NOTD: Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in #130 Candy!

Two (2) coats of Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in the shade Candy. One (1) coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

Lighting: Indoors, sunlight (no flash) for both photos. The pink is slightly deeper with indoor lighting.

As you may have noticed, I've been posting a lot of NOTD's lately. Or at least, more than usual.. Whenever I have new polishes, I get too excited to try them out. The first little chip I see, off my nail polish goes and onto my next!

I purchased this nail polish from CVS, along with my other Revlon polish I posted about (Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in #325 Gum Drop) last week. I've actually been eyeballing this shade since Revlon came out with the "Top Speed" line. I thought it would be a perfect Summer and Spring pink.

Candy #130, is a medium toned (creme) pink. I would call it a "Flamingo" pink, as it's somewhat warm. You could also say it's a Pepto-Bismol pink. (yum!) I was actually slightly disappointed with the color because in the bottle, it looks like a pastel, vibrant bubblegum pink. On the nails, it applies a little darker, but still vibrant. Nevertheless, it is still a lovely color and looks great on my skin tone.

♥ (Photo Credit: http://www.gloriadeistpaul.org)

The formula is okay. The consistency is fine - easy to work with, but I find that it can look slightly streaky. With two coats, my nails were pretty much opaque, but my nail line is still slightly visible under the polish as a dark shadow. If you don't mind that, than two coats are great. Otherwise, you may want to apply three to avoid that as well as any streaks. The polish dries fairly quick, with a glossy finish. A top coat is necessary to avoid any dents, etc. 

This is one of those nail polishes that looks like shiny plastic/rubber on your nails, that you can peel off in one piece if you picked at it. I'm really hoping it's not one of those... I already have a chip on one nail and I only painted my nails early this morning. I did wash a ton of dishes though, which was most likely the cause. I'll update this post in a few days & let you know how well it wears.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in the shade Pink Sugar + Photos & Swatches!

 Revlon Pink Sugar Lipstick

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in the shade Pink Sugar is a sheer, light pink with silver/golden flecks of glitter. The lipstick has a yellow undertone, which is what drew me to purchase it. In the tube, it reminds me a bit of MAC Hue - but a little bit lighter. Swatched next to each other, they are quite different. While Hue is a true "bubble gum" pink, Pink Sugar is more of a "cotton candy" pink - like Nars Turkish Delight.

The biggest disappointment with this lipstick is the pigmentation. It is incredibly sheer, and no matter how many times you swipe it across your lips, it will never look like the color you see when you look at the tube. Also, this lipstick has a lot of glitter, so it feels a little gritty on your lips - which is not something I'm very crazy about. When it's on my lips, I don't find the glitter to be very noticeable. You definitely have to moisturize your lips prior to application because the very light pigment can settle into dry cracks and accentuate your dryness. It has a "glaze" finish, which I really like.

I think this lipstick is best suited for lighter skin tones. It would be a great sheer, nude for those with little pigment in their lips. This may not be the best lipstick for very pigmented lips, as it may wash you out & make your lips appear slightly gray or purple. If you like MAC Underage lipglass, you may like this. I find them to be similar in depth. Underage is a color that really didn't suit my NC40 skin tone, as it made my lips appear gray in color. So after testing it once, I gave it away. This lipstick looks the best on me when I have little to no self tanner on.

Here it is applied heavily to my lips.

I purchased this lipstick from CVS for $6.49, and received $4 in extrabucks. So, it was basically like I paid $2.49.

Have you tried this shade? What did you think of it?

NOTD: Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in #325 Gum Drop!

Three (3) Coats of Revlon Gum Drop (no top coat)

I have never really been one to buy in to scented nail polishes. I guess it's kind of a fun concept, but every scented nail polish I have ever owned had the same exact scent. That sort of - fruity, candy smell which gets a little annoying after 5 minutes.

(random story) I remember purchasing Bonne Belle nail polishes when I was in Elementary school. I actually remember when I was 5th grade I was painting my nails with a gold glitter Bonne Belle scented nail polish (that smelled like Pinneapple) during Art class while our teacher was giving us instructions. Everyone was surrounding the teacher at a table, while I was all the way in the back knealed down with my little nail polish. I suppose because it was scented, the smell drifted through the air and the teacher got up right away & questioned what the smell was. Well, he caught me red handed and I was punished by sitting in the hallway for the rest of the period. I remember him being completely mind boggled and telling me "In all of my years of teaching... no one has ever painted their nails during my class". Haha! That's my little fun memory I think of when I see scented nail polish.

