Makeup: Pink Lips and Cheeks

Happy Tuesday! :D

Official first day of Summer -- wooooohoooooo!!! :)

Nothing epic has happened to my Summer yet, but I'm always hoping that a fun adventure is just around the corner. Oh, and Sephora has already emailed me that I can go pick up my birthday gift -- my 21st birthday is in two weeks?! :O

Speaking of Sephora (and my birthday, haha), I really want to get myself a bright pink lipstick. I think it's time for me to give it a try. :)

I love the way it looks! I love red lipstick too, but I think a bright pink lip color would bring out everyone's fun side! And it's such a summer color - very vibrant, youthful, and fun. :D

Besides bright pink lipstick, I also want to try a bright pink blush like the one they have above.

Do you guys have any suggestions -- what lipstick and blush should I try?

Here are some celebrities sporting pink lips and cheeks:

Rihanna and Kate Bosworth

Alexis Bledel (She's so pretty!)

Gwen Stefani

Emma Stone

Lauren Conrad

What do you think of pink lips and cheeks?

Have a fantastic week, everyone! :)

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend! :D

My summer break has been going pretty okay, it's just the normal feeling of "Wait, it's only 11am? What?!". It's going pretty slowly, but there's a whole summer ahead, and I am excited to see what it has in store for me. :)

In the meantime, I am happy to just spend more time here on Blogger. :D

Anyway, I've been meaning to tell you guys about this product, but I just never got around to it:

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation

Redefine natural beauty with our lightweight silk foundation. With a touch of cucumber water and a hint of jojoba and rose hip extracts, our light yet luxurious formula takes heavy weight out of your polished finish. Plus, we're so sure you'll love NatureLuxe Silk Foundation, that if you're not satisfied with the results, we'll refund your money.

- Luxury touched by nature

- Silky formula

- Contains a hint of jojoba and cucumber extract

NatureLuxe Silk Foundation has the same amount of product inside the recyclable plastic tube as TruBlend Liquid Makeup, Clean Makeup, and Advanced Radiance Liquid Makeup.

***from www.covergirl.com***

I like that it is in a recyclable plastic tube as opposed to a glass bottle.

It smells great!

It can feel oily at first, but I find that it is also silky and not too heavy on the face.

It has SPF 10.

Easy to blend.

There are 14 shades to choose from, so there should be a close match for everyone. :)

I got mine in Aspen (320).

Here are the other shades available:

CoverGirl also provides a comparison chart to help us find the perfect shade for us.

At Ulta, they are sold for $11.99. At Target, $9.25.

I'm pretty sure you can get it for much less at Rite Aid, CVS, or Walgreens. :)

I really like the NatureLuxe collection. They have really great products - at least from my experience with the ones I've tried. :)

Have you tried CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Silk Foundation? Thoughts?

I hope you are all having a relaxing weekend! :D

P.S. My $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway is open until June 18th -- still plenty of time to enter! Click the link below. :D

Win $100 to spend on Shopbop!

Makeup: FreeBeauty - Inexpensive - Artsy

Happy Wednesday! :D

And Happy first day of June! :)

It's June, it's a new month, and do you know what that means?

It's time for another giveaway from www.freebeautyevents.com!

For the month of June, ten winners will be chosen to win the following:

Lumene Vitamin C+ Pure Radiance Day Cream SPF 15, L'Oreal Paris Magic Smooth Souffle Makeup, and Lumene Excellent Future Deep Repairing Serum.

Aren't these amazing prizes?

The contest will run until June 30th. Winners will be chosen on July 5th, and notified by July 15th.

In addition to that, visit www.freebeautyevents.com, enter your zip code to find out if there are any spa open houses, sampling events, makeovers, and gifts with purchase near you.

