Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters!

These itty bity lip butters are all the rage, aren't they? I've been lusting them for a little while now. At first they reminded me of the Clinique lip butters. I picked up 2 colors - Cotton Candy and Peach Parfait.

I absolutely adore the packaging! It's Revlon's best yet -- Very feminine and simple. Some argue the packaging is for tween aged girls, but I think they're really pretty. It never crossed my mind as such, because I think the packaging has won over many many people.

Here are some swatches!

Cotton Candy -- It's a true baby pink with a pretty sheen

Peach Parfait -- A very pretty pink with golden shimmers. 

These are exactly what they claim to be -- buttery! They're buttery rich and balmy and perfect for your daily lip. They don't last very long but that's just as well because they don't make any sort of that claim. The ones I have are nourishing and leave my lips feeling hydrated and soft.

They have a synthetic vanilla smell. It's light enough not to bother me, but they really should make it fruitier instead. 

Overall, I still really like these. They're priced fairly at around $8.00 each, but we all know to take advantage of drugstore deals when they have BOGO or coupons. Never buy these for regular price. 

I'm on the lookout for more! 

Lip butters -- yay or nay? 

Rimmel Glam Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara

I picked this mascara up at Target when it was on clearance ($2.00) a couple months ago. I don't really know much about Rimmel cosmetics aside from their much adored lipsticks (I love Airy Fairy!).

This mascara is pretty standard but the cute packaging really stood out. I love the rose gold top part and their signature crown... reminded me of Juicy Couture. 

I love the wand! It's skinny and perfect for people with barely visible lashes like myself. The wand is also flexible so you can coat every lash in any angle. I think it works for me because it lengthens considerably and delivers acceptable volume and definition.

The formula is on the drier side. This is a good thing for me because too-hydrating mascaras can weigh down your lashes. Drier formulas keep it light so you can hold your curl longer. I personally don't have a preference to which formulas I use as long as the mascara itself is noticeable without being flaky. 

Below are creepy macro sized eye shots.. O_O

Overall, I'd say this is a very natural looking mascara. It doesn't clump and it lasts all day for me. Mascara in general is very subjective and it looks different on everyone. While this is a pretty good mascara, it is not exceptional. I still prefer my Maybelline and Loreal ones over this particular one but I think I'd be happy to try others from Rimmel. This one is probably going to be discontinued since it was on clearance but I still see them on shelves at other drugstores.

And for my readers, is there really a difference in high end mascara vs. drugstore? Please share your thoughts!

Review! Bourjois Healthy Mix

I have yet another foundation review for you all. I just love base makeup SO hard. It's the one thing that can never do wrong. 

I've been seeing the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation on the blogger circle for awhile now. Unfortunately, it is not available in the US but it's not hard to find it online. I bought mine a little while ago and I've been using it almost everyday. Bourjois claims that this foundation is radiance boosting (antioxidants from fruit enzymes) and provides 8 hours of moisture and up to 16 hours of long wear. 

My verdict?

I can easily say that this foundation is one of the best I've ever used. It has a nice yellow undertone that works seamlessly for Asian skin tones like mine and it matches me nearly 100% (shade 52 Vanilla), which is also hard to come by as I'm sure many of you have experienced when searching high and low for the perfect foundation.  Another reason I really like this is because it is not greasy at all, goes on semi-matte and has a nice satin finish that looks natural and weightless.

The coverage is light to medium and blends effortlessly. I find that I like foundations that give your skin room to breathe so your natural skin will still show through, but have enough coverage to even everything out. 

I love that this is also a budget conscious product. You get a high quality foundation without having to empty your wallet at the counter. The packaging is really simple, travel and user friendly. The foundation smells very fruity and pleasant. I can't say that it bothers me one bit :)

The only con I could think of is that it's not available in the US. It should be! WHY ISN'T IT?! 

Valentine's Day Picks!

When I think of Valentine's Day -- the colors I seem to associate most is rose colored blushes, nude gloss, and sheer pink lips. Here are some of my picks!

R&R Contrived Blush in Tease is a light (and pigmented) mauve pink color. So very wearable and one of my favorites from R&R :)

Stila's Make Me Blush is a multi-tone coral, gold and pink combination. 

Paula Dorf Sweet Cheeks is a warm berry rose shade. 

