Nars Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Review, Photos and Swatches!

Nars Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Nars Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24) is a vivid coral pink (described on Sephora as pink cantaloupe) lipstick pencil with a matte finish.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils combine the convenience of a pencil with the application of a lipstick in a jumbo-sized crayon design. These pigment-rich sticks provide a matte, creamy finish enriched with emollients, vitamin E, and silicone.

After seeing Bolero featured on Temptalia, I knew it would be a shade I was going to love. Although, it did look super dry on her lips.

I'm not sure if the formula differs shade to shade, but Boleo is pretty drying, as are most matte finish lipsticks. To keep my lips from drying out, I'll apply a layer of lip balm on my lips prior to application of the lip pencil and it keeps my lips from drying out and the lip pencil from looking uneven.

My favorite way of wearing Bolero, is with a warm lip liner (such as MAC Stripdown, Hover, Spice, etc) and clear gloss on top. It also looks great when mixed with a baby pink lipstick/gloss.

The color seemed all too familiar, and when I swatched it next to some of my other favorties.. well, I realized why I liked it so much in the first place. Haha! It resembles Illamasqua Obey the most, just with a touch more pink. It's a color that I find very flattering on my skintone, as it really brightens up my face.

Swatches from left to right: YSL #26 Tender Peach Rouge Volupte Lipstick, MAC Everhip Lipstick, Illamasqua Obey Lipstick and Nars Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil.

If the pencil wasn't so drying, it would probably be one of my favorite lip products. But, because I have to prime my lips, it is a little inconvenient when applied on the go, or for touch-ups. Still, I really like it and I'm happy with it!

Have you tried any of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils? What did you think?

MAC Freckletone Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Freckletone Lipstick

MAC Freckletone Lipstick ($14.50) is a warm, sheer, nude peach with a shiny finish. It's a lustre formula, so if you're familiar with the MAC lustre family - it's smooth, creamy and feels great on the lips. I usually have to layer a lipgloss over most of my lipsticks because I love shine, but I don't need anything extra over Freckletone. The pigmentation is sheer, but buildable to medium coverage. It never quite reaches full coverage, but it can get two-thirds it's way there.

Freckletone was one of my first MAC lipstick purchases, and I've used it off and on for years. It's one of my favorites to wear when I'm tan (MAC NC30-NC40 range). It doesn't seem to look right on me when I'm lighter. When I'm around NC15-20, it looks a bit orange/brown on my lips. I think it's best geared toward medium to tan skin tones. I love pairing it with an equally warm lip liner, such as MAC Spice or Stripdown Lip Liner. It also looks great paired with warm-toned blush and earthy-toned eyeshadows.

MAC Freckletone on my lips

Review: E.L.F. Studio Kabuki Face & Body Brush!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: This anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this brush! Our handy and easy to use Kabuki Brushes provide a light to full coverage on your face or body to ensure a flawless finish. The compact brush is perfectly sized to allow for precise and controlled application of bronzer, powder, or a highlighter on your skin.

Both Brushes are from E.L.F's Studio Collection and cost $5 for the face brush and $8 for the body brush.

The Kabuki Face Brush stands a tiny bit over 2 1/4 inches and the diameter of the base is slightly larger than a quarter. It's perfectly compact and fits comfortably in the hands for controlled application. The bristles are very soft, but not too soft where they aren't effective. Compared to the Mineral Brushes reviewed a few days ago which were  extremely soft, shiny, and almost plastic-like. The kabuki is surprisingly pretty dense, so it will work well for application of powders. Also, the top is nicely domed, like the MAC 181 (I don't own the 181 though to compare). I love this brush and can't stop rubbing it on my face! For $5 I highly recommend this brush. Great Value.

The Kabuki Body Brush is reminiscent of the Face brush. The base is exactly the same, but it stands at about a 1/2 inch taller than the face brush. The bristles are the same, very soft and dreamy on the skin. Compared to the face brush, it's not as full, domed or dense. I was a little disappointed that it's not very dense, but it would still make a good brush for setting powder or for adding a highlight or bronzer to your neck and chest. The denseness was kind of like the make it or break it for me, therefore I'm not too crazy about this brush. But I will definitely be using it. 

Overall, I'm pretty happy with these kabuki's. Especially the Face Brush. I can totally see it climbing up my favorites list for setting powder! 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Sorry to bore you with all of these E.L.F. reviews. I'll mix it up a little better this upcoming week. ;)

E.L.F. Brush Holder!

E.L.F. Studio Small Brush Holder

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The stylish and sleek makeup compartment holds your brushes, makeup pencils, tools and more. The professional storage holder keeps everything organized for quick use. The luxurious material is easy to clean and durable for storing on countertops or in cabinets.

Dimensions: 3"L x 3"W x 4"H

Lately I've been really trying to make my cosmetic organization a little more functional. I have a three compartment brush holder currently, which I have my eye brushes, pencil liners and lip liners. Then, I have a separate holder where I have all of my face brushes. It is a little crowded, so I figured I could use another holder. I keep getting requests to post my makeup organization, so I should be posting that within the next couple of weeks.. so you'll see how I have it organized.

On the E.L.F. website, there are two holders to choose from. A small, one compartment holder and a large, three compartment holder. The large brush holder is exactly 3 times the length of the small holder, so it's basically three of the small brush holders put together. You would think that the large one would be a better value, but it's exactly three times the price. So, it really doesn't matter whether you purchase three of the small or one large. It's your preference.

I honestly can't tell if this thing is wooden or plastic. It may be wood with a shiny laminate on the inside. Who knows. What's great though is that the exterior of the holder is the same rubberized material that's on the NARS packaging. It may be a pain because it dirties easily if your hands aren't clean, but it's great because the material allows the holder to stay in place, so it won't easily knock over.

(**The best way to clean NARS packaging, and this holder when it gets dirty is put a little baby oil on a cotton ball and wipe the surface. Then wipe dry with a paper towel. It will remove every fingerprint/makeup stains very easy)

I wished the holder was a little bit bigger. It is pretty small, but it does hold a good number of thin handled brushes. Below is a comparison to Sigma's Brush Holder. I barely even use the Sigma one because it doesn't hold much. The opening is a pretty narrow oval. Good for traveling and to keep dust out of your brushes because it had a lid, but not so good if you have lots of brushes.

The price isn't too bad, but I think $15 for the large one is too expensive. If you're planning on purchasing one, wait till there is a sale. E.L.F. has 50% the Studio line pretty often.

How do you store your brushes?