Review: Revlon Lipgloss and Nailpolish Duo: Sunrise Nude and Sheer Peach

So I was at Ocean State Job Lot a while ago and spotted this Revlon lip and nail duo for $1.99 and just had to get it. I really only got it for the lip gloss cause I've been craving a nude sparkly shade with not too much pigmentation, but to be honest, the polish isn't half bad.


The nail polish shade is Sheer Peach. I'd say it's more white in color than peach.


The shade of the gloss is Sunrise Nude. I've got to say that this is one of the prettiest glosses I've tried from Revlon. It's not very pigmented, but if you could see the sparkle in this baby, you'd swoon!!!


Yeah, this is as best a picture as I could get with my crappy camera. In reality, the sparkles are multicolored-some are blue-ish/purple-ish, some orange, some white. The overall effect is gorgeous but not too glitzy.

Swatch on my hand:

I would definitely say that it's got more shimmer in real life.

On my lips:

It's super super glossy, which I love about the Revlon Super Lustrous line. All of these glosses have a very lacquered finish.

And a swatch of Sheer Peach:

It's a nice nude. I'm thinking of adding a bit of white to it to make it more opaque. Other than that, it looks great on the toes.

First off, the gloss is very very glossy. It has a fairly thick lacquer feel, but it's not too sticky. I don't find this gloss (or any of the Super Lustrous glosses) drying, but I wouldn't say that they are moisturizing either. Personally, I like to layer glosses over lip balm so that my lips don't look gross by the end of the day and I don't have to deal with tackiness. This gloss also has a bit of a smell. It's fairly strong, but I don't necessarily think it's too bad. The only complaint I have about this shade is that I wish it was a bit more pigmented. You can see a slight darkening in my lips when I wear it, but not enough to really be noticeable. I really dislike clear glosses, and this one is just a few steps above that. Other than that, I highly recommend this shade and others in the Super Lustrous line. They're affordable, last, and come in a huge variety of shades.

As for the nail polish, I like the shade. It's a sheer white (a bit too sheer, in my opinion) with peach and silver shimmer in it. I really like how this shade isn't streaky. Most nudes you get at the drugstore (or even more high end actually) can be a pain to apply, but this one's great. The only warning I have to put out is that Revlon polishes tend to go on quite thick (in terms of formula). I wouldn't recommend doing more than two coats at one time because you mey end up with really gooey nails (you know, the ones that take three years to harden and then are all dented) or bubbles. But stick to two coats and you'll be fine.

Oh, and quick note-this shade (gloss) is discontinued and is the old formula. Apparently Revlon has redone these glosses and is adding SPF 15 and making them more moisturizing. I think there may be a change in packaging as well, but I'm not positive. I hope they don't change them too much cause I like the packaging. Unlike many drugstore brands, Revlon's packaging looks somewhat sophisticated but not old.

Info:

Price: $1.99 (Ocean State Job Lot-You can also find these types of duo's a Big Lots-just make sure they're not expired.)

Ingredients: Polybutene, Octyldodecanol, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyethylene, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Serica (Silk Powder Poudre de Soie), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Methylparaben, Benzoic Acid, Propylparaben, BHT, May Contain (+/-):, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica, Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), FIL

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Review: Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cherry

So this is a review for Vaseline Lip Therapy balm in Cherry. It's kinda late, I know, cause most people have problems with chapped lips in the winter, but I hope this helps someone! My lips were really really chapped this winter. At one point, I actually had a scab on my lip which would open and bleed, that's how bad it was.


From the packaging, you can tell that I've really been using this balm a lot. I'm almost done!!!

The applicator:

I really like the packaging of this balm. I've really been hating lip balms/glosses that are potted. It's not that I'm afraid of germs cause I would usually just use hand sanitizer prior to using my product (and I don't share my makeup), but rather the mess that is left on my finger after. I don't always have a tissue on me, so cleanup is messy :( But I don't have this problem with this balm. Normally, however, I do not like these domed applicators because the product tends to seep out (like my C.O. Bigelow minty gloss), but that's not an issue here because the product is fairly thick.

In fact, half the fun of this product is watching it squeeze through the little hole in the applicator:



As you can see above, it's just a clear but thick gel/balm.

Here's a swatch:


My bare, poor chapped lips:


My nice, smooth, moisturized lips:


Now, first off, one thing I really like is what this balm is made out of. It's basically petroleum jelly, and I'm guessing white petroleum is just a purified version of the regular petroleum jelly as it doesn't have that stinky smell that regular Vaseline has (which is why I could never use it on my lips--I'd get grossed out by the smell).


