Showing posts with label Lip Fusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lip Fusion. Show all posts

Friday, July 6, 2012

{Favorites} June 2012!

Hey there! It's time for June Favorites! I know, I know a few days late, but better late than never. This month has been a pretty fuss free month. I've been focusing a lot on skin care because I had a pretty big breakout in the beginning of June and kinda freaked out haha. I don't really have a big problem with acne, so a breakout that big caught me off guard, hence all the skin care stuff in this post. Let me know if you want reviews of anything shown!


Banana Boat Protective Tanning Oil SPF 15: Before you say it, yes I do know that tanning is bad for you. That being said, I just got really tired of using self tanners nearly every other day. I don't tan often, and until the past couple of years I've been obsessive with the sunscreeen, but on me a real tan just looks so much better so I decided to go for it this summer. This stuff is great. It comes in varying SPF levels (5, 8, 15 and 25 I believe). The highest my Target had was the SPF 15 one, so that's what I went with. I'm very fair and this stuff works to give me a nice golden tan without that irritated red look to begin with. For me, this tanning oil worked fairly gradually, but if you're darker you may want to go with one of the lower SPF's for a quicker tan. And this stuff smells really really good, like sweet bananas!


L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self Tanning Lotion in Medium Natural Tan: This is the self tanner I've been using for the past few months. It gives a pretty natural color. On me the tan is a little more yellow than a real tan, which looks more of a cool brown on me, but I don't really mind. It works quickly, doesn't smell too bad, and for the most part fades naturally. The only thing I don't like about this is that it has shimmer in it, so I don't use it daily. I like to use it during the day so that I don't mess up my sheets, which means if I'm going out I won't use it or I'll look like a disco ball. Like any other self tanner, you really have to be careful with application or you will get patchiness/streaking, but except for on my fingers I haven't had too much difficulty getting it to look even. Overall, it's a pretty good drugstore self tanner.


Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunscreen in SPF 70: I use this stuff on my face, neck and decollete area daily. This is my second bottle of this stuff and I love it. It's a thin consistency that goes on very easy, blends out well and layers easily under makeup. It does smell like sunscreen, but I don't mind, as long as it keeps me from burning. I think when I run out of it next time I'll try the Pure & Free Liquid one from Neutrogena to see how it's different from the reqular Ultra Sheer Liquid. {Full Review Here!}


The Face Shop Oil Specialist Fresh Cleansing Oil with Cherry Blossom: I got this last summer when was on vaca in NYC. I bought a cleansing oil (I think it was either $12 or $15) and I kinda forgot about it while I focused on finishing other cleansers. I rediscovered it when I broke out and really needed to deep clean, and now I'm in love. I've been using it morning and night and my skin feels soooo good! It took me a little while to really get the method down, but now that I know how to use it properly I'm hooked.

Murad Clarifying Toner: This is another product I started using again when I broke out. It is a witch hazel toner meant to really clean pores and kill any germs on the skin. I like it because while it acts like an astringent, it doesn't burn my skin or dry it out too much. The only place I'm careful with this stuff is my chin because I tend to get dry patches there. Other than that it works well. As nice as it is, for $22 I think I can mix up some of my own witch hazel toner and save some money, so I don't think I'll be repurchasing it in the future. I think I'll get a big jug of pure witch hazel (it's super cheap) and see how that works for me. Just fyi for all you people with sensitive skin: although this stuff is alcohol free, witch hazel can burn just as much if you have super dry or sensitive skin. It doesn't really irritate me (except for the chin), but I wouldn't risk it if you have sensitive skin.

Proactive Repairing Treatment: I don't use Proactive, but a friend of mine does. She says that she can never get through a full bottle of the Repairing Treatment before she gets another shipment, so she gave me the new one that came in the mail while she was still not even half way through her current bottle. This stuff is a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide acne treatment lotion. I use it as a spot treatment and I've had this stuff for months because you really just need the smallest amount. It works well. Is it worth what Proactive charges for it? Not really because it works about as well as any other acne treatment I've used. I can't really do a full review because it's meant to be used in combination with the rest of the Proactive line. I've been mainly using this on pimples and to clear up any stray pimples that pop up on my shoulders here and there from using self tanners and tanning oils. I heard that Walmart makes cheaper versions of this stuff that you can buy separately, so I may try that after I run out.


