Review - Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby

Monday, April 29, 2013

As the weather starts to get a bit warmer, I find myself more drawn to shades that reflect the weather. I'm very much feeling peaches and golden shades as of late, but it's always a struggle to find ones that are flattering against my strongly cool toned skin. For this reason I've been finding myself reaching for shades that are accented with gold, such as this one.


In the world of glosses, it looks kind of tiny; but at 0.17 oz, it is actually the same amount of product as a MAC lipglass! No wasted packaging here! It also retails for a third of the price at $4.99, but you can most definitely find these cheaper if you search (I found mine on sale - at Publix no less!)



Summer Baby is like the essence of NARS Orgasm blush in a gloss. Its nearly spot on. Milani describes the shade as a "Gold Toned Peachy Pink", which is quite accurate. The shade is also said to be a dupe for MAC Nymphette, which is a big part of what drew me to it.

I actually really like the consistency to this product. It isn't too watery nor too sticky, but falls in a healthy medium that makes this comfortable to wear. I feel like the shimmer also helps it adhere a bit better than the average gloss, as I can get about 2 hours out of this shade.

The fragrance is strong - I don't get why Milani always does this. Its a very sweet, powerful scent and is basically spot on for vanilla extract. It isn't a terrible fragrance, but I can see it bothering some; especially those on medications (when my medication is bothering me, any highly fragranced product like this is out of the question!). It is, however, worlds better than the fragrance in their new lipsticks - which is nearly enough to turn my stomach.

Overall:

Pros:

- Great value.
- No wasted packaging.
- Good wear time for a gloss.
- Flattering and versatile shade.

Cons:

- Very strong fragrance.

I really actually do love this gloss; the shade is so summery, but still looks great against my skin. I have another from the range in Sheer Dark Honey, which is most definitely not your iconic springtime shade, and I'm considering other shades in the range.  It bears mentioning that these glosses are a pain in the tushie to get ahold of, and when you find a store that carries them, the one you want WILL be sold out. I'm still bitter, can't you tell?  Hopefully I'll have better luck locating Taboo and Cotton Candy.

9/10


My MAC Collection - Lips Edition.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

MAC has seen such success because of two reasons; its quality (overall) and its large shade range. The brand is among my favorites and (as you will see) I am quite fond of their lip products.

So sit down, grab a cuppa tea and put your feet up; we'll be here a while.



Lipglosses - I photographed all glosses or gloss like products all together, as I don't have quite as many. They're slowly multiplying!



From left to right;

- Kissable Lipcolour in Enchantee (Limited Edition) - Enchantee is almost a liquid lipstick. Not super long wearing, but better than your average gloss. Given the color is beautiful, but I think the name really sold it for me!

- Cremesheen Glass in Deelight - Reviewed here. The one that started it all; this was my first MAC product. I'm almost out of it and I'll probably have to repurchase it in the upcoming months!

- Dazzleglass Creme in Demure (Limited Edition) - This (along with the next three) was part of the Lavish Rose Lip Set MAC released for Holiday 2012. This shade is among the most unique. At the surface, it looks like a milky, peachy pink gloss, but look closer and it has a lovely blue iridescent sparkle to it. Stunning!

- Cremesheen Glass in Going Casual (Limited Edition) - This shade is probably my ideal. Its a super cool toned pink with lilac tones to it. Very lovely.

- Cremesheen Glass in Colour Saturation (Limited Edition) - This shade packs a good punch! I like this either alone or layered with Rebel.

- Dazzleglass in Boys Go Crazy (Limited Edition) - There are so many things about this that I love. Its purple. Its super glittery. Overall, its just fun!

Lipstick:

Amplified Cremes:



My collection of Amplified Cremes is slowly growing; I have my eye on more than a few in the permanent range as well!

- Saint Germain - Pale but bold and packs a great amount of pigment. I couple this with a similar liner to improve the application. This is the essence of girly.

- Up The Amp - Reviewed here. This shade is going to be used almost on the daily come fall. I'm really glad I finally picked this up. 

- Viva Glam Nicki 2 - Reviewed here. Not the most wearable shade for everyday, but works well with almost anything I pair it with. And when I'm feeling super bold, it packs a good amount of color!

Cremesheens:



While Cremesheens aren't exactly my favorite finish from  MAC, I sure do have a lot of them! I feel like this year, the finish has shown a good amount of improvement - I hope that is a reflection of whats to come!

