500 Point Perk: Sephora by OPI Set

I think this is the best 500 Point Perk Sephora has offered so far. I'm glad I rarely bother to use my points on any of those deluxe samples and skipped out on the Sephora palette (first 500 point perk) or the Kat Von D "Rock N' Roll" palette. I think this is the BEST deal they've offered.. and for free! I remember the 500 point Sephora palette being dusty and the Rock N' Roll palette had terrible color payoff. These polishes are the real deal. They're actually sold individually for $9 a pop so this is a $27 (plus tax) value.

The set includes: Personal Shopper (rich vixen red), Dear Diary... (warm light pink), and I'm With Brad (shimmering wine over dark coffee.)

(Shade descriptions are from Sephora site.)

My nails aren't the best but I hope I captured the colors decently. "Personal Shopper" is a basic, primary red and I got the full effect with one coat. I really like the color and it's perfect for the Holidays. "Dear Diary..." is a sheer, milky pink. The first coat went on sheer so I layered on another coat and the color was perfect. "I'm With Brad" is like a dark, burgundy brown with reddish shimmer. All the swatches were done without a base coat or top coat.

Here are the swatches from the Sephora site:

Personal Shopper

Dear Diary...

I'm With Brad

A Little Sephora Haul: NARS Wild At Heart 15 Year Anniversary Palette Review & Swatches

I've had my eye on the limited edition NARS "Wild at Heart" palette ($75) for a little over a month now and I was super excited to finally get my hands on it. The palette is available on Sephora.com (online only), Beauty.com, and Narscosmetics.com (and other department stores such as Nordstrom, etc.) I placed an order on Sephora last week just for the palette -I'm trying to save up and didn't want to spend on anything else. The package included a Sephora catalog and coupon for 20% off all sale items (expires December 31, 2009). The promo code is "EXTRA."

I also redeemed 500 of my points for the new (Beauty Insider 500 point prize) -the Sephora OPI Set of (full-sized) nail polishes. I also got a free 4oz Philosophy "Perfumed Firming Body Emulsion." Use the promo code "WISHME" and you can choose from 1 or 3 choices: sample size Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils mascara (my favorite mascara), sample size NARS double-sided lipgloss (I'm pretty sure one side is Striptease the other is Dolce Vita), and the Philosophy "Perfumed Firming Body Emulsion (I thought this was the best deal.. the other choices were tiny.) I also received 3 free samples of my choice and free shipping. Great deal!

I rarely pay for shipping online -I think it's such a waste. Always search for promo codes when shopping online -for every store. It also helps to sign up for your favorite sites' emails because they'll email you with special promo codes, sales, and free shipping deals. For instance, I always thought those MAC free shipping (on any purchase) deals only come around every few months but I get the emails pretty much every week.

Here's the NARS Wild at Heart 15 Year Anniversary Palette..

Notice that instead of the standard black box with white print, the anniversary box is a brilliant bright red with shiny print -"NARS" is printed in shiny red and "15" is printed in shiny silver.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with the palette but I'm not too sure about dropping 75bucks on it. Luckily, I paid with a gift card. It's a great value -if you use/like all the colors. The palette has the amazing quality I always expect from NARS but I'm not really sure I'd use these lip colors on a regular basis. I kind of want the other eye/cheek/lip palette that they're offering for the 15 Year Anniversary -the "Everlasting Love" palette (mainly blue shadows, nude lips, & same cheek shades), but I'm going to wait for another 20% off sale on Beauty.com so I can get it for only $60.

The palette includes 4 Eyeshadows: Abyssinia (delicate pearl sheen), Alhambra (golden champagne), Ashes to Ashes (violet brown with shimmer), and Pandora (matte black.) 1 Blush: Orgasm (peachy pink with shimmer.) 1 The Multiple: South Beach (shimmering apricot.) 1 Lip Lacquer: Baby Doll (cotton candy pink.) 3 Lipsticks: Red Lizard (semi matte full powered red), Manhunt (sheer poppy red), and Fire Down Below (semi matte pure blood red.)

(Shade descriptions are from the Sephora site.)

Here are the eyeshadow & blush swatches. (From left) Abyssinia, Alhambra, Ashes to Ashes, Pandora, Orgasm blush, & The Multiple in South Beach. (Sorry for my goosebumpy arm)

Here are the lip swatches. (From left) Baby Doll Lip Lacquer, Red Lizard lipstick, Manhunt lipstick, & Fire Down Below lipstick.

