Maple Holistics Sweet Almond Oil Skincare Review | A Cruelty-Free, All Natural Brand!

It's true - once you experience the immensely soothing skincare benefits of almond oil, you never go back. This small almond oil obsession of mine is getting to be a bit real. . . 

Disclaimer: This product was kindly sent to me by Maple Holistics for testing and reviewing purposes.

Rimmel 'Midnight' Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick | Reviewed & Swatched!

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color in 'Midnight'

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight,' swatched

Hiya everyone!  Obviously we are fast approaching the conclusion of August, and this has been a month of much lip color experimentation for me, and now that the leaves are about to change, the mild change in temperature is indicative that those crisp days are on the horizon, bringing with them the annual bearings that associate themselves with seemingly almost every blogger's favorite season. 😃 Many like myself, have an insatiable interest for deep, vampy colors, regardless of season or Sun's relative position to Earth in any given time of day. If the mood strikes, I wear whatever I please, so I figured I would test out a deep plum color that was introduced in this insanely affordable new liquid lipstick formula that Rimmel launched not too terribly long ago: behold, their Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight'.

🔍 Read onto the review 🔍 to see if I would recommend the Rimmel Stay Matte formula to anyone, or if it's a hard pass! You be the judge! 

Lip Love: Maybelline Color Elixir Glosses | My Collection + Swatches

     I can say with certainty that Maybelline lip products have tended to be some of my best purchases from the drugstore, with only a couple of exceptions that are only in terms of choosing an unflattering shade for my skintone, and not necessarily a faulty formula. I can say I have yet to encounter a Maybelline lip formula that I dislike. Their Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks are always my first stop when I visit the brand's section, just to see if any new colors have been released. 😍 It's no question that the Creamy Matte formula is certainly in my top 5 favorite formulas of lip products, and that's not just for drugstore - it's overall! 

     Alas, it's almost time to part with one of my favorite moisturizing, comfortable lip gloss formulas - these Color Elixirs are at a heavily discounted price in many places, and so since it seems that the brand is phasing them out soon, I thought I'd show these glosses some love on my blog! It really is a lip love with these, as they really show the lips love by providing a hydrating feel and long lasting wear! Oh, and I almost forgot: They also only require 1 coat! All swatches below are done with only 1 pass of the applicator!

Maybelline Color Elixirs L-R: Signature Scarlet, Blush Essence, Caramel Infused, Mauve Mystique, Mystical Magenta

A Cleanser You Should Try! Lumene Finland Bright Touch Cleansing Foam

     Welcome back! How are you all?  Oh yes, I have a mid-week skincare review! The Lumene Skincare brand is an affordable Finnish brand of which most ingredients are plant and mineral based (and 80% are located within the Arctic Circle, how sweet is that?), and this brand has been all over my radar lately with their increasingly accessible targeted lines of skincare! They have anti-aging benefits with many of their products, some of which are marketed for all skin types, such as the one I'll be reviewing today: the Bright Touch Refreshing Cleansing Foam (formerly Radiant Touch in a squeeze tube instead of Bright Touch in a bottle w/ pump).

Wet 'n' Wild Photo Focus Concealer | A Review

     Happy Sunday! Looks like I've been on a streak as of lately, because this is the second blog post in a row I've done with Wet 'n' Wild products. Dunno why, darling! I've just been using the brand on the regular! Today I am reviewing this lovely little $4 concealer from the brand's more recent skin base product launch, the new Photo Focus foundation and concealer line. The concealer shade I'll be reviewing is 'Light Ivory.' 

Reviews and Comparison | Flower Beauty Ultimate Eye Color & L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow

Flower Beauty Endless Wear Ultimate Eye Color in 'Sheer Sands,' L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 'Blinged & Brilliant'

Hello there! Most of us are somewhat familiar with that cream/powder hybrid eyeshadow formula that has been pretty popular, right? Lancome did the introductions with this hybrid formula, then L'Oreal jumped on, and now brands like ColourPop (which, what's wrong with me? I still have not tried these yet!) and Flower Beauty have their own versions of the formula, ranging from a more cushion-y and creamy base setting to a powder finish, to some brands having a more powder-based pigment formula at the onset, with just a wee bit more move-ability that still makes it feel somewhat creamy.

In today's post, I will be reviewing and comparing two similarly toned peachy neutral eyeshadows from two drugstore formulas with similar price points: the Flower Beauty Ultimate Eye Color in 'Sheer Sands,' and the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 'Blinged & Brilliant.' Let's begin! 

The Crème Shop Makeup Blending Beauty Sponge Review | They Look Delicious! But Do They Work?