CVS will be hosting a P&G event for the month of June. They will have makeup artists giving free CoverGirl makeovers, and they will be demonstrating Olay and Pantene products too! They will also be giving away Pantene 2-in-1 samples and CoverGirl NatureLuxe coupons and samples. Check out their site for more info! :D

If you need to advertise about beauty events, you can do that on their site for free! :)

You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook!

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Here are some links to my previous makeup posts:

Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette

Artsy Makeup

Have a great rest of the week! :)

Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone! :D

How are you all spending the long weekend? Whatever it is you are doing, I hope you are having fun! :)

When I have some spare time, I really try to do some swatches for you guys. :)

Good news is I had some time this past week to take photos of my

Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette! :D

Here's what www.coastalscents.com says about it:

Description

For those of you who love shimmer shadows, you will not be disappointed. These are very pigmented and offer a bit more shimmer than the 56 piece palette. The pots are Dime Size around and contain plenty of powder for many excessive uses.

Contents

88 eye shadow colors

mirror 5" x 3.12" (12.7cm x 7.9cm)x2 dual end foam tip applicators

Dimensions

matte black case when closed = 9.12" x 6.53" x 0.5" (23.2cm x 16.6cm x 1.3cm)

pot diameter = 0.62" (1.6cm)

Ingredients

Talc, Mica, Mineral Oil, Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Lanolin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, BHT. May contain: Mica and Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarine Blue, Manganese Violet, Ferric Ammonium Ferro

cyanide, Chrome Oxide Greens, Chrome Hydroxide Green, FD&C Red No.40 Al Lake, FD&C Yellow No.5 Al Lake, FD&C Blue No.1 Al Lake.

Content Weight

61.0g / 2.15oz

I bought this last year for $19.95 -- very affordable, huh?!
The packaging is not the best, but I don't mind because you get 88 colors for $19.95 -- why would I complain, right?

And another good thing about this is the colors are pigmented.

I swatched a color from each row for you guys to see. :)
There are 11 rows with 8 colors each.

*My arm looks weird, hahaha!*

There may be some fall outs, but you can easily fix that by sweeping it up with loose powder. You can also use MAC Fix+ or just plain, good old water to get less fall outs and a deeper shade.

It comes with dual end foam applicators, but I like using my own eyeshadow brush.

All in all, I think this is a really great buy! It feels like it has all the colors you can possibly think of. ;)

Which of these 88 colors do you like the best?

If you don't want much of a shimmer, they also have an 88 Original Palette -- the same beautiful colors without the shimmer for $18.95!

Coastal Scents has a ton of other products, so check out their website to see which one will strike your fancy. :)

Have you ever bought anything from Coastal Scents? Any recommendations?

Have a fantastic weekend, guys! :D

Amazing eyelids (and lips!)!!! :D

Hey, guys!

Happy Tuesday! :)

Sorry I haven't been around too much, but two more weeks of school and I have all the time in the world to spend here on Blogger! I can't wait! :D

We all know beauty and makeup takes practice and patience -- it's like a work of art, right?

I found these awesome photos of works of art (literally!) made from makeup! :D

Can you guess what movies these are from? :)

Aladdin

Cinderella

Lion King

Tangled (I just saw it, it's an amazing movie!!!)

Nightmare Before Christmas

These last two are some of the ones that caught my eye. I was like "*Gasp!* How cool!". :D

What do you guys think of these? Which ones did you like the best?

Have a great week, everyone! :D

***photos courtesy of www.bellasugar.com***

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick Review

Happy Monday! :D

How's your week so far?

Mine is okay - just gotta catch up with some school work, and some blog hopping as well. ;)

A few days ago, I reviewed my CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm for you guys, today I want to share with you my thoughts on:

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick.

Bright, gorgeous color that can transform your day and your lips. Enriched with a silk moisturizing complex, our formula helps sustain moisture levels and helps create soft, smooth, beautiful lips in just 7 days.

