Hey everyone! I know I haven't posted in a while, and I'm sorry for that...I have been so overloaded with schoolwork and midterm week just went by. I passed with flying colors and am excited to have a few moments to update!
So during my tiny hiatus I did some "hauling." Personally, I don't like the concept of haul videos because I feel like it's kind of bragging about getting stuff that other people may not be able to afford, but on the other hand, part of the purpose of beauty blogging is to share my opinions abuot products that I am actually using. Please take it with a grain of salt and understand I'm not saying "Look what I got." I'm really saying "Hey, I picked up this stuff and it's great/it sucks, you should/shouldn't buy it if you were interested in it."
Here's a pic of all the stuff I've accumulated recently:
I haven't used the equate Facial Cleansing Towelettes yet, but the package says they are comparable to Ponds Clean Sweep, so I figured I'd give them a whirl. I use soo many wipes taking off my makeup at night that I didn't want to splurge on anything. Also, for stubborn eye makeup, I just dab some Extra Virgin Olive Oil mixed with a couple drops of water onto a cotton pad and it works like a dream. But for residue and my face, I prefer a big wipe. I'll let you know how these work once I've used them for a bit. They were around $6 for two packs, each pack containing 50 wipes! So if they work well, it's such a bargain! Kinda why I'm skeptical though...
Next, I know I already blogged about the Alice in Wonderland Urban Decay palette & OPI nailpolishes. I did manage to get them a while ago and just wanted you to see real swatches of the nailpolishes up close...the colors are pretty true to photo, except Off With Her Red is a tad more orangey and the only matte in the set.
I saw an ad for this facial cleanser in Cosmo and decided to finally pick it up. I have some rather large pores on and around my nose and lips (weird?). I decided that I needed something to really get down in there and clean 'em out, and that this would possibly let my Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion stuff work deeper (see here if you have no clue what I'm talking about). The little scrubber is actually a thin siliconey substance and feels softer than it looks, and has a suction cup on the back if you wanted to stick it to the shower rather than store it in the hole in the actual bottle. Again, once I've given this a whirl, I'll let you know how it works! There were a couple other formulas too, including a cream cleanser and sensitive formula, but after the obnoxious breakouts I've been having, I wanted to play hardball.
Onto the fun stuff! I am not ashamed to say that I am a fairly new MAC consumer, mostly because I loved stores like Sephora for the multitude of brands they carried. But the MAC thing is kind of like the Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s among makeup artists and bloggers...everyone wants to have them all! While I still believe that it's okay to buy makeup if it works well for you and you like it, whether it costs $1 or $100, I have to admit I kind of like the idea of the "collecting" aspect of MAC products. I wouldn't buy a color I truly hated just for the sake of owning it, but as far as the products I do find appealing, I am excited to build my collection up! So I took my hiney over there last week and scored some fun pink lip stuff...
This is a Frost and is a bright salmony pink with a golden sheen to it. Mostly opaque, highly pigmented, and has great staying power. Sooo pretty on, the gold catches the light when you turn your head! Stunning! I plan on using a golden-flecked pigment in the center of my lips over it sometime, topped with clear gloss.
As previously posted about here, I just haddd to snag the new Limited Edition Viva Glam Gaga. It's a bright bluish pink and is the epitome of bubble gum. It's a Lustre and goes on very smoothly and gloss-like. I do like it, but feel like it needs something under or over it for it to really pop. If you do plan on wearing it alone, I suggest definitely concealing your natural lips so that you mute out any of your natural pigmentation. All in all, I did feel kinda Gaga-ish wearing it!
And I also scored something from the Lilly Pulitzer collection, this Lip Gelee in Preppy. The picture does NOT do it justice...for a gloss, it is super opaque and super sparkly without being "glittery." It's super wet-looking too, so juicy! I can't believe the color payoff, so freaking gorgey! I HIGHLY recommend getting any lip gelees...I will definitely be picking up more! Applied with a lip brush and minimal eating/drinking/kissing/smoking, it will stay on for a long time.
Here are some great drugstore finds that I've been enjoying. The first one by Jordana is actually pretty amazing...it retails for just $1 and has really great coloration. It's a kind of neony bright fuchsia. Usually, I am against scented or flavored lip products cuz they remind me of Bonne Bell little girl products, but I have to say this one didn't bother me...it has a strawberry scent and taste, but it isn't offensive or too syrupy in my opinion. Stays on for a looong time too.
The L'Oreal lipstick is actually pretty close to Gaga to be honest...just slightly darker and a little bit of silver-toned reflective quality to it. Another one that is kind of pale on its own, but great for layering or over a fleshtone lip. It goes on thick and has medium to good color payoff, and also a great deal at around $6, but I have to say this one has that "old makeup drawer" smell to it...if you've ever used L'Oreal or Revlon lipsticks before, you know what I'm talking about.
Here are swatches of all five of these products, taken indoors with no flash. I didn't use a base or primer under them, and applied them directly onto the inside of my very white arm:
Doing this made me realize that I should review some other products that I have. Since I'm just starting doing hauls and reviewing products (being the blog itself is fairly new), I don't see what it would hurt to tell you about products I have used or am using. So if you see a couple more of these in the near future, don't think I've entirely lost my mind and bought a bunch of products just to blog about them...the odds are I already owned them. Let me know if there's something in particular you've been dying to try but are afraid to, I'll be your guinea pig! ☺
0 comments:
Post a Comment