Too Faced Peaches Part II: Peaches and Cream Collection

I already gave a review of the Too Faced Sweet Peach line a few weeks back. I bought The Sweet Peach palette and a few of the lip oils when the line relaunched at the end of 2016. I love that palette, with the exception of a few colors.

Recently, I purchased some more products from the new Peaches and Cream collection, an extension to the Sweet Peach line. This time I bought the palette, a lipstick in I Think in Pink, a shocking pink, the primer, a setting spray, two blushes in the colors So Peachy and Peach Dream, and the only highlighter from the collection, Happy Face.

Let's start with what I loved............. the eye shadow palette. OMG! This is probably my new favorite from Too Faced. I think I like it better than the original Sweet Peach. The shades are all beautiful, are very pigmented and blend nicely. I feel like Too Faced got the colors right this time. There were a few shades in the original that I didn't really care for, but these colors are truly gorgeous. 

The scent is different than the Sweet Peach palette. I think that palette smells like the peach gummy rings I used to get at the movie theater, while this one smells like Fuzzy Peach, the old shower gel from The Body Shop. I worked at The Body Shop in the late 90's and that was my FAVORITE shower gel. The fragrance from this line takes me back to a simpler time.  I don't love the fragrance, I prefer the scent of the Sweet Peach palette. 

I love the packaging. It's very sleek.  Too Faced always has the cutest packaging, and while that's not a reason to buy a product, it helps to pique my interest in it. In this case the quality of shadows and packaging are both winners!!

Now to what I liked........ the blushes and highlighter. This wasn't a love for me. I didn't buy the blushes or highlighters in the last peaches launch, I'm not sure why I decided to buy them in this one. They're just "meh". I'm very fair, almost pasty, and Peach Dream barely gives me a wash of color. These blushes are infused with peach and sweet fig cream. Interesting, I ate some sweet fig creamy preserves this morning for breakfast?!?!?!?! Anyway I digress. To get any color payoff, I can only apply these with my fingers. They are a cream to powder formula. These blushes aren't horrible. I like them and I'll use them, I just don't love them and I probably won't buy them again.

The highlighter wasn't a favorite for me either. I have so many highlighters that I love more. It's the cream to powder formula just like the blushes. I'm not a fan of this type of formula.  Again, I don't hate it, I'll use it up, but won't buy it again.

My only regret.....the lipstick, I Think in Pink. It's horrible. I know that it's a matte formula, but this is just a patchy mess. I have other matte lipsticks that aren't as patchy. I'm not a huge fan of Too Faced lipstick overall. I love their liquid matte and melted formulas, but the actual stick is the worst. I have another lipstick from them, from the La Creme line and I just don't reach for it. 

For my peach lipstick in shocking pink, I've tried everything. I scrub and moisturize my lips, but nothing works. I will never buy another lipstick from Too Faced again. The color skips, the application is patchy and this isn't even incredibly matte either. It's a creamy matte formula. It also has the shower gel peach scent, something I don't care for on my mouth.

The color is off. On my lips, the color looks lighter than when swatched. It starts to fade very quickly and doesn't have much pigmentation when applied. One of my coworkers even mentioned how that color looks a bit off on me and I always wear colors like this. 

Overall I think this is an OK collection. I wish that Too Faced could improve the formula of their lipsticks. The only thing that I would repurchase would be the palette. 

The Just Peachy Matte Palette gets a 4 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies 
The blushes get a 2.5 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies
The highlighter, Happy Face gets a 3 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies
The lipstick gets a 1 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies

May "Unbagging" 2016

It's that time of the month again, it's time for my Ipsy May "Unbagging". I'm so late to the party,  it's a hectic time at work for me right now. I need to make sure I do the job I get paid for, so this  has to take a backseat. I just wanted to make sure this is posted before June 1st, it's May 29th so I'm still good. I just got back from watching X-men Apocalypse and while yes, I'm tired, I sort of caught a second wind at 1:17 a.m..

First off, some of my friends/coworkers have given up their monthly subscription to Ipsy. They were tired of paying the $10 a month for things they weren't going to use or for things they didn't enjoy. So now they're using that $10 a month at Sephora to get things they actually want. I paid the year off so I'm stuck, but I'm not quite at the point where I'm annoyed at my bags just yet.

I kept my promise to myself and didn't peak at my bag beforehand, however this month's products were a disappointment. I though the best thing to come out of the bag was the lipstick, but in a few moments you'll find out why it isn't.

