can use it to store my makeup or skincare stuff when I travel.

The last lifestyle extra is a digital download of music by Tristan Prettyman. Another "meh" inclusion.

Overall, I did like this box with my favorite items being the Color Club Polish and the twistband hair tie.
Are you subscribed to Birchbox? What did you think of this month's box?

New Cover Girl Eye Shadows

Hey all!
Over the weekend, I was at Rite Aid and noticed a new display of Cover Girl eye shadows. The palettes had new packaging- in black and definitely more sleek. The colors were mostly cool which to me is "meh" as I tend to gravitate toward warmer colors. I saw this palette Prima Donna Diva and thought it was pretty handy- you get warm bronzes and golds but you also get a frosted light pink and a shimmery black for a nice smokey eye. I thought it would be a handy little palette to tote around in your makeup bag because it gives you so many options.

I was also curious about whether or not the new palettes had better pigmentation so as soon as I got home, I swatched the colors:

I was honestly pretty disappointed. The payoff was less than mediocre and what you see in the picture above is at least three swipes to get it to show up enough for the swatch. The quad I reviewed last week (Coffee Shop) was MUCH better quality than this one. Plus, with other drug store brands like Wet n Wild turning out eye shadows whose pigmentation is comparable to high-end brands, this is a complete let down.

I'm not sure if the lack of pigmentation was just the palette I happen to pick up, or if its the entire new line that lacks pigmentation, but I won't be picking up any others any time soon!

Have you tried any of the new Cover Girl eye shadows? What did you think?

Cover Girl Palettes

After my Cover Girl haul yesterday, I couldn't wait to swatch the eye shadows to test their quality. I was actually pleasantly surprised. First up, the Sunset trio:

This one consists of a pinky tan color, a warm gold, and a golden vanilla color (all shimmers). Though all the colors in the palette are really beautiful, I really love the first color- its perfect for day without going over the top. The middle color would be perfect for  sunlight golden look while I could see the last color making a really beautiful highlight. The quality of the shadows themselves were average compared to the newer drugstore shadows such as Wet n Wild which are really amazing quality.
Here are some swatches (no primer):

The next palette is the quad "Coffee Shop". The colors are very similar to the Sunset trio except this one contains a matte dark brown.

These swatched incredibly. The colors were much more pigmented and creamy than the trio except for the dark brown which was just a tad chalky.

Overall, I'm glad I picked up both of these palettes as I can see them becoming go-tos for travel and/or everyday looks. Plus they're super inexpensive and if you wait for a BOGO sale, they're even more of a bargain.

Happy Thursday! We're almost to the weekend! ☺

Revlon Kissable Lip Stain

I was innocently perusing my local Rite Aid the other day (no I was not looking for any new makeup collections... lol) when I happen to spot the new Revlon Kissable Lip Stains. I was pretty excited about these because they seem like a low-cost alternative to the Clinique Chubby sticks. I picked up one color to check out (Charm)- the nude of course.

Right off the bat, the texture of this product reminded me more of a lipstick than a lip stain. It has a light, pleasant minty smell which wears off after a few minutes and feels hydrating on the lips- not drying as other lip stains usually are. The wear time is average for a lip product- I'd say two hours on my lips. I will say that for me, this was not a lip stain at all. However, I did pick up the lightest color of the collection and my lips are relatively pigmented. Therefore, whatever staining qualities this product has was probably lost on the darker pigmentation of my lips. Because of this, I decided to judge this product more as a lipstick than anything else.
As a lipstick, Charm is on the sheerer side, but still pigmented enough to hide most of the natural red coloring of my lips. Also, because the color is so light and glossy, if there are any dry flakes on your lips, it WILL make them much more obvious so your best bet is to exfoliate before using this product.

Swatch of Charm on my hand.

As you can see from the swatch above, Charm almost completely blends in with my skin tone. If not for the gloss, you'd barely be able to see it.

Though from the swatch on my lips it looks like a clear balm, my lips are a very dark pinky red with nothing on them. You can see how much this tones them down.

