NYX Powder Blush Swatches

I purchased these off Hauelook the last time NYX was on sale. I think they were 3 for $10 but with tax and shipping they were about $17. I purchased these right before Ulta began carrying the powder blushes. I had a feeling Ulta was going to start carrying more NYX products when they moved the display to a larger area. These NYX blushes can be found at Ulta, nyxcosmetics.com, and cherryculture.com for about $6. Ulta now carries, NYX cream, powder and mosaic blushes, along with more lip and eye products and select products from the HD line. I will have to say, these are my favorite blushes besides NARS and MAC. Some of the shades are comparable to MAC blushes as well. You can find my first review of these blushes here. Overall these blushes are nicely pigmented, long lasting and easy to blend. These blushes come in a variety of colors and finishes, including matte, satin and shimmer.

Angel is a light pink with a satin finish, Mocha is a bright pink with a matte finish and Pinched is a peachy color with gold shimmer. Some say that Pinched is very similar to NARS Orgasm, but I have yet to compare the two because I do not have Orgasm. I'm a little confused with the naming of some of these colors, for example, Mocha looks nothing like what you would think it to be. I find this a little annoying, especially when purchasing online. However, I love these blushes and I would definitely recommend these.

From left to right

Angel, Mocha, and Pinched

From left to right

Mocha, Angel and Pinched

Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Make Up in Light/Medium

This is my first video and I hope the first of many. I was just trying it out, and for some reason the focus was going in and out so I will need to fix that.
Enjoy!

Essie To Dry For

You can find Essie To Dry For at Target, Ulta and some beauty stores for $7-$8.

I always have the problem with my nail polishes not drying in time. I somehow usually end up with fingerprints and other imprints on my nails. So on a trip to target I saw this and I just had to have it!

After applying nail polish, I let dry for one minute and then I apply the top coat. This makes my nails super shiny and helps my nail dry fast! I haven't had any problems with this top coat so far, it seems to hold up to it's claims.

I don't notice that it makes my polishes last that much longer, but it is hard to make judgements because of the chemicals I use at work.

I would definitely recommend!

Victoria's Secret Love Me Wild Limited-Edition Perfect Lipsticks

These lipsticks can be found at Victoria's Secret Stores and online at www.victoriassecret.com for $14. 

The formula is pretty creamy and smooth for these lipsticks. I have a Perfect Lipstick that I purchased a few months ago and these have the same consistency. They have good coverage but this lipstick last for 2 1/2 hours on me. The new Love Me Wild Collection also includes eyeshadow quads, blush, and bronzers. The Perfect Lipsticks come in four shades; Pulse, Instinct, Heartbeat, & Heated.

Top to Bottom

Pulse, Instinct, Heartbeat, & Heated.

I purchased Instinct, I did like the other shades but I was trying not to do over do like I have been lately. I did get to swatch the colors in the store and they are all very pretty colors. Heated is actually pretty much the same shade as MAC Jazzed in the In the Groove Collection. Jazzed was also a limited edition, so if you liked it and didn't have a chance to grab it, I would pick up Heated before they sell out!

Instinct is a pale pinky nude with a little bit of frost. It is a very pretty color, and a nice nude for my skin tone. Sometimes nudes can look orange with my skin. I think I would have gotten longer wear if I had used a darker shade.

The packaging is so cute and pretty! But the cap is pretty flimsy and cheap feeling, so I could see it cracking someday. 

Overall, I love the texture of these lipsticks and their performance is decent. If any of these shades interest you, I would suggest picking one up.

Instinct

Instict

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick Swatches

From left to right

Mauve, Lilac & Coral

Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks can be found at most major drugstores including Walgreens, CVS and Ulta for $7-$9. Two of these shades were actually purchased at CVS during their semi-annual beauty sale for 75% off.

You can find my first review of these lipsticks here. The packaging is sleek, sturdy and expensive looking.I really like the formula of these lipsticks. They are smooth, creamy and moisturizing and provide decent coverage. I really dislike lipsticks that are drying. The shades without shimmer to them remind me a little of MAC Cremesheen lipsticks. And even though these lipsticks are moisturizing, I still get 3 hours of wear out of these. I of course didn't eat during those three hours, because once I ate these came right off. My biggest complaint about these lipsticks is the shape that these were molded. I know there are other lipstick brands out there that use this mold, but I find it very hard to work with. Maybe my lips are too small, or I just don't know how to apply these lipsticks, but it definitely requires a lot more effort. And sometimes with the darker shades, it is hard to tell if the lipstick is bleeding or if I really just cannot apply these. I really do love these lipsticks, and the colors in this collection are really pretty, but I just hate the shape!