This month's theme was Destination Chic. The bag itself was adorable. It looks like an envelope with iconic world monuments all over the front and back. I hope that makes sense. It closes with a button front instead of a zipper. The bag came in a few colors. I think pink, but I know for sure blue and purple. I got blue. Now the contents.........

I received a full sized lipstick from Mellow Cosmetics. Somehow this name rings a bell. It was in the color Nude. The site says it's a long-wearing Creamy Matte Lipstick. I disagree. It is a matte for sure, however it is neither long-wearing nor creamy.  It goes on dry, tugs at my lips and the worst part is that it bunches into a ball in the corners of my mouth. I can not find, on the FAQs page, 

if these products are cruelty-free. I like the color and I believe it is similar to the color Anna, by Nars. I'm not saying that this is a dupe, because the textures are completely different. I would have continued to wear this lipstick, but I checked up on their ingredients. This lipstick has Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, a an anti-caking agent. Obviously it doesn't work because it cakes up in my corners. This ingredient is on the list of toxic ingredients in make-up. It's a neurotoxin that can affect the nervous system. So in the trash she goes, If you're still interested in checking out this product, Mellow Creamy Matte Lipsticks are $13.  Mellow Cosmetics

I also got the Smashbox X-RATED mascara. This is a bitty sample size because a full size runs for $22. I wasn't impressed with this mascara. I like the Full Exposure mascara better than this one. I didn't feel like it plumped up my eyelashes. I don't know if Smashbox is cruelty-free or not. I went onto their website and it's a disorganized mess. There is just far too much going on. I'll probably never purchase one on my own. If your're still interested, here is the Smashbox site. Smashbox  Hell, even the URL is a mess. 

The one thing that I got and love is the Hanalei Lip Treatment from the Hanalei Beauty Company. Kauai has been my family's vacation spot for many years. A part of my heart is in Kauai. Hanalei Bay is right up the street from where we stay when we visit. The lip treatment tastes sweet on the lips. I used it after my sugar scrub treatment. A full sized lip treatment in $25. Needless to say I didn't get a full size. I got a tiny sample. The website claims that this is "Hawaii's best kept secret". Hanalei Company

In this never ending bag of duds I got the Hikari Cosmetics bronzer in Radiate. The bronzer is way to warm for me. It's in a quad and looks to be a full sized shimmer bronzer. The sections with the shimmer were a little rough when I swatched them. The non shimmer colors were more velvety. I guess you could try to use one color at a time, but each square is super tiny so good luck trying to get your brush to pick up only one color. According to the site, you are suppose to swirl your brush around the entire palette. I have to be honest and say that I haven't used this bronzer. While these products are apparently cruelty free, according to their site, they do use the toxin Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate. In the trash this product will go. Hikari Cosmetics

The last thing I got that I didn't care for either was the Hungary Hair Oil from Eva NYC. This product didn't come with instructions. I always look on the company websites for the products that I get in my bag, but it would be nice to get a little something with directions about each product. You can use this oil on wet or dry hair. You pour a little (and I mean tiny) amount on your hands, rub together and them rub on your hair. I tried this Saturday. I already washed my hair in the morning, so I used it on the ends of my already dried hair. I typically have oily roots and drier ends. I wasn't wowed by this product and it's something that I wouldn't buy on my own.  I have seen these products at Target and Walgreens. A 1 oz. treatment in $8 and a 3.38 oz. treatment is $20. I won't really use this product because I don't have the thickest hair either, I guess I'm just thin and greasy. Sometimes I use coconut oil infused with lavender on the ends of my hair and for me that works just fine. Eva NYC

Overall, this bag was a dud. I am keeping my promise to myself and I won't look at June's contents beforehand.

This blog is dedicated to my friend Julie who was laid to rest yesterday.

ColourPop: Ultra Satin Lips Part Deux

A few months ago ColourPop released their new Ultra Satin liquid lipstick. I heard this launch was in response to how drying their Ultra Matte formula can be on the lips. The original 16 colors were launched back in February. I purchased two colors: Rabbit and Lyin King. These two colors were amazing. I wrote a blog about them back in April. I took both colors to Florida and I really liked them. I know they aren't lost lasting, they do transfer, and I'm OK with that. It's not a big deal to reapply.

A few weeks ago they added seven more colors to the line.

Flash forward to today. About 2 weeks ago, I opened my email and was gifted with a 20% off ColourPop night. Their prices are already really reasonable, nothing is over $10. But to get a 20% off night, I couldn't pass up the chance to purchase some more items. They were also offering free shipping with a $30 purchase. Spending $30 is a very easy thing to do. Usually shipping is a flat rate of $4.99. Because of the discounts and free shipping, it took me two and a half hours to even get on to the site. It was jam packed with people waiting to shop. Oh what an ordeal, the wait time was excruciating. 