     Everyone feast your eyes on these recent finds from Marshall's! I found these blending sponge sets a couple weeks ago, was intrigued, and....well, you know the rest. Since then, I've had time to put them to the test! These beauty blending sponges from The Crème Shop  (an LA based brand that I've never heard of before, and according to their website, they're indeed cruelty free!) are inspired and shaped similarly to those delicious sweets that you'll find gracing the shelves of almost any French patisserie!

'What The Heck?' Product Regret: e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Radiant Gel Lip Stain in 'Rouge Radiance' | A Review

e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Radiant Gel Lip Stain in 'Rouge Radiance,' $4

Good day to you all! Does it feel like summer yet, to anyone out there? I wanted to post a quick review on what I initially hoped would be a seemingly perfect, inexpensive summer lip product from e.l.f., as I have twenty or so minutes to kill before I have to gear up to drive back to my city.

So, e.l.f. has an Aqua Beauty range of products that they released last spring, and this collection is said to be limited edition. However, upon looking at the site, I'm seeing that all of the products are still available, and much of the line is just now starting to pop up in Target stores.

e.l.f. has an absolute crapload of shades available in their Aqua Beauty Radiant Gel Lip Stain range on their site, with a whopping six total shades to choose from. However, I've only been able to track down three of those shades in any physical location I've been to. The only one that I ended up taking home with me, and the same one I featured in a recent haul, is in the color Rouge Radiance. Read on in this review if you are thinking of picking one of these up, and want to see whether or not it might be something you'll like! As you can see from the title, this product was a bit of a regret for me, ultimately because of ingredient sensitivity, though that doesn't mean you won't like it! 

Bare Lips, no product

Two layers of e.l.f. Radiant Gel Lip Stain in 'Rouge Radiance' | Left shows initial application, right shows product after it sets

Nude Lip Review & Swatches: NYX Lingerie Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Exotic'

NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in 'Exotic'

     Hello, hiya, bonjour! How is everyone's week going so far? About a month ago, I wrote a review on another one of these Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks from NYX, where I expressed my disliking of the formula, color, pretty much everything. I was not impressed.

Well, I had mentioned in the review that the other shade I owned from the Lingerie collection performed better for me, and this beautiful mahogany, oddly named 'Exotic,' (eh? not really what I would name a color like this) happens to be that shade I was talking about. You'll be able to understand from the lip swatches, so ya might wanna take a look!

Both of these closeup lip swatches show what the product looks like with a 2-coat application

Lip Gloss is Poppin': An Affordable Holiday Red Gloss!

Nail of the Day + Review! Sinful Colors Shine Gel Tech Nail Color in 'Alfresco'

Sinful Colors Shine Gel Tech in Alfresco

Nude Lip Review: NYX Lingerie Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Bedtime Flirt'

NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in 'Bedtime Flirt'

     

     Hello to all of my lovely readers! Hope everyone is getting along with the holiday season thus far! 😊 So, this year when I ventured into trying two of these NYX Lingerie line of quick-drying matte liquid lipsticks not long after their release, I was initially overall impressed with the two shades I purchased! However, I think that my immediate liking of them may have escalated as soon as I had been sorely disappointed with their Liquid Suede liquid lipsticks prior to trying these, and upon comparing the two formulas, due to ill logic on my part, I decided rather too quickly that, since these Lingerie liquid lipsticks were a tad bit longer lasting, I made the immediate, albeit very wrong, mental decision that I liked them. Now? I'm finding that I just don't enjoy wearing them...at all. At least, not this particular shade in 'Bedtime Flirt.' 

A Skincare Sunday Review: Shea Moisture Superfruit Multivitamin Renewal Eye Cream

     Hey everyone! Welcome back to another Skincare Sunday review!  It had been a while since I had even thought to try another eye cream after finishing another drugstore one a year or so back. At the time, being a broke college student, I just wasn't thinking of my skin, and wanted to find something cruelty free that fit my insanely tight budget. The caveat was, I couldn't find any eye creams which fit the description. Then Shea Moisture comes onto the skincare scene and I was hoping to be proven wrong through my discovery of their Superfruit Multivitamin Renewal Eye Cream.

The Best of Wet n Wild Cosmetics!

     Welcome back! A quick question: Am I the only one who thinks that if Wet 'n' Wild were to decide to make their limited edition products they've released over the years to be brought back as offerings in their permanent collection, the sheer collection of Wet 'n' Wild products would then be gracing probably half of the cosmetics shelf space that drugstores have available? Every single limited edition palette, blush, lipstick, new formula that had been requested as a permanent addition? It would be overwhelming, in the best possible way, to say the least. 

