I just wanted to remind you all that after tomorrow, you will no longer be able to use Google Reader! But fear not, there are other ways that you can make sure you're updated on everything that happens here! Head on over to BlogLovin or SheSaidBeauty to keep reading day in, and day out!

Thanks guys, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday Night!

Review - MAC Eyeshadow in Sumptuous Olive

I've probably had the best luck in terms of CCO finds this year. Anything that I've been lemming on getting my hands on, I've run into it. This time, however, I managed to find a product - part of the permanent range - that I literally almost purchased at the MAC store at full price earlier that day. I don't know why Sumptuous Olive was at my local CCO, but I'm not going to complain about it!

In case you were wondering - I finally depotted all of my MAC eyeshadows so I could put them in a palette. Half to save space, and half to have them all in one spot!

MAC describes Sumptuous Olive as a "khaki with pearl" with Veluxe Pearl finish. Its a medium olive green with strong gold tones. I really like this shade because the green to it makes for a flattering gold tone where other golds fail against my skin. I didn't have anything all too similar, but rather a whole lot of things that would work well with this. 

With this being the first Veluxe Pearl that I've tried, I can say I'm quite interested in trying more with the finish. It is buttery and pigmented - and feels a lot like a Urban Decay eyeshadow in formula. It applied very well and blended easily. I wore this over Urban Decay Sin with MAC Copperplate in the crease, and it ended up being a really nice take on a neutral eye with just a hint of color. In terms of wear time, I saw no problem whatsoever and it didn't fade or crease.

Overall;

Pros:

- Unique shade.

- Rich pigmentation.

- Blends well.

- Good wear time.

- Can be paired with a large range of colors.

Cons:

- None!

If all Veluxe Pearls are like this, sign me up! I'm totally loving this one and I can't wait to try more!

10/10 Recommended!

June Favorites!

So before I begin; My camera is on the fritz. For some reason my battery refuses to charge and I'm somewhat fearing that I'll have to replace it - so in the meantime you guys will be subjected to my mobile photos until I figure things out! GRR!

June basically flew by - I feel like I just posted my May favorites yesterday! Here goes!

Eyes:

Clockwise from the top left is the MAC Lady Gray Quad, Hard Candy Green With Envy Palette (reviewed here) and MAC Sumptuous Olive. A pretty cohesive group here, don't you think?

- MAC Lady Gray Quad - I found this at a CCO this month, and it was originally part of the MAC Me Over collection in 2011, so I'm kind of surprised that it was still available. The top two shades are All Races, which is a stunning matte, pale taupe that was a dream to work with and perfect for my complexion, and Tendersmoke with was a frost finish and a soft lilac. The bottom two shades are Lady Gray (the quad's namesake) which is a satin greenish cool toned gray, and Hazy Gray which is a veluxe pearl and a slightly olive toned taupey shade. I just love this quad. All shadows were soft and pigmented, and Hazy Gray definitely makes me want to try some more Veluxe Pearls (it was my first one!). 

- Hard Candy Green With Envy - 10 shadows. $6 Bucks. Infinite green possibilities. I was quite impressed with this one.

- MAC Sumptuous Olive - Are we sensing a pattern here? I've been wanting this for some time now, and despite its permanent status, I found it at a CCO for cheaper. Score!

Face :

On the left is Hard Candy Glow All the Way in Dollface, followed in the middle by MAC Immortal Flower (reviewed here) on top and Pixi Subtly Suntouched (reviewed here) on the bottom, with the Boots No. 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation in Cool Ivory on the right.

- Hard Candy Glow All the Way in Dollface - I purchased this for two reasons; the swatches looked quite similar to NARS Copacabana, for one, and just look at how much product you are getting for only $6! I've been using this a whole bunch and thanks to Dustin Hunter's video on the Armani Fluid Sheers and how to apply them, I've been using his technique with this and getting great results!

- MAC Immortal Flower - The only thing I hauled from the All About Orange collection. I was just really excited that this was repromoted after I missed it in the Tres Cheek collection last year. I really like the texture to this, and it has really great pigmentation.

- Pixi Subtly Suntouched - Its almost a bronzer, so it counts as me wearing bronzer right? This has one of the softest textures I've tried in a face product and was worth the splurge.

- Boots No. 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation - I tried this after it was noted by Lisa Eldridge as one of her favorite foundations to work with. I remember being interested after she explained the finish and amount of coverage. While I wish there was a tad bit more coverage, this keeps my face nice and matte for much longer than anything else I've tried.

