Physicians Formula Argan Wear BB Cream Review

January 3, 2015, 5:08 pm

≫ Next: I Need Your Help Pleease! What Would You Like To See Me Review?

≪ Previous: L'oreal Infallible Smokissime Eyeliner Review and Swatches

Physicians Formula has introduced a line of argan oil-infused cosmetics for Spring 2015 and I purchased a few of them to try since I have dry skin and they sounded perfect for me. I recently reviewed the Argan Blush (see that here) and the 100% Argan Oil (see that here) and I really liked both of them, so I was excited to try the BB Cream too.

Looking at the ingredients, you can see that Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil) is pretty close to the top of the ingredient list. I was happy to see that because many times I've purchased a product that claims to contain argan oil, coconut oil, or another beneficial ingredient and it's listed at the very bottom of the ingredient list meaning that it contains a tiny fraction of the actual product. Unfortunately, they can still make the claim because it's technically in there. This BB Cream actually has a more substantial amount of argan oil and also gycerin and shea butter a little further down on the list.

The packaging is so cute...it's Moroccan-inspired and contained in a gold tube with an onion-shaped cap. Unfortunately, the shape of the cap makes it impossible to stand it up, so if you're used to storing your BB Creams and foundations standing on their end, you won't be able to do that with this one....it only lays down.

This BB Cream is supposed to provide smooth coverage without a greasy feel, and gives the skin the benefits of a moisturizer, foundation, argan oil treatment, and SPF protection in one. According to the claims on the packaging, the argan oil inside the BB Cream is supposed to improve the skin's brightness, tone, texture, and elasticity, as well as smooth the appearance of fine lines and brighten dull skin.

This cream feels a little thicker than other BB Creams I've tried but the coverage is still light-medium, not heavy. It feels super moisturizing but after a minute or two, it dries to a satiny finish that's not dewy or glowy at all but it did make my skin look a little less dull. It didn't settle into fine lines, wrinkles or accentuate dry patches at all and gave my skin a flawless look when built up to medium coverage. I started with a base coat and then built it up in areas where I needed more coverage and it didn't get cakey at all, it just sank in like a second skin.
I did notice that after a few uses, the oils in the product seemed to separate a bit when I squeezed it out of the tube, so I recommend shaking it first before using (it also says to do this on the packaging but I didn't see it the first time).
I purchase the shade Light and it also comes in Light/Medium. I wish that Physicians Formula would start expanding their shades a bit because they tend to leave out fairer and darker skintones, concentrating on light to medium skintones. This was slightly darker than my skin and had a yellow base (I have pink undertones) but when blended out, it's a decent match.

While using this I found a striking similarity in texture, coverage, and even the scent to Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturizer, which is now discontinued. You Rebel didn't contain argan oil and the ingredients are quite different but they just feel and look the same. I used You Rebel for years and I had the same minor issues with separation in the tube and it had the same super moisturizing feel that dried to a non-dewy satin finish. So I'm happy to have found a dupe!

Overall, I love this Argan BB Cream! It's perfect for my dry skin on days when I don't need heavy coverage and it makes my skin feel smooth and look younger. I'm not sure that oily skin types will find it as appealing due to the creamy feel, but it doesn't leave a greasy or glowy finish, so it's possible it would still work. I'd love to hear from someone with oily skin who's tried this, or anyone else who has used it or is thinking about purchasing it.

You can find this at Ulta for $14.99

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I Need Your Help Pleease! What Would You Like To See Me Review?

January 4, 2015, 4:40 pm

≫ Next: Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvet Review and Swatches

≪ Previous: Physicians Formula Argan Wear BB Cream Review

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Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvet Review and Swatches

January 4, 2015, 8:56 pm

≫ Next: Makeup Revolution Iconic Dreams Palette Review and Swatches

≪ Previous: I Need Your Help Pleease! What Would You Like To See Me Review?

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Velvet ($6.79 at CVS) is a new matte liquid lip cream that offers 5 new shades and claims 8 hours of weightless wear. Let's take a look!

When I first saw these last month, I almost passed right by the display because I assumed they were the Show Off Lip Lacquers that have been out since last year. But then I looked closer and realized that even though all of the tubes looked basically the same, some had a glossy finish and some were mattified.

The Claims:

Weightless liquid colour with a velvety smooth finish
Earth-shattering intense colour stays true for up to 8 hours
Moisturizing formula instantly increases lip moisture by 31%*

There are 5 shades in the line, two are on the lighter, nude side and three are really bold, bright shades. I honestly wish there were more to choose from because I wasn't too crazy about any of the choices. The Show Off Lacquers come in 14 shades, so I'm hoping maybe they'll expand this line at some point.

I purchased the shade Atomic Rose,which I thought would be a rosy shade but it's got a lot of peach in it and almost looks coral when swatched. Here are the other four shades (from the Rimmel US website- they have the UK name Apocalips on them...not sure why they used these photos on the US site):

Apollo, Orange-Ology, Meteoric Matte, Burning Lava

As you can see, there isn't much to choose from, especially if you like lighter, more neutral shades.

These have a standard doe foot applicator and it picks up a lot of product right away, so you don't have to go back in for more. This is highly pigmented and one swipe completely coats your lips with color. They feel really similar to NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and go on so smooth and velvety. I found these to be a little bit more moisturizing than the NYX version which was great because whenever I hear the word "matte" I cringe thinking about what it'll do to my dry lips. If you have flaky patches, I could see this sticking to them so you'll likely want to exfoliate before using this if that's the case, but if your lips are just a little dry or lined, this won't make that worse. It felt comfortable on my lips for hours and I didn't have any issues with it caking into my inner lips or cracking.

