Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation

This can be purchased here

I have used this product in the past 3 or 4 months and am quite impressed with this product. It is very affordable and is actually a great matte product for normal to dry skin. I use my fingers to apply the product, and sometimes go over any dry patches with a damp makeup sponge.

Pros:

- Beautiful Matte Finish

-Lasts very well; medium coverage

-Affordable

-A little bit goes along way which means the product will last you quite a while

Cons:

-In really dry areas, mainly on the center of my forehead, and around my nose, the product clings to the dry patches but whats great is that the shade I use (the lightest) is such a perfect match that I don't have to apply any on dry patches and if I do, I can fix the look by going over any dry patches with a damp Real Techniques makeup sponge.


Overall, I highly recommend this product for an everyday makeup routine

Revlon Collection

I own 25 Revlon products so I thought it would be helpful to review them, give my preferences and say which ones were great and which ones aren't.

Faves bolded and italicized 

'

First, lipsticks and lipglosses in order left to right

Revlon Colorburst lip butter in Tutti Frutti 015

Revlon SuperLustrous Lipstick Rich Girl Red 830

"" "" "" "" In Cherries in the Snow 440

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede in High Heels 030

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon 415

"" "" "" "" in Blushing Mauve 460

Revlon Colorbrust lip butter in Cupcake 055

Super lustrous liploss in Berry Allure 225

"" Peony 08

Just bitten kissable balm stain 005 Crush

Revlon Colorburst matte balm in 225 Sultry 

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001 Honey

Just Bitten Kissable Lipstain + balm in 

top: Flame 

bottom: Desire 

My favorite would have to be the Revlon Color-burst matte balm stain in Sultry because its matte, but not drying at all and is a very unique color great for everyday. I also really like the Super Lustrous Lipstick in Blushing Mauve as its very moisturizing and "your lips but better" sort of lipstick.

I do not really like the lip butters; they are not fully opaque and do not feel very moisturizing. Instead they feel gooey and icky for a lack of a better term.

Eyeshadow:
 Revlon Diamond Lust in the shade: 115 Neptune Star

This eyeshadow is great to wear over a dark cream base to add dimension but on its own its not very pigmented and difficult to apply an even layer. There will be fallout no matter what. 

Blush:
Revlon Highlighting palette in 020 Rose Glow

Beautiful once applied to cheeks after swirling brush in all colors but acts more as a highlight rather than a blush 

Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in 010 Light

Great for lazy, already have done a full review on it here

Nail polish; I own 7 Revlon nail polishes:
Back Row: 570 Vixen, 320 Jaded, & 211 Charming
Middle Row: 225 Jungle, 230 Bonsai, & 250 Rich Raspberry
Front: Pink Pineapple

The one I think is not the best is Pink Pineapple; it was too sheer, and when applied, it looked too streaky. The best Revlon nail polishes are the color-stay ones, my favorite being Rich Raspberry because its perfect for summer and for winter.

Overall I think Revlon is a fantastic drugstore brand with superb products, mainly their lip products, with a few hits here and there. If you've never tried Revlon before, try the Super Lustrous Lipsticks first! They are in fact the shinning stars in the whole product range.

**If you want an in-depth review on one of the products mentioned please send me a message on tumblr!**
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Thank you for reading! If there any recommendations of products you want reviewed please send me a message via Tumblr here on anon or not. :)

April Favorites

The following are some products that I've been loving for the month of April:

1. MAC Zoom Lash Mascara
This mascara is brilliant! Its not clumpy and gives my lashes amazing volume and length. I wear eyeglasses all the time and this is one of the few mascaras I've tried that doesn't cause my lashes to either touch my glasses or loose its shape from rubbing against my glasses. Highly recommend!

2.  Boots Expert Anti-Redness Serum 
This is the best! I have already repurchased this because it actually works. I used to have really red cheeks (mild rosacea) and would get really red if I was hot and sweaty after a workout or if I were embarrassed. This serum is the best; it toned down my redness, allowing me to feel much more confident without makeup and allowed me to wear blush without looking like a clown.

3. NYC Nail Polish in Big Apple Red 
This red is a must have for me. Its perfect for spring and summer without being too bright or too dark. The formula is great given its really affordable and lasts with no chipping for about 3 days. I wear this color constantly when I don't have other appealing colors in my collection. I have worn this for the entire month of April, only reapplying twice.

4. NYX Eyebrow Duo 
I won't go much into detail because I did do a separate post about this product here. This is a great, affordable eyebrow product perfect for dark blonde/light brown coloring. I don't use the wax anymore because it got a bit dirty but the powders are still perfect and I haven't even hit bottom yet, and its been almost 8 months since I first purchased it!

