Tag Archives: Revlon

Four or More: Lips Edition

Makeup, Miscellaneous, Swatches, Tags, , , ,

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I saw EmilyNoel83 do a “Four or More Tag” and thought I’d follow suit. Usually if you own a ton of a particular product by a brand, you generally like them, or you’ve at least got a good idea of how the products work. (Or you’re stupid and bought a whole bunch without testing any out *cough* We’ll get to that later…) I’m sticking to lips for this edition because if I included eye makeup, we’d be here a loonnnng damn time. Onwards!

Rimmel Apocalips
Rimmel Apocalips

Out of all of the lip products I’m going to mention in this post, these are my absolute favourites. Rimmel‘s Apocalips (called Show Offs in the U.S.) are freaking stellar! They’re a liquid lipstick that dries to a creamy finish with amazing lasting power. Even the applicator with the extra dip in the doefoot wand makes it even easier to get the right amount of product on your lips. While the U.K. and (I think) the U.S. are blessed with the entire line, Canada has to make do with a reduced number of shades. I’ve heard some people complain about the scent of them, but they don’t bother me as I don’t find them overly pungent.

Rimmel Apocalips (l-r): Celestial, Big Bang, Luna, Stellar, Nude Eclipse
Rimmel Apocalips (l-r): Celestial, Big Bang, Luna, Stellar, Nude Eclipse
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks – Creme formula
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks – Creme formula

Another massive love! Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks, specifically in the Creme formula, are my most comfortable lipsticks to wear. They stay put, aren’t dehydrating on the lips and the colour selection is absolutely massive! I really like the swatches below – you can very clearly see that there is a lot of pink in Cherries in the Snow, however I often get comments on my “red lips” when I’m wearing it! Out of the ones I have though, Fire & Ice is my favourite.

Revlon Super Lustrous (l-r) – Pink Velvet, Cherries in the Snow, Black Cherry, Fire & Ice, Snow Peach
Revlon Super Lustrous (l-r) – Pink Velvet, Cherries in the Snow, Black Cherry, Fire & Ice, Snow Peach
Maybelline Vivids
Maybelline Vivids

The Maybelline Vivids are what got me started on wearing bright, luminous, absolutely NEON lipstick. They have a sweet scent and taste, although it does dissipate after a while. Again, excellent lasting power and the colours are just gorgeous. If you want vibrancy in your lipstick, these are the way to go. Vivid Rose is my favourite out of the bunch. (Also, I had no idea thatMandarin Orange and Neon Red were so similar to each other.)

Maybelline Vivids (l-r): Shocking Coral, Vivid Rose, Mandarin Orange, Neon Red
Maybelline Vivids (l-r): Shocking Coral, Vivid Rose, Mandarin Orange, Neon Red
NYX Butter Glosses
NYX Butter Glosses

I went insane and bought the entire NYX Butter Gloss line (the original line, before they released a whole bunch of new ones) after trying a couple of them a friend had given me. These are it for gloss for me. I don’t need, or want any other lip gloss in my life and I’ve completely avoided buying any other lip gloss since I picked these up. They’re non-sticky, easy to apply and don’t fade awkwardly. These are the be all, end all of glosses for me. I really can’t recommend these enough. (Full lip swatches can be found in my original review.)

NYX Butter Glosses (l-r): Strawberry Parfait, Eclair, Peaches and Cream, Merengue, Creme Brulee, Peach Cobbler, Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, Vanilla Cream Pie, Cherry Cheesecake, Maple Blondie, Cherry Pie
NYX Butter Glosses (l-r): Strawberry Parfait, Eclair, Peaches and Cream, Merengue, Creme Brulee, Peach Cobbler, Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, Vanilla Cream Pie, Cherry Cheesecake, Maple Blondie, Cherry Pie
Milani Color Statement Lipsticks
Milani Color Statement Lipsticks

And the duds of the group. I’m so mad I bought all of these! Milani‘s Color Statement lipstick line has lovely colours – they’re vibrant and certainly attractive. Heck, even the tube is beautiful! But they all have this horrible fake watermelon taste that just never goes away. I’ve worn these lipsticks 6+ hours and the watermelon taste just sits on your lips. Bleughhhhh. If only I had bought one before going nutso and picking up so many.

Milani (l-r): Sweet Nectar, Flamingo Pose, Hot Pink Rage, Sangria, Naturally Chic, Nude Creme
Milani (l-r): Sweet Nectar, Flamingo Pose, Hot Pink Rage, Sangria, Naturally Chic, Nude Creme

That’s it for my Four or More: Lips Edition. Any lip products you own multiple of within the same line?