- Boyfriend Stealer (Limited Edition) - Reviewed here. I'm a sucker for super vampy shades, but the sheerness to this made it more wearable. 

- Cremecup - Despite being a bit drying, this is probably one of my most worn lipsticks. It literally goes with EVERYTHING!

- Lavender Whip (Limited Edition) - Reviewed here. I fought tooth and nail to get my hands on this shade (On the first day of the launch, no less!). 100% worth the fight.

- Outrageously Fun (Limited Edition) - This shade set the bar much higher for Cremesheens. Long wear, super even and hardly dried my lips, and not to mention how pretty it is!

- Shy Girl - Every once in a while I'm feeling a coral. This is as close as I can get. Shy Girl has its place. 

- Raspberry Swirl (Limited Edition) - Reviewed here. I went back and forth about this one before I bought it. Its like Saint Germain's sheerer sister.

Frosts:



I LOATHE sparkly lipsticks. So 80's passe! But if its so fine that it looks like a shine rather than a shimmer, I'm all for it.

Angel - Like Cremecup, I get so much wear out of this shade because of the neutrality of it. Its just easy!

Bombshell - Another case of the shade I wanted even more because of the name. Its the perfect summer pink! My sister tends to steal this shade from me on quite a regular basis.

Glazes:



I really didn't understand Glazes at first. They're sheer and subtle, which in my mind was so the opposite of what I wanted in a lipstick! Turns out, they have their place.

- Beauty (Limited Edition) - Very pale, but sheer, white pink. I've worn this on its own, but it really shines when layered with other products.

- Hue - THE nude. Gives me a nude lip without giving me a zombie lip or being to brown.

- Pervette - Probably the most unique lipstick that I own. A very light lavender with an opalescent quality to it. I bought it on a whim and I'm glad that I did.


Lustre:



Have we spotted my least favorite finish? Lustres have their place, but for that short of a wear time I'll wait for a super unique shade and get more dupeable shades from drugstore ranges with similar finishes like the Revlon Lip Butters.

- Lovelorn - The shade, given needing frequent reapplication, is very pretty. It tends to garner a lot of compliments.

Mattes:



I love my mattes, and MAC has a great matte formula. They hardly dry my lips out at all!

- Diva - Reviewed here. This shade never fails to make me feel glamorous. Not to mention, I can make it through quite a lengthy day with minimal upkeep.

- Heroine (Limited Edition) - Reviewed here. When this was repromoted after I missed out on it last year, I knew that I needed it; and the compliments that I get when I wear it just seal the deal.

- Pink Plaid - Easy to wear and classic. If you found Revlon Pink Pout too sheer, you'll love this one!

- Please Me - This shade reads warmer on me than most, but in a good way. Its a great shade for the changing seasons.

- Strong Woman - I feel like this shade was very under-appreciated when it was launched late last year. I just love it. Its like if Heroine and Rebel had a baby.

- Viva Glam 1 - This was my Holiday lip for 2012. Any Christmas event I was at, this was too!

Satins:



If you love MAC's Matte formula, the Satin formula will not be too far behind. It imparts only a slight sheen for me, while maintaining the phenomenal wear time of the mattes!

- Myth - The only opaque nude that I own. With the right look, it sings!

- Daddy's Little Girl (Limited Edition) - Reviewed here. This was the showstopper of the Archie's Girls collection. Phenomenal!

- Pink Nouveau - This was my first MAC lipstick and too this day, my biggest compliment getter.

- Rebel - This shade can be blamed for my berry obsession. The first time I wore this, I felt like a total bombshell!

- Snob - Reviewed here. Pink, pastel, girly and opaque. This shade probably gets the most use out of my collection; its just SO me!

Mattenes:



I wish Mattenes were part of the permanent range. They have glorious color payoff, but wear so comfortably!

- Fresh Amour (Limited Edition) - Literally lavender. No ifs ands or buts about it. A bit avant garde, but when I found this at a CCO, I just HAD to have it.

- Nocturnal Instincts (Limited Edition) - Probably my most worn lip product of the winter of 2012-2013. I'm now seeing how little I have left and I'm going into "use sparingly" mode. I just love it. Its the perfect mauve for my skin. Super cool toned and work appropriate while maintaining my love of a bold lip. I adore this shade!

Phew! I know by this time in a few months, this post will seriously need some updating, so stay tuned for a part two eventually! Let me know what other parts of my collection you guys would like me to swatch out and feature!










