Blue Freeze by Maybelline (Color Show Nail Polish)

It's been too long since my last post, but please excuse the condition of my nail polish, as the pictures had been taken around a week after I had the polish on!

I Love Drugstore Makeup Tag

Hello everyone!

      I have seen YouTubers and some bloggers do this tag and thought I would do this too so you guys could get to know me a little better, in terms of my thoughts regarding certain drugstore makeup products! This will be my first tag and a little something that is different from what I usually post.

1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand overall?

Well, I’m kind of split between a couple, but I guess I would have to go with Revlon considering I have a few more products from them than the others.

2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?

For the face, I would have to go with Rimmel London’s Stay Matte pressed powder right now. It really does set your foundation and mattify the face. It doesn’t look cakey and provides good coverage.

                           

For the cheek, I’m not a big blush person but I would go with Wet n Wild’s Coloricon Blusher in Heather Silk. It is very pigmented that you only need a light dusting of it and it’s just a nice, natural looking pink color.

My favorite lip products would have to be the Revlon Lip Butters and the L’oreal Caresse Wet Shine Lip Stains.

Product Empties #1! (Herbal Essences, Neutrogena, Body Shop, Eos, Swisspers, Maybelline Mascaras, Dove)

Back with a new post! Can you believe it's March already?

      My first ever product empties post! Who else feels extremely satisfied when a product is used up?? I sure do! I'm always glad I used something up and used up my money's worth, although at the same time if it's something I like, it's a little sad knowing I'll have to buy another one. Haha. Here's a look at some products I've used up over the span of a few months and my thoughts on them.

Makeup
I didn't actually use up these mascaras but I thought I'd include them in this empties post since I was going to throw them out anyway. I had gotten a stye and I thought it best to throw out any eye products I had used around that time. I did use up most of each though, I do know that. All of the mascaras are in the color very black and are waterproof. I always need to use the waterproof formulas for any mascara because the regular ones will definitely leave me with panda eyes which isn't a pretty sight. Waterproof formulas are so hard to remove but at the expense of not looking like a raccoon what other choice do I have? The compromise.

Maybelline Rocket Volume Express in Very Black (Waterproof) -- I really liked this mascara! I know there are mixed reviews on this but I really liked it. I used this mainly for the volume. I paired this with the Maybelline Lash Stilleto and together they gave me lashes! I have short, thin lashes so a single mascara alone doesn't do it for me. No clumps and easy to apply. I would definitely repurchase this in the future.
Maybelline the Falsies in Very Black (Waterproof) -- Who doesn't like the Falsies?? If you need volume, this mascara will give you that!
Maybelline Lash Stilleto Voluptuous in Very Black (Waterproof) -- This mascara didn't really give me any volume but it did give me length. It isn't one of my favorite mascaras but it worked well enough with a mascara that primarily gives volume because together that would give me volume and length.

L'oreal Extraordinaire by Colour Riche Review - Purple Prelude and PlumAdagio

Hi everyone!

      It's been awhile, but today I'm going to review the new L'oreal Extraordinaire lip products. I loved their Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stains that came out awhile ago so I thought I'd give these a try as well. I got them in Purple Prelude (#403) and Plum Adagio (#502). They retail for $9.99 and can be found in all drugstores by now.

Purple Prelude (403)

Plum Adagio (502)

Left to right: Purple Prelude (403), Plum Adagio (502)

Purple Prelude (403)
Top: One coat
Bottom: Two coats

Plum Adagio (502)
Top: One coat
Bottom: Two coats

      This product is a liquid lipstick which is the new "thing" in terms of lipstick formulations and such.
Purple Prelude is a pinkish mauve color. It is a softer color that works for everyday wear and should look flattering on most people. There isn't too much pigmentation with one coat. You need at least two coats for the color to really show.
Plum Adagio is a dark purple color with shimmers if you look closely in the pictures above. It does settle and accentuate lip lines. This color was not flattering against my pale complexion. It was much too vampy of a look and not in a good way.

