June Favorites

Hello again readers, and Happy Independence Day!

It has been a hot minute since I've posted any new content. I was just living life and decided to drop this off to the side. 

June is my second favorite month, only because it's Pride Month and my birthday is June 14. We're starting off fresh with a new top 10 list with an assortment of items that I have been loving.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette:

I've been reaching for this palette like crazy. Most days – since I work every day during the week – I aim for a really easy makeup look. I'm still in love with the Naked 2 shade in this palette, since it's my favorite subtle crease shade. It adds just the right amount of definition without being too noticeable. I've already hit pan on this staple shade, and I will be crushed when I run out.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation – Fair Honey:

I was wary about this product if I'm being honest with you. I didn't expect a powder foundation to deliver a coverage high enough for me to be comfortable with it. I was horribly, horribly wrong. This foundation is a medium-coverage dream. Applies beautifully with a buffing brush, lasts all day, and the color match is really nice (even if it's a little too yellow). I use it after applying concealer to my problem areas, and then I have a flawless base for other makeup. I've been using this on my work days and it's incredibly low-maintenance.

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer – Chantilly:

I was never a fan of the Radiant Creamy Concealer. I didn't think it covered up my problem areas well enough to warrant the price tag. When NARS released this new concealer I watched quite a few review videos and decided that I had to jump on it. This concealer is so creamy, easy to blend, and has an amazing medium coverage. I can build it up, but it's usually perfect as it is upon first application, and I didn't notice it creasing or fading throughout the day. It's a winner!

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow – Iced Latte:

I have had this eyeshadow for years. It's survived multiple makeup declutters, because it can be used as a face highlighter as well. I had a day that I used the Urban Decay Naked 2 shade, and felt that my look was lacking a nice pop of ... something. This eyeshadow was the answer to that dilemma. It's such a beautiful champagne eyeshadow that catches the light in the most beautiful way. It made my eyes look so big and awake, that I caught myself more often than is acceptable staring into a mirror at how good my makeup looked that day, and every day I've worn it since.

Maybelline Color Tattoo – Tough as Taupe:

I have tried so many different products that are designed for the eyebrows, and I still always circle back around to this particular product. The Color Tattoo formula is drier, but it lasts just as long as the Anastasia Dip Brow. I love this shade; the incredibly ashy, cool-toned taupe is perfect for my eyebrows. Every time I use it I love how my brows look, and I prefer this over all of my other brow products in my collection. Plus, it's so cheap!

Melt Cosmetics Dark Matter Stack:

This quad had quickly secured a place in my favorites. The warm tones of the shadows are right up my alley, and although there are only four shades there are so many different looks I could accomplish with it. It was worth the money, and really makes me want to get the Rust stack next.

Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15:

I bought a large tube of this for my fiance when he was at his military training, and I've acquired many bottles of this smaller size for me to use myself. We both love it! It hydrates the skin a little bit, but also keeps the oil at bay. I use it as a makeup primer, and my foundation and concealers just glide over the skin with no issues. I've noticed my skin looking better at the end of the day when I use this product, and I'm sort of kicking myself because it has a higher price tag than I prefer. Well, then again, Nathan uses it too so it's not so bad.

Tea Tea Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution:

My skin and tea tree oil are best friends. An acne solution that doesn't cause chaos if I stop using it cold-turkey? Call me smitten. This solution is a product that I like to use after my face is clean and toned, and before I apply any primers or makeup. It gives my skin a little boost to fight acne and it isn't harsh at all. I really love it because it keeps those little buggers at bay.

Tony Moly Pikachu Hand Cream – Vanilla:

I have been attempting to keep on a moisturizing regimen for my hands and I've been failing at it. This hand cream is the right level of hydration for me and leaves my hands feeling so soft. Like most hand creams that I've used, I feel like I have an oily residue until it is fully absorbed into the skin. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to fully absorb and until then I've taken to just relaxing and watching some television. It has a beautiful subtle vanilla scent that's dreamy.