Revlon's Brighten is such a pretty highlighter! It's shimmery and gives a gorgeous, youthful glow :)

Swatches

L-R: YSL Rouge Volupe in Peach Passion, Mac in Most Popular, Shu Uemura Coral, Mac Virgin Kiss and Dior Ultra Nude

Happy Valentine's Day <3

Stila Rose Gold Highlighter

I realized how much love I am not giving to my highlighters these days! I endlessly (and shamelessly) collect them. I recall Stila's Rose Gold being one of my most adored ones because of the simple and cute packaging and the baked pan.

This is more of a finishing powder but I kind of see it more like a highlighter because of the shimmer in it. And Rose Gold is very fitting for V-day! - the subtle glow, the romantic color (rose and gold is the loveliest combo ever! Am I right?) - absolutely perfect for a night out in town.

Rose Gold is a bit like a champagne shade with hints of gold and peach and swirls of a courser gold color running through its veins. Gorgeous! A fan brush is the perfect brush to sweep this around your cheekbones.

Many people online do not like this particular product from Stila and it's a shame because I found it to be really nice. Not as a finishing powder of course (what the hell were they thinking?!) but as a highlight, it is more than pretty! Texture-wise, it's not as soft as MAC MSF's but the shimmers here are less prevalent and much more sophisticated. 

What are your go-to highlighter(s)? :)

Disclaimer: Bought this myself!

Eve Pearl Lipstick Review!

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to thank you guys for commenting on my last post! I applied some hydrocortizone cream to my face and it's gotten a lot better. I cleansed my face with a very light cleanser... currently using the ever gentle Cetaphil face wash. I will be trying tea tree for future blemishes and i will keep a lookout for grapeseed oil. I'm also going to try and make a milk, oats and honey mask since I'm not going to wear anything that will inflame my skin more. Thank you for all your suggestions! 

I wanted to review these Eve Pearl lipsticks I purchased a few months ago. These were kind of impulsive, but I'm loving the silky formula.

I got two colors - one in Nude Beach and one in Love Story. 

Nude Beach is a very pale/light peach color. It's a little too light by itself, but it's very pretty with a peach colored lip gloss!

Love Story is a gorgeous rose. The color is casual, romantic and doesn't scream high maintenance like bold reds! 

Love Story

Nude Beach

Overall, I really the formula in the Eve Pearl lipsticks. The only thing I'm not too excited about is the fact that they charge $24 per lipstick on their website! Other than that, the formula is very moisturizing and slightly glossy. They have a very wide color range and lip palettes. The pigmentation is on par with the shades that I have and it lasts about 3 hours if you're not constantly eating or drinking like me! 

I'd love to try vampire kiss next! I'll probably check out their dual concealer that everyone loves! 

Have you tried Eve Pearl before? Thoughts? =)

Disclaimer: All the EP lipsticks were purchased by me! :)

Clean & Clear Persa Gel 10

I had a horrible horrible day today! Over the holidays, I bought the Clean & Clear Persa Gel 10 for my occasional breakouts and yucky painful pimples. I thought it would work great because of all the reviews but I had a very VERY bad reaction to it :( I spot treated two of my pimples the night before and this morning I woke up to a dry, swollen and itchy face! I went to work with loads of concealer on...and twiddling my fingers because I want to scratch my face out! I know it's bad to put anything over it, but I didn't want to look like I took the night off and went to get my ass kicked at a boxing ring. =p

Persal-gel 10 has 10% of Benzoyl Peroxide. 

My face is itchy (still itchy now!), dry, and red. 

This is what I found online:

Benzoyl peroxide generates free radicals in the skin.  Its effect is similar to unprotected sun exposure.  The redness of the skin (erythema), caused by sun exposure and benzoyl peroxide, are both the result of free radicals (oxidative stress) upon the skin.  Repeated sun exposure or benzoyl peroxide use generates free radicals that damage the skin's structure and cellular DNA, resulting in premature aging of the skin.  The extent of the damage and aging from benzoyl peroxide is determined by the concentration of benzoyl peroxide, the frequency of application and the duration of its use. 

Holy F---! 

The thing is that it did get rid of my pimples overnight, but I had 'excess' cream on my finger so I didn't think and spread the cream around some other blemishes...and yeah. Not good. This is truly only meant to be used on the pimple itself, and not anywhere else. 

I have some pics below...

This is after some concealer already =/ It's on my chin as well, but my camera didn't get that.

The ITCH! :( 

What can I put on to make it better?!?