Anyway, while I was at CVS - I spotted a sale sign for all of Revlon's Nail Polishes. The price is $3.99 for a bottle, and you get $3 extra bucks at checkout. Meaning, at checkout you pay $3.99 but a $3 off coupon will print on your receipt that you can use on your next purchase on anything in the store. So in the end, it's like paying 99 cents for the bottle of nail polish. Sweet deal. 

I decided on Gum Drop, which is a pastel purple perfect for the Spring. I've never really been "keen" on purple nail polishes, but there's something about these light, pastel lilac colors that I love. The formula is fine. It's very sheer, so It was necessary for me to apply 3 coats. I never apply 3 coats of nail polish, but I had to with this one. It didn't take forever for my nails to dry, which I was worried about and by the 3rd coat, I had no streaks & no nicks.

I really like this polish & will be using it again soon!

NOTD: Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in #120 Cupid! My New Fav!!!

 You might be familiar with the all new Revlon "Top Speed" Nail Polishes that launched in 2011. These polishes are said to have a built-in top coat that will deliver "salon quality" nails with a smooth finish - that sets in only 60 seconds. There are 32 colors to choose from. There are lots of trendy colors that it was a little difficult to choose one, but I ended up choosing to purchase #120 Cupid. It seemed like a pretty purple toned pink - that's somewhat pastel.. but not TOO pastel for my skin tone.

I was surprised to see that the polish appears more purple toned than pink. It's like a pinked lilac. Also, the color is very vibrant.. so it will be a perfect spring and summer shade! I think it's a shade that flatters all skin tones and would look great on the toes and when you're sporting a tan. It's definitely one of those shades that makes your hands appear more tan and less dull. I absolutely love this color and I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing this all through the year! Also, the formula is excellent. It's very creamy and applies pretty opaque with one coat.. but 100% opaque with two coats. It does indeed dry in 60 seconds, as I applied my 2nd coat exactly a minute later and they were dry to the touch. And what I love most of all is that it has a high gloss finish. 

I'm just hoping this isn't one of those shiny polishes that will peel off in once piece after a couple of days! I'll update this post to let you know how it wears later in the week!

This is with 2 coats. (No base or top coat)

Review: Revlon Colorstay Makeup with Softflex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily! + FOTD!

Revlon Colorstay Makeup with Softflex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily in Warm Golden

Hey guys! I purchased Revlon Colorstay Foundation last month while it was on sale at my local drugstore for 40% along with L'Oreal True Match Foundation. This is actually the third or fourth time I have purchased this foundation. Each time I have purchased a different color and wasn't happy with any of the shades. So basically, I gave up on Colorstay due to the color selection. But, I was determined to find a decent match.. which is why I decided to yet again give it a try. It has great ratings and I've seen so many gorgeous faces in the makeup community use this foundation and love it. Many claim that it's the best drugstore foundation. With such positive feedback.. I was very eager to try it for myself.

I did a little research, and found that for MAC NC35-37, "Golden Beige 300" and "Warm Golden 310" were the best matches. One up, "True Beige 320" is too pink and is better suited for NW30.. and the next up from True Beige is "Natural Tan 330" and is best for NC40.

I did a few hand swatches and liked the way "Warm Golden" looked the best.. so that's what I purchased.

I did a few swatches of "Warm Golden" next to MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 and NC40. Unfortunately, I didn't have NC35 or NC37 on hand. You can very visibly see that the MAC foundations are much more golden.. where Revlon is slightly more neutral/beige. It may be difficult to distinguish because the undertones don't match.. but Warm Golden is darker than NC30 and would fall in the NC35-37 range.

When I really like a foundation, I know right away. And usually, I'll review it fairly quick. This foundation took a while to grow on me. I applied it in several different ways. I applied it to a dry face, moisturized/primed face.. with a standard foundation brush, duo-fiber brush, fluffy synthetic brush and with my fingers. And I found that the best way for me to apply this foundation for the best result is, by first moisturizing my face prior to application and using my MAC 131 (smaller version of the 187 skunk brush), dampened with water to stipple it all over my face until blended. Applied to a dry face, this foundation looked terrible on me. But, this foundation is meant for combination to oily skin.. so it should be perfect for those with oily skin. I have pretty normal skin.. but I would also call it combination.. because I tend to get an oily t-zone (but not overly oily).. so thats why it applies better with some moisture on my face. 