Anyway, I purchased two more colors for $4 a piece. I bought one from the original launch called London Fog, a cool-toned blue red and Littlestitious, a pastel dusty pink. London Fog is a beautiful color. I wanted to purchase it  when I purchased Lyin King and Rabbit, but I think that this one was sold out at the time. Littlestitious was one of the seven new additions from a few weeks ago. 

First off, I can definitely tell the difference between the formulas. Lyin' King, Rabbit and London Fog have a thicker consistency than Littlestitious. Lyin King, Rabbit and London Fog all felt creamier than Littlestitious.    

Littlestitious is very tacky on the lips and bunched up in the corners of my mouth. I don't jnow if it was a bad batch, but the smell was just awful. I sometimes lick my lips snd this is a lipstick I don't want anywhere near my mouth. This new shade, reminded me of the Kat Von D Liquid lipstick. The color is similar to Lovesick, but a tab bit lighter. You can actually even tell in the swatch that the texture and consistency is different. The product doesn't really pick up on the doe foot applicator very well either. Because it's a lighter shade,  a second coat is highly recommended.

I have to say that I am not a huge fan of Littlestitious. I'm not a fan of the smell or consistency or how it feels on my lips.  Could this have been a bad batch? Did they give the 20% discount to get rid of old inventory? Who knows. I'm very happy with the other three lipsticks, this one flop isn't going to deter me from repurchasing in the future.

There are still a few colors that I'm interested in trying out. Unfortunately the only downside is that I can't look at/test the color beforehand and can only go off the description on the site. 

For more information about ColourPop check out the link. ColourPop

"Unbagging" April Dreams

I'm sitting here watching my new favorite show on Netflix, Arrow. I've been home from work for a week, very ill.  I wish this post would have gone up sooner. But, I was zapped. I had no energy, I slept all day and sweat all night. My tonsils were so swollen, I couldn't swallow, or let alone type. It's already May and this month's bag will be rolling out soon. I promised myself that this month I'm was not going to look at the contents beforehand.

This month my Ipsy bag was amazing! I didn't really care too much for the actual bag itself, but the contents this month have been my absolute favorite! I don't really care to the tie-dyed thing and the colors just weren't my thing, but in the end, does the bag really matter? No, it's whats "inside that counts". I love that this month's theme is "dreamers" I love to dream and sleep, especially when I'm sick.

The first product that I received in my goody bag is something that I will definitely use every day. It's a black eyeliner from a company called Starlooks. It's called the Luxe Longwear Eye Pencil, in Jet. It is most definitely jet black, which I love and I know I'll use. I love that this liner is so long wearing, I couldn't even wipe it off with coconut oil. This eyeliner glides on so smoothly. I wore it with my ColourPop eyeshadow in Sugar, an icy blue. It looked amazing and it didn't smear in my crease. Sometimes my eyeliners will crease in the far corners of my eyes. The black stayed vibrant. I really love the way this eyeliner went on and how long it stayed looking freshly applied. The eyeliner retails for $16. I couldn't find whether or not this particular brand is cruelty-free, so I will not purchase it on my own unless I can find out of it is CF. Gotta love those bunnies and puppies!

The next thing that I absolutely love is the Highlight Trio from City Color  Cosmetics. I have worn this quite a bit since receiving this in my bag. Oh how I love it! It glides on so smooth, like velvet. It actually feels like velvet to the touch. The three colors are gold, icy white and rose gold. So far I've used the white and rose gold. I haven't used the gold, I don't think it's going to look right with my skin tone. I prefer to use them with primer, foundation, and blush. I make sure to always use a setting spray. I like to use the Urban Decay setting spays to help me sent my makeup. I did use the trio without foundation and primer and it doesn't last as long. The retail price for the trio is $8.99. There are too collections, one for lighter skin tones like mine and one for darker skin tones. I read that these are cruelty-free! I'd buy this for $8.99!

Highlight Trio

I was also very excited to get the Tarte cosmetics LipSurgence Lip Cream in Wonder. This is the most amazing color for Spring! Apparently Tarte is a an approved cruelty-free line. I do question the validity of this because I have heard otherwise! Wonder retails for $24. Mine is obviously a sample, not a full size. It does glide on smoothly, but make sure your lips are smooth and moisturized because little lines will show up! The color is described as poppy (a warm pink tone) and is the darkest shade in the lip creams. Make sure to use a liner because the color will bleed. I wore this to work the other day and sure enough, the color feathered and got into the lines in my lips. I generally use the NYX clear color so that I don't have to by a liner for every lipstick. This is not a long lasting color, so be prepared to reapply. I wore it out to eat with my mom and the color most definitely came off.  I would
purchase this product and I'm happy to have the opportunity to test it out beforehand. It's a great everyday color for spring.