5. Stila Eyeliner Set 
I actually purchased this at Nordstrom Rack and instead of paying $25, I only had to pay around $16. This is a great set with a black, brown, blue, purple, and teal. They are perfect, easy to use and do not tug on the eyelid. The black is the one I use daily while I did use the teal for a bit of fun on my waterline which was a bit tricky at first. These eyeliners are great, but I do recommend purchasing only one if you're unsure, as some colors might not be everyone's cup of tea.

Thats it for my April Favorites! Thank you for reading! :)

Sonia Kashuk Eyeliner Palette

 

This palette comes with 6 MATTE eyeliners. I actually think they are more eyeshadows because they are powder. But they do work well as eyeliners. In the above photo of swatches, there is a black shade, a gray, blue, purple, olive green, and a brown. The shades are easy to blend and are great for everyday looks. I personally like to use one shade just to line my eyes, choosing black for everyday or a colored one for a bit of fun. They are also great when doing a cut crease. The shadows are long lasting however when worn together, they can fade (not crease) throughout the day.

Overall, I highly recommend this product for those who don't like shimmery eyeshadows and just want a small eyeshadow palette with wearable shades.

Sold at Target for $14

Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Gel Eyeliner Review

Can be purchased here 

The Pros:
1. Stays on all day
2. Dries to a satin finish that can easily be changed to a matte finish if black eyeshadow is applied over it.

The Cons:
1. If black shadow isn't applied after the gel, it can transfer slightly when you open your eyes.
2. A bit tricky to get off with makeup remover. I recommend this makeup remover for the eyes.

Overall, I think this is a great gel eyeliner from the drugstore!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush Review

Because of Christmas, I had some free-spending money and I thought it best to invest in some high end makeup. So, one of the very first high end makeup product I have ever bought was this blush!

I swatched it at the counter and dabbed some on my cheeks, giving myself a gorgeous flush that looked natural and as if I were kissed by the sun! (The color of I have is Intriguing Plum) It was $30 but overall I think its totally worth the investment! Only one downside is that this product is very VERY pigmented. A lot goes along way! It is also a bit difficult to open the packaging, but thats not the worst thing.

The blush is not shimmery, but not matte either. It gives a gorgeous flush and is perfect given as a luxurious gift or as a self-investment.

The blush can be purchased here as well as Nordstrom, which is where I purchased mine. It costs $30 at both places. 

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette Review + Swatches

This stunning palette comes with 20 shadows.

Three are matte (habit, rewind, and x-rated), there are a few satin shades, and the rest are shimmery, but are not chunky and when applied to the eye, the shimmer does not look too extreme or costume-y. All the colors in my opinion can be worn in simple, everyday looks apart from shellshock This one is very vibrant when applied wet and therefore I feel it can actually take a simple look from day to night.

The shadows can be applied wet or dry, however a few, when applied dry, will have some fall-out. I believe all the colors can be worn, either as a wash of color blended out or packed on the eye for an intense flash of color. I think it would also be fun to apply one of the more vibrant colors - such as damaged or voodoo - wet and apply like an eyeliner.

The packaging is sturdy, and comes with a large mirror and a double ended brush.

The palette retails for $60 on urban decay's website and if you love color and makeup, then I think it is totally worth the investment.

The only downsides to this palette it is not travel friendly and it is definitely targeted to those (like myself) who love makeup and love color.

Here is a makeup tutorial done by VintageorTacky which not only shows a look with this palette but also is what sold me into getting this palette.

The colors on top, left to right are: rewind, derailed, betrayal, and voodoo. I'm really sorry I'm still trying (and failing) to work this blogging thing out and for some reason the colors aren't in order, so the second picture I'm not sure what colors those are.

The colors on the bottom row above from left to right are x-rated, coax, shellshock, lovesick and smokeout. Tanya Burr actually did a lovely makeup tutorial using the color x-rated. 

(When I published this I saw that the photos are a bit jumbled up, so above, the names start off with the matte pink and end at the intense black)

The photo on the (bottom) left as the colors in order from left to right and they are dope, toxic, habit, ambush and rewind. The photo on the right has the colors strike, madness, and prank. 

I am so sorry for the quality of pictures, I am trying to find my camera but I have no idea when the last time i saw it. 

I hope this review and these swatches were somewhat helpful. Again, I totally recommend this palette and if you would like to buy it, here is the link. And if there are any products you would like me to review, please message me on my tumblr. Thank you for reading!