     Since I and many other people I know are lovers of Wet 'n' Wild for its affordability, cruelty free standing and focus on quality all throughout, I decided to create a post dissecting my top all-time favorites, ranging from permanent items to limited edition items that have been released in recent years. Let's begin!

Limited Edition Wet n Wild Color Icon Matte Liquid Lipsticks | Review + Swatches!

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Matte Liquid Lipstick

     Oh, Wet 'n' Wild, how could you constantly tease us like this? I have come to the conclusion that, out of all drugstore brands, they can singlehandedly claim the title of being the temptress of them all. :) So, while these lip products are still somewhat available, yet scarce (as well as bits and bobs of the rest of the collection), I figured I would go ahead and post this review, just in case they decide to make them permanent in the future.

     The Wet 'n' Wild Autumn Lush Collection for 2016 includes 4 newly launched limited edition shades of their new Color Icon Matte Liquid Lipstick formula. I only have two of the four shades they have to offer: an insanely bold, saturated fiery red called How Fleek Is Your Love, and a vampy deep burgundy with heavy brown nuances called Don't Be a Plum-Plum. Best part? They retail for $2.99!! Say whaaaa?? That's the bee's knees!

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Matte Liquid Lipstick swatches, 2 passes of the applicator

Drugstore Skincare Review!! Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

*Contains Affiliate Links     

     Hello, and good day to you all!  So, now is the time for me to finally express some thoughts and other ramblings of a review on this seemingly inexpensive skincare product from the Freeman brand, and seriously, this stuff is pretty much the grand-daddy line in the drugstore skincare market. My first tube is currently on its last leg, as you will see from the photos. The product in question is none other than the Freeman Feeling Beautiful Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask. I was originally planning on making this a Skincare Sunday post, but limiting myself to one skincare review a week would be pretty pathetic on my part lol, especially since I have quite a few products I want to discuss with you all! This is a beauty blog after all, for goodness' sake! :)

     And look, this tube is almost empty, so please excuse all the photos of this crinkly, beat-up packaging. Should've clicked away on the cam when I first bought it, right? I know, le sigh. 

Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

'What The Heck?' Product Regret: Pixi Lash Line Ink Review (Please Don't Waste Your $$)

     Hello all you beautiful people! Hope you're having a fantastic day so far!  I have been in the process of moving my storage to a new town this past couple of weeks, so that's the boring reason why I've been a bit lagging and dragging my feet a bit on the blog. So excited to be back, though!

    So, back to it: There's a series I think I want to begin on this blog, and the overall point of the posts in the series will be to discuss and review some of the various products that really didn't live up to my expectations, and that I pretty much regret ever wasting my hard-earned bacon on. To be blunt, this series will focus on the product purchases that I feel quite strongly about. 😄 May I present to you the first product in this 'What The Heck?' series, the Pixi Lash Line Ink in 'Black Silk.' 

The Lash Report | Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review

     *Contains Affiliate Links
     Hi everyone! Who's ready for a Better Than Sex review? This post is long overdue, to say the least, and has been in my drafts for far too long. I don't remember purchasing the Too Faced Better Than Sex, I believe I got this tube in my gratis bag one week during my short stint working for Sephora, seemingly many moons ago (when really, it was less than a year ago). So, to be quite honest, I don't even have this tube anymore, and I can't believe nothing has possessed me until now to review this, as I in fact really enjoyed it while I had it!

The Lash Report | Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara Review

*Contains Affiliate Links
     Hello, everyone out in the blogosphere! I have to say, whenever I find an affordable, sought-after beauty product that has an average rating of 4/5 on MakeupAlley, let's just say that in some instances, such as this one, even if I tried the product before and didn't like it, well, I'm tempted to think that some products are worth a revisit (ahem, or a repurchase). That was the case with the Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara, and I decided to revisit it, and at the $2.99 pricetag, it's one of the most budget-friendly mascaras I've bought in my life!

A Skincare Sunday Review: No7 Beautiful Skin Blemish Defence Serum

No7 Beautiful Skin Blemish Defence Serum

*Contains Affiliate Links
     In my skincare discoveries, I have recently been converted from heavy creams to lightweight serums and the occasional skincare oil for nourishment and hydration. I find that these aforementioned options are much less pore-clogging for my skin, particularly. In all honesty, I went into purchasing the No7 Beautiful Skin Blemish Defense Serum, knowing that this serum's claims were promising me no more than a sans-frills pre-step for prepping the skin for moisturizer, with some peptides and Willow Bark Extract to calm any mild breakouts I was having, and block any more from making themselves come to the surface. I wasn't expecting an acne-clearing miracle, nor was I expecting adequate hydration from using the product alone.