Oh this brush, how I love this brush! A crown fit for a queen! This is the C427 Duo Fiber Blush Brush from Crown Brushes and I have been using this nonstop with my blush. It does pick up quite a bit of product, so be light handed. It retails for $23.73 but on the Crown Brushes website you can pick it up for $9.49. This is another case of "I can't find if this is a cruelty-free product or not". I will not purchase from a company that is not cruelty-free. The bristles are so soft to the touch and feels amazing on the face!

The last thing that I got in my bag were two of the pur~lisse sheet masks. I see sheet masks at Sephora  near the register and this is something that I have been wanting to get my hands on for a while. I have heard about this brand, but I was never really interested in trying the line. But, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to give it a go. Obviously two masks were sent.  I already used the Blue Lotus + Seaweed mask. It was an interesting experience. First off I looked like Leatherface. OK, that's to be expected. It's what's underneath that counts. It was a little awkward adjusting the mask to my face. Not impossible, just annoying. I felt that the mask was going to fall off, it didn't though. It smelled pretty too. You start with a clean face, apply the mask, wait 15-20 minutes and then take it off. According to the site, you don't rinse, just massage into your skin to let it absorb the essence. One application doesn't equal results. After the hideous mask, my face did feel nice. You can put the mask in the freezer to calm puffy looking, tired skin or steep it in hot water to open your pores, this is all according to the site.  I have photos below of the actual mask on my face. I did neither of the options recommended on the website. The masks retail for $8 and the company claims to be cruelty-free.

This was by far my favorite Ipsy bag. Like I said above, I hope I said it above, I'm not sneaking a peak at May's bag. I'm going to try to hold off until the bag comes to me in the mail. Some of my friends have started subscriptions too. I have a coworker who is subscribed to three boxes/bags, Ipsy, Birchbox (my 2nd choice) and Glossybox. I think I'd be too overwhelmed! For now, I'm sticking to Ipsy, as long as they don't send me nail products! Anyway, I hope all of you are healthy,  because I wasn't, and wise! Thanks for listening to me rant! Until next time XOXOX

Trying on the mask. One day before getting sick!

Swatch of the Lip Cream from tarte

Swatch of the eyeliner

Swatch of the Highlighter colors

ColourPop Your Lips

I'm sitting here in my PJ's, it's a lazy, cloudy Saturday, the time jumped ahead a few weeks ago. It's 5 p.m. and the sun is still shinning brightly through my window. Even with grading and accounting to do, I decided to start my reviews of ColourPop Cosmetics.

I'm splitting up my ColourPop reviews in to two posts, because I have a lot to say and this could get long. I've been hearing about ColourPop on YouTube for quite a while, and in my search of cruelty free cosmetics, this brand keeps "ColourPoping" up. I was hesitant to purchase anything because you can only buy online, but a few weeks ago I built up my courage, pulled out my credit card and went to town, so to speak. I bought five items and got one for free. Shipping is s flat rate of $4.99. With all of that my total came out to be a little more than $30.

The company is located in Oxnard, California. I love being able to support local companies, please don't sell out!

I know they are a cruelty-free brand, my only concern is that I haven't found information to say that these cosmetics are paraben-free or if they use more natural ingredients.

Things I love:

The price!!!!!!  OMG! prices range from $5-10 an item.
The colors and pigments. Vibrant, bold and beautiful.
The ease of shopping from my home.  Sometimes I don't want to go to the mall.
It's a local company. Support local companies!!!!!
They're cruelty-free.
I love the detail they put into the shipping. They sent a personalized note with my order. Thanks for making me a part of the family.
A free Lippie Stick sample. 

Things I don't like:
The packaging. The writing in the outside of the liquid lipstick rubs off. 
How they are mailed. One of my eyeshadows came to me broken. Apparently it's an easy fix.
I don't know natural these products are. 
I wasn't able to access the $5 off coupon.
I can't try the product before I purchase it. I just have to guess if it suits my skin tone or not.

