Review: Mirrored Plum Lip Gloss

Purple lips have been all the rage lately. There have been quite a few purple lippies that have come out, from bold plum to more muted lavender. If you're like me, you're a purple lip newbie whose a bit shy about wearing such a bright lip out.

I picked up this Maybelline lip gloss in "Mirrored Plum" a few weeks ago. I don't usually wear lip gloss, but I thought it'd be a fun way to try out a purple lip without committing to a full on purple lipstick.

In the tube, "Mirrored Plum" looks a lot more purple than it is on the lips. The gloss is more of a magenta than purple. This is both a good and bad thing. Good, because it makes it a heck of a lot wearable. Bad, because this is supposed to be a purple gloss! I wish this gloss could be built up to the purple tone of the tube, but after a few swipes it still looks the same tone. 

This is way more magenta than purple, but still very nice and wearable!!

Would you rock a purple lip or opt for a lip gloss instead?

-Claudia

New Revlon Lip Butters!

I heard about the new shades a few months back and have been waiting *patiently* for the shades to arrive in stores. Well, I finally came across some empty stacks at Target a few days ago and I knew it was time to hit the pavement and find these beauties.

Today I came across three of the new four shades and left with all three, though I hadn't intended to! I did not purchase Pink Lemonade (not only because it wasn't there), because although I'm sure it's a beautiful shade, my lips are so dark that I don't think the color would work on me.

Click below to see the new lip butters and swatches!

Revlon Lip Butters Collection

If you are a big makeup fan, I'm sure you've heard of Revlon's Lip Butters by now. The Lip Butters lie somewhere in between lip balm and lipstick. They are sheer, pigmented, and beautiful. With over twenty shades available, there is a lip shade for everyone. Here are the few shades that I own: Fig Jam, Peach Parfait, Creamsicle, Tutti Frutti, and Candy Apple.

Click below to see these lippie swatches!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - My Lip Tar Collection

Happy February! I wanted to start off the month with yet another round of swatches. This time, I'm going into OCC lip tar territory. OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) lip tars are a cross between lipstick and lipgloss. Lip tars are like long-lasting liquid lipstick. Although they look a bit glossy in my swatches (due to the sun), OCC's lip tars dry to a matte consistency.

When applying lip tars, the term "less is more" is key! It's hard to believe, but you really only need a small dot amount to cover your entire lips.

These lip tars, with the exception of "Feathered," apply beautifully. "Feathered" is a white lip tar that is better suited for mixing than for wearing on its own.

Grandma

Baby coral pink. 

Melange

Neutral light-tan brown

Pretty Boy

Bright, bluer-toned fuschia

Stalker

Classic red with a pop!

Vintage

Deep burgundy red, looks a bit darker in person

Beta

Neutral orange

Hoochie

Off-pink magenta

Feathered

I'm having such a hard time photographing this sucker. "Feathered" is better for mixing and making your other shades lighter. It works wonderfully, just not by itself!

Nylon

Hot light pink, possible Candy Yum Yum dupe!

I'd love to get my hands on basic colored lip tars, such as yellow and blue, so that I could mix more colors.

Price: $16

Where to buy: OCC, Sephora

Do you own any lip tars or do you prefer regular lipstick/glosses? Do you prefer bright or more natural lip colors?

-Claudia

VIB Tarte Trio & How-to

Hello guys! I wanted to show you something I recently came across that is pretty amazing. Last month I received the Tarte "High Performance Naturals" kit through Sephora's VIB program. Though it's no longer available, these items can still be purchased in stores.

(credit - Sephora)

{The kit included}:
Pure Maracuja Oil
Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 mascara
MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing primer

 Pure Maracuja Oil

I don't know what it was about this bottle that made me want to take a nice, big whiff of the oil, but I did and it smelled...oily. I think it's because the bottle itself is very pretty. It could almost pass for a quirky perfume bottle. The packaging itself doesn't explain how to use the Maracuja oil, which is a bit disappointing. I'm assuming it is like most of the oils I've tried and can be used for various things; from your hair to your face and all the above. This oil is very nice on my hair, but I can't say that it's any better from the oils I've tried previously, though I haven't been using it for too long. 

Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara 

& 

MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing Primer

I'll admit I don't know too much about mascara. All I can tell you is "this one made my lashes clumpy" and "this one did not!" Basically, I can tell what looks good for my lashes, but I couldn't explain to you the different brush types or the why's. This mascara and primer duo work amazingly well together. My lashes look well-curled in a way that is not too obvious -- no lash clumping here! I know I said before I'd found my HG mascara, but this one is just so good! I would recommend this duo for someone with lashes that doesn't need volume, however, because these don't do too much for that.

________________________________________________________________

{Four steps to curl my lashes today}:

1. I started by curling my lashes with a Revlon curler. 
2. I followed with Tarte's MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing primer and let that sit for a bit. 
3. I then applied Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 mascara, using a wiggling motion. 
4. Lastly, I ran a lash comb through my lashes to get rid of clumps. 

 Here are my eyelashes before and after curling my lashes

 Here's a better picture showcasing the length of my lashes before and after curling.

My lashes are pretty long already, but this mascara added a bit more length - NICE!

This was a pretty good set of minis! I had never tried out any of Tarte's products. I'm glad I got to try this out, because I'd happily shell out for all three of these in stores. 

Have you tried this set? What did you think?

-Claudia

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Permanent Collection

I'm ending my Maybelline Color Tattoo swatchfest this week with the color tattoos I own from the permanent collection. Hope these swatches have been helpful!

Click below for swatches and more!

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Jewel Tone Collection 2012

The Jewel Tone Collection from last summer recently became available throughout some CVS/drugstores, so check your local store to see if they're in stock!

Click below for swatches and more!

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Fall 2012 Collection

I'm on a Maybelline-Color-Tattoo-reviewing rush right now and I thought I'd review their Fall 2012 Collection. Although this set is no longer available in stores, you can still find the bases online or use these swatches as references for future purchases. Hope this is helpful!

Click below for swatches and more!

Review: Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer

A few months ago, I purchased Laura Mercier's hydrating primer. After having tried LM's tinted moisturizer and LOVING it, I figured the primer would be win hands down as the best primer for me. Unfortunately (!!), this primer ended up being a regretted purchase. And I did end up exchanging it.

I had passed by the LM counter in Sephora quite a few times, always wondering whether to pick up this primer or not. It retails for $30, which for me is not easy to shell out. Well, I finally brought it home one day and tried it out. It was great! It didn't feel too heavy, like the other primers I'd been using. I was ecstatic to try it again the next day.

After a few uses, however, I noticed a change in consistency. The primer became a watery mess. I could not open the bottle without having it spill out onto my hands and floor. I thought shaking it might help, but even after shaking for minutes, nothing changed. I delayed the exchange process at Sephora, because I so wanted this to work, but it just did not.

I'm not sure if mine was a dud or if this is something that happens occasionally or often, but it was so disappointing that I just decided not to chance it again.


-Claudia

Target Sample Bag!

A month or so ago I signed up to receive a free sample bag from Target and today it arrived in the mail!

{Here's what was in the bag}:

Pantene Color Preserve Shine conditioner
Nivea Extended Moisture lotion
Neutrogena Visibly Bright facial cleanser
L'Oreal Magic Lumi primer, one use
Simple Cleansing facial wipes

I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up, but I'm pretty happy with what was included. These are all everyday use items that I'm sure I'll find use for, if not now then later. While I'm probably not going to rush out and buy these after one use, who knows? Maybe I'll find one that fits more into my lifestyle than what I'm using now.

The bag itself is super cute and STURDY! Not something I was expecting to receive as a free item.

Heads up:

Apparently this is a promotion Target has run in past years, so if you are interested in receiving your own bag, look out for this next year and LIKE Target on Facebook. That's how I found out!

Also, I feel I should mention that I haven't been paid to promote Target (or anyone, for that matter). I just really love Target! :)

-Claudia