The below photo is just one swatch with the wand, so you can see how crazy-pigmented this is! It's full coverage and actually offers a little bit of shine at first before it dries down. The first time I used this, I might have applied too much because the top layer would sit on top of my lips and would transfer to my water bottle or cup, but then I tried to use a little less and pat my finger over it a few times, which helped it to sink in and took off some of the excess. By doing that, it looked matte right away and had less drying time.
I wouldn't compare this to a long-wearing lip product, like the type you have to get off with an oil-based makeup remover (such as Rimmel's new Provacalips). It does have quite a lot of staying power because it stains your lips, but it's not drying at all, so there is still some slip to it.

Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvet- Atomic Rose

Here's the shade Atomic Rose on my lips. It actually helped to smooth some of my lip lines which is amazing for a matte lip product! It feels completely weightless and isn't sticky at all...you don't even notice you have it on unless you press your lips together and then they just feel super smooth and soft.

Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvet in Atomic Rose

Overall, I absolutely love the formula and staying power of these, but I'm not happy about the limited shade selection and I really hope they come out with some more. Atomic Rose is pretty, but is a bit peachy/coral on me and I was really hoping for a nice pink or rose shade.

So what do you think, have you tried these yet, or are you thinking about picking one up?

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Makeup Revolution Iconic Dreams Palette Review and Swatches

January 5, 2015, 5:57 pm

≫ Next: Jordana Cat Eye Liners Spotted at Walgreens

≪ Previous: Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvet Review and Swatches

Makeup Revolution Iconic Dreams Palette ($6.32) is the newest in the Iconic Collection. I reviewed Iconic 2 and Iconic 3 a while back and they were dupes for the Naked 2 and 3 palettes, but this new one doesn't seem to be a dupe for anything. I was just drawn to the shades, especially those greens!

Like all Makeup Revolution products, this palette is ridiculously affordable as well as super high quality. The shades are pigmented, soft, and easy to blend. I noticed that one of the shades in this palette was prone to fallout- the dark charcoal green shade fourth from the end. The rest held together well and went on smoothly.

The case is well made and closes very securely. Even though it doesn't contain a mirror, I like the clear top because it makes it easy to identify this from all of my other palettes.

The shades are mostly shimmery but #1, #3, #11, and #12 are mattes. I can see why this palette is called "dreams" because it has a lot of soft, feminine shades that are mostly neutral but they're not the neutrals you see every day in a million different palettes. I love this combination, and I think it's going to be perfect heading into Valentine's Day and Spring.

The first four shades are light highlight colors. #1 and #3 are mattes, while #2 is a pretty champagne shimmer and #4 is a pinky nude shimmer (sorry about the goose bumps in my swatch photos...I took them outside and it was cold!)

The next three are bronze toned shades...#5 is a pinky bronze, #6 is a golden bronze, while #7 is a brown/orange based bronze. Finally, #8 is one of my favorites in the entire palette- it's an olive green with gold shimmer...so gorgeous!

Three of the last four shades are very dark. #9 is a very dark grayish green (this is the one with a lot of fallout I mentioned above), #10 is also one of my favorites, it's a beautiful smoky plum. #11 is a lilac/taupe shade that is matte and less pigmented than the others in the palette for some reason. It's still so pretty though! Finally, #12 is a matte plum brown that has tons of pigment and I can see myself using it a lot!

Overall, I can see myself using this palette quite a bit going forward. If you're looking for a neutral palette that offers up some shades that are a little different from the norm, you'll definitely want to check this out. You can't beat the price or the quality!
You can purchase this palette at Makeuprevolutionstore.com

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Jordana Cat Eye Liners Spotted at Walgreens

January 6, 2015, 11:08 am

≫ Next: Urban Decay Spring 2015- Sheer Revolution, Naked Concealer, Naked Powder Foundation, Mascara Resurrection, + More!

≪ Previous: Makeup Revolution Iconic Dreams Palette Review and Swatches

Today at Walgreens, I spotted some new eyeliners by Jordana called Cat Eye. I love Jordana (sister company to Milani), because they are super affordable and their products are high quality. Their Best Lash Extreme mascara continues to be one of my favorites and it's $2...you can't beat that!

These liners come in 8 colorful shades and promise to help you achieve that perfect cat eye. They have a super thin, flexible brush that will hopefully make it easy to flick the line up at the outer corner of your eye.

Black Leather, Black Brown, Orchid, Twilight, Caribbean, Envy, Suede, and Future.

What do you think, will you be purchasing one (or more) of these to try?

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Urban Decay Spring 2015- Sheer Revolution, Naked Concealer, Naked Powder Foundation, Mascara Resurrection, + More!

January 6, 2015, 11:18 am

≫ Next: L'oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss Review and Swatches

≪ Previous: Jordana Cat Eye Liners Spotted at Walgreens

Great news, Urban Decay fans! The brand has just released a sneak peek at their Spring 2015 lineup on their blog, The Violet Underground.
Here's their description of all the new products:

"Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer - a liquid concealer like no other. This weightless formula gives you full coverage that you can build to complete coverage, all with a Naked Skin Feel.

Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation - a versatile, oil-free wet/dry powder foundation with a luminous, demi-matte Naked finish. Our customers love Naked Skin Liquid Makeup (and so do we!). But foundation isn’t one size fits all. Many women prefer powder foundation, and Naked Skin Powder Foundation rounds out our complexion range, and it’s the perfect complement to the rest of our Naked Complexion lineup.