Lyin' King

The Rabbit   

I purchased two Ultra Satin Liquid lipsticks in The Rabbit (a bright fuchsia with blue sheen) and Lyin King (a saturated raspberry). These are priced at $6 a piece. Not bad. I definitely like them better than the NYX Soft Matte Liquid Cream lipstick.  They are not long lasting, but the description states that.   Expect to reapply. That wasn't a problem for me. They do stain your lips a bit. There is one more color I'd like to get in Spritz. Spritz came out after the initial release of the Ultra Satin Lipsticks.

I took both colors on my trip to Florida, and really, these were the only two lipsticks I used the entire week. I didn't notice bleeding or feathering if left alone (if I wasn't eating or drinking), but these lipstcks transferred all over the place!! Somehow I got the lipstick all over my thumb and hand. Don't ask how. Another thing I had an issue with was that the color bunched up in the corners of my mouth. I just cleaned it up with some tissue and we were good to go.  

I've never tried their Ultra Matte Lipstick, so I can't judge, but I hear that these are creamier. From my research the Ultra Matte do not transfer, but are very very drying on the lips. I felt that these were a bit drying, but they didn't flake off my lips like most matte liquid lipsticks (Kat Von D's matte lipsticks). The sample I got of the Lippie Stick in Poppin' is a completely different story. Poppin' bunches up in the corners and flakes off in the middle. It's too drying, I felt like I needed ChapStick at the end of the day.

ColourPop

Overall, I liked this product better than some other liquid lipsticks. I loved the two colors I purchased and I would buy them again at $6 a piece. I would rate these 3 1/2 Pink Gerber Daisies out of 5.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

Bauhau5, Bachelorette, Lovesick

Okay, I really, really tried my hardest to like this liquid lipstick. I've read a ton of reviews and watched a ton of YouTube beauty videos praising it.  Who knows, maybe I did something wrong.  I only put the lipstick on clean, exfoliated, moisturized lips. What more could I have possibly done for a better application?

I asked my husband for the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5 (pronounced Bow (rhymes with wow) House), a deep raspberry, for my birthday. I just recently bought Bachelorette, in a bright reddish fuchsia, and Lovesick, a mauve nude.

Bauhau5 is a good lipstick, the color is pretty nice and creamy. It does dry matte and is extremely drying.  Now, Bachelorette and Lovesick. These two colors are horrible.  When I swatched them on my hand in Sephora, the colors were entirely different from what I came home with. The lighting maybe? For the first couple of uses, the colors stayed on for a long time.  It doesn't specify how "everlasting" these lipsticks are.  They did start to break apart after I ate and drank.  The Sephora site says that they dry down to a smooth matte finish.  Not on me! They were dry on my lips, settled into any fine lines or dry patches I may have had on my lips, and were very flaky on my lips (repetition for effect).

Lovesick, yes, sick in the lines on my lips!

I couldn't apply another coat, even to build up the color, because the second coat would never dry.  My lips were sticky all day long and the color would transfer all over the place. If I wore Bacelorette, the smear on my face made me look like Ronald McDonald. It's horribly embarrassing! Oh and while I'm at it, why don't people please let me know that my lipstick has smeared.  I won't be upset, honest. These colors don't even last if I lick my lips.  I heard the only way to remove the color is with oil. Well, last I checked my saliva wasn't oil based! Nope, just regular saliva. Even the application was awkward.  They didn't last at all when I lined my lips with a lip liner.

Bauhau5, Bachelorette, Lovesick

Bachelorette absolutely does not look fuchsia on me, at all! Reddish orange (as in the Ronald McDonald red), yes.  I can see the fuchsia when I first apply the lipstick, but when it dries to its flaky, matte finish, I'm only seeing orange. Lovesick reminds me of NARS Audacious Anna, until it dries. Then it reminds me of death or uncooked liver.

After I got Bauhau5, and before I wore Bacelorette and Lovesick, I wanted to purchase Nasferatu (like the Vampire), a blood red, and Mother, a dusty mauve pink. They are always sold out in Sephora, but I've decided I'm going to pass on those colors. I wasn't impressed with the shades I already own. Besides, I love the Too Faced Melted Ruby, a blood red. Those lipsticks weren't as drying as these.

If these lipsticks do work for you, great, there are 29 shades, sold exclusively at Sephora and retail for $20. You can also pick them up on the Kat Von D website.


Because so many positive things have been said about the lipsticks, it might just be me. Maybe they just don't match with the skin on my lips.  Overall I'm glad that I tried them and I will continue to use the colors that I already own, but this probably isn't going to be a repurchase for me and I'm not going to try anymore colors. My lips are all tuckered out. 

I love this quote from Marilyn Monroe, "Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world."

Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipstick gets 2 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. 

