Lipstick Latest

Today I've got three bright and springy lipsticks to swatch and review for you.  The two Bite Beauty ones were purchased by me with my 15% off Sephora coupon.  The Rimmel lipstick was sent to me for testing from Influenster (see below for more info).  Obviously the price points on these are pretty different, but the colors are all great for warmer weather!

(L to R) Bite Beauty Quinta, Bite Beauty Sweety, Rimmel As you Want Victoria

Let's start with the "tamest" of the colors.

Bite Beauty Lipstick in Quinta- This is the color I've been searching for! The swatch isn't doing this shade justice! I wanted something a bit brighter than my natural lip color, and this really works.  It's a little on the coral side, but I'm loving this as a YLBB (your lips but better) shade!  The formula feels nice on, and is decently hydrating.  Lasting power isn't great though.  This smells sort of fruity and vaguely like grapes.  I like it!  I would definitely recommend, and would likely repurchase, which is saying something since I have WAY too many lip products and almost never buy the same thing twice.

Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Sweety- It's limited edition, and currently out of stock on the Sephora website, but it was still available in all of the stores in my area at last check.  This is a bright, kinda neon, pink with a hint of coral.  This pulls pinker on my lips than it did when I swatched it in store.  I think this is the perfect fun color for spring and summer.  The scent reminds me of lemon pound cake, YUM!  The lasting power is great, and while it's not moisturizing, it also didn't make my lips feel dry.  This did seem to emphasize lip lines a bit on drier lips, but overall it was actually a pretty weightless formula.  It's a little pricey for such a bold color, but I see myself getting a lot of use out of this as the temps go up!  

Rimmel Moisture Renew in As You Want Victoria- I mentioned that this was sent to me by Influenster.  If you're not familiar with this company, they allow you to take surveys and qualify for free products to test.  I'll post a link below if you're interested in participating.  As for the lipstick, while this isn't a color I would normally have picked, it is fun and surprisingly wearable.  It pulls a bit redder on me than it does swatched, which disappointed mea little.  I think this is the type of color that is best saved for a night out, but if you're brave you could use it during the day.  While this doesn't feather on me, you might want to use a liner with it as it's so bright any mistakes will show.  Lasting power was surprisingly good, as most lipsticks that claim to be moisturizing don't last.  Do be warned though, this transfers like crazy.  One thing I find kind of odd about this is the scent.  It smells exactly the same as Nivea lotion.  It's not a scent that I mind, but it's weird for a lipstick.  Though it does remind me of something moisturizing... I think I will be checking these out in another lighter shade or two.  BUT, right now the packaging of the ones I've seen at CVS, etc differs from the one I received via Influenster, so until I figure out what the deal is with that, I won't be taking the plunge for more. If anyone has any info on this, please let me know!

I always love corals and brights for spring, and I think all three of these achieve that.  I have a few more lip products that I'm still testing, so expect another round of lip picks soon!

For more info on Influenster, go to http://www.influenster.com.  If you'd like an invitation to join, please fill out the "contact me" info and I'd be happy to send you one!

The Backup Stash

You know you've got some; those products that you just can't live without.  The ones that are so crucial to your daily routine that you always have an extra one, or two on hand.  As somewhat of a makeup "collector," I usually try to restrain myself from getting backups of makeup items, but there are other beauty-related products that I'd just hate to run out of.

Dove Body Wash: I prefer the scent of the original, but the winter care version really is a bit more moisturizing.  As long as I've got one of these two versions, I'm good to go.  

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil: This stuff is amazing! It smells lovely, doesn't seem to rub off on clothing, and gives you a slightly shimmery (but not over-the-top) bronze glow.  I always use it when dressing up for weddings/special events.  There was a rumor that this was being discontinued a while back, so I got a second one, but a little goes a long way.  I don't anticipate running out any time soon, and luckily the rumor about this disappearing was false!

Neutrogena Original Hand Cream (unscented): I hate having dry hands, but living in a cold climate = dry winter skin.  This is the only hand cream that I've ever found that can last through hand washing.  It's affordable, and nothing else works like it!

Mally Volumizing Mascara:  This is a great mascara for both everyday use and more dramatic looks.  It not only volumizes, but also gives good length.  I actually had 3 tubes of this at one time, but
I recently used one up.  It is a bit pricey, so best to buy it during an Ulta 20% off sale, or in a multi pack from QVC or Mallybeauty.com.

The Body Shop Pomegranate Softening Facial Wash:  This is a nice, non-drying cream cleanser that really does seem to make my skin feel softer.  It does a good job removing face makeup, and doesn't leave my drier skin feeling tight.