April Favorites!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

April is almost over?? Where the heck did it go?! I feel like this month flew by!

A lot of the products I'm featuring this month are things I discovered this month or late last month, which is a really cool situation. I LOVE finding new products that I love! Between finding great sales, permanent range gems that I hadn't tried yet, CCO trips and MAC's new collection being on point - I'm quite pleased! It was fun trying to remember everything that I intended to feature!


Eyes:


Left to right is:

- MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (reviewed here) - This has been my ideal base for nearly every look as of late. I've been using it like it is going out of style and I've hardly made a dent in it!

- MAC Eyeshadow in Copperplate (reviewed here) - I swatched this in store and knew I had to have it. The pigmentation of this one is phenomenal; its definitely already a staple in my collection.

- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze (reviewed here) - Between the compliments I received whenever I wore this shade and the flawless application, this shade got a lot of wear this month.

Lips: 



- Smashbox Double Ended Lip Enhancing Gloss in Luxe and Catwalk (reviewed here) - Two Smashbox glosses for $10? Yes please. Catwalk was a nice, neutral shade, while Luxe made me want to pout everywhere I went! (Still available on ULTA's website!)

- Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Smooth Kiss Glossy Lip Butter in Ooh La La - This hasn't left my bedside table since I purchased it. It's super moisturizing and tastes like cotton candy!

- MAC Lipstick in Up The Amp (reviewed here) - I put this off for so long, but it was inevitable that I'd fall in love with a shade like this one.

- MAC Baking Beauties Lipstick in Lavender Whip (reviewed here) - You didn't expect me to find a wearable take on Lavender and NOT love it, did you?? The formulation of this shade was on point too!

Face:


- MAC Baking Beauties Pearlmatte Face Powder in Pink Buttercream (reviewed here) - After I got past being afraid to mess it up, I've definitely fallen in love with this product. The cool tones work beautifully with my skin. And, I will not lie, I'm a sucker for a good presentation.

- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade (reviewed here) - I found this during my CCO blitz last month, and the rest is history. I should have stocked up, since I use this almost every other day!

- NARS Blush in Sin (reviewed here) - So I'm kind of cheating, since I just bought this about a week ago. However, this shade is already at Holy Grail status. I ADORE it.

- Pixi Correction Concentrate (reviewed here) - This stuff was a Godsend this week. Early mornings, hardly any sleep and long work days equated to a very tired looking face. Enter this incredible stuff and I look good as new!


 Tools:

Ulta Professional Blush Brush - I purchased this as part of a kit. Turns out that this is quickly becoming one of my favorite blush brushes. Between the density, domed shape and the color that allows me to see how much product I'm picking up, this has been a superstar with my more pigmented blushes.

Body:


- Victoria's Secret Fantasies Citrus Dream Body Splash - You had me at grapefruit.
- Victoria's Secret Angel Italian Bergamot - While a lot of companies are doing at least something with Bergamot lately, I'm in LOVE with this fragrance. I'll be purchasing at least one more, since it's limited edition.
- Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer - I received this through Influenster and the rest is history. So easy and super moisturizing!

Nails:


- Essie Sew Psyched - Medium/dark sage green. Not only was this shade a breeze to apply but it was stunning against my skin!

- Essie Go Ginza - I don't need anymore lavender polishes; but for this shade I made the exception.

- Essie In The Cab-ana - This shade is one of the most fun I've come across in a while and a total compliment getter. It's a must have!

- China Glaze Refresh-Mint - Rumor has it that I've been banned from buying anymore mint polishes as well. This one differs from the remainder of my collection as it has more blue. Super pale and stunning.

What were you all stoked on this April? Let me know!


Review - MAC Baking Beauties Lipstick in Raspberry Swirl.

Friday, April 26, 2013

When I first hauled the Baking Beauties collection, I just stuck with Lavender Whip and Pink Buttercream - Telling myself that if Raspberry Swirl was still in stock the next week..well, it was just meant to be. I may be doing the same thing for Pure Decoration as well, after seeing it look totally stunning on someone I ran into today!

But really; is this the year of the Cremesheens or something? Good Gravy! I feel like all we've seen is Cremesheens!




Raspberry Swirl is a Limited Edition shade in the Baking Beauties collection. I do not recall if this shade has been released in past collections - I'm fairly sure it is new for this year. As stated above, it has a Cremesheen finish and MAC describes the shade as a "light white blue pink". The description is pretty spot on; it is a pale, very cool toned baby pink with a semi-opaque finish.