Overall, I do like this product and feel that because its in a twist-up style package, it would be perfect for touch-ups on the go. With the lighter colors in the collection, its pencil shape makes it virtually goof-proof which means that they can be applied without a mirror. Though I don't usually like darker colors on me for every day wear, I may pick up a coral or red color to test the stain quality of this product.

Have you tried the Revlon Kissable Lip Stains yet? What do you think?

Milani Shadow Eyez

As soon as I heard about these, I couldn't wait to try them. They seemed like a cost-effective version of Urban Decay's shadow pencils. I stalked CVS until I found them and picked up these two- the neutrals of course!

Top: Champagne Toast
Bottom: Brown Deluxe

These swatched incredibly. They were soft, creamy, and incredibly pigmented. I used Brown Deluxe as bottom liner and really liked it. I will be testing these as eye bases as well. If these work well, I may go back for a few more colors.

Left: Brown Deluxe, Right: Champagne Toast

Have you tried these yet? What do you think?

Primer Fail: Benefit Primed and Poreless

For many people, primer is one of those extra steps that isn't really used on a regular basis. I don't use primer religiously but if I want my makeup to really last and continue to look flawless, I'll definitely use one. Here's the catch: I don't want to spend lots of money on one and if I do, it definitely has to be worth it. At Sephora I was given a sample of Benefit's Primed and Poreless which I was excited to try as I've seen so many good reviews about it. While I'm not totally hung up about it, I do have larger pores around my nose and cheeks. If I can find a product that minimizes them, that would definitely be a huge plus in my book.
Here's my cute little sample packet:

 So, last week, I tried the primer and applied as directed. I topped it with the makeup that's been part of my routine lately- Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Foundation, MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC35, and a light dusting of whatever setting powder I happen to have at hand.
Here's what the product looks like:

Its a bit more creamy than it looks in the packaging

Here you can tell that it has a silicone-y look and feel to it

After application, I noticed that my face kind of looked... the same. It didn't minimize the appearance of my pores but did mattify my skin so I decided to just give it a chance.
Here's what my face looked like about half hour after application:

Kindly ignore the giant under eye circles..

On this particular day, I wore my makeup for about 9 hours which is a bit longer than I usually would. Anyway, at the end of the day, I looked in the mirror and was startled to see that my makeup looked AWFUL. The foundation was virtually gone and my concealer looked crease-y and gross. I've worn my makeup for that long before (without Primed and Poreless) and did not see those effects. And it wasn't just like "gee, my makeup has worn off a little. I look kind of odd." No. It was "Oh my God! I look AWFUL and I want to wear a paper bag over my head to get home!" As I've said before, my skin isn't particularly oily and its been cool in NYC, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. If you've read my other blog posts, you also know that as much as I love makeup, I'm not hung up about leaving the house wearing it always- most days I actually don't wear any makeup at all- just lip balm. Honestly though, the way my makeup looked at the end of the day... it was rough and I am sure I would've looked much better (and much more normal) had I not been wearing any makeup at all. I'm not including a picture of the after because it was just... gross.

Have you tried Benefit's Primed and Poreless? What was your experience with it? Also, have you tried any primers that you absolutely hate?

Chanel Creamy Cleansing Milk

After being given a sample from my Chanel counter, I knew I loved it after just one use (though I have used it several times since then). It effectively removed my makeup with little to no effort- even my usually hard to remove my mascara. While I usually end up scrubbing a little to make sure my makeup is all off, I didn't find myself doing that with this product.
As it is a lotion consistency, I used a quarter-sized amount for my whole entire face and about 2 cotton rounds. Even though you don't have to, I then rinsed any residue off with water and followed up with toner and moisturizer. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were no traces of makeup on my face and that it looked hydrated and glowing (not from any greasy residue lol!) What also sets this makeup remover apart is that it did not leave my face dry or tight as other removers can, and often do.




Image credit: Google

Overall, I really enjoyed using this product and will be very sad when my sample runs out! The only downside is that as its a Chanel product, it comes with a steep price tag. At $45.00, its way too expensive to use regularly as a makeup remover.

