Amazing & Inexpensive - Essence Silky Touch Blush - Secret It-Girl - Review & Swatch

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Essence Silky Touch Blush in Secret It-Girl

Color: 
Peach w/slight gold shimmer. Price: $2.99 US (ULTA) 
*CRUELTY FREE PRODUCT*

Pros: 
-Extremely inexpensive
-Very high color payoff
-Decent staying power
-Color is flattering for all skin-tones

Cons: 
-Packaging breaks easily
-A lot of fallout when swirling your brush in the product
-Slight (very slight) chalkiness

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Indoor Lighting

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Outdoor Lighting

Overall: I have to say that this blush is a winner - especially for the price! I have mentioned in a previous post that I have had very bad luck with drugstore blushes (except NYX) and this one was definitely an exception to the rule. In good conscience I can not say that it compares to department store quality but I have paid a lot more for way worse. 

Give it a try and let me know how you like it! 

NYX Powder Blushes - Swatches - 40% Sale Info!

Below are photos of my NYX blushes which I find to be very good quality for anyone who is on a budget. I love the variety of shades and textures they have to offer.

Out of the bunch my two favorites are Pinched and Cinnamon which remind me a bit of Benefit Coralista and Nars Gilda. My least favorite is Blush which isn't very pigmented and just does nothing for me.

They retail for $5.99 at Ulta and right now cherryculture.com is having a huge 40% off sale on all NYX products.

I apologize in advance for the lousy swatches.....the lighting was not in my favor today.

BLUSHES

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Swatches

 

  

Amazing & Inexpensive - mark Good Glowing Powder Blush

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When it comes to blush I have never had much luck with low end brands. I have tried many and honestly I find them to be a waste of money as they tend to lack in pigmentation and they usually have a very poor chalky texture. Of course there are always the exceptions to the rule - and for me mark blushes is one of them.

The review below is for my favorite shade called Cameo Glo. The other shade that I adore is called After Glo however I gave it to a friend of mine who fell in love with it therefore I don't have any photos/swatches. I definitely plan on purchasing again so I will update once I receive it.

mark Good Glowing Custom Pick Powder Blush - Cameo Glo

Color: Peachy/Pink Nude Tone. The type of color that gives a very natural flush.

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is perfect - it's pigmented enough to go on in one swipe (depending on skin tone of course) yet build-able.

Texture: Although it has some slight shimmery particles in the blush the texture is Matte without being chalky.

Packaging: The only con that I have with this product is the packaging. It comes in a very generic plastic case which can be a bit annoying to open. You have an option to buy a palette for $8.00 which you can snap your blushes into but I really don't think it's that worth it.

Price: $7.00 US per blush but there are always coupons floating around as mark is a brand that is sold out of Avon and Avon always seems to have some kind of deal going on. http://shop.meetmark.com/shop/default.aspx

Amazing & Inexpensive - NYX Tinted Lip Spa

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Here is the description according to the NYX website. Tinted Lip Spa is specially formulated with Vitamin E and extra moisturizing properties to nourish and condition lips while adding color. Lavish your lips to spa treatment everyday.

I have been using this lip tint for over 6 months and I can safely say that my experience with this product rings true to what the company claims. As a person who battles with dry lips this is one of the few "treatments" that actually moisturizes my lips for a decent period of time AND has a good color pay off. It's pretty much a lip balm and lipstick all in one pretty package and all of the colors that I have tried so far are very beautiful and wearable. My favorite of the lot is called Sake (swatch below) and it is a staple that I always make sure to carry around in my purse as the color is a very basic peachy pink tone which seems to go well with everything. In addition to all of the other good stuff - the price is unbelievably low @ $3.75 (cherryculture.com)

Overall, I am impressed with this product and I hope it works just as well for others as it has for me :)

Barbie Loves Stila - Swatches, Review, & Product Photos

I decided to create a post about this wonderful set since it is now available at the Stila website for $20.00 - a true steal in my opinion. I am also going to add in the Foxy Barbie set, however, I do not see it on the Stila website anymore. It is available for a great price on ebay though :)