Biore Skin Brightening Night Serum: I love this stuff. It gives me the perfect amount of moisture in the mornings and really brightens up my skin. I did an indepth review not too long ago which I will link--feel free to check it out! {Full Review Here!}





















Nars Lip Gloss in Gina: Gina is on the left side of the gloss duo (the other side is Boogie Nights). It's a matte, sheer nude. I've been loving anything that is orangy/coral and this is a perfect shade for my skin tone. Not too orange, not to pink, not too opaque. It's super glossy and just gives my lips a really nice finished look. I've been pairing this a lot with like a smokey eye look lately and it's perfect, never too nude/concealer like.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Sunrise Nude: I don't think you can get this shade anymore, but I'm sure that Revlon has something similar in their current line. This one is a super pale, sheer peach with a lot of pretty silver shimmer. I love this gloss because although you can't really see the peachy color it does even out my lips a little.Of all my glosses, the Super Lustrous ones have the best drugstore formula I've come across. They are thick, but not sticky, last a very long time, and have a great color selection. They are also feel moisturizing on the lips, which I love. You can't go wrong with any shade in this range. {Full Review Here!}

Calvin Klein Delicious Light Glistening Lip Gloss in Radar: I don't know where you can get Calvin Klein makeup anymore--they brought it back to Sephora, then discontinued it again. I know that Marshall's and TJMaxx had sets of CK stuff last year, but I haven't seen any in a long time. If you can find these glosses definately get at least one to try because they are great. Very shiny, fragrance free, a little on the thicker side, but not too bad. This shade is so pretty and brings out my blue eyes. I've finished close to 1/2 of this color, which says a lot for me. {Full Review Here!}

Lip Fusion Micro Collagen Lip Plump in Fresh: This is my first Lip Fusion plumper, and I've been loving it. The shade is a sheer, slightly shimmery orange that looks great with a tan. The formula is thin, and it doesn't tingle as bad as some of the other plumpers I've tried. It makes my lips look really full and juicy, a look I've been loving lately. Overall, I'm looking forward to trying out more shades from this line!



















L-->R: Lip Fusion Fresh, CK Radar, Revlon Sunrise Nude, Nars Gina. 

Of these shades, I think Radar and Sunrise Nude have been worn most. I've really got a lot of these orangy lip colors and really am trying to not forget about them in my stash, which is so easy when you've got as many glosses like I do. 




















Top row: Stila Starlight, Cloud, Grace, and Lemon.
Bottom Row: MAC MSF in Petticoat (some chipped of and I pressed it), Stila Barefoot Contessa, Mystic, and Sajama.  

Stila Eyeshadows: When it comes to shadow, I've been keeping it pretty simple. I've rediscovered Mystic and Sajama in my collection and stuck them in the 8 pan palette to keep them close. I've been mainly using those two along with Starlight and Grace. Grace looks really nice layered over top Mystic. It's a strange combo, but it looks really pretty--not too blue but not exactly brown either. Almost like one of those duochrome shadows from MAC--it looks different depending on the lighting.




















L-->R: Stila Starlight, Grace, Mystic and Sajama. 

Of these shades, Sajama is a matte formula and Stila's matte shades can be difficult to work with. I really had to dig in the pan to get this swatch. I like to use it along my upper lash line, over a dark liner or by itself wet. It gives this hazy smokly lash look that's very easy to do.


 

















Funky Fingers Nail Polish in Kingston:This last item is one I've been obsessed with for the past six months or so. It's a nail polish from a relatively unknown brand called Funky Fingers, and the shade is Kingston. I found this gem for $2.50 at a Five Below store and have been wearing it pretty much non stop since. It's a pretty neon orange that looks amazing in the sunlight. It's so bright and fun that I always wear it poolside or to the beach. The formula isn't the best and it starts to chip after about three days of wear, but honestly, I couldn't care less because the color is absolutely stunning. Also on the plus side, it dries to a matte finish (I use a topcoat over) and matte shades tend to dry really quickly. I've been on the hunt for a back up of this color because I'm more than half way through with it, but I haven't been able to find anything yet :(

That's it for my June Favorites! Tried any of these products? Loved them? Hated them? Want a review of one of the products featured? Let me know in comments!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

{Haul} Cosmetic Market (NYC)


Hi everyone! I'm been on vaca in NYC these past few days and I did a bit of shopping. One of the places I stopped by was the Cosmetic Market. Prior to leaving, I'd scouted a few places that I wanted to check out, places that I can't at home. One of these places was this Cosmetic Market. If you are unfamiliar, it's like a discount makeup and skincare store. They had a mix of products from the drugstore to the high end, ranging from discontinued items to samples (those little GWP ones) to overstock inventory. I was really surprised by the selection they had. I saw Shiseido, StriVectin, and Borghese skincare for well under half price. They had almost the entire line of Borghese there, with most of it under $10. Makeup wise they had more drugstore than high end, but still a lot of high end. I saw a lot of the discontinued Calvin Klein line, straight from Sephora. Prices ranged from $8.99 for single shadows to around $13.99 for foundation, both liquid and pan cake. They had a lot of Lip Fusion plumpers for $10, when they are usually almost $40. All in all, I was very happy with what I found, even a few mac products.