Poo-Pouri – Tropical Hibiscus:
Alright, this is a little TMI perhaps, and definitely not makeup related. I debated creating a standalone post, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. When I picked up my first bottle, I thought it was a complete gimmick and I could laugh about it with my fiance. We were completely taken by surprise. This product is a blessing from the heavens for anyone. Never before have I felt so comfortable to do my business in the bathroom. It erases the smells, and leaves the bathroom smelling fresh.

Sometimes it doesn't work to it's fullest capacity, but I can't fault it for that. I've loved this so much that I converted my fiance, my sister, her boyfriend, and I've been recommending it to so many others. It's been a complete game-changer, and I can't see myself going back.

Thanks for reading!

Top 20 of 2016

Hello again readers!

Starting a full-time job was good for my wallet, not so great for my free time. It takes me just two hours just to drive to and from work every day, which is a drain on the time I need to do things like shower, eat, clean, etc. Not much time left for blogging.

2016 was admittedly awful. To combat this, I'm showing off products that were diamonds in the rough during this terrible year.

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Makeup Remover Towels:

It's been over a year since I picked up my first pack of makeup removing towels from WalMart, and I'm still in love with them. I've expanded my collection, and even added some from Sephora! They're so easy to use, fool proof, and they remove (almost all) of my most stubborn makeup like waterproof mascara and matte liquid lipsticks. They're absolutely perfect when I really don't have the energy to use a cleansing oil or a makeup remover, and I can rest easy knowing I don't have any lingering foundation on my face.

Makeup Revolution Palettes:

I fell in love with these palettes, and I will continue to do so. Makeup Revolution makes really amazing dupes for more expensive palettes, and the packaging is sleek and easy to store. I think the quality is really good, and I feel so much better spending less than ten dollars on a palette that I might not reach for very often. They're worth picking up.

Meet Matt(e) Nude Palette:

When I swatched this palette, I hated it. It didn't perform very well for the retail price, and I was just a little disappointed. However, the shadows perform beautifully on the eyes, and the way the shadows wore through the day blew me away. I also have Meet Matt(e) Trimony, and while the color selection isn't as extensive, I have the same feelings towards it on staying power.

Milani Everyday Eyes Eyeshadow Palette:

I wasn't sure about these palettes, since they're ten dollars a pop for only six shades. Let me tell you – they're worth it. They're worth every penny. They're smooth, pigmented, and they blend beautifully on the lids. Pictured is Must Have Neutrals, which I was expecting to dislike since I have so many neutral shadows already, but the performance of the shadows locks them into my collection.

Maybelline Better Skin Powder Foundation:
I didn't think I'd fall in love with this as much as I did. I have a cheaper foundation that performs well, but this performs better. It doesn't last all day on my oily skin, but it gets me through most of the work day. It creates an even skin tone, and it makes me look healthier, because it doesn't cake up on the face. To me, it's worth the price point, since I've been using it for months now and I haven't made a dent in the powder.

Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Duo On The Go:

This is a new addition to my collection (bought in December) but it has become an instant favorite. The sculpt shade is so easy to apply, and is almost blended out upon initial application. With minimal effort, you get a flawless sculpt to the face. The Celestial highlighter is a little too dark, but when it's blended out on the cheeks it's not too noticeable. It's a nice, subtle highlight. The sculpt shade makes me confident to invest in more Kevyn Aucoin face products.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes:

I have fallen in love with Tarte blushes in this past year. The color selection is good (there are a LOT of neutral blushes!) and the powders are so smooth and have just the right amount of pigment. The blushes last all day, and they are practically fool-proof. Pictured is the Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Seduce.

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops – N10:

I was trying not to jump on the hype, and I failed anyway. This is such a fantastic product, with a brilliant idea backing it up. I've used it on it's own, with moisturizer, with a primer, and to lighten foundations – and I love it each way. It matches my skin perfectly, and adds coverage to products that (while awesome in their own right) have coverage that's not heavy enough for my preferences. It's a multi-tasking product that I'm in love with, and worth the hefty price tag.

Catrice Liquid Camoflauge Concealer – Light Natural:

This is such a great, no-fuss concealer. It applies well, blends out with no issues, and I've loved using it underneath powder foundation to get a quick, flawless base. The color is a beautiful match, and I love it so much, that I have a second tube at my fiances place. It has a perfume smell, and the color selection is completely awful, but if you can find a match, it's worth it.