For those of you who don't know, petroleum jelly doesn't actually moisturize lips. It repels water, so it seals the lips off, preventing moisture from evaporating by sealing it in. Petroleum jelly will not be absorbed into skin, so if you want to use stuff like the regular Vaseline to treat dry skin patches, it doesn't actually moisturize but rather prevents moisture from leaving. I feel that that is exactly what this balm does. If I put this on and then twenty mins later take it off, by lips don't feel any more moisturized than when I first put it on. However, if I use it over the course of three or four days, I see a marked improvement in my lips. Also, I like to wear this under gloss because it doesn't get absorbed by my lips so my lip gloss lasts much longer and doesn't dry out my lips as much. As for scent, it's labeled cherry, but really there is a very faint (VERY faint) scent to it. In fact, it's barely discernible. If you don't like flavored lip products, you'll love this balm. Overall, I think it's an ok balm. If you're looking for a quick fix for extremely chapped lips, this is not the product for you.

Info:

Price: $1.99 (for .35 oz)

Ingredients: White Petrolatum USP, Flavor, Sodium Saccharin

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

My Camera Broke :(

Yeah, so my camera broke and I'll be getting a new one soon. I'm actually kinda glad cause this one takes pictures very oddly. Usually, the picture is either focused or not. With my current camera, it's half half. Pars of the picture will be kinda fuzzy and others really clear. It's very frustrating because I don't notice until it's time to actually put the pictures up. But I'll be getting a new one soon, and I'll update you with how it goes! Meanwhile, all the pics I'll be using are older ones that I never got around to posting.

Look: Purple Passion

So I promised a purple look using the above palette, Lancome's Passion quad, and here it is!





I went for a cool-ish/smoky-ish purple look with heavier liner.

Products used:
UDPP
Lancome Eyeshadow Quad in 4 Passion
Sonia Kashuk Eye Maker in Black
Lancome Difinicils Mascara in Aubergine Royal

Get A Free Lancome Juicy Tube!!!

I know I promised no Lancome for a loooooong time, but this is too good to pass up!

Here's the deal: Bring the April cover of Seventeen Magazine to a Lancome counter at any Nordstrom and receive a FREE LANCOME JUICY TUBE!!! You get your pick of four shades, each with limited edition packaging. I'll try to get some pics of them when I go, but I'm not sure when that will be. This offer is, of course, while supplies last only, so hurry!

I've heard of people bringing a printout of the cover as well, but I don't know if you can do that. If you don't have a subscription to Seventeen, I'd try that first because I've heard that it works. If not, just buy the issue. I'm pretty sure it's under four dollars. Considering that a Juicy Tube coasts $18, I don't think that's bad at all.

Here's the cover:


If you take advantage of this offer, let me know how it goes!

Nail Polish Comparison: Maybelline Unforgettable Red and NYC Burgundy

On the left is Maybelline Salon Expert in Unforgettable Red and on the right, NYC Long Wearing (yeah, right!) Nail Enamel in Broadway Burgundy. Broadway Burgundy was my favorite shade before I got into matte shades. I went through three or four bottles. It's still one of the few shades I've had to repurchase

Swatches in artificial light:

Left: Maybelline Unforgettable Red, Right: NYC Broadway Burgundy

Swatches in natural light:

Left: Maybelline Unforgettable Red, Right: NYC Broadway Burgundy

As you can see from the pics above, Unforgettable Red is warmer than Broadway Burgundy. It's also shearer. Above, two coats were applied without any top coats. Broadway Burgundy is fairly opaque while Unforgettable Red still needs another coat. Of these two I have to favor Broadway Burgundy because of the deeper and cooler color, the pigmentation, and the shine. Unforgettable Red is a bit dull, while Broadway Burgundy definitely has a more lacquer finish. As for formula, Unforgettable Red is thinner than Broadway Burgundy and dries really really quickly, which is a plus. I just wish it was a bit more opaque. Broadway Burgundy is a steal at 97 cents!!! And honestly, NYC nail polishes aren't even that bad. I've tried Sally Hansen polishes with way worse formulas.

That's it for now! Next post will be an eye look!!!

Super Bright Essie Nails!!!