In general, these liquid lipsticks are:

• Reminiscent of the Maybelline Color Elixirs in terms of the formula. They apply like a gloss with the pigmentation of a lipstick. It leaves a very shiny finish and has a buttery feeling like the Elixirs although not as heavy or thick in comparison.
• Relatively easy to apply and build up the colors.
• The dark purple color did settle into lip lines and accentuate them which is a con.
• The packaging isn't all that impressive. The color that is shown on the packaging is the color that you will actually see inside. However, if the product contains shimmers, you will not be able to tell from the color shown on the outside. I did not know Plum Adagio contained shimmers until I applied it onto my lips.
• The packaging is also a magnet for fingerprints. There is just no getting around it. Touch it and there will be fingerprints everywhere.

      Lastly, the biggest CON for me was the taste and smell of it!! I can't describe the taste or smell of it exactly but it was such a huge turnoff for me. It was unbearable. Even when you remove it, the scent and taste of it still remains. Personally, I was disappointed in this product. I didn't like the packaging and the scent/taste of it was just overwhelming. I would not recommend this product at all for those who are sensitive to smells and such. Between this and the Maybelline Color Elixirs, since they have similar formulations, I would say that the Color Elixirs are worth a try more than these. They also have a wider range of colors to choose from. You can check out my post on the Maybelline Color Elixirs here if you are interested.

Maybelline Color Elixir by Colorsensational Lip Products

Hello!

      I recently purchased these products at Rite Aid (retails: $8.99 ea.) and I thought I'd share my thoughts on these color balms. I have also spotted them at Harmon's for around $7 each. They should be in all or most drugstores by now. According to the Maybelline website, these lip products "deliver the color of a lipstick, the cushiony care of a balm, and the glass shine of a gloss." Do I agree with this? Let's see! The four shades I picked up were 005 Breathtaking Apricot, 045 Amethyst Potion, 080 Captivating Carnation, 090 Rose Redefined. Here are some pictures and swatches first. (Note: I tried to capture the colors on camera as close to true as possible.)

(Left to right) 005 Breathtaking Apricot, 045 Amethyst Potion, 080 Captivating Carnation, 090 Rose Redefined

(Clockwise starting from the top left): Breathtaking Apricot, Amethyst Potion, Captivating Carnation, Rose Redefined

Order of colors same as above. One coat.

Top row: Breathtaking Apricot, Rose Redefined
Bottom row: Captivating Carnation, Amethyst Potion
All with 2 coats.

      The packaging of this product is quite different from other products out there with its bullet shaped lipstick inside the clear container with a nice silver toned cap that makes it look chic and new. It has an angora brush unlike others with the doe shaped applicator.

Colors:
     To begin with, I found that Captivating Carnation and Rose Redefined were quite similar on the lips. Captivating Carnation is a little more muted and is like a "better than your normal lip color" kind of color. It is a very wearable, everyday color. Rose Redefined is a tad pinker in color than Captivating Carnation. It is also a very wearable shade.
     Breathtaking Apricot in the bottle looks like a pink-tangerine color with shimmer. On the lips, it is more of a brighter pink that makes me think of a "Barbie pink." It is a very nice color, however it seems to accentuate lines on the lips, which I find to be true of many of the lighter lip color shades in general, is it just me?
     Amethyst Potion is a nice berry color that is perfect for fall and winter. Color seems to settle a bit into lines over time. The use of a lip liner or lipstick base color underneath may help with this problem.


Overall Comments:

• Application is very nice and smooth. They are easy to apply and there is no bleeding. 
• Two coats will usually give full opacity. 
• They are very pigmented and color is buildable.
• They are definitely very shiny, so if you are not into the shiny look then this product is definitely not for you!
• They feel thick on the lips but are not sticky. They have a creamy, butter-like feeling on the lips.
• Feels moisturizing and color doesn't move around which is very important!
• They have a minty taste/smell to them? If you are very sensitive to taste, then this product may not be for you. I am very sensitive and picky in regards to the taste of products, but I find this product's minty taste tolerable.
• Has a tingly feeling on the lips, which makes me think of lip plumping products.

So I have to say I do agree with Maybelline's description of the Color Elixir's description: "color of a lipstick, the cushiony care of a balm, and the glass shine of a gloss." I was pleasantly surprised by the color payoff and how smooth the gloss feels on the lips. If you are looking for a product fulfilling those three descriptions, then these products are worth a try! There are 20 shades in the collection, so plenty of options to choose from, ranging from nudes to purples and reds. :)