I do like this palette. However, I do not wear red lipstick a lot and these lippies just don't really work with me. Baby Doll Lip Lacquer goes on kind of sheer (on my lips) and a lot has to be applied for a color to show. My favorite things from the palette are the eyeshadows in Alhambra and Ashes to Ashes. Ashes to Ashes is something I will definately buy as a single -the perfect plummy brown color with a nice sheen. I also like the Orgasm blush. If you do not wear red lipstick much though, I recommend going with the "Everlasting Love" Palette which contains the same cheek shades (Orgasm blush and South Beach Multiple) but has bold shadows and nude lippies. I really don't think this is worth $75 for me because I won't use the whole right side of the palette. If you're not into red lips, skip this palette -unless you're a die hard NARS fan or have some extra cash to spend. I do admit the shadows and cheek shades are gorgeous though.

500 Point Prize: 3 Full Size Sephora by OPI nail polishes (each are sold individually for $9.) I will post swatches of these in another post.

FREEEEEEEEE STUFF!

1. Philosophy 4oz "Perfumed Firming Body Emulsion"
2. Yves Saint Laurent "Parisienne" Eau De Parfum sample
3. TEMPTU "ADORN Temporary Tattoo Sheet" sample
4. First Aid Beauty "Ultra Repair Cream" sample

Sephora Brand Flashy Liner Set

The limited edition Sephora Flashy Liner Set consists of 7 mini-sized Flashy liner pencils in a nice variety of colors. The set includes blue, silver, mauve, copper, brown, green, and deep black. The Sephora Brand Flashy Liners are described (on Sephora's site) as being waterproof, longwearing, and are also supposed to "glide on easily" so there is less tugging on the skin. I noticed this set so, so many times in the past month as I've been to 3 different Sephora stores at once or twice a week. I kept neglecting it and assuming they were just a gimic.. come on, 7 pencils for just $20?? Yea right! Anyways, I was looking through the Sephora site and noticed that the rating for this set was 4.5/5 stars! I looked at some other liner sets that Sephora was offering, and found that more customers preferred this set to the others. Compared to the others, this set contained more colors and a lower price. Over the past 2 weeks, my need for this set grew. I wanted it BAD. I went to my local Sephora store and found that they were sold out and wouldn't be receiving anymore of these sets. The other Sephora nearby was also out and I didn't want to wait. Sooooooo, my lovely boyfriend drove me to the Sephora in the pouring rain last night and I finally got my hands on this set. I immediately swatched in the car and fell in love. Here are the swatches:

Top Row: Deep Black, Blue, Copper, Mauve. Bottom Row: Brown, Silver, Green.

I wore the Blue Flashy liner today for a family get together and the color was very -flashy. A super bright blue-teal color and I had to tone it down a bit and add Mauve to it. In the end, I added some black over and it turned into an amazing bright blue-black. Surprisingly, the color lasted from 5:30PM and beyond. 9 whole hours later at 2:30AM, it was still in place. It didn't budge whatsoever. I have extrememly watery eyes so I was surprised by the wonderful staying power. I actually had to remove it with some good makeup remover (I always use baby wipes to remove makeup.) NO liner has ever stayed (on my waterline and lashline) for over 2 hours -in my whole life. Not MAC, Revlon, MUFE, Tarte, Urban Decay, CoverGirl, etc.. none of those. I'm really amazed by this. If you have issues with liner always disappearing from your waterline, I'd say go for this. If you like experimenting with colored liners, go for this. If you're on a budget, go for this!!!! Pick one of these up while you can because they're selling out in lots of Sephora stores.

Here are some other liner sets that are currently on sale (I passed these up for the Flashy liner set.) They're all around $20-$35:

CARGO

Smashbox

MAKE UP FOR EVER

Urban Decay

Cherry Culture Haul (All under $20 with FREE shipping!!!)

I recently purchased a few items from Cherry Culture when they were having a 20% off sale. I missed the last one but I figured there would be another one in a month or 2 and I was right! =) For under $20, I received 6 pairs of NYX lashes (glue included), NYX Doll Eye Mascara, NYX Glitter Liner (the one with the tassle), NYX Black Label Lipstick, NYX Diamond Lipstick, and a Styli-Style Brow Pencil. I've been wanting the brow pencil for months and when I finally ordered it, it turned out to be too light! Oh well, the other items were nice.