What’s in my Makeup Drawer @ Work

Miscellaneous, , ,

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Being the only female I know who doesn’t own a purse (by choice!), this very obviously makes doing a “What’s in my Purse” post completely impossible. So instead I’m showing you what beauty products I have stuffed into one of my drawers at work for emergency moments. These  items are permanent fixtures… they never leave the office!

The wee compartment that holds my goodies
The wee compartment that holds my goodies

These products are a mix of necessity and/or items that can be used in a pinch if I have a really destructive day on my makeup (i.e., I walked to work in the rain and it completely dissolved my face).

So let’s take a closer look as to what’s in my stash at work.

Hard Candy pencil sharpener and CoverGirl Liquiline Blast pencil in Black Fire
Hard Candy pencil sharpener and CoverGirl Liquiline Blast pencil in Black Fire

First up is a really nasty looking pencil sharpener, but this is the best one I have ever owned. It’s better than my MAC one and my NYX one. This is a Hard Candy sharpener (the ollllllldHard Candy that used to be sold in department stores at high end prices, not the revamped one you see in Walmart now) that I picked up in 1997. It might be a relic, but I’ve yet to find anything better! (And yes, it has been disinfected a few times over the years! ;))

The second item is a liner from CoverGirl. It’s a straight black (Black Fire, to be precise) and it’s from their Liquiline Blast collection. It’ll do in a pinch, but it’s not great. It smears, smudges and transfers. The smudger on the end is also pretty much garbage. That being said, this has helped to fill in the occasional gap on my eyes that I missed at home and, of course, it can double as an eyeshadow if you blend it out enough.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight

This Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight is part of my “To Use Up” products of 2014, so I keep it at work for those days when I forget to bring in a lip product to wear that day. It’s a wonderful stain – very intense, and can be built up to a very strong, dark raspberry shade. I even like the balm on the other end.

MAC Prep + Prime for lips
MAC Prep + Prime for lips

I’ve sung the praises of MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lips before so I’ll keep it brief. This is the second open tube I have of this product right now – I keep one at work and one at home. This tube is almost gone – it’s actually rolled up as far as it’ll go. This is an absolute necessity for me when I wear lipstick.

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink
MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink

When I need a balm or some kind of lip conditioner, I’ll reach for MAC’s Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink. This product doesn’t have opaque coverage, so you really only get a faint hint of colour to the lips when you wear this. I’ve owned this for about three years and it takes forever to go through the pot!

CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 210
CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 210

I’m not much of a concealer person, so this products sits there rather neglected. CoverGirl & Olay‘s Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 210 doesn’t work on my undereye area – it’s way too stiff of a product and drying, which you can easily see because the product is actually CRACKING – but it does work for blemishes. I’m not acne prone, so this really does sit untouched in my desk. BUT… it’s there if I ever need it!

The middle drawer holds the good stuff!
The middle drawer holds the good stuff!

That’s it! Not a whole lot in that drawer, but they’re handy when I need them. Do you keep anything in particular at work? Or do you carry your products back and forth every day?

5 Blushes for Spring & Summer

Makeup, Reviews, Swatches, , , ,

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Is it time for bright cheeks yet? Could it be that spring is finally going to happen at some point? (Sources say no based on the amount of snow that Toronto got this past Tuesday… yikes!) Maybe we’ll skip right into summer – either one is fine, let’s just feel some heat already!

Stack ’em up!
Stack ’em up!

These are my top blush picks for the spring and summer. I’m a sucker for coral and orange shades, which, conveniently enough, is the theme of every spring and summer EVER!

Hard Candy - Skinny Dipping
Hard Candy – Skinny Dipping

First up is Hard Candy‘s boxed powder blush (which they refer to as Fox in a Box) in the shade Skinny Dipping. The left side is more of a bronzer really and has a sheen to it. The right side is bright orange that seems rather matte. You could use them independently of each other, but I prefer to swirl my brush into the two shades and get the combined muted peach shade. It’s almost a boring shade – it really doesn’t look like much in my swatch does it? But this shade is really surprising on the cheeks. There’s an instant pick-me-up vibe to the shade that is really refreshing. This has been one of my most surprising blushes (in the sense that I wasn’t expecting to look as amazing as it actually did!

MAC – Petal Power
MAC – Petal Power

MAC recently came out with a collection for the spring called Fantasy of Flowers and this blush in Petal Power was part of that limited edition collection. Unfortunately it’s sold out online, but you may be able to still find them at free standing stores or counters (Edit: It’s part of the permanent collection now!). Petal Power is one of their mineralize blushes which usually means it has more dimension to it than a normal blush by MAC. Petal Power is no exception – this is a bright hot pink/coral shot through with gold shimmer (not glitter). Personally, I find mineralize blushes can be pretty hard to apply so I have to use a stiffer brush to apply them to my cheeks otherwise I don’t get enough product onto the brush. The nice thing about this shade, aside from the fact that it’s stunning, is that since there’s so much gold in the product, you don’t need to add highlighter to your cheekbones as the gold flecks in this product will set off your cheekbones anyway.