Brushes:

On the left is the Target Up and Up Crease Brush and the right is the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

- Target Up and Up Crease Brush - Who would have thought I'd be reaching to a Target brand brush almost every day? This can get a tiny bit scratchy sometimes, but the way it deposits color and blends is actually fantastic. I may get a couple backups for when this one is dirty!

- Real Techniques Buffing Brush - I may have featured this before, but I assure you that this time it is for a different reason. I've changed from using the Real Techniques Stippling Brush to this one for buffing in and blending my foundation and I feel like this gives me such a soft, airbrushed look. I LOVE it.

Lips:

From left to right, these are;

- Revlon New Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Super Natural - I think this is the perfect pinky nude gloss for my skin and I've been going to this whenever I wore a bright, bold eye look to tie everything together without putting too much color on my lips.

- Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss - Everyone and their brother has been raving about these in the blogging community, so I tried it out. This repairs my chapped lips like a dream and has a nice, sweet, nutty fragrance to it that isn't overbearing.

- MAC Lipglass in Docile - If you didn't already guess, I found this one at a CCO this month as well. It was originally part of the Fabulous Felines and Jeanius collections. Its a pale, pinky lavender with a opalescent quality. The color is what sells it for me, as the formula is mediocre (sticky!!) for me. Fashion over function right? For something so pretty, I'll deal with a bit of stickiness. 

- MAC Viva Glam II (reviewed here) - My perfect matte (ish), nude, "my lips but better" and "I can wear this with anything" shade. I never thought a shade like this would flatter me, either. Now I'm in love!

Fragrance:

On the left is;

- Bath and Body Works Cherry Blossom - I've been wearing this fragrance for YEARS and they just discontinued it. Needless to say, I stocked up, but it also rekindled my love for it in the process.

- Bath and Body Works White Tea and Ginger - If it's tea, I'm sold. I love this fragrance because its not something that I encounter a lot of people wearing, so I feel like it sets me apart. And you know, it smells like tea, and thats a total plus.

Hair:

- Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Finishing Paste - Since I chopped all of my hair off recently, I've been using this to accentuate my layers and make my ends "super flippy!". It isn't sticky in the least and dries down to an undetectable finish. And it smells like citrus. YUM.

Garnier wins the award for most DIFFICULT Website to navigate. Take a look - what a pain in the butt!

So there they are, folks! A lot of CCO finds, and a lot of Youtube recommendations! What were you all loving this month?

Review - Darling Girl Cosmetics Kiss You Off: Color Rich Lip Balm in Honey Love

Note - I was sent this product as a part of a discounted sample set for review and testing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am not being compensated for a good review. If you have any questions pertaining to my reviews of press samples, please visit my disclosure tab.

So this evening I received an email in my inbox, letting me know that my newest Darling Girl shipment of loot has been sent! Hopefully it will be here tomorrow, as once the product ships from the brand, it usually gets here super duper quick! I can't wait.

Honey Love is the second lip product by the brand that I've tried, but the other one I have was discontinued before I had a chance to review it!

It bears mentioning that all lip products from the brand are on a sold out basis - I emailed the company's owner and she told me it would be a brief hiatus as an ingredient had been discontinued by the distributor. They should be back soon!

Darling Girl Cosmetics describes Honey Love as a "gorgeous, honeyed pink" with a semi-opaque finish. Against my cool toned skin, its a very flattering nude with warm pink undertones. These are the kind of nudes that I gravitate towards, especially in the summer, because they pair well with colorful eye looks, but don't pale my lips out and make me look ill.

The formulation of these is actually rather unique. Because it is a pigmented balm product, I kind of expected it to be like the Revlon Lip Butters. Now, these aren't matte at all, but they don't have half the sheen as the Lip Butters and are much more like a lipstick in comparison. Honey love was actually quite comfortable to wear, and I kind of feel like it is due to this finish. It adheres to the lips well and has quite an emollient quality to it at the same time, without being overly gloss and sliding around. It had a little slip to it, but was very different than most products of the same family that I've tried, which I liked.

I wore this on a day where my lips weren't in good form; my lips were chapped and I think I was slightly dehydrated. While this wasn't a miracle fix to my lips, it wore comfortably and did no harm. This could be due to ingredients such as Sweet Almond Oil, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter and Avocado Butter that are found in the product. If I can wear this on one of my worst lip days with success, imagine how great it must be when my lips are in better shape. The color itself stuck around for about 2 hours, which wasn't groundbreaking, but it didn't disappear right away.