Anyways, how did I receive all this for under $20 WITH free shipping?? Well, I forgot that Cherry Culture has a "Rewards Program"-much like Sephora or Ulta. For every $1 spent, 1 point is earned. Later on, you can redeem your points for store credit. 250 points = $10, 300 points = $12, 500 points = $20 and so on. So basically, ever 25 Points = $1. Soooooooo, I didn't know that I already had lots of points in my account from previous purchases. My basket had to have at least $40 (20% promo added + before taxes) to receive Free Shipping. So, I added all these items to my basket at 20% off (with the promo) and was left at exactly $40 and a few cents (you need to spend at least $40 to recieve Free Ground Shipping.) After that, I added my store credit which was over $20. Then I paid the rest on my card and that's why I got all this for under $20! Great deal!

If you've shopped at Cherry Culture before, make sure to redeem your points on your next purchase. Also, I always wait for promotions because they have them so frequently so wait for those if you want to save more! Also, sign up for the CherryCulture email subscriptions and they'll send you emails when there are promotions (no spam here either!) Here are pictures of what I got..

Love the lashes.. they were on sale at $4 each too. (Add 20% off to that and each pair was only $3.20!!!)

Top is NYX Diamond Lipstick in "Orchid." Very pretty pink-purple color with lots of shimmer. Underneath is NYX Black Label Lipstick in "70s Pink." I expected this to be a bubblegum color looking at the Cherry Culture and NYX swatches bu it was just a normal bright pink -which I already have. That little line on the right is the NYX glitter liner in "Disco Queen" but you can't really see it =\ It's really pretty though, a greyish pewterish dark color with multicolor glitter. I have something similar from MAC but I like this one more because there's more glitter.

The only other thing that I REALLY wanted to buy was some LASplash liners. They have really pretty, colorful colors and were placed at a low sale price. I think they had to sell them all to make room for the new liners. These look great also but there's only like 1/4 of the colors they used to offer for the old liners. Click HERE to view the new LASplash liners.

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow Quads (Review & Swatches)

My Personal Rating:
-Formula: 7/10
-Packaging: 6/10
-Value: 8.5/10
-Overall: C+
CVS is ALWAYS having BOGO sales for Revlon products. I actually picked up these Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow Quads months ago but am finally getting around to posting a review. I already owned 1 of the quads (which I bought a year or 2 ago?) but since then, they've changed the formula.
The packaging is alost slightly different. The old one was black with a clear cover while the new one has a black cover. The old one had the Revlon logo at the top with gold font on the back while the new one has the logo on the bottom with white font on the back. Not much of a difference.

Anyways, I like the wide selection of colors (according to drugstore.com, there are 11 different quads.) The formula is alright. I would never ever use this as a creme shadow (even though that's what the product is supposed to be.) If you use them alone, or even over a base (UDPP, TFSI, MAC paint pots), they still crease. I have dry lids too but they just always seem to crease. I think these are great as a base -meaning over a primer but under your actual eyeshadow. They are great for enhancing an eyeshadow and making the color more vibrant. I use them like I would NYX Jumbo pencils -not as a primer but to make my eyeshadow even prettier and brighter. These are actually pretty sheer also so you'll need to add a few layers.

As for the packaging, I hate it. There's a just a flimsy, plastic cover. The cover on my "Precious Metals" quad broke quickly so I'm trying to take extra care of the others. The lid tends to open very easily so be careful if you're going to throw this into a bag with all your other makeup (unless you like a mess or creamy glitter all over your things.) There is no mirror and the whole thing is just really cheap (I guess that's one of the reasons the price is so low.) The only good thing about the packaging is that it's pretty slim and is light weight. The value is good (you can pick these up at Walmart for like $4.95) or get them at drugstores for around $6.50 (wait for the coupons and you'll get two for the price of one.) Overall, I'd give these a C+ grade. These are great to have but not a necessity.

Above picture was taken with FLASH. The colors are actually a tad more accurate without flash.

This is the same palette but I took a picture with NO FLASH. I couldn't really capture the actual "richness" of the colors. It's basically somewhat inbetween the 2 pictures but they lean more towards to NON-flash pictures.