- Beautiful, rich color

- Transformative Silk Therapy Complex

- Moisturizing formula

***from http://www.covergirl.com/***

I haven't been using this for 7 days so I can't say for sure if it really makes your lips softer and smoother... but I can say this:

The color is amazing, it glides on easily, very smooth and silky.

Very moisturizing. A really, really good lip product. :)

And the color lasts for a long time!

I swatched this yesterday... and after 24 hours, a shower, and washing dishes, I still have a light hint of red on my hand! I guess that's a good thing, right? ;)

And they have tons of shades to choose from!

Mine is #305, Hot Passion.

They've divided the colors into four categories: Brown, Lilacs/Mauves/Burgundies, Nudes/Corals/Red, and Pinks to Roses.

At Ulta, they are $6.99. For that price, it's most definitely worth it!

Have you tried CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick? Is it something you might want to try?

Which color/s did you like best?

Have a great week, everyone! :D

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm

Happy Friday! :D

I mentioned on my post before this that my original post from Wednesday was deleted along with your lovely comments! I hope Blogger can restore it, but for now, I posted it again, you can check out my previous post if you want to see it. :)

Anyways, I've been wanting to get a colored lip balm for the longest time, but I never got around to it and I also didn't know which brand was best. I've had a good experience with my CoverGirl products, so I decided to try

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm.

Get the sheer color and shine of a gloss with the soft and lightweight feel of SPF 15 balm. Fortified with mango and shea butter, this feel-good formula leaves your lips feeling decadent and delicious.

- Luxurious, sheer color with a hint of shine

- Contains decadent mango and shea butter

- Soft, lightweight feel

- SPF 15

How to apply:

- Lightly pucker your lips and apply gloss generously, working from the inside out. Be sure not to apply outside your lip line.

- Place a folded tissue between pressed lips to remove excess and prevent sticking.

***from http://www.covergirl.com/***

I know it's pretty common sense how to put on lip balm, but I just thought I'd add that on here. :)

I usually put my regular lip balm on before this gloss balm - that way, it glides on easier. And I've also noticed that it makes the color pop out more.

I've read reviews where people were disappointed because it came on clear. I didn't have that problem - there was color for me (probably because I put my regular lip balm first) and the tint also lasted for about three hours.

Here is a swatch:

That's two swipes. It really is very sheer, but there is color - it's not plain and colorless.

If you're looking for a balm that will give you lipstick-like color, then this isn't it. But if you just want a balm that will give you tint, this is a good product.

I am happy with this product, and I definitely want to buy another one when I'm finished with mine. I want to try other colors. :)

Another thing I love about this - it smells great! And if I need to moisturize my lips in class, I can easily reach in to my bag and put this on. No need to open a lid, and dip my finger in to get balm (don't get me wrong though, I love my Rosebud Strawberry Salve!).

My lips get moisturized and I get some color, without worrying if I went over my lip line! :)

At Ulta, these are $6.99... but again, they are probably cheaper at your favorite drugstore.

For the price, I think it's worth giving it a try just to see if you'll like it or not. Even if you end up not liking it that much, it won't be a waste because you will get use out of it. Even if the color may not be enough for you, it really is a good lip balm.

And there are soooooo many colors to choose from!


Mine is Anemone (225).

They also have them in Tulip (205), Thistle (210), Hibiscus (215), Peony (220), Coral (230), Grenache (235), Muscat (240), Pinot (245), Cabernet (250), Marble (255), Clay (260), Sandstone (265), Spice (270), Cinnamon (275), and Clove (280).

16 colors! :D

*You can check out www.covergirl.com to see the actual colors.*

Just another thought, I'm guessing that the darker the color you pick, the more color you're gonna get. Makes sense, right? :)

Have you tried CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm? Do you like it? Thoughts?

Is it something you might want to try?

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! :D

What's your favorite Spring blush? :)

Happy Tuesday! And Happy May! :D

I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that it is now May, and Summer is just around the corner! :O

I think we should make the most out of Spring before full-on Summer heat comes... although it might as well be Summer, Los Angeles was in the 90s today!