Dermacol Makeup Cover Foundation – 208:
This is a new find and I've been impressed with it each and every time I've used it. The color selection is strange (208 is lighter, and more yellow-toned than 207) so researching swatches is a must with this foundation. A little bit of this product (pea-sized) will give a full-coverage finish to the face. This is a one-step, no-nonsense product that gives me a flawless look every time.

Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme – Light 5:

This is my new favorite concealer, and I'm mad about it because it's not cheap. The good news, is that the smallest amount of product goes a long way, since the concealer has amazing coverage. I love it on top of foundation, and I love it when I'm doing spot-concealing and then using a powder foundation. It lasts all day, it doesn't crease on me, and the color is a perfect match. I also have White Out, which has been a game changer when it comes to concealers that I enjoy, but are too dark to wear on their own.

NYX Pro Foundation Mixer – White:

This isn't my first rodeo with foundation mixers. For me, they're a necessity to have in my collection so I have a larger variety of foundations to use. However, this is the first foundation mixer that I found, that is well-loved by me, and readily available. The mixer lightens foundations with ease, and doesn't affect the coverage of the formula. For ten dollars at Ulta? You bet your bottom dollar I'll be repurchasing when I need a new mixer.

Kat Von D Lock It Hydrating Primer:

This has been something I've been reaching over my Too Faced Hangover RX Primer (and I really enjoy that primer), because it provides the hydration to the skin that I sometimes desperately need, it keeps my foundation on longer, and it doesn't have a coconut fragrance to it. It's about the same price, and I just love this primer more, I found it to extend the longevity of my foundation and it gives me a good foundation day every time I wear it. Instant love.

It Cosmetics CC Cream – Fair:
I love this CC Cream. It's everything I wanted American BB and CC creams to be, with wonderful benefits. It delivers medium to full coverage, sun protection, and it was light enough for my complexion. It applies beautifully, wears all day, and keeps my skin feeling hydrated and flawless.

Lifes Entropy Brow Theory – Light Brown:
I am so upset that this product has been discontinued by the company, but I absolutely adore it. The shades are cool-toned, so they look good in my brows. The product is soft and creamy, and I've gotten both really natural brow looks, as well as my preferred deep, defined looking brows. The best part of this product is that my brows last all day long with no fading or smearing. Beautiful product and a shame that I won't be able to purchase it again in the future. Time to find an alternative.

Jack Black Lip Balms:

These aren't new. These aren't even new to my collection, but I have a new-found appreciation for these lip balms. I've been really dehydrated and sick lately, and no matter how gross I might feel, or how dry and chapped my lips get, these balms restore them to a hydrated, soft feel. The Jack Black lip balms aren't cheap at $7.50 a pop, but I have been constantly impressed with them.

Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipsticks:
I finally got my hands on the Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks and they are my new favorite matte liquid lipsticks. They're matte, dry quickly, and to make the deal sweeter – they don't dry out my lips. The feel of these lipsticks is very lightweight, and it feels like soft skin to the touch. They're expensive, but worth every penny in my opinion.

Sephora Cream Lip Stains:

I loved this formula for a while. It's not too drying, lasts for a long time, and when it fades (or when you remove the product) it leaves a subtle stain behind that looks beautiful. I was always disappointed because the color selection wasn't very accommodating. They have gone over the top with releasing a large amount of new colors (including teal, forest green, and new greige shades). There's a shade for everyone in the expanded collection, and I'm so excited to sink my teeth into even more of them.

Colourpop Ultra Satin Lips:
I love the Colourpop Ultra Matte lips. They're long lasting, and there is a HUGE color selection. A big complaint that I hear a lot is that they are really drying (which is true). The Colourpop Ultra Satin lips deliver a matte look, while maintaining a soft, hydrating feel to the lips. The color selection is large – and growing larger – and it's a great middle-point to achieving long-lasting color, without sacrificing the moisture of your lips.

Tarte Gifted Mascara:

I'm not really one for mascaras that cost more than $10 since they have to be thrown out every 3–6 months. Tarte Gifted Mascara is everything I like in a mascara. It makes my lashes look fluffy, it lasts all day, and I don't have to worry about it fading. The only times I notice any significant wear, is if I rub my eyes, or if my eyes excessively water throughout the day. I bought this tube on sale for $14, and I'd definitely go forward and buy a full-priced tube after I run out of my backup mascaras. Although, I'm still searching for perfect drugstore mascaras.