The pictures above are of the "Precious Metals" quad. When I first purchased this, I used it a lot but I barely use this anymore because this particular quad is just too shimmery for my taste. I love shimmer but this one is like shimmer overload. I love the colors but they went a little overboard on the shimmer. From left to right, the colors are shimmery silver, shimmery light gold (probably meant for use on the brow bone but WAYY too shimmery for me), bronze, and a reddish-copper (like a penny but more red.) I'd skip this one if you're not a fan of too much shimmer. Also, the color payoff on this one isn't anything above average (unless you layer it a lot.)

Above Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow Quad in "Khaki Suede." First color is pinkish/peach that barely shows up on my skin. It's very pretty but I have to layer it so many times just to get so-so coverage. Second (from left) is light green in the tray but almost white on my hand. It's very light that goes on as a beige-white with slight green tint. Third is a nice mink brown. This is my favorite. Not too much shimmer but nice sheen. Last is a gray/pewter. I don't really like this quad but it was the only other one left so I decided to try it.

Here above is the quad in "Skinlights." The first color or the left reminds me of MAC Painterly Paint Pot but lighter and more peachy. This is an almost matte color with very little shimmer. The color second from left is a rosy coral with more red. This is a really pretty color with a gold sheen and shimmer. The third color is a very light champagne with a hint of gold that looks almost white on my skin. The color all the way to the right is a mocha brown with a light tint of red. Overall, this is an OK palette. I only like the rose gold corally color.

Shown above is "Wild Orchids." Of all the quads, this is the one to get. The shade on the far left is a pink shade of purple. The shade second to the left is a blue violet. The next shade is a muted purple -almost like like the "dusty rose" of purple. The last shade all the way to the right is a plummy/red/brown.

Here above I used 2 shades from the "Wild Orchids" quad and topped them with 2 colors from the purple NYX trio. The swatches on the outside (far left and far right) are just the first and second shades from "Wild Orchids" with nothing on top. In the middle, I used the NYX shadows on top of the "Wild Orchids" shades. So far left and second to the left, I used the same "Wild Orchids" colors but on the one second to the left, I topped it with the NYX shadow. See how intense the color is? The same goes for the other swatches (far right and third from left.)

Here above is another Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in "Perfect Peony." I don't like this color at all. It's just a medium pink that does nothing for my lips. It's almost the same color as my natural lips but it makes them look worse! My lips feel and look very dry (the lighter colors feel dryer than the darker shades.) I loved these "lipsticks" (I feel like they're more of a stain) at first but I've realized that they are really drying.

That's it for now. If you're looking into the Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadows, be sure to pick of "Wild Orchids" if you're into purples. I wouldn't recommend them as an eyeshadow but they make a good base (with primer underneath.) They're pretty cheap but be on the look out for BOGO sales for extra savings.

September's MY PRETTY PINK BOX

Here's a little online haul from weeks ago. I finally purchased a "My Pretty Pink Box." I was meaning to posting this weeks ago but I guess better late than never. I purchased 2 -one for me and one for my cousin. I also purchased some origami star paper from Ebay and a mortar and pestle (for mineral makeup.)

I'm sure you've all seen the items that were in the box since it was released weeks ago but here's a picture of the items I received. Both boxes contained similar items although their were a few differences. We both received the "Totally Texty" shampoo (it smells good!), KISS French Nails in "Real Short," Revlon Fantasy Lengthes lashes in "Defining" and "Flirty", and mineral eye shadow samples from Paint Fx Cosmetics. The rest of the items varied between the boxes. There were also other mineral makeup samples, facial scrubs, face masks, and soap.

For more indepth reviews of the products for September's My Pretty Pink Box, I suggest the following links:

http://myprettypinkbox.blogspot.com/2009/09/retailer-spotlight.html

http://myprettypinkbox.blogspot.com/2009/09/retailer-spotlight_07.html

From both boxes, I received a total of 4 mineral makeup samples -3 eye shadows, 1 blush.

From Left to Right..

1. Paint Fx Cosmetics "Dream"
Kind of a light periwinkle shade. It reminds me of the sky (when it looks lavender and blue and pink) VERY pretty.. shifts to purple. It's not a very light or dark shadow.. just medium. Medium shimmer.. great color payoff. I want a full size version of this but I don't know if it goes with my skin though.

2. Paint Fx Cosmetics "Fantasy"

Beautiful Fuchsia, very basic color with medium shimmer. I don't have a need for this because I already own colors that are so similar to this but it's very pretty.