Anyway, since it's still Spring, I have a question for you guys:

What's your favorite Spring blush?

Right now, mine is

CoverGirl Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush

Want great bone structure? Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush lets you create them instantly and easily. Each compact contains three expertly coordinated shades that add natural-looking contour, so you can look like you were born with great cheekbones, anytime!

***from www.covergirl.com***

- 3 complementary skin-flushed shades contour your cheekbones

- Lightweight

- Dermatologically tested

- Blendable

How to apply:

1. Begin with the contour, or darkest, shade in your Instant Cheekbones palette and apply to the hollow space below the cheekbone.

2. Apply the medium shade to the apples of your cheeks and sweep upwards towards the hairline.

3. For a youthful glow, highlight the tops of your cheeks with the lightest shade.

I use Peach Perfection (210). The other palettes available are: Purely Plum (220), Refined Rose (230), and Sophisticated Sable (240).

***from www.covergirl.com***

They are sold at Walgreens for $5.99; prices vary from store to store.

What's your favorite Spring blush? Any recommendations? :D

I wish you all a good rest of the week! :)

P.S. Here is a link to my previous post:

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Review

:D

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Review

Happy Saturday! :D

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Have you all recovered from the excitement of Royal Wedding Friday?

But, of course, there are other things going on in the world besides that... I also want to send my thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the devastating tornado in Alabama. I know there are many things we can all do to help the victims recover from their loss.

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For today, I want to share with you guys my new favorite red lipstick.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in True Red

- Instant burst of rich, true color with a featherlight feel

- Elasticolor technology provides immediate color release and hugs lips with a burst of weightless color that feels like a second skin

- Available in 20 gorgeous shades, with 5 new shades!

Expert tips: Apply directly to lips for beautiful, high impact color. Can be worn with or without lipliner.

***from www.revlon.com***

This is my new favorite red lipstick because the color is absolutely beautiful! And it's long lasting - when I wore it, I ate lunch and I drank soda, and the color was still there - I just had to retouch, of course. You can use a lipliner if you want, but if you don't have one, it's okay.

I also love the look of the lipstick itself - it's very sleek. I love the "quilted" look, and it's really helpful that you can see which color it is from the cap - no need to turn it over to read which one it is, no need to open each lipstick. :)

You can wear lip gloss in a similar shade with it if you want, but if not, it's also okay because it already has quite a glossy finish.

Another good thing about this is it's very affordable. At Ulta, they are sold for $8.99. They are probably even cheaper if you buy them at your favorite drugstore, like CVS, Walgreens, or Rite Aid.

I really have nothing negative to say about this because you get a high quality lipstick for a low price, and I think that's amazing!

True Red

The description from their website says there are 20 colors, but there's really 21:

icy nude, petal, pink sugar, candy pink, cherry ice, lilac, mauve, plum, baby pink, carnation, fucshia, soft rose, raspberry, hazelnut, chocolate, rosy nude, soft nude, peach, coral, true red, and crimson

So many beautiful colors to choose from! I definitely want to get other shades! :D

Have you tried Revlon ColorBurst? Which shade did you get, and what do you think of it?

Is it something you might want to try?

Here are links to some of my previous posts:

Say It With Flowers: Mother's Day Gift Idea (and Royal Wedding!)Royal Wedding Magazine Scans
Almay Intense i-Color Smoky i-Kit

I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend! :D

Almay Intense i-color Smoky i-kit: Old vs. New

Happy Tuesday! :D

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! :)

As for me, I had a good break... but, now it's so hard to get back into my normal school routine. I also have some books I want to read (like Hunger Games!), but I probably won't have enough time to do that. :/ But I am determined to make time! Haha. ;)

Do you guys remember when I shared with you my new Almay products? I was going through my makeup kit, when I saw some older Almay eyeshadow trio kits from my Mom. I didn't know I already had some Almay products! :O