The foundation itself is creamy.. but a little heavy. If you find it to be too thick, heavy or cakey.. I recommend mixing it with a couple drops of your facial moisturizer or a tinted moisturizer. I tried this with MAC Face & Body and had great results (But my F&B is a little dark for me right now.. so I didn't post a photo).

Even though the undertone doesn't have that much yellow - it works perfectly fine for me right now since my coloring is a bit lighter than usual.

The coverage is pretty good. It's a medium coverage that is buildable for a heavier coverage. I prefer the way it looks when it is sheered out a bit with a moisturizer or thinner foundation. I find myself using this pretty often in conjunction with lighter foundations to over areas that need extra coverage.

It claims to last for 16 hours, which I think is a bit of a stretch. MAC Studio Fix Fluid definitely lasts longer on my skin than this foundation. This foundation can probably get me through a full work day.. but I don't agree that it will look flawless until I take it off at night. For me, after some hours (maybe 6?) it starts to fade and areas that were once concealed aren't very well concealed any more. What I really like is that it keeps my face matte.. and I have no signs of oil on my forehead or nose. So, again.. a great foundation for those with oily/combination skin. 

I prefer setting it with a setting powder, as it made my face feel a little wet? tacky? after application. 

Overall, I do think it's a nice foundation and in terms of coverage.. probably has the most out of any drugstore foundation I've used. Also, I love the fact that it keeps my skin matte. My only complaints are that I'm not really fond of the chemical smell (yuck), there is no pump (my bottle is looking a little messy), I don't like the way it fades after hours and I wish there were more golden/yellow shades.

Here's me wearing it... (excuse my pjs)

FACE:

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NW25

Maybelline FIT ME Concealer #20

Revlon Colorstay Foundation #310 Warm Golden

Rimmel Stay Matte Transparent Powder (to set the foundation)

NARS Madly Blush

Benfit Hoola Bronzer (just a tiny bit in the hollows of my cheeks)

MAC New Vegas Mineralized Skinfinish (LE) (highlight the top of my cheek bones)

BROWS:

Ardell Medium Brown Brow Powder

MAC Girl Boy Brow Set

EYES:

MAC Point Black Liquidlast Liner

MAC Gilt By Association Mineralized Eyeshadow (LE) (smudged under eyes)

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

LIPS:

MAC Stripdown Lip Liner

MAC Pink Fish Lip Conditioner (LE)

OCC Cha Cha Lip Tar (tiny bit)

Revlon Life's a Peach Lipgloss (LE)

*(LE) = Limited Edition shade.

Grab Revlon's Life's a Peach Lipgloss before it's gone!!!

While I was at Big Lots this weekend (It's a closeout store). I noticed they had my FAVORITE LIP GLOSS!! Okay, one of my top 5 favorites. It's Revlon's Super Lustrous Lip gloss in the shade "Life's a Peach". I haven't seen it at all in months at the stores and I was just hoping that I was just having bad luck. But I suppose that it was only a limited edition shade.. and is now being distributed to discount stores. If you loved this shade too, be sure to check out the dollar stores near you!!

Revlon Just Enough Buff & Smoked Peach + Wet n Wild Pink Suga Lipstick Swatches!

While I was running a quick errand last night at CVS, I took a quick stroll though the cosmetic aisle. I saw that Revlon had a new display with a bunch of new colors and right away I picked up the lipstick with the name "Smoked Peach #013". If you all don't know me by now, I love my peaches and corals :) Anyways, Revlon was buy 1 get one 50% off so I picked up "Just Enough Buff # 613". I think Just Enough Buff is a common lipstick that many people own, like Revlon Nude Attitude... but it never really appealed to me till last night. Also, I've been meaning to do a contouring tutorial which involves a very dark shade of foundation and a very light. Somehow, I lost the light concealer stick I was using before.. so I went over to Wet n Wild and grabbed a couple of concealers in the shades "Light" & "Light Medium". I also ended up getting one of their lipsticks I haven't seen before (It says new shade anyway..) called "Pink Suga #900B".








(Sorry for the not so great swatches..)

Wet n Wild Pink Suga - I don't think the name pink sugar properly suits this lipstick. I didn't find it to be very pink as I found it to be muted, warm peach. It is very pigmented & you only need a couple of swipes for full coverage. It has a matte finish. I could see it drying out my lips, so I would recommend a lip gloss in addition to the lipstick or a lip balm. If you love peaches, I'm sure you'll love this color.