Too Faced Melted Lipstick

I'm sitting on my couch watching Can't Hardy Wait, candles lit and Christmas lights on.  My house feels cozy and warm.  I've been holding back on some makeup reviews for a while because I didn't have all the shades I wanted to review.

Too Faced Melted Lipstick

Right now I'm a little obsessed with the Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick. I know they've been around for a while now, but they're new to me. I love the colors, I love the pigment. The Too Faced site states that they have the "staying power of a stain with the intense color of a liquid lipstick". Well, they definitely don't have the staying power of a stain or liquid lipstick, but I'll talk about that later. If I'm not mistaking, I heard somewhere that they were created with the idea of melted tube lipsticks in mind, hence the name. I can't even tell you how many lipsticks I've ruined just because I left them in my hot car to "melt".

Melted Candy, Melted Fuchsia and Melted Jelly Donut

There are 18 colors in the regular line of Melted Lipsticks and there are two new lines, Melted Metals and Melted Chocolate.  Of the regular melted line I have five, Melted Marshmallow, a candy pink, Melted Fuchsia, a bright fuchsia, Melted Candy, a bright fuchsia pink, Melted Jelly Donut, dragon fruit pink and Melted Ruby, a blood red. I still want to get Melted Chihuahua, a dusty mauve and Melted Berry, a berry red.  I may pass on the Melted Chihuahua though. Melted Candy and Melted Fuchsia look similar, but there is a slight difference in the color.  Melted Candy is a bit darker than the Melted Fuchsia. You probably don't need both. Sephora has a Melted Rainbow (magenta) that is a VIB Rouge exclusive.

Melted Ruby, my FAVORITE color.

Of the colors I have, Melted Ruby has to be my favorite.  I'm very fair skinned and this color makes my lips really pop. It looks great for the Holidays.

The lipsticks go on as a liquid and do tend to dry, but not as a matte.  There is quite a bit of transfer, but after a few hours the lipsticks tend to stain my lips. They aren't like a long lasting liquid lipstick, where if you reapply, your lips get dry and flaky. You can reapply and they'll be all right.  I noticed that Marshmallow has a much creamier texture than the other colors that I own.

They're labeled as a "liquified long lasting lipstick", however, they aren't that long lasting. These colors do feather and get into the fine lines. That I don't like. They do come off after eating, drinking, and just plain old kissing my husband. So, there's A Lot of transfer, at least for me.

They have a slight fragrance. I can't seem to place it, but it's warm and comforting. The packaging is cute and easy to carry in my mini makeup bag for my purse. The applicator is just ok. Start off slow and build up the product. Be careful, it can get messy! I recommend using a liner with all of the colors, even the lighter lipsticks. I have a few lip liners to match the darker/brighter shades, other than that I use a clear wax liner. I heard they work even better with a lip primer, but I've never tried it so I can't comment from experience.

I don't care for the Melted Metals, they don't seem to be as pigmented at the Melted Lipsticks.  I have no experience whatsoever with the Melted Chocolate line. I'm a little curious about the Melted Honey and Melted Cherries, but I haven't seen them in any stores to swatch. I've only seen them on the Sephora website and there isn't much of a color description, or any description for that matter. I know that three of the six colors are like the Melted Metal line. I'll pass on those!

At $21 a piece they're bright and fun and I feel like you totally get a lot of product for the price. These aren't as great at the NARS Audacious Lipsticks (but they are cheaper), because those are my absolute favorite lipsticks of all time!

Melted Marshmallow, Melted Ruby, Melted Jelly Donut, Melted Candy, Melted Fuchsia

You can't see the difference in the Melted Candy and Melted Fuchsia in this photo, but you can see the slight difference in color in the photo above.  The Fuchsia is a bit brighter.  In this photo you can also see the different consistency of the Melted Marshmallow compared to the other colors.

Happy Movie Monday!

To quote Melrose Place actress Heather Locklear, "You can't keep changing men, so you settle for changing your lipstick."

Too Faced Melted Lipsticks get 4 out of 5 Gerber Daisies because the wide range of colors are vibrant and fun, but there's a lot of transfer and I don't care for the Metals (that's just my preference).

Wet N' Wild

Wet n' Wild Smokin' Hot Pink & Spotlight Red

For the last couple of months I've been on the hunt for the perfect lipstick.  I'm not sure what it is that I'm looking for. Is it the color, texture, staying power or price? It's actually a combo of all those things.  In a previous post I reviewed the NARS Audacious lipsticks. Those are by far my all time favorite lipsticks, but at $32 a pop and on my salary, I try to limit the NARS lipsticks I purchase.   