Tarte – Blissful
Tarte – Blissful

This is the first blush I ever owned and it’s my absolute favourite to this day. Tarte describes their Blissful blush as “warm peach”, but to me this is the very definition of the colour coral. The shade is completely matte and goes on the cheeks wonderfully. Tarte‘s Amazonian clay formula is pretty stiff in the pan, so I use a duo fiber brush to really stab at the product before buffing it onto my cheeks. This isn’t to say that the product doesn’t blend nicely, it does! It’s just something with the formula that seems to make it a harder blush. On me, this blush looks especially good in tandem with a shimmery bronzer.

Revlon - Coral Reef
Revlon – Coral Reef

Revlon‘s Photoready cream blush in Coral Reef is a strong orange coral. The texture of this product is pretty neat – it has a slightly waxy but slippery slicone-y feel. Fingers or a synthetic brush work really well to blend this into the cheeks. It goes on smooth and can be built up in light layers if you’re afraid of the vibrancy of the colour. Me though? Pack that on and blend out the edges and you’ll get a wonderfully flushed look.

Hourglass - Diffused Heat
Hourglass – Diffused Heat

Hourglass‘ Ambient Lighting blush in Diffused Heat was such a huge shocker to me. In the pan it looks like a bright vibrant pinky-coral mixed with the Diffused Light powder. As a result, I  was expecting coral *something*. Instead, this swatches out, and applies like, a pale pink. This is almost a bit of a relief to me as I tend to focus too much on coral blushes and as a result don’t end up with much variety.

I said it the last time I mentioned this blush, but I’ll say it again: This blush is idiot-proof. The swatch above is heavy, but it doesn’t apply like that. It goes on softly and can be built up in intensity. The powder swirled into the mix ensures that the blush isn’t as stark or as bright as you would expect it to be by looking at it in the pan. This is an incredibly easy colour to wear and on my fair skin it’ll match pretty much any eye look I come up with.

My blishes pics - click to enlarge
My blishes pics – click to enlarge
  1. Hard Candy’s Fox in a Box in Skinny Dipping
  2. MAC – Petal Power
  3. Tarte – Blissful
  4. Revlon – Coral Reef
  5. Hourglass – Diffused Heat

That’s my roundup! Any blushes you’re loving for the warmer months?

What’s On My Face – Volume 14

Makeup, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MOAR LOOKS

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I really like how this one turned out. Inglot‘s AMC Shine 24 is ridiculously amazing – one of my favourite eyeshadow colours ever. I love seeing how it pairs up with other colours and this one turned out to be a good match!

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Eyes

  1. Inglot AMC Shine 24 all over the lid.
  2. MAC Sushi Flower at the top of the crease.
  3. Makeup Geek Simply Marlena in the outer corner.
  4. Makeup Geek Burlesque to darken up the outer corner on top of Simply Marlena.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska (Light 2)
  • Bronzer: Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium
  • Blush: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat
  • Highlighter: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle
  • Lips: NYX Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait

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I wish I knew how to photograph MAC‘s Vanilla Pigment – it has a beautiful pinky, orange sheen to it that just never seems to come across in photos I take. It’s a seriously stunning pigment, even though it looks rather white-ish here!

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Eyes (all MAC)

  1. Vanilla Pigment all over the lid.
  2. Charcoal Brown in the outer corner.
  3. Gorgeous Gold blended between the pigment and Charcoal Brown (that being said, I really don’t think it showed up all that much).
  4. Cork through the crease.

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Revlon Colorstay (Combination/Oily) in Buff
  • Bronzer: Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium
  • Blush: Tarte Exposed
  • Highlighter: Dior Amber Diamond
  • Lips: Revlon Cherries in the Snow

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This eye look turned out better than I expected, but I’m not showing you the full face shot because holy crap did I ever choose a bad lip colour to match with this (do NOT use MAC‘sDarkside, I looked ridiculous). Despite the bad lip choice, this is a really beautiful combination.

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  1. Makeup Geek Dirty Martini all over the lid.
  2. Makeup Geek Bitten in the outer third, through the crease and brought slightly down to the outer lower lashline.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow bone and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.

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A play around with some of the goodies from Ipsy’s March 2014 bag.