Goody Spin Pins:  I keep one set in my travel cosmetics bag and another for every day use.  These actually work really well.  I particularly like them for wet hair, like after a day at the beach.  In addition to using these to secure a bun, you can put damp hair up, leave these in for a bit, and volià- beach waves!

Which beauty products, if any, do you stockpile? 

Ulta Haul!

First, let me apologize for the long blogging break.  Holidays and still trying to get this blog going led to procrastination.  Moving on…

Every few months, Ulta sends out 20% off coupons that are good on your entire purchase, even on usually excluded high end or "prestige" lines.  There are a few exceptions, but I've yet to run into something that I wanted that was excluded.  The current coupon ends on Saturday, February 1.  Though I usually try to stock up on high end products during the coupon period, I actually ended up with more of the "drugstore" priced items this time around.  Here's what I got:

• NYX Butter Lipstick in Taffy
• Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in classic ivory # 810 
• Palladio eyeliner in Taupe
• L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Gilded Envy (limited edition from the Butterfly Collection)
• Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush (on sale for $2.99!)
• Too Faced Better Than Sex Eye Essentials (contains sample sizes of the new Better than Sex mascara, an eyeshadow, and Shadow Insurance)

Now the initial impressions:

• So far, I'm liking the NYX Butter Lipstick, but it's not amazing.  
• The Covergirl Foundation seems nice.  Not sure if it will replace Revlon Colorstay as my everyday foundation, but it could.  The pump packaging is awesome. 
• The Palladio eyeliner is awful.  Hard and dry and impossible to use without feeling like you're poking yourself in the eye.  Too bad, cause I like the color.
• Pick up this L'Oreal Infallible shadow! Loving the color and it's limited edition, so hurry up!
• Haven't used the RT liner brush yet.

As for the Too Faced value pack, am enjoying the eyeshadow.  Though I know many people like the Shadow Insurance primer, I have very hooded lids, and everything creases on me.  The only thing I've ever found that works for me is the Urban Decay Primer Potion (the original one).  Sadly, the Too Faced one was a fail.  Finally, the mascara.  Um yeah, kinda wishing that I'd just gotten the full sized one.  I picked up the Essentials pack with the sample size since I wanted to try the mascara, but had just stocked up on the Mally Volumizing mascara during the holidays.  I actually received a second 20% off coupon from Ulta, and may be going back for a full sized version.  I've only used it for 2 days, but yeah, this stuff rocks.  I didn't even have issues with it running/smudging when my eyes started to tear in the cold! 

Hopefully my little haul has given you some ideas if you're planning an upcoming Ulta trip!

Holiday Wish List

Happy holidays!  I thought I'd share my wish list for this year.  Here's a sampling of what I'm hoping Santa brings me!

1. The Balm Instain Blush Trio- Only available at Kohls, and sold out online, but I have seen it in stores! This is a super deal at only $34 since just one of these is normally $22.
2. Pottery Barn Delight Light-Up Mirror- A mirror with brush storage?! Such a clever idea.  And yes, I do realize this is from Pottery Barn Teen, but check out their beauty storage section.  They have some really great pieces!
3. E.L.F. Lip Studio Lip Exfoliator- At only $3, this would be a great stocking stuffer, and perfect for dry winter lips.
4. Sigma F80- Confession: I don't own any Sigma brushes.  I'd love to have a whole set, but if I could try just one, it would be the F80.
5. Cate McNabb Lip Gloss in Pink Lady- I was lucky enough to get a mini makeover by this new cosmetics company while at a fashion event in Chicago.  The lip gloss they put on me seemed incredibly moisturizing and long-lasting, so I'm eager to try it again.
6. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Liners in Desperation- I'm always on the quest for the perfect taupe liner.
7. Tarte Lipsurgence gift set- With so many excellent drugstore options, I have yet to try the Tarte jumbo lip pencils.  These usually get rave reviews, and every color looks wearable in this set.
8. The Shine Brush- Made by The Wet Brush company, if this is anywhere near as well as their original brush, I'm going to love it! 

Comment below to let me know what you're hoping for this holiday season!

I smell a deal...

Had to get this post up quickly! In case you missed it, Walgreens is having an awesome sale on Revlon this week!  Pretty much everything is 40% off!  I wanted to let you know about a sweet deal on the new Revlon Parfumerie scented nail polishes that should work with this sale.  I found two different two packs at my local Walgreens for $10 each (see pics below).  At $5 per polish, that's not bad, but take 40% off and that's $3 per polish! But wait, there's also a $1 off Revlon nail polish coupon available in store in Walgreen's November coupon book.  So that's now a total of $5 or just $2.50 per polish!  A big thanks to G. at Nouveau Cheap, without whom I wouldn't have know about the 40% off sale!

Spotted these on a high shelf!

China Flower & Pink Pineapple

Sugar Spun & Bordeaux