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Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful year in 2017!

Hello again readers!

I recently bought the Too Faced Totally Obsessed kit. The kit features five favorites from the Too Faced brand in deluxe sizes so you can get a feel for the formulas. It's always nifty to try kits out, and there were two products especially that I was excited about.

In the kit, you get the Too Faced: Chocolate Soleil bronzer, Better Than Sex mascara, Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer, Hangover RX primer, and the Melted Chihuahua liquid lipstick.

I've reviewed the bronzer, mascara, and eyeshadow primer in the past, so I won't be getting into those again now. I'll be focusing on the two new additions to my collection instead.

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Hangover RX Primer

The Too Faced Hangover RX primer was something I was really excited to try out. I've heard that it gives instant moisture to the face and extends the wear of your foundation. As someone with oily skin this is not always necessary, but even I have those days where I feel my skin needs a little extra help.

The sample size has the same look at the full-size, but instead of a pump, it has a squeeze tube applicator. Not an issue, since this is just a sample. It's still sanitary, but the difference is that it is REALLY easy to dispense more product than you need, since the primer is like a gentle lotion.

The primer was very light, with a gentle scent. It did not have any overwhelming scents (just coconut), but the scent was rather sweet and pleasant. It spread into the skin quickly and evenly. I noticed an instant feeling of hydration, like my skin was drinking it right up. I was a little surprised with how much my skin felt like it needed the moisture. I often forget that even though I have oily skin, I need to moisturize too otherwise my skin won't be happy.

I did notice that it kept my foundation on all day, but it did nothing for me to keep oil at bay. I could touch up with a powder, but this primer would be better suited for me to wear during the fall and winter months.

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Melted Chihuahua

I was really excited to try this product, because this was the only color from the Melted line that I ever wanted to own. To have it included into the set? Well that sold me right there!

The packaging is the same as the full-sized product, just smaller. It has the same soft plastic packaging with a gold plastic cap. It looks really sleek and admittedly cute. The downside is that I can definitely see the plastic tube getting incredibly dirty if you're someone who likes to carry their  lip products with them throughout the day.

The applicator is the same as the full-sized, a soft, angled sponge-like applicator where the product goes through pore-like openings inside of the sponge. I've heard that it can gum up through the pores, so it's something to keep an eye on while I continue to wear this product.

The product itself was really nice. I love the color, it's a beautiful dusty pink-brown nude that looks really flattering on me. I was really impressed with how opaque it was.

The scent was light and sweet, and I didn't find it to be annoying. It did last longer than I was expecting, so if you're sensitive to scents, you won't like that aspect of this liquid lipstick.

It does not dry down, it stays a creamy finish throughout the whole day. Even with the slick finish, it lasted an incredibly long time. About 6 hours I ended up taking it off to eat lunch, but I didn't notice any significant fading or feathering.

The biggest issue I have with this product, is that it ends up getting ... chunks in it, while I'm wearing it. I'm not sure if product just balls up in pieces, if it's dry skin mixing with the lipstick, or if it reacts poorly with saliva I'm not sure. It has like weird balled up ... something that comes off my lips. Sometimes it's even slimy. It's a very weird feeling. I'm not sure what that's about, but it's something I can overlook if I just remove it and re-apply the product.

I'm glad I never bought a full-sized version of any of these lipsticks, because the color selection isn't my cup-of-tea, and why spend over 20 dollars for one lipstick, when I could spend the additional 4 dollars for a deluxe size along with 4 other samples? Made more sense to do it this way. I don't hate the lipstick, but I don't exactly love it either. I'll continue to use it, but I don't think I'll ever buy a full-size.

Thanks for reading!

ColourPop Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencils, and Lippie Primer

Hello again readers!

I started a new job, and I've been working 9–5, 5 days a week. It's really a big change to what I was doing before (which was a lot of doing whatever I pleased, and some education). It's left me so tired, but I'm happy to be getting back into the swing of things again.