I personally feel that MAC has made an improvement in their Cremesheen formula - I've found the Cremesheens released this year to be more even on the lips, and this shade is (mostly) included. Raspberry Swirl applied far more evenly than shades of similar paleness (Creme Cup, Shy Girl), with only minimal un-evenness at the lip lines. This shade had the same kind of stain-like look to it that Lavender Whip did.

The wear time was shorter, as I basically expected for a shade like this. This was something that the shade shared with the average, light hued Cremesheen; the short wear time. It did travel as it faded a bit, and though I can definitely say that I've seen worse, I was left with a little bit of color at my liplines and not much anywhere else. The shade itself was as drying as the average Cremesheen for me; which kind of surprised me, as the newer Cremesheens have been feeling a lot better on my lips this year.

MAC is no stranger to this kind of shade, which is why I restricted myself from purchasing it early on. While I have a myriad of similar shades, I narrowed it down to ones that were close enough to be possible dupes.


On the left is MAC Raspberry Swirl, middle is MAC Saint Germain and the right is NARS Roman Holiday. Saint Germain is a touch more of a whiter pink, which makes it appear slightly less blue than Raspberry Swirl. It is also a bit more opaque, as it has an Amplified Creme finish, but the two look quite similar on the lips. Roman Holiday was a little pinker and less white, but the sheerness of this shade made it a bit similar as well. Neither are spot on dupes, but they both look quite similar applied.

Overall;

Pros:

- Applied more evenly than what I was used to for Cremesheens.
- Had a stain like look to the shade.

Cons:

- Short wear time.
- Drying.
- Uneven fading.

The shade was fun and very pretty, but its not essential. If you're not able to get your hands on this before it sells out, Saint Germain would be a great option for you.

7/10




Review - NARS Blush in Sin.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Just a quick heads up, the next week or so will be a bit busy around here; I'll try to keep some momentum going, but if you don't see me for a few days - don't fret! As soon as things level out, posts will be back to normal. That being said; I'm planning on posting my April Favorites as early as this evening for that very reason.

Now onto the good stuff!

Have you ever purchased a product and wondered, "why on Earth did I wait so long to buy this"? That is literally me, right now. NARS Sin has to be not only my favorite new blush, but it is up there with Illamasqua Katie and MAC Full of Joy for one of my favorite blushes EVER.


Here goes by spiel about the rubberized black packaging with a full sized mirror that gets dirty if you even think about using it.


UGH. Look at it! Its even just pretty to look at. Perfect.


On NARS' website, Sin is described as a "berry tone with gold shimmer". It is a cool, mauve-y berry with a golden sheen that does not pull too warm. The blush itself, for that matter, does not pull very warm at all, rather cool (ish) to neutral.

In terms of pigmentation, this shade is on par with Seduction rather than Orgasm. I don't have to do much work to get decent color payoff - I rather prefer using this blush with a lighter colored brush to see how much I'm picking up, since this is such a neutral toned shade. It can be overdone, but this shade was far easier to blend out to tone down than what I've been used to; it was a nice change!

Wear time was the average for me, about 5-6 hours before it faded a bit and at 7-8 hours it was mostly gone.

Pros:

- Neutral tone; neither too cool or warm.
- Blends quite easily.
- Great pigmentation.
- Average wear time.

Cons:

- ? Nada!

I'm in love with this blush. Its not a neutral, but its not a statement shade. It isn't super bold, but its not boring or predictable. The neutral tones are why its winning so much with me. This is probably the beginning of an obsession.

10/10. - I SUPER-Recommend this. Love!


The Body Shop Earth Day Haul!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

I only intended to buy one thing, so I could redeem my coupon for the Earth Day freebie they were running on Monday. One thing! Ha!

I left with a bit more than I intended, but coupled with two sales and my love for The Body Shop in general, I left with a bag full of goodies, for less than $30!


Starting on the left, I chose the Mini Coconut Body Scrub and the Mini Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub, which were 2 for $10 - psst! They're on sale for $3.60 on TBS' website right now! I have the correlating body butters in these fragrances (one day I'll give in and show you my collection of body butters from the brand in general! I'm obsessed!) and I seriously lack in body scrubs, so why the heck not? 