Overall;

Pros - 

- Unique and comfortable texture

- Moisturizing qualities.

- Great nude lip option.

- No fragrance.

Cons - 

- Could have a longer wear time.

I really like the texture and finish to this. I just felt that it was unique for a balm like product, and it makes me want to try more from the range. Check these out when they're available again!

9/10

Review - Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched

It's no secret that I have quite fair skin. I range anywhere between a NW10-NW15 at MAC, Ivory from Revlon, etc. so bronzer and I have a strange relationship. I don't often wear it, as it takes a lot of work in both application and the search for an appropriate color for me to achieve a believable glow. Most famed bronzers that are "for all skin tones" are oftentimes only appropriate for contouring on my skin, but for me to actually use one in lieu of a tan is difficult. Until now, at least.

The product is packaged in a pot with a lid that twists off and the lid is completely transparent with the company's logo on it. The rest of the packaging is a plastic matte mint green that doesn't get dirty or hold fingerprints.

The actual powder is embossed with the logo as well, which is quite cute. There also isn't much wasted packaging, as the pan takes up the whole diameter. 

Subtly Suntouched is described by Pixi as a "medium honey tan" and is surprisingly less warm toned than most bronzers that I've encountered. This, alongside it's lighter hue, makes it actually incredibly flattering against my skin. This isn't a shade that you're going to apply in the "E3" technique - its too light to do much contouring - but it works phenomenally applied in the same area as a blush with a somewhat heavy hand, which is my normal manner of application, or applied anywhere on the face that would naturally be hit by the sun. Pigmentation is good, nothing lifechanging, but easy to work with.

The texture of this product is also quite great - it's very soft and finely milled, and buttery to the touch. Because of this, it blends very well and I feel like that is why this shade ends up coming off so natural looking.

Pixi boasts that the formula is infused with Vitamin E and that it will fight against free radicals, as well as Mica causing it to have a long wear time. It did have a quite decent wear time, which was the only measurable claim from the mere consumer level, but it makes me think that maybe if they're delivering on one front, they might be able to deliver on all three?

Overall;

Pros:

- Flattering, natural shade.

- Soft and finely milled

- Blendable

Cons:

- Could use a bit more pigmentation.

If you're super fair skinned, as I am - run, don't walk to your nearest Target and pick this up. For me to actually wear bronzer on a normal basis was unheard of, but this shade is so natural that it is just perfect for summer.

9.5/10

Review - Hard Candy Top Ten Eyeshadow Palette in Green With Envy

For me, shopping at Walmart is pretty much only on a "if I have to" basis. My local Walmart locations are beyond gross - and if I'm being completely honest, sometimes the lowest prices that the company boasts are not enough to make me willingly walk through those doors.

Occasionally I'll suck it up, and venture - hand sanitizer ready to go - into that big blue building. Usually it's for something I can't find elsewhere, like the brand Hard Candy. Hard Candy has been a brand that has surprised me in the last few years. The quality oftentimes exceeds the lower price tag - which is always an awesome feeling. I've been looking to try their eyeshadows for some time now, so I found the perfect opportunity when I found this palette - which comes in 5 color options total - for a mere $6!

Don't be fooled by the photo - the palette itself really isn't that giant. Its about 2/3 of the length of the Urban Decay Naked Palette and a little over half of the width. The lace accent is only on the lower half of the top lid, and does arrive with quite an indent because of the way the brand packaged the included eyeliner along with it. The lid itself is tough - its definitely not going to fly open on you, but it can be a pain to open. 

Green With Envy contains 10 eyeshadows - which are somewhat organized by shade, as the more neutral shades are on the left and the greener shades are on the right. There is also a half mirror on the lid. 

Starting at the left end of the palette, the shadows swatched from left to right are;

- An opalescent pale taupe. This shade bears a good similarity to Urban Decay YDK, but may be a bit more gray. It was a little too gray to be a brow highlight, but made a good overall base. Good pigmentation.

- A light brown with neutral tones. This was a good allover lid to browbone shade and had a shimmery finish without being too frosty. Pretty, pigmented, but not all too unique.

- A warm medium brown. This one had pretty great pigmentation and made a great lid shade. Minor shimmer.

- A deep, espresso shade. Like the one before it, this shade has only a minor bit of shimmer, and wasn't really frosty at all. This shade made a wonderful crease shade and blended very well.

- A dark chartreuse - This one goes back to the super shimmery, almost frosty finish. It was actually pretty darn easy to work with and made a great base for a super gradient green look. I was surprised that this shade was flattering on me, as I normally can't do something so yellow toned. 