That being said, I do feel I need to warn you about some of the cons with this place as well. For one, given that a lot of these products are discontinued, checking expiration dates is a must!! Even if not expired, I would be very careful buying things like hair removal creams and anti-wrinkle products because you simply cannot know if they are still good unless you call the company with the lot number on the box. Also, they do have perfumes, but again I would be careful. They range from around $30 to $50, but the fact that some of them are unboxed made me nervous. Also, they do have testers for most of the products, but I wouldn't put hem anywhere near your face. They are gross. Finally, if you see something you like, get it in bulk now because you're probably not gonna see it there again as their stock varies.

My greatest complaint however, is not with the products, but how they sell them. They must have a huge theft problem because everything is taped up ridiculously and tagged with those security stickers. Example: I bought a fusion lipgloss and both ends of the box were taped shut and there was a security sticker on the outside of the box. I opened the box, and there was a second security sticker around the gloss itself, connecting the applicator wand to the tube. Now, I'm happy that I have a guarantee no one has used or swatched that product (a big concern I have with TJ Maxx and Marshalls), but that sucker took me a good half hour to rub off. I mean, that thing would not come off. It seemed a bit over the top to me. Not that big of a deal for me because I saved a lot of money, but it may really tick off a lot of people.

Before I show you what I got, let me give you the numbers. Not counting tax I payed around $69. The retail value of what I got is around $275, meaning I saved around $206!!!

If you are interested, here is the address of the place in NYC:



The first thing I got was a bunch of these large cotton pads for makeup/nail polish removal. I got these for $1.49 each, when in Target a similar product would cost me around $4, so I stocked up and got 4.


They are very soft, very thick and heavy duty. One side is smooth and one side has these ridges on it. I used one last night, took off all my face makeup and still had room left over on the pad.


I was probably most excited to see Stila products there!!! They had three different foundations, two powder types, and most of their lip glosses, plumpers, liners, stains etc. Also saw some of their eye kohl liners and some of there shadow liner smudger trios. They also had just about all of their single pan shadows ranging from $2.99 to $3.99! I got 3 of these powders because they are my favorite!!!


The Sheer Pressed Powder from Stila is just so smooth and fine it gives me a very natural flawless look. Mattifies very well, and almost never looks cakey. I was so happy I found it because I haven't purchased it in a while because it's just gotten too expensive.


It comes with a puff, but I throw it out and uses a brush.


I got three of these at $6.99 each, much less than what I've paid at the drugstore for Revlon powders and definitely less than the $28 retail.


I got two cans of Stila One Step makeup. I had gotten a sample at Sephora when it first came out and really loved it. It gives me a very good medium coverage, but looks so natural you can't really tell I'm wearing makeup. It feels very light, almost like a mousse texture, but also has a silicone feel which, given I have oily skin, I actually really like. This foundation I'm pretty sure has been discontinued in the past year I think.


I got it for $5.99, but it's worth $44!! I was so happy because at the drugstore I rarely pay less than $10 for foundation.


I also got the Stila Plumping Lip Glaze in Cherry Mint. It's a thick lip plumper that is very very shiny and cool feeling on the lips. They had the entire line. I already own one (can't remember the name) and love it!


I got it for $5.99, while they usually sell for around $24.


The thing I was next most excited about was the Lip Fusion gloss I got. I got the shade Fresh (which was actually on sale at Sephora a few months ago). They had around 15 different shades to choose from, several of them from a limited edition collection. I've been wanting to try these cause I've heard good things about them, but I just could not justify spending so much on one gloss.


These plumpers retail for $38 each, and I got mine for $10!!!


Finally picked up a few drugstore items. Savings on these weren't as high, but still under retail. I was most exited about the Ponds makeup remover. Got it for $4.99, retail is $8.99. The Biore Cooling Eye Gel was $5.99. I got it cause I'm almost done with my current eye cream. Finally, got a pair of Revlon Platinum Tweezers for $2.99, when they are around $8-$10 at the drugstore.

The entire haul:


Phew that was a long one. Anyway, I've got two more hauls coming, so stay tuned!