Revlon Just Enough Buff - This lipstick is a little on the sheer side but you can build more coverage with more swipes. It applies smoothly.. kind of like a MAC Lustre and dries to a semi-shiny satin. The color is beautiful. It's a warm, peach pink with bright pink luster. It almost remind me of my HG MAC Shygirl. I'm sure I'll be wearing this lipstick very often. I found the formula to be somewhat dry and will most likely be using a gloss with it.

Revlon Smoked Peach - Wow this is a bright lipstick. haha It's a bright, warm pinkish coral. It is very pigmented and has a matte finish. This lipstick reminds me of a cross between MAC Vegas Volt and MAC Morange. I really like this color.. but I'm sure I'll only be wearing it once in a while. I'm not very daring with bright lipsticks ;)

I haven't tried the concealers yet, but just keep in mind.. they look much darker in the tube than they did on my skin. Light is slightly warmer than Light-medium.. both colors look almost identical.

Do you own any of these colors? What are your thoughts?

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen Review, Photos and Swatches!

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen is a liquid liner pen with a precision brush that can be used to draw thick or thin lines.

Eyeko says: For fool proof eyeliner dot across the upper lid as close to the lashes as possible then simply join the dots! Wing it, flick it, have fun with it! Team with lashings of Eyeko Magic Mascara for a flirtatious flutter! 

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen is smudge-proof, fade-proof and long lasting!

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen is available in four (4) shades: Jet Black, Navy Blue, Brown and Purple.

This is a great liner pen in comparison to many I've tried.. such as ELF, Styli-Style, Milani & more. The pointed felt tip is very sturdy and doesn't bend or lose its shape during application. It's very simple to apply and (for me) the point makes it easy to create a precision line. It lasts all day with minor fading by night near the tear ducts of my eye. It's pretty budge proof. If you've made a mistake, it's best to fix it right away before it dries, with a wet q-tip. Once it's dry.. you'll need makeup remover. Yay for long lasting! Also, It doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. Overall, I think it's a great product. The only con I can think of is, I wish the applicator was a little more soaked in product. I find it to be slightly dry.

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation Review, Photos & Swatches!

 Revlon Photoready Makeup

There has been a huge hype about the new Revlon Photo Ready Foundation lately. A lot of people have compared it to Make Up Forever HD Foundation because its good photographing capabilities. Revlon Photoready Foundation claims to look airbrushed in any lighting, with light reflecting pigments to erase all of your flaws. It's also said to provide complete coverage, yet with a natural finish.

Revlon Photoready Foundation is available in twelve (12) shades:  Ivory, Vanilla, Shell, Nude, Natural Beige, Medium Beige, Cool Beige, Golden Beige, Rich Ginger, Caramel, Cappuccino and Mocha. 

I was pretty torn between choosing #006 Medium Beige or #008 Golden Beige. Before going to the store, I had it in my head that I was going to purchase Golden Beige. But, when I actually looked at the bottles, Medium Beige looked darker and more yellow. Golden Beige looked more neutral and beige. So, I ended up choosing #006 Medium Beige. It's a good color match for my MAC NC40 skin tone. I'm sure it can match MAC NC35-37 coloring as well. 

Revlon Photoready Makeup in Medium Beige 

(You can see the shimmer in the bottle)

The consistency is very light and creamy. It's a bit runny, so it spreads across the skin very well without a primer, and I rarely ever have to go back for additional product after buffing the foundation into my skin.

The coverage is a good medium that is buildable. It hides the majority of my flaws, evens out my complexion and makes my face glowy and airbrushed. It dries to a semi-matte that isn't at all dull.

 Swatch of Revlon Photoready Makeup in Medium Beige

As for the "light reflecting pigments" AKA shimmer particles, the reviews for this aspect of the foundation are pretty mixed. I;m sure it depends a lot on your coloring and skin type whether or not it's going to show. Many people said its overly shimmery, and others said they didn't notice any shimmer whatsoever. When I swatched the color on my wrist and really blended it into my skin, I can visibly see lots of shimmer. More shimmer than I've ever seen in a foundation. Once applied to my face, I didn't any shimmer unless I'm looking at my face close-up in the sunlight, or hours later when my foundation starts to get a little shiny and fade, the shimmer appears. I don't think I mind it too much, but I think sometimes shimmer can work against you if you apply too much, and I think there is just too much in this foundation. I think if Revlon cut out half of the shimmer, It'd be a much better foundation.