- A metallic emerald shade. This one had great pigmentation and the sheen was still quite pronounced on the eye. Again, though, quite an easy to find shade.

- A dark sage green with silver microglitter. I was a bit wary about this one because of the glitter, but when applied with care, the shade itself is really pretty. It also only caused a small amount of fallout - like the one stubborn particle of glitter that would not leave my left cheekbone!

- A subdued, dark emerald. Not really my favorite of the bunch, as it was just a little..blah. It was a touch sheerer then the rest of the bunch and had a soft shimmer to it. It did, however, work well as a transition crease shade.

- A blackened emerald teal shade with a shimmery finish. This shade reminded me a bit of UD Loaded, but a little more blue. I wore this in the crease and it was super pretty.

- A medium golden olive. This shade, surprisingly, was my favorite of the bunch. Its in the same shade family as MAC Sumptuous Olive, and would probably pair quite well with it. It has a shimmery, almost metallic finish and was great allover the lid.

What surprised me is that there really weren't any duds in this bunch. There were a couple dupable shades, but other than that there was pretty great quality across the board. I didn't encounter any issues with sheerness or chalkiness, and all were more or less easy to apply. The more metallic shades, however, fared very well with a flat brush versus a fluffy one. The wear time of the shades in this palette were also quite good. Over just primer I had at least 8-10 hours before I noticed any kind of fading - and they never really faded away or creased, but rather just became a touch less vibrant.

For quick testing purposes I broke this palette up into only two looks (so I could get it tested quicker) - wearing the first four shades on the left along with the last shade on the right in one, and the five remaining greener shades in the other. The great thing about this palette, is that since these shades work together so well, its going to be pretty easy to get a whole lot of different looks out of this. My biggest complaint is the lack of a browbone highlight. If its a one and done palette, it needs a brow highlight - In my opinion - so if this is something that you are looking to travel with, you may want to throw a single highlight shade in your bag with it.

Overall -

Pros:

- Good pigmentation across the board.
- All shades worked well together, many possible looks.
- Longwearing

Cons:

- Needs a browbone shade.
- Could use a better range of finishes.


I'm quite pleased with this palette - at a $6 price tag for 10 pretty great eyeshadows, I can probably deal with having to lug around a separate eyeshadow for a browbone highlight - yes, I'm really that stuck on it! I've yet to try any of the other four color options, but Green With Envy is a go!

8/10

Review - Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint in Tuscan Blood Orange

I purchased this product as part of a set, alongside the brand's famed Tuscan Orange Body Butter and Rollerball Perfume of the same fragrance. I will be reviewing all three separately, as they are all available separately.

A while back Mary from Neon Chipmunk Makeup posted a review of the nearly cult classic Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter, and ever since I've been wanting to pick it up. Finally, I gave in and bought the set, and I'm loving it!

So this is probably one of the biggest lip balms I've encountered in my day. There isn't much wasted space in packaging either - its a behemoth of a balm. I'm not 100% sure if the one sold outside of the set is as large, but this one is pretty huge. The diameter of it alone is from the tip of my finger to my first knuckle - nearly twice the size of the average lipstick/balm. Instead of twisting at the bottom to push the product up, it twists at the top - which is strange, as I find myself constantly trying to twist the bottom as I'm not yet used to it.

The product itself is actually quite pretty to look at. It is not one uniform color across, but rather has a marbling finish similar to a Baked Blush or MAC Mineralize Skinfinish. Very pretty.

Tuscan Blood Orange reads as a sheer, dark peach with very fine and subtle shimmer. It applied mostly evenly, but did get a bit patchy rather than fading evenly. The only shade I could find that was similar to this was Revlon Peach Parfait Lip Butter, but that was darker, less orange toned and had microglitters.

On my lips, this product felt like the average balm. It deposited a good amount of moisture, but wasn't something that is going to fix a giant amount of damage on your lips. It is infused with Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter.

The biggest thing about this product is the fragrance, as you could well imagine. Since this is based on the fragrance itself, it is highly fragrance with the iconic Tuscan Blood Orange fragrance. If you are sensitive to products that are heavily fragranced/flavored, this one may not be for you. It didn't bother me - probably because it smells good :) - but I can definitely forsee myself kind of avoiding this when my medication is making me sick, as the fragrance has a good amount of power.

Overall;

Pros:

- Unique Shade

- Natural Ingredients

- Good amount of product

Cons:

- Heavy fragrance and flavor may not be for everyone.