Another thing... one of them is an older version of my new one!




new one on the left, old one on the right


Here is the older packaging up-close:




And I swatched it for you guys:





Almay Intense i-color Smoky i-kit




- 1, 2, 3 easy application intensifies your unique eye color
- mistake proof smoky-i look intensifies your eye color
- wears all day
- crease resistant
- paraben-free, talc-free
- hypoallergenic; opthalmologist tested

***from www.almay.com***

I am not a big eyeshadow person, mainly because I have yet to perfect putting it on. ;)

The thing I love about this kit is that it shows you where to put the three colors -- something that definitely helps me! Just follow the order of the colors, blend them all together, and voila, you're done! Basically, you can't go wrong with this.

If like me, you're still practicing your eyeshadow skills, this is a really good product to try.

And again, if like me, you have sensitive eyes, this product is gentle and hypoallergenic.

You should definitely put primer on because the colors can be really light at first try. And the longest I wore this eyeshadow is about three hours, so I can't really say for sure if it lasts all day -- I will definitely update you guys when I do get to wear them for one whole day. :)

The colors look exactly alike, huh?
I actually checked to see if they're the same picture, but they're not. ;)

I tried to research what the difference is, but I couldn't find any legitimate reasons. One thing I noticed is that the new one is more sparkly than the older version, and of course, the packaging is cuter. ;) And maybe it also has something to do with the new one being hypoallergenic?

Anyways, if you're thinking of giving this product a try, they have other colors besides the one I have (which is smoky-i for browns):

smoky-i for hazels, smoky-i for blues, and smoky-i for greens

What color are your eyes?

At Walgreens, it is $7.49. The price may vary. :)

Have you tried Almay's Intense i-color Smoky-i kit? What do you think of it?

Is it something you would like to try?

Have a great week! :D

P.S. I just want to say thanks to Sia @RosemarieRocks and Cheryl @OhToBeAMuse! I won their respective giveaways. :D

Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara Review

Happy Monday/ Tuesday!!! :D

I hope you guys had a good start to your week.

I had a pretty relaxing day -- almost done reading Mini Shopaholic. I also borrowed an Emily Giffin book, I'm very excited to read it.

Oh, and guess what?! It was gloomy and cold today! Crazy weather. I guess I should wait a little while before keeping my Winter clothes. How's the weather where you are?

For today's post, I just wanted to share with you guys how my Almay mascara worked out for me. :)

Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara

New Almay® one coat get up & grow™ mascara is formulated to instantly lengthen the look of lashes while strengthening to help defend against future breakage, so your lashes can continue to grow to their longest, shiniest best.

• instantly longer looking lashes
• anti-breakage pro-vitamin formula defends against damage so lashes continue to grow their longest
• unique brush shape fits eye contours perfectly to reach every last lash
• clump free, all day wear
• ophthalmologist tested
• suitable for contact lens wearers

***from www.almay.com***

This mascara is a good one - very good quality and really gentle on the eyes. It lengthens and defines the eyelashes well.

I don't use it everyday, so I really can't say for sure if it helps in the growth of eyelashes. However, according to Almay's website, "98% of women saw healthy, longer lashes in 30 days".

If you have sensitive eyes, wear contact lenses, would love to make your lashes grow, or just simply would love to try out a new mascara, then I think this is worth a try.

The price is around $8.49 -- pretty reasonable for a mascara, don't you think?

the wand

While this is a good mascara, I wouldn't say it's the best. I think there are more mascaras out there that I should try until I find one that I will really love. But, it definitely is a mascara that I can probably always come back to, and know that it will work well.

Here are other mascaras that are worth a try, depends on what you're looking for:

The Get Up & Grow mascara is mentioned above! ;)

Have you tried Almay's One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara? Is it something you would want to try? Any mascara recommendations?