 I'm starting my third round of Colourpop reviews today: Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencils, and the Lippie Primer.

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Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencils

The Lippie Stix ... have a very peculiar name. Now, Lippie isn't anything new. It's been slang for lipstick for ages now, but instead of saying "Lipstick Stix", they just went straight to slang. I don't personally have a problem with it (have you ever heard of the Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie?) as it rolls easily off the tongue, but I know that there are many who despise the name. They find it to be childish, and I can definitely see where they're coming from. Just think of trying to explain what you're wearing on your lips to a complete stranger ...

The name aside, let's move on to the product. The packaging for these is really sleek, and I'm really happy with them. They have clean looking white plastic packaging with the holographic brand name on the side. Each of the Lippie Stix has a color-coded bottom, with a sticker telling the shade name and the lipstick finish.

The Lippie Stix come in 8 finishes: matte, matte-x, sheer, pearlized, glossy, satin, créme, and satin luxe. I only have three different finishes in my collection (for now ...): matte, sheer, and glossy.

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Many of the Lippie Stix come with coordinating Lippie Pencils to match, making a cohesive, clean look easy to obtain. 

Each of the Lippie Pencils are housed in white packaging, with a white cap. They all have the name of the Lippie Pencil printed on the side, with the same holographic print that they use for the company name. The pencils have color-coordinated bottoms so it's extremely easy to find the liner that you're looking for in your liner collection.

They are NOT twist-able pencils. They must be sharpened if you need more product. That's a shame, because sharpening ends up taking away some of the product ... The upside is that because they need to be sharpened, the formula is creamier than say their Créme Gel Liners.

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Nevermind Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil

Nevermind (Matte): Deep Violet

I really like this color. It doesn't look like much on the skin, but on the lips it ends up being a deeper shade of violet, more like Wet n Wild's Vamp it Up or MAC's Cyber. Although it has more of a true violet color compared to a blackened violet.

While I like this color, it's one of the shades that I feel needs the coordinating Lippie Pencil to work properly. Nevermind is a very creamy formula, that will feather out of the lip line. The Lippie Pencil ensures that the color stays on the lips, where I want it to be. Once it dries down, it's more like a Satin Matte finish that still feels creamy on the lips. 

The color needs a little build-up to be fully opaque, but this is one of those shades that I don't mind working with, since I don't wear it too often.

Tootsi Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil

Tootsi (Matte): Greige

Tootsi was one of my first Lippie Stix, as it came in my first ever order from the brand. I cannot get enough of the grey-toned beige pink colors that are available in the market, so having so many in my collection is not a hassle! The Lippie Stix version of this shade, is really pigmented and goes on opaque with a slightly creamy consistency. That creamy texture goes away once it dries down to a matte finish. 

Close up of bottom of Lippie Stix to show color-coordination

Bound (Glossy): Pink

Kiddo (Sheer): Coral

Bound is one of those shades that I just really appreciate it as a glossy finish. I found that I liked it better off than if it was such a bright, cool-toned pink in a matte finish. I wouldn't ever reach for it otherwise. The finish remains through the entire time it lasts on the lips. However, with the formula being well, glossy, it doesn't last too terribly long on the lips. I find that I have significant wear in under 2 hours. It's easy to add more layers, and it's easy to remove as well. Out of all of the finishes, this is my least favorite because of the wear time.

On the other side of the spectrum, Kiddo is one of my favorites, only because it's a sheer, slick formula. One swipe gives a subtle flush of color, but it can also be built up. I like this one best, because I only use a little bit and then as it wears down through the day it doesn't look incredibly obvious the more that it fades. It fades more evenly than the other shades in my collection. Perfect for work.

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Finally, I have the matte Lippie Stix.

Oh Snap, Tootsi, Lumiére, Brink, Grunge, and Creature.

Oh Snap: Dusty pink nude

Tootsi: Reviewed above

Lumiére: Dusty mauve pink.

Brink: Dusty beige taupe

Grunge: Cool-toned plum brown.

Creature: Blackened burgundy.

I'm really impressed with these Lippie Stix. They go on smoothly, they are opaque, build up quickly, and they dry down to a comfortable matte finish. Not always a flat matte – more likely a satin matte finish instead, like a traditional matte lipstick.

They are not transfer proof. If you touch or rub your lips, the product will smear off. That's fine, because it makes taking the lipstick off to eat something that is easily done. With liquid matte lipsticks I just have to eat and hope they don't look too awful while eating.

The only shade I wasn't a huge fan of, was creature. The color was gorgeous, and it was one of the first products from ColourPop I ever purchased. I just found it to be incredibly patchy and because of this it was difficult to apply evenly. It never ended up looking good, even with a lip liner underneath. It was hard to work with and isn't worth the effort.

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The biggest downside of these product, is that it seems like such a deal! $5 for a lipstick? Hell yeah! Of course, you only get .035 oz of product ... Say for example, a full-size MAC lipstick you get .1 oz. It takes about 3 Lippie Stix to make just the 1 MAC lipstick, so in the end they end up costing about the same. You save $2 with the Lippie Stix option, however, who really uses up a whole lipstick (except past me who was determined to use up every lipstick that I hated)? If your collection is large, you probably won't use up a full size, especially say, a mint green! It's up to you on what you'd like to spend your money on.

I really enjoy the Lippie Stix as a whole, and I look forward to adding more to my collection.

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Lippie Primer

The Lippie Primer has the same packaging as the Lippie Stix. I really like that for convenience and storage sake.

I wasn't really looking forward to using this product because how much can a lip primer really change up your lipstick game? Let me tell you, it makes a difference!

The primer smoothed out any lip lines I had, and gave it a nice base to adhere to. I definitely noticed a difference (especially with creamier formulas, compared to matte formulas) in longevity. It lasted much longer with the primer. I was really surprised that it made a noticeable difference.

The downside, is that it's an extra step and I tend to forget to use it. I don't have such a discipline when it comes to my lips, than I do to my face or eyes.

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Each of these products contains .035 oz of product, and retails for $5, and I recommend them! Especially if you're interested in a wild or hard-to-find color or you're interested in expanding your collection on the cheap.

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Thanks for reading!

Colourpop Créme Gel Color, and Liner

Hello again readers!

I'm ready for this next installment of ColourPop items from my collection.

Créme Gel Color

These are branded as Créme Gel Color, but in reality they're gel liners in a more traditional pot. The packaging is really fantastic, as each of the pots is made of clear glass, and the lids are like a tin with the holographic ColourPop logo branded on top. Each of the products has the name listed on the sticker on the bottom, because it's easy to get them confused (especially with the darker colors in lighting conditions that aren't that great).

Best O: Deep burgundy

Fast Lane: Deep teal

Workout: Blackened forest green

The products that I bought were all matte liners. With the Créme Color range, they are mainly mattes, some metallic shades, and when they have limited edition releases – glitter. Mattes are ones that I know I would reach for most often.

Each of the products feels creamy, and intense, but when it came to application they each needed two coats for full opacity. Best O and Workout were my personal favorites, while I don't mind Fast Lane it's just not a liner that I ever find myself reaching for often. Fast Lane is also the liner that needs the most TLC to really shine, as I found myself sometimes going for three coats!

They also have an issue, where with the more coats you use, the more texture you get for your liner. They can become hard, clumpy, and even crumbly. I have had a few occasions where there would be too much product and it would crumble up in places. The downside is often I found myself needing those layers for perfect application. 

With the crumbling issue aside, these liners were incredible. Once they set, they were smudge-proof, waterproof, and even on my oily lids I noticed that they lasted all day with minimal fading. I was really impressed with the lasting power! Even for the swatches, they set, and I had to take an oil-based remover to remove the swatches from my arm so nothing would be left behind – a makeup wipe wasn't cutting it!

Make sure to keep them closed tightly at all times when not in use. I've heard and seen photos and disclaimers from other customers that their liners have dried out. Mine have been going strong since I got them in October, and I haven't had any issues. The only one that I'm worried about is Best O, because that is the liner that I use the most often and I can see that one drying out first though it hasn't happened yet.

Each of these liners has .11 oz, and retails for $6. I definitely recommend these!