Do I like this? Yes. Is it a holy grail? No. It is a tinted lip balm, and a darn good one at that, but if it is pricier than Chapstick, it needs to moisturize better than Chapstick.

7/10

Review - Wet N Wild ColorIcon Bronzer SPF 15 in Reserve Your Cabana

Is it Friday yet? Because this hasn't exactly been my week. Between work being disappointingly slow and getting hit by sucky side effects from my medication and a (likely lack of caffeine induced) migraine yesterday, I couldn't get much of anything accomplished. Ugh!

On a lighter note, I picked up this "Bronzer" by Wet N Wild, which is really more of a highlighter - you'll see - and to put it lightly, its freaking awesome!

Drug facts are included on the back of the packaging, as this product contains SPF 15, as well as a Skin Cancer/Skin Aging warning (Thank You, Wet N Wild!).

The powder itself is embossed with the brand's name and a sun motif.

So the Reserve Your Cabana "Bronzer" really isn't much of a bronzer, but rather an incredibly pigmented highlighter. It does have warm tones to it, but not so incredibly warm that it looked unnatural against my skin - actually, rather the opposite. The powder is incredibly finely milled and soft, and the amount of pigmentation is spectacular. All I have to do is lightly dust a small, domed brush  to the surface and roll it across my cheekbones. 

One of my favorite things about this product is the natural finish to it. Yes, its incredibly pigmented - but it isn't all too frosty. Between the buttery texture and the fine sheen, it imparts such a believable sheen that I've probably reached for it a good 5 days out of the last week.

In all honesty, in a blind test - I probably would have mistaken this for something costing $30 rather than $4.

I've also yet to have any kind of issue with the packaging, as I've run into in the past with budget brands such as Wet N Wild, NYC, etc. The lid snaps shut nicely and doesn't feel all to flimsy.

Overall;

Pros:

- Great pigmentation.

- Buttery and finely milled.

- SPF 15.

- Large amount of product.

- Natural finish.

Cons:

- None!

I'm quite the sucker for highlighters and illuminators, but when a product that sets me back a mere $4 works as great as gems like MAC Lightscapade and NARS Albatross? Lets just say I'm pleasantly surprised. I'll be picking up one of the actual Bronzers from this range to try it out.

You read that correctly. I am going to actually wear bronzer for once. Alert the presses! 

10/10 I'm definitely loving this!

It's That Time of Year Again - My Not Too Expensive Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale Haul!

January and June is the sale lover's mantra - many retailers house their Semi-Annual Sales in the first week of January (right after Christmas, duh!) and around the second week of June (to kick of summer in style!). I've hit the Semi-Annual Sales at Bath and Body Works, Victoria's Secret and Yankee Candle (and finally got my hands on one of my old favorites, Almond Cookie!!! Squee!)

In terms of the dollar amount, I had my coupons ready to do some damage but in all reality, I only spent about $30!

What did I get???

Cherry Blossom Body Mist and Body Cream - I've been wearing this fragrance since I was about 13 years old (going on 10 years!) and I was devastated when I found out that they were discontinuing it. It's not a complete discontinue, as it will be available online, but definitely not as easy as strolling into the store after work every once in a while! I still love it just as much as I did in my teen years and it garnered a ton of compliments when I wore it this week! Cherry Blossom is a mix of cherry blossoms, watermelon and sandalwood.

White Tea and Ginger Body Mist and Juniper Breeze Body Mist - I am a tea fiend, so it doesn't surprise me that I was drawn to this fragrance. This is a classic fragrance from the brand and was temporarily brought back for Semi-Annual Sale and it definitely lives up to what I was hoping! I love this so much that I talked my best friend into buying it the next day when we went out shopping! White Tea and Ginger is a mix of Green Tea, Earl Gray Tea and Ginger.

Juniper Breeze another classic fragrance brought back for the sale. I remember when this was part of the regular lineup, but I never wore it before. I decided to give it a chance and I really enjoy the earthy, plant like quality to it. It is a mix of Juniper, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang.  

And can I just mention how much I love that these are packaged in the old bottles??? Maybe I'm just a creature of habit, but out of all the bottles that I've seen from Bath and Body Works, probably because of the nostalgia of them....and let us just forget the weird square-ish angular ones - ugh!

