Sunday, May 12, 2013

Maybelline Color Whispers Swatch and Review

Today I have the Maybelline Color Whisper lip sheers for you! These are light weight, sheer lip colors that are just beautiful!

Maybelline describes these as pure color pigments suspended in weightless gel.

I found these to be comfortable on my lips. They are creamy and lightweight and don't feel tacky or sticky at all. I believe there are 20 different colors out right now, ranging from nearly clear pink to deeper colors like reds and berries.

I might be in the minority, but I actually like these more than the Revlon Lip Butters. I tend to focus on my eyes when I do my make up so I want a lip color that is going to be more sheer and not as highly pigmented and bright as the Revlon Lip Butters tend to be. I like that these can be worn for a little color but my lips don't take away the focus from my eyes.

I did notice that these tend to wear off after about 3 hours on my lips (without eating or drinking) but I honestly didn't mind having to reapply them since they can be put on blindly, without fuss, like a chapstick. Plus they smell like fruit loops when you first put them on! (The smell fades quickly and becomes unnoticeable after a minute or so.)

If you are going to go for some of the lighter colors like Lust for Blush, or even Coral Ambition, I would suggest exfoliating your lips before you put them on, because they tend to accentuate any flaking or peeling you might have on your lips.

My final thought on these is that I love them. I love that they are sheer and natural looking and I definitely plan on checking out the rest of the colors that Maybelline has out!

These can be purchased at most drug stores for around $6 each.

Maybelline Color Whispers

Maybelline Color Whispers


Maybelline Color Whispers (L-R)
Lust for Blush, Pink Possibilities, Coral Ambitions, Made-It Mauve


Maybelline Color Whispers (L-R)
Lust for Blush, Pink Possibilities, Coral Ambitions, Made-it Mauve


Maybelline Color Whispers (Bottom Left-Top Right)
Made it Mauve, Lust for Blush, Coral Ambitions, Pink Possibilities

*The products in this review were purchased on my own. All opinions expressed are my own and are not paid for.* 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Review and Swatches

 Today I have a short review of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain pencils for you! I have seen a lot of chubby lip pencils in the stores lately but these have to be, hands down, my favorite. They are moisturizing, have buildable color and leave a stain on the lips after the balm has worn off.

These are very similar to the Tarte stain pencils, but they are a lot cheaper. They are a twist up balm pencil in a plastic tube. The outside of the tube matches the color of the balm on the inside. I think I found these at Walmart for around $7 each, and if you hit up Walgreen's when they have the buy one get one 50% off deals on Revlon cosmetics then you can get them for even cheaper!

I found that these feel very balmy (duh) and moisturizing on my lips. They have a light minty smell when you first apply them, but it quickly fades. The color can be applied sheer with one swipe or it can be built up to a much bolder color if you apply more. They lasted (without eating/drinking) for about 4 hours before I wanted to reapply. The amazing thing about these pencils is that they are a stain. So even after the balm has worn off you are left with a really pretty color on your lips, so you really don't have to reapply to get color. Depending on the shade I found that the staining effect lasted a long time. For shades like Romantic and Crush I still had color on my lips at the end of the day. Some of the lighter shades seemed to disappear on my lips after about 8 hours, but I have pretty pigmented lips already, so that may have something to do with that. I would suggest exfoliating your lips before applying these because not only will some of the lighter colors highlight dryness on your lips, but the stain tends to show up more on the dry patches and will cause your lips to look splotchy. Exfoliating is quick and easy and will take care of this problem, and I didn't find it to be something that would stop me from purchasing and using these.

The range of colors is pretty good. I only have these five but you can see that they range all the way from a pale peachy nude, to a deep berry and a bright red.

Charm: pale peachy nude
Honey: nude pink mauve (I think this color is pretty universally flattering)
Cherish: Blue based medium pink
Crush: Deep berry pink
Romantic: Bright red with hints of orange

Overall, I LOVE these and I hope that Revlon keeps these around. I would even love to see some more colors. Maybe a really pretty coral pink and a rose color would be nice.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains
 
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains (L-R) Charm, Cherish, Romantic, Crush and Honey

Swatches 2 passes (L-R) Honey, Charm, Crush, Cherish, Romantic
 
Stain left after swatches removed using make up removing wipe.

What do you think of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains?

*The products in this review were purchased on my own. All opinions expressed are my own and are not paid for.* 

Monday, May 6, 2013

Favorite Jouer Products Swatches and Review!

Today I have a review of some of my favorite Jouer products! I have been using these products for varying lengths of time (Please excuse how messy some of them are!). A few have been purchased as little as 6 months ago, while some are products that I have been using for a few years and have repurchased several times. I wanted to wait to review them all until I had a chance to really use them for awhile. I felt like that would allow me to give an honest review, instead of just a first impression.

One of the things I really love about Jouer Cosmetics is that all of the little compacts connect together on either the sides, or bottom to bottom, using these little grooves and "feet". I love this because you can customize your own palette and it makes it easier to travel with. It also makes carrying them in your purse a breeze because they will all stay together. I know I hate having to dig through my purse/make up bag to find something.

Jouer Cosmetics linked together to form a palette.

My first favorite is the Jouer lip gloss in Shell. Shell is a really pretty shimmering coral pink. I like it because it looks really natural on my lips but adds just a little gloss and shimmer. I adore Jouer's lip glosses because they are creamy, NOT sticky at all and they don't have any funky smell or taste. The lip glosses also connect to the other compacts! You can see on the left side there is a clear plastic ridge, that is where it would link onto the other products. Jouer lip gloss retails for $20.00.