Have a fantastic week! :D

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Concealer Review

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Right now, I am using the new editor, and I am loving it... why did I wait this long?!

Two days ago, I shared with you guys my thoughts on Almay's hydrating makeup. For today, I will be reviewing my

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Concealer

This breakthrough concealer matches your skin tone and fights signs of aging.

4 out of 5 women saw an instant reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This lightweight formula moisturizes and smooths skin around the delicate eye area. Medium coverage helps to conceal minor imperfections and dark circles under eyes. SPF 20 protects.
***from www.almay.com***

I cannot really say for sure that it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, but I can tell you that it definitely makes the eye area smoother.

It works like any other concealer, but what I love about this is its consistency. It blends in well, and covers blemishes and dark spots well too.

I suggest really checking to see which shade matches your skin color because I was in a hurry so I just grabbed the concealer that was there (big mistake!). I got it in light, and it's just too light for my skin tone, especially in the eye area. So now what I do is put a little bit of it on top of my MAC concealer, and it works out okay. For the rest of my face though, this concealer by itself is fine.

I just wish there were more shades available. They only have three:

Light

Light Medium

Medium

Besides just having only three shades, I don't have any other complains. It's around $7, so if it doesn't work out for you or you end up not liking it, it really won't hurt your budget too much.

Have you tried using this concealer? Is it something you might want to try?

:D

Almay Wake Up Hydrating Makeup Review

Happy Tuesday! :)

So, yesterday I said that I will be reviewing one of my Almay products today, and I chose to start with

Almay Wake Up Hydrating Makeup

Almay has taken mineral foundation to the next level using an innovative process that infuses encapsulated water in a luxurious loose powder. The result is instantly glowing, hydrated skin with an amazing cooling sensation.

Professional makeup artist inspired foundation brush fits perfectly in the cap for easy storage and mess-free travel.

• mineral loose powder foundation provides flawless coverage

• encapsulated water delivers instant cooling hydration

• formula with cucumber, minerals, aloe vera and green tea extracts refresh and give skin a smooth appearance

• SPF 13 helps protect against damaging UVA and UVB rays

• provides light to medium coverage

• soft luminous finish • hypoallergenic • dermatologist tested

•oil-free, free of talc and added parabens

Application Tips:

1. Slide brush out of cap and extend to lock brush handle into place.
2. Swirl brush into powder and tap off excess.
3. Blend powder evenly all over face in short, sweeping strokes for a natural luminous complexion.
4. Slide brush back into cap and close the lid tightly after each use.

***from www.almay.com***

(Their website is awesome - sooo organized!)

First thing I'm going to say: I love it!

Everything said above are all true (maybe except the brush... we'll get to that later).

This is an amazing product! Normally, I am happy with the products I use, but I don't think I ever really rave about a lot of them. So, this is a rave. ;)

I love how you can really feel the water in the powder - the first time I used it, I had to check to make sure my face wasn't wet, haha! It's cooling - perfect for warm summer days. And it has SPF 13!

It gives my face a smooth finish. When I first started using this, I had little dark bumps on my face - they were covered - not totally, but they were covered.

It's very light, not heavy on my face at all. Not greasy. Basically, everything said above.

Now, the brush...

I actually really do like the shape and quality of the brush itself. The only part I had a problem with was the lock when you slide it up. A couple of times while applying the powder onto my face, the brush would slide back down. Maybe it was just the brush I got, or maybe not. If you use this, have you encountered that problem?

Price... At Target, it's $11.79. At Ulta, it's $12.99.

I'm not sure what the regular prices are for this kind of powder, but I think those are pretty reasonable. What do you think?

Have you used this? What do you think of it? How did it work for you?

Is it something you would want to try?

***I might be getting the Revlon ColorStay Aqua Mineral Makeup, which is the same as this, so I will be doing a comparison between the two in the future.*** :D

Have a great rest of the week! :)