To the right is the free product that I received for the Earth Day promotion - The Earth Lovers Fig and Rosemary Shower Gel, which is usually $10 but on sale for $5 on the brand's website right now! I love the fragrance of this; kind of woodsy with a kick to it. I used it today and it was wonderful! By the way, there are no sulfates, colorings or parabens in this product and it is completely biodegradable! 

Next I chose two of the Colour Crush Eye Shadows - Coconuts About You, which is a deep, cool toned brown matte, and Fig Leaf, a sage green shimmer. I've heard people already raving about the Colour Crush Mattes, so I had to partake, and since they were BOGO1/2 I decided on a green as well. 

Last but not least, I picked up a single use of the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion scrub. I believe I've tried this before, but I'm ready to revisit it - and it was super cheap.

Anyone else visit The Body Shop to pick up their Earth Day freebie? What did you guys haul?

Keep tuned later this week I've you're a body butter fiend like I am. We're going to have a talk about those soon!

Sephora Chic Week Haul!

Monday, April 22, 2013

On the off moment that Sephora actually runs a sale, I will jump at it!

I actually went to one of the Sephora locations inside of JCP, because they had a UD Shadow that I wanted that was limited to the JCP stores. In turn, I received wonderful customer service there and I left super happy!



I left with a NARS Blush in Sin - which I've been lemming over for quite some time now; its stunning, and two Urban Decay Eyeshadows in Laced (new) and Snare (only available on UD's website and Sephora in JCP locations). I cant wait to start playing with these; I'll hopefully have reviews up by the end of this week!



Review - MAC Baking Beauties Pearlmatte Face Powder in Pink Buttercream.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Okay so maybe I'm a sucker for a good presentation. This product can be added to the "I didn't really need it, but its really pretty so I bought it" list..and incidentally is getting longer and longer. But really, look at this thing and tell me it isn't just gorgeous!




Its almost too pretty to use; I just don't want to disturb the design. However, I've gotten confirmation from my local MAC counter that the design runs through the entire product, so you're not going to run out of the periwinkle leaves at the top when you're done with the first layer. The only overspray in this is the silver around the edges.

MAC describes Pink Buttercream as a "light silvery pink base with dark pink flowers and periwinkle leaves". It does lean a bit more pale pink than any of my highlighting products of the same type and, as you can see from the photo, is a good shade for my skin. It's very cool toned, as my natural tone is, so it applies very naturally on me! It isn't the most pigmented highlighting product I have, but in turn its much easier to not overdo this one. The wear time was a little better than what I expected; it stuck around a goof 5 hours before being noticeably faded.

Overall;

Pros:

- Fantastic option for those with very fair to fair skin and cool undertones.
- Great presentation, beautiful to look at.
- Finely milled, no glitter.
- Design runs through the product; not an overspray.

Cons:

- Pigmentation could be stronger.

I was thrilled as to how this shade reacted against my skin. Given it's cooler tones, I can definitely find myself getting a whole lot of use out of this.

9/10


Review - MAC Baking Beauties Lipstick in Lavender Whip.

You can't begin to imagine the total "grabby hands" reaction I had when this collection was first announced. Lavender has been my favorite color as of late, so I NEEDED this lippie.

I went to my usual counter; as they don't get quite as much traffic as the other local counters, assuming that I would have no problem. Turns out, they were already sold out of Lavender Whip - on the first day! That didn't even happen with Heroine, from the Fashion Sets collection! I was shocked; so I picked up Pink Buttercream just in case it would be sold out at my next destination and jetted off to another counter.

Finally in my desperation, Lavender Whip is in my possession - and I'm kinda kicking myself for not buying multiples.




There are rumors floating around on the interwebs that this year's version of Lavender Whip is pinker and less lavender than the original from the Quite Cute collection. While I do not have the original, mine swatches a bit more pink than most of the swatches I've seen for the original Lavender Whip, so I'm going to venture to infer that this year's is less purple, more pink.

MAC describes the shade as a "light cool lavender" with a Cremesheen finish. Its a slightly less pastel take on lavender than what I expected, and on the lips it had a bit of brightness to it; against my NW15 skin, it was actually quite flattering. The pink tones in it definitely made it more wearable, but it had enough lavender to where it didn't just look like a pale, blue based pink. It had this depth to it that I didn't expect.