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Créme Gel Liner

This was the product that I was most excited about trying from the Créme Gel line. It's an eyeliner pencil that's more up my alley, as I use them for everything for smudging on my lash line to lining my eyes for dramatic looks. The packaging is similar to the Lippie Sticks packaging, but the difference is that the tip where the product is is color coded. So, even if you manage to ignore the colored bottom, you'll notice right away if you grabbed the wrong product once the lid is off.

The product comes pre-sharpened, but the packaging doesn't include a sharpener. I haven't noticed any issues with the product not being incredibly sharp, so I don't mind it, but I do know that it bothers others.

The best part of the packaging, is that it's twistable! I don't have to sharpen the entire pencil (just the tip, if I so wish). It's such a wonderful feeling because I rarely (if ever) pack a sharpener when I travel.

I chose Best O, which, like the Gel Color pots, is a deep burgundy matte. This liner performed better than the Créme Color pots. It was smooth, pigmented, and I got the color payoff I wanted almost immediately. I rarely have to go over the liner I applied a second time, and when I do it's because I didn't put enough down the first time. 

These liners come in two finishes as of now: matte and metallic.

Though pigmented, this product was a lot drier than I was expecting. I was expecting a formula like the Rimmel London, Jordana, or Milani gel liners, but this formula had to be drier in order to twist the product. If you have too much product dispensed, it will break off, of that I can assure you. It will break off, and you will mourn the loss of a few applications of your liner.

These don't have the same staying power, minus the smudge-proof qualities. On my oily eyes (especially since I usually wear this on my waterline and tight-line where it's extra moist from being next to my eyeball) they don't last as long as the Créme Gel Colors. Not to say that they don't last long, because by the end of a long day there's still color there, it's just not as intense as when I first applied it.

Each of these liners has .01 for $5. I really suggest this product especially if you're interested in trying some out-of-the-box colors!

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Best O was the "best" choice to try out in both formulas, because it's the color that I reach for the most often. It's such a wearable color that's a little out of the box, and makes the blue in my eyes pop! I really enjoy both formulas in this shade, and it makes me eager to try other shades from the collection.

I have yet to try a metallic finish, so I'm looking forward to add one to my collection to see how it's different than the mattes (besides for the obvious difference in finishes!).

Thanks for reading!

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Creamy Beige, and Dramatic Black

Hello again readers!

These aren't new by any means, but they're recent additions to my collection. I went out and started adding to my Maybelline Color Tattoo collection once again (remember when I was really obsessed with this killer fomula and went crazy trying to buy all the shades?) and I stopped myself at buying just the two ...

Creamy Beige: A nice neutral brown with slight glitter.

I bought this shade to use as an all-over-the-lid shade, as well as a base for certain looks. I was a little shocked to find sparse glitter, but I was happy with how pigmented and creamy the formula is (no big shocker). This is like how I often find the color tattoos to be, and I was pleased to have added it to my collection.

Dramatic Black: Matte black.

I bought this because someone on YouTube mentioned they love it as an eyeliner. I was excited to try it, because they tend to last so long on my eyes, but this one was a disappointment. It wasn't as pigmented as Color Tattoos tend to be, as it was patchy and took a few coats to build up the true black opacity. The wear time was tragic. I don't know if it's the formula for this particular shadow, but it smeared, and didn't last on me at all. It faded and by the end of the day looked patchy. I wanted another black "liner" to be added to my recommendation list, and this just fell short.

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Wet n Wild Summer 2016 Lost in the Wildflowers Collection

Hello again readers!

Wet n Wild released some new limited edition products for Summer, and for once I found the display at my local Walgreens (usually I have to travel to get my hands on anything limited edition such as this). I couldn't resist trying a little bit of everything, aside from the nail polish. There were 4 Megalast Nail Polishes in this collection, but I wasn't fond of any of the colors, so I passed on them.

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Megaglo Multi-Stick

This is not my first time using a highlighting stick from Wet n Wild, but when there were three new options; pink champagne (Marigold Round), light rose pink (Light Up My High-Biscus), and a peachy-coral shade (Carnational Anthem).

These sticks can be used on the face, eyes, and lips, making a very cohesive all-in-one look. Marigold Round I chose because I am a sucker for good highlighting shades. The downside of picking such a light shade (for myself) is that I never found myself using it for anything other than a cheek highlight, perhaps a little bit of a brow-bone highlight. I didn't like it much as an eyeshadow without adding other shades in the look, and I didn't like it as a lip color either.

