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.

January 2014 Birchbox Unboxing!

Hello everyone!

      This is my first beauty post for the 2014! My first post for 2014 was actually a fashion post which you can check out here if you're interested. :)
      I got my box today, so it was time to share! For this month's box, I was more intrigued with the contents compared to last month's.

Goodies:

1) Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Conditioner-- I didn't even know dry conditioners existed. At a quick glance I thought it was a dry shampoo at first. This is definitely something new for me! "This dry conditioner is specially formulated with a blend of nourishing ingredients, including argan oil, to weightlessly refresh and recondition hair. Restore shine, softness and hydration on day two and extends the life of a blowout." Value: $9.38, 1.2 oz. [Regular: $25, 3.2 oz]

Drizzly Winter Day OOTD - Hello Kitty Sweater and Colorful Rainboots

Hi everyone!

      My first OTTD post! I was going to do a NYE OTTN as my first post but I forgot to take photos of it. haha. So this is my first!
      For me, a cold winter day calls for casual and comfortable clothes. I had errands to run in the morning and then I met up with a friend later in the day for some shopping and food. I kept it simple with a cute sweater that I layered with a plain, white tank underneath because it wasn't exactly long enough to cover my backside and some leggings paired with some cute, colorful rainboots. There has been a storm recently in NYC and now there is snow, slush and big puddles everywhere. Also, there was going to be some freezing rain that day so I thought it'd be best to wear rainboots.
      To keep warm, you can never forget a scarf! This is one of my favorite scarves because I love the color of it and how it adds a pop of color to any outfit. Not to mention, it is nice and soft. I've had my jacket for quite awhile now but I love it because it keeps me warm and I like that there is a belt to cinch at the waist. Lastly, my handy dandy Longchamp bag. This bag has literally been through so much with me. I use it for school and on other regular occasions as well and I always have a bunch of stuff in it! It is so versatile and matches well with practically everything and it can carry so much. Love it!

Julie G's Peep Toe Pumps and L'oreal Magic Topcoat "The Holographic"

Happy New Year everyone!!

      I did my nails for the new year so I thought that warranted a post. :)  I've never owned or tried a Julie G polish before but I picked this up awhile ago at Rite Aid when there was a good deal. It was $3 and there was a $3 UP Reward backs so I thought I'd give it a try. The berry color was what drew me to this one. I was surprised and pleased with how easily and smoothly the formula applied. People with smaller nails may be able to get away with one coat. It is quite opaque for one coat. I applied two coats because for my nails I find that two coats are usually needed for full opacity. It was a very nice berry color, purplish with red tones. It's a very nice color all year round I think, but especially for the fall and winter. In the first picture, it appears redder on the nails than it does in person. I couldn't quite get the camera to capture the color exactly as it appears.

Peep Toe Pumps by Julie G
Left: One Coat
Right: Two Coats

      I got a L'oreal Magic Topcoat awhile ago too that I never got around to trying so I decided to try it out on top of this nail color. It took me awhile to find this polish after it was available for purchase. I finally found it in Target where it retailed for around $7 if I remember correctly. What you will get from this polish are mostly blue holographic flakes. The flakes will leave your polish not smooth and  with a dull finish, so for those who love their nails with a shiny finish, a top coat will be needed. I used Essie's Good to Go Top Coat. My initial thought was that I wasn't too impressed with how you only manage to get a few flakes with one coat. I needed two coats to get the amount of flakes as seen in the photo and that's still not a lot. Looking at the bottle, it seemed as if one coat would produce a lot of flakes. However, I do like how the holographic flakes look on my nails. They give the nail polish a cool dimension.

Left: the holographic (L'oreal Magic Topcoat)
Right: Peep Toe Pumps (Julie G)

2 Coats of Peep Toe Pumps by Julie G,
2 coats of 'the holographic' L'oreal Magic Top Coat

      I hope everyone has a great New Year's! Stay safe, warm and be merry! Hello 2014!

December 2013 Birchbox Unboxing!

Hi everyone!

      I've been busy for most of December with school, finals, the holidays and such which is why I have not posted anything in awhile. That is also why this December Birchbox post is quite late too considering it is almost Christmas, but better late than never right?
      First thought when I got this package was that the packaging is different and holiday themed! Usually, it comes in a pink cardboard box but this month's is gold with a little Happy Holidays design. The actual box is also different too. It says "Sparkle and Shine" which is cute and the inside has gold stripes.