I normally don't fare well with Cremesheens; I usually find them quite drying and that they have an incredibly short wear time. Lavender Whip fared better than the average Cremesheen for me (light shades like Creme Cup and Shy Girl being among the worst offenders) but not as great as the best, and maybe fluke Cremesheen that I own (Outrageously Fun - if it hadn't said Cremesheen, I wouldn't have guess that it had that finish!). 

Lavender Whip was semi-opaque and could be built to complete opacity. What was achieved was a quite flattering creamy finish, without being overly glossy and didn't look thick on the lips. It applied so evenly that I was quite impressed, and didn't gather at my lip lines or look like it was awkwardly sitting on top of my lips. Just a very beautiful application. It did have a shorter wear time, but I was able to milk it for 2 hours before I really needed to reapply, as it had lost its vibrancy and finish. I found that it was a bit drying toward my 6th to 7th hour of wear (after a couple reapplications); not the worst drying I've dealt with, but I could have used some major lip balm. 

One thing that I did not expect was for this shade to stain. For how light it is, I found it very strange that I had a very subtle, cool pink stain on my lips. Very peculiar, but maybe this is partially why the finish was so even and beautiful? 

Lavender is definitely a shade family that I gravitate towards, so I had a couple similars in my collection, but no dupes - surprisingly!


From left to right is; MAC Fresh Amour - Far more purple and opaque with a semi matte finish, MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 - paler and more pastel, MAC Lavender Whip, NYX Power - probably the most similar, but pinker and more opaque, and MAC Nocturnal Instinct - which was pinker and a semi matte.  NYX Power is quite similar, but it lacks the almost stain like quality that Lavender Whip had. If you're struggling to get your hands on Lavender Whip, Power will work.


Overall;

Pros:

- Beautiful even application.
- Did not move around on the lips or accentuate lip lines.
- Wearable take on lavender.

Cons:

- Drying.
- Short wear time.

Because of how flattering this shade was against my skin, I'm willing to deal with a bit of drying and reapplication. Its simply a stunning shade to wear, even if it had it's shortcomings in it's formula.

8.5/10


Review - Smashbox Double Ended Lip Enhancing Gloss in Luxe/Catwalk. - ULTA Exclusive.

Friday, April 19, 2013

This product available exclusively to ULTA and it seems to be for a limited time. When I asked where these were, they were held at the cash wrap and the cashier said "I think we might have some left" which leads me to believe that my location was running low on them. If you're super stoked on these, I'd go sooner rather than later to look for one. They retail for $10 (sale price according to ULTA, and they normally go for $30) and are available in three different color options. It bears mentioning that these shades are not available separately in a full size.

Did I need it? No. But what a phenomenal deal! And I do actually very much like Smashbox's gloss formula.


The product has a gloss on each end and the lid, for all intents and purposes, in the middle. It's not 100% certain which is Luxe and which is Catwalk, but being that the "Luxe/Catwalk" sticker is printed on the bottom of the shimmery shade with the Smashbox logo on it, I'm going to infer that the shimmery shade is Luxe and the Peachy Pink shade is Catwalk. 


Luxe



Luxe is a pearly, pale, peachy pink. Out of the two shades, this one was my favorite. Its quite sheer, but when I wore this by itself it was very flattering on the lips. The shimmer made my lips appear full and pouty. The shade wore about 2 hours before it was completely gone, and as with normal wear for Smashbox glosses, was lightweight and not sticky in the least. 


Catwalk



Catwalk is a very sheer baby pink with strong peach tones to it. It wasn't all to apparent on my lips, but it gave me a little bit more of a "something" than wearing a clear gloss. I think it would fare much better as a layering shade. It had the same consistency, sans glitter, as Luxe, but the wear time was a tad shorter.

Overall;

Pros:

- Both are great layering shades.
- Luxe had an average wear time.
- Luxe was particularly very flattering.
- No stickiness 
- Very subtle vanilla fragrance - smells like ice cream!

Cons:

- Catwalk was quite sheer.
- Catwalk had a shorter wear time.


This isn't my first go at these - I have the Aura/Mulberry gloss duo from a while back (discontinued), so I already kind of knew what I was getting myself into. Smashbox has one of my favorite gloss formulas, due to the consistency, but I feel like Catwalk could have had some more color payoff to it. Overall, I really want to reiterate that if you want one, don't wait. I don't think these are going to stick around much longer, and again, it is ULTA Exclusive. 

The Lip Enhancing Gloss Range is available in full sizes as well, just not in any of the shades in the duos.

8/10

Design by | SweetElectric