3. The Mineralista "Kiss of Gold"

It's a lighter shade of gold but very flashy. It's so shiny and bright with a fantastic "sparkling effect." It looks like a white/gold but most definitely gold. This is very metallic-y and contains lots of shimmer.

4. Orglamix mineral blush "Tarragon"
This is a dusty rose color with lots of shimmer. It looks too shimmery for my cheeks but I could use it as an eyeshadow.

*I also received a coupon from Orglamix stating that the first 25 people who mention "My Pretty Pink Box" in their Orglamix order will receive a free full size eyeshadow. I went to go get one but they were already out! However, Cheri (who runs Orglamix) happily gave me a free eyeshadow anyways. I will review those in an upcoming post. Also, the boxes included Paint Fx Cosmetic coupons for any full size eyeshadow for the price of......... 1 PENNY! I will do a review on lots of Paint Fx mineral shadows soon.

High on Illamasqua: Lipstick, Intense Gloss, & Sheer Gloss (Review & Swatches)

(Above Pictures from Sephora.com)

So I was supposed to post this weeks ago but here it is.. I heard that the Illamasqua brand was coming to Sephora back in mid July (I think around the time when "V.I.B" was introduced.) When I viewed the products (online), I was overwhelmed with excitement. Sadly, none of the products were in stock yet so I had to wait a week or 2. So after a long, long, looooong week or so of waiting, I placed an order for 6 Illamasqua products along with theBalm's Shady Lady Palette, Urban Decay Liquid Liner in "Smog," and MUFE Face & Body Liquid Foundation (using my 10% off V.I.B. coupon.) I had to hold myself back from going overboard since Illamasqua is pretty expensive (at least for my budget) at $19 and up per product. I've been really into lip products lately so all I bought from the line were some lipsticks and glosses. I'm not going to get into the other non-Illamasqua products in this post since you all probably know about them already. Anywho, here are swatches for what I got:

Sorry for any blurryness =( My camera has just not been cooperating with me lately. I noticed that up close NON-flash pictures are appearing to be blurry. Hopedully you can see the swatches on my hand.. just squint! The other pictures were taken with flash though so not to worry....

From left to right are:

1. Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in "Fierce"
2. Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in "Rouse"
3. Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in "Petulant"
4. Illamasqua Lipstick in "Fable"

5. Illamasqua Lipstick in "Tramp"
6. Illamasqua Lipstick in "Liv"

A Deeper Look....

Let's review the Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss:

My Personal Rating:
-Formula: 10/10
-Value: 7/10
-Packaging: 8/10-Overall: 9/10


I thought nothing could rival my beloved Smashbox Lip Enhancing Glosses (http://www.smashbox.com/LIP-ENHANCING-GLOSS) let alone ever make me fall out of love with them. The formula for these Illamasqua glosses is moisturizing while the colors are rich and pigmented. They all appear on the lips as they do in the tube. The swatches on Sephora's site were pretty much spot on so that was good. The lasting effect is pretty good and lasts a while (few hours) but it doesn't last all day like most glosses.It even smells nice.. kind of like vanilla and something else. I rated the value a "7" because it is so pricey. The tube only contains 7ml (0.2 Fl. oz) but then again my Smashbox tube says that there's 6ml for a dollar less. So why does the Smashbox tube look like there's more? Anyways, I just think these glosses should be a tad larger for nearly $20 a pop. The packaging is standard. I think it's a doe foot tube.. correct me if I'm wrong. Overall, I love these glosses. I've never had anything like them. Everything about them is amazing and I urge everyone to at least try one of these.

Pictured above is Fierce. It's actually a little more purple than in the picture. I noticed on other peoples' lips it turned a very vibrant purple but on mine it was more of a vibrant pink/purple. I really love this stuff. If you're looking for a perfect purple gloss, one that isn't pink, plum, wine-colored, etc, get this one.

Above is Petulant. This is my favorite of all 3 glosses that I purchased. The Sephora website describes this as a "hot magenta" and they are right on. The gloss looks so bright in the tube that it looks like it's almost going into "red" but it is a true magenta. I don't think I'll be wearing this much yet but I will in the Fall/Winter. I wear a lot of grays, blacks, and neutrals during the colder months so this will give everything a nice "pop."