I'm definitely not a stranger to Bath and Body Work's Aromatherapy line, so how did I not know that this fragrance existed?? Not only is it part of the stress relief line (trust me, it works), but it has Sandalwood - we all know how fond I am of Sandalwood. Mixing it with Rose was genius - I love this fragrance so much. Not to mention it was only $6 for a whole lot of product in a nice glass bottle with a pump!

So this one is a bit of a cheat...I've been lemming for this candle for some time now, but given my extensive candle stash, I couldn't bring myself to buy the large one, but when I stumbled across this I was so excited. It has a smaller size of the candle for almost half the price and the box is adorable and decorative. I plan on going back to give the Paris, Rio and Italy candles a stiff!

So that's it! Not saying that I'm 100% done - but I definitely got what I intended to buy from the get go. What did you guys haul from Bath and Body Works' Semi-Annual Sale?

Review - MAC Viva Glam II

I didn't intend to start purchasing the Viva Glam lipsticks in order, but since I got the first two in order, might as well go with it - surprise, next one I intend to acquire is III, and so forth.

By now, most of you know the fund behind the Viva Glam Lipstick range - 100% of the proceeds go to MAC AIDS Fund, aiding those living with HIV/AIDS. That is something I care to support! With each new Viva Glam product there is a spokesperson - Viva Glam I being RuPaul. Viva Glam II kept the diversity going with KD Lang - not someone whom you would think was all too into makeup. Lang was perfect for the aim of the product - the no makeup, makeup look.

Turns out, Viva Glam II is actually pretty fantastic.

Going against my norm, this spring and summer I've been all about the nude lip and a bright, colorful eye. Usually it's the other way around!

MAC describes Viva Glam II as a "muted pink beige with shimmer" and that it has a Satin finish. The muted pink beige part is spot on, but I'm willing to go on the record in saying there is not even a touch of shimmer in this (which I didn't particularly want anyway). It is also one of the most matte like Satin finishes that I have ever worn - there is no sheen to this, and I had to double check what was printed on the bottom of the lipstick to make sure it was actually a Satin and wasn't a typo on the website.  Either way, I like it even more than the color description would have let on!

This is the perfect My Lips But Better nude for my skin. Being so fair skinned, I always assumed that I'd need pale nudes to flatter me, but mixing those with my already pigmented lips was kind of a failure. I was afraid to delve into Viva Glam II because I feared that it would be "soooo 90s!" against my skin but it really is one of those natural looking lipcolors that just pulls a whole look together. 

In terms of wear, as I already noted, this shade does feel more like a Matte than a Satin finish. It is drier and will not budge once you apply it. I left it in my purse while I was at work to test how long it would wear before I seriously needed to update and I went a good 5 hours before I was needing to update it. I'm slightly obsessive about reapplying, so 5 hours is a good amount of time!  I didn't find it drying, but I've yet to meet a MAC Matte that was on my lips. If your lips don't react well to Mattes - mine usually react better to Mattes than Lustres or Cremesheens - then this may be drying for you, but I found it quite comfortable and fuss free.

Overall;

Pros:

- Good wear time.

- Great MLBB shade for my skin.

- Did not dry my lips.

Cons:

- MAC's description is a bit misleading.

I actually rather love this shade - and I'm getting a whole lot of use out of it, as it hasn't left my purse since I purchased it! My tip would be to swatch this in store to gauge it against your skin and to understand the matteness of it before purchasing - I wasn't too interested in it until I swatched it! Now onto my next endeavor, Viva Glam III!

9/10

Review - MAC All About Orange Blush in Immortal Flower

MAC customer service is either hit or miss for me. I've had some great experiences - once great enough to email the company to commend someone! - and some horror stories. While my endeavor to pick up this shade and some other odds and ends wasn't exactly a horror story - lets just say if it wasn't limited edition and I didn't fear that it would have sold out, I probably would have refused to purchase this. So rude! I am making your day a bit easier by already knowing what I was looking for and not needing much attention, so I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't sigh and roll your eyes when you had to show me where the new collection was hidden in the store! Ugh!

It happens to all of us though. Make sure you share your best or worst encounter at a MAC (or any other brand's) counter or store in the comments!

So, Immortal Flower...Remember when I was kicking myself for not picking up Full of Joy from the Tres Cheek collection last year, and I suddenly found it at a CCO? Same premise with this one. I've recently, as the weather is getting warmer, begun lamenting about the fact that I had forgone this shade. As soon as a thunk the thought, it seemed like the next day MAC announced that they were repromoting it with the All About Orange collection. Score!

