The Budget Beauty Blog

I recently picked up the Profusion Sweet Tooth Palette in Natural ($3) at Five Below and I wanted to just do a quick mini review on it for you guys because I've been getting requests since I posted a few of my Five Below finds on Instagram last week.

Ever since Too Faced came out with the Chocolate Bar, there have been many "chocolate" inspired palettes. I don't think this means to be a dupe, it's just a similar idea. It comes in a really cute pillow box with an old-fashioned candy store style font.

Inside, the palette comes in a slim plastic case with a clear lid...no mirror or applicators here, it's very simple and streamlined. The shadows themselves look like chocolate bar squares and there's a nice variety of neutral shades in here.

There are four matte shades and five shimmers. The shadows all feel soft but the shimmers have quite a bit of fallout.

Similar to other Profusion palettes I've reviewed in the past, the matte shades were very hard to work with and not pigmented at all. In the swatches below, the matte white (#1) and matte gray (#5) barely show up on my skin. The other two mattes, which are a dark olive green and dark purple (#8 and #9) showed up a little bit better but still swatched streaky and patchy. All the shimmers were very soft and buttery and had very nice pigmentation...but also quite a bit of fallout.

Overall, this palette has some really pretty shades and cute packaging, and honestly, it's hard to complain about a $3 eyeshadow palette. It's decent quality for the price...5 of the shades are definitely useable, but the matte shades were disappointing and I probably won't even bother using those- they were just way too hard to pick up.
For $2 more, the Profusion Bare Palette or the Smoky Palette give you a little more bang for your buck than this one with more useable shades.
I wasn't able to find this palette online to link to it, so I'm thinking it might only be available at Five Below...but I'm not sure. If anyone has seen these anywhere else, please be sure to leave a comment below!

Tarte Miraculous Maracuja Makeup Setting Spray ($28) and Park Ave Princess Contouring Face Perfector with Brush($29.12)are two brand new releases from the brand that you can only find on QVC right now. Let's take a look!

If you love setting sprays, there's a new one on the scene...Tarte Miraculous Maracuja! This can actually be used before makeup as a primer, or on top of makeup to set it and make it last all day. QVC hasn't listed the ingredients yet, but I assume there is Maracuja Oil in here (um...hopefully!) but I'm not sure what else it includes. I kind of want to order it anyway...if the ingredients disagree with me somehow, QVC has an awesome return policy. Plus, I love the bottle, it's so pretty!

Miraculous Maracuja Setting Spray

Also brand new and exclusive to QVC is a cream version of Tarte's popular Park Ave Princess bronzer that comes with a contouring brush. You can use this whipped, antioxidant rich face perfector to warm up your skin or to sculpt your cheekbones and face for a slimmer appearance. The brush helps to seamlessly buff it into your skin while the formula with Maracuja oil and Amazonian Clay hides imperfections. Park Ave Princess is such a great shade for lighter skintones so I'm really excited about this one! Plus, $29 isn't too bad with the brush included!

Park Ave Princess Contouring Face Perfector

Both products are available now on QVC.com

Rimmel Keep Calm Lip Balm ($2.50 at Walmart) is brand new to the US for Spring 2015, but they've been out in other countries for a while now (why are we always the last to get everything? Ugh.) I actually found these toward the front of the store in a Mother's Day display section they had set up, it wasn't with the rest of the cosmetics, so if you go to Walmart and don't see them, ask an associate, they might be hiding somewhere else. I actually stumbled upon them by accident. So let's take a closer look!

The packaging says that these increase lip moisture by 22%. It's funny because that seems like a low number to me...I guess I'm just used to mascaras for example, claiming 400% more volume and all these exaggerated claims that are impossible for me to measure. So it's kind of funny that 22% seems like hardly anything, but they're probably just being honest!
According to the ingredient list, these contain Castor Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil and Royal Jelly Extract. I was surprised not to see shea butter in these since that's usually a staple in lip balms (and is pretty high up on the list in Maybelline's Baby Lips).

The packaging totally reminds me of Baby Lips, but I think I like this packaging even better! They're using the "Keep Calm" slogan on the tube and adding their own verbs to it such as "Keep Calm and Kiss (Rock and Play)". There was also a clear shade which I didn't purchase, but I only saw four shades in all (there may be more, I'm not sure).

Unlike Baby Lips, these actually have a lipstick-shaped bullet which I love and definitely prefer! The flat top of Baby Lips is harder to control and I almost always go outside my lip line. My only complaint with the packaging is that the bullet doesn't twist all the way down so you have to be careful when putting the cap back on.

When I first swatched them, they didn't impress me at all, pigmentation-wise. I mean, I know they're just tinted balms so I wasn't expecting them to have a ton of pigment but I feel like Baby Lips has these beat when it comes right down to it.

At first swipe on my lips I didn't really see any color payoff happening, so I went over my lips 3 or 4 times and then I started to see some color.