The lasting power is good. It lasts me a full day with minor fading. I do get shiny after a few hours, but it's no oil slick, so I'll just make sure to dust my face with a little setting powder. One thing I've noticed is that after a few hours, the foundation looks darker on my face than when it was first applied. I'm not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but it continuously happens with me, so I think if I do re-purchase this foundation, I may re-purchase it in a lighter shade, for when I'm less tan.

It's pretty good for a drugstore foundation. Right now I'm going to give it a 4 out of 5. I will keep you updated with what I think about this! I'm going to wear it for a few more days. I purchased this foundation at ULTA for $13.99.

Here's me at work today wearing Revlon PhotoReady

Update: I love the way this foundation looks when it's first applied, but I don't love the way my face looks a few hours later. I find that the color oxidizes a little bit and in the daylight, my face looks orange. This foundation has great coverage and a pretty finish, but it's not HG material for me mostly due to the oxidation. I will probably finish up the bottle, but I'm unsure if I'd re-purchase it. I wouldn't say this is a must-have and I wouldn't say it's a bad foundation. If you find this foundation for a very good price.. try it out for yourself! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Revlon Lip Glosses

Revlon is probably one of the few drugstore brands of makeup I'd actually buy. So when my Local Drugstore (Jewel/Osco) had Revlon Mineral Lip glaze on sale for 50% off, I bought a back up (Unlimited Nectar) and two other shades. And, Walgreen's had all Revlon Beyond Natural Cream Lip gloss on Clearance for around $3 each, as well as Revlon Colorstay Lipstick in "Smooth Nude" (which happens to be another favorite of mine) Revlon Lip gloss in Life's a Peach was on sale for $4.99. So yay! Lots of goodies.

 From Left to Right: Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze "Neverending Nude 505", Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze "Everlasting Blush 515", Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze "Unlimited Nectar 520", Revlon Super Lusturous Lipgloss "Life's a Peach 110", Revlon Beyond Natural Cream Lipgloss "Peach 110" and Revlon Colorstay Lip Color "Smooth Nude 350".

"Neverending Nude" with MAC Stripdown Lip Liner

Revlon Mineral Lipglaze: I've said it before, I absolutely LOVE these. "Unlimited Nectar" is the shade I wear just about every day. I love it because it's not sticky on my lips, the color doesn't flake off and it doesn't make my lips peel. It's very moisturizing and it lasts for HOURS. It leaves yours lips with a slight shine without looking "flat" like many lasting lip colors do. Its definitely a lip gloss that is good for when you're somewhere where you can't keep pulling out your lip gloss to reapply. Neverending Nude is a creamy light mauve, Everlasting Blush is a frosted pink and unlimited nectar is a creamy beigey peach. I'm very happy with all three.

Revlon Super Lusturous Lipgloss: "Life's a Peach" is one of my favorite lip glosses. I love wearing it with any nude color to add shine and a hint of peach with a pink pearl. It really makes my lip color "POP". It is also non sticky and moisturizing on my lips.

Revlon Beyond Natural Cream Lipgloss: I love the color of "Peach" it is a very vibrant peach and really suits my skin tone. The formula is a little thick, and if you apply too much you will end up with gooey feeling lips. But with a thin coat, it makes your lips feel really smooth and no stickyness what so ever. I really like this and would repurchase if it was the clearance price. I probably wouldn't repurchase for the regular price.

Revlon Colorstay Lip Color: This is a back up. I mentioned this in previous posts, but I'll do a quick overview. This is one of my few favorite drugstore lipsticks. It's a nude coral/light pink/mauve with a pink pearl. It is similar to the much talked about "Nude Attitude" but it is a little more sheer. It goes on extremely smooth and glossy and will dry to a semi matte. I love how this looks when I apply a little concealer to my lips prior application.

If you like peachy pinks, I would recommend all of these!

Revlon Nude Attitude + Swatch Comparisons!

At CVS Pharmacy, Revlon is buy one get one free! So I finally decided to buy the matte lipstick in Nude Attitude. I've been wanting to buy this for quite some time. Matte lipsticks typically don't flatter me.. they have a tendency to make me look washed out or make my lips look gray. Surprisingly, this lipstick doesn't do that for me. Its a very pigmented, matte nude beige/peach with slight pink sheen (that's not really noticeable.. but you can see it by looking closely).

Lighting: Sunlight, no flash.

Here's a swatch comparison. This is with several nude MAC lipsticks.. and then my NYX nude lipsticks. Sorry, my swatches aren't that great.

Lighting: Outdoors (In the sunlight), no flash.

Lighting: Indoors, no flash.

Here it is compared to a few of my NYX lipsticks..