MAC describes Immortal Flower as a "bright peach" with a satin finish. The description is pretty spot on, but I feel like there should be a pastel note in there. Yes, it is bright, but it does read a bit pastel, especially on most skin tones deeper than my own.

Application of this shade was actually pretty great. It didn't take a whole lot to apply and it was very nicely pigmented - but not to the point that it was all too powdery or hard to apply. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised.

Immortal Flower has average longevity; it didn't wear off super quick, but it wasn't an incredibly longwearing shade - which is probably the only thing keeping this from a 10/10 rating. If it had worn longer, it would have been perfect.

Overall;

Pros:

- Easy to apply
- Great pigmentation
- Unique shade
- Satin finish did not empasize pores

Cons:

- Could have a longer wear time

I'm pleased that I finally picked up this shade - making it shade #3 from the Tres Cheek collection that I had missed out on and finally got my hands on. The unique shade and great pigmentation make this one worth checking out.

9/10

Review - L'Oreal Limited Edition Infallible 24 Hour Eye Shadow in Cherie Merie

You know that feeling when you get cheated out of a weekend? That was me this weekend. I'm used to having to work all weekend, so that's not really a change for me, but between homework, a killer migraine and probably the worst bout of heartburn that I've ever had - needless to say I didn't enjoy it. It definitely does feel like a dreaded Monday today..

On a more positive note, I finally got around to testing L'Oreal Cherie Merie from the Miss Candy collection, and I am pleasantly impressed!

Cherie Merie is an orange toned coral that has a bit more pink in it than the photo lets on - not a whole lot, but it's there. It actually has a wonderful shimmery finish without any sort of microglitter that Strawberry Blonde had. 

Now I applied this in the same manner in which is my norm for these shadows - more patting than sweeping with a flat brush. Cherie Merie, to my elation, did not take much work to get true to pan color. I paired this with Satin Sheets from Too Faced as an all over base, this shade generously on the lid and up into the crease and Milani Brown Stone in the crease to cool the look down a bit. The look itself stayed vibrant - as always, with primer, but this time with no colored or tacky base - through the entire work day, a horrendous migraine and a migraine induced "super nap" (you know that has happened to you too..). The longevity reminded me of the better performing shades in this range, but the real showstopper is the vibrancy and true to pan color that this shade achieved, something that I've had a difficult time finding in a coral.

Speaking of other corals in my collection, I wondered how this compared to Urban Decay Freelove, which in all honesty, kinda left me wanting. I have L'Oreal Cherie Merie on the left and UD Freelove on the right. While Freelove does have pinker tones to it and a stronger sheen, they are both very similar. I found that Cherie Merie's pigmentation was quite superior to Freelove and that they are nearly close enough to call dupes.

Overall;

Pros:

- Longwearing.

- Little to no fall out.

- Vibrant and true to pan.

- Not too much work to apply.

Cons:

- None!

I didn't hold high hopes for this because so many corals have disappointed me. Color me surprised, because I actually love this shade - enough to recommend it! If you have been looking for a great dupe for Urban Decay Freelove, check this out - but do it sooner rather than later, because it is Limited Edition!

10/10 - I recommend this one!

Review - Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

Every summer my goal is coral - to find a coral lippie that I like against my skin. I have a couple in my stash that work, but they are incredibly outnumbered as I can definitively note that I have less than five coral lipsticks in my extensive collection - none of them holy grails. Thats what I was hoping for with Juicy Papaya, but the search still goes on.

Juicy Papaya is a sheer, true coral that Revlon launched alongside three other shades - one of which, Sorbet, I've already reviewed. While it does have pink tones to it, they are very, very subtle, so the sheerness of it does benefit my complexion.

This shade is among the sheerer lip butters, but the biggest bummer for me was the unevenness of application. I wore this on a day where I was really counting on some moisture - as Lip Butters often wear comfortably on me, and I feel it dried my lips, if anything. Very patchy and not flattering. I may try this on a day were my lips are in better form, but in terms of normal wear, its not on par with the rest of the range.

I prolonged purchasing this shade, because I didn't know how similar it was to Tutti Fruity, which was far too orange for my skin. From my research, it looks to be a lot more sheer and less orange.

Overall:

Pros:

- Sheer take on coral.

- Unique shade for the brand.

Cons:

- Did not impart any moisture.

- Patchy and uneven.

This is not along the lines of the Lip Butters that I know and love, but it is one of those shades that I could probably make work some way or another. The search for the perfect coral goes on...

6/10

Review - Benefit They're Real Mascara

You know when there is a product that it seems like everyone else loves that you really don't care for? It got to the point that I was worried for a while that mine was defective..