Illamasqua Lipstick:

My Personal Rating:

-Formula: 8/10

-Value: 8/10

-Packaging: 7/10

-Overall: 8/10

The formula is great when it comes to the darker colors. I thought the lighter colors would be just as phenomenal but sadly they're not. I like that these do not feel dry on my lips but as with most pale, matte lipsticks, the colors make your lips look so dry and gross. I thought that this would be "the One" but sadly, it wasn't. I thought hat I could actually wear pale lipstick without having cracks on my lips -but I was wrong. These did not meet my expectations. The darker color I purchased, "Tramp," is amazing. It's the best I've ever tried because of the rich color and non-drying texture. It goes on so smoothly and easily and the end results are great.. I wish I could say the same about the lighter shades. The packaging is OK and very average but it's prone to finerprints.. which I can't stand! ! !

Above is Fable. I somehow managed to color outside the lines (I was in a rush!) This color is a brilliant bubblegum pink that looks super girly -but not tacky. It reminds me of Malibu Barbie's lips (in a good way) and makes me look tan. The only problem is that it's so drying! You can't see all the cracks in the picture but trust me, there are tons of them. I love the colors but hate how my lips looked so dried up when wearing this stuff. I even tried wearing some clear gloss over this to see if it would make the cracks disappear (but it beats the purpose of a matte lipstick.)

Here is Fable with clear gloss over it. Again, you can't really see the cracks but in person, you can definately see them. I guess they're not too noticeable but if you're up close and personal, you can tell. I can't stand the look of "cracked lips" so I feel like not even wearing this lipstick (with or without the help of some clear gloss) was better in general. Love the color, hate the dryness.

Pictured above is Liv. I'm so in love with this color. It's a pale, milky lavender that I've never seen in any other lipstick before. You can see all the cracks better in this picture. It was just so drying. It doesn't necessarily feel dry but it looks dry and I rather have it the other way around! =( Maybe this would work on a person with ultra smooth/soft lips but that person is not me.

Pictured above is Tramp. This is the reason I gave the lipstick a high overall (8.5) score. I didn't even fill in my lips all the way (oops.) Sephora describes this as a "matte true red" but I noticed a sort of sheen (as you can see in the picture.) It's mainly matte but there is a slight sheen which is nice. This goes on so effortlessly and looks beautiful. I love the formula for the darker colors and I hope they improve the lighter colors in the future.
Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss:

My Personal Rating:

-Formula: 10/10

-Value: 7/10

-Packaging: 8/10

-Overall: 9/10

Above is Rouse. This is a basic pale pink/almost clear gloss but it's better than all the others I own. Sephora describes it as "vibrant bubblegum pink" but it's not very vibrant and pretty much almost clear but you do see hints of pink. I love the formula and the nice sheen though (I don't see any shimmer.) This is a very basic gloss and easily dupable but I think this formula's the best. It feels and looks nice but it's not a must-have.

The Illamasqua lipsticks are $20 each and the glosses are $19. Check Sephora for more swatches as they are pretty accurate. I would love to try Illamasqua's blushes and eyeliners next. Have you tried any Illamasqua products? How'd you like them?


*Note (March 27, 2010): I've re-read this post and wanted to update on how I feel about these products. I've since returned both lipsticks -they started to feel drying. They are definitely not the dry for a matte lipstick (pretty much the oppostite) but for a lipstick in general, they are. I don't like dry lip products whatsover because I have dry lips to begin with. I would still recommend them for their high pigmentation and overall good formula though. I've updated the lipstick rating to an 8/10 -just .5 less than my original rating. (I don't use this rating system anymore though.) I still like the glosses although I just don't use them muct. Petulant is a bit bright for me and Rouse wasn't so special (I ended up passing this one on.) Rouse is nice for a basic gloss though -the formula is great! However, I don't really like clear/sheer glosses much.

A Little Something for the Lips: A Revlon Haul (TONS of swatches!!)

I made my usual trip to Longs (which has recently become CVS) last week. My local Longs (it's so hard to call it CVS) has finally finished their renovation and the inside of the store looks completely different. The light tile floor has been replaced by dark carpeting (it looks slightly depressing) while the register and counter layout has completely changed. Instead of having several aisles (like a grocery store,) there is only one aisle with one register and the rest of the registers are facing you (the customer), kind of like a bank. Everything has also been moved around except for most of the cosmetics portion of the store. Although I'm not impressed by the new interior, I am liking some of the new products CVS has decided to bring in that we never had at Longs such as the Milani brand and some beautiful Duo lashes (we only had the glue before.) Anyways, there was a BOGO sale (buy one, get one.. FREE!) going on for all Revlon cosmetics. Here's what I got:

I've been really into lip products lately. I picked up 7 lipsticks from their "Matte Collection," 4 Colorstay Lipliners, 3 Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipsticks, and 2 Colorstay Mineral Lipglazes. I had a few "$4 off $20 purchase" and "$3 off $15 purchase" coupons (which they print at the end of a receipt -like Safeway) and the nice cashier let me use all of them! So I saved $11 more on top of the BOGO sale. So technically, I got everthing for under half the original price. =)

Pictured above are swatches of the Matte Lipsticks ($7.99 each) I got. From left to right are: 001 Nude Attitude, 002 Pink Pout, 004 Pink About It, 007 In The Red, 008 Cocoa Craving, 009 Fabulous Fig, and 010 Wine Not. (Nude Attitude is very light -just a tad lighter than my skin.)


Above are swatches of the 4 Colorstay Lipliners ($7.99 each) I bought. From left to right are: Rose, Pink, Red, and Wine.


Above are all the glosses I bought. From left to right are: Colorstay Mineral Lipglazes ($8.99 each) in 525 Continuous Pink and 555 Overtime Wine. After those are Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipsticks ($10.99 each) in 060 Stellar Sunrise, 050 Top Tomato, and 040 Brilliant Bordeaux. (525 Continuous Pink is VERY sheer. Sorry if you can barely see it in the picture.)

Now Let's Look at each Product in Detail.......

First off are the Revlon Matte Lipsticks:

My Personal Rating:
-Formula: 7/10 (If it weren't for the dryness of the lighter colors, i'd give it an 8 or 8.5)
-Value: 8/10
-Packaging: 7/10
-Overall: 7.5/10


Here I am wearing 001 Nude Attitude. Of all the matte lipsticks I purchased during this trip, I thought this would be the one I would absolutely love. This is a true nude color so i was pretty excited to give it a try (I'm a huge fan of nude/pale lipsticks.) However, it's like putting some bad concealer on my lips. You can see patches of tan, skin colored lipstick here and there but it makes my lips look very dry. My lips feel dry too. The color does not seem to fully (and evenly) coat my lips no matter how much product I apply. If you want a lipstick that will display every dry crack in your lips, go for this lipstick. If not, you'll be doing yourself a favor avoiding crocodile-skin lips.


Here I am above wearing 002 Pink Pout. This is not as dry as Nude Attitude -but it still is dry. Inside the packaging, I thought this would be a very pale (almost but not quite) salmon color like my favorite LORAC cream lipstick in Baby Doll but it's just a normal light pink. It looks okay, kind of like a lighter version of my natural lip color, but I can't get past the dry, girtty feeling on my lips. It's quite sheer on my lips so I don't see any dry patches (like in Nude Attitude) and it would probably be alright with some clear gloss on top. To me, it's nothing special since I have lots of soft pink (not pale) lipsticks. If you're looking for a natural looking light pink lipstick, this would probably be good for you but I'd recommend conditioning your lips with tons of lip balm beforehand.


Here above is 004 Pink About It. I'm glad I don't have any problems of over the top dryness with this color (I'm guessing just the paler colors in the collection have that "dry" feeling.) It looks almost red in the picture -which it is. It's almost a corally red-pink. It looks scary bright in the tube and swatched on my hand but on my lips, it's perfect. It's not overly dramatic so you'll be fine wearing this in the daytime. It's dramatic sort of in a "soft" way and quite natural at the same time. This is a lip color that can be played up or down depending on your mood.


Above is 007 In The Red. I have a difficult time finding a great red. One that is just a "true red" that isn't too berry or too plummy or too brown and the ones I do find usually look so funky and ridiculous on me. This is The One and I love it. This is one of those very wearable red lipsticks that is universally flattering on people of all skin tones. It's the muted, perfect red -not too dark or too bright. It's subtle while being dramatic. It makes me feel classy.


Up next is 008 Cocoa Craving. This is a lovely, natural color that I can see myself wearing on a daily basis (sadly I can't, I must give my other lipsticks attention too!) It's somewhere inbetween dark peach and light brown with a touch of caramel. It's like a clay color -just as nude but not as dull. I recommend anyone with warm skin tones to go out and purchase this.