Right now I'm obsessed with watching beauty YouTube videos.  There are three beauty experts that I watch religiously. I'm not sure of the protocol with regards to posting their information on my blog, so I'll refrain.  One of the Vloggers reviewed the Wet n' Wild MegaLast Lip Color and that peaked my curiosity.  I haven't used a Wet n' Wild product since I was in high school.  I loved the deep vampy blue that was all the rage in the mid 90's.  For .99 cents you couldn't beat the price.

A few months ago I bought four of the MegaLast Lip Colors.  Two of the colors are posted above. I also bought Cherry Picking and Don't Blink Pink.  The lipsticks were on sale at CVS, buy one get the other 50% off.  At 1.69 regular price and the second 50% off,  I couldn't pass up the bargain, so I bought four.

According to the Wet n' Wild site the MegaLast Lip Color lasts 4 hours and feel rich and velvety on the lips. They are not supposed to bleed or feather and are a semi matte cream.  I loved the fact that they are a matte lipstick.  I know that matte lipstick are extremely popular right now.  

I was pleasantly surprised by these lipsticks.  They did feel velvety like the site said they would, and they didn't feel over drying like the MAC retro matte formula. When I would reapply my MAC Retro Matte lipstick, the color would just peal right off, I didn't notice that with these. I felt that they didn't tug my lips or accentuate any dry patches I may have had on my lips. They didn't quite last 4 hours, but they did last longer than some other lipsticks I own.  I noticed the color would start to fade in the center of my lips. Even though they don't bleed, I like to use a lip liner.  I use the MAC Candy Yum-Yum with Don't Blink Pink and an e.l.f  lip liner with Cherry Picking.  

I absolutely HATE the packaging.  The plastic lid is annoying.  It can easily crack and looks messy after a couple of uses.  Of the four colors I purchased, I only kept two, Cherry Picking and Don't Blink Pink. The two in the photo above, I gave to my mom. They looked more coral than pink against my skin tone.  I  don't like that I can't color swatch the lipsticks before purchasing them,  but at $1.69 a piece, I'm not going to complain,

A couple of months ago I went to Las Vegas with my husband and decided to only take my drugstore lipsticks, nothing "high end".  These colors worked out amazingly well.  It just goes to show you don't have to spend a million bucks to look a million bucks.

Wet n' Wild MegaLast Lipstick gets 4 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies 

"The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides"
Audrey Hepburn

MAC, It Was Fun While It Lasted

Oh MAC., how you've failed me!  I remember how, in the in late 90's and early 2000's, I loved MAC and being able to purchase a MAC lipstick was a big deal. They are one of the cheaper "higher end" makeup brands out there. I loved their exotic colors and artistry. I had so many of the Lip Glass-- Gloss, Oyster Girl was my favorite, and their shadows were all the rage! But in the end, the Lip Glasses would just be a big hot, sticky mess and my hair would always fly into the goo.  Flash-forward to 2015 and oh how my opinion of this brand has changed.

They still have all of the funky colors, but they just don't last.  In my search of a dupe for my favorite lipstick, I came upon a YouTube video, where the Vlogger swatched the MAC Matte Lipstick brand. I was interested in a few colors so I went to the MAC store at the mall, not the MAC counter at Nordstroms, mistake # 1. 

Every time I've walked into this store I have been completely disappointed with their inadequate service.  It doesn't matter if there's no one else in the store, or if it's filled with people, it's always so difficult to get someone to answer my questions, say hello or help me.

Since I already had a few colors I was interested in, I just started swatching on my arm. Finally a sales associate asked if I needed any help.  I whipped out my favorite NARS color, Greta, and asked if they could match it.  At MAC's $16 a tube I didn't mind buying a dupe from their store. The sales associate was showing me colors she liked, for her skin tone. I'm fair, she wasn't, get my drift? The colors that looked good on her, were not colors that looked good on me.

I settled on a matte color called All Fired Up, which the MAC site describes as a "bright fuchsia matte". I don't know, maybe I bought the wrong All Fired Up, because in the tube it looks like a brick red, on my arm it looks like a brick red, and on my lips it looks like a brick red. Oh and swatched next to Greta, it looks like a brick red. 

Now the formula. I know that they are matte, so I didn't expect a shiny or creamy finish. This lipstick felt chappy, easily rubbed off (and I applied a liner) and was one of the most drying matte lipsticks I've used this summer.  You can't just reapply if it wears off because then it gets cakey. The second time I applied this lipstick, I could see it settle in the lines of my lips. It's not advertised as a long lasting lipstick, so I expected that.  I had to take it off the second time I applied it because it was just too drying. 