Pink Blush (Keep Calm and Kiss) is a bubblegum pink shade and the lightest of the three.

Berry Blush (Keep Calm and Play) actually has a bit of coral in it and looks totally orange in the tube so I'm not sure why it's called Berry Blush. Still, I really like the color...it's the closest to my natural lip color and more of an MLBB shade.

Rose Blush (Keep Calm and Rock) actually had the most pigment and when I layered it up on my lips, it actually came out darker than I was expecting, especially compared to the other two. It's a pretty, cool-toned rose shade.

Texture-wise, these feel a lot different than Baby Lips. These are thicker and more balm-like while Baby Lips have a softer, more slippery, glossy texture. Keep Calm balm feels like it sits on top of your lips and feels a little more waxy, while Baby Lips tends to sink in a little bit more.
When first applied, these feel very hydrating and soft, but after about an hour of wear, I start to notice my lips drying out a little bit. I would say that Keep Calm balm's color lasts a little bit longer than Baby Lips, most likely because Baby Lips has a thinner, glossier formula. But I feel like Baby Lips are a little more hydrating than these are.

Overall, I just feel so-so about these. They're inexpensive but I feel like they don't moisturize as well as some other tinted balms and the amount of tint they leave is also quite a bit less than others I've tried (except for Rose Blush, which has a good amount of tint). Kind of disappointing since they're so cute!
Have you seen these out in stores yet, or tried them? What did you think?

The Etude House Dreaming Swan Collection is brand new this month and as always, it's super adorable. I just got my blogger Pink Box and was really excited to see this collection inside.

Etude House Dreaming Swan Collection Review

The Dreaming Swan Collection packaging was designed by Australian Fashion Illustrator Kerrie Hess, who has drawn for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and more. She's been featured in tons of magazines too, such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.
This collection is meant to take you back to when you were a little girl and dreamed of becoming a ballerina. I don't know about you, but I took ballet when I was 8 years old and I definitely had that dream for a little while!

There are a lot of different products in the Dreaming Swan Collection but today I'll be reviewing the Dreaming Swan Value Kit ($20). This kit contains one lipstick, Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk in #02 Pointe Coral and an eye and cheek powder, Dreaming Swan Eye and Cheek in #02 Pointe Coral.

Both products come housed in an adorable pink and cream canvas zipper case that has a pretty calico lining and a tutu on top. It reminds me of a case I had as a child...I feel like I had something almost identical to this that I stored my Tinkerbell nail polish and jelly bracelets in!
It has a removable upper compartment with a larger one underneath.

Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk ($8.50) is made with Coconut Seed Butter and Carnuba Wax. It looks brighter in the tube than it actually is...it's a soft coral shade. It feels very soft and balm-like as you're putting it on and has a satin finish at first. But it quickly dries to a milky, opaque matte finish that accentuates every dry patch on my lips. I tried exfoliating before-hand and that helped a bit, but overall, I'm not a huge fan of matte lipsticks because I have chronically dry lips. But that's just me...if you like mattes, this is one of the most moisturizing versions I've tried!

The Dreaming Swan Eye and Cheek ($13) is a beautiful pore-blurring silky powder that can be used on your eyes or cheeks. It comes in a cute metal tin with a screw-top lid.

Inside, there's a puff applicator with a pink tutu as a handle. I could see using the puff on your face, but for my eyes, I just used an eyeshadow brush. The powder is a very light shimmery pink, almost like a highlighter.

Here are the swatches of the lipstick and powder...the colors are so soft and beautiful!

I also received a Precious Mineral Any Cushion foundation (to see my previous review, please click here) along with an empty Dreaming Swan-themed case ($8) for it.

There are three different Dreaming Swan themed case styles...mine is a peachy color with ballet shoes on it. Since the Precious Mineral Any Cushion foundation case is meant to be reusable, I can just pop out the foundation cushion out of the white case and snap it into the Dreaming Swan case.

Overall, the lipstick wasn't my favorite formula, but I really liked the Eye and Cheek powder and the packaging and cute little case is just so adorable!

If you'd like to see the rest of the Dreaming Swan collection, please visit Etudehouse.com.

*Disclosure- I received the products featured from Etude House for review purposes. All opinions are my own and I was not paid to write this review.*

Pixi Glow Mist ($15 at Target) was one of those total impulse purchases for me. I was at Target a few weeks ago buying more of the Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balms and I spotted this along with a few other new products for Spring 2015. I just couldn't resist it...I'm a sucker for face mists! Let's take a look...

According to the Pixi website, Glow Mist:

Gives a glowing, luminous & smooth complexion. Enriched with 13 natural oils plus propolis, aloe vera and fruit extracts.

Before makeup: hydrates, protects & nourishes.

After makeup: sets makeup, adds a dewy finish and protects skin.