From left to right

Mauve, Lilac & Coral

From left to right

Coral, Lilac & Mauve

Coral

Lilac

\

Mauve

Mauve and Lilac actually looked very similar on my lips. Lilac is definitely a lot frostier than Mauve, with Mauve being more of a satin finish. Both of these shades are very pretty, and good colors for spring. Coral is pretty much an orangey red, but it turned out to be a little bit more red in the pictures. It is a really pretty and bold color, and I look forward to wearing it in the warmer months!

On a side note....

Keep suggesting my blog to your friends! I purchased an extra lipstick of one of these shades to give away in my 50 Follower Giveaway!

Stay tuned!

Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo

Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo can be found at Ulta and some major drugstores for $6-$8. I have been on the look for a decent dry shampoo without paying a lot for it. I have heard bad things about Tresemme's dry shampoo, so I wanted to try something different. At one of my many Ulta escapades, I stumbled across this product. They also have a dry shampoo for blondes, and one for brunettes, but the associate at Ulta said some people came back saying it turned their hair a weird color.

Salon Grafix instructs your to separate your hair into sections, and spray your roots in short bursts at about 6 inches away. They suggest you protect your clothing and wait a minute to brush it out. This spray, looks, feels, and smells like their hair spray. The scent is pleasant and not overpowering. I suggest waiting 3-5 minutes before brushing for best results. I was skeptical to try shampoo, but this product really works! As long as you wait 3 minutes before brushing, this dry shampoo does not leave any residue or residue-like feeling. My hair is very dark, so everything shows, and you can not see any product left behind. I now use this product all the time! I wash my hair every other day, but some times my hair will look flat and dull the second time around. This spray gives my hair a little more lift, and it also leaves my hair shiny.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product. It absorbs oil and leaves my hair looking fresh. I think it is well worth the price and I would repurchase this product in the future.

Unbelievable Giveaway by GlamaDazzle!

I love to share a great deal! GlamaDazzle is giving away over $1000 in prizes to one lucky winner! You can find more information HERE. I hope to do a small giveaway once I get 50 followers so please spread the word!

I promise to do a blogpost tomorrow night once all these tests are over....

MAC Brushes Vs. Painting Brushes by Koren

Hey guys!
I'm super swamped this week and I will be even more swamped this weekend. School is kicking my butt right now! I took a quick study break to CVS (bought some things of course) to get a Redbull to keep me from dozing off. I got home and decided to elongate my break with some browsing time at Beautylish.com. Beautylish is a great website where members give other members, tips, review products etc. I some how came across this video by Koren. Koren is awesome! I love watching his videos, and his YouTube Channel is called Enkore Makeup. You can find his page here. He has the best tips and I use them a lot. The particular video is actually a few years old, but timeless in my opinion. I only own one MAC brush (MAC 208) because they are so expensive. I use Sonia Kashuk brushes and EcoTools brushes for the most part, but I'm always looking for higher quality without the higher price tag. I will definitely need to check out Michael's the next time I'm out that way.
I couldn't figure out how to embed the video into this post (help???) but you can click the link below.
MAC Brushes Vs Painting Brushes

What are your thoughts? Have you tried painting/craft brushes for cosmetics?

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation in Light

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation can be found in major drugstores. I found that at Walgreens and CVS, this foundation is on sale, and can be found for $4-$7. At other stores, the powder can be found for $9-$12. I purchased this powder in light, which I found the color suits my skin well. 

As far as the powder goes, the coverage is decent. The powder isn't the lightest/airiest I tried, so I wouldn't recommend doing too much layering with this product because it could get cakey. The powder did last a good time before needing to be touched up. My skin can be fairly oily, and at about 5-6 hours, my face started to look more shiny.

The biggest disappointment about this product was the packaging. The top of the container is actually a brush. When using the brush, you twist the brush to retract and expand the brush for use. However, the brush is much to small for an all over face powder. Packaging like this is very frustrating to me. As a consumer, you are obviously paying more for the product due to packing, yet it is poorly designed, so it doesn't get used. Because the container is specially made for the brush, the opening for the powder to come out of is too small. This makes it difficult to get powder on my brush. My kabuki brush is much too large to dip in to the container and the openings are so small that not much powder comes out when the container is turned upside down.

Overall, I do not think I would repurchase this product due to the packaging. The sale price does make this purchase more justifiable, but it is really a hassle to try and get the powder out.