One swipe of Greta, takes 10 swipes of All Fired Up to get a similar look. 

Below is a color swatch of Greta and All Fired Up.  You can see that this is definitely not a bright fuchsia. 

The matte color is All Fired Up (bright fuchsia), from MAC and the creamy finish is Greta

I don't know about you, but to me that's not a bright fuchsia. That is only one swipe of Greta and four swipes of All Fired Up.

Another thing I hated was that when I opened my MAC package, I had the wrong color and had to go back to the store to exchange it, that made me a sad monkey.  They couldn't even grab the correct color.  When I swatched these side by side in the store, the color was almost the same.When I got home  and in the natural light, it looked orange. 

When the sales girl asked me what color I brought in to swatch,  I simply replied, "Only the best color and lipstick on the planet." 

Because of all the mishaps and mislabeled colors I give MAC's matte lipstick, in All Fired Up, 2 Gerber Daisies out of 5.

“Nobody looks good with brown lipstick on.” 
― Frank Zappa

No Frank Zappa, they do not!!

NARS Audacious: Daring Colors Finding the Perfect Lipstick

I'm obsessed with makeup. What can I say, except that I feel better when my face is "done up". I have fair skin, dark eyes and dark hair, so a little bit goes a very long way.

I am so behind on this review. The NARS Audacious lipsticks have

NARS Audacious in Greta

been out for over a year, but I never got around to writing a review.

I love NARS makeup.  I always have. The Audacious line is my absolute favorite brand of lipstick.  I wish I could purchase all the colors that I love, but at $32 a tube, I have to control my urges.

The lipstick itself comes in a sleek, all black tube and has a magnetic lid. Surprisingly though, in my purse, the lid stays on better than other lipsticks I've owned. The NARS label is stamped right on the lipstick. When these lipsticks were launched back in September 2014, there were (and I'm assuming still are) 40 shades. Some were exclusive to NARS Boutique Stores and Barney's, while the others could be found in Nordstroms and Sephora.

I originally read a review of these lipsticks in Elle Magazine and instantly fell in love with the colors Fanny and Greta.They're described on the NARS site as a  "Rich Berry" (Fanny) and "Wild Azalea" (Greta). I went to Sephora first, hoping that both colors would be in stock. While there, I only found Fanny and was so disappointed to learn that at that time, they didn't sell Greta. Fanny ended up being way too dark for my skin tone. The salesgirl recommended that I try Janet, described on the NARS site as being a "Deep Magenta". The color looked good on me, but my heart was still set on Greta. So with that, I was out the door without my lipstick (sad panda).

I decided to try Nordstroms next. I was so happy to discover that Nordy's did carry Greta. The color was so amazing on my skin tone, my mother even encouraged me to buy the lipstick and that's a rarity! I still regret that I didn't pick up Janet because that was a beautiful color too. **Now, Greta can also be found at Sephora, which makes me a happy panda.

The range of colors for this brand is absolutely stunning. There's a perfect color for every girl, or boy. They range from barely there nudes to deep vampy. I would have loved Liv, a "Deep Aubergine" during my 90's "Goth" phase.  Everybody on YouTube seems to love Dominique, a "Pink Lilac", but I just can't seem to like the color.  First off it would make me look dead and completely washed out. But Dominique seems to be the color that sells out the fastest and I think that's a color that can only be found at the NARS Boutique Stores and Barney's. They can keep that color because I hate it.  I am curious about Michiyo, a "Vivid Pink" because that color looks beautiful as well.

NARS Audacious in Greta

The formula of the lipsticks can only be described as perfection.  Whatever NARS did, they did right.  They glide on so smoothly and they don't bleed or feather. Most dark, vibrant colors in other brands feather on me. I really hate the extra step of a lip liner, so if I can do without, I'm a happy girl.  I really don't need a liner with these lipsticks. One or two swipes is good enough, because they are so pigmented. I really can't rave enough about them.  I use a brush to scoop out all of it so that it doesn't go to waste.  I did try on Michiyo and that formula felt a little different.  It didn't seem to be as creamy. I wore it around for a bit, but Greta is by far my favorite and I haven't been able to find a dupe for it. 

All in all, I can't rave enough about this line of cosmetics.  I'm always looking for amazing bargains, however I will fork out my $32 for my Greta and maybe one day I'll buy another.

**Updates

The NARS Audacious lipsticks get 5 out of 5 bright pink, Gerber Daisies!   

To quote the very beautiful and very stylish Audrey Hepburn, "I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick."