Best and Worst | Maybelline

I'm back with another Best/Worst post.  Check out the one I wrote on Revlon here.

The worst Maybelline product I have ever used is their pencil eyeliners.  (I love the gel eyeliner-read my review of them here.)  I have one in the Expert Wear line and two from the Unstoppable line. Both lines are horrible for different reasons.  My Expert Wear is so hard to apply.  You have to rub/push so hard it hurts your eye!  That's no fun!  You can see in the swatches below, the pigmentation is horrible, and that's after I did about three layers of it.

The Unstoppable line has great pigmentation and is so easy to apply.  But, it does not stay where you apply it.  This eyeliner transfers to the eyelid so quickly.  It looks nice at first, but a few hours later, you look like a mess with eyeliner everywhere.  Not the look I ever go for.

The best Maybelline product in my opinion is the Falsies mascara.  If you haven't been living under a rock, you know this mascara is huge right now, so I'll keep it short.  This mascara is actually a miracle in a bottle.  I hate my eyelashes, which are short and blonde.  I love the way this volumes my lashes.  It has never been so easy to make my eyelashes look so wonderful.  If you have not tried this mascara, go out and by it now; you'll thank me later.

So there's another best/worst post.  Let me know your favorite and least favorite Maybelline products in the comments below!

Think Pink!

 Pink is one of those colors that you just can't avoid when you're a makeup girl!  Even thought blue is my favorite color, when it comes to makeup I love my pinks!  I have an extremely light skin tone so I tend to opt for pink lips, I always have pink cheeks, and I adore pink on my eyes.  So, I thought I would write a post about my favorite pink makeup items.

 

Illamasqua's Hussy; Nars' Orgasm

First up, blushes!  I only have two high end blushes, and I adore both of them!  I've written a reivew of Hussy here, and Orgasm is extremely popular-you've heard it raved about unless you've been living under a rock!  I love having an option for a matte blush or a shimmery blush.  Orgasm is more of a peachy pink, while Hussy is more of a bright bubblegum pink.  I love how my look can change based on which blush I use!

Urban Decay's Sin

One of my all-time favorite eyeshadows is Sin by Urban Decay.  It's my go-to shadow for sweeping all over the lid.  I feel like so many colors look great in the crease with this on the lid!  It is a shimmery, light pink. I love how light it is, because it can be used for a light look or paired with darker colors for a more dramatic look.  It's so pigmented and wonderful.  My only problem with this eyeshadow is my problem with all my Urban Decay powder shadows:  they tend to wear off after a while.  Its so disappointing to get home and see that my eyeshadow has gone wonky.

Nars' Chiuaua, Topshop's Ooh La La, Revlon's Berry Sorbet

My go-to lip gloss is definitely Nars' Chiuaua.  It is such a pretty "dusty rose" pink.  It has a wonderful formula, so it isn't sticky.  It isn't a super dark color, but it is absolutely beautiful.  My matte, bright pink lipstick, Topshop's Ooh La La, is another fave.  I've literally worn it everywhere this summer! I reviewed here.  Revlon's Lip Butter in Berry Sorbet is a great lip choice.  As the name suggests, it has more of a berry pink tone rather than a pinky pink tone (if that makes any sense at all!).  I love adore the lip butters, and this was my go-to lip in February and March.  I like how its a little bit darker, but it is still a pretty pink.

OPI's Bubble Bath, Divine Swine, and Strawberry Margarita

Y'all know I love my nail polishes!  The first pink nail polish I love is Bubble Bath by OPI.  It's a light pink that barely shows up.  I like it because there's just a hint of pink on my nails.  It is a very healthy look, and would definitely work for a school or workplace that doesn't allow crazy nail polishes.  Speaking of crazy nail polishes, Divine Swine by OPI is just that!  My sister got this for me for Christmas a couple years ago.  It's from the Muppet Collection, and it's Miss Piggy's color.  It is pink glitter with big silver flakes.  I love how unique it is with the silver flakes.  It's so fun to wear, and I always get so many complements.  Be sure to wear a top coat, though, because it can come off easily due to the fact it is pure glitter!  OPI's Strawberry Margarita has been on my toes all summer!  I talked about it in detail in this post.

Here are swatches of all the products mentioned:

What are your favorite pink products?  Let me know in the comments!

Product Review | Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque

Confession: I've only recently started getting into good skin and hair routines.  I've loved makeup for a long time, but I never really used face or hair masques, scrubs, or anything of that sort.  Only after getting a blog and starting to read other blogs have I started expanding my face/hair routine.  Get ready for a bunch of skin/hair care reviews, because I've been trying out lots of stuff!

I was talking about how I wanted a good face masque, and my friend told me that she loves the one from Kiehl's.  I popped into the store in my mall (which I didn't even know existed--I will be visiting it much more often now!) and got the masque.  My life has been forever changed.

 

This bad boy has made my skin feel so amazing.  I featured it in my June Favorites because I just love the way it has refreshed my skin, especially in the summer heat!  It was $23.00 (graciously paid for by my mother), but it is so worth every cent!  I love that you don't need a whole ton of the product, so it's good value for money.  The pot is pretty big, as well.  It is made from White Amazonian Clay.  It does dry on a little bit cakey, but I guess that's just the nature of face masques.  I love using this when I've been working out after I take a shower.  It feels good to relax a bit after a strenuous workout.  It stings going on, but the stinging goes away quickly, and just confirms that it is opening up my pores. I use it 2-4 times a week, and my face has never felt so great!

Let me know what face masque you use below!

Tinted Lip Balm Comparison

A while ago, I did a comparison of lip balms.  You can read it here.  I thought that I would write another one about tinted lip balms, as I've been using them a lot this summer.  They are great when I'm going to the gym or just running an errand, and I'm not wearing much makeup.

Burt's Bees Pomegranate, Sugar Rose, Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me

Burt's Bees is a classic chapstick/lip balm brand.  I got one of their tinted lip balms to try out.  I picked the Pomegranate one.  This is my favorite of my three tinted lip balms!  I love that it is super sheer, but there is still a great pink color.  Its also super, super hydrating which is really nice.  It stays on for a good long while.  Overall, this lip balm is amazing!

I got the Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment from Sephora for my birthday one year.  I really like this, but I don't think I'd purchase the full size.  It is a nice color, but it's nothing to special, and the price (over 20 dollars!) is outrageously high for such a product!  I'd much rather stick to my under 10 dollar Burt's Bees or Baby Lips!  It does have an SPF of 15, which is nice, especially for days out by the pool.

Last is Maybelline's Baby Lips.  These are much loved by so many people!  I have the color #15 Cherry Me.  I like the formula of the balm, and I think it has a really nice texture.  Unfortunately, I didn't pick a great color.  I don't like the way this color looks on me, but I would definitely be up for trying a different shade because I love the way it feels on my lips.  It would be a great product to keep in my handbag, if I had gotten a better color for me!

So, there are my tinted lip balms!  I'm always looking to expand my collection, so tell me some of your favorites below!  Bonus points if you can suggest me a better color of the Baby Lip's collection!

Product Review | Nars Nepal Eyeshadow

Nars is probably my favorite makeup brand.  I mean, I've never purchased a product that I haven't loved.  So, I was in Sephora a while back, and like a moth to a flame, was drawn to the Nars counter.  I was swatching the eyeshadows while my (non-makeup enthusiast) mother was standing by, bored.  I swatched Nepal, and showed her.  She didn't buy it for me, and I decided against buying it for myself.  A few weeks later, I found it tucked away in my Easter basket!  It was such a nice surprise, and I was really glad my mom remembered what I had mentioned in passing to her!

Nepal is a gorgeous bronzy-brown color.  I love that there is enough coppery-bronze in it to make my light blue eyes really pop, but it comes out looking brown.  It is a shimmery shadow.  It stays on all day, which is so nice!  I also love the itty bitty package it comes in.  It just makes me squeal because it's so cute!  This is definitely a shadow I would recommend for making blue eyes pop.

 Just looking at the swatch makes me happy because it's such a pretty color!  I would love to expand my collection of Nars eyeshadows.  Leave me a comment of which ones you love!

Product Review | Bioterra Dry Shampoo

Hello!  I have found a miracle in a can!  My hair is extremely thick and wavy, so washing it can be a bit of a chore.  Also, if I wash my hair everyday, it tends to get dry and frizzy.  So, I only wash my hair about three times a week.  Sometimes, my schedule gets super busy or I get lazy, and I realize that I haven't washed my hair.  This is where dry shampoo come in to play.  I used the Baiste dry shampoos for a long time and loved them, but then I couldn't find them in stores anywhere.  I've tried several others that I didn't like, so I was on the hunt for a new one.  I went to Sally Beauty Supply and picked up one on a whim. I had never heard of the brand or anything, so it was a huge gamble, but it totally paid off!

I have adored using Bioterra's Dry Shampoo!  The directions say to spray it 10-12 inches away from the hair and wait two minutes, then rub in the excess powder.  I tried it, and after two minutes 90% of the powder had worked itself into my hair!  It was actually invisible, which is a claim that lots of dry shampoos make and don't deliver.  Also, it left no gross feeling in my hair!  The one I had been using felt so nasty.  It felt like my hair had turned to straw, and I hated it.  I picked this dry shampoo up for $7.69, and I will definitely be repurchasing it!

June Favorites

June for me was a month of concerts, having lunch with friends, a family trip, and lots of working out!  Most of the products I loved (both mentioned in this post and not) were all about keeping my face in place and looking nice through a sweaty summer night.

 

I'll Start off with my makeup favorites.

1. Maybelline's The Falsies.  Need I say more?  This mascara is amazing, and it's super cheap!

2. Essie's The More The Merrier. Such a happy summer nail polish! (I talked more about it here.)

3. Topshop's Ooh La La.  Literally my new favorite lip product.  I wore it to all three concerts I attended as well as a slew of parties and dinners etc. (I reviewed it here and wore it here and here.)

4. Rimmel London's Stay Matte Powder.  It keeps my oil-prone skin matte.  What's not to love? (I talked about it more here.)

1. Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque.  It has kept my face refreshed and feeling amazing.  (review coming)

2. Urban Decay's De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray.  I ADORE this.  It keeps my makeup in place and helps prevent oilyness!

3. Biotera Dry Shampoo.  This dry shampoo works like a dream.  (review coming)

So there's my June favorites!  Leave me a comment telling me yours.