Like the stick product I've used before, I was blown away with the lasting power. Even with my oily skin, as long as I set the stick with a powder, it lasted all day on me, without fading or losing intensity.

For comparison's sake, I compared the new Marigold Round stick to the Pocahontas Great Spirit Highlighting Stick from the Disney Dare to Dream collection from last summer.

They're both champagne shades, with Marigold Round a more pink toned champage and Great Spirit a more yellow-toned champagne. They're just different enough in color that I can justify keeping both in my collection.

I loved this stick so much, I went ahead and bought Carnational Anthem, since I fell in love with the beautiful warmth of the shade and I can definitely see myself using that shade all over my face.

This product retails for $3.99.

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Megaglo Highlighting Powder

There were two highlighting powders in the collection; Precious Petals, and Crown of my Canopy. I chose Precious Petals as Crown of my Canopy was far too dark for me to use as a highlighter, as it's directed towards more medium to deep skintones. The packaging is a sleek black plastic with a clear plastic lid so you can accurately see the product.

The powder is absolutely gorgeous. It has an embossed petal design, perfect for summer. It looks very delicate and really luxe for a drugstore highlighting powder.

Precious Petals is a very pink-toned champagne. It's really dark in the concentrated swatch, but it blends out into a much more wearable highlighting shade if applied lightly.

This powder is absolutely gorgeous, even to the touch. It's very soft, finely milled pressed powder and blends out so very effectively that I don't find it to be a hassle at all. I found it to last through the day on my skin while looking incredibly natural. It caught the light in the perfect way, giving my face an incredibly healthy glow.

The biggest downside of this powder, is that it's SO soft that the decal in the powder I find will be brushed away quickly, unless you work at the corner and work your way to the other corner first.

This product retails for $3.99.

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Metallic Liquid Lipstick

This was one of the products that I was both really excited to try and also sort of dreading. I remember ages and ages ago in the late 90's when I would wear a frosty lipstick (handed down to me from my really cool aunt!) and ... it looked awful. Then again, as a kid I thought they looked great. As I got older, every time I tried a frosty, metallic looking lipstick I wasn't a fan.

This range came with 6 exciting, unique colors: Peony Express (rose pink), My Tulips are Sealed (pink nude), Coming up Roses (cherry red), Chrysanthemum's the Word (warm bright pink), Days of Fuchsia Passed (bright fuchsia), and Indigo Your Own Way (light violet).

The packaging is the most impressive part of this product (to me, since the metallic lipstick I find to be a fad more than a huge wishlist item for me). It's incredibly sturdy, has a weight to it, and with the black cap it looks more like a mid-range product than a cheap lipstick from the drugstore!

The wand is absolutely perfect. It has a doe-foot applicator, but the kicker is it has a little indented reservoir to hold onto more product. It holds just the perfect amount that I found I never had to go back in (at least with the shade that I chose).

Multiple swatches on the left, one swatch on the right.

The shade that I chose was My Tulips are Sealed, which I found to be the most unique out of all the shades available. Most of the shades had a traditional metallic finish, where it has a sort of white/silver shimmer to catch the light. My Tulips are Sealed has a gold shift, and I was instantly smitten with this trendy lip color.

I'm going to start this off with that it's NOT a liquid to matte formula! It will not dry down to a matte finish. Rather, it's more like a traditional bullet lipstick, just in a tube. It does dry down a bit so it's not as slick, but it remains creamy and moisturizing on the lips. It's a very comfortable lipstick to wear.

It looks incredibly bright, washing me out a little bit. The lip color almost looked fluorescent in some lighting, and because of the metallic finish it always looked incredibly glossy. I managed to get 4 hours of wear before I noticed that it faded too much and only left behind the gold shimmer.

The biggest (and really only issue I truly had) is that with the shimmer, sometimes it would feel gritty if I pushed my lips together too much. It wasn't something I took notice of often, but on the off time that I would notice it I wasn't a fan. I took it as a good trade-off to have.

This product retails for $2.99. 

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Thanks for reading!