Barbie Loves Stila - 1959 #1 Ponytail Doll









Barbie Loves Stila - Foxy Doll











Review: 1959 #1 Ponytail Doll

Packaging: I admit that I am a total sucker for pretty packaging. However, what makes this packaging a bonus is the adorable paint can which can be used as a cosmetic brush holder, hair brush holder, etc

Eyeshadows: Both shadows are wonderfully pigmented and are a breeze to blend. The dark blue one has a shimmer to it which isn't overpowering and the black shadow has a matte consistency which can also be used as a liner.

Blush: Light coral color with illumining properties. I would say that the shade will probably be very flattering on most skin tones.

Lipstick: Cherry red color with a matte consistency. I would say this is the item I liked the least out of the bunch. The color is very pretty but it does not feel pleasant on my lips at all. I think it's way too drying - even for a matte.

Eyeliner: Decent liquid liner (black) which goes on smoothly. Not the best and not the worst I have tried. I found the color to be a bit of a dull black - almost a dark grey if I had to describe it.

Review: Foxy Doll

Packaging: See above.

Eyeshadows: As I mentioned in the review above, both shadows are highly pigmented and are a breeze to blend. In this set the 2 colors are in the metallic family and both do a fantastic job at brightening the eye area without an obnoxious amount of shimmer. They are truly gorgeous neutral shadows.

Blush: Another very nice coral shade except this one is darker with a matte consistency. Almost a mauvey coral color if that makes sense.

Lip Glaze: Sheer apricot lip gloss. I like the color alot but was underwhelmed at the complete sheerness of the product.

Mascara: I really didn't expect this mascara to be any good but I actually like it! I wouldn't say I love it enough to run out and purchase it but I will certainly use it until it dries out. Not a bad product at all and it's full size!

Overall - If anybody gets the opportunity to purchase these sets on sale I would say grab them. If nothing else just for the shadows alone.

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss - Swatches & Product Photos

Some of my favorite items from NYX are their Mega Shine Lipglosses. These glosses come in a wide variety of different shades, textures, finishes, and you get alot of product for the money (0.53 fl.oz.)

They retail for $4.99 @ Ulta and they regularly have sales (Every month you can always find a $3.50 off or 20% off coupon too!) If you do not have an Ulta near you, or if your store does not offer a wide variety of NYX, cherryculture.com is a great alternative as they have a wide amount of inventory and they also offer great sale prices periodically throughout the year.

See below for some product photos and swatches.
I chose the ones below to show the variety of different colors and finishes.
(Click on the pics for close-ups)

NYX Blues - Swatches & Product Photos

I, along with many, am a big fan of NYX Cosmetics. I find this company to be the most affordable and best quality makeup line in drugstores. In addition to the great price and high quality, they offer a HUGE selection of various shades of eye shadows, lipsticks, lip gloss, blush, etc. There is definitely something out there for every look and every one!

See below for some product photos and swatches of some of my favorite NYX blue tones shadows. Typically I am not a fan of blue ES but these are very pretty :)(Click on the pic to see a close-up)

NYX Aquamarine Trio

NYX Single Eyeshadow in Atlantic & Navy Blue

EcoTools Bamboo Foundation Brush

I can not even begin to express how impressed I am with this brush. Throughout the years I have played around with quite a few foundation brushes (low end to high end) and not one of them delivered results half as well as this tool does.

For starters, the bristles are very nice and soft yet dense enough to provide the coverage that you need. I have had absolutely no issues with shedding, the price is unbelievably cheap, and best of all........it doesn't streak!!!! which was my biggest gripe with foundation brushes to begin with.

Overall, fantastically inexpensive (I purchased at Ulta for $4.99) and eco-friendly product that I highly recommend. I have also heard great things about their angled liner brush. Below are a few retailers that sell EcoTools.

Target
Ulta
Longs
Walgreens
Drugstore.com