Pictured above is 009 Fabulous Fig. This is another beautiful shade from the Revlon's Matte Collection. This neutral shade reminds me of the Fall season coming up in September (that is when Fall starts right?!) The color is a warm brown-red. I'd consider this to be more in the "brown family" than in the "red family." It is definately a darker lipstick but it can be worn on a casual, daily basis.


Pictured above is 010 Wine Not. This is so sooo SO embarassing. I didn't realize that the lipstick applied on my cupid's bow was not even at all. But in my defense, I was in a rush. Back to the lipstick.. This is obviously a darker lipstick. I myself wouldn't wear this on a daily basis (maybe for a special lunch of dinner) because I'm more of a neutral color lipstick wearer. Like its name, this is definitely a wine color. The lipstick reminds me of a matte version of MAC's Dark Side -which I recently purchased in an order from http://www.allcosmeticswholesale.com/. It's a very deep, plummy, burgundy, red color that almost crosses over to being "Goth-like" (not a bad thing.) I would love to see someone very pale and cool toned give this a shot for a Dita Von Teese look.


Now for the Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglazes:

My Personal Rating:
-Formula: 5/10
-Value: 6/10
-Packaging: 8/10
-Overall: 6/10


Pictured above is 525 Continuous Pink. I appreciate the doe foot applicator and pretty hourglass shaped tube but this gloss spells disgusting! It smells like rubber. IAfter applying some to my lips, I thought the smell would go away after awhile but it doesn't. The taste isn't much better either. I don't exactly lean towards rubber smelling and tasting lipglosses. It's kind of like Revlon attempted to add a sweet smell to the glosses but it just went wrong somewhere during production. Otherwise, the gloss itself is slightly gloopy and a tad sticky. It's a standard light pink gloss with shimmer that pratically looks clear on the lips. I really don't see anything special or "different" about this gloss. It's pricey for the product (that's why I rated it a 6/10.) You're getting no "deal" or "value" from this sucker if this is the formula their selling you. If you want a horrible smelling lipgloss, invest in a few tubes of this stuff. There are others like it that don't smell bad, are cheaper, and give off the same color.


Above is 555 Overtime Wine. I actually like this color. Aside from the terrible smell, the gloss actually gives lips a berry-rose, almost "wine" color. However, the formula in this color is gloopy and sticky like Coninuous Pink. I don't think I'll be wearing it though because of the terrible smell. I just can't get past it.



Last but not least, Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipsticks:

My Personal Rating:
-Formula: 7.5/10 (UPDATE: I took 1 more point off the formula because some colors seem to be very drying)-Value: 8/10
-Packaging: 8/10
-Overall: 8/10


Above is 060 Stellar Sunrise. I've decided that these "liquid lipsticks".. (what do I call them??) are more like a stain than anything. It comes with a handy doe foot applicator. It's kind of gloopy when taking the applicator out of the tube. The texture is like Jello that hasn't fully become solid yet (lmushy.) When applying the product, it comes onto my lips and appears to be a gloss. But once I've evenly coated my lips with the product and press my lips together, the glossy effect disappears and it looks very much like a stain. It's sticky when I press my lips together but afterwards, the stickiness goes away. It feels like a stain and stay on like a stain. I really love the formula and the outcome. Stellar Sunrise is a natural,rosy, medium, pink color that can be worn for all occasions (work, dinner, party, etc..) There is some very slight shimmer in the formula and it looks nice on the lips (no chunkly glitter here.) This stuff is easy to apply and doesn't require lipliner. It's a fuss-free product. I rated this an 8/10 for value because it's a tad pricey for a drugstore product.



Above is 050 Top Tomato. The color is a perfect primary red (like I'd find on a basic primary color wheel.) The color is a little bright but it doesn't look clownish because it has the look of a stain instead of a lipstick. There is also a touch of shimmer in the formula and when I say "a touch," I mean it. You can barely see it unless you look really close. This makes wearing red "lipstick" easier and not as scary.


Pictured above is 040 Brilliant Bordeaux. This looks like a plummy, dark, dark red when I put it on but once it's settled into my lips, it's more of of a raisin, wine red. I wouldn't wear this on a regular basis -maybe somewhere where I'd have to be a little more dressed up though.

OK. Finally done! By the way, I didn't write about the Revlon Colorstay Lipliners because they're pretty basic. They're long lasting and give off full color. I like them. Enjoy the swatches of all the products. Are you a fan of Revlon? What are your favorite Revlon products? I'm loving the liquid lipsticks and mattes.