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

*stock photo*

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

My Favorite Fall/Winter Plummy Shades

As the end of winter begins to draw near *yay!* I wanted to pay homage to my favorite fall/winter plummy shades that I absolutely wore out this season.

Blush

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum - Beautifully rich plummy tone which when applied lightly gives my cheeks a wonderful yet deep wintry flush. Great product for all skin tones when used with the right tool. Nice for lips as well but can be a bit drying without a gloss on top.

NARS Sin - On my medium/light skin tone Sin comes across as a mauvey yet slightly plummy shade. There is some shimmer to this product yet it is slight and not overdone at all. As is the case with all of the NARS blushes that I own, I love how Sin perks up my complexion and makes my skin look alive and fresh. LOVE LOVE LOVE

*Please note that the swatches in the pic below appear a bit darker as they are layered on my skin*

Eye Shadow

MAC Handwritten - Beautiful dark brown/purple color which is perfect for a smokey eye and/or outer v. Fantastic Matte2 consistency which makes this shadow blend like a dream with amazing pigmentation.

NYX Eggplant - Shimmery purple color with a slight grey undertone. One of the few NYX purple shades that I could pull off.

Lips

Club Monaco Lipstick in Glaze - I find this lip color to be similar to Clinique's black honey except it is a bit richer in color. Applies beautifully and gives that perfect amount of plum color to the lips without looking like something that walked out of a 90's ad (btw I was guilty of rocking the dark browns in the 90's :) This lipstick was given to me by a very good friend who informed me that Monica Lewinski wore this in an interview hence making the product super popular. I believe it is now discontinued....much like Monica :)

Laura Mercier Plumping Lip Gloss Wildberry - Very pretty sheer berry tone. Very wearable alone or on top of lipstick. I believe this is discontinued too..what a shame.

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.

Bobbi Brown - Pale Pink Dupe

Pale Pink is the kind of blush that looks shockingly bright in the pan but very natural on the skin - especially when you use a light hand and the right tools.

Not too long after I purchased Pale Pink I placed an order with Cherry Culture for a few much needed NYX items...one of the items that I bought happened to be NYX Pinky which is a hands-down exact duplicate of Pale Pink except Pinky was $4.99 and Pale Pink was $20.00 (I purchased Pale Pink off of ebay) Now, I know alot of people seem to be aware of this dupe but unfortunately for me, I learned this fact a little too late.

See pics below:

Mineralized Skin Finishes - Friend or Foe?

If I had to choose one makeup phase that I am totally and completely happy to be done with; it was my crazed obsession with Mineralized Skin Finishes (MSF's) and Bobbi Brown Shimmerbricks. I don't know exactly how or why it started, but for a few months I absolutely HAD to own every single one that I came across. I collected these pieces of cosmetics as if they were some kind of rare jewel created by the makeup gods....sadly, all I really got out of my obsession in the end was a shimmery face and a big fat hole in my pocket. Oh well! If nothing else I still love my Shimpagne MSF as it gives the top of my cheekbones the most glorious glow! However, there are times.....when I am alone in the middle of the day....that I sit and wonder....why oh why did I spend at least $150.00 to look like a human disco ball??????

Makes you think huh? MSF's friend or foe??