Sheer Revolution Lipstick - sheer lipstick the UD way: creamy, badass luxury meets sheer, pigmented color - in 10 gorgeous shades. Wait until you see Sheer Shame - even women who are intimidated by the original will love it!

Moondust Eyeshadow - four sparkly (yet incredibly sophisticated) NEW shades of Moondust Eyeshadows. These shades are really dimensional and unique, and we even included one shade, Solstice, that’s inspired by a cult-favorite UD shade, Lounge.

Mascara Resurrection - Reboot. Refresh. Renew. This clear, refreshing serum enables you to prep your lashes for another coat of mascara. The only thing we’ve always hated about touching up our makeup before a night out is that we couldn’t refresh our mascara. With Mascara Resurrection, that’s all in the past! And we love that this formula makes it even easier to pile on more coats of Perversion Mascara."

So which new products are you dying to try? That Naked Concealer and Sheer Revolution Lipstick have mmy name on them! But of course, I want to try it all! No word on when these will be in stores yet, but I'm sure it'll be any day now.

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L'oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss Review and Swatches

January 6, 2015, 3:22 pm

≫ Next: L'oreal La Palette Nude Spotted at Walmart!

≪ Previous: Urban Decay Spring 2015- Sheer Revolution, Naked Concealer, Naked Powder Foundation, Mascara Resurrection, + More!

A few days ago, I asked for your help in trying to figure out what to review next and the top two products by far have been the L'oreal Pro Matte Gloss and Foundation. I'll continue to work off the list so if you haven't voted yet, there's still time! (Click here to vote for what I should review next!)

I first spotted these at Rite Aid, and they were around $7.99 I believe. They only come in 6 shades and the display said they were limited edition. Here are the shades below (sorry for the fuzzy picture). I purchased the first shade on the left, called Blushing Ambition 514, and the last shade on the right called Nude Allude 517.

When I first saw these, I thought the name was ridiculous...a matte gloss? It's a total oxymoron- how can a gloss be matte? How can matte lip color be glossy? But I soon figured out that it's a little of both (I'll explain further below).

These come in tubes that look a lot like the other Infallible Lip Glosses and they have a really wide flocked applicator that I absolutely love! It's wide at the base to deposit the most color in one swipe and then the pointy end is great for detailing around the cupids bow or in the corners of your mouth.

Blushing Ambition

Nude Allude

Here they are swatched on my arm...all I can say is wow! This is one swipe of each...the pigmentation on these is incredible. They're full coverage without having to build up multiple coats. They feel really soft and velvety going on and remind me a lot of the NYX Soft Lip Creams or the Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvets (see my review here). But the difference with these is that they have a bit of shine to them when first swiped, while the others go on matte right away.

Blushing Ambition, Nude Allude

After about 15-20 minutes, these sort of dry down and turn into a matte liquid lipstick. So that's what I meant above when I said they are both a gloss and a matte lip color (although they are really a matte liquid lipstick in my book).
Here's what they looked like when first applied, and then I took another photo after about a half an hour.
Blushing Ambition is a candy-pink shade:

Blushing Ambition- First Applied

loreal pro matte gloss Blushing ambition

Blushing Ambition- Half an Hour Later

Nude Allude is almost a brick red shade:

Nude Allude- First Applied

Nude Allude- Half an Hour Later

Here they are on me...please forgive the no-foundation look I have going on today. Literally just mascara and lipstick.

Blushing Ambition

Nude Allude

Overall, I'm absolutely loving this formula...I'm sad that it's limited edition (I actually want more shades)! There weren't really any good nude or subtle picks, all of the shades were pretty bold so I'd love to see some more light shades.
It felt great on my dry lips all day and my only slight complaint is that after a few hours it does tend to sink into little lip lines just a little bit if you have them (I have quite a few these days). But other than that, the pigmentation is awesome, the wear time was about 5.5-6 hours on me and it made my lips feel so smooth, even a few hours later when I pressed my lips together. These were definitely a win for me!
Have you tried these yet? I'd love to hear what you think!

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L'oreal La Palette Nude Spotted at Walmart!

January 8, 2015, 9:57 am

≫ Next: Memebox Thanksgiving Box Collection #2 Review

≪ Previous: L'oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss Review and Swatches

Back in October, I posted about some new L'oreal and Maybelline products that had been launched in the UK and several of them have made their way to the US for Spring 2015 (see that post here) but there was one in particular that I was reeealy hoping we would see and that's L'Oreal's La Palette Nude.
Well guess what? I was at Walmart today and they were installing a new display for it (so it's technically not here yet, but almost)! The other thing is, we're getting two versions of it, while there was only one released in the UK called Nude Rose.
The two versions I saw are called Nude 1 and Nude 2 and both appear to be different than the Nude Rose one.

Yes, that's a $15.84 price tag...a bit steep for a drugstore palette. But since L'Oreal owns Urban Decay, I would gladly pay that if the quality is high enough to make these Naked palette dupes! But then again, L'Oreal also owns Maybelline and their nudes palette was a flop for me.

La Palette Nude 1 has light to medium tones of Ivory, Beige, and Caramel.

La Palette Nude 2 has medium to deep tones of Taupe, Mauve, and Plum.

I admit, I really want both of these! What about you? What are your thoughts on these as far as shades, price, etc?

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Memebox Thanksgiving Box Collection #2 Review

January 8, 2015, 12:58 pm

≫ Next: Review Update

≪ Previous: L'oreal La Palette Nude Spotted at Walmart!

I'm really behind on my latest Memebox review! It was sitting on my doorstep on Christmas Eve when I got home late from my in-laws and then we were travelling all over between different family get-togethers so things have been hectic the past few weeks.

This is actually the Thanksgiving Edition, and while the holidays are now behind us, I just have to say...this is my favorite Memebox to date!

The idea behind the Thanksgiving box was really cute...there was a box "for me" and "for you", the idea being to keep the "for me" box and gift the "for you" box to a friend or family member over the holidays. I got the "for you" box to try and it's packed with some really innovative and unique Korean beauty products...take a look!

When you open the box, there's a really nice sentiment, thanking the person for being beautiful and making the world a better place.

They included the standard card (which is a lifesaver) that explains all of the products since they're mostly in Korean.

The first product was Peripera Heart Glow Stick in 02 Gold Aura, $16. This is a creamy highlighter in a stick reminiscent of Benefit's Watts Up! but at a much nicer price. The color is actually like a cream version of my beloved Mary Lou-manizer from The Balm so this was a really great surprise! The packaging is also adorable!

Peripera Heart Glow Stick in Gold Aura 02

Next, I received twoPure Smile Sheet Masks, $2 each. I've gotten these in other Memeboxes and have been really impressed with them. These contain Milk proteins which I'm excited about because milk is a natural mild exfoliant and leaves your skin glowing. I had received the chocolate milk version in a previous Chocolate-themed box and it was fantastic. This time I got Strawberry Milk and Regular Milk.

Vivito Painting Sweet Lip Balm $24, was the biggest surprise of the box because this clear Jello-like lip balm is actually an incredible lip stain! I received the shade Grape Farm and when I opened it I noticed that it smelled like Grape Bazooka bubble gum and it was so crystal clear, you could see down to the bottom of the metal tin it comes in...

So I swiped my finger into it and rubbed it onto my lips without using a mirror, then continued to take photos for my review. To my surprise, I looked in the mirror a few minutes later and saw...

...that it had stained my lips a bright raspberry shade! This was a total surprise (a good one) so in addition to being super moisturizing, this balm left my lips stained like this until the following morning! My lips were never dry, in fact, just the opposite. I also love that this stain is more transparent rather than opaque. It looks like I just ate a popsicle and rather than covered my lips with a product. I'm in love with this stuff, but apparently so is everyone else- it's sold out on the Memebox website currently.

The next product was Saracen's Flourescent Glitter, $6. This hexagonal loose glitter is meant to be sprinkled onto your nails while your polish is still damp, then sealed in with a clear topcoat. It's cute, but I feel like I could just go get hexagonal glitter at any craft store.

Next is another product by Vivito. This is my first time trying products from this brand and there were two of them in the same box. Since I loved the lip balm so much, I had a feeling I'd like this too. Illust Lumiere Primeris pricey at $50 but I love how lightweight, yet hydrating it is! It contains "elastic smoothing powder" to control excess sebum and oil while covering pores and fine lines.

It starts out white with a pearly effect that helps to brighten the skin and make it look less dull. Once completely blended, it's clear with no white cast.

Shara Shara White Bear Miracle Multi Cream $18, can be used to hydrate the skin, hair, and nails and contains 30 different kinds of plant oils.

The packaging says "cream" but it's actually like a solid oil balm. It has a beautiful, sweet lemony citrus scent (reminds me of Burt's Bees cuticle cream) and it melts upon contact with the skin into a light oil.

I used it on my hands, knees and elbows last night and woke up with wonderfully smooth skin with no more flaky dry patches. The idea behind this reminds me of Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream- it can be used anywhere on the body and it has that thick balm-like texture. I definitely need this in my life this winter...my skin is as dry as ever!

This Shara Shara Brush set, $24 comes in a plastic roll case that feels pretty cheap to me and the brushes inside aren't the greatest quality either. It's a cute little travel set, but I feel like my $1 Elf brushes do the trick so I won't likely use this much.

Finally, I got a With Shyan nail polish, $4 in a beautiful florescent pink. Right away, I painted my nails with it because it made me think of Spring and warm weather (it's been in the single digits here in CT so I needed a pick-me-up). I'm really impressed with this formula...one coat almost completely covered my nails with no streakiness. I added a second coat for good measure and it's completely opaque and bright. I love it!

Overall, this box cost $26 and contained $146 worth of products! I love almost everything in this box and found some really cool innovative products to love, my favorites being the Vivito Jelly lip balm, Peripera highlighting stick, Vivito Primer, and Shara Shara Multi-Cream.
If you haven't tried Memebox yet, head on over to the Memebox website! They have tons of amazing themed boxes to try (no subscription necessary) as well as an entire shop full of single products from Korea's hottest brands! They now have a USA Shop with a warehouse in San Francisco so there's no more waiting for shipping either!

So what did you think of this Thanksgiving edition box?

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Review Update

January 9, 2015, 3:16 pm

≫ Next: L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Review and Swatches

≪ Previous: Memebox Thanksgiving Box Collection #2 Review

Hey guys, I just wanted to update you quickly and let you know the results of the poll I posted the other day.
Over 1176 of you responded which is incredible and now I have a great idea of which products you'd like to see me review first...there were some clear front-runners from the start.

This screenshot shows the top results and these are the products you'll see reviewed in the coming days and weeks. I actually reviewed the L'Oréal Pro Matte Glosses the other day because at the time they were #1, but now they've fallen to #2 so I'll start with the Pro-Matte foundation and then jump to #3 and follow the list down.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated! You're the best!

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L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Review and Swatches

January 10, 2015, 4:30 pm

≫ Next: Photos of the new L'oreal La Palette Nude!

≪ Previous: Review Update

L'oreal Paris has jumped on the matte foundation bandwagon with its newest formula, Infallible Pro-Matte. It promises a lasting, demi-matte finish that's never dull or flat. Let's take a look!

Pro-Matte comes in 8 shades and there is also a Pro-Matte powder available in 8 shades. They're a bit on the expensive side for a drugstore product at $13.79 each (at CVS) but I've found that in general, L'oreal has become much more expensive than the other drugstore brands, and has been for quite a while now.
This comes in a squeeze tube that's semi-see-through to help with shade selection. The only problem is that it's not 100% see-through, the tube has been mattified and that sort of gives it a translucent effect, but not completely transparent. Just looking at the tubes, there didn't seem to be much variation in the shades.
So I ended up going by the names and selected 102 Shell Beige because typically when a foundation shade has the word "shell" in its name, it's a cooler, pink-toned color, whereas shades with the word "warm" or "golden" tend to be yellow-based.

The back of the tube says that the finish is demi-matte, it wears up to 24 hours, has medium coverage, and has an air-light texture.

The foundation is definitely very lightweight...it dries extremely fast and just melts in like a second skin. I swatched it on my arm and took a picture right away and you can see how it's starting to dry around the edges already. So when I apply this, I have to work in small sections. The tube says to apply it with your fingers in a rolling motion, but I typically use a Beauty Blender or Real Techinques sponge to get a more flawless effect. I've found that with dry skin, using a damp sponge also helps to minimize flaking.

The coverage is medium as the package states and it lasted all day on me. I didn't test the 24 hour claims because I wash my face at night, but it wasn't showing signs of fading at bedtime. Below are my before and afters...it didn't cover everything, but it did a good job evening out my skin and I love the demi-matte finish, because it's not powdery and flat. You can see in the after photo that there's still a little bit of "glow" where the light hits my cheeks and nose but it's in no way shiny or sparkly. It's just a nice satin finish.

Before- No Foundation

After- Wearing L'Oreal Pro-Matte

Overall, I really love this foundation! It's super lightweight and undetectable on the skin and it covers fairly well. I love the finish because it's matte without being dull or flat. It also has no scent so those who are sensitive will like that as well.
The problem is, if you have dry skin, you'll have some issues with this clinging to dry patches. The first time I used this we were having a warm spell around Christmas time with almost 60 degree weather for a week straight and my skin was returning to it's Spring/Summer state of being more on the normal side. At the time, this applied beautifully with no issues. Fast forward to yesterday when I sat down to do this review and take pictures and my skin is totally different than it was a few weeks ago. We've had single-digit weather the past week or so and my skin is drier than ever, so when I applied this, it clung to dry, flaky areas like crazy, highlighted my pores and accentuated wrinkles. I had a feeling it might do that, so I had used a heavy moisturizer and a primer to try to combat it, but I still had issues getting it to look good.
So I'll be putting this away until the Spring when my skin returns to a normal state and will continue to use more moisturizing formulas for now. If you're normal to oily though, this foundation is amazing if you're looking for a matte finish that lasts and doesn't look flat.

What do you think? Have you tried this yet, or are you planning to buy it?

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Photos of the new L'oreal La Palette Nude!

January 10, 2015, 4:50 pm

≫ Next: Ped Egg Power Spotted at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

≪ Previous: L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Review and Swatches

I just found photos of the new L'oreal La Palette Nude 1 and 2 on the Target website, but it's not available for sale just yet. I just wanted to share them because they look gorgeous! They're $15.99 at Target, so a few cents more than Walmart's price of $15.84. I just hope for that price they're nicely pigmented!

L'oreal La Palette Nude 1
Light to Medium Tones- Ivory, Beige and Caramel

L'oreal La Palette Nude 2
Medium to Deep tones of Taupe, Mauve and Plum

The description says:

Master the art of nude. Inspired by make up designer 'must have' palettes, everything you need to master the art of nude eyeshadow. Nude master-class looks exclusively designed for each palette. Recreate in 4 easy steps or craft your own eye look. 3 shadow finishes: shimmery satin, buttery matte, and lustrous sheens in 10 highly pigmented shades curated to blend harmoniously for endless looks. Eye-designer brush & mirror for effortless application.

Professional looks

Curated shades

Designer applicator

So now that you've seen photos, what do you think? I'm so excited to see what these are like!

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Ped Egg Power Spotted at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

January 11, 2015, 3:47 pm

≫ Next: L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paint Review and Swatches

≪ Previous: Photos of the new L'oreal La Palette Nude!

Today I was at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and spotted a new foot-smoothing, callus-removing device from Ped Egg called Ped Egg Power. It immediately reminded me of the new Amope Pedi Perfect that I reviewed a few months ago (see review here). The Amope is expensive at $49.99, so at $14.99 the Ped Egg could be a bargain if the results and quality are the same.

The Ped Egg Power also comes with a second roller head designed for smoothing. So I'm guessing that the blue roller is coarse for removing calluses, while the purple roller is for smoothing out dead, dry skin.
I'm going to have to buy this and compare it to my Amope. Especially since that only came with a coarse roller so I'm anxious to see how the smoothing one is.

Have you seen this in the stores, or are you interested to try it?

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L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paint Review and Swatches

January 12, 2015, 9:36 am

≫ Next: L'oreal Blow Dry It Quick Dry Primer Spray Review

≪ Previous: Ped Egg Power Spotted at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

L.A. Girl has been impressing the heck out of me lately...first there were the Beauty Bricks with their amazingly soft, pigmented formula, then their Pro Conceal HD concealer (which I've been testing for a few weeks and will review soon), and now with their Glazed Lip Paints.

Glazed Lip Paint comes in 18 shades and are $4 each on the L.A. Girl website. I picked up some shades at Harmons and a few more at Rite Aid for $3.49 each, so it appears to be a little cheaper in the drugstores.

A lot of you have been wondering if these are Too Faced Melted dupes because the packaging looks very similar and they're both liquid lipsticks. I'll compare them a little further down in this post but first, I'll talk about the Glazed Lip Paint on its own.

They come in a squeeze tube with a slanted plastic applicator. The formula itself is like a liquid lipstick and a gloss mixed together so it has tons of shine and feels moisturizing and comfortable on the lips. The formula applies like a gloss but it looks opaque on your lips so you have to use precision when applying rather than just slicking it on like you would a sheer gloss.
I made quite a mess of my lips trying to apply it straight from the applicator so I ended up getting better results by either dabbing it on with a finger or using a lip brush.
Here are swatches of the shades I bought, both on my arm and on my lips below:

Left to Right:
Whisper, Elude, Peony, Whimsical, Babydoll, Bombshell, Blushing, and Pin-Up.

Whisper

Elude

Peony

Whimsical

Babydoll

Bombshell

Blushing

Pin-up

These have a minty taste/scent and actually remind me a lot of the OCC Lip Tars! I wasn't expecting that since all of the comparisons I've seen were to the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks. Like the Lip Tars, these are a super glossy liquid lipstick and they lasted several hours on me (darker shades lasted the longest).

The Too Faced Melted lipsticks definitely look similar on the outside but that's where the similarities end.

The Too Faced Melted Lipsticks have a padded applicator that the product comes through when you squeeze the tube. That makes them very easy to apply straight from the tube and I like it much better than the Glazed Lip Paints.

However, the Melted's have a creamier, less shiny finish and felt drier on the lips. That's not to say my lips felt dry...at least not at first. But as the hours passed, it didn't feel as comfortable or moisturizing on my lips than the Glazed Lip Paints.
Below, I swatched the Glazed Lip Paints next to the Melted lipsticks. The shades were similar but not exact dupes.

Left to Right:
L.A. Whisper, T.F. Nude, L.A. Elude, T.F. Peony,
L.A. Bombshell, T.F. Fuchsia, L.A. Pin-Up, T.F. Berry

Overall, I am loving the Glazed Lip Paints! They have fantastic wear time, feel great on my dry lips, and provide intense lipstick-like color with the feel of a gloss. The only thing I wasn't crazy about is the applicator, as I found them a bit messy to apply but that was easy to fix by using my own brush or just my finger.
Have you tried Glazed Lip Paints yet? What do you think of the shades?

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L'oreal Blow Dry It Quick Dry Primer Spray Review

January 13, 2015, 7:13 pm

≫ Next: L'oreal Blow Dry It Thermal Smoother Cream Review

≪ Previous: L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paint Review and Swatches

Last month, I spotted a new line of L'oreal Paris hair products at Target called Blow Dry It. There are three products in the line, including a Primer Spray, Thermal Anti-Frizz Cream, and Dry Shampoo and they were all $3.99 each.

The first one I wanted to review was the Quick Dry Primer Spray.

Hair primers are a relatively new idea and have been hitting the stores more and more in the past year or so. Some prep the hair for styling products but this one is supposed to cut down on blowdrying time and offer heat protection.

Here's the ingredient list:

It comes in a spray bottle and the texture is very much like those shine sprays that you would use after styling- it's extremely lightweight. But unlike a shine spray that coats the hair and can make it feel greasy, this disappears into the hair and helps with detangling. I thought it would be similar to other leave-in sprays like "It's a 10" but it's not at all. The sprays I was thinking of are thicker...this is a very fine, almost water-like mist. Just watch your bathroom floor- it makes it really slippery!
It smells fruity-floral, like some other L'oreal hair products I've used although I can't think of which at the moment.

While testing this out, I sprayed it on towel-dried hair about 5 minutes after getting out of the shower so my hair didn't have too much time to air dry. Usually it takes about 13-14 minutes to dry my long bob which falls between my chin and shoulders) but with this it only took 7-8, which is just over half the time! In addition, it made the damaged areas of my hair practically disappear! I know that it claims heat protection, but the bottle didn't say anything about repairing damage or moisturizing, so that was a really nice surprise. My hair felt like silk afterward and was smooth, shiny and frizz free. I also have baby fine hair and this didn't weigh it down at all, even when sprayed generously.

I realized shortly after trying this that it reminds me a lot of Redken's Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer, and that would make sense, because L'oreal owns Redken! After using both, I can definitely say that L'oreal's Quick Dry Primer is a great dupe for it. The main difference between the two is that Redken's formula is dual-phase, but once you shake it up and spray it, it has the same lightweight texture and it cuts down my drying time by the same amount.

Overall, this primer is awesome! It's really inexpensive and works amazingly well, cutting my blowdrying time almost in half, plus leaving my hair silky smooth. I definitely recommend picking this up next time you're at Target!
I'd love to hear from you if you've tried any of the Blow Dry It line yet, or if you've been wanting to!

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L'oreal Blow Dry It Thermal Smoother Cream Review

January 14, 2015, 8:33 am

≫ Next: New Flower Products Spotted at Walmart!

≪ Previous: L'oreal Blow Dry It Quick Dry Primer Spray Review

The new L'oreal Blow Dry It line consists of three products that help to protect your hair from heat styling as well as make it easier. Yesterday, I reviewed the new Quick Dry Primer Spray which ended up cutting my drying time in half! Today, I wanted to review the other product in the line I purchased, which is the Thermal Smoother Cream ($3.99 Target).

This cream is supposed to smooth your hair and lock out humidity to prevent and tame frizz and give your hair a smooth finish. I used this on towel dried hair after spraying on the Quick Dry Primer.

The Thermal Smoother Cream is a lightweight cream, similar in texture to a light body lotion. It has a pleasant fruity scent that I recognize from other L'oreal hair products but I just can't place which ones at the moment.
I found that this didn't weigh down my baby fine hair at all- I just used about a nickel sized dollop (my hair is between chin and shoulder length) and worked it in to the mid-shafts and ends first, then whatever residue was on my hands, I applied to the top of my hair. I try not to put too much product at the roots because even so-called lightweight products can weigh down my hair on top, but the top of my head has quite a bit of frizz, especially in humid or rainy weather so I wanted to make sure I got this on there even if it was just a little bit.

Overall, I was very happy with the results I got from this! My hair looked very smooth and shiny and felt velvety soft, without extra weight. This added a tiny bit of hold, whereas the primer spray I reviewed yesterday didn't add any. So I like using this in combination with that so my style will stay straight and smooth all day.
Have you tried the new Blow Dry It line yet, or are you thinking about it?

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New Flower Products Spotted at Walmart!

January 14, 2015, 9:10 am

≫ Next: Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Review

≪ Previous: L'oreal Blow Dry It Thermal Smoother Cream Review

Yesterday, I spotted some new Flower by Drew Barrymore products at Walmart and the entire display had been changed around and cleaned up. Last week when I was there it looked so empty and was a complete mess of clearance products mixed in with regular, I was wondering for a minute if the line was going to be discontinued...there was hardly anything there. But good news! They must have been clearing out old products to make way for some new ones. I posted a few of these on Instagra m last night, but here's the full list. Let's take a look!

First I saw 5 new brushes. A lot of you have mentioned seeing these over the past couple of months so they're not brand new, but this is the first time I'm seeing them at my local Walmart.

There's a Powder Brush, a Liquid Foundation Brush, Eyeshadow Brush, Eyeliner Brush, and Lip/Concealer Brush. They look really nice but I wasn't able to feel them so I'm not sure what the quality is like. I'd love to hear from you if you've tried them, so please leave a comment below if you have!

Next I spotted the Daily Brightening Undereye Cover Creme ($8.98). There were four shades and they appear to be rollerball-style concealers. Typically concealers in this type of packaging are lightweight, but I'm curious because these are called "Cover Creme" which makes me think that they have more coverage. I purchased one, so we'll see soon enough!

The next new product I saw was That's So Kohl Eyeliners ($7.98). They come in 5 shades and have a creamy, slightly chubby eyeliner on one end with a smudger on the other. I'm really liking that rose gold shade! It also comes in Tell Me No Lilacs, Electric Volt, Espresso, and Total Blackout.

There were also two new mascaras! The first one is called Outstretched Lengthening Mascara and the other is called Intensif-eye Volumizing Mascara. Both have a plastic brush with bristles at the tip, which reminds me of Benefit's They're Real and Revlon's Photoready 3D Volume.

The next photo shows two products...Eye 2 Eye Eye Marker and Volumizing Mascara and Double Take Eye Marker and Creme Eyeshadow. These are 2-in-1 products that would be handy for travel or for keeping in your purse.
Eye 2 Eye ($9.98) has a smudge-proof marker on one side and mascara at the other end. It comes in two shades, Intense Black and Midnight Bloom.
Double Take ($9.98) has a marker on one end and a creme eyeshadow stick on the other. It comes in three shades, Poolside Kiss, Lovely Lilac, and Steel a Kiss.

Finally, I spotted Lip Radiance High Shine Lip Lacquer ($7.98). These come in 5 shades (I purchased Autumn Rose which is a beautiful marsala shade) and they're really pigmented, like a liquid lipstick but with the feel and shine of a gloss. I'm loving it so far!

I'm really excited about all the new products from Flower! I want to try them all, but I did purchase a few to try and review for you in the coming days and weeks so stay tuned!

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Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Review

January 14, 2015, 8:33 pm

≫ Next: Rimmel BB Cream Matte Review

≪ Previous: New Flower Products Spotted at Walmart!

I was so excited to walk into Target last week and spot a Micellar Water by Simple Skincare! Born in France and widely available in Europe and Canada, Micellar Waters are no-rinse, soap-free cleansing waters that are gentle to the skin. They're still relatively new in the US, although Vichy and La Roche Posay have versions that are available here. The problem is, those are between $17 and $22, but this new one by Simple was only $6.99. Let's take a look!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Micellar Waters, they're essentially water that contains Micelles (or fatty acid esters) that trap and whisk away makeup, dirt and pollutants from the skin (sort of like a Swiffer for your skin!). You apply the water with a cotton pad and there's no need to rinse afterward. The most popular brand worldwide seems to be Bioderma, based on all of the reviews and YouTube videos about it. I haven't tried it because it's not available in the US (unless I want to pay crazy international shipping costs). Recently, Garnier released a version in the UK so we may see that here this Spring and I have a feeling that this is probably going to be a new trend in the US for 2015.

Ok, so back to Simple's version! It claims to remove makeup and cleanse the skin, leaving it feeling clean and hydrated. The instructions say to apply a generous amount to a cotton pad and wipe it all around your face without rubbing.

It comes with a flip-top cap for easy dispensing. It looks and feels exactly like water and has no scent at all. It feels cool and soothing when you glide the cotton pad over your skin. After a few minutes, your skin dries completely and feels moisturized and soft with no feeling of residue at all.

So how is it at removing makeup? Well, I was able to remove my face makeup and eye makeup easily with the exception of my mascara and waterproof eyeliner. I used one cotton pad for my face and one for each eye, but I still had to go over my eyes with an eye makeup remover afterwards to remove the little bit of mascara and liner that remained. So for me, this isn't a one-step cleansing solution.

But after several uses, I've found a couple of ways that I prefer to use this product:

1. In place of a toner. After my regular cleanse with water, there is often still a bit of makeup that remains. So I use this afterwards to get rid of any residue. It refreshes my face and helps ease my dry skin of the tightness that results after washing my face with water and a cleanser.

2. In place of makeup removing wipes. There are some nights when I'm just too tired to do a full wash at the sink and I normally reach for makeup removing wipes. The problem with those is, they tend to leave my face with a bit of a sticky feeling. So instead, I remove my eye makeup with my eye makeup remover (which can leave an oily residue) and then I go over my eyes again and the rest of my face with the Micellar water. It gets rid of the oily residue from the eye makeup remover and then removes my face makeup without the sticky feeling I get from wipes.

Overall, I've definitely found a place in my skincare routine for Simple Cleansing Micellar Water. Whether I'm doing a full cleanse, or just a quick makeup removal without water, I love how soft and smooth it makes my face feel while removing the majority of my makeup easily.

Have you seen this at Target or any other drugstores yet? Have you used Bioderma or any other Micellar water? I'd love to hear how you use them and what you think of them!

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Rimmel BB Cream Matte Review

January 15, 2015, 6:48 pm

≫ Next: New Hard Candy Ombre Baked Blushes Coming in February

≪ Previous: Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Review

Back in early December, I picked up two new formulas of Rimmel's BB Cream...Matte and Radiance ($6.99 Walgreens). I wasn't a huge fan of their original BB formula but I was still interested to see what the newer versions were like. So let's take a look!

I wanted to review the Matte BB Cream first since it was more highly requested from you guys than the radiance formula. It claims to be a 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup with a natural matte finish. It comes in 3 shades: Light, Light/Medium, and Medium. I chose Light since BB creams are usually a little darker than you think they're going to be and the lightest shade is usually still too dark for the very fair skinned.

The 9 benefits are:
1. Minimize the Appearance of Pores.
2. Even Skin Tone
3. Mattify
4. Control Shine All Day
5. Smooth
6. Soothe
7. Conceal Dark Circles
8. Help Prevent Blemishes
9. Give All-Day Coverage

This also contains Bamboo Powder and Kaolin Clay to absorb oil and sebum, Witch Hazel and Salicylic Acid to reduce and prevent clogged pores, Algae Extract to rebalance the skin and make it smooth, and Glycerol to moisturize.

Rimmel BB Matte comes in a squeeze tube that's almost identical to their original BB, except that it has purple accents instead of blue and the tube has a matte finish instead of shiny.

Since I have dry skin, I'm always afraid to try matte products. The miniscule amount of oil I have in my skin is the only thing that keeps me from looking like one big flaky mess. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one! It had a semi-matte finish rather than a dry, powdery matte finish. It felt creamy and moisturizing going on, rather than skipping across my skin like other matte products tend to do. Then it dried down into a matte finish that was more satin than powdery. I'm guessing that the fact this is a BB Cream and not a foundation helps, because BB Creams are supposed to be your skincare and foundation in one. Usually they have a much dewier finish than foundation, so I think that's why this is more compatible with dry skin.
The Light shade was a tiny bit dark for me just like I figured, but BB Creams are also more forgiving when it comes to blending shades with your skin so this looks like a good match once blended.

It has amazing coverage for a BB Cream! It actually covered just as well as the new L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation I reviewed last week and has the same gorgeous demi-matte finish. But this is much more compatible with my dry skin, so I think I'm going to reach for this more, at least in the Winter.
Overall, I'd say that if you have dry skin and have been wanting to jump on the matte bandwagon, give this one a try! If you're oily, it might still work for you given that it has oil-absorbing properties, but I'm not sure how it will hold up throughout the day. On my dry skin it lasted a solid 6-8 hours before it started to fade a bit.
I'd love to hear from you if you've tried this one out or if you're thinking about buying it!

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New Hard Candy Ombre Baked Blushes Coming in February

January 16, 2015, 9:47 am

≫ Next: L'oreal Infallible Pro-Last Lip wear Review and Swatches

≪ Previous: Rimmel BB Cream Matte Review

Today, Hard Candy posted a sneak peek on Instagram of a new blush that's coming to Walmart stores in mid-February. It's called Ombre Baked Blush and the photo below shows a shade called Punch. They'll be $7 and that's all I know, but just look at how gorgeous this is! Can't wait to get my hands on it! What do you think?

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