What are your favorite makeup removers? Would you fork up the cash for a great product that was super expensive?

Benefit Powderflage: A Love-Hate Relationship

The subject of today's post is a product that I've been using for years but have a definite love-hate relationship with- Benefit Powderflage. I picked this up when it first came out (and I'm still on the same container!) Before any of the HD powders came onto the market, this seemed to be the best type of powder to use under the eyes to set concealer, and anywhere else that needed brightening.

This little orb contains very finely milled light pink powder with shimmer in it.

The package also came with a little booklet with instructions and ideas about where and how to use this product. My main use for it, was to set the loads of under eye concealer I need to use to cover the dark circles under my eyes. What I liked about this powder was that because it was so finely milled, it helped the under eye area look natural and delayed the inevitable concealer creasing throughout the day. What I didn't like about it was the tone. For fairer-toned ladies, I could definitely see Powderflage being a holy grail product. For my skin tone, which is on the warmer side, the tone is just...off. While the shimmer and the lightness of the powder helped diffuse the darkness, because its a pink and not salmon-toned for example, the color just looks a bit off on me.
Here's a swatch on my hand so you get the idea:

You can see that even when used sparingly, it does have an overall brightening effect, but the color of the powder leaves a bit of an ashy tone that doesn't look quite right. Therefore, throughout the years I've gravitated toward this product and moved away from it on a pretty consistent basis lol.

Have you tried Benefit's Powderflage? Do you have any favorite powders to set your under eye concealer?

OCC Lip Tar

I've heard so many amazing things about this product that I've seriously wanted to try it ever since OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) became a brand. The fact that it for the most part has to be purchased online always held me back though. Unless its something I've already tried in person, I never really shop online for makeup- I feel like it takes the fun out of it! Anyway, I picked up 2 Lip Tars at IMATS, and today, I'll be reviewing "Interlace"- a nude of course!

After swatching, I liked the color so much, I seriously considered getting a backup. Honestly though, this stuff is SUPER pigmented. I really mean it when I say a little bit goes a looooonnnnggggg way.

unblended on the left, blended on the right

This is less than half a pea-sized amount and it is way more than enough for my lips. You can see from the swatch above that the tiniest amount offers great coverage and it doesn't settle into fine lines- which often happens with nude lip colors.

On my lips, it offers a completely blanked-out look. I usually really like it with a full-on smokey eye, but for everyday wear I like to add a gloss to it to give some extra dimension. Even with a gloss or balm over the top, the color doesn't migrate into fine lines and has good wear time(I'd say 2 hours with a gloss, 3-4 hours by itself.) Another cool thing about it is that though it is a matte finish, its not drying on the lips at all- its actually weirdly moisturizing.
Overall, I really recommend this product. The company has a wide range of colors and just one tube will seriously last you forever and a half. If you're interested in browsing the Lip Tars, or other OCC products, you can find them here on their website.

Have you tried anything from OCC?

I'll give you something better than an orgasm...

I'll give you a dupe! Get your mind out of the gutter I don't mean that type- I mean the cult favorite Nars blush! Because its so expensive, I was on the hunt to find a drugstore dupe, especially since I recently ran out of the Nars version. That's when I saw Wet n Wild's blush for $2.99 in Pearlescent Pink.

Pearlescent Pink is the perfect blend of peach and pink with subtle gold shimmer. It imparts the most beautiful sheen to your skin and gives you that "glow from within look". I tried to take a picture of it on my face, but unfortunately the contrast was not stark enough as it is a subtle blush, but here it is on my finger:

I wish I still had the original Nars blush to compare side by side for you, but I believe that this is a pretty good dupe. The only difference in my humble opinion is that Orgasm is slightly darker, but not something the non-beauty obsessed would probably be able to pick out!
I really like the smoothness of Pearlescent Pink and was impressed with the color payoff for the price. The compact comes with a small angled blush brush, but for me its too scratchy to use. I keep it in the compact anyway though because its handy for touch-ups on the go.

Do you own Nars' Orgasm? Do you think this is a pretty good match?