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Eyes (NYX‘s Love in Rio – Segredos De Giselle)

  1. The cream coloured shade from the trio all over the lid.
  2. The brown shade in the outer corner and crease.

Too Faced Cream Colored Ponies to highlight the brow, Chella Indigo liquid liner to create the wing (this colour is amazing) and Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Primer: Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer
  • Foundation: MUA Matte foundation in Shade 1 Soft Sand
  • Bronzer: Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium
  • Blush: Sleek Chantilly
  • Highlighter: MAC Whisper of Gilt
  • Lips: Nothing

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This lip combination is seriously having me rethink my idea to no longer buying any lipglosses, especially when layered over a lipstick.

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Eyes (Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette)

  1. Cherry Cordial on the inner and outer third of the lid.
  2. Creme Brulee in the middle of the lid.
  3. Haute Chocolate through the crease.

Too Faced Champagne Truffle to highlight the brow bone and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: CoverGirl CC Cream in 110 Classic Ivory mixed with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla
  • Bronzer: Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium
  • Blush: Wet n Wild Pearlescent Pink
  • Lips: Wet n Wild Red Velvet (901D) with MAC Strawberry Malt lipglass on top

What’s On My Face – Volume 13

Makeup, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Another week, another set of looks. I even tried out some of the new spring trends that everyone keeps mentioning (white eyeshadow, orange lips). Keep on reading if you’re looking for some kind of inspiration!

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This is my absolute favourite look that I’ve come up with from the Laura Mercier Artist (2013) palette. I don’t usually apply dark(er) colours on the lid because I think it’ll interfere with the crease/outer corner colour, but when I do, I usually like the result!

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Eyes (all Laura Mercier)

  1. Bamboo all over the lid.
  2. Espresso Bean in the outer corner.
  3. Fresco through the crease.

Vanilla Nuts to highlight the brow bone. MAC Blacktrack fluidline to create the wing, Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara on my lashes and MAC Omega eyeshadow through my brows.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: nothing
  • Blush: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural
  • Lips: Maybelline Vivids in Neon Red

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… this is the kind of bright, vibrant look that just makes me outright happy. I got back from trip to the US and just had to dive straight into the vividInglot shades I’d picked up.

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Eyes

  1. Inglot 343 all over the lid.
  2. Inglot 317 in the outer corner.
  3. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee very lightly at the top of the crease.

MAC Shroom on the brow bone. Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof gel liner in Black to create the wing, Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara on my lashes and MAC Omega through my brows.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: CoverGirl CC Cream in 110 Classic Ivory mixed with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla
  • Blush: Milani Luminoso
  • Bronzer: Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Light/Medium
  • Lips: NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee

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I first saw this look on Sharon Farrell’s YouTube channel (direct tutorial link here). I think it looked really simple and stunning on her (and apparently it’s trendy right now), but I think it looks a little stark on me. That being said, zoomed in on the eye, I really love it. No eye guide for this one because it’s ridiculously simple!

Eyes

  • NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in Milk all over the lid, smooth it out for your finger or a brush.
  • Using the white from the Sleek Acid palette, apply it right on top of Milk. I had to really, REALLY pack this on so I can’t say I recommend this white shade. Use another white with more pigment if you have it. Blend it up to the brow, but don’t actually cover the brow with it – make sure it fades out before it hits your browbone.
  • I then applied a lot of coats of Too Faced‘s Better Than Sex mascara on my upper and lower lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: CoverGirl CC Cream in 110 Classic Ivory
  • Bronzer: Revlon Photoready in Bronzed & Chic
  • Blush: Illamasqua Hussy
  • Highlighter: MAC Silver Dusk

 

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Another trend for spring (as I keep hearing, I’m really not trendy at all) is orange lips. This is the most wearable orange lip I have so I decided I’d start with this one before trying out another one I’ve got that’s a lot more vibrant.

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Eyes (all Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette)

  1. White Chocolate all over the lid and to highlight the brow.
  2. Salted Caramel in the outer corner.

Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof gel liner in Black to create the winged liner and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: none
  • Blush: MAC Gingerly
  • Highlighter: Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlight powder
  • Lips: Maybelline Vivid in Vibrant Mandarin

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There’s a MAC shade in my collection that I’m desperate to get rid of (Fade) so I tried to construct a look around that shadow.

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Eyes

  1. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Waves of White on the inner half of the lid.
  2. MAC Fade on the middle of the lid.
  3. MAC Freshwater on the outer third of the lid.

MAC Blanc Type to highlight the browbone, L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes and Chella Indigo liquid liner to create a very thin line.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: none
  • Blush: Physicians Formula Happy Booster in Natural
  • Lips: Sephora Color Reveal Balm in Unique Pink