Anytime: refreshes makeup, hydrates and adds glow.

Ingredients:

Water, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Propolis Extract, Niacinamide, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Panthenol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Rose Flower Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil.

Glow Mist is a dual phase product...you can see in the above photo that there's a layer of oil floating on top. You just have to shake the bottle well before spraying.

The atomizer has small nozzle so the mist is very fine and it doesn't leave big droplets all over your face. I just hold it about 12 inches away and hold the button down to release the cooling, refreshing mist. It smells so good- very clean and spa-like. It actually reminds me a lot of Caudalie's Beauty Elixir. I mainly use it as a makeup setting spray to create a seamless finish or as a refresher during the day. Now that the weather is getting warm, I love to use it after I've been outside running around with my 2 year old. It feels amazing when you feel overheated and tired...it's a great pick-me-up!

It does hydrate your skin, with oils like Argan, Jojoba, Avocado, and Olive plus hyaluronic acid, but it doesn't take the place of your moisturizer (at least for me but I have dry skin)- it just adds a boost to dehydrated skin, whether you've been on a plane, or out in the sun or wind. It also contains tea tree oil and aloe to soothe a stressed out complexion.

Overall, I'm loving Pixi Glow Mist and I know I'll be using it all summer- it's in my purse right now, I've been taking it everywhere!

You can find it at your local Target or at Pixibeauty.com

Warm weather has finally arrived in New England and I've been dying to take my sandals and flip flops out of the closet, but my poor feet were in pretty terrible shape from a long winter of neglect. So I was really excited to receive the Emjoi Micro-Pedi ($39.95) to try out and review for you! I currently own several callus-removing devices, as well as a metal foot scraper, but the Emjoi Micro-Pedi is my favorite by far...let's take a look!

There are several pedi-smoothing devices on the market these days, but the Emjoi Micro-Pedi was the first of it's kind, and is the only motorized callus remover to have the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance! It has an ergonomically designed handle for easy grip and maneuverability so it's really comfortable to use. It's also not heavy or bulky like others I've tried in the past, so it's easy to reach more difficult places like my heels or around the sides of my feet.

The Micro-Pedi also has accessories that I haven't seen with other devices, for example, there's a manicure attachment kit ($19.99) that allows you to buff and smooth your nails with salon-quality precision. There are also cone-shaped rollers ($19.95) to help you get to the rough skin in between and under your toes.

The roller itself is naturally processed from stone and spins 30 times per second to break up and remove rough, dry, hardened, callused skin from your feet painlessly and easily in just a few minutes. It's so much easier to use than those metal scrapers and way more effective. The first time I used this, I couldn't believe how much dead skin fell to the floor...there was a huge pile of white dust (sorry, TMI). Compared to other foot smoothing devices I've used, this one seemed to rotate faster and remove the dead skin a lot quicker. The roller also doesn't seem to wear out as fast, which is really important. I've been disappointed with other brands in the past because the roller became dull after only one or two uses.

The other thing I should mention is that the Emjoi Micro-Pedi also has quite a few different types of refill rollers...the blue roller that it comes with the device is Extra Coarse, but they also carry Super Coarse and Xtreme Coarse rollers for harder to remove calluses. In addition, they also offer rollers that are gentler for use on your elbows (I would totally use those on my knees too!).

Overall, the Emjoi Micro-Pedi has a lot to offer with it's comfortable, ergonomic grip, long-lasting roller, super effective callus and dead skin removal, and all of the available accessories, making it my favorite device for smoothing my feet and getting them ready for summer.

You can purchase it at Emjoi.com, Walgreens, QVC, and Walmart for $39.95.

**Disclosure- I received the product featured in this review from a brand or PR Firm for review purposes. All opinions are my own and I was not paid to write this review.**

ELF Cosmetics launched six new products today after several Instagram teasers the last few weeks. But there's a (small) catch...you can only buy them by clicking on a link on their Instagram page. They basically want to reward their Instagram followers by giving them first dibs on the new products before they're released to the general public. If you don't have Instagram and don't want to wait, the only way to get your hands on these is to sign up for a free Instagram account and follow @elfcosmetics.

Here's a little info on the new products:

E.L.F. Cosmetics Lash Tint Mascara $4- This mascara creates a flawless look that's beautiful and natural looking. This innovative and revolutionary applicator expertly combs and coats every individual lash for weightless coverage. The rich formula creates buildable volume from root to tip for fuller-looking lashes.

E.L.F. Serum Foundation $8 (Light, Medium and Dark)- Creates a flawless look that's beautiful and natural looking. This weightless silky formula melts into skin seamlessly for a radiant and youthful-looking base. The luminous, dewy finish helps boost suppleness and minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines for flawless coverage.