I feel like the beauty community is forever singing the praises of Benefit They're Real, but I just can't hang. I received this deluxe sample size as part of the Fast Train to Fabulous set - which had a full sized Benetint, full sized Porefessional, this and a small perfume sample for only $35! My goodness!

They're Real has a thin, tapered, rubbery brush with quite short bristles. I've tried nearly every wand shape on the mascara market, and these tiny ones are my least favorite to work with. Before delving into any claim, it is important to focus on how this mascara applies. Since the bristles are so short, I find them quite abrasive - when I get up close to the base of my lashes, it feels scratchy. I didn't have much trouble getting product on my lashes, however - which surprised me, because the bristles are literally that short. My average for mascara is one coat, give it a couple seconds to set and follow up with another - this was no different.

Benefit makes several claims about this mascara - that it "lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts and separates" and that it is a "long wearing" formula. I saw no extraordinary change in the length or volume of my lashes and, without curling my lashes beforehand, I didn't notice that it curled my lashes all too much. I'm not entirely sure what they were going for in the "lift" claim - maybe that the application of the mascara made the eye look more awake? Doesn't all mascara do that?

The big downfall of this mascara falls on the "separates" claim. They're Real has quite a wet formula that never really dries down. If you're lucky enough to apply this to your lashes flawlessly, God forbid that you touch them later in the day (allergies, accidents, etc..you never know!) because this will clump together like you wouldn't have even believed. Its definitely not a "in a hurry" mascara either, or you are going to be met with some serious clumps. 

The one claim I can support is that it does have a long wear time. Its not going to flake or disappear at all - but keep in mind, this is going to be a pain in the rear end to remove, regardless of whatever holy grail makeup remover you use.

Overall;

Pros:

- Long wearing

- End of the brush is great for angles - inner corners, etc.

Cons:

- Wet formula - never completely dries.

- Easily clumpy

- Abrasive brush.

- Does not deliver on all claims.

A lot of my disappointment of this product could come from personal preference - I really don't like wet formula mascaras, as I find them taking longer to work with and fussy if put in the wrong situation. However, the one thing I can agree with across the board in terms of flaws is the abrasiveness of the brush. The eye area is so delicate and something as scratchy as this wand was feels detrimental to the sensitive eye. While They're Real is longwearing, the wet formula and abrasive brush are definitely deterring me from even considering picking up a full size of this for a whopping $23. 

5/10

Review - Ulta Kohl Liner in Smoke.

I'm a sucker for anything free - even if I don't need it. Case in point, not too long back, Ulta was running a GWP promotion and I opted for a particular smokey colored eyeliner as part of my GWP because I was lacking in a smokey, dark gray eyeliner.

I would have done better to just refuse this part of the GWP in all honesty.

Smoke is a dark, blackened gray that would make for a perfect smoky liner shade - which is what I had in mind when I picked this one up. It is housed in a normal pencil format and sharpens like an actual pencil - no bells and whistles about it. Its about an average length for drugstore liners - not as short as CoverGirl Liquiline Blast and just a touch shorter than Revlon ColorStay. 

I don't even know where to start...You know that sigh of defeat when you purchase something without the luxury of swatching it - and when you swatch it you quickly become aware of your mistake? That's where I was; which is probably why I put of using/testing this shade for as long as I did. This thing is nearly as sharp as an actual pencil! It felt scratchy even against my hand when I first swatched it - Imagine how it felt on my waterline! When I finally got a little bit of color to deposit on my waterline, it was still incredibly sheer - I found myself applying copious amounts of UD Mushroom over it with a push liner brush. It doesn't apply, it doesn't stay and it almost hurts to apply!

The goth kid in me that, deep down, still remains decided to take a lighter to it to try to amp up the color and make it more creamy (which I still swear by!)...and, erm...don't mind my mobile photo, but...?

So...it just kind of disintegrated into a puddle of goo. Needless to say, that technique was out of the question - not to mention that it dried down to a finish like candle wax and flaked off. So weird! 

Overall:

Pros;

- None.

Cons:

- Tugs/sharp.

- Sheer/uneven.

- Difficult to apply.

- Very short wear time.

Can I go as far as to say this is probably the worst eyeliner that I've ever used? I'm actually nearly speachless about how badly this liner sucked. For $8 or less go for something like Milani Liquifeye or CoverGirl Liquiline Blast and steer clear of this awful thing. 

Thank God it was free.

1/10 - Absolutely not.