Ok, so I'm not, by any means, a super bright nail polish person. I tend to stick to dusty lilacs, pinks, or go really dark with navy's and burgundy's. Lately, however, I've really been craving neon/really bright nail polish, and I was lucky enough to get some mini's on sale at a salon in the mall. Here's a tip for those of you who like Essie and OPI but hate to spend almost nine bucks on a nail polish: raid the clearance bins at the salons in the mall. I always stop by the Regis Salon or Trade Secret's at my mall and they always have something good. I got these babies for a buck each!!! I also got a few full size OPI's (Parlez-Vouz OPI, Baguette Me Not, Russian Navy, Black Cherry Chuteny, and more) for around three bucks each!!!!!! That's crazy!!!!! I'll post some pics of those later, but this post is dedicated to two of the four Essie mini's I got.

The shades are Turning Heads Reds (left) and Fearless (right):


Turning Heads Reds is a jelly orange based red. If you're looking for something super pigmented and opaque, this is not your color because it is a little bit shear. You'll probably need three coats for it to be completely opaque.


Fearless is a neon orange. It is A LOT brighter in person than it is in the pic above and those below. I'm not too crazy about this one for my hands, but it really makes my feet stand out. Too band I can't wear flip flops yet :(


Here they are on my nails:

Fearless is the orange above, Turning Heads Reds is below. You can really see how Turning Heads Reds is kind of shear, not that I mind because I wasn't looking for anything too heavy. And my nails are so short because I grew them out but they started to break on me :( I've got pretty weak nails that tend to peel (the top layer of my nail-at the edge-will peel off, leaving the edges of my nails really weak). I work with a lot of clay in my ceramics classes, and clay just sucks the moisture right out of your hands. My knuckles are always red, dry, and chapped in the winter, so Vaseline becomes my best friend really quickly, haha!

Anyway, back to nail polish. Here they are in more natural lighting:

Fearless (left) looks quite a bit red/subdued in this pic, but it really is brighter in person.

I hope you liked these. Let me know if you'd like to see more nail polish posts. This is my first one and it is a bit of an experiment. Till next time!

Review: Lancome Juicy Tube in Ginger Palace

I know all of you guys are probably sick and tired of seeing Lancome reviews, so I promise that this is the last one for a long long time, haha! I'm just a really big fan of Lanome. So many of their products are absolutely phenomenal, and the Juicy Tubes aren't excluded! The one above is Ginger Palace, from the fall 2008 Maharani Jewels Collection.



Here's the applicator:


And a couple of swatches:


And on my lips:


The color is a warm orangy brown with fine shimmer in it. It kinda looks looks like brown sugar, but warmer. Oh, and it smells sooooo good! It's like a mix of sweet brown sugar, orange, and something else... I'm not quite sure what, but it smells delicious. That is, if you like scented lip glosses. For a while, I didn't even notice that Lancome's lip glosses all smell differently, even the ones in the permanent collection. I tend to like scented glosses, but if you don't avoid this one because the scent is fairly strong (not overpowering, however, in my opinion).

In terms of application and wear, this gloss goes on very smooth, like most of Lancome's glosses. It isn't very sticky and easily lasts three hours. Now, on my lips above, it doesn't look that glossy, but it depends on how you apply it. I prefer a lighter application with this color--I just think it looks better with a neutral. But you can apply it thicker for a more glossier look just as easily. It is very comfortable on the lips, and very moisturizing as well. My lips feel sooo soft after I take this off!!!

And because nothings perfect, I do have a couple of small complaints. One, my gloss is starting to separate. I know I've had this gloss for about a year and a half (I bought it at TJMaxx a while after the collection came out), but I've had other glosses for longer and they're still fine! And can you see how messy the applicator is in the third picture!? There's gloss all over it, even where it screws into the cap. So not cool!!! I try to clean it up as best as possible, but it keeps getting messy. I think it's because, compared to other Lancome Juicy Tubes, this formula is a bit thinner, runnier. Overall, I still love the actual product and highly recommend it!!!

Info:

Price: $18

Ingredients: Polybutene, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, C18-36 acid triglyceride, tridecyl trimellitate, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, silica dimethyl silylate, linalool, geranoil, calcium aluminum borosilicate, calcium sodium borosilicate, eugenol, sodium saccharin, silica, limonene, citral, synthetic fluorphlogopite, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, benayl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benayl salicylate, alpha-isomethyl oilone, hexyl cinnamal, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben, bht, fragrance.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.