Physician's Formula Youthful Wear Foundation

I've passed by this foundation at the drugstore so many times and have always resisted the temptation to pick it up. It is marketed as a "Cosmeceutical Youth-Boosting Foundation" and I have to admit, I was curious.
Here's what the package claims:

Those are pretty serious claims for a drugstore foundation, huh?
It does come with a foundation brush. I don't prefer this type of brush (kabukis and stippling brushes seem to work really well for me) but was surprised at the softness of the bristles. They are synthetic and better than average quality, perfect for a cream product.
I brought the shade medium home with me and gave it a go yesterday. Right off the bat, I was disappointed that the shade I purchased was too light for me (there are only 3 shades, I picked up the darkest). I tried it anyway as I decided I could make up for it with copious amounts of bronzer. I love Physician's Formula and find that it is on the higher end of the spectrum with quality as far as drugstore products go, but I hate the fact that their color range is so limited- they seldom market anything for darker skin tones which is extremely unfortunate. Their skin bases and powder can only really be used for the fair-light/medium tones.
Here's what the medium color looks like swatched on my hand:

Unblended on the left, blended on the right

It has a mousse-y, whipped consistency to it. I applied the product with no primer and with the brush it came with, as directed. I immediately noticed that it looked AWFUL on my skin. I don't have giant pores but that's exactly what this foundation made it seem like. It sunk into all the little crevices and pores on my face and made it seems like my face had several little dots on it- weird and gross!! Also, though the brush did a relatively good job in evenly applying the product, I noticed that the finish was very patchy looking, even when I tried to blend with my fingers before it set.
It goes without saying that I washed it off right away and intend on bringing this foundation back. Though this problem might be corrected with primer, there are many people who dislike using primer and shouldn't have to work that hard to get a basic makeup product to look good.

Has anyone else tried this foundation? What is your experience with it?

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow!

Today's post is about a foundation that I've been using for a few weeks. Though I love my Chanel Mat Lumiere, I wanted something that would still offer me good coverage but feel light on my skin for the warmer weather. Its also important to me to allow my skin to breathe- and Oxygen Wow! lets your skin do exactly that.

benefitcosmetics.com says:

broad-spectrum SPF 25 PA+++ protection

oil-free formula

natural finish

hydrating benefits

light-diffusing properties

available in 9 shades

The back of the box also claims that it has several ingredients that will prevent aging and will "plump" your skin. I love a foundation that will also benefit (no pun intended!) my skin.

I don't know about you, but it sounds pretty good to me! At $34.00, this foundation is pretty pricey, so how does it perform for your money?
It comes in this snazzy, clean-looking pump dispenser. I love the fact that it is packaged this way because it keeps things hygienic. I also love that the pump is easy to control; it doesn't pump out massive amounts of product which ends up being wasted.

my color is "toasted beige"

The foundation itself is pretty runny. I was surprised by this and couldn't help wondering if it would give me any coverage at all.

Eep! Don't run off my hand before I snap the picture!!

I like to apply it was a flat top kabuki brush, buffing in small, circular motions around my face. I couldn't help but like what I saw. I wouldn't call this a full coverage foundation but at one application, it offered a natural, medium-coverage look. It is also buildable so at 2-3 layers, you can achieve full coverage that does not cake up. Best of all, it still looks natural, and feels absolutely weightless. You can't really feel this on your skin which is great. I didn't notice any "plumping" effects as the company claims, but this may be more oriented toward older women or those with dry skin.

Here's a swatch:



Unblended on the left, blended on the right

The only downside to this foundation is the wear time. I have combination skin (not excessively oily by any means) and after about 3-4 hours, my nose starts to look shiny. Unless you have very dry skin, I would definitely recommend setting Oxygen Wow! with a powder for optimal staying power. With setting, I had no issues and really enjoyed the look and feel of this foundation and I can see myself reaching for this constantly as the weather gets warmer.

Have you tried Oxygen Wow! foundation? Do you think it lives up to its claims?

Happy Monday all! Its going to be a great week ☺