Jouer Lip Gloss in Shell

Jouer Lip Gloss in Shell

Next up is the Jouer Powder Eyeshadow in Amaretto and Pink Champagne. Pink Champagne is a shimmering soft pink. Amaretto is a shimmering bronzed plum. I love these eye shadows because they are smooth and silky feeling with fantastic color payoff. They stay on my eyes all day without fading or creasing and they blend beautifully. Jouer also has a beautiful range of shades. I love them so much that I just placed an order for the color Caramel, so I will have to swatch that when it arrives. These retail for $20.00 each.

Jouer Powder Eyeshadow in Pink Champagne (top) and Amaretto (bottom)


Jouer Powder Eyeshadow in Pink Champagne (top) and Amaretto (bottom)

Jouer Tint in Amaryllis is another one of my favorites. Amaryllis is a creamy soft red that is sheer and natural looking. I love the tints because they can be worn on both the cheeks and lips. I prefer to wear them on my cheeks, but I love having the ability to throw it into my purse and have a multi tasking products. Amaryllis seemed like a really intense color and was a little intimidating when I first opened it, but it blends out to a really natural pink flush on my cheeks. It also seems to stain my cheeks a bit which helps with it's staying power, which is great since creme blushes have a tendency to fade away quicker than powders. It retails for $20.00. 

Jouer Tint in Amaryllis
 
Jouer Tint in Amaryllis
 
Jouer Tint in Amaryllis blended out

Jouer Perfector in No. 2 Creme, which is listed as for fair to light completions with neutral undertones, is up next on my list. This quickly became one of my go to products (as you can tell from the nice dent that is in the compact). I tend to shy away from cream foundations because I have dry skin and they can accentuate my dryness, but the Perfector is very hydrating and I feel like it actually helps to combat my dry skin. It's very creamy but blends out to a smooth velvety finish. It's between a medium and full coverage, depending on how heavy you apply it. I love that it can be built up to completely cover my under eye circles and any discoloration I have, eliminating the need for any additional concealer. It also doesn't crease under my eyes, which is a big deal for me because everything creases under my eyes. I found the color to be perfect for me to use in summer, but runs a little too dark for me in winter (yes, I am crazy fair). Next time I will purchase the No. 1 shade so I can use it year round. It retails for $34.00.

Jouer Perfector in No. 2 Creme

Jouer Perfector in No. 2 Creme

Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunshine was not originally something that I fell in love with, though not because of the product, more because I was a little afraid of bronzers. The few bronzers that I had previously tried all made my super fair skin look orange or dirty, no matter how much I blended. Jouer's Mineral Powder Bronzer changed that for me. It goes on such a beautiful, natural bronzy color that it's basically fool proof. It has a tiny bit of shimmer in it, that really adds to the glowy bronzed effect this gives my skin. This retails for $28.00.

Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunshine

Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunshine blended out

Jouer's Luminizing Moisture Tint in Opal, is one of my everyday staples. Opal, which is listed as being for porcelain to fair completions, is a perfect color for me. I have a hard time finding products that are fair enough for my skin and that look natural, and this fills both of those needs. It gives a light coverage, enough to even my skin tone, but it doesn't cover my freckles. It's very moisturizing and leaves my skin looking dewy and glowy but never oily. I also have no trouble with this breaking me out either, which is a huge plus. This is a product that I will be repurchasing when I run out, and because I love this one so much I might just give the Matte Moisture Tint a shot as well. $38.00


Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in Opal
Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in Opal
Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in Opal

 And finally, my natural look using my Jouer products!



Products in this review can all be purchased at www.Jouercosmetics.com or using the links provided above.

 *All products in this review were purchased on my own. Opinions expressed are my own and are not paid for*

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Zoya Mieko Swatch and Review

Today I am wearing Zoya's Mieko! Mieko is a beautiful pink/red coral with gold and pink shimmer. I tried to find the description for Mieko on Zoya's website but it looks like it isn't even offered anymore. Which is odd since I just purchased it a few months ago.
Mieko is a full coverage shimmer with a perfect formula. It was completely opaque in 3 thin coats and dried down smoothly with a glossy finish.
Mieko is a perfect classic pink color and would be beautiful year round, but especially in the spring and summer.
I purchased Mieko from www.zoya.com for $8.

Zoya's Mieko


Zoya's Mieko

Zoya's Mieko

Zoya's Mieko

 
Zoya's Mieko

*The product in this review was purchased on my own. All opinions are my own and are not paid for.*

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Zoya Kristen Swatch and Review

Today I am wearing Zoya's Kristen! A beautiful bluish gray cream! Zoya describes Kristen as a gull gray nail polish with a mild bluish hue.
Kristen is listed as a 5 on the opacity scale (1=sheer, 5= completely opaque). Kristen is very pigmented and was completely opaque in 2 coats. The formula was a little on the thin side but for this polish it worked wonderfully. The thinness helped the polish to quickly smooth out and dry to a nice even glossy finish. Dry time for Kristen was average.
This is one of those colors where it tends to look different depending on what lighting it is in. In natural light it looks more gray with subtle blue undertones, in artificial light it leans more blue. In the pictures below you can see the difference just from having the flash on.
Overall it is a nice fresh spring color and I am very happy with this polish.
Kristen can be purchased at www.zoya.com for $8.



Zoya's Kristen (Natural Light)


Zoya's Kristen (flash)


Zoya's Kristen (Natural Light)


 
Zoya's Kristen (Natural Light)


Zoya's Kristen (Natural Light)

 
Zoya's Kristen (natural light)

*The product in this review was purchased on my own. All opinions are my own and are not paid for.*