E.L.F. Lip Tint $5- Create a flawless look that's both beautiful and natural looking! This hydrating formula helps keep lips soft. This oil-based lip color creates a fresh, youthful looking tint that glides on smoothly and melts into lips. Infused with Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, and Grape Oil, this formula helps nourish and moisturize lips imparting a soft shine.

E.L.F. Cosmetics Defining Mascara $4- This mascara creates a flawless look that's beautiful and natural looking. This expert brush combs and coats lashes with weightless coverage to define and separate. The microfiber-infused formula creates buildable volume from root to tip for fuller-looking lashes.

New E.L.F. Cosmetics Cream Blush $4 (Peach Perfection and Rose Royalty)- This blush creates a flawless look that's beautiful and natural looking. The unique cream-to-powder formula offers a youthful soft glow. The weightless formula is infused with Argan Oil and Vitamin E to help nourish and hydrate the skin. You can even add a little to your lips or eyes for a soft flush of color!

E.L.F. Cosmetics Blending Brush $6- Creates a flawless look that's beautiful and natural looking with our Blending Brush. The unique shape of the brush head provides even, streak-free coverage for a smooth, expertly blended effect. Its convenient small size is perfect for use at home or on-the-go! The ultra-fine synthetic fibers are hand cut, shaped, and assembled by artisans for expert craftmanship for a luxury experience. The soft hair is vegan-friendly and easy to clean with e.l.f. Brush Shampoo.

So what do you think of the new products? Does anything catch your eye? I'm thinking that Lash Tint Mascara brush looks a lot like IT Cosmetics Tightline mascara! Plus I'm glad that they've finally created a serum foundation. I purchased one of everything to review for you guys, except for the Lip Tint...it's sold out at the moment. I was really excited about that too, because it's oil based and I was hoping it might be a dupe for some of the higher end lip oils that have been released recently. Oh well...hopefully they'll get it back in stock soon. :(

For the last 8 weeks, I've been testing out Rodan and Fields Redefine skincare regimen ($193), along with their Acute Care patches ($220). You might remember doctors Rodan and Fields as the women who invented Proactiv solution...well, Redefine is their newest offering, and it's a total skincare regimen that uses peptides to target lines, pores, and loss of firmness. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that when it comes to skincare, I'll pay any price if it really works. So I couldn't wait to put this to the test! Let's take a look...

Rodan and Fields Redefine and Acute Care Review

Redefine consists of four core products that are to be used every day:

Step 1 is the Daily Cleansing Mask. This is supposed to be used morning and evening and it contains Kaolin clay to help unclog the pores. You're supposed to apply a thin layer and let it dry for 2 minutes, then rinse. It had a fresh, clean scent and an easy to spread consistency, but I wasn't a big fan of applying a mask twice a day. It just became a little time-consuming waiting for the mask to dry, especially at night when I was tired and wanted to go to bed.
Step 2 is the Pore Minimizing Toner. This is also to be used morning and evening after cleansing. It's not one of those alcohol based toners that stings when you apply it...it actually felt really nice and refreshing.
Step 3 is the Triple Defense Treatment with SPF 30. This day cream contains hyaluronic acid, peptides, and resveratrol and has a luxurious, thick texture that my dry skin loved!
Step 4 is the Overnight Restorative Cream. It has similar ingredients as the day cream but they're higher up the ingredient list, so this is like a pumped-up version for nighttime while your skin is regenerating. It also has a wonderful thick, creamy texture that I loved!

My thoughts on this line are mixed...it does contain proven anti-aging ingredients and I did see some improvement in both my lines and pores, but unfortunately I broke out all along my jawline while using this (and I wasn't using any other products at the time). I don't have sensitive skin and I never break out (not even as a teenager) so unfortunately, I won't be able to continue using this. That doesn't mean the same thing will happen to you and if you're looking for an anti-aging skincare regime, this does contain a lot of really effective ingredients.

The Acute Care patches are one of the most innovative products I've seen on the market and I was super excited to try them! They come 10 in a box and the price is a bit steep at $220, but you're supposed to be able to compare the results to having a clinical procedure, like injections so in that case, it's a little cheaper!

These patches contain only two ingredients...Hyaluronic Acid and SH-Ogliopeptide-1. Each patch has little bumps all over it, which contain the active ingredients...they call this "Liquid Cone Technology" and it basically melts the line-plumping ingredients directly into wrinkles while you sleep! These are meant to be used on eye area wrinkles, but you can use them on your forehead or marionette lines too. They're meant to be used every 3 days for a month and in that time, are supposed to significantly reduce and smooth wrinkles!
Unfortunately, as excited as I was to use these, I applied them the first night and couldn't sleep because they were pulling on my skin and felt very uncomfortable! I could get past the bumpy feeling, but the adhesive just tugged at my skin if I moved my face at all. I was so disappointed because this was the product I was the most excited to try. Again, I have seen reviews on these where the person using them didn't have a problem so it could have just been me.

Overall, if you're looking for a high-tech skincare regime that uses proven ingredients to fight wrinkles and pores, Redefine might be a good option. It wasn't right for my skin, but everyone's different so you may have a totally different experience!
I'd love to hear from you if you've tried Redefine and it worked for you!
For more information, click here to see a video from Doctors Rodan & Fields!

**Disclosure- I received the products in this review from iFabbo and Rodan & Fields for review purposes. All opinions are my own and I was not paid to write this review.**

Today one of my favorite money-saving sites, Ebates is offering 8% cash back on all purchases at Sephora, plus there are a ton of coupon codes for freebies! All you need is an email address to get started and you'll get 8% of what you spend back in cash (they'll either mail you a check or deposit to your Paypal account). It's literally free money and it adds up quick!

This is my account from the past two months (yes I do a TON of online shopping- so much easier with a toddler):

I even buy household things, baby supplies and my contact lenses through Ebates (you just have to remember to visit Ebates.com first and then click through to the retailer you want to shop with so they can give you the credit for it).

So here are the Sephora coupon codes...most of them only require a $25 purchase so if you have any shopping to do, now's the day to do it between the 8% cash back and the freebies!

I'm placing my order through Ebates tonight! I'm dying to try the Sunday Riley Good Genes treatment! I've heard amazing things about it but it's $105 so I'm definitely getting the deluxe sample first! :)

Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Freeze ($12 at Sephora) is a brand new product for Spring 2015 and I spotted it while I was browsing around in the store last week. As it turns out, I grabbed it thinking it was like one of those waxes that tames and fills in your brows at the same time, so I had a few mishaps and a total misunderstanding of this product until I actually went to Sephora's website and read about it. So keep on reading and I'll tell you what happened...

Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Freeze Review

Tinted Brow Freeze comes in four shades: Clear, Light, Medium, and Dark (I bought Medium). It's a chubby crayon that sculpts your brows with a soft wax in one quick sweep, for natural looking brows.

Ok, so here's where things went wrong...I used to use Revlon Colorstay Brow Enhancer, which was a double-ended chubby pencil with tinted brow wax on one end and an under-the-brow highlighter on the other. It's since been discontinued (sob!) so I thought this would be an alternative to that...well, it's not. The Revlon Colorstay tinted wax was really dark and pigmented and the wax was somewhat stiff so you could actually fill in your brows while you added a little bit of hold.
When I got the Sephora Brow Freeze home I started trying to color in my brows with it. Yeah...it didn't go so well. My brows looked greasy, clumped together and not filled in at all. So rather than be like, "screw this" and toss it in the garbage, I decided to look it up online and see if there were any instructions since there were none on the pencil itself, and guess what? I'm a complete dorkazoid...I was doing it all wrong.

Tinted Brow Freeze is a really soft wax and you don't need very much at all. Before you use this, you have to fill in your brows first with powder or a pencil or whatever you normally use. This product only takes the place of a brow gel, minus the stiff, crunchy, shiny effects that those can have.

The tint is really just there to tint the hairs a little bit, but it won't fill in gaps or anything like that.

Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Freeze in Medium

As you can see in this before picture, my brow hairs actually grow sideways and down so I really need something to bring them up and tame them so they go in one basic direction. I prefer waxes over gels because they look much more natural and don't dry all crunchy and stiff. The only thing I didn't like about waxes is that they usually come in a pot and you have to use a brush to apply them...it's a production. This product makes applying wax super simple and fast.

Before

In the after photo, you can see how the downward-facing hairs (sounds like a yoga move) are moving in at least a sideways, somewhat upward-facing direction. I went back in and added a touch more powder but that's it! It never dries stiff or crunchy and it has a natural matte finish, rather than shiny like some brow gels. It also holds all day, which is excellent.

After

Here's a swatch on my arm...see how there's almost no tint to it? This is why I applied waaay too much trying to fill in my brows the first time, haha!

Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Freeze in Medium

Overall, I'm totally digging the Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Freeze. My one and only gripe is that the crayon itself is a bit on the smaller side compared to other chubby crayons I own, such as this L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Crayon below. But in Brow Freeze's defense, I guess you use a lot less of it than you would an eyeshadow crayon so I think it'll still last a long time.

You can purchase Sephora Tinted Brow Freeze at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.

Today only, Urban Decay's Primer Potions in the squeeze tubes are 50% off, making them between $6 and $12! If you weren't aware, they've recently changed the packaging to a doe-foot applicator style tube so these are going on a permanent vacation.

Hurry to Urbandecay.com today to grab yours because once these are gone, that's it!

NYX Wonder Stick ($11.99 at Ulta) is a dual-ended stick that makes it a breeze to highlight and contour. Contouring has always been intimidating to me...I always worry that it'll look obvious or fake if I put the bronzer in the wrong spot or if it looks too dark. As someone with fair skin, the bronzer aspect is more of an issue for me than the highlighter because I need to make sure I find one that's not orange and not too dark. When contouring, they say you should choose a shade that's only 2 shades darker than your natural skin tone. Well, 2 shades darker than Casper is more of a medium skintone shade than a bronzer, so you can see the trouble I have finding a bronzer that's light enough for me, haha! Thankfully, the Wonder Stick comes in four shades, Light, Medium, Deep, and Universal (I purchased Light).

The box comes with full instructions on how to use it and where to put what, including photos, so it's great for beginners like me.

The Wonder Stick does contain mineral oil, in case you're sensitive or opposed to using products that contain it. Full disclosure: I have heard from people with more oily skin types that developed breakouts from using this, but I have dry skin and had no issues...in fact, I appreciate how creamy it is!

The stick itself is like a chubby pencil and each end has a different shape. The highlight side is tapered at the top like a lipstick, which is great for getting right up under the eye area especially (you can also use this as a concealer). The contour side is rounded, giving you more surface area for getting into the hollows of your cheeks and around your hairline.

In this photo you can see just how creamy the Wonder Stick is...it has a sheen and texture that reminds me of those grease-paint type concealers like Bye Bye Under Eye from IT Cosmetics or Fergie's Come Correct from Wet N Wild, but it's not as full coverage as those.

Blended out a bit, I would say that the highlighter is just light enough to highlight my already pale skin. The contour shade isn't too dark or orange and once blended, it creates a good contrast with my skin. This photo is only partially blended out so these do disappear into my skin a bit more.

The downside is the texture if you have oily skin. This may not last long on you...it has that sort of texture that feels like it just wants to slide right off. I didn't have a problem and this lasts most of the day on me, but then again, my dry skin literally drinks up anything I put on it. That may change now that the weather's getting warm though- I'm not immune to summer makeup melt!

Overall, the NYX Wonder Stick makes contouring easy, whether you're a beginner or just want to get out of the house quickly. I much prefer using a stick rather than a powder because I feel like I have a lot more control over where it goes and how much I need to blend. That being said, I think that this is best suited to normal to dry skin types, but if you're oily and have had a good experience with this, please let us know in the comments below!

You can purchase the NYX Wonder stick at Ulta and Ulta.com.

Maybelline Dream Bronze BB Cream ($6.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond) is brand new for Summer 2015 and I just saw the display this morning (if you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my sneak peek earlier today!).

Dream Bronze BB claims to be an 8-in-1 formula and I wonder if it's the same formula as their Dream Fresh BB with some bronzer added to it or if the formula feels and acts totally different. I bought one to review so we'll soon find out!

It comes in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep.

Have you seen this in stores yet? Are you excited to get your hands on it?

I was at Bed Bath and Beyond today and spotted some new Covergirl Products from the Outlast collection.

First, there's Outlast Stay Luminous foundation ($8.99). This is packaged almost identically to the Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation that was released last year, except the pump and accents on the bottle are red instead of blue.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation

According to the Covergirl website:

Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation’s oil-free, non-greasy formula gives your skin a natural luminosity that lasts all day! Perfect for achieving radiant skin, this all day foundation hydrates skin while providing flawless coverage.

It comes in seven shades, and there is also an all-day primer available. I played with this a little bit today and I have to say, I'm impressed so far. It leaves a glowy, dewy finish with no sparkle or shimmer...it's more of a pearlized sheen and just like the Outlast Stay Fabulous, this provides excellent coverage. I'll keep testing it out and will post a review soon!

Outlast Longwear Lipstick ($6.59)is also brand new for Summer 2015 and claims to offer a truly moisturizing longwear formula (I'm still waiting for that to happen!). I can't wait to test these to see if it's true.

From the Covergirl website:

No need to choose between moisture or color that lasts as long as you do—now you can have both! Outlast Longwear Lipstick doesn’t flake or crumble. It’s super-powered with moisture, so it stays super fresh and super flexible all day.

It comes in 11 shades but there were only 6 in this display. I saw another display that had only three shades, so it seems like they vary from store to store.

Here are all of the shades:

So are you excited about the new Covergirl Outlast Summer 2015 collection? What do you want to try?

Covergirl Colorlicious Jumbo Gloss Balm Creams ($6.79 at Bed Bath and Beyond) are brand new for Summer 2015 and they claim to offer "rich color with soft shine". I'm a sucker for lip crayons so I admit I was really happy when I saw these and immediately bought a few.

They come in 6 shades: Strawberry Frappe, Berries n' Cream, Parfait, Cherry Cream Pie, Nectarine Dream, and Caramel Parfait.

I took home Berries n' Cream and Caramel Cream, but if I like them, I'll be back for more!

Will you be trying these or skipping them?

I was psyched when Colourpop launched highlighters a little while back, but now they have bronzers in their Summer 2015 collection! OMGosh it's time to place another order...

There are six bronzers in the collection...4 matte and 2 satin.

Six new eyeshadows...4 pearlized and 2 metallic

Two new blush shades...both matte

Five Lippies...2 creams, 1 matte, 1 satin, 1 hyper-glossy

Plus...a Mondays In Malibu Kit with all 6 new eyeshadows for $30 and a Sundays in Silverlake lippie collection with 6 Lippie Stix for $30.

I'm excited...what about you guys?

You can shop the Colourpop Summer 2015 collection here.

GLAMGLOW THIRSTYCLEANSE ($39 at Sephora) is a mud-to-foam cleanser for dry, dehydrated skin. A while back, I reviewed the Supercleanse mud-to-foam cleanser (see my review here) which clears oil and pore-clogging impurities from the skin and I loved it because it was like a less expensive, everyday version of the Supermud mask. Since I have dry skin and I'm obsessed with Thirstymud, I knew I had to try the cleanser version. Let's take a look!

Thirstycleanse comes in a tall bright blue bottle that's 5oz but it seems so much larger than that. The bottle itself is made of thick heavy plastic and feels very substantial in your hand.

The ingredients include Brazilian Yellow Clay to remineralize the skin, pure green coconut water to intensely hydrate, olive milk which is rich in lipids and proteins, and plumeria flower blossom which is rich in omega 3,6,and 9 to restore the skin's barrier function.

Did I mention this smells exactly like coconut milk? It's so wonderful...it smells like vacation in a bottle-just heavenly. But then again, I'm a huge coconut fan, so I knew I would love the scent. Like the Supercleanse, this starts out as a mud, except this one is a pale sandy color instead of black.
The instructions say to apply it to a dry face with dry hands and then to wet your hands and massage it into your face, turning it into a foaming lather.
I like to apply it dry and leave it for a few minutes while I get ready for my shower...kind of like a mask. Then once I'm in the shower, I add water and let it foam up. To me, it's like a "lite" version of the ThirstyMud so if you're like me and can't (or don't want to) shell out the big bucks ($69 for 1.5oz.) for the mask, try their cleansers instead! They're $39 for 5oz. and even though they're not as potent as the mask, you can use them every day so the benefits will definitely add up over time.

I started using ThirstyCleanse in the Winter, and I was actually surprised that it left my face a little dry. Kind of strange for a hydrating cleanser, right? It wasn't that tight feeling you get after cleansing...instead I noticed that my skin just looked dry and dehydrated. My lines and wrinkles were more visible and I had dry patches on my cheeks. I wasn't using it every day...more like 2-3x a week and was then using a really heavy moisturizer on top, so it definitely wasn't from overuse. In fact, my skin felt more hydrated after using the SuperCleanse and that's actually meant for more oily skin types.

I stopped using ThirstyCleanse for a few months, and now that the weather has warmed up and my skin isn't so dry, I've started using it again and have had much better results with it. My skin feels really deep-down clean, yet soft and silky without any dry patches. Leaving it on for a while like a mask also seems to help... I'm thinking that maybe it gives the hydrating ingredients a chance to get into your skin a little more.

Overall, this cleanser smells amazing and really deep cleans down to your pores, but if you're skin is dry, you may be disappointed if you expect a ton of hydration from this. I would say that normal skin types may benefit the most from this one.

I'd love to hear from you if you've tried ThirstyCleanse...did you have a different result than I did? Everyone's skin is different so I'm curious to see if I'm the only one this happened to.

Recently, City Color Cosmetics sent me a few of their City Chic lipsticks ($4.99 each at Citycolorcosmetics.com) to try and I was super excited because this is a brand that I've recently discovered and so far, I'm loving everything (in case you missed my City Color Intense Blush Quad review click here). Let's take a look!

City Color City Chic Lipstick Review and Swatches

I Dare You, Fashionista, Diva

City Chic lipsticks come packaged in sleek matte black tubes with a clear color indicator at the bottom. That's really helpful for finding the shade I'm looking for in my pretty large stash of lipsticks, especially since the color shown on the outside is exactly what's on the inside.

The lipsticks themselves have the City Color heart logo embossed on them which is such a cute touch! I was sent three shades: I Dare You (Bright Orange-Red), Fashionista (Bright Rosy Red), and Diva (A bright purple-mauve).

I Dare You, Fashionista, Diva

Description from the City Color Website:

Your lips are bound to make a statement with our signature City Chic lipstick. Its advanced creamy formula gives your lips long lasting color and shine. From luxurious nudes, to vibrant berry hues and ravishing reds, these velvety lipsticks are ideal for any classic City Chic look. Available in 30 rich pigmented shades.

When they say this formula is creamy, they weren't kidding! These are by far the creamiest lipsticks I've ever tried! They feel super soft, velvety and as nourishing as a rich lip balm with no sticky or waxy feel...just an ultra smooth, lightweight texture.
The pigmentation is just as impressive. These lay down intense color in one swipe...just check out these swatches:

I Dare You, Fashionista, Diva

They have a very faint rose scent that I can only detect when I'm applying them but it quickly fades. Wear time is surprisingly good for how creamy these are. When I first applied them, I was positive they would slide all over the place, but they don't. I was able to get a good 3+ hours out of them and after that, they left behind a stain on my lips so that extended the wear time quite a bit. Plus, using liner underneath will extend wear time also.

Here they are on my lips close up and further away.

I Dare You

Fashionista

Diva

Overall, I'm so impressed with the City Color City Chic lipsticks, I can't even believe they're $4.99! They feel nicer and have better pigmentation than some of my high-end lipsticks so I will definitely be picking up more of these!

What do you think? Have you tried the City Chic lipsticks yet or are they on your wishlist?

** Disclosure- The products fearured in this review were sent to me for consideration by a brand or PR agency. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated to write this review.**

New Dove Advanced Care Cool Essentials ($4.88 at Walmart) delivers 48-hour wetness protection and has a fresh, clean scent that I absolutely love! Let's take a look...

I've been using Dove deodorants for most of my life because they actually care for your skin and don't irritate the sensitive underarm area. The advanced care line contains NutriumMoisture to give you softer, smoother underarms in only 3 days.

Plus, when they say they last for 48 hours, they really mean it! Recently, my son caught a spring cold and I was caring for him constantly so I didn't have time to take a shower that day. It was really hot outside and we hadn't switched over to air-conditioning yet, so I was definitely sweating most of the day, but my underarms stayed totally dry. Even the next day, they were dry up until the evening when I was finally able to take 10 minutes for a shower. I've never had a deodorant last that long before so I was really impressed.

Even though it's a solid, it never comes off on your clothes and the scent is one of my favorites! It has notes of cucumber and green tea with fruity and green accents...not too fruity or sweet, just fresh and clean.

To check out Dove's Advanced Care line, please visit Walmart.com- they have the best price anywhere, only $4.88.

**Disclosure- This post is sponsored by Lunchbox. All opinions are my own. **

Now that the warmer weather has (finally) arrived, my beauty routine changes a bit to include new skincare products and add few extra steps such as shaving and self tanning. In the summer, my skin type changes from dry to normal, so the heavy moisturizers I use all winter long get put away and I take out my lighter weight lotions. My hair routine actually gets a little easier because I hate to blow dry when it's hot outside. So I use the opportunity to take a break from heat tools and put my hair up in a bun or braided headband while it's damp, then take it out at night for soft, easy waves. I also wear less makeup and streamline the number of products I use on my face to keep it simple and carefree.

But for me, the key to feeling confident in summer while wearing shorts, dresses and bathing suits is having super smooth legs, so shaving, exfoliating and moisturizing take a top priority for me. Shaving isn't something we talk about a lot but we all do it, and there are some great products out there to make it a breeze to add it to our everyday routine. Some of my all-time favorite shaving products are by Schick and Skintimate because they're easy to find at grocery stores like Stop & Shop, Giant, or Martin's and they have a lot of different products that make it easy to work them into my routine no matter how much (or how little) time I have.

I'm pretty much obsessed with the Schick Intuition and use it the most. It lathers and moisturizes in one step so you don't even need shave gel! When I'm in a hurry during the week, this is my go-to razor because it's easy to use right in the shower. I have a 2 year old who gets pretty impatient waiting for me to get ready so being able to work shaving into my daily routine so easily is a total lifesaver! After shaving, I just slather on a body cream or oil and I'm out the door with smooth legs in half the time.

Schick Intuition

I have a little more time to get ready on the weekends because my husband is home to keep our son entertained, so I like to take a bath in our Jacuzzi tub and relax a bit. In the tub, I can really focus on getting my legs and feet smooth. In addition to using an exfoliating scrub and body wash, I'll use my Schick Hydro Silk Razor and Skintimate Strawberry Tangerine Shave Gel (which smells amazing by the way). The Schick Hydro Silk razor has a moisture serum that's water-activated built right in that conditions your legs for up to 2 hours after shaving and the Skintimate gel with olive butter and vitamin E make my legs so soft and smooth.

Skintimate Strawberry Tangerine Shave Gel and Schick Hydro Silk Razor

Finally, for those days when you're going to put on a bathing suit, there's the Schick Hydro Silk TrimStyle razor...this is a 2-in-1 product that goes from a razor to a battery-operated bikini trimmer just by flipping the handle over, and can be used in or out of the shower.

Schick TrimStyle

All Pitch Perfect 2 Limited Edition Shave products will be available beginning April 2015 at drug and grocery stores nationwide. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schick® . The opinions and text are all mine.

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